Faction ULTIMATUM: AFTERMATH | Galactic Alliance

[Maldor Mecetti]

​

Maldor had only just been confirmed as the Senator from Obulette, the Throne World of House Mecetti in the Tapani Sector of the Colonies region. He was not expected to say much, and only barely expected to vote on this matter.

But Maldor had never been one to avoid an opportunity to grandstand and make waves. He stood when it came his time to vote.

"Obulette votes to make war over this issue of Ryloth, for this body can not stand idly by while chaos and destruction is ravaged just beyond its borders.

As the preeminent power in the galaxy, the Galactic Alliance has a duty to affirm the safety and stability of the galactic environment. To do less would be to imperil ourselves. A fire in one apartment will soon enough consume the whole building. If we do not intervene, we will be caught in this conflagration, and not at a time of our choosing."


He cleared his throat.

"However, it is easy for this body to declare war and send others to fight, while we relax in our homes on Coruscant.

It is also easy to rely on the shaded reports from afield, massaged by myriad generals and admirals who may have interests which deviate from those of this body.

I propose that a contingent of interested Senators proceed to the lines of this emerging conflict alongside our military forces.

We will be able to get valuable first-hand information about the progress of the battle, and the well-being of civilians on the ground. Intelligence which is unfettered by the ambitions and stratagems of military officers, and their specific military concerns.

In short, I propose a forward-located Senate Fact-Finding Committee, which will make regular reports to this body about events on Ryloth and with the Galactic Alliance forces.

And to prove that I am willing to put my own blood on the border, I will volunteer to be the first Senator to go."

If there was a better way to promote his visibility within the Senate, he couldn't think of it.


Galactic Alliance

 

[Valery Noble]

Sellia II

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: BB-610

When Bee pulled back after their hug, she looked him over carefully and let her hand brush against his metal body. The battle between him and Shai's basilisk had roughened him up a little, but considering the beast he had been fighting, he came out amazingly well. A few dents and scratches could easily be patched up, and she was going to make sure that happened. No family member of hers was going to walk around with unnecessary battle scars.

Her focus didn't linger too long on his physical state, however, because she wanted to give him her full attention. Perhaps most people wouldn't quickly seek comfort in the words of a droid, but their relationship was very different. Bee wasn't just a droid or object to her at all, but a person.

Someone who understood her better than most living beings.

"That means a lot, Bee," she said once he told her how proud he was. Valery then leaned into another hug and remained quiet as he explained his own situation. The people he had to leave behind and perhaps even feared confronting again. " Shai Maji is someone who helped me train, someone who gave me refuge when I had lost Kahlil. She has taken care of my kids, and I've taken care of her own." She chuckled and patted him atop his head. "She was at Vera's birthday party. Do you remember that?" she asked before letting out a deep sigh.

"I hope this war isn't the end of all that."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilo Aduni Loomi

"It's kind of hot for me right now. I would love to go for a swim. Maybe take a nap on some riverbed. Hm..."

Braze perked up with a semblance of purpose as he quickly turned off the sink faucet, shaking his hands to rid them of excess water. He grabbed a quart-sized container from a nearby shelf and filled it with cool water from the tap. Spotting an ice tray, he seized the opportunity to make the water even colder. After popping a couple of ice cubes into the container, he swirled it around, allowing the chill to disperse through the liquid.
Approaching Ilo Aduni , he met her eye for a brief moment, as if asking for unspoken permission. "Here, try this," he said softly, unscrewing the lid off the container.

Carefully, he began to pour a small trickle of the chilled water down the back of her neck, making sure to aim precisely so the cooling sensation would spread along her tense muscles. The ice-cold water would likely serve as a refreshing jolt, aimed at revitalizing her and perhaps providing a brief respite from whatever heated sense was troubling her.

"Sometimes a bit of cold can help clear the mind," he added, capping the container and offering it to her. "How does that feel?"

 

[Trug Zigash]

EYE OF THE SNAKE
~Don't lose your grip~

OUTFIT: x
OBJECTIVE: Objective 2 - Order of Reaction
TAG: Saul Colsan

RYLOTH, GAULUS SECTOR, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES

I sighed at Saul's response. Not only that the notion of being wrong is a shameful feeling for me, having to sneak around the area under the watchful eyes of the sniper does worry me a little. Still, Saul seems to be quite proficient in covert ops battlefield tactics, thus following his direction does mean a higher chance of completing the mission smoothly. As he snatched and cleared a slugthrower, I muttered under my breath. "A real gun for you, a good 'ol pistol for me. How typical." The pistol has proven to be useless against the Mandalorians; in the event if we get caught, it'll be almost impossible for me to defend myself.

Following Saul through the concealed street, I tried to think of any possible location of the leader of this Mandalorian squad. Judging from the location of the sniper, it would be somewhere southwest or southeast of it; behind the sniper's location, but still on sight if they sense any intruder. There's just no way to prove it, however, and barging in the wrong building could very much be our death sentence. That was until I noticed a two men Mandalorian patrols just across our current spot. If we neutralise one, we could interrogate the other, make them reveal the location of their leader. "Patrol in front. I'll neutralise one, you capture the other alive for interrogation. What do you think?" I once again leaned in closer to Saul's space, asking in soft and low tones.
​

 

[Saul Colsan]

Saul grunted at the woman's whining about how all she gets is a Blaster Pistol. This is just what he needed in the middle of a bloody battlefield: A partner who complains a lot. "Do you even know how to handle a Slugthrower Rifle?" Saul whispered to the blonde woman as they rushed from cover to cover attempting to get a good angle at the patrolmen walking around in the middle of the desolate streets.

"Three Mandos," Saul noted to the womanpeering from behind the sandy wall. "No jet packs on them so they're likely clan levies with little experience in battle. They're also armed with ENCL-16 Purity Blaster Rifles standard weaponry for a Mandalorian soldier."

The best way to beat your enemy is to know them, Saul spent the entire briefing studying on Mandalorian history, culture, and military tactics. If anything, Saul felt that the Mandalorians were less predictable than the Sith ever were. "Their armor is made out of Durasteel," Saul said. "With Beskar armor on the shoulder pads. Should be easy to neutralize the targets with CQC while you put a round in the last one and interrogate him."

Taking a deep breath, Saul held his hand up to the woman signaling her to wait for his call. The three patrolmen walked towards where they were hiding before Saul slid out of cover and knocked the first patrolman's Blaster Rifle out of his hand with the butt of Saul's weapon before throwing him down with a hip toss. Before the other one could react, Saul placed a few rounds into his leg before advancing and executing a roundhouse kick to the patrolman's side. Saul then grabbed his helmeted head and slammed him against the wall, the Mando gave a grunt of pain before crumpling onto the floor knocked out.

"Oh chit!" The last patrolman raised his rifle at Saul's head. Saul grunted at the man, the woman better do her job now.......

Trug Zigash

 

[Loomi]

Sellia II
Tags: Braze , Ilo Aduni

"Ah... sorry perhaps I shouldn't have said anything..." Braze said softly, his voice laced with genuine concern.

Loomi's heart sank. Braze felt so... worried. She hadn't wanted to upset him at all. All the Godoan wanted to do was stop thinking about her own anxieties. Now she was wrapped up in her own and his. Ilo would express some level of exhaustion, to which Braze gave an interesting solution. Pouring water down someone's neck. Did that do anything? For a moment Loomi was able to distract herself, thinking about the logistical applications of such a strange seeming thing.

But everything seemed strange to her. Maybe it was worth a shot.

Not now, though. Her heart began to swell again, and as Loomi's mind drifted backwards, she couldn't help but continue to feel bad for making Braze so concerned. She felt like such a terrible friend, snapping so rudely at him like that. In truth, Loomi hadn't snapped at all, but her mind equated her tone as such in her scewed reflection of the event in her head.

So whenever Braze had finished helping Ilo, Loomi stumbled over to him, practically falling on the white haired boy as she gave him a hug.

"Sorry," she muttered, her face turned away as she spoke. "I-I didn't mean to be rude or anything. Thanks for listening to me."

People didn't do that very often, or at least in her past they didn't.

 

[BB-610]

ORDER OF REFUGE

| LOCATION: Jedi Praxeum, Sellia II |
| TAG: Valery Noble |


BB-610 nodded, slow, keeping his head pressed up against her. He combed through his memory banks, and all too happily did he relive the day of Vera's birthday. There was Shai, with her son. He remembered her face, and as he sifted through his logs, he giggled faintly at how she'd said she needed a shower, her presence so electric that it lit up the room. The memory was bittersweet, and all too soon did that spark of joy fizzle out as reality re-established itself. There was no turning back the hands of time.

War truly claimed ownership of them. Jedi and Sith, humans and droids, people of all walks of life... They felt so tiny in the grand scheme of things. The galaxy was vast and equally uncaring towards their pleas. Peace will never be a permanent fixture of their lives. BB-610 glared at the floor, deeply troubled for his friend. He'd wanted to mention that Shai had been carried off, that they didn't have her body for any official autopsy. That perhaps there was still a chance for her survival, that her Basilisk knew of some miraculous way to keep her from death's door.

BB-610 chose to say nothing, because the idea of giving Valery false hope felt far too cruel.

Instead, he simply told her that he would be here for her for as long as she needed, as would her friends and family. BB-610 realized that his words may feel lackluster, but the encroaching war against the Mandalorians loomed ever nearer, and so any reassurance felt utterly undermined. Bweeping quietly, BB-610 spoke as he said that she did the right thing, and that it wasn't her fault in the slightest. Shai had been the one to want the trigger pulled, but the possibility that Valery blamed herself may have still been there.

As he sat there, the droid eyed the struggling families around them; the children that no longer had their parents. It raised a troubling question that needed to be addressed.

With a quiet bweep, he asked her what was going to happen to Shai's son.

 

[Ilo Aduni]

Objective: II
Tags: Braze Loomi

Ilo wasn't fully aware of Braze's approach until she felt the fresh water dripping from her neck below in that pleasing way. That's because she was barely awake at that point. It made her tilt her head forwards, closing her eyes in satisfaction.

"Oh... Oh yeah..." she muttered, while her body shuddered. "That's a really great idea. Haha!"

The Padawan couldn't hold that childish giggle, a joy that woke her up definitely. In a spasm, she hit an empty pot and made it go rolling down the floor. Afraid of the shame, the Jedi froze the object with the power of the Force, out of pure instinct, later placing it back where it belonged.

"Jeez... Thanks. Thanks."

Turning back to thank Braze, she noticed that the situation kept feeling delicate. But they were united, nonetheless.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ilo Aduni Loomi

​

Braze watched the pot roll and then abruptly stop, caught by Ilo's quick use of the Force. He chuckled softly, relieved to see her more alert, even if only momentarily reinvigorated.

"You're welcome," he said, noting her tired appearance. "But you know, the Force can only carry you so far if you're running on empty. Exhaustion's a serious thing, and it's nothing to brush aside. Have you thought about taking a break? Resting a bit?"

His tone was tinged with concern. Being a Jedi Padawan was demanding, and the importance of physical and mental well-being couldn't be overstated. A tired Jedi was a vulnerable Jedi, after all.

Braze was momentarily surprised when Loomi practically fell into him for a hug, but he quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. He could feel the tension in her, the swirl of emotions that seemed to be overwhelming her.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, patting her back gently. "We all have moments where we're not at our best. Friends are there to support each other through those times, not just the good ones. You don't have to apologize for having feelings."

He pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes meeting hers with sincerity. "Thank you for trusting me enough to share what you're going through. And, if you're willing to try, the water trick works wonders sometimes. But it's not the solution for everything."

He let the hug linger for a moment longer before releasing her, hoping that he'd been able to offer her some measure of comfort. "We all have our ups and downs. What matters is how we stand back up and who's there to help us do it. I'm glad I can be one of those people for you."
Braze moved to pick up the pace to help serve a few more bowls to folks concerned for both his counterparts who weren't feeling the best at the moment.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sellia II

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: BB-610

Valery sniffed and rubbed at her eyes to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks. She never liked exposing this side of herself, not even to her family, but Shai's death hurt far too much. "I... don't feel guilty over what I did. It just... hurts, so bad." Valery looked at Bee and swallowed hard. The constant frown, the fight to hold back her tears — they had given her a huge headache and it wasn't easy for her to talk to anybody right now.

But she made the effort for him.

"I've sworn to always protect friends and family, and now I had to strike one down. For what? Nothing about this war makes sense to me. I feel like I lost a friend, a sister, for nothing." She stood up to her full height and looked around at other people. Many of them had lost far more than she did, and she could feel their pain too. Their loss ran much deeper and this war had only just begun. Many more were going to lose their lives, loved ones and their homes.

Knowing that, perhaps hurt the most.

"I don't know what will happen to Yuri Maji . I'm going to try and find him, so I can give him his Mother's weapon and helmet. But... I fear that he's going to be fighting with his people too." Mandalorians were not quick to turn their backs against their own people, so it only made sense to her.

It just meant the same fate possibly awaited him as well.

"How uh, are you holding up?" She looked down and tried her best to force a smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you fight the basilisk. But you did good, Bee. I'm very proud of you."

 

[Stybla'rei'naodo]

Armor | Sidearm | PDW

Following Umbra's lead, the team advanced through the dim corridors, their steps soundless on the old floors. To an observer, it might seem as though they were shadows themselves, slinking from one hiding spot to another, blending into the environment. The intel had indicated that this straggling group's leadership was holding up in the central chamber of the barracks. Using hand signals, Phantom directed Umbra and Ghost to flank the entrance. Ghost placed small surveillance devices at key vantage points, tapping into the Mandos' communications, disabling their security systems, and tapping into their lighting controls.

Inside the central chamber, the leaders of this group's Mandos sat in discussion, their voices low and muffled. They were surrounded by a few guards, unaware of the imminent threat closing in on them. Suddenly, a soft whistle pierced the air, and the room plunged into darkness. Lareina nodded at the team leader as her men were ready to breach

"Go."

 

[BB-610]

ORDER OF REFUGE

| LOCATION: Jedi Praxeum, Sellia II |
| TAG: Valery Noble |


He understood. He may not be of flesh and blood, nor does he not have a heart that beats, but he is just as capable of feeling the crushing weight of sadness that everybody in the room felt. The atmosphere was suffocating, and BB-610 wished he could do more to help the situation. Part of him wondered what he was even doing, like he was incredibly out of his element and far from what he was made for. Astromechs weren't designed for combat or wars or grieving. They were disposable machines for manual labor and replacement navigational devices for pilots to order around. But another part of him felt as though this was his purpose; to break free from the mould, to shape himself into the person he wanted to be. The person, not the machine.

He didn't know Shai's son well enough to make a judgment of character, so he simply took Valery's word for things. BB-610 hoped that they would be able to reach a middle ground, but he knew far too well that these things rarely worked in their favor. Anger was such an easy emotion to give into, and the Jedi were immensely strong for resisting such a seductive temptation. Mandalorians didn't have that same mindblock to sever such feelings. The droid wasn't sure if he ever wanted to see Shai's son again after what had happened.

"How uh, are you holding up?"

He wasn't entirely sure.

The astromech paused, pensive. He bweeped, confessing that he felt scared, and immensely sad, but also relieved. BB-610 was easily rattled, but never once had he witnessed a loved one euthanize their friend. With some more chirps, the droid specified that he was scared of the war to come, but he was happy that they were both alive. Every battle could be their last. It was easy to forget, and a huge pill to swallow.

With a mechanical scoff, BB-610 dismissed her apology, shaking his head. He clicked and bweeped, assuring her that it was alright, and that she had her hands full at the time. He'd never fought a Basilisk before. The astromech chirped, saying that despite it all, he hoped the Basilisk was doing okay.

 

[Stybla'rei'naodo]

Armor | Sidearm | PDW

The command was silent as a whisper, but it carried the weight of a planet-shattering groundquake.

The SPECTERs swiftly swung through the door, dispatching of the guards with quick gunshots or close-quarters takedowns. As the rest of the breaching team stormed into the room, Lareina immediately launched into a fistfight with one of the leaders, the others quickly being subdued by Phantom and Shadow. Ripping his helmet off of his head and placing a vibroblade to his throat, the Chiss stared through her visor into the leader's eyes. If he'd been able to see through it, he would've seen her crimson eyes start to glow more intense as the anger flooded her brain with oxygen.

"You should've known better to think that you could hide forever."

In the background, she could hear Ghost dancing his hands across terminals and the sound of Ghost's scomp-link whirring as he was trying to access their network, see who they were talking to. "I control their communications. Reinforcements won't be coming until we're long gone." "I'll take copies of the data and pass on details to the Alliance."

The leader spat at Lareina as she began restraining his hands. "You can't beat us, Aruettii, the Mandalorians have always risen again." Tying a cloth gag in his mouth, Lareina just chuckled as she stood him to his feet and started pushing him out of the room.

"Perhaps. But you're going to Sposia, and the Alliance is about to know where all your little friends on this wretched planet are hiding."

As the Chiss dragged their prisoners out to the streets and awaited their shuttle, the GEIST leader could only imagine what the Alliance would do with the intel they shared. Whatever they did, her mission was complete.