Invasion Iron Rain | EE Invasion of TSE-held PL-40112-CE-021105

[Aerarii Tithe]

Location: Mirador tower, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Discuss business and defend against the rebels
Kit: Skystas Rieve iv Tave Daboti Dvasi | Sith-Imperial Military Uniform
Allies: Darth Prazutis | AMCO | Grand Moff Aut-X | Kascalion Giedfield | Moff TV-771 "Bishop" | Onrai | Lark | Orion Darkstar | Djorn Bline | TSE
Enemies: Malicar | Karisa | EE
Post: III

---

The holoprojector in the middle of the conference table came to life with a planet-wide broadcast no once, but twice. The first was from Emperor Kainan Wolfe , the leader of the Eternal Empire, and until moments ago a stalwart ally of the Sith Empire. Tacitus had participated in the Invasion of Kintan just as Aerarii had. His betrayal would send shockwaves through the Sith Empire. The second transmission was from Shadow Hand Darth Prazutis , who warned the Eternal Empire to lower their weapons or die. He was charged with defending a planet, which while by itself was not important, it's location so close to Bastion rendered it a high priority.

Tithe looked to his two guests for a moment. Was it simply a coincidence that his meeting with Malicar had been arranged to coincide with the invasion? And Baroness Karisa - was her last-minute addition to the negotiations as innocent as she said?

Regardless, he could do nothing to stop the invasion unfolding around him. He could, however, walk about with one hell of a deal for the citizens of Sector Group II. One step closer to regaining his former glory.

“You are correct of course,” Tithe replied, leaning forward on his chair and studying the datapad before him. “Interstellar’s track record had been adroit and without blemish.” Certainly, there were alternative shipping companies out there which could get the job done for cheaper, such as the up and coming Ru Comet , but they rarely had the massive cargo capacities of Interstellar.

A loud blast washed over the tower. The Moff looked to a nearby protocol droid and tapped his ear twice. The droid lumbered over and handed him a tactical comlink tuned to the battlenet which he placed over one ear. He connected just in time to hear that Grand Moff Aut-X had fired a massive defoliator round at the enemy formations. Reports began to flood in of enemy casualties, including downed shuttles. High Inquisitor Djorn Bline reported that he was moving to investigate a possible incursion.

So far, so good. The Eternal Empire threat would be routed swiftly.

“I concede your point,” he replied to the shipping CEO. “Yes, yes, I think this will work... I’ll have an addendum drawn up specifically for the Braxant routes. I believe there is a contingency clause in, ah, Part Seven - yes, Part Seven - which deals with establishing new navigational waypoints. We can base the per lightyear rates on that.” Establishing waypoints within safe territory was a significantly cheaper exercise than forging new hyperlanes through enemy-occupied territory, but Tithe was buoyed by how well the battle was going.

The blast doors irised open and a serving droid entered. It placed a platter of canapés on the conference table between Tithe and the two Chiss - trimpian, bofa treat and fried crispic - and then silently departed. “Please, eat, you’ve come a long way.”

Aerarii selected a canapé and washed it down with a mouthful of the beautiful Alderaan wine. “My Lady, I can organise for your shuttle to be escorted to safety if you would prefer.” While the Eternal Empire was now officially an enemy of the Sith Empire, her posting did carry with it diplomatic privileges. Her dead on his watch, while of little concern to the Sith, would not be received well by the galactic community at large.

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Location: Observation Post, approaching center complex from top roof node
Objective: Protect Eclipse Forces and ensure extraction of troops
Equipment: One (1) custom-made shoto lightsaber, One (1) CR-1 Blast Cannon, One (1) 50-meter length of synthrope, Four (4) standard thermal detonators
Appearance: Nondescript Imperial Uniform, (minor customizations). Mismatched with standard-issue Ultranaut helmet.
Ground Forces: Eclipse ground troops, airdrop unit. Approx. 30 troops
Interacting with: Malicar , Aerarii Tithe , Karisa
Nearby Tags: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , Kascalion Giedfield , Grand Moff Aut-X, AMCO , Will Westender , Kyrel Ren , Adelle Bastiel , Curtis Learchin , P Placeholder 0128

The charges were set in four places along the top roof node, as well as the central door. As Sargeant Dag split the troops into teams, each team taking on a rope and several weapons managers, he snuck another look at the Jedi hovering in the back of his team. She had decided to defer to his experience in managing the details of this operation--a move he hadn't expected, given the Jedi reputation for ego--instead taking the spare moment to relay something back to her superiors through that creepy helmet. It probably had to do with the host shuttles focusing on the external defenses, keeping them off their backs so they could focus on setting the charges But now that they were seconds away from entry...but if there really were Sith monsters swarming under her feet...he had to be sure she was committed to stepping up.

"We're ready to begin," he said gruffly, shouldering his rifle. He handed the detonater to the helmeted soldier with a deferential nod. "On your mark."

The soldier hesitated before taking the detonator, even looking up at the tree planted just above them. Dag watched the impassive goggle eyes of her helmet, wishing for a moment that he had Jedi powers himself. It would have been nice to read her mind here. Just to know.

"Right," the response finally came. "Detonation in three...two..."

****

From inside the top floor, the explosions tearing half the roof open came as a bit of a surprise. The soldiers came down in showers of smoke and dust and rubble, whooping in the chaos and noise. Sargeant Dag came down the ropes first, kicking at a nearby cabinet for cover before his feet landed. The people inside were already firing wildly, and while his soldiers were giving as good as they got, there was no way they could avoid casualties now.
"Start with cover!" he bellowed into the chaos. "Save your shields, get behind furniture! Don't waste your ammo unless you've got a clear shot!"

The others training held; they followed suit quickly, grabbing anything that wasn't bolted down or used by the enemy to make barricades.

Na'an watched them from the remains of the roof to gauge her best drop, the sick feeling in her stomach growing with every second. Wars were never pretty, she knew that, and part of the nausea was the result of every man she saw drop from from either side, but this...this was different. Something was wrong. Through the clearing dust, she could see men in suits--not the kind of gear you'd see in a lab, proper formal suits. There were security with guns--not soldiers, that was also strange--a man holding a winebottle, a pair of blue-skinned Chiss firing into her squad's main mass...

Wait.

Wait.

She knew that Chiss.

In seconds, her plan of attack changed. The blast cannon was slung back onto her shoulder, freeing her hands for the shoto lightsaber at the small of her back. She scanned the room one last time, her vision locking on a group of her men who had not yet found cover. She crouched, feeling the Force coiling in the muscles of her legs, then launched herself into the space to land in front of them. A flick of her thumb sent the scarlet blade sizzling to life; dimly, she would hear Gorello whooping behind her. She swung the blade once, twice, deflecting blaster shots meant for her men into the tower windows.

"Hold!" she roared. The vocoder of her helmet caught the caught the sound clumsily, and released it with the screech of feedback that came with a sound too loud for it to fully process. "Sargeant, I said HOLD! Stand DOWN, Malicar!"

 

[Dash Typho]

Allies: Eclipse Rebellion
Enemies: Anyone with "Empire" in their name
Units: [4/4] X-Wing Thunderhawks, [8/8] M1 Starfighters
Attn: Vidalu Na'an Will Westender Grand Moff Aut-X Shavara Onrai
Location: Low Airspace of Near Outpost​

Remember what he'd said about things being simple? Sometimes Dash hated the jinx that his sarcasm brought. Not an hour into the battle and a whole new battlefront opened up, as the Eternal Empire had popped into the system like ghosts and immediately joined the fighting, creating a three-way conflict in which the Eclipse were sorely outmatched, no matter how you cut it. Their ships fell from the air like hellfire, some exploding into blazes mid-fall, while others penetrated the defensive fire given by the AA guns, which, he had to note, the Eclipse had helped soften, and made landfall.

That just wouldn't do. If he had to critique the Eternal Empire, he'd have to start by saying they sure knew how to build bricks. The dropships designs were all function and no flair; they had a simple job, get the troops to the ground, and make sure their alive when they touched it. The thick armor and their laser cannons certainly made sure of that, taking multiple shots just to get through the shields, all the while returning fire, on both Sith and Eclipse fighters. You'd thought it was a festival going on with how the sky erupted in fireworks.

Dash tailed behind a Sith starfighter, shadowing it's movements through the air as it tried to shake him. His thumb hovered over the trigger of his joystick as he took the time to wait for the right chance. The starfighter arced upward, climbing into the sky and entering one of the heaviest live-fire zones, where Imperial dropships still descended from orbit. He suddenly gripped the trigger, sending out several bursts of blaster bolts that caught the enemy starfighter in it's wing, sending it on a careening path into a dropship, smashing into it and exploding, while sending the brick twirling wildly to the ground.

On his wings, two of his squadron linked up with him, their Thunderhawks scarred and bruised, but still flyable. Their forces were still deploying to the ground as well, albeit in more scant numbers that either empires. They hadn't planned for an invasion of this size, or even an invasion at all. And that wasn't even accounting for the fact that they were split already between the air and ground; the Eclipse were no grand war machine, throwing body after body at a wall in hopes it'd break. Every life for them counted.

"J-3, J-5, on my lead! Jester, rally up! Let's give our people a little breathing room!." With his two wingmen, Dash would sweep towards the low airspace near the AA encampments, firing on the guns' personnel before they could adjust their sights, while the rest of the squadron soon entered the fray, combating and covering Eclipse dropships that entered the airspace as well. As one of their dropships fell from the sky, Dash switched targets and engaged the Sith Interceptor that'd downed it. "We might not have the numbers, but we've still got the punch!"

OOC Edit: Fixed Links​

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Objective: 1
Allies: EE, NIO
Enemies: TSE Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

When the fleet had emerged from hyperspace. Kyrel's eyes immediately snapped open as he could feel a chaotic whirlwind through the Force, as if the very nature of this battle was leading him somewhere. With the Force leading him to the ground or at the very least pointing him in the right direction. Kyrel finished with his gear and departed for his TIE Silencer. It didn't take long to depart from the hanger bays of the ship he was on.

The Silencer roared through space as it banked left and right, through the orbit of a backwater world no one knew the name of. Thanks to his design the Silencer was hard to detect on sensors unless seen up close. Bypassing both the Empire and the Sith with relative ease. All the while as he gripped the control yikes the pull of the Force became stronger all around him. Something was guiding him he could feel it.

When entering the atmosphere it seemed the battles had begun in its beginning stages, as he had hoped for it to not become a drawn out siege. He even vaguely questioned as he tried to land undetected near the observation post. Of if he would survive or live through the battle or not.


Even he couldn't say, and all the while he felt destiny was having its own hand at work here. Landing somewhere not far. When he emerged. He gripped his saberstaff as he moved. Igniting one of its blades. Feeling it's ferocious and unending hunger for the dark side take control. He journeyed his way as if finding an entrance or to try and find one.

In the midst of it all a familiar prescense had struck him. One of Loreena the spawn of two Jedi he had fought before. The silent grin he wore turned into a scowl as he sensed her not far from where he was reaching out he spoke. "Come face me girl... Your death is near." He said broadcasting his dark aura in the Force. All the while remaining vigilant as he sought to now hunt down his first target. A Jedi girl.

 

[Malicar]

Location: Mirador tower, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Discuss business and support the rebels
Fashion: Suit and Scarf - Krongbing Interstellar Fashions
Allies: Vidalu Na'an , Kainan Wolfe , Karisa EE and EE Allies - sorta...
Enemies: Aerarii Tithe , TSE, Eclipse Rebels, and TSE allies - kinda...
Post: III

Pulling both speeches up from both Darth Tacitus and Darth Prazutis was an unexpected distraction. However, they were all fooling themselves if they thought they could entirely ignore what was going on around them. As the transmissions faded, Malicar added, “There are times when we cannot choose our masters—whether we report to them directly or we are at their mercy as a corporate entity. Sometimes being an independent operation does not feel entirely ‘independent’, but alas, I digress…”

Not wanting to be uninformed, he made no attempt to hide what he was doing. Malicar slipped his own earpiece out of his coat pocket and actually held up the earpiece so Aerarii could see. He slipped it in his ear and continued. At this point, they all needed to be abreast of occurrences happening around them—the safety of all three of them was not to be forgotten.

Attacks were happening all around the observation post—while he knew hostilities might be in their vicinity, he did not realize they would be in the eye of the storm, as it were. Word was reaching his ears from reports from Interstellar Shipping Security Group (ISSG), which include his pilot on The Shadow Hammer and his bodyguard escorts outside the blast doors. A deadly bomb had just been dropped and thankfully the post’s shielding protected them…

Moff Tithe responded to Malicar’s concerns over credits. In the end, they landed about where they both expected. Malicar was in no position to ask for more now that his largest client had declared war on his second largest client…Tacitus had unintentionally hamstrung Interstellar Shipping. His company would not be in any strong bargaining position with The Sith Empire—he would be paid in the service’s worth and not a credit more. In the end, it was a good deal for both sides and he felt that both Aerarii and he were satisfied. In truth, he did want to help Aerarii with his predicament—he was one of the few sane within the Sith Empire in Malicar’s estimation…cultured, sane people were simply hard to find.

Malicar smiled with a curt nod, “What you ask is entirely reasonable, Aerarii. We are proud to be of service. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I recommend continued correspondence for potential future opportunities.”

The blast doors opened a second time with a platter of canapes. Upon being prompted to partake, nodded in appreciation and fixed a small sampling of the food, refilling his own glass as well. He wanted to ensure that he never drank more than his host—he would not want to be rude, bring a wine, and drink it all before his host had his adequate fill.

But wow…this wine is excellent.

Moff Tithe, ever the consummate host and gentleman, offered to have Karisa transported to her shuttle. He knew, that if things turned awful, he would be leaving in the Shadow Hammer—which was conveniently parked in a nearby pond as to avoid detection. Such were the extremes that Malicar had to go to when entering hostile territory.

Fortunately for Malicar, most of the ISSG security force were former enforcers and bodyguards that protected him when he was Underlord Eshro of Black Sun. The small team had been beset by enemies for years and their response was fast and efficient. The updates over his earpiece suddenly cut off to be overridden by a red alert transmission. This one came from one of his ISSG lookouts, watching the exterior of the observation post.

“M, Roof Breach!”

M, meaning Malicar—the Chiss never questioned his security retinue. With lightning fast reflexes, Malicar stood and drew his MAG-30 from his hip beneath his jacket. He was motioning to Moff Tithe at the same time to cross over the table. In an urgent voice, he yelled, “Roof breach! Cover!”

Oh no, the wine! I don't have a free hand!

With one hand on the table and with Karisa and Aerarii, the three of them muscled over the long conference table, which fortunately was much lighter than it looked. The table had not even hit the deck before a massive explosion rocked the entire conference room, with debris, smoke and shrapnel filling the air.

The blast door opened with Sith Security and Interstellar Shipping Security Group personnel filing in. Blaster fire filled the conference room in an instant. ISSG, Sith Security, Eclipse Rebels, and an unfortunate servant droid began to fall from the deadly shots. The conference table was sturdy enough metal that it could take small arms fire, but if they had something heavier—it would be quite bad.

Malicar shot from cover, opting for protected shots towards the last rebels that were coming through the roof. He came out of cover from time to time to finish one of the breachers, briefly exposing himself to enemy fire. The railgun pistol coughed out deadly metal at the rebels as they came in. Suddenly, he heard a lightsaber ignite from one of the attackers—he chanced a look. The sound and the appearance of that lightsaber was very familiar to the Chiss. He had reviewed footage with that very weapon a few nights ago. Watching the woman move and deflect bolts back—he knew her…and apparently he knew him.

Vidalu Na’an…

Her voice was disguised with the voice emulator in her helmet…but from her speech pattern, her lightsaber, and her recognition of him, he knew it was her. But something within Malicar made the decision then and there to protect her identity. Was it guilt from his actions years ago? Was it his mysterious fascination for the woman? Or was it simply self-preservation? In truth, Malicar could not decide what it was…

An Eclipse Rebel? Well that is…unexpected. We are on the ropes. If they press, we will have to retreat—and be shot in the back in the process. This whole thing is messy—not worth dying over. We are getting out of this…

As soon as blaster fire abated from the other side, Malicar stood up with his arms and weapon held up, looking back at his ISSG members and the Sith security that were here to protect the Moff, yelling as he did so, “Cease fire!”

He didn’t know if his voice would be enough—he hoped the Moff would order his team to cease fire as well.

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, member of the Primyn Group​

Location: Landing Zone, PL-40112-CE-021105
Equipment: Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite
Tags/Attention: Teresa Pelles | Darth Pellax
Allies: TSE and allies
Enemies: EE and allies

Background music:
Cross Borns – Tűz és vér (Fire and blood)​

A huge roar could be heard as one of the cannons fired, as far as she knew from who they were here in the base, it was this droid who called himself a moff. She didn't really understand how a droid could get that much power, even if it was a super tactical droid. She missed this from the old days when the droid was just a droid, nothing more. And whenever she was dissatisfied with these, they could be crushed. And now? He calls himself a moff…

”A little boy with his toys… pathetic” she said. ”Let’s go!”

Set out for battle when an explosion was heard from behind. The ruins! Xanesh was now beginning to be quite frustrated and angry, she didn't like if someone interfered her games or interests. But now that is exactly what has happened. From outside, the sounds of battle were heard a little further afield, multiplied her footsteps, only a few hundred meters, no more. And as she progressed, she also answered her future disciple.

”Good, but remember this is sometimes the biggest punishment for leaving someone alive and seeing everything collapse around him” she said.

As she progressed, she just began to gather the Force just like on Wayland to create a huge Power Storm out of it. She reached into the Force to seize the Force as strongly as possible, in all its aspects, through emotions, grasping in others, using their own power, knowledge. She felt the Force slowly begin to gather around her, swirling, concentrating, By the time they arrive at their destination, more and more will gather, it will be even easier to let go of all this.

”An acquaintance recommended us to you. We will have time to get to know each other later, now it is enough for you to know so much about us that we are both sorcerers.”

​

 

[Karisa]

Location: Mirador tower - conference room, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Diplomacy, good wine, nice company
Outfit: Noble robes, Hairstyle
Gear: Flex-Armorweave fabric in clothing, concealed Charric blaster pistol, hidden short-bladed dagger, 1 hair chopstick with a poison tip, pocket rebreather
Allies: EE and EE Allies
In the company of Malicar
Enemies: TSE and TSE Allies, Eclipse Rebels - Vidalu Na'an
In the company of Aerarii Tithe
Post: 3

All bets were off now that this little adventure of simple work and pleasure was going to be anything but pure pain and misery as the two dire speeches were played on the holoprojector in the conference room back to back; first, the one from the Eternal Emperor, Kainan Wolfe followed by the Sith Emperor's Shadow Hand, Darth Prazutis . This was not good, not good at all. Oh if only she'd listened to her instincts!

When the prepared delicacies arrived brought by a server droid, the Chiss noblewoman found she suddenly had no appetite for the foods she'd normally drool over. Pitty... they looked and smelled delicious too! Then the Moff offered to have her shuttle moved to safety... If he only knew how she/they got to the Observation Post in the first place. It was a long story and a wet one to boot; the reason Karisa had to stop to freshen up before presenting herself for the meeting. And yet, Malicar never had a hair out of place, even.... she had to stop thinking about that especically at a time like this. The man had a certain way of making her 'True Chissness', if one could describe it that way, simply melt away. It was both exhilarating and unsettling at the same time.

"Again, you are too kind, Moff Tithe. Your gracious hospitality is most appreciated," the Baroness responded with all due politeness and respect to her fellow diplomat sitting across the table from her. If they weren't about to become enemies it seemed, she might actually have enjoyed his company; purely for the love and joy in partaking of the finer things dedicated position had to offer of course. Well too, his intellect was charming as well.

Crimson orbs gazed over to the normally almost overly charismatic shipping tycoon. Malicar was good at hiding his disappointment and yes utter displeasure of how this business meeting was turning out not in his favor from all angles. Karisa could tell by the subtle changes in his glowing red eyes that non-Chiss couldn't see and from the intimate nature, she knew of him. Yeah, he was not a happy camper at all, and she feared the Underlord Eshro part of him was going to come out sooner than later and in bold fashion. The Sabosen had seen it many times while they were together... though, it may be what got them through the day if worst came to worst.

And with that thought barely processed, all hell broke loose.

Malicar's men had alerted him to impending danger. The Interstellar Shipping CEO called an audible to take cover just a few seconds before a huge explosion ripped through the dommed roof of the Mirador Tower; the conference room, and its occupants directly below. Quickly the three of them moved to tip over the large table. Karisa helped but stopped to save the bottle of the rare vintage wine as it started to tip and drop to the floor. It was too precious of a thing to just let go splat. Who knew, it might come in handy or be used in their last toast before they die. No... that wasn't going to happen this day. She apparently was a cat with nine lives as it were if looking back on her life and the Chiss was only on number four!

She knelt behind the upturned table between the two men and slipped the opened bottle into the recesses of an elongated pocket inside of her robes hoping the wine would stay safe for the moment, then she pulled her concealed Charric blaster pistol out from its holster and began firing off precise shots at the rebel forces coming down from the hole in the roof best she could to widdle down their attacking numbers until Malicar called for a cease-fire... WTF? And, from the looks of the situation developing, he knew the leader of this group apparently well, perhaps a little too well for the blue-skinned beauty's liking.

Pfft, men?!

 

[AMCO]

Location: Observation Post, Floral Research Hub Aurek, integrated into exterior walls.
Objective: Stay out of danger as the goons repel the "cultist" rebel Eternal Imperial incursion.
Equipment: Tactical Turtleneck & G1 OmniLink | Shield Talisman & Shadow's Folly | SIB-14
Appearance: Wearing a white lab coat over a black turtleneck and trousers; rancor-leather boots.
Ground Forces: 200/200 Karza'Arana Warriors (Reserve) | 4/4 Karza'Arana Darksworn (Honour Guard)
Writing With: Ingrid L'lerim
---

Smiling mischievously, his reply was one of mock-offence. "What? Can't a man appreciate some plants without being harassed?"

Interrupted as they were by the defoliator - goodness was Ingrid fast, fast and very willing to place herself between him and a potential threat. Flattering, really, and so he opted not to point out that two Force Sensitive juggernauts of flesh and steel waited outside that very same door, eagerly awaiting the chance to rip and tear through any that would threaten him.

"Aha, yes, quite the inconvenience..." Smiling softly, he stepped closer again, placing one hand on her hip and reaching for her head with the other. "Oh, I think we were just about to..." ... and just then, a series of resounding blasts could be heard from... the central complex?

Emitting a long-suffering sigh, he opened his OmniLink, sending an audio-only message to Aerarii Tithe . "Are you quite alright, Moff? No matter, I am busy with... science. For the time being, my security contingent is yours to call upon, should you need it. Vandiir out."

"I hate to say this, but we may not have a choice but to postpone this until we're no longer in an active warzone."

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

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

Location: Observation Post, Floral Research Hub Aurek, integrated into exterior walls.
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tags: AMCO

Background music:
Elena Siegman – Abracadavre​

She didn’t want this war…

”But you can appreciate them, especially when it comes to beautiful roses” she replied with a smile.

Ingrid didn't look at who was outside or who had come with Adrian, by then she was already waiting in the room, so she didn't know there was a guard out there taking care of the man. But if she had known it would have been self-evident for her even then to try to protect her partner. Especially such a pleasant company. When Adrian put his arm around her, she too stepped closer, it was still not the most romantic situation because of the armors, but now in the middle of a battlefield – i.e. below – she had to get through with that much.

She had already closed her eyes to the kiss and snuggled up to Adrian as much as she could, when she heard the explosion from above. For a moment her body tensed again, but now she didn't move this time. Wretched rebels, she sighed again as she shook her head slowly, she really didn't want to believe this anymore.

”I start to feel like we are teenagers and our parents are constantly opening the door on us to see if we’re not doing something wrong” she said grimly.

Ingrid stayed in the man's arms, while Adrian sent a message to Aerarii Tithe , she too hugged the man with her right arm, and with her left, she stroked Adrian's spine – though he's unlikely to feel much of it because of the armor – and in the end she stroked Adrian’s nape playfully and kindly. She finally started playing with his hair, while the man was talking, she didn't take a breath so as don’t cover Adrian up in front of the moff, Ingrid just smiled.

”After all, the chemistry between us... is really a science. And what if I can't wait so long?” she whispered, touching Adrian's lips with her lips, but she hadn't kissed him properly yet. ”Or at least we could give it a third chance before we postpone each other’s greetings.”

She didn’t want this war…

​

 

[Thaelius]

Location // HMIS Thrawn, PL-40112 CE-021105 //
Objective // Perfect the Art of War //
Allies // Ellie Mors Eldaah Aderyn

Spoiler: Fleet

Vengence Class Star Battlecruiser "Thrawn" - Full Shields and 100% Structural Integrity
2x "]Marr II Class Star Destroyer's "Chimera" and "Bloodhound" Both 75% Shields and Integrity (Damage to Rear Shields)
2x Incapacitor Class Interdictor Cruiser's (IIC-1 and IIC-2) Full Shields and Integrity
6 Athena Class Shield Friagets (Slight Damage to Rare Shields) (ASF 1 - 6)

"Admiral, New Imperial strike craft have entered the system" the Captain barely paid attention to her words, instead focusing on the multitude of reports pouring into her station."Excellent" Thaelius himself concentrated, not on any reports or the battle but on his thoughts, and soon enough he rose from his command chair and strode toward one of the central view ports of the bridge.

"Excellent? Sir, they outnumber us. Shall we call in for reinforcements?" This time the woman stared directly at her Chiss superior, her brown eyes scanning him for signs. Of what, Thaelius knew she did not know. "Yes, excellent. Order the Chimera and the Bloodhound to turn to face them. Omce this has been done, execute a Marg Sabl. ASF 1 and ASF 2 are to expand thier shields to cover thier exposed weaponary. Once this is acomphised, I want them to fire all thier cannons at the nearest Imperial Starship. Helm, bring us dirctly in between the gap. Once this is achieved, fire all turbolasers and ion cannons"

The crew did as they were told and Thaelius watched as the Bloodhound and the Chimera both turned and sped towards thier enemy before turning in a fashion to normal to a standard Marg Sabl, the Shield Frigates protecting them from the incoming weaponry. The Thrawn then followed in suite, pushing itself dirctly in between the gap that was formed between the two smaller ships and fired all of it's weaponry at the enemy fleet.

The Captain quickly realized what he was doing, the formation was his sword and he was going to use it to deal a deathblow to the New Imperial Order's 'Wraith Squadron'.

Spoiler: Fleet Actions

The fleet has been deployed into a "Sword Formation", with the Chimera and Bloodhound turning to face Wraith Squadron, executing
uting a Marg Sabl directly infront of Wraith Squadron, leaving a gap big enough for the Thrawn to enter anf fire weapons.

Bloodhound Target: Endurance Class Fleet Carrier and is Firing (Antistarfighter Weapons Online as Well):

Spoiler: Fleet Actions

• [74] Heavy Turbolaser Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [44] Dual Turbolaser Cannon Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [44] Dual Ion Cannon Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [1] Heavy Concentrated Turbolaser Cannon [Ventral Hangar Mounted]

Chimera Target: Phatera Class Star Carrier and is firng (Antifighter Weapons Online as Well):

• [74] Heavy Turbolaser Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [44] Dual Turbolaser Cannon Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [44] Dual Ion Cannon Turrets [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [1] Heavy Concentrated Turbolaser Cannon [Ventral Hangar Mounted]

Thrawn Target: The Predator and is firng (Antistarfighter Weapons Active As Well)

• [1500] Kyber-Crystal Enhanced Turbolaser Batteries [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [700] Ion Cannon Batteries [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]
• [60] Gravity Mine Layers [Aft Mounted]
• [45] Heavy Turbolaser Batteries [Fast-Track Mountings and Fire-Linked]

 

[Kascalion Giedfield]

​

Equipment: Double-Bladed Lightsaber [Red Crystal] | Armored Sith Robes | Retractable Wrist-Blade
Allies: TSE
Enemies: EE
First Phase Enemy (Planned): Rurik Fel
Location: Observation Post, Exterior Courtyard
Forces: Sixty Cognus Legion Soldiers | Stationed inside Interior Vista | Armed with "Extinguisher" Precision Pulse Cannons and KS-04s
Post Title: Eternal/Rurik

---

Before
He had missed the speech of Tacitus. His ears were too deaf to the sounds around him as he engaged the enemy, and he would only realize what had occurred when he saw the soldiers of the Warlord of Kalidan.

It's treason, then.

Betrayal...

That was the feeling he had felt as he waited for the cultists atop the Observation Post. That was the worry. That was the fear his mind had tried to warn him of. That was the sorrowful revelation he had after he had leaped from the walls down into the initial fray alongside the droids of Grand Moff Aut-X, carving through the swaths before him.

For the first ten minutes of the battle at the Post, his dual-blades slashed and lacerated through the front-line enemies he believed to be cultists, their crimson beams streaking through the air like bloody brush strokes. Bodies fell apart in milliseconds, thudding to the ground to remain and rot whilst the Devil sped from victim to victim like a red-gold blur. A frenzied tornado of death. Dozens lay bisected in his wake, trisected as well, even disemboweled, and other manners of grotesque demises, all the while under the roars and growls of a most aggravated and increasingly delirious Sith Lord.

Indeed, when the Eternal Empire arrived in their treasonous masses, the Devil had entered a worrying state of blood lust. Screaming blaster bolts of the brave had grazed his chest plate, spiking his adrenaline. Grime had began to cake his boots, forcing him to use his agility more and more to remain in the air and thus more difficult to perceive. Thick blood had splattered on his helm like paint, the scent of iron intoxicating him through the filters of his faceplate.

It was only during a split-second moment of reprieve after he chopped a man at the waist and noticed the approaching forces of the Eternal Empire that he realized these were not cultists he was blindly slaying. They were not like any cult he had encountered in his many years of life, for they bore weaponry and armor and insignia unlike any other. He was uncertain who they were and he could only conclude that they too had been led astray by the those breaking their pact with the Empire.

As swift as a bird of prey hunting, that blood lust shifted into a hatred, a fury at having to deal with yet another band of treacherous fools who sought to lay siege the Empire's worlds. Prazutis's words echoed in his ears. Grand Moff Aut-X ordered the firing of his Defoliator tank. And the Devil sprinted forward with the Force, a blade of wind within the wind, aiming now to rend the flesh of an Empire who thought itself Eternal.

---

Now

Another betrayal. Another organization seeking the destruction of the Sith Empire.

The Devil snarls like a rabid dog, twirling his crimson blade in lightning quick movements to deflect the attacks of his new foes who attempted to keep their range. The bolts that he did not manage to block impacted hard with armor that luckily protected him from penetration, but not bruising.

Surprisingly, despite the constant pain, the Devil refrains from unleashing his full might. Instead, he focuses solely on the blades, driven to personal maim the Imperial Infantry Tacitus had sent to their doom. Many are crushed underneath his powerful swings, yet they push on, a showcase of their drive and determination and belief that what they are doing is proper and good.

This only infuriates the demon of a man more and more. And more and more soldiers who could have had their lives mean something are left in dead heaps as a result.

"Is this what you wanted?" he bellows out to the soldiers before him, his voice cracking in genuine anguish and overwhelmed pain. "Is this what you desire? Traitors! All of you! We were your allies!"

His form is impeccable if passionate, a mix of trained experience and raw madness. Swing. Swing. Swing. Skewer. Skewer. Rapid and dexterous attacks act as his words and proclamations for he is-

A sensation hits him like a wall. A sensation of power, approaching rapidly like the wind in a rainstorm. He stocks attacking and falls back onto the defensive, deflecting on instinct alone as he attempts to hone in on the power.

Ahead of you. Coming to you. Meet it head on.

And so he does, launching forth like a proton torpedo and gliding over the enemy, all to fulfill his intrigue of what this power is. Bounding and leaping like a man 100 pounds lighter, Kascalion only has to travel for a short while before he comes upon his new quarry. Time slows down for him as his mind tries to comprehend what he was gazing upon, trying to reconcile why agents of the New Imperial Order were marching alongside the Eternal Empire. Whatever rage he holds for the new traitors is only compounded by the sight of the catalysts for his hunt and his lasting grief.

Time resumes like a neutron bomb and both ends of his lightsaber are ignited and prepared for a violent downward swing aimed for the man producing the most power, a large man who would surely prove an actual challenge. His face contorts under his helm and a roar bursts from within his chest and throat: "TRAITOR!"

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Location: Observation Post
Allies: Eclipse Rebels
Enemies: The Eternal Empire and allies, the TSE and allies
Attn: Lark
Equipment: Nondescript standard plasteel armor, lightsaber



Chaos ruled the front lines. Between the engines of fighters screaming in atmo above, the thunder of their ordinance, and the high-pitched sound of blasters, it was a wonder that anyone could focus. But Adelle kept moving forward with the squad she dropped with, taking cover behind the landspeeders when no cover was available. If they could hold the Sith's gaze just long enough for the infil teams to get to the security room, she'd call it a win. But first, they had to survive. Adelle slid into cover behind a mossy rock, feeling the vibrations of blaster bolts ping off the rock. She gripped the hilt of her lightsaber tightly, quiet though it was. The rebels could handle security forces easily; she was there to handle anything they couldn't.

A wave of heat briefly washed over her senses. She popped up from behind cover and put up a shield as large as she could before the inferno roared over the rebels near her. It lacked the sustained and focused stream of fire a flamethrower could produce. Something like a tank shell hit on their flank. Fire billowed up from the impact, incinerating any poor soul caught in the blast radius. Adelle dropped the shield and ducked back into cover for a precious few moments.

::El, front door situation is getting KUBAR. Any word from infil?:: she said into her comms. With any luck, the infil teams would be on their way to the security room. And some of their own air support would get rid of those damn defoliators.

They had to keep moving forward. Defoliators or not. Air support or not. Command's response or not. Adelle sprinted behind another heavy landspeeder as it passed, moving forward with the rebels. She took cover behind the smoldering wreckage of another, less fortunate landspeeder. They were so close to the front entrance now.

"Come on, Na'an," she breathed. "Where are you?"

 

[Broka the Hutt]

Allies: Taozi Fuyuan Tiberius Bayne Marlon Sularen
Enemies: Ellie Mors Eldaah Aderyn Thaelius
Objective: Smuggle soldiers and supplies to the planet surface while not getting destroyed in order to make money.
Ships: Hutt Chelandion (Quantity: 1), Kesselian Blockade Runners (Quantity: 5)

So far the plan seemed to happen as expected. Both types of Imperials had their fleets fight it out while Broka's ships remained far from the action. It was possible they appeared to be a bunch of cargo ships resting before a jump, or scavengers that came to pick apart the aftermath of the battle. Either way, they were not a perceived threat. Broka saw through the projections as his captain gave out the orders. The first wave of the blockade runners were packed with provisions and ammunition to the soldiers on the ground bellow. Then, a bunch of Imperial Ultranauts were in the process of prepping for planet fall in the second wave. While comfortable in his living quarters across the galaxy, Broka sat and watched the battle like a live performance. He enjoyed the ominous tone of the ships moving towards each other. It appeared the battle has not truly begun, but they seemed distracted enough with each other to ignore the efforts of a small handful of blockade runners.

The captain gave the order on the Chelandion's bridge, and the smaller Kesselian vessels hauled jets towards the planet. The ships were far away, and this initial launch has not yet reached the area with the two fleets meeting each other. All the while, Broka's holo-image showed him snacking on live eels while watching the ships move off towards uncertainty. The drama was all too engaging for the young Hutt. However, so far the plan seems to be going smoothly. The comms of the Sith show no suspection of this small group of ships that are barely capable of military engagement. His fleet is ignored by the Sith as of now. That was all Broka needed. He then hoped they would not become wiser until the ships start getting to the planet's atmosphere.

So far, the pile of credits promised from the Imperials for his services are certainly obtainable. He will be paid to some amount, though victory will pay more. Success, always has the greatest rewards. Broka did not feel the need to speak. All seemed under control, and according to plan. The blockade runners have not yet reached the area of the other two fleets, but so far they are ignored. The plan hinges on the battle starting so the blockade runners could get past a lot easier. The route the runners are taking was indirect enough to the other two fleets in case they did not engage each other sooner, and before the runners could get close to the planet. All they could do now is operate as planned, then wait and see what happens with the Sith and the Imperials. If anything goes wrong, the ships were far too great of an investment to loose in battle against an enemy he was paid to fight. The credits would be nice, but an intact fleet would be more valuable.

 

[Teresa Pelles | Darth Pellax]

Spoiler: Music

Location: Landing Zone
Allies: TSE and allies
Enemies: EE and Allies
Enemies that are in area?: Jack Barrow , Nova Argent , Sgt. Tom Sykes , Agrippa
Main tag: Ardana Vorco
Equipment:

Spoiler: Click me

Silens cursor
Revans Lightsaber
Y.N.D Ysalamiri Neural Disabler

Teresa could not deny feeling the power that swelled like a raging storm of force gathering. Her somewhat seclusion from others made hearing about this stories, but feeling that raw power was... intoxicating and was leaving her in awe. Compared to Xanesh Teresa was but an insect that had learnt party tricks all by herself. Yet it was enough to allow her to be confident in her ability, the difference between her and people who have an abundance of power was Teresa had to be smarter, and faster. "Very well, I will be sure to ask all I need later, as I am sure you have questions for me too anyway." She said as her attention moved onwards again where the front lines where. "I'll follow from above, if you have a target point them out to me over coms. From what I can feel I can only assume you need focus and not to be interrupted." Teresa's pace began to quicken ahead of Ardana Vorco . The woman took one last stride and shot up a small distance into the air before allowing the wind to catch her wings.

With each hard push of her wings the woman would climb seeing the further damage to the surrounding area. Trees scorched and ripped from the ground by crashing ships. Craters of various sizes making their bruises in the ground and soon the front line will be covered in bodies littering the ground to become nutrients. As she circled from above she began to process what the woman meant, was there another person she worked with, a lover maybe? The information she had to go off was they where both sorcerers. It did make Teresa wonder however who the other was. It was certainly a question that needed to be asked. While appreciative of the opportunity Xanesh was unknown, clearly respectable and intelligent, but the lack of information made it hard to get a good idea what the Sith is capable of in any format.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Castle Cry
Enemies: Kyrel Ren
Allies: Eclipse Rebels, R Reyn Australis and Curtis Learchin
Accompanied by: Arla (in sig) and 20 Infantry Soldiers

There were a couple of things that caused Lori to snicker. The first being Curtis' remarks on leaving them some baddies to battle as he scouted on ahead. ~Please do. You can't have all the fun.~

The secondary reason came in the form of Reyn. The commotion caused by his suit trompling through the woods was easily heard. She grinned as she looked back at him. It was obvious that he was still learning the suit for the uneasiness of his movements. ~Doing alright there, cuz? Maybe I should let you go ahead of me.~

That was probably a better idea. With all of his gagetry, Reyn'd be able to find the other access point easily enough. So Lori hung back, letting both Reyn and the other soldiers go on ahead while she took up the rear. It felt right to do that anyways.

And as she was listening to the sounds of battle a few kilometres ahead of them while trying to find another access point for the undergound facility, her blood ran cold. Or at least it felt that way. The Darkside. Someone strong in the Darkside was near.

It wasn't until she heard Kyrel's voice that she knew of where the Dark presence was coming from. She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around, seeing him a short distance away with his blade already ignited. The two had run into eachother before, but that had been ages ago. He should have forgotten her by now...

Lori unclipped her lightsaber, still not entirely comfortable with it as she was a blaster. But comfort didn't matter right now. "My death? More than likely you'll die...of embarrassment for getting your butt kicked by a girl." She ignited her blade, the unique Daghee crystal drawing firth night in a straight line, but in a zig-zag pattern. The silver core was enveloped by a sky blue aura. Everything about her lightsaber was a reflection of her life, both on Commenor and beyond. It was a mishmash of things that she had collected and even the blade showed her lack of direction.

Yet right now her focus was on Kyrel and beating him. She held the blade with both hands defensively in front of her. "Shall we see who's right and who's wrong?"

 

[Lord Venari]

Location: Jungle just ahead the Landing Zone, PL-40112-CE-021105
Objective: Repel enemies & defend AA guns
Gear: In Bio
Allies: TSE & Allies
Enemies: EE & Allies, Open

---

The apparition of just an hour's past had been made reality. Despite comm interference word broke through on the Grand Moff Aut-X Defoliator bombardment and so, the outer defensive line would use this to their advantage. Leaving the bulk of frontal infantry around the gun emplacements spared by the interior's offensive, the Sith Lord led a small task force on a counter op against their advancing enemies. A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, Venari had become as a beast within the jungle opening the floodgate to those specters of tomorrow. Guerilla warfare was the game.

A splash of muck, the crack of fallen twigs, a seven-man unit, five Eternals and two "New" Imperials marched ahead, inbound on a wide clearing the Sith Lord and his unit had just passed. Atop a sturdy tree branch, Venari's fiery eyes glared through his helm and upon his prey, his reptillian pet still clutched to his back. An outstretched hand seized the throat of the closest traitor and with the ethereal powers pulled him into the air. Six visors swept the area in a quizzical search but they were too late. A resounding snap saw the trooper's armored form go limp.

"That one had it easy." Words of poison slipped through armored helms and called the unit's attention skyward to the treetops, yet there was nothing.

Behind the rearguard, one of the two New Imperials, a deadpan voice uttered, "Consider this punishment for your combined betrayals." Before the N-Imp could turn a crimson blade erupted and swung low, depriving the soldier of everything below the knees. The rest readied their weapons, but not before a cascading stream of Legionnaire blasters consumed three more Eternal troopers, their bodies collapsed before a single bolt could be let loose. The final two of the unit fired their own rose and emerald blasts, still doomed to never land their shot. Floating lightsabers sprung alive and fanned through the air deflected the blasts and bereaving them their limbs. Pained shouts echoed into the jungle until the limbless troops pain was abated along with their lives by the final thrust of the floating weaponry.

"Over there! We got one over there!" Another voice shouted from the jungle deep. Blaster fired rained over Venari's unit. One legionnaire collapsed under combined enemy fire. The Sith Lord spun and called upon his flying arsenal. Target data fed into his helmet painting his features with a jubilant sneer. Three of his floating weapons spun ahead of the legionnaires acting as a shield.

"Push them back, but keep distance."

"Yes, my lord."

The spinning sabers broke rotations at random intervals allowing the slowly advancing Sith force to fire off before the plasmatic blades once again played shield to the unit. Six Eternals rallied taking cover behind the jungle's many trees but Venari would not play the long game. Anger coursed through him setting his blood ablaze. Two jutted fists crushed the base of the Eternal cover forcing them back.

"Form up on me," the Sith commanded. His band of troops surrounded their Lord in a tight formation while one saber from the tree piece shield swept into the field. The lone blade cut down the tree line, depriving their enemy’s of the taller cover while providing allies with clear lines of sight. The pieces fell into place. Three measured steps saw the end of the Sith advance. Meanwhile the Eternals positioned themselves behind a fallen tree trunk.

"Hold here."

The trade of fire slowed as the floating saber defense cut each Imperial force off from the other. Grenades took to the air only to be snatched away by Venari's will and tossed back to the traitors. Fiery eruptions blew splinters and debris skyward. When it settled the world went silent. In the distance, beyond the patch of mud and earth that staged the encounter a wave of fire spread through the wildlife incinerating all living matter. Defoliator fire. The Eternals broke from cover and charged over tree by tree toward the Sith. Their fates had been sealed, the lightsaber defense dropped.

"Fire," the final command saw the small unit riddle their enemies with blaster bolts. Caught between the edge of the Defoliator blast and the Sith, the traitors were trapped. One by one they fell, prioritizing an escape from the special weaponry over the threat just ahead of them. Their corpses were washed away with all else the wave of droid hellfire, which only just evaporated ten meters out from Venari's unit.

"Fall back into positions. The day is young, still plenty of time to kill." With that the unit retreated to the wilderness just beyond the clearing. The Sith among his men, the circle's will be done.

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Objective: 1
Enemies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Allies: EE, NIO


Kyrel approached what he found to be a group of Rebels seeking to infiltrate the observation. Despite what was said of the Rebels to be used as mere pawns for the battle. The Master of Ren himself had a personal grudge with the likes of the Arenais family. First with Veirere, then with the Queen of Commenor, and last but not least the likes of her Son. The latter of the which who had caused a great deal of damage to the First Imperial Holdout world of Mustafar, in that attempt he along with a Jedi strike toppled Kyrel's plan to open a rift in the Force through the great power of Fortress Vader, not only had he suffered that loss but lost his Remnant known as the Crimson Hand, and the likes of his Ren followers that had hid with him. He had power and for a long time, he had been reduced to nothing thanks to the Jedi. His grudge was now considered personal.

The man let out a mechanized growl at the remarks the girl made. His staff ready on the offensive, watching as she ignited her own blade. He was all the more eager to meet her in a fight of which he felt old scores would be settled. A Jedi death perhaps one to grant him peace, and who knows maybe his Mother would finally leave at last. In the end, it didn't matter. The girl was no match for something like him, he was stronger than her, a Knight of Ren compared to the likes of the Jedi. He knew how to a blade, studying her for a moment, she looked unbalanced nervous, masking a sense of determination. Unlike other Jedi opponents, he had fought before she had seemed clumsy with the blade. Not the child he had expected much to his dismay.

I see your family's arrogance is still aggravating as ever. Do not insult me, child, I have faced far more than you have." He spoke with venom clear in his voice, despite the garbled voice the Helmet gave. Shortly after the exchange, moving swiftly with the force of a hammer he came battering down on his foe. One heavy slash downwards, following by the twirl of his blade, the anger evident on the blade, as it crackled as it were unstable even though effective in the hands of it's maker. Proceeding after clashes against both blades against each other, as if each sound was music and the blades were simply following an age old dance.

The next slash came down in a side motion aiming for her weapon arm. The direction attempting to slash through her shoulder downwards, seeking to take a good chunk of flesh from his enemy as well as deprive her of her weapon arm. The ferocity in his movements reflected Kyrel's self-training through the years and self-taught techniques. Lacking the finesse a teacher would give him, and more of the self teachings of a barbaric warrior who only lived to be a weapon. The next time the blades clashed it was caught in a lock as Kyrel attempted if his previous slashes did not disarm his foe already in a bloody mess. To overpower with his might and drive her back until he wore her out.

"Out of them all, your brother was one that I was most after. Pity, looks like I will have to settle for you instead."

 

[Placeholder 0128]

​

Allies: EE Rebels
Enemies: Orion Darkstar primarily
Forces: Two Dozen Essonian Veterans

The scent of burning ozone made Cedric's nose curl up in distaste. He was used to violence; war had been the crucible of his youth, but he could never bring himself to enjoy the smell of burning plasma. It was always the first thing he noticed when stepping onto the field, and death surely followed. It only took a few seconds after the conflict began for that death to arrive as a series of bolts ripped through the pointman's energy shield, the phrik beneath it, and then his flesh.

His presence in the empyrean winked out the moment the first bolt exploded in his chest, snuffed out as easily and unceremoniously as a candle. The Essonian muttered a curse under his breath as he staggered to the front of his men, his blade dancing tight to his body as he adopted the age old posturing of Soresu.

"Schëld mauer!" The Essonian roared in his native tongue. His soldiers did as was bidden, seven of the men pushing up to the front and holding their forearms outward. Rectangular beams of blue light glowed from the emitters strapped to their wrists, and expanded outward to stretch from the floor to a foot or so above their heads vertically, and a little larger than their torsos horizontally. The soldiers marched forward across the bridge they had crashed down upon in an interlocked pace, the energy packs they wore on their backs that powered the shields snarling above the chaos of battle.

With every few steps, the men would break their formation, opening small gaps in their lines so that those behind them could return fire with the Sith's infantry. Cedric moved from behind the line, his cerulean blade dancing through the air to catch any shots coming toward their exposed flanks.

If they could find their way to a less open position, it would be a simple matter to entrench themselves and let the Sith bleed themselves trying to retake the position. The Essonians had long since learned that the best offense was often a particularly vicious defense.

"Sifus is dead," announced Decius over Cedric's comm. The old man simply confirmed what Cedric had sensed as they passed the pointman's corpse. "He died well then. Let us all be so lucky!" The Essonians whooped a war-cry in response, one that was amplified significantly by the vocoders in their helmets. It carried over the cacophony of battle, and seemed to further galvanize the men as the shield-bearers broke from a march into a slow jog forward.

Cedric sensed the beasts before they revealed themselves. Whereas men of ill intent were like storms over the Great Ocean, the beasts were akin to hurricanes. The Jedi spat another curse as one of the men at the front of the march confirmed his suspicion with the report of Sithspawn on the field. This wasn't going to do.

Dealing with soldiers was one thing. The warriors that had come along with him were veterans of dozens of campaigns, most having seen their first battle when he was just a child. They could handle whatever mortal creatures the Sith had to throw at them, but Sithspawn were not mortal in the true sense. Only those blessed with the Ashla's touch were suited to dealing with them, and the abominations would likely bust right through their shield wall, and leave the men open to a slaughter by the Sith's infantry.

There was really only one viable option for the Essonians, and it was a gamble.

"You have command Decius!" Cedric snapped as the lone true Sith in the room raised a hand.

He didn't hear the snap, but the roar of the beasts as they were given an order to charge was loud enough to indicate what it meant.

"Nothing stupid my lord," the old Bishop called back from his place at the front of the shield wall. Cedric had no time to respond. He drew heavily upon the energies of the empyrean, willing them to flow through his body and rest in his limbs. After a moment's calculation to determine agood spot to land, he hurled himself into the air.

Those energies spread outward in a thunderclap of telekinetic force as he crashed into the ground a few meters from where Orion Darkstar stood, blade raised accusingly toward the man as he keenly stepped between the Sithspawn and his own soldiers.

"In the name of the Ashla, surrender," he spoke as the battle raged behind him; his tone brooked no disagreement, "You and your soldiers have no need to die here, and I have no desire to be your executioner. Call off your warriors and these...things, and I will allow you to leave in peace."

 

[Rurik Fel]

// PARABOL ACTUAL // Imperial Knight Commander
// ALLIES | EE & NIO // --
// ENEMIES | TSE // Kascalion Giedfield | Coordinated
Armor | Lightsaber | The Vane | Pistol | Grenades

A N T H E M _ F O R _ N O _ S T A T E

The fray. As bloodied and chaotic as it might've proved in its primal reality. It also could not help but bring an overbearing peace about it in its wake. The will of one enacting finality into the many. It'd been a heart pulling, gut wrenching task to inflict the same ages ago. But that was before Mirial. That was when Rurik still peered into the blinding light and marched to the tune or broken virtues and promises. There was no freedom in the light, there was freedom in discipline. From discipline, he could will himself past anything.

His sympathy and patience for these Sith chattle had long withered into nothingness. Their brothers and sisters were brazen and of stalwart will enough to join the new Order and fight beneath a banner that would see their homelands liberated and not rendered unto the cinder. The opportunity to feign ignorance had long passed. The Sith Empire was bleeding like a stuck pig, there was no ignoring the crimson ichor, the gore, the bile.

Coldly the Imperial Knight cut and thrust his shimmering silver blade through each trooper or droid that crossed his path. In a contrast of violent and chaotic attacks boiling the rage around the Emperor's Hand. Rurik felt time slow around him. What were snap movements of his muscles translated as smoothly flowing water with each pace on his path of carnage. He raised his left hand up, relinquishing it from the hilt of his silver blade to wrench a battle droid toward him only to sever the narrow neck of the crude machinery with a sideways cut of his saber before soon he felt the darkness envelop the earth around him. He felt the cold chill of a crypt around him as his form was all but repulsed by the all consuming blackness of him...The Devil.

He was immediately recognizable. No Sith erupted in such a similar fury in even the sight of an auxiliary. Within seconds he saw one...two...three of his men butchered before Giedfield. But they were morsels before a greater course to the Sith. The enemy was coming for him. They were going to meet. Those two streaking blades of crimson crashed down in a shimmering fury at the upper periphery of his vision. Grasping his hands around the hilt of his weapon again, it rose perpendicular to cross along and between the two blades on their furious descent. Locked in an exchange of red and silver, Rurik would not see the Devil's fury be expulsed wholly unto him. Shutting his eyes for the briefest moment, he locked the two in an ouroboros of the darkness.

The rage the devil inflicted unto the Knight Commander, Rurik would only do part to repulse back. Pushing his blade up against the crimson sabers and to his right side before stepping to his left, using the tension as a pendulum to swing down and up from his right side toward the Sith's abdomen in an upward diagonal cut of the blade.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Location: Mirador tower, Sith-Imperial Observation Post
Objective: II - Discuss business and defend against the rebels
Kit: Skystas Rieve iv Tave Daboti Dvasi | Sith-Imperial Military Uniform
Allies: AMCO | TSE
Enemies: Malicar | Karisa | Vidalu Na'an | EE
Post: IV

---

Tithe had Malicar right where he wanted him and was moments from sealing the deal - a very, very lucrative deal for the Sith-Empire - when the tower exploded into chaos.

Malicar’s armed security officers were the first to raise the alarm. In response, the Chiss CEO upturned the conference room table for cover and called for Aerarii to join him behind it. Was the offer gracious, or merely pragmatic? If the Moff died, Malicar would need to renegotiate the contract again from scratch - possibly for terms more in his favour. Tithe scrambled over the table and took cover just as the rebels blasted their way through the roof and windows.

The attackers opened fire, which was responded to by the ISSG security officers. A trio of GP-series Akguza guard droids hurried through the heavy blast doors a moment later. The lead guard droid took a split-second to assess the room, determining who posed a threat to Sith-Imperial interests. “Not them!” Tithe cried - first pointing to the ISSG officers, then to the invaders who had blasted through the roof. “Them!” The guard droids quickly crossed the room and began to engage the enemy in deadly melee combat.

The attack on the tower was a turn of events the bureaucrat could not have anticipated. The advantage he had held during the last round of bargaining diminished as he cowered from a group of unknown assailants slowly chipping away at their improvised cover.

Still, business waited for no man or Chiss.

Thankfully, Malicar called for a ceasefire before Tithe could open his mouth to amend the contract in a way which would have cost the Sith Empire dearly. And much to Tithe’s surprise, the enemy stopped firing. “Yes yes, you too - cease and desist,” he cried from behind cover to the guard droids, who had taken the break in enemy's blaster barrage as an opportunity to try and finish them off.

Aerarii’s comlink came to life with an offer of assistance from Dark Councillor AMCO . “I… ah, yes… believe we have things under control… for the moment,” Tithe replied. “But we do have, ah… armed and unexpected guests. Might I propose you abscond from your current locale if the opportunity presents.”

The bureaucrat stayed behind cover. Malicar seemed to know the attackers and was much better placed to placate them - even if it meant losing ground to him in the negotiations.