The Brush Fire Wars (Book 2)

[Akirapryde]

Terror in the Core Worlds
Core Worlds, Galactic Republic

As this past week of extreme terror and fighting now rounds down, many are finding themselves lost and confused in the haze that has followed. Emotions are running extremely high throughout the Republic as the realization of the fateful events of last Monday morning continue to sink in. The Republic has found itself facing a horrific cross roads. For months there had been those who had fought hard to remain on the fence when it came to the dealings of the Brush Fire Wars. Sadly now faced with having to choose a side. For the past year and a half there had been three factions within this war. Those supporting one or another side and those who did their best to remain out of the conflicts that raged. However as the events continue to sink in, it has become all but impossible to not choose a side in the Jedi Civil War.

As a recap to the events that has turned the Regions conflicts in to a full blown War. Monday morning the skies above Coruscant and largely the Republic City lit up with burning debris raining down from orbit. Bystanders and onlookers were at first caught up with the beauty of the light show. However, any innocent impression of the sight were dashed as sirens across the planet started to sound the warning. Authorities placed the planet on alert and activated the planetary force shields. However it was too late as large sections of burning ships rained down on helpless civilians below. Chaos filled the streets and walkways of Coruscant as death continued to pour from the skies in terms of burning debris. Then the residents felt something they never experienced before. A massive explosion that caused a large section of Republic City to collapse in on its self. The death toll was rising rapidly as the initial attacks were over and the affects rippled across the planet. The attacks had caught the Republic Military and primarily the Marine fleets completely off guard.

The Republic, sister ship of the Defiance suffered catastrophic failures as explosions rocked right up the spine of the massive ship. Naval and marine officers watched in horror as the mighty ship broke up while it fell from orbit. The massive sections of the Republic impacted across locations of Coruscant. The pride of the Marine Fleet, the Defiance was hit the hardest with no less then four explosive devices. Instead of allowing the mighty pride of the Marine Fleet rain on Coruscant, a number of the crew including Captain Pryde fought with the wounded ship to prevent her from falling from the sky. Their heroic sacrifice was only over shadowed by the magnificent death of the ship, but saved hundreds of thousands of civilians below.

The Event Journey, a Mon Calamari liner, was departing Westport spaceport just before the explosion took place. She was running twenty minutes behind schedule due to departure control issues. The pride of Journey Lines, the Event Journey was moving past the Repulse when explosions ripped heavy marine cruiser to pieces. Large energy surges ripped through the lightly armored Event Journey. The Event Journey lost power and control. The flight crew reported that their repulsor controls had completely failed and their engines were non responsive. The majestic ship slow then got pulled back in to the atmosphere by the planet's gravitational field. With no power to control the free fall, the ship fell back down on to Republic City. All six thousand, five hundred, twenty souls aboard were lost as the ship erupted in to flames on impact. The massive impact was felt over two hundred kilometers away and the fire ball was seen just as far.

As the noon hit Republic City, the devastation was becoming more and more clear. Twelve Marine ship which made up the back bone of the 1st Republic Marine Fleet had been completely destroyed, fifteen other Marine ships had been severely crippled and forced to be scuttled. Five civilian ships were also caught in the devastation as well. The rain of burning debris ignited fires down on the planet below and some still largely burning while forces work valiantly to put them out. Even before the rain of fire had stopped, another set of explosions rocked Republic City. This time, a set of explosions ripped through the Senate building.

The only sliver of light from this event was that the explosions that ripped the Senate apart seems to have been delayed after the explosions in orbit. Marine Security Forces were able to evacuate a large number of the senators and other government personal before the explosions ripped through the sub levels of the building. Sadly, during the crisis, the Supreme Chancellor and his aids refused to leave the building till as many of the others could be evacuated. He stood his ground helping to coordinate evacuations as well as helping getting relief ships in place to help fight the fires. When the blasts finally did come for the Senate building. He was on the comlinks working with the security forces trying to save as many lives as possible. The body of the Chancellor was recovered later in the week still holding his comlink in one hand and a map of the city in another.

Throughout the day, confusion rippled through the channels of Military communications. Reports of shadow ships showing up all across the Core Worlds. Forces were sent out to responded, only to find there were no ships where the sensors reported. Across the Core Worlds sensor phantoms were playing havoc with the military response. Just as things were starting to get under control on Coruscant, the channels opened up once more reporting more attacks within the Core Worlds. Events much like those that had just taken place on Coruscant were now taking place on two other worlds. These similar events were now unfolding at the Marine Anchorage on the world of Brentaal and the Republic Naval Anchorage on the world of Anaxes.

Key communication stations and military outpost across the Core Worlds were also reporting coming under fire by raiding corvette class ships. While the devastation was not as complete as it was on Coruscant, the combined attacks left the Republic Military completely in disarray and unable to respond to what was coming the next morning. Tuesday morning nearly twenty four hours after the first explosion rocked the Core Worlds, three small fleets of ships entered orbit over Alderaan, Kuat and Corellia. Normally these small fleets would have held no hope against the might of the Republic Navy. In the current state of affairs, the Republic Navy literally had nothing in position to stop them landing troops.

Communications between these worlds and the Republic was cut off while military leaders were trying to assess the situation. It was the swift response of the Republic Marines and the remains of the 1st RMF which turned the tide of the invasion. While the Republic Navy and Grand Army were attempting to regroup on Anaxes, the battle was joined on Alderaan first. The men and women of the 101st Marine division and the remains of the 1st RMF were out numbered more than ten to one. Despite these odds, they valiantly pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. With rage filled hearts of our loyal soldiers fought hard and crushed the invaders under their boots on their path to victory. The enemy had been crushed on Alderaan and their ships burning in space.

Calling on the reserves from across the Republic, the forces of the Grand Republic mustered in the face of this cowardly attack. Fleets from across Republic answered the call to arms as they showed up bringing defeat to our enemies. The 3rd Azgardian Fleet was one of the first reserve units to answer the call. They arrived in the Kuat system. Without warning the 3rd Azgardian Fleet leveled a barrage of fire on the enemy ships that could be seen from the planet. The burning hulks of their fleet now lighting the night sky, the invaders must have known that death had come for them now. The fighting was just as server as it was on Alderaan and the Azgardian warriors didn't take any prisoners from the field.

With the path way to Corellia opened by our brave marine forces and those of the reserve fleets, the Republic Navy leap frogged right in to the heart of the enemy's invasion. Arriving in to the Corellia system and ready to take their pound of flesh from the invaders, our brave forces from the Grand Army and Navy would only be denied their vengeance. They were forced to watch helplessly as last of the enemy ships slipped in to hyperspace just as they arrived. One week after the attacks, all the gains that the Rebel forces had been able to make due to their cowardly sneak attacks had been retaken. More and more reserve fleets arrived to lend their aid to the embattled Core World systems.

Across the Galaxy, the bells tolled for the dead from Coruscant, Brentaal, Anaxes and a number of smaller bases. No single world suffered the losses like Azgard. Their loyal and time honored tradition of serving the Republic Marines had become their own undoing on this fateful day. The world went in to morning as a small fleet of Marine ships arrived bring their fallen bothers and sisters home. This would not be last of the ships bringing home the honored dead. Throughout the week there as a steady flow of ships arriving bringing home more and more fallen brothers and sisters. It was the single largest death toll that any one world had suffered in one day's actions. By the end of the week, the count had reached one hundred, nineteen thousand, six hundred, seventy four Azgardian warriors. And there were still those missing in action. The funeral pyres burned across Azgard for days and are still burning as a new week starts. Entire Warrior Houses had been wiped out while others suffered greatly. Fleet Admiral Salek Heartman along with his entire staff died on board the Republic. The loss of the Commander of the Marine Fleets was a heavy blow to the people of Azgard. So many promising careers snuffed out in such a cowardly way. This had left everyone wondering what could have brought such events to unfold.

Looking to the future, many question if the attacks were meant to force the Republic in to negations or was it really a full fledged invasion of the Core Worlds. In the face of the aftermath many had been brought to question the ideals behind this limited war within the Jedi Civil War. Despite the cries of a ever dwindling voice from those pleading to remain out of the war. A louder cry for the Republic to step in and put an end to this Jedi Civil War once and for all. As thick black clouds of smoke billow up from Coruscant, many are filled with anger and outrage over the attacks. Each moment passes leave more and more questions left unanswered.

The entire Republic was now looking to the Jedi Order for some sense of understanding behind the attacks. Some facts were starting to become more clear as investigators continued to piece together the events of the attack. It was clear within the days of the attacks that the saboteurs had to have some level of inside help. Most of the saboteurs were actually Jedi and had used their force powers to over come security measures to carry out their devious plots. While the list of names of those involved started to grow, nothing hit the Republic harder then one name. No fact seemed to be more shocking then the betrayal by the Republic Hero, Jedi Knight Daz Murl!

Nearly a week had passed before the facts of his involvement had even come to be uncovered. His involvement almost went completely unnoticed had it not been for a Coruscant Security tech listened to a recording from a heavily damaged shuttle. The shuttle had been listed as damaged from the initial blasts and was slatted to be scuttled. A tech discovered the black box and had played back some of what was recorded within it. It was in that moment that he realized that he had discovered something horrific. This single discovery allowed investigators to look in entirely new directions and helped them understand the method of the attacks much more clearly. Had this discovery not been made, than Jedi Knight Murl could have gone unnoticed as the traitor he was. Jedi and JAG investigators starting to follow the footsteps of Jedi Knight Murl and his band of traitors moments, hours and even days before the attacks started.

It was learned that Jedi Murl and his band had been picked up by a shuttle at a local hospital and brought up to the Defiance. A eye witness noted that Jedi Murl had been involved in an argument with a marine sergeant just moment before departing the Defiance for the Gaffspray. The Jedi Order could not reason why Jedi Murl was on the Gaffspray, though a security log did show that he and another unknown Jedi were seen on the bridge of the Gaffspray speaking with the ship's captain. During the second of the two conversations, the Captain had to forcible remove Jedi Murl from the bridge. Sadly due to the damage, some parts of the holorecords were lost and not able to be recovered. It is the belief of some that he was there to distract the ships Captain while some of his own went to add in planting bombs. One of his band was spotted in a high secured area just before departing.

It was learned that just before the explosions ripped through the Coruscant Anchorage, Jedi Murl had added in the escape of what is believed now to be a key saboteurs from the Republic ship Gaffspray. A security holo footage showed Daz on the loading dock just minutes before the ship was ripped apart speaking with a Republic marine soldier. After reviewing the footage, Masters from the Order confirmed that Jedi Murl had used a Jedi skill commonly known as the Jedi Mind Trick on the Marine. As the digging in to the events unfolded and reviled that the Marine had been ordered to detain all of the techs aboard Jedi Murl's shuttle. It was reported just moments before the explosions that the Captain of the Gaffspray had suspected a saboteur and was in the process of detaining them. On closer examination, one of the techs that Jedi Knight Murl had been protecting from marine questioning was identified as Jedi Knight Jaina Scraf.

A review of Jedi records showed that Jedi Knight Scraf and Jedi Knight Murl had attended many of the same classes as younglings and even worked together on a project for their teacher Master Losh. There is a possible connection between the two that goes back years and might explain why one of the Republics most trusted heroes would turn traitor and murderer. While Jedi Investigators pieced together the connections between the two. It was learned that Jedi Knight Murl, commandeered the shuttle from the Gaffspray and used his Jedi Mind trick powers to over power the pilot and copilot to force them to land in an area that was not secured for shuttle traffic. Jedi Knight Murl seemed pleased as he addressed the techs in the shuttle claiming that they had been recruited in to the war. Eye wittinesses on board the shuttle at the time later reported that Jedi Knight Scraf was allowed to leap from the shuttle to safety while Jedi Murl ensured the pilot held the shuttle level and still. She was able to get away from authorities while Jedi Murl and his allies distracted the security droids that had arrived to check on the shuttle's situation. At the time they did not see any reason to act and nothing seemed out of place.

According to a number of the techs, they were forced to flee the area prior to authorities arriving by unnamed allies of the Jedi Murl. Some were able to be rescued while they were being held at a local bar. Others had managed to escape their captors during the confusion. The bar was linked to Jedi Murl through a close friend of his, a fringer by the name of Ogon Koo'Lak, a Bothan, which drew a bold and dark line straight back to Jedi Murl. The techs claimed that they feared for their lives and had been set up for kidnapping. The kidnapping of the techs did make sense for investigators. It was clear that the Rebel forces were looking to increase their own level of technology by using the stolen equipment from the Republic bases. The Bar tender and owner of the place where the techs were found was arrested during the rescue as well as a few other local members of the underground. During questioning with Jedi investigators and JAG Officers, he finally broke and admitted his involvement in the kidnappings. The Bar Tender and Owner was also able to render a wealth of information regarding many black market dealings that this Ogon Koo'Lak was involved with.

A Jedi Knight who's name has not been released to the media yet, has been noted in helping the authorities greatly. From sources within the Order, this young Knight was reportedly with the traitor and his accomplices but completely unaware of what they was planning. Some Jedi Investigators are suspect of the confession but others believe the young Knight. The memory of a protocol droid has served to be very helpful in understand the events of that morning and Jedi Murl's action. Within the memory banks was a statement made by Jedi Murl to the affect, “Yes, let her go!” He also indicates that there was a larger plan at work that only Jedi Murl and his long time friend Jedi Scraf seemed to be in on.

What surprised the Azgards the most was what was learned from the black box recordings. It was learned that the stolen shuttle had been piloted by no other than Jedi Knight Angelique Heartman, an Azgardian citizen. It was unclear if she assisted Jedi Murl and Jedi Scraf in bombings but it was clear that she did assist him in the mind trick skill that helped ensure their departure from the ill fated Gaffspray. Security holo images placed her on the bridge of the Gaffspray but again nothing useful could be gained from these footages. It had sicken so many marines to learn that her own sister was the captain of the Gaffspray. Her mother and father were aboard the Republic when it exploded and fell from orbit. Once more, everyone is left with more questions then answers. How could a child from such a loving and supportive family turn on her own blood. Some of suggested that Jedi Heartman might have been lured in betraying her own people, the Jedi and the Republic because of deep routed personal feelings she holds for Jedi Murl. Hopefully more answers will be uncovered as Jedi Murl's own family is being brought in for questioning.

The group was picked up in their stolen shuttle near the wreckage of the Defiance by Planetary Patrol Craft. At the time it was not known of their involvement in the bombings and so they were not apprehended right away. They were granted medical attention by the ship's medical staff. According to reports from the Doctor who check Jedi Murl out, he found the young Jedi to be extremely agitated over the delay in their departure. The Doctor found it strange that the young jedi did not show any emotions over the massive loss of life that had just occurred. Further recordings from the black box indicated that Jedi Murl had been almost pleased in the deaths and joyful over the fact that the hunt for Renegade Jedi Master Bevurn'Age would no longer continue. It was clear by statements he made, “You were right Visst, WE are on the WRONG SIDE!” clearly indicating that his betrayal of the heart had only recently occurred and could be linked to an unknown Jedi Knight known only as Visst. The Republic military has already to distributed clear images of all four of the traitors across the Republic. Though they may be traveling with a fifth member. However there is no information on this person or what he or she may look like. A source within the Order suggests that this fifth member of Jedi Murl's Hunter squad might be some extremest that goes by the name, 'The Silent One'. However this report is as of date unconfirmed.

More evidence came to light as the archives of the Defiance security holocorders were retrieved and reviewed. As the Defiance was getting ready to return home from its duties over Baklid 6, a security camera spotted what seemed to be a normal trooper moving a create from a shuttle. However the shuttle which the trooper was transferring the create from was the very shuttle that brought Jedi Murl, his team and a small number of troopers back up to the Defiance. He had sent a request for a shuttle to pick them up and give them a lift back to Coruscant in clear violation of standard protocols. Jedi Murl was not scheduled to return to Coruscant with the Defiance. Though it was not uncommon for the group to hitch rides aboard the ship. The contents of the create were never identified though it is believed that this was how the explosives were brought about the ship. Not surprisingly the trooper was later identified as Jedi Scraf. Just hours before his request for the shuttle to pick him and his team up, he was reported kidnapped.

According to local authorities a group of three Rebel Jedi stunned Jedi Murl. local Royal Guardsmen attempted to thwart the kidnapping. During the clash one of the Guardsman lost his life while attempting to rescue Jedi Murl. Several hours later he turned up unharmed and never reported back to command about the kidnapping. None of his team thought it odd or even questioned his kidnapping or return. Despite being kidnapped he never once mentioned reporting it to the Order or to the Command of the Defiance. Some now are even questioning if it was an actual kidnapping or if they were trying to keep Jedi Murl cover intake while giving him new orders. Orders that would allow him to assist an old friend in a horrific set of cold blooded, calculated murders. Once he was delivered unharmed back to his team he then, without further pause, helped get the saboteur Jedi Scraf aboard the Defiance and on their way to these fateful events.

During a special closed door session of the Republic Senate at a secret secured location, the massive amounts of evidence was presented by Jedi and JAG Investigators. In total, sixty two names were linked to the bombings that rocked the Core Worlds last week. None had such a visual affect on the Grand Master of the Jedi Order as was when Jedi Knight Daz Murl's name was read among those who were now Most Wanted by the Republic. A source close to the Grand Master reflected that she had witnessed a tear slowly rolling down the Jedi Master's face as the names were read out loud before the Senate. He had confided in her later that, “How could he had turned his back on us so easily.”

It was told to this reporter that the Grand Master had seen so much promise young Jedi. He had even defended the Jedi against accusations of being linked to the assassination of Queen Sinya Chalco. Another Jedi Hunter leader had gone to the Jedi Council and reported fears of Jedi Murl's loyalties and questionable actions. There was some evidence that could have linked Jedi Murl to the assassination and might have brought light on coming events. The Senate has ordered a full investigation in to the Queen's assassination and any links that Jedi Murl might have had in the assassin or his escape from Republic custody. The Jedi Council has also reopened the case and is now pushing the investigation to find more moles before they could cause further harm to the Republic.

After this secret session, it was reviled that it was the Azgardian Senator had successfully motioned the Senate to not place a bounty on the heads of Jedi Knight Jaina Scraf, Jedi Knight Daz Murl, Jedi Knight Angelique Heartman, the unknown Jedi Knight Visst and the fringer known as Ogon Koo'Lak. He argued that it was their right as a people to seek these traitors out and bring them to Azgardian Justice. They were owed this right due to the price already paid for in the massive amount of Azgardain blood. In an overwhelming vote in favor of the motion, the Azgardians were aloud the right to bring the five to Justice while the Republic dealt with the other saboteurs through their own channels.

Being a separate organization from the Republic however, the Jedi Order has chosen to send out one of its own Hunter Squads after the renegade group. When questioned about the move, Grand Master Jedi Quaad, being an Azgardian himself stated, “We are Jedi, we do not support vengeance. Justice must be served and allowing my fellow bothers and sisters to hunt them down in this fashion is simply not the Jedi way. We will find Jedi Murl and his band of traitors. We will bring them to answer for what they have done here. And more importantly we will ensure that their contacts that they used and rely on will become known.” This action has caused some strife between the Order and the Azgardian leadership. However for now, both parties are engaged in a race against each other to find the traitors first.

OOC Affects of this Intermission:
Daz Murl, Angelique Heartman, Visst Dassek and Ogon Koo'Lak each are awarded the feat Infamy (including the +3 Reputation Bonus that comes with it). If you have the Feat Fame, you will first remove the feat and all Reputation Bonuses that it provides. Then you will add the feat Infamy and its Reputation Bonuses. Further more, when dealing with any Azgardian or Republic Military Character there is a +4 Synergy bonus to Reputation Checks.