The Invasion of Altratonne

[Dmitri]

Full image credit goes to GrahamTG on Deviantart.com

The Invasion of Altratonne

The unthinkable happened. The crowning governmental jewel of the Sith Brotherhood, the Moff Council, had been decimated. Betrayed by one of their own, Malak Arphas. Few Moffs remained, many thanking absence from the ill-fated. The emperor was mortally wounded, though Darth Andredd had heard reports he would survive. However, the Sith had no intention of letting Arphas match that fate. A death sentence had been decreed on Arphas.

Boz Pity and several other worlds south of the Saleucami Protectorate, forming the Boz Pity Protectorate, temporarily under the command of Moff Andredd. The Ash Worlds, primarily Handooine, have resisted assimilation so far. However, trade between Anzat and Saleucami has become increasingly taxing, due to foreign aid by the Republic and reportedly Jedi. In order to solve the problem once and for all, Moff Malak Arpha was tasked with subjugating Handooine. Over the course of a month, Moff Arpha had transferred much of his powerbase to Handooine, solidifying control of the planet, delaying in annexing it to the empire. With Malak Arpha's betrayal, it has become apparent Malak had no intention of bringing Handooine under the empire's reign. Seeking revenge for the death of the Grand Moff and most of the Moff Council, the empire has chosen to hunt Malak and his powerbase with extreme prejudice. However, intelligence gathered by SIN indicates Malak Arpha fled to Handooine after the bombing of the Moff Council. In order to target Handooine without spooking Malak, the empire is unable to swarm Handooine directly with overwhelming force. As such, acting Grand Moff Andredd has a plan to weave a way to the heart of Malak Arpha's powerbase.

With the assistance of Moff Vrist, Grand Moff Andredd seeks to strike Handooine from Altratonne. However, if the planet manages to send out a warning, the operation is at risk of failure. Luckily, the planet is plagued by solar flares that interfere with communications. Taskeed has a radar system that includes monitoring Altratonne's solar flares. Its data could be used by the Sith to calculate when the next solar flare will occur. However, that same radar system makes striking Taskeed tricky. Instead, Grand Moff Andredd sent Lady Cailleach and Caduceus to Jabiim to steal the data using the mercenaries' communication hub. The operation was a success and the Sith Directorate had calculated the next solar flare.

Tau Lu, alor of the deserter Clan Lu, was ordering additional supplies from Czerka Corporation when the solar flare struck. Her transmission ceased, and a vexation-fueled headache began to form. However, as she scanned the sky, hoping the solar flare ended before the moon peaked its head, something appeared in the sky. It was certainly no moon. No, it was an Empyreal-class Star Destroyer. Shouting for her brethren to take arms, Tau Lu grabbed her armor and stormed out of her home, nestled next to the Altratonne HoloNet Receiver.

* * *

The Icarus descended from the Star Destroyer, flying towards the Altratonne colony. The Star Destroyer and its Ziost Hunter contingency was succeeding in neutralizing any fleeing ships. However, though small, the colony evidently was not going down without a fight. SIN had uncovered information that a Death Watch remnant, Clan Lu, had been stationed on the planet during Prudii Kyramud's reign, acting as a fuel depot for ships flying from Roon to Mandalore. After Kyramud's death, Clan Lu had refused to enter Minister Almec's fold. Instead, it defied all superpowers, claiming Mandalorian supremacy answered to no one. Grand Moff Andredd and Moff Vrist, about the Icarus, held little fear in Lu's capabilities. The invasion would succeed. Clan Lu lacked the necessary defenses. Instead, it was a battle of attrition. The commanders were aware that timing was key and if they failed to neutralize the enemy, warning would be sent out, and the entire Handooine campaign would become more complex, risking Malak Arphas' escape.

The shuttle held several soldiers, but the Grand Moff primarily had his attention on the Sithspawn Len'Raz. The Sith had been an addition hand-picked by the Chiss Moff, who had employed the Sith on Vjun in the past. The triumvirate descended as angels of death ready to end Tau Lu and stop her from sending warning to Malak Arphas and Vallana Krass.

@TheMorrigan @Simonev (@Malon is NPCing)​

 

[TheMorrigan]

The gentle turbulence of the craft approaching the landing zone interrupted Vrist's Stratagem. He had thought up hundreds of differing scenarios, thousands of negative and positive possibilities and outcomes. This mission was one of the few Vrist has little to no time to prepare for. He was suited up in his modified black Shocktrooper armor. He uncharacteristically weilded a blaster rifle in these particular circumstances, with his trademark pistol and electroblade at his side. Beside him where various Imperial Stormtroopers and personnel. However, the beings that truly interested him where those he was assigned to work with. Len'Raz was a Sithspawn, a strange and rare creation borne of Sith Sorcery. A prime example of his beliefs that the Force should be used only as a tool.To the beings credit, he did not choose his fate, and had made the most of his accursed existence. And the other was his commanding officer. Grand Moff Andredd was an enigma. This was the first time they met. This was also his first act as Moff, immediately aiding Andredd in his hunt for the traitorous Malak Arpha. He could not, for the life of him, understand his leader. Hopefully this mission would answer some questions. As for addressing Andredd, there was further confusion. He was a superior officer, but also a Moff. Should he act as though they were equals? For the time being he would keep to protocol, there was no need for unnecessary drama.

He nodded calmly to the Sithspawn, and turned to Andredd.

"Excuse the question, Sir, but will capturing Tau Lu be a priority? That will greatly affect any strategy going forward."

@Simonev @Dmitri

 

[Simonev]

A low growl came out of the beast's heavy armor as the Black Trooper spoke to them, it wasnt one of approval...

The capture of Clan Lu Chief is too risky for being a viable tactic, the Mandalorians would fight much more fiercely knowing their leader is imprisoned by the enemy, Mandalorians will not kneel, that's why we will break them.

As the Spawn spoke it's eyes became as blue as a cloudless sky, his voice went from a beastly growl to a culturate, low-pitched tone, almost cocky in its attitude as he looked at the Stormtroopers present before him, undoubtedly sensing their fear of such a being.
The Sith was personally chosen by the Moff for this mission, but he didn't perceive it as some kind of "honor", the Beast accepted only for one reason, releasing his restrains, seeing the true destruction capabilities of this body, without any voice, not even his very own influencing his actions.
For this he brought his entire arsenal with himself, from his black heavy armor to the two Blaster pistols present on his hip, but most intriguing of all were his Bladed Shields, they standed out from the rest of the set with their silver color and golden sparks that were sometimes released from them, they were not made of any particularly strange material, these were Forge Forged, imbued with the very force that was present in his veins...

Everything both the troopers and the Moff would see today, the glorious slaughter of Clan Lu...they will not forget it so easily.

 

[Dmitri]

Darth Andredd cared little for sniveling. It was quite apparent the Sith were the superior beings in the galaxy, but that was due to potential. If not fully used, then a Sith was no better than someone else. Many Sith choose to give the illusion of superiority, bullying subordinates into being docile and afraid. But fear was not pain. Pain was evidence that one was alive, but fear sought to avoid it. To belittle the Forceless was to remove potential talent and opinions that could improve a battle or scenario. He didn't require to belittle others to know he was superior. As such, he tended to listen to the words of others without outright dismissing them. The Chiss for example inquired if Tau Lu should be captured or not. He didn't believe it necessary, but he knew where the Moff's concerns came from. Clan Lu was a remnant of the Death Watch, the Mandalorian elements that had once worked for the Brotherhood prior to Almec's ascension. Needless slaughtering of one of the few Death Watch cells left sent a message indicating the empire no longer was friendly with the Death Watch survivors. However, Tau Lu had already demonstrated her clan's stance in the sand by not coming to the empire's aid when operations first began to take the Ash Worlds.

"If the opportunity arises to capture her, it is permitted," Darth Andredd granted. "However, she and her clan failed to demonstrate willingness to join our fold when under Moff Arphas our forces first began taking the Ash Worlds. She is no ally. Her death sends a signal to other Death Watch survivors that the empire is no longer friendly to them, but Tau Lu sent her ultimatuum already. I will not shed tears for her passing, nor waste resources trying to take her alive. If she can be captured without harming the operations, it may be done, but as Len'Raz notes, they will not kneel quickly."

Less than a minute later, the shuttle landed near the HoloNet Transmitter. When the first trooper exited the shuttle an unseen blaster bolt struck the trooper. He wasn't dead, only painfully wounded. For most, it would heighten panic and motivate someone to try to help the man, but Darth Andredd was no regular Sith. He relished on the pain, letting it feed him, intoxicating with the euphoria of life. Alas, the unseen attacker was an issue.

After one of his compatriots shouted, "Sniper!", Darth Andredd reached for his lightsaber. He extended his senses, and identified the sniper near the water tower a distance a way. There was several buildings that painted a trail toward the water tower, but it was not fully covered path. Addressing the Moff and beast, he said "I'll draw their fire. Make a break for it and go after the sniper." With those words, the Grand Moff disembarked the shuttle with an ignited blade. Focusing on the sniper, he judged when the sniper would shoot next. When he sensed it coming, Darth Andredd swung his blade, swatting the bolt away. The distance was too great to accurately deflect back at the sniper. He would hope his compatriots could take out the sniper.

 

[TheMorrigan]

Vrist felt the air was thick with tension as the Sithspawn coldly replied to his inquiry. He supposed most beings would be intimidated by Len'Raz' unique vocal pattern. He was not. Andredd replied shortly after, a straightforward and reasonable answer. Vrist made up his mind that should an opportunity to take Tau Lu prisoner present itself without jeopardizing the mission, he would take it. Not only could this be used as leverage in the manipulation of Death Watch survivors, but could lead to further information surrounding Malak Arphas and his location.

The doors creaked open and hit the dirt with
a resounding thud, and as the first trooper hit the ground, so too did a blaster bolt bury itself in his chest. Vrist winced as he felt the man go down, but could feel his life force fading. The shot was not fatal, as the scream of agony suggested, but the man would not live long without a medic. Leveling his blaster forward as he heard Andredd's command to advance, Vrist instructed a medic to assist the soldier and moved along the walls, searching with the Force for the sniper's location, feeling Andredd's ppeer probing as well. The sniper's life force was a few clicks away, on a water tower.

"Sniper on the water tower, 2 o'clock Northwest. Stay low, and stick to cover! Get that soldier back on the shuttle and patch him up!"

With his blaster rifle, it was a long shot. But not with the Force. Vrist let his senses expand and found a pebble, no bigger than a grain of sand. He snarled within his helmet and launched it at the sniper. Such a tiny object caused little stress to utilize telekinetically. But travelling at this speed and trajectory, it would reach a heat the could burn right through an unshielded starship. His theory was confirmed as he felt the sniper's pain. It wasn't a fatal attack, but enough to allow their men to advance.

"Move forward, cautiously, and stick to cover. Take a shot only if you have a target in sight, and be sure to confirm the kill."

He knew the Sith where already aware of his attack. Either his allies would finish the Sniper off, or Vrist would advance until he had a clear shot.

 

[Simonev]

The Beast was eating... The chaos, the fear of death, the pain, he fed on all those things as it slowly crawled outside of the ship, then the blaster shot, more pain from a stormtrooper near him, delicious.
But then he was ourside, some houses, a water tower... Death and destruction looming.

WE ARE THE COLD EMBRACE OF DEATH...

Lighting would form in-between the sorcerer's hands, rotating spherically in-between the two inhuman arms as Len would get up from his crawling position.

...WE ARE THE ANGELS OF THE EMPIRE...

A sphere of lighting formed in between his hands, pure kinetic energies rotating inside the thunders.

...WE DO NOT FORGIVE, WE DO NOT FORGET.

The Kinetite was thrown forward toward the tower, but it wasn't meant to kill the sniper... No, too straightforward, the kinetic sphere hit the tower's supporting beams, the sound of the wood and metal breaking under the force of the Spawn attack could be heard even by the just-landed invaders, and then the glorious sight of the tower collapsing into itself as Len would maniacally laugh at it.

Now... Let's press on Brothers, March for your Red Jevel, march for your empire!