Skirmish Fool Me Once [Corellian Confederation/Duro Blockade of Beshqek System]

[Marlon Sularen]

BYSS , BESHQEK SYSTEM
On board the Predator...

Sularen watched as the battle began between his Forces and the GADF. Despite his ultimatums Corellia and Duros refused to back down and when they refused to withdraw their forces for a Third Time , Sularen opened fire on them aiming to annihilate the Corellian and Durosian Fleets and break this blockade by force. For 5 Years Sularen had been denied from his rightful place among the stars , which had been usurped by individuals like Adhira Chandra and Yularen Nova , who now pressed forward to keep Sularen in the dark and prevent him from taking what was rightfully his. Sularen had worked hard to consolidate his power on Byss and revitalize his Corporation and now , the Galactic Alliance threatened to destroy all of his hard work.

As the Lord-Imperator watched the battle unfold before him with Grand Moff Vel'alari and her fleet jumping out of hyperspace. Sularen was surprised at her arrival as he had never requested for Vel'alari's Support although he had to set those thoughts aside as Zeradias Mant entered the bridge to address the Lord-Imperator. For a time now , Sularen had been aware of Mant's Resurgence and had taken some interest in his Past Career in the Iron Empire and One Sith and his Clash with the New Imperials over Serenno for reasons yet unknown to Marlon Sularen along with his recently formed group known as the Aurodium Sword.

"Mr. Sularen. We meet at last.Your predicament is of much interest. You've probably been informed of my arrival in advance, so I believe that I needn't delve into my advocacy for planetary sovereignty. In this pursuit, I would offer my full support to the people of Byss."

​

Sularen raised an eyebrow , support? What kind of support could Zeradias offer especially since he had brought only a single Cruiser with him. Perhaps Diplomatic Support? However Mant continued speaking before Sularen could even ask a single question

"However... You have long treaded in dangerous waters. It is becoming increasingly evident that is no longer the case. You're sinking, and you're taking the people of Byss with you.There have been times where it seemed like you've crossed the point of no return. It seems like you've crossed that point once more. Despite what you may think, you do not need to commit to a losing situation. There is no winning for Byss by giving the Alliance the ammunition they require to justify their crusade. Whether it is here, now, or somewhere else some other time, you...you will need to accept defeat."

"Accept Defeat? So you want me to surrender to these Corellian Dogs and give up everything i've work hard to create , my Throne , my Corporation , my People? How can i concede to the same people who forced me into my Second Exile from the Core , the same people who had taken everything from me 5 Years ago. The Same people who completed my fall from grace?" Sularen said in response showing a mixture of Surprise and Anger.

Meanwhile in the background , Sularen's Officers continued to inform the Lord-Imperator's of latest developments.

"Sir , an additional Alliance Battlecruiser just arrived"

"Kenth Berik and his Forces have just arrived and have begun engaging the Corellian and Durosian Fleets"

Then Zeradias Mant continued

"Defeat does not automatically spell the end, however. It hardly ever does. The Alliance is well-aware of Byss' strength, you have shown it that much. Now, you must show it reason. So long as you so openly defy the Alliance, you will be seen as an enemy. This battle is virtually certain to be a military defeat for Byss. The only way this battle ends is with the toppling of the Beshqek Authority or with your surrender. Turn it into a political victory. Someone needs to be the first to deescalate, and the Alliance has the upper hand. Show them that Marlon Sularen can be reasoned with. Let it be Byss that takes the first step."

Sularen thought about Mant's Words. He was right in many places. Although it was the last two sentences that bothered Sularen alot. While de-escalation was a good step , Sularen still had his concerns over his Status as Lord-Imperator of Byss. With Corellia and Duros having many allies within the Senate , Sularen was aware that even if he accepted defeat , the Galactic Alliance still could remove him from power something he could not allow. But to de-escalate would ease tensions and potentially alleviate any potential punishment Sularen could face , although Sularen knew for well the Alliance would side against him after all for Sularen's entire life he had faced numerous enemies while having fewer allies.

Enemies who wished to deny him of any sort of prominence , enemies who had worked to destroy Sularen's Life. To take away everything from him. To push him into a void of darkness to be forgotten and isolated for the rest of his life. This fight was more personal then political to Sularen , a presentation of the multiple struggles he had faced throughout his life. To have little power against more Influential Groups. To be pushed into a corner and constantly bullied. To have nothing and see those who came before and after him get everything he ever desired despite having done worse things them Sularen him. To be treaty unfairly and subject to bias.

Sularen had struggled his entire life overcoming this , overcoming the Humiliations , Deceptions , the Disrespect and it was about time he ended this. He did not want to be seen as a Reasonable Persion , rather a force to be feared and hated throughout the Galaxy ,to burn a dozen of worlds for rejecting his righteousness. But what came next nearly caused Sularen to take out a blaster and shot Zeradias Mant for even suggesting he bent the knee to his long-time enemies.

"Sir" a Bridge Officer said interrupting Sularen's Reflections.
"What is it" Sularen replied angerly before turning his back to Mant to face the Officer in question.
"We've received a message from the Corellians" the officer said without waiting for Sularen to ask.

"To all Byss forces,You are now facing deputized forces of the Galactic Alliance. Stand down all military actions. Call off your assault on the embassy immediately and prepare to be boarded and for the surrender of Lord-Imperator Marlon Sularen. You've lost this fight today. Surrender now and save you and your people from further hardship or we will continue engaging Byss forces with extreme prejudice."

Silence quickly spread throughout the Predator before Sularen uttered the following words. "Tithe , you Motherkarker" he then looked at one of the Officers and with a death stare spoke once more. "Get me the Vice-Chancellor. NOW" the Lord-Imperator said now fully angered. Once connected to the Vice-Chair , Sularen let out a huge sigh and spoke in a passive aggressive term. "Alright , Vice-Chancellor. The Constitutional Authority of Beshqek is willing to cease hostilities and requests a formal cease-fire with all forces present on Byss to discuss a potential De-escalation of the situation. Will that be enough for those Corellian and Durosian bastards to Kark off and finally stand down?"

Tags | Yularen Nova | Aerarii Tithe | Mazik Stazi | Teica Giraan | Jax Thio | Zahara Myneto | Zeradias Mant | Kenth Berik | Jaa Kilian | Bashir | Tu'teggacha | Grand Moff Vel'alari
​

 

[Mazik Stazi]

THE LOST KING
BESHQEK SYSTEM
DEEP CORE

"And the meek shall inherit the stars."

Senator Stazi muttered the old durosian proverb like a curse. His conversation with Aerarii Tithe and the other committee chairs had been short and mostly unsatisfying. Retroactive approval for their actions would shield the High House from most political fallout yet it was clear the federalized GADF assets were being conscripted as a peacekeeping detail, not an invasion force. More bureaucratic red tape. More deliberations. More stalemate.

"Contact the Alliance Ascendant and inform High Admiral Gascon we await his orders."

While Admiral Zahara Myneto marshaled the GADF battlegroups and their blockade forces integrated independent command structures under Gascon's overall command, the Lost King's bridge was free to focused on the pitched small arms battle in orbit for control of the Byss shield gate. Heavily outnumbered the surviving Duro Defense Force spacetroopers took heavy losses even as they breached traffic control. A few station personnel not quick enough to get behind emergency bulkheads were blown out into space.

Mazik scowled at the tense comlink exchanges. More spacetroopers were cut down by automated security inside. Anti-boarding protocols were deployed against the duros commandos with ruthless efficiency. They breached the first bulkhead with shaped charges and security blades venting more of the station to vacuum but even a sailor like Stazi could see their rearguard out on the hull was already beginning to crumble. It was a race against time that the duros seemed likely to lose.

"Do we have an extraction plan?"

He glowered at the officer, "Enough explosives to cause as much damage as possible."

Examining a datapad in his hand the senator's mood darkened even further. Te'Ami had missed her last two check ins and they still had no actionable intel on Relus. He requested the GADF dispatch a wing of fighters to investigate but knew even if High Admiral Gascon could spare anywhere near that much it would likely be too late to help the DDF patrol out of any potential trouble.

Even if the Te'Ami could respond through jamming interference its crew was too busy fighting for their lives. With only a light fighter complement the scrambled carriers were cutting through their support capitals. Her robust deflector shields were holding against a sustained Claymore barrage for now but it would only be a matter of time before more concentrated firepower was brought to bear. Those who still survived were waging a fighting retreat on sublight engines but the slow destroyer could not hope to outpace fighter screens and attack craft, only prolong what seemed like the inevitable by keeping the heavy warships at bay for as long as they could maintain engine power ( Jaa Kilian ).

 

[Jaa Kilian]

Location: Relus, Beshqek System, Bridge of the Brawler-II
Tags: Marlon Sularen Kenth Berik Mazik Stazi
Objective: Destroy the Te'Ami and her escort ships.

Seated atop his command throne, Kilian watched the unfolding skirmish with a learned gaze. Kilian had not been deceitful when he explained to Berik that he was classically trained in capital ship warfare. While he was hardly as skilled as the other officer, nor half as experienced in the matter, Kilian understood the intricacies of command. The trifecta of Claymore-class frigates was keeping the largest ship of the patrol fleet busy, but the surviving elements were making a hasty retreat at sublight speeds. They would escape the interdiction field long before they escaped the sensor jamming field of the Leviathan, which meant Kilian's already tight schedule just became smaller.

Berik, and by extension his fleet, had already left with nary a glance towards the plight of his comrade. Expected, Kilian would have done the same were the situations reversed, so the element of surprise was already likely lost. At best, the enemy - whoever that was at the current moment - would just suspect that Berik and his men were the ones that dispatched the Te'Ami and her escorts.

"Captain Kilian, sir!" The young comms officer called from her station. A newbie, someone sent with the ship from Sularen's cadre of fanatics and sycophants. No one from the original Brawler crew would ever call him "Captain Kilian". It was "Captain", "Kilian", or if they thought he wasn't listening: "right old bastard". Kilian was partial to that last one, not that he let the men know that.

"What is it?" Kilian's soft tone seemed equal parts loud and quiet at the same time, carrying the authority he displayed in his posture.

"The remaining Claymore cruisers are prepared to move on your order, as are the carriers."

Kilian let out a soft breath from his nose before allowing a smirk to play across his dry lips. His tongue darted out to wet them as he formulated his next plans. The Leviathan would remain stationary for the time being, it would not do to lower the scrambler before he was ready. The Harrsk carriers - if such a designation was even appropriate, the pair were closer to battlecruisers in firepower and armour than carriers - would finish the job the Claymore cruisers started. Few ships, even the famous Star Defenders, could hope to survive the concentrated barrage from two of those oversized carriers. The remainder of the Claymores could wait in reserve, their usefulness would come later - best not risk them now. The retreating ships, as mentioned previously, could provide a problem if they escaped - though no more than Berik's flight would. The Te'Ami's screening ability at the present moment could be best described as nonexistent, so the bombers could give chase for the rest of the fleet without any major issue...

Kilian relayed as much to the comms officer, who dutifully reported his orders utilizing the still unclaimed Lieutenant's code cylinder. With the orders given out, Kilian could sit back and watch his orders unfold.

The trio of Claymore cruisers making up Aurek squadron moved forwards, bringing more of their sizeable firepower to bear while dividing the return fire between the three of them. Their goal was not to destroy the Te'Ami, though it was likely within their combined ability, but to distract for the arrival of the two larger carriers, the twins Terror and Phantom. Their innumerable fighters and bombers, paired with those of the still immobile Leviathan, pursued the retreating escort ships with fanatical desperation, blasting past the cornered Te'Ami with almost mocking closeness. The remainder of the cruisers were content to remain at the distance Kilian ordered them to remain at, safe to watch the skirmish unfold.

"Jaa." A voice said with familiarity, annoying Kilian that he was being dragged away from his observations but urgent enough that he did not voice his complaint at the familiarity. It was his Lieutenant, his face stricken and confused beyond measure. That was enough to quench the annoyance for a time.

"Issue?" The duo-syllabic word earned a wince from the older man. Kilian's eyes grew wide as the Lieutenant recounted the events, as they knew them, surrounding the main battle over, in the general vicinity of, and on Byss. Which was to say, the events were nonsensical and contradictory. There was a battle, but it appeared everyone had flipped sides at least once and were shooting one another for the hell of it! The only group with consistent enemies was Byss: which was everyone... probably.

"Have we received any new orders regarding... any of these new arrivals?" Kilian asked, rhetorically of course as his subordinate would have told him if such orders reached them. Once the confirmation was given, Kilian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. It was times like these that he regretted taking work from Marlon Sularen: always made things so bloody complicated...

"Fine. We presume anyone who isn't flying Byss colours to be hostile until Sularen, or Berik, or damn near anyone tells us otherwise. For now, let's deal with this one problem at a time."

"Sir," And with that, the senior officer left to oversee another issue on the Brawler-II, leading Kilian to his work.

Fleet Composition - Task Force Alpha

• 
  [FLAGSHIP]
  
  Brawler-II (Flagship) | Adjudicator-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Holding Interdiction Field
  
  [CARRIERS]
  
  BDS Leviathan | Lucrehulk III-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Scrambling Nearby [Duro] Comms / Stand-by / Scrammbling Fighters
  
  ["CARRIERS"]
  
  BDS Terror | Harrsk-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Scrammbling Fighters / Engaging the Te'ami
  BDS Phantom | Harrsk-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Scrammbling Fighters / Engaging the Te'ami
  
  [CRUISERS]
  
  BDS Conqueror | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Stand-by
  BDS Magnificent | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Stand-by
  BDS Iron Hand | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Stand-by
  BDS Dagger-II | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Stand-by
  BDS Endurance | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Stand-by
  
  [PICKET SQUADRON AUREK]
  
  BDS Ravager | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Engaging the Te'ami / Advancing
  BDS Saint | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Engaging the Te'ami / Advancing
  BDS Starway | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Engaging the Te'ami / Advancing
  
  

 

[Yularen Nova]

Mazik Stazi Teica Giraan
Jaa Kilian Kenth Berik
​

While the Byss forces were clearly in disarray with contradictory orders from their Lord Imperator and the will of the Alliance the combined forces of Corellia, Duros, and the Alliance proper did not stop their onslaught. With no other orders, the battlefleet hammered on Byss, sending spears of turbolaser fire into the collection of pseudo-Imperial vessels. Yularen Nova did not take pride or pleasure in the needless lives wasted this day. His yellow eyes watched as the Byss forces put up what defense they could, green turbolaser fire lancing out to meet their own.

"Lord Imperator, my patience is running thin," he boomed over the coms again, this time opting to use a full holoimgae rather than voice only. "You have been asked to surrender. You cannot uphold this blockade of Byss any longer. Your people will be free today as will the Galaxy and Alliance from your tyranny."

Marlon Sularen had two options. Surrender or die a coward.

 

[Tu'teggacha]

Aboard the assault shuttle, Tu'teggacha's facial tendrils twisted into his grotesque approximation of a smile. His manipulations had proceeded exactly as he'd hoped. Teica Giraan , haunted by the demons of her past, had not only fired on Sularen's forces but launched a missile spread at the allied Corellian fleet. It had caused no physical damage, but the fear and confusion it had helped to build might be far more devastating; in the chaos of the battle, as politicians played their meddling games and military officers struggled to keep their men alive in the crossfire, everyone had to be wary of everything. Paranoia built, crescendoed, and boiled over.

The Taskmaster's contributions had hardly been needed; the situation was swiftly spiraling all on its own.

Still, Tu'teggacha would feed the mayhem as much as he could while he was there. Intercepted transmission between the two sides made everything all too clear: Sularen stood at a perilous juncture. Now that blood had been spilled, the newly-deputized fleets under the Galactic Alliance's banner weren't going to settle for a slow deescalation so that the diplomats could talk. They wanted Sularen's unconditional surrender... and Tu'teggacha was fully certain that the Lord Imperator was not going to offer it. He would not consent to give up his power in the heart of his domain, certain - perhaps correctly - that it would only lead to a show trial and his permanent removal.

Tu'teggacha reached out with his gifts again, spreading different messages to each side. They won't stand down, he whispered to the crews serving the Alliance. They're just Imperials using the protection of the Alliance to carve out their own power-hungry regime. We have to take them out, or we'll be allowing a tyrant to rule in the middle of our democracy. He's already been scheming against us, carrying out criminal acts in the shadows. We have to stop him now, or he'll keep strangling his people's freedom and threatening our security from within. It wasn't a hard case to make in the minds of most. They already wanted to believe it, or fully did.

The only stretch was getting them to skip any further diplomacy, and now that they'd lost friends in the fighting...

To the Byssian crews, Tu'teggacha whispered a different message. They're hypocrites. They preach freedom and self-rule, but they react with wild accusations and military force whenever a planet's culture and politics falls outside their narrow view of "acceptable forms of democracy". They came here and violated our sovereign space, killing our people, because they've suddenly decided to pin whatever charges they can come up with on the Lord Imperator so that they can smother us with their top-down rule by distant bureaucrats. We won't let them. Again, it wasn't a hard case to make. Sularen's military was fiercely loyal to him as an individual.

All that remained was to see the orders Sularen gave... and reap the whirlwind.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

LOCATION: Chancellor’s Situation Room, Coruscant
OBJECTIVE: Space Goldblum’s Finest Hour
ALLIES: Zeradias Mant | Zahara Myneto | Kenth Berik | Teica Giraan | Yularen Nova | Jax Thio | Marlon Sularen | Mazik Stazi | Jaa Kilian | Tu'teggacha

The forces defending Byss bore the full brunt of the combined GADF-Corellians-Duros assault. While its fleet was formidable, it did not take long for them to withdraw from the battle and fall back. A communique followed shortly after from Sularen requesting a ceasefire.

“You request is duly noted,” Tithe replied from the safety of the command bunker deep beneath the surface of Coruscant. His decision to push the offensive had been high risk, but as with most of the investments he’d made, it had reaped a big reward. “Some may argue that a ceasefire is predicated on your assailment on Alliance-flagged vessels being, ah, legal,” he added. “But I digress. Restore law and order on Byss and we can agree the terms of your surrender.”

The Vice Chancellor terminated the call and issued a command to the Alliance fleet. “Cease fire and establish a full cordon of Byss,” he explained. “No one in or out.”

Tithe closed the hololink to the fleet and allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts. For now, the situation over Byss had reached a stalemate, but that would not be a tenable long-term solution. A broader agreement between Corellia, Duro and Byss needed to be negotiated. He requested a secure link be established with Mazik and Yalaren.

“Yes, Senator Stazi, Diktat Nova. Your forces have impinged on the sovereign territory of an Alliance member-state. Now, I do hope you have a raison d'être for your action.”

 

[Mazik Stazi]

THE LOST KING
BESHQEK SYSTEM
DEEP CORE

"Vice Chancellor Tithe, how wonderful you could join us."

There was no humor or familiarity in Senator Stazi's iron voice. His surroundings were no longer quite so pristine as the Lost King had endured a series of broadsides. Their deflectors still held but several bridge consoles sparked and duros crewmen battled with small fires. Mazik seemed unconcerned with his dangerous circumstances. Crimson eyes bore into Aerarii Tithe with that same unsettling gaze he wielded during Senate proceedings. Despite the senior DDF officers surrounding him there could be little doubt who was in charge.

"We are not unreasonable men, Vice Chancellor. I love democracy. Our people's devotion to the Alliance runs so deep we simply cannot abide its corruption. You seek justifications. Behold the Beshqek armada in all its glory! Are we seriously meant to believe all this is merely for self defense? Mere parsecs from Corellia...from Duro...from Coruscant. Between any neighboring neutral powers such rampant militancy would be cause alone for war."

Mazik lifted his chin in pride. While the legality of his actions were in question there could be little doubt of the High House representative's conviction. Now they were listening. Whether this ended across from a firing squad or in chains Stazi would gladly sacrifice everything to defend his people and their Galactic Alliance.

"Yet still we sought to resolve our grievances through the Senate. What of Xa Fel's sovereignty, Vice Chancellor? What of Alliance sovereignty? This tyrant who fancies himself Lord Regent has fled from trial for alleged crimes across multiple jurisdictions. CorSec has a warrant out for his arrest and he violated your own summons to appear before the Senate's Ethics Committee under oath. What are we to do when the law fails us?"

He slammed his fist down violently on the Lost King's holotable.

"Even now innocent Corellian citizens are being held against their will down on the surface below! Alliance citizens whose lives Regent Sularen has attempted to use as bargaining chips against us. We only wish to keep our people safe. Our containment measures have been met with nothing but more threats and escalating hostilities. There are troopers down there dank ferrik! Troopers taking real blaster fire because they want to save lives! I still have ships unaccounted for..."

While the senator pummeled Tithe over hololink the star defender Te'Ami was listing badly to port. Most of her ion drives were damaged and the starboard targeting arrays destroyed leaving only imprecise manual fire from those few turbolaser batteries still operational. Despite the insurmountable odds against what was left of their task force the duros kept firing concentrating their barrages on the nearest mercenary cruiser ( Jaa Kilian ).

Another chain of explosions aft and Te'Ami was now drifting without engine power. Several dozen escape pods deployed then, nearly a minute later there was a massive explosion as the destroyer's reactor overloaded. With no other way through enemy jamming, her senior officers sacrificed their own lives in an attempt to send the only message home they could.

 

[Teica Giraan]

[Location: ANV Epilogue (Iblis-class Missile Frigate) -- Internalized C.I.C]
[Commander Giraan standing by]
[Direct Relevancy: Jax Thio , Jaa Kilian , Mazik Stazi , Yularen Nova , Tu'teggacha ]
​

The commander's ears detected no sound, her eyes devoid of light, her own nerves numbed amidst the empty expanse. Quiet, calm. The thought of leaving grew more and more preposterous each second. She could stay, no longer endanger others, no longer place herself in danger, no longer lose those she cared about. But fate had to be cruel.

"Your crew Commander Teica," Jax said in her mind. "They need you, do not give in to despair and lead us to victory."

The silence had fallen, shriveled up, and set ablaze in front of her. Where once there was peace, there was now the taunting of a twisted reality.

They don't need me... They don't... They need-

"Shields holding, captain!"

"Good, maintain targeting," At least her X.O was still in any condition to act.

A blurred world slowly crept into focus, sensory data now returning for the full situation report. A rapid tap began to bombard her shoulder. Teica's eyes scanned to the left, and focused on the vague image of a white labcoat. "Doc?" The commander came to a full stand, followed by her chief medical officer, "What ha-"

"Sit down, you're in no condition to..." Before the CMO knew it, Teica had set off for her command seat, "..tax yourself.."

The Epilogue's point defense grid began to drain itself in the conflict, slowly fading to short and conservative bursts from anti-missile octets, and slowly phasing out unneeded anti-fighter systems. Engines fired off as bright as ever, before they too silenced themselves, and brought the frigate to a slow halt behind the armored shadow of a friendly battlecruiser. The viewscreen broadcast the coordinated dance of missiles and thrusters much to Teica's benefit. Her feet now planted themselves by her first officer's side.

"Captain, what's our status?" Arms crossed before her, as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't given contradictory orders and fainted in front of them all.

"Commander, are you sure you should-" Lahldene knew her well enough to save the queries for later, "I've cut fire to the Corellians and Duros, just a misunderstanding, ma'am," He then braced himself for an onslaught that never came.

"It had better be. Alright, withdraw Cutlass Squadron back to . . . s-screening range. Transfer power from our ion battery to maintaining the point defense screen... Next missile salvo, half ion-missiles, quarter assault-concussion, load the last quarter with concussion missiles, but keep them on standby," She shook her head once, trying to throw away a growing wall of emotional fatigue, "Ion missiles, split amongst Byssian support ships, target the assault concussions for their capital ships. That includes the mercenaries. Two salvos matching said configuration, then cut our ordnances."

She quickly glanced to the status display. 30 warheads remaining. They were lucky that they even managed to fabricate that many in spacedock. Teica's eyes closed, accompanied by her hand moving to hide the remaining glimmers of light. The darkness, the tranquility, wouldn't come again. A brief tremble reminded her of that.

"I'm so sorry," She rubbed her eyes and raised her head to glance at both the viewscreen and her X.O, "This is.."

"..not your fault. Now, take a seat, please, you're making me nervous."

. . .
​

"Commander, Captain, the Vice Chancellor's notified us of a cease fire. We're to establish a full cordon of Byss," The comms officer's voice sounded too hesitant for the comfort of anyone who heard it.

"Do we have confirmed recognition codes?" Lahldene's query was met by a cautious nod soon afterward, "Commander?"

Teica let loose with a stream of laughter, knowing that the joy from it would be short lived, before she had to quiet herself for the sake of the crew, "Cut fire, get a quick inventory of our remaining missiles, casualty reports..."

She stopped herself while she still had a sliver of dignity present, while any tears where still bottled behind her expression. Something was off, a nagging feeling broadcasting paranoia and fear, one trying to make her forget the orders, like it had done before.

And it almost worked.

[Note: I have no clue why those last sentences are green, and changing the color doesn't seem to actually affect it. Oh well]

 

[Jaa Kilian]

Location: Relus, Beshqek System, Bridge of the Brawler-II
Tags: Marlon Sularen Kenth Berik Mazik Stazi
Objective: Reinforce Kenth Berik's forces.

"What in the blazes are they--" Kilian began, looking at the viewport of the Brawler-II as the Te'ami was rapidly abandoned by her crew. The three Claymore-classes of "Aurek" continued to pummel the hull of the heavily listing Star Defender, even if the Starway appeared to be too damaged to sustain the same firepower of her sisters. It was not the actions of the Claymores nor the escaping crew members that concerned Kilian, but that the Te'ami had just dropped her shields. The hull buckled and melted under the sustained firepower, but the ship remained intact. There didn't appear to be any--

The hull finally detonated from the inside, the reactor overloading and incinerating its entire section in its fury. Kilian had to throw an arm up to cover his eyes lest he was blinded by the flash. In the vacuum of space, it was unlikely the shockwave of the blast would reach the Brawler-II, or even "Aurek", but the flash? Likely everyone from Relus to Coruscant saw that.

"Bloody hell," The Lieutenant muttered from Kilian's side, his eyes wide and uncomprehending, "They blew up their own ship to send a message out."

"So it would seem," Kilian muttered, making his way back to the comms officer. His approach seemed to remind the woman she had a job to do and forced herself to look away from the ruins of the Te'ami. Kilian continued to no one in particular, "Where do they even find these radical, fatalistic lunatics?"

"It's a big galaxy, sir," The comms officer spoke before dropping her head - Kilian's glare was sharp as ever.

"So it would seem," Kilian responded slowly before giving out his orders, "Order 'Aruek' to regroup with the rest of the Cruisers, and get a status report from Starway. Get the fleet into formation 'Besh', and tell Leviathan to drop her scramblers."

"Is that advisable, sir?" The comms officer asked tentatively, evidently not entirely certain she should be questioning the Captain but still hoping to voice her concerns. Kilian, with a wistful look at the remains of the Star Defender, growled out his response.

"Damn near the entire sector probably saw that. The element of surprise is lost."

And his will was done. As the swarms of fighters returned to their respective carrier, the capital ships and their escorts moved into position. The Leviathan and Brawler-II lowered their jamming and interdiction field respectively, both moving into formation. The twin Harrsk-Classes drifted into the centre, with the collection of Claymores making up the wings. To the rear, the command ship in the form of the Brawler-II and the Lucrehulk remained at the rear. Simplistic, but most of the snap-formation Kilian had made for this... skirmish were simplistic. He was a privateer, damn it, not an admiral.

The escape pods from the Te'ami were, for the most part, ignored. A few of the more radical members of Sularen's forces decided to take a few potshots, but Kilian had neither the sadism nor the time to eliminate the survivors. Within minutes of his order, the squadron was formed up and ready to jump. And, with almost unanimous action, they vanished into hyperspace: the micro-jump targetted towards the outer flank of the Corellian/Duros fleet.

Fleet Composition - Task Force Alpha

• 
  
  [FLAGSHIP]
  
  Brawler-II (Flagship) | Adjudicator-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  
  [CARRIERS]
  
  BDS Leviathan | Lucrehulk III-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  
  ["CARRIERS"]
  
  BDS Terror | Harrsk-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Scrammbling Fighters / Jumping
  BDS Phantom | Harrsk-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Scrammbling Fighters / Jumping
  
  [CRUISERS]
  
  BDS Conqueror | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Magnificent | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Iron Hand | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Dagger-II | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Endurance | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Ravager | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Saint | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Undamaged / Jumping
  BDS Starway | Claymore-class | Status: Operational / Moderate Damage / Jumping
  
  

 

[Sssar Taszzn]

Location: Eclipse Station, Eclipse, Alliance Space
Tags: Aerarii Tithe | Adhira Chandra

---

As Sssar was lounging over many rings of his own scaled tail, he listened to a genre of music he was just beginning to find himself enjoying - Cantina Jams. The Bith were excellent musicians, legendary even, and he could think of no more a relaxing time than listening to this music in his private quarters where the worries of the people were a distant memory. A respite from seemingly endless work.

"Senator! Senator!" called out a worried voice as his door slid open to reveal a panicked Human "Senator you must see this!" Sssar lifted his head and his lidless eyes focused on the staffer with a mixture of annoyance and alarm "What issss it? Sssshow it to me here." the staffer rushed over to the Senator and turned his datapad around to show him the news broadcast. Sssar was silent for a moment. His long bifurcated tongue tasted the air slowly "Ready my sssshuttle. Go, now." with that the staffer rushed out of the small room and Sssar began to unfurl himself just enough to reach a holoprojector near him.

"Transsssfer me to the Ssssituation Room." he hissed his order to a secretary on Coruscant who paused before replying "Senator Taszzn I understand your concern but I really do not have the authority to com-" her voice trailed off as Sssar's hissing began to become louder and louder "Transsssfer. Now." his voice began to shake in a deep rumble. Soon he was connected to Aerarii Tithe , Sssar's upper body was visible from his head to the mass of coils "Tithe." he started "I wassss jusssst informed by the holonet that an action tantamount to a civil war issss brewing in the Core. Hopefully you can enlighten me. If not then I will asssssume the worsssst and Eclisssspe will make ready for itssss own defensssse. The lassst time I read a sssstar chart, Bysssss wassss part of the Alliance." while the words were harsh it came from a place of interest in his people's safety. Eclipse was on the fringes of civilization as far as the Core was concerned and was compromised of a archaic station built during the time of Luke Skywalker over 800 years ago, hardly battle ready or able to defend itself properly if stranded in a Civil War.

 

[Marlon Sularen]

BYSS , BESHQEK SYSTEM
On board the Predator...

“Your request is duly noted,Some may argue that a ceasefire is predicated on your assailment on Alliance-flagged vessels being, ah, legal, But I digress. Restore law and order on Byss and we can agree the terms of your surrender.”

Sularen clenched his fist as the Chancellor mentioned surrender. The Corellians and Durosians had launched a blockade against Byss , violating it's sovereignty and outright demanding Sularen's Surrender. Their main justification had been that CorSec had a warrant out for him , but again the Beshqek Authority did not recognize this Warrant nor did they recognize Corellia's Authority within their borders. Sularen had acted in self-defense, in the defense of his world , yet once more the Galactic Alliance had chosen to favor the unlawful and support their endeavor.

And it would not stop there , the Corellians and Durosians had alot of support in the Alliance and it would be clear that they would lobby for Sularen's Removal , an act that he would not tolerate. For years , many people had dared deny Sularen from his rightful place in the Sun. Seeking to keep him in shackles , prevent him from rising to prominence. They feared his revenge, his retribution , his rise of power and so far they had succeed in containing him. But they had been too lenient this time , and Sularen had consolidated enough power and influence on Byss. Influence that would remain even after his departure from Byss through his strong support base on Byss.

"What's the current situation." Sularen asked. "The Core Fleet and Orbital Defense Platforms are holding their positions while reinforcements from Relus have just arrived to engage the enemy. However the GADF has ceased their attack and are moving forth to establish a perimeter around Byss." a Bridge Officer replied. "Contact Captain Berik and Captain Killian , inform them to ceasefire and await further orders. I still have one last trick up my sleeve" Sularen said with an malicious grin before turning to Mant. "And Mr.Mant. If possible i will require further assistance after this Skirmish. The Alliance will no doubt further support Corellia and Duros and attempt to remove my Legitimate Government with a Federalist Puppet Regime which will cause unrest and undo all the progress my Government has brought to Byss"

And with that Sularen withdrew to his private quarters once more , this time to contact his subordinates on the Surface. Already the Corellian Embassy was under siege with both the Military and Civilian Militas storming the Embassy while the Durosian Task Force at Relus had been destroyed and Durosian Forces within the Shield Gate on the brink of collapse being pinned down between Beshqek Spacetroopers at the rear and elements of the 439th at the front not to mention the various internal security turrets located throughout the station made it harder for the Durosian Forces to advance along with Spacetroopers being sent to find any escape pods in Relus. Sularen still had the upperhand , especially with the Core Fleet entrenched behind the Defense Platforms and his Reserves from Relus flanking the enemy fleet although a protracted conflict would be costly for both sides.

However all was not lost for Sularen still had one more trick up his sleeve and if things went according to plan Sularen would have the necessary leverage against Corellia and Duros. The Leverage he needed to maintain his throne. Sularen was ready to defend Byss at all costs and he would make sure that no one threatened his position on Byss. Sularen had lost a Battle , but the struggle was not yet over and he would remind the Vice-Chair of this fact.

Soon enough he would be connected to the Vice-Chancellor with the intent of making sure his rule over Byss was respected by the Galactic Alliance. "Ah , Vice-Chancellor. I must inform you that i've already sent orders for my Naval Forces to stand down , although there are a few issues that we must discuss about."

Tags | Aerarii Tithe | Mazik Stazi | Yularen Nova | Sssar Taszzn ​

 

[Tris]

Embassy
"Remember. No Corellian."

She knew they'd pissed off a couple of these wannabe Imperials when her killteam's dropped crashed down just inside the "protective" ring of Byss Defense Force soldiers. One of the soldiers had jumped so high, Gedri thought he would actually manage to fly into orbit. Still, they didn't attack, though the crowd of civilians got rowdier and more rocks made it over the protective barrier of riot shields and into the windows of the Corellian Embassy, breaking the glass ones and bouncing harmlessly off of the transparisteel ones. Gedri didn't let it bother her. Halcyon, while secretive, were no mystery. When you saw a Halcyon Killteam drop on your position and they weren't your immediate enemy regs typically shut the hell up and let them do their thing.

And so it went. The team made it inside the Embassy, Corellian security inside the building watched gawking the entire time, found their target and waited for the debacle outside to end and the extraction team pick them up. Only, the extraction team never came, and the crowd got rowdier and rowdier, and did it look like that Byss buckethead was raising his rifle at the building? The first shot that rang out was like a thunderclap. Someone, somewhere had ordered the soldiers to open fire on the embassy, probably under some guise of resistance. The red-clad troopers along with the other white-clad bucketheads stormed the embassy and the rioters were quick to follow.

"Sket," cursed Lieutenant Fast as he watched, horror no doubt etched across his face behind his bucket.

"Sarge we can't let them do this-These are our people!" Gedri turned a three-eyed gaze on the VIP who was cowering in her iron grip. They were right. Gedri cursed.

"Stay away from the windows Councilor, we won't let them get up this far. Masters, you stay with the target. Fast, Zora, Chun, you're with me. Deadly force authorized but priority is the defense of unarmed civilians. Understood?" They nodded in affirmative. Udina frowned and protested as his arm was traded from one iron grip to another.

"You can't do this! I'm a Councilor! I'm the priority here! Everyone else is expendable!"

"By the Force I hate these kellhorned politicians," muttered Fast into their H-Com."

The scene below was grisly. The lobby, not large enough to fit even a quarter of the forces that had surrounded the embassy, was filled Byss soldiers, their armor reminiscent to Imperial Order and older designs from the Sith Empire but painted in reds and striped with black. The floor was littered with bodies, but there was clear evidence that there were still some alive in the building. Her HUD VI link made note of every fallen CorSec officer's name plate, registering the data for when they returned home so that they could be remembered. They didn't have the element of surprise however and so she wasn't able to scan every ident before red bolts raced towards her and her team.

"Kark," she heard Master's say as he took a bolt in the shoulder. His armor more than held and she guessed the reaction was more learned than relevant. They quickly returned fire, Masters braining the buckethead that had pegged his shoulder with Chun flattening three more with a single trigger pull, his high-powered, heavy repeating blaster cutting through their armor like a lightsaber through butter. Zora and Gedri both moved in close, leaping from the balcony and being careful not to land on the bodies of the dead. There was a resounding crack as Zora's fist, powered by both her armor and her enhanced strength, turned the white material of the buckethead's armor into pebbles around the man's breastbone. Gedri wasn't sure if the crack had been the armor or the bone breaking.

A bolt flew past her head, far too close for comfort, and Gedri knew she had seconds to act before the other Byss troopers got lucky. She ducked behind the receptionist's information desk where she found several teenagers cowering for their lives. They had likely only come here as part of a political field trip for some prep school from the nicer districts of Coronet. She cursed that they had to live through this. How many of their peers lay strewn on the floor just on the other side of this barrier?

The ceramic of the kiosk chipped and broke apart as a few troopers concentrated fire on her position. Gedri lifted a finger to what would be her mouth on her helmet before snarling and vaulting over the makeshift cover. There was a jolt in her forearm as she fired the forearm mounted micro repulsors at maximum strength. The armor compensated for the shock as much as it could but she still felt her shoulder pop out of place. The blast did its grisly work though, hurling everything in front of her back and into the wall or through the transparisteel. She noticed, belatedly, as her armor squeezed her shoulder back into place, that she'd taken a few hits on her way over, the scorch marks of blaster bolts the only outward indicator of damage taken. Outside there were still Byss Civilians fighting Corellian Civilians and CorSec officers who had managed to get out, though why they had chosen to run towards the onslaught of military force was beyond her.

"Sarge, we've gotta keep moving." Zora's gentle reminder snapped her back into combat mode. She checked Fast's vitals. Still green, no movement. A blaster bolt landed near her now bloodstained boots reminding her that some of these Byss Civilians could pose a danger. They couldn't leave the Corellian survivors on this floor alone though.

"Zora, stay here. Help clear out the rioters. If they've got a bucket shoot to kill, everyone else stun rounds only." She got a single click as an acknowledgment before her and the rest of the team moved back further into the Embassy where the screams of the dying still echoed.

 

[Yularen Nova]

Aerarii Tithe Marlon Sularen Mazik Stazi

Nova gave the order. Ceasefire. Not exactly as he would have liked. The ideal situation would have been for Sularen's ship to bit the big one and then secure a ceasefire. He knew men like Sularen...Very well. He would not stop. But there was nothing he could do. Deputized as he was, he was as much an Alliance officer as he was a Corellian at this point in the game. His vessels took up position alongside the Alliance fleet as they re-established the Blockade he had originally desired in the first place.

"I would be glad to, however, I am on the field. Once this mess is over and Sularen has surrendered to Alliance Custody, the safety of my people is confirmed below, and the fleets dispersed I would gladly return to Coruscant and give a debrief. At the moment however, with all due respect, the situation is far too volatile for that discussion at the moment."

In other words, he didn't trust these Byss Bastards as far as he could throw them. The minute things shifted he knew Byss would take the opportunity to strike him and Stazi out for good.

 

[Hoid Hallafax]

​

The Byss Standoff, as it would be named by galactic news networks, ended as swiftly as it had begun. With Corellian and Duros forces deputized during the battle many took it as the Alliance standing with the two member sectors in their blockade of the world. Even more so once the Imperator of Byss was apprehended and taken into custody under dubious allegations. These feelings did not last long however as soon after returning to their home sectors both Senator Mazik Stazi and Diktat Yularen Nova were also taken into Galactic Alliance custody with the whole of the Corellian and Byss fleets "grounded". The Alliance was shocked and confused by the actions of Corellia and Duro as their attack and blockade on Byss would have led to serious ramifications to the Alliance war effort against the Sith Empire, confusing many pundits and military leaders due to Corellia and Duros' strong pro-war stance when it came to the destruction of he Sith Empire.

The Jedi were questioned as to how the "Peacekeepers of the Core" could be so focused on outward wars that they had nearly let a civil war break out in their own backyard. There were reports of at least two Jedi in system during the standoff but neither seemed to have attempted to bring the three to the negotiation table. The Federal Bloc of the Alliance Senate used this opportunity to push for stricter regulations on system and sector defense forces, arguing that powerful sectors such as Kuat, Corellia, Coruscant, and Byss posed a serious threat to the stability of the Alliance. In this, they found common ground with the usually small voices of the Imperial Bloc and together they began organizing to force the issue of centralized military power and individual member defense force caps to the Senate floor.

It would be weeks before the truth of what happened on the surface of Byss would reach the eyes and ears of the Alliance public. Initially, the Alliance had tried to quiet the massacre of the Corellian embassy. This was met with protests on several worlds, most notably on Corellia and Coruscant. Initially with Corellia under suspicion of foul play in their ploy to arrest Marlon Sularen , who himself was a Corellian citizen, many of these protests were waved away and suppressed by Alliance intelligence and Alliance Marshalls. WIth the destruction of Csilla, the entire event was nearly forgotten as the Alliance began facing Galactic Crisis. Mere days after the destruction of Csilla however, hacker collective PL46U3 leaked what appeared to be a collection of holocam footage from helmets, com devices, security cameras, and more of the riots outside of the Corellian Embassy and the subsequent storming of the building. Along with the vid, files collected by the SIA and others connecting Byss and Sularen to several attacks by what had once been assumed to be Imperial remnants or marauders. This caused outrage across the Alliance and the Chancellor was forced to act. While Corellia and Duro remained suspended from the Senate until individual trials could be held for Yularen Nova and Mazik Stazi, Byss was indefinitely suspended until a full investigation of the world's bureaucracy could be completed. An arrest order for the General that had ordered the massacre was put out, the Alliance moved into Byss en masse throwing the sector into marshal law until lawful elections could be undertaken to replace Marlon Sularen and his brother in the Senate resulting in a watershed in regards to Alliance policy on self-governance.