Pride Goes Before the Fall

[Zem-El Vymes]

STAR WARS

Shadows of the Republic

PRIDE GOES BEFORE THE FALL

The war continues! Pushed to the
breaking point by the droid armies
of the CONFEDERACY, the forces
of the REPUBLIC, led by courageous
JEDI KNIGHTS, seek to balance the
terms of the galactic conflict.

In a bold plan to besiege enemy worlds
deep in the Outer Rim, the Republic sends
an invasion fleet to the Carshoulis Cluster,
home of the fearsome CIZERACK PRIDE, in a
bid to destroy the enemy's droid foundries.

Led by a group of Jedi Generals, the Republic's
invasion force quickly moves to strike the
fortress world of KEPPAA BRENS, but the opening
battle of the Outer Rim Sieges promises to be
a difficult and costly one...

[Zem-El Vymes]

Bandomeer System
Meerian Sector

BANG!

The calm of space was torn open by a thunderclap of hyperspace deceleration as a ship emerged from a lengthy journey. Surrounded by a hyperdrive ring, the Delta Seven Aethersprite fighter remained fixed to it's perch a moment, then with a sudden release of the struts keeping the fighter in place, it accelerated eagerly, the sublight engines screaming with wild abandon as the ship corkscrewed and cut the ether around it. At the controls was a pilot who clearly only felt at ease when he pushed the limits of his ship. He banked suddenly, narrowly skirting along the edge of a dagger-shaped keel...then another...then another still, careening at full sublight burn through a mass of Star Destroyers, a mighty fleet of the Grand Navy of the Republic.

Accompanying the Delta Seven through its dash into the Republic War Fleet came a pair of V-19 Torrent fighters, their clone pilots struggling to keep up to "escort" the Jedi General aboard the flagship of the fleet - the Venator Star Destroyer Liberty. The flagship's main dorsal docking bay split open, an invitation for one of their own to return home.

"Come in Liberty, this is Jedi Sortie Nexxu, with request for landing clearance. Alert General Drin and all commands on my arrival with Council orders."

A few seconds passed as the request was responded to. The ubiquitous sound of a clone's voice came through with it's distinctive accent.

"We read you loud and clear, General Vymes. You are clear for approach and landing.

Welcome home, Sir."

At the controls, Jedi Knight Zem-El Vymes nodded with a smile.

"Good to be back, Liberty. Nexxu out."

The Torrents veered off to loop around for another pass, giving the Delta Seven fighter passage to slow its approach, dipping into the narrow hangar passage and banking into one of the hangar stalls, where it touched down softly. The bubble canopy was open in an instant, and Vymes wasted no time in jumping from his seat, already fast on his way to the bridge, and leaving the cool-downs of his own fighter to the experienced hands of Liberty's flight crew.

He carried news that, with the will of the force, would break the war wide open in the Republic's favor. Time was crucial.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

“How is she?” a melodious voice inquired, serene and composed , yet laced with genuine concern. Behind the thick wall of glass, Tionne Thanewulf lay on the infirmary bed , bandaged and intubated. Rhythmic clinks of the respirator aid echoed against the sterile walls of the chamber, the life of the Jedi Watchman still hanging by a string.
“You ask difficult questions, Master Unduli.” the Mirialan Knight replied, folding arms over her chest. Barriss’ blue eyes never left the viewport before she closed them, completely exasperated by the Force healing session she completed just a few moments prior to Luminara’s visit.

“Her will to live is strong, but the body has taken some heavy damage. Open fracture of her shoulder will take time to heal on its own though. I am afraid I’ve done everything I could have, Master. And yet I feel it is not enough.” Offee admitted, leaning towards the glass for support as last of her strength left her. Luminara Unduli stretched out a comforting hand to her former student’s shoulder and grabbed it lightly, then dipped her head to establish eye contact. Fleshy, dark green lips curved into a meek smile of compassion; the calling of a Jedi Healer was not an easy one – one would see almost as much death as in the battlefields across the galaxy.

“You’ve done more than enough, my apprentice. Thanewulf has defied odds before. We have to have faith in the Force.” encouraged the Jedi Master, gaze trailing to the placid sight of Tionne bathed in light blue light of the sick bay.
“The Council wishes to know how long before she can stand up.” she said, quite aware of the kind of reaction the question would elicit. Barriss recoiled in shock, refusing to believe what she just heard.

“What do you mean, Master? Tionne more dead than alive at this moment. And the Council already considers new assignments? Isn’t there anybody else who can step in? Somebody who is able to use the Force to heal themselves?”
An aura of calmness encompassed Unduli, her reply aimed at pacifying her student.

“With the current developments, the Jedi are stretched thin. Every Knight is valuable.” uttered the Mirialan Master somewhat dolefully as she watched the physicians take out Tionne’s blood samples to run tests – “Not many possess her talents. We need her. The Republic needs her.”
Barriss nodded quiescently, knowing her Master’s words to be true. Times of turmoil lay ahead, clouded by a dark shroud of uncertainty.

“How long then?” repeated Luminara, her own heart breaking too upon seeing so many young, inexperienced Jedi perish in battle. Unlike them, the Jedi at hand was seasoned and cunning, sly as a fox.
“Master Caudle thinks at least a month shall pass. I concur with him.”


***

“Aaaaaah!” a loud scream sounded through the back room of Tionne’s KR-TB Doomtreader that idly lay in the spacious hangar bay of the Venator Star Destroyer Liberty. Before any battles were to be fought, there were a few things that needed the Knight’s attention, like the recent wound on her right shoulder. Despite all odds, Thanewulf had managed to get out of bed in less than two weeks; the injury was mended, but unhealed and every attempted movement of her shoulder hurt like acid poured over bare flesh. It was with clenched teeth and several shots of painkillers that she managed to stand in front of the Council long enough to receive her orders. But that was only three days ago – Tionne felt better already. Or so she told herself.

“Fuck!” the redhead cursed upon removing the bandage and pouring disinfectant liquid over the stitches – “Fucking fuck of a fuck’s fuck!”
Slowly, the burning sensation faltered as she immersed herself in the flux of the Force to relieve the pain. The shoulder sling was tossed aside.
“Well, no need for that anymore.” she said dismissively, applying a large bacta bandage over the wound instead, merely to gain much needed maneuverability of the joint. Her slate gaze then fell to the armor which was aimed to prevent yet another medical mess-up.

“I’m gonna look like a crustacean.” the Knight commented, disdainful towards the utility the armor provided. However, she changed her mind once she, albeit with great difficulty and substantial pain, finally put it on.
“This is not so bad” she established, taking a moment to figure out the functions of a plethora of compartments on her belt and forearms – “Although it looks like I’ll need a servant to help me put this stuff on.”

Rather satisfied with the suit she’d been given, Thanewulf opted to lastly exit her vessel. She only stopped in the corridor, almost forgetting one crucial ingredient to her physical integrity in the weeks to come.

“One last touch…” the Knight whispered, applying a powerful analgetic directly into her jugular vein, while stashing a substantial supply of capsules in the compartment under her left gauntlet. Only a few moments passed before the painkiller took effect, alleviating pain for the time being.
“Let’s do this, Thanewulf.” encouraged the Jedi and ambled towards the exit, dark gray cape fluttering under the depressurizing mechanism of the lowering ramp.

[A'na Eldhil]

Maelstrom, an Imperator-class Star Destroyer, was in hyperspace headed towards the Outer Rim. Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Sturmheist was talking to his First Officer near the center of the bridge, as A'na Eldhil entered. She was there as an observer, having been instructed by the Council to watch and learn, and offer suggestions when asked.

She did not have extensive experience when it came to the war effort, but this posting was going to change that, however. They were headed towards the Bandomeer Sector, and would be arriving shortly. The Confederacy was manufacturing droids for its armies on Kepaa Brens, a planet in the Carshoulis Cluster, governed by the Cizerack Pride. A'na had read up on the Cizerack and their government to prepare for the mission, and as a result was passably familiar with the planets and pieces involved in the Republic's first offensive strike into the Outer Rim.

"Admiral," she said, walking up to the man, "I understand that we are about to reenter realspace?"

[Drin Kizael]

Drin Kizael watched from the bridge as the trio of starfighters emerged into realspace. The fur at the corners of his hazel eyes pulled in as he focused on the lead ship, flying as only another Jedi would. His features brightened a shade at sensing the familiar aura through the Force.

"Finally," he mused quietly.

"Captain Halin," a clone tech called from the comm array. "General Vymes is on approach with Jedi Council orders. Hangar 12."

From across the deck, a weathered man with deep set features and salt and pepper hair turned to Kizael expectantly. He did not relay the report, knowing full well the felinoid heard it as well. In fact, the big trianii had already turned around to regard him.

"Captain, please have all command officers from the other ships patched into the conference room. I'll meet Zem-El in the hangar." His tone was polite but brisk as he marched out to the turbolift exit.

Kizael had been fending off not only his own impatience but that of the whole crew since they were redeployed from Cato. "Stand by for orders," was the least welcome command anyone wanted to hear, especially soldiers that were literally born and bred for battle.

The clacking of the Jedi Guardian's armor echoed across the deck as he hopped off the turbolift before it touched down. His smile broadened as he spotted Zem-El approaching from the hangar bay.

"That was one hell of a training exercise you put on for your escort pilots on the way in," Kizael said around a chuckle. "They almost kept up with you."

[s'Ilancy]

Mace Windu's Padawan.

It was a stigma that she had at grudgingly resigned herself to, that none really knew her by her name, but by her Master. Most times she politely corrected the mistake with a firm tone, but every once in a while she would simply give a sigh and a nod.

It made life annoying, and tried her patience, but she'd come to live with it.

Now, sent by her Master to help with the efforts on the front line, Loklorien s'Ilancy wondered just how many times she'd have to repeat her name. It was a small comfort at least, that the clones simply called her 'General' or 'Sir', despite the foreign sound it made to her ears.

With orders to take over command of the Arbitrator from Zem-El Vymes, s'Il had found herself in the hangar bay of Liberty, awaiting his arrival. She'd watched his entrance, wincing slightly at the ease with which he flew his fighter - the odds were fairly good that she would have turned her stomach inside out had she been in his place.

Master Drin's presence was no surprise either.

Standing more than a bit off to the side, the Lupine stepped forward on a path that would take her to the two.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Those two of yours? Talented lot. May be worth putting them in for ARC training with reflexes like that."

Zem-El extended a hand to Drin, who's own paw engulfed his in a heart-felt handshake.

"I suppose we made a few impressions on Cato Neimodia then, for the Council to put us together for a new assignment."

He saw a face he recognized beyond him, and with a curious grin, he addressed her.

"Mace Windu's Padawan? Then it seems we're in for quite a bit of action. Is your Master soon to arrive as well?"

The thought of having the battle prowess of the famed Korun Master was one that sparked his interest. He'd never served alongside Windu, and the opportunity to do so would be an honor.

A few stalls down, he saw a non-regulation Corellian ship of a class he didn't immediately recall, and a red-headed woman leaving the ship to join them.

"And more friends as well?"

[Drin Kizael]

Kizael nodded to Zem. "More to the point, whatever they've put us together for must be big."

As if to help punctuate the statement, Mace Windu's Padawan approached humbly from behind him.

"Then it seems we're in for quite a bit of action. Is your Master soon to arrive as well?"

"S'il," Kizael added in greeting as she stepped up.

[s'Ilancy]

A respectful nod was given to the towering Trianii, and s'Il turned her blue eyes to Zem-El.

"My name is Loklorien," she answered firmly.

"And Master Windu will not be joining us."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

As Thanewulf marched through the hangar to meet fellow Jedi, the bitter taste of Battle of Tal Morden slowly wore off. The Republic emerged victorious due to her efforts, yet the wounded Knight was carried out of the battlefield on stretcher. Apart from her spine and shoulder, it seemed her pride took substantial damage as well. Perhaps it was because of this that Thanewulf displayed such eagerness to rejoin the war despite the current state of her injuries.

"Kizael. Last time I say you, you were stuffed inside a Delta-6 starfighter, with the cockpit lid as hat." the redhead jested upon approaching the congregated Jedi, sporting a hallmark smile.
"Good to have you with us. It's been a while since we served together."
Slate eyes then shifted to Windu's padawan, a student who's progress was monitored with great interest.
"Hello, Lok." she greeted, leaning in to gently nudge her under the ribs - "Cheer up. Nobody died. Yet."

Her attention then turned to the only other Jedi she did not know in person, but recognized from reports and blueish holo-images.
"You must be Zem-El Vymes, the ace of spades." the Coruscanti complemented, offering a firm hand - "Jedi Knight Tionne Thanewulf, a flush."

[A'na Eldhil]

"Indeed we are, Master Eldhil." The Admiral turned to acknowledge her, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Maelstrom is going to make an impression, I think."

I would think so, thought A'na. The Imperators were the biggest ships she'd ever seen, and being on board one was quite an experience. Seeing one drop out of hyperspace, even knowing it was on your side... it would be quite a sight.

The multicolored clouds of hyperspace pictured on the viewscreen were constant, bathing the bridge in their varied hues... and then the helm counted down the reversion and starlines streaked into dots and they were at their destination. A'na found a place to watch the action out of the way of the bridge officers as the Admiral barked orders and opened up a comm channel to the Liberty.

[Zem-El Vymes]

They all proceeded to the conference room that Drin had set up. After all, introductions could be done on the go, and their time was short.

"Drin, I think you'll find our mission to your liking. Cato Neimodia is training wheels by comparison. The mission orders are so vital that I was to deliver them in person, direct from Master Kenobi and Master Kota on Mandalore. No transmissions. Nothing."

He felt the younger Padawan bristle at his casual association of her to her Master, and while he was disappointed Mace Windu was, in fact, not coming, he shrugged that off.

"Loklorien it is, then. I'm Zem-El Vymes."

He gave a knowing smile to Tionne as she mentioned his reputation, and shook her hand as they stepped into the conference area.

"Ace of Spades, is it? I hadn't heard that one, must be new. Guess I've picked up a reputation then? I hope I don't disappoint, Tionne."

Already, a hologram of the clone captain of the Liberty greeted them as they took seats around. Where there were gaps in the seating, holograms of other clone commanders and captains appeared, as the whole fleet linked up. The Liberty's captain gruffly addressed the group.

"General Drin, we've got company. Big by the looks of it too. Holy...it must be one of the new Imperator battleships!"

Zem dipped his head in confirmation of that.

"Reinforcements from Coruscant. Patch Mistress Eldhil and Admiral Sturmheist in."

Two more holograms appeared, and at last the mission briefing could begin.

"Admiral Sturmheist, Mistress Eldhil, pleased you could join us. I trust you've already been briefed on our plan?"

He looked to the others.

"For the rest, what I'm about to say is at the highest confidentiality. We've been hand-selected by the Jedi Council to be the vanguard of a massive offensive into the Outer Rim. We will be the first battle fleet in, and we're expected to draw our enemy's fire."

[Commander Ajax]

Commander Ajax, aboard General Vymes' star destroyer Arbitrator let a dangerous smile cross his craggy features, the hologram he displayed to the others certainly showing he was eager to hear news just like this.

Silent for now, as he'd not been given permission to speak, he looked to the other holographic faces, noting that the rest of his comrades seemed eager to join the fight as well.

[Ophion Rübezahl]

First battle fleet in?

Arms folded across his chest as he stood with Commander Ajax to his right, a hand strayed upwards to muse through the thick whiskers on his chin. While Ophion was not an aggressive man, he had to admit to a certain degree of frustration at the skirmish action the Arbitrator had seen under his command of late. He didn't lust for battle like some, but he did have a shrewd appreciation of the fact that there was a war to be won; the minor brushfires that they had been sent to extinguish would not turn the tide of such a thing.

Now, however, General Vymes had returned to them with news of a mission that might potentially have some meat and significance. His eyes glanced sidewards, settling in the Clone Commander beside him, voice dropping low so that it wouldn't register over the communications. "About bloody time," he muttered.

[Drin Kizael]

Back at the hanger

Kizael's eyes shifted between the gathering Jedi in the hanger as Loklorien answered Zem. Given the sharpness of her tone, he quietly chastised himself for using the familiar nickname that he'd heard Master Windu call her. He'd been living aboard Star Destroyers for so long, he forgot that they were not in the comfort of the Jedi Temple.

"Kizael. Last time I saw you, you were stuffed inside a Delta-6 starfighter, with the cockpit lid as hat."

The big trianii let out a laugh. "Yes, and if you recall, it was not by choice. I'm looking forward to seeing one of these new Eta-2's they're rolling out." He heard the design gave the fighter the unintended side effect of having a bigger cockpit. Although his talents lent himself more to surface battles anyway, he was a pilot at heart.

He and Tio caught up what little they could in the walk back to the bridge level. He did not press Zem on the details of the mission, to avoid making him have to repeat himself in the briefing.

***

"We've been hand-selected by the Jedi Council to be the vanguard of a massive offensive into the Outer Rim. We will be the first battle fleet in, and we're expected to draw our enemy's fire."

Kizael's eyes swept over the Jedi and commanders. Mandalore was arguably an Outer Rim world as it was, not that the boundaries were hard-coded to be consistent between one galactic map and another. He wondered if Kenobi's flair for hyperbole wasn't coloring the orders a bit. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Zem-El," he chimed in lightheartedly. "The men are eager, but let's keep this in perspective. Exactly whose fire are we drawing? You make it sound like we're taking on the entire Outer Rim by ourselves."

On cue, the center of the table lit up and swirled into a tactical map of Keppaa Brens. From which several flashing lines splintered off into the entire Carshoulis Cluster.

Kizael's blonde fur worked its way around his jaws for a second until he finally said, "Okay, maybe we are."

[Luminos]

((OOC – 4 year olds birthday party and a fantasy football draft took up my weekend. Thanks for keeping me along.))

Admiral Sturmheist stood with his hands behind his back. He kept his thoughts to himself, but something just creeped him out about his entire crew looking exactly the same. They would look at him and he got the feeling that they all had a hive mind and were communicating with each other telepathically.

Still, they were soldiers and one of the finest crews he had ever worked with… it was probably the reason why they were assigned to the Maelstrom. The new Imperator design was created to overcome the ship to ship combat that the Venators were more and more being drug into. While the Venators carried an obscene amount of fighters, they were actually light on heavy weaponry.

The ISD Maelstrom only carried a wing of fighters, that is, six squadrons, but its 60 turbolaser batteries and 60 ion cannons made it a Rancor amid nerfs in battle. At 1600 meters, it was 40% larger and massed much more.

The command bridge was more pronounced. And the viewports gave him a 130 degree of the space in front of the Maelstrom, which was showing the light bluish-white hues of hyperspace. Viktor turned to talk to his XO, one Captain Rees, a human male from Coruscant and not a clone. As he was getting an update from his XO, the doors at the aft of the bridge opened and she entered the bridge. “She” was the Jedi A’na. She had been assigned by the Jedi Council to his ship to oversee the mission. While he has worked with Jedi before, none of them were as beautiful as A’na.

"Admiral," she said, walking up to the man, "I understand that we are about to reenter real space?"

Viktor nodded and smiled. Indeed we are, Master Eldhil." The Admiral turned to acknowledge her, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Maelstrom is going to make an impression, I think."

I would think so, thought A'na. The Imperators were the biggest ships she'd ever seen, and being on board one was quite an experience. Seeing one drop out of hyperspace, even knowing it was on your side... it would be quite a sight.

“We should be arriving in the next 5 minutes. The last I heard the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Liberty</st1:place></st1:City> and the Arbitrator would already be there, waiting for us. If you would join me in my War Room, we will be conducting the briefing with the Jedi and other captains from there.”

Viktor gave A’na a formal half bow and extended his hand in the direction of the Briefing Room at the aft of the bridge. Then he turned and led the way into the room. Before the door shut, he called out an order to Captain Rees.

“When we arrive, patch us through to the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Liberty</st1:place></st1:City>. You have the bridge, Captain.”

Captain Rees nodded and took his position on the command bridge where he could observe the crews working hard in the pits below him. That was the last image before the doors shut.

Inside, Viktor took his place in his chair in front of the holoprojector. When activated, it would simultaneously transmit their image to the other ships while the images from the other ship would be transmitted to the holographic plate in the table. He indicated the chair that Master Eldhil should sit in. As time was of the essence, this type of meeting was quicker and easier than flying over in shuttles and gathering on one ship. He closed his eyes, mentally going over the orders he had received from Coruscant before he left.

They were headed towards the Bandomeer Sector, joining with the Venators Liberty and Arbitrator. Their ultimate destination was Kepaa Brens. The Confederacy was manufacturing droids for its armies on the planet in the Carshoulis Cluster. The cluster was governed by the Cizerack Pride. A strike was decided necessary on the droid factories. If they could bring off this offensive strike victoriously then the CIS might have to move more of their forces to defend their resources and that would pull them away from attacking Republic strongholds.

The Maelstrom dropped from hyperspace and Viktor smiled, knowing that the ship would make a good impression on the others. Minutes later there was a beep on the holoprojector and it began to transmit their image and it also provided a holographic image of the other participants of the briefing. Viktor knew many of the non clone officers present. While the clones had their “brotherhood”, many of the non clone officers had taken to gathering together, forming an informal “brotherhood” of their own. Scattered around them were other Jedi, most of which he recognized, but had never worked with.

"Admiral Sturmheist, Mistress Eldhil, pleased you could join us. I trust you've already been briefed on our plan?"

Viktor nodded toward the holographic image of the Jedi. “We have.”

"For the rest, what I'm about to say is at the highest confidentiality. We've been hand-selected by the Jedi Council to be the vanguard of a massive offensive into the Outer Rim. We will be the first battle fleet in, and we're expected to draw our enemy's fire."

Viktor had most of the information from the briefing already, so while he paid attention, eh began to observe the reactions of the others present. Most were anxious to actually do something other than follow up on CIS scraps, but the one he noticed the most was Commander Ajax, from the Arbitrator. He seemed overly anxious, with a dangerous smile cross his face.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia radiated defiance from her seat at the conference room table, beside her CO, who was Jedi calm. Her squad was fanned out behind them, against the room wall. She'd earned command of the 5th Recon Corps' Diamond Squad despite her defiance. In her own estimation, she was bad at command, and left nearly all of the daily running to her CO Tun Lesta, a former hunting guide from Ryloth who had the uncanny ability to relate to almost anyone of any species. Unlike most of the rest of the contents of the room, Diamond Squad looked dirty, scratched, and outwardly dangerous. Their armor was customized to each individual's taste and requirements. Most of the bits and pieces came from outside the Republic's standard military supplies. The weapons were equally diverse, but all had been modified to accept equivalent magazines from standard Republic equipment. The only telltales that they were a Republic unit was the rank insignias in the appropriate place on their armor.

The 5th was one of the two non-clone recon units in the galaxy, composed solely of volunteers. All members had extensive experience either tracking or shooting, and almost all came from different worlds. Everyone knew where everyone else hailed from, except Adia. No one knew what world their Mistress of Sabers originally hailed from. They knew it wasn't from Ansion, as her file claimed. All they knew was that she was someone else's hell on the battlefield, and she wasn't exactly human.

"Cizerack." She growled from beneath her deconstructed Scout trooper helmet. Only the black environmental liner, comm module and goggles remained. Adia was reclusive around clones, doubly so when an ARC or Commando might be present. Diamond Squad was one of the few units to survive intact a pitched ground encounter with the fellinoids, and one of the primary reasons they'd been tasked for this mission. Tun scratched his chin. Raanz, the Kubaz, warbled quietly. Kallen and Kallor, the pair of Duro brothers, stood silent. Grrawrrachawwa, the wookiee, sighed. En-Ti-Pell, she hmmm'd as only a Cerean could. Saurin Irsss Tas Fal hissed briefly.

Adia held a gloved hand up, and Diamond Squad fell silent instantly. She wanted to know what the Jedi were planning, and, more importantly, what Diamond Squad's role was.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Allaying Drin's concerns, Zem-El gave a wave of his hand.

"Priority here is to ensnare the Confederacy in a fight within their own territory. The Carshoulis Cluster is our target, and it gives us no shortage of targets."

The hologram at the center of the table again focused on Keppaa Brens. The planet's high orbitals were absolutely clogged with meteors, wreckage, and interstellar floatsam, creating a thick patina of debris around the planet, save for one spot - a kilometer-wide shield tunnel that pushed the debris away and allowed for ships to pass. The shield tunnel was generated by a pair of massive ring-shaped structures, which were highlighted and noted in Aurrebesh.

"Our first objective is the factory world of Keppaa Brens. The Cizerack Pride have turned all production on the planet to war materiale. Our spies within the cluster inform us that all major factions are producing armament on Keppaa Brens, including the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union, the Trade Federation, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan."

The hologram proceeded, indicating a single vessel approaching the shield tunnel.

"Master Vos has nurtured the underground movement on the dissident world of Fey'dann, and put us in contact with a fifth column element. A Cizerack light freighter, standing ready aboard Liberty, will carry two teams to the shield ring."

Aurrebesh labels illuminated the teams:

Team One
Commander Issoris
5th Recon Corps Diamond Squad
Team Two
General Thanewulf
ARC special insertion team
"These teams infiltrate by modified escape pods, one team per ring, and capture the rings. We need both in our control before we can proceed. Once each is controlled, General Thanewulf will signal the fleet."

New icons appeared on the holo, matching the layout of the Republic fleet. At it's center was Maelstrom, with the three Venator cruisers forming a spearhead around it. Flanking the flag were two Victor class battleships, paired each with a Dreadnaught heavy cruiser, with four Carrack cruisers forming the picket. At the tip of the spear was the most important part of the attack: eight Acclimator assault ships. As the hologram's animation showed, these ships, under covering fire from the Republic fleet, would insert into Keppaa Brens' lower atmosphere, single file through the shield, and onto the planet below to deliver a full invasion army.

"Once signaled, the fleet will quickly jump into the Cluster on the planet's vector, and immediately begin landing operations."

Zem-El pointed to Drin.

"Master Kenobi insisted that you lead not only the ground assault, but the entire campaign. I will work in close proximity with Commander Teeg to muster fighters and run interference, when resistance inevitably appears, to make sure you have a clear lane. Assuming we regain clear skies, I will join you on the surface."

He looked to the Admiral.

"Admiral Sturmheist has flag, and will control the battlespace around Keppaa Brens. We expect a swift counter-attack, so be ready to cover the fleet's maneuvers."

The next part nearly irked the Jedi Knight, and he paused.

"Commander s'Ilancy will be temporarily relieving my command on the Arbitrator and will command my cruiser during the fight."

Vymes had fought over that bit of detail, insisting time after time again that Commander Ajax was experienced enough for command. He was overruled by Obi Wan, who wanted Mace Windu's padawan to take the command.

"I realize it's a lot all at once, but time's a luxury we don't have, and we need this offensive. Are there any questions?"

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Thanewulf reclined back in her chair, gaze skimming over bluish holo-representations of the invasion plan. She rubbed her chin, pondering over the strategical implications of the shield rings. The tactical advantage of such a bottleneck could quickly become a gate to hell, even if a slightest falter in the plan occurs. Aware of this, the Knight decided to address the subject.

"As far as I understand, most of debris surrounding the planet has is made out of ferrous compounds, thus attaining paramagnetic properties. The rings work as a large electromagnet, repelling the rocks to create a passage." the Coruscanti explained knowingly, showing why she was the right person for the job - "Once we plug them out, the corridor closes."

Glancing sideways, Tionne regarded the Trianni Jedi who would lead the entire operation. It was not the first time Tionne served under him - she would not let it be the last.
"A last resort, if we are overrun." said the ginger-haired woman and stood from her seat and leaned towards the projection, her finger stirring through the debris field.

"The rings are located in the middle to assure even deflection throughout the passage. When the power is down, the field retrieves and surrounds the station, making navigation nearly impossible. However, the deactivation has to be done manually, which essentially implies somebody will have to stay up there during the entire invasion to make sure the corridor remains open." she explained, pressing knuckles against the edge of the table. A slight pang in her shoulder almost distracted her, before all thoughts of injury were swiftly pushed from her mind.

"I'd like to taste some battle, so I suggest you post trusted guards to keep the rings operating if reinforcements are needed. " the redhead asserted, then mysteriously smiled, eyes locked with the feline Jedi.
"Provided you want me on the surface to begin with."

[Drin Kizael]

Kizael leaned heavily against the table as he closely studied the tactical display. His lips pursed and pulled inward as he mulled over Thanewullf's suggestion.

"No Tionne," he replied gently after a moment's pause. "You'll be far too busy with the Vulture Droids I'm afraid."

He pointed to the narrow tunnel formed between the target satellites, circling around the edges with a single claw. "See, those stations are too small to do the job of diverting that much debris alone. Generators can't be big enough." He traced his claw down the length of the tunnel into the curvature of the planet's atmosphere. "They are relay stations. They're using the planetary defense shield as the power source. Nice."

Kizael smirked in admiration of the mechanics at work. "The moment the alert goes off that those stations have been breached, they'll put a lot of effort into either recapturing them..." His worlds trailed off and he looked up at Tio. "Or more likely destroy them to close the tunnel. The fighter squadrons protecting those stations will have their hands full.

"If Vultures can't get the job done, the fallback tactic will be to try to physically drop droids on it to break in or tear it apart. Either way, I'd want you there to prevent either from happening. You need to keep that tunnel open for as long as possible. But then you're going to have to re-open the tunnel in any case."

He cut himself off for emphasis, then turned to face Vymes. "Zem-El can you please highlight the planetary shield network on here. Ah, yes thank you. That's what I thought. Stop me any time if I miss something.

"If I were them the next thing I'd do is start to reroute the power grid to seal off the planet's shield, and effectively cut those stations off." He looked to Zem, and then to the Admiral with a quizzical nod, looking for confirmation.

"We are going to have an extremely limited window to drop troops and armor on the surface before that shield slams down. They can't reroute that much power on the fly, though. Figuring reaction time, resetting the calibration, opening the right sequence of energy ports. Twenty minutes if the Force is with us? Not much time to jump the fleet in, launch, and land more than a few carriers."

The Jedi stood up straight as he considered the options. "We'll be flying literally right down the barrel of a gun." He frowned on that note, but suddenly his ears rose and he looked back to the red haired human.

"Tionne, if you could find a way to boost power from those stations, do you think you could strengthen the polarity of the magnetic fields? That would widen the corridor for us, yes? Give their defense cannons a wider field of fire to cover and give our pilots more wiggle room for evasive maneuvers."

Kizael paused for Tionne's response, then continued.

"Then once we're on the ground, we secure the closest shield emitter to get power back up to you. You reopen the corridor and the rest of the fleet can move in."

At that point he grinned at Tionne. "After that you can come down to the surface if you want. Pick up any scraps the 312th and I leave for you."

[Hesko Noreem]

The ARC commander who had been silently observing the brief while leaning against a wall of the conference room now stepped forward to stand beside General Thanewulf at the table. He planted both his hands firmly on the table not so much as to lean onto them, but as a gesture of stability, and entry into the discussion at hand.

"General Kizael, unless you are gifted with precognition, I think you give you and your men too much credit. The battle has yet to begin after all," Alpha-88 said looking towards the hologram, "and as General Vymes has said this isn't your typical production world like the former Geonosis with its droidworks, this is a collective CIS forge world. We can expect to see all manner of weapons from the enemy's arsenal once the Grand Army invades. This is why I think it wise to consider the redeployment of the SpecOps teams once we’ve captured the rings; we’re too valuable an asset to be left hanging in orbit when this fighting starts and each of us knows we could do a hell of a lot more damage to the enemy in combat instead of twiddling our thumbs in some control room.”<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

[Drin Kizael]

Kizael's brow furrowed quizzically and he cast an amused glance at Zem-el. He smoothed over his smile, taking on the more formal demeanor of a military officer, and tilted his head to face the trooper.

"You won't be 'twiddling your thumbs' at all," he replied in a measured tone. "You'll be under assault the whole time you're up there. It's exactly the kind of mission we need SpecOps for.

"It is vital to hold on to those stations so you can reopen the tunnel once we secure the shield generator and reroute power back up to the satellites, for the fleet to lend orbital support and drop reinforcements."

He held eye contact and continued in a firm, but still gentle tone. "If the rings are secure, Commander, it will be General Thanewulf's call if your team is part of the surface reinforcements, as those ships will be depending on that tunnel staying open."

The Jedi turned to the group at large. "Are there any other questions? Do you have anything to add, Admiral?"

[Luminos]

Admiral Sturmheist stood up looking over the details of the ring. The arrival would be tricky. They would arrive in orbit over the opening, but that would be the easiest part of the whole plan. Protecting the forces, but getting them down the shaft before it shut off was going to be tricky. Viktor walked over to the hologram of the rings.

"What if we launch a spread of seismic charges down the shaft? If they detonate before we send down the landing ships, the shockwave would blow the debris away from the rings. While it might drift back, it would also give our landing barges time to get down."

Viktor began to type on the console. The holo updates to show the capital ships arriving in formation. Seismic charges appeared as tiny blips, traveling away from the ships. Little blasts appeared for the detonations and the shockwaves eminating out from the blast. While insignificant to do something about all the way around the planet, the blasts did push the nearby debris away from the opening.

"While they may have the ability to pull it back, they would have to overcome the shockwaves. As the shockwaves subside, our landing forces could already be reaching the mouth of the ring."

"The Maelstrom will arrive at the point of the formation to take on any ships in orbit at the planet. Once we secure the immediate area, the Maelstrom will move to a higher orbit to guard against late arriving enemy forces. The rest of the fleet will form a perimeter to the ring and the Acclamators will shoot the gap to get to the planet."

[s'Ilancy]

For her part, s'Il remained quiet. She'd blinked at the news that she would be taking command of the Arbitrator - it was not what she had expected. That her master had such faith in her was... nice. Leaning back in her seat, the Lupine looked on at the assembled faces, knowing it best to defer to those who knew far more about this than she. There was no need to speak, only ponder the task ahead of her.

Invariably, her eyes were drawn to the two men who she would be serving with, but it wasn't long before her gaze once more swept about the gathering.

Quiet, she continued to listen as the finer points of what they aimed to do in the Cluster were discussed.

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Commander Noreem, we will still need an element of commandos on both rings to hold them, but I think once enemies aboard the structure are taken care of, you could effectively hold them with a smaller force. We will adapt as the battle evolves."

Admiral Sturmheist's suggestion was met with a nod of approval, and it seemed that the order of battle was at a consensus.

"If there are no further questions, time is of the essence. Captain Isorris and Commander Noreem, prepare your troops to board the Cizerack freighter. You'll be departing at once."

Getting one final look at the whole assembled war party before they were on their separate ways, Zem-El nodded and smiled.

"May the Force be with us. And may victory follow."

The holograms began to disengage one by one, as each person went about their own tasks. Zem-El sought out the Trianii Jedi Knight, and prepared to part ways back to his own ship.

"Kizael, happy hunting to you. I'll be aboard Arbitrator, preparing for the jump in."

He glanced to the padawan, s'Ilancy, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I'm sure I have a bit of breaking-in to do with my replacement as well. It won't do to loan out my ship and return to it in pieces."

[Drin Kizael]

Kizael bid farewell to his Jedi brethren and took the data crystal holding his share of the battle plan data to relay down to his men, the infantry regiment that would make up the bulk of the planetary surface assault.

Unlike the raids on the ring satellites, there would be nothing stealthy or all that surgical about the action they would face inside the atmosphere of Keppaa Brens. A small ARC team would have zero chance of breaching the target base after all the noise they had to make getting past the planet's defense grid in the first place. This phase called for dropping enough infantry and armor battalions to take on a droid factory head on.

As if getting in with such a tiny window wasn't tricky enough, the size of the attack force they'd be likely to sneak in under the shield had little hope of securing the base alone, or holding it for long if they managed to, but they only needed to hold out long enough for a squadron to take the shield network control station.

The Jedi mused over the irony of the mission objectives. Sending men that were trained to blow up shield emitters to instead capture one intact.

Kizael paused as he passed the observation deck overlooking the central hangar. He looked down, staring out beyond the ventral launch port of the Liberty as the Cizeri freighter that would take the infiltration teams into system flashed into realspace. His gaze swept to a section of the deck where troops were already gathering to get their assignments. With that, he continued on to meet with his Clone Commanders to prepare for the battle ahead.

[Ophion Rübezahl]

Aboard the Arbitrator...

Ophion's lips drew into a tight line, hands clasped behind his back as he waited - stoic - in the cavernous hanger bay of his ship, for the return of General Vymes. Tinted blue by the magnetic containment field that separated the landing zones from the bay's flight zones, Ophion watched as clones and droids swarmed the few hundred starfighters that were preparing to launch under the Jedi's command. He allowed a moment to process the sheer scale of the military machine under his command - a few hundred pilots; a few thousand soldiers; thousands more as gun crews, tech crews; and all of them sporting the same face, stolen from a Mandalorian bounty hunter by a race of sentient fish.

Prior to his command of the Arbitrator, Captain Rübezahl had served in - and retired from - the Republic's Judicial Starfleet. For the thousand years since the Ruusan Reformation, the Republic had not seen a full scale war; the Starfleet were merely peacekeepers, there to maintain law and order. During training, officers learned of the mighty warships that had been fielded by the Republic Navy during the Mandalorian Wars, and the Great Galactic War; but Ophion had never for a moment imagined that he would ever command anything of that scale.

Now, by virtue of clones and automation, a scant handful of Navy Officers and Jedi Generals commanded entire fleets and armies of meat droids against the tech droids of the Separatists, holding the fates of entire worlds in the palm of their hand. It was a situation so mammoth that, had he been warned a decade ago that he would find himself in these circumstances, it would have drained his very imagination.

He glanced beside him, planning to throw an offhand comment to the officer waiting with him, but as his eyes settled on those near identical features, he hesitated. Though they tried to emphasise their individuality as best they could, the uniformity of appearence between the clones was uncanny, and unsettling. Their personalities varied of course, shaped and moulded by their environment and experiences; alone, it was easy to mistake the clones for real humans, especially when you found yourself in frequent proximity, as Ophion did with Commander Ajax. But then you caught sight of another, and another; and you were reminded that you were nothing more than the Captain of a ship filled with copies and ghosts.

He turned his eyes forward, watching as General Vymes' ship made it's way through the mag field. Damned unsettling, his subconscious muttered at him, thoughts lingering on the clones for a moment longer, as he waited for the General to emerge.

[s'Ilancy]

Her own shuttle was close behind General Vymes' own fighter, the clone pilot taking care to keep the flight as smooth as possible. He'd been informed well enough that the Jedi Padawan he now transported was a bit... on the sensitive side of space travel, and so followed his orders to the letter. s'Il watched him as he brought the craft down and through the mag field, mindful to keep her full attention on his hands and how they went across the controls - the other option was to look out the forward viewport, which would've been disastrous.

She could feel the landing struts touch the deck, and with a sigh of relief she stood.

Ever stoic and quiet, the young Lupine gave a nod to her escort before turning on her heel and heading for the descending boarding ramp.

[Luminos]

As the hologram of the others faded at the end of the meeting, Viktor stood up, brushed his uniform of any wrinkles and sighed. Pushing a button, he keyed in his XO on the bridge, Captain Rees.

"Captain Rees, bring the Maelstrom up to point position of the fleet and begin the countdown at freighter launch plus 30 minutes. I'll be there shortly."

Thirty minutes sounded like a long time, but by the time they freighter got down to the rings and the crew boarded the rings, time would fly. He looked over at Ana, the Jedi assigned to the Maelstrom as an advisor.

"Jedi Eldhil, I know that you are assigned to this ship as an observer, but I have to know. What role will you be taking in this upcoming assault?"

[Commander Ajax]

In the massive hangar bay of the Arbitrator, Commander Ajax waited alongside Captain Rübezahl in anticipation of General Vymes and Commander s'Ilancy's arrival, which couldn't happen soon enough for Ajax. That was one thing that he shared with Captain Rübezahl at least - they were both absolutely eager to engage the enemy. Still, something of the meeting troubled him, and he'd held his tongue in the presence of the war council.

"It's true then? General Vymes won't be leading us into battle?"

He'd served under several Jedi Padawan Commanders in his tours of duty, and it wouldn't be the first time by any stretch, but he had developed a familiarity for Vymes and his style of fighting, and he preferred to fight under the General, all things considered.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Aboard the Arbitrator

"Welcome to the Arbitrator, Padawan."

Zem-El was quick to jump from his Delta Seven's cockpit, his fighter already being stowed by a hangar crew exceedingly familiar to his preferences. Nearby, he spotted Captain Rübezahl and Commander Ajax, his usual comrades in arms. With an easy smile, he approached them with s'Ilancy at his side.

"Captain, Commander. All went well in my absence, then?"

The Jedi Knight detected the change in energy, not just amongst his senior officers, but among everyone aboard. They were ready for a fight.

"Introductions were deferred until now, allow me to introduce Loklorien s'Ilancy, Jedi Padawan of Mace Windu."

He could see that Ajax, at least, was cautious about the transition. He didn't have to like the order, just to follow it.

"As you both know, she'll be replacing me on the Arbitrator for the duration of the mission, as I'm to be leading all combined fighter squadrons in the fleet's defense."

[A'na Eldhil]

A'na looked at the Admiral, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "I am here to observe, Admiral Sturmheist. I am afraid I'm not much of a fighter pilot, or I could assist more directly in the space battle." After a moment she added, "I would be glad to offer any insights that I might have, however, as the Force can make the fog of war a bit clearer."

She smiled, brushing a hand through her short white hair. "Just point me to a place where I won't be in the way of your bridge officers."

She could see that the troop transfer was underway as the Cizeri freighter was docking with the Liberty, and felt a bit of excitement well up inside her. She had another mission to complete during this battle, one that she did not feel comfortable sharing with the Admiral. Master Yoda had instructed her to work on battle meditation - a Force ability that could strengthen the morale and coordination of their allies while confusing the enemy - after finding that she showed promise working during smaller conflicts.

A'na didn't feel that she should share this with anyone, however, and her status was still that of an observer. If it worked, then all the better, and if not, then no one would suffer because they had been counting on it.

[Ophion Rübezahl]

True it is, Ophion's mind muttered, providing silent answer to the question from Ajax.

Mind ever vigilant, he surveyed their new commander with flawlessly concealed scrutiny, drawing what conclusions he could from the information at hand. She was a woman, and a young one at that; and while he didn't disapprove of female officers as a rule, it was certainly true that there weren't many criteria in which this s'Ilancy could be more opposite than him. Still, the trust that General Vymes placed in her was quite the seal of approval, and it scored points in her favour.

Other things about her were of considerable interest to him as well. The way she shifted uncomfortably at being identified by association with her Master might not have been noticable to most, but then most likely weren't looking for those subtle tells of frustration and discomfort; nor were they likely as skilled at sabaac as Captain Rübezahl. While he was hardly an expert on the internal politics of the Jedi Order, anyone who could speak Basic, from Bakura to the Core had heard of Jedi General Mace Windu. His exploits of Ryloth were the stuff of legend amongst the military. Having always been the kind of person who was recognised by reputation for his own achievements, he couldn't begin to imagine the kind of position this Padawan was placed in; but he certainly did not envy her for the shadow in which she walked.

Something else that he noted was the manner in which she had arrived: by shuttle, rather than by fighter. He wondered if there was any significance to that; for while General Vymes did have a specific fighter of his own which he habitually flew, the vast hangars of Venator-class Cruisers were filled with Eta-2's, the Jedi's most recent fighter of choice, and she surely would have been able to commendeer one, had she chosen to. It was a choice then: but what manner of choice? Was it a decision born of logic and objectivity? Or perhaps one of inability? Fear?

He made a mental note to seek out an answer, subtly; in the meantime however, he merely inclined his head in a bow of greeting, and allowed his voice to escape in a low, Allanteen purr. "Welcome aboard, Mistress s'Ilancy. I am Captain Ophion Rübezahl; the Commander here is Ajax. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The reminder of Vymes' intended role in the battle momentarily rekindled his reservations about the young Padawan, but his practiced mask of stoicism prevented him from displaying those emotions too readily on his face. He offered the briefest of glances towards the clone Commander beside him, before altering his features into a slight but warm and diplomatic smile. "While we will of course lament your absense, General, we relish the opportunity to serve alongside the young Padawan here." Another glance was cast to his right. "Don't we, Ajax?"

[s'Ilancy]

A polite bow was given to Captain Rübezahl, as she closed her eyes, head inclined slightly downward in respect. His greeting was formal, and oddly enough welcomed. His furtive look to the Clone Commander at his side sent her gaze to Ajax, and she offered him as well a slight bow.

The captain looked to be a man well acquainted with his ship and the men who served under him, and the look in his eyes spoke of his experience well enough. His greeting stilled any worries she'd harbored over the command she was to take from the General, and the smallest of quirks at one corner of her mouth hinted as much. He'd no doubt seen so much of this war.

The same could be said of Commander Ajax, and her eyes went over the scars marring his features. They lent him a certain air of ferocity that suited him well, and her gaze stayed on him only moments longer than it possibly should have..

"Captain... Commander."

Her voice was far from the initial terse tone that she'd taken with General Vymes aboard the Liberator - now it was quiet and assured. It hid her uncertainty at the task her Master had given to her, but with the experience of the two men before her, she felt more at ease.

[Commander Ajax]

Ajax's eyes lingered on Vymes just a moment before transitioning to s'Ilancy. That was it, then. No questioning orders. He gave a curt nod to Captain Rübezahl's assertions.

"My men are ready to fight, sir. You can count on my brothers to give the clankers and kitties some real hell."

Of course, with his own battalion tied to Arbitrator, he wasn't sure exactly how much action that would entail. Captain Rübezahl was certainly a capable starship captain, but Ajax was indoctrinated for ground command. That he wasn't picked to deliver his forces in the spearhead to Keppaa Brens was in some ways, disappointing. Still, he'd done more than his share of studying the Cizerack, both book work and hands-on experience (as his scars would attest to). Even on a ship not expected to deliver troops to the surface attack, he knew the chances of a close and personal brawl were in their favor.

"I'm sure you have more than a few stories to tell of your own campaigns, sir. Have you fought in many battles with General Windu?"

[Zem-El Vymes]

"Yes, since we have some small bit of time to exchange pleasantries before we're hurtled into a warzone, it might be interesting to hear of your exploits."

Zem-El walked with the entourage down the long corridor that led to a turbolift, which would carry them back to the bridge.

"Weren't you in the Battle of Dantooine? I hear that was quite a victory."

[Luminos]

A'na looked at the Admiral, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "I am here to observe, Admiral Sturmheist. I am afraid I'm not much of a fighter pilot, or I could assist more directly in the space battle. I would be glad to offer any insights that I might have, however, as the Force can make the fog of war a bit clearer. Just point me to a place where I won't be in the way of your bridge officers."

Viktor smiled and pointed over to an area near targeting. He walked A’na over to the console. “Ensign activate this console for her use. Route sensor data here as well as damage reports.” Then he turned to A’na.

“I have one thing to ask of you, to help protect our troops. I haven’t the grasp of the Force nor any idea of how it works, but I have seen it enough to know that even the youngest being with the smallest gift can accomplish much. What I would like to ask of you is to help guide our seismic charges to the optimal position to detonate. It would help create the largest whole being punched through the debris field.”

As Viktor talked to A’na, he noticed that the Cizerack freighter was leaving the Liberty, heading for hyperspace. The countdown had begun.

“Helm, bring us to the point of the formation and inform the other commands that Condition Green is in effect. Relay information to Starfighter Command as well.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Are you okay with that?”

The ISD Maelstrom moved through the formation to the point, with the Liberty and the Arbitrator falling in behind it. Behind that came the Acclamators that held their ground assault forces.