Invasion Beasts of Babylon: BotM Invasion of SE held Felucia

[Other Space Kaiden]

The Usurper

Smoldering pillars of ash bellowed high into the atmosphere, the sky becoming little more than a glowing mass of broken spirits and lost futures that rained down upon Felucia in clouds of embers. Darth Vulcanus, The Saint of Flames, Great Khaan and Black Flame of the Graug stood showered in the emberlight - his hulking mass casting a twisted shadow over the landscape as he set burning eyes upon Darth Empyrean . The beastial lord stood stoic before the thin Sith before him, his ultrachrome chestplate melting away and his torso sizzling from the bolt of energy that had been launched by Maliphant's staff.

A ring of gore had been perfectly punched through the Dark Lord's gut, a hole so perfect that Maliphant could peer through his bone and muscle to the cyclone of flames ripping through the jungle on the other side. The smile that cut across the Graug Lord's face was cold against the inferno that was his presence - so cold that it could be felt, even through the helm that masked his twisted features. The cold would last but a split second before a pulse of energy rippled throughout the arena, slamming against Maliphant's very soul before again retracting - drawing in the pain and suffering felt throughout Felucia like the horizon of a black hole.

"Forever?" the beast's booming voice cracked as webs of flesh began to slap together, slowly closing the hole punched through by Maliphant, "You have hardly seen the beginning"

The misery of this pitiful world fueled a singularity of hunger and malice, a darkness centered inside Vulcanus that was unlike anything most Sith would ever live to see. The Graug here were on a campaign of religious fervor, a genocidal campaign. The Blood Tide. It had been declared so by Vulcanus himself and now every living thing - from the tallest trees to the smallest insects - was to be put to the sword. Pain and suffering circled the world, but it was much unlike any super weapons that obliterated a population from afar. No, this darkness was close...it was personal.

A planet exterminated with bare hands.

"You should have bent the knee when you were given the chance" Vulcanus sneered, heavy boots caving into the ash as he began pacing toward Maliphant - the whole in his body forming over with flesh as he willed his wound to heal with the power granted to him by The Worm.

"When I am done with you, I will cleanse the galaxy of the rest of the weak. Starting with that wretched woman you cling to" A sudden howl of flames dragged Vulcanus attention to the far side of the arena. The cyclone shattered for a brief moment as a hulking, tusked form charged through the flames in a ball of fury and might. The Graug Lord had barely time to react as Grundark raised his massive weapon and heaved it downward with the strength of a falling starship.

Sweeping his claws diagonally from hip to left ear, Vulcanus made to slap the broadside of the greatsaber away - summoning The Force into his opposite hand before driving it towards the attacker's head in a fist of flames and pure strength. If his fist made impact, Vulcanus would release the energy all at once to consume the attacking beast in flames as he took the hit.

The Graug Hordes charged mindlessly into the fray of battle - burning and killing all in their path as they went. Blood Tide had been called upon Felucia before The Maw arrived and now that they were here, it hardly changed the movement of the horde. The beast's slaughtered all in their path and any Maw forces who stood before them would be attacked all the same.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Objective I
Tags: Grundark │ Other Space Kaiden

Maliphant watched as the beam of pure energy was not to much blocked or even tanked - but fully destroyed everything in its path. It sent organs and viscera into the dirt - ash floated from them as the Dark Side ate away what remained; and for a brief moment Maliphant hoped that Vulcanus would take it as a lesson to fall; but he did not. The wound began to heal, and the heat - despite how hot it already was - seemed to only raise.

Just as Maliphant's mouth opened, barely began to form the first syllable of his quip, a beam of equal energy slammed back from Vulcanus towards him. It was only the briefest instance of precognition that allowed him to bring his dreaded staff before him - the only thing that kept him in the fight thus far - and broke its way into the strike before it landed. Despite this, burns formed on his hands and fingers - bubbling as blisters formed nearly instantly. Everything Vulcanus did was fire - rage and heat personified into a being of blackened ash and cruel destruction.

Flame made manifest, the avatar of decimation.

Maliphant thought that just as his feet came out from under him and he felt the strike drive him back nearly twenty feet, nigh to the edge of the great firestorm they had created in their fight. His feet landed beneath him, cushioning his fall, but he could feel just how immense Vulcanus's strength was when faced with it directly. No wonder the Worm had chosen him as a canonized saint - he was a monster.

Yet, it seemed even monsters could be surprised as the stampede of Lord Grundark broke the wall of flame and sent Vulcanus on the defensive; if only for a moment. A counter strike as Maliphant collected himself and let the ash of the flames take him - having his form disappear and reappear directly behind the Great Graug Warlord. The staff ignited its force blade, and Maliphant could feel the flames singe his hair as the blade struck low at the giants achille's heels - hoping to break his stance in one a single swoop; at the very least to bring the blade around and hope to disable him for some time.

He did, after all, have to find the limits of his regeneration. Amidst it, he offered a simple nod to Grundark - appreciation in a movement that spoke volumes. At least with them both, they had a chance.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Objective: I
Tags: Darth Syphus

Ishani’s attention was drawn towards a masked and hooded man screaming like a maniac on the battlefield. The guy wasn’t a Graug, but she sensed he was an enemy all the same. Watching him hack through her allies with bloodthirsty abandon was wild, and she determined at once to stay away from him…

… but he was already headed straight for her.

She cursed, trying to get out of his way, but she was penned in on all sides by Graug. Fighting them delayed her; she was trapped in the same spot while the masked fiend drew ever closer. At last she had an opening, a way of getting past—only for the masked one to fall upon her in a frenzy.

Her blade narrowly caught his first blow, the second coming too fast for her to think. He knocked her sword out of her hands, sending her staggering back in a panic. She scrambled backwards, her fingers clawing at mud, her hair whips poised like snakes to lash out, but her primary concern was escape, cowardly as it might seem...

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Objective I against Kascalion Giedfield ​

​

Ishani Dinn had taken lead of the Sithspawn they had cultivated in their urgency to lay claim over Folende, though the boy had not left himself utterly defenseless. One or two of the bat-like beasts lurked overhead, and they had sunk their fangs into their fair share of Graug already. Their hunger was palpable, but no doubt to the hulking creatures they were little more than mosquitos... nuisances. They would have to seek out others to spread the venom held within their bite. To further forge their mindless horde.​

​

Truth be told in that moment they were far from his thoughts though. They acted rather autonomously even if the vampiric husks they created were far more mindless than that. Arcturus was locked deep in combat with a singular Graug who had been cut off from the rest, and in his haste to put some ground between he and his foe he had ended up further from Grundark and the rest than he had initially intended.​

​

Alone, surrounded by the great flora of this budding world, he was able to focus on dispatching his enemy, yet it was no easy feat. The Graug were bred for battle, they were unrelenting, unyielding, cruel and vicious. Arcturus by comparison was small, but that did make him lighter on his feet. Speed was the only thing he truly had going for himself.​

​

Well, that and the Force.​

​

Blow after blow was made, sweat pooled over his skin and bruises shined alongside it. A trail of blood slithered from his temple down past his ear, but he paid it no mind and he matched the Graug and locked weapons with it. He could not win a brute battle of strength though, and ultimately he unleashed a wave of telekinesis through the Force to beat the creature back.​

​

It was the only thing which kept him from becoming a crushed pile of mush on the ground...​

 

[Tu'teggacha]

Objective III: Seek Artifact, Tame Beasts​

Location: Felucia, Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Kyrel Ren
Foes: Ana Malixar

Catching up to the girl - and she was little more than a girl, not yet out of her teens - proved more difficult than the Taskmaster had anticipated. Taking to the air once again, the buzzing of his Gore Wasp's wings loud in his ear canals, he watched as his chosen warriors chased her deeper into the graveyard. She was nimble and quick, picking her way through the towering bone piles with impressive agility. More than once she gave her pursuers the slip entirely, and only Tu'teggacha's directions from above allowed them to locate her again. Whether she was a scout or a Sith, one thing could already be determined: she was difficult to pin down.

As she ran, the Ebruchi saw her tapping a button on what could only be a comms device. A chill ran up his gnarled spine; it was exactly what he had hoped to prevent. It didn't look like she'd gotten a full message out, since she didn't seem to be talking into the comm, though it was difficult to tell from so high above. Still, even a vague alert could bring a Sith Eternal patrol to the area, and if they managed to report the intruders - or if they failed to report in - that could easily bring down the full force of the planet's defenders on Tu'teggacha's little raiding party. He cursed, silently urging his warriors to redouble their efforts and catch her before it was too late.

If it wasn't too late already. The thought lurked in the back of his mind.

Finally, the girl made a mistake, if an understandable one. She slid down a hill of bones and found herself trapped in a narrow gorge, with no way out except the one she'd entered by. To the Taskmaster it had been obvious that the path was a dead end, but he could see from the air, while she had been forced to rely on her ground-level perspective. At last, his marauders closed in. Tu'teggacha studied the confrontation carefully, determined to learn all that he could. He saw no flash of a lightsaber... but that was not to say that the girl failed to impress. Quite the contrary. She ducked the first pike thrust at her and sank her knife into her attacker's chest, quick and fluid.

Then the man flew across the gulley, blown from his feet by some unseen power.

Interesting, was Tu'teggacha's only thought. He did not care for the lives of his marauders overmuch; the strong would survive, and the weak were expendable. And even the dead man, blood pumping from his pierced heart and his neck twisted on impact with the canyon's rocky wall, had been worth something - he had taught the Ebruchi about his foe's capabilities. The girl might not wield a lightsaber, but she obviously was attuned to the Force. The thought was confirmed when, an instant later, she threw another charging marauder aside with a shove of her hand... a shove that never touched him, even as it flung him back against the pile of bones at the canyon mouth.

Perhaps she was Sith, or at least one of their dark adepts in training... but she was not yet one of their almighty Lords, godlike in battle. The third man to attack managed to strike her, his shock whip wrapping around her leg and nearly bringing her to her knees. But the girl was tougher than she appeared, and managed to shake off a shock that would have stunned a charging reek. With another flick of her hand, she seized a pile of bones with invisible fingers and cast them like throwing knives at her attacker. The sharpened fragments ripped into his skull, pulping its tender contents, and he dropped without a sound. She wasn't untouchable, but she was good.

The marauder she'd thrown aside was getting to his feet, bruised but not broken. The four survivors slowly closed in around her, using their pikes and whips to try to keep her confined. They watched for the telltale hand movements that would signal the next strike of her magic, hoping to interrupt her with a jab or lash before she could complete her telekinetic attack. Behind them, atop the slope she had slid down to enter the dead-end canyon, Tu'teggacha landed. His Gore Wasp's chitinous body blocked the only escape route. His bulbous obsidian eyes regarded her as a hunter looks at a dangerous beast, one that might just as easily turn the hunt on him.

"There is no escape," he told her, though that remained to be seen. "Who are you? Who did you contact? Tell me now, and I will ease the pain these men inflict." It wasn't much of a promise, but the Taskmaster didn't expect her to accept anyway - and both of them knew he had no intention of letting her walk away alive.

 

[Ana Malixar]

Location: Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Open
Enemies: Tu'teggacha | Kyrel Ren

Ana's eyes were taken off her attackers for a brief moment as she noticed someone land atop the embankment that had brought her to this gorge. It further complicated her already difficult escape route. Her one route out was cut off. She had no idea who it was. His appearance vaguely reminded her of a Quarren, but that was all she gathered. Judging by him riding a beast and the air of superiority about him, she was certain he was the leader of the group. He confirmed that when he spoke,

"There is no escape. Who are you? Who did you contact? Tell me now, and I will ease the pain these men inflict."

"Malixar." She muttered in response to his first question. It was likely very clear from her response that she was tired. "You think I fear pain?" She managed an exasperated chuckle, mocking the assumption made by the rider.

Truth be told, she did fear pain to an extent. Her body still ached from the shock and her leg felt especially bad. Pain could hurt like hell, but it could also be a strength. She'd learned that early on as a Sith. It fueled her at times. Pain was one of the strongest conduits for her connection to the Force. But it came at a cost, one that could potentially have deadly consequences if not handled properly. It was simultaneously crippling and empowering. That didn't stop her from pretending it was an unequivocal strength though. She may have been visibly tired, but that didn't mean she wasn't ready for another fight. She kept a close eye on the people that had surrounded her as she responded to the man, lest the conversation be a distraction designed to catch her off guard.

"I'm just here for...something." She caught herself just before she divulged the true nature of her mission. She had no idea what this man was after or if he knew the artifact existed deep within the graveyard. He didn't need another reason to attack her. "I'm no threat to you, so just let me be and I won't make you join the Rancors." She paused briefly before asking, "Who are you?"

She didn't really care about who he was in all reality. She had bigger issues to worry about, but prolonging the conversation seemed beneficial if it was possible. Maybe she could talk or threaten her way out of this difficult situation. Two of his men looked quite lifeless, maybe that would intimidate him. Plus if backup was somehow on the way, stalling gave them time to show up. And if not, at least it gave her a chance to recover and think. As she spoke, her mind raced with possibilities. She could try another force attack, but without surprise on her side the chance of success was reduced. The gorge seemed nearly impossible to escape with him guarding the exit. In terms of other weapons, she could probably easily pull the closest fallen guard's whip and she had a pistol on her. Unfortunately, neither was a weapon she was comfortable with. Escaping this situation looked difficult, but she needed to find a way. Her freedom, and perhaps even her life, depended on it.

 

[Tu'teggacha]

Objective III: Seek Artifact, Tame Beasts​

Location: Felucia, Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Kyrel Ren
Foes: Ana Malixar

Tu'teggacha chuckled, a wet, fleshy, thoroughly unpleasant sound. "Oh, I disagree, young Malixar," he replied, ignoring her question about who he was. It was a good sign that she didn't know; that probably meant that whatever she'd transmitted was just a general alert or backup request, and that the SE wasn't yet aware that the Brotherhood was attacking the planet. Still, her comm device represented a terrible danger to his raiding party. "I think you are far more of a threat than you may appear. The Force is strong with you." It was true. He couldn't really sense her presence among the ambient darkness, but he was sure that her soul would shimmer with power if he could. He had seen her abilities. She was capable of great things.

"But perhaps we can come to an arrangement." Despite the discussion, the marauders surrounding Ana did not relax. They were still watching her carefully, waiting for an opening to take her down... or to react to her next attack. Time was ticking by, and if her backup was on the way, they wanted to have killed or captured her and vanished by the time it got there. "We are also searching for... something," the Taskmaster continued, deliberately reusing Ana's choice of words, "and we do not wish to be disturbed as we search. So we cannot let you go, to tell your friends of our presence. But here is my offer. I saw you activate your comm device. Cancel whatever alert you sent, and we will bring you with us on our search, unharmed."

His facial tentacles stretched into the ghastly Ebruchi version of a smile. "Then perhaps we can both find... something."

Behind the little group, the rest of the Taskmaster's marauders and beastmasters were starting to catch up. Soon he would have access to reinforcements, perhaps enough of them to overwhelm Ana if she chose not to accept his offer. Still, he hoped that she would accept. Getting her to call off whatever assistance she'd called for was the best way for the Brotherhood to remain undetected, and if she came with them, he could watch her without having to lose more men fighting her... at least, not yet. He was confident that he would know whether she was telling the truth about her message; telepathy was his gift, his one talent in the Force, and his powerful mental probes were extremely difficult to resist. Either Ana would call off whoever she had contacted...

Or he would do his best to make sure she was dead or captured when they arrived.

 

[Khaostra Devoid]

Post: 1
Objective: Stomping Grounds
Equipment: Red Midnight Duster | Red Sith Armor | Sith Mask | Grav Boots | CrushGaunts | x2 White lightsabers | Forearm Lanvorak | Wrist Laser | Variety of Explosives | RSKF-44 heavy blaster | X-21 shock glove (Stored in her coat pocket)
Allies: BotM
Enemies: Open
Tags: Open

---

Khaostra had a daunting task ahead of her find some dark artifact in dangerous territory. It seemed as of late that was her mission in life fetch quests. Then again, she had brough this on herself having chosen to follow her crazy mother in aiding the Brotherhood of the Maw. Not sure exactly what she would get out of the whole deal, she knew damn well her mother was in it for more power. It didn’t matter what crazy bull crud her mother “claimed” was her reasoning it was always about power. Yet that was not what Khaos wanted, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. At one time it was to be an archaeologist but that turned into thievery more then anything. After that she tried to be a pirate like her sister and father before she got bored.


She looked at the graveyard before her a daunting task, still not sure this was her place she considered going back to her ship. She looked over her shoulder for a moment but then found herself putting one foot in front of the other moving into the graveyard ahead. One boot in front of the next before long the crunch of bones could be herd under her feet.


Where to even start she had to wonder, she knew other people from the Maw were around, some above on wasps and other on foot just like her. All scurrying to find the prize, she sure hoped it wasn’t cheap gimmick like at the bottom cereal boxes used to get you hooked on sugar covered in more sugar. She could go for some cocoa flakes after thinking about that for moment, that would have to wait until after this adventure though.


She found herself removing her helmet as she moved through the graveyard though, she needed her sense of smell. As she removed it she took a deep breath, most people would smell the dung and decay but Khaostra sense of smell went beyond that and sifted through the smells and landed on one that seemed strange. She began to follow it like that one cereal mascot said follow your nose.

 

[The Mongrel]

Objective II - Steal Nysillin, Burn Farms​

Location: Felucia, Plantation Outskirts
Allies: Tegan Starfall
Foes: Dis

The Kagan-Jin thundered down the slope, sweeping into the fields like the crashing of a tidal wave over the shore. Terrified farmhands and labor droids scattered, trying desperately to flee, but to no avail; dealing with prisoners would require time they did not have, so the swift Rough Riders ran them down and skewered them with lances. These meek fools would be of little use anyway. Above the emerging carnage, The Mongrel streaked through the skies astride his Gore Wasp, directing the charge from his superior vantage point. By his command, the Kagan-Jin formed a semicircle, drawing all the workers in from the edges and herding them toward the center of the plantation.

No one could be allowed to escape and raise the alarm.

On a world with such hostile wildlife, the plantation needed guards, and they responded quickly to the threat. The feudal soldiers of the Sith Eternal streamed out of their barracks, forming disciplined rows to unleash volleys of blasterfire on the charging Rough Riders. Still more of them opened up from outlying guard towers, sniping Kagan-Jin warriors out of the saddle. That wouldn't do. Tugging on his Gore Wasp's bridle, The Mongrel turned the creature in flight... and swooped down on the nearest tower. The wasp's barbed stinger punched easily through the stunned guard's chestplate, killing him instantly.

Again and again the marauder warleader sent his mount on the attack, picking off the sentries one by one, leaving the perimeter towers empty save for broken corpses. When the bloody work was done, he glanced back down at the battle, surveying its progress. Many Rough Riders had been shot down by the garrison troops on their first wild charge... but then the ranks of the Kagan-Jin had split, and the Legion of the Leech had charged through the gap. Tough and brutal, the Lugubraa mercenaries had cut into the ranks of the guards, steadily forcing them back. The balance of battle was swinging in the Maw's favor.

Of course, all of that depended on their continued stealth. Even a single message reaching a major military base, or even one of the Banking Clan cities, could easily spell disaster for the entire raid. After the casualties on Csilla and Ilum, the Brotherhood had only been able to spare a small raiding force to assault Felucia and disrupt the Sith Eternal's operations there... and if they were cornered by the armies of their enemies, they were surely doomed. Even a fighting retreat was an undesirable outcome, since losing too many marauders here would defeat the Nysillin's purpose.

That was why they had to quickly and brutally establish control of the farming complex. Before they even looked in any of the Nysillin barns, much less started loading their contents into the raid shuttles, they had to ensure that no cry for help would reach their enemies. To help ensure this, The Mongrel had dispatched a precious team of Shi'ido Fleshtakers to infiltrate the farm ahead of the raiders. Posing as farmhands, they had been quietly disabling communications equipment, sabotaging every line and jamming every frequency they could. Putting such valuable troops on the front lines was a risk...

But it was a risk that might pay vast dividends in Nysillin.

Landing his Gore Wasp in a nearby field, The Mongrel slid from the saddle and moved in to join his raiders. The Bloodsworn marauders he'd brought with him had joined the fight now, helping the Legion of the Leech push back the guards and catch fleeing farmhands. "Hurry!" he bellowed, walking through the waist-high crops with a pistol in one hand and his dread blade in the other. "Let none escape!" He raised his gun and put a pair of blaster bolts through the back of a worker droid, collapsing it in a shower of sparks. He could almost hear the clock ticking in his mind, the inevitable countdown to detection.

All it would take would be one worker with a personal holocomm, one guard with an encrypted frequency, one manual signal like a flare, and they would be all but out of time. That was why everyone had to die, and fast. What The Mongrel could not know, however, was that an enemy he could not counter was already among them - the shadow cat Dis , watching invisibly, trying to warn the farm workers. It would be easy for the netherworld being to get ahead of the Brotherhood warriors, reaching some of the outlying dormitories on the far side of the farm. The workers there were still unaware of the unfolding attack.

It would be a race to see who reached them first.

As he advanced, The Mongrel caught sight of Tegan Starfall astride her colossal Tyrant Rancor, watching the battle unfold. He wasn't sure what to make of her; he knew from experience that the powerful witch, painted for war, was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but for now she was holding back. What was she waiting for? Perhaps she was watching in case of reinforcements, or looking out for escapees from the carnage. The marauder warleader redoubled his efforts. He would have to strive all the harder in order to impress her, earning glory for himself and his raiders. That was the path of the Maw.

 

[Darth Solipsis]

THE DARK LORD OF THE SITH | VOICE OF THE MAW

“Vulcanus Unleashed”
​

Twisting gales of endless ember and scattered clusters of ash filled the air around them, their surroundings were choked with soot from the great blaze as pillars of the inferno raged in the distance. The Graug set fire to the agriworld of the Sith Eternal in a grand display of feudal qualms, he knew not what politics they embroiled themselves in here, now, he just knew they need not suffer it any more. What they could not keep must be taken, their insufferable feud would be their undoing.

Still reeling from the heavy losses sustained in the successful Csilla campaign against a coalition of the what had seemed to be half the galaxy arrayed against them, the Brotherhood had to had to lick their wounds. The invasions of the Sith Empire and the Sith Eternal would be raids of replenishment and a secret clash of feuding inter-Sith factions that the grand majority of the Brotherhood were unaware of.

The Heathen Priests had claimed they had come to take what rightfully belonged to the Hidden Maw away from Sith hands, this was a half truth. A lie to spur the tired forces of the Brotherhood into action and take away spoils from the unraveling Sith Civil War. Stealth was their ally this day, at least for the majority of their forces. They would have to strike decisively if they were to survive the might of the Sith Eternal and the Graug Hordes.

“So be it.”

The Dark Lord of the Sith stepped off into the direction of the flames, the ever burning inferno as his forces scattered around the region in pursuit of sabotage, farm raids, and ultimately chasing down an artifact that could very well turn the tide in their favor. His cloak fluttered violently against the scorching winds as they pressed against his feeble, elderly form. The fires unleashed by the Lord of Embers had begun to devour the jungles of Felucia, the strategy of scorched earth being deployed in an all encompassing bid to destroy his rival and his holdings.

“They make war upon one another, it will be their undoing. We continue the purge while the Brotherhood make ready the ambush. Once more the Sith will be made whole again.”

His gaze shifted to his student, now a powerful Sith in her own right. Maestus had grown considerably in might and skill, a most powerful asset indeed to the burgeoning New Sith Order. He snapped away, immediately drawn to the sounds of battle near by as the Graug Hordes advanced, killing and burning all in their wake. As some fanned out, emerging from the nearby tree line set ablaze the Dark Lord hissed with threatening recourse before pressing his foot deep within the soil. A build up of the empyrean energies saturated within his elderly body, new life and strength can to him as the Force spirited him away in a blurred force of movement toward the incoming Graug.

He had fought these creatures long ago alongside his mentor Cyril Grayson on the planet Gratos, he reveled in the idea of such a battle now as he was. These creatures were war incarnate, a crucible the Brotherhood would grow to new heights from as the strong were tempered and the weak cast aside. The Sith Master would fight his way to the heart of the battle where his greatest foes all likely were to be gathered, through bloody hordes of subterranean horrors. His will would be done.

What a fight it would be.

 

[Desmundor Alcademon]

"The war has just begun, Lord Hegemon. The Maw is launching yet another campaign. This time the profit.... let us say it shall be much greater than the previous attempt..." Irratar Hemstagon 's words echoed in his mind, as he walked amidst the smoke-shrouded fields...

"The scale is much higher now, Prince Irratar... A mere fleet shall be useless against a Sith Host. I have already called upon the Ephors. The Raider Fleets are gathering as we speak"

"Oh, lord... This is good news. But... This no longer feels like a joint raid between Kardir and Morias... If the Ephors are called... Who is to lead the raid?"

Objective II
Barn Razing

Allies: The Mongrel Tu'teggacha Tegan Starfall
Enemies: -

Just Good Business

Fire. Infernal tongues of blaze and death-embued smoke columns, climbing up the skies as verminus snakes, polluting the atmosphere with their shadow. The growling sound coming from the long throats of the Naktidis Beasts turns liquid, dripping by the hungry jaws of the unnervingly shaped beast, as the thin chains clack against the saddle and the long barrel of the sniper rifle held by the grim-armored rider. The shrouded atmosphere makes the figures of the mounted Valkyries feel like ghostly entities, scounting the hillside, as the vast plantations below are set ablaze... Far, above the ground, the freighter ships slowly boost their engines, carrying the heavy load off world...

As the smoke stumbles upon the hill where hundreds of Valkyrie mounted troops are deployed in a wide region in groups of smaller warbands, the thick black mist crawls down over the other side of the hill. There, the Athysian warcamp would be located. Two deep drilled moats marked the territory of over a square kilometer, in which the Athysian Raider Host had made camp. A rushly made base with several AMAG-37 "Painer" walkers guarding the perimeter, patroling in wide formations across the nearby fields. The whole region is deforestated, burned, while several craters indicate the bombardment it was subjected. The very few remnants of the buildings that once stood there are now reminders, of the lost settlement, before the coming of the Raider Fleet... Deep in the camp, MPC-088 "Bonegrinder" Walkers are gathered in square formations by the dozens. Their heavy cannons mounted atop their hunched shells ready to launch long-ranged artillery bombardments. The very camp is swarmed by hundreds of troops. All across the burned field, the red glowing eyes of the Vrea Stratis troops emerge from within the smoke shroud like demons amidst the living, patroling across the vast territory. Their weapons at hand, with growling electronic vox sounds heard deformed out of their durasteel armored helmets...

The Black Valkyrie band rides their Naktidis beasts down the long path. Their long-barreled rifles hanging behind their backs as they approach the fortified warcamp. The Vrea Stratis warriors push the heavy spiked barricades away, only enough for the warband to ride through, before they place them back. The Valkyries ride deeper into the camp. Several crates lie left and right of the main path, while the hundreds of troops maintain their equipment, carry enclosed cargo which they load in the Starbane Shuttles, while others already take off, flying high up to the freighter vessel. Two Baron-Class Gunships overshadow the warcamp, levitating just half a kilometer above it. Their heavy guns always aimed away, sending a clear warning of fire to any mind scheming an approach, unwanted...

The fur-decorated armor of the warrioress leading the Black Valkyries jumps off her Naktidis beast. Her armor clacking, while her two rifles are sheathed on the saddle's holster. She turns, heading quickly towards the main tent. The Athysian troops guarding the entrance bow their heads, clearly knowing better than attempting to stop the champion.

"The fighting has started" the grim-armored warrioress intoned. At the other side of the tent, sat a woman. Her body covered by delicately forged power armor, painted in the Athysian crimson, while her black hair was held in a long ponytail behind her head. She reclined against the chair, while her legs rested crested against the table. On the table, a large pistol was placed. The woman sitting had her fingers intertwined with eachother, holding support under her chin. "The perimeter?" Andromach Hemstagon asks, with her cold voice a statement of her soulless nature. Cold as the frost, her blue eyes turn to the warrioress. "No hostiles, yet. It will be a matter of time until they try to stop our ships... Do we move to the Brotherhood's possition?"

"We are not here for the Brotherhood, Penthessil...." Andromach shall interrupt the woman, aiming her scale armored finger towards her. "As soon as my troops finish loading, we are leaving. The Raider Fleet shall deal with any unfortunate events..."

The warrioress nods, before turning away...


Step of Faith

Allies: Open
Enemies: Open

"Darkness... It devours all it touches. A force strong enough to consume the cosmos. And yet; It is in the clash of chaos, when the greatest deeds are performed... A perfect challenge... A trial; A quest. He who shall bend the Dark, shall be renown across the stars. He who shall bend the Dark... And cast its shadow, across the Far Void...."

His wrapped fingers gently go through the dense high grass. The smoke of the fires blazing the distance shrouds the hill. His cloak is brown. Dirty by the experiences it has collected. Dirt, ash, mud... blood.

The stranger's figure walks ethereally across the vast land of Felucia, with the fabric wrapped head darkened by the hood. There was nothing to indicate a rank; affiliation... Or even intention. Yet, the unbearable dark aura would only create a rather tense feeling to any who stood close to the figure. A strange feel of unease, as the dark figure paced across the field. Something unsettling; outworldly.

Strangely enough, given the black clouds of war slowly engulfing the planet in a dark turmoil, this specific creature felt rather passive... Out of place, to some...



Dis

 

[Dis]

Dis the Shadow(cat)
Shadowcat, explorer and wanderer; Owner of the Cat’s Paw; Member of the Greystone Mercantile​

Objective II.: Make friends | Barn Razing
Location: Plantation Outskirts, Felucia
Equipment: N/A
Writing with: Desmundor Alcademon | The Mongrel | Tegan Starfall

[ Theme ] ​

Dis didn’t have too much time and couldn’t warn everyone because the enemy had arrived with soldiers and walkers and the devastation had begun. They watched the events sadly, seeing their aura glowing in the dark light, which left no doubt to the Shadowcat that these were Dark Side Force Users. They also knew the Darksiders, but they were not so evil and there were friends among them. And now these strangers came here to hurt Dis's friends.

The Shadowcat looked up at the sky where the members of Valkyrja had already appeared, they were invisible too, but the Shadow was able to see them. They were always there when there was a fight, waiting for who they could lift among themselves. Dis hoped they could still save others. Unless otherwise, by stopping people who seem to be leaders somehow. They were not a warrior, in fact, they were a pacifist who was only capable of words, and they were quite adept at that. Or at least they liked to think about it because their company worked very well. Dis hoped it would be enough here too.

One woman and two men were those they thought were stronger because of their aura than the others; they were Desmundor Alcademon , The Mongrel and Tegan Starfall . So when they “flew” closer to them, after all, it’s so easy for a “ghost” to travel. They were still invisible, but sent a common telepathic message to three of them.

~ Go away, do not hurt those who are here. They can't defend themselves, it's unnecessary to fight them. Please, go away! ~

 

[Ana Malixar]

Location: Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Tu'teggacha (?)
Enemies: Kyrel Ren

Ana listened as the rider spoke and mulled over his offer. She didn't trust him or his men. They'd attacked her on sight and probably wouldn't hesitate to do so again. But she felt like her hands were tied. She was trapped, outnumbered, and wounded. She also had no idea if he had more reinforcements coming. Fighting her way out of this situation seemed incredibly difficult. Going along with their requests would hopefully give her more options. She'd nearly escaped them once. If she got out of this gorge, she might be able to do that again. Especially if she was given a chance to rest before she attempted another escape.

She also started to wonder if they were searching for the same thing. He had been vague about it, but he had also said the exact same thing she had and she wondered if that was a signal of sorts. There weren't very many reasons to roam a Rancor graveyard after all. If they were, that presented a complication but also an opportunity. She didn't expect the shaman to give up his prize freely. A potential conflict with him offered her more opportunities to escape, hopefully with the artifact, but even without it. It probably wasn't worth her life though she was uncertain if her superiors would agree. Sith could be cruel. He also hadn't answered her question about who he was. Following him gave her more time to figure that out.

"Deal," she replied. She made a show of cancelling the distress signal before tossing her communication device in a muddy puddle near her. She tried to make it obvious that she had complied with his request. Perhaps if she built up enough trust he would eventually let her walk freely. After doing that, she waited to see what he would say or do next. Her guard was still on high alert. Just in case they decided to attack her again. She was willing to work with him, albeit under some distress, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be paranoid about being attacked.

 

[Tu'teggacha]

Objective III: Seek Artifact, Tame Beasts​

Location: Felucia, Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Kyrel Ren , Khaostra Devoid , Ana Malixar (?)
Foes: Open

He could have betrayed her, then and there. It would have been so easy to simply order his warriors to kill her as soon as she threw down the comm device, then simply return to his task. But Tu'teggacha didn't do that... at least, not yet. He waved his men off, and they stepped back, lowering their weapons. "A wise decision," the Ebruchi said, nodding his bulbous head. "We shall be of some use to each other, you and I." Tugging on his Gore Wasp's reins, he backed the creature out of the gulley so that it no longer blocked the path. His marauders began scrambling back up the hill of bone they'd slid down to pursue Ana; one hulking, tattooed warrior even offered the young Sith a hand, ready to pull her up the steep, unstable pile if she needed it.

If the fierce barbarians held a grudge against her for killing two of them, they didn't show it.

Perhaps it was arrogance, but Tu'teggacha believed he had Ana under control. He had been able to corner her with six warriors, albeit with losses, and he had enough marauders to do it again if he had to... so he wasn't too worried about her escaping or somehow overpowering his little expedition. At the same time, she genuinely could be useful to him alive for one simple reason: when they found the Mad Shaman, the crazed Felucian was certain to be strong in the Force, and that was a power that his marauders were ill-equipped to counter - a fact that Ana had been able to demonstrate when she'd tossed them around like rag dolls. Having another Force-wielder to help fight the shaman would be valuable, for it was impossible to know what the madman would unleash.

Tu'teggacha could always betray Ana afterward, once they had the artifact in hand.

Back in the main valley of the graveyard, the small group - down a few warriors, but with a bonus Sithling - met back up with the rest of the Taskmaster's forces: his beastmasters and their small marauder escort. The former were setting up traps and sensors as they went, hoping to catch something truly impressive in the ancient depths of this shadowed place. The Ebruchi himself took to the skies once more, soaring near the top of the charnel canyon, his glassy black eyes peeled for any sign that might point to what he sought. He spotted several gelagrubs crawling along the rocky walls, munching down on the mushrooms and lichen that grew in the fertile carrion soil... but of the Shaman, there was not yet any sign. This was taking too long. He landed in a huff.

Just as he did, however, a beeping filled the canyon, the sound echoing loudly off of its tall sides; one of the proximity sensors was going off, and clearly picking up something big. The beastmasters whirled around, readying their whips... just as a towering Jungle Rancor, an ancient bull covered in thick ropes of scar tissue, rounded the corner at terrifying speed. Before anyone could react, it had already snatched up a marauder in one massive, clawed hand. Rearing back, it roared in his face... and then bit him in half in a single chomp. The creature had come straight for them, without fear or hesitation despite their numbers. Was it merely defending its home, Tu'teggacha wondered, or did this mean that the Mad Shaman had pointed it at them, influencing its behavior?

There was no way to know yet, and they would have to survive this encounter to find out. "Nets!" the Taskmaster shouted, and a half-dozen electro-nets flew at the towering beast, shrouding its chest and upper arms in shocking ropes... which only seemed to make it angrier. Bellowing with rage, it slammed down a fist, squashing another marauder flat. Tu'teggacha glanced sideways at his... prisoner? Ally? He wasn't sure what to call her, exactly, but at the moment they faced the same threat. "We must bring it down," the Ebruchi told Ana, "before it tears us all apart." Of course, the sudden rancor ambush might provide the young Sith with an opportunity to slip away instead...

 

[Tegan Starfall]

Post: 2
Objective: Lies of Mercy
Equipment: Mind Crown | Black MidNight Duster with Hood | Echani shield suit | Grav Boots | Eltro Life Gloves | x4 red lightsabers | Defender | Forearm Lanvorak | Wrist Laser | x2 FWG-5 Flechette Smart Pistol | Boomer | X4 Daggers | Pack of Death sticks | Various Explosives on person and in backpack | Holopad
Allies: The Mongrel | Desmundor Alcademon
Enemies: Sith of the Eternal Variety
Special Tags: Dis

---

Tegan looked over the battlefield that was the farmsteads and fields. She watched the Marauders gather up all the civilians, take out the droids, and take out the various guards. She looked about for routes of possible escape, she kicked her heals into the rancor and clicked her tongue to get it to move closer to the battle and skirmishes at hand. She looked about as the Rancor’s footsteps thundered ever closer towards the area where the civilians where being gathered about. As the towering menace of the rancor came closer the civilians became petrified in fear. Tegan pulled her Boomer from it holster and then reached into on of the packs on strapped to the Rancors back.


She pulled canister of Electromagnetic pulse grenades from the pack and placed them in the Boomer. She set the grenades to go off on a timer after fired instead of on impact. She lifted her small right arm up in the air and was prepared to fire the gun. Tegan was diminutive compared to the monster she was riding and the civilians on the ground looking up couldn’t even see was she was doing all they saw was the horrifying rancor’s teeth and gapping mouth as it drooled on them.



Then a voice came to Tegan’s head and not one the usual ones that lived there. Tegan did not like things in her head that did not belong or have permission, especially when she did not know where they came from. She immediately lowered her weapon, which she was going to fire to ensure any electronics in the area were shut down. Instead, she found herself scan the battlefeid as small children clutched to their mothers and fathers in fear of the tyrant Rancor.



The voices had pleaded for these being lives, for what purpose though? Tegan’s left hand moved at a rapid rate gesturing several magical symbols. As she cast Spell of Discovery along with a Spell of Power to amplify its range so she could detect all sentient beings in the area even those that were invisible. As the spells were cast a visible purple aura of the Dathomiri Magick swirled around Tegan’s hand. Her orange eyes to turned purple as she looked straight at the being that had dared to invade her mind.


As purple hue beamed forth from Tegan’s eyes, she spoke out to the being not through telepathy but via tongue, so they were clearly aware she knew where they were. “You ask for mercy but death is a mercy. I mean I could always bind their essences to this realm but shed them of their flesh so the neither may never claim them? If you want mercy for how they are now you best offer the Maw tribute.” Tegan's tone was soft and calm much like her size her voice didn't sound intimidating but there was a just the slightest indication of madness in it's tone.


Tegan looked upon these nether beings unafraid, Tegan had walked the nether long ago. She had challenged some of the carnal gods that lived there and earned her way free from it grasp. Tegan’s darkness and madness ran deeper then the endless nether it had no hold over her. As she spoke to them she sent a mental message to The Mongrel . “Hold off killing the civilians as much as possible. Only kill those that attack or run. We have some interesting guests perhaps they will make a trade.”

 

[The Mongrel]

Objective II - Steal Nysillin, Burn Farms​

Location: Felucia, Nysillin Plantation
Allies: Tegan Starfall | Desmundor Alcademon
Foes: Dis

The plantation guards were steadily losing ground. With the Legion of the Leech pressing through their center and the Rough Riders harrying their flanks, even these highly-disciplined troops could only last so long. Soon the last of them would break, and the plantation would be open for the taking. Striding steadily forward, The Mongrel put another blaster volley through the face of one of his doomed foes, dropping him soundlessly to the ground. So far, so good; as far as he could detect, no one had managed to raise the alarm yet. More rough riders were closing in around the far side of the plantation, to cut off any escape.

He was eager to burn the fields, to smell the produce that fed the feudal domains of the Sith Eternal charring to ash... but he shoved down his lust for destruction in favor of greed. If the fires burned out of control, and they likely would when they hit the highly-flammable fertilizers and pesticides that had been sprayed onto the crops, they could easily damage the nysillin barns the Brotherhood had come here to plunder. No, wreaking ruin on this place would have to wait until the loot had been gathered into the shuttles. They would take as much of the healing herb as they could carry, and if they still had space, perhaps some food as well.

A feast of blood-earned plunder was the best kind.

With resistance crumbling before the Maw's surprise attack, The Mongrel felt confident enough to transmit the ready signal to the dropships. They would arrive within a few minutes, lifting off from their hidden positions in the jungle and skimming low over the surface to avoid sensor detection. The raid had done well so far, seemingly staying off the Sith Eternal's radar... though The Mongrel knew that could change in an instant if they made a single incautious step. Soon the Rough Riders would press in on the workers' dormitories on the far side of the sprawling plantation, herding the civilians in toward the center... and a quick death.

At that moment, a voice suddenly entered The Mongrel's thoughts. His eyes went wide with surprise; he was no Force-mage, and though he had witnessed - and even fought against - many of them by then, he had little direct experience with such mystical powers. Without telepathy of his own, he had no way to respond to Dis 's plea for mercy... not that he would have granted it in any case. He had killed and enslaved many who had begged him to spare them, and he had never once been swayed by their words. The destruction he unleashed, the slaughter he reveled in, it was all the will of the Three Avatars, and he obeyed them.

Still, the voice was proof that a thus far undetected enemy was present on the plantation... and that meant that the chance of someone contacting Sith Eternal reinforcements had just gone back up. "Fan out!" The Mongrel commanded his Bloodsworn raiders, urging them forward with frantic hand signals. "Search every dormitory, office, and barn. Drag whoever you find outside and bring them to me." He would discover who was behind the voice that had spoken in his head, and he would look them in the eyes as he killed them. Only the servants of the Avatars could be permitted to enter his thoughts.

The warleader was grateful to see Tegan Starfall approaching on her rancor, the huge beast terrifying the surviving civilians. She was a powerful witch, and would surely know how to deal with this situation far better than he. He watched and listened as she made her play: to ransom the surviving civilians to the mysterious voice. Then Tegan's voice was in his head, explaining her plan. The Mongrel nodded; it was not how he would have handled this, but he would obey. "Non-lethal only against the survivors," he commanded, speaking into his comlink. Perhaps these cowardly farmers would have some use.

On the horizon, the veteran marauder could see smoke curling up from the site of another raid. The Athysians had come in force, picking off entire settlements and razing swaths of jungle, the latter seemingly just for the sheer joy of destruction. The Raider Fleets of Athys were often allies of the Brotherhood, but not servants of the Maw; they followed their own dark princes, and struck only when and where they pleased. The Mongrel was glad to see fresh strikes against their enemy, this Sith Eternal that the Heathen Priests had proclaimed a band of heretics, but the smoke worried him. It would soon draw attention.

The need for speed pressed urgently on his mind.

One by one, the surviving farmhands were pulled out of their hiding places and brought to the center of the plantation. The Mongrel would have preferred to simply shoot them and leave their corpses to burn with their crops, but he obeyed Tegan's command without question. Shoved to their knees in a long line, they stared down the barrels of the Bloodsworn's rifles, terror written on their faces. Many wept openly, broken by the shattering of their lives. It did not bother The Mongrel. The galaxy had to burn in order to end this stagnant cycle. When they died, they would be released from the chains of suffering.

But first, they would see if they could make a deal with Dis .

 

[Alars Keto]

Just like old times.

Huffing it with his gear with two magic wielding titans maybe only a click away. The flames engulfed their surroundings like a cancer upon the jungle world, devouring everything in it’s wake. Kryll and his men, ‘Bloodsworn’ under the mighty Zachariel Steelblood , pressed on with masks equipped to filter out the toxic air from the soot and blanket of smoke that filled the area.

“Oy, Kryll. There looks like there’s an set of defenses on that ridge line ahead.”

The marauder lieutenant arched a brow, turning his attention to the raider at his flank as he snatched away the bi-nocs from his grasp. “Lemme see.” His eyes peered into the lens of the device and gazed upon the hollowed ridge just barely visible through the raging inferno.

He was right, no doubt an emplacement set up for the oncoming Graug Horde. If they could take it and use it to dwindled down the monsters at bay they had a real shot at winning this battle before it began. Of course they’d have to immediately destroy the hillside emplacements to prevent enemy reinforcements from taking advantage on MAW forces. The goal was of course to let them kill each other and take them both out in the end, but plans change and one had to always adapt as a situation called for it.

“We take the hill.”

One of his men spat back at him in surprise and anger, “The Graug are heading that way! You ever seen these monsters fight? Like something out of a nightmare.”

Kryll spun around immediately to face the marauder in question, “The Brotherhood can do worse, I can do worse. The next time you question me I’ll have the boys skin you alive. We. Take. The Hill.”

The male immediately backed down, gazing back at the Devil himself masked but stoic and filled with rage. “Yes boss. I’ll send the signal to Lord Steelblood.”

“That’s a good lad.”

 

[Desmundor Alcademon]

"Who shall lead this Raid, Lord Hegemon?" Irratar's words echoed in his mind...

"I will"

Objective II

Barn Razing

Location: Athysian Warcamp

Allies: The Mongrel Tegan Starfall
Enemies: Open
Participants: Dis

Lightning sparks from under the sleeve. Their burning touch charges forth over and within the fabric-wrapped arm, up until it reaches the long crystal claws embedded to the fingertips, as Desmundor Alcademon holds onto the crystal ball. His energy fueling it, as lightning discharges against the nearby room, blazing momentarily its emptiness. The tall crimson figure stood, with the ivory mask depriving any details of his twisted face but the fiery eyes, gazing into the orb from the shadow...

"Can you not see, Eyeless one?" his deep, demonically twisted voice echoes in the narrow chamber. A chorus in the dark, undistinguishable whether it is spat from blood-filled lungs, or sounds as an orchestra in the reality-tearing darkness that surrounds him...

The brown-clothed figure lifts his wrapped, trembling arm as he reaches out with his walking staff, stabbing it against the mud to support his hunched form forth... Below, at the valley, the fires burn wild, as the Hemstagons aggression becomes ever taunting. The smoke columns reach up to the very skies, visible from hundreds of kilometers, as well as their taste in anyone's lungs and eyes... "It is a gift, I am giving them..." the broken voice of the figure is heard, as if he spoke alone, in his madness. The lowered-down face of his would be wrapped with the dirty, bloody fabric, covering skin and eyes alike. "Great monsters shall clash. Titans with skin of Durasteel and flesh of darkness... Any living shall suffer. Any innocent shall turn martyr... The dead know no pain, Eyeless one... Without the gift of Empor's touch, what follows shall scar lineages with horrific memories..."

The blind-like figure of the hunched man continues his rather disordered pacing up the cliffside. Every step felt as if the tiniest of stone could cripple the rather fragile figure...

"Come and see... Come and feel... It has already started."

 

[Ana Malixar]

Location: Rancor Graveyard
Allies: Tu'teggacha (?)
Enemies: Kyrel Ren | Khaostra Devoid

Part of Ana was surprised when the soldiers didn't immediately turn on her after she threw the communication device away. Perhaps this rider was more trustworthy than she gave him credit for. She nodded in acknowledgement at the man's comment before making her way out of the gorge. She accepted the soldier's hand as she climbed up. Under different circumstances she might've refused, but she still felt rough after the fight and wanted to show comradery in any way she could.

Once they climbed out, Ana was introduced to the rest of the man's force. There were quite a few individuals and it made her grateful that she took the offer. Killing four would've been difficult, this many felt impossible. It also made her attempt at escaping more complicated. Getting away from this many warriors was going to be difficult. She walked along at the back of the group, watching as they set numerous traps and devices. Seeing them do this made her start to think her initial guess was wrong. Maybe they weren't after the same thing after all. That gave her hope. If they were searching for different things, she might be able to reach a compromise with them or find it after they leave. That would be the ideal circumstances for her mission.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a monstrous jungle rancor came barging at the group. She had heard about how intimidating they were, but seeing one in person made her truly appreciate the monstrosity. It instantly bit off the head of one soldier before crushing another with pure force. The creature was not playing around and the attempt to constrain it only fueled its aggravation. Ana was at the back of the pack and not in immediate danger of death, unless the creature decided to lunge at her. The ambush offered her a chance to escape, but she elected not to take it...at least not yet. She would wait and see. The fact that the creature was decimating his forces wasn't exactly a bad thing for her.

"How?" She asked back. She threw a couple moderately sized rocks against the monster with the Force, but they did little and only upset it more. Then she pulled one of the fallen soldier's force pike's to her. She wasn't particularly comfortable with the weapon, but it might be helpful. Plus this altercation provided a good excuse to arm herself in preparation for the future.

 

[Andromach Hemstagon]

Objective II

Barn Razing

Just Good Business

Location: Athysian Warcamp
Allies: The Mongrel Tegan Starfall
Enemies: Open




"Call the polemarch" Andromach Hemstagon says, as she walks with rather quick pace across the warcamp. All around her, the powerarmor-clad troops of the Vrea Edikar arm themselves, quickly performing checks on their equipment, under the shadows of the massive walker vehicles. "Beacon is set, lady" the scale-armored officer of the platoon spoke, nodding his head to her. His one eye was replaced with a cybernetic, while his head was deeply scarred by battle wounds. His armor carrying the unmistakable symbols of the Hemstagon Hegenika, as did her's. "Good. As soon as the freighter flies off, we move."

She shall walk further across the warcamp, escorted by her Edikar personal guard, as she inspects the progress of the plunder. Several more crates are being carried, loaded onboard the shuttles and then brought onboard the freighter ship that levitated in between the two gunships. Her eyes observed for several moments the underkeel cannon barrels of the gunships, already calibrated to aim at the secured perimeter limits.