Admiral Gaen Drommel
- "Pirates plunder for money. We plunder for justice."
- ―Mav Yarin
Despite the snub from the Admiralty of the newly formed New Republic, Brent continued to serve with intelligence and courage. The Valiant was refitted into a carrier, with two squadrons of fighters, one X-Wing, one B-Wing, now stationed on the vessel. It did not take long before he would find himself in the midsts of another important battle.
Admiral Gaen Drommel had fled to the small planet of Tantive V to repair and resupply after fleeing Imperial Center after the Battle of Endor. The fleet had been tracked down by a flight of A-Wings off of the MC-80b Taladrasa, the New Republic mobilized a task force to take on the Imperials.
The Admiral's fleet consisted of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Guardian, and three Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Most of their auxiliary vessels had been lost on their escape from Imperial Center and subsequent battles, and therefore their supplies were low at best.
The New Republic task force arrived in waves, with the Valiant arriving in the second wave with a small strike force of fighters off the Taladrasa and from her hangar. The Valiant's group had arrived from a different vector coming in behind the main battle. Immediately the group attacked the nearest Imperial Star Destroyer, the Wolf's Claw, targeting her engines and power systems.
The group took out the Wolf's Claw's engines with the first pass, and as the Valiant sped towards the next Star Destroyer in the line, the Wolf's Maw, the fighters attacked again, destroying the Claw's shield towers. The Valiant's weapons lanced out at the Maw, but took serious return fire and had to retire from the attack.
As the Valiant limped away, Mav Yarin's Endor, the ship that should have been Brent's, attacked the Maw. Having been distracted by the Valiant's efforts, the Endor took the Maw out with ease. This fact, of course, would be played down in the battle report, which was written by Mav Yarin. The Wolf's Fang, the final Imperial Star Destroyer, was destroyed by the Taladrasa, before the entire task force focused on the Guardian.
Being one of the hardest nuts to crack in the galaxy, the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Guardian took hundreds of high-powered turbolaser blasts without even flinching. As the damage mounted, however, Admiral Gaen Drommel ordered the ship to retreat to a safer location, Soullex, where the Guardian would be captured later and added to the New Republic forces.
Mav Yarin, Commander of Strike Fleet
- "You would contest me? You are nothing but a failed Imperial!
I have not failed. I have only been delayed."
- ―Brodo contests Mav Yarin's leadership of the Strike Fleet
Having assisted in the capture of the Imperial Star Destroyer Wolf's Claw and being the senior of the task force's captains, Brent had expected that the vessel would be given to him to command. Despite his prowess and skill in the major battles he'd been a part of, this honour was yet again denied to him.
Mav Yarin had given this new command to his brother, Karrik Yarin, to command, a man whose military experience was limited to commanding a backwaters garrison and a Corvette. Brent was furious, and sent messages to several highly ranked members of the Admiralty citing as many regulations as he could.
Unfortunately, Mav Yarin caught wind of these messages and had them intercepted. Angered by this attack on his person, Yarin brought Brent up on charges of insubordination and conduct unacceptable from a New Republic officer. As ludicrous as the charges were, the tribunal which was formed to try him was formed of the senior captains of Mav Yarin's task force, all of whom were his cronies.
Seeing no way out of this situation, Brent sent one final message to the Admiralty via a courier so Yarin could not intercept it. After the courier returned, Brent sent a message to the task force, explaining that he would be leaving the task force, and the New Republic for blatant disregard of military discipline and law, and that he had lost faith in the leadership to command him in battle.
Mav Yarin, furious at this, opened fire on the Valiant. Brent called for any and all captains who wished to join him would be welcome to and submitted a series of coordinates, before entering hyperspace.
After a week, he had amassed a small fleet of another Strike Cruiser, and three Corvettes, all of whom had served in Yarin's task force, and the majority were former Imperials who had voiced their dislike of the leadership in private. They pledged their loyalty to Brent.
Brent had heard of an Imperial strike fleet in the outer regions of the galaxy which had resisted all advances by the New Republic as well as all the Imperial warlords still operating. They were centered around the Minos Cluster, which was where Brent set course to next, Rielle happily in tow.
Emperor's Hammer
Emperor's Hammer
- 12 ABY - A New Grand Admiral
- "Damn red-eyed freak!"
- ―Brent on Grand Admiral Ronin
A new Grand Admiral, Ronin, hears of a group of capital ships led by an ex-Imperial who distrusts the Rebels. He decides to invite the band into the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet. This offer is accepted by Brent, on the condition that his men be accorded the same respect, honours, and benefits as befits what they have done in the past few years.
The small fleet made its way through the hyperspace lanes, dodging both New Republic and Imperial warlord patrols, heading in a roughly straight line towards the Minos Cluster. Situated in the Outer Regions, it was far away from most of the troubles of the galaxy, and therefore would be a great place to hide out for the fugitives.
Despite his careful navigation, Brent found it harder and harder to keep out of battles with both sides. On the one hand, the New Republic was hunting him as a pirate and traitor, for stealing five vessels and their crews. On the other hand, however, the Imperial warlords were trying to recruit him, and when he did not agree to join them, they would attack him, in an effort to keep him from signing up with one of their competitors.
One corvette, so badly damaged in one such skirmish, had to be scuttled after all useful components were stripped from her. The crew was integrated into those of the other vessels, bringing their depleted strength up to near full. By now the crews were battle hardened and could fend off attacks by vessels much larger or better armed than them.
After a month of 'tacking into the wind', as Korvem, Brent's father, would have put it, the fleet finally reached the edge of the region of space known as the Minos Cluster. The Cluster was really just a vast collection of stars which had congregated around a minor black hole in the center, almost as if it were a mini galaxy.
As the fleet moved into the cluster, they were set upon by the Imperial Star Destroyer Subjugator and its wing of TIE Fighters. Having served in the early years of the Empire, Brent had not seen such TIE Fighters, faster than anything he'd seen, and with shields and hyperdrives.
He immediately surrendered to the captain of the Subjugator, a man by the name TeeKay Forto'wan, and requested an official audience with the Grand Admiral with hopes to join the strike fleet. The Subjugator led the small fleet to the capital of the Emperor's Hammer dominion, Auroura, and after a stint of security checks, Brent was brought in front of Grand Admiral Ronin.
The Grand Admiral, a Chiss, greeted Brent coldly, before explaining that he would accept his fleet into the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet if he pledged his fealty to him. Brent countered that he would only do so if his men were accorded the same chance to do so and to receive the same benefits as he would as he joined. Ronin agreed, and Brent swore fealty to the Emperor's Hammer and the Grand Admiral.
It would take some time before all of the arrangements would be finished. Once complete, Brent and Rielle had to find somewhere to go. Brent found his home almost immediately.
Hammer's Fist
- "For The Hammer, For the Fist"
- ―Hammer's Fist oath
While the Emperor's Hammer was predominantly a space-borne force, it did have a Stormtrooper Legion attached to it, the Hammer's Fist. Renowned before the fall of the Empire for having never lost on the field of battle, the Legion had fallen on hard times.
Many of the higher ranked officers defected or were killed in the constant battles forced upon the Emperor's Hammer, and ever younger replacements had to be promoted to fill the now vacant positions. Though still a relatively young man, Angelo Dante was promoted to the Prefect of the Hammer's Fist Legion just a few months before Brent's arrival on Aurora.
He had heard of this new Field Marshal before, and knew he had to seek him out. Meeting the Prefect on the planet of Carrida II, the men hit it off immediately, forming a firm friendship. It was there when Brent decided he would apply his military expertise in the Hammer's Fist.
The enlistment went smoothly, but with one major flaw. Due to the simple fact that his previous ranks had been earned in enemy armed forces, Brent would not be allowed to retain them. Despite this snub, he enlisted in the Legion under the assumed name Decarat.
The freshly minted Private Decarat immediately set about impressing the officers who had never heard of him. He shot through the early ranks with unusual speed through diligence and effort, though his promotion to the rank of Master Sergeant was due to his heroic efforts during Operation Hurricane, where he rescued an injured officer who had lost an arm and many liters of blood.
After Operation Hurricane, Decarat had spent several months recovering in the infirmary, having sustained several injuries ranging from simple scratches to a punctured lung. When he left the infirmary, however, he found out he had been transfererd out of Eclipse Platoon into a newly created company, the 1st Special Operations Group (1SOG).
Decarat's Storm Commando armour
- 15 ABY - Elite of the Elite
- "The Nightstalkers needs a strong leadership. I have Balefire. I want you."
- ―Field Marshal Dante talking to Decarat
Decarat is very influential in the creation of the First Special Operations Group (1SOG) of the Hammer's Fist, and becomes the first platoon leader of its primary commando platoon, the Nightstalkers. He is promoted several times, and ends at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The 1st Special Operations Group was a brand new idea in the Hammer's Fist. It had a similar operational structure to the other three companies in the Hammer's Fist, but there the similarities ended. The three platoons had vastly different roles, designations and personnel.
The first platoon was not a platoon at all, but actually a squadron. Torch Squadron was made up by a small flotilla of assault transports and atmospheric fighters designed to provide both cover and transportation for the rest of the Hammer's Fist and the 1SOG.
The Roughnecks was the second platoon of the company, and specialized in airborne operations and air assaults. Using Torch to get them in and out of battle, the Roughnecks drop from their transports directly into combat. Known for their aggression and skill, they were often at the tip of the charge at any given time.
The final platoon, the Nightstalkers, was the platoon where Decarat had been placed. Designed for stealth and infiltration, the Nightstalkers were highly trained masters of death. At times when stealth is impossible to maintain, the Nightstalkers can unleash hell, with volleys of sniper and rifle fire.
Initially he was the platoon's first sergeant, the position given to him due to being one of the highest ranked active non-commissioned officers in the Legion. However, after a meeting with Dante, and the 1SOG's company commander, Balefire, Decarat was given a commission and full command of the platoon.
With his chest finally emblazoned with an officer's rank, Decarat set about making the Nightstalkers the best platoon in the Hammer's Fist. He would have the opportunity to do so soon, however, with Operations Security Breach, Anvil and Overlord on the horizon. The Nightstalkers forged a name for themselves in Operation Anvil by infiltrating a New Republic research facility without backup and capturing the lead scientists alive.
It was after Operation Barbarossa that Decarat was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His success and fame had captured the attention of a different faction in the Emperor's Hammer: the Dark Brotherhood.
Brodo as a EHDB Sith
- 15 ABY - Rediscovered Talent
- "Your anger will set you free, your fear will fuel you, you will rule"
- ―Lady Rage, EHDB Tarentum Consul
During Operation House Fly, an operation where insurgents from the Rogue Dark Brotherhood had found their way onto Carrida II, several representatives from the Emperor's Hammer Dark Brotherhood were attached to the 1SOG. Their task would be to apprehend the more powerful rogue Sith and assist the 1SOG troopers with the task of destroying the insurgency.
One representative from Clan Tarentum, the Consul Lady Rage, took a special interest in Decarat, who was assigned as her liason officer for the duration of the Operation. She could sense the power and anger in him, especially during the intense firefights in the city of Renowa.
During the assault on the insurgent stronghold, a moment's intuition sealed his future. As Lady Rage turned a corner, Decarat yanked her back, out of the way of a hail of laser blasts. Decarat then replied with seven carefully placed sniper bolts around the corner, silencing the ambushers.
An hour after the official end of the Operation, Lady Rage had Decarat put on the inactive list and had him whisked away from Carrida II. Deposited on the Imperial Star Destroyer Subjugator, Lady Rage took responsibility for Decarat's training, and gave him the alias, Archangel.
Lady Rage, former Consul of Clan Tarentum
- "Tarentum shall destroy all who stand before us"
- ―Archangel, upon his appointment to Consul of Tarentum
Under the apprenticeship of Lady Rage, Archangel's Dark Jedi powers grew from strength to strength in a relatively short length of time. He quickly received his first lightsaber, fighting the enemies of the Emperor's Hammer on numerous battlefields. He found the inter-clan battles the most 'dangerous', where friends can be thrust upon each other in the heat of battle.
Tarentum went into a slump, however, with the only shining light being House Tridens, commanded by Archangel. He had been Quaestor of Tridens for only a few weeks when the Sith Rite of Supremacy began. This Sith House only competition would pit the Sith Houses from each Clan against each other. Tridens destroyed their enemies, and was crowned the First Sith House of the Dark Brotherhood.
His fame rose quickly with that victory, and with the slump of Tarentum, the Clan Summit was forcedly replaced by the Dark Council. As the senior Quaestor, Archangel was elevated to the position of Consul. He would reign for six months, earning Tarentum the position of First Clan of the Dark Brotherhood with a masterful display in the main Rites of Supremacy.
Unfortunately, this skyrocketting success would be his ultimate downfall.
Dark Jedi Brotherhood
- 25 ABY - Another Departure
- "Let those who stand before me know... I'm getting out of here, do not expect to stop me"
- ―Decarat to Detention Troopers who had come to take him into custody
After a very successful stint as Consul, Archangel retired with honours and settled with Rielle in Carrida II's higher class area. He would also retire his aliases, returning to his preferred humanized name of Brent Tainer. His fortunes from several smart investments in the Corporate Division had given the couple a good nest egg to start their quiet lives together.
For a time, they were happy. Rielle maintained the house and the gardens, and Brent did occasional consultancy for the Hammer's Fist, as well as some specialized training for the recruits. He did his best to maintain his seperation from the mainstream Hammer's Fist and Emperor's Hammer command structure.
As a former Consul in the Dark Brotherhood, and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hammer's Fist reserves, Brent was a part of the upper echelon of the Emperor's Hammer society, and was therefore often invited to high-class social events. Dressed in his Lieutenant Colonel dress uniform, he and Rielle would move throughout the higher command and high society of the Emperor's Hammer.
At one particular event, the Fleet Commander's Banquet, Brent was contacted by a man who would only give his name as Defiant. He spoke to Brent of his history and the training he had given to the recruits. Brent was intrigued by this man, who he did not recognise, nor could he place the man.
The moment Defiant suggested they move to another room for a more in-depth discussion, Brent got suspicious and refused. Defiant flashed an Emperor's Hammer Intelligence Division badge, and a burly man took Brent by the arm and moved him into another room. The pair then spent the better part of an hour interrogating Brent about his involvement with a separatist movement, mostly centered around a group of officers originally from Brent's rebellious flotilla.
Though Brent knew nothing, the pair would not give in. Finally reaching his breaking point, Brent swung out at the men, breaking one's jaw and knocking the other out. Brent grabbed Rielle from the banquet and escaped to Carrida II. The following day, the EH Holonet broadcast an Empire wide bulletin calling for the arrest of Brent and Rielle as subversives and fugitives and for striking Intelligence Officers.
Packing what few belongings they had gathered over the years, the couple stole a freighter and headed into space. Brent tried his best to contact trusted people who he knew had cut their ties with the Emperor's Hammer. One contact, Field Marshal Dante, offered him sanctuary and security in the one place he had been taught for years to hate: the Rebel Dark Brotherhood.
Arriving in rDB space, Dante helped Brent get assigned to Clan Plagueis, a relatively new clan where a new face would be easy to miss. Rielle would stay in the shadows, but would soon follow her husband into the Clan.
Brodo battling a fellow Dark Jedi
- 26 ABY - Change of Scenery
- "The Royal Clan is far more successful at what they do than ten Plagueis Clans."
- ―Eton Jade
Clan Plagueis was vastly different from Clan Tarentum, the Clan he was a part of in the Emperor's Hammer. He found their ways unusual, and found himself almost a pariah when trying to succeed. He knew the Consul of the Clan, Sarin, from the Emperor's Hammer, and still had an incredible amount of respect for the man.
His first break came at the coattails of another Emperor's Hammer escapee, Dacien "BubbaX" Victae. He had been given permission to create a new Battleteam for House Satal Keto. This new battleteam would serve the House and Clan, but would also be a single fighting element. Dacien knew that Archangel had the skills he needed, and recruited him as his Executive Officer. This battleteam would later be named Satal Victus - "Satal Victorious".
The team grew quickly, and was soon taking out enemies of the Clan. Archangel was promoted once or twice and was awarded for his work, but didn't like how the Clan was being run after the promotion of Sarin to Deputy Grand Master. After a heated argument with several of the other Protectors, and severely wounding one, Archangel fled the Clan, seeking refuge with those of the same mindset as himself - Clan Scholae Palatinae.
- "I challenge you to an honourable duel, heretic Jeedai. You killed my family mate!
I doubt you have the honor to not hide behind a line of troops, Dur Knah"
- ―Dur Knah and Brent Ligur Victae trade taunts
The Yuuzhan Vong filled the reports which were filtering back to the halls of Scholae Palatinae, and most of the rest of the Dark Brotherhood. This fearsome warrior race had already destroyed numerous New Republic worlds, and had enslaved millions. A feat which astounded and frightened some Dark Jedi was the Yuuzhan Vong's use of Seridapal's moon to attack a single outpost.
Daily updates could be seen on the grand galactic map in the Command Center on Judecca, and each day the vanguard of the invasion seemed to progress further. The Consul, Braecen, could see that these aliens would be veering towards the Dark Brotherhood without much delay, and began to raise an army.
The Expeditionary Force, comprised of elite and well trained soldiers from the defensive regiments, was formed hastily, and much of their equipment had been stripped from the other regiments. Such a force had not been raised in all the years that Clan Scholae Palatinae has stood. And this force was given to Archangel to command.
As the second in command of the Clan's ground forces, the distinction was his, and he set out to make this force both ferocious and his own. Much of the structure was altered to fit his personal command style, mostly setting up blocks of infantry and armor, with fast strike units set as flying companies.
A Yuuzhan Vong invader
The Yuuzhan Vong arrived sooner than expected, with listening posts outside the Shroud spotting them as they crossed into Brotherhood space. Taldryan and Scholae vessels were sent to act as a rearguard as the Brotherhood forces retreated to defend Antei. Though Archangel was not with these forces, he knew, after viewing the meager forces which had managed to return, that this battle had been fierce.
The alien fleet pushed through the Shroud, heedless to their losses to the gravitational anomalies within the natural phenomenon. They made straight for Antei, and despite the best efforts of a combined Arconan and Naga Sadow counter attack, reached orbit and began dropping troops. Archangel was on the surface already, his Expeditionary Force in place.
The first encounter Archangel had with the invaders was a lone warrior, tattooed and bloodied, slashing his way through ranks of Tarentae troops. He swung wildly, ripping through the troopers before they had a chance, his snake-like staff biting as if alive. Though at first taken aback, Archangel quickly recovered, charging into the fray. The Tarentae troopers retreated from the massacre, leaving Archangel alone to do battle with this Vong.
He was put on the defensive almost immediately, the Vong slashing and cutting with a ferocity rarely seen in this galaxy. The tables were only turned after a lucky flick of Archangel's wrist sent a melon-sized rock at the Vong's head, connecting meatily. The Vong slumped to his knees, and muttered that Knah will be after him. Archangel decapitated him before he could speak another word.
The war was not going well for the Dark Jedi, with troop and Jedi losses mounting swiftly in the wake of an ever-growing Yuuzhan Vong vanguard. Several special operations strikes were carried out, destroying numerous hatcheries and ship building yards in the rear of the Yuuzhan Vong force, but this did little to stem the tide.
Dur Knah, enraged by the death of his family mate, vowed to seek out this evil Jeedai and cause him endless torment and pain. With a retinue in tow, the commander fought through engagement after engagement, rarely resting, in the relentless pursuit of the one known as Archangel.
The two met on the Plains of Nazroth, a bleak, desolate spit of land with no real strategic importance. Archangel had been ordered here to act as a decoy to try and draw a response from the Vong. Knah took the bait, striding across the plain to confront the man who had wronged his family. He called Archangel out, before charging by himself. Archangel, never one to ignore a duel, replied with a Force-induced dust storm, circling and slashing the Vong commander.
Archangel did not know who this Vong was, but was impressed and surprised as the Vong had not been slowed down in the slightest. He brought his lightsaber up just in time to intercept an overhead strike, before whipping it around in a slash towards the alien's arm. This attack was easily batted away.
Brodo, in armor, after injuries.
The duel lasted many minutes, and both combatants sported patches of drying blood on their armor. Fatigue seemed to best Knah, succumbing to a low lightsaber stab, which penetrated the joint of his armor at the groin, slicing up into his stomach and disemboweling him. His retinue, seeing their commander slain, charged wildly, but were cut down swiftly by troopers of the Expeditionary Force.
While the war lasted for a few more months, Archangel was out of it. He had been injured severely by the Yuuzhan Vong, both physically and mentally. He could feel the conflict within him, at the strength of character, but also the plain stupidity of the creatures he had been slaying for months. Along with this, however, he also felt a strong fealty towards his troopers, having led them into battle over and over. He had decided that since the medics had shaved his head before he was put into the bacta chamber that he would keep his hair short, in a sign of comradeship with his troops.
Judecca, the main Yuuzhan Vong planet of the system
- "We go back to our homes, back to our planet. Destroy the vermin before us. Remove them from existance!"
- ―Proconsul Lucien during the Reclaimation campaign
With the Yuuzhan Vong host retreating from Antei and the Shroud, the Dark Brotherhood rejoiced. Thousands of dead Yuuzhan Vong bodies were burnt in huge bonfires, while the Clan dead were buried with full honours because they gave their lives for the glory of the Brotherhood.
Unfortunately, as the Host retreated with such urgency, it left a large portion of its ground troops on the planets they had conquered. Ptolomea and Caina had been attacked repeatedly by Yuuzhan Vong battalions, before the regional Vong commander took over the capital planet of Judecca.
This had all occurred when the legions of Clan Scholae Palatinae had been away on Antei fighting the main Yuuzhan Vong Host. As the Clan fleet returned to the Cocytus System, they found the cities of the system under the control of the enemy they had been fighting for a long few months.
The Consul, Phoenix d'Tana Palpatine and the Proconsul, Lucien, were furious, and immediately sent the battle-hardened, and fatigued, troops of the Clan Legions to retake Judecca. The Expeditionary Force dropped from the skies down onto the cities of Ohmen and Teyr, attacking Yuuzhan Vong barracks and command centres with constant artillery barrages.
Brent led the first wave in the attack on the Emperor's citadel, the headquarters of the Yuuzhan Vong commander. Just barely a Sith Warrior, he used his new powers and strengths to slice through the opposition. He charged through the winding corridors and arches of the citadel, which had been built for defense.
Though he was not present for the final battle with the Commander due to losses taken by the accompanying platoon, he was there for the final celebration. The Reclaimation, as it would be known, was far from over. Hundreds of Yuuzhan Vong warriors and thousands of Yuuzhan Vong slaves were still in the outlying areas of Judecca, and stationed on Caina and Ptolomea.
House Caliburnus Logo
- 28 ABY - New Resposiblities
- "Time has come for you to lead the House, Archangel. See that you do so with pride"
- ―Rasilvenaira StormRaven
The Reclaimation took an entire year, but when it was complete, the system was the Clan's again. After the ordeal the Clan had gone through seemed to be complete, a few changes had to be made in how it operated and how it was run. Many a time the troops faltered when they should have stood firm, and too many Dark Jedi died during this conflict where they should have been victorious.
Rasilvenarira saw this as well, and took some action. She stood down and gave her position of Quaestor to Yzarc. Brent was promoted to Yzarc's former position as Aedile. Along with this sudden elevation in responsiblity, Brent was also tasked with assisting Dante with the reorganisation of the Legions of the Clan. They were in a sorry state, especially after the beating they took while retaking Ptolomea.
Brent applied himself to these new roles with vigor, trying his best not to show off, but to help the Clan succeed. He saw in it the values and ideals he'd once held close to his heart on his home planet of Shaevalis Prime, as well as his adopted home of Kiffu. He finally felt at home, and wanted to protect it with blade and muscle.
Yzarc soon stepped down from the Quaestor position, citing problems with the Clan leadership. Following the traditions of the Clan, Brent was promoted to replace him. Quaestor of the House Caliburnus had been not only a goal for him, but a dream. And he had finally made it.
Kapsina, the capital of Jusadih System
- 29 ABY - To protect memories
- "To fight beside those I abandoned? I have no qualms. Just make sure they stay out of my way"
- ―Brent on working with Clan Plagueis during the Uneasy Alliance
Where most of the Clan's systems and planets were now under Clan control, other groups were not so lucky. Clan Plagueis, often found to be a refuge for those fleeing the might of Clan Scholae Palatinae, was now on the defensive. A large Yuuzhan Vong fleet was now bearing down on the Jusadih System, and the newly appointed Consul Braecen Kaeth was desperately defending his capital. He called in all the favours he had left in Clan Scholae Palatinae, which were too many for the Clan to ignore. The fleet set sail for the Jusadih system, Brent and House Caliburnus in tow.
In his position as the Commander of the Expeditionary Force, a 48,000 man strong corps, Brent set about landing troops at key locations both inside the city and behind the Yuuzhan Vong forces. He had his air fleet, which was meager in number, but boasted the advanced MAAT/SOC Gunship transport, flying supplies in and out of the city, helping the relieve the supply shortages.
Timbal had the Star Destroyers bombard Yuuzhan Vong positions in preparation for Dante and Brent to charge in from all sides. Braecen's forces, though battered, would play their part in the destruction of the Yuuzhan Vong force. Unfortunately, the Yuuzhan Vong attack only served to redirect the attentions of the Clan's leadership away from the main danger: Clan Arcona.
Clan Arcona
Clan Arcona, having lost its system to the Yuuzhan Vong, was looking for an easy kill, and pounced on the war-stricken Jusadih System. Their primary strikes into the system were devastating, causing several Plagueis capital ships to withdraw. The Scholae Star Destroyers swung into battle, and fended off the main advance. By the time this had occurred, Arconan forces were on the ground. The combined Plaguis/Scholae forces took on the Arconans in a long bloody battle which lasted a week.
In the end, the Arconans fled the field of battle, Plagueis retained its system, and Scholae returned to their system.
But for Brent, this was unsettling. He felt that Scholae had been made to use its resources to help a traitor clan. This cut him so deeply that he openly attacked the Proconsul at the time, Lucien, for folding for the traitor's wishes. He was easily beaten, however, leaving him with a scar which followed the length of his arm.
- "Long walk to cleanse, to heal, or just to wander."
- ―Brodo's message to the Clan summit upon the discovery of his disappearance.
The recent spat of wars and the indignation of assisting another clan, a traitor clan no less, without adequate remuneration. With the sting of the scar received from the weapon of the Proconsul, Lucien, still burning white hot in his memory, Brent would find his loyalties flagging.
He had seen the Clan rise and fall in the general ebb and flow of time. But here was the Royal Clan, once powerful and mighty, now little more than a nursemaid to lesser clans, powerful clan mates disappearing to other, perhaps more successful clans. He could feel the strength of the Clan drain away.
Action had to be taken, but not now. Not immediately. First, Brent had to escape. Get away. Find a hiding hole where he can recuperate, rearm, retrain, before returning to aid the Clan in it's greatest hour of need.
And despite himself, he knew exactly where his heart wanted him to go. Shaevalis Prime, his home planet, was now a long distant memory for him. This memory, however, was far more vivid to him than any day spent on Kamino or on the countless battlefields he'd served on. It was an unsettled chapter of his life, a story left incomplete and in need of resolution.
Light Freighter Brent used for his sojourn
Rayne was against this idea, unfortunately. She believed that it would be suicide, especially considering the decades-old warrant for his arrest. The xenophobic tendencies of the Shaevalian sometimes included Jedi, as their mystical powers often frightening the less intelligent of the castes.
But Brent would not be deterred, and hijacked a light freighter, a YT-2400, from the spaceport on Ptolomea in the middle of the night, leaving a message for the Clan summit. Despite her misgivings, Rayne could not leave her husband's side, and if she couldn't keep him in a safe location, she'd at least terrorize anyone who tried to hurt him elsewhere. Using navigation points which had been buried deep in his memories of years, he ventured into the darkness of space, homeward bound.
- "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"
- ―Unknown sage
The trip took longer than Brent had anticipated, with the occasional wrong turn sending him a few parsecs off course. It had been so long since his flight from Shaevalis Prime that, while expected, the delays angered him immensely. Rayne did her best to calm her husband, knowing that a calm and collected mind and body would be of the utmost importance once they arrive at a decidedly hostile planet.
They followed the Corellian Run, along almost the entire stretch of the run, as the nearest, and safest, entry point on the Run would be Denon. Denon, a city world much like Coruscant, was a center of commerce and trade, as it sat at the intersection between the Corellian Run and the Hydian Way.
Though similar to Coruscant in many ways, Denon's customs and freighter systems were not as hardened against attack, and a few short hours of hacking by Rayne gave the couple's freighter the name “Heart of Gold”, after Brent's long lost YT-2000, as well as papers to join a major convoy. While the convoy would only be going as far as Ryloth, it would provide them with the necessary protection in case anything should try to attack.
After joining the Convoy, the lengthy journey down the Corellian Run was relatively quiet. The convoy made standard stops along the way, Osarian, Merkat, Druckenwell, Falleen, Tatooine and finally Ryloth. The journey took the better part of a fortnight, owing to the frequent stops and time delays for loading and offloading at the destinations.
Ryloth, their last stop before Shaevalis Prime
The trip had been somewhat of a honeymoon for the couple, with wars and their duty to the Clan having taken precedent. The YT-2400 was spacious without all the cargo it would usually have carried. The cargo holds easily doubled as a training area, where the pair could spar and duel without too much fear of slicing the hull open.
The captain's room was more akin to a state room on a passenger liner. Whoever had owned this ship would definitely be missing it.
The fortnight finally came to a close as the convoy exited hyperspace at Ryloth. After a quick stop to gather some supplies, the “Heart of Gold” left hyperspace on a very underused navigational direction, heading away from the Core and into Wildspace.
- 29 ABY – Resurrecting a Bloodline
- ""The Nul bloodline is shattered, Brodo, and so shall you along with it!""
- ―General Ari, the man who took up the vacated Nul Generalship.
The journey from Ryloth to the Shaevalian system was not a long one and not particularly dangerous. It was simply so infrequently travelled that the route had been lost to most of the galaxy. The vessel exited hyperspace just behind the primary moon of Shaevalis Prime, only a few klicks from a pair of system patrol vessels. One vessel might have been a challenge if it came to a fight, but two was overkill.
The patrol vessel Charon hailed the freighter, issuing standard challenges. Brent answered as a merchant might, plying his trade, and offering papers falsified by Rayne for such a situation. The patrol allowed him passage to the capital city on Shaevalis Prime, and access to the merchant's quarter. Rayne smiled at the success, and Brent aimed the freighter towards the planet.
Once docked at the central starport, Rayne secured their lodgings, while Brent tried his best to access his old data stations remotely. None of the stations were still active, but then, he hadn't expected them to be. He had hoped that his enemies might have placed bugs on the stations, which would alter them if anyone tried to access them. Perhaps alerting them was not a good idea, but Brent wanted a straight up fight, as opposed to skulking around the shadows.
Ari was now one of the prime Grand Generals in the Shaevalian Army, commanding a battlegroup which was equal to an Imperial Legion. As formidable an opponent he might be, he still had his enemies, his rivals and his failings, the foremost of which was his arrogance. It took barely a week for Rayne to gather enough intelligence on the movements of Ari to find he rarely had more than four bodyguards at any given time, and often stalked the streets of the Shin'Tar District at night. His appetite for young women of the night was as insatiable as the thickness of his pocket book.
The most public and most powerful way to defeat Ari would be to challenge him to a duel in the High Court, the main seat of power on Shaevalis Prime. Ari could not refuse a challenge, lest he wished to lose his position and titles for cowardice. And at such a public venue, Ari's defeat would be all the more sweeter, and would help Archangel to redeem his bloodline.
The couple walked down the boulevards and streets of the Shin'Tar District, issuing subtle Force suggestions to passers-by to keep away from them as they made their way to the High Court. A few moments of confusion was all they left in their wake. They bluffed their way onto the public balcony of the High Court, where common folk could watch the proceedings, so that they might tell the rest, either through publications or word-of-mouth.
Ari was at the podium, openly berating one of his subordinates in front of the entire High Council. The man apparently had taken far too long to eradicate some imbedded opponent on some moon somewhere. Archangel didn't care for it, or for Ari's arrogant tone. The man had barely a victory to his name that was not due to the skill and work of other, greater generals. Ari finished the reprimand, and asked if there was anything the High Council might wish of him. Archangel took this as his cue, and jumped down from the balcony, landing some ten meters down on the marble surface. A call of warning and stifled gasps of surprise rose throughout the hall.
Ari screamed for the guards, and demanded the identity and head of the intruder. In response, Archangel dropped his cloak to the floor, revealing his identity as well as shouting a challenge to Ari, for open combat to the death. From above, Rayne dropped the Ironwood Spear to her husband, who caught it and held it at his side, awaiting Ari's response. A mixture of outrage, fear and realization marred Ari's features as he sought for an escape from this predicament.
Archangel tapped the butt of his spear on the flagstones and Ari's guards charged. They were from his personal battalion, and were not even the best of the dregs who inhabit it. Rayne took them out with dagger thrown from above, leaving just Ari and Archangel to face one another. Ari drew his sword, a silver and gold ornamental piece which had never shed blood. Archangel's spear had slain dozens, if not hundreds of men in the past.
Ari looked terrified, his brow dripping with sweat and his eyes shifting from side to side. Archangel shouted his challenge again, and started to advance, the tip of his spear dipping towards the ground in preparation to attack. Ari started to back away, but tripped, and fell, his sword spinning away from him. Archangel stopped, pity and anger fitting within him.
Ari started to ramble, promising his former nemesis restitution and repatriation into the bloodlines. He promised him a new command, a Grand Generalship, anything he wanted. Archangel replied that all he wanted as his father's honor restored and his name to be placed among the Honored Dead. He then left Ari, scrambling on the flagstones, with a promise that he would return if an official announcement wasn't made within the next two days.
The very next day, as Archangel and Rayne were biding their time on their freighter, the announcement that all past treason by the House Nul would be forgiven and Korvem Nul would be placed amongst the Honored Dead. For the first time since his fathers death, Archangel allowed himself a moment to cry.
War and Command
- 30 ABY - Take the long way home
- ""Home, Hearth, Family."
- ―Nul family motto
It was as long a journey back to Dark Jedi Brotherhood space as it had been to get to Shaevalis Prime, but the sense of relief and accomplishment gave the trip a far more enjoyable air. The couple stopped at various locations on their return leg, enjoying the comforts of the Corellian Run, before veering back into Dark Jedi Brotherhood space.
After a stops on Corellia, Kuat, Balmorra and the ruins of Alderaan, the pair followed the Perlemian Trade Route into Hutt Space, and back to their home with Scholae Palatinae. Their return, however, was not met with the fanfare they had hoped for. Thousands of troops were rallying on Ptolomea and Judecca, and the shipyard was full to the brim with vessels in the midst of outfitting and supplying. The Heart of Gold landed on the Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer Warspite and was immediately brought to the newly risen Emperor, Thran Occasus.
As the commander of the Expeditionary Force, a relatively new battle unit within the Scholae Palatinae military, he was a senior general, tasked with the assault and attack on Antei.
- 31 ABY - Take back what is ours
- ""Into the Shroud, my brethren, take back our skies""
- ―Grand Master Sarin
GJW 9. Commanding Warspite after Timbal arrest, commanding legions, landfall, assault on Objective Nek Ninth_Great_Jedi_War#Scholae_Palatinae, danger close
Archangel’s world soon returned to the normalcy of organized chaos, as he ordered his men and women to prepare to lay their lives down for Clan and home. Rayne soon faded back into her realm of intelligence gathering and spying, but was never too far from reach. The pair had long since found that a certain amount of distance was a healthy part of their relationship, and as the saying went, too much of a good thing can be bad.
His posting was on the Warspite, named for a ship which was long since lost to him, the Mon Calamari MC-90 which he had served briefly on during a stint with the Infiltrator Wing, a specialized force within the Emperor’s Hammer. A fitting name for a flagship, it was the most powerful vessel in the Clan’s fleet, and housed a full half of the Expeditionary Force’s legions: 1500 troops and almost 100 vehicles.
- ""...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...tzzzt...""
- ―Commlink to Brent and Rayne
Leaving for Independent House Revan
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- ""I guess you didn't miss me much, huh?"""
- ―Brent, when confronted by lightsaber wielding members of Clan Scholae Palatinae
Returns to Scholae
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- 32 ABY – The Cleansing of Salas V
Spoils of War Killiks Injury from Taldryan blade, medical leave for six months
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Reduction to House, fighting to keep House together, Robin Hawk
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Ginnefae, Faukes, Reman
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Disorder
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- 34 ABY – Second-In-Command
Becoming AED of Scholae Palatinae, training newbies
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Above the Rank and File
Ruling over the expansion of the territories of Scholae Palatinae
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Great Jedi War X
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ARC-SP-CP Feud
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Praetor of the Fist, GMRG
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Horizons
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