Duel Lurker in the Fringes...

[Kimiko Taiyou]

Onboard SIN Tsukikage
Border space between SJC and TSE

The recent turmoil in the more civilized portions of the Galaxy had drawn attention from all corners of existence. Alliances had been formed, strengthened or even destroyed. Lines on maps across countless worlds had been drawn. And billions had been affected by it all.

Some sought to take advantage of the situation and make a profit on those less fortunate souls.

Reports had come in of a pirate group operating freely on the edges of SJC space, preying on supply and refugee convoys. The attacks were brutal, often leaving little in their wake, and while the SJC would be hard pressed to provide their own security, they were currently distracted. Many allied governments gladly offered aid, the Sakuran Empire among them, and relief forces began pouring in from all over.

Under the flag of Admiral Sonoda, the Sakuran task force in the region were primarily tasked with escort and patrol duties. It had been months long since their deployment had begun and it was time to rotate crews. The Empress herself was overseeing the change of command and had decided to visit one of her smaller ships assigned to the region. SIN Nagato had just jumped towards the next group on their route and would be back once complete to gather her for their own return trip home. Kimiko joyfully chatted with crew members, ensuring basic needs were met and their welfare and morale were high. She was proud of her people, eagerly accepting this mission far from their home world.

What waited them in the darkness beyond was anyone's guess...

Lirka Ka

Spoiler

Task Force composition:
x1 Akizuki-class Heavy Destroyer
x2 Shimushu-class Destroyer Escorts
x4 Hashidate-class Gunboats
x16 Zero Fighters

 

[Lirka Ka]

Turmoil, sweet delicious turmoil. Lirka was a child of turmoil, one who could bend and break chaos to her will: her own wild megalomania had surged her forth, and her criminal tendrils had already begun to seep into the Galaxy to fill the Sephi's coffers with all the credits she'd ever need for her dark and diabolical plans. But, whilst Lirka was so grossly self-centered in her dreams and ambitions, duty called all the same.

And there were trespassers upon her land.

The darkness was her domain, and all would kneel before her might: well...in this case, the might of the Imperial Armada; the vessels that encroached forward were no mere pilots, no, it was a not inconsiderable flotilla of Imperial warships: knives, made to cut through hope wherever it dared show it's face. Lirka sat within the bridge of the central Destroyer, a clawed gauntlet gently running across the arm of the command throne. Such a rare treat these vessels had become, whilst the northern Empire had fallen to war and chaos, the Borderlands had existed in their blissful state of viciously efficient loyalty: more and more warships had been needed, and Lirka had provided. But this was no great Warfleet like she had seen the Empire muster many-a-time before, but it would make do.

Comms were hailed, Lirka's booming and distorted voice bellowing out a suitably Imperial decree:

"Unknown vessels! Disable your systems and prepare to be boarded, disobedience shall result in your immediate termination!"

They could never say she didn't give peace a chance. The destroyer and it's escort began to advance, a steady pace of blades slashing their way through the void: weapons already primed and ready for battle, a barrage of florescent energy ready to be poured down upon these newcomers at but a moment's notice.

Lirka turned to one of the deckhands, reaching to her side and grabbing her mighty blade: the Sephi had little trouble towering over most of those gathered within the bridge. A barely hidden glee filled her words, finally, it was time to put her new form into action and reap a bloody tally as proof of her perfection.

"Prepare my boarding pods. We will make these interlopers pay."

And with that, the brute was off to begin the start of her bloody task, heavy footfalls echoing throughout the vessel with each step of her metal boots.

Kimiko Taiyou

Spoiler

Marr-II Destroyer
3x Eradicator Cruisers

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

Klaxons sounded as she stepped onto the bridge. The crew was bustling and orders were being shouted from one station to another. Ki took up a place beside the Commander.

"Commander Ozawa, what's the situation?" she asked, concern in her voice evident. The Commander, an older Akaran, sat pouring over a display screen,"Your Grace, four unidentified vessels fell out of Hyperspace, right on top of us. We received a hail to stand down our defenses. What are your orders?" the older military officer looked to his empress with slight concern in his eyes.

She stared at the rapidly approaching ships,"Commander, I am no tactical genius, what would your recommendation be for this situation?" the commander looked forward and thought for a moment. He breathed a deep sigh, the tensing of his muscles caused a smile to form on Ki's face,"We are clearly outmatched here, it would be a gross waste of lives if we attempted to resist." Ki looked satisfied,"I agree, the malice coming from the lead ship is overwhelming. Commander Ozawa, evacuate all personnel you can from the Tsukikage. My Knights and I will by you as much time as we can. But please, don't take your time, and sent a message to Chika, would you?"

The Empress grinned slyly, her senses were buzzing in response to the immense amount of hatred and malice emanating from the one who sent the message.

Lirka Ka

 

[Lirka Ka]

The shadow of the Marr destroyed moved it, great cannons turning to face the unknown vessel: but this was not a time for turbolasers, no, Lirka Ka and her melodramatics would always take precedent in a moment like this. Moving to the broadside of the "enemy", a slew of boarding craft were launched to greet the newcomers, mighty gunships crammed with black armored legionnaires followed by a dark horde of boarding pods that thundered out like a swarm of insects: crashing and boring their way inside.

Surrounded by a cadre of veterans, Lirka's pod rumbled it's way through the void before making a furious contact with the enemy, plasma-cutters went to work immediately as they cut away at the exterior for the delicious little trespassers that laid beneath, bursting forth with a thudding of thrown durasteel walls the Legionnaires and their dark overlord stormed out, weapons raised and ready. Lirka towered above them, an unnatural figure of baroque plate that seemed more suited for a museum, her great and thin blade held in hand, cackling with emerald energy from the Electro-Plasma Filament. She was here for a fight.

"Fan out! I want a team to the reactor, take whoever is deemed valuable enough alive! Kill the rest. These trespassers reek of treachery and ill-intent, we will not allow them to corrupt this Galaxy any further!"

Barking out her distorted commands, the Sephi began to push down the hall she had landed it: trailing her blade along the ground, burning into the floor beneath. She had her own quest, make it to the bridge: and engage in sweet, exhilarating, slaughter. Warships in Sith space? It was a death-warrant already signed.

Kimiko Taiyou

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

The interlopers would find no living soul aboard as they spread out throughout the small vessel. All crew had been rapidly evacuated moments before the hostile ships were within range, stuffed aboard the other ships. They had sped off, in the direction of the Sakuran flagship, and promised their empress a swift return.

Said individual was sitting in the center of the bridge, legs tucked beneath her and tails fanned out behind, as she sort of meditated. She felt the intruders as they searched the ship, drawing ever nearer to herself. They all felt the same to her surprisingly, none of them really stood out above the rest. This confused and alarmed her. This group had to have a commander of sorts...but where were they?

The hatch to the bridge hissed open before her and her eyes met the monstrous form of the individual who had to be in charge. Smiling, she bowed politely,"Greetings, and welcome aboard the Tsukikage. You and your crew are trespassing on sovereign Imperial territory, surrender, and you will be treated with respect." she offered a smile, knowing full well they would not.

Lirka Ka

 

[Lirka Ka]

Black boots stamped against the metal flooring, whilst there may have been no living souls: there was enough in crude materials aboard any vessel that could be hacked away from the inside of paneling and stuffed away to be taken back to the Empire and forged back down to the humble Imperial Credit. But Lirka was after greater things today, always scheming, always plotting. Even if her brutish form relayed no greater understanding for the intricacies of such things.

When the doors hissed open, nothing short of a proper breach surged into the bridge: Lirka's gaggle of veterans with blasters raised poured through, though they found no quarry to unload their rifles in; Lirka's hulking formed followed suit, she seemed less a living creature and more some sort of baroque metal demon pulled from myth. Towering over those around her, Lirka's armored form relayed no gender, nothing about the twisted soul that laid beneath: there was nothing but malice and aggression, a monster stalking into the bridge like a savage predator.

"Unfortunately, I do no recognize false empires."

Her voice was grossly distorted by the helm, crude and grating on the ears.

"Surrender? You are in no place to demand surrender, insect."

Normally, Lirka would offer up the chance for an opponent to surrender: though in truth that was little more than offering the Sephi the chance to turn the newly defeated foe into a new tool. She ran her blade through the flooring, leaving a burning half circle in it's metal before raising her bizarre and alien blade at Kimiko Taiyou

"Rise, Dirt. I seek a challenge."

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

A challenge...

She smiled, standing as her thoughts drifted to the last time a challenge presented itself. Her duties had forced her away from from the front lines more and more. This situation was exciting.

Her hands took hold of her twin blades, figuring to only use Tsuriai if the space allowed. The twin white blades smoothly hissed to life as she took her drilled defense stance. She only needed to buy enough time for her forces to respond.

A deep breath as her body tensed, like a winding spring, ready to spring. Her eyes flashed from blue to violet, as the darker powers took hold. Knowing she would need to draw from it to stand a chance.

"Challenge accepted. Come then, let's get to it."

Lirka Ka

 

[Lirka Ka]

The glowing eyes of her helmet acknowledged the white blades with

"Make it worth my time."

Raising her massive blade as though it were but a feather, Lirka entered combat stance and slowly began to stalk around Kimiko Taiyou , the defensive approach for those brief moments whilst the combat stims began to pump through her veins: muscles bulging, and the murderous tunnel vision starting to form. This overgrown rat would learn suffering today.

The interlude was brief, Lirka was a savage burst of speed as her blade went low: trying to take the woman out at one of her knees before any of the real carnage could begin. But ultimately, Lirka was a devotee of showmanship, nothing ended quite so quickly.

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

The low blow came quick, targeting her legs from a sideways angle. Her ears flicked in her opponent's direction, whirling the blades together to counter the slash. They clashed in a brilliant display of sparks and heat. Ki was thrown off by the metal's deflection of the saber's, pushed to the back of her mind.

Using the momentum from the strike, she quickly bounced off the blade, landing paralllel to the deck of the bridge on the side of a control panel, before launching herself at the other being, blades back and ready for a quick and powerful cross strike...

Lirka Ka