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Post by Salvatore Kasalle on Aug 1, 2022 6:50:27 GMT -8
After being informed by request of the Imperial High Command, both the Salvatore and the Nemesis arrive on Byss in order for a troop transfer.
While officially the ships are present for a cargo delivery of Tibanna gas, it was in truth the Prakith Legion that would land within the Ruling City.
Given current turmoils within the Deep Core, that might become a potential threat for House Kasalle's security and their loyality towards the Knights of Ren, Baron Cassio had swiftly ordered his son to follow the demands of his sister, the Grand Admiral as urgent as possible.
Standing at the viewports, Salvatore looked onto the planet with a grim expression.
After the jungles of Cato Neimoidia the gloomy city-surface of Byss looked at least like a pleasant surprise. Somewhat remembering on his first fights, when he served as a Braxant Legionaire during the assault on Muunilinst. He still remembered the words, that the Emperor held as a speech to the people back then as if it was yesterday.
Back then he was a Stormtrooper, now though only his armor could possibly make their enemies mistake them with the official regiments of the First Order.
Like the men he was leading, he was in the end a mercenary.
Loyal towards his father's cause perhaps, but not a man of honor.
If there really is an opponent to face, Salvatore knew that they would grant the enemy no safe place and not even a single time to breath. The Partisans had taught him too well, that resistance from a guerilla faction had to be met with guerilla tactics. Thus he was somewhat hoping that their unknown enemy, whoever they were, might actually be foolish enough to set their foot on Byss.
He presumed that they were probably on a similiar level like the Neimoidian resistance, if they had to commit terrorist attacks upon First Order stations within the Deep Core, but that neither meant that he didn't underestimate them. Those that seek to defy an Empire always tend to be bold.
Strength and weakness at the same time... the Household Commander knew that he would enjoy finding a way to capitalize on it.
For when there was war at the front door steps, profit wasn't far away either.
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Nem Yin
The First Order
The dark expanse of the intergalactic void is not as empty as they would have you believe...
Posts: 439
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Nem Yin on Aug 3, 2022 9:57:05 GMT -8
There was something unsettling traveling down a dangerous road held together only by the perverse technical machinations of infidel technology. This was the foremost thought of Alaitoc Yin, Commander of the Legacy of Anguish, as his matalok cruiser traversed the artificial darkspace route on its way to the planet of Byss. The organic warship transitioned to real space as it exited at the end of the long swirling blue tunnel, arriving a the near center of the galaxy it seemed as the vibrant green and blue orb almost seemed to shine luminously before the holographic projection of his command villip. He stepped away from the command dais and walked among the crew operating the vital systems of the cruiser from their cognition thrones. His dark purple eye sacs pulsed as excitement caused his heart to pound in his chest and his black blood to run hot through his veins. Though only in attendance for the war games themselves, the rising star of Domain Yin was entertained by the prospect of further proving himself before the other castes and domains of the Praetorite. Hell, he swore on Yammka's thorny cock that he'd even impress a few of these Imperials they were allied with by the time they were through. Alaitoc's mqaaq'it seemed to emblazon with furious red flame as the fervent follower of the Slayer God stood at the centre of the bridge, casting an eerie crimson glow over his glossy black crab plate. His arms were folded over his chest, ocular implants locked forwards as the dark sacs beneath them puffed with bridled contempt.
"Inform the Executor of our arrival and take us into the atmosphere." He growled in harsh Yuuzhan Vong, all eyes on the bridge focused on his commanding presence. "And by Harla's tits be quick about it. I promised the Yu'shaa a drink." Though his words were slightly sacrilegious, especially for an intendant, the humour he intended was conveyed without flaw, eliciting barks of laughter from a few of the crew.
Using its powerful dovin basal array, the matalok manipulated the forces of gravity to pull itself towards the planet, gently entering the atmosphere at a lumbering pace. A half dozen yorik-et released from red and blue coral arms along its sides, flying out in front of the larger cruiser to help clear a path and guide it in. The smaller fighter craft didn't operate well within a planet's atmosphere, thus only the most skilled pilots that had formed strong and long lasting bonds with their living ships had been assigned to the task. As the cruiser descended on the planet, it moved towards the coordinates the Executor had scouted outside the Ruling City, towards a wide crevasse in a more rugged and mountainous stretch of land north of capital. On its descent, the cruiser released a large molted leathery pod, dropping it over the great blue ocean. The massive seedling fell like a stone, its surface heating on the way down before it disappeared from view as the matalok continued on its course.
Elsewhere along the system's edge...
Alith Yin sucked back air through the starfish shaped gnullith over the lower half of his face, drawing in breath provided by the lungworm connected to his vacuum cloaker. The crevice in the hull he was currently standing in, aboard the miid ro'ik warship Praetorite Command, was exposed to raw space, frigid and hostile to most forms of life. The translucent hood of his outfit allowed his mqaaq'it to observe the final preparations as a dozen yorik-et were fitted with an additional dovin basal. Teams of worker caste under the supervision of the Master Shaper Verin Kwaad. A former heretic like most of his domain, the Praetorite had allowed him to continue serving his people so long as he continued to tow the line and obey the commands of the Yu'shaa. Like Alith, the Master Shaper and worker caste were all wearing vacuum cloakers, whereas the pilots waiting on standby were garbed in crimson vonduun-skerr kyrric specifically designed for void exposure.
The slender bodied shaper turned to Alith and nodded his affirmation. "Yun'Ne'shel be praised, Commander. The yorik-et have accepted the dovin basals. These starfighters may now enter darkspace."
"Excellent." Hissed Alith through the gnullith breathing biot. He eyed the dozen members of the warrior caste, their eyes obscured by the specially shaped helmets on their head, all a part of a singular living suit of armour. "Warriors, to your ships!" The hybrid nature of his gnullith-villip caused his words to be heard in the soundless vacuum, telepathically transmitted to each warrior.
Crimson crab plated fanatics boarded their craft, seating themselves in each fighters cognition throne as their nervous systems were symbiotically joined with the living vessels, blending each Yuuzhan Vong's sense of self with that of their fighter craft. As bio-circuits were programmed and each fighters dovin basals were aroused to a state of alertness, the dozen tiny organic starfighters left the crevice and sped away from the living dreadnought, floating on wings of gravity towards the anomalies. As this occurred, Alith made his way back inside and returned to his command dais on the bridge, watching each coral crafts progress on the blaze-bug display of his tactical villip. The first of the tiny living starfighters had reached the approximate location of the detected probes. Revving up its dovin basals, the tiny navi-brain aboard yorik-et calculated a short jump along the perceived path. Like threading a needle, it entered darkspace, vanishing from sight in a brilliant flash of light. Then they waited.
He was the better part of the way through a bottle of sparkbee honey when the Praetorite Command received the first word of contact from the fighter making the initial jump. He read the report.
Survived initial jump.
Providing coordinates.
Proceeding to next jump point.
- Kratos Choka
Upon verifying the report, the commander sent the signal for the next yorik-et to follow after the first. On an on this went for a time, with each nimble coral craft following the path of the first. It was far from easy going and a few of the yorik-et were lost along the way. For every ship lost, something new was learned and mistakes were not to be repeated. For the commander and crew of the Praetorite Command, it was frustrating for all they could do was wait and pray, though that did not mean they were idle. Its forward facing yaret-kor were all turned towards the path the yorik-et had taken. They already knew probes had exited at this point. If they could make it, surely ships could as well. The Praetorite would not be found sleeping if the owner of said probes decided to try and recover their lost property.
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Kaine Australis
The Vegemite Enclave
Consuming Copious Coopers
Posts: 1,036 
Affiliation: Vegemite and Mandalore
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Kaine Australis on Aug 5, 2022 3:16:29 GMT -8
Navigating through hyperspace was not, as someone once said, like dusting crops. You could fly right through a supernova or a black hole, and that would end your trip really quick. The Deep Core of the galaxy was even more dangerous, with anomalies, star clusters, and protostars as well as the near masses of so many nebulae and singularities that navigation was extremely hazardous.
The probes dispatched from the Tython system did not fare too well in their attempts to navigate their way through the Deep Core. Of the fifty that had set out, only five remained to survive the approach towards Beshqek. Of those, two were heavily damaged, and unable to carry out their mission.
Unable to make any more hyperspace jumps, the damaged two moved out on sublight courses, doing their best to add to the charts of local space, though still a light-week away from Byss, too far away to do any real good. The three intact surviving probes made for their final jumps, and left the broken pair behind, leaping into the Beshqek system at three separate points.
The gravity wells of the system's primary star and the planets and moons dictated where they were able to emerge, each at a distinct and separate point on the edge of the outer orbit of the outermost planet.
Each began maneuvering, scanning the system and planets, cataloguing ships and installations. Hypercomm transmissions relayed the information back to the Lightstealth-18s that were keeping well away from Byss. From the scout ships, the data was compiled and sent back to Clan Intelligence, providing updated mapping and astronavigational data, as well as tactical information.
The droids assigned to the Lightstealth-18s were not programmed for too much independent thought, however, the same was not true of the Clan Australis intel coordinator who recieved the updated datapackets back on Myrkr. Bad news for the Mando'ade, and for Kaine.
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Kaine Australis
The Vegemite Enclave
Consuming Copious Coopers
Posts: 1,036
Affiliation: Vegemite and Mandalore
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Kaine Australis on Aug 9, 2022 2:06:06 GMT -8
Repost for corrections. A single Lightstealth-18 dropped from hyperspace well outside the normal transit lanes, so far out from the system that the Byss star was lost among the bright clusters of protostars and clusters of the Deep Core. Navigating the region was dangerous, and the Byss Run left the approach too exposed, so the stealth craft used a secondary hyperlane to get close to the system.
Scanning was carried out, while the crew of repurposed protocol droids kept the hyperdrive spooled up ready for the next jump.The important scanning work was carried out by the Lightstealth's crew, ensuring that local space was clear of enemy activity. They were able to recieve and retransmit data from the probe droids inside the system, and relay all the information back to Clan command.There were now several probes inside the Beshqek system, and multiple Lightstealth-18 craft standing off well outside the system in deep space, giving Kaine and his allies a picture of the system and its defences. The probes were automata, and most of the spy craft were crewed by repurposed protocol droids, save for the third one, which was crewed. Under a Captain Irasca, the four-being crew were experienced scouts, and not at all happy with their dangerous and risky mission.
Does the grand poobah know what hes ordering us to do?
Mack grumbled to Bo, his fellow sensor operator. Grand poobah was an unkind nickname for the Alor Kaine Australis who had ordered the scouting operation so deep into the deep core.Don't start. Bo said, but Mack ignored him, plowing on regardless. I mean, it's not just the collapsed stars, nebulae, supernovae, pulsars, quasars, and gravitic anomalies. Mack went on. There are uncharted rogue planets, and let's not forget, wandering black holes. Bo, and the rest of the crew all knew perfectly well the hazards to which they were being exposed, but Mack was vocal in his displeasure. Even if we map things out right, things can go wrong.The worst part of it was, Mack wasn't exaggerating. Hyperspace navigation anywhere in the Deep Core was a tricky business, and very dangerous, even when you were as careful as seasoned scouts tried to be. So far they'd only lost probes to the dangers of this area of space. The scouts hoped it stayed that way, and that the Alor didn't push his luck with the risks he was taking.
The three lightstealths were marking the potential ingress points for Kaine's ship, the Carnifex, to make a cloaked approach to Byss, though they did not know anything beyond their orders to maintain a watch.
Quietly, their craft held its position well away from the Beshqek system. They were further out than their most generous estimates of the enemy's sensor range. At such a range their own sensors couldn't hope to scan Byss or anything inside the system. Their job for now was to watch deep space, to relay data from the probes to command, and to await instructions. |
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Nem Yin
The First Order
The dark expanse of the intergalactic void is not as empty as they would have you believe...
Posts: 439
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Nem Yin on Aug 17, 2022 7:24:40 GMT -8
It was dark in Alith Yin's command quarters as the intendant sat at his desk, glowing mqaaq'it focused on the screen of his qahsa device as he reviewed the last footage transmitted by Quednak Squadron prior to losing contact with them. The deep space facility they had assaulted appeared much the same as what the First Order's probes had picked up. What he hadn't been anticipating were the two cruisers and the numerous infidel starfighters. The Executor's concerns had been confirmed. Whoever was operating in the region was hostile and seemed by all appearances to be mustering a military presence. For what reason he still couldn't quite say, though perhaps their infidel allies would have a better understanding of the what it meant. He sent a villip transmission to the Yu'shaa along with the recorded footage.
The militant part of him wanted to launch another squadron and try again, but that would mean adapting another squadron for darkspace travel, which would take time. He could of course order the Praetorite Command to make the jump, but doing so would be premature without the Executor's blessing. At most for the moment all that could be expected of them was to hold their position and wait for further instructions.
Frustrated, Alith eased the fire in his belly with a bladder-flask of sparkbee honey. The miid ro'ik under his command remained at alert while they awaited orders.
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Kaine Australis
The Vegemite Enclave
Consuming Copious Coopers
Posts: 1,036
Affiliation: Vegemite and Mandalore
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Kaine Australis on Aug 18, 2022 2:31:24 GMT -8
Deep in space, the lightstealth craft sat silently, waiting and watching. Then they waited no more, as the comm station pinged for attention. A live holotransmission came in from Mandalore, routed from the RV point to the Lightstealth-18. The operators noted that they were to forward the live feed to one of the probe droids for final transmission, and so they did, linking with the next point in the transmission chain, one of the two damaged probe droids now on the outskirts of the Beshqek system.
Probe droid 4 relayed the transmission directly in towards Byss, a live holocam feed with full audio, linked via relays all the way back to Mandalore. A trace of the transmission would only lead the enemy to the probe droid. Once the signal was confirmed active and at full power, the broadcast went live.Kaine's voice was the next thing everyone heard, broadcast in the clear to the Byss system on all frequencies. A hologram of the Alor, standing before the holocam in full Field Marshal's uniform, marshal's baton grasped in one hand, accompanied the transmission. He was not wearing a helmet, his head and face clean shaven but for his moustache, and his blue eyes bored into the cam.::This is Kaine Australis.
I come in peace, with a message for your leaders. The Byss system has been claimed by its former owner, and so we have come to ensure that the system returns to its rightful owner.
Unless your intelligence services aren't worth the credits you pay them, by now you know who has been snooping around. You know we're well informed. We know the Ren have already run off to Prakith, and that's fine with us. They can run and hide, and we'll let it go there. So I want to make you an offer. All you need do is agree to vacate the Beshqek system immediately, and there will be no need for hostilities.
It is only fair that I warn you that there is a storm coming, a black and terrible tide that will spill across the world and drown all before it. What you expect is only the beginning. A small part of what is to come. You are not prepared. You are not ready to stand. There will be no respite, no mercy, no quarter asked, nor given. This will be a proper declaration. There will be no escape.
Your choice is simple. Leave Byss now, and your lives will be spared, and no further recriminations will be due you and yours. Refuse, and I will make war upon you. My Clan will make war upon you. And Kad could not help you when you see what follows with us.
This is your very last chance. I urge you to think of the lives of your soldiers and your civilians.::
The Mandalorian Alor's words boomed out loud and clear, Kaine's tone and inflection mastered by fifty years of experience leading beings into combat. His face looked directly down the holocam, his expression without humour or mirth.He was prepared to offer peace in one hand, but he held a rock in the other hand. Several rocks, actually, though the Australis Alor did not control them, or order them. Lords of Dark Tide were committed to aiding Lord Nexus in addition to Kaine's militant shenanigans and there was no way for the First Order to know they were coming. And they weren't all.
Any reply sent back to the probe along the same feed as the transmission could and would be linked in for a live conversation via hypercomm with Kaine. The transmission was relayed and boosted from the probe droid, then the lightstealth, then the RV point cruisers, then along the HoloNET to Mandalore.
Would it be peace, or war? Back at Manda'yaim, Kaine stood in front of the holocams, waiting to see if he got a response to his ultimatum...
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Katsumi Ren
The First Order
Posts: 97 
Affiliation: The Knights of Ren
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Post by Katsumi Ren on Aug 21, 2022 21:06:22 GMT -8
 When Kaine receives the response he waits for, it comes from Katsumi Ren, the image of the grinning onyx-hued skull like mask she wears replacing his visage. Katsumi, in wearing her helm rather than removing it does him the courtesy of showing him her true face, for the face beneath it is merely the face of who she once was before giving herself to the Ren; the subtlety, she knows, may be lost on the Mandalorian should he not know what it means to be a Ren, but she makes the gesture all the same.
Like Kaine, Katsumi speaks clearly, her tone even and carefully modulated to betray nothing but utter confidence in the words, devoid of any boastful inflection or other verbal posturing, that she offers to the Mandalorian who has claimed to come in peace only to immediately offer threats of war and boasts of strength.
::I am Katsumi Ren.
I fear it is the worth of your intelligence services that warrants examination. The Ren, as you can see, have not gone anywhere. I offer you this warning in the same spirit of that which you made when you mistakenly believed we had left. We are quite prepared for you, and we will stand against you and your storm.
I offer you and your forces the same choice you have given us. Depart now from the Beshqek system and live. Stay, and learn that Kad holds no power over the Shadow when your storm breaks upon our walls and your soldiers lay piled dead beneath them.::
Ending the transmission on that note, trusting that her acceptance of Kaine's proposed conditions concerning quarter and mercy are implicit, Katsumi stands in front of the holocams and waits to see if there will be any answer to her reply even though she suspects that there will be none; from Kaine's tone it seemed clear to her that not even learning that his intelligence concerning the Knights of Ren was mistaken would turn him from the course he has set. |
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Jenia Kasalle
Databank Operations
Posts: 512
Affiliation: First Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Jenia Kasalle on Aug 22, 2022 1:23:39 GMT -8
Moving in from a safe distance, both the Charybdis and the Banshee were slowly coming into the range of the orbiting Golan II plattform, as the defenses of Byss power up in preparation of what might be to come.
Admiral Naya Thax stood firmly on the wide bridge of the Conservator-Class Star Destroyer as the situation was analyzed and speeches were exchanged.
Well, now they had at least a name to the one, that was threatening the Empire.
Kaine Australis.
As she had briefly checked the datapad on the files of potential warlords that threatened the system, the ISB had already presumed that next to the terrorist of the Quarren Dominion these espionage missions might rank him as a potential candidate, given the vast ammount of the warlord's assets and past records that had been datamined on Fondor recently.
Apparently there had also been negotiations within the past between Australis and the First Order, yet it seemed that he was showing now his true colors.
But well, she was only here on the Grand Admiral's behalf, defending the system against foreign invaders.
While seemingly alone and with his identity revealed, this would prove to still become tense, given that he had obvious allies for his campaign. At first, the Mandalorian Clans would come into mind, was it not for the treaty between them and the First Order.
For the moment they had to be careful, just as they were instructed by the Grand Admiral.
"Charybdis to Nemesis, we can proceed with the 'Beehive' protocol."
Having sent her answer over a private channel, there weren't many illusions that Thax made herself about the enemy not being aware of what their forces were doing. Their own sensors were blind to what was present, but expieriences from Prakith have proven to be useful in some regard.
Once she recieved confirmation from the allied Company Galleon of the Kasalle Company, the Charybdis was utilizing the link, established with the advanced sensor technology of the fellow ship, to send a buzzing signal towards one of the neighbouring systems.
While the situation was still calm, they would still rely on advanced tactics.
For the enemy wouldn't have it easy.
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Kaine Australis
The Vegemite Enclave
Consuming Copious Coopers
Posts: 1,036
Affiliation: Vegemite and Mandalore
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Kaine Australis on Aug 22, 2022 3:25:35 GMT -8
::Katsumi Ren...:: said Kaine, testing how the name sounded, even as he admired the cool looking onyx skull mask the other wore. He was about to make a smartass speech full of bombast, when he accidentally leaned on the cutoff switch for the holocomm. He didn't notice, and figured that the Ren had ended the transmission. Instead, his uniformed image faded out after speaking the Ren's name, ending the relayed transmission.
Assuming that the enemy had cut communications, Kaine didn't try to reestablish the connection, but left to prepare for the fight which was to come. The time for talk was over, and the time of fire and blood was about to begin. Clan Australis was coming.
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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 5, 2023 14:17:57 GMT -8
With the danger passed, checks and maintenance works were conducted on the pair of Golan defence stations that sat in orbit of Byss. Making sure that the interdictor fields were running at optimal capacity whilst the Deep Core Sensor Net was connected along the Byss Run. Traffic coming along the Hyperlane from Empress Teta, down past Prakith, and eventually to Byss was monitored to continue to ensure the Fortress World's security.
Expedition teams were dispatched across the system to check on previously alerted to hyperlanes used for incursion. With the passage of time, even as short as it was, meant the routes had already closed off once more. The Deep Core was a deadly hive of stars and black holes ever shifting and colliding that made a usually impassable barrier for Hyperspace travel. Certainly moments of opportunity might exist for a route to become open, but such moments did not last long.
Meanwhile, a number of probing missions were conducted within the system itself to clear out the invasive probes that had managed to be released. Scans were run across a large swath of wavelengths over several days and weeks to track every last one down and destroy them. Crews worked in shifts, with secondary teams checking and re-checking the work completed and deploying additional resources to catch anything that slipped through the cracks.
Orbital control maintained its same zealous work and attention to detail, tracking every vessel coming in and out of Byss space. Any unknown vessels or signs of noncompliance were responded to with the firing of cannons from the Stations or any ships stationed in orbit
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Nem Yin
The First Order
The dark expanse of the intergalactic void is not as empty as they would have you believe...
Posts: 439
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Nem Yin on Jan 22, 2023 8:22:43 GMT -8
After the events of Byss, both the miid ro'ik warship 'Praetorite Command' and matalok cruiser 'Legacy of Anguish' left the system on a return course for Shili.
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Neith Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 65
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Neith Ren on Feb 4, 2023 0:49:39 GMT -8
The shipyards of Byss had been busy producing the next generation of Ren ships in the depths of the Deep Core ever since Silas Darkstar had joined the Knights. New designs for starfighters, capital ships, shuttles, and all manner of vessel in between were given specific quantities to be produced in. These works had been delayed in their start, but at long last were finally seeing their culmination.
Admiral Adler was busy at the command table of The Domina as holo displays showed the relative locations of the other vessels of the battle group in relation to the Pacificador-class Battlecarrier. Orders were going out across the battle group, while progress reports were being sent back. Crews from Neith's old fleet had been transferred over, while new ones had been brought in to close the gaps. The new recruits had been brought in from the Deep Core but also from across the Empire through the Obsidian Order. Silas' spy network had proven well for intel gathering but also creating a network of Ren loyalists they could draw upon. While it had meant dedicating a room within each vessel to the Obsidian Order, it was a relatively small price to pay for the ensured loyalty of those serving under her.
Neith stood looking out the front viewport of The Domina, the rest of the battle group was arrayed out in front of her above Byss. Other battle groups which were joining Scourge Squadron sat further away from her own in orbit. Transports were moving back and forth delivering supplies and troops to the vessels. It was quite the impressive build up of military force by the Master of the Ren. A seemingly excessive and odd action considering the Empire had now secure a great swath of the Galaxy and declared peace. But that outward peace was little more than a facade. With no external threats occupying their time, the Imperial Knights would soon turn their focus upon the Ren. While Empress Faina had made all sorts of promises and claims to Harnan, Neith was certain others amongst her Order's ranks would jump at the chance to rid the Empire of the Ren.
It was certainly hard to believe that Prince Octavian's eventually ascension to the Throne would not be one such tipping point if it did not occur before then. Emperor Nicademus was not Force Sensitive and held no allegiance to any Order, thus his objectivity was beyond reproach. Certainly the presence of Princess Fiora as a Knight of Ren had helped greatly in deflecting away too overt an attack. But such protection could only last so long, and the young Prince might be convinced into attacking the Ren in an effort to save his Sister from the darkness. Thus this build up was much more necessary than might be believed
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