Opening Pantora's Box | TSE Invasion of Pantora

[Yula Perl]

Objective: Get to the surface
Location: Stowed aboard the Mon Calamari Cruiser Anchor and Hope
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Dax Fyre"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

He wouldn’t mind, right? After all, she and Coren were on the same side of things. So what if she’d decided to hitch a ride to Pantora on the very same cruiser he was directing, it was a total coincidence. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Coren so often found himself in the brunt of battle, which is where she wanted to be.

Which is where they were both about to be.

“So, don’t be mad.” Sheepishly making her way into the bridge, Yula tried to diffuse any residual anger in Coren. He didn’t exactly sound pleased over the intercom, which was odd because usually people welcomed a Perl surprise. “It’s a good thing that I’m here, right? You’re going to need all the muscle for whatever the hell's happening.”

In the time it had taken for her to make it from the cargo hold where she’d been ‘resting’ to the cockpit, the Zeltron could finally put a meaning to the pit in her stomach. The Sith fleet had dropped out of hyperspace, and one particular ship was lining up for a strike. After lingering for a few moments, she collapsed unceremoniously into the co-pilot’s chair. “They uh, they don’t waste much time, do they?” Emily, the little spider droid, skittered after Yula and attached herself to the woman’s back. Even she warbled in concern.

“Keep cool, Em. Starchaser aint gonna put us in no danger.” She lied plainly while reaching back to pat the bot, other hand coming up to play with the comm piece in her ear. One voice she recognized, the other she did not, but it made no difference to her.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Dax and Coren’s friend. We’ll, uh. We’ll get there.” She squinted ahead at the massive ship hovering above the ice planet, cringing as it fired a deadly beam towards the surface. Yula sucked in heavily through her teeth. “Just don’t tell my ma, please.”

 

[Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal]

Location: Pantoran Assembly Building, Capital City, Moon of Pantora​

Allies: Pantoran National Guard, Pantoran Diplomatic Guard, personal forces​

Enemies: None yet​

Miscellaneous: Civilians, Pantoran Assembly Members​

Equipment : HL-27 blaster pistol, Mk. 45 protective vest, comms unit, datapad​

Situation: Panic​

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Pantora did not deserve this.

The moon had never been attacked, per se. Blockaded, once. A short civil war, almost. But bombarded? Never. Vela had assumed such a day would never come -- after all, despite the defense fleet and consistent expansion of the Pantoran people they were never a real threat to anyone. Perhaps, given enough time and a little more ambition from her people Vela might have caused them to become a major player on the galactic scale, but this... this was unwarranted.

The Speaker of the Assembly had just finished the closing remarks on the celebrations of joining the Outer Rim Coalition when the ground shook with such force it knocked the city off its feet. The members of the Assembly who'd just risen to give a standing ovation found themselves toppled over on one another. Vela managed to stay on her feet -- well, actually she was still sitting -- and quickly straightened. She glanced around the room, trying to find any signs of a nearby bomb or explosion. Terrorist attacks weren't unheard of, even after the short schism of House Cho had been resolved. But there was nothing.

Moments later the alarms began to blare and the face of the acting captain of the Speaker of Pantora (Admiral Irn was present for the ceremonies at the Assembly), lead ship of the defense fleet, appeared on the projector of the Assembly's centre. The words that spilled from his mouth sent the room into a panic. "We're under attack! It's a Sith armada!"

Most of the politicians and important types had recovered from the blast, but the news of an arriving Sith war fleet terrified them. Even those who were usually reassured by the idea of the Pantoran Defense Fleet were afraid of a true attack by the mighty Sith Empire. A few broke down and curled up under their desks, most moved for the exits, and others simply stood there, stunned. Alya was only quiet momentarily before she began to push her way through the crowd. She tapped the comms unit on her belt, alerting her personal guards to her position.

It took her a few moments to track down the Admiral, who was standing at the front of the rows of Assembly. He looked confused, shocked, his jaw slacked as he watched the panic carpeting the room. And then he was pulled out -- pulled by Vela who'd grabbed his collar so he could hear her over the sound of panicked screams. "Admiral. Get to the communications station below the Assembly chamber. We need you to command our forces and hold off the Sith until we can begin an evacuation."

The Admiral blinked, then nodded, gulping. He'd never actually marshaled the entire United Pantoran Defense Fleet for a single battle -- in fact he had a rather lack of experience in general combat. Vela knew he was in for a rude awakening. War was never as simple as the military academies said it was. "Go, Admiral. Live up to the expectations we have for you." He began to move off, walking briskly towards one of the smaller, less cluttered exits.

Her guards arrived at the perfect time, along with a pair of aides. She did a quick head count, then began to give orders. "Kurpo and Koa, follow the Admiral to the communications centre. Tell me how bad it is and update me on the status on the defense fleet. Activate what defenses we have on the ground, if that earthquake was an attack we cannot allow the city to be next. The Assembly has a shield, which should shield a few blocks. Contact the National Guard and tell them to bring all reserves into action, and announce a state of emergency. Get any reserve ships we have into the battle, and tell those at the spaceport to take their ships and get away from the fighting until further notice. Chi, get the chief of police and tell him to set up a perimeter. All police units are to gather as many civilians as they can and bring them to safe zones, here or to the old subway tunnels under the city. Ghan and Foji, head to the transportation centre and gather whatever workers and technicians you might come across. Either get the old trains running or clear them off the tracks so we can evacuate through them if needed. Toro, contact the Silvertongue. Go." A few short 'yes ma'am's followed her words and the various people began to disperse to their assignments. The Assembly chamber was almost empty now, and Alya folded her arms. This was not what she'd wanted for her people... but the ambitious young woman would not pass up any chances. Conflict brought opportunity.

​

​

Location: The Speaker of Pantora, Bridge, orbiting Pantora​

Allies: United Pantoran Defense Fleet, ORC space forces [member="Dax Fyre"] [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

Enemies: Emperor's War Fleet, [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Aut-X"]​

Miscellaneous: Civilian vessels​

Situation: Dire​

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Captain Tatsu was as terrified as the rest on the ship.

None of them had ever expected war to come to Pantora. Many of them had dreams of glory in battle of course but those dreams had been shattered the moment their fellow officers began feeling damp around their groins. That wet patch grew as they saw more and more vessels coming out of hyperspace, and that sense of dread and fear began to overwhelm all else.

But Tatsu was determined not to falter -- not yet. As much as the fear of the Sith strangled him, the weight of the responsibility to his people took hold just as tightly. He clenched his fists, then sat down in the captain's chair. "All crew, to battle stations. Form up beside Platform IV, battle formation Besh II." There was a pause from the crew members. "Now!" They scrambled into action.

Shields were angled and weapons raised. The comparatively tiny UPDF grouped up beside one of the Golan VIII Defense Platforms, in a simple three layer formation -- the smallest vessels covered the flanks and the ships grew in size as they reached the centre. It would be a formidable force if they weren't facing hundreds of powerful Sith warships. The captain began to have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach -- funny how likely it was that the feeling came before the ship.

"Contact Commodore Tat, and tell him our situation. Gather our away forces and bring them home, we'll need every ship we can get. Launch all fighters."

And so, the battle begins...

 

[Coren Starchaser]

​

Objective: Land and Fight
Allies: ORC [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Dax Fyre"] [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
Enemies: Sith [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

He shook his head. Was she seriously here? On his shuttle? Could this day get any worse? “I ought to turn this ship around and dump you back on the Anchor.” He said as he looked back at the Perl kid. He already got enough chit from Joza for the Rhen Var. And that wasn’t even his call. If it was up to him, the Perl gang would be far away from the war zone. If it was up to him, everyone would be. That was why he fought, but here she was. What was she, thinking she was a Starchaser? Even his own children didn’t join the war zone. He hoped that they were safe.

Jared might join but he was hoping he didn’t. Kid could follow in his other footsteps.

She wasn’t wrong. He was going to need everyone he could gather for this. “Get up here, strap yourself in.” He said, moving to activate the shields and push the engines forward. He was looking to get to the planet. He could do good up here, but with the Behemoth here? No, he had better things to ---. What was that?

Looking up, he shook his head. “Sithspawn sons of…” He shook his head. Planet. Now. And then he heard the voices coming over the commlink. Captain Drake, he nodded.

“Drake, Starchaser, heading to the Moon, did you see that shot? Will coordinate with you when I have something. Link the planetary forces to me. May the Force be with you…” He shook his head, Kathol was a tough state here, [member="Atlas Drake"] would be fine.

He smirked when he heard Dax and Cotan. They both knew he was not keen on diving into a conflict with Joza Perl. She made the Sith look terrifying. “Are you both here? Last one to the planet has to fill out paperwork.” This was ORC. There was no paperwork. “Transmitting landing zone now. Coalition fighters are scrambling, broadcast friendly.” He looked at his co-pilot-by-chance.

“No word to your mother on this.”

 

[Cuan Kunn]

Objective: Starfight
Allies: ORC, [member="Gray Venasir"]
Enemies: Sith [member="Sar-Ka-Roi"], [member="Keira Cerdulan"]


The sometimes Rogue shook his head. This was a mess. Rogue Squadron was working on re-establishing, and with the recruitment of new members underway, some pilots took postings in their former groups for the time being. Cuan Kunn had reverted back to the Tiburons for a bit. He wasn’t a soldier, no, but he could operate airspeeders just as well as his starfighter. Probably why he was selected by Starchaser years ago. But as the order came, he was sounding off as the pilot to stay in orbit.

The X-Wing was a wonderful craft. His had the red and white paint typical of the Rogues and the Alliance Remnant. What he was hoping for was to show the Sith that the Alliance was still there, and see where the Coalition was in terms of manpower and their capabilities. He had a lot of skill, but there were so many fighters out here.

“Arenine, keep everything that’s on a course for us monitored. I’m going to go for the fighters but I don’t want my backside exposed.” He switched to the squadron/fleet. “This is Flaps, Tibs, keep to my wing. Lets get these guys out of our system!”

 

[Darth Prazutis]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epdg2eGNsSc[/media]
Jethro & Bella Shapris, Pantoran Family
Capital City…

“Dran, Syna stay close!” Jethro shouted to his oldest son Dran, a rambunctious seventeen year old and his daughter Syna who was nineteen, his hand firmly grasping his wife’s as they each stayed together in a chain. The arrival of the massive Sith War Fleet crippled the city in a state of absolute shock to see hundreds upon hundreds of ships exist hyperspace. But it was the beam cutting through the skies bringing annihilation to a vast region outside of the city. The impact was registered around the entire moon, the very earth cracked in the foundations of the restaurant they were eating in as every window shattered. The beam was far more than a shot across the bow, it caused absolute chaos, complete mass hysteria across the entire city.

The sheer pandemonium unfolding in the streets was hard to grasp in its totality, vast crowds surged down highways containing moving vehicles, people who fell were being stampeded while others were flat out being run over by cars barreling through, their frantic drivers desperately trying to reach emergency bunkers. All throughout the city the vile criminal underworld was forced into the light as opportunists, looters smashed open storefronts while ambitious gangsters opened fire in the streets taking the rare opportunity to settle scores. Jethro was an off duty police officer, a detective who had taken the day off to spend time with his wife and two children, his daughter had come home from the university and it was supposed to be a pleasant family dinner.

Everything changed.

“Oh my god Jethro look at that poor woman! We should do something!” Bella said, pointing to an older lady who tripped and fell, the feet of hundreds surged over her as the crowds stampede over the lady. She barely had enough time to scream before stepping shoes and boots collided with her form, pinballing her around as people stepped on and tripped over her “If we stop now we’ll end up just like her Bella, keep moving it’s not safe here!” Jethro said peering up to keep track of the coming first wave. The Outer Rim Coalition and the Pantoran Defense Fleet were there thankfully to hold the enemy back, but there were simply too many to stop them all. The crowd had rounded a corner and turned down another major highway when a loud boom rang out, a speeding truck plowed through a blockade of police vehicles and collided with a store front to the sound of breaking durasteel and a symphony of terrifying screams. The collision had taken them by surprise and briefly he’d lost sight of his daughter, the family were pinballed through the crowds “Syna?! Syna!?” They shouted before he heard her voice scream out again, barely carrying over the chaos of the crowd “Dad I’m okay!”, he breathed a sigh of relief before they resumed at full speed.

But something was wrong.

The skies darkened all around them, a shadow like a veil descended over the city. As Jethro looked upward he could no longer see the warships above him, all he could see was thick black swirling storm clouds. It was a hurricane and a large, violent, and destructive one too. Thunder crashed and all through the clouds a golden lightning aggressively snapped over and over. The arcs shot out across the city and back into the sky high above, somewhere they couldn’t see “A hurricane?! How is that even possible!” Dran yelled. “It’s not, it can’t be not this quick!” Bella answered. A powerful hurricane wind collided with the city and swept through the streets, ripping signs out of the ground and blowing the crowds over. It took everything he had just to hold onto his wife as he fought for dear life to keep hold of his son who was being pulled by hurricane winds. Jethro collided with a truck and gripped onto its door handle holding on for dear life, “Dad! My hand is slipping! I can’t hold on!” The boy shouted. Despite every ounce of strength he poured into it, the boys hand slipped from his grasp.

Then they were gone.

As the crowds stammered to their feet and even more frantic running ensued, he completely lost his son and daughter in the crowds. A fresh round of screams rang out as a blinding gold light emerged from the clouds, bathing the streets below in its glory. Jethro ran as fast as he could as those around him screamed:

“Oh my god!”
“By the force what is that?!”
“Look at the size of that thing!”
“Were all gonna die! Run for your lives!”

Then he looked.

It was as beautiful as it was terrifying. A massive three headed draconian horror, its size reaching easily around six hundred feet, its sheer wingspan far surpassing it, the creatures shadow was so great an entire portion of the city was blanketed by its bulk. It’s scales were shimmering aurum as its body glowed with a bright golden light. The hurricane seemed to surge around it, as if the beast held dominion over it. Each of the three heads was topped with a crown of twisted, regal horns. A massive twin barbed tail that looked like some sort of wicked maul trailed behind the creature. But his wife’s screams drew his attention away from the creature, the light inside it growing brighter by the moment, only one thing could be coming “My babies! Jethro where are my babies?! Dran!? Syna?!” She shouted as she stopped in the middle of the street. “Bella move NOW MOVE!” He said practically dragging her as he tossed her into a massive nearby building, it was made of a solid, thick permacrete foundation.

He threw his entire shoulder into crashing the door open, sending the pair and a vast portion of the crowd following him surging into the tall skyscrapers main lobby. “I can’t I need to find my babies! They’re out there!” Bella screamed, as tears started welling up on her face as she tried to stand up, it took everything Jethro had to hold her down. As much as he hated it, they couldn’t save their children if they were dead, they needed to trust that they could get to safety. As rebellious as Dran could be he listened to his older sister, he trusted her, and they were both very smart. Every waking moment felt like an eternity as crowds surged everywhere they could. A blinding gold light covered the entire street again and just then a deafening roar cut out. Very briefly the couple caught sight of their son Dran struggling to push towards them through the frenzied people. The boys mouth moved but they couldn’t hear what he was saying, and in response his wife screamed.

Then he was gone.

A massive wall of pure concentrated graviton, a powerful wave of lightning surged from every single head of the flying beast. In a flash everyone on the street vanished as those inside closed their eyes. Windows blew out, walls shook and cracked, the very ground rumbled violently. Jethro was blasted clear across the room his eyes blinded by the light.

\

War Fleet Black Iron, First Wave

The tip of the spear.

A vast wave of Sith-Imperial ships of all shapes and sizes, a great screen of starfighters, bombers, and transport ships cut through the atmosphere. In the forefront of these ships was a creature like no other. The Storm Demon, Golden Doom, Supreme Ruler of the Skies, the King of the Monsters, it was Galvanoth the Genocide. A three headed draconian battle hydra, the chosen war beast of the Lord of Lies himself. The great demon was surrounded on all sides by the elite forces of Death Squadron, personal starfighter squadron of the Shadow Hand and some of the best pilots in the Sith-Imperial Navy.

It felt good.

Morale surged even in such dark moments for the fighting men of the Sith-Imperial Military to know that their Supreme Commander was right on the front line, a Lord of the Sith and his beast stood with them. To know that their leader didn’t just order them to battle but stood side by side with them in the thick of it, never asking of them anything that he wouldn’t have done himself. The beast that Darth Prazutis rode on was deceptively fast cutting through the skies at over five hundred knots. In his vast mind the Sith Lord secure in a harness on the creature, he could see everything around him through its eyes. He could see the screens of starfighters facing them, they would soon be upon them shortly. Already he felt the intelligent Galvanoths power churning, it invoked the power of the storm. The skies darkened as vast, black storm clouds surged around it like a swirling maelstrom providing the attacking Sith-Imperials great cover. All throughout the storm the Sith Lord held power through the Genocide over the very storm itself, golden lightning of dark energy cracked as it arched towards enemy starfighters, a full squadron of interceptors advancing towards them were vaporized by the chain of golden lightning, their ships sent down in burning hulks.

“Soldiers of the Sith Empire hear me. Our enemy thinks skulking in the fringes of space will protect them, they think they can strike within our borders with impunity and dart away unpunished. They are wrong. We come not for conquest, not for some desire of resource and slaves, we come for death. Make them remember Pantora, etch the memory of this fight into the annals of history forever, make them never forget what happened when the Sith Empire came to Pantora! Let them hear you! Nyashjontu Wo! Imperius!” The Shadow Hand said, his voice reaching every ship in the first wave to the surface. A storm of laser fire erupted through the black storm clouds as the clouds parted. Battle was joined inside the vast hurricane as Sith fighters engaged in vicious dogfights with Pantoran pilots. Lightning arched towards any ships that moved close to Galvanoth, while the faithful pilots of Death Squadron cut loose with their highly advanced fighters, every burst was a calculated strike and every burst saw a fighting explode in an orange plume.

Casualties were taken on both sides as hulks descended rapidly through the skies while some were entirely obliterated. The Shadow Hands path took him straight over the capital city, the beasts great shadow darkening everything beneath it as it flew low just beneath the skyline of towering skyscrapers. Galvanoth cut loose with a defiant roar as the packed streets grabbed the beasts attention, a storm of blasts collided scattering over its vast armored bulk, but they weren’t enough of a concentrated assault to pierce his hide not in its toughest areas. Hurricane winds from his wings caused destruction on their own, but not what he wanted. They would all die screaming every soul on Pantora, every single person would die because of the actions of a few. All it took was a push through his psychic connection with the beast and energy surged from each head. Three distinct beams smashed down into the streets as one eviscerated the vast crowds, the leftmost head cut its path across the buildings.

The sheer power of the creatures breath obliterated most structures in its way, a chain of great explosions as it seared a great path across the buildings, while the one on the right cut loose towards the right side of the street. So many died beneath its destructive fury, an innumerable amount of people died in the streets. Life snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Those who were only partially caught by the blast suffered a fate worse than death, their bodies were horrifically charred as clothing and armor fused into their charred skin. As lives were snuffed out of existence the Destroyer barely registered their loss, for him ending life came as easy as extinguishing a candle, they were mere bacterium to him, lower than even the vermin and easily pushed aside.

The skyscraper.

It too was a target of opportunity, potential for more destruction. What better symbol for what was to come than to destroy a shining tower of achievement? A large score of Sith fighters fell crashing into the streets and various buildings, the anti air screen unleashed hell on the initial waves. What was worse, he couldn’t remain here not while the Sith-Imperials had no foothold on the surface. A series of concentrated blasts collided causing Galvanoth to roar in pain, fury of the Coalition forces that stared in awe at the behemoth. The Shadow Hand commanded the beast its highly acidic, spiked twin tails swung out. The full force of the creatures massive bulk collided many stories from the top, effortlessly smashing through the levels scattering debris in every direction. Its corrosive tail eroded the tower of stone and durasteel, sending the top most portion crumbling down to the streets below. “We can’t stay here, we need to move your Excellency.” The voice of his squadron leader came across the comms.

So he took Galvanoth high through the firestorm outside the city to the steaming great black scar. What was once beautiful became roughly thirty or so miles of a glassed hellscape, as the surface rapidly cooled the skies above were covered with a black smog making it look more like some otherworldly plane than Pantora. The Lord of Lies landed Galvanoth with a great boom as starfighters from Death Squadron screamed all around him. Out from behind them came a vast array of reinforced transports, they rapidly descended with a great thud all around the massive beast, its heads swiveling in every direction. Even now Galvanoth worked to unleash the storm to try and deter pilots from flying into the zone. Why?

The monsters who descended the transport ramps.

The Butcher-King’s Men, the Deceiver’s Hammer, Jedi Hunters, Mandalorian Butchers, the Angels of Death. The Blackblade Guard. They were the best the galaxy had ever seen, no standing army was responsible for more deaths, no force had spilled more blood than the infamous Blackblades. Worlds burned, species wiped out, cultures decimated when Kaine Zambrano’s greatest soldiers passed over a world. As the Shadow Hand made his way down from his massive beast a single figure stood before it entirely unafraid, his stoic form concealed beneath armor of white gold. An ornate maroon cloak was clasped to both shoulders, his form easily stood out from the rest of the dark armored warriors. This was the legendary Osbasid, Highlord of the Blackblade Guard, Victor of the Gorebound. “Your Excellency. Full mobilization will complete shortly. I’ve ordered the advanced guard into position to target outside threats while the rest of our forces disembarks. We will attract attention, but we will be ready.” Osbasid said.

There were very few that he trusted on the level that he did Osbasid, a man who he helped create. Ever since the death of Anthmar the man led the Blackblade. The Highlord stood beside him and Kaine on battlefields beyond counting, against enemy forces so vastly superior in numbers, and strength. Osbasid was a tactical genius and the loyalty of his forces were absolute, they’d invade hell itself simply because the Zambranos asked him to. “Excellent Osbasid. How is my surprise? How did she fare on the journey down?” He asked. As if on cue a figure clad in all white robes, her visage concealed beneath a white veil suddenly appeared. But she didn’t speak she simply knelt before her liege, hair a ghostly white spilled out from the edges of her veil. The Shadow Hand ignored her presence while he listened to the Highlord speak. “It was a rough ride but she fared well. She’s ready.” The giant simply gestured bidding her to rise and she did so without hesitation. “Come. We have work to do.”

[member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Zark"] | [member="Romi Jade"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Dax Fyre"]

 

[Dax Perl]

​

Location: Pantora, near surface
Allies: ORC [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] | [member="Yula Perl"]
Enemies: TSE [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

Dax heard his name go over the comms. A voice he'd heard before. He may have never met Cotan, but he'd seen reports, and he always liked what he saw. That was all he could ever ask. From one of his Judges. However, the next voice he heard was not one that he expected, "Yula? What in the blazes are you doing here? If your mother finds about this she'll have all our heads!" the Rogue berated his niece as the Sparrow continued its screaming approach to the surface.

"Last one to the planet has to fill out paperwork," said Starchaser as they all hurtled towards the surface. "Paperwork? Feth that Coren, last one down buys the first round! And y'all are about to lose."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Allies:

• [member="Darth Prazutis"]
• [member="Aut-X"]
• [member="Vanessa Vantai"]
• [member="Khonsu Amon"]
• [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

Enemies:

• [member="Coren Starchaser"]
• [member="Dax Fyre"]
• [member="Atlas Drake"]
• [member="Gray Venasir"]
• [member="Acaleus Thorn"]
• [member="Gilamar Skirata"]
• [member="Loreena Arenais"]
• [member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
• [member="Yula Perl"]
• [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"]
• [member="Cuan Kunn"]

Location: Aboard the Behemoth II

Fighters had been launched the moment the Sith Fleet exited hyperspace, the flight crews and pilots patiently waiting for hours on end just for that singular moment. Swarms of them twirled through empty space, pirouetting spirals that clashed tumultuously with those fighters launched by the enemy. Four heavy attack formations made up the vanguard of the Sith Fleet, collectively comprised of sixteen Xo’Xaan II-class Star Destroyers, forty-four Harrower Cruisers, eight Vectivus-class Carrier Cruisers, eight Incapacitator-class Interdiction Cruisers, and sixteen Psion-class Mine Layers. On their flanks were four light formations, two on the right flank and two on the left flank; twenty-four Harrower Cruisers, sixteen Psion-class Mine Layers, and eighty Tachys-class Pursuit Corvettes. Behind the vanguard were two battle formations, each one commanded by one of the Tetrarchy admiral’s Heresiarch-class Command Battlecruisers surrounded by twelve Harrower Cruisers, eight Caecus-class Strike Frigates, and twelve Tachys-class Pursuit Corvettes.

The heavy attack lines of each heavy formation moved forward to spearhead the assault in space, sublight engines burning brightly at full-power as the angular ships cut a fierce figure against the backdrop of Orto Plutonia. Ventral and dorsal quad heavy turbolasers barked emerald flame into the vacuum of space while fast tracking point-defense cannons swiveled to follow enemy fighters when they ventured too close. Tachys corvettes weaved in and out through the advancing formations, running down fighter squadrons and retreating back behind the line when the larger warships loomed. Guided missiles, launched from port and starboard silos, left misty white contrails as they vented hot air and moisture streaking along their lethal trajectories. Blossoming flowers of fire and shrapnel marked where the missiles fell short of their mark, blasted apart by stray fighter fire, anti-missile flak, or technical malfunction.

Yet behind everything, the Behemoth II loomed ever present, ever dangerous. Though its sister-ship, Goliath II, had made a fearsome display of its superlaser against the surface of Pantora, the superlaser of the Emperor's flagship remained silent for the time being.

It’s other weapons, however, did not.

Ultra-Heavy beam cannons based along the angular hull sought out enticing targets, belching forth compressed streams of destructive energy through gaps in the Sith Fleet’s formation. Most importantly they began to open fire on the leering Golan defense platforms around which anchored the Pantoran Defense Fleet, eager to silence the enemy’s fortifications in grand displays of might and destructive power.

The entire battle was being relayed to the Emperor via a holographic map of the surrounding space, with angular markers representing each capital ship in the Sith Fleet while square blocks represented their enemies. Beyond that was a blockade of circular ships meant to signify the forces of the mechanical warlord that served at his behest. "Inform Aut-X to begin landing his troops. We'll follow suit when the opportunity is ripe." Captain Godfris bowed shortly before several notification alerts cascaded across the command bridge,“More ships have entered the system, Supreme Excellency. Most are carrying unknown transponders, possible more Coalition reinforcements. We are being hailed by ships flying the encrypted signature of the Clans, shall we allow connection?” The Emperor glanced at the holographic display of the Mandalorian ships being projected in front of him, noting their position in relation to the Sith Fleet. “Put him through.” Gilamar Skirata’s visage replaced the tactical display, himself projected slightly larger than he would be in person. “The Architect. To what do we owe the pleasure? You’re a long way from home, Mandalorian.”

 

[Zark San Tekka]

​

Your work is over.

The thoughts forced their way into Lord Braxus' head past arcane defenses that would have blunted a whole host of Jedi Masters working in concert. They burned with empyrean fire in his brain, more than enough to bring a mortal man to his knees. Sparks showered over the Shadow Hand, one by one the idling troop transports had begun to experience violent system malfunctions. Reactors flared, electro-plasma grids overloaded, a drum of heavy ammunition cooked off in one lighting it aflame.

There was the shape of a man standing at the edge of the city.

[member="Darth Prazutis"] could barely make him out through a haze of smoke that now permeated from bombardment. He was well inside the Blackblade's security perimeter, but he had shown up on no sensors and triggered no proximity alarms. He still triggered no alarm. If it weren't for the expertly trained soldiers tracking their weapons towards him the Shadow Hand might have assumed he was no more than a vision.

Master Zark was very real.

Pantora had no nexus that he knew of, and the Jedi spirit dared not manifest aboard the Goliath a second time. But there were gathering places on Orto Plutonia, holy ground for the spiritual Talz people that over the millennia had taken on a kind of power all their own. He basked in its radiance, the orbiting planet a massive beacon of psychic energy. Pantora was hundreds of thousands of miles away, yet distance was nothing to the Force.

Leave while you can.

An army of some of the best soldiers the galaxy had ever seen stood at Zambrano's back. Zark appeared alone, one man swaddled in simple grey robes. Prazutis knew he was anything but. Spirit or no spirit, the Jedi Master was a formidable warrior of light. He tilted his head up towards the Shadow Hand's battle hydra, an expression of idle curiosity which showcased his disturbing lack of concern.

 

[WolfMortum]

​

Objective: Enter the System and head for Pantora's surface.​

Inventory: Heavy Battle-Armor, Promissium Annulos, Lightsabers of Svivren,​

Opposition: [member="Kaine Australis"], The Sith Empire.​

Support: The Jedi Vanguard.​

(OOC: Intro post, and do not plan to take part in fleeting).​

​

​

​

The moment the hostile fleet of the Sith Empire had entered the system and began the invasion of Pantora, calls went out far and wide to nearby stations and allied forces; Thanks to [member="Coren Starchaser"]'s connection and role within the Outer-Rim Coalition, the Jedi Alliance channels had lit up with comm chatter over the ensuing assault, Veiere Arenais hearing the call and reporting everything to the Silver Assembly before making ready to leave his post in the northern territories of Silver Jedi Space, permission handed down for his request to join the fight and seek to drive away the Empire whom had wrecked havoc across his life of late, and specifically his families home-world of Commenor.

The voyage to coalition space took some time, and by the point of his arrival the battle was already well underway and the Empire's fleet out in force along with the defending vessels scrambling to drive them out. Aboard "The Judiciary" Vikras Ansion had been given priority command, Veiere's second in charge, and acting Captain as the Jedi Master had set his mind to seeking out [member="Darth Carnifex"] if he were down there on the surface. If not, then Veiere's purpose would be a counter-offensive.

"Pearson, call for the Vanguard. I want them with me" Veiere instructed one of the crew, his head security officer aboard the Starship. "Have them meet me in the Hangar" He added as he began to take his leave of the bridge, "Once I'm off the ship, do what you can to support the Coalition". The Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle would be ready to recieve him by the time he had reached the primary hangar, boarding his personal transport flanked by six Jedi Guardians all bearing the armor of the Temple Guard. Before long the Transport's repulsorlift thrusters would kick into gear and the shuttle move to disembark from the Judiciary, followed by two ETA-4 Jedi Interceptor's for support.

Their landing was reportedly hot, their trajectory taking them right into the heart of the ensuing warzone.

Spoiler: tags

TSE:
[member="Darth Prazutis"]
[member="Aut-X"]
[member="Vanessa Vantai"]
[member="Khonsu Amon"]
[member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

ORC:
[member="Coren Starchaser"]
[member="Dax Fyre"]
[member="Atlas Drake"]
[member="Gray Venasir"]
[member="Acaleus Thorn"]
[member="Gilamar Skirata"]
[member="Loreena Arenais"]
[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]
[member="Yula Perl"]
[member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"]
[member="Cuan Kunn"]

 

[Haon Hafey]

Status: In Hyperspace
Timeframe: Not Long Enough​

Enemies: The Sith Empire​

Allies: Outer Rim Coalition​

Tags: None till Beacon Deployed​

​

If Slightly Inferior in Numbers, We Can Avoid the Enemy
-The Art of War​

​

​

On Board the Type-K Assault Corvette "Alarm"​

​

​

This was a very uncomfortable wait. He had received on radar multiple signatures on the hyperdrive signal interceptor which allowed him to orientate the position of his hyperspace jump. Having a Class Seven hyperdrive was not a pretty sight and he knew that his corvette be late to the party but he picked his spot and jumped, he did not know what the full situation was, nor did he have an idea that the planet was fully under attack but he knew something was going horribly wrong. The wave of blue pulsated in front of him, a squadron of old C-Wing Uglies were prepped and ready, along with the Crystal-Class Clawcraft which was currently in the process of warming up. The conversation on the bridge got heated quickly, people being rather jittery.

"We need to have the Awaken online!"

"There is no time! The Awaken is in another system nearby and someone will have to command it! No one knows how to use a vessel like this!"

Haon Hafey meant every word, very few of the Outer Rim Coalition even knew how it worked and more so, it was in for weapons calibration. It was rarely used and maybe the better half, but the Alarm was battle ready at all times. The soft whine of the alarm indicated they were close with a lot of signals cross feeding into others. Watching the screen, the soft lines of white would rescind and then give towards total blackness but not before the long whine of collision would sound as the crew would scream that they were literally underneath a frigate! It was not even focusing on them at the time, firing forward at one of the nearby space stations orbiting the planet with a swarm of rogue fighters in the area destroying cargo containers and freighters alike as a group of fighters came towards them to attack, not knowing until it was to late, that this freighter was not one for cargo, but one for war.

"All Stations, Open Fire!"​

​

It did not take long for what was soon to happen. Rather suddenly, an entire group of quad laser cannons erupted from the "Alarm" and started to destroy, decimate and even pulverize any form of starfighters in its path, the Sith Empires ships not standing much of a chance from a surprise attack. Then the dual turbolaser batteries opened fire directly at the frigate above them, it not standing much of a chance as it could not fire back effectively, the turbolasers making the shields inoperable and very shortly, a small salvo of concussion missiles were launched at key points of the frigate in question along with the quad laser cannons, all twenty batteries swinging towards the frigate to make a statement, that it was no longer going to be in existence. Even though the "Awaken" took a minor beating, the frigates midsection after a full minute of sustained fire, broke apart and with a stray turbolaser bolt hitting the reactor, it suddenly exploded above them with a loud shockwave clap.

​

​

With its destruction, the remaining starfighters were picked off one by one in the area, the shield generator rather quickly regaining full power without much opposition, tore through the last starfighter as it merely exploded into space dust. Haon Hafey surveyed the work as more hyperspace signatures were coming in, something larger was soon going to join the fray as Haon ordered the PED Distress Beacon to be modified for full deployment as he realized how bad the situation has got, the C-Wings now deploying from the hanger bay as the entire corvette shook with an enemy corvette coming to investigate but very shortly, it to would meet the same end as the frigate before him, being nothing but dust.

"We need to hold this position at all costs!"

 

[LT-137]

​

Location: Sujimis Sector, Pantora System Approach.
Objective: Secure the Stars.
Allies: The Golden Company, The Sith Empire.
Enemies: Outer Rim Coalition.
Naval Complement: Thyrsian Classis I and Aurek Security Echelon. {99% background Fluff - Will Respond if Engaged.}

GCV “Guerdon.”​

Command Deck.​

When the deal was struck, and the promised coin delivered, a vast and gilded warhost of the Golden Company was mustered; taking to the stars in the hopes of relishing in the glory of unfettered conquest. Their mirror-shielded hulls fell into ragged formation beside the Sith-Imperial Vanguard, as their collective armada’s speared through the bespeckled darkness of the Core Regions. It wasn’t until they reached the Outer Rim that the twinned battlegroups parted ways. The Sith-Imperial Taskforce would carry onwards toward their destination, whilst the faster and more elegant echelons of the Thyrsian Classis raced towards the various early warning stations; seeking to blind their newfound foe to the retribution that sailed their way. Surprise was the key element to the success of their operation, and the Sun Guard was honoured to take the treasured glory of First Blood. When their intruder ships broke away from the swirling tides of hyperspace, they fell upon every early warning system that could be detected; either destroying them outright - or taking them by the sword in order to keep their encoded transmissions flowing.

As the Sith-Imperial Vanguard punched into the Coalition’s sphere of influence, they found little to no resistance. Everything was proceeding according to plan. However, what irked the newly ordained Supreme Sun Guardian, was how long it took his naval forces to reform before making the final jump to the Pantora system. He wished to relish the satisfaction of seeing the Second Phase of the Operation take place. Of seeing the opening gambits made by the Coalition Forces as they sought to fight against the tides of destiny. While the man was certain it would be akin to fighting back the tidal press of the ocean with cupped hands and harsh language, there was a certain unpredictability at play. Such notions were given life by the salvaged after-action reports from the pilfered First Order database once installed aboard the Eidolon. It seemed that at the eleventh hour, when all seemed lost and Skor II was once again bombarded by those First-Imperials Curs, the Coalition coaxed a migrant herd of Purrgil into their tightly-knit formations.

Such a fate for those that wronged him, and the Golden Company thereafter, brought a fit of raucous laughter to Khonsu’s lips. Not only were they torn asunder by Raptorian Primitives, but they were defeated by semi-sentient space whales during mating season. While it tore the man’s mind away from the scene laid out before his armoured bulk, the Thyrsian Warlord couldn’t help but smile as the unbidden, but entirely amusing memory.

“Lord?”

Astarii Saren spoke, giving voice to a measure of annoyance that began to fester within her mind. She saw that her Commander had allowed himself to fall prey to his memories, once again, and was far from pleased. It happened multiple times throughout history, but the offending party was always different. This time, however, instead of letting her pre-commencement briefing get derailed - the Navarch would take action. Thus, when she spoke and poured a fraction of her growing ire into her voice - Khonsu snapped back to reality and nodded once. With the Supreme Sun Guardian’s wordless permission, Astarii continued; letting her gauntleted hand sweep across the hololithic table, and the materialized image situated before her.

“With the Sith-Imperial vanguard punching into the Pantora system, and with the Coalition’s network of early-warning systems blinded by our forces, we’ll be able to retain the element of surprise until we establish a foothold within that sector.” With what seemed like a hint of disappointment, Astarii remotely manipulated the rendered image until the display portrayed the collected data regarding the aforementioned star cluster for the entire Conclave to see. “Sadly, we were unable to gather any preliminary data regarding the Coalition’s martial strength in the system. So, unfortunately - we’re heading in as blind as our enemies.”

There was a chuckle or two that passed through the gathering but was swiftly silenced as Astarii moved to speak again. She earned her place and the right to wordlessly demand the cooperation of her supposed betters, and with Khonsu standing at her side? None would ever dare to even consider denying her the respect she wholeheartedly deserved. “Despite this drawback, the Sith Empire is set on moving forward with the Operation. Naturally, if I were heading this entire endeavour, I would’ve sent scout ships ahead of the main force to gather whatever scraps of data could be found… but I digress.”

“They have enough ships at their disposal that such information isn’t required,” Khonsu chimed in, as his visor-shrouded eyes swept across the display table. “Through brute, martial strength alone they’d be able to take this star system.”

“You’re right, Lord,” Astarii agreed. “However when it comes to void warfare having such numbers can also be a detriment to one’s plans, just as much as it could be a boon. Tightly packed formations can easily be swept aside with concentrated volleys of turbolasers, or an overloaded hypermatter reactor.”

“That is why our warships will not be holding station beside the Sith-Imperial armada after we translate from hyperspace,” the Hapan Navarch continued. “We’ve been tasked with doing what we do best, and shall see that it’s done. In addition to this, we are to assist the Sith Empire in securing the System, as I doubt the Coalition will sit idly by when one of their own is besieged by a hostile armada.”

Astarii’s fingers danced around the edges of the hololithic table, forcibly altering the displayed image to showcase her devised battleplan. Crimson and emerald lights flickered to life, taking station on the azure backdrop that was already rendered. Before the gathered throng of warriors could give voice to the questions burning in their collective minds, the Navarch carried on without hesitation. “In order to see this done, we will need to establish several gravity wells at the various translation points that encircle the system. This will ensure that our prey will fall into our carefully laid trap, but cannot readily escape. To quote Centurion Pierce’s parlance, It’d be like shooting Fish in a barrel.”

Khonsu was starting to feel his attention waiver as Astarii continued droning on; describing their plans in intricate detail. Normally, the Sun Guard would’ve left this business to the various Officers of the Golden Armada as they prepared themselves for the battle ahead. However, like the Golden Company itself, things changed. Khonsu was the Supreme Sun Guardian now and was required to attend tactical gatherings that were hosted by his new subordinates. While he relished the idea in the beginning, the man was starting to think that Astarii was purposefully messing with him. She never went into this much detail before. Such an honour was left to her pre-battle communiques that were summarily ignored.

This time, it couldn’t be ignored.

“Any questions?” Astarii said with a hint of finality trailing her words. The various Warlords that gathered around the hololithic table - either in person or digitally represented by a flickering hologram - shook their heads in collective unison. Everyone, from organic warriors to artificial constructs, knew what their assigned duties were. With a dismissive wave and a grunt of acknowledgement from the Navarch, the gathering turned and left the command deck - or dematerialized as their artificial connection was terminated. Only Khonsu remained behind; his aureate and armoured features bathed in hololithic light. The Warlord said nothing for a time, as his visor-shrouded eyes devoured the materializing details. It wasn’t until Astarii was summoned back to her station that the Thyrsian inclined his crested helmet towards the departing Navarch and spoke.

“I’m trusting you with my ship, Astarii. I want her back in one piece.”​

In a flicker of pseudomotion, the staggered formation of the Thyrsian Classis and the accompanying warships of the Aurek Security Echelon spilled back into realspace like hungry, iron children. As the arcane mechanisms of the various hyperdrive systems surrendered control of their respective vessels back to their ionic counterparts, the twinned flotillas surged forward; skirting across the emptiness of the void towards their distant prey. Their collective might translated near the system’s edge, as originally planned, but found themselves encountering new factors that offered a wealth of opportunity. It seemed that a flotilla of Mandalorian starships had entered the Pantora System; which caused a flurry of tight-beam transmissions to bounce from one Thyrsian Warship to another. While their orders were clear, there were some amongst the Myrmidons that wished to engage these ageing vessels - to make them pay for the slights given to their fallen on the surface of Eshan.

However, through the bonds of brotherhood and a sellsword’s concept of martial discipline, their cries of besmirched honour were silenced at the Supreme Sun Guardian’s command. Instead of putting their varied coterie to the sword, the Golden Company set several of their recon drones to the task of keeping a watchful eye on the Mandalorian flotilla. While many of the gathered commanders believed that act to be a waste, there were some voices that lauded the Thychani Navarch for her decision. It would give them and their allies an additional font of information, updated in two-second intervals, that would help them plot the landscape of the battlefield and shape it to their will. In addition to the drones that were tasked with recording and transmitting the Migrant Fleet’s deeds, the others that were attached to the Aurek Security Echelon set themselves to the task of situating themselves at key points throughout the star system.

Such an act would take time, but once those Reflec-shrouded drones were in place, they’d offer a supreme advantage to the Golden Company - and the Sith Empire thereafter. With knowledge and surprise on their side? Claiming victory was inevitable.

Those drones were not alone in their movements, however, as they were joined at some distance by the twinned Picket Ships who slowly moved to take up station on the outermost edges of the system. While it was beneficial to have just over one-score of automated reconnaissance drones on hand, their artificially stunted minds lacked a certain flair of creativity that made information gathering into an art form. Thus, with nearly twenty-six dedicated platforms and starships tasked towards building a digital representation of the battlefield for Thyrsian and Sith-Imperial commanders alike - their combined focus could be shifted towards breaking the Coalition’s hold over the moon of Pantora.

What remained of the twinned flotillas tore themselves away from their present heading, before adopting new vectors that would eventually lead them towards their assigned stations. While the battle had been joined, with neither side giving ground - despite the Sith Empire having the heavy-handed numerical advantage - there was a duty that needed to be fulfilled before their gilded warships could peel off and throw themselves into the fray.

The Guerdon, however, continued onward despite the twinned fleets scattering themselves across the system. As the reforged Resurgent - Class Battlecruiser sailed through the bespeckled canvas of night, it did so alone. While such an act was considered foolish by conventional tacticians, additional support craft would’ve simply gotten in the mighty warship’s way. Thus, the proud Navarch and the Guerdon thereafter adopted the stance of a lone wolf - prowling the stars far away from its howling pack. As the massive vessel sailed through the starry heavens, it’s gun decks and studding emplacements began tracking distant and unseen foes; looking for the choicest prey amongst the gathered rabble. When a slew of potential candidates was spotted, the mighty battlecruiser’s engines roared hot as it propelled itself beneath the Mandalorian Migrant fleet and set sail for the moon of Pantora proper.

​

| [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"] | [member="Aut-X"] | [member="Atlas Drake"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] |​

 

[Acaleus Thorn]

Objective: Perform a blockade. Infiltrate and takeover an enemy cruiser
Location: Invisible in Pantora atmosphere
Equipment: E.G.A.S, Skorpion Evo, Wrist Lightsabers
Allies: Needles and Venus (Cross of Mejai), [member='Gray Venasir'] , [member='Scherezade deWinter'] and the ORC ( [member='Loreena Arenais']
Enemies: [member='Darth Carnifex'] , [member='Aut-X'] , [member="Sar-Ka-Roi"] , the Sith Empire

Cross of Mejai
36 x Hammerhead Gunship

"Maybe its better to just kill each other right now instead of trying to rescue or defend a fortress. If there is a planet left after this battle, any destroyed cruiser would fall into the planet as a big meteor" "And dozens of them can create global extinction?" "Depends if the debris get burned in the entry or don´t get too close to the planet orbit" everyone started to debate around that topic. When radars showed hundreds of fighters and dropship coming out of the ships hangars. Others were starting to get close, maybe to begin a orbital bombardment

There was a ship close to the planet (Vectivus , [member="Sar-Ka-Roi"]) and was recently deploying dozens the ship, everyone of them in a straight line towards the planet, getting closer and closer "First objective boys" he turned comms on "Venus. To my location. I need you as distraction, now!" moments later, the Cross escaped hyperspace. Every turret pointed to the dropships, fighters and the Vectivus, unleashing everything without mercy or letting them react "I want the hangar bay empty right now! Acaleus we can´t jump for a few minutes or the engines will collapse" that was the last thing before turning of the comms of the Batarian and turning the weapons of the ship. He would receive data of the amount of ships destroyed by the Cross. This would give some fighting chance to the troops in the planet.

Acaleus was worried, as in the nightmare he had earlier, he wasn´t able to save Venus from Sith droids and soldiers surrounding her. Even if he tell her about that, she would have still go to this battle. She was very stubborn, but the least he could do was prevent that from happening by using that strategic mind of his

 

[Vorhi Alestrani]

Location: The capital, heading towards a large mass grave.
Enemies: A bunch of really tall goth dudes, a hydra, and feth knows what else.
Allies: Orcs, blue meanies, a very, very angry world



Vorhi Alestrani was no stranger to death, even en masse. Roche, Druckenwell, Melida-Daan, the fallen of Omega, the last remnants of Skor. Orbital bombardment wasn't new to him. But each time, the life wasted--it hurt him. Seeing that much death and suffering i the force, all at once, it was like watching a bonfire the size of a damned planet. The blue men of the sovereign moon of pantora did not deserve this. The Counsil did not deserve this. No one deserved this. And what was it for? Revenge? A few stolen artififacts? The ascension of Darth Voracitos into some unholy amalgam of death and consumption, a spiritual sarlaac eating itself?



Vorhi Alestrani watched as a city which had done no wrong fell to the the unending bloodlust of the sith. Only one single word escaped his lips, drenched in the force, as only an elder of the Salai Kasi coudl say it. Dripping with both light and dark energy, so it could be heard. One, single, angry word in old Sith, in a dialect every one of these acclaimed sorcerors would hear, should they listen, whispered on the wind, and into the void around this planet, into the essence of this battle. One spiteful word.

C̷͍̪̱̠͙̬̠̗̾̓͊̆́̔̿̏̉O̷͚̳̱̬̰̓̎͑̽̈́͆͌Ẅ̷̡̗̱̤͍̠̖̹́͗̀Ả̵͔̫̤̈́R̶̤̜̠͍̝̫̤̗̙͂̊́͜͝D̷̢̛̖̫͉̊͆͛͆̏̒S̵̩̰̖̹͖̺͈̩͊͒́̔̿͛̚!̴̣͕͖͇́́̋̄͝​

​

​

​

​

The intent was clear. It was a challenge. It was a demand to the Sith. They desired retribution? Fine. The blind, one-armed maniac, the shiftless little thief who was happy to damage and dent their proud fortress, demean their trained jedi-killing shock troops, and plunder their hoarded toys would happily make his presence known in the force. Let them come.

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/K7R_xQUiZvg

The one armed monk moved towards the ensuing calamity, headed towards the ground forces where they wished to establish a beachhead. It was time to become the demon of Druckenwell. The oath of the demon who chased the dead. The promise of the blind idiot who saw truth. The lesson plan was set. And the Grandmaster was a harsh teacher. Now, who would be his entertainment?

 

[Atlas Drake]

Location: Departing Orbit
Objective: Anticipate the Enemy
Allies: Outer Rim Coalition - [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Dax Fyre"]
Enemies: The Sith Empire - [member="Khonsu Amon"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"] | [member="Vanessa Vantai"]

PRIMARY CONTROL CENTER​

UUKAABLIAN SHIP REVENANThttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/107687-tahree-class-command-cruiser/​

​

"Admiral, you asked me to notify you when the capital raised its shield array."

"Its about bloody time," Corbin Rejal wave the aide away distractedly, already working out the next half dozen phases of this fight in his head, "Is Captain Drake still with us?"

"He is, sir."

"I think I should like to speak with him again," the Uukaablian's calm and cultured demeanor belied the dire nature of their circumstance. His people had once been savage and warlike, much as the Sith were today, but they had mastered their ferocity just as they had mastered the art of defense.

Atlas' Utopia was on his command cruiser's port flank. The Kathol destroyer was angled for broadsides, while Corbin's vessel was aimed right at the Empire's attack vector to maximize the effectiveness of its prow mounted fusion lance against enemy transports and starfighters. They both hung in a shallow orbit just outside of the Sith's long range weapons, but while their enemy's focus was for now on the Pantoran's orbital defenses, it would not be long before additional warships closed the distance and they began to feel the Emperor's withering glare.

They could not hold this position for long.

"Permission to launch gunships," Atlas wasted no time getting down to business. Rejal liked the human, he was a competent officer and it was obvious that his bond with the destroyer's crew ran deep, "I've got two battalions of marines looking to do some damage."

"Permission granted. I'll dispatch a squadron of K-90s to escort them down," with a gesture from the Uuukaablian it was so. Nimble interceptors broke off to take up positions around the lumbering Kathol troop transports, "We must withdraw."

Drake's face hardened visibly, "I don't intend to abandon these people to the wolves."

"Neither do I, captain. But we need help, and our enemy must know that. How would you ensure our defeat, if you were them?"

"I understand," Atlas nodded, and from the widening look in his eyes Rejal could see that he did.

"We need to hunt down their interdictors," he explained anyway, "Open up a path for reinforcements."

The human grinned.

"I think we can help there."

COMMAND DECK​

KRV UTOPIAhttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/134861-duinuogwuin-class-star-destroyer/​

​

"Probes away, captain."

Atlas nodded, "Activate STARSCAN."

Breaking off from orbit along with Admiral Rejal's command ship, Utopia launched a batch of hyperspace monitor probes which jumped before any Sith vessels could lock on and identify them as a threat. Programmed for a short hop to the edge of the solar system, Captain Drake's crew reacquired their signal in realspace mere seconds later. Feeding the astronomical data they had collected into the bridge's central tactical holodisplay, projections of the Pantora system flared to brilliant new life. Comprehensive sensor scans illuminated every ship within the heliosphere that was running hot enough to detect through conventional means.

"Sustained scan, watch for gravity wells."

Drake had employed the sensor suite before to devastating effect against local pirate holdouts in the Outback, he knew any ships with active interdiction systems would immediately reveal themselves to STARSCAN's vigil. But that was not all it could do. If it had been deployed before the Sith's arrival it could have seen them coming through hyperspace, but Pantora was supposed to be a secure system and they had been caught with their guard down. The probes could also detect particularly large mass disturbances in realspace, both Sith dreadnoughts glowed as bright as day.

They were not alone.

It was only half as large, but its sensor profile was similar to that of a Resurgent-class star destroyer. And it was headed right for them.

"Admiral..." Atlas urgently signaled the Revenant.

"I see it. Prepare to engage."

Leaning forward in his command throne, Drake directed their escort squadron of defender starfighters to form up alongside the Uukaablians' remaining K-90 interceptors in a defensive screen. Heavy beam turbolasers cycled up to full charge, gun crews waiting for the order to fire when they reached optimal weapons range. Their fanged prow seemed to snarl in the void. The command cruiser's exposed shield generator flared beside them, its alien power source glowing a brilliant shade of blue. Atlas knew its fusion lance would be charging as well.

"You're Kathol officers," he reminded the bridge, steeling his crew's resolve, "You will not falter."

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

​

​

Yula? As in Yula Perl?

Uh-oh.

"New addition to the contest," Cotan said, as his ship rapidly dived through the atmosphere. "Last one to the surface has to deal with Joza." Of course, thus far Cotan seemed to be the one in the lead, thanks to having the smallest, fastest ship. Dax's miniature corvette didn't seem able to keep up with the freighter (though it was certainly close), and Coren's shuttle definitely couldn't. "Looks like that'll be you, Coren. I'll make sure you get a good funeral. Dax can cover drinks for the reception."

He flipped a couple switches, throwing full power to his engines as the ship screamed for the ground. He'd be landing planetside pretty quickly; even if Dax beat him down, he was comfortable knowing that he'd still beat Coren. "So, Dax," he started, talking in the comms again. As remarkably informal as ever in a battle situation. "What's the plan once we touch down?"

He paused, contemplating something else for a few seconds.

"Also, if we do go fight His Highness like I think we should, and I survive again, you'll promote me to Marshal, right?"

[member="Dax Fyre"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Allies: [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Cuan Kunn"] [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"]
Enemies: [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

The flotilla moved forward, edging ever closer to the center of the Sith formation. The fleet was forced to move at a snail's pace to keep formation around the aged Alor-class dreadnought and the life ships behind them. The hangar nacells were still deployed, waiting until the last of the Corellian fighters could launch. Small and compact they could easily fit two squadrons worth of the Needlers into one squadron's worth of hangar space which made them an excelent choice for the cramped vessel, but also took an agonizingly long time to launch them all...Especially in tense situations like this.

Gil heaved a mental sigh of relief but kept his own form free of weak body language as the visage of the Emperor to form in the holoprojector. He was impressed he recognized him by his armor alone, though he shouldn't have been. The two men sent wave after wave of men and women to their deaths against one another for years, if he hadn't recognized him he thought he might have been a little annoyed. He glanced into the corner of his helmet's HUD as tactical information from the ship's scanners scrolled down summarized, causing his mouth to turn into a sour grimace.

"I could say the same of you Zambrano, what're all these ships doing in my marketplace, hm?" This was why there had never been any face to face peace talks during that terrible war. If there was one thing Gilamar hated more than bad alcohol in this Galaxy it was Sith and Dark Jedi. He had no respect for their titles, names, or traditions. But he did have at least a modicum of respect for the traditions of his people and thus at the bare minimum the decree of the Mand'alor. But he would have to twist that today, and hopefully he didn't regret it later. He grunted before continuing and waved a hand annoyed and decided it was better to actually answer his question than not.

"I was here to sell off some goods, get my people fed, but I see you've started quite the party. We'd love to mosey on out of your way, but our return vector's gettin' a little clogged as your allies drop out of hyperspace. We're gonna have to move on past you and your fleet to get to the next available igress point. We're reading several interdiction cruisers on your end, you mind keeping them off long enough for us to get out of here and let you do your business?"

He wasn't entirely lying. The closest Igress point was just beyond their vessel and the vector he'd come in on was seeing heavy traffic as various stragglers of the Sith fleets entered along with the Golden Company's vessels. What he didn't tell Carnifex was that they had been calculating jump coordinates for the last few minutes along a Coalition hyperlane, one used mostly by freighters. If they could get the life ships out of here, they would have a little more breathing room and if the timing was just right, they'd be in perfect striking range to do some real damage. He hated waiting like this and watching Pantora burn. Some of the fires could already bee seen on sensors as massive energy blobs. That wasn't to say he'd never ordered an orbital bombardment or killed civilians, that was war...But he was getting old and tired of war.

 

[Darth Morbus]

​

Location: Amid the Emperor's War Fleet in space​

Objective: Confound and confuse the enemy​

Allies: The Sith Empire​

Enemies: Outer Rim Coalition​

​

​

Before the fighting commenced, a small vessel, spherical in shape, moved within the large fleet of the Sith Emperor.

Under normal situations, its unique design may have gained interest. Though considering the number of vessels, it was safely tucked away amid the five-hundred-and-sixty odd warships of the Sith. The Meditation Sphere was unlikely to garner much attention when compared to the hulking battlecruisers, destroyers and frigates around it. Barely the size of a light freighter, the sphere moved inside the protection of the formations the support fleet offered, the individual within preferring to avoid direct combat if at all possible. Darth Morbus, recently recovered from a serious injury sustained in battle against a Jedi, used the sphere to meditate and draw on his power. His wound to the stomach had healed, surprisingly the effects of a healing trance from his past opponent, but within the confines of the dark side power he now wielded, the flesh was revitalized even more so.

Morbus thought to himself, as he began to concentrate. A Jedi keeping a Sith alive... foolish... a mistake to regret, especially this day!

Holding position within the fleet, the pilot of the sphere remained silent as the Sith Lord began to work. Morbus kept his eyes closed, legs crossed, arms forward and fingertips touching before him. Beyond, the battle had started raging, but the Sith had yet to

Oblivious to much beyond his small meditation chamber, beyond gathering his power and energies and preparing to unleash them on the unsuspecting enemy, Morbus' presence started to spread throughout the area. It was like a sickening fog, giving a sensation of decay and disease, as his awareness of the Sith fleet and moon Pantora nearby. Anxiety, excitement, fear, anger, concern and a range of emotions in between... it was a beautiful symphony of war, with every soldier preparing themselves for the slaughter to come.

Licking his lips, Morbus began to draw on the insecurities and fears of the enemy, as they witnessed the arrival of Darth Carnifex's war machine. The sheer number of vessels was terrifying, undoubtedly. And to think that Morbus, through the use of his meditation sphere, could have further increased the appearance of the fleet with starship illusions; but that wasn't the goal, not today, instead he hoped to provide support to the Sith forces on the ground, to bolster numbers with powerful illusionary armies.

Excellent, Morbus thought to himself, as he smiled, eyes closed, pallid skin sweating and thin lekku twitching. It begins...

 

[Gray Venasir]

Location: own ship, goign to space
Allies: [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"] | [member="Acaleus Thorn"] | [member="Cuan Kunn"] | ORC
Enemies: TSE

Things weren't looking good. The sith were trying to blockade the planet, and it seemed they did a pretty good job. There were not many Places one could easily get out of the atmosphere. And on top of it all, they had begun bombarding the Place too. Why couldn't Things be easy, just once. Just! Once! The only thing positive to think about now, was that it was better to be in a flying ship, than on the ground.

Gray was trying to scout out the best Place to exit the planet. Once in Space, Things would be easier. There, he would have a much bigger area to fly on, and it would be harder for the other ships to hit him. But it seems the entire sith fleet were here, and many of the ships were positioning themselves to shoot any ships leaving the planet. "Why did I chose this Place to og on holiday? Kark, it would've been better to just stay on the ship With Lori and the crew, and not take holiday at all."

But just as he said that, his communicater came to life, With the voice of no other than Lori. The shock took his attention away, so a shot from one of the ships nearly hit him. "Damn Lori, it's good to hear Your voice," he said back. "Thought I didn't know anyone present in this crazed mad-house. No, I don't need an evac, just need to get out of Pantora's atmosphere. But this blocakde makes it a bit troublesome."

Now, when the shock was over, and his thoughts were Clear again, he realized something. "But what the Blazes are you doing here?" he shouted through the communicator. "This is not a Place for you to be, Loreena. You need to get out of here, or someplace safe at least." It was not often he used her full first-name. Only in a crisis. And this was certainly one. "Orto Plutonia should be safe, for the moment. I think Pantora is the main target."

Then he saw what he wanted. An exit, Close by. Not hesitating for a moment, he flew straight at it. "Come on, come on," he recited to himself. Closer, closer. Then, he was outside. But the sight that met him, didn't rise the morale in the slightest. The fleet was bigger than he had thought. And the fight was raging, With forces from both the sith and the Coalition flying all over the Place. And it seemed a Third Group was stationed Close to the Battle. "I hate this Place," he said to himself.

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

The Behemoth II
Equipment: Zaudraka Lightsabre Pike Imperator’s Raiment SIF-7 Minos 2x Sonic Detonators Vibrdagger
[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"] [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Yula Perl"] [member="Dax Fyre"] @Cotan Sar’andor

​

The people of Pantora, some would say they were innocent. But innocence never meant much when the Sith were looking for vengeance. If you harboured enemies of the Sith then you yourself were the enemy and the fittest punishment for harbouring insurrectionists is to be burned. This doctrine was as old as vengeance itself, and rooted in the truth that bound all Sith under one banner; Peace is a lie, there is only passion.

Darth Vornskr the Second stood, arms wide, as ash and chalk was tossed at and rubbed into her skin. She was not served by sexless servants, rather by red-robed priestesses of the goddess, Vahl. They chanted in the language of the Vahla and swung thuribles of incense to summon the favour of Vahl for the Princess of Dromund Kaas. Joycelyn stared at Zaudraka as the dark blade reflected the ceremonial fire. It was the unblinking, obsessive stare of zealotry and deep hatred. She didn’t move from her trance when the priestesses dressed her in bodyglove and armourweave, and attached the black plates of the Imperator’s Raiment while whispering blessings of protection. She did not flinch when sacrificed an albino loth-cat and let the arterial spray scatter across her face and the black plate armour.

She only closed her eyes when the bloodied hands of Pythia, her handmaiden, removed Zaudraka from its stand and handed it to Joycelyn. As soon as it entered her gauntleted hands, she could feel the presence of the blade. It gave her power.

“Mother Vahl, bless me with your wrath so that I may smite in your name.”

She touched the pommel to her forehead, then sheathed Zaudraka in its black scabbard. Next, the silver shaft of her polearm was handed to her by a priestess who then promptly stepped away. The polearm whistled as the Sith Lord put it through a quick drill, spinning it and passing it between her hands before thrusting it forward. The tip then gently lowered to the floor as the shaft nestled into her armpit. Two of the priestesses gingerly approached from behind, one attaching the black commander’s cape to her back, the other holding the massive hound-faced helmet.

“My Embers, please pray for our victory and look to my return.” “May the mother look over us.”

She nestled the helmet into the corner of her elbow, resting it against her spear, and ensured that she had what else she neede: Firearm, grenades, vibrodagger. Good. The helm went on her head and sealed itself to her armour. Then, she lifted the visor to expose her face to the air again.

With determined steps, Darth Vornskr the Second left her quarters to meet her father, the Sith Emperor. She was to fight at his side in this battle as she had been unable to fully attend the defence of Rhen Var on account of injury suffered in the initial attack. It made her all the more keen fighting well now. It would be an embarrassment if she was out of commission for two battles in a row. No, it would not stand.

This was her empire. She was the heir apparent to the Imperial Throne; the Princess of Dromund Kaas.

Leaving her quarters, red-armoured crownguard fell in two lines behind her, carrying their own pikes. Joycelyn made her way through the Behemoth II’s internal pathways, to its tram system, headed for the bridge. Surrounded by the crownguard, she sat and drummed her knees with the clawed fingertips of her gauntlets while the tram sped along.
The very image of regality.

 

[Onrai]

Space
Allies: [member="Darth Carnifex"]
Enemies: [member="Gilamar Skirata"] [member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Atlas Drake"]

Vessels from the Greater Maldrood fleets would exit hyperspace near the fleets of Atlas Drake. The fleets would dump their complements of fighters and bombers before moving into close range, turning this into a vessel-to-vessel brawl. But not all ships had entered the system. Some, including the Heresiarch, remained at the rallying point on the edge of the system instead of immediately entering. Wherever ORC ships were combatting the Sith and their allies, they would find new vessels arriving to engage them across the system. Vanessa was committing a significant portion of her fleet-based forces, though for now the complements of Dark Troopers were in reserve. Once vessels were in close range they would launch the reconfigured drop pods, which would soon head towards enemy vessels and penetrate their hulls, disgorging the elite soldiers of the Empire upon the vessels to sabotage and devastate them as best they could.

Upon the bridge, Vanessa remained out of sight of the holographic visage of Gilamar. Silently, she looked down at her datapad, accessing the information on Mandalorian records, schismatics, and history she had long acquired and researched through her alliances with the bucket-helmeted warriors. Seeing the information she expected, Vanessa would speak mentally to the Emperor.

He's not one of them, Kaine. She said. He's a schismatic, and that vessel he's using isn't even of a type in service with the Mandalorians anymore. I estimate he's likely trying to strike our rear shields and disable our engines. I have vessels ready to enter space behind him on your command. Silently, Vanessa relished the opportunity to provide retribution to the former Mandalore, the one who had once had her tossed in an oven and had nearly roasted her alive. If Gilamar could be killed here, she would be satisfied, and if he was captured, well...

She had many plans for him.