Sullust

[BLACK1]

Three Imperial Star Destroyers exited hyperspace before Sullust. In the distance what looked to be a small moon came into view around Sullust's orbit.

 

That's it the? Splendid. Good to see the good citizens of this planet continued their task over the years.

 

Black stood aboard the bridge, enjoying his cigarette as he stared out the transparasteel to the key to his Empire's future.

 

Flesh out it's skeleton crew. I want it at Coruscant within two weeks for the parade.

 

"Sir, we have yet to name it. Would you like the honors?"

 

Emperor's Embrace.

 

"Very good, sir."

 

Black continued to stare out the window, his gaze locked on to nothing in particular.

 

Take me to Coruscant. We have a lot of work ahead of us, gentlemen. Many of us may not make it out of this alive, but remember this. Unlike the tyrannical rule you once knew, when you serve me, live for me, die for me, it will always mean something. We no longer fight for the will of one, but for the dream of many. With our sweat and blood we will forge a utopia for your families. The galaxy will be united and strong. Now would be the time to write home. Tell them you go to create the future.

 

Two of the three Star Destroyers left the system, the third remaining behind to patrol Sullust space.

[Deton]

Lt. tk-051 a highly trained imperial storm trooper submitted the orders to build up the imperial fleet as well as adding a few more special orders, under the orders of TK-117.

[BLACK1]

The shipyards of Sullust continued to build ships for the Empire. Ships would surely be lost in the ensuing battles, and replacements must be made.

[Deton]

Ships began forming up off the lines to fill in the gaps of lost ships. Meanwhile production still continued to ensure sucess for future battles.

[Gavin Ryaro]

With a flicker of psuedomotion a lone ship burst out of hyperspace above Sullust. Since the ship was on autopilot Gavin continued talking to his apprentice. "The life of a naturalist is an interesting one. In the course of our travels you will learn many things about nature that you wouldn't believe. You must learn to feel the world around you. I want you to close your eyes and focus on something. Your surroundings, your future, anything. Once you have found your focus you will feel the Force and from there you will know what to do."

 

With this Gavin left him for a few minutes in order to land the ship on the volcanic planet below. He set down next to one of the more active volcanoes and left the cockpit heading back towards the hold where Ulan was.

[Ulan]

"You must learn to feel the world around you. I want you to close your eyes and focus on something. Your surroundings, your future, anything. Once you have found your focus you will feel the Force and from there you will know what to do."

 

After Gavin had left the room Ulan closed his eyes and began the assigned task. It seemed incredibly simple. All he had to do was pick one thing and focus on it, but Gavin had left the door wide open for Ulan. He could focus on anything. There were a countless number of things Ulan could choose from: the ship he was on, Sullust as a planet, his future, as Gavin had indicated, or even the dehydrated blue milk in the pantry that Ulan had been enjoying since they were still in hyperspace.

 

Hmmmmm...the milk. It was an interesting thought. The blue milk seemed to be the perfect marriage between modern technology and the natural world. It presented a unique chance to observe the dividing line between the artificial and natural, yet with an object to focus on came a new obstacle. Ulan could not seem to focus entirely on the milk. All of the other options remained, clogging his mental pathways. As soon as he would begin to free his mind a new thought about what lurked beyond the ships hatches on Sullust would spring into his conscious distracting him from his goals.

 

Quiet my mind I must. He thought back to his first lesson with Skye, a reference point he commonly went back to, and there he found peace. Suddenly his mind was at ease and the blue milk became his only interest. It was thick and creamy with a hint of sweet and sour flavors. He could nearly sense the presence of the female bantha that had relinquished the nourishing liquid. Other elements were present however. Preservatives, vitamins, and other chemicals lurked within the concoction working with the original liquid to form an edible non-toxic drink. A miracle this seems to be... he thought. He had never seen the universe this way, and he had certainly never realized how harmoniously the hands of sentient life could work with the natural world.

 

More important than his discoveries about the milk was Ulan's keen awareness of the Force. He suddenly felt its presence everywhere, not just in the milk. It flowed about him, touching, hearing, seeing and penetrating his soul. It was a fleeting feeling however, because as soon as Ulan heard Gavin's footsteps and could sense that the ship was now firmly on the ground he lost his focus. His connection to the Force did not simply disappear. He remained aware of its presence, but it was no longer as strong as it had been, and he certainly could no longer feel every aspect of the milk.

 

"An interesting exercise you left me with," he said to Gavin as the Knight returned. "From blue milk a new outlook on the Universe I have gained." Ulan smiled and gargled out what could only be interpreted as a laugh.

[Gavin Ryaro]

A slight chuckle escaped from Gavin's lips. "You did very well Ulan. You took the task at hand and added a rather...interesting twist to the assignment. Your wits aside, I see this being a rather interesting relationship. You have taken your first step into a larger world. Now come."

 

Gavin led his apprentice to the ramp and out into the maze of underground caves that the Sullustans lived in. The atmosphere of the planet was very toxic and would kill anyone caught outside in it.

 

"We have been given the task of rebuilding the relationship of the New Republic with the Sullustan government, but rest assured that my first task its to train you. I don't plan to spend very much time here, though there is much that you can learn even on a planet as barren as this.

 

While we wait on our escort into Byllurun, the capital, perhaps it would be good for your to practice touching the Force."

 

Gavin made a few short motions with his hands and a small orb and a helmet came floating out of the ship. He handed the helmet to his apprentice and instructed him to place it on his head while he began to program the orb. When all was finished he turned to his apprentice and handed the small being his lightsaber.

 

"Your task is simple. You must block the incoming shocks with my lightsaber. It may seem like an impossible task with the blast shield down, but I must assure that it is not. You must find your center and focus on touching the Force like you did on our journey here. The Force can aid you in many things, anticipation being one of them."

 

With that, Gavin stepped back to watch his padawan. He would be interested to see how he did at this task. Though most naturalists did not find a use for their lightsabers very often, it would be important to at least be competent in case the time did come where it was needed. The sooner they covered the basics, the sooner the pair could move onto the more intricate aspects of the field that Ulan had chosen.

[Ulan]

Ulan took the helmet and lightsaber from Gavin. "This again," he mumbled as he put on the helmet. After speaking he kind of hoped his master hadn't heard the words, but then again why say them unless he wanted them heard?

 

The same exercise this is, he thought. How many times must I do this? Ulan's old-man syndrome began kicking in as he grew impatient.

 

The task was essentially the same assigned to him by the Wookiee Jedi. Smightsaber, lightsaber, he thought as he ignited the weapon and prepared to duel with the remote.

 

Ulan was curious to see if the previous lesson had stuck though. Gavin was apprently starting from a different angle by giving him the helmet. With the blast shield down Ulan would not have the use of his eyes. He had learned this skill on the Helix Station, but it had really only happened accidentally. Could he do the same thing on command?

 

The remote fired off a couple of shots, but sure enough, Ulan did not block either one. Both stung his right shoulder. He stretched out searching for the same state of mind he had been in while examining the milk. He still, however, did not block any of the three shots that came from the droid.

 

"perhaps it would be good for your to practice touching the Force."

 

Gavin's words suggested there was more to this assignment than simply practicing his lightsaber skills. Ulan's impatience had until this point kept him from seeing his master's true purpose. He stretched out with his feelings once again. This time the Force came to him. He touched its power and allowed it to touch him. Directing its energy at the droid he sensed the bolts leave the machine. Then he let go. The lightsaber moved effortlessly into the bolt's path blocking the shot and dissipating the energy throughout Gavin's blade.

 

Time it is to try something new.

 

Ulan searched the Force, reaching outward with his feelings. He could sense the droid. An artifical thing it was, but from natural materials was it made. Metal comes from planets' and eventhough the metal used to make this droid was probably altered by articial means, a small trace of the natural materials remained. Ulan wanted to use these materials to shut the droid off, but before he could focus hard enough the droid fired again. This time he was not prepared however, being distracted by his other thoughts. The bolts struck his chest and arm.

 

"Ouch!" he said, deactivating the blade at the same time. His arms dropped to his side in frustration and he remained slightly embarassed.

[Gavin Ryaro]

A smile made its was onto Gavin's face at his apprentice's outburst. He remembered the first time he had held a lightsaber during an exercise exactly like this during his early training on Ossus. It had been a much simpler time, when there wasn't a hint of death around every corner. Now nearly every Knight and Master of the order had an apprentice, if not two, in a vain attempt to grow the ranks of the Jedi Knights to fight the increasing threat of the Sith. Gavin's one regret was that his training had been rushed and he vowed that that would not be the case with this apprentice. With a wave of his hand, he recalled his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt.

 

"Though in the long run lightsaber training may seem inconsequential, it can mean the difference between life and death for yourself, and in many cases others. I would hope that you would take this just as seriously as the other aspects of your training. We will continue this training at a later time though because our escort is arriving."

 

Gavin added a light tone to the message, not intending for it to sound as harsh as it might have come across. Though he was the slightest bit disappointed that his apprentice wasn't completely focused he knew that it was still very early on in the older beings training and that with time he would grow to become more balanced in all aspects of the Force.

 

While he was contemplating the next part of the training the whine of a landspeeders engine interupted his thoughts. He looked up to see a small tan vehicle approaching at a hasty speed. It slowed to a stop a few meters from the odd pair, reducing the engine noise to a dull roar. A small Sullustan stepped out and greeted the pair with a nod. In the high squeaky voice that Sullustan's were known for he invited Gavin and Ulan into the landspeeder, informing them that he would take them to the capital.

 

Gavin let Ulan enter the speeder first, stopping at the door to pick up three rocks of varying sizes. He closed the door as he entered, alerting the little alien to their readiness to depart. He turned to Ulan to continue his training during the transit.

 

"During our short journey I want to begin your telekenisis training. Using the Force and your newly found focus, I want you to lift the smallest pebble and move it around the speeder. After you have accomplished this you can begin to become a little more inventive with the task and begin to move bigger, a more, objects."

[Ulan]

Gavin's scolding was minor and one that Ulan could live with. He was not used to taking orders from anyone, but he had chosen his new way of life. Sure, the Force had certianly chosen him, and he would not have found his way to the Jedi had it not been for the Force, but the Force did not impose its will upon him. Having chosen the way of the Jedi, it only made sense that he choose to participate in Gavin's instruction.

 

"Bother me training with a lightsaber does not," he said to Gavin. "See its usefulness I do, and enjoy it I do as well. Commenting on my previous lightsaber exercises on the Helix Station was I." Ulan was not correcting his master. He just felt it was important to update his master on his training to this point.

 

"Commited fully to your training will I be from now on, Master Gavin." Ulan smiled back at Gavin as he bowed in a joking sarcastic way. It was not a gesture meant to mock the Jedi Knight, but merely lighten the mood even more.

 

Ulan climbed aboard the transport when it arrived, but thought it odd when Gavin stopped to pick up three rocks.

 

"I want to begin your telekenisis training. Using the Force and your newly found focus, I want you to lift the smallest pebble and move it around the speeder. After you have accomplished this you can begin to become a little more inventive with the task and begin to move bigger, a more, objects," said Gavin.

 

"Hmmmmmmm." Ulan's brow scrunched up as he focused on the smallest of the rocks. This was similar to his exercise with the milk, and Ulan was beginning to see Gavin's reasons for all of these activities. Ulan first silenced his mind, extending his feelings to the rock. He directed the Force penetrating the hard shell of the stone, and with a small minute burst of Force energy lifted the rock off of the floor of the speeder. It hovered steadily a few inches above the ground as Ulan's eye lids slowly closed and his hand raised.

 

The stone drifted around the cabin slowly as if it were an animal examining its surrondings. The stone seemed to inspect every corner of the speeder: beneath the driver's seat, around the safety harnesses, the control panels, even the outsides of Gavin's shoes. It was a curious little rock.

 

Ulan on the otherhand was learning a great deal. Through the pebble he could feel the whole craft. He sensed the humming engine and the nervousness of the pilot. At the same time however, Ulan seemed to have drifted into another realm. He was lost in the flow of the Force.

 

Suddenly, the small pebble whizzed around the car, followed quickly by the other two that had just as rapidly lifted from the floor. They all three toured the interior of the transport traveling in a large circle that gradually grew smaller and smaller until at last they floated in the air, in the middle of the speeder, spinning at amazing speeds.

 

"Hmmmmmm." Ulan's brow tightened and the speed increased. The oddly shaped stones began morphing. Slowly, all of the imperfections wore away or turned inward on the stones, and with the ever increasing speed they became more and more sphereical. Finally, they stopped and hung in the air. The pilot of the speeder nearly wrecked the transport when he finally saw the three stones defying gravity. They appeared as small, lifeless planets. They were perfect spheres each of a different size, and each glowing slightly as they radiated heat.

 

Ulan blew on the smallest one and plucked it from the air. At first he had to juggle it around in his hand because of the heat, but finally he was able to hold it between two fingers. He looked down upon the small rock that had turned a brillant blue color after cooling slightly. Ulan imagined the history, the beings, the plants, and the world that could thrive on his makeshift planet. The final two stones, which had also changed color, fell from the air and rolled into Gavin's left foot.

 

"An interesting specimen, hmmmmm?" Ulan asked as he held the pebble up to Gavin's face like an intrigued child would a toy to a father.

[Gavin Ryaro]

Gavin watched in astonishment as the three stones he had picked up were quickly transformed into perfect round orbs with a small flare of combustion. He felt two of them roll into his left boot with a light tap and the third was gently pushed into his face for his inspection. The amount of raw power that his apprentice had shown surprised Gavin, but it also excited him. He had great potential as a Jedi Knight.

 

"An interesting specimen, hmmmmm?"

 

Gavin gave a slight, cautious nod of his head, indicating his approval. "An interesting specimen indeed. Your choice to become a Naturalist was obviously inspired by the Force. You have done well in learning to tap into the Force and bending it to your will. Next you will learn to use it to create physical feats that most species would consider impossible."

 

The speeder slowed to a halt in front of a rather large, ornately decorated building. Gavin used the Force to summon the other two orbs from the floor board, tucking them into his belt before exiting the vehicle and heading into the government administration building. They were met by a small, squeaky Sullustan governor who began to walk with them down a long lavish hallway. The crimson carpet was bright and immaculate under their feet.

 

"Since the Empire's reign here many parts of society have been damaged and many of the criminal aspects from the dark times still exist. Crime bosses still operate under the radar and our citizens still live in fear. There are many booby traps littering our underground passages and the darker corners of our once-clean cities. I know that the Jedi cannot clean up our entire world, but any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

 

Gavin gave another nod and shook the governor's hand. Another small Sullustan appeared to lead them out of the administration building. Its mouse-like features amused Gavin as they silently shuffled down the hallway and out into the damp underground air of Byllurun. He led his apprentice through the streets of the capital, allowing him to take in the aspects of life that were all around him, curious as to what he would notice.

 

Before long Gavin made an unexpected turn down a rather dark alleyway. Once the two were out of view of the street he began to speak.

 

"Here we will complete the last of your basic Force training. Eventually we will return to some lesser lightsaber combat, but that will be after you have built your first lightsaber. As you know, a Jedi can not only use the Force to influence those around them, but to defy the laws of physics themselves. We can call on the Force to jump unnatural heights or to run large distances in a short amount of time. This is done much in the same way that you manipulated the stones back in the speeder. You must first center yourself and let the Force bind and penetrate you, then you release the energy that you have gathered through your body."

 

Gavin drew a small cutting knife from his belt and made sure that it was sharp. Next he demonstrated what he had just explained to his Padawan, taking a deep breath, then releasing the Force to propel himself almost the meters into the air. While in flight he stabbed the knife into the wall of one of the building's that formed the alleyway before coming back down to land lightly on his feet.

 

"Now you must retrieve the knife. Find your center and do just as you have been practicing. Remember that the Force is in all things, call on it and it will help you."

 

((After your next post I'm going to move into some more class-specific type things before we leave Sullust to build your lightsaber.))

[Ulan]

Sullust was an Ulan sized world full of minatures. He felt much more at home here than most of the places he had visited in the universe. He found the Sullustans way of life interesting. They were a species that thrived by living beneath the surface, in caves of rock and dirt. Yet, the humid air created a natural biosphere in the caves capable of supporting all forms of life. It was a truly remarkable planet.

 

Interesting this planet is, thought Ulan, to have life and death so close together.

 

Sullust mirrored natural life. In an instance a life is brought into being, and in a split second another is taken out of existence. Sullust was a perfect example of the life and death relationship. On the surface, Sullust was an inhospitable place deadly to all life, but underground, in an area seperated by mere feet from doom, life thrived.

 

Ulan thought it slightly odd when Gavin led him into a small ally. It was a suspicous move, but Ulan soon understood his master's purpose.

 

"Retrieve the knife," Gavin said after having demonstrated what he wanted Ulan to do. The Knight had jumped only three or four meters into the air, but that height seemed much greater to the short stubby Ulan. On his own, Ulan could barely manage to jump a foot off the ground. Retrieving the knife would be a herculian task for the old padawan.

 

There was little doubt in his mind, however, that he could achieve what his master had ordered. He had seen many unbeliebable tasks performed with the use of the Force. Confidence Ulan had, but a quiet mind he did not muster on his first attempt. He leapt into the air perhaps reaching the three foot mark which turned out to be an impressive accomplishment for the 500 year old being.

 

The second time, Ulan heeded his master's words and focused harder, as he had did in the transport. He felt the Force flow around and within him. Its will was strong and powerful, but the padawan reached out with his feelings and harnassed the energy. He thrust it downward while at the same time pushing off of the ground with his three toed feet. He bounced off of the wall opposite that of the knife and used that extra thrust to hurtle himself towards his goal. His hand latched onto the hilt of blade, but a funny thing happened; Ulan could not muster the strength to pull the weapon from its resting place.

 

At this point, his flying spectacle had ended, and Ulan dangled by one hand, somewhat helplessly, from the well placed knife. He was not giving up though. The small green man grabbed a hold of the knife with both hands and pulled himself upwards. He placed both of his feet against the wall, and with one mighty push he ripped the blade from the wall where Gavin had placed it.

 

Now though, Ulan had a new problem. He was left with nothing to support himself. A new invisible energy, gravity, took over and pulled the padawan down towards Gavin.

[Gavin Ryaro]

With cat-like reflexes that only a Jedi would have, Gavin quickly gather the Force around him and raised his hands. He pushed a wave of air at his falling apprentice slowing his descent enough to where Gavin could catch him without hurting either of them. He set his apprentice down and smiled at him.

 

"You did well Ulan. Now that you have completed your basic training it is time to move into a more class-specific training regiment. Come with me."

 

The pair walked in silence for a while, admiring the astonishing amount of life around them. They soon arrived at the outskirts of the city which fed into a small forest. Gavin led his apprentice into the forest and stopped in a small clearing.

 

"A Naturalist is supposed to be able to communicate with nature better than the normal Jedi. I want you to begin to communicate with the non-sentinent beings around you. Find your center and reach out to the beings you feel. You'd be amazed at what you can learn."

[Ulan]

Ulan nodded his head in acceptance of Gavin's praise and followed his master to a new location. Ulan became truly excited when Gavin begin speaking about class specific training. The naturalist class, as described by Gavin earlier, seemed a very intriguing path to Ulan.

 

Without saying a word, Ulan stretched out with his feelings searching the world around him and Gavin. Gavin's presence was overwhelming. The Knight's signature within the Force was difficult for Ulan to block out of his field of vision, but soon enough he managed to connect to a small piece of mold growing behind a rock not far away.

 

"Hmmmm, interesting this creature is," Ulan said while maintaining his focus.

 

The fungi seemed drawn to Ulan's presence, but even more so was the padawan drawn to the make-up of the green growth. The fungi drew its nutrients from the dampness of the air and ground, thriving in the humidity of the Sullustan caves. Ulan found it interesting how this incredibly simple lifeform managed life. It completely lacked the complexity of sentient beings like Gavin and Ulan, yet it managed to survive.

 

Ulan stretched out farther, seeking greater knowledge. Thousands of plants and critters pierced his mind emptying their secrets of life into his well of knowledge. He had never experienced nature in such a way, even while he was living on Wayland surronded by a dense forest. Eventually, he even managed to feel the presence of several single celled critters that with his eyes he could not see. They covered Gavin, Ulan, and nearly everything else. It was a truly amazing world full of life.

 

((Sorry, this is kind of a lame post. I've lost some desire to post with this character, but hopefully we can get it back when neither of us are as busy. I'll keep posting though, and perhaps they will get better.))

[Ulan]

((Legal Double Post))

 

Ulan's mind eventually settled on a group of plants that were all of a similar species. At first, he studied them using the Force. He explored their chemical makeup, the way they used photosynthesis to generate energy, their method of reproduction, and their growing characteristics. These particular plants grew to between a foot and a foot and a half tall, with long green stems and peculiar red buds on the top. They were growing about twenty feet away from where Gavin and Ulan were sitting when it happened for the first time. He really shouldn't have been surprised. Ulan had spent nearly his whole life surronded by nature, talking to plants, associating only with wildlife. He should have known it would only be a matter of time before the plants talked back.

 

Who are you? were the words which flashed through Ulan's mind.

 

At first he was taken aback, struck by the suddeness of the message, but he relaxed his tiny, green blood pumping heart and focused as hard as he could. Ulan, he thought back, and who are you?

 

The plant stated its name and asked, What do you want, Ulan?

 

The green man could sense the plant's confusion. Apparently the long stemmed weed was just as nervous as he was, having itself never spoken to a sentient species before. Typically, you moving creatures don't pay us any attention, was the thought Ulan recieved next.

 

Jumping into the conversation, Ulan attempted to explain what he was, and what he was doing. The plant refused to believe Ulan at first, but after some convincing the plant came around and to the padawan's side of things. For the next few moments Ulan learned more about the cave and Sullust than he ever could have learned from a book, holocron, or even native Sullustan. He found out that most plant species were capable of passing on their knowledge to their offspring so that most plants knew the history of their worlds dating back before the advent of sentient life. These primitive plants Ulan was currently talking to seemed to be a bit dense however, often times refusing to believe any of the truths Ulan had to tell them. They seemed to prefer their lonely, feeble existence, and were content to continue filling the caves with life giving oxygen. Ulan, not being one for change, left the plant with a courteous goodbye and slowly allowed his thoughts and feelings drift inwards upon himself.

 

Learn from this experience what am I? he asked himself. It was certianly a new found power, but was it the one Gavin had hoped his padawan would discover? Ulan's brow scrunched and crumpled under the immense weight of the complex thoughts. The plant had revealed to him very little useful information, although Ulan now knew much more about the evolution of life on Sullust. He thought about how it would be helpful for his and Gavin's mission, and he contemplated the method of communication he had used with the plant. Never before communicate telepathically have I.

 

They were all questions he hoped Gavin could answer, but to test his theories he did nothing more than project his thoughts towards his master. Could he and Gavin communicate as he had with the plant?

[Gavin Ryaro]

As if sensing his apprentices question Gavin sent a telepathic message to the small alien.

 

Why yes we can my apprentice”¦

 

Gavin walked over to where his Padawan stood and patted him on the shoulder. How his apprentice had done so much so well that Gavin wasn't sure what do next. Since his apprentice had learned the many Force talents that were needed to be able to advance to the Knight rank Gavin decided that it was time to teach his Padawan lightsaber skills.

 

I have taught you everything that you will need to build on. Next you will build your lightsaber. You have one final task on this planet though. In the next hour I will have moved the ship to a secure location. You must talk to the planet to find out where I have hidden it before we leave this planet. May the Force be with you.

 

With that Gavin left his apprentice to his meditation. As promised in the next hour the ship was moved many times to add to his padawan's assignment. While he waited Gavin sat and meditated, wondering if his apprentice would pick up on the sudden gathering of the Force.

[Ulan]

Ulan accepted Gavin's words into his mind. It was an odd sensation to hear a voice other than his own inside his head, but the Force eased his sensitivity to the vulnerability. The great energy flowed all around him. He could feel the presence of his master drawing farther away until at last Gavin had walked beyond Ulan's reach.

 

In a moment, see you I will, thought Ulan.

 

The small green man stretched out with his feelings and spent an hour or more simply searching the Force, listening to the world around him, and feeling the ripples of energy flowing inside the caves. His mind stretched back to the last place he had seen Gavin's ship. Mold and bio particles in the soil where the vessel had sat told Ulan what he already knew; the ship had moved, but he could feel the hint of a trail. Apprently, everything, even metal, inanimate objects left ripples in the Force, and these ripples Ulan knew he could follow, hopefully to a final destination.

 

Walking through the caves with his mind focused, Ulan searched for the ship. Often times he would think he had stumbled upon it, but upon arrival he would find the ship's presence lurking but its body absent. Finally, he settled on a location that took a significant amount of time for his short limbs to walk to. A chasam stretched between himself and the destination he longed to reach.

 

Test my abilities I must.

 

Ulan reached downwards into his inner being and harnessed all the power of the Force that he could manage. He thrust his stubby legs upward and propelled himself into the air with speed and grace, flipping swiftly, and finally landing twenty feet away on the opposite side of the abyss. His eyes grew big and his heart raced with amazement at the feat.

 

Suddenly, a wave of something stronger than he had ever been able to feel hit him. Apparently he was headed in the right direction and had finally came within range to feel whatever lay hidden at Gavin's chosen destination for Ulan. The short green man picked up the pace urging his tiny limbs to run. Using the Force, he pushed his muscles harder, faster, and longer than he had ever thought possible. He hopped and bounced over stalagtites and mites and raced around bends in the caves until the sensation began to overwhelm him.

 

At the end of a tunnel Ulan could see a light. It was the same place from which the Force's energy seemed to be expanding. He had found the source of the ripples, but something told him to take caution upon approach. He walked at a normal pace until finally he came out into a large room, standing on a ledge above Gavin's ship. Ulan felt slightly proud of having achieved the task, but all the pride was washed away by the power of the Force present in the cavern.

[Gavin Ryaro]

As soon as the new presence entered the chamber Gavin felt it. With how connected he currently was to the Force it would have been impossible not to. He slowly severed the connection letting the slight feeling of euphoria slip away into the current of the Force. It had been too long since he had been able to immerse himself into the Force and it had felt wonderful to be able to once again establish the relationship. Slowly looking up, Gavin finally spoke.

 

"You have done well my apprentice, and there is not much more for me to teach you. All of the basics you will have to build on on your own time through your own methods. Now it is time that we leave for another planet. I'm sure you will realize it when we reach it, but for now it will remain a mystery. Come now, it is time for us to depart."

 

With that Gavin stood and sauntered up the lowered ramp. He began prepping his ship and before long the pair were breaking through the atmosphere and blasting off into hyperspace.

 

((Go ahead and make a post in hyperspace and we'll do a few things there, then we'll be ready to come out over Ilum.))

[BLACK1]

Executor-class Star Dreadnaught - Solemn Harbinger

54 Missile Boats

90 TIE/D Defender

 

10 Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer

38 TIE/D Defender (each)

10 Missile Boats (each)

 

2 Venator-class Star Destroyer

145 Missile Boats (each)

275 TIE/D Defender (each)

 

2 Interdictor-class Cruisers

 

7 Lancer-class frigate

 

My fleet as it stands now, though, since the new fleet rules have yet to be fully implemented or play tested, I doubt that we will be using this system quite yet. For now, we'll have to revert to the old style of PC deaths to sum up fleet battles, but I will show no mercy to those who express absolutely no effort in commanding their ships. Just because the ships don't technically matter right now doesn't mean they are completely disregarded in the story. Let's keep this real, gentlemen (and ladies). Or at least as real as we can be in Star Wars.

 

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Black out. They could be the only two words passing through the minds of those working the shipyard in high orbit above Sullust, and equally to those on the planet below. The Imperial fleet swarmed in out of the infinite of space and immediately cut communications. The Interdictors were first to activate, pulling tight the web of communication free security over the unsuspecting tongues and ears of the Republic personnel that happened to be unlucky enough to be caught in the first wave. Several of the Capital ships, too, moved forward into a more imposing positions, wasting no time to deploy the bulk of their fighters the moment they exited hyperspace. The fighters ran defensive paths around the ships of their berth while awaiting for a target to present itself. The rest of Section One went unnoticed, holding back until they were needed.

 

Aboard the Solemn Harbinger, it took only a slight wave of his hand for the Emperor to command a communicator to his hand. Long range communication had been cut with the black out, but short range worked well enough to issue demands.

 

"To both the citizens of Sullust, and any Republic dogs that happened to be present. The Empire is taking command of this planet and its peripheral organizations and businesses. You have one hour to comply, or I will lay the planet to waste." There was no malice, no hint of contempt in his voice, only calm ruthlessness that set in at the dawn of battle. Maybe there wouldn't even be fighting today, but that was something his mind was incapable of believing.

 

"Oh, and my fighters are patroling your air space above orbit, so don't try to escape, or send out a distress signal in some crude fashion. It will cause more deaths than necessary."

[Onderin Starlisk]

With a multiple flicker of pseudomotion, the huge Republic command battlegroup emerged from hyperspace, not a single message having been sent from the surface of Sullust to ask for assistance. Onderin Starlisk, aboard his command ship, the Paragon, immediately took in the situation and understood that Sullust would most likely suffer for his arrival. But this was war, and sacrifices had to be made in order defeat the enemy.

 

A goal to which end he had brought the following ships:

1 Star Defender command ship (12 squads of fighters) -- Paragon

9 MC90a Star Cruisers (6 squads of fighters apiece)

10 Lancer frigates

3 Interdictor cruisers

5 Quasar-Fire carriers (6 squads of fighters apiece)

Total: 96 squadrons of fighters, or 1152 fighters, a mix of E-wings, X-wings, K-wings and A-wings.

 

The Interdictors and Quasar-Fires immediately set up a perimeter, being more vulnerable to attack. The Star Cruisers began to spread out in clusters as well to both be able to contribute to the battle and protect the weaker ships. The Lancers served to protect the bigger ships from fighter attacks and receive their protection from Star Destroyers.

 

"Launch fighters," Admiral Onderin Starlisk ordered. "Have them set up a screen. Open a comm to the Imperial flagship Solemn Harbinger."

 

"Comm's open, sir."

 

"Emperor Black, why have you come here? Is it war you really want?" Onderin demanded. Perhaps there was still a chance this wouldn't come to trading blows again. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. If this was a result of the sabotage of the Sith Temple Onderin had just heard about, Black needed to hear about some of the things the Republic had endured since the treaty...

[BLACK1]

The enemy had shown up en mass as Black had predicted. At a glance, the Emperor reasoned that the Republic ships currently visible were about the maximum ships anyone would send to one possible attack. The attack at Selvaris would have also drawn attention by now, leaving the Republic two separate engagements to handle at once. Figuring in patrol patterns, and standing formations before the Imperial assault, all the numbers in the reports Black had received from his turncoat had proved correct. What they saw there was roughly the most Onderin could spare at the moment. Any more and his fleet would be stretched too thin.

 

The Republic fleet had come out of hyperspace in one ugly lump, feebly attempting to form some semblance of a formation by spreading his ships out in a wide, single line. It certainly covered more area, but it would create pockets in any normal battle. While ships maneuvered through the tide of battle, dodging and weaving through volleys while delivering their own, their fleet would eventually get far to spread out from one another, creating large gaps between fighter screens from one capital to another. The formation would serve to turn a short, bloody battle into a long, drawn out one.

 

Their fighter screen began to spread out from their hives, a most impressive sight compared to the few ships Black had brought thus far. Launching an offensive now would cause a heavy tole on the few Imperial ships already present, taking a heavy blow while waiting for reinforcements farther outside the planet's orbit to get into position. No. For now, the wisest option was to wait, and see how things went.

 

A sigh escaped him as he leaned back in his command chair, curious as to how Onderin had amassed his fleet so quickly. Perhaps they too had been running drills, but reports didn't mention anything of the sort. Waiting, always more waiting. Despite his wiser side's advice, his finger found it's way to the small console of buttons next to him.

 

"Admiral Starlisk, you're rather prompt this evening. Good. I had sent a boy to request a meeting with Master Darkfire and yourself a month or so back, but I never got any word from either of you. So, I figured this would be the quickest way to get your attention. Are you ready to talk now, Admiral, or would you like a little more time? Your Sullustians have....thirty-eight minutes to spare, is that enough?"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin raised an eyebrow when Black showed his willingness to talk. Once again, the Admiral was glad that the current Emperor wasn't like some of the others he had fought against in his time, like the mentally unstable Jidai Geki or the obsessive Phillep. It was quite refreshing, actually.

 

Away from the comm, he gave the order to recall the fighters, to pull them close around the capital ships. If he didn't need a preliminary assault, he wasn't going to order one. For now, however, his formation would stick. The Interdictors remained silent--he wasn't particularly worried about the Empire escaping the engagement.

 

Now he returned to the comm. "Yes, your messenger reached me, eventually, but the Grandmaster Darkfire was engaged in business that made her extremely difficult to find. In fact, I believe I found her before your messenger. We were just about to leave for your meeting when I got a report that the Sith Temple had been sabotaged by some unknown force and you had left Coruscant.

 

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out where you were going," he explained. "But if you're starting this again because of the Sith Temple, I had nothing to do with it. If I find out that a Jedi was responsible, measures will be taken to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

"Furthermore, Imperial Intelligence apparently isn't as good as it once was, or else you'd know about the three Sith attacks Republic worlds have undergone since the treaty, all by Sith. I was at least waiting for our meeting before going to war over these conflicts, so that you could explain your role in these before I start this bloody war all over again."

 

How the Emperor responded to this was significant. Onderin had played his political hand, and if Black decided to push the war now, there was really nothing else the Jedi Master could do to stop it. But there was a chance that Black would see that he was as much at fault as the Republic for breaking that treaty--that is, not at all.

[BLACK1]

Black sat quietly in his chair as Onderin rattled off one excuse after another, even going so far as to claim he too had been the victim of the Sith. That may have been true, but it completely missed the point he was trying to make.

 

"That's all well and good, Admiral, but when I said I wanted to talk, I meant in private. We can meet on your ship or mine, it doesn't matter. I don't think think you would jeopardize peace just to take me out aboard your ship."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin ran through the scenarios in his head. If he went aboard the Star Destroyer, it would be an act of good faith, but if things went sour, his fleet would be in a tight spot. Similarly, he didn't want to ask Black to come aboard his own flagship and give anyone the chance of ruin everyone's day. Therefore, there had to be a neutral location.

 

"Yes, meeting in person is ideal. I'm going to get aboard a shuttle by myself and fly into the middle of the divide between our fleets. You do the same, and we'll dock and meet in neutral conditions."

 

((I'll just assume you agree to move this along....))

 

When the message was sent, the Admiral did as he had suggested, going to the hangar quickly and boarding a Lambda-class shuttle. He didn't know if the clock was still ticking on Sullust in the minds of the Imperials, but the negotiations would be short--he had already delivered most of the point.

 

He made sure the shuttle was stocked with the data from the recent Sith attacks, then launched and flew out into the divide with an escort that went about halfway before turning back.

[ObliviousKnight]

Hot on the heels of the Republic's Admiral, Armiena Darkfire arrived at Sullust only a few minutes after the fleet he lead appeared out of hyperspace. Uncharacteristically, the Jedi Grandmaster did not immediately engage her ship in what threatened to turn into an onslaught, but instead prowled along the perimeter of the fleet like a predatory cat. Her silence was not without cause; even an ordinary person would have been able to detect her cold resentment, the burned-out embers of what had been a brushfire of anger.

 

After all, she realized that she was probably witnessing the death of the galaxy's only realistic hope for peace in years””and this war had already separated her from her husband, and now her son, and possibly any chance she had of living a relatively normal life.

 

”œI should probably let you know, Arlan,”

[Arlan Vass]

Arlan nodded, his gaze still fixated on the Republic's fleet. He had never seen one this close before, and would have taken the time to admire it further if it wasn't for the sense of urgency that came along with their being there. They hadn't come to Sullust to sight-see; they had come to negotiate with the Emperor. Or, if it came down to it, fight against him.

 

He was silent for a few moments, before he realized that Armiena had spoken to him. He managed to tear his eyes away from the hulking mass of ships and cruisers, and have them meet his master's. ”˜Misleading' would be the incorrect term to define her smile. ”˜Forced', was the better word. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, she couldn't keep the sadness of having to leave her son behind out of her eyes. She was doing her best to keep from showing him how emotional she was being about the entire thing, though even if she wasn't, he couldn't blame her. While he didn't know what it was like to have to leave a child of his behind, he certainly knew what it was like to lose a parent. Armiena loved Aidan, and she wanted the absolute best for him. He, in no way, could not blame her for not following every way of the Jedi. Still, she was dedicated to the Republic and bringing peace to the galaxy, that much he knew.

 

”œI understand.”

[BLACK1]

"Yes, meeting in person is ideal. I'm going to get aboard a shuttle by myself and fly into the middle of the divide between our fleets. You do the same, and we'll dock and meet in neutral conditions."

 

The screen faded to black. Nothing left to say, so nothing left to discuss, apparently. His hands cradled in front of him, the Emperor sat with his head lowered as he sat in contemplation of what just happened. Turning to his aide, Black spoke in a hushed voice.

 

"Spread word throughout the fleet. On my mark."

 

The young officer only nodded before firing off the first round of orders to the communication's officers. In a few moments, Black ordered that a message be sent directly to the Admiral's shuttle. Once accepted, the Admiral would see a small holographic version of the Emperor, sitting expectantly serene.

 

"Admiral Starlisk, before I begin negotiations, I wanted to clear something up with you, if you don't mind. When someone humbly offers another the option of making a decision on the behalf of both parties, there are two ways to answer the courtesy. You may either accept it, and make the decision, or regretfully decline. Not create a third option, and settle on it without asking my opinion."

 

The hologram shifted in its seat momentarily before continuing on.

 

"For negotiations, I must warn you that the dialect I will be using this evening is missiles."

 

As one, eight hundred missiles flew from the nests aboard ships throughout the Imperial fleet. Even ships that had not yet been present jumped from hyperspace and surrounded the Republic fleet from many different and obscure angles, their target feed to them and programmed into their targeting arrays just before getting in range. From all over the battle field, the missiles raged toward the Admiral's shuttle like seeds of destruction, each vying for the promise of purpose.

 

<>

 

"Put me through to the Republic Flagship....De facto Republic Admiral, now both you and the Sullustians have fourteen minutes to agree to a complete and utter surrender, or I will destroy you with both the ships infront of you, and the ones surrounding you from behind, below, and above. See you in....thirteen minutes."

 

"Emperor, we have an unidentified ship along the parameter of the Republic Fleet."

 

"Put it through the database."

 

After a few minutes of inquiry, the computer returned with results. "Seems to be the Ghost Breath, last seen in Imperial space docked at the Spire for the peace conference a few months back. Registered to Armiena Draygo Darkfire."

 

"Patch me through." Again, a small holographic image of the Emperor sat on his holographic throne on the projector aboard the Grandmaster's ship. "Unexpected to see you here, Master Darkfire. I expected you to stay at your temple on Gala. You must see me as a bigger threat than I thought."

 

The hologram sat silent for a moment, almost studying those present to hear the message. "I suppose it'll be a tad overkill now that you're not there."

 

((OOC: Armiena, since you arrived seperately from the Republic fleet, I don't believe you can take command of the fleet in the event that Onderin dies (not that he necessarily has quite yet), but rather you would act as a peripherial combatant. I think command would fall to the only other Republic PC present, which from reading back on the Gala-Alliance Base thread, was Kalphehn Drakiel in this post.))

[ObliviousKnight]

This was betrayal. More likely, this was exactly what Black wanted, may the dar'mando'ad rot in a unique cell in the hell of every creed in the galaxy. However, he might not get his chance to elmininate the leadership of the Republic's military in one fell swoop, as the gravity well projectors of the Interdictor cruisers were only returning to their previous positions, having been used to pull the Empire's reserves out of hyperspace in a tactic straight out of Thrawn's playbook.

 

No cruiser would be able to accelerate quickly enough to exploit the gap. Even starfighters piloted by ordinary individuals might not have been able to react quickly enough, but she, blessed (or cursed) with the short-term prescience of the Force, might be able to pull it off”¦

 

And abandon the Republic's fleet? Sacrifice her reputation as a warrior of boundless courage; risk being branded a coward for making the strategically sound choice? Even risk the hated of the Republic and her military to live to fight again, to have a chance of seeing her son in the galaxy he deserved to grow up in?

 

Armiena glanced at the flimsi picture of her son on one of the cockpit's unused control boards””the absurdly cute smile, the eyes that might have been scooped out of her own skull (even if looked more like his father). Then she glanced at the holo of Black that rose from her handheld holoprojector, nothing but cold contempt reflected in her expression.

 

For Aidan, she could do that. Easily. Armiena performed an about-face with the Ghost Breath that strained the ship's hull, sending a groan of protesting rivets through its corridors.

 

”œBlack, I was on the verge of retiring. I was about to turn in my security clearance, start living my own life, but”¦ I am Groots like you and the Sith won't let me. You just keep dragging me back into this damn war””teach me everything that I need to know about being a Jedi, that we need fools like me that let themselves give up their chance to”¦”

[Onderin Starlisk]

Well isn't this nice, Onderin Starlisk thought when more Imperial ships suddenly showed up and opened up with missiles on his position. He immediately knew that, in this moment, it would take nearly a miracle to get him out of the situation alive--it would at least take the sum of his skills and talents, which may end up being inadequate.

 

Switching his comm to Republic frequecies, he hoped he had a few miracles saved up from the Force.

 

That hope aside, his brain started working. The Empire had chosen to fire missiles instead of turbolaser blasts, which created a unique situation--the missiles would track him and seek towards him, but they were much slower than bolts of dangerous light, so it would take several seconds for them to reach him, and even then not all at the same time.

 

Since they were coming from all directions, he couldn't simply turn away from them and give himself plenty of extra time, but he could buy the most time possible by heading away from the thickest of the barrage--the part of the Imperial fleet that was over Sullust.

 

Turning away from those missiles, he blasted the shuttle to full throttle. It wasn't as fast as some of the quicker snubfighters, but it had respectable speed when pushed to its limits, and there was no call for the Admiral to hold back on his speed because there were no obstacles around which to maneuver.

 

He picked his angle to take him a bit below the plane upon which his own fleet was situated, then gave his body to the Force and his mind to his years of experience. He had been flying a long time, having ample experience with an X-wing squadron before rising to a rank that no longer required such direct skirmishing, and even since then he had remained practiced. It was this skill that he was relying on second to his status as a Jedi Master and the strong connection to the Force he had never ceased to build over the many years of his time in the order.

 

Though heading away from the bulk of the missiles, he was rapidly closing with others from Imperial ships with different positions, and now these required his full attention. He entered a barrel roll and the Force took over. As missiles reached his craft--not all at once--the wings of the shuttle passed so near to the warheads that proximity warnings went off throughout the shuttle, though Onderin barely heard them, such was his level of concentration.

 

Still, the warheads each, in turn, missed, and then had to loop around in a long arc before they could return to pursuing him. After several intense seconds of this, the vast majority of the missiles were behind him. "Open fire on the missiles," he strained voice said into his comm, set to his fleet's frequency.

 

Now that the missiles were behind him, the ideal positioning of the fleet enabled them to open fire with full force into the oncoming barrage of warheads, the angle of Onderin's craft making sure that any shot in the vicinity would be certain to strike at least one of the missiles. Now turbolaser bolts streamed in past Onderin's shuttle, some so close that he could feel the air heat up around him. When one missile detonated, it took others with it.

 

Some missiles weren't behind him, so he continued to evade them, once or twice even calling on the Force to deflect one, amusingly exactly the thing he had done way back when he was an apprentice under Master Keiran as an exercise of his faith in the Force and telekinetic aptitude.

 

After a minute of this intense dance between the missiles, the extreme majority of them had been destroyed, and still he danced away from them, always at the last moment before they would destroy him curving away at the behest of the Force, buying him the best possible time before they could return. "Now fighters," he said, his voice suddenly calmer, reflecting the near-trance into which he had fallen.

 

Fighters swarmed out--fast E-wings and A-wings that could intercept and destroy the remaining warheads. As soon as he crossed their incoming lines, he realized that it was over. Fighters all around were destroying the last of the missiles, and Onderin headed back towards his flagship, taking a deep breath, lifting his concentration at last and realizing that he was drenched with sweat.

 

He thanked the Force, but steeled himself. The war was really back, and this battle hadn't even begun.

 

((I'll notify a mod.))

[Dagon]

Killshot granted