Invasion Hubris of Empires | The Cold War | Invasion of Ilum [Empire vs. Alliance]

[Shai Maji]

+ W A R D O G P A G E C L A I M +

ILUM | TELLAN LAKE
ALLIES: Enclave | GA
ENEMIES: The Empire
ENGAGING: DECEASED Erskine Barran
GEAR: In bio | Basilisk War Droid | shield

BATTLE OF THE HEROES​

As expected, Erskine handled himself incredibly well against her onslaught. The kick sent him stumbling back, but it did little to phase him as he charged back in. Her blade moved up to parry his thrust to her visor, but she was too slow as he knocked her off balance and drove his shoulder into her. Thankfully her jetpack helped her to recover perfectly from crashing into the ice.

'Excellent! An' the guard corrected early as well, quick recovery within another quick recovery. A good habit to indulge as far as I see it, lean into that as well if you can.... AGAIN!!!!'

He was treating this as a sparring session, merely aggravating the already emotionally torn Wardog further. Either he was simply so far ahead of her that she was barely a challenge, something she certainly did not rule out, or he was making the most of this fight. A way to drive back the vile thoughts of the fate that rested on both their shoulders if either got a good hit in. She knew that she had some surprises up her sleeve… but one lucky hit in the wrong place and she was done.

Erskine Barran… he wasn’t so lucky. Fighting him was the easy part, it was the action after the fight that terrified her. But she could not relent. For her own survival, as well as the enormous amount of respect she had for him, she could not hold back.

”Jetpacks are simply nice to have.” Her growling voice rumbled through her annunciator as she came back in for another attack. She didn’t want to hear any of it. Every kind word he spoke felt like a blade through her heart. She wanted him to hate her, to insult and break her down. She didn’t want to hear the kind wisdom of her mentor.

A low swing to his legs, moving up to try and clip his sword arm. She focused on pushing him, keeping the distance as close as possible. His sword had reach, but in close quarters it could prove cumbersome. She swung high again, only to drop down and sweep at his legs with a powerful kick. The jetpack flared up to yank her back on her feet as she swung down at him. All the while, her right hand moved with precision to block his blows.

But in her overhead strike at him, a flaw presented itself. A Star Destroyer descended from the heavens, rattling the ground and cracking the ice below them while enormous storm clouds built overhead. The tremors caused a slip in her footing over the slick ice. Her hand shot out to keep her stable, but the action left her dangerously exposed. A massive window of opportunity for someone like him.

 

[Zeke Dystra]

Invasion of Ilum
Mercian Squadron
Mission #2
+Zeke - Brown
+Kenth - Orange
+Carmine - Green
+Felix - Blue

Blaster fire raged from both sides, the empire issuing back what the Commando squad had first fired at them. They were doing well in holding off such a big force by themselves, but over time they began to use that to their advantage and began to push over the bridge. Even with their huge pressure, they were still able to pick off a few as they came across, but not enough to stop a flametrooper that had pushed up too far for comfort. Carmine looked below and saw the flamer aim directly at him, the hot fire shooting straight at him. Instinctively, he rolled to the right of the truck and fell to the floor, his arm caught in the blaze that chased him. Keeping calm he swiftly rolled around the floor, trying his best to stop the searing heat from damaging him further.

"Carmine! get into cover" Zeke shouted just before taking a blaster from his holster and peppering the flamer who was in his line of sight. Running over to the sniper, he knelt down and checked over the wound that made him wince heavily in a scowl "Fucker caught me off guard..." he growled, showing off the nasty burns that had covered his left arm "Trust me, he came worse off" Zeke grunted, looking over the container to see where the enemy was "We're going to have to fall back... we can't hold them here any longer" he said with a shake of his head "<<Felix, come to my position and carry back Carmine. We're going to head to the edge of the bridge>>" he said to the medic first <<"Kenth, forget the rest of the charges, we need to make do with what you have already">> <<"But sir!">> <<"You heard me! get back up here now!>>

Zeke raised his gun above the container and covered Felix as he ran across to their position and didn't hesitate to begin moving him "I'll cover you, just get him moving alight?" Felix nodded in response and began to help to move the sniper move back.

Suddenly, just as Zeke was moving with them a deafening sound came from above. The captain snapped his head up in time to see a chunk of debris fall and hit the bridge directly, seemingly cutting it in half and turning it into a ramp instead. Zeke was flung to his back and was sent hurdling down the bridge, his hands instivitvly looking for something to stop his fall. Thankfully, before all was too late he managed to grab hold of a rail to stop his inevitable fall.

"Fucking bastards!"

The commando breathed heavily and heard the creaking of the bridge as it struggled to hold properly in this position. They all needed to get off before it did finally make them fall into the unknown "<<Everyone report in!">> he said with urgency before pulling himself up into a more comfortable position. At first, there was silence and a sense of concern. Nothing was heard from his men till a voice finally came through his comm <<"We're alive! for now. Me and Carmine are steadily using the rail to climb up. Where's kenth?!"

<<"Hanging! that's what I'm fething doing!">>

FN-999
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum
Appearance | Outfit | Weapons

​

Even as fire rained down from the sky above them, the three remained locked in their duel, focused only on each other with a resolve that couldn't be shaken by anything happening around them. The Force had brought them all together here today with a purpose, and her promise would see to it that she committed to it with everything she had, even if the tide shifted against them, and their desire to bring back the lost apprentice could not be satisfied. She wondered whether or not Korvan felt the same way, but she very much hoped there was no need to find the answer to those questions.

Following a series of heavy lightsaber strikes and even a punch turned against just Korvan, Valery managed to divide his focus by entering the fight with a barrage of her own fast-paced attacks, allowing the two Jedi Masters to pressure him into defending. In any other duel, her attacks would have been augmented without holding back and delivered with the intent to cripple or even kill, but today she allowed the Force to freely expose her true emotions and intentions. She wanted Rakaan to not only hear the way they felt about him but feel it as well, so there was no denying it.

All that remained was for his stubbornness and apprehension to fade, and for him to accept their words, and thereby himself.

With the two Jedi Masters now pressuring him greatly, the clash seemed to shift ever more, but a sudden explosion and heavy trembling of the ground beneath her pulled Valery out of her combative focus and turned her eyes up to the sky. The cruiser had struck the landscape, and burning debris was falling down all around them. No words needed to be spoken as a result — the battle stopped and much like Rakaan, she began to weave her way through the shower of death that sought to claim their lives.

"Don't lose him!" Valery called out to Korvan, a split second before Rakaan jumped away and into a section of the crashed vessel. It had buried itself into ice and snow near the cavern walls, allowing Rakaan to use it as a way to get up there, and potentially get away from the two Jedi. If they lost him here, she feared his return to the Empire would deepen his anger and make it impossible for them to bring him back. This was their one shot, and they had to take it, no matter what.

So right after Korvan moved to follow Rakaan inside, Valery danced her way across the trench and jumped up towards the tunnel. But her path wouldn't be so easy — along the way, a chunk of the ship's burning fuselage came down, and without the option to evade, all that remained was for her to go right through. Like a Barrier, she wrapped the Force around her and lashed out with both blades at once to carve herself through and shield her body at the same time. The debris was completely obliterated, and while it slowed Valery down a few steps, she landed near the tunnel's entrance seconds later and quickly rushed after the others.

This was it.

Korvan Toldreyn Rakaan Horne | Dagon Kaze Sahar ​

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Ilum
Tag: Miri Nimdok Hacks

With some effort, Kyell's blade finally managed to carve all the way through the thick blast door, and following a quick push of the Force, the slab of metal fell down into the hallway. The outer edges of the hole were still glowing from how hot they had gotten, so he waited a few seconds and looked over his shoulder at Miri, <Heh, they thought a door would stop us,> he joked with a smirk. Missions were never easy for him, so to finally feel like things were going alright helped him loosen up a bit.

Maybe a little too much.

Moments after Kyell disengaged his lightsaber and turned around to crawl back inside the facility, he felt his cybernetic hand suddenly curl up into a fast. He blinked, looked down to figure out what was wrong, and suddenly felt the strong metal connecting with his cheek and nose. It sent him recoiling back with a bloody nose, and he was left in shock.

<There uh... was a mosquito... don't worry about it,> he muttered awkwardly, as he felt embarrassed by what he had just done to himself. Or well, what the arm did to him? He hoped it was just a malfunction, but right as he tried to get back to work, another punch struck his face, even harder than the last one, and it was enough to send him to the ground for a second. He coughed up some blood and rolled over onto his stomach, sat up... and punched himself again.

At this point, he was losing his focus and sat off-balanced while he pulled his arm back and aimed another strike at his own face and another. <Miri... I can't stop it...> he muttered, now in fear of knocking himself out.

He just couldn't stop punching himself.

 

[Sylus (Γ059)]

█████ - Rama-Actual
IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU
TASK FORCE ████
Kyber Mountains, Ilum
TAGS: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Arlo Renard
Equipment: 2x REC-VKN/01 "Tekko" - Pattern Vibroknuckler, 2x BH-Specter Slicer Vibroknife, 1x Hekler'Kok Survival Machete, 1x Sonic Detonator, 1x CK-60 01x Disruptor Carbine, 1x LS-1 Angry Owl Light Sniper Rifle, Hellion-class Commando Armour Mk I

CompForce: 59/80

"Aleks there's another one of us out here, get them to us now!"

"Eyes up, you spot their commander, you tell me!"

Unable to control his initial reaction, he fled from the source of the sonics. This at least prevented him from being blasted by the carbine, though he sensed the bolts striking the ground where he had once stood. But he was wide open now, out of cover, his lightsaber spinning wildly as he deflected shots from all angles.

Sylus growled into his communicator:

"Five-Eight, take the chance, focus on the Jedi!" He called out to the Troopers nearest to Kai. Five-Eight, one of the section leaders nearby spotted the Jedi fleeing. Within a few seconds, his group of soldiers turned their guns on him. Their plasmatic bolts exploded on impact, detonating and blasting superheated plasma all around and on Kai as he blindly reacted to the shot; no doubt he would be injured now. Even as debris began to rain over the trench, sensing wounded prey, Sylus took another aimed shot, and was readying another before something tossed him off his feet.

He cleared his mind - as well as he could considering the mounting danger - then flung a blast of telekinetic energy at the Imperial. He intended to push the man back to buy time for the Jedi, even just a few seconds. Then he turned to the young man he'd come to save.

"You do know standing out in the open like that is a good way to get shot, right?" Aleks japed as he batted away a laser blast. "Now unless you want to face that health hazard alone I suggest you come with me." He offered, pointing to the Imperial that had been charging him mere moments ago.

Sylus rolled and landed on his feet, reacting to the sudden intruder. Another of the Jedi was here.

"Keep your distance, section, and take out the one on his feet," he ordered these troopers nearby, keeping them at a distance to pepper the two Jedi from afar.

Calling out to Jedi, Sylus advanced, Lightsaber-resistant vibroknucklers humming. Grabbing an arm-sized piece of dense debris that had fallen out of the sky, Sylus could feel his enhancements really kick in now; time seemed to slow as he broke into a sprint, alchemical adrenaline and twisted muscle fibres pumping with tainted blood as he swung the 100-pound weight down on Aleksandr from behind, the improvised weapon clearing the space between them in the blink of an eye with astonishing speed.

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Just when things seemed to be going well, Kyell’s cybernetic hand began to malfunction. Or rather, Hacks began to manipulate the limb’s electronics, causing it to strike its owner.

Desperately Miri reached out with the Force. The arm slowed, its progress hindered, but not for long. Her grip wasn’t strong enough.

Kyell’s face was already bloody and bruised. He looked dazed.

Miri glanced toward Hacks’ melted body, and for a few moments she was tempted to just blow whatever was left of the cyborg’s brains out then and there. But that was a kneejerk reaction, a mistake she would live to regret.

Still, she wasn’t playing around. She drew her gun and took aim at Hacks’ mangled head.

“Stop it or I’ll kill you,” she warned, her voice icy. “We’ll finish this job, whether you’re dead by the end of it or not.”

Kyell Laysel Hacks​

 

[Hal Vaiken]

IMPERIAL SPECIAL FORCES
SCAR SQUADRON
Lily Stevens Margo Liaeris Castor E-196 Katja Javik Kriegan Tavlar
ENGAGING: Corin Trenor Jand Talo Iris Arani

​

A loud, repugnant crack snapped through the air as the Jedi slammed Sarge's head into a rock underneath the thin layer of snow. Lights went out for a brief moment and the familiar warmth of blood gushed down the back of his neck. The soldier had been in too many battles, far too many wars, to know that the gash at the back of his head was a timer to an inevitable blackout due to loss of blood.

His hands surged forth to catch the boy's own. "Your kind... will never win, kid..." he taunted, chest heaving at every other word. Exhaustion was quickly creeping in. "You can never... kill us all!" Sarge growled before pulling both legs up to his chest and launching the raven-haired Jedi at his newly arrived companion, hoping they both tumbled into an endless hole opened by a drill.
​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Another Jedi appeared, calling to him. Kai registered the sound of his voice a second before a blaster bolt pierced his defenses and struck his backside.

Hey, if you’re going to get shot, that’s not a bad spot in terms of survivability. It still hurt like hell, of course, but he’d live.

Kai fell to the ground and rolled, managing to find some cover behind a rock. He was screaming internally from the pain, but managed to keep his mouth shut.

Reaching out with the Force, he traced the path of the bullet that had hit him, finding Five-Eight. Part of him wanted to kill him outright, simply crush him in his telekinetic grip. Instead, he touched the trooper’s mind, attempting to stun him into unconsciousness.

Sylus (Γ059) Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea​

 

[Cale Gunderson]

Objective I
Allies: GA, Aleksandr Stirsea , Arlo Renard
Enemies: Sylus (Γ059)
_________________________________________________________
​

Cale had sent his partner into the fray, but now he had to win the battle. Already Imperial forces were moving to engage Aleks, their attention split between the three Jedi. It was time he capitalized on that. Looking back, he took a quick count of his troops and found their numbers to be sufficient. They could do this, they just had to play it right.

"Fireteam Alpha, suppress the bastards on us, Beta, move through, hit the ones going for Aleks, Gamma, you're with Alpha! Go on my mark, you'll know!" The orders flowed naturally, and Cale kept himself calm and centered. He reached out, found a hunk of debris, and gave it a nudge. The sheet of plating crashed down onto the COMPNOR line, and the two teams of Alliance marines moved without question, bursting through the trench and taking up positions to lay down fire on the Imperials sighting up Aleks and Kai whilst the others followed up Cale's improvised orbital strike with a torrent of gunfire.

He still wanted to bolt to Aleks and Kai's aid, but he had to maintain his composure, and keep control of the battlefield that was so quickly spiraling into utter chaos. It didn't help that something was stirring, something far more ancient than the squabbles of the two nations. So Cale grit his teeth through the pain of his wound, and he soldiered on.

( Orn'om gimme Bendu)​

 

[Jas Katis]

ILUM | NIV RECKONING
THE EMPIRE | HELLION PRIVATE MILITARY GROUP
ALLIES: THE EMPIRE | Varm Nul | Koda Fett
ENEMIES: GA | Caltin Vanagor | Caedyn Arenais | Judah Lesan
ENGAGING: Minerva Fhirdiad | OPEN
GEAR: In bio | unit equipment

SYNCHROTONE​

The fight for the Reckoning had become little more than a barbaric brawl as the two focus collided, fighting with anything and everything they could get their hands on. Blades, pistols, rifle butts, fists, anything that could hurt or kill a person… except for the annoying Mandalorian Jas found himself facing.

”Oh kark off already…” He growled as he ducked behind cover from her volley. He was quick to return fire with several bolts of his own, but with her in the air it was a much bigger headache than it needed to be. He needed to get her out of the air as quickly as possible. He flicked through the settings of his rifle until he found its EMP mode. Taking aim again, he let loose with several bursts at the Mandalorian in hopes of shutting down her jetpack.

He moved again to another overturned table, constantly shifting to put pressure on her. A number of bolts slammed against his armour through the carnage, heating up the skin underneath. But he did not let up, pushing through the pain to get her out of the air.

 

[Jem Fossk]

Objective 2
Fightin: Margo Liaeris with Cailen Corso

Spoiler: the story

STALKER

Objective: Hubris of Empires
Location: Ilum - Subterranean Tunnel
Tags:

​

SCAR: Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens

​

NJO: Jem Fossk | Cailen Corso

Ghost

Deep in her soul, Margo knew this operation was more than what it was advertised to be, yet she had not expected this... The elite soldiers of SCAR emerged from the shadows, with Hal dramatically sharpening his vibroblade against his vambrace as they did so. The supersoldier’s black-hued mask covered her features, and just as well that it did - the expression lining her face was of pure, unadulterated...

Disbelief.

Unlike some of the others, Stalker had never served alongside the fabled Jedi. Most of her deployments prior to joining SCAR were amongst her Death Trooper unit, and at most were in situations wherein members of their unit were embedded within regular stormtrooper fireteams. Her experience had been similar within SCAR, with the exception of the occasional run-in with a member of the Imperial Knights.

Be that as it may, as was the case with countless trillions of sentients throughout the galaxy; she had heard stories. Stories of guardians of both peace and justice in the galaxy; of those who denied self in favor of others. Even as the daughter of a humble farmer, the Sith Empire had not been so successful to stifle tales of the heroics of legendary Jedi. Her father had tucked her into bed with stories detailing the adventures of Jolee Bindo in the days of the Old Republic, or of Luke Skywalker and his underdog tale of restoring balance to the galaxy; and redeeming his own father Darth Vader in the process.

Those stories alongside countless others had given her hope for a better future even as her family toiled under the yoke of the Sith. The patriots of the New Imperial Order movement had taken that place as she grew of age, and up until now she had hardly spared a thought as to the heroes of her childhood...

...only for those memories to come crashing down here, and now; even as the barrel of her particle rifle pointed at the group of padawans before her. Her lensed eyes focused on them - on the sheer youth in their face. If she had to guess, many of them were likely not much older than fourteen or fifteen. ‘This has to be a bloody mistake...’ she thought to herself. But before she could say anything, Hal’s words had answered any lingering doubt in her mind.



Her helmet tilted fractionally in his direction, with Margo hardly believing what she was hearing. Sure, technically, these were Jedi, but...

But they were kids! This wasn’t a battlefield where they were asking for trouble. This... this looked like a damned field trip.





‘Good soldiers follow orders.’ She could hear the voice of her old instructor even as Reaper’s own words echoed through the cavern with murderous intent.





Margo wanted to protest; wanted to say something to stop this before they crossed the point of no return. This wasn’t war. No... this felt like murder. Just as she was about to say- no, shout as much to the others, something inside of her seemed to... take over. She felt a... calmness begin to prevail over her, as well as a focus that caused her feelings of reservation to recede into the background. Rather than her own mental voice screaming in protest, all she could hear were the same words being spoken by her instructor.

‘Good soldiers follow orders.’

Rather than young teenagers and borderline children, these padawans began to seem more...

More like a threat that needed to be ‘taken care of’.

The voice inside of her that was kicking and screaming, hoping against all hope to warn her off began to grow quieter... and quieter...

Quieter...

Now, all she could see was her father’s face, gazing down at her as she took in a strained breath from her respirator several years ago. She was plunged into a tank of some fluid, a dull pain racking her body as the doctors had... done things.

Things to make her stronger, and more lethal.

Things to make her a Death Trooper.

“Copy that.” she heard herself say. It felt odd, but less so as it had before. In the span of moments between their arrival and the opening shots loosed by Reaper, Margo had seemed to suppress whatever misgivings had befallen her mere moments prior. Instead, her eyes lensed eyes craned over to form of a young male padawan, standing alongside a slightly older female padawan.

Wordlessly, the SCAR trooper snapped her rifle square against them both, and unleashed with a series of three round bursts - high intensity particle rounds surging toward them in quick succession, and with deadly precision.

Good soldiers follow orders.

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Iris Arani Hal Vaiken

​

Trial by fire.

From embers, to an inferno. Even on a world carved from ice and coated in snow. The frozen and eternal winter wints blew in from the vast, endless trench as the hot exhaust flew in and melted away at the caverns. The same ones the Padawan and his peers had become ensnared within, with Imperials on all sides. Corin remembered those words, everyone comes back, and with members of the infamous SCAR squadron encircling them all... the mortality rate plummeted, like a stone in a lake with such little chance of retrieval. Cut off, alone, this was to be their stand.

" Jem Fossk !" His voice cut out over the sounds of the blaster bolts deflected by his blue-bladed saber with his head forced to pivot over his shoulder for no more than second several times, "Come on! You can do this!"

Corin failed to understand it, whatever it was. He remembered all her experience in combat from before, from the moment she thrust that blade into his side and sent his once considerably smaller frame off of a shattered skyscraper, off towards an abyss. It was there, like muscle memory, and yet she was a trapped insider her own mind. All she needed was a shove, and that was all Corin could offer. Forced to re-engage the Imperial with the sudden and sharp increase in accurate, speedy fire.

He circled about the best one could, content to continue the effort to block as many bolts as Corin could manage. Some could maybe take their leave out from behind him, to rush back to the surface, to find the masters and inform them of their new Imperial foes. If he died, so be it, it was a better death than a needle infested arm with a face in the gutter.

Objective 2
Fightin: Margo Liaeris with Cailen Corso





Shots flew out around her head.

Jem kneeled frozen, eyes wide and reflecting the chaos as imperials bared over them in a surprise attack. Her peers jolted to life, defending each other with multicolored sabers snapping to life. She wasn't cleared for this. Jem remained locked on the ground, afraid that her own fragile recovery could all shatter with one step off the planned path. That fear was all the darkness needed to seep in. Darth Solipsis 's voice bit sharply into her head

Daughter. The darkness implored, offering strength to the cowed girl in the corner.



Fitful eyes caught Corin's; the confidence in the look he gave her cutting through it all. She shoved the darkness away and stood.

It's a choice, she breathed, the words practically leaving her lips in an inaudible whisper as she took to her feet. "It's a choice," she whispered again, pulling out the blue saber of a once fallen jedi and lighting it too. The darkness's hold clawed at her mind.

"It's a choice." She uttered to no one, stepping in front of the youngest of faces and taking a deep breath. She dodged** several blasts and managed to survey the situation.

"...We're too outnumbered." And if they waited any longer, their exit would be cut off as well. Her eyes darted towards the round drill path they had emerged from. "We need to go back," she told those around her. She stepped forward and blocked the way, buying a jedi or two the chance to retreat into them behind her back.

"Into the tunnels!"

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Jem Fossk ; Margo Liaeris
Objevtive: #2 Hallowed Scar
Soundtrack: Raining Fire

Everything changed so quickly.

The mission to Ilum had been less than typical, and certainly not what any of them expected… mysterious earthquakes, missing Padawans, injured friends… Many of the young Jedi had completed their Gathering ceremonies here, but nothing had prepared them for the evil that lurked beneath the icy surface.

Cailen’s senses were dulled from the horrors he’d survived on Tython, but he still felt the presence of the Force when surrounded by fellow Jedi or when traveling on Jedi ground. And right now, seemingly out of nowhere, the Force shouted ”DOWN!”

Instinctively, the boy ducked into the cold snow, narrowly missing a barrage of particle bolts that flew overhead. He wanted to spring back to his feet, to ignite his lightsaber and stand at the ready, but the senior Padawans had already done so. They were deflecting bolts that seemed to explode on contact with their sabers.

“Jem!” Cailen shouted over the sound of blaster rifles and lightsabers.

“What’s happening!”



Cailen glanced behind the group, to the mining tunnel they’d emerged from. He gave Jem Fossk a confidant nod, then rose to his feet and dashed for the tunnel as she deflected the particle bolts. He helped several of the younger Jedi into the tunnel before turning back to Jem. She stood on the front line alongside several of the other older Padawans. Cailen called to her before slipping into the frozen tunnel.

“Jem! We need to go, now!”

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Iris Arani Jand Talo Hal Vaiken

​

Forced to confront the would-be barrel of the hand-mounted repulsor cannon, Corin shifted the blue bladed saber in his hand and slammed the rounded end of it into the rock beneath him while his head bowed into a forearm intended to be a shield from the sudden flash of white. His conditioned frame tensed from the harsh blast in his half-squatted stance, but remained on his feet and lost no more than a few metres; a scar woven into the stone beneath him as a result of the lightsaber.

"Go on, find a way out." He urged with a huff.

His saber freed from the rock below, Corin rushed forwards with a series of agile movements. With his idle hand, he called on the Force in an effort to pull the stormtrooper closer towards himself only for his saber to swing wildly with practised precision.

bjective 2
Fightin: Margo Liaeris with Cailen Corso

“Corin,” Jem called with wild urgency. Near everyone else had taken her opening and retreated into the tunnels behind her, but it was becoming harder for Jem to hold ground. The imperials took their scattered positioning and they squeezed. Jem's saber whipped in brilliant blue arcs, catching what it could to hold the tunnel entrance, but it wasn't enough.

Jem caught sight of Iris Arani 's face among the flashes of white chest blades and metal barrels, and Corin seemed no less inclined to break free of his own scuffle. Her heart dropped. "Padawan's, now!" She ordered, her voice ringing out through the chaotic dim.

Dagon hadn't put her in charge. She didn't care. This was not the place to take a stand, the idiot was going to get them all killed.

A bolt shot through her left shoulder.
Margo Liaeris

STALKER

Objective: Hubris of Empires
Location: Ilum - Subterranean Tunnel
Tags:

​

SCAR: Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens

​

NJO: Jem Fossk | Cailen Corso

Ghost

Chaos had erupted around her as blaster shots filled the cavern. The Jedi attempted to flee deeper in the tunnels, and Margo’s companions set about pushing them deeper into the caverns. One of the Jedi she had taken aim at previously ( Jem Fossk ) made her way toward the tunnels. Following the lead of the others within her squad, she jumped down from the overlook and gave chase. She pulled her rifle up to her shoulder and pulled the trigger.

Despite the young Jedi’s previous displays of alacrity, the bolt would impact hard against her shoulder. The bolt would burst upon impact, throwing hot plasma in a tight radius across the affected area. Quickly, Margo slung her rifle across her back and pulled her particle beam pistol from its holster and her vibroblade from its sheath across her back over the opposite shoulder. With an impassive expression devoid of any regard for her actions, Margo leveled her pistol at Cailen and fired another trio of shots, moving steadily to close the distance between herself and the now wounded female Jedi between them.

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Jem Fossk ; Margo Liaeris ; Valery Noble
Objective: #2 Hallowed Scar
Soundtrack: Raining Fire

When the bolt of hot plasma ripped through Jem Fossk 's shoulder, Cailen felt her pain deep inside him. It was something he had only ever been able to do with his Master, Valery Noble , but somehow... he felt the fear and pain that boiled inside his friend. He couldn't stand it. She bought him time to retreat to the tunnels, she stood bravely so the others could escape. He couldn't just leave her to die.

An Imperial trooper clad in sleek black armor dropped from a ledge just past where Jem had fallen. In the chaos, Cailen had failed to spot the shooters, but it was clear they had an advantage the whole time. Now that Margo Liaeris had left the perch, that advantage was seemingly diminished. All he had to do was get close enough to help Jem. The trooper withdrew a blaster pistol, firing a trio of beams just like the one that hit his friend; Cailen performed a series of sharp Force leaps to dodge the deadly shots.

"I'm coming, Jem! Hold on!" the boy shouted to the wounded Jedi. He had to make it to her before the trooper did.

He had to.

The shot blew Jem back into the tunnel entrance, away from the wash of white armor of stripped stone. Pain was something she could handle, but this was like nothing else she had felt before. Something was wrong, her body screamed. It took her another moment to realize she couldn't see out of her left eye. The exploding plasma had melted away that side of her face.

What kind of shot was that?

Her father's voice screamed up at her to get up and move. She obeyed, but only because she didn't want to die. She breathed the force into her muscles and tried to pull herself up onto her knees. It cleared her senses and gave her stability, but it wasn't enough to stop the shake in her arm as she raised the saber again.

No human would be left standing after a wound like that, but then again, Jem wasn't human.

"Ran Cailen," she told the boy through, her burned frame blocking the entrance again. Her saber circled up to catch the next shot, the force guiding her through what she couldn't see. She didn't see the situation like he had.

She didn't know doing so would cause another explosion.

 

[Hacks]

In the vacuum of her mind the Net reigned supreme. Hacks saw nothing yet saw everything she needed too. System reports flooded in as she clawed her mind into Kyell's cybernetic arm. She did not feel the impacts of his punches but she saw the status checks with each blow.

She absently queued the arm to continue as her mind connected with her computers, dumping data by the terabytes and locking down her terminals. She was defeated, but had some kick in her yet. Hacks could not risk SIA getting their hands on the information held on her drives.

Then she heard a voice, “Stop it or I’ll kill you,” it warned with lethal intent, “We’ll finish this job, whether you’re dead by the end of it or not.” Hacks' mind retreated to her Viska drone still circling above, capturing the events. The Jedi held a gun aimed at her head.

Probing Kyell's cybernetic system once more she initiated a string of small commands that would culminate in the arm scrambling to reach for Kyell's lightsaber so it may hold it under his chin, thumb hovering over the ignition. As Hacks lay in the snow, looking lifeless, a digital and disembodied voice boomed over the research stations, "So ready to execute me in cold blood over a few silly punches? You think that's fair? after what you did to me? you burned me alive, you destroyed me, you brutalized me, you're not just as bad as the Sith, you're worse. I'm going to kill you one day."

Hacks' mind raced as she thought what she could do, a standoff would not last. She did not trust the Jedi to not pull the trigger and murder her then and there, and Kyell would be saved. Not wanting to test her luck and see if the Jedi fell for her bluff, she deactivated Kyell's arm, letting it drop limp at his side. She was done, body and mind defeated, she didn't want to die.

 

[Aschwin Vethres]

​

Aschwin Cassirer Vethres
Imperial Knight Templar
Heir of House Vethres
Shield of Bal Talmshaa
Commander of the 293rd

Location: World of Ilum ; North Point Mining Chasm
Tags: Varen Ardos ; Gabriel Pryce
Equipment:
Addlehorn Armor
Aschwin Curved Lightsaber
Post Number:
Six

The defensive form of the young padawan was impressive but not enough in comparison of his makashi mastery. The flow of his lightsaber swings were elegant but deadly efficient with each blow designed to get around the impressive guard of Varen Ardos . They were not the bashing blows of some of the more aggressive forms but of a person whose weapon was apart of his very being and could expertly parry each attack to make his opponent seem sloppy with each swing they tried to return.

Locking sabers once more; he reached out with his hand and expended a mighty force push which would send the padawan back towards the hard cave wall. Recovering his stamina for just a brief moment the overwhelming sound of a crash broke through the walls of the cave they were currently fighting in. And the intense wind flowing through the scar was further magnified exponentially as many of the 293rd Heavy Shock Infantry was blown down hard onto the floor and even the mighty drill was pushed from its current mining zone.

"Get me a full damage report." Aschwin said running back towards the defensive line as his troopers recomposed themselves from being knocked down. "Sir, it appears several of our men have suffered concussions from the impact of their head against the heavy armor and surface." Sergeant Vu said in response. "Get the medical team on them asap; we need as many defenders as possible for further jedi coming to this location..." Aschwin turned his head for just a brief moment away from the Sergeant Vu; gazing through an icy wall to his left. "I sense something powerful..." He barely managed to say until a burst of roots sprang from the wall; and began grabbing his men nearest to the site. Aschwin barely managed to duck underneath a root and backpeddle away with a flip as the sound of blaster fire and the confused cry of his men overtook the previous battle with the padawan.

"Double down on them, Men of the 293rd Heavy Shock Infantry Unit. Show these plants the power of the empire." Sergeant Vu said to rally morale as Commander Juarr spoke up behind him, "The Sergeant is right, these plants don't deserve your fear. Press forward!!" to the shout of "FOR THE EMPIRE!!" from the men within the unit. Moving forward to combat the emerging threat. Heavy blaster fire was concentrated on the roots as the defensive line was in total disarray but managed to hold fortunately.

"Hold this position, I will concentrate on defending the front from the jedi strike team" Aschwin said towards his troops; moving away from the fighting within the defensive zone. Sliding over a barricade that had been set up previously to the spot where he had fought the padawan before who currently was not to be seen. The light of his curved blade shined on the icy floor.

"Let the enemies of the empire crumble"

He said into the cave to echo to those incoming towards his position.

​

 

[Sōla Taan]

​

“The name is Grendel.”

Sōla barely heard him. She flew instinctively, her mind elsewhere, wading again in the depths of the Force, though perhaps this time with more caution. She had felt a powerful disturbance echo in the aether, like a massive rock that had plunged into a pool. Something ancient had awakened. She sensed the weight of years like crushing stone, and anger that burned hotter than the twin suns of Tatooine.

The tunnel, luckily for them, was pretty straightforward. There weren’t many turns or twists, just a straight shot to the surface. Unluckily for them, they were still in the tunnel when the ship crashed.

The very air shook. There came a deafening boom that shook the very ceiling loose as the earth above cracked. All round them, the tunnel crumbled. A huge slab of stone plummeted straight for them.

Time slowed to a crawl. The Force showed her the faults in the stone, an intricate web of winding cracks. One pulsed larger and deeper than the others, near splitting the slab in two. There, the Force suggested. Sola snapped out a hand and struck with the Force like a piercing knife- the massive slab parted, opening to the sky, and Sola flew up and up and up through the gap, urging the Mando to follow.

The world was still shaking, the ground itself cracking open. A massive creature loomed in the distance- the source of the disturbance she’d felt. She couldn’t see it, not through the dense clouds of snow and debris that still wafted thickly in the air, kicked up by the crash, but she could feel it.

She didn’t know where the other padawans were, and there was no way she could help them on foot. She needed the mando’s ship. “Come on then, Grendel. Where’s your ship?”

​

 

[Grendel Krayt]

Sōla Taan​

Stampeding down the tunnels after the Jedi, it felt like they had been running for hours while in reality it had only been for several minutes due to the monotonous nature of the tunnels. Suddenly with deafening boom the ceiling started to give way moving on instinct Grendel moved to try an cover the Jedi only to stop upon seeing the Jedi do something that caused to massive slab of rock to break, Grendel became very glad that she didn't try what ever that was on him.

Having climbed up through the hole and onto the surface Grendel took a large breathe of the fresh air, seeing the Jedi staring off into the distance as if seeing something large and terrible Grendel took in his bearings.

"Come on then, Grendel. Where's your ship?" the Jedi said. Grendel turned back to the Jedi and pointed towards the Empire lines.

"Its over behind the Empire lines parked where the troop transports are, and unlike you I'm not build for stealth" Grendel said "Also whats the plan when we get to my ship?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Jem Fossk ; Margo Liaeris
Objective: #2 Hallowed Scar; Save Jem
Soundtrack: Raining Fire

Jem Fossk managed to get to her feet, but the wound she received was so much worse than Cailen thought... not only had the hot plasma blown through her shoulder, it had melted the skin and muscle of her face. She ignited her lightsaber, but Cailen could feel her pain. She was in no condition to fight, not now. Cailen was surprised she was even alive.

He pushed forward, rushing through the icy tunnel. He had to close the gap, had to get closer to Jem. If he could just get himself between her and the trooper, maybe he could buy her enough time to retreat into the tunnels.

Margo Liaeris must've predicted Cailen's plan, because she snapped her pistol to Jem's battered frame. The thought of watching his friend die - of watching another friend die - was agonizing. A sudden burst of energy surged through Cailen's body, the Force taking over his movements completely. He threw himself between Jem and the Imperial, holding his hands out instinctively. He half expected the particle beam to burn through his hands, just as it had to Jem's shoulder, but instead, a thin aura of energy shimmered between the boy and the SCAR trooper. He'd summoned some kind of barrier that absorbed the blast.

Cailen was utterly shocked at the Force shield he'd manifested, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Jem! Jem, please, you have to get out of here!" he shouted to the wounded girl.

"Go! Now!"

 

[Corin Trenor]

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Iris Arani Jand Talo Hal Vaiken

Foolishly, the Padawan reared his head at the sudden sound of Jand's voice. It was a relief, a crack in the clouds of the most thunderous storm, a reprieve from the internal horror of such a cataclysmic failure. Even with one returned to him, he still lost another. From the two Corin could see, that is. Countless others no doubt suffered a similar fate, a cynical thought decided for him.

"You're alive..." His breath-y voice murmured between strikes, only to find a terribly familiar boot crash into his torso once more. Both thumped into his chest and sent him flailing backwards towards Jand, crashing into him. He groaned with each pained movement, no piece of his body was free of an ache it seemed.

"Where's Iris," Corin threw what little effort remained into the strenuous bid to untangle himself and climb back onto his two feet, all with no shortage of crimson to stain the snow he left behind. "Is she dead?" He persisted worryingly.

 

[Jand Talo]

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Equipment

The trooper threw Corin, which sent him flailing through the air in Jand's direction.

The Nagai knew what was behind him, the cavernous void from the drilling, so he knew to let his fellow Padawan continue tumbling that way was dangerous. Jand tried to call on the Force, to use it to stop some of the impact, but only managed a portion of the intent; and so the pair crashed, with the pale Padawan letting out a grunt, as they toppled onto the cold ground, with Jand aware of his sword to which he held it away.

But, at least Corin hadn't continued over the edge.

"I do not know," Jand muttered, as he scrambled back to his feet, his side wracked with pain from the collision. He persevered. "I was stunned by the starship impact and hanging over the edge."

Ahead, the trooper likely used the time to his advantage.

"You are more Force capable," Jand said as he stepped past Corin and continued to run toward the trooper, longsword back in loose guard, as he anticipated more tricks. "Find her. I will keep this one busy."

As Jand closed the distance, he pushed forward his free hand at the trooper, to send a wave of Force push. It wasn't overly potent, but that wasn't the point, as the Nagai dropped to a knee and slid at the opponent - hopefully while the force wave provided some distraction. Jand dug in a heel, which caused him to spin, as he used the momentum to bring the longsword around in a deadly slice aimed for the knees.

The mono-molecular edge of the blade whistled.

"Time to see if you are more than just wrist rockets, Imperial."

The blood from his right side continued to seep across more of Jand's tunic.

Allies: Corin Trenor | Iris Arani
Engaging: Hal Vaiken​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

5th post

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY

SHIELD_ALPHA
Lord-Regent of the Galactic Empire
Grand-Triumvir of the Tarkinist Administration

Belligerents
(IMPAF Vs. GADF)

Saul Vandron Kriegan Tavlar FN-999 Hall Mannarra Bex Tarring Delilah Jones
Aoki-Barran Mira Margo Liaeris Orik Dakari Sid Berik Sars Sarad Sabe Aner
Wolfram Triko

Mylo Thorne Kaul "Joker" Emos Sara Roche Shar Sieu Kragr Krayt
Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Nida Perl

Sword-Duel
(Empire Vs. Enclave)

Opposing Fighter: Shai Maji

MEMORIES ON ILUM: FLASHBACKS ON A FROZEN LAKE - PART 5

Tellan Lake, The Kyber Range Mountains,
5km West of the Hallowed Scar, Ilum (Early-Spring of 877 ABY)

'Jetpacks are simply nice to have.'​

Whatever shuddering sighs were heard and perceived before, heart-breaking though it was to hear, were long gone by then. Shai was seemingly no longer there, all that remained in sight was the cold Beskar of a Mandalorian, a Krayt in the truest sense - right down to every last nerve-ending.

The Shai who Lord Erskine knew from the Csaus encounter and beyond, from all the snippets of footage found from Tython and elsewhere in the Galaxy, had grown immensely as a warrior in her own right; and like all of the old Woad's many scholarly and personal interests, Barran had been constantly keeping his ear to the ground for signs that Maji was not only alive, but thriving wherever she went. From the very moment Lord Erskine snapped out from the haze of his post-Nirauan psychosis, the realisation of his mistake had rendered him mute on the topic to all around him, investigating the battlefield exploits of the champion he failed in drunken apathy.

At the surface, of course she's right but-

The jetpack still finds a magic of it's own, a power that exists solely by Shai's will.​

Starting low again, but this time waiting low until revealing form at the very last instant, the learning curve was clearly not too steep for a Mandalorian warrior of Shai's unique sort, seen with a newfound sense of intrigue as the Woad's eyes drifted to the armoured arms and shoulders for signs of form or striking intentions. And yet, what made it all the more difficult for Lord Erskine was Shai's deft armoured vambrace parries, offering a speedier, lighter take on what might have been expected from the Lord-Regent's latest cybernetic left arm in these moments. But Maji was slipping quite deftly within Barran's reach-pocket, making use of the closed distance between them to unleash a strong, low-sweeping kick that tripped the ankle of the front-standing foot, then proving the jetpack's true worth once more as the last, most-potent overhand blow of the combination rained down from yet another quickly-regained standing form - and all the while blocking every last blow that neared too close to the gaps in her Beskar'gam.

A true credit to her clan, her creed and culture alike.

But Erskine's back, pivoting foot had remained steady despite loss of balance and equilibrium on the front, and in his moment of creative madness, (such that had taken hold of both Barran and the Mongrel in their first fight) the old man chose to jump aimlessly into an attempted interception-strike, hoping the broadsword's reach would make up for the inaccuracy of his latest make-or-break endeavour. But something happened as both blades were sweeping towards a decisive blow, a gargantuan distraction not only ruined the trajectories of both perfect strikes, but also ruined their chances of deciding the winner in that otherwise-perfect moment in duelling history, enraging both warriors as the flash and auditory boom from above threatened to kill them both.

Not that it mattered to the mentor and his champion, not when both blades quickly slipped up to the throats of their counterparts' wielders, holding in poise as they looked up to find a massive Star Destroyer descending towards the planet's surface, and close enough to their location that it's tremors sent long, crooked cracks across the the ice beneath their feet when it eventually crash-landed; changing the very nature of the duel on the ice between Shai and Lord Erskine, as then the chances of surviving the ice began to dwindle, but the swords still remained firmly fixed at the necks of their respective counterparts.

'Three options! One, we both die here like idiots - two, we take it to the shallows an' finish it near the snow - or three, we talk! But I also ask that you consider this.... No matter what is chosen in the end, I'll understand. We're both warriors after all, an' we both know that none o' this is your fault.'

 

[Auteme]

IVI Kel Se'Taav Forlan Norsama Ronval Rubat Dracken Pryce Ben Thano ​

"No," she said, "they haven't."

It wasn't something she'd taken personally. Tithe's communications with the Imperials were sparse at best -- at least, to her knowledge -- and now she was inheriting the crisis he'd managed to stave off. The Triumvirate seemed both apathetic of and extremely invested in the Alliance. On the one hand, a rival power, on the other, an essential ally. It was enemies that gave authoritarians power. They didn't need to know her; they could paint her any way they liked, and she could be that monster to an entire nation.

Auteme kept herself from taking any small pleasure in M's wordplay. The Director's brief reply was insightful, yet still, she felt like things were being held back.

"Not different enough. Even when Tavlar was in power -- Yinchorr, right as the war with the Sith seemed to be approaching a reprieve. They can't help themselves. And I'm sure we'll get apologists someday soon, saying he was good at heart, that it could've lead to democracy. No. This seems very much the same to me.

"The Imperials can't exist without enemies. Sith first -- it's an easy sell. They're evil. They're dangerous. I certainly want them gone. And so a charismatic leader comes along and tells me to trust him, he'll get rid of them, and we'll be safe after. But then the Sith lose, their nations begin to crumble, so the Imperials turn to us, and tell their citizens, their soldiers, that we're just as bad, that we're corrupt, greedy, weak-willed; only strong because of our longevity, strategic position, wealth.

"So they show their strength, throw their fleets at us in full force, even if it's not really about taking anything. It's a flex. It's mythmaking. It's propaganda. How petty would you have to be, to maneuver your fleets all the way around to Ilum from the galactic north, just to steal a few crystals? They barely care about their forces's victory, either. They'd fire on themselves if it meant making us look scary, and them strong enough to take us on."

She vented her frustration into her rant, finally finding a moment of calm. When the young agent came into the briefing room and whispered to the director, she almost yelled at him, but she managed to hold her temper. This was enough.

"Fine. Fine. Director, I would like a full report on our intelligence apparatus within the Empire, on my desk tomorrow. I'll meet with the Defense and Intelligence committees afterwards to take recommendations on how to proceed. In the meantime -- start digging up the dirt. Every minor imperial scandal, every bad-faith propaganda piece they put out, everything on our own imperials. Leak it to the media. Get the gears turning, give them enough for months."

She took a deep breath, then ran her hands through her hair and back onto her neck. "Get- our three GADF command sectors. Night Hammer, Azure Hammer, Steel Blade -- I want their commanders on the line with me in ten minutes. And where the hell is Pryce? Get him here. Now. Go."