Garrison India Northern Uskil Arx "There's word from the Ascent, my Lord." He saluted briefly, an armored fist rising to his heart. They all paused, turning to look at him, the wind following the soldier into the prefabricated garrison. "What channel did it come through on?" The Twi'lek spoke first. It had been almost three days since anything came across the channels. Her master wouldn't admit it, but Leena knew that even the Star Chamber channels had gone dark. The counter offensive that the Collective mounted was impressive, striking the Brotherhood just as they finished one of their vendettas. They had returned to the ancient ruins in the North of Uskil, seeking to compare and contrast some hieroglyphs in person when the Collective came swarming back, overwhelming Eos City, catching the weary clans by surprise. "It wasn't the normal one. There was a distress signal coming across on old frequencies, using Lyspair protocols." The soldier turned to look at the Techweaver. "I've told them to record the wave and send it to you already. I hope that was..." Lenna nodded. "Good work, Kudo." Her lekku twitched, the point jabbing toward her back as the other one twinged in pain from the effort. She grimaced for a moment, lifting the appendage up and back over her shoulder, letting it rest against her skin. "Lyspair protocols?" "Thoughts?" Doc leaned over a holographic battle coordinator, flashes of light indicating troop movements over terrain they had all grown familiar with. The marshes and swamps surrounding the ruins had been their home for almost a week now, the Dark Lord of the Sith having asked his predecessor to hold them there. It was a good thing he had Nihilgenia with him. The Sadow forces had retreated from Arx space four days ago, long-range sensors having picked up a Collective flotilla headed toward Sepros and infuriating the Consul. The lion turned his head, watching the display. "Ciara." "Sir?" Doc looked at him, his eyebrow arcing upward. "We've already lost half of the 9th Nihilgenia." Muz put his hand down, the metal resounding on the table with a deep thump. He kept putting his plans, his goals on hold, reacting to whatever troubles the Brotherhood got themselves into as a result of their constant internecine fighting and half-measures. The fact that the Collective wasn't wiped out in it's infancy was proof enough of either weakness or conspiracy. He felt his lip curl, before he mouthed the words. "Rally survivors, call Blackwind down. We're going home." There was a hush that fell across the room. "Tarthos has not yet fallen..." Her voice came through their ears sideways, her accent at times both exotic and confusing as she was. "And it won't." Muz turned toward her, a quiet confidence pouring from him. "We head for Kyataru." After so many losses by the clan, Muz had enough. During his last rebuilding, he had invested much in the rebuilding efforts. As a result, Kar Alabrek was built to withstand sieges, was designed so that a small group of Sadow could retake the city quickly. Deep tunnels, obscured entrances, facilities buried in plain sight. It wasn't the first time that the Collective scoured Tarthos hunting for them, occupying the Ragnosian world. He waited for a moment, his eyes darting toward the Nightsister, her long hair tied back in braids, the warpaint on her face faded. A million thoughts seethed from her mind into his, her words caressing him silently. He nodded at her, her head responding in kind as they turned toward the exit. "Get me a secure transponder, I need to talk to Sully." She moved quickly, boots crushing soggy vegetation as she moved from the garrison. "Mick and Thrima, too." Doc's eyebrow went up, as he raised his helmet up, sliding it over his head. "Yes sir." He bolted off toward the makeshift comm array, the cluster of antennae and dishes powered by a pair of hotwired gonk droids, carbon scoring and swamp moss dimming their paint jobs. He skidded to a halt, the violet skinned Twi'lek firing up the array. "For sure that's Ciara." She muttered. "Pinned down, by the looks of it. And all of the CNSers went a'running home, leaving just our ragtag..." "I wouldn't say that the Keibatsu are ragtag..." He holstered one of the pistols, powering up the ancillary array. "And we've been in worse scraps before." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Can't really say the same about the Brotherhood..." "I spent the last seven years dodging official Brotherhood dren, only to find my tail on their bloody homeworld, surrounded by their enemies..." She stopped, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "This is the last place I ever wanted to be, dragged into their politics and battles. We know better." "That can't be helped, now." Doc chuckled. "Lady Keibatsu has me calling in the pirates, so maybe we're in for some fun..." He keyed the wavelengths in, setting up the comm array to link up with her receiver. "Sully's not a ... okay, he absolutely is a pirate." Leena's grimace turned into a half a smile. It wasn't much, but it was a start. "Who else?" "Thrima and... I think she said Mick?" He knocked the side of his helmet with a knuckle. "Huh." She groaned. "The Sleipnir makes absolute sense, as Thrima owed Muz a rather substantial bit. But Mick?" "I'm pretty sure I've not met them." Doc finalized the wave, standing by for the transmission to go cold so that he could turn the array off. "Pirate, smuggler, bounty hunter, absolute jerk. You'd love him. Flies around in a bucket of weapons and aerograde tape he calls the Rowdy Toddler." She paused for a moment, repeating the name the way the man did. "Th' Rawdee Toddlah." --------- Cockpit The Rowdy Toddler Undisclosed Location "Well, if the creds are there, I'm there." Mick leaned into the holoscreen, a sly smile creeping up the sides of his mouth. "Been looking forward to causin' some mayhem anyway, so I might let you get a discount..." A messy mop of ginger curls stuck to his scalp as he leaned back, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. "We'll talk money later." "Aye, as usual." He leaned backwards in the pilot's seat, eyes darting around the cockpit. "I'm only a few minutes away, as chance has it." "I don't even want to know what you were doing in the Caldera." She sneered, pushing an errant braid back over her ear, drawing back a gloved hand, the black leather smeared with white warpaint. "You're probably right." He chuckled, twisting in his seat as he swung his booted feet off of the navigational array. "Nothing against your interests, trust me." Ashia let a cruel smile work it's way up her lip. Trust was not the basis of his relationship with any of them. But the man knew which side his bread was buttered on, so it worked out. "The plan works for you, then?" "Aye....I'll be there, with bells on." --------- Bridge ADS Fallen Spear Low Arx Orbit He stood facing the void. The deep blue of atmo faded along the bottom of his sight, giving way to the darkness, ships darting in the distance, flashes of decompressing hulls and exploding fighters as the last of the clan forces fell to the swarm or evaporated into hyperspace. "On your mark, my Lord." Darius stood at the command console, one hand hovering over the cloaking controls, the other over the impulse drive throttle. A chirp came from behind them, at the comm station, Leena looking up from her screen. "The Emerald Dragon, Sleipnir and the Rowdy Toddler are all in position." "Open a channel. Lyspair protocols." He spoke, waiting for a segment of the viewscreen to shift, superimposing the holonet directly through to the Shadow Academy. She blinked into view, horizontal lines casting an eerie pallor over her skin. "I was hoping you'd catch that message." The headmistress coughed, the image distorting as she moved quickly down a corridor wherever she was. "They hit our hangar on the first pass, so I needed a miracle. And the only one I know that can pull off miracles..." "Survivors?" He went direct to the point. "A handful." An explosion rocked the sound, shaking the image and knocking her breath away for a moment. "I've been gathering up what little bits of precious we had left here. Thankfully, we archived most of it last time, and they never found..." "Ashia is coming with an escort." "Not coming down with the 'Spear?" She brushed dust off of her shoulder, finding steady footing again. "I'll get topside. Do I need flares?" "She'll find you." He nodded at her, the image cutting away after she did the same. He looked over his shoulder at Blackwind, black eyes reflecting the lights of the controls. "Mark." The ship moved slowly forward at first, gaining speed as the collective flagship grew larger on the viewscreen. It was one of the big dreadnoughts, a heavy cruiser from the core shipyards. Muz's lip curled as he saw it. "That's not... the Skylla, is it?" Darius muttered under his breath. "I don't think so." Leena flicked through screens. "Scans show the Skylla over the Ascent. Imagine they'll start orbital bombardment any minute now." Muz raised a hand, the bridge going quiet. "Tiamat..." The dark haired woman nodded before closing her eyes, arms opening wide as she reached out, tendrils of the Force embracing them all, from the bridge to the gunners and beyond. She could feel them all, every Nihilgenia clone manning the ship, every coarse captain waiting on the signal to move, even the acolytes in Ciara's service. She tugged on the threads, pulling them closer together, emboldening their actions, filling them with purpose, drive and strength. Her will linked them all, bathing them in her battle mind. Muz lowered his hand, and hell erupted. The first volley of concussion missiles caught the Dreadnought by surprise, tearing its armor to shreds. The ship listed somewhat, venting oxygen that quickly caught flame. The second volley only hit halfway, incredible pilots managing to intercept, paying for their defense with their lives. It didn't matter. Those that hit the dreadnought perforated deeply, the howl of rending metal lost to the vacuum of space with the screams of freezing and asphyxiating crew. It only took a moment for them to realize what had happened, the radio chatter going wild as ships changed course, pursuing them as they swept through the crowd. Turrets blazed, point defenses picking off fighter and bomber alike as the Fallen Spear arrayed itself toward Dajorra. "There's a hail from Eos City." Leena shouted over the wail of red alert sirens. "It's your least favorite Admiral." "Oligard." Tiamat spoke, eyes fluttering behind closed lids. "He's furious." "Good." Muz nodded at Darius, the man locking in the first hyperspace route. He didn't expect they could trace the alien ship, but they didn't want to take chances. The ship rolled, blaster fire searing along one side as it exploded an incoming torpedo, the explosion sending a shockwave along their port side. "Things are getting a little hot." Darius took a breath. "How's down below?" Muz turned his head, closing his eyes for a moment, reaching out to his queen. He felt her heart race, the adrenaline, the squeeze of her finger against the trigger, the heft of her saber. The smell of sweat and fire clotting out the subtle dust and bound leather. She had no time to talk, not in combat, but he knew. "Soon." The ship rolled again, evading a broadside volley from a gunship, the turbolasers missing by inches, seething beyond the fray and into the atmosphere below. The pilots moved as one, a natural extension of her will, the turrets focusing fire on the gunship in retaliation as another volley of concussion missiles erupted from the Spear. A few squadrons rolled into view, screaming toward them with corvettes at their flank. Darius clucked his tongue. "Lord?" He turned slowly, looking at Tiamat. She nodded serenely, lips curling in a mischievous smile. They scattered in front of them, attacking in smaller formations as they approached effective distance. The turrets sang, a dirge of destruction and woe as they wiped them out as easily as cutting down grass. The ship spun sideways, the motion placing them between the smoldering gunship and a cruiser that was trying to align weapons effectively. Muz could almost imagine Oligard screaming at his subordinates about how it was only one ship. Only one ship. He felt the last of the concussion missiles launch, tearing through the fuselage of the cruiser as they slipped past it, the shockwave of core eruption resonating through the decks as they moved. {{We're jumping.}} Her words found their way into his mind, the thump of hyperspace cutting her off from him in bittersweet tones. He nodded, looking back at Darius. "We're good." The captain sprang into action, deft fingers starting the hyperspace warmup routine so that their sensors would pick it up before hitting the cloaks halfway through, freezing out the drivecore for a moment. They watched as several of the ships jumped blind, following the trap they had laid, screaming toward whatever clan system they were vaguely pointed at. Other ships limped to the side, formations changing from the chaos of battle to a more standard blockade/bombardment arrangement. He watched as the dreadnought shook apart, the pieces drifting lazily apart as the final structural members gave way. The gunship drifted on fire, vanishing behind a mortally wounded cruiser. It wasn't revenge, not nearly enough, but Muz smiled. Darius wheeled the ship around, cruising on impulse engines out of the graveyard of ruined ships and into a far orbit, multiple rapidfire courses plotted into navigational computer, a circuitous route protecting their rendezvous point deep in the outer rim. He looked up at the man, waiting for the final signal. Muz nodded. The Fallen Spear slipped into view for half a heartbeat and then was gone. --------- Docking Bay ADS Fallen Spear Outer Rim The hiss of hydraulic landing gears filled their ears as she walked down the ramp. It took her a moment to acclimate to the light, eyes squinting as she made out the forms of those in front of her. "Ciara." Muz tilted his head down for a moment. "Thanks for the extraction." She smiled at him. "I had hoped..." Muz moved past her, a foot hitting the ramp behind her as he lifted his bride in his arms. She looked down at him, pressing her forehead against his for a moment before he set her down, folding her into his arms and warcoat for a moment. "...that I would... yeah nevermind." He stepped back for a moment, a hand reaching to her cheek, smearing some dried blood away from her face. She half smiled at him, winking as she moved around him, addressing Ciara. "Any time, Headmistress." The plodding of heavy feet down the ramp came from behind them, the tired looking Lasat holding onto one of the structural members for support as he looked around. "Nice ship. Does it have a bar?" Doc moved toward him, hands pulling out a diagnostic sensor as he walked, the Lasat waving him away like he was an insect. "I'm just battered. Mostly thirsty." Ashia chuckled, watching them for a moment before she looking back at Ciara. "Any idea where you're headed next?" She paused for a moment, before shaking her head slowly. They had all seen the holo, from when they initially took the Ascent. Three dark counselors dead in the space of moments, and that was before the bombardment started. "I...might be the last of the DC." She paused, taking a deep breath. "No one's seen Mav since this started." "Orian?" Muz watched her. "Perhaps. Bentre sent a distress signal to the DC as soon as the Sadow Fleet made it back." "That was four days ago." Ashia blinked. "No one's heard from them since?" "You haven't heard from them either?" "We've been rather busy." Ashia chuckled darkly. "Easy enough to fix, though." --------- Bridge ADS Fallen Spear Hyperspace "It's been a bit hairy." Tasha'vel had soot on her lekku and her robes. Ashia and Muz looked at each other for a moment, then back at the holo. "We've had some luck, but not enough." Voices from behind the projector whispered for a moment, before one voice hushed the other, who could have been DarkHawk's. Muz tilted his head, looking at her. "What aren't you saying?" Her lips narrowed, nostrils flaring. "We've had to pull the house defense fleets to Sepros." "Good, I didn't want to be the one who had to tell him." One of the hidden voices said under his breath offscreen, but close enough to the projector for them all to hear clearly. Tasha's eyes widened, glowering at the speaker. Ciara straightened her back. "What are the losses?" "The usual. They've been focusing on us in particular, so Sepros has been an absolute..." The signal jammed for a second, leaving Tasha's face mid-vowel before restoring. "Seems like some minor ground forces picking though the city, probably trying to figure out how they lost it so easily last time." "What part of 'the next time you lose Tarthos will be the last' did you not hear him say?" The other voice was definitely DarkHawk, his hushed whisper crackling behind the holo, arguing with someone. "Tasha?" Ashia spoke, a saccharine sweetness filling her voice. "Where's Bentre?" "Predisposed." She smiled, a hand reaching up and stroking one of her lekku. "What with the Collective and all..." {{She killed him.}} The words snaked into Muz's mind from Ashia's. Whatever had stayed her hand, be it plans or happenstance or pure dumb luck, had finally run out, and she finally killed him. Scattered and struggling after a devastating loss at Arx, they must have fallen into a trap at Orian. "How many are left?" Ciara asked. "Not nearly enough" She made a distressed face. "We took heavy fire as soon as we came into Orian space, which is why we pulled the planetary defense fleets..." "I'm betting he wants us back on Sepros?" Ashia watched as she nodded vigorously. "Okay, we'll be in touch." "Soon, I hope." She smiled, reaching for the holocam as her feed cut out. {{Trap}} Muz's words filtered into Ashia's mind this time. Her demeanor, DarkHawk's words, they all painted a broader picture. The clan had been on the road to recovery for years, but competing interests, and further divisions within the unit had been a constant threat to their power in the system, in the Brotherhood. The whole of sith ideology encouraging such selfish and naked backstabbing had been a major factor in why he had left that cursed throne behind. {{Of course. Oligard?}} The man would have been furious after Arx, and he was well connected enough to know of his clan affiliation. It would have given him great joy to park a few more dreadnaughts over Sepros and pound the fleet into dust. {{Does it matter...}} He paused, the words evaporating into thoughtforms for a moment. {{...Empress?}} He stepped, pausing to look back at the screen silently. Muz turned to look at them, then motioned to Leena. "I'll need the channel to Amahara opened in the stateroom." The Twi'lek Nodded quickly, sliding her chair over to a different console as he made his way off the bridge. "Amahara?" Ciara's eyebrow rose in question. "The capital of Kyataru, our homeworld." Doc explained before it dawned on him, causing him to pump his arm excitedly. "The second fleet is gonna finally come out to play..." Ciara's expression did not change, turning to Ashia, looking for an explanation. Ashia merely smiled.