Star Wars OPEN War of the Galaxies: Fist of Fire - an Episode XII Story

IC: Barbosa
Bridge of Capital Punishment

Standing on the bridge of a vessel set for possible war Barbosa sat in mediation. The fleets were converging and moving to a gathering point in the void. A spot in the dark depths between the warmth of the sparks of the stars that made Firefest what it was. They were gathering to advance as one on the unknown world of Yuth that was connected to the Charron galaxy.

Reports from the Skyriver showed that their forces invaded a single connection point, and then branched out. The point would be taken by a fleet, and then the next point by two fleets. The only tenable plan was to stop them at the first world, and there they would either be turned into allies, or they would be stopped. The Spot were notified and welcomed to the join the fleet elements as well. This was to secure Firefest directly. Some were looking for ways or where the first assault from others would come from. This, right now, was the greatest threat.

Then there was the rumors. They held a city worth of Nagai on a prison world where they were being rehabilitated and allowed to live peacefully without any of the old techniques and terrors on their lives, and the world of Nagi was being cleansed from the ravages of war. But, there was the thought that there were more Nagai in Firefest than had been found.

Terrorists.

If this hidden world of Yuth was them. Yes. The thought made Barbosa's blood boil not with the endurance and perseverance of a Green Spot, but with the fire and petty thirst of a Red. He knew he had to control it, to save the ire. All he could do was wait.

As soon as the fleet gathered they would diverge and a hundred scouts from all directions would enter the system and relay their scans and long range visual observations. From there the fleets would advance in concert.

Tag: @Sinrebirth for now

 

IC: Nadia ke Mattino, Trec ke Mattino, Rachel Nezuma-Lyons
Ord Mantell

The three sides split up after the conference to send their side information, or go over what was currently on the table. The Adumari contingent was not leaving for Serenno as they thought it was a pretty obvious trap. In fact, the only semi prominent newly minted Rear Admiral Darin Elsayr. He'd been training for this slightly hurried promotion under one of the best, Admiral Terek Rogriss.

They were about to discuss plans in the future when Snoke interrupted events. The three of them watched in silence as Snoke spoke. “Welp…” Nadia was first to speak as soon as the signal cut. Naturally at Serenno, the Tof were first to speak. They tuned out, mostly because they had a decision to make. Trec spoke first, “I think we must reject. First, the money won't help us build faster, gain resources better, improve infrastructure any more than what we're doing. The biggest thing is that it would help us pay quite a lot of our bills.”

Rachel nodded, “It would help with R&D, but you would only see those benefits later. Those resources would help those companies out, allowing them to expand enough where we could get an extra 10-20 capital ships out of Tiboulen.”

Nadia agreed with both of them, “We also want to reestablish that the Countess Dooku has jurisdiction for the case. Besides, I doubt the First Order can really pay the full amount.” Nadia had seen the numbers, and it would be difficult for a healthy Galactic government to pay in one lump sum, much less the ones involved right now. She also doubted whether the payment would actually go through. Ultimately, this was exactly what Snoke wanted. If that wasn't a good reason to refuse, she didn't know of a better one.

Rachel changed subjects, “With the Mothma project completed and a prototype named A Call to Reason. The first four production ships will be called Chief of State Mothma or Mothma for short, Senator Bail Organa, Senator Padme Amidala, and General Leia Organa. With my portion done, I am moving to improvements on the TIE Neutralizer and a capital ship project code named Imperious.”

—-
IC: Adam Lyons, Medb Ra-oon
Meanwhile

Adam and Medb had both taken turns for the Star Forge to get used to each of their presences in the Force. They had requested the first set of items, in short resources for ship construction and healing their Colonies. Adam was taking a quick break while Medb was preparing for her turn when a thought occurred to him, “Do you know Battle Meditation, Medb?”

“Yes, would you like to learn it?”

“I just had a feeling…” Adam trailed off as something was seeking them out.

—-----
IC: Kan Mandeen, Panadi Kayne
Odessan

Kan Mandeen and Panadi Kayne left the Wraiths to decide what the next steps were. Kan had brought out Piggy and the medical droid out to assist the team going into the old base, just in case personnel from the Eternal Fleet showed up.

They were showing the data to Piggy when Kan spoke up, “I'm leaning towards treating them like an independent power in the Unknown Regions. I have no designs on a political empire as an Information Empire attracts less attention and can easily be as lucrative as anything else. What do you think?”

—-
Ord Mantell

Rachel was back to work. The SLAM cradle fitting to their T-85 X-wings looked to be a success by computer estimation. It was cheaper and more efficient than their solution. Now they just had to build it. Rachel also wanted to reverse engineer the cradle and adapt it to their Rebel fighters, especially the E-wings and RZ-4s. Finally, Corraidhin was looking to adapt the old SLAM cradle from the Missile boat to their Imperial designs.

Finally, Nadia and Trec were looking at deployment options against the Rakata battlecruisers. Jakku was out for direct deployment as it was a trap sprung already. However, a deployment could jointly cover Jakku with Freerock. A somewhat haphazard organization led by A Call to Reason, sized around 40 capital ships and 800 escort ships could respond there. They also sent a warning message to Bakura while ordering Group 4 to Sarafur for backup. Trec and Nadia quietly sent a nudge to the Resistance contingent to bring the Wookies to their side. They offered Admiral Shawnkyr Nuruodo to assist them.

TAG: @Sinrebirth, (mentions for) @darthbernael , @Mitth_Fisto , @Kev-Mas_Colcha , @Kahn_Iceay , @Adalia-Durron (yes he's trying to destroy your planet again )

 

IC: King Nivic II - Combo with Sinre
Tof

Returning home was never supposed to be anything special. Still it turned into something. He hated the waste of it, the pointlessness of it all. Still he toured the wastes of the sunken city, the memorial of rebuilt portion of the space yards. There was an eternal flame planted where the city sank, and a glass globe of eternal fire where the yards had been bombed. Radiation was surprisingly easy to clean or counter once you were advanced enough. The stuff was not the most powerful weapon, it was a weapon of terror - merely. Merely.

Every Tof child watched the tapes. Knew the categories of water, earth, air, and fire. Radiation was the slow death, the rot that killed you from the inside out. Only these had not had time for the slow agony of death, they had died fast. In inefficient explosions, or in the crash. Some perhaps even in drowning. He had stood at the railing and began the dropping of a rope of flowers, bedecked with fishing lures, entangled in ropes. A flower for every soul lost, a lure added for every child, and a sword for the promise.

They would be avenged.

Hours later he sat waiting for the council to convene. Many choices were already set in motion. Fleets had been sent from Maccabree and Tof to deal with the unknown world. Seventy capital ships and their tenders were dispatched, ten to the hidden yards to protect them, and twenty to clear the pathway to Gargon.

A half fleet at Vhetin would join the fleets going to the unknown world. The link to Charon and the possibility of Nagai terrorist elements still in Firefest was too large to ignore. The rest of the fleets in Firefest would continue defending their worlds and the roving elements would continue to patrol the none hub worlds.

The Tof Council was careful to greet their monarch. Happy, yes, he was back, but also concerned as to where he had been. Fundamentally, the whispers of the believed insanity that had impacted his father and brother were oft wondered about him.

But as he was swept into the Grand Chamber, the advisors applauded him as one.

With a sorrowful countenance the King bowed his head in acceptance of the applause before waving the applauding advisors to settle. "Thank you. My apologies for leaving you all for so long in my sorrow. It will not happen again." With a negligent wave to an aid he nodded, "A note to say so to Barbosa as well. I keep him from his own sorrows relent. Even still."

Turning he took to his throne and sat. Pulling up the council comm system for the chamber he began tapping displays. "I have commanded the militaries to move fleets in response to the threat of this unknown world with a link that mirrors invasion points in Skyriver from Charon. I see a note from Barbosa he had left standing orders for mass production of three mine types, including this new variety wherever is best set to begin production. New Brute Star Destroyers and this Nagai Alliance design vessel appear to have been earmarked to serve as minelayers? Frigates to be assigned to asteroid tow duty for blockading our systems and setting up redoubt blockades with warning systems along all major hyper lanes to our galaxy as well as clearing them so that they will be under our control. Seems a tall order, but one we must follow through on. As the fleet motion along the Vhetin-Gargon route demonstrated the Sun Guard can circumvent at will."

“This new planet, Yuth, it is curious, but, if I may,” spoke up the Faruun. “Where have you been, your Majesty? We scoured the worlds of the Tof League, including the former joint colonies. Rumour has it you found a way into the Deep Core?”

The King bowed his head, "Grief is a funny thing. The loss turned me to the old things, things of my father's and brother. Old things that had been put away some since before the revolution. In these memories, in a portion I had not seriously looked at before I found a set of nav coordinates without explanation by tales of ancient invaders." With a sigh the king rubbed the arm of his throne. "In my depression and wish to be closer to what I had lost I followed them. A chaotic whim of risk I blame on my grief. I apologize to you all for that reckless action."

"You should, all have a report of what I found there. Ancient history of when, once another dominated this galaxies young black seas. The ancient shipyards of the Pius Dea. As well as an ancient droid caretaker that has sworn fealty." The King continued.

“A droid caretaker?” The Maccabree expressed interest. “We would be grateful for a formal introduction, your Majesty!”

The King Nivic II depressed a button on his throne. "I thought you might feel thus." A holo would spring to life as the droid 11-4D would be displayed. "11-4D, sorry to interrupt your work of verifying and cross referencing a medical database for potential updates either direction. The council as assumed wants a word as we discussed." The droid had been warned of this likely event, as well as reminded not to slip about the former King. The droid had been tasked with updating if needed Tof medical knowledge. Something which had always been at the front of Tof research even if they tended to utilize crude methods before using more refined methods if deemed worthy.

11-4D looked surprised, for a droid. “Oh my. I have not felt had such an auspicious audience for so many years.” He bowed his head. “I am 11-4D, medical relations. At the service of my new Master, King Nivic II. I am presently cataloguing your medical data so I might provide you with better care.”

There was a murmur of agreement.

“But I did also accidentally see a communique that suggested we had a set of new arrivals to the Rim of the FireFist Galaxy. A species known as the Charon, I believe?”

That elicited even more murmurs.

King Nivic II nodded at this and waved down gently the murmur it illicited. “In the assumption that they would based off of sittings of their Skyriver invasion I have dispatched Barbosa to deal with the situation.”

“Barbosa? And how many ships?” Clearly the Maccabree speaking was gauging the threat of this invasion. FireFist had been secure for so little time..:

"One moment." The King stated before putting 11-4D on visual and auditory hold before answering the Council's question. "I believe the answer is about Eighty ships. A little light considering the threat force they have displayed in Skyriver if they do turn out to be our enemies."

“But a sizeable deployment,” the Faruun said. He looked at the Maccabree, and an exchange of nods. “We did hear during the First War that the Deep Core was the sight of a redoubt that was made moot by the wars end… that your father was investigating the ancient history of our Galaxy. It is…” a delicate tone taken. “Known that aliens visited many millennia ago, and met the Tofs first.”

"You speak of the legacy and history I have just returned from immersing myself in to gain perspective on my grief." King Nivic II stated with a sigh. "You be right. There are long histories the Tof have kept. You refer of course to what we consider the second invasion of Firefest. Pius Dea, a remnant of which was, is Ord Bueri did as you know. In the core is a world and the broken down shipyards. Once they both have been secured and brought up to operating capacity it will be best. Although due to the anomalies of the region, it might be best if crews and main forces present be droids." he stated with a nod.

“Anomalies?” The Maccabree said cautiously. “Are not our battle suits sufficient?”

The King cleared his throat and reopened the channel to the droid undoing the hold line that had been in effect. "11-4D. A topic you are better suited to answer has arisen. Could you explain the anomalies affects of the region where I found you? The affects it has on organics and droids, especially if there are protections."

“Radiation, yes, and also gravitic forces from the black holes, but specific elements will work to confound the mind. Often it presents as a hallucination of spiders, large, on the skin, but it can be anything as varied as base paranoia or the apparent ability to speak to the dead.” His voice was very matter of fact.

“Oh,” said the Maccabree, colour rising to his cheeks; fear. “And you braved such elements, your Majesty?”

"Yes." The King stated with a soft voice. "Apparently my Father had done so long ago. Unlike him, I have sought medical treatment for my exposure." The King was not about to tell them that he had experienced talking with the dead.

There was a general commotion. This was good tidings. The Spare who became Heir had truly been the Chosen. The failures of the late Prince Sereno had merely brought them to success later. The Tof League would recover its former power shortly.

The discussion became applause. They were winning, in all their great conquests.

The King wearily bowed at the applause and sat back tiredly in his throne. It was exhausting, especially as he knew, in the grand tallies, they had lost so much. Regaining was hardly winning when so many new threats and problems were having to be dealt with, the costs of it all was astounding, but he couldn't bring that down upon the council. Happy nobles were not murder nobles, and he was far too tired to deal with that drama again at the moment.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

OOC:This combination of voices invading your heads was brought to you by @Sinrebirth and myself.
IC: Adam Lyons, Medb Ra-oon
Star Forge

Adam looked at this red skinned...thing. It took him a moment to remember they were Rakata.

That was long enough for Medb, "You better talk to them... I'm not that...diplomatic."

Adam had heard stories and snorted, "Noted..." He faced the Rakata, "And you are?"

“My name is immaterial,” he said, waving a slight hand. “I am ancient, you are not, and the Elders imprisoned me in the mind trap of this Star Forge. I escaped one prison of flesh to find myself within another.” A sniff.

“You are slaves, in my time, but as you are here, presumably more has changed than not.”

Medb raised an eyebrow, "Your people are dead, at least a thousand years ago." She glanced at Adam, "Sorry..."

Adam shook his head, "Slaves no longer, and most things have changed. In fact, the list of what hasn't changed is much shorter than what has."

“Oh?” He sounded amused. “So lightsiders still fight darksiders? The masses are manipulated either way, and nothing has truly changed? Just the actors?”

Adam nodded, "Some say war never changes. Arguably politics as well." He continued, "Though technology, weapons, components have. Even people are leaving the galaxy because of the destruction. There is a question whether this is a galaxy worth saving."

A chortle. "My, my, you are a dark one. Let's swap places, and you can enjoy some isolation."

Adam smirked, "No thank you, I already have a place or two picked out for my retirement. Nor do I intend to sacrifice one person to this, even if our intentions are more noble than predecessors."

"So you will have to dabble, to command the Star Forge and look out for me. You'll create, yes, and ample resources will flow, true, but when you're exhausted, I'll take your body." A smile, human-like. "Fair warning."

A gesture, and a huge interface appeared in the White.

"So, what are we building today? And how much?"

Medb sniffed, "The research we have confirmed that."

Adam glanced at Medb, "Let's start with something I presume is relatively simple. She would like to make some asteroids rich in shipbuilding materials for a planet nearby."

"I have questions on how difficult it is to heal planets, starting with those that are exhausted but relatively healthy, and the husks that the First Order left around in the hundreds." Adam also had questions on what Medb wanted to do, to make this thing less hungry. Perhaps more benevolent.

The Rakatan interface, or host, or whatever, shrugged. "It can generate anything you want that has a structure. I've never seen a Star Forge used for vegetation, but clothing, tools, weapons, droids, ships, it can do it all. I imagine the Forge could create an immense mobile... worldship, or some-such, you could send around restoring worlds."

"And sure, it can convert stellar matter into new resources." A snap of a finger, and the Star Forge drew on the nearby sun to do so. Conversion of matter of fuel, or ordnance, that was incredibly useful in a war.

Adam nodded, a Worldship to restore worlds would be desirable, given the damage done. "That may be after the asteroids."

"Well, fine..." He looked from one to the other. "Who is in charge, so I know which of you to answer?"

Adam and Medb looked at each other and nodded, Adam answered, "Whoever is hooked up to this at the moment."

"Fair, fair," he said.

The Rakata turned to do as he was instructed. "My name is Soa, by the by. A pleasure to have met you, even under these circumstances." His voice took a wry tone.

Medb offered a wry smile herself, "I'm Medb and the world-weary one here is Adam." She ended it by elbowing Adam.

"Very weary," Soa said, drily. "I could ease your ails by taking your body...?"

"Not that weary," Adam growled, "I don't know if anyone has ever deconstructed a Star Forge before, but my wife would be one of the first to figure it out."

"Ha!" Soa laughed. "Fair, fair."

A tap of its claw. "Your asteroid field will be ready shortly, my friends."

Adam nodded, "Thank you, it's more that I don't want to be Wedge being brought back to service repeatedly.”

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @Mitth_Fisto , @Kev-Mas_Colcha , @darthbernael , @Kahn_Iceay

 

IC: Thychani Dictator Chanda Gossen
Interdictor-class Star Destroyer Aggregator
Gargon
Shipwrecked

Suddenly, the capital scale weapons on the Sun Guard aligned ships would cease firing as the energy was reallocated to their shields, while point defense weapons and all fighters were still focused on swatting down any Mandalorians that came trickling into orbit.

Chanda, unguided by the influence of Mascon, would reach out to the Tof over comms. While she would still be getting some support from the effects of the Dark Lord's Battle Meditation, this gambit was her idea, and her charisma, charm and over half a century of tactical experience would carry her through it. In doing so, she chose to keep comms jammed but open up one isolated frequency that could only be used for two way communication with the Duender, Belooc and the Aggregator. Two way, because while Duender and Belooc could both reply to Chanda's comms, they still could not comm each other, nor would they even be aware that their allies were even receiving comms.

"There is no need to throw our lives away to satiate the ego of your reckless Mandalorian friends. I am offering you one last chance to escape with your lives to your home Galaxy. If we are in agreement, I can and will free the way for your return.”

Duender sighed as his circling fleet remnant of Bulwarks and companion vessels were self cycling to shift the damage across their rolling hulls to avoid their weakest points shattering. It was a delaying tactic, and if sensors were to be believed it was currently between his forces and twenty heavily damaged interdictors to see who died first from the onslaught. Although the enemy stopped firing they did not. Even as he answered the comms and his circling fleet began drifting back toward the relative safety of the debris and asteroids for added protection.

A smiling red face beamed at the comm message. "That's a fine proposition. But you see. I don't seem to be able to check with the other Supreme - only the jellies clumped can agree. Those further out are a different school ye see." Duender replied in a sing song voice as he gave a serious glare-pout at the negative sign from comm tech. Reciting an old rhyme he must of learned when he was merely three.

_____________________________

Belooc was grinning into his comm like a mad devil of a sea dog. "Scared lassy? You should be! I ain't leaving until least third of ye be dead! Or I ain't Belooc!" he yelled. His 3/4 fleet formation of a tight string of pearls was cutting through the battle field aiming to pass by and hook across and around at the enemy brutes back sides. Where he believed a good solid set of broadsides of everything they had would decimate the enemies strongest fielded elements and allow them to aid in a mop up of the twenty damaged vessels which should make a way of breaking the seal on this system.

The commanders moves were ongoing as they spoke, with no other comms open, ships continued to savage each other. A Tof bulk cruiser erupted, and two Interdictor-class cruisers detonated. Pressure would have destroyed only one of each if not for the Mandalorian reinforcements, but the orbital battle was too evenly divided to allow for a heavy orbital bombardment.

Given the fact that the Tof already knew about the Sun Guard’s electronic warfare tactics, Chanda hadn’t expected them to take the bait so easily, though given the fact she knew they were likely drunk by now, she still prepared something in case that they were.

A virus. One that would turn Tof cannons against themselves, overloading them and causing them to backfire, with explosive results.

While such a blatant attack would've never been able to be made under normal circumstances, the link that the Sun Guard had established with the Tof was one which they had more control over than an ordinary comm exchange. It was as if all ships in the exchange, to the degree that the comms exchange was more akin to an intership transmission on the target vessel, bypassing any security checks that would've caught the virus.

“You chose wrong. Now instead of a Galaxy to rule, you shall be given a swift death. Perhaps if you were more sober you would've been wiser. Such a shame…

All ships, target those explosions and fire!”

In addition to the Virus the Sun Guard fleet resumed firing upon the Tof ships, focusing fire upon the detonations that would now be occurring all over, magnifying the damage even further.

Duender fleet continued their swirling defensive dance, the frigates staying on the outside as additional shield walls to protect their larger Bulwark craft as they continued on towards their destination of the debris field and asteroids which they promptly slid into to use as shields and armor. His fleets Sabertooth frigates using their powerful engines and tractor beams to use the chaf as moveable shields. There was no honor for the dead when the livings lives were on the line. Looking at the smoking comm station he had to smile though he leaned back swaying to the latest verse of the latest song that was echoing through his ship.

_______________________________

Belooc leaned back in a fit of laughter as the comm signal ended. Walking away to give orders he told his fleets compliment of Sabertooth Frigates and an escort of Light Clipper Frigates to break off and make a suicide blitz run on the source of that comm signal. "If possible, I want that tart alive!" he bellowed. "If she survives the gambit." he added with a dark chuckle as he swayed to the motion of the Bulwark. Looking back he saw the comm station pop and smoke, which made him shake with laughter. Pulling out his flintlock blaster he shot the already broken thing with a perverse sense of pleasure.

"Looks like the Nagai might of been innocent at the Four Way of Rishi. All vessels weapons free! Wipe those blights from my sky!" he bellowed and cheered with the crew. "The wench is desperate lads! Tonight our dry spells end! Ahhhh!" he cried and pounded on a wall in bravado and glee. His fleet would continue their dive to go through and past enemy lines and come around behind them. A maneuver which should shortly bear fruit.

For Tof comm systems were not tied into ship systems and were independent parts of a ship. They had subroutines and capacitors that gave the false impression and workings of an actual ship loosely, thus sabotage targeting one system or another would cause a different simulating control board to blow out and release tell-tale smoke that something had been tried. The scientists could study the removed contaminated console later, and a new one would instead be docketed in it's place within minutes by deck-hands whose jobs included maintaining that equipment and the spare, as well as sundry other duties.

In essence, a Tof ship was held together with spit-crete. Many of them were ancient hereditary vessels, and unleashing the Tof upon a new vessel inevitably saw them personalise it to within one micro-inch of its life. The efforts to prevent intrusions and infiltrations put into place by the Tof monarch to stop the Ssi-Ruuvi, Grysk and Yuuzhan Vong, they had been effective in tightening up that chaos, but uniformity was foreign to the Tof.

Comms were not crippled, but they were damaged, ironically mainly along the most up-to-date and newly constructed craft especially. But technological redundancy was merely a side effect of the Tofs laziness; why fix something when they could divert the systems. Slap a new one in, even if it was a minor fault.

But the merest distraction, in a battle as complex and finely balanced as this, did cause more damage to the Tof fleet, damage which accelerated. Duender fleet was mostly hulled now, with almost every ship in the original force unable to head into hyperspace for fear of being ripped apart.

Belooc's fleet was the most intact, turning around, and now having a specific target to pick at. Chanda's ship became the primary target of the entire turning force, pockmarked as it was with growing damage and increasingly failing with the virus burning through what modern parts it had. Mandalorian fighters were unaffected, and hundreds began to converge on Chanda's vessel. Boarding, fighting, shooting. Even if it was an upward struggle in every instance by the Mandalorians against Sun Guard troops and their beskar-killing weapons, and the Tof were taking more damage than they were now giving -

Chanda's flagship would detonate a few moments before Belooc's, but by then the entire Tof fleet was looking more wrecked than salvageable, so who knew what satisfaction Belooc drew from it in his drunken haze. Duender's fleet was stranded, Belooc's forces were only mostly. Whether Chanda and Belooc survived was another question.

The Sun Guard's fleet was damaged in it's entirety. Every single ship had taken some kind of harm and more than half of the survivors would require a stay in a shipyard.

But time had passed.

Time in which the Tof were mostly isolated... and nobody had come to their aid. The Echani didn't, the New Republic couldn't, the Remnant wouldn't, the First Order didn't even notice, and the Confederation was too far away even if it had wanted to do so. The Nagai had been beaten into submission by the Tofs and Sun Guard, and clearly at Rishi the latter was the aggressor. Hindsight.

Conversely, the Sun Guard were well located, and called ships from several locations to end the Battle of Gargon.

A lone escape pod floated in space, above the wreckage it came from. This escape pod contained the surviving commander of the newly destroyed Interdictor-class Star Destroyer, Thychani Dictator Chanda Gossen.

Suddenly, a Sun Guard Crimson Dagger-class Star Dreadnaught arrived in system, immediately eclipsing the escape pod with its shield bubble and drawing it into the ship's massive hangar bay with a tractor beam. Immediately after, it was followed by a massive fleet, and then 3 other fleets from other locations, surrounding the battlefield as they exited hyperspace.

From Mon Calamari:

1 Crimson Dagger-class Star Dreadnaught, Autarch
4 Duellator-class Star Destroyer
5 Twisuns-class Battle Carrier
5 Sun Guard refit Interdictor-class Cruiser
10 ShaShore-class Heavy Frigate
10 Durame-class Star Destroyer
15 Wraith-class Corvettes

From Thyrsus:

3 Duellator-class Star Destroyer
3 Twisuns-class Battle Carrier
4 Sun Guard refit Interdictor-class Cruiser
5 ShaShore-class Heavy Frigate
10 Wraith-class Corvettes

From Champala:

1 Duellator-class Star Destroyer
1 Twisuns-class Battle Carrier
2 Sun Guard refit Interdictor-class Cruiser
2 Durame-class Star Destroyer

From Ord Bueri:

1 Duellator-class Star Destroyer

IC: Thychani Praetor Thusho Jeessk
Crimson Dagger-class Star Dreadnaught Autarch

The Trandoshan Sun Guard scowled at the chaotic scene she had just joined. She walked forward across the bridge to get a better view out of the viewport, her Lightsaber hilt and cape swaying as she moved.

"Thisss endsss now..." she began, "All shipss, deploy all fightersss to intercept the Mandalorian ss-stragglersss, and then focuss all cannonss on eliminating these Tof.”

As Belooc's ship was destroyed a strobing pattern flashed as it blew. From this point fire intensified from all ships, but the arrival of the new enemy fleet was a death nail. Belooc's group was broken and dispirited. They knew they were alone, and that no one would be coming to rescue them. Worse, that they could not win, could not run. They knew already how Sun Guard treated prisoners, and in a drunken rage they set to their final acts.

Belooc's forces spun up to maximum speed, every remaining Bulwark, cruiser, destroyer, frigate, and fighter. They fired madly and began ramming runs on randomly chosen enemy targets. Two Bulwarks aiming towards the new Star Dreadnaught as well as the seven Sabertooth's and their Lightclippers that had been heading to that spot for the enemy commanders Star Destroyer originally. The first four Sabertooths would try aggressive boarding actions - ramming into the ships hangers with fully active weapons systems before disgorging their forces and triggering their ships self destruct. The other three angling for the areas as close to the reactor cores as they could to latch onto the hull and do the same.

Duender's fleet largely did the same. Although all Light Clippers frigates, the fastest vessels in the Tof Fleet, several landed on the planet to try a last minute evacuation attempt, and Duender transferred to another and led them in an evacuation attempt away from as many enemy positions as possible to make a run for it. Hoping that a small grouping of frigates and their crafts could reach the edge for an escape vector to share what had happened here.

It was a bloodbath.

A Duellator-class Star Destroyer detonated, as well as, surprisingly, perhaps, all fifteen of the ShaShore-class frigates present, some from the gentlest touch, but fundamentally the Tofs lost. And died. In great numbers. With fleets arriving in from four directions, and two deployments evident, they had ample ships to cover all angles - and smother Mandalore.

The Battle of Gargon saw the Sun Guard lose greatly, but the Tof lost more.

It was, sadly, over.

All one could say was that a single Royal light clipper escaped.

Just one.

IC: Darth Mascon
Sovereign-class Star Dreadnaught Avarice

Mascon knew that soon it would be discovered that forces from Thyrsus assisted in the Battle of Gargon, meaning the illusion separating his dealings in the outer rim from the mainstream Sun Guard.

So he got on the Holonet to once more, lie to the Galaxy, covering up one lie with another.

“Greetings, denizens of the Galaxy. Just one day ago, I was confronted by Supreme Sun Guardian Leonias Colcha, who had managed to infiltrate my Flagship and sneak into my throne room to challenge me to an Aeta Ignias honor duel. He failed, thus forfeiting his life and relinquishing the title of Supreme Sun Guardian to myself.”

“As the new defacto leader of the Sun Guard, there will be significant changes made to the order, and now growing Empire as I consolidate and combine our forces into one. Most notably, my first act as Supreme Sun Guardian, is to re organize the Sun Guard Protectorate, into the Sun Guard Imperium, as we choose to expand our territory in order to restore peace and order to this war torn Galaxy where there is none left.”

Tag: @Sinrebirth @Mitth_Fisto @adaml83 @darthbernael @Kahn_Iceay

 

OOC: We're taking a break from this current violent time with a previous violent time with @Sinrebirth
War of the Galaxies: Interlude, IC: Adam Lyons, Elara Odan, Aren Odan, Briana Odan, Kael Swiftflight, Teren Rogriss

Less than a year ago, the galaxy was at peace.

The Galactic Empire, which had signed the Coruscant Accords fifteen years before, had just given up and joined the New Republic as a bloc. Senator Fyor Rodan of Commenor now represented them on Borsk Fey’lya’s Ruling Council, providing an anti-Jedi sentiment but otherwise being decidedly compliant.

The Imperial Remnant kept its armed forces under the Bastion Accords of six years ago, but eschewed honourable military service and Order over antagonising the New Republic. For example, Admiral Ackbar, just before his retirement, had taken the newly commissioned Viscount and the First Fleet into the Deep Core, annexing the last Second Imperium fortress worlds in a two year long policing campaign. The Remnant had not assisted their former allies, keeping to their word and treaty.

Peace was such that there was talk of decommissioning the federal fleets, especially as Borsk Fey’lya had pushed for the creation of the Sixth Fleet - Corellian Strident-class Star Defenders, Mon Calamari Mediator-class battlecruisers, Bothan Assault Cruisers, Loronar Belarus-class medium cruisers, Kuati Nebulon-C Corona-class frigates and Corellian Ranger-class gunships. He had done it to provide economic incentives to the major manufacturers, and fasten them to him as the new Chancellor and Chief of State. The project had redeveloped Bothan shipyards and appointed a Bothan Admiral to the command, and so there was some criticism that Fey’lya was merely increasing his personal power and pushing his species’ agenda, something his predecessors - Mon Mothma, Leia Organa and Ponc Gavrisom - had not done.

But that was a year ago.

Now the galaxy was clamouring for military production.

Because the Yuuzhan Vong were here, and their military far outstripped the federal forces in terms of size, firepower and strength. Early estimates suggested the New Republic’s four hundred and fifty capital ships - mainly Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, but also Nebula, Endurance, Imperial and Republic Star Destroyers, as well as Majestic Star Cruisers - could fight against the estimated thousand Yuuzhan Vong capital ships, especially working with the two hundred Remnant Star Destroyers and three hundred Hapan Battle Dragons, but those estimates were a mere tenth of the reality of the Yuuzhan Vong armada.

Divided into five hundred capital ship fleets called Domains, and then twenty capital ship forces called Clusters, the Yuuzhan Vong had a dramatic advantage in most engagements. Dividing their forces into twenty-five to seventy-five capital ship groups depending on the sector, most systems simply couldn’t stand up to such battles, even with New Republic reinforcements. Four of the federal fleets were defending Coruscant, Fondor, Kuat and Bothawui, with the Fourth and Sixth Fleets scattered across the galactic front and triaging into the Colonies.

In less than a year, the Yuuzhan Vong had crossed the galactic divide through Helska, despoiled Ithor, destroyed Sernpidal, burned down Gyndine, transformed Tynna, and captured hundreds of sectors and tens of thousands of systems. Brief successes at Dubrillion, Garqi, Ord Mantell and Wayland had seen the worlds fall to the invaders. Recently, the Battle of Fondor had halved the First Fleet and destroyed thirty brand new Nebula Star Destroyers, with Centerpoint Station being the only reason the battle had been a success - half a Domain battle group had been obliterated, but so too had three quarters of the Hapan fleet. Commenor was now the sight of a fleet drawn from all six fleets, but being kept back to defend the Core.

Even key worlds such as Bilbringi and Sluis Van didn’t warrant a major defence. A mere trio of Strident Star Defenders defended the major shipyards of Corellia, and Mon Calamari was reliant upon the half-constructed Krakana and Bounty, immense seventeen kilometre variants of the Viscount-class.

Bilbringi was the sight of a holding action by the Imperial Remnant, lead by Vice Admiral Poinard, and the New Republic, which was only placed to commit the Dauntless to the defence of the shipyards. Two Star Destroyers and five hundred escorts were in their infancy in the yards, but that just wasn’t enough to warrant a major effort by the overstretched New Republic. The survivors of the Sixth Fleet was based at nearby Reecee, and the hope was that Coruscant would allow its commitment to the defence of the yards when needed. The Remnant conversely had held ten Star Destroyers back to defend Bilbringi - three Imperial and seven Victory - but even with the Dauntless and its eighty escorts - twenty medium cruisers and sixty frigates - hopes were not high.

Appeals went out for aid, and Kyp’s Dozen and other volunteer squadrons were expected to arrive, but that mere appeal would undoubtedly draw more enemies besides - the Peace Brigade, or perhaps the Mandalorians or Ailon Nova Guard, which had joined the Yuuzhan Vong.

And so Vice Admiral Poinard stood aboard the Erinnic, the Imperial flag, and winced as coral ships decanted at the system’s edge. It was a small Yuuzhan Vong force, but twenty-five capital ships and nearly two hundred escorts. Poinard winced at the numbers, and then, even more so at the disposition.

Two warship analogs, five star cruiser analogs, five destroyers, three carriers, two Interdictors, one light cruiser - and two battleship analogs, 2250m capital ship killers. With some sixty frigates and over a hundred corvettes, the enemy had ample smaller ships. Estimates had that there were easily a thousand coralskippers ready too - a hundred eighty each upon the fifteen-arms of the bulbous carrier analogs.

Someone swore on the bridge. Poinard would have rebuked them if they hadn’t been correct.

The Interdictors, threaded among the carriers, activated their gravity wells, and they could not escape now.

Poinard was inclined to swear too, but as he put the call out to Reecee - and Yaga Minor, though Grand Admiral Pellaeon would have to fight through Vong territory at Ord Mantell to relieve them - he could only exude confidence he didn’t feel. “Hold the line!”

—--
Somewhere and Nowhere

They had retired, against the odds they had survived. They had moved up to relatively senior positions, trained and helped subordinates improve. The two eventually trained their replacements shortly after the Paelleon-Gavrisom Treaty. Intelligence would be in expert hands with Iella training, assisted for the time being with Shalla Nelprin. Communications, Elara had plenty of confidence in her people whether it was picking up stray signals, or as officers onboard ships. Incoming rant...

"With that furry idiot," that was the target of the moment, "we will absolutely lose Coruscant." They were thankfully alone, Aren had mastered the quiet sigh, "I know, if he survives, the Chancellor will face some hard questions."

"I caught that..." Elara was going to continue, "Caught a message from...Ord Mantell. Or several.... sending to Intelligence and High Command. Let's see who catches first."

Aren nodded, "I can patch in the Wraiths also, they may be the closest."

"Our daughter..."

"Her too...have you seen the damage done against the Peace Brigade?"

The news wasn’t good. Naval High Command refused the Sixth Fleet’s request to head to Bilbringi. Apparently the Third and Fifth Fleets were about to be deployed, and Bilbringi was the least of their concerns. Hapan Battle Dragons were spotted at Commenor, but whatever was going to happen, Bilbringi was on its own.

More heightened Intel had the Yuuzhan Vong treating not the northern Bilbringi as a backdrop but the western, presenting their rears to the Unknowns as if inviting more ships to arrive from the north, or to simply divide the outnumbered Imperial-New Republic forces to avoid a pincer. They hadn’t even ordered their carriers to launch fighters yet, in the height of arrogance.

Rogriss said the obvious. “They’re setting themselves up for someone to pounce on their rear from our direction.” He traced a line through the Vong fleet. “Attack from the back, insert close enough to the Interdictors and carriers to bomb them and blow a hole in their formation, and take out most of their fighters while they’re at it.”

"Ugh, High Command sucks, I'm trying planets to see if they have anything to spare." Elara paused, "Do you still need the Wraiths?"

Aren was thinking, "I want to know whether this is a trap. A Recon mission to see if there are any additional Vong forces we don't know about. A good commando team to blow something up to distract the Vong would be useful as well."

"Sending the parameters to Face and asking him to pick a target that looks the best when it's on fire."

Aren smiled, "You're the best."

Elara offered a smile of a happy, full carnivore, "I know."

The data, sliced from New Republic Intelligence, was inconclusive at best. They just didn’t have a full picture of the Yuuzhan Vong Order of Battle, and had neglected traditional efforts to do so for fear of agents being exposed and expensive technology being lost. Nor were they even sure of the extent of Yuuzhan Vong infiltration. Agents such as Nom Anor had stirred up issues in the Core and Colonies, and sponsored a Black Sun coup attempt in previous years. Their involvement in the Diversity Alliance and Second Imperium simply wasn’t clear. The earliest records of Nom Anor’s existence suggested he’d taken down the Crimson Empire, but that rumour only reinforced the growing belief that the Imperials would have been better suited to fight the Vong…

The Yuuzhan Vong were launching coralskippers from their heavy cruisers now, the five of them supporting in line with the paired battleships, warships and quintet of destroyer analogs. A sizeable gap between the carriers, Interdictors and the light cruiser was forming. The Yuuzhan Vong seemed content to conquer at half strength… as if they were saving their ships for other targets.

It was a kind of reverse logic conservatism they’d not seen before. But with most of the reserve Yuuzhan Vong fleet confirmed to be in Hutt Space - a thousand capital ships hung between Tynna, Nal Hutta and Gyndine, centered in Runaway Prince - it either hinted that Bilbringi was a feint, or aggression for its own sake. Rodia had recently fell, and Kubindi too, positioning most of the current invasion fleet in Hutt Space, punishing the Hutts for their recent treason.

The Imperial Remnant confirmed it could not assist. The Hapan fleet was unavailable, sleek Star Destroyers of Contruum were on the wrong side of the invasion corridor, and the Echani were keeping their ships home, fearing internal issues with Thyrsus, or even Mandalorian strikes. Corporate Sector forces were too remote to assist, and the Defence Force ignored calls for help. The debacle at Fondor had crippled them; Supreme Commander Sovv was due before the Senate.

Adumar was the only group in a position to do anything.

Then the news dropped.

A fleet had arrived at Duro.

The Yuuzhan Vong had pierced the Core.

"Fifty credits!" Elara prodded Aren, "Though this is now the distraction."

Aren wanted to say that he bet nothing but, "You're right, and we need the Wraiths, and we need them to fly. Also, could you get in contact with the Adumari?"

"What all do we need?" She was in full business mode now.

"We need to know what they can provide in total..." He looked at estimated forces that the Adumari held, "Looks like a lot of the old Fifth Fleet, and older in terms of larger ships. Starfighters... Blade 32s and 34s as primary defense fighters, with recent spec E-wings, K-wings, TIE Avengers, Missile boats, and finally, license-built T-70 X-wings. Quite an eclectic array of cast offs. They even have changed the T-70 enough to create a Recon version." Aren continued reading, "Some very persistent, though equally quiet rumors that they also want the TIE Defender."

"Interesting lesson..." Elara rolled her eyes, "but unimportant, what do you want me specifically to ask of the Wraiths and Adumari?"

"We need Recon, people to get us in and out with the bombers and starfighters to keep the Vong off their backs. Two Recon Xs would be useful for information, two K-wings, and the rest in either E-wings or T-70s. That and a ton of Adumari that can precisely follow orders."

Elara paused, thinking, "So obviously Tainer flies one of the K-wings, with Piggy in some role in there. Runt is good with Recon flights, him and Elassar?"

Aren considered, "I was thinking Runt in Tainers' fighter, with the wingman being that hotshot Face has been talking about. Despite her best efforts he's become friends with our daughter, you know."

Elara rolled her eyes, "Half the time, she calls him bait. I suppose you want her other friend to join them?"

Aren grinned, "They have worked together a lot over the last few months, so yes." he paused, "Targon and Sandskimmer as scouts, the rest that can fly will either be in T-70s or E-wings."

Elara nodded, "Sending the requests, I hear they like a good fight..."

Replies were positive, though Drayson was already committed elsewhere. Disgraced Intelligence agent Kalenda was prompt to supply logistical support, and secretly Admiral Kre’frey was apparently content to mislay fuel supplies even if he couldn’t afford to divert much else.

Within half an hour they could have a task force at the edge of the Bilbringi system. Rogriss had been wanting to test his space worthy Meteor-class assault ships, and the Errant Venture was offering to carry fighters.

—--
In a hurry

An additional set of orders from Face sent the scattered Wraiths to some build up for some strike against the Vong. All that Adam knew is that he needed to refresh himself with the K-wing. Even his partners in crime were studying.

---

"Let Admiral Rogriss know we are content with him leading the strike." Aren knew he was out of his depth at military operations.

Elara nodded, "Not that we have many options, the Wraith are gathering."

The entire gamut of fighters was present. A, B, E, K, U, X, Y, with the Blade variants of course but also some more eclectic fighters - the D-wing prototype, and even a motley squadron of T-wings and elderly V-wings led by Wes Janson in a Y-wing. The Wraiths seemed in possession of a bit of everything - but what with Alphabet, Phantom and Flight knife Squadrons being joined by Kyp’s Dozen T65J3’s and even some T-70s turning up… and was that Mareek Stele in a TIE Advanced x1?

They had a full wing at the rendezvous in short order. More fighters than pilots, actually!

Adam was looking over the controls, there were some inconsistencies with the controls and especially the readouts. However, it was relatively minor, and he learned the Adumari like to tinker.

Based on the quiet and not so quiet cursing, both Kael and Briana were finding their own changes at their stations. He keyed his comm for the inter-ship channel, "Is everything okay back there?"

Almost immediately came a mocking tone, "Is everything okay back there? What does it sound like?"

Adam chuckled, "Either you're getting used to your station, or you're having an argument with the voices in your head."

A laugh came over the comm, "Certainly the latter, Stealth, but I can work this station. It's different, but I can work it."

"HQ?"

A noise of frustration came over the comm, "I can fight with this..."

Adam nodded, he signaled Kell's craft and Face, "Ready, boss."

They leapt into hyperspace.

In the half an hour it had taken them to gather, the Yuuzhan Vong had worked the Imperial and New Republic formation. Victory-class Star Destroyers were pockmarked with debris, and the Dauntless was trying to screen the Erinnic.

Corvettes, frigates and even Strike-class cruisers were ailing without the replete coralskippers that should have been deployed by now. The mostly undamaged battleships, warships, destroyers and cruisers mismatched the two remaining active Imperial Star Destroyers. Two versus fourteen - long odds.

The six capital ships still held at the rear of the formation. Two Interdictors, three carriers and a light cruiser - and half the fighters the assault fleet had. Such arrogance.

But the Bilbringi Shipyards were still deep in-system; the battle remained focused at the systems’ edge. Then the Adumari ships arrived - and the six capital ships were completely out of position to respond to an ambush.

Adam switched his comm over to a private channel with Kell's K-wing, "What's the plan Lead?" He was pretty sure that Piggy had something plotted out, he just needed to know his part.

“The central carrier; blowing it up, the debris destroying the rest or distracting the others enough for us to finish them.” He was already feeding them trajectories and math. “Fire one, then two, all fighters, then switch to secondary targets. I’ve divided the other two carriers between three squadrons each. Blades, hold back as your busters don’t have the same range.”

In the distant battle, they hadn’t yet noticed the new arrivals -

Yet.

Former Admiral Rogriss and his four Meteors were essentially anti starfighter frigates, and would screen the Blades for the moment -

Adam nodded at the target, "What do we have to trick the dovin basals?" he hadn't flown too many times but he'd known that those were a problem.

"Torpedoes that explode when they detect a gravity field," Rogriss said, drily, "so the energy can't be so easily absorbed, but mainly, a good ole fashioned ambush usually works."

"Stutter-fire works too," Kyp said, joining the command link.

As Adam advanced as one carrier analog came apart, hit by nearly a hundred and fifty torpedoes, surrounding the other two and the Interdictors in a huge debris field - their dovin basals activated to protect the capital ships, and they were suddenly very exposed to fire -

The other two carriers took hits, and Rogriss spoke up. "Those Interdictors need to go down now."

Sensors said they were powering up their gravity wells, and a trio of Yuuzhan Vong coral cruisers were detaching from the key battle to cross the divide in the two engagements. A micro-jump would enable them to close that distance immediately, and the Interdictors would allow that -

The sole Yuuzhan Vong light cruiser began firing upon the fighters, breaking up their formations and reducing the hits on the capital ships -

Adam checked a weapons display, and double-checked that he was on the Wraiths' frequency, "Lead, Six, I still have missiles for at least one Interdictor, I just need cover to make a run."

"I've got you," came the voice of Wes. His A-wing swung by and was beside Adam. "I'll keep up, don't worry."

Adam grinned and keyed his comm, "Yub yub, sir. Engaging SLAM in five seconds, mark." He switched to the internal comms, "Pick a spot Swift, and HQ, perhaps fire on something important to distract their dovan basal. SLAM, now." He sent a click to Janson to show when he was making his run.

The flight path given was a succession of Weaves, followed by a final approach from above. A tricky maneuver for a K-wing but this thing could dance from time to time. SLAM engaged and Adam started his Weaves.

The Interdictor didn't waste energy with a dribble of fire; it fired a gout of plasma into the fighter swarm, incinerating Y-wings and B-wings, and passing in-front of Adam's K-wing -

But that meant the dovin basals had to move out of the way, and as they reset, Wes's A-wing rocketed by, foregoing weaving for speed, and peppered the hull with mini-concussion missions, and then, as he roared off, fired backwards with his laser cannons, keeping the dovin basals completely focused upon the smaller craft -

Yub Yub

Adam altered his Weave to pull up and started his dive. Kael salvoes off his proton torpedoes at his targets leaving for Adam to pull out of his dive. He hoped that would create an opening for the other starfighters.

"When... will... the galaxy.... STOP.... SPINNING?!" came from the Gunner's station.

Adam snickered, Briana wasn't happy.

The Interdictor birthed a small volcano, and the Blade fighters appeared from almost nowhere to dump their payload -

The Meteor's had micro-jumped with mathematical precision and their mass fire distracted the other Interdictor before the Blades finished it too -

"Thanks for the data, Piggy," Rogriss commented on the open channel.

A garrulous click of acknowledge from the Gamorrean. The two of them had flown against and besides each other, after all, during the Zsinj Campaign, and subsequent battles of Adumar.

Which meant the trio enemy heavy cruisers had to rush at sub-light, but with the destruction of the Yuuzhan Vong light cruiser by the Venture's guns, the reserve force was completely gone. Coral was strewn about, and a dozen starfighters had died in the fray, which was pretty good numbers against the Vong.

But those three cruisers individually matched the Venture, and were launching three squadrons each...

Kyp Durron spoke up. "Here comes the hard part."

Meanwhile, the Imperial Remnant and Dauntless gave a terrific resistance now the numbers were more even, but most of the Victory-class Star Destroyers were gone, leaving three Imperial-class destroyers facing down the remaining pair of battleships, a single surviving warship analog, and the remaining two heavy cruisers. Long odds.

Adam opened a private channel to Kell's fighter, "Can they get out now?"

They could, in-theory, the entire assault force could bounce out and around and leave.

A hit-and-fade, with five capital ships and hundreds of coralskippers gone.

There were, after all, no natural Interdictors to hand.

Adam switched back to the Wraiths' frequency, "Lead, Six have we contacted the defenses yet? With a little time and precision, it looks like they can escape."

"I have Vice Admiral Poinard swearing up a storm," Face said. "The Vong are out of position to advance in-system, so it looks as if they're trying to disengage but do the most damage they can." Several shattered Victory-class Star Destroyers attested to that, but NRDF XJ3 and E-wings broke apart a destroyer analog.

"They're staging a withdrawal, and requesting we join them at the shipyards proper."

Adam nodded, "On my way, I'll inform the diplomat of my group, my gunner."

Adam hadn't cut off the signal before Face could hear Briana's, "What?!"

The Bilbringi shipyards were completing a pair of Imperial Star Destroyers and two hundred and fifty escorts, enough to support its own fleet. The Imperials eldest ships had taken the most damage, but several were taking up berths for repairs. Dauntless and Erinnic remained in position, and the Errant Venture swung with the Adumari Meteor's in-system. Casualties for the relief force had been minor, and the destruction of five enemy capital ships was significant.

The Yuuzhan Vong had withdrawn, pulling back to their positions rimward of Vortex. Their eagerness had left them vulnerable, but they'd be back. Imperial Vice Admiral Poinard was looking forward to meeting the Adumari representatives. Apparently nobody had reported to Coruscant that Jedi and appropriated New Republic fighters were clear. Indeed, Kyp was already refueling to head to assist in the evacuation of Kubindi.

Adam was leaning against the K-wing, tapping his datapad, going over his data and completing his report when he heard running boots nearby, which suddenly knocked him off his feet. It was Briana, they both skidded to a stop with Adam opening his eyes, "Ow.."

Briana elbowed him in the ribs, though she kept her voice somewhat low, "Diplomat!?" she scooted up to sit on his stomach. She slapped him lightly with some floppy, light notepad, "Seats don't wiggle. Yes Swift?"

Kael chuckled quietly, "Could have told you Stealth that was a dangerous move... Lead wants our report though."

Adam sighed, "I was working on it," he handed it to Briana, "Do either of you have anything to add?"

Briana smiled, taking the datapad, "I'll look at it."

"How long is it going to take?"

"As long as it takes..."

Adam was hoping for Kell, Piggy, Face, anyone to come save him.

TAG: mentions only for @Sinrebirth, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @Kev-Mas_Colcha, @Kahn_Iceay, @Adalia-Durron (she likes seeing Adam tackled)

 

OOC: Perhaps this will lead to fighting in another galaxy, with @Sinrebirth
IC: Natalya ke Morrel, Rhysio ke Tille
Freerock and Sarafur

Natalya had muted the Grysk signal before looking at her Comms officer, "Comms, let Admiral ke Tille that we will need them to finish this. See if you can get in touch with," she looked at the display, "Yevethans? Let them know we aren't here for them but the Grysk." She paused looking at the tactical display, "Grav well cones on Grysk Fleet, deploy the fighters, and start moving in.”
---

Admiral ke Tille caught the message, "Group Four, jumping in Five, four, three..."
----

Natalya finally unmuted the Grysk signal, "Grysk forces, this is Adumari Admiral Natalya ke Morrel. You are to stand down and leave this galaxy or be destroyed. It is a shame that you do not know me. Your predecessor did...but I presume he is now dead."

"He is, killed at the Battle of Lwhekk," Quistis said drily. "So was it you who killed him, with that accursed Rogriss?"

As gravity well cones were thrown, the enemy formation tightened, with the Star Forge shell left with a sizeable defense screen of Grysk cruisers to the rear, still dragging it along, while the WarMasters went to link up with the Rakatan battlecruisers, Yevethan T-Types and Vagaari craft. The capital ships slowed to allow cohesion, responding to the tactical shift, with the Nest Ship providing centrality to the formation -

That move left a slight gap between the D-Types fighters and Dartships as they rushed Natalya's forces -

The primary fleet of enemy craft was mid-motion as Group Four arrived -

The Rakatan battlecruisers were already firing on Group Four, as if forewarned, and forearmed -

Sensors promptly painted the Rakatan ships as worth two Imperial Star Destroyers.

Natalya smiled maliciously, "Yes, though it seems you forgot one lesson..." At that she cut the signal, orders went out. DP-25s, backed by Ardents and Turbulents formed the screen to guard against the incoming starfighters, along with some of the newly renamed TIE Venerers, as the Adumari refused to keep the names the same as the Fel Empire. The newly renamed TIE Nullifiers along with K-wing Mk IIIs formed for a strike escorted by T-85 Ads and E-wing Mk VIs, which one group engaged their SLAM drives to strike, while the other went at a more normal speed.

Meanwhile, those ships not immediately assigned picked their targets, and focus fired on the Rakatan ships and the Warmasters.

The Rakatan ships took hits but seemed to shrug them off, thus far, but their initial, far too eerily precise barrage damaged almost every Ardent-class -

Force users?

The dartships were simply a single engine and laser cannon and weak shields, their only advantage being numbers -

And there were a lot of them.

The WarMasters took more hits and took more visible damage -

They were slower on the uptake than the Rakata and their bolts affected shields, almost pathetically.

Commanders confirmed the Vagaari ships had hostages on the hulls -

Several attack runs became confused as pilots pulled back.

Then the Nest Ship fired on and destroyed a Turbulent, before looking for the next target -

The Yevethan D-Types were so much more speedy than their foes, because apparently Yevetha could handle a higher tolerance of g-forces, but less than half reached the fighters, largely because of the DP-25s mass fire -

The cloud of dartships formed a spear, unified, and began advancing without hesitation towards Natalya's command -

They'd zeroed in on her!

There were plenty of vessels between her and them but -

It was a fight.

They had the numbers, strength, and likely the tactics, but this was an unfamiliar enemy…

Natalya looked at the display, "Concentrate fire on that cloud of Dartships! Disable the Vagaari ships!" Fire concentrated on those targets, though Rhysio ke Tille's Group 4 concentrated turbolasers and torpedoes on the WarMasters, and laser cannons on any starfighters threatening their area.

"Did we ever get a response from the Yevethan? Starfighters, concentrate on the Rakatan ships, particularly the Nest Ship,” fifty squadrons each of Nullifiers and K-wings reoriented on the Nest Ship along with escorting E-wings and T-85 Ads. They got within firing range firing nearly 29,000 proton torpedoes at the Nest Ship.

Natalya had another thought, she transmitted a brief message to ke Tille's flagship, receiving only a comm click. He didn't know about the Eternal Fleet. She got started, The Adumari Union will accept a defensive pact of the Unknown Regions, dependent on my and Admiral ke Tille's survival. We will share our Intelligence, we will defend the Unknown Regions from all invaders, whether from the Known Galaxy or any other Galaxy. We offer to update and upgrade your ships, we will destroy the Eternal Throne, and we will find a way where no member of the Eternal Fleet or of Zakuul will be taken over. The Eternal Fleet will be a fully independent power.

She sent the newly encrypted message to the Comms station, "Send that to Zakuul immediately."

"I think we had their answer, sir."

A point at the D-Types in the middle of the violence. The T-Types were moving up to support them. The Vagaari ships were hard with the hostages, and the T-Types weapons were small enough to pick apart fighters and then to regroup and punch apart larger ships. Already a dozen hulls were disabled because of the combination of the two.

The dartships rushed forward, their sheer numbers engulfing and destroying the first line of DP-20 gunships and then began diving behind the front-lines, ignoring fighters and expressing sheer focus upon Natalya's position. The WarMasters returned fire upon the damaged Ardent-class frigates, picking on the week, even as the Rakatan battlecruisers each picked on a Turbulent-class with twice the firepower it had to hand -

Then the torpedoes hit.

The Nest ship lost its outer hull, but there was another layer beneath, and another beneath that, like an egg with multiple shells -

But that sheer number of torpedoes transformed the massive warship into debris.

The explosion took out a Rakatan battlecruiser, and most of the WarMasters took damage in the fray. It also killed scorched several hulls-worth of Vagaari hostages -

Messy.

The Grysk tug-cruisers dragged the Star Forge above the gravity wells and began powering forward at full sublight above the system -

Rhysio ke Tille took a second to consider the losses, reports were coming in of damaged starfighters, but that was the least of the issues. The larger ships...

"General, send the E-wings with the rest of the escorts against those tugs. We can't let them get away with their prize." He looked around, "Do we still have the Shan AI file?" Group Four continued to fire into into the enemies' flanks as they seemed singularly focused on Natalya. Sensors showed most of the likely prisoners were dead or dying triggered a protocol on slavers and pirates regarding treatment of prisoners. The short of it was once the pirate or slaver placed a certain number of captured innocents in danger it triggered a death sentence if they were in Adumari Union territory. There was one exception, super weapons and large numbers of captured people. While the heavier capital ships concentrated on the remaining Warmasters and Rakatan ships, the smaller capital ships and heavier escorts.

That was Group Four, Natalya's force had a different idea with their ship numbers. Ironically, it came from Jagged Fel. For each Fleet based around 20 capital ships, guarded by 500 escort ships. By some roll of fate, the Liberator- class Cruiser Mk. III did not meet the standard of being a capital ship. The Adumari were building those ships in enough numbers to make builders of Star Destroyers jealous. In fact, that was the same case for the other two escort designs, the Ardent and the DP-25. Natalya just realized this. She ordered the bombers to attack 100 squadrons at a time starting with the Rakatan ships. The Loran Spitball configuration for the TIE Nullifier, meant the three nearest Rakatan battlecruisers faced 36,000 proton torpedoes each. The next two faced somewhat less, 21,600 proton torpedoes each. 3012 TIE Venerers and Clawcraft-S, hastily renamed after Shawnkyr Nurodo, descended upon the dartships. For each ship that was focused on, dozens of Ardents returned fire 300 replaced the initial screen of 30 continuously firing at enemy fighters.

It was a mess, but it was going to get messier before it would get better. Though Natalya paid attention to two main things, the ultimate commitment of the Yevethans, and a response from the Eternal Fleet.

Rhysio ke Tille had to ask, "Is there any way you can connect to that Star Forge. We do not want it to leave the system, but if that fails we may need a Plan B."

The Interdictors from both fleets were moving to contain the Star Forge and their tugs. Much of Group Four was following which cleared a sensor picture that four instead of six Rakatan battlecruisers remained in combat.

The remaining bombers and E-wing Mk VIs chased after the tugs, the starfighters picked four targets. E-wings and TIE Nullifiers targeted the two rear most they fired 13,800 proton torpedoes at each target. Two others faced an attack from E-wings and K-wings and that sent 10,200 proton torpedoes at each target. It was the spear point and Group Four was looking to split their forces.

Natalya's forces continued putting everything into the enemies starting with the E-wings firing 19,200 proton torpedoes each at the next two Rakatan battlecruisers. T-85Ad X-wings that fired proton joined the remaining Venerers torpedoes into central sections of the dartships. DP-25s still functioning fired at any starfighter threats still in range, concentrating on the D-types and remaining Vagaari carriers. The latter attracted the attention of the Liberator cruisers, all 125 of them. The Procusators along with the remaining Turbulents and Tectors concentrated on the Warmasters, along with the remaining Ardents. To Natalya, it seemed to be a question of who ended up blinking first and who ran out of resources first.

The Nullifiers and K-wings were taking advantage and reaching their torpedoes for a second attack if they needed one.

"Oh, ya, I can have a go," Shan said drily, and vanished into the comms relay.

The E-wings reached the tugs, but the first tug cruiser erupted into debris, self-destructing to take out as many torpedoes as possible. So, too, did the second one. In such a narrow cone of fire, many of the torpedoes launched vanished, but two tugs detonated, leaving two targeted mostly unscathed - that promptly began hurling plasma balls and acid missiles at the E-wings and K-wings, and six more still tugging that Star Forge.

Two more Rakatan battlecruisers exploded, but not before they began firing on, and destroying, Interdictors. The D-Type fighters took more hits, and in short order the WarMasters and Vagaari carriers were all in dire straits. The Yevethan thrustships, however, swung into the engagement and fired primarily on the X-wings. Another set of gravity bombs, near invisible, exploded across the bows of the Liberators -

The Rakatan battlecruisers had worked through a dozen Star Destroyers already with their fire, and the damage to the DP-20 gunships was severe, meaning the Killik ships, who didn't understand the concept of blinking, and having been screened by the thrustships, carried on unerringly. The first dartships detonated on the shields of her ship.

Rhysio's Group Four continued to pursue the Star Forge, moving further to isolate the enemy battle group with the Star Forge and their tug-cruisers. Now, some of the faster ships started firing on the tug-cruisers. Others fired into the flanks of the battle group, with the larger ships concentrating on Rakata cruiser that Natalya's forces were also firing on and the smaller concentrating on finishing the WarMasters, Vagaari carriers, and D-types. The K-wings, having rearmed and refueled, now started launching, grouping up and then pursuing the tugs.

The Interdictors were a tale of two stories, Group Four's CC-7700s got by relatively unscathed as they were on the far side of the engagement. Natalya's CC-7700s, lost quite a few, however, a few survived because of shunting energy into shields and engines. Now they were past the major forces and focusing on the Star Forge. They would not let that Star Forge to escape.

However all forces were notified by an alert, the new Mothma-class, ordered abandon ship. "Lock in a path for the one Rakatan Battlecruiser, while ordering all other ships to concentrate on the other one. Send the piloting controls to the Bulwark Battlecruiser, then get out of here. I'm moving my flag, do not stay too long. Set the ship to explode when it has penetrated the target." Natalya hurried to a shuttle prepped for take off abandoning the ship that hadn't even lost that new ship smell. However it sped up placing further pressure on the shields. The larger ships continued firing on the battlecruisers, while the smaller concentrated on the other forces. While some starfighters were still reloading from their home ships, many were moving to the carriers at the rear of the formation, though some were moving towards Group Four as many carriers from Natalya's group were in active combat.

The dartships didn't appreciate, perhaps, that a Mothma-class was the most advanced Star Destroyer in the galaxy. It didn't just tank most of the surviving rams; it passed beyond them, and through. The Rakatan battlecruiser was actually already aflame by the time it reached the terminator line, and the other was crippled.

Indeed, though Natalya had escaped the warship for another, the skeleton crew remaining below requested confirmation that they were to self-destruct. After all, most of the engagement was, abruptly, over. The surviving Vagaari cruisers and Grysk WarMasters had been opened to vacuum, and though the Grysk detonated their ships out of spite, the action was standard for them, and they did more damage to the Yevetha than themselves. The T-Types cracked, and by the end of the last exchange of fire the entire Vagaari-Grysk-Yevethan fleet was gone.

The fighters in the area took the most damage, yes, but otherwise the rest of the battle focused upon the Star Forge and sharply so. There were swiftly not enough tug cruisers to drag it, and they fired upon the unshielded station, causing damage to the part-constructed vessel that caused Theron Shan to wince, but when all but one of the tug cruisers exploded themselves to do more harm, the AI got the shields of the Star Forge to activate, and the station took no further damage, riddled as it was.

The last cruiser was speeding up at for deep space.

It was beyond the range of Interdictors, and the repeat detonations had left the fighters that had been pursuing the Star Forge in disarray.

A single comm channel opened.

It was, typically, Quistis. "You have foiled our reunion with the forces of Charon, it seems.”

Natalya checked the message, "If there are no threats, cancel the orders, do any necessary repairs and get back to the Colonies, I imagine the builders will want to look at you. Spread that around to any ship that needs repairs. The rest will pick up survivors." Natalya sent an in text request over to Group 4.

---

Rhysio ke Tille opened a channel to all of Group Four, "We are to make sure the Rakatan battlecruisers do not re-engage our forces while we pick up survivors. Once that is complete, the other force will leave while we make sure anyone else can not use those two ships. Then we can rest and remember the fallen."

A brief message appeared to both the Perator and Iella Wessiri, I do not know if we should let this Quistis live, and it means we invade the Charon galaxy... perhaps our future may lie there.

The battlecruisers were shredded, and the battle was indeed done, and so their Mothma ended its intentions to detonate. Quistis was still pushing for the system’s edge, towards the hyperlane to Charon. “Your efforts to upend our invasion are for naught. Already our forces have reinforced the Sith Eternal Emperor at Jakku. We shall send for more, and more will come. You are nothing to him. He will arise anew, as was planned and foretold.”

K-wings were repositioning, ready to engage SLAMs and rush the cruiser. But they might expose themselves to anything that arrived… the commander of Gray Feather Squadron requested orders, and backup.

Zakuul had not replied, and nor had, yet, Adumar…

Natalya had heard enough, "Comms, call in Illustrious and Monarch, tell the K-wings that are ready to engage SLAM along with the E-wings and T-85Ads."

He needs to die.

Two more capital ships arrived; another Maxima, and a Tector III-class.

The little cruiser was nothing to them.

It floundered, and then, the K-wings caught up -

Turbo laser fire killed Quistis, and the last of the Grysk threat.

Indeed, though Natalya wouldn't know, the last of the species itself.

The Battle of Freerock was over.

Natalya sighed, "Help anyone left on Freerock or any of our ships that need it. Pick up escape pods and then return to base."

----

Monte Cristo

Iella received a copy of the results of the Battle of Freerock, she hoped the Grysk threat was at an end. They were enough of a distraction. Results of the battle appeared to people at Auteuil, and to Ord Mantell for the eyes of Trec and Nadia ke Mattino, along with a mention for Kaydel Ko Connix.

TAG: @Sinrebirth, (mentions for) @Adalia-Durron , @darthbernael , @Mitth_Fisto , @Kev-Mas_Colcha , @Kahn_Iceay

 

OOC: The Wraiths are back, the Wraiths are back, with @Sinrebirth
IC: Kan Mandeen, Panadi Kayne, Voort Sa’binring, Myri Antilles, Jesmin Tainer
Odessan

Kan was quietly expecting the Eternal Fleet to show up in the orbit of Odessan demanding their intentions. He sat next to Piggy, "I know you need rest, though we would not ask unless it was very important. Has anyone briefed you?"

“Enough. Bloodlines - you want names,” Piggy grunted. “Vincent Mikaru. Darth Mascon, or one of his true clones. Rem, Rom or Rikis. Nivic II.”

“I suspect Vincent has in his possession samples from the Chandrilan tomb of the Jedi Outlander known as the Braesen’thor. He was at the tomb just before its collapse fifteen years ago.” Piggy was reciting from memory.

“Either that or you track down Madelyn Linnett, who is a living sample of all Outlander blood following Snoke’s experiments in the Outer Rim…” he demurred. “But she’s been missing for six months and the last place she was suspected to have been seen was Gargon. I only figured it out while I was unconscious.”

“And we now have hyperlane information for the Charon Galaxy and Yuuzhan Vong Galaxy, which includes routes to FireFist and Rishi Maze and Peridea… expanding the war to five galaxies.” He was rambling; a side effect of the drugs. “There are seven Companion Galaxies, Alpha is the Rishi Maze, Besh is FireFist. Insufficient information is available to confirm if Cresh is Peridea and so forth.”

Kan gestured towards the base, "To be honest, I believe there might be samples inside the old base, at least from the light sided Outlanders." He leaned towards Piggy, "However, what if I don't want to control them? What if I just want them to defend the Unknown Regions, and nothing else? What if we just treat them as an independent government? I am perfectly happy controlling the information, I don't want the galaxy."

Piggy eyed him. “I fully intended to take the sample from you and put the cocktail into someone Adam, Medb or Face chose, actually. I don’t want the power to command a droid race, thanks.”

“You want to explore the base for four thousand year old samples?”

Panadi walked over to the conversation, "Do we want anyone to command them?"

"You tell me," Piggy said with a shrug. "The Triumvirs are running the show. Me, my squad, and Rogriss, Iella and a lot of others are just following their lead."

Kan shrugged, "There are two things that show that the Eternal Fleet is not completely under Fel's command. First, my scouts have not spotted them anywhere in Remnant space, so their mandate only extends to the extent of the Unknown Regions....probably. Two, if they did, the Eternal Fleet could easily break many stalemate situations, but they haven't. Actually, Three the only member of the Triumvirate that knows about the Eternal Fleet is the Adumari Perator. My read on her is that she would be happier negotiating with them as opposed to trusting someone to command that Fleet. Personally, I don't trust any of the other Descendants, nor do I trust myself with that kind of power."

Panadi nodded, "That said," he pointed at Mandeen, "he has said many times that he would like this place protected. It would not surprise me if this Perator would feel the same way."

"So, I've been hunting bloodlines for weeks, and nobody is going to take the power?"

11-4D was looking back and forth, curiously following the conversation, but he spoke up. "How many more ships do you think the Eternal Fleet has? Even I have heard of their hundred droid capital ships." As they looked at him, the medical droid shrugged. "Droids talk. Especially those who are not manumitted ones."

Panadi nodded at Piggy, "It may be safer that way. It immediately makes that person both the most powerful and dangerous individual in the galaxy." He pointed to Kan, "I know he has a brief list on who he trusts enough with that responsibility. Odds are you have a short list as well. My question of the people who know that they would be on such a list, how many would actually take on such a responsibility?"

Kan was paying attention to the conversation though he was still thinking about 11-4D's comments, "At least ten fleets worth of capital ships, or 200 capital ships total, if not more. I don't know, I have met Squeaky. Your manners better be on point or he will let you know."

11-4D huffed. "My manners are always on point. I have been in continual service for a century, and have a full catalogue of flesh and blood interactions and an extensive, eclectic database of genetic engineering from a prior profession as a gene splicer." It went back to its ministrations, suitably chastised. "I was just trying to help, as I am programmed to. If you don't like it, take it up with the Maker."

Piggy shook his head. "I was going to say Jag, but he's caught between too many competing influences and must compromise. Maybe if he had the Eternal Fleet, he wouldn't have to, but I can't say. Jaina? This Rey girl? She's part Palpatine, according to scuttlebutt, and I don't know if I want to trust her with something like this, what with her connection to Kylo Ren, whether good, bad, alive, dead, and something in-between."

A shrug. "I'd prefer not to give it to a Force User, if I could." A squeal grunt of humour. "Daala?"

Kan chuckled, "I was speaking more of those of us who aren't droids FourDee. I assume that you'd be fine. I was speaking of one of the most famous droids in the Galaxy." he nodded towards Piggy, "He knows Squeaky."

Panadi considered the options, "Among all of those choices, Jaina is the most known quantity. The question is, would she?"

"Squeaky?" 11-4D was surprised.

"Handing Jaina Solo Fel the Eternal Fleet..." Piggy paused. "Would she hand it to Jagged, too? Or act as his counter-balance?"

Kan nodded affirmatively, "Who knows what Jaina would do, though our estimate is that she would like to disappear." Panadi shrugged, "Who can blame her, especially given all that has happened to her family."

Piggy nodded slowly. "So, we offer it to Jaina. You're sure Adam doesn't want it?"

Kan shrugged, "My read is that he wants to retire and make up for lost time. He doesn't want to be Wedge and repeatedly called back to service." he grinned, "Our read on the Adumari leader is more shocking, I imagine."

A slight roll of his eyes. "Fine, fine. So we collect the samples as leverage for now, and decide the rest later. Vincent Mikaru is out best bet for most of the DNA we need, as we can't locate this Madelyn Linnett and Mandalorian Space is burning down as we speak."

Panadi thought a moment, "Odessan was the location of the Commanders who had Light Side interests, while Zakuul was the location for those who had Dark Side interests? Why not ask them to see if they have samples? I would rather turn the throne into a communications beacon, and see what we have in this area of space without having to go on some grand mission. As it is, I hear your Wraiths have several of those lined up already."

"Scut is off in the Vong Galaxy," Myri confirmed, as she joined in. "But Adam wants us somewhere or other soon." She prevaricated as she wasn't entirely sure of the clearance level of Panadi.

Panadi decided to reveal his clearance level, "I know that Havoc brought you here." he looked at Piggy, "and that he will go with you to Koensayr to see if you can collect data that the Adumari want. Continuing the tradition of them being the biggest Koensayr Manufacturing design producers."

"And biggest buyer too," he said drily. "But not the H-wing. We don't talk about the H-wing."

Kan chuckled, "We have domesticated some companions, and one got sick when it saw a design of one. No, they're looking for the I4 Ionizer design."

"Ah, the new modern thing. So, we take Koensayr for the Adumari Union, New Republic, or...?" Piggy said, half-seriously.

Panadi shrugged, "Probably New Republic, or whatever Connix calls their new government. That also depends entirely on whether there is enough to salvage from what seems to be from the attack on Koensayr."

"New Republic, apparently," Piggy said. "The New New Republic seems a bit much."

"Shall I get the Wraiths on their way? We still have that boat from the Thaal heist," Myri said.

"Ah, memories," Jesmin said drily.

"Wouldn't it be the New New New Republic? I believe it was the New Republic again before the Hosnian Cataclysm, or should it be New Republic Mk 3?" Kan was grinning, "We have some new gear for you, a ship that is pretty quiet, though we can have that Thaal ship modified if you would like. You'll be going with a Commando named Havoc, he brings the firepower and hopefully enough explosives to make your father happy." He was looking at Jesmin.

"Enough explosives to make mother wince, no doubt," Jesmin said, drily.

"Koensayr it is. Sabotage of the planetary defences, inciting an uprising, or taking and holding the spaceport?" Myri said.

"Or all three?" Piggy laughed.

Kan smiled, "I know of your history, therefore I can trust that you will see what is possible and will get things done in a most destructively creative way that does the Wraiths proud."

TAG: @Sinrebirth ,(mention only for) @darthbernael , @Kev-Mas_Colcha , @Mitth_Fisto , @Kahn_Iceay

 

IC: Tirran Huxley & Sinre as everyone else COMBO!
A message found

There was a message waiting, Tirran had been scouring his messages and seeing what pieces of his network could still be viable after his protracted incarceration. K’Kruhk appealed to Tirran to return for him and Master Tr’a Saa. And the General Dameron if he intended to come along. To brave the blockade again. No credit incentive was appended. That was a mistake. His offer of evacuation when he had been present had been tied to such a thing for them to even merely be passengers to his own escape.

Still. Hmm. Tirran shuffled back to older messages.

The Droid Intelligence network provided him all manner of data to catch up on. Naboo had just rejoined the Empire, based on Bastion, and ended contracts with him due to his absence; the great resource train to Anaxes had just been shattered by an Echani attack, scattering metric tonnes of supplies across the space lanes; the First Order borders had withdrawn the Inner Rim, and security cordons around Fondor, Coruscant, Kuat and Corellia kept even his droids on Coruscant from updating him.

The Rim was split between the Adumari Union, Confederation, Sun Guard, the Empire, and the Resistance, now based on Lothal. Each territory was split across the galaxy, separated by the Unknown Regions, or each other, and there were a handful of independent systems remaining - Serenno, for one, which had just been named the location of the Galactic Court; Nouane, albeit in the Inner Rim; Hapes, secluded behind its fleets and courtesans. The Echani themselves appeared to be establishing independent territory too.

But the attack on Anaxes had immeasurably increased the value of the supplies he had stolen, and there were several incredibly well paying contracts for independent verification of what the First Order was secretly building at their four shipyards. Tirran had risked so much already, what was one more gamble and tumble with the fickle tides of fate?

Seeing the sad state of affairs, a set of stable bank accounts, things poised to disarray by the cosmic tides of a new war, and missing pieces of his networks. Credits would have to be poured out, network contacts greased, droid repair and upgrades authorized as well as new acquisitions. Grow or adapt. Either way change was needed or the static system would degrade and become useless except to perhaps an archeologist in a in lifetime of whatever the prospective species was using to frame acquisitions.

Second, a ship from Anaxes that had been scattered carrying grain, was pinged to divert to the Jedi resources with a message. Collect a fast ship, store it in the grain section and rig for expulsion along with grain stores at K'Kruhk's location. The Jedi pilot inside the secondary ship should be an ace pilot as well as able to mask their lifesigns one way or another. A scattered droid ship making an abortive hyperspace jump as close as possible into the world and bursting a grain dump on the side furthest from the largest cluster of contesting forces should be a window for retrieval. Sending the orders Tirran blew bubbles as he contemplated his last risk.

It was time to make some credits and grow despite the drains on his accounts. Grow or die, it had to be risked. He would do the trip, make a small fortune, access additional intel on the shelled worlds, and then...make an obscene fortune!

But a trip to where? Would he accompany the ship back to Jakku, or advance to one of those four major shipyards - and risk it?

Otherwise, the grain ship replied, and began to divert to Jakku. Aboard there was a Jedi named Yaqeel Saav’etu, who communicated with the droid pilot his willingness to contribute - the Order hadn’t given him any direction for months. There was the sector blockade, including the dreadnought, Mortis and twenty star cruisers, which had scattered to cover all jump points, and then Jakku itself.

Tirran noted the willingness of the Jedi aboard the ship and directed the Jedi to the message concerning having a small fast ship that was jump capable. If the Jedi could aid the droid in circumventing the blockade routes, perhaps with the Jedi jump trance thing Yaqeel could get the craft into proper position. It was a long shot and Tirran was not going with the man. It was a solo suicide rescue mission, he emphasized that point to the Jedi. There would be no safety net nor aid, this was akin to a space walk without life support. Possible in only the most crazy or by Force points of view.

His own mission would best be served by doing his trading and spying by passing through the Corellia system. Enough traffic to help mask his presence, and plenty of opportunities in every direction.

Yaqeel would see what small ship he could obtain. It wouldn’t be a TwinTail, but probably an XJ3-Wing or some such. Maybe an A-wing, as those were smaller and faster than most. He would signal when the mission could begin.

Otherwise, the medallion input into the console, it requested a route from near-Jakku to Corellia. It would involve passing two chokepoints in First Order territory; Yag’Dhul had twenty star cruisers defending it, but there was a fortress world too at Kinyen along the way. The latter involved a huge spread of mines, many gravity equipped, so they had to be shutdown. Between Yag’Dhul and Corellia? Duro, defended by ten Golan stations.

Data flowed as to acceptable routes in-system to Corellia. There were forty Golan Stations deployed, with twenty at Corellia and five at each other habitable world - Selonia, Drall, Talus and Tralus. The Corellian Fleet itself was expected to patrol the Corellian Sector, apart from Nubia, which had recently been selected to be the new First Order capital and had its own defenders as need be. That being said, the ten Strident-class Star Defenders held not too far from Corellia, in a singular formation, commanded by Admiral Delpin. The ten together matched twenty Golan stations, so it wasn’t as it the First Order situation was precarious…

This was more data from the Core than anyone and seen in months. Specific Corellian Sector deployments. There was no data on the actual construction, merely a rendezvous expected by the delivery ship to Talus, the outermost world of the Corellian system.

A jump window was afforded to Tirran; in twenty minutes time, the mines at Kinyen would go down for a five minute interval, giving him time to pass Kinyen and head to and past Yag’Dhul and Duro, neither of which had any gravity well projectors active.

Then straight to Corellia.

No other routes and disclosures were made; Corellia had been chosen, no data about Fondor (or nearby Atrisia, Giju and Hynestia), Kuat (or nearby Koesenayr, Rendilli, Balmorra and Commenor) or Coruscant (or nearby Brentaal, Borleias, Castell and Venjagga) was given. Other worlds kept from him included Perave, Loronar, Byblos, Chandrila, Isht, Diamala, Metellos, and N’Zoth. Anaxes was also kept from his data, but everyone in the galaxy knew about the Echani strike there.

Putting on a selection of Drall sciences and historical rhapsody and classical works as his background music, Tirran progressed to his first stop of deliveries. If he could see about getting a second load of material to move to another of the blocked worlds he would. Meanwhile for the trip his droids would work on creating a proper prosthetic arm and stoic face to pass for the chosen identity of working First Order persona.

They had plenty of time to work more on the disguise.

Kinyen was passed.

Then Yag’Dhul.

The Duro.

He was about to arrive…

Talus, the fifth planet of the Corellian System.

Preparations were made and Tirran settled in for the role he would have to play in making this delivery and accepting payment. One of his droids also was prepared with infiltration software to give Tirran a back door into the local systems. Based on some data systems from the base there was an indication that the First Order often ‘updated’ the brain washing and programming of both troops and droids. If he updated the files he could slowly over time have a sleeper control and steady information into the systems very heart. With the crews or droids acting to spread that ‘update’ when redeployed or resupplying at other locations. Without them or anyone else being the wiser, potentially.

They arrived.

The Golan stations were set out curiously, even by First Order standards. One hung above the Talis capital, yes, but four held in a formation that required the freighter traffic to pass through a triangle of three, to a fourth, which was acting as the security checkpoint.

But the freighter traffic, it wasn’t heading towards Corellia. In-fact, scans showed the Corellian shipyards were missing, and the outer system was the location of the traffic; free-floating shipyards by the distant Kiris Shipyards. The freighters were micro-jumping, once passing security…

Tirran would have to pass a physical inspection to be able to pass further. The network wasn’t pliable either, it was resisting remote slicing attempts. It may be more accessible physically, of course…

In short order Tirran would be unable to leave without attracting pursuit. A handful of TIE Whispers were evident, keeping the traffic in order, and two were en route to act as escort.

Deciding on only a sacrificial droid to do the implant of the viral packages into the network, Tirran moved ahead. Following directions for the inspection and moving into proper position for the TIE Whispers to guide him in. Hopefully all the droid’s preparations were going to be enough to make this happen.

The shadows of the Golans fell upon the shuttle, and then tractor beams locked in, drawing the ship inside the Golan.

He was committed.

A Shadowtrooper was evident, holding a blaster rifle ready, as a single protocol droid in glossy black stepped forward. "All crew are to descend. A scanner will be sent aboard shortly. The Emperor has personally confirmed that no security step will be overlooked; no traps for Jedi or Rebels are needed anymore." A tsk of the droid's vocabulator. "Only absolute security for the final order."

The trooper had his blaster cocked at the ramp of the ship as it set down.

Nodding his understanding he lifted a pad and keyed in a sequence for the droids to follow him out. If the protocol droid entered the droid service suite unattended a unit missing it's legs on a repair table would nudge the inspection droid into the service rack which would auto plug into the droids hookups and force a patch update. Being able to see the model before leaving the ship meant the system could be preset for the correct model. It was an unlikely scenario, but it was not his objective just an - if luck happened to smile on him preparation. He doubted it would happen. Any other attempts would have to be in the natural gaps as he found them.

Some things you shouldn't force. Paradoxical as it was, for Tirran that was infiltrations into secure networks with active security and no viable route of escape it goes sideways. So he would play the dutiful officer and get this transfer done with an eye to any open chances. Included in the transfer was of course one of his own droid with a memory backup rebooter so that it could feasibly be taken, First Order programming and then after a reboot be a sleeper droid. It was supposedly based off of some infiltration droid that was used to ferret out the rebellion back under Palpatine. Although without the lethality mods inappropriate to a protocol droid.

The little crew of droids clanked down, and the scanning crew went by Tirran to do a deep investigation for stowaways. A single Stormtrooper in white plasteel was pushing the floating scanner up the ramp.

There was suddenly a loud thump, just out of sight. The trooper called down. "Hey, could you give us a hand with this?"

The Shadow Stormtrooper looked at Tirran, and indicated with the blaster for him to head back up and do so.

The black protocol droid sighed, audibly. "Sentients. Dropping everything."

Tirran burbled in frustration. "Just want to make my delivery and get back to the next task." he murmured in a grumbling imitation of the dock worker he had had to deal with to get these supplies. With a programmed sigh he turned and went up the ramp. Ready to see what was happening and what they had done to foul up in his ship. Still he was cautious as he walked in, weary of something that might trigger a situation and expose him.

As he reached the top of the ramp, there was a whine of a blaster. Two men were evident, one half dressed in the Stormtrooper uniform, looking over with a scowl. “He’s not armour.”

“I know,” bit the other. “You, call down for help. We need a trooper so we can take their armour.” He gestured with the point of his blaster. On the floor there was the unconscious scan crewed; the single Stormtrooper.

The one half dressed gestured a hand. “You want to help us.”

Tirran shifted the body as he paid attention to the inside of his tank. Luckily they thought he was a human First Order officer. Or perhaps they knew what he really was? It was hard to say, depended on if they snuck aboard when the Masters didn’t catch a ride, or were there when he had supplies loaded onto his ship.

“I want to help you.” He slowly voiced as he turned. As he was sideways he triggered one of the ships internal intruder safety measure as he called out, “Need help!” The deck plates everywhere except where he stood would electrify to disable anything up to a Wookiee in a bad mood. While that happened he pulled his blaster and crouched down and forward trying to duck any possible attack as he drew his uniforms blaster.

One of them was down, and one of them reacted, impossibly, attaching himself to the ceiling, stuck in place. The man bared his teeth. “What are you doing?!”

There was a clatter as the Shadowtrooper ran up the ramp -

“Helping. Freeloading and unpaid stowaways are punishable by spacing. This is much better.” Tirran calmly and almost in a semi-dreamy quality replied. Aiming his blaster from his crouched position at the ceiling he awaited the trooper coming.

A gesture drew the unconscious man to the man pinned to the ceiling as if by invisible string, and then the man leapt down, using the hovering sensor device as a landing spot as the Shadowtrooper tracked him. "Get down," the trooper suggested to Tirran, lifted the rifle, and began fully automated fire.

Snap-hiss.

The other man, blonde, blue eyes, stood with a green blade and battered the bolts back at the trooper -

Tirran was left with a bad choice. He was currently a business partner of a group of Jedi. If this Jedi was part of those Jedi he owed the men to try and save them. If he wasn’t there was no reason for Tirran not to shoot him down. The First Order would have a mini-investigation, and that was where things started going wrong in Tirran’s mind. Mini-investigation could be minutes, could be days, could or could include a full medical examination of all involved and one of those First Order reprogramming sessions that would also reveal his non-human nature. Or it could be a boon and he would be set for life with a promotion and more freedom?

The Jedi were, well they were sloppy. Still, they might be the safer choice for his getting out of here undiscovered. Aiming down from his ducked position he fired a couple stun blasts into the ankle joint of the Shadow Trooper. If the man went down he would have some quick talking and work ahead of him.

"Jedi!" The Shadowtrooper's armour absorbed the bolts, little sunspots flaring before they were vanished.

His voice carried down the ramp, and seemed to echo; no, others were taking up the chant -

The Shadowtrooper dropped to the ground when stunned, but seemed to have a only a dead leg from the shot. The Jedi saw the opportunity nonetheless and put his blade through their neck. Confused, he glowered at Tirran. "So you stun Javon... and then help me?"

With a palms up helpless gesture Tirran shook his suits head at the man. “Not my fault you didn’t identify yourself before now with a color coded glow stick. Met a few of every color.” Tirran replied in his defense. “Your cover’s blown. Either go steal a ship and I’ll swap Javen into cover armor and trust me to save him, or something … cause they won’t be above blasting this ship and supplies.”

The Jedi glowered. "Nice to see you have such a direct approach to stowaways, Huxley." A sigh. "My fault, we should have made contact before now." He regarded Javon. "Okay, you're responsible for him, I'll head off into Corellia, see how much I can do before I get cut down, I guess." There was a firm clatter of noise in the hangar, echoing.

"I'm Seff Hellin, by the way." He sketched a salute with his lightsaber hilt, despondent but determined. He held out his hand. "May the Force be with you."

Tossing a mini-thermal detonator into the Jedi’s hand Tirran shook the suits head at him. “Don’t get captured alive. I’ll keep this one alive. Forget who I am.” He whispered back.

Raising his blaster and flicking a switch he backed to the dropped man. Then yelling, “Get off my ship Jedi! Die! DIE!” And with that he punctuated his words with first sloppy then more and more accurate blaster fire as let the suit take over as he saw to a quick scan of the downed scanner tech for implants as he would finish the costume change for the unconscious man.

The Jedi nodded, and fled, deflecting staccato bolts, and then jumping into the fray. There were shouts, more fire, and the noise spread - but it went away from him.

Tirran Huxley was alone.

Tirran saw to finishing the costume change, then verified the body had its fingerprints scorched by the ships anti-intruder deck plates, and put a blaster shot into the bodies face. Grunting at the mess he made a loud grumble of “Stay dead.”

Then it was time to drag the dead out and see what the situation looked like in the hanger if Javon was not awake yet.

Javon was still unconscious, and the hangar was, frankly, pandemonium. Other ships crewers were taking pot-shots at the Stormtroopers as they clattered into the area, mainly traditional white-plasteel outfits but a bulky Mechtrooper and a trio of Shadowtroopers were evident, the latter sniping dead spacers with accuracy.

The Jedi was in the middle of it all, deflecting bolts while avoiding the swings of the Mechtrooper, whose burnished armour apparently could take a lightsaber cut without issue - beskar, seemingly.

The tannoy called out. "All First Order assets that are not engaged, withdraw from the hangar. In the circumstances, your cargoes will be delivered directly to the Kiris Shipyards. Security procedures are briefly dispensed with, but any attempt to flee the system will result in the death sentence being imposed."

The voice was firm, trying to bring order to chaos.

Making sure his record function on his eyes was working Tirran crouched there leaning out his landing ramp until the announcement snapped him out of the trance of watching the display. Pulling the droid caller from his belt he summoned his droids to return to the craft - with a secondary signal that if they returned with any extra droids that was fine so long as they all made a pit stop at the droid calibration station to sweep their software and hardware for irregularities.

Standing guard on his ramp he waited for them to return or for his window to get too small. He had to get to Kiris Shipyards after all.

They all returned, with a sleek black BD unit in tow -

The violence was increasing, and on the display one of the nearby Golan's was burning as if the battle had sprung up there too -

Had Tirran triggered a revolt?

Tirran nodded at his returning droids and the BD unit. “Security software check all units. New or separated units first.” With that stated he turned to head to the cockpit and see about getting the vessel underway. As soon as a couple units passed their checks he would set them to the ‘trooper’ while they headed to the shipyard.

The BD unit beeped, glowering, and suddenly sprouted arms tipped with flames and buzz-saws and turned to dive into the ship -

The droid that had brought him aboard abruptly began attacking the others in the mechanical harem. The First Order droid had suborned his droid! Beautiful.

Whether the commotion would distract from the forming shape of the Kiris Shipyards, who could say. The asteroids were so far outside the Corellian System that they were barely orbiting it's star, and traffic had to micro-jump from Talus (or Tralus), and even then a cordon kept them far away.

But the shipyards had previously and secretly constructed an entire assault fleet for the Corellians, and later been turned towards the construction of Resurgent-class battlecruisers. The Corellian Dreadnaught, an egg-shaped warship worth two Imperial II-class Star Destroyers - at very least - was an impressive warship and it hadn't taken much to adjust the yards towards the Resurgent.

In short, Corellia built battlecruisers.

Fondor, that built Dreadnoughts, much like Kuat, but also everything else between a Victory-class Star Destroyer and an Executor-class. Coruscant's yards could service a Dreadnought, build a battlecruiser, or construct Star Destroyers, with ease. Depending on the priorities of the time, larger shipyards could be re-tasked as repair facilities for fleets, like Sluis Van, or shifted to construct armadas of escorts, as Fondor was during the early New Republic.

So when a quintet of 2,406 meter length Star Destroyers were evident among the asteroid shipyards, it matched the narrative to-date.

At this distance, it was a mere profile - the act of using long-range scanners to actively scan the warship would set off a barrage of warnings. That being said, there were only First Order TIE Defender's present, piloted variants for once, rather than any Interdictors - clearly the Shipyards relied upon the security point to do most of the counter-infiltration works. If Tirran, mid-droid scuffle, wanted to get closer to confirm the ships design, he could, of course. Or he could risk a sensor ping and rush to escape.

Danger was either way present.

Tirran triggered his ships anti intruder floor tiles again. This time using the settings for droids, and triggering the tiles the offending units were on, as well those immediately around them. Locked in place his other units could retrieve an ion pistol once programming cleared and see about getting these units back under control.

The ship would continue on course for its delivery. The temptation of profits and a highly profitable avenue of those profits was too tempting to pass up. This disruption would not sway the course.

The rogue droids went down, as did a few of his friendlier units, resulting in a sad chirping among the nonverbal droids.

As the ship trundled forward, a TIE Defender positioned itself above and behind the freighter, a standard security action.

The Star Destroyers resolved more fully into Xyston-class battlecruisers. The protruding underside cannon was even visible.

The shipyards tied him into the comms mainframe.

"... reports of growing disturbances on Corellia -"

"... this is 270 ready to detach from the yard -"

"... a terror attack on Drall -"

"... send an urgent communique to Nubia for reinforcements -"

".... 270, you're not authorised for departure until the final hyperdrive check is complete -"

"... security checks on the incoming freighter were incomplete, prepare boarding party on arrival -"

Tirran's ship was squared away and the droids would see to repurposing and reactivating the damaged droids. Any non-viable would given damage to blend with something from the battle to explain their state. That left Tirran to see about waking his guest so that the man would be ready to pose as a scanner tech and that the ship has already been cleared. One droid would see to implanting teh scanner data to match for what should be found to clear his vessel.

Thewles sat up with a groan. He looked up at Tirran, and frowned. "Where's Seff?"

"Fighting his corner of the mess you two made. Left me to save your backside and make something of it. We're about to be boarded and inspected. You ready to be a hero scanner tech that killed one of the two Jedi stowaways?" Tirran replied as he continued working the programs to prepare for the inevitable boarding.

He shook his head, groggy, as he stood up. "Give me a sitrep."

Standing Tirran opened an emergency med cabinet that for this ruse was loaded appropriately for humans. "Let's start with a stim. Clear your head. First Order is boarding and inspecting due to attack."

He arched his neck and accepted the stim. "And we didn't finish the official scan."

Stretching, the man blinked. "Alright. I get you. You've faked the data?" He was already fishing for his comlink. "I doubt the First Order remembered to cut the comms that Seff and I had yet, my clearance should still be good."

“Sounds like a plan. Do you want dropped off at the hanger or do you want further transport?” Tirran responded, planning out future moves was a good way to keep busy as things were prepared. That and it kept his mind off of the precarious circumstances outside of his control.

“I’ll stay aboard for the moment,” Javon said. “I can send the report before we land.” He tapped a few times. “They won’t bother us when we approach, now.” He showed the datapad to Tirran. “They’re concentrating on the other freighters.” There was a Techno Union freighter and an Action Transport approaching behind them.

As if to sell that fact, the TIE Defender turned to go.

Leaving the situation as was Tirran's ship would continue on course to the proper ship they would directed to. All his droids should be hopefully finishing their triage and rebooting of the invading forms before they landed.

"Very well. Consider your passage now paid." Tirran stated matter of factly about the whole situation. As if it wasn't as dire as it was. What business venture didn't come with risks after all?

"Very funny," the man said. He was glib, but sobered up as they approached the massive Xyston-class.

The comms continued.

".... 265, ready to depart..."

"... authorised -"

"... hearing about High Lord activities intensifying in the Tapani Sector..."

"... I've heard an uprising on Coruscant has just been quelled..."

"... tens of thousands dead..."

"... Kuat of Kuat is looking pretty nervous right now..."

"... incoming freighter, please divert to 270 to deliver final suppllies... "

That was addressed to them.

Javon took a deep breath. "Seff isn't going to make it, is he?"

“One man or two? Neither would make it. If you had consulted me prior to attempted hijacking I would have aided you in intel gathering plans that might work. As is he has a chance of dying. His only hope is destroying where we left and surviving in the debris planet side to escape, or stealing a ship in the confusion and escape. We will honor his needless sacrifice with song and drink later, and if you prove helpful with a healthy discount for what we find.” Every moment of open comms was giving a bigger picture and every meter a better detailed passive scan. The value of the information he was accruing was phenomenal, but if he could set hooks for more data it would be priceless.

If he wasn’t floating in a concealed tank his goofy smile and thin strands of drools swaying in his tank would have belied his utter lack of sympathy or true appreciation for the Jedi. Let alone the cost of the man’s impending death. Soon he might have enough to own more worlds.

The ship diverted as ordered. Smooth and unconcerned with the localized chaos. Just another ship making a delivery.

Javon shrugged. "We didn't precisely have permission. Masters T'ra Saa and K'Kruhk didn't think it was a good idea to poke the First Order any further than we had, and Master Zekk and his team were missing. So Seff and I made a decision on our own."

But he focused. "That's a Xyston-class, isn't it? I thought most of them were destroyed at Exegol. I know one survived to the Battle of Coruscant, but... they're building more? What number was this one? 270? Do you think that means they've built that many?" He was gabbling. A bad habit Seha had given him.

“First Order troops are the strong silent types. Best maintain discipline until we leave the system.” Tirran simply replied as he set about double checking his ship and droids to keep himself busy. “I’m here to deliver goods and keep my eyes open. We can discuss and compare notes later.”

One of the Xyston's left the dock and began heading out-system. Javon watched it absently. "Wonder where that is going."

Their ship was promptly within the hangar of the Xyston known as 270.

There were crimson armoured troopers everywhere, and crimson variations to the traditional First Order officers.

Javon pursed his lips as they landed, and smoothed down his attire. "I don't like this."

“Don’t care. We are frustrated transporters with a load and a schedule that has been wrecked. Gotta unload, see if we get an opportunity to implant an update in their systems, and then we leave to make another run whether we get anything or not. If you’re not up to it get back in smuggling compartment.” Tirran stated with some annoyance. It was show time, not like they could do anything about it now. They were in the proverbial belly of the beast.

Even with their pre-scan, a four person squad crimson armoured Stormtrooper was still present at the ramp to escort the delivery and the droids that would carry them.

Javon swallowed. “Do you think it’s advisable to try the droid trick? The Intel about the construction here is valuable.”

Tirran did not verbally reply. It was a trick only if the opportunity presented itself, otherwise it would not happen. The fact that the First Order used flash training on their droids and soldiers to ensure loyalty meant it was a weakness and data trove the greedy Gallussian would abandon entertaining just because he had something worth a little.

Risk some to win some. He had come this far by swinging large and he wouldn’t give up now. Especially for a fidgety no Force liability like Javon. Pressing the button to the lower the ramp he stood at attention with his delivery pad in hand, prepared to follow proper procedure for this load.

The Sith Troopers simply allowed the transfer, and all seemed potentially to be fine, until alarms went off. The screen above the hangar activated, and almost everyone, even the droids and Javon, craned their head to look up.

It showed a sensor display, a capital ship in enemy blue en route; a big ship. “All hands to battle stations and secure points. A Corellian Star Defender is en route and launching A-10 Vigilance’s and X-wings. All TIE escorts are to deploy and fend off the enemy until the last four Star Destroyers clear the shipyard. All departures are cancelled.”

Javon looked at Tirran.

They were about to be stuck.

“You really can’t plan for these things.” Tirran stated with about a pinch of mirth in his deep baritone. Going inside his ship he pulled a secondary repair and infiltration kit and passed it off to Javon. “Better go see to ships secondary repair points. She hasn’t had her shake down cruise yet. I’m going to check the droid maintenance bays. My droids will see to securing the supplies, ship, and a roller for the ships core. Let’s get it done. For the First Order.” He replied jovially before heading off to his own self appointed task.

Javon was fuming. “We need to get this data to the galaxy. We die, they won’t know what’s coming.”

The Star Destroyer was shaking as it began to move off. Through the hangar viewport they could see the other three Destroyers moving off. Dozens of TIEs were evident too, mainly TIE Daggers alongside the deployed TIE Defenders. There were more TIEs than Corellian fighters, but not enough to stop a Star Defender. Shields went up on the warships, and then alarms went off.

Aboard their ship.

“Shields did not activate. Repeat. Brace for impact on hull. Hyperdrive test due. A microjump is pending.”

“There’s your answer. Forget the repair points. See about ‘repairing’ navigation for more than a micro jump. We will return to ship and shields incase it all goes wrong.” Tapping inside his tank he adjusted his droids to see as well as their programming infiltration if they could cause a ship wide hyperspace shielding error so that it would kill any unshielded organics. His own exosuit would protect him in that situation from the radiation. If Jovan made it back in time he would survive as well. “Reports are good, proof is better.”

The droids began to short out, one by one, as if encountering something truly malevolent in the defensive network. Tirran would receive all the updates.

Xyston 270 was simply not ready to launch, and had to. Strengthening structural fields across the ship, the ship was getting ready to launch. Javon stepped over to Tirran. “Are we really riding this all the way to whatever?”

Telling his droids to stop until they had a means to bypass the defense network Tirran was left to watch the sky. “Passengers don’t dictate stops. So far there is no safe spot to get off this ride.”

“Well then,” Javon said drily, “let’s hope the Force is with us.” The Xyston buried into hyperspace, and that, as they say, was that.

TAG: @Sinrebirth