Private Sabotage & Invasion

[DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount]

Corporal Zan Taro watched the air lock explode in a light show of sparks and flames as the Lilaste marines breached the drifting freighter. One of their own, according to the report. Of course, nobody thought anything of it. Just another of the Dusate pirates' tricks and annoying jabs at the Order. They knew they could never compete with real power, which was why they had to resort to these simple and petty attacks.

As Corporal Taro stepped through the threshold, he could see the extent of the attack. Green gas still floated close to the deck plating, and bodies could be seen strewn about in the hold. He grimaced. A hit and run attack, yes, but a deadly one. The sooner the Lilaste Order went on the offensive, the faster this threat could end.

When the sweep of the freighter ended (with no survivors found), the Corporal ordered his corvette to tow the freighter back to Aurora Station, where it could be patched up and studied further. He sighed. Where did his life go wrong to be doing this all day...

At least he could take a nice, refreshing shower at base.

Rath Nihro Kebii'kara Solus Ali Kare Zinayn Laphisto

 

[Rath Nihro]

Location: Aurora Station
Equipment: Storm Breaker, Shroudsaber, Ace of Spades, Empire’s Shadow
Tags: Kebii'kara Solus Ali Kare Zinayn Laphisto D DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount

Ordinarily, Rath wouldn’t stoop as low as accepting jobs from pirates of all people. However, since the collapse of the Eternal Empire, Rath had made a point to keep his skills sharp and the credits to continue flowing into his pockets. The irony here was that Rath used to hunt down pirates back in the day, and now here he was working for them. The Dusate pirates had promised a large sum of credits in exchange that he would aid in taking down the defenses of a space station. The Aurora Station, a fortress with hardly any blindspots and exceptional armaments with equal defenses. Assaulting such a thing head on would be suicide unless they came well armed. Even then, the Dusate pirates would have a very difficult time with their strength and most likely would suffer heavy casualties.

So the answer was simple, the ship that drifted in space was merely a victim for the grand plan as Rath effectively killed the crew. The few who managed to survive against the poisonous gas that filled the vents had put up a fight before they were cut down. The rest were executed to ensure they didn’t impose much of a threat later on.

By the time Corporal Zan Taro and his crew came aboard the vessel. Rath hid amongst the shadows as sparks of destroyed lights cascaded upon the durasteel flooring. With his armor that made not a sound and the shadowsilk allowed him to blend with the lingering dark areas with ease. Where he merely observed the crew that came aboard both visually and searched in the Force. None were Force Sensitive at least, so he didn’t have to worry about a potential risk of being discovered just yet.

Patience was key, something that few Sith knew little about. As it suggested taking a page from the Jedi’s belief, but the Sith’s pride would never allow them to become open minded either. So he continued to mask his presence, only a couple of times did some of Taro’s crew swear they saw a shadow move, but they found no sign of the shadowy figure.

If there was anything that Rath knew for certain, there was only a certain period of time, maybe an hour at most before someone cracks into the black box of the now towed vessel and discovers what had truly happened. Being discovered at that point would increase the possibility as time went on. A mixture of patience and urgency was a key element as the ships made their way to Aurora Station with no hindrance.

Truthfully if Rath had his way, he’d impose himself amongst their numbers, however time was not on his side. Not to mention, he felt at least a couple of strong presences in the Force somewhere amongst the station albeit distant. If they were perceptive in the Force, then they’d already feel the encroaching dread and chill that seeped to the marrow of the bone as the dark side was strongly concentrated on his person.

As soon as everybody had disembarked, Rath was soon to follow until he saw a few mechanics getting ready to start working on the ships. He knew that he couldn’t sneak by them without being seen despite his armor, but he saw an opportunity. Along the catwalk was what Rath assumed to be a newcomer or at least not confident in their abilities as they’re frantically trying to find the right sized tool for a task in the midst of their toolbox. Frankly the Shadow hated to do this to the guy, but Rath reached out through the Force and telekinetically moved the toolbox just enough to fall off from the catwalk.

The mechanic’s eyes widened upon realization of it falling as he frantically tried to grab the box. Fortunately he did manage to grab the handle, but the opened lid caused most of the tools to spill out onto the hangar floor below. Causing that ear shattering chorus of tools clattering onto the floor. It drew a lot of eyes towards the scene and away from the ship that Rath was on. During the commotion, Rath silently slipped past the mechanics and behind the crates until he managed to slip inside one of the corridors. So began his hunt to locate the source of these defenses and shut it down.

 

[Kebii'kara Solus]

CURRENT QUEST - Day In, Day Out
Immediate Goals -
1: Learn from the Lilaste Order
2: Make Some Friends!

ALLIES - Laphisto || Ali Kare || Zinayn

ADVERSARIES - ENEMY UNKNOWN

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Laphisto || Ali Kare || Zinayn || Rath Nihro

---

Some time has passed since he had joined aboard the Aurora Station and Kebii'kara Solus was beginning to get used to the the rhythm of life in the Order. Things were... different than she had expected.

Admiral Kare is too cold and aloof, Master Zinayn was far too literal minded, and Laphisto was too darn cool! But she still felt so out of place on this Station, in this Order. She had applied to the Order to learn from those who knew the Force, but were neither Jedi nor Sith. So far, she had loitered about, plinked some targets in the training room, and chased Beviin only a few times!

The Drakeling had finally tuckered herself out and was currently lazing across the shoulders of the Lasat, and Kebii had been reading a holobook or two. It had been strange, going from the confines of the Sojourner to now a slightly larger metal coffin that was Aurora Station - so far those rumors of pirates had been merely that: rumors.

That was perfectly fine for the Lasat Mandalorian, for she was here to study the philosophy of the Force - thanks to Cynthia Solus ' network of contacts, Kebii'kara was spoiled for potential contracts should she need to make credits.

But as the hum of fluorescent lights ground down the seconds in her mind, she decided to gently arise from her reclining position and seek out someone to talk to - anyone. She was a social animal and she needed to speak to someone - even if Zinayn would not entirely catch her poetic meanings.

 

[Ali Kare]

Ali stomped along the durasteel plating of Aurora Station's lounge block with newly polished military-grade boots, preparing herself to reprimand a junior officer for abandoning her post. The High Admiral's lips turned down at the corners as she jabbed at the chime that would alert young Lieutenant Tsuk that a visitor was at the door.

A pleasant melody rang through the corridor, and Ali could hear footsteps coming to the door. "Hold on, I'm on my-" a gasp interrupted Tsuk as she realized who was at the door.

"High Admiral!" came the shocked voice as the Cerean officer opened the door. Immediately, the woman stood at attention, though her legs were wobbling slightly.

Ali took the moment to stare hard into the officer's eyes and enjoy the mounting fear and anticipation to be found there. Without averting her eyes, Ali took her datapad from her pocket and shoved it into Tsuk's chest. "It seems you're on duty, Lieutenant," Ali said while taking in her surroundings as if to say: "This isn't your post!"

Tsuk took a step back and her eyes widened. "Admiral Kare, I can expla-"

"I don't want to hear it ... Ensign Tsuk," Ali said, casually demoting the irresponsible woman. If she couldn't understand her work shifts, then she didn't deserve to have a position of leadership in the Lilaste Navy. "Now get to your ship. Your captain will already know about your demotion. In fact... I believe Ensign Carep will be perfect to take your position. Two months early, in fact. What a bright star."

Ali turned away from the still shocked lieutenant (no, ensign, she corrected herself) and marched back down the hallway. Might as well board one of Aurora Station's defense cruisers and make sure everything else was running smoothly.

The High Admiral looked up from the bright blue screen of her datapad as a door slid open ahead. And a towering Lasat stepped out. It was Kebii'kara Solus, the relatively new hire. "Ah, Kebii. I see you've visited our lounge block?"

Kebii'kara Solus Rath Nihro

 

[Laphisto]

Laphisto lay in his office, pulling at paperwork and other miscellaneous files he had strewn about. The one thing he didn't expect from a leadership position was all the damned paperwork; had he known that this was where his life would have ended up, he would have stayed in carbonite. with a small sigh, he grasped the bridge of his nose, shaking his head and pushing himself to his feet. He was a soldier at heart, and all this idly sitting about drove him nuts. He needed something to do, anything, but unfortunately, the orders allies did not need Lilaste troops, so that left him stranded here and doing paperwork.

Pushing himself forward, he left his office, walking past Owen Gisk in the station's CIC. At one point, he was a candidate for High admiral of the order, considering he had been with him since the start of the order, but the man had declined the leadership role, stating he was far too old to do so. While an honorable member and one of the order founders, he was given a lax office job as head of communications at Auorara station. everyone on board could recognize his voice, and they should. He was on the intercom at almost all hours of the day, relaying information and making announcements.

Shaking his head, Laphisto made his way to the turbo lift, where the five guards that usually accompanied him were moving to follow. It wasn't exactly pleasant to have the onterague. Still, it was requested by the High general to give the leader of the order guard, and Laphisto accepted based on keeping an image of respect amongst his peers. Holding a hand up, he half grumbled his response," At ease, troopers. I'm just getting some air. Keep the CIC guarded. No need to pull security just for me. " the leader, a Zabraak male named Jin went to speak up which caused laphisto to interrupt " that's an order Lieutenant. The command center is more important than following me on a walk within the station. Besides, I have made sure that Aurora Station is exceptionally well-defended. " with a chest pulling and slamming into the man's chest he gave a bow " yes sir, may balance guide your hand." laphisto returned the gesture and the saying.

once out of the turbo lift and into the more open sections of the station, Laphisto made his way into the overhead rafters, trying to vie for peace away from the others. Leaning against the railing, he took a deep breath, eyes falling closed for a moment before reopening them. Eyes flashing a teal blue as he peered down at the station inhabitants below. There were times he wished that the Dusate pirates would attack again; they, unfortunately, had been quiet for quite some time; whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be seen.

Ali Kare Kebii'kara Solus Rath Nihro

 

[Kebii'kara Solus]

CURRENT QUEST - Day In, Day Out
Immediate Goals -
1: Learn from the Lilaste Order
2: Make some friends!
2.1: Avoid the wrath of the High Admiral

FRIEND(s) - The Lilaste Order

FOE(s) - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Ali Kare Laphisto Zinayn Rath Nihro

---

Ah hells, the monkey-lizard's claw clenched with her plea for interaction. Now, her drakeling perked up and chattered a long greeting between yips and growls. The Lasat, in the meantime, was far more reserved around military personnel, preferring to speak when spoken to - and seldom responding with anything other than a -

"Yes ma'am."

The High Admiral was a disciplinarian, something she would ordinarily find solace in, but discipline must be tempered with compassion, a compassion Kebii noted was scarce in the Force-sensitive Admiral. "I was en route to the gym." It was as honest enough lie to not be told off for loitering, as mercenaries seldom got along with the regular members of the military, Force users especially.

"Anything I should be made aware of, ma'am?" Kebii knew she would regret those words, as she grabbed the drakeling before Beviin decided to temporarily perch on every Force user on the Aurora Station.

 

[Ali Kare]

Ali breathed in deeply as she listened to the Mandalorian, her eyes flicking to the creature upon the Lasat's shoulders. Usually, pets weren't allowed on the station. Atop the nightmare of pets running rampant and free, there was the other aspect of potential danger. Nothing like the danger of being shot with a blaster, or slashed through the torso with a flaming lightsaber, but the danger of animal teeth sinking into flesh. Those blood stains would be difficult to clean, indeed.

Looking back into the Lasat's olive green eyes, her neck craned up, Ali said, "Something important for you to know is that the soldiers in there don't really like mercenaries. You need to earn respect. Don't expect to be valued by them on your first day in there. Usually, respect is earned through combat. So, until you pick up a mission with some of our guys... keep your head on a swivel."

It sounded like a warning, but in reality Ali was just looking out for the new hire. She still remembered the story of that one Duro gun-for-hire that was found stuffed in a locker outside the mess hall...

It would be a shame if the same happened to the Lasat. Though it would be much harder to stuff a Mandalorian in a locker and keep them there.

Kebii'kara Solus

 

[Zinayn]

The stars beyond the viewport twinkled at the Chiss merrily; a stark contrast to the hull of Aurora Station, bristling with point-defense and turbolaser weapons. Not to mention the flotilla of defense ships further out. If there was one thing that was constant in the galaxy, it was the defense fleet's vigilance (thanks to High Admiral Kare). Zinayn chuckled to himself. That woman would never let anyone off the hook as long as they were under her jurisdiction. And her jurisdiction was the entire Lilaste Navy.

And yet, as impenetrable as the Order's HQ seemed ... there was some feeling that Zinayn couldn't shake. Anticipation was rising within, a product of some premonition brought to him by the Force, no doubt. But all of these feelings he ever got were so vague as to be useless. He grimaced. Maybe this one would be the one to break the chain.

Perhaps he would go talk to Laphisto about this feeling.

No. He dismissed the idea. He needed to be alone to meditate on this premonition, and this was the perfect place. The stargazing bubble; one of a dozen sturdy transparisteel globes over the hull of Aurora Station in the most scenic places. And he had the room all to himself.

The Chiss sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began concentrating on this feeling.

Kebii'kara Solus Rath Nihro

 

[Rath Nihro]

Location: Aurora Station
Equipment: Storm Breaker, Shroudsaber, Ace of Spades, Empire’s Shadow
Tags: Zinayn Kebii'kara Solus Laphisto Ali Kare

Swift as the wind, soft steps like padded paws that made little to no sound, like a fleeting shadow to some. Rath moved quickly and unseen throughout the station. Wary of guards, entrances, and surveillance cameras. Of course, most people would likely be wary of an attack from the outside and not from someone who was already inside their station. Even so, despite how skilled Rath was, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was discovered. No matter how slim of a chance, if the Force willed it then someone was likely to find him. He was aware that his presence alone might have tipped off the sensitives in the station.

So each maneuver was done with purpose, each evasion of detection brought him one step closer to his goal. Ideally, Rath would target the control center, but there would've been too many security risks. Too high of a chance of being discovered. Fortunately for him at least, Rath gathered that if he could merely disrupt the power source, it would trip the backup generators to keep the life support systems and other necessary systems to keep the crew from suffering in the vacuum of space. It would only be a temporary solution, but all Rath was to do was to merely open a window of opportunity.

Eventually, Rath found himself within a large chamber as the very air hummed to life with energy that pulsed through the generator. He could feel the large pool of energy being dispersed throughout the station. Of course, he wasn't able to merely slip inside either. Some of the crew that went to do their routine checkup on the primary generator was only knocked out as Rath swiped their key. Using their access codes to get inside of the chamber in question.

There were some ways of disabling it, but as Rath checked the time. He knew that he didn't have much time left. So the man focused not on rage, or grief. But merely on the thought to do one thing. Disruption. Crackling over his empty hand as raw pale blue electricity danced to life. As it landed from his extended fingertips towards the generator, a spike of energy fluctuated within the systems that effectively would've caused it to short circuit. Instead, it triggered a fail safe mechanism that temporarily shut down in order to reboot. Lights throughout the station went dark followed with a click, only to have low light of red painting the corridors and rooms in an ominous canvas.

As if on queue, a fleet bearing the symbol of Dusate Pirates exited out of hyperspace. Unleashing a tide of laser cannon fire upon the Lilsate Order's fleet as starfighters fanned out for a heavy assault. Even from where Rath had stood, he could feel the battle happening in space as the station shuddered. Seeing as how his part was done, Rath turned to leave the chamber when he was greeted with a presence. Or were there more?

 

[Kebii'kara Solus]

CURRENT QUEST - BATTLE STATIONS!
Immediate Goals -
1: Learn from the Lilaste Order
2: Make Some Friends
1: Battle Stations! Go Go Go!

FRIEND(s) - Ali Kare || Laphisto || Zinayn

FOE(s) - Rath Nihro

TARGETING ACTION(S) - D DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount

---

Kebii'kara was going to simply and curtly say "Yes Ma'am" and have done with it - what the High Admiral had said wasn't anything she didn't already know. But she realized rather quickly that the second claw of the monkey-lizard had constricted, first with the blackout and then with the buffeting of laser-fire.

There was no formal dismissal, since, as the High Admiral said, she wasn't a soldier - but she was a warrior. As soon as she lunged down the halls, she barked Mando'a into her commlink. "[[Geena, prep the Sojourner, we have pirates!]]" But while she knew that the Admiral's words were redundant, the Lasat still kept them to heart - keep your eyes open, head on a swivel, and beat back those pirates.

One thing the Lilaste Order and the Mandalorians had in common: respect was earned, usually through combat.

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn's eyes snapped open just as he was scrambling for the door. A dark presence was on board, one with sinister purposes. Making sure his lightsabers were at his sides, he dashed into the turbolift and repeatedly mashed the button for the generator room. He cursed to himself. If only he hadn't left his comlink in his quarters, which was his normal practice for meditation.

As soon as the lift doors opened, the lights flicked off for a second. The darkness did not stop the Chiss from sprinting towards the presence, Force senses alert for any danger. When the lights flicked on, bathing the corridors in dim crimson light, Zinayn skidded to a halt. Two bodies slumped against the wall. Reaffirming his priorities, the Gray Jedi checked their vitals.

Just unconscious. Whoever was aboard this station had some code of honor. Killing unarmed and clueless enemies was not their idea of a good time. Leaving the two workers there, Zinayn ran on. The darkness was getting closer. He turned a corner, and the silence of the disabled generators set an eerie tone, not to mention the lighting conditions.

Across the catwalk to the generators stood a single figure. The source of the darkness. Using the Force to amplify his voice, Zinayn asked, "Who are you? Surely you know that you can't just come aboard this station and expect to leave without a fight."

His right hand reached across his torso for his lightsaber. Confrontation was unavoidable at this point; there was no purpose in concealing his intentions.

Rath Nihro Kebii'kara Solus Laphisto

 

[DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount]

The attack was sudden. Exactly what Ubbal Dusat wanted. Captain Luno cackled maniacally as he propped a foot up on the liquor crate before his command chair, watching the fireworks outside. The Dusate fleet (consisting of 4 corvettes and 5 frigates) popped out of hyperspace, opening fire on the unsuspecting defense fleet of the Lilaste Order. And Aurora Station, looming ahead, did not support its flotilla by firing back.

So Rath Nihro had done his job. Excellent. The Order's defense fleet would soon fall, and the Lilaste Order would be destroyed in one fiery battle.

Now the defense fleet was responding to the abrupt assault. The ships were rotating slowly into firing positions, and starfighters were launched towards them. So, Luno ordered, "Launch our own fighters to counter! Whoever gets the most kills will raid the station's liquor storage first!"

A round of "Yeehaw!"s swept through the bridge, and the captain smiled. Finally, the day had come. At last, this pesky little group would be annihilated so the Dusate Pirates could continue extorting the local population for protection fees. And then, who knew what wealth Captain Luno could acquire? He might even overthrow that Tunroth Ubbal and take control of the Pirates himself. The Luno Pirates... he could envision the glory now.

Laphisto Kebii'kara Solus

 

[Rath Nihro]

Location: Aurora Station
Equipment: Storm Breaker, Shroudsaber, Ace of Spades, Empire’s Shadow
Tags: Zinayn Kebii'kara Solus Laphisto Ali Kare

It was to be expected that there would be some form of confrontation by the time Rath completed the job. For if it was too easy then either the people here allowed it to be so or simply plotted to ambush at a more advantageous point. Still, when the dark form had turned to face the exit of the power chamber. He did not expect a Jedi to be amongst the people onboard as his eyes narrowed at the glint of the lightsaber.

Rath felt the Force flowed through the man in question, like a bridge between the tides of chaos and the calming breeze of order. It was perhaps the first time that Rath had felt such a balance within someone, but he wagered it wasn’t too far off from how other Jedi operated. A dark gloved hand reached for the ornate hilt of a lightsaber with a light click of coming off his belt.

”It doesn't matter who I am. For the course has already been set.” The monotone of a non-binary voice spoke through the mask under the hood. With a press of the button, followed with the unique sound of a lightsaber being ignited. A blade of black with a white outline drowns the ominous lighting amongst the catwalk. Rath mentally pulled upon the Force with great strength, and with a swing of his lightsaber at Zinayn’s direction. A powerful wave of telekinetic energy washed upon the area as it ripped up metal plating from the catwalk. The air itself vibrated with intensity as the kinetic force attempted to overwhelm and force the master back into the corridor.

”It is only a matter of time before those pirates board your station, and your people will suffer for it.” The dark sider commented as he leisurely approached Zinayn with the black-white lightsaber in hand. As he was numb to the alignments of both Light and Dark, Rath could not feel which was present. Only that the state of mind was clear and guarded from a mental assault.

 

[Kebii'kara Solus]

CURRENT QUEST - REBUFF THE PIRATES!
Immediate Goals -
1: Get aboard the Sojourner!
1.1: Dispatch any pirates and follow ORBAT of the Lilaste Order.

FRIEND(s) - Ali Kare || Laphisto || Zinayn

FOE(s) - Rath Nihro

TARGETING ACTION(S) - D DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount

---

The old girl was going for a spin, and she is gonna whet her blades with the blood of pirate scum! Bounding up the gangplank, she was flanked by two of her allies: Geena and Beviin. Doc Tyme would be busy in the MedBay, as per his Utility Droid prerogatives - and the grim realization that any injury inflicted upon her or her opponents would most likely result in death rather than mere wounding.

Engines whirring to life, the Lasat patched herself into the emergency frequency of the Station, hoping to communicate with whoever is in charge of defending the station. "Sojourner to Aurora Station, Kebii'kara Solus, standing by. Patch ROE over on this frequency, engaging..." She took a moment to close her eyes, reaching out with the Force to sense the malicious intent of the adversaries hammering the station. "Engaging... times nine bandits, repeat, times nine bandits." She departed the hangar, a grim resolve beneath her visage. "Times five frigates and times four corvettes, over."

With the knowledge that it would be better to ask for forgiveness than for permission in a crisis such as this, the small patrol boat launched into the void, weapons hot, and seemingly content to take on the entire flotilla on her own.

 

[Laphisto]

he was finally getting to relax, a nice breath of fresh air. His eyes fell closed as he leaned over the rafters, looking down at the hanger bay to dock 4, the modified commercial zone he had authorized for trading and other business to bring in both recruitment and profit to help keep the order afloat. as his mind finally began to get a bit of peace he was suddenly rocked with a small grumbled grunt, eyes shooting open to blackness, then the glowing red of emergency lights.

raising a brow, he glanced around momentarily before feeling the familiar thum of laser fire smashing against metal plating. He hissed softly in frustration, a frown rolling across his face before looking at the ground and towards the civilians. the soldiers on board had already begun ushering people past the security checkpoint and towards the nearest shelter as per protocol stated, others began to prepare defence barricades. An unfortunate consequence of the station's old age was that dock 4 unlocked the other three major docking ports, didn't have a door, or what was left of it had been removed when the station began being retrofitted to Lilaste standards and through a majority of paperwork and belief in the station's impenetrable defenses were never replaced.

with a rumble from his throat, Laphisto dropped from the rafters, his wings extending to slow his fall as he landed on the floor below with an audible thud. Quickly standing himself back up, he rumbled out a soft growl pushing from his throat and being carried with his words as he addressed the nearest soldier " you, go to the guard barracks. I want LO-27R's set up at every airlock we can get them at, and i want the main hanger covered as a priority. if a Pirate so much as sets foot on the station i want them to be dead before their second foot hits the ground"

reaching out with force, laphisto tried to feel his way around the station, probing and searching to find the source of what caused this, or to try and find a familiar presence to help shed some light on things, with the station in low power mode. In these hangers, cut off from the main central section of the station, again as per the protocol he had given the green light to. scanning around, he looked at the easily defence force before him, counting the heads and hoping it would be enough to stave off an entire boarding party alone.


Kebii'kara Solus Zinayn Rath Nihro

 

[Dravin macovish]

Dravin was in Dock One, Landing Bay A-10, where he and his squadron usually gathered. They were enjoying a relaxed moment, sharing laughs and drinks. He noticed the new recruit, currently assigned to the notorious "Unlucky Eight" spot in the squadron, engaging in an arm wrestling match with his second-in-command. It had been a smooth day with training going well and no accidents, a rare occurrence especially for the cursed eighth slot which seemed to always bring misfortune to its newest member. Dravin pondered, trying to recall how many had filled that position—three or four? Tragically, it was always the eighth and newest member of his squadron who ended up as a casualty.

His train of thought was abruptly cut off when the station's power failed, switching to emergency lighting. This anomaly was a bad sign, signaling something amiss. Dravin remembered the protocols briefed by the High Commander months before: in a power outage, essential systems would reroute power to the central station, automatically locking down the hangar bays.

Without hesitation, Dravin grabbed his helmet and sprinted towards his fighter jet, skillfully vaulting into the cockpit. Skipping the pre-flight checks due to urgency, he powered up and thrust the jet out of the docking pod, narrowly escaping as the hangar doors began to close rapidly.

As he maneuvered his craft into the void, Dravin's heart raced with a mix of adrenaline and dread. The rest of the Green Wings squadron followed suit, their fighters slipping through the narrowing gap one after another. Dravin counted them off, a silent roll call marked by relief and growing tension. Then came the heart-stopping realization—the new kid, the latest bearer of the "Unlucky Eight," was still inside. In desperation, Dravin reached for the radio, his voice a mix of command and plea, mistakenly broadcasting on an open frequency, "Don't do it, kid! You're not going to make it, divert course, repeat, divert co—" His warning was cut short as he watched in despair, the hangar doors sealing shut with just a hint of explosion visible from the failed escape attempt. The faint echo of an explosion marked the end of another comrade, another life claimed by the cursed eighth slot.

With a heavy heart, Dravin switched to the secure Lilaste channel, contacting Kebii'kara Solus His voice, once shaken, now carried the resolve of a leader tempered by battle and grief. "Sojourner, this is Green Leader. I read you loud and clear. Fall into the formation gap and follow my lead. Our main targets are enemy fighters and boarding crafts. Try to stay out of weapon range and engage at will. Watch your six. Over." Despite the tension, Dravin's command was clear, signaling the squadron to prepare for the impending conflict.

 

[DefinitelyNotAnNPCAccount]

A fresh flight of starfighters launched from Aurora Station, followed by... a patrol boat? Certainly not a part of the uniform squadron it was trailing. And thus, easy pickings. Captain Luno snorted and joked into the comm, "All fighters, be aware of a remnant from a scrapyard floating your way. I think it's being towed by the other fighters!"

A chorus of laughter erupted from the other end, and a squadron leader acknowledged. "We'll send 'em back to where they came from, Cap'!"

The eight starships spun into action, wheeling away from their strafing run on a Lilaste destroyer and coming in hot from the starboard side of the new Lilaste squadron. They'd be dusted up quickly. But now it was time for the real invasion. "Hangar bays, this is Luno. Release the hounds!"

As if clawing at the hangar doors, ten shuttles full of pirate troops flew towards the open bay door of the station. With the enemy starfighters distracted, the boarders should land with little turbulence.

Suddenly, a bright fireball blossomed on his portside. A corvette, gone. His brow furrowed as he leaned forward in his seat. This battle would not escape him. Or else Ubbal would have his skull.

Rath Nihro Laphisto Kebii'kara Solus Dravin macovish @

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn watched cautiously as the dark figure unclipped its lightsaber from its belt. A hum filled the air as a black blade with white edges came to existence. The dark-sider swung the blade at him, and the Chiss's danger sense flared. He braced himself, boots digging into the metal catwalk, hand outstretched with a counter to the wave. Nevertheless, he slid back a few inches. The Irizi chuckled. Where did the pirates get so many credits to hire such a powerful Force-user?

"You're strong," Zinayn stated. "Your talent could be used in so many other ways. To help innocents instead of harm them, for example. You may be pitching in with these marauders for the money, and that is ... understandable. However, I don't believe you comprehend what will happen if this station (and the Lilaste military) falls. Do you know what your business partners were up to before this faction stepped in?"

Perhaps the other believed Zinayn was crazy. His lightsaber was not ignited, not in his hand, even. Maybe this would inspire the intruder to think about the Chiss's words. Or maybe the figure would take this as an offense, seeing that the Gray Jedi didn't think them enough of a threat to touch his saber. He was hoping for the former, although he was ready for both scenarios.

Then again, the intruder could react in an entirely different way.

Rath Nihro

 

[Rath Nihro]

Location: Aurora Station
Equipment: Storm Breaker, Shroudsaber, Ace of Spades, Empire’s Shadow
Tags: Ali Kare Laphisto Zinayn Kebii'kara Solus

”Considering how I managed to slip through your defenses and put yourselves in the current predicament. I’d say your people could use conflict. For through conflict is how we grow. You of all people should understand this.” For if there was no conflict to be had, then the Light so to speak would have grown soft and complacent until the new adversary reared its head. Often while they were least expecting them to appear. It was how many people sought to prove their worth, to settle scores, and to cherish what everyone fought for. The primal desire of self-preservation, but Rath was aware of some people who weren’t Jedi that sought to save other people’s lives in the face of death.

To say that Rath sought for credits, well that was part of necessity to survive in the civilized world. However, all Rath has ever known was war. For he was raised in war, trained in war, and eventually served the one entity that remained a fleeting dream. The Eternal Empire, or the remnants of such a glorious reign fell apart after the tragedy of Panatha. The one time that Rath genuinely lost a fight, and frankly should’ve lost his life as well. By some form of fate, or perhaps the one person that sought to redeem Rath. It was difficult to say for certain, but by some will of the Force allowed Rath to survive and live.

”I imagine the same thing that pirates always do. To raid, to steal, and to usher in chaos. Eventually, some powerhouse will come in and eliminate the bunch and free the sector from the pirates’ reign. Rinse and repeat; yet they always return.” Rath admitted as he recognized the cycle behind it. Of course, with this station that might not be easily done this time. Of course, a thought did cross his mind. The thought of what if he turned the tides? Yet Rath could feel the Force itself advising against the idea.

The dark figure raised the blade of twilight level with his shoulder at Zinayn’s direction as he narrowed his form by turning to the side. As they were on a catwalk, the room to move was limited at best. ”It’s nothing personal.” Was all the dark sider said before he swiftly moved like a streak of shadow with a thin line of white light. Empowered his body with the Force to become faster and consequently stronger. It was only for a brief moment so that Rath could close the short distance with a skyward swing of his lightsaber at Zinayn. Between the momentum from his speed and his own enhanced strength, Rath hoped for a clash if nothing else. For his purpose was not to overwhelm the Jedi, but to force him back into the corridor.

 

[Zinayn]

The intruder responded to Zinayn's call for peace by using his own philosophy against him. There was no good without evil. Chaos needed to exist, held in check by order. This much would be known to any person that read the Gray Jedi code. And yet, Zinayn was not a perfect case of being a "champion of balance", tending to lean towards the light. But the truth was: conflict was necessary. It was needed to encourage change and the betterment of society.

In the Chiss's mind, while conflict was needed, death was not. And as such, these thoughts would lead him to conflict with this Dark Jedi. Who would have seen it coming?

The figure's shadowy blade was now raised to shoulder-height, pointed straight at the Gray Jedi's face. He grimaced, sinking lower into a combat stance, right foot first.

His senses screamed at him as the intruder dashed forth in a blur. In a flash, Zinayn's blade was ignited, casting a bright orange glow on the catwalk. Before the blade was even fully extended, it was swinging downward to block the intruder's skyward attack. Zinayn joined both hands on his hilt, trapping the intruder's blade near to the floor. Simultaneously, his right leg came in for a kick to the masked figure's left side, aiming to crush its ribs.

Well, although his talk had been dismissed, and conflict ensued, at least he could tell the pacifists aboard that he had tried to disarm the situation.

Rath Nihro