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Post by Sith on Jul 19, 2012 15:40:30 GMT -8
Coruscant
Scivra Happ awoke in the early hours of dawn and proceeded to read through his personal reports on all the events that were transpiring that day. Nothing particularly stood out in his mind, but as he scanned various data points that would require administering to, he kept thinking about the Mandalorians, and how he could twist their will back to match his own--and the Emperor's.
They had been restless lately, and the tenuous alliance the Empire was able to bully out of them was weakening. He needed to manipulate them, but how?
He had read reports of an up-and-coming Mandalorian warrior named Hydra Vaardo who had made quite the name for herself in Mandalorian circles. He also knew she was staunchly pro-Empire. She would be his key.
He needed some way to wrap her around his finger. He was the second most influential person in all the galaxy, so that shouldn't be too hard. His opaque orange eyes narrowed at the list. "A miner uprising on Rhommamool? Sounds perfect."
He flipped off the datapad and walked to the wall of his suite. Pressing an intercom button, he relayed an order to one of his underlings.
"Bring me the Mirialan-Mandalorian Hydra Vaardo. She should be on or around Mandalore. I want her within three standard days."
"...Yessir. Will do sir."
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Post by Jedi on Jul 19, 2012 20:32:46 GMT -8
One month prior, on Rhommamool
Opu-So-Gillaus fumed. How could the Empire do this?! The workers in the mines were already worked to the bone as it it, and now the Empire was raising quotas, and threatening those who couldn't meet it with half-rations? It was monstrous. He massaged his temples, circulating blood to his Cerean binary-brain.
This was unacceptable. They had to make a stand. Someone had to say something. He needed to gather the Jedi of his Enclave and fight back against the Empire. Maybe the people of Rhommamool could be independent, free from its tyrannical grip. With enough motivation, they could purge Imperial presence from their system, and rule themselves. It wasn't as if at this point the Empire had a strong military presence nearby anyways. Why would they? Rhommamool was just another mining planet amidst hundreds in the expansion region and mid rim, nearly sucked dry after centuries of overworked operations.
It was foolish, and reckless, but he had to do something that wasn't just sit back and watch his people get crushed to death.
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Post by Rogue on Jul 20, 2012 9:52:08 GMT -8
Coruscant
Hydra Vaardo made her way to Coruscant after being summed by Grand Moff Happ himself. She smiled at herself. The honor was flooring, to be handpicked by the person just shy of the Emperor in power. She knew that supporting the Imperial cause among the Mandalorians would pay off. There were those that decried the forced nature of the allegiance, but to hell with them. They were just too shortsighted to see that with the resources of being in Imperial privilege at their disposal, the Mandalorians would flourish like never before. And now Hydra's ambitions were finally being fulfilled.
She entered the Grand Moff's office, and bowed deeply before taking a seat, at his indication. "What does my lord Grand Moff wish of me?"
"I know you are one of the few among your culture who we in the Imperial upper echelons can trust-- Hydra allowed herself a smile at this-- "So as an act of good faith between our interests and yours--and believe me, if things go well for you, this will be quite to your good interest-- you are ordered to quash a minor insurgency on Rhommamool."
"Rhommamool...?" Hydra didn't think she had ever heard of that planet.
"It's a minor mining planet in the expansion region, about as insignificant as can be. There's been some trouble with a band of insurgents stirring up trouble. Something about working conditions. Regardless, they are directly fighting against lawful Imperial rule, so you must go there with a band of your Mandalorian warriors and make an example of them, to send a message that the Empire is not to be trifled with or taken lightly."
Hydra nodded. She understood exactly what he meant.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Yessir. Abundantly so, sir."
"Good. Now go. Be back here in seven days with the message sent. I do not like to be kept waiting."
Hydra suppressed a gulp. Seven days would not be a long time to acquire a battalion, make it to Rhommamool, and make sure every last insurgent was taken out. She thought of asking for more time, then mentally scolded herself. 'What are you, dense? Don't be a kriffing idiot. Just say thank you and leave.'
She stood up and bowed again, then said thank you and left.
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Post by Jedi on Jul 26, 2012 9:06:17 GMT -8
Rhommamool
"Master Gillaus! Master Gillaus! We have just received an intel report from outpost station gamma-besh."
"Hmm?" Master Gillaus looked up from the inventory sheet he was tallying up. In the weeks since their rebellion had started, it was mostly up to him to also manage administrative duties on top of leading the army. It was a tiring job, but in the name of justice, Master Gillaus would not sleep for an eon. They had taken a good chunk of Rhommamool successfully, surprising the nominal Imperial garrison there and taking them out with minimal trouble.
The Padawan pulled at his collar and sweated. "Well, sir, Imperial reinforcements have arrived in-system." The Padawan froze and trailed off.
Master Gillaus' eyes narrowed. "As expected. It was about time. Are the troops ready for battle again? What are their numbers?"
"Well, Master, it's uh. It looks like just a hundred or so small starfighters, but uh..."
Master Gillaus' lips pursed in confusion. "Only one hundred ships? Why would the Empire do that? They wouldn't be sparing any expense..." he said more to himself than to the nervous Padawan.
"That's just it Master, they're uh, well... they're Mandalorians. All of them."
Master Gillaus' heart skipped a beat. "...I see." With a tiny army of Jedi at their disposal--most of their force being comprised of battle-green miners, they would be as shaaks before the slaughterhouse in the face of an entire platoon of Mandalorian warriors. "Well we have no choice but to stand and fight. If they're not yet ready, go and warn our entire garrison to prepare for the battle of their lives."
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Post by Military on Aug 1, 2012 9:18:22 GMT -8
Hydra grinned to herself. She felt incredibly good about her work in the past few days. Many would have said it's impossible, but she knew exactly what strings to pull, and who to talk to, and in three days she had gathered up 100 of the most talented, deadly, and most importantly loyal Mandalorian warriors in the galaxy. Chaos take those who were unhappy with the Mandalorian-Empire relationship; Hydra had seen nothing but improvements in their organization and effectiveness, and she wasn't the only one.
So now she found herself spearheading a small--but arguably the most potent in the galaxy at present--force of warriors gathered to make a point. But not just the point that Grand Moff Happ intended. Hydra made sure that a point would be made right back at him as well, that she was a competent representative of the Mandalorian way, and that the Empire would be wise to strengthen the bonds and rewards between the two groups.
And a point would be made to Mandalore Vhett as well, that Hydra was in fact the most loyal and able Mandalorian short of Vhett herself.
Everybody wins, well, except for those laserbrained insurgents. Hydra's grin broke into a wide, sharp smile.
A group of twenty or so starfighters equipped with bombing gear swept ahead of the formation and blanketed the area in a fiery curtain of death. It was only a surface run, and since the rebellion was mostly comprised of miners, Hydra didn't think it would knock out too many of them, but it was also good for shock-and-awe purposes to these wretched bumpkins.
She aimed her AIAT/i to the ground and double-checked her gear one last time before preparing to move out.
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Post by Jedi on Aug 3, 2012 9:36:02 GMT -8
As the bombs rumbled and shook the ground overhead, Master Gillaus shouted reassurance to the scared, huddled mass of warriors before him. "It'll be alright everybody, they're just bombing to scare us! We'll be okay!"
"Yeah Master Gillaus, they have nothing on us!"
Master Gillaus had not had the conscience to keep the identity of their attackers a secret, so the words out of the young Jedi knight's mouth seemed strangely hollow.
The atmosphere settled, and a tense silence blanketed the underground chamber in which the rebel army hid.
"Are you ready, warriors of freedom? This is our moment!" Maser Gillaus shouted and punched a fist in the air, igniting his bright green blade. A cheer rose up from the group, and Gillaus led the charge upwards and outwards.
Blaster bolts filled the air and Master Gillaus deflected a number with his blade, although he became acutely aware in the Force of lives being extinguished to his left and his right. Eighty Mandalorian warriors advanced at the group of twelve Jedi knights and apprentices (including the Master) and the roughly three hundred miners under their command. He flew into battle, losing himself in the Force as he whirled with Mandlaorians left and right and his compatriots fought alongside him.
However, the battle skill of the Mandalorian warriors was galaxies above that of the miners, and Master Gillaus felt it in the Force as life after life wisped away like a cloud of steam. It felt like getting punched in the chest everytime a blaster bolt connected with an ally, and protective rage started to build up in his throat. Then suddenly one of his apprentices fell. Then another, and another.
Master Gillaus opened his eyes and saw that the number of Mandalorians had dropped by about ten, while the number of rebels had dropped by about twenty times that amount. No, that couldn't happen. They were Jedi, defenders of peace and freedom in the galaxy. How could they be losing the battle so handily? it's not possible! No! Something snapped in his heart, and he roared in anger as his body welled up with Force power. A storm whipped up around him and he became a lightning bold on the wind, a torrent of telekinetic power and a lightsaber blade moving faster than the eye could follow.
He appeared at the side of one Mandalorian and his lightsaber erupted out the hapless soul's chest. In a blink he was near another, whose head soared through the air, separated from its owner's body. With psychic power, Master Gillaus lifted up five of them and tore them apart so rapidly, their shattered scraps of armor cut like vibroblades through the others he directed his rage at.
Unable to stop, Master Gillaus flew up in the air, and grabbed the earth itself, quaking the battlefield as spires of stone slammed upwards, impaling all indiscriminately.
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Post by Rogue on Aug 6, 2012 11:11:51 GMT -8
The Mandalorians were winning the battle handily, if it could even be called that. A battle. Hydra scoffed as she picked off a hapless miner with a well-placed blaster bolt to the forehead. More like a massacre. But these scum deserved it. Nobody could fight the Empire. It had brought order and security to the galaxy, and these dirty barves' corpses piling up on the flat were what happened when people tried to disrupt that order.
Even the Jedi were no match for the might of the Mandalorians. Hydra had indeed been quite surprised to see Jedi here, everyone in the galaxy took their absurd lifestyle for extinct. It made sense that tiny enclaves of them would have hidden away in remote places, but apparently they had done a good enough job of hiding. Hydra would have to report this disturbing development to Grand Moff Happ. Then he would have to send more search parties to dig deeper into the grimy corners of the galaxy to find any others. Hydra'd volunteer for the job, and even more solidly secure her reputation.
A young human female charged at her, holding aloft a sky-blue lightsaber. Hydra ducked out of the way easily and pointed a fist at the Jedi, unleashing a torrent of burning death from the flamethrower on her wrist. The Jedi crumpled to the ground and shrieked in short-lived agony as her body disintegrated into ash.
As she fell though, Hydra felt an unsettling sensation in her gut. Suddenly, the very air itself felt ionized and a middle-aged Cerean holding a bright green lightsaber suddenly tore through the battlefield like a ghost, switching the victims of the massacre in the blink of an eye. Hydra fired several shots out of her blaster at the Cerean, but he deflected them away without even looking at her, as if he wasn't even aware of his surroundings or what his own body was doing.
A group of Mandalorians flew up in the air not of their own accord, and Hydra visibly flinched (for the first time in her entire career) as their body parts separated like same-charged ions. Hydra tumbled and dodged away from the maelstrom of metallic shards, barely escaping that prong of the Cerean's wrath unscathed.
And suddenly, Hydra felt fear.
Virtually nothing in the galaxy had the power to stand up against one Mandalorian warrior, much less one hundred, but this Jedi had them at his mercy as if they were unpowered scrap droids.
The ground started to shake violently and Hydra stumbled back as a razor-sharp spire burst forth where she had been standing a moment ago.
Screams of Mandalorians being slaughtered pounded at Hydra's ears, and in a moment she realized she needed to haul jets out of this carbon flush. There was no way they could win at this point, and the Empire needed to hear about this immediately.
She bolted back to her AIAT/i and ran through the flight prep as fast as her shaking hands allowed. She punched the engines and lifted off. As her ship hovered upwards away from the carnage, she looked down and accidentally made eye contact with the Cerean--and if she thought she knew fear before....
Sweating bullets, she gave the engines as much power as was safe to give, and then some. But something gripped her heart. The Jedi was following her, flying through the air like a banshee. An invisible force shook the ship, and it slowed down noticeably. "No no no no please chaos no," she stammered, tears streaming down her face. Something punched her in the back and she slammed her helmeted head against the dash, dazing her slightly.
Then something bloodthirsty grabbed her mind and struck her paralyzed, scouring it like battery acid, threatening to tear her apart mentally and physically. She screamed at the unimaginable pressure and needles driving into her skull, then was inexplicably free. Her mind shut off like a light switch, and she fell into a deep coma as the AIAT/i blasted off into the depths of space.
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Post by Jedi on Sept 10, 2012 8:42:20 GMT -8
Master Gillaus charged into the atmosphere without a thought, but as the AIAT/i escaped his grip, his focus turned back down to the bloody steppe, and realized he was floating in a chokingly thin atmosphere.
Reflexively, he let go of his Force flight, and began to descend down into air. The temporary suffocation was like running into a durasteel wall, and as he got closer and closer to the ground, his bloodlust faded and a similarly choking shock and guilt began to tighten in his chest.
"Oh no..."
His eyes ran numbly over the carnage he had wrought on Manddalorian and Jedi and innocent miner alike. He tried to speak, to say anything, but his throat was clenched shut. From a few meters over, a pained whimper shattered the silence like a Death Star.
"M-m... mas--ter?"
Master Gillaus nearly tripped over himself as he lunged towards the voice. "Pelli! Pelli are you hurt?" But as the words escaped his ironbound chest, the blood flushed from his face and the answer was obvious.
The young human's body was sheared off completely from the pelvis down, and he lay, soaking in all the blood that should have by rights been in his veins. His face was paler than the Cerean's, and as he tried to speak again, he turned and vomited all over the ground. "Master it... it hurts mas--ter."
Tears fell to the ground freely form Master Gillaus' eyes. "I'm sorry, I know Pelli, it'll be alright, you'll be alright... It'll be all over soon."
What had he done? In his rage, he had inadvertantly slaughtered all those he had meant to save in sparking this revolution.
"Please... Master... Gillaus"
Opu-So Gillaus' eyes closed angrily. He was no master, he was no longer the beloved Cerean the Jedi of the Rhommamool enclave trusted and learned from. He had been weak, and succumbed to anger in such a way as he'd never let himself succumb again. He could no longer be Opu-So Gillaus, as that identity perished with all those that lay slaughtered on the steppe.
He stood up.
"Mas--ter... where--?"
"I will never forget you Pelli, I'll never forget the enclave, for you all. I will make sure your legacy lives as a form of good in the galaxy. I swear this by your blood."
A hand reached up and touched Opu-So Gillaus' knee. He leaned down and cradled Pelli's head giving him one last comfort before his green blade pierced Pelli's heart, bringing the pain to an end.
The Nameless Master stood up, breathed heavily once, committing the stench of the bloody steppe to memory, before leaving Rhommamool forever.
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Post by Rogue on Sept 12, 2012 9:04:19 GMT -8
Mandalore, some days later
Mandalore Tarino Vhett stared down the Mirialan in front of her.
"Vaardo," she said quietly, coldly--menacingly. "What in space happened on Rhommamool?"
Hydra Vaardo held her head between her hands, staring wide-eyed at her knees. She said nothing.
"It was a simple Imperial commission. Take out the rebels. You brought 100 of our best warriors with you." She paused, letting Vaardo wallow in guilt and fear and sweat. "And now I'm hearing reports that they're dead. All of them. How did one hundred Mandalorian men and women under your watch get killed off so thoroughly? Vhett didn't even try to hide the fury in her voice.
Hydra quaked in her seat. She had awoken in deep space, with her last memory being of her leading the platoon of warriors to Rhommamool. Whatever happened there escaped her memory, a blank hole of no recollection, no emotion--nothing. She heard rumors that something disastrous had happened while flying back to Mandalorian space, and knew that Mandalore Vhett was investigating that disaster. When word that Hydra was still alive reached Vhett's ears, she received a summons almost immediately. "I--I don't... I don't know" That did not placate the Mandalore.
"You don't know?"
"I... can't remember anything. ...I was flying there with the platoon and then I awoke in space, alone."
"How can you not remember the events that led to the deaths of one hundred Mandalorians? There haven't been so many deaths in our culture since the Mandalorian wars, and at least we were at war then! Now I'm going to ask you one more time. How did a cut-and-dry mission to a planet full of half-dead, malnourished, unarmed miner slaves kill the most of our kind in all of the history of peacetime?"
Exasperated, Hydra clutched at her hair. "I don't know."
"Well you'd better figure it out, because until then you are no longer welcome in our space or in our culture. Good-bye, Hydra Vaardo, you have 24 standard hours to leave before I order a kill-on-sight in our territory."
Hydra looked up from her lap in shock. Vhett said nothing, and Hydra could feel the finality of her words.
She stood up, and stumbled out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Fin
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