Private Pushing Boundaries

[Captain Charles]

New Companion

TAGS: R'ayne Asara ​

Backstory:
R’ayne Asara, he recognized that name from the Ruisto Expedition. She was a Sith Lord that proved crucial to the success of that operation. Now she was assigned to his squadron, temporarily of course, to test the affects of “Battle Meditation”.

Battle Meditation was used by Thrawn centuries ago to increase the coordination and performance of his forces in battle. It had proved extremely useful in combination with other tactics to secure victory in even unfavorable situations.

Now it seemed Mahporeem High Command wanted to do a trial run of it using First Scouting Squadron. Charles was hesitant, the Force was one of the few things he knew nothing about and Imperial doctrine told him he should be skeptical of it and aliens, even openly hostile. He had avoided that last bit. Open hostility without cause was a waste of energy. It didn’t prevent him from being extra cautious though.

He was raised that way after all. His mother and father had always told him to be wary of the “alien savages”. He never questioned it, never thought too deeply about it. Perhaps it would change.

Charles | The Hangar | Stryker II:
He had received her with the full fanfare deserving of a Sith Lord. She had arrived onboard her personal ship, black and gold robes trailing behind her as she stepped onto his ship. He remembered being tense at first, she was taller than he was, her red skin was covered in black markings and her red eyes looked like she was staring into his soul. Still he stood his ground. It would take more than appearances to scare him. He wondered if she could read minds.

“Good Afternoon, my lady.” he said, extending his hand. “Welcome aboard the Stryker II, flagship of First Scouting Squadron. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You may call me Charles.”

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

The Stryker II loomed beyond the transparisteel canopy of my personal shuttle like a cathedral wrought from iron, pride, and purpose. Its vast hull drifted against the darkness of space, a predatory monument of Imperial authority whose armored flanks swallowed starlight rather than reflected it.

As my vessel threaded through the approach corridors and into the flagship's cavernous hangar, I allowed my senses to brush against the currents of the Force that flowed through the ship.

Thousands of minds moved within its metallic arteries; disciplined sailors, vigilant officers, focused technicians, and the restless cadre of pilots whose trials in Battle Meditation had drawn me here.

Their collective presence resonated like a distant choir beneath the surface of reality, while deeper still I felt the cold, endless hunger of the cosmos pressing against the fragile walls of civilization.

The shuttle settled upon the deck with a muted hiss, and I rose from my seat, hidden beneath the layered folds of my robes, preparing to meet the Commanding Officer known as Captain Charles, a man I had spoken with upon Ruisto via comlink chatter but had never yet looked upon with my own eyes.

The ramp descended with a mechanical groan, releasing a breath of cold, recycled air. I stepped forward into the hangar's sterile glow, my robes trailing behind me like shadows dragged from some deeper realm.

Waiting near the foot of the ramp stood Captain Charles. He carried himself with the confidence of a seasoned naval officer, neither arrogant nor timid, a trait I found immediately respectable.

I accepted the offered hand with a slight incline of my head. “And a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Captain Charles. I must say, your flagship is rather impressive. The organization is evident from the moment one enters the hangar.

The deck crews move with precision, the personnel carry themselves with discipline, and the vessel itself reflects the standards expected of by the Imperial Navy of Mahporeem. Such efficiency is becoming increasingly rare in this galaxy.”

My gaze drifted briefly across the immense chamber, taking in the ordered machinery and immaculate formations. “The Mahporeem Imperial Remnant should be proud of your accomplishments. I look forward to assisting you and your First Scouting Squadron with these Battle Meditation trials.

Together, perhaps we shall discover how much further disciplined minds may carry Mahporeem's might through the darkness between the stars.”​

 

[Captain Charles]

Planning

TAGS: R'ayne Asara ​

Links:

• First Scouting Squadron

Charles | The Hangar | Stryker II:
“The pleasure is mine.” he replied, loosening up.

“The credit belongs to my men, they have worked hard to achieve their current capabilities and will only continue to grow. Shall we head to the Bridge? I have a few ideas in mind for testing.”

They started walking towards the waiting elevator. Its doors opened with a hiss. They stepped inside. Just the two of them. He pressed the button himself.

“I must admit though. My knowledge of the Force is very limited. I only know of Thrawn’s application of it in battle centuries ago from my history books.”

The elevator slowed to a stop, its doors opening once more to reveal the Bridge.

“Make yourself at home.” he said, gesturing for her to go first. He could see Malren and the others already waiting by the tactical displays. They walked over together, R’ayne catching a few glances as they did.

“My senior officers,” said Charles, making a sweeping motion of his hand. Holt stepped forward first, giving her a firm but friendly handshake and saying his name and rank. The others followed. He waited until they were done.

He picked up his pointer.

“Let’s begin. Malren, pull up the pirate base please.”

Malren (Tactical Officer) zoomed in the map revealing a lonely dwarf planet in the middle of nowhere.

“This dwarf planet is the location of a pirate base and dockyards. It is a rather ideal location for such a base since the planet isn't a part of any system…It’s unintentionally mobile.”

He paused, letting everyone process the information.

“Enemy numbers are superior to ours, consisting of a mix of retrofitted legacy models including 2 MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruisers. Now for strategy.”

Malren tapped the control panel again, zooming out to show the surrounding systems.

“We will be using two classic strategies. One is the “Hit and Fade” the other is the “Thrawn Pincer.”

“Phase One is simple. Three Mini Task Forces will raid the base and draw out their fleet. Of course they may not fully commit but that’s okay. All we need is a majority of their ships to pursue them to this one spot.”

He pointed at a patch of space. It was nearby but not close enough to where they could be detected by long range sensors. All he really needed was for them to be far from reinforcements.

“Phase Two will require some coordination. The Stryker II and the Strangler will be waiting here. The 3 Bait Taskforces join the formation. They will most likely rush in assuming an easy victory. Then R’ayne and the Strangler will close the trap.”

“The Stryker II will take on the two MC80As, the rest of the squadron will take on the rest of the pirates. This will be the real test."

"R’ayne do you have any inputs?”

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

I listened in silence as the officers spoke of fleets, vectors, and kill-zones, their voices weaving through the bridge like threads of iron drawn across old scars.

Beneath the warm illumination of tactical holomaps, I watched the lonely dwarf world drift upon the display; an orphan of gravity, a wandering wound in the darkness harboring predators who mistook isolation for safety.

Captain Charles spoke of Thrawn's Pincer with the reverence of a scholar recalling ancient scripture, and I found amusement curling within me. They knew the shape of the blade, but not the hand that guided it.

They understood maneuver and timing, yet remained blind to the deeper currents that churned beneath war itself; the invisible fears, ambitions, and hungers that truly decided victory long before the first turbolaser ever fired.

As the question was offered to me, countless possibilities unfurled behind my eyes like the wings of some vast long forgotten beast awakening between stars.

I could already feel the pirates' confidence, their greed, their instinctive rush toward prey they believed weakened and exposed. Such emotions echoed loudly through the dark side, broadcasting themselves across the void like funeral bells.

My smile deepened, subtle and predatory, as I allowed my gaze to drift over the assembled officers. "Your strategy is sound," I said, my voice smooth as a widower draped over their dead lover's grave.

"Most commanders concern themselves with where a fleet will move. I concern myself with why." My fingers brushed lightly against the edge of the tactical display.

"The pirates will pursue because they are expected to pursue. Their greed will become a chain around their throats. But I would advise leaving them a visible weakness, something irresistible.

A damaged vessel. A deliberately exposed flank. A dangling carrot. Prey that appears frightened invites a far swifter chase than prey that appears disciplined."

I turned my attention toward the drifting image of the pirate base, feeling the darkness coil pleasantly within me.

"Let them believe they are hunters for as long as possible. The sweetest trap is the one whose jaws are mistaken for an open door."​

 

[Captain Charles]

Planning II​

Charles | The Bridge | Stryker II:
R’ayne explained how a much more juicy target would be far more inviting for the pirates. She was right. A small taskforce was usually good bait, but as the Sith Lord said, pirates operated off of greed meaning they needed something they could catch.

He liked the idea of a damaged vessel. The only question was where would he get one. The yards of Mahporeem were a good option but they were too far away. He couldn't borrow a transport or trade ship from Castillon either. They were too busy hauling food or supplies to and from the planet.

“I have an idea.” he announced. “We are going to dress up half of our fast transports as a regular transport ship and have them pass by the base towing one of them. Call up their Captains. We are going to draw lots.”

Ferrin called over to the comms section. They brought up the Captains onto their communications displays.

“Gentlemen, we are going to require four of you to temporarily modify your ships so they look like civilian transports. To make it fair we are going to draw lots.”

Talven produced a batch of sticks. He picked eight, putting the rest away.

Four names were drawn. A chorus of groans came through the comms before they remembered who they were talking to.

"Gentlemen." said Charles flatly.

The groans stopped.

“Despite their reactions, they are the best transport Captains in the Outer Rim. All used to be smugglers before they went to the academy.” he said quietly, leaning towards R’ayne. “They will get the job done.”

He turned back towards the displays.

“Yall are dismissed.”

They saluted and the channels disconnected.

“Our mission has no time constraint. We will wait until each Captain believes they have a proper disguise. Until then we will continue monitoring the base from a distance.”

“Aye sir!” replied his officers before dissipating towards their stations. He looked at R’ayne.

“Is that something like you were envisioning?" he asked.

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

The silence that followed his proposal settled across the command deck like a funeral shroud draped over a tomb that had not yet realized it was housing the dead. I stood motionless amidst the dim glow of tactical displays, my hands folded within the sleeves of my ebony and red robes as I watched the chosen captains react with predictable reluctance.

Their groans, their discomfort, their wounded pride at being selected for deception rather than glory, it all struck me as strangely amusing. Mortal minds so often craved the spectacle of battle while overlooking the exquisite beauty of manipulation.

In the abyssal philosophies of the Sith, the blade was merely the final punctuation mark. The true art was convincing one's enemy to open their own throat.

As Captain Charles silenced them with a single word and explained their histories as former smugglers, I felt the faintest smile curl beneath the shadow of my hood.

Smugglers, liars, scavengers, opportunists; creatures who had survived by becoming whatever their prey expected them to be.

Such beings understood masks better than soldiers ever could.

And I loved them for it.

I turned my gaze toward him, seeing not merely a commander outlining a stratagem but a mind beginning to appreciate the dark elegance of uncertainty. Beyond the viewport, the stars shimmered like cold wounds torn into the flesh of creation itself, and somewhere among that infinite darkness our enemies waited, blind to the nightmare drifting toward them beneath a borrowed face.

The Force stirred around me, whispering through unseen dimensions like distant things crawling beneath black oceans. I could almost taste the future taking shape. Not through brute force, but through anticipation, paranoia, and carefully cultivated fear.

"It is," I said at last, my voice low and smooth as grave dust sliding across stone. "A predator does not always bare its fangs before the kill. Sometimes it limps. Sometimes it bleeds. Sometimes it allows itself to appear weak enough that the prey mistakes curiosity for courage."

My Sith eyes lingered upon the tactical display.

"Let them perfect their disguises. Let our enemies believe they are witnessing fortune. Nothing is more dangerous than a victim who believes the universe has gifted them an opportunity."

The smile deepened slightly. "By the time they realize they have swallowed the bait, the darkness will already be feeding."​

 

[Captain Charles]

Morning of the Attack​

Charles | The Bridge | Stryker II:
He yawned, he was a little tired from last night. His wife had way too many questions about the Sith Lord and he ended up falling asleep an hour later than usual. She handed him his helmet and utility belt. She watched as he put them on. She never said anything on operation mornings. Instead she always looked at his face like it would be the last and kissed him for longer than usual. He could hear her breaking down as the door closed.

As planned the morning brief was taking place by the tactical displays like they did before every combat operation. He realized he was not the first one here. R’ayne was already there, standing by the viewports looking at the stars, she greeted him. The rest of his officers arrived soon after.

The brief itself was short. Everything was ready, the plan was already drawn up, the ships in position. All that was left now was to execute it.

The bait transports flew in first, towing one of them behind as planned. They were escorted by the three mini task forces, each consisting of a Vengeance Class Cruiser and two Bullet Class Frigates. It looked like the typical Imperial Convoy. Intercepted communications confirmed that the pirates took the bait. Data sharing from the transports confirmed that they were being pursued by a large enemy force including the two MC80As. Perfect, everything was going well.

“R’ayne, the enemy has taken our bait. You may begin.” he said. The “Battle Meditation” would be crucial for the timing. He would only spring the trap once the Sith Lord sensed it was time.

The decoy force continued towards them. He could see many red ship types behind them on the tactical display, the cruisers, frigates, corvettes, fighters. They were gaining on the decoy force as planned. It would only draw them closer.

He picked up his comm link.

“Tarris, launch all our fighter and bomber squadrons. Have them maintain defense screen.”

“Aye sir!” came the swift reply.

“Ferrin, inform the flanking force’s Captains to be ready. R’ayne will have them jump into position at any moment.”

“Roger!” he replied swiftly sending out the message.

Everything was ready. Now all that was left was to see if Battle Meditation lived up to its reputation.

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

I drew a slow breath into my lungs and sealed my eyes against the warm glow of holovids and tactical displays.

The bridge vanished.

The murmur of officers, the distant thrum of reactors, the metallic heartbeat of the flagship itself; all faded into a meaningless haze at the edge of perception.

I descended inward, then outward, plunging into that fathomless abyss where the Force ceased to be a current and became an ocean without shore. My thoughts stretched beyond durasteel bulkheads and void-black viewports, threading through the darkness between vessels like spectral tendrils cast into an endless grave.

One by one, I found them. Pilots suspended within cockpits of steel and fire, their minds flickering like candles adrift upon a storm-tossed sea.

I touched each flame and drew them beneath the shadow of my will, gathering them into a vast and unseen canopy of influence.

The collective consciousness unfolded before me like a quilt woven from nightmares and starlight. Through battle meditation, I bound their instincts together until their minds beat with a singular rhythm, an orchestra conducted by my hand from beyond sight.

Fear dulled.

Doubt withered.

Their movements became extensions of my own design as I guided them through the darkness of space, shifting formations with effortless precision and placing squadrons exactly where fate demanded they stand.

To them, my presence was a distant whisper echoing through the Force; to me, they were strands within a great web stretched across the stars.

Opening my eyes, I beheld the bridge once more, every vessel already moving according to the pattern I had woven. A thin smile touched my lips as I turned my gaze toward the command dais.

“Captain Charles,” I said, my voice low and carrying the weight of unseen stars, “you may commence your operations.”​

 

[Captain Charles]

The Battle​

Charles | The Bridge | Stryker II:
"Roger."

One word. He was already moving.

"Ferrin, signal the flanking force. Execute the Thrawn Pincer. Now."

"Aye sir!"

He watched the tactical display. The pirates were within gravity well range of the Strangler. It activated it. The pirates were going nowhere. The decoy transports ignited their engines to full and raced past the Stryker II and Strangler. Their job was done. The three mini task forces accompanying them formed up with Stryker II.

Only then did the pirates realize their grave mistake. But it was too late. The Stryker II’s main battery opened fire, well beyond the range of any counterfire. The first salvo landed perfectly, shattering the first MC80’s shields and mauling the ship. The Stryker II continued engaging the other MC80A, it tried evasive maneuvers, but thanks to R’ayne sensing the ship’s movements before they even happened. The Stryker II’s gunners found their marks perfectly again. The last MC80 was blown apart.

Around them the enemy fighters attempted to break through Slasher and Bruiser's defensive screen. The enemy possessed a slight numbers advantage, but First Scouting Squadron’s pilots had the skill edge. On basically one on one terms, it was soon clear who was going to win. Slasher and Bruiser were already comparing kill counts.

R’ayne’s Battle Meditation was a work of art. She dropped in Mini Taskforce after Mini Taskforce, each at the perfect moment and in perfect position. He couldn’t help but be amazed. The timing was supernatural. He could see ships exploding around them. Green and Red bolts flew every which way as the battle neared its bloody climax.

He checked the tactical displays. The squadron was keeping its discipline as always, maintaining proper distance and constantly maneuvering. None of his ships were lost. In fact none had suffered any real damage outside of their shields getting depleted which was normal. The squadron’s ships were maneuverable and fast, but they couldn't dodge every bolt. The fighters had won the defensive battle, and were now on the offensive. Lance and Strike Squadron were already making runs on isolated enemy ships.

He turned to R’ayne.

“Would you like the honors?” he asked. He knew without her, the battle may have turned out differently.

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

I watched the slaughter unfold through the hololithic haze, and for a fleeting instant the bridge seemed less a warship and more a sepulcher drifting through the corpse-strewn darkness of space between its stars.

The Force coiled about the space battle like some vast and unseen ophidian, its body wrapped around every vessel, every pilot, every desperate heartbeat.

The pirates had mistaken cunning for wisdom, yet wisdom abandoned them the moment they stepped into the jaws prepared for them.

The gravity well dragged upon their fate like an iron chain fastened to the throat of a drowning man, and the great guns of the Stryker II answered with merciless finality.

I felt the deaths ripple outward through the darkness; brief sparks swallowed by an endless cold that neither mourned nor remembered them. Such is the truth of war; victory is merely extinction viewed from the favorable side of the battlefield.

My Battle Meditation was no simple manipulation of minds; it was a symphony conducted upon the strings of destiny itself.

Task forces emerged precisely where doom required them, as though some ancient and nameless intelligence lurking beyond the veil of reality whispered coordinates directly into thier soul.

Around us, ships burned and starfighters died in incandescent blossoms of ruin, yet our formation remained untouched, gliding through the carnage like a phantom procession crossing a sea of blood.

When Captain Charles offered me the honor of delivering the final stroke, I felt the Dark Side stir with quiet approval. Let the enemy witness the face of the hand that guided their destruction.

“My pleasure,” I murmured, my voice as cold and smooth as a blade drawn across an ancient whetstone, while beneath those simple words the Dark Side churned like a bottomless pit awakening from uneasy slumber.

Through the vast web of my Battle Meditation, my consciousness drifted among the minds of my pilots like a spectral predator stalking forgotten catacombs, and into their thoughts I poured a single ravenous command.

{Destroy them...destroy them all...leave nothing but wreckage and ghosts adrift in your wake.}
​

 

[Captain Charles]

Victory​

Charles | The Bridge | Stryker II:
He wasn’t in control anymore, but he found that he didn’t mind. R’ayne’s command reached all his ships at once. They moved not in the disciplined dance from before but rather an angry storm that swarmed towards the remaining enemy ships.

Turning his attention away from the tactical displays he decided to view the conclusion of the battle with his own eyes. His ships drove relentlessly forward, showing no quarter to the enemy. It was a close range brawl now.

Above and to the left the Payback was demolishing an enemy cruiser, raking the ship from the rear with salvo after salvo, the enemy’s shields having long since collapsed. To the right the Needle and Sharp were tag teaming an enemy frigate hitting it from both sides with concentrated fire. The enemy fighters were mopped up.

At last the final explosions dissipated.

The battle was over.

The damaged reports came in. It was minor with no casualties. The pirates on the other hand would never be threatening another convoy again. He felt the aura around him lift as R’ayne lifted the meditation. He walked over to her.

“Victory is ours my lord.” he said. “I will admit I was doubtful of its abilities at first, but I was proven to be mistaken.”

He extended his hand, looking up slightly to meet her gaze.

“You are welcome aboard anytime.”

 

[R'ayne Asara]

pushing boundaries

[]

An Untold Awakening

​

weapon: draconic scourge
outfit: Xx™
tag(s): Captain Charles

I let the last remnants of my Battle Meditation dissolve into the darkness, feeling the countless threads of the Force withdraw from my mind like blackened roots retreating beneath a graveyard.

The explosions had ceased, the screams had fallen silent, and the galaxy had returned to its usual, pitiful imitation of peace.

Victory is ours. His words lingered before me, almost amusing in their simplicity. I turned my warm gaze upon him, allowing the faintest curl of satisfaction to touch my lips.

“Doubt is not a sin,” I said, my voice soft as a wind through weeping trees. “It is merely the hesitation of those who have not yet witnessed what the darkness is capable of.”

I glanced toward the battered remnants of the battlefield beyond the viewport, where dying fires of metal smoldered against the coldness of space.

“You have witnessed it now.”

I regarded his extended hand for a moment, not from uncertainty, but because I found the gesture almost quaint. Men of Rank so often believed victory could be contained within such simple rituals; hands clasped, words exchanged, blood forgotten.

At last, I accepted it, my grip firm and deliberate. “Your invitation is appreciated,” I said, my gaze never leaving his. “I shall remember it.”

Behind my words lurked something colder, something ancient and patient, like a creature beneath the universe opening one eye in the dark. “But understand this, Captain, I do not bring peace wherever I go. I bring inevitability.”

I released his hand and turned toward the observation viewport, watching the stars glitter like distant fragments of shattered glass.

“And tonight, the galaxy has merely been reminded of what happens when it mistakes the shadows for something harmless.”​

 

[Captain Charles]

Friendship​

Charles | The Bridge | Stryker II:
He saw the cold look in her eyes. Not for him but something older and deeper. She said she did not bring peace only inevitably. That was fine, wars by nature were supposed to be brutal. It was an unfortunate fact. Peace came only after victory or no war at all.

She moved towards the viewports, looking out to see the stars and the distant dwarf planet. The debris from the destroyed pirate ships were still visible, slightly obscuring the view.

“Indeed,” he replied, walking over to stand nearby. “The shadows will always be present. It is up to people to hold them at bay.”

They walked back to the hangar in silence.

It was the start of a new friendship.