Stage I
The Old Order
Act 3
28th Day of 11th Month of PSC, 44 A.H
Location: Galvenak. Asteroid Outpost 226 of the Kaznian Sector.
The Galvenak Outpost, situated upon an Asteroid in the Kaznian Sector between the 8th and 9th planet of the system. An asteroid belt rich in the ore known as Dyrdonium, substantial in industrial processing for its durability and multipurpose applications. Its status presently neutral under the Corporate Act of 4861 some centuries ago. The facility itself was vast, stretching out over miles with landing platforms and infrastructure positively popping.
A large golden-yellow dome stretched with a diameter of around eight miles, encompassing nearly an entire face of the asteroid. The dome itself, ray shielded, several gaps present in order for small ships and carriers to pass through. As for the facility within the dome, it was comprised of multiple ship yards and nearly a dozen buildings with some being larger than others. Yet it did not stop merely at the surface level for the structures themselves went deep within the rock.
All of the buildings shot down below, a near labyrinth of underground tunnels and facilities connected to most of the other buildings. The complex was absolutely a buzz both below and above- workers moving through their dormitories in the housing buildings, workers shifting cargo and supplies in the warehouses, workers moving about the refineries working their ore, workers at the landing pads and warehouses loading ore. The only building mildly different was the central building, towering above and overseeing the entire operation of this asteroid facility.
The building, adorned with several landing pads and its own personal hangars- most of which were occupied by transports to move around the entire structure. Though in one particular hangar something stood out, vessels unlike the rest. Within one sat three Ties of the Dominions, two Tie Advanced Fighters jet black splashed with a little red and well equipped. The final, a variant of a Tie Interceptor though far and away different compared to the olden Interceptors… no, for this was a new variant, the Tie Infiltrator of the Dusk Squadron.
Within the central building, deep deep within- a main table with about a dozen seats sat around it. Despite the seats, none were seated. In fact the room was relatively low capacity. Two Stormtroopers of the Dominions stood on guard at the door, whilst across the room in front of a large window there stood two others. One, the acting Site Director dressed much like a foreman with his jacket and hard hat.
The other though- a figure just over six foot, average. Mid-length midnight blue hair with ash black streaks running throughout, combed back and a little messy. Tired looking eyes, the sclera a mulberry purple, the iris a silvery white, and the pupils being golden cross hairs. A pale complexion, black lips, gold streaks running down his face from his eyes like tears of gold paint left behind.
He wore a black glove body suit, topped with moon-white plates covering mostly his vital areas, cloaked with a black duelist cape with gold trim. Gauntlets covered his arms and hands. A belt hung with various tools. The man held no expression, simply a blank slate resting as the Director prattled on and on next to him, gesturing out the window before them.
This man, so done up when compared to the troopers and the Director, was Aegis Segura- a member of the Dusk Squadron.
“-as for why your little empire is experiencing such complications, it is not my concern. This facility, no actually this entire sector, is under OUR authority. The treaty mentioned is quite clear and YOU hold no power over us!”
Aegis, who had simply been standing facing forward and looking out that window, now glanced slightly to his right to look over the Director. The look of utter red and contorted rage on his face was very apparent, whilst Aegis continued to wear his blank expression. A simple couple second look over and then Aegis’s eyes reverted to gazing out the window and observing the facility itself.
“As I have stated Director Kriom, my superiors do not wish to squabble over the circumstance. Our accord thus far has been in exchange for our protection in transit, the Dominions would receive a cut rate and direct access to your inventory.”
“Yes, that WAS the agreement when you people were the dominant force in this sector. Now your people are at war with the Legion, the Vizardians, the Zalmanek, countless others- and I suspect that soon the Federation will join the fray. Without your Shadow and his commanders the Dominions is worthless to us, a liability that’s going to get us attacked!”
“Shadow Dominions is still highly capable. The Blackheart Family continues to retain power. Our approach has not changed. The only factor that has changed… would be the perspective of others,” Aegis spoke turning towards the director.
The director scowled, glaring now into the eyes of Aegis. In no time at all his arm was raised and his pointer finger outstretched straight into the agent’s face, a spit of rage flowing out-
“Don’t you dare try that shit.”
Aegis glanced to the finger, then back up. As such was done the director backed away, lowering his arm to his side before turning around. He walked away, arms flung out.
“We KNOW how your empire has begun to break apart! The Dominions is through in this sector-”
“This bickering is pointless Director Kriom. You are bound by your agreement to the Dominions.”
“Not anymore-” the man grumbled, turning and now pointing out of the window.
Aegis’s gaze followed, staring out across the facility and then out into space. Exiting through hyperspace, a single Lite Cruiser and two Gozanti Transports though not of Dominions colors. The moment they had exited, four Ties apiece detached from the Gozanti totaling eight. Following then came three Interceptors falling from the Cruiser, pushing in towards the dome. Across the room the doors opened from behind the Dominions Troopers, a few regular Stormtroopers and security officers entering with their own weapons trained on the Shadow Troopers and then for Aegis himself.
They raced in, a squad’s worth of the Legion’s soldiers and at least six of the facility’s security officers. The two Shadow Troopers raised their hands, dropping their weapons on the ground at once. Aegis glanced over, his eyes shifting as the troopers surrounded him; and then a subtle glance back to the director who had just pulled a pistol from his pocket and taken aim.
“The Legion of the Stars… so you betray the Dominions- and join with the fourth strongest faction in the sector? I fail to see the logic Director Kriom,” Aegis spoke aloud.
“Fourth strongest?” one trooper questioned.
“Hey, shut him up!” another spat.
“Heh, sorry Agent Segura. It’s just business,” the director chuckled.
By this point Aegis had been completely surrounded, over a dozen blasters trained on him. And still the man’s expression did not yield, remaining constant. Or at least it had been constant, a small sigh leaving him with the closure of his eyes.
“Surrender Agent, you might live longer,” the director chuckled.
“Mmm… unfortunate,” Aegis murmured, side stepping to face the director.
At once his duelist cape flapped up and spilling out from behind it were three black tendrils of what appeared to be physical static. To some extent the black appeared almost like a liquid though the way the light refracted and the way it flowed, it was much like floating sand. Three lightsaber hilts spun out from the tendrils, all katana-shaped, and all three switched on instantly emitting pinkish blades.
“BLAST HIM!”
As the troopers raised their guns to fire the three sabers swung around, slashing through the blasters and even plunging into a couple of the troopers. Two fell back with their chests slashed open, the third impaled right through. The troopers moved back and opened fire behind him, whilst Aegis continued to gaze forward. At his side rest a curved hilt saber, grabbed by his right hand and ignited with the same color.
“SHOOT HIM!” the director spat.
In front of him fire rang out, and in front of him it was nothing but a dance. His saber swung around like a baton or rather a glow stick, intersecting with and deflecting each and every shot aimed at his core. Left and right and left and right- up, down, and out. Two of the security officers went down quick, another slashed across the torso.
In just a few swift steps about five had gone down and his saber was thrust through the director’s chest. Ripping it out, another black tendril reached around and ‘wrapped’ around the director’s corpse. One swift turn and the body was hurled into the line of troops. Meanwhile by the door the two Shadow Troops looked to one another and nodded- their feet kicking up and their blasters flying back into hand.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG.
Rapid fire and down went more of the troops as Aegis finished cleaving through the last of the security guards and the Stormtroopers. All of them dispatched his sabers all deactivated, the tendrils retreating back under the cloak while the remaining saber was placed back to his belt.
“Agent, your orders?” one asked.
“We need to get back to the fighters and return to the fleet. I will take my Infiltrator and deal with the enemy. You two focus on getting out of here.”
“Very good sir-”
“Lets move,” Aegis spoke, the three turning and bolting out the door.
Outside the Legion’s Ties moved in towards the dome, its ports opening up to grant them access. Behind them the three craft were also moving in, albeit slower and at a distance further back. It was upon the bridge of the Lite Cruiser where communications were going back and forth for this operation~
“Access has been granted. Ties move in and escort the Gozanti Craft.”
“Sir there’s been no word from the Entry Team.”
“Hmm… Ties, locate and secure the enemy craft. Begin jamming transmissions out of the system. Until our backup arrives we do not need the enemy to become aware of our presence here.”
Doors swung open on the surface, the two troopers and Aegis rushing from the facility out onto the landing pad. The two made a break for their Tie Advanced Fighters, whilst Aegis went for his Tie Infiltrator. As they moved to enter the Legion Ties had entered the dome, the Gozanti craft moving towards the bigger opening to the far side of the dome. Once inside those ties howled and moved around, spreading out with the Interceptors taking the lead.
Below, hatches closed as the three agents of the Dominions closed and began to activate their fighters. In no time at all, all three Ties were raising up off of the platform and launching out. Aegis’s Infiltrator took the lead, the Advanced Fighters following behind.
“Enemy Ties incoming,” one SD Trooper spoke over the comms.
“I see them,” the other replied.
“Old relics of a time long since passed. Soften them up,” Aegis spoke.
As the Legion Ties came into range the small wing of SD Ties moved in. The two Advanced opened fire, firing their twin laser cannons at the enemy. As they did so the incoming four Ties broke off, one taking a direct hit and erupting into a fire ball.
“Pick your targets, good hunting,” Aegis concludes, his Infiltrator breaking formation and heading for two of the Ties.
As he moved in and punched it, his vessel fired six different cannons; though unlike the Infiltrator his was based on, they fired one after another like a Defender. One Tie was struck immediately, spinning out and flying off into another direction whilst the second was hit and blown. Aegis continued on, as behind him came the group of three Interceptors. All of them opened fire, one managing to strike the Infiltrator though of course being stopped by the shields.
Aegis glanced at one of his scopes as the hits hit, “Hmph… worthless,” he murmured.
At once his tie spun round as he shifted the controls. While the Infiltrator’s facing direction had changed its movement had not. Essentially, a flip to face the enemy and drifting backwards in the direction he had been going in prior. Wasting no time he fired, four shots at once from the wings and then two from the body. Two of the Infiltrators broke off, the middle one being clipped and sent down by the two shots.
His engines then adjusted and all at once his fighter took off, giving chase to one of the Interceptors, “Attention Legion Forces. I am Aegis Segura of Dusk Squadron of the Shadow Dominions. It would be in your best interest to allow my team safe passage from this system. Failure to comply will result in swift eradication.”
“Negative Dominion Pilots. You will be the ones to stand down or face destruction,” came the reply over comms.
As Aegis gave chase to one of the Interceptors, the other came up behind with two regular Ties came up as wingmen. Aegis glanced down, the craft coming up on his scope.
“Hmph… fantastic. Morx, Kalvek, blast your way out of the far side port and make the jump. I can clean this mess up,” he grumbled.
“Copy that commander.”
Aegis pulled back, the speed of his Tie halting as behind the Interceptor and other two came in hot. With a howl inside the pilot’s own cockpit, the Interceptor pulled and shot up over the Infiltrator.
Click
Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew-
Shots rang out and in one go the Interceptor was sent screaming out of the sky, slamming into one of the warehouses. Pressing forward his Tie shot ahead again and with a twist it began to spiral. Shots again rang out of the spinning Tie Infiltrator straight into the paths of the two Ties, both crossing in and blowing. As the two erupted into fireballs the Infiltrator’s spin broke off, returning to normal flight screaming through the sky of the dome, now heading for the main entrance.
Back upon the enemy Lite Cruiser though-
“Sir- our Tie units have all been taken out. Their two Advanced craft are exiting out of the South. The leader is heading right for us-”
“A single Tie taking on a cruiser? That pilot must be out of his mind!”
“Sir the enemy’s fighter is not reading like one of their normal Advanced units- should we perhaps be more cautious in our approach?”
“Just- blast that ship the minute it comes out of the gates!”
“But sir what if our shots hit the dome?”
“Then you had best aim well, Lieutenant.”
The Infiltrator screamed towards the edge of the dome, Aegis maintaining its speed. The scanners beeped, the targeting system locking onto ‘something’ in front of him.
“Nothing personal,” he grumble, again breaking into a spin.
Multiple shots rang out and blitzed forward, slamming upside the dome. Four by four by four firing in a chain. And as his Tie spun, rocket systems on the wings activated- unleashing shots. Forward they flew, slamming into the glass dome and erupting. A few more spun shots and BAM-
“Sir he just shredded through the dome!”
“That bastard!”
“Sir, incoming!”
Breaking through the smoke the Infiltrator shot at top speed, far faster than a Defender.
“Open fire!”
And as the shots rang out from the cruiser now the Infiltrator began to roll around, spinning left to right, maneuvering around each shot. Then went the return fire, all batteries opening fire sending shots slamming into the cruiser’s shields. Within, those on the bridge stumbled and fell, the shake of the shots hitting sending them all fumbling about. With a smirk spreading across his face his Tie dropped and swung underneath the cruiser.
“Gah that bloody- where did that fighter go?!”
“Sir he’s below us-”
The Tie screamed underneath, arching, and then arched right back up firing. More rockets flew out, all of the shots aimed right at the engines. The shots hit, and then the rockets did as well- blue energy radiating out of the impact point. The Infiltrator shot back up, moving above the engine block which had begun to sputter and spin-
“Sir our engines have been hit.”
“The enemy hit us with some sort of ion pulse missiles!”
“Well get them back on and bring us about and fire on that little rat!”
“Sir they aren’t disabled fully but they aren’t responding-”
“We’re drifting into the dome!”
“The d- no, no we can’t- get those engines back on now!”
The engines continued to spin and sputter behind, flickering with power and then flickering off. Behind flew the Tie Infiltrator, Aegis glancing back despite not being able to see his work. That smirk ever present he turned back ahead, plugging in a few commands
“Good luck, Legionaries,” he chuckled.
Then, in but a few seconds more, his Tie Infiltrator jumped- leaving the system, and leaving the cruiser to drift into the dome.
