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 31, 2023 9:07:15 GMT -8
This is Captain Iyer of the Damini. We appreciate the help. Our systems are coming back on line now, so we should be back in the game . . . Huzzah! A fat grin split Endor's bushy bearded face from one pale ear to the next as he heard Captain Iyer's reply. Even R6 seemed excited about it as the astromech began to bleat on in droid-speak, only to be largely ignored as its owner connected to the Damini's opened channel and began to reply.Glad to hear it, Captain. We'll do what we can, but... Static hissed across the channel as he lost the connection on the other end. An explanation was quickly forthcoming as he saw with his own eyes the crackling blue forks of electricity across the corvette's hull as the Endless showered it in ion blasts. "Stang!" He cursed, peeling away to get a better look at the situation. He felt a prickling in that moment and the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. Something was off."I have a very bad feeling about this." He said, practically spitting as his X-wing shook hard as something struck his shields, knocking his flight helmet askew. Shimmying it back into place with a shake of his head, he looked over his shoulder to see two Porax-38 fighters hot on his tail, with the closest one nipping at his T-65's rear with its barking fire-linked laser cannons. "Sweet baby Yoda!" He growled, pulling back hard on the flight stick as he forced his snubfighter to ascend rapidly on the vertical plane into a barrel roll, causing the X-wing's titanium frame to groan as the stress against it mounted. His own wingmen were just as surprised and banked off to either side, forced apart by the wild unpredictable battle taking place around them. A few second later and Endor found himself alone, well, save for the two enemy starfighters on hit butt.For his part he did his best to stay between the Damini and the Endless, as the larger cruiser didn't appear to want to destroy the smaller ship, using ions instead of its plethora of turbolasers. Pirates? He wondered. Judging by the lack of wedge shaped prows and shrieking twin ion engines, they definitely weren't dealing with the First Order or some other Imperial warlord. He couldn't see a Sith using those older model fighters either, as they typically wanted whatever was newest and most deadly. So probably pirates then, likely taking advantage of the unrest following the Coalitions defeat at Fondor. The rebels had been running into various criminal groups looking to exploit the situation for weeks now. He throttled up, jerking left and right as laser fire continued to lick his X-wing's vapour trail, despite his fancy flying.Persistent buggers. Whoever was on his remarkably toned tushy had some skill, of that there was no doubt. He did his best to never stay idle in this deadly dance, relying more on instinct than intelligence, allowing the Force to guide his hand on the flight stick. Now matter what he did, nothing seemed to shake them.:: I'm on the leader. :: Snarled Kuweweseka in feral anticipation, her mouth full of crooked teeth grit as her finger hovered over the trigger. Licking parched lips, she squeezed, firing a pair of crimson bolts that finally penetrated Endor's shields, causing his astromech's rounded head to erupt with sparks.I've lost R6! He said, panic in his voice as he continued to periodically look over his shoulder at his shadowy stalker, always right on his tail every time he turned around."I have you now." She shrieked in victors delight, spewing deadly bolts at the smoking X-wing. Then when all seemed lost for our ewok-obsessed hero, the comms crackled with Lance Bassanius musically gifted singing voice🎶 Ya-hoo! 🎶 Kuweweseka's wingmen exploded beside her, causing the Weequay to turn her head, eye wide with surprise. "What?!" She looked around her cockpit window for the owner of the voice broadcasting loud and proud, only to have the debris from her wingman's explosion clip the wing of her porax-38 and send her into an uncontrolled spin.🎶 You're all clear, General. 🎶 Sang Lance, the sweetest sound Endor could have heard in that moment. 🎶 Now let's blow this thing and go home. 🎶 He loved that guy. Roger, roger. He replied over the squadron channel. Every member of Endor's Ewoks could hear the General smile.
"What was that?" Asked Drenlin as another warning alarm sounded inside the bridge of the Mossflower as they completed another jump. They'd done this, what, five times now? At the rate they were going, there wouldn't be enough of Endor's beloved ship left to fly back to Hoth by the time they were done. Oh well. "Never mind, I don't want to know.""We're picking up something on scanners." Cried an officer. "A ship's coming out of hyperspace." Drenlin stood from his chair and watched the viewscreen image as it showed a Proficient-class light cruiser tear out of lightspeed and light the MC80's shields up with its ion cannons. A roar of celebration sounded across the bridge. Thank the Maker! They might actually have a chance. He sat back down, smirking in his chair. He gestured with a flick of two fingers at the tynnan comms officer. "Open a channel to the Endless."A moment later, Drenlin's confident voice sounded over the airwaves. It's over, Endless. We have the high ground. |
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 1, 2023 0:16:05 GMT -8
The Endless - Bridge
Carrying out the orders their captain has given them, Zhelaniye shouts, "Activate the heavy tractor beam projectors and bring that corvette into our ventral hangar! Pointing at their navigator, they add, Plot a course for Caamas, we jump as soon as the corvette is aboard! Turning to face their helmsman, raising their arms to their sides and giving the blue skinned Duros an annoyed scowl, they say, Why aren't you maneuvering to evade that ion fire? Do I have to tell you everything?"
Narek Adamyan, the Endless' chastised navigator, mumbles an apology to the navigator at the console beside his as his stress levels cause the sacs along his ribs to fill with a foul smelling oil, the scent of which begins to waft across the bridge as his hands begin flying over the controls on the multicolored boards in front of him to increase the Endless' speed as he takes them into a fast turn to port while firing their vertical thrusters to take them out of the Proficient's current line of fire.
Zhelaniye and the rest of the bridge crew stumble about or hold fast to seats or consoles as the Endless and the Aurellia begin a deadly dance among the stars, trading ion blasts all the while as they both maneuver around like two gigantic Summa-verminoths circling one another before pouncing in for the kill, the tractor beam ensnared CDF corvette dangling as though tethered to the Endless by a piece of string as it is pulled ever closer to the yawning maw of the MC80s ventral hangar bay, while the few remaining Porax-38s and Endor's Ewoks circle and swarm around as they battle one another, with the Mossflower sending the occasional volley of turbolaser fire streaking at the Endless to patter against its dwindling shields.
Dropping into the captain's chair to avoid being thrown off their feet as Narek takes the Endless into a sudden downward plunge while banking to starboard to elude yet another volley of ion fire from the Aurellia, Zhelaniye leans forward after receiving the hail from Drenlin in which he claims the battle is over, shouting back at him oh so very, very angrily, You underestimate my . . .
Blinking in confusion as the bridge lighting goes from normal to red and the roar of the Endless' engines ceases, Zhelaniye asks in a bewildered tone, "What happened to the power? then sniffs and asks, And what is that smell?"
The Aurellia - Bridge
Captain Mattia Lastra smiles as he strokes his bearded chin while listening to his bridge crew cheer victoriously, raising a hand to silence them after a moment and then tells his XO to contact the friendly Nebulon to learn who they are and to thank them for their timely intervention, adding a few additional instructions about what is to be said. As his XO goes off to carry out his orders, Mattia walks over to his operations officer and asks the female Selonian, "Can you do tap into Drall's communications network and run a check to track any active comlinks aboard that MC80?" With the enemy vessel's systems damaged, finding a way to communicate with them before their power is restored will require a bit of creativity, but Mattia knows his operations officer is one of those nerdy types that can pull off all kinds of technical magic. Mattia's faith in the abilities of his operations officer proves to be founded, the Selonian managing in moments to not only locate a comlink aboard the MC80, but also to determine its access code by means Mattia suspects he would rather not know.
Using what the Selonian achieved to contact the Endless, Mattia gives them the option of surrendering or being destroyed, and when they elect for the former, instructs them to contact their people aboard the Damini to apprise them of the situation, and then has them prepare to be boarded by the CDF marines he will send over by shuttles to take the pirate crew into custody.
The Aurellia's XO, a reddish grey furred male Drall with a penchant for flowery speeches, has the comms officer hail the friendly Nebulon, clearing his throat before addressing them, This is Lt. Commander Kulasekhara of the CDF vessel, the Aurellia. Allow me first to extend our gratitude for your fortuitous intervention on the behalf of our comrades on the CDF corvette you so bravely came to the aid of. Our Captain is currently negotiating for the surrender of the crew of the MC80, which, as I trust you are aware, has been crippled, a feat we would have faced far greater difficulty in achieving were it not for your assistance. My Captain invites you to make for the Cardan III-class space station in orbit over Meccha so that your vessel can dock and be repaired. If you accept that invitation, my Captain would very much like to meet with you and your officers to personally thank you.
The Damini - Cargo Bay
Kifo, holding her comlink up to look at it as though doing so would change what she has just been informed of by Zhelaniye, whines, "How did this happen? We're smarter than this."
Apparently not, comes Zhelaniye's reply, delivered with a heavy, resigned sigh.
Kifo, after kicking the deck in frustration, adjusts her tricorn at a jaunty angle, puts on a smile and orders her pirates to stand down, finding herself in the amusing position of having to explain to Captain Iyer's puzzled marines that the Rebel and CDF forces have won the day.
Captain Iyer, arriving with more marines, is pleasantly surprised to find Kifo and her shipmates already in custody, and even more delighted to learn that the battle has been won.
Somewhere in space . . .
Kuweweseka, only barely able to keep from vomiting when she has finally managed to pull her Porax-38 out of its uncontrolled spin, growls in frustration when she learns upon using her ship's long-distance sensor systems to learn what has happened in the battle over Drall while she was spinning that the battle has ended with the capture of the Beskonecchnyy Pirates' mighty MC80, currently being boarded by CDF shuttles full of marines as she watches helplessly.
Shaking a fist at the CDF and Rebel ships even though the gesture is pointless given that no one sees it, Kuwewesaka vows vengeance and then, after plotting a course for Caamas, brings her Porax onto a heading for the hyperspace entry point her navicomp calculations determine as the most expedient and safe way to reach her destination, accelerates and hits the controls to take the starfighter into hyperspace a moment later.
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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 Jun 3, 2023 5:12:21 GMT -8
Inside the bridge of the Mossflower, the celebratory mood was palpable, despite many of the crew being forced to grab fire extinguishers and the like to put out several electrical fires that had blossomed as a result of overworking the ship. Drenlin finally eased back into his seat, sinking somewhat as he let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed a sheen of sweat from his forehead that had started forming right after their second jump. If the crew had a bottle of champagne, they'd have cracked it open and bathed in its contents, such was the mood. Sadly, all they had were their stores of fermented tauntaun milk and it wasn't quite the same. Plus it was a lot harder to clean up. Nutter-butter swiveled in her seat, her whiskers twitching as she addressed the acting captain."Commander, that proficient-class light cruiser is hailing us." "Alright, everyone simmer down. This is the moment of truth. Let's hear it, Lieutenent." Repairs? Overhead, a cable came free from the ceiling and started hissing gas as it swung around haphazardly. The whole ship was in similar condition after the overuse of the overdrive. At this rate he wasn't confident they'd make it back to Hoth given the shape they were in. They might be able to limp over to Fresia and get some help from Incom, but he knew better than to look a gift bothan in the mouth. If the CDF were offering the use of one of their facilities, it behooved the rebels to take them up on their offer. Not to mention he was certain the General would want a chance to speak with their captain. Their bushy bearded boss had been a bit obsessed with networking for the Rebellion lately. He motioned with a hand to the tynnan comms operator."Unmute." He said, clearing his throat as he prepared to address the Aurellia. Ahem. This is... It occurred to him as he began speaking that he didn't actually have a traditional rank. Drenlin was an operative, a rebel agent, extended a great bit of independence by the Alliance as his role typically required it. The crew had referred to him as commander when he took the captain's chair because it suited the role he was filling in for, but it wasn't actually official. He decided in that moment, that all being the case, he deserved an unofficial field promotion after what they had just been through. ...Captain Drenlin Vortek of the New Rebel Alliance (NRA) vessel Mossflower. I'm just glad we were in the area and able to help. These pirates have become a real menace as of late. This is the third group we've run into this month. He paused as one of the crew behind him unleashed a spray of carbon-dioxide onto a flaming console with an extinguisher rated for electrical fires, smothering the blaze. We accept your offer of repairs and will make our way to the station once the last of our X-wings are aboard. You can let your captain know we'll be seeing them shortly. Mossflower out.Slowly but surely the damaged Nebulon-B began to make its way across the system, collecting Endor's Ewoks along the way as it headed towards the Cardan III space station. By the time they were half way to the station, the last of their snubfighters were aboard, with the General coming in last. His cockpit canopy flipped open before he had finished touching down with his landing struts. Pulling the rebel flight helmet from his head, he ran a callused hand through his damp mane of hair, soaked with sweat from the cockpit to the point where it was sticking to the back of his neck. Lets just say it was a good thing the General kept a tree shaped air-freshener in there. He motioned to two of the hangar techs to hurry over. A look of concern troubled his wild features as his attention was focused on the smoking astromech droid in the socket behind his seat."You're going to be okay, buddy." He went to pat the droid's carbon scorched head and quickly withdrew his fingers. Ouch. Still hot." He looked down at the two techs who were already maneuvering over a mobile crane. "Look after him for me. He may be a pain in the arse and complains more than a protocol droid, but this little guy has saved me more times then I can remember."As they took over he hopped down and headed for the showers. Drenlin had already filled him in before he had returned to the hangar. Apparently the captain of that ship that had showed up in the nick of time wanted to thank them in person. Endor was more than happy to accept. It would be a good opportunity to gauge the CDF's position on the current state of galactic politics, and possibly make some friends along the way. He jogged from the hangar towards the showers, eager to get the cockpit stank off him before meeting the CDF captain. Lance and Ricky were quick to follow.By the time their escort frigate had pulled into dock with the station, Endor was waiting at the airlock, wearing a fresh set of duds which included a pair of blue space pants and his signature reek leather flight jacket over a plain white tunic. The wooden hilt of his lightsaber hilt hung from the left side of his bantha hide belt that was clipped around his waist with a shiny starbird belt buckle. As usual he was smiling. He was almost always smiling. In fact, he was practically radiating an aura of positivity. Standing next to him with the significantly leaner rebel agent, Drenlin, standing to his left. On his right side was Redclaw, an abominable snowok tracker on loan to the Alliance by their friends on Hoth. Despite his name, the roughly meter tall horned bear with chalk white fur did not actually possess red claws. The curling tips extending from his paws were more of a charcoal black. From left to right the three of them presented the spectrum of civilization, with Drenlin and Redclaw on either end, and forest druid turned rebel falling somewhere in between."Alright, gents." He said as they heard the hiss of the airlock cycling. "Put your best faces on. And don't touch anything..." That last part was for Redclaw, who was known for his curiosity over caution.
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 4, 2023 2:24:39 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
On hand to greet Endor when the doors open are Captain Mattia Lastra from the Aurellia - a slim, 60 year old native Corellian with thinning red hair and a neatly trimmed beard flecked with grey - and his XO, Lt. Commander Kulasekhara, a reddish gray furred Drall, with the 40 year old Chalactan native of Corellia, Captain Saanvi Iyer of the Damini, rounding out the trio.
Mattia is the first to speak, "Welcome to the Aarushi our honored Rebel friends! I'm Captain Lastra of the Aurellia. Which of you, he holds up a bottle of Whyren's Reserve in one hand, is Captain Vortek? I'd like to shake your hand and share some Whyren's with you and your officers. If it wasn't for you all, I'm not sure we would have been able to get through those enemy fighters and disable the pirate's vessel before they absconded with, he nods towards Saanvi and chuckles goodnaturedly at her mildly embarrassed expression, Captain Iyer's corvette."
Saanvi, who has Kifo's sheathed vibrocutlass held in her arms and ready to be presented to Vortek when they find out which of the three Rebels had pulled their proverbial fat out of the fire with their timely intervention, adds, "As the one saved from the absconding, I would like to present you with the pirate captain's blade as a token of the CDF's appreciation."
Kulasekhara, looking up from his fiddling with a Hush-98 comlink, smiles as he salutes the Rebels and, after introducing himself, says, "We have something else for you as well, but someone else will be presenting it to you a bit later. Motioning towards a corridor leading away from the station's central docking bay, the diminutive Drall suggests, Why don't we go somewhere a bit more comfortable once the introductions are completed? There is a lounge that ought to fit the bill just around the bend there."
As the Rebel and Corellian Defense Officers finish the meet and greet and make their way to the lounge, comfortable enough despite its utilitarian decor, mechanics and engineers from the space station begin working on making repairs on the Mossflower's outer hull, their crew chief quickly ascertaining that they are going to need just a few more prefabricated hull plates and welders to put them in place than he had originally estimated. |
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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 Jun 4, 2023 7:14:56 GMT -8
Endor's head swiveled to his left at the mention of 'Captain Vortek'. The rebel agent had failed to mention to the General about his self promotion following the skirmish with the pirates. Well, if he thinks I'm giving him the Mossflower, Drenlin is sorely mistaken. He crossed his arms, waiting for the 'captain' to acknowledge himself and introduce the rest of them. The other rebel could feel the forest druid's leafy green gaze boring into him.Shifting uncomfortably, Drenlin forced a smile across his face as he tried to ignore the bear growling internally beside him. He extended an arm and grasped Captain Lastra's hand in a firm shake. "I'm Captain Vortek, but please, we're not big on formalities. Just call me Drenlin." As Captain Iver presented him with the vibro-cutlass, he graciously took it in both hands, somewhat surprised by how heavy it was. "I'm honored, but really, I'm just happy we were able to help."As they followed the CDF officers to the lounge, Endor fell into step with Drenlin, speaking to the rebel agent in a hushed tone. "Captain, eh?" He mused quietly. "I step off the ship for a hot minute to go put some pirates in their place and all of a sudden you've got delusions of grandeur." Drenlin replied, also speaking quietly. "I mean, I was the one in command of the ship during all that. Besides, you can't get all the credit. We we're working just as hard. Right, Redclaw?" The agent hefted the sheathed cutlass in his hands, admiring the craftsmanship. Say what you will about pirates, they at least had some nice loot. "Ucha kawana snorp snu." Growled the snowok in primitive ewokese, which effectively translated to... ("I was sleeping.") "If anyone deserves that sword it's me." Said Endor, reaching for the cutlass, only to have Drenlin pull it well out of reach of the General's greedy fingers. "Yeah, well they gave it to me. Besides, it was a gift. It would be rude to give it away. Not to mention, you already have a lightsaber." "Fair, but of the two of us, I'm the one who actually used to be a pirate. Did you even know how to use that thing?" "I'll figure it out." Drenlin shrugged, then added. "You might want to keep that part of your resume to yourself, by the way." "Right, good call." When they reached the lounge and began to get settled, making themselves more comfortable, Drenlin finally began to introduce the other members of his party. Placing the vibro-cutlass beside the seat he had taken, the rebel agent motioned to the bushy bearded pilot in his company."I suppose I should start off by admitting I'm not actually in charge. This is Endor, General of the NRA and frankly part of the reason we even exist to begin with."Endor practically beamed as he was finally acknowledged, his lips twisting in a sly grin as he offered the three CDF officers a collective wink. He uncrossed his arms and offered his hand to each in turn."What Drenlin says is true, from a certain point of view." He nodded, then shrugged. "I've been trying to organize all the scattered pieces of the Coalition after the events of Fondor, but if it wasn't me then I'm sure it would be someone else. There is a large segment of the galaxy not eager to exist under Imperial rule. We're still a work in progress so we've been selective about what fights we pick, but when we encounter those that prey upon others as we did today, we don't walk away. We fight, each and every time injustice presents itself in its many forms. Imperial fascists, greedy pirates, Zygerrian slavers...whoever seeks to oppress the freedoms of this galaxy's people, they will find an enemy in us."Redclaw rolled his black eyes, snorting. That was always the danger of getting Endor talking. He meant well but the rebel organizer could get a bit preachy with his speeches, laying it on thick as though the Alliance was the galaxy's last and best hope. Not that his people knew much about the greater galaxy. For his part, the snowok was mostly interested in the bottle of booze Mattia was holding. The abominable white bear licked his lips."Oh, right." Said Endor, slapping his palm to his forehead. "This is Redclaw. His people hail from Hoth where the Alliance is currently based. He doesn't speak basic so don't expect him to say much, but he's one of the best trackers I've ever encountered, and I was raised by ewoks who excel at that sort of thing." The General seated himself in one of the chairs provided, the days fatigue finally catching up with him after that dogfight. "If you don't mind me asking, how have things been in your sector of space lately? The only news we've been getting lately out of the core is about the funeral of the First Order's emperor. I can't say he'll be missed, though I wonder if that son of his they say is taking over will be any better, or worse. Other than some problems with pirates, obviously, how has Corellia been faring?"His question wasn't for anyone specific, addressed to either of the three CDF officers.
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 4, 2023 9:09:30 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
Mattia and his comrades all get a chuckle out of Drenlin's confession, accompanying his introduction of General Endor, that he is not actually in charge of the Rebels, Saanvi even playfully wagging a finger as though to scold the Rebel agent while Endor begins speaking, revealing in turn that he is a kindred soul to Kulasekhara, who shares the forest druid's ability to ramble amicably as often as the opportunity presents itself.
Fortunately for all involved, save for getting in a cheerful, "The truth is often what we make of it," after Endor's opening statement about a certain point of view, the diminutive Drall is so occupied with trying to work out how the imagecaster he is trying to couple with his Hush-98 comlink does so that, much to his chagrin, he misses the chance to answer Endor's question at the end of his speech.
It is Mattia, having been reminded about the bottle of Whyren's Reserve he brought to celebrate the day's victory when he notes Redclaw's rapt attention to its presence and passing it to Saanvi to have her find something to pour the beverage into so it can be shared around, that fields the question. "Well, Mattia begins as Saanvi trades the bottle for the imagecaster and comlink Kulasekhara has given up on figuring out, since you've been organizing the remnants of the Coalition I imagine you know part of the answer already. After the First Order attacks throughout the Corellian system left things in disarray, no one knowing who was in charge of the bigger picture and the like, the Corellian Council was reestablished and, in turn, reinstated the role of Diktat."
Chuckling and raising a hand to prevent any interruption the title's similarity to dictator might inspire, Mattia explains, "No need for you to rush back to your ship and set out for Coronet, I assure you. The woman that they chose for the role, Sabina Gaultieri, has put her own spin on it. Accepting a paper cup filled with Whyren's as Kulasekhara begins passing them around to everyone, Mattia continues, Gaultieri more or less lets each of the Five Worlds handle their own affairs rather than trying to impose her vision of how things should be run on them. Oh, she proposes things from time to time and does her best to make sure each of the Five Worlds keeps up to date with one another, but that's really it. Since she was selected things like fostering trade between the Five Worlds, replacing CDF assets damaged or destroyed by the First Order's attacks and the repairs of the damaged infrastructures in the cities hardest hit and so on have been managed more effectively than they might have been otherwise."
Kuasekhara misses his chance to jump into the conversation when Saanvi, handing him the now coupled imagecaster and comlink that took her all of fifteen seconds to figure out, uses Mattia's pause to spare everyone from any more talk about the state of the Five World's political affairs by gesturing towards the Rebels as she says, "The Diktat has actually been looking for you all, explaining briefly, She had heard about you from some of our higher ups that still have contacts with surviving Coalition members, but didn't know, until now that is, how to reach out to your leadership."
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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 Jun 7, 2023 10:58:23 GMT -8
"She's heard of us, eh?" Whereas Drenlin and Redclaw attacked their paper cups containing expensive liquor with great relish, the General held his in hand, staring into its depths. His brow creased, already etched with lines from a life spent largely living off the land, but deepening now with clear signs of worry. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw a looming shadow on the horizon that threatened to devour everything and everyone he held close to heart. The First Order wasn't the only threat to peace and prosperity in the galaxy, but they were the most obvious, with their massive war machine that seemed to swallow up system after system. Part of him felt a bit like a fraud, sitting there amongst these officers who had likely seen some of the worst of it. The Five Worlds placement in the Core made them an island, surrounded on all sides, the last bulwark against a fascist regime that ate up worlds and spat out stormtroopers. "Good. We must be doing something right then." Still, he feared it wasn't nearly enough.
Beside him, Drenlin who was patting the bottom of his upturned cup to release the last few droplets clinging to the bottom, stopped what he was doing and looked over at the General. Redclaw was completely ignorant, already helping himself to a second cup. The primitive chalk furred teddy bear smacked his lips as he imbibed another measure of liquor, meanwhile Endor hadn't even so much as raised his to his lips for a sip.
"I can't provide any details at this point in time, but we're in the midst of planning something that I hope will take some of the heat off your system." Finally he brought the cup up beneath his nose, first sniffing its contents, before taking a small sip. He let the liquid sit on his tongue, savouring the familiar burn before dispersing it throughout his mouth. Oh yeah, that sure beats the hell out of the swill they were drinking back at base. He lowered the cup and nodded slowly, his inward debate finally reaching a consensus. "It would likely serve us both if I spoke with this Diktat. I suspect there is some way we can support one another's efforts."
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 8, 2023 16:20:45 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
Kulasekhara, seeing Redclaw help himself to a second cup of Whyren's, downs his first and pours himself a second as well, saluting the snowok with his refilled cup and then quickly dispatching the second cup, the loquacious Drall swallowing just a moment too late to be the one to reply to Endor's statement's about planning something and saying he should meet with Gaultieri even though he had been eagerly awaiting just such an opening.
Mattia, relishing his Whyren's in an unhurried way to fully appreciate it, once again takes the lead for the CDF officers, first toasting Endor in silent agreement with the bushy bearded druid's assertion that he and the Rebels are doing something right, and then smiling as, when Endor makes a delphic statement about planning something that could possibly take some heat off of the Corellian system, he says, "All right then, keep your secrets. Leaning forward after Endor says that he believes speaking with Gaultieri would be in both of their groups interests, the Corellian says, Gaultieri would be very pleased to hear that, no doubt, as I believe the reason she's been looking for you is that she would like to explore those ways to support one another that you've mentioned. Leaning back in his chair, Mattia indulges in a somewhat enigmatic statement of his own, asking Endor, Unless you're planning a trip to Corellia sometime soon, there is a way you and Gaultieri could meet one another now and maybe even start figuring out ways to aid one another."
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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 Jun 12, 2023 6:16:49 GMT -8
Part of him was tempted by the thought of traveling to Corellia. Aside from the forest moon he personally couldn't think of a better planet to recruit from, what with its peoples fierce love of independence and the principles of freedom. But he was already running behind schedule delivering these snubfighter parts to Mon Mothma station in orbit above Hoth. That and the Mon Calamari Admiral he had rescued from the shipyards of the fishies home-world had requested he return so she could present the plan she'd been working on. There were never enough hours in the day.
Forehead lines crinkled across his brow as the General appeared contemplative, giving his beard a rub as his leafy orbs lingered on the imagecaster that had not escaped his attention. Turning to his companions, he shot Redclaw and Drenlin a look that said 'settle down and behave yourselves', before returning his attention to Mattia and giving Captain Lastra a firm nod.
"If you are able to put us into direct contact with that device of yours, or some other means, I would be most appreciative." He exuded an aura of compassion and the look carved into his face spoke of understanding. "I'm sure you're no strangers to how busy and time consuming this fight is."
He sat a little straighter in his seat, attempting to appear as stoic and General-like as possible, even if he felt woefully ill prepared for the role.
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 12, 2023 11:19:09 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
As Kulasekhara consoles himself for missing out on the opportunity to join in the conversation by refilling his and Redclaw's cups with some of the rapidly diminishing Whyren's, Mattia grins when Endor, having correctly divined the reason the imagecaster has been brought along, says he would like to avail himself of the chance to speak with Gaultieri now while citing how demanding of one's time the fight against tyranny can be, and says, "Indeed we are no strangers to that, General, leaning forward to place the imagecaster on the table as he says, and I imagine Gaultieri understands it all too well herself, and so, he powers the imagecaster on, without further ado, here she is."
A tiny blue holographic image of the Diktat, a plump, pleasant yet exhausted looking native Corellian woman with dark hair wearing a somewhat rumpled suit, appears and after Mattia has introduced her to General Endor, Redclaw and Drenlin, nods a greeting to each as they are named and then, focusing on Endor, says, General Endor, it is an honor to meet you at last and put a name and face to the leader of the New Rebel Alliance that the Five Worlds have, before now, only heard rumors of. I have no doubt that Captain Lastra and his comrades have already thanked you for coming to the CDF's aid today, but please allow me to express my own personal gratitude as well. From what I understand your timely intervention saved many lives, and you and your people displayed a heroism and ingenuity that is to be admired. If I may be so bold, I hope it is not too presumptuous to say that today could be the beginning of both a lasting friendship between us as well as an alliance between the NRA and the Five Worlds.
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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 Jun 13, 2023 9:17:13 GMT -8
It didn't take much stretch of the imagination to guess where those dark circles under the holographic projection of Sabina Gaultieri's eyes had come from. He was certain managing the Five Worlds was a massive responsibility on any given day, which only made it more impressive given the galaxy's current political climate. That sort of stress and strain led to a lot of sleepless nights. That much he knew from experience. His own pleasant demeanor seemed to feed off the Diktat's projected positivity.
"I don't think its presumptive at all." He put his paper cup down and rested his palms on the knees of his blue spacers pants as he remained seated before the luminous image. "I'm sure we've watched the same Holo-Net news reports, saying the fall of Fondor was the final nail in the Coalition's coffin. That's what the First Order wants everyone to believe to keep people scared and docile, but the fights not over, not by a long shot. It's times like these when the flame of hope dwindles that those of us carrying the embers of freedom in our heart need to stand firm in the face of tyranny."
His messy journey from past to present had all been in preparation for this, on the path towards justice for all, not just for those that could afford it or by those that took what they wanted by force. He was fighting for the right of every individual to live off the sweat of their own brow and be as merry as their heart allowed, to exist without fear of oppression.
"I've met with High Lord Lucien Malvern of the Jedi Lords, Baron-in-Exile Graemon Gorgano, Vaughan Emrys of the Republic of Haven, to name a few. All seem to understand that we need to come together if the disenfranchised people of the galaxy are going to have any chance at deciding their own destiny, free from the yoke of Imperial fascism and those that seek to oppress. I see no reason why this shouldn't extend to the free peoples of the Five Worlds. Dark times likes these, we need all the friends we can get." He nodded, mostly to himself. "This is by no means a secret, though I would prefer you avoid mentioning it to any Imperials for the time being, but our main headquarters is currently located at the old rebel outpost of Echo Base on Hoth." The right corner of his lip lifted in a smirk. "When the time comes, I'll send that invitation to the this so called 'Emperor' personally. For now, we're preparing ourselves to liberate an Imperial labour camp that's incarcerated a former Resistance cell. We've gotten our hands on some heavy cruisers and thanks to Incom's help we've no shortage of fast strike fighters, but we're woefully short on skilled personnel to crew and fly them. We have been helping refugees fleeing the Core to relocate to Ossus, Bothawui, and the Forest Moon of Endor, but most are just ordinary civilians, not freedom fighters." He scowled, shaking his head. "I can't ask any more of them after what they've already been through."
Crossing an arm over his chest, he reached beneath the left lapel of his flight jacket and when he removed his hand it was holding a small data-pad, which he held in his lap as he began to flip through a series of screens.
"Right now we're short on hardware and personnel, but not guts." He looked up from a spreadsheet of current rebel supplies. Endor stared soberly. "Still, the latter will only get us so far. Given Corellia's history as a manufacturing powerhouse, we we're hoping you might be able to help us with our current equipment deficit. We've done a lot with what little we have, but scavenged parts only stretch so far. I know because my ship left more than a few of them floating through space over Drall."
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 14, 2023 4:49:55 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
The more that Endor speaks, the more animation seems to come into Sabina's comportment and expressions; his words and the sentiments he expresses clearly enkindling within her the excitement that can at times come from discovering shared goals and desires within another that fuel and strengthen them. Her time in the CDF JAG Corps had been spent primarily providing legal opinions on whether military actions complied with the laws of armed conflict and prosecuting or defending service members in courts martial, but as all CDF JAG Corps are fully-qualified “line” officers eligible for assignment to any line or operational billet, there were a handful of occasions that she was required to lead troops in combat, so while Sabina knows how ugly wars are, she also understands, like Endor, that some things are worth fighting for and paying any price to preserve, standing against tyranny and defending the bastions of freedom that remain in the universe chief amongst them.
When Endor finishes speaking, Sabina replies first to what he had spoken of about needing friends, musing aloud as much as beginning to reply to all that has been said, If more worlds saw the need to come together to stop the spread of tyranny and oppression when the First Order began to cast their shadow over the universe, and answered the call to action it warranted, perhaps the times would not be so dark now. Shaking her head and smiling as though realizing she is somewhat off topic, Sabina offers a more direct answer to what has been asked of her and the Five Worlds, opening her hands in front of her as she says, Your hopes have not been in vain, General. I may not be able to provide all that you need, but will see to it that you get whatever I can convince the CEC to provide you with. After her time in the JAG Corps, Sabina had gone into private practice in Corporate Law, and still has friends in the CEC and other corporations that should make getting their assistance in meeting Endor's needs easier, and so she says, Let me know what your equipment deficits are and I will start doing what I can to address them.
Turning to the matter of Endor's need for skilled pilots and experienced naval crew for his planned liberation of an Imperial labor camp, Sabina has a somewhat mischievous smile as she asks Saanvi, Your corvette will be docked for repairs for awhile yet, correct Captain Iyer? When Saanvi answers in the affirmative, Sabina says, Then you have some pilots that are grounded until the repairs are completed, don't you? After Saanvi, grinning as she sees where Gaultieri is going, nods, Sabina tells Endor, I think more than a few of those fighter jocks would welcome a chance to show their appreciation for your help today, General, not to mention their eagerness to repay the Empire for the destruction they visited upon the Five Worlds when they hunted down the Corellian Coalition. After Mattia offers to loan some of his pilots to Endor for the liberation of the labor camp, bringing the total number of pilots to an even 30, Sabina tells Endor, That may not completely solve your need for fliers, but I hope it helps.
Having spent some time preparing for the meeting she had hoped would take place with the Rebels one day, Sabina says, I have a few other things for you as well. I have been putting together a special forces unit I intended to offer to you, four of the most skilled CDF specialists that the Five Worlds have to offer and a Jedi Knight from the Corellian Jedi Academy that has agreed to be their pilot and to fight alongside them which you can add to your forces participating in the raid if you like. I would also like to give you the pirates' MC80, shrugging as she explains, you did help capture it after all. From what I understand it was, other than the captain and her bridge crew, manned primarily by droids, which you might find useful.
Pursing her lips in thought as she tries to think of what other assistance she can offer from the Five Worlds given what she had discussed with the leaders of the other inhabited planets in the Corellian system, Sabina tells Endor, If you have any need for medical supplies, or have troops needing to be patched up, Selonia has agreed to provide what they can and to make the Five Worlds Medical Center open to you. Should your ships ever be in need of repair, the space stations above any of the Five Worlds will gladly provide it. Opening her hands in front of her again to invite Endor to ask any questions he might have or request anything else he might need, Sabina smiles as she asks, Is there anything else I can provide the New Rebel Alliance with? Tell me what else you need, and I will do all I can to see that you get it.
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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 Jun 21, 2023 8:49:55 GMT -8
Endor's expression remained inscrutable as he listened. There was something about this Sabina Gaultieri that he immediately liked, an eagerness to help and what he sensed was a motivated drive, not just words alone but a willingness to pursue the actions necessary to carry them out. He respected the other leaders he had dealt with thus far but they had all been so focused on preserving what little they had managed to shield from the Empire that they seemed to have lost sight of what came next. If all they ever did was take the licks the First Order gave them in order to live another day, soon they'd run out of real-estate to retreat to. Someone had to take a stand. Unless he was mistaken, the Diktat with her expressed desire to help and practical solutions, seemed the woman to do just that. The corners of his lips lifted again in a smile he had no hope of concealing. Yeah, he definitely liked her.Tapping through a few more screens on the datapad in his hands, the General brought up a wish-list of parts before handing the device over to Captain Iyer. He then explained for Sabina's sake as she wouldn't be able to see what was on the list until Saanvi transmitted it to her. "Mostly parts for retrofits. We've got T-47 airspeeders from Incom but we could benefit from some CEC Ap/11 double laser cannons to arm them with. We're also short hyperdrive units, so some H2-1s would come in handy if you can spare any. Also if you could provide us with a Y-8 mining vessel, a Deep Space Recovery Vessel L-2783, and some heavy lifters we'd be in your debt."Those two ships would be essential if the rebels were going to pull off the heist Vaughan was planning, and the heavy lifters were useful for a few things he could think of. While he wasn't entirely proud of the time he had spent as a pirate and smuggler during his youth, that experience had already proved itself invaluable in his current freedom fighting ventures. There were a few other unique items on the list, ranging from basic trickster decoy countermeasures to a StarHauler-class drone barge. Until they had the manpower to crew some of the larger warships their growing collection of friends could field, more specialized vessels with smaller crews were prioritized. Fortunately he'd always been able to do a lot with a little.The offer of the MC80 was extremely generous and he had no intention of turning it down, as he already had an idea how to make proper use of it, but its current name would just not do. A rechristening was in order, something a little less sinister. He had named the last two after plants from his homeworld, coining them the Aura Blossom and the Star Urchin respectively. What would be appropriate in this instance? Hmmm. The Swamp Pickle? It was wet sounding so suitable for a Mon Calamari vessel, but it did stir best-forgotten memories of those evil duloks that so frequently troubled his people, so maybe something else. Ah, inspiration! They'd call it the Fuzzynettle. He recalled Tarfang had dated an ewok who had once been saved by medicine made from the Endorian fuzzynettle, though she had later dumped his childhood friend in favour of the village stud Teebo. Fortunately it sounded like the lack of living crew wouldn't be an issue."I accept your offer of aid on behalf of the alliance. Frankly we'd be foolish to turn it down." He admitted. "We'll provide you with more details on the strike soon. The Admiral planning the rescue, Jyn Dackbar, is still working out the last few details. In the meantime this Jedi Knight and their team are welcome to get themselves situated aboard the Mossflower." From what little he knew having peeked over the Admiral's clammy shoulder when she was distracted, the target was on Dantooine, though he wasn't prepared to say that over an open communications channel no matter how many layers of encryption it had. "Drenlin here can take command of the MC80 with a skeleton crew, and given the hangar space it would probably work best to have the CEC pilots operate out of it." "Wait as second." Sputtered Drenlin, spilling booze down his lightly stubbled chin. "Why me?" "Because you're here, Drenlin." Endor beamed, slapping the rebel agent on the back. "Besides, you already commanded a ship just as large when you crashed that Orion-class battlecruiser Lucien gave us into that Star Destroyer over Bakura, plus you did an alright job with my ship, aside from all the damage you caused." He projected confidence for his fellow mans sake. "You'll do fine."With that settled, Endor leaned back in his seat and once more returned his attention to the Diktat."Sabina." He said, forgoing her title. Formality was never his style. "You're officers here have seen first hand we aren't afraid of an unfair fight. If the Five Worlds find themselves in trouble, be it with the First Order or some other Imperialistic or Sithly threat, you only need to call. We'll answer with whatever we can, as quickly as we can. It also goes without saying that if there is currently some more direct way we can offer our aid to the Five Worlds, you only need to ask."
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Post by Sabina Gaultieri on Jun 22, 2023 20:28:52 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Aarushi
Saanvi accepts the datapad from Endor, transmitting his complete wish list to Sabina as the bushy red bearded Rebel General gives the Diktat the gist of the list verbally, passing the device back to Endor once the rather straightforward task has been completed. Mattia, when Endor explains his plan to have the CDF pilots on loan to the NRA for the rescue mission operate out of the MC80's hangar, leans over and has Saanvi go out and begin having the pilots from her corvette and his own vessel get their gear ready and begin making their way to the captured pirate ship that belongs now to the Rebels.
Sabina, saving a closer examination of Endor's list for another time, instead nods after he has given her a general idea of what he is looking for, smiling as, once he has finished speaking, she tells him, I will get to work on this right away, Endor, clearly happy to take his use of her name rather than her title as an invitation for her to do the same as, while she recognizes that there is a time and place for formality, she has as little use for it when it is not necessary as her new friend, and have it delivered to Echo Base once I have as much of it as I can get together, pursing her lips in thought as she estimates how long it might take her to do the necessary networking, calling in of favors, arm twisting and probably finding a way to put a few credits together, Sabina estimates, Say, in a week's time?
With a self-deprecating smile, Sabina crinkles her nose and admits, I'm absolute shite at guessing hyperspace travel times, but the Jedi Knight and her team are currently on Selonia. I'll have them leave immediately for Drall, and imagine they will be able to make it there to get situated aboard the Mossflower before it's repairs have been completed, looking at Mattia and cocking an eyebrow inquisitively to see if she has guessed the probable travel time accurately, smiling when the CDF Captain gives her a nod to let her know that she has before continuing to address Endor, smiling widely as she says, Should the Five Worlds find themselves in need, Endor, we won't hesitate to reach out to you, she arches an eyebrow playfully while her holographic image motions towards him, so long as you agree to do the same should those roles be reversed. After today's events, I think I should be able to convince the CDF higher ups to agree to send your forces whatever assistance they can on a case to case to basis, should the need arise. And I hope it goes without saying, she offers Endor a picture perfect lop-sided distinctively Corellian grin, if you ever find yourself in Coronet, dinner and drinks are on me.
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Sara Ruluwoor
Member
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Affiliation: Five Worlds
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Post by Sara Ruluwoor on Sept 2, 2024 18:52:31 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Sandhya
=Lt. Cmdr. Phill=
"Define sliced." The portly Drall said, his slightly beady eyes widening sharply as he leaned over the shoulder of one of his controllers.
In recent years, midday had become a peak time for inbound traffic arriving on the planet, and today was no different. The orbital control station aboard the Sandhya was buzzing with activity. The station should have been sized and staffed at the same level as Talus and Tralus, but due to Drall's lower population and relatively undeveloped planet, this volume of traffic hadn't been anticipated, and expanding the CDF's budget for Drall traffic control operations was tied up in endless committee hearings a planet away, at the whim of politicians, almost none of whom ever visited the planet themselves, and were unlikely to be inconvenienced by the shortcomings even if they did.
=Lt. Lyn-Seku=
The lethan Twi'lek twitched her lekku anxiously. "Someone aboard one of those ships." She pointed to a group of seven blue dots on her control board in Sector 13. "Accessed the OCS and was able to force a priority landing order into the system for an inbound vessel arriving in about 15 minutes. However, none of those seven ships is registered to any official office or agency of the Five Worlds, or any known allied power." She held up her right hand as Phill was about to interject. "And the order was signed with an invalid credential that does not exist in the CDF database." She jabbed her left index finger accusingly at the red warning message on her left-center console.
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Sara Ruluwoor
Member
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Affiliation: Five Worlds
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Post by Sara Ruluwoor on Oct 18, 2024 18:37:33 GMT -8
Cardan III-class space station - The Sandhya
=Lt. Cmdr. Phill=
The OCS commander's eyes fully bugged, bulging wider and wider as he leaned over his controller's station. He took a deep breath, forcing the surprise from his voice before replying in a calm tone. Being sliced was unusual. Responding to crises wasn't. "Preserve all navigation and transponder logs for each of the seven vessels, but clear them through as planned. Let's not alert them that we know." His eyes flitted from the Twilek's control board to the list of priority orders. "And flag that credential, so you can back-trace the instant anyone tries to use it again."
=Lt. Lyn-Seku=
"Right away, sir." The red-skinned alien replied, her fingers flying across her board as she keyed in the commands. "I'll forward everything to Investigations for review." Each of the seven vessels momentarily turned red on her board, and pages of logs flew past their view on the right-most screen. "I'm also splitting each vessel onto a separate channel, so we can keep an eye on them more easily. Maybe someone will slip up and identify themselves."
=Lt. Cmdr. Phill=
The Drall nodded. "Ok, we have what, twelve minutes?" He looked down at his watch. "I'll get an intercept team in place --- quietly."
Waddling quickly to a comm booth mere steps away, he opened a private channel to the CDF's orbital interdiction patrol.
OrbCom, I've got a suspicious inbound in Sector 47 point 1. Arrival is 11 minutes out. We don't know who they are, but they have a fraudulent priority landing clearance, so stay sharp. He paused, letting that settle in. As soon as someone moves to take the priority slot, I want them detained.
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