NationStates Jolt Archive

It had taken Johannes some time to track down the location of the Coredian Exile fleet. His current vessel was a beaten up old Freighter he had affectionately renamed "the Gospel train". It had been heavily modified and shielded, but still at its heart remained a basic bulk freighter, like many thousands in use in the galaxy at large.

He and his entourage had entered the system quietly, starting to broadcast a simple message with lightspeed communications.

"Greetings warriors and citizens of betrayed Coredia, your people have not seen justice in many years now, betrayed by those that you had once trusted, despite your efforts to do only that which was right. I greet you in the name of all that is good in this galaxy. I am Johannes Schneider, formerly of Tannelorn. I have..a Proposition for you..a way to perhaps turn this war around. I have certain knowledge at my disposal that could allow you to bring the war to the enemy, no matter who it is. A Galactic empire member, is still just that..a Galactic empire member. I have the power to open the front door for you, all you need do is say yes. I await a positive response."

Johannes waited for a response. His ship drifting on the solar winds.

Sixth Fleet/Exodus Fleet, Outer Rim

Admiral Gerald Saiyuki of the Sixth Fleet wasn't a man to be considered soft. A stern, demanding officer, he was often commented as a harsh man to serve under and even Daniel Masaki has learned to avoid his whip-like words. Still, it seemed to him that the boyish Field Marshal managed to saddle him with a unglorious task: babysitting the Exodus Fleet. The Admiral snorted at the thought of that boy laughing at him. Well, at least it wasn't too boring, with the constant patrols and the Imperial presence snipping at their heels.

"Admiral, sir!" A young sailor manning the sensors shouted.

"Yes? Spit it out!" The Admiral demanded from his command chair.

"CAP patrol says there's a freighter in the area not our own. IFF configuration appears to be 'the Gospel Train'! Message incoming from the ship!"

"Onscreen!" The Admiral barked.

A hologram of the ship's captain appeared with his message. "Greetings warriors and citizens of betrayed Coredia, your people have not seen justice in many years now, betrayed by those that you had once trusted, despite your efforts to do only that which was right. I greet you in the name of all that is good in this galaxy. I am Johannes Schneider, formerly of Tannelorn. I have..a Proposition for you..a way to perhaps turn this war around. I have certain knowledge at my disposal that could allow you to bring the war to the enemy, no matter who it is. A Galactic empire member, is still just that..a Galactic empire member. I have the power to open the front door for you, all you need do is say yes. I await a positive response."

"Mmm. Tannelorn, eh? An Imperial nation...and yet this one sounds like an opportunity. However...if I don't like this..." The Admiral smiled thinly. "Reply."

"Mr. Schneider. Be glad that I am in a good mood. You will follow the escorts to the Demonhunter. Any deviation will result in your destruction. This better be good or else!"

The CAP moved into formation around the freighter and the lead pilot waved for the freighter to follow.

Inside the freighter's command room Johannes chuckled, looking over to a child of no more then twelve at his side. "You would think, Piotr that they would be happier to see a man who had slain an imperial leader on galactic networks, especially if he came bearing gifts." Johannes laughed and the boy smirked. Around him were children, ranging from the age of eight to fourteen. Children Johannes had rescued from warzones during the second secession war of Tannelorn as well as from other worlds, and other wars.

"We have received your instructions and are complying," Johannes smiled for the first time in many years. This smile was genuine. After all he would likely see the Prefecture suffer now as he has suffered. Johannes, the hero turned outlaw for doing what was just, would now offer the Coredians a chance to strike back, to relieve some small amount of pressure being brought to bear on them.

Johannes had no problems helping them in their aims, so long as the invasion of the Prefecture went forward. If the Coredians had more pressing concerns at the moment, he would happily offer he and his retinue's assistance. The vast technical data of Hel station..and the ability to use it were powerful tools.

The Gospel Train turned far quicker then her bulk and dilapidated condition would bely, even as parts flew off of her as she joined the Coredian Escort.

The Gospel Train arrived to see a humongous hangar bay that looked like it could swallow the little freighter whole. Then a bunch of Coredian Marines in black armor and clothing surrounded the freighter, their weapons at ready to be raised if necessary. The Admiral (http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/thumb/a/ac/Vrookheadhomecoming.jpg/200px-Vrookheadhomecoming.jpg) was in a crisp blue uniform (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/State_Military_%28FMA%29.JPG) and two black-robed and scary-looking ANBU guards stood by his side. The Admiral awaited the crew of this hunk of junk...

One of the hatches on the side of the vessel opened slowly. Standing at the top of the ramp was Johannes, dressed in dark Blue Divine Celestial Cavalier armour, a long cloth draped around his shoulder and over his back. Behind him were six children, ranging from the age of eight to fourteen, dressed identically. They were completely unarmed and strode down the ramp with utter confidence, despite the large group of armed men surrounding them.

As Johannes approached the Admiral, he bowed with flourish, a motion emulated by the children. Though the girls admittedly curtsied with exceptional grace. Johannes grinned widely. "I see you do not fully trust me, but I assure you I do not come here to harm you. Why would I harm the only people in this galaxy who are as devoted to opposing wickedness and evil as I."

Johannes retrieved a small data pad from his side, with slow deliberate movements. "A token of my good will, inside this data pad you will find schematics for Urenbecht weaponry, through this you can modulate your gravitic drives to prevent the STC conduits from attaching themselves to your hulls, thus nullifying one of the most dangerous weapons you might face from my ex compatriots."

He motioned to one of the children. "Anastasia, come forward." The small blonde girl did just that, activating a device within her armour. A hololithic map appeared before the Admiral. "This is why I came, The Prefecture, the nation within Tannelorn which sold itself like a whore to the galactic empire. You need to open another front, you need to relieve pressure on your homeworlds. They are members of the Empire, and an invasion of them would draw Galactic empire resources away from you, and in to their territory." He grinned.

"Admittedly they are very, very well defended against attack, especially since the second secession war. However, to those who know how to use their tools against them, the door can be opened. I offer you command codes, patrol routes, technical specifications, defensive strong points and the ability to by pass DEMinhibitors." Johannes grinned.

"Though I sense you distrust me and my intentions, so to prove my good will I am more then willing to undertake any mission or action you may require of me, to prove my good will and honesty."

OOC
Johannes Schneider: http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o133/Conan2525/Tannelornian%20Characters/Johannes.jpg?t=1209270122

"Interesting. While our Emperor would apologize for our mistrust, I will not, for trust has become fleeting of late. I will however, grant you the benefit of the doubt." The stern Admiral allowed, his eyes trailing over the children and then to their protector. "Tell me more fully. Who are you and why do you wish to commit treason against the Empire? We know only that Tannelorn is a GE member, after all."

The ANBU quietly took the datapad.

Johannes laughed softly. "The situation is [I]far[/B] more complex then that. Tannelorn is not one whole nation, as the Divine Celestial Federation would have you believe. It is a simple fact that the Prefecture, the most belligerent and unworthy members of our society, who have banded together under their own fear is most definitely a member of the Galactic Empire. It is they who have dragged the rest of my kin in with them. Though The Greater Federation is wholly allied to the Empire, it is not entirely part of it." Johannes grinned.

"The Empire dragged the Knights of Tannelorn in to an unjust war, using Prefecture lies at Mythrandir..the Knights did not appreciate this. To this day they are still the power behind the fleets of Tannelorn, and I would not be surprised if their reaction time was slower then it would be. Of course the Prefecture would think nothing of the time it would take to move any signifigant forces from the Celestial Republic to the Cluster, which lays almost sixty thousand light years apart."

Johannes eyes were afire now, he spoke with a zealous intensity. "The Prefecture would blame the Republic for its woes, even if they managed to repel your invasion. Tannelorn is already far less unified then it was when the federation was formed. When I smote down Yanislev, Proconsul of the Prefecture, I did not find Knights at my back, hunting me for my crime." Johannes grinned softly, reveling in the irony of the situation. The Unity that his father had promised was now being torn apart, and in no small part due to his own actions. After all his former comrades would not hunt him, in fact many had aided him in the last sixteen years.

"The Prefecture remembered this, the Prefecture also remembered what they considered a betrayal at Mythrandir. Lord Kendall ordered a retreat despite having recieved fresh reinforcements during the final assault against a battered enemy." Johannes laughed. "Their glory had been taken from them, they did not care for the dishonour they were heaping upon themselves. If you can infuriate the Prefect's council enough, they will declare war on the Republic..as they forced on the Greater Federation two years after the battle Mythrandir, when the Grahfsberg Federation seceded, and attempted to defeat the Prefecture." Johannes looked down.

"Why, Why would I do this, what reason do I have to betray the emperor..he was never my Emperor, there is no betrayal taking place. I only wish for Tannelorn to be restored to a just rule, and a just society. The Prefecture is a parasite, leeching off of the people, using them and their fears to justify their own excesses and pursue their mad schemes." Johannes paused, a look of sadness crossing his features for a split second, to be replaced by a righteous indignation.

"They have wrought nothing but sorrow, enslaved Piotr's greatest gift to the people to their own twisted whims, murdered countless innocents, women, children all for the mad schemes of their leadership..I do this, because they must be stopped...and because the Empire must be stopped. For the Prefecture is only a shadow of the beast that stalks the stars, who's every foot step is death and misery. The Just shall always Vanquish the wicked, Admiral. We must simply have the courage to face them." Johannes had finished stating his case. It was up the Admiral to decide.

"If you wish proof for yourself of my intentions, once again I offer any task you wish of me and my troop." He grin's, looking back at the children with him. "There is much more to them then appearances suggest, I assure you."

(tag)

Johannes laughed softly. "The situation is [I]far[/B] more complex then that. Tannelorn is not one whole nation, as the Divine Celestial Federation would have you believe. It is a simple fact that the Prefecture, the most belligerent and unworthy members of our society, who have banded together under their own fear is most definitely a member of the Galactic Empire. It is they who have dragged the rest of my kin in with them. Though The Greater Federation is wholly allied to the Empire, it is not entirely part of it." Johannes grinned.

"The Empire dragged the Knights of Tannelorn in to an unjust war, using Prefecture lies at Mythrandir..the Knights did not appreciate this. To this day they are still the power behind the fleets of Tannelorn, and I would not be surprised if their reaction time was slower then it would be. Of course the Prefecture would think nothing of the time it would take to move any signifigant forces from the Celestial Republic to the Cluster, which lays almost sixty thousand light years apart."

Johannes eyes were afire now, he spoke with a zealous intensity. "The Prefecture would blame the Republic for its woes, even if they managed to repel your invasion. Tannelorn is already far less unified then it was when the federation was formed. When I smote down Yanislev, Proconsul of the Prefecture, I did not find Knights at my back, hunting me for my crime." Johannes grinned softly, reveling in the irony of the situation. The Unity that his father had promised was now being torn apart, and in no small part due to his own actions. After all his former comrades would not hunt him, in fact many had aided him in the last sixteen years.

"The Prefecture remembered this, the Prefecture also remembered what they considered a betrayal at Mythrandir. Lord Kendall ordered a retreat despite having recieved fresh reinforcements during the final assault against a battered enemy." Johannes laughed. "Their glory had been taken from them, they did not care for the dishonour they were heaping upon themselves. If you can infuriate the Prefect's council enough, they will declare war on the Republic..as they forced on the Greater Federation two years after the battle Mythrandir, when the Grahfsberg Federation seceded, and attempted to defeat the Prefecture." Johannes looked down.

"Why, Why would I do this, what reason do I have to betray the emperor..he was never my Emperor, there is no betrayal taking place. I only wish for Tannelorn to be restored to a just rule, and a just society. The Prefecture is a parasite, leeching off of the people, using them and their fears to justify their own excesses and pursue their mad schemes." Johannes paused, a look of sadness crossing his features for a split second, to be replaced by a righteous indignation.

"They have wrought nothing but sorrow, enslaved Piotr's greatest gift to the people to their own twisted whims, murdered countless innocents, women, children all for the mad schemes of their leadership..I do this, because they must be stopped...and because the Empire must be stopped. For the Prefecture is only a shadow of the beast that stalks the stars, who's every foot step is death and misery. The Just shall always Vanquish the wicked, Admiral. We must simply have the courage to face them." Johannes had finished stating his case. It was up the Admiral to decide.

"If you wish proof for yourself of my intentions, once again I offer any task you wish of me and my troop." He grin's, looking back at the children with him. "There is much more to them then appearances suggest, I assure you."
"Yes, I certainly would need proof. You weave a fine tale, and perhaps I could be persuaded to believe it, but pretty words must be backed by action." The Admiral reminded them sternly. "Perhaps I should test you and your...charges. Come with me and I will give you an assignment."

He whirled around and began leading them out of the hangar bay and into a map room nearby.

((Definitely tagged. CW, I'll talk to you about it after Asian History class.))

Johannes nodded at the Admiral, following with with a purposeful stride. He turned back towards the children for a moment. "Bring the presents you made for our hosts." he chuckled softly. Elomir quickly ran up the ramp, his little steps making quite a racket for a boy so small. He returned quickly, almost tripping as he carried a plate of cookies down to the guards, offering them each one in return and one to his fellows, which they hungrily ate.

Johannes laughed softly to himself at the display and caught up with the Admiral. "Very well admiral, I am at your disposal, my request for me and my entourage to join the Rebel alliance was no ruse." he smiled a wicked smile, lost in his own thoughts as he walked silently to the briefing room.

Luckily for some of the hangar crew, the Admiral left before he noticed the child giving his subordinates the cookies (of course, the ANBU scanned the cookies for poison before consumption). He would have docked them for sure! In the meantime, Saiyuki showed Johannes the briefing room.

"This task, should you choose to accept it, is simple in scope. As you may or may not know, Emperor Palpatine has released all of the Dark Lords of the Sith from their time in Hell, and it's a major headache for my superiors on the Council to track and destroy them all." He tapped a button, showing the faces of all the Dark Lords in existence. A few, like Darth Bandon, have their faces X'ed out, otherwise known as confirmed dead, but the great majority of them are still alive.

He decided on one of them. "This is Darth Rivan (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Rivan). Not to be confused with Revan, whereabouts unknown. He is a Zelosian (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Zelosian) male who is known to reside on the planet of Almas (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Almas)." He pulled up the world and its information on the holoscreen. "Darth Rivan has been terrorizing neighboring systems with his Battlelords (conscripted Dark Side Acolytes) recently and is known to be attempting to purchase a fleet through the Empire's storefronts, but fortunately, has not yet succeeded. Your task is to defeat him and bring his head to me. That will be your test of loyalty."

Johannes smile froze on his face at the mention of the word "sith". "Alright Admiral, it would be my..pleasure..to perform this task for you." Johannes turned to leave the room. "If i may take my leave, I wish to set upon this task immediately." The predatory grin on his lips seemed to widen.

"Very well. I leave how you conduct your mission to you." Admiral Saiyuki nodded.

(Tagged)

Johannes was about to leave the room when he stopped and whirled around to face the Admiral. "Actually I could use all the information you can give us on this "Darth Rivan". As well perhaps a few dozen of your light sabers...preferably red." Johannes grinned as an idea came to him. If this Sith stylised himself to be like Revan himself, then it was likely he was attempting to build a sith order, unlike the later Sith, who followed the rule of two.

"Other than the information you should have downloaded into your datapad, we don't know much else about Darth Rivan." The Admiral admitted, motioning to one of the ANBU in the shadows. "However, if you'll follow my bodyguard, he'll lead you to the armory. I dare say you'll find some useful weapons in there. Just be sure to account for any weapon or item you take out of it. The Quartermaster's a stickler for procedure."

"Follow me." The ANBU said, his cloak billowing slightly in an unseen wind.

Johannes followed the ANBU, lost in his own reverie. He quickly sorted through what supplies he would need and left, making sure to account for each and every item. Johannes proceeded with haste to the hangar bay, the children quickly formed up and entered the ship, aware of his intention to leave and their destination before he even rounded the corner.

They left the hangar and accelerated away from the coredian exile fleet, then activated their DoD and entered the Aether in a streak of light.

++++

"Anastasia, I want you to close your eyes and think of this man, tell me...where does he lair, upon the planet of Almas yes..but where is Almas? We must be certain..the texts on this matter are old." Johan spoke, in soft, assuring tones. The child lay back, feeling the glow of the Aether upon her face and closed her eyes. They were in the seeing room, a simple room where the atmosphere and pressure were held in by a strong magnetic field, and nothing more. In this room they could bask in the glow of the Aether itself, and for those whose "sight" was greater then others..they could hear glimpses of truth, in the soft harmonic song in the background. Her eyelids fluttered and she moved as if gripped by a seizure, Johannes stood impassively, waiting for the fit to pass. She pointed to a spot in the Aether. He followed the line of her outstretched finger to the point, seeing it in his minds eye and devoting it to memory.

Johan smiled. "You have done well my daughter."

++++

The ship reentered real space inside the system of Cularin. They cloaked their craft in veils of technological..and psychic illusion and proceeded towards the planet Almas.

Almas. It wasn't a place known for much, except for the grasses that grew everywhere and the resident hississ that wander around. The Jedi once had an academy there, but after Darth Rivan revived, he took over the academy and started churning out Dark Side agents to menace the nearby systems and take control of them. Obviously, he was going to carve out his own little empire and dare any stupid Jedi to try and do something about it.

As a Seer of sorts, Riven wasn't surprised that the Jedi would finally get around to doing something about him. Well, he would be a poor host if he didn't prepare a proper welcome for the newcomers. As soon as they landed, they would get a nice surprise...

***Almas***

The Gospel Train set down quietly behind a a large system of sand dunes, nearly fifty kilometers from The old Sith fortress that had been located on the world. Above it flew several stealthed VMF's of unknown designation, superficially they resembled Kernschattens, to those that could see them. They did a quick patrol and landed near the Gospel Train, signalling the all clear.

Johannes and several of his entourage stepped out of the craft, adorned in ornamentation and regalia of the Sith, dark cloaks and talismans framed them. At their sides were several lightsabers. They strode purposefully onwards, to the coordinate their comrades sent. Johannes was certain to bring Anastasia, her foresight was the very best amongst his young pupils, and would help him to detect treachery and ambush on their path.

Under the purple light of Almas itself, Johannes and his troupe of seven trekked through the desert, never breaking in their stride or tiring as they neared the Fortress of Darth Rivan.