InJustice: Here comes the Pain

[Laira Darkhold]

"Let no god tear asunder what men hath wrought."​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K07yVtzioI​

​

Location: Roche, Outer System
Operation: InJustice
Allies: Mandalorians
Enemies: [member="James Justice"]

UMC-C1 Alor-class Dreadnought, Ori'drahr
UMC-C11 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C12 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C13 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C14 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C15 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C16 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-B1 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Mracr'wisr
UMC-B11 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B12 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B13 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette
UMC-B2 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Uliik'edee
UMC-B21 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B22 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B23 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette


UMC-S1 Warden-class Sentinel Frigate, Diamtr'uhetr

The bridge of the Ori'drahr was a buzz once again. Having retreated from Alderaan to Roche, the ship had stayed berthed at the Mandal Hypernautics yards there for several days, its ammunition being replenished slowly but surely. Fuel cells refilled and replaced, supplies returned to their holds, and fighters replaced with the updated Ra'grs and Rekali's. The troops were cycled out, and fresh Clan Vereen Aliit'drahr were moved into the massive ship's barracks.

Draco stood watching the stars now, the ship pulled back to the edge of the system, a Rally Master beside him, giving him status reports. "Well, Commander. Three things have been noticed. There was a raid on the system, but Mandal Hypernautics wasn't the target. It seems they were after Phrik, likely Hutt Cartel remnants. Ship went into combat mode when they arrived and secured the yards."

The Dragon nodded after a moment, signaling the Rally Master to continue, "Second, we noticed the Verpine have once again fallen under Mandalore's influence. They seem pretty grateful to have us. Reports of the GR SuCo having used them to plant evidence against us have surfaced. We found holofootage of verpine being killed by non-descript soldiers in mando style armor well before the invasion. None of the timestamps matched anything nor any of the hangar numbers with existing time stamps. The queen seems to believe it means the venting was premeditated."

"In that same vein, her trial is still ongoing as far as I know. But, we have evidence of negligence. Verpine under her orders broadcast message for Mandalorian civilians to fall back to Mandalorian controlled hangars AFTER she gave the order to vent hangars. It was broadcast on all channels and over intercomm. She heard it, she didn't do anything about it. That with the falsified evidence already prepared. She can plead whatever."

The black haired Mandalorian waved it aside. "No one in the Republic cares that she killed women and children. She did it for the right reasons as far as they are concerned and we aren't actually people as they are concerned either. We are primitive lucky to be treated as sentient as far as the Senate and their officers care. She will remain Dar'manda and remain hunted by our people until the day she dies in whatever hole she is hiding in. Same with her entire family."

The Rally Master's eyes spoke of exasperation. For all the Mandalorians did, the Dragon was right, no one in the Republic cared about punishing criminals. It was easier to embrace them. "Speaking of war criminals. The War Criminal known as James Justice hasn't been found, but we did find his company's base of operations."

"Justice? I've heard very little of him. What did he do?" The deep melodic voice rang out through the bridge.

"Oh, he's the one that destroyed evacuation craft to save time. It was listing and he could have Tractor beamed it up and to safety, instead he shot it with a full volley. He is the same one that accepted [member="Captain Larraq"] 's bribe to abandon his contract and showed up with Clan Raxis a little later." The Rally Master smiled from the deck, reflecting in the slight sheen of the transparisteel.

"Ah, that one. I've heard tales, never met him. Where is his company's base of operations?" The Commander turned from looking out at the stars to the Rally Master.

"Here."

The datapad had a set of shipyards highlighted on it, glaring back at the Commander as he looked it over. "You are sure that is the shipyard he owns?"

"No one has done a direct check, but its them as far as we can tell." The Rally Master was a little anxious, a little excited to fight someone today.

"Send a squadron of Mktwo Caburs to do a visual sweep of the yards while cloaked and get me a communication line to Aliit'buir Rekali. He will want to know." The Rally Master nodded respectfully and hustled off to do as instructed, moments later a Holocomm was brought to the Dragon of Mandalore, the line secured and encrypted.

"Aliit Rekali. I thought you and your clansmen might want to know my boys think they have located Justice Shipping LTD's headquarters. We are scouting it now, and will have it finalized shortly. I know your Aliit'buir might be interested in bringing at least one of the Roche criminals to justice, and so this is the heads-up. Respectfully, Draco Vereen. Oh, and let the old man know, I've turned from the Path of the Sith. He may be interested in that too."
[member="Ember Rekali"] [member="Elijah Rekali"]

The Mandalorian clicked the communicator to a different channel, going for a different old friend. "Arrbi, its Draco. Wanna get into some trouble?"
[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Anija Betna"]

And finally a message to a very, very different old acquaintence on a private channel, as heavily encrypted as he could make it. "Hey, its Vereen. If you and yours want to knock someone around, I'd owe you one. Coordinates and information attached."
[member="Darth Carach"]

The board is set, the pieces are moving. Little blue efflux streaks broke from the hangar, ten sets moving for the inner system to get a look at the suspected shipyard.

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"I only want the ship. The rest is fair game." Catalys closed the channel to all essential personnel and starships, after explaining the details of their mission.

Dropping out of space along coordinates -- with information -- thanks to [member="Darth Carach"]'s Mandalorian friend, the Primeval Fleet arrived along the outskirt's of the planet's gravity well. Spearheaded by a small vanguard detachment led by the Phantasm, Catalys looked outward from the command ship's viewport. "We're detecting more vessels than expected -- Mandalorians; it would seem." The senior officer alerted his commander of the news. "Issue further orders. Do not fire unless fired upon. We're not here for Mandalorians." Additional word would be relayed to anyone with open channels.

The Fleet continued to drift towards the shipyard. Although they hadn't initiated a full scan yet, thanks to the information granted, they'd begin pinging for Order's End using the Dark-Net transceivers. If it was here, they'd know. "Prepare all attack craft for launch. Identify enemy presence, keep the rest of our fleet in reserve." He'd state, his voice modulator regulating the tone of voice. Although an Umbaran hardly needed to hide what wasn't there to be found.

Now it was time to see what [member="James Justice"] is hiding...

[member="Laguz Vald"] | [member="Lord Ajihad"] | [member="Theseus Reneun"] | [member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Darth Adekos"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"] | [member="Ebon"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="Luca Thorne"] | [member="Harley"] | [member="Rusty"]

Spoiler: Vanguard fleet

x1 Primeval-class
x2 Time Rift-class
x4 Gulandi-Class

5000 meters

 

[Eun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjqGn2VsIE​

​

"Helm, take us out of hyper speed."

Koin leaned forward, whispered in her ear. "You sure about this, Kate?"

An icy glare turned to regard him, "He killed innocents. That's reason enough to loot him dry. Besides, are you telling me you're turning down an easy score."

The grey-haired human pursed his lips and said nothing more, judging her with thoughtful brown eyes. So be it. Let him judge. The Heralds of Chaos would sate themselves on the fat of Justice Shipping.

And Kate would let them do it.

Cold fingers curled around her heart, reminding her of the true reason the Heralds came to call. It left her feeling hollow, but for a sudden flare of helpless rage directed at a trio of names. She repeated them now in her head. Over and over. Carach, Adekos, Shorn. Carach, Adekos, Shorn.

Her hands balled into fists and trembled.

The viewport of the Pariah II's bridge lurched from the blue whorl of hyperspace to a view of Roche. Her ships sat on the opposite side of the shipyard from [member="Catalys Maijora"]'s

"Deploy all squadrons and bring us in."

Forces:
680m

Spoiler

Privateer-class frigate Pariah II: 280m

• 36 Fighters
• 8 Assault Shuttle
• 4 Gunships

Peregrine-class Armed Freighter Twilight: 400m

• 24 Fighters
• 24 Bombers
• 4 Shuttles
• 6 Medium Freighters

 

[Laguz Vald]

Your days never really get boring when you’re as busy as Laguz. Being at the top of the bounty hunting food chain meant a lot of steady, well-paid work, which the shifter really didn’t mind. With contacts that spanned everything from the One Sith to interstellar giants like Danger Arceneau and Alric Kuhn, jobs were never in short supply.

And then there was some strange sense of loyalty to the old firm. Or maybe their credits. Because say what you will about their crazed religion, their hosts of fanatics and their well-endowed - though sadly, late - leader, the Primeval didn’t skimp when it came to compensation.

Besides, how could xe refuse an old Exemplar buddy like [member="Catalys Maijora"]? They’d killed so many people together. Good times.

Laguz didn’t arrive with a fleet. Xe arrived in a rather unassuming ship, the sort one can mistake for an oversized beer can that’s seen some better days, and boarded the Phantasm after broadcasting the proper codes. Xe still had those, after all.

The stroll to the bridge was a short one, and in the span of a few minutes, the sniper came to a stop next to the masked umbaran.

“Evening, Cata. Whose day are we ruining this time?”

 

[Rusty]

Rusty rarely took contracts these days. Most all of his business was business related, and it was beginning to wear on him. The Shard needed a break from the behemoth that had sprung up from a little shop in Breehara, and frankly, Koko was happy to give it to him. His personal assistant (there was no other word to sufficiently capture just how many roles she held in the company) had hunted him up a contract. Plenty of people to shoot at, and not a one of them because they didn't want to pay for an arms shipment.

Or at least, not one of his.

The Shard was fairly humming as he met up with the rest of the ships, and a fair few he wasn't expecting. He requested clearance to dock his tricked out little Panaka-class starfighter with the flagship, and after a brief pause to verify his credentials, was on his way to the bridge to meet with the boss. The exact terms of the contract had been a little vague, and since there wasn't a brief waiting in his inbox upon arrival, he figured it best to get the words straight from the tauntaun's mouth.

"Howdy," he said brightly, ducking his mechanical head to avoid clanging against a doorway. Or hatch. Or whatever these naval types called it. "I'm told I need to speak with [member="Catalys Maijora]."

Hopefully no one on the bridge would be startled by the large, heavily armed robot dressed like a lumberjack. Well, dressed like a lumberjack that was going to save Little Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf, so long as the Big Bad Wolf was a street gang from the seedier parts of Mos Eisley.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

While [member="Catalys Maijora"]'s forces deployed themselves well within sight of the planet, another fleet materialized from hyperspace just outside of the system's borders and well beyond scanner range. The fleet was underwhelmingly small in quantity, but what it lacked in numbers it made up for in advanced weapons and heavy shields. There was the Primeval-class Star Destroyer Ruination, flagship of the infamous Darth Vornskr - Butcher King of Panatha, with its sleek angular design brimming with weapon systems all tied to a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence software developed at the height of the Old Empire's power by Darth Arcis. The other two ships, the Wyyrlok-class Star Destroyers Hammer and Anvil, were arranged to flank the port and starboard sides of the Ruination's bow so that their formation when viewed from above resembled a triangle.

The rest of War Fleet Black Iron was kept in reserve, a dagger to thrust into the belly of the enemy when they were at their most vulnerable. For now the trio of ships would idle outside of the system, waiting for Catalys' orders to jump in and engage @Jame Justice's defenses with unrelenting brutality and methodical efficiency. Reconnaissance reports claimed that there was a small fleet with ships of Mandalorian design also present in the system: a wild card. They would be dealt with if need be, but otherwise they were to be avoided if possible as Darth Vornskr wasn't willing to provoke an interstellar crisis just after he had worked out a non-aggression pact with the Mandalorians with the aid of [member="Isley Verd"].

He sat on his throne, his fingers absently drumming against his chin as his eyes beheld a holographic display of the surrounding systems with geometrical shapes arrayed to represent the Primeval and Mandalorian fleets as well as his own. His brow knit in concentration, and he tapped one one of the keys on the command console built into his throne to hail the Primeval commander through an encrypted channel: "The hounds howl for carnage, Maijora, and hunger to be loosed. Give the signal, and we shall ensure that nothing remains of Justice's forces but ash."

Spoiler: [B

War Fleet Black Iron[/B]]

Spoiler: [B

• Primeval-class Star Destroyer - Ruination
• Wyyrlok-class Star Destroyer - Hammer
• Wyyrlok-class Star Destroyer - Anvil

4,800 meters

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Location: Roche, Outer System
Operation: InJustice
Allies: Mandalorians
Enemies: [member="James Justice"]
Unknown: [member="Catalys Maijora"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"]

UMC-C1 Alor-class Dreadnought, Ori'drahr
UMC-C11 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C12 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C13 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C14 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C15 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C16 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-B1 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Mracr'wisr
UMC-B11 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B12 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B13 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette
UMC-B2 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Uliik'edee
UMC-B21 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B22 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B23 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette


UMC-S1 Warden-class Sentinel Frigate, Diamtr'uhetr

The Rally Master sprinted back through the bridge skidding to a stop just behind the Mandalorian warrior he answered to. "Commander, Diamtr'uhetr reports contacts dropping from hyperspace. No tags on specific ships, but she reports Primeval Fleet ship classes." Draco glared through the transparisteel. Had he been trained in Deadly Sight, the steel would have melted. Of course it was the Primeval. That would have been who Darth Carach sent to capitalize on the information about Justice. Whatever slight he had done to them, Draco was unaware of, his mission was simple. Obtain confirmation that station was affiliated with Justice Shipping LTD, and allow the Warmaster to exact punishment upon the man as the elder saw fit. That was why he was Warmaster after all.

The black haired Mandalorian turned back and walked for the command chair at the rear of the bridge. The tactical datafeeds beside it and the command controls in its armrests were important to fleet command. He had seen Rach Vizla enough to have the strong gist of how to command a ship like this. Part of the Mandalorian wished his elder fleet advisor was in command of this situation, but that was not the case. He was alone, and it rested on him. "Slave the Mracr'wisr, Uliik'edee, and Diamtr'uhetr to the Ori'Drahrs Navicomputer. We will use its advanced course plotting capabilities to maneuver the task force into position with a microjump."

Warriors began scrambling to relay orders and align the delicate computer systems needed for such a jump. The Ori'drahr was more than capable in this mess, but the other three ships weren't equipped for that so they would be relying on exact calculations from the Alor-class to see them safely to the inner system. "Chart a course to put us between the Primeval and Nickel One. I don't care about Justice right this second, we can deal with him in a moment. Have all crews moved to battle stations, condition red. Flight crews to their cockpits across all ships."

The seconds began adding up, more and more, longer and longer. Time was of the essence in scenarios like this, but as far as Draco could tell, the Prime didn't seem interested in Nickel One, its people or its phrik. All those were good things. One unregistered station in Roche could be sacrificed for the good of the civilians in this system. "Open Comms to the scout squadron now."

"Yes sir. Channel open, comm one." The communications officer in the pit looked up only to point at the chair with her eyes and return to her duties. The many duties of the bridge crew were beginning to stack up in the emergency scenario. Draco could feel the stresses of the officers working diligently, but they weren't freaking out. They were anxious.

"Scouts, pull away from the station, full stealth and give me a good view of the Primeval fleet." Draco rested in the command chair waiting for the navicomputer to plot four courses with little to no room for error.

"Sir, Hyperspace in ten seconds. Eighteen second jump, all cruising at rating two point zero." Draco began mentally counting down in his head. Nine, eight, seven. Not what he had been expecting from this routine mission, but it was what was happening. The stars turned from little pin pricks of light to long lines, and then the blue swirling tunnel of light took over the veiwscreens of the bridge. Eighteen seconds.

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"Someone who stole the wrong ship," he'd remark to [member="Laguz Vald"] before returning his attention to battle ahead. "I want gravity well gener--"

"Sir!"

"What?" He grumbled mildly with disgust at being cut off. "Look to your left." The Umbaran tilted his head, and sitting right outside of the viewport was a now much closer Mandalorian fleet. "Hail them before they open fire," Catalys announced.

Why must I always give that order when it's too late? He couldn't help but feel defeated by the fact that this is the third time an opponent did exactly that. "Channel open. Not sure if they're listening..." Catalys gave a firm nod, clearing his throat before he spoke. "This is Catalys Maijora, Executor of the Primeval Fleet. I have no quarrel with Mandalorians. I understand we've never opened diplomatic channels before, but I am willing to negotiate an official ceasefire between the Primeval and the Mandalorian Clans." He'd leave it at that, hoping for a favourable response. [member="Draco Vereen"]

Meanwhile, an escort would lead [member="Rusty"] towards the bridge. Now; turning his attention to the arrival of the Black Iron fleet... "[member="Darth Vornskr"]. Your reputation precedes you. I am awaiting word from the Mandalorians, if they're willing to play nice we shall begin our assault immediately. Otherwise we'll have a distraction in the meantime..." Closing the channel for but a moment, Catalys rubbed the back of his armour plated neck.

"Just like old times?" He'd quip over to Laguz.

 

[Sirak Kolar]

Location: Roche, Outer System
Allies: Primeval Fleet
Enemies: [member="James Justice"]

Aboard the bridge of The Eschatol, lights began to flicker as it dropped from hyperspace not far from the Vanguard Fleet of [member="Catalys Maijora"]. Captaining the vessel stood Ebon himself, his crystaline amber eye's carefully looking out the porthole at the various ships before him. He grumbled softly before the soft buzz of their open comms sprang to life;

"Do not fire unless fired upon. We're not here for Mandalorians."

Ebon didn't respond, but forwarded the message to his robotic crew through a short few clicks, a synthesized voice repeating the message thrice over the ships internal intercoms. Decks below, the forces he had, collected their arms and prepared for battle between their newly found ships, aged armor, and weapons. Ebon's fingers edged their way across the durasteel rail he found himself standing behind, a small anticipation growing in his throat to once more strike fear into those who stepped to the Primeval.

Ebon offered a short message to the flagship of the Vanguard Fleet;

"We've come."

 

[Laguz Vald]

“Just like old times,” the shifter agreed with a smile, following Catalys’ gaze through the side viewport. “Oh, jolly good. Mandos.”

Something about xir voice implied a distinct lack of joy at the sight. Not because xe held grudges - that would simply be unprofessional of xem - but rather because Mandalorians didn’t share xir streamlined outlook. Still, xe’d be remiss not to give it a chance. [member="Arrbi Betna"] had been perfectly civil during that hunting adventure; perhaps the rest would follow?

A familiar timbre washed over the bridge then, and Laguz pivoted on the spot with surprise etched in xir features. Lifting an eyebrow, xe strolled over to [member="Rusty"], eyeing xir favorite droid construct with a critical gaze.

“Fancy meeting you here. Got bored of poking at guns in the old shop?”

“Oh, speaking of… say, Cata, you wouldn’t happen to have any of those experimental rifles lying around? I always wanted to give them a try…” xe trailed off dreamily, clearly fantasizing about scenarios in which the weapons were being used to their highest potential.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Location: Roche, Outer System
Operation: InJustice
Allies: Mandalorians
Enemies: [member="James Justice"]
Unknown: [member="Catalys Maijora"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"]

UMC-C1 Alor-class Dreadnought, Ori'drahr
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%
UMC-C11 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C12 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C13 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C14 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C15 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C16 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-B1 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Mracr'wisr
Shields: 10%; Hull: 90%
UMC-B11 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B12 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B13 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette
UMC-B2 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Uliik'edee
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%
UMC-B21 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B22 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B23 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette


UMC-S1 Warden-class Sentinel Frigate, Diamtr'uhetr
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%

The ships reverted from Hyperspace, the blue tunnel making way for the bright lines of stars, breaking into the pin pricks of starlight of realspace. The Mracr'wisr caught a small asteroid on its way in, damaging its shields and knocking it slightly askew, but other than that, the fleet was relatively safe from any hyperspace blunders. The Mracr'wisr was quickly reporting less than ten percent shields and minor hull damage across the impact area, but was still functional.

"Sir, communications from the Primeval are streaming through." The comms officer spoke again, not looking up from her duties as she continued directing traffic diverting civilian craft behind the small task force in the system.

"Diamtr'uhetr reports two Primeval battlecruisers, two Wyyrlock-class destroyers, two Primeval pocket destroyers, and four escorts. Classes are mostly unknown still getting full scans of them, but the Wyyrlocks are unmistakable." So they were heavily outgunned as it sat. Even with the Ori'drahr at the center, the Primeval forces had them by the gonads.

"Drop our escorts and let me listen to their communication to us." Draco's voice was steely and calm, well aware of what was happening. They weren't hitting the system, they were after Justice for something. He didn't know, he didn't care. Let them take the brunt of the attack if they wanted to. Its not like the shipping company was terribly important to the Mandalorian war effort.

"This is Catalys Maijora, Executor of the Primeval Fleet. I have no quarrel with Mandalorians. I understand we've never opened diplomatic channels before, but I am willing to negotiate an official ceasefire between the Primeval and the Mandalorian Clans."

The Mandalorian warrior mused for a moment. "Anything backing this up ensign?" He asked the communications officer once again.

"Yes sir. Immediately following, the flagship broadcast a message to hold fire against Mandalorian Vessels."

"Send message then."

::This is Commander Vereen. Carry on your business and exit system as soon as your mission against Justice is complete.::
[member="Catalys Maijora"]

The Mandalorians were outgunned and outmanned. If the Primeval weren't there to wreck the system, there wasn't much reason to enter a fight that couldn't be won at the moment. And until communication jammers went online, no doubt Nickel One was screaming for Hyperion Security personnel to return to reinforce the outlying system. Besides, in his day, the Mandalorian had fought alongside many who called the Primeval allies. He wasn't above letting them trash some random, non-Mandalorian's toys.

"Load Graviton Warheads set for missile dispersion, and a set of heavy proton torpedoes from the Kyra'muds. Other than that, lets deploy a squadron of Hecr's and sit and wait. If they make a move we will fight them. If they want the suspected Justice Facility, well, they save us the trouble of pacifying it. Oh, one more thing, send message."

::Commander Maijora, allow civilians on station to escape. Point them my way.::

 

[Williamice2]

Location: Roche, Outer System
Allies: Primeval
Enemies: James Justice

Theseus was not a pilot. That was just a simple fact to life. As he sheathed and unsheathed his main hand lightsaber from it's pommel. Luckily due to some teachings of a past mentor of Theseus' he knew how to make allies. Whether they wanted to listen to him or not. So he kicked back and relaxed on the small ship he had borrowed, along with it's crew. If things went well Theseus would consider taking this battleship for his own. Though until then, he and his crew would need to survive the assault they were part of. Which would be less mind wrecking when Theseus was on ground level.

One of the pilot's called across the com link. The instructions of the leader of the fleet. "So, Mandalorians are neutral unless they shoot at us?" Theseus stated to himself more so then the others. "Well this could be interesting." he said and stood up from the chair he was in. Moving to the deck, and taking a position behind the pilot and co-pilot. As he began to survey the battle zone. Theseus opened the com links to his nearby allies. Only to listen to the current chatters. Just before the storm was to come from the choices they made. Theseus had a lot to catch up on regarding the primevals affairs. Though he was pretty sure reclaiming the flagship was a good first start.

 

[Rusty]

Unless xe wanted him to, Rusty couldn't pick one of [member="Laguz Vald"]'s faces out of a crowd. Xe was pretty damn good at what xe did, all things considered. The Shard had taken to greeting empty rooms when they were supposed to meet up, on the off chance that xe was pretending to be a chair.

Hey, it could happen.

This was a surprise though. He didn't recognize xir, but given the location, it was a pretty safe bet. He threw a hand up in greeting, the frankly excessive amount of weaponry clanking against his inhuman body.

"Hey there, Stranger. I'd have brought you a goody bag if I knew you were coming to this party."

He turned towards his new employer and offered a curt bow, a nearly imperceptible inclination of his head.

"So what's the play?"

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"I have six in my personal armoury. I trust you remember the way?" He'd reply to [member="Laguz Vald"]'s question, before turning to face [member="Rusty"] who until now he's never met. Bringing up the display of Order's End, the holographic projection revealed a seemingly ordinary Heavy Cruiser. Its specs did place it higher up the list in terms of firepower, and defenses, but other than that nothing about it seemed particularly special.

"We're here for this ship. I'd prefer to commandeer it, but there's a hidden room on board. Inside that room is an archive. I need it." He'd explain. "Otherwise, everything else is fair game. I'd prefer to cripple the enemy presence once we're done here." Catalys added the note of their 'after party.'

"Incoming Mandalorian transmission..."

Listening to their transmission, Catalys remained silent. Offering not even the slightest twitch of his body language to suggest how he felt. "Very well. Tell them civilians won't be harmed. Send them the data of Order's End, and specify that we want it intact. Ion fire only, if the ship engages theirs." [member="Draco Vereen"]

"Alert the rest of the fleet: The Mandalorians are not our enemies, and we've agreed to not interfere any civilian evacuations." The news would be relayed to every ship and person with an open line of communication. Still no sign of pirate activity, however, it was likely they were preparing a defense.

[member="Ebon"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"] | [member="Katya Shorn"]

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

It was not every day Joycelyn Zambrano took a role among her family. Usually, her time was spent elsewhere, in fields of her own labour. On this day, she stood on board Ruination on the brink of combat, spawn of the Butcher King's loins. However natural the consummation of Joyce and her twin sister was, the likeness to her father was there. At the first glance, it was in the way she carried herself with strength and pride. It was also in the fold of the eyelid, the dusky skin and dark hair, so common among their species. Perhaps more notably, it was in the very structure of her face; she had inherited his prominent cheekbones and strong jawline. However, it was known that she had forsaken the pantheon of Panatha for for the deity of her mother; Joycelyn was a servant of Vahl.

Though the Vahlacanthix was on the bridge, in the presence of the God King, she was stowed off to the side as an odd side-note to the whole affair. Clad in a modified version of the armour worn by infantry troops of The One Sith. Her modification was a simple matter of paint and did nothing for or against the effectiveness of the armour, but added an element of personal detail to the breastplate and helmet. One day, perhaps, she would have forged an armour of her very own, but until then she had more than sufficient protection. Joycelyn's left hand rested on the pommel of a blade. It was no legendary blade like the ones [member="Darth Vornskr"] held in his vault, but it was hers and it was sharp. Joycelyn found that, unlike the lightsabre she carried at the back of her hip as a spare, the solid blade had a comforting weight in her hand that matched her way of combat. On the opposite side of her hip from the blade, she could feel the weight of the SK2 Ripper.

From her station, she watched the distance silently. Her brown eyes narrowed as she tried to make something out in the distance, yet Joyce kept her proud posture. Inside, she was repeating a prayer to the goddess of fire, asking her favour in the violence to come. Between the prayers, the odd glance slipped from the viewport to the vicinity of Vornskr.

Goddess Vahl. Yours is the fire and the blood.
Touch your embers to my heart and kindle the flame.
Mother Vahl, witness my fury; witness my wrath.

 

[Laguz Vald]

“Coming? I am this party, @Rusty. Or will be, anyway, once we actually hit the ground.” Xe frowned at the fleets flaring up on the tactical overview of the planet; little red, gray, and blue dots designating friends, neutrals, and foes.

Apparently the Mandos decided to do the smart thing.

“You bet your ass I do,” Laguz quipped with a wicked grin and disappeared through one of the doors leading off the bridge. Cata’s personal armory could be called the Mecca of the weapons enthusiast without exaggeration, and played a big role in why they got along so well. Anyone with a good taste in guns was okay in the sniper’s book.

And boy, did [member="Catalys Maijora"] have good taste.

The shifter nearly went weak at the knees from the selection displayed before him as the door slid open. On the tables were laid out small arms and concealable weaponry; the cases were chock-full of various explosives and its heavy-duty cousins; and lastly, the walls were laden with goodies closest to Laguz’s heart.

Rifles.

Xe let out a wistful sigh, swooning at the sight. Had Life Day come early this year?

With wide eyes and an exultant expression, the mercenary slowly ran xir fingers over their sleek metal bodies. Xe imagined their tremble, their fierce roar, their strong punch. Biting xir lip, Laguz hovered over one in particular. It was smooth, chrome, lithe and deceiving in its looks.

Just like xem.

“Oh, you sweet, sweet thing. Where have you been all my life?”

 

[Judas Wayne]

Location: Entering Roche

Allies: Mandalorians, Primeval

Enemies: Justice

While the Mandalorians and the Primeval were negotiating, a small fleet began to enter the system. It did not boast as much manpower as the Mandalorians' impressive grouping, but it was a sight to see nonetheless. It was built of an impressive host of carriers, all surrounding a heavily armed capital ship. This fleet bore a logo the galaxy had not witnessed in many a year, a symbol Sith and Republic alike had once feared but had long since forgotten. It was the symbol of the Black Sun syndicate, one of the greatest criminal organizations the galaxy had ever seen.​

​

At the bridge of the command ship, The Noble's Bane, Chaka Meshindi stared out of the great bay window. Quite host had already gathered near the supposed location of James Justice's base. The warlord took a moment to ponder why he was here in the first place. The Suns hadn't done much in the past several years, and this was by far the biggest undertaking they had participated in for some time. Apparently Janus had some ties to the leader of the Primeval, or so the word on the street was. He shuddered at the thought of the white-masked man. Something about the mysterious leader of the Black Suns just wasn't right.​

​

He was shaken out of his trance by one of his lieutenants. "Sir, we're approaching the fleet. Shall I engage communications?"​

​

The warlord gave a curt nod, and the lieutenant took a seat at his station. The young togruta began setting up an encrypted communications channel, sending a beacon out to the two allied fleets. He gave Chaka a thumbs-up once the broadcast signal had been initiated, and the crime lord spoke into the comm device with a distinct tribal accent. "This is Chaka Meshindi, commander of the Black Sun fleet at Roche. We are here to assist Catalys Maijora in the destruction of James Justice. Requesting permission to advance into position nearby." The last words he spoke left a sour taste upon his tongue. The crime lord didn't like to ask permission to do anything, much less from some witch-man of the Primeval he didn't know. However, it was a necessary evil if he didn't want to engage in combat with the other fleets.​

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Fleet​

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Capital Ship: Phoenix-Class Destroyer (Containing: x12 Ghost Bomber, x2 Mouse Lander, x4 Graul-Class dropship, x-amount of troops)​

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Other: x5 Karakter Carrier (Containing: x2 Kirtok-class attack ship, x12 Borvo Starfighter, x12 Vaughan Starfighter)​

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[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Catalys Maijora"] [member="Laguz Vald"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] [member="Rusty"] [member="Theseus Reneun"] [member="Ebon"] [member="Katya Shorn"] [member="Darth Vornskr"]​

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Location: Roche, Outer System
Operation: InJustice
Allies: Mandalorians
Enemies: [member="James Justice"]
Unknown: [member="Catalys Maijora"] | [member="Katya Shorn"] | [member="Darth Vornskr"]

UMC-C1 Alor-class Dreadnought, Ori'drahr
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%
UMC-C11 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C12 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C13 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C14 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C15 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-C16 Roche-class Light Corvette
UMC-B1 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Mracr'wisr
Shields: 15%; Hull: 90%
UMC-B11 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B12 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B13 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette
UMC-B2 Kyra'mund-Type II Battleship, Uliik'edee
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%
UMC-B21 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B22 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette

UMC-B23 Shaadlar-Type II Corvette


UMC-S1 Warden-class Sentinel Frigate, Diamtr'uhetr
Shields: 100%; Hull: 100%

The Mandalorian ships fell into position between the Primeval and Nickel One, with crews moving around, busily working at their stations while the Primeval continued to amass forces in the system. It was getting, a little out of hand. At the moment the Mandalorian forces were outnumbered, but Hyperion Security forces were nearby as were United Clan Fleet assets. Roche was, after all, a fortress system and included a Tra'kranak in its outer system. This much build up of Primeval forces, even if not currently acting hostile, wouldn't be allowed for long. The main reason no one had fired yet was because of the Primeval's actions thus far.

"Has anyone been able to reach the Hyperion Forces?" The dark haired Mandalorian's eyes were plastered to the tactical readouts, the ever growing Primeval fleet more than doubling his own, with allies still dropping in.

"Yes sir. They are saying twenty minutes until they hit outer system and link up with the Tra'kranak, then from there they will proceed as they see fit." The communications officer glanced up from her display to look at the Mandalorian warrior sitting in the command chair. "Should I tell them to move to condition red? They have a few strike ships that could jump straight to us."

"No, I don't want to piecemeal the fleet in when it comes. The ships we have here are enough to hold the enemy at bay until they arrive should the Primeval choose to attack Mandalorian targets. They want to detonate the only unclaimed station in the system, they are more than welcome to. They aren't firing at us, and they are letting civilians evacuate to us." Draco leaned over in the chair, "I want the highest ranking, highest paid men and women from that station brought before me as soon as we get them." That would be enough, he could clear his conscience and know for certain whose this big target's was. The rumors weren't enough for him, but for the Primeval, the rumors were certainly enough to launch a strike into possibly hostile territory. Whatever it was they were after or hated Justice for, he felt a twinge of pity for the man. Draco remembered Wayland well enough.

"Open a channel to the Primeval Flagship."

Bustling and the sound of buttons being rapidly pressed, silence fell over the bridge and the hustle and bustle of a busy battlecruiser fell away as the Commander prepared to address the Primeval officer in command of the fleet assailing the station in the system. The mandalorian looked at the static clearing from the signal, and began speaking, the baritone of his voice echoing through across the bridge, resounding through the holocommunicatior. It was always best to see and hear one's adversary if it could be done.

"Hello, I am Commander Vereen. I've heard of you Executor Maijora. It was either Contruum or Balmorra we served on the same side, I'm not sure which, they both bleed together in my memory. I must inquire as to the reason for you visit, though. It has me intrigued. What has this Justice Shipping done to you to cause you to risk an attack on him inside Mandalorian Territory?"

 

[Eun]

The amount of resources committed to the ruination of one man's merchant empire was staggering. Shorn's lips curled into a sneer. The Heralds needed to carve out their due.

"Captain, that standoff between the Mandalorians and the Primeval is looking tense. We don't want to get caught in the middle of it."

"You're right, Koin. Let's get our scraps before the vultures descend. Tors, target those defense emplacements with ion fire to cover our insertion. We'll deploy everything. Hit hard, get what we came for, and leave."

"Tugs still the plan?" asked Koin, eyes narrowing at the tac-comms.

"Yeah, tugs are still the plan." She turned, the dark fabric of her coat swirling, "Koin, you have the conn."

"You know how I feel about you going on boarding actions, Captain."

The care in his voice... but then everyone knew he looked after her interests. Was more a father than anyone else had ever been.

After a pause, Kate snorted. "I know."

Then she was gone.