Faction Ithor Lost - Emergency Assembly [Vonnuvi Herdship]

[Gillom Rone]

-Vonnuvi Herdship-
-Open-​

---

It was only weeks after the Herd Meet, when news came through that Ithor had fallen under the curtain of the newly arisen Dark Empire. Vonnuvi Elder Priest Gillom Rone was struck with a bittersweet sickness. He had gotten to see his homeworld one last time, but at what cost? Already, hiraeth absorbed his thoughts and feelings. Gillom prayed that his home might be freed, but it would take more than hopes to see it through. It would take action.

They didn't exactly have the strength to go toe-to-toe with this emergent superpower, but they could help in other ways. And to discuss those options, it was time for a meeting. Local officials, Jedi, and public figures with connection to the Vonnuvi were offered to attend the public assembly aboard the Herdship, and discuss their next move. Meetings of this magnitude were rare, but such were the times they lived in.

The assembly was being held in a rotunda, a public building in the administrative sector designed for such use. Gillom Rone was naturally the first to arrive, followed by the Headmaster of the local Enclave, Amani Serys . Once a crowd of concerned citizens had filled out the space, Gillom and his translator droid spoke "People of the Vonnuvi. Many of you here likely already know why: Our home. Our Mother Jungle. Ithor, has been claimed by the Dark Empire." He paused a moment, to let people take in the information, "It's times like these I find gratitude in the Ithorians' mobile way of life. But those who thrive on the Herd Cities above our homeworld have no way out." Unlike Herdships, they were incapable of hyperspace travel. The planet itself was also at risk.

"My hope is that we will find ways to not only help Ithor, but others who find themselves newly and unwantingly subjugated." The Ithorian's countenance dimmed, "But that is a dangerous prospect. One I would not entertain without the full backing of the Vonnuvi. Hence this meeting. I want to know your thoughts. Your ideas. Everything is on the table."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Gillom Rone | Open

Ithor was lost.

Gatz could only imagine the pain of the Ithorian people. He still remembered the fallout of the cataclysm on Naboo, and the way it had fractured families forever. He'd been too selfish to care then; too lost in smuggling spice to pay for his mother's medical treatments. He hadn't helped his kinsmen when they needed it. But maybe he could help the Ithorians now. It wouldn't make up for his negligence in his past but... that wasn't the point, was it?

When someone needed help, he helped. Valery had inadvertently bludgeoned that into his head. And Master Serys-Organa had bludgeoned in further when she'd inspired him to return to the Order.

But what could someone like him—some lowly Padawan who couldn't even do the one thing he was trying to specialize in—do for a whole world?

"Elder Rone," Gatz bowed his head respectfully and spoke up, because someone had to start, "how... destructive was the Dark Empire's conquering of Ithor? Do your people need relief aid?"

He'd been running relief aid to Ukatis for months at this point. No reason he couldn't do the same for Ithor. And if such aid needed to be delivered discreetly? Well, The Red Night was still the quietest ship on this side of the Core Worlds. It was far less than a Jedi in his mid-twenties ought to be able to do, and he felt shame in only being able to help in such a small way, but it was still better than doing nothing at all.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Wearing: Nathan's Robes

Armed with: Training Lightsaber


Nathan Bloodscrawl, newly married in secret, walked the Vonnuvi Enclave to the meeting area.

Ithor's fall had caused his company, which he controlled in secret, to start taking in as many Ithorian refugees as possible. But there were so many it was difficult processing them all.

The "Padawan" was slowly digging his fingers in all across Alliance Space. Each day passed and he made more money, established more corporate outposts, created new products to sell. He possessed an almost unfathomable amount of wealth. Yet in the Jedi Order, he was nothing but some cold, silent Padawan, acting as scavenger/supplier between temples and Enclaves. It kept him mobile. Honest.

Looking back now, Nathan could finally admit it to himself: He was not the same man he had been when he had jumped back into all this.

The Pain of losing Lysandra was as sharp and biting as it had been when he had first come back from the dead. Half the reason he had done nothing but scream the first few hours after his resurrection wasn't just remembering the horror of being murdered...it was the horror of remembering Lysandra's murder as well.

That pain would never leave him, no matter how much he tried to forget it when he was around Vera, now Alice Bloodscrawl when she used a certain guise. But he was a different man than who he had been. The Destruction of the Cult was the most important thing to him, but it wasn't the only thing that was important to him.

He was a married man again, somehow.

Alice was everything Lysandra wasn't. Vicious, Bloodthirsty, the Devil on his shoulder at all times, urging him to at least consider cruel solutions. Yet also starting to listen to his counsel on restraint. Patience.

Each, in their own weird way, wanted the Marriage to work, twisted though it's foundations were. Somehow.

He was not the same man.

He felt the faintest, creeping edge of Hope. With that came the faintest creeping edge of Fear. His conditioning was failing. The words Braze had said to him in that training chamber, about being afraid of living, had started a cascade of choices he couldn't quite explain. It had made him have to work harder on his mental defenses. It had made him start to embrace what he had built.

He couldn't fix everything going on with the refugee crisis, but he could alleviate as much as possible the damaging effects.

Nathan walked in and sat down just as Gillom Rone was speaking.

"In my travels, I've recovered technology. Ancient cruisers that still work. We could house refugees aboard them until we come up with a long term plan. I've encountered people who could provide fuel, and power. Food also..." Nathan offered as a possible suggestion.

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna wasn't an Ithorian, but she understood what it was like for one's homeworld to fall to the enemy. The pain, confusion, fear and loathing they were now experiencing were familiar emotions. Years had passed since Lao-mon had fallen to the Maw, but being in the rotunda made her remember it as if it had happened yesterday.

"At this point, the Ithorians must evacuate," she said after her apprentice, Gatz, asked about the situation. "Regardless of how much destruction was inflicted, the Sith cannot be trusted and Ithor will only face more hardship to come." The refugees would be numerous, and they would likely face problems finding enough space for them all. But their situation was also unique. They were used to mobile living on starships rather than on the surface of Ithor.

A man in the crowd offered cruisers to house the refugees. With her Lao-mon too far away to send aid and still struggling to rebuild, Inanna couldn't promise the Shi'ido's help. But she could offer her own personal contribution. "If finances are a concern, I can provide funds to make up the difference. It's no trouble. I think all of us here on the Vonnuvi are used to helping others by now."

Gillom Rone Gatz Derrevar Nathan Bloodscrawl​

 

[Gillom Rone]

Others in the crowd quickly spoke up to offer suggestions and aid. It helped lessen the weight on Gillom's heart, even if just for a moment. He looked to Gatz, who spoke up first, and offered a conciliatory frown, "We… don't know. Information in and out of the Dark Empire's sphere of influence has been difficult to gather, let alone verify." He nodded towards Inanna next, agreeing with her statement, "But as your master says, the Sith have never shown themselves as trustworthy. At best, Ithor has merely been blockaded by Imperial patrols. At worst, it could already be razed to ash. Whatever the case, the Empire will inevitably tighten its grip."

Amani spoke next, "Meaning, if we're going to act, it's probably best to do so sooner rather than later. Before the Dark Empire can solidify its borders and clamp down on the no-doubt numerous instabilities rising within their space." It was a sudden and hostile takeover. The Dark Empire would be dealing with the consequences of that early on as much as they would exterior conflicts.

Nathan offered some additional resources for possible evacuations and refugee housing. Gillom hummed, "We've still space in the Vonnuvi. But it would be best to not risk being inundated. We may have use for such ships. I'd like to coordinate efforts with some of the other herdships as well. Many will be drawn to help the homeworld. If we can get people out, I wager we will be able to find a place for them."

"We're also stocking up on our Jedi garrison," Amani added, "The New Jedi Order has been discussing strategies to address the sudden hole in the middle of Alliance space. For many of the padawans and younglings, it's not safe to leave them on Coruscant. I've offered the Vonnuvi's Enclave as a secondary refuge, among others."

Gatz Derrevar - Inanna Harth - Nathan Bloodscrawl​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Gillom Rone Nathan Bloodscrawl Inanna Harth

"We… don't know. Information in and out of the Dark Empire's sphere of influence has been difficult to gather, let alone verify."

"Then perhaps, in addition to relief efforts and evacuation, a covert scouting mission to determine the state of the planet and its people is in order."

That was a job left to Jedi Knights, really. An expedition into Dark Empire space? No Padawan in their right mind would want to do such a thing. Except... The Red Night was perfectly suited to covert operations, and he'd be damned if he let anyone else fly it. And Gatz wasn't going to bunker down and hide away with the rest of the Padawans, regardless of whether or not the Council ordered him to.

So, really, the only option was...

"With Master Serys-Organa's blessing," Gatz gave the Chief Healer a respectful bow of his head, "I'd like to volunteer for such a thing. My ship is the quietest vessel The Vonnuvi has at its disposal. Plus, it isn't registered as an Alliance craft, and could appear as just another freight hauler from the Rim. And while my experience as a Jedi might be lacking in comparison to a proper Jedi Knight, I have plenty of experience sneaking on and off worlds."

There was a tinge of shame and embarrassment in his voice, as Gatz subtly mentioned his previous occupation.

Another gentleman mentioned housing the population in recovered ships he'd found, and Gatz's own Master mentioned donating funds to the effort. That was a surprise: he hadn't realized Inanna was that liquid. Why was it that everyone he knew these days had ridiculous sums of money, while he couldn't even afford a new pair of boots?

But that was something to be annoyed about on another day.

 

[Inanna Harth]

People were offering their aid and making solid suggestions for how to help Ithor. So far, so good. Then Gillon said something that caught Inanna's attention:

"The New Jedi Order has been discussing strategies to address the sudden hole in the middle of Alliance space. For many of the padawans and younglings, it's not safe to leave them on Coruscant. I've offered the Vonnuvi's Enclave as a secondary refuge, among others."

What, they're not leaving their child soldiers to hold down the fort? Inanna mused to herself. It was one of her typically dark jokes, but in truth she was glad that they seemed to be taking the safety of their members seriously, especially the young ones.

"With Master Serys-Organa's blessing, I'd like to volunteer for such a thing. My ship is the quietest vessel the Vonnuvi has at its disposal. Plus, it isn't registered as an Alliance craft, and could appear as just another freight hauler from the Rim. And while my experience as a Jedi might be lacking in comparison to a proper Jedi Knight, I have plenty of experience sneaking on and off worlds."

She turned to face her apprentice, a little surprised but not too shocked. Gatz clearly wanted to be more involved, despite his low opinion of himself and his abilities. She gave him a nod of approval. "I also request to accompany Gatz on this mission as his master."

Gatz Derrevar Gillom Rone Nathan Bloodscrawl​

 

[Amani Serys]

The suggestion of a more clandestine operation went from implied to offered. Gillom stroking his wispy beard in contemplation. He admired Gatz's desire to help, and the endorsement from his master. Ultimately he turned to the Jedi master of the Enclave for an answer.

Amani was in similar contemplation, but she came to her answer quickly, "Approved. Your primary mission should be to confirm the status of Ithor and its people. Only if you're certain you can afford the time and attention do you attempt to extract any refugees. Don't play at heroics. We can always mount a second mission afterwards." Amani paused, twisting her lips, "And— If the worst happens, and you do get caught: you're operating independently of us. We can't tie you back to the Vonnuvi. Not at the risk of everyone aboard." Essentially, they were on their own. "We won't just abandon you. But you know I can't promise when help will come."

"Understood?" She wouldn't blame them if they decided it was too much. But if they saw it through, it could do a great deal for the people of Ithor.

Inanna Harth - Gatz Derrevar​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Inanna Harth Amani Serys

Master Serys-Organa's caveats to his proposal were sensible. Once upon a time, before he'd met her, Valery, and Inanna, Gatz might have scoffed at the idea of the Jedi throwing their own to the wolves. Hey go do this for us, but if it goes FUBAR, you're on your own. It sounded all too familiar to what that Shadow had done to him as kid, and why he'd chosen to leave the Order the first time around. But as cynical as he was, Gatz was old enough and wise enough to recognize the difference here. And he'd known what he was getting into when he'd volunteered.

If he fucked up, and got caught... she was right: he could end up leading the Dark Empire right back to The Vonnuvi. And as impressive as the herdship was, there was no chance of it surviving against an Imperial fleet. Just like there was little chance of a Jedi surviving for long on a world held by the Dark Empire. So what was worth more: his life, or the lives of everyone here?

It was an easy calculus.

"Understood?" She wouldn't blame them if they decided it was too much. But if they saw it through, it could do a great deal for the people of Ithor.

"I understand the danger. But a Jedi's life is sacrifice. I didn't come back to the Order to hide away in a temple." Gatz smiled at the Chief Healer easily, "besides, I've never been caught before. I'm hardly going to ruin my reputation now."

He didn't feel nearly as confident as he sounded, but the last thing he wanted was for the High Priest and his people to feel even more uncertain than they already did. Jedi were supposed to bring hope. And, yeah, he was bottom of the barrel as far as Jedi went, but he'd never be more than that if he didn't at least try to act the part.

Gatz turned to Inanna then, letting the rest of the meet go on without him interrupting. There were certainly many more voices to be heard than just his.

"I can have The Red Night flight ready whenever you're ready, Master," He offered, "but the sooner we leave, the better. Maybe this evening? That'll at least give you time to spend with your family before we go."

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan listened to the discussion play out.

"I too, would also like to volunteer." Nathan spoke, turning his head towards Gatz Derrevar .

"I was part of the Wild Knights Squadron in the Trade League. I still have my Stealth Fighter." He offered. "I also got some spare weapons you could use for your operation. Non Lethal but it will also avoid Ithorians getting hurt."

Then he turned to the rest of the Jedi Present.

"The Recon Operation will no doubt be difficult in of itself but there is also the matter of how to sufficiently distract the Sith during evac efforts. I've come across some options, but none of them aren't messy and all are difficult to execute. Whatever we plan, we will likely lose a percentage of the population we want to evacuate...I am aware many of you don't want to treat this as a matter of numbers but we have to figure out a plan that will lose us the least amount, otherwise we could be tossing ourselves into a meat grinder for nothing. I think efforts should be made to disrupt or delay Sith Communications somehow, when the evac effort begins...unless it's like others say, and the surface has been glassed.

Inanna Harth

Amani Serys

 

[Inanna Harth]

The decision ultimately belonged to Amani, the leader of the Vonnuvi Jedi Enclave. She gave her approval for the mission along with some ground rules. It was nothing Inanna didn't already expect. "Understood," she acknowledged.

Gatz answered with his usual bravado, then asked her when they should leave. "This evening," she agreed. "I can use the time to prepare." And sure, spend some time with her family before they left. She didn't know when they would be back, after all.

The same man who had offered ships spoke again, volunteering himself. "We would be willing to have you along," Inanna replied, a bit taken aback by his offer of yet more ships and supplies, including weapons. Who was this man that he had access to such resources?

He went on to stress the need to distract the Sith forces while they snuck the Ithorians offworld. "We understand the risks," Inanna said. "But we must do what we can to save as many refugees as possible. Call it a numbers game if you wish. I will call it a rescue mission.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare." With that, she left the meeting.

Gatz Derrevar Amani Serys Nathan Bloodscrawl​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani respected the bravery Gatz showed about the reality of this mission. Nobody was making him do it, but he was willing to take the risk if it meant helping even just a few more in need. She nodded, "Then you're a better Jedi than you realize," She commended him, "I trust you and your master to do what you need to do."

One of the other Jedi offered himself up to volunteer as well. Amani raised a brow, and looked towards Inanna and Gatz again. This was their mission now. If they wanted him to come along, that was their choice. Amani herself was a bit more skeptical about the "options" he "came across", however. Whether they were the realistic perspective or not, "We're focused on recon right now. We're not going to make any decisions about who gets to live or die, certainly not without knowing what we're up against." If the planet had been completely destroyed, then it was already too late. But debating the acceptable number of casualties wasn't exactly what anyone needed to hear right now, least of all the present Ithorians worrying about their friends and relatives.

Inanna took off to prepare for the job. Gillom now turned to the rest of the group, "It seems our first step is already underway. Consider this meeting adjourned. Return to your homes, be with your families. And pray for the safety of our people." The various civilians and administrators filling the space began to slowly dissipate back into the city. Gillom sighed, and turned to the remaining Jedi, "Good luck to you all. Keep me updated."

Gatz Derrevar - Inanna Harth - Nathan Bloodscrawl​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys Inanna Harth Nathan Bloodscrawl

"Then you're a better Jedi than you realize," She commended him, "I trust you and your master to do what you need to do."

Master Serys-Organa's praise left Gatz speechless. Some mixture of pride and confusion bloomed in his chest: pride at being acknowledged, confusion that she thought he was worthy of being acknowledged. Gatz came to the sudden realization that the Chief Healer's approval was something he craved, but ironically, when given it he had absolutely no idea how to respond. It was just like when Inanna offered positive reinforcement, and he stared at her like she was an alien.

Not for the first time, Gatz wondered just how much damage his time in Hutt space must have done to him, to be so unprepared and stunned when he received praise.

He settled for a dip of his head, and allowed her to address his fellow Jedi.

Gatz turned back to his master, but found that she was already leaving, having agreed to meet him later this evening. That was good, he thought. He'd intentionally pushed their mission off by a few hours—not only to give himself time to do a flight check and any last minute maintenance, but also because if he still had a family, he'd want to spend some time with them before doing something that could end in disastrous results.

"This is a scouting mission," Gatz turned to face Nathan, "we're only going to try and smuggle a few citizens off-world if we're certain we can get away with it. But we're not going to do anything that might jeopardize future rescue operations. If you can accept those terms, we'd welcome your help."

With that said, Gatz gave the man a curt nod, and turned to make his way toward the hangar.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

"Works for me..." Nathan shrugged at Amani Serys , Inanna Harth , and Gatz Derrevar , expression of grimness unchanged. Nathan never fit in to any Enclave he went to. He was too quiet. The very fact he caused few disturbances was a reason some masters were wary of him. His quiet obedience was more unsettling to them for some reason than open defiance or questioning their doctrine would have been.

Nathan, without another word, nodded to Amani and departed for the hangar with Gatz. Scouting was good. Nice to know what sort of Hellhole the Sith had made...