Public [Ask to Join] Bauraj Ishi tab Paaz | The Ruination of Zygerria

[Other Space Kaiden]

The Wardrums Beat...

...Thunderous and dark like the beating of a black heart. The dark rhythm surged through the belly of the commandeered Star Destroyers - pulsing through the veins of obsidian-clad warriors who salivated over their bleeding gums.

Like a chained beast the Graug Horde writhed, columns and rows churning as the warriors beat the floor and each other in rhythm with the drums. Some would escalate - flaring into brief storms of carnage as pockets of the beasts ripped each other apart. Geysers of gore erupted forth from these brawls, painting rows of Graug in fresh black blood and decorating them in the sickly purples and pinks that were once entrails. Blades rattled. Slugthrowers clattered. Blasters hissed. A veil of barrel smoke waded through the carnage of the ranks as the brawls continued to spark and sputter. No beast among them seemed to care, not even the thin, towering priests at the head of the army, who chanted curses and prayers in their wicked tongue.

The bloodshed, the chorus of dark priests, the screeching of Folloik Draagha as they gnawed and battered at their ultrachrome cages. It all smelled and sounded of war - and war worked Graug blood into a great boil.

At once the priests dropped to their knees, arms raised high and fingers splayed. "Khaangoth skaata!" The priests shrieked high above the chaos before dropping their heads and pressing them to the floor, The Great Khaan approaches. Like a force of nature the horde of warriors took heed, dropping themselves to knee in a chorus of clattering metal. Heads bowed the warriors raised high their weapons above their own heads in offering to something much darker than themselves.

A horned shadow emerged from the darkness beyond the hanger's blast doors - a burning, reptilian gaze piercing through air between it and its servants. Still the drums beat as The Dark Master marched into the writhing belly, overhead lights peeling away the shadow to reveal the stretched, rotting flesh beneath. A wave of euphoric hisses rode through the columns of warriors, pitch-colored drool squeezing through gapping fangs. The Immortal Wind, the Dark Side, washed over the horde as their Great Khaan and Living God approached them. Like a conjured storm Darth Vulcanus' power tore at the very fabrics of life within the hanger as his rotting form came into full view.

With burning eyes the god of beasts studied his horde, breathed in their hunger. As Pillar of War his action to restore The Graug came swiftly. There were no questions. No pleas. No negotiating. The Sith unleashed death itself and it would not be bottled again. Dozens of destroyers carriers and freighters had been ordered vacant aside from essential crew. The shadow of the old occupants was then replaced by Graug until they numbered a force of millions. A force of the most devoted who would serve in death just as they served now. An Eternal Horde.

A vanguard of the darkness yet to come.

Vulcanus raised his arms, claws clenched and fangs peeling his mouth into a cruel smile, "Ash-Narkgurz!" He boomed in a voice of thunder, Eternity begins.

The horde howled, clenching their weapons high above them as they turned their eyes to the heavens. Vulcanus' voiced boomed over the roar as he continued on in the Graug Shadow Tongue.

"Below us cowers the first of many slaves! Weaklings who claim the title 'Porandor'" Vulcanus sneered at the word, Empire. "one of many races of lessers who challenge The Graug's strength with such insolence. They will be the first to die for it!"

Again the columns of warriors howled, "Never again shall Graug be second to lesser filth! No other shall command you before me! Your God has returned! Your God commands you, Azat!"

Slaughter. The ocean of darkness rose to its feet, its warriors firing blindly into the ceiling and slamming swords into the durasteel floors.

Vulcanus had been unwillingly charged with decimating the Bryn'adul as Pillar of War. Again to fight a war The Sith could not themselves. But he would fight. Bide his time...grow his horde. If The Sith wished him to war then he would war where he please. Settle where he pleased. Conquer who he pleased. Zygerria was little more than a puppet to The Sith and so they would be his foundation.

Zygerria would fall. Zygerria would be reformed. Zygerria would be the new home of his Great Horde.

"Darken their skies! Bleed their world! Leave none alive but those who will be slaves! Forge my Great Khaanate!"

As if by command the hanger doors hissed, filling the hanger with coolant exhaust as the doors shuttered and moved away. Zygerria hung in the emptiness, a green orb unaware of their fate. Unaware that their time as vassals was done. Unaware that their time as servants was to begin.

The priests jumped to their feet, robes and armor clattering as they threw their hands to the sky, "Bauraj Ishi tab Paaz!"

"Bauraj Ishi tab Paaz!" the horde echoed the cry, repeating it down their lines as they turned and began throwing themselves into landing craft. The ultrachrome cages of the Folloik Draagha were heaved into place below dropships - their cages becoming blurs of gore as unlucky Graug were pushed too close in the rush for the dropships.

"Bauraj Ishi tab Paaz!" The horde cried again and again as Vulcanus lowered his arms and turned for the nearest landing craft, "Bauraj Ishi tab Praaz!"

Remake it in his image.

 

[Narosh]

His cage was virtually unbreakable, the perfect prison. Yet it was not freedom that he sought; for Narosh, the blood curdling sounds of war incited him. There was nothing else. He was being deprived of his right to maim, to kill, and to burn. He lacked the capacities of a more mainstream member of his race, but the bloodlust that they shared burned even hotter in his veins.

Chains bound his wrists and ankles, suspending him at the center of a lightless world. Still, the drumbeat reached him. His heart synchronized with it. The sounds of violence pushed it beyond. Narosh howled his rage to a world that could not hear him, yet the lack of recognition seemed only to exacerbate his need to be heard.

"Kill!" he roared. "Kill!"

The singular sentiment that the Graug truly understood was not his name, nor anything like it. His greatest aspirations resounded through his cell, a constant reminder of his singular purpose. The word echoed around him, through him, back deep inside him.

Kill.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina had grown around 'slaves.' They weren't exactly legal in the Empire, but servants who didn't have the option to leave. That was something she knew of pretty well. So Zygerria and their slave empire? That wasn't anything new to the young Acolyte. She was here on business. An archeologist on the planet had information for her master. Everything was going smoothly. She'd just made it outside the shop, a friendly smile on her face. Much less pressure with this task than the others during the wars.

A shadow came.

She blinked slowly as she looked up to the sky once it overtook her. The Empire? They were Sith star destroyers. She recognized that. But what she saw when the hanger doors opened filled her heart with absolute dread. Like locus they blocked out the light of the sky. Alina couldn't even keep her footing. Absolute horror had her falling to the ground as she tried to scramble back, like she could run and escape the monsters coming to this world. She could see them. The crystal caverns. How acolyte after acolyte fell to brutal blades and gnashing teeth. Of the cannon that blew up the cavern and nearly ended her life. Her voice was barely a whisper as she shook with the purest form of fear she had ever felt.

"The Graug."

 

[Darth Strosius]

------------------
It had been nice to have the chance to relax for once, without needing to look over his shoulder for his next mission or just due to his own paranoia. Alisteri had been repaying some favors, mostly travel favors, by being the 'muscle' for a couple of officers. Said officers happened to be on some ships that were heading to Zygerria for some reason or another that the acolyte wasn't totally sure of.

All he knew was that the Legionnaires with them had a suspicious amount of equipment related to imprisonment with them.

Perhaps they were doing a prisoner transport?

He wouldn't have the time to properly guess.

The moment their little fleet of transports emerged from hyperspace near Zygerria, it was instantly all-hands-on-deck. The masked acolyte rushed to the nearest window alongside the officers he was 'guarding' as orders were relayed all around the ship. "Are those Star Destroyers?" "Why are they deploying troops?" "Who the kriff forgot to tell us there was an invasion?"

Various voices fought to have their questions heard, even though no one had any answers. Alisteri himself had many questions as well, but his blood was too busy running cold as he felt a presence amongst those invading the planet. Other Space Kaiden was here. Why was he here?!?!

All questions were silenced however, as a new order came over she ship-wide comms. "Attention all Legionnaire and Sith, report to the landing craft. We have confirmed reports of the Graug beginning and unauthorized invasion of Zygerria. We are under orders to evacuate the planet of all citizens and important assets..." The voice paused before adding a shaking punctuation to the orders. "And may the Pillar of War have mercy on us this day."

As the acolyte reluctantly made his way to the shuttles and other various landing craft, only one thought sat in his head: The feth are the Graug?

 

[Kal]

Pacing back and forth on the opulent floors, the Matriarch of one of Zygerria's most prosperous slaving families was the face of outrage, clawed fingers clenching and unclenching as a nervous guard confirmed what Kal had already said. "This is an outrage, we are loyal subjects!"

"Sure." Stopping to glare at the Zabrak smuggler, she looked for all the world as if she wanted to bite his head off before thinking better of it and opting to continue her rant. "There have been a few scuffles due to their absurd condemnation of slavery, but nothing to warrant this miscarriage of justice!"

"Right." Waving a hand at the guard, she turned towards the little group of family members and favoured slaves she had gathered. "You, make sure the shuttles are ready, and the rest of yo-" Coughing politely, the Zabrak shook his head, pointing at the looming figures visible even in the distance. "What you see before you is a fully-equipped Sith-Imperial invasion force. There'll be interceptors, possibly interdictors. Shuttles won't make it."

Spinning back towards him, she gritted her teeth, anger hiding the beginnings of resignation. "But your ship can? I'll pay your damn price, criminal, but don't for a moment think you hold all the cards." As if on cue, another guard carefully placed his hand on his blaster.

Another shake of his head and a smile on his lips. "You will owe me your lives, all of you. I can find credits anywhere."

To think he had shown up looking for slaves, only to be turned off the idea with the realization that they hadn't entered the arrangement willingly. What kind of people just... threw people in chains and made them work for nothing, that did not seem a very honest way of doing business.

[OPEN]​

 

[Dekar Calloglast]

Zygerria's surface,
Palace of the Zygerrian Queen
An armoury

A boot's velcro tore and reattached again. Rifles clacked against each other. Footsteps hammered in the hall just outside the armoury. Dekar just finished fastening the first set of protective plates to one leg when Jalek waltzed in, still in his fatigues.

"Why do these protective systems have to be more complex than rocket science," Dekar asked as he placed the next set of plates along his other leg.

"Wha-?" Jekal slurred away the rest of his question.

"I'm just saying. When I put on some armour for emergencies like this I'd like to be out and fighting in less than a minute, but given the current state of personal protection technology, we spend a good five just trying to get these damned plates on."

"We're under attack and that's the first thing that comes to mind?"

Dekar shrugged as he fastened the plates.

"Just sayin'."

Jekal shook his head and exhaled his frustration in a manner that he knew would be more productive than any attempt to argue with his commander.

To an extent, Dekar could sympathize with the reaction to the annoyance he caused. He had a penchant for going off on lengthy, esoteric tangents about all manner of topics. A side effect of an education that placed him ahead of the average mercenary on intellectual battlefields. Still, he couldn't help but lament the lack of enthusiasm for the esoteric Jekal consistently displayed.

"Where are the others?" Dekar asked.

"They were in the other wing when the alert went out. We're rendezvousing at the throne room."

Dekar nodded, though he wore the abject worn smile and distant stare that tended to creep onto his expression whenever he was lost in thought.

 

[Seela Leini]

Objective: Enforce Compliancy
Location: Zygerria
Equipment: Sith-Imperial Armada Flight Suit Mk. II │ “Judicator” Adaptive Battle Rifle
Fighter: Nexus-E Starfighter - Dancer Ten
Tags: @Open Kal

For its loyal subjects, the Empire was surprisingly generous, even in situations where it held no obligation to provide for their welfare.

As the Graug hordes were disgorged onto Zygerria from the massive dropships of the Dark Legion, starfighters, interceptors, and other small craft emerged from the bellies of capital ships like a coven of angels, their presence a welcome sight for the fearful Zygerrians and slaves on the surface. SV-2121 flew among them, driving her fighter towards the surface as she took in the sight of the besieged surface with her sharp, fighter pilot eyes. Officially, her mission and that of the other Sith-Imperial pilots was to assist in the evacuation of the Zygerrian population from the planet, flying escort and establishing no-fly zones in order to cordon off areas of the city during the evacuation. She had been advised against engaging Graug warships, unless absolutely necessary. However, the mission profile implicitly demanded that she engage a few of the Graug warships, particularly in order to enforce the no-fly zones within the city.

After all, the Graug would only respect manifested strength.

Angling her starfighter into a moderate dive, SV-2121 drew a bead on a Graug dropship which had just crossed the demarcation of the no-fly zone. Beneath the expressionless mask of her black flight helmet, the Rutian made a quick assessment of the dropship’s flight path, her eyes taking in the lumbering vessel as it slowed down, presumably in order to prepare for disembarking troops.

She came to the inevitable conclusion that the craft was noncompliant.

With naught but the press of a button, the diminutive pilot toggled to concussion missiles, quickly acquiring a target lock on the noncompliant craft before firing off a pair of the lethal projectiles from her fighter’s missile launchers. Not a second later, the missiles struck her target in a pair of direct hits, triggering a cascade of violent explosions as the dropship careened down to the earth, the blown out wreckage landing only a few miles away from the mansion of one of Zygerria’s most prominent slaving families ( Kal ), to the cheering chorus of a few relieved Zygerrians.

With the shootdown of the Graug dropship by the Sith-Imperial starfighter being quite visible to any Zygerrians within the vicinity and the individuals within the mansion in particular, any enterprising pilots who sought to make an easy profit off of the Graug invasion would find their efforts to be greatly hampered by the untimely arrival of the Sith-Imperial fighter and shuttle squadrons over the city, who seemed to be providing the exact services offered by a number of unscrupulous smugglers for free...

 

[Baalagor]

The runic brand on her forehead still burned, but there was little time for it to heal before she was torn from the only planet that had become familiar and thrown into the greater galaxy. Thankfully, little changed in Graug company, and the commandeered vessels soon became a sprawling, gory mess of everything she had since adjusted to. Blood, entrails, mud and dirt painted the walls and floor in various shades, the occasional splash of viscera adding a splash of color. The smell that hung in the air could be described as nothing short of death, and the pounding of the drums a heartbeat that echoed through her whole body.

All of this she took in before ever stepping through the blast doors behind her Great Khaan, his presence suffocating everything save for the drumbeat that still reverberated off durasteel walls. When he spoke there was silence, interjected only with bloodthirsty howls and cries as the sea of beasts hung on his every word. By now she had grown used to understanding a language she’d never before heard spoken, and only listened alongside the horde as death and destruction was pronounced for the planet below.

Her own name still sounded foreign when she heard it spoken aloud, but that didn’t stop her from heeding her master’s call and following him to the nearest landing craft. Even at her impressive height she was still dwarfed by the Graug, guarded only by Vulcanus’ presence, no one daring to press in too close. In her ultrachrome mail armor she was diminutive, but next to him possessed a strange power she hadn’t yet found the words for.

Whatever the reason, she knew it had its roots in the strange bond she shared with her master, the same one that caused her heartbeat to quicken at the mere thought of the chaos that was soon to unfold. An invisible thread bound them together, but she’d learned not to shy away from it. His power still suffocated her much the way it had when they first met, but she learned to inhale the toxicity in time, leaning into the embrace of the Dark Side that she had yet to understand.

As the dropship plummeted towards Zygerria she repeated one word quietly to herself, a strange mantra, Remake.

 

[Other Space Kaiden]

The worm, Baalagor , ran to his call like a well-trained rat - her frail form eclipsed in the shadow of the mound of torn, ashen flesh that was Vulcanus. The slave spawn had been a step toward accomplishment, but her short days of life had done little to prove her worth. The scraps of DNA left dangling on Ryv 's cybernetic arm had otherwise been wasted on Sithspawn that barely took their first miserable breathe before their pathetic forms gave out. It was only after the Graug Priests had combined the last chunks of flesh with blood from several slave species that Baalagor was ripped into existence. He turned a burning yellow eye towards Baalagor, watched her eyes avert to the shadows and her head duck into her shoulders.

Pathetically weak, but obedient as a slave should be. Only time would tell if she would be suffered to live and time was not on her side. Exterminations like today would be small steps in prodding her for the power he hungered for. To not only irritate the Sith, but defy them completely. A burst of steam curled over Vulcanus' fangs as his obsidian claws rattled the chain hanging from his chest, following the links until they disappeared deep into his flesh and bone.

"Ashamol lok snok-nar" Vulcanus growled through a clog of mucus that spurt from his jaws as he spoke, prove you are not worthless. "I will not suffer a useless slave" he commanded, still in his native tongue.

It was then that a mindless, bloodthirsty chant caught his ear, turning his head and flinging globs of green mucus into Baalagor's direction. Five Graug warriors carried between them two chains forged of Grey iron, the links so large as to fit their entire heads inside. The beasts sneered and spat in contempt at their labor - their muscles buldging against their hides as if to burst under the stress of heaving the obsidian cube melded to the end of the chains. The monolith of metal and stone swallowed the light as it was drug into the vessel, the grinding howl of scrapping metal drowning the monstrous screaming inside.

"Kill! Kill!" A booming voice shook the cube from within, the metal ultrachrome prison creaking as Narosh was carted inside. A beserking wretch. A mound of simple hatred that tore everything to gore and rags that stood before it. That was Naresh. A perfect killer for a perfect species.

Rotting lips split as Vulcanus gave the windowless cube a toothy grin. The musk of blood lust. The sound of splatter as frothy drool pooled into Narosh's gullet only to overflow and onto the floor of his dark cell. "Good, Narosh...feed your hunger. Let it fester" to see the beast finally unleashed gave Vulcanus a twisted pleasure that set his sulfuric eyes ablaze.

As the dropship lifted from the deck of the star destroyer and plummeted into the endless abyss, Vulcanus let his claws sink deep in Baalagor's back. Blood ran like streams down her back as the razors dug past the chain mail before he pushed her frail form toward the cage. "smell the blood and prepare to serve your God"

Seething eyes dropped to Baalagor's level, "I can smell your fear. Your weakness disgusts me"

Without waiting for a reply the beast turned and bore witness to the planet quickly approaching out of the viewport. The black of space turned to blinding fire, which faded to green as the planet's surface eclipsed his vision. Soom after Green turned to sandstone as the capital city came into view. A mighty palace, crested in gold and sapphire, rose at its center and the ornate buildings that sprung around it quickly found themselves engulfed in the shadows of landing craft.

Like a swarm of primordial locusts the landing craft descended upon the ripe streets, filled with fresh meat and the likes of Alina Tremiru and Darth Strosius . The daylight of Zygerria turned quickly to thunderous night as thick smoke plummed from pillars of fire. The sky became a thick gel of ash and red bolts of plasma became the moonlight. The Graug did not aim nor target, the ships simply fired indiscriminately into the city below - devouring blocks of screaming Zygerrians with a maw of flesh charming death.

"My Great Khaan" a slithering voice pulled Vulcanus away from the port. A priest kneeled before him, head bowed and hand raising a blinking metal disk in offering, "a message from the lesser queen"

Vulcanus motioned for him to continue and the priest complied, flicking a hidden button that summoned a ghostly blue vissage. The Zygerrian queen stood tall only for the moment it took her feed to materialize Vulcanus before her. In that moment her eyes grew wide as she pulled away from the holocom, her hand stopping just short of touching her lips.

Vulcanus relished in it. "Do I frighten you, lesser?" Vulcanus said, slobbering hungerly as he pressed closer. The queen stumbled over her native tongue before jumping at the sound of a door opening behind her. Dekar Calloglast 's armored form came into view in the background. The Queen glanced at him, mouthed something, then turned back to Vulcanus.

"M-my lord" she stammered as she forcibly stiffened her body, "I do not know who I address but this attack on my people is unacceptable. The Sith-

"Vulcanus" the beast growled lazily, his reptillian eyes focusing in, "do not mistake me for a Sith. I am The Great Khaan of Gratos, Living God of the Eternal Horde. I do not purr when you offer me your pleas and oaths."

The queen stumbled over her words once more, her eyes shaking as the greater realization dawned upon her, "Graug...but this is...this is madness...

The regents voice trailed off even as she tried to raise a scream from the bubble on her throat, "...The Dark Lord promised my Empire peace...we've been loyal-

"Your loyalty means nothing to me" Vulcanus growled, snatching the pad from the priests hand and bringing close to his own face, "and it means little to The Sith. Scream. Plead. Beg. No one will save your miserable race. Your people have lived only as long as they escaped my notice.

Now they will die because it pleases me to see it done."

The terror that stretched the queen's face was oh so delicious. "The Horde has come for your people. Soon I will be there for you"

Vulcanus crushed the projector in hand and discarded the smoking rubble on the wreckage to the dropship floor. The city burned more still as his dropship plummeted through the smoke towards the royal palace...then suddenly the world became defeaning.

Seela Leini had fired true - her missiles streaking through the open air and blowing a hole into the dropships hull. Vulcanus was flung to the ground, then to the wall and ceiling as the dropship lost altitude - Narosh's cube tumbling and turning unlucky warriors into black and ashen paste as it flew through the bay. Rubble pilted the dark lord as the ship impacted the street - pulverized the side of a building before coming to a rest.

Fire raged across the hull. Smoke plummed. Then the wreckage shifted. Suddenly sparks gysered from the top of the hull as a horned figured peeled away the twisted metal like old skin - his rotting form lain bare for all the screaming Zygerrians to see. He paused for a moment, took in the Sith soldiers running to usher civilians away.

Then he looked to the towering palace ahead. He wasn't far...he'd simply have to make his way through the shimmering fountains of a measly mansion first... Kal

 

[Narosh]

He drank deep of his gods ichor.

Flavor mattered not. Smell meant nothing. It touched his gaping maw and he greedily accepted it as benevolence. His face slicked as it cascaded down his neck and over his shoulders. The Graug madman tore his arms toward him, and slowly, the chains cracked and warped beneath his rave.

Chains still hung from his limbs as he staggered forward. Narosh fumbled in the dark only for as long as it took him to rip the covering from his eyes. His god had granted him clarity. He could clearly see the path forward.

"Kill."

Green hands lifted the massive axe from its resting place, and he hefted it overhead. "Narosh kill!"

It came ripping down, and the weight of it sent the blade through ultrachrome like it was nothing. Narosh heaved again, and the axe tore free. He swung once more.

Red orbs glowed in the darkness as he looked at the gaping wound he had made. Massive green fingers slipped through. Metal whined as he peeled it open like aluminum. When Narosh stepped through, he dragged his wicked looking weapon along the ground behind him.

Black, vicious fluid still dripped from his fangs. Each step he took increased his speed. The explosion rocked the dropship, and he raced forward with nothing but murderous rage fueling his advance. He had witnessed a blasphemy unlike any other.

These infidels dared to assail his god.

Even that failed to encapsulate his indignation.

He wanted only one thing.

"Narosh KILL."

Cara Dorniarn | Alina Tremiru | Darth Strosius | Seela Leini | Dekar Calloglast | Kal | Baalagor | Other Space Kaiden​

 

[Kal]

His ultimatum somewhat undercut by a Sith-Imperial pilot ( Seela Leini ) shooting down one of the Graug shuttles, the possessed Zabrak spread his hands in a placating gesture, though his voice remained calm despite the blasters being inched out of their holsters. The worst-case scenario being the loss of a rather impolite smuggler's life rather than his own most certainly had something to do with it.

"Let's not be unreasonable, my vessel is still your best be-" Breaking off mid-sentence, he frowned, turned around, and walked towards the window, more or less ignoring the Zygerrian matriarch's outrage and confusing the guard enough that he remained unshot, at least for now.

His attention was elsewhere, however. On the presence in the dropship, the approaching presence. Sithspit.

"If you want to live, you'll join me. Now. That's a Sith Lord if ever I've seen one."

His genuine concern doing more than his blasé attitude from earlier ever could - at least partially helped by the panicked messages received by the gate guards upon spotting what was on the way - it seemed he was destined to stay in one piece, for now. In the sudden chaos, only a few of the Zygerrians actually followed him, the rest running to their own shuttles... all of which were positioned on landing pads in front of the mansion.

No doubt a choice the royals in their palace approved of, but less ideal with homicidal Graug on the way. This would be a close one.

Other Space Kaiden | [OPEN]​

 

[Darth Strosius]

------------------

By the time the small fleet of landing craft had breached through the atmosphere and were heading for various places on the surface, the Zygerrian Capital City was already burning. Alisteri could see the massive plumes of smoke from the small viewport of the shuttle, idly hearing several of the Legionnaires in the craft with him mutter curses or prayers as the ship descended towards the city.

It was...a horrific sight to say the least.

Seemingly random barrages of fire from the vessels of the Graug strafed and destroyed the city even as the acolyte and his allies landed. The sound was deafening, filling his ears as he stepped out from the shuttle and pausing to take in the grim sights. Screams, the sounds of destruction, the distant noise of ships flying and landing, and of course the heart wrenching noise as another stray shot from above impacted the city.

Zygerria was burning, and he could feel that this was just the start.

The masked man was snapped out of his horrified trance by one of the Legionnaires nudging his shoulder. "We have our orders Acolyte, we'll secure this landing zone for evacuation efforts. Go and find someone for us to evacuate." It was a clipped and short order, but the tone of the soldier betrayed his attempt to sound professional. He sounded hopeless, as if he knew there wasn't anyone left.

The screams begged to differ of course.

Alisteri took a couple of breaths to steady and recompose himself before he began sprinting towards the streets of the city. Their shuttle had touched down in one of the open areas in the city, perhaps some sort of outside market or plaza. Now however, it would serve as a sight of salvation. That was of course, if he could find anyone to save.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

It was fire. Everywhere. She didn't know what she expected, but to see the very ships that were supposed to make those in the Empire feel safe erupting with turbolasers to destroy and kill. Slaughter. The screams. This wasn't like the cavern. They were acolytes facing down the Graug. They could fight. Not well enough to survive such an onslaught that left only a handful of survivors. But they weren't civilians.

She could hear the screams all around. Civilians dying. It was their screaming that brought her out of her memories. Things were different. She wasn't just a fumbling force user trying to be Sith and learn how. Now she had power. Strength. Alina pushed herself up and clicked on her comlink. "::This is Acolyte Tremiru. Any Sith Forces that are present and here to help evacuate Zygerria, respond now. We're going to regroup and save as many as possible.::" Alina turned off her mic, looking around the streets. The Graug weren't there, not yet. But they would be.

"All those who can move, let's go. Don't bother bringing anything with you. If you can help someone, help them." Around her no one moved. They were still scared. She ignited her saber, which seemed to get quite a bit of attention. "If you want to live, move now. Go!"

Darth Strosius | Other Space Kaiden | Narosh | Kal | Baalagor

 

[Seela Leini]

Objective: Air Support Over Zygerria
Location: Zygerria
Equipment: Sith-Imperial Armada Flight Suit Mk. II │ “Judicator” Adaptive Battle Rifle
Fighter: Nexus-E Starfighter - Dancer Ten
Tags: @Open Kal Other Space Kaiden Narosh Alina Tremiru Darth Strosius Baalagor

The situation on the surface was worse than anticipated.

She had been told to refrain from engaging Graug warships, unless absolutely necessary, but fulfilling the parameters of the mission escalated her role far beyond that of a simple escort and contain assignment, into a full scale military operation in a hostile battlespace. The Graug seemed to have no regard for the no-fly zones established over areas of the city, meaning that almost every Graug craft in the airspace was a viable target.

The booming baritone voice of her squad leader vibrated against her ears, telling her to focus on close air support and escort duties, engaging any Graug forces within or on approach to the evacuation areas of the city. With a deep breath, 2121 pulled her interceptor into an ascent, shunting power to the twin ion engines in order to quickly establish altitude. All the while, the pulsating resonance of the engines vibrated the shock couch, allowing the diminutive Twi’lek to feel every beat in her TIE’s mechanical heart as she pushed the machine to the limits. Lending a quick glance at her sensor readouts, 2121 brought her fighter back into level flight, assessing her surroundings in the air before opening her comms.

“Acolyte Tremiru, this is Dancer Ten, on station for close air support and escort duties. If you need assistance, I am on point. Standing by for contact, over.”

 

[Other Space Kaiden]

Part 1: Seela Leini , Kal , Baalagor , Kal & Narosh

Pillars of pitch black smoke rose from the twisted wreckage of the transport, arcs of electricity flaring from the shattered hull as the flames grew higher - swallowing street and vessel alike. Peeling aside what remained of the wreckage in his way, Vulcanus rose through the fire and smoke before casually dropping to the street below, landing with a thud that sent fissures spidering through the duracrete. As the beast rose from his fall a ball of fire engulfed him as the ship's reactor gave in - blowing what remained of the transport apart just as Narosh broke the air with a vicious howl as he came barreling out of the exploding wreckage, dragging a fountain of sparks behind him as he heaved his axe through the duracrete.

The ball of fire chased after Narosh as pieces of flaming transport rained down on the street like brimstone - and forth from the center of the raging inferno a shadow took form. Hazy and grey at first, the shadow quickly darkened until it became as like a black hole - the flames themselves becoming caught in its gravity to form a fiery spiral around it. From the center of this vortex the dark shadow faded into the necrotic form of Vulcanus, his sword dragging behind him as he stepped from the burning cyclone and into the overcast light of the battlefield. The Lord of Embers rifled the air with a snort, breathing in the sizzling stink of burned flesh - sorting through the aroma in his mind. He did not smell Baalagor yet he could feel her in his mind - her heart beating against the thunder of battle.

Somewhere distant. She must have been thrown from the vessel during impact. Bleeding comes cut into a grin at the thought. The welp lived and now she would prove herself by finding her master. He pulled on the mental leash that tied them together, willing his servant to scamper to his side from wherever she had landed in the city.

With that done the beast turned his reptilian gaze back towards the mansion. The rats inside flooded out through the doors and windows, silk-clad feet nary touching the grass in their mad flight for the rows of transports lying in wait for them at the courtyard. They paid no heed to the Graug that filled the streets outside the courtyard and the single gate that separated them from the howling beasts. Vulcanus' grin cut wider, his free hand closing into a fist that whipped the flames around him into a gust that followed him like a cape of living fire.

"Maubur!" The burning city echoed his howl, warriors. Like trained dogs the Graug filling into the streets turned their gazes to Living God, who raised a single claw towards the courtyard gate, "Akr-ghrish"

In an instance The Graug turned their weapons to the gate, howling as one bloodthirsty mob. The front rows of warriors fired past the gate as they surged forward, pelting the transports with waves of blaster and slug fire. Dozens of nobles disappeared into brief clouds of red mist, their shredded bodies falling to the crimson-stained grass of the courtyard. In seconds the gates shrieked in metallic pain as the horde crashed against it, bending bars and shattering hinges as they forced their way through with brute force. Behind them their still-flaming god followed, watching as the warriors darkened the courtyard - overtaking the fleeing nobles like a wave that tore them into screaming pieces or dragged them deeper into the tide to be chained and pinned.

It didn't take long for the transports to cut their losses - their engines flaring and lifting them from the grass without their would-be cargo. Zygerrian and Graug alike hung from their hulls - the former in desperation, the latter in effort to rip the guts from the ship with their bare claws. In this moment a gale of wind blew through the street, sending the transports off-course. It was a Sith fighter ( Seela Leini ) screaming overhead - this time followed by a handful of other identical craft. Vulcanus' reaction was swift.

Throwing his hand toward the squad of fighters, The Lord of Embers summoned forth the vortex of fire he had kept in his grasp from the explosion. He fed his rage into it, willed the fire to burn hotter. Burn darker. The darkside surged through the pillar of fire as it roared into the sky, turning a sickly green-black that burned hotter than any natural fire and yet illuminated nothing. The attack was general and unfocused, seeking to catch whatever ships fell into its maw and burn both hull and pilot alive.

Then, without bothering to see the results of his attack, Vulcanus marched through the broken gate and into the courtyard.

​

Part 2: Darth Strosius & Alina Tremiru

The Graug Horde was a force of chaotic terror - their monstrous forms leaping from dropships and into the crowds of screaming Zygerrians. Sith troopers who were not lucky enough, or simply too foolishly brave, were cut down and riddled with slugs just the same as any other weakling meat. The Horde knew no friends or allies, it knew only hunger and the will of its God. Through the streets, Kantus - priest of the Burned God and servant of The Fire - led one such merciless charge.

With a rasping howl the lean priest threw itself into the fray, cutting through the chaos in a path of blood. Like a blur, Kantus moved from heathen to weakling - casting them down with a heavy blow from his three-headed flail. Shards of bone and globs of flesh painted his once-black armor, his bare feet leaving a trail of bloody, clawed footprints in his wake. A plasma lash struck Kantus across the side of the head, leaving a searing score across the side of his helm. Like a flash Kantus followed the sparking whip to the hand of it wielder before latching onto the Zygerrian's wrist and bringing the three spiked orbs down on its skull and caving it in.

The Zygerrian slaver fell limp to the ground and Kantus continued on into the market where others of the horde was already at work. Children screamed, then went silent. Mothers and fathers were dragged away with tooth and claw while so many others were simply gunned down where they stood.

Meanwhile...

...On the main street a cloud of debris plumed out into the crowds as a two story building crumbled onto its own foundations. From the grey and white cloud emerged a mass of long, bulky legs that crashed into the duracrete. A vicious set of teeth and a helm of glowing eyes followed after, towering over the scurrying Zygerrians below.

The Folloik Draagha screeched - its voice shattering windows and piercing eardrums. Entire crowds disappeared under its shadow and sharp claws.

 

[Baalagor]

The three symmetrical gashes down her back burned like fire, and she could feel her own blood forming rivers across exposed skin. It was not an unfamiliar sensation, as one suffered various forms of abuse in Graug captivity, and she simply did her best to drink in the pain and draw strength from it as seemed to please her master the most. It was something that came almost naturally to her, and the fire that cut into her back now burned equally as hot in her heart, a dark power nestling there that she had only just learned to foster.

Her master’s words cut through the fog of the Dark Side that clouded her mind, and she acknowledged them with a nod, taming that well of strength into something more focused, though focused for what she wasn’t yet certain. For now it sat there, pulsing in her chest with the same rhythm as her heartbeat, echoing the drumbeats of war that still reverberated from the walls. The surface grew nearer, and her heartbeat quickened, as did the hum of the darkness that ran in her veins. Then there was a whistling, an explosion, then--

The darkness that engulfed her was similar to that which she was born from, all-consuming and as close to some kind of familiarity and calm as she had ever known in her life. But then she blinked, and realized quickly that she was still breathing, and that this darkness was not the same. In that same moment there was a tug at the base of her skull, one that told her the Great Khaan had found her, and required her at his side.

This alone drove her forward, and she dug her way from the rubble, pushing rocks and scraps of metal away until she was able to crawl and scrape her way to solid ground. Blood trickled down her face, black like sludge against the stark paleness of her skin. She didn’t bother to wipe it away, focused instead on getting her bearings on this strange, alien world. This was the first time she’d glimpsed at anything not of the Graug, and to say she found it strange would be an understatement.

Her walk through the streets was certainly far too casual and full of simple curiosity, and while an animal want to survive kept her from the worst of the fighting she still made forward progress, following the call of her master and none else.

She reached out to him in return, letting him know she was alive and she was coming, and that they would reunite soon.

Other Space Kaiden | Seela Leini | Narosh | Alina Tremiru | Kal | Darth Strosius

 

[Kal]

Had Kal been a true Master of the invisible currents of the Force, he would no doubt have raised a hand, the gesture bringing to bear a wall of invisible force, or raising a barrier of hardened earth, or if he could not shield the rest at least protecting himself and those near him.

A rank amateur, his prescience allowed him to dodge the first and second volley, only to take a slug to the torso and a blaster bolt to the head.

For a brief, freakish moment the body kept going regardless, quite possibly unnoticed in the mess of fire and death, but it soon crumbled.

Shadowy form shunted from his expended sleeve, Kal's eyes swivelled back and forth in a mixture of shock and exasperation. The Zabrak was dead, as was those he had been escorting. The smuggler's ship had caught fire, Graug were swarming over the grounds butchering and enslaving, and... oh that was just embarrassing. The family matriarch and some of her kin had made it onto a shielded transport, taking off despite it all...

... was that a burly Graug trying to hold the ship back physically? Clearly not the brightest, it was promptly vaporized by the engines igniting.

---

Making full use of his incorporeal nature, the Shadow had fled through the mansion, then the Palace's outer defences (finally some resistance), before finding himself inside the Palace itself. His last chance to salvage something from this garbage fire. Perhaps he could extract a few well-positioned individuals through the Nether, now that he suddenly found himself shipless.

Following a few mercenaries into the throne room, he quickly identified the Queen by the angriest shouts, her court by the mixture of fear, confusion, and indignation, and the rest of the mercs by their quiet concern. Well-paid, no doubt, but no one wanted to die for credits.

Sensing a Force Sensitive individual amongst the gathered Zygerrians, he sensed an opportunity, gliding up to her back like an invisible shadow.

<Neither the guards nor the mercenaries will hold for long. You have potential - if you let me borrow your body I can save you and some others.>

Other Space Kaiden | Dekar Calloglast | [OPEN]​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: The outer streets of the Zygerrian Capital City
Objective: Lead citizens to safety
Alina Tremiru / Baalagor / Seela Leini / Narosh / Other Space Kaiden
------------------

It had been bad enough for the acolyte and the evacuation efforts he brought when the Graug were basically raining down fire from above, but it got even worse somehow once the Graug Horde had hit the streets with not an ounce of mercy or patience. Many citizens would perish this day, and Alisteri doubted that anyone could stop it. Certainly he couldn't, and the small amount of forces with him were specifically for evacuation regardless. That only meant one thing, but they had their orders:

Let Zygerria Burn.

He was frozen in his tracks as his comlink suddenly crackled to life, a very familiar voice on the other end. "Alina? Of course she's here." He muttered under his breath, reaching up to activate his mic not soon after Dancer Ten had sent her message. ":This is Acolyte Haxim to all who can hear this, we have evacuation efforts under way. There are shuttles wide open for anyone that wants off this planet, look for any Legionnaires along the outer edges of the city and they should lead you to them. Good luck everyone, and may the Force have mercy on us all.:"

They would need all the luck that they could get this day.

Right as he finished his message and began his run again however, an almost ear-shattering screech rang out throughout the city. He was a good bit away from whatever was causing it, hopefully far enough away to not attract the attention of whatever could make such a noise, but the sound still made his ears ring and almost made him fall to his knees from it.

He shook his head to try and clear the ringing in his ears even after the scream had ended, needing to lean on a nearby streetlamp for support. Once his senses returned to him, he looked around feverishly. He heard distant screams and the haunting sounds of war, but he couldn't find any survivors running his way just yet.

Time to search the buildings, he supposed.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

'This is fine. Keep calm. Focus. Save as many as you can. You've faced the Graug before, you know how to fight them. You're stronger now.' These were the thoughts passing through Alina's mind as she continued to usher the crowd of Zygerrians away from the coming slaughter. The forward scouts she dealt with, flying through the crowd with bursts of speed to try and stop the Graug from claiming any lives. Try, at least. She wasn't so foolish as to think she could protect all these people.

"Keep going! To the ships!" It was such a relief to hear Darth Strosius 's voice over the com. Unfortunate they'd have to see each other again in such a place. He had the same idea though. Rescue as many as possible and get them off world. Her gaze tore over to Baalagor as she noticed the movement under some rubble. Someone was trying to get out? "Hey! Don't move too much! I can get you ou-" Alina paused as the white haired woman came out. She was certainly taller than the blonde.

But there was something.. Off. Something that kept Alina from rushing over to help her stand. She didn't have the time to think as the world broke.

Yellow Sith eyes shifted to the emerging monster, widened with fear. The creature like before. With the cannon. No, bigger. The screech flooded her ears, bringing Alina to her knees as she tried to cover her head and block it out. It was everywhere, scraping the inside of her head. When it ended, different shrieks filled her ears.

No. She lifted her gaze just in time to see all the people she was trying to protect fall The monster. The Graug. She couldn't protect any of them. Anger and despair flooded her heart as she pushed up to her feet. Not again. Alina gripped the hilt of her saber, glaring up at the large spider like creature. Only hate filled her mind., with a single desire.

Kill this monster.

Other Space Kaiden | Seela Leini | Narosh | Kal

 

[Seela Leini]

Objective: Air Support Over Zygerria
Location: Zygerria
Equipment: Sith-Imperial Armada Flight Suit Mk. II │ “Judicator” Adaptive Battle Rifle
Fighter: Nexus-E Starfighter - Dancer Ten
Tags: @Open Kal Other Space Kaiden Narosh Alina Tremiru (Proximity) Darth Strosius

Even from the sky, within the relative safety of her TIE’s cockpit, SV-2121 could hear the ear-piercing screech of a monster on the surface, her ear cones vibrating within her helmet as she angled her starfighter towards the source of the noise.

Then, came the coordinates and the warning.

Danger close.

“Fire mission confirmed. Contact in five seconds.”

Sharp, fighter pilot eyes scanned the ground until they locked onto her designated target, a massive spider-like beast, standing over the ruins of a large building in the midst of a crowd of terrified Zygerrians.

Danger close.

With the flip of a switch, 2121 set her weapons to laser cannons, knowing that she was taking a risk in driving her machine directly towards the arachnoid monster. Nevertheless, the words of her Master resonated in the strandcast’s mind, reminding her to channel strength through passion. Taking her creator's gentle, paternalistic wisdom to heart, 2121 let the lives of the Zygerrians on the ground weigh on her mind, along with the death and destruction wrought by the Graug as they tore through the city. From the relative peace of the skies, she could only imagine their fates, even if she had never experienced such a thing herself.

She prayed that she would never have to.

Like water from a broken dam, strength poured forth from empathy, her features taking on a purposeful set as she angled the nose of her starfighter towards the creature. A deep breath came as she squeezed the triggers on her control sticks, summoning a salvo of green fire from the heavens in the form of nine rays of coruscating energy, each of which were aimed to strike at the monster’s head, save for the last three shots. Then, with a sharp exhale, she pulled up, her wings narrowly missing a building as she drew the starfighter back into a climb.

2121 didn’t look back as she came out of the strafing run, shunting power to engines as she sought to retreat back to the skies in order to line up for another run.

“Fire mission executed. Effect on target unconfirmed, moving into-”

Boom!

With a violent thud, The strandcast’s head bounced off the control sticks, the brutal force of the impact very nearly knocking her out as her TIE suddenly began to spin out of control. All the while, the baying cries of alarms vibrated against her ears as the picture behind the viewport began to shift into a spin, showing her eyes the ground one moment and the sky the next. A futile effort to regain control of her fighter was met with more alarms, screaming at her to eject, before it was too late. And so, 2121 took heed, contacting her muscles as pulled the eject handle in order to prepare for the extreme g-forces that would meet her outside.

They never came.

Yanking the control sticks to angle her TIE away from a building and towards an empty street, 2121 closed her eyes and let her muscles relax as her starfighter smashed into the ground...