Dominion For a Safe and Secure Society | EE Dominion of G'rho

[Frontier Tenacity]

​

Without power and wracked by damage, the Star Destroyer ENS Obelisk has been silently orbiting a rocky moon in some nameless system since a Ssi-Ruuvi attack nearly obliterated it months ago, as it was returning from its secret mission to deliver its findings back to Kalidan. It set out on its fateful journey in utmost secrecy, only to vanish without a trace despite all attempts to locate it, just another mysterious disappearance in the Unknown Regions, just another derelict, cold, forgotten, dead and lost.

Until several days ago, a rebel cruiser accidentally stumbled upon its broken hull.

Eager to acquire as much intelligence about the Empire’s activities and troop deployments, the rebels quickly boarded the derelict, recovering its databanks and transporting them to their nearby base on G’rho, in order to be meticulously studied and datamined.

It took considerable efforts, due to the highly advanced encryption, but the lost databanks have so far yielded a few bits of information, causing a wave of excitement and hinting at even greater secrets within. Thus, the rebels learned that the warship was placed under the direct command of a high-ranking member of the Wardens of the Shroud, an enigmatic secret society with influence over all aspects of society in the Eternal Empire, and that it had spent months in Ssi-Ruuvi space looking for an artefact of some kind.

The artefact’s exact nature remained a mystery for now, still hidden somewhere in the databanks, beneath layers of encryption and security, but the rebels have managed to extract a name connected to this artefact, one Darth Traya, an ancient and mysterious Sith Lord from the Old Republic era, the age of Revan and Malak and their devastating war against the rest of the galaxy.

Unfortunately for them, their tampering with the databanks has also activated a secret transmitter, hidden deep within the machinery, beneath layers upon layers of electronics, a transmitter which broadcast a homing beacon on a secret frequency known only to the military of the Eternal Empire.

Now, a fleet of Imperial warships has arrived in the system, on a direct course for G’rho, to bring death and destruction to the rebels and insure that the secrets within the Obelisk’s databanks remain hidden from the prying eyes of those who would oppose the Empire’s crusade. After months of prioritizing other objectives, the time had finally come for the Eternal Empire to strike a blow against the Eclipse Rebellion and to bring Imperial order to the planet, for a safe and secure society.

Objectives:

For months, the Eternal Empire has allowed the growing Eclipse Rebellion to live, focusing its efforts on other, more important objectives. Now, however, the rebels managed to get their hands on Imperial databanks containing information of a highly sensitive and classified nature. This can not be allowed to stand. Upon receiving the signal from the homing beacon, the Eternal Empire has immediately dispatched its forces to G’rho. The mission objectives are clear. Recover the lost databanks and capture or eliminate the rebels.

​

For some time now, the Eclipse Rebellion has managed to keep its base on G’rho hidden from the prying eyes of the Eternal Empire. Now, however, with a large Imperial force quickly approaching, the rebels lack the manpower and weapons to repel the Imperial assault. As such, the rebels must now fight a desperate delaying action to allow the evacuation of the base and destroy all of its databanks, in order to prevent their organization from being compromised, thus sparing all of their supporters from facing Imperial wrath.

​

Determined to deliver a heavy blow to the Eclipse Rebellion, the Eternal Empire has brought more than ships and soldiers to G’rho. Brought here by the promise of hefty rewards, a number of mercenaries and bounty hunters have come to fight for the Imperial cause. Their mission is simple, to capture as many prisoners as possible, for later interrogation. It is imperative that at least some rebels be taken alive, therefore, care must be taken when handling these prisoners. No blaster bolts to the head or vitals. And no disintegrations.

Objective 4: BYOO

Attn: Aaran Tafo || Adelle Bastiel || Alondra Lareina || Alwine Daye || Alyva Terrix || Anton Delane || Arturo Braga || Azazel Taliss || Bachus || Carter Tymon || Centiro || Cero Pax || @Charlotte Knyte || Darth Aion || Ecthelion Aiglos || Eirene || Eryn || Fimrati Vailyippin || Formorta || Goonch Bagarius Yarrelli || Ilsa Visel || Ingrid L'lerim || Jardann Lancus || Juggernaut || Kainan Wolfe || Kalic Daws || Karma Jayne || Kerstan Blackmoore || Khorde Drago || @Lanebsa || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Lorelai Ventira || Lyla Quinn || Malicar || Mythos || Nekana Quane || Nerulic || RadioWhisper || Ranik Delmont || Rath Exigo || Shandria Navin || Taozi Fuyuan || Tela Uolmi || Tiberius Bayne || Vidalu Na'an || Viktor Goetz || Tsavong Kraal || Vyra Silara || Will Westender || Wulf Orlock || Xiomar Ren || Mitth'rae'leios || Broka the Hutt || Karisa || Mordecai Zambrano || @Kai’el || Kaine Hamilton || @Sabella de Vreis || Race Tolsen || @Miles Morrow || Rumi Dag || Corran Conner || Saabossi || Gerhard Manndorf || Kyle Raymus || VanceCaydence || Edward Ashcard || Galdaart || Lord Malleus || @Rhaego Charon || Gortta Desilijic Tiure || @Roman Calypso || Lora Vekarr || @Tamacti Khan || @Neferisia || Krae || Shavara || @Kodomo || Innas Paurs || Salij-Nekt || Rothamir || Eliana Shan || Curtis Learchin || Sterling Kinslayer || Saga Linzino || 1st Lt. Garrek Kanos || Jarael Belaerys || Rhea Kintre || Stardust Solus Skirae || Sanguine Nocturnal || Willow & Ivy || Val Horne
​

Links:

• G'rho​
• Wardens of the Shroud​
• Eclipse Rebellion​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's right hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard​

Objective: Reign of Iron
Location: Emperor’s ship (?), G’rho (?), with the Emperor
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | sniper rifle | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tag: Kainan Wolfe | Open

Ingrid rarely felt anger she couldn't immediately quell, this is exactly what it is now. The rebels were able to get out of her famous calm state with what they had done. Thanks to this, for the first time in her life, she also managed to create a Force scream, with which she also ruined the place in which she was. She was angry not only with the rebels, but also with herself and her people, her subordinates. They managed to steal the secret police and intelligence under HER command. Anger and humiliation mingled with dishonor. She wanted to set an example with each one on each rebel, with her own hands.

She wanted to fix this error; she already knew that heads were going to fall, even among her own subordinates. She thought it could have been an inside job, it had to be! Someone is cooperating with the rebels. Maybe the OPA spy was told the truth at the wedding? She had not been able to speak to the Empress since the wedding, so she had not yet been declared innocent by Ingrid. Perhaps it was time to take this matter more seriously again, but now she had to talk with the Emperor.

As always, that is, most of the time she travelled to the planet on a ship what the emperor uses too. As she did not know where the Emperor was, she asked one of the officers, who must have known. As soon as she found out the information, she started where the Emperor was. Ever since Ingrid was the Emperor's hand, she was not used to anyone standing in her way, so when the guards tried to stop her, she threw them against the wall with telekinetics. She was still angry, very, very angry.

<”Never dare to question my actions again! Next time you don’t just end up with a few broken bones!”> she said coldly.

She entered the room where the Emperor was, after the salute she took off her helmet and knelt without the helmet, which she held in his hand, a few steps from the entrance. After that, she even lowered her head as she trembled with nervousness. It took Ingrid a few moments to be able to speak. Not to mention that Ingrid should never have let the girl go from Bursoll...

<”My Lord! For it was all under my command, I accept the consequences, whatever it may be. > she said.

​

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attire: Uniform | Sword
Attn: Vyra Silara || OPEN Interacting With: Ingrid L'lerim​

The Emperor stood alone in his office aboard his flagship as the fleet traveled towards its destination in the G'rho system, reviewing some reports when his apprentice burst in, practically tossing the guards against the wall. "Control yourself, Ingrid!" he berated her. "Those soldiers are just doing their jobs and your behavior towards them is unacceptable!" he raised his tone, a look of disappointment in his eyes. "Discipline, Ingrid! Self-control! That is the difference between us and animals! We do not give in to self-indulgence, we use anger and rage, but never let ourselves be controlled by it!"

Assaulting the guards like that, for no reason whatsoever... there would have to be consequences, the law was clear. "After this operation is over, you will report to the Judiciary office, you will take responsibility for your outburst and you will accept the consequences," he commanded in a firm tone. He knew what the punishment would be, knew every law in his Empire by memory. She would be tortured for this. Neural induction device set to its maximum setting, for six hours. It would be excruciating, but... the law was the law. And she needed to learn this lesson before power got to her head. "In the Empire, the rule of law is absolute. No one, not prince, general, baron or civilian, is above the law. That is what makes it fair and just. That is what makes us better than the other nations of the galaxy. Discipline. Self-control. Order. Everything we do, we do in service to purpose, to duty. Not to satisfy some momentary, base impulse, like animals."

Stepping forward, he tossed the datapad onto his desk with a tired, weary sigh. "As for the information leak, Ingrid, it wasn't your fault. Or anyone else's, really. That ship has been missing for months, those rebel pests probably stumbled onto it," he said. He wished he could say it was just coincidence, but it wasn't. There was no such thing as luck where the Force was involved. No, the Force was working against them. Again. Just like it did on Bursoll II. "The rebels are just tools. Clueless puppets of a greater power, incapable of seeing their own strings. You need to get used to things like this, for in this war, against this enemy, the attacks will come from our blind spots. And it will only get harder from now on," the Emperor spoke. He needed to have a conversation with his apprentice about certain things, soon. There just hadn't been any time. "You will not be punished for something that is not your fault, but you will be punished for your outburst against the guards. But right now, we have work to do."

------​

The fleet reverted from hyperspace, maneuvering into a triangular formation, a layout which allowed the ships to defend and reinforce eachother. Standard Imperial doctrine, one which had proven extremely effective in the past. Emerging from the turbolift on the bridge of his flagship, the Emperor studied the holographic map of the system. "Is the hyperspace tracking prototype ready?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir. We are ready to deploy it on your orders," answered an officer.

"Good," said Tacitus. Usually, he would have brought an interdictor or two, but destroying a single rebel base was far less important than recovering those databanks. And then, this rebellion would be dealt with. Until now, they had been nothing but a nuisance, but now... Those damned idiots have no idea what they've stumbled upon, he thought. The fate of the galaxy was at stake and here he was, having to deal with children playing with fire.

If these people intended to continue behaving like petulant, rebellious summerworlder brats, then they would be dealt with accordingly. He would scatter these rebels to the four winds and put an end to their so-called revolution before it could start doing some real damage. And then, he could finally channel all his efforts towards dealing with the true enemy.

And then, once all the pieces of his plan were in their proper, allotted places, once two decades of work finally came to fruition... Then, he would finally bring about the goal he had dedicated his entire life towards. The death of the Force, itself. And then, after so many eons of injustice, tragedy and stagnation, things would finally be set right again and the natural order would be restored.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's right hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard​

Objective: Reign of Iron
Location: Emperor’s ship (?), G’rho (?), with the Emperor
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | sniper rifle | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tag: Kainan Wolfe | Open

<”Hard… I feel Scherezade deWinter ’s anger again, which I've been suppressed since I stole it months ago.” > she squeezed it out between her teeth.

She needs all of her strengths to try to suppress this feeling. It was new and different, she never want power, might before. She had learned for a while that she knew it was completely the dark side, but she didn’t want it, and yet, she wants it. She was terrified and satisfied at the same time, and this was confused her. She almost laughed at the torture, it was not a threat to her, she was not scared, it was the part of her training was to learn to endure. And Ingrid knew the law; those few hours were nothing to her.

<”Yes, my…”> she started so speak, but her word got stuck.

Her helmet fell out of his hand and knocked on the ground, the armored hands snapped to the ground. She felt the anger wanting to tear her apart, who lived his everyday life without negative or positive feelings and was able to control them to the maximum this condition was unbearable. She gasped more often, she wanted to scream with the Force, just like when the anger broke out in her. She had not received this lesson so far because of the control of her emotions. She had no idea what to do with this whole thing other than to release it from herself.

In her soul she wants to release, but her other part, in her common sense said no. She could not give this to the dark side. She couldn't fall into the darkness. Ingrid felt something that she had not felt ages ago, fear. In this situation she had not even heard what the Emperor was saying about what she could not do about it all. It all hurt not only her body but her soul as well, she still felt as if she wanted to tear this whole feeling apart.

<”Help me, please!”> her voice was almost pleading.

​

 

[Aedan Miles]

Equipment: Outfit Weapon Ring
Tags: Kainan Wolfe
​

Aedan Miles sat on the command throne of the flagship that had been designed for him back when he served as War Master for the Mandalorian Empire his mismatched eyes gleaming as he was lost in thought. On the bridge the command crew went about their jobs without any input from their commander knowing exactly what each of them was required to do even as the communications officer worked with the various ships that acted as escorts for the ship the Pirate King was personally commanding. Finally the XO turned and walked over to where Aedan sat the wookie who sereved as the executive officer reaching down to gently for his people shake Aedan's shoulder bringing him out of his thoughts even as he let out a series of noises that most would be unable to comprehend without a translator but Aedan merely nodded and stood walking forward. "Understood old friend thank you for making me aware. Inform our forces that once we exit hyperspace they are to remain on guard it has been some time sense I was contacted by this man we will see what he wants from us before anything more. As it stands finding a place in the galaxy is important for the safety of our people." The wookie nodded his head as he moved back towards the front of the bridge dispatching the orders that Aedan had given even as the streaks of light that indicated they were in hyperspace died away leaving his relatively small force floating in space arrayed defensively around the Bane. To any observe these ships would appear bygone relics of a faction that had disappeared long ago. But they were still powerful ships and Aedan often found that those ships that belonged to forgotten factions were best to use. Among his escorts was a single Noble-class Star Defender, 3 Horn-class Escort Cruisers and 5 Strike-class corvettes all of them angling downwards directionally below the hull of Aedan's rather unique command vessel.

Finally after leaving his forces a moment to array themselves Aedan sent the signal for his communications officer to attempt and gain contact with Darth Tacitus the man who was claiming to be emperor of his own empire. Aedan had been wondering for a time why the man would reach out to him after all not to long ago they had been on opposite sides of a war directly fighting against each other. But back than they had both been working under different people and now it seemed Tacitus had broken away from the CIS on his own and Aedan was without a home sense the fall of the Mandalorian Empire. Even now his clan and people remained hidden on Eclipstica under the safety of the remains of the Shadow Empire's security. Finally Aedan looked up as the connection went through and crossed his arms both his eyes locked onto the hologram before him. "So Emperor Tacitus is it now? What can I do for you? I will admit I was rather curious after hearing that you were searching specifically for me and not my people in general."

 

[Centiro]

Shortly After Notification of the Lost Databanks
Low Atmosphere of G’rho
The sensation of freefalling never got old to Centiro. While jumping out of a starfighter when it just cleared the atmosphere was quite dangerous, it mattered not to the Unit 404 Emissary. It was rare when Darth Tacitus sent him an operational objective directly, so that in and of itself let Centiro know how urgent the situation was. In short, the operative dropped everything and was skids up in hyperspace streaking towards G’rho in minutes. For Unit 404 to be called into an operation like this, it was dire indeed. The Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) download he received when he got in system showed heavy signal traffic at the coordinates of the rebel site. This meant they already knew the Eternal Empire forces were coming. While he was the first Eternal Empire asset on site, he was no one man army—he would have to take care not to cause too much alarm before the “cavalry” came…and they were already in the system.

The thundering wind roared, keeping any sound from being head during his descent. With his lightsaber and heavy blaster pistol in hand, Centiro would take no chances during this vulnerable point of the operation. The sun was rising, so he was simply a freefalling dot, plummeting from the sky. He took care to have absolutely no emissions coming from his personal tech, not even an altimeter—he would activate his repulsor belt based on sight…such was the importance of anonymity. Further, he masked his force presence, squashing the “signature” that could be detected by other force-users.

At this stage in the descent, the ground terrain features could be made out and he could see the would be rebel base below. There was a flurry of activity buzzing around it. His approach would be unnoticed, but the closer he got, the riskier it would be. The ground was getting dangerously close. Flipping around to where his feet led his body, he activated his grav belt, instantly slowing his terminal velocity speed. It slowed and slowed until almost a stop five feet above the earth. With a slight movement of his wrist, the grav belt powered off and Centiro came to the ground. He took off at a run to make up some ground between him and the base…and the rebels with it.

Kainan Wolfe
Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Evacuate

Lori gripped the controls of the Jaster's Sparrow, a gleeful expression on her face while she maneuvered the Mantis-class vessel through a pre-designated path. Back on Lanteeb, both her and Will Westender had wagered a race between their two ships. The winner gets to ship supplies and weapons to a buyer, plus keep the fee. It was a smugglers bet, yet she had every confidence that her ship could beat Will's own.

Arla kept tabs on their sensors, sitting in the copilot seat, letting Lori handle the throttle. This was her Captain's race afterall and she knew that win or lose, it was important to the young Arenais. She needed the chance to do something that she enjoyed.

"Better hang on tight Rhea!" Lori had a passenger on this trip, Rhea Kintre was a lady recently freed from an Eternal Empire prison transport vessel. It wouldn't be the first time that Lori had taken anyone under her wing and it wouldn't be the last. "We're gaining on him! I betcha he figured he'd be eating his dust. But we're just biding our time. I betcha that with his cockiness, he won't see us zoom right past him!" The Jaster's Sparrow was indeed catching up to Will's ship, moving quickly and just below it as they were encroaching on G'rho space.

And that was when the alarms sounded. At first they had no idea what was going on until Arla began syphoning through the information on her screen. "Captain! Let him win! Two fleets just popped into the system. One's from the Eternal Empire, the other...Mandalorian?" She furrowed her brows, knowing that she'd reach out to to the Mando fleet ( Aedan Miles ) soon enough. "The base on G'rho needs to be evactuated. They can't hold an assault like this for long. Captain, we need to get down there!"

Lori narrowed her eyes. As much as she hated losing on purpose, there was a duty that she needed to do. The Eclipse Rebellion needed her help. Whatever had let the location of this base be known, it had to be discovered so that other bases weren't compromised too. Flicking the switch to connect her comms to Will's ship, she patched through a message as she changed course. "Looks like you win, buddy. Sorry, duty calls! But I'll want a rematch! Captain out!" She flicked the switch to the Rebel's own frequency and relayed her message. "This is Captain Lori of the Jaster's Sparrow! We're coming down to help evac! I repeat, we are coming down to help evac!"

"Imperial fleets are not yet engaging. That may bide us some time. But be cautious, Captain. It could be a trap."

"Yes it is, Arla. And I'm going to be the one setting them. Their soldiers won't know what's hit them until it's too late."

Kainan Wolfe Ingrid L'lerim Centiro

 

[Cero Pax]

Objective: The Hunt
Gear: Beskar'gam

Cero had a knack for timing. It was one of his many 'intangible', skills, along with his luck and instinct. He'd only just returned to the Unknown Regions after handling some... well, he wanted to say personal matters, but the true was that he wasn't that deep into it, at least not yet.. The Mandolorians were scattered, and their pride and egos rarely allowed them to come together as one mind. Even at the bonfire, they'd argued over semantics and ideologies. His father wished for them to take the chance and attempt to reintegrate with the culture, due to so many of them not overtly using the Force. But Cero remained unconvinced that it'd be in the best interest for the clan. Even though they'd endured for centuries, they were smaller than most. A battle that wounded another, could easily exterminate them. And he wasn't sure it'd be worth it for some vod who'd never consider them such.

A notification from the Contractor's Guild appeared in his feed, and the details were clear cut. The Eclipse Rebellion was getting to be a thorn in the Empire's side, like mice in the farm house, they'd propagate and spread into the grain. But it seemed like this den had unintentionally set off a trap, luring everything from predators to the farmer himself to their hole in the wall. They'd revealed their hiding spot, and the Empire had pounced on it, setting awards and bounties for assisting in exterminating and capture of any rebels found. It'd been a while since Bakura, and he was interested to see how much they'd grown since then.

As soon as the Ne'tra Tracinya shunted out of hyperspace, Cero engaged it's cloaking and autopilot, then went to ready his gear. The most difficult part of this job would probably be bringing in living rebels. Not because they were difficult to capture, or fight, but more because the sheer chaos that'd erupt when the Imperials arrived at their doorstep would drive everything to hell. In situations like this, people made stupid mistakes that often enough result in them and others being killed. But difficulty just made it all the more exciting.

His ship entered the planet's atmosphere so ways away from the facility, preparing for a cloaked strafe run. Even if they couldn't see it, they'd hear it as it zoomed past, Cero dropping out the back and dropping out the sky like a stone in a pond, going down and in down in a uncontrolled descent, until he activated his jetpack and altered his course, gliding towards one of the rooftops of the base. Alarms would already be blaring, signaling that the Imperials had already arrived in the system, and were making their move. It was time to get to work.

Attn: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Centiro Kainan Wolfe Ingrid L'lerim @

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

It was only a matter of time.

Deep inside the belly of the Imperial flagship, the droid commonly known as LE-03 was hard-plugged into a cracked security console, running desperate calculation after desperate calculation. The Rebellion's discovery of the defunct Destroyer Obelisk. Her contact in G'rho had volunteered to take on the job of extraction, believing that at worst, they could scrap the hulk for fuel and supplies, stripping Imperial trade routes from whatever computers still worked along the way.

What they found had set off a tracker...and that tracker had ignited a bomb of fury on Kalidan.

With she and her humans squirreled away in a security deadzone, The Voice of Abbaji had gotten her warning to the base on G'rho only minutes before the first wave of the attack. The rebels had had just enough time to scramble together a desperate defense, thanks to

The base was already lost--it was too early in their formation to handle a direct assault. The goals now were to hold off the invasion long enough to evacuate personnel...and to protect the computer transmitting data at the maximum bandwidth into Leigh's memory banks. Much of it was trash--trade routes she already knew, weapon specs, backlogs of comms messages years since defunct. A few words, however, triggered a reaction not in her, but in her human companions.

Wardens of the Shroud.

Sith artifacts.

Darth Traya.

It was not difficult from those reactions to discern what had triggered such fury from the Emperor. Her specialists on G'rho had uncovered something the Empire wanted to retrieve and keep secret at all costs. And when an Empire not afraid of bragging about razing planets wants to keep something secret, then in all probability, it needed to be public knowledge.

<<The data at this base is top priority,>> she sent on the Eclipse data spectrum. <<Transmission and decryption is underway, but we need to ensure we have the only copy. Do you understand, Eclipse? This data can not fall into Imperial hands, no matter what, even if it means interrupting transmission halfway. I need confirmation of this order--repeat, I need confirmation. >>

To the human guarding the door, she simply said "Be ready. This data can not remain in these systems for long. We need to be ready to move."

Adelle Bastiel | Vidalu Na'an | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Things had been tense but quickly turned into a cluster once the beacon had been triggered. Adelle had watched scans of orbit and immediate space around G'rho come alive with red dots the IFF immediately tagged as "foe." Then Leigh had given the orders. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her, despite the light armor trapping heat against her bodysuit, she felt cold. But Adelle waited until Leigh had finished broadcasting on an open channel to ask the question pressing on her mind. No modulation, no layers, no secrecy between them. She had to know.

"Leigh? What, precisely, are you suggesting?" Adelle had a bad feeling that she already knew.



LE-03 (Leigh) | Vidalu Na'an | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Layla Solari]

​

Objective: Devour
Wearing: Click
Equipment: Backpack, that held her armor and weapons
Tags: Kainan Wolfe | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

“I had eaten Sith Lords, soldiers, children, office workers, criminals, and Jedi. I had devoured several worlds, and left my ‘children’ on several more. I was still hungry, and I had a thought. Are rebels delicious?”

The duncow ranch sat at the edge of the remade Boku settlement, settled in a clearing in a dense juvica forest. It was the residence and place of work for over twenty people, and it had over three hundred heads of duncow. And yet, if anyone looked over it now, it would be completely empty. No person or animal in sight. The quiet was eerie and unnatural.

In the clearing of a pen, a young girl dressed in dark clothes twirled around, and giggled. It had been great fun, each of them had been a wonderful snack. Dark eyes glanced up, and she tilted her head. There was something that stirred on the planet, something that would bring lots of food close by.

She hummed softly and skipped along through the underbrush. Wherever she was going, is where she was at. Or was that backwards? The pain was growing again, so it didn’t really matter. She wanted some cake. The girl shook her head, and tried to get the cobwebs out of it. Ever since Darth…..Darth...What's his face, it had been hard to focus. He had introduced her to so much more of the force, but it was just so delicious she couldn’t stop eating. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she moved through the woods. A base was ahead. She had spotted them coming and going much earlier on. Something was coming to get them. Perhaps she would find some spars to devour herself. It always made the pain stop. The farm had been fun, but...it was empty now. She needed something more.

Besides. She felt the presence of someone who would be able to make the pain stop for a long time on the base. It had been awhile since she last ate another force user.

 

[Will Westender]

Interacting With: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Attn: Rhea Kintre || Centiro || OPEN​

Brows twisted in concentration, Will nevertheless had a grin on his face as he piloted his ship, the small, fast Firebird. His eyes darted between the instruments and sensor displays on the panels, keeping track of a million little things. Giving the sensors one fleeting display, he could see Lori's ship catching up to him and he grinned wildly. "Oh, I don't think so," he muttered as he flicked several switches. "Hey, Karma? Yeah, uhm, things are about to get a little warmer, in here," he said to his companion, the Zeltron girl in the copilot's seat.

He felt the ship rumble as the powerful engines spooled up for a boost as an inoffensive error message popped up on one of the displays, a certain 'Error 729' and the look on Will's face grew serious and cold in an instant. 729 was a code, built into the ship's secret communications array and it only meant one thing. The Eternal Navy was nearby.

As if to confirm this, the comms crackled to life with Lori's voice, letting him know that she was dropping out of the race while at the same time, his sensors fired off an alarm as the display was filled with Star Destroyers emerging from hyperspace. Damn. Well, it was fun while it lasted. However, this gave him an opportunity, a chance to get closer to these rebels and gain their trust. He saw that chance and took it, flicking a switch to open a channel back to Lori's ship, the Jaster's Sparrow.

"Yeah, not a chance. You're not going up against the Empire all by yourself," he said, giving Karma Jayne an apologetic look. "That's, what, two fleets out there? Looks like several battlecruisers, at least one of them an Invictus-class judging by the size, multiple Star Destroyers, plus escorts, in battle formation. There's no way I'm letting you commit suicide, so for the moment, you're stuck with me."

Well, damn. He was gonna' lose the weapons shipment. No way he could fly into that with all those crates increasing his ship's mass, he'd need every bit of maneuverability he could get. With a sigh, he pressed a button to seal up the cargo bay bulkhead, then shut down the artificial gravity and opened up the cargo ramp. With a whoosh, all of the air in the bay blew out of the ship, taking with it all the crates of weapons he had stashed in there since the botched job on Endor.

Pressing another series of button to reseal and repressurize the cargo bay, he opened up the channel to Lori's ship again. "So, where are we going?"

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attire: Uniform | Sword
Attn: Vyra Silara Interacting With: Ingrid L'lerim || Aedan Miles || OPEN​

The Sith Lord sighed. "That is what the Force does to people, Ingrid. Its what the Force always does, its why both the Jedi and the Sith are its puppets. It undermines your will and takes control, either through your base impulses, like it does with the Sith, or by wiping out all traces of your individuality, like it is the case with Jedi. But we Wardens are different, we are different because we know. And that is why we do not let the Force control us."

"Duty, purpose. These are the most important things to a Warden, giving us both direction in life and something to cling on to, so cling onto that," he instructed her. There was not much else he could do for her, she would have to learn to resist the pull of the Force on her own, to find her own way out of it. All he could do in this case, was give advice and tell her to rely on her training. This was a test which every Warden faced, every day, until mastery of the Warden ways. The Force was an insidious thing, but the Warden code held the answer.

Afterall, the Force was a chain that could be broken, shattered by sufficient willpower and great enough effort. And this was why the Wardens, not the Sith or Dark Jedi, were the true masters of the Darkside. For while they wielded it, bent it to their will, Wardens of the Shroud were not controlled by it. A Warden's true strength came from purpose and duty, not from self-indulgence and corruption. "We oppose the will of the Force, Ingrid, we do not give in to it. Because the Force is the Enemy, the great Enemy of all living things and we stand in opposition to it."

"Rage and hatred. We use these things, use them to remind us why we are doing what we do. We use them to remind us that the galaxy is broken, rotten to the core and in need of correction and we make it our duty to make sure things are set right. We use the Force, but we never forget that the Force is our Enemy and we never let it take control. So use your anger and your hatred, use them to give you focus, clarity and determination, but never let yourself be controlled by them."

As if on cue, a second fleet jumped into the system, causing several alerts to go off, officers scrambling on the Invictus' bridge before Tacitus quieted them down with a wave of his hand. "Mark the new arrivals as friendlies," he instructed. "And open a channel."

"So Emperor Tacitus is it now? What can I do for you? I will admit I was rather curious after hearing that you were searching specifically for me and not my people in general."

"Lord Aedan Miles," the Sith Lord responded. "The question is, what I can do for you and your people and what you can offer the Empire in return," he spoke in a professional, business-like tone. "I am well aware you and your people are currently without a home. As it so happens, my people were in the same situation, a decade and a half ago, so we know what it is like in your situation. Therefore, I will offer you a deal. Pledge yourself to the Empire, offer your services and I will make sure your people have a place to settle, perhaps on Ast Kikorie, since that planet is sparsely populated."

"The Empire offers its citizens security, purpose and order. In return, it asks only that they fight to defend it, to maintain that order, to be a productive part of the society we have struggled so hard to build. So, what say you, Lord Miles. Will you and your people pledge yourselves to the Empire and take up arms for its cause? If so, then I have a job for you, help me secure this planet and I will see to it that your people have a home."

 

[Solomon Kaid]

Gear: KC-77N Blaster Pistol | S5A Service Rifle | KC-M74S Designated Marksman Rifle | Sk-AR Armor
Attn: Cero Pax || Layla Solari || OPEN
​

Solomon had a nose for money. One would have to, in his line of work, a job could always go wrong and a client could always attempt to swindle his way out of paying his dues. Fortunately for Solomon, he was the guy people called when someone owed something and most days, his clients paid well and on time. It was always a bad idea to try to con a bounty hunter, anyway. Especially one affiliated with the Black Sun cartel.

Today, his client was the Contractors' Guild, that organization sponsored by the Eternal Empire which functioned like a combination of trade union and freelance job market for people like him. People who made a living by selling their skills with a blaster, bounty hunters, mercenaries, that sort of thing. And Solomon was a bit of both, really, he went wherever there was money to be made by unloading blaster bolts into someone, making something go boom, or reminding people of their obligation to pay their debts on time.

This job was a standard 'bag 'em and tag 'em', the Empire had trouble with some rebels he'd been hearing about on the news and wanted some of them brought in for questioning. Why? Well, it was not his problem. He wasn't paid to ask questions, just to deliver the goods. And Solomon was a professional. Especially when a job paid well and this one did.

His ship discreetly landed nearby, the bounty hunter knelt in the soft dirt, looking at a map of the area he'd acquired from... Well, from some less reputable sources. It was an old map, from the time of the First Order, outdated by now, but still useful for navigating the area and he had a rough idea of where the rebels' base was, so he marked a waypoint on his map and decided on a discrete way to approach.

Checking his weapons and activating the camouflage system on his armor, he stepped forward into the brush, blaster rifle in hand and set to stun. It wouldn't do to kill his targets, the contract specifically stated 'no disintegrations'. Today, the Empire didn't pay for corpses, only live prisoners. So he would have to be careful with these rebels and avoid getting too rough with them. But Solomon could manage that. He was a professional, after all.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Evacuate


The Voice came through loud and clear. Arla had kept the channel open to the Eclipse frequency once they had set course for the surface. "Jaster's Sparrow confirming orders received. We're about to enter the atmosphere and will take our positions to ensure the safety of the data transmission. Orders to abort the transmission if necessary are dually noted. Jaster's Sparrow out."

"We still have my box of tricks in the cargohold, right?"

"Yes Captain."

"Good. Cause I'm gonna n--" Her voice was cut off as Will Westender cut into her comms. She thought he'd be high tailing it out of there. But no. Instead he was either trying to be a hero, or an over-protective big brother that had no faith in her abilities to handle herself in a crisis. "Who says I'm gonna die? And I won't be by myself, you know. There are others here too. But fine, if you must tag along, then follow me and make yourself useful. We've got some traps to set. I'll explain when we get there. Captain out."

Lori hadn't heard a peep from Rhea Kintre since they had entered this sector. Maybe upon hearing that the Eternal Empire were here, she'd be recaptured. "Rhea? You can hide out in the Jaster's Sparrow if you like. No one is going to be upset if you do. And besides...we may be getting some injured souls on board." Or at the very least there'll be some scared ones.

She brought the Jaster's Sparrow through the atmosphere, following the co-ordinates to the base and landing right next to it. There was no time to be cautious. Quickly she jumped out of her seat and ran down the steps and up the next flight of stairs to her quarters. She needed to slap on her Rebel armour quickly. Then it'd be time to gather her box of tricks...

Centiro Cero Pax Layla Solari Solomon Kaid LE-03 (Leigh) Adelle Bastiel

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's right hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard​

Objective: Reign of Iron
Location: Emperor’s ship (?), G’rho (?), with the Emperor
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | sniper rifle | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tag: Kainan Wolfe | Open

While the Emperor is speaking she wants to hit him. Ingrid didn’t even know that was her thought or just the dark side and the anger suggested to her. No! No, it couldn't be her own, she was loyal, if she had to, and she would give his life for the Emperor. She would never want to harm him, in any way. She struggled, trying to get over the feeling and crush it, she felt that was her most difficult battle in her life. Though she was not even one in her lifetime. She wanted to scream into the Emperor's face to understand already, not her own feelings tormenting her.

Ingrid was a master of her emotions, thanks to her genetic anomaly, thanks to what the woman inherited from her parents. It has always been, that’s exactly the problem when she became a Force user. That's why she started looking for her own way, which was led to this. Before and after everything was perfect, except for the woman, they never figured out why. She continued to struggle, still feeling the anger tearing her inside, she also had to fight for every word.

<“I can control my own feelings perfectly… you know that my Lord! As a child I was better than many Force users! But this anger is not mine! Never was! Never be! Never will!”> she squeezed out the words one by one.

She screamed again, the Force blended with the scream again. She screamed as if his life depended on him, maybe it was. Most electrical equipment exploded one after another in the room in the wake of the scream, but Ingrid starts to feel better herself. She hoped she would not hurt her Emperor. She finally began to think more clearly, her anger fading. It also became easier to suppress the anger. Her scream had ended, she almost gasped for air.

The anger was gone, although she felt it inside her, but now she can easily suppress it, just like before. Her whole body trembled, her forehead beaded with sweat. When she already felt strength she tried to stand up because it was unworthy to suffer in this way before the Emperor. But she can’t yet, she fell back to the ground.

<“How could i tear out what is not my part, my Lord? I can handle my feelings, but this… her anger is too strong. I don’t want to steal it, it was an accident. I just want to tear out from myself. I just want to give it back to Scherezade deWinter !”> she gasped.

At the same time, her body language and voice again became what she used to be, which was really the woman, respectful, brittle, dutiful, not someone who wants power, or not respect anyone. Ingird was already beginning to hope that this crisis was over, although she didn't understand much of the Emperor's words – thanks to the pain and struggle –, but his emphasis and the fact that he spoke helped her a lot.

​

 

[Centiro]

As he crossed the distance between his landing zone and the base, Centiro heard the roar of a starship overhead and then the distinct roar of a jetpack. Inside his helmet, he frowned. The contractors had already arrived. He had no idea how they got there the same time he did, but a series of misfortunate events had already begun, in Centiro’s mind…

Amateur hour. Mandalorians always using a Force Pike when surgery requires a laser scalpel. If they stand between me and the data, they go down too. Contractor, Eternal Empire, rebel…all the same: an obstacle. Oh well, at least they will serve as a distraction.

Summoning the Force to his will, he commanded his legs to carry him quickly the blaster door on the far corner of the base. As he approached, he noticed the holocam pointing out from the overhang. Veering, he took an angle that would provide the least visibility time based on recognition of the camera model and pushed his body to a burst of speed near the blink of an eye. If they went back and examined the holo footage, they would see him easily, but real-time observation was another matter altogether. Coming to a stop at the overhang, he immediately went to work on the blast door console. Swiftly drawing his slicer kit from his side hip pocket, he twisted and spliced the wires with rapid proficiency…

Hanx-Wargel Maglock Access Control System--older model, but solid system. Bypass has to be rerouted or it will trigger a secondary alarm…

Knowing the access was about to be granted from the intrusion, the operative holstered his heavy blaster pistol and opted for the far more silent rail gun pistol. After putting the panel hastily back on the wall, the blast door slid open. Slipping inside, Centiro nearly clipped his shoulder—that was how long the blast door remained open: long enough for him to move two feet. A blaring alarm and red lights met him as he got his bearings inside. Fortunately, no one was just inside the blast door. He knew the alarms were not caused by him, but by the Eternal Empire navy and their entry into the system. The Unit 404 operative knew he was perhaps short moments ahead of others seeking to kill or capture rebels. All Centiro cared about was the data.

Like gliding death, the operative padded down the durasteel-decked corridor. A rebel rounded the corner carrying a handful of supplies. The human’s eyes widened in surprise and was about to call out. Three shots from the rail gun coughed out three high velocity slugs, slamming into the poor man’s head and chest before he could utter a word. The rebel and the crate fell to the ground and Centiro kept moving. Looking up, he could see the main power lines running along the hallway and an insulated line that based on the drops and split offs to other rooms—but not storage rooms, it was more than likely a data line. He was looking for a terminal on the local system. Speed and stealth were his allies. He estimated he only had a few minutes before mercenaries, Blackwatch and other “yahoos” came stomping through the base, ruining his opportunity to accomplish his primary directive—the data.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Will Westender
Cero Pax
LE-03 (Leigh)
Norse_Pixels

 

[Will Westender]

Interacting With: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Attn: Rhea Kintre || Centiro || Karma Jayne || Vidalu Na'an || OPEN​

Will smirked. "So feisty," he responded to Loreena in a sarcastic tone. "I have some things on my ship which might be useful. Tranquilizer darts, potent ones, too. I acquired them for... Oh, it doesn't matter. We can probably extract the chemicals from them and rig something up," he said. Well, Imperial Ultranauts wore vacuum-rated, fully sealed armor, but who knows, they might run into personnel or mercenaries who weren't wearing any. An operation like this... Will would be surprised if the Empire hadn't brought along some Contractors. Oh, the rebels were in for a bunch of surprises, alright. He'd have to be careful and act as surprised as they would be. It won't do to make the rebels aware of how much he knew about the Empire's tactics, that would raise too many suspicions.

Pulling his ship alongside the Jaster's Sparrow, he glided down through the atmosphere and picked an empty landing spot. Already out of his chair, he checked the charge on his blaster pistol and adjusted the lightsaber in its holster on his forearm, hidden up the sleeve of his coat, as he practically ran into the Firebird's armory, dumping the boxes of tranquilizer darts onto a repulsorcart.

Once again, he gave Karma an apologetic look, as if to express regret for dragging her into this mess. "Hey, uhh, can you keep the ship spooled up and ready to go? We might have to make a quick getaway," he told her. "Oh and grab yourself a blaster from the armory, you might need it," he said, pausing for a moment as if he meant to say more.

But, whatever it was, the words were gone as soon as he meant to say them. Why did this Zeltron girl always make him lose his composure, his heard-earned self control and even his thoughts, whenever she was around? It couldn't be because of her pheromones, not now that he was aware of what she was. Could it?

Well, this was not the right time to dwell on this matter. Right now, he had to put on a good display for the rebels, while also taking care to not kill any Imperial soldiers. "Just... stay safe, ok?" was all he could muster as he pushed the repulsorcart down the cargo ramp.

 

[Wulf Orlock]

Attn: LE-03 (Leigh) || Adelle Bastiel || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Rhea Kintre || Centiro || Cero Pax Interacting With: OPEN​

Shells howled overhead as they cut a path through the sky and down upon the rebel base. The Empire had brought artillery. Of course the Empire had brought artillery, they always did. Fortunately for the base, the Empire also wanted the databanks recovered intact and as many prisoners as possible taken in for questioning, so this time the shells did not detonate with explosive devastation, but popped twenty meters above the ground, releasing a green-tinted gas that slowly descended upon the facility. A tranquilizer, of course, instead of the far deadlier chemicals the Empire usually used.

On a nearby hill, a man in a high-ranking officer's uniform stood slightly to the side of the four self-propelled howitzers that had fired the salvo, a grim look on his face. Close by, several dropships landed, even as the sky above lit up with the red streaks of superheated air caused by even more dropships slamming into the atmosphere at a steep angle, a difficult maneuver known as a combat drop, for which Imperial pilots were well-known.

The chirping of birds and the hoots and howls of wild animals were drowned by the shrieks of starfighter engines as squadrons of lance fighters dived from the sparse clouds above, converging towards the base like maddened Kath Hounds chasing after prey. The man watched everything with calculating eyes, then lifted his comlink and pressed a button to give orders.

"<This is Fieldmarshall Orlock to all ground forces. Commence the advance,>" he commanded. On cue, infantry marched forward, alongside an assortment of several tanks and heavy armored vehicles. "<Artillery, fire again.>"

The sounds of blaster fire and heavy cannons filled the air as the Imperial assault upon the rebel base began in earnest.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

"Leigh? What, precisely, are you suggesting?" Adelle had a bad feeling that she already knew.

"I mean that this data cannot stay on this ship, in any format."

The droid's focus was split between the humans at her back, and the humans transmitting data over the comms. While the room containing the data's only copy was currently secure, the rapid closing in of both Imperial and contracted forces meant it would not stay so for long. At best, they had only minutes before the area was breached--at that point, the terminals would have to be destroyed to keep them from being captured. The leading human in the room, a young captain named Amada, had assured her that the deed would be done, but she still found herself tracking every kilobyte entering her memory. Every single one that made it to her end, after all, meant another rebel life that would not need to be lost in its defense.

"The data is being deleted at the base as it is being transferred," she continued. "Meaning that unless the transfer is completed, neither we nor the officers at G'rho have access to a complete copy. In most scenarios this would make the data easier to mask. That is partially why our transmission has not been identified as anything more than..."

A microsecond to check her encryption protocols. "Fighter coordination protocols. However, the next time this ship is docked, the probability that this terminal will be checked is high, and the discrepancy in memory projections will spark investigation. As a result, as soon as we cut the connection with G'rho I will be moving the data to hard copy, which needs to be escorted off-ship to a secure location."

She paused; a hiccup in her calculations served the same purpose as a hesitation.

"The question that remains is who will be going with it."

Adelle Bastiel | Vidalu Na'an | Centiro | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ​