IC: Luna

Luna shot the Other Woman a quizzical glance through her drunken stupor before quickly returning her gaze back into something more serious. It was a vain effort, considering it was highly unlikely she had not noticed it.

"Who sent you?" the Other Woman had asked.

"No one sent me," Luna spat, clearly growing frustrated. "I came here by myself."

She stumbled again as she tried to regain her footing. "Besides... I could ask the same thing about you," she paused as her intoxicated mind tried to gather her thoughts. "You followed me here. Admit it. You stalked me here and waited for the best moment to strike. Hell, the First Order is probably out there right now, waiting to barge through that door."

Her voice was serious and panicked. "I will not allow that."

Of course, Luna had no way of truly knowing if her assumption was true or not. All she had was her wild speculation and her feeling of paranoia. An emotion that had been consuming her as soon as she fled the Starkiller Base, effectively defecting from the First Order. It was only a matter of time before they found her. A thought that never left her brain, no matter how hard she tried to remove it.

In short? Luna had no proof that the Other Woman was with the First Order.

But she could not take chances.

Not now.

Not ever.

She raised her blaster and pointed it at the Other Woman's forehead, aiming for that perfect kill shot.

But Luna's reaction time was not strong. Which could definitely be used to the Other Woman's advantage. She could either pull the trigger faster than Luna or swipe her blaster from her hand and explain herself then.

The choice was up to her.

TAG: QueenSabe7 Sinrebirth

 

IC: Kodo Prine - Hangar Bay, Escape Pod

'I can sense you, little Jedi.'

A voice came, distorted. Watery, muffled, hazy like smoke. With it, a memory. A first kill. The wet thud of a stormtrooper helmet hitting the mud of Dagobah.

'Well done, my friend. Now, another!'

Fear. Anxiety. Guilt. Things were becoming clearer. More recollections. A friend lost. A master failed. A stranger murdered in a fit of rage.

'We managed to run just fine from what we just did, didn't we?'

Searing, paralyzing agony. The bodies of Juno, of Quinlan, and Galen. Dead empty eyes, all.

'My little murderer.'

With a shriek, Kodo came to. But he wasn't alone. A thousand traumas came screaming back with him.

The escape pod's door blasted off its hinges with a surge of force energy. A battered Kel Dor came shortly after, seeing only red, still screaming and snarling and flailing like a wounded animal. The two nearest droids were the first casualties, one sent careening away by a force push with its front side caved in while the other was set spinning out of control before slamming hard into the ground.

The third droid was beset by the mad Kel Dor himself, tackled to the ground and struck again and again with bare fist, its panels denting with each ill-advised blow. When at last it sputtered and shut off, Kodo Prine took a breath, and felt his hands shaking. He looked down to his hands. Bloodied, orange flesh. Bruised and swollen, knuckles split nearly to the bone.

Then his whole body began to shake, the same as his hands, and he was silent. Frozen with terror. Eyes were upon him, and he couldn't tell whether or not these eyes belonged to Darth Plagueis.

TAG: Sinrebirth, everyone else present.

~

IC: Bruturus Hidax

He felt he had at least earned a rest - if not earned back his rank. But it was not to be. Mere hours after the marathon that was the Battle of Ord Mantell, once again Hidax stood in the presence of those who should have been peers but were presently superiors - his old rival Phasma included. Hux was there, too.

"Greetings. May I present to you Vitor Reige, one time adjunct to the retired Grand Admiral Pellaeon," Hux started, and Hidax could almost feel Phasma bristle. He smiled beneath his helmet.

Three images appeared above the table as Hux spoke. "FN-2187, FN-7322 and FN-2546. Three traitors, in a fairly short space of time. While 2187 is beyond our reach, we have received Intel to suggest that the other two are presently on Coruscant, delivered by officer Reige." Hux nodded. "They are staying in the same establishment, under the pseudonyms Vale and Luna, apparently without knowledge of the other, though I treat that information as suspect." Reige went to speak but was waved silent.

"We have set up credentials for your insertion into Coruscant. The two of you will form up with two other troopers from the survivors on Ord Mantell, while Phasma and I return to the front - our network of Destroyers is being systematically attacked in the Inner Rim, and we are intending to make our first thrust in that direction at Dorin."

Hidax was silent as the image above the table switched to a map of the galaxy - a readout of current Imperial territory, with First Order and Remnant holdings differentiated. A sea of red dots littered the map. He knew what it all meant - an ambitious plan to web the galaxy as a preamble to an essentially galaxy-wide campaign fought on a thousand fronts.

"If I may speak out of turn," Hidax spoke up, "I hope we're not overextending ourselves. I trust we have adequate supply lines to support so many concurrent operations... let alone enough capable commanders."

It was phrased as a statement for a reason - he wouldn't presume to question his betters on something so basic. But if he were being frank with himself, he didn't trust them to not need the reminder that war requires resources. And not just a backlog, but a steady stream - because nothing is ever as quick or as easy as expected.

Reige interjected. 'I will be accompanying you. The ship was set up for an insertion at Chandrila, but the new Intel requires us to head to Coruscant. We cannot risk any data from the First Order falling into enemy hands. At least one of the two is a survivor of Starkiller Base, and as such she may have key data, data which has yet to surface, but being as we have control of the HoloNet it may be that she is simply sitting on the information until she can contact the Resistance - two weeks and two days after the destruction of Hosnian Prime, we are well into the time she could have acted if we hadn't sabotaged the HoloNet. As such you have one hour to get your affairs into order before we head off.'

Hidax bit his tongue. He wasn't a spy, he was a soldier. Before his resolve to be silent could fail however, Phasma saved him with a subtle request for a private discussion. "Understood," he responded to Hux and Reige. "Please, excuse me," he turned to Phasma and nodded.

TAG: Sinrebirth

 

IC: Vale Sera
The Black Hole, Coruscant – Lower Levels

Vale’s heart was still racing and thinking it impossible for the vital organ to beat any faster, upon hearing the other woman’s response to her question… it did.

The stranger’s intoxicated state aside, there appeared to be genuine confusion crossing over the older female’s features, an inability to really connect the dots. The words she spoke next hit her like a punch to the gut, an abrupt realization that things truly were not as they seemed.

The tough armor she had put on in order to survive melted away and she wavered. This woman… whoever she was, appeared to be avoiding the First Order in the same manner as herself; hiding – with the addition of apparently drinking herself into memory loss.

What if she was fleeing an inner destruction that she no longer cared to feed?

What if she was just like her?

Vale wanted to live, needed to live, but this was a chance she had to believe was worth taking. More death on her hands, whether direct or far removed was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. Knowing this, her husband’s face flashed before her eyes then, her ring weighing heavily against her chest as if trying to calm her rapidly beating heart; both giving her all the strength she needed to play this daring card.

To jump.

“WAIT!” she shouted as the other woman swung her weapon up in a way that led Vale to believe she was ready to actually use it.

Spinning her own blaster around until her index finger was hooked through the trigger guard, the pistol now hung non-threateningly from her hand, though she would be able to access it quickly again if this didn’t go as she hoped it would.

Taking a breath she raised both arms, hands held out before her in a gesture that would only be interpreted as surrender.

“I am NOT First Order, that I can swear,” she said urgently, an odd sense of regret washing over her at acknowledging her new civilian status out loud. Every inch of her pleaded with the other not to strike, hoping against hope that this stranger’s level of inebriation wasn’t too far off the charts to not hear her out before firing.

“I have no clue who you are,” she continued, her eyes never leaving the woman’s face. “But I think we may have a thing or two in common…”

Vale trailed off, waiting hesitantly for a response of any sort that didn't involve a blaster bolt shot at her head.


TAGS: Darth Kronos Sinrebirth

 

Combo with Sinre!

IC: Wyn and Duke Praxon
Millennium Falcon, Aboard the Rosa

Wyn had already set an alarm before the projected arrival time, so she was most certainly dressed and so forth before they decanted. She had the startup going - the internal ones, before she flared up anything that would draw sensors eyes. A trick or two picked up during their mercy missions enabled her to stop the ships' brains from telling the Rosa, which they were docked upon, with the Slave I on the outside.

Kyp and Leia chimed in, ordering everyone to the hangar bay to greet an escape pod cold shirting it across from the wreckage of Snoke's shuttle. Wyn blessed their luck; a distraction would be perfect.

Tapping keys, she hesitated from anything final in nature until she was sure Praxon was up and decent - and sure. They had no need to discuss the events of the last few hours; just where they were going.

'Duke?' She used his stage title, casting an eye back his way. 'Are we set?'

Praxon had not been too appreciative of the nature of the wakeup call. While he knew the peace he shared with Wyn wouldn’t last, it had ended far too soon and for seemingly superficial reasons. What was so pressing that they needed to herd everyone to the hangar deck to greet an escape pod? Had something gone awry, or was he simply being dense for not seeing the point? He scoffed lightly at that thought and shook his head as he finished latching the clasp of his belt. Could they really blame him? He wasn’t exactly an expert in covert operations. He was only an actor.

Only an actor.

He stopped what he was doing and issued a sigh. It was yet another reason why they needed to get away. He was good, but not that good. It would eventually catch up with him, and they would end up dead…or worse.

After checking himself in the mirror to make sure his appearance was up to expectations, he strode from the crew compartment to follow the sound of Wyn’s voice back to the cockpit. When he arrived, his gaze was immediately drawn to the viewport and the unsightly tangle of crew members, Jedi and other personnel that had already gathered outside. He pursed his lips with dismay and gave Wyn a sideways glance as he leaned forward to rest his hands on the control console.

“Yeah, I think so,” he replied quietly, his tone lacking conviction, but still firm. “The sooner, the better.”

He hesitated for a moment before nodding to the scene unfolding before them. It was clear from his mannerisms that he wasn’t even trying to stay in-character at this point. “What about that?"

'Not our problem. I'll take the distraction while we've got one.' Wyn nodded. 'We should be able to head out whenever we want.'

She absently tapped. 'Snoke's shuttle was crippled when we arrived. That Argen guy is pulling it in for inspection, and the General has directed them to call in an escape pod too. Another shuttle jumped out when we arrived, so it seems Snoke - Plagueis? Whatever - commandeered whatever shuttle ambushed him. The Mon Cal Genkal has a shuttle en route to head out with, and supplies are being brought aboard.'

Wyn frowned as she came to grips with the ship. It was a dint more complicated than their usual fare, presumably lost with the Naritus. A slight pang; that ship had been their home. 'Argen has his tractor beams wrestling with the damaged shuttle, so they're busy. Like I say...' she smiled to herself. 'Perfect distraction.'

'I have preflight ready, save for switching us on and shooting out.' She sat back in the chair, trying not to tangle with the enormity of what they were about to do.

Steal the Millennium Falcon.

Wyn's hands were trembling slightly, so she folded them across her stomach, going for a broad smile. Maybe some of that acting had brushed off on her. Doubtful, as Praxon always saw through her. 'Ready, Captain?'

Praxon straightened and allowed his arms to drop back to his sides as he sighed. She wasn’t kidding; it really was a perfect distraction. He was too caught up in the act itself and any potential consequences to truly appreciate the nuances of each individual part as they moved in tandem. It was as if someone had carefully crafted this moment for their escape.

It was an odd thought, but he quickly brushed it aside and settled down into the pilot’s chair. If they were going to pull this off, this might be the only chance they get. And that window of opportunity was narrowing with each passing moment…

“Let’s do this,” he said with a renewed sense of confidence. He rubbed his hands cautiously over the control yoke to push away any lingering uncertainty before gripping it tightly in preparation for their run. The adrenaline was already pumping through his veins as he turned and flashed Wyn a smile for good measure.

“It’s a new gig for me, being an outlaw and all,” he added nonchalantly as he made a quick check of the gauges. “But who knows…maybe this could be fun.”

With his friend and co-pilot at his side, Praxon leaned back and gave the signal. There was a brief pause before he felt the freighter vibrate under his feet as the engines came to life with a low rumble. At this point, there was no turning back; if the crew down below didn’t notice that something was amiss earlier, they would certainly notice it now. This was it!

Praxon unleashed a jubilant shout as he hit the throttle, and the Falcon rocketed out of the hangar.

TAG: Sinrebirth; all on board the Rosa

 

IC: Susulur Dha'tra
Esfandia, Hanger of Rosa

He had taken the hint and backed of, letting the owner of this vessel blow his hot air about when it all happened so swiftly. One moment, a shuttle was taking Genkal away while another droid crewed one was delivering supplies, during which the Rosa drew away from the damaged black shuttle.

The next, the pod yawed open, and a Kel Dor emerged, smashing his way through the three droids that were treating the arrival as a bomb. It was kind of funny in a way, and he found himself laughing a brief staccato as the droid were destroyed, after all they were right. What had come out was the equivalent of a bomb, just the droids were prepped for the wrong kind. Whomever this was, it was his enemy and he knew all he needed to know, except if he sat back and watched a second more he might see something he did not know. He might see how this one would deal with the shield. It was a good thing he waited as he stepped another step further away.

As something else emerged with the Kel Dor. A sending, an echo, a threat, maybe - a black shadow reached out, eyes burning yellow, taller than the man, and it gestured a limb, sending Kyp flying, who was unable to raise sufficient a defence. The Shadow miasma seemed to becoming solid, settling into a tall figure in a cloak.

Susulur heard the Falcon fire its boosters over his bucce, his eyes glancing to the indicator lights in his HUD to see what the ship was doing, it was kind of surprising to see as it shot away from the Rosa, the backwash causing Fett to have to take cover even as he approached the pod. Goran was nowhere to be seen. Where was that di'kute? {Idiot}

Still there was more to see as the Shadow Lord turned a hand, dropping to one knee as he did so. The twist of his limb upended Lysa and sought to throw Aquilla to his feet, and then reached for the wreckage of the droids. They began to weave into something solid, an amalgamation of the three, something inanimate and animalistic at the same time, which was already bounding for Susulur before it's jaws were fully formed.

"Huh." was all he simply stated as he drew his bowcaster from his side hip holster and ejected a lightsaber handle into his opposing hand. Raising the bowcaster he waited to see the beast get past the shield, if it did. A string of shots were planned and already aimed to hit the body head on before a Force assisted leap would send him up into the hanger before his rocket boots would activate to keep him there as he would rain death upon the droid as well as shots of opportunity at the Kel Dor and shadow man alike.

That was the main plan though even as the Shadow's other hand touched the deck, the Rosa experienced a surge of power, with systems reporting failures cascading through it, luckily with a bucce nothing really bothered him with that notion. Vent the hanger and let the magcon fail, he would survive as well as Fett and Goran his primary allies in all of this. This of course was simultaneous to the black shuttle moving forward as if by remote, nearly clipping the fleeing Falcon before it disappeared into a hyperspace jump. Lucky alor'ad. {Captain}.

Leia went for her blaster, reasoning that the big shiny thing in the Kel Dor's pocket was the target, in time to be bundled by the two droids that the Resistance had sent to unpack the supplies; reconditioned B-1 battle droids, they were nonetheless in more than good enough a condition to drive her to the ground and her blaster skittered across the floor. With one grappling her, the second went to seize the blaster, jumping in the general direction of Rhoen and Lysa.

BB-8 tootled a war cry, and rolled into the fray towards that fight, and Fred went to follow, the little droid determined to help its friend and then pausing, remembering it's place by Bre. However, it moving made sufficient noise for the Shadow to notice Fred and Bre.

The Shadow's yellow eyes found her, and a red slash of a grin appeared across its mouth, lifting a hand to draw her to him with a tug of the Force which would simultaneously tug on Kodo's heart.

'Greetings, Bre. I've come for you.' His eyes cast around. 'I've come for you all.'

Of course his earlier plan had backups. If the ground deterrent worked, well he would stick to that with shots of opportunity. If the Kel Dor showed himself able to deflect his bolts back at him, that was the prime reason he had a lightsaber ready in his steadying hand under the barrel of the bowcaster. Third, if he was able to down the droid almalgumation he would turn to help Leia as well as shots of opportunity at the Kel Dor and Shadow. Such was life though with so many moving parts, only his first shots were guaranteed as he doubted the shield would hold with the flickering power systems. What happened after that was anyones guess at this point.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422, Sinrebirth, @Kahn_Iceay, @HanSolo29 (part one), @Darth_wanderguard, @Ktala, @Lady Belligerent

 

Belila Gambros (Bre)
Esfandia, Rosa, hangar


There was everyone, staring at this strange life pod, while Bre was wondering why she was called here.
Suddenly, she felt something, a very strong stirring... Right before all frack broke loose!

The pod suddenly flew open, and a Kel Dor emerged. It took Bre a few moments to realize two things.

One, this being was using the Force, and he was going crazy.

And two, she recognized him. Kodo!

As he smashed his way through the droids that were about to open the pod, flinging them about, Bre also
felt something else. But she could not identify it. Things were going mad now, as she saw a black shadow, which seemed to be gaining substance and form right in front of her eyes. Kodo, had something glowing in his pocket. Even there, Bre could see the red glow from a pyramid shaped object. She frowned darkly. What had happened to Kodo?

With but a flicker from the strange shadow, Master Kyp flying. As Bre began to move, she heard the Falcon fire up its engines. She thought it would turn its weapons to assist, but instead, it suddenly launched. Bre felt shock, but right now, she had more important matters to deal with.

BB-8 tootled a war cry, and rolled into the fray towards that fight, and Fred went to follow, the little droid determined to help its friend and then pausing, remembering it's place by Bre. However, it moving made sufficient noise for the Shadow to notice Fred and Bre. What was really disturbing, was that the thing turned and grinned at her. A gesture, and instead of tossing her away, it suddenly started to draw her towards the strange shadow. And then, it spoke.

'Greetings, Bre. I've come for you.' His eyes cast around. 'I've come for you all.'

Snoke.

Bre was getting tired of this guy. She first fought to resist, but she suddenly reacted with a grin of her own. But Fred, seeing her being pulled away from him, decided to act, as he suddenly shot out a cable, catching Bre around the waist. It was a move, not being able to see him, she was not expecting, as she came to a suddenly stop. Still smiling, Bre gestured, not at Snoke, but towards Kodo. Well not exactly. More like the glowing item in his pocket.

"Kodo!" Bre shouted, while trying not to be bisected by the cord that had stopped her forward moment for the moment. "What are you doing? Red was never a good color for you." She coughed, still smiling as she tried to get through to the Kel Dor.

'You woke me up for this?!!' Bre mentally grumbled as she concentrated on getting the glowing item away from Kodo, as her primary task, and keeping an eye on what Snope face would do next.




TAG: galactic-vagabond422, Mitth_Fisto , Kahn_Iceay, HanSolo29, Darth_wanderguard, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth

 

IC: Rhoen Aquilla
Rosa, Esfandia system

Rhoen stepped back allowing the droids to do their job. A slight smirk graced his face as he looked to Corona Seven. He thought it would all be ok, that everything was all well in hand. Captain Argen seemed capable and bristled at Rhoen making suggestions on his ship.

Still smiling he leaned over to Corona Seven, “I don’t think our dear captain likes taking suggestions.” He stance was relaxed thumbs tucked into his belt as he watched the droids move ever closer to the escape pod that they had drug in.

All at once things changed. The pod door was flung open smashing the three metal forms out of the way. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kyp be thrown back. Like lightning Rhoen drew the blaster from his shoulder holster. He lined up a shot at the Kel Dor until he noticed something glowing red in his robes. Before he could change his target he felt something strike him across the chest sending him flying. Time slowed his eyes fell on Seven, they both were knocked off their feet, falling to the hard hanger floor. Her reached out to try and pull her closer, to try and act as a cushion her fall with his own body but, there wasn’t enough time.

He crashed hard on his back the breath ejected from his lungs. Now supine he looked out the magcon field just seeing the retreating image of the Millennium Falcon.

“Sithspawning coward.” the pilot muttered bringing his blaster to bear against the shadowy form of Snoke. Once again he couldn’t line up a shot on the crimson light still burning. The sound of metal on metal drew his attention, a B-1 lunging toward a blaster lying on the deck. Without hesitation he let off three shots looking to catch the droid in the chest.

“Go for the blaster I’ll cover you.” he said to Seven, a loose blaster could be used by the enemy, a blaster in the hands of an ally would greatly increase their chances of survival, hopefully. Though in the pit of his stomach he was still worried, still worried he was going to lose her.

However, he had to think clearly. They needed to gain control of the situation. They needed to get control of all the weapons.

TAG: Ktala, Mitth_Fisto, Kahn_Iceay, HanSolo29, Darth_wanderguard, Lady Belligerent, Sinrebirth

 

IC: Jaina, The Sword of the Jedi
Ravager

Jaina felt it coming not even a fraction of a second before Ben shouted out, ’fire!’.

Her heart sank as she realized she could no longer think of the man in front of her as ‘Ben’. He was no longer her brother.

She let the wave of energy push her back into the wall of the tram, but deflected the worst of it. Her violet blade was a blur as she sent the blaster bolts back at Ren and his goons. When she landed against the wall she arched her blade back and slashed through the plexiglass. She’d had two grenades at her waist and one was already in her left hand just before she leapt back through the opening. It had a two second timer programmed and she wondered which she’d tossed as she began falling.

One of them wouldn’t leave this ship alive, and she’d made her decision. Jaina would just have to figure out how to tell her parents that Ben was dead.

Tag: Sinrebirth

 

IC: Sava Boutros

Sava noted how Reige was fiddling with his comlink and raised a brow, amused. She was only a Private, why was he so nervous?


"Boutros, I have unfortunately misled you somewhat. I have not a message from your father but Grand Moff Sarreti. He inquired of your health, to ensure you were unscathed after the Battle of Ord Mantell. He understands it was your first action, and your father is a personal friend of his families - from before the time he fled into the Unknown Regions. Is any message you would like me to pass on? Or to your family?" Reige hesitantly informed her.


"Why didn't you just say that the first time?" Sava inquired, curious.

A Grand Moff had inquired after her? Sava hadn't even been in contact with Imperials in her lifetime. In fact, she hadn't known that her father was acquainted with anyone from the Empire or even the Order. Her parents had been lowly scavengers, or so she'd thought.

As for her family, she did remember them and all they'd done for her but the Order had never regarded personal attachments kindly. She had struggled to make herself push her family to the back of her mind but here they were again, front and center.

"You may tell my family I'm doing well and that I hope they are too. As for Grand Moff Sarreti, please give him my regards and thank him for inquiring after me," Sava replied to Reige's question crisply before nodding and entering her room.

TAGS: Sinrebirth Darth_wanderguard Darth Kronos QueenSabe7

 

IC: Bron Dooku
Ando mountains, Temple of Dichotomies

After the explosion came the shock, of course. Clouds of mortar dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Scraps of parchment were fluttering about like sickly butterflies. Once the shock started wearing off, Dooku realized he'd been far enough from the blast not to be hit by collapsing debris or flying shards. Half-kneeling behind a desk, he looked around him and saw that not everyone had been that lucky. Some were lying on their back, others were panicking, yet others stood aghast, ignoring their bruises. What could he do? Answer the summon from the gunship, for starters.

Come on, Bron. You must not loose your cool. If it's a Dooku they want, you must give them one.
Mustering his courage, the scholar got up, straightened his back, and took a cautious step forward, wiping off dust from his shoulders. Although he did his best to look and sound defiant, Bron couldn't help but feel a drop of cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck.
"Attacking scholars!" he said, loud and clear. "And in a monastery at that! You should be ashamed. Here I am, Borgin. What do you want with me?"
What did they want indeed... None of that made much sense. Never had Bron contested the rule of House Borgin on Serenno after he came back. If the rival house wanted to get rid of him, why wait some many years? Also, why put on such a show? Wouldn't it have been easier to just lure him into some back alley on Corellia or lace his emerald wine with chall? For the time being, at least, there was nothing else to do but play along.


Have faith, Bron. They haven't come here to kill you. Not like this. It wouldn't make any sense. Hoping for the best, Dooku locked his face in this artistocratic mask he hadn't been forced to wear in long time.

TAG: Sinrebirth

 

Leonias Colcha
Out-system, Deep Core approach

All in a brief moment, Leonias and his squadmates were pulled out of hyperspace and confronted by the warnings from an enemy force comprised of a couple TIE Interceptor squadrons.

“This is the First Order. Power down and surrender,” came the warning from the enemy squadrons as they lit up on the sensors.

Leonias, despite having been born after the height of the Empire knew a great deal about Imperial technology, and from this knowledge he knew that the force that pulled his squad out of hyperspace was known as a gravity mine, which would keep his squadron from escaping until it was destroyed. From this knowledge, he also knew that his enemy was in over their heads.

Grinning, Leonias made his reply.

“Have you heard of the Crimson Dagger?” replied Leonias as he slipped into a meld with the Silver Beacon, and then into a state of Battle Meditation, enhanced by the meld with the kyber crystal fueled Force presence inside the ship, empowering his squadron with the power of the Force, “It was the name given to an Emperor’s Hand who served the Empire you hopelessly try to imitate. It was a name that struck fear into the hearts of both traitorous members of the Imperial inner circle and Rebels alike, for all of them who were hunted by him were eliminated, having seen only glowing red eyes coming from the shadows, shooting daggers their way before meeting their untimely end. It is also the namesake of the fighter squadron you see before you. Prepare to die.”

Not waiting for a reply from the fighters that stood before them, the Crimson Dagger squadron engaged the enemy, flying with incredible skill and cooperation thanks to the effects of Leonias’ Battle Meditation.

“You doing that battle meditation thing again eh?” came the voice of one of the members of the Crimson Dagger squadron as they began their approach, “This is gonna be overkill. Though I guess you never were one for subtlety.”

“Maybe,” replied Leonias, “Maybe not. We have more on our plate than just defeating our enemy here today. We also have to make sure they don’t get away, and ensure our secrecy. The battle meditation will help with that, as we all will have better foresight and will be able to predict our opponent’s movements more easily.”

“Don’t you think you should have canned it with that big karking speech then, lead?”

“It’s just like you said. I’m not one for subtlety.”

Tag: Sinrebirth;

 

IC: Jak Dexter - The Finalizer

Jak, when he neared the Star Destroyer his records displayed as the Finalizer - an apt title for something as large and imposing as that vessel - could not close his mouth from the awe of it all. Sure, he had certainly seen his fair share of Imperial ships before, even stolen one, but nothing even compared to this giant behemoth. The biggest ship he had ever gotten close to was a medium-sized cargo shuttle his primary mercenary group used in-between and during missions. And even that was not worth bragging about. It was dirty, dusty, rusty, and any other adjectives that related to "dirty."

This was different. The Finalizer was clean. Overly polished. Extremely well built. The attention to detail in every tiny portion was admirable to Jak. Whoever built the Destroyer clearly put in a lot of passion when designing the vessel.

His love of ships was showing in his features.

No one would see it but him.

He slowed the speed of his shuttle to soak it all in before entering the hangar and landing alongside another ship.

When he stepped out of his ship and onto the ramp, disappointment set in. After the build up that was the outside of the Destroyer, he had expected the inside to be just as magnificent. But it wasn't. Jak had expected to see a flurry of activity in the hangar: fighters and shuttles entering and leaving, pilots jogging to their personal fighters for a mission, mechanics repairing broken parts of shuttles, and the like. Instead, the hangar was empty in regard to personelle, with the exception of General Hux and two other Imperials who had just disembarked from their own shuttles - an officer of some sort and a random Stormtrooper.

"I thought the hangar would have more going on than this," he muttered to himself, quietly enough to prevent his deep and gravely voice from echoing across the hangar.

Hux invited them over to a briefing table and called out to Jak as he continued to gawk at the shine and perfection of the floors. "Hunter Jak-"

'Hunter Jak?' he thought to himself, a layer of annoyance and condescension in his internal voice, a tone Hux would thankfully not hear. 'So he's one of those: pretentious, obsessed with excessive formality, and completely full of themselves.'

That might have been too judgmental on his part but, in his experience, all of Hux's type - the handler of the entire mission, yet the one who doesn't get his hands dirty - were basically the same.

Hux had mentioned that the Supreme Leader himself had engaged his services, which was interesting. Why he would specifically have him hired was a mystery to Jak, albeit a flattering one. It was clear that this mission was extremely important to the First Order if the Supreme Leader went as far as to have a bounty hunter hired.

Jak sauntered over to the briefing table and listened to Hux's mission debrief. He summarized Hux's words as he spoke. The basics first. A small squad was being deployed to secure two First Order defectors with valuable information. They had codes that would get them through the defenses on Coruscant. There were two other members not currently with them, Adjunct Reige (commander of the mission itself), Sava Boutros (to be deferred to concerning military matters), and Stele, whom he assumed was the pilot he disembarked with (dealing with pilot matter, which was much more Jak's speed).

Thankfully, Hux did mention money. Double his usual fee - certainly worth it. Of course, that came with the thread of "Accept this mission or die" but he expected something as low from the Discount Empire.

He shrugged those thoughts away. At least they were paying him reasonably. More than reasonably, in fact.

At the same time, though, he felt massively overwhelmed. His missions never really had the stakes that this one did - certainly not on his own life for simply refusing the job. Usually, it worked as an "Accept the mission or **** off" system. It was easy. Simple.

This was far from that. It was clear that one small mistake could result in a mission failure.

And the consequences would be much more dire than in the low life gangs he formally associated with.

Jak stared directly at Hux's sneering face, trying to hold his composure and keep as neutral of a face as possible.

Maybe he could tag along with one of the more of experienced members of the squad. Not in terms of general assassination and capture missions (obviously), but in dealing with Imperial matters.

TAG: Sinrebirth Halle Dray Darth_wanderguard

-----


IC: Luna - The Black Hole Establishment, Lower Levels of Coruscant

Luna was only a few seconds away from blowing the Other Woman's head off. Her finger lightly brushed against the trigger as she prepared her aim - which was hard to do in her drunken/hungover state. Her lips were etched into a scowl that clearly showed she meant business and, at the same time, revealed more of her wrinkles that displayed her true age - something her face and skin generally betrayed. All the while indirectly showing she had been through far worse than a scuffle in a pathetic and dirty bar.

Her scowl suddenly turned into shock when the Other Woman screamed "Wait!" at her. An act that surprisingly did not cause Luna to accidentally fire her shot before intended.

The Other Woman's voice, words, and actions were enough to keep her alive for a moment longer.

In a move that clearly surprised Luna, the Other Woman, instead of using Luna's drunken state against her to trick and shoot her before she could react, let go of her pistol's handle while still holding it by keeping her finger inserted through the trigger guard. A move that suggested surrender. Or deceit. Or something else. It was hard to tell the motives of others, especially in her state (even if Luna believed herself to be a "high functioning drunk.").

So she said she is not with the First Order? That they have something in common. It could very well be true. But how could she trust her only by her word?

Then again, that was all Luna could go by.

She slowly started to lower her blaster. The way she figured, she could raise her arm to optimal shooting position before the Other Woman could flip her blaster and kill her.

"If you aren't First Order," she started, voice less vitriolic and more wary. "then who-"

Luna was cut off by a sharp jolt of pain in her lower back. The last thing she remembered before her vision went fuzzy was the feeling of a pair of cold hands catch her before she could collapse onto the floor.

She was out for a brief moment.

When she came to, the first feeling she had was of the painful "sensation" of a needle being stabbed into her neck. The first sound she heard was of a feminine voice electronically modified, although only mildly. It was threatening enough.

Her vision cleared more and she could take in her surroundings. The room she was in was not her own. She was placed in one of the booths she had glanced at a couple of times upon her arrivals. Probably for whores. When Luna followed the trail of the voice, her eyes found a new figure clad in black armor. The Black-Armored Woman's (as she mentally called her. It became a habit of hers to design fake names for people when she didn't know their real names) helmet completely covered her face but only that. Her crimson hair was free.

Standing near the booth's door was the Other Woman. Listening to the Black-Armored Woman tell her... something. She couldn't tell.

She shook her head and waited for future events to unfold.

'God, what a horrible day.'

TAG: Sinrebirth QueenSabe7

 

IC: Kodo Prine

The world Kodo saw bathed in red now began to darken, and as he turned to look at the engulfing shadow which loomed over him from behind, he saw eyes of burning yellow and a mouth like a gushing wound. Fear. Utter, primal terror gripped the Kel Dor deep within his chest, such that he felt he might be ripped open. "No!" he yelled. Or pleaded, perhaps. "No no no no!" He scrambled back with arms and legs flailing, before turning to crawl frantically away, too afraid to even try finding his feet.

"Kodo!" a voice cut through the cacophony. "What are you doing? Red was never a good color for you." He turned to look at the one who had spoken, and saw only the countenance of Snoke. Every direction he looked. Every face was Snoke. Every voice. Every movement.

Finally he looked down to see his robes glowing red. Had he been set aflame? He reached down to clutch at the fire, to quench it, and instead found an angular mass. From the tangle of his robes he extricated it, and found he could not recognize the shape in his hands. But he could feel its movements. And its heat. It burned like embers in his grasp, so he cast it away with all his might, toward the voice which had spoken before.

And then he was bitten. By something, he didn't know what. The pain left him paralyzed in body and mind but sent him flying, and as he skidded to a halt facedown on the floor of the hangar, smoking wound on his back, all went dark and silent and cold as he touched the void.

TAG: Sinrebirth, Ktala, Everyone Else In Hangar

 

IC: Duke Praxon
Hyperspace, aboard the Millennium Falcon

The hypnotic spiral of hyperspace did very little to ease Praxon’s mind as Wyn sat beside him and actively reviewed the vids showing the Rosa's hangar bay seconds before their departure. At first, he had believed he could escape his guilt by closing his eyes and pretending to sleep, but the glow of the monitor and the chaotic sounds of battle as they filtered over the console’s speakers was too much to bear. And so, he had regulated himself to simply staring out the viewport in a proverbial daze to pass the time. He didn’t dare look at the screen again until he heard a crackle erupt from the device, prompting him to glance over on instinct. He turned just in time to see the image of the capital ship go dark.

He sat in silence for a moment as he furrowed his brow and tried to process what he had seen. Did something hit them? Were they destroyed? Could they have prevented it if they had stayed? The implications made him sick to his stomach.

Wyn must have sensed the tension for she immediately sought his gaze and offered a sad smile. “Next stop, Coruscant, and the Black Hole cantina,” she announced as if nothing had happened. In this case, he knew what she was trying to do – if they wanted any hope of getting back to some semblance of a normal life, they had to dispel recent events from their minds.

As Wyn went on to explain the job she had secured – or was in the process of securing – Praxon made little effort to hide the frown that quickly overtook his features. In the past, he had tried to distance himself from projects that had a heavy hand in the political arena. It usually painted things in a negative light, and he didn’t want to carry around that unnecessary burden. It wasn't the kind of message he wanted to send to his fans. So, what was she doing handing him a government puff piece? At this point, he failed to see the benefits, especially if he wanted to maintain his position.

But what other choice did he have? Things weren’t what they used to be…and it was a job.

“You were waiting to tell me this, weren’t you?” he accused teasingly as his mouth turned upward into a slight smile. “You knew I wouldn’t like it, but you lucked out when we got sidetracked by the Resistance. It saved you all that trouble.” He sighed. “Hell, it’s too late now…”

“One more big show and maybe a bit of quiet time?” Wyn offered in an effort to keep the peace.

Praxon reclined back and scoffed. “As much as I would love to, you know that won’t happen. I’m hopelessly addicted. Besides, the big paychecks are nice.”

Wyn narrowed her eyes, obviously aiming to play on his weaknesses. “Bet we could get major credits for the Millennium Falcon if all else fails?”

“That’s not fair,” Praxon fussed as he sat upright, allowing his boots to ‘thump’ loudly against the floor. “I was actually thinking about keeping her for the collection.”

Of course, it was a crazy notion, and he would never truly consider holding on to such an integral piece of history, but it was fun to tease her all the same. The truth was, he knew they probably had to dump her as soon as possible. They were an easy catch riding around in this hulk. They might as well paint a big, red target on their backs at this rate.

“No, you’re right,” he sobered after a moment. “Although, I’m not sure if selling her would be the wisest choice under the circumstances. I don’t want to leave a paper trail.” He pursed his lips as he considered their plight. “Let’s just worry about getting to Coruscant and securing that gig first, and then we can go over our options.”

TAG: Sinrebirth

 

IC: Bruturus Hidax
Combo with Sinrebirth

"We are no longer monitored," Phasma noted. "Hidax, I appreciate your efforts on Ord Mantell, but the fallout from Starkiller Base is not yet clear. Perhaps blame can be shifted to Hux, even if the traitor who switched off the shields is dealt with."

Hidax was silent, his lips pursed as his gaze flicked aside and then back, awkwardly. This was an odd exchange.

"It is just a shame that your men were not deployed adequately to defend the relevant parts of the Base."

He didn't have time to reply before the continued. "One day Hux will be the obvious foul-up. I hope that we will be on the same side when he does." What he would have previously described as odd, now became utterly bizarre as Phasma lay a hand on his upper arm, and gave it a squeeze. "I would hate to have to do anything otherwise. We still need someone to train the men and women from the start, before I take over their advanced training, after all..."

"Of course," he responded, betraying none of the confusion he was feeling at Phasma's behavior. Either she was in heat, or an impostor had stolen her armor. "Fortunately for me, Captain, a disgraced and powerless former officer isn't a likely scapegoat for the disaster that was Starkiller Base... in that regard I wonder if Takodana wasn't a blessing in disguise, inoculating me from blame before the bigger disaster could happen."

Phasma's gaze was impenetrable behind her helmet as she stepped back. 'Precisely my thoughts. The Supreme Leader has faith in Hux, and Kylo Ren, but while I doubt the latters position will ever be in doubt, Hux is arguably untested. While I have every faith that he will adapt, I remain interested only in what is best for the First Order.'

Phasma was lying. Hux was a fop; she was content to have someone who was so physically unthreatening as General as it gave her leeway. He considered her co-conspirator when it came to his father and Cardinal, but he was an easy pasty. Hux would fall eventually, and Phasma would rather position Hidax as the new man to take part in the necessary military interactions with Supreme Leader Snoke. 'The way to Skywalker may be found by alternate means. Intelligence has been forwarded to me which suggests that an agent of Talon Karrde, the information broker, has been assigned to intercept the two traitors on Coruscant. She is known as the Benefactor - and she may thus be a link to him, who is himself a link to the Resistance High Command.'

Phasma left unstated the potential for Hidax. The failure to recover the droid at Jakku and again at Takodona had forced their hand; the war had begun, and though the First Order was ready, they could have kept Starkiller Base secret after their list of tactical and strategic targets were destroyed; Mon Calamari, Csilla, Sluis Van, Hapes, Chandrila and now Eshan. Snoke had his own mysterious targets too; Dagobah, Moraband, Ziost, Sekot, a planet in distant Wild Space with its purple skinned natives that Phasma could find no cartographical reference to, the entire Maw, perversely enough, and a free-floating Monolith in the Outer Rim. By stringing along the disasters as an unknown occurrence to the First Order, they could both have revealed the Resistance base with aplomb and offered to save the Galaxy from the ineptitude of the New Republic.

Instead Hosnian Prime had been the first target and their weapon revealed and destroyed in short order.

Phasma glowered beneath her helmet.

Hidax gave her a subtle side-eye. "And you want me to quietly look into this concurrent with my orders from Hux, on the chance that your intelligence can prove more useful than his." He sighed. "I took you for more of a soldier than a schemer, Captain. Not that I don't want Hux undone, but of course you'll understand if I'm wary of someone finally being on my side."

Phasma snorted. 'I am not on your side. I am on my side. You just happen to parallel that for this moment in time, Hidax.'

"Of course." Which is why you can't keep your hands to yourself -- he was wise enough not to say out loud.

'I suspect that this Benefactor will prove more of an impediment to your success than not. So does the Supreme Leader.' They stopped outside Hidax's room. 'He has assigned Stele and a bounty hunter to complete your numbers. With Reige in tow, you have an eclectic sort but the connection to the Resistance is just as important as the defectors.'

"Doesn't sound complicated at all," he replied dryly. "Now if you'll excuse me," he gestured to the door.

It was the kind of mission with a political dimension as well as a tactical and strategic one, which would prove very difficult to complete in a manner which would satisfy anyone.

Phasma didn't need to set him up.

He already had been.

TAG: Sinrebirth

 

IC: Vale Sera
The Black Hole, Coruscant – Lower Levels

Vale breathed an audible sigh of relief as she watched the other woman slowly lower her weapon, seemingly hearing her plea and understanding the basic nature of her words. She moved no further as she listened to her reply, her tone shifting from paranoid hatred to something more akin to worry.

"If you aren't First Order, then who-"

Then a blaster shot went off, halting the female’s words and momentarily stunning Vale into a frozen state of fear. At first she was certain she had finally been shot at by the other, waiting for the delayed wave of pain to pull her down into unconsciousness and possibly death. Or someone else in this decrepit establishment that they had been so carelessly ignoring decided to shut them up themselves.

She wouldn’t have blamed them.

Though neither was the case.

The brunette watched as the drunk lady slumped backwards, the bolt having hit her, only to be caught up by a mysterious figure in a featureless, all-black mask.

Hands still raised awkwardly, eyes wide, Vale took stock of the unknown assailant. While their face was covered entirely, bright red hair was clearly visible and a fitted body suit left not much to the imagination, betraying a humanoid form. Then they spoke, the voice mechanized.

“Come on, Vale. Let's not make a scene. Your friend is drunk, after all. It's not as if you don't have your own share of responsibility in the state of the Galaxy.”

Her arms now fell to her sides, proper grip on her blaster restored.

“This person is not my friend,” she was quick to respond. “And how... how do you know my name?”

Vale knew she should have just walked right out the door earlier rather than engage the now-unconscious woman being dragged into a secluded booth. It would have been the smart thing to do, the most tactical to ensure her survival, but here she was. And it seemed that this new stranger was more of a threat to her continued status as living than she first assumed the drunk to be. Her grip tightened over her weapon, eyeing her discarded bag on the floor which she swiftly snatched up, realizing that if she was going to make a run for it... that time was fast approaching.

“Coming in? Or do I need to take you in?” the bounty hunter inquired.

Her eyes narrowed menacingly, knowing the threat the other had placed before her, almost translating into some sort of a dare. But she couldn’t help the curiosity that overtook her urge to flee. It was unwelcome, unnatural - against her most basic instincts. Surprising herself, she allowed it. So, with a cautious step forward, followed by another, Vale moved closer to the odd pair of beings with which she was somehow now linked to while clutching at the small token strung around her neck.

Keep me safe, my love, she thought, directing the words to a husband that would never hear them.


TAGS: Darth Kronos Sinrebirth

 

Joint post with Sinrebirth

The Lord Inquisitor​

Rhen Var, Vanguard HQ

Predictable. Always, predictable. Victus had not attained the rank of High Inquisitor by not being proactive. By being sloppy. By being careless. Of course his agency had been infiltrated. It was an expectation, a reality of the plans he’d put forward. When you’re building such a massive, clandestine group always vett your people. Even the ones you can’t vett.

So, a massive chromatic beam pierced through the asteroid belt, and erased the interdictor from existance, cutting a hole through its hull from fore to aft, a few squadrons of ties went along with it, collateral damage, but not unwelcome. Deeper inside the belt, the origin point of the attack glew red hot, and rotated along it’s rail out of the way to cool as another focusing array moved into position.

“I’m going to assume this is Admiral Bethrogg, as I could recognize the utter failure that is the Behemoth any day.” The broadcast was direct, tight beam, and only audio. “You’ve been quite helpful, one, your forces give me a chance to truly test a protege, and two, and you’ll forgive me I’ve always wanted to say this, but you’ll give me the chance to witness the firepower of this fully Armed and Operational Battlestation.”

Admiral Bethrogg scowled across the open channel. He gestured to mute it. 'Focus all firepower on the source of that shot,' his mind grappled with the problem, and, catching the reference to the Battle of Endor and the words of Emperor Palpatine, the aged Bethrogg, who had fought many a battle during the Galactic Civil War and Yuuzhan Vong War, also took from the Battle of Endor to resolve his situation. 'Move as close to the asteroid as possible, as quickly as we can.' He knew this was not incredibly fast for his Destroyers, but his smaller ships would get in close so the larger weapon - or weapons, plural - could not easily fire.

'Commence Rockstorm.' Reversing the polarity of his tractors, the asteroids they were towing were propelled forward towards the enemy battle station. Bethrogg knew little of what they contained - the High Inquisitor had ordered him not to use sensors on them, and he had obeyed, for fear of a lightsaber in the back.

With a gesture he was unmuted. 'High Inquisitor Victus, I presume. I had thought you had turned away from our Emperor. For you to quote him is a tad hypocritical, is it not?'

Bethrogg allowed himself a smile. Shields were fully forward. He need not worry himself overtly with the enemy behind him; he had swarmed their hangers with good reason. 'Signal those Enforcer-class cruisers please; their crews may take them back now.'

Silence answered back.

But a trap could be baited in more ways than one. Bethrogg quietly smiled.

As the High Inquisitor willed it.

“You’ll find the crews won’t answer. Not real ones anyway.” Victus’ appearance finally appeared, sitting beside him an Imperial Transponder. “I had their primary comm systems removed, and jammers installed. One because I’m not an idiot and two, because I’d like your First Order to see what’s coming. Also it’s Lord Inquisitor.” With a wave of his hand the Multispectrum disguise suits that had littered the asteroid and a few surrounding ships filtered away. It was up to Bethrogg’s memory, if he recognized the target he truly faced.

“You ever find it odd that the ‘Dark Side’ is always one step ahead? The Sith Empire was always ahead of the Republic, it’s how they managed to sack Coruscant. The Eternal Empire was ahead of the Galaxy as a whole, and many worlds burned. Palpatine fooled the entire Galaxy into a war to usurp power. So then ask yourself Admiral, what happens when the ‘Dark Side Shoe’ is on the other foot?”

He clasped his hands together, smug as Bethrogg’s assault did nothing to the shields of his HQ. “Everything you, your High Inquisitor, your Supreme Leader knows about me, my activities, my organization, has been handed to you in a well orchestrated dance. I did not rise to the position of High Inquisitor within Imperial Intelligence by being a fool, and I did not spend my time there idle in thought and action. I made plans.”

“Your trap, has failed to spring. Your backup plans, will fail to fall into place. Your reinforcements, will not arrive in time, and your High Inquisitor will reward you in the ways of the Old Empire. But you do have an option. You do have a way of saving yourself, your men, and your ideals.” He stepped a little closer to the recorder, the projection now clearly picking up the Imperial Seal clasping his cloak to his armor, with a crack through it. Then he spoke, but the voice was not that of Victus, at least, not in sound, but a well performed mimicry of the late Emperor “We have been tested, but we have emerged stronger. We must move forward, as one people: the Imperial citizens of the first Galactic Empire. We will prevail. Ten thousand years of peace begins today.”

“And how did we start that peace?” His voice returned to his own. “We killed countless innocents confused by the shift, who simply expressed concern over a sudden change. We bombed planets. We poisoned atmospheres. We erased entire species from existence. The very ship you stand on, was built on a foundation of blood, and that sat on a bedrock of lies. But I aim to make true that lie. I aim to bring about an era of peace without oppression. I aim to bring to our people, to all people, the peace and prosperity they were promised, not Sheev’s folly.”

Victus extended a hand forward. “You may stand beside me Admiral, you and your crew. Because as you likely realize, you face down one of our Late Empire’s Super Weapons, and she is much more advanced than she was. So weigh your options quickly Admiral. Inquisitors, High or otherwise, are never patient.”

Bethrogg scowled, and glanced to his comms officer. They nodded glumly, confirming the jamming. Smart man. The High Inquisitor had a back-up measure, but it was to be used when the towed asteroids hit the enemy Dreadnought. And it was a Dreadnought - the ship design lay between torpedo spheres and Death Stars, before the Executor-class filled the gap twenty years later, and then the Mandator III and Assertor-classes fleshed out the gap before the Battle of Endor.

There had only been two such vessels designed. One had been the Eye of Palpatine, and had been sabotaged by Jedi who survived Order 66, before being destroyed thirty years later by Luke Skywalker himself, before a warlord coalition resurrected the True Empire in the months after the Battle of Ord Cantrell.

Bethrogg hadn't known; but it didn't make a difference to him. He had been told to expect reversals. He had also been told to expect Victus to entice him to his side. 'It is curious, isn't it, Lord Inquisitor,' he said with a heavy sarcastic leaning on the title, no more grandiose than any other claimed by a warlord after Endor, be it Superior General or Supreme Warlord or some such. 'When the dark side shoe is on the other foot.'

He grinned maliciously as the asteroids made the shield edge of the Dreadnought, and suddenly, with a twist of energy, met the shields and stuck firm on them. Victus' officers would report that the shields were being drained, exhausted, as if the asteroids were sucking up gigajoules of energy. Each asteroid that affixed itself to the shield would add to the strain. Each blast fired by enemy guns taxed the shield further. Before two thirds of them were affixed, the shield would suddenly be on the verge of collapse.

Bethrogg went to open the container sitting on his command table. It was a metal box, and Bethrogg had been notified that it was attuned to him already, and would allow him to communicate with its brood across the various cruisers, and order the counter assault. Bethrogg did not known what that meant, but paused, looking to hear Victus' next response of wit.

“You had a chance Admiral. You disappoint me.” From somewhere deeper in the system a blast not unlike the one that had removed the Immobilizer from the field did the same to an asteroid, at the same time another one of the weapon tracks rotated into position, removing a second.” Victus shook his head, and let out a long sigh. “Were you so easily distracted by my messages that you forgot that I had destroyed your gravity generator and that meant I could be reinforced? And of course right about now your personnel will be telling you that they’re now detecting my gravity generators. All of them, littered around this system cutting it off from hyperspace. It’s now just you, and me. My fleet, your fleet, and one of us is ill equipped to survive it.”

“It is a shame really. I knew you as a man loyal more to ideals than titles, but I guess that changed over the years. But It was expected.” He motioned off to the side, as the Dreadnought’s power systems fully kicked on to power, the multilayers of shields hummed to life and the massive gravity engines that propelled it’s hulk through the void began to spin up. “Bombs, planted in my reactors. Already removed. Key personnel, subverted, already in custody. Information given to you, contained only enough truth to seem true. I let you all know what you needed to know, because I knew I could not keep this organization secret, instead I could keep its reality one.”

“Now I am not a truly malevolent man.” The three other weapons mounted on tracks rotated into position, taking targeting locks on the Behemoth. “I could do as Lord Vader would, and reach out and choke you. Or snap your neck. In reality I could reach out and crush your bridge tower, or send on of your frigates careening into you. But that would be something unbefitting of you, or me. You will instead die, in the blaze of glory befitting an Admiral of the Empire.” Turbolasers, Ion Cannons, and the Vanguards particle weapons all started coming online.

“This is your final choice. Surrender, and face trial by the people of the Galaxy. Or die. The option, really, is yours.”

Bethrogg smiled slightly. 'I know about the powers of the dark side. I serve it's masters. Please, snap my neck. It will make little difference.'

As he spoke the asteroids broke through one shield later for the next. Victus' sensors would notify him that they possessed gravity wells; dovin basils. One asteroid in two sidled up to the other and extended its defences around the asteroid; one dedicated to draining, one to defending.

Bethrogg had anticipated he was being thrown aside to a certain extent by his High Inquisitor. Opening the case, he stroked the villip within. 'Begin.' The message that had been jammed before was communicated; the attacks on the cruisers began.

'Because, you see,' Bethrogg continued. 'The High Inquisitor does not consider himself your intellectual equal. His master, perhaps, I expect is. But the Supreme Leader has been preparing for this moment for nearly a century. So I'm inclined to have my dark side shoe over yours.' His crew was staring. Bethrogg paid them no heed. 'I served the true Empire after Endor. Not the clone in the Deep Core, but the true successors to the Emperor.'

'I'm the feint, Lord Inquisitor. I would die for my Empire. I will not hide nor sign a Concordance or an Accord - nor presume to dictate the Empire's direction. At the end of your days, all you have your vows, and your word.'

Bethrogg's crew straightened in their various chairs. He was filled with pride; misplaced as it was. 'Crew. Full shields, full engines. Ramming speed, if you would.'

Victus scowled, and the tone of his voice took a very sudden turn. “Then Bethrogg, you will have your wish.” With a tap of his foot, the massive dreadnought emitted a gravitational pulse. The asteroids pushing against the shields seemed to scream across comm channels as they were forced away, their outer shells snapping under rapidly increasing gravitational pressure, until they split asunder, exposing the contents inside to weapons fire, and the cold of space.

Bethrogg would not have the time to muse on this, in his suicidal rush, because as the Basils died, Victus thrust forward a hand, and Bethrogg found himself knocked forward, as the engines of his ship pushed in vain against something they could not see. “There was only one Emperor.” The admiral could see Victus now, his voice echoed in his mind, before him, a vision filled his eyes. A massive specter of a man, eyes aglow in an angry yellow. The Dreadnought sat at his heart, and his hand clasped around the bow of the Behemoth.

The Star Destroyer’s hull began to buckle, plates failed and air began to rush out of forward sections. “There are giants in the playground Admiral.” The Inquisitor’s hand clenched tighter, and the pointed nose of the Destroyer began to crumple inward, as though it were a drink can. “Your master, and his master, are nothing compared to me. My knowledge spans centuries. My power, unrivaled. You are not even a toy! And as for the Emperor.”

A lightsaber ignited in the Inquisitor’s other hand, a violent red blade with a black heart. And as it filled the hologram, and the illusion in Bethrogg’s mind he felt a familiar dread. A dread felt by all as a darkness washed over the system, and beyond. “I alone wield his Will.” Victus tore his hand away, and the forward half of the Destroyer went with it, casting it aside towards the Atmosphere of Rhen Var, taking a corvette with it in it’s path.

“Now smolder, in your failure.” The hologram faded, as did the illusion, and Bethrogg’s vision was filled with only one last image. An unforgiving wall of weapons fire.

-- -- --

In his meditation chamber, surrounded by the soft, comforting glow of the Kyber Crystals he’d liberated here ages ago, Victus let out a breath. A sigh, more than anything before deactivating the lightsaber, and trapping the darkness within back inside. “Victus to Valynt.”

“Yes my lord?”

“Have the First Order troops begun a counter attack as we expected?”

“Yes.”

“Good, you may eradicate them now.” He started to turn, but then paused. “I think however, there is some wisdom, in Lord Colcha’s view of the world... reactivate their comms, only outgoing... let the First Order watch, then report to the fleet. We’re going to show these fools what feints really are.”

--- --- ---

IC: Vincent Mikaru
Chandrila Orbit

Vincent had been exposed to a great number of ‘convergences’ in the Force over the past few days and he had still not grown even the slightest bit used to them. He put a hand to his head, taking in a sharp breath as he focused himself to try and not to let it affect him outwardly more than it had. “Admiral...” he finally said with a sharp bite to it.

“Were this any other day, in any other time, I would be more than glad to play the game of politics with you. But the Galaxy outside this system is on fire, and a Sith Lord that might very well put the late Emperor to shame is on a rampage and whatever is down there in that tomb has a very important part to play in all this.”

He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the Admiral, his expression showing nothing of the pleasant young Businessman who often played the world of politics because of his eventual destiny as a clan Sovereign. Instead he was met with the cold gaze of a man who had reached the end of his barrel of kriffs days ago. “So, do you really want to be known as the man who potentially doomed the Galaxy because he wanted to play politics? Or will you pull the lead out and have an escort team meet me en route because we do not have the time for all of this.”

--- --- ---

IC: Argen
Rosa

Captain Argen Devalie had prepared for a lot of potentialities on his ship. Pirates? He had a plan for that. Secretive bankers who were probably trying to undermine and kill them while feigning innocence? Yeah, he actually had a plan for that. Passengers who were breaking the law. Had a plan for it. Drunken Wookiee and Shistavanen getting into a fight over who actually owned the oversized chicken they had picked up from the wheel? He had tranquilizers for that. But a Sith Lord rampaging through his hangar, unleashing chaos on his computer systems, and overriding his droids?

He had nothing.

Well, almost nothing.

Not to say he’d expected it, but some plans could be repurposed. To Argen’s figuring, the Sith had probably managed to get something through from the shuttle that his buffer hadn’t caught. If that was the case then the Computer was probably the source of a lot of problems. Get that under control, and then you could worry about the mystical. Of course he couldn’t access the computers. That was the whole point, and he did have a plan for that.

Pulling up his wrist comm Argen dialed in an authorization code that sent a signal to a small dedicated receiver. This receiver had one job, upon receiving the proper code it generated a high energy pulse, this pulse triggered an explosive bolt that physically pushed the primary computer junction away from it’s housing, separating the ship's main computer from the ship itself leaving it free hanging in it’s casing.

This of course didn’t seem to have the immediate effect he wanted. The power came back online, but the droids we're still not responding to the automatic shutdown code. He looked around and saw Leia fighting against a pair of B-1’s and some of the pilots doing the same, but one had made a motion, to aim their weapon at something that finally caught the Zabrak’s eye, and he was amazed he’d missed it for so long.

The Kel-Dor that had fallen out of the pod had something on them, it was glowing a violent red and its shape reminded him of something he’d seen while helping Rorkazza explore his talents years ago. Something Rork told him to avoid. He couldn’t remember what it was called, but he immediately knew it had to be tied to all this. So he reached to draw his blaster with his right hand and found himself suddenly in the clutches of a droid.

He struggled in it’s grip for a moment before he reached for his other blaster, a second droid tackled from that side and attempted to pin him against a bulkhead. They outclassed him in physical strength but Argen had not survived all his encounters up to this point without tricks.

Drawing up his left foot he slammed it down on the B-1’s ankle joint. Had it been an organic opponent it might have broken it’s ankle, for a droid it was a minor annoyance, until the electrical capacitors delivered a high voltage charged that disrupted it’s servos just long enough for Argen to draw his pistol, place it’s barrel right up against the hip plate, and pull the trigger.

As the droid fell he shifted his weight and turned the blaster towards the other droid, putting a blaster bolt through it’s chest, and then it’s head. As it fell away he took a look at his immediate surroundings and found himself alone, for a moment. So he took in a deep breath, drew his main-hand blaster and focused on just himself, his sights, and the glowing pyramid in the distance.

Then he pulled the trigger.

Tag: Sinrebirth, all aboard the Rosa

 

IC: Susulur Dha'tra
Esfandia, Hanger of Rosa

As quickly as it had started, it had ended. His shot may not have been a killing one as he had planned but it had put a stop rather quickly to the madness when added to everyone else's actions. The Kel Dor had been screaming inarticulately, and as Susular had levelled for his shot and released the blast, the red artefact flew from the Kel Dor's pocket, hurtling towards Bre; his shot had caught the Kel Dor full on the hip and hurled it back to slam into the escape pod. A minor wince played across the corner of his good eye at the hit, not a clean kill and he knew from experience that bones would break in his back and hip at least, luckily the man seemed to black out. Target neutralized, resume active threat coverage, was the lone directive that played through his mind as he searched the hanger. The Shadow creature and techno beasts were his main concerns.

The Shadow creature leered at the Kel Dor. 'Treachery, Kodo?'

Well they had a name to go off of now for the wounded member as he observed Kyp and Fett and Argen begin their own motions; though Lysa and Rhoen had driven them back with some help. With a slash, Kyp drove his blade into the Shadow thing, but it became incorporeal, reaching out for the Holocron and closing its hand around the artefact in time for Argen to shoot his hand apart; the Holocron sailed into Bre's waiting hands.

The Shadow howled, more in annoyance than pain, as the wounds seemed to be lasting. Interesting. If not for the droid beast he was shooting into at the moment he would try to aim for the head.

'Beaten; perhaps. Defeated, not at all.' A sinister chuckle flowed as he lilted over the fallen Kel Dor. 'I convey to you my crippled apprentice - the Padawan you abandoned. Katarn judged him and found him wanting, but fled; Vos and Marek died for him. Perhaps his curse will not touch you all?'

Yellow eyes looked to Bre before the Shadow vanished. So the moment had come to an end at last.

What did it leave? Susular with a lightsaber to hand and his Manda'lor pointing his gun at him; Goran emerged from cover his hand firmly on the hilt of his beskad. The Falcon gone. Bre with the Holocron, being reeled in by Fred triumphantly. The medical droid who had saved Susular was summoned, rushing in to take Kodo and place him in a medical coma for shock; the teams second engagement with Snoke had left them fraught.

Lights returned to the ship; Cassie took back control of the vessel. Kyp had his weapon still out as Leia accepted Lysa's help in standing. She nodded to Rhoen, a thank you, ignoring the stand-off. 'Corona Lead, Seven. Please suit up for flight.' The General was still business.

'Argen,' Leia spoke up, knowing the man was listening. 'That could have been a lot worse than it was. Jump us after Snoke before he has more time to recover - the next sending will be worse if we let him. The plan is still on. We'll just replace the Falcon with Slave I, or maybe that Star Courier that Damask brought in. I'll be bait for my son if I need to.' Her tone brooked no argument. She gave Rhoen and Lysa a look which was pure durasteel.

Well, this is interesting. Then again it probably fell into the category of no good deed. . .Susulur amicably thought with a wry grin hidden by his bucce.

Fett shifted his weapon. 'I'll charge more if you use my ship.' Shifts were good, it indicated indecision.

'You've still not told me who your client is, Mandalore.' Leia spoke. More clipped words. More standing stiff. 'So I guess whomever he is, he has his own resources.'

'Maybe.' Fett was still staring at Susulur.

Goran cleared his throat. 'Vode, you have some explaining to do.'

Kyp remained silent. It was a stand-off. Fred and BB-8 tootled softly. The Force had a feeling of an edged blade, the suggestion of violence hung in the air after all violence was supposedly done.

"Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa Goran, I already explained all to Vode last night. If Manda'lor wants to know, lets keep it acyk Mando'a" at that he put his arms out slowly. Pressing a button he collapsed the brace arms of his bowcaster and moved to slowly put it away as he held the hand with the lightsaber pointing as far away from Manda'lor as possible. Opening a line of sight channel to his vode he spoke plainly. "Kyr'amur Manda'lor. I shuk meh kyrayc. Either shoot or put that away before I get annoyed."

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422, Sinrebirth, @Kahn_Iceay, @Darth_wanderguard, @Ktala, @Lady Belligerent

 

IC: Rhoen Aquilla
Rosa, Esfandia system

Everything moved quickly Seven got to the blaster and Rhoen covered her the whole way. He had been so focused on protecting the general and his wingmate that everything else seemed to dissolve around him. He didn’t notice the black shadow being taken apart, the glowing pyramid flying across the space, or the Mandalorian wielding a lightsaber.

Once it was all over he kept his pistol drawn not assured that the problem had been solved. His eyes didn’t move from the fallen droids as his partner got General Organa to her feet. He acknowledged the nod given him and returned it. It seemed the conflict was over, just as quick as it had started. He recalled what General Antilles had told him.

‘The up and down.The fight, and then the stop.’ he was told those words at the start of all this, less than a day ago. It felt like longer, weeks, months.

His eyes narrowed at the gurney that passed him, the Kel Dor in a coma passed out upon it. It was dangerous to keep him here. He acted like some sort of conduit for Snoke. Rhoen was no Jedi, couldn’t even touch the force but, he could feel that this being would bring nothing but, trouble.

He gave only a passing glance to the stand off between the Mandos before orders were given by the General.

"Corona Lead, Seven. Please suit up for flight."

"Yes Mam;" was Rhoen’s instant reply. He was already in his flight suit, wasn’t like he remembered to pack civilian clothes before leaving the Voyager back in Ruan.

"That could have been a lot worse than it was." The general continued, "Jump us after Snoke before he has more time to recover - the next sending will be worse if we let him. The plan is still on. We'll just replace the Falcon with Slave I, or maybe that Star Courier that Damask brought in. I'll be bait for my son if I need to."

Rhoen took half a step forward, "Ma…" his words died on his tongue as the older woman gave him a stern glare. "Yes mam'," he stepped back in line with Seven.

The standoff continued between mandos Rhoen did his best to not worry about it. They were mercenaries, sent here to do a job for money, not to bring peace back to the galaxy. Thought that called into question his motivations. Yes he was still a pilot for the New Republic, still fought to restore the Senate still wanted to bring back the light of hope to the galaxy. However he could not deny the burning coal of anger in his chest, the need for revenge for his mother, to payback the blood on the First Order’s hands.

He shook his head moving over to the X-wing he would be flying Kyp’s previously but, seeings how Rhoen’s previous one was missing a wing. He did all his pre-flight checks ‘Ace’ helping him along the way.

All the while his thoughts moved on to other worries. The General was willingly putting herself into harm’s way, leaving herself out in the open for Snoke and Kylo Ren to destroy. If she fell this day, what would happen to the Resistance, the Republic. She was the guiding force, the pillar upon which so much was built. Without her, what would the remaining fighters rally around, the nebulous idea of the Republic, that lays shattered on the ground, was that dream even possible without her, the elder stateswoman that nearly single handedly founded the New Republic as a political entity?

With his craft checked out he gave a look to Seven as she was no doubt checking over her own craft.

Letting out a long breath he leaned up against his X-Wing arms crossed, ‘Ace’ by his side just observing his partner.

They still had a mission to complete, and he knew he would do everything in his power to keep General Organa-Solo breathing.

She couldn’t be allowed to die, she was the light of the Republic.

TAG: Mitth_Fisto, Sinrebirth, Kahn_Iceay, Darth_wanderguard, Ktala, Lady Belligerent

 

IC: Bron Dooku
Bendu temple; collapsing

Bron had assumed the attackers simply would not kill him on the spot. Then of course, he heard the gunner's captain shouting "Just shoot him!" So much for logic!
Despite the urgency of the situation--which glumly reminded him of his tumultuous boyhood--Bron took a second to scan his unexpected rescuer. Green eyes, red hair. One of the rarest color combinations found in humanity, if not the rarest. This would certainly be interesting. He did know of a few famous women in the galaxy who matched that phenotype; could it be that she was one of them? Never mind that. She was apparently adamant to rescue him, and he would not miss that chance to live.
"You're going to insist that you will only go if we save your droid aren't you?", she asked, visibly annoyed, while holding a blaster to him.
"Dassid has been with me a long time", Bron simply said, taking the weapon she offered him. "But I am not much of a warrior."
He had hoped, not so secretly, that it wouldn't come to a firefight. Back on Alderaan, he did train with Giles "the Weapons Master" Durane, but his skills and enthusiasm simply never compared to Leia's--that woman could probably shoot fleas off a grazer's back without harming it. A good thing that the Counts of Serenno wear armorweave capes, he thought. A very good thing indeed. But would that be enough?

"I do want to live. Lead on, then!" he told his rescuer.

TAG: Sinrebirth

 

IC: Myna'Vera
Chandilra, Tomb of the Barsen'thor

It was a few minutes before Myna angrily picked herself up from the floor she had fallen to, surrounded by varying pieces of the floor from above. Droma was nowhere to be seen, which didn't surprise her in the slightest. What did surprise her, was that she didn't have a headache after that fall, she expected a concussion, or at least some dizziness. Instead there was nothing...

Looking around, the debris or the new floor she was standing on offered no clues as to how she would have been uninjured. Well, not quite uninjured her body informed her as she took a few steps towards the only doorway she had seen, lots of bruising. Probably a rib or few, definitely her legs, and a swollen ankle. For the moment though, she could ignore it. What she couldn't ignore was her droids, who were undoubtedly going to start worrying if they didn't hear from her soon. Picking her comm out of her pocket she activated it, waiting for the querying to begin in earnest. Strangely there was nothing, not even static. She turned the device over, it's components seemed to be intact, but wherever she was, there wasn't a signal getting through.

Sighing in frustration she replaced the commlink, and drew her main blaster pistol, time to go check out the next room...

Tag: Sinrebirth

 

Belila Gambros (Bre)
Shadow Shirmish - The Rosa

As Bre gave out a small help, as the cord around her waist tightened, her senses flared to lie. Kyp reappeared from nowhere, and rushed forward, with his lightsaber in hand. A blast from a weapon shot past her and hit the Shadow, just as he was reaching for the Holocron. The blast made his hand suddenly fell apart, and as Fred began to reel her back towards him, the Holocron flew to Bre's outstretched hand, as Kodo went unconscious.

'EWWWW!' Just holding the thing felt wrong.

The Shadow thing then howled,and Bre saw that the hand would not reform, as the slash across his waist did not come together. It spoke, 'Beaten; perhaps. Defeated, not at all.' A sinister chuckle came from its form. 'I convey to you my crippled apprentice - the Padawan you abandoned. Katarn judged him and found him wanting, but fled; Vos and Marek died for him. Perhaps his curse will not touch you all?'

Then the thing turned towards her, it's yellow eyes looked to Bre before the foul thing vanished. A stirring in the Force was echoed by a stirring inside Bre. There was a faint longing within her; separated from the Holocron - a light compulsion to find out more about the Shadow; about her nightmares; about his interest in her. It was outside her, not something of her own, but it entwined her.

And then it was gone.

Bre frowned darkly, as she sat on the floor. She looked over at her companion. "Dana ye, Fred!" she said, thanking him and giving him a thankful pat, as she removed the cable from around her waste. She then asked for a towel, which she promptly used to deposit the Holocron into, and quickly tying it up.

She didnt want to hold it in her bare hands.

It was then that Bre felt another strange stirring. She noticed that Kyp was silent. The air felt charged between several beings, especially the Mandos. It was a stand-off. Fred and BB-8 tootled softly. But Bre felt something else. It was the Holocron. it was doing something within the air. It felt very tense. Of course, it was a Sith Holocron. Bre growled dangerously toward the artifact.

'Stop it, before I drop you into the nearest star.' she warned, speaking very softly to the Holocron. Snope had mentioned something about a curse. Is this what drove Kodo mad? Something else bothered her. He seemed very ... intense, about her. Why? It seemed more, than simply being a shapeshifter. But after the other 'vision' she had just experienced, she decided that she needed to meditate more. She knew the others were bent on rushing after him, and catching him before he 'recovered'. But they seemed to be the ones doing the recovering, while he was on the attack.

Leia spoke up, now. 'That could have been a lot worse than it was. Jump us after Snoke before he has more time to recover - the next sending will be worse if we let him. The plan is still on. We'll just replace the Falcon with Slave I, or maybe that Star Courier that Damask brought in. I'll be bait for my son if I need to.'

Bre bit her lip as listened to the Generals plan. Bre shook her head. "Are you sure?" she suddenly spoke aloud. "He might be leanding us someplace, where he has others waiting. When we look like we might not follow, he does something that makes us want to follow him more." Bre paused for a moment. And then, he leaves us 'gifts.' She raised the rag she had wrapped the holocron in. This little teka' has been trying to influence us. I just think, you might want to think about what might be waiting for us, once we finally get there. He might not be as defenseless as you think. And he's already gotten to us. More than once." She paused, and then added, "And I'm pretty sure he did not leave Kodo behind as a 'simple gift.'

Bre turned, and began to leave, heading back to her quarters. She said her peace. She had to figure out what to do with the cursed 'stone' she had retrieved. And Kyp....

She would leave those thoughts alone for now. Right now, she needed more rest.




TAG: galactic-vagabond422, Sinrebirth, Kahn_Iceay, Darth_wanderguard, Lady Belligerent,
@Mitth_Fisto ,

 

IC: Sava Boutros

Sava surveyed the interior of the ship as she walked down to the hold. Reige had told her to meet the last member of the squad, a trooper with no name at the moment. This Vitor Reige gave her an odd feeling. She was still slightly curious as to why he’d really been passing on a Grand Moff’s concerns to her and why Hux was including a Remnant officer on this mission.

Everything about the ship as sleek as could be expected of a yacht used for Naboo royalty. Her footsteps even had a crisper ring to them.

As she arrived in the hold, she saw the back of a trooper, helmet and all. It was twirling a stun baton in what she assumed was boredom or perhaps amusement.

The trooper turned around and addressed her, “You said that you had to put me through my paces, no? My name is Taral. Show me what I need to know?”

Catching the baton swiftly that had been thrown to her, Sava gave a nod, accompanied by the slightest hint of a smile.

“Ah, good to meet you, Taral. I’m Private Sava Boutros.”

Sava clasped her hands behind her back with the baton still in her curled fingers. Taking a few steps she began the briefing.

“Three troopers, FN-2187, FN-7322, and FN-2546, have left the Order, all within a short time. The first, has been sighted with the Resistance but the latter two have gone to Coruscant. To my understanding, Adjunct Reige arranged for that. This squad is headed there to intercept one of them, if my both, who could possibly have vital information from Starkiller Base. This information must not be passed into the hands of the Resistance and obviously, they must be stopped before that happens.There are several members of the squad, Jak, who is a bounty hunter, Hidax, a trooper, Stele, a pilot, myself, Reige, and yourself. Reige is the head of the mission while I am in charge of military matters.”

Concluding her short speech, Sava looked to the trooper for a response, her face serene but eyes glistening with a fear of failure.

TAG: Darth Kronos Darth_wanderguard QueenSabe7 Sinrebirth