Star Wars THE GALAXY AT WAR PART IV: PRISONER OF CORUSCANT

IC: Ewlla Iillor, Dak Trooper, Galactic City
Location: Imperial Centre

The maglev platform stretched to Iillor?s right, a further two hundred metres, and in keeping with it?s function, standing upon it, it did seem like it was floating in the air.

Despite the red metal columns supporting the sloping shelter that was the same width of the ferrocrete platform on which she stood, there was little visible infrastructure from visible from up here, that said they were connected to the ground level where the bounty hunter had dropped her.

There were a smattering of early morning commuters, standing among the columns, or occupying the four seat benches. At least one member of the red-armoured Coruscant Guard was up there also, keeping vigilant in the wake of the attack on the Imperial Senate.

She allowed the cool morning breeze to massage her face, and ripple across the front of her Naval grey tunic, but was pre-occupied how best to get to Pantolomin.

The place was only one system over, so getting transport there should not be too difficult, and news services that she had seen, when they had found a gap in their Senate coverage, had mentioned the blockade being lifted, so that visiting starships could land upon and leave the planet.

She could perhaps lose herself on a larger transport?

* * * *

Senate Building

Sensibly, Dak skirted the rubble-laden side of the partially destroyed structure, and headed round to the side that had the least damage, through the rounded sides were missing more than a few glased panes.

Last time he had been here, touching down with the Inquisitor?s shuttle, so he in his groundspeeder, might not be so effective, or recognisable, and already, Frothy-plumed Blue Guards were unlimbering energy weapons from shoulder straps.

The bounty hunter was feeling a bit daring as he leapt from his speeder, wanting to see how far this Inquisitorious authorisation took him; could he spout a line of guano, which, when paired with his new sponsorship, still afforded him entry?

"Rick Deckard. Bladerunner. 4-65-64." He said to the first sentry, presenting his ID.

"That?s not the name on here, Sir. Says, 'Dak Trooper'."

"And what else does it say?" His raised eyebrows were lost under the TIE helmet.

"OH!"

Ah-ha!

The guard saluted, and waved back his colleagues. "How can we assist the Inquisitorious, sir??"He handed back the ident chip.

"Get me Corporal Billings. Urgent."

"Right away, sir."

During the short wait, Dak reflected that it wasn't the safest exercise in the world, but considering he was heading to another potential encounter with a jedi, an special-powered enemy of the Empire, it wasn't like his day would be massively improved by not taking the risk.

"Oh great; you again." The weasel-faced non-com looked real delighted to see him. "After your last visit, Queen Amidala about threw her dolly out the pram."

"Yeah, I came to return it. That, and I had a report that a jedi was seen coming through here."

The Guard regarded the bounty hunter quizzically. ?Did I miss a repeal of Order 66??

"I'm serious!" Dak retorted sharply.

"Fine, I'll call around, see if anyone has seen a jedi." Billings took out a small comlink, the same tone of dark blue as his armour and helm plumage.

"Or," Dak interjected helpfully, "bits of Guard." He was thinking about lightsabres.

Billings looked at him sharply, the look in his eyes, momentarily venomous. "Don't even joke about that; it?s been a bad day."

"Oh, stang. Sorry." The clone was mortified. He hadn?t even thought; lots of the guards must have been caught up in the earlier attack. "I didn't think. Sorry."

Billings activated his comlink, bringing it up to his thin lips. "This is Corporal Billings. Code Greel. We have a report of a jedi on the premises. Do not approach, but call me back with any sightings."He looked up into Dak’s emotionless black mask. “You taking this abo down yourself, or should I call in S.T.A.N.G.?”

Bringing in the Special Tactics and ‘Nuff Guns elite of the Galactic City Police was the sensible option, but if he wanted the max bounty on this jedi... he would have to be licenced. And he wasn’t yet.
He almost acquiesced to bringing in the police, right then, when he remembered that H was fully licenced.

“I came in with a hoojib earlier, we’ll take him down together.”

Billings chuckled. “Your funeral.”

Tag: Open

OOC: I will try to get up an addendum for H (the hoojib), tonight.

 

~OOC~ I wish to give special thanks to Pashatemur for this joint post.

~IC~ Commissar Ahsoka Tano and Artoo-Detoo
Location: Senate District - Coruscant/Imperial Centre

Walking through the office pool towards the escort that had been waiting patiently for her, Ahsoka glanced in the direction of a small commotion. She could see just over the tops of the padded grey partitions that functioned both as partial walls and sound dampeners to see the heads of at least twenty female office workers converge around of bevy of just about the same number already fussing over something at it?s center. Pursing her lips, Ahsoka raised her brows and nearly lifted on tip toe to catch a quick glimpse of what could be capturing a fair bit of interest with the females that worked here. it couldn?t have been much, she wagered as the cooing seemed indicative of things precious and occasional. Ahsoka had heard of things called ?showers?. This seemed to be something of that sort. Perhaps, one of the females had been successfully impregnated and was just now showing off a youngling?s first blanket or slippers. Shrugging, Ahsoka continued along rejoining her guard escort.

The guard flanked behind her and Artoo as they walked along the senatorial halls back the way they had come. A plan on their next course of action formulated in her mind as their direction took them back to their transport. Glancing to the faces of the people she passed, so far there was no one else she recognised unfortunately or luckily, depending upon how one looked at it.

"There is a lot I want to tell you, Artoo. After this... I'll be able to say." She said to the blue and white astromech and sighed. "First we need to get airborne, I'll need your assistance with a task. I'll explain when we are in the shuttle."

She smiled as Artoo tootled in response rolling along beside her and she was glad to have him with her. Stepping out onto the landing pad, the shadow of the dome had shifted with the progress of the morning, the light had crept closer to her parked transport. Noticing though avoiding the looks of the workers directed at her as she passed them by, the sounds of shifting rubble as work continued on clearing through the damaged sections. Someone shouted a warning followed by the a loud resonating boom as a large chunk of debris was cut free of a floor above, falling in a spray of sparks from the welding droid?s laser cut.

Dirt kicked up, closing her eyes to prevent grit in them, feeling the ping of small particles bouncing harmlessly off her skin, Ahsoka reached out about her to feel her surroundings in the Force.. With the back of her index finger, she brushed her lashes before blinking her eyes open slowly. It is hard going past such destruction knowing how close to home the attack had come regarding what she began to feel was the intended. The impelled her with a greater sense of urgency. Her hand gently brush over Artoo’s dome, giving a small affectionate rub. The drone of repulsors as their vehicles work to collect and haul away the large pieces.echoed off the surrounding hard surfaces and Ahsoka pressed them forward with longer strides. The ranging sound only served to amplify the sense that she needed to move quickly.

A quick communication with Artoo and Ahsoka knelt to see displayed in holo a small image of Master Vos’ ship. The Stellarus and it’s location were but one set of linked data Artoo had processed and stored in cache for later use. He busily brought up all related information. It was a prototype Ursean transport, small and nimble, capable of use as a fighter. Though it resembled the Theta class tri-wing Imperial shuttles with a strong and narrow dorsal control surface and two articulating side wings, the resemblance ended there. It was elegant,smooth and informed by fluid dynamics. The wings not only opened downward but extended as well.

The little holo imaged rotated slowly over the description in basic as to its weapons compliment, cargo and crew, but that which Ahsoka sought came after: its present location and she directed her escort thither. "Thanks, Artoo!” she said with a quick smile as she rose and led the way to her own transport.

The ramp lowered as they approached. Boarding the transport, she gave instructions to the pilot to take them to the port located at the edge of the Senate district.

Feeling the upward momentum of the transport as it’s repulors pushed against Coruscant's gravity, lifting the craft off the reinforced ferrocrete. The light streaming inside the cabin changed as the craft turned and approached one of the traffic lanes that would take them towards the spaceport.

Folding her hands on her lap, Ahsoka's gaze was fixed on Artoo, a familiar presence in a changing world. The skyline is always different, when growing up here you acclimatise to the differences without noticing too much. However after several years away, Old buildings replaced or built over the top by newer ones, the architecture changing with each generation did prove in her mind that yes, things had changed quite a bit.

“Artoo, I have been instructed to find a young cadet, a Han Solo.” Ahsoka started telling him of her mission. “I have been informed that the last possible whereabouts was at Master Vos’ ‘Bird of Prey’, the ’Mortis Stellarus’…That’s why I needed to know where it’s location." Shrugging her shoulders, Ahsoka smiled as her hand brushed over the chrome of Anakin’s hilt on her belt, subconsciously assuring herself that it was still there. "At least we have a starting point."

Artoo whistled. He knew Han Solo well and rocked slightly as he bleated softly. Immediately, the mention of the Cadet brought up a slew of data and inside Artoo’s chassis the quiet little clatter of tiny hard drives clicking back and forth to pull up “resources,” data concerning Solo and Sophia, the cave at Malme, pictures of large crystals there and remains of crablike armor, images of the Emperor, a parade ground at Kavala, Master Vos bringing Han and others.... Artoo, rattled slightly to get Ahsoka’s attention.

Tilting her head, her brow furrow as she shifted to the edge of her seat. She recognised Artoo’s expressive behaviour to mean that he had something important to convey. “Do you know of whom I speak of, Artoo?”

Once again, a small holo lit Ahsoka’s face as Artoo threaded the data through his processors. A small girl held up what appeared to be a model of a fighter, it looked like an ETA actis 2. In fact it was painted yellow! The girl with large and expressive blue eyes and an oval face held the model for Artoo to see and then another image entered the field of the holo, a far older person, a very young man with a big crooked grin and a head of golden hair. He put his arm around the little girl and patted her shoulder, telling her the model was “real fine” and that he’d “keep it close and always think of you, kid.” He took the model in the palm of his hand and after giving it his full appraisal, put it in the inside pocket of his uniform jacket. His face was clearly visible and turned serious at an awkward moment when it was clear he didn’t know what to say. He clearly had strong feelings involving the little girl who tilted her head affectionately against his chest and asked if he would come back to teach her how to play sabacc like he could and he laughed and held her at arms length to say, “Sure thing!”

TAG: Open

 

OOC: I?ve included two related post that give some background for my new one found after these two. Thank you Sithy for you understanding and patience. Thank everyone.

Pash

IC: Mira Solinova, USF Embassy aid to the RMU, Anakin, Lord Vader, Imperial Executor, Provisional Imperator, Ledaren, Master Quinlan Vos and Anakin, Lord Vader
LOCATION: Office of the Imperial Executor/Provisional Imperator, Provisional Palace, Ursean Embassy, Ambassadorial Sector, Imperial Center and The Provivsional Palace, personal suites of the Re and Reina - Taungsday, the morning after the Senate bombing, 0633c(though for many it seemed like Taungsday, 0633c about 3 months later)

It was worrying that he’d not yet heard from Sin and the Captain of the Krayt’s Fire.

Master Vos stood by and sucked on the inside of his cheek as he waited not too patiently and contemplated the back of the Re, thinking the mass of long locks that spilled to Anakin’s waist would certainly raise some brows since only yesterday the Re’s pate had been most decidedly devoid of hair, not to mention burned.

He blew out a short puff of a sigh as Anakin continued to make contact with a mind boggling number of contacts. This political positioning was not only tedious, but wrought with traps and it was no wonder the man rubbed his brow as he spoke and paced about the holo, no longer concerned whether he stood before the lens as it tracked him. The poor lout on the other end had to have a headache by now just watching the new Emperor and the room beyond him rotate as Anakin walked round the dais and table which served as the base for a number of technical tools, one of which being, the holo- transponder.

Indeed, Ms. Solinova was having a hard time keeping her attentive posture, eyes up and forward as she watched on holo, the young Emperor walked steadily, the background turning past like a merry-go-round. The Re was expressing concern that he’d not yet heard from the Krayt’s Fire when indication of a response blinked on Mira’s consol along with the odd watery image of thick sudsy blobs, the slosh and spit of foamed flame retardant fizzling into a blinking holo before her.

“Your pardon, Minn Arri, but I am transferring the connection with Krayt’s Fire now. They've logged on,” she said quickly and the strange holo rose up before the Re.

Vader leaned in a bit, his smooth forehead furrowing at the strange image and raising a brow at the obvious electrical sparking off to one side of the holo.

Sin! Mayhem followed him wherever he tread and usually without purpose and always without efficient outcome!

Out of the receiver the irritated voice of Sin drawled sarcastically, “This is Colonel Sin aboard the Krayt’s Fire. I am locked in a room with your precious communicator, and Captain Sohmer is unwilling to come to the comm at the moment.”

Anakin sighed. It wasn’t hard to imagine what might have happened, and he stopped rubbing his temple and slid his hand over his face to glance quickly back at “Brother Vos.”

Vos bit his lips only to maintain his scowl, though the deadpan expression barely held back the urge to laugh and he raised his brows and threw up a hand as he turned from Vader.

... “So, you have a nice voice. When do you get off work. You know what they say, when you’ve had a Sith, you learn that First Love is not a myth.”

Anakin stood still finally, arms crossed and lifting his chin, he responded dryly. “Thank you for the compliment.” Lowering his chin, he continued, “Your poetic license not withstanding, compelling as it may be...Ahem...I don’t anticipate getting off work any time soon, Colonel and no, I hadn’t heard that particular ‘line’ before,” Anakin said in soft baritone, blinking with the barbed retort and a upward inflection that curved his lips into a sort of crooked grin. "I’ll contact the bridge myself and effect your release from your would be watery grave,” he said wryly. “In the meanwhile, that’ll be enough ‘Hsiss-ing’ around. I really hadn’t meant for you to take my command of “fetching the Emperor’s bodily remains” literally.”

“….Heh!” was all the impolitic comment Vos would make from his place safely off-screen of the holo’s imaging range.

In her secured holo-booth, Mira and the other officer bit their lips. Both seemed to have determined not to look at one another through the transparasteel lest they lose their “composure,” but the other officer quickly wiped the tear that collected at the corner of his eye. Mira looked up toward the ceiling and blinked.

“Solinova! Raise someone on the bridge of Krayt’s Fire. I’ll speak with them directly!”

TAG: Sohmer and crew of Krayt’s Fire and Colonel Sin, of course!

 

IC: Colonel Sin, Captain Sohmer, Captain's ready room, and the Bridge, Krayt's Fire venator
Location: Imperial Centre orbit


Ready Room

"Thank you for the compliment."

Sin snapped his head round as Anakin?s voice returned from the communicator's grille!

"Your poetic license not withstanding, compelling as it may be...Ahem...I don't anticipate getting off work any time soon, Colonel and no, I hadn't heard that particular 'line' before."

The Sith Marauder grinned cheesily at the waterlogged machine, silent. He had always wondered, and occasionally thrown food at, holo-soaps when the the innocent party could have prevented a misunderstanding by explaining things right then, but did not.

Now, he surmised, it was probably shock.

"I'll contact the bridge myself and effect your release from your would be watery grave. In the meanwhile, that'll be enough 'Hsiss-ing' around. I really hadn't meant for you to take my command of "fetching the Emperor's bodily remains" literally."

Sin caught the joke. That was a good sign. That the new Emperor had made a funny, not that the Colonel had caught it. "Okay."

* * * *

Bridge

The captain was guffawing into his hand, and looking at the single blue Midshipman?s rank square on the tunic of the harpoon-carrying crewmember to his left.

The subordinate had the pointed end aimed at the Ready Room door, at about knee-height.

"Can't you take a message?" Sohmer echoed, looking at the younger Imperial who had responded to the crimson-costumed Force user. "Oh, that's worth a promotion to 'LLieutenant', easily." He raised an eyebrow across to Merch. "Any objection, Major?"

"No, Captain. Though we are not setting a precedent." The O.R.I.C. commander warned.

"No, indeed. Being cheeky to superior officers is not usually a career enhancer. Am I clear, Lieutenant...?"

The pale-faced youth stiffened, his uniform cap raked to the right across his short yellow hair. "Lieutenant Avoceti. Clear, Sir! Thank you, Sir!"

Biddly-iddley-beep!

Sohmer glanced back towards the communication station. It was un-attended, as it had been all hands to the pump when the Colonel had started changing.

"I'll get that!" The new officer volunteered. He wanted to keep this grade now that he had gotten it. He placed the harpoon out the way, and bounded down into the crew pit, pressing the Receive button. "You are through to the Krayt?s Fire. Lieutenant Avoceti speaking."

Tag: Solinova

---

[B]IC: H the Hoojib[/B]

[I]At last![/I] H felt a pair of hands grasp him around the midriff, and carefully extract him from the bin, away from the crumpled flimsis and the fruity smell of the discarded dessert cup from someone?s lunch.

[I][COLOR=royalblue]"Ooooo, what's the matter? I'm so sorry to have dumped you into that nasty widdle basket. You're just so adorable I could take you home and just hug you all night!"[/COLOR] Ingrid exclaimed grabbing "H" up and hugging him to her ample bossom. She nosed him and smiled deeply, forgetting she was dealing with fully sentient creature and nuzzling her cheek to his. [COLOR=royalblue]"How did you get here, little fella? Do you have a home? Oh you are so cute I could just eat you up!"[/COLOR][/I]

For the moment, he was just glad to be free, although the desire to have a bit of a stretch was being denied by his proximity to the larger human's cheek, and her forearm or hand holding him in place.

He could feel more sentients rushing closer, all with the same thought and feelings of curiousity and pleasure. A bit of overload, he could comfortably be around fifteen girls, but beyond that, there was a danger of overload!

[I][COLOR=seagreen]"Oh I wonder if it has a name?" [/COLOR][/I]

[COLOR=seagreen][I]"Goodness, is it a boy or a girl?"[/I][/COLOR]

[I]A boy, actually,[/I] H broadcast to his fans.

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“I don’t know!”[/color][/i]

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“Wonder how you tell...”[/color][/i]

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“Let me hold him!”[/color][/i]

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“Where did you find her?”[/color][/i]

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“Oh, it’s boy, it’s got to be?”[/color][/i]

[i][COLOR=seagreen]“No, it looks like a girl. Just look at those precious sweet eyes….”[/color][/i]

That Soobie woman calling the office to some sort of order provided welcome relief, and he sent, [i]Ladies, if you tell me your comm-codes, I will have my secretary synchronise our diaries.[/i] Oh, oh- He was sensing that jedi’s signature leaving now, even as the next shift of clerical workers crowded in to see him, his right rear leg trying to find purchase on Ingrid, the paw slipping between her decollatage and the top of her tunic and jacket. [i]-FOLLOW that jedi![/i]

[b]Tag: Office workers[/b]

 

OOC: I'm breaking my own rules here by commenting in game, but Sithy, touche!

 

OOC: It?s been quite a few months since last this scene was addressed, I?m including two posts for which Emi-to received tags and once again, thank you all you?re your great patience.:

IC: Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, Biggs Darklighter, General Yueh (NRC)
Location: Rebel Base, Great Temple, Yavin IV

Mon shivered as the three entered the enormous pyramid-like structure: “It gets quite drafty in here, doesn’t it,” she asserted to her two male companions who nodded in agreement though they seemed less affected by the chill.

“Many of the men say these Sith structures are haunted,” Biggs added with a sly grin, eager to change the tone of the dour topic they had shared prior to their entrance into the ancient temple. “Many men claim they have heard and seen strange things in the watches of the night...,” he trailed off mischievously while attempting to give off an ominous tone.

“Balderdash,” the elder Mon Cal statesman harrumphed as the three continued their march toward the underground bunker that housed many of the most important facilities of the entire rebel base. “Even if ghosts do exist, which they do not, I very seriously doubt that even the Sith, irascible as they were, would choose to live out their existences in such a gloomy and humid locale,” he continued gravely.

Biggs rolled his eyes at the inability of the Admiral to detect the near-obvious tone of levity that he had been attempting to inject into his comments.

“Oh Admiral, I believe the young Captain is pulling our legs,” Mon interjected with slight giggle, finding the reaction of the Mon Cal humorous. A heady chuckle by Biggs joined in and not wanting to seem too austere, the Admiral joined in with a forced laugh of his own.

This chorus of amusement was broken sharply as they rounded a final corner and came upon the solemn figure of General Yueh. Angular features and almost a dark feathery mane of hair lent the middle-aged man an almost bird-like countenance.

“Ah, I see more have arrived to discuss the potential actions we are honor bound to take after hearing the news from Coruscant,” he stated grimly. As one of the members of the Alliance High Council, he too had been called for the rather impromptu meeting.

Yueh, along with the recently departed Garm Bel Iblis, was considered one of the more hawkish members of the Council.

“We must take immediate action now that the Empire is on their heels, regardless of who perpetrated the act,” he asserted stony-faced.

If anyone looks the part of a Sith, it is he, Mon thought to herself, almost genuinely frightened by the sudden apparition of the general.

“There will be time for discussion soon,” Admiral Ackbar affirmed strongly, barely making a full stop for the General as he proceeded forward down a final narrow stairwell that led downward.

The Senator from the Chandrila and the Captain from Tatooine, glad to not be inconvenienced by what was sure be the General’s shrill demands for maximum action (for at least a few minutes) happily followed the Mon Cal down.

General Yueh, already anxious for a discussion, grimaced and nodded and trailed behind the three toward the large meeting room. Now silent, the line of personages moved assuredly down the stairs (forgetting there was a handy elevator that would have taken them down) and down a short hallway and coming toward massive double doors with a sentry standing at attention. At the salute, the doors swooshed opened quickly despite their heft and the four walked in.

“Ah, General Torian, glad to see you’re already here,” Admiral Ackbar chimed in pleasantly with a salute to the Supreme Commander of the Alliance.

“Good day, General,” Mon added with a graceful smile and slow nod of the head. “I hope Master Shuri will be joining us as well,” she avowed, referring to the fact that the Master Jedi was a recently inducted member of the High Council as the lead Jedi for the splinter group that now resided with the rebels on Yavin IV.

“Good to see your not sleeping in, old man,” Biggs stated with a reverent salute and then craning his neck around as he looked around the room to see if Matrix had arrived yet.

General Yueh, annoyed at the too jovial and irreverential tone of the young Captain’s tone, cleared his throat and pushed his way forward and gave a sharp salute to General Darkeyes.

“Ah General, there is an urgent course of action afoot, that we must take,” he said with seriousness.

Taking her seat gracefully at the dark onyx table, sweeping her cream cream- colored gown to the side, Mon Mothma smiled as though she didn’t have a care in the world although inwardly she was tense as she knew quite well that this was a critical time in the galaxy and that decisions made around this table could be momentous.

TAG: General Torian, Matrix, Rebels, Emi-to Shuri, Yavin IV.

IC: General Torian
Location: Conference room deep within the Sith Temple, on Yavin IV

“Ah, General Torian, glad to see you’re already here,” Admiral Ackbar chimed in pleasantly with a salute to the Supreme Commander of the Alliance.

Torian stood from his chair, returned the salute to what was possibly the greatest naval strategist in the Galaxy. “Good to see you here as well Admiral.”

“Good day, General,” Mon added with a graceful smile and slow nod of the head. “I hope Master Shuri will be joining us as well,” she avowed, referring to the fact that the Master Jedi was a recently inducted member of the High Council as the lead Jedi for the splinter group that now resided with the rebels on Yavin IV.

Torian smiled at the petite Senator, wishing she were on Coruscant to give them more information on this new event. “She will be here shortly. She is returning the younglings to the Jedi camp.

I am sure she can sense the gravity of the situation, now that I know what has happened.” A Jedi would be good council right about now. General Yueh needed to have his nerves and itchy trigger finger calmed down.

“Good to see your not sleeping in, old man,” Biggs stated with a reverent salute and then craning his neck around as he looked around the room to see if Matrix had arrived yet.

Biggs, always the jovial one, regardless of the ominous setting that surrounded the Alliance, was as cheery as ever. The man would probably crack a joke with his back up against a wall and hundreds of Imperials closing in on him with hot blasters. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead Captain.” He smiled back at the young captain. “Matrix is not here. He is probably on some training evolution in the jungle.”

General Yueh, annoyed at the too jovial and irreverential tone of the young Captain’s tone, cleared his throat and pushed his way forward and gave a sharp salute to General Darkeyes.

“Ah General, there is an urgent course of action afoot, that we must take,” he said with seriousness.
Torian held up his hands, “Yes, I am fully briefed General. But if you mean going into the lion’s den without enough intel to take over as ‘urgent’ you are going to be disappointed.”

He walked around the onyx table and continued, “There was a missile attack on the Senate building. Intel states it occurred at the northeast quadrant.” He stopped behind Biggs, “Many Imperials are dead or injured, which I don’t mind in the least. The more dead Imperials there are, the better, as far as I’m concerned.” General
Yueh smiled at that comment at least.

He walked around the table to position himself face to face with MonMothma. “I know there are no Alliance ships in the area, so we cannot be blamed, but I’m sure someone will try to pin this on us. What I need to know is what Bail Organa is doing and thinking.” His dark eyes looked directly into the Senator’s. Organa was their inside source for information on the state of the Empire.

“If anyone has anything else they would like to share, by all means.” He gestured to the group gathered and sat back down.

TAG: Group within the room, Emi-to

IC: Grand Master Emi-to Shuri, Jedi Temple of Yavin, Achilles Darkeyes, Jedi youngling and curly headed son of Gen. Darkeyes and Emi-to LOCATION: Yavin Alliance base

Emi-to had very little time to return to the base complex. The Grand Master had made it down the path on her way with her youngling son, Achilles when the messenger arrived to call her to the impromptu meeting of the Alliance Council.

“Sergeant, can escort this youngling back to the Temple,” she said, always careful not to single her son out from the other juveniles amongst the Jedi. It was part of her effort to maintain some level of necessary detachment, though kneeling and touching his cheek to give Hill a reassuring smile that was purely mother instinct.

The Sergeant nodded and saluted, “Yes Mam’. It’d help if he took a ride on my back.”

Hill however gave a distinct shake of the head and stated, “I’d rather race you, sir!”

“Well, if you think you can keep it up, kid, I’m fine with that,” the tall man chuckled and looked to the Master Jedi for approval.

“As you wish, Youngling Darkeyes. Then right to class! Should be time for ‘Balance.’” Replied his mother.

“Bring it on, Young one!” said the Sergeant, falling into start position as the boy had already done. “One, two, three, ....Go!” they both said and were off, Hill in the lead to the Sergeant’s surprise and leaving Emi to laugh softly before turning back to the base, tan robes fluttering in the emerald light of the jungle.

***

She brushed her hair back breathed in deeply before entering the large conference room. Something had transpired. The air bristle with the aftermath and there was an uneasy silence as Mon Mothma, Capt. Biggs, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh and Torian sat around the large onyx table at the rooms center.

“Your Pardon, Generals, Senator, Captain ....” said Master Shuri acknowledging the assembled. “I see I’m more than fashionably late, forgive me,” she continued and took her seat, smoothing her robes, exhaling and looking round to all with a smile and feeling refreshed by the unintended outcome of an extended walk out through the jungle amongst the call of the birds and chatter of sylvan creatures busily living.

TAG: Mon Mothma, Capt. Biggs, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh, General Darkeyes, Matrix et al

 

IC: Dak Trooper, Corporal Stefe Billings, Galactic Senate.
Location: Imperial Centre

As the two warriors waited from word from the Senate's security apparatus, Dak slapped his forehead: "Doh!"

"Dough?" Billings looked quizzically at the bounty hunter, "Who are you now, the Ion Chef? I'm busy trying to find this mythical jedi of yours, and you are working on your next secret recipe!"

"I just remembered, H transmitted a name up to me for our suspect, Ahsoka Tano."

Billings looked contemplative. "We did have a Tano blow through here. Togrutan female, came to collect an R2 droid from our favourite queen." He conversed briefly with a colleague over the comlink, then pointed a blue-armoured limb over Dak's head. "She left on an Ursean transport, thataway. "

Tag: no-one

 

OOC: I'll be responding to my tag in the very near forseable future.

 

IC: Bail Organa, Leia Organa, Bail's sisters, C3PO
LOCATION: Alderaan Embassy, Imperial Center and Embassy Mall, base on Yavin IV


“Not now Leia...aww-!” Bail was trying to make a quick path to his office. He needed to get a message to the Alliance quickly and it was frustrating that the manner of conveyance would be slow. Holo-transmissions were under greater surveillance given the attack on the Senate and the situation at Derra. He fended off the on comers in the white marble entry to his residence indiscriminately and upon seeing Leia’s hurt expression, regretted his manner.

“Bail, you could at least hug the child. It’s been an anxious time for all of us and she couldn’t sleep till she saw you were alright,” his sister chided as the vestibule became a flurry of activity. Two fuzzy creatures skittering under foot and servants coming to meet the Prince of Alderaan while the small family hurried up to greet the Senator.

“Yes, yes, of course you’re right...Leia... come here!” Bail insisted, catching his adopted daughter up in his arms to a grateful hug. She’s become so mature this last year, he thought to himself as he held her face in his hands and smiled at the two doe-eyes that returned his gaze.

“You look so tired, father! We worried, well, my aunts worried and I told them you would be fine! I’m so glad to see you,” Leia cried and flung her arms about his neck.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he murmured and pressed his cheek to her soft abundant chestnut tresses. “Listen, I could use a good strong tea. Would you brew it?....Just for me?” he asked softly.

“Sure will, but then you have to tell me all about everything!” she said wiggling down out of his hold to hurry off and make the tea.

“Something sweet to eat...” he called after her, but she’d already rounded the corner down the long corridor.

“Bail, are you alright really? What’s going on out there?” his sisters continued.

“I’ll tell you, but first I need to take care of something clerical. Must record my thoughts quickly. I’ll be in my office....” He said, hurrying off himself, leaving the two sisters staring at one another, no more informed than before.

“Well, what do you make of that, Sister?” one asked of the other.

“I suppose if we needed to take any action, it isn’t terribly urgent?!” said the other, slapping her thighs and stooping to pick up the fluffy pets before making her exit.

“...Hum! The Emperor is dead...la ti da!” said the one remaining and raising her brows to no one in particular, leaving a sole man servant to say simply, “La ti da, indeed, Madame!”

***

C3PO watched the delivery speeder zip off into the traffic grid toward a nearby spaceport to the Embassy district. The man gave the greeting he’d been told to expect. Apparently, some servant in the retinue required the services of a cobbler. He handed off a pair of black shiny boots with a left heel missing which was to be replaced immediately. The cobbler was on a small street near the capital Palace gates on Alderaan. "My, it seems a very long way to send a pair of boots for repair..." he'd told the man who said not a word more and did not hear '3PO continue, "but humans had very delicate feet I'm given to understand and only this cobbler will do...Oh...where is he?!

With a shrug of a click, the protocol droid departed to return to the Embassy, his polished gold shoulders glinting in the twinkle and warm hued lights of the late evening as he made his way through the returning hoipolloi in the park- like pedestrian mall of the toney Embassy district.

Inside the right heel, a nano-chip lay embedded in a metal bead itself embedded in the sole. The cobbler would find his directive there as well and that he was to return the “boots” with great speed to a man who could “fill them,” a very tall, very substantial fellow that only the person who would come to collect the boots would know as “The Old Man” on a 4th moon. It was this operative who would then transmit the encoded message from a ship off-world via a scrambled smugglers frequency. It would probably take the encryption hackers on Yavin IV half an hour to distill the message from the packet of other messages with which the code had been “wrapped,” but the nuisance was worth it. The metal bead in the boot heel would be reduced to slag.

The encoded message in the chip detailed the events on Coruscant in the last 48 hours, the resultant destruction of the EmPalReconSU tower and the damage and casualties at the Senate, Holos of the rescue and restoration of the Senate followed, including one with the Senate relit! The venerable monument to democracy had remained in darkness since the Republic fell. There was also a clip of the pursuit of a fleeing craft, clearly being tractored even as it shot off artillery, 6 shots in all, several shots taking down the surgical unit and another, hot streak making a sharp turn and spinning off in the opposite direction. The errant craft, call sign, The Darth Unlucky was an old Republic tri-engine consular-class cruiser with its long and narrow fuselage, the sort used to transport ambassadorial envoys and Jedi.

Holo clips and schema showed the traffic around key systems and planets of Imperial forces as well as some key personnel.

Deciphered, the message read:

“…Executor claims throne by Provisional law...Palpatine reported killed on Kalee and body has been returned to Imperial Center - unconfirmed...Intrigue amongst the Council of Moffs...Tarkin and Trachta have met - significant: in Council, the two are rivals... no concrete intel but suspect they forward established plans for a military- lead coup - verified: sources confirm that key coup leadership have established communications and are conveying information concerning disposition of their resources...Some internal confusion and hostilities within Admiralty, but government continues uninterrupted and Ursean Security Forces seem to be functioning as liaison and overseers for new government...Certain departments have been collapsed or temporarily closed, particularly amongst the tiers of security - unconfirmed...Large contingent of fleet remains in quadrant around Muunilist, Mygeeto, and Kalee - confirmed ... Empire on alert over suspected collusion with rebels by Duchy known as Union...Incidents over Naboo and at Arrissa Fields...Vader has called Senate back into session and will make formal address this morning...on stand-by for exact time...communications monitored heavily... can not risk holo at present...Vader injured at Kalee...unsure as to how he will make the Senate session...he is calling for a quorum...suspect major restructuring of government leadership...opportunity to gain new allies with Imperial knowledge IF deposed leadership survives...Fleet mobilized to blockade the Union, contingent at Derra and Chommel and Geonosis. Conclusion: Empire unstable at present and expecting further instability with government shake up. However, military is on high alert and fully mobilized. Suggest courting new possible allies and striking key targets where Imperial resources have been thinned to support war effort. For your consideration and for what it’s worth, suggest that any major offensive might have the opposite effect of uniting the Empire against perceived common threat. Suggest finding remnant of the CIS and inculcating support and mining their intelligence network and resources. Next efforts: tapping our Imperial sources for possible enclaves of CIS support and or resources, reporting on government restructuring and consequent reaction within hierarchy. Please advise…"

Bail had been careful not to name Sabe Amidala. If the message fell into the wrong hands, her life would most likely be forfeit. He did not as yet know just what to make of the queen. Her eagerness to declare her leanings made the Senator Alderaan uneasy. If she was sincere, then she had taken a very great risk in making her intentions known to him, putting him at risk as well. Bail had shivered thinking of whether it was simply another thinly veiled effort by Imperial security to out him as an agent of the Alliance or whatever other anti-Imperial groups existed out there, and there were quite a few. He peered out of his office window at the cityscape, a thin sliver of dawn at the horizon and let himself be subjected to Leia’s barrage of questions. She was all a- chatter and he’d been home now for 3 hours. This was the second round of tea and still Leia would not leave his side, but instead sat at the other side of his desk and read her studies while Bail continued to work after having quickly put together his report to the Council and sent it off.

The little princess showed herself to have somehow inherited her mother’s political astuteness and Bail, having beckoned into his lap, caressed her cheek absently and held her closer. He was so proud of her. This was insane, hiding Leia here in “broad daylight” he thought, his heart constricting at the thought of losing her or being parted.

It was just before daybreak and the message would take another hour to be relayed to the Alliance Council on Yavin IV. The Embassy district would still lie in the shadow of night ere Torian received that chip.

“Have a sweet roll, father. They’re fresh from dinner...” suggested Leia as her father tapped the arm of his chair slowly and compulsively.

She sighed as he smiled at her. “You’d better get some sleep now, Leia. I’m so much better now you’ve taken care of me. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Bail said pulling her into a deep bear hug.

***

On Yavin IV, a young lieutenant hurried in after Master Shuri had taken her seat and saluting as he entered, hurried quietly around the large table to hand Gen. Darkeyes the decoded recording of Bail’s message in his datareader. “Your pardon, General, Sir! Message via Alderaan, Sir,” said the Lieutenant quietly, as the Jedi greeted the others.

TAG: Gen. Darkeyes, Mon Mothma, Gen. Yueh, Ackbar, Biggs, etc.

 

IC: Ms. Soobie, Lord Vader?s Senate Office aide
LOCATION: Imperial Senate, Office of the Executor

En masse the tide of cooing admirers moved toward the large glass doors etched with the Imperial seal that was the entrance to the Imperial Executor?s office suite. It was like a crowd at a celebrity sighting and the on coming shift struggled to part in the wide corridor outside the office as the large group surrounding Ingrid moved with her in her near obsessive effort to elbow through the throng after the pretty Togruta Jedi, an urge she could neither fathom nor, at present wish to fathom.

Ingrid clutched ?H? to her bosom and kicked and jabbed her way through to the lifts, amid cries of pain and surprised, ire and bewilderment.

?Do something!!!!? cried Soobie at the Blue Guards. ?HEY!? she called out, having looked down quickly to turn her blaster to its lowest setting and shoot it into a ceiling strut in a blinding rain of sparks. ?WE WILL HAVE ORDER HERE!?

The silence which suddenly ensued was probably more in response to the amount of ?voice? the tiny Ms. Soobie was able to coral, that and the singing rain of sparks now being patted out at the fore of the office than the strangeness of the event.

The blond aide brushed a skein of her straw yellow hair from before her eyes and pulled on her form fitting pale blue jump suit. ?Alright?eh? that?s better. New shift, wait at the entrance. Old shift, send your progress reports?log out and keep your coms open. If there are questions in your reports, you need to be available. When you?re done?you my leave IN AN ORDERLY FASHION?eh?that is ?all.? She looked up at the tall helmeted Senatorial guard next to her and walked on her high heels with a noticeable wobble. ?I sure could use that lollipop!? she murmured pitifully to herself as she returned to her desk.

TAG: ?H? and Sithy, feel free to move Ingrid

***

IC: Mira Solinova, USF aide to the Re, Lord Vader and Lord Vader
LOCATION: Ursean Embassy

Mira Solinova leaned into her headset.

?Yah?Lieutenant Avoceti? The Re, His Majesty?.? She blanched. What a long day it had been. She realized she didn?t know whether she might call the Re, His Imperial Majesty or not.

The other communications officer paled and looked to her.

?Lieutenant Avoceti, this is Lord Vader. Would you be so kind as to draw your captain aside so that I may speak with him,? said Anakin, breaking in on the Ursean com officer.

TAG: Lieutenant Avoceti and Capt. Sohmer

 

IC: General Torian, General Yueh
Location: Deep within the temple structures, meeting room of the Council

She brushed her hair back breathed in deeply before entering the large conference room. Something had transpired. The air bristle with the aftermath and there was an uneasy silence as Mon Mothma, Capt. Biggs, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh and Torian sat around the large onyx table at the rooms center.

A young lieutenant hurried in after Master Shuri had taken her seat and saluting as he entered, hurried quietly around the large table to hand Gen. Darkeyes the decoded recording of Bail?s message in his datareader. ?Your pardon, General, Sir! Message via Alderaan, Sir,? said the Lieutenant quietly, as the Jedi greeted the others.

?Your Pardon, Generals, Senator, Captain ?.? said Master Shuri acknowledging the assembled. ?I see I?m more than fashionably late, forgive me,? she continued and took her seat, smoothing her robes, exhaling and looking round to all with a smile and feeling refreshed by the unintended outcome of an extended walk out through the jungle amongst the call of the birds and chatter of sylvan creatures busily living.

Torian read the data-reader quietly, raising an eyebrow every so often. When he came to the end, he sighed loudly.

?The death of the Emperor is not 100% confirmed but his Executor, Darth Vader has taken over the reins of the Empire, which according to this report was injured on Kalee.
Two of the more powerful Moffs have met to establish a coup of the young Executor, but there are certain hostilities between them. Each Moff, if my assessment of their personalities is correct, will try to out-gun and outmaneuver the other for power and prestige. They will stop at nothing to gain more power within the Empire.? He stood up and paced the room. ?Furthermore, there are unconfirmed reports that large Imperial forces surround specific, CIS-controlled planets. Chances are they are on extremely high alert, a pucker factor of 100. Our contact, Bail Organa suggests we seek out the remnants of the CIS forces and find out more about the Empire and its current operational capabilities.?

Yueh sat up tall in his chair, ruffled by that last bit of information. ?Contact the CIS? Are you kidding me? We should take this opportunity to crush the Imperials while they are in disarray!? He curled his hand into a tight fist and thrust it in the air.

?It is suggested we let them tear each other apart.? Torian stated calmly.

?Organa is weak General. I wonder if he even wants the Empire to fall. After all, he holds a great position within the Senate. Why would he risk losing that? He should reach down and find his manhood and use it against the Imperials!?

Torian walked over to where Yueh sat and stood tall over him. With his meaty finger he put it in the face of the General. ?Grab hold of your tongue or I will personally rip it from your mouth and shove it up your ***! Organa risks everything he has to support us. Erase all thoughts that the man is cowardly. He has done more for this Alliance than you could possibly do in two lifetimes!?

He turned back to the council, ?I suggest we reach out to the CIS as Organa has advised and hold off any attacks on the Imperials. A meeting of the Senate is to take place soon. The more we can gather from our man on Coruscant and from the CIS, the better prepared we will be to take down the Empire and restore freedom throughout the Galaxy.?

TAG: Mon Mothma, Capt. Biggs, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh, Master Shuri, Matrix et al

 

IC: Mon Mothma of Chandrila, Capt. Biggs Darklighter, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh (NRC).
Location: Yavin IV, Great Temple, Rebel Base.

The pleasantries out of the way, the lights in the room dimmed a bit as all the attendees took their seats. Awkward silenced enveloped the room for a moment as the inevitable discussion commenced.

The recent events on Coruscant and in other far flung locations of the galaxy were recounted?

Mon Mothma, stood slowly but purposefully as General Torian gave her the floor. Her palms resting on the cool black stone of the large table before them she launched into a quick rundown of the results and the effects of the recently transpired events. She communicated to those gathered in the highly secured room that she was personally overseeing an extensive network of agents scattered throughout the galaxy which now included the even more of the esoteric Bothans, who had secretly decided to throw their lot in with the fledgling rebellion.

“I am sure that as long as we are patient, we can find the production source of the empire’s technological terrors, and by disabling the facility we can find ourselves on more equal footing....”

Mon Mothma paced a few steps backward.

“However, I am sure now that the Empire has now acquired an even more devastating weapon, we must find where it is, and destroy it,” she asserted, referring of course to the Killing Moon, the recently purloined devastator from the CIS in the recent climactic battle.

Just as she finished the statement, the unmistakable form of the robes of a Jedi breezed quietly into the room.

“Your Pardon, Generals, Senator, Captain ....” said Master Shuri acknowledging the assembled. “I see I’m more than fashionably late, forgive me.”

Mon Mothma nodded politely and quickly welcomed the Jedi Master, motioning her to the seat. The others also greeted her with nods except for the irascible General Yueh, who sat stony-faced and unmoved.

“We were recounting the recent events, Master, and I was communicating what steps we are taking with our agents who are scattered galaxy-wide and most notably on Coruscant, where I still maintain vital contacts. I’ll make sure the notes of the meeting are transcribed to you secured datapad,” she continued, with a slight but pleasant smile.

Breathing deeply, and getting back on her train of thought, she was about to continue when an officer came into the room, albeit quietly, and handed General Torian a datapad.

One did not need to be a Jedi to know that there was something important that was being communicated....

She continued on her monologue, but distracted by what inevitably must be important news from Coruscant, as soon as she noticed the General was ready to speak, she yielded the floor.

“The death of the Emperor is not 100% confirmed but his Executor, Darth Vader has taken over the reins of the Empire, which according to this report was injured on Kalee.
Two of the more powerful Moffs have met to establish a coup of the young Executor, but there are certain hostilities between them. Each Moff, if my assessment of their personalities is correct, will try to out-gun and outmaneuver the other for power and prestige. They will stop at nothing to gain more power within the Empire.” He stood up and paced the room. “Furthermore, there are unconfirmed reports that large Imperial forces surround specific, CIS-controlled planets. Chances are they are on extremely high alert, a pucker factor of 100. Our contact, Bail Organa suggests we seek out the remnants of the CIS forces and find out more about the Empire and its current operational capabilities.”

Without having time to digest the news, General Yueh responded with renewed vigor...he was determined that the Alliance should forgo all caution and respond to the chaos on Coruscant with an aggressive hand. However, he was rebuffed quite strongly by General Torian, who chided him also for disparaging remarks he had made in reference to Senator Bail Organa, one of the key figures of the entire rebellion. The nerve of that man, Mon thought to herself now irked by the attack on her ally in the Senate.

Admiral Ackbar seemed unmoved by the seemingly harsh words of General Torian though Mon was taken aback by their severity. She reminded herself that this was not the Senate and that the General was not a politician...he was not one to mince words. Besides, Admiral Ackbar had informed her that this was the status quo in these types of meetings....General Torian gave his opinions quite freely and most were used to it by now.

General Torian continued: “I suggest we reach out to the CIS as Organa has advised and hold off any attacks on the Imperials. A meeting of the Senate is to take place soon. The more we can gather from our man on Coruscant and from the CIS, the better prepared we will be to take down the Empire and restore freedom throughout the Galaxy.”

Mon concurred: “I believe that is a wise course of action, I have some old contacts in the Seperatist Senate,” Mon relayed sprightly remembering some Senators she had been on good terms with from the old Republic Senate who had fled Coruscant once their systems had left the Republic upon allying themselves with Count Dooku’s faction.

“Perhaps, I can visit some of these systems and see where they stand,” she urged to General Torian.

Pausing, her face suddenly forming into a look of concern, she turned to Master Shuri:

“Master Jedi, there is one thought that still annoys me,” she furthered, her hand now clasped before her so that she would not start wringing her gown nervously.

“Since the Emperor is known to be a Sith.....is there a way he can come back from the dead....?” she inquired gravely.

She hoped he was dead, for real, but not being a force user, there was much she didn’t understand of the Jedi or the Sith and the prior talk of a cloning facility in some mysterious place near the galaxy’s very core disturbed her.

“Lord Vader, a former Jedi, may even be more amenable to discourse than one who has been a Sith his entire existence....,” she finished with new hope.

TAG: Master Shuri, Gen. Torian, Matrix, all gathered

 

~OOC~ This is a joint effort between The Admiral and myself. I wish to thank Pashatemur, Jerjerrod-Lennox, The Admiral and a few others for their support.



~IC~ Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Location: 'Chimaera' - En-route to Naboo

The asteroid field was named long ago after an infamous pirate. There had been reports long ago of pirate attacks in the area preying on those that used that passage. That had been long since stopped when the protectorate of the Chommell sector was switched from their previous overseer, Admiral Grant. When the 'Ragnarok' and 'Relentless' were assigned to the area, that illicit activity had supposedly been squelched, stamped out by the Imperial presence...

It was reported that the original pirates that had settled in that region of space had been thoroughly wiped out. Whether erroneous or not, recent reports indicated the occurrence of sudden and new activity raising attention within the Obligon nebula. Perhaps these events were connected to those past actions, either that or there was a new group which might have moved in close to Captain Eclipse's command. That seemed too convenient to be called a coincidence.... Dorja's investigation into the matter would hopefully bear fruit.

Thrawn's glowing red gaze shifted as he pieced together the information, connecting related threads.

Further analysis of the probe's data cancelled out the possibility of a Neebray migration that might have strayed off course from their nesting grounds to the Kaliida Nebula. Earlier disturbances picked up from the fringe of the nebula could be tied to the quarry that the Kuati forces were after.

The B.O.L.O. reported that the Kuati behemoth of a cruiser had entered the nebulae with escort... That movement was sheer folly and served to prove further arrogance and ignorance of certain noble castes that decided to take action into their own hands. It?s size would not protect them from the lethal dangers of the nebula. Following procedure, the probes launched from the 'Stormhawk' and 'Judicator' into the nebula should shed light on their eventual fate.

Where do the Naboo, a small world, far from the centre of the galaxy, albeit one that garnered a lot of attention historically and the Union, another far flung and equally and until recently, seeming obscure locale fit into this? Ah, but the annals of history were replete with such places, touchstones of change and yet, so... deceptively insignificant.

The misunderstanding between the Queen of Naboo and the representative of the Duchess of the Union had escalated with grave political implications, not to mention military intervention on several occasions. There was more to the circumstances than the information in Amidala II's broadcast had provided.

A communique from the bridge informed Thrawn that they would be arriving at Naboo momentarily.

---

[B]~IC~ Captain Dorja and Lord Advisor Eddard Dondarion a.k.a the Truthsayer[/B]
[B]Location:[/B] [I]'Relentless'[/I] - Obligon Nebula/Arrissa's Field

The cavernous hanger of the [I]'Relentless'[/I] was impeccably maintained, an example of Dorja's thoroughness and orderliness, the same inclination which he instilled in his crew. All surfaces spotless, every piece of equipment in it's place, each craft serviced and ready at a moments notice. The Interceptors of Panthera Squadron and the [I]'Aquila'[/I] were assigned landing instructions to a central bay located towards the bow. Two platoons of Stormtroopers in formation awaited in silence as Captain Dorja arrived with a security detail flanking behind him.

Eddard felt the fighter landing on the hard floor. He had forgotten the feeling of flying a fighter. It had been quite some time since the last time. The old Jedi could not say that he was an expert pilot, a mediocre one at best. He might have enjoyed the experience if his life and the lives of his men were not in danger.


The helmet was not designed for a person with long hair and a beard. Eddard could taste some hairs inside his mouth and as he removed the blasted thing the Jedi spat them but trying to avoid shooting saliva on the controls. Using his fingers he removed the last one. Sometimes a person could forget their manners...at least when no one is watching. Eddard pressed the controls so that the hatch of the Interceptor could open.

As he showed his head outside of the craft the bright lights of the hangar blinded him for a second. He paused for a moment to adjust his weak eyes, after all he was not young anymore.The Jedi climbed out, there was orange steps provided so that he could descend from the fighter. His white robes reflected some of the light adding to the mystique that he carried, that of being a Jedi. Eddard did not consider himself as a member to the Order but it was impossible to prove that to other people.

Seeing the shuttle in the hangar he wondered whether brother Thaddeus, the black-armored behemoth of a Royal Guard, had done something irrational adding more fuel to the fire. Another cause for concern were the Death Guards and the commissar, they were the other overzealous fanatics that could overreact in such a situation. All in all he was bringing a very nice company with himself. Bringing people from the Union to the outside Galaxy is something very, very dangerous as they perceive everything as a threat to be eliminated or acted too arrogantly to cause enough trouble. These will be very challenging negotiations...to say the least.

The old Jedi finally stepped on the metal floor, trying not to look concerned seeing the stormtroopers. He wore the mask of benevolence of an elderly person walking towards the officer that had come to greet them...or arrest them.

Captain Dorja stood motionless as he watched the pilots disembark the vehicles, the bay doors closed to hide the activity from the far side of the hanger. It was strange to see some of the pilots were not in Imperial regulation flight uniform. He had been informed and it was be expected from the communication prior to their landing though the sight was something to get used to. Those that weren’t in general issue were wearing a dark grey overcoat, field gear and belt. A mask, black and suggestive of a skull covered their faces and a helmet encased the rest of their heads. There was one that stood out from the others, an elderly gentleman with a long white beard and hair. His robes white and looked particularly bright from under the harsh hanger lighting. Focusing his gaze on the elderly gentleman that now stood on the flight deck, he took a step forward.

“Welcome aboard the [i]’Relentless’[/i]” Dorja greeted him, his voice clear and crisp. “I am Captain Dorja, this vessel is my command. I have been informed that you and your associates of the Union are to be our guests.” His gaze flicker briefly to the Panthera pilots and back to the gentleman.

‘So this is how they call it nowadays...’ Eddard thought. A pleasant smile appeared on his lips, there were no reasons not to be civilized.

“Thank you for receiving us Captain. I am sorry for meeting you under such circumstances.”

“No trouble at all. We are always prepared for unexpected guests.” Dorja smiled inside, part of his pride was reflected in how he ran his command smart and efficiently. “Quarters are set for you all if you and your associates be inclined...” He paused to consider how to address this ambassador from the Union. “Ambassador?”

“I am not exactly an ambassador, my title within the Union is Lord Advisor, but you can call me Master Dondarion.” he paused for a second then added “If you don’t mind...” It was then when he remembered the crew of the shuttle “I would like to speak with my men to prevent them from doing something...irrational.”

Nodding and gestured with his hand subtly. “Of course... Master Dondarion.” The words felt awkward as they came out, it was rare for Dorja to break from the formalities of titles to a certain extent. “I hope you will understand that the offer for quarters extends to those onboard the shuttle as well.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” he nodded deeply “Nevertheless I will still need to instruct my escort how to behave. I know it sounds strange but their culture is a bit...different from ours.”

It would be best to err on the side of caution, the last thing Dorja wanted was another incident to happen, especially with the duties which awaited him. While he didn’t know how exactly the circumstances that brought them here, he did know they were not to be treated lightly. After all, the Grand Admiral had instructed him to be prudent.

“Of course. I believe there has been enough excitement for the day.” Dorja commented dryly.

Eddard chuckled “Indeed, there was, I hope things will settle down.” He moved his gaze towards the Death Guards who were standing in one line, there were ten soldiers led by a commissar. They had the common sense to disarm themselves, though even without guns they were still deadly. Behind them were the four girls, the maids. They were pale and afraid but trying to look brave. Among them was the butler Jarvis, he was the personal servant of House Atreides. A position he inherited from his father. Next to this group was Thaddeus, his obsidian colored armor glinted from the artificial lighting. He too did not bring any weapons, though he was still deadly. The behemoth nodded to the Lord Advisor as a greeting.

The rest of Panthera Squadron had gathered together in a loose circle, they still had smiles on their faces for accomplishing bringing the shuttle safely to the [i]’Relentless’[/i]. However, Dorja could see a bit of restlessness in their form. He knew what he must do, even if he did not understand the reasoning behind the orders. A lot of strange things had happened today, Imperials turning on Imperials and strange guests from outside the Empire. When the guests had settled, he would follow out his orders to the letter, until then...

[b]TAG:[/b] To Be Continued

 

IC: Ingrid, H, Dak Trooper, , Imperial Senate offices.


The clerical worker ducked as a blaster bolt whined into the ceiling, shattering a light, and spraying workers with shrapnel.

H turned his head away quickly, then when he looked back, he could see a tiny gash on Ingrid's left cheek start to well with blood.

You're hurt, he told her, as Ms Soobie yelled for order.

"555-2368." She said, continuing to shoulder and barge her way towards the turbolifts. She didn't know why the little fellow wanted her to follow the jedi, and right now, she didn't care.
She lived alone, and having someone to look after, or something, was worth her time. She was a giver.

What?

"555-2368. Code to my personal comlink."

Ah-ha. The hoojib smiled; this was the first bright spot to his day. Some mental images from the forefront of her consciousness accompanied the revealed comlink code. He was seeing her in grey one-piece long-sleeved coveralls with a circular red and white patch on one shoulder, and carrying a heavy black back-pack.

Ingrid glimped a flash of her quarry's aqua and white montrails through gaps in the crowd. "Considering her has that Artoo unit with her, she is making good time." She clattered up to a bank of turbolifts, and stabbed the Call button with her free hand.

The comlink of a nearby Blue Guard was saying, "-report of a jedi on the premises. Do not approach, but call me back with any sightings."

"I know where she's going; we'll cut her off at the pass." Ingrid wheezed.

Where is she going?

"VIP landing pad."

Ingrid stepped into the lift while the door was still opening, while H listened to her, and gazed past her face at the ceiling. The artificial light was almost yellow, compared to that of the hallway, which had a decent amount of natural light courtesy of the windows.

It's the Galactic Senate; aren't all the pads VIP?

The lift dropped quickly, the secretary advising, "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no, think of all the staff that work here, security, administrative, cleaners." She turned to the mirror that filled the back of the turbolift, and took a moment to fuss with her hair. She noticed the tiny injury, and pressed the skin near it with a mauve fingernail. "I should have something for that."

So do I. He's called 'Dak'. Using this cute human as his personal transport, having lost his hover-globe on the HNN Skyhook, he was determined not to lose this bounty. I?ll have him rendezvous at this landing pad of yours.

The door opened, and she stepped out nonchalantly into a synth-marble-floored lobby, the cream metre-square tiles reflecting the light streaming in through the ceiling-high plexiglaze panels forming the exterior walls and entrances.

This part of the Senate had escaped the blast, but long cracks across or down several panes, spoke of the shockwave that travelled through the Senate Building's skin.

Giddy-up!

H found himself grasped in two curved hands, and then held away from the woman at arms length while her eyes looked into his. "Excuse me?"

The veteran hoojib bounty-hunter hesitated. And gulped. Giddy-up, please?

"Better." She put the little marsupial under her left arm, and pushed through the external doors, where she could see the VIP landing pad a hundred metres ahead.

It was clear that the pad was deserted, and steps to her right turned her head, seeing the black-clad bounty-hunter, and the Blue Guard sub-officer from earlier run up to their position.

'H!'

Dak! Ingrid, this is my secretary, Dak Trooper.

The rookie frowned under the TIE pilot helmet. "I'm a what now?"

Tag: no-one

---

[B]IC: Lieutenant Avoceti(npc), Captain Sohmer[/B], [i]Krayt’s Fire[/i] bridge. Location: Imperial Centre space

The new officer leaned over the Communications station, with a finger on the Transmit button, waiting to hear who was calling.

There was a feeling of responsibility that he was the voice or the face of the whole vessel right then. Opinions would be formed of the Krayt’s Fire based on his performance.

“[color=deeppink]Yah...Lieutenant Avoceti? The Re, His Majesty….[/color]”

Avoceti waited. What that it? Not the most legible message this side of the
galactic centre.

About three years later, a distressingly familiar voice came on the line: “[color=firebrick]Lieutenant Avoceti, this is Lord Vader. Would you be so kind as to draw your captain aside so that I may speak with him,[/color]”

“Uhhh.” Avoceti stared at the Comm. “Right away, Lord Vader.” He straightened, signalling the ship’s commander. “Captain? Captain Sohmer?”

His superior turned round from door stakeout, and separated himself from the dozen or so officers and bridge crew to peer down into the near-deserted crew pits. “Yes.”

Avoceti’s face was a picture. He had one fist in the air over the Comm, bouncing up and down while a forefinger pointed down at it. “Lord Vader, sir.”

“What about him?”

“He’s on the Comm, sir.”

Sohmer frowned, momentarily confused as he glanced towards the sealed door of his compromised Ready Room. [i]Oh! So much for the special Code Silver comlink then. He stepped down to join the junior officer, dropping into the chair. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Lord Vader, this is Captain Sohmer.”
He wanted to follow that with “we have the package”, but this was an open comm, and the new Emperor might not want that said on a non-encrypted line.

[b]Tag: Vader[/b][/i]

 

OOC: Welcome back Argen and thank you Omi, Kiril, Corellian_Outrider and Sithy for the great posting thus far.

IC: Jedi Master Emi-to Shuri
LOCATION: Yavin IV, Great Temple, Alliance Base

It was good to see the estimable Mon Mothma gracing the conference. It seemed the work of establishing the Temple had kept Emi-to somewhat distracted and Mon Mothma was always a calming soul whom the Master greatly admired and to whom Emi owed much.

Master Shuri smiled at the reserved but genuine greeting so typical of the Senator and taking her place, sat back slightly to listen with attentive consideration, hands folded in her sleeves, as she took her seat at the cool stone table.

Mon Mothma?s discourse, however, was interrupted by the arrival of a courier and all eyes in the room went to Torian, as he read quickly. This was, after all, no casual gathering of art enthusiast or academics in civil debate over esoteric cataloguing of period architectural detailing. These were fugitives from a despotic regime, resistance fighters whose lives were at peril and who fought to return the Galaxy to a more equitable, a more just one.

The Senator tried to continue, though herself, distracted and anticipating the news Torian had received, as anxious as Mon Mothma ever revealed herself to be, yielded the floor to General Darkeyes to hear what he himself had just read.

Emi, eyes peering into the depths of the dark onyx table top, sat trying to digest what Torian had just conveyed when General Yueh throwing his hand up in righteous fervor, sued for immediate engagement of the enemy. Yueh protested with such vitriol that reason left him and he began casting aspersions upon one of the very founders of the Alliance.

Torian was on his feet in an instant, the "Old Man" as the soldiers and pilots of the Alliances liked to refer to him, was a towering hulk of muscle and grit. Etched in his face were many years of hard and earnest living. Yet, for such a great mass of sinew and physical might, Torian Darkeyes was agile, even elegant in a rough sort of way. All that prowess now circumscribed the huge stone conference table in a matter of seconds to lean over General Yueh.

Yet, Emi knew Torian was not loaded for bear. It was simply the promise of that explosive power that astonished. No one in the room who knew Torian expected he'd bring it all down upon the hapless Yueh. In fact, General Ackbar barely blinked.

Still, Emi inhaled deeply exuding stillness. The Master smiled wistfully. Yueh had no knowledge of the specific aid Bail and Mon Mothma had given to herself and to Torian in escaping Coruscant. It was where and when Emi had first met General Praetorian Darkeyes. He had made a run at the capital in the earliest days of the Empire and he'd had to ditch his fighter in the lower levels of the megalopolis to escape having it shot out from under him. Emi had been living in the depths with a large band of vagabonds, homeless, disenfranchised, outcasts, and outlaws under the benevolent brotherhood and leadership of a rogue named King Eddie. They'd agreed to take the General into their own eventual detriment.

Mon Mothma and Senator Organa themselves helped smuggle the two of them off Imperial Center, but not before a wild and very strange several days posing as a married couple enjoying the high life at one of Coruscant?s most select Casinos. Their eventual departure had been a mad chase that threw them together and it seemed inevitable, they?d form a bond and finally become life partners, even in spite of all Master Shuri's "old school" ways.

She bore a son, Achilles who was now a Jedi youngling at the Temple. It was easy to see how Torian must have been when young when looking at his dark haired curly headed son; stoic, always doing and happy with the universe, ready for whatever came his way. Over time, though, the patina of a rough life left its imprint on Torian. He had been bitterly tested by betrayal and violence, losing his first wife and children early on in the fight against the Empire. They’d been shot down within his sight in cold and calculated murder. It was just one small incident in the great crimes of that unfeeling, ever hungry machine that now had the run of the Galaxy.

The lines of “loss” and “anger” traced over his chiseled features in a veil of staunch reserve, but one that melted every now and then when he held his son or found ways to make Emi laugh. He drank too much when he let himself drink and he swore like a devil, but his heart was good and just now, she admired his sense of showmanship. Managing this motley crew was no small task, though threatening violence was certainly not doing anything toward countering the darkness.

She sighed.

Politics, it is said, makes strange bedfellows, and just right now it did seem, given Senator Organa’s suggestion, that by “strange bedfellows” the intimacy was clearly not only with those whose politics one previously had found questionable enough to incite war, but that a marriage might be in order!

“Perhaps....ahem...perhaps I am yielding to a bias here, but I feel I must put Senator Organa’s suggestion in another light.” Emi sat up tall in her seat to “take the floor” after Mon Mothma’s question. “I understand the wisdom and necessity of seeking out new resources and allies - particularly those with the technology, where with all, and structure to support broader and more responsive strategies against the Imperial military, but need I remind you, the Confederacy were the very ones who so opposed and rejected the Republic that a war ensued nearly 2 decades long?! It’s only now the Empire routed the CIS in what apparently is a definitive victory?! That conflict nearly decimated the Guardians of Republic – the Imperial coup was but the final straw! Who here does not remember the sacrifices? We must be focused in our goals, not divided,” said Emi pausing for a moment as she thought of all the suffering and violence, feeling it all anew before continuing, “... and we must not compromise the very principles which we struggle to reassert.”

“I’ve little faith in the constituents of that confederacy. It was “every man for himself” amongst that crew. I’ll consent, when we have some way of vetting possible allies from amongst them. What will all our efforts have been if when we claim our own victory, our fledgling Republic is dominated by opportunism and what Dooku liked to call, “practical” politics?” It was the hegemony of corporations, of the bottom line that drove that collective. It’s like a cancer and if we start making allegiances, we had better be certain just what the unspoken promises can turn out to be!”

She stopped momentarily, suddenly aware she spoke forcefully. Emi looked to her hands for a moment before turning to Mon Mothma. It was hard not to compare herself to Master Yoda at the moment though she reminded herself that it was unhealthy to make the comparison and she would meditate on this later.

“Senator, the sonhashi, an order within the Jedi who have renounced all things worldly, it is said, attain a level of awareness, oneness with the whole of existence such that it is written some can and have transcended the material plane, entering the cosmos as we all begin, as part of the whole, as pure kineticism.” Emi paused for a moment, the fingers of her right hand smoothing the saffron cuff of her left sleeve. “I do not believe that one may attain that path without shedding entirely, desire and the “self”- hardly the actions of a power hungry despot. Yes, there are ...means by which life of some form may be ... reinvigorated, but there is no way to stop the degradation of body and mind...that is inevitable! It is highly unethical, highly problematic, dangerous, and even if Palpatine were possessed of the knowledge and ability to do it, the few examples of it’s having been done show that the resultant life was either unsustainable or rejected entirely the memory or transferred soul. Even if he were to have preserved the body... somehow... or cloned his genetic material” she found this horrible to contemplate, “I doubt he would live long enough or maintain sanity long enough to reclaim his position, much less hold it.” This last part she could not say with the certainty with which she’d begun and the doubt unsettled her. Her own Master spoke to her as a Force spirit and she would have told them that even a disembodied spirit had little means to effect the living other than to prey upon the mind, but she elected to forego the telling.

“As to Vader,” Emi closed her eyes briefly, “In the Jedi history, there have been a very few who returned from their sojourn in the dark. It is an all encompassing blackness, Senator, to the point of occult. The mind is altered. You expect them to respond to reason, but the dark is like a lens that distorts everything. I knew Anakin Skywalker, not well. I knew his Master, General Kenobi far better. Skywalker was a good Jedi, one could say great – compassionate to a fault, even, but I have had first hand experience of the Sith, Senator. My own Master was also a great Jedi once and he too fell to the dark. His name was Jard Dooku. I searched him out, thinking I could appeal to his memory; persuade him to return with me, that the door remained opened. He disabused me of my faulty reasoning and left me for dead. It is wise not to imagine such a one to be swayed easily. What you are suggesting would require Vader to have affected some sort of return on his own and that is even more unlikely than being “reconditioned”... a process which has proven somewhat successful, but which you will allow, given the difficulty in subduing a Sith and then purging the mind, is very dangerous for all involved.”

Master Shuri sighed. “I’m sorry! I do seem to have put rather a cloud over possibilities. I urge a very high degree of discretion in courting an alliance with the Confederacy. As for striking Imperial targets, I agree with Senator Organa and General Darkeyes, we don’t want to do anything that will make the Imperials close ranks. We need to help them towards destabilization. We should reanalyze existing targets. I ... also agree with General Yueh. We should capitalize on the disarray of our opponents. This would be a good time to insert more intelligence operatives. Perhaps this is a good time to get closer so that we can strike more effectively. If the Moffs are using their own muscle covertly against the Empire, then perhaps we needn’t expend our own resources, perhaps we might find ways of turning Imperial resources to our own goals…”

The pale freckles on the Jedi Master’s face lay undisturbed by smile or frown. Emi kept her countenance neutral, though she was certain Torian could see something troubled her, but her gaze was still, only a blink to eclipse her turquoise irises.


TAG: General Darkeyes, Matrix, Mon Mothma of Chandrila, Capt. Biggs Darklighter, Admiral Ackbar, General Yueh (NRC), et al.

 

OOC: My apologies for my lack of posting but a combination of RL, holiday, and a laptop malfunction have prevented me from posting. I hope to have an AllStars post up soon, but in the meantime here is another joint post by myself and Corellian_Outrider, many thanks once again.

~IC~ Feye Solkrest and Rowan Halcyon
A long long time ago...
Location: An ancient world far from 'civilised' space

"But first, we must eat." I gestured to the entrance of the tent. "Someone once said that it is best to eat when you can as you'll never know when you will be able to next. If Kal's estimates are correct, we do have about several hours before they are expected to arrive"
-
"I never could pass up a good meal" I said smiling. "Lead on cousin"
-
I started towards the opening and paused, turning around, I looked back into the tent, "Kaylee, will you be joining us?"

"I'll be there in a minute, there is something I must do first." She unfolded her arms, and turned to the table. "Don't wait for me."

Nodding, I held the flap open and stepped out, feeling the slight drop in temperature outside as I held it open for Feye. The mess was set up close to the war room. This one was set up to accommodate more people with different access points to enter in. I drew back the canvas, allowing Feye to enter the mess hall.
-
I glided into the tent, the smell of food a refreshing smell amongst the chilly daytime air. I smiled at Rowan "Very homely here I must admit. Makes a change from the palace life"
-
There was laughter and loud chatter coming from one end of the mess hall when we stepped inside. Logs from fallen trees were used as elongated seats and tables, there was a wood fire smell among the smell of herbs and meat. Half of the makeshift hall was empty; plates were being cleared away while a group of people sat at the far end. Recognising the faces, I knew they were some were Haddock's people. Once pirates, now mercenaries. Not quite the company one would think for royalty but their passion for their homeworld is what set aside our differences years earlier.

"I would say that the palace life would make a change for me." I bit my lip as we moved deeper inside.
-
I looked about the tent, at people eating chatting and laughing and I realised how much this all meant to Rowan, to leave it all now would be a shame. But these people would follow him to the bitter end, wherever they went, and it made me proud.

"You'll get used to it, I hope your men will too" I gestured at the mess hall. "So, what's on the menu?"
-
"Ah... let?s see.." I eyed the plates on the table where the others were sitting. "Looks like Ovis... roasted 'tatoes... gravy.." I gestured to an empty spot not far from them. "Would here do?"
-
"Sounds delicious" I said with a grin "I'm rather ravenous and one does not pass up a guests invitation to sit and dine. I hope your men don't mind a queen being in their midst" I winked again
-
"I.." I caught her wink and grinned. "They'd probably would not believe one would visit us anyway... with us being all the way out here and that." I allowed her to sit down first before moving around to sit opposite her. Someone was already bringing plates of food to set down before us before pouring us drinks. Picking up the scent and the colour of the liquid, they were serving elderflower wine.
-
"Looks delicious" I said looking at the food, I didn't want to say it in front of Rowan but I was starving. "It is amazing to see you are fully functional here, complete with a fine feast. It seems you use the land well” , I sipped my wine, it smelled of fresh flowers and tasted wonderful.
-
”We have been fortunate the past few days.” I smiled and looked to the side briefly to watch two other people entering the make-shift hall then returned my gaze back to Feye. ”A good meal goes a long way.” Taking a sip of my drink, I closed my eyes for a brief second. There was something I wanted to ask her though it had slipped my mind. Trying to remember what it was.
-
”Indeed it does, you never know when it could be the last time you eat for a while” my face turned serious “Since we will be moving soon, I think it is best to eat now, then we can prepare for what is coming. You will also need your strength if it comes to a fight”.
-
Nodding in agreement, there are a number of preparations that needs to be done. ”If there is some time…” I pause to consider how I wanted to ask. ”...we can go over a few exercises with a blade in case it does come to that. After I... or we... return from a short trip to get the other members of my team.”
-
”Agreed, one must always prepare for combat. You’d be surprised at my skills with a blade, especially with the Sith around on our beloved planet”. I sipped more of my wine and took a bite out of my food. “In these situations it seems to always end up that we get involved in a fight”.
-
Swallowing the tasty morsel, the aromatic flavour of the rosemary adding to the tender meat of the Ovis. ”Fighting does get tiring in the long run. I mean... violence does not solve problems and I have been trying to avoid it whenever possible unless my hand is forced. If they are open to words and constructive action instead of fighting... less lives and resources will be wasted unnecessarily.” Loading up another forkful from my plate, I sighed. ”It’ll be good to have peace... to be home for a change.”
-
Home…. Feye mused taking another bite out of her meat and another sip of her wine.

“We are rebuilding after the war with the Sith and the betrayal of our family. Coronet City is slowly returning to normal, and the palace is being restored. The seeds of evil have been washed away and the Sith will hopefully never return. I am taking my new duties as Queen seriously, but there is a lot to do and a person like you cousin could really boost every one's morale”
-
"Your words are too kind, cousin." I lowered my gaze briefly, then looked up and gave her a smile.

I lowered my cutlery to take a sip of the wine, taking the moment to contemplate what I could be returning to on Corellia. Studying her warm hazel eyes, already strong when we first met, I can sense her strength had grown since the last time we had seen each other. We had already been over my abrupt departure and how misguided that notion was.

"The more we speak of home. The more I long to return." I admitted to her.
-
I smiled as I ate; finally he was getting my reasoning as to why he should
return home. Inside I was nearly cheering.

”You would be good as an advisor. To hopefully bring your men back into the fold, to become a protective force for the citizens of Corellia so that the Sith will think twice about trying to destroy our planet. Sadly with none of our family left now, the bloodline is nearly spent. So with you there, it will bring hope and peace back to our planet."
-
Nodding, grateful at the kind words she gave me. The mentioning of family made me wonder about hers... well... ours, what they were really like. If things had panned out differently, what would they have made of this...’ragtag’ addition? Would there be ramifications concerning my mother’s connection? What might it be like growing up surrounded by loved ones... though to ask about them so soon after their death might bring up some unpleasant emotions. Now is not a good time for that.

"There isn't just the Sith to be concerned about. The Republic will try to bring us back into the fold again. Personally, they do not deserve that honour considering how they were last time. There are a number of entities out there that might seek an opportunity from all this."

Placing my cutlery together on the empty plate, I shook my head as I raised my nearly empty glass up. "Sounds like I'm fitting the role already." I smirked, giving her a wink. "To family and home."

TAG: To be continued[/color]

 

OOC: Welcome back JL! Hope you don't need a vacation from your vacation.

IC: Anakin, Lord Vader, Re Mavrat Ursa, Emperor by provision?
LOCATION: Ursean Embassy, Imperial Center


For the moment it took Lt. Avoceti to gain his Captain?s notice, Anakin and Vos exchanged knowing looks.

The transceiver crackled nearly imperceptibly and then went dead for a second before a light ?snap? signified the mic had been switched back on. ??Thank you, Lieutenant. Lord Vader, this is Captain Sohmer.?

Anakin turned to greet the Hsiss-beleaguered Captain. It wasn?t a stretch to imagine the Captain?s current sentiments, given what a huge destructive brute, Sin could be. The holo of the Colonel and the Captains ready room were filled with static, but the young Emperor could fill in the missing background via his informing experience of Sin?s particularly un-nuanced ?brush-stroke.?

?Captain Sohmer! Pardon your guest?s ?eh? ?heavy-handedness.? He?s probably just overprotective of his ??territory? and he never was fully house trained. Naturally, your ship will be restored.?

There was no way he could trust Sin to manage the transfer of Sidious? remains without incident. The Sith Guardian had proven himself physically unstable and his mistakes were always very large ones. In fact, Sin?s instability of both mind and body was increasing and it was looking much like these mistakes were intended sabotage. The plan would have to change. Anakin pursed his lips with an unspoken expletive.

Anakin was the only person who could subdue the Hsiss and when he?d found him on Korriban, Sidious had commanded Anakin bring him to Imperial Center and the Sith Lord had immediately taken Sin as an Emperor?s Hand. Sin had been one of ?Uncle Dantius? Master?s failed experiments. In fact, Sin had been an ongoing experiment with a claw for one hand though he had begun life as a human. Sidious claimed Sin had been resurrected from the dead, some proof that Palpatine?s promises had not been empty. Yet, Sin clearly was failing at an exponential rate. Plagueis had engineered at the genetic level something unsustainable. Palpatine, shunned his mentor?s ways and was a true alchemist, but the unspoken, the rejected threat in Anakin?s heart was whether Palpatine was only good enough and hungry enough to create life, or whether he was either inept as his Master Plaqueis or knowing enough to build in a slow failure in the creation with which he?d restored Sophia.

Anakin bit his lip. No, Sin was different, flawed from the start and left inside a cryo unit with a faulty seal!

Vader inhaled deeply and stood more erect.

?Captain Sohmer, I am relieving Colonel Sin of any further duties. You will see to his transfer planet-side along with the bones he found. Bring him to me directly along with them. I?ll have a berth reserved for you and a ?vet? ready with sedatives to deal with him. You may join the escort of USF yacht, The Mavras Maelstromin queue next to land near the Embassy District. Take your place behind her escort, immediately. I?ll see you have clearance. Tell the Colonel ? he will answer to you by my direct order. The last thing we need is an Hsiss wreaking havoc?Have you anything more to recommend or ask, Captain, with all due discretion, of course??

Anakin?s shoulders rose and fell as he sighed and with his right hand combed back the hair from before his eye.


TAG: Captain Sohmer, Krayt?s Fire

 

With assistance from Pash, thank you.

IC: Torian
Location: Yavin IV, Great Temple, Alliance Base

That conflict nearly decimated the Guardians of Republic ? the Imperial coup was but the final straw! Who here does not remember the sacrifices? We must be focused in our goals, not divided,? said Emi pausing for a moment as she thought of all the suffering and violence, feeling it all anew before continuing, ?? and we must not compromise the very principles which we struggle to reassert.?
Listening to his wife, he was reminded of his time with the covert forces of the Jedi Order on his homeworld; the murder of his wife and innocent daughters, still fresh in his mind as though it transpired yesterday.

If it were not for the deceitful Palpatine and Count Dooku, Emi-to?s former Master, he would be at home right now, tending to the farmland and holding his wife in his arms at night. She was the sun in his life never to rise again. However, now, in the present, he was bonded to Emi-to, the soft-spoken Jedi, who he shared many adventures with on Coruscant. Their son would grow to be a man and a Jedi Master himself one day. He would not allow the same fate to occur once again.

Inserting intelligence officers would not satisfy General Yueh much, the man was itching for a good fight. Deep down, Torian wanted another crack at the Empire. It was long overdue.

He walked back to his seat and sat down, collecting his head once more. When his wife was finished, he spoke. ?We have not forgotten who started this war. If it weren?t for the Emperor, his minions and the CIS, we would not be sitting here right now. The Republic would still be standing and all things would be normal again, or at least what we consider normal.?

He leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table. ?How would you suggest we turn Imperial resources to our own goals? Shall we send a team to Coruscant? Send out covert teams to uncover the next super-weapon of the Empire?

Emi looked up, so deeply convicted. It was Torian who answered her. "Well...ahem...General...I suggest not only need we more definitive information on this Imperial victory over the CIS, but what this means in terms of weapons, their expenditures and of course what their full compliment is, but just as importantly, we need to know the key power brokers, the players in the Empire. That power vacuum is bound to kick up a lot of agitation and yes, we need more of a covert presence higher up. Senator Organa is but one. It would be better to hedge our bets and populate the military and the civil halls of power."

Torian smiled and looked at Yueh, ?Well, I bet we can scrounge up some people around here that be inserted and infiltrate the Senate and Imperial military. Don?t you agree General? And maybe in the process, kill us a few high-ranking scumbag Imperial officers.?

Yeuh smiled back, ?Let?s do this.?

Emi, though she continued to look to Torian, could not help but raise a brow at the General's retort.

"Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"Speaking for the Yavin Jedi, General, we must meet and consider what has transpired. There's a lot to contemplate. The future is unclear at the moment," she said reaching out in the Force. How she wished to speak with Master Yoda at this moment.

TAG: MonMothma, Akbar, Biggs

 

IC: Ensigns Steve Ullrich and Kim Charios, Doctor Mifsud Ashri, Doctor Marcus Rufus, Lieutenants Aruth Haji and Carlos Casrah (NPC?s)
Location: InterSD Huntress, VenSD Roadblock, Coruscant orbit

Ashri and Charios watched as the shuttle with its distinctive purple markings glide through into the hangar bay after the magnetic shield had been dropped. Whilst waiting, they noticed another ship being moved out of the way so the shuttle could land.

The purple markings may have looked silly to some people, but to the AllStars group it distinguished them as friendlies. If this were to be breached, surely the Captain’s would come up with another idea.

After the ramp descended, a familiar figure strode down the ramp, that of Obdurate’s Ensign Steve Ullrich, a bridge ensign. Known for his silky smooth voice, he was rumoured to be one of Ivanov’s favourites to become the next Lieutenant should Lieutenant Ellis not be able to return. At the moment, the volatile Ensign Lawrence Robertson had been temporarily promoted to the Lieutenant position, primarily so Ivanov could keep an eye on him and his short temper.

He greeted the doctor and his fellow bridge ensign with back slapping hugs; he also gave the doctor’s medical team a thumbs up.

“Evening gentlemen, or should I say good morning?” the Ensign smiled “Well, no matter, nice to see you again. We thought you were never going to get off thus bucket of bolts. The Captain wants to debrief you both on your return.”

“Nice to see you too Steve” said Charios grinning, which he didn’t often do “Not much to tell Captain Ivanov apart from what I have informed him, but I’m sure he just wants to hear it from me in a face to face conversation”.

Ullrich nodded “And you Doctor, anything you’re looking forward to doing when you get back?”

“Well there’s only one thing I will be doing, paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork” he chuckled at that and waved his medical team on to board.

“Well without further ado gentlemen, we’ll get on our way. Your chariot awaits”.

On the way back to the Empire’s Will they discussed what was going on with the Obdurate crew that were remaining and that Captain Vectis had recently gone into a conference with some of the guns of the Empire including Lord Vader himself. Charios wondered whether his information he had gleaned from the Huntress would prove useful or would even be used. Maybe they would even get some more information as to why there was a traffic block over the planet.

The shuttle continued to soar through the blackness of space towards their group of Star Destroyers which did not have purple markings, but where instantly recognisable for the people on board.

“So, what’s happening now?” asked Ashri.

“Well basically while we wait for Captain Vectis to come back and shed some more light on what’s going on down below, we’re basically chatting and playing a good old game of “Guess the Holomovie”. Unfortunately Unstoppable seems to be winning again last time I heard”.

Charios narrowed his eyes “Perhaps we can change that....”

Ullrich nodded with a slight smile then turned his gaze to Doctor Ashri.

“We saw a couple of shuttles leave the Huntress before we arrived. Everything went well with the major cases?”

“Yes we did the best we could; no complications arose whilst we were boarding them. They are in the very best hands, and I’ve left a message with the doctor who went down with them to make sure that the hospital sends me constant updates. I am understandably concerned about all of them.”

Ullrich nodded “They’ll be safe and sound, because otherwise, it’ll be the cold wrath of Captain Ivanov which will be upon them”

****

Medical Bay, Roadblock

Doctor Rufus looked down at Commander Alpha as he let what he said about his injuries and what had happened to the CIS sink in.

“For what is worth doc...Thank you... ” he paused as he did not know what to say, especially to the man who saved his life “How long is that...for a while? As you might have figured out that this is neither my first, nor the gravest injury and I have responsibilities to my men and I have a lot to report...Speaking of which, can I talk with Captain Vectis...when she is free of course?”

Poor man thought Rufus, he’s really going to hate this…..

“I’m afraid it’s going to at least a couple to three months before you can return back to proper duties. As I mentioned earlier, you are lucky to be alive, I can see some scar tissue on there that looks to be quite old. You’ve defiantly been in the wars” he said light heartedly, trying to make what he sounded a little better to hear.

His assistant meanwhile had signalled he was done with his ministrations and dressing checks and had left with the droid.

“We’ve done the best we can with what we have, and thank you for appreciating mine and my teams work. We will try to get you back up and on your feet as quickly as we can, we will be giving you physiotherapy and some exercises to get you fighting fit”.

“Also as to your paperwork, I’m afraid you’ll have to let someone else do that for you as you will need to get as much rest as possible to make sure your wounds heal. I can have a datapad delivered and you can have one of your soldiers write it all out for you if you wish. I’m sure the Captain won’t mind”

Rufus reached into his white coat’s pocket and pulled out his personal comlink. He instantly set it to call the bridge.

“Let’s see if Captain Vectis is up and about”.

It took a minute or so before someone answered.

“Bridge, Lieutenant Haji speaking”

“Hello Lieutenant, Doctor Rufus here. I’m making my rounds and have popped in to see Commander Alpha, he’s awake and doing well. He wishes to speak with Captain Vectis, is she available?”

In the background Haji could hear some conversation and some laughter as well. That would keep moral and spirits up he decided, after all laughter sometimes made the best medicine.

“Sadly not doctor, she’s been called into conference with Lord Vader and Grand Admiral Carthagnian among others. I don’t know when she will be back, but I can leave a message for her to call down to you and speak to the commander”.

“That will be fine, I’ll let him know. Enjoy yourself.”

“Oh we will don’t worry. Any chance to have a laugh and a chat is always well received”

Rufus smiled and turned the comlink off.

“I’m afraid she’s not available at the moment commander, she’s in a conference, but I have left a message for those on the bridge for her to contact you when she returns. Meanwhile if there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask my team, they’ll try to provide it for you, and I can also get that datapad sorted out for you if you so desire”.

****
Bridge, Roadblock

Meanwhile another heated game of “Guess the Holomovie” was in progress. One Captain was selected as quiz master and for this game, it was Captain Bahari and Peace Keeper.

Each ship had four members in a team; Danger Zone was playing this for the first time since they had unofficially joined the AllStar group. The quiz master would give out clues to the holomovie, whoever got the answer first gained a point. There were a maximum of ten clues per movie, and whichever team got to twenty points first, won. It was a game mainly devised by Terric and Madison to pass away time whilst they waited for instructions, or as they were sitting above Coruscant, waiting for news.

Unstoppable and their team were quite good, but the newcomers Danger Zone, thanks in part to Captain Arazov and one of his Lieutenants, Coruscanti Rene Olivetti, the Danger Zone team were giving Terric and his boys a run for their money. There was frivolity and laughter abound, and it was keeping everybody entertained.

“And I do declare that Unstoppable once again are Holomovie quiz champions “said Bahari with grandeur “And for that, you get a free dinner at the Manarai restaurant”

“I wish I could even afford a starter from that place” said Terric.

“Alright, then it’s a free trip to your local vending machine” replied Bahari with a smirk.

“Drinks are on Terric then” said Lieutenant Casrah with a grin and a wink over the catwalk to Haji over on the port side “I’ll fetch the picnic rugs”

Whilst the game was going on Captain Minus Delomeux, Head of Starfighters for Roadblock was quietly holding a meeting with Lieutenant Lomas his second in command, and the two selected representatives of both USF and Imperial starfighters which were on board, receiving their reports and talking tactics and strategies.

Commander Zei Zoicite was representing the USF starfighters and was in command of Hawk Squadron of USF Birds which had flown at Mygeeto against the Separatists. Like her people the Urseans, she was tall and a lithe beauty with dark blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and green eyes that were dangerous.

Her uniform was dark blue tunic and trousers with green trim around the cuffs, collar and around the shoulders as well as down the cut of the tunic and around the bottom. Her belt and boots were dark purple and she work white gloves most of the time. She was known for her proficiency with the USF Bird and was quite athletic mainly doing exercises and gymnastic training whilst she was off duty.

The Imperial starfighter representative was Roger Dascombe, a handsome Commenorian known for being a perfectionist in all that he did, even in his flying. He was in charge of the 356th squadron which was mainly comprised of the fast TIE interceptors.

He had brown hair which was always immaculately styled, even after he took his flight helmet off. He had bright blue eyes that made him look even more handsome, but his face looked stern. His uniform was always crisp and neat, and he was famous for giving drills and flight simulation tests often.

As their discussions continued, Ensign Carson came over to Casrah.

“I’ve sent a message to Captain Vectis outlining what Ensign Charios has reported to us. Hopefully she’ll receive it in time and use it”.

“Well I’m sure she will appreciate it Carson, besides, she’s probably just getting into things already or waiting still to start”

“She must have a patience of a saint sir”

Casrah smiled and patted Carson on the shoulder “If you hear any noises from downstairs, it’s probably Captain Vectis yelling her head off. But when she’s not being feisty she is pretty patient. Meanwhile, just keep an eye on what’s going on around us”

“Will do” replied Carson, saluting and heading back to hi station.

A few minutes later Haji called “Lord Admiral on the bridge” loudly so everyone could hear it. Immediately conversation died down, and everybody looked up to see Lord Admiral James Xavier walk on to the bridge with the young security officer assigned to him.

He looked grand in his uniform of the Union, all in black and gleaming with medals. He may have been an older man, but he seemed to have not lost his posture or his knack for good strategies. He was helpful during the Mygeeto battle, providing some helpful advice.

All the bridge crew seemed to be impressed with him and Captain Vectis was getting along well with his icy personality. In a quiet moment with both Haji and Casrah, she had admitted that he remind her of an older version of Ivanov.

“Ah Lord Admiral Xavier, so good that you could rejoin us” Haji said walking up the stairs fom the crew pit and walking towards him, Haji was playing the role of host well. “I hope you have had a good rest, hopefully you have had something to eat or drink as well. We have arrived over Coruscant, sadly Captain Vectis is in conference at the moment and will not be able to join us for some time. In the meantime, can I help you with anything?”

TAG: Lord Admiral Xavier, Commander Alpha and myself as Scyther Vectis for The Conference

 

~IC~ Commissar Ahsoka Tano and Artoo-Detoo
Location: Senate District - Coruscant/Imperial Centre

Upon watching the holo footage, it was clear to Ahsoka that she was witnessing a tender moment shared between the two young individuals in the holo. She was starting to see that there was a greater personal connection to Han Solo than conveyed to her earlier, the gestures and voice told her more than a static image could. Blinking back moisture, it struck a chord inside her. Pursing her lips and turned her head away, she understood how it felt. Glancing to the cityscape outside the shuttle, taking a breath as she closed her eyes briefly, her hand clutched her necklace.

An enquiring chirp came from Artoo.

Ahsoka opened her eyes and looked back to Artoo, giving him an reassuring smile. "Thank you," she whispered, her hand fell back to her lap. "No, I-"

She paused as something outside caught her attention, she had recognised those buildings from yesterday. A surreal feeling to realise that it had not even been an entire day since she set foot back on Coruscant after all these years.

"I am fine," she finished what she was saying, nodding to the viewport. "We are almost here."

The transport's lowering altitude was a clear indication to Ahsoka that clearance had been given and that they were starting their approach to berth at the port; a subtle dip and a gentle rise before the gears connected with the deck.

Standing up, adjusting her attire in place. Subconsciously, she reached for her headdress to adjust but found her corona bare. Smirking lightly, she remembered that she did not put it back on last night and that it was still back in her room at the embassy. There came the whirl of treads as Artoo lead the way off the Ursean vessel.

"Thank you!" Ahsoka called out to the pilot before stepping off and glancing up to see a small saluting wave from the pilots. The walls that fenced the perimeter of the zone did little to stifle the breeze that blew through, carrying the familiar den of propulsion engines and engineering, not to mention the sharp smell. Ahsoka smiled, tugging once more at the short soft peplum of violet colored velvet tank top and from out of her belt's utility pouch, she retrieved her identicard as she neared the security detail. She couldn't quite catch their expressions but she could imagine it was not the norm for them to see a Togruta leaving an Ursean vessel.

"Commissar Ahsoka Tano." She presented her card to them. "I am on official business for the Re."


One extended his hand to take the card in his reader.

Looking to both of their face plates while she waited, Artoo beside her, this mission started to have the familiar feel of those she?d had during the war. 'This time it's Commissar, it is not Commander again, but more,' she commented to herself. 'Hum! She thought, what's the point of having some authority if you don't use it!?'

"I am also looking for a missing person, a young... man." She spoke to one of the officers as the other checked out her credentials on their card reader. "About yea high…." She gestured with her hand only to have Artoo utter a distinctly 'raspberry' sounding blurt at her estimate. She qualified. "Give or take." Her tone defensive as she gave the droid a look. "...around eighteen standards years…"

Artoo's projector whirled to life to show a visual representation of Cadet Solo's face while Ahsoka continued with the description.

"You are clear. Afraid, we haven't come across anyone matching that description, you should try taking the matter up with the port security node."

"Thank you," Ahsoka nodded and returned her identicard back in its safe spot. “I would appreciate it if you would please pass along the description, I’ll give my com details... Contact me if you find anything. Do not apprehend, just observe.”

Most ports had a similar layout regardless of the architecture or different cultures. If this had been on a world like Rendili, she would have no trouble with finding her prey, however, due to the large volume of travellers that passed through the ports of Couscant every hour, she needed every available eye possible to find and track one soul among a sea of many.

As she left the officers with the description and a means to contact her, she hoped those at the nearest security node would be just as helpful. With Artoo's help, she would be able to pick up the right scent.

TAG: Open

 

IC: Captain Sohmer, Krayt's Fire bridge

The officer nodded at Lord Vader's offer, starting, "Yes, actually," he paused, thinking, then changed his mind, "Actually, my Lord, never mind. I will arrange to join that escort immediately, as soon as we have extricated the Colonel from my Ready Room. Krayt's Fire out."

He had been about to request the Wraithis' Monster Squad to help escort the Hsiss dragon, which seemed apt, but then, he had realised how bad that would be for the morale of the crew of the 'Fire, resorting to another ship's people for the task.

No, he was captain of this vessel now. If 'Fire personnel could recover the Emperor's remains, they could darn well escort it the last few thousand miles to Imperial Centre.

Sohmer stood, lifting his cap to run a hand through his now-damp hair, then called up to the stakeout team. "Major, Lieutenant, let's see about getting the Colonel out of there!"

To be continued...

 

OOC: Great posting, all



IC: Grand Admiral Magnus Carthaginian, aboard Fleet Onslaught?s Flagship, Halcyon, Mira Solinova, Lord Vader at the Ursean Embassy
LOCATION: Imperial Center


Teshik was next and then Carthaginian. Both had been waiting for Lord Vader to ping them, Carthaginian, always nonplussed and caught on holo just handing his tea cup off to his second. "Yes, my Lord," said Magnus, for the Grand Admiral was always very exact in his address and until Lord Vader was declared formally, he would wait to address him as "your majesty."

"I have taken the liberty of anticipating that need. Captain Vectis has been alerted as to the Reina's arrival and is the most proximate of Fleet Onslaught to the Mavras Maelstrom."

Anakin felt the Ledaren step a little closer at the mention of the Reina.

"Good, I'll speak with Captain Vectis directly then. I've spoken with Teshik and with Captain Sohmer of the Krayt's Fire. Krayt's Fire will take rear guard to the Reina's escort. You say Vectis has the wherewithal to send a flanking patrol?"

"Yes, My Lord. Losses, surely, but her group are able."

"...And those upon whom we count in our company....they're alerted and report?" The Re asked carefully.

"Yes, My Lord. Lord Admirals Coltan and Leitman have been in constant communication and we have established a solid grid in orbit and abroad, though we're understandably thin."

"Then I'll bring Captain Vectis in," said Anakin simultaneously to Carthaginian and Ms. Solinova.

The smooth and curving plains of the Ursean aid?s face showed still in the blue glowing dark of the communications room. Solinova spoke into her headset and opened the line to The Road Block her chest a drum as she manifested calm, yet inside, her body felt electric as anticipation and a sense finally of just how significant these tense moments were and how vast the play in progress was.

"Road Block, this is Lieutenant Solinova. The Re will..." began Mira in her thick accent, but Anakin spoke over her introduction.

"Captain Vectis?" The young man who would be Emperor leaned forward, palms at the edge of the heavy carved wooden table that held the transponder.

TAG: Captain Vectis

 

IC: Captain Scyther Vectis
Location: Captain?s quarter?s, VenSD Roadblock

Scyther had been waiting patiently for the conference to begin, humming a little tune to herself. As her holoprojector was still displaying the ?Please Wait? signal, it gave her time to read through some reports on casualties declared so far and problems with her ships.

As predicted Obdurate had come out the worst, now declaring at least 500 dead and rising. Madison and Ivanov were doing the best they could, luckily someone on Obdurate had had the foresight to send the crew list of Obdurate over to Empire?s Will. Madison had declared 165 dead, Terric 45, Bahari 30 and Arazov only 12. But these totals would still rise as lists were continued to be checked and starfighter and troop losses were added on.

This would all be sent to Grand Admiral Carthagnian when completed so he could analyse, and decide what to do next regarding replacing crew members and possibly granting Ivanov a new ship.

Her datapad pinged with a new message. Scyther exited the report she was reading from Bahari on Peace Keeper and entered the new message. It was from Ensign Carson on the bridge.

To: Captain Scyther Vectis
From: Ensign Mark Carson, bridge Ensign
Subject: Important information regarding Coruscant

Captain,

Information has come into our possession regarding Coruscant. This was gleaned by Ensign Kim Charios, a bridge Ensign who was placed on board Huntress to watch proceedings there and to make sure all was well with the treatment of the major injury cases transferred there. Whilst there, Ensign Charios received information thanks to holonews footage, information from Captain Illior and a holocube he watched whilst on the bridge of Huntress.

No-one was aware of Ensign Charios watching the holocube.

He has gathered that there was a lockdown of traffic in and around Coruscant due to the fact that both the Senate and the EmpPal Surgical Centre had both been destroyed. Holonews footage shows the area around both sites to be a total mess, casualties unknown.

The holocube footage was apparently taken from a Star Destroyer, and shows a Republic cruiser with the familiar crimson paint of the Old Republic destroying the EmpPal Centre. It is unknown whether this vessel is responsible for the destruction of the Senate also.

Finally Ensign Charios reports that Captain Illior has so far not delivered this information to any high ranking Imperial. She may yet have still not done so, so this information could be useful in your conference.

Ensign Carson.

Scyther was shocked by this news.

Who in their right mind would not report this? thought Scyther because you are asking for trouble if you don?t.

Charios had done well, and although Scyther didn?t mind Captain Illior, she thought the other Captain was a fool for not reporting this, and a slight suspicion entered Scyther?s brain as to why she wouldn?t do so.

Scyther was also considering telling Lord Vader all about Commander Alpha and what she had found out, but that would be best in private. Maybe even telling Grand Admiral Carthaginian about it in private was better, after all, he seemed to be more understanding.

Her holoprojector then came to life, startling her from her thoughts.

"Road Block, this is Lieutenant Solinova. The Re will..." came the voice from one of Lord Vader?s aides, but was then interrupted by the deep and throaty voice of Lord Vader himself.

"Captain Vectis?" said the voice, and his image appeared before her, still looking youthful as ever. She bowed her head respectfully in greeting.

?My Lord Vader? she responded with reverence and a welcoming tone in her voice, she then looked straight at him with her brown eyes ?A pleasure to see you once again. I believe you wish to speak to me??

TAG: Lord Vader, Grand Admiral Carthagnian

 

*****Breaking News*****Breaking News*****Breaking News*****Breaking News*****Breaking News*****Breaking News*****


HSUR HGUBMIL INTERVIEWS THE NEW EMPEROR! EXCLUSIVE ONLY ON HOLONETNEWS! In one standard hour the first interview given by Emperor Vader hours after the vicious terrorist attack upon the Senate. Stay tuned to HNN for this history in the making event!

On screen appears the holo made by Hgubmil of Lord Vader directing the rescue efforts amidst the rubble of Senate.

Brought to you without commercial interruption by GalaxyBucks! GalaxyBucks brings the best java to all the major cities of the galaxy! Now with over 15,000 locations, serving the tired and thirsty citizens of the Empire.




GalaxyBucks Logo


Preceding this historic interview, HNN brings you a biography on Lord Vader, aka Anakin Skywalker, "The Hero Who Knows No Fear" !


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


IC: Hsur Hgubmil, the "Voice of the Galaxy", Ms Shilling & Howard Toranda
HNN Headquarters, Coruscant
Hgubmil's office immediately before and after the announcement



"I don't see how you do it, Hsur…" Howard Toranda, yet another new producer of HNN as he watched over the caster's shoulder editing the interview with Lord...Emperor Vader.



"I am Hsur Hgubmil, the best damn holocaster in the history of news reporting," stating matter-of-factly. There was no one else who could come close - and the one who did- Powers Rest His Soul - was crushed from falling debris from the Senate after the explosion.



Hayward Toranda could not dispute Hgubmil?s statement, for indeed the holocaster was the best in the business. Hgubmil was the only reporter to survive the Clone Wars. The awards the caster received during his long tenure took up an entire wall of his office. Hsur had been pulled from the Dead Zone event and sent immediately to the Senate within minutes of the attack.


Ms Shilling, Hgubmil's assistant popped her head in. "We are about to run the first announcement of the interview."



Through the years his voice, his face became the most trusted in the galaxy. If Hsur Hgubmil said it was so...it was so. He had made and broken many a politico. It was Hgubmil who coined the phrase "...the hero who knew no fear…" HE had made Anakin Skywalker a name known throughout the galaxy. Now with this interview HE could make Skywalker. aka Lord Vader the new emperor.


It had been decided between Toranda and Hgubmil there would be no special brushing over of Vader?s injuries. The burns, the bruises would be shown. Had not the man just arrived a few hours before from a horrific battle - the very same battle that claimed the Emperor?s life? This was no holomovie where the hero showed no suffering or strand of hair out of place.


This was the drama of real life! Lord Vader now Emperor would be seen by the beings of the galaxy as the defender of their way of life.



Was Hsur Hgubmil full of himself? You bet. He was the best.


As in all times of crisis and history altering events beings turn to those they can trust. People are hungry for information and seek comfort . As the announcement was made of an interview with Lord Vader, aka Anakin Skywalker people stopped what they were doing and turned towards their screens.


In private homes across the galaxy, schools, factories, casinos, drinking establishments, restaurants, beings gathered to comment and view the larger than life projections. Beings from all the planets of the galaxy would draw near screens stories tall to watch Hsur Hgubmil inform them of the events that were shaping their lives. AND these events they knew would effect each of their lives now and in the future.


Huge screens had been erected for the crowds that gathered about the Senate in this pivotal
moment of history in the making. In the Senate itself, Senators and Representatives gathered in clusters to learn perhaps their fate and that of the galaxy.

On the city planet, beings who lived in the clouds far from the dark surface of Coruscant whose power had derived from Palpatine or those who served him leaned closer to their holoscreens, concerned over the future of their pocketbooks and the power they had accumulated.

On the surface and below, those who many would consider without a future, without credits and no power looked on as well. Would the death of an emperor make any difference in their lives? Would a new emperor change their lives for the better? The majority thought not- it was curiosity,the novelty of a greater tragedy than their lives which drew them to the giant screens.

A being would have to be living in the core of a dead planet NOT to know what was about to happen.

HSUR HGUBMIL INTERVIEWS THE NEW EMPEROR! EXCLUSIVE ONLY ON HOLONETNEWS! In one standard hour the first interview given by Emperor Vader hours after the vicious terrorist attack upon the Senate. Stay tuned to HNN for this history in the making event!(Suppose to be red as well...sorry)

TO BE CONTINUED....

Tag: OPEN

(My apologies, techical difficulties)

 

IC: Lord Vader, Re Mavrat of Ursa and Provisional leader of the Galactic Empire, Ledaren Quinlan Vos, USF aid, Mira Solinova, Grand Admiral Magnus Carthaginian, Grand Admiral Teshik, Lord Admiral Julian Leitman, Admiral Coltan, Admiral Yularen, ICPD Chief Riek Supiro, General Lekhauf, Sabe Amidala II of Naboo, and Grand Vizier Pestage
LOCATION: Imperial Center, holo meeting, Ursen Embassy and from various points in orbit and around Coruscant



"My Lord Vader" he heard the resolving image say with deference. Scyther Vectis's image stood in blue miniature across the table from him. "A pleasure to see you once again. I believe you wish to speak to me?"

"Captain," he said in reply with a nod. "You'll forgive the abruptness of my greeting but there is a matter of some urgency in which you will be of significant aid."

Then to the USF communications officer, he commanded softly, "Lt. Solinova, you may open the conference to all convened."

Her Majesty, Sabe Amidala, Queen of Naboo, Grand Admiral Teshik, Lord Admiral Leitman, Admiral Coltan, General Lekhauf, ICPD Chief Riek Supiro, Admiral Yularen, Grand Vizier Pestage, and Admiral Ozzel, and 5 other individuals of the Re's choosing all heard the telltale click as the sound from their transceivers crackled vaguely and the image Lord Vader rose before them and their own images appeared around a holo table in the Ursean Embassy.

Ledaren Quinlan Vos stepped forward reluctantly, though he remained out of range of the lens and observed the members of this junta carefully. Along with Ozzel was the image of the tall Imperial Ursean, Captain Jan di Toli.

Ozzel peered at the blue lined representations of the other at the meeting and thought he recognized an Ursean official and a fellow in Intelligence... though he couldn't remember which Intelligence . Tarkin's absence was marked. The Admiral bit the inside of his cheek knowingly and cursed silently that he was not present.

It was a matter of expedience that Anakin hurry, given the culmination of events.

“Greetings to all!”

His words might otherwise have sounded as awkward as they felt to Anakin had they been offered in greeting with less 'press'. "Many of you have come directly from the field of battle and are in the midst of making your report, so I'll be brief. If you've not already been informed, Palpatine I is dead."

One couldn't be more succinct than that, thought the Kiffu with some dark amusement.

Most of this introductory verbiage was pro forma, a matter of protocol to ensure everyone was working with the same set of information, so Anakin spoke pronouncedly more quickly than with his usual draw, his voice leveled and dry as he gave the short history. "His Majesty joined battle on Kalee and was mortally injured during the ground offensive. I, by provision the Emperor made proclamation, am now leader of this Empire. As such," he continued, and cleared his throat, standing up from where he had been bracing himself at the table. "...it falls to me to see the Emperor's remains are returned to Coruscant. They will be subject to the requisite forensics, the cause of death established and made a matter of public record, and the remains installed "in state." He glanced across the table to the shimmering image of the Queen of Naboo, whose beautiful features were compose in courtly placidity, though she did not, at the moment sport the whitened masking cosmetic of the traditional Naboo. "Her Majesty, Amidala, will oversee the process and assembling of witnesses, and the arrangement for instating the remains at the Senate."

Sabe’s feelings concerning Palpatine could not be more oppositional. She loathed the dead Sith so deeply that even his death could not quell all the fury his memory incited. Anakin knew he did not curry her favor by this assignment. It was an odious task, but a necessary one and he could rely on Sabe to insure that the forensics and security were sound. If anyone desired Palpatine’s reign to be finally and completely ended, it was Sabe. Her own personal sacrifices to end the Sith Lord’s influence in the Galaxy had been grave and deep.

Anakin had communicated with Queen Amidala earlier and informed her of his request to attend to the inquest upon the remains and viewing in the Senate. Her feelings deeply buried within, the Naboo Queen nodded her head. “As you wish, my lord.”

Sabe had already contacted Senator Organa to be a witness and her own court physician who was secretly a founding member of the ARR - Doctor Giles Senob to be one of the attending examiners.

As Anakin talked to each person in turn, Sabe directed her attention to each, observing their reactions to his words as well as their response to the other personages gathered at the meeting.

The Grand Vizier had been observing the Queen in turn and smiled when her glance fell on him, but otherwise remained silent.

Anakin nodded in response to Amidala II and continued, relaying what had not already been revealed publicly. “The Emperor’s remains have been found and are being transported planet side, now.” He paused a moment before continuing.

“You’ve been called to this meeting because there is no mistake that the seat of power newly vacated may lead some to act rashly in the belief that the throne is empty. As provision so states, so am I disinclined to agree. That said, the remains will be a contested matter. This Galaxy so late and long wracked by war is not going to descend after victory to civil misrule! The corpse will be delivered without incident, with appropriate oversight and the autopsy witnessed by representatives from the Senate, His Majesty’s personal Council and the Council of Moffs.”

He inhaled, tucking his chin and hung his thumbs in his belt. “The Reina Mavras Ursa has arrived concurrently and her escort is prepared to leave orbit and land eminently." He looked to Ozzel directly as he spoke the next: “Captain Sohmer of Krayt’s Fire is responsible for finding and returning the late Emperor. I have directed Krayt’s Fire join that escort. Captain Vectis, I want you to complete the tactical wedge and provide flanking. The Empress arrives. It’s important Imperial presence is prominent among the retinue.”
There was no need to state why Imperials were needed in their Empress’ guard.

"Your Superior, Grand Admiral Carthaginian informs me you have the means and discretion. I shall rely upon you,” said Anakin reminding himself to un- furrow his brow. He could feel he had his “dower look” on, as the Reina called it. ”The rest of Fleet Onslaught and the Ursean Security Forces are being repositioned to provide overall security as we speak, with the exception of your group, Captain Vectis. They will remain available at your discretion at the Vector of entry for the escort.”

Magnus Carthaginian could be seen to nod in accord with the Executor’s words and the Ursean Lord Admiral Leitman looked from the Re to Captain Vectis expectantly.

His Majesty has said quite a bit more than his words would seem at first hearing to say and Julian Leitman could see the other in the meeting were beginning to feel the full weight of the matter at hand. The opportunity for violent and significant change was very high. Something or somethings were afoot to which some in the room were most definitely privy, including himself. There was nervous anticipation under the calm surface that not even the separation of space in the virtual meeting could dampen. Julian forced himself not to look at Admiral Ozzel.

Someone coughed and Chief Supiro quickly glanced across the virtual table before her. She’d been sitting in her office waiting for the secured channel to “come alive” not really cognizant of why the Executor would concern her in the dealings intergalactic. General Lekhauft had contacted her and given her forewarning that she would receive the conference summons. That in itself was highly out of the ordinary. Usually some office clerk or com officer would communicate any need the Imperial Guard or entity to do with the Senate or individual systems’ Embassy’s had. Now she understood and this was why Lekhauft had spoken with her directly concerning the government center municipal details. The municipal police were being called in to stand with the Executor should a challenge be made to Lord Vader’s provisional command! Riek recomposed her face when she realized her eyes had widened.

For his part, Ozzel suddenly felt his chest tighten with urgency. He had forgotten what it felt like to be a child at danger of being discovered in a very serious prank. This wasn’t really about the “old man’s” bones! The Admiral lifted his chin and filled out the coat of his uniform just a bit more. He could feel the Ursean Imperial, Captain di Toli at his side. He’d always understood that Mr. di Toli was Vader’s watch dog.

Vos felt his crossed arms tighten over his chest. He did not trust the Queen of Naboo, sensing in her essential conflict. He’d eschewed the diplomatic corps when younger. It was a thorny field filled with plenty oil of serpent! Not a place for those who could not suffer the foolish. Yet, he had to admire his brother for scrambling his way to higher ground and adapting his strategies and tactical skill to the political arena. The Shieftain smiled to himself. He sensed what he suspecting was the opposition’s enveloping maneuver quickly sliding down the slippery slope of opportunity! Was his brother pulling the “terrain” out from under the intriguers?

So, there were no specific orders for him, thought Yularen, as he stretched his toes uneasily in his boots. Oh, Skywalker! Putting the light on all the crannies are we?! The Admiral reminded himself not to smirk. Well, there are a good many crannies! He begrudgingly gave the Executor his due for being creative. He’d always had a flare for the dramatic.

Anakin rested his gaze on the able Captain Vectis. There was none more thorough or capable than she. In the past, he’d always been aware, his manner put her off, but she could be depended upon to do whatever task had been placed before her without drama, attitude or show, no matter how difficult and she pursued the prize till it was won and if lost, did not shirk the responsibility. She was a constant, whose particular qualities were more than prized at this moment. His quiet compliment was not an empty one. ”Lord Admiral Leitman has alerted Captain Chekov of the Mavras Maelstrom you are taking command of the escort. Should anything happen to alter your path to the Embassy space port, the escort and the Reina’s and Enfanta’s safekeeping are your charge.” His mouth felt dry. "Captain Sohmer’s ship has been notified that you are commanding. Should Krayt’s Fire come under attack or alter it’s course from that of the escort or change from it’s rear guard position, see the Mavras is covered and the Krayt’s Fire disabled.”

He awaited the Captain’s response.

TAG: Captain Vectis, Sabe Amidala II, et al