Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on Mar 29, 2023 7:23:04 GMT -8
Chopping through the celestial void waters of hyperspace, a MC80 Liberty-type star cruiser emerged from the lightspeed lanes and rapidly decelerated as it entered the system, veering away from the main traffic throughway as it made an approach towards the Alliance Space Station in a synchronous orbit over Echo Base as it circled the frigid ball of ice known as Hoth.Mon Calamari Admiral Jyn Dackbar watched from her swiveling pearlescent command chair on the bridge of the MC80, called the Star Urchin, as it lumbered towards Mon Mothma Station at slowing sublight speeds. The crew, an assorted mix of recruits drawn from Fresia, the Forest Moon, and Hoth, managed to bring the cruiser in to dock, magnetically clamping to one of the station's arms. It was a motley mix, poorly suited to manning the sophisticated war machine, but it was also all they had for the time being until more recruits flooded in. An occasional freighter or starfighter could be seen winking into existence, some headed for the surface, others entering the station through one of its several hangars.Word was getting around about what they were building here, the movement and what they hoped to accomplish. Not all characters were of high moral standing evidently, as several of the transports seen parked throughout the various hangars were an assorted mix of modified transports, most likely indicating smugglers. Well, thought Jyn, that was what she had asked for. Once the Star Urchin was properly secured, Jyn left the bridge and took the turbolift down to to the boarding tube joining station to cruiser. Several human officers, quite a few ewoks, and even the occasional snowok if you could believe your eyes could be seen walking those corridors.Now that they had their hands on some military hardware, the next challenge would be to find people willing to risk their lives for the movement, who were also competent enough to operate they complex equipment. That was proving a far more difficult problem to remedy. Fortunately the Admiral had a plan for how they could resolve the issue, starting with liberating some of their fellow freedom fighters already in captivity.As she entered the command centre of the station, the command staff present there saluted her. She returned a crisp salute with one webbed hand before approaching the large holo-projector that occupied the middle of the room. Time to strategize.
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Vaughan Emrys
Member
Posts: 86
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA) - Republic of Haven
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Post by Vaughan Emrys on Apr 3, 2023 17:53:40 GMT -8
With repairs still ongoing to the Gungnir, it was still very much restricted to orbit of Anoth. However the UT-60D U-Wing Starfighters were still very much up and running, and one of them currently bore Vaughan on its way through the blue-white blur of hyperspace
Vaughan sat in the co-pilot seat as the haze of hyperspace pulled back to reveal the giant ice covered planet of Hoth. The meeting of the Council had gone well, and the people of Haven had agreed to allying with and joining the Rebel Alliance. Despite his concerns they would have felt otherwise, the people seemed well committed to fighting against the First Order and the promise of allies seemed to have proven quite the morale boost. As the pilot settled the U-Wing into position above the planet Vaughan opened a comm line hoping it would find their new allies
This is Vaughan Emrys of the Republic of Haven, I have come seeking Endor...
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on Apr 4, 2023 6:44:43 GMT -8
From the commander centre of the Alliance facility in orbit, Mon Mothma Station, a moist looking Mon Calamari operated the communication array. Lieutenant Algae listened to Vaughan's transmission, verified it quickly with Admiral Dackbar, and then responded with the wet gurgling tone his fish faced people were known for.
Republic of Haven representative, Vaughan Emrys, this is Lieutenant Algae of NRA station Mon Mothma. We've been expecting your arrival, but unfortunately the General has not returned from...
Proximity alerts sounded as an EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate emerged from hyperspace, transitioning to sublight not far from Vaughan's U-wing. The transponder code identified the frigate as the Mossflower, the personal carrier for Endor's Ewoks and the General after which they were named. Or were they named after the forest moon? Depending on who you asked, you might get different answers. The channel went quiet briefly as Lieutenant Algae appeared to be confirming something with one of their superiors, then static broke the silence before the Mon Calamari's wet voice continued again.
Scratch that, it seems like you have excellent timing. The General has just arrived.
A short beam transmission was broadcast from the newly arrived frigate's communication relay to the U-Wing carrying Vaughan.
Emrys, is that you? I hope you brought something warm to wear. It's colder than a Sith's heart down there. Come on, I'll race ya to Echo Base.
Before he even finished speaking, Endor's modified T-65 X-wing launched out of the Mossflower's hangar at breakneck speeds that might have snapped the S-foils if he hadn't locked them closed. He snubfighter streaked into the atmosphere, heading towards the rebel base on the planet's frozen surface.
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Graemon Gorgano
New Rebel Alliance
Posts: 342 
Affiliation: Free Worlds Navy
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Post by Graemon Gorgano on Apr 15, 2023 21:19:24 GMT -8
A squadron of E-7 E-Wing Type Cs would exit hyperspace within the Hoth system. Sent by the Baron Gorgano to check up on Bothan SpyNet tips involving the chance of possible allies, they flew to Bespin, speaking with the local authorities and learning what they could about the individuals. From there, the squadron flew about, checking out local systems, monitoring channels, and trying to find a trail. A communication from an agent of the SpyNet revealed a further clue of renewed activity within the Hoth sector which brought the twelve starfighters to this rather isolated part of the galaxy.
The Hoth system was located on the fringe of the Ivax Nebula, along the Ison Trade Corridor. It was well protected by a wide and chaotic asteroid belt that was reported to cause substantial and frequent meteorite activity. Given the devoid potential, and relative backwater status, of the Ison Trade Corridor, the squadron leader, a Mon Calamari named Kralde, felt the tip was good and that they may have found something of worth. The squadron did not try to be hidden and made their presence be known as they flew closer to the Hoth system. Kralde decided to wait and see if anyone attempted to hail them first.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on Apr 16, 2023 5:12:37 GMT -8
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Lieutenant Whiskers from the Tynnan Furry Brigade was currently filling in on the comms station in the Alliance Space Station 'Mon Mothma', as the rebel platform swirled around the globe in synchronous orbit over Echo Base. The EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate 'Mossflower' and the MC80 Liberty Type Star Cruiser 'Star Urchin' were both currently docked with the makeshift station, cobbled together from a number of sources to give it a unique design that bespoke to rebel ingenuity. The small mammalian alien stared at the command centres radar screen, which had picked up the squadron of nearing E-wings. "That could be trouble." She alerted Admiral Jyn Dackbar, the New Rebel Alliance's official Mon Calamari admiral (for extra legitimacy). The fish faced admiral ordered the base to launch an intercept squadron and open a line of communications with the unidentified squadron.From the hangar of the Mossflower, eleven XJ7 X-wing starfighters launched into the vacuum, one fighter short a complete squadron. General Endor, squadron leader of Endor's Ewoks, was currently on the surface of the planet. Lance Bassarius was leading them now, as they flew in a v-formation towards the E-wing squadron coming closer to Hoth, spreading out a wingspan apart. Lance was one of the Jedi Knight Errants that had departed the Corellian Jedi Academy with Endor on his mission to restart the rebellion. Originally a transfer from the Umgul Academy, he had the face of a male model and the singing voice of an angel. ♪♪ Lock S-Foils in attack position. ♪♪ He said over the squadron channel. The pneumatic whine of their opening wings rang silent in the void, their pilots could only hear the subtle roar of their engines. Lance opened a comms channel to the approaching E-wing squadron.♪♪ This is Captain Lance Bassarius of the New Rebel Alliance to unidentified E-wing squadron. ♪♪ He coughed, and when he spoke again his voice was more stern than melodic. You've entered NRA space. Please identify and state your intentions. Our squadron is approaching to perform a scan. Maintain current formation and heading.By this point the E-7s would be able to see the brown tree like paint scheme and tribal markings on the hull of each snubfighter that denoted them as Endor's Ewoks. A long row of stormtrooper helmets with painted ewoks playing drums was artfully detailed across the long nose of the fighters, each helmet denoting a downed enemy craft. As I said, it was a long row. Each X-wing also sported a forest green racing stripe right down the middle, with their astromech's painted to match. |
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Graemon Gorgano
New Rebel Alliance
Posts: 342
Affiliation: Free Worlds Navy
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Post by Graemon Gorgano on Apr 17, 2023 18:42:20 GMT -8
The approach of the XJ7s did confirm the presence of activity. From their cockpits, the pilots could see a space station along with a few warships in orbit. Hoth seemed to have garnered the attention of someone and that someone was what the lead pilot of the Endor's Ewoks confirmed. The New Rebel Alliance. Calmly, Kralde would key to his squadron, a light coming on in their cockpits to keep formation as requested. Slowing their speed to an appropriate rate, the Mon Calamari glanced out his cockpit at the approaching squadron from the space station.
=Kralde=
This is Kralde, commander of the Ebon Hawks to Captain Bassarius. My squadron is a member of the former Third Fleet of the Corellian Coalition.
If they met the appropriate contacts, the Baron Gorgano had allowed them to speak their former cosign.
=Kralde=
Bothan SpyNet was right about there being activity here. I was sent by Baron Gorgano to find two individuals that caused a ruckus on Bespin several days ago. And one of them would be familiar with my superiors name if it is true that Vaughan Emrys was present with your commander.
Bothans had managed to identify him rather quickly, given his recent record with the Corellian Coalition. The second, this General Endor, had not been identified yet in terms of his profile. Originally, it declared that he was bearded with brown hair... then another image was found showing a bit more of a thicket around his chin, not to mention the change in hair color to a dull orange color. SpyNet was still confirming which was the right image.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on Apr 18, 2023 5:47:19 GMT -8
♪♪ Coalition?! ♪♪ Sang Lance in surprise, practically spitting the mouthful of caf he had just taken from his thermos while waiting for a reply. I'm quite sure the General is gunna want to talk to you. Standby.
Opening a line of communication with Mon Calamari Admiral Jyn Dackbar on Mon Mothma station, Captain Bassarius confirmed his suspicious and quickly received new instructions from Rebel Alliance command. He reopened the comm channel to Commander Kralde of the Ebon Hawks.
Seems like you've come to the right place, Commander. The General and the man you mentioned are both present on the planet. You have permission to approach and land at Echo Base on the surface, where they both are currently. You should pick up the base's landing beacon once you've cleared orbit. Good luck.
There was a lot more he wanted to say. By now everyone had heard about Fondor, what the galaxy viewed as the final nail in the Coalition's coffin. Now wasn't the time or place though to offer condolences. Endor's Ewoks broke off, the X-wing squadron looping around as it headed back towards the Mossflower's hangar.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 152
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 12, 2023 8:22:15 GMT -8
For days into the journey to Hoth the Tusken internee had refused to speak (other than threaten, taunt and curse), eat or drink; espousing nonsense and paranoia about being poisoned or drugged by her captors to get the uli-ah to cooperate and reveal information. Not that she knew anything of Dragus's operations around the Galaxy mind you, but she was not about to tell them that either. At first, the only exception to any offering to win her over that she accepted were new clothes. While the Mossflower did not readily have spare Tusken garb, a green wooly sweatshirt with a hood were taken; along with pants, gloves and boots to cover up most of her expose skin, without any thanks. Due to there not being many children aboard the Mossflower they were obviously big on her, but Endor had promised a better fit once they arrived at their destination. Toys and other items were thrown or stomped to bits. Kr'Naan acted as if she were a caged wild animal. Just as she had when she had been in chains on Nar Shaddaa, possibly even more feral. Rage, hatred and anger for her captors and those that destroyed her new home and allegedly killed her new family.
Eventually the exhaustion of hunger, constant screams and threats in mixed Tusken and Ewokese, as well as banging on the walls of her cell walls caught up with her and she would fall into a deep depression. It came to the point where she simply laid on the bed with her back turned towards the energy barrier. Her master would not abandon her, would he? Of course not. This was surely a test of her resolve and faith, or punishment for allowing herself to be possessed by what he had called his demonic offspring. Soon he would appear like magic, just as he had in the slave market of Nar Shaddaa, to rescue her. She simply needed to keep up hope.
It was not until the fifth day without food or water that she would finally succumb to her thirst and hunger. Kr'Naan waited until after she heard Endor leave after having a one-sided conversation of whatever story he had decided to talk about on that day. She would sniff the food and drink cautiously before trying both. After waiting enough time to make sure she felt no effects of any poison, Kr'Naan would scarf down the tray of food. It was the first normal, relatively speaking of course, food she had eaten since she had first been abducted from her homeworld of Tatooine. It went down much easier when compared to the cuisine served aboard the Covenant too.
By the sixth day, the Tusken prisoner was eating almost the entire meals provided, though still without much manners when it came to thanking her custodian. Strangely the child seemed to avoid anything sweet provided, to which Dietr had informed Endor that Tusken physiology treated too much sugar as an intoxicant, akin to alcohol with many species. So it would appear that the child was not entirely depraved, knowing some difference between what was or was not appropriate. In some capacity at least. Regardless of the change in the food brought, the conversation did not change between Kr'Naan and Endor. The bearded druid had even tried to bring Red Claw with him once as well. The child obviously knew tree speak, and even if Red Claw was the silent type he might be able to get her to speak to him. Unfortunately his company seemed to have the opposite effect on her, as the Tusken youngling seemed superstitiously terrified of the snowok. Calling him a demon-spawn and traitor to his kind and god. Dragus really had done a number on this kid's mind.
It was hard to piece together, but through the screaming and cursing there were some useful bits of information. Dragus had apparently "rescued" the child from a slave-market. Though Endor would likely rightly assume that the saurian Sith had simply taken the child as a personal slave. From there he had used her existing belief system to insert himself, in her mind, as a Tusken god named Hakusar. If Dragus was close enough in reality to remind Kr'Naan of this Hakusar god then it was surely a powerful and horrifically evil entity. Searching through any records regarding Tusken culture, unsurprisingly, returned nothing. One thing that she had let slip in her almost mad ramblings were how he rescued her after she and her grandfather had been captured by slavers. Any pressing on the subject of her grandfather would only be met with more insults, threats or just silence. If he had not been aboard the ship caring for his granddaughter, it was easy to put together what had happened to him.
It was not until the end of the sixth day that Kr'Naan was calmly sitting on the floor before the energy barrier of her cell when Endor came to bring supper. Her black eyes gleamed like daggers in the moonlight from beneath the hood she wore, staring with barely contained fury at the druid general. "What do plan to do with me? You would be wise to kill me before I break free." She said in Ewokese, her voice still hoarse from days of screaming and yelling. "I will give you no information to use against my Master."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on May 14, 2023 18:38:44 GMT -8
Endor let out an exasperated sigh. The Force knew he could be stubborn when he set his mind to it, but this girl took it to a whole new level. She was fighting an enemy that didn't exist. In her mind he wanted her dead, and she seemed utterly convinced that was his plan once he got whatever information out of her he was looking for. The truth... Sigh. ...despite Kr'Naan's great success at testing even his previously thought limitless patience, was that he wanted nothing of the sort. It was more than just the guilt he felt, as though what had happened to her was his fault for having birthed that monstrosity into the galaxy, for lacking the foresight to flush its cloning cylinder in the dank underbelly of Nomad City. He wanted to help her because in Naan he saw a broken thing, no different then a bird with a bent wing or flower unable to blossom due to another's shade. He wanted to help her because it was right and he needed to do right, if only to help him forgot all that was wrong. He also saw a little of his own fire in her. She reminded him of when he had been taken from Bright Tree Village as a child and brought against his will to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, he had felt quite the caged beast himself, plunged into unfamiliar surroundings due to circumstances outside his control. This was not so different.
"I've already told you, Naan." He had started calling her Naan a few days ago. As much as he wanted to make the kid feel comfortable around him, he wasn't prepared to start calling her Wart, despite her insistence on it. "We don't kill children. I sure as hell don't kill kids. I try not to kill at all if it can be helped." He tapped the panel on the wall, weakening the barrier enough to slide the tray with her food through while still presenting enough of a force to stop her should she lunge in that moment. Yeah, that had happened too. More than once. Even Endor could learn a lesson after making the same mistake more than once. He fixed her with a stern look. "Sometimes it can't. We rebels, as they call us..." He scoffed, then grinned at her. "...as we call ourselves as well, we're fighting a war against tyranny. Our enemies are dictators, fascists, slavers, anyone who steps on the throat of another's freedom. No man, Naan, is good enough to be another's master. Not even a god." Alright, now he was clearly referring to Dragus.
Unlike his usual spacers pants and flight jacket combination, when the General had come to visit her today he was wearing a set of white animal furs that matched Red Claw for their chalky whiteness. They gave the somewhat bearish rebel leader a more savage quality, as though simply looking upon him one could hear the tribal beat of ewok ceremonial drums. He let the Living Force flow through him as he spoke to the Sand Child, hoping the honesty and sincerity of his words came across, but he feared she was incapable of feeling the Lights touch. When he extended his senses and let the Force reveal to him the angry tusken girl, he felt a hollow thing, as though her every synapse had been burned away leaving a scarred shell. Something unnatural had been done to her. The scars ran deeper than her flesh, deeper than the psychological trauma, down into her soul. Kr'Naan's spirit recoiled like a snake when he reached for it, guarding something in its scaled layers of slithering coil, rejecting his offers of peace. Yet he knew that if all his efforts to rehabilitate the child failed and in the end she refused him completely, he would at least heal her of this malady. That was within his power. He just...needed her to let him in.
"So you can curse, you can spit, and you can keep fighting me. Hell, you can even stab me in the neck again. But I'm not going to kill you." He shook his head, rubbing his beard against his fur coat until it crackled with static electricity. "And more than that, I'm not going to let anybody else kill you. I pulled you off that Star Destroyer, kid. That makes you my responsibility." He leaned against the nearby guard desk, crossing his arms over his chest, weary lines etched on his weather wrinkled face. "I'd like for us to be friends, or at least find a way to not be enemies. You're not my enemy, Naan. That creature you call master was. Not you."
It was around this time the doors to the brig swooshed open, admitting a meter tall alien with curling horns jutting from the sides of his chalk white furred head, a face twisted in feral amusement and claws that clacked together with impatience. Red Claw was carrying a bundle of furs that matched the ones Endor wore for hue, though this set was quite a bit smaller, about Kr'Naan's size actually. The abominable snowok was also carrying a large pack of what looked like survival supplies strapped to its muscular back.
Endor's grin widened, like a hungry bear staring at a picnic basket or jar of honey. He pushed off the desk and returned to the control pad, deactivating the force field to the tusken's cell. Red Claw immediately tensed, his hunters instincts taking over, a savage gleam in his eye willing the child to dare him. They'd played this game every day this week. Sometimes more than once. The General stepped away from the console pad and picked up the bundle of furs, then offered it to Kr'Naan by playfully but perhaps somewhat aggressively pushing them into her chest.
"Take these. You've been cooped up on the ship too long. Red Claw and I are heading to the surface to do some scouting work for the Rebellion. You're coming with us." His expression was uncompromising. "It's not up for debate. You're coming with us, and its cold down there, colder than I'm sure you've felt before. Put those on if you want to keep all your fingers and toes. Frostbite won't take long once we're knee deep in snow and ice." His words seemed to summon the chill, as the brig's air conditioning unit coincidentally chose that moment to activate.
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 152
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 15, 2023 6:40:36 GMT -8
Kr'Naan jumped up off the floor and took a step towards the energy field, looking up at Endor and ignoring the food passed into the cell for the moment. "My Master freed me from my captors. He answered my darkest prayers and wiped out those who took me from my home. How is that not worth my devotion?" Kr'Naan stared into Endor's eyes, the twinkle of religious madness in them. "My Master can help you free yourself from those who you call enemies. All you need to do is repent and with His power, He will wipe them from the stars." Kr'Naan sat down before the energy field again, taking the food tray in in her lap and talking between bites. "Hakusar is a dark god, but He can be forgiving and kind as well. If you truly devote yourself to Him, He will absolve you of your sins against Him." Somehow this had turned from Endor trying to bring Kr'Naan back to reality around to the sand child trying to drag Endor down into her religious delusion. At least she wasn't screaming at him anymore, though he would not be sure if this was truly any better.
Kr'Naan stuck her nose up at Endor at the suggestion of them becoming friends. "I could never be friends with a blasphemer. First, renounce your evil ways. Stop your abuse of the gods' power and join me in service to the unborn god Hakusar." Kr'Naan's eyes shifted to Red Claw as he walked in, her black eyes narrowing at the snowok's presence. Her attitude drastically changed each time he visited with Endor, taught by Dragus their true nature and power. In fact, her next words seemed to be mostly directed at Red Claw, as if the white-furred snowok were some intermediary to the divine. This had happened almost every time the snowok had joined Endor. The conversation quickly devolved into religious diatribe. Either that or incoherent screaming. At least this time it was the more bearable of the two. "Hakusar was wronged when he was struck down from the heavens! He wanted freedom! They trapped him! Stripped him of his true self! Cursed him to forever to be disconnected from his true self! The other Gods were wrong! They shall see! You will all see!"
Just as Kr'Naan seemed poised to begin a full blown sermon, again, she was stopped mid-breath as Endor shut down the barrier to her cell. Kr'Naan stood up, only to have a set of strange-smelling furs shoved into her arms. The comparatively small Tusken youngling stumbled back a step or two, but corrected her stance to catch herself. There was an obvious hesitation as her eyes looked to the exit door of the brig, her body tense as she fought to urge to fight her way past and out of her confines. But the chill of the air conditioning unit sent goosebumps down her spine and brought her away from following this instinct. If she had a chance of escape it would be higher on whatever planet they were at than it would in the confines of a ship. Kr'Naan's eyes went back to Endor, a smug smile on her face. "More time for me to save you from your evil ways, then."
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
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Post by Endor on May 15, 2023 7:52:01 GMT -8
The expression currently writ across the General's bearded features was a mixture of revulsion and disappointment. The harder and closer to the truth he tried to play it, the deeper Kr'Naan seemed to sink into her religious fanaticism. Though she might find it interesting that the original Darth Dragus that her current claimed master, assuming he still lived, drew his name from had actually helped Endor defeat an evil god. That Dragus, the forest druid's original master in the ways of the darkside, had redeemed himself in an act of valiant sacrifice. That creature had been known as the Plague Lord, making the rebel pilot wonder if his dark progeny had drawn inspiration for his own title from that foul entity.
"Great." He replied sarcastically. "Forgiving and kind, that's what I like to hear. This Hakusar sounds like a real Jedi. I'm sure we'll all be happy converts by the time this mission is through. Until then, put on the furs."
Red Claw's savage eyes continued to watch the tusken with a somewhat tribal curiosity. His people had their own name for the dark deity, often speaking of it in hushed voices in the waning hours of night while seated around the fire. They called the creature the Feaster of Worlds, though he had heard some of the tribes of their darker kin also use the term Great Devourer to describe the malevolent entity in their own pantheon of supernatural creatures and gods. Personally he didn't much care for religious sentiment. The tracker liked to hunt, testing his body to its ultimate limits for nothing more than the enjoyment of pursuing his quarry. Thats where his interests ended, whether the gods existed or not. Unburdened by the decorum of civilization, the abominable snowok remained staring as Kr'Naan changed into the animal furs, while the General had turned completely around for the sake of modesty. He wasn't foolish enough to stand anywhere close to the child while doing so, however, another hard learned lesson from the day before when the tusken had wacked him with her drinking mug and stabbed him in the knee cap with a fork. Her provided utensil today was a spoon. A very dull spoon.
When the kid was finished getting dressed, Endor let Red Claw lead the way out of the brig, with Kr'Naan walking behind the snowok, and the General walking behind her in turn. As they walked down the hall, another human in weathered combat fatigues came towards them from the opposite direction. The bearded druid immediately recognized Drenlin's arguably handsome face, with a thin shadow of stubble on his lower face and two brown eyes that twinkled beneath the deck lights. He smiled as he spotted Endor, raising a hand in warm greeting, which he immediately retracted when he spotted the tusken looking out from behind Red Claw's furry shoulders. Drenlin was another to have tasted the child's fury in the last few days. The second time she got loose it had been the rebel agent who had stumbled upon her first. He still had a few scabs from all the scratches she had given him, like some sort of feral yuzzum.
"Drenlin." Barked Endor in greeting, a sly grin tweaking the corners of his lips as he noticed the other's hesitation around the tusken. He wasn't alone in that. "The Mossflower is yours until I return. I don't think we'll be more than a few days at most." When he saw the look of utter dismay on Drenlin's face, he threw up his hands in quick explanation. "Hey, you don't got to worry about the kid. We're taking her with us."
"Oh, thank the Force." Replied Drenlin, visibly relieved. His brow rose next as he eyed the child wearily, muttering into his ear. "You sure that's a good idea though? Don't get me wrong, I'd love for her to be off the ship, especially after this last week. But are you sure that's safe? What if she stabs you again, only this time while you're sleeping?"
Endor scoffed, waving a dismissive hand before crossing his arms. "That's why I'm bringing Red Claw. Not to worry, buddy, we're planning on rendezvousing with some of Grimfang's tribe in Wampa Valley. Believe me, they'll know how to handle an unruly child better than a couple of old rebels like us. Besides..." He raised his voice, speaking in basic to Drenlin despite knowing the tusken had a grasp on that language, limited though it might be. "...Naan here has promised to convert us to her evil religion, so we got that to look forward to."
"Uh, sure." Replying hesitantly, before shrugging and patting the General on the shoulder. "Good luck. You want me to radio ahead and get a shuttle prepped for you?"
"No need." Endor shook his bearded head. "We've already prepped one of the escape pods with everything we'll need. I'll leave on the locator beacon so you can recover it later." He winked.
How kind. That was the agent's fleeting sarcastic thought as he continued down the hall, heading for his quarters if Endor was any judge. A minute later and the trio arrived at one of the Mossflower's escape pods. Red Claw unslung his pack and positioned it next to his seat, then began to strap Naan in, synching her safety straps perhaps a bit tighter than was necessary. Unlike the others who seemed at their wits end with her behaviour, the snowok actually approved of the child's wild spirit. She reminded him of a skel he and his brothers had captured as woklings. It had been equally rambunctious, constantly attempting to flee and fight, despite the young pack of woklings treating it like their pet. It was a fond memory, though it had a dark ending. When Grimfang had found out, not only were Red Claw and his friends punished, but they were made to gut and skin the poor squealing creature as part of a lesson. The snowok grinned at Naan, baring its fangs. A lesson he'd learned well. Hoth was not a merciful place.
Feeling a slight shiver as he entered the pod last, Endor sealed the door behind him, then took his seat across from the tusken. Immediately the pod felt warmer for him simply being inside of it, as his hairy human body seemed to give off a fair amount of heat. He pointed to a red switch on the wall, just within Kr'Naan's reach. It was the release control for the escape pod. "Pull the switch, Naan, and do the honours." He beamed, offering Red Claw a knowing wink. "This is my favourite part."
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Kr'Naan'Kar
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Kr'Naan'Kar on May 15, 2023 10:42:37 GMT -8
Kr'Naan's flat nose wrinkled at Endor's sarcasm, which she answered with a huff and the words of a true believer. "You show disrespect, but you shall the truth see when He returns for me. I am His Faithful, and whether it is a day from now or decades when He returns I will not falter. My soul is His; a small price to pay for what he has done for me." Kr'Naan straightened her posture and lifted her chin as she spoke. "And when He is made whole, I shall be rewarded with eternal paradise and salvation." As she dressed, Kr'Naan returned the stare Red Claw gave her, her face scrunched up and showing the disdain she felt for the snowok before turning her attention back to putting on the heavy furs. As she finished, the Tusken youngling paraphrased aloud a story of her people's understanding of the Hakusar myth. Some of the words were difficult to convert to the tree-speak of the Ewoks, but the general meaning was still there. "When the soul of the great dragon god finds it body so shall the other gods quake and tremble at the fruit of their mistake and be swallowed in the maw of His splendor. So also shall the stars fall within his jaws to be devoured and remade in His image." Kr'Naan finished with the buckles of the snow boots with an audible click, moving back and adjusting the heavy coat she wore. It was even thicker than her traditional clothing, but the warmth it already provided was welcome as Kr'Naan had been nothing but cold since finding herself here.
Kr'Naan remained quiet as she walked between Endor and Red Claw, occasionally glancing back at Endor and meeting everyone else they passed with a sour look. At this point the child of sand was infamous among the crew, and many gave the trio a wide berth. They were stopped to talk to one of the crew she had ran into before. Kr'Naan met Drenlin's glance with an expressionless stare, which remained on the man to make him as uncomfortable as possible while he and Endor spoke. As they parted ways, Kr'Naan would stare at the man for a bit longer before moving at the behest of Endor, who gave her a slight nudge to get her walking. The child would immediately start talking about her faith once more. Starting with a dismissive scoff at the notion that her religion was evil. "You name evil what you do not truly understand; as if one can judge the ways of the gods. I once thought as you do. That Hakusar was only evil. Kr'Naan's tone became matter-of-factly. "But gods are not bound to the way mortals see things. Their actions are more than our minds can understand. Their purpose higher than we can even dream of."
As she continued, Kr'Naan's tone seemed to grow more insistent, as if the Tusken child was doing Endor a favor by explaining all of this to him. "It is you who is closer to evil. You abuse the power of the gods for your own purposes. You and the other shaman orders of the outsiders. You serve none of the gods. You steal their power and use it to make their creation fit your desires. That is evil. That arrogance, born from greed and the belief that you are worthy of such power. It is what has blinded you to what is right." Once more Kr'Naan seemed to fill with pride as she recalled previous encounters with shamans to Endor and Red Claw. "I have killed several shamans who have tried to steal Hakusar's power for themselves, or used their stolen power to fight against him." Kr'Naan turned to look back at Endor as she climbed into the escape pod second behind Red Claw, stopping at the hatch for a moment to finish the pseudo-sermon. "If you would open your mind to the truth I can help you. If you do not, when I kill you your soul will never see the paradise Hakusar will bring forth once He is whole." Kr'Naan turned back to finished boarding the escape pod.
Kr'Naan would tug at the safety restraints Red Claw had secured her in as Endor climbed in behind her, yet still she did not cease spewing her distorted worldview nonsense. "Maybe Hakusar allowed you to take me to try and reach you, to save your soul. To see if I could convince you to see the right path. It is a test, for both of us. The sooner I am successful in converting you, the sooner He will return to retrieve me." Kr'Naan turned her head to where Endor was pointing, lifting her short arm up and wrapping her gloved fingers around the neck of the handle. Before Kr'Naan pulled it however, she had reached almost a plead-like bargain in trying to convince Endor to accept Hakusar into his heart. "And I would like to be with my Master once more, so if you would stop being so stubborn about this, I would be most thankful." Kr'Naan pulled the switch down, almost immediately letting out a startled scream as the pod was forcefully launched at escape velocity from the Mossflower towards the icy planet Hoth below. All the while Kr'Naan had her eyes tightly closed and was muttering quietly beneath her breath. The primitive sand child's many brushes with heights had not abated her fear of them, which was even more pronounced in the apparent absence of Dragus to make her feel safe.
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Endor on May 16, 2023 4:41:27 GMT -8
"I'm stubborn?!" Sputtered the General in disbelief just as the escape launched away from the ship and hurtled towards the snowy terrain below. The stubborn part of him wanted to argue that point, but between Kr'Naan's screaming that they were falling out the sky and Red Claw's excited whooping, there seemed little room to do so. Endor settled into his seat, eyes closed, as they hurtled entered Hoth's atmosphere and streaked towards the ground.Our motley group of heroes adventure continues here.
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 22, 2023 22:22:31 GMT -8
Just under a week after the meeting between Corellia's Diktat and General Endor, a group of four ships - comprised of a StarHauler-class drone barge, a Y-8 mining vessel, a L-2783, and a Corellian heavy lifter - emerges from hyperspace and briefly holds their position as the pilot aboard the Y-8 sends an encrypted comm transmission to Echo Base to provide them with the prearranged clearance codes verifying his mission.
Once the NRA have verified the pilot's codes and provided him with a flight path to Echo Base where the ships are to be delivered, the quartet of vessels - the StarHauler and Y-8 donated by Selonia's leader, Neakita, from her mining business' fleet, while the other ships were purchased from the CEC by personal donations from Gaultieri, Drall's Duchess Verdandi, and President Trauner of the Federation of the Double Worlds as well as funds raised by the Prime Minister of Tralus - adjust their headings and set on their assigned flight paths for Echo Base.
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jul 1, 2023 22:55:14 GMT -8
YT-2000 light freighter, the Lepota - Lounge
Having finally reached the lounge as Benedicte starts taking the Lepota out and towards it's hyperspace entry point, Heini motions towards one of the couches as he tells Vaughan, "Take a seat, bro', dropping onto one end of the couch as he asks, So, about that plan of yours? He grins as he asks, It didn't happen to be one seven dudes. . ."
"Three of aren't dudes, dude," Kaniehtiio points out as she cleans her MK sniper rifle lovingly.
"Wait, Garine, currently checking her T-2 light repeating blaster over, says, I thought there were only 6 of us?"
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Vaughan Emrys
Member
Posts: 86
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA) - Republic of Haven
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Post by Vaughan Emrys on Jul 1, 2023 23:13:10 GMT -8
As instructed by Heini, he'd grabbed on to a nearby rail not far from the loading ramp as the YT-2000 had taken off. His grip releasing only once they hit orbit and he followed after the Demolitions Expert to the Lounge and took a seat. He smiled at the bickering between Heini and Kaniehtiio, as he did his best to relax a little into the seat. He gave a wave of his hand to Garine as she spoke up I make lucky number seven. But as for my plan... well... Initially, no it did not, but sometimes you just have to work with what you have. Honestly, a smaller team will get by a lot more unnoticed. Fewer unfamiliar faces around the place will draw less attention. We can come in on a low approach and bring the Lepota down outside their perimeter and trek the rest of the way in. Then we just need to disable the guns... And deal with any surprises...
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jul 1, 2023 23:33:02 GMT -8
YT-2000 light freighter, the Lepota - Lounge
Heini, nodding along as Vaughan lays out his plan, grins as their leader finishes with a reminder about the ever-present danger of surprises popping up in any mission no matter how good the intel being used in the planning is, saying, "Right on, bother, I'm pickin' up what you're laying down. Most plans last, like, five seconds maybe before things go sideways, right? Waving a hand out to his side, the bushy bearded sapper says, Best to keep things loose, man, leave room for improvisation."
Kaniehtiio, beginning to reassemble her rifle after it is clean, suggests, "I'll find a nest to cover ya'all from once we're near the perimeter. Looking up at Vaughan as she blows a gum bubble and then pops it, the Selonian asks, We know how many guns there are?"
Heini, lacing his arms behind his head with a grin, says, "I got plenty of charges, Kani. Looking at Vaughan, he asks, We know anything about the opposition, bro'? Numbers, what kind of automated security they have around the perimeter? Gari can probably take out any electronic crap if we know where their control center is, knock out their comms so they can't call for help, leave us with just any bad guys on patrol."
Garine, not looking up from her T-21 light repeating blaster as she continues checking it over, asks no one in particular, "Is seven a lucky number?"
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Endor
New Rebel Alliance
"No man is good enough to be another's master."
Posts: 204
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA)
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Endor on Jul 2, 2023 6:51:37 GMT -8
As clam shelled shaped GR-75 medium transports along with a varied mix of freighters and snubfighters emerged from the planet's frigid atmosphere, two large MC80s could be seen pulling away from the alliance space station in orbit, gathering in formation as they prepared for the lightspeed jump to the Dantooine system. General Endor maneuvered his modified X-wing past the battle scarred form of an EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, blowing a kiss to his beloved Mossflower as he accelerated towards the hangar of the MC80-Home One type heavy star cruiser 'Aura Blossom', followed close behind by Tarfang's XJ7. As much as he would have liked to launch the attack from his squadrons home frigate, the larger cruiser was better suited for the last minute convening that was surely to follow once they reached their destination. The Mossflower was simply too cramped. Landing struts extended as the X-wing settled onto the deck and the cockpit canopy flipped open, allowing the burly woodsman turned top ace to climb out. The rest of his squadron was already there, the legs of their flight-suits blowing in the hangar breeze as repulsors from transports and ships jockeying for space in the bay.
The other MC80, a manta-ray like winged Liberty type known as the Star Urchin, pulled out ahead to form the spear of the formation, commanded on its bridge by none other than the Mon Calamari admiral Jyn Dackbar. Stardrive engines glowed cobalt blue as jump-points were calculated into navicomputers and the fleet began leaping into hyperspace.
"May the Force be with you." Said a moist Nautolan watching the fleet depart from the sensor screen in the command centre of Mon Mothma station. Others around the room stood in silence, mentally wishing thoughts and prayers to the rebels heading out on their dangerous mission.
One after the other the alliance ships began to streak across the system, disappearing in bright white flashes of light.
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Vaughan Emrys
Member
Posts: 86
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance (NRA) - Republic of Haven
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Post by Vaughan Emrys on Jul 2, 2023 18:20:04 GMT -8
YT-2000 light freighter, the Lepota - Lounge
Heini, nodding along as Vaughan lays out his plan, grins as their leader finishes with a reminder about the ever-present danger of surprises popping up in any mission no matter how good the intel being used in the planning is, saying, "Right on, bother, I'm pickin' up what you're laying down. Most plans last, like, five seconds maybe before things go sideways, right? Waving a hand out to his side, the bushy bearded sapper says, Best to keep things loose, man, leave room for improvisation."
Kaniehtiio, beginning to reassemble her rifle after it is clean, suggests, "I'll find a nest to cover ya'all from once we're near the perimeter. Looking up at Vaughan as she blows a gum bubble and then pops it, the Selonian asks, We know how many guns there are?"
Heini, lacing his arms behind his head with a grin, says, "I got plenty of charges, Kani. Looking at Vaughan, he asks, We know anything about the opposition, bro'? Numbers, what kind of automated security they have around the perimeter? Gari can probably take out any electronic crap if we know where their control center is, knock out their comms so they can't call for help, leave us with just any bad guys on patrol."
Garine, not looking up from her T-2 light repeating blaster as she continues checking it over, asks no one in particular, "Is seven a lucky number?" |
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jul 2, 2023 20:22:10 GMT -8
Heini nods as Vaughan fills them in on what intel he has, stroking his bushy brown beard as he says, "Four guns, could be worse, bro'. With Kani covering us and Baqi on the ship in case we need, like, a quick extraction, that leaves you, me, Gari, Bee and Dyami to handle taking out those guns."
Dyami, tugging at his left ear, points out, "I thought Gari was gonna take out the comms and whatever other automated defenses she could? Leaves only four of us for the guns. Looking over at Vaughan, he asks, You thinking we each take a gun, or work in teams of two?"
Garine, removing her sidearm, a DC-17 hand blaster, from her thigh holster to check it over, asks no one in particular and apropos of nothing, "Shouldn't we be entering hyperspace about now?"
As though in response to Garine's question, the Lepota suddenly winks out of realspace and begins its hyperspace journey to Dantooine . . .
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