The Start

[Trejiuvanat]

The Force is part of the universe. It binds men and women and aliens to the entire galaxy. While one man awakens anotehr falls asleep.

A Jedi Master awakens in a desert planet, a JEdi MAster with a troubled mind. At Alderaan a Jedi that ignores his Knighthood sleeps. Dreams and nightmares crawl into his mind feeding him with feelings he ignored, providing him with memories that were not his. Poisoning his senses.

Again Iulan was at the throneworld.

The dark throne that so many artists had interpreted differently was now enormous and intimidating.

Iulan could believe he was seeing the bloodied skulls that Kari had created in his hologrpahic scultures of the throne.

"You have seen battle and pest, you have battled light and dark, you are a void Jedi, you deserve death." One voice said.

The same voice continued, while Iulan's heart threatened to come out of his chest.

"But your death, will be a renewal, because you will die constantly until you realize the truth of the galaxy."

"I know the truth," another husky voice spoke. Rjiuvan Shai, Iulan recognzed.

"I know what is beyond your powers, Emperor."

Force-lightning erupted from the Emperor's fingertips and Rjiuvan died.

 

Iulan woke up.

 

The temptation to sleep was too big again. The danger of dreaming away, too was too great.

He knew not the name of the world he walked on. he didn't even know his identity, nor the identity of the woman next to him.

He only knew he was not himself.

"Iuli," she said.

A new presence entered his dream, a man, a warrior of the Sith.

"Weak Jedi, do you really dare to oppose me? Do you think your abilities are a match for me?"

He attacked he used the Force to burn everything in the room other than him.

Iulan extended his right hand and created a Forceshield around himself and GAeri, thier names had come to him. That was Iulan Stora, his grandmother's brother, who had died before Palpatine crowned himself.

Teh dark presence smiled as the flames from his hand died and Iulan's shield faded too. The dark man extended both hands at Iulan.

"You will die, by my hand."

"So will you, by my hand." Iulan retorted.

Lightining now erupted from his hands and bruned Iulan's body. But it didn't pain him. Instead he felt a soothing and loving presence. Gaeri!

Using her healing Force abilities she was pushing the essence of the Force out of her to strengthen Iulan. Even if it drained her, completely.

The dark man, moved one hand to attack Gaeri, Iulan was feeling her pain. Iulan ignited his lightsaber and launched himself against the dark man. Lightning stopped him as Gaeri's presence faded into the Force and her empty robes fell on the floor.

Iulan was now in pain, angry and desperate. He was at the edge of the dark side, Gaeri's presence though, still surrounded him. There was only one chance to end this.

Gaeri's lightsaber lay behind the dark man. Iulan allowed the lightning to hurt him. he fcused his anger and his hope, his fear and his courage in one single strike. His essence in the FOrce was burning, then he pushed it away creating a void, his Force presence was somewhere else. immediately Gaeri's lightsaber came to life, ignited by an invisible hand and it struck into the dark man.

"You have killed me, Jedi. But you, too, will die with me." The dark man went off in a cloud of dark power. Then Iulan felt the pain, and saw the blood on his robes, in his face. He was a Jedi, he had drifted into darkness, now there was a void. he had pushed out the Force of his body.

The next moment he was no longer.

Iulan woke up again, this time he knew he could not sleep again.

His ancestor had died in a void, he had pushed his essence out of his body. The Force held all the answers.

Push the Force out, become a void. Become a Vong?

Too many questions, far too many and he knew he would not find answers in his shady dreams.

The dreams of death of Iulan Stora and Rjiuvan Shai had opened a new set of questions. Rjiuvan claimed he knew a truth, and Iulan died becoming a void.

Iulan took out the dejarik gameboard and started playing a game against himself.

 

OOC: Admiral, you can join anytime, but try to avoid posting comments like those in the middle of the story. If you do, then start with OOC (Out Of Character).

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

OOC: Sorry about that Trej, I didn't mean to.

[SOCL]

OOC: Even though I have been promoted to grand admiral, the character Socl shall remain a fleet admiral.

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

OOC: somebody put ol Antilles in another story, please. Use the rank of Lieutanant Commander though. If nobody wants to its fine, *starts crying* I am just trying to fit in. *cries some more*

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: WEdge Antilles is inthe story and he's a general... but you can still join... look at the summary so far thread if you want to catch up.

[SOCL]

OOC: WEdge Antilles is inthe story and he's a general... but you can still join... look at the summary so far thread if you want to catch up.

OOC: I think he believes that the Anitlles we are talking about is him. Admiral_Antilliles, you can be Major Antilliles, General Antilles' cousin. Haha, sorry, just joking.

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

OOC: WEdge Antilles is inthe story and he's a general... but you can still join... look at the summary so far thread if you want to catch up.

OOC: I think he believes that the Anitlles we are talking about is him. Admiral_Antilliles, you can be Major Antilliles, General Antilles' cousin. Haha, sorry, just joking.

 

You were right SOCL. About the cousin thing, As long as I am in a story its cool.

[Guest Scathane]

Scathane opened his eyes to darkness, not knowing where he was... At first he panicked: Where was he?! He remembered being with Samos, Elegaie and Garth but now they were gone! Everything was gone! There was just... blackness...

Relax... It was a woman's voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. You're quite safe here...

Wh-who are you? Scathane asked in a shivering voice. He was trying to look around him to see whether he could detect someone but it was useless: pitch black was the space where he was... And then he realized: he couldn't see his own body!!! Alarmed he checked again and wanted to look at his hands but they weren't there! He grew anxious again...

Relax, Scathane! you are quite safe here... the voice continued You have no need for a body here...

Her voice sounded warm and soothing and Scathane felt comforted by it. However he still felt his anxiousness about not knowing where he was on the edge of his mind...

Do you feel your body, Scathane?

Scathane thought about this... In fact, he didn't. The thought of it relaxed him even more... He just felt himself, in the sense that one feels his consciousness... Where am I? Scathane asked.

Where are you? the soothing woman's voice echoed his words Where? You are walking the corridors on some starship, or are you? Perhaps you could just as well be giving a briefing to you allied friends? Does it make a difference?

Well, Scathane hesitated, I don't know... He felt oddly at ease at the moment. He wasn't sure where he was but he knew he didn't want to leave. The darkness was comforting now and the voice soothing and warm...

Good The voice interjected, all that matters now is that you're here... I've got a tale to tell and you should hear it, listen...

 

 

 

ooc: p1903

[AndyHalfelf]

ooc: p1903

 

OOC: what do you mean by that?? and I would need a map of the Galaxy, only got the map in Victor Prime and that just isn't good enough in my copy :-\

 

 

IC:

Corran stood in the corner relaxed but a little surprised about SOCL's words about the Imperial Tempest, but no one noticed. Then he walked up to the table joining the others, feeling their impressions through the Force. "Excuse me for asking Admiral, but how long have you had this fleet operational? And why haven't you used it before? Surely the Vongs will turn their face against Imperial space after they are done with the rest of the Galaxy, if we don't stop them first of course. Surely your Emperor can see this and act accordingly?" he says awaiting the Admiral's answer, and fully aware that his status as Lieutenant marks him as the lowest ranking in the room, but trusting that his status as Jedi Knight, has some value in his superiors opinion

[SOCL]

Fleet Admiral Socl shot Corran a scolding look, the skin around his eyes tight, but the venom was almost immediatley gone when he looked at the young man. "You are a Jedi Knight, are you not?"

 

Corran nodded. "Indeed I am, sir."

 

"I see," Socl said, his voice smoother than it had been a second earlier. "Our Emperor, as well as the rest of the Empire, wonders why the Vong have yet to fully engage us and knows quite well that the time will come when they shall turn their attention to us." The Imperial fleet admiral looked down at his hands. "Apparantly, though, he does not believe the threat to be that important."

 

An awkward silence spread over the room.

 

Socl at last looked up. "There are secrets, gentlebeings, that the Empire holds that could possibly be our solution to the Vong mennace, but the voice of reason has been swallowed by corruption and bureaucracy. The upper echelons of the Imperial government have long regained a sense of bitterness and hate toward the New Republic and refuse to devote one hundred percent of our forces and resources to help them. No one, though, is bold enough to stand before the Emperor and show him the mistakes he is making," Socl said with a touch of saddness. "He hides what is most vital from you because he craves for the one thing all men crave...power."

 

The room was deadly silent.

 

"He wishes to wait until the Vong and the New Republic have exhausted their resources and fighting power against each other to then move in with such secret weapons as the Imperial Tempest and wipeout what little opposition to the Empire there remains," the young fleet admiral explained.

 

"Do you agree with this, Admiral?" a Republic Bothan general questioned.

 

"I do not, but as an Imperial officer it is my duty that forces me to support it," Socl said proudly. "But...that does not overrule my sense of duty to the galaxy. That is why I am here. The Emperor is concerned with himself, not the well-being of his people, the beings of the galaxy, and the galaxy as a whole." He looked everyone in the eye, one-by-one. "I, on the other hand, am not so narrow-minded."

 

"And the secrets?" Antilles asked.

 

"I know them all, every last one," Socl said. "And those secrets will be revealed to all of you...in time, of course."

 

"Of course," Antilles agreed with a nod.

 

"This cold war the Empire and the Republic have, yet do not acknowledge, does not concern me, gentlebeings," he said calmly. "I am no longer simply an Imperial officer, but I am a galactic military officer, and it is my duty to guard my home...the galaxy."

[ElvisMiggell]

OOC: Impressed i am, by your sense of patriotism.

 

IC: Luke was now fully aware of himself, yet not of his being so to speak. He knew who he was, he remembered all that had passed, up until the evacuation order being given. After that, darkness. How he did not know, let alone why, but now he knew that there were grevious wrongs. There was another conscience in there with him. Someone else, someone still asleep, yet familiar....

[ADarkJedi44]

ooc: p1903

 

OOC: what do you mean by that?? and I would need a map of the Galaxy, only got the map in Victor Prime and that just isn't good enough in my copy :-\

 

OOC: I think thats a post count.

[ADarkJedi44]

ooc: p1903

 

OOC: what do you mean by that?? and I would need a map of the Galaxy, only got the map in Victor Prime and that just isn't good enough in my copy :-\

 

OOC: I think thats a post count.

[Trejiuvanat]

"Do or do not, there is no try." iulan said ot Rjiuvan Shai as they both watched over the arrangements of the blaze bugs in the Glory room.

"Fight and live or fight and die, but do not doubt. Yuuzhan Vong Battleprayer."Rjiuvan said.

"We will fight and live, Warmaster."

One little bug then moved from Kessel to the world of Kuat. The stronghold of the Imperial Navy.

"Yes, God that Bleeds. We will."

Minutes later a great portion of the Rjiuvan's Shai fleet left Kessel to seek blood and glory...

[SOCL]

OOC: Impressed i am, by your sense of patriotism.

OOC: Do you mean my character's patriotism?

[ElvisMiggell]

OOC: Yep, that's what i meant.

[ElvisMiggell]

A young Ensign burst into the headquaters room on SOCL's flagship.

 

"Sir, we have detected a large Vong attack fleet headed for Kuat sir, they just jumped. We only have a few hours to send warning... sir, what shall we do?!?"

 

 

OOC: Come on guys, let's keep it going.

[SOCL]

OOC: I take it the meeting is over.

 

 

IC: Socl looked at the ensign and nodded...calmly. "Thank you, ensign," he said, his voice measured and glacial. "Return to your post..calmly, if possible."

 

The ensign hestiated, but finally nodded. "Aye, sir." The young officer left.

 

Socl jabbed the communications button on the armrest of the seconadary's command chair. "This is Fleet Admiral Socl to the bridge; Captain Janus?"

 

"Sir?" Janus' voice returned over the sound of klaxons blaring in the background.

 

"Bring our shields to full and turn the ship on a rotational yaw of 180 points starboard," the fleet admiral said. "What is the status of our Nu Shield?"

 

"Only at eighty-nine percent, sir," Janus replied as the turbolasers opened suppressive-cover fire on the Vong fleet. "Should we set coordinates for a retreating jump?" the captain asked, his voice hinting on fear.

 

"Very well then," Socl said calmly, ignoring Janus' final question, standing from his command chair. "I'm on my way to the bridge now. In the meantime, signal the Rewloola; tell Captain Madej to hold and not give away his position, as well as not deactive the Rewloola's Nu Shield."

 

Janus was a tad confused, something common when receiving orders from the fleet admiral. "Uh...yes, sir."

 

 

OOC: By the way, Fleet Admiral Socl is aboard his flagship, the Ra Cailum, a mysterious vessel which is much, much, much larger than a regular Star Destroyer....

Edited June 21, 2003 by SOCL

[Trejiuvanat]

"Kuat, the shipyards of the galaxy." Iulan reported. "Creators of the Star destroyers."

Rjiuvan smiled. His God had taken the time in dark space to brief him on the different star destroyers and their weaknesses.

Star Destroyers, the name that least suited those vessels of metal. Vain creations of humans. Greatness lay alone in life, few then shouls be able to alter nature. The Yuuzhan VOng ships were alive.

A controller came close to Iulan and Rjiuvan Shai.

"We have detected 17 Star Destroyers in system, plus one bigger ship, Warmaster."

The blaze bugs immediately reassigned themselves to depict the warzone. Immeditaly more began to leve their containers and arrange themselves in groups of twelve. The worm in the controllers ear writhed. His message unnecessary. Th Empire had launched its TIEs.

"Launch all Coralskippers, instruct Claw of Warrior and Warrior's prayer to flank the Chariot. Have the Heart of God, standing by."

"Yes, warmaster."

"Warmaster, allow me to lead your coralskipper, I know the weakness of the TIEs and their pilots." Iulan requested.

"Wisdom comes from the Divine One. Parkaj, take the God That Is, to his hangar."

Iulan left and Rjiuvan concentrated again on the depiction of the battlezone. The Imperial fleet was arranged in a bowl-shaped formation to maximize their defensive capabilities. Even so they did not leave their position. The Imperial commander must probably wish the Yuuzhan Vong to be trapped between the hypermass of the planets and of one of its moons.

While Rjiuvan recognized the danger of putting himself in the position. He could decude that a man who would orchestrate such a defensive formation that could be troublesome for the invading fleet, that this man may have something else in mind. By accepting his proposal of battle, Rjiuvan would be achieving two things. First the Imperial commander would believe that he was leading the battle, and feed his superiority. And second: he would have the perfect opportunity to set the Heart of God in motion.

 

Iulan entered the hangar together with his two Yuuzhan VOng mechanics, the only one aboard the Chariot that had accepted the task to interact with dead machinery so often.

As soon as he entered the cockpit and launched he drew on the Force to sharpen his senses. He ignited also the cloaking mechanism.

Through the Force Iulan could also communicate with the yammosk and use him to transmit hisorders to the different fighter groups without interfering in his other war coordinating functions.

Closer, they can't see me, if they see an empty space between your skips, they will deduce there is a cloaked ship. Subterfuge is a tactic worthy of warriors and Gods.

Traditional Yuuzhan Vong fighter tactics were similar to Imperial ones, recurring to superior numbers to assure superiority. Because of yammosks Vogn pilots were able to execute precise maneuvers.

Through his link to the yammosk Iulan could transmit his orders and have the other pilots to execute them precisely.

Thus the first two Tie fighter squadron lasted less than one minute both against the combined precision and maneuvers of the coralskippers. Iulan had incorporated some standard X-Wing tactics for dealing with TIEs, and because of dovin basals, few TIE fighters managed to get shots across to the coralskippers.

Despite the fact that he was cloaked, he could detect the other ships and their IFF codes. One name came to him like a lost memory. Ra Cailum.. Iulan put that worryin the back of his mind as he focuse on the TIE Interceptor that was closing on him and his escorts.

Iulan squeezed the trigger. Once, Twice, thrice...TIEs exploded.

It was an orgy of death.

 

Rjiuvan Shai respected his opponent. The Imperial was testing the Yuuzhan Vong further. Apparently coming into the hypermass shadow of the planet had only ignited a resolve to dig more out of Rjiuvan Shai by testing him. Rjiuvan could understand that resolve, few people has survived battles against the Yuuzhan Vong. More than two dozen worlds had fallen to Shimraa, during The preapration for the attack on Kuat. More than twelve sector were fearing that they would be next on the invasion route of Overlord Shimraa.

Some star destroyers, were engaged with elements of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, while dovin basals were taking a lot of damage some came through and was harmin the hulls, but the plasma spitting creatures and grutchins, were eating away the Star Destroyers.

One Star Destroyer went off in a cloud of metal and plasma.

Alone one ship on the Imperial side had not engaged anyone.

The huge ship.

Rjiuvan Shai's Chariot of God was closing on him. Along with his escort.

 

 

OOC: I'm planning something for the outcome of the battle. So don't just end it, SOCL.

[SOCL]

OOC: I'm planning something for the outcome of the battle. So don't just end it, SOCL.

OOC: Not a problem, Trej; not a problem at all.

 

IC: Socl watched the fight carefully, his eyes flickering back and forth. Next to him, Janus was getting edgy. They were losing fighters and two Star Destroyers had already reported malfuncations and the crews were preparing to abandon. Of course, this wasn't the fleet admiral's personal fleet, so these fools manning the prized Star Destroyers had no idea what was truly happening.

 

Off to the port-bow, a Star Destroyer--the Illustria--exploded.

 

"Admiral..." Janus carefully and quietly insisted.

 

Socl's flickered to the debris of the Ilustria then to Janus. "No need to worry, captain...not just yet." The fleet admiral turned to the bridge officer. "Lieutenant, order the Ra Cailum to seize fire."

 

"Cease fire? But, sir--"

 

"Do as you're ordered, lieutenant," Socl shot back with all the venom a former special operations commando and Naval fleet admiral could call upon.

 

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant said, turning to the fire-control operator. "Cease fire!"

 

The acknowledgment came an instant later and the Ra Cailum's turbolaser batteries stopped their barrage.

 

"Communications," Socl called out to the comm officer, "open a secure line to Vong flagship."

 

Janus' eyes nearly exploded out of his head. "Admiral, I must insist--"

 

"Wait, captain...just wait," Socl said sternly.

 

"But, sir, such an action has only been attempted once before, and it ended with the destruction of--"

 

"Lines open, sir. Transmission coding?" the comm officer officer asked.

 

"Delta 45-3A," the fleet admiral replied, ignoring Janus' plea to reconsider.

 

"Aye, sir," the comm officer acknowledged and keyed in the appropriate code. "Transmission ready--ah!" the comm officer screamed, taking his headset off, revealing a high-pitched screech coming over the transmission.

 

"As I suspected," Socl mumbled to himself. "Lieutenant," he said to the bridge officer, "call down to the communications quarter and have them calibrate secure transmission Delta 45-3A to transmission vector 9-8, specific: 2E."

 

"Aye, sir," the lieutenant said and sent the order along. Seconds later, the high-pitched screech clicked off and was replaced by an odd, pulsating thump...almost like a heartbeat....

 

"Excellent," Socl said, a smile crawling up his face. "Sub-Lieutenant, are you alright?" he asked the comm officer.

 

The acting sub-lieutenant communications officer nodded as he replaced his headset. "Yes, sir."

 

"Good; resecure the line and hold it. Then signal the Rewloola and transmit that line to them as well, Captain Maedj will know what to do." Fleet Admiral Socl then turned to Captain Janus and smiled. "We are ready...."

[ElvisMiggell]

OOC: Oh SOCL, you're not about to do what i think you are are you?!?

[SOCL]

OOC: Oh SOCL, you're not about to do what i think you are are you?!?

OOC: I'm about to turn the tables on this little war....

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: How would you explain opening a communication with a ship filled with people that hate technology??? Let's see how we get around that....

 

IC:

A controller from Domain Gam neared the warmaster as he analyzed the subtle move within the Star Destroyer formation, forced to do so because of Iulan's maneuver with the coralskippers fights and the "trench" tactic, which in this galazy was known as the best method for attacking and disarming Star Destroyers.

One key element in the battle Rjiuvan Shai could not interpret correctly. The Ra Cailum, the flagship of the enemy admiral.

"Warmaster," Rogan Gam said as he made a reverence. "The special equipement is reacting."

Special equipment meant of course the metallic machines that they had brought in from Maw station, Iulan had suggested that thye could perhaps use them to intercept or jam Imperial communications.

"Reacting?"

"Yes, the panel lit itself."

Rjiuvan did not need to listen any longer.

He barked two orders to continue weakening the star destroyer formation, but avoid the Ra Cailum. He ran into the special equipment room. He was regretting not accepting Iulan's explanations.

He pushed one button, a holograhic man came to life. Rjiuvan remembered one comment from Iulan and remembered to step and the holorecorder unit.

Even in the holographic image of the other man, it is needless to say that he did not look like the image Rjiuvan had created.

"Kaj, vor bhuj, Yuuzhan Vong." Rjiuvan spoke to startle the enemy commander.

"Please Warmaster, I am in no condition to speak your tongue, could you please speak in Basic?" He spoke calmly. Without humilliating himself in front of his rivals eyes.

"Yyyess, I speak in Basic."

He carressed the miniature villip on his arm, the remote controller for the Heart of God. Should the man try to do something, Rjiuvan would activate their last resource, alone he and Iulan would emerge victorious from Kuat... He caressed another miniature villip, the one linked to Iulan.

"I will only take a few minutes..." the human began to speak.

 

The battle was still raging...

 

 

More eyeballs coming Iulan thought into the yammosk. His pilots responded, wiht more precise maneuver breaking the enemy formation.

Amphistaff group, resume attack on the Obliterator... Vonduun group protect the Warrior of God from those TIEs

Another TIE came into his targeting reticle. He squeezed the trigger.

His navicomputer emitted a beep. New ship in the area... Let's see what it is... Assault Shuttle, loaded with warhead had left some Imperial ships, they were attacking the Chariot. Iulan raced towards them, and linked lasers and ion cannons.

He squeezed the trigger.

They are too many, I do not have much energy for that many shots.

He fired a couple of grutchins, but they weren't enough either.

He would... He would need to shut down the cloaking shield and divert it for the cannons, the shuttles were almost in range...

He could call the skips.. No they are busy fighting the TIEs...

TIEs, I have TIEs on me... Damn....

Green fire lit up the space around him... He steered hard up and down left and right. Literally dancing with his fighter.

The green fire had destroyed the shuttles....

What is going on?

A voice from the villip in his fighter answered.

"I will only take a few minutes..."

[SOCL]

OOC: Vong ships are alive, right?

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: They are made of coral, living coral..