Faction Terror Belli - Decus Pacis [Eternal Empire]

[Belisarius Vactovion]

​

"A massive, well guarded fortress located between several mountain peaks thirty kilometers east of Arcenon, the planet's largest city, Wulfngard is the headquarters of the Eternal Empire's military dictatorship. A truly colossal edifice of state easily the size of a small city, it not only houses a large military presence and the facilities required to support this armed contingent, but also the central offices and chambers of the various institutions that are required for the governance of the planet, as well as the residences for the various officials and their staff.

The extremely well-defended behemoth of a fortress is laid out in a star pattern, much like many other fortifications that the Empire has built across its territory, various sections which house towering facilities extending out from a gigantic central spire which extends four kilometers up into the air."
- Description of Wulfngard

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The Eternal Empire's beating heart was not the Imperial Assembly, it was the headqarters of the Eternal Military, where fleet, army and intelligence came together to devise the drive and direction for the Eternal Empire to advance to. It was a place of conquerors, of thunderers and of sovereigns. It was the place where the Empress could reign supreme, nobody would question Her here. It was Her theatre as it was Her predecessors.

It was a place of activity, activity which would be intimidating to any newcomer, fresh staff officers confronted with buzzing noise of computers, holoprojectors, the clanking of polished heels, the rough voices of generals and admirals are the permanent background. Soundproof briefing and planning rooms, rows of tacticians working on consoles, big screens at walls providing data and information, all in the militaristic-simplistic style of the Eternal Empire.

---

​

When the headquarters, the High Command, was the beating heart of the Empire, the rest of Wulfngard dedicated to the military were its hands, feet and its muscles. The ice-swept surface of Kalidan was home to one of the strongest military breeds the Galaxy as ever seen. The specialised training grounds, the fortified barracks bare any luxury and the inside facilities were all devoted to the purpose of housing the garrison as well as taking care of their daily needs of exercises, education and drilling.

Companies were marching in perfect order around the drill square, tanks were being maintained by their crews, flaws removed, personalisation added, special forces were training in their separated indoor halls, Ultranaut were playing cards on their bunks while being off-duty. Both in- and outside was activity, both army and navy personnel was permanently stationed here, Blackwatch and Psi-Corps units keeping their distinct secretive demaenor, but in the cantina all sides sometimes came together to take their time off and improve comradery.

 

[Katella]

Objective: A Day In the Life of a Fuzzball
Location: Wulfengard Barracks/Training Facilities.
Equipment: Blaster, Uniform, Vibroknife, helmet
Tag: Anyone who wants to watch recruits train, or talk. Nyrasa Emrick (if you want to join)

​

Very early each morning Kat started her day with a heavy work out, pushing her physical strength and endurance to its limits. She ends with a stretch, as she attempts to improve her flexibility. Finally, an hour of force meditation as she attempted to push her force abilities to their limits with her limited training. Once that was done, a quick shower then she used a terminal in her barracks room to virtually attend a class at Tyrant Oros University using the holonet. She slowly attempted to get her degree in psychology, but for now she was still in her general education classes. Right now, it was a class on High Nelvan. An important language for the Eternal Empire. She hoped to have her degree finished a couple years after her two years of military service to become a Citizen were complete. Though, she had no intention to stop her career. She had little free time, but almost all of it was spent in an attempt to better herself.


The timing put her just in time for daily muster and assignments. Dressed in her uniform, customary blaster pistol, vibro-knife, and helmet, she received her current assignment from the attaché. Her yellow eyes glanced over the mission briefing on the encrypted datapad as her short legs carried her towards the secure zone in the Psi Corps garrison. Renold Dobson, a small-time criminal was captured, and is believed to have rebel contacts. He was caught during an attempt to supply food and other basic supplies to a presumed rebel cell. So far, he had proven resistant to standard interrogation techniques and had given up no names. Her mission was to change this. Truth be told, this was why she had originally been given a chance in the psi Corps. She had a great knowledge about drugs and various poisons, with no qualms about using them.


She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment as she went back over her mothers' training. Fingers tapped on the wall as she got close to the secured room the prisoner had been kept in. There were no cameras here, no audio equipment, nothing that could prove what they do. Sensors were used to monitor the halls and rooms, but the information was limited on purpose. From the guards that stood outside the room, she received a large manual key. No electronic equipment was used here, less slicers gain access. "Prisoner and your equipment are already inside, Operative."


The teenager saluted the two guards. "Understood." She used the key to open the door and slide inside. She locked it behind her and put it in a pocket. The man was strapped to a medical platform in the middle of the room, next to it was a silver table with dozens of syringes. Slowly, the Squib took off her helmet, and placed it on the table. Her cute face and large innocent eyes gazed up at the man, as she manipulated the table levers to bring the man down to her level. She peeled off her gloves and gave the man the biggest, most mischievous grin as she grabbed a micro dose of a secret poison. "You and me. We are going to have ever so much fun."


Not even the guards heard the screams through the soundproof walls. Various poisons inflicted the most incredible agony, and drugs muddled his mind. She used what she knew of the force to worm her way into his consciousness as she kept him in a constant state of torment, disorientation, and to switch it up, euphoria. A couple of hours later, the girl emerged with sheets of paper in her once again gloved hands, and her helmet locked in place. "Bring the medical droid. We aren't done with him yet." She told the guards. With names, addresses, and so much more to investigate, she took her findings to one of her commanding officers and washed her hands of the affair.


It had been fun, a good distraction. Yet now that was over she invariably found herself bored and on a break as she stood outside the Psi Ops Garrison. She moved to a spot that overlooked the military training grounds and took off her helmet. The small form of the girl leaned against a metal railing and her large eyes watched the new recruits train. A cold breeze blew against her face and caused her hair to blow around. It smelled sweet. Soon, Katella yawned, and showed off her sharp teeth. "Mmm…" She blinked a bit and tilted her head to look at the sky. "I wonder how many will die because of that piece of paper?" The teenager asked herself. Honestly, she just hoped they sent her to go do it. It had been far to long since she smelled death. Was it wrong to want to be useful?

​

 

[Imperius]

O B J E C T I V E | R&R
L O C A T I O N | Wulfengard Barracks/Training Facilities.
T A G S | Old geezers and young fools and Katella
G E A R | A Black leather jacket with the Zweihander patch; standard lightsaber in the inside pocket​

​

Imperius was simply...relaxing. The terribly long period of cryogenic stasis had made him rather weary, and it felt surprisingly pleasant to lay off of doing chores for the higher ups. He had some training planned after he had fully recuperated, but light exercise was all he would be engaging in for the next week or so.
He felt...exposed without his armour and Solarion, but he hadn't had a choice, not really- It would be well out of the norm to be carrying such objects in a military installation, and almost certainly attract more attention.
He had only just finished the sandwich he'd asked the cafeteria staff to make, when a female Squib strode past him, dressed in the Blackwatch Psi-Corps Uniform and seemingly unaware of how her otherwise innocent appearance was rather spoilt by droplets of blood littered here-and-there over the dreaded Trench Coat. Even as he started to sip on the Algarine, he kept an eye on the Squib; It was almost impossible to be too careful around members of the Psi Corps, after all.
Guzzling down the last can in the box of pre-packaged pints, Imperius strolled over to the railing, trying to find what the Squib found so interesting about recruits stumbling over one another in an attempt to please the drill instructor.
How's your day going? He immediately grimaced as the words exited his mouth, hoping the female would let the casual tone slide. Strictly speaking, he had no reason to be here, and it would be a shame to have his R&R disrupted because alcohol loosened his lips.

​

 

[Lena Dracov]

Location: Wulfengard Hellhound Barracks
Objective: Blow off some Steam
Tags: Katella | Belisarius Vactovion

Lena woke up early in the morning, the days the squad weren't on duty were the worst. She didn't have anything against Wulfengard, it was simply the lack of action. Regardless, she would make the most of it. It wasn't even 5 in the morning when she grabbed her gear and walked to the shooting range. As the newest member of Hellhound, she had something to prove. More to herself then to her squad, her pride always got the better of her.

She unholstered her pistol and began firing on the targets, perfect shots all around. She was unsatisfied though, something gnawing at her as she continued firing. It was safe to say after the recent incursion on Odessen she was not in a good mood. A base full of soldiers couldn't stop one imposter? Especially considering she was the person who the imposter had pretended to be. But at last, when she'd gotten back there was no sign of Ami Dracov. Not to mention the Empress was missing.

Just another day in the Eternal Empire. She still had time before any formal training, time for some one on one to blow off some steam. They recently got a new combat droid installed outside the barracks. It made a great opponent, and if you got hit by its shock staff, you wouldn't want to be hit again. While it wasn't as good as an opponent, no one else was up.

So she summoned her blade and began sparring with the droid. She didn't let up until she was drenched in sweat, and by then the droid was practically gone. It had been dismembered beyond repair. With one final swing she sliced the droids head straight off. "So much for that new droid." She muttered as she sat down on the side. She was still fuming with anger though.

Her sister! A Maw sorcerer had succesfully broken into a Ashlan Crusade and Eternal Empire base along with other Maw infiltrators. It was pathetic. Of course Lena had been preoccupied with a Sith ritual but she still blamed herself. She had left Ami on Dathomir all those years ago, she hadn't gone back for her, and she hadn't been there for Ami when she turned. Lena wasn't one to get emotional, but she was close.

 

[Nyrasa Emrick]

Location: Wulfengard Quarters
Objective: Wake up
Tags: Katella | Lena Dracov | Imperius

Nyrasa woke up in the middle of the night, raising her head, she probably imagined the sound. She had been on edge since coming back from Zakuul. She was only here for some investigation going on, then she was back to the comfort of her office on Zakuul. Though she didn't like working so close to the military, it would have to do. Just get back to sleep Emrick. It wasn't hard considering the stress she had been under to produce results on the rebel front, hopefully this investigation would clear her head.

She woke up again early in the morning for a normal workout, today though her mind wandered. She hadn't realised how much work had gotten to her, granted she was an undercover Sith in the Eternal Empire, but she still took her work seriously. 3 hours later she was drenched in sweat. She had to maintain a good image for herself. She was slightly in a rush, she had some files to work over before she made her way to the job. Quickly taking a shower, she took a seat in her quarters and ensuring the room was secure, she begun her work

There were a lot of files she had requested during her time on Zakuul. Most of them were related to the rebel incursions, there were a lot of worries going on around them. It was a security risk after all. With the Empress gone thing's were getting worse. As she refocused on her work, time flew by until another 3 hours went by. As she secured her files she did a mental check of all her items. Who knew what todays investigation would lead to.

As she arrived at the location where the prisoner was being held she was saluted by the operative in charge. "Greeting, Colonel Vrinas. What may I do for you ma'am."

"Greeting, Agent. I'd like to know who's on the Renold Dobson case. I'll be taking command of the case."

"Of course Colonel. That would be Operative-Third Class Katella. She just finished her interrogation." That made Nyrasa pause for a second, the name Katella sounded familiar. Suddenly an image flashed of a Squib. Interesting. "That'll be all, Agent. I'll assist in the case."

Now to find her. Well, considering she had just performed an interrogation, she was probably taking a break. Whether it was for that reason or not. The horrors of war often caused certain people to... need space. Nyrasa was comfortable with it though, unfortunately the horrors of the Sith were much more terrifying than some petty war.

​

Nyrasa found the girl easily enough, though the man near her was quite unflattering. She walked up to her and leaned against the railing, hands in pocket as the girl spoke to herself. "Well, that depends on us." The girl was interesting, Nyrasa intended to find out more.

 

[Corin Autem]

Objective: Evading Sleep/Evasive Sleep
Location: Wulfngard
Equipment: N/A
Tag: Lena Dracov Katella Imperius

"Straight flush! Looks like someone's getting lucky tonight," the dealer quipped, his words eliciting groans from almost everyone sat around the mess hall table. Scooping up her winnings, Major Corin Autem was the only one who didn't join in. "I reckon you might be onto something there, lieutenant," she replied, winking at the other Hellhounds slinging well-meaning abuse her way. "Now, gentlemen, unless you want me to take you all for all you're worth, I'm going to be on my way. Duty calls and all that."

Growling or waving their goodbyes, Corin pressed off from the table as the lads carried on without her. Tucking the cred chits she had won into her fatigues, the Major departed the mess with a smile on her face and a spring to her step. Though gambling was frowned upon, especially amongst officers, this morning's game of sabacc had been strictly low-stakes. No-one taking part wanted to take from their comrades; they just wanted a bit of fun to pass the time that didn't involve getting drunk or dishevelled. Sabacc, as it turned out, had suited their needs perfectly, eating up hours the group might have spent suspended in limbo, waiting for the next op.

Walking through the corridors of Wulfngard, Cor began to wander. She was off-duty, and free to do whatever she liked so long as she didn't disturb the peace -and privacy- of those working in the megacomplex/fortress. Temptation stirred at the back of Corin's mind as she passed bustling cantinas and themed bars, gyms and commissaries. She had been garrisoned in Wulfngard a few times now with the regiment. And yet still she found things that surprised her, made her naturally inclined to explore.

She found Lena that way. At first she didn't recognise the woman sat against the wall; anger had turned the Hellhound's face into something far from pleasant. Stopping, staring, Corin's gaze turned towards the training droid nearby. Or what was left of it. A pile of twisted servos and battered metal, the droid had been one of the newly-installed MK.III's; an expensive bit of kit that could help train the poorest of martial artists right through to the practised killers.

Now, it wasn't helping anyone.

"What did he do?" Cor asked, taking a seat beside her squadmate, entirely undaunted by the dark cloud hanging over the Dathomiri's head. "You seem a bit grim."

 

[Trinity Harris]

Warrant Officer Trinity Harris
DXenbo MAnthro
Passed with distinction​

Trinity had woken up this morning on Wolfngard with a stomach full of Butterflies. She had completed her basic training and some of her specialist courses and today was her passing out ceremony.

This was her fourth, no, fifth graduation ceremony, but this was something that had taken her so far out of her comfort zone that she felt a special kind of pride, she had proven to herself that she could do it, and now she looked in the mirror at the Hersir uniform that she had earned. Her scientific credentials had made her a Warrant Officer, her uniform was slightly different to what she had seen Eleena Salwa wear so many times, being that it belonged to the scientific branch. It was a bright, sunny, but freezing cold day on the tundra world. The transports would be picking her and the other graduands and their guests up and transporting them to the memorial hall where a high ranking officer would carry out the ceremony. "Passed with distinction" she said quietly to herself. She looked over her shoulder at her girlfriend, who had managed to get special leave to attend here before she was sent back to the front, most likely to fly swoops against tribal forces on the northern border.

Eleena looked fantastic as always, the uniform made her looks very smart and the contrast of her alabaster skin against the dark tones of the Hersir was quite fearsome. Trinity turned "So how do I look?" she asked, needing a positive answer. "is it all sitting right, I know in military tradition every button and buckle has to be perfect... oh I am so nervous Eleena, I have worked so hard, and even I have been suprised by new muscles that hurt after a training session." she looked over at the pair of firearms on the dressing table. "are we actually meant to take those to the graduation hall as well?"

What she would give for a stiff drink about now, she needed something to relax her and take her mind off of things before they left. They had about twenty more minutes before the coaches arrived.

 

[Eleena Salwa]

Location: Wulfngard - Kalidan-Lysenia
Tags: Trinity Harris

Taking advantage of her leave for extra study time and to get ahead in her classes, Eleena had spent much of the night at the terminal, reading and taking notes while her girlfriend rested. Waking up a bit later than her girlfriend, Eleena managed to quickly get ready, dressing herself in her Hersir uniform and running through an expedited version of her skincare routine, before finishing off with light makeup and violet red lipstick. However, Eleena had learned the hard way to never skimp on the sunscreen, her alabaster skin demanding a heavier, more powerful formulation to shield it from the sun.

Standing behind her girlfriend as she put the last touches on her sunscreen, after setting the bottle on the countertop, Eleena found her eyes drawn to Trinity as she adjusted her uniform, making sure every button and buckle was in its place. The scientist was stunning as always, so much so that Eleena failed to notice that her buttons were misplaced. Fortunately, Trinity’s bear droid beeped a warning, its eyes projecting a holographic display of the uniform, with red lights indicating the misplaced buttons.

“Gosh you look-” Eleena began, her eyes going wide at the beeped warning. “...like we need to fix some buttons!” She giggled before stepping behind her girlfriend and cuddling close as she redid the buttons. All the while, Eleena blushed as her nostrils caught the pleasing scent in Trinity’s hair. Its embrace held her close to the scientist even after she finished correcting her uniform, arms wrapped around Trinity’s waist as she beamed with love and pride.

“Now, you look…” Eleena paused. Trinity had looked perfect even before her uniform was fixed. But now? Words failed to express what she was to Eleena. “Like a perfect soldier.” She grinned before kissing Trinity on the side of her neck, seeking to compensate for her words with action since they were a massive understatement.

“Your body will get stronger, but…if you think the muscle soreness is over then…” Eleena tsk tsked with a mischievous grin laid bare across her features, before shifting her attention back to the dressing table, which had a pair of Geysa pistols on it.

“I think so, yes. Best to just be safe.” Eleena said as she put her own weapon in its holster.

“Ready?”

 

[Katella]

Objective: Figure out why the drunk guy is here, and not stare at the tall lady.
Location: Training Gounds (Upper level)
Equipment: Blaster, Vibro-Knife, Uniform, helmet (currently off)
Tag: Nyrasa Emrick , Imperius

Spoiler

​

Katella took in a deep breath of the frigid air and slowly let it out in little moisture rings. Gloved fingers traced patterns in the frost that coated the metallic bar she leaned against. Her bright yellow eyes glanced at the newest recruits. Carefully, she made note of several more promising individuals. There were never many, but on occasions, you could spot diamonds in the rough. They just needed to be properly polished. They could make good Operatives in the future. For just a moment, the two force users who were in the middle of walking up on her could feel her true emotions: Utter boredom. There was no horror or upsetness at the act she had just done. Instead, it was the letdown after a high, the boredom that followed a fun time cut short.


As the tall humanoid came to stand next to her, the small creature turned to look up at the man. The frigid wind blew a strand of her hair into her face, and the one-meter-tall girl tucked the hair behind one of her large ears. Those large, innocent yellow eyes focused on the male and took him in. Calmly, he could feel as her mind reached out, and she felt him through the force. After that basic greeting she gave him the warmest, most charming smile the Squib possibly could. Her tilted towards the side a little as she spoke, her voice was sweet and warm, a bit small and soft, but confident in its words, never stuttering. "Good afternoon. It's going well. How are you?"


Yellow eyes took in his uniform, her mind reached out and felt at his own. Why was a corporate man, HERE at a military base? "I'm Kat, what's your name? Are you lost?" The small woman's voice continued it's soft and gentle approach. Yellow eyes took him in some more. Perhaps a force user from what she felt, what could be a weapon in his pocket. Honestly, the junior member of the Psi Corps was at a loss to do with the man. The Union were strong Imperial supporters, but it was difficult to figure out what was going on. Especially, why would such a man be drinking alcohol here?! A gloved hand went into her pocket, as she smiled warmly, disarmingly. First, she pressed a button on a comm unit found there, to alert her comrades, and to send whatever she heard back to command.


When the Colonel made her presence known, Katella gave the woman a happy look. She saluted briskly. "Colonel Vrinas. A pleasure to see you." She looked into the Colonel's eyes a moment with a look that would seem to pierce straight through the Hidden Sith's secrets. She admired those eyes. They were such a lovely shade of gold, a bit darker than her own. Reminded her of her Mama's, to be honest. Besides, having an officer in the area, who would KNOW whether the man had the clearance to be here or not, rather than trying to interrogate an alcoholic, made for a smoother afternoon. Soon after, Katella closed off her mind to keep her thoughts and emotions hidden as best as she could. She gestured to the man. "I was just talking with our 'guest'. Ahhh." She turned back to the man. "What did you say your name was again?" As the Colonel seemed at ease, Kat seemed to relax a bit more too. She thumbed the comm unit in her pocket once more to turn it off. They would be observed at least. If something went wrong, the base would know it.


Besides, the response from the woman shocked the little furball. Clearly, she had listened in on her mumblings. It made her ears get hot, and her fur ripple a bit.

 

[Imperius]

O B J E C T I V E | Not give HeadPats to the Squib; Don't badmouth The Colonel
L O C A T I O N | Training Gounds (Upper level)
T A G S | Katella Nyrasa Emrick
G E A R | Black Jacket, Standard Blue Lightsaber in the inside pocket​

For a regime that had supposedly excised the Sith from its Body, the Eternal Empire had a surprising number of Dark Side Users.
The Union made some significant donations to the Empire's military apparatus, and I am simply here as a representative of our dedication and continued support of the empire. This was a lie, of course, but rather believable given how often the Union participated in financial efforts to Bolster the Empire's forces.
Forgive my impertinence at not introducing myself- I'm Imperius, although I suppose that wouldn't mean much to great individuals such as yourself. And did you say Colonel Vrinas? My my, I truly did not expect to be graced by one of the best operatives ins service to the empire. In all honesty, he had no clue who this was, but if a little flattery made the questions that were sure to arise a little less hard it would surely be worth it.
If I might be so bold, Colonel Vrinas, what Piece of Paper is our friend here referring to?

 

[Nyrasa Emrick]

Location: Training Gounds (Upper level)
Objective: Do your job, try not to kill the drunk
Tags: Katella | Lena Dracov | Imperius

Nyrasa watched the drunk man, unflattering indeed. She didn't know who he was, and she wasn't sure he should be there. She was tempted to take a reading of him through the force, but with the Squib next to her it wasn't worth it. Revealing the extent of her force ability . "At ease, Operative." She responded with a smirk, hiding a smile at the curious Blackwatch Agent.

"And this is the 'guest'?" She said with distaste, a drunk wandering the training grounds? Not exactly someone a Blackwatch operative should be near. But, he certainly was interesting company. An interesting name too. "Pleasure to meet you, Imperius. and flattery certainly wont work on me." She said with a smirk, definitely interesting company. As long as he didn't pry into Blackwatch affairs he would be fine.

Then of course came the prying. "Well 'Imperius,' I could put you away in prison in return for the information? Though why would a man as prestigious as you need some little piece of information." She was playing with the man of course, there was no way in hell she would reveal anything related to the Blackwatch. "Anyway, Operative I believe there's something we should be working on." She turned her attention to the Squib, raising her eyebrow at her.

 

[Trinity Harris]

Warrant Officer Trinity Harris
DXenbo MAnthro
Passed with distinction​

She finished adjusting her buttons, feeling very smart and formal, she was glad she could share this time with Eleena Salwa . This wall all important to her professionally, but it was also a personal thing she wanted, there was another issue she had been eager to discuss with Eleena at some point, but after she became a citizen she would feel more comfortable, so there was still plenty of time for that.

She grinned before kissing Trinity on the side of her neck,

Trinity briefly closed her eyes and enjoyed herself before laughing "If you have left bright red lipstick on my neck, you better wipe it off hadn't you.", she turned round smiled before licking up her own side arm. Now this was very strange indeed, she had obviously held a.weapon before, being out in the field, it was handy to have one. But this was a heavy, military piece, much more intimidating than the small blaster pistols she typically used. It slipped comfortably into her holster and she stood up to attention in front of Eleena.

"And here I was thinking I could chill now training is done and my muscles could recover, maybe I should ask a certain someone to carry me around on one of those glorious military swoops now I am no longer a civilian." she laughed playfully, she supposed that Eleena now officially outranked her too.

"come on, let's go. I am ready." she linked arms with Eleena and they walked to the speeder buses. Trinity was very lucky, the majority of people brought guests that were not allowed to join on the shuttle bus, but Trinity was clearly planning ahead when she started dating Eleena, so she had permission to ride with the other soldiers. She looked around the bus, she saw a few friends that she had made. Behind them was a Nelvanian woman that was several classes with her. Trinity turned around and greeted her politely, "Do you have the same slot as me? This is so exciting isn't it, oh wait, this is Eleena, i told you about her at the shooting range."

"At the shooting range, at the canteen, the obstacle course, the showers" The woman laughed in response and extended her hand to Eleena "Hi, I am Cortzan, it's lovely to finally meet you."

Trinity blushed, had she really talked that much about her girlfriend during training? The woman silently mouthed something risque regards Eleena to Trinity and the scientist just grinned and rolled her eyes.

Outside the frozen plains of Kalidan-Lyseria whizzed past, in the distance, the foreboding structure of command was looming, she wasn't sure why, but she had expected a sunny parade ground with drinks and cheering, maybe she had watched too many late night holofilms and forgotten the general aesthetic of her chosen nation. It was her nation now, she was a soldier, a scientific soldier, but she now served the Empire. It was a strange feeling.

 

[Lena Dracov]

Location: Wulfengard
Objective: Blow off some Steam
Tags: Katella | Corin Autem | Nyrasa Emrick

Lena sat against the wall for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes. Her mood lightened slightly when she heard her squad leaders voice. So much for being alone. She stole a glance at her as she sat down next to Lena. She stayed silent for a good 30 seconds, then sighed and responded to the second question.

"Do I? I haven't noticed." Giving a half-hearted laugh.

"Everything's great, what reason do I have have to be mad? It's not like my sister, a Maw soldier, managed to infiltrate a base armed with soldiers and then disappear." She stared at the dismembered MK.III on the ground, luckily she was off duty and wouldn't be expected by anyone for a bit.

Hopefully they would be off Wulfengard soon, assignments were the best way to keep her distracted. But for now, she was here with her squad leader. She trusted her. But she still hesitated, then opened up a bit more. "Do you know what it's like to make a mistake, and then find out that mistake led to hundreds of peoples deaths? Endless suffering just because you were scared to make a decision." In truth, that was how she felt. She had left her sister on Dathomir, which led to her joining the Brotherhood of the Maw, which led to her murdering hundreds of innocent people just for some petty war.

 

[Corin Autem]

Objective: Sit and chat
Location: Wulfngard
Equipment: N/A
Tag: Lena Dracov

Corin raised an eyebrow at Lena's laughter, but said little. Clearly the woman was building up to something. A proper answer, perhaps? Leaning back, Corin rested her head against the wall and turned her eyes to the air conditioning unit directly above her. Her gaze wandered further still, down to the training apparatus, the gym machinery. The place smelt of sweat and bravado despite the cool air filtering in from above.

She eyed the others training in the gym, the dedicated few who believed an early workout was better than none at all. She eyed the broken training droid, marvelling at the strength needed to bring it to its current state. Then, she eyed the one responsible for its destruction, a woman she called comrade, if not friend.

What kind of woman was Lena Dracov? A dangerous one, to be sure. But then weren't they all?

"Do you know what it's like to make a mistake, and then find out that mistake led to hundreds of peoples deaths? Endless suffering just because you were scared to make a decision."

"I do," Corin answered quietly, her gaze falling away again. "In the Nether, when the Empire fought to stop Omni from breaking out into Real Space. Just one regiment of Ultranauts against a whole corps of mechs, droids- you name it." Corin kept her voice level, but she was certain the old hurt was making itself known. In the way she grew more rigid in her seat. In the way her face scrunched, appalled by the vividness of memories she wished she'd forgotten. "It was the bloodiest battle the Tenth ever fought. The most desperate, too. By the end of it, I was down half my command, and I was considered one of the lucky ones. Many got it worse."

Much worse, Corin thought bleakly. Her former regiment's ghosts had haunted her sleep for months after. They still did. "We held the line, though. Empire knows how we did it. Luck, I guess. Sheer dumb luck, and a feth load of artillery." She shrugged. "I know it's not the same, but it hurts, y'know? How it could've all been avoided." Cor turned to Lena, a small smile on her face. The expression felt empty, though, and wrong. She just wanted to make sure the woman knew she wasn't the first to feel how she felt. Nor was she likely to be the last.

"Your sister... Were you two close?"

 

[Eleena Salwa]

Location: Wulfngard - Kalidan-Lysenia
Tags: Trinity Harris

Hand in hand with her girlfriend, Eleena left the room in the barracks and made her way down to the waiting speeder buses. Thinking back to her graduation from pilot training in the Wild Hunt Speed Corps, long before she had transferred to the Thunder Corps, Eleena remembered a fairly religious atmosphere, preceding a jubilant celebration. In those days, she had worshiped Discordia with just a fevered passion, knowing nothing else beyond life in the Wild Hunt and the Agents of Chaos. She had since mellowed out, even though she still told herself that one day, the Goddess of Chaos would make return.

With every day that passed, her faith grew more difficult to sustain.

Setting her focus back to Trinity’s graduation, Eleena let herself relax, an easy expression on her features as she took her seat on the bus. Then, turning around to meet the eyes of Trinity’s friend, Eleena blushed at hearing how often Trinity had spoken of her, a smile coming over her features as she accepted Cortzan’s hand.

“I’m Eleena Salwa. It’s a pleasure, Cortzan.” The Twi’lek answered cordially. Pretending not to have heard the woman’s comment, Eleena rolled her eyes and turned to her girlfriend, a playfully chiding expression on her features, preceding an impish smile.

Then, resting her head against Trinity’s shoulder, she closed her eyes to take a quick nap.

To say the least, D'rinba IV and Odessen had left her a little exhausted.

 

[Katella]

Objective: Talk a lot, and try to act cute and ditzy.
Location: Upper Level of the Training Yard
Tag: Imperius Nyrasa Emrick

Truthfully, her momentary flusteredness bothered the Squib more than anything. She was still far to new at all this. However, if there was one thing she knew how to do, and always came prepared to do, it was improvising. As if her surprise had simply worn off, the teens shoulders relaxed, and she gave them both the biggest, most charming, and dazzling smile she could. Her large yellow eyes glistened in the light, and she tilted her head after, which caused some of her hair to fall in her face. A quick upward blow, and it blew out of her face.


"No need to tease him so hard, Colonel." Her soft voice was an adorable almost half purr. Without missing a beat, she pulled out a piece of paper and grinned mischievously. "It's my picks for who is going to win the next five huttball games. A bit of fun between us analysists, we try and figure out who will win. While we can't gamble money, we do use lunch vouchers. It means the others go hungry for a week in the middle of the day. See, I have my voucher on the Nubian Slimeborkers, but Alley thinks its utter stupidity. She thinks the Veretas Cornhobblers will win. But I've done my research, Sal, main player for the Cornhobblers, just suffered an injury. I doubt he will be put into play at all. Without him, the well-rounded nature of the Slimeborkers will take the day. Mark my words."


The teen seemed to get bashful again. "A-Ah, forgive me, Colonel! Talking about my hobbies. Yes, we have the robbery case, right?" She smiled so brightly at Imperius. "It was so pleasant to meet you, Mr. Imperius. I've always wanted to meet someone from the Zweihander's Union. I hear you guys are what keep the Empire with its economic edge. Thank you for all your hard work, but I can't keep the Colonel waiting. I am sure you understand." With a deep breath, the Squib brushed off her uniform and faced the Colonel. "I am off of my break now, Colonel, shall we head back to the meeting room, so I can present my findings?"

 

[Trinity Harris]

Warrant Officer Trinity Harris
DXenbo MAnthro
Passed with distinction​

Trinity gave her friend a scolding look for embarrassing her and then laughed shyly, feeling rather childish all of a sudden. They had a little way to go for the drive and it looked like Eleena Salwa had the right idea. She must be exhausted, near constant deployment must take its toll even on her formidable physique. She put her arm gently round he and started absent minded stroking her Lekku with the the back of her hand as Cortzan went back to talking to her own seat mate. She sat quietly reading her datapad, one of her PhD students was disagreeing with the revisions she had suggested to his latest paper. Just minor stuff, and he had attached a humorous video clip to the communication, she quickly tapped a response to him.

The study you referenced and the findings on Xerotheliam Mycothelis has been suspected to be due to contamination by Xerothelium Mycoaurelias, if you put this in your paper, assessors will definately want to know why you didn't elaborate on that theory.

She closed the pad down and relaxed for a moment. It wasn't a long journey to the base, but enough time to clear her head. But as the looming structure grew in front of her she started to feel nervous again. And moreso as the shuttle pulled up into the parade ground and they were asked to depart. She gently nudged Eleena awake and they grabbed their belongings. Making sure to readjust any items of clothing that might have moved about during the journey. As much as the uniform was an honor. She would be glad to get back into her lab coat and up to her arms in dangerous fungi. She had already had an offer from the Royal Institute to work on a weapons project. She was mulling it over, the pay was good, and the prospects for promotion appealed to her, but it was such a narrow field of study she was concerned about focusing to heavily at the expense of fields she was generally more interested in.

After they disembarked she turned and put her arms on Eleena's shoulders in an affectionate, but dignified and reserved way. "Well then my queen, we need to go to different entrances, but if you can cheer extra hard just for me and meet me back for celebratory drinks after, that would be perfect." It the grounds were arranged in what looked like the greyest sports venue on record. With rows of seats for the graduands in the centre and space for family and other guests the the surrounding seats. The front two rows was reserved for specialists such as Trinity that would walk on stage to receive their warrants, but there must have been five hundred new soldier gathered in the field.

At the front, flanked by banners of the Eternal Empire were the preciding officers, on full dress uniform and looking every bit as impressive as their reputations.

 

[Lena Dracov]

Location: Wulfengard
Objective: Therapy with your Boss
Tags: Katella | Corin Autem | Nyrasa Emrick

Lena sat there, leaning against the wall, staring at Corin as she spoke. Being here, speaking with her, Lena realised just how little she knew her. In a way, she was disappointed. She hadn't gotten to know anyone in her squad since joining, socialising wasn't what she did. She was a witch of Dathomir, of course that was all an excuse. She was terrified, she hadn't come face to face with her past in what felt like decades, and it was tearing her apart.

As much as she didn't want to open up, she was part of a team, she owed it to them to play her part without distraction. She was making progress though, she listened intently as Corin continued, the hurt in her voice was obvious, and it made her pause. This was the effect of war, the mistakes of men and women. Lives were lost because of some petty disagreements. Life truly was cruel, she had come face to face with it.

"Your sister... Were you two close?"

Lena sat there for minutes, switching her gaze to the dismembered training droid. You can overcome it. Finally, she sighed and opened her mouth to speak. Her voice barely audible. "We were. The first time we left Dathomir... our mother was killed. I took her and ran and we smuggled ourselves back to Dathomir. But the toll it took on my sister was immense, she grew up without a mother, and all I thought was how I could've stopped it if... if I was stronger." Her voice picked up as she shifted her gaze back to Corin.

"I trained for years, then I went back to that world and murdered every last person who had played a part in our mothers death." The flood of memories broke through, the screams of the men as she butchered them all. "I wanted to go back to her, my sister, but the world wasn't safe for her. So... I ran." The sadness in her voice was apparent, this was the real Lena Dracov. Not the stone cold witch, but the coward full of grief. She hated herself for not going back, her sister had grown up without a mother, and then she was abandoned by her sister.

"Now look at her, a member of the Maw." She didn't know what to feel, hate? Anger? Grief? All she knew was that she had unintentionally caused hundreds of deaths, and she would take that to the grave. But at the same time, the weight on her shoulders lightened. She was slowly but surely opening up to her past, if she would ever be comfortable with it or not was a different question.

 

[Eleena Salwa]

Location: Wulfngard - Kalidan-Lysenia
Tags: Trinity Harris

Eleena closed her eyes to a calm, dreamless sleep, aided by her girlfriend’s gentle massaging of her lekku. Then, as if no time at all had passed, she woke up to the sight of the expansive parade grounds. Stretching her arms, the Eleena first looked over Trinity, hoping that she hadn't accidentally knocked anything out of place on her uniform while sleeping. Giving a relieved breath, she followed the scientist out of the speeder bus, a soft smile manifesting on her features as Trinity placed her arms over her shoulders.

"Well then my queen, we need to go to different entrances, but if you can cheer extra hard just for me and meet me back for celebratory drinks after, that would be perfect."

“I’ll be as loud as I can, Trinity~” Eleena answered, a playful glint in her eyes as she did. “You won’t have to worry about a quiet reception, I promise. I’ll see you on the stage, flower girl.” She finished with Trinity’s pet name and a coy wink.

After a gentle, light kiss on the cheek, so as to not smear the scientist with lipstick or to ruin her own, Eleena watched as Trinity turned to head for her designated entrance. Once the botanist was gone, Eleena took out her OmniLink and glanced over her messages.

She could only barely restrain the high-pitched, girlish noise that escaped from her throat upon seeing the picture that her commander, Isena Elysi, had attached to her text.

To say that she made record time was an understatement.

The Twi’lek strode as fast as she dared through the parade grounds and the crowd of attendees, jumping as she did in order to better see over the group of taller bodies. Fortunately, it didn’t take her long to find them, to find him. When he finally came into sight, Eleena pushed herself as fast as the uniform conduct rules would allow, dipping and weaving through the crowd as she did.

Then, after moving past a family taking pictures, she saw the towering Trandoshan, along with her commander and Lexi, her wingmate.

“Bruz! Oh my gosh, you’re here!” Eleena immediately threw herself into the Trandoshan’s arms, forgetting all sense of conduct and decorum in favor of embracing her former mentor from the Speed Corps. “I can’t believe you showed! W-where have you been? It’s been so long!” She stammered out, with equal parts excitement and disbelief.

“Ahh, jussst got a text from Firedancer over here.” He began, pointing to Isena. “Ssshe said thisss wasss ssspecial for you and that you wanted a bit of a…presssence for, who wasss it?”

“Trinity.” Isena cut in.

“Guys…I can't believe…this is…” Eleena lost her words, holding back tears.

“Believe it. Asss long asss it'sss been since we’ve lassst ssseen each other, you’re family, Eleena.” Bruz said, the brutal ex-swoop gangster looking very much paternal as he embraced the diminutive Twi’lek.

“And family can’t wait for you and Trinity’s wedding! Has she proposed yet? Have you? No offense, but y’all need to get on with it!” Lexi cut in excitedly, the prospect of a party very much an entertaining idea for the vivacious Zeltron.

“One step at a time. I’m sure they’ll get to it, Lexi.” Isena replied. “In the meantime…let’s get ready to make some noise.”

 

[Trinity Harris]

Warrant Officer Trinity Harris
DXenbo MAnthro
Passed with distinction​

The ceremony was longer than Trinity had anticipated, the speakers, like all senior military figures loved the sound of their voices. Speeches about the new generation of warrior, the leaders of the future, they sounded like stories that had been repeated a thousand times. Trinity couldn't help but swell with pride as the hard work she and her fellows had put in to get to this point. It wasn't why she was here, the military was a means to and end for her but it felt good to be part of something.

Two hours in and Trin's arms ached from clapping and her face ached from smiling. But it was coming up to her turn her row filed out of the seating arrangement and she took her place, they would list the rank, name and specialty of each soldier, they would then be handed their warrant, Trinity was last as she had been asked to say a few words for her class. What? Why? those were her words precisely, but it wasn't really a request so she prepared and rehearsed a speech to give. It was only short, but she was more nervous than addressing a room filled with hundreds of judgemental postgrads. Eventually, it was time.

"Warrant Officer Dr Trinity Harris, speciality, Xenobotanology"

She walked up onto the stage the officer first handed her the writ of Warrant, then saluted her. She saluted back and took the podium

"Class of 874, it is my immense honor to speak for us on the first day of the rest of out careers, I look out and see many faces I have sweat and bled with, and I think, the Eternal Empire is lucky to have every last one of us.

I would personally like to thank my partner Eleena for supporting me and giving me the strength I needed to do all this. I think we all have that person who had supported us, when you are fighting or otherwise dedicating yourself to the cause of the Eternal Empirez remember, it isn't some ideal you fight for, it isn't some far away politician, it that person giving you your strength. If you remember that, them the enemies of the Empire should cower before us."

She laughed lightly and continued through a small speech about a few of the things the class had gone through before leaving the podium. She breathed out deeply and relaxed her shoulders as she walked off the stage, that went OK, she wasn't the best speaker, she was about her work not about giving orders. But she felt happy.

The ceremony was nearly another hour before the graduates could leave and return to their guests.

Eleena Salwa