Thus Always to Tyrants | Galactic Alliance Invasion of First Order Held Varonat Hex

[Keyan Mastigar]

​

Location: Varonat Orbit​

Allies: The Galactic Empire | The First Order | [member="Robogeber"]​

Enemies: The Galactic Alliance | [member="Cathul Thuku"] | [member="Mazik Stazi"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Allyson Locke"] | [member="Bandor Kre'fey"]​

Theme: Metal Frenzy SP - Battlefield 1​

​

The sleek INV Invictus drifted gently through the Imperial formations, disguised as an empty patch of space through the means of its experimental cloaking device; in fact, even if their adversaries had a mass-detector at their disposal, which the grand admiral doubted, they would have a hard time finding them amidst the vessels of equal or smaller size. The holoprojector integrated into Gromm's command throne was working hard to display the multitude of screens illustrating fleet movements, ship statuses, weapon timers, and communications traffic.

"Admiral, sir." Commander Praxon voiced, eyes seemingly glazed over from his datapad even as he looked up, "An enemy fleet has just jumped into the system, GADF by the looks of preliminary scans." Cardan was intrigued by this news; A fleet arriving so soon after the faux frigate touched down on the planet? Whoever believed that this was an appropriate strategy to deal with the armadas present were as clumsy as they were incompetent. "Tell the canteen to bring me some tea: sweet, with a dash of lemon, seventy-one point one degrees Celsius." The Epicanthix paused for a moment "And make sure it is in a sealable container."

Praxon nodded, choosing not to address the oddity of it, and sent the order down the chain. Cardan clasped his fingers on his lap, examining the enemy fleet on one of his displays as he did so. "Contact Rear Admirals Oldin and Jaxx, tell them to initiate Siege Mode immediately." Gromm began, his head angling to look at another display "Afterward, inform our destroyers that I wish for them to position themselves perpendicular to the battlecruisers under their charge." The grand admiral wanted to make sure that all avenues of attack were covered by at least one Imperial star destroyer; momentum sustainers were popular among the Alliance and their allies, and the range permitted him time to realign his fleet should he be wrong.

Though, fate seemed generous to him today.

A formidable battlegroup emerged from Hyperspace beneath the Coalition's forces, prompting a short twinge of annoyance to form on the man's face; he had been correct, he knew that the Alliance wouldn't dare send what currently lay outside of range alone for it was only a small part of the main group. "Tell the fleet I want defence batteries Forn through Krill to concentrate their fire on their fighter craft, here and here," Gromm commanded, pointing a single digit to various positions on the map "Put the Bastion combat systems of the Mandators to use and divert their point defence weaponry to purely anti-missile duty. Prepare to fire their siege weapons."

​

Outside in the void of space, before the enemy had somehow microjumped below the Imperial naval forces, the duo of Mandator V-class Siege Battlecruisers went through several changes. Numerous attack hangars revealed themselves from the pristine durasteel hulls of the vessels, complimenting the special weapons that emerged from their metal prisons. Hypervelocity guns and energy torpedo projectors were one thing, but they were infinitesimal compared to the proton cannon firing arrays that appeared on the ventral section of the gargantuan ships.

"Stand-by alert; Array targeting commencing."

The cannons aligned themselves, staring down their target as power surged to their respective systems, prepared to fire. The chief gunnery officer of each vessel went through the motions of the main firing sequence. First, they approached their stations, uttering the words that have sent thousands to their deaths: "Commence Primary Ignition." Then, they would signal their gunnery crews to begin fiddling about with various levers, switches, and knobs. This would continue until the CGOs finished the sequence, sending the command for the powerful reactor in each ship to pulse.

A red laser projected down a massive firing tube, next surrounded by glowing green rings that followed the laser down the tube. Once focused enough, luminescent spheres of energy charged down the aligning laser and into the cannon, which by now began glowing a beautiful, but deadly, emerald colour. The infamous proton beam cannon fired, causing a powerful ray to race towards a single target: An enemy star destroyer.

​

​

Gromm observed the display of Imperial power, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Open fire! Finish them off!" He boomed, a fluttering feeling of patriotism coming over him. The ships that had firing arcs aligned with the adversary and hadn't already been assigned a specific duty began firing their various weaponry; from the megamasers of the Praetor battlecruiser to the octuple-barbette turbolasers of the Imperial star destroyer.

"Have the fleet begin crewing their fighters if they haven't already, I want starfighter screen protecting our forces from retaliation." The grand admiral initiated, rising from his throne, turning to look back at his treasured commander again.

"Prepare the Invictus for the Scimitar Manoeuvre."

​

​

16th Imperial Sector Group​

​

Summary of Actions -

• Multiple Imperial Star Destroyers have aligned to cover the fleet's flank on Cardan's hunch.
• Escort Line providing fire against enemy 'starfighters'
• Mandator Siege Battlecruisers have entered Siege Mode and are firing their regular and special weapons at two of [member="Jyoti Nooran"]'s destroyers. Before this, they've used their advanced point defense armament to destroy almost all of the missiles targeting the GE armada.
• Attack lines and capital ships are attacking the destroyers that were targeted by the Mandators.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

​

ISON CORRIDOR // HOTH NAVAL HQ​

APPROXIMATELY 8 HOURS PRIOR TO DAGOBAH OPERATION​

[member="Cathul Thuku"] | [member="Mazik Stazi"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Bandor Kre'fey"]​

[member="Gromm Cardan"] | [member="Robogeber"] | [member="Astarii Saren"] | [member="Sieger Ren"]​

Information is Ammunition

The humble Shadow-class corvette was an old design, dating back to the zenith of the Old Sith. It was not a combat ship, not truly, it was underarmed and under-shielded and possessed only rudimentary defenses. The stealth-like systems engineered into it possessed nowhere near the integrity of proper Stygium Crystal cloaking, but made it quiet and hard to detect.

What it did possess was a an incredible sensor suite, not densely packed inside the vessel itself but distributed along a kilometers-long towed array. Standard reconnaissance and early-warning deployment called for a Shadow to enter realspace at a fixed point in deep space, nearly undetectable by virtue of isolation, and take a long slow course for hours, days, or even weeks at a time. There the towed array was capable of tracking vessels in hyperspace quite accurately, utilizing only passive sensors.

That information was relayed by encrypted single-point hyperwave signals back through a network of satellites, stations, and planetary facilities where it was analyzed, and processed for redistribution across First Order space. The end result was that the First Order had a very good idea of when outsiders were coming to visit. Not that it was hard to spot an invasion fleet in the first place, especially one prefaced by skirmishing along the front.

All this Cyrus explained to an only partially willing audience of aides, sub-commanders, and hanger-ons, as he strode through the cavernous halls of Hoth Naval HQ. He was abnormally loquacious, Commodore Vayyrel observed, and she further noted how neatly pressed his uniform was, how immaculate the folds. There was an obvious eye to detail the man rarely spared on anything but battleplans. Ceaseless war was good for his health, apparently.

“They will not, of course, strike at the head of the salient. Nemo Ven was skilled but had a stubborn streak, developed fighting the One Sith. Brute force had aided them there, at Dulvoyinn and Coruscant. It failed them here, and their new commanders will have learned that lesson and adapted. They will go around, take the head at the neck, Varonat I suspect, and drive a wedge in the Ison Corridor and render the whole front untenable. We cannot even head them off, an offensive in one direction would invite a counter-attack from another. So we wait, annihilate their forces, and turn their attempt at salvation inot a rout.”

He was animated in a way Vayyrel had not seen in years, emphasizing his words with hand signals and gestures. She thought back to the fight between against [member="Gir Quee"] at Station Hapspir, where she had been forced to step in to calm his wrath. Had that very anger that had nearly cost them the battle invigorated him?

The Grand Admiral stopped abruptly and cast his gaze over the small crowd following him. His eyes hardened. “I assume you all have somewhere else to be...” His voice held no humor. The crowd scattered, leaving only Vayyrel and a couple of aides. He turned and wordlessly resumed his walk.

“I take it you do not plan to go Dagobah, then.” Vayyrel asked after a while.

“No. It's a sideshow. A political display, meant to appease Graf's petty empire. Strength in unity and such. Anyway the Alliance won't have much there either, as I expect we'll see shortly. I'll muster the fleet here and await the Alliance's arrival. Our sensor net will pick them, the local commanders will fix them in system, and I will strike as the hammer.”

He was silent for a while, the only sound that echoed in the corridor was the distinctive clack of his dress boots and the more muffled sound of the footsteps of his aides. Then as they rounded a corner and neared the conference room where a number of senior commanders waited, he turned to Vayyrel once more.

“Varonat, I'm sure of it. There we will shatter their ships, break their resolve, and destroy their will to fight.”

​

ISON CORRIDOR // VARONAT​

PRESENT TIME​

They arrived in formation, a four-sided wedge in the center, flanked by forward curving wings that were wider at the far edge and narrowed as they approached the wedge. Admiral Kahalen on the left, in the Devastator-class Dreadnought''Manticore” and the sole alien Admiral in First Order service, Isano Sekerian on the right, in the latest iteration of the Star Destroyer Predator. The center was bolstered by the presence of Admiral Cima Shingen and her battlecruiser Compellor. Set to the rear, nestled inside a fortress of allied vessels, lay the Implacable, and from there Cyrus watched the battlefield before him with vested interest.

The interdiction field had pulled them out as planned, providing more an aid to tactical deployment than the inhibition perhaps intended. Now they law in a roughly perpendicular line to the fleets commanded by Jyoti Nooran, Robogeber, and the other Alliance commanders. As a looming mass, the fleets began to advance, destroyers and heavy ships leading, escorts wedged in-between, and artillery and support vessels to the rear, with a pack of mid-line escorts as their defenders.

Strike craft were launching en masse, the various wing commanders taking advantage of the range between the force and its enemies to freely form up, loose spheres of heavy fighters surrounded bombers, claws of interceptors on the edge, and packs of versatile fighters distributed throughout.

Cyrus scanned the flow of data and entered a few commands to focus it down to information regarding the interdiction field. Though he had used the obstacle to his benefit it presented a dangerous impediment to other, less cohesive forces. It also meant he couldn't have damaged forces withdraw to safety, if necessary.

The field this time was generated by a staggering number of ships, evidence of the Alliance's devotion to this assault. There was something admirable about the way they were attacking in force, and Cyrus had to respect whoever had put the plan into action. He was still going to pick it apart, of couse.

“All sub commanders, select forces to form Search-Attack Units. Objective is to eliminate interdiction-equipped vessels.”

Nebulon B9 and Stalwart-class Cruisers were venerable design, having been in service for over a decade at this point and though lacking perhaps in modern technologies they were still perfectly capable combat vessels. Cracking open the interdictors would require a concentrated effort.

The 10 SAU's were designated Aurek through Grek, each consisting of a small group of corvettes and frigates, centered around a single heavy cruiser and one of the new Falchion-class Bastion Cruisers. They darted out from the main force, seeking the B9's and Stalwarts in particular where they were far removed from supporting fleets.

Meanwhile the main force continued to close, now leading slightly with the left wing (Admiral Kahalen) and making obvious their intent to target the ships led by Jyooti Nooran. An small armada of 849a Frigates, all that remained in the force, drooped to the rear and began to lay mines, a mix of gravity interdictors and B and C-Types, to dissuade any pursuit and wreak havoc on anybody who tried the same trick.

In the CIC of the Implacable a quiet alarm went off at Cyrus' command chair, indicating that the first vessels had entered into firing range, albeit only with dedicated artillery weapons. He lingered on the display for a moment, until someone in the pit below passed up the report that the long-range weapons on the Implacable itself had locked on targets.

“Begin.”

And the sky was alive with fury.

Summary

Spoiler

Fleet arrives perpendicular to lineup of Jyoti-Robogeber-Cathul.
Minefield laid to rear.
Search Attack Units Aurek through Grek dispatched to hunt down interdictors.
Long range fire on Jyoti Nooran.

Battlegroup Fury

Spoiler

Admiral Itsel Kahalen
Devastator-class Dreadnought Manticore
others

Admiral Isano Sekerian
Wyyrlok-class Star Destroyer Predator
others

Admiral Cima Shingen
Desolator-class Battlecruiser Compellor
others

Grand Admiral Cyrus Tregessar
Unforgiven-class Battlecruiser Implacable
others

 

[WolfMortum]

​

Location: Lower City District of Commerce & Trade.​

Allies: [member="Samka Derith"], [member="Kyrel Ren"] and [member="Asheda Tyr"].​

Enemy: Those whom bring about death and destruction.​

Old Friends: [member="Tiland Kortun"].​

Equipment: Heavy Battle Attire, Lightsabers of Svivren, The Kingsglaive, Promissium Annulos.​

​

​

He could not count the months it had been since he had seen the old face of his distant friend, [member="Tiland Kortun"] rarely having disagreed upon much of anything with Veiere and thus giving the Dark Jedi no real incentive to seek to confront him in any sense of violence; quite the opposite in fact. Turning at the sound of the elder's call above the crowd, Veiere shook his head with a dry laugh, the likelihood of finding the man standing upon First Order soil was not something that he had anticipated in the least. Around them, alarms were going off, sirens of impending invasion and conflict expected to engulf the city they stood within. It would be one of Veiere's initial questions to Tiland, the coincidental timing and the hope that he would not be found supporting an invasion force seeking to take lives and destroy cities...

"Tiland...." Veiere spoke up, crossing the distance between them in a light job before calming his pace to walk to meet the old man, his right hand extending in an offer of greeting; should the other feel so inclined, their handshake would be a grip of the wrists, a gesture of brotherhood or personal loyalty. "You truly do have the most unusual timing, do you not?" Veiere chuckled under his breath throwing the other something of a skeptical yet amused look; he knew the man's typical response, 'A Jedi Master arrives simply when he means to...'.

Turning to glance back towards the skies overhead, the crowd scurrying on past the pair continued to encourage Veiere's anxiety and expectation for trouble. He had not come here looking for war but for support from the Order of Ren, he was no longer a Jedi yet his ambitions and ideals had not changed, if anything they'd grown tenfold with the incentive and the power to do something about the tyranny that was soon to come down upon them all and the world of Varonat.

His brows flattened, his expression falling tense as he considered what the next hour would bring, the impending loss of so many lives, the scarring of the force and of the natural land; he knew not what this felt like to one who had embraced the dark side yet he was all too aware of how such unnatural intervention from men and women impacted the natural flow and power of within the Force.

"I do hope you're not part of all of this, old friend..." Veiere finally said it, the question that needed to be posed for the remarkable approach of the Master in the first moments of War between the First Order and the Alliance over Varonat; "Surely you have not come to encourage such chaos...".

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

[SIZE=11pt]

[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]Location: Lower City Residence[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Objective: Organise city-wide evacuation efforts.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Allies: [member="Varas Kyrel"], [member="Ara Zambrano"], [member="Cavris Lyran"], [member="Robogeber"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Enemies: [member="Taeli Raaf"][/SIZE]

War had come to Varonat. The rumours that had trickled in about the Alliance mounting a counterattack on the Trade Spine had been regarded as just that—rumours. Now, it seemed that the predictions from the Security Bureau and Naval Command had been correct. The report had come through minutes after the arrival of the Alliance fleet within the system. Thankfully, there was an abundance of ships stationed in and over the Varonat Naval Yards. If it wasn’t for this military presence, the small but vital world of Varonat would have folded easily under the onslaught of the Alliance and her ships.

Having been pulled away from a polite but boring conversation with a pair of local nobles, Commissioner Madelyn Lowe, the leader of Edgefields-on-Varonat, addressed her aide-de-camp, Artemis Tox; A man she’d explicitly instructed not to bother her unless it was an emergency. Her considerable annoyance at being yanked away from her socialising was undercut by a feeling of concern. Then again Artemis hadn’t been in the position very long; Maybe they had different ideas of what exactly constituted an ‘emergency.’

She spoke to him briskly. “Talk to me Tox, what’s going on here?” The man swallowed heavily, and cleared his throat. “I… Uh. The Alliance is over Varonat, they’re here.” Madelyn’s eyes narrowed. This had to be a joke. Her gaze shot to the corner of the small backroom, where a mousy woman sat at a radio with a miserable expression. “You. Explain this. Now.” She nodded, pulling up a paper and reading from the scribbled notes. “Yes ma’am. We’ve received reports from Fleet Admiral Rausgeber of an enemy fleet above our atmosphere, engaging the Sixth Fleet. Governor Mullhurse has ordered an evacuation of Edgefields-on-Varonat. Only the Naval Yards, and Varonat Defence Force barracks are to be manned.”

Madelyn gave a curt nod in response to the radio operator. She kept her features placid, but privately she wanted to curse and shout out in anger. A full evacuation with no warning? It was a nigh impossible task. There was no time to prepare properly. However, she understood the Governor’s motivation. Too many worlds had burned in this war. No leader wanted to be responsible for the First Order’s Thyferra. Still, she resented the fact the burden of the evacuation was now on her shoulders alone.

Now was not the time to wallow in self pity. Even as she deliberated her best options precious seconds trickled by. Time was of the essence now. Stepping closer to the radio operator, and turning away from Tox, she outlined her plan. “Contact Colonel Varan, of the VDF. Tell him to mobilise his troops, and send a detachment to the town of Iridia to prepare temporary shelters. That’s I-R-I-D-I-A. He’ll know where it is. From there he’ll be joined by my aide, Artemis Tox. Who will keep me updated on the evacuation until I can come and oversee the efforts myself.” She paused for a moment, tracing the invisible map of the city and its features in her head.

The next few minutes were filled with hasty radio calls, eventually switching to a holocommunicator that had been brought in from upstairs. With the help from the other two in the room, she contacted various transport officials to organise transports for the evacuees; private companies specialising in portable infrastructure like water and sanitation; ranked members of the VDF, to organise the defence of the city; and finally the Emergency Management Agency, to deliver the evacuation notice across all platforms.

Finally the notice went up. Flashing across holoscreens, blaring over radios and interrupting broadcasts. Everyone was ordered to evacuate, starting with the upper city of Edgefields-on-Varonat. Transport out of the sprawling metropolis would come in the form of shuttles landing at all transport hubs and spaceports in the Upper City. According to the schedule, the transports would do the same thing in four hours for the Lower City. She wished that it could be faster, but she understood that the wide array of military assets in the Naval Yard and in orbit would be needed for the coming battle. To facilitate the evacuation they’d have to rely on what little the VDF and Edgefields Police Department had on offer. Additionally, the broadcast encouraged citizens with their own means to get out of the city to evacuate as soon as possible, and instructed those intending to stay to seek shelter and not venture out on the streets until the 'all clear' was given.

With the broadcast flashing ominously on every available screen, Madelyn stepped out of the side room and sighed, awaiting the inevitable storm of questions from the guests of the party. On either side, a pair of Death Troopers joined her, moving from their position guarding the door. Security was always a priority for a woman like her.

 

[Leskie Tomiet]

[SIZE=11pt]Location: Varonat spaceport[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]Allies: The First Order | [member="Shaydae Desmaris"][/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]Unknown Enemies: The Galactic Alliance | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Rook Andron"][/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]“Family,” Leskie nodded at the TIE pilot ([member="Coren Starchaser"]) with a knowing smile. “I can relate with that one.” The ensign paused for a moment as she considered her own words. “The, um, pun unintended there. But, yes, my family are military too. My brothers are all Stormtroopers,” her brown eyes flickered to the Staff Sergeant and her crew at the back, “They enjoy teasing me for my branch of service but I’m much more useful where I am, besides, that armour is far too restricting.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The casual conversation brought to a shattering end by the call to arms.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I- yes. Your people are- follow me,” her words seemed to fall over themselves. Her head wasn’t clear. Action at Varonat was… unexpected. This wasn’t an expected combat zone, it was supposed to be an area so secure the enemy would dare not strike it. She had to breath deeply, get in the correct mindset.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“There’s supposed to be a transport taking you to the naval base, that’s where your Admiral Cardan of the 7th Fleet is supposed to be!” Leskie called over her shoulder to the others as she led them to the next hanger. When the doors opened, it wasn’t what she expected.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The transport was still there but the hanger was full of bustling people. There were mostly humans but a few groups of Morodins could be seen here and there. They couldn’t possibly take off in these conditions.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The ensign Um’d and Er’d for a few seconds, seemingly fixed on the spot before calling over one of the port security staff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You there, what is the meaning of this?” She asked, sounding remarkably more composed than she felt.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Everyone has come running in seeking shelter,” the staff member replied. “We haven’t got room for them all but the people don’t know where else to go.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Leskie blinked in confusion. “The nearest designated shelter to their location, obviously. The messages are given to civilians all the time!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The port staff man raised a skeptical brow. “You think people pay attention to that, Ma’am? They don’t think the war will come here, no one ever does. Not until it actually comes.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The ensign turned back to her group. These people were counting on her for protection but… they were trained soldiers themselves, most of them probably far more experienced than she was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I… never caught your name?” She asked the TIE pilot. “I hope you’re ready to fight though I also hope it won’t come to that.”[/SIZE]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Location: Hex I-46 -> Varonat
Objective: Blockade Varonat
Allies: [member="Mazik Stazi"] [member="Lokthra Dawning"] [member="Bandor Kre'fey"] [member="Mathieu Bahreiko"] [member="Jyoti Nooran"] [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] [member="Allyson Locke"]
Enemies: [member="Gromm Cardan"]
Directly engaging: [member="Cyrus Tregessar"] [member="Robogeber"]

- BATTLE MEDITATION ACTIVATED -​

"Here's our time-delayed message from our allies" the communications officer told the people in the vicinity.

I’m not sure why the First Order and their lackeys decided to concentrate so many ships in one small area, but I will exploit this for our benefit. I suppose there’s nothing you can do but keep at [SIZE=9pt]range[/SIZE] for the time being, but if you can muster additional ships with HIMS, then that would be helpful. When I jump into the system, direct command of my reserve forces will fall to Captain Noa. Contact him in the future for additional guidance.

There is one more thing I request. Your battle [SIZE=9pt]mediation[/SIZE]. I am not familiar with your specific technique, but I recommend on focusing solely on demoralizing the enemy if is within your ability. Harass them with the very mental image of yourself. I don’t understand why, but First Order seems to experience a collective psychosis every time you appear on the field. Who knows how they’ll react to such focus, but every little bit helps. All the better if they become deranged.

"We have Bandor and Jyoti on speed dial... opening a channel now!" the communications officer signaled to Cathul.

"I feel it might be better for me to buff our allies in this battle, especially given the droid commander of the enemy fleet ahead of us. In fact they are moving out of position; while Jyoti fires at their aft quarters from underneath them, Bandor may as well attack the other fleet in orbit over the planet, and then the enemy fleets over Varonat will be fully distracted, leaving our ground force with limited interference for ground assault. Also, the new FO cruiser class we have engaged on Dagobah was, in fact, devoid of particle shields and devoid of point-defense, which make them vulnerable to bombing runs" Cathul told both [member="Jyoti Nooran"] and [member="Bandor Kre'fey"] on comms, after Bandor has arrived on-scene.

"How do you like the First Order rushing head-on to face us? Especially the gunners on those Resurgents: in an attempt to take the bait, they fired so out of range that they missed us!" the new sensor technician, brought in as replacement after Dagobah, reported in.

"The Deliverance's lack of mobility went from disturbing to a complete stop; activate the missile deactivation transmitters!"

"EWAR activated" the captain of the Lothal reported in.

"All hands, brace for impact!" the automated alert system sounded while the missiles were approaching the Viscount like a swarm of flies.

Cathul just didn't move, so busy as she was performing battle meditation; why would she stop doing something just because the All units, brace for impact alert was given at the sight of hundreds of missiles being fired? Even with the missile deactivation transmitters, even with, in fact, all the EWAR onboard the Lothals, even with the total point-defense across the fleet, or the fighters screening the fleet, there just had to be some missiles hitting the Viscount. Not even with premature detonation of dead-stick missiles, bringing more of their neighbors with them. Between EWAR, battle meditation, Cathul tried as hard as she could not to break concentration to chuckle at the display of Imperials missing so many shots, due to the vast ranges involved, but many of those shots were missed by pretty narrow margins. She then continued tethering the organic crewmembers of her allies, to make their minds process information faster, to give them the Force-powered equivalents of adrenaline boosts, or whatever hormones accomplished that function in the cases of non-human/Near-Human crewmembers, to provide buffs to all friendlies in range, starting with the Viscount, and also the escorts accompanying it, as well as the fleet's fighter squadrons, and finally the other Alliance fleets. From experience I know using battle meditation for buffs will work better than using it for debuffs against the First Order, she thought, while BM is activated. By now, one Force-message was being played in the minds of the allied organic crewmembers, in orbit over Varonat, while the light-sided Force-energies was flowing into them: Today, the rabid dog called the First Order is the single greatest threat to today's galaxy, so big a threat that the Sith have abandoned them by now, and everyone shall soon align against them. For a limited time only, we may as well cripple the fleets of two Imperial factions for the cost of one, especially since one of them has severe piloting problems! We shall make them pay dearly for blockading the Hydian Way, and also for making them move out of position! Put down the rabid dog, and... Lux vult!

"We're sustaining heavy damage! We can't take another volley if the enemy keeps focusing on us!" the chief engineer reported, based on shield readouts.

"Between our allied biots, our allies located aft and below the main enemy fleet, don't panic: we can still win especially since all the enemy point-defense and fighters are busy fighting the biots"

"Open a channel to FLEETCOM at the blockade"

"Channel open"

"Preliminary sensor readings indicate that both the First Order and the Galactic Empire have massed a large fraction of their respective fleets in this sector: this is our chance to cause massive damage to their morale and naval capabilities. We didn't expect to entrap so many of the Imps' fleets in one place; it's a surprise but a welcome one" she then told [member="Mathieu Bahreiko"] and the others in the FLEETCOM channel back at the blockade, such as [member="Mazik Stazi"].

"Your orders, admiral?" the chief pilot asked over comms.

"Cyrus Tregessar has arrived on-scene as enemy reinforcements!" the sensor technician reacts to the reversion of an additional.

"On the one hand, I can't entirely neglect Robogeber as he is advancing, away from the planet, to attempt to hit me, but on the other hand Cyrus can prove to be devastating at short and long ranges. I want squadrons 13-32 to split in groups of five squadrons each, and hit the Predators, while the bombers shall assault the artillery frigates and other escorts attacking us"

Cyrus Tregessar... the very FO admiral with whom any collective psychosis I might have caused among the First Order ranks began. My very first encounter against the First Order. Countless survivors of Kaeshana under his command got PTSD because of me, and his flagship at the time, the Contempt, survived Kaeshana but firepower-killed, she thought, while the only identified targets within range that belonged to Cyrus signaled a potential shift in her approach to battle. Meanwhile, many squadrons laden with heavy proton bombs and also with heavy plasma bomblet generators darted towards their designated targets, while she prayed for the success of their operation, even with the Force-tethers battle meditation provided. But as she Force-tethered her allies, any memories of past fights against that very enemy they are fighting that flowed through those Force-tethers would color the Force-support they would be getting. This realization dawning upon her, she would soon realize that she would need to shake off those memories she readily associated with Cyrus. Speaking of Cyrus, she had a special surprise for him, even though she knew that torpedo frigates entered standard turbolaser range and the enemy missile cruisers stood at the edge of it, with Carlyle's battlecruisers being at the edge of long-range turbolaser range, and his destroyers somewhere in-between.

"So we are going to go from hitting one target at long range whose lack of mobility is disturbing to another target that exhibits very similar mobility characteristics: fire all available long-range firepower at the Compellor! Also, Impasse, activate the gravity well projectors, centered on any of his remaining capital ships within range! Any debris torn off that target will be a hazard to any escort they have, and their mines will violently slam against their ships!"

"Roger, roger" the captain of the Impasse acknowledged, while activating the gravity well projectors.

"We can't let the enemy vanguard close in on us, let alone eat us away!"

"Fire standard-range broadsides at will!"

Robogeber will realize that closing in was going to be dangerous, between the Inagos, and Therapy Command's standard-range firepower, his torpedo frigates and his missile cruisers are coming under heavy standard-range fire, with thousands of turbolasers, mass drivers, ion cannons being fired at ten different ships with increased accuracy due to the effects of battle meditation on friendly gunners, driven by a sense of revenge for all those various engagements against the First Order. As much as Cyrus' arrival was intended to turn the tables on the Imperials, Cathul was about to turn the enemy mines against them, and with it, turn the proverbial tables, especially since two of the four gravity wells were centered on the bow and the engines of the Manticore, the third well on the Predator and the final well on the Implacable's engines. Once those wells were active, the white Twi'lek couldn't help but chuckle as the newly-laid mines began to be dragged towards the enemy capital ships by gravitational effects. Now, whether or not the enemy mines would be armed by interdiction gravity wells she knew not, and cared not; she just hoped for the best as far as sucking in mines or debris are concerned, hoping that it would damage hardpoints or engines, or, barring that, at least distract point-defense. But it would be a sweet revenge - if it did work: it was now time to turn their beloved gravity mines against them.

Spoiler: Summary of actions

• Battle meditation still active
• EWAR activated, including but not limited to, missile deactivation transmitters
• Fired at long ranges at the FIV Compellor [member="Cyrus Tregessar"]
• Fired at the torpedo frigates and missile cruisers at standard turbolaser ranges [member="Robogeber"]
• Deployed gravity wells centered on enemy capital ships
• Made an attack run on artillery ships and missile cruisers using fighters

Spoiler: Therapy Command

Capital ships:

ANS Viscount (Viscount Mk.II-class battlecruiser) | Shields: 50% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Blaze (port short-range) FIV Brute (starboard short-range)
ANS Chernobog (Chernobog-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 80% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Storm (port short-range) FIV Eclipse (starboard short-range)
ANS Sionoma (Sionoma-class Star Destroyer) | Shields: 90% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Unrelenting (port short-range) FIV Bombard (starboard short-range)
ANS Akula (Akula-class Star Destroyer) | Shields: 80% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Ison Legacy (short-range)
ANS Impasse (Immobilizer 419-class interdictor carrier) | Shields: 80% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Devastator
ANS Unenforceable Contract (Munificent-X-class heavy cruiser) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Devastator (short-range)
ANS Factual Basis (Munificent-X-class heavy cruiser) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Concord (short-range)
ANS Circumstantial Evidence (Munificent-X-class heavy cruiser) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (long-range only) FIV Concord (short-range)
ANS Impugnment (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | EWAR: Active | Firing at: FIV Implacable (long-range only) FIV Bespin's Wrath (short-range)
ANS Lothal (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | EWAR: Active | Firing at: FIV Implacable (long-range only) FIV Bespin's Wrath (short-range)
ANS Aleen (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | EWAR: Active | Firing at: FIV Implacable (long-range only) FIV Bespin's Wrath (short-range)
ANS Ordnance Handler (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Blaze
ANS Refueling Technician (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Brute
ANS Damage Controller (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Storm
ANS Third Variable (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Eclipse
ANS Causal Claim (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Unrelenting
ANS Double Counting (C-9980-class frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Bombard
ANS Skor (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)
ANS Polis Massa (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)
ANS Positive KITA (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)
ANS Negative KITA (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)
ANS Job Engorgement (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)

ANS Lorentzian Hygiene (Skor-class monitor frigate) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor (HVCs only)
S-1 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-2 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-3 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-4 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-5 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-6 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-7 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor
S-8 (Spirit-class picket corvette) | Shields: 100% | Hull: 100% | Firing at: FIV Compellor

Attack craft:

144 Chiloon-I fighters screening the fleet
60 Chiloon-I fighters attacking the FIV Varonat's Pride dropping heavy proton bombs
60 Chiloon-I fighters attacking the FIV Defender dropping heavy proton bombs
60 Chiloon-I fighters attacking the FIV Harridan dropping heavy proton bombs
60 Chiloon-I fighters attacking the FIV Subjugator​ dropping heavy proton bombs
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Bombardier
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Catastrophe
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Ballista
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Mayhem
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Riot
36 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Doom
12 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Regal
12 Chiloon-II fast bombers attacking the FIV Monarch

OOC: Reserves will be listed if and when they are deployed.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

​

Location: Lower City Residence
Objective: Mingle with society
Allies: Galactic Alliance
Enemies in the future: [member="Ara Zambrano"] [member="Varas Kyrel"] [member="Itash Mecetti"] [member="Madelyn Lowe"]

Equipment: A stylish dress, a comlink, her wits, and the Force

First hint that something wasn't going according to plan was when she felt a wave of Battle Meditation pass over the area, followed by a telepathic message from the Twi'lek admiral... it was much too soon. Plus the message, at least to her, was extremely irritating. Lux vult? What did that even mean? Just to underscore the situation, two Death Troopers, she wasn't even aware the First Order had those, had appeared along with an official of some sort. The evacuation message could clearly be heard, and guests were already moving to ask pointed questions at this official about what the meaning of all this was.

Taking a sip from her water, she frowned along with the rest of the guests.

"Well this is not the sort of party I was expecting," she grumbled, making sure to keep her Kuati accent and being within earshot of the man she had heard identified as Lord Mecetti. Tapani nobleman, lovely. "I was promised an enjoyable evening with the cream of society from this world. This would never happen on Kuat, I can tell you."

Well, might as well stick to the plan regardless. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied someone she recognized from Bespin. So the girl HAD survived her injuries, oh good for her. That should be interesting in a little bit.

 

[Asharad Graush]

​

Varonat Naval Base​

Objective Hold the Base​

Allies; [member="Leskie Tomiet"], [member="Shaydae Desmaris"]​

​

​

What the Supreme Commander hadn't expected was an assault on Varonat.

Not a second one.

When reports came in that the infamous failure of a battlegroup that was Therapy Command entered the system, A'sharad had been paused. Where his mind had thought to have the Alliance having a stranglehold on the L-49 Blockade, they had instead assaulted one of the most heavily defended junctions in First Order Space. Sure, the holographic display on the FIV Executioner's Bridge suggested they had dropped in more ships than they tended to field, but there were two Imperial armadas in the sector.

Undoubtedly, Alliance Intelligence had failed them.

"It's too late to evacuate civilian repair crews." There was a thought as the Defense Minister watched the battle unfold before him on the holographic display. "Undock us from the repair yards." The slow rotation of his helmet, bringing the ensign into full view. "Summon the crew. Liftoff is in ten. Preliminary reports suggests the ship can do battle."

"Of course, Sir, but... The, uh... Hole in the ship yet remains..."

"The damage has since been minimized."

"Get us out of these moorings."

The Supreme Commander's gaze searched the skies. The Star Destroyer had little more than a skeleton crew on board, and they'd be hard pressed to do combat in orbit of the planet. In the chaos that was the space battle above, he was certain they wouldn't be immediately recognized as the Supreme Leader's command ship. But who knew, it wasn't alike some commanders to tunnel vision on targets.

Looking about, the Sith Lord paused.

"Where is my frigate crew?"

Unscheduled ship.

The Alliance brute forcing an attack.

Why wouldn't they just go home?

"No." He said softly.

"Uhh, e-excuse me, Sir?"

"The ones escorting the Imperials to us... To here..." The Naval Yard was important, much too important to allow it to be infiltrated by false agents. An extra handful of soldiers would mean little if the Alliance already had informants beyond First Order lines. "Open up a line to the troopers escorting them. Priority message, use the Bicomm Network to track them."

Crimson orbs analyzed the battle above. [member="Robogeber"] would hold the intruders alongside [member="Gromm Cardan"]. Even while his mind raced, the bridge crew quickly began to return to their stations, lacking of breath, but present all the same. When the Supreme Commander gave an order, it was rare that it was disregarded. A ruthless nature, and a command that was stronger than any iron fist in the Order, A'sharad brought victory. And the soldiers that had fought with him on Hoth had spread and exaggerated the antics of the Supreme Commander when he protected them from strafing runs alone. Confirmed Sith Lord, the Graush commanded loyalty.

"You're through Sir."

The entire escort team would've heard the cold, mechanical voice of their Supreme Commander when brief static announced his connecting comms.

"Escort the... Imperials to the nearest shelter. The Naval Yard is too far of a distance to travel. Grand Admiral Cardan is otherwise preoccupied with the battle in orbit to inspect our guests."

A pause.

"Do. Not. Lose. Sight. Of. Them."

And then the Supreme Commander was gone.

By the time the comms dropped, the Executioner was rising out of the repair yards, shields active as its hulking form slowly extended its shadow over the Naval Yards.

 

[Zef Halo]

Location: Varonat Naval Base​

Objective: Lead counterintelligence efforts and defend the base​

Allies: First Order, indirectly and unbeknownst [member="Leskie Tomiet"] & [member="Shaydae Desmaris"] & [member="Asharad Graush"]​

Enemies: Eventually Galactic Alliance​

​

The Sith glared at the camera feed in front of him. Captain Hal Jyrran from Scourge Squad stood without his helmet on one side behind him and Supervisory Special Agent Karne Valeris on his other. Upon the feedback a technician was having his lunch break alone.

"When did the first signs of suspicion begin?" Graush's cold voice filled the room.

"Less than a month ago, Sir." Valeris replied. "It's just a specul-"

"There's always half a truth to any rumor." Therran cut him off. Valeris remained silent for a moment before speaking with a more serious tone.

"Indeed, Sir."

"What else have you got on him?"

"We're trying to attach him to a possible insurgency cell, but we are unsure whether that is a complete reality or just another band of more organized criminals." Valeris explained. "Less than a month ago, he erupted in a conflict with a fellow technician on the topic of the Great Galactic War. There were no direct mentions, but the stance, tone and opinion of the suspect brought us to attention that there are implications of a certain negative view of the First Order."

"Not everyone who shares a negative sentiment of the Order is a rebel in disguise." Therran said with a dull tone but nonetheless had his mind thinking this whole thing through.

"I would argue-" Captain Jyrran began.

"No, you will not." The Sith cut his trusted Storm Commando too. "What else, Agent?"

"The suspect has increased his visitations to the Edgefields-on-Varonat starport. We've gone through the last year or so data of starport visitors and his frequency of going to the starport has drastically increased almost half a year ago."

"Interesting." Graush tapped his chin contemplating on the information.

"Why don't you give him to us to interrogate him, Lord Graush?" Jyrran raised an eyebrow.

"Too much risk." He would give him no more explanation and Jyrran did not need it. There were better uses of utilizing a possible defector than pushing him to the wall till he broke. "Who is your most unremarkable agent on base at the moment?"

"Agent Garvin. She looks, well, a bit like a geek, as they would say."

"Relinquish her of any duties at the moment and have her keep tabs on the suspect. All info will go directly to me."

"I will have to go through our Bureau Chief first, Sir."

The sector bureau chief.

A twisted grimace made its way on Therran's face. The same chief who did not divulge him with more information on his mission of investigating the possible defector. All he knew was that another agent or a cell was inserted elsewhere on Varonat working on the same project. What worried him was the possibility of a mole within their ranks.

Before he could retort to the Special Agent alarms blared and a voice boomed through the speakers informing them of a lockdown, evacuation and the amassing of a Galactic Alliance fleet in the sector. His wrist datapad flared to life with a detailed report.

Were they insane? Invading a heavily fortified world on a very strategic position on the galactic map. Insane or bold.

Or all in.

With the blockade on L-49, Therran prematurely assumed the Alliance's strike at Varonat to be an all in maneuver. Or perhaps a bluff? Was this connected in some way with his counterintelligence mission?

Numerous theories sprang to life in his mind but before he could think them through, the Sith Knight ventured away from the camera room with Jyrran shadowing him heading to the primary command room of the base.

 

[Dirk Bannahan]

Varonat Naval Yards | Hangar A1059X​

Outer Rim | Anoat Sector | Varonat​

Allies: The First Order | The Galactic Empire​

[member="Leskie Tomiet"] | [member="Samka Derith"]| [member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Robogeber"] | [member="Sieger Ren"]​

Enemies: The Galactic Alliance: [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Aryn Teth"] |[member="Mathieu Bahreiko"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | Unknowns​

Summoned from a deep, meditative slumber, the demiunitive Ren pondered on how little time she spent tethered to this reality. This waking world, where her movements were often followed by sudden bouts of violence and consumption. And so her meager life continued like this, but it was not beyond her intellect to realize that as the war dragged on she became less and less human -more of a ravenous beast pulled by chains before pushed to bare its fangs. Besides this there was not much complexity to Racosidae.

Briefly, the blue cloaked Ren reflected upon the previous waking moments aboard one of the many stations deployed to block the Hydian Way. Fighting off jedi when so outnumbered would have normally resulted in painful loss of one’s own life. And yet, here she was, completely unscathed -having fought off all comers upon the doomed space station using the still dying souls of her fallen allies.
It was euphoric, all-consuming, and worse of all it left the same kind of emptiness that a drug addict feels once their traces of those lively essences withered away in a burning rage.

Perhaps such was the reason she was being called to this dimly lit command center that looked more like a ritual chamber. As odd as it was for the Supreme Leader to call upon her himself, Rae felt as though she was ready for his personal scrutiny...

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Location: Lower City Residence
Objective: Reconnaissance
Faction: First Order \\ Enemy: Galactic Alliance
Enemies in Vicinity: [member="Taeli Raaf"]
Allies In Vicinity: [member="Varas Kyrel"] \\ [member="Itash Mecetti"] \\ [member="Cavris Lyran"] \\ [member="Madelyn Lowe"]
Equipment: Hidden Vibroknife​

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MCjU-Du3eI[/youtube]​

The conversation had run dry far before the sparkling wine in her flute did. A politely interested, yet neutral expression seemed all but permanently etched into the Arch-Queen’s features, white knuckled fingers curled around the thin crystal stem, a grip tight enough that the barest of pressure would snap the clear glass in two. Murmured condolences as to the loss of their nephew and his squad in the recent engagement along the Hydian Trade Route rolled off her tongue without thought, a meaningless platitude to the middle-aged couple who sought sympathy for their own personal gain, the slightest crinkle of her forehead the only outward sign of her displeasure, her societal mask firmly in place. She’d dismissed them as anyone of import shortly after the introductions had been made, knowing all too well the signs of someone with wealth but little affluence, the ostentatious way in which they presented themselves not unlike the new nobility she had found herself in the company of all too often in her youth.

One nail tapped lightly against the fragile goblet, her gaze flickering away from the yammering couple to cast about over the gathered guests once again, searching for any excuse to remove herself from the purgatory she found herself trapped in. That excuse came, not in the guise of a young Ren posing as a waitress, nor as a handsome young noble in a perfectly tailored suit, much as she might find pleasure in just such a distraction, but in the wash of power drifting over Edgefield-on-Varonat. A soft, true smile curled the corner of her lips upward as the myriad of reactions gave away the others in the room who could feel the shift, a tightening of a grip here, a jump and furtive glance to the side there. Crimson irises fell to each, a momentary assessing glance to memorize distinguishing features, family crests emblazoned upon jewelry and jackets, advantage taken of the fleeting paralysis that settled across those gathered as evacuation orders echoed from various commlinks and datapads echoed throughout the chamber.

And yet the sudden stillness would not last, a hushed panic rolling through the room as the ramifications became clear, the distant war now brought to the very doorstep of those who knew only of the chaos by the rosters of names of the lost, the charity balls and dinners they had attended time after time, meaning little until this very moment. A relieved sigh as her companions made their hasty retreat, joining the throng of well-dressed and frazzled nobility clamoring for attention from the woman who had emerged from a hidden salon, flanked by onyx clad personal security, another name and face to dredge up from the numerous dossiers the Master had studied in the days before.

”Please, please…I assure you that my home offers the highest of security measures and Commissioner Lowe would agree that we should not panic unduly.”

A mocking smile and tilted head met the announcement echoing from the rather stressed appearance of their hostess, her high-pitched and grating voice echoing over the din as questions burst forth. A continuation of reassurances flowed from the woman as Ara’s attention drifted away, unconcerned with the threat that seemed to have found its way to Varonat. A quick swipe of deft fingers exchanged her empty glass for a full on before the young woman recovered from her shock and scurried back to the kitchens, nearly dropping the tray of beverages on her way.

It seemed Varas’ mission had just become exponentially more difficult, and far more imperative.

A familiar voice floated across the tumult of the crowd, her sensitive hearing picking up the lilting tones even against the chaos slowly breaking out around them. Her gaze fell to a trio tucked in a corner, away from the hectic scene unfolding before Mrs. Klakk and the Commissioner, a familiar face amongst them sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Dyed hair and eye color not-withstanding, the Hapan would recognize the woman in any guise, a face that was burned into her memory with the pain of a blade sent through her side.

What have we here?

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Allies: Galactic Alliance, [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Nuuc Lapt"] | [member="Kyle Ajahn"]​

Enemies: First Order​

Objective: Seek Guidance From the Force​

​

​

GAV Demeter // Assault Force 'Rancor'
Bozhnee Sector // Outer Rim
En Route to Varonat System

At nearly three meters tall, Knight Varex was left no choice but to remain huddled in the corner of the assault corvette's troop bay. Space was at a premium here, and his extreme height made him little more than a liability until they landed. It was those same differences from most humanoids that had kept him off the infiltration mission, and right now he was struggling to channel that frustration into a more positive sense of readiness for the battle assuredly to come. As a Tranquil Vaemath, he possessed a remarkably logical mind, but he was not immune to emotional imbalance, or the temptations that came with it.

I sense we'll be arriving soon, Knight Aquil was Nabooian, and another senior Inquisitor. This close to combat, their strike team would only communicate telepathically, A darkness gathers on the horizon of my perception.

Gathers? his thoughts touched the Jedi's mind, echoing Aquil's choice of phrase thoughtfully, We are the Light, brother. We shall purify this world, and all those who would stand against us. Destiny is on our side.

There were only a few full fledged members of the Inquisition aboard the Demeter, but they were accompanied by a volunteer fighting force of Jedi Shadows. And they were by no means the only militarized wing of the New Jedi Order aboard a Defense Force assault ship that day. There were the rest of the Sentinels trained by [member="Coren Starchaser"] for one, as well as the Justicars and even a few begrudging members of the Circle of Healers.

Where Omai Rhen and Nemo Ven had been more moderate in their application of Jedi as soldiers, their replacements were anything but. And while not all of the Order approved of such a measure, indeed some who stayed behind had called them New Crusaders, there were many who had signed up with little hesitation in the aftermath of bloodshed on worlds like Dagobah and Thyferra and along the Hydian Way. The Inquisition Varex served had grown considerably in scope and influence, and now although it was not his primary function the Jedi Knight was preparing to serve on the front lines of a new war. So be it.

Show no mercy, he projected into the minds of the other Shadows, These Imperials are hopelessly misguided, and in their delusions of grandeur have become unwitting slaves to their Ren masters. They will not hesitate to kill you, if they can, so we must not hesitate to do the same.

And the Ren? Aquil asked, If we come across them, how should we proceed?

Use your own discretion, Varex nodded in thanks to his fellow Inquisitor, If you can get one alone and its practical, capture them alive for interrogation and nullification. But do not hesitate to reunite them with the Force if necessary, they are rabid akk dogs and beyond redemption.

Some of the orders may have been uncomfortable with such a sentiment, but it was what he believed. It was a quaint notion to think that everyone was capable of being saved, but his own personal experience had taught him that some souls were irredeemable. Remembering the lessons [member="Taeli Raaf"] had taught him about staying in the moment, he returned to his meditations, seeking a sense of predatory calm to carry inside him like a torch through this nest of shadows.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="Veiere Arenais"]​

---------------------------------------------​

​

Tiland raised an eyebrow at the man's approach. Indeed, he had changed greatly since they last had met. The Dark was strong with him. Strange. He gave a strained half-smile.

"The Force brings me where and when it wants me," he said, moving to the side of the street as people streamed to shelter. "I encouraging this chaos? No, Veiere. I have come to bring healing to all who both require it and will accept it."

His smile faded as he settled himself down on a bench beside him. A slow sigh escaped from his lips and he pulled the thermos from his satchel, along with two mugs. These he sat beside him and poured full of hot water. He didn't say anything yet, but sat there, wrapped in the Force as this ritual served as a time of brief meditation. After a moment, Tiland added the tea leaves.

"More pressingly," he finally mused, "Why are you here? Your light has been dimmed." He raised his busy eyebrows and gave a sharp look beneath them. "Indeed, you seem to have exchanged your light for something else."

With a small wooded spoon, he stirred the water in the tea as its rich colors seeped into the water. The old man rested the staff against the bench and ran a finger through his beard.

"It appears there is much you have spoken to me of since we last met." The tea was minty and strong, with cinnamon and black tea all melded together. It served several purposes and as he clutched one of the mugs in his wearied hands. It both cleared and calmed the mind, sharpening his senses. Plus, it tasted quite exquisite.

Ripples echoed through the Force as conflict in the system began. He was getting too old for this.

 

[WolfMortum]

​

Location: Lower City District of Commerce & Trade.​

Allies: [member="Samka Derith"], [member="Kyrel Ren"] and [member="Asheda Tyr"] .​

Enemy: Those whom bring about death and destruction.​

Old Friends: [member="Tiland Kortun"] .​

Equipment: Heavy Battle Attire, Lightsabers of Svivren, The Kingsglaive, Promissium Annulos.​

​

​

Such was the problem among the Jedi Order of today, Veiere had often felt that they put to much emphasis on the alignment of others within the Force rather than taking note of the individuals integrity and characteristics, most especially the actions that they took in stride for the Galaxy. Automatically labeled an enemy of the Jedi and as such, swiftly judged and convicted of such a crime that the Jedi felt they ought to bring death upon those that differed from their own way; Veiere's smile faded as [member="Tiland Kortun"] asked him the one question that could only be expected of him given their coming to meet in such a way, and yet Veiere focused first upon his first remark, the need for medicinal aid where as of yet, in the absence of the Alliance not yet having made landfall, there were none that required medical attention.

"I fear the Galactic Alliance are about to put you to work then, old friend" he replied, no hint of skepticism masked from his tone as he turned to offer Tiland a sideways glance before soon turning his attention to the two cups of tea the elder Master had prepared for them both. "It seems however fortunate, the timing of what is befalling us now. I came on personal business with an associate within the First Order; a matter of finance and support for a project I'm working on. Now however, it seems my contact's words of caution towards relations with the Alliance are soon to become fact...-I trust that it is them, of course? I know few others with such a history of conflict with the First Order, than those of the Galactic Alliance..." it was easily assumed and yet assumptions could so easily make an ass out of the one giving them. Tiland's confirmation, should it come, would speak true of his allegiance, as if his awareness of the situation and his coming prepared to heal and assist the people in recovery didn't speak well enough for his loyalties.

"It's true, I follow a different path now, old friend..." Veiere confirmed the accusation with little a hint of pause nor reluctance; he wasn't ashamed of his fall but had come to accept it and even gone so far as to allow it to strengthen his motivation and frustrations towards the Galaxy at large in order to bring about the decisions and actions that he had already taken thus far; "Does that make you wish to 'bring me to justice' Tiland?" Veiere chuckled quietly under his breath, shaking his head in disappointment though not to his friend but the typical response he felt was none too far away where the others would be concerned. "Do not be so concerned for me, I know well what I'm doing and I am doing so of free will. The Dark Side of the Force has not blinded me to who I am. I have not become crazed and out for blood as the Sith Empire might appear. I have merely taken control of my life and am now steering it toward a worthwhile future".

"Alas, what of your own future, old friend?" Veiere's eyes once more trailed back to the Jedi Master, his left hand reaching for the cup of tea now that he had finished preparing it. The cup settled within both his hands held gently above his lap yet he did not take a drink from it yet, instead keeping his attention on Tiland for the time being; "Do you not grow tired fighting the same fight with no true end of it all in sight? Forever burdened by the things you see and are forced to come face to face within the path of the Jedi Order, over and over again...Never ending; never willing to go the distance required of you".

"Aye my friend, I grew tired of the hypocrisy, the pretentious and judgmental ridicule that the Jedi Order has become today. When they are so unable to cease the fighting and conflict within their own ranks, how ever can you be so sure of their capability to better serve the Galaxy...".

 

[Hailyn]

Absolution Calling

Location: Varonat - Lower City
Allies: The First Order
Enemies: The Galactic Alliance, [member=Tiland Kortun], [member=Coren Starchaser], [member=Rook Andron]
Objective: Still the tides of war
Equipment: Saberstaff, Armor

How many cycles had she witnessed - had they witnessed?

Twenty-nine thousand days replayed one thousand times, each day merged with the corresponding day witnessed through another pair of eyes. They were never supposed to become one, never would have - had one persistent Sith lord not acted on his greed, his desires, and sought out a lover that was no more. Braith - a face she had worn once upon a time - was simply an identity to the woman that meandered through the alleyways of Varonat this evening. It would be wrong to say that she had been resurrected - it would have implied that this woman, this firrerreo that tugged at the hood of the cloak that covered her armor as she eyed a stray cat that darted into the shadows, had ever existed before a week ago today. Certainly the identity she had adopted had, once, but she was more than just Braith, more than the other hundreds of souls that had been torn from their cell when Braxus Zambrano sought to retrieve the woman he loved from her prison.

She hadn't made it clear to him, of course, that the thing he'd created wasn't the woman he loved - the woman he wanted. And why should they? Though they were one in she, she was many - many that desired only to persist, to survive in a container better than the web that had been Ananta's soul. Many hundreds of those consciousnesses, those souls, that had been torn from their Sith host were the very Mirialans that had died during the Jedi's failed invasion of the zombie-ridden world, innocent men, women, and children that desired only to live a life more fulfilling than the one cut short by the wall of light that had ripped their lives away, only to be pulled into a fate worse than death by the absorption of their essence into the Sith that had been the desperate strike's intended target. Through one coincidence, or perhaps many, they, too, had been "saved" by Prazutis' ritual to tear the soul of Braith Ma'at Achlys from the Sith lord that had devoured it.

At first it had been confusion - the chaos of a thousand souls sharing a single vessel, a body, with only a somewhat collective will to rule over it. But soon the chaos mellowed, merged, and became the woman that had taken over the life and legacy of the Alunrovaan that had caused her creation.

Braith Achlys, she called herself.

It was an identity crisis that she, that they - both singular and plural, simultaneously - considered whilst playing the part of nomad once again. They were one mind, but many experiences, all blended into one. She was Braith, she was a Mirialan child, a Sith pureblood, and she was a Trandoshan - once. To Prazutis and those that knew him she would be Braith, she would take her identity, her past, and use it to survive, to grow close to the man that so readily gave her his affection and offered her such freedom to travel on her lonesome. But to her? She was nameless, an individual born out of the collective will, the collective conscious, of the hundreds of souls that had been placed into this body and made one. That wasn't to say she was a schizophrenic - there were no alternate personalities, no clashing of psyches. She was their sum, their whole - there was no longer a Braith, no longer any of them. She was similar to the Killiks in that regard, though her mind was her body and the hive the many that resided within that had become one.

But even an anomaly as strange as she was not immune to the conflict that clouded the galaxy and crossed the stars.

As the Alliance arrived - or, rather, as they mounted their assault in the space that held the stars - she felt the tremor of discord that was soon to follow, the rhythm of war that would thrum and draw her into its tune.

"Who?" She mused aloud, as though one of the frantic passerby would stop to explain. She needn't ask, of course, as the presence of those that resonated with a hum that she was reminiscent of, walking to the tune of the lighter spectrum of the force, were made aware to her. Braxus had told her of her willingness to aid to the First Order in their endeavors in the past, for their alliance with the Zambranos, and for the presence of his grandniece in the midst of their ranks. Unlike those she was to align herself with, however, she had no desire to rally to some military commander and be given orders to follow - instead she sought out one such presence, drawn to its brightness like a moth to a flame.

A legion on march to its objective, a Jedi.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Objective: Find the Resistance
Allies: [member="Rook Andron"], The Alliance
Enemies: First Order, [member="Leskie Tomiet"], [member="Shaydae Desmaris"], [member="Asharad Graush"]

He was working on being pleasant enough. A lifetime of being a smuggler and a wanderer had one’s first line of defense always being an easy smile. This Ensign made it fairly easy. Would be a shame to have to take her out to get his mission done. Not that he would, just a bit of stunning. “Ah, a family of grunts. They’ll do that.” His was always TIE Pilots, both in reality and make believe. A grin followed his statement.

But it was gone quickly with the fight here. He nodded as he followed the orders from not one, but two. It would be different if he could take down one, but two, no such luck. He watched his Imperials and they were waiting for the signal, he’d give them one soon. But with the lockdown, that robbed him of his vehicular advantage.

He gave a nod over to Rook, it was time. "I'm Flight Officer Nik Vaire, 174th TIE Wing. And we've been ready to fight since we arrived." He surveyed the hangar once more.

“Give me a map. My people will make our way to a shelter, we’ll take some of your more… ethnic members.” Most painful statements for him to make, as he was watching the Morodins. “We’re not of the Order, and they’re not human. Worry about the citizens first.” It was what the Empire would do.

He nodded to his own men, to head towards the Morodins. “You need this hangar open.”

 

[Rakaan Horne]

​

​

Rook Andron​

---

---

​

---

Varonat, Anoat Sector, Outer Rim Territories​

Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"]​

Adversaries: @Leski Tomiet, [member="Shaydae Desmaris"]​

​

With a cover intact and sufficient enough he blended in like a member of any flock. Though in one way or another it was more akin to being disguised as a wolf in another wolf's pack. A predator, but with others in which he didn't belong. Devotion to the Alliance cause placed him any many precarious positions, and this was run of the mill so far. Yet who knows as to where it would take him in the end. If his death came, it would not be without a fight.

Starchaser, or 'Vaire' rather, spoke up with the signal. It was the easiest way out of this situation. The escort surely had somewhere better to be, they were Stormtroopers after all, and in an invasion they would be needed. The TIE Pilots were military men, after all. They could handle themselves after being pointed in the right direction. It was easy enough, actually. With Starchaser in command, in and out of cover, the man didn't need to say a word. Simply look the part, in which he did.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

VARONAT, ANOAT SECTOR
GAAF 'RANCOR'
GAV ROCINANTE

Showtime.

Fiolette knew this moment and was often on the bridge for it the moment when you arrived in system and gave the orders to begin the drops. Troops, armor, assault fighters and everything that went with conquering a system. The Alliance was expecting her to help lead the assault if they were in the orbit sure, but on the ground? No. Instead, she looked at the Major besides her, [member="Symara Tarriq"] - this woman would be the go-to for the ground operations surely. The Galidraani had other plans but for now the objectives lined up. "All set Major, this is your show take point."

"Copy that, alright kids get into your designated pods, transports and other assorted landing ships," Symara ordered and watched as the various men and women in their armor piled into the designated homes for the next few minutes. "You may not make it to the ground that's the truth, and when you get there, you may not make it back home but make no mistake - we fight for more than just the Alliance. We fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, we fight for those who have been silenced, and we fight for those who dared to stand up to these tyrants."

The blonde winced at the word tyrant. In her mind and the mind of the other Imperials, well, First Empire before recent days they never saw themselves as the tyrants. They sought to bring order and peace to a chaotic galaxy and they were willing to do it by any means necessary. And that is what she had told herself for years, decades even. Order, bring order - bring discipline and all would be well and it was the Republic, the Alliance that could not see just how corrupt and dangerous they were. At least that was until recent days. Recent days being the First Order's wish to reignite the conflict to finish what they had started and to some extent she could understand. But, they were in their own way - bleeding, burning themselves from the inside out. They needed to focus on the interior, bring their national focus back to the people back to those who were the backbone of the First Empire.

The Supreme Leader didn't see it that way. Hellbent on some bloody crusade to purge the Galaxy of the Jedi, he aligned himself with Sith. He aligned their First Order with the Sith Empire. And, perhaps years ago, Fiolette would have agreed with it. She would have been the first to salute and give the orders, but now? Now she realized the error of her ways, the error of allowing herself to work for years underneath such misguided principals. And as she stepped into the transport, Fiolette drew in a breath and her stomach tied itself in knots. Part of her wished she had stayed tucked away in the Outer Rim and the other part knew better than that. She had an agenda, a goal to accomplish and to do that she had to align herself with the Alliance.

Forget what she knew of the First Order and the Galactic Alliance's petty squabbles, the Admiral had to remind herself of just what the Alliance had done on Kaeshana, and on Anoat itself. Right.

Ahead of the transports and drops, the Galactic Alliance would send their swarms of fighters, Kestrel Assualt Fighters, X-Wings, A-Wings, and bombers Y-Wing Bombers, and the D-Wing Fast Bombers. All launching as fast as they could from their hangars, as the Fleets engaged the massive swath of fleets - two armadas who just happened to have been over Varonat. They made a rush for the planet, and if the massive swath of fleets, the armadas were meant to send fear into the Alliance's heart. If it was meant to send a message that they were far greater, that they were the betters of the two nations. Then the sheer number of fighters, and bombers was the Alliance's answer to such a topic.

No, not every transport, fighter, or bomber would make it - but enough, enough would descend over the Edgefields, over the Naval Base.

Fiolette's own drop pod began its movement for launch.

LAUNCH SEQUENCE INITIATED.

Bloody hell, Yvarro you've picked a fine time to suddenly have a taste for army life.

THREE.

Was it [[member="Aver Brand"]] [Dren Var Nabba or [member="Joza Perl"] who owed me a drink? Both? Maybe. Both.

TWO.

Feth. Chit. Gorram Karkin' Netherworlds. Right, pull yourself together.

ONE.

Balls.

"How you doin' over there Admiral?"

"Shut it, Major."

"What? Not enjoying the feeling of your breasts finding new homes inside your chest cavity?"

"Oh for Balance sakes, I'll strangle you myself."

"Hahaha! You'll get used to it."

"Like hell."

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGNiXGX2nLU[/media]

Opponents: The First Order
[[member="Leskie Tomiet"] | [member="Shaydae Desmaris"] | [member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Sieger Ren"] | [member="Robogeber"] | [member="Cyrus Tregessar"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Ara Zambrano"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Varas Kyrel"] | [member="Gromm Cardan"]]

Allies: The Galactic Alliance
[[member="Nuuc Lapt"] | @Thrael | [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"] | [member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Rook Andron"] | [member="Varex"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Jyoti Nooran"] | [member="Mathieu Bahreiko"]| [member="Cathul Thuku"]]

apologies if i missed you, there are so many names ;_;

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

[SIZE=11pt]

[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]Location: Lower City Residence[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Objective: Eliminate opposition.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Allies: [member="Varas Kyrel"], [member="Ara Zambrano"], [member="Cavris Lyran"], [member="Itash Mecetti"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Enemies: [member="Taeli Raaf"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]

[/SIZE]​

In the minutes following the announcements, the hurried assurances of Ms Klakk had been enough to ease the guest’s nerves a little bit, and instead of panicking and making a run for the door, they broke off into small groups and began to talk in low, anxious voices. Ms Klakk herself was hemmed in by a gaggle of angry-looking nobles, and buried in a sea of questions. Commissioner Lowe would have had a similar fate, had her black-clad guards not waved away those who approached looking for answers. Madelyn had more important things to do than waste time answering the inane questions of these rich snobs.

While planning the initial evacuation, a familiar temptation crept from within her subconscious. The beast in her heart, the one that fed on power, on influence, roared in a newly awakened hunger. Even as she arranged the transports a new idea had formed, and the evacuation of the people of Edgefields-on-Varonat became a mere sideshow. Excitement bubbled in her gut at the prospect of using this attack as a means for her own gain.

Some difficult lessons had been learned when Ennike’s little assassination plot against Minister Calgar had ended in dismal failure. First, you couldn’t trust others to do your dirty work. Ennike’s plan wasn’t bad by any means, but it had holes that resulted in its undoing. Second, you shouldn’t bite off more than she could chew. While the Security Minister remained her eventual target, she had to position herself so that she could both orchestrate his removal and sweep in to take his place. The trick was to start small, and to gain so much influence she wouldn’t have to rely on a middle-man like that fool Ennike.

Crossing the hall from the small side room where the hurried evacuation had been organised, Madelyn entered the sleek and stylish turbolift, one of many that ferried guests and staff around the extensive grounds of the castle. The short ride took her all the way to the top floor, a sort of observation deck overlooking the gardens below. The space was smaller than most of the other areas of the castle. Most of the level was taken up by the Klakk’s own penthouse suite. Madelyn didn’t blame them. There was no way she’d ever tire of this view. In the centre of the room sat a number of government officials, each one dressed either in uniform, or suit and tie. This was her B team, her best collaborators had been ‘removed’ in the fallout after the attempt on the Security Minister’s life. Nevertheless, they were loyal.

The group consisted of 6 people. 5 of whom were under her control. 3 of the 5 were members of her own cabinet. The head of the Edgefields VDF garrison, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Treasurer. The other two were under the employ of the Security Bureau. Both were mid-ranked officers, both looking for a quick way to climb the ranks. The odd one out was Police Chief Ulmer Lund.

Lund had been a thorn in her side since her election to Commissioner. He’d proven stubbornly resistant to bribery and coercion, and most embarrassingly, he’d threatened to arrest and opened an investigation into her office that she’d just barely suppressed. The fiasco had undone months of work, and she still fumed thinking about it today. It was no matter, though. Lund would get what he deserved.

Taking her place at the table, she cleared her throat and shuffled some papers, deliberately avoid Lund’s gaze until he couldn’t wait any longer. “What is the meaning of this?” He burst out. “I have so much to do with the evacuation, this had better be important!” Madelyn lifted her gaze slowly, locking eyes with Lund and giving him a knowing smirk. “Mr Lund, I’m sure this will be worth your time.” She gave a slight nod to the FOSB Staff Officer beside her, who produced a crisp bundle of papers, still warm from when they were printed. Sliding the package across the table she tried to keep her features neutral, but she couldn’t hide the slight smile tugging on the corners of her mouth.

“This, dearest Lund, is your official notice of resignation.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “What?” Her smile grew wider. “Perhaps I’m not speaking clearly enough. You’re done, your time as Chief of Police is over. Sign the document.” Lund stood up suddenly, the two guards by the door twitching slightly as he did so, ready to respond if he turned violent. “Who do you think you are?” He bellowed. “Get over yourself. You don’t control anyone, you have delusions of grandeur. More importantly, you’re a criminal, and I’ll see to it that you spend the rest of your life rotting away in a cell.”

The room fell silent, seconds stretching into infinity as Madelyn felt the anger bubbling up in inside her, her rage building into an inferno. Her knuckles clenched, her jaw tightening. “You miserable rat.” She spat. “How dare you. You think you can talk that way to me?” Without even realising it, she was on her feet. She spoke again, her voice shaking slightly with the unbridled hatred running through her veins. “You’re insignificant, Lund, you’re the mouse, and I am the cat. All you are is a stubborn little pawn in my game. And yet, faced with your inevitable defeat you have the nerve to insult me?" HOW DARE YOU!"

It happened in a blink of an eye, the redness came over her vision, and as the words streamed from her mouth, each louder and more violent than the last, she raised her hand. She let out a strangled sound, and before he could react, Lund was thrown backwards, slammed into the hard metal wall behind him. He crumpled and slid down the floor, unmoving. Madelyn motioned to the two guards by the door. “Take him away.”

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Allies: Galactic Alliance, [member="Aryn Teth"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Nuuc Lapt"] | [member="Kyle Ajahn"]​

Enemies: First Order, [member="Sieger Ren"] | [member="Racosidae"] | [member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Therran Graush"] | [member="Shaydae Desmaris"]​

Objective: Consecrate the Naval Base​

​

​

GAV Demeter // Assault Force 'Rancor'
Varonat // Outer Rim
Deploying to Surface

I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.

Their final second ticked down before there was a brief moment of weightlessness as the pod detached from Demeter's artificial gravity before their thrusters kicked in, and forced those crammed inside back into their seats under the weight of sudden gravitational pressure. All save one. Varex, whose species had evolved a uniquely dense musculature and much thicker cranial bone plating to protect his species' extra-sensitive cognitive functions, experienced only mild discomfort.

While humanoids all around him were more or less pinned into position under the stress of Varonat's upper atmosphere on their pod's meager artificial dampeners, the Vaemath Jedi Knight was fully capable of both turning his head and shifting his body to get a better glimpse outside their insertion vehicle while they began their descent. Again due to his abnormal height, his pod was short two souls so that there would be room for him so long as he sat down and bent his legs as close towards his chest as possible. It was by no means a natural position for someone of his species, but it would get him to the surface in the first wave, and a Jedi should be capable of bearing discomfort for a worthy cause.

Soon the flames of reentry would obscure all view beyond their outer hull, so Varex only caught a brief glimpse of battling capital ships in orbit before they descended down into the abyss. Most Alliance grunts would agree that the upper atmosphere was the worst part, when you knew the enemy was trying to shoot you down and you had no way of even seeing it coming, but the Inquisitor would have found it oddly peaceful if it hadn't been for the waves of nervous thoughts around him. Fully trained Jedi were too precious a resource to pile into a single pod, so he was only one of two on board this particular vessel, the rest were Pathfinders and other special forces.

Our target is the planetary naval base, located on the surface's southern hemisphere.

Not to mention as a Jedi, things like physical distance were all relative anyway.

Its a priority target for the Defense Force, Varex continued his telepathic briefing, his thoughts touching the minds of each Shadow on his team, But more critically, its the most likely nesting ground for any Ren acolytes in system. Sieger keeps them on a tight leash, where they can't do any lasting damage to the civilian populace.

It was clever, his logical mind had to admit, satiating the darker impulses such heretical manipulations of the Force brought out in a soul through means of endless military conquest. A brilliant kind of madness, that would burn the entire Rim if they didn't put a stop to it.

Officially, we're here to provide support and backup for the Defense Force in capturing and holding strategic objectives. Unofficially...we are here to locate and neutralize high priority Ren targets. The moment we step onto that base, we must assume that everyone on it not with the Alliance, is subordinate to darker powers.

His eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, as their pod finally descended into the lower atmosphere, and enemy anti-air fire rose up to meet them like waves on a sea.

Leave nothing alive.