Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Faction Pt. 1 - Abaddon's Gate | Chaos Rising

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When I had journeyed half of our life's way,
I found myself within a shadowed forest,
for I had lost the path that does not stray...

[MUSIC]
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Unknown Location, 16 BBY

This had been the site of a great temple once, but it’s age was long since forgotten. Lost to time. Now, only eroded shapes remain of the once intricate patterns and imagery that had decorated the chiselled pathway through the snow capped crags. Heavy winds funnel through the cliffs occasionally, each gust stirring the light snow into a blizzard.

A figure braces against the howling torrent as they ascend, their movement heavy and sluggish. A young man - no older than 25. His dark hair is shaved close to the scalp, but an unkept beard is beginning to grow. His bruised face, fully exposed to the elements, looks to have once been kind and gentle; but is now hardened by the scars of battle. The man's simple clothes are notably ill-suited for the journey, and each item appears tattered and filthy. A once tan tunic is soiled by dirt and old blood, and his loose-fitting trousers are without a left leg entirely. Only several stained bandages protect the limb from the cold. Two lightsaber hilts bounce against his right thigh with each strained step, held in place by a fraying rope that acts as a belt.

The last step is daunting, but the battered Jedi manages it through sheer willpower. His knees quiver and nearly buckle from exhaustion, but he rises to the top of the crumbling stairway to stand before the mouth of a cavern; a narrow, jagged fissure in the rocks that stretches high above with a large bronze disc nestled deeper within. Idle for the first time in what feels like eternity, the pain of his body catches up to him and he topples forward into the rockface. He stays there for a moment, leaning on it, breathing heavily.

"Get up, Aeris," a disembodied voice encourages flatly "these are the final steps." He begins to cough, clenching his gut and doing his best to deny a wince of agony with each contraction of his abdomen. "The Force is with you."

A second voice joins, that of a woman. "And so are we."

The Jedi chokes when he hears her, muttering a weak response aloud "Aus're..." Their words serve to reinvigorate his body, if only slightly, and with some struggle he finds himself back to his feet.

Supporting himself with a hand against the stone, he staggers toward the featureless disc blocking the path forward. When he reaches it the Jedi transfers his hand from the cavern wall to its smooth metal surface, putting his weight on it to stop himself from tripping over his lazy footing. With only a short pause to collect himself, he closes his eyes and tilts his head back. His brow twitches and the veins in his forehead swell. His chest and arm become tense, the strenuous action clearly bringing him great pain. Sure enough, just as he can’t bear anymore, a resounding clunk of machinery is heard from beyond the stone walls. The man lets out a pained gasp as he snaps out of his concentration and stumbles back from recoil.

The sounds of grinding metal and rock fill the cavern, shaking loose stones from the walls and dropping pebbles and dirt from the ceiling. Too tired to shield himself and already too dirty to care, the young Jedi simply cedes to accept it wordlessly. As he stands there, layered in all manner of filth, the bronze disc shifts and begins to roll to the left, out of the way and into the cavern wall. The domed room that is revealed comes as a stark change of scenery. Untouched by time, the perfectly carved rock is still smooth to the touch. A thin layer of water covers the entire floor, projecting a mirrored image disturbed only by the ripples and splashes of the Jedi’s weary steps as he trudges toward an altar at the center.

Floating gently above it is a small cube, spinning softly in place. The sight appears to distract the man completely, offering him respite from his pains and woes. The device’s gentle glow illuminates his face as he steps up to the podium, observing it in complete awe. Cautiously, he brings his left hand to grasp it from below. The tired Jedi’s panting wavers when his fingers finally touch its tarnished metal surface, as if it was just now finally real. A stifled laugh escapes him; the relief and emotions he had held back finally breaking free. He raises the back of his right arm to his face to rub the dirt and sweat from his brow, and to catch the welling tears in his eyes. The first one to escape falls to his cheek and traces the line of an old scar, but the rest seem to come quicker. The man’s jaw clenches in response, and his shoulders begin to shake in unison with muffled sobs.

Well done, my Padawan,” the voice from before resonates around him, startling the young man and prompting him to sniff and attempt to compose himself. Through his tears he smiles and moves his arm from his face. On the opposite side of the altar platform the transparent form of a Cerean man in traditional Jedi robes stands stoically, watching him.

The Jedi nearly drops the holocron as he falls forward in shock, catching himself on the podium with a loud grunt. Dismissing the pain, he calls out to the apparition “Master!

The Cerean steps forward, placing a weightless hand onto his apprentice’s arm. Be calm. You have been through much,the Master answers softly. He was always so calm; so capable of reminding Aeris to pause and collect his thoughts when things seemed impossible.

I can help you now. Both of you. I can bring you back,” his voice is tremulous.

The woman’s voice speaks up once more, this time from behind him, Yes, Aer, you’ve done it.

The Jedi spins himself around to be presented with a similarly manifested image, though this one of a young woman bearing similar features to his own. He weakly holds out a hand to her, lips trembling in her presence. Barely able to speak, he stammers out the word “Sister…

The Master interrupts their moment, The time has come, Jedi. His tone is overlaid with another, darker voice, he had never heard before. Caught off guard, the young Jedi shuffles himself back around to face him. Where the Cerean had once been, a new entity stands in his place. A thin, towering shadow, rising all the way to the ceiling. It arches forward, gazing down upon the man with fiery, green eyes. The Jedi lets out a shriek and stumbles backward off the altar platform, tripping and falling with a splash into the shallow water.

Master Sen-ro!” he cries out in horror, still taken aback by the imposing darkness incarnate before him. The eyes continue watching him, dancing within the shadowed form like flames.

No,” it answers, it's thunderous voice encompassing the room entirely. Aeris grits his teeth and clenches his fists while he slowly manages to pick himself from the floor, trying his best to hide the chattering of his jaw and shaking of his hands.

Concern and fear were rising inside of him now, and he raises a hand to point at the monster accusingly. “What did you do to them?!” he shouts, the panic evident in his voice. The shadow is unmoving, offering no physical reaction.

Nothing,” the voice booms, the deepness of its tone rattling the Jedi to his core. “They were dead. Dead they remain.

No!” he spits back like venom, clearly deeply cut by the comment “You’re wrong! They’re with the Force, but I can bring them back. They’ve guided me! Shown me how!” He holds up the holocron in defiance of the being’s logic, “I will not be made a fool by you, demon.

The room quakes in response and for the first time the darkness that makes up the entity stirs. It disperses throughout the room, shrinking the featureless form to stand roughly 2m tall. It drifts forward, passing straight through the podium unimpeded. Desperate, the Jedi grips one of the sabers at his side, but resists drawing it. The spirit stops nonetheless, looming only a few feet away. His hold of the holocron tightens, expecting the vile manifestation to try and pry it from his grasp. A shadowy appendage extends from the mass with a gaseous movement, elongated fingers uncurling to point down at his challenger.

You have been guided, yes. The actions that have led you here have been the consequence of your own naivety,” it’s eyes flicker, the emerald flames that form them licking upward in a sudden flair of life. The Jedi’s body begins to ache under the strain of the manifestations presence “you stand before me now, fooled only by your own desperation.

The Padawan’s body shakes as he hopelessly struggles against an onset of paralysis. His hand lingers on his weapon unable to draw it, and his legs seem frozen in place. His eyes move frantically as the spirit leers down upon him. “Only I have brought you here, boy. There is nothing for you but me.

It’s umbral claw taps at the holocron gripped firmly in the young man’s hand, making an echoing clank. Horrified, the man watches helplessly as the cube withers away until his fist closes upon nothing but dust. Aeris’ eyes go wide in complete disbelief and his teeth grind as a primal force swells up from deep within him. Vibrant hues of yellow and orange snakes from the edges of his dark, umber irises and his chest begins to rise and fall with erratic, heavy breaths. A scream of pure agony and rage erupts from him, frying his vocal chords as he succumbs to everything he had suppressed on his grueling journey. Everything had been an orchestrated lie; his hope and effort had been for nothing, other than to lure him to this vile manifestation of shadows. He had been nothing more than a puppet, his strings the love he had for those he’d lost.

Still bellowing, his body bursts from the invisible shackles holding him. In a flash of motion, a cyan blade ignites and the fallen Padawan lashes forward with nothing but hate to fuel him. The saber passes through the specter, dissipating it’s form into a mist momentarily. When it begins to reform unharmed he slashes at it again, and again, continuing until his anger and frustration erupt into a shockwave of force energy around him.

The walls tremble and the floor beneath him shudders and cracks. Small chunks of the stone ceiling crumble and fall, splashing down into the water below. When the dust settles, the man is on his knees at the center of the blast. Although barely able to remain conscious, he still grips his ignited lightsaber while seething through his teeth. With no time for the false hope of a victory, the darkness begins to creep back toward him from the edges of the room.

Taking no form this time, a bodiless voice surrounds him. “Do you truly wish to bring life back from beyond death?

Aeris’ newly amber eyes struggle to see through the blood pooling on his lids. Through the haze of his approaching death, only the dancing darkness swirling around him can be seen. His saber retracts and the hilt slips from his fingers, falling to his side. He can feel the spirit’s violent cyclone of energy around him as his eyes grow heavy.

An answer barely escapes him, “Yes… I... can still help… them.

When his words leave him the room begins to rumble furiously. The shadows circling the Jedi’s body stretch upward and the pooled water evaporates as a fiery, burning glow pierces the stone floor. Slowly, the ground starts to crack and sink beneath the earth while smaller pieces burn away like paper in the wind until all that remains is a single pillar where Aeris rests limp on his knees. As the column finally shows signs of crumbling under his weight the shadows arch inwards, collapsing down upon the Jedi and forcing him into the churning vortex that had formed beneath the surface.

In this final action the ceiling gives way, collapsing the dome upon the chasm that had formed.



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Brentaal system, 860 ABY

Visible to the naked eye from the surface of the plague-stricken planet, hundreds of dazzling, splintered tendrils in vibrant hues of pink and red fracture outward from the site of the developing spatial anomaly. A pulse of light follows shortly after, bright enough to stun any who may have been looking up to regard the event in confusion or awe. Finally, the space itself seems to tear asunder at the heart of the star system and reveal a twisting miasma. Arcs of raw, chaotic energy reach out from the maw, licking at nearby starships and violently crackling against each other.

Do you understand what you must do?” a spidery voice surrounds an armoured figure as he rises to his full height. The hulking, seven-and-a-half foot figure stands bearing cruel and jagged carapace armour with the helmet gripped firmly in it’s left hand. His face is pale and gaunt, and locked into an expression of deep fury. Even still, it is recognizable as that of the young Jedi, barely touched by the centuries that had passed by. He lets out a guttural groan as an acknowledgement of the question.

A shadow rises from behind him, stretching up to become a tall and featureless shape “It all rests on you, now. Everything we have worked toward; everything you have sacrificed.

The armour-clad warrior’s breath grows heavier and louder as the looming spirit continues to speak “The time has finally come. Abaddon, let loose your hatred. Release your pain. Free us and you may free them.

With rage burning within, the titan lifts his barbed helmet and slams it down onto his head. From the two, shadowed sockets in the faceplate, his piercing green eyes cut through the darkness, wide and manic. He marches forward with heavy steps, leaving the shadow behind to approach an overlook a few meters away from them. From here, it becomes apparent that they are upon the back of a void beast that could easily rival a star dreadnought in size.

Below him, a force of horrific, mutated monsters and humanoids of various builds and sizes stand eager and rallied together, unaffected by the void. They begin to screech, cheer, hiss and roar as they notice the warrior’s presence high above. He allows their war cries to wash over him, but shifts his gaze upward. In the distance, in sharp contrast to the blackness of space, the mirrored end of the mangled portal awaits their arrival. From either side of the leviathan, other colossal space-faring creatures follow in their advance.

Looking back down upon the masses before him, Aeris reaches to an old hilt that still dangles at his side. He unclips it with his right hand and raises it above his head. The crowd of screaming reavers and beasts stir in anticipation, growing louder as they struggle to contain their thirst for the violence to come.

A snap-hiss overlayed with a grinding static rumble announces the sabers’ activation. The weapon’s cyan blade ejects, now mixed with crackling verdant energy. The unstable boon extends beyond the weapons typical dimensions, making it longer to accommodate for the wielder’s augmented height while giving it a wider, flattened edge better suited for heavy, sweeping blows.

He stands silently, watching the horde cry out in response.


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Brentaal system, ISV Radiance, Bridge

We’re detecting a massive power surge from the center of the anomaly, Sir! the Junior Sensors Officer’s voice calls from across the bridge of the I.S.V. Radiance with great concern. From the head of the command deck, High Admiral Callaesar is cast in a multitude of vibrant colours as he watches the twisting portal in silence. His hands grip each other firmly behind his back as he contemplates what might come next. No amount of training, Anaxsi or otherwise, could prepare someone for an event like this. It was simply beyond the scope of any reasonable anticipation. All around him, the other officers of the battlecruiser appear similarly awe-struck.
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S-Sir?
the 2nd Lieutenant acting as Cassius’ steward nervously approaches, but his eyes remain locked on the sight beyond rather than the Admiral What are your orders? What do we do?

Cassius furrows his brow and takes in a slow, deep breath. Have the Chief Navigation Officer dispatch one of our Avalons to return to Anaxes immediately. We must rally the rest of the Battlefleet.

The Sensors Officer shouts out once more, Something’s emerging! He rises from his post and tosses his headset down on the control panel in front of him, looking away from the readout on the displays to watch the portal directly. Violent bolts of green a purple energy strike out from the center of the tear in space.

Finally, the gnarled and wide-stretched maw of the colossal leviathan breaches through to reality and begins to emerge from the depths of the gateway.

Cassius can’t help but mutter to himself in it’s presence, Gods…

What the hell is that thing?!
a voice shrieks from somewhere behind the High Admiral. The steward covers his mouth with both hands to mask his horrified gasp. From all throughout the bridge cries of concern and worry start to build.

Enough! the High Admiral’s command silences the room. He falls silent again, his own eyes still lingering in disbelief as the abomination continues to materialize. We have a job to do.He turns and begins to march to the opposite end of the command deck, toward the massive holo-display where other junior officers were gathered around attempting to coordinate the movement of their small response fleet.

Move the Shieldships into a defensive formation and launch all fighter squadrons. Send all available gunships to the planet’s surface to assist the ground forces.He looks to his shaken Steward. Go, dispatch that Avalon. We must evacuate whatever forces we can from Brentaal IV. We will hold this - whatever this is - as long as we can.


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CHAOS RISING
Pt. 1 - Abaddon's Gate

Chaos has arrived.


The Force has guided us here; elected us as the shield of humanity. We must hold our lines and strike back until evacuations are complete and orbital bombardment can commence. We must show these demons the unwavering strength that Ashla provides.

Vile and unholy bio-ships are descending upon the planet, deploying bloodthirsty hordes of aberrant monsters and warriors from bulbous transport sacks. Clawed fiends, mutated corpses, hulking brutes and all sorts of dreadful entities have rallied from the depths of Chaos, ready to bring forth carnage and suffering upon the living. As their warriors flood the streets, wraith-like creatures and serpentine horrors sweep the skies, diving down from the growing mists to pluck soldiers and civilians alike.

At the heart of the star system, void-beasts the size of starships are engaging our naval forces. Starfighters have scrambled to intercept, but have been met with swarms of smaller, faster void-spawn. The remaining Lines of the 1st Anaxsi-Imperial Battlefleet will be coming to reinforce, but it will take time.

This is not a Dominion, so there are no formal objectives outlined. Use what’s detailed above as a guideline of the unfolding situation to help place yourself, but anyone is welcome to bring and weave their own personal arcs & stories into the events transpiring. This thread immediately follows the events of
Overture | GI Dominion of Brentaal IV Hex & is the first part of the Imperium’s CHAOS RISING faction campaign.
 
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Major Faction

Ryv

Become One With All Things
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There is no emotion, there is only peace...

Tears streamed down Ryv's face as his chest heaved, gasping out for air. His eyes hurt, his head pounded, and he felt weak. Just an hour ago he and his master worked together to overcome the infected trying to claw their way towards the planet's survivors. The duo likely put down a thousand of the damned beside their fellow Imperium soldiers, but it wasn't enough. They kept coming. A planet's population worth of feral beasts hell-bent on killing anything and everything in their path. It was a soul-numbing experience for the little kiffar; having to cut down so many who potentially could've been cured to save those who remained. Even though it was the best the Imperium could do, it still wasn't enough. How could Ryv face those who survived and tell them he was forced to eliminate their families? How could he hope to look past this and continue being a Jedi? There were far too many questions and no answers to be found.

To top it all off, Cedric was gone.

Strewn out across a stretcher beside him in the evac ship, the Lord Imperator had not moved since blacking out. In a terrifying display of his mastery of the force, Cedric had managed to collapse an entire building atop a horde of infected swarming towards the dropships when they had to put down on the edges of the city for a quick refuel. Ryv had never seen anything like it. His understanding and use of the force was so small, so selfish in comparison. His master's use had not only saved hundreds of lives, but it inspired hope and purpose in those still living. To see their beloved Imperator overcome insurmountable odds and sacrifice himself for his people? It was a beautiful tragedy, one that left Ryv reeling.

As the dropships set down a few kilometers outside of Vuultin, the remainder of the evacuees streamed out of the ships and began searching the crowds for their families. Evacuation Site A, as it was dubbed by Imperium intelligence, was the largest of the locations across the planet meant to collect and ferry the innocents off-planet. It was heavily fortified and prepared to hold off a siege for days, though it was most certainly not prepared for the events happening above the planet.

At the sounds of screams, Ryv hurried out of the medical tent Cedric had been brought to and looked skyward. Seeing the massive force of voidlings and chaos-spawn. He shouted out a few brief commands to the newer recruits, though the majority of veteran soldiers were on the move far before the kiffar had to say anything. He soon joined them on the walls, his lightsaber hilt in hand as he stared up at the coming forces.

"Someone call for reinforcements! Anything that can be spared! We're holding thousands here!" Ryv called down to those in the courtyard before looking back to the men and women on the wall. "We've gotta hold on, people."

Spirit of Unity Spirit of Unity

(( Open to anyone interested in joining my phase of the fight! ))​
 
Thirty minutes had passed since Leon and his men had been forced away from the children on the third floor of the apartment complex. Thirty minutes, in which they could all be dead. But the young jedi couldn't let them die, not like that. He'd been working to cut his way to them, from an apartment two floors above. A circle-shaped hole was in the first, and he was just about done cutting through the second.


Above him, a barricade had been thrown up on the 5th floor of a 6 floor building. Most of his soldiers were manning it; three were with him. Civilians, armed with their own blasters, had joined the defense of the barricade. They wished to defend their families, or to take revenge upon the monsters forcing them from their homes. While only the one transport was available for the appartment complex, the number of refugees on the roof was dropping rapidly.


Leon dropped down another floor, letting the circle of flooring and stucco roof fall next to him. Below was the appartment he was working towards. With a deep breath, the jedi plunged his saber into the floor. A startled scream from below was all Leon needed to confirm that the civillians were still alive.


Another few minutes passed, each second one when a reaver could slaughter the innocents below him. Finally, Leon completed the messy cut. Using the force, he pulled it aside and lept into a crowded closet. "Listen up! I have a man on each level from here to safety! Start passing the children up to them, then you adults will go once they're up. We need to work quickly because I don't know how long the doors will hold for us. Move!"
 
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Location: Vuultin City // I.S.V. Ashaton // Airborne
Tags: Leon Gallo Leon Gallo Ryv Ryv


The droid stands next to a Duros in naval officer attire -- Cpt. Jang Vod. The two of them are gathered around the centrally located holo-map on the bridge of the stealth corvette, discussing the data being presented as the vessel runs gunship support for ground troops below.

"There's just no way we can keep this up," the old Duros runs a hand along his bald head, leaning back from the display and shaking his head "SIA couldn't have predicted something like this. These hordes, Blackwing or not, are just too much for us."

Dak stares forward, continuing to analyze the local scanner information being displayed in a three-dimensional readout. The Captain continues, moving his hands behind his back as he begins to pace "Even with the Anaxsi response fleet's arrival, we're running against the clock. Regaining tight-beam communications is a step forward, but it's far too slow to organize such a massive evacuation."

He stops his movements to look at Dak directly, silently frustrated - though not surprised - by the droid's lack of expression amidst everything unfolding. "There's also the matter of the Lord-Imperator. Since regaining limited communications we've failed to contact him. It's obviously possible that it's just the anomaly, but," Dak breaks his concentration to meet the Captain's gaze at the mention of Cedric.

Vod's lips straighten and his leathery brow furrows, "well, we have to be prepared for the worst."

"S-Sir!" the Sensors Officer's concerned shout interrupts them from the crew pits, prompting the two to turn and face toward the bridge. Outside the view ports the sky flares brightly, casting strange and vibrant colours upon the city. Jang moves with a hurried pace across the command deck to the head of the bridge, looking up to regard the cosmic wound.

The Duro's whispers to himself as he tries to make sense of what he's seeing, "...What?"

"
The anomaly?" Dak asks, taking a place at his side and joining in the observation. The slit pupils of the Captain's large, red eyes turn to acknowledge the DAC unit's question, but he offers no real response. "It appears we have underestimated it once more," the droid adds. Nervously, Jang tightens his hands into fists and then relaxes them few times, attempting to relieve some of the mounting stress.

"Get this ship on course to ES-A!" he hollers to no one in particular, knowing his crew would get it done regardless. He then turns to Dak, looking up at him slightly "Get as many people onto this ship from that Evac Site as you can. But when I say pull, we pull. Understood?"

The droid simply nods.

"Sir, there are life signals nearby," another officer interjects as the helmsman prepares to adjust the Ashaton's course. Cpt. Vod looks back to the view ports, though this time with his eyes turn downward toward the ravaged streets of Vuultin.

"
In that building - there," Dak raises his hand to point toward an apartment complex, where the familiar shape of Leon Gallo Leon Gallo can be seen hurriedly passing by a few windows. Vod's eyes follow the droid's digit, catching a glimpse of the Jedi and a few of the soldiers as well. Recognizing the young Jedi, the droid pulls away from the command deck and returns to the holo-display.

"
Initiate a tight-beam transmission on all frequencies in that location," the communications officer standing at the ready begins to key at the control panel, fine tuning their communications equipment to attempt to pierce the distortion caused by the anomaly. After only a few seconds, though agonizingly long given the circumstances, the officer gives Dak a hand gesture to proceed with the call.

Dak's one-way broadcast begins, and the droid's monotonous voice chimes over all comm-links within Leon's building. "
This is the ISV Ashaton of the Grayson Imperium. We are urgently departing for Evac Site A. Things have escalated and we do not have much time. If your forces can get to the rooftop and we can provide transport. Time is of the essence, you have 5 minutes. We will be waiting; good luck."

Cpt. Vod lets out a sigh from the command deck, clearly uncertain about the droid's decision. Regardless, he gathers himself and begins to rally his crew into action. "You heard him! Get this corvette into position. Covering fire! Get those rotaries raining hell on the surrounding streets and have troops on standby for boarding!"
 
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Location: Imperium Command Station Ticonderoga, I.S.V Armistice
Tags: Dak Dak , Spirit of Unity Spirit of Unity

"Another day, another fleet, eh Marshal?" Asked High Admiral Taxis. The man was beginning to grow on Tristan. The man had served under him when he was a Grand Moff in the Core Imperial Confederation, the time when he suppressed his force abilities. But now, every day he grew stronger and wiser.

"No. I don't. High Admiral, in case you weren't aware you are suppose to be assigning the newly constructed ships to my fleet. I don't have the patience to deal with your incompetence. If you cannot do your job, then I'll have you thrown off my ship and demoted. Do you get me?" Tristan snapped. It was rather dull being stuck on his flagship, with nothing better to do. Nothing better than yelling at an High Admiral who owed his position to bureaucracy.

"I get you sir" the Admiral stiffened. "High Admiral, an Avalon Class Starship has just exited hyperspace and is demanding to speak to Marshal Evore" reported a Lieutenant, who's eyes stared cold at Tristan. "Yes" answered Tristan opening a channel with the starship.

"Sir, our forces at Brentaal IV are under attack and are in dire need of reinforcements." Rushed an officer, no doubt a young Ensign carrying out the orders of his captain. "High Admiral, prepare for the jump to hyperspace. Alert all ships. We jump I'm 5"
 
During an engagement with the One Sith...
Several Years Prior...

Blaster bolts of crimson and blue shimmered and bit through the air in a violent exchange as the young padawan pulled his Kel'dor master behind a ruined building, sitting him up against the wall as the wisened man groaned in pain and grasped at his chest - revealing a grievous, cauterized slash across his chest from a lightsaber - digging past the Jedi battle armor.

His best friend, his mentor and his closest authority figure sat sunken against the barrier, the breathing apparatus of the alien faltering with each bated breath.

Donning his robes and parceled set of porcelain battle armor, the young Maynard crouched down with a look that spelled concern, sadness...existential dread. Without his master - he would be blind in navigating the ways of the force.

"Master...no no - cmon stay with me!" Maynard yelled out - helpless as the Kel'dor hacked up blood once more, clawing and fighting for breaths with each passing moment only to breath up air toxic to the Kel'dor.

"Maynard...you- you are-." Another cough passed through the alien's respirator as it tried to speak.

"You are a good man- you will be...a good jedi. I know it to be true- you...- you just need to believe in yourself and...most imp-" Once more, his breathing faltered as tears streamed down Maynard's face in crippling sadness and anger.

"You must believe in the force, Maynard." The Kel'dor said, grasping ahold of Maynard's hand in his tightly before soon enough the wisened master faded into nothingness- one with the force. Wrought with existential loneliness and dread - it was then that Maynard's faith faltered in spite of his fallen teacher's wisdom. He had lost his only friend the only one who'd ever understood him, his origins and what he needed to thrive.


Present Day
Jumping from Peace to Brentaal IV

Lost - it took years for his faith in the force to come creeping back toward him. The call of the Jedi to Peace had done a great deal as it fully immersed him within the culture and mindset of the Jedi way once more but even still - he wasn't a man so comfortable in complacency. He favored action over anything else. Out of place among the force disciples of similar station to Maynard among the teachings of the Jedi he didn't have too high a patience for instruction intended for younglings. Once again he had all but determined himself to be incapable of mastering what he'd set upon once again.

All of a sudden, like no other jump before it - the sheer silence of space set in after Maynard boarded his X-Wing for the Brentaal system.

"I know Buddy...it ain't gonna be no damn shoot around that's for sure..." Maynard said to his onboard BB unit as he slowly punched in the coordinates to Brentaal - though he had nothing but urgency coursing through him - his gut advised restraint. No one expected him to do this - to take what few Jedi starfighter pilots he could muster into a unit and lead them to the mouth of hell. But here he was.

"Alright Sabers, rattle it off and then lets get this show on the road. " Maynard gave the order, offering his flight systems one last checkup before Eventually he reared forward the handle of the hyperdrive control - sending the lone X-Wings into the blackness of space with the starfield filling his view ripping into endless beams of blue and white as his starfighter made the jump.

Emerging out of it - little bared familiarity. The maw of the Nether and all its corruption consumed the system.

"Ah hell, buddy...we're in the shit now aren't we..." Maynard said in a back and forth with his astromech before soon enough

Setting his comms to inline with the Alliance military channels ; the audio system built into his pilot helmet already flooded with command chatter - able to pick up enough context Maynard made what little presence he could provide be known.

"This is Saber Squadron - enroute to Evac point A to provide air support." The Jedi sounded out, swallowing down his nerves as his ship breached the atmosphere of Brentaal IV ; his instinct and gut all but jolting the controls of the S-foils, sounding off a hydraulic hiss as the wings spread out. Maynard's X-wing and the same of his comrades now had their collective panoply of war at their fingertips.

Closing in on the designated position it wasn't all too long before the chaos hell spawn and voidlings began to clog their sensors and visuals.

"Alight Sabers! Cover the evac we got people relyin' on us!" Maynard said - the formation all but shimmering into the surrounding hellish chaos as Jedi starfighters began to chase down and avoid the hellish Chaos spawn.

"Copy! Give these things everything you got!" One of the Jedi starfighter pilots rung over the Squadron's comms. Though her voice much like Maynard offered a shivering shroud of commanding confidence over the deep pit of fear in their stomachs.

Ryv Ryv | Dak Dak | Leon Gallo Leon Gallo
 
The Jedi was the kind that preferred to listen to the call of the Force. It allowed her to be wherever she was needed and so far it hadn't failed her yet. She was usually rather peaceful and content, went with the flow of things and traveled much of the time. Now it had guided her here...Wherever here was...

When she had come out of hyperspace, her navicomputer told her she was in the Brentaal System. Her hand hovered above the controls, Seo closed her eyes and took a few breaths. Not quite meditating, but close. Listening to the Force and getting an answer back. She would be needed on the planet of Brentaal IV.

Bringing her ship down on the planet, she would still have a few days before the reason that she was here would become clear. As time passed, she never thought of leaving. Perhaps she was supposed to blend in with these people. As a Lorrdian, this was something she was very good at. Almost by the end of the first afternoon, she had picked up the local accent and did a little bit of shopping.

Appearances might be everything or nothing. All she knew was this is where she was needed. Pulling on a local shirt, she found a place to stay for the foreseeable future and paid for her lodging and food. Day turned into night and night into day. There must be a reason she was here...then it happened.

Timing no longer mattered as screams filled the air. The Jedi Knight ran out into chaos. Pale eyes scanned the skies and then the ground. She was a fighter and she would rally those around her to stand their ground. Taking her lightsaber out, she did not yet ignite it. First, she wanted to fully assess the situation.

Attempting to tune out the cries for help, Seo needed to figure out who she could rally and side with. The woman was alone, but she still had hope that she could help these people. Broadcasts could be heard and then a call sounded nearby.

A voice she couldn't ignore. One that could have belonged to her son. That wasn't possible since he was at home on Lorrd with her parents. Turning to head in that direction, she walked with confidence and that spilled over into the population. Here an anchor walked that they could cling to and have a sense of stability. She was also headed in the direction of a large evacuation, even if she didn't know it.

Through the chaos and cries, she walked. A blond beacon and people followed her. Arriving with her followers, she motioned for them to join the other soon to be refugees of Brentaal. Holding her lightsaber hilt in her hand still, she approached Ryv who seemed to be in charge and the one that reminded her of Aodhan.

"I brought a few friends. My name is Seo Linn. What can I do?"

As a woman of few words, this was all the Knight spoke and now waited on his answer.

Ryv Ryv
 
vdkDGu9.jpg

Brentaal IV // ISV Radiance // Bridge
Tags: Maynard Treicolt Maynard Treicolt Tristan Evore Tristan Evore



Cassius stands in concerned contemplation as he watches the Shieldship cruisers move into their newly designated positions, attempting to establish a cushion between the emerging forces and the small response fleet. It wasn't nearly enough ships - not yet at least. But reinforcements would arrive, eventually. All he needed to do was buy time. Time for the people of Brentaal; and time for his own men and women.

Starring into the distant eye of the colossal leviathan; watching as it struggles to force it's massive, unholy being through the the tear in reality, made hope a difficult thing to find. Alas, there was no time for worry. The officers of the bridge needed a High Admiral, not a group therapy session.

He barks back to the crew pits behind him, "Move the
Tyrants and Majestics into position and concentrate long-range fire on the big one. Missiles and turbocannons. Hit it as much and as hard as you can before it frees itself entirely." His eyes follow the vessels in the view of his command deck as they start to break the current formation shortly after his orders, delayed by the need for tightbeam communications.

"All other vessels, prep anti-fighter measures. Smaller craf-" he catches himself, "er, targets, are flooding the sensors. Bio signatures."

At that, the smaller corvettes and frigates move into a defensive line, prepping their abundant light weaponry for the incoming swarms.


 
vdkDGu9.jpg

Location:
Vuultin City // I.S.V. Ashaton // Airborne
Flying with: Dak Dak - Robo Dat // Amaris Tanenat - Cat Child // Bronze
En Route to: Leon Gallo Leon Gallo

Music, because we're not going to live forever.


Gala still hadn't caught her breath.

Between now and then she, her pet cat, and the 202 Legion had only managed to escape with the other evacuees due to the distraction provided by the Lord Imperator, and two random starfighters piloted by Steve Holt Steve Holt and Loske Treicolt Loske Treicolt . By some measure of convenience, the legion and rogue pilots had managed to create a cacophonous concert from their weapon instruments in a fiery display of salvo after salvo in the city centre enough to draw a mass of the undead to convene in the area. Apparently bursts of energy and copious vibrations drew their attention. Sort of like rave-goers.

There were still stragglers, and others that needed evacuation like them. Seemed that's the course they were taking.

Licking their wounds, Gala and a few others lifted their eyes skyward at the crackling of brilliant light seeping out against the otherwise darkness of space. Technicolour painted the skies as a beautiful contrast to the sea of rotting flesh below.

"I'm not getting paid enough for this." She muttered under her breath, giving a definitive twist to her ACR after a reload and resting it on her lap as her head knocked against the wall for a moment's relief and closing her eyes. A second of reprieve before they pierced the veil once more.

Or it pierced them.
 
Leon's comm buzzed. A transport was waiting on the roof, for him and his men. Most of his men could get up quickly enough, but Leon wasn't sure he could, with or without the children. Of them, most had been passed up to the foruth level. The soldier there was starting to hand one up to the man on the fifth, who would then give him to the top floor.

It had already taken several minutes just for the kids to get up one floor, and Leon knew it would take almost as long for adults to get up on their own. Five minutes wasn't going to work. Leon looked around the apartment frantically. Finally, he spotted a window. It overlooked a narrow street, but the gap should be wide enough for a corvette to fit in.


"This is Leon Gallo, I have sevemteen men on the top floor and three spread out to the third. On the roof there's about twenty civilians needing pickup, but I've also got a group of kids we're working on bringing up. Five minutes won't be enouh to get them there."

"There is a window we can get to, that we should be able to evacuate out of. If you can, pick up the refugees and soldiers on the roof then come get us on the fourth floor."


Leon yelled up to his man on the fourth to keep the kids there, and for the fifth to come down to the fourth.


Dak Dak
 
vdkDGu9.jpg
Location: Vuultin City // I.S.V. Ashaton // Airborne
Interacting With: Leon Gallo Leon Gallo Gala Geert Gala Geert Amaris Tanenat
Tags: Ryv Ryv Seo Linn Seo Linn Maynard Treicolt Maynard Treicolt Tristan Evore Tristan Evore



His suspicions were confirmed; it was the Jedi he had met briefly on Vulpter. And children - of course it would be children.

Dak looks out across the bridge, finding the Captain already returning the gaze and an expression of unease. They both knew what they had to do, against their better judgement. No Captain worth his bars would turn their back on civilians in need in a time like this, and even a droid could conclude such an obvious line between 'right' and 'wrong'.

Without exchanging words, both Dak and Cpt. Vod break their non-verbal exchange and spring into their own individual actions.

<
Leon; we read you. Communications are difficult. Atmospheric disturbance. We will do what we can.> He ends the transmission at that, glancing to the comms officer still lingering anxiously nearby. "I need you to relay a message to the hangar bay," he pauses to make sure the officer is paying attention. An attentive nod confirms, so he continues "Tell Agent Gladio to prepare for a hot extraction. It may be bumpy."

The officer gives the hurried salute, unsure of whether or not he was event meant to for the DAC unit, and begins routing his terminal's communications to the Ashaton's internal comms system to bypass the effects of the anomaly. Near Gala Geert Gala Geert , a wall-mounted comms-terminal begins to chirp.

On the opposite end of the command deck, Jaang is steps into gear attempting to make the maneuvering work in the corvette. Although not a large vessel when compared to starships, next to the gunships and transports designed for these tasks, the Ashaton was a beast.

"Blast the building on the opposite side! Make some damn room," he leans heavily on the ledge of the center viewport, trying to gauge distances between objects from the awkwardly located bridge. Fortunately for him, decades of service made the position a natural one for the Duros. "We need to line the hangar up as best as we can!"

The muffled sounds of heavy rotary fire and small detonations can be heard from within the hangar bay. A red flight begins to flash above the starboard hangar doors, then suddenly the chaotic sounds of the Battle of Vuultin come rushing through the room as the seal breaks, and the massive door begins to open.
 
Major Faction

Ryv

Become One With All Things
Nothing managed to touch down planetside or begin assaulting Ryv's position quite yet. Though the voidlings continued their mad descent towards the planet's surface, the soldiers of the Imperium positioned for the oncoming onslaught. Dropships and starfighters alike rose skyward, moving to engage the creatures before they could clear the gap between the wormhole and the evac-site. A number of them were obliterated instantly, foolishly engaging them too close to the monsters, only to be splattered into fire and shrapnel. As it rained down on the encampment, the gathered civilians screeched out in fear and threw themselves underneath any cover nearby. A small family of three was nearly crushed before the young kiffar managed to reach out and slow the debris long enough for the group to find shelter.

The padawan turned to face the approaching Seo Linn. He didn't recognize her in the slightest but the nature of a Jedi was unforgettable. He met her gaze and nodded. "We're expecting contact in the next few minutes. I'm thinking you take up whatever positioning you see fit and just scrap whatever comes your way. Not much of an answer to space monsters tearing through the planet," Ryv spoke quickly as he peered about. Auto-turrets were hard at work shooting at anything and everything entering their range. Each soldier on the wall looked like they belonged, aside from Ryv. Bandages peeked out from the leather jacket hanging around his shoulders, while other wounds were covered on his face and neck. Someone so young looked out of place.

"Oh shit, I'm Ryv by the way," he offered Seo a smile before a monstrous creature rocketed towards the planet's surface and collided with a portion of the wall. It shattered, crashing down atop the beast. The monster laid unmoving, a thick, purple ichor oozing from torn skin. Oblong bones jutted out from a number of lacerations across the body. Ryv raced over and cursed to himself. "Get men positi-" he was interrupted as the body beneath him burst. Blood and gore coated a number of soldiers and civilians. When the kiffar peered back down at the goopy mess, the sight of hundreds of small writhing forms caused him to gasp. Smaller, worm-like variants of the suicidal horror began thrashing about, only to begin worming over to the nearby humanoids.

"Open fire, goddammit! Heavy gunners and snipers, eyes on the sky! Everyone else, gun these things down!" his orders echoed around the compound before he dropped down. A snap-hiss followed as a verdant green blade sprang from the hilt and sliced through one of the creatures. It burst in a small explosion, a biting acidic spray beginning to burn into his leg. "Dude, are you serious?!?"

 
Location: Vuultin City // I.S.V. Ashaton // Leon's Building Rooftop
Working with: Dak Dak // Amaris Tanenat // Leon Gallo Leon Gallo
Maybe nearby: Ryv Ryv // Seo Linn Seo Linn ?

The indicator was enough to draw the right individual's attention, and the agent lifted herself to depress the two-way communication system. A projection of information was relayed from the control centre to her person and she groaned. Expecting reprieve was a naïvety she couldn't afford, but that didn't make the realty of go-go-go suck any less. They'd just managed to claw their way off the building's rooftop, and now they were going back. If they got out of this, she better own an island by the end of it. No, something bigger! An island and a luxury yacht for starters.

Gala turned around from the comm station, greeted by wan expressions of the legion in the room. Several were administrating menial wound care, the others were tending to their weapons. All of them had heard the message delivery. It all seemed straightforward. Except for the kids.

Always the children. Snot-ridden, sausage-fingered, useless lumps of flesh that always needed extra attention.

"Orders are orders." The woman shrugged, twisting her pointer in the finger to swirl everyone into activation. "Let's get this over with."

The crimson light the soldiers bathed in changed to amber, and as the wide mouth of door opened, a final emerald. Mirthless, Gala assessed the grim situation below.

11df7777c2f4184c8cd63e11c2e61e7a.gif


Heartbreaking shrieks weren't unfamiliar on their ears, but the cacophonous salutations wasn't welcomed. Unknown substances swirled about in the air, mixes of ash and rotting flesh no doubt that took on the deceptive appearance of snowflakes. Her waiver was momentary before conditioning took over. Herself, and the other muscly servicemen disembarked from the extending platform. Several flanked on either side, clearing a path for the panic-stricken civilians to clamber up and into the ship. A dozen shouldered past her, the remaining eight following hot on their heels.

True to the report, there were seventeen soldiers under Leon Gallo Leon Gallo 's command, who helped preserve the perimeter. Some eagerly pressed to get into the ship, and Gala shouldered her weapon to free a hand and snap out at a shoulder of one of the agents. "Hold up. You've still got a duty to do.

Fourth floor needs attention."


"We're exhausted!"

"Not a unique problem, bucko. None of us signed up for this."
She relinquished her grip on the man's shoulder. If he had more energy, he would have glared daggers at the green-faced witch, but alas, he could only give her a sunken expression.

"At least let the new recruits board. I made promises. I know some of their kin."

"That was dumb of you."
Was all she offered, before giving a curt tilt of her head in approval while the sergeant waved a few of the indicated, baby-faced soldiers up to the ramp.

"Roof's clear!" One of the Imperium Legion folks bellowed, kicking down the door that separated the roof from the floors below and taking the first dramatic steps downward to where Leon and his team were attempting to rally kids to safety. A valiant pursuit indeed.
 
Location: Vuultin City // Random Makeshift Starfighter // Airborne
Flying with: Steve Holt Steve Holt
Reacting to: P Placeholder 0128

I couldn’t save you



Strewn out across a stretcher beside him in the evac ship, the Lord Imperator had not moved since blacking out. In a terrifying display of his mastery of the force, Cedric had managed to collapse an entire building atop a horde of infected swarming towards the dropships when they had to put down on the edges of the city for a quick refuel. Ryv had never seen anything like it. His understanding and use of the force was so small, so selfish in comparison. His master's use had not only saved hundreds of lives, but it inspired hope and purpose in those still living. To see their beloved Imperator overcome insurmountable odds and sacrifice himself for his people? It was a beautiful tragedy, one that left Ryv reeling.


“Have you…” Kaili closed her eyes. “Have you ever bonded with someone like that? His arm was my arm, his pain was my pain. As his arm was torn apart I felt everything, like I was there. Every passing breath that led to her last were mine to experience, and I was unable to do a single thing about it.”


“No, I can’t say I have.” Loske dropped her hand to her lap. “I can’t begin to imagine what that paralyzation would feel like.” She paused, mentally flipping a coin. She didn’t want Kaili to feel this was a pandering, disingenuous exchange. “And honestly, I hope I never have to..” Probably a pipe dream, given her relationships.


The guttural wrenching in her abdomen stretched through her chest and finally permeated outward from her skull. Black dots peppered the pilot’s vision, and she relinquished her intense grip on the shoddy starfighter controls, dipping in altitude from the lack of pressure on the thrusters. The sensation of being overwhelmed took over her psyche. Being a clone with injected memories, she was fairly used to losing a sense of reality, but this was something else. This was Cedric.

What’s happening..

Stupid question. She knew what was happening! But still it burned against the induced metaphysical pressures. Something devastating was happening down below, in the belly of the beast, to her ethereal counterpart. The bond was strained, part of it thinned and the intensity reduced. Desperately, she reached out to ensure the connection was still established, and just murky. There was still life, and sentience, but the effort was concentrated. As much as she could, she concentrated on reaching out a fortifying brush against the Jedi Master’s manipulation on the empyrean’s focus to preserve. If the lights went out after that, at least he’d feel that from her.

Their bond flared out a distressing bleat of anguish, the golden thread bloating and quivering at the sudden collapse of one half. It dimmed, and the girl bent forward in the cockpit, only secured by the webbing that strapped her to the seat. It felt like her heart and lungs were wrestling with her ribcage and the seatbelt, trying to thrust themselves onto the dashboard and crawl back down to the city where the other part of them collapsed.

The duress hadn’t caused the tether to go completely dark, he was still alive, but mortally wounded. And she was up here, in the skies unable to protect or at least help support the gravity of the occurrence that had brought the Jedi Master to his knees. Had it been a less pressing time, she’d remind him of a told-you-so moment where he’d tried to make them establish a mutual promise of no heroics.

Rapid, successive blinks brought her back to reality with enough time to snap the fighter’s nose upward to avoid a collision with a piling mound of rotting bodies that were scaling one another to stretch toward the lotus stretching skies. Clawing hands of the undead raked at the subdued thrusters of the engines, clambering and hustling to gather themselves upward and drag the little ship down. They careened backwards once the engines reignited to a sputter and the little ship just managed to throttle forward and out of their grip. Flares of fire exploded from the unbalanced thrusters, catching the loose rags and dehydrated flesh of the oppressors below. Flames licked and raced across their bodies, leaping from one flammable folk to the next, until the heap of former-humans were left in a pyramid of burning ruin. Un-karking-real.


The skies were as dark and as desperate as her mood. Fever stretched in her mind, irrational reactions gripping at her muscles, making her hands shake at the controls in a way she’d never contended before. She wanted retribution in that moment. She’d not been able to assist, and aid was beyond her control now - far be she from a healer. She’d been built for the skies, so that’s where she’d best be able to provide irritation for this newfound threat. Retribution couldn’t be had against the building or circumstance that had befallen Cedric, but it could against the onslaught that blotted the skies.

The Anaxi fleet snapped into view, her poor radar flickering with the relief in a spattering and mish mash of friendlies and bogies.

"This is Saber Squadron - enroute to Evac point A to provide air support."

Comm chatter cut through the established connection she’d been sharing with Steve Holt Steve Holt . The familiar voice of her saber squadmate intruded the system. Bolstering herself, she maintained the steady incline. If she were to deal any useful level of damage, she’d have to upgrade this bucket of bolts. Adrenaline and something close to fury took over actions, rather than the sense of dread that nagged at the recesses of her system.

“Glad you could make it to the afterparty, Outrider.”

With a grunt, she shouldered back into the cushioning of the seat and redirected whatever remaining energies she could to her thrusters. “Frank, set me a trajectory for The Radiance. I’ve got to get an upgrade, this thing’ll probably fall apart if any of those sky monsters sneeze on it.

Share the route with Steve.”


Frank, from the compartment he was awkwardly settled in, obliged. There were a handful of milliseconds of shared silence before her HUD ignited with the plotted route, avoiding as many bogies as possible en route to Radiance.

On the approach, her screens were a discordant medley of bogies and friendlies. Frank handled the correspondences between their shanty fighter and the flight control of The Radiance, to ensure no collisions occurred on their approach and ensuring his mistress had some place to go once she arrived. By some fortune (maybe will of The Force?) a trio of pilots were unable to make the deployments, due to wounds incurred en route, reserving an X-Wing for the blonde.

The arrival was underwhelming, and the vehicle skidded to a halt and quickly popped open the canopy, the mentally muddled pilot leaping out. An automated arm hissed to life, stretching to reach and relieve Frank from his position, though they did it slowly while the final preps for the ship they’d thought to be on recline started to activate in preparation for the Jedi Padawan. There’d been adequate notification, and she was offered a compression flight suit and helm and the other necessary outfittings to properly adapt to the X-Wing’s environment.

Loske almost shot right past her designated ladder, but an extension of her palm that looped around the vertical rod swung her to the rungs and she quickly scaled them like a cat. The claw maneuvered Frank’s dome to his secured crevice in the back, snapping him into gear while Loske secured herself in this new cockpit, fingertips darting about the controls out of muscle memory while things glowed and flared to life in reaction.

“Flight control to Friendly Blue, we have a formation deployment in thirty seconds to Mark-125. Your systems are green to join.”

“Copy that, flight control. Thanks for the lift.”

There was silence in the cockpit, but she taxiid the X-Wing to follow up align the other starfighters that were pulling out to deploy from their Admiral’s command. Route populated on their displays before they were belched back into the stars to join the conflict against the foreign life forms.

Meanwhile, Frank sent a request to Maynard’s astromech to send the linking sensor data of saber squadron, otherwise Loske’d just have to follow with the naked eye and basic targeting systems.

New location: Immediately outside The Radiance’s Hangar
Tags: Maynard Treicolt Maynard Treicolt // Steve Holt Steve Holt

Raise a little hell
 
The last of the kids were on the fourth floor now, and the adults were moving up now. Leon stayed behind, saber up and ready for the horde. He heard a window smash above him, to make ready for the evacuation. His heart pounded. Sounds of the reavers outside mixed with the Jedi's heavy breathing. His hands shook slightly, and they gripped the lightsaber hilt tightly. Leon had done all he could, and the building had been emptied. still, he felt that it hadn't been enough. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of civilians were dead or changed. Millions more would have been displaced. The planet wasn't safe yet, either. Billions of lives were at stake. Leon was here, a single man trying to save them.

A drop of sweat landed on his hand, breaking Leon's thought. The last adult was working their way up through the hole Leon had made in the ceiling. They'd be up in just a moment, and the way would be clear for him. The hum of the stealth corvette outside shook the room. Rescue had come. With a shaky exhalation, Leon stepped under the hole, and shut his saber off. He channeled the force into his jump, letting him easily launch through.

The kids were to go first, followed by their adult chaperones. The hanger doors of an Imperium corvette were open to meet them. The three soldiers in the room were helping the refugees into the ship. They'd load up next, and then Leon would follow. Not much time was left, by Leon's estimation. Why did they only have five minutes? The young Jedi didn't know, but he felt that it wouldn't be wise to stay.

At that moment the sound of a crashing door on the other side of the apartment shattered the illusion of safety. In a blink, the soldiers' guns were raised and a bright blue blade hissed out of Leon's lightsaber. He took a stance again and silently prayed that the refugees were on board.



Dak Dak Gala Geert Gala Geert Amaris Tanenat
 
"Afterparty?! Remind me not to join you to any social gatherings, Blue." Maynard offered in a lighthearted reply to calcify his crippling nerves. If he wasn't going to be any leader at all of Saber Squadron - he had to offer that much in reassurance to his fellow jedi. That he wouldn't buckle under pressure when the time called for an even leader - even if Loske and the other wings helped to shoulder the responsibility in the thick of the fighting.

The area was hectic to say the least. Shrieking blaster bolts bit into the waves of endless hordes of voidlings in an attempt to stave them off from circling toward around Evac Point A. With a few concerned but otherwise energic beeps his astromech communicated with him once more.

"Buddy you ain't even gotta ask- transfer it on over." He nearly lashed out- The sensory envelopment of this encounter was unlike anything he'd faced before. He'd seen war many times over but...almost each and everytime it was against an enemy that didn't carry themselves all too differently than him off the field. Here...it was difficult to even discern the horrors he and his squadron mates were letting loose on with volleys of blue slicing through the air.

"Argh! Outrider I need-" The voice cut off with a shudder of static. That familiar pit of existential dread boiling in Maynard's insides just as it had several times years over. He couldn't muster anything remotely helpful in preventing anyone he ever gave a damn about from being choked by the frigid grip of death as much as he consistently embedded himself in the ruinous fray. The absolute focus this battle demanded managed to subvert the crippling fear and helplessness he felt well in his core.

"Blue. I hope you've brought company to this afterparty because- shit there isn't much we're able to do 'cept buy time." He offered with little reassurance - clenching his teeth as he reared his X-Wing to swing down in a corkscrew motion in pursuit of another voidspawn before pitching back up in a nigh neckbreaking maneuver to join the main fray of battle once more. Already the blue and owl-grey of his starfighter were marred with deeply embedded marks from this engagement. All of his fighter's systems had sustained themselves to this point - so far. As maneuverable as the Skywalker Class was it couldn't take the punishment of any other mainline fighter. He had to favor finesse in spades over scrapping with these beasts of incalculable number.

Loske Treicolt Loske Treicolt
 
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Kazuhira

Guest
K
peace.png
LOCATION: Kazuhira's Quarters on Peace, hours earlier.

Kazuhira's internal struggle against the dark side of the force was a well-guarded secret, but it was all too apparent to himself. The old Jedi's stiff knees creaked as he knelt down to meditate. With a deep inhale through his nostrils, the Chiss' azure eyelids fell closed and he began to focus, clearing his mind of all conflict and concern.


There is no emotion; there is peace.
Kazuhira remembered the words of the Jedi Code well, as any master would. The quiet recitation of this code was the medium which he used to clear his head. The number of times he had quietly recited these words in his head were countless, as were the number of times the code worked for and against him. The mantra had served the many iterations of the Jedi well over many millennia, but every master knew the will of the force couldn't be comprised into one universal canon. The various orders that had failed to make the code peripheral to the will of the force had all failed. Hubris was something that it seemed no master ever taught their students to fear, but it was the bane of even the wisest master.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
The old Chiss took another deep breath as his mind took another step closer to becoming an emotional vacancy. Despite the ascetic teachings of the order, Kazuhira had many wants and desires. Every Jedi truly did, to an extent. To be free of all desires was far too unrealistic for any being to achieve, or at least that's what Kaz believed. The suppression of these desires and of other passions was how they all coped with this philosophy. Wanting something and refusing to take it was a far more admirable trait in Kazuhira's eyes than the total absence of want, were it even possible. It was either the release from or the fulfillment of such things that gave people peace. Acceptance was release. Letting go was release. Peace.

There is no passion; there is serenity.
The conflict within the old master began to abate as he drifted closer and closer to his meditative state. The light and dark sides both battled within him, and though it was a constant struggle it was something he had accepted as a fact of life, something he thought was natural. The Living Force was one, and the two sides of it were still part of that one, regardless of how much they conflicted with each other. This duality existed in all things, heat and cold, good and evil, and even life and death. Duality was simply the nature of being, thus it was only natural that he had a dark side. Every being did, or so he believed. Rejecting the dark side entirely, as most Jedi did wasn't the same as being mindful of one's own darkness and resisting it. Perhaps many less Jedi would have fallen to their own temptations had they seen it his way.

The Jedi Code said:
There is no chaos; there is harmony,
but Kazuhira never truly had any faith in that line.



vdkDGu9.jpg

LOCATION: Brentaal system, Surface of Brentaal IV
TAGS: Ryv Ryv | Seo Linn Seo Linn

The old master's crimson eyes shot open, the sounds of combat waking him from a deep meditative trance. In the first instant, he was taken aback by what had just happened. He looked around, confounded by the sudden change in his surroundings. The sudden conflict raged around him, blaster fire and heavy ordinance pierced through the tense atmosphere in this unfamiliar warzone. The last thing he could remember was drifting into meditation before he could even finish his last quiet recital of the code. Had the force brought him here by some unknown means? Or had The Living Force itself taken control of his body during meditation and brought him where it needed him to be?

The old master rose slowly to his feet. This was not the time for explanations. Regardless of his questions, it was clear to him that this was the will of the force. His questions were in the past, and the will of the force was now. He could feel what he needed to do without even needing to consider. The Brentaal system, Brentaal IV to be exact, was where he stood. He didn't know why he knew where he was, but he just knew. Though it was a vague inclination, he could feel the force shepherding his actions. He knew what to do next.


There is no death, there is the Force.
With a faint crackle, shortly followed by a droning hiss, the green blade of Kazuhira's lightsaber extended from the hilt with plasmatic fury. With one step forward he launched himself into a force-propelled sprint towards where he was needed. The old man couldn't run this fast without the help of the force, but with it, every step launched him several more meters forward, akin to a blindingly high-speed skip. With a sudden bend and subsequent snap-straightening of his knees, Kazuhira leaped a great distance through the air and near the position of a Kiffar Padawan of whom he did not recognize.

He began cleaving through many of the small wormlike creatures, twirling around akin to a dancer not bound entirely to the gravitational pull of Brentaal IV. The acidic viscera that burst from the abhorrent forms floated gracefully in the air as if frozen in time, before falling to the ground with a lack of any directional momentum but downward. There would be time to ask what was going on whenever the area was clear. The disgusting and utterly horrifying implications of such creatures had yet to cross his mind. There wasn't time do ponder such things. The will of the force must come first.
 
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Major Faction

Ryv

Become One With All Things
The sound of the voidlings writhing around the compound's courtyard reminded Ryv of an avalanche. Hundreds of the squirmed in every direction, churning up the dirt beneath them. It only worsened when they popped. A small cloud of caustic liquid would burst around them, coating anything and everything in an acidic ooze. It ate through almost everything, inciting a sense of chaos and fear over the populace. Their haven had quickly become a prison. The kiffar did his best to cut through as many as he could, but their acidic nature left him avoiding direct melee confrontation. It meant the men of the Imperium were the only actual defense of the masses.

"C'mon, people, you gotta move!" Ryv cut one of the wormlings as it launched itself at him. He ducked and rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a face full of the creature's gore. The civilians swarmed around its deathly contents, pushing deeper into the compound and away from the squirming battlefield. It was the best-laid plan, given the chaos surrounding them. More soldiers surged forth and opened fire on the monstrosities. Most shots couldn't quite hit their mark given the small-nature of their enemy, but those that did blasted the creatures from existence and brought them one step closer to reprieve, or so Ryv thought.

A thundering sound echoed out from the field before the walls. Ryv raced towards it. He slid to a stop at the break in the wall, his jaw hanging agape at the sight of a towering beast, some odd mix of rancor, and a dropship. As the creature roared out a challenge, dozens of smaller aberrations of varying size and shape poured from its mouth and other orifices across its body.

"Ah shit, man," Ryv fished his communicator from his pocket and activated it. "Outrider, Blue, I'm going to need assistance," he paused and did a quick headcount of the beasts, stopping once he hit somewhere in the thirties. "I've got anywhere from fifty to five hundred of these freaks on the northern flank of Site-A. We're barely holding our own here and will high-key shatter if they and their mother-thing manage to reach the wall," he sputtered out before hanging the communicator on his jacket collar. Taking hold of his lightsaber hilt nice and tight, Ryv squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Alright men, we've got air support en route; we just need to keep them from getting to the civvies. Sharpshooters, change target and focus down the creatures out of range," he paused in issuing orders as one of the monsters raced towards him. Ryv shifted weight to his left leg, pivoting on his heel before reversing his grip on the lightsaber hilt. Taking it in both hands, he slashed downward and decapitated the horror. Without slowing, he was on to the next. "Okay," another pause as he took a deep breath and cut through a second. "Heavy gunners, focus fire the nearest to the wall. Someone get these damn auto turrets on the flesh wall live birthing them!" another beast shot forward, meeting a swift end. "Jedi, eyes on the prize. Nothings allowed past me!"

With orders delivered, the men of the Imperium began their work. The auto turrets on the northern wall swiveled on their axis, pumping round after round into the largest of the beasts. The long-ranged sharpshooters planted each shot into the fleshy monstrosities out of the direct defense's reach. Rifles and other heavy machinery turned on those beasts racing towards the lone kiffar, holding the gap in the wall.

Perhaps it was some level of insanity that drove Ryv in that instance. He did not call for aid, nor did he expect it. A Jedi's life was one of sacrifice. His master had given it all so the men and women behind him in that compound could find safety elsewhere, not gutted by the horrors of primal chaos. Ryv dipped beneath a series of tentacles sent to tear into his face, his lightsaber flashing up to shear through each one in turn. The beast's gurgling screech cut short by a green blade piercing through the back of it's head. On to the next one, the kiffar danced between two of the horrors, his blade a blurring green streak as it slashed out at legs and arms alike. Those he couldn't outright kill were disabled and left to the incoming stampede.

Hope and determination stirred within the soldier's as the now-standing Jedi general cleaved through beast after beast, a smile decorating his features. Unbeknownst to many, the kiffar channeled the force into his allies, inspiring them through the use of battle meditation.


 
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vdkDGu9.jpg

Breental system // ISV Radiance // Bridge
Tags: Ryv Ryv Gala Geert Gala Geert Maynard Treicolt Maynard Treicolt Leon Gallo Leon Gallo Kazuhira Seo Linn Seo Linn Tristan Evore Tristan Evore


Missile barrages and a hail of turbolaser fire unleash from the small response fleet, agitating the leviathan as it continues to pull itself through the fabrics of reality. The High Admiral stands stunned as he watches the beast shrug off any notable damage from any of it.

"Sir," the Weapons Officer's voice nervously calls out "the Tyrants are requesting your orders for continued volleys." Cassius swallows and furrows his brow.

"It is no longer about maintaining a hope for victory here. Continue firing, just slow it down as much as we can." At that, he breaks away from the head of the command deck and marches with purpose to the holo-display and command console. The junior officers running the comms equipment straighten themselves, and the Lieutenant in charge of the station turns to salute the High Admiral.

Cassius takes a slow inhale, preparing himself for what is to come. "Tight-beam transmission," he begins his order "Focus it on the Evac Sites and have them broadcast it locally to bypass the comms-issues."

The lieutenant motions hurriedly to the others, prompting them to begin configuring the terminal accordingly.

Things had become far more desperate now. In all his experience and with all of his education, even considering their approach with the full force of their own fleets, the Anaxsi could not see a means of stopping this advance. Not here, at least.

"Communications are ready, Admiral," Cassius frowns, nodding to the Lieutenant.

"Attention citizens: this his High Admiral Cassius Callaesar of the Anaxsi-Imperial Response Fleet. Our naval forces are severely overpowered, but reinforcements are on the way to buy more time. The designated evac sites must prepare their first wave of evacuations immediately. Field personnel: conclude the evacuate of Vuultin promptly. Our options are limited; we must do what we can to contain the threat. Orbital bombardment will initiate in 30 minutes to attempt to slow the advance of their ground forces. Godspeed. Over."

He exhales slowly, lowering his head for only a second before collecting himself again.

Centered, the High Admiral marches once more to the head of his vessel. "Helm, break from formation and get the Radiance in range of Vuultin,"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Weapons, prepare the
Covenants for bombardment."

"At once, Admiral."


 

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