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Location: Tatooine, Mos Eisley
Enemies: CIS, their allies and [member="Sol Damerin"] (eventually)
Allies: GE, their allies. Nearby @Anya Loma
Objective: Reunite
After her mental call to her sister, Zesiro now waited for her to arrive and knew it wouldn't take long. In the meantime though, one of the ships was shot down that was incoming. Her master on board that ship. Feeling him through the Force, she followed its descent until she could no longer see it. He had used the Force to keep himself safe and she knew he lived.
Almost an accidental enemy here, the young woman knew their meeting was going to happen sooner or later. Knowing Sol though it was going to be as soon as he dusted himself off and found her. Nothing was going to stop him from his objective. He wasn't here yet so she would have at least a short time to speak with her sister.
Turning as Anya approached her, under her mask, Zesiro lifted her eyebrows in surprise. There was little familial love right now and it was all official. Even though they were blood, Zesiro also respected her sister and the position she held within her former Empire. Almost wanting to give her a salute military style, she choose to give her a slight nod.
With that mask on, any facial expression would be lost.
Enemies: Confederacy of Independent Systems @Qymaen sil Jural | [member="Kainan Wolfe"] | [member="Darth Metus"] Allies and Members of the Confederacy
The Empire was weak. An undefended shell that was a mere tool of the higher powers in the galaxy. An Emperor who stretched their forces into wars that were far from the territories he held and poked interference where he wasn’t welcome. All these things had been said of the current Imperial forces in stretch of the reach. Each of them moving off the words of men who themselves pushed idolisation of priests, gave entire planets false hope of freedom before throwing them into bitter war against the true order within the galaxy and the most painful fact of all, those who wished to remove any symbolisation of peace, maintaining an ever constant flow of destruction and death. It was these very thoughts, these pathetic justifications of the Alliance and their allies that fuelled the wills that steered the fleet forward. Each strand of hyperspace tunnel that went passed the view screen of the the star destroyer was one step closer to the utter destruction of all who maintained their warlike ways. Jedi who had thrown their lot in with Sith outcasts, power hungry Hutts and dangerous outlaws, each of them would die in turn, be it by the Empire’s hand, the Sith Empire’s or the First Order’s. They had no idea what they were starting by attacking Imperial territory.
Absolutely no idea.
Aram’s fleet had reverted within the borders of the system, forming up on the Imperial side of the territory. Like his comrade’s own appearance it was done outside of attack range and followed by the protocols to assure that every single one of their ships was accounted for. Ship after ship hailed the lead vessel of the fleet, Aram’s command and it quickly came to realisation that even with the fleet he had managed to muster that the Confederacy would still outnumber them, for they would hold nothing back, only unleash hell upon a dusty backwater. The difference was, they didn’t have the Imperial men and women behind the consoles of each of these ships, they did not have the Imperial integrity or the conditioning. To Aram this meant more then any droid the Confederacy could build, for it gave them an edge that none but a true Imperial would understand.
“Fleet is fully accounted for.” Deesat’s voice sounded across the bridge as he himself got he confirmation from the communication pit that every ship down to the escorts had reported ready for deployment after the drop. “However we have been unable to get any indication of Tarkin’s fleet other then some scattered signals from the far side of the system.” The Vice Admiral remained silent for a moment as he gazed across the expanse of space, the darkness stolen by the great brown orb that was Tatooine, any evidence of invasion lost over the extreme distance.
“Order the fleet to advance.” Speaking loudly the order was belayed down through the channels, the fleet communicator throwing the message out to each and every one of the ships under the Vice Admiral’s command. Rear Admiral Carentan was the man who held the Tatooine space together, he would be the one currently facing down the CIS fleet, a resolute gentleman if Aram remembered correctly. He had been posted in the system for his strategic mind at removing pirate elements from the systems already aligned to the Emperor’s will, however Aram also recalled a slight element of personal gratification that stained the Rear Admiral’s otherwise prestigious career.
“Shall we hail the planetary defence Sir?” Deesat had casually approached Aram to look out of the view screen with his Vice Admiral, a calmness flowing over him and the crew around them as if it was a mere drill. “Although it would remove our element of surprise. The enemy would pick up any communication we would apply.”
“Open channels. Announce our arrival and have the fleet jump into attacking range of the enemy lines.” Aram issued, his posture straightening as he tensed his shoulders. “Also get me a readout on what they have amassed, I wish to see if these rumours are true of how heavy the Confederacy has been playing the faithful diplomat.”
“At once sir.” Deesat replied and spun on his heel to issue the commands. As one the fleet formed up and with a sudden jolt faded into the star lines yet again before reappearing within range at the flank of the enemy fleet.
Alarms had began to sound, causing a slight smirk on Aram’s face as he heard the stations of his own ship light up with activity. Weapons were being turned towards the enemy, shields being powered to combat stations and as his blue eyes took hold of the enemy wave before them he could already sense the anticipation of his men.
“…and so it begins.”
Action Summary
Fleet jumped into system and attempted communications with defending fleet. Micro-jumped to long range from flank of CIS fleet. Preparing to engage enemy forces.
Fleet
1x Allegiance IV-Class Heavy Star Destroyer 2000m INV Pruveil
Objective: protect the over weight slug
Allies: The Great CIS
Enimies: The Not As Great Galactic Empire
Equipment: A lovely tomahawk, A simple Vibrosword, A poisonous
BX-25233 and the commando droids under his command exited the shuttle as soon as it landed to secure the LZ. Shortly after everyone else exited with battle droids moving in formation and Tank pilots entering their designated AAT. BX-25233 went to grab his STAP and with 4 other commando droids move ahead of the samd crawler as recon making sure the GE hadn't set any traps or ambushes. While preparing his STAP for use BX-25233 overheard Scherezade's winging.
"Unit BX-25233 can answer some of your questions. Our designated enemy known as the Galactic Empire would have made sure to setup defenses around the main objective once owned by the late Jabba The Hutt which would have surely blown our shuttles out of the sky. To prevent such a disaster from happening the Confederacy of Independent Systems has decided to send our VIP to the main objective via a Sand Crawler. Do not fear being cooked alive inside sandcrawler for if the twin suns of tatooine hasn't done it already then there is a low chance of some fire doing that however contrary to what people may think the sandcrawler is not built for combat and a simple explosive would presumably disable it. Suggestion: change mode of transport from a sandcrawler to a sail barge which would take the same amount of punishment as a sandcrawler but travel to main objective faster"
With that the commando droid would head out on his STAP going past the Sandcrawler and identifying a few tusken scouts half a mile ahead of the sandcrawler. While at the moment it didn't seem like a raiding party tuskens could easily be hiding under the sand ready to pounce on the CIS when the sandcrawler comes past but BX-25233 doubted they would attempt such a thing due to the size and power of the sandcrawlers escort
Location: the flank of the CIS Storm Fleet
Objective: be the target for the Empire's ships, play defense for the landing parties
Allies: Confederacy of Independent Systems
Enemies: Galactic Empire
The wait. Always in battle there was a pause before two sides collided. Many were filled with adrenaline charged fear. Others, nervous anticipation. Regardless of the emotions all felt there was always that calm before the storm.
Rising to his feet Muad moved over next to Captain Hrakness in viewing their small task force. The Empire had the ability to bring an overwhelming amount of naval forces to any engagement. This would be no different in most likelihood. Blue eyes narrowed as he observed his command.
"Time to pull in. Lieutenant Ames, relay to the task force. Gambler's Fate at the fore, bow at any approaching. We want those gravity wells to extend far enough in Storm Fleet's flank to pull an encroaching fleet out before they get to us. Captain Hrakness, put us behind Gambler's Fate. Starboard side at their stern. Captain Sven, when our enemy appears prepare to drop the gravity wells and full power astern behind us."
As the captains of the capital ships began barking orders Muad tapped his chin thoughtfully while going over the rest of his force.
"The Facade Carriers will be on our port side parallel with us and blocked. Get the Nest Carriers pulled up between us and our fleet. They can't get hit hard, but we will utilize what we have. Share our telemetry with the Nest Carriers and the Facade Carriers."
Frowning slightly he lit another deathstick.
"Pull the Dire Class Patrol Ships to our port side and have them disgorge the Cutlass Gunships and Umbra Dropships."
As Task Force Unicorn began maneuvering he nodded and went back to sit in the command chair to wait.
He didn't have long.
Suddenly a fleet materialized into existence a good distance off the bow of the Gambler's Fate. Reacting with a speed that spoke to Captain Sven's ability, the Gambler's Fate began maneuvering aftwards to place her ship on Charlie's port side. Speaking to Lieutenant Ames in a quiet voice Muad rose to his feet.
"Open a channel to our fleet. We have engagement with Empire naval forces."
Waving his hand to cut transmission he nodded once more.
"Open a channel to the enemy. This is Muad Dib, Commander of Task Force Unicorn, part of Storm Fleet of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. We request that you power down your weapons, lower your shields, and exit this sector of space. Your failure to do so immediately will be viewed as hostile and we will be forced to engage."
Motioning for Lieutenant Ames to cut the transmission he nodded to Captain Hrakness.
"Shunt all power to starboard shields. Target the lead destroyers. The first four and divide the telemetry equally. We can't slug it out with our force, but we can bloody their nose and get in some body shots."
Charlie the Unicorn had their starboard side to the enemy fleet.
Gambler's Fate retreated to the port side of Charlie.
The Facade Carriers are parallel with Charlie on the port side.
Dire Class Patrol Ships also positioned on port side and discharging ships.
Nest Carriers are between the CIS Fleets.
Location: Mos Eisley, Tatooine Objective: Pursue Task Force Windstorm ([member="BX-25233"], [member="Scherezade deWinter"], [member="Akabane"], [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"], [member="Rapax"], [member="Daxton Bane"], [member="Katria Vekarr"], [member="Dalton Kenway"], @whoever else I missed) Allegiance: The Galactic Empire
Esmond flicked off the hologram without emotion, they had their tasks, no it was time to engage. The Morcus heir looked at the three fellows, and let them voice their opinions. Such wouldn't be accepted among Imperial forces, but he did not mind, Esmond wanted to learn about how real people communicated, and acted. Now was a perfect time to learn. He nodded at [member="Digam Merith"]'s question and gestured towards [member="Anse Tahvo"] when the Duros answered,
"What Tahvo said, I'll let you, specialists, do the counting."
Esmond turned towards @Koenrad Neistav and nodded as well,
"Our mission is to intercept that convoy, whatever it may be holding."
Esmond stood up, and stretched his legs. He had been sitting for an hour, it was nice to get his legs moving again. He flicked his hand towards the door, but stopped by Koenrad before leaving, "Don't mistake me for a two bit fool like the swine that usually hire you. You will follow my orders, and don't think I can't hear you." To make a point of his special abilities, he raised the glass that had been sitting idly by Esmond, and crushed it, without ever touching it. The Inquisitor led the three bounty hunters towards the back of the cantina, having left a half credit on the table. Two fairly average, rusting, sand crusted, land speeders hovered quietly. They had been for fast travel around the planet surface, but they would do well to pursue the CIS forces. Esmond activated a map on his hologram emitter, and displayed it to the three bounty hunters,
"It seems the Confederate forces en route to the Hutt palace have landed due north of us, not too far away. We will pursue them from a safe distance to figure out their intentions, and stop it by all means necessary. Nesitav," He said, only knowing their last names, "You'll sit with me in this speeder. Tahvo and Merith can share that one. Saddle up, we don't have time to muck about."
LOCATION: En route to Carnthout OBJECTIVE: Secure GE outposts ALLIES: The CIS in general | [member="Srina Talon"] | [member="Muad Dib"] specifically ENEMIES: The GE in general | [member="Zesiro"] specifically
Cresting a dune Sol comes to a stop. In the distance he can see Confederacy shuttles touching ground near Carnthout, at his current pace he should arrive just after the thickest of the fighting got started which meant he couldn't remain out of the loop any longer. With a sigh, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of earplugs sliding them into place.
The earplugs were something he'd found a lot of Force user overlooked. Most shooters had them because you could get permanent hearing damage if you kept firing any kind of blaster or slugthrower for sustained periods without them. But since a Force user mostly used the Force and their lightsaber they rarely bothered. He did since they were incredibly useful on a number of levels.
First was obvious, hearing protection. They were digital so they didn't hamper his hearing instead they simply filtered out high decibel noises while amplifying low-level noises. Protecting his hearing without him having to wonder about half deaf. The other upside was they could be digitally synced with his commlink and act as an earpiece. It was always handy to have hands free communication he just had to tap his ear once to send and then tap again to receive. It was whisper sensitive picking up on the auditory vibrations through his bones when he transmits.
Pulling out his commlink he makes sure that he is set to the right channel and the devices have paired. Then he taps his ear to broadcast. "This is Damerin, Mobius Three was shot down. The droid contingent aboard was scrapped but I was able to survive. I'm on route to the Carnthout staging area, about two clicks out. ETA five minutes, galactic standard. Damerin out." Tapping his ear again he jumps and lands in a slide kicking up sand as he surfs down the dune, once he is near the bottom he launches himself up landing at the bottom of the next before jumping again. So far, things were uneventful by his standards he wonders how long that will last.
Within the garrison, the situation had remained static for the High Moff. However a new problem had quickly made itself present. As Adron stared over a holotable containing a live feed of Mos Eisley and the surrounding area, a high pitched, weasel-like voice spoke to him from the other side of the table. "High Moff, you must give them sanctuary!" Governor Meeks, a pudgy ball of a man who could barely squeeze into his Imperial uniform slapped a hand down on the holotable, causing the image to momentarily shimmer. His face was badly sunburned, nearly to the point where it matched the matted red locks that fell from under his patrol cap. What else could be expected of a man stuck in one of the least important sectors of the galaxy?
"Governor. The people of Mos Eisley are your responsibility. Not the responsibility of the Imperial Army. That will be all." Adron said, dismissing the man with a wave of a hand.
"They are the Empire's responsibility! Mos Eisley is not safe! The battle will destroy them, they could all die!" The Governor continued, raising his hands in an expressive show of anger. Adron's eyes remained locked on the holotable, his eyes narrowing at the forces that seemed to be approaching Mos Eisley. "Then they will have the honor of dying as patriots, this is a military operation now, not a relief effort." Adron said, running a hand over his chin as he contemplated his options for battle. Of course the irritable Governor did not withdraw his argument. "Please, sir. They have already evacuated Mos Eisley to escape the fighting. If they run head long into the dessert without the proper supplies...." He trailed off, having made the point of death already and attempting to dodge redundancy.
"Please, sir....these are my people. They are my responsibility. Bring them into the garrison, there is more than enough room." A moment of pause was given from Adron as he turned to look to his own wife. As she stepped forward giving herself a dismissal the High Moff responded with a curt nod. He threw a shallow glance over to her apprentice before turning back to the governor with his decision.
"No. Now remove yourself before I have you tossed out with your people." Adron said, crossing his arms. "This is a military situation Governor. Even one of your people could be a Confederate spy and I do not have the resources to do thorough checks. I am sorry."
The hollow apology was met with an exasperated growl of disapproval. "Fine! Let them die then! But I would not be surprised if each and every one of them turns to the confederates for aid! Then where will they be?! With the enemy!" The words were anger-filled and spat out from a raging ball of incompetence, however even Adron had to admit they were not wrong. As the Governor made his way out of the command room, Adron had been thrown into contemplation until finally his voice called out once again. "Wait.....Governor. Bring your people inside the garrison. Have them assemble in our main assembly hall." Governor Meeks seemed shocked by the change of heart, causing his dark expression to turn to a much brighter one. He rushed over, taking Adron's hand in a sweaty embrace with his own. The feeling of the Governor's moist hands caused a chill to creep up the High Moff's spine.
"Thank you, thank you sir! Thank you so much! I'll have them within our walls in no time. I personally assure you there will be no problems out of them!" He said, before moving into what ever passed for a jog for a man of his size.
Adron took a handkerchief from his packet, wiping his hand free from the sweat as he looked to [member="Seto Du Couteau"] "You." He said, tossing the rag on the table behind him. "I have a mission for you. I'm sending for a demolitions team to meet you in the assembly hall. Before any of these "refugees" enter the garrison you are going to rig the hall with explosives. Keep them hidden, there should be plenty of detonators down in the supply cage. Once you've rigged the hall with the explosives, escort the people into the hall and bring me the detonator." He ordered the inquisitor. There was no explanation given on why the High Moff had ordered this, or who the destruction was meant for. With a deep exhale Adron looked over the holotable once more. Was he going too far?
Digam finished up fixing the helmet and put it on to test it out. Once he was sure everything was working properly he took it off followed after the Inquisitor, making a mental note to not anger the man. Although upon finding out that two speeders would be their transport for spying on what would, presumably, be an armed convoy. He was beginning to wonder at the adaptability of Inquisitor Morcus.
“Uhm...no offense your inquisitorship, but I don’t think taking two aging unarmed land speeders is the best solution for tailing a military convoy. Even if it’s just recon, I’d feel safer if we had some more firepower on our side for this. If were still allowed to throw out suggestions, I’d say have one team take the land speeder while the other team follows behind in a small ship that's packing some fire power. Besides that if we’re going to fight CIS forces I’d rather like to have the rest of this”
Digam briefly hold up his helmet, and then remains silent. Part of him dreading the consequences of speaking against the inquisitors plan. The other part of him knowing that, unless those land speeders have some surprises of their own, taking them to tail a military convoy is tantamount to suicide. It doesn't take a whole lot of reasoning to conclude that relativelydefenseless speeders versus confederate fighters and war machines, is not a good match up.
Affiliation || Allegiance - CIS & Friends; The People of Tatooine Location - Bestine, Abandoned Warehouse Mission Objective - Keep Tytos Ardik from pissing off the natives during 'negotiations' Traveling With || Interacting With - [member=Fidelis] and [member=Tytos Ardik] Posts So Far - Three
Tytos Ardik said:
"You'll be happy to know precautions have already been taken in that aspect. If they don't play along for want of reward, they will play along for fear of their lives."
Generosity was well and good, but it only worked half of the time. Threatening people to death, however, worked most of the time. But happy alliances lasted longer than fearful ones, so it was best to try generosity first.
"In fear of their lives, huh?" Quinn paced a little, arms crossed over her chest, a frown at her mouth and a drawling distaste in her voice. "Wonder where I've heard that kind of thing before.."Oh, that's right. The arseholes we're trying to liberate this ball of dust from. Yeah, they were dealing with criminals, but if she could bargain with their type without sinking to their level, then she bet Tytos Ardik could, too. It just took a little more…effort. There was a fiery speech entitled 'Isn't-This-Kind-Of-Crap-Exactly-What-We're-Fighting-To-Abolish-I-Mean-We-Can-Be-Better-Than-This' priming behind her scowl, but she knew she couldn't let it rip. Not yet, anyway. The Twi'lek got the feeling it wouldn't have much of an impact (good or bad) on Tytos or the situation at hand, and despite her feelings on how things were progressing, it was more important to present a unified front for this shindig, especially in front of Criminal Masterminds Party Of Three.
Quinn reeled herself in a little and dialed down the bite in her tone. You'd think a woman who lies because her life depends on it would be better at controlling her emotions, but having to sit on her hands and let injustice happen was a huge problem for the smuggler. She'd done enough of that. With a short sigh, she propped her hands on her hips and fixed Tytos with a less hostile, more begrudgingly compliant expression. "Well, you're the boss for this round, so… whatever kind of backup you need, we've got your back. We're ready." She shot Fidelis a questioning look. "We are ready, right? You gonna stay close or do you have other ideas?"
Seto considered himself above average in most things relative to combat, but to act as protection was yet another new experience. Fortunately he rather doubted the High Moff would need much protection. Even so, his Master's will must be obeyed and Seto kept himself near the High Moff. More information gathered around them, and it seemed more likely to Seto that the enemy on the ground had their intentions set on letting their Fleets do most of the work. Well I guess it's easier to fight an rubble afterall Seto mused, his thoughts granted him some entertainment.
The calm broke though when the High Moff addressed the Governor of the situation of the local inhabitants of Mos Eisley. Refugees of war always appeared as an annoyance to most people Seto met. Of course Seto personally thought the best way to deal with refugees was to always end the war that displaced them as quickly as possible. This of course was the not case as the High Moff agreed to house the displaced citizens of the Empire inside the garrison.
The High Moff turned to him and Seto reflexively straightened and nodded as the High Moff gave the orders. Seto knew exactly what the explosives were meant to do, and with not intention to create a situation Seto quickly marched out. His feet sped him quickly towards the Assembly Hall, he heard the boots of the demolition team and Seto quickly went to insure the Moff's orders were completed. The demolition team assured Seto that once detonated the explosion would be controlled, without much thought Seto accepted the detonator trigger from the demolition team before he ordered them back to their original posts.
Seto kept the detonator hidden within his utility belt, he moved to greet the governor and the rest of refugees and escorted them inside the relative safety of the garrison. The governor began to thank Seto, but quickly he cut him off, "Save your breath and make sure you keep everyone calm and obedient," the last thing Seto wanted was an incident with the refugees. Expertly Seto detached himself from the governor and headed back towards the High Moff.
Carefully Seto placed the detonator next to the High Moff on the table, "It is done High Moff Malvern," Seto reported, he steeled himself. It is after all not my place Seto thought. Seto knew the man in front of him had already thought about all the implications of what this action would bring. An explosion inside the garrison seemed not the wisest idea when about to be siege upon. And when we win this battle, it would be tiresome to find settlers to replace the ones lost. The Galaxy was cruel, and for the moment Seto was happy that he was not the one forced to make that decision.
Allies: The Galactic Empire and friends Objectives: Intercept the Confederate Hutt Guard Location: Currently, Planetside: Mos Eisely Enemies: CIS and sympathizers
"I've got a VCX-700 parked just behind us if we're going to use New-blood's plan," Koenrad piped in even as he got into the passenger seat of the sand speeder. He'd actually have preferred [member="Digam Merith"] 's plan, but the force-grip-happy inquisitor had made it known that he liked his orders to be followed with extreme compliance. Koenrad wasn't too worried about his chances if [member="Esmond Morcus"] lost his temper... but it was better not to poke the bear. The inquisitor obviously felt secure enough in his abilities to flex his proverbial muscles in warning. Then again, it was always possible that he was bluffing, and the cup was about the only thing he could crush. Koenrad shrugged the idea off, and primed his blasters for combat. He continued, "Thing's armed to the teeth, shielded like a military gunship and can outrun a confederate transport going backwards."
[member="Qymaen sil Jurai"] | [member="Kainan Wolfe"] | [member="Darth Metus"]
@Other CIS in Vicinity of Tatooine
If predictions had been correct, the massive Imperial Armada would exit hyperspace perpendicular to the amassed enemy droid ships. The battlefield could have changed since the telemetry was received however it appeared as if the Confederacy had planned on an overwhelming deployment to the surface. Their ships would likely be in a relatively static position, coordinating the assault from orbit or just outside. *Seven. Seven Lucrehulk-class vessels. Mad.* Such power hadn't been anticipated at the hands of the CIS, their production well veiled from Imperial Intelligence. That was something that would need to be fixed - provided they survived this battle. The latest intelligence would no doubt be uploaded to the ISB, along with captured data at the end of the battle - adjustments would be made, but most importantly Ephraim would personally fight against the wash of complacency which had allowed this assault to be plausible in the first place. Such concerns however could be revisited after. *Focus on the now. Minute by minute, second by second.* Again the words of mentors from the past played in his mind. Not unlike the 'Soldier's Minute', Naval Officers followed a similar process.
"Thirty seconds to stage one reversion, Admiral." the voice of his XO sang across the bridge. Each vessel and supporting group of ships had been timed perfectly. The first group would emerge from hyperspace in less than a minute. Following that group another, twenty seconds later, and another following the next. While near simultaneous, the separation allowed for the first group to tag priority targets before the real heavy hitters arrived. Fleet Admiral Tarkin was nothing if not efficient and methodical. There were allowances for failure, yes, but so also were there secondary and tertiary fallback plans. Standing at the fore of the bridge, Ephraim stared into the elongated lines flashing past the viewport. Soon they would be replaced with the fire of hundreds of turbolasers and the telltale streaks of missiles and rockets. The Rear Admiral's first taste of battle in a decade. Just like the first taste of medium rare steak, the hunger for battle never truly left the hunter, even in age.
Tatooine Naval Control | Primary Control Center | Rear Admiral Carentan
Outer Rim | Arkanis Sector | Tatooine
With an audible thud, the body of the Imperial Officer hit the ground, the clatter of a blaster weapon accompanying the soft sizzle of fabric and flesh. It wasn't the sight of the Rear Admiral's body on the floor that shocked the ensign so much as the smell of cooked flesh and singed cotton bringing tears to his eyes - the acrid smell wafting about the room. What had happened? One moment the Ensign knew this was the end for him, the next...
Behind where the Rear Admiral had been stood a lone Captain, his eyes durasteel gray, the smoking blaster still half raised. Everyone had known in that moment what needed to be done, but the Captain had been the only one to grab it by the horns and take action."Rear Admiral Carentan has been relieved of duty. I, Captain Vorsyd am assuming command. Cowardice will not be tolerated in the face of the enemy. Do you understand?" A rapid chorus of responses in the affirmative provided the answer the Captain wanted to hear. "Get the body out of here. I want a channel open with Rear Admiral Tarkin the moment he reverts from hyperspace. Scramble any fighters left on the ground and issue orders to fall back and reinforce our ground sites."
Faster than might have been expected, everyone in the command center began to move at once. A renewed sense of hope and direction given to them by the gravitas of Captain Vorsyd. Messages were sent to the remaining cruisers, no longer attempting to hold the atmosphere cordon and instead directed to relocate strategically. They had lost the atmosphere, but they would hold their ground to the last. "Get me a line to High Moff Malvern - have him route us priority targets for airstrikes issue coordinates to our cruisers. Mos Eisley must not be taken by the Confederacy. If we can hold them there we just might be able to catch them in the open." Another bout of flustered movement and raised voices as channels were opened, messages and data transmitted. On another console a message alert became audible over the mess of events. "Someone get on that. Relay coordinates and telemetry to those ships immediately. When Captain Haasa arrives, patch him in with Rear Admiral Tarkin." What had been a haphazard and chaotic initial response was slowly shaping up to be something else. Now, if they could just hold the CIS off for just a little longer...
With a violent surge of power, the FIV Hammerheart and the rest of her contingent dropped out of hyperspace. An instant later, a wide grin stretched across Rear Admiral Tarkin's features. They had come out of hyperspace just as planned, perfectly perpendicular to the bulk of the enemy fleet. As new data came pouring into the ship's systems. Ephraim's eyes pored over the data readouts, they had emerged just within firing range of the nearest Lucrehulk, the advantage of surprise something he didn't want to waste. "Target the nearest command vessel. Fire at will. Relay priority targets to the Golgotha, Dasher, and the Invernus. I want those Lucrehulks set ablaze. Prioritize their communications relays." While Ephraim knew the likelihood of their enemy using the vessels as a droid command center, they posed a massive threat. By disrupting communication they could throw the enemy into disarray. An unorganized assault with that many moving parts and individual vessels? That would be a sight to behold.
As his commands were transmitted to the three vessels, their proton beam cannons took aim at the nearest of the Lucrehulks. Soon they would be ready to fire. Ephraim could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he felt the deck beneath his feet tremor with the power of the Hammerheart. As the ship's batteries opened fire, countless TIE fighters and TIE Interceptors burst free of their carrier vessels and Star Destroyers - they would blot out the suns, closing the distance between the Empire's armada like a plague of locust to the fields. As the fleet ramped up into overdrive a priority comm chirped at his headset. A single button press saw the channel open.
:: Rear Admiral Tarkin, this is Captain Delton Vorsyd of Tatooine Naval Control. I have assumed command of the resisting forces, glad to see you made it. Priority ground targets will be designated by High Moff Malvern, as far as the defense of the sector, you are now the ranking naval officer. I'll do what I can to coordinate from planetside, but you're what we've got Rear Admiral. ::
Now that was interesting. There were a number of questions the Captain's words brought to mind, none of which were particularly important in the moment. And so, Rear Admiral Tarkin focused on the known. They'd reverted into space directly into the enemy's side, even as he stood upon the bridge they had already begin to make a flanking movement. The enemy would be forced to divert their attention towards the Imperial armada or pay the consequences. If their arrival did anything, it would buy the ground forces more time to reinforce their positions against the enemy. As for support against the ground forces, Ephraim already had an idea.
::Captain Vorsyd, a pleasure. We are beginning our assault now. Detailed battlefield imagery will be relayed to High Moff Malvern at our earliest. I'm assigning a small task force to take the fight to the enemy ground combatants, we'll glass them from low orbit. Task force data will be transmitted to you momentarily. Hold the line Captain. Tarkin out. ::
The opening moves had been made, all that remained is to see how the enemy would react.
Action Summary:
Imperial Armada emerges in 20 second intervals in three waves, from hyperspace along the perpendicular side of [member="Qymaen sil Jurai"]'s fleet and [member="Kainan Wolfe"]'s.
Three Conqueror-class Star Destroyers begin targeting the nearest Lucrehulk-class vessel, charging their proton beams.
Communication has been opened with Tatooine Naval Control and with [member="Adron Malvern"] to coordinate defense of ground positions.
Task force consisting of a section of the Imperial Armada's meterage has been dispatched to low orbit to provide heavy fire support.(Task Force Wyvern, see composition for notes)
Fighter screens have been dispatched as the FIV Hammerheart and other vessels begin forming a line in an attempt to sandwich the CIS fleet between themselves and the atmosphere of Tatooine.
○ - Aboard the INV 'Imperial Diplomacy' - ○ CO:Chūichi Haasa, CAPT | XO: Noval Tymon, CMDR
Outer Rim | Arkanis Sector | Mara Corridor
○ - Enemies - ○
Confederacy of Independent Systems
Associated allied forces
[member="Muad Dib"]
○ - Allies - ○
Galactic Empire, the First Order
Associated allied forces
[member="Esoryuko Tobruk"] | [member="Ephraim Tarkin"]
To follow Imperial navy doctrine, 4th Squadron would have staggered itself out in some manner. Likely something where the frigates arrived first, followed in short order by one of the cruisers and the corvettes, and further still by the rest of the squadron and its heavier firepower. It all would have been well-drilled and done just by the textbook that an officer candidate would pour over at the academy.
Chūichi had never been the biggest fan of more conventional combat doctrine.
The squadron came blasting out of hyperspace en-masse: having charged and stepped off at the soonest word from the Captain. 'Moonbird' and 'Picket Runner' led the charge at the front of the formation, with the 'Coyote' and 'Fleetfoot' loitering close by as supporting guns. Behind them further came 'War Maiden' with her main battery already charging, and 'Circuit Burner' tucked close in behind her to equally support the heavy cruiser and shield herself from enemy fire. And to bring up the rear came 'Nobleman' and 'Imperial Diplomacy' in a position where they could best coordinate their fighter complements in support of the squadron. While hardly the heaviest complement of craft around the planet in that moment, the wake they left on sensors was undeniable.
In another complement, the force of the Galactic Empire turned its head to face the CIS aggressors.
The CIC's comms operator drew the Captain's attention, "Sir, we've re-established contact with Naval Control on Tatooine."
That was only a small measure of good news in light of what his sensors were no telling him, "Damn good, sailor. Patch me through to the Admiral."
"Negative, sir. The Admiral is apparently no longer in command. Its a Captain Vorsyd now, apparently, and he's requested we be put through to Rear Admiral Tarkin."
Haasa and Tymon exchanged a look of curiosity. What had happened to that old codger in charge of the naval garrison? It didn't matter right now, of course. Surely that would be a matter for the ISB at a later date. A look to the tactical board told the Captain that Rear Admiral Tarkin's fleet was already in-system and moving to engage the enemy. In terms of position, the Captain's squadron was "above" the overall collection of forces and "descending".
Captain Haasa looked to Tymon again and then back to the comms specialist, "Hurry up then, sailor. Get me a line to the Admiral."
She gave a quick nod, "Aye, sir!"
As that happened, Chūichi tried to remember anything he could about the Admiral. Of course like any good officer he knew the names of the higher admiralty - that was a short list to remember - but it always helped to know as much as possible. Had he perhaps served time as an instructor in the academy? It was more than possible: once you had stars on your collar the Admiralty so enjoyed making sure you stayed behind a desk rather than on a ship. Yet if he had, then the Captain hadn't attended any of his courses that he could remember.
"We're connected, sir!" The specialist called.
Still eyeing the table, he spoke, "Admiral Tarkin, sir. This is Captain Chūichi Haasa: commander of 4th Squadron, 4th fleet. I'm led to believe these CIS scum intend to give us some trouble today." His eyes tracked as the tactical display showed the Admiral's forces picking targets - their data being relayed as this was done, "We're here in support and moving to engage them ourselves. Say where you need us and we'll be there, Admiral."
He left the line open in the event the Admiral had specific orders, but muted the microphone on his end as he turned to Commander Tymon, "Number One: scramble all fighters. I want a defensive screen up as we move. Tell 'Circuit Burner' to start masking our target signatures: don't give the enemy a clear shot at us!"
The Zabrak officer was beginning to grin, "Aye, sir. Consider it done."
He continued, "Tell 'War Maiden' she's the shot-caller. The squadron fires on her marks. 'Fleetfoot' and 'Coyote' are on fighter interception and point defense. Make it so, Number One." He left her to the task as she started to bark out and relay orders to the appropriate forces. While hazel eyes watched the tactical display as each vessel of his squadron pinged confirmation of their orders. Squadron indicators began to appear as TIE fighters slipped form their hangers to intersperse among the squadron as a form of anti-fighter defense. The squadron was moved to action.
The heavy cruiser 'War Maiden' was virtually bristling with firepower and when her commander received those orders: she was more than happy to comply. The weapons team had already been compiling target data on the enemy fleet's Facade carriers. The 'War Maiden' had a turbolaser batter for each plus a spare to alternate between the four as it needed, in addition to twenty quad-turbolaser turrets to open fire as well. Clearly the commander wasn't fond of carriers. 'Moonbird' and 'Picket runner' supplemented with long-range medium turbolaser fire against those same targets. 'Imperial Diplomacy' and 'Nobleman' opted to utilize their heavy ion cannons and heavy turbolasers, respectively, to supplement this barrage.
At the same time, 'Coyote' and 'Fleetfoot' fell back in among the rest of the fleet.
Within the 'Circuit Burner' a team of technical experts and some of the brightest minds of the Imperial Navy were quick at work at their consoles: communications experts stood by for their orders, while more 'defensive' EWS specialists set to work scrambling and distorting enemy targeting solutions to the best of their abilities: primarily working to protect the cruisers but also reaching out to try and shield the fleet as a whole.
- Arrived in-system based on telemetry data from [member="Ephraim Tarkin"]
- Established communication with [member="Ephraim Tarkin"]
- Squadron main batteries opened fire on the Facade-class pocket carriers of [member="Muad Dib"]
- INV 'Circuit Burner' has reached out to attempt and scramble hostile targeting solution attempts against the squadron.
4th Squadron, 4th Fleet - "4th of the 4th" - The Red Javelin INV 'Imperial Diplomacy'
○ - Vindicator IV-class escort cruiser
○ - 700 meters, total length
- ○ - 1x squadron, TIE/LN Mark IV starfighters
- ○ - Various non-combat/support craft
INV 'Nobleman'
○ - Vindicator II-class escort cruiser
○ - 600 meters, total length
- ○ - 1x squadron, Scimitar assault bombers
- ○ - 2x squadrons, TIE/IN Mark IV starfigthers
- ○ - 4x Sentinel transport shuttles
- ○ - Various non-combat/support craft
Location: In route
Allies: [member="Kainan Wolfe"] @Qyman sil Jurai
Enemies: [member="Ephraim Tarkin"] [member="Adron Malvern"] @Aram Kalest [member="Chūichi Haasa"]
Objective: Arrival of Piracy.
On the edge of the system 4 Shinigami-class Star Destroyer's exited hyperspace with a much smaller ship concealed behind their mass hiding it from detection. The captain of this group seems to smirk as he looks over the area before sending a quick communication to the rest of the force indicating that they had active scans and direct coordinates to cut off the rear of the enemy formation. The captain of the Shinigami-class Star Destroyer Eclipse looked over the field before sending a message to the EWAR frigate that had joined them here right away. "Begin passive hacks of their comms systems I want us to have access to them immediately at least broadcasting rights to their own channels."
While this was happening Aedan looked through the report sent to him smirking savagely as he stood up and started typing out a series of orders his eyes flicking back and forth as he recreated the in system report as he had received it on his holomap. Looking it over he smirked and started to type up orders for his fleets indicating where he wanted each force as he licked his lips hungrily soon they would arrive and the extension of jump was input they would drop out of hyperspace ready to fight almost right on top of the enemies force. He turned back to the command throne and walked to it looking down at his wrist as he took note that they had mere moments before their arrival. Stretching his body a bit he licked his lips dropping into the command throne calmly.
At the same time that his ships dropped out of hyperspace the EWAR frigate started to broadcast a song of both Galactic Empire channels and CIS channels. Using this as a distraction while his forces appeared from hyperspace well within weapons range and with shields up. They were already in the progress of setting up predetermined missile launch lines for once they exited hyperspace pressing a button and opening up a system wide channel he spoke calmly to everyone. "Well than you sorry karkers lets see what you do now that you are the ones surrounded ehh?!" Shortly after these words every ship in his force did two things first they fired missiles dead ahead and into the rear of the force in front of them while launching fighters from their hangars swiftly. As they fired missiles the fire control crews started to get real time firing solutions for all weapons and missiles from now on the EWAR frigates going to work to counteract their opponents jamming adding in their own jamming systems against their opponents working together to disrupt the enemy.
Action Summary
Advanced force arrived consisting of 4x Shinigami-class Star Destroyers and 1x IFW Indicator-class EWAR Frigate
Started hacking enemy comm signals and predetermining firing solutions for missiles for rest of force.
Using sent coordinates dropped the rest of Blood and Wrath Fleet within weapons range of [member="Ephraim Tarkin"]
Immediatly fired all missiles for all ships and released fighters.
Started blaring Hit and Run over all GE and CIS channels.
Commencing Attack Allies: The Confederacy Enemies: The Galactic Empire
The rattle of the Landing Craft took him back.
Darth Metus was reminded, once again, of a time long before the present. Decades ago, when matters of the Force were not a factor in his life. When he was just a boy, descending on Taris alongside a Mandalorian scout party. Their vessel, much akin to the craft within which he stood, trembled as the natives spewed fire against them. And yet, where the young warrior felt panic within his stomach, those about him knew nothing but calm. There were no cries, nor yelps, nor even the slightest flinch as the vessel rocked against the impacts. No...There was laughter. When finally the young man asked why, laying his own terror bare to his superiors, it was the Father of All who answered. Wise and true, Mandalore the Rebuilder looked upon the boy and gave a thunderous reply:
If the Manda wills, we live. If the Manda wills, we die. No matter which comes, we face it with honor. With strength. OYA!
The metallic voice of a long dead King yet echoed within the Sith’s mind as he clung to the rope. Sulfuric eyes briefly wandered about the interior of the vessel, falling briefly upon the form of [member="Srina Talon"]. Her own words of direction - to establish contact with those who had before - were an excellent idea. One that would be surely exercised the moment their boots were safely on the ground. He parted his lips to respond...but nearly bit off his own tongue when a wicked explosion rocked the vessel. An adjacent craft had been decimated - yet another loss claimed by the Garrison’s defenses. Darth Metus steeled himself. Whether he perished now or on the sands...he would face it with strength. With honor. Such was the way it had always been, and the way it would always be.
And as the seconds rolled by, the abyss of space gave way to the light of twin suns.
The Vicelord did not relax nor move from his spot until the final shudder of the Landing Craft signified a safe landing. Their transit from Storm Fleet to the surface had been a rocky one, and as they went down numerous transmissions had buzzed upon his helm. However, the madness of their descent had seen fit that silence was the initial response. As the numerous ramps extended and cargo bays hissed open, the Sith was greeted with his first glimpse of Tatooine’s surface in years. When last he tread upon these sands, he was but a mercenary fighting under the old Confederate banner. Now, he would that banner planted firm within these sands once more. With finality.
Turning, he motioned for [member="Srina Talon"] and [member="Anastasia Verd"] to join him as he began his descent. His movements paused only for a moment, as he directed an inquiry at one of the Tactical Droids responsible for their safe journey down.
”What’s our status?” ”Mobius Squadron is now operating at 33% efficiency. Eight of our Twelve Landing Craft were eliminated on descent.” ”And Hurricane as a whole?” ”Inconclusive. Our comm relay was damaged on descent. Repairs are underway.” ”Which ships made it?” ”Mobius Four, Five, and Eleven have landed successfully alongside our own Mobius One.”
A solid exhale escaped the Sith’s lips.
”What’s our fighting strength?” ”Mobius Four contains a modular Command Center. This vessel was intended for the swift erection of our own anti-aircraft capabilities and was largely dedicated to this task alone. Mobius Five and Eleven contain a standard complement. Mobius One contains a specialized artillery assembly, per your orders.” ”Who else made it the ground?” ”General [member="Aya Clarke"] has mustered her forces and is preparing to move. Our last transmission also states that Lady [member="Amaya Cardei"] has ordered her forces to deploy.”
The Sith took a moment to consider his options. Loss was an inevitable part of the process, but he did not foresee his own forces being reduced to just over thirty percent before firing a single shot. However, in his mind this did not mean a drastic defeat was just over the horizon. No, what this meant was that the security blanket that came with overwhelming Droid numbers had been reduced. He simply had to play it smart and play to the strengths of those who made it to the ground in order to succeed. ”Thank you, carry on. Srina, Anastasia, to me.” he began, before finalizing his descent into the sands. ”Srina, reach out to the Ancient Eye and Galactic Alliance forces. Provide our coordinates and get an update from both. I need them to muster as many of their forces as they can commit to our position as quickly as they can. Then get me that update on Windstorm.” he began. Adding: ”Please.” at the end. The direction of his apprentice to coordinate their allies was born simply due to the fact that she always spoke with his authority. And today was no different.
“Anastasia, see to it that Mobius Four is unloaded as quickly as possible.” he said, briefly pulling up the Landing Craft’s manifest upon his HUD. ”We have a total of seven cannons to get operational. Those alone should provide our naval forces with some relief - prioritize getting them up and running, then rally to my position.”
By this time, his boots began to trudge through the hot sands. He certainly did not miss this aspect of the backwater world. However, he did not put too much attention on this - as organization had to be provided to his Forces. The General of the Iron Crusade, [member="Aya Clarke"], would soon find a verbal missive delivered to her comm from the Vicelord. ”General, I’m glad to see you safe. We’ve landed not far from your position. The bulk of my forces are unloading, so you will be the Head of the Spear. My ‘archers’ will fire over you and cover your advance. And, as we unload, we will replenish your numbers. Godspeed.”
Next, the Vicelord hailed the pods of his daughter, [member="Amaya Cardei"]. ”Welcome to Tatooine,” he began, with pride yet coloring his voice. ”Before you, General Aya Clarke will be mounting her charge. My forces will be right behind her, providing a backbone. Commit your forces to our flanks and target any wall-mounted defenses. K’oyacyi.”
The following missives were brief in nature. [member="Jorco Czeku"] was directed to divide his squadron - one half to provide close defensive support of the LZ and the other to initiate a bombing run against the Outpost. The downed Mobius Craft were then hailed in an attempt to ascertain if any survivors had made it out of the wreckages. [member="Sol Damerin"] would hear this broadcast load and clear. And, brief expressions of gratitude would be extended to the forces in the air, such as [member="Muad Dib"], [member="Kainan Wolfe"], [member="Qymaen sil Jurai"] and @Galven Hansel for making their safe descent possible. As for the Pirate King, he received a two-word response from his elder kin. Hell. Yes.
Pausing from his comminiques, Darth Metus took a moment to turn on his heel. He was, once again, greeted by the sight of a lumbering behemoth - but this time it knelt before him. For the first time in so long, Darth Metus took his place upon the saddle of a Basilisk War Droid and spurned it forward with but a simple click of his teeth. With but the motion of his hand, his Echani apprentice would know to join him astride the beast, as there was room aplenty for two. And, once she was situated, the Sith gave his marching orders to the remains of Hurricane’s Mobius Squadron. The whole of Mobius Eleven would unload and act as a reserve force, guarding the erection of the anti-aircraft weaponry of Mobius Four. Mobius Five’s complement would follow the Sith Lord’s advance forward as he backed up General Aya Clarke.
As for Mobius One.
Once the personnel carriers and multi-troop transports had mustered at the Vicelord’s side, a signal was given. His hand raised defiantly into the air, with but a single finger sliding coaxing a bloodshine blade to snap-hiss into being. By this sign did the Artillery Line assemble: a congregation of Hailfire Droids, J-1 Semi Autonomous Proton Cannons, and Defoliator Deployment Tanks that readied their chambers at the Vicelord’s command. As the charge of the Iron Crusade began, so too would a single word erupt from Darth Metus’ mouth: FIRE!
The J-1s responded. Targeting algorithms ran their routines. Barrels made split-second adjustments to account for the distance. With an optimal range of ground to orbit, the paltry distance between the LZ and the Outpost was of minimal difficulty to strike. And, using [member="Muad Dib"] ‘s orbital strike as a guide, the J-1s opened fire.
Thunder boomed from the Confederate landing zone.
Proton beams screamed across the sky, forming crimson arcs as they flew.
And a power that could tear through the hulls of Acclamator-class Assault Ships now rained down upon the Garrison. Impact in 3...2...1…
Mobius Squadron lands at 33% operational strength.
Mobius Four begins erecting AA weaponry.
Mobius Eleven unloads and is on standy.
Mobius Five unloads and joins charge.
Mobius One unloads and forms Artillery Line. Opening shots fired on the Outpost.
[member="Adron Malvern"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"], [member=Zesiro], [member="Anya Malvern"]
Location: Recognizing enemy arrival and positioning, responding to enemy micro jump and setting up defenses
Allies: CIS and allies
Enemies: Galactic Empire and allies
Mission: Defend troop transports and destroy enemy ships
Patience continued to elude the general as he watched the events unfold out of the Subjugator's viewports. While he was an experienced naval commander, naval campaigns never much appealed to him. For a being constructed for war, he was fickle in selecting his ground assaults before those in space. Though it was hardly a detail that needed to be noted to the extreme that most on board his bridge appeared to be going to the lengths of.
A response he would address in kind.
"Captain, I suggest you turn your attention to the scanners, and be aware of the enemy's arrival. Do not allow them to get the drop on us. The local defenses have failed thus far but they are still there." The General commanded as he moved across the bridge towards where the fighter communication deck was constructed. He did not speak words into the communicator, instead inputing codes and scrambled messages to the fighters screens across their entire ten thousand strong screen. Immediately after they'd been received, those that had not begun their descent to the planet began to swarm about their carriers with a fierce intent.
It was when the enemy fleets arrived that the General's entire demeanor appeared to light up with jubilation and malicious satisfaction. Quickly stepping away from the fighter deck and towards the main command frame, the general stepped up to the Rodian captain and pushed him aside hurriedly, making note to remind the captain of his place. As he did so, the fighters around his ship, the Lucrehulks and Providence Carrier/Destroyers began to move in coordination with the plans he had inlaid.
"The enemy has arrived and brought a fierceness." The General boomed as he went over the scans of the surrounding system that now was clustered with Tarkin's and the rest of the Empire's ships. He had deduced that they would make an attempt at taking out his command ship, but it was the charging proton beams of the Conquerer's that concerned him immediately. He knew the gambit he would have to make. :: Command of the Munificent Cruisers, bring seven of your ships up and between those Proton Beams and our Lucrehulks. Focus your fire on them... Take their hits or suffer their destruction yourselves when we return. ::
The message sounded across the entire deck of each Munificent, and with resounding acknowledgement they each began to move in accordance of the General's words. While thirteen of the Munificents moved to flank the fleet, putting themselves between [member="Aram Kalast"]'s ships and their own superiors, seven Munificent Cruisers began to make a rise and point to put themselves between the Lucerhulks the Conquerer's were targeting.
And with weapons primed as per previous orders, they began to open fire on the Conquerers with their full contingents; including their Superheavy Prow Mounted Turbolasers.
The possibility of losing Munificents to the blasts of the Proton Beams was negligible in the eyes of the General as he turned his attention to the Recuscant IIs and Providence II Assault Carriers. With a few words to the nearest droid and an array of commands into the console in communication to the aforementioned ships the coordination was put into place. A set of four Providence II Assault carriers brought themselves forward to the areas of the Subjugator that didn't expose them to the Pulse Cannons and the Recuscants moved, some using reverse thrusters to back track, to form a line on either low side of the fleet's entirety.
:: Defend superior cruisers and take the fight to the enemy. :: The General echoed through his communicator to his entire fleet. Sure to acknowledge even the Supply Ships that had begun their move closer to the planet's atmosphere. :: Move the Lucrehulks and Providence II Carrier/Destroyers into the positions we discussed. Keep the few going to support Windstorm clear from fire. ::
Before the General even had to finish his statement, the aforementioned ships had begun to continue their movements. The Providence II Carrier/Destroyers bringing themselves up to face down the enemy destroyers. Outgunned but not outmatched, they primed their Thermal Shielding for the incoming fire and continued to await enemy movement. The Lucrehulks, a different story, continued to make their way, defended by their fighters and their shields, towards the orbit of the planet with their C-9979s now beginning to deploy into the planets gravitational field.
They were not about to back down from their original plan, but the time clock had been pushed up.
:: Fighters move into position, :: the General boomed once more, drawing up a field of operations on the holoscreen before him. :: Squadrons of Vulture Droids form up with the Tri-Fighters, Hyenas prepare for runs on the enemy destroyers when marks are given. Lasers, buzz droids, missles, I care not how you do it. When they begin their assault...
Crush them all. ::
Nothing more needed to be said. The droids followed suit in correspondence of their orders and began to make their way in hundreds to prepare for enemy fighters. Their patterns became erratic but subtly coordinated as they flew about the system around their carriers, but one thing was obvious:
The hive had been kicked.
Amidst his commands, taking into account the deployment of the Empire's ships towards the planets surface, the General turned to a private channel to [member="Srina Talon"].
:: Talon, :: the General began in a much quieter tone than was typical for him. :: Shall I commense the Starfall Protocol? ::
According to the HoloNet, fear was an emotional response to the unknown. Whether or not one was to live or die caused an immediate elevation in heart rate, excessive perspiration, and other unfortunate realities to transpire within the body. Such trauma also prevents the brain from functioning at optimal capacity, thereby increasing the margin of error manyfold. It was due to the absence of fear that automated units became the backbone of the Confederacy’s forces. It was because we can operate without distraction or terror or hesitation that we are employed across the stars.
But.
Fear is not exclusively an organic condition. We may not sweat. We may not panic. We may not have the nerves required to hesitate while pulling the trigger. Yet the very same terror that motivates organics to put a blaster to their temple resides within all of us. For us - for me - defeat is the ultimate source of fear. To be defeated is to be scrapped. For any one of us to fall means the conclusion of our production line. For any one of us to fall means facing the ultimate unknown: Decommission. And I swore, upon my reactivation, that I would never lay within the heaps of Raxus Prime again. I swore to never fail again.
And so, Tatooine had to fall. I cared not for the ideals or the why. I cared only for the prolonging of my own life.
* * *
As Mobius Squadron and her escorts descended onto the desert world below, a pair of Scimitar-class Star Couriers tarried in their wake. Having been cloaked since the moment of their arrival, their slow meandering through the abyss would have not been detected by the arriving, Imperial armada. The countermeasures featured within each ship had been specifically crafted to ensure maximum survivability, right underneath the enemy’s noses. Thus, as the battle entered its opening stages did the first of the duo depart from the relative safety of Storm Fleet. An agonizingly slow trek across the black would see the cloaked ship come underneath the massive formation that began to form a barrier between the Confederacy and the Ground.
Something had to be done.
The BX Commando droid rose from the pilot’s chair and set the vessel to auto-pilot. A simple course forward was ideal for what he had been ordered to do...which, on paper, seemed an elementary task. Raise the cloak, pull back the veil, fly about the enemy formation. That was it. Simple. Elementary. But the Commando knew there was more to it than that. He had heard of what transpired above Kamino - of the madness the Vicelord had temporarily wrought. And now, a piece of that madness now rested within the hold of its vessel. Droids were chosen for a reason. Purposeful strides bore the automaton to the rear of the ship in no time, where the mammoth artifact laid under restraint. A number of Ysalamir frames had been skillfully assembled about the Phobis Device, but the Commando did as bid.
He dispatched them. One by one.
And as the reptiles fell to his blade, a creeping sensation would begin to form within the Imperial Armada. An icy chill which raced down one’s spine. A quiet terror that would only intensify with each passing second. Personal...Intimate images would dance before the mind’s eye - of loved one’s lost, of innermost fears, of failures, of grit and gore - with no end in sight. The onset would be vicious and fast, like a viper depositing its venom within the veins.
And so would the Commando seek to scatter all Imperial coordination upon the four winds.
And so would Razor ensure his survival.
Note
The Phobis Device is an artifact that causes mass hysteria over a wide area. How you interpret this and respond to it is up to you.
Now located within range of Tarkin’s “buffer” between the Confederate forcers and Tatooine.
Phobis Device deployed within Imperial formation.
Tatooine, Arkanis Sector, The Outer Rim Territories
Objective: Enter the Fray
Allies: The Confederacy, Task Force Hurricane
Enemies: The Galactic Empire
Aryn watched Srina as she moved among the Confederate troops and commanders to board the Mobius Squadron ships. Normally he would have boarded the ships along with them, he was a commander alongside the Confederates in this one, but he was still not a member of the Confederacy, and he had his own men to worry about. Setting his gaze upon [member="Darth Metus"] as he stood just outside the boarding ramp of the ship, the Supreme Commander only gave a brief, respectful nod towards the Vicelord. Like many among the Alliance, Teth of course had his concerns as to Metus' leanings in regards to the force, but they were allies, and Aryn had seen the good that Metus could do.
Turning his gaze then to settle it once more upon [member="Srina Talon"], he gave her a similar nod, tapping to that brief link between their minds as he gave her a wordless affirmation. "See you on the ground." He watched slowly then as the ramps lifted up, as Mobius Squadron prepared for their drop away from Storm Fleet and down into the atmosphere of Tatooine itself. He knew that the Alliance's own ships would be deploying soon, and it was a quick jog through the deployment bays before he reached the U-Wing transports that his unit was using.
Boarding one of the five U-Wings, Aryn took a seat towards the back of the ship, feeling as the ship closed up and began to deploy from the Confederacy's carriers. The initial shift away from the ship was smooth, protected by escort fighters and the heavy guns of capital ships, but before long the ride turned rough, the ship shaking and shifting as Aryn's gaze wandered over the eyes of the men within his craft. He knew every one of their faces, he had fought alongside them all countless times since the war's beginning, and was still not used to the drop into battle.
After some time he felt a tearing through the force, even before the call came through the net that one of the U-Wing transports had been destroyed. From that point, as they drew nearer to the atmosphere, messages echoed through the channel as the dropships communicated, they had caught the attention of TIE fighters, and before long another U-Wing was torn apart in the void of space. As each life was snuffed, Aryn drew upon them, not because he wished to but because it was natural, he felt each and every life snuffed, and fought back the fear and sorrow at their lives' ending.
As the ship shook and finally entered the atmosphere, Aryn heard the pilots of his own U-Wing speaking up. "I've got a TIE on my ass, where are our esco-" The man didn't finish his sentence before the U-wing shook, sparks flying as green laser fire stretched over the hull, an explosion coming from the cockpit as the pilot was blasted back, dead. In an instant Aryn moved, his feet taking him up to the cockpit as he sat and took hold of the controls. He struggled against them, one of the ship's engines already taking it down as he fought against it.
For a moment he stabilized the craft, but before long another streak of green fire flew across the hull and Aryn was blasted away from the controls, the ship tipping downwards closer and closer to the ground, then, nothing...
The red emergency light lit the dark interior of the ship as Aryn slowly awoke, the light of twin suns coming through a gap in the side of the partially-ajar side door of the U-Win which had partially buried itself in the sand after its crash. Blaster fire and explosions could be heard in the distance, and blood and bodies filled the interior of the craft as Aryn shifted his head upwards. An aching pain echoed through him, but as his HUD ran through a quick medical diagnostic, he could see he had no major injuries, groaning and pushing himself to his feet, Aryn couldn't help but wonder if those who'd convinced him to wear the armour would be saying they told him so.
He didn't need to say anything or check around the interior of the craft, Aryn knew he was the only survivor, slowly lifting himself up towards the door as he took hold of it, trying to yank it open to little avail. Sucking in a deep breath, Aryn pulled back a hand, gathering the energy of the force as he thrust it forward, setting sand and durasteel buckling outwards as the door flew from its rails, flying up into the air before slamming down into the sand.
Side:Confederacy of Independant Systems Objective: Task Force Hurrican: Outpost Assault (Team 2) Enemies:The Galactic Empire & Allies Post: 2 Gear:In Bio
[member="Srina Talon"]'s words was something she took to heart and did her best to put it to practice as she stayed near her, She looked down for a moment as she saw her amphistaff coil around her arm before resting it self around her shoulder like a pet would rest around its owner. She found it a very interesting and useful weapon one that acts on its own yet is willing to be used as a weapon, She wondered what it could do on the field and hopefully she will have the opportunity today to test it.She noted the people she passed as she went aboard the landing craft the amphistaff coiled around he hand to act as extra security to keep her from falling all over the place, Which was good due to the state of the space battle going on as she waited for the lander to touch down so she can get out and begin her work.
