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

MEMO: Don't worry that we are not yet caught up and synchronous, but now is the time to advance toward "early morning, the day after the Senate bombing."

OCC: This is a joint post with Corellian_Outrider.

IC: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin, Lord Vader, HIM, Ursean Aid at the Embassy, Miss Mira Solinova
LOCATION: Royal Suite, Ursean Embassy: the de facto Imperial Palace - early morning, the day after the bombing


There were no dreams that she could recall of having as she stirred back to consciousness, not wanting to wake up just yet. Eyes closed, Ahsoka laid there taking in the world with her senses, breathing slowly, a soft warmth enveloping her. Uncurling, soft fabric sliding down, she stretched out with her legs, the air outside of the blanket, cooler around her uncovered feet and ankles. Her muscles burned with relief after having been in the one position for hours.

"Enschudiger, Miss!" murmured an Ursean servant carrying linens. She put them down quickly and lightly seeing the Re abed and the stranger uncurling under the blanket on the floor. Bowing, she let herself out.

The day was coming on now with a confectionary pink and purple softness, compliments of the pollution hanging in the atmosphere of Coruscant and now light crept progressively into the dim room, the last embers dying in the hearth with a crackle and a sputter.

Straightening up, Ahsoka groaned and rolled onto her back. Her arm up, elbow bent as she stretched with her hand behind her head. "Huuh...?" She groggily moaned, her eyelids reluctant to open.

The hiss of the door opening and closing did a little to disturb Anakin's sleep. He slumbered, exhausted from more than physical trial and sleeping as he had not done in literally years, his robe cast to the floor and his arm over his face, as he lay to his upon his side to avoid the light just a little longer. Yet, the sun threw out brilliant rays to eclipse the top of the tall bank of trees at the garden?s edge. He sighed in his sleep and turning under the covers, stretched and refolded his long legs against the warm sheets. His soft beard and hair covered his face but for nose, cheeks, eyes, and brow.

Anakin yawned, and murmured as he held the pillow next to him, but by the cold hearth, Ahsoka's stomach growled empty of any sustenance for days and feeling sick, she held her stomach and she too rolled to her side as she began to wonder if the women she'd seen was a dream. Her eyes blinked in fuzzy focus at a blue and gold object beside her; a pillow, and soon her glance encompassed the raft of pillow which surrounded her and supported her. Reaching one, she hugged it to her and tried again to sleep.

...so soft...send for your priest - There was laughter - Warmth...hold you... he dreamed. He threw his arm open and nuzzled the back of head against the pillow as he reached to hold a fullness that was waking him.

"Uhhh,? he groaned annoyed.

Hearing the groan, Ahsoka rolling onto her stomach and her looked up at a large, silk bedrapped bed surmounted by a high canopy from whence the sound came. 'Should I get up?' She almost dismissed the notion as the overwhelming urge to go back to sleep came back.

Scratching, Anakin opened his eyes and swore. ?Force!? he exclaimed under his breath

He only rarely allowed himself to become inebriated and that was in the company of Obi wan, one of his old Master's little weaknesses. This felt a bit like that "morning after" only without the sick feeling.

Not so for Ahsoka, whose stomach cramped as she sat up. Trying not to wince she craned her neck to see the one in the bed.

That one opened his eyes wide as he felt movement not belonging to him, then remembering Ahsoka near the fire, he sat bolt upright.

"Ahsoka?" he called groggily.

"Ohh.. good morning." She yawned and pressed her cheek against her shoulder as she stretched her arms.

He pulled the covers closer instinctively “Good .... ahem... morning!”

"Hmmm." She flopped down on the pillows, eyes blinking and looking up at him.

He reached out and drew his robe to his hand, the soft, lustrous cobalt blue of it hanging lofted in a wad until he swung his arms into the sleeves and cinched the belt quickly.

“Ex...cuse me,” he said padding quickly for the fresher.

"Okay." She whispered absently and closed her eyes.

Morning ablutions seen to, he splashed his face with cold water rising to once again catch his reflection in the mirrored wall and his hand flying to his beard, he laughed, then stopped abruptly to realize, yet again, he had a right hand!

A quick shave and inspection later, face bleeding here and there, he decided he no longer looked like he’d been defrosted, found in some frozen bog, an example of early humans! Satisfied, he ventured forth to find Ahsoka still ensconced in her pillow nest.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked stepping gingerly across the cold marble. “Ahsoka? ... Still cogitating, eh, about staying or going?”

"I slept as though I haven't slept before…." She moved her arm across so she could lay her head on it. ".. though I do feel a little unwell."

He grimaced. "Maybe you are hungry,” he suggested.

Smiling at him. "Yes, I feel it is something food can take care of. Haven't eaten in…" She paused to think. ".. I can't remember."

He stood up from where he sat on the arm of a chair and looking to Ahsoka made a call and ordered breakfast.

They both smiled through the ensuing awkward silence. Ahsoka lifted herself stiffly from the floor, twisting about and stretching her back. Breathing in deeply, she froze for a moment before gasping from a pain in her bruised stomach. Relaxing her muscles and lowering her arms, her hand fell over her exposed stomach, tilting her head, she took in the sumptuous room in the burgeoning daylight.

As spacious as the room was, there were warming signs of domesticity here and there and far from austere, the chamber seemed lively. In the cove of the ceiling overhead, cherubs twined themselves in garlands or frolicked with birds. They seemed to dance out from the plaster in a riotous band around the entire perimeter of the room. Here and there were other sculpted creatures, the style was quite ornate and very old, far older than all of the interiors Ahsoka could remember seeing on Coruscant.

Anakin perched on the side of the bed and watched half-amused as Ahsoka walked about, montrals tipped back as she laughed aloud, staring up at the ceiling, and smiling back at the cherubs. Yet, as she turned about, the sick gleam of torn flesh showed on her back beneath her swaying blue and white lekku and his brow furrowed as he leaned to see better.

Picking up a model of a star fighter Ahsoka lifted it toward him, as if to ask if it was his design.

He nodded, “Always busy, but that is my daughter’s model.”

Ahsoka quickly recalled the large portrait she’d seen when she entered the foyer to the Royal suite and the image of a youngling, a distaff Anakin with long dark hair and eyes of the same intense blue as her father’s.

“The youngling in the portrait,” queried Ahsoka, gesturing in the general direction of the foyer. “...and the beautiful lady ... is your ... wife?” Something about making such a statement felt taboo, felt out of place, even after these many years separated from the order, in a world where the tenets of Jedi were disjointed and no longer fit.

He nodded somberly. “Yes.... ahem... to both... my daughter, Sophia and my ... wife... Marie-Celeste.”

Ahsoka, he sensed, was suppressing some difficulty and a personal memory that disturbed her. Rising and crossed the room, he caught her shoulder in a cupped hand and turn her around, gently moving her lekku to the side to see the purple and meaty lesions marring her smooth back in violent inflammation. “What happened here?” he demanded and grimaced tracing the wounds gently, “These are recent...very!”

"I was mildly injured, it's nothing serious" Ahsoka said quickly, she didn't want him to worry.

"I fell through glass and a table broke my fall... though I broke the table" She explained. "A few days ago I guess, but some I got from last night when Vos…" She paused, unsure whether to mention the fight. "and I had a misunderstanding"

"Master Vos and you?"

"He wanted me to go away when I needed to see you... before you woke up in the... bacta" Closing her eyes, she found his touch on her back soothing.

"Hummm," He said realizing that Brother Vos was a little trigger happy given recent events. Anakin’s fingers gently pealed back the edge of her singlet and he sighed audibly. There seemed to be many wounds!

Lifting the bottom edge of her clinging blue top he pulled it up carefully and dipped his head to regard the rest. “I’m no healer, but these are pretty bad. Remove this!” he commanded, forgetting to modulate his tone and placing his hands lightly over the burning flesh.

“Remove-” Looking over her shoulder to him, perplexed for a second. Reaching down, she pulled the singlet up, careful to prevent her lekku snagging on the straps and over her montrals, Anakin reaching to assist her, pulled the singlet the rest of the way while she disentangled her lekku.

“You could have used medical attention, Ahsoka; you should have said something,” he murmured as he concentrated and turned to sit them down on the carpet, his hand on her shoulder.

Fingers nervously twining the end of her lek, Ahsoka held her modesty by her covering arm.

“You sit,” he said rising again and returning with a handful of thin bacta gel strips and a swab cloth and sitting, legs crossed, he set them down next to them and began to lay his hands splayed over the wounds.

To Ahsoka's back and side Anakin sat and breathed slowly, beginning to exude warmth through his hands and directing it toward her back. “There’s a lot of infection,” he murmured as he sought deeper concentration, surprising himself at his effectiveness.

Ahsoka focused on her breathing, slowing it down, feeling her back becoming warm.

He could see the results of his efforts as the inflammation began to abate, her wounds to weep and he patted her with the antiseptic cloth. The whole procedure quiet and close, suddenly, he became aware of the curving of her back, of her very real presence under his hand and he found himself slowly drawn. Inhaling sharply, he returned his attentions to the meditation.

Ahsoka looked about nervously for anything upon which to center her thoughts and caught the model fighter in her glance. “Your daughter... looks the spitting image of you, Mast... Anakin and your wife is ... very beautiful. I don’t believe I remember having seen her,” said Ahsoka, feeling a little out of place, yet mesmerised by his touch.

“The portrait…” murmured Anakin, still applying this new skill. “She is from Ursa, my... home, now,” he stated, realizing he’d never before uttered that statement aloud, “it has been very remote for a long time.”

“How did you meet,” asked Ahsoka, not entirely sure why she asked and not too happy she did so.

Anakin flashed a dismissive smile, “It’s a long story…”

“I like stories,” said Ahsoka quickly, hoping Anakin would talk, needing to hear his voice and see him engaged. The night before had unsettled her and she hoped perhaps he would be less taciturn if he spoke of something of interest to him and not of pledges and regret.

“I met her ... not long after you left your apprenticeship…” he began, looking down for a moment, at the mention of Ahsoka’s leaving. It still smarted after all this time.

Ahsoka pursed her lips and blinked away her gaze too, resisting the urge to apologize again.

His hands gradually moving over her back, he explained how he’d been sent to Ursa to serve as a Security advisor, a term, at the time, he understood to mean, “babysitter,” thinking the heir ascendant, another Royal with too much wealth and not enough intellect to know what to do with the all that power and wealth.

“I called her the “Ice Princess,” he said grinning. “No one was permitted to touch her. I found this out the embarrassing way,” he said, still inciting cells to metabolize and divide, concentrated but a slight chuckle escaping his lips. “I committed the unmitigated error of offering to hand her from a speeder.”

Ahsoka raised a brow.

He chuckled and shook his head remembering how stiffly she rebuffed him. “She wasn’t very used to accommodating those sorts of gaffs. She was ...isolated,” he said pensively, sending healing warmth into Ahsoka’s mid-back.

Ahsoka turned her head to look up at him quizzically. It didn’t sound like a promising romance so far and then there was the question of Senator Amidala, but she quieted that thought.

As if in reply to her thoughts, he said, “She was a child when her family was murdered... by the time I was assigned to Ursa, she was approaching her coronation. Ursa was targeted by the CIS - infiltrations of government and Kavalad. They sent agitators to incite unrest and schemes to harass and depose the heir. I was charged with bolstering and redesigning their military and advising them, and of course to guard the Reina... that’s ... it, really,” he said dismissively with a pang remembering Padme’s rejection of him and Palpatine’s part in it all. He didn’t mention that Palpatine was Executor of Ursa. It was clear now just how the Sith Lord had manipulated that situation.

Clasping Ahsoka’s shoulder, Anakin tore a packet of bacta gels open with hand and teeth and, blowing the flimsi packaging from his lips he drew out a long gel and gingerly applied it to one particularly nasty and long cut.

“Oh!,” said Ahsoka, with a little flinch at the initial burn, finding the tale rather truncated. Though she thought it, she did not ask about Padme. It didn’t take much to sense that this was a difficult issue. In their scant conversation the previous night, Anakin was still suffering from injuries he’d gotten from who knew how – she was still unsure about that. It was better left for another time, though the fate of Padme concerned her.

“So... you... re... you ... married?” said Ahsoka to mirror the disjointed nature of the story back to Anakin.

“Well... eh... no... not then, no,” he admitted. “A few months... later.”

“Very sorry to hear about Marie-Celeste’s family. That must have been difficult for her,” said Ahsoka, sincerely, “I’m guessing the whole “no touching” thing didn’t apply after you were married,” she said surprising herself.

Anakin slowly tucked his head to look Ahsoka in the eye as she spoke from over her shoulder, not certain whether to be indignant or laugh, his lips curling into a reluctant smile. “Clearly,” he said perfunctorily, raising a brow.

“Er... I’m sorry, that was probably a little forward of me,” she admitted, looking away and angry at herself for having seemed to make little of something she knew little about.

“Not at all, the way I told it, it must have seemed rather amusing,” he offered. He pursed his lips. He looked up thinking how to encapsulate the story.

“I learned Celeste’s parents kept an anomaly secret, one they did not understand and it’s clear, one of which the Council certainly weren’t aware or they would have told me about it at the least, and at best, they would have sued to bring Celeste to Coruscant long ago,” he explained sketchily. “The Kavalad, nonetheless would have protested and rejected her inheritance had they known the degree of her Force sensitivity. Very few knew, but it was the reason others were allowed seldom to touch her. Celeste never receive proper instruction and well... overwhelmed, she had these... seizures. She’d have this periodic effervescence of Force lightening…” The mention of Force lightening made him think of his own healing in the night. Distracted briefly, he shook himself lightly to reclaim focus.

“As I said, I’m not a healer, this is not a talent for which I trained at any length …” Now he thought about it, through Vos’ and Dr. Molita’s guidance, he’d gained enormous insight...and for that matter, so must they have, he suddenly realized with concern.

“Um.....ouch!” Ahsoka cried between clenched teeth.

Anakin looked down at her. “Sorry!...I’ve tried my hand…” he continued, taking his hands from Ahsoka’s back to see how she was healing and then returning them to apply another gel strip.

He’d need to speak with Brother Vos and Molita.

Inhaling deeply, he realized Ahsoka was watching him and he smiled quickly and continued explaining how the Reina’s seeming affliction was actually a manifestation of her Force “condition” for lack of a better word. He gestured, impassioned about the story.

“She burned like a sun and no one had given her guidance... I didn’t know what I was doing, just ... sensed it. It seemed to be the right thing, because she improved. We were both alone ... it was a miserable time and ...we found good company in each other. I missed Padme... I couldn't get her out of my mind. She was afraid of me... didn't trust me... and then I received false notification that our children were stillborn.”

"I....oh...I’m ...sorry,” Ahsoka whispered. So much revealed at once! Her mind reeled.

Ahsoka could not claim to know Padme well, but she knew she could call her “friend.” They’d been through several harrowing experiences together, survived to share incidentals and more, but Padme had never given any of this away. It was clear that her Master and the Senator had been more than attached, they’d been married and Padme - pregnant!

He met Ahsoka’s gaze and then averted his gaze. Again, he moved his hands over her back and found one last area requiring attention. “It seemed I was losing everyone.”

Was this the talk she needed to have with Anakin finally happening? Her stomach felt as though it was folding in on itself, pangs of guilt from leaving those years ago and Master Vos’ “imprint “. She let out a low groan at the realization that if she had spoken to him about what she had seen... those issues could have been sorted out.

“Too much,” he queried in concern, bringing his hands back and sitting up.

Ahsoka shook her head. “No... no, that’s ...I mean that feels ...nice... better. I’ve got... a bruise,” she said gently patting her stomach.

He cocked his head as to ask, ‘are you sure,’ but she faced forward again and Anakin, pursing his lips, concentrated.

“It felt good to be of use,” he continued, his voice subdued, “and needed. I was glad to have Celeste’s friendship. She’s a bit of a hot house flower! Brilliant mind ... but I don’t know she’s ever had to balance a pocket full of credits.”

"Is...? No…" Ahsoka didn’t know how to ask, but she realise she’d not thought.

"What? What is it?" asked Anakin leaning down to look into Ahsoka’s eyes.

"Oh, it’s not important"

"It is important, ‘Soka. Tell me. If you felt the need to begin your sentence, then it is important."

"I am not being mindful"

"That’s true, but It doesn't matter. Tell me anyways."

"I feel conflicted"

"Pretend we are something like Master and apprentice and we share a bond - something like that! ‘Conflicted’ is a start. About what?"

Ahsoka’s mind was circling. "Do you think that if I didn't leave... I would have met Celeste sooner?"

"I don't know. I think that Sidious needed to separate us"

"I still feel... angry with myself,” protested Ahsoka.

Anakin shook his head. Ahsoka was having great difficulty speaking her heart, he could feel and he said, "I think things would have been different if we'd not separated, yes and DON'T BLAME YOURSELF!”

“Half of me is upset with myself and the other half I feel sorry for Celeste... That's the broad feeling but it’s deeper than that."

"What...uh...sorry for Celeste?!” he stammered. “Yes, I have been hard on her but....Just tell me the deep part, Miss Tano!" He leaned in insistently.

"I blame myself for leaving and the hurt I caused you. Though if I didn't leave you, then Celeste might still be in pain....and, and, and...I …"

"You cannot think about what might have been!” he exclaimed. “And you what?"

"I feel tentative in meeting Celeste."

“Psss! Is that what this is about?” he smirked. "You mustn’t. You were once my Padawan learner, Ahsoka. You've returned. She will rejoice!"

Ahsoka shook her head. Oh, why couldn’t she just tell him!

"Before I crashed into your bedroom when you were in the tank... I stood out there in the foyer. I just... felt like my time had already gone and you might not need me in your life. Yes, I know I sound silly, but me being here does change things and maybe... I shouldn’t be."

"Ahsoka," He whispered. "Soka, I cannot cut you out of my heart. You say I came to you in a vision...I don’t know about that. Maybe that was just... your own desire... but now that you have come...you are here…" he finished in frustration. Trust was not easily to cultivate in a "salted" field!

Ahsoka looked down sadly saying, "I don't want to cause her hurt. I don't want to cause you pain."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Have you forgotten everything...Look...Ahsoka, I have done ...things ...wrong, but you were something "right" in my life. You’re asking me to ... I’ve never had much patience…” he sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know how you’d cause Celeste pain!"

"I need... a hug" squeezing her eyes shut

"You can take the greatest care and still, life’s little lies cling…" He hugged her and she flinched. "It’s all myth, Ahsoka. There is one true love, right conquers might, passion can carry victor, victory goes to the swiftest, KNOWLEDGE... sets you free! It's all glitter, 'Soka, all of it, smoke and mirrors. There’s something in your head that’s clouding your own interest. Let it out! You say you can’t stay because you’ll cause pain! Then you’re saying this didn’t occur to you before? I told you, you are free to go. I won’t stop you!" He knit his brow in disappointment and frustration.

"OHHHHHHHH!” she cried out and winced as the discomfort in her abdomen became sharp and radiated around her ribs in vice-like grip of pain. “Master... Anakin, I can't leave you, because I ...I lo-"

Suddenly, the room’s seeming quiet was rent by an urgent ring bleeting out sharply, at least it seemed. Anakin looked up in consternation. “Excuse me…” he said, rising gracefully to cross the room to a table upon which sat a small holo- transponder/transceiver.

His stride kicked the flared edge of his dark blue dressing gown out from his legs. “Yes.” he answered simply, voice a little rough from speaking low and intimately.

“Gruss Seele, Minn Arri,” said the Ursean aid Mira Solinova, her image bowing. “Mr. di Toli sent an encoded message. Captain Sin is returned with his “charge” and awaits in orbit aboard the Krayt’s Fire. The vessel ‘s Captain Sohmer has already made contact with Executor . Shall I reply to Mr. di Toli?” Anakin looked to Ahsoka for a moment.

“Just a moment.” said Ankin looking out to the garden pensively and inhaling he returned his gaze to the suited image of Solinova. “Which of my ships are near Executor and Krayt’s Fire?”

Ahsoka sighed in frustration and annoyance as he had to take this call., but at his tone, she smiled. That was “Skyguy”! He was definitely in his element and in spite of the comfort and majesty of the royal suite, the shining day approaching, the call was a reminder that something very grave and big had just happened.

“Halcyon, Road Block and the Vitt,” replied Solinova after moving out of the range of her holo and returning quickly.

“Rouse General Colton and Admirals Leitman and Carthaginian, and when you’ve got them, com me,” he commanded.

“Ja, Minn Arri,” said Solinova with a slight bow. “Shall I contact Captain Vectis and Admiral Ozzel as well?”

Anakin smiled and bit his lip. These past 8 years in hell had not been an entire waste! “Yes, but don’t patch Ozzel in until I tell you, and ... add Teshik, Kadir, Amidala and ….” He tapped his lips for a moment before deciding, “and Sate Pestage. Add Teshik in immediately, Teshik and Amidala,” he said coming to another decision.

“Ja, Minn Arri,” said Solinova.

“Carthaginian and Leitman, first.” he added quickly, after thinking and this Captain Sohmer... contact him and have him ready until I ask for him.

“Ja….” began Solinova, but Anakin cut her off with a curt, “Yes, yes, Ms. Solinava,” and ended the transmission.

He looked back to Ahsoka and flashed a smile. “Always in motion….” he said, making a reference she would well remember.

TAG: notice and will direct tag Vectis, Sohmer and Tarkin in next post from Carthaginian, Teshik, Leitman, Kadir and or Solinova

 

IC: Captain Iillor, Surgeon-Commander Debgate, Doctor Ny Brun, Huntress
Location: Imperial Centre space

The Interdictor captain had been doing the rounds of the bridge, murmuring encouragement to repair technicians, operators, and junior officers working there.

Someone was sorting out clearance for the Endless rating, so that she could enter the bridge without getting the guards all excited.

"Ensign Charios reporting as requested sir. You wished to speak to me?"

Iillor turned to the sound of the voice and saw the midshipman from Obdurate had arrived, and was standing rigidly to attention behind her.

"Ah, Ensign Charios. At ease." She nodded and smiled sympathetically at the young man. Given the state that they had left his home star destroyer in, he was lucky to be alive and uninjured. "I hope you had a chance to get some rest. Imperial Centre has lifted the atmospheric lockdown, so we now have the opportunity to move the Major Injury patients to medical facilities on the surface. I wanted to check with you, if it was alright to do so?"

* * * *

Deck Four - Temporary Medical Deck

Having woken up in the bed of the Huntress Security Chief, while Linda had been out dealing with Imperial Intelligence IntSec people, and the various personnel from different ships; Debgate had tied her hair back in a ponytail, as suggested by one of the nurses; and dressed in her new naval uniform, courtesy of the sizes measured by a shower-invading astromech, the previous evening.

Now she was medded up with minor palliative spells to keep her charges going until they could go onto the next stage of their care. Most of the surgery had taken place during the battle, or during the jump back to Imperial Centre.

The shaman stopped by the gurney of Verba-89, a snowtrooper with breathing difficulties, who had been part of the force to board that CIS Ravager battle-cruiser; and infused him with Strength and Inner Fire, which would boost him at least for another half hour.

"Be strong, Lieutenant. You will be just fine," she murmured down at him, then had to squeeze up against the side of his bed as a marine guided a plexiglased survival coccoon past her, towards the restricted part of the medical deck.

She glanced at the pallid face through the curved square of the lid, as the repulsor cocoon momentarily rubbed past the seat of her trousers, compressing her even more into the protective rail that stopped the injured lieutenant from rolling off in his sleep.

"YAV?!"

Her surprised yell turned heads all along the corridor, and her colleague, Doctor Ny Brun, who was walking directly behind the marine, talking animatedly with a blonde woman in the bulky red plasteel armour of the Galactic City PD; looked up and saw her.
"Do you know him, my dear?" He enquired in unaccustomed gentleness.

"Do I know him?! By the Tribunal; I haven't seen him in over forty of your years!" Debgate felt that as soon as she had the room to turn, she would fall across her fellow Surefall Paramedic?s container, and not let go. For he was the biggest prize: someone from her home planet, even home dimension, if that was what really had occurred to bring them to this alien culture.

“Please modulate the voice, my dear.” Ny Brun chided.

Tears sprung from her face, and rolled down her face, prompting her normally terse red-headed colleague to lean past he marine and hold her hands.
“What happened to him, Doctor?” She sniffled, welcoming the support, but not taking her eyes off the still-moving cocoon.

“The Inquisitor suffered a hand amputation. I, and my surgical team just spent four standard hours re-attaching it. The hand was in better shape than the wrist it was supposed to go on, because this idiot decided to go traipsing round the Senate, instead of getting his choob up here.” The chief surgeon shuffled unsteadily, and continued, “I am due another stim-shot, but do you have one of your things to pep me up long enough to get him settled, and get some rest myself.”
Deb looked at her fellow medic for the first time, and could see just how drained he was, and conned him, which in her world and with her people’s special sight, she could see his health as a count of hit points, and see just how badly the man was flagging.

The woman in red was giving them both the hairy eyeball, but Debgate ignored her, to treat him to a burst of Inner Fire, which she had been casting since Level One, and she felt a tiny bit of satisfaction to feel it strengthen him from within.

The two of them noticed that the marine and the coccoon had proceeded without them, and was almost at the sealed door leading into the next section of the deck. On one side of the wall, blast-proof windows looked over the cavernous main hangar bay, crammed with shuttles and larties.

Guarding the door ahead, a pair individuals in dark blue clothing, partially covered by pieces of white semi-armour, protecting their torsos, shoulders, arms, hips. Their faces were almost concealed behind the strangest headgear, a combination of the helmets worn by clone ARC-170 pilots, complete with orange eye-shields; and metal versions of the wide-brim sun hats worn by backwater farmers.

Being taller than most normal humans, Debgate looked down at the two guards curiously.
“Who are these guys?” She enquired with furrowed eyebrows.

“Imperial Intelligence, Imperial Security Branch.”

One of the guards stepped forwards in front of them, putting his right palm up to stop their progress, the Inquisitor’s coccoon continuing almost a foot, despite the marine’s bracing his feet to arrest the momentum.

“This area is Restricted. No access beyond this point.”

Tag: Ensign Charios

 

IC: Ensign Kim Charios (NPC)
Location: InterSD Huntress, Coruscant orbit

?Ah, Ensign Charios. At ease.? She nodded and smiled sympathetically at the young man. Given the state that they had left his home star destroyer in, he was lucky to be alive and uninjured. ?I hope you had a chance to get some rest. Imperial Centre has lifted the atmospheric lockdown, so we now have the opportunity to move the Major Injury patients to medical facilities on the surface. I wanted to check with you, if it was alright to do so??

The young Kuati raised an eyebrow? Coruscant under lockdown?. Something seriousmust have happened for all of Coruscant to become a no fly zone, he'd have to ask the young lady Captain more about this.

"I did have a good rest thank you, myself and Dctor Ashri are very grateful to all the help and support you have given us and our comrades. I'm sure that Captain Ivanov would be more than happy for the Major Injuries to be moved downside as it could hopefully save more lives and provide them with the best care the Empire has to offer. However I shall have to ask him as I am here only as an advisory role"

He removed his comlink from his belt and switched it on to the frequency of Captain Ivanov's personal comlink.

"Ensign Charios to Captain Ivanov, are you there sir?"

"Ja" came the response after about fifteen seconds wait "I am here Ensign. Are you and Dcotor Ahsri and his team well?"

"Yes sir, we have been treated very well no problems to report. Doctor Ashri and his team are resting. I am on the bridge with Captain Illior as she is asking whether she can move our Major Injuries down to the surface"
2Of course" Ivanov replied "I have every confidence that she will look after them in thier journey down. Once that is donw, I would like you and Doctor Ashri and his team to come back to Empire's Will when you can"

"We will sir, is Lieutenant Kazama and Lieutenant Robertson back on duty?"

"Nein, I have rquested that they get some more rest. captain Madison's lieutenants are very capable of looking after out Ensigns."

Charios nodded "One last thing sir, Captain Illior reports that the lockdown has been lifted from Coruscant, were you or Captain Madison aware the planet was under lockdown?"

There was silence down the other end for about a minute, then Ivanov came back sounding a little annoyed.

"No we were not, neither have Captain's Vectis, Terric or Bahari been informed either. Find out why from the dear lady Captain, then come back to me"

"Understood sir, Charios out"

Charios looked back to Captain Illior after replacing the comlink in his belt.

"Captain Ivanov has given you permission to transport the majpr injury cases down to the planet. Once they have been transported he has requested that myself, Doctor Ashri and his team return to Empire's Will when we can. One last thing, Captain Ivanov and the rest of the group are not aware the planet is under lockdown. Perhaps you can enlighten us?"

TAG: Captain Illior

 

OOC: A joint post with Corellin_Outrider.

IC: Ahsoka Tano and HIM, Anakin, Lord Vader Re Mavrat Ursa
LOCATION: Royal Suite, Ursean Embassy/de facto Imperial Palace ? morning after Senate bombing


"Pardon the interruption," he said returning to sit down beside her. "You said you can't go....well…" his voice subdued, "then, don't go! Problem solved!" he stated with a desire to move on, no small urgency as a quaking Imperial system impelling him.

He smiled reassuringly, squeezing her shoulder and engaging her intensely. However, Ahsoka's face suddenly concentrated in a scowl, momentarily causing him dismay until he realized it wasn't to do with staying or going. Ahsoka was in miserable pain.

He looked down below her "arm-dressed" decolletage to the nasty dark bruise that spread round her side. Touching the place gently with the tips of his fingers, he could feel that her flesh was hot. "Ahsoka, there's something more than a bruise here!"

Patting the floor, Anakin commanded softly, "Lie down!"

Ahsoka leaned back gingerly, her free hand touching the purpling spot to the upper right of her abdomen.

"Just a bruise," he harrumphed, chidingly, looking down at her with a smirk. "It's a broken rib, you Nit!....Brother Vos!" he sighed, shaking his head and searching for Ahsoka's gaze. Chasing it, the moment grew awkward once more and moving on, he put his hands over the rib and immersing himself in the Force, the flood of its surging touch infusing his being with invigorating but harmonious energy, he easily penetrated the discretion of epithelial limits and cellular walls to "entered" the matrix of bone and blood and encourage the knit of fiber, muscle and tendon.

"I don't want to go," Ahsoka asserted in a slight pout, more to herself than to Anakin, whose head was bent in concentration.

He shook his head, still concentrated and murmured softly, "Stop that! No one wants you to go.?

He lifted his eyes to hers slowly. "I... I want you to stay, Ahsoka."

Inhaling he sat up a little and smoothed his flattened hands over her tender flesh, "But this can't be about ... what I want... I am asking you to stay... because you are needed."

Biting the corner of her bottom lip from the pain, she focused on his face...more so on his eyes. Nodding gently, her previous doubts faded by the sense of relief that she did come through returning to Anakin... that she is needed after all.

"... I ... have done things for which... I swore I would never ask forgiveness..." he said with a sigh, "not because I didn't know or think what I was doing was wrong, required forgiving…" He sniffed and closing his eyes, sought a better focus before opening them again, the warmth he exuded, causing the tissues to feel it was electrified. "Believe me, I knew how wrong...just... how can I ask you to forgive what I can not forgive in myself?" To say this, he did not require an emotional outburst, it came out simply now. It was his truth. "You know what I have done, some of it…" He made himself remain in her gaze and he nodded his chin and bit his lips to wet them in nervous habit, his shoulders relaxing as he exhaled and reminded himself to continue his focus in the healing she required. "It will be difficult to "stand" with me…that's all and to do it, you have to know what it is you stand for, what I have done. You'll be sharing my deeds and ultimately, that can't be because I asked you and want you, or even need you, Ahsoka. It's got to be because you know it is the right thing to do," he asserted quietly. "And ... well…I'll have to prove that, won't I?!

"I'm not... out of the dark. I've got no illusions about that...but just ... remind me... remind me…." he murmured with effort, bowing his head and shaking away the tremulous feeling to concentrate once more on Ahsoka’s mending.

Her bottom lip drooped, as she released it. Hearing the strain in his voice, and dipping her chin to follow his glinting gaze, Ahsoka reached her hand to cup his cheek and catch a tear on her thumb as she gently caressed below his heavy lashes.

His touch ignited the strongest bond as it healed, but bore the weight of his own encumbered heart. Ahsoka felt both compelled and yet restrained. Just the simple need for comfort left, she wanted to stop his pain, her own seeming negligible. She wanted... she wanted... to declare what was in her heart and the moment was so much a mirror of just such another, she was struck hard, time seeming to freeze.

Yet, what he had said was true: this was indeed, not his moment nor hers and she met his gaze with resolution.

“I...I understand, Mas... Anakin!” It was not exactly what she wished to say, but it was part of what she needed to say. “I’ll remind you,” she whispered.

He covered her hand with his own and in turn, Ahsoka grasped it to place over her heart. "Anakin... I want to show you how…"

He looked down at her hand holding his to her chest, feeling the pliant warmth of her skin and the rapid beating of her heart. His eyes lifted to regard her pale and luminous glance, lips parting in recognition at the simple wisdom she spoke. "Your perspective of yourself, I notice, is harsh."

He pursed his lips and smiling, nodded, though he could not yet agree that he was too harsh. He knew what he should be, but there was the rub. 'Should' could be a very dangerous and sticky word because it collected all sort of insidious expectations. “Ah, the wisdom of a Jedi! Guess if I’m going to prove anything, I’d better get started. I’ve got a tall order,” he said ironically, grinning like sun through rain.

"Why did you call me a Jedi?"

Sitting up, she leaned her head to her shoulder while curiously looking to him. "Surely you can tell that I am not…"

Anakin shook his head, "No, quite the opposite." A smile played on his lips.

"Huh?" Her jaw dropped.

He reached up, with his free hand, the other hand still held over her heart and caressed her cheek. "Um hum," He confirmed.

"How is that possible?"

Anakin nudged his hand over her heart and shrugged, "Ethical compass, compassion - I didn't say you were perfect." He grinned lightly.

"Oh…" She whispered and then exclaimed, “HEY!...It’s ... it’s better... my rib!”

Though he was surprised, he had to proclaim, "I’m good!" a bit of the old playfulness bloomed in his voice.

A smiling broadening to a grin, Ahsoka said, "I'm glad I'm with you. Thank you also for letting me sleep here with you. "

He let his hand twine around hers and grasped her other hand with his left, squeezing them warmly, too full to speak and not wanting to lose the smile on his face. “Oh! Ahem…”

Ahsoka looked up slowly, blushing.

He added, averting his gaze, "Better dress, I wouldn't want you to get a Charlie Horse or anything, you know, climbing back up to your bedroom. Though, I should let you know, we DO have lifts and stairs here - all the modern conveniences."

"Where's the fun in that?" She smirked, squeezing his hand in return grinning scarlet as he laughed.

Disentangling his hand, he rose and announced as he turned away to give her some privacy, "Breakfast will be here soon. Bet you're hungry. I ordered pastries. You haven't lost that sweet tooth have you?!"

"OH! Perfect... I love that. Thank you." said Ahsoka with a little excitement, stepping into her singlet like a fire dancer through a blazing hoop. She pulled it up quickly, punching her arms through the straps and twisted it straight and down over her smooth and at present, gurgling belly, the bottom hem of the knit singlet stubbornly popping up above her navel.

"40% filter," Anakin said, shielding his eyes from the dawn’s golden “corona”, the tiny lattes in the panes of the beveled windows tilting to cut the glare of the morning sun. He felt his face and remembered his hair. "Probably should cut this…” he murmured to himself lifting a skein of hair from where it hung spilling over his chest.

As Anakin spoke, she turned her head and reached with her fingers to touch his long burnished mane. "I kind of like it, it... suits you!”

He sniffed and shrugged. "Just ... yes, well, understand, yesterday I had NO hair.. the opposition will find a way to use even this against me... “miraculous recovery,” “RIGHT HAND,” “hair!” Too convoluted to explain to a public suspicious of Force sensitives…”

Smiling, Ahsoka resisted the urge to laugh as he gestured with his right hand in his effort to point out the absurdity of it all. She reached back to untuck her rear lek before tending to her side ones, letting them hang freely too.

Suddenly, Anakin turned about and looked beyond Ahsoka, having felt the entrance of Brother Vos before he heard him, but there was no point in a hasty, abrupt interruption. The time transpired comparatively briefly before the Kiffu stepped from the small corridor at the other end of the room. The younger man knew how heavily the vestige of the Jedi lay within that difficult man more than Vos would admit to himself.

Ahsoka blushed deeply as she found Master Vos’s form emerge from the shadows of the hall.

Vos too, knew it was too late to mask his presence or make an unobtrusive retreat and he turned about with less aplomb than he might have done were he not still somewhat disoriented by the shared memories he now possessed. Hit by a shower of significant conclusions, not all of them of his own experience, at once indignant, thrown, wry, and stimulated, he put his hand to his forehead and stopped himself from saying "Sorry, Brother,” and instead, said pointedly, looking to Ahsoka, “In my defense, I was told you were resting and alone.” Then he murmured, “I seem to be overdressed for the...eh...affair.”

If Vos could blush, no one had ever seen it.

"Obviously, Padawan Tano insisted upon administering her own restoratives and I see she moved you Brother to rise and surpass your affliction." Vos tendered archly and wryly.

Anakin pursed his lips at the large Kiffu’s barbed comment. “I had it in mind to visit you, Ledaren. Last I saw of you, you were being carried out on a stretcher...littering the air with choice commentary!” Anakin said remembering Quinlan's very salty epithets.

“Hehehehe…” grinned Vos. “I only meant to accommodate your staff, my Brother. They came in guns a blazing. I felt someone needed to give them a little distraction.” He couldn't quite pull the sarcasm off with the breeze or sharpness typical of him.

“Oh, distraction. I feel certain you did provide it…” smirked Anakin, adding sternly, though he still smiled, “I was just repairing some of your entertainment before you entered.”

Ahsoka’s gaze narrowed as she looked at Master Vos, her brow arching at the remark about repairing the “entertainment.” She was not happy with him and more, because he prevented her from helping her former Master than from the brief skirmish they had.

“Time was of the essence. If I was severe, Padawan Tano will understand, my primary concern was for your recovery, Brother, and as whole as you are now, every second weighed in the balance. Besides, others have come professing their ...friendship, I had to know she was not just another empty promise. Your generosity ...is extravagant,” he said to Anakin with a slight nod.

Turning to address Ahsoka, Quin continued, "Padawan, the mist lingers, but I can sense the gist of your attitude." said Vos with a heavy sigh. "I came, Brother, because, our healing not withstanding, the forces of intrigue are fast at work." said Vos firmly. ”...And because hospitals make me ill!”

“Well, then let's clear the air! I sense you have something to say," said Anakin to Ahsoka turning to face her by half.

"And yes... “Padawan” Tano was very instrumental,” asserted the Emperor, “to my... restoration. I think you grasp the impact of a bond," Anakin said to the Ledaren as Vos turned to meet the Emperor’s gaze and the tacit confirmation that he did indeed understand that significance.

Knowing she might be confused, Anakin said, "Brother Vos and I now share memories, Ahsoka. Isn't that right... Quinlan?!"

Blinking, she directed her gaze to Master Vos. Her cheeks warmed but she her head up high. "Memories…?"

"Master Vos made a sacrifice of his .... self sovereignty last night in healing me."

"It was necessary," asserted Vos, voice low.

Anakin nodded. It was unfortunate, but neccessary as Vos said. He studied the Ledaren’s face to see what thoughts might be lurking there, to see if there was some crack in this “bastion” that Vos had become. The memories, thoughts, opinions and knowledge they now shared between them was not absolute or complete in any way, but it was real, and what Anakin held in his guard was no memory he would press upon a friend. "I am and will be eternally grateful, Ledaren," he said quickly after a silence spent in thought.

This was quite a lot to take in and Ahsoka looked from one to the other before stammering, "Is there still a link?"

Anakin waited to see what Vos would say.

“I leave that to you to say, Brother,” said Vos unreadably. If his brother chose to share this with his former Padawan, it was his choice, but Vos would not willing speak of the personal matter.

“Yes, Ahsoka, there is.” said Anakin glancing to Vos.

"I see.." pursing her moist lips at the revelation, Ahsoka glancing to Anakin and then to Vos again, narrowed her eyes slightly. "You can understand my displeasure then Master Vos with the way you prevented me from assisting in Anakin's recovery last night. I could have been of use, but you'd have none of that."

Hands on hip, Anakin watched the two as he stepped around them to grab his habit and boots from where they lay next to the bed, folded and ready for his use. He stopped for a moment, Ahsoka’s presence reminding him how accustomed he’d become to expecting such menial and personal task performed for him.

"Well, your,” Vos paused for emphasis before saying, “‘displeasure’ is unfortunate, ‘Padawan,’ but we've had a lot of surprise visits lately. Your Master was vulnerable, I am sworn as Ledaren to safe guard him. Perhaps you can appreciate my position. I could not extend you the trust you expected. You had to earn it!"

Vos looked darkly from beneath his brows but relaxed his shoulders a bit and stood up from pressing his point. The Kiffu gestured and shook a dread lock from his field of vision and offered in conciliation, "You held your own."

Ahsoka wasn’t ready for conciliation. "Hum,” said Ahsok, folding her arms, ”I understand, but you already had some indication of my intentions. Your... ‘actions’ were uncalled for."

Padding past the two into the private corridor to the dressing room, the Emperor nodded and raised a brow, as the conversation gained it’s own momentum.

"You weren't in a position to judge ‘Padawan!’" said Vos with a sigh.

"And you should have considered allowing me to help. I am not useless. You know, you aren’t some all knowing ‘oracle’; maybe, ‘Master,’ you could consider that others by dent of their experience can contribute too."

Vos raised a brow and smiled to himself. “Could be... could be, Ahsoka Tano... but if you believe you have something to offer, consider not protesting so greatly, young one. Stop professing it and do it!” said Vos unfolding his arms.

Anakin stopped for a moment as he listened, and grunted in accord before stomping his heel into his boot.

“Well, that’s what I was telling you,” said Ahsoka in frustration.

Vos harrumphed. "There have been others with offers of help and we found our trust misplaced. I could not allow it. You've taken offense, but consider now: I did not bear you any personal ill will. I did what I felt was necessary to keep the Emperor safe.”

Sighing, Ahsoka shook her head. "If I was in your position, yes, I’d be vigilant but open, Master!" She lowered her gaze realising they were arguing in a circle. “I guess I am fed up being told that I can't do something even when I am more than capable."

Vos bit his tongue for a moment and then after a hard stare, said, "I can appreciate that. We are different!" he said with a slight smirk. "For one thing, I'm not as ... curved or ...pointy…" he tried.

Quickly glancing to Vos, Ahsoka demurred, but shot back with a smirk, "And I'm not so shaggy!”

Laughter emanated from the dressing room.

"Shaggy?" exclaimed the Kiffu, with a momentary mock-confusion and then slowly he smiled.

Anakin approached with purpose.

It was clear that Ahsoka’s clothing was threadbare. Often when Jedi were found or hauled in to Imperial Center, they looked bedraggled; clothing worn and besmirched, thin, malnourished. Some had taken to living in the most deplorable conditions. Ahsoka was a classic. Hand on chin, Anakin studied her for a moment as she and Vos conversed before announcing, “Ahsoka, come with me,” and without more consideration he clasped her hand and tugged her after him, Ahsoka’s sentence trailing as she looked to Vos with a shrug.

“I have a feeling we aren’t going to have much time for any more nostalgia or niceties. You need some clothing. What you’re wearing is about to fall off and that would be MOST inconvenient! Here,” he said leading her into a large dressing room.

Picking her singlet between thumb and forefinger, Ahsoka examined the poor cloth while in transit. “They look a lot better when they’re washed,” she protested, but leaving off, taken aback by the amount of clothes she now beheld lining the walls of the small but well appointed room..

"Celeste has clothing she never wears, here. Let's see…" he said letting go of the Togruta’s hand to rummage and holding up a piece, he sized her up, looking between the article and Ahsoka. He grabbed another article, and shook it out. “Some of this stuff just collects dust. She forgets she has these things - she’s a creature of habit - we get along perfectly!” he said wryly and smirking as he looked to Ahsoka, whose cheeks swelled as she held back a laugh. He’d anticipated her comment before it was made.

"Do you think Celeste would like me?" asked Ahsoka, arms filling with clothing he threw to her.

"I know I've never seen her wear THAT!" commented Anakin under his breath and smiling to himself, stuffing the small, delicate vestment into his pocket with a blush. "Huh? Of course she'll like you. I like you!"

"I like you too and I feel that I will like her as well," she asserted looking down to the burgeoning pile in her arms.

Picking up another top, something like a corset, Anakin found it was lightly staid. He look to Ahsoka's curving form and shook his head, "Better not!" Picking another top, he decided, "Color's wrong."

"What about that?" she said brightening and gesturing to a dark top in the drawer he’d just pulled open.

He looked down at the piece and chuckled. "You like skin.." he teased shaking his head.

Holding up the dark violet velvet tank top, he laughed. "I'm certainly not averse to skin. Comes in pretty handy and ... er... it's ... nice." Pulling trays and drawers out, he scanned and finally found a pair of light brown trousers. "These?"

"It'll work well." she said, reaching out to feel the material almost overwhelmed with the sense of being ‘home’ again and she swallowed and continued, "I am her about her size? Probably a shock for you to see how much I’ve grown?"

His back to her, he turned around finally, and said breezily, “You're a little bigger than she is, but not by much,” and he spilled the rest of the clothes into her arms. He did notice how much she’d grown, but he wasn’t going to say just how. "Well....I’ll ...you dress. Shake a leg! I’ll be...out there." he said gesturing to the bed chamber.

***

“It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to take Han to Carida.” said Anakin as he rejoined Quin. “Better find him... and don’t tell me he’s on board your ship...you and I both know he’s incapable of staying put for this long on his own….” said Anakin jabbing the air with his forefinger and then addressing no one in particular, “I’d do better sending a pigeon courier than waiting for my summons to be acknowledged!” He stood regarding the holo transponder hands on hips as if he could will it to ‘bleet’ in answer.


TAG: Ahsoka, Vos, Solinova, Carthaginian, Vectis, Amidala, di Toli, Ozzel, Teshik, Pestage, Kadir, Alia, etc. (Will post the summons via Solinova later today)

 

IC: Captain Iillor, Huntress bridge.


Iillor nodded as she listened to the Kuati junior officer.

?Okay, that?s good, Ensign. Now, you say that Doctor Ashri and his team were able to get some rest? If so, would he like to oversee the organising of getting patients aboard larties and shuttles. I will get Surgeon-Commander Debgate to join him.?

When Charios broached the matter of the lockdown, Iillor adopted a half-curious, half understanding, expression.
?I don?t know how your ships missed the lifting of the lockdown, as Planetary Defence put out a broadcast.? She was still holding the white datapad in her right hand, the contraption closed now that she had watched the recorded HNN report herself. She now brought it up from her side, to where it was between them.
?As for what started it, I only found out this morning. Short version? Somebody attacked the Senate.? She allowed a few seconds for Charios to absorb her words, then, ?Long version?? She held the datapad lid firmly between slender fingers, and flicked her wrist in such a way that centrifug...centriped...momentum, snapped the bi-valve design into the open position, instantly replaying the Hgubmil report on the disaster.

It certainly was not the prescribed way to open and operate a datapad, but she was Captain, dammit.

Iillor offered Charios the open datapad, so that he could see what she had learned not long before.

Tag: Charios

 

IC: Mira Solinova, USF Embassy aid to the RMU, Anakin, Lord Vader, Imperial Executor, Provisional Imperator
LOCATION: Office of the Imperial Executor/Provisional Imperator, Provisional Palace, Ursean Embassy, Ambassadorial Sector, Imperial Center - Taungsday, the morning after the Senate bombing, 0613c

Mira hurried through the partially constructed opening from Office of the Re to the bustling office being set up in the suite next door, droids and flesh service workers moving aside as the uniformed blond zipped through.

Hands waved to gain her attention, but Mira gestured she was unavailable and speeding through to the secured office across the administrative pool, she brushed a bit of wall board dust from her shoulder, the white powder leaving a streak on the charcoal grey epaulet of her dress coat. It was pointless, at this point to speak, the drills and various other construction devices whirred and hammered, their pneumatic hoses snaking through across the floor and every now and then hissing as the compression was adjusted.

Setting her headset on her head as she closed the door behind her, she nodded to the 4 communications officers who turned by 3rds to acknowledge the aid.

Swiveling into the molded console to her comrades, her finger flew with efficiency over the aurabesh imprinted keys as she sent instructions to the officer to her left. Both entered their identification the clear security partitions closed round the two, Ursean and Imperial while the others surround the 6 communications workers remained open.

The twinkling lights and holos on Solinova's console and that of her Imperial counterpart soon became obscured to the rest of the room as the clear double walled ?plast? filled with a darkening mist.

"Frequencies are open and channel's clear for all parties."

In answer to the Imperial, Solinova nodded out of habit, though she was required to answer him via her keyboard just as he had transmitted to her.

Typing quickly, she also replied verbally, "Memorandum completed. I am ready to transmit."

The Imperial, nodded, "Encryption prepared, you my transmit now..."

Solinova sent the protocols first to each of the recipients. Their names would appear on the conference list for each and thus she?d had to check for rank listing before sending.

On her screen the progress of the memo as it was sent to each of the attendees scrolled:


...HM Sabe Amidala II, Queen of Naboo, Office of the Executor IC...Grand Admiral Magnes Carthaginian – HIM SSD Halcyon...Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik, ICO, Sector Zero Command, HIM ISD Eleemosynary...Lord Admiral Julien Leitman, USF – Mav. VittSD Vitt Utharde...Admiral Kendal Ozzel – HIM SSD Executor...Moff Kadir – ICPD... Captain Scyther Vectis – HIM VSD Road Block ...Captain Sohmer- HIM Krayt’s Fire ...Mr. Jan di Toli, HIM SSD Executor...


...prompt: Holocom encryption frequency...10 PFC level...searching...searching... connect....

A soft ping announced the connections made.

...prompt: Protocol engaged...logging on...logging on...log...

....Precedural: Automatic return....Recipient...your transmission is being connected...Comm Holocom portal Cor IC-AOE-990-Silver/...

The memorandum zipped through the encryption process as had the name, the angular letters flying in a green streak, one by one across her screen, as if they were being suctioned from one side of the screen to the other:


Encoding....

...O F F I C E O F T H E I M P ERIAL EXECUTOR,PROVISIONAL IMPERATOR...

PROVISIONAL PALACE: URSEAN EMBASSY
AMBASSADORIAL SECTOR
IMPERIAL CENTER




08:09:33 IST
0613 c
MEMORANDUM:

HM Sabe Amidala II, Queen of Naboo, Office of the Executor IC
Grand Admiral Magnes Carthaginian - HIM SSD Halcyon,
Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik, ICO, Sector Zero Command, HIM SSD Eleemosynary,
Lord Admiral Julien Leitman, USF – Mav. VittSD Vitt Utharde,
Admiral Kendal Ozzel – HIM SSD Executor
Moff Kadir – ICPD
Captain Scyther Vectis – HIM VSD Road Block
Captain Sohmer- HIM Krayt’s Fire
Mr. Jan di Toli, HIM SSD Executor

SUBJECT: URGENT IMMEDIATE HOLO SUMMONS



Report and stand-by immediately for closed holo conference with Imperator by
order of the Executor, Provisional Imperator.



Mira Solinova, USF Embassy Aid, Office of the Re Mavrat Ursa, Provisional Imperial Palace, Ursean Embassy

...prompt: confirm personal identification code...waiting for recipient input…

...waiting... connection...Recipient will stand-by for redirect/prompt:….

Single-way gate OE will port holo at OE discretion...stand-by...

Another ping indicated the recipients were starting to log on and after confirming their identities with their Personal codes she could hear the multiple iterations; a smooth and warm female voice announced:

"You have entered secured Holopod Cor IC-AOE-990-Silver, please await signal while your conference is bussed…."

Now the two comm officers looked to each other and waited.

TAG: Sabe, Magnes, Teshik, Leitman, Ozzel, Kadir, Vectis, Sohmer, di Toli

 

OOC: I am providing Sith_I-5’s post from the end of GAW IIII and his most recent one in GAW IV tagging Ozzel as a references for my post which follows Sithy’s.



Date Posted: 6/14/09 2:37pm Subject: The Galaxy at War Part III: Schism of the Sith
IC: Captain Sohmer, Lieutenant Esteban Corel, Venator Krayt?s Fire and the SSD Executor respectively.
Location: Sector 0, Imperial Centre


Sohmer, seated in his command chair, experienced a certain amount of relief as the dopplering blue and grey star-lines appeared beyond the bridge windows, shortened, to be replaced with the brown orb streaked and dotted with gold.

Coruscant. Imperial Centre.

As the ship decelerated, and the sublights kicked in, the globe quickly grew before them, and the reflective cloud of particles surrounding the planet resolved into Imperial warships. The captain?s stomach tensed at the sight of them!

“All stop.” He commanded. “Emergency deceleration. Navigation, plot escape routes from the system; no less than three.”

"Yes, sir."

"As ordered."

"ComScan, signal our contact aboard Executor that we have arrived in-system with two packages."

"Yes, sir."

Sohmer, his face stern, removed the protective plastic cap from the worn red button on his right arm-rest, studied it. He had never used it, but from the state it was in, his predecessor had clearly been a fan. He held it down, and when he spoke now, his voice echoed throughout the Star Destroyer: "This is the Captain. We have reached Imperial Centre. Commander Merch, Colonel Sin, my ready room on the bridge. Now."

He replaced the cap; didn't want to hit it accidentally with his elbow one day, and disseminate un-intended information round the ship.

* * * *

Executor bridge

The undercover intelligence officer, Corel, looked at his panel as the short message came through. Here. Two packages. KF.

He sent back a single ping as acknowledgment, stood from his station, nodding at the Pit Lieutenant who had looked over at his movement, and climbed up from the pit to the command walkway, where he immediately sought out Admiral Ozzel.

Standing to attention until the flag officer acknowledged his presence, he advised the man quietly: "Admiral, the intelligence vessel we assigned to search out Emperor Palpatine's remains on Kalee, has arrived in-system. They report that they have two packages. Do you wish me to inform Lord Vader?"

Tag: The artist formerly known as Sin, Admiral Ozzel.


IC: Lieutenant Estaban Corel, bridge crew, Executor Super Star Destroyer.
Location: Imperial Centre orbit

Esteban had been in the uncomfortable position of being an undercover Imperial Intelligence operative manning the ComScan station aboard the Super Star Destroyer, and have Lord Vader stand over him and tell him that he knew exactly what he was.

He listened closely to the report being relayed up from one of the agencies that he had called at Galactic City, and one had returned his call with some news.

"Thank you, Major; I owe you one." Esteban tore off the page of flimsi that he had been jotting notes on, and stood up from his console to report to Admiral Ozzel.

Shuffling through the the cramped crew pit to the front, the final barrier to the steps leading up to the command walkway, was his Pit Lieutenant, who regarded him with arms crossed, and made no move to get out of the way.
"Oh, you are as smooth as the surface of a neutron star." The black-uniformed officer regarded Corel critically, but there was a betrayed look in his eyes, and Corel realised that this was over him being a covert operative, rather than a regular junior officer.

Corel said nothing, waiting out his counterpart. Finally, the man jerked his head sharply, and stepped aside.

Released, the ComScan officer bounded up the steps and walked quickly towards Ozzel.

"Admiral, we have found him. We know where Grand Moff Tarkin is!"

Tag: Admiral Ozzel


IC: Adm. Kendal Ozzel, Jan di Toli
LOCATION: HIM SSD Executor, Sector 0, Imperial Centre ? morning after the Senate bombing 0616 c



"Mr. Corel ... again!” exclaimed the Admiral, jowels trembling as he turned about to acknowledge the “covert” intel operative and leaning slightly forward to rock on the balls of his feet.

Not a few hours earlier the eager young man had informed the Admiral been that the Emperor’s remains had been found and returned. He’d tried to locate Tarkin, but the office of Grand Moff Trachta had been mandatorily emptied and, apparently, the event had caused a traffic snarl. To make matters worse, communications frequencies were overwhelmed with calls and even the military, which ordinarily had far better performing infrastructure than civil, could not keep up. It took hours to sort it out and now, with the Priority 1 Security Lock lifted, traffic and communications were beginning to flow again.

“A little decorum, Lieutenant,” said Ozzel swelling his chest at the young officer’s exuberance. “Now, what’s this?” he queried, jockeying for control. “Found Grand Moff Tarkin?” Ozzel said, cocking his ear.

Would, by the Saints, we’d lost Tarkin! thought Jan di Toli standing silently by, thinking about the Grand Moff’s talent for showing up at the most inconvenient moments, Tarkin, who’s razor sharp directives and tongue were without parallel and matched superbly by his chiseled hawkish countenance.

“Well, raise him, man!” commanded Ozzel quickly.

Just as Ozzel commanded, a communications officer strode forward and the Admiral, waved him back, “NO, no, go and get Tarkin on comm…”

The comm. officer looked to Mr. di Toli and then, back to Admiral Ozzel, his salute staggered by the Admiral’s bluster. “Beg pardon, Admiral, Sir.... Co... Command Summons, Sir, from Imperial Center Provisional Imperator, Sir... Urgent.”

“BAHHHHHHHHH! Let me see that!” huffed Ozzel, ripping the datapad from the officer’s hand.

While Ozzel’s eyes raced over the memo, the officer turned to Mr. di Toli. “Eh... Sir.... There’s one for you too, Mr. di Toli, Sir!”

Ozzel looked up with a scowl and tossed the “slate” back to the comm. officer before looking impatiently around. “Corel, raise Tarkin, tell him I’ve something important to discuss.”

Jan di Toli could not question the Admiral, but he had a good idea what Ozzel hoped to do. Di Toli bit the inside of his cheek.

“Sir, shall I begin protocols for the conference and send to your ready room?” The comm. officer resisted giving Lt. Corel a quizzical look, as he asked.

“Go on Corel,” insisted Ozzel.

Ozzel gave the large Ursean Imperial an annoyed look, ignoring the unanswered query. “I’ll need to freshen up, first,” he said, stepping aggressively between the communications officer and Mr. di Toli.

“Mr. di Toli, Sir?” asked the young officer.

Standing rock solid, Jan, sighed inwardly. “You heard the Admiral, he’s putting on his polish....Let’s hope he’ll be at his transceiver before he’s pinged for ID,” said di Toli. “I’m ready, Lieutenant. I’ll be in the Captain’s Ready Room awaiting your signal.”

The comm. officer saluted smartly and headed off to begin procedures.

TAG: Lt. Corel

 

(Double post removed)

 

OOC: Amended version, as missed edit cutoff - wow, 90 mins flew by

IC: Lieutenant Esteban Corel, ISB Agent Alex Stern, Captain Sohmer, Commander Henio Merch, Colonel Sin, Lieutenant R?chael Yaer, SSD Executor, Mobile Command Base near Moff Tratch tower, VenSD Krayt?s Fire.
Location: Imperial Centre, Sector 0

"Go on Corel," Ozzel had emphasized, responding to Esteban?s pause, with a chaser.

"As ordered, Admiral." Corel about-faced and trotted, with more of the instructed decorum, back to his station. He had little way of knowing, instantly anyway, if Tarkin had been included in the comms-list from the Provisional Imperator, but he chose not to dwell on that.

The Admiral could have felt the same way as his slighted Pit Lieutenant, and given him considerably more, and more lasting, static, over his reveal as a covert operative ? Corel guessed he ought to drop that descriptive - but had not, for which the agent was grateful.

Calling the Grand Moff directly before, had been impossible, hence the run-around, so he would have to call that Imperial Security Bureau major back, the one who had been so helpful.

* * * *

Base of Moff Trachta?s Tower, Galactic City


Like a horizontal beer barrel, with a tapired nose, and heavy blaster cannon, the ISB Nen-Caervon mobile command base, stood three hundred metres from the base of the Moff Trachta tower, dropped off by a LAAT/rine (latrine) earlier.

Now hundreds of Imperial Service personnel and officers milled in a large crowd between the vehicle and the evacuated cloud-scraper, while a pair of red-and-white Coruscant Fire Service tenders circled the higher floors, then ascended or descended a level, then pirouetted round the building again.

The noise from the displaced soldiers was immense.

One lone crew-cut ISB youth stood on the rear steps of the MCB, guarding the armoured hatch from unwelcome visitors.

Alex Stern had slept like a log as soon as he had gotten back home the previous early evening, and somehow slept through the panic that the city had endured, only waking for an early morning jog, not only to find the Political Assassinations case to which he and Acen had been seconded, overtaken by an attack on the Senate; but himself re-assigned back to mainstream ISB duties.

So rather than the plain clothes that he had been able to gad about in, the past few days, with Acen (Agent Hunter), and that Basic-speaking jawa detective, he was back in the ?sack?, the light tan tunic, and dark trousers and boots, of a normal ISB recruit, for the visual identification, and increased security that citizens would feel upon seeing it.
It was silent proof of his acceptance of ISB doctrine, that he believed citizens felt safer seeing that uniform anywhere near them.

So, Acen was aboard the locked down HNN Skyhook, and Alex had no idea what the hell he was doing up there; nor did he have any idea where the jawa, Lieutenant Giardella, was.

The only warning that Alex had, was the click of the lock, before the hatch behind him, hit him between the shoulder blades and threatened to pitch him into the crowd of grey and olive-green tunics and caps.

The Empire had not yet encountered the phenomena of crowd-surfing, and given the traditional animosity between regular soldiers and the ISB, this was probably not the place to start.

Agent Stern straightened, more winded really, as the Bureau officer, his tan tunic stretched over a portly frame, somehow made it through the door without grease, still speaking into a comlink grasped in a thick-fingered pink fist.
“Look, Esteban, when I said ‘call anytime’, I was sort of hoping that you would at least leave it a day before calling back. It’s rammed down here.” The officer ignored Alex, instead looking over the sea of people as he talked. “Speaking of which, you got any idea why we evacuated the tower? That’s the main question everyone keeps asking me! That, and where are the loos? I mean, what in the Core is a ‘loo’ anyway? A fresher?”

Alex’ view of the side of the man’s face, saw him do an expression as he absorbed the new word for ‘fresher’.

“Okay.” The major waved up at the CFS hoverships. “The place isn’t on fire, and whoever hit EMPSURACON and the Senate, is long gone, I heard. Oh, there he is. Stand by, I’ll try to get a comlink to him.” He looked down at the bemused Alex, and indicated a particular part of the milling crowd, where several more senior, officers, were visible. “See that old fellow, skinny, face like a flesh-covered medical droid: Grand Moff Tarkin. I want you to shout, ‘Oi, Tarkky!’, and lob this at his head. Think you can do that, Son?”

Alex eyed Tarkin talking to a cyber-enhanced individual, returned, “Can’t I just take it over to him?”

Air hissed as the major sucked his teeth, and hitched up his ample waist a bit. “My policy is to not ask my men to do anything I would not do myself, and I wouldn’t go walking through that lot just to deliver a frakkin’ comlink.”

The rookie agent gave his superior a quizzical look. “But you’d throw it at him.”

“Oh yeah.” The enthusiastic smile dropped away to show the younger man that the major had good reason not to be a fan of the Grand Moff, even if he chose not to reveal the reason. “If you do choose to go with Plan B, tell him that an Admiral Ozzel wants him. And if anyone asks, we don’t know why the tower had to be evacuated.”

****

Captain’s ready room, Krayt’s Fire

The three senior officers of Sohmer, Merch, and Sin had spent the time waiting for a call back from Lord Vader, sitting around the Sand Panther rug, bonding, drinking from a small bottle of Corellian brandy, and swapping tales of monsters and personal valour.

Sohmer was finishing telling the others about his last holiday, where he had had a supersized dianoga flashgrown in a giant vat of water, and dived in with just a knife, to slay the tentacled beast.
He put down his glass to unsnap the his belt, and lift up the left front of his tunic to show a wicked red circular weal, about five inches across, stark against his fading tan.

“Stang!” Henio Merch grimaced on seeing the colourful scar. He had initially been hostile to Sohmer, having expected to achieve the captaincy job after the former job-holder had splatted himself all over the hangar deck, showing new pilots that it was possible to exit TIEs without help from technicians. None of the fliers had been persuaded, with little wonder. In the last hours, however, relations between the two had started to thaw. “You could clear that up with some bacta though.”

“I had more of these.” Sohmer revealed, tidying himself, “and did that to clear the rest up, but decided to keep it for a short while. Something to show off once I got back to Wraithis.” He was surprised how little he missed his former ship now, but he had been onboard the ‘Fire for some time now, and through a lot, and felt more at home aboard her now. He would call his former captain, Perrinaw, once this thing with Vader was over, though.

“You’re nuts.” The commander decided, at length, and without rancour.

“I must be.” Sohmer nodded happily, stealing surreptitious glances at the big red ‘V’ of Colonel Sin’s flipper-length footwear, after his crossed over ankles. “I gotta ask: do your feet go right to the end of those shoes.”

Merch huffed his amusement, chest shaking as he squeezed his eyes shut, and rested his glass on his own crossed arms.

Sin smiled patiently over the upturned collar of his belted red raincoat, saying nothing.

Merch had told them his Rancor story; Sohmer had just finished with his underwater dianoga knife-fight; Sin reckoned he could trump the both of them, by turning into that Sith Dragon thing of his, right here in the Ready Room!

Force Sensitive, he had only woken recently, from suspended animation at the hands of Palpatine’s own Sith teacher, and immediately pressed into surface.

When Sohmer had reported finding two packages, Sin was the second one, for he had been found next to His Imperial Majesty’s body on Kalee, inside a subterranean volcanic chamber.

Palpatine's Dark Side agent continued to smile secretly as he warmed to his idea; the future was always in motion, and all that, but the Colonel was willing to bet that Commander Henio 'Rancor Killer' Merch would scream like a little girl!

The was a knock on the closed door.

Damn.

“Come!” Sohmer barked, while the Commander sat up straight in his chair, and tried to compose himself.

Lieutenant Yaer stepped into the room, her manner, and the way she filled her olive-green uniform, drawing welcome looks from at least two out of the three occupants, even as she recoiled from the brandy fumes, blinking away tears. Promoted from running a remote monitoring station at Denon, she now acted as a liaison between the captain, who ran the ship, and the commander, who had taken charge of Intelligence operations since they had organised the disparate agencies represented aboard their ship, into the mish-mash ORIC – Outer Rim Intelligence Centre.
She was a very engaging individual, very professional, and her blonde hair cupped a cherubic pleasant face.

“Uh. Sirs, priority communication from the Provisional Imperial Palace.” She had both hands clasped to the closed black datapad, ready in case Sohmer wanted to read it himself.

He sobered immediately. Finally. “Read it.”

“Report and stand-by immediately for closed holo conference with Imperator by order of the Executor, Provisional Imperator.”

“Imperator?” Sin repeated slowly, his attention moving from his boots, up to the lieutenant. “And that would be Skywalker, yes?”

She looked down at him, trying to see his face behind the protection of his collar. “Provisional laws allowed Lord Vader to take charge, Colonel.”

The furthest from her, beyond Sin and the commander, Sohmer held out his hand for her ‘pad, and made a ‘come hither’ motion. “Alright, gimme.” Though he was ‘pleasantly happy’ more than intoxicated, even his ears, he had been less than formal, so started to bluster a better phrased entreaty, but the device was already in his hand, and the junior out of the door.

“Lieutenant?” Commander Merch called after her, waiting for her to lean back round the door jamb, while beyond her face and one visible shoulder, he could see the rest of the bridge. “Be a good girl; rustle us up three cafs, would you? Black. Plenty of sweetener.”

“Commander.”

“Make mine a cup of sweetener, with two spoonfuls of Coffeine, to top it off. Drop of water.”

“Colonel.” R’Chael responded non-commitantly. The crimson-clad VIP was getting a black caf like the others, and liking it.

Sohmer meanwhile, was skimming through the memorandum, noting the names, and the comm code to access the holo-conf’.

****

Base of Trachta’s Tower

Agent Alex Stern, a bit bruised, but having had the foresight to grab half-a- dozen burly COMPForce soldiers to take him through to the Grand Moff, had reached his target.

“Governor Tarkin! Com-call for you, Sir. Admiral Ozzel.”
He held the comlink over the shoulders of his guards, and stretched towards Tarkin's face.

Tag: Ozzel, Tarkin

 

OOC: Like to join, but you do you join. There is no mentioning of a character sheet.

 

OOC: PM despatched.

 

IC: Captain Scyther Vectis
Location: VenSD Roadblock, Coruscant orbit

Scyther had finally had a chance to grab a cup of tea and small snakc to eat, she felt refreshed after the long rest she had. She decided to do her rounds of the ship, making sure other members of the crew were OK, checking over the ship in general.

Roadblock has suffered medium damage unlike a couple of her sister ships who looked like they not only needed a new paint job but new parts as well. Engineering had reported that one of the engines was having stutters after finally giving up the ghost through their journey through hyperspace. A couple of shield generators had gone, some of the turbolaser turrets had been destroyed and parts of the ship had holes in where there shouldn't be.

All in all though, the ship was still working at least to 75% functionality and the SPHA-T cannon hadn't fallen off which was a bonus. Scyther promised the engineers that new parts would be on the way soon, she hoped so anyway and returned to the bridge.

After establishing contact with the others a familiar and welcome voice came over the comm. from Empire's Will.

"Hello again mein Kapitain?

"Ivanov!" she said happily "Nice to see you back again, how are you?"

"I am fine" came the short response "As fine as one can be after losing my ship and more crewmembers than I could dare to count. But I am thankful that I and those that have been rescued are safe"

He was right. Most of them were now scattered within the AllStars group, some of them filling up missing places left by crewmembers deaths on other ships. Hopefully soon they would all be reunited together once more and on a brand spanking new ship to boot.

There were welcome back comments from the other Captain's Terric complimenting him on a fine escape from Obdurate.

"Not bad for a tall bloke" said Terric, "although with that pocket rocket Lieutenant of yours about, who would hide from you!"

Terric was referring to Lieutenant Jun Kazama, a petite Bakuran lieutenant whose small frame belied her powerhouse martial arts skills.

Ivanov grunted "Maybe I should use those pocket rockets skill on you Captain Terric".

Terric laughed, Scyther chuckled, it was rare that Ivanov made a joke, but it seemed he was back on form here. It was very good to see; most Captain's either got depressed or broke down. Maybe Ivanov was keeping it all locked up inside which was not a good thing but maybe Urseans had a way with dealing with things differently than most humans.

Ice Man Ivanov was back, and back with a vengeance.

"I wouldn't know, I've never met her "said Bahari.

"Trust me, if you get on the wrong side of her, she'll get you good. She beat my Lieutenant Spencer inn a sparring match. He had bruises all over his body that hurt for a week" replied Terric.

"Now I defiantly do not want to know" replied Bahari, but it was good natured. Scyther smiled, Bahari was still gaining in confidence and joining in this banter was a good start. Usually he would curl up in a corner and hide but since Dantooine he had really shown courage. He still needed a bit of work though.

Madison interrupted "I'm sorry to interrupt but Ensign Charios is calling for you Captain Ivanov"

"I'll be back in moment" replied Ivanov, and Madison took his place.

"Ivanov has been back a couple of hours, he's been really helpful to my crew. He's been catching up with his crewmembers, checking they are OK, giving them advice and so on. He's even been chatting to my crewmembers and giving them advice too. Just a while ago him and Captain Olson were talking about team tactics, it was brilliant"

"He's defiantly back" Scyther replied with a grin.

A couple of minutes later there was a sound of conversation coming over the line at Empire's Will's end, then Madison came back on the line sounding confused.

"I've just been informed by Ivanov that Ensign Charios reported that apparently Captain Illior says that the lockdown on Coruscant has been lifted. Are we aware of such a order in place?"

“Defiantly nothing here” said Scyther looking down at the comm. officers, who shook their heads in the negative.

“Nothing here either” replied Bahari

“Same” said both Terric and Arazov.

“I’ll take that as a no then” said Madison, “I’ll inform him”

“What’s all that about I wonder “said Arazov sounding as confused as Scyther was feeling.

“We’ll hopefully find out soon enough” said Scyther stroking her chin in thought, “We’ve defiantly had no transmissions through about that have we Comms ? ”

“Negative” came the response “No transmissions from Coruscant Control since we got here”

As Scyther was about to respond with a thought, Ivanov came back.

“I am waiting to find out about the lockdown. In the meantime Ensign Charios reports all is well with him and Doctor Ashri and that they are being treated well. All major injury cases are to be transferred down to the planet which I feel as I’m sure you all do that it will be the best for them. The Ensign, the Doctor and his team will be returning back to me soon”

“Good” Scyther said “I wanted them off that ghost ship as soon as we got here and I got my wish. Hopefully it won’t take long and the Obdurate gang will be all together again”

“Ja” said Ivanov “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Another few minutes of banter later, the comm. officer waved for attention.

“Transmission from the surface sir, a direct summons for you for a closed conference with Lord Vader and several others. He’s calling himself Imperator, whatever that means”

“Our Lord and Master speaks at last” said Lieutenant Haji “Looks important from what I can see sir. Several high ranking officials on the list, including our esteemed boss”

Haji was referring to Grand Admiral Magnus Carthagnian, a nobleman who was the head of sub-fleet Onslaught which included the AllStars. He had a penchant for being pompous, but he seemed to respect Scyther, he just had a funny way of showing it. It didn’t help that he seemed to give Bahari the shakes.

“Seems very big is there’s a lot of bigwigs on there. I wonder if we will finally get an explanation to the lockdown. I’ll connect to the conference via the holopad in my quarters. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious, I don’t like this one bit”

“Good luck sir” said Casrah with a thumbs up.

“Sounds like I’m going to need it, won’t be long boys”

With words of encouragement from the others in the group, Scyther returned to her quarters and typed in her encryption code which would go through Roadblock’s computer and then be transmitted down to the planet.

She steepled her fingers and rested them under her chin, awaiting the conference

TAG: The Conference.

 

OOC: This is a joint post and a continuation of the last post between HanSolo29 and myself.

IC: Sara Soto, Han Solo
Marketplace, Outside the Senate District, Coruscant

Sara was several feet away when the boy had shot back at her. She?d need to head home, she was heading in the wrong direction but she needed to make a point with slamming her shoulder into his. It?ll put her behind by a few minutes, but it needed to be done. But his words made her freeze for just a minute longer. Glancing over her shoulder, "Well I guess that's the one thing we actually have in common." Her hand rose and waved at him in a dismissive way.
She could see him grit his teeth before his coming response, "Why do you care? It ain't important..."
Sara had enough of keeping her back turned. "Because there's not a lot of things people have in common these days except being alone, and having problems."
His mouth moved silently and his eye contact shifted elsewhere. "Surprise, surprise...did you really expect anything different?"

"From you?" She smirked, letting it burn at him as she made her final move to dismiss him and move on, "No. I'll see you in the..." She turned and saw what she had been fearing would show up. Ever time she turned around when she didn?t expect him or there was a calm, he always appeared. Jinn-Tu, a ruthless Kel-Dor Bounty Hunter that had been hunting her for years now. Practically since the fifty-thousand credit bounty was placed on her head. His mechanically shielded eyes interrogated a human that Sara dimly remembered running past and almost toppling him while running from Shrike. Her voice trailed to finish what she was saying, "Galaxy...Frak." She spat, turning to the boy and hissing, "Now it's your turn to do the running Kid." She bolted towards him, grabbing his bicep as she passed and pulling him along.

"Wha...what's going on? Hey!" he grunted and staggered behind her, trying to free himself from her grip. But she wasn't going to let go. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Don't touch me!"
Sara turned slightly, pointing in the direction of Jinn-Tu. To her dismay he had already spotted her. He always did which meant the boy struggling to break free was now in danger. Jinn-Tu didn't like witnesses. She hissed again, "That's why! He's been hunting me for a year, and he doesn't take kind to tagalongs!"

The boy turned to follow her finger, taking note he turned back with a glare, "Well, I ain't your gods-damned tagalong!" His free hand came up and he thrust his index finger towards her, "And you better get that through your thick skull! I'm leaving'!" She felt him finally break free of her grip, but she quickly grabbed hold again.

"I'm not letting another dumb kid make that mistake. Come on!" She pulled hard and he followed unwillingly.

"Ugh--what the--I told you not to touch me!" He staggered behind again, continuing his struggle to break free of her again, "And dammit, don't call me that!"

"Then stop arguing and just come on! I swear he'll kill us both if you don't follow me to safety!" She shouted back. He really didn't get that Jinn-Tu didn't take kind to tagalongs, and he enjoyed observing situations. He had seen them together before she had even seen him. The boy was already in danger whether he liked it or... Well no one would like it.

"What's your definition of safe?!" His foot toppled one of the trash dispensers in the district and he grunted from the surprise.

"Anywhere that's not here!? She needed him to just be quiet, and she shouted back, "Here's the deal! You can come with me and live now, and then we can part ways after we've lost this guy!" she glanced over her shoulder and saw Jinn-Tu still a ways off, but clearly in pursuit, "Or you can stop here and die now, you're choice!"

He didn’t answer, but the struggling lessened. “When did you start giving the orders?! If there's anything you need to know about me, it's that I know how to survive! I ain't gonna die!”

A blaster bolt sounds, whizzing past them as green neon singed close to their faces. Burning the immediate air around them. "You sure about that!?"

Another flies past them, making them both duck in response, stagger and continue after they got their footing back, “You bet! I'm Corellian and I'm one lucky son of a bantha!”

"Doesn't look like this is you're kind of day then, bantha kid!"

His smug look disappeared, and he noticeably growled, “What is it with you? You just love to get under people's skin, don't ya?! And yeah, you're right - this is a bad day! I found you!”

Sara couldn‘t help but laugh. Most boys would have loved to bump into a girl and get wrapped up in problems with them. She enjoyed the thought but didn‘t express it, "Don't bump into me next time and break my goggles!"

“Oh, quit whining...it wasn't my fault--Mmph!” He stumbled a bit as the both passed a couple, clearly unaware of what was going on in the direction ahead of them and concentrated on themselves. “Dammit…” He threw a glance over his shoulder at them, obviously he saw Jinn-Tu still behind them and turned back. To the best she could tell, “If you're so worried about the goggles, get yourself a new pair, they ain't expensive!”

"It was my disguise! I was trying to hide and you blew it by running into me!" She could tell he was trying not to laugh as ragged breaths suggested, “Not a very good one...if I were the one hunting you down, I'd still be able to pick you out a mile away…” He reached up and pinched some of her hair between his forefinger and thumb. Making her jump and prepare for him to suddenly yank. But it never came. “It's that red hair of yours, doll...you wanna hide, get rid of it...it makes you stand out too much…”

She proved him wrong and with her free hand pulled the hood from her jacket up and over her head "That's what this was for! It fell off too when you bumped into me!"

His voice trailed in annoyance, “Yeah, sure...blame that on me too...real convenient…” He glanced back, she could feel? No it was the twist in his shoulder that suggested it. That’s what it was, “By the way, I don't think I caught this, but where the hell are you taking me?”

"My apartment. It's not the...best. But it's a good place to hide."

He tried not to laugh again, “Oh, great...that makes me feel so much better…”

"Fine! You want specifics!? Lower Sah'c District, east side. Two miles away from us. Apartment 216 of the former Sah'c apartment complex before it was moved to the west side. That help--!?" Something pinched her neck. Something sharp. It didn’t pass, the pain increased and she began to lose her footing. Then the pain lessened and lessened, her world began to darken and her right foot tripped and she fell.

“I don't think you wanna be shouting specifics when we have a bounty hunter-- whoa!”
She felt a pair of arms break her fall, then a blurred and dim, “Ah, dammit…”

Then her world vanished.

TAG: HanSolo29

 

IC: Grand Admiral Magnus Carthaginian
LOCATION: HIM SSD Halcyon, Sector 0, Imperial Center ? morning after the Senate bombing 06170 c


“I see the traffic’s breaking now,” said Carthaginian to his barber and rubbing his chin, he smiled. “That’s a definite improvement. ‘All’s right with the world,’ as they say.” Magnus had made a joke which escaped the older man’s understanding or desire to do so. The Field aid standing by, chuckled to himself at the Grand Admiral’s rare attempt to engage.

The barber brushed the Grand Admiral’s shoulders with a fine bristled whisk. “Yes, sir,” he replied dutifully.

Both men looked where Magnus directed – there was order and movement and they could see, the Grand Admiral was right. The view presented them, showed Imperial Center, glistening yet heavy, as the sun behind the Halcyon lit the planet before them stealing the “magic” of it’s shadow visage and revealing a dull opal orb in greys, dusky pinks and brownish orange. In their geosynchronous orbit, those aboard the Super Star Destroyer could feel somewhat less stagnant compared with those aboard craft so unfortunate as to sit in queue hours before Fleet Onslaught arrived in system the day before. Now those lines of waiting ships were finally moving.

Yet, from his perspective Carthaginian was impressed with the thought that all these ships represented a goodly portion of the Empire’s military might, not half, nor a quarter, but a phenomenal amount!

As his barber cleared his tray from before him, Magnus rose and walked towards the view port of his stateroom, sinking into a deep concentration, knuckle pressing his chin for balance, eyes slimming. In fact, he thought further, if one were to hold great sway amongst the admiralty?one could bring to bear, with so many ships of the line, such a force as to render Coruscant, a slag heap. What if that attack on the Senate were mounted by some hidden foe amongst the assembled before him....?

It was a very short spate of time between that thought and the informal list now formed in his head of just who might have the clout to pull the necessary threads to such an effort. He doubted seriously anyone's wishing to destroy the planet however, to many interests had business on Coruscant. This lead him to consider, who, should it prove necessary, could he rely on? What coalition could he foster? The di stood cocked, corner slipping.

His home world was this dull opal globe and below, his commander, a slave born man of varied cloth, a "wizard", a boy hero pilot with an arrogant color, a favored substitute for a son, and Carthaginian, a man of stature, noble born and bred, formed and forming through solid instruction, anchored, considered and proven, gracious and learned had elected to throw his lot in with this hero cum commander.

It seemed long ago now that his decision had been made. Kavala Palace, Ursa. Was it bearing, a keenness in the gaze, determination, or the sign of a man who had looked into the abyss and still stood?

"Your coat, sir!" The field aid's voice was a gravely one, and a voice Carthaginian knew well. He'd been in the employ of the Carthaginian family as a steward, but during the early years of the Clone Wars he'd enlisted his services. It did not bother Carthaginian that Clodemus was 20 years his senior and certainly more experienced in the Field. However, capable as Clodemus was, he did not possess the decisive metal breeding and expectation inculcated in those of noble birth like himself. With privilege came duty AND the means to uphold that duty.

"Yes, thank you," said Magnes, slipping his arms in while Clodemus held the shoulders of his white dress uniform and then smoothed them down. So would the Empire be served by this young commander to whom Carthaginian had been bound, first by order of law, and now by choice?

What circumstances had brought him to this point? To question himself was not the habit of a Carthaginian, but this went against the usual flow. Two things then stood in the Grand Admiral’s mind and it caused him to look to Clodemus.

“Captain Anko,” he said in formal address, “are you...content in your employ?”

It was so uncustomary of the Grand Admiral as to make the aid drop his stylus. The barber looked up from his case quizzically before continuing, irascibly shuffling around a mouse droid and murmuring, “Go on, out of it!”

“Content, sir?...I’m ...why...yes...sir, tolerably so!” Clodemus had no idea really how to indulge the Admiral’s odd mood.
“That’s good. It’s good to be happy in your work!” Magnus asserted. “It’s good to remember that when things get rough...” he said cryptically. “Alright, the kaf’s gone cold. On your way to bridge see I’m sent a fresh one, will you. I have calls to make. You’d better ring up Road Block for me, I’ve been sitting on this nonsense planet side, no sense raising alarm till we know what’s what... I expect they’ve all got wind of something by now.”

“Yes, sir,” said Anko saluting and turning on heal, already at Magnus’ desk to call for a connection to Captain Vectis.

“There you are Shihoku,” said Magnus dropping a couple credits on the barbers tray, let floating near by as if it had not been gotten to just yet. Magnus smirked to himself. The old man always left that tray hovering.
Bowing, the barber, an old valet too cranky for service, pocketed the tip. “Shove off,” me murmured again as the mouse droid cleaned up the remaining silver and black hairs that had been swept from Magnus’s shoulders and the barber’s towel. The mouse droid squealed as it dodged a well aimed kick.

“Steady,” warned Magnus.

“Damn droids. There’s droids to clean, to build, to barber, even wipe your mouth, n’ summit ther’ be droids to wipe your backside!” grumbled the barber putting away the tools of his vanishing trade.

“Grand Admiral, sir,” said Anko standing up abruptly. “Can’t raise Captain Vectis, she’s on Imperial Summons, Sir.”

“WHAT?! Whatever do you mean, Captain?” asked Carthaginian annoyed and confused.

“Sir, Imperial Summons, Sir, and so are you,” he said holding up his datapad to show the memorandum.
Brow furrowed, the Grand Admiral reached for the data pad. Reading over, he looked up to Anko. “Ahem...yes, well, I supposed you’d better get on this. Once you’ve connected, hurry to the bridge, I’d like all Onslaught to be on stand- by.”

“Imperator...Sir?” said Anko confused.

“Go on Anko and send a message to Leitman’s second... Admiral Roisko tell him to deliver this message to the Lord Admiral Leitman if he is not yet sequestered: Tell him Imperial subfleet Onslaught is going to stand-by – purely precautionary…”

Carthaginian stopped and gazed out of his port at the Ursean fleet in the distance. “Wait, Captain! Locate the Ursean Queen’s ship!”

Carthaginian paced for a moment before Anko pointed it out to him, aft and somewhat behind the Ursean fleet.

“Then send that I am advising they keep the Reina’s ship in their formation for the time being until things are.... Settled,” said Magnus quickly.

“Yes, ... Sir,” said Anko, piecing the situation together and swinging into action. The aid set up the holo connection through the bridge and then let himself out to reach the Vitt Utharde.

TAG: Captain Vectis, Grand Admiral Leitman, Conference

 

OOC: The spelling for Magnus is correct and not the variant I left in the body of the post and the time in the heading should read: 0617 c

Thank you,
Pash

 

IC: Lieutenant R'Chael Yaer, Colonel Sin, Commander Merch, Captain Sohmer, Krayt's Fire Venator
Location: Imperial Centre space


Within six minutes of her request, Yaer was at the back of the bridge, accepting a tray from a grey-coveralled rating while the door guards looked on.

Three metal mugs filled with steaming black liquid, another metal container with a teaspoon was two thirds filled with white sweetener granules; an open datapad for which she signed, and on her way to the Ready Room, activated with a thumb scan, so that she could brief her superiors.

She knocked, then entered at Sohmer's response, nudging at the door with her left hip out of habit rather than necessity.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Colonel Sin nodded, levitating one mug straight from the tray.

"Colonel." She looked pointedly at his outstretched legs, and when he did not reign them in, she took the scenic route round them, and bent down towards Henio, lowering the tray to where he could get a cup.

"Sirs, an alert from Arkanis Sector. Monitoring station, Tatooine, has picked up what it suspects is a jedi locator beacon. Last positive fix was at Rodia, but it has gone into hyperspace again."

"Well, we cannot do anything from here." Merch pointed out, looking over the desk at Sohmer, as he stirred more sweetener into his Coffeine. "In any case, Admiralty is giving Admiral Thaw first dibs on captures, because of the Charlotte's Web incident." He continued, referring to the recent disappearance of an Interdictor-class heavy cruiser at Ryloth, along with the destruction of an Inquisitorious star destroyer.

The Captain did not pause in his inputting of his encryption codes to access the holo-conference, as he answered; able to concentrate on more than one thing at a time: "Thaw should still have assets at Geonosis. Give them the heads up, and remind them that if this is a genuine trace, we need the jedi not necessarily in one piece, but certainly able to answer questions." He had his tongue at the corner of his mouth as he peered at the code onscreen, and compared to the one at the base of the memorandum. He looked up at Yaer. "Leave mine on the desk please, then contact Geonosis regarding this Order 66 matter."

"Yes sir."

"Seal the door after you; we do not wish to be disturbed." He added.

She nodded her understanding. "Affirmative."

Seconds later, the door hissed shut, and Sohmer settled in to wait connection with the holo-conference. He planned to advise the first person to pop up, who would be listening in.

A smooth and warm female voice announced: "You have entered secured Holopod Cor IC-AOE-990-Silver, please await signal while your conference is bussed...."

"Pleasant voice," The Colonel observed, sipping at his drink, "when it has finished...bussing..., ask if she has a sister."

Merch did a deliberate double-take, while Sohmer sighed and reached for his kaf.

Tag: The Conference

 

OOC: I have been asked, by player and GM, to berth Jorus C?Boath until MOLP has more time to play.

IC: Agent Devon Robie, Master Jorus C?Boath, bridge of the Haven Jedi Refuge.
Location: Ylix star system

?Actually,? Devon decided aloud, rising from his chair, and waving the jedi master to join him in one of the rooms going off from the bridge, ?you probably should know about this.?

?Know about what?? C?Boath responded warily, as he stepped down from the doorway, and trailed the rodian. He sensed no hostility from the non-jedi, and wondered why Master Yoda had allowed non-Sensetives to remain on board.

Devon stopped at an unlit rectangular light-table, standing at an indentation on the near side, and leaned over to activate it. The surface glowed white, bathing the ceiling and their faces, and casting light and their shadows round the otherwise dark room. The agent indicated a green spot, with it?s name next to it. ?Imperial sensors have picked up a jedi locator beacon, that just suddenly started blaring, last positive sighting at Rodia.?

Jorus paused, cocking his head slightly, as if trying to hear something outside Devon?s range, while the rodian looked on self-consciously, and wondered whether to risk poking the older teacher.
Then the jedi seemed to recover. ?I do not sense Knight Sunwalker to be in danger.?

?We don?t either, Master. A bounty hunter was killed at one of the tapcafs serving the main spaceport; witnesses say that he accused someone of being a jedi, just before he got blasted. What with all that nonsense at Arrisa, and whatever went down at Coruscant, the Imps are having trouble getting their act together. At the moment, bounty hunters have been contracted to investigate, but it is only a matter of time before the Empire diverts some official resource to the hunt.?

?Are we doing anything?? The Jedi Master asked pointedly.

Devon hesitated, because whatever they were doing, it was not much. ?An SGIS agent is enroute to Rodia.?

Jorus waved dismissivly at the idea. ?Oh, he won?t stay there, not if he has been compromised. Bring up the closest worlds.?

Devon leaned down to peer at the table controls, and quickly tapped in the parameters he wanted. The colourful icons for Ando, Blenjeel and Falleen resolve dout of the white background. ?Ando is closest, Master.?

?Which means that we can ignore it. Send your man to Blenjeel.?

?Yes, Master. I will pass that on.? He nodded. ?If he really wanted to go to ground, he could try Lahsbane, or even Hutt Space.? More planets came up as he fed in more instructions. ?But why activate the beacon if you are trying to hide. I mean, when Knight Evanzon did his, he was stranded in deep space, so couldn?t go anywhere, but this fragger-? He stopped, mid-sentence, aware that the older jedi?s hand had dropped to the hilt at his side.

?I would choose your next words very carefully, Agent.? Jorus warned. He had always believed that an insult to one of their special breed, was an insult to all, and that side of him certainly had not mellowed. He exhaled heavily. ?I will be in my cabin.? He immediately left the light-table.

?Okay-dokey?? Devon watched the jedi master about face from the light-table, and trailed him back onto the command deck.

?Deep meditation to commune with Force, may divine our errant brother?s location. Master Whie is in nominal charge until I return. Apprise him of the situation, and be warned, I must not be disturbed.?

Devon diverted to the Communications Station and waited for the bridge doors to safely seal behind the master, before uttering, ?Cancel the marching band; got it.?

Sighing, he set about dialing his boss for the third time that morning. The Mission Supervisor was going to be thrilled.

Tag: no-one

 

~OOC~
This post references story arcs from GAW III, I have approval from Pashatemur, TheAdmiral and Sith-I-5 to move characters along for this post. Special thanks goes to Pashatemur, LadyZaraMarta/TheMaidofOrleans, TheAdmiral and Sith-I-5.

~IC~ Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Location: Obligon Nebula / Arrissa's Field

A mighty spectacle. A shining splendour: The violent life and death of a star. In the Chommell Sector, this cycle is currently taking place within the Obligon Nebula.

A marvellous art of nature: This H-II class nebula is three times the size of an average star system. While its stunning magnitude is impressive, it is tiny compared to the other nebulas of its class in the galaxy. Through the process of accretion, new stars are being born in this interstellar nursery. What gives the nebula its beauty is the way ultra-violet light from the young stars reacts with the gases, illuminating them.

Beautiful but also full of hidden dangers. Inside the depths of this nebula, the dense magnetic field of a lone pulsar sculpt the particles of dust and gas into spiralling tendril formations around it. The sweeping, pulsating high-energy radiation leaving the celestial body is harmful to anyone unshielded from it.

The gravitational forces influenced by the stars keep an iron rich field of asteroids snugly by the edge of the nebula. This material once belonged to a star system: remnants of planets and moons, asteroids and comets, dust and ice. Presumably destroyed aeons ago by a supernova or some other catastrophic event. With the passing of time, it would be likely that the field would be captured by the gravity of a young star from the Nebula and be recycled as a new system of planets and bodies to orbit it.

Among this dynamic backdrop another activity plays out. Two Imperial-class Star Destroyers silently move in tandem along the imaginary border between the nebulous formation and the asteroid field. Their shields flare up and flash regularly by being constantly bombarded by micrometeorites from the field impacting the ships at astonishing speeds. The residual radiation that assaults them is kept at tolerable levels by the shields, if they stray deeper into the stellar clouds of the nebula, they run the risk of receiving potent rays from the pulsar and killing the crew.

It is recommended among pilots of unshielded crafts, such as tugs and TIE-class starfighters, that be on duty to spend minimal amounts of time as possible away from the command ships. This is to prevent prolonged exposure that can cause damage to DNA, cellular degradation and sterility among them.

Tumbling, spinning, curving, bending and breaking. The dance of the asteroids. Each body follows their own path along their own axis. The rotation of each mass creates its own influence of gravity that tugs, repels and alters the course everything else in its path until it crashes or is slung out of the field. Collisions of the larger asteroids can splinter them apart into smaller shards, if the energy behind them are great enough can fuse them together to form larger ones.

At the heart of the field, larger collections of asteroids dominate over the smaller ones. Some are the size of a small moon and help shape the field themselves. Caverns and intricate tunnels burrow through some of them from mining equipment or natural formations from fusion. Craters that pit the surface of those 'giants' are from the loose eccentric orbits from the smaller ones that bring their paths too close and eventually impact.

At the outer band of the asteroid field, three Imperial Star Destroyers traverse along the non-defined edge of the field. The large KDY manufactured ion engine nozzles glowed hot and brightly as they provided thrust in the cold vacuum. In reverse delta-formation, 'Judicator' and 'Stormhawk' flank the 'Chimaera' as the large vessels continued their present course until further orders.

Their movements were shown in holographic form on the map of the surrounding region displayed in Mitth'raw'nuruodo's chamber onboard the 'Chimaera'. Studying the display closely, while Admiral John Thaw's Destroyer had already departed, his mark still remained on the field. Hours earlier, the natural balance of the field had been disrupted by Thaw when his fixation on possessing a captured Union diplomatic shuttle led him to the Arrissa's Field.

The shuttle, surrounded by controversy and in the custody of Juno Eclipse's squadron, had fled for their lives to escape Thaw's reach and to find sanctuary among the asteroids until they could return to their command ship. Thaw's Destroyer's weapons had gouged a section of the field's edge in attempt to stop his quarry from slipping away before deploying an Interceptor squadron and shuttle to find and recover them.

The hostile encroachment on territory under the protectorate of Grand Admiral Thrawn was not taken lightly. After the 'Chimaera' arrived with the 'Judicator' and 'Stormhawk', Thaw's forces eventually pulled back from the asteroids and withdrew from the region.

In the dark chamber, the illumination sources emitting from the holographic displays before Mitth'raw'nuruodo as he sat on his command chair, hand cupping his chin. Data boxes beside the map contained a dossier on Captain Juno Eclipse, transcript of her communication with Admiral Thaw and the message from Defence Minister Nacluv of the Naboo. The Naboo ecliptic syllabary read:

[FYO Grand Admiral Thrawn
Naboo Security, Defense Minister Nacluv
Naboo authorities have dispensed your command. The area of interest was swept and we await your remittal to debrief at your leisure. Appropriate measures have been taken to secure and mitigate damages. We thank you for you attention and await your reply,
Respectfully,
Defense Minister Yomin Nacluv]

A distorted voice came from the com system installed on the command chair. ["Sir."]

Thrawn's piercing gaze shifted slightly from the map to the three-quarter scale holo form of Captain Dorja. The shimmering form stood proudly before the Grand Admiral on the small dias as he related the news.

["The shuttle 'Aquila' has arrived at the 'Relentless'. Panthera Squadron are landing their fighters in our hanger as we speak."]

"Assign the ambassadors of the Union some quarters, they are our guests for the time being. Remain prudent, Captain." Thrawn lowered his hand to the console to alter the coordinates of the map to show the area where 'Ragnarök' and 'Relentless' should be along the nebulous border. Interference makes it difficult to pinpoint their exact location though he knew they were there. "Detain Panthera Squadron, lock down their crafts, do not allow them access to any of the facilities. They are suspects to the incident at Naboo."

["Yes sir."] The Captain didn't hesitate to answer, thought his expression appeared to be perplexed.

"Furthermore..." Thrawn let his voice linger, "there is evidence that the 'Ragnarök' has been compromised, acting upon their own accord and now outlived it's usefulness. Seize their databanks, their communications logs and other valuable information."

Dorja noticeably straightened on the holo. ["I shall initiate the fail-safe plan?"]

"Yes. Once you have gathered as much as you can, dismantle or scuttle the vessel. It must not be allowed to be used by other parties. The 'Judicator' and 'Stormhawk' will remain to investigate the area further more. Once you have completed the task, bring our guests to Naboo where I'll be waiting."

["It will be done at once, Sir."]

Dismissing the Captain, Thrawn was sure that Dorja would do his job to the best of his abilities. Returning his gaze to the data, Thrawn sent a message to the Captains of the 'Judicator' and 'Stormhawk' to inform them of their investigative instructions, before contacting the Bridge to give the helm their new heading: Naboo.

While the text scrolled on the display, Thrawn analysed the details of events that brought them to the edge of the Chommel Sector. It had all started with what allegedly was a cultural misunderstanding between the Union and the Naboo. Their shuttle disregarded a code yellow and therefore detained by Theed Spaceport authorities after requesting Imperial intervention. After Queen Amidala II of the Naboo returned, the Union personnel were dismissed under strict instructions by the Naboo to leave Chommel's borders.

The leader of the Union had contacted the Naboo requesting to a diplomatic travel to their world. The size of the Union Fleet to transport their leader had caused concern that the Union's intentions are less than honourable and that there might be an attack on Naboo. Security on the planet had increased and the Union Fleet were intercepted at Derra because they did not have the proper clearance in Imperial space.

Transmissions were exchanged between the escorted Union Shuttle and Theed Palace before Amidala II transmitted over an open channel proclaiming that onboard that shuttle is a Jedi. Imperial forces that picked up the transmission, including Captain Juno Eclipse and her Panthera Squadron, jumped at the chance to uphold and enforce the 'Order 66' rule and recover the Union shuttle. Panthera Squadron's command ship is the 'Ragnarök', a modified Star Destroyer designed to act as a mobile Research and Development facility, 'hidden' by the natural interference from the Obligon Nebula and Arrissa's Field.

Thrawn remained on the city of Theed to look into the matter while Panthera Squadron disabled the shuttle and brought the shuttle back to Naboo. There was a conflict of interest when Admiral John Thaw arrived and asked for the shuttle to be transferred over to him. Captain Eclipse responded with impudence, insubordination and then on the verge of treasonous when she ordered her squadron to run away with the shuttle. Thaw fired upon her fighter, destroying it, when her squadron jumped to the Arrissa's Field.

The incident was relayed to Thrawn after Admiral Thaw had jumped to give chase. Returning to the 'Chimaera', Thrawn, along with the 'Judicator' and 'Stormhawk', traversed to the Arrissa's Field to get to the bottom of the situation and resolve it. Now with the Union Shuttle onboard the 'Relentless', a few more answers are needed to wrap this all up for good.

The subtle vibrations of the deck informs him that the 'Chimaera' had just made the transition to hyperspace. It won't be long before they will arrive at Naboo.

Tag: To be continued

 

IC: Lieutenants Aruth Haji and Carlos Casrah (NPC?s)
Location: VenSD Roadblock, Coruscant orbit

With the Captain gone to see to the conference, the bridge crew could only keep watch and wait. They had to be on guard in case something happened or any communications came through, but they could not disturb the Captain unless it was very important.

Casrah looked over towards his opposite number Haji from the starboard crew pit.

?Must be serious enough to summon the Captain like that. Especially since we don?t know what going on down on the planet, and I?m sure we?re not the only ones?

?Correct? replied Haji, another Kuati. Some would say that a Kuati and a Corellian would never get along as crewmebers, but they would be wrong, these two got along famously. ?We?ve received no transmissions of any kind, or any information from any other ships.?

?Sensors, what have you got?? asked Casrah.

?We noticed a big traffic buildup when we arrived, we thought it was probably a major accident or something had happened like an explosion. As Ensign Charios reported, the traffic seems now to be flowing back down to the planet. We also considered a malfunction with the control tower but Comms reports that transmissions have been flowing well.?

?Something smells? said Haji frowning ?I don?t like it?

?What?s to like?? Casrah replied folding his arms ?Traffic behaving weirdly, no information, now an Imperial Summons with a load of big shots. We have questions but not all the answers?

?Ensign Charios holds the key to one? said Haji ?Captain Vectis could get the others. Also not all the big shots as you call them are there. There are group Captain?s missing, no Grand Moff?s or Moffs of any kind on the list. Perhaps it is something Lord Vader only wants select people to know and maybe those he explicitly trusts?

?I agree? said Casrah as one of the comm. officers raised his arm for attention.

?What have you got?? said Haji walking over to the comm. station.

?Message from Halcyon trying to raise Captain Vectis. I?ve notified them she is on Imperial Summons; would you like to take it in case it is urgent??

?I will? replied Casrah walking over to his personal station ?Better see what they want?

The comm. officer nodded and gave Casrah the thumbs up when the transmission was established.

?This Lieutenant Casrah, second in command of the Roadblock. As you are no doubt aware, Captain Vectis is on Imperial Summons and cannot be disturbed unless it is very urgent. Any messages can come through to me and I will deal with them. Any orders for us??

TAG: Halcyon.

 

OOC/IC:

[image=http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n107/SithStarSlayer/Quin_close_Up.jpg]


TAG: Pashatemur

 

IC: Captain Anko, Field aid to Grand Admiral Carthaginian
LOCATION: bridge of the HIM SSD Halcyon 0626 c


Anko nearly slid through the entrance to the bridge and recovered quickly to straighten his jacket and find the CO on bridge delivering Carthaginian?s orders. Nodding he was directed to a comm. officer presently addressing someone on Roadblock.

?Lieutenant Casrah, sir, this is Lieutenant Fazel, I was directed to contact Captain Vectis ?I, just a moment, Sir.? The Lieutenant clearly was saluting another officer who took the comm. from his subordinate.

Anko had made it to the bridge from the Admiral?s staterooms in record time, but out of breath, wiping his beaded brow with the back of his sleeve and leaning in over Fazel?s shoulder. ?Lieutenant Casrah, this is Captain Anko, this is a subfleet command. Grand Admiral has called ?Onslaught? to Stand-by, effective immediately. I?ve little more to give you, I?m afraid, other than he?s advised the USF to take up defensive position around the Ursean Royal Frigate, Mavras Maelstrom. You?re the first to get this. ?Official? is,? he said snapping his fingers at the communication?s officer to send out the code and the encrypted command. ??should be there ?now.?

TAG: Casrah

 

IC: Grand Vizier, Sate Pestage and Ruling Council Member, Sly Moore
LOCATION: dining room in the damaged ?Palace of the People.? 0617


"Ms. Mooooooore!"

The deeply intoned name echoed in the large and cavernous dining room, a room often empty, dark geometric buttresses rising skyward in blue and purple shadow.

The clink of a glass joined the otherwise solitary noise to disturb the silence of the dark. In the distance, a ventilator rattles and footsteps signal the approach of another, their progress interrupted only momentarily.

"To what do we owe your company?"

Sly Moore stopped at the end of the long table, her warm, quiet voice answered. "Grand Vizier! You seem to have made yourself quite at home in Dantius' absence."

The sound of liquid being decanted from one container to another gurgled softly.

Seated at the end of the long table, Sate Pestage, immaculately groomed save a few dark and glistening spots on his lip and lapel of his belted and richly woven robes and next to him end, a frightened young Devronian. Moore noted from the awkwardness of bearing, the Devronian was unused to such lofty company.

Pestage said nothing but helped himself to a serving of one of the many delicacies from the table.

"Splendid feast!" she said, still advancing. "Keeping your self amused?"

"Oh, yes, certainly!" said Pestage, who reached the decanter and offered to it up silently in invitation to Sly Moore.

"It's a bit early, don't you think," said Moore, disdaining the proffered beverage as she stood by the trembling Devronian who on closer inspection seemed slumped, sumptuous clothes carelessly donned.

She blinked at the Grand Viziers little joke. "I've heard," said Moore slowly.

"Heard" That's lovely," Pestage responded absently.

"So your response is to sit here in this...ruin and take your leisure?" she asked touching her pale hand to the Devronian's wrist, a large jeweled ring winking in the scant light. She looked about. This room had suffered little damage in the fire and blast that had taken the throne room and 20 floors below it with varying degrees of damage. The event had been attributed to faulty ventilation and the ignition of exhaust particle in the environmental system.

That was the official statement. Ms. Moore and many other in the Palace knew it was nothing whatever to do with that, but the event had rattled the megalopolis and a generic prerecorded 'All is well-holo' had been broadcast to address the mild sense of panic the Coruscanti experienced having, most of them lived through the Battle of Coruscant only 8 years prior – not enough time to forget the horrors and violence, the confusion and disruption to commerce and home.

However it had happened, the Senate and toppled EmPalReConSU only reignited the panic and magnified it.

"Get up, dear!" said Ms. Moore to the Devronian, "That's right, get up!" she cooed.

Pestage smiled. "Oh, I've nothing much to do right now but watch it all unfold. It's better than opera!" He chuckled.

"Go on my dear," said Ms. Moore warmly, gesturing toward the large entrance through which she'd approached.
The Devronian looked tentatively to Pestage and then back to Moore, trembling.

"It?s alright, darling. Go on. That's right," she cooed encouragingly.

Pestage sighed and wiped his lips, gently dabbing as the Devronian backed away, then, ran.

The guards could be heard shooting after the fleeing "guest."

Sly looked meaningfully to Sate Pestage.

"You would have a soft spot for the wretched wouldn't you...I rather liked that one. You've spoiled my morning," the Vizier commented dryly.

“Ah, alright, you’ve heard! You know Ms. Moore, you and I go back a long way. I think it safe to say we may be blunt. The Emperor left instructions, I intend to follow them. You may have enjoyed a certain...favor, but ultimately, we both know, you were his ...entertainment, but really, you haven’t any illusions that will help you if the wrong people hold sway for a while. There’s no one with a clean hand – NO ONE!” said Pestage leaning forward as Sly settled into the chair lately vacated.

She kept her eyes cast down and arranged the utensils around the empty and still clean plate of the Devronian and smiled slightly.

“The wrong people...Yes,” she said quietly.

Pestage threw down his implement, still loaded with food.

“I know the ‘players,’ Umbaran, and where all their little rotten skeletons are hung. I know and should anything ...untoward happen to ME, all that precious knowledge will be disseminated and select bits destroyed. If HE really is dead, then I have my instructions. Meanwhile, I can afford a certain detachment, so yes, I intend to let things unfold as they may. I have my insurance.”

“I...see... your...precious knowledge,” Sly said without inflection, slowly lifting her eyes to regard Pestage. “You are very secure in all this, then?”

“Very! So, what did you want?” Pestage asked, all cordiality gone, sitting back and folding his hands in his lap.

“Why...to test the waters, Vizier! You and I have not survived this long by ignorance. So, I presume you know where that Zabrak is, then?” Sly detested the menace.

Pestage chuckled inwardly, answering obtusely, “On an errand.”

“So, I may take it he has his instructions as well,” queried the Umbaran without wavering from her warm tone.

“You may take it any way you wish. Frankly, Ms. Moore, it’s really not important at this point. You may stay or go, from my understanding. Your Master is not here at the moment? Take the time to heal, knit a sling, have your fangs honed or whatever it is you Umbaran do...” he waved dismissively. “I’ll have my position, but really, what exactly is yours again, remind me!” said Pestage looking to Moore with a satisfied grin.

Sly had been turning a spoon around by it’s handled, watching the reflection turn from convex to concave. She settled the spoon neatly in it’s proper place beside the plate and looked up to Pestage and smile cryptically. “I’ll stay. I AM a member of the Ruling Council, after all.”

“Oh yes, the bloody Ruling Council?!” he scoffed.

“Hum,” she affirmed simply in a high light simper.

“You have my permission to withdraw, then,” said Pestage, for effect.

Laying her hands flat upon the table, Ms. Moore not so much rose as floated to a standing position and nodded her farewell.

“Oh, your pass-chip, Ms. Moore, if you please? We wouldn’t want the ‘wrong people’ taking advantage of your vacation, would we?”

“It is ... out of my hand, Your Excellency. You should know that. His Majesty would have it,” she said, answering as truthfully as she could and gliding through the doorway so quickly as to leave the Vizier confused as to whether he’d seen what he had seen.

Pestage drummed the fingers of both hands on the table’s edge before depressing his chair’s controls to slide back just as a holo projected image rose before him. The figured bowed.

“Barvelemu?”

“Your pardon, Excellency, you wished not to be disturbed but you have been summoned...”

Pestage cocked his bald pate and grinned to himself. "Already! Well...lovely! This will surely try the patience of saints - fortunately, I'm no saint," he grunted to no one in particular.

"Your Excellency?" asked the Valet, worried he missed something.

"Nothing... nothing," Sate waved. "Connect me..."

TAG: open

 

~IC~ Ahsoka Tano
Location: Ursean Embassy, Coruscant

She could feel Anakin and Vos on the otherside of those doors as she got out of her worn attire. A brief moment of relief to be out of them and a bit sick of the sight after living in them for the past few days. Moving them aside, they were not meant for travelling, but the clothes had served her surprisingly well since that night on Rendili. Pursing her lips, she remembered that her jacket would still be in the private salon, she had accidentally left it there last night when she was trying to make her way to Anakin.

Cocking her head as she reached for the top, she froze as she heard voices from the other room. Silently she resumed getting dressed. It felt strange getting changed in the new clothes given to her. She pushed aside the thoughts that these clothes belonged to someone else as she pulled on the tank top from over her montrals and down into place. Upon freeing her lekku from them, she untwisted the straps on her shoulders before tugging on the hem, noting how the dark violet complimented her reddish complexion.

The light brown trousers were a close fit, just a tad small in terms of the length of them. Threading her own belt through the loops, doing up the buckle before clipping her small utility pouches back onto them. Her hand grasped for the japor carving on her white gold chain necklace to adjust as she stepped barefoot to the mirror to check how she looked.

She looked more refreshed and presentable. The bottom of the tank top rode up a bit and she pushed it down a couple of times only to pout at it as it stubbornly rode up, but she exhaled and shrugged. It was fine enough and definitely better than the rags in her arm. Turning around and bundling her old clothes together, not sure what to do with them as she held them in her arms and exited into the bed chamber.

Tag: Anakin, Vos

 

OOC: GM Approved! Good to be back and see so many familiar "faces."

Name: Mon Mothma of Chandrila
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color and Style: Auburn, short, cropped hair
Skin Complexion: Fair
Clothing: Formal garments native of Chandrila, typically a white or off-white color
Physique: 1.5 meters tall, slim, graceful appearance
Personality: Serious, passionate about her work as a politician, strong voice in the crumbling Senate
Quirks: Ever the passionate idealist, she occasionally clashes with the not-so bold Bail Organa, whose realism contrasts with her ready-to-act nature
Force Sensitive: No



-Brief History:
Groomed from childhood for public service, Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila is an outspoken political idealist and a firm believer in democracy. She is one of the first Senators to become alarmed at Palpatine?s growing power, and is one of the new Empire?s greatest opponents. Together with Senator Bail Organa and Chancellor Elect Padme Amidala ? two individuals who share similar views regarding the political mess of the day ? Mon Mothma helps organize a resistance group, the Rebel Alliance to combat the tyranny of Palpatine and his Empire. In the past few years, Mon Mothma has ceaselessly worked to further the aims of the Alliance. Following the death of Padme, she and Bail Organa have taken up the role of leader, although General Torian and Admiral Fidelis lead all military operations. Mothma continued to use her influence in the Senate, but her cover was blown and receiving advance notice ?from a friend? that she would be arrested Mon Mothma had to leave Imperial Center and go into hiding, shortly thereafter joining with the Rebel Alliance on Yavin IV.

***

Name: Admiral Ackbar
Age: 54 standard years
Gender: Male
Species: Mon Calamari
Eye Color: Amber/Green
Physical description: A tall fish-like amphibious humanoid possessing a domed head, webbed hands, large, protruding eyes, and salmon-colored skin.
Clothing: The traditional all-white uniform of an Admiral in the Mon Calamari Navy.
Personality: Pensive, authoritative, and crafty. Intelligent and wise, usually easygoing but can be fierce when it is warranted.
Quirks: Frequently does most of his thinking while staring out into space for long stretches of time.
Force sensitive: No



His Command Ship Ship
Name: Home One
Class: Mon Calamari Star Cruiser MC-80
Weapon Systems: Turbolasers (36) Heavy Ion Cannon (36) Tractor Beam Projectors (6)
Crew Compliment: 5,480
Hyperspace Capability: Class 1 Hyperdrive



Commander of the Alliance (Rebel) Fleet, the native of Dac (Mon Calamari to many non-natives) came from humble beginnings but after joining the Mon Cal Navy quickly ascended the ranks and was even was elected leader of his home, Coral Depths City. However, he was recruited by the early leaders of the Rebel Alliance and after careful deliberation decided to throw in his lot with the faction.

Again quickly ascending the ranks within the alliance thanks to his brilliant tactical maneuverings and his very capable recruiting of the non-human dissident factions within the galaxy into the fold, he eventually gained the highest position in the Rebel Navy.

However, the Empire discovered covert operations in Mon Calamari ship building, including the production of weapons enhanced ships against the express laws of the Empire and the Mon Cal and after a great battle Dac fell under total occupation, which has greatly disturbed the Admiral.

***

Name: Biggs Darklighter
Age: 24 standard years
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Eye Color: Green
Physical description: Dark Haired and sports mustaches, healthy and trim build and average to tall in stature.
Clothing: Rebel Alliance Navy Captain’s uniform.
Personality: Friendly, street-wise, stubborn and loyal.
Quirks: Cracks poorly made jokes at inopportune times.
Force sensitive: No

The proud native of Tatooine was brought up the privileged son of a wealthy moisture farm magnate on his home world. An adept pilot and quite proficient in fixing almost anything mechanical and possessing an intense fascination for archeological history and surveying, he passed many un-eventful years until he accomplished his goal and was accepted into the Officer’s training program on the Imperial Military Academy on Carida.

However, while at the Academy, his father was executed by Imperial troops as he attempted to flee upon the discovery that he was a covert agent for the Rebel Alliance. Returning to Tatooine, distraught and AWOL from the Academy, after much deliberation he decided to throw in his lot with the Rebel Alliance.

Starting out as a fighter pilot, and having befriended some of the influential leaders of the Alliance and after having demonstrated sheer determination and pluck through taking part and sometimes leading missions to Tatooine, Ryloth and Dantooine- he quickly ascended the ranks eventually becoming Captain of one of the vaunted Mon Cal battle cruisers in the Alliance Navy, a rare feat for such a young human.

***

IC: Biggs Darklighter, Mon Mothma & Admiral Ackbar
Location: Rebel Base on the Fourth Moon of Yavin Prime (Yavin IV)

The Chandrilian, the Tatooinite and the Mon Cal walked briskly down one of the small paths that had been carved through the dense jungle of the Yavin moon connecting two of the ancient Sith Temples that dotted the landscape. The Rebel Alliance had begun using a few of the ziggurat-like structures for their hidden base, far away from the prying eyes of Coruscant.

The three imposing figures, imposing not so much for their physical stature but more for their positions within the Alliance, were speaking to each other, oblivious to lower ranking rebels who discreetly moved out of the way of the oncoming wall. The Mon Cal Admiral cleared his throat, announcing his intent to speak:

“I’m afraid this could be costly to the image of the Alliance,” he asserted, gravely as Biggs began to trail behind the two, eager for a respite from the drama of the galaxy, the constant negative discussion being one of the disadvantages of being on the High Council in an advisory position.

Mon, amidst her graceful gait, slowed her pace so that the young Captain could catch up and replied while subtly eyeing the reticent Tatooinite:

“Indeed, suspicion and blame will be cast upon the Alliance for this attack and there is not much we can do to dispel these notions,” she concurred grimly.

Of course the three were speaking of the sudden attack on the Imperial Senate building that had just occurred. It was the buzz of water cooler talks galaxy-wide, and it was certainly cause for concern for the fledgling rebellion.

“All our gains from over the years may have just been compromised in one fail swoop,” Ackbar chided with rising anger.

Biggs, once again caught up but carefully balancing his walk on the outer edge of the narrow path, his right foot crunching dried foliage while his left foot ambled over the smoothly patted trail, chimed in, suddenly eager:

“In one sense, it is a blow against a symbol of Imperial rule,” he nodded, acknowledging the arguments of the two leaders but trying to cast a silver lining in their dark cloud of gloom.

“The loss of life is tragic of course,” he quickly added as the eyes of Mon Mothma momentarily glared.

“However, perhaps what the rebellion needs is such a catalyst,” he coolly added, “without the maiming and killing.”

Mon Mothma halted her quick pace and slowed down to speak: “We are not a terrorist organization, Captain, and we do not need to be associated with actions such as these, especially since we took no part in them,” she ended, calmly.

“Yes, the populace at large will not appreciate the loss of life and the injuries,” Ackbar remonstrated, “....and neither do we,” he concluded with a return salute to a nearby officer as they proceeded toward the Great Temple, the center of operations of the entire base, the huge edifice now looming over them, its long shadow completely blocking the warm sun.

“However, I do see your need for a call to action, Captain,” Mon Mothma added gently, seeing the good intentions in the Captain.

Biggs nodded silently, again falling slightly behind.

“Well, we must call council and determine what must be done to counteract the ill effects of this act...,” Ackbar interjected as he folded his hands behind his back, the immense doors of the entryway into the Temple now just a few steps away, the sentries already saluting the trio.

“We also need to determine who was behind this act and perhaps allow that party to bear the brunt of their own actions,” she said, the other two nodding in agreement, the three already suspicious of who was behind the bombing as they disappeared behind the heavy doors of the Sith Temple.

TAG: Anyone on Yavin IV