Dark Sun Station

[Delta73]

With the billions of star systems that made up the galaxy, a very few were even surveyed, and even less were actually explored and eventually civilized. Parts of the galaxy still left unexplored even existed within the Tingel Arm, partially controlled by the Corporate Sector. Large swaths considered unreachable, or irrelevant due to lack of valuable resources.

 

Within the recent years, and the dramatic shrinking of the Corporate Sector Authority, many explorations had been attempted, and far too many had ended in failure. The random hyper-jumps that the Marie had taken, led them to here. An end of the road and the road had been long and fruitless. Delta sat back on the bridge, the navigation here was non-existent, too many stars, and too many anomalies.

 

Yet they needed to find something, so they attempted a jump between the verge of a star and a black hole. There was no room for error. The nav captain was very good, and the emerged between the two, in the void between light and dark. Delta recorded the coordinates, and ordered another random jump deep into the system of closely packed stars. They emerged next to a small system of stars and type IV planets. No use to anyone, but useful to the likes of a secret organization. They began the scanning of the asteroid belts around a Crimson planet, far away from the heat of the stars.

 

Delta opened his Comm and sent the series of coordinates to his comrade Crosa Hoverich. It was time to set up a base for Black Sun

[Delta73]

The scanning process took weeks. Suitable asteroids to build a station upon were scarce and far between. Luckily the Marie had enough probes to keep up the searching. To tell the truth weeks among the stars, light-years away from the nearest scrap of civilization, made it hard on the crew.

 

Yet eventually they found something suitable, a very large asteroid, made mostly of metal deposits. A perfect home for a criminal organization. The Marie laid a beacon....and Delta sent the very long series of coordinates, heavily encrypted to the nearest Black Sun substation.

 

Soon construction would begin.

[Delta73]

So war was truly upon them...and Black Sun could make a difference in the end of all things.

 

Delta motioned to Crosa as the return comm was sent. "We will depart quickly then, Construction has begun, yet the men are tired, we will return soon."

 

Delta looked out to the construction, girders and mining equipment covered the giant rock. It would be a good base, yet the Marie was no longer needed here. Many other Black Sun ships had arrived and had taken over the construction.

 

The Marie and its escort turned and headed many a hyperjump to a different section of the galaxy...

[Delta73]

A message came in for Zalis.

 

"Yes I would love to test a weapon. We could either do the bothan homeworld and blow up some furries, or Gungans need a nuking as well. Either way meet me on Dathomir with it."

[Delta73]

Rebuilding begins equivalent to ta Golan I Platform using 1 AP with the ETA of 11/1/2017

 

 

28 Turbolaser Batteries

5 Proton Torpedo launchers

2 Squadrons

1000 Troops

 

[Delta73]

The alarm bell rang sharply over the general chatter that had filled the bridge of the Holofernes. Forty five mouths snapped shut as the bell rang twice, its sharp clear tone cascading through the bridge with thunderous force. Triggered from proximity alarms and long range sensor sweeps, Ca’Aran glanced down at his command console and his mouth went very dry. The TAC officer reported to the bridge what the scanners were telling him. Her voice was stiff but her wide eyes told Ca’Aran that the report was as bad as he feared.

 

“Commander. Report.”

 

“Sound off.” Ca’Aran growled at the young officer, flash trained from the slave stock that populated most positions on Black Sun ships. Fiercely loyal, and trained since wipe to be everything needed aboard ships. Most command officers in the fleet were picking from the slaves captured at Onderon and Bespin a year before. Young and extremely talented. But the edge of fear made it’s way into her young voice.

 

“Five capital ships sir sighted beyond marker thirty eight, a smattering of smaller ships and cruisers. A significant force with IFF transponders showing a mix of ships.” Her bright purple eyes glanced down to her console where the report was dutifully scrolling along. “It looks like one IFF comes back as an imperial star destroyer with a weird name seen at Kuat, Several Jedi Ships seen at the abortive attack over Onderon, including the Adi-Wan.” She gulped again. “And the entire remaining Galactic Alliance fleet.”

 

“Thank you. Command. Battle Stations.”

 

Another young officer slapped her control panel and the bright white lighting of the bridge went a ghostly red. A general tone playing over the intercomm to all parts of the ship.This was repeated throughout the fleet and the battlestation golan.

 

“Navigator, take us inside the Golan’s defensive perimeter and arrange the fleet for combat. Comms officer, open message to the Sith high command and Vigo Zalis.”

 

This would be a fight to remember. 

__________________________________________________

 

The fleet began to maneuver into position, The three Victories  coming close to the two star destroyers while the cruisers and frigates/corvettes began to set up a screen in front of them. Fighters and bombers idled in position beside the fleet. 

[Delta73]

Oh the anger in the Galactic Alliance’s brave last admiral’s voice was something to behold. Turbolasers were swiveling, shields were getting put on double front and range bearings calculated. It could only really end in one way. A violent death for the Black Sun. And though most of the slaves that made up the combined forces were just fine with dying by the truckload, Delta believed that there could be a better fight tomorrow. He pointed to his comm officer.

 

“Give me a holonet broadcast on Guard frequencies. Prepare to cut in footage file thirty four alpha from Dark Sun as well.”

 

The comm officer clicked several buttons on her console and held up a three count which she ticked off until she pointed at Ca’Aran. Who stood in his black Katarn class armour with red cloak. On which was embroidered the Black Sun Symbol, interposed with both the crooked black legs of Exodus’s spider and a dripping dagger. Marking him as the overall commander of the Axis fleets and the famed blood prince. He grinned coyly and looked into the holofield projector. Talking to Slaughter and the combined forces of the Jedi, Remnant, and Galactic Alliance. On open holonet frequencies.

 

“If your voice was any more shrill I could have sworn you were Cadio Sikot.” He left out the brag that he had killed him over Csilla. Delta was a known quantity. The hundreds of thousands  dead from just the Csilla campaign and the Galan first strike was enough to cover him in New Republic blood for an eternity.

 

“Of course we will let you have your Empress, though she is a little worse for wear." He held up his hands apologetically. "Not me, I'd hate to ruin such a thing as her, and really I’d hate for anyone else to die for that useless bitch. Take her and leave.” The Holonet transmission turned to where Raven was sitting in her cell, barely clothed. Staring definitely at the camera. Blood leaking from her flayed arms. Surrounded by blasters pointing at her head. The holonet transmission cut back to Delta. “Do we have terms? Or will you sacrifice ten thousand more lives for this fight?”

 

If he was honest about the whole thing, Black Sun had been caught. They did not expect the Combined allies to even have a fleet after their pitiful attempts over Onderon. But surely in the time it took to secure terms and deliver the useless Empress the Sith would come. They had to come. And if it turned out the Sith were cowards and didn't show? Then least no one dies. 

[Delta73]

The Black Sun ships maintained their position under the cover of the station. Outnumbered two to one, the proud navy of the oldest criminal underground organization stood ready to die under the heavy guns of  the once formidable galactic alliance, that old and decrepit organization. That foul alliance had spanned the galaxy for nearly a decade, the combined foetus of mother Empire and father New Republic, destined for the garbage bins where it should have been left a decade before. But for now its last waning strength was martialed  against the Black Sun. Whose last Prince stood defiant on the bridge of his star destroyer, looking death in the face.

 

“Marie give us a target map while we wait for their response.”

 

The teenage captain, her brunette hair tied back above her cybernetic unit nodded at him and her holographic image shifted out of its place to stand beside him as the heavy sensors of the Marie reported back in detail the full locations of the enemy fleet, as well as the two interdictors who blocked easy escape.

 

“Tightband it. Send it out. Now. Prepare for sensor jamming, alert the Uriels as well.”

 

Before all communications were jammed by the enemy fleet,  this would at least get out. In a few seconds the packet had hit the holonet and disappeared into the stars. The young commander of the Marie nodded and her holograph disappeared. 

 

He pointed at the main comms officer, and the channel to the Alliance was opened again.

 

“Well do we have terms?”

 

His hands gripped the bridge railing in front of him. His bright blue eyes narrowed to slits.

[Delta73]

| Capital Ship Group |

The Holofernes and its sister the Mephistopheles, with their recessed bridges sat like wicked dark knives against the bright glow of the stars. The three smaller knives of the Sariel's Judgement, Red Hussar, and Silent Spring sat in repose in front of the larger vessels, forming a secondary defensive perimeter outside of which lay the fighter and bomber groups, as well as the St. Cathryne, Canto Bight Fiasco, and the corvettes Totenkopf II, Marie, and Rhoades. All together they lay in three layers a defense in depth tactic as would be used on many battlefields.

 

The first encroachment of the Allied fleet was met by this defense in depth. Galactic Alliance corvettes, Audacity and Surprise gently accepted into the maw of death. The great ships of the Galactic alliance were still far too out of range to do much damage to the capitals, so the two Star Destroyers simply shot at the closest targets, being the DP-20s, with nearly every battery as they waited for the larger ships to come into range.

 

The St Cathryne, being a ship designed for engagement spat siege torpedoes at long range towards the Steadfast the great siege torpedoes flying with all the mass of starfighters themselves. Carrying tonnes of high explosive.

 

The Marie ignited its sensor suite as its smaller guns began to track targets. The sensors combed the battlefield and processed it for data on all ship locations. Using this data from its heavy sensor streams that was beamed to each other ships, the fighters, turbolasers, and other weapons would be directed at expert precision.

 

Summary:

Advancing DP20’s Audacity and Surprise attacked by main fleet elements

Steadfast attacked by siege torpedoes from St Cathryne

All other fleet elements out of effective range, waiting for Allied Advance.

Holofernes takes minimal shield damage.

 

| Starfighter \ Fighter Bomber Group |

The modified ARCs Uriels immediately began their formup in a defensive screen, their powerful directional jammers pointed towards the enemy approaching fleet. Covering the massive formup of the rest of the fighters and bombers who launched a hail of missiles at the approaching fighter wings that followed the Audacity and Surprise. Fired in relative safety behind jamming fields where enemy missiles could not acquire targets, and guided by the sensor data from the Marie, the missiles would make short work of the advancing squadrons. The A-Wings and K-Wings prepared for the enemy fleet to get closer into range before the melee would begin.

 

Summary:

A general barrage of missiles attack the approaching starfigher elements, while the ARCs provide jamming cover.

 

| Dark Sun Defensive Group |

Dark Sun Station was in an uproar. The main captain of the station belayed the order for execution for the Empress. Hoping if things went awry, he could negotiate. However he did order the men and women aboard station to take defensive positions in preparation for boarding.

 

The Heavy guns and launchers prepared for the allied fleet to close within range before they would add their weapons to the Mix.

 

| Delta Seven Three |

You lying bitch. I gave you what you asked for.

 

He shrugged as he watched turbolasers splash uselessly against the outer shields. He would delay until the odds changed in his favour. This would be a day to remember.

 

((1))

[Delta73]

| Capital Ship Group |

 

Sariel's Judgement’s crew were shaken by the heavy fire directed towards the victory class star destroyer. Perspiration stood out on foreheads as fingers flew across control consoles to direct the energy from turbolasers towards the shielding before any significant hits went spiraling through the weakening shields. Several heavy turbolaser bolts fired from the massing Galactic Alliance fleet snuck through in the seconds between shield reinforcement cycles and smashed into the upper armour layers on the upper decks of the Victory class star destroyer. Two of the turbolaser batteries lost power or were ventilated as the duo of turbolaser shots melted armour and decking away in great black scores across the hull. Great bubbles of melted durasteel and carbide composites glowed orange red in the darkness of space as several dozen of the crew were boiled alive at their posts. The shields closed back up over the holes, but the captain knew that several more hits like that, and the Sariel's Judgement would be space debris, leaking oxygen and lives into the void of space. The ship continued to fire at the advancing fleet, but the cycle of the guns were slowed as the shield drew more power away from the main reactor. 

 

The rest of the Black Sun fleet began to work in earnest to address the advancing fleets. The two other victory class star destroyers turned their forty combined Ion cannons as well as several well aimed turbolasers to address the Incisor who was busy savaging away at the siege torpedoes from the St. Cathryne. She continued to let loose load after load of the expensive torpedoes, adding to their weight with her medium turbolasers, all guided from the sensor data of the Marie.  

 

The rest of the fleet turned their formidable connonade upon the Steadfast itself, as the Canto Bight Fiasco, Totenkopf II and the Rhoades spurred forward to address the charging fighters with their specialized laser cannons. Their turbolasers engaging the supporting corvettes and gunships. 

 

The fleet stood ready, and the capitals allowed the failing Sariel's Judgement to open a breach in their second line of defense. Inviting the advancing fleet to enter the grinding maw of the combined star destroyers. 

 

Summary: 

Sariel's Judgement takes moderate damage, slowing its batteries and shields begin to fail. 

Victory class star destroyers Red Hussar and Silent Spring Begin to focus on the anti missile ship Incisor. 

Small ships engage the charging starfighters as well as the charging anti-starfighter ships. 

 

| Starfighter \ Fighter Bomber Group |

 

The ARC’s when their sensors picked up the charging A-Wings cut back on their throttles, allowing the black sun Awings, XJs, and expensive TIE Defenders following them to charge through to decisively engage the Galactic Alliance A-wings. They had avoided most of the fire of the capital ships by staying behind the ARC’s jamming fields until the ARCs cut their sensor pods allowing the massed starfighters clear avenues of engagement. The old designed fighterbombers slowed in the melee and added their own missile volleys to the fray. Guided by the sensors of the Marie and the rest of the fleet. THe Kwings fired their heavy missile volleys to the attack on the supporting corvettes and gunships. Allowing a hail of torpedoes and concussion missiles to speed towards the unsupported smaller ships

 

Summary:

The entire starfighter wing engages the A-Wings. 

The K-Wings engaged the capitals supporting the GA fighters from range. 

 

| Dark Sun Defensive Group | 

 

The Station began to attack the advancing second Jedi Fleet with accurate turbolaser fire and torpedoes. 

 

((2))

[Delta73]

| Capital Ship Group |

 

The relentless shelling of the enemy capital group had done its job, and the outnumbered Black Sun Armada was slowly letting the fleet through their layered defenses. Trading space for time. Time the Blood Prince was using effectively. He had left the station with the empress literally defenseless, instead allowing the Alliance to waste resources in assisting their invasion while he and his ships concentrated on their flagships. There were heavy losses to contend with however and the casualty counts began to scroll never endingly across the display panels at the TAC planning station. 

 

Sariel's Judgement, the proud Victory Star Destroyer was bleeding from a thousand cuts as its crew rushed to strengthen shields. That is until the dying volley from the Adi-Wan splashed through the shields and cut deep into the angular bow. Decking curled like a rose’s petals to the power of the proton torpedo volley. Shattering the nose of the mighty ship and snuffing out two hundred lives as the front third of the ship suffered catastrophic loss of oxygen from the raging fire that began to spread through the ship. Flames billowed out of bucked armoured plating and the power failed throughout the ship as the core began an emergency shutdown as its coolant supply was severed. Evacuations of surviving crew began as the emergency power was restored and the ship’s concussion missile batteries fired a return volley, emptying the magazine stores in several seconds before the guns and the launchers fell forever silent. The black shattered dagger that once was a proud ship of the line, now merely a wreck of debris, leaking oxygen and bodies into the void of space. It was now simply a barrier that would slow the allied advance.

 

Still, it was a good trade to the Blood Prince. The delaying action of the Victory had essentially cost the Jedi Order its prized capital ship, and now they would do the same to the Galactic Alliance. The Red Hussar was relatively unscathed by the battle prior, and adjusted its shield array to address the incoming fire from the damaged Steadfast and the Turbolasers of the Fidelity. It wouldn’t last forever, as the strain on the shields would eventually batter them down, but it would hold for now. And now was all they needed. The ion cannons, turbolasers, and concussion missile launchers of the two remaining Victories focused in earnest at the approaching Steadfast. The Allied ships were blazing ahead towards the station which meant that they would be entering the last point of defense. Where each ship would be exposed to the entire firepower of Star Destroyers and Victory Star Destroyers from point blank range. THe vessels crept their aim to narrowly avoid the tiny corvette that was seemingly captured by the cruisers flanking the damaged MC90. Their shots aiming for the damaged section and hammering away at the shields of the mighty calamari cruiser. The capitals were nearly in point blank range, and the Two much larger Star Destroyers, Mephistopheles and Holofernes which were totally untouched in the battle, now sank into their deadly work. Their deadly armament now pumping round after round into the Steadfast. 

 

Without the duel corvettes to hamper her missile paths, the St Cathryne fell alongside the Red Hussar and Silent Spring. Launching its heavy siege torpedoes at the entire length of the Steadfast in an effort to bring the shields entirely down, which if they did fail, the combined armament of the fleet would tear the Alliance’s pride and joy to melted chunks of durasteel. The smaller laser batteries that covered the bulbous hull of the St Cathryne beginning to churn away at the swarm of remaining A-Wings and K-Wings that were assaulting the two victory Star Destroyers. 

 

While the Rhodes was trapped by the competing  tractor beams of the Alliance Cruisers, She was not totally defeated. Her engines flared as she wrestled with the tractor beams. The upgraded thruster package striving to break free, while the command and control companies bled power away from the shields to boost power to the engines. The fire teams dumping missiles and laser fire at the all too close Steadfast with her crippled decking. Compared to the Steadfast she was nearly ten times smaller, but her crew did not falter. Slowly spinning the damaged Rhoades to present the slimmest target to her allies. Allowing their shots to clear her bow and reducing her effectiveness as an impromptu shield. 

 

The Canto Bight Fiasco continued to struggle on, its few turbolasers firing away as her hull began to buckle. She was having trouble staying in the fight, especially as the Jedi order weighed into the fight with their bombers. Her 12 Borstel RH8 laser cannons, blasted away at the fragile bombers but soon her turbolasers fell silent as well as the power was switched to the shields in a futile effort to survive. Her partner in crime, Totenkopf II did her best to mount a valiant defense of the Nebulon with her anti starfighter guns, both concentrating on the bombers and the hiding crippled gunship. But both captains knew it would only be a matter of time until the old ship was broken like a toothpick. 

 

Summary

Victory Star Destroyer Sariel's Judgement is lost. 

Star Destroyers Mephistopheles and Holofernes concentrate on the wounded Steadfast

Victory Star Destroyers Red Hussar and Silent Spring concentrate fire on the approaching Steadfast. While Red Hussar rotates shields to absorb incoming fire. 

Canto Bight Fiasco is heavily damaged while continuing fire on Audacity and attacking Jedi bombers. Totenkopf II assists. 

Rhodes is trapped but maneuvers to avoid becoming an outright shield for the Steadfast. While dumping missiles and lasers towards the damaged area of the Steadfast 

St. Cathryne falls back beside the Victory Star Destroyers and continues to launch siege torpedoes and turbolasers at the Steadfast while its smaller guns engage the GA K-Wings. 

 

| Starfighter \ Fighter Bomber Group |

 

The ARC’s took light casualties. Their beautiful ships spun and twirled through space as they formed back into an effective  wing. With the A-Wings decimated, a few of the precious jamming ships were turned into yellow orange explosions by the Alliance K-Wing’s concussion missiles. The ARCs and Black Sun K-Wings responded in kind, a few missiles streaking out after the fleeing K-Wings. With the majority of the threat to the ARC-s dispersed, the A-wings went into full afterburner and rocketed towards the GA Kwings as they reached the Red Hussar. Launching streaks of missiles as they got into cannon range.  The XJs reformed under the ARC jamming field and dove towards the approaching Jedi fighters, launching missiles from behind jamming cover as the command and control teams onboard the untouched Marie continued to direct the hectic Starfighter battle. Their heavy sensor sweeps giving pinpoint precision to their commands. The Kwings, the few of them that remained began their bombing runs against the Alliance capital ship Steadfast. 

 

Summary:

The entire starfighter wing engages the A-Wings. 

The K-Wings engaged the capitals supporting the GA fighters from range. 

 

| Dark Sun Defensive Group |

 

The Station was truly in dire straights as the boarding parties landed. The station’s resistance would be tough, but it was a losing battle, and Black Sun troops fell back to defensive positions around the citadel and the prison level. E-webs were set up, shields prepared, and the station commander sat in the Empress’s cell. Roughly holding the young woman on his lap, with a carbine leveled to the back of her skull. 

 

With enough Ion cannon blasts, the stations power array failed. Plunging banks and casinos into darkness and sealing all the bulkhead doors.

 

((3))

[Delta73]

Damn the cruisers

 

Delta stood at the holomap table, his red cloak marking him as the commander from the immaculately dressed if nervous bridge crew. His bright blue eyes took in the scene and his inevitable defeat was written all over his face in a grimace. He pointed to the TAC officer who stood straight, her eyes looking at his hand as he spun the finger around in a circle pointing up. She clicked the heels of her boots together in a smart gesture of acknowledgement then strode to her console. The Blood Prince next looked to the rest of the crew gathered around the holomap his eyes found the chief weapons officer. 

 

“Concentrate fire on the Steadfast as we make our retreat towards the Sith fleet.” The officer nodded and relayed the command to the rest of the fleet and batteries aboard the Holofernes. “Comms.” This was said to the nervous redheaded girl whose cybernetic unit forced her cap back at the rear. She nodded. And Delta spoke his order. “Command the Victories to slow and turn, keep the enemy fighters and bombers off our rear as well as the remaining fast frigates from the Jedi. And Command the Saint Cathryne to stick with us, using her cluster bombs to keep the rabble off us until we reach the safety of the Super Star Destroyer.” 

 

He looked to the GAC, who commanded the starfighters. “Scramble everything we have left to cover our retreat. Do not force and engagement, I doubt the Jedi want very much to loose more men on the eve of their victory.” 

 

And with the orders given, the remains of the Black Sun fleet pushed out from the encircling Allied forces, the two untouched star destroyers flanking the MC30c and the Marie using its afterburner package to dart into safety. The victories held their location, sacrificing themselves for as long as they could to allow the rest of the fleet to escape. One would likely surrender when the Star Destroyers were outside of danger. And Delta couldn't blame the captain for that. There was one thing that haunted him from the battle. The Black Sun Armada was crushed, and the Black Sun was now defenseless and at the mercy of its allies and enemies. 

[Delta73]

Clear blue eyes stared at an increasingly red display board that was projected beside the zoomed in star cluster map. So many losses for a useless poorly thought out plan that only he could take the blame for. His clenched fist slammed onto his command chair’s black sideboard. Causing some of the crew to jump in anticipation. Perhaps fearing an order to return to the battle, or others fearing being pushed out the airlock in a fit of Kommanderesq rage at the defeat of the Black Sun forces. 

 

It was true, the Black Sun had not been this furiously defeated since Delta had taken command of the organization. Not since Ronin Wartide and his disastrous assault upon the New Republic and Empire both some twenty years before. That blow of morale had caused the Red Dawn Mindian rebellion and the dissolution of the first armada after the attack at tatooine. And looking on his crew’s eyes, their furtive glances told Delta all he needed to know. The Black Sun should never have been a military organization. No such structure could be held by criminal masterminds, and the lack of military planning on the rest of Black Sun’s part confirmed it. 

 

It was time to dissolve the armada for a final time. And for Delta to become a new figure. Not one draped in gold, but a commander for the new Sith Empire. If they would have him. 

 

“Place a holographic transmission to the Spider. Priority Alpha.”

 

In moments he was standing on the holographic transmitter,

 

“My Lord, it is with sorrow I must beg your apologies for placing the new empire in such a dire situation.The Black Sun can no longer function as an independent military operation as we do not have a command structure in place beyond myself and the other Vigos. I request that the surviving fleet of the Black Sun come under the protection of the Sith Empire, and I humbly request placement in your empire. Reflecting my past service, I believe I may be most helpful on the battlefield, but I await your orders. The Fleet and your Blood Prince will await your discretion.”

 

He would not beg for a place in the empire. For he was a proud man. To his own folly. 

[Delta73]

Any jovial quip that Delta had for his ex lover died on his lips with the tone from the dark lord, and he simply bowed. He squeezed his eyes shut. 

 

“As you wish my lord.” 

 

“Commander, they have cut the transmission. I do not think your response went through.” 

 

He took a deep breath and nodded then straightened. His bridge crew looked frightened, some looked defiant. The teenage kuati who he had tried to sacrifice to Nyrys stood with wide green eyes the lights on her cybernetic unit blinking away. 

 

Well there goes the child army and the silliness. He thought wryly as he gestured for his team to join him, all of them circled around and he held up a hand to stifle any outrage at what the Dark Lord may have said. 

 

“We have a journey ahead of us, one that is unavoidable. I must face this punishment, and You are my most trusted. Direct us to Kuat and any that wish to depart my service can do so there. For now. Let us enjoy our last days together.” 

 

In an almost somber note, the Black Sun Armada departed into hyperspace.