Kicking the Nest [SOV Dominion of Kubindi]

[Varik Ice]

Kicking the Nest​

Kubindi​

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Kubindi.

It is a planet gripped by war. Kubindi is a planet that has been ignored, abused and exploited throughout the history of the galaxy. Its Kubaz are a shrewd and secretive people, untrusting of outsiders and wary of being taken advantage of yet again.

The Hives of Kubindi have once again stirred up trouble amongst themselves; disputes that began over something as simple as food reserves have blown into violence and full-blown conflict. Only now as they find themselves desperate and on their last legs, does the Covluz Hive call for aid from an unlikely ally - The Sovereignty. They vow to pledge their planet into the Sovereignty's service, if the stellar nation will only come to aid them against their fellows. It has chosen to heed their call.

Objective 1: Hive Kadsac

Hive Kadsac is the most powerful and dominant of the Kubaz Hives, sporting its own military force both in space above Kubindi and within the cavernous, almost labyrinthian tunnels within. They hide their army within their tunnels, and their Naval forces are quick-witted and cunning. Root out their forces and rout them, to force surrender if necessary and settle things here and now. The Army and Ground forces must find their main command centre within the maze of tunnels and destroy it; the Sovereign Navy must cripple them above and deal with their Admiral, the vicious Turn Vuro.

This Objective is better suited to characters that prefer: Ground Combat, Space Combat and Exploration roleplay.

Objective 2: Hive Vunum

Hive Vunum has found new ways to utilize their Kubaz cunning; taking in Dathomiri refugees fleeing the Mandalorian regime, their force-sensitive members have been trained in Witchly arts and rituals of the Dark Side, and now they gather at the Silver Forest of Dreams; planning a ritual to grant themselves great power and wipe out the other Hives on the planet. The Sovereign Guardians and a contingent of soldiers have been dispatched to end this dark threat before it begins.

This Objective is better suited to characters that prefer: Force-Based and Ground Combat Roleplay.

Objective 3: Hive La'duc

Though long-term enemies of Hive Covluz, La'duc have no desire to be destroyed - and as such, they have reached out. The Sovereignty, willing to avoid destruction, will be entering talks with La'duc; but it will not be easy. Hive La'duc hate the Covluz, and have no desire to ally with them or serve under them, especially now having a matriarch who has a particular hatred towards them; the Sovereignty's Diplomatic Corps and various dignitaries have been sent with an escort to begin negotiations.

This Objective is better suited to characters that prefer: Negotiation, Non-Combat and Diplomacy Roleplay.

Objecitve 4: Hive Unor

As always, not many Kubaz are so direct as many of their fellows has been. Hive Covluz has been suffering from a widespread sickness, and they do not think it coincidence; their insects, the main food source of their people have been poisoned. They suspect Hive Unor is responsible, but they deny any involvement. It has become the duty of available ONI units, Corsair investigators and diplomats to discover not only their means of poisoning, but proof of the act.

This Objective is better suited to characters that prefer: Investigation, and Espionage Roleplay.

Objective 5: BYOO

If you have something else in mind that would work better for your character, feel free to go ahead with it!

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[Zedd Harkor]

Lord Admiral Zedd Harkor​

Hyperspace -> Orbit of Kubindi​

Objective: 1​

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRoZr9cHL0E​

Through the cosmos and the great beyond of space and time, the Sovereign Navy roared through the inner threads of hyperspace, now a much more sizeable fleet, given their recent acquisition of many other star systems, such as the Eadu System and the Formos System. Corvettes, Frigates, Cruisers – now, even Star Destroyers – raced to the homeworld of the Kubaz, Kubindi. The Sovereign fleet served as the primary source of transportation, for any and all authorized personnel, whether that be a naval officer, an army officer, a diplomat, or even bounty hunters if they so desired. There was an issue, however: the Kubindi Hive of Kadsac. The hive of Kadsac was arguably one of the strongest hives on the planet, and consequently, possessed a potent fleet with a race at the helm, known for their deceit and cunning. However, the veteran head of the Sovereign Navy, Lord Admiral Zedd Harkor, had devised a plan to escort ground forces, diplomats, and any other personnel having business on the ground, whilst simultaneously being able to engage the Navy if the situation came to it.

:: DESTINATION REACHED: KUBINDI. EXITING HYPERSPACE ::

No matter the vessel any of the Sovereign personnel inside, it was an automated sound that could’ve been heard in any vessel, as the Sovereign Fleet exited hyperspace, and into the orbit of Kubindi. Zedd Harkor, standing at the bridge of the Star Destroyer he commanded - The SNV Exaltation - heard the frequent buzz aboard the bridge, as many stations coordinated and communicated with one another to ensure a smooth operation. One of which, was directed to the Lord Admiral himself, spoke a lieutenant; "Lord Admiral, sir. As predicted, sensors have picked up the Kadsac Hive fleet. They're standing-by."

"Good.", spoke Harkor, in a blunt tone; "Give the green light to the transportation vessels for the ground forces. Provide each vessel with a winged escort. Keep picket-line vessel on stand-by in the event that any Sovereign VIPs are engaged. Be prepared to engage the Kadsac fleet in long-range fire if need be. Instruct all personnel to remain vigilant. The Kadsac fleet has let us reach this far, caution has been warranted."

"Loud and clear, sir.", formally spoke the Lieutenant, before leaning into his intercom to speak to the rest of the ship; "Attention all transportation vessel to planetside, attention all transportation vessels to planetside. You have green clearance. All transportation shuttles and fighter squadrons are ordered to scramble, effective immediately."

And, alas; a flurry of transportation shuttles, and half a squadron of fighters each to escort them, rushed out from the hangars of manifold Sovereign naval vessels to the planetary surface of Kubindi. Their dominion had begun.

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Grand Commander Vestille Thumahra​

1st Legion Group​

Kubindi​

851 ABY​

Objective #2 - Neutralize Dark Side Threat​

Post One​

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Back in the saddle.

The interlude had felt like years, walking about the medical facility and complying with the requests of the medical staff. Tests for both his physical and mental state, both having showed mixed progression and degradation respectively, but it wasn't something that had simply come out of the blue. The cuts of his past ran deep, the ghosts of Pestilence still trailing behind every step his took, haunting him, reminding him of his failures that had ended with the deaths of the people that he called brothers. A haunted soul no doubt carried a lot of anger, resentment and rage, their deaths weren't that of a peaceful endeavor, either. Hacked apart, shot, eaten alive, all right before his eyes. Even he had brushed shoulders with death himself, the grenade having severed the indoctrination from his mind. From all the bad that had come from that day, all the pain, all the loss and the venomous anger that came as a result, he was at least a free man, no longer a slave to doctrine.

Though that hadn't swayed the doctors from their concerns, counselling, medication and various other forms of treatment to try and mend the fractures that ran like the abyss across mind and matter. No visitors, it was what he had wanted. People only got in the way or sought to get what they could get out of the man who had lost everything. Perhaps it was the paranoia or the bitterness that kept the Grand Commander so closed off from his troops and people who wished to be his 'friend', there wasn't any room for that. All his friends had gone, turned to food for the denizens of that swampish hell. Even with all the pills and the hours upon hours of talking with people who simply wanted to look after his well-being, all were taken with hesitation and paranoia. It seemed for weeks on end, the figures dancing across the white walls of his medical confinement. Silence built upon silence.

Then the call came.

The call for combat came once again, a purpose and, perhaps more importantly of the mind of the Grand Commander, an enemy. The Sovereignty had received the call from the Kubaz, gripped in civil war among their hives, one hive offered the Sovereignty the support of their people if they brought a swift end to the civil war. It was a decent offer by any means to those who were diplomatically inclined but Vestille was no such creature. His ears had perked up at the sounds of trouble with one of the Hives, Vunum, having been taking in refugees and reportedly dabbling in the dark arts within a forest. The Silver Forest of Dreams, they called it, a pretentious name for a group of trees but alas, that wasn't the Commander's concern. His concern was what was lurking in those woods, hostiles that would no doubt need to be eliminated for the agreement to be made. The doctors had signed his papers and Vestille was free, before he knew it he was on his way to Kubindi alongside his troops. As he walked among those who considered him a hero, he was offered 'welcome back's and 'sir's alike, though they had no such gesture returned to them. It was almost like they knew that the Grand Commander wasn't one for such things. The most they did get, however, was orders. Ones that they would quickly jump to, at that.

As the drop-ships landed just on the edge of the forest after the time taken to travel and the legions formed up, the Grand Commander waved them forward alongside the Guardians that had been assigned to the same mission as he. Together, the combined force would move in and remove this scourge from the once peaceful planet and if it meant dealing with a dark side abomination here or there? That only made the challenge all the more worth it, the glory all the more richer. That said, as his troops moved in, spread out across the treeline, packed with their standard issue blaster rifles and support weapons, they clearly had no intention of reducing the firepower to conserve the forest, if there was something that needed to be neutralized, it was to be done with extreme prejudice. No other ROE would suffice. And so the troops marched, their heads on a swivel.

Deep into sliver-turned-black.

 

[Inyri Takan]

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(OBJECTIVE 2) Kubindi Orbit, Sovereignty Transport, Undetermined Time​

Black Magic​

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Inyri felt a strange feeling of peacefulness overcome her as she stepped aboard the first of many ground transports, hand already hovering over her lightsaber. Glancing briefly to her fellow Guardians, she gave them a solemn nod as the ramp slid shut, the shuttle beginning to leave the safety of the cruiser's hanger. Below them, Kubindi loomed, a beige-and-blue orb that grew larger as the ship began to descend, towards a specific point on the planet. To most, it would be inconsequential, but to the Guardians, it was all they could think about.

Darkness seeped from that place like puss from an infection. From above it looked to be a large swathe of land, covered in silver and mist, perhaps even beautiful when the light from the sun hit it. But hidden within this forest was a coven of corrupting Dark Side witches, colluding with the Vunum hive to manipulate the evil in this land to affect their work.

As they streaked closer, passing through into the atmosphere, the cold pit in Inyri's stomach only got stronger. But her heart was hardened, and once she descended the ramp once more, boots stepping into the dry, cracking ground outside of the forest, her eyes were immediately drawn to the company of soldiers that had landed with them. They were already heading into the forest, that cold, cold network of the Dark Side. Our fearless boys in black and gold.

Much like a skittish animal, Inyri paced along the edges of the forest for a brief moment as the rest of those on her transport joined her on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see [member="DT-2417"], Grand Commander Thumahra, entering the woods a few feet away from her. Flipping her lightsaber hilt into a reverse grip, she looked back to her own team of Guardians then, and began to enter the Silver Forest herself, a chill in her bones that only seemed to grow as the ever-encompassing fog of the woods began to descend on the groups. Each step was slow and well-placed as if she was on a tightrope, suspended over a mighty chasm. Perhaps she was.

Deep in the woods, came a howl. It was far-off and echoing, but it sent a strong shiver down her back either way. Something already knew they were here.

Spoiler: Interacting with

(( Any FS/FU/Sovereign Guardian who'd like to be apart of the Guardian transport is more than welcome to be! Once you indicate you're with my team I'll begin tagging you under here. ))

 

[Urwin Darmos]

Chief Engineer Urwin Darmos
Kubindi
851 ABY
Objective #3 - Convince the La'duc to work with The Sovereignty

Urwin would board the transportation ship, along with his recruited Engineering Corps and a small protection unit formed with Sovereignty troops. He could practically feel the fear of his engineers as they boarded to make way onto a place they've never been, to take it over. He was honest with himself. He too was somewhat nervous, but he knew how many Sovereignty troops would be there for defense. Urwin felt a sense of pride to take role in The Sovereignty's first dominion.

He'd take his seat, and strap himself in. As the ship took off, he pulled his pack from behind him and plunged his hand in after unzipping it. After a few seconds of wiggling around, when his hand came out he was holding several blueprints and his blaster pistol. He'd put the blaster pistol on his utility belt and lock it in the holster with a magnetic lock. Urwin would begin briefing his men, hoping their fear would be relieved by knowing the plan.

"We've been authorized by the Sovereign and his High Command to use any means necessary to get the La'duc to work with us. The main plan for us is to convince them through engineering, of course. We'll show them what we can do, and we'll offer services as long as they give us cooperation and support. If that doesn't work..." As Urwin's sentence would end slowly, he'd look up and nod at the man assigned to command the protection unit.

Urwin would look outside of the window of the transportation ship, as it was now almost there.

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

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Hive Unor, Kubindi, Calaron Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

Objective: #4​

Interacting With: [member="Sovereign Storyteller"]​

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It was if he was back on Concord Dawn all those years ago, reliving his brief stint as a Protector. Though the Bounty Hunter hadn't given that life so much as a second glance since leaving it all behind. Someone such as himself could never truly hold the title of 'Protector'; he was too dangerous. That wasn't to say he was bad at the job, the skills he acquired there were beneficial later down the line as he became the Bounty Hunter he is today. Though now he had been hired to investigate the source of this poisoning. In order to catch a killer one must think like one, and fortunately enough for Fett he was one himself.

It was within the hive that he stood, before the leader of this sect of people. The Kubaz weren't the most... appealing to look at, their homes within these hives was less than desirable but it would make do for now. It wasn't as if Koda was living here after all. They were known for their spy network, and as a result of that they knew quite well who Koda Fett was. He was treated with caution, but respect nonetheless.

"What reason would Covluz have to suspect Unor?"

Motive was always the first place to start. If one couldn't find a motive, the next step to take was blind. Though either way, the truthfulness of the reply could guide him, to a degree.

 

[Proxy-1]

P͚̖͇̺̃r̢̰̰ơ̠̙͔̰͈̺͆̋ͣ͒̈́̔x̸ͨͭ͌́y̝̞̲̣̚ͅ-̘̩̎͑͌͢1̣ͥ̐̉̌ͯ̆̃ "Qayn Zagar" ​

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Hive Covluz territory, Kubindi, Calaron sector, the Outer Rim Territories.​

Objective 4: Investigation and espionage.​

Interacting with: [member="Sovereign Storyteller"].​

"Qayn Zagar, Sovereignty virologist." Adding to his point, the Mirialan lifted one hand to show an ID, clearly denoting him as such. "I understand your insect supply is contaminated? I'm here to help. It's obvious enough that your people are suffering." Staring at the ID, the Kubaz scrutinized it for a moment, lingering before slooping his shoulders with a sigh.
"Yeah- yeah, alright. Come through then." the guardsman resigned, stepping aside to clear the way for the foreigner.
"Thank you. I assure you that this is for the best." assured Qayn, as he slipped his ID back into the transparent slit on the chest of his coveralls. As he pressed through the drapes and into the room, he took his mask from his side to fit it back onto his face, now sealing himself away from the hazards of an unknown pathogen.

This was Proxy-1's latest face: the face of a make-believe virologist, one of a small collection crafted by the Office of Naval Intelligence special for the job. Was it entirely necessary? Perhaps not for the job by the public face, but who knows what SONI could be up to a few classifications deeper?

"Uh, excuse me- Doctor Zagar?" came a nasally voice, accompanied by a couple of simple gestures. Looking down, the striding Mirialan found a Kubaz trailing behind him, stretching her shorter legs to keep pace.
"What is it?" asked the would-be doctor, continuing through reception and to the improvised triage.
"I've been told to escort you to the lab. We've received everything that's been sent through, so everything's set up-" she began to explain, only to be cut off:
"Let's stop by triage first." Qayn began, stopping in his stride to turn and face the Kubaz. "I will take the samples I need so I can begin as soon as we arrive at the lab."
"A-Ah, right, of course." affirmed the Kubaz, now stepping out to take the lead with a broad gesture. "This way, please."

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Stepping into the lab, Qayn glanced over it for only a moment before strolling over towards one of the spare desks. A steel briefcase steadily found its way from his side to the desktop, a pair of thumbs flicking at the locks to press it open. Stored within, in the cradling safety of the studded foam, were an assortment of samples: blood, urine, fecal matter, and scrapings only started to describe it. It was there that the "doctor" began his work: reaching out to take one of the four blood samples, each with a different lid color, to take it over to one of the stations.

With any luck, a bit of context could shed some light on exactly how this all began.

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[Roella Arwyn]

Kubindi
Ground-Side
Objective Five
Interested Parties: [member="Saul Ferasi"]

Roella of the House Arwyn knelt on the surface of the shuttle, eyes closed in prayer. She had five of her knights with her, the group of women known as 'Roella's Roses'. They had chosen the name, not her. Ro herself preferred something less. . . vain, but the knights seemed to take pride in it. Regardless of their House of origin, each knight had a red rose emblazoned on their armor, the sigil of House Arwyn. It meant a lot to Roella, and she had promised herself she would not disappoint them.

The Sovereignty was moving in on Kubindi. A world of spies and deception. A sarcastic voice inside her head muttered something about being able to feel at home, before she silenced it. Some were going to negotiate, to investigate, to fight. Roella and her knights had a different objective.

While coming near the world, they had picked up something on the surface of the planet that not one of them had expected: a Talravani distress beacon. They were able to discern that it was a corvette, royal. A direct representative of the crown, of her mother. She hadn't been made aware of any Talravani operations on Kubindi, and this disturbed her greatly.

So, the shuttle was going to set down about half a kilometer from the crash site, as the corvette had gone down in a swamp. Once they were down, Roella and her knights mounted up: horses, bred on Talravin. Six, one for each of them.

They set out, headed for the distress beacon. She was determined to find out what was going on.

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber - Armour​

Location: Kadsac Hive Tunnels​

Objective: 1​

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As Varik saw the ramp open to the world outside, booted feet of some of the Sovereignty's finest came charging out alongside him. The Sovereign stepped down the ramp onto the surface of Kubindi, differently-coloured insects buzzing around him. Gnarled trees and desolated ground stood around him, no doubt having suffered under centuries of exploitation and war; who knows what had happened to this planet during the Four-Hundred Year Darkness?

Varik moved through the swamp with the company assigned to him, though most swamps had more...water involved, really. This place was dry, and he could see from the way the soldiers moved and sounded; the dryness was palpable, though their armour did help protect them. They were nearing the entry point now, and Varik stared at the front of the formation to the Corporal assigned to handle their navigational equipment. He was very focused, which only made the Sovereign expect an ambush more.

No ambush ever came - not on this surface. It only made Varik slightly more tense. He was used to battling on the surface, having some semblance of space involved; not what was to come. As they reached their destination, the soldiers gathered in a circle around a large hole, that seemed to go down forever, with no end in sight. They looked amongst each other, the Captain getting them organized as Varik examined the entrance.

He didn't give them much time to stop him before he simply hopped in and started falling - it was nowhere near as deep as they'd thought. His lightsaber activated, the white light illuminating the tunnel ahead. It just kept going, farther in; he'd heard it was cavernous, but he hadn't been fully expecting this. He heard the boots of Besh Company land behind him before he started slowly moving forward. Whatever was down here, it was waiting for them, and they would have to be ready.

 

[Zef Halo]

Troposphere, aboard the Cadia
Kubindi

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After the eruption of the Great Galactic War, Saul fled the Core and The Rims to Wild Space. Just the one of many who did so. War wasn't nice. The severity of the Great Galactic one had pushed people to seek refuge in the inhospitable, dangerous and quite different Wild Space.

The navigator's search for a crew ended in futility so he struck on his own to make his bread. Bought a ship ready for scrap, refurbished as much as his budget allowed him to and went hauling. The sole expenses of maintaing this piece of junk had him start looking for larger payscales and thus higher risks.

As was his job gunrunning to one of the warring hives.

Saul was not a bad pilot but he was no Lewyn. His brother was a pilot. A damn good one at that, the two couldn't compare. He steered the ship as neatly as his capabilities allowd him and as low as possible to avoid detection. Saul lost count of how much flora he'd torn with the side of the freighter.

Everything went well until a surprise served in the form of a royal Talravani distress beacon made him grimace. He pondered for a while before yanking the ship off course and setting a new destination - that of the signal.

It had been almost a decade since he left his homeworld. He only hoped that whoever that was did not recognize him. And if they did, Saul could only play the fool.

As the freighter passed over acres of arid land, lifeform scanners revealed a picture of half a dozen...horsemen.

Questions erupted in his mind before he connected the two obvious dots. Humanoids on horses and a royal Talravani distress signal. The navigator struck the airbrakes and reverse thrusters halting the ship for a moment. He gave it a long minute's thought but perhaps it was curiousity that drove his next course of action.

The blonde accelerated once more and carefully flew over the group of horsemen before twisting the ship and lowering it almost ground level just ahead of the horsemen.

The ramp of the freighter would open while the ship remained a few feet above ground level levitating. Saul's tall figure made its way to it until he could be seen by the group and he could clearly see them.

For a moment, his heart stopped as he saw their leader. He already knew it was his people but he did not know that the Heir Apparent herself was there.

His little sister.

All grown up.

"Need a ride?" Saul asked while he remained static as a statue. His basic clear as an Imperial's. Product of the One Sith Naval Academy.

In all honesty, the navigator was unsure whether she'd be able to discern him. She probably could and if she did what them? And if she didn't - what then too?

[member="Roella Arwyn"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Grand Commander Vestille Thumahra​

1st Legion Group​

Kubindi​

851 ABY​

Objective #2 - Neutralize Dark Side Threat​

Post Two​

Theme​

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Deeper the troops went, the skies above them shrouded by the treeline of silver, slowly showing the signs of corruption of the dark arts, degrading more and more the further they delved.

The Grand Commander let out a grumble under his breath as the sound of the wind swaying the silver and dark leaves above them mixed with the occasional snapping of twigs and footsteps upon leaves. If one had closed their eyes and listened with no context to where they were or the dangers that they would no doubt soon face, one could have said it was almost tranquil, peaceful; even some of the troops had muttered things to each other as they slowly advanced alongside the contingent of Guardians. As they went further in and the fog began to hinder their far-sight, thoughts to peace suddenly became ones of anxiety. Just what was hiding out in that forest, waiting for them? The troops began to become unnerved, step by step, the further they crept towards the source of the dark magic contained within. Dathomirian Witches was a word that had been mentioned in the briefing, masters of 'witchcraft' and the 'dark arts' but to the Grand Commander this meant nothing. To some, witches were scourges that harnessed the powers of 'magic' and 'ritual' for their own selfish goals, tales among the men foretold of a power beyond the force, something that could shape and twist the very nature of a person, their appearance.

To Vestille, sorcery was a load of kark. Sorcery couldn't stand up to a hail of blaster fire. Witches were like anyone else, just with a unique card to play. They fell just like anyone else...

...The howl that distantly cried out certainly didn't sound like one of these witches as it echoed through the condensed woodland. Some troops jumped, some shifted the weapons that remained in their arms. Whatever the case, it was clear that their quiet walk through the forest was over; something knew that they were there and would no doubt make itself known in due time. As the returning cries seemed to pattern themselves as spread all around and the numbers sounded to be no more than five or so in number, the Grand Commander kept the advance onward with a simple hand signal. The man wasn't one for words all too often, if only to give verbal commands, usually filled with enough vulgar language to speak for an entire cantina filled with low-life. Even if the man the troops followed wasn't much of a talker, he was observant, especially so with the ever increasing paranoia that plagued the Commander like a dark cloud. Even now, the Commander stayed silent as he walked through the cluster of trees, the fog seeming to take on the strange shape of figures, wisps, floating in the gentle breeze like souls being scattered to the wind. Months ago he would have flinched, make an audible reaction to their existence but now? Now he accepted it. The Haunted Commander, men within the ranks had called him during mess hours or out of earshot of their officer; the man who sat alone in the war room at night, taking preference in the company of the dead and the silent rather than those still existing of flesh and blood.

Perhaps they were right.

It wasn't just the remnants of the past that took the Commander's attention, the bark of the trees that they passed seemed to be covered in a strange sort of webbing. It wasn't just him that noticed it, either, as his men also began to examine the strange sort of webbing. To the touch of a glove, it felt as strong as steel, if not stronger. Vestille wasn't a specialist on animals, the most interaction he had one on friendly terms was none other than the honorary High Admiral of the Galactic Empire, Arvis, Graf's loyal canine companion. The fact that the substance had begin to turn up more and more frequently as they kept their advance alongside the Guardians had only made the men more and more vigilant towards the long stalks of the trees that blocked a majority of the sunlight from view with their leaves. Uneasy? Perhaps that was the best way to describe the atmosphere that seemed to leave a significant aura among the men; something did indeed feel wrong, evil. As the sounds of something big moving towards them started to make themselves known, coming closer and closer through the fog, it was not surprise that the Commander barked out an order.

"Box phalanx! Now!"

The troops quickly rushed into positions, forming a box around the Commander and the Guardians should they feel inclined to use the obvious shield set up for them. Within two lines the men dug themselves in; the first consisting of both support gunners and flamethrower infantry in a crouched position, their weapons ready to lay down a solid wall of fire on all sides, which seemed to be where the sounds of approaching contact seemed to come from. Stood above them consisted the main line of infantry armed with their standard issue blaster rifles, ready to offer the second wall of unrelenting fire that the large unit formation no doubt had covered with the amount of rifles and supporting firepower they had at their disposal. It was a large formation, to be formed out of a legion group no less, but with how big the incoming contacts sounded by the footsteps and the occasional creaking of trees, the Commander felt something in his gut, something telling him that his choice had be one of a good judgement. As the shuffling and scrambling to get into formation had eventually gone silent, everyone watched with vigilance and waited for the beings to emerge from the fog.

It was only a matter of time.

 

[Roella Arwyn]

Kubindi
Ground-side
Objective Five
Interested Parties: [member="Saul Ferasi"]

The land outside the swamps was humid, as one could expect. Swamps tended to be like that, in her experience. In her golden armor, it was rather inconvenient, and her hair of a deep red stuck to her head. The five knights with her weren't much better off. Clad in heavy steel and cloaks, she was sure that under their helms their own hair was much the same as hers. Perhaps steel plate was not the brightest choice to wear to the swamps, after all.

As their horses plodded along, scenarios began to run through Roella's mind. What could have brought a Talravani royal corvette all the way out here, to the middle of Wild Space? What was so important? What was so important to risk the lives of the royal knights? It niggled at her endlessly, worming at her conscience. What could have cost the lives of a Talravani corvette crew?

But she did not get the opportunity to finish this line of thinking, for another ship flew over them. Her eyes widened, and her horse reared, whinnying with fear, as did the steeds of the other riders. All drew their blades, vibroswords ready to cut and slash in defense of their princess- but the ship did not open fire on them. Instead, it hovered in front of them, and the ramp opened, revealing a blonde man standing there.

For a moment, she did not recognize him. Until he spoke, with that voice she hadn't heard in almost a decade.

Then she knew him.

In a moment, she was off her horse, on the ramp, and crushing her eldest brother in a bone-tight embrace, squeezing hard.

"Saul! I thought I'd never see you again! W-Where have you been, what are you doing here, is this your ship? Why did you leave, did you miss me?"

 

[Arken Lussk]

Aboard the Soma
High Orbit, Kubindi
Obj: Unk.

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There was a certain artistry that came with conflict. A certain drive to conquer, to crave power and victory, to break your chains against seemingly unendurable odds. It was simply the natural order of things. Peace created war and vice versa. It was beautiful in all of its splendor and glory, especially for those that saw fate's hand at work during these troubled times of strife. On this destined day, Arken Lussk was one of those individuals. There was much to be gained, far much more to lose, but those odds sounded right up his alley.

"Keep us on the dark side of the planet for now, Jenna. That'd totally ruin my day if either of them stumbled across my little surprise." The man chortled across the bridge, letting his gaze wander across the desolate visage of Kubindi.

"Duly noted," came the synthetic reply, "Active ping jammers have been activated. Nobody should mess with us for the present moment."

War had taken them by the throat, repeatedly slamming them into the ground until they were a broken and downright pitiful race of beings. And how Arken did pity them. He had so much to offer them. Protection of their weak, infrastructure to make their bugs, employment to their gifted. Both Victor and Jenna had found that awfully benign of him, a strange change of pace from the usual subtle exploitation of time and money. Be that as it may, the young man was ever so determined to get his fingers in a piece of this pie - even if he had to take someone else's slice.

He turned his eyes to the bridge, with a multitude of automated servants milling about. A smile crept upon his features.

Jenna seemed to notice the lightbulb manifesting above his head.

"Master?"

"We're about to explore a new world, Jenna, and we may very well die on it."

Her childlike avatar eyed him mischievously, grinning. "I'll have the drop companies ready in twenty minutes."

 

[Inyri Takan]

​

(OBJECTIVE 2) Kubindi, Silver Forest Of Dreams, Undetermined Time​

Black Magic​

​

​

Inyri glanced over as the soldiers began to move into position, her path now veering over towards Vestille almost as soon as his orders had been carried out. It was clear now that some teamwork was going to be necessary if they planned to escape this forest with not only their lives, but their objective completed in full. As she moved over, she brushed a stray cobweb away, cringing at the potential. The trees in this forest were kilometres tall and sported twenty-foot-long leaves. Something gave her the feeling that whatever arachnids were also here, worked on that same scale as well. The idea sent a sinister tingle up her spine and into her shoulders, and she kept moving towards the centre of the entrenchment without hesitation.

As the large footfalls continued to echo throughout the wood, Inyri flipped the switch on her lightsaber, and the bone-coloured blade sprung up in an instant. She stood now only a meter or so away from the Grand Commander, behind the wall of men in front of them as the sounds got louder and louder...

The Guardian opened her mouth to speak, obviously going to address Vestille. About what, it didn't matter; because before she could, something came scuttling out of the mist at surprising speed, a screech bouncing off the large trunks around them, producing a sound similar to the earlier howl. It was a spider, all right, at least 3 times as tall as herself, massive legs propelling it forward in the underbrush. Its skin and hair were a milky white and the eyes a piercing red, all of them locked on the upcoming wall of Sovereignty men and women. Those long, spindly extremities looked strong enough to tear someone limb from limb if it chose to.

If a spider could express emotion, it looked pissed. Really pissed. Another intimidating scream came from the monster as it kept up with its charge, clearly intending to do one thing, if it could.

Break the line.

Spoiler: Interacting with

[member="Vestille Thumahra"]

 

[Zedd Harkor]

Lord Admiral Zedd Harkor​

Orbit of Kubindi​

Objective: 1​

---

Evacuating from the hangars, speedily hurling themselves down through orbit, down to planetside below, so the shuttles and escort squadrons made their way; it was apparent that this was the spark that lit the match, that would happen before the fire.

“Lord Admiral, sir.”, spoke up a timid-looking ensign, turning to Harkor, that was behind him. He gulped before speaking, pausing inappropriately. He operated one of the communications terminals.

“Ensign – speak freely. Have we received a transmission yet?”, replied Harkor. Harkor didn’t have patience for timidness and hesitancy that went against the better efficiency of an operation. He knew though it must’ve been intimidating someone like him, although, Harkor wasn’t an arrogant individual, he knew couldn’t let it go to his head. He was more-so self-aware about his image and status.

“Yes, sir.”, spoke he, gulping once – he was sweating – it was, as Harkor suspected, attributed to the sense of anxiety being right next to the head of the Sovereign Navy and the propagandized war hero, Zedd Harkor. “It’s the Kadsac fleet, sir. S-Shall I open communications?”

“Do so.”, spoke Harkor, making his way back to his podium that stood over the rest of the bridge, “Take this galaxy by storm, Ensign. There’s no sense in being timid about it.“, spoke Harkor to the Ensign, dishing out a sense of paternal wisdom. The ensign kept quiet, minding his tongue around an individual of such power. “Now, Let us not waste anymore time.”, Harkor pulled down his radio-device device from the cabinet over his head, that he would use communicate with the Kadsac Fleet. “Aye, sir-”, spoke the ensign, pausing inappropriately once more, “Patching you in through now, sir.”

In turn, the business-minded Harkor didn’t waste any more time before introducing himself, knowing quite well that giving preparation time to a Kubaz was a mistake.

“My name is Lord Admiral Zedd Harkor, of the Sovereign Navy. I act wholly on behalf of his High Sovereignty, the Sovereignty, and its citizens.”, spoke Harkor, dryly, “Who am I speaking to?”

“You speak to me, Lord Admiral.”, said a harsh, nasally voice through the microphone – a Kubaz, “I am Admiral Turn Vuro, of the Kadsac Hive.”, continued he, “Your Sovereignty and your patron hive, the Covluz Hive, has violated our hive’s conventions of warfare by enabling the interference of outsiders.”

“We have.”, spoke Harkor, in a blunt tone.

“And, you’re aware?”, inquired Vuro, rhetorically, “Then, before we obliterate you, and annihilate all of your personnel and assets that you’re responsible for, you are to surrender, Harkor.”, stated he, “So, that you, and the Sovereignty you act on behalf of may stand trial.”

“That won’t be happening.”, spoke Harkor, in a tone even blunter than before.

“Go– oo– oo– oo–“, responded back Vuro, in an attempt before the transmission was cut, as it resulted in an incredibly, distorted staticky transmission.

“Code slicing payload complete, Lord Admiral; they’re to be crippled, sir.”, responded a lieutenant that worked another communication’s terminal; the bait had worked, and now the systems were infested with ‘malware’, because of the open-line in communications. “Shall issue the order to open fire, sir?”. They would then fire, whilst the fleet was hindered. Harkor's aforementioned plan was going accordingly.

“Permission granted.”, spoke Harkor, “Divert power. Engage enemy vessels in long-range fire.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSy5O0LDAE​

 

[Zef Halo]

GROUND-SIDE, THE CADIA
KUBINDI

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As expected, Roella's guards were quick to unsheath their traditional vibroswords ready to die protecting their future Queen. In overly trained synchronization the blades came drawn. For a moment Saul felt uneasy and with his sister literally charging at him, he honestly thought she'd end up slamming an iron fist in his face. That would be absolutely in her style.

Instead, he was 'glomped' by his heavy steel clad sister. The weight and momentum behind her embrace almost had the lanky navigator fall on his backside. Gathering his balance in shock, he gave her a tight embrace too. Not as suffocating as hers but emotional nonetheless.

In the end, it was his sister. Little Roella who had grown so much. The feeling stang his heart, a brief thought of guilt for leaving but it was quickly waved away by his everlasting stubborness to pave his own path in the galay.

The long supressed feelings came bursting out. He had missed her. He did miss his siblings. His mother - not so much. Perhaps Roella the most.

They let go and Saul's eyes locked with hers. He inspected her face. Now a woman, not a young teenager. He'd life if he said his mind wasnt flooded with questions.

"Roella." He began, a soft smile on his face surprisingly covering his usually stoic, Imperial disciplined face. "I've uh been flying around the galaxy. This is my ship, yes." Saul paused thinking of how to answer the rest of her questions. "Let's get you and the guard up in the ship. I can only assume you were pursuing the distress beacon like me. The Cadia will get you there quicker. Don't judge it by the outside. Let's go."

He gestured her to follow him inside where the ship was organized perfectly. Maintained to every little detail. It easily implied that the ship's owner was once a product of the highly disciplined, perfectionist Imperial naval school.


[member="Roella Arwyn"]

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Grand Commander Vestille Thumahra​

1st Legion Group​

Kubindi​

851 ABY​

Objective #2 - Neutralize Dark Side Threat, Eliminate Hostile Wildlife​

Post Three​

​

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---

The forest stirred.

As the creature came running forward, call-outs started ringing out across the line. They were terrified, undoubtedly so, the beast that started to charge its way towards the formed up lines of Sovereign soldiers was about three times the size of them, legs that looked as if they could throw a man in full kit around like he were a feather. Men and women raised their rifles and waited, watching the beast lumber forward with speed towards the regimented lines of black and gold. Despite the incoming threat looming closer and closer with each thud of its arachnid feet, they waited for the call from the man behind them, within the box that they had formed that surrounded the command staff and the Guardians. It really said something, when not a single man under the command of the prestigious Grand Commander fired until he had given the order. That took discipline, months of intensive drilling day-to-day without respite to perfect, or perhaps it simply honed a point even further. Who were they more scared of, deep down? The enemy that wished for them dead right then and there or the Grand Commander that they all called their leadership without question?

In times of war, it is better to be feared rather than to be loved. True dangers come during peace.

The Grand Commander, having assessed the tactical options available to him, quickly waved his hand off to the side and with a quick bark of "SPREAD!" the sea of soldiers parted from their protective box, rather quickly at that to get out of the way of the giant arachnid that came towards them. With it being so set upon its course, the creature would no doubt be able to accurately adjust its course and whilst that meant it's collision course would be right upon contact with the Grand Commander and the Guardians themselves, Vestille had no intentions of letting it reach that far. It was dangerous, lethal and a predator within its homeland but to Vestille? It was a pest, a mindless animal that in time would lie before him. Once the troops had set themselves up on what appeared to be the flanks of the arachnid's course, firing lines were set up consisting of rifles and support weapons as they took aim...

"FIRE ON THE FETHING LEGS!"

And with that, the orchestra opened up. A-400s supporting SHB-12s and their overwhelming volley of fire sent blaster bolts into the legs en masse, lighting up the otherwise dark and foreboding surroundings that ensnared the strike team with its seemingly endless depths. As expected, such a concentrated mass of firepower placed upon the legs of the creature made it roar out in pain as it clearly crippled its charge, making it stop in its tracks, right in between the two firing lines of soldiers. This, however, only seemed to make the creature even more ferociously angry. The fire kept on, and on, and on, adamant on bringing the creature to its metaphorical knees. Try as it might with various attempts to fight back, the troops had caught their prey right where they wanted it. As the arachnid lowered itself to the ground, still trying tirelessly to defend itself despite its legs clearly unable to support it no longer, a second call came out from the Grand Commander, who hadn't seemed to flinch or shift from his position... As if he knew that the plan would work.

"FLAMETHROWERS! LIGHT THE KARKER UP!"

And with that, from the firing lines came the flamethrower-wielding troops, closing the distance and letting loose with their napalm all over the creature. As it burned, its dying roar buried under the sounds of the flames, the troops emerged from their positions, looking at the roasted arachnid that burned away under the cover of the trees. To many, it had been a close call, a fortunate occurrence that nobody had been killed during the encounter. Vestille, however, saw it differently. Before him was a message to the rest of the denizens of this harrowed place.

There were hunters in these woods.

Spoiler: Interacting With

[member="Inyri Takan"]

 

[Varik Ice]

Varik Ice​

Equipment: Lightsaber - Armour​

Location: Kadsac Hive Tunnels​

Objective: 1​

​

​

Mud began to slip and move beneath his feet, getting oddly wet and damp the further he went. Varik's lightsaber was the only light source within; the company's visors covered them quite well. The tunnels seemed to widen out as they got deeper into the network, though something seemed off. Varik stopped, his instincts kicking in. He glanced around him, watching for any entrances as he listened quietly, trying to catch anything.

He saw dust fall from the 'ceiling' slightly in front of him, and stopped for real this time. Something was wrong. Just as it crossed his mind, he felt things collapsing and opening around him. What looked like tunnel entrances opened up on their sides all the way to the back of the company, on his sides as well as he suddenly saw a figure in dark clothing and with a long, protruding proboscis drop through the tunnel's ceiling, landing right in front of him.

Blaster fire erupted in the tunnels as Varik slashed into the Kubaz in front of him, severing his head and killing him before he felt the stinging pain in his leg; whatever kind of blaster one of the Kubaz was using, it was high-power, and just punched right through his armour. As he fell to one knee, Varik reached his saber over the back of his shoulder whiile his other hand extended outwards, facing the one who had wounded him.

As the bolts came flying towards him from both sides, he didn't think - he only felt. His hand caught the bolts and bounced them back, one striking his attacker right through the goggle-laden eye and killing him instantly. His weapon sent charged-up bolts flying back behind him, collapsing the tunnel of his other ambusher and crushing him under the weight of the earth. As Varik glanced over to the company under fire, another bolt came flying in his direction; not fast enough or having enough room to stop it, he only had a moment to lean back as it struck the front and near the top of his helmet.

There was pain all over his face, and he couldn't see. Shards of his helmet's metal had landed in his face, and turning his saber off, he used his hand to pull with the force, yanking out the shards and tossing them away as he could barely hear the echoes of fire around him. Only his eye on one side was exposed, the rest still protected as he tried to stand, but it was too late. As more bolts struck everywhere, the tunnel's integrity started to weaken.

Suddenly, he was falling. The floor. The floor had collapsed underneath him. He could only focus on the force to protect him as he fell so far, before he finally felt himself landing hard on some sort of rocky surface. He bounced off, hitting another before he finally hit what felt like solid ground. Varik tried to maintain his composure, maintain his calm and get his breathing under control. His hand was shaky as he used it to force himself up. His leg still hurt, and he wasn't sure about walking, but he'd have to.

 

[Arken Lussk]

Falling from the sky
Stratosphere to surface, Kubindi
Obj: Unk.
Theme: How Long

-----------------------​

​

​

​

Ah, how Arken loved nothing more than to drop from high orbit at terminal velocity. There wasn't anything like it in the galaxy, and he doubted anything could match the exhilarating feeling. It had only taken him a few minutes to suit up into some standard equipment, just enough armor plating to ensure that he didn't die the second he encountered a native of the world. The drop companies had been scrambled far faster than him as automated assembly lines slid automated soldiers and their Animus-class counterparts into the drop pods - a mechanical process that had been perfected after hundreds of hours in the Models & Simulations department.

They had far exceeded Arken's expectations.

"Kaycee, you ready?"

The last Animus to board a pod was his, exclusively. KC-135, lovingly named Kaycee by her creator. The frame of the large battle droid turned towards the sound of his voice. Her blue photoreceptor shifted, zooming in on his small frame.

"Of course, master, I am always at peak functionality."

Arken snorted, patting her metallic leg as he strode past her. "You always are, my friend. Let's crash this party."

"Party crashing protocols engaged."

With a snigger, the both of them allowed the automated entry process ensue. Straps fastened about their forms, holding them fast against the atmospheric turbulence they were bound to experience. A synthetic voice rattled over the intercom, stoically counting down until the final launch sequence was initiated - and then they were off.

An enormous amount of force expunged dozens of the drop pods from the ventral hangar bay, just enough to house a company or two and the supplies needed to carry out their little expedition. Flares streaked across the transparisteel visors, signalling their entry into the upper atmosphere and only continued to burn brighter and brighter as they descended planetside.

"How long until we land!?" Arken cried out, his voice shaking as he rattled against the frame of his seat. "It always feels like it takes forever!"

"Approximately seven point four seconds," Kaycee responded. "Six point six now."

The young man had already been counting down the seconds in his head. About thirty three total, from launch to land.

Before he knew it, the thrust dampeners kicked in and slowed their fall gradually. High powered thrust engines that ground them to a grinding halt before slamming into the ground. Their crash webbing immediately retracted into the walls of the pod as the door flew open, hissing with pressure.

And then they were out on the ground. Dozens of Southstar droids disembarked from their pods in droves, raising their weapons to their shoulders as they surveyed the area.

It was game time.

 

[Cynan Hague]

Halo 3 ODST Main Theme​

Blasterfire rang out in the cover of darkness, low mist bombarding the squad several hundred meters off the flank of the main force as they crept ahead, sweeping for any potential threats, an alarm raised, the group sprung to action. Hague raised his gauntlet suddenly above, a tight fist clenched in defiance at this strange and disgusting world. Cynan's hand straightens, a knife cutting through the thick fog as it falls down, motioning toward the ruckus, the group quickly surreptitiously moving to support their allies against this unknown foe.

The Special Forces team wades through a sea of green, their night-time covert equipment proving to be a massive boon, they had already snuck their way under the noses of several potentially hostile creatures in the forest, drenched in the veiling fog. It doesn't take long before they begin to zero in on the location of the sound, the team coming to a halt. The Sergeant motions for his team to hunker down and spread out, the nine doing so quickly and quietly. The tiger sat ready to pounce, as Ze stepped on a twig, provoking the ire of the Sergeant to angrily leered at him. It seemed to have gone unnoticed when suddenly the sounds of flame erupt, no more dallying - The sergeant has to hold in a lurch of surprise, quickly thereafter motioning for his squad to advance, rapidly. Boot after boot they lunged out of the treeline, this armor was much lighter, the weapons far fancier of form, he loved it, if all went well their counter-ambush would be entirely undetected.

Ten soldiers clad in light black armor fall upon Inyri and Vestille, their light weapons scanning the area as they take a knee, the massive beast dead in front of them - it was the thing Cynan hated most, he was late to the party.
It took only a few seconds after their sudden arrival for Ze to be the first to let down his guard, the squad's classically lazy marksman. It entirely escaped his memory that ten armed men suddenly jumping out at you through the woods might be somewhat shocking, either that, or he didn't care. None the less the mood had been killed, the others cleared their sight-lines and calmed down as well, especially Kavi, who quickly notices the particular company they found themselves in, speaking cheerfully "Oh hey Sergeant, it's that one chick!"

Hague's eyes fill with rage beneath his helmet, his squad was supposed to be the best of the best, they had so recently just earned that right, the least they could do was keep quiet - he remained on-guard, there were more around, there had to be. If not acting, they were watching. He would not present himself as prey, three pained words escape his lips in a silent and scolding response "Shut up Kavi".

---

Interacting with: [member="Inyri Takan"] [member="Vestille Thumahra"]