Star Wars OPEN New Sith Trials: Dark Reach: Episode I: An Order Remade

IC: Aryan Graul
Private Suite, Aboard the Luxury Elite

The iridescent glow from the wide wall panel cast the expansive room in a blanket of soft, atmospheric light. The sheer size and scope of the panel itself gave it the illusion of a floor-to-ceiling viewport, which afforded breathtaking views of the greater galaxy. The images were so real and so crisp that one could almost reach out and physically touch them, but in actuality, they were only projections.

The visuals, generated by the latest in holoprojector technology, was just one example of the many perks and amenities the Luxury Elite had to offer for its distinguished guests. In this particular case, the panel had the famous Solar Gardens of Nubia on full display, its transparisteel walls reflecting the sunlight and illuminating the lush landscapes with a brilliant radiance. This effect served as a vibrant reminder of the world’s agricultural beauty and achievements.

And for the man gazing intently upon this stunning panorama, it was a reminder of home.

Aryan Graul, dressed more casually than his usual attire, stood with his hands shoved loosely into his trouser pockets. He typically wasn’t the type to fantasize or yearn for his homeworld, but at the moment, he needed a blank slate to reflect on the events of recent days. A familiar sight, such as the Solar Gardens, provided solace and focus. He could lose himself in their splendor.

Nevertheless, he continued to struggle with the tension, guilt, and adversity that remained.



The whirlwind of events began a few weeks earlier when he had received a cryptic message from Ike about the political landscape on Coruscant. The Imperial capital was essentially in limbo after failing to fully emerge from the ashes of the last Civil War. While the fledgling New Republic had left a figurehead in charge, the former Grand Vizier, it still did not have proper representation in the Senate. They needed a leader, someone who could restore their confidence.

Aryan saw himself as that individual. It was the perfect opportunity for him to step back into the spotlight and regain his glory. And so, he had publicly declared his intentions to run in the election to become Coruscant’s next Senator.

The following weeks on the campaign trail had been both grueling and exhilarating, partly due to the lingering side effects from his injuries above Bedlam. Fatigue, headaches, and irritability had been the primary complaints, but it was all fairly manageable. He had only experienced a slight slowdown from his usual pace, and he was grateful for that. He knew, in the back of his mind, that it could’ve been so much worse.

It wasn’t until he had received an invitation to attend a conference on board the Luxury Elite that he finally saw the culmination of his networking efforts. The seminar, which focused on poverty prevention and recovery, afforded him an avenue to connect with more people and to garner more votes. Basically, it was a way for him to put his face out on public display beyond the local news cycles on Coruscant. It allowed him to expand his reach.

Of course, what he wouldn’t reveal to his staff was that he actually had an ulterior motive for attending such a lucrative event.

Syren.

Due to their various obligations, Aryan hadn’t seen the woman he loved for nearly three weeks. The time apart was often an agonizing experience that slowly whittled away at his heart, sometimes causing physical pain. The longer the distance, the greater the hardship. And in this case, he had needed a release.

Fortunately, Syren had disclosed her plans to dock with the Luxury Elite at the conclusion of her mission, setting up a clandestine rendezvous that Aryan vowed not to miss.

In keeping with their agenda, he had arrived aboard the pleasure yacht the night before, while Syren was due any moment. But what happened in the interim continued to eat away at Aryan’s conscience, ravaging his very soul. It was the source of his current loathing, and he couldn’t seem to find peace with what had occurred.

How could he when he had awoken this morning in the arms of another woman? Of Valieri, one of his executive aides.

Sure, it might have been a mistake to head out to the casino after his meetings to indulge in the Elite’s reckless debauchery, but he couldn’t recall things ever crossing a line. In fact, he couldn’t recall anything at all. He had no recollection of the night before. There was no explanation, no memories, and that concerned him.

Other than a strange feeling of familiarity upon their first meeting, he also didn’t know Valieri beyond a professional capacity. So, how had he ended up in bed with her?

That was the question he continued to ask himself as he once again replayed the awkward conversation from this morning in his mind:


* * *

“What the hell are you doing?” Aryan grumbled in a low baritone, stalking back toward the bed now that he had managed to locate a pair of shorts to cover his nudity. “Do you think this is going to help you excel? What you pulled last night?”

The woman eased herself forward to confront him, her body still wrapped in the rumpled sheets to maintain her modesty. “What do you mean?” Valieri murmured, her brow furrowed as if to feign innocence.

“Don’t play dumb,” Aryan sneered, carefully enunciating each word to convey his point. “You slipped me something. What was it, in that glass of bourbon?”

Again, she gazed up at him with that innocent expression. “What?”

“Just tell me what happened.”

Valieri remained silent for a moment before her chestnut eyes widened with understanding. “You don’t remember.”

“I remember heading to the casino after the seminar, and the next thing I know,” he hesitated, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper, “I’m waking up in my bed with you lying beside me. We were both nude. Something like that doesn’t just occur without provocation, and I don’t recall ever being a willing participant. So, what the hell happened?”

“Well, it was a very lowkey evening,” she began slowly, diverting her eyes as she tried to recount the details. “We sat together at the bar and chatted for a while, but eventually, we relocated back here...to your suite.” She returned her gaze to his and shrugged. “There was nothing out of the ordinary. You seemed fine.”

“I was not…” Aryan scoffed and turned away briefly, desperately trying to seek the truth. “I was not fine. I was not fine.” By repeating the statement, it was as if he was trying to convince even himself.

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” Valieri offered softly, a gentle smile spreading over her features. “Don’t give in to your insecurities, Aryan. You’re stronger than that. You need to let go of all of that tension and relax. Like you did last night.”

Her remark set him on edge, conjuring his guilt and imposing a tightness on his chest. It made it difficult to breathe, and suddenly, he saw Syren’s face as a terrible thought crossed his awareness. “What did I say?” He then canted his head and stared at her. “Did we…?”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he inhaled sharply and gestured with his right hand, obviously referring to intercourse.

“Now is really not the right time,” Valieri continued in her soft cadence, appearing to purposely skirt around the question. “You’re still doubting yourself. You’ll need some time to process things and to accept that your ego is trying to deny you––”

Aryan held up a hand to stop her from continuing. “Godsdammit, I’m not asking for a psychological analysis of my behavior. You can save your abstract ideologies for someone else.” He leaned closer, the disdain and desperation evident on his face. “I need to know what happened last night. Stop making excuses and answer my question!”

“You’re delusional. Look around. I think it’s all pretty self-explanatory. If you can’t admit that to yourself, then I have nothing else to say.”

With a slight scoff, Aryan merely nodded, an indignant smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, alright. In that case, I’m afraid you leave me with no other choice.” She had the upper hand at this moment – and she knew it, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t enact his own form of retribution.

“Get out,” he growled under an intense glare. “I don’t want to see you again unless I personally request it, do you understand me? You’re relieved of your duties until I can straighten this out.”

Valieri did not allow herself to react. She simply stood from the bed, the sheet tumbling to her ankles to reveal her exposed body, and passed by Aryan without meeting his eye. She then ambled silently from the bedroom.​

* * *


The memory brought a frown to Aryan’s features as he clenched his fist and turned away from the holo display with disgust. No matter how many times he relived it, he failed to find that moment of clarity – that one indication that pointed to the truth. He just couldn’t believe that he would allow himself to slip in that way, not after everything Syren and himself had been through recently. It made no logical sense. He loved her, he ached for her, and he knew in his heart that he would never betray her.

That, coupled with the lapse in his memory, is what ultimately convinced him of foul play. Something happened last night, but Valieri wasn’t about to reveal her secret. At least, not at this juncture...and not willingly. He could probably try to force the issue, though that would likely prove detrimental to his objectives. She had enough ammunition to paint him in a very negative light if she so desired, so he had to tread carefully.

Fortunately, he had known where to begin his investigation – the surveillance tapes. With his connections to the Sith, and specifically Lady Bellorum as the owner of the Luxury Elite, he had already sent a request to review the security footage from the casino. Hopefully, that would shed some light on his supposed ‘illicit’ activities.

Either way, he had to discover the truth. Otherwise, it would consume him alive.

As if on cue, the soft chime of his comlink echoed across the quiet chambers. He only assumed that it was Bellorum returning his inquiry, but when he glanced down at his wrist, he noted that it was his other comm – the private one that linked him directly to Syren.

Relief instantly washed over his body, and for a fleeting moment, he was able to relax and forget about his problems. Nothing else mattered as he finally accepted the call and allowed Syren’s words to reach his ears. Even after all this time, the sound of her voice, sultry and smart, still managed to send chills down his spine.

“Where are you? I’m here.”

The bluntness of her response brought a wry grin to his lips. “You made it,” Aryan said simply, matching her candor. “I’m up in my suite, but uhh...how about I treat you to a little something first?”

Aryan paused for dramatic effect, his smile growing despite the comm being audio-only. “Meet me down in the Crescent Star Lounge.”

TAG: @QueenSabe7; @Lady Belligerent; @Sinrebirth (for brief mention of Ike)

 

Invictus
By William Earnest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

IC: Jerod
The Luxury Elite

The ambient bridge sounds were interrupted with alerts pinging the security officers display.

“A being has entered a rubbish chute,” came a message from the security center where a vast number of cams were monitored. The officer on duty at that station on the bridge looked to Captain Jerod for guidance, “sir?”

Jerod sighed and walked over to gaze over the screen. “Bring up the cams in that sector of the ship,” he instructed, “and then go to cams where that chute stops.”

The officers manning nearby stations were stealing glances over to find out what was happening. It was generally exciting when a pirate decided to hold up one of the casinos, or even when there was a fight over a lover. Any event would be the talk of the break room later on that night.

A few keystrokes later, Jerod was able to see the youngish female running after exiting the chute. She had substances dripping from her hair and clothing, possibly from garbage, or from disinfectant fluids used to clean the chute periodically.

“She’s in the maintenance hangar, sir,” the young officer commented. Jerod keyed his comm to the security center, “are there any other events in progress?”
He was quickly scrolling messages on the officer’s display when he received the reply, “no, sir, it’s been quiet.”

Jerod straightened and watched the person get into a small starfighter. “Patch me to that ship,” Jerod snapped and waited for the connection before speaking. “Unidentified pilot, that is not your ship and you do not have permission to launch, do so and it will be your last flight.” Captain Jerod nodded to the man at the weapons systems, “leave as little debris as possible.”

===========

IC: Bellorum

She knew it was pathetic to be drinking wine sitting open since last night, but here she was and Ike hadn’t responded to any of her messages. “At least one of us is enjoying ourselves,” she murmured and pounded her fists on the desk.

There were plans to be made, meetings to attend, and orders to give, all normal activities Bellorum would have found comfort in before he just walked away. He left no trail and not a word of explanation. ’How am I supposed to just pretend nothing happened?’

Her attention was pulled to a large viewport across the room where a ship turned into billows like flower petals. They blossomed open in shades of red and orange, then quickly flamed out as if nothing happened. Her lips curled slightly because she’d felt a life form extinguished, much how the rose like petals of the blast had gone dark. With a shrug she turned back to pouring over charts and data, and thinking.

It was something she’d been looking into for awhile; a discrete academy for Force sensitive younglings. Construction had been taking place on a floor below the last floor of budget passenger cabins, and the finish out crew needed to know where to install computers, bunks, and various other equipment. A minimal faculty had been secured, but she had not decided until this moment on a person to be Headmistress. Bellorum glanced back over to the viewport and realized she had her answer. Hekate.

She quickly sent a text based message explaining the Dark Side academy and that while they did not have students, she wanted the commitment of a Headmistress to take over the finishing of construction and to hold meetings with the small faculty. There needed to be an understanding that this was going to go on very much on the down low as Bellorum did not want students running all over the LE getting into mischief or calling attention to themselves.

She read back over the message and was even more convinced Hekate now had the time to devote to this endeavor. Bellorum hit send and went in search of food and fresh wine.

========

”Codes, yes.”

The ATC officer looked at the ship’s transponder code and did a scan for number of beings before replying, “welcome back, Lady Syren,” in an overly friendly tone. “I’m to direct you to executive level hanger 3B, and your usual accommodations have been made ready for you. Enjoy your stay.”

There had been no reply from the ship that had arrived with Lady Syren, the transponder didn’t help with identifying the occupant, so that arrival was directed over to a supervisor.

“We may have another target for the boys on the bridge,” the younger officer called across the chamber, and his comment earned a few laughs from his coworkers. An older officer at the command desk looked over the data on the ship. “Don’t blow it up,” he spoke up, unamused. “Grab on to it and I want it placed into a secure hanger and searched. The being onboard may be injured and unable to respond.”

“Killjoy,” the younger man muttered and began to follow orders to bring in the ship containing an unconscious Anark.

=============

“Here is the feed you requested, ma’am.”

Bellorum was sitting at a display inside her private office, “very well, leave me,” she ordered. She had been curious since Aryan’s message, and wondered why he wanted to view the vids.

She sipped her second cup of caf and scanned through Aryan’s arrival with his staff. Nothing appeared to be of interest, so Bellorum started forwarding through the politician shaking hands with a few people and sped past him having dinner with staff members. She stopped forwarding when Aryan and a woman he’d been with since arriving moved to the bar on his suite level. After awhile Aryan got up and went to the refresher. When the cam feed switched to the refresher, Bellorum stopped the playback and keyed in the cam codes from back inside the bar and watched the woman that Aryan was with. She took a vial from her handbag and poured the contents into Aryan’s drink while he was away from the table. The woman placed the vial back into her bag and removed a small compact and was checking her lipstick when Aryan returned. “What the kriff?” She murmured and kept watching the two on screen as they finished their drinks, and Aryan began looking disoriented. Two men got up from another table and each took one of Aryan’s arms to almost carry him away. To any other passengers it would have looked like their friend had a few too many drinks.

Bellorum sat back in the chair and sighed. She clipped only the footage showing Aryan’s drink being spiked and of him being taken back to his suite. It wasn’t necessary to show just how extensive her surveillance was, and that part must have been what Aryan was interested in.

She uploaded the video to a small device and called the clerk back in, “hand deliver this to Aryan Graul in person.”

Once the clerk left to carry out her bidding, Bellorum put her feet up on the desk and stared at the screen with a frozen image of the two men holding Aryan up. She was tempted to look for the vids from Haretisch leaving, but she was sure he would have concealed himself from being recorded. “Damn you,” she yelled and threw her cup into the screen.

Tag: @HanSolo29 @Sinrebirth @QueenSabe7 @Nehru_Amidala @Snokers

 

IC Sabel, Bernael, Manticore
VIP quarters

Sabel looked up as Zestus and the Red Guard entered the VIP quarters, he nodded his head at the report of the Resurgent’s captain, then turned his head again at Zestus’s request. A nod to the two Sith and he stepped over to the far corner of the room, the Guard falling in, spread around him. His gaze locked with Zestus, ”Speak, Captain of my Guard.”

Hunger heard the report as well, as well as the trembling whisper of feeling in the Force of a Sith, newer to the Order, ahead and with this fleet as well. His head cocked to the side at that. Turning to Hate, he nodded, ”Iudex is in the fleet, no idea why.” And then he felt the emergence, that they had arrived.

Holding up a hand for a moment he reached through the bond between he and Renn, ’Manticore, a ‘new’ Sith, and I are at the rear of the emerging fleet and will do what we can to disrupt their operations.’

Returning his gaze to Hate, ”Sabel seems prepared, but we must devise a strategy to assist those Order forces on Hapes, and those that remain loyal to us.”

Zestus did so forcefully, as his Lord would expect him to do so. "I wanted to know if you intend to dedicate our forces to this battle. If you are, I am concerned that we are at over-stretch, if the Nikardun are indeed targeting our territory. This fleet here - it is much larger than anything we can offer the Sith, and yet you still wish to pursue this dalliance."

He stood up to his Lord, genuine in his concern. "I believe we should depart, and leave the Sith to their own matters. Once they have their house in order, then we can talk. At present? Their people are in open revolt, and we run the risk of being mired in their bantha fodder, my Lord, if you'll accept my apologies for the saltier language."

Manticore smirked thinly from his tank. Lord Sabel’s subordinate did make a compelling argument, which was a credit to the Chiss Leader, but only to a point. The man wished to play things ‘safely’. However, there would be little to no reward in doing so.

“A good point.” The zabrak Sith Lord conceded.

“But consider this: If you achieve a pre-emptive victory here, then you avoid a possible conflict on two fronts, instead of engaging in just one. If the Hapans win here, what is to keep them from advancing on your territory while you are beleaguered by the…’Nikardun’? Or staying the First Order from simply rolling over a weakened Hapes before moving on to your territory?”

Manticore could clearly visualize Snoke doing exactly this.

“If our late Emperor had any knowledge of you, he did not reveal it, however, I can almost guarantee he would have sought to unify our respective Orders though a mutually beneficial allegiance.”

Lord Hate paused just a moment to allow Lord Hunger to add any wisdom, should he have any to share on the specific topic.

“Consider your assistance a worthwhile investment in your continued sovereignty. No risk, no reward; certainly you are familiar with this adage. Conflict breeds strength, surely you can see the worthy challenge in the current war theatre.”

Manticore was not one for much talk, but he understood when sacrifices of comfort were necessary. This was one of those times.

“Consider all you could learn of the factions that surround you, both critical and necessary intel. No one knows of you, therefore your participation cannot be factored in any contingency. This affords you a great advantage, does it not?”

He let that hang in the air between them for a moment, before he added a possible bit of strategy.

“From our location and given the formation of the enemy fleet, we could provide our forces critical intel as well as strike at key enemy vessels - and quite possibly destabilize our enemy’s ability to coordinate their assault.”

“thoughts?”

For the moment, Lord Hate wished to focus on military matters, however, he made it a priority to find out more regarding Lord Iudex.

Sabel smiled thinly, first at Zestus and then to the Sith in his tank, the Lord Hate. His gaze turned first the Zestus as he thought, then decided. ”You make a good point Zestus, but you are leaving out one crucial detail, or perhaps two. Firstly, that we are already engaged, if not with weapons.” his arms stretched out as though to encompass nearby space.

”Or have you not noticed the large Hapan ‘rebel’ fleet surrounding us? Secondly, were we to attempt to depart in this moment, we would lose the assistance of these Sith’s SD and be immediately identified as a foe by said Hapans. And thirdly, yes, while I am concerned about events ongoing with the Nikardun, this frigate, and us are the only assets that are engaged in this conflict that these Sith have found themselves in.”

His eyes shifted, the red burning in them, first gazing upon the seemingly relaxed Lord Hunger, and then the somewhat predatory gaze of Lord Hate, ”So the immediate course is clear for me and this ship, we will assist. But...the outcome will determine, as well as what diplomacy you bring, how we proceed after these events.”

Hunger snorted, the Chiss knew he was in a Catch 22 with his agreement to join them for the coronation but still found ways to make it known that this alliance was still in the fragile and tenuous state that all alliances begin in. If they did not show that they as an Order could deal with a handful of Hapan lords, their fleet, and their people, then he surmised that the Chiss would simply disappear back into the mists, or attempt to do so.

He nodded to Sabel, ”I agree with my brother, we are very well situated to cause great mayhem to this fleet once it is time for action. This may very well be a behind the scenes feint by Snoke, and if so these Lords do not realize how deeply they are being used. But no matter, they will learn.”

The captain reported that the front parts of the armada vanished into hyperspace; the three Star Destroyers had left. The vanguard of Hapan Battle Dragons was beginning to disperse sufficiently for a safe jump, and they didn't have much time. Zestus sniffed. "I concede the point, my Lords."

He bowed, deeply, clearly still concerned, but utterly respectful of the others, and especially Lord Sabel.

"Can we determine which is the Hapan Command ship before they jump?" Manticore inquired quickly. They needed a plan of action, one that in the end, would grant a victory to the sith. They had lost much this day, too much for the zabrak's liking. In his mind, their chance meeting with Lord Sabel...well, it was no chance at all: It was destiny - but one that was yet to be made clear to them.

The captain couldn’t, not from their immediate position. All they could do was take a rearguard; the armada was too large, an overlap of so many communications and intents and positions.

They had to commit as if leaping into the unknown... or not commit at all. The few X-wings that were launching vanished into hyperspace, as did the lead Hapan Battle Dragons.

It was now or never; they had no time, and it was all over... or all beginning.

Hunger nodded, in full agreement with Lord Hate. They had to make swift determination and decide how to proceed. He and Hate must return, must reach Hapes, and ensure that all that had been planned occurred and they secure their control of the Consortium. So that required the jump and staying with the rebelling fleet.

Sabel shook his head and glanced at Zestus, ”These Sith, powerful but I doubt they have deep experience in fleet actions.” he said in a near whisper.

Raising his voice to a normal volume he tied a circuit in that included the captain of the Nebula and of the Resurgence. ”Set targeting parameters on those recognized Command Battle Dragons, prepare firing solutions for post emergence but do not lock on and give away our intentions, then jump with the fleet.”

Directing his gaze to both Lords, ”Post emergence, use any encrypted frequency you have to send a message, as well as one through the Force so your Forces there know we are embedded and will assist in destruction of these rebellious nobles. And prepare to use your abilities to assist the mundane forces.”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, (@darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto as they’re enroute there)

 

IC: Morwan AlGray
Snorting aboard her ambassadors ship, prelude to the Battle of Hapes

"We shall be aboard the flagship or we shall be nowhere," Morwan said, sharply. "The Kendall is our target, not a First Order Star Destroyer."

Her voice lightened. "But they were supposed to send three battlecruisers; a fourth is overkill." She grinned. "Especially with Ducha Galney about to sidle up to the Queen Mother and stab her in the side." Morwan said softly, and tapped a control. The ship rumbled and vanished into hyperspace with the armada.

Her secret revealed. The one piece of information the Sith could possibly have discovered had Iudex not gone double-agent, at the expense of his reputation among his colleagues and the Hapan nobility.

There was no way for them to discover it, not even from Lady Galney, in the chambers of Queen Mother Helinith...

Because Lady Galney herself did not know of her sister's treachery.

"We'll find a safe spot at the edge of the battle, and watch out the death of the traitors and the Sith who did not have the foresight to align with the winners." Morwan placed a hand on the Falleen's shoulder, and adopted a lustful expression. "We could watch from the comfort of our bed, no?"

TAG: @Silvertough (accumulating TAG, please read to bottom)
---
To the rear of the Heritage fleet; hyperspace, a moment before

The rest of the Hapan armada leapt into hyperspace, as the crews rushed to do what they were ordered by Sabel, Bernael and Manticore. They were quick to refuel and rearm their fighter craft, TIE v1s, Advanceds, and of course the Hapan-originating X-wings to hand. They would have literally moments to arrive before it all began -

When they did, the message was piped through, from wherever the three Sith chose to stand, or sit, or even pilot, when the Resurgent and Nebula arrived -

TAG: @darthbernael, @greyjedi125 (accumulating TAG, please read to bottom)
---
Hapan surface, then Royal Hangar, the arrival

The Hapan military took primacy as the inevitable came closer and closer. They were nonetheless caught unawares; three Resurgent-class Star Destroyers arrived and opened fire on the Hapan defences, followed by a hundred Hapan Battle Dragons, and then followed by a fourth Resurgent-class Star Destroyer with a small Imperial-style frigate nestled up behind them.



Helinith had only just finished being dressed while on the move, a dozen aides and analysts ushering her and Renn, and in potentially Hades and Soliloquy along to the main hangar. Raf, the flamboyant designer, could not have been more stressed as a rushed man dressing a Queen-to-be. The entourage, led by General Astarta, knew the morale value of the Queen leading from a Hapan Battle Dragon. The loyal nobles would crumble without her obvious and public support and direct command.

"The Hapan vessels match ours, without the Star Destroyers -"

"The mine-field will hold them off for now -"

"Ducha Galney is on her way with reinforcements, thirty more Dragons are rushing to join the rear-guard -"

"We have a clear path from the Palace to the Song of War and four escort Dragons at the edge of the planetary shield -"

"The Star Home is reporting weapons active, but it won't be able to fire until the mine-field is cleared -"

"We have requests from loyal nobles for permission to withdraw into the minefield, so they are less exposed -"

They sorely needed a commander, and now; a tactician to command matters. They could hold out, triumph even with the Galney flotilla...

But of course, the Force spoke to them too.

Serapis had just been killed; they'd felt him die -

Aurra Sing was pouring malevolence into the Force, announcing to them all that the assassin was loose -

Shimmer resonated with worry, and fear, reaching for her Master -

Abeloth had remained hidden to them all, but would be pained by what Soliloquy had done, and for a brief moment, she was visible to all of them before she buried herself back into the Force -

Then the encrypted line from Manticore, Bernael, and Sabel reached Helinith, Renn, Hades and Soliloquy, and their comlinks would immediately tell them - if they picked up - that it was coming from the First Order Star Destroyer to the rear of the enemy fleet!!!

They could coordinate, but they didn't have much time -

TAG: @greyjedi125, @darthbernael, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto (combo, but choices on how you split - accumulated TAG, please read on)
---
Elsewhere, above it all, the Battle

Serapis, of course, was pretty much entirely unmoored from it all. He was free to float, float, float.

He didn't feel pain anymore, for his body had died.

He was also conscious that he was still not fully complete; that his wounds inflicted by Typhojem still hurt his essence, and he was as much himself as he was the others he had leapfrogged through in the meantime -

Bodies; lights to him in the murk.

One he knew from the dungeon - he could sense it - her - she was heading towards the planetary shield generators based in the Royal Palace, pouring her glee into the Force - her name, he would remember, was Aurra Sing -

There was also a panicked presence filling the Force around his friends - her name, he would remember, was Lady Galney, the Queen Mother's handmaiden -

There were a hundred other presences, malevolent ones, high, high, high above, but to say any one would help -

There was also a hungry presence, the hungriest one on Hapes; a Chaos Goddess he would recognise as Abeloth, sister to Typhojem -

He had choices.

Choices of where he would end up.

TAG: @DarthIshyZ (accumulated TAG, please read on)
---
Somewhere, the Aside

To say that the death of the shard of Mnngal-Mnngal was irrelevant was completely untrue.

Renn was now free of any influence, which was a spectacular moment when you were in a monogamous relationship with a woman who was not a fan of voyeur's watching their intimacy and adding a thinly veiled commentary.

But one would need to make mention of not the minor pang that Abeloth felt as he died, no, but the excruciating pain that Bernael felt as it happened.

Interesting, no?

TAG: @darthbernael, only
---
IC: Tor Valum
Remnicore

"So I take it that you taught Darth Plagueis in this timeline and that Darth Tenebrous never existed....And the Ones are involved in this world… Tell me more about the Power of Mortis. I have studied some of it, but my knowledge is… spotty at best."

Tor peered at Cocytus.

I know of no Darth Plagueis.

He canted his head slightly.

Nor Darth Tenebrous.

He turned away.

The Ones are power. The Son of Darkness, the Daughter of Light, the Father of Balance.

He sniffed.

Only those three I name.

Knew, he did, that Cocytus came from a reality of four Ones, and Old Ones, too, though Tor wondered.

Typhojem touched this reality, once.

Once.

He was thinking of a place, and the places name fluttered between Cocytus and he.

The Shrove of the Left-Handed God.

Pashvi.

The words tumbled out of Tor, and then he vanished.

Cocytus would return to himself beside his damaged ship, the medical droids multitasking between caring for Styx and attempting limited repairs between the two vessels that had been battered by the brawl between former Master and former apprentice hours... or perhaps days... behind.

Apprentice, a gruff voice ripped into the Kaminoan's mind.

Snoke.

A flash of a view was evident.

A world webbed in turbolaser fire, double-disc capital ships firing at each other, one side including four Star Destroyers of First Order origin.

Come.

Tor Valum would no longer answer Cocytus if asked.

TAG: @Darth Cocytus
---
IC: Zelmar
The Core

The small ship that had been stolen by Azathoth, and then commandeered by his new Master, it was a simple enough one, with amenities which suggested a previous life as a smugglers ship; hidden supplies, decent tools for maintenance, secret compartments which included esoteric weapons. As such the newly anointed Sith apprentice had ample options to access Huyang, and spilling from him came all manner of data.

Azathoth was given a brief summary of galactic history for the last twenty-thousand years; the foundation of the Republic with the Jedi as its protectors, firstly in opposition to the Hutts and successors to Xim the Depot in the Outer Rim, and then after millennia - and a few cycles of civil war and autocracy and democracy, even a handful of Great and Minor Jedi Schisms which birthed various groups of rebellious Dark Jedi - the Sith Order was truly born from a species by the same name, with a Dark Lord of the Sith taking rule. From there a wax and wane of numbers; twelve Dark Lords serving a Sith Emperor - a Dark Lord bereft of the title of Darth, a Dark Lord with the title of Darth, three Dark Lords, and then none, the Darth name eventually abandoned by cowards, no less than fourteen competing self-named Dark Lords, who then professed an equality among themselves, before the name of Darth returned, and then there would only be two Sith; a Master, and an Apprentice...

Names, all without meaning to the young man, no doubt...

Danar, Pall, Hord, Sadow, Kun, Revan, Traya, Vitiate, Ruin, Kaan, Bane, Sidious...

When Huyang went to speak on, Zelmar at last interrupted.

"Enough," a voice spat, heard by Azathoth now his ears had healed.

His master strode from the room, and regarded the world that hung beneath them.

"Coruscant," he said, drily. "The capital of the galaxy, for an almost uninterrupted twenty five thousand years."

He pointed out the transparisteel window, at the black hole.

"The Immortal God of the Sith opened that; fed the other planets in the system to it... and let the populace of Coruscant live, in perpetual fear and terror, feeding Him for all eternity with their unending despair."

Zelmar's voice was clinical, uncaring.

"That was four years ago, in-fact," supplied Huyang.

"Yes," Zelmar said, neutrally, before continuing. "It is likely that there is a way Between there," he said, emphasising the 'b' to ensure Azathoth capitalised it. His cloaked visage turned to the droid, sounding thoughtful. "You have the essence of our history though; innumerable Sith choking on their victory, turning upon each other and allowing the defeated Jedi time to retaliate. These various Sith legacies combined, and evolved, and attempted, time and time again... until the distinct rules became the Rule of Two, the Rule of the Strong, and the Rule of One..."

Zelmar cracked a smile from the corner of his mouth, which would be carried by the bond between them.

"The Rule of One abandoned the competitive nature of the Rule of the Strong, and the restrictive numbers of the Rule of Two.... the Order, and the Empire, were more important than any one Sith." Zelmar turned to Azathoth. "Within a century they took back the galaxy, and though it resisted, within three more decades the Sith had again crushed all resistance - even ending the completing Rules."

"Before the rulers of that Order travelled to Mortis and reaped... well, this." He gestured to the black hole.

"What you saw on Taanab is but a microcosm of what the entire galaxy has suffered."

His hidden gaze bored into Azathoth. "You wish to join something greater than you, but you have seen the success of the Sith ascendant."

"You are old to the dark side, but new to the Sith. What say you of it?"

TAG: @Shadowsun

 

IC: Iudex, Manticore, Bernael, Soliloquy, Hades, Sabel, Helinith, Renn, Morrigan (Fun combo, all)
Ambassadorial Shuttle, Hapan System

And so the final piece of the puzzle fell quietly into place. Ducha Galney, perhaps the Sith's greatest ally within the Hapes Consortium, was as much a traitor as the rest of them. Turncoats and snakes, the lot of them. The full burden of such knowledge didn't register as immediately as it should have, Iudex preoccupied with having his 'plan' tossed aside without so much as a passing "We'll think about it later" from Morwan. But that was irrelevant.

He was irrelevant, in the grand scheme of things. All that mattered was that the survival of the Sith. And for that to occur, he couldn't waste any more time gallivanting about playing the charismatic spy. Too many lives were at stake.

The shuttle, as with the Heritage Armada itself, began jumping into Hyperspace. It was now or never.

"We'll find a safe spot at the edge of the battle, and watch out the death of the traitors and the Sith who did not have the foresight to align with the winners." Morwan placed a hand on the Falleen's shoulder, and adopted a lustful expression. "We could watch from the comfort of our bed, no?"

Darth Iudex let out a long, drawn out breath, a faint chuckle emanating from his throat as he turned to face Morwan. "Oh, my dear Morwan," He murmured, caressing her cheek with the palm of his hand, "You were this close to the truth. We'll watch out the deaths of the traitors alright.." Iudex's face lit up with predatorial glee.

"But it will be the Sith, not your precious Heritage Council, that will lord over the remains of this civil war. For you and your ilk have done in mere days what we could not have hoped to accomplish in years.." Iudex smirked, grabbing hold of her throat with a mailed fist.

"You stepped out into the light, foolishly tossing aside the safety of the shadows, because of what? The arrogance of pure numbers? No-no-no-no, my dear Morwan. Your soldiers, your fleets, all of it are insignificant next to the power of the force.." He tightened his grip around her throat, bringing his face mere inches away from her own as she struggled to gasp for air. "Sleep, my Lady, for you will soon awaken to an undeniable truth. The Sith are the true inheritors of this Galaxy, and the next. Hmph, we'll drag the rest of you lot to greatness, kicking and screaming, whether you like it or not.."

As before, the shuttle's engines began to dull, signaling that they were beginning to exit Hyperspace. Iudex tightened his grip once more around the throat of Lady AlGray, content with slowly squeezing the life out of her as they reentered realspace within the vast armada of the Heritage fleet. Soon, she would lose consciousness, and the next stage of his mission could finally begin, to rejoin his Sith, and put an end to this silly Civil War..

Onboard the Nebula

The holo table in the VIP quarters had been taken over for an impromptu war council. Sabel brought up displays of the standard Battle Dragon and command Battle Dragons, as they transited hyper. He studied the schematics, looking for the weak points. The biggest that he saw was the spindle between what were, for lack of a better term, saucers. Gesturing at the craft, ”Aside from the transmitters on the Command Battle Dragons, whose removal will hamper their ability to coordinate, these spindles are the most likely points of best attack. They are sure to be protected, but cut the ships in half and you don’t get two fighting craft but two drifting hulks, or so it appears.”

Hunger smiled, behind his mask, at the memory of the briefing Renn had given him via their bond, back when he’d been on Kesh. The Chiss’s assessment matched what Renn had mentioned about the first Battle Dragon that he, Helinith, and Serapis had been on. As he considered what Sabel had said he felt them decant from hyper.

And then he doubled over, pain ripping through him. The tiny bond that had remained between him and the shard of Mnggal-Mnggal roared with pain. His eyes burned a deeper black and his head rolled back as a roar ripped from his lips. The Shadows surrounded him in a moment, facing outward, at the unperceived threat. The Red Guard formed up on Sabel, unsure what had happened to the Sith.

As he raised himself upward, a deep, tombstone voice crackled from his throat, ”I will kill them all, every one that stands in my way.” Power began roaring through him and Sabel reached out, trying to raise his will against the being standing before him. Sabel was a master of the mental arts but against this creature his will was like the flame of a bonfire compared to that of a blast furnace.

”Lord Hunger, control yourself or you kill us all!! he spoke to the almost out of control being before him, voice calm and measured. Hunger’s void black eyes turned toward his, the will behind them pressing against him. ”Kill me, kill us here and you’ll never save your compatriots. I can tell you are a being of great will, but fierce loyalty, so are you willing to betray that loyalty?”

A sighing wind seemed to drift from nowhere, ”Child, listen to this Chiss. You are far down a road not entirely of my making, but you are mine. So do your duty.”

Hunger’s anger diminished to a more controllable, the pain feeding him, now ready to strike where and when it was deemed necessary. ”Prepare yourselves, we have Hapans to teach a lesson to.” his grating voice unknowingly closely mimicking Iudex’s words elsewhere in the fleet.

Hapan Surface, Royal Hanger

Soliloquy followed after that awkward sign of affection. from twig and future monarch. To think, first meetings could not have predicted this except through the absurdity of life. Still, they gave their affections unduly though he would not correct them, for he had meant every word about what mattered most to him and this trifling upstart was low on the list. His armor he had overlapped with his own shell, giving it his own personal flare.



Still the comlink had chirped and Shimmer was in distress. The exact opposite of the emotions he had instructed her to use. "Well, we have an ace. I would recommend using fighters and the mines to sow a direct assault on the shield emitters of the Star Destroyers in the lead and to disable as many Dragons as possible by carrying them in through the shields before planting with. . .oh two second delays. Galney flotilla should be a collar or a tip of the spear surging past our own fleet, by the time they arrive we will need fresh ships at the front, not the rear. If shields are knocked out have bombers hit the reactors, likely will take two to four bomb runs depending on ordinance and how good the pilots are. If that Prince flies keep him marked for immediate rescue if anything goes wrong. Now, unless you have need of me to be death incarnate on the battlefield - don't call me. I will be securing the planetary rear. With an assassin loose I would say double the guard, but based on name triple it at all key sections and choke points. Now, I have to go so see if Abeloth remembers and honours our deal from before or if I need to kill another cousin." Stopping he turned back with a glower at Ren, "Also, I need to speak to your brother about his carelessness with spirits and shortcuts. By your leave my queen?" he stated with a nod as he waited.

Mentally he attempted to sooth Shimmer and call her to him. If she couldn't keep a cool head he might have to stretch his mind along their link to guard her mind. He offered this now, in case the situation was dire enough to warrant it, and if the Queen decided she needed him above he would have to do certain things remotely.

Hades felt Abeloth and suddenly realized what he had been forgetting.

"I will deal with Abeloth. It is my fault she is here. She wants to kill many of you, but I have delayed that. Morrigan, you will go with Lady Helinith."

He sent the Force outward and sought Abeloth. He would find her and...what? he had no clue, but he knew that it was necessary to keep her from killing them all.

"As you command, My Lord. Morrigan said.

Onboard the Nebula

Manticore’s physical form continued to knit itself together inside the bacta tank. Though greatly improved, his wounds had been more grievous than even he realized, which meant he needed a bit more time - time, which was running out for the sith. An odd and unrelated thought occurred to him, that his growing power was beginning to outpace his body, but he quickly archived this line of thinking, as this was not the present focus and would only serve as an unnecessary distraction.

Lord Hate refocused his mind on the task at hand as he continued to probe the shifting currents of the Force in conjunction with listening to Lord Sabel stratagems. The Chiss leader was clearly a natural talent concerning naval maneuvers, which was a boon to the sith and a credit to a former apprentice to the late Emperor Palpatine.

In the immediate wake of Darth Insipid’s untimely death, the sith had reached a high ceiling that now threatened to collapse upon them and crush them all under its immeasurable weight. That could not be allowed to happen.

A possible weakness had been found in the structure of the Hapan Battle Dragons, but that would not be enough to achieve victory. They needed critical knowledge of their command structure, specifically regarding the identity of their command vessels. Manticore let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, air bubbles rising as he did so. He needed to go deeper.

Inside the tank, his breathed in and out, his chest rising and falling in accord, then in an instant, there was a 'lightning strike'.

A wave of empathic pain from Bernael hit him just then, but much more transpired almost simultaneously. The zabrak felt the distinct presence of Abeloth, before it faded from his perceptions. He once again felt Iudex, he felt and saw the Falleen in the middle of treachery, even as he reasserted his allegiance to the Sith Order. He felt Soliloquy, who was imbued with great purpose. There was Helenith, soon to be crowned Queen, covered in majestic armor. Renn who felt somehow revitalized for reasons presently was not privy to. Serapis, who…felt…as if he were...fading? Then there was someone familiar, a presence from very long ago: Darth Hades.

The sudden flash was gone, leaving behind an enraged Lord Hunger nearby. The Red Guard moved to protect Lord Sabel and Manticore’s own Aran Tyr had surrounded the bacta tank.

Was this the moment Emperor Insipid had warned about?

Manticore could feel Lord Hunger’s tenuous self-control. Something had triggered an intense spike of pain within him, powerful enough to challenge his Will.

For a moment, Manticore considered ejecting himself from the tank, but what good would that do in his present condition, against fully enraged Bernael? That was a contingency he would need to ponder and give some priority, for all their sakes. However, it did seem that Lord Sabel’s words, who challenged the Anzati’s loyalty and commitment did cause him to hesitate, at least for a moment.

// Turn pain into power, your power brother. Assert yourself!// Manticore sent through their warrior bond.

Without warning, one of the aspects within Bernael spoke through him, Manticore did not recognize the voice, but understood that it was somehow helping, no doubt progressing its own agenda. That was an issue for another time.

It took a moment, but Lord Hunger managed to bring himself under control; this time. His anger was still palpable, which was good. His vehemence needed direction and release.

“Brother….” Manticore spoke, deciding it was time to emerge from the tank. Immediately, his guards brought him his effects, but did not assist him otherwise, for he had not required it.

Methodically, the zabrak began to dress.

“I believe Abeloth is here, which means there will be chaos at some point…” Lord Hate informed that which was already obvious as a way of gauging Bernael, if he had recovered properly from his ordeal.

“Did you see it? Iudex assaulting some Hapan woman….that could have interesting ramifications….” He now voiced with a smirk, despite himself. If there was a time for the Falleen to prove himself, now was the perfect time for it. Likewise, should he choose, for betrayal. Manticore was not foolish enough to put it past the sith, but then, what kind of future would he have for himself? What would it profit him in the end?

“Darth Hades is with the others.” He stated simply, clearly implying by his tone alone that the zabrak was a loyal sith.

A brief pause was given.

“Every choice, every move, from now on, decides the fate of the Sith.”

Just like Insipid, Manticore would give his life for the Sith Order which gave him purpose and direction.

“For the Order.”

Hapan Surface

Renn paused, head tilting to the side, before responding to Soliloquy. His eyes were cold and hard still, not necessarily at the Croke, but still there. He fully shifted to the form he’d worn when he and Helinith faced Ta’a Chume.



A deep voice came from him, even as one arm remained around Helinith. ”Bernael will know, if he doesn’t already, of your desire to speak, little brother.” His eyes flared as he continued to look into where Soliloquy had set eyes in this form, ”This short term, as you see it, is just as vital as the long term, for these Sith, if we desire them to survive, so yes deal with the planetary defenses but if you do claim to be a Sith Lord then you will answer the call should you be needed…. a pause, ”Ahhh….our ‘friends’ have arrived, I count Manticore, Iudex, Bernael, and another Sith it seems.”

He gazed at Helinith, arm tightening for a moment, ”She will need to lead from the front, if we are to keep the Hapans loyal, and I will be there too. So we shall take Morrigan, Hades, and the three of us will be that arrow in our quiver. Now if your plan is to take the other shade of a god, I’d recommend doing so, Lords, before we depart.”

He turned away from the other two Sith, intent to walk with Helinith to the shuttle he could sense was set aside for her and he to travel to Star Home. As he turned he reached through the bond to Bernael, sensing the changes to his old friend but still reaching for him, ’Helinith, Morrigan and I are headed skyward, Hades and Soliloquy will be here holding the rear, and no idea where Serapis has gone to.’

Helinith just let things happen to her, they were making their way to the shuttle, she was having armour fastened as she walked, Soliloquy was giving advice, Renn was pickling at it and getting in the way of Raf- Play nice. she sent him- and Hades was bristling about Abeloth. She nodded along with Soliquoy's suggestions and turned to a nearby attendant, who was noting things down.

"Implement those immediately, it will take a little while before I can take full command on Star Home." She turned back to Hades and Soliloquy, pausing in her movement as Raf slipped on one of the boots and fastened a particularly tricky piece of shin plate.

"You can both go after Abeloth, she needs to be dealt with quickly, but someone needs to also check on Serapis, Hades perhaps? Once the chaos demon is dealt with, of course. Keep your comms on, I think communication is going to be key in winning this thing and the situation could change rapidly."

She turned back to the aides. "I want two of the best individual fighters reserved for my colleagues here, just in case. Give them the codes to the security feeds on all floors of the palace. Morrigan?" -Here she turned to the woman accompanying them- "What are your strengths?"

Hades nodded and motioned for Soliloquy to head in the right direction with him.

Morrigan spoke up quickly. "I was trained by my father in the way of Echani Martial Arts. He trained the Imperial Guard."

Performing a lock-heel snap and a smart nod/bow to the Queen Mother to be he turned and followed Hades guide. Better to allow the tainted to lead the way. As to everything else, he had no objections, although it was refreshing to have someone take his asides into consideration. Albeit he was concerned, was it indifference to his wisdom or a weakness to accepting whatever he said? As for the aside from the twig that if he had any claim to being a Sith Lord he would answer the call he could not help not to grin. How long has he vehemently denied such labels? He was a Revanite or Revanchist was the closest he ever came to taking such a title. He could not help mentally sending an aside to him 'I will come if called if at all able because I said I would - No need to try and claim me or try to label me. *Mental Sniff* You oft get that wrong when you try.'

Ambassadorial Shuttle

Iudex held firm for another minute, before tossing the limp body of Morwan AlGray to the side without a second thought. He had see the light leave her eyes, watched as the fog of unconsciousness took her. She would live, probably, but not enough to cause any more problems.

"Pathetic.." He sneered, stepping over her body as he made his way towards the cockpit. "It would seem.." He murmured, taking a weary look at the pitched battle heating up outside. "We're running out of time.. And we haven't even begun.."

He shook his head, turning his attention to the circular holoprojector nestled in the center of the room. There wasn't enough time to dock with the Resurgent and debrief in person. No, he would have to risk making a system-wide hail, and simply hope the other Sith would get the message in time.

Adopting a grim expression, Iudex activated the holoprojector, setting it to repeat his message across any and all Sith channels, no matter how obscure. It was now or never.

Clasping his hands together behind his back, Darth Iudex began to speak.

"This is Darth Iudex, on a Priority One Hail to any Sith still loyal to the will of our late Emperor Insipid." He began, staring directly into the camera. "I unfortunately bring only further bad news. Ducha Galney and all the ships in her command are traitors to our cause, whose loyalty belongs solely to these Heritage Council heretics. Combined with the Heritage Fleet, Ducha Galney plans on completely encircling our own fleets, cutting off any chance of retreat. For those still inside the Star Home, the Bounty Hunter/Dark Jedi Aurra Sing will most likely have been freed by now by a Heritage Council agent, named Petunia. They plan on disabling the mine fields currently blocking the Heritage Fleets from approaching.."

Iudex grimaced, crossing his arms across his chest. "After which the fleet plans on using tractor beams to crush the Star Home into the Hapan planetary shields.. Boarding teams are already being prepped, or worse, have already boarded.."

"For the loyalist fleets above, the Heritage Flagship is the Kendall, captained by House AlGray's Ducha. If you can take that out.. The Separatists may be thrown into disarray. They use the call-sign 'True Believer' in all communiques." Iudex shrugged his shoulders, a humorless smile on his face. "Unfortunately, that's about all the help I can offer. I have one of the traitorous AlGrays, Morwan, in my custody for the moment.."

His eyes flicked off to the side, where Morwan's limp body still lay. "I understand my actions may have caused you to distrust me, but unfortunately, we simply do not have the time, nor the numbers to debate such things." Iudex's voice hardened, his fists clenched. "My allegiance remains tied to Emperor Insipid's will, and to that end I will do what I can in the coming struggle."

"I'm going to try to make it to the Star Home, do what I can on the ground.." He smiled thinly, letting his hands fall to his sides. "I'll see you all on the other side.. Where we can truly mourn our losses.."

With a final tap of his finger, the message was sent out. He only hoped it would be enough to do anything.

Queen Mother’s Shuttle

Iudex' comm came in just as Helinith and Renn's shuttle was leaving the atmosphere.

When it had reached its conclusion, Helinith swore several times in a very un-queen-like manner and kicked and punched a nearby empty seat for good measure before replying to him on a private channel.

"If you want to take out five of those battle dragons on your way over, it would help me out a lot." She was only half joking.

She turned to Renn. "And here I was about to compliment you on how healthy you're looking. I keep half expecting you to sprout leaves at any moment." She chuckled softly to herself and continued between her mind and his.

Advise me all you want, but do it so only I can hear- the Hapeans may not appreciate battle strategy coming from a male mouthpiece- it might undermine my authority. She paused for a moment before continuing.

Insipid once taught me of a spacebattle where one party sat it out so they could join the winning side. There was a pang of pain at remembering such a lesson, one she had never recalled before today and had thought only mildly interesting at the time.

While it had been only the two of them for much of her apprenticeship, Insipid had never lost sight of the bigger picture. Ruling an empire and winning a war had been considered as important a curriculum as holding a lightsaber, and since Helinith had had no experience in either of the former, they had spent more time on them than the latter (something she had not appreciated at all).

Think about it. If I was her, I have this massive fleet but I don't want to risk losing power and influence by joining the wrong side, so I wait it out. I arrive deliberately late, possibly once an informant has tipped me off as to what the outcome is likely to be and I sweep in at the perfect time to relieve the forces of my chosen side and mop up.

Hapan Royal Palace

Serapis sent a mental image of Aurra Sing to Renn and Helinith. Coming up hallway B6, two minutes out.

Hallway B6 was deep in the Palace... by the shield generator for the Palace too...

The Galney flotilla was already through the mine-field before Iudex' message reached them, thirty Dragons while the rest of the Hapan armada was busy with the Heritage one - and of course the Hapans knew no better how endangered they were. It wasn't looking good, overall, especially as they basically only had one asset free... the Resurgent, and of course, the frigate beside it. The five Dragons that Helinith was booked to command and the Star Home were basically all that stood between the Palace and them...

... they didn't have much time before this all went even more wrong.

Lady Galney sat there, fretting and praying her sister would save Helinith... and clearly none the wiser about her sister's treachery!

Onboard the Nebula

Manticore’s communicator received Iudex’s message and the zabrak sith lord listened intently to the details, even as he also reached out in the Force to feel the unending nuances, intricacies and fluxes inhabiting that moment . The situation was indeed complex, as probabilities shifted continually, for nothing was certain. Their chances for success were as great as their chances for failure; that was all that he could confirm.

In his mind, Lord Hate recognized and commended Iudex for both his bravery and loyalty to the Sith. Too long had they gone without a demonstration of these qualities, as treachery ran rampant within their order. Pity he could not savor the feeling for longer than a heartbeat.

He did wish to save Iudex, as the newly minted sith lord now made himself a target. They had lost Leda and Emperor Insipid, and perhaps Serapis, if what he sensed was any indication. The Sith order could ill-afford to lose another member, but ALL would be lost if they made the wrong decision now.

Only hard calls remained on the table and so, as a sith he would raise to the challenge. No death would be in vain this day, if it could be helped, even if it was his own. There would be a reckoning, bloody and terrible beyond imagining, but that time was not now.

Manticore’s fiery eyes seemed to blaze with purpose, as he spoke to the two before him.

“I say we focus our efforts on obliterating the Kendall, the Hapan Battle Dragon Flagship, and systematically decimate their command structure; we exploit our element of surprise for all that is worth. If we can coordinate with sith forces on the ground, even better. As for me, I shall be taking an X-Wing, along with my Aran Tyr in their respective starfighters to provide tactical support.

What say you?”

The question was posed to both his brother-in-arms, Lord Hunger and The Chiss Leader, Lord Sabel. The moment of truth was upon them, the time for action was here. Now, was the time for the sith to lay waste to their enemies, and send a message to all others who thought they stood a chance.

The Sith Order would not be denied their place in the galaxy.

Queen Mother’s Shuttle

Renn chuckled at the spoken words of his Craziness, blushing slightly but then nodded as she sent her thoughts. His mind was processing what she’d said and what Iudex had broadcast. For several moments he was silent, although his eyes were looking vaguely in Lady Galney’s direction. He’d tasted her emotions, sifted through them and if her sister was traitorous she was not. Which could be used to their advantage. A smile began to form on his face.

First he reached through the bond to Bernael once more, ’Vampire, rescue Iudex, if possible, but take care of that Heritage Council flagship.’

He turned his gaze to the starscape and the battle already beginning. His mind touched Helinith’s, ’A couple suggestions then, my Craziness. First, you want the Ducha to make a decision and throw in with a side. If she can even keep her sister hesitating for a time, given she is with us, that will be something. Second, even if the Heritage fleet overrides the minefield and defenses, use the Queen Mother’s codes to turn it against them, which I’m certain have been provided to you. But do so only once they’re deep in the mines, so as to take out as many as possible. Bernael, Manticore, and another are near the end of that fleet so I know they will support us from that position.’

As he spoke he reached out his mind, seeking that of the Ducha Galney, to influence it to at least consider her sister’s words, if not change her mind about which side to support. He felt Serapis’s message in that time and let a small part respond. ’Serapis, Soliloquy and Hades have chosen to stay onplanet so one of the two will need to face Sing, Helinith and I are almost to Star Home now.’

Onboard the Nebula

Sabel cleared his throat, the comm to the Captain of the Nebula and of the Resurgent on the line. ”Focus the majority of the missiles and batteries on the ship with the command code of the Kendall. Prep the squadrons, focusing on the command ships, the Kendall in particular.”

He turned toward Lord Hate and Lord Hunger, ”We can escort a small shuttle toward the location of the shuttle Iudex occupies, that or a bomber, that he can escape from the shuttle to. I agree with Lord Hate, this battle needs us in and among the other’s to direct it from as closely as possible. The Red Guard and I will take our TIE’s and lead one flight in the attack on the Kendall. But we three must not forget we have the ability to affect things with the Force as well.”

He turned and headed for the hatch, the Red Guard falling in around him as he walked.

Hunger chuckled, time to take the fight to these upstart Hapans. Gazing at the departing form of the Chiss Sith, ”Hate, that one has a confidence born of battle. He could be a great asset to the Order if we can but show him that we are worthy of his loyalty. But this battle must be won to prove it.”

Tilting his head to the side he received the message Renn had sent, "It seems Renn is of the same thought as this Sabel, attempt a rescue of Iudex, if possible."

He took one last look at the display, ”I’ll take my ETA 5 and whatever craft the Shadows are given and lead a second attack, I think a loop from system south, for some reason people never seem to consider outside the ecliptic attacks.”

His eyes swept the remaining eleven Shadows, ”Gu cath, mo sgàil.”*

TAG: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto

*To battle, my Shadows.

 

IC: Darth Styx
Ship, Remnicore

His apprentice stepped free from the ship, which appeared to be more functional than the other. "I was wondering if you were coming back, Master," Styx said, her arm in a sling and all manner of burn medallions and purple bruises upon her skin. "We've been putting together one functional ship from the two wrecks," she indicated with her sling-elbow at the medical droids, who were giving it a go.

"You've been gone for days," she said carefully to Cocytus. "Do you know what we're going to do?"

TAG: @Darth Cocytus (combo)
---
IC: Ducha Galney
En route to kill a Queen Mother

Iudex had sent his message, but Galney's flotilla was already behind the mines, and speeding towards Star Home and the five Hapan Battle Dragons. Helinith and Renn had made it to their Dragon, the Song of War, and they had the battle to fight. Lady Galney was positively beside herself, terrified by her sister's treachery.

"How could she do this to me!" Galney was in tears, sobbing. "I told my partner everything about these meetings... about how proud I was... about you all... and he must have told my sister everything!" She was rocking herself in the corner of the Queen Mother's lounge. She and the Prince Consort would have the update that General Astarta was due to secure the Palace.

There were shuttles and fighter craft already deploying in advance of Galney's fleet, swirling around to seize the Queen Mother. The channel opened from Ducha Galney; voice only, to the Song of War. "Queen Mother Helinith," the woman sounded charming, and eternally so. "I have come to save you, your Majesty. If you would position your Dragon in the centre of my formation, your other escorts can advance into the battle."

"I've some... technical difficulties, so cannot show my face, sadly."

Of course, she wasn't showing her face because then they'd be able to choke her!

There was a gathering swell of danger aboard the Song of War... the crew was starting to speculate, and various furtive glances and quiet comms were being opened between formerly loyal officers. They needed a strong statement, and if it wasn't now the Royal Navy might simply collapse from intrigue.

Their retinue, Helinith, Renn, and of course Hades' offered partner... their chances against an entire Dragon's crew might not be good ones, but they had a chance...

Though no more help from their comrades.

But they couldn't coordinate with the other Sith anymore... the secret channel was jammed!

---
Rear of the First Order-Hapan armada

As Manticore and the others launched into fighters, the Resurgent could see the Galney flotilla advancing on the Queen Mother's position. The Hapan loyalists were being driven back by the three First Order Star Destroyers, which were the spear-point of the Heritage offensive. Zestus calculated their positions, and keyed the location of the Kendall, snug in the centre of the Heritage flotilla. Clearly Ducha AlGray was content for the First Order to do most of the work, and his fleet was simply blowing apart any Dragon that tried to escape.

The Resurgent captain confirmed it had the Kendall in sight, but was conscious that they would likely be swamped with return fire unless they had somewhere to hide basically afterwards. The three Star Destroyers unleashed a swarm of fighters into the minefield, a wave of explosions encompassing all manner of TIE fighter and beginning to open a path to Helinith's formation. Zestus spoke to the others. "My Lords," he addressed Bernael, Sabel and Manticore. "There are no gravity mines being deployed; we can in theory micro-jump before the Star Destroyers... or even between Galney and the Star Home, now the minefield is open.... we could fire and micro-jump? But if we time it wrong the mines will consume us."

It was tight, and for the moment, any of their deployed fighters were not being targeted by the enemy. In theory, they had complete operational freedom... right until they acted. It would require narrow timing...

And of course Bernael was still in pain from what had happened... and then the Kendall opened fire on Iudex's shuttle.

But they couldn't coordinate with the other Sith any longer... their secret channel was jammed!
---
Ambassador's shuttle

Lady AlGray was out cold, but that didn't stop the comlink 'click' over and a cultured Hapan voice sounded from the speakers. "Lord Iudex, was it? Interesting that an encrypted message left your ship a few moments... and the sensors to the shuttle tell me that my cousin is unconscious."

Automated systems; get you every time. Especially ones which could be remotely accessed...

"While I can't ascertain what you sent to Hapes... I can back-track and block the channel... so that's useful, but I shall assume that you were not a Sith turncoat, as my cousin suggested..." Clearly, he was Ducha AlGray, the mastermind of the entire coup attempt. "But at least the death of Darth Insipid gave me a chance... and Snoke gave me plenty of Star Destroyers to win this war... but do you know about Galney, I wonder..."

Full-blown villain monologue had commenced. "With Galney behind the mine-field, it doesn't matter, anyway... and now you can't communicate with your fellow Sith, so..."

There was a shudder to the shuttle, and AlGray continued his speaking. "I've just locked a tractor beam on your ship... so it is easier to do this." There was another shake, and damage alarms sounded out. "Turbolaser fire."

Iudex was in trouble.

---
On the ground, Royal Palace command room

Serapis would come into his new womanly form, a muscular and razor-sharp mind that had formerly belonged to Astarta. He wasn't nearly as fatigued as he had been the prior times, and so he acclimatised to the body swiftly. "The planetary shields remain in place, but the orbital situation is collapsing, General," came a male voice, explaining an analysis to Astarta.

"The Royal Navy is outgunned by the Heritage Fleet due to those four Star Destroyers, and the minefield is basically cleared between the advance trio and the Queen Mother..."

Another aide, one of the seven present, wondered aloud. "General, should we be focused upon the situation after the battle..."

"... in-case the Queen Mother should die, perhaps..."

"... but we can't be seen to be favouring the coup attempt..."

"... but we don't want to be liquidated if we pick the wrong side..."

They weren't exactly doing much, and of course, none of this was dealing with Aurra Sing. But this was Hapans, they were always speculating about their chances, and the Throne, and were sure to be as neutral as possible until the Throne was decided. Unofficial neutrality was becoming a national sport, what with it seeming likely that they were about to have a third Queen Mother.

The displays showed various troop deployments around the Palace, the lack of communications within, and a dozen orbital cannons that were simply not pointed at the space battle; four planetary ion cannons and eight massive turbolasers, but they were presently idle, clearly not picking a side.

Considering what was going on overhead, the gathered officers really should have been doing something.

---
A room

Soliloquy and Hades were heading to their own set of confrontations, and when they arrived together, they saw the first step had already began. Shimmer was on the floor, Abeloth sitting upon her waist, tentacles thrashing in rage, her eyes alight with hunger and greed.

Shimmer was trying to wriggle free, but was pinned. The Kuati Senator, Apollin, he was very unconscious, at least.

She is not what she seems.

A woman's voice cut across the space between the two Sith Lords; they would not likely recognise it, but these were words spoken by Mara Jade Skywalker to Luke Skywalker a hundred odd-years ago in their old timeline.

She's one of the Old Ones.

They knew that much, of course.

Abeloth grinned with her razor teeth. "Well? Cousin of a cousin? My lover? Are you here to become apart of me, or...?"

TAG: @DarthIshyZ, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth-Fisto (combo for the latter two)

TAG: @QueenSabe7 (outstanding TAG/combo)

TAG: @Shadowsun (outstanding TAG!)

 

IC Lord Sabel
Hapan orbit

Sabel was enroute to his TIE when he heard the suggestion of the Resurgent’s captain. He considered the options as he moved and passed his glance to the other two Sith as he strode down the corridor. He caught the fractional nods of both beings and smiled thinly. A quick decision made he responded to the SD captain, knowing the Nebula’s captain was on the channel as well.

”Fire the first salvoes of missiles and then microjump, placing us between the traitor’s flotilla and the craft of the soon to be Queen Mother. From there, the Resurgent and Nebula will target and keep the focus of the flotilla of Ducha Galney while Lords Hate and Hunger can focus on the Heritage Fleet.”

From the second set of nods, he could see that both the Sith agreed. The lift ride down to the Hangar deck was quiet as each group prepared for the battle to come. Before they went their separate ways, Sabel turned to the other Sith, ”If either of you can reach the other Sith, comms otherwise being down, it will increase the odds of success that they know our plans.”

A slight smile formed on his face, reopening the comm to the Resurgent’s captain. ”Post jump, do your best to convince the FO SDs that you are following orders and that the true plan is to turn on the Heritage fleet at the opportune moment. I doubt they will buy it but you having been Snoke’s flag captain will certainly sow confusion.” And then the Nebula shuddered as the salvo he had ordered flew forth, tracking on the command Battle Dragons.

The lift doors opened, before stepping out and heading to the hangar with his and the Red Guard’s TIEs he turned to the other Sith, ”Good luck and good hunting.”

The jump alarm sounded as he and the Red Guard, the pilots of the other squadrons on board as well, entered the hangar deck and through the open hatch to the bay before him there was a quick shift of the stars followed by the sight of the 30 Battle Dragons arrayed against the small force that Renn and Helinith had at their disposal. The Resurgent and Nebula had set themselves directly in the path of the traitor’s forces.

Outside of the hangar, he reached out and a cabinet beside the bay doors opened. A deep cloak drifted into his hands and he donned it. Tapping his comm he sent a direct beam comm to the command Battle Dragon of the Ducha’s forces. As the call began the Captain of the Nebula fortuitously set Condition Red and the corridor lights dimmed save a red glow along the floor.

As the holo formed and a blank screen formed before him, they were not broadcasting video, he smiled, deeply in the hood of the cloak. All that could be seen of him was the merest outline of the cloak, framed in red, and the bright red pinpricks of his eyes.

Pitching his voice into a deep, hollow tone, ”The Queen Mother’s escort has arrived, Ducha, and not a flotilla of traitors to the Hapan throne. Support your Matriarch or face oblivion, the choice is yours. One leads to a life not unlike yours before today, the other….” and, once again the captain’s timing couldn’t have been better as the turbolaser batteries went into rapid fire mode, picking off the Ducha’s fighters as they attempted to arc around the Resurgent and Nebula, “”a swift death.”

He loomed into the holo display, letting lightning crackle in his fingers for a moment, and then the display went dark. The cloak was tossed back into the cabinet and he strode into the Hangar. His TIE X1 was warmed up and prepped, his flight helmet handed to him as he arrived at his craft. Glancing around he saw the flights of TIEs lifting and settling into formation. A nod at the Red Guard as they boarded their craft and he settled in behind the controls, settling the helmet on his head.

It was a matter of moments before the TIE leaped from the deck and the Red Guard formed up around him. Closing his eyes for a moment he pointed out a weak spot in the umbrella spread of the approaching Hapan X-Wings to his wingmen. The Nebula was already shredding the formations of their foe and he gunned the fighter out of the hangar, his supporting craft tucked in close.

A low arc pulled up through the space between his frigate and the Hapan craft. Fingers tightened on the triggers and bolts rained out, blasting a hole through the space he’d pointed out. Arcing above those fighters he scanned his display and the sensors, looking for a second wave or reinforcements but they had not been expecting the arrival of the two craft and fighters.

As the Red Guard patrolled around him, he directed craft from both the Resurgent and Nebula, leaving about half as air cap, protecting the Resurgent, Nebula, and the five Battle Dragons with Star Home. The remainder were directed to break out as his flight had done and prepare for strafing runs and attacks upon the Ducha’s flotilla, if she chose to follow the course she’d set herself.

Orders sent for now it was time to show the Ducha a reason to decide to show her loyalty to the Order and the Matriarch that had been chosen. Flipping the TIE in space, he chose a Battle Dragon at the edge of the Ducha’s formation. He sent a command to the Red Guard with him and their craft surged forward, swooping toward the capital craft. Their formation shifted and one of his support TIEs took the point as he settled into a wingman slot.

The flight took careful aim as they dove on the ship, aiming to suppress the ion cannons, knowing that the few targeting computers the Battle Dragons had wouldn’t be able to keep up as they shifted course rapidly. As they flew dangerously close by the craft, Sabel reached out and a blade of Force Energy began slashing through the saucer rotation struts and then the central spine of the craft, separating the two halves of the ship, ripping it apart with no apparent cause. The Red Guard shot down missiles as he worked, until the two halves began to drift apart; atmosphere, bodies, and other things drifting from the slowly dying halves.

The TIEs looped back and into the formations of friendly fighters, preparing for another run at the flotilla, should it be necessary. Reaching out to those fighters from the Resurgent and Nebula, as well as from Star Home and the Battle Dragons they were guarding, ”Decimate the Ducha’s fighter squadrons, unless they beg surrender. Decide on one squadron out of five to join my flight in picking off fringe Battle Dragons until the Ducha makes her choice.”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto

----------

IC Hunger
Hapan Orbit

The suggestion from the Resurgent’s captain came in and before Hunger had to make a suggestion of his own, the Chiss Sith had begun to respond. Hunger nodded as the man glanced at him, allowing him to make the decision. In his state he would have chosen the most aggressive maneuver but that may not be the correct one and he listened as Sabel responded to the captain.

”Fire the first salvoes of missiles and then microjump, placing us between the traitor’s flotilla and the craft of the soon to be Queen Mother. From there, the Resurgent and Nebula will target and keep the focus of the flotilla of Ducha Galney while Lords Hate and Hunger can focus on the Heritage Fleet.”

As the lift descended to the Hangar Deck, he and the Shadows communed silently, mentally. He had decided a course of action and he was passing his orders to them. Near the end of the trip, Sabel spoke up once more, ”If either of you can reach the other Sith, comms otherwise being down, it will increase the odds of success that they know our plans.”

A grim smile touched his face, behind the mask. He nodded once more to Sabel then reached out to Renn through the bond they shared, ’We are coming, Renn, the frigate I am on and the Resurgent, placing them between you and the Ducha’s Battle Dragons. The Sith we found in the UR is going to support you and Helinith as Hate and I begin to deal with the Heritage fleet. I’d recommend suggesting to Helinith to follow his battle orders as he has shown he is a battle tested Admiral.’

The lift doors opened and he replied to Sabel’s farewell, ”For the Sith, for the Order.” He and the Shadows made their way to the bay where his ETA 5 and the fighters that had been requisitioned for them were held. By the time they arrived at the bay the frigate had jumped and he could see a portion of the Ducha’s Battle Dragons through the screen at the end of the bay. Approaching his fighter he heard the whistle of the astromech, causing a small smile to cross his face, that little droid had survived much already and now they were headed into battle again; although this time there were no Force users opposing them.

He climbed aboard the fighter, settling into the cockpit. As he glanced at the X-Wings around him that the Shadows were climbing into he allowed one more smile to cross his face. The S foils had been quickly painted with a humanoid face, upturned black eyes staring out coldly. He nodded in a quick gesture and the armored helmet he wore in flight closed around the mask, sealing to it. Spooling up the fighter, he lifted it from the deck, turning it toward the hangar exit. Sensing the Shadows lifting and falling in around him he accelerated and departed the hangar, turning away from the Ducha Galney’s forces, they were Sabel’s to deal with, for now.

Before him lay the minefield the Heritage fleet hoped to have used against the loyal Hapan fleet. He knew his brother in arms and knew that Hate would want to take the fight directly to the enemy. To do so he would have to get them through the minefield without losses. He led the Shadows to the near edge of the field, picking off Galney’s fighters that managed to get close along the way.

Turning over flight control of his fighter to the astromech and knowing the Shadows would cover him, Hunger reached out in the force and mines began to move from their positions, flowing out from their formations, as though their drives had ignited to attack a passing craft. The movements created subtle patterns, openings in the minefield, large enough to allow fighters to pass through, inbound or outbound.

But he did not stop at just deflecting the mine out of the field, these were boosted on very specific arcs. He sent groups of them on paths to intersect the flight paths of the Heritage fleet Battle Dragons and First Order SDs that had been in the vanguard of that fleet. His predatory smile returned as those craft began having to first divide their fire between the incoming mines and the loyal Hapan fleet and then having to turn more and more of their fire at the mines as he continued lofting them at the traitorous fleet. The explosions as mines reached their targets only added to the chaos of battle, the sense of terror and the fear of what open holes in a ship meant for their crews he began to feel.

Reaching out to Hate, ’Several channels are open for you, brother, take the battle to our foes.’ He also set mental images of the paths through the mines to Hate, as he directed the Shadows to continue their overwatch of both his actions and the Galney flotilla. Simultaneously with the passage of Hate and the Aran Tyr he and the Shadows would slip through the minefield and begin their own assaults and potential rescue of Iudex.

The one crooked path he’d opened before him beckoned and he turned back to the controls, accelerating down that path. A twisting course and suddenly a wall of durasteel was before him, or so it seemed, Battle Dragons and SDs everywhere. He caught sight of the Kendall on his sensors and locked a pair of missiles on to the tractor beam mounts of that ship, letting the weapons fly before he returned to his using mines as his weapons. The Shadows spread out around and engaged any fighters that came close to their position.

He took mine after mine, eroding the outer wall of them slightly, flinging them in various arcs toward ship after ship of the Heritage fleet. He focused on the Heritage Fleet craft that stood between Hate and the Kendall, around his brother’s flight path as well. This battle wouldn’t be won in one go but all that he could do here would shorten the time before he found who had removed Mgnnal-Mgnnal from existence and have a ‘discussion’ with them.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto

 

OOC: Damage to the Heritage Fleet approved by the GM

IC Hunger
At the edges of the Heritage Fleet

Hunger felt the Aran Tyr fly out, headed toward the Heritage fleet, and then he saw a flash, an explosion, and the sense of death. This was as specific as Insipid’s, as Mgnnal-Mgnnal’s, but this was directly caused, chosen, he could feel it. And with it his ETA shuddered in space.

Darkness welled around the fighter, no one left to make him hold back, to not destroy everything in his path. He maintained his composure just long enough to call forward the shuttle and fighter escort that he and Hate had chosen to attempt to retrieve Iudex, now it would still attempt that but also attempt to retrieve what was left of Hate. ”Find them, both of them, retrieve them…” his voice ground out in a tone that brooked no argument.

His attention turned the Shadows, ”Sgaoil a-mach, cuir às dhaibh uile, ach fuirich air falbh bhuam no fulang na faichean aca.”*

As the Shadows spread out and began their attack runs from the fringes of the Heritage Fleet, Hunger let loose the permanent, deep Hunger that lived within him now. It spread out, invisible but grasping, in an enormous sphere around him.

The fighter leaped forward, blazing through the waves of fire coming from the Battle Dragons, ignoring the shuddering of the craft as he reached out. Here half a ship crumpled in on itself, there a hole was blown through another. He was spinning and swooping through the Heritage fleet, his hunger sucking the lives from those who found themselves within its range. Nothing was left in this moment but the destruction.

A turbolaser beam narrowly missed the front of the ETA but the proximity sliced a diagonal cut from the forward third of one arm of the separated nose of the craft. It caused the craft to dive to one side until the astromech managed to correct. Hunger reached out toward the ship that had done the damage and the struts, central spine, and the lower hull all compressed into a ball of metals and other things.

In the distance Battle Dragons were drifting toward the center of the formation as the Shadows went to work. They acted as though the sheepdogs herding the larger craft toward the destruction the Shadow’s Master was causing. The X-Wings they were flying took damage as they flew on their paths but their coordinated attacks kept them from the line of fire for the most part.

Explosions continued around the fighter as the fighter craft of the Battle Dragons attempted to attack from outside the range they were trying to determine of his Hunger, but time and again it was the shrapnel alone of the explosions tearing holes in the craft. There was a hiss and then several of the viewscreen panels blew out. His suit and helmet inflated against the negative pressure slightly but otherwise he ignored it.



Continuing the spiral path through the fleet, his eyes raked it, looking for any of the craft that still remained that were actively defending themselves or attacking. A predatory smile appeared and he reached out to the waves of incoming missiles, redirecting their paths, and coating the shields, weakening them, of those Battle Dragons he saw still active. A primal scream and he dove back into the fray.

The ETA 5 dove, twirling through space as he reached out repeatedly tearing through the larger sections of drifting Battle Dragons as well as those that were still fighting. The remaining Battle Dragons seemed to be attempting to disengage but he lanced out power, slicing through the bridge of one, slashing deeply through the hull of a second, and letting darkness fully shroud the third. He cared not how much damage his ship or he was taking as he attacked, all that mattered was ending the threat.

The fighter was being shredded around him from the return fire. Both stabilizers were gone, the nose completely shot away, by the time his wild ride came to an end. All that was left of what had been a premier interceptor was a cracked, punctured, sphere, the viewscreen holed through. Inside, Hunger himself was faring no better, injured, body filled with shrapnel. In the distance, explosions rocked Battle Dragons as the Shadows increased the ferocity of their attacks, seeing the damage their Master was taking. Occasional smaller explosions showed the cost of that ferocity though, as here and there a Shadow sacrificed themselves to the battle.



Explosions still rocked the space around Hapes but even as he began to fade, he could see that the Heritage fleet was nothing more than wreckage, strewn across the starfield. His healing sleep was calling and in his last instant before sleep he smiled, the major threat to the Order in this moment had been reduced significantly. In the last moments of consciousness, he felt the remaining Shadows, all 6 that remained, form up their battered X-Wings around him.

The battered fighters now had a separate task from the battle. Their Master survived, barely, and their loyalty demanded that they remove him from the field of battle. Near where the Kendall had been a similar sized group of fighters, the Aran Tyr had formed around what was possibly the shuttle Hunger had sent to retrieve Iudex and Manticore’s body. The Shadows slowly flew through the detritus of the battle, through the minefield, and toward the planet below, escorting their Master to safety, where he could heal.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto

*Spread out, kill them all, but stay away from me or suffer their fates.

 

OOC: Fun with @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, and @Sinrebirth

IC Renn, Helinith, Morrigan
Song of War

Renn reached out to dampen the emotions in Lady Galney, or her crying would begin to get on even his long nerves. As he began to turn to Helinith to make a suggestion he received a thought from Bernael, through their bond.

’We are coming, Renn, the frigate I am on and the Resurgent, placing them between you and the Ducha’s Battle Dragons. The Sith we found in the UR is going to support you and Helinith as Hate and I begin to deal with the Heritage fleet. I’d recommend suggesting to Helinith to follow his battle orders as he has shown he is a battle tested Admiral.’

He strode over to a separate holo table, staying out of sight of the holo pickup for the call from the Ducha. Touching a stud it lit and displayed the space around Hapes. A flash and the code for the Resurgent and a frigate appeared between the Ducha’s forces and theirs. He smiled broadly and could see shoals of fighters departing those craft even as he turned back toward Helinith.

[color= #008000[I]]’Oh Craziness….our friends are with us, seems they decided we needed our own force multiplier. A Sith the vampire and Manticore ran into on their trip has placed himself and his forces between us and the Ducha. And Bernael says he’s an Admiral so if he gives orders it may be best to follow them, or send your own based on his. But…’[/I][/color] he glanced at the display again, ’It looks like that Sith is already making life miserable for Ducha Galney.’

"Make sure she can see me, that every ship in her damn fleet can see me." Helinith muttered to the coms officer. She turned and strode into the holo pickup, looking nonchalant at Ducha Galney's suggestion.

"Ahh yes, sister to my sister. I think not. Loyal though you may be, what sort of queen would I be to put my trust in you? Not at all Hapean-like."

She gave a sort of superior smile although behind it the cogs were working triple speed. If Galney was still on the fence, Helinith needed to both prove she was the better choice and offer her a way to save face. If she wasn't, well she'd enjoy insulting her creatively whilst personally knifing her to death. But in the meantime she'd have to do what she did best. Talk.

"This rebellion does nothing but strengthen my power." She continued, in a semi-thoughtful state, as if she was musing between herself and the Ducha. "The rebels cannot win, they cannot even decide who to put on the throne." (A lie, though Helinith knew enough about Hapes already to suspect it wasn't too far removed from the truth.) "They have even had to call in aid from an outside power to feel secure enough to attack us. They have made a bargain with the devil. And he doesn't lend his playthings for free. How many planets will he demand in payment? What annual tribute will he require of them? Will their choice of queen rule as a queen at all, or as an imperial puppet? Our precious consortium is now more at risk of losing its independence than at any time before!" She paused and shook her head, sadly. "They have endangered us all." Gritting her teeth, she folded her arms. "I will not allow this beautiful, glittering jewel that shines as a testament to the strength of women be torn from us and ruled by an absent, ugly, decrepit mutant of a man." She spat. "The first order shall not sit on the throne of Hapes!"

Morrigan seemed out of place, but this had been Hades wish and so, she would do as he asked of her. She listened to Helinith speak and was impressed by her resolve. This woman was indeed meant to be a Queen.

Morrigan wasn't sure what they wanted her to do, this wasn't her dance, and so she would watch and react as needed.

Galney made a noise of disgust, and there was a click as the channel opened to the wider public. "It is I, Ducha Galney, speaking to the Hapan Consortium as the True Queen Mother of Hapes. The woman who spoke before, she led a coup against our rulers, twice now has she travelled to our realm and killed our Queen."

"We need not allies to defend our borders but will I place outsider-against-outsider? Certainly. What Hapan would not?" As she spoke, her Battle Dragons abandoned all pre-text, and began firing upon the planetary shields, thirty capital ships pockmarking the deflectors with damage. A stream of landing craft diverted, roughly half heading to the shield in anticipation of a hole being punched through.

The fighters and remaining land craft drove forward, rushing the Song of War and it's small deployment. Galney was not yet in firing range -

There were explosions across the battle field, movement of ships with alarming swiftness -

The crew looked uncertainly, and out of the corner of Morrigan's eye she would see a male guard reach for his blaster -

Information flooded into Renn, and a death -

Morrigan moved in a flash, from her back came a blade and she held it to the neck of the hard whose hand had barely touched the blaster.

"Move any further, and your blood will anoint your new Queen."

Renn snorted at the reply from the Ducha, she’d made her decision and declared herself as the Queen Mother, which, if nothing else was setting herself up as a rival to Ducha alGrey. Especially as she’d broadcast systemwide. He kept his tongue, as he knew it would undermine Helinith if he spoke in her stead.

And then his eye caught the display once more, seeing a flash and then multiple explosions, including a large one right where the code for the Kendall had been. Not even a second later he felt death, as near to it as possible, and knew a Sith had fallen. His head whipped around even as the borderline Hapans in their own crew began to choose sides. Eyes locking with Helinith’s, ’Manticore!!’ he thought.

Eyes turning a deep golden yellow that the actions of the Hapans, his will leaped out, extending in a bubble of space surrounding the Song of War and her consorts. Every mind in it, save Helinith’s and Morrigan’s, Sabel and his people outside the area of effect, he touched. As they all fell inside his grasp his will surged and he tweaked. In that instant every one of those minds were suddenly, blindingly loyal to the Sith and Helinith as their Queen Mother. Which, he could feel with a wry smile on his face, included all those craft of the Ducha’s that had been diving to attack them.

Turning to Morrigan, ”Let them go, they will not harm a hair on her head anymore.” escaped his lips in a deep, grating tone.

His eyes blazed at the Ducha but he spoke mind to mind with Helinith, ’Let that new Sith show his abilities, task him with destroying her. I feel he believes we need to show our worth, but he has not yet shown his true worth to us.’

Morrigan dropped her hand from the neck of the guard. She wasn't sure what the tree person had done, but she was certain it had to do with the Force and the awe inspiring power of the Sith.

"As you command, my Lord."

She, did not, however, move very far away from the guard. She had seen some people, like the guard out in front of the palace when she and Hades had arrived, resist the power of suggestion in the Force. If that happened here, she would eliminate the threat.

The guard dropped his hand, paling but not audibly adding to the moment. There was a rustle, and clearly more than a few bridge crew had been thinking about it - but less than half. The rest were approving, and diligent in supplying updates as the battle raged -

Helinith strode over to the guard and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him down to her eye level.

"That was a very, very silly thing to do." She looked aside.

"Tell the Resurgent and her sister ship to open fire on the Ducha's ship. Gunners, all batteries to do the same."

She dragged the guard over to the viewport, able to sense the result of Manticore's work already, despite his sacrifice. "Let's watch the battle together. I think it's going rather well, don't you?" She patted the cheek of the man she was still gripping onto. Even as she reached the window, her eyes followed a lone fighter beginning a lone, weaving run of terror, able to sense a terrible presence as Bernael's feeding frenzy began.

"Let's see if the rest of her armada wants to cooperate, once their leader has been removed from the equation."

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @greyjedi125, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith, @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Corporal Torrents
Royal Palace Grounds, Hapan Army HQ

The lightsaber was delivered to Serapis, looking a bit banged up but functional, but the officers did oblige with information; the Galney flotilla had revealed its true colours and was firing at the shields, which meant landing craft were heading their way, or would be, when the planetary deflectors were punched through -

But they confirmed that the weapons surrounding the Palace could reach low-orbit and fire upon the landing craft - through the shields, and indeed even the lower portions of the Galney flotilla, if so ordered, but of course they had dare not fire of their own initiative -

The aides also supplied a list of suspicious officers in the Palace, who had been slower to report in readiness when the Heritage Council arrived. They had been quick enough to not cause concern, but not fast enough to be responsive. Within that was the comms team, which had been unable - or perhaps unwilling - to confirm which Dragon that Galney was transmitting from.

They might require a... visit.

Then there was a loud, LOUD, bang, and a cry rang out. "The shields are down! Someone's blown the generator!"

Another shattering blow, this time as much in the Force as anything else, and Serapis would know exactly where Abeloth was in the Palace -

And Aurra Sing wasn't far off.

TAG: @DarthIshyZ
---
Elsewhere in the Palace

Shimmer, rather unsurprisingly, resisted Soliloquy's suggestion with a dark cackle, a mental sending that filled the space between Master and student. Hades would feel it too, as a former avatar of Abeloth. The Bringer of Chaos had taken another body...

The tentacles ensnaring Hades erupted into flame, as much as the ones ensnaring Soliloquy were assailed by spectral daggers of energy. Her face was straddled by the Dathomiri-web-spell, an effort which had in the distant, distant past cut her off from all manner of creature that had fed her. This time, it cut her from her other self, and she howled, tentacles falling away as she reached for her face with the hands of the Hapan woman she had possessed. She screamed, a wave of energy emerging from her in an almost omnidirectional wave, blowing a curve into the floor, shattering the walls and ceiling of the room, and causing a small sag in the greater Palace structure where the rest of the wing struggled to cope.

The act was sufficient, if the two Sith did not prepare, to shatter their bones, but it was ill-targeted, a short attack to protect herself. It didn't do much to the webbing upon her face, which ensnared her hands too. From her waist emerged tentacles of flesh, stretching out for them again, but this time the tips of the two protrusions were drawn back as if daggers, bones twisted to point from the attacks -

In the distance of the room over, visible to them each, Shimmer toppled, crying out in pain, abandoning the still-unconscious Senator as she struggled to get to her feet and leave -

"Well what do we have here?" The voice was hard, and cruel, a crimson lightsaber adding a glow to the expanded room.

Aurra Sing looked amused at their struggles, standing over Shimmer, whose eyes widened in delight.

TAG: @E. L.Knight, @Mitth_Fisto
---
Aboard the Song of War, battle orbit

There were two hammer blows in the Force as Manticore and Bernael exerted themselves in the Force, shattering the Heritage Fleet formation. Their actions had crippled dozens of Hapan Battle Dragons, and indeed Manticore's final act had blown apart the Kendall and the tip of the coup armada. The surviving enemy Dragons were submerged in a debris field, full of hundreds upon thousands of dead.

All one with the Force could say with absolute certainty was that Manticore was gone.

Bernael, however, he would be roused from death by pain; the pain of a body that had been drained by his exertion, drawing his skin taut upon his skeleton, his muscles wasted away and crippled by the consumption of his flesh, yes, but also the pain of a shard of his family being assailed, indeed, struck again and again by Hades and Soliloquy, on the planet below... of course, there was a catch there, but it was what it was... whether he would have the clarity of mind to work through it, who knew - it was far more pain than he'd ever felt before, in his millennia of life!

The wreckage of the Eta 5 looked more like a TIE fighter than anything else now, and he would be jostled by it catching upon the hull of an enemy Hapan Beta cruiser, the Starsprite. A small ship, it was damaged, but functional, clawing for empty space. The overall tactical situation of the Battle of Hapes was far beyond the sensors of Bernael's wreck, because he had literally no power, and indeed it was a miracle he had any atmosphere left, the ball-cockpit had managed not to be compromised by that much...

At least for Iudex he would have the pleasure of knowing Ducha AlGray was dead, but his shuttle was battered by the explosion - he did have shields, but only just. Had he not been strapped in, he would have been slammed up and down the ship as it turned and rolled, bounced off another Hapan ship and crashed through a Miy'til fighter and - well, Morwan's neck was at quite an unnatural angle so you get the picture. But nonetheless, with the last lurch, the shuttle slammed into a Beta cruiser and the chair snapped free, causing the Falleen to rebound off the cockpit viewport.

Yes, it was the self-same cruiser that Bernael had crashed upon, and yes, in the Force the crew were agitated - for Iudex had, luckily enough, crashed into their docking port. If he could navigate the twisted innards of the ambassador's shuttle, he could board the cruiser, though the Force warned him that at least six members of the crew were lining up by the port, likely arming themselves to the teeth... and completely unaware Bernael's fighter-corpse had caught upon the upper hull.

The two of them had found each other in this disaster, and wouldn't know.

For Helinith, Renn and Morrigan, they would see that Manticore and Bernael's actions had crippled the Heritage Fleet, yes, but the Hapan Royal Navy had been mauled by the initial stages of the battle, and many of the loyal ships in their armada were crippled, almost lifeless. Worse, the planetary shields were down, so from Galney's flotilla ships were pouring down to head towards the Palace district -

The three First Order Star Destroyers, having pierced the minefield, were mostly intact, meaning the Resurgent and Destiny had arrived between them and the five Battle Dragons that Helinith had left. The Star Home, the orbiting palace-ship, was firing upon Galney's thirty Battle Dragons, but they were mostly unharmed to date, and headed into the guns of Helinith's task force and battering off the harassment from TIE and X-wings by sheer numbers - a Dragon, and then two, three, exploded, but Galney still had plenty. But the loss of Bernael and Manticore had left Sabel in-charge of the Resurgent - which was being smothered by First Order fire - and being as he was an almost neutral third party in all this, Zestus had essentially opened a channel and just given his Chiss Lord a knowing look.

This wasn't their fight.

Aboard the Song of War, the crews were stiff-backed, conscious that they were about to lose, and powerless to do much against the Sith on the bridge. They resigned themselves to being loyal to the end, many taking the time to script messages to loved ones. A wave of fatalism rose up aboard the Song of War, notwithstanding how, moments ago, they'd been buoyed by Helinith's speech, and indeed the damage to the Heritage Fleet. With the planetary shields down... and the odds against them roughly 3 to 1, they were still about to lose.

Indeed, as they watched, enemy landing craft advanced through the massed fire of Helinith's loyalists, as fire tore at her shields. In short order, Hapan commando's would be reaching the hangar, and storming the ship in earnest. The crew looked to Helinith, Renn and Morrigan, for orders, for guidance; they hope swelled in the Force, looking for a Sith miracle.

If the hangar fell, the entire Battle Dragon could be captured. Of course, the landers could cut a path through any part of the Song of War, but...

Galney continued speaking over the comms. "I hope you don't die, Sith Queen. I want to execute you... after your Tree friend dies."

They would need to find a point to hold the line, or head for the escape pods...

TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @E. L.Knight, @Silvertough, @greyjedi125 (salutes the latter)
---
IC: Zelmar
Coruscant, a timeline away

"Awe," the cloaked-man said, rolling the word around his mouth. Zelmar seemed unimpressed, but it wasn't a clear emotion. He was considering the words of Azathoth, slowly but surely. The battered Huyang was silent, and the moment seemed to stretch, disapproval shifting from implied to emphasised.

Their ship drifted the skylanes, a muted traffic entering the broken system. Coruscant had once hosted an almost infinite stream of freighters, capital ships, and visitors, supplying it's trillion citizens and seemingly eternal lights. But it had been a long time without any such amenity, and the billions that were trapped on-world were simply fear-batteries for Typhojem now. He had once taken Coruscant as his capital, with Chancellor Thul and Dartiha Soros - later Darth Gorog - as his two greatest lieutenants, and it had served others for millennia; this was their mere punishment for doing so.

What ships did arrive were simply bringing just enough sustenance for the populace, to keep them alive and in despair, rather than thriving. Indeed, the spacelanes were plied with floating monstrosities; twisted Star Dragons, twisted Diatham, and of course Yuuzhan Vong warships. To enter Coruscant space was to court Death, but to not obey the orders of the Supreme Overlords, those elevated to serve the Immortal God of the Sith, well, that was to be executed for your crimes, either by being fed to the black-holes of the Maw, or added to the sacrificial pyres that burned constantly on Rodia, Kashyyyk and a host of other words that had been deemed irredeemable by the followers of the True Way.

An entire religion of pain and sacrifice had seized the galaxy, feeding Typhojem with all the servants he required.

Zelmar stared as their ship dove towards Coruscant, paying no heed to the various threats; he had cast a Sith spell to hide the ship, tweaked the gravitic output to make it appear as if it was a Yuuzhan Vong Yorik-aga, and indeed they had their Black-Coats. As long as all that remained, they were essentially invisible to the various threats present...

"Apprentice of mine, do you think the Sith want awe?"

He lazily turned a hand, and the Force seized upon the man's throat.

"No."

He thought of the endless in-fighting of the Sith, and the lack of purpose it appeared to have. Here, he would teach Azathoth what that purpose was.

"We want to be feared."

The invisible currents of the Force drew him into the gloved hand of Zelmar, and he turned his shadowed cloak to meet Azathoth's face. He would feel the breath of his Master upon him, but he was unhindered - Azathoth could strike back, could struggle, could fight. The pressure on his throat was replaced by the squeeze of leather.

TAG: @Shadowsun

 

IC: Ike
Aboard the Luxury Elite, wandering

He left a few men behind in his room as he tied the sash to his night-robe, bare-foot as he went. Ike was doing so one-handed, with a wine bottle and two glasses clasped in his free hand, barely, at that. He was just about ensuring he was at least hiding something - having probably flashed a few people he had passed - when he reached Bellorum's office, grinning at the tall, muscular looking guard.

"It's me, do I need announcing."

He snorted, and pawed the door controls.

"Thanks, sweet-cheeks." Ike tiptoed and kissed the man on the cheek, and strode in. "I'm late, I know, I have zero excuses." He caught the chill in the room, and hesitated slightly, adopting a softer tone. "Still no Plo?"

She held up a hand to indicate that discussion was off the table and stated, “he’s dead to me.”

Bellorum stood and took the bottle and glasses from Ike saying, “take a look at my latest project,” she tilted her head to the display on the desk.

Whilst Ike had been ignoring her messages, Bellorum had put together the details to open a secret academy for Force sensitive children on the Luxury Elite, and the construction was close to completion.

He looked at the display, conscious she was still mad with him. "We're building a Force user academy? Rebuilding the Sith from the ground up..." He nodded slowly. "I can't sense Insipid at all... and who I managed to speak to at Hapes isn't interested in us."

"So, it makes sense..." Ike sounded thoughtful. "Did you have a locale in mind to raid? Force user's in the criminal underworld are hardly picked out by the New Republic, even when Skywalker began his praxeum... assuming he does the same in this timeline?"

“Yes, I want to start with Coruscant,” she answered as she poured Ike’s peace offering and handed him a glass. “Going there serves more than one purpose,” she raised her glass to him to indicate she wouldn’t be angry for long before continuing , “it will be the Luxury’s first visit to that area and the profits will be massive.” Bellorum actually smiled as she imagined rooms full of credits and her casinos packed with guests.

“I’ve been going through the more obscure media outlets and the lower levels in Coruscant seem to be home to those considered ‘odd’, and I have a feeling that’s where we will recruit.”

"Recruit?" Ike accepted the glass. "On Coruscant? How will that work out?"

He looked pretty baffled as to what they could offer the kids of the former capital.

“I’m so glad you asked,” Bellorum was practically beaming as she touched the display to stream a holo for Ike.

It began with a suave gentleman in a lab coat standing with a young female assistant in a posh clinical setting.

’Do you, or someone you know, have an offspring suffering from an embarrassing malady similar to these?’

The cam panned to a young humanoid playing with blocks, except he was levitating them into stacks rather than using his hands. Next it showed a small Twi’lek sitting in a crib crying, which appeared normal until little sparks sprang from her fingertips and quickly extinguished.

’Do you have an aunt or uncle that displays their impossible magic tricks at family gatherings?

Once again they pan around showing beings dressed in gypsy fashion cheating each other in games of chance and performing unusual parlor tricks.

’There is affordable help available with immediate openings! Our professional staff will access the patient at no charge to you, and if they qualify, we can offer financial assistance if they are accepted into our program! Act now because placement is limited! We are here to help your loved one!’

Contact information scrolled while images of beings participating in sports, sleeping peacefully, and in healthy social settings.

Bellorum reached over and touched the screen to stop the holo before she spoke again, “this is insane enough to work,” there was actual excitement in her voice, “we will have them bringing patients to us! I have already spoken to Jepsun and he’s willing to go along with it, and of course we will give him a random specimen for his research if there are any training accidents. He has some trusted staff that will assist him.”

She pulled out a chair and sat down to keep from pacing the office space, “also, this won’t be our only recruitment tool, I’m hoping to pick up a few just by scouting the more dodgy areas, with hopes of flushing out even older force users that are in hiding. They wouldn’t need training, more likely guidance and a steady meal.”

Ike blinked a few times. "That's insane, Bell."

"I mean, seriously," Ike laughed, a short, tight noise. "But I'm sure it'll work," he took a big sip of wine, which didn't precisely exude confidence. "As long as we keep this away from the Core and Inner Rim... I guess the New Republic won't notice..."

He looked back to her from the repeating advert. "Where do you need me?"

“The New Republic won’t notice where this will run, trust me,” she added with a wink.

“Where will I need you? I’ll let you decide, because I had wondered if you’d be going to search for Insipid?” It was a question that had been in the back of her mind for awhile, and although she hoped he wouldn’t, she’d have to support him if he chose to. She almost slapped her forehead wondering what the kriff was wrong with her for caring about anyone these days, her life was credits and collecting wealth.

Ike bit his lip. "I can't sense him, Bell." His eyes grew glassy. "I've tried, poured all of myself into our bond... but he's gone. Not as if he's missing... but... well, it's hollower." Ike swallowed audibly, clearly trying not to lose control of his emotions. "Like there is a place here for him, in this time, it's just... he's dead."

He choked on the last word. All Ike could do was say it again.

"He's dead, Bell."

“Dead?” Bellorum gasped softly and looked thoughtful, “no, well...I’ve not felt him for awhile, but surely not dead. Hiding maybe?”

She slowly drank, and her eyes seemed to be looking far beyond the chamber where they sat, and even beyond the Luxury Elite.

“We can quietly make inquiries whilst we are acquiring our new army, eh?” She had been plotting where they should go after Coruscant, mostly by scouring tabloids, but changes could easily be made.

Ike nodded, mute, and reached for the bottle. "I'd like that, but I think it's best I stay with the Elite. I'd rather not be alone, and, well," he swallowed again. "I don't want to divide your resources anymore than we have to."

She smiled softly at her friend, “just promise you won’t go chasing off without giving me warning?”

—-
—-

“I have some interesting security footage if you’re interested,” Bellorum’s mood shifted as she decided to share with Ike what Graul was up to. “It seems one of Aryan’s assistants drugged him and, with the help of a couple of friends, took him to his suite to set up a compromising position.”

She ran the holo stream for Ike, “this is the version I have Aryan,” once that ended she queued the unedited version, “this is the full version with some scenes from inside his suite.”

Bellorum quickly held up a hand, “before you say anything, NO, your suite isn’t being recorded. I would never intrude on your privacy,” she paused to take a large drink of her wine, “and I’m probably too innocent to view your leisure time activities.”

Ike chuckled at that, drily. "You are, though Plo would have been fine."

He hesitated, and hadn't meant to mention him. Looking over, he focused on her before he pressed 'play'. "Shouldn't we talk about him?"

“I’m not sure what there is to talk about,” she replied curtly, “he ran out on me again...don’t forget he abandoned his own daughter. Who is quite unhappy about it.” Bellorum refilled their glasses and threw the empty bottle against the wall. “I don’t want to be responsible for Hel, but I did secure a promise from her that she wouldn’t go chasing off after her damned father. She agreed and I have Cal keeping an eye on her for now.”

Ike nodded, slowly. "Alright then, that works, I guess. If you need me to do anything for/with them, I'm on-board then."

He refocused. "So we're going with Coruscant? Do we have a plan for dealing with Amedda?" It was a question, because the former Grand Vizier still lived in the Imperial Palace, as a kind of deposed monarch, kept around purely for constitutional reasons.

"I mean," Ike said, slowly. "If Insipid is gone, and Haretisch is, well, AWOL... you're the Dark Lady of the Sith... the Empress, again." He was thinking of Mortis, when Typhojem slaughtered most of the Sith and Bellorum had to lead them from the disaster. "I'm glad you're thinking long term, at least."

TAG: @Lady Belligerent, with mentions for @HanSolo29, @QueenSabe7