Dominion First Strike (SO Dominion of Rutan)

[Aspect of Resolve]

Dominion of Rutan​

876 ABY​

The one element most vitally important to the survival of the Sith Order was their secrecy. The blackouts, which had cut off communications to many worlds in their line of conquest, was essential to their uninterrupted growth; a growing corruption taking root before any of their enemies had the chance to exorcize it.​

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Now however, one such blackout was being reversed far quicker than intended.​

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On Rutan, a First Order remnant force has been identified and confirmed to be attempting to reestablish communication with the wider galaxy as well as aid in disrupting the advance of the Sith into the surrounding sectors. They send weapons and intelligence to our enemies, stockpiling resources that rightfully belong to the Sith​

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They have chosen their fate. Now they shall be reminded of the consequences of standing between the Sith and our conquests. The first fleets have already arrived in the system and opened up on the defenders, carving a path through them and leaving destruction in their wake.​

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With their orbital defenses and fleets scattered by our first attack, the planet lies open for the taking. The rest of our fleet has assembled in the system and has wasted no time in beginning the invasion. Dropships and transports enter orbit at blinding speeds, fighters and bombers dip into the atmosphere to begin strafing runs on defensive stations and outposts, and great ships position themselves to bombard the most heavy centers of resistance.​

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The remnant forces planet-side are preparing for themselves for our assault, gathering in their most secure holdouts and preparing their defenses. Automated and manned guns alike light up the sky of Rutan with a field of blaster fire, all in a desperate attempt to keep even one Sith boot from landing on the planet.​

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Without their fleet to save them the forces on Rutan are backed into a corner, lashing out like a wounded animal with just enough fight left in it to injure its attacker. Their desperation will be their downfall.​

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It is time to snuff out the competition.​

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Objective One: Cleanse the Infection​

Leaked intel has revealed the location of this remnant’s reconstruction efforts. A fortress on Rutan, one housing a specialized long-range communicator and their meeting room. In particular, in addition to the location itself our intel has revealed that a meeting between the remnant’s leaders and upper echelons is being held. Assail the fortress, destroy their other outposts across the planet, remove all traces of this remnant.​

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Objective Two: When on Rutan​

One of the many traditions of the native Rutan species involves great hunts of the local Kudana, with even greater feasts afterwards. The remnant has promised them support and aid in exchange for their loyalty and deliver them supplies by a railway. Destroy it and ensure that aid stops. In addition, in order to gain the trust and loyalty of the locals, and their royalty as a result, embark on one of these hunts and bring back a bounty to fuel the greatest feast they have ever held.​

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Objective Three: The Empty Throne​

Rutan is not the only inhabited world in the path of the Sith, its moon Senali also holds a native population. Recently their king has mysteriously and suddenly died, leaving his throne to two twin heirs. One has agreed to our dominion and is ready to take up the mantle of royalty as a client king, the other has chosen to side with the more established remnant and is being escorted to the palace by some of their forces. Ensure that the right heir is crowned by any means necessary.​

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[Aspect of Passion]

Objective 1: Cleanse the Infection

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Admiral Alys Vortic​

Complex 0921.3 - Codename: Raven Rock​

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The meeting droned on as the sycophants and buearcrats dabbed sweat from their foreheads and stressed themselves over the infrastructural blackout. Long range communications had been down for months now - only the SOS signals of remnant listening posts coming through a wave of static to inform them another was lost. After the raid and subsequent capture of Subterrel, Vortic already understood who was the conqueror - the Sith had remerged from their sniveling holes.​

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Her scarred face involuntarily strained, forcing her lip into a sneer. She averted her gaze before she was noticed - unsure if her disgust for the Sith was causing it, or the incessent speaking of self proclaimed Moff Borca. His words were littered with spittle, his every sensability a disgusting afront to the long cherished military tradition of the First Order, and his very existence was a mockery to the great works of Fortan, Rolf, or and Ren.​

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"Admiral Vortic - your assessment?"​

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She broke free form her annoyance - but before she could speak the distant raid alarms began to flair. The sith were here, and they were coming to end them - perfectly timed as always. She smiled and spoke with a slight grin;​

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"My assessment, Moff Borca, is that the Sith are here. A rather astute observation, if I do say so myself."​

 

[Darth Xyrah]

Objective One: Cleanse the Infection
Post: 1
Location: Remnant Fortress

The initial landing of Sith forces upon was not without casualties. Many landing craft had been shot down by the oncoming Anti-Air fire from the First Order Remnant emplacements on the planet below. Yet casualties were little concern for Darth Xyrah and his droid army. This quickly expanding mechanized force had grown rapidly since the establishment of Sith control over it's new initial territories, and the Golden Prince intended to display it's might to those potential rivals that might challenge him or his masters, the Darth Carnifex .

His droid armies had already commenced their assault against the Remnant Fortress and it's outer defenses, waves upon waves of battle droids crashing against the enemy. So far, they had held barely, but it would only be a matter of time until a breach was made. His SAAT tanks had been bombarding their emplacements constantly with cannon fire, and it would not be long before their defenses buckled.

Darth Xyrah was personally leading the assault from the commander hatch of his own SAAT tank, coordinating with his tactical droids as his forces continued to harass the enemy. As the battle raged on, Saryn reached for his personal holocommunicator to contact his masters. "My lords. The assault proceeds as planned. My forces shall soon breach their defenses momentarily. You may start your own landing at your leisure."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Kaahlil]

"If our Lord did not believe it necessary, then I would not be here."

The woman's voice was beginning to grate on him. Once he had found it alluring, sensual even, but now it caused him nothing but aggravation. The hormonal desires that once informed his actions when he had first been introduced to Sochi Ru had largely faded, buried beneath hatred and resentment. There were some impulses that yet lingered, but they were reserved for more hated foes. In that moment, the face of Valery Noble flashed into his mind, and he grew angry again.

Clenching his fist, so hard that the leather nearly split, Kaahlil turned his face towards the Togruta Sith Master. "Our Lord displays unjust concern for my abilities, He needn't dispatch a watchdog." He refrained from whirling on Sochi, so desperate was he to prove that he was in control of his own actions; calm amidst the raging anger. Sochi only found it amusing, that damnable smile pulling back plump lips to reveal sharp teeth honed to a razer's edge.

"He will be the judge of that, little Akul." He bristled at her pet name for him, so easy was it for her to slip underneath his skin. "Until He deems otherwise, I am to stay at your side for the duration of this campaign. I will be, as you might put it, your chaperone."

Color threatened to flush his cheeks, so the young Sith turned his face away to look at the magnetic rails below. Any minute, the tram carrying supplies for the native Rutanians would be careening around the valley bend. He and Sochi were perched on an overcropping of rock that ran perpendicular to the laid tracks below. When the tram arrived, they would board it from above. Other teams had been dispatched further down the track, ready to board with cables and hooks. But him and Sochi were to be the tip of the spear, thrust down to draw first blood.

"Here it comes."

The tram appeared around the bend, as anticipated. They waited until the first few cars had passed beneath them, then they slipped from the rock and landed with a precise thud on top of the train.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Cleansing The Infection​

"Rinse and repeat. Same as always, mm?"

The echoed voice of Alina came from the mask of her armor. It'd been a long while since she last bothered with the suit. But with her other.. Plans, it seemed only fitting to break out the mask again. She turned her gaze to her Inquisitors, simply giving them a nod. Behind them, the 67th. Been too long since she last actually lead the charge. Her gaze shifted in the distance towards where some droids were busy doing their droid thing.

Seemed the Kainites were busy. Good.

"Our allies are kindly paving the way. As soon as those shields are down, infiltrate and take the heads of this remnant. Alive. I want their secrets for the Inquisitorius. If, however, it seems they might fall into.. Other hands, I suppose it can't be helped if they perish."

Daxa Zuul | Kyrilu Storm-wracked | Lin Zanula | Darth Xyrah

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Dark Lord of the Sith watched as events unfolded. His hands were pressed against the edge of the holo-table, His body leaning over it as the small holographic images of soldier, tanks, and fighter craft moved in accordance to their real-world counterparts. Prince Saryn had petitioned the Dark Lord to command the military forces for this campaign, and the Dark Lord had granted the Prince permission to do so. Rutan was a small world, greatly unimportantly to the rest of the wider galaxy and to the Sith Order as a whole. Its taking would be but a footnote in the ledger, a droll necessity.

This was why Darth Carnifex allowed His underling to play at general on Rutan. If he maneuvered disastrously, then the consequences would not be as dire as it would be for a more important worlds. And if the Prince performed spectacularly, then there would be more opportunities for him. The soldier-aristocrats of the Grand Army grumbled at being placed under the thumb of a Naboolian science director, but they knew better than to stand against the will of their Dark Master; for better or worse.

He turned His eyes from the display, looking down at the inert holocommunicator mere seconds before it began to chime. Activating the device with a twitch of His finger, Carnifex found Himself now staring at a miniaturized hologram of Prince Saryn; fully decked in the regalia of command, peering out from cupola of a hovertank. "My lords. The assault proceeds as planned. My forces shall soon breach their defenses momentarily. You may start your own landing at your leisure."

Carnifex was briefly silent before speaking, "Create a perimeter with your droid forces, Prince Saryn. Allow other Sith units to pass through any breach your make in the enemy's walls. Keep your droid units at the vanguard, I do not want any organic troops maneuvered towards the fortress. The path you've laid will carry our victory on swift wings. Heed my words, and do not disobey them. I will join you planetside within the hour." Then Carnifex cut the transmission, little more need be said. He could have elaborated on what He meant, what He had planned, but the Prince would see all of that when the time came.

He then keyed in another communicator, which revealed to Him the visage of a naval officer. "Commander," spoke the Dark Lord, followed by the officer's reply. "Yes, Excellency?" Another pause, "Begin." Then, Carnifex cut that transmission as well. The order had been given, and as the last flicker of light disappeared from the holocommunicator, an entire squadron of Ajunta-class StarFortresses were being prepped for launch from a Kainate cruiser in orbit of the planet. When they were launched, they'd fly in formation down towards the planet, all following a plotted course towards the enemy fortress.

And every bomber in the squadron carried a payload of pathogenic bombs, each one filled with IH-COC-8.

Deathmist.

Darth Xyrah | Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Nodak]

Senali,
Objective Three

The Ironbreaker had descended the steps to the Palace flanked by a half dozen heavily armored Troopers.

Clad in the Blackstar Armor he'd fashioned Nodak cut an imposing figure. He was larger and domineering, casting a shadow that engulfed most men. The Armor only made him larger, more intimidating. His Helm concealed his monstrous features, a fact which served him well as there was an air of anonymity accompanying his malice.

There were two Brothers, one amicable to the Sith but not destined for the throne and the other a Remnant lackey whom they say would sit here on the throne of Senali. One Brother was inside the Palace already, the other on route and escorted by Remnant supporters.

Lifting a large arm Nodak activated the datapad integrated into the armor, reading the information as it had been transmitted to him...

"Prepare yourselves."

...his tone was guttural, even beneath his helm and transmitted by comms....

"Today we kill a Prince."

...the Troopers with him fanned out across the steps that lead up into the Palace on Senali. Nodak stood at the fore, barring passage. On the shoulder of his armor the 'Rotary Cannon' integrated was angled downwards, deactivated but still threatening to see especially seeing as how it was worn rather than held. Nevermourne hung at the Sith Lords side too, over his right hip; Nodak could all but feel an alien sensation coming from the weapon which one might say wanted to be used crush weaklings beneath it.

The Remnant Force escorting the Prince would be there in moments. Nodak waited, the will of the Sith would soon be known in blood and in iron...

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Objective 1: Cleanse the Infection

Admiral Alys Vortic​

Complex 0921.3 - Codename: Raven Rock​

"You said they wouldn't know of this place!", another Admiral yelled at her.​

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He was a portly man, homely by most understandings - made sense why he used his position to fill a pleasure barge with twi'lek whores that didn't have a choice in how he looked. She looked at his petulant display and almost spit; disgusted at how concerned an admiral of the first order would claim themselves to be. Imperial doctrine, excellence, these were important - but the men in this room had shown how little they cared for the foundational elements of their imperial order.​

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"I said extra forces were not necessary - you should spend more time coordinating your troops than trying to cast blame, Admiral.", she said, using a title she knew wouldn't last long.​

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He continued to spit vitriol, but Vortic turned and glanced at a communicator on her wrist - checking the operative status of her forces. Hovering in idle on the edge of the system, the Sith hadn't noticed their presence; and more than that, they were ready to begin approach. She smiled at that, pressing a button to confirm their arrival.​

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All according to plan.​

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---​

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A fleet of stealth ships, the largest maxing out at just under 5km, moved towards the planet now with a slow trudge through the vaccumn of space. They were not in a rush, instead they had a very set flight plan and a very particular arrival time. All the high officers on the ship knew why - and that it was of the most import they arrived exactly when they were supposed to.​

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Twenty minutes, five seconds.​

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In the belly of the landing craft, a new weapon stirred and armed itself - preparing for its debut on the galactic stage.​

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Darth Carnifex // Alina Tremiru // Darth Xyrah​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: The Empty Throne
Location: Senali Royal Palace
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Nodak
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Such a strange thing it was, to be at odds with another remnant of a once-great power. Except unlike the Sith Order, the First Order had yet to reunite and rise again from the ashes of their fallen domain. Unfortunately for them though, their status as remnants would never advance to anything greater. For they stood in the path of the Sith.

The moon of Senali had precious few islands, but the largest one was where he found himself this day. For on the largest island sat the largest city, the royal capital. And today the air in the capital was a tense one, given the coronation soon to begin. Alisteri stepped out from his hiding place and onto the balcony of one of the taller buildings near the palace. It was something of a guard tower, but said guard was now facedown in the room behind him. The procession of one of the princes neared the palace, composed almost entirely of remnant soldiers with a handful of native Senali palace guards.

The procession was mobile in their hoverlifts but most of the guards walked beside the vehicles, showing off for the crowd that had gathered to see their new king-to-be. Whether they would be disappointed or not when this prospective heir died wasn't his concern.

He spotted another group from the Sith Order moving out from the palace itself and couldn't help the smirk that rose on his face at the sight. It was time to wreck the parade. With a simple step forward the masked Knight fell from the guard tower and landed on the top of the hoverlift at the rear, catching surprised looks from guards and civilians alike.

He wasn't sure which lift had the heir in it but it wouldn't matter, they'd all be put down anyway. The Sith stood as the guards aimed their weapons up at him, his lightsaber flying into his hand and igniting. Time to spill some royal blood.

 

[Xzinn Dronnol]

Objective Three: The Empty Throne
Location: Near the Senali Royal Palace
Equipment: Lightsaber, Armor
Tags: Darth Strosius Nodak


A tall, hulking figure clad in black, who might have stood out in many other contexts, was but one more in the large crowd that had gathered in the streets of the royal capital of Senali, eager for a glimpse of their new king. Indeed, Xzinn had had to make use of clever persuasion and his species' natural pheromones in order to make it this close to the royal procession. Fortunately, the crowd was big enough, and so focused on seeing their Prince as he made his way to the palace, that neither soldier nor civilian paid him much attention.

Xzinn was largely motionless as the convoy of hovercraft passed by, a rare silent spectator in a sea of excited and cheering subjects. The Prince seemed popular enough to at least have his own crowd of well-wishers, if nothing else. Unfortunately for him and all his adoring subjects, however, he stood in the way of the Sith Order. He had chosen his allies poorly, and for that he would die.

He imagined that roughly half the convoy had passed by his position when he noticed an odd movement in his peripheral vision. His head snapped to one side as he saw a figure leap from a tower down to the rear of the parade. A wave of confusion and fear swept through the crowd immediately as the Prince's guards reacted to the sudden appearance of an apparent threat.

He smiled beneath his hood. Finally, the time had come.

Xzinn flexed his knees, channeling power into his legs, and leapt. Such sudden unexpected movement from a man who until then had been largely immobile garnered more than a few startled looks and confused exclamations from the others in the crowd near him. The Falleen Sith flew up and forward several meters, soaring over the crowd and toward the royal procession itself. His large, armored form landed heavily between a pair of hovercraft somewhere near the center of the procession. The street itself cracked beneath him as he landed, unable to fully bear the force of his impact.

One guard stood within arm's reach; with a snap-hiss and a flash of red, the guard crumpled to the ground, his head cleanly separated from his body before he could even think to react. With his other hand Xzinn used the Force to push the vehicle in front of him. The hovercraft was forced backward, slamming violently into the front of the vehicle behind it and crushing another guard who had been positioned in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Sith at last stood to his full height, rolling his shoulders and brandishing his crimson blade as security trained weapons on him. "Tell your Prince," he said to the guards nearest him, his voice dripping with menace, "that death has come for him."

 

[Nodak]

Objective: The Empty Throne
Location: Senali Royal Palace
Allies: Darth Strosius , Xzinn Dronnol

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The Attack came quickly. The Hoverlifts, escorted by Guardsmen was assailed from the crowd and the rear by other Sith which brought on a sense of carnage, a sense of chaos.

From where he stood on the steps of the Palace Nodak could see the attack as it began causing the attention of the Guardsmen to shift. Without a word the Sith Lord stepped forward, descending the stairs while the Soldiers that had accompanied them remained in the rear. They knew better than to deny the Ironbreaker his pleasures lest he turn his own brutality on them instead.

As he descended onto the street level the 'Rotary Cannon' on the right shoulder of his armor came to life. A Buzzing sound filled the air only moments before the cannon began to spew out blasterfire at an extreme rate. The Hoverlift leading the procession to the Palace would have been ripped apart, chewed up by countless shots from the cannon as it split through the vehicle and riddled the occupants. That was not all either. Synced to the targeting system in his armor the Rotary Cannon swiveled, chewing into Guardsmen that had turned to defend theri Prince and others who were in the midst of raising their weapons.

Chaos truly ensued then. The Crowds would scatter as fear spread throughout them sending those in attendance to flee in all directions.

Guardsmen lay dying, riddled or torn in half by the firepower of the cannon which deactivated and angled downwards again after many of the forward defenders were killed. Nodak looked, a few blaster bolts ricocheting off of his armor causing his attention to veer towards a Guard that was using the remnants of a Hoverlift for cover while his companions lay dead around him.

Raising his right hand Nodak drew the Guardsman towards him, an unseen force gripped the man and pulled him towards the Sith Lord until his head was within the Ironbreakers palm. Squeezing, Nodak heard the stifled scream of his captive before his skull popped like a melon....

"Pathetic."

...the Sith Lord moved forward, up ahead he let his Helm identify the two others that had instigated the attack and mark them as allies instead of enemies.

Blood began to pool beneath the bodies of the deceased as Nodak approached the first Hovwerlift, now riddled and inoperative. Stepping through the dead and dying he made a silent note to himself that the streets of Senali truly did run red this day.

 

[Daxa Zuul]

Cleansing the Infection
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The Inquisitors had assembled on a low ridge that overlooked that flat stretch of land where Darth Xyrah’s droids skirmished against the First Order soldiers. The air was thick with the booming report of SAATs and sharp with the scent of ozone from the hail storm of blasters and cannons. Xyrah was trying to overwhelm the defendants with sheer numbers and overwhelming firepower…and slowly but surely, it was working.

Daxa watched idly as the massive droid army threw itself into the churning maw of battle. She had to admit that they had their uses- as fodder, mostly- but she would never put her trust in machines to engage in warfare. She preferred soldiers of the organic kind.

The 67th was arrayed on the sloping hill behind her, solemn and stoic in their black armor. Ahead loomed the fortress where the high command of the First Order remnant had scurried to hide, like rats in a hole. Let them hide, she thought. She would hunt them like the vermin that they were.

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"Our allies are kindly paving the way. As soon as those shields are down, infiltrate and take the heads of this remnant. Alive. I want their secrets for the Inquisitorius. If, however, it seems they might fall into.. Other hands, I suppose it can't be helped if they perish."

The Second Sister turned her gaze upon her vaunted leader, her face splitting into a smirk beneath her red helmet. “As you wish, my Lady,” she said, her tone just shy of mocking. "Consider it done." Her loyalty was, as ever, questionable- such was her nature- but not her competence. If there was an objective to be had, then she would see it through, if for nothing else than the personal satisfaction of a task completed.

Every life she claimed was but more fuel for the fire that burned in her heart, that eternal flame of anger.

The shield around the fortress fell, the 67th marched, and Daxa went to do what malicious, murderous Sith Knights did- kill and sow terror.

Darth Xyrah | Alina Tremiru | Kyrilu Storm-wracked | Lin Zanula ​

 

[Lin Zanula]

Objective: CLEANSING THE INFECTION
Darth Xyrah Alina Tremiru Daxa Zuul Kyrilu Storm-wracked​

The Last of the First Order. A poetic irony. Lin had known of some defectors from that state that only existed in memory now. They were self-assured, proud soldiers, good little tin men as all Imperials were wont to be. They went down screaming all the same when she drained them of their lives.

The mass death of the battlefield, the deathmist, it all swirled to create a heady aura of death and pain that seeped into her skin, bringing her rejuvenation and clarity.

"Our allies are kindly paving the way. As soon as those shields are down, infiltrate and take the heads of this remnant. Alive. I want their secrets for the Inquisitorius. If, however, it seems they might fall into.. Other hands, I suppose it can't be helped if they perish."

Lin could feel the anticipation of her Alaudae. Their jetpacks idled, caged beasts of flame and fury boiling off as they waited to be loosed from their leash. Lin knew full well that if her hunters made it to the First Order leaders they would not be spilling their secrets to anyone.

“As you wish, my Lady,” she said, her tone just shy of mocking. "Consider it done."

The Second Sister really could not help herself, it seemed. Every chance she had she took to demonstrate and declare her independence, in the characteristic Sith fashion. One day the Mistress of the Inquisition would tire of Daxa's antics, Lin knew.

The shield around the fortress fell, the 67th marched, and Daxa went to do what malicious, murderous Sith Knights did- kill and sow terror.

While the others marched forth, Lin quietly signalled for her men to await instructions. She did not want unnecessary losses in the thick of the fight. They were a paradoxically precise yet uncontrollable weapon, deployed to sow terror and massive destruction where the enemy least expected. Instead they practiced restraint for now, using their jetpacks to take a vantage point overlooking the battlefield. This, however, was already occupied by the enemy who were not expecting them. Well, too bad for them, Lin thought. The Alaudae were straining to hunt something.

Within two minutes the heights overlooking the flank of the battlefield were cleared of First Order soldiers, their heavy equipment scattered about and abandoned as the Alaudae chased the survivors into the wilds. Lin let them hunt: she would call them back before the shield went down.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: The Empty Throne
Location: Senali Royal Palace
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Nodak / Xzinn Dronnol
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And in a moment the surprise and subsequent alarm had turned into anger and fear. Alisteri didn't glance at his fellow Sith as yells and cries of panic erupted further along the convoy, instead he leapt down from the hoverlift before the guards could put a bolt through his head. He landed and cut the nearest guard in two with one strike, grabbing the other that tried to shoot him point blank and slamming him into the side of the vehicle until he could hear a fatal crack that made the body fall limp.

Already the crowd was scattering as the guards rushed to try and combat the Sith assailants, a futile attempt if he had ever seen one.

The first of the convoy seemed to be handled so the Sith Knight set his sights on searching the rear. Before the hoverlift that he initially landed on could back out or open up to allow for someone to escape, he moved to the front window and carved a bloody path from the cockpit to the back ramp. Unfortunately all that had been inside were some snazzy dressed bureaucrats and flagbearers, no royal in sight.

He quickly kicked open the door and set foot back on the street, his gaze snapping to the next hoverlift as it tried to find some way to get out from around the other stopped vehicles. It wouldn't make it very far.

Alisteri cut down two additional guards and leapt on top of the hoverlift before it could make it out of the line, carving an entrance for himself in the top and dropping down to cut down the pilots of said craft before they could cause anymore trouble. By now the city itself was in a panic and more guards and remnant auxiliaries alike were inbound to the palace, intent on squashing the threat before any harm could be done to their precious prince.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Objective 3: The empty throne​

While a whole coterie chased down the rebellious prince, the Tsis'kaar had thought one step further: If our opponent is at least as ambitious and intelligent as ourselves, then they would have a similar plan. If the roles were reversed, then they would have sent assassins to eliminate the opposition. The Dark Lady had thus declared that the true prince required protection by a Sith.

For once, Iasha Rha had not volunteered - This time, she was working on orders.

Iasha was not alone. She had the support of a dozen soldiers from the Dark Lady's own legion along with soldiers loyal to the prince. All other personell had been dismissed for the evening, and the palace was dark. It had been dark there for a while now, as even darker days were hanging over the nation. The whole palace was skittish. All of them, except Iasha. The twi'lek sat cross-legged on a set of drawers. Her fingers were steepled in front of her face, leaving her a place to rest her nose. Her eyes were focused forward, boring into the opposite wall. She looked straight past the boy on the bed, leafing through a flimsi with an old and exceedingly well-kept exterior. He was not much younger than her, a year? Two? Yet he seemed like such a child to her.

He had known so little of war, of strife.

He must have heard what was happening around in the galaxy, but it had never washed in over him. He had never actually experienced the suffering that the people he lorded over were feeling. There was a small urge in the tip of the twi'lek's lekku to show him first hand what kind of pain existed out there. But instead, she babysat him.

"Are you really a Sith? Like a real one, like in the stories." The boy queried, looking up from his leather- and brass-bound flimsi with a quizzical quirk in his eyebrows. Iasha closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at the young prince. "Do I look like a Sith to you?" She found her voice dry, yet dripping with sarcasm. "You have the tattoos, but you don't look like one." He retorted. "Father said that the Sith are the strongest beings in the galaxy, and that nothing can kill them, and that just one look will freeze your blood in your veins." It was a proclamation. "Don't you feel your blood freezing in your veins when you see me, my lord?" She seethed, and he answered bluntly. "No."

He closed the book in a huff, and Iasha let her hands fall into her lap.

"Do you even have the Force? Do you have a lightsabre? Have you ever killed anyone? What kind of Sith are you?"

Iasha restrained herself and plastered on a smile that showed her shark-like teeth, cut sharp after her first victory. She was just about to retort when there was a whine in the Force. She perked, head jerking to the side where she had heard the whine.

"Shut up." "Wha-?!" "Shut up, my lord."

 

[Terraxia]

Objective Two: Train Assault

We're going to hit this train while in transit, when she's most vulnerable
A probe droid flying alongside warns a nearby fighter escort of any incoming bogeys
The supplies and other cargo we want intact, so the plan is to board the train and take it over
Once she's ours, we'll decouple the engineering section from the other cars

Right on cue, a pair of First Order TIE's are called in for backup
The dropships aren't as fast or maneuverable, but they have enough firepower to do the job
Piles of flaming junk are all that remain after they're blasted out of the sky

The LAAT dropship flies fast and low, getting alongside the moving train
When velocity and course are synched, the troopers and I make our move

"All troopers follow me!" -- leads the fire team inside after cutting a hole in the compartment

(more to come)

 

[Kaahlil]

"Here comes the cavalry."

The wreckage of the enemy TIEs plummeted to the ground, fuel cells erupting on impact. Allied dropships began to move up alongside the train, disgorging soldiers and Sith. For their part, Kaahlil and Sochi had already cut through the metal of one of the car roofs, pulling the nearly circular metal aside and letting it fall off the train. First to enter was the Dark Mirror, snarling red blade igniting just in time to bisect a stormtrooper, wearing what passed for the latest First Order style armor, from shoulder to hip.

Sochi followed not long after, her own scarlet weapon ignited. The two Sith made quick work of the guards immediately in their vicinity, working somewhat in tandem to eliminate their foes. It was only through the natural synergy of two Force-users fighting together that they were thusly effective, though the Dark Mirror chaffed under Sochi's watchful eye.

When the guards that had come to face them had fallen, the pair took a moment to survey the train car. It was pretty standard, built to galactic regulations, and was filled from one end to the other with hermetically sealed containers. Each container had a label printed onto its side in Aurebesh, detailing what was inside and how much. Most of it was food, some of it happened to be building materials or tools. There was even a smattering of medical supplies, chiefly manufactured medicines that could be found at most dispensaries across the galaxy.

Kaahlil pressed the emitter of his lightsaber against one of these medical crates, and ignited it. He let the blade cut through and melt through the container's contents before extracting it, immediately replicating the action on the next crate.

Aspect of Passion | Terraxia ​

 

[Iasha Rha]

Objective 3: The empty throne​

​

A blast resounded through the room as the ceiling and part of the south wall peeled open in a fraction of a second. Light and thunderous noise filled the space and was followed immediately by smoke and debris. It was an expertly laid ambush, but with the aid of the Force, Iasha was quicker. The boy flew out of his bed and into her arms as she dove into his closet for cover. Shrapnel and debris pattered the exquisite wood surfaces and embedded themselves in the plush coverings of fine furniture, while Iasha used her body to shield the princeling.

She felt pain, but she couldn't quite place it. Her hearing was impeded after the blast, but she knew it would return. The boy stared up into her face, pale like a corpse, but visibly alive.

"Stay down."

The twi'lek pushed herself to a crouch and shrugged the large robe off her shoulders. It was visibly penetrated, but it had taken the brunt of the shrapnel. What she wore underneath was lighter, running high up her neck, but also left her arms bare. The jagged sith tattoos on her back stretched out from her shoulders and down her upper arms, while the forearms were protected by black braces. Small dots of dark blood were emerging from her back already, but she seemed ready to fight.

A shadow came across the room, accompanied with a howl of compressed flame. The smoke shifted suddenly as the source of the shadow came into focus: A figure encased in shiny grey metal, T-shaped visor, flying by the use of back-mounted rockets.

"Surrender the prince, sith"

A mandalorian bounty hunter. It was, perhaps, the most dire enemy she could have faced at this time. Even a Jedi would have been preferable. Even so, Iasha's hands went to two cylinders at her lower back and pulled the lightsabres from their leather sleeves.

"You fell into my trap, Mandalorian. The Prince is not here."

She darted out and activated one of the sabres just as she chucked it with all her might. The red blade spun like a lanvarok as it flew at the bounty hunter's left. Iasha dashed left then right, changing directions to confuse their aim.

 

[Nodak]

Objective: The Empty Throne
Location: Senali Royal Palace
Allies: Darth Strosius Xzinn Dronnol

---

The Massacre continued. Many of the Guards that had been accompanying the convoy were incapacitated now, dead or dying but reinforcements were no route. Blasterfire from the survivors rang out as they attempted to pick targets from amongst the Sith that had attacked them. On the steps ascending into the Palace the Heavily Armored Troopers that had accompanied Nodak continued to wait. To this point there was no need for them to interfere.

As for the Ironbreaker himself, he moved closer to the Hoverlift that was just behind the one he had riddled with fire from his shoulder mounted rotary cannon. Passing the initial Hoverlift Nodak paused, a turn of the head setting his sights on the vehicle before he moved on with little more interest shown. A Scan had only shown faint signs of life inside, the occupants clearly dying from their wounds.

A handful of Guardsmen attempted to block his path to the second Hoverlift but they fell short. Blasterfire ricocheted off of the Sith Lords armor and a massive backhand sent one man flying away after landing a momentous blow. Another Guardsman was slain by when Nodak grappled him by the jaw and tore it clean from the rest of his skull. Yet another was dispatched by being thrown into the air and onto the front of the Hoverlift he was stalking.

When Nodak finally came upon this Hoverlift an enormous fist crashed through one of the transparisteel windows allowing the Monster to look inside. All he saw was cowering Nobles that were the recipients of his disdain...

"Cowards."

...a guttural sound called out before the Rotary Cannon activated again. At close range all that remained inside the Hoverlift were mulched and shredded bodies that barely resembled the people they once were.

Lifting his head then Nodak, having come up short with the two Hoverlifts at the front would have turned his attention to Darth Strosius and Xzinn Dronnol who were also assaulting the convoy...

"The Prince is yours. Kill him quickly."

...the guttural sound bringing to light that the young Noble must be in one of the Hoverlifts those two were attacking. Information fed to the HUD of his Helm alerted Nodak to the arrival of auxiliaries on the outskirts, civilians had fled for the most part now so anyone left was considered hostile. Nodak didn't seem overly concerned, his comms opened and all he said was...

"Pacify the threat."

The Troopers that had accompanied their Lord descended from the Palace steps then, moving to intercept and eliminate enemy threats on their way to the Palace so that Nodak and the other Sith could finish their work.

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Objective 1: Cleanse the Infection

Admiral Alys Vortic​

Complex 0921.3 - Codename: Raven Rock​

​

Her arm computer ignited with life as the signal was given - the fleet was here. She confirmed her order, then sighed as the Sith had not shown up in time to kill off the gathered cadre of sycophants. Amidst one of the men's rants, she stood and drew her service pistol. A utilitarian device marred with years of use - it had taken more lives than most soldiers ever got to try. Only one of the admirals looked in her direction, some suprise on his face as she leveled it at him.​

​

The shot silenced the rant - forcing their total gaze back in on commotion. Some with horror, others with anger, but most with simple surprise. Without hesitation or emotion, she turned the pistol and fired again, and again until the gathered masses screamed out and tried to run. One or two charged her - but were dropped before they reached her. The doors would not open, and the last of them was shot down near the access panel to the portal out of the room.​

​

She casually lifted her holocomm once more and spoke an alarm to the entire system, repeated through her fleet's connection.​

​

"The Sith have attacked the admirality!", she declared.​

​

"Command has fallen to me. Prepare to retreat conventional forces, and deploy the Force Breakers."​

​

---​

​

The fleet in orbit around the various planets heard the command and uncloaked. Frigates armed to the teeth fired upon the Sith in orbit - but the others deployed extensive ground transports and forces. Others simply dropped pods to breach orbit - but they were all firing upon the filth that had entered their system. Dark souls and evil energies met with the mechanical drive of a nation besieged.​

​

All those on the ground would face a new threat - super soldiers of first order design stolen from the First Legion. They were not as strong, but they were far more numerous; and their efforts were immediately felt. Pushes into the enemy lines were stalled, and those already stalled began to fall back - and that was only the first wage. The rest were deployed to infiltrate the enemy capital. ships.​

​

Knights and below were met with their match in forces - and the lords were ambushed where able. The carnage befit a planned assault from the beginning, unbeknownst to the tactical minds of the Sith gathered.​