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Slow Path to Triumph
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| Kroenen | Date: Friday, 04 Feb 2011, 2:04 PM | Message # 1 |
 Private
Group: Users
Messages: 15
Status: Offline
| Eerie silence enveloped the crew of the Nu-class Shuttle Void Dragon. The ship had already been quiet, an unease which spread from man to man as surely as did the viral symptoms which had begun to show themselves over the last day or so. But this new silence, momentary though it was, had an air of triumphant finality; imperceptible though it was to the troops and cockpit crew onboard, a wave of brief excitement rippled through the Force, impacting upon them the elation of their Master. Their Master; the only one onboard who seemed to be as healthy as if he'd just stepped from a long soak in bacta, positively radiant even to those without the ability to sense or manipulate the Force. Infact, he seemed to be getting more and more exuberant as time wore on, the mysterious 'plague' as the troops had come to know it seeming to have no effect on him at all.
Since departing Volus, which in itself had been a brief visit, all their Master had done was sit and meditate, and occasionally re-read the datapad provided by Captain Proul concerning the doings of another High Inquisitor. What he gleaned from the datapad or his long excursions into the flow of the Force, he didn't say, but this time, as his black eyes shot open and the pinpricks of scarlet light contracted into pupil shape, they knew he was onto something.
"My Lord?" the co-pilot asked, standing to attention, even though the act itself was putting huge strain on his ravaged body. All four Stormtroopers knew that much; long ago they'd resigned themselves to sitting on upturned supply crates despite receiving no permission to do so. Their Master hadn't objected, and part of them wondered whether he'd planted the suggestion himself, to conserve their strength and drag out their pain, for they were more certain as time passed that their suffering was his ambrosia.
Then, before any had time to dwell on the matter further, those thin lips parted into a ghastly shadow of a smile, and he rose to his full imposing height.
"I have no further use of you" he said, deadpan. "Leave me. All of you".
"B-but My Lord, there is only room in the escape pod for..."
"Leave" the High Inquisitor said, compelling them, to a man, with a light wave of his fingers. Glassy-eyed and single file, the troops and the co-pilot marched to the rear of the shuttle, followed momentarily by the emerging pilot, and began systematically flushing each other out of the cargo airlock. Kroenen paid them not a single thought, for he would allow no man under his charge to bear witness to the biggest embarassment the Inquisitorius had likely ever faced since its inception. When only the pilot remained, Kroenen turned to fix him with his baleful gaze. No words were exchanged, though the sudden tension which had gripped the pilot seemed to ease. He felt a peace, no longer afraid he would fail the bidding of his Master, because his Master would help him achieve his goal. His one desire, to see through that which he felt compelled to do, would be achieved with the guiding hand of High Inquisitor Kroenen.
He stepped into the airlock, and sealed himself in. All was right with the universe. Everything was....
Wrong. Why the hell had he locked himself inside the cargo loading bay? Where were the others?
Panic overtook him, and he threw himself into the inner doors, pounding with his fists and yelling at the top of his lungs that he was trapped.
A yellow light flickered; a low warning siren droned throughout.
"No... NO!" he cried, as with a rush of escaping air, a crack appeared between the outer doors, a crack which expanded into a gaping maw which swallowed all that wasn't bolted down. In the space of a second, the pilot felt dizzy, blood vessels popping in his head, behind his eyes, his skin crawling with sudden cold... but he could cry out no longer. He'd little realised his doom when it enveloped him, death snatching him with jaws of inevitability, casting him to the void in the wake of the Reaper's chariot. Kroenen felt each life wink out, and relished the last ounce of panic he drew from the pilot as he cascaded into space, then felt dismay as the vaccuum claimed even that. Moments passed, each spanning an eternity in Kroenen's eye, ample time for planning and revising what he'd seen before descending on the pilots chair like a vulture coming to roost.
A metal city ravished in the onslaught of turbulent tide... but it wasn't the place he was looking for, merely the association drawn from hearing its name. Cold, empty, a thousand eyes watching and blinking, a thousand more dying before they can even be perceived.
Kamino. Or rather, Kaminoan space. The apostate ventured not for land, but for an airborne errand, urgency wrapping him in its cold rushing embrace as readily as space itself. Kamino..
It was simple extraction; some images came through clearer, but contained subliminal elements concerning his own thoughts and path rather than those of the target. Other were indistinct, and thus had to be ruled out until such a time as they could be made whole. But one thing Kroenen trusted was his feelings, and upon seeing Kamino and devising its meaning from obscurity, he'd felt certain. His fingers glided over controls and minutes later, the shuttle rent space beyond the speed of light, leaving a slowly dispersing trail of bodies in the fading glow of her afterburners.
Message edited by Kroenen - Friday, 04 Feb 2011, 2:15 PM |
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| Caden_Sturn | Date: Friday, 04 Feb 2011, 2:13 PM | Message # 2 |
 Major
Group: Users
Messages: 92
Status: Offline
| For the fifth time during their journey, Caden stood and began to pace. His frustration was evident, and he made no attempt to conceal his feelings. On the contrary, he seemed to be making every effort to make his feelings radiate like fire throughout the confined quarters of the Theta-class shuttle they were using to ferry themselves from one rendezvous to another.
Reflexively, he took up a lightsaber hilt and began to roll it back and forth in his hands, occasionally tossing it up in the air, watching it spiral, then snatching it and resuming his pacing. The steady rhythm of his metal-rimmed boots clicking solidly on the durasteel floor was comforting, orderly, and punctuated his rising irritation. "How long?" he asked Vax, again for the fifth time since departing Tatooine and rerouting toward Kamino. It should be a relatively short journey, but something was nagging him, similar to the way it had back on Nar Shaddaa, and with increasing potency. "This guy had better show up, or I'm gonna tell Shiva to find another go-getter. When we made this alliance, I'd hoped we'd be doing something, not gathering faces". His words were counterpoint to his eventual goals, a point which illuminated itself in his mind the moment he'd said it, and he scowled in further frustration at his lack of control. Slumping heavily in the co-pilots chair, he slid the lightsaber into its custom holster on his thigh, and looked out of the viewport at the same thing he'd stared at more times on this little quest than he could ever remember doing before. The blue swirl that accompanied hyperspace.
He wondered if the rumours were true, that spending too long watching the azure vortex spinning around and beyond could actually snap the mind, turn one insane.
Maybe inside, he was already a little insane, and this whole mission was nothing short of a fabrication of his own demntia.
Or perhaps that was wishful thinking, for in that case, he wouldn't have to face up to the decision he knew was approaching.
Caden Sturn
Former Inquisitor - Fugitive
Imperial Inquisition Ace Pilot
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| CastorVax | Date: Friday, 04 Feb 2011, 4:14 PM | Message # 3 |
 Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 125
Status: Offline
| "Patience, boy. Patience." Nonetheless, Vax sounded troubled. Since they'd accepted this mission from Shiva, it seemed as if the dark side was clouding their path. Castor was of half a mind to simply call the trip off and, as Caden put it, let Shiva find a different go-getter. Vax was content with the role they were playing at the moment for the most part; a true rebellion couldn't begin without enough members and cells, and who better to act as emissary than a pair of Jedi. Well, one Jedi and one former Inquisitor. Vax had to remind himself of that fact. The boy was not committed to the light side by any full means yet; he still wavered in the gray, where things could slide to either side quite easily. "We are at Kamino... now." The ship reverted to realspace, giving the pair their look at the planet. "So, now we wait, eh?"
Castor Vax
Jedi Knight
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| Darius_Vaughn | Date: Friday, 04 Feb 2011, 4:27 PM | Message # 4 |
 Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 101
Status: Offline
| A pair of vehicles were in orbit above Kamino; neither broadcasting their IFF. If they had been, it would have been a dead giveaway. Of course, those in wealth and power did not always think such things through. The first was a JumpMaster 5000, piloted by Darius Vaughn. The second, a Minstrel-class space yacht, was primarily operated by Zeke and Davis, as well as some of Darius' less notable but otherwise loyal henchmen. Darius had been instructed to expect a Theta-class shuttle and when one appeared, he hailed it immediately. "You are my emissaries, I presume?"
Darius Vaughn
Prince of Tantra
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| Caden_Sturn | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 11:18 AM | Message # 5 |
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Major
Group: Users
Messages: 92
Status: Offline
| (OOC note: Since I rp as Kroenen also, I have no problem skipping his turns til he's needed). ______________________________________ "Patience is something I find hard to fathom" Caden growled, propping his chin on his fist and staring gloomily out of the viewport, lightening up only when Castor announced their arrival, and the stars returned to form, clustered around the azure sphere of Kamino. The scene was almost as he'd imagined it. Almost.
"I'm noticing a disturbing lack of Imperial presence..." he muttered, giving voice to his concerns. "Considering this is a high-value target, I'd have assumed there'd be at least one Star Destroyer in orbit". He steepled his fingers, and worked out a kink in his neck, wincing slightly as a sharp crack jolted down his spine, though feeling better for it afterward.
"Sensors are picking up vessels, but no location or classification. Probably a masked IFF transponder. Clever guy" he commented. "Of course, this whole thing could just be a trap, and we're about to be assaulted by an Imperial fleet, in which case, I suggest you keep your crash webbing strapped. At least until we escape" he smirked. He had every confidence in their ability to escape any trap the Empire may spring, though if it happened, it would raise questions about loyalties; namely, Shiva's and this mysterious contact they'd been dispatched to meet with. Suddenly the comm crackled, on audio only; "You are my emissaries, I presume?"
Caden looked to Vax, then decided to take over diplomatic responsibilities this time; the old man had, afterall, taken up the pilots chair this time around, so it was only fair.
"You presume right" he said, leaning over so the hidden mic would pick up his sullen voice. "Any Imperial activity in this sector while you've been waiting for us? If so, say so now and we'll relocate before any meetings take place. Last thing any of us needs is an Imperially-efficient Star Destroyer up our butts while we're in the middle of negotiation".
Caden Sturn
Former Inquisitor - Fugitive
Imperial Inquisition Ace Pilot
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| CastorVax | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 11:42 AM | Message # 6 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 125
Status: Offline
| Vax was concerned greatly by the lack of an Imperial presence as well. Kamino, being the world that housed the cloning facilities, was of great value to the Empire and it was indeed troubling that they had no heavy support. By Vax's memories, there were few visitors to Kamino; indeed, there had been a point when it had been erased from the Jedi Archives by an unknown person. For the time being though, Vax simply tightened down his webbing and prepared for an evasive maneuver if needed. Caden needed the diplomatic practice, after all. The thought made Vax grin ruefully. With any luck, the boy would make a good negotiator... if he learned to control himself and have patience.
Castor Vax
Jedi Knight
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| Darius_Vaughn | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 11:45 AM | Message # 7 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 101
Status: Offline
| Darius grunted in relief. Knowing his contacts made things easier. As for Imperial presence, he'd seen none. To him, this meant little. He didn't keep track of Imperial patrols and the like unless they were near to Tantra or in an area he intended to do some dirty work in. "Yeah. I'm all for relocating. I don't know if I can trust you gentlemen yet, so I hope you don't mind the extra cover I brought. Fair deal's a fair deal by any merchant's standards, but I'd make a good ransom amount if some rebel wanted me as bait for funding instead of an actual helper for a cause. Gimmie some co-ordinates and we can go wherever you like."
Darius Vaughn
Prince of Tantra
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| Tacitus_Corvus | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 12:53 PM | Message # 8 |
 Sergeant
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| The Imperial presence was not, indeed, physically present. Not around Kamino anyways. On it, cloning continued, and a heavy garrison was present following the Kaminoan revolt of only two years ago. Kamino, despite appearances, did notice all ships involved the moment they emerged from hyperspace around the planet. Moff Hale scoffed as he watched the sensor feed, "These men must truely be idiots. Well, if the enemies of the Empire want to field the retarded, that's fine by me," he remarked, waiting for the show to begin. Seconds after Vaughn's transmission, the show came. The Imperial Star Destroyer Protector, under Captain Gregory Nemos, and the CC-2200 Interdictor Cruiser Victoria, under Commander Koran Washburne, emerged out of hyperspace, pinning the gathered vessels between themselves and Kamino. Immediately, the Victoria activated its gravity wells, while the Protector launched a squadron of TIE Fighters along with a flight group of TIE/gt Starfighters, which immediately set out towards the vessels, and began targeting a Turbolaser battery on each individual vessel. As this occurred, a simple message, delivered from Captain Nemos, was sent to each vessel. "In the name of the Emperor, you are all to immediately power down your vessels and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in your destruction," he said. It was calm aboard the Imperial vessels, for this was practiced every day, several times for them. Should things go south, in any way, they had plenty of backup as well.
Fleet Admiral Tacitus Corvus
Imperial Navy
Outer Rim Fleet
"Loyalty. Fealty. Fidelity."
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| Kroenen | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 1:38 PM | Message # 9 |
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Private
Group: Users
Messages: 15
Status: Offline
| Following in the wake of the two Imperial Star Destroyers, albeit unannounced, was a single Nu-class shuttle bearing no recognisable markings, and certainly no livery to tie it to its former Republic association. Ponderously, it hung in space for some time, taking no action.
Onboard, High Inquisitor Kroenen surveyed the situation, which was quite different to what he'd been expecting. It was unfortunate that so many had arrived to play witness to the doings of the apostate; he would not stand for so many witnesses to such a failure on the part of the Inquisitorius in bringing Sturn in before he could cause too much havoc. Clearly, in so boldly entering a heavily-guarded Imperial system, havoc was indeed on the agenda. It was the other two vessels which piqued his curiosity, though. Was Sturn actually being so absurd as to gather allies? He'd wondered if the apostate would go so far, since the only other option was retreating into solitude and hoping to evade the Empire for the rest of his days. Judging by Sturn's file, that wasn't likely, but to actually enter Kamino to conspire with would-be traitors...
No, he could not allow such things to become common knowledge. He'd been tasked with that much by the Grand Inquisitor long ago, when he'd finally risen to his current rank; serve and protect the Inquisitorius as readily as you would the Empire, for to sully our image is to identify a crack in the Imperial armour.
Nevertheless, the presence of the Imperial fleet - or rather, a steadfast representation of it - was both a bane to his cause, and a boon to his goals. Transmitting an Imperial clearance code to the Protector, he proceeded to dispatch a holographic communication to its commanding officer.
"Star Destroyer Protector, in the name of the Inquisitorius, I am preparing to board your vessel and oversee your capture of these dissidents. By the Emperor's will, they will be taken alive unless absolutely unavoidable. I will not interfere with your operation, for I am no naval officer, and such things are best left to qualified hands. I trust you have no objections, and will be awaiting my arrival on the command bridge". Pushing the shuttle at full throttle, he made for the hangar of the Protector, while awaiting a reply from her C.O.
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| Caden_Sturn | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 1:54 PM | Message # 10 |
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Major
Group: Users
Messages: 92
Status: Offline
| "The feeling is mutual, but for now lets agree to keep the distrust to a minimum until we're away from here" Caden suggested, bringing up a map of nearby systems for himself and Vax to peruse.
"I think we'd be better off in territory which doesn't fall under the Empire's jurisdiction. Perhaps Hutt-space? Teth, maybe..." he thought aloud, both to Castor and the man at the other end of the comm. "Wherever we go, it had better be fast, coz I have a bad feeling abou..." he broke off, as the proximity alert began to wail, followed by a pair of mammoth vessels appearing on scope. "Stang, we've got company. Old man, get us moving" he snapped, strapping himself in and swivelling the co-pilots chair to the turret-control station. "We're caught in a gravity well. Must have brought in a Detainer... something that was introduced after the war" he added, remembering that Vax had remained largely out of touch with the galaxy following the Purge. "You got the quads online? I'm taking the rear turret" he said, before turning his head in range of the comm. "Whatever your name is... stay alive. Get out of range of the grav-well, and make the jump. We'll rendezvous over Teth after making a few detours to throw them off". He hoped their contacts didn't take offense to his snappy advice, and was sure they were capable of taking care of themselves, but he had greater concerns. A coldness had gripped him, and as he allowed the Force to flow through him, he knew why; "...Lord Kroenen...?" he whispered, the thought paralysing him.
Caden Sturn
Former Inquisitor - Fugitive
Imperial Inquisition Ace Pilot
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| CastorVax | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 2:14 PM | Message # 11 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 125
Status: Offline
| ((Just a small note: the TIE/gt model wasn't in service until at least 0 BBY. Just a head's up.)) Vax felt the dark side wash over him even as the pair of ships emerged into realspace. He didn't care if it had been a trap or accident. All he cared about was escape. By the time the first TIE fighter exited the bay, Vax had already slammed the engines to full and was beginning evasive maneuvers as he did his best to put distance between the Theta and the larger craft. Without being rather close and with Vax's ability to pilot with the Force, there was little chance of the capital ships targeting them successfully. It was the snubfighters that posed the greatest threat. All he had to do was outrun the dragship. "Focus, boy! Be sharp on those damned guns. It's going to be a wild ride!"
Castor Vax
Jedi Knight
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| Darius_Vaughn | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 2:26 PM | Message # 12 |
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Lieutenant colonel
Group: Users
Messages: 101
Status: Offline
| The Escapade was a beautiful ship. Having started out as a stock JumpMaster 5000, it had undergone extreme amounts of modifications; indeed, Darius had spared no expense. On the wing opposite the engine was a quad-laser turret, rigged to a droid brain he'd had installed. In the nose of the ship, side-by-side, was a forward-firing laser cannon laid next to an ion cannon and below them, a proton torpedo tube. The cargo capacity, fifty metric tons worth, had been ripped out in favor of additional power equipment for the weapons and engine modifications. It was fair to say the craft could only accommodate what could fit in her cockpit and perhaps one or two more. Just before the Imperials arrived, Darius had begun to speak. "Teth would be- Sithspit! What the hell is this!?" The Imperial vessels loomed large on the monitors and Darius wasted no time. He yanked the controls back and sped away from the Imperials, toward Kamino, crushed back against his seat as the compensator could not quite handle the engine's power. The Fountain of Providence was another matter. While not more agile than the smaller craft, it did have speed on its pursuers, being modified (though not as heavily as Darius' personal craft). Darius' man Zeke was at the helm and he flew the ship almost like it was a fighter, rolling and accelerating the vessel to try to keep a decent lock from being made. The ship dropped towards Kamino at full speed.
Darius Vaughn
Prince of Tantra
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| Tacitus_Corvus | Date: Saturday, 05 Feb 2011, 3:43 PM | Message # 13 |
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Sergeant
Group: Users
Messages: 27
Status: Offline
| ((I've checked and there is no source that states the introduction of the TIE/gt Starfighter did not occur until 0 BBY. It is the predecessor to the TIE/sa Bomber, which has some evidence of being in limited service as at least a prototype as early as 18 BBY, although it is unclear. The TIE/sa is known to be in service, however by 12 BBY, and thus the TIE/gt would have to have been in service earlier than that, with this being 10 BBY. If you can find another source that explicitly says the TIE/gt isn't around in 10 BBY I'm game and will just switch it to the TIE/sa, but until then, I'll stick with them.)) The moment the vessels began to flee, the TIEs sped in at full throttle. Two flights of six TIE Fighters would go toward each group, The TIE/gt Starfighters would go after the Theta, assuming in its nature, it holding some form of official or leader. In the case of the Theta, the TIE Fighters continually fired at the rear of it, taking evasive maneuvers while doing so, while the TIE/gt Starfighters proceeded to each launch a concussion missile at the shuttle, one for each engine and the aft laser cannon, taking evasive maneuvers immediately after launch of the warheads. The warheads would, since being among the weaker ones used by the Empire, likely severly damage the ship, taking out the targeted systems, but not destroying the ship, allowing recovery of the passengers. They were also unable to outrun the fighters, as they had, especially the TIE Fighters, a sizeable speed advantage. Following the transmission from Kroenen, Captain Nemos went into action seeing to the Inquisitor's demands. The pair of vessels were each targeted by fifteen of the Protector's Ion Cannons, which began to fire rapidly upon them. The flight of TIE Fighters slowly catching up to them, were flying clear of the firing arc of the Protector, allowing the, hopeful, disablement of the two craft. While this began, Kroenen would be guided into the secondary hangar as an additional squadron of TIE Fighters were launched, splitting up in the same manner as the previous squadron, and attempting to join the fight on their respective targets. Kroenen, upon arrival, would be guided by the deck officer to the appropriate turbolift to take him to the bridge.
Fleet Admiral Tacitus Corvus
Imperial Navy
Outer Rim Fleet
"Loyalty. Fealty. Fidelity."
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| Kroenen | Date: Sunday, 06 Feb 2011, 6:33 AM | Message # 14 |
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Private
Group: Users
Messages: 15
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| Kroenen touched down in the secondary hangar, emerging moments later swathed in black and maroon zeyd-cloth robes, traditional for the Inquisitorius. He peered down at his escort, an eyebrow raising with contempt, then waved him aside and travelled to the turbolift alone. He may be no naval officer, but to think he didn't know his way around a Star Destroyer was almost an insult. But, as usual, he wasn't here on ceremony, and any slight against his knowledge or intelligence could be allowed to slip by. At least, until his job was done. He rode the turbolift to the bridge level, hands clasped behind his back the whole way, the thumping of firepower from within the ship reverberating mutedly in the background. He hoped they'd taken heed of his warnings to not destroy the enemy, but something told him they wouldn't resort to anything more than ion cannons until absolutely certain that capture was no longer an option.
The turbolift slowed to a halt, and as soon as the doors hissed open, Kroenen swept past Stormtroopers and bustling officers onto the bridge itself. Bypassing the crew pits without so much as a glance, he identified the commanding officer and made straight for him.
"Where are those other two ships going?" he asked immediately; during his trip to the Protector, he'd curiously glimpsed the vessels accompanying Sturn peeling off from the fight and seemingly heading toward the surface. "As you have surmised, the Theta-class is the target. Of this much I am sure. As for the others... use lethal force as required, I am confident they are of no value" he rumbled, bringing a gloved hand to his jaw in thought. The Emperor had no need for living enemies, but the former Inquisitor had to be brought to justice in a more fitting manner. Of this, he was certain, though if Sturn proved too stubborn to be captured, Kroenen was willing to end him, too.
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| Caden_Sturn | Date: Sunday, 06 Feb 2011, 6:46 AM | Message # 15 |
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Major
Group: Users
Messages: 92
Status: Offline
| Snapping out of his sudden shock, Caden re-focused on the task at hand, and just in time; a flight of TIE Fighters, and a group of TIE/gt's had formed up and were fast approaching, weapons blazing, and a cluster of missiles streaking toward essential systems.
Trusting Castor's flying skills to keep them out of harms way of the continuous stream of laser fire, Caden concentrated on the rear display, a reticule appearing over each approaching projectile and each pursuing fighter. He stilled his mind as best he could, and time seemed to slow; the precious few seconds available to him, between the missiles being launched and the eventual impact on their shuttle, seemed to stretch to minutes, and his own heartbeat sounded heavily in his ears. All other sound drowned away, and every sense was extended to the forward-most missiles of the cluster; the Force was his to use, and as though his mind had grown tangible tendrils, he ensnared the leading concussion missiles and closed them in on each other, the intention being to detonate their warheads and cause an explosion which would envelop (and subsequently destroy) the remaining missiles. If luck was on his side, the shockwave would also take out some of the lightly-armoured TIE's, but he didn't store much faith in luck these days. He took up the controls of the rear turret again, and began firing pin-point accurate shots at the centre masses of each fighter, the Force showing him the weakest points of each fragile fighter. Where Castor's evasive maneuvring didn't allow for dead-centre canopy shots, he'd instead fire at wing struts or the flat wing panels themselves; it didn't matter how many he took out, so long as they weren't causing damage to the shuttle, for a quick glance at his read-outs showed they were edging closer and closer to the limit of the interdiction field...
Caden Sturn
Former Inquisitor - Fugitive
Imperial Inquisition Ace Pilot
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