Crisis on Dathomir: Creeping Song

[Eldaah Aderyn]

Three Weeks Ago…

[SIZE=11pt]“Remember, no lightsabers,” she said, stepping down from the small stealth ship provided by the Lady of Secrets for the mission. With her, three Adepts carried containers of an extremely precious cargo. The meeting place was a small clearing in the wilds of Dathomir, but it would suffice.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]And they did not need to wait long. Green mist filled the clearing and several Nightsisters materialized. Eldaah bowed as the leader of the Nightsisters approached, the three Adepts with her also bowing as best they could with the containers in hand.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“We were expecting another,” the Nightsister Mother whispered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Eldaah straightened up, her eyes glowing red as her Master spoke through her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“My apologies, Night Mother, but other business prevents my physical attendance. Do you have what we agreed upon?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The Night Mother gestured and several of her witches brought forth the tomes, exchanging them for the containers of the three Adepts. On Bastion, and on the face of Eldaah, a smile would appear. She had long desired the secrets of Dathomiri Magics, and now she would be able to study the tomes in detail.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Will these truly grant us the power to rid us of the occupiers?” the Night Mother asked.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“And more,” Eldaah’s Master said through her. “It takes but a single grain to start the process, but once begun… you will be more powerful than anything the Mandalorians have encountered before. They will be powerless to stop you. My… apprentice will see to it they are distracted until it is too late.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“My thanks,” the Night Mother said. The green mist retreated and she, along with the other witches, vanished as suddenly as they arrived, the containers gone with them. Silence dominated the clearing as Eldaah received her instructions from her Master.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“What does the Lady of Secrets command?” one of the Adepts asked. He and another were dressed as merchants for, after all, the containers given to the witches were not the only ones brought.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Infect the base, gather intelligence and then travel through the Warlock Gate,” Eldaah commanded. “The gateway on Thule is finished. Our Master will await you there, along with the Emperor.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“As commanded.”[/SIZE]

Present Day…

[SIZE=11pt]A transmission would be picked up on emergency Mandalorian frequencies, repeating a message from TMDK Tower.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Quarantine in effect, base compromised. Requesting rescue… or reinforcements. Time is short… They are coming… Do you hear the song?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Something terrible had befallen the foothold the Mandalorian Empire maintained on Dathomir to guard the Warlock’s Gate. Something was not right on the fringes of the territory, something was not right on the world of the witches.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Quarantine in effect, base compromised. Requesting rescue… or reinforcements. Time is short… They are coming… Do you hear the song?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Silence would meet any hails or requests to dock, but there would be no signs of external attack. None of the base's droids or defenses had been activated. The fighter hangars were still closed, one of the larger cargo hangars was open, however. A merchant's vessel was inside, Corellian made but the navicomputer was locked so its origins was still unknown. But otherwise, it would be silent.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Quarantine in effect, base compromised. Requesting rescue… or reinforcements. Time is short… They are coming… Do you hear the song?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]OOC:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Welcome to Crisis on Dathomir, the first of likely two mini event threads for the ME in the spirit of board co-operation. This one, in particular, will be about exploring the seemingly abandoned base of TMDK Tower and finding out what caused the quarantine in the first place.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Once everyone has arrived, the enemies will start spawning and you will be encouraged to explore in what will be more of a sandbox style thread. Find clues about what happened to the base personnel and what other sinister plots might be unfolding on the world of witches. I will occasionally be posting in where an interesting thing might be, but I will not be controlling the enemies like a DM. I hope you all enjoy![/SIZE]

 

[Deius Koman'na]

Deius Koman'na
Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower Hanger
Objective: Search Hanger, patrol area

Quiet, all things still and Deius remained just as so in his sitting position, there wasn't really anything that he needed to do at the moment. His eyes tracked the empty area, he followed one of the pathways into the nearest building and glanced back to his own area. He choked down a yawn and maintained his stare, the Tower itself appeared virtually untouched and practically normal, Well, normal if we discount the entire missing crew and garrisoned forces.

Deius often wondered if he should have just stuck with his last career choice, Maybe, just maybe. The young Mandalorian shifted upwards from his sitting position and ventured forward. His helmet hanged by his waist, but even so he wore a re-breather as he walked into the only opened hanger. The quarantine warning gave him slight pause at first, but even so he wondered if he should have simply brought a full sealed chem suit instead. There were no warnings of poisons and my scanners showed no signs of harmful chemicals in the air.

The eerie silence continued, only broken by Deius's footsteps and even with graceful steps the fact he was the only one currently creating noise continued to unnerve the young Mandalorian. Strange even as none of the defenses were active the warnings of a quarantine continued and worse yet the message asked for rescue and reinforcements. Did someone hack the defenses and combat droids? Deius raised an eyebrow as he shifted himself closer behind the lone trader ship for some cover. He did not want to be cut down by defensive turrets or by their own droids.

"Maybe it's not too late," Deius told himself. Maybe it's not after all. One thing he knew for sure, he did not bring enough medical supplies for this job.

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower
Objective: Don’t listen to the Warlock Gate, it always tells the truth
Allies: ME @Deius Koman’na [member="Ambrose Cadera"]
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

Ambrose begged her to stay on the Never Again, safe to watch the quarantine check from Dathomir’s orbit. The eery silence was warning enough. The TMDK Tower, usually a hive of Mandalorian function, laid dormant as the stone circle it guarded.

The Warlock Gate.

It called to those with guilt and grief, and the Infernal was resplendent with both in oceanic tidal waves. Sonic memories of her battles, and the dominion of Dathomir thundered into her head.

The animalistic scream of her birth father, the day he shattered beyond repair… all for her. Crashing and gnashing his teeth to get to his daughter before she touched that cold stone.

The same cold stone Yasha approached in heavy footfalls in the loam.

“Mand’alor!” Ambrose trotted to keep up with the taller woman, catching her shoulder in his hand. He wore the skin and armour of a Mandalorian man today, instead of the true gurlanin form. Matte black beskar’kandar for the Death Watch Alor.

“Turn around, Yasha.” Ambrose whispered, with as much compassion as the killer carried. “Ignore it. It’s nothing but misery.”

Yasha’s wolf-helm stuttered in its turn, as if the woman inside the armour was blinking awake after a night terror. “I never wanted to see this Gate again.”

A lasting inhale. A deep exhale. Yasha put her hand on her flat belly, rubbing her stomach. There were more pressing matters than her childhood education. She flicked her comms to ‘globals’, on the frequency of all her Mando’ade on-planet or en route down.

“Everyone full environ-seal. We don’t know what we’re handling. Weapons drawn.” Mand’alor the Infernal strode into the Tower, the silence throbbing in her ears like a cancerous tumour pressing against a person’s throat. “Where is everyone? How did this happen so quickly?”

Surrounded by her Guards and the Yalilyr, Yasha walked toward the Hangar Bay, which scanned a single soul.

“Koman’na! Gear up, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” The Infernal said, to the youth. “We should have seen bodies by now.”

 

[Skorvek]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts3YlnzXAr4


Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower
Objective: Investigate and avoid the Warlock gate and keep the Infernal safe.
Allies: ME @Deius Koman’na @Ambrose Cadera [member="Yasha Cadera"]
Enemies: @Eldaah Aderyn

He hasn't been on Dathomir in a long time but there was some places even he didn't wish to go to and the Warlock gate was one of those places but the tower in which was designed to defend it had gone dark and that was the utmost priority to investigate what had happened and to restore the tower before something happens to awaken the Gate, There are things beyond that Gate that are worse then even the darkest places and he for sure wanted to see that they do not emerge. He kept close to the Infernal as he held his hand to his head as visions from the gate surged for a moment of his time on Ankypht performing rituals and sacrifices and rallying warriors for his attempt at the throne, An attempt that utterly failed and resulted in all those years walking the deserts of the Netherworld before he was allowed freedom again.

He looked to the gate for a moment and saw Ambrose speaking to Yasha the gate had more of a impact on her then him and it still lingered, He environ-sealed his makeshift armor and followed Yasha into the tower and kept his senses alert and there was no bodies as the infernal pointed out and spoke in his deep tone that resonated with the empty quiet halls.

What ever emptied this tower made sure no trace of it was left, We must find the cause and the solution quickly, This tower must be active once again being so close to the gate.

For the first time in the time shes known him she could tell a small hint of concern and worry was in his voice when he said this, It was as if that gate was one of the few things that actually scared him that or what lived in the world beyond it.

 

[Aedan Miles]

Location: Dathomir TDMK tower
Objective: Wonder about things.
Allies ME: [member="Yasha Cadera"] @Skorvek
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

Aedan Miles strode forward calmly his cape swirling around him as he looked around stopping to stare at the Warlock's Gate before shrugging and turning his back on the artifact to survey the immediate area around him. Aedan spared a glance at Yasha as she stepped closer to the gate before slowly turning to watch her carefully for a moment before speaking up calmly. His voice carrying as he spoke to seemingly no one yet everyone around at the same time. "One would wonder about something like this a great artifact that seemingly feeds off of some of the most negative emotions I know of. Even ones more negative than Rage and Anger those you can control and harness but this.. This Guilt and Grief they aren't something one can control but something that controls one. The easiest way to beat this is to get to the core of why you feel it and realize the feelings are disrupting you. In my case I feel these because of the people I have let down and who have died at my orders. But when I really think about it they would be disgusted with me if I let it control me. Instead I honor their sacrifice by purging myself of guilt and grief and in their place I foster anger at the ones who took them from this life. I harbor rage against those who have taken my people from me. Like I said you can harness these two without losing yourself to them." With that the Pirate King shrugged and turned his gaze away from the gate and towards the tower his brow furrowing as his eyes narrow calmly tilting his head as he speaks more quietly now. "This song though. I am curious about it keep your wits about you and an eye on those around you lest they fall prey to whatever it is." With that said the Pirate King and Warden gestured towards his men dismissing them back to the shuttle which would be locked down for their protection. As they followed his orders he moved forward towards the tower his footsteps leading him past Yasha as he glanced at her nodding once hopping she would understand the meaning behind his first statement.

 

[Deius Koman'na]

Deius Koman'na
Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower Hanger
Objective: Search Hanger, patrol area
Action: Explain his Opinion

He fidgeted slightly with his body as he moved closer to the sole ship in the hanger, the sudden sound of others crossed him with some concern for a mere moment. Deius relaxed slightly, his earpiece reported in the rest of the search party had started to approach the Tower and specifically towards the hanger where Deius was located. Focused returned to the ship and noted no force entry or forced exit, and almost irritably so it just appeared like any normal ship in a normal hanger that just normally landed.

Which is not normal. Deius mussed bitterly to himself, the whole place reeked with mystery and riffed with foreboding of danger. Footsteps grew closer and the young Mandalorian turned his attention to the entrance and watched as the others entered the hanger. His brethren appeared different and the one they flanked gave Deius great pause.

The order from The Infernal herself nearly made Deius shrink back, but instead his hands wrapped around his helmet that slung from his waist and with swift movements he secured the helmet and sealed his armor completely. A tad thankful that his eyes were hidden beneath his visor, he offered a single nod to his Mand'alor.

He approached his Mand'alor, careful steps as he acknowledged the guards, "-I agree with the assessment that we must garrison the Tower once more, but I object the reason of the disappearance of the missing." He gestured slightly towards Skorvek, "-It is as you say; bodies must be present to suggest an attack."

Deius raised a hand and pointed towards the defenses still deactivated, "-The garrison stationed here most likely left. I would hazard to the guess "why?", would be related to the Quarantine Warning sent." Deius turned with an inclined head to his Mand'alor once more. "-Someone, or something, either spooked or convinced those guarding the Tower to just leave." Or Forced, like a Sith or Jedi for Galaxy knows why, maybe some blood magic poodoo. Though such claim did not need to be spoken out loud, such conclusions develop naturally and Deius wished he himself was wrong.

[member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Skorvek"] | [member="Aedan Miles"] | [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

 

[Tusk]

The Mandalorian groaned as he stepped off the transport. Tusk had seen many battlefields, crushed dozens of enemies with his own hands and yet something about this place made him incredibly uneasy. He had only seen the Warlock gate in holovids during briefings about Dathomir security. To be so close to it now with the air as thick as it was...It was disturbing.

He hefted his scattergun and waited for the rest of his team and the Mand'alor by the shuttle.

"What, you nervous Tusk?" The Gerosian man grunted. Nervous was an understatement. His scales were shaking for Force sake. Instead of answering Grunt kicked an expended power cell on the ground. Whatever got these Mandos had got them good, clean, and fast.

He just hoped that they'd taken whatever did this with them and they'd be off this jungle rock.

[member="Deius Koman'na"] | [member="Aedan Miles"] | [member="Skorvek"] | [member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

 

[Rhaegar Nemesis Dib]

Location: one of the transport ships disgorging troops
Objective: rejoin the Mando'ade after a lengthy hiatus by joining their mission

The ramp lowered to the ground, the reverberation of the impact echoing along the hull as the soldiers lent their own vibration to the flooring of the ship as they disembarked. Mandalorians in their iron skin and festooned with weaponry flooded from the ship, a sight that melted the marrow within the bones of their enemy and heartened the most stalwart ally. But neither foe nor friend met the mando'ade symphony as the warriors crossed the empty expanse to gather near the foot of the tower.

Though the shadow cast by the tower was no diminutive thing, the Warlock Gate drew one's eye, and possibly their soul, with it's presence that needed no herald to trumpet it's insidious glory. The faint tap of a cane kept time with the broken gait of the man that descended the ramp well after the troop yet adding his own vibration that announced his arrival from the ship and across the gangway that led to the planet of Dathomir. It was not his first time on the surface but it was his first time seeing the Gate and the Tower.

Pausing between the Tower and the gate with the shadow of the Mandalorian Outpost casting half his visage in darkness which left the other half standing in stark contrast, the man known as Rhaegar Nemesis Dib allowed a small smile to twitch upon his lips at the pull he felt within the Force. It's been a long time since I have walked upon this hallowed ground. Many new sights to accent old ones. Interesting developments.

The display of amusement left like a shadow dispelled by the light, a trick of the mind with one's memory searching the truth of such a momentary expression having ever existed in anything other then imagination.

He turned from the Warlock Gate even though his thoughts drifted along the tales of an individual that existed in the other realm, an Ember Rekali, that he sought to have a rendezvous with eventually. But inevitably he was here for the living that moved toward the Tower as he did now. [member="Skorvek"] was a striking figure that was nigh impossible to miss, as was the sight of the Mand'alor [member="Yasha Cadera"] along with her near constant guardian Ambrose the gurlanain. Within the vicinity were many mando'ade including [member="Tusk"], [member="Deius Koman'na"] , and [member="Aedan Miles"] who had arrived on Dathomir.

Moving across the broken terrain with a careful eye for trip hazards he utilized the cane with experience that bespoke of long familiarity with the tool that was seemingly more an extension of his own body. With tedious pace Rhaegar slipped across the path cut by the former ship mates and meandered toward where his old companion, the Anubian, stood. His grey suit appeared to absorb the shadows cloaking what appeared to be a normal gentleman with a limp into a cocoon of malcontent and evasiveness. One not born to a blight of creation but rather a predator that used whatever offered it's meager wares to the hunter.

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Deius Koman'na"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] [member="Tusk"] [member="Aedan Miles"]

Enemy Spawn Post

Within the very top of the tower, a mad cackle was echoing around the chamber. The Mother had sent her to watch their new brethren, to make sure they joined the Song. She seen the ships arrive, knew the distress signal the last few remaining impure ones in the tower had sent out. It did not matter. Soon, all of them would know the call of the Song. Yes, they would feel it's embrace, know the power they provided. Cackling again, the witch made a gesture with her staff, drawing on the power of her magic and the power the Gift provided her.

The quiet tower would start to groan to life as the Witch commanded the newly initiated. They were to force the new arrivals to join the Song, or kill them. It did not matter to the Mother. The glorious power of the Gift would soon spread across the entire planet. The Witch, her name forgotten in the drowning echoes of the Song in her head, was supremely confident those new to the Song could defeat the small force that arrived.

​

They would start to appear now, the first hint was the glowing red eyes. Pale skin, veins red and black on the exposed parts of their body. Armor fused to their bodies, chunks of a red crystal emerging from their skin and armor alike. Many had a blade-like appendage of crystal that had overgrown an arm, sharp enough to cut through durasteel and leave a residue of the crystal within the cuts made. It would swiftly become apparent to the Mand'alor and her company that something terrible had befallen the base's personnel as the first twisted figures, reeking of foul magics and the dark side if one was sensitive to the Force, emerged from seclusion and attacked. They would be incredibly strong, their reflexes inhumanly fast, their tolerance for pain defying belief.

"You shall know the Song!" one, a Mandalorian that had once been a guard commander, screamed.

Several of the twisted figures had broken chunks of the crystal in their free hands, and they charged now, screaming about the Song and how they would all be joined to it.

Elsewhere in the Tower

The screams had awoken the men who were grouped around the distress beacon. From a base of 140,000 beings, only 17 had been able to seal themselves in one of the barracks, waiting for rescue. Supplies were low, and they dare not eat or drink anything that wasn't dry ration bars from survival kits. The banging against their haven had begun again. They needed rescue soon, or those things would break through.

 

[Cynthia Solus]

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] @Tusk @Deius Koman'na [member="Aedan Miles"] @Skorvek @Yasha Cadera

Tap, tap, tap, tap. Every sound echoed in this tower. It was silent other than the sounds the group made. Every hair on her body stood on end and her heart was beating fast at each corner. People disappearing at this quantity was... there was no logical explanation. "Ca, I need you to bring Life forum scanners, echolocation and motion sensors online. Mark everyone who is here as green for me." Cynthia chose to stay close to the front with her shotgun firm in hands. "Yasha. I really don't like this." She said moving to the side of Mand'alor. "I can scout ahead if you request it, but I am not going alone for once. Something is just wrong here." She said with a serious tone. "If, if someone left is here we need to find them sooner rather than later."

"Cynthia, something is moving towards us, and fast." Ca said

"Yasha up a head. Someone is heading towards us."

"Cynthia! It's not mandlaroian, and its not something that is in our memory."

Cynthia's readied her weapon she took on point and in just a single moment the woman saw her first glimpses at this twisted figure, that had remnants of who it was before. "HOSTILES!"

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower
Objective: Don’t listen to the Warlock Gate, it always tells the truth
Allies: [member=“Deius Koman’na”] [member="Ambrose Cadera"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Tusk"] [member="Aedan Miles"] [member="Cynthia Solus"]
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

It was not often that Yasha spoke of her activities as a child to any living being. One of the beings she did speak with, in hushed tones, was Skorvek. He knew. He too lived in the Netherworld, and he too was a kindred spirit.

“Yaaaaaaashaaaaa. Yash, come on now!” Aditya’s voice, the voice of Yasha’s mother poured from the Gate. “Yash! RUN!”

“Skor? It’s calling to me, again. I can feel it tugging, like my kids after candy in my pocket.” So when the Anubian began to exhibit signs of the dreaded ‘heebie-jeebies’, Yasha’s skin began to crawl. Ambrose kept tight to Yasha’s side. Twice now, the young Mand’alor heeded the Warlock Gate’s call.

“I was too small to carry my mother. She was too pregnant to run. I promised I’d never be too small again, but… I still couldn’t save all of my soldiers. I’ll never be able to save all of my vode.” The Mand’alor’s voice grew thick. Her armoured head turning back toward the Gate.

“Yash! Yasha, what’re you standing there for!? Run on home, honey pie. Come on now! We’re waitin’ for ya, and Mama’s gettin’ impatient!”

“One step toward that stone, and I am personally extricating you from this planet, Mand’alor.” Ambrose growled, clicking the safety off on his repeater. Aedan Miles spoke his piece, the Warden a welcome, albeit unfamiliar presence at Yasha’s side.

“Song? What song?” Yasha looked to Aedan, her ribcage heaving in her armour.

Derelict. How could an entire garrison of Mandalorians go missing, in a matter of days? The silence boded as ill as the Gate. The Warlock Gate continued to whisper and call to the Infernal, gripping at her shoulders as if to turn her around. Back to its’ cold stone surface.

“We don’t know what caused the call for quarantine, Koman’na. I want you safe. You've too good a mind to lose.” Yasha nodded to the young man, taking in his query about the lack of bodies. “Nobody could have freely convinced the entire Tower full of soldiers to vacate their position. Kain’ik and I placed firm loyalists in this Tower. All of whom were ready at a moment’s notice to storm the Gate itself, if they had to. I would have heard something… any of us would have heard something before… this.”

Convincing. It settled ill. There Rhaegar Nemesis Dib came, dressed ever in his suit. When was Ginnie going to be finished the man’s ‘gam already?

“I hope you can protect yourself, Dib. If anything happened to you, Ginnie would have all our heads. Mand’alor the ‘Die You Boobs’ would take over in a day.” Yasha tried to keep the moment light, find some comedy to offset the unsettled atmosphere.

“I’m not a fan either, Solus. There were thousands of Mandalorians in this tower. How could they disappear so quickly?” Yasha’s wolf-helm glanced from Cynthia to [member="Skorvek"]. “Ah… don’t say it.”

The Force.

Just then, a cackle broke across Yasha’s sonic-display.

“Weapons up!” The Infernal called her spear to hand, the Longinus buzzed in her gauntlets, vongshaped dovin basal in the reforged spearhead a living organism. Soldiers began to warp round them, red crystals and black skin marring those, who used to be loyal vode.

“HOLD!” Yasha called, stepping out in front. The Commander charged. Yasha thrust her spear out, and triggered the gravitic powers of the unholy spearhead.

The Commander flung back the way he came, thrown violently by the weapon. The attacking ‘mandalorians’ frothed and screamed, still commiserating about a ‘song’. What song? Fearing what the red crystals could do to her gathered vode, Yasha made the call.

“FIRE! Warden! Contain one for inspection!”

 

[Skorvek]

Remind me when we are done here to return to this place I intend to ensure this will never happen again for now ignore its call and as Ambrose said if you move towards it if he doesn't take you off this world I will.

This version of Skorvek was far more different then the normal collected tone his tone was serious almost as a parent would scold there children he was doing his best to maintain some amount of respect towards [member="Yasha Cadera"], But even the strongest leader needs a firm hand to guide them or else they will stray into self destruction. He nodded to [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] before he heard the noises and sounds and looked to see the former Mandalorian's whose bodies have been fused in some form of crystal and there own armor plating what ever created them they where driven mad talking about joining this song of theres, He sent several spears of the midnight black towards it aiming for the limbs to incapacitate one of them for study. These creatures need to be destroyed or contained and the survivors saved in the hopes of solving this issue as quickly as possible.

[member="Aedan Miles"] [member="Cynthia Solus"] [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] @Ambros Cadera

 

[Aedan Miles]

Aedan sighs as he hears his orders returning his lightsaber to his belt he draws on the force before darting forward rapidly his strides more like lunges as he rapidly closes the distance between himself and the outer edge of the group moving towards them his eyes flicking across the beings present before he finally makes a choice and pushes himself off the ground to his right dashing over the ground rapidly as he finally stops his movements coming to a sliding stop off to the side of them. He holds his hands up suddenly and starts to focus his visible eye narrowed dangerously as he starts to use the force to isolate and manipulate the ground finally he lifts his hands from his sides upwards two thick and jagged stone walls rising alongside a small group of them hemming them in on two sides he shifted his stance side on to them as he focused quickly and raised his hands again two more walls rising up to create the beginnings of a box around them. Sweat poured down his face as he focused quickly turning his attention to the ground he stood on he started to slowly raise his hands the ground shaking under his feet as a thick section larger in size than the walls rose up with him standing atop it and started to move his hands shaking with effort as he maintained the shape and structure of the rock as well as moving it over the walls and dropping it down sealing within it a group of at least 10 beings covered in the red crystals. As soon as the top came to rest he dropped to his knees panting a bit as he grumbled to himself about maintaining the movements being more tiring than he remembered.

@Skorvek @Yasha Cadera [member="Cynthia Solus"] [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] @Tusk @Deius Koman'na

 

[Tusk]

He smelled them before he saw them.

Fleshy bags of decay and sickness. Crystals protruded from their bodies. His eyes narrowed behind the T-shaped visor of his bulbous helmet and he squeezed the trigger of his scattergun. A spattering of yellow bolts flew from the scattergun and planted themselves into the chest of the now dead Mandalorian. He recognized some of the markings on the armor. He had been from a small clan that was just outside of Sundari. His family would be saddened that this became of him.

All around him were shouts and cries of panic. Yellow and red bolts of energy flew across the landing pad as the creatures continued to crawl and climb into view.

"Tusk, look out!"

Foolishly Tusk had turned his back on his enemy. The creature he had thought was dead stood back up and with a heavy hand slammed his weight into the large Gerosian. He hit like a wookie on Red Sand and sent the Gerosian to the ground, his scattergun now several feet away. Tusk rolled over onto his back just in time to stop the beast from bearing its red crystaline claws into the gaps in his armor. He grunted, struggling before his companion picked up the blaster and cracked the helmet and the head within with two trigger pull.

The crystaline beast slumped over and Tusk pushed the beastly thing from his body.

"Thanks," Tusk muttered and grabbed his scattergun back.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

TMDK Tower was a choke point on Dathomir. It stood as a first line of defense against the otherworldly threats of the Warlock gate, and as a warning to those Dathomiri who might threaten the Mando'ade. Among the most heavily manned garrisons near the Mandalore Sector, losing it meant losing a critical number of troops and a massive blow to morale. Alkor was neither prepared nor willing to make that sacrifice.

Whether he was prepared for it or not, it seemed to be happening right in front of him. Madness had gripped the witches' planet, and strange powers permeated the monolith that scraped its skies. Though he was unable and uninterested in feeling the unnatural effects, he could see them plain as day when he put boots on the ground. The reception was icier than the surface of Rhen Var.

Crystalline forms that perversely mirrored Mando'ade threw themselves at the Warmaster once he was clear of the gunship. It had not even touched down before having to lift off once more, the hangar too hot for a landing. "You shall know the song!" they groaned, screeched, and slurred. He doubted there was any saving them.

One came down like a headsman's axe on him, only to be repelled by the beskar coating his arm. His HUD was showing readings in line with humanoid vitals. Everything about them said "normal human being," except for the increased heart rates and the obvious changes to their physiology. "You shall know-"

He jabbed the combat-utility knife into the throat of his assailant, flooding its mouth with blood. The words garbled together and died on its lips. Hot viscera splashed Alkor's T-visor.

Alkor shrugged the corpse off of him and thrust out an arm, stalling another one in its approach. He held the beast by its head, squeezing with his crushgaunt until crystal, flesh, and bone all creaked beneath the pressure. He did not need to ask who had done it. He could taste the foulness of the Dark side of the Force, familiar and sour on his tongue.

Dathomir would learn first the fury of the Mandalorians. The rage would not stop there. When the Mythosaur woke, there was no end to its rampage. Now, he was awake.

"This base was fully manned and in perfect working order not three days ago," he spoke cooly and collected across the comms.

He pierced the chest of another beast and drove the weapon deeper with his body weight. It thrashed against him, flailing and bashing against his armor with crystals and fists. The Warmaster ripped violently at the crushed head in his opposite fist and kicked the body, which tore the skull free of the spine with a sickening crackle.

With blood still cascading from the makeshift weapon, Alkor slammed it into the face of its kin and dropped his entire body on the stunned creature. He continued to bring the head down until the enemy went limp beneath him. In all of this, he was calm.

He stood, surrounded by the enraged pack, snarling and staring at him, circling as they formulated a plan of attack.

His armor was painted with gore.

"Yasha," was all he said.

 

[Deius Koman'na]

Deius Koman'na
Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower Hanger
Objective: Search Hanger, patrol area
Action: Get to Cover, provide Fire Support

The tension around him only thickened, Deius slowly placed more weight on his heels as he took a single step back. His hands tugged his rifle's strap and slung the weapon in a more ready position and nodded in understanding of the orders given to him. The thought that perhaps something very powerful simply forced the disappearance of so many of his kinsmen, well Deius silently thanked once more for his helmet that covered the concern and worry in his eyes. "As you command my Infernal,"

Quite suddenly the tension left the room, and in its place now turned into a battle, Deius ducked behind one of the crates near him and watched carefully with his rifle raised. Careful aim, he fired single shots with precision that made Deius proud of himself. His attempts to calm his nerves as he tried to ignore the fact the hostiles in front of him were once his brethren. Breathe in, breathe out.

Deius's mouth turned into a grim thin line as he fired shot after shot, square on each limb before finishing these red crystal enemies with a laser bolt to the head. The young Mandalorian raised the power of each shot more and more, the armor that had grew on it's skin seemed very resilient and Deius could not worry about conserving ammunition. After all, I need to live long enough to worry about my ammo.

Of course the one thing Deius realized he wasn't short of, were the enemies in front of him. His Infernal Mand'alor advanced forward and the rest threw in their support with bravery and courage only found within Mandalore's children. His focus returned back to his firing and Deius continued fire away with his battle rifle. I'll use my blade last. Swords never ran out of ammunition after all.

[member="Yasha Cadera"] | [member="Skorvek"] | [member="Aedan Miles"] | [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Tusk"] | [member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

[member="Yasha Cadera"] [member="Deius Koman'na"] [member="Alkor Centaris"] [member="Tusk"] [member="Aedan Miles"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Cynthia Solus"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"]

OOC: Did a few rolls to determine the outcome of larger actions and for whether the survivors continuing surviving or not

It was an impressive display of power from the Pirate King, creating an earthen cage for several of the crystal infested Mandalorians. Unfortunately for the Pirate King, the crystals had not just warped the minds and bodies of the garrison, but it gifted them with extraordinary strength, three times that of a Wookiee. There would be no sound from within the rocky walls for a moment, and then crystal covered fists started to punch through the rock. It would not hold them very long at all, and their glowing red eyes promised horrors for the Pirate King from the holes they had already formed.

As for the survivors, they watched as their sanctuary's door continued to tremble under the barrage of blows from their former comrades on the other side. They needed rescue fast, as they doubted the door would hold much longer. They would rather fight and die against the enemy before they were infested with... whatever had taken hold of their former allies. That witch in the tower...

At the top of the tower, the witch was chanting, preparing a spell of utmost power. She was drawing on the song, drawing on the energy contained within the crystals slowly growing out of her back. Her spell would enhance the abilities of her fellow Gifted, but it would take some time to finish.

 

[Avin Starfire]

Dathomir​

Exiting from hyperspace​

​

The swirling blue-white of hyperspace evaporated around them to reveal the haunting red glow of the Dathomiri homeworld. The blacks of cloud forms seemed to cling to the planet like smoke in a burning room. Even the vast spanning oceans held the crimson resemblence of a running red wine. The appearence was enough to disturb most men and women let alone the eery feeling that would send hairs to their ends and shivers down spines. As for those with a connection to the force then it came as no surprise when the natural pull was to that of the darkside, the planet's history of death and foul magics had made sure of that. Nevertheless it was here that help was required. It was to here that the Legion would show themselves for the first time.

"Estimate on touchdown to the source of mandolorian vessels is approximately three minutes sir." Announced the middle-aged man sat in the pilot seat of the republic vessel.

"Thank you captain, take us down."

Avin stood staring out of the viewpoint on [member="Alexandra Feanor"]'s vessel. The ship as far as he could tell was not standard of most republic vessels and neither was its cargo. Within the rear bays of the ever descending ship a group of figures, both robed and armoured stood in the gloomy darkness. Avin Starfire was one of them, he was a Jedi Knight and guardian of the republic. He had been for more years than he could now remember, whether this republic or those that had crumbled before it. Alas he was still alive and fighting. That was what he did best whether he admitted it or not.

"Master Feanor, we will be touching down momentarliy. I thank you again for accompianing us on this mission. I hope we are not already too late to help our Allies, the signal we recieved seemed urgent yet I sense there is a dark presence on this planet and yet I sense a connection of lines, pathways almost that lead across our path here..."

Avin leant forward into the viewpoint and pressed his hand open against the duraplast and allowing his eyes to shut. His mind to focus. To trail along those pathways, along the lines. It was as if he was walking along a thin patch of ice. Each step held a different amount of his weight and yet as he continued to walk out into the lake of ice he could sense a point within which it would all shatter though where and when was clouded to him.

"Sorry, I did not mean to stop. What I had meant to say is that we must be ready for I know no more than you of what lies ahead of us."

Avin glanced back to the two Masters of Feanor and [member="Coren Starchaser"] before shifting his attention to the various other guardians on board. The new legion of lightside warriors, sworn to protect freedom and democracy across the stars and banish the sith and their corrupting presence from the people of the galaxy. Avin had seen the fall of one Republic for a lack of strength in the light. He just hoped that it would never happen again. The Jedi Knight pushed away from the window and walked back into the room before pulling his lightsaber from its place along his belt.

 

[Tusk]

Location: TMDK Skybase
Enemies: Sith Spawn of [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

"What are these things?"

Tusk growled and pushed one of the foul beasts up against the wall with his beskad until it pierced the flailing beast's crystal chest and through the durasteel plates beneath.

"Bad meat that needs to be thrown out." He and the other survivor had been pushed into the Tower from the hangars. Tusk gave the beskad a quick tug but the blade didn't budge. It had lodged itself into the durasteel behind the beast, impaling it on the wall. With a sniff and shrug Tusk rolled his shoulders and nodded towards the stairs.

"Lift's probably broken," he muttered. "We should try to move up and meet the others. Find the distress beacon." He discharged the empty gas canister on his scattergun.

"Close quarters going up the stairs. Be careful, and try not to shoot me."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Location: Dathomir, TMDK Tower
Objective: Don’t listen to the Warlock Gate, it always tells the truth
Allies: [member=“Deius Koman’na”] [member="Ambrose Cadera"] [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"] [member="Skorvek"] [member="Tusk"] [member="Aedan Miles"] [member="Cynthia Solus"]
Enemies: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"]

“Noted, Skor. I’ll remind you, just don’t let my daughter play hide and seek around the gate.” Yasha quirked her helmeted head to the side, watching as her Mandalorians rose to the fight around them.

Mandalorians rocketed into battle with their contorted fellows, damaged by the red crystal protrusions. But what was this ‘song’ they spoke of? What was creating this terrifying situation? How had the entire Tower degraded from its’ militant virility to a choking tomb?

“The song! You will know the song!” What song? Yasha sliced diagonally from shoulder to opposite hip, blasting the former soldier with the gravitic ballast of her spear.

“Skor, Rhaegar, Aedan. What do you feel?” Yasha moved forward, keeping the creatures at bay by triggering a burst of gravity on the tip of the spearhead to force them crashing into the sides of corridors.

“The Quarantine message did not begin until yesterday.” Yasha answered [member="Alkor Centaris"], gritting her teeth under her helmet. The earthen cage shook and was penetrated by crimson fists. “We need one of them to study. Destroy the rest.”

“Yasha”

Alkor. Yasha’s HUD pinged his location, not far off and closer to the distress signal. Infrared scanning showed a conglomerate of beings around the Warmaster. Rushing to his position, Yasha saw a man covered in gore, surrounded. The Infernal growled and thrust her spear’s pommel to the ground, spearhead tilted toward the pack of crystalline beasts. The gravity holding them to the planet reversed, their bodies flung into the air.

“Alkor! Move, now!” She reached one of her crushgaunts for him, flinging the creatures away from them both. Tuulu rushed beside Yasha, firing his ripper at the crystalline menace.

“We have to make our way up. You can lecture me about fighting later, our Vode need us. Koman’na, keep up that cover fire, you’re doing fantastic. You’ve got this.”

Something foul touched the air. There was a buzz to it, a viciousness devoid of the pure grief of the Gate.

"Move up. We have to reach the distress signal."