Invasion Heirs to the Empire | NIO invasion of TSE held Serenno and Ord Radama

[Viers Connory]

//: Objective 2 //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:
//: D A U N T L E S S //:

​

"This fight. Between Light and Dark - there's never an end, only a balance." Viers recited the words that her guardian had spoken to her. It was the only time she ever received any comfort from the woman. Nights of tears after realizing that her mother was no longer coming back this was all that comforted her. It only meant that she would get a chance.

As her fist was caught by the Sith, a sudden rush filled the padawan from the ground up. The touch of the ever-living Force returned, and Viers quickly tapped into the power source. Her body forgetting what pain felt like she pushed herself beyond her limits. The bone-cracking beneath Alina's hold no longer hurt, and the voices only fueled the girl's resolve.

"It is not a question of if I can - it's a question of how much," Viers pulled her arm back, dragging Alina with it, as she kept their bodies close, their stances tangled in the endless battle. As she spoke, Viers made sure the Sangnir could see the depths of her eyes, brown with flecks of a brilliant blue and gold.

"My answer?" A small pause as her voice softened, "Endless." The Forced touched girl spread her influence around the Sith's throat as she did so, her forehead slammed hard into the face of the fanged creature once more. "It is my duty as a Jedi." The Force tightened around Alina's throat as Viers continued with another blow to the woman's head. ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: Cause big trouble in little Carannia
Location: Walking through the streets.
Equipment: See Sig
Allies: TSE
Enemies: NIO / GA
Tags: Viers Connory

"This balance kills children. Your service to the Light is paved in the blood of the young as bad as the Sith!" Viers wasn't the only one to enhance themselves with the power of the Force. Though, certainly in a different way. Anger fueled her words. Her gaze. Her actions. Even as her force was choked, her airway cut off, she didn't seem to mind. Sangnir could survive even the vacuum of space, though not for long.

She couldn't speak, but her rage was palpable. Viers was everything Alina hated in a Jedi. The justification that death was fine. That the Light made these sins bearable. Blind faith to absolve them of guilt. No different than when the Jedi bombed Korriban. When her sister died, caught in the destruction. An acolyte, not even an adult. Killed for war.

Just like the crystal caverns on Dantooine. The death of the young, in service of the great.

As Viers brought her head down so too did Alina with all her unnatural might. Breaking through the grip through sheer strength to do so. Once, twice, meeting Viers head on, literally. Then again. And again. Her body was stronger, and even as the stars dazed across her gaze they faded with her wounds. The death around them gave her life. Knitting together the cuts as they started to bleed. Removing the bruises as they formed. Alina fully submitted to her new biology to make it her own.

Every movement of her head brought out a new word, the raw anger in them venom on her tongue.

"Your. Duty. Is. A. Lie."

 

[Arcturus Tal]

Ships: 3 Cuirassier-class cruisers, 3 Dragoon-class frigates, 3 Inceptus-class assault ships

Archangel

Part One: Reflections in the Dark

The Prodigal Sun: two days before the battle for Serenno​

The cold vacuum of space seemed particularly barren on this night. Arcturus sat in his office, looking through reports from the past battles of the NIO. His head had been swimming with thoughts of regret and rage ever since they had fought above Ziost. So many lives had been snuffed out, so many wives widowed, so many children orphaned. Arcturus couldn't help but to look back on the losses they experienced with a sense of guilt. As he continued to look through the logs, Quintus entered the office, sharing Arcturus' look of dismay as he closed the door behind him.

"Sir, we will be ready to depart soon. We can link up with the Serennoan forces near their orbit. Should we make way for the planet?"

Arcturus didn't acknowledge the commander's words, instead continuing to read the battle reports.

"Sir?"

Without looking at his friend, Arcturus finally spoke.

"How many lives, Quintus? How many have we lost to the Sith? How many could have been saved?"

Quintus exchanged the look of dismay for one of puzzlement.

"I'm not sure I follow, sir."

Arcturus looked down at his desk as he spoke.

"How many lives have been lost because we weren't here? How much have our people suffered because I abandoned them?"

Quintus finally understood. He approached Arcturus, placing his cybernetic hand on the shoulder of the commodore.

"You didn't abandon anyone, Arcturus. You simply made a choice to follow your own path. When presented with another choice, your people or the Empire, you chose your people. Never forget that."

Arcturus finally broke away from the logs, looking to his old friend with a new sense of strength. He had spent so much time thinking of what he could have done, instead of remembering what he had done. The Sith seemed to be weaseling their way into his very thoughts, and he would not allow them such satisfaction.

"You're a good friend, Quintus. In truth, I haven't been quite myself lately. Things have felt different since we fought at Ziost. Since we lost all of those people. Since we lost Tom. In truth, it hasn't been easy to bounce back. But we can't change the past. We can only hope to make the Sith feel the same pain we felt. We are going to hit em where it hurts. Tell all ships to prepare for the jump. We make for the rendezvous immediately."

Quintus gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving the office. Soon, the Sith would know the wrath of Galidraan. It was time for them to share their fury with these darksiders and their ilk. What a sight it would be...

Part Two: Back to the Bridge​

The crew was preparing for a barrage as Arcturus made his way to the bridge. Quintus had been trying to coordinate with the rest of the fleet, despite the slippery nature of their opponent. Despite the commotion, the crew became quiet as the commodore entered the room. Quintus quickly approached him as he took his post on the bridge.

"Sir, are you sure you're well enough to return? Our medical team reported that your recovery would take time."

Arcturus ignored the question, turning instead to the task at hand.

"Commander, what is the situation as it stands?"

Quintus didn't bother repeating his question.

"We are working to coordinate with the rest of the fleet, although we have had reports of bombing runs made by the Sith on the planet's surface."

Arcturus wasted no time. He wouldn't allow the Sith to lay waste to their forces as they had on Ziost. He could not allow it.

"Commander, I want as many fighters sent down to the planet as possible. We are to regain our air superiority at any cost. The rest of our ships will move to support Madine and Rausgeber. Move our ships around the enemy fleet, and blow any Sith ship in range out of the sky. We will bring this fleet to its knees."

As the crew made preparations and relayed orders, Arcturus looked to Quintus.

"We had a security breach, commander. Trask has locked down all relevant hangers and placed his teams on high alert. They are searching every corner of the ship as we speak. I want you to tell the security teams on the rest of our ships to do the same. If a spy got onto our ship, then others may have made it to theirs as well. I will not stand for any further sabotage."

Quintus simply nodded before returning to work. Arcturus looked out through the viewing port of his ship as he reflected on the security breach. How did they manage to get someone on board?

Gallius Orcana Gunnar Madine RIP Carlyle Rausgeber Zeradias Mant Fiolette Fortan Jaeger Harrsk Naier Rambeigh Sith Dominance Thaelius Melia Siari DECEASED Erskine Barran Willan Tal Enedina Tal​

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Objective 2 //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:
//: D A U N T L E S S //:

​

Each word, each strike bounced off of Viers' head. She felt her neck ache as the blows tossed her head about. Still, she continued to return each blow with one of her own. Vision clouded, but the Force continued to fuel the padawan as she continued to cling to the Sith. Viers spit the blood that collected behind her lip onto the armor. "Yes, typical." She coughed and spat again, this time missing the armor and hitting the ground.

"Blame everything without a solution." Unlike the Sangnir, Viers needed air to survive and stay conscious. With the blows to her face, she could feel the blood flowing back into her windpipe. Slowly, she choked on her own lifeforce, but her body, blinded by the Force, remained upright and fought on. "The Jedi are not without guilt; no one is innocent when it comes to war."

Trying to pull away from Alina, she realized that her wrist was shattered from the woman's grip. Still, Viers remained entangled with the Sith shaking her by the collar of her armor. "I believe in my duty - what do you have to believe in?" Viers could feel her consciousness wavering; the woman wasn't cursed with the mortality of a human. She couldn't fall, but her weight leaned into Alina as she still tried to fight. Summoning the saber, she caught it mid-air and smacked the Vampire across the face with the sharp hilt of the blade.

"You know nothing of sacrifice; you just cry and whine blaming the Jedi without looking at yourself - a creature that feeds on death." Viers groaned as she gagged, spitting up more blood onto Alina's chest plate. "I've accepted my sins - have you?"​

 

[DT-0800]

Objective:2
Location: ruined building
Enemies: Syd Celsius
Allies: DECEASED Erskine Barran
Nearby: The Amalgam

The now bare obsidian colored endoskeleton that was DT-0800 locked sights with that of Syd within the ruined building. Now moving with heavy steps toward her. The synthetic sound made from its vocabulary or. Ready and poised to strike upon the Jedi or perhaps the maniac force wielded was more appropriate for the fight that was taking place underway between the two destructive products of the third imperial civil war. Unknown that others themselves were watching the fight as if some sort of philosophical demonstration of sorts. That didn’t stop the Dark Trooper.

The lancing for moved slowly and yet with deadly purpose. Even as Syd responded in kind with more fire. As if the being seemed nothing more than what you would call a one trick pony. However, the droids metal only flowed a slight orange as a steam like substance emerged through the flames. The droid walking through the flames slowly. Covered in the heat. For a moment he gave her the impression that he was bogged down by flames, but regardless it was nothing of the sort as even through the intense heat. The droids digits reached and grabbed forth. Taking the neck of Syd and lifting her up or attempted to. And what came unexpected was a synthetic and yet menacing laugh that emerged from the Paladin class Battle droid. “Hahahahahaha”

The droids own data gazing at which action to take place. With his flesh burned off, the paladin was able to freely access any one of its weapons.

Target acquired.....


Weapons selection.....


Weapon acquired: Neurotoxin.


The neurotoxin that it came with was designed to restrain a force user. While not able to hold indefinitely, for the killing machine it was yet a clean and effective method to deal with pesky powerful users. Something to slow them down while the droid was able to carry out its own work. What came forth was a shot of some kind or a tube that started to squirt out the neurotoxin onto Syds own skin. Putting out her blazing fury as if only for a moment. In that moment though it seemed DT had finally acquired his target, ready for termination until he looked up.

Rumbling came all around as hellfire rocked the skies. It was Ziost all over again. DT tried to act quickly, as if trying to squeeze the life out of his enemy, until in that moment came a flash. A bomb had struck the already ruined building aimed at DT. The floor’s structural integrity breaking as he fell onto the the abyss below but not without taking his target with him. Both the droid and the Jedi falling onto the chasm below. Lost within the darkness until both of them would hit the bottom of said abyss.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: Cause big trouble in little Carannia
Location: Walking through the streets.
Equipment: See Sig
Allies: TSE
Enemies: NIO / GA
Tags: Viers Connory

The hilt of the blade split open Alina's cheek, causing the Sangnir to stumble back. Detangling herself away from Viers. Slowly the wound on her cheek would knit itself back together, but it was clear that repeatedly healing these wounds was starting to take it's toll. She couldn't absorb the Anima needed to keep her body in one piece. The realization of this had her laugh as she spit out her own blood.

She had no words for the Padawan. Not at first. Viers knew nothing of what Alina lost. What Alina sacrificed. The horribleness she had to endure at the hands of her mother. Alina brought her own saber to her hand, igniting the scarlet blade in front of her. Illuminating the still healing wounds in the glow of red.

"You accept your duty, and turn a blind eye to the injustice of your fellows. I will shoulder the sins of the Sith, and bring down those who see themselves as gods." There was no move to strike. Alina just stared at the padawan. The Jedi's future. She hated the Jedi. The seconds ticked by, then her saber lowered.

".. But I am no where strong enough yet. Sith are true monsters. And if it means I have to become the worst to reign them in, that is the duty I accept. To change the Sith by force. What will you do with these sins you bear? Wait for someone better to come along and fix the mistakes for you? Turn a blind eye like all the rest of your Jedi order? Or become the very monster you say you won't?"

 

[Djorn Bline]

V E N O M _ S N A K E
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
CARRANIA | SERENNO
GHOST VIPERS
ARMOR | PRIMARY | SECONDARY | MELEE | GRENADE

DESCENDING
​

His own determination consumed him, high ambitions blinded to go forward in his hellbent path of war. Push and pull, until he prevailed or met his inevitable fate. He always knew or at least thought he knew he'd die in war, never living in peace. At this point? Damn all until he achieved what he sought out for. His own personal vendetta bred and seeded from wrath. He'd push through, no matter the cost. Loss and pain was good to motivate, always driven for that want to feel whole. To be able to take a deep breath without a heavy weight on his chest, and smile with victory.

Even when red lightning struck down on Carrania and the familiar whining of TIE bombers unleashed destruction, he'd push through the blood and ash. At this point it was total war, he expected nothing more or less from the Sith. Not since Dantooine and Ziost when civilians where used as meat shields and militia to impede the Imperials, and when the Sith bombarded their own planet with no indifference whatsoever. It mattered little to him compared to others. Let this be a lesson to those that served the Sith that they were nothing more than mere livestock. All these shrines and monuments they built in their name meant nothing in the end. A false peace they lived, with lies of living paradise underneath the oppression of the crimson blade.

The Sith had much to lose.

But Djorn? He had much to win.

Flakes of ash slowly fell down on the earth from the destruction, and buildings humbly fell from their glory which shook the earth. It was chaos. Bodies piling on the streets and those fortunate enough ran for whatever shelter they could find from the unforgiving storm. It was now a game of survival, everyone running for their lives. It would be a massive graveyard when the dust settle, but which flag would still rise in air?

Djorn and whatever men left with him ran together as a unit in the urban streets. They wouldn't slow down for any reason at all. If someone tripped and fell? They were on their own. A cruel realty, but anyone would do anything to preserve their own lives. They came here with purpose, and they would push forward with that goal. Carrania would be left in desolation when the fires died out; all that would be left was the burnt dirt to fight for. But the dirt didn't matter to him, for all that Snake cared about was killing every Sith that stood in his way.

<"Sir! What the hell is the plan?!">

<"Survive, captain. We'll get through the storm before resuming the operation.">

<"What if-">

"Shut up! Fething shut up! Do as I say and we'll have a chance!">

All they could do was run and see what happened next. Be it their deaths or not, they were powerless and had little options on what to do. Be lucky to breathe, or maybe it was better to just die and escape this nightmare. He didn't know what was better, but his body and mind feared the thought of dying.

ALLIES | NIO | GA | Silas Sunfyre | DECEASED Erskine Barran | Willan Tal | Enedina Tal | Konrad Bolter | Halketh
ENEMIES | TSE | Darth Strosius | UX-0626 | Laertia Io | Kimora Min

 

[Loske Treicolt]

WHAT YOU LOVE IS YOUR FATE
OUTER RIM | SERENNO | CARANNIA
WHETHER YOU LOVE WHAT YOU LOVE
OR LIVE IN DIVIDED CEASELESS REVOLT AGAINST IT
WHAT YOU LOVE IS YOUR FATE
YOU KILL ME LIKE A KNIFE IN THE DEEPEST PART

​

Through the darkness, she could feel him latching on to her supplication, treating it as something tangible and braiding alongside the darkness inside her. It was neither fully accepted nor rejected. It just...was. Her ethereal self wrapped around him, gripping back. A warzone trying to become a paradise, the pain shared. He managed to exist within the patterns with a presence that threatened its fusion.

Always

The sentience of the symbiote flashed in anger but saw the opportunity to further demolish them both. His trust was damning. If this failed, he’d be pulled into the irredeemable depths alongside her.

The sinews recoiled, those that weren’t burned and singed, hastily retreated and sought a way around the blade. Around that horrible nexus of luminescence and promise. And then! Marvellously! It retracted, swallowed by the hilt while the nuisance gasped for air.

Shursia’s adrenaline spiked. The soft pillar of flesh bending to the will of their fingers all too alike a memory they found in their spectral vault. He gave them inches, and they sought to take miles. They could feel the constriction closing in and they focused so completely on that his attack was as blinding as it was shattering. They should never have let him inside their fortress.

Within their bonded pattern, there was space and struggle. The Force acknowledged the areas that were strong and attacked the overlaps

where there was an absence of unity, broken and shattered, turning it wild and tessellated in chaotic disharmony. The margins of the space he knotted into were made bright without illuminating anything or casting shadows, completely grey in their mindscape. A void of a woman unmade, ready to be reassembled. But separated, broken apart in the togetherness they’d been working so tirelessly to establish. The togetherness that everyone from the past constantly sought to deny.

They were furious to be pried and pulled apart, fissured from their dependencies and oneness.

Following the intricate networks, lines, lattices and layers, the monster who had been Shursia became a landscape. A world. Darkness absconded the fragments of luminescence and flickered in their spread, growing like an insatiable wildfire that burned and seared the peripherals of her mind into a shape, carving itself out and away in the shattering of the false reality they’d conceived together. The shadow recoiled to reconstruct into something inhuman and distant, containing itself in a silhouette of fear, rage, and hatred.

The cracks were deep and cavernous, splitting the entities apart in the spectral planes. Around it, between them, rolled a thin fog, and for the first time, she could see her true shape again. Looming up beyond her reach.

Tiny pieces of the Jedi slowly collected, mismatched memories and feigned realities that were far from repairable. Clinging to the imprint that was Maynard, Loske pulled whatever existed of herself as close to his incorporeal form as she could, drawing strength from whatever he had to offer.

He had to be strong enough, he had to be pure enough. He had to be the light to counter the darkness.

But he wasn’t.

For all his will, he was too contaminated by the horrors of his past and the motivations for his future to be luminescent enough –– and she was too shackled and tarnished to glow with enough power to counter the evil inside, despite their interstitial state. He’d have to give her the means to reach that end, to encourage their demons to dance beneath a brighter light.

Through the wraithlike world, the two entities stared at one another with longing and despair. The chasm created would not be easily repaired, and the understanding of finality became heavy and sunk deeply into their ethereal space. This attempt at balance they’d been trying to establish over an infinite timeline gave them vulnerabilities, being split apart again as they had been at their nascence exposed to that reality. They could not exist as two; one would have to die. Either the host or the parasite. And they were too far along this journey together for one to just think the other to death. Their existence demanded termination.

They realized this at the same time. Clashing was undeniable.

Being as it was far less complex, the parasite was quick to act and reverberate darkness through the gaps that Maynard had created. Drawing on everything he offered within their unending bond and every ounce of evil it had. The Jedi’s suffering was quick, and she loosened her hold on the phantom of her husband, trying once again to re-establish that thick connection while culminating whatever luminescence was left within. It was a losing battle, one he’d feel as well. One that took all her strength just to keep them existing here –– so much so, she could only retrace rhythms and vibrations that had already translated through their bond.

Don’t let go. She emphasized again, the supplication drenched in pain. Flashes of that previous fear extended out from her to him, reiterating once more: Trust me.

And if he couldn't, and if he didn't, she'd let go. Get him out. She could feel the destructive desires of her counterpart. It wanted retribution. It wanted victory.

Lungs that had breathed for them were confused -– one pumped for her, the other pumped for it. A heart that had beat for shared veins felt stressed, accelerating its palpitations to respond to the dynamic demands of the dual signals that were being fired by the splintered brain.

The hands that dug into his neck felt like something that belonged to someone else and only happened to be connected to her. They loosened, retreating from his flesh. In a shocked reaction, the dark sinews stretched over his touch like a black glove, keeping the touch against their temple. They weren’t aware of it, but they were screaming out hoarsely with the pain of cells deconstructing against their mortal existence.


ALLIES | Maynard Treicolt
ENEMIES | GA | NJO | NIO | CLOSED

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Objective 2 //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:
//: D A U N T L E S S //:

​

“So.” She started, her voice missing the venom it held moments before. “You’ve become a monster to control the monsters. How very Sith of you? Is that your sacrifice?” Viers grabbed her second blade and ignited them both. “What will you do when another monster comes along? How will you control it?” Stepping forward, Viers felt every bit of her weight sinking into the ground. “You don’t have to be.”

Maybe there was a part of the young Jedi that had hoped they could both walk away from this. If Alina was determined to come this monster, something worse than the current Emperor. Viers felt her body starting to give up, her mind screamed and blood continued to seep from the corner of her mouth. If she stopped Alina could continue to consume the life force of the dying around them. Viers closed the gap again, her sabers falling from her hands. “My sins are mine. What I do now is my atonement”

Stopping in front of Alina, Viers pauses and thinks about what was said to her, then speaks still as calmly as before. “We are here to clean up the mistakes of those before us, there will be others behind us cleaning up our mistakes. All we can do is what we feel is right.” Viers shrugged, she was hitting the limit of her wisdom - she was still a child considerably, one that was forced to grow up like the others.

“Stop being a parasite and actually do what you say you’ll do.” She figured the Sith needed to feed to keep healing herself, so Viers continued to make Alina focus on her. Heavy hands swung at Alina, trying to press the fight forward.​

 

[Enedina Tal]

NEW_IMPERIAL_ORDER

Captain Enedina Tal

1st Galidraani volunteers armoured infantry division

Location: Carannia city

Tags: Willan Tal DECEASED Erskine Barran Konrad Bolter Lucien Dooku Halketh Arcturus Tal Fiolette Fortan Darth Strosius

It all came in a sudden flash, the building she was in, along with many others, struck by indiscriminate bombing that hit both Sith, Imperial and the innocent at will. Starting as a low distant staccato-like rumble, it grew in size and distance as it drew close to Enedinas units position. Part of the apartment block erupted in flames. She was faintly aware that another soldier was shaking her, screaming at her to give orders, but Enedina had no orders left to give. Only the thought of confusion in the grip of paralysis as the glass imploded and then everything went black. Slamming into a broken table, the Galidraani fell backwards and hit the back of her head into a hard edge. Black spots dotted her vision, and the air was knocked out of her lungs. It took a moment before she realized what had just happened, but by then, it was too late.


Enedina woke up after some time, cradled in the rubble and ruins of the apartment block she and her men had fought so hard to clear. The only thoughts were of getting out of there and linking up with friendlies; she started crawling on all fours out of the heap of rubble painfully in search. Red flashes occasionally lit up the thick dust clouds around her, but otherwise, the only light she could see were tall flames streaking in the distance along with the telltale noise of explosions. She shouted for her men, anyone, anything, but she could scarcely hear anything but the sound of constant ringing rattling her skull. Coughing, Enedina turned around and saw drops of her blood hit the pavement. She was bleeding a lot from the forehead, but there was nothing she could do about it now. The only thing she could do was to crawl away from the street and hope to find her people, but she still couldn’t see much before her.


She felt no pain. Enedinas limbs were numb, and the adrenaline pumping through her system was probably the only thing keeping her going. Then her hand stumbled against something hard, and she froze. Enedina looked up and thought she saw a vengeful spirit, but it was much worse. By the time she recognized the dangerous end of a blaster rifle, it was too late to fight back.“Scum,” a harsh, modulated voice said. Glancing up the sights of the blaster, she spotted eyes full of hatred and a finger that was slowly squeezing the trigger. “Say goodbye,” the Sith trooper said and then Enedina closed her eyes.​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

POST X
THE_STORMCHASER

1ST EXILED-GALIDRAANI DIVISION
2ND GALIDRAANI ARMOURED-VOLUNTEER BRIGADE,"BLUE-HEART BRIGADE"

OBJECTIVE 2: The Danger In Starting A Fire

ALLIES (NIO/GA): The Blood-Red Lion Banner of Galidraan - Konrad Bolter Willan Tal Enedina Tal
New Imperial Order - Silas Sunfyre DT-0800 Halketh
Djorn Bline Tavius Muuaji Sinestra Rika Hiro
Galactic Alliance/Other - Vexander Graves Loske Treicolt Maynard Treicolt Viers Connory

ENEMIES (TSE/CIS): Darth Strosius UX-0626 Kimora Min
Laertia Io Syd Celsius Alina Tremiru The Amalgam

CALLSIGN: BLUE-HEART ALPHA

Primary - Custom Blaster-Pistol (Right-hip Holster - left-or-right hand draw)
Secondary - Basket-Hilted Vibro-Claymore (Left-hip Sheathe - right hand wielding)
Last Ditch/Second-Blade - Fairbairn Vibroknife Fighting-Dagger (Right-hip Sheathe - right-or-left hand wielding)
Pocket-Weapon - Gifted Brass-Knuckles from the Guv'Nah (Both Trouser-Pockets - akimbo wielding)

The Fight For Carannia: Part 20 - Fixing Things I

As the driver and the comm-link operator set to work on fixing the damaged parts on and within the Saga, the Carrack and Tuath pairing would set aside their mutual gunner-and-loader role to clean and redress the Brigadier-General's wounds in their bid to make themselves useful whilst the tunnels nearby were still fortunately devoid of life; Lord Erskine would take the opportunity to watch as the staggered, though slow, process of locking on to the blips of the city's combatant-survivors steadily bleeped with growing volume as the formerly-idled duo continued to change his dressing and ice-packs. Every crew-members of the Saga had been roughed up or wounded by the TIE bombardments to differing extents, though all were patched up and operational by the time they'd found the Lord-Commander in the dark, with each and every subordinate being heard giving off some groan or growl of pained-exertion at different moments of the vehicle-repair process.

'Deaney, stop actin' like ye stashed a spare back-plate for the manifold-armour trunk in the- whiiiit? Well colour me surprised, ya snidey wee nugget! When did ye manage that behind mah back? Aw, naw... Please dinnae say ye were finding a wee spot for that on yer paid Archais-leave. Ye canni be that much of a loner since Generis, it's no like ye did'nae fit in wae yer last ACV roster either.'

Murdoch was contending with a nasty curling gash over his right cheek and across the bridge of his nose at the time, though the LMG-duo had made a good job of stitching everything up to the best of their ability; even applying butterfly stitching to the long cut over the Woad-born Corporal's eyebrow to a better-than-passable standard, all much to Murdo's great relief at the time, along with the relief of knowing that they'd use the local-anaesthetic they had in the Saga's med-pack beforehand. A broken brick had been sent careening into Deaney's hand by the force of one of the explosions, bursting his palm open on impact as his hand shielded his face from the likely-fatal impact that awaited the driver otherwise, but the makeshift-medics had cleaned, stitched and dressed his wounds with relative ease, just like they had with Murdoch.

'Gyah! For kark's sake, mah haun's drivin' me roond the bend! Anyways, as ah wis aboot t'say; ah've never been the type t'drink alcohol of any sort, Murdo! Every dafty an' their adjutant oan staff knows this aw'ready. Free weekends are free weekends, an' ah've made better use o' them than any dafty in the new Brigade so far. Ah dare ye t'say,"bEt, mAtE!". Just gie me another excuse t'pull another stashed part fae another hidden-compartment, for the third time in a row an'aw!'

'He better no be openin' up that hand wound, ah swear....', the Tuath-born gunner growled under his breath as he redressed the bandaging on Barran shoulder and tricep, shaking his head as the loader from Galidraan 4 tossed the bloodied dressings to the tunnel outside. Then the first groan of pain to be heard from within the Saga (the first that wasn't heard coming from Barran) would then be heard from the Carrack as he turned to slide the Sloane door shut, and it was then that Barran realised his medics were in bad shape also, turning to the Tuath as he concluded,'As we'll be needing the last o' that stitch-wire an' such for ourselves, Milord. No that much ti go around for the moment, at least no until we find a real medic, eh?', with eyes occasionally rolling in his constant attempts to stay conscious and hold his Lord-Commander's gaze at the same time.

'Haw, loader! Get yer gunner sorted oot, for kark's sake! Ah'm as good as done up, he's as good as done in. Get yer erse o'er here an' check the absolute state of 'im for yersel, man. Look at 'im! He's no helpin' anybody in that nick, an' by the looks of it - nor are you!'

The Fight For Carannia: Part 21 - Fixing Things II

After possibly helping to save the LMG-gunner's life with a timely closing of a hidden open headwound, stitching it as soon as the blood flow had been stemmed long enough to accommodate it, and the consequent blood-transfusion shortly after, Barran, Deaney and Murdoch then worked their hardest to give the same level of proficiency for the large gash running up from the loader's back. Within a few hours, the Saga, the crewmen and Barran himself were as ready to set off as they could possibly hope, especially under their battered, bruised and bloodied circumstances; though the gunner and loader were presented with no other choice than to temporarily switch roles for the rest of the op, leaving the gunner in a better position for Barran and Murdoch to keep a better eye on him, inadvertently showing how determined the Saga's crew were in making it back to Archais alive and in a position to heal in time for the next deployment notice.

The Saga's crew were clearly of a mould that exemplified the new Brigade's fighting-spirit, and in moments like this, the warriors within the shaken relic would yield footage that would inspire Blue-Hearts, Tuaths, Carracks and Archaisians alike in their colonial commitment to Tal's dream of home in the months ahead, especially if they were to survive the hell that had become of Carannia. Their urge to return to the surface was only rivalled by their need for revenge, their need for Sith-Imperial blood, especially after the day the Saga's crew had been having by then; and when the Lord-Commander's ACV had broke the surface, every man within Barran's rolling relic were wild-eyed and ready to fight like lions, ready to push the Galidraani center forward for the sake of their fallen comrades.

'This is it, lads. Another fight over the ashes of a world we've been trying to save from the Sith Empire, so let aw that darkness out from within the deepest recesses of your minds. Right here for all to see, an' right at this very instant! Spill it all over this battlefield that winces above our heads, spill that murderous rage in abundance, like it was aw that blood you've spilled today already. Give no quarter, show no mercy! As you'll know already, to expect either from the Zambrano's thralls would be folly at best, an' fatal at worst. The Woad-Macushla, Carracks an' Tuath, we're all Imperials t'the bone, real karking Imperials! An' it's high time we start actin' like it!'

A ragged succession of pained war-cries echoed off the inside walls of the ACV in reply, though Barran knew that was enough to show him they were still alive and intent on proverbially swinging their fists for the fences; the Tuath was still in the latter-stages of his blood-transfusion, (most fortunate for having a common blood-type that was always well-supplied through each of the Brigade's armoured-vehicle's allocated first-aid supplies) though he still had enough fight in him to shout his enthusiasm exhaustedly, readying himself with back straightened to repeat the creed they all shouted together before the lines engaged. All eyes turned to the Lord-Commander, and in a unified war-cry of defiance against the Sith Empire, the Saga's non-commissioned crewmen summoned every ounce of their strength to exclaim what would later become the Blue-Heart contingent's,"Serenno-864 Creed."

'For Lord Barran, for Lord Tal an' Tavlar, Imperator! We bleed for the New Order!'
'For Lord Barran, for Lord Tal an' Tavlar, Imperator! We bleed for the New Order!'
'For Lord Barran, for Lord Tal an' Tavlar, Imperator! We bleed for the New Order!'
'For Lord Barran, for Lord Tal an' Tavlar, Imperator! We bleed for the New Order!'

Blips were still steadily coming to life before they'd reached the pockmarked backdrop at surface-level, still bleeping with fresh clusters of rebooted tracking-signals when the crewmen were getting back to their stations; tanks, walkers and APCs alike were reappearing along the Commonwealth's offensive static-line, and though there were noticeably fewer units available than before, Barran could feel that inner-tactician's confidence growing exponentially in his heart of hearts. With each half-mile they drew closer to the nearest roadway exit, the more those surging torrents of plausible offensive-strategies began clawing at the forefront of the Brigadier-General's mind, with each one reminding Lord Erskine of the callsigns that he still had access to; patching through to every friendly comm-link the Saga had access to as the road-tunnel's entrance eventually came into view, the map-holographics would reveal the true count of dead and surviving alike as the Lord-Commander framed his message to the NIO troops on the ground in Carannia.
For Heggy, Jorie, Myles an' Moran! For Shugg, for Coyle an' Malky! An' last of all, for Thomas.... Heir-Apparent to the Heartlands.

'All units! This is Brigadier-General Barran, subordinate to Major-General Willan Tal! For all of those who know me already, you know how easy it is for you to vouch for the honesty of my words, but will you find it that easy after hearing the suggestion I have in mind? Would you vouch for your ally, your peer, and in some cases, even your friend, knowing that what I propose is madness? I sincerely hope so, ladies an' gentlemen.... We need every able-bodied fighter, vehicle and battery aimed at our enemies in the north, and we need to throw everything at these freaks. Just one - last - time today, that's all I request of you now. One - last - push for glory! Let us liberate these ashes from the withering tendrils of the Sith Empire, let us fight and bleed on the surface for the New Order!'
​

​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: Cause big trouble in little Carannia
Location: Walking through the streets.
Equipment: See Sig
Allies: TSE
Enemies: NIO / GA
Tags: Viers Connory

"Parasite?" Well, wasn't that true? Alina's blade danced between the padawan's own. Truthfully, she didn't have it in her to fight Viers any further. It showed by how little she put in striking back. They were fixing the mistakes of the ones that came before. And the next generation would do the same. A cycle, endless. Did she truly want to doom someone to what her life had been so far? Did she really believe in what it was to be Sith?

No, she was Sith. That she was certain of. But now, she was immortal. The wounds on her body stopped healing. Her focus wasn't on the draining, not like she needed it to be. Her eyes narrowed for a moment. No, if there was another monster to come along, she would break them. She would break this cycle, no matter how bloody her hands became or how tainted her soul would end up.

"You misunderstand." Suddenly Alina's strength returned as she battered back one of Vier's sabers, then suddenly was in her guard. Face to face. Her burning yellow eyes couldn't be any colder. "There is no going back." The words were whispered into the Jedi's ear. Alina had stopped bothering to drain because she was full on what she could hold. And now she was using it. She was so much faster than before. Stronger. They were the last words spoken before she sunk her fangs into Vier's neck.

 

[Viers Connory]

//: Objective 2 //:
//: Alina Tremiru //:
//: W H A T _ A _ W O N D E R F U L _ W O R L D //:

​

It worked. Viers had gotten the Sith to stop draining those around them in the city. The grin faded, replaced by a small smile. This was a victory in her mind. Alina spoke, and the Corellian listened, hanging on to the words, trying to better understand her enemy. They were both done; the fight was over. Viers wanted to collapse, close her eyes, and sleep. Alina wasn't done, and Viers started back definitely. Words caressed her ear, causing her to raise a brow at the statement. No going back? The concept didn't make sense; there was always a road to redemption.

Of all the people, Viers understood it the best. She was walking that same path. Sabers fell, and hands rested, gripping at whatever lapel of the armor she could. Shaking her head, Viers spoke quietly. "It's never too late. Forgiveness and redemption are never out of rea-" Eyes grew wide as a new and sudden sensation of pain entered her body. Viers gripped the Sangnir's armor tightly till her knuckles turned white. Gritting her teeth, she suddenly lost her grip on the Force, and the Force body that fueled her beyond her limits dissipated. Suddenly she felt everything.

A hand rose, trying to push Alina off of her. Despite the pain, she still fought. Viers felt her body give up, sagging against the Sith as she felt a single cold tear roll down her face. It hung for just a moment till it splashed against the Sangnir's cheek. Her grip loosened, and the light dimmed in her eyes.​

 

[Laertia Io]

Not-Yet-Xiphos smirked as Rurik Fel employed Vaapaad against her.

As a Light Sith in training, and finally starting to accept she was a Light Sith in training, Themis had given her training in this style, which Laertia had grown quite familiar with on the battle field, multiple Jedi having employed it against her.

She parried one of his swipes, the flashes of their blades highlighting her mutated eye, a dark green iris surrounded by bronze, its pupil reflecting the sculpted face of the Man of Iron as it fixed on him in a pinpoint

"What a lovely gathering this is. The glitz! The glamour! " Not-Yet-Xiphos taunted with a quiet sarcasm, dodging a stab from his Vaapaad.

But there was a reason this method kept failing.

Because Not-Yet-Xiphos was a Light Sith, and thus, twisted the Light Side to unnatural ends for her own uses, there was no superconducting loop for Vaapaad users to draw on, the twisted up Light in her messing the attempt up.

Not-Yet-Xiphos allowed herself to enjoy the exchange for once. He wasn't breaking. Finally, a decent fight. She had tired of carving through his Toy Knights.

The blades rejoined, parried, the SynthBreaker's inverted green blade (All green core, white aura) hissing swiftly through the air to deftly parry his Lightsaber strikes, cunning and viciously executed, but batted aside by the Light Side Marauder's immense strength. It had a higher chance of breaking other Lightsaber blades while remaining unbreakable by other Lightsabers itself. His hadn't broken. It held strong. For now.

The Sword of Surt'r, however, was the true threat to his alchemized armor. He failed to fully dodge or deflect slashes and chips of it came off.

"I don't need to break Iron, Usurper. If you chip, I'll just be the chisel and sculpt your death." Not-Yet-Xiphos shot back.

Eventually he grew tired of his Vaapaad starting to work against him and hurled deadly lightning her direction.

She twisted The Light in her, conjuring a small, dark blue ball of roiling flame that appeared between her outstretched arms The Light forced to do her bidding, it caught the Dark Side attack, drawing it into itself. It was a power taught to her by Darth Themis at Atrisia. She called it Force Flare. It was sort of the inverse of regular Force Light, as opposed to radiating holy light to potentially harm any Dark Adepts exposed, Flare drew Dark Side attacks into itself, like a magnet. The user could then cast it at their attacker, where it had a slight homing effect.

She caught his sudden movement as he lunged forward, having not lost track of him in all the time the sphere was drawing the lightning into itself. She balanced it on her hand with a free finger, the rest still bent around her blade, as she executed a Makashi Parry, side stepping his entire frame elegantly after swatting aside his blade with her brutal strength.

"Well..." Not-Yet-Xiphos scoffed grimly, instinctively using Dun Moch to try and frustrate him. "A little bit of fire in you after all. I like that. If only your Toy Knights had offered me as much sport...c'mon, Rurik! Is this the best The Man of Iron can throw at me?! SHOW ME YOUR FULL POWER!" The Light Side Marauder demanded, having embraced an almost Amalgam-like hamminess, hurling the roiling, explosive ball containing his force lightning back at him, where it honed in on him slightly as it rushed forward.

Not-Yet-Xiphos let the power of her inner, icy self quake with telekinesis, ripping chunks of the wall and ceiling, straining as she attempted to pelt him by moving the chunks at him at odd angles that would be difficult to evade, skipping certain large chunks across the floor towards him. He could still evade or catch them with Telekinesis.

"FIGHT ME, USURPER! WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH!"

Meanwhile...

Syd Celsius got a rare expression of rapidly growing alarm as DT-0800 tanked the shots to his chest and grabbed her by the throat, preventing her from hissing out spells. Only her fingers clenching around his with all her might, kept him from breaking her neck. But even she couldn't stop the Neurotoxin attack.

Pig like metallic squeals elicited from her as her flesh shuddered hideously everywhere, the magic of her suit working over time to heal the damage but her power was indeed dampened momentarily, his grip tightened, though it made Syd only keep his fingers from closing even harder.

The sky was torn open, hell and death flying down. The Sith. Those Maniacs!

Syd had heard about Ziost and New Adasta, how Laertia had barely survived the bombardment. Now it was Syd's turn.

The ground collapsed and they both fell, Syd finally wrenching free of death grip but absolutely smouldering at his earlier laughter and flew at high speed as he fell, tackling him, increasing her flight speed to maximum, still dizzy from the effects of the Neurotoxin, but her own Nature as a Force Spawn as well as the suit rapidly fighting off the effects. Despite shrapnel wounds exposing glowing green blood, Syd had not been hit nearly as bad as what the Amalgam had gotten.

Syd screamed as some of his palm lasers glanced her face, burning part of it away, exposing the glowing green muscle beneath.

More of her shoulder was sheared off by a palm laser from DT, but she spun as she neared the bottom.

She hurled him to the bottom, stopping herself from hitting the ground herself.

DT smashed into the ground hard. Syd activated her orange blade, flesh still shuddering as she at last shook off the toxin effects. Part of his chassis cracked open from the impact on the front as she plunged her blade into the crack in his chassis, not hitting his power source but completely destroying and melting his teleporter unit which damaged other important systems inside from the slag as she charged her fist with incendiary magic, hoisting the heavy droid up telekinetically and punching it as hard as she could, hissing a spell that increased her strength, making her muscles swell to unnatural porportions as she did so.

The fist crashed into its head, completely destroying one of its photo receptors, hurled backward from her partly by telekinesis, partly by sheer strength as it slammed into a support beam at high speed.

"Still just another Battle Droid...when will they learn?" Syd scoffed, wounds healed up fully, as well as the suit. She spotted a fallen Ion Disruptor, clenched in the severed arm of one of Laertia's dead skeletal sons. She picked it up, took aim at the droid as she floated up and away from it, hissing a spell to momentarilly increase its destructive output, and opened fire without fanfare. War had taught her pragmatism.

No matter how badass a droid was, it wasn't usually more badass than an Ion Disruptor. They better have made him smart enough to know how to duck and weave, or he was about to meet Droid God...

Meanwhile...

DECEASED Erskine Barran had royally pissed off The Amalgam . First, by somehow, somehow, managing to get the Nuetralizers to go berzerk. Then, then by having the nerve to get knocked out, THEN getting up and telling them they were done. At the time, she had considered him too pathetic to kill, not saying a thing to his undeserved smugness.

The truth was, even she didn't know their full capabilities. Or what Erskine had done. Now had she thought about it, Had they been about to kill her? Or had they simply been about to disobey her orders and rip him apart for even daring to suggest they murder their own Mother?

These Nuetralizers...she had observed them...did they honestly care if they pissed off the enemy?

She would never know. So incensed had she been at Barran's unexpected Brave Face, she had detonated them before waiting to see. It might have been hilarious, him thinking he had staged a robot rebellion only to found out, 'Nope, you're getting ripped apart anyway and we're gonna wear your skin psychopath style'.

A pity she hadn't waited.

Uncertainty about how safe the Nuetralizers were to be around at the moment had made her fight her way to dropships in the North. She hated leaving the field, but she suddenly found herself doubting Laertia's work. She was in a gray zone for them admittedly. ALL Nuetralizers had suspended Kill-Upon-Sighting orders for the Amalgam. What if they had decided in that instant it had been 'Suspended' long enough.

Her purple blades dashed through Stormtroopers that had survived, lightning cooking them as she fought her way to the Drop Ships, deflecting Blaster Fire, coldblooded draining of Life Force to feed herself. In areas where patrols were too large, she resorted to sneaking past them. But this was rare for her. Even on her worst day, The Amalgam was a vicious, highly skilled killing machine. Few among the soldiers of Gallidraan even held her for more than a moment before brutally dicing them apart, relishing their suffering.

However, when she finally actually reached the Dropshops, after ripping apart so many victims to get to them, she stopped. Scorn and Pride took hold.

"Wait a minute..." The Witch said, boiling rage finally making her make sense of things. "I'm the fething Amalgam. I refuse to be chased off by a Drunkard."

She was The Amalgam. The Nuetralizers would obey or be destroyed.

So she went away from the Drop Ships, killing all the way back to the center of the city

(Character Theme Song Power Up)

(Theme: "License To Kill" by Gladys Knight)

Halketh seemed to like killing people with Zombies almost as much as she did, because her blades soon met many still struggling out of the burning cesspits made. They numbered in the hundreds, crisscrossed with actual, living NIO Spec Ops, firing charrics. The Amalgam gave herself completely to war, her blades moving around her body in a more aggressive, swift variant of what Laertia had seen as her student, when she was still trapped in the Jedi Persona of Ursula Sandraven. Much of Laertia's vicious blade technique came from The Amalgam, so there were certain correlations between them, despite the differences in their approach. There was the same, 'Always Strike to Kill Mentality' the same efficiency and study of opponents, the creativity of Niman, which 'Ursula' had always stressed to her Apprentice more than actual blade sequences in that style, a disciplined creativity that could be carried over to other Lightsaber styles.

Laertia would never have become the threat she was if it had not been for her beeing trained by one of the most dangerous, unhinged killers in the Galaxy loving her to smithereens as an adopted Daughter and teaching her everything she knew about the saber because that was the only way the Monster hiding in Ursula at the time could even come close to expressing affection. But she did feel it for Laertia and Uri, despite also wanting to torment and drive them as insane as she was to save their souls with The Dark Side.

An Imperial Knight challenged her in the din of Zombie slaying, She hissed at him like a cat, which drew the most absolutely perfect expression of 'WTF' on his face as she sliced through zombies to clash with him, who was horrified by the rotting miasma of the darkness in her despite her near-impossibly beautiful looks...

He struck at her in the Makashi Style, but The Amalgam had such a unique blend of her personal Niman and had such immense speed and reflexes that in spite of the style's traditional weaknesses she fended off his ghost-like ripostes and feints with an athletic, ballet like grace that astonished her opponent, not only dueling him, but deflecting blaster fire and dodging charric bolts nearly tricking him into being hit and killed by friendly fire, but he held on for a few more seconds, his expert blade being blocked and parried at all angles from her staff before her sudden, fierce wild aggression battered through his defense, viper slices from The Amalgam's purple blades singing through his neck.

Again and again she butchered, using everything she taught Laertia to crush lesser foes, almost not wanting to leave until a hail of Ion Disruptor bolts tore apart remaining foes nearby.

The Amalgam stopped as SOG Team 1, led by Martin The Nuetralizer stared at her.

"Buddies!" She called out playfully.

The Bandana wearing Nuetralizer strode up and neck lifted her.

"Tighter, please." The Amalgam chuckled.

"WHAT THE ABSOLUTE ROYAL FETH WERE YOU FETHING THINKING?" Martin roared. "Did you really think Mother built us That stupid? That we would turn on you completely because we're suddenly afraid of people we like killing?"

"In the Drunkards defense, he did make a rather impressive argument while so obviously inebriated." The Amalgam replied. "Besides, your brothers started approaching...what was I supposed to think? I don't know 'what' Laertia put into your heads."

"Oh, I don't know, maybe how about not immediately jumping to conclusions and blowing my brothers the feth up?" Martin sneered back, gripping tighter. But his suspended orders held.

"Well then why the hell did they all start coming towards me?"

"YOU BLEW THE CITY TO SMITHEREENS! MAYBE WE WERE GONNA DETAIN YOU BEFORE YOU COULD DO ANY MORE 'SURPRISES'!" Martin yelled, tossing her to the ground.

"Oh, c'mon, the scenery is an outright improvement, and you know it! Look at the blood! The smashed up bodies! The dead, worthless civilians all splayed out and chit! It looks cool now!" The Amalgam complained, rubbing her throat. "Besides, half of you were buried by the sinking streets. I acted decisively."

"If that's you being decisive I'd hate to see you unsure." Isacc the Nuetralizer chirped from behind Martin, his girlfriend, The Arena bowing in reverence to The Amalgam.

"So...can you honestly say you knew what your brothers were going to do in that instant?"

Martin gave an electronic sigh, calming down.

"I suppose We will never know. I can't ask them."

"See? The Drunkard. I want him to suffer." The Amalgam stated flatly.

"You shoulda shot his ass." Martin replied. "Like when he was unconscious."

"Too easy." she replied smoothly.

"I found something of his..." The Arena said, holding up pieces of the glass from his discarded liquor bottle.

The Amalgam smiled, getting up and going to it.

"So, He made a mistake..." she chuckled. "Perfect..."

The Amalgam ran to a damaged, abandoned Cataphract, handing The Arena back the bottle pieces. "Binding ritual. Now."

"Nature of binding?" The Shi'ido Sith Spawn resembling a beautiful orange skinned Twi'lek in a skintight white catsuit asked.

"Indecisiveness..." She answered, getting into the cataphract and finding one of their portable military computers.

She hacked its security firewalls in minutes. A skill she had taught Uri.

While the Arena drew a Pentagram of her own white blood on the ground, the Nuetralizers helping her arrange slaughtered enemy soldiers around it, the Amalgam hacked the comms network.

"Yoo hooooo..." she called out playfully, on all NIO transmissions...

"You didn't really think I was done with you, did you, Captain Cladhan?" She taunted. "I have a proposal. Why don't you just call it a day and feth off? I mean, what are you conquering? A blast pit?" she asked cruelly.

"Really, all this rebellion from you folks." She pondered as the Arena cast a spell, linking the DNA of DECEASED Erskine Barran on the bottle pieces to Barran himself.

If the ritual worked, he wouldn't have a sudden fog come over his brain. That would be too obvious.

Instead, it would attempt to make him the one thing he absolutely couldn't afford to be right now:

Indecisive.

"All this effort to conquer us...have you not watched your soldiers bleed enough?" She asked, not really caring as she silently sent out a telepathic signal to all other witches to prepare to enact illusion rituals of hostile reinforcements to try and make them waste their ammo.

The Arena finally triggered the ritual, and the bottle pieces containing Barran's DNA glowed.

"Either way, Barran, there's no way you leave here without suffering more at my hands...there's no way your soldiers leave here except with horror in their hearts..."

Willan Tal

Konrad Bolter

 

[Jaeger Harrsk]

H E L L I O N
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
COMPNOR | NIV TREGESSAR
ENGAGING: Zeradias Mant
B L U E _ M O N D A Y

​

<"Sir, we are detecting Strossjaeger marines convering towards your position."> the comm sparked to life with his right-hand man Zion on the other side. <"Should we move to intercept.">

<"No. You have one task and one task only, Zion - turn this ship into a bomb and give me the switch."> Jaeger calmly replied.

A long pause before the confirmation arrived, <"Copy that, Sir. It'll be done.">

The Strossjaeger unit burst through the door a minute later, armed to the teeth and thirsty for blood. Rausgeber had molded them well inspiring loyalty through fear, but how much possible fear could the Admiral Regend invoke that could outmatch Harrsk's?

They found him sitting carefree blowing smoke from a nearly finished cigarette.

"Took you boys a while." he chuckled as they took him by the arms and led him towards the bridge with Mant's daughter behind. His taunting chatter on the way invoked no reaction from Rausgeber's troopers.

The large doors to the command bridge slid open to reveal a seething Admiral throwing a calamity of a temper through each issued order. Now that was a reaction Jaeger to behold. He gave the Admiral a chit-eating smirk as he lit up another cigarette, then mockingly offered him one:

"Worked for my ex-wife's temper - should work for you."

ALLIES: NIO | Gallius Orcana | Fiolette Fortan | Arcturus Tal
ENEMIES: TSE | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Gunnar Madine

 

[Zeradias Mant]

​

Allies: TSE
Opponents: NIO | Jaeger Harrsk | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Gallius Orcana | Gunnar Madine

"We are detecting heavy traffic consolidating near the command bridge.", a commando droid reported.

This was...troublesome. It was likely that Ren-Hua was being brought before Admiral Rausgeber, only he didn't know the circumstances or motive for the transfer. When her captor had first transmitted, it seemed like he had the backing of the NIO central command. This backing seemed less and less likely as time went on.

The electric whir of engines pulled him from his contemplative thought, as another squadron of gunships landed to deliver another company of super battle droids. Ships of this size had crews of several thousands - it was an impossibility that they weren't outnumbered. Even if you account for only the marine detachments aboard, the odds were still stacked against them.

"Continue boarding operations. Direct troops to the command bridge.", he ordered. "But do not, under any circumstance, compromise our position in this hangar."

The gunships once more exited the hangar bay to refill their deployment racks, a new idea occurred to Zeradias.

"Bring an astromech."

As Mant's Iron Imperial Remnant shored up it's foothold on the Tregessar, he gave their marching orders. If Ren-Hua was being brought to the command bridge, then that is where they would go.

Reforming their formation into a two-file column, the company of super battle droids filed out of the hangar toward the bridge of the ship. Though they'd never set foot on the Tregessar before, the path to the bridge wasn't difficult to find - most star destroyers had similar, if not identical schematics. This one was just bigger.

As they navigated the long stretches of corridors, the comms feed continued to update Mant as to the fleet's status. "Enemy fleet regaining composure. Enemy flagship weapons coming online. Calculating...... Adjusting course for optimal engagement parameters."

Seemed to be going well enough.

"Hammerfist II shields depleted. Hull integrity compromised."

Oh.

"Hammerfist II reaching critical damage levels. Hammerfist II is going down."

Blast it. His fleet now deprived its ships of the line, it was left only with a carrier, specialty interdictor, and a small handful of frigates. It wouldn't be enough. At this rate, Zeradias wasn't confident his ships would hold until his extraction from the Tregessar.

As they neared the bridge, they felt a rumble. That must have been the Hammerfist. It may not have been shooting anymore, but it nonetheless gave Mant one final gift. It's position above the Tregessar served it well in its bombardment of the NIO flagships hull, but also as an advantageous position for its unfortunate demise. Given their near proximity to Serenno's orbit, there was some small gravitational pull. It wasn't enough to weaponize spaceborne objects in their descent to the surface at this range, but it was enough to gently nudge things downward. Only downward here meant into the hull of the Tregessar. It was likely the damage would be inconsequential - the Tregessar's shields were still holding, despite their deficiency on the port side near Mant's fleet.

Suddenly, a second blast rocked the floors he stood on.

"What was that?", he asked.

"It appears the Hammerfist II's reactor core did not detonate upon its destruction. It is possible that sudden exposure to vacuum accelerated the cooling and delayed it from reaching critical operating temperatures."

Oh.

"Heavy hostile presence detected gathering near port side turbolift shafts. Rerouting to starboard side turbolifts."

Very well.

"Third droid complement has arrived. Dispatching to command bridge."

Resistance, though omnipresent, was not as fierce as he had anticipated. This did not bode well. What was Rausgeber plotting?

The turbolifts were not large enough to accommodate the full contingent of droids he had. He would board with two squads, and the rest would funnel in as soon as they were able.

As the large doors of the command bridge slid open, it was already more crowded than per usual. Several things were out of place, the most obvious of which was the bright auburn hair of Ren-Hua. The second was the tantrum of what appeared to be the senior-most officer of the New Imperial Armada.

While the doors slid open, the hesitation the initial confusion was enough to allow Mant and his super battle droids to enter. The droids filed in, fanning out against the outer wall while their torsos faced inward and their wrist blasters extended to the ready position.

And then there was Zeradias.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Objective: Cause big trouble in little Carannia
Location: Walking through the streets.
Equipment: See Sig
Allies: TSE
Enemies: NIO / GA
Tags: Viers Connory

Viers was on her last legs. It became quickly apparent by just how weakly the padawan tried to fight her off. There were so many different ways she could of force the Sangnir away, though perhaps the hold on her neck was just too frightening. Pushing Alina off could very well result in tearing Viers' throat out. Such a curious thought, and the only one going through Alina's mind as the struggling ceased.

Alina pulled back after a moment, curiosity filling her gaze. There was something.. Wrong with how the blood felt. Something inside of the Padawan had been broken. And that fear, that act. The last of her wounds healed as she used the Anima she'd taken from Viers' as her own, the cut fully healing.

She had been prepared to simply drop the body. Perhaps even force a much crueler change. Make her little more than a husk to kill any allies that might try to save her. And yet what she said rang in her ears. Not too late? The doubt in the path Alina had chosen was brief, but even thinking about it brought the feelings back. She gritted her teeth, glaring at the unconscious woman.

".. Damn you."

Alina didn't stay in the fight. Turmoil made her far too much of a danger to herself. Her ship would leave Serenno, the stealthed vehicle bypassing the war above. Once the course was set she left navigation, heading to the medical wing of her ship. There she watched Viers, her eyes full of uncertainty. There was far too much Alina felt she needed to ask.

 

[Gallius Orcana]

ALLIES | NIO | GA | NJO | Caarlyle Rausgeber | Fiolette Fortan | Jaeger Harrsk | Naier Rambeigh |Gunnar Madine | Arcturus Tal |
ENEMIES | TSE | EE | CIS | Zeradias Mant


NIV PRIDE OF THE EMPEROR

NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
FIFTH FLEET

IN THE TODHUSARS I TRUST
​

The fight was intense, and every new hallway was a new place of death. Smashing behind Zeradias's lines, the droids had opposed a tough fight to the TodHusars. Eventually, the imperial paratroopers managed to get the upper hand, but each time soldiers were left dying behind. Gallius could not let the Iron Empire take advantage of the surprise and overrun the Stossjägers. His troops relied on speed to win battles, he would give them speed. Event if he had to leave men behind, and Zart knew it killed the Commodore to do that. These men he led owed much more. War was ruthless, and so Gallius had to be that primal beast, merciless and sanguine. His lieutenants would be the intelligent guys, ready to orient his fury and rage. But no one could care about the dead.

As the fight was getting more and more intense, Orcana knew they finally beleaguarded Zeradias. He was going for the bridge, trying to cut off the head of the imperial monster. But Gallius would not let him the pleasure of facing Rausgeber alone. He himself had to have words with the Admiral Regent, and excuses to formulate for his irrational attitude. Maybe Jaeger would be there. A nice family dinner to end the battle. The party had gone well, but now was the time to end this folly. Zeradias would reveal his intentions at last, Jaeger would face Carlyle, Gallius would finally explain himself and justify his actions.

Closing in towards the bridge, the TodHusars encountered more and more resistance. The concentration of Iron Empire troops was too much for the paratroopers to handle. As such, Gallius ordered his troops to avoid the passageways leading to the bridge, and instead chose to use the service turbolifts, which would get the troops, squad by squad, to the top of the superstructure, at maximum speed. The droids guarding the passage would be less numerous, maybe inexistant. Anyway it would always be easier to slip through these weak points than rush head-on with a regiment of elite battle-droids.

Charging towards the service turbolifts, the TodHusars eliminated quickly the sentinels that had been placed there. Gallius slashed through the droids, his scattergun piercing the armor plates much more effcetively than the blaster rifles. His frustration and anger unleashed propelled him to a level of hand-to-hand combat he had never attained. Finally, he could let the tension of so many battles and losses go. It felt so good. He felt so alive as the droid were cut into pieces. He was alive again. This brought him new, vibrant senses. He felt his environnement better, his view was more acute, his swordsman skills were boosted.

With a renewed vigour, Gallius entered the turbolift. It was time to face his destiny, for better and for worse. Four squads accompanied him, with more ready to enter the fray when the turbolifts would be free. The quick moment of peace let the Commodore think. How was he going to face Rausgeber after such an overt treason ? He could not pretend nothing happened : he had brought the Tregessar to that dangerous situation of the bridge being overrun by a company of superdroids. He had to pay for his sins, and even if Jaeger managed to get himself away of the situation, Gallius's honour would not survive such a situation. And Gallius himself would not choose to survive the situation too.

The dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the hydraulic hiss of the turbolift slowing and preparing to open the doors. The soldiers readied their weapons, and hurled themselves across the bridge, taking cover wherever they could between the computers and the command desks. Four squads of elite paratroopers had made a smashing entrance on the bridge, adding to the confusion created by Zeradias and his droids.

Gallius refused to hide, refused to take cover. Holstering his scattergun, he walked calmly to the center of the bridge, and stopped few meters away from Carlyle. He was satisfied of his effect, and very proud of the coordination his TodHusars had shown. Now was the time to shine and redeem himself, or accept his dishonour and let go peacefully. Now was the time to confront Harrsk and Rausgeber and understand what their political schemes had meant. A simple sentence could add to the tension, and ultimately bring the deadlock to an outcome.

"The party's over, gentlemen", Gallius said with a savage and bloodlusty grin. He perfectly knew how tense the siuation was going to be, but the sudden return of his senses made him cocky, more than ever. The moment of truth had arrived.

 

[Hans Rennagen]

Location: Estate of House Terassi
Objective IV: Ensure the surrender of House Terassi the Eternal Empress
Writing with Ingrid L'lerim-Vandiir

​

Ingrid complied and gave her lightsabers to her men. He could immediately sense something was wrong as she unclasped the jewel from around her neck. They lived in an age where more people were blessed with the force than ever before,but there were only a few overwhelming feelings in the force that Hans had been subjected to.

He had felt Kyber Dark all the way from the orbit of Bastion, and at the Sith Temple on Dantooine he had felt Ingrid’s grief when Adrian had been killed. Now the exact same feeling washed over him. In this moment he wouldn’t connect the shrill force scream at the temple with this overpowering aura of sadness, though their origin was one and the same. Hans was not as connected to the force as Ingrid, for certain. He had no formal education in its ways, and like all Knights he saw it as more of a tool than a friend, or even higher power.

The Force shifted as the light of the gem faded out. Any words Hans could think of stopped short in his throat. Though her aura was distraught, she still moved as confidently and cold as before as she put out her hands. Hans gave her a look that seemed to ask if she was sure about all this, but he remained quiet.

He locked the stun cuffs around her wrists. He didn’t know what wars were being waged in the backrooms, only what was happening in the here and now. And it was time for them to leave here.

The future hung in extreme uncertainty. He knew that somewhere over that horizon, the finest soldiers of the New Imperial Order were soon either going to liberate Serenno or would burn up in a glorious blaze as they tried. The flight to Coruscant would be liminal and tense.

"Let's go! Before I regret that you didn’t let me say goodbye to my barely half-year-old son …"

Hans didn’t even acknowledge Ingrid’s remark. Was it unfortunate for her? Yes, but this was the reality of war. Had it been unfortunate for Hans that he hadn’t been able to say goodbye to his own family? Perhaps more than she knew. At least the boy would be safe.

An air of misery clouded them as they began to march to the shuttle, leaving the Terassi estate behind them without a second glance.

He was doing his job, and deep in his heart he felt he was doing it right. Even Ingrid seemed to believe she was more useful in binds.

One way or another the war was going to end soon, and maybe the plight of his people with it...

 

[Arcturus Tal]

Ships: 3 Cuirassier-class cruisers, 3 Dragoon-class frigates, 3 Inceptus-class assault ships

Ecstasy of Gold​

The battle continued to rage as they made their maneuver along the side of the Sith fleet. Arcturus' focus was singular, his will unbreakable. He was done waiting for vengeance, and would have no more distractions.

"Sir, enemy ships are in range."

"All gunnery teams, fire at will. Don't stop until only dust and rubble are left."

The turbolasers begun their barrage in a grand symphony of light and plasma. The enemy ships were met with volley after volley of fire and death. Arcturus couldn't help but to smile at the beauty of it all. As they continued their pass, he turned to Quintus.

"Send our bombers on a run along their nearest vessels. I wanna hit them from every angle possible. Leave no room for escape."

He took a moment to pause.

"Even if we can destroy one ship, it will be a small victory for our people. We have suffered enough. It is time the Sith suffer the same."

As the bombers began their run, Chief of Security Alistair Trask made his way onto the bridge with a squad of guards in tow. Arcturus motioned for Quintus to continue the maneuver as he turned to meet Trask.

"Have you found our spy?"

Trask was silent for a moment, a grim expression projecting itself across his grizzled face.

"No sir, but we have found some evidence of tampering with our security systems. That being said, we have no evidence to show that anyone other than the crew have accessed those systems."

Arcturus' face grew dark once again. There was only one implication that made sense. He leaned in so that only Trask could hear his words.

"We keep this between us, for now. I will inform those who need to know. In the meantime, you keep us locked down and on high alert. Don't provide information to anyone outside of what is absolutely necessary."

Trask nodded before leaving the bridge. Arcturus found himself lost in thought as he turned back to the task at hand.

A traitor... could it be? It was the only thing that made sense at this point...

No, there was no point in dwelling on that right now. There would be plenty of time to sort that out. For now, the only thing that mattered was the fight. The only thing that mattered was revenge.

Gallius Orcana Zeradias Mant Fiolette Fortan RIP Carlyle Rausgeber Naier Rambeigh Jaeger Harrsk Gunnar Madine Willan Tal Enedina Tal DECEASED Erskine Barran​