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Raphanel

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Raphanel last won the day on May 18 2023

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  1. So they would turn next to Onderon. The throne of the Spider. A planet now devoid of its princely class, whose people were without guidance. Without a hand to lift them from the void that they had been shackled to for the last decade under the rule of the Sith. He made a formal bow to the emperor, and strode towards the doors. It was time to gather the forces, and begin a formal presence in Iziz. He almost ran face first into one of his fellow Knights as he made his way to the doorway. He shortened his steps and held his hand out to the man as they walked together. “Knight Skyshatter, your reputation proceeds you. I am glad that we may work together on this affair. Do you have any insights into what we may need to bring peace to that erstewhile planet?” Aide was always necessary. Food, medical supplies, the rest. Not to mention a search party for recovering Alliance pilots, jedi, and soldiers that had been lost on that failed crusade.
  2. Galas as always were a colourful affair. Growing up in such a house as Contispex had seen him at hundreds of such events and after his joining to the Knights, he was glad that he did not take a hosting role in one. THought perhaps the Emperor intended to change that. “We will of course serve as you so desire my Emperor.” He brought his right arm up across his chest in a diminutive salute. “We will be your hand as we were Raven’s. Where can you best use us?” There were of course rumours abounding across the galaxy of some remnant Sith that peeked from the shadows. Mostly false of course, but his inquisitors were investigating every substantial one.
  3. A Gala. Some imperial tendencies never died, no matter how many times the royal households were laid to ruin in a galactic war. Here in the heart of the core worlds, diplomacy, angling, and all the other fine arts of advancing a household up the imperial ladder continued unabated. Much as it had under the short reign of the Sith Lords and much as it would in whatever damned future the galaxy would throw at the fledgling government. Raphanel took a deep steadying breath and threw his cape over his shoulder before walking towards the head of the table. There would be time to socialise with the others later, for there was someone much more important to talk to. He swept by the dancing and talking to where the emperor sat. Raphanel bowed deeply as was fitting of someone of such rank. “My Lord, I hear that you have need of the Knights?”
  4. The Star Destroyer Reverence emerged from hyperspace over the once capital world of the erstwhile Galactic Alliance. Savaged by the Sith in an act of violence that had left the entire galaxy stunned. The already weak republican government, then deprived of the few remaining strong leaders swiftly collapsed and surrendered. The world itself still bore the scars of the decade ago act of cruelty, but the population was slowly filtering back. Still nothing like before and large swathes of the world remained eternally dark and unlit. The only remaining population the sewer rats and gangs of anarchists. Nothing like home. The cityscape turned a stomach long accustomed to the wide valleys and clear blue mountains of Chandrila. But there was duty to be done and Raphanel would answer as his family always did. He stepped off the transport craft and made his way to where the Sovereign was awaiting him and the rest of the called upon Knights.
  5. The smell was starting to clear. Expended simtex ammunition had a distinctive ‘rotten eggs’ smell which could stuff up the nose and bring choking tears to the eyes that could linger for hours on a battlefield. Same with the bitter ozone scent from plasma artillery, but a fierce wind had already started to pick up as the sun rose to its zenith over the battlefield. Its breeze clearing the smell of battle and driving it further into the distant plains, leaving only the sights of destruction and devastation. Bodies were being collected, wrapped in the black permafoil of bodybags, then loaded one by one into the bays of waiting hovercraft. It was a dour business, but the squires conducting the retrieval did not complain, placing bodies of friend and foe alike with reverence and silent meditative prayers. Those of the Sovereign houses would be taken back to the core, where stewards and knights would hold silent vigil until they were buried. Those of the enemy would be buried on the battlefield. Names that could be recovered handed over to local governance. But now it was time to depart. Another brutal campaign completed. Another dark enemy vanquished. And more young men and women consigned to the dirt when they should have seen long and happy lives. Lives of peace instead of devastating war. He gestured to his crew of valiant Knights and together they departed for the core worlds.
  6. It was hard to read the facial expressions of the Mon Calamari. Their faces were simply not made for such things and though it was disconcerting at first, Raphanel knew that the Jedi Grandmaster had no reason for any kind of deception. So he walked beside the short woman and listened as she spoke candidly of the situation on both Falleen and the Galaxy at large. “It would not be too far of a stretch my lady to apply what has happened here on Falleen to the galaxy at large. We have the resources of my family and Chandrila to help these poor people but without a strong and stable government it is unlikely there will be any lasting peace. We have seen the Sith not only here, but also on Naboo where they attempted to assassinate the queen and killed one of my knights as well as one of yours. They have gone to ground, planting their seeds of destruction. We must all face the evident facts that Nar Shaddaa was no great victory for us. Only a maskirovka, a grand masquerade.” He stopped his steps and turned fully to the Jedi Grandmaster. “I respect and honour the calling of your order, a calling I once took up upon myself.” He did not mention the schism by name, it would have only brought a fracture to their conversation. “But I must urge however I may against the Order’s desire for cultural isolation. If only because I know how much stronger the light may be if we walk together in its pursuit. You will always have our assistance if you need it, and should the moment come when the Sith arise again against the galactic verge I have no doubt our two orders will serve beside each other with distinction.” His eyes glanced heavenwards towards his family's Star Destroyer, which lingered in the pale blue sky. “I rejoice in your mission Lady Grandmaster, and will join you if you desire it if only to provide you the transport to Ilum and some construction materiel. Though if you deem it better that a broken soul not be around someone such as myself I also understand.”
  7. A presence. Personally unfamiliar, though still recognizable in the force made its slow approach. A Jedi knight. No. This was much stronger and did not carry the haughty arrogance that he had long come to associate with the Jedi of the higher ranks. This was one of the new generations of the Jedi order. Those that had grown up in the fading power of the Galactic Alliance and had held their sabers aloft in the fight against the Sith Lords of Onderon. A generation they had come too late to save their own order from schism but early enough to save it from utter destruction. And Raphael knew, in his heart of hearts, that if this generation of Jedi had been leading the order some half a decade ago they would all have been united under a council of better men and women then himself. But there were some things that were better to not think of, and pining for what might have been would help no one on this planet at least. The lumbering Galactic Alliance had fallen twice. Once over Onderon and finally at Coruscant, and it had taken the last of the old Jedi order with it. And whatever bitterness he may have had towards the order had died with them. Buried under a trillion tonnes of duracrete on Coruscant and drying in the gutters of Iziz. So the Lord commander of the Sovereign Knights turned from his men and looked towards the tired Jedi Grandmaster. He gave a formal Chandrillian bow, though without a cloak to sweep behind his arm there was not much formality to it. “My lady grandmaster. You do me much honour by visiting us, let me give congratulations to your Knights in their defeat of the Sith Lords and their heathen temple. My time is yours as my men continue their clean up and treatment of the wounded. How may I be of assistance?”
  8. His voice was surprisingly soft after the last hours of active combat. Barely above a whisper, so that only those beside them would hear and there would be no embarrassment upon Piotr or his house. “Turn your sorrow and regret into resolve.” His bright blue eyes looked at the rising sun that had pierced the heavy cloud cover. A beam starting to creep across their small gathering showing the steam of condensation drifting up from their armour, as the cold morning air began to move in a breeze. “Resolve that we will not ever allow this to happen again. It will not erase the regret, that bitter sorrow that comes with death at your hands. But having an objective will help begin the process of healing.” He stepped forward and pulled the young man into a hug. A strong and supportive hug. This war for now was over, and the heir of house Malczewski would bear its scars. Adrienne stepped forward and when Raphanel broke from the hug she was there to give Piotr a hug of her own. It was time for the Knights to begin their investigation into where these Sith Lords the Jedi had encountered had come from.
  9. The force was filled with a sense of despair and fright. Without commanders and without further direction or battlemeld, the Sith aligned forces were now nearly on the edge of route. The Knights and their soldiers had punched a salient into the lines of defence around the capital city, while the Jedi Knights took out their command and control. An effective if entirely accidental result which had led to where they were now. Sith combat units had landed in system directly after the Knights had arrived and had been swiftly engaged and killed by the Jedi Order. An impressive feat which had revealed far more information than the Sith likely wanted to let the Sovereign Alliance know. They had not died at Nar Shaddaa, and their ships that brought them here were to be found and the hyperdrives analysed. He held up his sabre again and glanced over to Tygo who had held forth a brilliant flash of light to protect young Caridian Heir. The dour young man of Noctural was proving himself more than useful every day. Adrienne was doing well with her rifle, but they were still outnumbered. A brief counterattack that used the last of the Sith strength that was quickly beaten back, but young Malczewski was down. Raphanel took a breath and directed a blast of the force towards the remaining Sith soldiers, flattening them and allowing his men to finish them off with quick blaster bolts. An application of the force and he lept to where the young man was. Frozen, staring at a young casualty. A death at his hands. The first in close combat, and one he would likely never forget. “Tygo, roll up the rest of the line.” He shouted, “I’ll cover the boy.” The battle was won, and it would be finished by the competent Falcon, it was time to look to their own. Stepping close he shut off his saber and snapped it to his belt as he unclasped his cloak and threw it over the young woman’s body. Its rich folds of grey covering her soft features from his view. Adrienne took one arm and Raphanel the other and they lightly pushed him to sit and lean against the side of the trench. “Strength lad, you freed her from the pain and evil that had possessed her. Feel no shame in such a thing.”
  10. So the Sith had been here. Raphanel was almost surprised in the movements of the force, for both of the Jedi had won their combat with the darksiders. An anomaly in his experience. The Jedi had mostly been known in the last decade for valiantly laying down their lives to set off the internal reactors of deep space casinos and blowing up Kuat. A good sign and a good omen for the galactic peace. A final peace perhaps, if they could but discover where these sith had ushered from. Where their bases of hiding had been and whatever warren they had ensconced themselves in for the last few months. But why had they shown themselves here? Would it not have been better to withhold such a hand for later? When the doldrums of peace had taken the galaxy from its place of alert? Someone had been careless. And Raphanel’s heart sank in his chest as he brought his saber up again to deflect a repeating blaster round back at the soldier that had fired it. So the war was far from over, and the sith had not been fully defeated. Another reflection and he moved after where the young man and Adrenne had disappeared to. He called on the force and brought up a shield of protection around their trenchline, to give them time to hold fast as the rest of the infantry moved up. But with the defeat of the Sith vanguard, it was likely that the battle would end quickly.
  11. The force whispered in his ear like a lover. Flashes of images, warnings, encouragements, all flowing through his mind as he strode before his men like a warrior king of old. His blade, a yellow orange beam of energy, held aloft like a banner. The hilt was old. A relic of his family from six generations before. Its ornate design showing filigree of the exploits of Adathan Contispex during the Stark Hyperspace war. However grand the order of battle may have been, this battle would be a costly one for the household guard. The soldiers bounded from cover to cover behind him, their faces a mask of grim determination and terror. But they fought well as a unified force which would easily if not immediately overwhelm the broken falleen defenders. Raphanel's lightsaber moved seemingly of its own accord, intercepting bright red bolts of heated energy that were aimed at him and his troops and spinning them back towards those that had dared to attack the house of Contispex. A faint whistle came through the storm of shouting and blasterfire accompanied by the familiar itch of danger sense and Rahanel brought a black hand skywards. He pulled heavily on the force, and the mortar rounds exploded metres overhead, their deadly concussion and shrapnel fuzzing into a white fury of energy and the force. He sighed and his breath misted a pale white. His eyes also caught the colour of a white blue as he drew upon the force to inspire and protect his friends. He brought the blade up again as it crackled with the white energy. Spreading a veil of protection above them all. The force in its white aura leaked from his eyes like tears. Tears that reversed their fall and streaked up to his temples where a brilliant crown of glory had begun to weave itself upon his brow. “Forward!” He shouted and fears were dampened in the hearts of his allies replaced with the driving force of righteous justice. And terror likewise siezed the hearts of those that served a throne of fangs and blood. For Justice itself had come to Falleen, and it carried the blades of the Sovereign Knights.
  12. Emerald blue light flickered at the edges of Falleen’s orbit. It lasted only a millisecond, looking to all the world like a strike of lightning. If there was any remnant of a space command on Falleen after it had been stripped of everything of worth for the Nar Shaddaa Campaign, their scopes would have identified several mass shadows on long range scopes. A half a second later and the sharp dagger form of a Victory-II class star destroyer emerged from hyperspace alongside several fleet tenders and two old model Quasar Fire-class carriers. A single message was relayed through guard frequencies on repeat as fighters and troop shuttles began to make their way towards the planet surface. “Falleen Command. On the orders of the House of Contispex you are to stand down all local defences and submit yourselves to disarmament. This system is now under the jurisdiction of the House of Contispex and the Laws of the Sovereignty.” Civilization had returned. The Darkside would find its end on Falleen. Slavery would crumble, and whatever shadow had revealed itself here would wallow in its defeat. In the belly of the destroyer the Lord commander of the Sovereign Knights surveyed those that had heeded the call. He summoned the force to him and reached out to the minds of the many Knights that stood at attention. A Battlemind they would form, coordinating every movement as they began their assault. In seconds the shuttles would launch, and the bright white blades of the Knights would again be raised against the Discord of the Darkside.
  13. A distant note in the force, a chord of dissonance played in the back of his mind. There was no further use of this meal and meeting. And the look of the Master of Exorcists confirmed it. It was time to go. No longer could they tarry away from the call of justice. It would be a tricky thing, but with the blessing of his family, they could frame the invasion of a sovereign planet correctly. The Contispex, on another one of their damned crusades. This time for true justice. With a sweep of his gloved hand he pushed his chair back from the table and looked to the head of the table. Where his mother and Father sat, staring directly at him. Silence fell with the sound of the scraping chair and the guests and family members dropped their conversations to see what he would say. “Mother a blessing for us on our journey.” He turned his eyes to meet his fathers and made a stiff bow. It was returned with a nod of his regal head. “You have our blessing Raphanel. Falleen will come under the protection of the Contispex. We will stretch out our hand and lift them from dirt and darkness. You have the assets of our dynasty at your disposal. Do not disappoint us.” Raphanel bowed again and looked from side to side at his companions. It was time to go. There was a distant rumble. A hundred engines igniting as starfighters and the Contispex Victory class star destroyer prepared themselves for departure. Some many thousands of soldiers and warriors of the Chandrilian house would partake in this outreach to Falleen. Starfighters, troop shuttles, and at the very heart a new model Victory Class Star Destroyer Oriflamme. Perhaps not enough to fight a legion of Sith, but it would be enough to topple a fading pawn of a government. It was enough to prove the might and political ambition of their house.
  14. Raphanel held up a hand to prevent any further outburst from any of the Knights, especially the more military minded who were quick to jump into combat, or his fellow family members who were notorious for needlessly duelling the night away at the slightest provocation. It was not fast enough to stop an additional provocation from Edsbryder. But that was the expectation when such a family was involved. They were hard fighters, and had earned a reputation for honour in the face of evil, as they dragged themselves from centuries of decline. “Enough.” His hand dropped and he looked to the two men that were now very close and very much on the brink of a fight. His voice sounded as tired as he felt. “Sir Malczewski, you will be provided with weapons and armour from my family's personal armoury. And though rudimentary, you will also receive training in the few days journey it takes to bring us to Falleen.” He looked to Adrenne who nodded her head in response. “A brightblade and shield if you may be so kind, dear sister.” She smiled warmly and strode off towards the distant doors at the end of the great hall. She would know how best to provide for the young man, as though she was not a Knight herself, she had received many years of personal combat training. As all those of the Contispex line did. “Let us all return to our meals, and share good company together. There is no need for harsh words or violence. A mission lies ahead where we will all need to stand for each other without hesitation or remorse.” He picked up a glass of deep wine and tipped it in silent salute. He took a drought and smiled. “And here she is, returning so quickly.” Adrienne came carrying a bundle under each arm. Handing each in turn to the young Heir of the Malczewski house. First, the gold etched latticework of a hand held energy shield. Originally the work of Naboo artisans, it had been carried by one of the force users of his household who had fallen during the stark hyperspace war. A Brightblade followed. One of the many mass produced lightsabers of the clone wars, whose kyber crystal was vat grown synthetic. With a crossguard of steel and cortosis filigree. Light armour in the Contispex style. Gold and well polished.
  15. “I agree Prince Tygo, the people of Falleen have suffered enough. And they must be brought out of the mire the Sith have sunk them into….” He trailed off as the youngest of their part spoke. Speaking doubts into existance like a conjurer in the city market did with roses. Niether of which was in any way flattering. His pure blue eyes looked from the Lord of Exorcists to the Prince of the Edsbryder to finally the young Malczewski who had interrupted them. His gaze sat there for a moment, blue staring into a pool of muddy brown. The pause lasted two heartbeats, long enough for the young man to know that his words had not been ignored, before Raphanel’s eyes swept to the matching blue beside Piotr. His words were soft, only carrying to those within the circle that he had invited. “Sister, I had not heard the family spies tell us that the Malczewski line lacked the strength of valour.” She grinned and shook her head in response, her hand finding Piotr’s and giving it a kindly squeeze. As Raphanel looked back to him. “The force will see you through the worst of it. The training your family has already shown you on weapons through the rest. And should the last minute come for you, I have no doubt you will prove yourself the man your father desires you to be.”
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