Star Wars: Age of the Sith

[AceSorcerer]

[fieldbox=Ishua Ken, green, solid, 8, book antiqua]
After about a standard hour and a half and Caretaker had reviewed all submitted inspections, Ishua nodded, heading over to the shipwide communication console.

"All hands on deck! Prepare for vertical takeoff and atmospheric exit in T-minus fifteen standard minutes! Repeat, all hands on deck! Prepare for vertical takeoff and atmospheric exit in T-minus fifteen standard minutes! Once this is complete we will prepare for the jump to hyperspace after we receive our coordinates. Jedi Commander Kuno Delrah and all Jedi personnel are to report to the bridge for communication with Mandalore after geostationary orbit is achieved. The presence of Ensign Keel is also requested."

Looking to Thrice, the Jedi General smirked, sighing. "Better now than never. And when all is said and done, I want you to take Ensign Keel to the starfighter hangar and introduce the pilot and maintenance teams to their new crafts. During this time, inform him of his promotion to a full naval lieutenant and his appointment as starfighter deck officer. His record shows he has expertise with these models of starfighter- I want him where he can best serve us. Other than that, I'll have Caretaker send you the draft of the three-shift duty schedule for your approval. Either way, Thrice, go and give the personnel the order to begin powering up the vertical engines. It's time to go and blow this icy rock before the next planet-wide blizzard. By sheer luck- be it the will of the Force or not- this is our best window to exit the atmosphere for the next month."

Ishua then walked over to the primary viewing screen, looking to one of the sergeants on the bridge. "Sergeant, what data do we have on the updated starmap?"

"Sir, all records are up-to-date. We will, however, need to acquire more specific orbital drift charts for the asteroid belts in the Mid Rim and the Expansion Rim, General."

"Make that a priority, sergeant. Otherwise, resume your post and ensure we have all the correct data punched in to achieve geostationary orbit upon exiting the atmosphere."

"Right away, sir!"

The rank of Jedi Commander was more of a formality compared to that of Jedi General- it put his fellow Jedi Knights on par with Thrice, although they did not have direct authority over him like Ishua did. The padawans and initates were still treated with respect, although they received no such formal rank. The only real thing remaining would be to incorporate the clones into the Allied Armed Forces, but that would be paperwork for a later time. For now, when all the lights went green, the Jedi Consular nodded, standing in the center on the bridge as all was ready.

"Prepare for vertical takeoff! Begin ignition on my mark! Five... four... three... two... one! Engage vertical engines and stabilizing thrusters, let's get off this rock!"

After a short amount of time, the ship began to shake and rise, various personnel strapped in and hold onto the railings, the frigate well into the air within minutes. Once geostationary orbit was achieved there was a universal sigh of relief and clapping, the commanding officer coming onto the communications system once more.

"Congratulations, everyone- we've achieved orbit. Here comes the tricky part- I want engineering personnel to begin a supplemental inspection of the hyperdrive and have it sent to Engineering Officer Delrah as soon as possible. After he gives the order, begin preparing for the jump to hyperspace. We will have our coordinates to input shortly."

Circling around the holocommunicator, Ishua and his fellow Jedi contacted Mandalore once more, the masked leader speaking up.

"Mandalore speaking. Is that you, General Ken?"

"Yes, it's me. We've gotten the Sojourn up and running well within functioning standards. It looks like she may need some replacement parts according to the initial diagnostics, but nothing serious- mostly just pieces for living quarters and the cafeteria."

"I'm glad to hear that. We're rendezvousing on Naboo in Theed- the Jedi Council and Galactic Command will be meeting todiscuss our new plans. I think good news such as this will be a welcome break from the ordinary. You should be fine with placing your ship in orbit- I'll be concealing my fleet accompaniment in a nearby system in case of emergency, as will some of our allies. I would like you to bring a small clone detachment as well as your regimental commander to appear before Council and Command to assist in answering any questions they may have."

"Yes, Mandalore. Is there anything else?"

"No, not that I'm aware of. I look forward to meeting you in person, Ken. Mandalore out."
[/fieldbox]

@Dipper @Jamesyco

 

[Princess Rose]

Adahla's fingers flew across the terminal before her. "Up right now Ishua." She said as she shifted where the display was before Ishua. She folded her arms over her chest. "Looks like there is very minor damage, mainly things from hundreds of years of sitting without use." She looked over at Dennis. "I feel this path is the one you need to be on. However this is your path to decide." She stepped closer to him and leaned up on her tippy toes, "It's perfectly natural to be excited." She stepped back with a wide smile on her lips. "If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me." She walked over to Ishua and listened to him. Her eyes floated over to Dennis. She prepped herself for takeoff. The lurch of the ship made her stomach slightly upset. She got better bearings once they were in orbit. She took a deep breath and walked back to the command center typing as quickly as she possibly could. "Looks like the reactor is holding right now." She for a moment, she needed to clear her mind. Something tickled at her conscious, her eyes snapped to Ishua.

 

[Dipper]

Orbital missions aside, most of Thrice's campaigns had been fighting Seppies in the dirt, not Sith in the stars. As eager as he was to get this mission underway, he had a certain impression to keep up; Thrice maintained a carefully wrought mask of professional indifference, the mask being his rigid posture and the alert tilt of his helmet, hiding the tense set of his jaw. Anyone with a close association with clones would easily pick apart the subtleties to find a man who'd been off the field for far too long, and was now developing a tic.

They ought to have worked those out before they left the tank. Tics like that could drive a man insane. His hands clenched and relaxed at his side to relieve the lingering tension from the stasis pod.

Thrice gave a subdued 'yessir', as if he wasn't too pleased to be leaving the bridge at all, much less about being sent on a mission to find an Ensign. He was a Regimental Commander, not a messenger. Nevertheless, orders were orders, and Thrice would follow them regardless of his personal feelings.

Ensign Keel. He couldn't fit a face to the name. With a sigh, Thrice relayed the order to the sergeant down in the engine room - CT-1340, he believed - before setting off to find this Ensign and inform him of his advancement.

Ah, there he was. Thrice approached him.

"Ensign Keel?" His helmet tilted, and part of him hoped he got the name right. "General Ken wishes me to inform you of your advancement. As of now, you've been granted the rank of Lieutenant." He paused, took a breath. "If you'd follow me to the hangar, we can get you situated."

Off the bridge were a series of corridors, lit by rectangular illumination banks and sloping maintenance tubes for repair droids. Durasteel placards lined the wall with directions in proper aurebesh. Engine room, docking port, hangar-- there. The pilots had scrubbed the shuttles and snubfighters until they were pristine and shining beneath the floodlights. The men themselves were up and about, putting their time to good use with making sure the hangar was in good condition, all while checking through the list of flight simulations-- unfamiliar, but very useful flight simulations.

No doubt an inferior series of gunships and fighters, these ships, but it was looking like they'd have to do. What a shame.

"Commander? The men are ready for a full inspection." As jubilant as always, Deadbolt passed Thrice the full list of pilots and mechanics assigned to the hangar. "They're not Republic, sir, but they'll do."

"They're already settling in, aren't they?"

"Oh, sure, sir. Don't ask me where they got the paint." Deadbolt chuckled.

Thrice went over the list and marked it for approval before handing it back to Deadbolt, who promptly scurried off to log each change to the shuttles, then moved onto the more important duty schedules.

At least the droid knew what it was doing. Maintenance checks, staff inspections, a list of assignments for the navigation officers on the bridge, shift rotations... He altered them just enough to allow a bit of adjustment for the ground troops, making room for mandatory drills to keep their minds sharp.

If he could, getting the other Jedi to run drills with them would do wonders for cooperation and preparation. Somehow he doubted many would be willing, but still. It'd do wonders for their morale.

@Jamesyco

 

[Jamesyco]

He looked back at the man in the helmet, a clone, and nodded, "Following you." He had no idea what rank he was, the armor of a clone is usually identical, except for the individuals markings and extra equipment, but he didn't know that signified anything.

His eyes traveled as they did, "Your older ships, the Acclamator series, they were built like these, but these are several generations of ships after yours. Slightly larger, just with better shielding and the bridge is closer to the hull." His voice spoke with an interested tone, "But sadly, they are outclassed in the modern day.

He looked at the clone, before looking into the hanger, seeing all that of which he controlled, a few of his pilots, plus pilots from the clone ranks. "These ships, they are old, most don't have shielding, but..." his eyes trailed over several of them, "The smaller black ones are the better fighter, then A-wing, then the taller ones that are black are the slowest, and least armor. The bombers are good as well as the shuttles." his eyes moved over the grouping, "the smaller shuttles, delta's I believe, we could re-purpose them if given enough time and supplies."

As soon as he was in his environment, "Well I see you have found ships that fit you as a person, but try to keep darker colors, blues, blacks, purples. But these are not republic ships yes, they come after you like the ship we are in, they are from the Galactic Empire." He continued walking through the hanger, "if you need to know the controls for these ships I can teach you, the A-Wings and shuttles will be more like what you have flown, the other tie star fighters, and planetary fighters are what some of you may need help with. Do not be afraid of questions, do not let your pride take over."

He took a deep breath as the smaller things in the hanger were set in place, and a few new paints came out, "Also... If any of you wish to I can see in I can modify the ships a little... the ties can't much, but the A-Wings are more versatile."

 

[Akashi]

DARTH ZERAN
@AceSorcerer @Angelic Fusion @Chris_Reaper
​

His apprentice was much more than eager to get things rolling. The Shyrack Cave was a place that would test her merit. Zeran noticed Kalaxa disappearing, taking a different path towards their destination itself. There was a lot on the Sith's mind on his way there. There was the Jedi, the Confederation and Attrocitus.

It did not take long for him to arrive by the entrance to the Shyrack Cave. Standing before it, his eyes moved over to his apprentice, Kalaxa. "The creatures inside.. They will serve well in your training." Taking a step forward, he remembered his own training, and how rigorous and painful it was, but in the end, it was worth it.

"Let's head inside." Zeran walked forward, entering the cave. It was gritty, it was dark. There were cracks in the walls, that allowed the light to paint the path before them. There was rustling, and water drops that echoed throughout the silent place. Once they got deeper, it became more apparent that any minute now, a horde of Shyrack would arrive.

Having been here before, Zeran used the force in the past to trap a bunch of them for this particular day. It was huge, it was wide, Zeran and Kalaxa were standing in the middle. The terrain was somewhat mountain-like. "They'll be coming for us.. For you.."

"Very soon." The Sith explained, gazing at his apprentice. After a moment, the creepy noise inside the cave became louder, as if somthing was trying to break to a wall. Extending his hand, his palm in its direction, he used the Force to destroy the part that kep the Shyrack at bay. And here they were, coming straight for the both of them.

"Take care of them, Kalaxa." Having said that, he removed himself from the place, and stood on higher grounds in the cave. One or two may come for him, but the rest were going directly towards Kalaxa. As her own training began, there was an eerie shift in air. He gazed up, towards the ceiling, where another crack, that allowed some of the light get in. The Force was gathering in one place. His dark, red and yellow eyes squinted behind his mask. 'Jedi.'

Surely, his master, the Dark Lord must've sensed this as well. After his apprentice was done taking care of the pests in the cave, he'd have to speak to Lord Magus.

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Kalaxa
@AceSorcerer
@Akashi

The moment the wall separating the creatures from the pair fell, the girl was no longer to be seen. Force leaping up with the grace of a Feline predator the young woman Spider Walked across the ceiling as she watch the Shyracks begin to swarm into the cave. Zeran had made his motives clear and was at a place a decent distance from her. Luckily enough, the Shyracks were blind and likely much like herself relied on sound to find their prey. With Zeran's movements the Shyracks focused on him in their entirety. Silently Kalaxa crawled on the ceiling before taking her daggers out from their sheathes. Standing up so just her feet stuck to the ceiling she put her arms out.

Shyracks screaming towards Zeran she wondered if she should let her Master deal with the threats. The thought made her smirk but she noticed his mind seemed to be else where. Kicking off the roof of the cave she came down directly on top of one of the creatures and drove the two daggers into the carapace of it. The blades sliced through like butter and soon she was standing in front of her master, eyes and arms starting to spark with electricity. She felt rage swell up but suddenly her mind cleared as she felt peace in the actions of protection. Taking a breath the air around her seemed to become almost like soup... palpable before the woman's hair stood up and began to float with the electricity in the air.

The two different archings of electricity began to flow down her arms from her torso, one purple and the other yellow and green. Eyes closed she felt the variations in the force arching from the two different sides of her body. The sudden inversion of Force Lightning and Electrical Judgement shocked the girl but she didn't seem to let her mind travel into a meditative state on this sudden anomaly.

Dagger in hand a shyrack pack flew directly towards her and Zeran making her lash out and drive the dagger straight into the mouth of the creature. Blood pours from its mouth she twisted the dagger and exhaled out feeling the creature pass. Within a millisecond a pulse of yellow electricity poured through her right arm into the mouth of the Shyrack before beginning to Arch to the others in the pack coming towards them. Letting go of the dagger she closed her fist and ripped her hand back out causing the sudden surge of Electric Judgement to shoot out of the Shyrack and into all those in her immediate vicinity. The electricity coursed through nearly a dozen of the creatures, their screams filling the cavern before Kalaxa raised her other hand causing purple force lightning to erupt and silence their wailing.

Biting her lip the echoes of their screaming filled her mind. Seeing things unlike a normal person... she felt and saw the very essence of the creatures and the results of her actions upon their life forces. Taking a breath she knew it wasn't over as she heard more screaming from the entrance her master made. Leaping down she put her hands out and began to turn and twist them causing the rocks that her master dislodged to begin to rise up into their place. Fitting together like puzzles pieces she didn't move at all even as several rogue Shyracks began to dive down on her.

Their appearance wasn't surprising to the girl but she began to get angry. She didn't understand why the creatures couldn't see that she was trying to preserve them. Gritting her teeth the wall seemed to crack and grind into place suddenly as a surge of anger warped the girl. "You stupid creatures!" Kalaxa shouted putting her hand up towards one of them. The dagger she buried in one of the Shyracks suddenly burst from its corpse and lodged itself into the face of one of the oncoming creatures.

The two remaining creatures continued their dive but were met by a clap from the girl. Force Gripping the two creatures and clapping her hands together caused them to slam together with such force that the cave suddenly became covered in gore from their explosion. Eyes staring up she couldn't see the mess but she sure felt like a mess. Her mind was ringing and she felt torn between two different mindsets. Raising her hands the electric inversion that was once there was gone and she felt the peace she had returning once more. Mind clearing and anger subsiding fast the Woman turned towards Zeran covered in Shyrack entrails "What is next Master." Looking down for a moment she felt light headed before grumbling. Taking a step she fell onto one of her knees. She was a strong in the force but she overexerted herself... or maybe it was the gashes in her arm bleeding badly. A flash image of the Shyrack she impaled clamping down on her arm shot into her head and the pain flared into reality.

​

 

[BlueFlameNikku]

Dennis continued to hold his tongue as Adahla spoke aloud and then to him. He listened attentively and as he was reassured that it was alright that he was excited his smile grew into a more genuinely soft expression of joy. He nodded his head in understanding before accompanying the majority of the other jedi and higher command aboard the ship after reaching orbit as Ishua communicated with Mandalore. Naboo huh...never been. The initiate wondered aimlessly in his head.

Now seemed like a fairy decent time as any to ask Adahla some questions. He casually turned to face her where she sat as he stood but continued to speak in a formal manner. Anyone who really knew the real Dennis Celwick would know that at heart he is a much more relaxed individual but on the account of not being very familiar with most of the people he's been around more recently in the last year he's retained a formal attitude toward most things. "Master Pha, I do..." He seems to stop himself from being overly repetitive for a moment before saying something else instead. "This path of the Guardian, what does it entail? If I am to choice what path to walk shouldn't I know what these paths hold? Such a path was never brought up...well...my apologies no path was every brought up to me so I am without knowledge." "At the very least if those cannot be answered...why do you feel this is my path to walk?" The last sentence trailing off slightly with a softer tone, becoming lost at the end.

He wasn't sure whether the Jedi Knight was aware of his "curse" as he would call it at this point in regards to his issues with the force. To Dennis it always felt like he was trying to unlock a door without a key. His memories went to that of seeing Padawans and even other Initiates that had more control than himself even though they were years younger than him. He clenched his fist frustratingly at this but quickly calms himself in a mere moment after taking a slow breath.

 

[Rae]

[fieldbox="Kana Acula - Jedi Guardian, #396, dashed, 10, Trebuchet MS"]

After ensuring the safe transport and storage of all the equipment, as well as making sure their new friends didn't do anything overtly suspicious, Kana inputted their inventory into the ship's data log, being sure to note what still needed replenishing and what could be spared. Upon being called to the bridge, she looked at her padawan companion with a slight smile. "You did well, Arvana. Your master would be pleased, I think." Although the task had been relatively simple, it was the small accomplishments that truly defined a person. If the padawan could be trusted with this, she could likely be trusted with something more difficult in the future. It was an ideology that had yet to fail the Jedi Knight.

She led the way to the bridge, finally taking time to admire the Sojourn. It was a quality frigate, all things considered, and she personally couldn't wait to get her hands on some of the weapons they had found. Although she tried to hide it, she always had a bit of an obsession with thermal detonators and the like. She was far less inclined to show her obsession than Kuno, that much was certain. Regardless, she'd have to wait until they were in hyperspace to do anything. As soon as they stepped onto the bridge, Kana couldn't help but frown. She was still irritated at Ishua for his particular sense of naive smugness. She would have to talk to him more about it later.

Right now, she was more concerned with getting the hell off this ice pit.

The take-off was relatively easy, occurring without any major hitches. That, at least, was a blessing. After receiving their heading from Mandalore, Kana took it upon herself to approach Ishua, fully intending to discuss the clone situation with him. What actually happened, however, was much different. Whether fear or a sense of loyalty to the Enlightenment, she could not tell. Likely the latter, as she had known Ishua long enough to feel no apprehension towards speaking her mind to him. Or, perhaps, deep down, she knew she was being overly paranoid. "I've got our inventory in the ship's main data log, but I already know what needs replenishing. Food, obviously, as almost nothing in that base had survived the past 200 years. Medical supplies would be nice, but we have enough for now. Weapons, ships, and everything else is fully stocked, although it is yet unclear how many of the weapons and ships are in working condition. I can personally oversee the weapons, if you don't mind." Damn it all, she would have much rather bitten his head off...just a bit.
[/fieldbox]

 

[AceSorcerer]

[fieldbox=Darth Magus, red, solid, 8, book antiqua]
The room was sealed, the energy of the Dark Side flowing through the room. The Dark Lord sat meditating, the Sith listening to thirteen different holocrons that floated in the air with him. However, all fell to the floor as Darth Magus fell to his feet. He breathed heavily, his mask laying on the ground as his breath was raspy and hesitant a flash of red skin visible before the hood and mask were returned to their positions. A sudden shift in the Force brought the Dark Lord to his feet, having him walk over to the holoconsole to the left of the room. After punching in some commands, the image of a Sith Lieutenant came on the projector, bowing to the Dark Lord.

"It is an honor to speak with, Lord Magus. I am Lieutenant Mana. How may I assist you?"

"Is the Obisidian still in orbit?"

"Allow me to check, My Lord... yes, it is currently in geostationary orbit above the Sith Academy's private spaceport."

"Patch me through to Command Admiral Tekartha immediately, then inform Darth Zael and his apprentice, along with Darth Attrocitus, to come to my throne room immediately."

"Yes, My Lord. I am patching you through to Command Admiral Tekartha. All hail the Sith."

The time had come.
[/fieldbox]

 

[Starlighter]

[fieldbox='Arvana Tarron, DarkRed'] Arvana faced Kana and bowed, honoured by her praise. "Thank you Master Acula; it was a pleasure to assist you." She took several steps to follow Kana, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the Clones who had been assigned under her earlier. Reminded of Kuno's advice when they had parted ways, she turned to approach them. She gave a graceful nod and bow to each, expressing her thanks and appreciation for a job well done. With that said, she strode quickly for the exit and made her way to the bridge.

Moving with a swift grace that swept her robes out around her, she arrived shortly after Kana and took her place slightly apart from the two Jedi Masters. She inclined her head to them both and then folded her hands into her sleeves. She relaxed on a long exhale, allowing her mind and body to flow in tandem with the Force to easily maintain balance and stability in her stance, though take off was smooth enough that her focus was hardly warranted.

Unsure of whether Master Ken wished her to rejoin her Master or if he had other instructions in mind, she patiently waited in silence for the two Masters to conclude their exchange. In so doing, her attention was briefly captured by Master Pha and Initiate Celwic in conversation.

She almost smiled, drawn back in memory to when she had been young and so lacking in knowledge of the Force, blurting out every question the moment it popped into her head. It had occurred slowly, so she couldn't say when it was that she had begun to ponder things that drew her curiosity before bringing her thoughts into conversation with her Master. It was calming to reflect on how such energy could become the fuel for so much growth and learning.

But more interestingly, she wondered if these were the kinds of things a Master might meditate on to expand their own knowledge, looking back on others in the same place as they once occupied. Intrigued, she mentally reminded herself to meditate on it later if given the chance.
[/fieldbox]

 

[~\The Talentless/~]

[fieldbox="Kuno Delrah, gold, solid"]

Kuno walked right into the hanger, but before making it a few feet past the hangar door, a voice spoke over the ship's speakers. "All jedi report to the bridge"

Kuno stopped dead in his tracks and spun right around to go back through the door "Oh, Come on!"

---------------------------------10 standard minutes later---------------------------------


Kuno stood at the bridge watching as the engineers started up the ship and getting it into the air, everything worked smoothly, it made him smile at the thought that he was one of the main reasons this ship was functional. This was like his child now, a really, really big baby.

Ishua assigned Kuno to getting the hyperdrive to be functional, there was some radio chatter on the topic with the engineers, and soon he got the exact diagram of the core for the hyperdrive on his holoprojector, Kuno zoomed into the device and collapsed the core diagram, seeing that everything was intact, he gave the okay.

"Slowly start her up, don't want to put too much stress on it all at once." He spoke over the comms, then looked to Ishua who was at the point of the bridge. "Commander, the drive is all set, should be ready to fire in about five minutes give or take" Kuno said before noticing that his padawan was in the same room, he smiled once his eyes met hers, and then walked up to Arvana and Jedi Kana.

"Ah I'm guessing things went smoothly Jedi Kana, should be nice knowing that we have enough stock for this ship to keep us alive, and I hope my padawan here was as helpful as she could be" he spoke, Kuno knew that Arvana was helpful, but he always liked hearing others say how bright she was. Kuno then turned to Arvana and spoke softly.

"I'm guessing you picked out a good interceptor, my device was receiving the signal" Kuno started "I can't tell you how excited I am to get started, I made some schematics a while back for a ship variant of the T.I.E ships, the interceptor has the best drive for it." He said babbling on like an idiot, he was just so excited to get it started "And maybe we can have darkshine work on it with us, that'll be fun" Kuno added. He then looked over to Kana, and then back to Arvana "So, anyone want to help me out in the hanger?" He asked the both of them.

@Starlighter @AceSorcerer @kimsim12

[/fieldbox]

 

[AceSorcerer]

[fieldbox=Ishua Ken, green, solid, 8, book antiqua]
"Lieutenant, contact the Naboo Defense Force and inform them of our arrival and request for supplies. They'll want to know the class of our ship so that they don't shoot us out of orbit. Other than that, get on the intercom- announce the crew to prepare for the jump to hyperspace in T-minus six minutes."

Acknowledging his commands, the lieutenant relayed the orders to those responsible before broadcasting the orders to the remainder of the ship. Turning around and looking to his fellow Jedi, the Jedi Consular spoke up, looking to all of them after the ship jumped to hyperspace. The ship shook somewhat during the initial hyperspace jump as parts of the ship that had gone unused for decades sprang to life and went crazy as the ship went faster than light. With a series of chairs nearby, at a small briefing table near the holo-projector, the Jedi General invited his fellow Jedi Knights and the apprentices to sit with him.

"Do you sense it? Over two hundred Jedi will be in Theed for this meeting of the Jedi Council- it will be one of the biggest gatherings of Jedi since the Confederation was established. There is a very high chance that the Sith will send agents to attack the gathering, so there is a very real chance that the apprentices may have to fight a Sith lightsaber-to-lightsaber. Because while we can hide our presence in the Force in small groups like this one, it is almost impossible to hide the presence of large groups of those sensitive in the Force- so while the Jedi there may be strong, it can also serve as a target. Whatever you do, do not let your senses blind you. In the end, I have faith that we're all going to be alright."
[/fieldbox]

 

[Dipper]

The silver streaks of stars streamed by, and suddenly Thrice felt at ease. He knew then these Jedi meant business. Of course, he had never doubted, simply wondered if they truly knew what they were doing. They seemed... inexperienced. Unaccustomed to war, despite what they'd said. A Confederacy, not of Systems, but of Sith. And Sith, nasty bastards that they were, were not something he was experienced with fighting.

Thrice rubbed the back of his neck where his bucket met his undersuit. He'd done his best to release the tension of two hundred years of complete immobility, but there was still a lingering ache in his muscles. The kind he got from too much sleep on a comfortable bed.

Ah, comfortable beds. He could do without 'em.

Now, with everyone at their stations and ready to go at a moment's notice, Thrice realized something. They had yet to run any drills, they'd done nothing to really get them in gear. And the Jedi, well, maybe it would do them good to see his men in combat. A trust building exercise, so to speak.

Thrice clicked his comm. "Strafe? Get a contingent of troopers down to the hangar."

"Are we doing drills, sir?"

Strafe knew him too well. The Commander grinned. "That we are, Major."

"Good idea, sir." Over the comm, Thrice heard a couple of clicks and some rushed orders to someone he couldn't see. "I'll be down there shortly, Commander. With the men."

Thrice tapped his helmet just loud enough that the sound would hit his comm, an acknowledgement that any seasoned trooper would understand.

The pilots received orders directly from him. Shuttle pilots were to prepare their ships for a real simulation-- troopers in the hold to test the ship's stability. Snub pilots would form a patrol ring around the ship. And... hold on... Thrice squinted, wondering if his eyes were failing him. He wouldn't be the first to lose his eyesight to blaster flare and age. He put the pilots on hold and walked to the back of the hangar, where several very familiar gunships were situated.

LAAT/is. Thrice almost choked.

One of the pilots spoke up behind him, a smile in his voice. "Isn't it great, sir? Not as many as we need, but they'll do."

"Why didn't anyone alert me to this?" Thrice asked. "I should have been notified."

At least the pilot had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry, sir. We, uh, wanted to surprise you. Won't happen again."

"Yes, make sure it doesn't."

"Oh, but, sir, we did decide to hold off on assigning them. We figured... you'd want to decide who was flying those beauties."

They were patient, at least. Kamino hadn't trained them to be otherwise. The LAAT/is were a favorite among troopers and pilots alike, despite their clunky appearance. They handled wonderfully, their armaments were impressive, and their holds could carry a good sized squad in and out of any hot zone.

He tore his gaze away from the gunships to look back at the pilot. "Where're Auto and Match?"

"Painting, sir," the pilot said.

"Of course... Get back to work, trooper. I'll call on you if I need to."

The pilot saluted before turning back to his work on the TIE.

Storm was no doubt fiddling with one of the shuttles that was not his, while the other two must be trying to recreate their gunships with the fighters. That meant bright green and blue, and probably a twi'lek or two. Thrice sighed. He tuned into their personal comm frequencies and sent a burst of static to grab their attention. He ordered them to assemble by the gunships, where he promptly assigned each to a LAAT/i.

He could see the excitement, despite the rigid postures and helmets. They may be subtle, but every clone had his tells.

"Get these ships out and wait for my signal. Did the Major already brief you?"

"On the drills?" Storm nodded. "Yessir."

"Good. Storm, I'll ride with you." He turned to Match and Auto. "Strafe sent troopers down. Get them to the shuttles."

They had their orders. With the troops sent down by the Major packing into the transports, the pilots and their fighters streamed out of the hangar in an orderly line. The fighters formed a tight defensive circle around the shuttles, as per drill protocol. Thrice, standing behind Strafe, began to relay orders to begin the drill.

 

[Chris_Reaper]

@AceSorcerer @Akashi

Trevvin Katar and the rest of his mercenaries milled about their transport freighter doing usual checks and maintenance on the interior and exterior of the moderate size vessel. One of the mercs comes up beside Katar, looking apprehensive.

"So where is his dark majesty anyway?" says the merc.

Katar slightly grins beneath his helmet "Looking a tad jumpy aren't we Crofis?"

"The sooner we get off this red tainted rock the better. Furthermore, what are we are going to tell Kyvan?" says Crofis.

"About what, my dear Crofis?" says Attrocitus, seemingly appearing out of nowhere behind the two mercenaries.

Katar steps back, startled by the Sith Lord's sudden appearance "What in the name of all Mandalore happened to you?" he says taking stark notice of the dried blood streaks under Attrocitus' eyes.

Attrocitus smirks beneath his black hood as he steps closer to the Mandalorian, his greater height clearly overtaking the presence of the lead mercenary "I simply had a moment of introspection, no need to concern yourself."

"Who said I was..." says Katar.

The Sith Lord slightly narrows his hollow eyes "I sense something troubles you Katar. Tell me, my wayward mercenary...what is on your mind?"

"I'll tell you what's on my mind! The fact that Crofis is right...disposing of two of my best men was never in our deal! Kyvan won't take to kindly to that and neither do I, you shiny eyed piece of Bantha spit! Your almighty Dark Lord isn't here now to protect you is he?" says Katar.

Attrocitus immediately seizes Katar by the throat and lifts him off the ground with one arm "Be mindful of who you are talking to! How many times must you mental parasites be reminded of that! You will show the proper respect for your Sith superiors!"

The other mercenaries quickly draw their weapons and train them directly on the Sith Lord..."Let him go freak!" shouts Crofis, his own plasma rifle aimed at Attrocitus' head.

"You see that Attrocitus...that's called loyalty. It's something you Sith wouldn't know the first thing about!" says Katar as struggles against the Sith's choke hold.

Attrocitus couldn't help but flash a devious grin. He had to admit he admired this mercenary's guts and his men's loyalty to him was indeed impressive. But before he could take anymore action, he spots a contingent of Sith guardsmen approaching the group. He looks back at Katar "Perhaps your right Mandalorian."

He releases his death grip and Katar drops to the ground like a stone. Attrocitus casually turns around to face the barrels of the many weapons aimed directly at him "So what are you waiting for...open fire if you will. Surely your under no delusions that you can possibly leave Korriban alive without me, are you?"

The rest of the mercs stand hesitant, but look over to Katar, still on the ground. He silently gives them a gesture with his hand which signals them to stand down. Slowly they ease their weapons to their sides.

"That's a good pack of dogs..." says Attrocitus with arrogance.

At that moment the Sith Guardsmen reach the group, their shiny black armor reflecting Korriban's blood red sky "Is there a problem here?" asks the head Lieutenant.

"Why no problem at all...is their my dear Katar?" says Attrocitus, his menacing stare bearing down on the merc.

Katar stands to his feet, his head slightly tilted downward as if by shame "That's right my Lord."

"Yes well, we've been sent to retrieve you Lord Attrocitus. Admiral Tekartha has been contacted and Lord Magus wants to you back at the Grand Palace this instant." says the Lieutenant.

"But of course...you and your men continue to prep the transport Katar until I return. Than hopefully our mission to Tattooine with commence without further delay. Carry on..." says Attrocitus as he leaves with the Sith Guardsmen to return to Lord Magus' grand palace.

"Just give us the word Trevvin and we'll gladly deliver his head back to Kyvan." says Crofis as both he and Katar look on after the departing Sith.

"There's a time and place for everything Crofis. Trust me, his will come...his will come with a vengeance."

 

[Jamesyco]

Jorin sighed softly as he was elsewhere in the ship, mainly because he was hungry and he had left up the sorting of the hanger and fighters to a first Sargent Major clone to do so. He had heard there was a drill in the section he had and he lifted himself up as one of his non clone underlings moved up to him.

"Sir, we have a drill going on, one of the clone ranked is running one in the hanger." Jorin sighed deeply, and started walking from the room as soon as he had heard, "Then let us go find this confusion, I know they are all brothers but they must be ordered and stocked before they are they are flight ready, the ships in there are old, some as old as them... They will have probably had some time out of maintenance and before they fly I wish to personally inspect each one." he said as he walked through the hallways, towards the hanger.

As soon as he reached, he noticed they did look better, and most that were painted had clones in or around them, mainly the LAATs, "Someone tell me what is going on."

And the one who brought him news held his hand up towards the one, a clone @Dipper whom he immediately started towards, "Clone, what are you doing?" he asked as he looked around, "This isn't the time for drills with these ships yet, they have sat for long times without care, or maintenance. I am checking their quality and state, and organizing the hanger. Finding parts, and other materials for the ship if they are in need of maintenance. Now I know you have not been awake in consciousness for some time, but you must understand, this ship also needs it drilling, and the ships inside it if we are not all to die in a fiery hell, if you wish to train hold drills of the basics while I finish preparations and find tactics that we can properly use with this dated equipment." his eyes meeting him almost directly, he wasn't mad, but he wanted to know why his range of expertise were thrown out, so in terms of the modern day, he was lightly salted.

 

[Rae]

[fieldbox="Kana Acula - Jedi Guardian, #396, dashed, 10, Trebuchet MS"]

Jumping to hyperspace went smoother than expected, much to Kana's relief. Although she didn't know much about ships in particular (having more expertise in weapons), she knew well enough that two centuries of misuse was enough to cause doubt. Still, the stars went by at impossible speed, a tunnel of light surrounding them as they sped through hyperspace. She quickly followed Ishua to the briefing table, taking the seat to his left. When he mentioned the Jedi gathering on Naboo, she tensed reflexively. Of course she had sensed it, and it unnerved her more than anything else in that moment.

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of morbid excitement. If the Confederation followed them to Naboo, she'd a have her first real chance at retribution for her family and her friends from so long ago. The anger that surged within her darkened her expression slightly for a mere moment before she stifled it back down. She was a Jedi, not a Sith. She could not allow herself to fall before hatred like those bastards did. She'd be damned if she did. More importantly, there were apprentices nearby, and the last thing she wanted was to taint their training in some way. While the new Jedi Code gave them more freedom, they were still to respect life, and Kana would be lying to herself if she didn't relish in the idea of cutting down Confederation dogs.

Setting her jaw, she crossed her arms and nodded in response to Ishua's last comment. "Of course we'll be alright. They've tried to wipe us out before, but they will fail every time. As long as there is Darkness, there will always be Light." She was, of course, referring to the idea that the Force could never be wholly dominated by Light or Dark at any one point. While she was not a practitioner of the Dark Side methods, she had certainly considered the idea. Of course, that meant that as long as there was Light, there would always be Darkness. But, if she had anything to do with it, the Confederation wouldn't last. If all else failed, Kana would drag them down to Hell with her.
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[Princess Rose]

Adahla stepped away from the control panel and motioned for Dennis to follow her towards the housing quarters. "I look at you Dennis and I see myself." She had her hands behind her back and her Jedi robes flowed around her. "My path, which I hope will be yours as well, is not one like the Sentinels or the Counselors. We do not always rely on our sabers when it comes to a battle. There are other things to use, like blasters or a staff. Our minds like to travel to other solutions instead of using a saber to cut down a door we work with the technology and manipulate it. We don't run blindly into a battle, we like to find out weaknesses things we can use to our advantage. Defensive is more the style of our saber battles. That, however, is not to say we do not know how to go offensive." She looked up at him with a smile on her lips. "I know about your issue and that can be worked on Dennis, don't be afraid of that. Strength through practice, and mind through heart. My master taught me that."
Adahla turned to face him stopping on a dime. "This is not the easy path; you will not work with just the force but with your body and mind. You seem like a thinker and not all brawns." She gave a small chuckle at the last part. "Padawan Dennis, always trust your instincts. What does your gut say about this?" She knew she could talk a lot but sometimes that was just her mind processing information at a fast past.​

 

[Dipper]

They knew standard procedure. Basic maneuvering to test reaction time and the ship's stability, which then became complex sets and simulations along the ship's hull. The TIEs were strange in appearance, but their technology was advanced and they handled considerably well. The shuttles could use a touch up, and the LAAT/is were as fantastic as always.

At Storm's right shoulder, Thrice observed the distant specks of snubfighters along the Sojourn as they darted back and forth among each other, bellies lighting up green to simulate live fire.

"Tag Archer's fighter." As Storm's fingers darted across the control panel, Thrice thumbed his comm. "Squads three-through-seven; round up on me. One and two, I want a full ring around the Sojourn. Eight, I've tagged one of your fighters. You're flying with him."

Notices flashed across his HUD as they got their orders, and the fighters dispersed. The shuttles closed in on Storm's LAAT/i. Archer's comm beacon buzzed once in acknowledgement. That's when the real drill began.

The inky black of space lit up with green flares aimed for wings; easily repairable systems and just enough damage to mark a fighter as out of the game. Archer's TIE twisted among them all, playing target for the men until one of them snagged him. As one of the best pilots in the 343rd, he'd dodged each blast with relative ease until a fighter in squad four clipped his wing and sent him sputtering. His wingmates scattered.

Storm's gunship swerved to intercept the TIE before it slammed into the Sojourn's side. The LAAT/i shuttered, but held tight, as expected.

Archer's unique rumble fizzed over the comm. "You've had it out for me since boot, sir."

Thrice chuckled. "Of course I do. Get back to the hangar, tell Kip to log all the damages and schedule a refitting. I want these fighters fixed before we arrive."

"Of course, Commander. Archer out."

The ruined TIE tumbled on its merry way to the hangar and Thrice, one hand tapping against the back of Storm's seat, was left with the rest of the fighters.

He tuned his comm. frequency into the one connecting to Sojourn's bridge where he issued an invite to the Jedi on board.

"General? If you'd like, we've got a few spare fighters in the bay. It'd do wonders for morale if you and the Jedi were to join us out here." Thrice already had a scenario in mind involving the Jedi, their tricks something he'd be anticipating should they decide to join up. And, while he wouldn't normally suggest it, their talents would make them exceptionally difficult-to-hit targets.

No doubt there were a few pilots among them, too. Surely they'd like to stretch their wings for a little while?

 

[Starlighter]

[fieldbox='Arvana Tarron, DarkRed, solid']The corner of Arvana's lips twitched ever so slightly with Kuno's approach and greeting while she chose to remain silent and returned the bow. His question about her usefulness wasn't directed at her, so she saw no reason to address it.

Preferring to minimize the chances that Master Ken and Master Acula would hear them, she continued her silence in favour of silent kinetic responses that the others would not notice, or necessarily accurately interpret. But Kuno would know by the slight inclination of her head that yes, she had chosen the best that circumstances and her limited knowledge allowed, and he would see that she was excited by the way her focus narrowed toward him, her eyes opening up with an eager light. She came close to smiling, enjoying his exuberant babble.

Taking her cue from Master Ken's invitation, she sat at the table next to Kuno - at first mildly disappointed that making a trip to the hangar had been postponed. She glanced over at her Master, listening to what the General had to say. Her mind had been on other things during the bustle of preparing the ship, but taking a moment to find a sense of calm and clear her mind to think over what he said... it was there.

While nothing he spoke of had yet come to pass, an eerie feeling of apprehension settled within her. It was all too familiar a situation. If what he said were to come true, it would not be the first time she had encountered a Sith. But this time... this time she was not a mere child Padawan with but a bare grasp of the Force and her saber. Things would not transpire in the same way twice - and as both Master Ken and Master Acula had implied, the Light would not ultimately fail, and therefore neither would she. With that knowledge, it was easier to find a sense of peace with the path unfolding before them.

The look of intense seriousness brought on by her inner musings vanished the moment the Clone Commander's voice came over the commlink. This was exactly what she had been looking forward to from the moment Kuno told her that flight lessons would be a part of her near future. She glanced from her Master to Ishua and back. Normally she wouldn't be the first to state her opinion, but she was sure of herself.

"If there's anything we can do to ensure the Clones are at the top of their game, I don't see why we shouldn't; besides, it might be just as beneficial for us to do some drills ourselves, wouldn't you say?"
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@AceSorcerer @Dipper @~\The Talentless/~

 

[AceSorcerer]

[fieldbox=Ishua Ken, green, solid, 8, book antiqua]
Hearing some chatter over the intercom before the ship lurched slightly as it came out of hyperspace, the Jedi General soon took his place on the bridge and gave commands as they went along. Pressing the button on the nearby console, Ishua spoke up before looking out the viewing screen.

"As much as I want to, it'll have to wait, Thrice. I want one of the Gamma-class shuttles and all four of LAAT/i ready for descent. I want one commando squad on each LAAT/i, and my fellow Jedi and I will join you on an LAAT/i bound for the Theed Royal Palace. Right now we're sending out the communication to the surface to request permission to land. The remainder of our forces will assume positions around the center of the city and await further orders. So get ready to get fancy, Thrice- we're meeting the Queen. Other than that, have the other Gamma-class shuttle prepped with some of our starfighter pilots and escorts to bring in the additional starfighters and paramilitary/civilian personnel who are being assigned to our ship. After we have all the landing codes, we'll meet you in the hangar."

After that, Ishua nodded for the other Jedi to head to the hangar if they wished while he and the other Jedi Knights and bridge personnel. As they stood on the bridge, they gazed in wonder as Mandalore's infamous Kandosii-class dreadnought, the Colossus, appeared near them after their jump from hyperspace. After some ship-to-ship and ship-to-control communication, the Sojourn immediately went into standby in case the Sith Armada arrived. For the time being, it was just about time to hit the ground and bring some hope to the many people in the galaxy who had been oppressed by the Confederation.
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