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"Take this to my wife...our son is due in a month", the young stormtrooper said weakly, attempting to press a recorded message into the hands of Kase. The Korun firmly but gently pushed down the man's hand, as he attempted to focus his attention on the task at hand- the shrapnel that had perforated the trooper's right leg, ruptured an artery. He put his weight on the leg to put pressure on the wound and slow the bleeding, causing the man to scream.
The trooper's injury had come as a result of an ambush. Kase was embedded with an element of IMPAF as they pushed into the city. The fighting had been fierce, requiring the Imperials to secure the city block by block against embedded Tionese forces, well-equipped by the GA. As a squad pushed into the city, they were set upon by a man who simply...ran at them.
With a explosive device full of shrapnel.
The survivors of the suicide bombing had been brought to the medical tent, outside the city outskirts. Medical personnel had been quickly overwhelmed by the injuries incurred during the course of the conflict, prompting a request for Knights of the Mission chapter to supplement their efforts. Kase had been one of the first ones on-planet. Not even the in-flight briefing could prepare the Knight-Errant for the carnage that awaited him in New Alderaan.
Pushing those thoughts to the sides, he secured the tourniquet on the soldier's ruined leg, staunching the bleeding. Protocol dictated that using the Force for healing was a last resort, due to the limited number of healers the Empire had on hand any time- and in this martial culture, all trained Force-sensitives had to be fresh and ready to deploy into the field at any given time. It's not a policy Kase agreed with, but he couldn't rock the boat- not yet, at least. He waved a nurse down. "Tell doctor Saadas I've applied the tourniquet, but trooper Marion is going to need to be prepped for surgery now if he's going to survive. Shrapnel ruptured an artery." Nodding, the nurse sprinted to relay the message.
"Knight Vass?" Blinking, he turned around to look for the voice, then spotting a stormtrooper with a orange pauldron motioning to him just outside of the tent- a captain, maybe? "We have a situation", he said without preamble. "Tionese are employing Force-sensitive assets throughout the city. We assess that given the GA is supplying material aid to the insurgency, we have high confidence that the Jedi Order has been deployed onto the battlefield. IMPAF is requesting all assistance from all member of The Order of Imperial Knights."
'Doesn't sound like a request', Kase thought. He had half a mind to reject the captain out of hand and go back to the overflowing medical tent. The Knights were not in IMPAF's chain of command, damn it. The Warden of the Empire made that perfectly clear. And yet, maybe more Knights on the field would mean less good men dying.
"Okay, captain. Where do you need me?"
Wordlessly, the captain pulled out a hologram of the city, overlaid with intelligence suggesting where may be embedded with Tionese forces. Studying it, Kase nodded and took it from the man.
"I'll handle it from here."
"Excellent. If you come with me, there's a transport waiting for us right ove-"
"If it's all the same to you, sir, I've secured my own transportation. RHOGO!" As if on cue, a massive akk dog came bounding up- Kase's familiar, Rhogo. Patting him affectionately, Kase jumped atop Rhogo, and with a nudge in the Force, began making their way into a city under siege.
Location: New Aldera Orbital Defense Base Objective: Aegis of Liberty
Alarms were blaring throughout the facility.
The first defensive perimeter was breached, specialized forces of the Empire were moving in from multiple directions, and she could feel fear and nervousness echo through the Force from her allies. It was normal, especially at the onset of a new escalating conflict, but she needed her allies to remain calm and strong. With her and her Padawan's presence, as well as other Jedi, she hoped to help them feel more confident going into the battle.
"Silas, we must do our best to help our allies but if they breach too far, we will guard the more critical rooms," Valery told him as she moved through the halls of the defense base, her lightsabers still clipped to her belt, but she was ready to draw them at the first sign of trouble. There was no doubt in her mind that the Imperial strike groups had designated targets within the facility, such as power generators or control rooms, so protecting those was ultimately her primary objective. It reminded her of her own days in the SIA, as a Jedi Shadow working for IVI
— she had left it behind in favor of being a more direct leader in the war efforts, but those who committed to this type of work would always have her respect.
She wasn't going to let them down today.
"Do you feel that?" Valery asked after she suddenly stopped and looked around. An echo of death pulsed through the Force as Imperial soldiers engaged Alliance defenders, which she used as a signal to trace the source. It was coming from multiple entry points, so they had to make a decision or split up, and she already made up her mind about the latter. She wasn't going to send her Padawan out on his own unless it was absolutely necessary for the mission's success.
"Come on, this way." The two lightsabers were drawn from her hilt but not yet ignited while she began to move at a much quicker pace, directly for Lily Stevens and the Imperials she had brought along for her mission. Soon, the two Jedi were going to arrive.
After the Brotherhood of the Maw invaded and captured Empress Teta, Kyell stayed away from the frontlines. His body was broken from the battle, and his friend Ara had threatened to punch him back into the hospital if he pulled another stunt like that. But now that he had fully recovered and spent more time training, there was no way around having to travel to the most dangerous battlefields to help people. Of course, he had actually sent his first-ever friend a message about going back into conflict this time, so as long as he made it back out alive, everything would turn out alright.
What he didn't know yet, however, was that his message never reached her.
Come on... Kyell thought with clenched jaws.
With all his strength, he turned to the Force and telekinetically lifted up a large chunk of metal that had pinned down several civilians within the ruins of what was once their home. Now that they were able to get out, he non-verbally directed them towards where the bulk of the Alliance defenders was stationed. They would be able to evacuate the civilians while he pressed forward to look for others still trapped within the city.
But the deeper he went into the Iron Storm, the weaker his hope of finding people alive became. All around him were dead soldiers from both sides, but so many civilians hadn't been able to escape this war either. It was an overwhelming feeling on the mind, but with all the techniques he learned from Miri Nimdok
, he felt more confident about keeping himself strong and composed. He wanted to make it back to her as well, so he had to get through this.
What the...
His eyes shifted away from the blown-apart buildings and turned to a group of dead civilians. Most casualties he found were from artillery, debris, or other sources that suggested they were collateral damage. But these people were cut down by a lightsaber, and he saw no weapons to suggest they had been trying to fight anybody. He felt his muscles tighten from a flash of anger that passed through his body, but he pushed it away and looked ahead... as more of these groups caught his eyes in the streets.
Location: New Aldera Orbital Defense Base Objective: Aegis of Liberty Tags:Valery Noble
/ Lily Stevens
For a long time, it was calm, but when the deafening alarms rang out it indicated the beginning of chaos.
Their allies were scrambling to the defensive positions around the facility upon the breach. Silas felt it too, they seemed quite nervous from the oncoming horde of imperial troops heading their way from all directions. For his age, Silas did well to act calm in a situation like this. He was ready, especially after all the training. The only thing that concerned him was how tired he felt already. For a while, Silas had trouble sleeping, and that was shown from the look in his eyes and pale face. Nonetheless, he was still going to give it his all...
"Yes master, I hope we can hold them off long enough within the outer sections. But, if we have to resort to such measures I'm more than confident we can keep them at bay there," he said back to Valery, a slight calm smile being shown from the teen to show he was in control of his own emotions. Well, for now. The most important rooms were the generators and control room from the sounds of it, and there was no doubt they'd send specialist squads to target them. That's where he felt the main area of fighting would be. Imperials always went for the heart.
Stopping suddenly, a sense of death hit him at the same time as Valery. He nodded slowly to the master's questions and looked up to her "They've made contact, we must be cautious from now on" Silas warned, his vision looking towards the multiple exits they could go. He wasn't sure if Valery would let him go alone, especially in such a big conflict. Either way, he'd follow her orders no matter what.
"Whatever you say, master!"
Hurrying along, Silas withdraw the lightsaber on his hilt and held it loosely. Soon enough they were going to come face to face with the attackers. They were sure to show no mercy, swift and decisive with their hammer of judgment. No matter what, they were going to do all they could to stop that hammer from falling.
Omen strode out of his freighter and went to one of the ship's many cargo containers. His trading trip back to Enclave from Ilum had been highly prosperous with the Clone crisscrossing both Alliance, Silver, and Empire space, making deliveries the whole way through on the Parlemian Trade Route. This stop at New Aldera and the Tion Republic would be the last before he got on the Mara Corridor and back towards his work-in-progress home in Enclave Space. Now he just needed to drop off these medical supplies and he would be home bound.
As Omen sat on the loading ramp and waited for his contact to show up, he stared at the sun as he wondered how he had made it here. He had lived through cryo freezing and an assassination attempt to be here in this moment. You would have thought my enemies would actually find an effective way to kill me already. Maybe they would if given enough time but at this rate, time was killing him more effectively than his enemies ever would.
Eventually, a repulsor truck rolled up, and a farm boy in an ill-fitting Tion Republic uniform hopped out who would later say his name was Welkin hopped out with a briefcase. "Hey there, I'm here for the bacta delivery." Grunting as he stood back up, Omen looked at what seemed to be a young farmhand playing soldier before gesturing to a load of bacta-filled canisters on a grav pallet. "I've got the cargo. Do you have the credits?" The whiskered boy nodded and handed over the briefcase which Omen open to find the agreed amount of unmarked credits. "Looks like we have a deal, now let's get this cargo into your truck.
It happened just after they had finished loading the pallet of bacta onto the flatbed truck. First, air raid sirens started to echo off buildings and sound into the blue sky. Then Star Destroyers started to black out the sun. The Farmboy started to shake in his boots as he stared up at the triangle shapes above. "They finally came... There were rumors but I didn't think... I got to get to my duty station!" The Clone held up a hand to stop the boy before he ran off. "Just wait, I'll come with you. Just give me a minute to grab my things." And with that, he ran up the ramp of his ship, scrapped the contents of his personal armory and some rations into the duffle bag, and ran back out to hop into the truck, readying himself to conquer a new battlefield.
The weeks leading up to the current moment had involved a lot of sniping of leadership and sabotaging whatever equipment he could get his hands on in his own lone-wolf style. The Imperials were professional soldiers of course but they couldn't cover everything. Needless to say, some of the Panther's tankers would be surprised to see their vehicle's breaches blow out and inoperable in the morning. He probably hadn't made a dent in the invading forces but anything helped right? Currently, he sat in the ruins that were created when the Imperial Bomber screamed overhead, releasing their deadly load on the population below. It was lunchtime and Omen was eating what was left of his dry rations. It was then that he heard the alert coming from the Orbital Defense Station. The Imps must have finally broken through. If they destroyed that, only the Alliance fleet could stop hellfire from raining down on them and he didn't want to put odds on that. It was time to move. Getting up from his throne of rubble, the veteran warrior put on his helmet and headed off, ready to go into the fray again.
The fallacies of democracy and its institutions would collapse, and submit to the iron rule of the Empire. The false flag operation was off the records, and its original dossiers and reports were safely kept or destroyed. Enough ammo to create a story, to outrage the citizens of the Empire from this treachery. Retaliation was called and it would be given.
Curiouser and curiouser to find himself involve in another Imperial Campaign, after being nothing but a phantom with authority within COMPNOR. Maybe it was his track record which gave him immunity from the political and military leaders breathing down on his neck. Maybe there was another factor which explained why, but the more time was given the better. Leech on until his work was complete.
This was no covert operation with the heavy fighting going on in New Aldera and the alarm klaxons screaming with a breached perimeter. This battle would hinge on whomever had the better tactics and gear. Stealth technology would be a cutting edge to sabotage defensive measures, create gaps to exploit to turn the tide of battle. Whatever to deactivate the orbital weapons system to have a higher advantage over the resistance.
Djorn was able to evade sensors, but not hide from the naked eye. He disposed a squad of resistance soldiers, surely they were the fodder for the SIA to improvise their positions and do their necessities. Whether it was securing intel or destroying their work here. There was an injured straggler trying to flee away from Djorn only to be put down mercilessly with a blaster to the head. Should the system was deactivated, he could only hope New Aldera to be razed to the ground by relentless bombardment from the Imperial blockade. Make them pay tenfold for their ways.
Snake made his way to a repulsor lift which was his way in, even if it bring him to the lower levels of the complex.
"Uh yeah.... this Renevant 5 I read you loud and clear! I'm focused and ready to go!" Kaul chuckled reading an article from the Podracing Quarterly.
<Kaul focus!> R5 beeped his sensors indicating a large group of TIE interceptors heading towards Renevant Squadrons location.
"Just a minute I'm trying to see if there's any openings for an engineer position!" Kaul said activating his targeting system. "There's a lot of Podracers wanting an engineer immediately!"
<Kaul I am receiving a message from Mylo Thorne
!> R5 whirred. <Are gonna continue laze around while your comrades are going to get ripped shreds? Or are you going to respond to his message?!>
"All right Mom!" Kaul said sighing. "Roger that Mylo I see those bogies, just another morning for the Renevant Squadron!"
The Pilot laughed. "Now Mylo!" Kaul said. "Lemme tell you something man! Who's the man would be crazy enough to take five TIE Interceptors with their closed! Who's the crazy man who would do something like that?! Well, it ain't me because Chen had to drag my lazy ass out of bed this morning!"
<Kaul we got five TIE Interceptors about to converge on us!>
"I mean all I wanted was to watch the Podracing Grand Prix on Malastare!" Kaul grumbled. "But nooooo the Imps decided to attack us! But let's make this interesting. 500 credits say I take down more TIE fighters than you!"
Kaul accelerated his X-Wing and began firing upon the TIE interceptors twisting and turning his way dodging the green flak fired by the Interceptors. The pilotunleashed a volley of blaster cannon taking down one TIE fighter before making another turn to shoot another enemy from behind. "That's two baby!" Kaul targeted a third and fourth one unloading 2 proton torpedoes, the missiles surged through the firefight hitting their mark.
"Wait a minute that's four! My bad!" Kaul turned his attention towards the fifth TIE fighter about to break away from the fight. Grinning, Kaul took the opportunity to chase it down and finish it off with an array of blaster flak at full power.
"That's 5 ships down in one minute! Get on my level Mylo!" Kaul shouted. "By the time you're done taking down one, I've already taken down 10 squadrons of these eyeballs!"
Kaul opened up more comms channels smiling. "Anyone wanna join in on the bet?" He chuckled. "I've always wanted to buy my very own Podracer!"
Animals. Ungrateful little worms, the lot of them. How dare they spit on the legacy of Fels legacy by falling in with these wretches and Jedi sent from Coruscant to undermine progress. And like the dogs they were, they need only the whip and firm hand of the Knights to bring them to heel.
In the first few hours of the raging assault upon the city, Sahar had been among the first in a long onslaught of Imperial waves upon the city, emerging from the dust lightsaber in hand and a gleeful grin on her face as she did battle in the ruins of New Aldera. Soldiers or civilians all were equally guilty in her eyes.
Sahar had made herself comfortable atop the ruin of a spiral tower, one leg crossed over the other as she leant against a pile of durasteel and rubble, watching the brutal war of the rats that took place amidst the urban carnage and terror. She'd combed the streets and ruins looking for a Jedi to put to her list finally, but that precious opportunity had not presented itself to the Kandaran. Instead, Sahar had brutally dispatched anyone and anything she came across in hopes some idiot do-gooder Jedi would be drawn out and face her down.
If Dooku was here, he'd be aghast at the unrelenting and indiscriminatory slaughter Sahar unleashed upon the Empire's enemies. But he wasn't, and there was nothing he could do to stop her from carrying out her duty; there was no use for moderation; you could not negotiate with these people, only pull them out like the weeds they were. Compromise was the enemy of progress, and Tavlars compromise had done nothing but delay the Imperial onslaught against the Sith, merely extending the moribund Sith Empires' demise by a few more years.
Her line of thought was interrupted by something other than distant artillery.
A signature.
She felt him as clear as day, amidst the multitude of slain corpses and rubble, the force sensitivity of the man burned fiercely in the ruins of New Aldera and took her attention keenly. Sahar softly smirked as she lifted herself up from where she lay, gazing across the ruined skyline as she revelled in the knowledge that she had been rewarded for her patience.
It was out of the frying pan and into the fire. It seemed like not to long ago that Driver was cleaning up the mess left on Empress Teta. Not that he minded. The clone wasn't one for down time, and he was quite content that the GADF kept him busy. The Sergeant managed to break away from the rest of the Defense Force for a moment, just in time to watch Imperial Star Destroyers appear above the city. He removed his new helmet, a remnant of the Galactic Marines he had managed to get his hands on back on Coruscant. It was nothing like his original helmet, which had been destroyed during his capture, but it was better than nothing. The clone looked on at the sky, the breeze flowing through his tied-up hair.
In that moment, he thought about the state of the galaxy. It was just like his own time. Confusing, violent, and completely unpredictable. If there weren't twenty some-odd factions to keep track of, Driver might even call it "just like old times." The clone put his helmet back on before overhearing a distant conversation, one he couldn't make out. If civilians were still in the streets, Driver needed to direct them towards safety. It was time to get to work.
As he approached the distant voices, he could make out what seemed to be a young boy dressed in the uniform of the Tion Republic. That wasn't what caught his attention. The man he was with was far more intriguing. Arc Trooper armor, baring the markings of the 41st Elite Core, a part of the 3rd Sector Army back in the Republic. The armor didn't fit the man awkwardly either. It fit his build perfectly. Of course, there was only one way to know for sure.
"Trooper!" Driver called out to the man. "Where did you get that armor?"
The prospect of having brothers who survived into the modern era was one Driver had never considered. He had been alone up until this point. The Sergeant was skeptical, but he couldn't push back the hope that he wasn't the only Fett Clone who made it.
The age-old expression that Ignacious had reminded the Moff Council of during their last session that ‘no plan ever survives contact with the enemy’ had never proven to be more true. Although his efforts to bring the Western Frontier back into compliance were moving along well, the developing situation between the Empire and the Tion Republic had proven to be an unexpected obstacle delaying the campaign. His command staff, alongside the regional military officers temporarily based upon Niruaun had done much to keep the counter-offensive and consolidation of regained ground moving in Korvan’s absence.
First, it was the impromptu - and very unnecessary - meeting with the Moff Council, and now it was the redirection of military assets to meet the aggression of the Galactic Alliance. He doubted he would hear any complaints from his most outspoken critic however, given that he was now deployed in support of the man himself - Carlyle Rausegeber. The 43rd Imperial Fleet had arrived the previous day, and had joined the blockade established around New Aldera with much needed reinforcements to bolster its efficacy - yet it would appear to be too late to prevent Alliance military elements from forward deploying amongst the Tionese defenders.
Korvan listened to his comms officer relay the transmission from Admiral Regent Rausegeber’s flagship, his thoughts receding slightly at the tail end of the officer’s droll retelling: “...shall be granted operational autonomy, save for overarching orders governing mass maneuvers and engagement parameters.”
“Thank you Lieutenant.” Korvan acknowledged, turning his attention to the commanding officer of his flagship - a fair skinned human Rear Admiral wearing a neatly trimmed mustache, with the bearing of a man from Dantooine. It was mildly amusing, observing the bearing of those who came from the Imperial heartland vs the more autonomous or far flung regions of the Empire. Dantooinians bore a certain... pride for their fatherland distinct from even those of Bastion, Galidraan, or Presfbelt; not to mention the distinctive accent notwithstanding. Rausegeber’s mass declaration demanding the surrender of all Alliance personnel on the planet played in the background as Ignacious turned to fully face the Rear Admiral and said: “Admiral, is there an update to be had from our reconnaissance teams?”
“Thus far sir, nothing. I believe we--”
“Sir, we are picking up multiple signatures exiting lightspeed, bearing 45-mark-727.”
Slowly, the Grand Moff’s head craned over to the Rear Admiral, who met Korvan’s gaze with a borderline-incredulous look. A slight twitch highlighted the glint in Ignacious’ eye as he said sardonically: ”...You were saying, Admiral?”
As the Rear Admiral stammered to explain himself, the aforementioned report had proven true as fifteen Alliance ships exited lightspeed. Korvan interrupted Faros, becoming far more interested in the developing situation in lieu of whatever excuse he was about to receive from the clearly unqualified fleet officer. “Acquire targeting solutions on all of their vessels. I want priority assigned to--”
Again, the tactical officer’s voice broke the stream of orders: “INCOMING!”
A volley streaked across the void between the Alliance and Imperial lines with little to no warning save the momentary buildup of energy to facilitate the weapons’ discharge. It was nearly all the Imperial line could do to ensure their shields were modulated accordingly. The larger Imperial Warships of the 43rd fleet were the main recipients of the volley’s wrath, yet given the rushed nature of the volley; it was not nearly as devastating as it could have been. The Ave Imperator rumbled softly as the shields tanked shots which gained purchase, with Korvan’s voice the first to speak up: “Firing solutions, now! Prioritize their carriers and picket ships - emphasis on disrupting their formation. I want flight crews prepped and ready to depart in five minutes.”
As the bridge crew set about complying with Korvan’s orders, the Grand Moff added: “Order the space troopers to stand by. I want their commanding officer on a secured comm channel immediately.” A plan was beginning to take shape in Korvan’s mind. It would be total nonsense to abandon their position within the blockade - no, the Alliance had to come to them, which provided a unique opportunity to deploy the Empire’s new space-born units.
For now, the Empire’s blockade was stuck between a hammer - being the Alliance fleet; and an anvil, or the robust planetary defenses that had thus far prevented the Imperial fleet from truly bringing their firepower to bear upon the planet. But they had a window to shift the momentum back upon the Alliance advance before the bulk of their fleet arrived. “Weapons locked sir.”
“Weapons free, and fire at will.” Ignacious’ hand found itself placed upon his lip. Clad in his white uniform, the Grand Moff observed from the bridge viewports as the massive armaments of his main battle line, from the battlecruiser he stood within, the half-dozen star destroyers flanking him on either side, and the stout and hardy artillery frigates interlaced within; unleashed fire and fury upon the advancing Alliance line.
As the fleet of Admiral Kilran arrived on the far side of the engagement zone, four squadrons of TIE Drone fighters issued forth from the bowels of the Imperial fleet, screaming through the void to engage the advancing Revenant Squadron, who had thus far done well in dealing with the initial starfighter wave deployed against them.
Ibra would be stationed where the rest of the local GDF would be, sitting down and getting antiquated with the other troopers and the gear of the military. This was her real first taste of battle...but she couldn't help but think of what happened not too long ago with a strange sith spy back on Coruscant. She put on the standard issue armor and helmet which had holes in the back for her lekku.
"I can't tell if I'm nervous or excited, but blast it! I need to pull it together and help out anyway I can. I just hope I'm paired with a good squad..."
She would reach for an old clone era pistol she was given by an old clone she met on her first day on Coruscant, it became like a good luck charm and it can be useful. She looks around the garrison to see if how the other troopers of the Alliance are holding up.
Marcus gave the hydrospanner one last good twist and grunted contentedly before wiping the sweat from his brow. He only managed to smear dark lubricant across his forehead but the breeze that came after rewarded him with an invigorating chill that sent a shiver down to his toes. He patted the metal fondly and slid down the maintenance ladder.
"Should be all good now B-6," he called up to the massive war droid. The colossus tin man warbled and rumbled before standing and unfolding to its full height. Crouched in its maintenance mode it hadn't been too big. Big enough to require a ladder to get in those tight corners, but not so massive that it inspired awe. Now at its full twelve feet he was reminded why they called them Corellian Colussus droids.
B6 rolled its right shoulder and twittered in satisfaction before lumbering off back up the Final Stand's ramp. The Alliance's presence on New Alderaan began with just his company, the "Tin-Men" as they were often called. Technically an armored company, they mostly operated and supported half a dozen of the B-Series droids. Designated as the maneuverable anti-armor company within the greater armored division they relied on them as heavily as an armored unit would rely on their walkers or tanks. The maneuverability of the B-Series, when compared to a walker, made them perfect for urban warfare and so they were dropped long before the rest of their people. Defense of the city had gone well until the rest of the Empire's forces arrived. That first day the 908th killed Brigadier General Martin leaving the other officers to make a decision. Osarla Ridor
had been the obvious choice to lead them despite her only holding the rank of Captain not unlike Marcus himself. But when Shorurra Groznik had arrived on the scene he had quickly taken command.
Not that Marcus could complain. The wookie had done a good job making sure the citizens were ushered into bunkers and shoring up defenses around the Final Stand, which had become the forward operating base and communications hub for most of the effort in the region. He heard that there were other Jedi in the city as well. He'd heard rumors of a blind man saving soldiers from certain death, epic duels between Imperial Knights and Jedi Masters, all during the skirmishes they'd been through in the last few weeks. Marcus so far hadn't seen a glimpse of a laser sword and as far as he was concerned it could stay that way. He'd had enough of the death-dealing glow-rods to last a lifetime.
"Captain!"
"Hmm?" One of the New Aldera lads sat upon a mighty orbak. He hadn't understood that when they'd landed. Surely speeders would be faster? Oh how he'd been wrong. In the hills around New Aldera landspeeders were great in between the valleys but going up hill? Well, there was a reason they were called landspeeders. The Orbak cavalry of New Alderra had proven excellent scouts. This particular one was a Captain, much like himself, and had proven more than competent for his cavalry scout team. Orlak was his name. Orlak the Orbak scout.
"They're massing in the hills," Orlak said excitedly. "If we leave now we'll have plenty of time before they march to the city!" Marcus grimaced.
"We're pinned inside as it is."
"I got in and out didn't I?" Orlak retorted. The man made a good point. He glanced up the ramp. B6 still hadn't made it up yet.
"How many Orbaks do your people have? Enough for the whole company?" Orlak shrugged.
"More or less. Some of you might have to ride double." Marcus grinned.
"B6!" The droid turned around slowly. "Don't get comfortable, the Tin-Men'll be leaving in twenty!" His eyes fell on a young Twi'lek girl. A new marine if he remembered right. What was her name...?
"Sest," He muttered, "Sest! Gear up. Tell your squad we're headed out in twenty!"
Ibra snapped to attention and saluted Marcus. Finally getting out of the funk she was in and readies her gear and follows the captain so they can be ready for the action.
"Sir! Me and my squad are ready for whatever is next, we may be new but we can still help. Just point at something and we'll blow it up, weather it be a single enemy trooper or a whole capital ship!"
She pulls out an old republic rifle and cracks a smile, ready to prove herself to the galaxy at large and to hopefully make a name for herself.
The longer he walked down the street, the more he realized that ordinary Imperials hadn't killed these soldiers and civilians. He knew them to be well-trained, unwavering, and perhaps a little brutal, but nothing quite like this. These people hadn't been killed in battle, they were slaughtered, and the echoes that lingered in the Force made him believe the perpetrator enjoyed what they had done. The idea that some sadistic mind was allowed to work within the ranks of the Empire only further showed that they were yet another problem they had to resist with everything they had.
But for now, he was on a path to find survivors - there had to be some, right?
Minutes ticked by without even a small sign of living people. All he felt was death and the remnants of hopelessness that had only faded at the end of a blade. But suddenly, a presence forced him to stop and focus. It was strong, controlled yet somehow still chaotic. His eyes were drawn up to a spiral tower not far away, and all he could feel was an unnatural desire for pain and death, so strong that he felt a tightness in his chest.
It must be them.
The last time he confronted a powerful Force user did not end well for him, but a lot has changed since then. He had gotten stronger, more confident, and he also understood that it wasn't the Jedi way to leave people behind in the face of true danger. And so, he removed the hilt of his lightsaber from his belt, ignited its purple blade, and began to move. Whoever had been behind all these deaths, he would rise up to meet them head-on.
She stood atop the tower like a vulture observing a carcass fit for feasting on, her black cape fluttering in the wind as she watched the Jedi move into the street below. Both their gazes locked, one of pure amusement and the other of confusion and apprehension. That confusion on the Padawan's face gave way to determination, and Sahar could only help but nod in respect; the brave ones made the best sport, after all. She didn't travel here to spend her time hunting helpless sheep with blasters down, she wanted a fight, a challenge, a trophy to add to the collection.
She dropped off the edge of the spiral tower, descending as she used the force to soften her landing, allowing her to effortlessly touch the ground on the upturned rubble and ruin of the street below. Sahar rose up, pushing her billowing cape aside as she walked towards the Padawan ahead, sizing him up and twitching her head as she made a note of his little fancy purple lightsaber.
"Man of the hour are we? tell me, did you earn that purple saber of yours?"
She chuckled, rolling her eyes before looking back at him.
"Now, little Padawan, see if you can strike me down; maybe they'll give you a promotion before they send you to go die for those cowards in the Senate."
Margo wasn’t exactly sure what precisely it was about covert jumps behind enemy lines, but it gave her an energy and excitement that few other aspects of her job did. Perhaps it was the classic vista of a stealth shuttle thrumming mere feet above treetops, only for a narrow clearing to be discovered and for each operative to drop within a span of moments to avoid missing it. Or perhaps it was simply the thrill of being so close to danger, wherein even the smallest misstep could result in discovery, and a life or death situation.
It certainly wasn’t because of the rations.
When her boots hit the ground from their drop, she quickly set about stashing her transparent parachute into her pouch, and scrambling to the rendezvous point established for her and Reaper to rally their fire teams. She approached with hardly a sound, as any self respecting SCAR trooper would, and expected nothing less as Reaper did the same. Within moments, they were at it - with Margo listening to her squadmate review the mission parameters.
Their fire teams would be rather... well, not what Margo was accustomed to operating with, naturally. Even prior to her induction into SCAR, she had served as a death trooper, and operated alongside fellow death troopers in very sensitive operations. She had never, in fact, been deployed alongside mainline stormtroopers. Hopefully they were the kind that could actually shoot straight. In truth, she was being rather facetious. While not as specialized or elite as SCAR, the fireteams assembled for both Margo and Lily were a cut above your average stormtrooper stock; being derived from rather decorated combat units.
The plan was fairly straightforward. Reaper would assault the facility from the North-East, and Stalker would lead her fireteam from the South-West, attack both sides at the same time, and meet in the middle.
‘What could possibly go wrong...?’
Sarcasm aside, something seemed far too simple about this op. A slight feeling of unease settled in Margo’s stomach, but it did not show on her face as she met Lily’s gaze. She wasn’t sure if it was pre-op anticipation or not, but she could have sworn that Lily... smiled.
That usually wasn’t a good thing, but this time it carried a hint of... respect? Cordiality? ‘By the Emperor...’
Margo turned and met Lily’s gaze just as the woman’s eyes were replaced by the jet black viser of her helmet. Then, Lily’s voice bled through her helmet speakers.
Margo’s faint smile had evaporated entirely. Although Margo wasn’t a softy by any means, she wasn’t nearly as ironclad as Lily. The order was given without hesitation, and with a firmness that came from a woman who had seen and done a lot. Perhaps as the two women grew more comfortable with one another, some of those stories would be shared over a pint. But they likely had several more missions in their future before that moment, and more imminently - they needed to survive this one. Margo nodded at her squadmate, and quickly adorned her own helmet before she responded in kind.
Immediately after an SJC strike team was sent to Crispor.
Jedi Traps, in theory, are easy to set up. All you need are a Remote Location you don't own, a Bait Jedi will be after like flies on poodoo, something or someone good at killing, injuring Jedi, (Or something that is bait that can also kill Jedi), and a way to set up a win-win scenario if you succeed or fail at killing Jedi.
Both Maple and Laertia had been exposed to this tactic for years. The hardest part was to avoid taking really good bait. The Jedi Order had not been able to resist. Xiphos had gotten her win win scenario. An operation had been executed in SJC space, near Kashyyyk when a large number of SJC personnel went to Crispor. That was a story for another day. What's important is what happened after
Striking the Silver Rest had been hitting them right where it hurt. Maple had defied Themis, refusing to go, arguing she had to try and prevent Laertia's crime from taking place, forcing Themis to go to Kashyyyk space by herself to get what she needed.
It had been so easy for Xiphos to justify to her face. That it had been so easy for the Jedi to leave the Galactic Southern parts as Collateral...why shouldn't one of their temples be this in turn?
Maple didn't remember what had happened next. Her turmoil over what she knew would happen had built for days, but a part of her had still held out hope Laertia wouldn't do it.
She had wanted to believe Laertia still had some sort of honor. She had spent up to the very last minute trying to convince her not to. Attempts to warn the SJC had been blocked by the impressive ship A.I. of Laertia's damaged Navy. She had been confined to quarters after she actively attempted to escape to warn Matsu Ike
. And had broken out of her quarters after the attack had finally occured.
She had blacked out after Laertia had tried to justify it. Then she had woken up in the brig of the Gigantic City Ship on the Colossus of Shadows. Her knuckles and fingers were broken...
Maple stared in horror at her broken hands.
And The Battalion
was outside the cell, arms folded.
"What...what the feth happened?!!!" Maple shouted, woozy from the Pain Killers.
"You were in a dissociative state of extreme rage." The Battalion answered crossly. "That's what the Medical Nuetralizers told me. That's why I am keeping this under wraps."
"What, what did I do?" Maple breathed.
"You've been given a carefully regulated dosage of painkillers." The Battalion answered. "You badly injured Laertia. You broke her ribcage, and gouged out her remaining Organic Eye, and shattered both her kneecaps, and smashed her Organic hand with a common garage claw hammer. Then you shattered her jaw with your last remaining bit of strength."
"Why?"
"The Silver Rest. You have completely and utterly crippled her..." The Battalion said. "She'll need cybernetics just to walk now. You caused her more head trauma. She'll be comatose for days. You also mailed photos of what you did to Laertia to Matsu Ike
."
Maple calmed down.
"So, just how painful will the execution be?"
The Battalion smiled.
"No execution."
Maple sighed. "Solitary confinement? Forever?"
The Battalion shook her head.
"Exile?"
The Battalion shook her head.
"Then what?" Maple hissed, terrified.
The Battalion slinked over to the Force Field Maple was behind.
"I'm not going to punish you, Maple. Laertia knew the risks of keeping you around. It'll give me something to tease her with."
"That's not enough reason for you not to try and wear my skin." Maple said.
"Admittedly, no. Maple, I gotta admit, I didn't like you at first. I thought you too stoic. Too Sad-Clown..."
The Force Field shut off, and Maple, while completely terrified, refused to step back, willing herself to the spot she stood.
"But that display I saw in the cameras... you're not sad clown at all. And to feel you through the Force as you did it...it was like a forest catching fire." The Battalion trailed.
"I can't see me actually getting away with it unless she let me. No way I got her legit..."
"You don't understand how your hands are broken, do you. You did that to her with The Force...you broke your own hands unthinkingly in your rage." The Battalion said. "You crossed a threshold. You used your anger to inflict sadistic harm on someone close to you."
"I'm not sorry for it. Your squeeze had worse than that deserved upon her."
"We all got it coming, Maple. All of us, at the end of the day...but I'm not mad."
"Wanna bet the farm on it?" Maple wondered quietly.
"Maple..." The Battalion said in a silver, placating tone that made Maple shudder with revulsion internally.
"How long have you been repressing that rage?"
"Does it matter?"
"It does."
"That's precisely why I'm not telling."
The Battalion sighed.
"Maple look into my eyes. You've embraced the Dark Side. Tasted it. Why torture your soul any further. You've thrown away your old life to be among us."
Maple was disturbed by how much the Battalion seemed to actually sympathize.
"I am not completely ignorant of the fate that awaits you, Harte. I... don't fully remember...they never let you keep too much...but I remember enough of a Knight I was very close to since childhood. I watched as he succumbed to the disease affecting you."
"You ain't winning me over just on a fragment from a life you no longer care about. Feth off with that chit."
The Battalion calmly removed a small mirror from her belt and Maple stared.
Both her eyes were Sulphur now. Her skin was pale.
"I'm not going to do anything to you, Maple. Why would I?" The Battalion asked with a friendly smile. "Laertia's pain and frustration will be pushed into overdrive. You've finally given Amy what she always wanted for you. You're finally beautiful.
The Battalion gently took Maple's Broken hands into hers.
"Why would I punish a new convert to the Darkness because they finally found the will to do what they wanted? That would be downright wrong even to me..."
Maple was frozen in place, eyes starting to glow with hatred and despair as The Battalion tried to reassure her that everything would be okay by brushing the side of Maple's head.
"It's alright. There is nothing wrong..." The Battalion assured. "See? Is it so bad? To fall? Do you feel different?"
"It...it hurts..." the emotionally exhausted and broken woman said.
"You can heal your hands. You can even halt your mind from degrading further. You just have to force your body and your brain to do what you want with the Dark Side..." The Battalion whispered.
Maple looked deep in herself. Saw all her choices. All she had wanted to be. All she had hoped to be.
And when she saw that the Dark Side wasn't the end, and that there really were worse fates than the Dark Side, that all her attempts to change had really been just attempts to lie to herself...
That the Amalgam had, in a twisted way, really told her the truth...that she really could be happy if she just stopped fighting it...
... something in Uri Udinia snapped.
A switch was flipped off deep within her mind and it triggered an Avalanche.
A boiling, from within. A mix of emotions. The most prominent being disbelief in how long she had resisted the obvious. And for what? The whole Galaxy was in Hell. All of it.
You can either burn, or do the burning. Freeze, or do the freezing.
You can crush your enemies, or be crushed. And you can do what you wanted on top of it.
A cry of Hatred that reverberated throughout the massive brig flung the Battalion backward as the cell was destroyed.
The Battalion rose, floating to her feet with the Force.
She saw the woman on her knees.
The Battalion observed her holding up her hands. The Dark Side had mended her bones back into place, straightening them. Forcing them to work properly like they had never been broken.
Her mind felt more clear than it had in years...
(Anakin's Betrayal Plays)
(The Dark Side suspends the effects of her schizophrenia from degenerating further. It cannot get truly better, but won't get worse as long as Maple uses The Dark Side.)
(Maple has leveled up into a Prestige Class!)
Class: SITH ASSASSIN
Jedi Hunting Specialists, Sith Assassins rely on Stealth and Subterfuge, instinctively drawing strength from the Force Presence of their Targets. The stronger a Target is, the Stronger they are.
(Fallen Order Upgrade Sound Plays)
(Maple has learned new Force Powers!
Power: DRAIN FORCE
Drains the Force Energy of an enemy to replenish one's Force Reserves As Skill increases, so too can the amount received
Power: DRAIN LIFE
Drain life Energy to repair the body. As skill increases, so too can the amount drained.
The Battalion activated her Lightsaber. It's light red blade lit up Maple's pale skin.
"I can't wait to see the look on Phyre's face..." The Battalion muttered. "Are you ready, finally ready, to be a Sith, Maple?"
The Woman looked up. "There's a lot I'd say to Amy right now. If she were still truly around."
The woman posed thoughtfully.
"I regret I will never be able to thank her."
"Am I to take that as a yes?" The Battalion asked.
The woman leveled sulphur eyes at her.
"Yes."
The Battalion sighed.
"So be it..."
The blade was held over one shoulder for a few seconds, than the other.
"Henceforth, from this day forward you shall be known as Darth..."
The Battalion paused a moment...the Darkness coiled around the Woman who had once been Maple Harte.
"...Strelok..." she finished a moment later
Darth Strelok stood up.
"I ain't a philosophical sort. Just give me a gun."
"Where you headed?" The Battalion asked.
"New Alderaan. If our spies are right, the Empire is going to try and take it over or destroy it. They must be reminded of fear, followed shortly after by bodily perforation."
"Why? We have nothing at stake there."
"I do."
"What?"
"Pride..." Darth Strelok answered, striding out confidantly, still in great emotional pain but rapidly growing acquainted with it, learning to use it to fuel herself, if awkwardly...she felt little knives of pain in her hands if she stopped focusing.
"Maple was born there..."
Present...
Darth Strelok didn't enjoy killing in of itself (Though she found she no longer exactly minded). The real enjoyment was the thrill of hitting the target. It was addictive.
Strelok had come here as an anonymous mercenary, hiding her presence in the Force. Disguise work hid the most notable differences between her and Maple.
She had been prepping for days, noticed the defenses increasing for the likely invasion until the cork had been popped by the Imps.
She had regarded this as her idea of an afternoon. Target Practice.
Strelok watched from the burned apartment as a small squad moved across besieged streets. You could already see the Turbolaser fire in orbit.
She was boiling with hatred. At herself. At Maple's weakness and inability to fulfill her original objective. So many failures. So many collapses.
She shifted the Rail Cycler slightly. The Soldiers were clever, keeping identifying marks to a minimum.
It would have mattered if Strelok wasn't intent on murdering every last one of them.
"You were my last hope..."
Strelok stirred, the familiar voice one very familiar to her.
To the side, she saw a long dead man from her past. A man who had once saved her life.
Kadmus Riath. He still looked as she had last seen him, his Force Ghost still in his black light Combat armor, a hole in his head.
"...and now you have left me with nothing..." Kadmus said in a rasp.
Strelok kept focus.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Strelok asked, firing and blowing the head off an Imperial Soldier, making them scramble behind cover. There had been no sound when the shot fired.
"Why didn't you tell me Ursula was The Amalgam?" Strelok asked. "You lied to me."
"Because I knew this would happen. If you had just killed her quickly, rather than pry and try and figure out why she was obsessed with you, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Kadmus answered stoically. "It's unfortunate..."
She turned away from the scope, hatred in her eyes.
"Unfortunate that I know the truth?" she seethed. (ROTJ reference #365344: 7000 XP)
"No. Unfortunate that you learned it in the way you did. You weren't ready for the burden."
"And when were you going to decide for me, that I was ready? After the deed was done, when there was nothing I could do about it?!" Strelok hissed in fury, loading another 22 LR round and exploding a Stormtrooper's leg off when she fired.
"I would have told you the truth... eventually..."
Strelok exploded a Stormtroopers chest as she loaded her next bullet.
"Did she ever try and turn you, or did she just write you off automatically? The original Amy?"
Kadmus was silent for a moment.
"Did she?"
"Yes. She tried. I was the only one she tried to actively turn beyond Lura. I refused."
His ethereal brow scrunched up, remembering.
"She was crying when she pulled the trigger. Said it was like killing a Son to her."
"You ever wonder what would have happened, had you accepted?" Strelok asked.
"I don't have to wonder Uri. I'm looking at the Answer. That's why I said no."
Strelok was silent for a moment.
"You should have told me..." she snapped quietly, killing another.
"Is this how you want it to end? Submitting to her will, at long last?"
"I was lied to!" Strelok seethed quietly as she watched the Soldiers trying to stay behind cover as much as possible, deploying Drones to search for her.
Strelok decided to relocate. She picked up her weapons, deciding to move to a lower floor, close to a fire escape. It felt so good to think without her hallucinations and delusions tormenting her as much as they usually did.
"I was afraid of turning. Afraid of giving in. But when I finally put Laertia's ass in check? I felt like a weight had been lifted. And she deserved it. She deserved it for killing all those people, even if it cost me something in turn. I actually felt better than I have in a long time. It feels nice, not having to constantly keep myself in check. So, Kadmus, I am sorry. I am genuinely sorry to disappoint you after all this. You were the closest thing I had to brother. But you should have been honest with me from the start. None of that 'certain point of view' bullchit! 'Cause look where it got us." she whispered truthfully to his ghost as she left the room.
His parting words in her head still shook her badly as she moved quietly down a passage.
It was my decision to conceal the truth. It was your decision to go along with this hell you now find yourself in.
Strelok didn't necessarily disagree on that last part.
"I have a family now..." she said quietly. She had just as much a hand in training up the Nuetralizers after the second battle of Ziost. The fact that they were in some sense, her nieces and nephews had not been a fact she had experienced in a void.
They would need someone around in case Xiphos got too crazy to do her job. Or too determined...
Either way, Strelok was going to make sure Xiphos never sunk that low again. Even if it meant clubbing her to death in public.
Strelok's heart lanced with guilt as she remembered the Silver Rest.
She knew in some level that her being on her home planet wasn't just about defending it from the Empire, but taking her rage at her failure to prevent the attack on the Silver Rest out on Imp soldiers.
Survivors of the Squad, moving up the street didn't see her Camouflaged form, blended into the rubble and smoke of the City. The Drones were still actively searching for her, floating above. Her Adaptive Camo Poncho would buy her time but the closer it got to the ground, the better a chance it's sensors had at detecting her.
She moved very slowly, very carefully, shifting through rubble as the Soldiers got back behind cover...and then began retreating...
She heard the whine before she saw it.
Imp TIE's. Bombing run.
Strelok shifted her position as quickly as she dared once she honed in on the sound. Three fighters. This Rifle of hers could threaten tanks.
She should know...she had dreamt it up.
She took aim directly at the cockpit as it closed in, two other bombers at its side. They were trying to flush her out, trying to make her run. But Darth Strelok had a rail gun.
Maybe that's not as impressive as, say, an awesome looking Sith in full armor, or how completely they effed it all up at the end of Season 8, when Emelia had that entire city burned to the ground by a Dragon, but it's very difficult to argue with a Rail Gun, and again, it must be emphasized that it was a Rail Gun personally designed and now being held by Darth Strelok.
Strelok timed it, not firing until just before she saw the approaching craft angle upward slightly, so they could pull up quicker after releasing their payload.
Strelok fired right at one of the Bombers behind the lead craft, hitting an armed Proton Missile.
The Blast was incredible, clipping the two other craft with the Radius of the powerful explosion.
The second craft behind the lead lost altitude and crashed, erupting in a powerful fireball that destroyed the remains of a few blasted buildings near by. The Lead craft kept on flying until Strelok boldly stood up, and clenched her hand.
It stopped in mid air, it's engines and cockpit starting to compress before it detonated in a mid air explosion.
She rendered her body invisible with the Force, dodging the heaping of blaster fire on her previous position, getting out her DC-19 Carbine. The Battle had started on her terms. It would end in them.
They tried to retreat of course. But she stalked them. It took about 21 minutes to pick them all off, and it amused her to no end how they had started to panic, their friends dropping at random. She could have taken them down much more quickly but Strelok was starting to savor the fear of her enemies.
The last fell dead in front of what looked like some sort of personal Starship Garage, most of his upper half gone. Darth Strelok stopped hiding herself, feeling life and despair nearby and growing curious.
She ventured into a normal looking home and grew disturbed, because it had been a long time since she had seen domestic settings. She barely remembered Domestic Life. There were bodies everywhere. Bodies with guns...Adults and younglings. They'd died resisting The Empire. Her hatred for The Empire and herself grew a little deeper.
Her hands ran over the pictures of family and cook outs. Of pets. War medals. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be completely normal. Without the Force.
Neighborhoods. Neighbors.
She heard weeping and headed to the hangar portion of the House, found an old man cradling a young woman in a flight jacket , shot in the head. He was on the floor bawling his eyes out. She saw the family resemblance.
He saw her and her sulphur eyes. Instead of cowering in fear, he just went back to staring at the dead woman.
"Go on, Imp. Do it. You got everyone else. Get the straggler." the old man said emptily.
"Not with the imps." She said. "Concerned third party."
The old man bothered to pay her another glance.
"Take whatever you want, Sith. Just leave me to my grief. I am already dead." the Old Man replied in a whisper, tears still coming down his face.
"Even a corpse might still be useful. If only as a sandbag." Strelok mused out loud, examining the Starfighter.
"Angel Series..." Strelok remarked, spotting a flight suit on display. She immediately began undressing, breaking open the display with Telekinesis. Thankfully, it was the same fit. She took out an ICE Breaker and began hacking the Astromech inside it's mounted port, soon overwhelming it's programming and disabling it's security to open the fighter, assigning her all access privileges.
Strelok turned to the Old man. She walked over and left him her carbine and all her spare ammo for it.
"Let it cool a few seconds between every shot or you'll damage it...it's sound is suppressed... should buy you some time against a patrol..." Strelok explained before leaving him to his fate.
"Of course, if you're that eager to leave, feel free to use it on yourself..." she added before the hatch closed and she lifted off.
Darth Strelok began searching for Bombers and went after another group about to conduct a run and closed in firing on them and forcing them to disperse.
The Ace Pilot, made a sharp curve starboard to chase the Lead Bomber, her hatred of the Empire guiding her manipulation of the craft as she evaded the blaster fire from other bombers attempting to chase her, diving downward to the ground to avoid a volley, than zipping back upward at the last second and gunning the engines as hard as she could upward, launching a Concussion Missile upward and firing her laser cannons, shredding through and exploding a bomber before veering off and hunting the second that was twisting upward while the other bombers hung low, waiting to swoop in.
Strelok dived low to hunt him and the one above her swooped down instead firing, and the world spun as Strelok did, firing her laser bolts at the low hanging craft, even as she dodged the one chasing her. The other craft turned and began firing at , forcing her to corkscrew upward before bending back down unexpectedly to re engage the one she had been chasing, going to Maximum speed possible by engaging the SLAM drive at the last second to make the Enemy pilot panic and veer off by mistake--
--and causing the bomber to go slam smack into the ground to evade her insane move, unable to pull upward due to not having the room needed with her firing on it at the same time.
"I love this job I love it!" Strelok hissed, engaging the last Bomber, now trying to flee. (Never start with the head: 90 XP)
Sadistically, Strelok played with it at first, feeling her enemy's adrenaline go up as she deliberately missed a few shots, had target lock but didn't brake it. Only when his fear was greatest did she fire and destroy his engines. She watched as the Bomber plunged into a nearby lake.
Strelok had no time to gloat. Her sensors detected more bombers in the upper atmosphere. She zipped upward and went to fight in the Naval attack proper, though she would stick close to orbital defense, trying to target any bombers trying to make it to the planet itself...and any Interceptors that would try and protect them.
No mercy would be shown, and Strelok would savor every last death of theirs...
The Alliance and the Empire, crossing blades once more. It was such a circular pattern, ever would they struggle for peace and yet find themselves here once more. As he stood in one of the residential blocks of New Aldera, looking out over a city being torn apart by battle, it sickened something deep within Korvan's core. Were they truly destined to do this again, and again? And how many Jedi were so eager to join the fray, to cross sabers with the Imperial Knights and cut down Imperial Stormtroopers without concern?
It had taken a great deal of convincing for Korvan to even consider joining such a mission, but something in what Valery Noble
had told him in their meeting on Coruscant of his apprentice had at least stirred something within him. He could not linger in inaction, not entirely. Korvan would not cross blades or seek out the battle which raged around him, instead, he would do as he believed a Jedi should - he would protect the innocent. "Sir - We've just about cleared the rubble." The familiar voice of the Pathfinder Sergeant he had accompanied echoed behind him. On occasion, he had worked with the GADF on such rescue operations, and he turned to nod at the man as he made his way down the hall.
They had come across a block partially damaged by artillery fire, and there were a number of civilians that had been trapped by debris - they needed to be evacuated, and thankfully there was a still-functioning pad on the upper levels of the building where a transport waited. They simply needed to free those trapped and escort them out, before they could move elsewhere in the city in search of those in need.
When he arrived, the engineers had made stable the rubble enough that Korvan could assist, and as he reached out in the force, he felt the lives in the next room. With a careful effort, he focused on the rubble - on the most stable piece of the roof that had collapsed, and began to lift it - feeling the force pool around it and push, offering enough space for the civilians trapped inside to crawl clear.
The cries of relief and silent celebrations were short-lived as the troopers began to get the civilians underway, tending to any who were too injured to move just yet. Yet, something else gave pause to the Jedi Master as he lowered the rubble once all were free. A presence.
One he'd not felt since...
A stabbing pain settled in Korvan's chest, his heart twisted in knots. Turning his gaze to the stairwell which led down to the building's lobby, he faltered for a moment. He did not know what that presence would do when it arrived, he did not know how far it had fallen. Could he risk the lives of these men and women? "Sergeant, focus on getting the civilians evacuated, I will rejoin you when I am able."
Before the man could protest, Korvan took off, down the stairwell and towards the lobby.
It was a reunion that the Jedi Master had insisted he did not want. One he was certain would only serve to make things worse. And yet it seemed it was to be forced upon him.
His eyes darted about, back and forth and side to side. In shattered homes, suits, and the livelihoods of others. Rakaan roamed free, across the splintered materials that turned it from a mere construct to life, with almost an ache in his mind; it seared into his soul, burned beyond what once shielded him from all the death and destruction that plagued the system the Empire brought war to. Familiar as it was, there was no comfort to be found in once-fond memories.
Of a father. Of a brother. Of the one that abandoned him in his time of need, the one that should have been there. Should have been there above all others, no amount of former friends could be relied on to be his saviour more so than the former master. Yet Rakaan was slated to die, broken and defeated, but worst of all alone.
The Imperial Knight dulled those harsh feelings with time. Those emotions towards the Jedi, towards the actions that transpired on New Alderaan. Yet to feel it all again, there was no controlling it. That bubbling rage and fiery aggression, his pace quickened between the towers. Up stairs, across entire streets in a single bound, all worn with an intense scowl. It persisted, even when he saw him. Intensified, even. His breaths became hurried, frantic, all with the clenching of his teeth behind the cold exterior.
"Korvan!" He violently yelled from the top of the stairs a level above, so thick with bile. "Have you come here to finish what the council could not?"
So convinced the boy that yearned for approval was dead and gone.
Azrael,Bartleby, Gabriel, Sauriel, Samael, Castiel,Michael, Chamuel, Jeremiel, Ariel, Uriel, Seraphim [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation] Tag:
Allies:
SJDF SUPERCARRIER “CELESTIAL CITY” SPECIAL OPERATIONS OPS ROOM
SALEUCAMI ORBIT 1450 Hours - 3 DAYS AGO (Mission time)
Admiral on deck!
They did not salute every officer that they came across, but Admiral Liram Angellus was one of them, he was a warrior earned their respect long ago.
Have a seat Ladies, Gentlemen.
He then brought up some video information on the screen. It was various maps and news reports. All of the Tion Sector and the strife that it has been under. There are also various technical readouts of various Imperial ships and confirmed weapons being used. The biggest map is the readout for the New Aldera Orbital Defense Platform.
This is New Aldera’s Orbital Defense. Apostles, I kid you not when I say that this is the only thing keeping that planet from going fully Imperial.
We’re not big enough to secure that place.
Really? Sarcasm?
What are our orders, sir?
You heard the man cut the chatter.
You’ll insert in a “Pegasus” into the southern port where you will affect entry through the warehouse. The station is in a high security situation and though they will be on watch you will be on the move up to the medbay. You will then extract Doctor Gresa Qinhaus. She is a SJC citizen by marriage, her in-laws are high level government officials. You will escort her to the Northern shuttle bay where you will commandeer a combat shuttle and affect exit. Your entry point will be an alternate LZ if necessary.
Babysitting.
We should be…
Careful, you’re about to talk about a lot of people Bart, Gabriel, Azrael and I used to call “Brothers” and “Sisters.”
Are they now?
You have to ask?
Rules of Engagement?
This is the GA’s show. We’re not even supposed to be there. You will run silent but if you witness a hostile act you will respond with appropriate force. Questions?
All due respect, Liram… sir. We should be assisting, or doing something else. I’ve read the reports.
I know you did, and I’m sorry that I don’t have any better answers, but that is what we have. I can’t do anything without approval from the Chancellory themselves. Now if there is nothing else, you have your orders…
The team took that as “Dismissed” and began to get up on their own as Angellus waved Mueller to stay behind.
Sir?
You know as well as I do that these orders are Rontoshit.
It’s why I didn’t argue, sir.
Don’t worry about it. When you’re there, MY orders for you are to act accordingly. As accordingly as you see fit. As fit as you think necessary. As necessary as you see.
Mueller smirked, understanding the meaning of the orders.
Yes, sir. Blowback? Don't need another "Article 15" right now.
You let me worry about that. Just come back safe.
“PEGASUS” STEALTH/COMBAT SHUTTLE DROP BAY
APPROACHING NEW ALDERA ORBITAL DEFENSE PLATFORM PRESENT TIME
WEAPONS CHECK!
HANG ON! THIS IS GONNA BE TIGHT!
We splitting?
We go as one.
What about me?
You going to carry ALL of those charges ALL the time?
I’ll drop’em when they get heavy!
Can I bring “Bertha”?
We thought you were.
BRACE!
Weapons fire slammed into the shuttle as it came screaming into the landing bay normally reserved for automated cargo vessels. The shuttles bounced several times taking out several palettes of wares before coming to a fiery halt. So much for stealth. The loading ramp dropped as each member of Omega Squad, all in their Mk III armor slowly made their way out, weapons drawn.
Perimeter.
Bart, find us a route.
On it.
Gabriel, make sure no one can steal anything here.
Boom, baby.
I can get this thing airborne.
Do it.
Sir, if Jeremiel does so then I will be able to keep in contact with you.
