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[Ceris Odrosess]

Cyborrea, a planet with a decently long history of war. Known for their mighty courageous warriors, and vicious beasts trained for war. Just a few months prior, the New Republic provided aid to the locals, in hopes they would become allies. It was a success, and now the New Republic seeks to unite the Cyborreans and make the planet a sole provider for the Republic. What is it they could possibly provide? Man power. The Lion of the Ten Tribes has made much progress since his prior visit with Ceris and Jin, but there is still a lot of work to do. Recent reports have shown that many Cyborrean bandits have been running around attacking other tribes. While the Ten Tribes has had no real issue due to the assistance of the New Republic, the bandits have been a bit of a nuisance. The Leader of the Ten Tribes also has some trouble convincing the other tribes to join him.

A deep raspy voice spoke out "Yer legged healed up?" Grand Admiral Brum looked towards Ceris, who was sitting in his office. Before she even had the chance to respond, he continued "I know yer suppose to be helping with the Zaa Fen problem we got going on, but Senator Jin wants to check back up on that planet you guys went to. You know where he is so hurry yer ass up." Ceris stood up and gave a low-effort salute before leaving his office. She still commanded a EF76 Nebulon-B Frigate, and just like before she and her crew took off for Fondor. They went through the same process as last time: swiftly loading up medical supplies, food, vehicles, and other goodies onto the ship. While her crew was busy, Ceris hopped into a landspeeder and made her way to the supply center to meet with the Senator of Fondor once more.

Ceris knocked on the office door twice and stepped in. "It's been quite awhile." she said with a smile. While she wouldn't admit it, Ceris was rather pleased to reunite with Jin and Venka. Suddenly Ceris remembered she wanted to ask if Jin could spare a few members of the Midori. Though, she decided to save the question for later.

@Song

 

[Jin Vaisra]

There Jin was again, compiling reports and mentally preparing himself for another year of cleaning up other people’s messes. Politics. It was such a tiring business, and current events did not make it any less troublesome. “Republic worlds flocking to the Consortium, Za Fenn making moves against the Free Worlds, the Sith making a play for Mon Cala—honestly, Venka, so much shit is happening I feel like my head is about to burst.” Jin slowly thumbed through the reports. “Seriously, what’s next? Another Mandalorian crusade?”

“Well,” said Venka. “There are rumors of an ongoing moot on Mandalore.”

Jin grimaced. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” He set the sheaf of papers down and leaned back into his cushioned chair, wiping a hand over his face in exhaustion. “Too many problems and not enough of me to spare,” he complained. “Whatever. We’ll handle them one at a time, starting with this nonsense on Cyborrea. Speaking of which, where the hell is—?” The words died in his mouth as two knocks sounded at the office door, giving way to the woman he’d exactly been looking for.

“Ah, Captain Odrosess,” Jin said with a practiced smile. “It’s been a long time indeed. I was worried you might have forgotten where my office was, but I’m glad you’re not as complete an idiot as that Admiral Brum.” Truly. The old man had left a bitter taste in Jin’s mouth after the last Senate assembly, where he made a number of ridiculous statements out of turn, much to the Republic’s embarrassment. He’d never got the chance to thank Ceris for choking out the bastard, but he wouldn’t bother now. They had far more important matters to discuss, and a long day ahead of them.

Rising from his seat, he circled the desk and smoothed the lapels of his silver white waistcoat. “Let’s skip the pleasantries and head back to your ship. I have a busy schedule, and every second we waste idling on Fondor is one less second for me to spend figuring out what to do with the Syndicates.”

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

"Leave old man Brum alone Jin" Ceris said crossing her arms a bit sarcastically. "He's a big headache to work with but I know he means well. Besides he's been getting sick lately, don't need any bad words to cause some strange force voodoo to make it worse." She flashed a smile towards Venka to acknowledge her presence.

The three would take the same land speeder Ceris arrived in back to the ship. "I'm sure you remember where you quarters are, senator. I'll be up on the bridge, doing what I usually do." They would go their separate ways if there were no more questions.

A few moments later...​

Ceris and company would take a small transport ship down to the planet of Cyborrea. Luckily they didn't need to take care of space pirates this time. Upon reaching their destination, the transport ramp lowered revealing a beautiful refined village. The mighty cyborrean warriors dawned brand new shiny armor, spears, blasters, and other weaponry. Technologically their buildings and homes were slightly more advanced, but still appeared to be simply huts. There was multiple vehicle depots, hangars, barracks and other stations scattered throughout. Many Republic soldiers walked around the village, and seemed to get along with the Cyborreans.

A familiar face was already nearby to greet the group. "The Captain has returned!" The nearby warriors raised their spears and let out a warcry. It was extremely flattering for Ceris, and she waved to them while stepping off of the ramp. El'oan approached the transport "The pirate slayer has finally returned! We must celebrate." He looked over to Jin "Ah, the Senator has come too. Splendid!" Ceris slightly bowed her head towards El'oan "It is good to see you again, old friend."

@Song

 

[Jin Vaisra]

The trip to Cyborrea hadn’t taken long. Whereas Ceris remained on the bridge, typically in command, Jin spent his time delivering memos and encrypting messages for his ‘allies’ in the Core. He’d heard plenty of rumors about Republic senators defecting for the Consortium, and he needed to be prepared once that critical moment struck. The Republic might be hit, but with his many contingencies in place, Jin hoped Fondor’s economy would emerge without so much a dent. As long as the Consortium didn’t pull some nonsense like nationalizing shipyard production, then he’d be just fine.

As always, he was accompanied by Venka, Ceris, and a select few of elite Republic soldiers down to the surface. A steady string of medical shuttles would follow, along with plenty of transports to resupply and expand the military installation already present on Cyborrea. It had grown significantly since Jin last visited. After today, it would serve as a perfect springboard for a Republic strike against enemies who’d dare to cross them—or a neat little hotspot for more… unscrupulous trades. Jin was not above cutting deals with enemies, as long as it earned him and Fondor a tidy profit.

As Jin exited the transport, he found El’oan there to greet them. The more civilized half of the Senator found the man aggravating and mildly gross, but he had proven to be a loyal and important asset to the Republic. With a little help, he could be even more. “El’oan, it is good to see you’re still alive,” Jin said with a slight curtsy. “However, perhaps we can celebrate after, my friend. I understand there are some… issues …you have been struggling with lately.”

“Struggle? Please! The Lion of the Ten Tribes never struggles.” El’oan puffed out his chest, looking proud and even taller than he already was. Probably to give his men the impression of confidence, because the moment they turned to leave for the village square, he leaned over to Jin and Ceris and sighed. “Okay, maybe little struggle.” He kept his voice and head low, clearly ashamed. “Even with Republic help, these foolish bandits continue to harass our supply lines in the east, and other tribes have held out on us. They do not trust you lightly, as I have.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing we’ve come to help fix that.”

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

El'oan led the group through the village towards a large Republic hanger. "Our main priority is dealing with these bandits. I believe that wiping them out will help persuade the other tribes to join." He looked towards Ceris "Currently a group of soldiers accompanied by two Jedi are out taking care of one far-away village that has been troubled by the bandits for a long time. However, we will be sending a force to raid what we believe is a important hideout for the bandits, and I want you to take charge of it."

El'oan then looked towards Jin "Senator, we request your aid in meeting with a tribe to the north: The Hidden Fox Tribe. They seem open to the idea of joining, but are very hesitant. They are very religious and view their home as sacred ground. They take pride in being one of the most respected tribes in ancient times, when just thirty of their men were able to defend a fort against a thousand. Although, they now solely focus on their martial arts and other traditions."

They would all continue into the Hangar which was bustling with life. Many vehicles were being worked on, weapon caches inspected, and soldiers conversed. El'oan faced the group with his arms crossed "That is what I ask of the two of you." Ceris crossed her arms as well, seeming rather unpleased "A great leader should detail his plan more thoroughly to the one he seeks to carry it out. I will speak with the local Republic command to get the details, but I will help with your bandit problem." She bowed her head slightly before waving goodbye to Jin and Venka, making her way to the far side of the hangar to speak with another officer.

@Song

 

[Jin Vaisra]

“Captain Odrosess has a point,” Jin added. “A good leader would send us a memo.” He smiled and patted El’oan on the back, then he continued toward the supply depot, knowing he’d need to requisition a speeder for travel. He figured the Lion of the Ten Tribes would accompany Ceris to this bandit hideout—or to whatever other business he had in mind—in part because of his love for killing. Diplomacy would be left for Jin to handle, like always.

“The Hidden Fox Tribe,” he drawled to Venka. “Sounds interesting. I wonder if they’d make useful soldiers for the Republic, or Fondor. We could always benefit from some extra bodies to throw at the Sith.” Or the Five Syndicates. Personally Jin wanted an end to this miserable war with the Sith, seeing as it had gone nowhere and accomplished nothing, compared to the recent successes made by the Consortium. War in general made for good business. Victories, too.

“That is only if they agree to join us,” Venka replied.

“Have some faith. I can be quite persuasive when I want to be.” Jin folded his arms over his chest. He’d done a solid job in fostering El’oan’s loyalty. How would this other tribe be any different?

Once he and Venka found themselves a ready speeder in the hanger, they left the village and traveled north, through empty grasslands and meadows peppered with wildflowers. He didn’t remember Cyborrea being this pretty, at least compared to Fondor, where the skies were ash gray and rarely gave the sun a chance to shine. And while it certainly wasn’t as beautiful as Indupar or Naboo, it was still enough to leave him longing.

Sooner or later, Jin saw the Fox tribe in the distance, a monastery with domed roofs, sandstone framework, and surrounded by farmland. Probably one of the nicer villages on the planet, if not the nicest. No wonder El’oan seemed so desperate to get his hands on them.

Outside the monastery, only one person was waiting. A tall woman, with dark skin and flowing black locks, dressed in drab olive robes. A monk? Or their leader? He couldn’t tell until the speeder came to a slowed stop, and as he disembarked to meet her, she tilted her head and smiled. “You must be Senator Vaisra. We were told you’d be coming. Please, come inside and rest, I know there is much for us to talk about.”

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Miles away to the west, Ceris stood in an open field preparing for the raid. With a small but powerful force, they would easily overwhelm the bandit hideout. Three HAVr A10 Heavy Lancer Variant Repulsortanks were ready to demolish everything in their sight. A force of 100 New Republic troopers rallied around the tanks, ready to advance into the woodlands.

The EF76 Nebulon-B Frigate that Ceris commanded watched from orbit, with it's starboard side turbolasers pointed towards the planet's crust. The plan was simple, deliver as big of a blow as possible, and sweep in with the ground assault. The young captain pulled out her commlink and spoke into it "Bridge, Captain Odrosses, report." There was a brief moment of silence before a voice responded "Captain, all hands manned and ready for bombardment. Waiting on your command."

"Fire."​

The three turbolaser turrets would rain down a flurry of shots that hit the woodland bandit base, a large thunderous boom roared each time. The ground shook with each blast; trees would be completely blown away as the base turned into rubble. The bombardment suddenly came to a halt, to which Ceris began the ground assault. Turning to the troops she pointed toward the woodlands "Advance!" The repulsortanks lead the way as the entire ground force rushed into the forest. As she watched the battle from the hilltops, Ceris wondered how Jin was doing on his end. She spoke into her commlink once more "El'oan, we're making quick work with the bandits. I'll advance further into the woodlands to see if there are more. If you can, contact the senator to see how he is doing."

@Song

 

[Jin Vaisra]

The inside of the monastery was nothing special—teak pillars, rocky ceilings, limestone walls engraved with art of the tribe’s history. It was everything Jin might have expected from a Rim-world tribal people. Still, it easily eclipsed the other settlements peppered across Cyborrea in terms of architecture and beauty, and even he found himself admiring the careful handiwork that had gone into every detail around the building. It reminded him of the temples back on Obroa-skai. Ancient.

The monk who’d welcomed him inside led him through a short hall and into a silk-curtain door, where a vast courtyard waited. A large tree sat in the center, its yellowing leaves covering the ground in splotches of gold under the sunlight. The woman glanced back to him and smiled. “Beautiful, is it not?” she asked. “Our ancestors built this place three hundred years ago, during a time of great war and death. It is here we built an army, and here where we stood against them.”

The monk settled into a stone bench nearby, gesturing for him to sit. Jin followed. “But we are pacifists now. Keepers of the peace. We have put aside swords and blasters in favor of our hands, be it in tending the land or learning the martial ways of our ancestors.” She smiled warmly at him.

“I am something of a martial artist myself,” Jin said, attempting to find a connection with the woman. “Passed down through the Vaisra line for generations. I understand the significance of tradition.”

“You do not understand the significance of peace, however, it seems.”

Jin blinked. The monk’s smile hadn’t once wavered, but she was looking at him with less warmth and a more interrogative feel. She folded her hands in her lap and continued, “Your Republic wages war against the Sith, our neighbors to the north. You have come to Cyborrea, bringing war and death. You practice the very things we have cast aside.” The woman leaned forward, knotted braids swaying over her shoulders. “Tell me, Senator Vaisra of the Republic, why should I not kill you where you sit?”

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

After a short battle, the bandit hideout was secured. It was rather easy, Ceris wondered why El'oan wanted her to be in charge of the operation. Clearly they had the resources and capabilities of getting rid of the bandits, so why has the progress been so slow? There wasn't anything of value to be collected within the base, just a large number of bodies left in its wake. Ceris recalled her troops out to the field, and started to plan her next move. The forest was dense, and while there were most likely more hideouts, it would be difficult to both navigate and traverse. On top of that, it could displease certain cyborrean tribes that their environment is being tampered with. There was another tribe further west that had not be aligned with El'oan yet. Ceris figured that could be the next place to start.

So, her soldiers marched. It was primitive, but was a fresh experience. In a way, they would get to kill three birds in one stone. Persuade two tribes to join, and taking out that bandit camp. "Assuming the Senator doesn't choke, today will turn out to be a great day." Ceris said to herself.

@Song