[SIZE=10pt]On approach to the entrance of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Workshop Xcan[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt], Arisa was mesmerized by the exterior of the great cathedral factory before her, resembling something more akin to a monument rather than a manufacturing plant. On the ground, neat rows of droids streamed in and out of Xcan, while aerial drones and Vulture droids zipped around in tight orbits.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Many droids, but not any Xi Charrians to be seen outside aside from [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Prelate[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] Zerrid and her entourage leading them to the entrance.The zealous insectoid race treated hard work as the ultimate form of worship within their religion, so it was rare to see one of stray very far from their factories.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“It’s quite amazing to see that all the factories were spared during the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]war[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt],” Arisa told Zerrid, having to crane her neck to look up at the towering Xi Charrian. “Usually they’re some of the first things to go.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Zerrid began to utter a complex series of clicks in her native tongue, while a protocol droid with the group immediately translated her words to basic. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“We all may have had our...differences...but certain things for my people remain sacrosanct. In our faith, our factories serve as the vehicles to everlasting paradise. That is worth preserving. Even the blasphemous United Systems Society understood that much.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Arisa nodded quietly in understanding, though within her mind, the Jedi found it a bit disheartening see that the native Xi Charrians and other inhabitants of Charros IV hadn’t been able to treat each other with the same reverence they had for inanimate objects. Life was strange. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Inside Xcan, she found thousands of Xi Charrians hard at work behind the desks of their worships, or along vast conveyor belts fabricating all manner of electronics. The Force flowed each individual like any living being, but their movements were all so stiff and mechanical like a droid. The floor was loud with the sound of machinery, but not a single peep was made by the workers themselves outside the clang of their tools, completely absorbed in their work. The emotional atmosphere was one of euphoria, each worker overjoyed to be living to their full potential building technical marvels. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]This is amazing [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]She thought to herself, greatly impressed with the dedication of the Xi Charrians to their craft. She wanted to compliment their diligence aloud to the Prelate, but she knew better than to speak within one of the factories. In her readings of Xi Charrian protocols, she had learned that long ago, a pair of Jedi had been ejected from a factory like this for disturbing the peace in their investigations. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]As they descended into the subterranean levels of the factory, she began to see bigger constructions. Large battle droids, vehicles, generators, etc. She was starting to become giddy, the engineer loving nothing more than tinkering with technology. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]However, just as soon as that giddiness began to rise, it would evaporate as her mind was wracked by a series of disturbances, that tell tale sign of death to the veteran commander. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard rumbling like thunder, then the screech of metal. All around her the atmosphere had changed from merriment to panic as chaos erupted on the factory floors. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The cyborg’s neural link would ping with an alert from the Silver flotilla stationed in low orbit in support of the local peacekeeping mission. Shock was replaced by anger as the details of the emergent threat were fed directly into her mind for review: a GE fleet, now engaging on the bombardment of the entire planet. With the Dominion now out of the picture, it appeared clear that the butchers of Kamino had now set their sights on the Silver Jedi in one of the most gruesome openings imaginable. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]“...Prelate Zerrid,” she began, her words coming low and slow as she worked to keep her rage in check. “We need to move.”[/SIZE]
-------------------
[SIZE=10pt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5VbvUo0gU[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]In the GE’s indiscriminate attacks upon Charros, several cities sustained heavy damage, some entire city blocks completely vaporized. Not even the pristine factory cathedrals were spared from attack, with a few being destroyed outright. Xi Charrians who stood witness to the attacks would let out great cries of despair as some of the holiest sites on the planet were glassed into slag before them. If there was such a thing as hell, then this would be it for the Xi Charrians. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The response from the Silver flotilla and Charrian home fleet was swift, immediately opening fire upon the attacking GE ships shortly after they initiated orbital bombardment, though they wouldn’t be able to do much of anything to stop the first volleys of turbolaser fire smashing into the surface of Charros IV. At that point, all they could do was force the GE ships out of position as they were engaged. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]HVC[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] stations in orbit started to spit out streams of destructive slugs against the ships of the invaders, while batteries of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]planetary turbolasers[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] came alive to serve the GE a taste of its own medicine with hails of beam fire.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]At every major population center across the globe, surviving [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]DefenStar 500 shields[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Tranquility sensor jammers[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] were activated to save the cities and cathedral factories from further rounds of bombardment. As each population center possessed its own shield array, the popular option of a sending in a single commando team to bring down a whole planetary shield was off the table. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Soldiers from both the planetary defense force and local Ranger mission began to mobilize, while droid fighters began to swarm, the most notable being [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Vultures[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Scarabs[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]. Shortly after takeoff, the droid fighters would almost immediately blast off for orbit to join the home fleet above in protecting their masters. There would be hundreds of them, more rising to join the fray every minute. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The Galactic Empire had just stirred up the hornet’s nest with their latest atrocity, and they would be made to suffer as they had just inflicted the greatest insult to the Charrian people with their genocidal attack and destruction of their cathedral factories. There would be no mercy for the invaders, and this battle would be unlikely to end at Charros. Soon, the Galactic Empire were going to learn that they were not exempt from retaliation for their puzzling military adventures across the galaxy.
[member="Tanomas Graf"][/SIZE]