Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Everyone STOP!!! NOW GO TO THE IMPERIAL WAR ROOM SO WE CAN SORT THIS OUT!))

Junction was as apply named of a world as there ever was in Krayt’s Empire. The Planet sat at a nexus of hyperlanes that converged upon the Hydian way. As such, Junction was a freetrade world, a Merchant’s paradise where both suppliers and buyers could find what they wanted if they knew who to ask and where to look. While the same could be said of many worlds, on Junction it was marginally easier. But in the realms of intergalactic commerce, margins could be as vast as the space between the stars or as small as the room between particles.
And so they flocked, small time tramp freighter captains and the princes of commerce guilds, all to make a profit by wheeling and dealing.

Yet here too was there an Imperial presence: Imperial soldiers in their green-grey armor and uniforms, Stormtroopers clad in white, and off duty Navy Personnel sporting black fatigues. The shades diluted the color of the busy marketplaces of Junction, and the orbiting cruisers and patrolling fighters added a somewhat oppressing feel to the perpetual flow of starships coming and going.

It was an understandable presence though. Only four years had past since the Kenet Uprising and the Empire was still a little edgy. They had gradually decreased their presence and would eventually drop down to a standard representative garrison force.

In the midst of Junction’s Main Port and trade city, a lone shop sat, an older building that had seen many previous owners. A sign out front swinging in the breeze depicted a universal symbol; an unsheathed vibroblade.

This was the shop of Honso Bodle, a Baragwin bladesmith of no small repute. In this store the Saurian worked with his students and crafted his fine, durable blades. Even coreworld nobles and Echani kensai had heard of Honso’s work, and it was the rare sentinent indeed who did not respect the lethal prescion and wondrous cutting power of a Bodle Blade.

It was into this shop that a slim figure in a dusty cloak and a battered broad rimmed hat entered, a wrapped package under his arm.
The man tipped up the brim of his hat and gave a curious glance around the shop, his blue eyes catching a variety of fine and dangerous weapons arranged upon the walls.
From in the back of the shop came the sound of a running furnace and the clang of a hammer.

“Seems that some value the old ways the best.” Link said with a slight smile. “This seems as likely a place as any.”
Noting a bell at a counter, he walked over and rang it twice.
The hammering stopped and a shuffling tread could be heard drawing closer. A door slid open, permitting a hunchbacked saurian clad in a leather apron, a hammer in hand.

“Aye. What do you need there, human?” The Baragwin said in a rumbly voice.
“Are you Honso Bodle?”
“Aye.”
Link smiled wider. “This one requires the use of your services.” He said calmly and pleasantly. “He had heard that your skills as a swordsmith are without equal along the Hydian way. He was hoping that perhaps he could have a sword crafted.”
“Yeah?” Honso Bodle said. “Well it wont be cheep. Commissions take time and I happen to be a very busy-”

Link placed a solitary marble upon the counter.
The eyes in Bodle’s large head went wide. “Is that…”
“A Krayt pearl.” Link stated. “This one hopes it would be sufficient to pay for quality work.”
The Baragwin took up the pearl in his huge hands, eyeing it and the human cautiously for any signs of falsehood or deception.
“Ye be serious? Giving up something like this for a piece of sharpened steel?”
“For the path this one follows, a well crafted piece of sharpened steel is worth much more.” Link placed the package upon the counter. “This one also requests with much humility, that Lord Bodle use this material to make it.”

The Jedi unwrapped the package as Bodle watched.
Again, the Baragwin’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was a breastplate of Mandalorian Iron.
“Wh-where did you get this?!”
“On the other side of town from a Neimodian merchant.” Link replied.

The Baragwin looked from the mando plate to the Krayt Pearl to the man asking so much from him.
“You are either a very rich fool or a very serious swordsman.” He said cautiously.
“In an age of blasters, body armor and antipersonnel weaponry, a serious swordsman is a fool.” Link replied.
“But why not use merely have one of steel?”
“This one’s opponents do not use normal blades either.” Link replied again.

The Baragwin took this information in slowly then he looked upon the Jedi with a dawning realization.
Link smiled again. “If you could have it done as soon as possible, it would certainly be appreciated. The blade you craft will have much work ahead of it.”

A short while later, Link walked out of Bodle's blade shop a satisfied expression on his face.
Leaning against the side of the shop, Reido flipped a coin in his hand and nodded to Link.
"Bodle gonna make you a new sword?"
Link nodded and motioned for them to leave.

Pushing off the wall, Reido snatched up his coin and shoved his hands in the pockets of his Antarian Ranger flight jacket. "I still dont understand why you need a sword when you got a lightsaber already."

"I've always trained with a sword." Link stated. "The weight of a sword's blade reminds one of the weight of his responsibilities, carrying a sheathed blade represents the burden carried with every life taken. And unlike a lightsaber, you can knock out an opponent with the flat or back of a sword. All sides of a lightsaber kill or wound. Every time a lightsaber is ignighted, someone is mauled or killed. Not necessarily so with a sword."

Reido nodded as Link spoke, taking in the Jedi's words. As he walked, he noticed a pair of Nikto out the corner of his eye. The two were chatting near a holovid Kiosk and seemed not to notice him or his Jedi aquaintence.
"That and I suppose carrying a shiny stick in public is a dead giveaway as to who you are." He said, tilting his head back slightly.

Link's blue eyes flicked to the Rodian briefly, noting the movement.
"That is correct as well. There are countless martial cultures in the galaxy that carry weapons openly. One more hardly raises an eyebrow in the rimworlds."
"So you think he will be done by the time we get back from Telos?"
"Absolutely." Link stated. "But all the same, we should be on our way as soon as possible."

Kren sat onboard one of the dropships waiting for his moment to deploy and begin carving up and ashing his foes.
To pass the time, he ran through a mental checklist of his gear.
"Chainsaw..." He hefted the weapon with a smile. "Check."
"Repeater with custom attachments..." He klicked off the saftey and powered the gun up with an ominous hum. "Check."
"Armor..." He beat his fist upon his breastplate. "Check."
"Video Camera..." He checked his shoulderpad where the attached microcamera sat. "Check."
"Shield..." He looked to his belt and flipped the device on to stand by. "Check."
"Helmet..." He ran a brief diagnostic on his brainbucket. "Check..."
"Size 24 boot..." He stomped the deck with a mighty thud. "Check."
"Lightsaber..." He slid his greatsaber hilt in its spring loaded wrist sheath on his left gauntlet. "Check..."
"Auxilary weapons..." He clenched his massive fists and flexed his arms. "Check."
"Motivation..." He bashed his fists against his head repeatedly. His face set into a murderous, snarling smile. He let out a blood thirsty roar that reverberated in the confines of the dropship.
"Double check."
The drop ship made its way down to the fighting.
And Kren was ready to spill some blood.

Borill stroked his beard as he studied the tactical display, "Theres a starship hovering over the base... Isn't that an old Mandalorian tactic I've seen."

Beside him Kull nodded, "It didn't work then either."

Borill smiled, "All ships commence firing, concentrate on that starship and the air defense turrets. Frigate commanders, proceed into the atmosphere for air defense suppression."

* * *

Above the mountain base the aging battlewagon that suddenly found itself the target of an assembled volley from Sector Fleet above. With a flash the ship lurched from the rain of turbolaser fire. Seconds later the engine block detonated from the barrage and the ship tumbled to the planet's surface where it detonated.

As the ship burned dozens of Wombat II-star frigates swooped down to take up positions above the mountain volley. There they dueled with the ground turbolasers, but it was a massacre for the ground personnel, without the protection of shielding that the Wombat crews enjoyed there was little the turrets could do but sit there and die. A concentrated volley from the ground did managed to bring down one Wombat before the rest were silenced by the assembled firepower. With the ground air defense eliminated or supressed the T-97s flashed into the combat zone taking down anything that moved around the volley. Behind them a Battalion of Plaguetroopers loaded onto assault shuttles shot through the combat zone, with a deathening roar the twenty-four assault shuttles settled into the hanger bay. With a hiss the doors opened and a platoon of plaguetroopers along with a few sith leapt out of the craft before they turned away and blasted off into the air.

((since I promised he'd get a slice of the action, here's jaden doing what he should be in this role until Kage comes back on sunday...))

The second shuttle dropped its ramp, as Jaden stepped out watching the karnage (and yes, with a k) that Kren was dishing out. It was brutal for sure, but he kept his eyes focused on the goal. The plaguetroopers totalled a battalion in complete number, and they could easily force their way through the tunnels. Their resilience made them perfect for the job, and the heavy repeaters would mow down weaker Gelfers.

Now was the time to attempt to go for larger prizes, bigger fish. Jaden jumped towards the first tunnel opening (several were there, so he picked a moderately defended one) and jumped right on top of a small group sent to back up the force. The lightsaber danced right through three of their torsoes, as he pushed onward, sprinting.

"Kren, I got this path," he reported through the com.

~~~~~

(Back to ferno)

The first ship had managed to reach the transport and began to scan its contents.

"It was launched too early to really carry any equiptment. Mostly non-combat personel not needed, I assume." the bridge officer reported. Veers held back the words that he wanted to form in his mouth. Why ruin the moment with an ill-placed quote?

Angel ran through the base, to the transport she landed in, and started it up. The battlecruiser and its fighters continued to fire mainly on anything that threatened them only, leaving everything else alone to minimize risking losses. They've been keeping most things firing at them knocked out or otherwise distracted from the Heaven's Fury itself, while it rained turbolaser fire on anything in close proximity to the base to keep any evac ships from being destroyed. As Angel started up her transport, a few of the fighterrs broke off from their defensive ring to escort the transport. Once safely aboard, they returned to their prior defensive position. Rushing to the bridge, the Mandalorian got up from the captain's chair and resumed his 1st officer position. " Hold tight just a little longer. We can't leave until the others make it out. " she ordered. " Once the others are safely out, we leave. "

"Incoming transports sir!" Shouted Corwin. Archaras watched through the tac display in his helm.

"Open Fire."

Suddenly dozens of Anti-Aircraft turrets opened fire on the inbound vessels. The heavy turbolasers cored the oncoming Wombats, while the lighter Quad Lasers surged into the guts of the Transport formation. T-Wings launched hordes of cluster missiles at the lighter vessels before turning their Barium Rockets on the Wombats. Sparrows dueled with Predators as Rocketsleds wove in and out of the oncoming transports, downing one or two, before fleeing. Capital Grade Missiles from their artillery pounded through the shields of a Wombat, just in time for a unit of Sparrows to pump concussion missiles into it.

"Sir, their Frigates are taking out our guns!" shouted the Lieutenant.

"I am aware...they have served their purpose."

A Battalion had been sent to engage them. Only three companies remained. They landed directly in the ruins of the main hangar. They disembarked, and chewed through the troops assembled there in a matter of seconds.

"Have they all disembarked?" Archaras asked. "Yes sir!" Shouted Corwin.

Archaras nodded and triggered a pickup in his armor. Suddenly the Hangar filled with incandescent flame, as Proton Warheads detonated all throughout it. Then came a rumble that could be felt through the entire mountain as the roof collapsed on top of them.

"What in the Kriff!?" murmured one of the staffers. An image appeared on Archaras' HUD. It showed nearly a company of Imperial troops wriggling free from the rubble, and beginning to move through the remains at the tunnel. They reached a block and began tearing at it.

Archaras' vision narrowed. These were not normal Imperial troops.

"I want Companies at every choke point. They cannot be allowed to get through," The Echani said before bringing up a status on the evacuation. It was nearly forty five percent completed, as it began to pick up speed with the heavier modules being loaded and fleeing the oncoming fleet.

This was going to be very close indeed...