Savior, Devil, Redeemer, Slaver [Clone Army]

[Commander Lusk]

Spoiler

[media] https://youtu.be/6I2NUYf3efQ [/media]

Everything was gone. Everyone was dead. Everything they ever knew was nothing more than a memory. They didn't have a purpose anymore, all that was left was to lay down and wait to die. At least that was what was on their minds. The minds of clone army that no longer held any relevance in a galaxy far far away. If you're unsure of who is being spoken of, a long time ago roughly five or so years. A clone army was introduced into the Galactic Republic by Patricia Susan Garter who had control of Spaarti Creations, one of the galaxies largest cloning companies. Signed into service by the former Prime Minister of the late Galactic Republic Genevieve Lesadri, these clones served the Republic by overthrowing the senate in a coup to eliminate all Sith within the governments midst by declaring martial law and proceeding to execute traitors and spies on live tv. It was a dark time for the republic and signaled the beginning of their end. But before the end they had served and fought on multiple battlefields and invasions against the One Sith and other galactic powers.

The Clones would eventually find their way to the Mandalorians and soon after left once the debacle between the Crusades and Clans jumped up. For a while they were on their own, and now with the Clans gone for good, there was nothing. There was no purpose or reason to anything. They were soldiers made to fight a war that was over, remnants of a past that no longer mattered. They had fallen on hard times and for the most part they had just bounced from planet to planet looking for any work they could find. But there was no pride anymore, no sense of purpose, and now a clone army still within its prime went completely unused.

But Commander Lusk, he wasn't just going to let them die. He wasn't going to let them fall into the dark. The Clone Army was thirty eight million strong, yes, that was right. Thirty eight million of them remained and they had taken up current residence in the desert planet of Tatooine where there was enough space for them to sprawl out in massive shanty towns that were baked by the sun. They couldn't afford anymore mass transit, they were down to the bare minimum of everything and for the most part the clones of [member="Preliat Mantis"] and [member="Willa Isard"] were reaching the end. Where these large sprawling hobo cities would simply dry up and die with the clones with them.

So Lusk, with his now grizzled beard and messy wild hair sat back in his tent in front of a few communications specialists and a camera.

"We're live." The Isard communications officer said.

Lusk took a deep breath and then exhaled. It was time.

"This is an open broadcast to the galaxy. We are the forgotten Grand Clone Army of the Galactic Republic... or we were in a different life." Lusk hung his head in shame over the atrocities he had committed under their reign, but not focusing on the past he lifted his head up and continued speaking.

"My brothers and sisters. Our war is over, we have no purpose and we have slowly been dying for years now. Fighting battles that aren't our own, working whatever jobs we can to get by. It's getting us nowhere and only stalling the end. So I ask the galaxy, to anyone who is listening. We will fight for you. We will crush, kill, and destroy anything that you ask of us. All we want is a uniform and a gun. My people weren't meant for like like this, we weren't made to be slowly killed off in the desert. I swear to you that if any galactic power or government takes us in, we will be faithful and fight until the end. Imperialism or democracy we don't care, we're past that point." The clone took in a another deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"We are highly trained, efficient, and deadly. We've survived on the fringes of the galaxy for years now. We consist of everything that rounds out a standard military. Troopers, Combat Engineers, Medics, Snipers, Communications experts, and even our own Naval crew. We're not asking for much, all we want is to have meaning again, to have a home." with one last breath the grizzled clone looked at the camera and spoke with everything he could muster.

"Help us, you're our only hope." And that was the end of it. The message stopped and coordinates were given to anyone who could possibly lend them aid.

The clones didn't want to join society, they didn't want to be cantina workers or miners. They were born for combat, and they were really damn good at it.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] [member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Tanomas Graf"] [member="Castor Ren"] [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] [member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Commander Lusk"],


Their broadcast would not fall upon deaf ears as among the powers and factions who would receive it and answer it one would be quick to divert a ship towards the coordinates.

With a flash of light the hammer-like shape of the Siege Tower, Protectorate's adventuring frigate would elongate into real space at the edge of the system, jumping into reality as it soared through the dark vastness of space towards clone's planet. The Tower would hail the transmitter that formed and sent the signal with a message of its own,

"This is the Siege Tower of Abregado System, we have received your message and wish to send down a delegation to speak with your commanders, do you accept?"

The delegation, of course, would be HK himself.

Out of everyone he knew what it was like to be denounced as a relic, after all he had to change his body and armaments many times over to keep up with advancing Galactic technology, anything to not become obsolete. Often he also faced the problem of outliving galactic factions, powers, and causes he aligned with, the Protectorate was now gone although he still used some of their assets, the Ancient Republic he once served under, even during the Clone Wars when their ancestors first came into service, become only a vague memory to most organics as well, and farther back the Mandalorians he fought alongside with were all dead, although he would rejoined their cause in recent days, pledging to support their clans whenever he could.

Either way, he would be very much willing to have a chat with the Clones at least to see what this all was about.

 

[Commander Lusk]

They were asking if they could come down? The clones couldn't of stopped them even if they wanted to. They had to scrap all their point defense cannons for parts, their ships had been sold off or junked, and they certainly couldn't stop HK or anyone else from flying on down. But they still asked, and for a moment that really resonated with Lusk. It felt like they had some semblance of respect again, and that there was a tiny bit of hope. Little things sometimes went a long way.

"This is communications officer Lieute-" the clone cut himself off realizing he didn't have a rank anymore.

"This is comms manager Relay. Welcome to Tatooine and Little Cartao, nice to have you. Our leader will be waiting in the central tent." It was the best HK was gonna get here. Or anyone for that matter.

The entire massive shanty town in the desert consisted of miles and miles of tents and buildings constructed of cheap materials and scrap metal. The craftsmanship was good, but what it was all made of was relatively garbage scavenged at Mos Eisley and other cities on the planet. It wasn't pretty at all, the entire place reeked of desperation brought on by years of people made for war trying to get some semblance of society going. It all just really boiled down to them not being cut out for civilian life, they were born soldiers and they would die soldiers.

So whenever it was HK decided to come down. Lusk would be waiting in the command tent with a few of the other first generation spaarti commandos that came before the grand army, their older age and experience had made them the ones in charge.

[member="HK-36"]

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Clones were tools. Useful, effective tools for combat. Although the Galactic Alliance's war of aggression had caused a momentous increase in recruitment within the Stormtrooper Corps, Starfighter Corps and Navy, the First Order needed veterans. It was all well and good to have a thousand soldiers, ready to fight and die in the glory of Sieger Ren. But then, what is the use when they received little training. An army of thirty million or so, that would be perfect. A wave of troopers to fill in the blanks where only green would be. Even if it were stop gap measure to allow more time for troops to be trained, then so be it. With the Alliance and its penchant for treachery, all options were on the table.

Deploying out of lightspeed was a singular shuttle. Upsilon-class. The shuttle streaked to the surface of Tatooine, transmitting a signal, "Clone Army of the Galactic Republic, the First Order hears you loud and clear," The signal said, "We request landing clearance, where we will deploy our negotiation team."

Of course that team would be three fold. Admiral Carlyle Rausgeber, General Lucien Montague and Captain Rellard Forne. It was quite a strange mixture. General Montague's prior service in the One Sith saw to the deaths of thousands of Clones in the field of battle. Captain Forne had actually been a Galactic Republic naval officer, until he deserted during the dark days of the Republic. And then Carlyle was just, well, an eccentric with an eye for all things historical.

Nonetheless the shuttle swooped past the Siege Tower, edging past the ship to make its way to the surface of the dusty planet.

[member="HK-36"] | [member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[Tanomas Graf]

The message would've been heard in Imperial space first, being the closest to Tatooine. A sinister smirk played on the lips of the Emperor as the captain of his personal Star destroyer, the Avenger relayed this message to him. It would be a great opportunity to bolster the Imperial Military's numbers even though they already has the clone armies of Kamino under their control.

"Plot a course for Tatooine, contact the clones and inform them that the Imperial Remnant has the means to instantly move all of them into service, clean beds, clean armor, deadly weapons, and bloody battles. I want a fleet of transport vessels with heavy escorts to be on standby outside of the Tatoo system." Graf ordered, receiving a word of acknowledgement from the captain as he left for the bridge to begin issuing orders.

-------------

The star destroyer arrived mere minutes later, the Emperor's shuttle craft descending from the hangarbay and entered the atmosphere of Tatooine with no delay, setting down in a clearing next to the shantytown. The landing ramp lowered and down came the Emperor followed by a Shadow Guard and an Imperial Guard, champions of the Imperial Royal Guard.

Graf would see to it that he and his escorts made it to the command tent in a timely fashion, examining the clones on their way.

[member="Commander Lusk"] | [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] | [member="HK-36"]

 

[Commander Lusk]

Another one, and imperial at that. The clones had heard of the First Order and their war with the Galactic Republic. They had been bred to kill stormtroopers and Sith, but at this point they didn't really care anymore. As long as they gave them a gun and a target to shoot, then they were happy. At one point the idea would of made their skin crawl, but years of mercenary work, desperation, and hunger had taken that pride right out of them. Didn't matter who they were, so long as they came to help and put them back on the front lines, that was what was important.

"First Order Vessel. This is comms manager Relay, welcome to Tatooine and Little Cartao. Please land anywhere and our leader will see you at the central command tent in the center of town." if you could even call it a town.

The First Order had permission to land and more than likely they'd have to walk through a bit of the shanty town to get to where they needed to be. The imperials would be able to see how the clones lived, and even in this scraped together town there was military discipline. Clones carried out various tasks and it seemed that everyone had a job to do no matter how unfulfilling as it was. Everyone there was a soldier after all and needed something to do.

There were even a few children running around, which in clone culture that was consisted a bit taboo. No one was genetically related as far as female and male clones went, but they were still raised as brother and sister so it really doesn't need to be further explained on account of it kind of being gross. Either way the imperials could get an eye full that even the children among them were being trained like soldiers by older clones who needed to introduce them into their culture.

Soon afterwards another Imperial ship showed up at their doorstep and they didn't even bother to ask for permission, the leader of the Imperial Remnant just came down and forced his way in like the strong presence he commanded. The clones could respect that.

"Guess I'll just kark myself then." Relay said as he sipped his mug of Caf.

Whenever the Emperor walked his way into the tent he'd be able to see Lusk sitting in one of the chairs laid out against a very long plastic picnic table used for common events. It was the best they could do considering they were on Tatooine. The clone would rise out of respect and give a solid nod towards the any guests who entered.

"Welcome to Little Cartao. I'm Commander Lusk, I'm very thankful you responded. Can I offer you any water?" What little water they had.

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] [member="Tanomas Graf"] [member="HK-36"]

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

The shuttle landed at an empty square to the east of the town centre. The shuttle ramp extended, and the first out were the black clad shadowtroopers of Skull Six exited, and scanned the perimeter before giving the all clear. Carlyle walked out first, cape flowing in the wind, and flanked by the General and Captain. "So this is where they have made their abode," Carlyle said, examing the tents, "Not particularly shabby," The admiral mused, "I must imagine the weather's awful though."

General Montague nodded, "Rather crafty indeed," The officer replied, he was attired in the sleek black greatcoat of a First Order general, "The clones were always inventive, far better at improvisation than my troops ever could be."

"Your reliance on the Sith was your downfall," Captain Forne mused with a smug smirk tugging at his cheeks.

"And the reliance on the Jedi yours." Montague added, with a small smile pursing his dry lips, "Nonetheless, I think if the One Sith hadn't been so preoccupied with the debauchery of the Dark Lord and his sychophants, we could have held on."

Carlyle shook his head, "Would have, could have, should have." The admiral said, "We can argue hypertheticals all day, but the fact will remain that we still have a job to do." The admiral ordered, keeping the two in line as they walked through the scantly paved streets of the shanty town. For the admiral, it was quite unnerving, having all the same eyes looking at you from all different directions. Although they may have all been differently attired, or styled. Underneath it all, biologically, they were the same.

The clones in the streets seemed to part for the small group, as they walked through. Perhaps it was the weapons, or the fact the three men were rather intimidating. Nonetheless, when the pack reached the outside of the central tent, they stood to attention, "Hello," Carlyle called, "I am Admiral Rausgeber, leader of the First Order delegation, we're here to negotiate."

[member="Commander Lusk"] | [member="Tanomas Graf"] | [member="HK-36"] | [member="Jaina Ventor"]

 

[Hansen]

Agent Totallex
Tatooine, East Little Cartao.

Jaina leads the Shadowtroopers of Skull Unit out from the shuttle ramp with an antiquated DC-15A shouldered at first, each of the troopers scrupulously examines their firing arcs before lowering each of their weapons. "Clear." Is the only word that leaves Jaina's mouth and the Shadowtroopers lead the distinguished First Order Officers. They talk amongst each other and the Skulls carefully study each Clone who crosses their path, inwardly Agent Totallex is disgusted by them; The idea a Human could be grown in the cold confines of a lab sent hairs erect up and down her spine. Jaina positions herself between the First Order delegation and the clones standing outside the tent. The shadowtroopers at this point had assumed a diamond position around the First Order Officers. 'This is no life to lead, although better these weapons be in our hands than our enemies' This thought dwells at the front of Jaina's mind, having been confronted with scenes of drilled discipline in this miserable shanty town. Ostensibly the Skull Unit are nothing more than Stormtroopers distinguished by their use of Black epoxy coated armour, though one might suspect them to have some sort of special purpose and appropriate training to match.

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] [member="Commander Lusk"] [member="Tanomas Graf"] [member="HK-36"]

 

[Jarven Zexxel]

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] | [member="Jaina Ventor"] | [member="Commander Lusk"]

Last to exit the shuttle was none other than Agent Zexxel. This excursion allowed him to dress casual, so he was in civvies; without his armor. Naturally, a revolver was attached to a shoulder sling in plain view of everyone on the outside of his clothing. Other than that, he was unequipped. He winced at the sudden brightness upon exiting the shuttle. The little amount of sleep did him no good as he was having troubles again. Even though he had the hardest of times recalling details, he still had this forlorn feeling of loss hanging over him at the most inopportune times; like there's something he's missing and supposed to have.

Something about Spaarti Creations was ringing a bell strongly, but he couldn't put his finger on anything at all about it. It was quite frustrating, but he didn't have time to worry about his petty feelings as he followed up the rear of the procession. He tried to shake his head to break out of his mad-sad reverie. He needed to remain focused on the task at hand and watch for any potential threats that might escape another's notice.

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond C’artyom and squad exited the shuttle before the Emperor and his royal procession.All though you wouldn't know it at first glance. Their stealth cloaks allowed them to leave the craft relatively unnoticed. They would be as poltergeist this mission, unseen, silent, deadly. Reflec coating and photoreceptive fibers made sure the cybernetic Chiss would be nigh undetectable by anything short of the force. They proceeded ahead of the Emperor securing vectors and locking down choke points as they moved through the shanty town.

Desmond grimaced at the clones conditions. He felt for them as most of his squadron were clones as well. What made Des even more sentimental towards his squad was the fact that they were clones of himself. A family he had never truly had till now. He couldn't help, but think what would he do for his fellow brothers. The answer almost scared him. He was prepared to go to the ends of the galaxy and back for his men and he suspected this commander to be similar. So, seeing them like this must have been heart wrenching. Still despite these once proud warriors current condition Des had a job to do.

As the Emperor entered the main tent Des ordered two of his men to take sniping positions. With a flick and a wave of Des’s hand they raced to do his bidding. Meanwhile Des and the rest of his squad remained in the tent with the Emperor. They watched disinterestedly as the FO representatives made their approach backed by what Des could only assume was their elite squadron. Des took note of the FO weapons, numbers, and rank. The level of threat to the Emperor’s safety made Desmond finger his collar a little. Surrounded by a rogue army, FO commandos, and he was pretty sure he heard someone say assassin droids. The whole thing was looking grim. If things went to sh!t, it'd be quick and bloody.

[member="Jarven Zexxel"]
[member="Jaina Ventor"]
[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"]
[member="Commander Lusk"]
[member="Tanomas Graf"]
[member="HK-36"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The desert was home to Preliat Mantis- many overlooked this fact. It was often overlooked, his past. He remembered it fondly, however. The world was familiar to Preliat- he had touched Tatooine many times in his life. And now, he was settling his feet into the sand again- though, he was not here for himself. He was here for 38 million of himself. He ran a hand through his hair, looking back. He had forgotten to check on his brother, [member="Silas Mantis"], who was still in the ship. They were traveling together now, on the hunt for those who destroyed their lives. This was merely a detour, a small incursion to maybe find some salvation on Preliat's behalf, some sort of redemption maybe. He hung around the hangar, as the shipwright came to document the ship entering the port.

His mouth tightened when he identified himself to the aging Twi'lek. He was ushered to the side, paperwork taken care of for him. Preliat paused, entering his ship, grabbing a bottle of wine. Wine always made things easier. He made his way to the shanty-town, renting a speeder from a burly Human. He was dressed casually, a leather jacket and denim pants. Boots cuffed- he seemed rather stylish- an unarmored. Not unarmed, he was no fool. He carried a Beskar knife, dangling from his neck, and a Verpine shattergun tucked into a shoulder holster- though he doubted he needed it, or truthfully, wanted it. It was there, like all things, just in case.

The speeder ride was quiet, and uneventful- if not foreboding. As soon as he reached the shanty town, Preliat's heart dropped. First Order troops, a familiar sight to the aging warrior, were coming into the streets. He felt their approach was heavy-handed. He would be wary if men came in full armor to try and talk to them. And they didn't wear armor as a matter of culture, they wore it as a matter of war. And they waged war so pitifully- but Preliat supported the First Order nonetheless.

Walking among yourself, metaphorically and literally, was a strange experience. They all knew instantly who Preliat was. Some envied him, some were...afraid of him. Some were awestruck that they were to see him, walk amongst them. He turned his head and stared at them all for a while, before heading for a man he had met before- [member="Commander Lusk"]. The others, he did not know, other than the Admiral, [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"], whom he had worked with previously, albeit briefly.

Preliat rested a hand on the table, setting the bottle of wine down on it. It made a gentle tink as he did so. His eyes did not leave Lusk, though he took a cursory glance at [member="Desmond C'artyom"]. Desmond would be wise not to tangle with Preliat, even if all he was armed with was a knife and a handgun.

"A word, Commander- in private?"

Preliat did not take any note of the other First Order troopers. Truthfully, he found them weak and brutish- their tactics were based in their numbers, not in their strengths. He was trying to change that. A clone army 38 million strong could do some good, and with Lusk leading it, it could do even better. Preliat was here only to offer words of wisdom and, sway a small amount of opinion.

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Malakai's gunship lifted off, following closely behind the Emperor's own shuttle. He glanced down to the new armor he brandished, the armor of the Inquisitorius. It was his first time deploying for The Imperial Remnant and his orders were simple, watch and wait. As his shuttle set down to the rear of the Emperor's he awaited for the side breach to slide open. The hot caress of the Desert winds flew through the shuttle causing the Inquisitor to wince. The man pulled his helmet over his head before stepping out of the transport, crossing his arms as he looked around.

The young Inquisitor moved away from the shuttle and watched as the pilot powered it down, giving the man a curt nod of the head to signify everything was as it should be. Malakai returned the nod before turning towards the town that laid before him. Rather than follow the path that the Emperor took into the town Malakai followed a different path, curious as to what laid in the area before him.

Needless to say it was far from "civilization," in many ways even the former Sith saw the display as saddening. What was saddening was not the poverty and squalor that passed for a home. Not the children who seemed to be stagnant in their search for an actual life.

What was most saddening to Malakai was the army, bred and trained for war that stood here with little more than death as an awaited fate. He knew their pain to some extent, after the destruction of the Sith he was in a similar position. Lost with little purpose, only a mindset that would never waver. He glanced down to the Imperial seal that was brandished on his shoulder and could not help but chuckle at the thought. Their place was with the Emperor, just as his was.

[member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Desmond C'artyom"] [member="Tanomas Graf"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Commander Lusk"], [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"], [member="Darth Malakai"], [member="Desmond C'artyom"], [member="Jarven Zexxel"], [member="Jaina Ventor"], [member="Tanomas Graf"],

A pair of glowing red eyes would materialize in front of the central tent where the leader of the clones was waiting, the droid used his personal stealth transport, the Knight of the Eclipse, and his stealth systems to make his approach to the planet and the headquarters of the clones quick and unnoticed, plus since the thread shot forward while this writer was asleep and dealing with the morning shift it was only fair the machine would catch up to those who attempted to slink past him.

Tall slender shape wrapped in black chameleon cloak would shift into existence behind the red glow of photoreceptors in front of the tent's entrance, probably much to surprise of whatever guards from whatever faction were stationed there,

[Mando'a] "Negotiations, delegations, and theatrics."

His voice would emanate inside the tent in the Mandalorian he was sure the Clones spoke before he stepped in, droning on as his tall shape entered their abode,

[Mando'a] "Funny how among some powers answering a distress signal is not that different from going over the terms of surrender with your enemy."

The machine quipped as he pulled his black hood back, revealing the silver pale surface of his faceplate like polished bone mask of the Kaleesh. He brought his six-fingered hand up in a fist to his chest, giving a nod towards Lusk, traditional Mandalorian salute,

[Mando'a] "They call me 'the Iron Knight', I make my home in the Abregado system, I have heard your call."

The droid straightened up, spreading his arms out slightly in a greeting,

[Mando'a] "And I am here to offer my aid and advice, Young Commander."

For now he would ignore the presence of others, another pencil pusher from the FO, as far as the droid was concerned at least, and Graf, or as droid liked to call him The Emperor of Three Planets, among with others they brought along for intimidation or security, whatever the reason could be.

So far it seemed the droid was the only one who didn't come to speak with the clones surrounded by a posse of soldiers and bodyguards, after all HK had a rather high self-esteem of his capabilities, plus his own guards were somewhere in the area, but they were hidden underneath their stealth cloaks much like he was before he entered the tent.


The machine would also nod to [member="Preliat Mantis"],

[Mando'a] "Preliat, how are you holding up?"

The Mandalorian would probably recognize the droid as the one who saved him from being buried alive underneath soot and ruin when Mandalore burned down in its cataclysm and HK came to their aid with a search and rescue team, digging Preliat out among others. He was also familiar with the tragedy that struck him, losing his family as result of the disaster.

 

[Commander Lusk]

From the outside of the tent everyone had a good look of the clones. They were in rough shape, but they had been surviving in a desert for the last few years. The fact that they could build up a shanty town the size of a sprawling metropolis on coruscant was testimony to their ability to adapt and overcome in the hardest of situations. They were ready to get back into the fight and start bringing the pain like they used to. So when the imperials were outside the command tent, the few guards at the front fearlessly stared at some of the Death Troopers and were not intimidated in the slightest bit by them. Why would they be? They had fought Sith Lords and fellow Mandalorians, they were warriors still. So they simply smiled and ushered whoever was waiting outside into the tent where the mood was a bit different.

Lusk felt his heart drop from his chest and soon that empty space was filled with rage. Pure unadulterated rage. It was caused from seeing his father [member="Preliat Mantis"] who he'd known ever since he came out of the tube as an eight year old boy. Lusk and the other first generation commandos received lectures and personal training from Preliat as children until they were handed off to other instructors. So Lusk was a little pissed that Preliat decided to show up now? When they were on their last leg was when he wanted to come be daddy dearest and take in his words once more.

It was clear to the others in the room that Preliat's presence upset Lusk, his hands trembled and his eyes narrowed underneath messy matted hair. He was his father's child alright, unlike the second generation clone troopers he didn't have the aggression monitoring bio-chip that kept all that repressed Preliat anger in check. He even had something to say to HK beforehand, but words couldn't find him for a bit, only anger and hurt. But Lusk was older now, sure he was only sixteen, but for first generation clones like him. That was his early thirties.

[Mando'a]"No I think here is fine. If you have something to say, dad. Then you can say it in front of everyone. You're about thirteen years too late for that." Lusk said in their native tongue and then looked to the other guests who besides HK probably had no idea what he was saying.

"I welcome all of you to Tatooine and by extension Little Cartao. My brothers and sisters are honored to have you all here. Forgive us for our sloppy appearance, times have been tough and we've had to sell a lot of our old equipment to feed and provide for our own on this desert of a planet." With seats lining the long table, Lusk sat down at its head with two clones flanking his left and right at the old tattered plastic picnic table.

Soon after he sat a few of the other clones arrived with the good stuff, top quality bottled water that Lusk had a few of his younger siblings make a run to Mos Eisley to get. It certainly wasn't anything compared to Preliat's wine, but it was the best they could do under these circumstances. Regardless of that though, Lusk brushed his unkempt hair out of his eyes and tried his best to seem professional about signing his life and the lives of his family away to a government that would probably treat them as cannon fodder. Sadly though, that's where they wanted to be again. It was better than sitting around waiting to die.

"Before we begin, I must say this. Some of you sitting here might be enemies. Some might be allies. But this is still my people's home right now. So please no fighting. I will listen to and hear you all out, but I am not my mother. I will not make you bid or auction myself or my family off." Little bit of history, he was referring to the former CEO of Spaarti Creations [member="Patricia Susan Garter"] who also may or may not be a notorious crime lord.

"All I ask is that you answer my questions truthfully and with honor. Then based off your answers and what you can provide for us, we will make our decision." Lusk would then place his hands up onto the table and intermesh his fingers.

"So I want you all to answer this. Who are you, what is your organization, what do you stand for, and whatever pitch you might have had prepared ahead of time." It was all pretty simple and straight forward.



[member="HK-36"] [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] [member="Tanomas Graf"] [member="Jaina Ventor"] [member="Jarven Zexxel"] [member="Desmond C'artyom"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Darth Malakai"]

 

[Keira Priest]

A number of new faces had landed on Tatooine when the broadcast was sent out, but one of them wasn't quite so new to the clone army. No, she wasn't near as familiar as the face of their own father, but she was something close, being their old commander and the one that had led them on the field of battle countless times. At one point she and the clones had been nothing short of family, and while time had long since frayed and broken that bond, she knew it still sparked somewhere within them as it did for her. Regardless of all that had transpired between them, no matter the unforgivable acts, family was somehow still family at the end of the day, and it was difficult to remedy that.

Or at least, Keira liked to believe that. It was why she had bothered noting the coordinates to begin with, and why she had once more donned the armor that had nearly always been worn in their presence, unarmed save for the tomahawk at her belt and the pistol - Kalso's Revenge, the one Lusk himself had gifted her - holstered at her hip. It was what was proper, and while her presence may not have been entirely welcome, she was loathe to walk away from them. Not again, not after what had happened the last time. She may have had next to nothing at the present moment, but she would always have time to spare for them, and nothing would change that.

Her entry into the tent was unannounced, subdued, and entirely nondescript. She walked among what had once been her men as if she belonged, because once upon a time she had. The armor was worn as a sign of respect from one warrior to another, her sparse weaponry symbolic of the fact that there was nothing to fear from her presence. It wasn't a message for the others gathered, but rather the clones themselves. It was for their sake she removed her helmet, clipping it at her belt as a sign of respect. Those that recognized her didn't approach, and she didn't blame them, after what had happened. If the shoe had been on the other foot, she wouldn't want to talk either.

She remained at the back of the congregation, only listening to Lusk speak, unable to entirely keep the smile from her face at the sight of him after so long. He had certainly grown into himself, just as all the others had, and she was proud. Perhaps she had no right to be, but she was proud of all of them, and all they had suffered through to get themselves here. Because at the end of the day they were still standing, and it was that she had wanted to teach them above all else. "I've nothing to offer, Commander, but if you have the opportunity I would like to speak with you. I would argue it's long overdue."

[member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Commander Lusk"],


HK moved to sit down at the table, near the head, by one of the flanking clone troopers that moved in with Lusk.

[Mando'a] "I am an ancient being, like I said earlier you may call me 'Iron Knight' although I have many names, it is by this one however Mandalorians know me when I brought to them RC 212, the Deathwatch leader responsible for dropping a nuclear explosive on Keldabe, it is by my doing that they were able to get justice for the atrocity."

The droid kept speaking in Mandalorian, he knew for a fact that Lusk spoke it now and if others in the room did not knew it then all the better,

[Mando'a] "I did not came here to represent an organization or a faction, although many serve me, including the Omega Pyre, Barony of Abregado System, and its Guild of Hammers, and to many I swore allegiance and fight alongside, the Order of the Lotus, the Galactic Alliance, Firemane, Mandalorians, Outback of Kathol Sector are among them. I came here instead to represent an ancient but immortal ideal, hope and strive for the Greater Good of the Galaxy where all beings are equal and the forces of Primal Evil are defeated once and for all. To many this is the war between Jedi and the Sith, but I have fought in it long enough to know that it extends far beyond just these two ideologies."

HK continued,

[Mando'a] "While hunting down and exterminating all Sith is my ultimate goal, I take part in this eternal conflict through other means, by helping and protecting the innocent, bringing the relief to the suffering whether they are my friends or foes, or helping those lost in the shadows to find the light once more so they would not fall to the Dark Side. Whatever it is, I do it with honor and chivalry, for long time ago I was first awakened by Mandalore the Ultimate during the Great Crusades. I become one of his most trusted guards and assassins, he taught me what it is like to be a Mandalorian, I begun to follow their ancient codes of honor and the six actions and I have not stopped since. My allegiances and factions may change with time, much of my loyalties being based on what is useful for me at the moment, but there is one cause I will never abandon, and that is to fight for and enact the Greater Good."

The machine would then move on to the pitch portion of his speechifying.

[Mando'a] "I am not like the other commanders who would try to employ you, I do not maim, scar, or burn my prisoners and enemies on the cross, I take the honorable way and release them to their families unharmed, for I know they merely followed their orders for what they thought to be right, I do not hide behind my soldiers or come to speak to a friend with a cohort of guards, I fight alongside them, and I respect them, for I know what it is like to be a soldier on the front lines. Long ago I fought during the Clone Wars alongside your predecessors, other Clones in the service of the Republic. They distrusted me at first, due to my nature as a droid, but I earned their respect, and I know that if we fight alongside each other, I will earn your respect as well, and I will return the favor and respect you and your brothers. While it is true that I still think of warfare in the terms of numbers, I always optimize my calculations to avoid high losses, you will be soldiers, I will ask you to lay your lives on the front lines for me, but you will never be mere fodder, I will not throw you away mindlessly for no purpose like some drone."

He was not done just yet,

[Mando'a] "Join me and I will keep you well supplied and armed, you will want for nothing as me and my holdings grew rich and prosperous from our constant war against the Sith. I will lead you and your troops to a thousand worlds, and you fight millions of glorious battles against numerous enemies- the Sith, pirates, slavers, Vong, ancient forgotten empires built on oppression, and eldritch primal evil spirits and phantoms. Where you will go you will bring freedom, you will be soldier and a protector admired by the smallfolk, and when you will go back to Abregado you will be given the same welcome as the rest of my soldiers- as a hero, for Abregado will be your home and none of its citizens will be above you. You will not only fight for me, but you will fight with me, when you will look to your right you will see your brothers, when you will look to your left you will see me right besides you, and I will not hesitate to take a bolt for you or any other of your siblings for we will be forged together into one awesome army like links in a chain that will wrap around the limbs of any who wish harm on the innocent and drag them back into bowels of hells and the netherworld where they deserve to rot."

The droid motioned his hand out to Lusk,

[Mando'a] "Join me, and you will be my sword,"

He then motioned to himself,

[Mando'a] "And I will be your shield."

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Carlyle entered the tent, and glared at the degenerates who had assembled. A shambling automaton was rambling in some non-descript language the officer couldn't decipher. There was then some sort of woman, and some Sith Carlyle vaguely recognised. The Admiral edged closer to Montague, "Do you understand what he's on about?"

Montague's eyes narrowed into slits as he listened, and he nodded, "Yes, yes I vaguely do." The army officer growled under his breath, "It's Mandalorian." The general paused, "He's the one from Abragado Rae," The officer informed Carlyle. "The sentient droid leader."

"HK-36?" Captain Forne asked.

"Yes," Montague muttered, "He's rambling about the Clone Wars. He's playing Jedi."

"Some poor little droid, needing to be put down." Carlyle added with a smirk, "Whose he advocating for?"

"The greater good," Montague drawled, "He's painting himself as the hero."

"Keep me updated on what he's saying, close translation." Carlyle commanded in a near silent voice. The trio listened intently to the droids pitch, and Carlyle became gradually less and less impressed with this mechanical monster and its ramblings.

When the droid finished, Montague spoke in clumsy Mand'oa, "Well said."

Carlyle decided to begin proceedings with a show of military efficiency. The admiral raised his fist. Immediately, Skull Unit disappeared, cloaking. The shadowtroopers disappeared out of the tent, almost like the wind. The trio of officers moved further into the tent, "I am Admiral Carlyle Rausgeber of the First Imperial Navy," He introduced himself, before gesturing to his left, "This is General Lucien Montague, my army adjunct, and former officer of the One Sith army."

General Lucien bowed his head in the presence of the clones. The general was an older man, looked to be in his late forties, to early sixties. Scars covered his face, from years of reporting inadequate battle results to his Sith masters. His chocolate brown eyes seemed to constantly glare. Silvery curls jutted out from beneath the officer cap that sat squarely on his head. Montague was a well built man. Lean and tall, towering over Rausgeber at six foot five, and still fit. "And this is Captain Rellard Forne, captain of the Star Destroyer Fury, and former commander of the Galactic Republic Navy."

Rellard Forne was a younger man, in his mid to late thirties. He was shorter than Rausgeber, standing at five foot eleven. Nonetheless, He wore the beginnings of a beard on his chin. Rich brown hairs grew beneath his bronzed skin. His deep blue eyes slowly glanced over everyone, and his lips were seemingly stuck in the form of a smug smirk. Carlyle moved forward, and brushed past the droid.

"We are here to represent the First Order, and show that we have a place for you." Carlyle began, standing before the Clone leader, eyeing HK in the corner of his eye, "The First Order has done what many others have tried. We have tamed the treacherous territories Unknown Regions. We have transformed what was once barren, uncivilised waste into industrial powerhouses." Carlyle said, looking the Clone leader in the eye, "The First Order creates order out of chaos, much like your city in the wastes. But where we have done it, is we have forged a safe haven for the denizens out of what had once been a den of slavers and pirates."

The admiral paused and cleared his voice, "Today Commander Lusk, you have a decision on what sort of legacy you wish to leave this Galaxy," The admiral said, "While our automaton war criminal is most certainly an attractive option, it is very basic. No?" He asked, "Our robotic friend there talked about such broad platitudes. He wishes to have you brothers and sisters serve the 'greater good', but what is that?" Carlyle asked, "What is good and what is evil? We live in a Galaxy dominated by such terms, but it, and even I cannot define them. Does good infer the murder of those helping civilians, simply because their banner is not yours?" The admiral asked pointedly. "Does good mean turning your back on your principles for political gain?" he asked, glaring at the droid.

"It should be a point of reminding that the First Order today lies under attack from the very same organisations this abomination serves. A war of aggression begun over this supposed greater good." He said, "And all in the name of this 'greater good'." Carlyle said, "This droid and by extension his masters discuss and politic about how 'evil' it is that we dare do what is necessary. That we don't let criminals escape, that there is no mercy for those who actively subvert and destroy progress." The Dosuunian officer snapped. "Our no nonesense, no prisoners approach has given us great results."

"The FIrst Order has performed miraculous deeds. We have spared the Galaxy the vengence of the Rogue Sith of Castameer and have born the brunt of the Ssi-Ruuk incursion into the known Galaxy, Commander Lusk, the First Order are first and foremost guardians of our Galaxy." He paused, "But as you may be wondering, what can we do for you and your family."

Carlyle paused, "Soldiers of the First Order are among our most revered officers. For your service, we offer you arms from our extensive armouries. An escape and a new beginning from this backwater." the admiral paused, "But we give something else. Purpose." Carlyle said, "Because what is a soldier without purpose?" He asked, "What is anyone without drive or without an objective? Needing something to acheive."

"Under our employ, we will give you that purpose," Carlyle said, "Your brothers, and your sisters will serve in the most noble station of enforcing law and stability in a Galaxy rocked by war, and hypocrisy," Carlyle snapped, "Under our command you will enforce law and order in a Galaxy stymied by the perversion of the Jedi. Restart progress halted by the corruption of the Galactic Alliance and be able to end the bloody squabbles caused by warring nobles in the Core." Carlyle said, "Commander Lusk, you and your men find yourself in an envious position." Carlyle said, "The First Order will arm you, and let you and your men have new purpose in securing our Galaxy for generations to come. That is your legacy."

[member="Commander Lusk"] | [member="Tanomas Graf"] | [member="HK-36"] | [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Hansen]

Agent Totallex
Tatooine, East Little Cartao.

With the Admiral's gesture, Jaina's cloaking device activates with the other three members of skull team pivoting and proceed to leave the tent without so much as uttering an acknowledgement of the command. With their cloaking devices now active, their specialised armour rendered them practically invisible; Both to the naked eyes and other bands on the electromagnetic spectrum, potentially alarming any surveillance operator for their sudden and obviously intentional concealment. It is an impressive display of coordination and technology. Being the only one to immediately protect the Admiral should something happen, Jaina's feet take her directly beside Commodore Rausgeber and he might feel her footsteps and weight shifting if not necessarily see or hear the cloaked Shadowtrooper. The tent's entrance flaps ominously with the departure of Ordo, Gallows and Tek though they would not go far; Remaining outside instead. Jaina shifts her DC-15A's blaster setting to stun but keeps the safety in place, index finger keeps close however. And knee-plate paralytic dart launcher armed. A pair of VX-grenades sit idly in belt pouches. All for just-in-case somebody where to endanger the Admiral's life, no measure is too extreme, no length too great. 'Ultimately, if they will not serve us we can just kill them. Dispersing it in an aerosol solution into the lowest atmosphere would be effective and take a minimal investment of time.' Jaina's thoughts turn to dark contingency, eyes study the Clone from behind visor for a moment before examining the droid. Jaina continues to inwardly devise the most efficient methods for dispatching each of them. Jaina might be the epitome of what it meant to be 'manipulative killer'; Attractive on the surface, an incomprehensible amoral quagmire beneath.

[member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Commander Lusk"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Tanomas Graf"]

 

[Tanomas Graf]

"I will not drone on about our ideologies, my offer is simple. I am Emperor Tanomas Graf of the Imperial Remnant, we are the ones who wish to instill true order within the Galaxy; I wish to give you and your family, all thirty-eight million of them, a chance to fight again. You are all individuals with free will but you were bred for war and we recognize that, cloning our own armies on Kamino. Serving the Imperial Remnant all of you will participate in invading worlds, fighting ground battles and quelling rebellions. Outside of the Tatoo system are hundreds of ships waiting to transport all of you into our territories to be pushed into service, that is all I have to offer; no morality speech. consider it Commander." The Emperor implored, ignoring the others in the tent and solely focusing on the leader of the clones in front of him.

He was indeed telling the absolute truth; one press of a comlink on his wrist and an Imperial Armada would arrive within minutes.

[member="Commander Lusk"]

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

A small freighter touched down on the edges of the city, the twin suns bearing down upon the small village that lay, sparse in the sand. The cargo door slid open and Leo Vandermolen jumped down into the dust below with his companion [member="Dax Fyre"] . The pair strode forward, Leo was donned in his usual attire, an old, dusty trench-coat and some lightweight phrik armor. The wind picked up and lightly played with his hair, turning it into a mattering of black, sailing through the afternoon air.

Leo eyed the clones in this makeshift town as they walked by. They were doing pretty well for themselves, considering. But they could be a hell of a lot more useful in Kathol territory, assisting in the liberation of planets. The pair approached the tent, flapping wildly in the wind that now only increased in intensity. Leo lifted a flap and made his way inside. He's seen the ships outside the town and knew that alot of people would be wanting to cash in on a good thirty million extra soldiers on the ground, but this was a gorram conference.

The karking self proclaimed Emperor [member="Tanomas Graf"] himself had shown up, somebody Leo had only encountered once, a long time ago. Of course he wouldn't know Leo, he'd only been assisting a merchant fleet that Leo had been on board from pirates, but Leo had heard the comms signal Graf issued to the pirates as the boarded the merchant vessel. The guy bought Leo enough time to get himself, and the ship's crew out of there alive.

Next was [member="HK-36"] . They'd fought for the same side on Kaeshana, but Leo had never met the droid in person. There were a few more Leo didn't recognise, definitely some First Order officers, because why wouldn't they want in on something as valuable as this. "Alright, we're here." Leo cocked a grin in the direction of the clone leader, "Let's start this party."

| [member="Commander Lusk"] | [member="Keira Ticon"] | [member="Jaina Ventor"] |