Yhi System

New Tython

Flames licked from the wooden supports of one of the Iwu Gioki’s ancient huts. It’s thatched roof became a roaring inferno as it blackened and singed, eventually caving into the structure as the frayed bindings split. The sounds of blasterfire mixed in with the thundering of archaic weapons and frantic warcries drowned out the crackling of the fires that now surrounded the Harakoan settlement along the northern slope of the Blue Mountains. Despite their superior position and numbers, the Harakoan’s primitive tactics and obselete weaponry nevertheless set them at a massive disadvantage as small tremors appeared to shake the mountain’s very foundations. The distant sound of trees cracking and splintering under the pressure of advancing artillery and state-of-the-art walkers set what remained of the Harakoan people on edge. Those that presevered struggled against the armor-wearing mercenaries as they found themselves trapped, with no signs of reinforcements to save their existance. A deep rumble drowned out all noise as the artillery came within shelling distance of what remained of the Harakoan’s warriors, opening fire as a barrage of turbolasers and missiles darted across the battlefield, scoring large craters in the mountainside when a massive furrow began to split the mountainous walls with a sickening ‘crack’ that had once protected them from the elements. Those that remained paniced, faced with a choice between two very similar fates: Become buried alive, or surrender.

A loud, ear-piercing screech reverebrated through the valley, bouncing off the crumbling stone walls as the constant barrage of artillery ceased. The Harakoans stared back towards the still artillery as a lone figure emerged from a large armored troop transport behind another, his gun raised in a defensive poisition while he reached for a comlink. Offering it to the figure as he passed by, he handed the communications device to the Officer as he climbed upon a 2-M Saber-class Repulsor Tank. Raising the small device to his mouth, his voice became amplified through a dozen loudspeakers temporarily set up around the perimeter on thin metal supports.

“Tribesmen of the Gioki Tribe!” He shouted, the Harakoans with a startled look of apprehension showing behind their nasal crests, “I have been given permission by Commander Feeux to come to you with an offer. He has granted me with instructions to spare the lives of your tribe in exchange for three individuals. The names and dossiers of which my assistant here has been instrumental in compiling.” He pulled out a datapad and raised it over his head for emphasis.

“The names of which are High Cheiftan Whenua, Minister Matiu, and Minister Kiri. Should you accept these terms and surrender these three individuals, you can walk away from this destruction. Resist or otherwise disobey these orders – and your lives are forefit.” A chill made it’s way through the cratered battlefield as the Harakoans remained silent. One individual stood forward, her nasal crest turning a violent shade of red as she spoke,

“And how would you know if we were harbouring any such individuals? Surely, your Commander Feeux would know better than to assume they would all be in the same place.” A round of whispering filled the settling field as Harakoans nodded their disagreements or approval. Not at all taken aback by the outburst, the Officer let himself indulge in a brief, wide smile.

“I say this because,” He began, looking down at her with a burning intensity as her fellow tribesmen backed away, slowly, “Both of these ministers are right now in my sight. As for your High Cheiftan…” He motioned towards his bodyguard. Raising a hand towards the rear of the troop transport, the burly man lowered the door as he reached into the space, pulling out a bruised individual. The stump of one of his arms was adorned with a band of rope. Smiling again, he turned back to her.

“As for you…” He said, before raising the datapad once again – this time it bore the face of the female Harakoan minister, “You will be placed under arrest. Commander Feeux has plans for you.”

Turning to his bodyguard, he relayed a final order before departing, “Leave a message. Take the ministers and a few tribesmen alive. Kill the rest.”

—-

“Reports have come in from all sectors. The Kotahitanga-Unity Defense Force can’t handle any more losses, Ministers. Recent data indicates that the Harakoan population have taken heavy losses, some of their key settlements have been destroyed. By my estimates, the mercenaries now have a direct route to Menat Ombo. In addition, we have lost all communication with Harakoan ministers Matiu and Kiri while they were attending one of the Harakoan festivals.” Reported former Imperial Intelligence telemetry Officer, Covell Malric. Accustomed to the behavior expeced of him in the Inperial Navy, Covell stood straight, offering a snap-salute before lowering his arms parallel to hs body. The City Council considered the evidence, whispering among themselves before anyone dared to speak out loud.

“And what would you suggest we do, Commander Deo Sol?” Questioned Minister Jantine Coixette, her face a mixture of anger and puzzlement before fading back into the customary political sabbacc-face. Deo Sol considered his options for a moment, but he already knew that the Kotahitanga-Unity Defense Force had met their match. In the grand scale they were outgunned, outmanouvered, and for the most part had less experience than the threat they now faced.

Aware of the fact that anything he suggested could set off a planet-wide panic – or worse, he constructed his next words carefully.

“That, I cannot be certain of. I will mobilize our forces and direct them to defend all key settlements and cities. We will conduct regular meetings via the Holonet to trade status reports, battle strategies, and telemetry data. I would also suggest the evacuation of all minor settlements in the Owyhyee region, so we can better manage our military resources.” He suggested. A more heated round of conversation stirred up again, though the Ministers were no longer whispering among each other. Instead, a heated debate began in which they argued between the two obvious choices: Surrendering or fighting. Suddenly, Minister Jantine turned back to face him, the fire of rage in her eyes as she pointed out the inevitable argument.

“And where are the Jedi in our time of need! It is to my knowledge that they are now conquering worlds with the same people that set about conquering ours, not so long ago! They brought these troubles to New Tython, to our home, and where are they now?” She began, her voice so incredibly stern that each of the other Ministers turned to face her, staring in mixed feelings of disappointment and agreement.

“Transmission is hailing us, ministers. Shall I patch them through?” Covell asked, his fingers positioned near the terminal. “Let’s hear what they have to say.” Prime Minister Adrianus Vibilliun replied, his face betrayed none of his emotions. Despite the Kotahitanga-Unity Defense Force’s rapid disorganization, he managed to stay calm and collective through the entire meeting. Something Covell Malric simply couldn’t understand.

Flickering, the lights dimmed as a hologram was projected onto the table. Instantly, Adrianus lost his previous calmness as it was replaced by shock. The images of tens, hundreds of bodies showed the recent devastation. With a flicker, the image shifted to the tied up forms of all three major leaders in Harakoan society, along with a few dozen other Harakoans.

“Emperor’s black bones…” Jantine managed as she reached to stop the playback.

“Wait.” Prime Minister Adrianus said, catching her hand as he looked into her face while a stream of tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Turning to the former Intelligence Officer, Adrianus ordered Covell to playback the hologram at half speed. “Stop.” He said, as the hologram paused where the static had been. Barely visible, the image appeared to be of two cloaked individuals, one kneeing at the feet of the other. Struck with a sudden realization, Covell began frantically typing at the console when the image was brought into full focus.

“It’s interlaced with another holo.” He explained, “I’ll see if I can separate them… there.” He said, finishing with a flourish of keystrokes. A short hologram played, different than the one before. This time, the minister could see clearly as the terrible scene unfolded.

“Rise, my apprentice, and let us conquer this pathetic planet. Once they are finished with their ‘Crusade,’ our trap will have been sprung. Together, we will lure the Jedi into the open with our vast promises of bloodshed.” A ghostly voice boomed, his words felt cold and heartless. As the other figure rose, the hologram burst into static. Adrianus Vibilliun seemed to absorb it in grim contemplation for a moment before his concentration was broken by the arrival of a bloodied, panting individual, clad in the garment of the Kotahitanga-Unity Defense Force.

“Ministers. They’re at the gates.”

It’s time for yet another Councillor Report!

The Independence Games are offically over. Most of the events are now graded and have been placed into a new tracking tool I have been working on to track you progress that will be mentioned later in this rather lengthly report.

By now you’re all aware that with Drodik recently stepping down after his year of service to his House, Liam Torun (Kal Vorrac, for those who might know him by the name) has stepped up to fill the role of High Councillor. I would like to personally thank Drodik for his many, many months of service and his great leadership during that period. He is one of my favorite Quaestors to work with, and I am glad to see him remain among the ranks of Odanites. For those who may not know him to well, let me share some brief details about our newest Quaestor:

Liam Torun is currently the Praetor to the Grand Master (In other words, assistant). His skill in managing and reviving houses is greatly valued in the Brotherhood, as well as in House Odan-Urr. At the moment, he has already come up with a ton of organizational plans for better managing the House, as well as new directions for offical House fiction, Crusades strategies, improved communication (You can now find me most days on IRC or Google chat), and the like.

With the Crusades slowly coming back into full swing, I would like to have you all prepared beforehand for the return of the Crusades. A few more fictional reasons as to why we are working with Brotherhood forces is coming up, as well as some new twists to how things are progressing on New Tython in our absence.

Also, we as a Summit have decided to go with Bhargebba for the Chapter Three Crusade. There are a few reasons as to why this hasn’t been opened as a vote to the rest of the House, the core reason being that we have already ‘aided’ the Brotherhood previously with a desert world in the Crusades, so in an effort to mix things up, we have gone ahead and chosen Bhargebba. Keep in mind that a lot will be added to the planet’s lore when Phase One, Chapter Three goes live, so we aren’t invading a blank page.

This will be the last Chapter of Phase One, but the next Phase features a new scoring system. A few members, based off of previous activity (See activity tracking below) will be contacted and placed in a team of eight. If you have been contacted and can guarantee that you will be busy throughout the duration of this Chapter, let us know and we will find a suitable replacement. This Chapter will serve as a warm-up period to determine strategies for the group as we prepare for the next Phase. Phase One, Chapter Three will commence on July the second, so be ready. If you have not recieved an email – don’t fret. The team will occasionally be mixed around based on participation from the previous Chapters. So, if you pour forth enough activity during Chapter Three, you might have a spot in the team for Chapter One of Phase Two. Note that this will in no way diminish the rewards you will gain by participating, should you not be in a team, nor will it diminish house rewards. Nova will have two separate tables for those in, and not in the team during Phase Two, so either way, there will be more chances to take home first place. Kick some ass guys, for Frodo.

As mentioned, house fiction is back in development, with a totally new direction opened that should make things more interesting. The Jedi of Odan-Urr are no longer confined to the role of defenders of New Tython – we are defenders of the galaxy, and the foil to the dark houses of the Brotherhood, so let’s show them what the light side is capable of!

In addition, a new system has been implemented for activity tracking for members, this will help us award those who have shown exceptional activity for their rank. At the moment, I have created an 8-spreadsheet, interlinked excel document that should make things more organized. To help this tracking go smoothly, I highly advise you to fill out the Crusades Activity Tracking (Chapters I and II) form on the WordPress Site if you haven’t already done so.

A few Independence Games events have yet to be graded, but the majority has. So far, I’m liking what I see activity-wise from those who have had the time to participate. More on these individuals is coming up later in this report.

As mentioned earlier (Before I got carried away and already explained most of everything here), the offical house fiction is taking a new turn. As Jedi Knights, we are the foil to those who follow a darker path. In addition, New Tython will have an interesting twist, while turmoil has set in our absence. That’s about all I can mention without giving too much away, but be sure to follow!

We will also be building fictional bridges between us, and the other houses. An event is currently slated for next year, and we are working closely to deliver a quality event with House Scholae Palatinae. Note that with the Crusades going on, this event will not be released until the Crusades are concluded. Things are subject to change, as always, but the proposed event has been agreed upon by both parties. Also, with the massive timeframe for planning, expect a carefully crafted event, complete with a darker plot that will serve to move us forward in this new direction (Unlike our previous feud with Tarentum, we have nearly limitless freedom on our creativity here, so expect something of much, much higher quality).

Also, with competitions on hold until the Crusade is completed, the Jedi Vocational Corps has been placed back out of beta for the meantime. This, however, means that we are able to continue it’s development. Unlike the previous months of it’s development, it has been decided that we are opening the Jedi Vocational Corps development to you guys!

What does this mean, you might ask. It means that with your assistance, the Jedi Vocational Corps will be undergoing an overhaul to make it fit better in-line with the new direction that we are taking the house fiction. Mostly, we are looking for prompt-creators, people who can create a handful of prompts that may be assigned to individuals once it goes live again. This will open up avenues for more rewards, teamwork, and insight to the management of various projects.

Signups are currently available at our wordpress site at:

http://odanurr.wordpress.com/category/jedi-vocational-corps/

I would like to thank each and every one of you who participated in the Independence Games. Note that each event may not have been graded yet, but I have the totals for those that have.

Kaira Rohana – 13 events, placing second once and fourth twice.

Arcia Cortel – 4 events

Morotheri Mithfaron – 3 events

JScumm – 3 events, placing thrird once and fourth once

Raiju Kang – 9 events, placing second twice and fifth once

Azler Wilder – 2 events

Sight Nortorshin – 10 events, placing third once and fourth once

Rangel – 2 events, placing second once

In addition, Drodik Va’lence Al’tor has recieved a promotion to Guardian Exarch for his leadership. Congrats, man!

TL;DR

Liam Torun – High Councillor (Quaestor)!

Crusades – Let’s kick some @$$!

JVC – Development open to public!

Fiction – Wider scale, new direction!

Oganization – More of it!

Communication – Just ask!

Unparalelled Scandal – Yes, I just stole it!

That’s it! Now, stop reading this, get geared up, and get back into the Crusades!