We will not break (Galactic Alliance Dominon of the Byss Hex)

[Coren Starchaser]

The fleet had been on the move. Since the fiasco that was the recent weeks, the Galactic Alliance Strategic Intelligence Service had been working overtime trying to find the source of the disaster that had to be an apparent leak. What they were finding was a lot of loose ends that were since being tightened up. But one thing that was being tracked was a common theme and a common destination. All the data streams seemed to have a common situation. Data was moving through locations that had a ship or two running out of that system around the similar time, and while star systems were massive, with large populations, there was a common theme. The destination of most of those trips.

Byss.

Byss was a fortress world of the Sith once upon a time. The fabled Emperor Palpatine had corrupted this world with the dark side, and had used it as a throne world, complete with an Imperial Citadel. The legends deviate from there, including clone bodies for the Emperor, but one thing that was certain, the data had been passing through this system, but for what purpose? That was the point and purpose of why the Galactic Alliance was moving on the former throne world.

The scans from orbit would be showing that no major military force was greeting the fleets. But on the ground? That was a different story. The dark side was ripe on this world. And as a result, there were throngs of dark siders on the planet, many working in tandem to do their best to upset the balance of the Force, and that meant taking strikes at the Galactic Alliance and her allies. Scouts from the New Jedi Order were returning back with SIS agents to deliver more data on the world, and what they were showing was surprising. The Dark Siders were working together, and they were enlisting the local militias. They had been feeding data, if not directly, through third parties to the nations that had taken strikes at the Alliance, in succession.

It was not something that the Alliance could take sitting down, and thus they were moving on the world.

OOC:
Welcome to the Dominion of Byss. Historically, this world has always hosted the Empire’s records, and the machinations of Emperor Palpatine’s clone program. Teeming the dark side, the world is host to many threats. The depth of knowledge on the dark side, and the past is a reason to become the stewards of this planet, and there are several ways that this can occur.​

GADF: The local militia has become weaponized by the dark siders. We need to subdue the population and free them from their dark side overlords. Discovering a way to stop the population from attacking, and defending Alliance humanitarian efforts that may become underfire are several ideas for threads.

Political: If you are more of the political persuasion, working with the local population, the local governors and the planetary leaders to discuss terms for surrender, if possible.

SIS And Intelligene; Byss is home to the Imperial Citadel, and a number of listening stations that have been intercepting data from across the galaxy by a number of agents. See what can be discovered and retrieved, and learned from this world.

New Jedi Order, Fringe Force users: The Dark Side here is too well organized, there appears to be a conspiracy among the Dark Siders and the rest of the nations that are at war with the Alliance and her light side allies. Uncover what lays beneath the fog of Byss and stop the Dark Side before it can spread further.

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

"First Daughter, we have multiple transmissions and hyperspace re-entries in orbit."

Eldaah opened her eyes from her meditations, meditations where she had been receiving instructions from her Master. The discovery of their position on Byss had resulted in her Master determining that their plans needed to be moved ahead of schedule. It was such a shame their operation had been compromised, but SIS operatives have been working overtime to discover how the Sith had bypassed the Alliance early warning systems and struck at Thyferra. Apparently faster than she or her Master had anticipated.

"Prepare our defenses, and unleash our horde," she ordered.

"At once, First Daughter," the Dark Side Adept acknowledged, bowing and scurrying off to relay her commands.

On the surface, multiple Dark Side Adepts and the militia under their command, or control, began moving to battle stations. Beastmasters summoned their pets, Ravagers and Festerers, to prepare for the meal coming to them. Eldaah prepared her lightsaber and armor, making sure they were ready. There was no hiding the power of the dark side here, no... it would call out to the Alliance and the Jedi, enticing them closer to join in battle. In the back of her mind, her Master smiled. It was time.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Aryn Teth]

Aryn Teth

---

---

​

---

The Ruling City, Byss, Beshqek System, The Deep Core​

Interacting With: [member='Coren Starchaser'], [member='Eldaah Aderyn'], [member='Zark'], [member='Taeli Raaf'], [member='Cathul Thuku']​

​

If there was a dark center of the universe, this was it.

The dark side had always surrounded Byss, and even recently as the world had been so near the territory of the Alliance, it had been a problem. A cult of dark-siders had worked tirelessly to infiltrate the world's government and military, and while the pro-Alliance voices outweighed their dark-side rivals, the presence was enough that the cultist militia was a significant enough threat to call in Aryn and the 26th. The landing itself had been simple, and Aryn watched as the last few dropships came down from the carriers in orbit, dropping off the last few troops as the unit worked on getting their equipment ready for the assault on the Imperial Citadel where the cultists themselves had held up.

The dark side echoed and called to Aryn as he stood there, Byss itself was a veritable drowning pool of darkness, but facing off against the First Order, and again against the Sith, Aryn had felt the darkness at full strength. He had seen it in Sieger Ren and in Darth Caecus, and both times he had faced it down for better or worse, and he still stood. Aryn knew full-well as he stood enveloped in the darkness that he was drawing from it, now he could feel each and everyone of those tendrils lashing out from him to draw the force in, but he was not afraid, nor did he shun it, when it was all broken down, it was the same force, he could use it for the light, regardless of the source.

Aryn was drawn from his thoughts suddenly however as the ground began to shake. The rumbling grew progressively louder, and troops began to run back and forth and get weapons ready just before the sithspawn showed themselves, charging through the streets towards their lines. "Hold fast! For the Alliance!" Aryn called out to his troops as blasters began to fly, grenades were thrown and Aryn activated his lightsaber, ready for the swarms to reach them as he saw the sithspawn begin to tear through some of the troops on the fringes of their defences.

 

[Armaud Eden]

It was a difficult thing to contend with the sadness of the planet. He had read of the history of Byss, that it was once a thriving ecosystem. And from it, medicinal advances from flora as far as the eye could see. His mother spoke of it and the Jedi Watcher, Relit, always looked up into the sky as he scratched the shambles of a thing that he considered a beard. Yes yes, it was once so lush with life. The records indicate it. But now, there is nothing but darkness - the truest enemy to a Zelosian.

But Maud wasn't a Zelosian. And he was intent on seeing the harm of the darkside for himself, carried off from Sulon by the Expeditionary Forces.

Stepping out from a landing ship with cowl pulled over, the conclusion was clear. Like being buffeted by a strong and ethereal wind, the Darkside had corrupted and molested this world. But dead, it was not. Life grew in the form of low sentience species, ferns and lichens formed swathes and carpets of verdant reaches. He could feel the ground swell and the world rumble, angry that the Alliance was arriving here. And he couldn't blame the planet for this response - the abuse was clear and rampant, even if the Alliance weren't to blame.

"Such sadness..." He lifted his arm and knocked his tongue. A sleepy winged creature, closely resembling the Owls of Endor, stepped out from its branch and descended. As its great claws reached all the way around the canvas cloak on his arm, Maud felt it's innate power and strength. But he also sensed hesitation, a sort of defensive mentality built up by a world that had once known something better - but seen it washed away in shadows. The Sith could speak all they wanted of power and strength, but no survival based species would want this. Because this was excess and a wild thing had no need for it.

Lifting the owl to his shoulder, Maud scratched his nose as he began to move towards the city - where the lights of rifles and sabers lit up the streets. "Be my eyes for a moment, I promise we'll find you a mouse..." He trailed off as he marched forward. "Or whatever passes for a mouse on this planet."

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Planetary Orbit - Spear of the Alliance Bridge

This wasn’t the typical task force, not at all. It made Fallaxia a bit nervous. The female Vaemath was leading the Spear of the Alliance along with a few support vessels into Byss. Most of the fleet, and her growing battlegroup was off checking the other boarders of the Alliance. But she needed to be here, the newest Star Destroyer to roll off the line was working its way towards a world that seemed to be causing the most amount of stress to the Alliance. Yes, Fallaxia wasn’t the patriot her ship’s Commander was, but she did feel the sense of purpose and order that the Alliance had provided. The Vaemath turned to the forward viewport, arms behind her. So, this was Byss.

She expected… she wasn’t sure. More?

“Deploy the starfighter screen. Ensure that Commander Starchaser and his guests arrive on the planet’s surface. Secondary objective is to planetary skyhooks. Alert the Cove to deploy the Tiburons, and set them up on the missile defense platform.” Yes, Fallaxia did notice that. It wasn’t in the initial report. The Vaemath didn’t look away from the view port, but the orders were as clear as a bell in the mind of those around her. Her ship’s engines were going to be to full as she started to move the Spear in at an angle to the stations, and her heavy weapon systems were being activated. The carrier to one side and Defender to the other were both warming up.

Her starfighters had launched ahead of her and she was feeling that sense of pride, and purpose, in her. The Vaemath checked the screens near her, nearly all ships were launched. A few seconds later as the number was approaching zero, one of the bridge officers spoke up. “All ships in the air, ma’am.” The landing craft were flying out last under her viewport. Good hunting, Starchaser.

The Killing Fields, Outskirts of Ruling City, Byss
Allies: Grand Marshal Omai Ren, [member="Aryn Teth"], [member="Taeli Raaf"]
Goal: Wipe the Dark Side from the world, make their way to [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

The landing craft’s flight down to the planet was not eventful. Coren Starchaser and his guests, members of the New Jedi Order and the Fringe Forcers who supported the Order, were standing at the ready, but the starfighter screen that lead them to the world was all the escort that they could have hoped it was. Or the world of Byss was not prepared for the fighters, or something else was waiting for them. The landing craft had turned to provided some ground fire cover as the Sullustan pilot turned to the group, some armored, some in Jedi robes, armed with exotic and mundane weapons, and alerted that the landing one was going to be hot.

Omai Rhen, the tried and true Grand Marshall of the New Jedi Order was the first to hit the button to open the door. As he did, the Jedi Master stood in the wind, cloak whipping around him, as he watched the numbers of militia and their sithspawn pets making their way to the landing crafts. There were other Alliance forces, and the Jedi that were assisting them, making land fall. Coren, though, stood to the right side of Omai, and began to open fire with his Nightstinger Rifle, taking distance shots at flashes of light that were coming at the landing craft. He was controlling the Force to enhance this his focus and accuracy. As the ship had closed in on the ground, Omai reached up and pointed Coren’s rifle down to the deck. The blue lightsaber from Omai Rhen ignited and the Jedi Master stepped off the landing craft before using the Force to leap ahead. Coren, and the others stepped off, some still using blasters, as the Corellian activated his orange lightsaber.

Ahead of him, the concussive wave of the Jedi Grand Marshall hitting the ground, and sending out a shockwave of Force energy into the hordes of Sithspawn. The New Jedi Order had arrived. Feeling the ferocity in the attack, Coren Starchaser closed himself down, and there was a pop where he was standing, among members of the New Jedi Order and the Fringe users and another as he instantly moved yardage to be at the Grand Marshall’s side.

A deep breath and the Starchaser send out a blast of stunning energy before sending a blast of green lightning coursing through the affected Spawn. Swinging his lightsaber, Coren could feel the purpose in Omai, something so strong and pure. Side by side their lightsabers worked, with other members of the Order and the Defense Force were securing the landing zone. As the number of enemies had dropped, the ships began to land. At least they would have a zone to work out of. There were other, quieter landing zones, but the Grand Marshall and hopeful Leader of the Sentinels were not going there, they were going to find the darkest field in the Force and bring the light to it like a battering ram.

“Once we get our forces this foothold, we need to move. The darkness, it is here. And it needs to be dealt with.” Was all that Omai said, as he used the Force to rip blasters from the last group of soldiers before knocking them down. Don’t mess with the Master, was all that was going through his head.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Allies: [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Zark"]
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

After fighting on L-49 and, after that, Thyferra, she knew that there was only one way the Sith could have come from and still been able to stage an attack on Thyferra: Byss. According to which reports she had, Byss was embroiled in a civil war. Once again, she was responsible for medvaccing on top of any combat duties she might have had. In fact, she'd rather let the others handle combat: no war at that scale would come without casualties, and, as with Thyferra, she expects some civilians to come under the crossfire. With the Tylenol being hastily repaired, she had to make do with the very same medvac she used to rescue civilians as well as injured soldiers from the melee. But if Thyferra taught her one thing, it's that medvac needs escorts to be effective, and that sometimes it can even serve as a distraction for other elements to engage if the enemy was willing to engage medvac. Here she could only bring a limited escort for the medvac, but better a little escort than no escort here. Also, after her run-in with the First Order, she realizes that picket corvettes have their uses. Also, the patients from Thyferra were ferried to Yag'dhul, Dulvoyinn, Atrisia and other planets before she decides to take what medvac and escorts she could to Byss.

"We're now in the Beshqek system"

"Chiloon squadrons, form a screen over the medvac units; keep the bombers away until our friends are calling in an airstrike; we're going to need medvac"

Spoiler: Medvac

ANS Pharmacokinetics (Cardea-class medical cruiser)
ANS Tylenol (Cardea-class medical cruiser)

64 M47 Illria ambulances

Spoiler: Escorts

Capital ships:

ANS Recluse (Recusant-X-class light destroyer)
ANS Impugnment (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier)
ANS Evil Rabbit (Krayiss-class escort frigate)
ANS Money (Krayiss-class escort frigate)

Attack craft:

6 Spirit-class picket corvettes
12 Mantis heavy bombers (endurance configuration)
48 Chiloon-I fighters

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Location: Landing at LZ
Objective: Assist the Grand Marshal
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Armaud Eden"] [member="Cathul Thuku"] @others that join
Enemies: Eldaah Aderyn

As the landing craft disgorged the Jedi and their allies onto the surface of the Byss, she couldn't help but watch the Grand Marshal take the field directly, leading the charge against these militiamen and the Sithspawn with them. Her eyes followed the Grand Marshal as he moved forward, but her attention shifted as Starchaser simply disappeared and reappeared near Omai Rhen. So Starchaser had trained with the Aing-Tii or someone that had trained with them. How interesting indeed.

Byss was awash with the dark side of the Force, it clung to every surface or thing on the world, so steeped it was by Palpatine and later the One Sith. It truly was a shame as it was a nice world, and it was equally a shame that the base established here had to be destroyed. Ah well, sacrifices had to be made.

Her purple lightsaber ignited, throwing amethyst light on as she followed along behind Coren, the Grand Marshal, and the others. It was going to be a difficult fight. She would know after all, she had made it so.

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Cathul Thuku"]
Objective: Embrace the Glory of Battle

The Killing Fields
Ruling City, Byss
Deep Core

High Inquisitor, I have made planetfall, Knight Varex's thoughts echoed across the void, until they reached the mind of his mentor Master [member="Taeli Raaf"], Your suspicions were most accurate. This world is infused with the Darkside, and not simply echoes of the past.

Digitigrade legs stalked down the boarding pad of the landing craft, and the Vaemath Inquisitor took in the war zone that was his immediate surroundings. A hail of blaster fire from one of the defenders' heavy repeaters tracking in his direction forced him to psionically activate the kyber emitters on each gauntlet of his power suit. Energy blades with confinement beams focused into a pointed tip exploded on the end of either arm, and with a running leap aided by the Force Varex sailed high into the air before coming down in a shallow arc as he drove both blades into the gunner's chest.

The native's cry of alarm was strangled in death, but it was enough to draw the attention of other Darkside sympathists, and the Vaemath's towering three meter tall armored frame was enough to keep it. Without exultation or or remorse, the Jedi Knight's kyber blade lashed out at another defenders' throat, cleaving the human's head from its body. Others in his Order might attempt to preserve the sanctity of life even on the battlefield, but the Inquisitor was not one for half measures. Over the next several minutes he set about methodically taking everyone in the hastily constructed bunker apart.

Before now the Inquisitors had been more a symbol than authority, granted oversight but little in the way of power to effect real change. And then, Thyferra. Dagobah. The Rimma Trade Route. Now, they were no longer toothless. Now they had the right to detain, to question, to extract. His other kyber blade lashed out, disemboweling another servant of darkness even as it cauterized the wound. And in certain circumstances, to execute.

Grand Marshal Ren, the Vaemath possessed no method of verbal communication, so even after falling back to rendezvous with the Order's leadership, Knight Varex relied up his species' innate telepathy to speak, Ruling City's outer defenses will soon fall. Allow me to take a team of Shadows to scout the way to the Citadel.

"Go with the Force, Inquisitor," Omai nodded briefly in the Vaemath's direction, "When we have secured this ground for the Alliance, we will join you."

 

[Arahael]

Location: Outskirts of Ruling City, Byss
Allies: [member="Varex"], [member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Taeli Raaf"], [member="Aryn Teth"], [member="Cathul Thuku"]
Enemies: Dark force users and resistance, [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

A detachment of troops from Coruscant swiftly moved out of their transports, taking the most secure positions of cover they could find. Bringing up his datapad, Cato observed the known mappings of the local area. With much of the local population seemingly against them, this may prove to cause some tricky resistance.

"Establish a FOB. We'll need this point reinforced well enough if we're to begin taking this planet."

Blaster fire erupted without a moment to spare, the planets' forces obviously not letting a chance to attack pass by. Spreading back to their cover, friendly forces started returning fire from the direction they believed the enemy to be coming from.

Upon seeing that friendly forces were already moving forwards to begin the attack, Cato activated his lightsaber and began partitioning his forces.

"Attack forces with me. Those on FOB duty, get started."

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Bridge of the Spear of the Alliance
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

Fallaxia had seen more ships entering the real space arena around the planet Byss. Meant more folks for the ground teams, and more supplies for the dominion teams. What Fallaxia was worried about now, though, was keeping any air support from the forward operating base, but the fighter squadrons tasked for that were down there, ready to answer the call from any of the ground forces. Half the fighters had returned back to orbit and were getting to work on disabling the weapons on gunnery platforms. They weren’t going to be able to hit the Spear, she was a bit quicker than most station guns, but it was still something of concern for the pre-fabricated base carrying vessels.

Or was the Alliance not bringing those in? The Vaemath didn’t have to worry about that, logistics were not her job. Right now it was making sure that the gunnery and missile towers on the platforms. Send a message to Therapy Command. Inform them that Firebrand Battlegroup’s fighters will keep the platforms occupied. Fallaxia felt it easier than a verbal species should send the communication. And she didn’t want to look away from the fighters.

Killing Fields, Outskirts of Ruling City, Byss
Allies: Alliance,
Group: [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Varex"] [member="Armaud Eden"] [member="Aryn Teth"]

Meanwhile, at the forward operating base, Coren Starchaser was looking between some of his own hand-selected Jedi and Fringers. Members of the Grey Paladins, and Zeison Sha, as well as Jedi of his own choosing, people who he could trust to be vanguard and sentinels. To take the fight to the dark side and not falter in the face of the odds, and the mission. Beings who echoed his own Force signature.

He was seeing the group who had arrived at the landing zone and FOB with he and the Grand Marshall, a Vaemath Inquisitor among them. Omai and the Vaemath, such an exotic species, but at least two deployed to the same location, were discussing the movements to Ruling City. Vaemath were a ferocious species. Coren could respect that. But he still was not liking the feel of the term Inquisitor. He would have to work on that. The shields were going up from the landing craft, and soon there would possibly be pre-fabricated structures and airspeeders overhead.

At least he hoped so, the Jedi could use some airspeeders to save the day here. The Sithspawn were closing in, and they were going to need to get moving again. He checked his rifle’s ammo charges before turning towards Taeli. “Thoughts on this… mess?” He was keeping his voice down. Omai was going to be leading the charge soon, and Coren would be right there, but he wanted the expert opinion. “Where are they holed up?”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Location: Moving into Ruling City
Objective: Assist the Grand Marshal and the advance
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Varex"] [member="Armaud Eden"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Cathul Thuku"]
Enemies: Eldaah Aderyn

'Secure the perimeter of the city, Inquisitor Varex,' she replied telepathically, dispatching one of the Sithspawn, a Ravager, as she did. 'Make me proud.'

She heard Coren's voice, asking her a question, as she pretended to examine the fallen Sith militia and monsters. With a precision born from all the research she did, she took in the scene. For all intents and purposes to Coren and the others, she was taking in the surroundings, getting a feel for the place for the first time. It was well established that she had heightened senses for the currents in the Force, although no one knew it was because of her training with the Fallanassi.

"Mess is going to be the least of our worries," she replied. "If I'm feeling this right, the Sith in charge of this operation... and the vast majority of their forces are holed up in the old citadel in the center of the city. If memory serves from my more disreputable days, the citadel has a protective labyrinth inside. It's not going to be an easy battle."

 

[Aryn Teth]

Aryn Teth

---

---

​

---

The Base of the Imperial Citadel, The Ruling City, Byss, Beshqek System, The Deep Core​

Allies: [member='Coren Starchaser'], [member='Eldaah Aderyn'], [member='Varex'], [member='Taeli Raaf'], [member='Cathul Thuku'], [member='Cato Marek'], [member='Armaud Eden']​

​

The push into the city itself had been a bold move on the part of Aryn and his company, but assault was their forte and even through the swarm of sithspawn and the militia forces, they had managed to push through and create at least a basic staging point at the base of the citadel. They had been unable to push inside, but that had not been the plan, regardless. They were there to hold ground, to ensure that reinforcements would be able to get into the Citadel proper and continue the fight within, and so in a brief respite the troops of the 26th quickly moved about setting up their positions while the General brought his comlink to his lips, hoping he wouldn't be too far from the Grand Marshal and the other members of high command to be heard. "Marshal Rhen, we've secured a staging point at the base of the Citadel for the strike teams."

Before he could speak up again, Aryn and the line his troops had set up was shook by a sudden explosion. The whistling sound of shells through the air piercing through the battle as he and his men moved to take cover against the barrage of artillery coming from further into the city. Though the 26th had pushed through the enemy lines and to the citadel itself, it had been a spearheaded attack, not intended to push back the enemy entirely, and they were paying for it now as the targets of the militia's artillery barrages. However, this was part-and-parcel of the 26ths work, they were used to being surrounded.

Yet as the barrage ended, the 26th had almost no time to recover before they were set upon by another swarm of sithspawn. Aryn cut through the oncoming creatures and blaster fire forced down others before they could get close, but progressively stragglers would make it through the line to cut down one or two soldiers, gradually but surely the 26th was going to become over-run, and this was more than evident to Aryn as he spoke up into his comlink again, this time signalling to all of the nearby Alliance forces. "The Militia has Artillery positions in the city that need taking out! And these sithspawn have to be coming from somewhere! If they don't get dealt with, our staging area is going to be overrun!"

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Cathul Thuku"] [member="Armaud Eden"] [member="Cato Marek"]
Objective: Watch the Watchers

Outskirts, Ruling City

With an Alliance invasion fleet in orbit and fighting spreading now throughout the city, its military forces were on high alert and poised for battle. But Varex was a Jedi Shadow, and if he did not want to be seen coming, it would be so. His blades had claimed many lives on this world, and the day was still young. The Vaemath Inquisitor and his team leapt from rooftop to rooftop, using the Force to seek out camouflaged enemy positions and then dismantling them once they got there.

The natives of Byss put up an admirable struggle, driven as they were to fight for their ideological survival. They were well trained, well equipped, and ferocious. More than once, they encountered Sithspawn among their ranks, presenting a somewhat greater challenge. Knight Varex lopped the head off a mutated Quarren, booting aside the creature's reverently adorned frame. He did not know if the soldiers they fought truly worshiped these unnatural creations, or merely saw them as superiors and were forced to pay such homage.

It mattered not, merely associating with such abominations was enough to earn the Inquisitor's ultimate censure.

With another lookout post cleared, the Shadows prepared to move on to their next target. Soon, there would be little left of those forward spotters who could cause the most damage to the Grand Marshal's advancing forces. A transmission across Alliance battlecomms from General [member="Aryn Teth"] gave him pause, as he learned of the 26ths plight pinned down at the base of the Imperial Citadel. The Defense Force had dropped onto the city shortly before the first troop transports began their descent, initially scattered across Ruling City but now it seemed they were beginning to rally around the General's position.

My blade is yours, with no means of verbal communication, instead of responding conventionally Varex used the Force to boost his innate telepathic abilities until his thoughts touched the mind of General Teth near the city center, The Grand Marshal begins his march. Soon this city will be cleansed by the might of the Order. You must hold out until we have cleared a path to you.

Stalking across towering urban infrastructure, the Inquisitor directed his Shadows to abandon their current search and destroy mission and make for the Citadel. Omai Rhen and the others would just have to handle the remaining defensive outposts within the city's edge on their own, for if the 26th was overwhelmed then this peacekeeping mission would soon turn into a rescue operation. That was something they could ill afford.

 

[Ivlyn Mecetti]

[SIZE=11pt]Deep Core,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Byss[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Ruling City, Byss[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Cathul Thuku"], [member="Varex"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Fighter Variables: 16 Sprite-class fighters, 8 Dauntless-class fighters, split equally into two separate squadrons.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The 34th Flotilla of the Tapani Federation had been ordered to action again, sent to Byss to assist their fellow citizens in the Galactic Alliance, and carrying aboard its vessels 6 members of the Mecrosa Order. Following the revitalization and militarization of the Mecrosa Order, they had found themselves more and more active, and today - they hoped - the Galaxy would see what they were capable of as they moved across the battlefield like beasts, visible and then hidden from view. The flotilla was the same one at Tython, and it was made up of a Guardian-class frigate as the lead, two Essex-class vessels, two Watcher-class vessels, three Kalla-class missile corvettes, and five Defender-class light corvettes as well as the usual support vessels and medical cruiser. Another Guardian-class frigate had been included, joining them to provide a boost in starfighter power. As usual, it would hang back in orbit, launching gunships, starfighters, and helping to provide command and control from the atmosphere.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Gunships were landing in the area cleared by the Jedi, eight of them, each carrying eight shocktroopers all clad in Vanguard-class armor and wielding the latest in weaponry. They were more than prepared, and from one of the gunships stepped six members of the Mecrosa Order. Leading them was Ivlyn, who pulled her helmet onto her face, and seemingly pulled from nowhere her electromagnetic assault rifle. From it launched its rounds, working to kill off a Sithspawn as it approached the group. Finally, they were in formation, eight formations. The thing was that one of the formations - the one including Ivlyn - had just disappeared from the view of everyone in the area.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]They were silent as the Tapani shocktroopers worked, seen only for moments to help provide cover for their soldiers before they disappeared from view. Sithspawn and human militiamen and women alike would fall to the ground, dead, but the lightfoils used by the Mecrosa Order were not seen, and neither were they. They were phantoms, ghosts that struck their enemies, and then moved to strike another.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Two squadrons of starfighters had just been launched from the flotilla. Made up of 4 Dauntless-class and 8 Sprite-class fighters each, the starfighters worked to subdue the enemy, eliminate anti-air, and in general fulfill their goal. Meanwhile, the eight gunships that had dropped off the Mecrosa and their shocktroopers were hammering the ground and providing close fire support.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Ivlyn appeared behind [member="Coren Starchaser"], silently.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]”Jedi Master, the Tapani Federation and Mecrosa Order are here to help. You currently have eight gunships, and 24 starfighters at your disposal. There are six members of the Mecrosa Order here, and eight shocktroopers from each gunship.” Ivlyn said from within the protection of her armor. She moved back from the Jedi master, the left arm of her armor forming into a sword, and stabbing through a Sithspawn. Her other hand found a lightfoil in it, and it was activated to glow a toxic green with specks of pulsing red inside.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Ivlyn pulled her arm free, and thrust it outward towards a Sithspawn, a small sphere of force traveling forward, followed by another, and then another, eviscerating the Sithspawn. Ivlyn rushed forward, her left arm launching a lightfoil that rotated around her, before a third found itself in her left hand. Two lightsabers were thus in her grip, and another was defending her. She moved quickly, empowered with enough speed to bound between enemies. She sheathed one lightfoil, and erected a Force barrier in front of her, while attacking the enemies that came around it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The Tapani shocktroopers were quickly approaching from behind the group. When they finally approached, Ivlyn motioned for them to fan out, and the other Mecrosa Order members appeared, getting into formation. The Tapani were forming a formation that those behind them could easily get into or pass, but those in front of them would find approaching resulted in them quickly being cut down, with the Mecrosa Order members moving to perform their assaults once again after the formation was complete.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Lightfoils and telekinetic pushes, Sithspawn literally torn limb from limb by Ivlyn in particular with the Force, one poor guy that had actually been frozen. The Tapani were enhanced by power armor and exoskeletons, with Ivlyn able to lift 12,600 pounds herself. At this point, Ivlyn didn’t need the Force to tear a Sithspawn apart. She could do it with her bear hands, and one could hear bones cracking whenever she kicked a foe.[/SIZE]

 

[Ivlyn Mecetti]

(Redacted. The double post bug is evil.)

 

[Ivlyn Mecetti]

(Redacted. Was victimized by double-post bug))

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Allies: [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Zark"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Ivlyn Mecetti"]
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

Send a message to Therapy Command. Inform them that Firebrand Battlegroup’s fighters will keep the platforms occupied.

"Roger, roger"

"The Militia has Artillery positions in the city that need taking out! And these sithspawn have to be coming from somewhere! If they don't get dealt with, our staging area is going to be overrun!"

"Picket corvettes, pick out the enemy artillery emplacements! We need to take those out before the 26th is overrun!"

This was unlike Thyferra, where the enemy was willingly causing mass, indiscriminate destruction; here she knew that, with 72 precision-fired energy torpedoes flying at relativistic speeds, that ought to make short work of the enemy artillery emplacements, while the medvac unit was being deployed to take out the mounting casualties in the staging area at the base fo the Citadel. But it was not safe to deploy medvac until the artillery emplacements are destroyed. That ought to soften the enemy artillery positions, and help our friendlies push for the Citadel, but what would Therapy Command be without medvac? she thought, while realizing that fighting so many different enemies could make her feel weary at times, especially when the Great Galactic War is in full swing. But the remaining aircraft was to stay with the medvac units in a defensive posture, and not to take on too much combat responsibilities. To engage Sithspawn and other threats to themselves and the medvac, but not much more than that. And Sithspawn near the staging area where medvac was being deployed, there were.

Spoiler: Medvac

ANS Pharmacokinetics (Cardea-class medical cruiser)
ANS Tylenol (Cardea-class medical cruiser)

64 M47 Illria ambulances

Spoiler: Escorts

Capital ships:

ANS Recluse (Recusant-X-class light destroyer)
ANS Impugnment (Lothal-II-class artillery carrier)
ANS Evil Rabbit (Krayiss-class escort frigate)
ANS Money (Krayiss-class escort frigate)

Attack craft:

6 Spirit-class picket corvettes
12 Mantis heavy bombers (endurance configuration)
48 Chiloon-I fighters

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Planetary Orbit, aboard the Spear of the Alliance
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

The Vaemath was enjoying watching the fighters. They were doing their job while the Star Destroyer held back. Mainly, the Spear had been ordered to show up to show the unity of the Alliance military, and that they were still producing new vessels to be used in combat situations. Hearing the chatter coming from the surface, Fallaxia nodded. Direct our fighters on the surface to help fortify the location outside the city. If there is artillery, I want the spotters found. If Therapy Command is dealing with it, allow our fighters to assist on the hardened structures. The Jedi can handle the rest.

There was an almost sarcastic tone in her thoughts when she said Jedi. Blame her time among the Force users on the Dawn Treader, and following Coren’s adventures through Unknown space.

“Reports are showing minimal losses from the guns, but fighters are entering real space. Seems they were arriving from the other side of the planet. Microjumps.” One of the bridge crew mentioned.

Let our fighters know.

Forward Operating Base
In Vicinity: Omai Rhen, [member="Varax"], [member="Taeli Raaf"] [member="Ivlyn Mecetti"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Armaud Eden"]
To be reinforced [member="Aryn Teth"]

The planet was definitely a different aspect than he was expecting. Coren preferred to be the one in the fighter picking off the air support and people who were going to be ending the ground campaign. Lately, though, as a Master, he had seen more use being deployed planetside, and with Omai Rhen requesting him on the Byss campaign, he couldn’t refuse the post. On the ground, the colors of the lightsabers were showing that the Alliance, stemming from many schools of thought, were here.

And they were here to stay. Fighting the soldiers and the sithspawn. The base was being created and prefabricated structures, with tech needed to run this operation, were being delivered, under fighter escort.

That was what Coren didn’t want to do, be an escort jockey. He was a strike pilot.

“Sith?” Coren exclaimed. “Good.” He needed to hit something, and why not the Sith, if the Knights of Ren were no where to be seen. The group was starting to move, and he was going to do his best to not get in over his head. Coren was a Sentinel, and an aggressive one. Grabbing the enemy’s attention was what he did, but he had Rhen here, and Raaf. He needed to prove he could hold the Jedi mantle.


Rhen looked between Coren and Mecetti. “Good, we will need the reinforcements.” With Varex already on the move, that would call attention away from their group for the time being. “We will need the distraction, to keep the militia from us. If they can wittle down the Sithspawn great. But… Master Raaf, the best route to the Citadel, please?” He stepped aside, allowing the holographic display of the battlefield and city to be shown up. Was Rhen sacrificing Teth? No. Everyone had their part to play here. And if the team at the FOB was going to begin to play theirs, they needed to stop talking and find the best path down to the enemy.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Location: FOB
Objective: Give directions and assist the Grand Marshal
Allies: [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Varex"] [member="Aryn Teth"] [member="Ivlyn Mecetti"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Armaud Eden"]
Enemies: Eldaah Aderyn

Of course Coren was in the mood to hit Sith, not surprising at all. And that would be something play upon in this day's operation. She need only wait.

"The fastest route to the Citadel is the direct route here," she said, highlighting a red path that ran straight to the Citadel's base. "However, this path was specifically designed by Emperor Palpatine to draw in enemy forces. There are secret passages and ambush points across the entire path, likely loaded with many of these Sithspawn we are encountering."

A green path appeared, more winding, but it would still reach the same endpoint where Aryn Teth and his men were bravely standing against the onslaught Eldaah was unleashing.

"This will be the safest path for us to take, it avoids almost all of the ambush spots constructed by the Emperor. It also has the added benefit that it can help isolate pockets of resistance, but... if none of us take the red path, it is likely, no... definite that the Sith commanding these forces will unleash all of those ambush forces and crush General Teth's men before we arrive. Some of us will have to go down the center, while the others take the green path. That is just my humble opinion though."

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Varex"] [member="Cato Marek"] [member="Armaud Eden"]

"How interesting," she said. The Alliance was in full on conquering mode, and the Grand Marshal himself had taken the field. The Alliance were coming in groups, and she was hoping they would take the direct route to the Citadel. She was meditating as her Master instructed, sending out her presence into the Force like a beacon, calling the Jedi in. The Dark Side Adepts with her, experienced and trained, were itching for the fight ahead. The initial stages of the Horde had done well, but the Alliance had still established a beachhead.

"Vyoro," she called, a robed and hooded Adept, the strongest among her Master's cadre here, bowed before her. "You will have the distinction of leading the defense of the Citadel. Our Master commands that you are to act as the overall commander."

"The Lady honors me," Vyoro stated. "I shall not fail her. Rhen shall die at my hand today."

"I'm sure," Eldaah stated. "In the meantime, unleash the body of the Horde. I think the Alliance soldiers at the base of our Citadel deserve... to meet our full force of creatures. And those in orbit... shall meet our Menacers."

"As commanded."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[member="Aryn Teth"]

It would start with a rumbling, a groan as though the very earth they stood on was breaking apart and awakening. From every nook and cranny from around the Citadel and the surrounding cityscape they came. Far far more Ravagers and Festerers, screeching and roaring as they advanced in a flood of chitin and claws and spines. From above, the unnatural screeches of the Wyverns came, filling the skies with their wings. And largest of all, and what was causing the tremors... several Behemoths charged towards the fortified line, a Sithspawn designed for this specific purpose... to crush any and all ground based fortified lines.

[member="Cathul Thuku"] [member="Ivlyn Mecetti"]

The defense stations and their defenders were putting up a decent fight against the Alliance forces... but they had merely been biding time. Reports for the Alliance and Tapani naval commanders would alert them of a single hyperspace reversion. That single reversion became a handful... then started to number in the hundreds... in the thousands... in the tens of thousands. A large mass of signatures would start coming at the Alliance ships, all of them hungry.

Menacers, thousands of them... and all of them with one purpose implanted in their minds by their Master... kill the Alliance.