Raven Nasra

@Vox The Imperial Knight let his grin cut through his normally stern demeanour. “Well you have alot to learn about the galaxy then, there is an Evil Empire to defeat and a crowned queen to restore to a galactic throne.” He laughed then beckoned the man and his crew to board the transport vessel to Nar Shaddaa They would arrive at the Rebel Alliance high command processing center. ___________ An hour later the reptilian crew were met by officers and medical staff from the Mission and issued resident permits. The recruiter walked down the line, issuing paperwork to the prospective recruits, while the Imperial KNight stood near Vox. “Do you want to fight and die for a cause you know nothing about? Or does the civilian life call to you?”

@Vox As the imperial knight listened to the translator droid finish its slow and methodical translation of the trandoshan he nodded slowly. He indicated to the medical crew who were pushing their way through the mix of bored and disappointed looking imperial marines. “It is my pleasure then to welcome you as refugees to the Rebel Alliance, should you wish and need it, there are medical teams for any wounds that you may have sustained during the escape, and jobs for the willing. Otherwise the rebel alliance can provide limited housing for those that need it.”

Raven’s eyebrows spiked upwards as the holograph materialized. He looked impressive to be sure, but anyone who hid behind a mask had something to hide. She shrugged and looked from Qaela and back to the holograph. “Yes it does begin. That’s why I am here after all.” She smiled softly and placed her gloved hands on her hips. Showing no intimidation from the holographic dark lord that stood some quadrillion miles away. “I must Congratulate you on toppling the useless Galactic Alliance. Slightly larger kill count than I would have had by quite the magnitude, but then again i'm not quite one to rule by fear. All it cost you was a Sith Lord named Faust and a couple trillion innocent lives snuffed out with a moon of all things, really puts the charm into ruling with fear.” She lowered her head. “But there are those of us that contend against you and your new empire, so I must ask what your purpose is for this conversation?”

@Vox The Imperial Knight took a step forward and extended his hand in greeting. He didn’t have an exact sense of what had been said, by the other creature but he knew it was not pure hostility. He called for a translator droid before he officially introduced himself again. “I am Knight Commander Vernon Ryzhkov, of the Imp- ...Rebel Alliance.” He corrected himself. THe Droid did its best to say the words in a modified Trandoshan. “You possess an Imperial Freighter, what happened?”

The very air within the Herløv was pungent with the dark side. Was it terror she smelled from that royal guard or hatred? She could not tell, for it had been nearly a decade since she had trained in the arts and mysteries of the Sith. She could still tap into that place, that hatred, that fear should she need to but the very thought of it turned up her nose. She was no longer a scared little girls seeking power from disgraced Dathomiri witches like Lady Tiana Calthye. She reflected on that experience as she waited for the Sith Lord Darksong to join her in the hanger. That terror, the loss of her arm, the taste of the Jedi Knights blood as she had bitten out his throat on Gala. Raven was glad that she had kept the black lightsaber on her belt, even for all the sin it had caused, but knew if it came to a duel she would surely be bested. She had much to atone for. With that pang of regret, the Imperial Knight beside her stepped up to her side and placed his heavy hand on her thin shoulder. “Empress.” He whispered. She nodded and that was enough to find her center. She breathed once, twice and focused her mind. Drawing on the strength of the men and women around her until the regret, the sorrow, the pain was gone. Leaving her face stern and ashen. She was glad of it, for in that moment the Lady of the Sith arrived, beautiful and full where Raven herself was lacking. This was a woman ruled by her passions, abjectly surrendered to them, and full of a hidden malice. They were not very far apart in age, but the woman had lived a much fuller existence. And the pride in her steps showed it. If there was death to be found in this vessel, it would be by her hands that Raven would find it. The Pretender to the crown of the Galaxy returned the Sith’s modest head bow. “Lady Darksong.” She used the vernacular drilled into her by her old master and the imperial cadet corps while they had still served under Emperor Black. She fell in beside the Lady of the Sith and walked with her to the communications room. Where her two imperial knights stood back. While they waited on the dark lord, Raven looked back at the Dathomiri Sith. “Have you served Him long?”

Cryptographed communication packages began to disseminated down chains of command from the leadership of the Rebel Alliance. (See the messages you received in discord) Before long, most of every officer in the new rebel alliance had a job to do. To Sandy Sarna of the Jedi Order came a silent buzz on her comm unit. Beside her also the same order came to Aidan Darkfire of the Imperial Knights. “Jedi Sarna, Squire Darkfire, With the desolation of the Jedi and Imperial fleets. With all shipyards currently booked in the production of war vessels, and the possibility of Sith assault upon the outer reaches of the galaxy a new ship for command of evacuations is needed. The old Jedi training vessel the Eternal Vigilance was lost in operations during the reign of the Grandmaster Trevelian. Coordinates to the vessel’s whereabouts were said to have been left in a cache on the planet of Gala. Please report there as soon as possible.” _____________________ For the Lieutenant Beth Andromina, and Jedi Mjan Sadow Iv-Adas there were different orders. Not received by comm but passed along in a soft spoken briefing where the remnants of X-Caliber and Templar squadrons were seated. The on duty officer, having just briefed Rock, Rancor, and Tau squadron some ten minutes before was setting the holodisplay to show a long series of tracing white lines. Which if a pilot were to know the area of near wild space would see as the ventured reaches of the Shiritoku Way. That ore-laden light highway that stretched from Wild space to the Corellian trade spine in the outer rim. “Welcome pilots, Imperials, Galactic Alliance, and Jedi.” He shot a side glance at the red faced Mjan Sadow. “Despite past differences, it is time that we began the age old stratagem of guerrilla warfare against the Sith Lords and their Empire.” He, being an old imperial from Kuat himself looked quite grieved at that turn of phrase. “Bastards all.” He muttered as he turned back to the holoprojector. “In four hours, at 0200 you and the light corvette Maelstrom will depart for the world of Bakura.” He looked grieved again, as if the words he spoke were painful. “With the prior black operations training of the Templars, I am sure many of you know what is next.” He shrugged and continued. “You will leave your starfighters behind and while in the company of the Maelstrom acquire starfighters enough to outfit you. Your new Identification cards await you, as well as funds enough to purchase supplies and starfighters to pretend to be a mercenary company. This is top level black operations detail. You will then proceed to Bakura, meet up with rebel alliance intelligence, then begin a campaign against Sith aligned shipping in the area.” He looked up. “Understood?” _________________________ For Marshal Mythos a communication came ringing from the chain of command. “Marshal, gather a team, we need to evacuate the War College at Anaxes. Gather as many men as you can. The Star Destroyer Montjoie is at your command. Take care of her.” _________________________ For @Vox “Advance.” The eight four man squads slowly moved their way forward, led by an Imperial Knight and followed by a medical team. He held his lit white lightsabre in front of him as he strode down the decrepit halls. He saw the Nudono first and held up his hand to halt the marines behind him. He held the sabre in a ready position as he waved his other hand as a greeting at the strange alien race. He pulled off his red helmet, showing a human face with short cropped blond hair. “Hail and well met! Please identify yourselves. Your ship has entered restricted space.”

“No response…” He checked his readings showing multiple glowing blips on the lifesign scanner. Either there was a cluster of mynocks or there was certainly multiple humanoids in that derelict. He considered for a moment and switched from the emergency frequency to general Guard frequency, who the three squadron leaders were operating on in conjunction with the Rebel Alliance fleet. “Rock and Rancor from Tau one.” He clicked the transmit button on the datapad slung next to his control yoke. “Life signs are coming back positive, no response on hail, anything from the frequencies you tried?” After a chorus of negatives he keyed to the general command. “Command, this is Tau one, requesting assistance of fleet elements.” After acknowledgement, and a few minutes of waiting, three corvettes of the old Galactic Alliance make emerged from a microjump beside the derelict. The voice of the captain of the leading corvette, whose sensor compartment bulged thickly below the bridge, spoke over the guard frequency, as her fighter escort dropped into realspace beside. “Tau, beginning yankee search of the vessel. If their comms are down, we’ll know. Marines, prepare your plasma cutters.” The high intensity ping of the sensor search made the commander of Tau squadron wince. The ping echoed through the hulls of the TIE defender and would do so for the derelict. One kilometer away, the boarding vessel packed with marines magnetically attached itself to one of the docking entrances. Plasma Cutters fired, and the marines would boil into the ship within moments should the Corvette give the authorization. A medical frigate also materialized out of its microjump in formation. Should this mission turn into a rescue mission. Which Tau’s commander was beginning to believe it would. “Clear. Confirmed Derelict, no explosives or surprises found.” And the Marines began their entry.

Not even ten minutes had passed before the Dathomiri SIth got her response. In a communication broken by lines of static from multiple encryptions and decryptions, the small form of the Empress Raven gave her response. Yes _______ A day passed in silence as the citizens of the neutral world took in and housed the captives. Giving them medical aid until on the edges of the system a black painted Star Destroyer named Misericordia slipped from the grip of hyperspace. A shuttle dropped from her bay and microjumped so that it reached the edges of the Sith Fleet. Raven and two Imperial Knights were the only passengers, armed only with their lightsabers and the force. It had been against the will of the rest of the Rebel leadership, but Raven was here. And she would dialogue with the Sith, though she knew it would already be fruitless. The Shuttle set down in the landing bay of the Herløv and Raven and her two guards descended the ramp. Raven dressed purely in black, with the long bands of service ribbons across her left breast. The small circlet of silver resting gently upon her head the only adornment save her lightsaber.

FOR VOX ___________________ An Alert tone sounded in the ready room of the on duty fighter squadrons that kept constant vigilance over ther Imperial, now Rebel Alliance combined operations headquarters. The high pitched then low resounding tone of the alarm caused the three dozen fighter pilots assigned to the relaxing duty of waiting for something bad to happen on a planet where it usually didn’t, to sprint towards the briefing station. Buckling helmets and survival EV gear to their belts the mixed crew found their officer quickly projecting what looked like a derelict wreck of a freighter onto the screen that towered over them. Lieutenant Commander Gerleon who commanded the starfighter command’s swing shift patted at the grey cylinders of rank that spoke of his past allegiance to the Imperial Remnant and a long career of fighting the very people who made up a good half of the squadrons assembled before him. The mix of Imperial grey and Galactic Alliance green flight suits was enough to tell him that he needed to order a grand total of some three thousand new uniforms for this new rebel company. But that would come later, for now, there was a mission to brief. Gerleon’s high coruscanti accent, shouted over the buzz of mixed conversations until the room was somewhat quiet. “Gentlemen, Ladies, a similar briefing is being held for the members of the Combined Marines next door, so this will be a joint operation.” This kicked up another flurry of conversation until he slammed his hand down on the countertop next to him. “I know that this will be the first time that many of you will get to actually fly combat with someone..” He held up two fingers and wiggled them about. “...from the other side, but I believe that this new venture will make us all better pilots. In fact due to shortages from KDY, it's likely we will phase out the defenders and you will all be playing X-jockeys.” Many human faces in the room looked exceedingly pale at that sentence. But he carried on to the actual mission objectives. “We have a derelict wreck of an old imperial classified freighter. Now I’ve talked to intel, and they can’t be sure if its one of the old Remnants craft, but it is likely some kind of unfortunate accident during the evacuation of Kuat, Cardia, Coruscant, or the like. Or, and I know you are all thinking it, we’ve been spotted by the Sith Empire’s Armada and they have devised some kind of trap. As such we are putting you all out there and scrambling the reserves after you. Rock, Rancor, and Tau squadrons will do the initial flyby. Open comms, try to talk with them when you are on top. The Marines will be enroute as well for salvage or recovery. Now if this is some kind of trickery, they’ll have a surprise waiting for them. Now get out there and make those we left behind proud.” He looked down at the table then looked back up, a smile on his face. “And may the force be with you.” ___________ Tau, in their unsubtle TIE Defenders lead the trio of squadrons until they were within general communications range. If those within the derelict could hear them, they would hear the high coruscanti accent of an Imperial Pilot, “Attention those within the vessel, this is Rebel Alliance starfighter command, please stay calm, we have registered a distress beacon, please respond immediately”

Alekseyev stayed utterly silent as he listened to the monologue of the Grandmaster. She had interesting and modern views on the force. They were not his views, he had seen the force work wonders of redemption and destruction through only the slightest whim of a master or lord. It gave its strongest and most destructive powers to those that would lean into the pursuit of power and passion. The force was in some senses symbiotic, but its temptation was that of power and malice. Much as with her lover, Alekseyev let his mind be carried with hers, looking through every word that she said for the tinge of heresy and darkness that could be there. When he found the dark ley lines of passions he lay them before him in the circle. Connecting every shadow to rings in the circle. Laying them out to be bare and naked before the inquisitive light. Hate, Anger, Lust. Powerful dark emotions that boiled, suppressed below the surface.. He was about to speak for her to continue when another voice spoke. Battering at his concentration like a stiff wind. She speaks her truth! And she did, it was not much further apart from the Knight’s own teachings. Temptation is the natural order of any mortal being The voice was calm and inaudible. Coming only through both of their connections to the force. It was a voice that carried with it a weariness of a man at the end of his life, and an accent that dated the voice back to the days of Revan and the old republic. A time in which the force was commanded by the Sith and Jedi in their ancient battles that rocked the galaxy more than even the current lords of the Sith could even dream. The time of the Exorcists, the time of Il-Andon Rorik, to whom the voice belonged. He had been there when Kyrie and Xae-Lin flow walked into the past and with his Holocron present before Alekseyev and Adenna he was here as well. Temptation is Human. It is the will fighting against its conscience. The Darkside lies in surrendering to that temptation. To destroy darkness is not to commit oneself to the darkness itself. Serenity and the denial of love is the abandonment of the fullness of good. The concern lies in if you harbour those temptations, if you turn them into fantasy and play with them in the darkest watches of the night. Alekseyev let the force flow through him, drawing on that voice, focusing on it and connecting it to the circle. The circle and its runes began to glow in earnest as he connected them all through the force. Lines laying over lines, passion over anger, light over dark. The voice spoke again, sounding as if he stood between them, directed at the Jedi Grandmaster. Pursue not this crusade with relish or lust for revenge . For it will cause much longsuffering. Pursue it because it is right. There was a pause Darkness must be vanquished. But it will cost you everything. Alekseyev let his concentration relax. The Inquisition had reached its logical conclusion and the holocron would speak no more. “There is no will of evil in you grandmaster, though the opportunity lurks. Our causes are not altogether separate, we both wish to destroy the Sith. While also not committing egregious errors that have happened in the past.” He stood, and offered her a hand up. “I cannot advise you on your path, but many of us would be glad to work hand in hand with the Jedi order once again.”

The presence as it approached seemed larger than life, full of passion and a mix of doubt and sadness. Valiston Alekseyev’s eyes opened in a flash of steel grey irises as he saw the Lady of the Jedi standing at the entrance to his cell-like room. He bowed from the kneeling position he was in, his forehead gracing the cold metal tiling before he straightened and stood, his aching legs rejoicing at the sudden movement with tingles of sensation. He listened to her inquest with downcast eyes, concentrating on what he could feel through the force, instead of what could be deceived through the eyes. He closed his eyes then reopened them, focusing them on her own eyes. Pale Blue intersected with his steel grey and he nodded. “Of course Grandmaster. I will submit you to the Inquisition, the trial, whatever you wish. It is our honour to include you in these traditions, and perhaps, if I may be so bold, a step towards ecumenism between our two orders.” He retrieved her lightsaber and with reverence placed it on a side table next to two grey green obelisk holocrons, which showed their age from the years of degradation they had suffered on a backwater world. Two squires entered and bowed to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order before tracing the long runic circles again before bowing and retreating leaving them alone. He indicated the large empty space between the lines of the Solomonic circle, instructing her to take a seat. “The Squires will of course will inform our Empress, but will remain silent, this will be a wholly private event should you wish it.” He retrieved one of the obelisks and placed it between them as they knelt. He did not wear his own sabre. Having placed it beside hers on the table. His eyes fluttered closed, and the lines began to glow with power. “These lines would normally be used to contain the darkside during an exorcism. To purge it in a holy fire, but here they can be used to concentrate on finding truth. You are welcome to tap into them if you should wish.” It was an old technique, older than the Jedi themselves, when force adepts would use the force through totems and summoning circles to harness their powers. Something akin to the dark magik that the nightsisters of dathomir used. An amplification technique. “My Lady, are you a slave to your passions?” He referenced the love that Vos had showed him towards the grandmaster, but the question could be generalized to a great many things.

Nar Shaddaa (Rebel Alliance Headquarters): Astrographical Information Region: Mid Rim Sector: Hutt Space System: Y'Toub System Orbital Position: moon of the 3rd planet (Nal Hutta) Moons: one of 5 Grid Coordinates: S-8 Physical Information Class: Terrestrial Atmosphere: Type 1 Breathable Primary Terrain: polluted cityscape Points of Interest: Rimmer's Rest, Promenade, The Slag Pit Major Cities: New Vertica Ko Hentota Duros Sector Corellian Sector Refugee Sector Red Sector Undercity Industrial Sector Societal Information Indigenous Species: Ganks Immigrated Species: Hutts t'landa Til Humans Colicoids Vippits Evocii Trandoshans Twi'leks Many others Primary Language(s): Huttese, Galactic Basic Population: 72-95 billion (human minority) Faction Affiliation: Imperial Remnant, Rebel Alliance Defense Rating: Level 4 “The Red and Black” is the headquarters of the Rebel Alliance on Nar Shaddaa. It is situated in a rough, crime-stricken part of Nar Shaddaa--rough even for the Smuggler’s Moon. The blocks surrounding the main structure consist largely of formerly dilapidated warehouses that had been converted to barracks, hangar space, and training arenas. The largest of the hangars has been reinforced to support landing by atmosphere-worthy corvettes. The training arenas can be rebuilt on short notice to simulate the interiors of large capital ships--even a sizeable fraction of an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer. Within the center of the region lies the headquarters proper--a former casino that saw its glory days decades before the rise of the Empire. The structure was stripped of its former lavishness by years of scavenging and the final death knell to its opulent past was dealt by the Rebel engineers who have removed any trace of its civilian origin in the project to renovate it for military use. However, even the reinforcing struts and armored cladding cannot detract from the opulent use of space and arching ceilings, reminiscent of the luxurious use of space in Coruscanti Republican architecture; nor can the military holoprojectors disguise the fact that its briefing rooms were once theatres and the staff offices were once hotel rooms. Centuries in the past, The Red and Black was an opulent casino from the height of the Hutt Cartels in the waning years of the Old Republic. Decorated lavishly with white and black marble and crimson trim, its nearly-unpronounceable Huttese name quickly fell into disuse and the casino was referred to almost exclusively by its nickname. With the rise of the Empire and its advance into the Outer Rim, however, the criminal empire of the Hutt Cartels began to consolidate around smuggling and the drug trade and their more legitimate enterprises began to crumble. Neglected by the Hutts, The Red and Black decayed into a shell of its former self until it was abandoned, and then picked apart by scavengers for valuable scrap and metals. The casino was slated to be demolished as a victim of the Imperial Remnant’s rebuilding projects, but the unusual Republican architecture of the casino and its name were viewed as an auspicious token for the formation of the Rebel Alliance. The structure and its surroundings were seized as facilities for its headquarters on Coruscant. ((First post goes to Bruce Slaughter.))

“You perceive us through the lens of fear, Jedi, we are not here to execute you, even if we were to find that you were some kind of Sithari spy. Your Order is not mine, and I left it many years ago.” Alekseyev flipped the training sabre from his belt back onto Tobias’ lap. “I see your intent, though if you were trying to impress me, Ang-Ti heresy is not the direction I would follow. They maintain their hegemony through isolation and a desire to have nothing interfere with them. They are outside the light and dark since they do not live in our galaxy and do not try to fight for anything but themselves.” He stood and nodded to his squire, and the Knight behind him visually relaxed and bowed. They both turned and left the room, leaving Alekseyev alone with the 'Jedi' Master. “We have no authority to destroy Jedi masters at will. Though if you were in our order you would have been cast out long ago. This straddling of two distinct sides and denying them both will leave you without a foothold soon enough. You relied on deception to keep a weapon when you were clearly asked to surrender before this inquiry. You bear bear corruption while denying it to our faces. I anticipate the Jedi order will not care. Which is why we remain separate. This will all be in my report. You are free to go, for we have seen all we need.” He stood and flicked his hand at the lines of dust which disintegrated. Wiping away the exorcist's circle. “You disappoint me Master Vos. I wish you safety and a return to the lightside in due course.” And with that The Inquisition left the Jedi Master alone. He nodded to the man in the doorway, who was unknown to him. Perhaps a friend of Vos's? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A report from the Imperial Knights arrived for @Adenna Alluyen, @Raven Zinthos, and @Sgt. Slaughter

His hand wrapped around the cynlindrical lightsabre and he clipped it to his belt. Alekseyev let his smile settle back into a passive expression as he nodded to the Jedi’s suggestion. He sat down in front of the Jedi Master and inclined his head, indicating that he would be ready momentarily. The squire spun the chalk into a long line as she began to trace a multilayered circle around the pair of them. To the well trained and historical eye of the ancient exorcists, it would be the multiple concentric circles within a circle surrounded by runes of an exorcists’s diagram. It was an act of protection, and a warning, that any threat perceived would be dealt swift justice. Rayen moved so that she was standing behind Alekseyev, hands still away from her sabre, but the soft hand of the force began to move none the less. When the squire was finished, she knelt as well, the force moving through her. Both of their energies focused through the circle. “Tobias Vos, you may show me what you will.” Alekseyev nodded his head , indicating that the Jedi should go ahead and begin what he would.

“Master Vos?” The voice echoed off the bare metal walls of the chamber as the trio of red armoured IMperial Knight respectively bowed to the Jedi Master. Though the two older knights had long ago left the order for the imperial military, they both recognized Vos for the formidable Jedi Master that he was. Finishing their bows, Knight Alekseyev nodded his blonde head toward the apprentice in the group. Technically her rank was Squire, but his mind still defaulted to the rank structure of the order he had grown up in. The young grey white haired Arkanian girl that had been a squire since just before the disastrous battle of Kuat nodded in return and stepped into the middle of the chamber pulling from her belt a pouch of a white chalky substance. She knelt and begant to lay a line of white over the stark grey panels. Alekseyev smiled softly, his beard brushing the edges of his immaculate armour. He kept his voice respectful as the squire continued her trace. "We have been ordered to check you for the presence of the Darkside. There is no reason to be alarmed and you will not be harmed if it is found to dwell within you. However." He let his smile darken into a frown. “Master we will need your lightsaber.” He extended his hand, palm up towards the Jedi master. Knight Rayen behind him kept her hands far away from any weapon of her own. There was no need to bring anymore tension into the room, and she was confident that this would just be a quick check, and though there were precautions she did not need to worry.

Raven waved her hand almost dismissively, “I respect the Jedi order’s decisions on this matter, I would be cautious in allowing an independent military and Navy in any kind of unified rebellion. We are all wary of the abuses caused in the past but I must stress with you in command of the Order Adenna, we have the chance to change that. You have not the devisive nature of Starlisk. I have trust in all of you.” She looked around the room, “But we learned a few things in these few short years the Imperial Knights existed, that Knights are much better used as Special Operations forces instead of generals and admirals. Though that may be because of the Revanchist nature of our Knights did not allow them the full ability to think clearly and tactically when they are worrying about their actions straying into the darkside. Nor do many Jedi or knights have years in a Naval Academy to teach doctrine. With our fleets being considerably outnumbered by the Sith Empire or whatever they call themselves, wherever the Jedi fit in, as advisers, admirals, or SOF I would welcome them full heartedly. But we must show a unified front, a united military with united goals. A separate Jedi Navy would go in opposition of that.” She leaned forward. “We have now the chance before us to make amends and move forward with a new Rebellion. Would you agree to that Grandmaster?” She looked at Adenna then Slaughter. "Punish those that deserve it, my Knights will purge whatever evil may lurk in the heart of that Jedi master, if it is your will. You need worry not. But with or without punishment we must come to a decision on this new Rebellion"

Raven’s mouth twitched as the conversation carried far off course with accusations of war crimes getting thrown about like grenades in a battlefield. No discernible defense for the accused, it looked like the New Rebellion would start off with an execution. Not the worst of places to start a rebellion, and there was no denying that non combatants had been carelessly slaughtered like nerfs. So Raven raven leaned forward, her large purple eyes looking at the grandmaster and back to Slaughter inquisitively. Sure it was only some three hundred black sun employees getting murked by radiation sickness. She remembered Kuat and Kamino. Every Imperial in the room was now very much on the edge of their seats. And many eyes had now a hard set in them, hands gripping seat cushions or handles with white knuckles. Kamino The Knight Sarna was correct, the Jedi order itself was at stake. Raven looked on at the Jedi order pooled about her, split into multiple factions, and her heart wept for the Jedi order. All of them were a decision away from committing a massacre. How could one live that way? She nodded at the Jedi Grandmaster turning a bandaged hand face-ward. “As the Grandmaster knows, The Imperial Knights are very much a schismed order from yours, uniting will take time. And much will depend on how this internal affair plays out. All of us in this room, Moff and Imperial Knight alike remember Kamino and Kuat. As do Republic soldiers remember the massacres that we took part in. Not to mention both sides melting towers on coruscant like slag not too many decades ago in an effort to weed out resistance. It was through our past errors this new Horror of the Sith are upon us. We must determine the morals on which we build this Rebellion or we cannot stand together.”

Differences… It wasn’t all that long ago that the Empress had been an apprentice to the Sith Lords herself. Before banishment to the Imperial Army. The memories, the murders, the dismemberment she had experienced while in service to the Sith, augmented with the pain of moving to the hover chair made her grimace. “Grandmaster, if the Jedi Order stands fully against the Sith then I see no reason we in the Imperial Remnant cannot stand beside you. I cannot thank you or your order enough for the sacrifices in bringing me out alive. The Remnant, what’s left of it is in your and the Alliance’s debt…” Her voice trailed off as she saw him. They had met before, of course, some years prior after the battle of the Death star perhaps? No, his face had been on all the boarding parties’ dossiers during the battle itself. Him and Cadio Sikoat. It was Slaughter she had been tasked to find when she had found Airia instead. The path that had taken her here after so many years. She had looked up to him and all the old veterans during her time as the Imperial Coalition in the senate. He had been a man of action, and he had stepped up in these late days of the Galactic Alliance. Now they were both without reign or empire. She let a smile take over from the pain and extended a hand of greeting. It was heavily wrapped in transparent bacta bandages that showed the bare bones of her fingers. “Admiral…” Her voice was soft and tired. “Thank you.” It was a simple gesture of gratitude. But she hoped it would find purchase. Her voice lost its tiredness as she shifted in her seat, replacing exhaustion with pain. “With the fall of the Core and the scattering of the Moffs and the Senate, we must look to joint venture of Rebellion, a combination of fleets, armies and command teams.” It was perhaps not customary to plow on with such a suggestion, but they were all leaders and needed a direction to lead. Without the Moff council to deliberate for ages, Raven was confident in her direction. She paused as the Jedi Master Tobias Vos joined in on the conversation. Cocking her head to the side and staring at him with deep purple eyes. "Good Jedi Master Vos, I must inform you that Kuat has been completely lost. No bribes or not, the shipyards are likely currently pumping out dozens of star destroyers for the Sith Empire! You have my thanks for rescuing the children of Kuat as they are tied to my admiralty, but things are a bit more complicated. Our holdings in the Core are gone, even Corellia likely bows before the throne of the Spider!" Was she lashing out at the poor Jedi Master? Maybe. There was a lot more to the battle now then simply a propaganda war. This was now a total war. "We in the Imperial Remnant are in open rebellion against this new galactic government. Who cares what we did to the Black Sun banking industry." She smiled at him warmly, "The Jedi and GA Fleets are welcome to the Nar Shaddaa shipyards. We have spent a fortune establishing this moon as a home for the new Imperial Government. Should Carida fall. But we did not anticipate a fall so quickly. We are happy to offer it to a New Rebel Alliance. If that is what you all think needs to be done."

Raven sat in the medical ward aboard the Jedi command ship and stared vacantly at the white hued durasteel of the floor. Doctors fussed over her loss of skin and adipose tissue on her non robotic extremities, blood dripped almost absentmindedly around the chair she was seated in. When the wrapping of bacta soaked gauze was done on her arms and legs her gaze finally found the grandmasters. She struggled to keep the emotion from her voice as she spoke, trying to portray the Empress that she was. “Thank you Adenna and thank you to your order and all the sacrifices that you have made to retrieve me.” She left off the obvious ‘was this worth it’ in favour of expressing her profound thanks for being rescued and not murdered in the darkness of some black sun prison. Her large amethyst eyes glanced back towards Adenna. Clearing from her weariness. “What is the game plan now?”

The door slid open and large amethyst eyes stared back at the Jedi Knight. The one time Empress of the imperial remnant sat stoically in the obese man’s lap, her eyes the only thing that showed her joy at seeing an allied face. Despite her much revealing state of undress she simply smiled and pulled away from the commander as he agreed to the Jedi’s demands. She bowed, pulling one arm up to keep the scraps of black cloth covering her chest. She was bloody, one arm and one leg completely flayed of skin from a week befores torture. The wounds wept blood, and stung from the touch of the cold air of the station but she ignored them. She was free, and though she doubted that the price had been worth the payment of so many lives, she was grateful. Her voice was dry and cracked sounding, likely from the days of screaming from the torture at the hands of the black sun. “Thank you master Jedi. I am in your debt.” That by itself took most her strength, and exhaustion mixed with nerves was beginning to take place of her stoic composition. She stumbled out of the door of her cell and collapsed against the wall of the white tiled tunnel. Her body overcome with wracking sobs. Blood still dripping onto the tiles from her flayed arm and legs.

"I can fight the Sith, I can do it, but I am so lonely, Everyone I cared for is with you now. In that space beyond us." Her voice faltered as she choked back a vicious sob, every breath a spawning a violent coughing spree that misted pink blood onto her already blood covered bare knees. "You said I should wait for you. And I did..." She sobbed again, whatever shields had kept her regal appearance in check for the interrogation fully broken now as her heart searched the force that spun around her in a cyclone of anger, remorse, and sorrow. "I know I need to press on, but I- -I am afraid to Kirlocca."

Pale hands freckled with bright crimson blood closed tightly against their restraints. The pain that ricochet through her legs from the skinning pulsed with every beat of her heart. Her amethyst eyes looked up to meet the pale blue eyes of the once Jedi Grandmaster. She moved her head to meet his touch, imagining for a moment the comfort that touch would have brought. Tears came then again, leaving crimson stains in their wake. “I have lost everything. Everyone. I can't even use the damn force, I failed there too.” Her voice was a sob, wracked by every breath she tried to take. Her eyes were wide. “I want to die. Why can’t I die?” Her eyes stared back at his.

Raven sat still bleeding, in and out of consciousness, drifting from one world to another. He voice was tired, soft, and echoed in the empty prison. As blood dripped like water from ice down the chair to which she was tied. "Kirlocca, are you there?" She knew there was no answer, but she yearned for anyone. For anything.

Raven slammed back into the chair, her back feeling like it was on fire and she could not breath, but painfully weezed, wishing she had free hands to hold to her smarting chest. THe pointed heel of the boot had pierced and cracked a rib right below her left breast, and though it was slow, the blood still stained her undertunic, but the patch of crimson on the fabric did not spread far. When the Empress had recovered her breath enough to be able to look back up, the woman of the black sun was gone, and in her stead was the astromech. And evil looking astromech if she had ever seen one. Red glowing orbitals, likely of Sith design. Oh how she hated the sith in that moment. The sith and their rabid dog of a criminal organization. The Empress gritted her teeth and set her face into an opaque mask of calm grace. She had been tortured before in the halls of the Sith under Cathlye, but she knew she could only keep that up for so long, so she focused her gaze on the unseeing crimson photoreceptors and smiled as the circular saw spun to life. Metal bit into the skin on her knee, burrowing up through the skin tight armour mesh and tearing it away. The Droid was precise as he traced it up to the top of her outside thigh, curling up skin like the peel of a fruit. Revealing nerves, muscles, and adipose flesh until the saw ground into the bone of her hip. It was then that the shaking started, as blood pooled and the droid started again, this time from the knee down. Her mask began to fail as tears welled up unbidden at the corners of her eyes. 'Why are you doing this?" She gritted out as the saw continued to peel away her flesh.

Raven forced her shoulders to shrug, the muscles twitching painfully and she let a half smile fall listfully over her lips. There were of course a myriad of insults to toss at the woman, but none that would stick to a woman such as her. They type of woman that got to the top of a criminal organization like the Black Sun had to be made of durasteel and teflon. Not to mention be capable of sleeping her way to the top, which the thought of made Raven’s eyes narrow. She hated the woman for that, for being able to go through that kind of life so easily. To dispense love and credits as she desired. Raven closed her eyes and forced a sigh. Love was a bitter thing for her, for anyone that she had loved had been lost. Cadio in his bright uniform with an easy laugh and wide heart. Now long dead, killed in the reformation wars that formed the Galactic Alliance. Kirlocca with the stern and stoic outside, but a heart that felt and loved. His warm embrace, it all flew by her as if at hyper speed. Good memories now gone. And now here she was, the last of the old imperials that had fought against the Rebellion a bitter mid twenties woman who had lost her crown to the Sith and their criminal pets. “If you deign to conquer the outer rim when the Core worlds with its wealth of business, slaves, and resources with open before you then you are more of a fool than I. As for information, I have none, and I know that no matter what I speak I will be send before the Emperor none the less. For pets you are and pets you remain. Now kill me or sell me, I care not.” Her voice was braver than she felt, but she kept the sloppy smile on her lips and stared with purple eyes up at the leader of the Black Sun. Defiant to the end.