The room was dark and quiet, it was late at night. Sachem stood in his apartment, thinking about all he left behind. Prior to his deployment to Thyveck, he took a short leave to Ord Selke - he went to visit his sister. It was the first time in a matter of years that he had been to Selke. He went there to catch up, and see how things had changed - he hoped they had. That trip ended in horror, as revolutionary group detonated explosives under the congressional building in the capital - where his sister worked. Sachem, left with no options, was seen fleeing from the scene, and the authorities assumed he was to blame for the explosion. Forced to either leave the system, or be arrested, he never knew the fate of his sister. He promised her fiance that he would return, and that once he did he would not leave until the incident was fully resolved. He promised we would return home with support. It was time to make good on that promise, six months had been too long.

When he returned to Vast Empire controlled space, he petitioned Army command to send support units to Ord Selke. After a quick, and a presumed wasted, review the request was denied by Army logistics. They claimed that they could not spare the Troopers to send to Selke. In addition, they saw Ord Selke as too far outside of controlled space to send any Troopers to. The system was isolated from the galaxy, and Army command was not keen on the idea of getting involved in an internal struggle - especially when they had a situation of their own to handle. Thyveck was that situation, the six month deployment to Thyveck to support Army operations on the planet. He was unable to fulfill the promise that he made before he left, he was committed to serve on Thyveck.

This bothered Sachem, even though there was nothing he could do about it. He was deployed, it was not like he could just get up and travel home to Selke at a whim - he had his orders. Thyveck was a hellish place, and the Troopers who got through the campaign were lucky to have survived. The entire operation on Thyveck tested him on everything that he trained for, and it worked the “green” out of him - it was a true trial-by-fire. He went in a Private First Class, nervous of combat and of what was to come, and he came out different. Promoted to the rank of Corporal, for his service during the campaign, combat was a part of his daily life now. Though some things did not change from before the deployment, mainly his pain.  He hated not knowing what happened to Rachel. He never should have let her stay inside to try to evacuate the building. He should not have left, instead he should have stayed and went to the site of the explosion. Sachem badly blamed himself for it all, and it was a wound on the inside.

He walked into the second bedroom, which he had turned into an office - he had no real use for the second bedroom beyond that. Taking a seat in his desk chair, he loaded his computer terminal. He initialized a connection to the holo-net, and began to view the news feed. Searching for the slightest mention of Ord Selke, he found none. Selke was too far isolated for their internal struggle to make it on galactic news. There was no news to be found anywhere, on an media outlet. No word even of the explosion six months prior, no media outlet had any information on what was going on.

Sachem was determined, he was going back to Selke. Although he could not go back alone, he would be no match for the unknown forces that laid in waiting there - he needed help. Army command had refused his request, he would have to fund the entire operation by himself. This would not be a problem,he had the credits; what he did not have was man power, specifically a pilot to get him to the system. The largest collection of those was the Imperial Navy, although they would be no more willing than the Army to render support. Politics stopped it from happening, so he would need to use oil the political machine to get what he wanted - he would have to spend some credits. Pulling stings, though some would call them bribes, Sachem contacted those people in power that he knew in the Imperial Navy. He had contacts with members of committees and commanding officers of capital ships - those he had gathered over time, mostly in bars. Those contacts mostly shot him down for any help, though retired Captain had the answer he needed.

An old friend of his, Gando Terrel, had the solution to Sachem's problem. First, even before needing a pilot, Sachem needed a vessel to get him to Selke. Captain Terrel offered Sachem what he felt was best for the mission, a V38 Assault Fighter. This vessel offered speed and stealth, both were needed for this mission. Though it came with a cost, an actual cost of credits. The V38 had a restricted usage status, permits were needed to allow it to be used. The credits Sachem had to pay went to bribing the proper officials for those permits. The second thing Sachem needed was a pilot, one who had the skill to handle a difficult spacecraft like the V38. Captain Terrel had a solution for that too, he had the perfect candidate for a pilot. All Sachem had to do was approach her with the mission, and offer her the credits, after which Gando was convinced that she would take the offer.

OOC:

WC: 972
This is the start of a personal story for Rawr. It will be used to establish more background into his past, and the events that led up to an followed his leave before the Thyveck campaign.
Also note, Character Name Change - Kristof to Sachem

Spiraling towards the ground, Natil was doing anything possible to maintain control - a lost caught, but who wouldn't try. So much for the stealth idea of this operation, the military look of a V38 Assault Fighter makes it a very obvious target in the skies. The fighter quickly fell, the acceleration was at full when the explosions rocked the vessel. The explosion had locked all navigational controls, including the thrusters. They were going to be at their maximum speed then the vessel slammed into the ground below. There was very little to do to try to prevent the crash, actually there was nothing. They braced themselves for the impact that would come.

The first thing there was, was fear - fear of death. The felt that sinking feeling in their chest when something horrible happens. Both Sachem and Natil thought they were about to die. The second thing was a quick but extremely loud sound, not an explosion but the sound of the hull shattering on the impact - followed an explosion. The last thing Sachem saw before he passed out was Natil, putting her arms in-front of her face as if to protect herself from harm. That was it, he did not see or hear anything else - it was as if his bind just went blank right before he went unconscious.

The assault fighter came to an immediate halt, it did not skid of jump across the ground. It had smacked right in the middle of a road in the insurgent controlled zone of Telakis, the capital city of Ord Selke - and the capital of the Selke Republic. Smoke poured out of the craft, and small fires burned. The people of the zone steered clear, sure that either a government or insurgent force was going to rush the vessel. For that reason, and for the lack of either force, no-one put out the fire or went inside to see if anyone was alive.

Unconscious, Sachem’s thoughts drifted backwards in time to the Cantina where he met Natil.

**

Walking into the cantina, he did not know what to expect - would she take the offer? Sachem had never met this woman before, all he knew he learned from Gando. Gando told him of her skill, her experience, but in the end it meant nothing if she wouldn’t take the offer. Gando forwarded her the details of the trip prior to Sachem’s arrival, in hopes to make this negotiation easier. He saw her sitting at the table, she stood out a slight bit. While the Cantina was one frequented by the Imperial Naval Star-fighter Corps pilots, it was rarely frequented by non-humans - let along a Rutian Twi'lek. She obviously did not fit in, and yet it did not phase her. On the flip side, the rest of the patrons treated her like anyone else - she had somehow earned their respect - Sachem knew at that point that he had found the pilot he wanted.

He was able to confidently walk up to the table, knowing that as long as she agreed with the terms everything would go well. The sounds of the cantina blared, the music and the voices, it made it a very private place to conduct business. Sachem would need to utilize this, as what he was about to ask Natil to do was damn near illegal, and likely could lead to a court-marital - though in his eyes it was the moral thing, the most important thing to him.

**

Waking up, he could only smell smoke. The smashed wreckage, aflame in some parts, was jammed in a central area of the street. Small chunks had broken off and laid all across the area. The main frame of the cockpit prevented it from crushing inward, though it did buckle in some parts. The sturdy design of the V38 was the only thing that had saved him from his death - Sachem was alive and ready to kick some-one's ass for that crash. He pulled himself up from the flooring of the cockpit, and then it hit him - where was Natil.

Trapped under a piece of the bulkhead, Natil was unconscious. Sachem could not see her, he did not know where she was. The air was thick from the smoke, he could hardly breathe. They had arrived, they were in Telakis - hopefully they were both alive.

OOC:

WC: 736

Sitting at his desk, Halestorm watched the world on a view screen - waiting and observing. This was an everyday thing for him, he used some time each day to keep up with the world’s events. He monitored government troop movements, and located vulnerable areas for future advancement. He was no tactical genius, but he knew the importance of knowing the battlefield - in this case the entire planet. Normally on a daily basis there were reports of insurgency, crime, and public events. Today however, there were not many events to monitor - today was a quiet day.

The ground was peaceful, the waters were empty, and the air was silent - at least it was until a unidentified vessel tore through the atmosphere at high speeds. The vessel, small and fast, was of an unknown make though it appeared to be military. Immediately when it arrived in the system, it was intercepted by the Selke System Guard, the elite public security connected to the Selke Republic. In their modified Z-95 fighter-craft, they fired upon the vessel to force it to comply. Halestorm saw all of this, he still had access to the System Guard network- through his own personal credentials.

A decorated member of the Selke System Guard, Halestorm worked alongside his fellow citizens and soldiers to protect their world from the hostile forces from outside the system, and to police it from the threats within. Everyday, they would operate as the military fist of the Selke Republic, as well as the Emergency Response Unit for society. Prior to his leave-of-absence, which he was currently on, the Guard had taken a recent stance against anti-government movements and terrorist groups. He took his leave of absence to be able to build his cover, for he himself worked for one of the larger anti-government groups - not only as a soldier, but as one of their highest officers.

The “Adenn bah Dar'droten”, which when translated from Mando’a to basic means “Merciless to the Lost”, stood to remove what they called an oppressive government that controlled the people ruthlessly. The group originated in protest groups, who spoke out against the government - the democratic process that Selke utilized for progression. However when no change, no progress, was seen they left the civil democratic process and moved to a larger scale radical approach. The group turned to fear tactics to get their message across. As the years advanced, the group chanced to violent tactics. Starting with arson to small government offices, they quickly advanced to large scale terrorism - most well known was the Selke Republic Congressional building bombing of 9 ABY.

The man behind it all, Halestorm, sat and watched quietly. He had learned that thoughtless action only caused failure. Observation, and planning, was the key to their success. He watched as the government forces fired upon the unidentified vessel, and shot it out of the sky. The vessel had no transponder codes, it was listed as a hostile target. He watched on a CCTV feed as it fell from the sky. Seeing the craft in the video feed, he stood immediately in shock - he recognized the vessel. The solar panel scheme alone screamed Imperial. Furthermore, the Imperials left this system alone for all of their history, it offered them nothing.

“Private, ready a transport and small team. Our hero has returned.” Halestorm said to a Insurgent Trooper, with sarcastic emphasis on ‘hero’.  The Trooper nodded, and walked off to ready the Troopers.

A hero, Halestorm reffered to Sachem. After the Congressional bombing, authorities saw Sachem fleeing the scene. They presumed that he was directly involved with the incident, his record made it all make sense. During his time in the Guard, Sachem spoke up about the oppression the government pushed to citizens. That prompted his leaving the Guard, and eventually the planet itself. It was easy for everyone to pin the attack on Sachem - he was in the right place, at the right time. Due to this, he became a hero figure in the insurgent forces - he started their rise to victory. Halestorm often exploited this, he exploited his known “friendship” with Sachem. People symthetic to the cause listened to Halestorm as he claimed to speak messages from Sachem.

Little did the Insurgent forces know Sachem had nothing to do with the bombing, or even that he no longer shared their views. Halestorm needed to get to him, Sachem was the only man that could undo the entire revolution from the inside.

OOC:

WC: 775

Sachem was not in the position to give away information, especially information in regards to who he was. Though that was the only piece if information that the Guard wanted. The man continued to stare at Sachem, waiting for an answer. His mind running, Sachem though what to say. He was normally quick on his feet with something to say, but not this time. He had nothing, nothing but the truth. Truth, the only truth he had - who he was.

"Alright, I guess it wouldn't be any use to lie to you. My name is ..." Sachem started, and then stalled with a pause.

"Yes, go on." The man said, anxious to hear the answer.

"You know what, I just realized that I get nothing by helping you. In the end, I will just sit in a cell; locked away for a long time - why should I help you?" Sachem said, realizing the situation.

"You should help us for many reasons, to start with you are not of this system. You bear no ID chip, nothing to mark who you are. Next, you have crashed a foreign vessel in our planet's capital. Your vessel was caregoeized as of military design, dangerous. So here is what we think, you are part of a scouting party - part of a first strike against our Republic."

"Well that's just ... off." Sachem joked.

"Give me a better explanation, my superiors want answers."

"Fine, I will give you a little bit." Sachem said with a smile.

"Excellent," the man said, "Computer, begin recording."

"So this story starts seven months ago, on a damned world called Thyveck. I was sent there, deployed there, to fight off a galactic force. We  fought galiantly, though it was not enough in the end. We were defeated, surrendered actually. Surrendered , and later fought our way out. Though that is irrelevant really, so lets say this story takes place a month ago."

"Please keep your story to the relevant information." The man said, again sounding slightly angry.

"Okay, I can do that. I made a promise, a promise that I would come here. So here I am, plain and simple. A month ago, I began to look for a way to come here. All in all, it took a bit of time and credits, but I secured a way here." Sachem said, leaning back in his chair.

"How is that relevant? Who are you, that is the most relevant information you could give me."

Sachem smiled, "That is all you are going to get from me."

"That is your choice, but you will be here until my suoperiors figure out what to do with you." The man said, and then stood, "Escort the prisoner to his cell."

Two troopers stepped forward, they grabbed Sachem under the arms and lifted him from the chair. Dragging him, not even giving him a chance to walk, they carried him to his cell.  Down the corridors, they did not even care that he smacked off of various items and debris all the way. The Troopers treated him like the worst trash, though they did not know a thing about him. The most important thing that they could have known, save for who he was, was the fact that he was paying attention. He was studying the corridors, mapping the facility in his head - they never even thought to blindfold him. He learned the deployments of patrols, and their armaments, planning his own next move.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at his cell. A small metal ring extroded from the floor, it looked so simple - the room was so dark. Dark, and empty, they tossed him in the middle of the ring. The two Troopers just stood there, watching him in his cell. Sachem could not figure out why they did nit activate the cell force-field. This was his chance, his chance to make a move.

Attempting to stand, one of the Troopers stepped forward. “Stay down!” The Trooper said.

“Don’t be alarmed, I’m not trying anything. I just want to stand.” Sachem said, lying through he teeth.

Standing up, he brushed himself off, “There, see that’s better.” He said, as he looked at the troopers.

“Go activate the beam so we can leave.” One Trooper turned, and said to another.

Sachem, noting the opportunity, leaped forward and began to sprint. He ran as fast as he could towards the Trooper, specifically the one with their back turned, and grabbed the Trooper’s knife. Acting quickly, he shoved the Trooper over and swung the knife to his neck. Grabbing him tightly, he held him with the blade right on his neck.

OOC:

WC: 781