Down But Never Out

[Vaas]

Saberene a world now ravaged by the republic war machine, and on this planet lay a race of people stuck there from the conflict. Coming into the fold out of hyper space were two ships, wanga class cruisers that were top of the line when it came to what was on the market. On board an envoy from the horde bearing gifts to a race and faction that had its teeth kicked in by a common enemy. Vaas stood on the command bridge sent from the overlord himself to conduct business on behalf of himself. He was busy securing the capital and making everything in horde space organized for the future. "Planetary defense, ships damnation and death's breath coming down to aid and assist. Do not engage." Vaas said to the planets defense network or at least what remained of it. The mission was simple, show to the dark emperor that the horde was on their side and if they needed them they would be there for them. They had the same ideals and would soon see to it that they would act together. In the cargo bay of one of the ships it carried weapons and munitions for the forces of the planet.

As the ships touched down on the surface Vaas waited for anyone to come to them while he walked out onto the ground. He would not go to them, they would come to him if they wanted his assistance. Besides he wouldn't know where to look if he tried. This was the best option so he waited patiently for the arrival of the people of this planet. Around him other Yuuzhan Vong warriors and priest stood ready to greet their new brothers in arms.

@[member="Darth Vulcanus"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

@[member="Vaas"]

Off-worlders, Vulcanus had grown weary of them and it seemed as if more and more were plaguing his presence of late. Sabarene didn't have much of a defense network even before the Republic invasion, most of what they had was fit for ground based warfare and no planetary cannons to speak of. Even so, it was better that the Vong decided to voice themselves now then touch down and be swarmed by the Graug Hordes. As of the current time, the Dark Empire was not nearly close to fruition and Vulcanus was still little more than a dethroned Emperor and Warlord to the Graug people. As the ships came down and touched to the surface, no Graug emerged from their network of tunnels that lay beneath the hot desert sand. The Vong wouldn't see them, but warriors more numerous than the stars above the planet knew exactly where they were and were already prepared to cave in the ground around their feet at the first sign of an offensive.

As the heated sand blew across the cracked earth, Vulcanus slowly emerged from a cave entrance not far from the Vong ships. Beside him on each side were a total of twelve Horde Guard soldiers, their armor painted a brilliant gold in recognition of their leaders newly found power as the Warlord of the Imperial Graug Clan. The former Dark Lord eyed the Vong for a few moments through the swirling sands and blistering heat, his single sulfuric eye studying them as a predator studies his prey. There was no interest in his gaze that would suggest friendship, only the cold stare of a beast who was looking for the right place to dig in his fangs. They were like no creature Krag had ever seen before, but he could sense their ignorance. One didn't really need the force to see that they were pompous anyway, even the way that the leader stood gave Krag a itching thirst to end his life.

Without taking a single step further towards the Vong, Vulcanus amplified his voice to be heard over the howling winds "Speak quickly lesser, the Graug do not welcome off worlders not bearing the flag of Sith!"

@[member="Vaas"]

 

[Vaas]

Well that wasn't very nice for the people who came here to help, whistling Vaas looked over to his men and gave them the a go ahead to commence their plan. "Hey, Hermano. You take a look around lately? You aren't really in the position to act tough. Does my form displease you?" He asked the man in a thick Spanish accent before morphing his body to look more like one of his fellow graug kin. "Is this better chico? Better yet how about this one?" Switching it up he morphed himself to look like Darth Vornskr and smiled. "We are here to help you, not fight. The Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong Dredge sees your struggle. He knows your pain so we come to bring you gifts." As the ramp opened up of one of the ships nine cases of black crates exited down and touched the surface from the cargo bay.

Morphing back to his original self Vaas smiled and spoke "You see here we have a few gifts for your people." Walking over to the second ship Vaas made his way to the crates to crack one open revealing the weapons inside the lancers that were designed to kill his people. "Hermano, we are your friends not your enemy. Our lord wishes to give you this ship. And all ninty of these lancers with ammo to spare. No cost or catch, he sees you down and in the dirt. He wishes to elevate you back up to where you belong. The ship and guns are yours." Stepping back over to his own ship he smiled and looked at the man before him hoping he would be a bit happier to see the gifts his master had brought @[member="Darth Vulcanus"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

@[member="Vaas"]

As the Vong carried about his shape shifting, Vulcanus's Horde Guard followers hissed at him like snakes who had just been startled (in Graug tongue) "demon!" was the only word the Graug warriors spat as they made their throaty hisses. The Graug had no shape shifting species on their planet and being such an isolated people, the average Graug warrior never saw anything that could change its form at whim. One of the guards raised his Hunter's Bow to the Vong, but he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as Vulcanus's lazy hand came up into the air with a halt sign formed by his fist. The Graug warlord was quite amused with the little display of shifting, even more so when the Vong decided to take the form of Vornskr. The only thing that truly urked him was the fact that he had decided to take the form of a Graug, to the Dark Lord it implied that this Vong saw themselves as equals with his people and that was something no other species had earned the right to do...not yet.

For now, Vulcanus ignored his anger and watched the Vong proudly display the gifts of weapons from within the cargo bays of the ships. Guns, that was the quickest way to a Graug's heart aside from severed Jedi heads or a nuclear warhead. A slight grin cracked the Dark Lord's lips, yes this gift would please him greatly and the promise of a new ship was even more pleasing now that his navy was gone. Walking towards the Vong, Vulcanus began to let out a deep and thunderous laugh that could shake the yellow from the sand. His monstrous footsteps would have trembled the ground were it not for the sand that sank his massive metal boots. "Yes, lesser, this pleases me." Vulcanus boomed as he put a clawed hand down onto the lancers and stroked the tips of the razors across the metal, these weapons were of Republic make and were like no other blasters he had seen before. The chainsaws on the front could be fitted with vibroblade teeth and their inner workings stripped down by the Graug Forgers so that they could reproduce the weapons themselves. Whoever these creatures were, they may come in handy in the future.

"Your lord doesn't meet me in person and now he begs me to take his weapons away, is he that cowardly, Demon?" Vulcanus didn't know what else to call the thing and he didn't much care. As far as he was concerned, his Horde Guard's chosen word was enough to describe this whole race. Vaas might not take it as such, but Krag's question had been genuine in every sense of the word. It was not common in Graug culture for one to simply give gifts like this to another leader unless it was a sign of surrender or subservience.

 

[Vaas]

Taking the form of Vornskr once more he looked up at the dark lord and spoke. "Because he's talking to me right now. He didn't have time to waste on the fall guy. Does that hurt? You were nothing but the fall guy Krag." Using his real name Vaas smiled as Vornskr and tilted his head. "Look around Krag! Look what I have left you with!! Nothing!! You are no one, I used you and abandoned you!! You trusted me!! You followed me blindly into the howling dark and look where it got you!! Nothing! You are no king!! You are no god!! I should be a god! NOT YOU ME!!" Screaming at him as the dark lord Vaas kept the tone and illusion perfect as he continued to mess with Vulcanus' head "LOOK AROUND YOU KRAG DO YOU SEE IT!! DO YOU SEE ALL THAT YOU ARE?! NOW HERE YOU ARE TAKING GIFTS FROM THE VONG?! I RAISED YOU BETTER KRAG!! YOU WERE MY FAVORITE KNIGHT, I AM YOUR GOD I AM YOUR LOVE YOUR HATE YOUR PAIN!!"

Grabbing one of the lancers he took the loaded blaster and shoved the barrel flushed against his own head. "I BROUGHT YOU HERE KRAG!! I DID THIS TO YOU AND WALKED AWAY!! NOW LOOK AT YOUR PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR HOLES!! I SHOULD BE THEIR KING THEIR GOD!! With the rifle butt pointed at Vulcanus he gently placed the pistol grip into his hand. "COME ON DO IT KRAG!! DO IT!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!! NAIL ME TO YOUR CROSS AND PROCLAIM ME AS YOUR GOD!!" As he screamed the other Vong began to pray in harmony playing into the crazed commanders words.

With the eyes of the dark lord he looked up at Krag and smiled evily. "You were just the fall guy Krag. Nothing more" he said staring dead into the eyes of the Sith Lord. Vaas was a demon, and he had come bearing gifts for the son of the devil. @[member="Darth Vulcanus"]

 

[Darth Vulcanus]

@[member="Vaas"]

This...this was irritating and every second it went on just rose Krag's anger more and more towards this pitiful being and the other lessers he had brought with him. Had the Overlord simply been an idiotic fool when he sent this thing to negotiate with him or was he deliberately trying to insult him? The worst part of it was that this Vorskr impersonator was starting to rile up hatred that Vulcanus was not even aware he had until right this moment. Had Vorskr truly just used him in this entire plot? Had Krag's mighty reign as Emperor all been a ploy? He should have killed that human dog when he had the chance and how dare this grimy little rodent declare that someone else be ruler of HIS people! As the praying picked up in the background, Vulcanus's patience wore even thinner and watching the crazed negotiators actions didn't help the situation. More and more his anger rose like a hurricane from deep inside him and the Darkside pulsed through him as a result, not that the force dead rodent could even notice.

As the pistol grip was placed in the Sith Lord's hand, the final boiling point was reached. Without warning, Krag summoned up a heat with the force that melted the rifle down to a searing red, liquidity mess within seconds. Then, with the glob of molten metal hanging between his claws like fires from hell, the Sith Lord delivered a right hook across the Vong's face. The resulting blow was enough to break bones and the molten metal sprayed across the gift bearer's face like a typhoon on Mustafar's hellish surface. "You dare insult me, demon?!" Vulcanus boomed like a god of war as the negotiator fell to one side, leaving the priests open for his next barrage of flaming vengeance.

"Your overlord will bow to me!" Krag roared as he shot his left fist forward with his left leg following in unison, stomping on the ground beside the negotiators head. The physical force was what Krag utilized and as the Shapers of Kro Var had learned, physical motions worked to amplify attacks utilizing the physical force. The move worked exactly as it was meant to and Krag was able to concentrate the mediclorians into a viscous ball of flame that erupted from his fist and exploded towards the chanting priests. The searing flames, hotter than any natural flame, struck the Vong priests and the warriors beside them, burning their flesh from their bones as they cried out in agony.

"I will show you true power!" The Sith Lord Roared as he turned towards a group of warriors charging toward him from within the ship he stood in. The Vong stood no chance as another violent shift of Krag's body ignited them into a ball of screaming pain just as it had with the priests. By this time, the Horde Guard had also sprung into action and were firing their weapons into the oncoming Vong warriors who would be outmatched soon by the Graug Horde pouring from the cave entrance. As a battle began to erupt between Krag's forces and those of the Vong, the warlord walked over to the still breathing Vaas and sneered

"Your men will join the heads of the Jedi here, but you will find a face worse than death in my hallows."

 

[Vaas]

As the molten slag and punch hit his face Vaas and the other Yuuzhan Vong didn't scream. They went silently to their deaths, but not Vaas. He still lived, laying on the floor the organism that covered his face was burnt up and dead. Underneath his true form that would not be seen was still alive. Unburnt but more than likely had a broken jaw. As the horde and Graug forces fought Vaas could of easily had them all killed from the defenses of the ships. But that wasn't the plan at all, laughing in the pain of everything the Vornskr illusion remained fractured and burnt but it was all still somewhat there as it flickered in and out "It feels good doesn't it Krag. I'm proud of you." He said as Vornskr the voice waving. Shifting back to a Vong form Vaas looked up at the man and laughed still. "ENOUGH!!" He said, not to Krag but to his own men. Stopping the Yuuzhan Vong disengaged the horde forces and pushed back to the ships. With a half smile on his face he looked up to the dark lord "You pass my master's test. He needed to know if you were man enough to help. The ship is yours. Along with the weapons, they are now yours." Hobbling to his feet the Vong smiled and walked over to the remaining troops

"Dredge will be in touch hermano." Loading up him and the rest of the warriors loaded up, "Oh and before we go, there's a special set of armor in there fit for a king." As the remaining warriors piled into the wanga Vaas laughed as the loading bay closed up. Inside the other wanga lay boxes of the Yuuzhan Vong crab armor, you could catch a lightsabre in your hands and keep it there for a few seconds. It would ensure that the dark lord remained alive.

Once on board the ship Vaas pealed off the dead organism on his face screaming in delight as he did so. The molten slag had not hardened yet to he wasn't encased just yet. As the ships engines ignited the ship flew up and exited the atmosphere. Dredge would be there in a week or two to actually negotiate with the Gruag. They had passed his test and now it was time to get to the actual details.
@[member="Darth Vulcanus"]