Artus Prime

[Cineon Yahn]

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Mwa ha ha ha!" Cineon laughed maniacally. "Shadow! Come to me!" He added, projecting his voice in all aspects, including the Force.

 

"I would like to thank you. For deactivating my lightsaber for me." Cineon turned the power completely off. "I'm going to have to repair the damages to it. I have some last requests, if I may."

 

He pulled out a communicator, "All Imperial capital ships, get away from the building I'm in, at least a half mile away. This is the Emperor's apprentice."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I would like to applaud you Rebels on your efforts. I would also like to applaud you in your attempts. I stress the word, attempt. I came only for Sunderland, but your 'attack' will have been in vain. I will not fight back against you, but by all means, keep your weapons pointed at me in case I have any sudden movements. First law of law enforcement; never take your eye off the suspect."

 

He grinned, "When I first went to the Sith, I bested the Sith Master in charge of the facility in a battle of wits. I drove the old Emperor into a sense of insanity. First with no training at all, and my last with a nice bit. You have no idea who you are dealing with. I would also like to say, that Shadow will not be happy with you. She will be quite angry."

 

He placed his lightsaber to his side again, "Do you know what an EMP is? It is an Electromagnetic Pulse. I have one installed on my ship. What good could this do me, you ask? You see, Shadow is an organically grown ship, my ship can still fly even if I activate the EMP it carries. Which is about to happen, right about... now."

 

A huge rumbling noise is made. The computers make several alarmed beeps, and are sudenly silenced. The weapons of the marines are suddenly deactivated. Cineon smiled, as the Marines came to realize they were completely defenseless. The entire electrically grid the Rebellion had was now gone. They were SOL.

 

He looked at Trysis, "I'll be sure to remember your face," Cineon's face shifted to look like Trysis's, "so that I might kill you."

 

Cineon turned away from them and ran out the window. He landed on the Shadow Lightning and flew away, as the marines outside the window could not fire their flechette launchers.

 

"Oh, and one more thing to you Rebels," he shouted out, "Good luck!"

 

Once inside the cockpit, Cineon left the planet.

[Onderin Starlisk]

"Spast!" Darin cursed. "He's gone...the Emperor's apprentice." He looked at Trysis, "What happens now?"

 

"It seems that all the electricity and power has been disabled by the EMP blast the Sith referred to. But at the same time the same blast should have affected the Imperials as well," Trysis figured.

 

"But the reason that he ordered the Imperial ships to move back was so that they were out of range of the blast," Darin countered. "But he also mentioned the words 'at least half a mile'. That means that only about a circle one mile in diameter suffered from the blast."

 

"Which means that most of our defenses are still operational, including our starfighters and at least twenty battalions of troops. However, we can't contact them due to loss of communications."

 

"Exactly. If we can gain access to one of the communications relays not far from here, which should have been out of range of the blast, we can reassure them that the situation is more or less under control and the planet is not lost."

 

Without another word Darin started to run. He ran out of the room and towards the communications tower. He was in perfect military shape so the half-mile only took a couple of minutes. Upon arrival, he bypassed the security and sent a message to the Marines, "Most of the defenses in and around the compound were knocked out by an electro-magnetic pulse. Continue to hold the planet, but bring battalions eleven through thirteen back for support. Have battalion thirteen armed with anti-air weaponry."

 

His orders were carried out regardless that he was not next in command. The troops were extremely loyal to the Alliance and trusted that anyone with access to the command channel would be in enough authority to bring them through this.

 

It would take a few minutes for the Imperials to return, but they would be ready.

[Darth Havoc]

Two of the heavily armed and armored transports, now emptied of their precious cargo, crash ”“ one slams into the compound, disintegrating it, and all within and around it. The second crashes into the heart of the Rebel Alliance's ground forces ”“ waves of burning fuel scour the battalions.

 

At this point, the Imperial troopers and freedom fighters of Artus advance yet again and ruthlessly slaughter the few surviving members of the Rebel Alliance's ground forces.

[Onderin Starlisk]

OOC: Few remaining? Ha!

 

IC: The huge impact slammed into the base, taking out a portion of it, leaving crumpled metal and destruction in its immediately-halting path. The other craft managed to take out almost a full battalion of troops, already battle-exhausted and low on ammunition.

 

However, now that the transports were down, it was more of an even dogfight between the E-wings and TIEs. Several squadrons of E-wings regrouped and came about towards the Defenders, torpedoes evening the odds and giving them a bit of an advantage.

 

On the ground the troops stayed in a defensive position. Although they greatly outnumbered the enemy troops and freedom fighters combined at least two to one, they wanted to keep losses at a minimum and the base turrets would provide them with anti-air and anti-infantry support.

 

The Marines armed with PLX missile systems fired into the air, carefull to hit only TIEs and not friendly ships. The enemy's own troopers that were so armed were also rather effective, so Darin back at the comm relay (who had ordered that a portable tactical battle map be brought to him) designated two squads of E-wings to focus fire on those troops while being covered by other squads.

 

Using proton torpedoes and heavy laser cannons, the E-wings effectively reduced the number on incoming missiles by more than half within a few minutes and continued their sweep, killing stormtroopers and rebellious citizens when not targeting a PLX-armed opponent.

 

Marines dropped into trenches and manned anti-personnel turrets that they had set up to help in the inevitable firefight to come.

[Cineon Yahn]

The Rebel occupation of Artus would soon come to an end. The marines of the Rebel Alliance were soon engulfed in shadow, as if a cloud had overcome them. There was also another cloud that befell them; the shroud of the dark side was upon them. Reinforcements had arrived for the overwhelmed survivors of the Empire with an attack led by the Emperor himself. It's good to be back.

 

A squad of TIE bombers flew in and bombed the living hell out of the Command Center that was knocked out from Cineon's attack so long ago. The building was set up in smoke. A dropship landed outside of the destroyed base and a batallion of storm troopers exited from it... as well as the Emperor.

 

"It is time... for sweet victory! We will squeeze fresh blood from the Rebels and let dogs drink merrily, as it is a drink fit for nothing less. You do not know fear, you do not know mercy. You will destroy anyone who stands in our way." He activated his lightsaber and pointed it in the direction they would move, "To war!"

 

The stormtroopers began marching, with their rifles held high and prepared to fight. The Rebels were taken completely by surprise by this rather large invasion force. The seven capital ships above rained continues fire into their trenches, killing as they went, and the ships were jamming transmissions and projecting gravity wells.

 

There would be no escape.

 

A rebel foot soldier met the business end of the Emperor's lightsaber, and in an unnatural manner, was thrown several yards into the air. Upon coming back to the ground, his spine was broken and went braindead, killing him instantly.

 

There would be no remorse.

 

A stormtrooper slammed his rifle into the stomach of an enemy and shot him in the throat.

 

There would be madness. There would be conquest.

 

It is only a matter of time now.

[Guest]

Seeing the last of the command centers crumble at the might of the Empire, Raiden looked up from his E-11 scope, finding no more standing rebels to cut down. Indeed it was only a matter of time.

 

Dashing to the door of the last standing comm tower he got on his helmet comm, calling for tactical squads to blast down the doors from all sides, plowing through the building to cut down all of the occupants in a hail of blaster fire. With glorious efficiency they broke through, shooting first and asking no questions. As the highly trained inferno squads progressed through the building, they laid explosives at a number of key points on the foundation, assuring that if mission inexplicably failed at this junction they'd have a back up. Raiden hopped on the turbo lift along with two others, reaching the top to step out and use the full auto fire to mow down what little opposition that they came up with, Murdering an officer Darin who had been running the tower, and capturing a Trysis, who had been cowering on the ground, below the target range of the blaster fire.

 

Raiden boarded his shuttle, taking the prisoner with him to meet back with Cineon. The Comm tower exploded in their wake, signaling the last of the Rebel resistance crushed.

 

((OOC: Three Day rule, plus two. Artus is ours now.))

[Cineon Yahn]

The Rebels did not stand a chance against the Emperor himself. They had no cover save the trenches they dug out. They also had no cover fire due to the lack of a fleet, however there was fire from seven capital ships bringing down all of their camps and slaughtering the trenches. As if these conditions were not bad enough, the Force was not with them; it was with the Emperor... and he used it.

 

As Raiden had collected, the Rebel resistance was no more; Artus belonged once again to the Empire. Raiden came up to the Emperor to report the end of the Rebels, holding the last survivor in his custody.

 

Cineon walked up to the prisoner, "Trysis. I bet you never thought you would see me again, did you? I told you that if I saw you again that I would kill you."

 

A blast of Force lightning flew into the man's body, sending him to the ground with much intensity. Cineon did not let up on the attack, taking pleasure in Trysis's cries for mercy.

 

The troops, under orders from the Emperor, piled all the dead bodies of the Rebels they had slain, including the headless body of General Sunderland. There were entire batallions of men here, making hundreds of dead bodies piled on the contryside.

 

Trysis was nearly dead, but Cineon wanted to make him suffer even more. He lifted Trysis, who was now paralyzed from the neck down, and threw him into the middle of the pile of dead bodies. His screams of horror died out in a few minutes as his life came to an end.

 

"These bodies are meant to be a trophy of conquest. It shall be named," he thought for a moment. He then grinned evilly.

 

"The Tower of Flesh II... begin mining cortosis."

[Onderin Starlisk]

OOC: Blast, I missed it. One comment, though. You posted the Empire's four Star Destroyers here never leaving, but they obviously had to leave for Coruscant, yes? The last battle here never really ended.

 

IC: The remaining Alliance troops and still-large number of E-wings made a strategical retreat, still several battalions strong but unable to battle the superior number of stormtroopers. They made a retreat for the mountains, as many pilots as possible grabbing drop ships and troop transports from the hangars.

 

Some of these ships were destroyed despite scrambled E-wing cover, but enough made it out that they could carry at least most of the retreating force. Artus was lost, but not all hands were with it. As the mountains crept sooner, it was made clear that the Empire wasn't going to concentrate many forces in pursuit. They already had completed the goal they had set out to complete.

 

Marines loaded onto troop transports, shuttles, and even freight areas with extended life-support for the trip to Alliance headquarters. The body of the Alliance would hear about this, and they would decide how to deal with it. The decision was not for this leaderless but not unorganized force to make.

 

Moving as far away from the Empire as possible, ships made their exit, still covered by superior Series-4 E-wings until they all entered hyperspace en route for the Alliance main base, being absolutely sure that no one was tracking them and furthermore making several false jumps before choosing their final destination.

[Capt. Phillep]

Out of hyperspace pans out an isolated shuttle, aboard is the psychopathic, self-absorbed Captain Phillep. The Imperial Shuttle was swiftly guided towards the surface of Artus and his cold smile widened as he remembered the many men he sacrificed here to mining for cortosis ore as slaves, sentenced to live and die here.

 

Then a nudge in his mind called the doctor to him. The "doctor" offered him a rubber band which he tied round his left arm, tight and cutting off the circulation, forcing the veins to expand to their max potential and visibility. Not satisfied he slapped it with his index and middle fingers, tempting the veins to nearly burst. Then with his free right hand he gripped the needle from the Imperial doctor, uncapped it, holding it between his lips like a cigarrette and forced it into his skin.

 

Instantly, his knees buckled and he felt the rush... such a soothing, calming sensation, overwhelming him.

 

He rested there for what seemed ages, until the drug's immediate effect began to wear off, "I want that prepared differently, Doctor, make it more accessible... portable."

 

He was aided to his feet and escorted to a mining facility where the Emperor was on the field and ordered to wait for his arrival.

 

"He'll be with you shortly, sir."

[BLCKCLONE]

OOC: Blast, I missed it. One comment, though. You posted the Empire's four Star Destroyers here never leaving, but they obviously had to leave for Coruscant, yes? The last battle here never really ended.

 

IC: The remaining Alliance troops and still-large number of E-wings made a strategical retreat, still several battalions strong but unable to battle the superior number of stormtroopers. They made a retreat for the mountains, as many pilots as possible grabbing drop ships and troop transports from the hangars.

 

Some of these ships were destroyed despite scrambled E-wing cover, but enough made it out that they could carry at least most of the retreating force. Artus was lost, but not all hands were with it. As the mountains crept sooner, it was made clear that the Empire wasn't going to concentrate many forces in pursuit. They already had completed the goal they had set out to complete.

 

Marines loaded onto troop transports, shuttles, and even freight areas with extended life-support for the trip to Alliance headquarters. The body of the Alliance would hear about this, and they would decide how to deal with it. The decision was not for this leaderless but not unorganized force to make.

 

Moving as far away from the Empire as possible, ships made their exit, still covered by superior Series-4 E-wings until they all entered hyperspace en route for the Alliance main base, being absolutely sure that no one was tracking them and furthermore making several false jumps before choosing their final destination.

 

You are becoming notorious for this. We have a 3 day rule for a reason, regardless of what you may think otherwise. You need to at least post every other day if you wish to get anyhthing done in RP. Null...

[handofthrawn]

With a tiny flash and a flicker of movement, the YT-2000 transport named the Night of Vengeance appears from the depths of hyperspace. It's registered owner, ShadowFett, knows full well that the planet he has arrived at is under the ownership of the Empire, and that is, in fact, the reason that he is there.

 

The Mandalorian bounty hunter and Black Sun operative requests permission to land, simply saying that he's with the Black Sun and requires a meeting with the Emperor himself. He is not denied, so Fett lands his ship and departs, leaving 2277 to continue his work.

 

Departing from the ramp of his craft, the black-armored warrior remained fully armed. He did not want to appear intimidated, for indeed he was not. So he just stood emotionlessly on the landing pad awaiting someone to come out and meet him. He held a Tenloss disruptor rifle in his hands, which was highly powerful and highly illegal. It was his way of taunting the Empire without attempting to call upon their insufficient wrath.

[Cineon Yahn]

The Emperor approached Phillep. "Captain, it is good to see that you have returned to answer your calling to the Empire, but I must say, that you have waited quite a long time to do so."

 

Cineon put his hand to Phillep's collar and ripped off the collar insignia which certified his rank. "You are not fit to be a captain any longer Phillep!" Cineon pulled something out of his pocket and brought his hand back, as if strike the man. He moved his hand to the officer's neck with speed, but stopped before making contact. He brought up his other hand and attached another insignia to the collar.

 

"You are to oversee operations of the Imperial Fleet, Admiral Phillep." The new collar mark on Phillep was that of a Fleet Admiral, giving him jurisdiction of entire fleet movements unless requested by Cineon otherwise. He was also gifted full use of the flagship. "Do you have any questions, Admiral? I trust you know that it would be most unwise to betray or otherwise enrage me. Now, if you excuse me, I will meet to the new arrival I sensed coming here. Ensure that cortosis mining proceed at full capacity; I have special need for it. I would like that a certain, small percentage, be mined special for cash crops. I leave you to your duties Admiral. I will inform you of your next duties once I have dealt with this newcomer."

 

He looked to his Royal Guard, "Send a comm to Cardia and order Skor to come here. Make sure Phillep does not act outside of his authority, even though it is great."

 

He turned to where the presence of the new one was hailing from, but Fett had made it his business to come to the Emperor.

 

"Excellent; the mighty Shadow Fett! I sense you are not here to seek employment, but are here on business from another." He squinted his eyes a bit, "Ah, Black Sun, hmm? What is it that you are here for?"

 

Fett was without a doubt unaware that the current Emperor was a Sith, he hoped that Fett would be mildly surprised by this.

[Capt. Phillep]

For a non-force user, Phillep was surprisingly a resolute man... or the mind-altering substances had so heavily scrambled his brain chemistry, he did not even bother to flinch as Cineon made the rank change.

 

He did, however find a bit of surprise, and a touch of motion sickness, when he was elevated back to his former position, feeling almost inclined to have the Research and Development team who demoted him summarily executed... but that could wait, he figured.

 

Instead, he turned his attention to his set of assignments; Cortosis Mining and the Fleet. "Very well, bring me the Mining Foreman, he seems he lacks encouragement."

 

"But, sir-" quipped the young soldier, "Admiral, pig dog," countered Phillep.

 

"But, Admiral, we are working at maximum capacity since the invasion..."

 

The wild eyes of the Admiral turned on the Imperial, "Surely, you don't wish to question me... it was not pretty when someone last question my authority."

 

"Yes, of course, Admiral."

 

The Mining Foreman approached the Admiral, who had finally been given a pair of blaster pistols which he hung casually at his belt, "Yes, sir?"

 

"What is bloody wrong with you ignorant bastards, I swear, are you all bloody blind or just incredibly stupid?!? Do you not SEE MY DAMN RANK?!?"

 

"Yes, Admiral, sir," groveled the Foreman, "Please, my men, we're starving and tired, exhausted. We've been working at our fastest pace... doing as much as possible. Please!"

 

The Admiral's eyes cast down upon the miserable slave, "Do you mine alongside your men, Mr. Foreman?" Now, his mouth widened into a horrid smirk as his mind began to run in circles...

 

"Honestly, you know, the foreman supervises, he does no real work. That is the work of slaves, Admiral, surely..." his mouth began to respond to the glare he was receiving, responding with a mild hyperventilation.

 

"Well, Mr. Foreman... I think it's about time you start mining, every one here, save an Imperial soldier is as good as a slave..." he raised a pistol in his hand and quickly brought it down against the Foreman's left temple, instantly rendering him unconscious. "Strip him of his clothes and send him down with the next load of men into the mine, double time."

[Darth Revenga]

Skor arrived with little notice and was escorted through the base by a small group of stormtroopers.

 

He stayed a few strides behind them with his eyes closed and arms crossed thinking. 'The Emporer calling for me? Interesting....Let's hope he has soemthing worth my time'.

 

As they continued on they finally arrived to the room where he was ordered to.

 

The stormtroopers left his side and he entered the room and gazed upon the people within it.

 

"Emporer, you summoned me?" Skor said with a bow.

[handofthrawn]

ShadowFett ignored both the poisonous complements the Emperor gave as well as the entry of another man. He had indeed not been aware of the alignment and affiliation of the Emperor beyond that of ruling his faction. He was a Sith Lord, it seemed. This meant several things in the mind of the Mandalorian, and many of these things would prove to be helpful assets to the Black Sun.

 

"I am not so blind as to work for the Empire," he said coldly. He didn't care what sort of reaction he got. "I'm here by the orders of the leader of Black Sun to secure and reform the alliance our two great factions once held. The Black Sun is capable, but joining the Empire would be mutually beneficial."

 

That was all he needed to say. He did not move as he spoke, and his words were measured and precise through his helmet, which made them sound mechanical. His voice had an accent similar to that of a certain man that Fett had a peculiar relationship with, though he was the only one in existance who knew of that and lived still.

 

Inside his helmet he stared at the sensors and scanners visible below and beside the distictive T-visor of a Mandalorian. He monitored all movement, every stormtrooper, worker, and officer appearing as a simple blip. His hearing was enhanced to the point where it was said that he could hear a pin drop on the next planet. That was an exaggeration, but it effectively described the enhancement. Even now he overheard conversations in the vicinity and understood that this was a mining ground for cortosis.

 

Fett himself carried a blade of cortosis for combating Jedi Knights, and he had known its full effect as he had defeated a pair of Jedi Masters, killing one and forcing the other to flee without honor.

 

The thought of stormtroopers with armor made of the same material sent another barrage of thoughts through Fett's calculating mind. These led to a path far darker and more evil.

[Cineon Yahn]

Cineon laughed at Fett. He didn't say anything, he just laughed at him. The kind of laughter in which his mouth didn't move at all.

 

"What does Black Sun have to offer me? What is their current state? Why now do they seek partnership? ...why do they send me an arrogant mercenary to negotiate with me?"

 

Cineon sat down in a chair, "I can sense what goes on in your mind, how you are monitoring my movements around you, and I must say that this is very insulting to me. I have seen Jedi with more respect. Despite all what your sensors may be telling you, members of my Royal Guard are set up above and in sniper positions, people you don't see or hear, despite how great your equipment is. Do not think that you are the most powerful being here mercenary, because you know that a Sith Lord can hold his own with you."

 

He picked up a drink, "Now, answer my questions." He smiled under the protection of the cup, waiting to see how Fett would react to his insults and degrading manner.

[handofthrawn]

"You seek to anger me, Emperor," ShadowFett answered in the same emotionless voice as before. "You seek to force a mistake on my part. That will not happen. I do not respect you merely because you have done nothing to earn my respect. You may have proven yourself in the eyes of a Sith, but there are no true warriors among those. They, like the Jedi, are no more than cowards obsessed with the power that they stumbled upon by chance."

 

The Mandalorian still did not move. "The Black Sun has access to certain knowlege and certain sources that the Empire could never attain, not even with the most extensive intelligence network in the galaxy," he continued, changing the subject. "Keep in mind that the best way to know what a criminal knows is to ask the criminal himself, and the same is true for mercenaries, bounty hunters, and all the other kinds of worthless beings in this galaxy."

 

Fett clearly spoke with disdain, something that could be considered curious to the casual observer. To the scrutinist it was detectable that Fett did not consider himself to be among those types of men, but something higher and of further purpose. He was not here to scrounge a living out of the wealthy through the hunt.

 

To him, the hunt was something more. He was a Mandalorian, and his calling was that of a true warrior. His hunt was driven by the gain of honor, glory, and skill, the highest of all entities in the galaxy. Only with these would a being make a real impact, a testimony of what the ancient Mandalorians once were. There was one final goal in mind in all that Fett did--there was one point that he was striving for. Many considered this goal impossible, but Fett knew better. His goal was perfection.

 

The legendary Boba Fett had left a mark on the galaxy, beginning a campaign that ShadowFett now finished in his wake. The two hunters were virtually one and the same, though the latter was even more fiercely embracing his heritage and those qualities that made a warrior what he was. He did not hide behind the mask of heartlessness or lurk in the shadow of the occaisonal dishonorable act. He was true.

 

This was ShadowFett, the warrior. All others paled in comparison. This was not a matter of arrogance, but a righteous lust for the unattainable. If ever a being would reach perfection, it would be this Mandalorian, here on Artus, clad in the black impenetrable armor of his ancestors, standing before a host of Imperials with only the intent of creating a small and insignificant alliance in the grand scheme of the workings of the galaxy.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

OOC: Wrong alias

[Cineon Yahn]

"I sense your quest for greater power, Fett. I have heard of you. The last mandalorian who does not think himself to be perfect, but strives to be so. When I began my career with the Sith, I had the same goal. Do you know how that goal has served me? Greatly. My career has been spotless, everything I have attempted at I have suceeded. Perhaps elsewhere, outside of my net here, your words would have meaning to me. However, despite what you may be ready to believe Mandalore, your words which may be used to belittle me are empty, as you have no power here. I seek not to anger you mercenary, I do as I wish. What type of mistake could you make, there is no such mistake that could be made. Do not waste my time by being cryptic, why does the Black Sun wish to re-establish ties with me now? They must want something."

 

Just then, Fett could feel something, perhaps it was the Force, but he could feel a sensation of fear entering his mind. Cineon spoke again "Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side." He spoke inside of Skor's mind, so that Fett would not hear, "Skor, go read my texts on the Force, I wish that you understand the Force and how you may be able to harness it's power"

[Capt. Phillep]

Equipped with a breathing apparatus, the Admiral was escorted to the mining station and called for his personal "Doctor" to concoct an interesting stimulant to increase the production capacity of these workers.

 

"He called for efficiency, well... I'm calling on your expertise, see what available spices you have... a few weeks and these workers will have been dried out and exhausted anyway, so... devise what you can and have it distilled in their beverages and nourishment. If the Empire is to have it's slaves mining, they must be proactive slaves with no other concern in life other than their work."

 

The Doctor peered at his supplies and returned a nod, "Admiral, sir, do you want this to be highly addictive?"

 

The Admiral thought for a moment, "If it will produce better results and if the supplies are nearly inexhaustible, I don't see why not."

[handofthrawn]

Get out of my head, Sith! Fett thought fiercy. He pushed the Emperor out of his mind, lacking the Force himself but strong of will and mind. It came with having withstood the heat of combat many times, resisting the urges and passions of such, and defeating his opponents psychologically before even firing a shot.

 

"The Black Sun wishes the Empire to aid them in an attack on the Link organization at their headquarters, the Casino," ShadowFett said. "I require a signed order from your highness agreeing to aid the Black Sun. You may or may not need to commit any forces after this--we simply wish to blackmail them."

 

The Mandalorian hadn't moved since leaving his ship. He didn't need to. Movements could be misinterpreted. While Fett was not one of image alone, one's image could create fear and respect. That was as important to a warrior as anything else.

[Cineon Yahn]

The air was heavy with fear, if Fett could not feel it inside him, he would feel it all around him. He picked up a drink and took a sip. "I have not any issues with the operation known as The Link. I also fail to see why I should assist a faction whose Arbiter has shown me nothing but disrespect. You are a being who seeks perfection, whereas he who sits before you has acted perfectly, and through my conquests and numerous tasks, there is nothing to keep me from thinking such. You must understand, Fett, that you have no power here. None. If I wanted I could have your ship destroyed with a snap of my finger. You may be able to detect the movement of squads coming to kill you, but you could not stop your own death if my entire army present turned on you. Even if you could, there are snipers around that would kill you with one shot."

 

His voice became deep and booming, but it had contrasts of several voices. Voices of those Fett hated, respected, and maybe even loved. \You will show me respect, bounty hunter! I know what it is you fear, and I will not be afraid to kill you and show your secret to the entire galaxy. This is one Sith Lord you will not put yourself above. I am the higher power here, and as soon as you realize that, the sooner I may consider helping Black Sun. Your arrogance is your undoing./

 

His voice returned to normal. "If everyone else in Black Sun acts as you do, then I have no desire to deal with them. Leave my presence immediately. And I mean immediately. If you attempt to do anything, or insult me again, your ship will not be allowed to pass through my fleet. Now go."

[handofthrawn]

"I fear nothing," ShadowFett said. "You have the ability to destroy me and my ship--this I know--but I do not even fear that. I am here to secure an alliance between the Black Sun and the Empire. I am not here as a representative of the Black Sun, for I am the only one among them with what you call 'arrogance'. But until you give me an unbiased answer or attempt to force me to leave, I will not."

 

It was a bold move, one that could either end negotiations permanently or have the opposite affect. The Emperor was looking for something, a certain response. He was looking for respect from the one who required proof. Fett would rather be killed than make a concession in this area.

 

He still did not move. It took great discipline to hold still for so long, especially with the words that were being tossed at him. But he had taken a risk, and he would accept it. Besides, his ship and his life weren't in an incredible amount of immediate danger, though it would be quite difficult to make a strategical retreat if things turned sour.

 

But for the moment, ShadowFett didn't even move a millimeter. He was as a statue, even when he spoke not shifting the position of his body or head. And he waited. He waited for a reaction from the Emperor that could bring him death or success.

[Cineon Yahn]

Fett's decision to remain imobile would be his undoing. A Force message was sent through the air, unbeknowst to Fett.

 

"Tonkor, you are going to learn something in the lesson I am about to teach you."

 

There was a swift sound of something cutting through the air. A second passed and then a gunshot was heard a split second before a ballistic projectile hit the missile in Fett's jetpack, splitting the case open and delivering enough impact to detonate the explosive. Enough energy was released to also rip apart the jetpack, igniting the fuel and adding to the explosion. The back of his armor suffered terribly from this. The entire sequence of the explosion occured in the time of a breath. As soon as he was propelled toward the Emperor by the explosion, his advance was halted immediately as pure dark side came from Cineon's fingertips. He was suspended in the air by the two opposing forces. Being caught between the two felt as if he was being crushed by a garbage compactor, the blast knocking the wind out of him. He fell to the floor soon enough, where Force Lightning continued to course its way through Fett's body. After what seemed to Fett to be forever torture, unaware of how long it truly was, the lightning stopped.

 

The armor was charred and smoking. Cineon spoke, "This is the lesson: when I get angry people start dying. I know a lot about you Tonkor, I'm not going to make a mistake because I am ignorant. You are fighting both brain and brawn. Only one you can win, but it appears that your body being at my feet and your stupidity to provoke me that you are incapable of beating me in either. Are you smart enough to yield?"

[handofthrawn]

OOC: Actually, a single energy bolt, unless it was a turbolaser, and it wasn't, couldn't get through the armor on Fett's rocket pack. I specifically posted layering it several inches of Mandalorian Iron. It's even more indestructable than most of Fett's armor. But I'll react to the lightning.

 

IC: Energy lashed around ShadowFett, being conducted through his armor. The Empire had attempted to destroy his rocketpack as well, he realized, and he took a moment to be thankful that he had decided to armor it so well. Even as pain shot through his body, he thought clearly.

 

The pain meant nothing to him. He was a warrior, and pain did not debilitate him. However, the effects of the lightning itself on his nervous system and strength were unsurpassable. But was was this mention of the word "Tonkor"? It was apparent that the Emperor thought that it was the Mandalorian's true name. Fett was here, expected to marvel at the power of the Dark Side when it couldn't read his thoughts clearly enough to pick out a name.

 

ShadowFett and his armor took the lightning until it stopped. The armor was superheated red and steamed furiously, but it itself was undamaged. "I do not fear death. I am not waiting for you to make a mistake. I am not fighting you. Dying right now would be pointless, however, so I yield to the power of the Dark Side of the Force. You have my respect for being able to manipulate it in such a way," he said.

 

He did not pursue his thoughts on his own words. He simply focused on willing away the pain, and it did indeed leave him. A few seconds after he finished speaking he rose to his feet slowly, more pain shooting through his body. His flightsuit was capable of absorbing a great amount of energy, and it had taken a considerable amount out of the attack, but that only made Fett acknowledge that the same blast could easily have killed a lesser man.

 

As much as he was defiant in his beliefs, the Dark Side was impressive.

[Capt. Phillep]

Exhausted from the dilemmas of the mine, Phillep motioned for a shuttle to take him aboard the Revelation, an MC90a taken from the Rebels above the skies of Kuat. He had been quickly informed of the recent developments in the persistent war since his reanimation and found them to be quite satisfying given his own failures as Commander of the Empire in the absence of an Emperor and even later, when command fell on Lord Havoc... and now this man, Emperor Yahn, rules the Empire and he gets to return to what he was trained to do, lead an Fleet.

 

The First Officer aboard the Revelation welcomed him aboard and motioned for the Command Bridge, where Phillep relieved the Captain of command.

 

"I shall claim this as my personal ship, if you do not mind."

[Cineon Yahn]

Cineon grinned, "Good, you are more intelligent then your repuation led me to believe." Cineon made a motion with his hand and Fett was flanked by Royal Guards, with their weapons trained on the mercenary. "Since I am the victor, I have some things that I require of you. Your life is mine and I will end it if you refuse to cooperate."

 

Lord Barabbas sat back down on his throne. "I will inform you now that I have made my decision; I will not be siding with Black Sun in it's conflict with The Link. Quite the contrary, the Link has more potential to assist in Imperial interests, I have no desire for this Empire to be associated with the criminal underground. With your assistance, I hope to destroy the Black Sun from within and from the outside. I hope the organization is wiped out so that I can halt their rebuidling. You may have certain loyalties to Black Sun, but you are a mercenary. Even more, you are a mandalorian. You would be wise to align yourself with the greater power in the Empire. Of course, I will have to take certain measures to assure that you would not betray me, but I'm sure that you could have expected such measurements to be necessary on my part. Will you help me, Tornok?"

[Capt. Phillep]

Admiral Phillep received word from his Emperor and commed the sister ships to be ready to mobilize, then, through highly encrypted and piggy-backed communication channels, his orders went to Cardia.

[Cineon Yahn]

Cineon was told of an interesting development occuring on Mimban, something in which could benefit him should he intervene. He looked to Fett, "Well, think about it, help yourself to any vittles, I have some business to attend to. If you will excuse me."

 

He walked past his Royal Guard, "Stay here... don't let him leave."

 

He boarded his Lambda-class shuttle and departed Artus.

[handofthrawn]

OOC: I'm back.

 

IC: Being sure to wait for the Emperor to leave completely, ShadowFett made a decision. There were many factors involved in such a decision, and it was not to be taken lightly. The Emperor obviously knew very little or nothing about Mandalorians, as he claimed, for he did not understand that loyalty was one of the most important things to achieving glory.

 

There was no way Fett would normally follow this request. He wouldn't even consider it. He would rather die. However, in this action there was the chance of something far greater coming about. His true mission may slightly vary from what the Emperor had in mind, but Fett would play along and do as the Sith Master wished.

 

The Mandalorian hated having to stoop down so low as to be compared to a normal mercenary, even in the eyes of those who cared not; however, the differences between him and others would become apparent in time. He hoped that in that time he could erase the questionable dishonors of the time before in one final stroke that would achieve much.

 

ShadowFett noticed the Emperor's Royal Guards watching him closely. He laughed inwardly. It was said that a Royal Guard had never been killed in combat until after the Galactic Civil War, and yet here they were, in a garb inspired by that of much greater warriors, only a fraction in skill and discipline as the man they were watching. They knew truly nothing of what a true warrior was, and yet they looked upon one thinking that they were the ones that were superior.

 

Fett approached them. "Tell your Emperor that I will comply with his demands," he said commandingly.

 

Yes, he thought, much will come about through this arrangement.