Aaris III

[Togorian Hunter]

Hearing his Commander's announcement, Sarrah looked up from the little shrine of bones that was left from his repast. Not a single sliver of meat remained from the bones that his appetite had visited, and given more time to himself, the Togorian would have been quite happy to continue eating, perhaps even to the point of cleaning out the Death Striker's meat locker. Sarrah smiled as he devoured what remained of the protein on his current bone; given his ravenous appetite, he was probably capable of doing that.

 

"On my way." He rose and left for the hangar, and was pleased to see that a suit of blaster-resistant armor, specially made for his gigantic frame, awaited his use by his Skipray Blastboat. Although the armor was fairly conventional, it was capable of absorbing a great deal of the energy from a blaster bolt and sparing him from the test of his considerable fortitude. After donning the simple gray, unadorned armor, he sought out Commander Habithae.

 

"Ready. What is our destination?"

[Amidala Skywalker]

Indy grinned. "Coruscant. The Black Sun had a citadel on that planet. Exit prematurely from hyperspace so we can regroup above the planet. Mandalore should meet us there. Good luck, Sarrah."

 

She boarded the ship and started it up. Pausing, she reflected on how radically different her life was now. Who would've guessed ten years ago that she'd be leading a special assault unit to attack the Black Sun's base?

 

The docking ramp slid out, and Indy engaged the repulsors and then engines, lifting the ship into the atmosphere. With one last glance down at the planet below her, she pulled the lever, and jumped into hyperspace.

 

Little did she know what was currently going on over Coruscant...it appeared that the Death Strikers were about to get more than they bargained for in this journey.

[Togorian Hunter]

"Yes, Commander." Sarrah's nod of acknowledgement was jerky and sudden, betraying his excitement. The Togorians were an emotional people, and even though Sarrah was better than most of his kind at suppressing his emotions, he was having difficulty in keeping himself from bouncing from foot to foot and fidgeting frantically in his eagerness to begin the mission. "I'll see you above Coruscant."

 

The shadowy Togorian followed suit and jogged towards his Skipray Blastboat with massive strides. Upon taking off, it was a short time until the heavy starfighter put enough distance between him and Aaris III, allowing him to enter hyperspace.

[Mandalore]

A month had passed since had been called to Coruscant for the Death Strikers assault on the criminal organization known as the Black Sun. For one month, Mandalore walked the streets in the upper levels incognito, under the very noses of those he had been sent to fight. For one month he sent out continues comms to the other team members to update them on information he had received about the Black Sun's security, patrols, defenses, etc. And for one month he received no return comms from his team or commander. Before his departure from Coruscant, Mandalore shook down every low level criminal, every junkie, and every cantina owner, for information on his team. In the end, he found out nothing. Whether they were alive or dead he wasn't sure.

 

Now he returns home to Aaris III, location of the Death Strikers base of operations after being gone for more than three months in the field. The landing code he transmitts opens the hangar bay doors and calls the lift platform up from the main hangar. As his ship descends toward it's destination, he accesses the main computer for all records of ships entering the base within the last 15 days, finding his ship as the only one posted.

 

Mandalore climbs down from the cockpit pf his R-41 Starchaser Misery, looking around as though he expected top see someone waiting. The sounds of his boots echoed through the empty space as he walked. He boarded the elevator from the hangar and pressed the button for the command floor, then rested against the back of the car. His head tilted back, watching the numbers of the floors as they were displayed change as he moved higher into the base. A chime signalled that his destination had been reached. He stepped off the elevator noting that all the computer consoles had been shut down. He walked past the commander's office briefly glancing inside, on his way to the main computer terminal.

 

He turned the computer on and waited while it ran a diagnostic test as dictated by its' start up program. When the computer was ready for use, he began a manual search by scanning all know information trafficker frequencies for any news pertaining to the Death Strikers. Nothing.

 

"Computer run a search for all existing members of the Death Strikers over the secure net."

 

Searching..........................No data found.

 

"Computer, search all medical facilities for unknown patients admitted within a thirty day time frame of the team's departure from base. Then cross check that against all John and Jane Does admitted to the city's morgues in the same time frame."

 

Searching..........................No data found.

 

Computer, scan all civilian frequencies, including the Holonet for current news about the Death Strikers."

 

Searching..........................No data found.

 

"Damn it!" He said leaning back in his chair.

 

"Computer, transmitt the encrypted recall signal to all active members on the Death Strikers roster, excluding myself."

 

Transmitting signal.........Signal sent.

No confirmation of signal's receipt detected.

 

Mandalore got up from his chair and began pacing. He replayed the events on Coruscant in his mind. Switching on his comm unit, he played the recorded message from the commander he received on Gromas. The instructions were vague. He had been ordered to meet and the team in the upper levels. He had arrived a day after receiving the comm and every since that day, has never heard from his team again.

 

Speaking of Gromas what about......

 

"ShadowFett" He said out loud.

 

The computer took his outburst as a command to run a search on that name. The most current news on ShadowFett was displayed as a Holonet broadcast. The sound of the broadcast, caused Mandalore to turn and face the screen. What he saw was nothing short of a snuff flick. ShadowFett was fighting some Sith lord, whose name slipped his mind. He was getting the crap beat out of him. The Sith lord was merciless. He dominated the Mandalorian in every way. In the end, he knew the outcome before he saw it. ShadowFett was killed. In the background his ship had been destroyed. The last image shown on the screen was a body being burned under the thrusters of a ship after left off.

 

Mandalore slammed his fist down on the console, resulting in a ripple on the computer screen. At the bottom of the screen was the name of the planet where the battle had taken place. A planet called Foy.

 

He ran to the elevator and boarded it, heading back to the hangar. A signal sent from his computerized gauntlet, readied his ship by going through the start up sequence prior to his arrival. The hangar lift had been repositioned for outbound flights with green lights lit up around his ship. Mandalore climbed into his ship's cockpit, inputting coordinates for Foy.

 

Mandalore's starfighter flew from the concealed base, heading for high orbit and then into outer space.

[Amidala Skywalker]

A battered YT-2400 comes out of hyperspace above Aaris III, followed closely by a Skipray Blastboat.

 

As soon as Indy was above her own planet again, she breathed a sigh of relief. The trip had only been an hour or so in hyperspace, and she was extremely thankful that it had been that short, despite the worries of the Imperials being so close to this system. She didn't think she could stand being in this ship for any longer.

 

During the trip, she had reopened her communications line, and instantly had found the recall signal waiting for her. It was fairly recent...sent only the day before. The signal worried her...perhaps something had happened. However, she quickly transmitted the password to the planet, allowing the two ships to approach.

 

A few minutes later, Indy was shutting down the ship and stepping down the ramp. She took a deep breath and stretched. "Ah...it feels good to get off that ship!" she exclaimed.

 

Her first business had to be taken care of immediately; she had to figure out who had sent the recall, and why. There were no other ships in the hanger, which was curious considering the young age of the signal. Indy headed up to her office, and found that the central computer had been reactivated.

 

"Computer, display hanger records for the past three days."

 

Searching....two entries found. Arrival: starfighter Misery yesterday at 0200 hours. Departure: starfighter Misery yesterday at 0600 hours.

 

Indy slumped back in her chair. Mandalore. But where had he gone, and why had he left so soon after his return to Aaris III?

 

"Computer, display results for all previous searches on this system yesterday."

 

Searching...

 

The computer displayed a list of topics Mandalore had searched for when he had come. It was enough to inform Indy of the situation. Mandalore didn't know what had happened to her and Sarrah, and even thought they might be dead, as evidenced by the morgue search. Then he had searched for 'ShadowFett' and seen a transmission of the bounty hunter being killed by a Sith Lord on Foy. She guessed that he had gone there, although she did not know why. She knew he had been successful in getting the information he had wanted from the hunter.

 

She sat back in her chair to think it through, but her exhaustion kept her from coming up with any ideas. A few minutes later, the office was silent, and Indy was sound asleep in her chair.

[Guest]

Myst came out of hyperspace back at Aaris III, sending clearance codes down to the surface to indicate that she was 'home'. It had been some time since she had headed off and alot had changed. She had aquired a protocol droid to help with maintanence and medical duties amongst other things, her ship had received a few modifications as well.

 

Sara looked out the front viewport. Something strange had happened while she was out in the far reaches. Now she was human. Sara had been in human form, had been helping with a dispute on a distant planet when something had happened. Something she couldn't explain. Ever since then she couldn't shift to her true form. Sara had been checked over fully by doctors there who pronounced her to be a 'healthy specimen of human being'. It was so hard to explain what had happened. She had spent so much time in human form and now she was stuck like it...

 

She took her ship down and landed, waving to the hanger staff as she headed towards Indi's office, hoping to find her there.

 

"Hey Indi... you in here?"

[Amidala Skywalker]

A knock at the door woke her up. Indy blinked, and motioned for Sara to come in. "Yes, Sara...good to see you. How've you been?"

 

She was indeed happy to see her friend. It had been a while.

[Guest]

"I wanted to apologise for taking off on you. There was something I had to do. As it turned out, it has changed me more than I ever thought could happen."

 

Sara was still uncertain of the changes herself. It had only been a few weeks she had been like this and numerous Doctors checking her, all of which came back with the same results. Somehow she had conformed into a full human rather than the clawdite she had been. It was so very strange. One moment she had been shifted into that form, to be accepted in the community she had been working in, then the next moment all hell had broken loose. There had been a strange meteor storm, Sara being one of the ones caught out in the open during it. She had been sheltering a child with her body as the heat wave passed them. Strangely enough, no one had gotten burnt by the occurance, though she had felt very strange after it. When she had gone to shift back into her natural form later, she had been unable to. It was then that she had sought medical advice, from another clawdite that was there in a medical capacity.

 

She had been the only clawdite effected, though there had been another 'victim' of it as well. It was like they had switched places, she becoming the human, the other becoming a clawdite. She tried now to explain what had happened to her to her 'boss' Indi.

 

"And I still don't understand how it happened."

[Brina Thalin]

A comm comes in from the Golden Link Casino, to Induran Habithae of the Death Strikers. It contains a copy of a message regarding the situation on Naboo, and a personal message from Brina Thalin indicating that the Link was to remain neutral in this situation, but that Brina thought the Death Strikers might be interested in this information.

[Amidala Skywalker]

((sorry for the double-post....))

 

Indy nodded. She didn't fully understand, and she knew Sara didn't either, but it made little difference to Indy what species Sara was. She was a Death Striker, and that was what made the difference.

 

She shrugged. "Life is strange."

 

Just then, her comm beeped, and she put it on audio. It was from the Link, and concerned the Empire taking over Naboo, and somehow moving the entire planet. She frowned. Naboo was a place close to every Death Strikers' heart. They even had a hidden base on the planet.

 

She glanced at Sara. "We'll have to look into this."

[Kal]

A untracable COM came though that held a glimmer of insight into what was going on at Naboo.

 

START COM

========

Hello Death Strikers. My name is Black Dragon and apprearntly I am the last of the free willed people who do not like being occupied by the Empire. I however can not do what needs to be done alone. I heard from a source that your group above others would be more than interested in some aid and infomation concering this matter. I am sending a data bust containing pictures and infomation on what has happend here. If you wish to help me replay to this message on this channle. Oh yeah on one side note, time is of the essence. This battle has lead to some big problems for the Empire at the mintue and it would be the perfect time to act. So hurry up and make up your mind.

 

Black Dragon.

=========

END COM

[Amidala Skywalker]

The time was at hand. The struggles of the past had taken their toll on the Death Strikers. Bases had been destroyed, trusts betrayed, good friends murdered...But after all that had happened, it had been time that had ravaged the Death Strikers most of all.

 

But no longer. Evil was too prevelant in the galaxy to be ignored any longer. There was no group to take over the Death Striker's position as freedom fighters of the galaxy. And it was all to clear to Induran Habithae that now was the time to start a return of the Death Strikers.

 

So she came back to Aaris III. She had left, wandering the galaxy unannounced, taking odd jobs here and there. The time had passed slowly, and she had little to motivate her. But now she knew. The Death Strikers had been her life, and she should never have left them in the first place.

 

She was probably, she reflected, one of the only people in the galaxy who remembered where the Death Striker base was. The technology still answered to her passcode, and she landed on the hanger platform. As the ship lowered into the base of the mountain, Indy took a deep breath.

 

Yes, it was good to be back.

 

The first thing she did was sweep the base, making sure everything was still in perfect working order and the base hadn't been compromised. She found everything just like she had left it. Heading up to the top observatory tower, she gazed over the jungles of the planet. It felt like home, she realized, more than any other place had in the past three years.

 

Returning to her office, she sent announcements out to recruit members, proclaiming to those who were interested the return of the DS.

[Prince Vegeta Isolder]

A message came in from hyperspace.

 

"I am interested in joining the Death Strikers. My name is Moon Knight."

 

Isolder knew it was a dirty trick to invoke the name of the deceased member of Indy's group. But he needed to make contact somehow. Isolder had known Marc Spector, in a manner of speaking. He hoped the information he provided on Indy's old friend would quell any anger she possessed when Isolder came to her doorstep instead of the Moon Knight.

[Guest]

It seemed an age since she had last set foot upon Aaris III, though finally she had returned. Myst emerged from hyperspace with Sara sending out her old recognition code, wondering if they still worked. She also sent out a comm to Indi

 

-- comm --

 

"I've returned Indi. I hope you'll have me back to your organization".

 

Sara

 

-- end comm --

[Mr.Ewok]

Through the vast network of communications in the holonet streamed a message that came to Aaris three.

 

--Comm.--

 

"My Name is Tarfang and I wish to join your organization, please send me the locations of your location on this frequency so I may receive it. And thank you for listening.

 

--End of comm.--

 

That of course was the direct translation that one would have once they translated it from ewokese, but if they were not able to do so it would just sound like a small animal making unintelligible noises.

[Amidala Skywalker]

The response was quicker than even the Codru-Ji could have expected. First she recieved contact from Moon Knight. The message made her smile. Moon Knight was a dear friend, and she was glad to see he was still around.

 

The second message was from another old friend. Sara's codes worked, and Indy knew she would soon land. She sent her a quick comm, letting her friend know she was in her office and that she'd love to meet up with her as soon as she landed.

 

The third was from a new recruit, known as Tarfang. The computer translated his message--from Ewokese, she noted. She commed him and Moon Knight together.

 

"The coordinates are **-**-**. Meet me on the planet's moon. There is a small reception area there, where we will have a breif interview before we head down to the planet proper."

 

She figured there was a chance that this Moon Knight was not Yuusuke, as she remembered when it chaged from Marc to Yuusuke, and just wanted to take precautions.

[Guest]

Sara grinned as she heard the message come through. The Clawdite took her headhunter down to the base, soon landing and setting up to refuel and have her ship ready for action. She soon headed to Indi's office, having shifted into human appearance.

 

"Knock, knock? How've you been Indi. It's been ages..." She poked her head in the door once she'd been answered.

[Prince Vegeta Isolder]

Isolder piloted his ship toward the system coordinates. He thought it unbecoming of royalty to lie in such a way. But that was the way of the Ral'Tath. It was almost natural now the way he manipulated people. The thought of it shook him. He'd walked the line so many times between the light and the dark, he was worried it was starting to blur.

 

Trust in the Ancestral Spirits.

 

Isolder wasn't sure if he could. Isolder had done things he regretted. The slaying of Jareth Vermillios was foremost on that list. The memory of it was starting to haunt his dreams again.

 

Maybe I need to see a psychiatrist.

 

He pushed it out of his mind as he landed his ship. It became clear that the man emerging from that starship was not Moon Knight. He was a little shorter, with yellow eyes, and strange symbols on his forehead. His hair and clothes were solid white. A strange aura seemed to emanate from his body. It was not Marc Spector that had responded to Indy's call.

[Mr.Ewok]

The hammer and sickle appeared ove Aaris threes moon. the world its self was blue and green filled to the brim with jungles and oceans. Trok looked at the world with interest before starting to push the ship downward toward the moon. He leaned back in his seat as the ship gracefully came closer and closer to the moon, and he watched, as it grew larger and larger. It looked like a rather peaceful planet but in this galaxy one could never tell a something by its looks. It still amazed him that such things of beauty could birth things of such stupidity and barbarianism. He shrugged the thought away and began to plot in the course for a landing spot. The ship shook a bit as it entered the atmosphere but it soon passed once it was clear. AS the ship landed he grabbed his weapons keeping his pistol attached to the front of his hood in a small pouch and then held his slug thrower with both hands. Once the ship landed with a soft thud the ramp opened with an eerie hiss and Trok began to walk down the ramp onto the moon.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Guest

[Induran Habithae]

OOC: Mr. Ewok...I specifically told you to land on the moon...in reality if you had tried to land on the planet without clearance you would have been shot down as soon as you touched the atmosphere...

 

IC:

 

Indy was glad to see Sara agin. "I'm so happy to see you," she said. "It does feel like it's been a long time. I'm glad to see that you've been taking care of yourself."

 

She glanced at the screen in front of her and then flipped it off. "Wanna take a trip to the moon with me? Moon Knight is there, and a new recruit."

 

She motioned for the Clawdite to follow her as she left the office and began heading to the hanger, where they'd take a small shuttle up.

[Guest]

"Yeah sure Indi. I'll head up there with you. Moon Knight's there? I heard... well... isn't he supposed to have gotten killed?"

 

Sara had heard rumors of Moon Knight's demise. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed Indi to the shuttle, the clawdite settling herself in for the trip to the moon.

[Induran Habithae]

Indy shrugged. "I didn't hear anything like that. But he contacted me, so I'm assuming he's here."

 

The trip to the moon didn't last long, and soon, they arrived on the surface. There were already two ships parked near the small compound, and the Codru-Ji was glad to see they had arrived safely. She rose and exited, knowing that Sara would follow close behind.

 

Waiting were two figures. The first was an Ewok, who Induran surmised was Tarfang, as his message had come over in Ewokese. The second was a startling man with blazing white hair and clothing. She frowned. Where was Moon Knight, and who was this stranger?

 

"Welcome, Tarfang. I'm Induran Habithae, leader of the Death Strikers," she told the Ewok. She then turned to the stranger. "Who are you?"

[Guest]

Sara followed Indi out of the shuttle, watching the other two closely as they approached the two that were waiting. She looked over the ewok, knowing how looks could be deceiving with their skills, but her attention was grabbed by the other man... she didn't recognize him. She was on guard, willing to protect Indi with her life if need be. Her hand rested on her blaster though she didn't draw it, just taking precautions to keep her employer - and friend - safe.

[Scarlet Kiromaja]

The Jaden's Hilt came out of hyperspace above Arias III. Kiara had been searching long and hard for this opportunity and it had finally presented itself. It's lone occupant, Kiara Jaden, sent a comm down to the surface.

 

--Comm--

 

Hello, my name is Kiara Jaden. I have long been searching for the organization that I have found today, and I wish to be given permission to land and speak with someone about the group.

 

--Jacen Out--

 

((Sorry this is such a weird post. I wasn't sure how to go about doing this, so if anything needs to be changed just let me know. --Silas))

[Prince Vegeta Isolder]

Isolder looked very guilty. He had hated fooling the woman.

 

"My name is Prince Isolder. I am Moon Knight . . . sort of."

 

Isolder knew this would be a difficult story. He would be revealing some secrets that were not his to tell. But these were Marc's friends. They deserved to know.

 

"Marc Spector is dead, and not returning. But the Moon Knight was not a concept he created. It is a very ancient power, that many have been granted, something akin to the Jedi."

 

It was not an accurate analogy, but it was close enough.

 

"Marc's spirit lives on because of this power. And he seemed to think you would need help. I am not Marc, but I am a Blademaster, an ancient order in its own right. You will find few in the galaxy who can match my abilities. I am here as an obligation to our mutual friend to pledge myself to your cause."

 

Isolder hoped Indy would not be angry. He had not outright lied. He was a Moon Knight, just not her Moon Knight. But he had mislead her.

[Onderin Starlisk]

A comm comes in from Gala:

 

"Greetings, Death Strikers. I am representing Admiral Onderin Starlisk in this comm.

 

"The Rebel Alliance in contacting you to call in our alliance of old. A top secret attack is being planned against the Empire, and we are in desperate need to commanders and experienced combatants to aid in the battle.

 

"Time is extremely limited. I ask that you honor our alliance and report immediately to Gala.

 

Alliance out."

 

End comm.

[Induran Habithae]

Indy returned the comm from Kiara, asking her to report to the moon immediately.

 

She then turned a hard, yet seraching gaze on Isolder. Something about him told her to believe him. She remembered that when Yuusuke had first joined them, he had done so under the title of Moon Knight, although he was not Marc Spector. He had turned out alright. Perhaps there was something to the name that lent itself to the kind of person the bearer was.

 

But she had little time to decide before her comm chirped once again. This time it was a desperate call for assistance from the Alliance. She played the message aloud, so that all present would hear it. She knew she could not turn down the request. They had had dealings in the past, and if the Admiral wanted to renew those ties, then the Death Strikers would be there for him.

 

"Well," Indy said, "so be it then. I guess we're going to Gala immediately. I have no choice but to trust you both, and Kiara when she arrives. You can prove yourself to me in combat, and your resourcefulness as Death Striker candidates in whatever the Admiral wants us to do."

 

She motioned for Sara to follow. "We'll rendevous at Gala."

 

She sent a quick message up to Kiara, letting her know of the new plans. The two Death Strikers went back down to Aaris III. Indy stopped only to grab some weapons as backups for the others, then headed to her ship.

 

"See you there, Sara!" she called.

 

A few minutes later, her ship entered the atmosphere of the planet. She would wait until the others entered hyperspace before leaving herself.

[Prince Vegeta Isolder]

Isolder wanted to be a part of the Death Strikers. So he would obey Indy's command. But inwardly, he was not pleased. Onderin had once refused Isolder's request to aide the Hapan people suffering under Imperial oppression. Now he was demanding help from Isolder, though he was no doubt unaware of the Blademaster's presence.

 

Still, it is the principal.

 

Isolder pushed these petty thoughts from his mind. His duties as a Ral'tath were more important than his loyalty to the Hapan people. Isolder returned to his ship and headed for Gala.

[Mr.Ewok]

Trok watched as the others began to head to Gala. As he walked back to his ship he mussed over the idea of helping the Alliance in the battle that was too come. He wondered where the battle was to take place a few places came to mind but seeing as the alliance did not always think like him it was anyone's guess. He walked up the landing ramp into the hammer and sickle. After powering the ship up he left the moon and then began to insert the hyperspace coordinates into his ships computer. Once he completed that task he and his ship were launched towards Gala.

[Guest]

The clawdite had remained silent during the rest of the meeting, listening and watching the others. Her eyes had remained watching the one who called himself Moon Knight. When the message came in, Sara looked back at Indi, listening to her as she mentioned that the candidates could prove themselves in battle.

 

Sara followed Indi back to the shuttle, then after the short flight back to the base, headed to her own ship. "See you there, Indi" The girl threw a mock salute towards Indi as she entered her own ship.

 

She checked on her weaponry and armor, made sure her ship had been refueled and was set to go. Seating herself in the pilots chair, she warmed up her ship, running through the preflight checks before taking off, following Indi up to a point above the planet. Entering the co-ordinates, she soon disappeared into hyperspace, destination Gala.