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Post by Nicademus Delvardus IV on Jan 9, 2016 16:37:57 GMT -8
Yet another has arrived, a Sohei Ren. Within the back of the Supreme Commander's mind, he truly wondered just how many were within this crew known as the Knights of Ren. With Sohei's appearance, there were now four of them; three males and a female. And they were popping up in very quick succession. Harnan alone appeared within the violent storm that was the Battle of Mariunhus. Illaria and Sohei appeared moments after the meeting on the bridge of the Praetorian to join in on what could be seen as either work or fun for this lot.
Yet it wasn't their sudden appearance that caught his ears, it was the mention of this Master figure. Surely Soku was their leader, but with Sohei's words, there was yet another above Soku perhaps, the obvious spokesman and leader among those present. There was a hierarchy and dark force that lurked somewhere beyond the plain eyes of the Imperial. Something that was both a threat to the galaxy and an asset to the First Order. For now, the Supreme Commander would remain the observer to their future conversations and communications. There was something far more sinister lurking among their ranks.
After Sohei had made his introduction, his attention first went to Illaria, who had made a fine proposal, but time was limited, especially for this operation. Scouting and intelligence gathering could give any adversary an edge.
As much as I love reconnaissance and scouting, Deralia must be hit swiftly and with great force, Illaria. Besides, I have good proposal to be made that can aid the Knight's attack upon Deralia. It will serve your needs well and be enough of a presence from the First Order to augment your own standing forces.
Nicademus would return his attention to the four present. Calmly, the Imperial keys through some panels before drawing up some fresh information that would suit the Knight of Ren's needs for the up and coming strike upon Deralia. He expands the intel and makes the holoscreen face Soku and his crew.
The best I can give you is a recent arrival to the First Order's ranks. The 77th Imperial Heavy Attack Line, commanded by Nanda Panaka. The fleet is commanded by a Turbulent-class Star Destroyer, augmented by an Immobilizer 418 Cruiser and four Ardent-class Fast Frigates. Its armed complement consists of two battalions of seasoned and elite Stormtroopers and two companies of Storm Commandos. That is what I can offer to your operation aimed upon Deralia.
With that offer placed upon the table, Nicademus keys up some more military operations that were being processed as they spoke. Even now, continued operations were being performed to consolidate the First Order's control over the Imperial Sector. Various campaigns had been enacted that rooted out rebellious elements, forced wanna-be Imperial warlords to their knees and ensured stability was once more brought the Imperial Sector. Yet the intel being shown did not involve the relative success of internal campaigns, but more external ones. For Imperial Strategic Command was preparing new campaigns that would test and train their Stormtroopers in new fields of combat and earn them further fighting experience for future wars to come. Nicademus was ambitious and his eyes were now set to a region of space that neighbored their own territory to the West.
The flashing red territory of Imperial Space, now labeled as controlled by the First Order, had a few yellow arrows extend from its territory and striking deep into the Unknown Region. These arrows were pinpointed directly at Adumar, Nirauan, and Ilum. Ilum was known to have had a previous garrison of Imperial forces upon it, though recent reports indicated that the base had gone quiet. Adumar and Nirauan were attractive targets; the first, Adumar, held pristine starfighter factories that could be used to churn out more fighters for the First Order's Navy. The latter, Nirauan, was the HQ of the Imperial splinter faction known as the Empire of the Hand. It was also historically known as a Ratakan colony in the Pre-Republic Era and was once held by the Chiss Ascendancy. Unknown to those present, Nicademus had promised it as a foothold for one of the Sith among his ranks.
Nonetheless, this would be an ambitious expansion that was being planned by Nicademus and his senior tacticians. Yet, a campaign into the Unknown Region would go relatively unnoticed by the galaxy at large and serve as a good opportunity for Stormtroopers to earn all sorts of experience for future battlefields. Once the data was taken in, Nicademus turned to the Knights of Ren present.
Now you see why I cannot give more than what I am offering to you presently. This Unknown Region's campaign, or rather, these series of campaigns, will serve as not only a means to gain good assets for the First Order, but serve as a good campaign for the Stormtroopers to earn new experience for future battlefields. At least a campaign into the Unknown Region would also go relatively unnoticed by our possible adversaries and the galaxy at large.
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Illaria Ren
Member
Posts: 81 
Affiliation: The Knights of Ren
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Post by Illaria Ren on Jan 10, 2016 20:13:53 GMT -8
Illaria had never been one for all of this military posturing. Not even in her previous life as a Jedi Shadow. She had always been of a no nonsense mindset and much more content to just take her own orders, carry them out, and receive the praise she so rightfully deserved. In a similar vein, she was certainly not used to being challenged by others, or even having her own ideas challenged. So, her expectations upon presentation of this proposal of hers were simple. Given Soku granted her permission to execute this mission the way she saw fit, she expected her brothers and even the Supreme Commander to fall in line. While she was beginning to feel more comfortable around their new allies in the First Order, Illaria still found that she was none too fond of these military types. She admired the order that was enforced within their ranks, but she did not believe that she should ever have to answer to any of them. They were absent the ability to touch the Force as she did, so why should she even bother with them? How were they supposed to be her equal as Soku clearly appeared to regard them? They were beneath her notice, as always.
Still gripping Harnan’s shoulder plate with one hand, she continued fiddling with his belt. Weaving her fingers in and out of it, she would give it a tug every so often. It was more than likely an unconscious action on her part at this point in time, but she did always seek his attention to be on her. She took note of his shift in stance, chuckling at the side of his helmet as she leaned closer to the approximate location of where his ear might be. “I’d say my current positioning is also advantageous…” She spoke softly, her voice teasing and tempting him to argue otherwise. “Having an equipment….malfunction?” The Shapeshifter chuckled and pressed her lips briefly to the side of his helmet. It was his loss if he so chose to attend every meeting so heavily decked out in armour. But, she understood the reasoning behind why Harnan and the others sometimes opted to cover their actual faces. The imaginations of those that surrounded them were often able to produce a much more frightening visage within the confines of their mind, attaching all sorts of dark and macabre connotations. It was also a useful tool to hide one’s actual identity too. But both were reasons that did not apply to Illaria. Given that she was a Shi’ido shapeshifter, she could be whatever she needed to be at any given time without compromising her true identity. In fact, she was not even sure what her true identity was anymore. It is quite possible that it was lost many, many years ago.
Continuing to lean on Harnan, Illaria was persistent in twirling her fingers in his belt. What she was not prepared for, was for him to retaliate. As he stretched his arms back and ran his hand across the outside of her thigh, she flinched in surprise. A chill ran through her entire body, setting her hair on end as goosebumps peppered her skin. His touch to her hand too was all too brief as a shudder reverberated through her body. The Shapeshifter’s lips curled into a small smile as she hummed in his ear appreciatively. Finally relinquishing her hold on Harnan, the golden-coloured Shapeshifter walked around his side. Her hand briefly brushed against his again as she looked directly at him and leaned close enough to whisper her words. “Do not be enraged for me..” Illaria thought she knew what his brief loss in control of his emotions concerned. While she could not read his mind directly and refused to even entertain the thought, she had a pretty good sense of where he stood on such issues. They had this conversation several times in the past and each time he sought to put himself on the warpath for her. It was irrational to her though. By now, those that had subjected her to the life of a Shadow and honed her into a deadly weapon for their personal use were now long gone into the void. Besides that was who she used to be; Taaza, servant in every shape and form to the Jedi Council, subjected to their every whim. No longer. She had long ago murdered Taaza and regained her strength as Illaria Ren. She had promised herself at that point in time she would never again serve another how she had the Jedi. Flashing a small smile of confidence at Harnan, she shifted closer to him, the back of her brushing with the front of him as she moved to engage with Soku and the Supreme Commander.
And, there it was. Soku appeared to consider her proposal, but in the end, he clearly understood her reasoning behind suggesting such a move. He had approved of her plan and that was the end of that. While she knew full well that Soku wanted to just barge into the Jedi Temple there on Deralia and enact his own form of justice, Illaria was thinking about the big picture. If this mission were to be successful with their currently limited resources, then it had to be done right. This was the area in which her expertise lay and she almost dared someone else to question it. Bowing her head slightly to Soku, she spoke up. “Excellent. Provide the details to me at your leisure.”
Enter Sohei. The proud, preening peacock of them all. He was the only one of her brothers that she was not particularly close with at all. Especially given that he was a former Inquisitor, she was fairly certain that he had hunted her at one point during her prior life. While they were supposed to leave their former selves behind upon becoming a Knight of Ren, Illaria found it difficult sometimes to disregard what she knew Sohei was capable of. As a result, this made her a bit uneasy around him at times and other times more internally volatile. Granted, this was never something she actually allowed herself to display on the outside, it was still something she could not ignore. “Brother.” The Shapeshifter acknowledged his presence with the simple nod of her head, revealing nothing of her inner machinations. He was another she would keep her distance from, placing him upon that unreachable shelf with Soku. Already she could see he was whipping out his ostentatious and pompous swinging dick. Though, she chose to ignore it for she was in a fairly decent mood today and did not wish for it to be ruined by dick swinging.
Sohei’s words had been enough to indicate the unspoken truths that they had all opted not to mention just yet. There was indeed a power higher than those of the Knights of Ren currently assembled aboard the bridge of the Praetorian. The Master. The dark leader of the Knights of Ren that stood just beyond the shadows of the stars, lurking within the darkness between their opalescent light. An entity that she had faithfully and loyally served for several decades. Through the Master, she had come into the knowledge of the dark side and her true path through the void of the Force. Through the Master, she had become Illaria Ren.
Apparently, her delightful mood was going to be ruined anyways, though. Such was the fate of one so unlucky as she. “With all due respect, Supreme Commander…” Illaria spoke in a warning tone as she fixed the Supreme Commander, whom she perceived to be a rather attractive man, with the threatening gaze of her silver-touched eyes. And this was essentially her way of saying, with no respect whatsoever. “I am quite certain that I know the capabilities of the Knights of Ren far better than you at this very moment.” The Shapeshifter was calm, frighteningly so as she approached the Supreme Commander – this time she was not lax to allow the troopers on the bridge of the Praetorian to go unnoticed should they decide to do so much as flinch a muscle. Standing toe to toe with the man, while he was far taller than she was at this particular moment, Illaria knew how to command the attention of a room and did not hesitate in posturing herself to do so.
She was a fiery little firecracker when she wanted to be. However, most often she simply gave off the air of one that was always laid back and relaxed, terribly so and much to the chagrin of others like Soku. Not today. Today and in this very moment, the darkness of her presence choked the air with its heavy weight. She was not above using her influence over the Force to get precisely what she wanted. “If we so chose, we could accomplish this mission to Deralia without the aid of the First Order at all. You…” She brought up a gloved hand and pointed her index finger into his chest. “..are here because our goals are currently aligned and you need to expand the First Order’s holdings. You are not here because the Knights of Ren would be lost without you. Never forget this.” Illaria stared him down for a moment, standing stock still until she deigned to speak once more. “For while you may be the one that controls the military, you have no say when it comes to matters of the Force. It would be foolish for you to assume otherwise.”
The golden-skinned woman turned her gaze from him briefly to look back at her brothers and to pass over any others that were unfortunate enough to be standing amidst this meeting on the bridge, her eyes flashing silver in a dangerous manner. Finally, she turned her gaze back to Nicademus. She has always been used to getting her way, so it was a bit of a surprise to see that he was challenging her in this. While it certainly piqued her interest in the man, it also gained him a bit more respect in her eyes because he consciously chose not to bow to her every word.
“Nevertheless, we will accept your offer of a First Order presence.” She said ever so calmly as she began to pace around the man and the holodisplay that he had keyed up. Her eyes remained on him as she trailed a hand around the base of the display. “And you will have your military prefecture of the First Order. This, I promise you. But we will do things our way.” Within a split-second, she retracted the darkness of her presence, bottling such insoluble power back within the depths of her very soul. She knew now just how ambitious the Supreme Commander truly was, and it did not surprise her one bit. Despite the words she had just spoken, she found that she was truly delighted and impressed by him. Not many would have the nerve. Her pristinely polished boots clicking with each and every step she took, she passed by each of her brothers before coming back to a stop just in front of Harnan.
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 601
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 10, 2016 23:16:23 GMT -8
Only a slight one
Was all he whispered back to her before she kissed the side of his helmet, causing him to briefly fall to silence, whilst secretly planning to extract some revenge upon her later for such an underhanded play. Though, the hum in his ear a few seconds later was most certainly a sign he had given just as good as he had got. As her hand brushed against his own, he felt his anger subside much faster, and his grip loosened, with her smile only adding to the ease he felt. He had been tempted to reach out and grab her as she brushed against him, but opted to stay as he was for the time being, since with her in front of him, she would not be able to cause a great deal of trouble.
It was then that Prancer arrived, or at least that was the nickname Harnan gave to Sohei. It really was almost more than he could stomach to watch as the man paraded around like he was the Force's gift to women. Still, the man had proven himself more than capable in combat, and their Master had seen something in him, so that was enough of a pass in his own book to put up with the man's... quirks as one might call them. He returned his attention then to the Supreme Commander, as the man insisted on disregarding reconnaissance and subtlety, and just rush headlong into Deralia and try blitz the Jedi into submission. It was a foolish move, and as someone who had once seen first hand how effective that tactic had been with the Eternal Empire, he was one of the few people who could honestly say it would only lead to their downfall.
As Illaria crossed the bridge towards Nicademus, he tensed a little, knowing that she was very likely to do something that could lead them all into a whole lot of trouble. He could feel her twisting the force to her will as she stood toe to toe with the man, clearly not happy with the man's decision to challenge her plan. But there was something about this interaction that was unsettling to him, and he honestly wasn't exactly sure what it was. It was just something about the way she interacted with the Supreme Commander, and something deep within him did not like it at all. Maybe it was just how close she was standing to him right now, and sure, she had circled him earlier, but since then, he had sensed a slight change.
Maybe he was just being a little too overly protective of her, and needed to loosten up a little, but he always found it hard when it came to Illaria. She meant something more to him than anyone else had in his life had before, and although on more than one occasion he had imagined ramming open her gates and plunging his sword deep within her stone, whilst raiding her sweet abundance of fruit, they were really just close friends. Drawing his attention back to the situation at hand, Illaria was retracting her presence within the force as the situation managed to diffuse itself somewhat. As soon as she came back within range of his reach though, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in close to him, knowing that the closer they were, the harder it would be for someone to try shoot her without also hitting him. His attention none the less remained upon the Supreme Commander, as he lowered his head slightly whispered into Illaria's ear
it seems you're quite adept at being enranged on your own behalf...
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Soku Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 160
Affiliation: The Knights of Ren
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Post by Soku Ren on Jan 11, 2016 0:06:32 GMT -8
*Sohei Ren. The most flamboyant of the group, perhaps, but also the most disciplined in physicality. He was a very impressive specimen; "unyielding blade" was more than a worthy title for him. The Master had personally informed him of Soku's plan, as was no surprise. Soku only gave a slight nod to confirm to Sohei that, yes, that was the plan, and his blade would be more than welcome, but the floor remained yielded to the Supreme Commander.
Before providing the name of a commander whose force would be a perfect aid to the assault on Deralia, he expressed concern with time, suggesting Deralia be hit swift and hard. Soku very much would have liked to agree, but, due to Illaria's realistic suggestion, he was now hesitant to bring a large show of force to the world seemingly from nowhere; in his own mind, it would only bring to mind the pathetic Sith's attempts at wreaking havoc on the world with little regard for its citizens. While their goal had been noble, their actions had been foolish, and they were not mistakes he intended to repeat with their own campaign.
But he had not time to respond, as Illaria took that honor upon herself, essentially grilling the Supreme Commander on his place as the air around them grew heavy with the dark side. For a moment, Soku seemed to stand just the slightest bit taller as he fed upon it; and yet, he almost feared for their position. Soku held a great deal of respect for the Supreme Commander and his capability to lead a new age in the galaxy. In that respect, his thoughts differed from Illaria's, though would it be the Knights who would be lost, or Soku himself? He did not see the First Order as an asset, but an alliance, and the last thing he wished to do was jeopardize that alliance.
When she had had her say and the air lightened, Soku spoke quickly, as though attempting to patch up any potential damage to the situation.* "We will pursue the route best-suited for our mission. Whatever it takes, the Jedi of Deralia will fall, and the world will have order. The last thing we wish to do, however, is instill fear in the populace; no doubt thanks to the foolishness of the Sith who once warred for the planet and their misguided tactics, the response to a sudden Imperial presence—let alone that of dark side practitioners, due to age-old propaganda—will not create a proper first impression.
"Subterfuge is the best route. These people must see that they are receiving order, not having it thrust upon them." *His tone had become even more serious and sincere; while he truly believed in his goal of galactic order, it was clear that Deralia meant far more to him than any mere target. And that was why they had to do this right...*
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Post by Nicademus Delvardus IV on Jan 13, 2016 10:34:30 GMT -8
Nicademus quietly accepted the proposed intention and plan of the Knights of Ren when dealing with Deralia. He could not respond due to an approaching Imperial officer who whispered to the Supreme Commander. The Imperial nods and turns his gaze to the four Knights present. Calmly does he gesture to the viewport of the Praetorian before turning away to walk towards the direction he had indicated.
It seems the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer is ready to launch. It has been loaded with a skeleton crew to ensure that it can be maneuvered out of the dry docks.
The Supreme Commander places his hands behind his back as he witnesses the launching of the very first Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Crewmen moved from station to station, as warning klaxons sounded. The Strike-class Medium Cruiser and Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser that patrolled the dry dock moved a good distance for the launching of the gargantuan Star Destroyer. Klaxons continued to blare not only on the Praetorian but even on the dry docks where the Resurgent prepared to launch. Within moments, the engines flared to life and began pushing the lumbering warship away from the dockyards.
It was a magnificent sight as the impressive wedge-shaped Star Destroyer broke free from its restraints and moved into open space. An order was sent from the communication officers on Nicademus's bridge. The ship turned slightly and would make a pass by the viewport of the Praetorian. The warship was bristling with an impressive array of weapons; heavy turbolasers, long-ranged missiles, tractor beams and ion cannons. It was truly a floating fortress among the stars. It would come to a slow and eventually anchor right in front of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Nicademus turn to the Ren and gesture to the stationary warship.
Who shall christen her, Knights of Ren?
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 601
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on Jan 16, 2016 23:07:04 GMT -8
As the Supreme Commander spoke, Harnan watched as the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer moved free of it's dock and was put on display for all those aboard the bridge of the Praetorian, with Illaria securely wrapped in his grip. It was then, that Nicademus asked who had the honour of naming the ship, causing Harnan to straighten up a little, since it had been decided he would be given command of the Knights of Ren's new mobile fortress
She shall be known as The Resurgence, in honour of her not only being the first of her line, but as a symbol of the Resurgence of Order that is to come as her cannons bring Order from Chaos...
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Ellie Ordo
Member
Posts: 704
Affiliation: Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Mar 16, 2017 15:15:49 GMT -8
*A flash of light broke the star streaked backdrop of space, as a AIAT/i gunship dropped out of hyperspace. The old gunship was battered and scarred, from carbon scouring peppering it's hull, to the small amount of smoke drifting from fresh gouges. With effort, the large vessel began to lumber towards the planet.*
*Inside the cockpit, the pilot wasn't doing much better. Her refitted black and yellow beskar'gam was scarred from recent conflict, her right forearm bandaged from a close blaster bolt. The worst injury right now was her left eye, poorly bandaged and slightly bleeding through the cloth. A close strike from a vibroblade nearly got her, instead it left a shallow cut across the eye itself. She sat up straighter in her seat, and began to plot a better course. From behind her, she could hear beings moving around now. Slaves, that's what they had been, but not anymore. She had risked her life to save them as part of a promise she had made to hunt down every slaver out there. She closed her good eye and let out a slow breath. They were free, all of them, free and safe. Her moment of relaxation was broken by the ships proximity alarm. Opening her eye, she looked out of the cockpit window just in time to see something that made her heart sink.*
*Almost directly beside ship, a black and orange Venator class star destroyer dropped out of hyperspace. Flanking it were two Pelta-classe frigates. Ellie couldn't believe these slavers were that bold, also that dumb. Without waiting for them to make the first move, she shoved the ships engines to full. The old gunship roared in protest but pushed forward with all its might. They may have been fast enough to outrun the bigger ships, but not the fighters that were starting to pour from the Venators hangar. Activating the gunships long range comms, Ellie hailed orbital control.*
Orbital control this is Ellie Ordo of the Gladiator we are in dire need of assistance! We have been engaged by a small fleet of slavers upon entering the system! I repeat, we need assistance!
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Krzesimir Viggo
The First Order
Posts: 360 
Affiliation: First Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Mar 17, 2017 2:17:35 GMT -8
Five days prior to the slaver attack:
Aurel Pellaeon scanned the new ships of Warlord Command, they looked sharp but wasn't going to be performing nearly as sharply for some time yet. The crews were mostly green recruits. A few of his old crew had requested to transfer out of the task force, he'd approved each and looked carefully through the available academy recruits for suitable replacements and then to fill out the vastly increased crew requirements for the new ships. It had taken the better part of a month to get all the recruits here, and then Pelleaon had shoved them into any kind of simulator he could find to get them used to working together. Another three weeks passed as the ships were completed, inspected and christened; time the crews sorely needed it seemed. Now it was time to take the virgin task force on maneuvers to get the task force into proper fighting shape.
Present:
Pelleaon stood in the bridge of his flag ship, surrounded by veteran officers well versed in the efficient management of a skilled crew. He was... exasperated, though he was careful not to let it show. Still, some of the seasoned hands noticed his frustration and worked all the harder to smooth things out. The task force was working on co-ordinated hyperspace jumps, using a series of preplanned micro-jumps as a sort of course to move around the system practicing the group maneuver. So far, not a single jump had gone as planned. Most of the time, everyone made it to the designated way point, but it had yet to be anything remotely synchronous. His senor officer perked up suddenly, and Pelleaon turned his attention to the woman as she turned announced the arrival of a clone wars era gunship in the vicinity of the task force's micro-jump course. Pelleaon ordered it be tracked for now and returned his attention to getting the task force ready for the next jump.
Halfway through an order to one of the mostly rookie crews, his sensor officer interrupts him with the news of three new arrivals, all also clone wars era, and then she patched the transport's transmission through to the entire task force. Pelleaon looked at the tactical display, as switched from the task force to the new situation, and ordered all ships to beat to quarters. He saw that the garrison fleet, arrayed in a defensive position around the shipyard, wouldn't intercept the hostiles in time to save the transport. So he ordered all ships to jump in behind the slavers as soon as they could do it safely, and to prioritize disabling the enemy capitol ships while fighters moved to screen the transport. Before he was done speaking, helm was adjusting course and calculating the necessary jump. His flag and her sister ship, are the first to make the jump. They almost succeed in syncing their jump but the flag had a slight but distinct lead.
Two Victory-II class Star Destroyers appear behind the slaver ships and being charging weapons and forward shields as fighter pilots scramble to their fighters. A moment later a Vindicator-class Frigate drops out of hyperspace near the two Vic-II's but not in formation, much to Pelleaon's annoyance, but at least it had made it in a timely manner. A few seconds later a DP20 Frigate exits hyperspace dangerously close to the Gladiator, only a quick course change by both pilots prevents a collision there. Pelleaon clenched his teeth, and blew his breath out through his nose, as the first of his fighter squadrons launched. This was mess alright; though with things moving this haphazardly, perhaps the slavers would be thrown off balance and withdraw instead of pursuing their target. That would certainly be the best possible outcome for this very green crew, and the transport. He only hoped his men didn't blunder any of his ships right back into the shipyard for serious repairs...
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Ellie Ordo
Member
Posts: 704
Affiliation: Jedi Order
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Mar 17, 2017 16:11:02 GMT -8
*Ellie was both relieved and surprised at the fleets timely arrival. The relief quickly turned to panic as a frigate dropped from hyperspace almost on top of her. Cursing out loud, she pulled hard right and down, just barely avoiding the vessel. She was going to have a few choice words those pilots once this was over.*
*The destroyer turned it's attention from the Gladiator and focused on the vicII's that appeared behind it. Putting shields to max,vital began to pivot around while the two smaller frigates began to provide covering fire. Pulling into more unified groups, the fighter squadrons of A and B wings, stuck close to the destroyer to ward off incoming fighters. Once the destroyer started to pull into position, the frigates took formation of one below and one above to deter any smaller craft. Charging it's main guns, the destroyer prepared to fire.*
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Krzesimir Viggo
The First Order
Posts: 360
Affiliation: First Order
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Mar 18, 2017 22:58:48 GMT -8
Pellaeon stood in silence, his officers knowing what to do for the time being. Mostly he was waiting for the rest of the task force to arrive. His flag ship, the Slamet, opened fire on the Venerator, staggering its salvo as follows. Ten heavy ion cannons fired first, then a second later, the forty turbolasers, followed yet another second later by the twenty double heavy turbolasers. His shield's officer shifted shields to increase forward shield strength by 50% at the cost of rear and flank shield volume and recharge rate. His TIE flight officer over saw the launch of the second squadron of TIE/fos. Engineering directed power from the idling engines to weapons, effectively doubling their recharge rate.
The sister Victory-II, called the Lestari, opened fire shortly after the flag ship, mirroring the volley pattern exactly. It also adjusted shields and excess energy form engines exactly as the Slamet had. It also launched both its squadrons of TIE/fos. All four squadrons formed up as screens for their respective mother ships, waiting for the rest of the task force to arrive so they could begin their primary mission.
The first Vindicator to arrive, the Reidar, quickly moves to take up position just below and between the two Vic-IIs. The first TIE/fo squadron launches from it's hangar as it does. It's shields remain balanced, and it's weapons charge as it moves. It won't be in place for another two minutes, but it should arrive before enemy fighters can engage the two Vic-IIs and their fighter escorts.
The DP20 frigate, the Luzia, recovers from the emergency collision avoidance maneuvers and turns to present a broadside to both the transport and the slavers. Shields remain balanced, and weapons begin charging. The Gladiator should be able to pull back up and to the left, to put the Luzia between it and the slavers if it is deemed necessary. The Luzia has no fighter compliment of its own, but is rather specialized in dealing with fighters, without sacrificing much in the way of being able to trade with ships of similar size. Luzia's captain had gambled, and it had worked, mostly, so he was satisfied for now. He just hoped his brash disobedience and the subsequent near collision didn't get him drummed out of the Navy. Thankfully that decision would come much later.
Five new ships arrive in the general vicinity of the two Vic-II's. Three DP20's and two Vindicators arrive and begin charging weapons while their navigations officers plot the necessary courses to get them into position asap. This was exactly the sort of situation the drills they had been performing was supposed to mitigate, if not prevent entirely. This experience would increase the surviving crew member's resolve to put forth every effort to be a well disciplined and highly skilled task force. Pellaeon only hoped the raw recruits managed to maintain a modicum of discipline and that morale held for the duration of the fight.
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Ellie Ordo
Member
Posts: 704
Affiliation: Jedi Order
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Mar 19, 2017 15:52:51 GMT -8
*Letting out a slow breath, Ellie brought the gunship to the other side of the frigate. Placing herself in safety from the slavers fire. Relief swept over her as more First Order vessels dropped out of hyperspace.*
*The slaver fleet held fast for several minutes, thanks to its upgraded shields and weaponry. When even more First Order vessels appeared, they began to get nervous. Outnumbered and quickly becoming out gunned, the slavers fleet began to tighten formation while looking for an escape route. Staggering their shots, the destroyer focused on the two vics, while the frigates picked a smaller target in hopes of cutting their way out. Putting forward shields to max, the destroyer began makeep its way to the enemy fleets right in hopes to push past.*
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Krzesimir Viggo
The First Order
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Mar 20, 2017 21:54:27 GMT -8
The Luzia, the DP20 that was now between the slavers and their prey, fired thrusters to cancel drift and stabilize the craft as a firing platform. Then it's sensor officer noticed that the Venator's rear shields were depleting slowly. The captain decided to hold fire until the shields were down, but ordered gunners to target the main drives of the enemy Star Destroyer and to move systematically from drive to drive across the stern of the vessel. Gunners complied as their screens were updated to show the new target priorities; they shifted aim, but holding fire for now. As the engines idled the systems officer directed energy from the engines to weapons for a faster weapon recharge rate. The Luzia's shields shimmered beneath the concentrated fire of the two Pelta-class frigates, the systems officer rapidly shifted power to the starboard shields. He hoped they held under the combined assault and worried that the focus on the Venator would leave the Luzia too vulnerable to retaliation. Starboard shields were holding at just over half strength and began recharging quickly as more power was shifted to them.
The Márcia, Rocha and Valéria, the other three DP20's in position opposite the Venator in relation to the Luzia, moved to from a simple Delta formation over the two Vic-II's and opened fire on the enemy fighters. The fire wasn't terribly accurate at first, but they had a very high target density in the target area. As the ships moved into position, and found the proper range to target, the gunner's fire increased in accuracy.
The Reidar was still trying to get to the engagement, though it's pilot noticed the enemy ships moving to the fleet's right, and suggested a slight course change. The captain approved and the Reidar shifted to an intercept course, though it would still be some time before they were in range to do anything productive. In the mean time it's second squadron launched and the two squadrons raced ahead to join the four squadrons currently escorting the Vic-II's. The two other Vindicators, the Gry and Thorveig, shift shields forward, as they take up positions slightly forward, below and outside the Vic-II's. Each of them salvo fire their turbolasers at the Venator, trying to help punch through it's shields. Each ship has twenty-five light turbolasers and twenty quad light turbolasers in their salvos, for a total of one hundred and five light turbolasers per ship's salvo. Gry and Thorveig launch their fighters late, but the enemy was moving cautiously, so it wasn't likely to be a problem.
Slamet and Lestari's shields ripple under the fire from the Venator, but between the strengthened forward shields and the fact that each ship was only receiving half of the enemy ship's fire, both shields held strong at over 110% forward and slowly charging back to the 150% they had been boosted too at the start of the engagement. With the guns on rapid recharge, the two Vic-II's both fire a second staggered volley, in sync this time. These volleys hit just after the combined salvo from the two Vindicators, and again followed the heavy ion to turbolaser to dual heavy turbolaser pattern, though the time between each segment was halved.
The six deployed squadrons of TIE/fos hesitated a while longer, uncertain of how they should react. They should have four other squadrons with them by now, but those were just launching, and the enemy fighters seemed content to hide in the shadow of their Venator. Since the TIEs are outnumbered, and the pilots are almost all fresh out flight school, the squad and wing commanders hold back and wait for a clear advantage to open up before committing their raw recruits to the fray. They knew the Task force could easily pummel the Venator and it's two escorts to pieces without the fighter's help, and so focused on figuring out how to best counter the enemy fighters that seemed so reluctant to join battle.
The rest of the task force remains elsewhere. A troubling thought nibbles at the back of Pellaeon's mind, but he lets it pass and focuses on the situation at hand. The Luzia couldn't hold by itself against both Pelta's indeffinately, but she should be able to hold on until help arrived. Which meant help needed to e sent her way, but who to send? Pellaeon had to choose and soon.
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Ellie Ordo
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Mar 30, 2017 8:25:35 GMT -8
*The battle was not going well for the slavers Venator. Turbo laser fire pelted the ships already stressed shields. She was an old ship that had received many upgrades over the years, but not enough to battle with a newer Star Destroyer. Tilting it's angle some, it concentrated all fire on the on the Slamet. Once all the cannons were focused on the flag ship, the Venator launched for torpedoes. The main goal was to cripple the command structure, then hope they could escape in the chaos. However, the captains focus was so intent on what was in front of him, that he didn't notice his stern shields were about to be depleted.*
*Panic ran through the ranks of the fighter squads as concentrated fire from the frigates began to pick them apart. Breaking away from their flag ship, they pulled into formation and charged at the enemy TIE/fos. Once in range the B-wings would begin strafing the frigates while the A-wings held off the fighters.*
*Keeping pace with the destroyer, the two Pelta class frigates maintained their fire on the Luzia. Each shot was staggered in attempt to give the shields little time to recover.*
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Krzesimir Viggo
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Apr 9, 2017 19:59:10 GMT -8
The Slamet's shields held, under the concentrated barrage, but would not survive long under the focused fire. The Lestari's shields finished recharging to a full forward strength of 150% normal strength. Both ships continued to pound the Venator with everything they had, determined to punch through it's shields and begin chewing through the ship itself. The crews knew they were more than a match for these slavers and were determined to prove it in battle. The crews were quite, focused on the task at hand, speaking only as necessary to perform their duties. None wanted to bear the shame of having folded under pressure in this sudden, unexpected conflict. They were too green to banter through the stress, too fresh out of the academy to be confident in their skills as men and women of the First Order's Navy. Still, they had the training, they had the talent; they needed only the experience to hone them into a truly terrifying fighting machine.
The Gry and Thorveig also continue to blast at the Venator's shields with their main armaments. Now, as the enemy fighters approach, and the Venator's missiles close, their point defense cannons open fire. The 20 total laser cannons target and destroy the four missiles with relative ease, providing a minor boost to the gunner's morale. The 40 total ion cannons target the enemy bombers trying to disable them as rapidly as possible. Targeting them in order of proximity, and then threat level. Their shields took the punishment, and flickered under the stress, but held for now.
The Márcia, Rocha and Valéria Continue their attack, focusing their cannons now on the enemy bombers, where they could. Else where they poured their fire into any enemy fighter they could see. Their cannons required three or four hits to kill a B-wing, but punched through the A-wing's lighter shields with ease, though the first hit was rarely lethal, the second was usually enough to finish the nimble interceptors. Still, the Venator's carrying capacity was rivaled only be the ancient Lucrehulk-class freighters, and the enemy fighters were plentiful. Even with excellent marksmanship, which this crew was not yet capable of, it would take some time to chew through this horde of fighters.
Thankfully they weren't alone in their task. TIE/fo squadrons, all ten now deployed, blasted into action. They too, targeted the bombers whenever they could, but beyond the first pass, it was all they could do to keep the enemy A-wings off their wingmen's six. They all to quickly began to suffer their first losses, few as they were, their effect was galvanizing to the hot shot pilots, who worked hard with the squadron leaders to keep everyone they could alive. Discipline and hard training began to pay off, as pilots began to slip into their element, the chaos of a dogfight.
The Reidar was finally in range of the nearest enemy ship, one of the Pelta-class frigates, and opened fire. It directed it's fire at the ship's bridge, in a wave of energy. The guns cycling through charge and fire in turn, so that a nearly endless stream of energy splashed across the enemy's forward shields. The first full cycle probably wouldn't punch through the shields, but it would make a fantastic light show on the forward shields. The constant visual stimulus would be wreaking havoc on the automatic screen shades if they still functioned, effectively blinding the slavers, as the bleed off energy effectively jammed the local sensors and caused the view ports to darken indefinitely.
The Luzia shifted shield strength to bolster her failing shields, even as energy was shifted from idling engines to boost shield recharge rates. The weapons would have to function under normal recharge rates. The change in energy priorities wasn't enough to maintain the shields indefinitely, but it would be enough to hold them until the slavers had passed out of range, unless they turned back to continue the engagement. As the Venator's aft shields fell. The Luzia's Captain order his gunners to open fire on the designated targets. The guns tore into the Venator's starboard sublight-drive, and drifted to port as the exposed engine was torn apart.
Pellaeon stood quietly, watching as his enemies disseminated their fire to multiple targets, instead of focusing their fire properly. Not that the focused fire of his task force was having any real effect on the enemy Venator. It must have received significant upgrades to it's shield systems to take such punishment so smoothly. His gunners hadn't so much as scorched the enemy hull yet, much to his annoyance. Though it was clearly not due to a lack of discipline or skill on their part. He considered ordering a shift in his energy reserves, at least on the Slamet, but decided to hold the attack for a little while longer. The swarm of fighters before him, was briefly back lit by a sudden flash, and his eyes darted to the tactical display,
wondering if he'd made a tactical error and lost the Luzia. To his relief, however, he saw that she was still intact and holding strong. Glaring into the space before him, he noticed the glint metallic specs floating away from the Venator, about where it's drives should be and smiled as realization dawned on him. He looked back to the tactical display and the smile faded, he was still short two ships. Someone was going to get a severe berating for this error, but that would have to come later.
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Ellie Ordo
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Apr 13, 2017 18:17:45 GMT -8
*The slaver captain was starting to feel good about his odds of escape, that was until alarms began to sound across the bridge. A direct hit had sunk deep into the destroyers engines. Shields and weapons began to fail and panic ran through the crew. An attempt to adjust the ships power to full shields proved futile as the engines let out a loud whine before completely shutting down. The mighty ship was dead in space, the only power left was from emergency systems. Panicking crew began to abandon ship in the form of escape pods or shuttles.*
*Fearing the worst, the two frigates broke formation and began to retreat. The first vessel succesfully jumped to hyperspace while using the downed destroyer as cover. The second frigate wasn't so lucky, a miscalculation by the pilot brought the ship directly into the line of fire from the larger ships. A direct hit to the side tore the frigate clean in two. The fighters began to scatter, a few lucky ones escaped while the rest became easy targets for the Tie/fos.*
*From the cockpit of her ship, Ellie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Shifting in her seat, she could feel the pain from her injuries setting in. Her left eye especially hurt now more than ever. From behind her she could her the collective sighs and releaved chatter of the now freed slaves. They were finally safe and soon to be on their way home, if they had one. Ellie made it a mental note to thank the person in charge of the fleet that came to their rescue.*
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Krzesimir Viggo
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Apr 27, 2017 17:31:47 GMT -8
Pellaeon ordered a cease fire, as the slaver fleet dispersed. He ordered a careful scan of the surrounding area to be sure there were no stragglers, and a comm channel opened to the freighter that had broadcast the distress call. He examined the tactical display before him, reading through the losses and damage reports. He'd lost forty-five fighters of the one hundred and twenty deployed. It was steep, but the fighters had been mostly piloted by rookies. Statistically, it was slightly above average for rookie pilots, and considering he'd had to take the dregs of the academy's pilots it was to be expected. Still, the loss stung him. He'd have to up the training scenarios and requirements, then he had two Lieutenants to chew out for failing to make the jump in time.
Even as he thought about that, the two ships in question finally arrived. An i418, Gen and the last of his DP-20 frigates, Idoia. Both Lieutenants were ordered to report to the Slamet in person, immediately. Meanwhile, the comm channel had been secured, so he put all thoughts of them out of his mind for now. He readied himself mentally before signaling his sensor officer to put the civilian on screen. He stood on his bridge, stiff and proud, as the image came up on the main screen.
I am Admiral Aurel Pellaeon, please identify yourself and state your business.
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Ellie Ordo
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Apr 28, 2017 16:25:43 GMT -8
*The com display blinked on the Gladiators console as the message came through. Before she answered, she caught a glimpse of her reflection, one she almost didn't recognize. Her once shoulder length hair was cut short in the back and linger in the front. A scar ran across her nose along with a new one just below her now bandaged eye. There were tattoos on the back of her neck along with the ones if a Krayt running up her arms. Her one usable eye held more weight in it then someone her age should. Letting out a sigh, she answered the hail.*
"This is Ellie Ordo of the Gladiator. I'm here bringing rescued slaves seeking safe haven. These people are the ones the slavers were after. I'm sorry for the inconvenience out arrival caused, but...I didn't expect them to chase us here. We are greatfull for the help you gave us though."
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Krzesimir Viggo
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on Apr 28, 2017 22:16:30 GMT -8
Pellaeon takes stock of the young woman before him, she'd certainly had better days. Still, she seemed to be holding herself together and Pellaeon respected that. He nods as she introduces herself, his mouth twitching in mild annoyance as she doesn't tell him much that he hadn't already deduced. Granted, she was a civie, and not accustomed to detailed and organized debriefings of an Imperial pilot, so he couldn't really hold it against her. One of his officers ran a background check on the woman to see if her story matched the imperial records. Nothing came up awry, and he learned that the woman was 23 years old, human and originally from Mandalor. Interesting. That told him quite a bit more about the woman he was dealing with. He gave an the order to have Gladiator escorted to into port, and to be sure the paperwork went smoothly when she got there.
Welcome Yaga Minor, Ms. Ordo. We're happy to serve ma'am, though I do apologize for the reckless piloting of the Luzia, the ship that almost collided with you, in it's eagerness to assist you. You will be escorted a priority berth and customs will be waiting to sort out the necessary paper work for you. I'm sorry I can't say your long day is over yet, but the rest of it should at least be peaceful. I'll be in system for the rest of the week should you need further assistance. Is anything else you need?
Pellaeon would have liked to take the time to meet this person personally, but well his orders didn't really permit vacation time in the middle of the initial training week, and he now had a small mound of paper work to tend to himself, requistioning new recruits to replace those lost today, and sending condolences to the families of those lost today. The equipment would be handeled by subordinates thankfully, but the personnel were still his responsibility. And then there were two lieutenants on their way to his main hangar that needed to be ... addressed. Much as he would like to take time and meet this interesting individual, if were to happen it would be on her terms, not his.
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Ellie Ordo
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Post by Ellie Ordo on Apr 29, 2017 17:43:00 GMT -8
*Ellie gave her head a slight bow as Admiral Pellaeon response. She also made more to remember the name of the ship that almost ran into her. A small grin when Pellaeon mentioned paperwork, that was something she defiantly wasn't fond of.*
"I can't be to angry with them, they helped pull us out of the fire after all, but...I still might have a few words with them if I ever had the chance. I never expect my days to end easily anymore Admiral, not after all I've been through lately. As for needing anything else....no, I can't think of anything. I'm sure, however, that everyone else is ready to get this day over with."
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Krzesimir Viggo
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Post by Krzesimir Viggo on May 18, 2017 16:35:29 GMT -8
A few days later...
Pellaeon had finished the paperwork and most of the damages had been repaired, though it would be a another three days before his task force was back at a full strength. Today they had resumed their navigation exercises, this time adding deployment and recovery of fighters to the check list. The first jump was... nothing short of disappointing, but the crews were eager to shape up after the excitement of the slaver incident. In just four jumps the task force was almost completely synced, though launch and recall was still ... clumsy, to say the least. Soon the nco's started adding personalized incentives for their respective crews to master their own tasks during the maneuvers. That helped the curve dramatically, still these recruits were young. There was only so much that drilling could do for them, but Pellaeon resolved to give them every last drop of experience he could before they had to hit galaxy. His training period was coming to an end, he only hoped that the crews would continue to improve their performance.
By the end of the day, the task force could be expected to perform reasonably in short and long range maneuvers and most rapid deployment situations. They needed some work still in sub-space maneuvers and tactics but those would be drilled later after a brief period of rest for the weary crews. Pellaeon himself retired to his own room and studied the logistical data for the day's work. He was glad to see that the logistical staff, mostly veterans, were keeping things running smoothly. They might even manage to achieve full strength for the task force earlier than expected. Next he began reading through the various captain's reports, making notes as necessary and approving actions when warranted. This was the less glamorous side of being an officer, the details and paper work. Still, Pellaeon didn't mind to much. The order and monotony was a calming balance to the chaos of the stars.
As always he focused on the task at hand, seeing everything through to the end as best he could before sending it on to whomever needed it next.
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