Open Invasion Love Letter

[Charlotte Le'Anna]

She could feel it. So, close she wanted to give in. The hum of the Darkside shoved deep below the surface. For the first time in years, it called to her. The Chaos pushing her ever forward. Unbalanced. That’s what the Jedi would say. Madness by others. For Charlotte, she finally felt alive again. Purpose beat through her veins. A purpose she had neglected for far too long. She played the stupid games. And what had she won? Ever increasingly dumb prizes. The utterly worthless respect of people she would rather see dead.

Raze had set her free and in turn the Consortium flourished. Charlotte hated the lies the galaxy told. Even the Empire had become a disgusting shadow of its heights. That slow march towards death once the real power had left. Now Andruil was truly gone. Killed by the Empire she had built. Charlotte refused to suffer a similar fate.

She sat in her throne room aboard the Ascent. The Battle Dragon that served as her royal flag ship. The dress was gone. Replaced with far more practical gear. She wore slim fitting garments, ready for war. An impossibly large smile spread across her face. The warning bells sounding as the fleet dropped from hyperspace. The holocam flicked on.

Charlotte spread her arms wide. That smile never leaving. Her voice and airy. “Ah…my friends. I have come to see the Senator.” She flicked the coms off. Switching over to contact the bridge. “Get me a link the Aezz. He almost certainly will have something to say that we will all find riveting.” The Queen Mother sat back in her throne. Waiting.

OOC: We can figure out realistic fleet numbers once the opposition is all squared away.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

Charlotte Le'Anna hadn't wasted any time, but Kashyyyk had been preparing for invasion for years. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl had been aggressive in rebuilding the planet after it had been bombarded by the Sith; a resettlement program had brought refugees from across the galaxy, as well as many of the originally-displaced Wookiees, to Kashyyyk. The Jedi Order had been given a home on the planet, cementing ties between the Order and the Wookiees. Shield generators had been obtained from Rattatak to protect against orbital bombardment. The Kilik threat had even led the planet to purchase droids in the event of a ground invasion. The defenses didn't end there, either. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl had struck a deal with Clan Solus and had built a top-secret base on each of Kashyyyk's three moons, which lay silently in ambush for an attacking fleet. @Darasuum

And finally, there was the fleet, led by the battle-hardened Kashyyyk. Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's call to action had been enthusiastically responded to, by virtue of his high standing in the galactic scene. He had already proven capable of raising a massive fleet from an eclectic variety of worlds, and the recent broadcast in response to Charlotte had only increased the scope of his message; a swarm of other ships were gathered in the wake of his Holonet call. All the same, Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl had hoped that this day would never come; despite all of his efforts, his people faced death and destruction once again. But until the first shots were fired, the Wookiee held out hope that such bloodshed could be avoided.

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl also knew that the eyes of the galaxy were on him, and so his appearance reflected the composed, unbroken leader he knew that he had to be. The Senator of Kashyyyk was dressed in traditional Wookiee war attire, his fur sleek and shiny. He carried a Wroshyr staff that was as synonymous with his public image as his passionate speeches were. The evidence of his age was worn proudly in the greying of his fur- now almost white in some places- while his eyes were alight with intensity.

"Charlotte." Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl accepted the Queen Mother's call from the bridge of the Kashyyyk, solemnly addressing his counterpart. "It is not too late to choose another path."

The call for aid had been sent out again- more urgent than the Holonet address- Kashyyyk would not go quietly.

@Valen Pelora

OOC: I'm open to this being Flashpoint instead of an invasion to drive more opportunities for story from the wider community in other threads. I can throw together some plot hooks if that is the direction we decide to go.

Spoiler: Notes on defenses

Fleet TBD (likely similar if not larger than the one used to down the 5th Fleet), each of the bases are equivalent to a Guardian-class Defense Station

 

[The Storyteller]

THEME​

In a brief era of piece after war with the Sith Empire, the galaxy had not grown complacent. As governments fell, the bonds of history had only grown more important. Those who had helped for no reason than to help were not forgotten while the people rebuilt.

Aboard the Kashyyyk's bridge, a long-range transmission pestered at their comm staff. It came from a holo code that Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl wouldn't have seen for some time, now, but it most certainly wouldn't have been forgotten. After all, he'd often criticized its origin among the Galactic Senate. And when it came down to it, he answered it with aid without hesitation, without ever being asked.

A well-dressed Bothan gentleman would appear from the Star Destroyer's holographic display, sent via private point-to-point holowave transmission directly to Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's personal comm code. The Bothan's jacket and uniform were without a doubt those belonging to ISC Admiralty. Gloved fingers stroked the well-groomed mustache of fur on his face.

"This is ISC Fleet Admiral Drask Fey'lya. Apologies for the delayed reply, Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl; Apology accepted." Clearly visible in the Admiral's background was the bridge of a Consortium warship, the thrum of engines at lightspeed, and the rushing footfalls of crewmen moving to battlestations.

"We repay our debts. The cavalry's coming, Senator. Response fleet en route." And with that he placed his flawlessly pressed Admiral's cap overtop his meticulously styled head, hands folded neatly at his back. "President Thorne respectfully sends his regards. Fey'lya out."

Admiral Fey'lya's message ended there unless Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl had something to add. The message was clear: Kashyyyk had helped the ISC when they were invaded. The ISC would help the Wookiees in turn.

Drask Fey'lya's Krak'jya Strike Fleet was on the way.

@Valen Pelora @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Hauron Solus]

Spoiler: Music

Hauron had a sneaking suspicion the Queen Mother would come to Kashyyyk which was why he had planned ahead and prepared. A fleet of that size would have a hard time moving unnoticed and especially when the badger knew they had visited Corellia recently. It was somewhat predictable which hyperlanes and routes might be taken and come from the direction of the core. What’s more, the Hapan fleet was all together as far as he could tell, though there was a chance they could always get reinforced at an inconvenient time later. The Randon Run, the Durkteel Loop and the Great Kashyyyk Branch were but a few of the paths which Rancor Squadron had become familiar with in recent months. Now that familiarity paid off and allowed them to return quickly recollect their strength and maneuver into ambush positions.

Per the Solus Rally Master's orders after Charlotte's most recent Holobroadcast, Rancor Squadron flight elements would act as one of Kashyyyk’s early warning system. The moment the Hapan fleet had entered a neighboring system the Mandalorians would know about it and transmit their presence almost instantaneously back towards the Kashyyyk system. The capable sensors onboard the individual kom'rk and fang class starfighters would be more than enough to get a reading of the tremendous Hapan fleet before it arrived. The approaching invading forces may have noticed a flight element or two on their own scanners in the neighboring systems but before they could respond the small nimble starships would make jumps to hyperspace.

When the Hapan Navy exited hyperspace for the last time, there would not be any obvious sign of Rancor Squadron or any Mandalorian fleet for that matter. They would however, instead find the rest of the defensive forces clearly ready to stand up to the Queen Mother. The mercenary battle group had dozens of moons around Trandosha and Kashyyyk to hide amongst and as long as they kept their energy consumption in check they would not register on any scanners. There were plenty of other vehicles that traversed the system and including the overt defensive forces that rallied to Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl’s aid, finding the hidden Mandalorian force would be a difficult task. Senator Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl and only his trusted circle would have a line to Rancor Squadron. Aboard his flagship, Hauron watched and waited for a signal, or an opportune moment.

@Valen Pelora @SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: RS strength

RS would rally and be minimally powered up at this time to remain hidden from scanners.

• 3x - Modified Raider class Corvettes(s) - Kyramud, Ramikad, & Ramorir.
  • 1x (3) kom'rk fighter/transport compliment
  • 2x (6) fang interceptor compliment
• 1x - Modified Berex class Carrier - [1] - Dralaalar.
  • 9x - Kom'rk class fighter/transport -.
  • 34x - Fang class Interceptor -.

Note about capital ships. They have +10 to MGLT and not the listed +20. Don't want to edit the original submission yet since the ships are also being used in another ongoing thread here.

See Rancor Squadron writeup for secret moon base assets and AFC-1 starfighter defenses.

 

[Ty Reus]

Ty Reus had been away for too long... He had been away from the Order, trying to find himself. He was at Kashyyyk, working as a healer. That seems to be one thing he's good at if anything.

So much has changed in the galaxy. Just when things were starting to settle down in the galaxy, a new threat is on the rise. The Hapes Consortium under their madwoman of a Queen Mother have taken over Corellia and now she has ships above Kashyyyk? People did nothing at Corellia, and although Ty is just a Knight, has no fleet to back him up here, the Justiciar is not inclined to stand by and do nothing while at Kashyyyk. Kashyyyk has been a Jedi friendly planet for over one-hundred years, in recent times their Senator stood up for the Jedi time and time again, even that personal and political cost aboard to himself.

When the unmistakable silhouette of Hapan Battle Dragons became visible in the horizon, Ty hopped into his starfighter and then took off as soon as he was able to. He would he would fly towards the Kashyyyk. While doing so, he would send out a call for help on Jedi only communications. He gotten Aezz' call on his starfighter as well.

After closing in on the Kashyyyk system defense force, Ty would open a comms to the Senator (@Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl). "This is Jedi Knight Ty Reus. I'm here to assist in my starfighter. I have sent out a call to other Jedi forces." He said, hopefully more Jedi would answer, hopefully they would mobilize their fleet that hasn't been doing much if he had to be frank. "Permission for me to link up with one of your squadrons?" he would ask. Fighting against the Hapan fleet as a lone wolf would be a bad idea.

Ty sighed, hoping that this would come to a peaceful resolution.

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

It was lucky, honestly, that Rair received the call. In truth, she wouldn't be able to explain whether the luck was good or bad for a while yet, but at the time it simply was. She had finished another mission not so long before and decided to have some free time. Pushed from one mission to the next, she had been kept busy since becoming a knight and she was simply looking to process.

So when the call came and she was relatively in the area, she sighed and boarded her ship, Triage.

Rest and processing would come later. It was time to do her duty.

"Jedi Knight Rair here. The Order answers the call for our friends." the young knight transmitted as she entered the area. "I don't have much firepower, but I'm here to offer any help I can." Her courier skiff was meant for transport with the little weaponry it possessed being for self-defense. She could fight, and would, but when presented a better opening, the girl had every intention to be there for it.

----------------------------------------
Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

 

[Jon Callo]

Regardless of the Jedi Order's official stance on intergovernmental wars, Jon still felt more a Sector Ranger for the Free World's Alliance than a Jedi padawan. It had been pure coincidence that he had been on planet today for a training that was focused on him confronting a certain darkness on Kashyyyk's ground level, but when the Hapes fleet suddenly appeared into Orbit there was no doubt in the rodian's mind about what his actions would be. He wasn't there to protect the innocent. He was the ranger that would take this mad womand down.

Taking a seat in his own Stalwart Class Starfighter he was just in time to hear Knight Reus' request to link up, "make that two to link up. The Sector Rangers will never abandon Kashyyyk."

Jon knew of several old rangers living on Kashyyyk to aid the wookiees manage the refugee camps and provide safety and protection to the other planets in the system. The cartel presence on Trandosha was a known an worrisome development, after all, and one Jon had been mentally preparing to travel to. Why did he had to mentally prepare? Because it was known that Preef Callo was on Trandosha. Fortunately this battle provided ample distraction at the moment and soon his fighter lifted up from among the ancient Kashyyyk trees.

 

[Vako Yizok]

The wrong place at the wrong time had been a routine mantra of Vako and his gang of miscreant bandits. The word had been loud and clear that this Hapes Consortium was trying to take Kashyyyk. Vako had no real love of the Wookiees, but he had certainly done a lot of good work with Trandoshans. Altruism was not precisely his main reason for arriving.

Life was hard for syndicate thugs, and you could get a big target on your back playing hard ball in their territory. But getting involved in the struggles of galactic politics? That was a way to make some serious money, and acquire serious salvage hardware if the time was right.

Vako had come with the promise of payment, and it had been a good while since he had had the opportunity to shoot at something that did not just die.

The truth of the matter was Vako did not like the Hapes. Humans strutted around the galaxy like they were a galactic gift, and Hapens toated themselves as the creamiest of the crop. He did not like the Empire, and this Consortium acted like them but with a nonsensical message he could not understand.

If he did not understand it, that meant they were bad business. But that did not mean he wouldn't take credits when they were in play.

"Hold out here." He told the crew of the Belekon. They were maintaining a heavy distance. "Let's see how this plays and we'll see what we want to do."

Vako did not have much in the way of space forces, but on the ground... his crew was very valuable.

@Valen Pelora @SlagathorTheUnknown @Eccles @The Good Doctor @KaraLi @Darasuum

 

[Knight-Bot]

"STATEMENT: The Jedi Order's droids are with you as well." A certain lightsaber training droids responded on the comms. Having been assigned to Kashyyykk to help train the burgeoning community of Jedi who called the Wookiee planet home, Knight-Bot was more than willing to answer a call to arms.

Because, the truth was, Knight-Bot had been growing rather bored. The same Knights he'd been dueling with the past few weeks hadn't exactly been changing up their technique much and the curious droid was desperate for a chance to update his databanks with some new combatants.

Hopefully, they'd come. For now, he'd wrangled his astromech counterpart, and a handful of the Order's gonk power droids and taken up position near the shield generator. This capable repair team could repair and bolster the shields if necessary, while Knight-Bot woul protect them. A beat up old Y-Wing stood nearby in case Knight Bot needed to be taken to the skies.

 

[Charlotte Le'Anna]

OOC Notes: The Fleets are background flavor. Flash point threads to be found here.

Could her smile grow any wider? Look at them all arrayed against her. The little heroes of the galaxy. Staring down their morally perfect noses at the rest of them. A truly impressive collection of floundering failures that Aezz had collected. Was the Senator and his hoarded Jedi not best known for their repeated missteps. How adorable that they now banded together to face her. After years of failing to find cohesion, it was her power that brought them together.

Oh yes, her smile could grow wider. For years she had searched for that influence. She played by their rules. Hiding her true self. What a terrible mistake that had been. Charlotte was free of her chains. Free to be what her heart desired. That freedom had bred an incredible power. One the galaxy slowly began to fear. One that evoked such a passionate response. She clicked her tongue as Aezz appeared.

"And what path would that be, Aezz? The same one we walked together all those years?" She shook her head. Almost laughing. Mad they called her now. "Where did that take us? Onderon attacked, the Empire spreading like wild fire, your world burned. Such success we had as the Free Worlds collapsed around us. Did we not fail at every turn?" The fleet were moving into position. Word carrying across of movements around Kashyyyk and across the galaxy.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Hauron Solus]

Hauron sat in his command chair onboard the Dralaalar yet to move from his position of contemplation and observance. The Solus was doing one of the most difficult things a badger could do and waited. The Hapan fleet loomed in the distance and the high definition scopes of Rancor Squadron allowed the Mandalorian battlegroup to watch from their hidden positions.

A lieutenant on the quiet bridge of the Dralaalar reported to both the Captain of the vessel and the Group Leader. <"The Assassin, Besieger and Commando each have reports of issues with their main engines. They're fixing them but need a few minutes before they can be ready to engage."> Hauron heard the news and nodded. <"Keep me updated."> He replied, knowing there was not much else they could do at this time.

The Mikkian Mandalorian should have expected this sort of thing to happen, but it was better now than in the middle of a battle. Two of the Raiders had suffered damage after the events over and on Ploo IV. Even after repairs were made Hauron did not want to put the ships in unnecessary danger. However when the Hapan Fleet came to Kashyyyk Hauron did not think twice about answering the call and calling all hands on deck.

@Valen Pelora @SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: ooc

Power redistribution mods have been removed from the capital ships since they aren't compatible after their latest update. Instead the raider corvettes and the berex carrier have thrust delimiters and fusial afterburners. Since they haven't moved yet in this thread I'm going to have them just do some temporary repairs to represent the temperamental nature of the modifications post-Ploo IV thread. This post doesn't amount to much ;-P

 

[Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl]

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl didn't want to put the Queen Mother on hold, but the ISC was calling- and that had to take precedence. They'd sent a fleet helmed by what had to be their most sharply-dressed admiral. "Fleet Admiral Fey'lya, you have my- and Kashyyyk's- eternal thanks for your noble response. Please give President Thorne my gratitude, and tell him that I look forward to celebrating Life Day with him on Kashyyyk." @Mr. Teatime @Sreeya This done, the Senator returned his attention to the Hapan Fleet.

There was a time when comments like that of the Queen Mother would've stoked Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl's rage; he was a Wookiee, after all, and their pride was as well-documented as their strength. But if Charlotte expected to get a rise out of the aged Senator, she would be sorely mistaken as Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl nodded along with her words.

"You're right. We failed. The path that we walked did not work, and it allowed evil to flourish unchecked. It led to untold suffering across the galaxy." Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl could practically feel the significance of the moment as he drew himself up to his full height; so many pieces were suddenly falling into place. "But where you have decided to throw your lot in with those who use force to conquer others, I've chosen to stand against such evils. The 'different path' I was referring to is one where tyranny such as yours is not tolerated." The investments he'd made in upgrading Kashyyyk's defenses, along with forging alliances, were finally paying off; instead of watching helplessly as an enemy fleet rained death onto his planet, the Wookiee Senator now led a massive fleet of his own; to say nothing of the many brave individuals who had pledged their assistance to the fight. @The Good Doctor @Darasuum @KaraLi @Eccles

Aezzairrfhowrrhudrrl fixed the Queen Mother with a stare he'd spent over four centuries perfecting. "Make no mistake; the only reason I accepted your transmission was to tell you that I will agree to nothing less than your unconditional surrender. You have two minutes to power down all non-vital systems on your ships."

"What is your choice, Queen Mother?" @Valen Pelora