Private The Saint, The Witch, and The Rebellion

[Aya Clarke]

• Location: Eternal Empire Listening Post EE-LP-1424, Ast Kikori
• Companions: Ser Cyril Abbey, The Saint's Faithful, Lace Donnadieu
• Eclipse Allies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
• Eternal Enemies: Kessia Miran
• Equipment: In sig

Aya sighed quietly, stepping over the corpses of the skeleton crew that had been running Listening Post EE-LP-1424, her gaze cast down upon them and sorrow filling her heart. Such meaningless death, even if she had wasted no time in their swift defeat. Her banner was held calmly, resting against her shoulder with the cloth let loose down behind her, her magnificent crimson eagle crest and white backdrop surprisingly unstained by blood. How, she wouldn't question, but instead took it as a sign of purity in purpose, despite how saddening the lives snuffed out felt. She took in a deep breath, and moved into the post's main operation center. Her banner was propped against a wall, and she turned back to her Faithful, nodding at the group. "Collect the Fallen and bring them here."

The twelve knights and lieges nodded, quickly gathering the small crew and laying them down side by side in the command center. The Saint removed each one's helmet, were they wearing one, and gently closed shut their eye's,laying their weapons over their chest, hands clasped over it on their chest. Quite prayers escaped her lips, praying for their souls to find peace wherever they may find themselves and commending their defense, short as it was. When she finished, she again rose to her feet, and nodded lightly. "They have done well, it is a shame they fight for our enemy. Remember them well, for they will not be the first we must fight nor the last that must die. Honor them well."

"Ser Cyril, you know how to use the communications system yes? Prepare a broadcast on every channel you can. Public or not. Ser Adam, take Lady Belle and two others to prepare the station for defensive fortifications. Madam Donnadieu, I would request you stay with me and Cyril to coordinate the others. The rest are to find anything of use to the defense preparations and seal off as many side passages as you find, we cannot be overwhelmed." The knights and lieges nodded, saluting before rushing off to attend their tasks.

When Cyril motioned for Aya, the woman nodded and retrieved her banner, standing as proudly as she could where he indicated, in case this transmission was image as well as voice. "This is Lady Clarke, of House Clarke, to deliver unto the Empire 'Eternal' a message. Though this is but a small post, your end at my hand has begun here. With but a few, I have done what should take many, and with many I shall tear your empire apart brick by brick. Your defiance to fate will be punished. I await the arrival of your bright future's Eclipse eagerly." When the transmission finished, she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and looked to Cyril.

"Well spoken Saint Clarke. Now all that is left is to hope this 'Rebellion' has heard it too, or our Goddess's will may yet be undone."

"Have faith my friend, we will be seeing another Dawn, I promise it."

 

[Lace Donnadieu]

Lace sheathed her daggers quietly as her Saint's faithful gathered the dead. Their attempts to keep her out of the fighting did not go unnoticed, and frankly were quite annoying. Golden eyes watched Aya Clarke say a prayer over the Imperials, and Lace hummed when her Saint finished. In the witch's mind, these soldiers were unworthy as such blessings from her Saint. A frown tugged at her lips when her Saint called her "Madam Donnadieu" instead of just "Lace" like she had insisted many times already.

"My Saint, prithee, I insist on you just using my given name... Tis a waste of your breath to call me Madam."

She sighed quietly, before standing to the side as Cyril began the broadcast, and smiled ever so slightly at how... Regal, her Saint looked. The perfect image of what a Saint should be, at least in Lace's mind. Aya everything Lace could only aspire to be, but was unworthy of even dreaming of becoming. Her Saint was... Well. In a word? Perfect.

"The Goddess' will is unyielding and true, embodied in our Saint's being, Cyril. Have no doubts of our success... I would send a hundred Imperials to an early grave before any harm befalls our Saint."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Kessia Miran

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Listening Post EE-LP-1424, Ast Kikori
Equipment: Simple light armor,modified Tactical Turtleneck | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit undersuit | Simple robe | 2x Westar 34 blaster pistol | 2x vibroblade | 2x Red blade lightsaber shoto | Stealth field generator | Holographic disguise matrix | G1 OmniLink
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Lace Donnadieu | Aya Clarke

Kessia was at one of the nearby bases where she was conducting an inspection as part of Blackwatch’s investigation. When events by rebels took place nearby, since it was broadcast on all frequencies, so of course the woman heard it. However, she was not even delayed as such a message could not get out of the planet, so she immediately addressed the communications officer:

<”Jamming their transmission and opening an audio channel, immediately!”> she ordered.

A few moments later the response from the officer arrived to block outbound transmissions from that base. And also that the audio channel has been opened and Chameleon can speak, they will hear, so Kessia didn't wait any longer, but spoke:

”Oh what brave deeds of valour! From some sculpin killers, you must be very proud of yourself. That you were able to kill some scientists who took up weapons to defend their lives.” she said sarcastically. ”I hope you don't expect me to applaud you, how skillful you were.”

Her voice was known only to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , since she had already spoken to the woman at the Lotho Minor. It was the same voice now as it was then, while Kessia waited for a response, she deliberately left the channel open for the rebels to hear her voice, which she addressed again to the communication officer.

”Send a message to Kalidan at the center of Blackwatch, and at the Imperial Court. After that to each planet of the Empire, let all the citizens of the Empire know that the rebels are no longer just attacking military bases, this time they have crossed a line in which the entire staff of an astronomical civilian research base has been massacred.” she said. ”Instruct the other bases and units serving here, if anyone wants to take off from the surface without permission, they can shoot without warning.”

Of course the fact that there were only civilians there was a lie, but it is not necessary to know this, the propaganda worked differently. She waited for an answer for now to see if she would get it from the rebels, after that she also intended to go there in person, see if she can handle things alone.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"No..."

Lori watched and listened to both broadcasts by Aya Clarke and Kessia Miran in utter shock and dismay. Of course she didn't know who many of the Rebels were and that was all done on purpose for the survival of the rebellion. Yet she had hoped that none of them were cold blooded killers. "Please let it just be an illusion..." Illusions had been used before to entice responses from people. She hoped that this was one of those cases.

Especially as Kessia was now getting involved.

"You're not going down there, are you?"

"I have to, Arla. The Empire is going to undermine our work. We can't let them win. And it has to be done right. We don't just slaughter people. That's not what the Rebellion is about."

"That's their propaganda. You're playing into their hands."

"Then we continue to beat them at their own game. I'm the Face of the Rebellion, right? It's my job."

"It could be the death of you too. And it's my job to protect you at all costs."

"I know, Arla...I know. I'll try not to get into too much trouble."

It was trouble enough to get down there. Just what House Clarke was planning on doing with that hostile takeover, she had no idea. But Lori had to try to find some way to turn it to their favour as opposed to the Empire's.

It was hostile attacks like these which brought truth to some of Kessia's words during their past conversation. The Rebels couldn't lose sight of what they stood for, nor of what they stood against.

Otherwise, they'd be no better than the Empire that they fought so hard to defeat.

Lace Donnadieu

 

[Aya Clarke]

• Location: Eternal Empire Listening Post EE-LP-1424, Ast Kikori
• Companions: Ser Cyril Abbey, The Saint's Faithful, Lace Donnadieu
• Eclipse Allies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
• Eternal Enemies: Kessia Miran
• Equipment: In sig

Aya couldn't help but smile a small bit when this stranger, no doubt imperial, made themselves known to her. She made sure the channel stayed open before speaking with an amused tone. "How curious. An empire so fragile that it must lie to protect its ego over an insignificant, meaningless military loss. I was not aware that your idea of 'eternal' was made of cardboard. A cardboard empire then, whether that's truth or your idea of your own empire I am looking forward to finding out." And with that, Aya herself cut the transmission back, turning to Lace and Cyril.

"Begin downloading every bit of information you can from this place, we will be leaving soon. I want every bit of vital information you can scrape from the databanks put on something before we leave... I will be awaiting our hosts personally." She offered both Madam Donnadieu, who's insistence on dropping the title was continually being ignored, and Ser Cyril a bow on her way out. Down their organized chokepoints, Aya walked calmly, taking a kneel at the entrance, resting her flag on her shoulder as she began to pray again.

This time it was a silent prayer, for both good fortune, and preparation to die should it come to. Aya was fighting again for her Goddess, and in offering herself thus... she felt again at peace.

 

[Lace Donnadieu]

Lace had to hold her tongue as the broadcast of Kessia Miran came through. How dare this filthy imperial dog lie about the actions of her Saint! She rolled her eyes, and scoffed at Kessia's words.

"So the Empire is not only an affront to the Goddess' Will, but also a group of liars... How quaint."

The witch's gaze fell upon her Saint as Aya Clarke gave Sir Cyril and herself orders to collect information from the Empire. Lace bowed deeply back to her Saint, before looking over the computers. Her lips were pulled downwards in a frown as she walked over to one of the machines. What could they use to copy the information?

Golden eyes scanned the room, across the computers, over the dead soldiers, looking for anything she and Sir Cyril could use. Lace smirked when she saw an external hard drive, just laying on top of a computer. Such negligence from the Empire. Walking over, Lace picked it up gingerly, and inspected it.

"Sir Cyril, I believe we will be able to use this to store the information we gather. I must admit to you that I am not the most... technologically knowledgeable of people."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Kessia Miran]

Kessia Miran
Chameleon, Knight Warden of the Wardens of the Shroud, Agent of Blackwatch, sithspawn, L’lerim’s right hand​

Location: Listening Post EE-LP-1424, Ast Kikori
Equipment: Simple light armor,modified Tactical Turtleneck | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit undersuit | Simple robe | 2x Westar 34 blaster pistol | 2x vibroblade | 2x Red blade lightsaber shoto | Stealth field generator | Holographic disguise matrix | G1 OmniLink
Tag: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Lace Donnadieu | Aya Clarke

Kessia could no longer hear the answer the woman had told her, for she immediately turned and walked out of the room. She had already issued the orders, there was no longer any point in staying here. Then, on the spot, try to "prevent" them from escaping. Last but not least, she needed more accurate information.

She was looking for a biker at her own base and took it with her. She didn't carry reinforcements, just went alone, that was plenty this time. She actually intended for the rebels to get out of the planet, because that was the right purpose now. She also took two trackers with her. Maybe she didn’t know how many ships the Rebels had arrived with, but placing a tracker on it or them from the outside would later lead them to the rebel fleet. The soldiers would have prevented all this.

The base occupied by the rebels was not too far away, so she arrived there in a few minutes with the biker. True, she had to go full speed to do this. When she got close to the place, she used Force Cloak to make her invisible. She had hidden her presence in the Force before, so she didn't have to bother with it now. When she got quite close to the base, she aimed it at the biker.

She set the vehicle to full speed and she jumped off it. A few seconds later, the biker crashed into the side of the base, where it also exploded, opening a larger rift in the base wall. It was already where she wasn't going to go in, it was a diversion. Now she set off for the ship landing here, it was time to use one of the trackers and place it on its surface…

// If I'm wrong with the ship, please tell me and Kesia will go to the main entrance //

​