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May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)

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So when are we going to start teaching Gamoreans to start flying?
 
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The Battle of Kalee Pt. 2 - Confirmation
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    • Oracle, Ciaran's Office

    After a moment of thought, Ciaran's eyes snapped open and locked onto Thrawn's. "Set up the Silencer with a recon team ASAP. Their orders are to confirm your analysis and ensure that they are not detected by any means necessary. If he deems it possible he can attempt some sabotage, however his highest priority is remaining unknown."

    "Understood."

    "Furthermore, HK will start acting as a bodyguard for Grievous effective immediately given what you've been telling me. And then...what are the odds of us infiltrating some of our own B1s into Trench's forces to act as our eyes and ears?"

    "Right now, very low. However if the Silencer's team discovers an angle..."

    "I'll have some of our people prep a few infiltrators just in case."

    ------------

    Huk

    The Silencer held up a fist as the quartet of men behind him dropped to the ground, scanning the thick forests around them for any Huk that had stumbled across their position. After a moment of searching the team heard a rustling sound, and as they all pointed their rifles towards the source a small bird fluttered out of the brush and sailed through the night sky. With a nod of affirmation, the Silencer started moving forwards again, quickly followed by the rest of the team as they made their way towards one of the only comms bases the Huk were known to have.

    As they arrived at the edge of the forest closest to the base in question, the men following the Silencer couldn't help but be relieved at the fact that the enemy forces they were infiltrating were relatively primitive. While the base was walled on all sides and had spotlights shining out into the darkness, it was clear that they didn't have more advanced security systems. However in lieu of that the Huk opted to have more patrols around the base, and the infiltration team could see Huk skittering around the perimeter and lining the walls. On paper it seemed to be quite impregnable.

    That didn't stop the infiltration team, who slowly began to spread out to provide effective oversight for the Silencer as he made his move. Once they were ready, a brief burst of static over the team's comms signaled the start of the infiltration, and the Silencer immediately began sprinting towards the nearest wall, timing his advance so that the Huk on the walls would be looking in any other direction but his own.

    As he reached the wall, he brought out a small device from his belt and activated it, and a few seconds later the spotlight above him began shorting out. Using the sounds of the cursing Huk and the malfunctioning equipment as cover he brought out a grappling out and tossed it up the wall, latching it onto the edge. In seconds the Silencer had made his way to the top, and after taking a fraction of a second to process the base layout in front of him he dropped to the ground and hid behind what he presumed to be a small armory as a pair of Huk passed by him, the loud clicks of their conversation echoing through the courtyard. Once they passed by him, the Silencer darted across the courtyard and reached a locked door - though it was quickly opened thanks to a customized multitool he had on hand.

    Quietly opening the door, the Silencer looked inside to see no signs of guards or cameras, and having confirmed that he went in after shutting and re-locking the door behind him. As he cautiously made his way through the halls he heard voices coming from a room close by to him - while most of the speakers seemed to be Huk, he could tell that one of them was speaking Basic.

    As he reached the room in question, he brought out his multitool again, this time bringing out a camera wand that he fed under the door. As the feed came into focus on a screen in his helmet, he saw for himself the unmistakable holographic figure of Trench speaking to a trio of Huk.

    "Rest assured, you will have plenty of opportunities to exact your revenge upon the Kaleesh and Abyss Watchers alike," Trench said to the Huk. "Your allegiance will be key to ensuring both of their downfalls."

    One of the Huk clicked at Trench, visibly irate.

    "I am aware of the Republic sanctions, and I can assure you that I will provide transports for your forces," Trench replied. "Once they are prepared I will send you the coordinates for the rendezvous point. Do not let yourselves be followed, am I clear!?"

    The Huk began chittering among themselves.

    "It is a necessary security measure. My fleet is most assuredly powerful, but if we are detected the Council will send every ship they have at us until we are destroyed. We must maintain the element of surprise."

    Each of the Huk let out a chirp of affirmation in response, and having gotten enough information and clearly seeing that the conversation was about to end the Silencer retracted his camera wand and began to make his way back outside-

    "We've got a problem. One of the guards is moving into the woods," one of the team members reported over the comms.

    "Eliminate. Make it messy - resemble predator attack."

    "Understood."

    As the Silencer made his way back out he heard the distinct sounds of cracking chitin over the comms.

    "Sithspit, man, I know Silencer said to make it look messy, but yeesh."

    "Enemy eliminated?"

    "Roger. Everything should be fine...probably. We're falling back to the rendezvous point just in case though."

    "Copy."

    -------------

    "Trench involvement confirmed," the Silencer reported to Ciaran and Thrawn. "Video evidence captured."

    Ciaran sighed. "Truth be told a large part of me was hoping you wouldn't find anything...thank you for the report, Silencer. Wait for the transports to arrive and get into a position where you can keep an eye on them."

    "Understood." With that, the hologram faded, and Ciaran sunk into her chair.

    "...This is not going to be a fun conversation..." she muttered as Thrawn looked at her impassively, knowing full well what she was talking about. Bracing herself, she punched in a different frequency, and after a few seconds a holographic image of Grievous crackled to life.

    "Lady Ciaran. What do you need?"

    "I need to tell you some news that you're really not going to want to hear," Ciaran said grimly. "...We've confirmed that Trench has set his sights on Kalee, and he intends to bring a Huk contingent with him to aid in the attack and restart the war between your people and them."

    Grievous had gone dead silent, and even through the haze of the hologram Ciaran could easily tell that he was seething with raw fury.

    "Thrawn and I plan on making sure that few if any Huk are going to make it to Kalee but-"

    "You have chosen to gamble my home on the chance that you can eliminate Trench. Or rather, you and Thrawn both," Grievous replied.

    "It is hardly-" Thrawn started to say.

    "No. I want no excuses from either of you." His eyes visibly intensified as he continued to speak. "I am no fool, nor have I or the rest of my people been so naive as to think that the Huk would never return even after we joined the Council. And I am not so callous as to think that you," he said as he faced Ciaran, "would go so far as to take these kinds of risks on a whim after everything you have done for us and how central Kalee is to the Watchers as a whole. Kalee does not fear war."

    "That's not what I'm worried about," Ciaran replied. "I'm much more concerned about what happens after."

    Grievous went silent.

    "You realize that trying to counterattack the Huk would play right into Palpatine's hands, right? Hell, it's probably his back-up plan in case Trench's attack fails. What's going to stop you from taking the Karabbac and trying to reduce Huk to ash once this is all over?"

    "...I will not."

    "Grievous, you are an invaluable member of this organization and I dearly wish I didn't have to ask this, but how do I know you'll live up to that vow? I know you, and quite frankly I understand exactly why you would want payback. Just saying 'I won't' isn't good enough."

    Grievous went silent for a long moment before he spoke again.

    "...If I gave into that desire for vengeance it would endanger everything that the Kaleesh have been working towards for the past years. I refuse to let Palpatine's deceptions and trickery take away the future we've been moving towards."

    For the first time since Ciaran had met Grievous, she saw his shoulders sag and his head dip slightly, as though he was willingly letting her see the weight he had been carrying ever since they had first met.

    "...I...I swear on the name of Ronderu Iij Kummar that I will not allow that to happen."

    Thrawn tilted his head slightly in confusion, though Ciaran simply nodded deferentially. "I understand. I'll contact you as soon as I can about our plans."

    As the hologram faded away Thrawn turned to face Ciaran. "You recognized that name?"

    "...Yes. It's a name I heard about while I was going through survival training on Kalee. Knowing you you'll want to hear the full story, but to be honest I only heard about it second-hand, so I can only tell you about what I've heard and some conjectures of my own.

    During the Huk-Kaleesh War Grievous - then Qymaen or so I am told - had a dream of him slaying a mumuu with a pair of Lig blades in the jungles of Kunbal. Seeing it as a good omen he went out to fulfill the dream only to meet another warrior who had already slain the mumuu - Ronderu. Apparently his dream and her appearance there fulfilled a legend or parable of the "Sheelal," which means "the Dreamer" or "the Dreamt One" depending on the translation. I think it actually translates to both at the same time somehow, but I was never quite clear on that and the Kaleesh have noted that the legend was fairly cryptic in its own right.

    Anyway, the two immediately became close comrades and fought alongside each other during the war, and combined they were apparently a force to be reckoned with. Qymaen taught her how to use his Outland Rifle and Ronderu taught him how to properly use Lig blades in a fight. I've heard conflicting reports about their relationship - some told me that they were lovers, others that they were half-siblings, others still that they were just close comrades, but the point being is that the two of them were incredibly close.

    ...A lot like Asajj and I are these days, honestly...

    The two of them more or less single-handedly fought off a massive Huk attack on the temple of Shrupak, which also served as the gateway to Ausez where the majority of Kalee's new infrastructure exists today. But apparently they were later separated on the beaches of the Jenuwaa Sea and Ronderu was slain by Huk warriors, and her body was tossed into the ocean.

    ...From what I heard, once he learned about Ronderu's death Qymaen was...inconsolable. He made an incredibly dangerous journey to the island temple of Abesmi where he begged his gods to let him at least see her body one last time.

    His prayers went unanswered.

    After that...well...that was when he became Grievous. I think it was barely a couple of years later when I first met him."

    "The tale you've told and the fact that he still goes by Grievous seems to imply that he has never recovered," Thrawn commented after Ciaran finished. "But it has seemed to me that he is far more concerned with the future of his people than that old wound."

    "All things considered...I think it's because-"

    Before Ciaran could finish her thought, her console lit up with an incoming call alarm. Pressing the button, Ciaran was surprised to see an image of Priam appear instead of the Silencer.

    "Sorry if I interrupted something Lady Ciaran, but I heard that you were considering trying to infiltrate some droids into Trench's forces?"

    "Yes...?"

    "Well ma'am, I was speaking with Chief Engineer Sair and I believe there's a way that we can do that without having to even move in one of our own droids. If you're willing and able to get me to Huk that is."

    "Keep talking."

    -------------

    As the Silencer's infiltration team reached the location of the Lander arriving on Huk, a couple of squad members glanced concernedly at Priam as he crouched in the back, a Pod hovering over his shoulder. While word had disseminated through the grapevine about his redesign no one had actually seen him perform in a combat or infiltration operation before-

    "Four droids coming out," the Silencer reported, interrupting the train of thought the squad had. "All B1s."

    "Is one of them moving off to the side?" Priam transmitted over the comms. "Somewhere where I can sneak up on them?"

    "...One moving off to the far left. Close to tree line."

    "Got it. Keep an eye on them and let me know if someone moves his way," Priam requested as he started to dart through the tree line, making his way closer to his target of opportunity. As he reached the edge of the forest closest to the droid in question he could tell that it was fairly distant from him and relatively in the open...but he was close enough for what he wanted to do anyway. Leaning against a tree to ensure he was out of sight he set up a connection to the droid, and after only a few seconds it briefly jolted in place slightly.

    "I think I heard something in the woods," it said out loud as it started to move towards Priam's position. "Moving to investigate."

    "Roger roger," another B1 intoned.

    After the subverted B1 made its way to Priam he quickly got to work, bringing out a multitool and quickly opening up the droid, stuffing a small device into its circuitry before sealing it back up and having it march back into place.

    "False alarm," the subverted B1 said. "Must have been a bird or something..."

    "And there you have it," Priam said over the comms. "That droid is now carrying a cloaked tracker, and it doesn't even realize it."

    "Roger," the Silencer replied. "Falling back."

    -------------

    "The tracker's signal just came back, looks like whatever ship the Huk forces are on just came out of hyperspace," Priam reported to Thrawn and Ciaran. "It's coming from an empty region of space, which is both expected and bad news for any sabotage teams."

    "Noted, and excellent work," Ciaran responded. "That being the case...Thrawn, what can we do to sabotage that fleet? I know Trench is noted to have perfected anti-cloaking tricks, so we can't just use the Scimitar..."

    "Indeed. That being the case while I am sure Trench will be keeping an eye out for cloaked ships - no doubt under Palpatine's orders - I suspect he will not be expecting any saboteurs at this point. He is no doubt currently assuming that his plan is going forward without issue."

    "Meaning?"

    "A vessel of any kind would be detected, without question. But a squad in space suits..."

    "...That sounds crazy enough to work," Ciaran said as she mulled over the idea.

    "From the information I have on ships like the Lucrehulks and Providences, I think something that small would be able to slip through their security net," Priam noted.

    "The thing is that it's incredibly risky and odds are good that whoever leads that mission won't be able to make it in time for the main battle," Ciaran said. "That, and I can't afford to have anything short of the best going on that operation. So...it's leader is going to be:"

    [] Ciaran. With her Shatterpoint abilities she might be able to pick up on any last-minute issues with the plan, but at the same time she would be an incredible morale booster for the Watchers and Kaleesh.
    [] The Silencer. He's an expert at sabotage, but that would also deprive the Watchers of an individual capable of terrifying any Huk forces into submission.
    [] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
    [] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
    [] Jango. Much like Asajj he's a good pilot and has experience with subterfuge, but if any Mandalorian Guardian reinforcements show up he would be critical in rallying them as a fighting force.

    ------------

    RNS Resolute, Meeting Room

    "Commander Tano, while I respect your input I cannot-"

    "Admiral, I know that Trench is going to hit Kalee," Ahsoka protested, bringing up a holomap of the system in question. "The idea behind this whole attack is to hurt Lady Ciaran just as much as the Council, right? That makes Kalee a high priority target since we both know how close she and the Kaleesh are, and Trench could pick up Huk reinforcements to help him in the attack. And even if it failed the sight of Huk on Kalee would reignite the Huk-Kaleesh War, which the whole galaxy got a reminder of thanks to the protests before the Temple Massacre. There just aren't any better candidates."

    "...I apologize, Ahsoka," Yularen responded after hearing her explanation. "Evidently you've given this more thought than I anticipated."

    "There's one other thing that makes me certain that Trench will hit Kalee. I know this sounds crazy, but it's based on his personal emblem," Ahsoka explained, bringing up an image of it. "Think about it. Trench was willing to announce his survival at Christophsis when he put it on his ship. It shows us that he's the kind of being who wants to send a message even if it gives him a disadvantage, and what better way would there be for him to do that-"

    "Than burning Kalee and reigniting a war that could drag the rest of the Council into the conflict," Yularen finished. "I will not lie...your analysis is thorough and more than concrete enough to be actionable."

    "So we should-"

    "Respond to the inevitable distress call and do nothing else before then," Yularen interrupted. "The only reason you were able to figure this out in the first place was because you had access to information that would confirm without a shadow of a doubt that we are moving against Palpatine should it come to light."

    "We can't just stay here! People are going to die!"

    "The Kaleesh are no strangers to war, Commander Tano, and we cannot risk the operational security of our mission."

    "But-"

    "I want to make this perfectly clear: If we enter that system before any distress signal is sent out it will blow our cover. I trust you understand?"

    "I...yes, yes I do sir!"

    AN: So this is happening. Choose wisely~

    Vote copied for convenience:

    [] Ciaran. With her Shatterpoint abilities she might be able to pick up on any last-minute issues with the plan, but at the same time she would be an incredible morale booster for the Watchers and Kaleesh.
    [] The Silencer. He's an expert at sabotage, but that would also deprive the Watchers of an individual capable of terrifying any Huk forces into submission.
    [] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
    [] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
    [] Jango. Much like Asajj he's a good pilot and has experience with subterfuge, but if any Mandalorian Guardian reinforcements show up he would be critical in rallying them as a fighting force.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
    You now what I want Priam to actually do something direct.
     
    [X] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
     
    Split between Asajj and Jango.

    The Silencer and Ciaran are just too big of force multipliers to throw out like this, especially since both of them on the field would throw the Kaleesh into a battle frenzy that would make Angron fucking proud.

    Priam is too squishy, not that I'm saying he'd fail, it's just that I don't want to risk him.

    Asajj on the other hand is a nightmare in combat and the best pilot we have to boot. Sending her there guarantees that even if she fails and things go pear shaped the ruin she'd leave behind would be told of in whispers.

    Jago's basically the second verse that's the same as the first, it all boils down to who would be the most help in the "Main" battle and who would do the most damage in the Pre-fight sabotage.

    Edit: Scratch that, forgot he was the Butler Droid turned 9S. He still probably wouldn't be as effective as the other two mind you, but he'd be capable of completing the mission barring any unseen complications.
     
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    I don't recall the Silencer having much of a history with the Kalee. I know Ciaran is pretty much their 'goddess of war' thanks to what she did to the Huk, but unless I'm remembering wrong the Silencer was a distant second place in terms of prominence. I expect the morale boost of his presence in the battle itself would be much less than the benefits we'd get from Ciaran fighting alongside Grievous and Asajj.

    Plus, you know, the Silencer has a hermetically sealed armor (well suited for space) and he has several traits about how good he is at infiltration and sabotage. If we want the sabotage to work, and to have a major effect on the battle, I think the Silencer may be our best bet.
     
    Publicola said:
    I don't recall the Silencer having much of a history with the Kalee.
    Click to expand...
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    It's not what he'd do to the Kaleesh that's the bonus, but what he'd do to the Huk.

    The man is basically their Doom Marine. He's ripped and tore through so much of their shit that if he even looks in their direction they'll have the insectoid version of a heart attack before shitting their thoraxes.
     
    Evaunit02mark1 said:
    Split between Asajj and Jango.

    The Silencer and Ciaran are just too big of force multipliers to throw out like this, especially since both of them on the field would throw the Kaleesh into a battle frenzy that would make Angron fucking proud.

    Priam is too squishy, not that I'm saying he'd fail, it's just that I don't want to risk him.

    Asajj on the other hand is a nightmare in combat and the best pilot we have to boot. Sending her there guarantees that even if she fails and things go pear shaped the ruin she'd leave behind would be told of in whispers.

    Jago's basically the second verse that's the same as the first, it all boils down to who would be the most help in the "Main" battle and who would do the most damage in the Pre-fight sabotage.

    Edit: Scratch that, forgot he was the Butler Droid turned 9S. He still probably wouldn't be as effective as the other two mind you, but he'd be capable of completing the mission barring any unseen complications.
    Click to expand...
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    I very much agree with this. Asajj and Jango will be great at getting in and wrecking stuff. Ultimately I'm going with sending Asajj. She's the only one (aside from Priam, who would be the least effective here) that doesn't give some kind of morale bonus (counting Silencer's demoralization fro the Huk as a bonus for the Kaleesh), and is the best pilot we have. Which is hardly to say that she'd be useless in the main battle, she'd be awesome at fighting there and it would be great to see her fighting alongside Ciaran again, but I think the most optimal place is to put her here.

    [X] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
     
    Blueshift said:
    I very much agree with this. Asajj and Jango will be great at getting in and wrecking stuff. Ultimately I'm going with sending Asajj. She's the only one (aside from Priam, who would be the least effective here) that doesn't give some kind of morale bonus (counting Silencer's demoralization fro the Huk as a bonus for the Kaleesh), and is the best pilot we have. Which is hardly to say that she'd be useless in the main battle, she'd be awesome at fighting there and it would be great to see her fighting alongside Ciaran again, but I think the most optimal place is to put her here.

    [X] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
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    [X] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.

    More or less my thoughts exactly. She may be one of our strongest hero units right up there with Ciaran, but she doesn't do much for morale beyond that, and if we want it to be sure it works, Priam is a bit more of a gamble than Asajj.

    Besides, the option says that she won't be able to show up for the opening stages if the battle. It doesn't say anything about the later stages; we could still get a Big Damn Heroes moment from Asajj (and Yularen, but that can happen with or without sending Asajj, so whatever).
     
    [X] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.

    There are two reasons I'm picking him over Asajj. Firstly, Asajj and Ciaran gain a bonus to combat when fighting together through their Force Bond, so it's better to have them both on Kalee. Secondly, Priam could use the practical experience. He's already got decent Intrigue, and practice like this will likely give it a further boost.
     
    [X] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
     
    [X] Asajj. There aren't any better pilots in the Watchers, but that also means she wouldn't be able to participate in the opening stages of the battle.
     
    [x] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
    F it, lets see if we can not make our droid useful.

    there are likely so many ways this could go wrong but i like the idea of droid hero`s
     
    The Silencer and Ciara are simply too useful, and Ciara gets an important bonus with Asajj so we should deploy them together. I'm torn between Jango and Priam,

    [X] Priam. On the one hand, he's technically the least skilled of the potential candidates, but at the same time that would allow the other candidates to fully participate in the battle.
     
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