War on the Horizon
- Thread starter MarkWarrior
- Start date
-
- Tags
- battletech star wars
And here Outer Rim could remain independent and become normal space state.
Palpy Empire trying to get them would be good for their technological progress.
It could be no return of Republic here.
Chapter 32
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 32
January 14, 3014/7953 CRC Eriadu System, Seswenna sector, Outer Rim Territories
"You are certain that you wish to remain with the Republic?" Gideon asked his brother.
"Sullust and ourselves are the leaders of the systems that have joined in the ORSF," Wilhuff replied. "While Sullust might feel that it's time to separate. It is not. This is the time to continue to build up. The Republic may yet decide to change as a result of this."
"You know that they will simply continue to obstruct those of us who intend to preserve the ideals that the Republic was founded on," Gideon sighed.
"Yes, but we will still remain as the bastions of integrity that we have been for years," Wilhuff replied. "Should we waver now, then it will destroy the reputation that we have built for so long. No, we will continue on this path until the way to best protect Eriadu has revealed itself."
"And yet, we will continue to sell this Confederacy of Independent Systems ships?" Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," Wilhuff smirked. "We have always supported the Outer Rim arming and defending itself from pirates and slavers. As we upgrade our own defense fleets and that of the ORSF we shall continue to sell our older vessels to our neighbors in the Outer Rim."
"There are those in the Senate who may take offense to that," Gideon remarked as he lounged back in his chair.
"None who matter will oppose the destruction of evil," Wilhuff stood and looked out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "And it will show where our true allies are."
"How do we address this situation?" Ki Adi Mundi asked the rest of the Jedi Council. "Dooku has separated from the Republic, and he has brought members of our Order with him."
"I believe that we should exercise caution," Windu said after some thought. "Dooku and Yaddle have shown themselves to be trustworthy. They have never made moves against the Order before this speech."
"The Order was only mentioned a handful of times," Plo Koon replied, his hologram shaking its head in disagreement. "This was targeted at the Republic, not at the Order as a whole. And who among us can say that he was wrong?"
"I am tempted to go to Dooku directly to see if it is possible for a resolution to be found," Coleman Trebor stated as he reviewed a transcript of the speech. "There have been no calls for violence, and while they have hired a great deal of mercenaries and begun purchasing ships, they have also actually had those same ships patrolling the hyperlanes as he said they would."
"I for one, am curious to see what Yaddle has to say about this," Shaak Ti finally responded to everything. "She has not spoken to any of us since she left this Council and the order itself."
"Knight Tachi has been in contact with us recently," Windu leaned forward. "She said that she and her padawan would be visiting and bringing some messages from Yaddle and Dooku."
"Wait and see, our only option is," Yoda finally spoke, the grandmaster opening his eyes for the first time since the meeting started. "Move aggressively, we should not. Shifting, the Force is."
"I think we should all take the time to meditate on this," Windu said after Yoda stopped speaking. "And those of us who are not on missions should prepare a response for the Senate."
"It's a pleasure to meet with you again, Senator Amidala," Obi-Wan gave a small bow as he smiled.
"It is a pleasure indeed," she replied. "I'm glad to find you in good health. Though I was hoping I could see Anakin as well."
"Anakin was very sick when I left Coruscant," Kenobi frowned. "We came into contact with a local virus on an Outer Rim world while rendering aid and so he was told to remain behind when your request came through."
"I suppose it's better this way," Padme sighed. "Best not to get the entire delegation ill."
"Considering who you're negotiating with, I would have to agree," Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "I must say that it is a bit unusual to have negotiated with two peoples that were bitter rivals in the past."
"You are referring to Eriadu and Mandalore?" Padme asked.
"Yes, they have long warred with each other through history. But I suppose the ORSF is the reason you're negotiating?"
"The ORSF wishes to trade with both us and the Gungans for different things," Padme smirked. "I believe you'll recognize the one who's going to be negotiating for the Gungans."
"Obi! Meesa is so excited to see you again!" A voice cheered as Obi-Wan sank his face into his palm.
"I was hoping to speak to Queen Reillata," Maarisa Zsinj gave a small bow. "Especially considering what we were hoping to negotiate."
"She delegated the task to me," Padme replied. "I'm hoping that we are able to reach a satisfactory deal."
"That will depend entirely on how entrenched you are in demilitarization," Zsinj replied honestly. "Master Jedi," she shifted to greet Obi-Wan.
"Admiral Zsinj," Kenobi smiled as he greeted the woman. "I've heard good things about your work in the Outer Rim."
"Eliminating the pirates who were trying to blockage Zonoma Sekot was common sense," the Admiral shrugged. "They were grateful enough afterwards to help Incom and Subpro build new Starfighter factories on Eriadu."
"Regardless, you stepped in and did a good thing, and I personally am grateful. I have friends on Sekot and wish them well."
"Now, I believe you've already finished negotiating with Representative Binks," Padme cut in.
"Yes," Zsinj nodded. "Shred trader that one. I barely managed to get close to the deal that I wanted."
Padme and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance before shaking their heads.
"Anyway, You wished to purchase some of our N-1 Starfighters and the ability to manufacture more locally in your own yards, yes?" Padme began.
"That was indeed our aim. "While we have some plans to develop something new, we are currently limited to the Z-69 Sweeper. Which, while a decent fighter, is getting up there in age."
"I am firmly against arming anyone," Padme replied. "But I will do my best to represent Naboo in this."
After that statement, the haggling began.
January 14, 3014/7953 CRC Eriadu System, Seswenna sector, Outer Rim Territories
"You are certain that you wish to remain with the Republic?" Gideon asked his brother.
"Sullust and ourselves are the leaders of the systems that have joined in the ORSF," Wilhuff replied. "While Sullust might feel that it's time to separate. It is not. This is the time to continue to build up. The Republic may yet decide to change as a result of this."
"You know that they will simply continue to obstruct those of us who intend to preserve the ideals that the Republic was founded on," Gideon sighed.
"Yes, but we will still remain as the bastions of integrity that we have been for years," Wilhuff replied. "Should we waver now, then it will destroy the reputation that we have built for so long. No, we will continue on this path until the way to best protect Eriadu has revealed itself."
"And yet, we will continue to sell this Confederacy of Independent Systems ships?" Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," Wilhuff smirked. "We have always supported the Outer Rim arming and defending itself from pirates and slavers. As we upgrade our own defense fleets and that of the ORSF we shall continue to sell our older vessels to our neighbors in the Outer Rim."
"There are those in the Senate who may take offense to that," Gideon remarked as he lounged back in his chair.
"None who matter will oppose the destruction of evil," Wilhuff stood and looked out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "And it will show where our true allies are."
"How do we address this situation?" Ki Adi Mundi asked the rest of the Jedi Council. "Dooku has separated from the Republic, and he has brought members of our Order with him."
"I believe that we should exercise caution," Windu said after some thought. "Dooku and Yaddle have shown themselves to be trustworthy. They have never made moves against the Order before this speech."
"The Order was only mentioned a handful of times," Plo Koon replied, his hologram shaking its head in disagreement. "This was targeted at the Republic, not at the Order as a whole. And who among us can say that he was wrong?"
"I am tempted to go to Dooku directly to see if it is possible for a resolution to be found," Coleman Trebor stated as he reviewed a transcript of the speech. "There have been no calls for violence, and while they have hired a great deal of mercenaries and begun purchasing ships, they have also actually had those same ships patrolling the hyperlanes as he said they would."
"I for one, am curious to see what Yaddle has to say about this," Shaak Ti finally responded to everything. "She has not spoken to any of us since she left this Council and the order itself."
"Knight Tachi has been in contact with us recently," Windu leaned forward. "She said that she and her padawan would be visiting and bringing some messages from Yaddle and Dooku."
"Wait and see, our only option is," Yoda finally spoke, the grandmaster opening his eyes for the first time since the meeting started. "Move aggressively, we should not. Shifting, the Force is."
"I think we should all take the time to meditate on this," Windu said after Yoda stopped speaking. "And those of us who are not on missions should prepare a response for the Senate."
"It's a pleasure to meet with you again, Senator Amidala," Obi-Wan gave a small bow as he smiled.
"It is a pleasure indeed," she replied. "I'm glad to find you in good health. Though I was hoping I could see Anakin as well."
"Anakin was very sick when I left Coruscant," Kenobi frowned. "We came into contact with a local virus on an Outer Rim world while rendering aid and so he was told to remain behind when your request came through."
"I suppose it's better this way," Padme sighed. "Best not to get the entire delegation ill."
"Considering who you're negotiating with, I would have to agree," Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "I must say that it is a bit unusual to have negotiated with two peoples that were bitter rivals in the past."
"You are referring to Eriadu and Mandalore?" Padme asked.
"Yes, they have long warred with each other through history. But I suppose the ORSF is the reason you're negotiating?"
"The ORSF wishes to trade with both us and the Gungans for different things," Padme smirked. "I believe you'll recognize the one who's going to be negotiating for the Gungans."
"Obi! Meesa is so excited to see you again!" A voice cheered as Obi-Wan sank his face into his palm.
"I was hoping to speak to Queen Reillata," Maarisa Zsinj gave a small bow. "Especially considering what we were hoping to negotiate."
"She delegated the task to me," Padme replied. "I'm hoping that we are able to reach a satisfactory deal."
"That will depend entirely on how entrenched you are in demilitarization," Zsinj replied honestly. "Master Jedi," she shifted to greet Obi-Wan.
"Admiral Zsinj," Kenobi smiled as he greeted the woman. "I've heard good things about your work in the Outer Rim."
"Eliminating the pirates who were trying to blockage Zonoma Sekot was common sense," the Admiral shrugged. "They were grateful enough afterwards to help Incom and Subpro build new Starfighter factories on Eriadu."
"Regardless, you stepped in and did a good thing, and I personally am grateful. I have friends on Sekot and wish them well."
"Now, I believe you've already finished negotiating with Representative Binks," Padme cut in.
"Yes," Zsinj nodded. "Shred trader that one. I barely managed to get close to the deal that I wanted."
Padme and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance before shaking their heads.
"Anyway, You wished to purchase some of our N-1 Starfighters and the ability to manufacture more locally in your own yards, yes?" Padme began.
"That was indeed our aim. "While we have some plans to develop something new, we are currently limited to the Z-69 Sweeper. Which, while a decent fighter, is getting up there in age."
"I am firmly against arming anyone," Padme replied. "But I will do my best to represent Naboo in this."
After that statement, the haggling began.
Last edited:
Pathfinder Sidestory: Part One
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Pathfinder Sidestory: Part One
So, what is this?" Yaddle asked as she entered the cleared cargo bay of the Archon's Favor.
"Oh, this is a tabletop RPG," Lieutenant Hober gestured to a seat at the table. "I'm GMing, and we just started a fresh game. I've got a few character sheets prepped if you want to join."
"I am intrigued by this," Yaddle sat down. "Now please, explain how this is played."
"Well, this is going to be a one-off dungeon crawler that I homebrewed up. But I based it off of an old Pathfinder book that I had lying around," Hober handed her a small bag of dice. "Pick your character, and we'll get started."
"You and the party find yourselves in a small village before a castle," Hober begins, the board on the table holographically representing the characters and the scenery. "What do you do?"
"I want to see what rumors there are in town," the man who was playing a Rogue said.
"Alright, give me a perception and awareness check," Hober nods as he rolls some dice behind a small raised board.
"Sixteen," the rogue smirks. "And with my stats, that means I've got a twenty-five on this."
"The news around the town is that there's a festival beginning soon. Apparently a powerful wizard sealed a sword in a stone with the inscription "Whoever is worthy shall draw this sword from the stone."
"I relay this information to the rest of the party."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I kinda wanna see what this magic sword is all about," the fighter of the group said while she was in character.
"Yes, I am strong, I may be worthy," Yaddle used a voice synthesizer to sound out her barbarian impression.
"The party makes their way through the open markets to the small stone altar that the stone is set into," Hober explains. "I take it each party member is going to try to take the sword out of the stone?"
"I'm not," the sorcerer of the group shakes his head. "I'm going to see if any of the shopkeeps in the area have good regents."
"Any of you want to do anything else?" Hober asks.
"I'm gonna see if there's anything worth stealing in the area," the rogue slips off, leaving the Paladin, Fighter, and Yaddle's barbarian behind.
"Paladin's first," the fighter gestures to the bigger character. "Maybe you'll have luck."
"Unfortunately, you do not budge the sword, no matter how hard you try," Hober shrugs. "And the same thing happens for the rest of you. It seems that none of you are the chosen ones."
"I want to lift the Altar and use it as a hammer with the sword as a handle," Yaddle says after a minute. The character sheet you gave me says that I'm half-Giant and able to lift heavier weapons or supplies."
"Roll a strength check to see if you can lift the sword and the Altar," Hober gives the longsuffering sigh of a DM.
"That is a twenty, I believe," Yaddle says as the two numbers are reflected at the party.
"You heft the sword, the stone altar coming with it. You have now acquired a bludgeoning weapon."
"Explain what the party will be doing for the rest of their time in the town. After that, we'll call it for this session while I rewrite all of my plans."
So, what is this?" Yaddle asked as she entered the cleared cargo bay of the Archon's Favor.
"Oh, this is a tabletop RPG," Lieutenant Hober gestured to a seat at the table. "I'm GMing, and we just started a fresh game. I've got a few character sheets prepped if you want to join."
"I am intrigued by this," Yaddle sat down. "Now please, explain how this is played."
"Well, this is going to be a one-off dungeon crawler that I homebrewed up. But I based it off of an old Pathfinder book that I had lying around," Hober handed her a small bag of dice. "Pick your character, and we'll get started."
"You and the party find yourselves in a small village before a castle," Hober begins, the board on the table holographically representing the characters and the scenery. "What do you do?"
"I want to see what rumors there are in town," the man who was playing a Rogue said.
"Alright, give me a perception and awareness check," Hober nods as he rolls some dice behind a small raised board.
"Sixteen," the rogue smirks. "And with my stats, that means I've got a twenty-five on this."
"The news around the town is that there's a festival beginning soon. Apparently a powerful wizard sealed a sword in a stone with the inscription "Whoever is worthy shall draw this sword from the stone."
"I relay this information to the rest of the party."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I kinda wanna see what this magic sword is all about," the fighter of the group said while she was in character.
"Yes, I am strong, I may be worthy," Yaddle used a voice synthesizer to sound out her barbarian impression.
"The party makes their way through the open markets to the small stone altar that the stone is set into," Hober explains. "I take it each party member is going to try to take the sword out of the stone?"
"I'm not," the sorcerer of the group shakes his head. "I'm going to see if any of the shopkeeps in the area have good regents."
"Any of you want to do anything else?" Hober asks.
"I'm gonna see if there's anything worth stealing in the area," the rogue slips off, leaving the Paladin, Fighter, and Yaddle's barbarian behind.
"Paladin's first," the fighter gestures to the bigger character. "Maybe you'll have luck."
"Unfortunately, you do not budge the sword, no matter how hard you try," Hober shrugs. "And the same thing happens for the rest of you. It seems that none of you are the chosen ones."
"I want to lift the Altar and use it as a hammer with the sword as a handle," Yaddle says after a minute. The character sheet you gave me says that I'm half-Giant and able to lift heavier weapons or supplies."
"Roll a strength check to see if you can lift the sword and the Altar," Hober gives the longsuffering sigh of a DM.
"That is a twenty, I believe," Yaddle says as the two numbers are reflected at the party.
"You heft the sword, the stone altar coming with it. You have now acquired a bludgeoning weapon."
"Explain what the party will be doing for the rest of their time in the town. After that, we'll call it for this session while I rewrite all of my plans."
No plan shall survive contact with the Party!
Lol. Poor Arthur will never be king now!
Chapter 33
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 33
March 19, 3014/7953 CRC Republica 500, Coruscant
"Tell me Amedda," Sidious glanced at his trusted servant. "How would you adjust the Great Plan to account for the way things have changed of late?"
"There are a few ways that we could accomplish parts of your plan," Mas Amedda replied. "But there are no foolproof ways to execute it as of this moment. It will take time for tension to build properly and for us to generate the hatred needed."
"The Clones will be sufficient for a temporary fighting force when it comes to it," Sidious looked out the window. "But we will have to generate the tension. I believe it is time we begin to seed the fruits of discontent."
"What is it you desire to do?"
"I believe that it is time that the Corellians fell into the fold," Sidious smirked. "Divert some funds to a select group of pirates. I believe Senator Iblis will oblige us with the tension we need."
"How do you plan on ensuring that he will follow our plans?"
"He will go forth willingly," Sidious moved over to his desk. "He has too much pride to admit when Corellia or he has done wrong. That will be both his undoing and that of the Republic's."
"The Confederacy is in your debt," Dooku smiled at Jedi Master Fae as she handed him the datapad. "I know that we have disagreed on many things in the past, but we can both agree on protecting those who need it."
"That is one of the reasons I have decided to assist you," Fae replied. "The other is that you have done your best to ensure a peaceful transition. That only those who have voted to can join your Confederacy."
"I am not a Tyrant," Dooku shook his head. "I did not even desire to be elected as the Head of State."
"Be that as it may," Faye rippled through the Force. "But this is the position where you are meant to be. Just as I am supposed to help you."
"I will do my best to follow the Will of the Force," Dooku nodded. "I will take this information to the ones who can best make use of it."
"I will speak to you again when you are available," Faye agreed. "Yaddle has requested that I meet with her while I am present. So I shall take my leave."
–
–
"I… Have no idea what I'm looking at," I glanced at the Confederacy's Head of State.
"It is the beginnings of the Confederate Navy," Dooku smiled. "The Hyperlanes will be safe, and this will be our core, driven and able to defend our new and fledgling nation."
"I don't have two hundred thousand sailors to throw at this problem," I replied as I considered the data. "I'm barely keeping up with the training requirements for my contract with the CIS."
"I have considered this," Dooku stroked his beard. "I have also discussed this with the representatives that are available to meet. We will be pulling training cadres and providing funding to recruit more people for the Confederate Navy."
"You can throw money at us all day long," I scoffed. "But that doesn't fix the root problem."
"Which is?" Dooku raised his eyebrow.
"We can't just use bodies," I sighed. "We need specific skill sets, and while we can train them from the ground up, that will always take more time than finding people's current skillset and repurposing them."
"What do you need?" Dooku asked.
"Give me a few weeks," I looked down at my paperwork. "I'll have something thrown together before we make the trip to the desired location."
"I shall work to get the people that you need," Dooku turned to leave. "Do not deprive the Hyperlanes or the worlds you guard of their protection. While I desire your help in this, Colonel Hull, I do not wish to expose anyone to the barbarism of piracy while we are away."
"More and more Outer and Mid Rim systems continue to leave the Republic to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems," A Zabrack reporter stated to the recording device. "While the debate in the Senate rages on, the Confederacy establishes its constitution, affirming the rights of its citizens and establishing a foundation to operate off of."
"We were able to reach out and get some recordings from the newly elected officials from the CIS. They had this to say."
"On this day, we make a stand against the corruption of the Senate and of the bureaucrats that make up the Republic. So long as you adhere to the basic rights as listed in our new constitution, every planet and system is free to do as they wish. No longer are we to be shackled by the core worlds by excessive taxes. We are Free!"
"The Galaxy stands on the edge," a man leaned back in his chair as he cut the feed to the Holonet News Network off, a mask against a nearby lamp as he smoked a death stick. "How interesting. I wonder where this will lead?"
He shrugged and walked out to his porch, the rain streaming down onto the roof.
"It's not my problem anymore," He muttered as he sat down in a rocking chair. "I'm retired after all."
With a pull of the Force, the mask floated over to his hand as he stared into the slits where his eyes once went.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.
March 19, 3014/7953 CRC Republica 500, Coruscant
"Tell me Amedda," Sidious glanced at his trusted servant. "How would you adjust the Great Plan to account for the way things have changed of late?"
"There are a few ways that we could accomplish parts of your plan," Mas Amedda replied. "But there are no foolproof ways to execute it as of this moment. It will take time for tension to build properly and for us to generate the hatred needed."
"The Clones will be sufficient for a temporary fighting force when it comes to it," Sidious looked out the window. "But we will have to generate the tension. I believe it is time we begin to seed the fruits of discontent."
"What is it you desire to do?"
"I believe that it is time that the Corellians fell into the fold," Sidious smirked. "Divert some funds to a select group of pirates. I believe Senator Iblis will oblige us with the tension we need."
"How do you plan on ensuring that he will follow our plans?"
"He will go forth willingly," Sidious moved over to his desk. "He has too much pride to admit when Corellia or he has done wrong. That will be both his undoing and that of the Republic's."
"The Confederacy is in your debt," Dooku smiled at Jedi Master Fae as she handed him the datapad. "I know that we have disagreed on many things in the past, but we can both agree on protecting those who need it."
"That is one of the reasons I have decided to assist you," Fae replied. "The other is that you have done your best to ensure a peaceful transition. That only those who have voted to can join your Confederacy."
"I am not a Tyrant," Dooku shook his head. "I did not even desire to be elected as the Head of State."
"Be that as it may," Faye rippled through the Force. "But this is the position where you are meant to be. Just as I am supposed to help you."
"I will do my best to follow the Will of the Force," Dooku nodded. "I will take this information to the ones who can best make use of it."
"I will speak to you again when you are available," Faye agreed. "Yaddle has requested that I meet with her while I am present. So I shall take my leave."
–
–
"I… Have no idea what I'm looking at," I glanced at the Confederacy's Head of State.
"It is the beginnings of the Confederate Navy," Dooku smiled. "The Hyperlanes will be safe, and this will be our core, driven and able to defend our new and fledgling nation."
"I don't have two hundred thousand sailors to throw at this problem," I replied as I considered the data. "I'm barely keeping up with the training requirements for my contract with the CIS."
"I have considered this," Dooku stroked his beard. "I have also discussed this with the representatives that are available to meet. We will be pulling training cadres and providing funding to recruit more people for the Confederate Navy."
"You can throw money at us all day long," I scoffed. "But that doesn't fix the root problem."
"Which is?" Dooku raised his eyebrow.
"We can't just use bodies," I sighed. "We need specific skill sets, and while we can train them from the ground up, that will always take more time than finding people's current skillset and repurposing them."
"What do you need?" Dooku asked.
"Give me a few weeks," I looked down at my paperwork. "I'll have something thrown together before we make the trip to the desired location."
"I shall work to get the people that you need," Dooku turned to leave. "Do not deprive the Hyperlanes or the worlds you guard of their protection. While I desire your help in this, Colonel Hull, I do not wish to expose anyone to the barbarism of piracy while we are away."
"More and more Outer and Mid Rim systems continue to leave the Republic to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems," A Zabrack reporter stated to the recording device. "While the debate in the Senate rages on, the Confederacy establishes its constitution, affirming the rights of its citizens and establishing a foundation to operate off of."
"We were able to reach out and get some recordings from the newly elected officials from the CIS. They had this to say."
"On this day, we make a stand against the corruption of the Senate and of the bureaucrats that make up the Republic. So long as you adhere to the basic rights as listed in our new constitution, every planet and system is free to do as they wish. No longer are we to be shackled by the core worlds by excessive taxes. We are Free!"
"The Galaxy stands on the edge," a man leaned back in his chair as he cut the feed to the Holonet News Network off, a mask against a nearby lamp as he smoked a death stick. "How interesting. I wonder where this will lead?"
He shrugged and walked out to his porch, the rain streaming down onto the roof.
"It's not my problem anymore," He muttered as he sat down in a rocking chair. "I'm retired after all."
With a pull of the Force, the mask floated over to his hand as he stared into the slits where his eyes once went.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.
Corvus 501
Active member
Plaguis faked his death here to, didn't he? There might be some intresting things happening in the finance and bio science communities in the future.
Last edited:
Chapter 34
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 34
May 21, 3014/7953CRC Onboard Pueblo-Class dropship Messenger
"Everyone able to hear me?" I asked the group both around the table and tuning in from the Archon's favor.
"We read you five by five," Hober replied. "Kinda curious as to why we're out here in the middle of nowhere though."
"We've got a mission from our employers," I leaned forward and looked at every member of the team I had assembled. "You were all handpicked for this one because you know how to keep a secret."
A hologram of a ship projected over the table, the dark gray ship looking brand new and fresh.
"This is a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser," I began. "More specifically, this is the Katana, the flagship of the Katana fleet. It is one of two hundred such vessels that went missing over twenty years ago. We've got four possible locations of where the fleet might be. We're going to search each location and then locate the flagship of the fleet."
"Why are we only going to find the flagship?" Sanal asked. "And we don't have nearly enough crew to get even one of those things moving."
"Normally," I replied. "You'd be correct, but the Dark Force has something special going for it. All of these ships are slaved to the flagship via droid brains. And with automation improvements that were made, each ship only needs a crew complement of around two thousand to run properly instead of sixteen thousand. Once we have the flagship, we'll be able to program the coordinates for the point we want them to move to in Hyperspace. From there, we'll have a mobile shipyard going over them to ensure that they don't have any permanent damage. Then the CIS will begin working crews over from planetary defense forces that have decided to join the centralized military."
"Quite a few of the more well-off planets do have experienced Dreadnaught crews," Knight Siri Tachi agreed. "Colonel, this is your mission, I'm merely here to observe and assist if something comes up that I am needed to handle."
"Consider Knight Tachi our mercenary Liaison from the olden days," I glanced at the crew from my original universe. "She's not directly in our chain of command, but she's here to help where she can."
"Now, are there any questions before I move on to the rest of the briefing?"
"Yeah," Hober's projection nodded. "Do we know what happened for the fleet to go missing?"
"Negative," I shook my head. "So when we board, we're in sealed Mithril until we can confirm the environment is safe. And once we bring the fleet to the rendezvous point we're going to be both Biowarfare and Hazmat teams going over every ship."
"Anything else?" I asked.
A group raised their hands.
"What are the salvage rights?" a Togrutan asked.
"We get to keep ten of the ships provided we can crew them," I replied. "Along with everything that's onboard. Next question."
"Are we sticking as one group or are we splitting up our small fleet?"
"One group," I replied. "The Messenger is the main ship here for a reason. We've got enough ECM gear here to disguise our movements and keep us hidden. But it'll only work if we're all together."
"What do we do if another group is trying to salvage the fleet?"
I sighed as I thought about this one, glancing at the Jedi Knight seated at the table.
"No witnesses," I replied. "We've got a job to do, and we can't do it if a bunch of treasure hunters and other groups are trying to steal it out from underneath us. Now, that can mean that we capture them and hold them until after we've left, or it can mean that we eliminate them. We'll have to determine that when or if we find the fleet."
I waited a few moments for more questions and when none came I stood up.
"You're dismissed, remember to get some rest, we're all gonna be working around the clock on rotation to narrow this down."
Coruscant
"I thank you for being willing to meet with me," Palpatine smiled at the Senator from Kuat and the lawyer that entered behind him. "I believe that I have something that will be of interest to us both."
"And what might that be, Chancellor?" Risi Lenoan asked.
"I believe the Republic is facing interesting times," Palpatine replied. "And that if we desire our beloved Institution to continue, then there are things that should be done."
"Such as?" the Kuati lawyer asked as he took a seat next to Senator Lenoan.
"Such as ensuring that your famed institution becomes the premiere shipbuilder for the Republic. It has become clear to me that Rendili is in support of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and cannot be relied upon," the Chancellor leaned forward. "While they may pay lip service to the Republic, they continue to license their designs and assist in building shipyards among those systems. I know that Kuat can be relied on. And should you assist in the push for this, I will see to it that you are rewarded for such service."
"It will not take much to convince Onara of this," Risi reclined in her chair. "But she will need some reasoning in which to sway the board. This would result in a loss of profits, after all. No matter how temporary they may be."
"There will be no loss in profits," the man grinned. "I am certain of it."
"Let's start getting some details hammered out," the lawyer stepped forward. "Assurances are all fine and good, but we at Kuat deal in contracts."
–
–
The Dark Side of the Force flowed as the Kuati Senator and Lawyer left with no recollection of the details of their meeting. As far as they were concerned, they had just met with the Chancellor to support a bill he had been working on.
"Now," Sidious smirked. "We wait."
Reaching for the terminal before him, Sidious typed a few commands in, creating a bounty for an individual and setting a price that ensured the hunters would pursue it.
"You seem capable, Colonel Hull," Sidious looked at the bounty picture. "Should you survive, you may have a place in my Empire."
With a final push, the bounty contract was set, the glowing lines in Aurebesh showing a large number of credits before the screen winked off.
"Let the tension rise," Sidious murmured as he began to leech the Dark Side Presence from the room. "It is time to prepare for war."
May 21, 3014/7953CRC Onboard Pueblo-Class dropship Messenger
"Everyone able to hear me?" I asked the group both around the table and tuning in from the Archon's favor.
"We read you five by five," Hober replied. "Kinda curious as to why we're out here in the middle of nowhere though."
"We've got a mission from our employers," I leaned forward and looked at every member of the team I had assembled. "You were all handpicked for this one because you know how to keep a secret."
A hologram of a ship projected over the table, the dark gray ship looking brand new and fresh.
"This is a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser," I began. "More specifically, this is the Katana, the flagship of the Katana fleet. It is one of two hundred such vessels that went missing over twenty years ago. We've got four possible locations of where the fleet might be. We're going to search each location and then locate the flagship of the fleet."
"Why are we only going to find the flagship?" Sanal asked. "And we don't have nearly enough crew to get even one of those things moving."
"Normally," I replied. "You'd be correct, but the Dark Force has something special going for it. All of these ships are slaved to the flagship via droid brains. And with automation improvements that were made, each ship only needs a crew complement of around two thousand to run properly instead of sixteen thousand. Once we have the flagship, we'll be able to program the coordinates for the point we want them to move to in Hyperspace. From there, we'll have a mobile shipyard going over them to ensure that they don't have any permanent damage. Then the CIS will begin working crews over from planetary defense forces that have decided to join the centralized military."
"Quite a few of the more well-off planets do have experienced Dreadnaught crews," Knight Siri Tachi agreed. "Colonel, this is your mission, I'm merely here to observe and assist if something comes up that I am needed to handle."
"Consider Knight Tachi our mercenary Liaison from the olden days," I glanced at the crew from my original universe. "She's not directly in our chain of command, but she's here to help where she can."
"Now, are there any questions before I move on to the rest of the briefing?"
"Yeah," Hober's projection nodded. "Do we know what happened for the fleet to go missing?"
"Negative," I shook my head. "So when we board, we're in sealed Mithril until we can confirm the environment is safe. And once we bring the fleet to the rendezvous point we're going to be both Biowarfare and Hazmat teams going over every ship."
"Anything else?" I asked.
A group raised their hands.
"What are the salvage rights?" a Togrutan asked.
"We get to keep ten of the ships provided we can crew them," I replied. "Along with everything that's onboard. Next question."
"Are we sticking as one group or are we splitting up our small fleet?"
"One group," I replied. "The Messenger is the main ship here for a reason. We've got enough ECM gear here to disguise our movements and keep us hidden. But it'll only work if we're all together."
"What do we do if another group is trying to salvage the fleet?"
I sighed as I thought about this one, glancing at the Jedi Knight seated at the table.
"No witnesses," I replied. "We've got a job to do, and we can't do it if a bunch of treasure hunters and other groups are trying to steal it out from underneath us. Now, that can mean that we capture them and hold them until after we've left, or it can mean that we eliminate them. We'll have to determine that when or if we find the fleet."
I waited a few moments for more questions and when none came I stood up.
"You're dismissed, remember to get some rest, we're all gonna be working around the clock on rotation to narrow this down."
Coruscant
"I thank you for being willing to meet with me," Palpatine smiled at the Senator from Kuat and the lawyer that entered behind him. "I believe that I have something that will be of interest to us both."
"And what might that be, Chancellor?" Risi Lenoan asked.
"I believe the Republic is facing interesting times," Palpatine replied. "And that if we desire our beloved Institution to continue, then there are things that should be done."
"Such as?" the Kuati lawyer asked as he took a seat next to Senator Lenoan.
"Such as ensuring that your famed institution becomes the premiere shipbuilder for the Republic. It has become clear to me that Rendili is in support of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and cannot be relied upon," the Chancellor leaned forward. "While they may pay lip service to the Republic, they continue to license their designs and assist in building shipyards among those systems. I know that Kuat can be relied on. And should you assist in the push for this, I will see to it that you are rewarded for such service."
"It will not take much to convince Onara of this," Risi reclined in her chair. "But she will need some reasoning in which to sway the board. This would result in a loss of profits, after all. No matter how temporary they may be."
"There will be no loss in profits," the man grinned. "I am certain of it."
"Let's start getting some details hammered out," the lawyer stepped forward. "Assurances are all fine and good, but we at Kuat deal in contracts."
–
–
The Dark Side of the Force flowed as the Kuati Senator and Lawyer left with no recollection of the details of their meeting. As far as they were concerned, they had just met with the Chancellor to support a bill he had been working on.
"Now," Sidious smirked. "We wait."
Reaching for the terminal before him, Sidious typed a few commands in, creating a bounty for an individual and setting a price that ensured the hunters would pursue it.
"You seem capable, Colonel Hull," Sidious looked at the bounty picture. "Should you survive, you may have a place in my Empire."
With a final push, the bounty contract was set, the glowing lines in Aurebesh showing a large number of credits before the screen winked off.
"Let the tension rise," Sidious murmured as he began to leech the Dark Side Presence from the room. "It is time to prepare for war."
Of course,but also many would-be-assasins.Hull would eventually knew who is targeting him.
Chapter 35
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 35
April 7, 3014/7953CRC Serenno, Serenno system, D'Astan Sector, Outer Rim Territories
"Sarge," a recruit gasped as he came to the end of his run. "I thought we were supposed to be armored cavalry, not infantry."
"If you think that after boot camp that I'm just going to hand you the keys to a Tiger and walk away, then you've got another thing coming," Sergeant Alan Thompson grinned. "All of you have been slacking off in the last few weeks, you've gotten soft. Well, before you ever set foot in a tank you have to prove that you can hack it with the best of the infantry. I learned my lesson the hard way so that you don't have to."
"What lesson is that?" another recruit asked.
"Dismounted ops are a thing, just because you're a tanker doesn't mean you won't have to go clear a building or two. Nowadays, you've got more armor, but back in my day, I had to double up on the front plates to survive. So, yeah, we're making sure that you know how to do both jobs inside and out," Thompson nodded to himself as they started to relax. "Now get moving! We're to be back at base in fifteen. If any single one of you falls behind, you all are going to be taking apart the tank and cleaning it before putting it back together. By hand!"
The platoon bolted off, the recruits putting the shorter and slower members in the front to not leave them behind.
"I should probably catch up to them," Thompson sighed. "Fucking old knees ain't worth shit."
"Everything alright?" Sienn asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah, just getting old," Alan sighed as he eased himself down into a chair by the table. "I've got the kids half convinced I'm invincible though."
"And why is that?" Sienn brought over two plates and sat on Alan's lap before trying to stick her tongue down his throat.
"Well," Alan shifted Sienn over to her own chair. "For one thing, I managed to land you. The rest of it has more to do with me keeping up and performing their exercises better than they can."
"Well, I can show up to help keep the image up if you'd like," the Twi-lek smirked. "The way that they react… It's just fun."
"No," Alan shook his head with a wry grin on his face. "I think you've tortured the young soldiers enough."
"Aww," she pouted.
"You get plenty of opportunities outside of work to mess with people," Alan chuckled. "You'll just have to endure."
"Fine," a fork was pointed at the grizzled old mercenary. "But you have to take me somewhere nice for dinner this week."
"Fair enough," he agreed. "I think Packer and his wife wanted to invite us out anyway. What with the Colonel busy winning hearts and minds across the Outer Rim."
"Not just him," Sienn pointed out as she dropped the teasing tone in her voice. "Your entire unit does a good job at that. Now, I've been meaning to talk to you about a job offer that I got from someone you might know."
"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "And what offer might that be?"
"The guy who's in charge of the Intelligence side of your unit, I think his name is Dunkirk, offered me a spot, and I wanted your opinion before I gave an answer."
"His name is Dunham," Alan laughed. "And he doesn't make job offers lightly. If you think this is the right opportunity, then go for it. I'm stationed here for training purposes unless war breaks out. So I give it another couple of years before I go on active deployments again," he paused in thought. "But ultimately, it's your choice."
"I told him I would think about it," Sienn sipped at her drink. "I want to make this, work. And I'm not willing to do anything that would mess with our relationship right now."
"Take your time," the Sergeant began eating his meal. "Unless Dunham put a time limit on the offer, it's probably good for at least a month if not two."
"I'll have to sleep on it some," the Twi-Lek agreed. "And see if I know anyone else that works with him. I don't want to make a decision like this blindly."
"Sounds like a plan," Alan stood up and groaned. "Speaking of sleep, I'm gonna head off to bed. I'm exhausted."
"How exhausted are you?" Sienn licked her lips. "Too exhausted for some fun beforehand?"
"I'm never too exhausted for that."
"So, nothing yet?" I asked as I stepped onto the bridge of the Messenger, a cup of coffee in hand.
"Just some sensor echoes. Nothing concrete yet, but we're also taking it slow, Don't want to miss something because we sped through it."
"Stop," Knight Tachi stormed onto the bridge. "We need to stop here and wait. If we continue at our current speed, we jeopardize everything."
"Hold up," I cautioned. "I understand that some of you Jedi have foresight. But I'm going to need a bit more to go on than a simple warning. So, is there anything specific that you were warned about?"
"No," the Jedi Knight shook her head. "There are times when the Force is clear, but it was not on this one."
"Then we move forward even slower," I glanced at my comms officer. "Get our escorts on the horn and have them ready to shoot anything that shows up."
"Hear that, Hober, get your gunnery teams on alert."
"I read you," the Sting pilot replied. "We're keeping an eye out."
The bridge grew quiet as we braced for something to happen. Five minutes of silence, then ten, after fifteen minutes of nothing happening, we began to relax, a few people even letting out sighs of relief before a silver blur flashed out of hyperspace in front of us, followed by a golden blur.
"Is that a fucking dragon?" Hober asked after the silver streak continued moving away from the golden blur.
"Aye," I replied after a minute. "And it was chasing a space whale."
"I… Did not believe that the Ether Drake existed," Knight Tachi said after a moment. "There have always been rumors of it, but never any proof."
"Are we good to move again?" I asked after the two giants seemed to move into hyperspace again.
"Yes, we are clear to move forward," Siri responded. "I will inform you of any further premonitions."
"Thanks," I nodded at the Jedi Knight. "I'm not going to promise that we'll do exactly as you recommend, but we'll at least listen and utilize the information."
Author's Note: The Ether Drake is stolen from Stellaris. Rumors of space dragons being a thing are something I think makes sense. They travel mainly through hyperspace, so running into them would be a very rare thing.
April 7, 3014/7953CRC Serenno, Serenno system, D'Astan Sector, Outer Rim Territories
"Sarge," a recruit gasped as he came to the end of his run. "I thought we were supposed to be armored cavalry, not infantry."
"If you think that after boot camp that I'm just going to hand you the keys to a Tiger and walk away, then you've got another thing coming," Sergeant Alan Thompson grinned. "All of you have been slacking off in the last few weeks, you've gotten soft. Well, before you ever set foot in a tank you have to prove that you can hack it with the best of the infantry. I learned my lesson the hard way so that you don't have to."
"What lesson is that?" another recruit asked.
"Dismounted ops are a thing, just because you're a tanker doesn't mean you won't have to go clear a building or two. Nowadays, you've got more armor, but back in my day, I had to double up on the front plates to survive. So, yeah, we're making sure that you know how to do both jobs inside and out," Thompson nodded to himself as they started to relax. "Now get moving! We're to be back at base in fifteen. If any single one of you falls behind, you all are going to be taking apart the tank and cleaning it before putting it back together. By hand!"
The platoon bolted off, the recruits putting the shorter and slower members in the front to not leave them behind.
"I should probably catch up to them," Thompson sighed. "Fucking old knees ain't worth shit."
"Everything alright?" Sienn asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah, just getting old," Alan sighed as he eased himself down into a chair by the table. "I've got the kids half convinced I'm invincible though."
"And why is that?" Sienn brought over two plates and sat on Alan's lap before trying to stick her tongue down his throat.
"Well," Alan shifted Sienn over to her own chair. "For one thing, I managed to land you. The rest of it has more to do with me keeping up and performing their exercises better than they can."
"Well, I can show up to help keep the image up if you'd like," the Twi-lek smirked. "The way that they react… It's just fun."
"No," Alan shook his head with a wry grin on his face. "I think you've tortured the young soldiers enough."
"Aww," she pouted.
"You get plenty of opportunities outside of work to mess with people," Alan chuckled. "You'll just have to endure."
"Fine," a fork was pointed at the grizzled old mercenary. "But you have to take me somewhere nice for dinner this week."
"Fair enough," he agreed. "I think Packer and his wife wanted to invite us out anyway. What with the Colonel busy winning hearts and minds across the Outer Rim."
"Not just him," Sienn pointed out as she dropped the teasing tone in her voice. "Your entire unit does a good job at that. Now, I've been meaning to talk to you about a job offer that I got from someone you might know."
"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "And what offer might that be?"
"The guy who's in charge of the Intelligence side of your unit, I think his name is Dunkirk, offered me a spot, and I wanted your opinion before I gave an answer."
"His name is Dunham," Alan laughed. "And he doesn't make job offers lightly. If you think this is the right opportunity, then go for it. I'm stationed here for training purposes unless war breaks out. So I give it another couple of years before I go on active deployments again," he paused in thought. "But ultimately, it's your choice."
"I told him I would think about it," Sienn sipped at her drink. "I want to make this, work. And I'm not willing to do anything that would mess with our relationship right now."
"Take your time," the Sergeant began eating his meal. "Unless Dunham put a time limit on the offer, it's probably good for at least a month if not two."
"I'll have to sleep on it some," the Twi-Lek agreed. "And see if I know anyone else that works with him. I don't want to make a decision like this blindly."
"Sounds like a plan," Alan stood up and groaned. "Speaking of sleep, I'm gonna head off to bed. I'm exhausted."
"How exhausted are you?" Sienn licked her lips. "Too exhausted for some fun beforehand?"
"I'm never too exhausted for that."
"So, nothing yet?" I asked as I stepped onto the bridge of the Messenger, a cup of coffee in hand.
"Just some sensor echoes. Nothing concrete yet, but we're also taking it slow, Don't want to miss something because we sped through it."
"Stop," Knight Tachi stormed onto the bridge. "We need to stop here and wait. If we continue at our current speed, we jeopardize everything."
"Hold up," I cautioned. "I understand that some of you Jedi have foresight. But I'm going to need a bit more to go on than a simple warning. So, is there anything specific that you were warned about?"
"No," the Jedi Knight shook her head. "There are times when the Force is clear, but it was not on this one."
"Then we move forward even slower," I glanced at my comms officer. "Get our escorts on the horn and have them ready to shoot anything that shows up."
"Hear that, Hober, get your gunnery teams on alert."
"I read you," the Sting pilot replied. "We're keeping an eye out."
The bridge grew quiet as we braced for something to happen. Five minutes of silence, then ten, after fifteen minutes of nothing happening, we began to relax, a few people even letting out sighs of relief before a silver blur flashed out of hyperspace in front of us, followed by a golden blur.
"Is that a fucking dragon?" Hober asked after the silver streak continued moving away from the golden blur.
"Aye," I replied after a minute. "And it was chasing a space whale."
"I… Did not believe that the Ether Drake existed," Knight Tachi said after a moment. "There have always been rumors of it, but never any proof."
"Are we good to move again?" I asked after the two giants seemed to move into hyperspace again.
"Yes, we are clear to move forward," Siri responded. "I will inform you of any further premonitions."
"Thanks," I nodded at the Jedi Knight. "I'm not going to promise that we'll do exactly as you recommend, but we'll at least listen and utilize the information."
Author's Note: The Ether Drake is stolen from Stellaris. Rumors of space dragons being a thing are something I think makes sense. They travel mainly through hyperspace, so running into them would be a very rare thing.
I love the idea. It would definitely fit with the old SW EU. Shame Disney got rid of it all, there were a lot of gems in the EU.
Chapter 36
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 36
Jedi Knight Siri Tachi slowly opened her eyes as she felt a shift in the Force, the ship dropping out of hyperspace simultaneously.
Shifting from her cross-legged meditation stance, she stood up and stretched before opening the door and heading toward the cockpit.
“Knight Tachi,” a crew member greeted her as he adjusted a neck seal before tucking his helmet underneath his arm. “Would you like some assistance getting into something rated for the void?”
“I’m sorry,” the blond raised an eyebrow. “Would you care to explain?”
“We’ve found something,” the crewmate explained. “While not mandatory for normal conditions, if we suspect we might enter combat we’re required to put on our Powered armor or something else rated for space. “We also vent the atmosphere if there’s combat. We’d rather not have to put out fires onboard a ship.”
“I assume that you have something that I can use?” Siri asked.
“Yes ma’am,” the crewmate nodded. “Follow me.”
Turning the corner, the crewmate showed her an armored suit that looked eerily similar to what a Mandalorian might wear, only the helmet marking it as different.
“Thank you,” Siri stripped down to her undergarments and began to pull on the undersuit, then followed the man’s instructions on the proper wear of the armored portions along with the power pack and the oxygen tank.
“You’ve got a carbon scrubber in there, and enough juice for up to fifteen hours of use without an external tank,’ He explained as he handed her the helmet. “All of it’s armored, but I don’t recommend taking fire in one of these unless you have to. And ensure the seals are good, death in a vacuum is one of the worst ways to go.”
“Thank you for your assistance,” Siri inclined her head. “I believe we both have duties to attend to now?”
“Aye, Ma’am,” he chuckled. “I’ll be on my way, Just let the Colonel know if there’s any problems and we’ll do our best to get things straightened out.”
Siri then left the locker room, clipping her lightsaber to the belt and examining the odd helmet, the blue polarization and the wide faceplate seemed out of place. But that was something to consider later. She needed to move to the bridge, immediately.
–
–
“Knight Tachi,” Colonel Hull greeted her, his bearded face looking at the screen before him while his eyes flicked over to her. “I thought we might see you pretty soon.”
“There seems to be a disturbance nearby,” Siri accepted a datapad from the Colonel. “I assume it has something to do with that vessel?”
“Aye,” the man stroked his beard. “It doesn’t match any information we have on ships made in the last thousand years. And it’s definitely not a member of the Katana Fleet. Maybe you have a better idea of what it might be.”
“It seems familiar,” Siri said as she considered the ship. “But I cannot recall where I remember it from.”
“Well, it’s here, and it’s what pulled us out of Hyperspace,” Hull shrugged. “We’re already armored up too, so we might as well check it out.”
“Our Stings might fit into the hangers, but it’ll be tight,” Hober’s voice came in from the comms station.
“It wouldn’t hurt to investigate,” Siri offered. “Anyone else exploring this area will likely be pulled out of Hyperspace as well. And, they will not be as prepared should any dangers be on board.”
“We’ll send the Marines in first,” the Colonel replied. “Let them clear out the landing bay and move on from there.”
“She’s old,” the report came in. “But we’re not seeing anything too crazy here. Just looks like it’s a derelict.”
“I’m gonna come onboard with Knight Tachi and another fireteam,” the Colonel stood up and sealed his helmet. “Start clearing out the rest of the ship.”
“Wilco, sir!” The woman turned and gestured to members of her fireteam. “You heard the Colonel, let’s move!”
“They seem eager,” Siri raised her eyebrow.
“I’m paying them,” Hull chuckled. “And they get hazard pay for this sort of thing even if there wasn’t any combat. Also, they’re trained for this, and the Marines don’t get to do all that much until they’re needed for boarding actions. So they get a bit bored.”
Siri nodded and gestured for the Colonel to lead the way.
—
—
“Welcome aboard,” the fireteam leader greeted them. “So far the ship is dead as a ghost. We’ve got some power resorted to sections, mainly for us to resupply oxygen, but we haven’t found anything else major. There are some destroyed panels, but we haven’t made it far enough in to see anything else clearly.”
“I sense something here,” Siri reached out with the Force, trying to understand the warnings. “I believe the answers we seek are buried within the bowels of the ship.”
“Fireteam One; I want y’all to head for the bridge, we brought some techs with us. Slice into the systems and see what we can get,” Hull commanded. “Fireteam Two, you’re with me and Knight Tachi, let’s see what’s hiding here.”
Author’s Note: Would continue writing, but I’m gonna end it here. I’ve got Hurrican Idalia trying to say hello. Shrugs. Sorry guys, but I wrote most of this chapter before I got home and started prepping. So this is what you get.
Jedi Knight Siri Tachi slowly opened her eyes as she felt a shift in the Force, the ship dropping out of hyperspace simultaneously.
Shifting from her cross-legged meditation stance, she stood up and stretched before opening the door and heading toward the cockpit.
“Knight Tachi,” a crew member greeted her as he adjusted a neck seal before tucking his helmet underneath his arm. “Would you like some assistance getting into something rated for the void?”
“I’m sorry,” the blond raised an eyebrow. “Would you care to explain?”
“We’ve found something,” the crewmate explained. “While not mandatory for normal conditions, if we suspect we might enter combat we’re required to put on our Powered armor or something else rated for space. “We also vent the atmosphere if there’s combat. We’d rather not have to put out fires onboard a ship.”
“I assume that you have something that I can use?” Siri asked.
“Yes ma’am,” the crewmate nodded. “Follow me.”
Turning the corner, the crewmate showed her an armored suit that looked eerily similar to what a Mandalorian might wear, only the helmet marking it as different.
“Thank you,” Siri stripped down to her undergarments and began to pull on the undersuit, then followed the man’s instructions on the proper wear of the armored portions along with the power pack and the oxygen tank.
“You’ve got a carbon scrubber in there, and enough juice for up to fifteen hours of use without an external tank,’ He explained as he handed her the helmet. “All of it’s armored, but I don’t recommend taking fire in one of these unless you have to. And ensure the seals are good, death in a vacuum is one of the worst ways to go.”
“Thank you for your assistance,” Siri inclined her head. “I believe we both have duties to attend to now?”
“Aye, Ma’am,” he chuckled. “I’ll be on my way, Just let the Colonel know if there’s any problems and we’ll do our best to get things straightened out.”
Siri then left the locker room, clipping her lightsaber to the belt and examining the odd helmet, the blue polarization and the wide faceplate seemed out of place. But that was something to consider later. She needed to move to the bridge, immediately.
–
–
“Knight Tachi,” Colonel Hull greeted her, his bearded face looking at the screen before him while his eyes flicked over to her. “I thought we might see you pretty soon.”
“There seems to be a disturbance nearby,” Siri accepted a datapad from the Colonel. “I assume it has something to do with that vessel?”
“Aye,” the man stroked his beard. “It doesn’t match any information we have on ships made in the last thousand years. And it’s definitely not a member of the Katana Fleet. Maybe you have a better idea of what it might be.”
“It seems familiar,” Siri said as she considered the ship. “But I cannot recall where I remember it from.”
“Well, it’s here, and it’s what pulled us out of Hyperspace,” Hull shrugged. “We’re already armored up too, so we might as well check it out.”
“Our Stings might fit into the hangers, but it’ll be tight,” Hober’s voice came in from the comms station.
“It wouldn’t hurt to investigate,” Siri offered. “Anyone else exploring this area will likely be pulled out of Hyperspace as well. And, they will not be as prepared should any dangers be on board.”
“We’ll send the Marines in first,” the Colonel replied. “Let them clear out the landing bay and move on from there.”
“She’s old,” the report came in. “But we’re not seeing anything too crazy here. Just looks like it’s a derelict.”
“I’m gonna come onboard with Knight Tachi and another fireteam,” the Colonel stood up and sealed his helmet. “Start clearing out the rest of the ship.”
“Wilco, sir!” The woman turned and gestured to members of her fireteam. “You heard the Colonel, let’s move!”
“They seem eager,” Siri raised her eyebrow.
“I’m paying them,” Hull chuckled. “And they get hazard pay for this sort of thing even if there wasn’t any combat. Also, they’re trained for this, and the Marines don’t get to do all that much until they’re needed for boarding actions. So they get a bit bored.”
Siri nodded and gestured for the Colonel to lead the way.
—
—
“Welcome aboard,” the fireteam leader greeted them. “So far the ship is dead as a ghost. We’ve got some power resorted to sections, mainly for us to resupply oxygen, but we haven’t found anything else major. There are some destroyed panels, but we haven’t made it far enough in to see anything else clearly.”
“I sense something here,” Siri reached out with the Force, trying to understand the warnings. “I believe the answers we seek are buried within the bowels of the ship.”
“Fireteam One; I want y’all to head for the bridge, we brought some techs with us. Slice into the systems and see what we can get,” Hull commanded. “Fireteam Two, you’re with me and Knight Tachi, let’s see what’s hiding here.”
Author’s Note: Would continue writing, but I’m gonna end it here. I’ve got Hurrican Idalia trying to say hello. Shrugs. Sorry guys, but I wrote most of this chapter before I got home and started prepping. So this is what you get.
Chapter 37
MarkWarrior
Well-known member
Chapter 37
"You're the precog," Colonel Hull gestured at Siri. "Which direction are we headed in?"
"There is something stirring among the ship's reactor," Siri stated after a minute, allowing the Force to whisper in her ear. "But we must be wary, for that is where the darkness lies."
"Ensure your seals are good," the Colonel barked. "And make sure your safeties are off, people. I'm not planning on dying today."
The fireteam checked their own suit's seals before turning to their battle buddies and checking theirs.
"Come here," Colonel Hull waved Siri over. "We don't have any clue what the conditions are like in the rest of the ship if it's been damaged, or if there's even atmosphere at all in some sections."
Siri shuddered for a moment at the thought of being exposed to the vacuum of space while inside a ship and allowed the Marksman's CO to check over her suit's seals, the man signaling with his hand for her to turn so he could check the air tank.
"You're good," the man nodded. "Have you run checks before?"
"Not with your suits, no," Siri replied.
"Alright then," Hull turned. "Rooster, get over here and check my suit! Flirting with your squadmates isn't something I want from you right now."
"Aye sir," the marine walked over and went over the Colonel's suit, patting his shoulder pauldron and giving a thumbs up once he was done. "Everything checks out."
"'The Dwarves tell no tale; but even as mithril was the foundation of their wealth, so also it was their destruction: they delved too greedily and too deep, and disturbed that from which they fled, Durin's Bane,'" Hull murmured quietly as they began moving deeper into the ship, the pitch of his voice fitting the tension that fell over the fireteam.
"What is that from," Siri asked after the Colonel had finished speaking.
"A book series," Hull replied after a moment. "One that set the stage for many tales after it. And I found that quote fitting as we move deeper. The Fellowship didn't know what was going to meet them, and neither do we, but as the darkness grows, so too must the light to combat it."
–
–
"This is Fireteam 1," the report came over the comms. "Bridge is secured, looks like the reactors need a good refuel from here, but the rest of the ship is mostly intact. She probably needs an overhaul, but the Leviathan seems to be in pretty good shape."
"Keep an eye on the systems from there," Hull instructed. "I'll see if we can have an astromech brought up, we might end up trying to limp this thing back home. Some refits, and we'll have another decent ship for our fleet."
"Understood sir, We'll lock her down until we receive further instruction."
Siri moved ahead and opened the next door before igniting her lightsaber, the beam lighting up the dark passage.
"You've got vision modes," the Fireteam lead called out. "Don't use your lights unless you need to, don't give away your position."
In the distance, lights flickered as a shadow passed underneath, a red glow igniting as the figure ignited its lightsaber.
"You trespass!" the dark figure screamed, the force augmenting it and forcing half of the fireteam members to their knees as they held their helmets where their ears would be. "This ship, is mine!"
Siri stepped forward and drove the figure back, the light of her blade revealing that the figure itself was wispy and nearly see-through.
"Begone shade," Siri immersed herself in the Light side of the force, her violet blade shining brightly as she dueled with the figure, shifting into a Soresu stance and deflecting the blades before switching deftly into Ataru, lunging forward and driving the dark back and into the corridor.
"Keep them secure," Colonel Hull commanded the members of the fireteam that were still on their feet. "I'll go back up our precog."
With his rifle in his hands, the CO moved into the next corridor and noted the two combatants locked into combat, their blades clashing and illuminating the whole corridor for moments at a time.
Then Siri shone more brightly than before, her lightsaber coming up in a parry before thrusting itself into the shade's chest, splitting it and causing its lightsaber to fall to the ground with a "snap-hiss" as it shut off.
"The Dark Side will linger for a short time," Siri turned to face the Colonel, showing the burn marks on her armor where the duel had come too close to harming her. "But the ship should be safe to finish exploring."
She nearly collapsed forward before the Colonel caught her, picking her up into a fireman carry and moving back to the fireteam.
"We're all good here," the fireteam leader reported. "Took them a minute, but my team's ready to move forward."
"She says that we should be good to go," Hull indicated the woman unconscious and slung across his back. "But, given what she just fought, I'd rather us wait for her to be back on her feet before we push forward."
"If we're close to the engine room, why not push further into there and bunker down?" The fireteam leader asked. "I'd rather push forward than fall back."
"Colonel Hull, the Tech team and our droids are here," the voice of Fireteam One's leader echoed. "We've got access to the ship's systems and what looks like a pretty comprehensive map. It doesn't account for damages, but I figure it'll be useful."
"Roger that," the Colonel replied. "Give me a few minutes and I'll figure out where we are so you can give us directions."
"Copy that sir, I'll be on standby for when you need assistance."
"Good, you're awake," Hull's voice greeted Siri as she slowly regained consciousness.
"The shade!" Siri's eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up, only to meet Hull's armored gauntlet as it pinned her in place while he glared.
"Easy now," the Marksman pushed her back down onto the pillow. "You got hurt pretty badly, your suit didn't do much, and you've got quite a few burns across your body. You did manage to take out whatever that thing was though."
Siri looked at Hull, reaching out with the Force to see if there were any signs of darkness infesting the rest of the ship or his people.
"We shut off the Interdiction field, and a small group of Marines is going to limp the Leviathan back to Serenno while we push on to the big haul. You've done your part, Knight Tachi. Now get some rest. We've still got a lot of work to do, and I'd hate for you to miss the find of the century."
"I expect to be informed if we come across anything else like that," Siri stated as she allowed herself to finally relax. "Your crew is unable to handle a Dark Side shade such as that. And if I had not been there."
"Then we would have found a way to kill it," Hull countered. "You're not the only one with a fancy laser sword," he indicated a hilt at his side. "And I might not have your magic abilities, but it looked to me like you killed it with a blade. Anyway, get some sleep, we've still got quite a lot to do."
–
–
The Messenger dropped out of hyperspace along with her escorts, the shift rousing Siri and causing the Knight to try and leave the medbay and begin limping toward the bridge.
"I'm pretty sure I told you to stay in bed," the Corpsman growled at the Jedi as she tried to leave.
"You heard, Doc," A marine stood up from his bunk. "He's in charge around here, and no one ignores Doc, not even the Colonel."
"I need to know why we have dropped out of hyperspace," Siri tried to explain.
"You need to get back into that bed, young lady," the grizzled old veteran glared. "You've got second and third-degree burns on various parts of your body. And you're not leaving until they're healed."
"Will you at least ask what has happened?" Siri sat back down on her bed.
"Fine," the corpsman's eyes softened a bit. "I'll see what I can dig up for you. But you don't get to leave until I say so, understand?"
"I understand," Siri nodded, laying her head back down as she chuckled a bit. It seemed there were quite a few people who took their jobs seriously among the Marksman. It was not just the Marines.
"You're the precog," Colonel Hull gestured at Siri. "Which direction are we headed in?"
"There is something stirring among the ship's reactor," Siri stated after a minute, allowing the Force to whisper in her ear. "But we must be wary, for that is where the darkness lies."
"Ensure your seals are good," the Colonel barked. "And make sure your safeties are off, people. I'm not planning on dying today."
The fireteam checked their own suit's seals before turning to their battle buddies and checking theirs.
"Come here," Colonel Hull waved Siri over. "We don't have any clue what the conditions are like in the rest of the ship if it's been damaged, or if there's even atmosphere at all in some sections."
Siri shuddered for a moment at the thought of being exposed to the vacuum of space while inside a ship and allowed the Marksman's CO to check over her suit's seals, the man signaling with his hand for her to turn so he could check the air tank.
"You're good," the man nodded. "Have you run checks before?"
"Not with your suits, no," Siri replied.
"Alright then," Hull turned. "Rooster, get over here and check my suit! Flirting with your squadmates isn't something I want from you right now."
"Aye sir," the marine walked over and went over the Colonel's suit, patting his shoulder pauldron and giving a thumbs up once he was done. "Everything checks out."
"'The Dwarves tell no tale; but even as mithril was the foundation of their wealth, so also it was their destruction: they delved too greedily and too deep, and disturbed that from which they fled, Durin's Bane,'" Hull murmured quietly as they began moving deeper into the ship, the pitch of his voice fitting the tension that fell over the fireteam.
"What is that from," Siri asked after the Colonel had finished speaking.
"A book series," Hull replied after a moment. "One that set the stage for many tales after it. And I found that quote fitting as we move deeper. The Fellowship didn't know what was going to meet them, and neither do we, but as the darkness grows, so too must the light to combat it."
–
–
"This is Fireteam 1," the report came over the comms. "Bridge is secured, looks like the reactors need a good refuel from here, but the rest of the ship is mostly intact. She probably needs an overhaul, but the Leviathan seems to be in pretty good shape."
"Keep an eye on the systems from there," Hull instructed. "I'll see if we can have an astromech brought up, we might end up trying to limp this thing back home. Some refits, and we'll have another decent ship for our fleet."
"Understood sir, We'll lock her down until we receive further instruction."
Siri moved ahead and opened the next door before igniting her lightsaber, the beam lighting up the dark passage.
"You've got vision modes," the Fireteam lead called out. "Don't use your lights unless you need to, don't give away your position."
In the distance, lights flickered as a shadow passed underneath, a red glow igniting as the figure ignited its lightsaber.
"You trespass!" the dark figure screamed, the force augmenting it and forcing half of the fireteam members to their knees as they held their helmets where their ears would be. "This ship, is mine!"
Siri stepped forward and drove the figure back, the light of her blade revealing that the figure itself was wispy and nearly see-through.
"Begone shade," Siri immersed herself in the Light side of the force, her violet blade shining brightly as she dueled with the figure, shifting into a Soresu stance and deflecting the blades before switching deftly into Ataru, lunging forward and driving the dark back and into the corridor.
"Keep them secure," Colonel Hull commanded the members of the fireteam that were still on their feet. "I'll go back up our precog."
With his rifle in his hands, the CO moved into the next corridor and noted the two combatants locked into combat, their blades clashing and illuminating the whole corridor for moments at a time.
Then Siri shone more brightly than before, her lightsaber coming up in a parry before thrusting itself into the shade's chest, splitting it and causing its lightsaber to fall to the ground with a "snap-hiss" as it shut off.
"The Dark Side will linger for a short time," Siri turned to face the Colonel, showing the burn marks on her armor where the duel had come too close to harming her. "But the ship should be safe to finish exploring."
She nearly collapsed forward before the Colonel caught her, picking her up into a fireman carry and moving back to the fireteam.
"We're all good here," the fireteam leader reported. "Took them a minute, but my team's ready to move forward."
"She says that we should be good to go," Hull indicated the woman unconscious and slung across his back. "But, given what she just fought, I'd rather us wait for her to be back on her feet before we push forward."
"If we're close to the engine room, why not push further into there and bunker down?" The fireteam leader asked. "I'd rather push forward than fall back."
"Colonel Hull, the Tech team and our droids are here," the voice of Fireteam One's leader echoed. "We've got access to the ship's systems and what looks like a pretty comprehensive map. It doesn't account for damages, but I figure it'll be useful."
"Roger that," the Colonel replied. "Give me a few minutes and I'll figure out where we are so you can give us directions."
"Copy that sir, I'll be on standby for when you need assistance."
"Good, you're awake," Hull's voice greeted Siri as she slowly regained consciousness.
"The shade!" Siri's eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up, only to meet Hull's armored gauntlet as it pinned her in place while he glared.
"Easy now," the Marksman pushed her back down onto the pillow. "You got hurt pretty badly, your suit didn't do much, and you've got quite a few burns across your body. You did manage to take out whatever that thing was though."
Siri looked at Hull, reaching out with the Force to see if there were any signs of darkness infesting the rest of the ship or his people.
"We shut off the Interdiction field, and a small group of Marines is going to limp the Leviathan back to Serenno while we push on to the big haul. You've done your part, Knight Tachi. Now get some rest. We've still got a lot of work to do, and I'd hate for you to miss the find of the century."
"I expect to be informed if we come across anything else like that," Siri stated as she allowed herself to finally relax. "Your crew is unable to handle a Dark Side shade such as that. And if I had not been there."
"Then we would have found a way to kill it," Hull countered. "You're not the only one with a fancy laser sword," he indicated a hilt at his side. "And I might not have your magic abilities, but it looked to me like you killed it with a blade. Anyway, get some sleep, we've still got quite a lot to do."
–
–
The Messenger dropped out of hyperspace along with her escorts, the shift rousing Siri and causing the Knight to try and leave the medbay and begin limping toward the bridge.
"I'm pretty sure I told you to stay in bed," the Corpsman growled at the Jedi as she tried to leave.
"You heard, Doc," A marine stood up from his bunk. "He's in charge around here, and no one ignores Doc, not even the Colonel."
"I need to know why we have dropped out of hyperspace," Siri tried to explain.
"You need to get back into that bed, young lady," the grizzled old veteran glared. "You've got second and third-degree burns on various parts of your body. And you're not leaving until they're healed."
"Will you at least ask what has happened?" Siri sat back down on her bed.
"Fine," the corpsman's eyes softened a bit. "I'll see what I can dig up for you. But you don't get to leave until I say so, understand?"
"I understand," Siri nodded, laying her head back down as she chuckled a bit. It seemed there were quite a few people who took their jobs seriously among the Marksman. It was not just the Marines.