Dominion Loth Gun: MIR Dominion of Lothal!

[Ronhar Tane]

In many ways, Lothal is not entirely dissimilar from Mahporeem.

Both planets lie within the Outer Rim, have a relatively impoverished population living on them, and have been forgotten by the galaxy for most of its history...at least, until now. With the Imperial Remnant's newly acquired prominence and its rapid expansion into the sectors bordering it, it was only a matter of time before Lothal became the next planet under its gaze. Now, the Imperial Remnant seeks to do what the original Galactic Empire could not nearly a thousand years ago: secure the planet and the cooperation of its people by any means necessary, though whether or not it will be force or diplomacy that does so remains to be seen!

OBJECTIVE I: FLIGHT SCHOOL
[PvP, PvE]

Nearly a thousand years ago, Lothal was home to the infamous TIE Defender program, which lead to the development of one of the most powerful and cutting edge starfighters ever developed at that point. Today, though the Imperial Remnant remains diametrically opposed to the idea of the Galactic Empire, they do see the importance of continuing the program that the Empire started, though with a decidedly Mahporeenian twist. Here on Lothal, the Imperial Remnant carries out flight training and testing for those interested in becoming pilots, under the watchful eye of only the most veteran instructors.

Outside pilots are welcome to join for training!

OBJECTIVE II: REBEL RAUSER
[PvE, Social]

Given the Galactic Empire's actions on Lothal, most of the locals are bitterly opposed to any sort of Imperial presence on the planet, and a mob of angry citizens have come out in force to protest the Mahporeenian arrival. The army has been deployed to keep the peace, but the situation remains tense in Lothal City as negotiations continue to integrate the planet into Mahporeem's sphere of influence. Will diplomacy prevail over the opinions of the past, or will this "protest" turn violent, forcing the Imperial Remnant to use a heavier hand against the local population than might otherwise be intended?

OBJECTIVE III: BYOO
[Various]

Lothal is a vast planet with many locations of interest. Having an idea that's not outlined in the above objectives? Want to go somewhere else that isn't expressly listed? Bring your own objective to this thread!

​

​

 

[Shae'ri Mor]

Lothal | BYOO

Equipment • Scrapborn | Scrapfangs | Scrapveil
Sidekick • Clunk3r
Interaction{s} • Open

The ship descended through a ceiling of thick white clouds and settled upon a barren shelf of rock carved into the mountainside, its landing struts biting into the ancient stone with a hydraulic hiss. Engines wound down, leaving only the low mechanical ticking of cooling metal beneath the mountain wind.

Shae’ri Mor descended the ramp first, her armor dark against the pale rock, followed closely by Clunk3r, her droid associate, whose servomotors clicked and whined beneath the weight of his equipment. Before them, a narrow trail wound upward between sheer cliffs and weathered stone, disappearing into a maze of crags and ancient formations.

Far above, partially obscured by mist, stood the remains of the fabled Jedi Temple; its once-proud spires broken, its stonework fractured by centuries of abandonment, yet still rising from the mountains like the skeletal remains of some forgotten monument. Shae’ri paused only long enough to study the ruins through her calculating eyes.

Whatever sanctity the Jedi had once attributed to the place had long since been reduced to dust. What remained was an objective.

They advanced along the winding mountain path in disciplined silence, boots grinding against loose shale while the wind moved through the ravines like distant artillery. The closer they came to the stone spires, the more oppressive the ruins appeared; shattered arches protruded from the mountainside, collapsed stairways vanished beneath scree, and dark openings punctured the ancient structure like wounds.

Shae’ri glanced toward Clunk3r without slowing. “Expect anything,” she said, her voice flat and deliberate. “Scavengers, traps, guardian droids, unstable structures. If this place isn't abandoned, then something may have survived inside it that was never meant to be found, or took it up as their residence.”

Clunk3r answered with a series of electronic clicks, opting not to speak. “And don't wander,” Shae’ri added. “Stay close to me. If something comes out of those ruins, I want you beside me, not halfway up the mountain trying to determine whether it is friendly.”

She tightened her grip on her weapon as the ancient Jedi Temple's spires finally emerged fully from the mist above them. “Whatever is waiting inside that temple, we deal with it together.”​

 

[Iroi Rilisona]

​

Iroi stood near the permacrete barrier, watching the crowd grow by the minute. She had been hired for crowd control, and the only reason she hadn't already returned to her ship was the money. Instead, she was stuck outside the government building while diplomats inside dealt with the planet's transition into the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant. The longer she stood there, the thinner her patience became.

Her gloved fingers rested near the handle of her vibro-blade as hundreds of protesters shouted across the square. Iroi preferred simple security work where she could keep to herself and do her job without anyone bothering her.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with sweating local guards while an angry crowd screamed in front of her was exactly the kind of assignment she hated. A young officer eventually stepped beside her, his spotless uniform standing out against the grime and disorder around them.

He glanced at her tense posture before clearing his throat. "Rallies like this don't usually cause real problems," he said, trying to sound confident. "Mostly just noise. You'll get used to standing around after a while." Iroi slowly turned her head and gave him a cold look that immediately killed whatever he had planned to say next.

"Watch the line and stop talking to me," she said, her voice low enough to sound like a threat. The officer's mouth snapped shut. He swallowed, his face reddening as he turned back toward the crowd.​

 

[Hypheer Vhyrn]

LOTHAL - FLIGHT TRAINING GROUNDS
MAHPOREEM IMPERIAL REMNANT SPACE
OBJECTIVE I: FLIGHT SCHOOL​

Hypheer Vhyrn had been called a lot of things. Reckless. Criminal. Swoop trash. Show-off. Pilot. That last one she actually liked. Cadet, however, was pushing it. The Mirialan stood on the edge of the flight line with her helmet tucked beneath one arm, watching the preparations underway around her. Ground crews moved between waiting fighters while instructors attempted to organize pilots into flights. Engines whined in the distance. Somewhere overhead, another fighter tore through the Lothal sky.

Hypheer's blue eyes followed it until it disappeared. She'd learned to fly by discovering exactly how close she could bring a swoop to a duracrete wall without becoming part of it. She'd learned starfighters through experience, instinct, and a considerable amount of behavior that probably would have earned disciplinary action at any respectable flight academy. And now someone had decided she belonged with the cadets.

Hypheer glanced toward the others assigned to her flight. "This is insulting."

The nearby flight instructor didn't bother looking up from his datapad. "You're participating in Flight School."

"I'm aware."

"That makes you a student."

Hypheer's mouth twisted. "Temporary participant."

"Cadet."

She stared at him. He finally looked up. Neither moved. Hypheer broke first, giving a short laugh as she shook her head. "Fine." She could survive being called a cadet for one exercise. Probably. Besides, the situation became considerably more interesting once Hypheer learned who had been assigned to make their lives miserable.

Aggressor Squadron.

She knew what they were. Every serious flight program needed someone willing to play the enemy, and the aggressors weren't supposed to make the cadets look good. They were supposed to exploit mistakes. Break formations. Punish hesitation. Demonstrate what happened when the opponent didn't politely follow the training scenario. And leading them today was Wilnes Za. That got Hypheer's attention.

She spotted the Iktochi farther down the flight line among the aggressor pilots. Aggressor Leader. Hypheer had heard enough about Za to know the woman had earned the position from a cockpit rather than behind a desk. A pilot with experience, skill, and apparently enough confidence to spend her time teaching other pilots exactly how much they still had to learn. Hypheer could respect that.

She also immediately wanted to shoot her down. Not literally. Probably. "Her?"

The instructor followed Hypheer's gaze. "Squadron Leader Za."

"She's flying against us?"

"That's generally what opposition means."

Hypheer ignored the sarcasm. Her grin was already returning. "Okay." Suddenly, being stuck with the cadets didn't seem quite so insulting.

Hypheer turned toward her assigned fighter and began walking around it. Once. Then again. She wasn't performing anything resembling a regulation preflight inspection. Her attention lingered instead on the things that actually interested her: thrusters, maneuvering surfaces, weapons, and all the places where the engineers had clearly decided that this far and no farther represented acceptable performance.

Every machine had limits. Hypheer considered them challenges. A crew chief noticed where her attention had settled. "Don't."

Hypheer stopped. "Don't what?"

"Whatever you're thinking."

Her eyebrows lifted. "You don't even know what I'm thinking."

"I've met pilots."

That earned him a laugh. Hypheer pulled on her helmet and climbed into the cockpit. The canopy descended over her. External noise faded. Her hands moved across the controls as the fighter awakened around her, displays flickering to life one after another. Repulsors. Flight controls. Weapons set to training parameters. Engines.

The familiar vibration traveled through the seat. Hypheer settled back. This was better. She could tolerate instructors. She could tolerate procedures. She could even tolerate being called a cadet. Because somewhere out there was an Aggressor Squadron waiting to prove the pilots on Hypheer's side weren't nearly as good as they thought they were. And Wilnes Za was leading them.

Hypheer switched to the assigned flight frequency. "Vhyrn, ready." Her hand wrapped around the controls. The grin returned beneath her helmet. If Flight School wanted to find out what she could do, that was fine. Hypheer wanted to find out what Wilnes Za could do.

TAGS: OPEN | Draven Vex

Spoiler: “Loadout”

[*]Training Fighter[/url]

• Status
  • Shields: 100%
  • Hull: 100%
  • Structure: 100%
• Armament
  • Ion Cannon Turret
  • L-s9.3 Laser Cannons x2
  • NZ LC-2A Laser Cannons x2
  • Space-mine Ejector
    • M-S7 Seismic Mines (4)
    • Void-7 Seismic Charges (4)
• Pilot Equipment
  • FAE/A-09 Anti-G Suit
  • NZ/ BP-25 Light Blaster Pistol 'Silex'
  • Ion Slicer Vibroknife

 

[Shade]

Objective: III | BYOO
Investigating: Abandoned Imperial Intelligence Facility
Tag: @open

Joining an organization that understood the value of old secrets had its advantages. While much of the Imperial Remnant's attention on Lothal had naturally settled upon the population centers and the considerably more visible business of establishing a presence on the planet, Shade had been given something quieter. Nearly a thousand years ago, the Galactic Empire had maintained intelligence operations across Lothal alongside its military occupation. Most had disappeared with time, been stripped after the Empire withdrew, or simply become another collection of ruins scattered across a planet that had long since moved on. One facility, however, had remained interesting enough to warrant a closer look.

Shade stood on a low rise overlooking what remained of it, dark armor blending considerably better with the weathered landscape than any Imperial uniform would have. Her black-and-silver hair was drawn into its familiar braid, and a compact scanner rested in one hand as her crimson eyes studied the structures below. Time had done an admirable job of making the place look unimportant. Portions of the exterior had collapsed, vegetation had reclaimed much of the surrounding ground, and nothing visible suggested the facility had been operational for centuries. Visible being the important qualification.

"You certainly committed to the abandoned aesthetic."

The scanner hadn't given her anything dramatic, which suited Shade perfectly well. Dramatic usually meant someone had already noticed you, and her assignment was simple enough without adding unnecessary complications. She was here to determine what remained, recover anything that might still possess intelligence value, and establish whether anyone else had taken an interest in the site before the Remnant arrived. She wasn't expecting to discover a thousand-year-old Imperial archive politely waiting for someone to switch the power back on. Records degraded, equipment failed, and people tended to scavenge anything obviously valuable long before intelligence officers arrived to catalog it. Forgotten facilities, however, had a habit of retaining things nobody had realized were worth taking.

Shade descended from the rise without approaching the most obvious entrance. Before setting foot inside, she intended to circle the perimeter and determine whether the ruins agreed with the official description of abandoned. Old damage interested her considerably less than anything recent: disturbed ground, cleared vegetation, footprints, replaced components, lingering power signatures, or any other evidence that someone had developed the same curiosity she had.

Her gaze passed once more over the crumbling structure as she adjusted the scanner in her hand. "Let's find out whether anyone remembered you before we did." With that, Shade moved into the terrain surrounding the old facility and began her inspection.

 

[Anastasia]

Location: Lothal
Thread Objective: BYOO
Mission Objective: Investigate the Imperial Intelligence Facility.
Tag: Shade

Anastasia lay prone on the low rise overlooking the seemingly abandoned Imperial intelligence facility. In a manner not wholly dissimilar to the black armor worn by the Chiss intelligence operative she had accompanied, her combat suit—which was normally white—blended seamlessly into the landscape via its adaptive camouflage outer coating. The same coating had been applied to her weapons, along with sound suppressors to diminish their acoustic report to little more than a whisper. It was imperative that she remain undetected for as long as possible, to prevent any interlopers who might have occupied the facility from setting up defenses or triggering an alarm upon realizing that Imperial units had moved in to reclaim the site.

She scanned the facility through the enhanced optics in her quad-lens electro-headset. All the while, the sensors in her neck piece streamed data directly into her awareness through the Ghost Link. Life-form signatures, energy emissions, magnetic signatures, and yet more sensor returns from across the spectra pulsed into the Imperial Viper’s mind, which she calmly processed even as her pale blue eyes twinkled with a measure of curiosity.

“I have stable returns on eight distinct life-form signatures,” Anastasia reported softly, her voice a delicate murmur against the wind. “There are three positioned outside the facility, and five more are inside,” she added.

“Are we positive that this is a Galactic Empire facility?” Anastasia asked, her brow furrowing as she studied the site below. Sections of the structure’s exterior had collapsed, which was an argument in favor of the facility being centuries old. However, the faded Imperial crest was no longer distinct enough for her to determine whether the facility had been originally constructed by the Galactic Empire or the Empire of the Lost. “The New Imperial Security Bureau could have built this, or they could have re-discovered the site and re-occupied it,” she suggested.

The Empire of the Lost, which was succeeded by the Imperial Confederation, had been defunct for many years. However, if the Empire of the Lost had occupied or constructed the facility, there could still be somewhat relevant intelligence data in its computers that could be recovered.

Such data, if it was present, could not be allowed to fall into the hands of interlopers.

Thus, rising from her prone position, Anastasia followed Shade down from the rise. From there, the two women moved toward the outer perimeter with quiet, deliberate steps. Anastasia covered the surrounding area with her carbine, her gaze sweeping the shadows as Shade initiated her inspection.

However, it was then that the Viper’s pupils widened as new data bloomed in her awareness through the Ghost Link.

“Two life-form signatures, approaching our position from the west,” she said softly, her tone carrying a subtle note of urgency. “How do you want to engage?”

Spoiler: Loadout

• MIVS-1 Imperial Viper Combat Suit
  
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• G-11 Imperial Standard Blaster Carbine
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (8)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-20x FAE/S-08 Electro-Scope
    • Silencer
    • BACS-X89i | Breytast Adaptive Camouflage Coating
• G-2 Imperial Standard Blaster
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (4)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
    • Suppressor
    • BACS-X89i | Breytast Adaptive Camouflage Coating
• Ion Slicer Vibroknife
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)
• FAE/MDE-01-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Thermal Explosive (4)

 

[Shade]

Objective: III | BYOO
Investigating: Abandoned Imperial Intelligence Facility
Tag: Anastasia

Shade had been considering Anastasia's question while they descended from the rise. The research she'd done before coming to Lothal had established one thing with reasonable confidence: an intelligence compound had stood at this location long before the Empire of the Lost ever established itself on the planet. That didn't necessarily mean everything standing below them belonged to the Galactic Empire, however. A thousand years left plenty of opportunities for someone to inherit a useful building, repair it, expand it, abandon it, and leave it for the next government to rediscover.

"The compound predates the Empire of the Lost." Shade kept her voice low as she moved, crimson eyes continuing to inspect the terrain ahead rather than settling upon Anastasia. "That much I was able to establish before we came here. Whether what we're looking at is entirely Galactic Empire construction is another question."

Her gaze passed over the deteriorated facility again. "Empires rise and fall. Someone builds a useful intelligence site, someone else discovers it fifty years later and decides the previous owner had the right idea." A faint trace of dry humor lay beneath the observation. "After nearly a millennium, there's no way to know for certain whether every wall down there belonged to the Galactic Empire or one of the many others between then and now without getting closer."

The eight life-form signatures had already answered one question. Whatever history the facility had, abandoned was no longer an especially accurate description of its present condition. She had adjusted her route accordingly when Anastasia reported two more approaching from the west.

She stopped without immediately reaching for a weapon and shifted her attention in that direction. Ten signatures now, assuming the newcomers weren't among the eight Anastasia had already identified. They still didn't know who any of them were, and Shade had no intention of turning uncertainty into casualties simply because two people happened to be walking toward them.

"I would prefer to not engage unless they give us a reason." Shade's answer came quietly. "We still don't know who occupies this place, and I'd rather not introduce ourselves by shooting two people who may have nothing to do with it."

She studied the western approach for a moment, considering the terrain between them and the incoming signatures. Their original advantage had been that whoever occupied the facility didn't know anyone was investigating them. There was no reason to surrender that advantage yet.

"Let's get out of their path and watch them." Shade began moving toward nearby cover, leaving Anastasia free to choose her own position. "If they're part of the group inside, they may save us the trouble of finding another way in. If they're not, we learn that before anyone does something difficult to explain afterward."

A slight smile touched the corner of her mouth.

"I'd prefer my first report on this place contain something more useful than we found ten people and immediately reduced the number to eight."

 

[Anastasia]

Location: Lothal
Thread Objective: BYOO
Mission Objective: Investigate the Imperial Intelligence Facility.
Tag: Shade

Anastasia nodded when Shade replied that the compound predated the Empire of the Lost, a statement which the Viper immediately accepted as fact. She trusted the intelligence operative’s expertise and historical knowledge more than her own, particularly when it came to matters directly relevant to Imperial intelligence. Thus, she quietly listened to her comments, making mental notes in the process. However, the Chiss’ declaration that Empires rise and fall brought forth a slight frown, even as the expression remained concealed beneath her half-face mask and quad-lens electro-headset.

Indoctrinated into the New Order the doctrine of Imperialism, Shade’s words caused an uncomfortable chill to run down Anastasia’s spine. And yet, what she had said was also the truth. There was a reason that they were called the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant. They were a fragment of an Empire that had once ruled over the galaxy, before inexplicably collapsing.

And yet, she believed that an empire—the Empire—would one day be rebuilt. The Empire that the galaxy demanded be rebuilt, as it suffered under the unchecked cruelty of the Sith, the weakness and corruption of the Jedi, and the barbarity of the Mandalorians.

That conviction burned within her as a nigh-unquenchable flame.

“I understand,” Anatasia replied softly, her voice carrying a note of measured acceptance as she continued tracking the pair of life-form signatures. Shade answered her question then, directing her to refrain from engaging and to move out of their path. Thus, the Viper followed her toward cover, before settling into a nearby stand of tall grass for concealment. Her suit’s adaptive camouflage blended her in, rendering her form virtually indistinguishable from the backdrop.

“They’re armed,” Anastasia said softly as two humanoid figures approached. One was a Feeorin with a blaster rifle strapped over his back; the other was a spindly, six-limbed Xexto with four blaster pistols placed in holsters on his chest and legs. The Viper narrowed her gaze and activated the aural amplifiers in her ear pieces, calibrating them to pick up the distant conversation.

“They're discussing the protests in Lothal City,” Anastasia reported over their shared comm channel. With the sonic neutralizer active in her half-face mask, there was no need to limit her volume. Everything that the Viper verbalized was transmitted over the channel, while the sonic neutralizer suppressed outward acoustic projection to prevent anyone in the vicinity from hearing her speak.

Anastasia pulsed a mental command through the Ghost Link, setting her comms so that Shade could hear the conversation through her audio feed.

It was then that the Xexto said something that immediately caught her attention. Anatasia cocked her head to the side, curiosity flickering across her peach-toned features.

“What do you make of it?” She asked Shade, her voice carrying a soft, inquisitive lilt.

Spoiler: Loadout

• MIVS-1 Imperial Viper Combat Suit
  
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
• G-11 Imperial Standard Blaster Carbine
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (8)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-20x FAE/S-08 Electro-Scope
    • Silencer
    • BACS-X89i | Breytast Adaptive Camouflage Coating
• G-2 Imperial Standard Blaster
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (4)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
    • Suppressor
    • BACS-X89i | Breytast Adaptive Camouflage Coating
• Ion Slicer Vibroknife
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)
• FAE/MDE-01-S1 Semiautonomous Seeker Thermal Explosive (4)

 

[Ronhar Tane]

CAPTAIN RONHAR TANE, TK-3301
LOTHAL AIRSPACE
OBJECTIVE I: FLIGHT SCHOOL

The MIN Fist of Mahporeem buzzed above the skies of Lothal as Ronhar came down for a landing. Though the Wild Space Rebellion had suffered a serious defeat on Kessel and had scattered to the wind, their remained the opportunity that they might someday return. Should that happen, it would take everything that the Imperial Remnant had to keep them and their souped up starfighters at bay. The exercise above the skies of Lothal would be a good litmus test of the capabilities of the newest starfighters entering Mahporeenian service: the TIE/Vp Vigilant and the TIE/F Fury. Heavily armored and armed, it was hoped that these starfighters would provide the Imperial Remnant the advantage it needed should it once again come to blows with the Wild Space Rebellion.

The exercise itself was very simple: two opposing teams, equipped kitted out, would engage in battle against each other, a simple "deathmatch" of a dogfight. Of course, there would be no actual downing of the fighters participating today, and all weapons had been replaced with EMP or ION based variants of what they would normally be. The rules were simple: any starfighter that sustained enough "damage" to their shields would be considered out. The harddeck had been set at 5,000 feet to prevent anyone from getting to low and potentially crash into the ground. Whichever team ran out of pilots first would be the loser.

Leading the charge against Ronhar's team was of course Aggressor Squadron, made up of only the finest and most experienced pilots the Imperial Remnant had to offer. Ronhar would be switching to a TIE/Vp Vigilant for this battle, a fighter he was unfamiliar operating. That, coupled with the experience of his opponents, was going to make this battle a difficult one, but that Ronhar nonetheless welcomed. As he switched fighters, his HUD began indicating his teammates, with Hypheer Vhyrn being one of the names he recognized. There were also more than a few that he didn't, and that was going to make cooperation all the more difficult amongst one another.

Ronhar quickly gained altitude as he took his fighter above the hard deck and got into formation with the rest of his squad mates. One thing he did know for certain was that this was going to be quite the difficult battle, and if he and his team were to have any chance of winning, they would need to cooperate and work together to defeat their opponents. Whether or not they would be able to would be an entirely different matter!
​

Spoiler: Ronhar's Loadout

• Head
  • Helm of Authority
    • Rangefinder
• Torso
  • Tashai Coat of Coins
  • Mk 45 Protective Vest
  • "Kitetsu" Force Energy Cycler
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • Miniaturized Smoke Grenade Launcher
    • Empty Automated Weapon Mounting Point
• Arms
  • Tashai Coat of Coins
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • NZ Medpack Display
    • Retractable Vibroblade
    • NZ Pangolin Type 1/A Reactive Armor Plating
• Legs
  • Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton
    • NZ MAM MkII Jet Maneuvering Gear
• Cybernetics
  • Mod V Cyberarms
  • Cyberlegs Mod III
• Weapons
  • Burnblade
  • Prototype Sonic Pistol
  • Mahporeem Acid Rifle
  • Model 216 "Big Game Hunter"
• Ordinance
  • Two Rhydonium Grenades OR Three Mk II Viral Bombs
• Medical Supplies
  • Carapace Knitters
  • ABC - Aerosolized Bacta Cannisters

TAGS:
Hypheer Vhyrn
Draven Vex
OPEN

 

[Victport Graras]

VICTPORT GRARAS
LOTHAL CITY, LOTHAL
OBJECTIVE II: REBEL RAUSER

The yelling and jeering was starting to get louder and louder.

Victport had come to Lothal City to negotiate a peace treaty, not start another war. Having seen the speed at which the neighboring systems had fallen under Mahporeenian control, Lothal had taken the unusual step of inviting Victport and his delegates to the planet in order to come to some kind of terms. Whether that included seizing full control over Lothal or some other arrangement between the two factions remained to be seen, though everyone present was painfully aware of the checkered past between the local population and Imperials in general.

After all, Lothal had been the site of the infamous TIE Defender program and the brutal Imperial occupation that came with it, and even a thousand years later people still remembered what the original Galactic Empire had done to the people of the planet. If Victport was to handle this situation peacefully, he would need to keep his wits fully about him. As his Imperial MAVw-SubTer Rover continued rumbling forward to the meeting site, it ran into what could only be described as a rather large anti-Imperial rally.

Thousands of protesters were walking the streets, carrying signs, yelling slogans and occasionally throwing things at Victport's transport as Imperial and Lothal security tried to keep the crowd at bay. The whole situation was tense, and a single spark could cause things to explode, both metaphorically and literally if Victport wasn't careful.

Eventually, his vehicle reached the entrance to the meeting site, a massive, glittering white skyscraper that had been constructed shortly after the defeat of the original Galactic Empire. Victport and his Chrome Guardian escorts quickly exited the vehicle and rushed inside under a cacophony and insults and fowl words from the protestors gathered around him. It was clear to Victport that he had his work cut out for him, but would he be able to come to some sort of agreement before things completely boiled over, or would the protestors be successful in disrupting his carefully laid plans?

TAGS:
Iroi Rilisona
OPEN

 

[Zesiro]

Objective: II | Rebel Rauser
Location: Lothal City
Interacting with: Iroi Rilisona | Victport Graras

By the time Zesiro reached the government building, she had already decided that staying inside it would be the least useful place to spend her time. The shouting carried between the buildings of Lothal City long before she reached the square itself, thousands of voices blending into something that could be heard without understanding any single word. Signs rose above the crowd, occasionally disappearing among raised hands before appearing again, while Imperial and local security maintained the increasingly uncomfortable boundary between protesters and the building where Victport was attempting to negotiate Lothal's future. Zesiro had seen enough demonstrations, riots, celebrations, and angry gatherings over the years to know there could be a surprisingly small distance between them.

She had dressed for Lothal rather than an Imperial office. Dark pants disappeared into practical boots, while a fitted blue shirt and dark jacket kept enough of Mahporeem's colors to identify where her loyalties rested without resembling a uniform. Nothing about her suggested she had come to command the soldiers already deployed here, because she hadn't. Internal Affairs had other concerns, particularly if Lothal was about to become part of Mahporeem's growing sphere of influence. The people shouting across the square wouldn't cease being angry simply because someone signed an agreement inside the building, and Zesiro wanted to understand what was happening before anyone decided that the easiest solution was also the best one.

Her blue eyes moved over the crowd as she approached the security line, watching more than simply the loudest protesters. She watched where people gathered, how the local guards reacted when something struck the barrier, which sections of the crowd surged forward when the shouting intensified and which remained where they were. Fear could wear the same face as anger from a distance, and she wasn't prepared to assume everyone standing out there wanted violence simply because they didn't want another Empire deciding their future. At the same time, she wasn't prepared to assume none of them did.

A woman standing near one of the permacrete barriers caught Zesiro's attention. She wasn't dressed like the local officers around her, and the hand resting close to her vibro-blade suggested considerably less faith in the crowd remaining peaceful than some of them seemed determined to display. Zesiro stopped beside Iroi, though she kept enough distance not to crowd someone already watching several thousand angry people. "How long have you been standing out here?"

Her gaze remained upon the protesters for another moment before shifting toward the Nagai. There was no accusation in the question, merely curiosity and the easy confidence of someone accustomed to walking into situations already underway. "I just got here, so I've got reports telling me what this looks like. I'd rather hear what it's actually been like from someone who's been watching it." A faint smile touched her lips as she nodded toward the crowd. "Zesiro. Internal Affairs. So, what am I walking into?"

The introduction was deliberately simple. If Iroi had spent the last several hours listening to politicians and officers explain what everyone else ought to be doing, Zesiro had no intention of adding herself to the list.

 

[Iroi Rilisona]

​

Iroi tossed her knife into the air, caught it by the hilt, and slid it back into its sheath. She waited for the magnetic click before lowering her hand, satisfied that boredom hadn't dulled her reflexes or pushed her temper past its limit.

She had been standing at the barricade for what felt like three full rotations, and the crowd was only getting louder. With hearing much better than a baseline human's, the constant shouting was giving her a pounding headache. That was bad enough without her pistol sitting within easy reach.

Before she could give in to her worse impulses, Zesiro approached the line. Dressed casually with just a hint of Remnant colors, the woman introduced herself as an Internal Affairs agent. Iroi barely bothered listening to the name as they weren't the one signing her paychecks.

"Been out here too damn long," Iroi grumbled, making no effort to hide her irritation. "It's a powder keg, if you haven't noticed. The people on Lothal remember the last Empire that scurried around here, and they're getting angrier by the second."

She turned back toward the crowd, resting a hand on her blade as the shouting grew louder. "Unless your diplomats inside can convince thousands of screaming protesters that Imperial rule is better than independence, this place is going to blow up," she explained with a gesture towards the crowd who were already beginning to wave the signature Lothal starbird. ​

 

[Draven Vex]

Lothal • Flight Scool

Issued Equipment • SE-26p Heavy Blaster Pistol | Ion Slicer Vibroknife | NZ ABC-H - Aerosolized Bacta Cannister
Ship • TIE/Vp Vigilant
Interaction{s} • Ronhar Tane | Hypheer Vhyrn


Draven Vex had been born on Mahporeem, raised beneath its polluted skies, educated beneath the stern gaze of Imperial instructors, and somehow emerged from the whole affair with enough optimism to volunteer for the Mahporeem Imperial Navy. That alone, he privately believed, qualified as either patriotism or a diagnosable condition.

Now, as a newly minted lieutenant, he had arrived on Lothal under the command of Captain Ronhar Tane, assigned to an exercise where skills counted. Their opponents were Aggressor Squadron; the most prestigious starfighter unit Mahporeem had to offer, a squadron whose exploits still echoed through the halls of the Mahporeem Starfighter Academy with the exaggerated reverence normally reserved for dead emperors and pilots who had never once missed a shot.

Draven wandered across the landing pads with his helmet tucked beneath one arm, studying the two starfighters he could choose for the exercise. The first was the TIE/Vp Vigilant, highlighting a compact frame, heavily armed offensively and defensively, and designed around speed, pursuit, and maneuverability. Beside it rested the TIE/F Fury, larger and more unique in profile, a predator hunting the skies; designed specifically to ruin another pilot's afternoon.

The officer stopped beside the holodisplay mounted near the TIE/Vp Vigilant and activated the specifications with a gloved finger. Blue-white figures and schematics sprang into the air, rotating slowly above the projector. TIE/Vp Vigilant - Imperial-pattern advanced pursuit fighter. Twin ion engines. Reinforced durasteel cockpit housing. High-output power couplings. Enhanced maneuvering thrusters. Integrated targeting computer. Deflector shielding.

Draven raised an eyebrow at the shielding specification. "Well, look at that," he whispered. "Someone finally decided pilots were expensive."

He moved to the TIE/F Fury and activated its display. The hologram expanded into a larger schematic, detailing its reinforced frame, powerful engines, weapons systems, targeting suite, and heavier structural tolerances. Draven studied both for several moments, comparing engine output and maneuvering characteristics while occasionally glancing toward the Aggressor Squadron pilots preparing their own craft. Their reputation was impressive. Their smugness was even more impressive.

"Aggressor Squadron," he said, looking at the TIE/F Fury. "Apparently the Imperial's finest pilots. Wonderful. Nothing makes a training exercise more relaxing than knowing the opposition has a monument dedicated to itself somewhere."

He gave the TIE/F Fury's hull a final pat before turning toward the TIE/Vp Vigilant. "Try not to embarrass me, girl."

A few minutes later, he climbed into the TIE/Vp Vigilant, settled into the cockpit, and secured his harness as the canopy sealed above him. He brought the systems online one after another, listening as the fighter's engines awakened with a deep mechanical whine that reverberated through the cockpit.

He pushed the throttle forward and sent the fighter streaking into the Lothal sky, rolling the fighter into a banking turn and slipped neatly into the waiting formation, checking his spacing with the other craft before adjusting his stabilizers. The comm channel crackled inside his helmet. He pressed the transmit control and leaned back comfortably, sounding considerably more confident than any sensible pilot should have.

"Captain Ronhar Tane , Lieutenant Vex reporting in. We are airborne and ready." He paused, watching the formation settle into position. "And, for the record, sir, if Aggressor Squadron really is as good as everyone claims, I would like it formally noted that I object to this exercise on entirely professional grounds."

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Lothal - Ministrial Palace
OBJECTIVE: BYOO
IMPORTANT LINKS: Sword #1 | Sword #2 | Armor | Jewel | Ring | Necklace | Gauntlet | DIII Gluttoneria | The guards | KRONOS
TAG: OPEN - Makai Dashiell

While the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant seemed to be more concerned with their military displays and the potential military control Lothal could give them over important trade routes and supply lines, the N&Z had a different idea to fight for. Their fight was not one of weapons and war, but one of words and credits, one in which if everything went smoothly, no deaths were necessary and potential new bonds could be forged. Should there be the need for some forceful action, even then the N&Z would not be disappointed.

Under the leadership of Amalia Visconti as CEO of the entire N&Z Umbrella Corporation, without the oversight from Tertius Nargath, they managed to infiltrate governments, poison the minds of the weak, greedy politicians, all the while pressuring the criminal underground. These were the tactics employed on worlds which tended to already have quite the corporate presence.

After several years of having been granted a stake from the profits made in several of the mines owned by the Dashiells, the N&Z attempted to find a way to take control of the mines of Lothal by official means first, but with no answer coming from those who still held the deeds to Lothal's biggest mines, another tactic had to be found.

For now it seemed that perhaps by buying up several of the mining concessions surrounding the mines operated by the Dashiells could at the very least pressure them into taking the need for talks seriously...
​

 

[Shade]

Thread Objective: BYOO
Mission Objective: Investigate the Imperial Intelligence Facility.
Tag: Anastasia

Shade remained still as Anastasia routed the distant conversation through their shared channel. Her attention shifted between the two approaching figures and the facility beyond them, listening without letting any single fragment of conversation matter more than the circumstances surrounding it. The protests in Lothal City were hardly secret. Thousands of people were involved, and by now Shade imagined half the planet had developed an opinion about them.

"Not enough yet." Her answer to Anastasia was quiet, her crimson eyes remaining on the pair. "They're armed and discussing something everyone on Lothal is probably discussing today. Interesting, but neither tells us why they're here."

That was precisely why Shade had preferred watching them to stopping them. If the two strangers were connected to the people occupying the facility, the most useful thing they could do was continue believing themselves unobserved. Where they went, how they approached the compound, and whether anyone inside reacted to their arrival would tell Shade considerably more than an overheard conversation without context.

"Let's see where they go." Shade shifted slightly without emerging from concealment. "If they walk past, we've learned something. If they walk inside, we've learned considerably more."

A faint trace of amusement entered her expression as she glanced toward Anastasia.

"And if they knock first, I'll be mildly disappointed. That would make this almost too easy."