[18 BBY]
[Mokivj System, Outer Rim Territories]
Real space bent and warped, then the aether ripped apart as the first hyperdrive driven craft surged into the Mokivj system in a brief flash of light and displaced energy. The Force thrummed faintly on the moment of battle, whispers in unreality as the massive bulk of a Lucrehulk-class Battleship and it's crew emerged, singing songs of allegiance, of spreading confusions amongst the lesser foe aboard the Recusant-class Light Destroyer in orbit. Organic whispers rang out, asking, demanding, soulless, invisible, machines awaiting commands and idling as death descended on them.
Only as the second, and then the third, massive vessels emerged on either side of the system's defenders did the extent of their doom come to them, fear and shock shivering out into wholeness of space. Light and Darkness swirled as engines died, and then weapons were sheathed immediately as scores and scores of starfighters and bombers emerged to join those jumping in-system. From the Planet, confused Dark infused with fearful Light, questions asked, desperate and vocal, as it was matched with harsh, calculus Light fringed with controlled and ruthless Dark.
Soulless machines were shattered as confusion became Silence as power engines and generators aboard the massive vessel at the heart of the attacking fleet, the Herald of Destruction, called the Stormcrow. Machine voices were Silenced, but the Song of the Force Rose as the Silence fell…descending from the stars above as chaos reign below on the earth. Light and Dark they descended, a swift, vengeful, sword upon scattered and confused machine-minds, untouched by the Force. As it was Called, it Answered and soulless things were torn from their defences to be destroyed or rent asunder.
It was Commanded. The Darkness answered, exulted weakly as fearful whispers crept into minds, defences breaking, shattering, to the scalpel of focused jetpack equipped soldiers and the hammer of turblolaser and starfighers. Theatre shields fell before they were even raised, citizens of the border world wakening as their world and its skies filled with fury and flashes of power. Soulless, untouched by the Force, droids began to shut down as great doors were breached by explosives, or simply torn from their hinges as children of Dark and Light moved and demanded as One, shaping material realms to their whims. As it should be.
Like the ripples of a stone thrown into a pond the effects reverberated through the Force, as the other stones falling, as Balance swung wildly, seeking Equilibrium. Weaker than others, but the Aberration was a shrouded thing, there and not there, a catalyst for action, but rejecting, accepting, but never listening to the many voices that agreed on nothing, revealed everything in both truth and lies. Sentient minds asked and got what they Accepted, or Demanded, dependent on how it was questioned. On Mokivj Power was demanded, and given, along with Insight – as the blows fell while those known as the Grysk were away.
The Ripples were becoming Bloody Waves, what was Ancient Waking Once More as everything lay in Balance as the Force warred with itself eternally. Now the Dark Tide was beginning to wash up against the shore as the false damn cracked, and a millennium of Light feeding Dark, yet locking it away, brought the price now came due to all sentient beings. For what had been sought in this system had already been lost to the Aberration, already in motion behind the Veil of the Dark Side. The Story would be Told, the Battle Eternal, without control, without the Ones who would Regulate but not Rule. Of the insidious one, of the ancient ones, of the broken ones, of the CHOSEN ONE, of the Grysk that fled the…
Fled the….
[Error/Void]
Fled the….
[Error/Void]
…and pieces moved on the board. Playing a game against each other, and with each other, united in Chaos and Harmony. All in One. One in All. Warring Eternal. Together Eternal. Eternally in Balance. Eternally Changing. For the Pendulum was now swinging to the Dark. The Tide unstoppable and the garden to be pruned….
--
[18 BBY]
[Confederacy of Independent Systems Base, Mokivj System, Outer Rim Territories]
'Gone are my blues and gone are my tears. I've got the good news to shout in your ears...' rang out in my mind as I starred at the data on the screens before me…
"Hehehehehehehehee…"
'….we're in the Money! We're in the Money! We've got a lot of what it takes to get along….'
"….heheheeheheheheheheheh"
'….we're in the Money! The day is sunny…'
Asajj was giving me a slightly unnerved look, as did Celeste, as I chuckled to myself as I looked at the sheer ridiculousness of what we'd just captured in a swift, relatively bloodless, surprise attack "Eh….Stormcrow?"
"Hehheheh….heh….ahhhhhh…." I chuckled, then let out a breath shaking my head, as I was not in a very good mood as we stood in the heart of the enemy operations centre "This planet? The Cortosis deposits are enormous, and, massive concerns aside about where all the kriffing droids made are….well, we just took over a planet with some of the largest recorded Cortosis reserves seen in…well, since the Mandalorian Wars I'd guess. And we've a Sith Lord we want to kill…"
I chuckled again, folding my arms across my chest "And I think a few *superior* droid models utilising this might be in order with such a find. A….gift…for that fine fellow on Kuat. Oh, and equipping the future forces that need to deal with rogue Dark Jedi and the like. Also….making us all very, very, rich in the process I might add"
"If you can hold against these aliens…" Celeste pointed it out calmly "…and does not address the fact more droids were produced here, than are here"
"Ah….yes, and I am concerned about that. Very much so about that, and the fact our Duke Solha in command of this committed suicide rather than be captured, and odd behavior you heard about. Or the fact they found an 'Ancient Jedi' in a Temple and woke her up, she fought her way clear…." I replied waving a hand from side to side "…we've a lot to be concerned about. So leave me my brief moment of enjoyment at conquering a strategically important world and capturing a destroyer plus mines and factories. This is a victory, enjoy the brief moments of it"
After all, soon, we'd known more about these Grysk, and what it was they wanted…and the worrying fact that the Chiss were also sniffing around out there. What little we'd seen so far didn't indicate good things about our mystery alien faction, or of their dealings with the Confederates here. Or, more concerningly, with the sort-of-Confederates here as their dealings didn't seem to be with the Confederates per se, but with Dooku directly….
…and they were still dealing with 'Dooku' up till we arrived. Which was really hard since he was dead, and I'd been there when Darth Maul had put a lightsaber through his back months and months ago. It was like this place had contact with Thyferra…yet didn't seem to be grasping any of the news they had to be getting there. Or the fact they'd been, and still were, producing Clone Trooper armour. Everything was pointing to one of Darth Sidious Black-ops sites, and that did concern me. So I was going to enjoy my triumph for a few more minutes, and then get to the work on all those problems…
--
[18 BBY]
[Central Command Bunker, Kuat, Kuat System, The Core]
Admiral Jan Dodonna salute the Supreme Chancellor as the assembled military staff of the Republic as he watched the information begin to flow in from spies and forward observations posts "The Separatists are on the verge of their major offensives Chancellor, I would estimate within the next few day most likely from their dispositions and amount of traffic we're seeing"
"Indeed it does Admiral, indeed it does, and as our traitors to the Republic…" the Supreme Chancellor smiled, hands behind his back, mind seemingly here, but somehow elsewhere, seeing a bigger picture somehow "Well, I do believe they are about to get a reminder about how…untrustworthy…those they seek to betray the Republic for are"
Jan nodded "As you say Supreme Chancellor, and they are doubly traitors having served the Junta on Coruscant, and now seek to serve other masters"
In truth they needed the various 'Republic' warlords in the regions to resist the Separatist offensive, and not simply switch sides and grant their foes an open path. Even with the Imperator-class Star Destroyers, their size and dwarfing the Victory-class, let alone the Venator-class, they would unable to handle all such enemies that besieged the democratic forces of the Republic. Not with Operation Spring Dawn on the horizon, with all the support sent out, and the resources scrapped together to assemble the fresh fleets. If they could allow the Separatists to strike, and take losses fighting their foes, that were their foes….
Supreme Chancellor smiled a grandfatherly smile, supremely confident as ever as he gazed up at the galactic map "Never fear Admiral. Everything is once again going according to Plan. Patience my fellows. The Force is with US in this fight"
--
[Closing Days of 18 BBY]
[Republic Allied Territory, under District Authority of 'Admiral' Hondo Onaka, 'Republic' Fleet Region, Emberlene, Emberlene System, Authala Sector, Expansion Region]
B2 Combat Droid B/22/B/H/VUIO678452 activated with combat mission protocols and restrictions surging through its processors. It's fellow specialised droids rose to stand as one, the front of the cargo container falling open before them as they strode forward with thundering mechanical sound. Arms rose in unison, targeting systems activating and bringing weapons to bear on startled organic combatants and support units. No 'essential' personal were identified by the scans, and lethal force protocols were authorised.
Advancing with the other units of its cohort the droid gunned down the organic units in the courtyard, who had been in the midst of maintenance or organic unit production. Maximum aggression was demanded by its combat systems, and the unit delivered as it faced minimal resistance at the target location. Blaster fire remained weak and sporadic as it advanced swiftly into the enemy command facility….then grew more ferocious as more blaster shots impacted its reinforced frame. Other units ceased functionality around it, but it continued its aggressive combat performance, arm moving to eliminate…
{Restriction/Unit – Hondo Onaka and Command Staff must survive!}
Its arm blaster readjusted to target the Twi'lek support unit near the priority target. Maximum Combat Aggression was to be encouraged in Organic Unit -Hondo Onaka- by all means necessary for the –Glory of the Confederacy-
[Error/Processing Republic loyalty protocols…]
Heavy blaster bolts rammed into B2 Combat Droid B/22/B/H/VUIO678452….
[This Unit Cannot Be Captured….Self-Destruct Initiated]
B2 Combat Droid B/22/B/H/VUIO678452's internals were disintegrated by the small micro-explosives, ensuring combat data could not be recovered by enemy forces…
--
[Closing Days of 18 BBY]
[From: Confederate Naval High Command, Raxus Secundus]
[To: All Units Strike Fleet One, Two, and Three]
Initiate Operation Dooku's Justice.
For the Freedom of the Confederacy of Independent Systems!
--
End of: Chapter 05: The Dominion Of The Sword
Next: Chapter 06: Springtime Of The Peoples
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