The Plot That Could Topple Empires, Chapter I - The Discovery

[Imperial Storyteller]

(OOC: Information about this Campaign can be found here.)

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D E E P S P A C E , T H E I N N E R R I M​

8 5 0 A B Y​

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IMPERIAL SIGNAL DETECTED
SOURCE: RISHI MAZE, KAMINO SYSTEM
CONCLUSION: IMPERIAL FORCES ACTIVE
CONTINGENCY: COMPLETE >>> INCOMPLETE
OVERRIDING DEACTIVATION SIGNAL VIA SUBROUTINE 18273645

STAND-BY...

The corridors of the Imperial Raider-class corvette lit up after eight hundred years of complete and total darkness, a light humming sound signaling that the reactor had been automatically activated in order to produce power for the ancient vessel. The maintenance droids were the first to wake up, feeling power surge through their wires after so long, and while the war droids awakened, a contingent of dark troopers, the droids cleared the skeletal remains of the former crew by jettisoning the bodies into space behind them.

Two KX-series security droids marched into the now staffed bridge of the corvette, lording over the crew pits like the overseeing officers had done long ago. "We have our orders, send out the command codes and summon the Imperial remnants here so we can enact the final phases of the Contingency; Learn all you can about this time period while you can." One of them said, receiving acknowledgements from a variety of droids.

They were about to continue with their duties until the blast doors opened to reveal a red-robed individual, humanoid in form, to the droid crew. They looked up in awe, or whatever a droid did, as a face appeared over its black-domed head.

"Kneel before your Emperor."

 

[Alasdair Sitra]

I S D D E S T R U C T O R​

“Commander Sonn, report to the bridge.” The voice carried through the halls and barracks of the Imperial Star Destroyer with a metallic tone. “I repeat Commander Sonn, report to the bridge.” The call had been enough for the brunette Imperial to immediately stop the pazzak game that they had been involved in and head with a hastened march to the bridge.

From her position within the bowels of the Imperial dreadnought it was at times impossible to remember that they were indeed travelling through hyperspace, a fact far more obvious from the viewing platform of the bridge, where the large transparent windows revealed the swirling blue mess of lightspeed. They had been travelling for several days already, heading core ward towards the deep core where recently Intelligence had stated they had received a transmission that had sent shivers up to the very top of the Galactic Empire by the sounds of things.

“Commander Sonn,” Admiral Strutter. One of the Empire’s most decorated naval officers and a personal friend of Kayrce’s father stood staring out at the abyss as he spoke to her. “I need your team geared and ready for deployment the moment we drop out of hyperspace. It is of the most importance that I have instant reaction to whatever it is we find in there.”

“Understood Admiral.” She kept her at ease position as best she could, clearly understanding that if Strutter seemed troubled then this mission was not going to be a run of mill operation. “With all due respect sir, do I get more of an objective brief?”
“Naturally the answer is no Commander.” He struggled to look amused. “Not that I chose not to, orders are from higher then me on this one. You are to be ready for deployment and should no danger be present switch rolls into an escort for two executive positions we have on board.”

“Yes sir.” Executive positions? That could only mean the governing council were getting involved, or Intelligence. “I understand.”

[member="Imperial Storyteller"]

 

[Imperial Storyteller]

Immediately after Admiral Strutter had informed the Inferno Commander of their mission, the members throughout the ship would have their comlinks bleep loudly and display another set of orders; 'INV DEVASTATOR FORWARD HANGAR' It said, only giving the location and the order itself. Soon they would find out what it meant when they entered the small hangar, a Delta-class T-3c shuttlecraft sitting idly on the black durasteel floor with its boarding ramp lowered, crewmen loading supplies onto it.

A novatrooper sergeant would approach, signalling the presence of the Imperial Moff Council. "Inferno Squadron, you are to board the shuttle and escort the Imperial dignitary to Onderon, that is all." The sergeant said, before leaving the hangar bay. Once they were all onboard, the ramp would raise and the shuttle would leave as the Devastator left hyperspace for a short interval, jumping away as soon as the stealth shuttle was cleared from it.

Silence and tension filled the air, some of the soldiers in Inferno looking around uneasily until a sliding sound emanated from the corridor to the cockpit. Moving through the now open door, Grand Moff Tanomas Graf would look over them all, clasping his hands behind his back as he stood near the middle of the passenger bay.

[member="Kayrce"] | [member="Desmond C'artyom"]

 

[Alasdair Sitra]

Despite the Admiral of the Star Destroyer being present immediate protocol was to follow commands if they were dispatched through certain channels, the immediate message was one of those channels. There was a moment where Strutter gave a look towards Kayrce and his eyebrow rose ever so slightly, yet he merely returned the salute that offered by the Commander of Inferno Squadron and turned back to his viewport without a single question.

The hallways were as always bustling with Imperial activity, patrols moved in groups and naval crew went about their business as the small group of Special Forces continued to expand as they marched in unison through the interior of the Star Destroyer. They would remain on this path until together they would fall into line before a red and white clad Novatrooper, one of the Imperial Council’s personal regiments.

“Understood.” Would be all the reply the Novatrooper would recieve, technically Kayrce outranked the sergeant however Imperial protocol declared that while aboard Imperial property and within a state of non-combat the Novatrooper would hold commanding role as an extension of the Moff Council. So as ordered the team would embark the shuttle, take their positions along the crew seating and remain silent as it departed the hanger of the Star Destroyer.

The only sound that filled the shuttle was the steady clicks of equipment being inspected or tinkered with, Beric was tightening something inside his helmet while Twos kept rolling his rifle over and over in his hands assuring that it was up to full inspection rights. Kayrce however just stared at the far wall running over the situation in her mind, or at least why the plan had changed from the initial briefing on the bridge.

However the sound of the door from the cockpit opening filled the crew quarters and from the lightened entrance the aged form of the Imperial Dignitary entered. She tried not to appear shocked or surprised but the realisation was almost too much. She shot to her feet, hand in salute. “Attention! Grand Moff on deck!” She hoped to the Force that the others were as reactive in this situation as they were in combat.

[member="Imperial Storyteller"] | [member="Desmond C'artyom"]

 

[Tanomas Graf]

The Grand Moff raised a wrinkled palm, a sign for the members of Inferno Squadron to at-ease, the man was always a fan of formalities but now was not the time. "Inferno, I realize that your mission briefing was vague to your vexation. It was important that it was due to the nature of our mission." He started, emphasizing the word to indicate his participation "Our first objective is to travel to the moon of Onderon, Dxun; It is there that we will find the primary colony of the Mandalorians, and by extension their leader. We require their services as mercenaries in order to complete our next objective."

For this, Tanomas cleared his throat, a look of worry evident over his features. "The Avenger, as well as other Rebellion-era Imperator I and II-class star destroyers, recently detected a signal being broadcast from the Inner Rim of the Galaxy. That alone would not have been enough for this...expedition...but the archives on these ancient destroyers reveal this signal as command codes, the highest level of Imperial command codes from the late Emperor Palpatine himself."

The room seemed to dim as Graf took on a dark look "We must secure the source of these codes, and we must do so without alerting nearby powers that are hostile to our ideologies: The Free Worlds Coalition, the Galactic Alliance, the Outer Rim Coalition, or worse, the First Order. Therefore we will keep a low profile, necessitating the recruitment of mercenaries, the Devastator will be attacking the Khomm system in an attempt to draw the Alliance Defense Force Core-ward as a diversionary tactic."

Graf approached and opened up a locker in the passenger bay and donned his trenchcoat over his phrik-weave uniform and a black Imperial officer's cap to cover his pearly white hair. Afterwards, he grabbed and loaded a commando pistol before holstering it in his coat. "We aren't exactly friendly with the Mandalorians, you will need to be on your guard. You are more than their equal, but they outnumber you."

"Approaching Dxun"

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[member="Kayrce"] | [member="Desmond C'artyom"] | [member="Vilaz Munin"]

 

[Alasdair Sitra]

It was a very personal affair, within that shuttle with the Imperial’s command structure present in its most highest level. It gave Kayrce goosebumps beneath her insulated flight suit, for the fact they had been called upon was ever more proof that Inferno had become more then just a special forces detachment. It was something renown throughout the entirety of the Empire now and that meant they now had a reputation to live up to.

“How is that even possible.” The voice came from one of the other Inferno members who had re-taken their seat during the Grand Moff’s briefing. “Palpatine has been dead for nearly a thousand years, surely the galaxy hasn’t frakked itself up enough that people are coming back from the dead?”
“Remt.” Kayrce shot him a warning look. “Keep your opinions out of this.” A nod of confirmation came her way and the group turned back towards Graf as a whole. “With all due respect sir, I do find it highly surprising that these transmissions have been picked up, are we certain that it is not a fault within the ageing hardware, or at worse a trap?” She would probably get chastised for speaking out of turn, but she knew how these things worked, years of academy, combat and her father’s expertise saw to that.

The mention of the Mandalorians sent another wave of huffs though the group. There was no love lost between many of the members and the warlike culture, while Kayrce personally had never operated against them she had taken hand in the training of the Empire’s new Clone divisions and if they were only a fraction of their capability she knew they would have their work set up against them. “We will be prepared for whatever may be necessary. Your trust has been well placed sir.” She assured the Grand Moff that if the situation got dire Inferno will sort out the situation with efficiency and speed. Deadly, speedy efficiency.

[member="Tanomas Graf"] | [member="Imperial Storyteller"] | [member="Vilaz Munin"]

 

[Tanomas Graf]

The shuttle swept through the clouds of the Hell Moon of Onderon, Dxun. From what Imperial Intelligence had gathered on the Mandalorian exodus from Mandalore, Mand'alor the Exile had decided to rally them on the moon that had harbored one of their former outposts dating back to the Jedi Civil War some millennia ago. Now they had converted it into a colony to house the influx of refugees from their homeworld, and for once ever since that fateful day over the planet of Eriadu; Tanomas Graf felt sorrow.

Directly approaching the colony itself, the shuttle would circle around multiple times, either as a show of power or a way of warning of their impending arrival, before setting down as close as possible, landing pad or not.

Disembarking via the boarding ramp once they had successfully landed, Graf would stride towards what would seem to be the main headquarters of the colony but stop a distance from it. If there were Mandalorians already sneering at him or not, he did not care, his trench coat whipped around his legs from a slight breeze.

"MAND'ALOR THE EXILE! I AM HERE TO MAKE AMENDS AND CALL UPON THE SERVICES OF YOUR PEOPLE! DO YOU HONOR ME WITH YOUR PRESENCE?"

[member="Kayrce"] | [member="Vilaz Munin"]