Faction Exodus to the Shadows

[Aedan Miles]

Throughout the weeks leading up to this day everyone who had been near one of any Clan Akaata compounds would find that the people in those compounds were preparing and pack up to leave. Anything that wasn't nailed down was getting moved to a secure storage area near the landing pads. This was taking place on many planets both within spheres of influence and outside of them but the largest collection of Clan Akaata members would be on the planet Wayland. Among the ships leaving from Eclipstica and other Protectorate controlled planets some would be headed to other planets a collection of them heading directly to Erebus where Skorvek had some of his belongings and assets stashed away. Among these ships wandering off the most prominent among them would be the Shimin Life Ships MK 2, a large assortment of Dire-class patrol ships and Facade-class pocket carriers. Aedan would be sat in the command and control center of the bar set up on Asylum station running this whole program from there his mismatched eyes tracking over the holotable even as the ships departed towards their various locations. With a final sigh Aedan hit a button on a datapad that would send out notifications to all of those that would be Joining Aedan as he returned to the Shadows to assist his old friend The Red of Sinner with the crazy endeavor they were undertaking.
Livia Maddox Muad Dib Noah Corek

 

[Livia Maddox]

“Pity. I quite liked the springtime air on Eiru. Alas, duty doth call for us all.” Livia sighed with a hand propped under her bust, fingers wrapped around her opposing bicep. Concealer and powder milled by virgin cosmetics makers on a planet full of ageless women may cover the fatigue in Aedan’s Queen from all under her command, but it would not do. Nothing could keep it from the bond she and Aedan shared. There was a wonderful security in knowing he saw through her pert guise, a safety in knowing her husband had her back.

And for the last seventy three hours, she had his. And Eiru’s. And Wayland’s. And Erebos’. Logistics were part and parcel Livia’s beloved domain, her experience moving refugees off Chandaar, Tythe, Nelvaan, Coruscant and Eshan coming twice more in handy over Wayland. Yet, that was not the only reason Livia was suffering from sleepless nights.

Every ounce of muscle fibre in her body was taught in an attempt not to run off, grab Tuuli by the scruff of his neck, and bring her beloved first-born son home. Not… galavanting around with some Mand’alor’s Daughter She-Beast, with perfect mahogany hair and pouty lips so virginally ignorant of the way she looked at Tuuli when he wasn’t looking. Bah! So what if they were dear childhood friends and…

… Livia sniffed sharply to clear her head and pressed her fingers into either side of her nose.

“All set on Erebos and Wayland on our end. The last of it is moving from the world-ship around Eiru… Yasha wouldn’t come, love. Said some malarkey about not leaving Australis’ side… which was as rich as that Manor house of theirs. He left her five days ago for some cockamamy exploits around old Mando space. Which! In my estimation means we have precisely minus seven hours before things start blowing up.” She sidled to Aedan, datapad thrust in her thigh pocket as her hip bumped softly into his side.

Maybe one more check on the locator beacons in Tuuli’s ship… biosign indicators of where the two were… just a peek…

Aedan Miles The Red of Sinner Muad Dib Noah Corek

 

[The Red of Sinner]

That morning, Aedan had request a personal mission to be initiated. Moving a large amount of people from side of the galaxy, to another. Romeo had ran his hand through his hair, it was a dangerous goal to achieve, but it would mean that Aedan's clan would be in a more secure and less oppressed area. It had taken very little time to have ships ready to leave, the new Shimin's had been prepared for such a task, and this would be their first use in what they were designed for.

Later on as they prepared for leaving, Romeo received the notification that it was time to go. Romeo took his personal starfighter into the hangar of Aedan's ship. It wasn't all that surprising for the crew, he'd seen a few of them before already.

Finally on the bridge, Romeo made his way to Aedan. There were a few things he had to discuss with his old friend, personal things that could addressed on the way there. A small little pit stop. Without even trying, the pirate was capable of achieving quite the presence in the Force, but for Romeo is was a familiar one that held nothing but good tidings and welcoming arms.

Next to Aedan was the woman Romeo was beginning to find trust in as well. They shared common stresses, concerns for their childrens' well-being. Aedan had already known the story, but Livia was just starting to get into the fold. She held her own aura about herself, a sorta of posture that screamed a woman of disciple, and elegance. She was speaking about how it was all good, time to go, before sitting next to the pirate man.

"I'm here. Docked my ship were I could. It shouldnt be taking much space, those BlackFires are tiny compared to your Dires." The Vahla spoke.

No longer did he wear flashy attire to put off the theme of royalty and monarchy. Romeo had thrown that lifestyle away, his presence in war had all but diminished. The life of violence and destruction was becoming something of nostalgia for him.

"Can one tell me a estimation of how many people we're moving? Each one of those new Shimins can easily hold twenty two thousand people Aedan, are we..." He paused for a moment, ",are we moving an entire civilization?" He finished.

Livia Maddox Aedan Miles Skorvek Noah Corek Muad Dib

 

[Skorvek]

Skorvek already had the city populace ready to load up onto the ships Aedan Miles was sending and had everything packed and ready for transport, Ignis and Glacia were already stripped of their resources and had the minerals processed and those that werent processed where crated off to be processed off world. Everything that wasn't bolted down was packed and ready to be shipped off once the relief ships that weren't full and ready to go arrived, once they did he immediately directed them where to go and to start loading up equipment and people, The stations he had in orbit he had them ready to be towed and moved if he had to strip them of anything useful and scuttle the remains he will find away to make it occur either way by the time he was done Erebos will have little to any value left to it for those who wish to conquer or take it save for a few things that cannot be moved.

Livia Maddox Noah Corek Muad Dib The Red of Sinner

 

[Noah Corek]

Noah sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stood outside of Yasha's room and his leg bounced up and down, jostling his entire frame as he began to think through the words he would use with her. Since Kaine had returned to their galaxy, took a good portion of security with them, Noah had to admit it left them at somewhat of a security disadvantage. Normally he would have just called on his mother and his clan to send forces to protect them but his clan were currently engaged with finding a refuge with the Sith having taken Mandalore and slowly encroaching on the homeworld of Saleucami.

With this in his mind Noah came to one simple and drastic conclusion. Eriu was not safe for him, was not safe for his wife Alexandra Feanor , was not safe for his lover Yasha Cadera and above all else was not safe for their children. This being at the forefront of his mind he found himself now knocking on Yasha's door before entering and taking his helmet off, his new Beskar'gam being shown to Yasha for the first time. "Yasha, we need to talk. I've been thinking about this for awhile and I think we need to go with Aedan, if not for our sake then for the children's."

Aedan Miles - The Red of Sinner - Skorvek

 

[Derek Dib]

The fleet dropped from hyperspace without preamble. The Leviathan Class Star Destroyer lead the small Armada into the system, a single enmesh, gunray, and tambor class star destroyer following the massive capital ship while spreading out. Two Sentinel-class Patrol Frigates, eight Blastoise Armored Escort Cruisers, two Diamond-Class Carriers (Mk:II), and two Nest Class Carrier Cruisers interspersed between the larger vessels. Twelve squadrons of starfighters poured from the Nest carriers to form a loose swarm within the approaching fleet.

The fall of Manda'yaim.
The encroachment of the Sith.
The questionable allegiance of the Silvers.
The rise of a new Republic.
The establishment of an Imperium.
The new identity of the Coalition.
The slow march of the Confederacy.

Nothing was safe, not even on the planet Erebus. And not for the Dibs.

Muad was forwarned of the Exodus that was to occur and made certain provisions. No matter how awkward it may be.

The command chair on the USC Kraken was empty, the commander of the fleet choosing to instead stand with hands clasped at the small of his back. The black suit accented the dark hair and stubble of the man who looked out the viewport. The pale complexion spoke of too much time spent in enclosed meetings and long distance travel between systems. Derek sighed quietly and motioned for the communication officer to open a frequency.

"Muad Dib sends his regards and his offering of assistance to the one called the Dread Pirate, who still owes him a ship filled with whiskey. If I remember the message correctly. End message. Lieutenant, open a comm to the Dib Homestead. Your ride is incoming. End transmission."

He quietly watched the view of the planet enlarging as the fleet neared Erebus. Below, his family waited extraction from a looming threat that crept onwards. His niece, nephew, uncle, and his uncle's wife lived on the surface near an Anubian spellcaster. And a Dib never turned their back on family. So here he was to give a lift to all that required it. A small smile lifted the corner his lips at the reunion. The reunion with Jerek, Malek, Cher, and Elvis. It had been some time since he had seen his loved ones. And he wouldn't make it awkward, giving distance where distance was needed.

Aedan Miles Ginnie Dib Rhaegar Nemesis Dib The Red of Sinner Skorvek

 

[Amma Dib]

Ginnie was where she was the happiest in all the worlds. Belly up, arms above her head, tinkering at her forge. While the idea of giving up her Erebos home tugged ill at the Kiffar’s chest, she also knew the oncoming Sith would be less kind than RhaeRhae’s constant moods.

“Almost.... done.” A beskar forge and alchemical laboratory were too dangerous to leave in the hands of educated Sith Lords and their minions. Anything she could take, was still being packaged in crates for departure. “Rhaegar, can... the...”

An image of a particular wrench was projected into her riduur’s mind, as Ginnie remained half under the smelter attempting to excise stripped bolts.

“Derek’ll be... Kad. How will Derek be?”

On board the lead Siskeen ship, Amma Dib trotted along to catch sight of her beloved Uncle Dede. There he was, regal as ever and perfect in poise. Amma’s trotting stopped short. She swerved to catch sight of herself in a nearby reflective surface, tightening her braid and checking her lip balm. Perfect. No wrinkles on her clothes, no grease stains. She was, after all, the niece of the most pristine person in the galaxy.

Walking calmly up, Amma clutched her hands in front of her as she approached Derek. Three different approaches to an appropriate greeting flowed through her mind, did she go for the casual ‘hi Unk!’, maybe the more formal Mandalorian ‘so you’re not dead’ greeting? No. Too soon. Instead, the closer she got to her beloved Uncle, the more Amma’s strict control took a back seat.

He looked very much like the sort of crestfallen man who needed a hug.

“Oh Uncle Dede.” Amma pulled her arms around his chest, buried her face in his shirt. “I missed you. I missed you so much.”

 

[Derek Dib]

It was the oddest sensation. A returning to a yaim that he had barely shared with his riduur. Bare whisps of memory the two created in moments of quiet with one another. And other not so quiet memories. He allowed a smile to cross his face as he cared one of the final boxes out of the house to load upon a skiff. Turning he looked at the place that had sheltered his family for almost two decades. It was nearly a family member itself. Marek and Jerek were loading another skiff as they spoke quietly to each other. This place was as much their home as the children. Safe to say it was more of a home to the brothers then it was to Rhaegar.

Nodding to the men as they noticed his absent stare, Rhaegar headed back in. Down the hall his fingers lightly brushed a portion of a wall, remembering his hasty trip that ended with several holes in the walls. The kitchen, freshly painted again, was a scrapbook in itself. And something more. New memories with Amma easily surfaced to his mind. Yet they would never again sit for breakfast in this house.

Quickly he left out the backdoor and followed the sounds of tinkering to the forge where he saw Gin'ika half under machinery. Leaning back against the table he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a low whistle of appreciation. The image of a tool entered his mind prompting him to search through one of her toolbags still on the workbench. Picking it up he scrutinized the wrench as he sought to float the tool from his hand to where Ginnie worked underneath.

Not even a subtle vibration.

Sighing rather theatrically he went over and crouched, extending one arm beneath with the tool while his opposite hand lighty drew a feathery circle along the exposed skin of her midriff. The mention of Derek saw him straightening and moving back to the workbench.

"If I know him, he'll be polite, reserved, and tactfully distant. Before my … death, we were much alike. And from what I've seen and heard, he still is the gentleman. And a weight on the scales of balance doesn't ask why."

One such Dib motto it was. Rhaegar wondered though, how was his nephew holding up ...

He was the lone dam, a sentinel in the face of all that sought to crush the valley. He could hold back the waters for his family that existed. That was his duty. To be the strong and dependable dam.

And then his niece became entangled around him, his arms reacting of their own accord to encircle the youth. He bowed his head and lay a gentle kiss upon her hair. Youthful perhaps, but children no longer. And he had the privilege of being part of their lives.

"Not as much as I missed you."

His arms tightened around Amma as he blinked quickly, control being regained despite the ache in his chest. Bravely he gave her a genuine smile as he looked down at her.

"You been watching out for Rhae Rhae? You know how he gets. What about your alchemy studies? I have another journal that I thought you might like. Different ways to alchemize ordinary objects. I thought you might like it. Forgive me for going on, please, tell me how you have been."

Life and light leapt once more into his eyes.

Amma Dib