Eclipse: New Beginnings

[Via Dolorosa]

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Streaks, both blue and white, flashed by in rapid session giving the view an almost serene feeling. The colours, at times, blended together giving it an artist's touch, a priceless work of art. For one that never new beauty as a child was now grasping it as an adult. Everywhere she looked she saw a glimpse of beauty nowadays, so much in fact that she had hired an artist from Coruscant to decorate her personal quarters with beautiful scenes that now adorned her chamber walls. She would spend hours just sitting there staring at the artwork imagining living in some of the more detailed scenes. Surrounded by it all gave her balance in her life.​

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"My Lady," the voice from her warship's Admiral breaking the spell, "We shall be coming out of hyperspace in five minutes."​

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"The moment we do Admiral Molr...dispatch a squadron of fighters to conduct routine inspections of the area." Darth Venefica had no concerns they would stumble upon opposition since the planet Eclipse had now fell under the ownership of the One Sith. But assumptions and risks were not in nature. Though she expected if any opposition did surface, the Meshuga was more than capable of handling it. "Alert the other vessel's captains to make preparations to begin transferring supplies to the locals on the space station as a show of good faith. Then alert the temporary headquarters we have arrived to take control of the situation."​

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She had lobbied to the Dark Lord to grant her permission to begin rebuilding the planet's government by first acting as it's Lord Protector. Once the government had been established she would relinquish control of the day to day operations to a Imperial Governor of her choosing, freeing her up to work on several other projects such as a Sith Temple, military outpost, and a orbital defense system. Also, she would strive to help the citizens through various programs aimed at giving them a better life. But first, the planet needed to be made habitable. So the terraforming engineers would have to begin working almost at once.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"The four teams are set to disembark, My Lady," the communication officer announced to Darth Venefica as she stood looking at the planet through the massive viewport on the warship's bridge. The firsts steps were only minutes away and she felt a nervous sensation in the lower region of her stomach. So much preparation and planning had led up to this pointe. Now the time had finally come to see the rewards. She nodded her head to give the command to launch the pods.​

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Team 1 (Eclipse Surface)​

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The first of the four teams, six men per team, landed on the surface of the planet. There sole purpose was to collect soil samples to be taken back and tested at the labs before the process of terrafroming the planet could begin. Several locations had been marked on a star map of the planet for a possible site for the city. This was one of them. Also, they were to chip away rock fragments to be studied later for signs of living organisms and if discovered, what threats or useful purposes they may possess. ​

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The six man crew exited the craft and immediately went to work. All six men were wearing environmental suits, with dual air tanks, to ensure their safety until it was proven it was safe for them to walk on the surface of the planet without those safety precautions. Three of the men began taking samples of the different colours of soil, labeling each vial with a unique code before placing them into a safety pouch built into the left side of the suits.​

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While the soil collectors were busy with their assigned project, the remaining three men spread out to examine the rock structures around the area. Several rock formations dotted the landscape so they would be busy for some time. Using handheld laser drills provided by Titan Industries to assist them in cutting through the rock with more precision and with less time if they had to use inferior equipment, they began cutting chunks of rock and placing them in small glass containers. They, too, labeled their specimens with different codes. ​

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The six man crew worked for almost four hours before completing their tasks. When the last of the men was safely buckled in his seat, the shuttle lifted off and flew back to the Meshuga to deliver their cargo to waiting scientists in their labs.​

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Aboard the Meshuga​

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The moment the Sith Lord was told the shuttle was docking, she headed down to meet them in the science labs. She wanted to be their when the scientists began running the samples through the machines. Though she had no experience in this field, she was more curious to watch the OS taxpayers money at work. Perhaps even she would learn something new along the way. ​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

She remained quiet while the scientists conducted their experiments on both the soil and rock fragments. The machines had been working overtime to produce the results everyone associated with the project needed before beginning. The other three teams had not yet reported in on their progress, so for now the scientists themselves would not be taxed to produce an overall report. Then the machines slowly fell silent and the Sith Lord watched as each member of the lab team gathered their reports, and huddled together to exchange their findings. Finally, the head scientist walked over to the Dagobah Sith.​

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"Unremarkable to say the least," Dr. Pany began, "The soils samples show signs of minerals such as zinc, copper, sulfur, and many others associated in supporting plant life. I wonder if this planet had been 'alive' at one time. Also my Lady, we discovered the soil's pH to be more than adequate for the terraforming process. So in fact, when the process is completed the soil will be heavily fortified with nutrients, good for growing crops and the like."​

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"And what of the rock fragments," she asked.​

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"Ah yes, the rock fragments. We discovered fossilized organisms inside varying in nature. However, they are dead. We tried several different procedures to see if we could revive them and study them properly, but it was all for naught. Depending on what the other team's findings will provide us with, I would say we can begin the terraforming process ahead of schedule."​

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"Thank you Dr. Pany. I shall leave you to your work until one of the other teams return. And if you find anything else of use in regards to those organisms...please notify us at once."​

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"I will personally contact you myself. Until later," Dr. Pany answered before ushering himself back to work.​

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On her return trip up to the bridge, she felt satisfied with the results so far. The soil was good. As for the organisms, it was to be expected. Eclipse had laid dormant and untouched for so long that the hopes of anything surviving was a long shot. One piece of the puzzle had been moved into place. Now it was back to the waiting game.​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Overlooking the dark planet from the apex of the bridge, standing at the transparisteel viewports that gave an expansive view of space and the world that floated there in the silence, Tirdarius could not wonder if this represented a first in his career - and perhaps in that of many among the Sith. So often have our brethren rushed to the destruction of a world that the notion of shaping one into something we can use is often overlooked. Creation stemmed from destruction - this was a natural Sith idiom - but he could not but wonder if this might be different. And such thoughts are part of the reason I am here, he reflected.

Too many among the Sith had tended towards the destructive or the decadent, seeking to bolster their own power or their own ego as they had done for millenia. It is a common habit: misunderstand the true purpose of our brotherhood to empower ourselves as individuals. It was foolishness, and one that the Emperor's mandate had sought to reduce by making the Sith focus upon their single-minded goals, each being a chain in a greater link, rather than a power-hungry mob aspiring to the pinnacle of a great pyramid. It was something he had always abhorred, this ambition that tended towards foolishness - a feeling he knew his Master had always shared, and perhaps imparted to her then-young Apprentice. Fortunately, many are coming to see the truth of this now. He had a feeling that Venefica was among that number, but he was not yet certain of her. Too new to me for that.

He heard a sudden rush of activity behind him, the double doors of the bridge parting and a flurry of motion that suggested that a senior officer - or a Sith - had just arrived on scene. The Meshuga had a well-disciplined crew, but even the very best military force always had that rougher edge that tended to vanish in the presence of their dark superiors. I always knew that, and made sure my officers knew that I knew, and enjoyed it. Officers too concerned with protocol were useless, so the making of a good crew was knowing when they could relax and lower their guard, and when they needed to be up to parade standards. Venefica has chosen her crew well enough, because they recognise this. Such a thing boded well for their expedition, or so he felt.

Turning around, he strode purposefully along the deck, returning to the far side of the bridge in order to consult with his colleague. She was a very hands-on Sith - this much he had noticed about her immediately, burning with a restless energy that required her to be on the move at all times. Perhaps not a good indicator of patience, but she certainly gets things done, he noted, coming to a stop near to the woman with a flutter of his dark robes as they settled around his slender frame.

"I take it by your expression that we are ready to begin the terraforming process?", he asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. He was no scientist, and they both knew it, so his initial role here was as an observer, since there was little he could contribute until the planet was ready for occupation. "As far as has been reported to me, the specimen cataloguing goes at a good pace: you have competent officers aboard. You are to be commended on your choice of crew, Lord Venefica," he remarked calmly, his grey eyes flickering to those officers standing watchfully nearby. "The sooner we begin the terraform, the sooner we can get down there and begin development of the planetary infrastructure. Do we have an approximate timeline for this?"

[member="Darth Venefica"]

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Dr. Pany and his team of scientists, Doctors Horm and Zythile, had just completed given their final report from the testing of the data they acquired from the three other teams. All the rivers and lakes had high levels of iron and uranium which would need to be flushed and balanced once the water purifiers were in place after the terra-forming process was complete, if needed. According to their report, there was no aquatic life in either lakes or rivers, which meant those would need to be brought in and introduced to the environment. The good Doctors had already comprised a list of species they believed to be suitable to survive in the new habitat.​

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Dr. Zythily reported that there were no signs of increased seismic activity on the planet. Thus, the threat of earthquakes would not be in the equation. The corporations and penny pinchers that were help funding the project had stressed growing concerns about the idea of these natural occurrences, stating if this would pose to many problems the project would be scraped and another site would be chosen. She was relieved to hear the good news which meant the major obstacle had been successfully hurdled.​

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Finally it was Dr. Horm's report on the atmosphere and temperature that sealed the deal. It was of his belief, backed by the other two Doctors, that Eclipse's atmosphere could definitely be transformed into a Type 1 Atmosphere with little effort through the terra-forming process. Also, the climate or temperature would be favourable for most species. However, he claimed there was no way around preventing the planet from having multiple seasons throughout a galactic standard year. Rain, snow, etc would not be unusual. In essence, the project was given the green light.​

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"Indeed we are, Lord Tirdarius," she replied still looking at the planet below. Then she turned to address her fellow Lord formally and added, "The order has been given to unload the first series of equipment to begin reshaping the atmosphere so the workers don't have to work in those cumbersome environment suits. However, in your opinion, do you think we should begin every phase of the project at once?"​

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[member="Tirdarius"]​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Darth Venefica"]

Although his expression failed to show it, Tirdarius was mildly surprised by that question, directed as it was by someone who had considerably more expertise in the nature of overseeing large projects than he did. My role, even at the height of political power, was always to delegate action, watching over the bigger picture and expecting everyone to attend to their tasks with the degree of competency that we required, he reflected. This was Venefica's project, her child, her passion, something which he knew she had likely orchestrated from top-to-bottom in service to the Emperor. I should be honoured by her question, he mused, his lips curving slightly in an ironic smile.

"The danger comes not from initiating everything at once, but rather from being overstretched with regards to control," he noted softly, gathering his hands in front of him, the fingers overlapping, thumbs touching each other with the gentlest of pressure. "The more operations going down on the surface, the less attention you can pay to each part, and thus the greater the chance that something may go wrong," he continued, an eyebrow arching slightly. Even with the most trusted of administrators overseeing their parts of the project, there would still be the risk of something going wrong. And she had invested a good deal of time, effort, money and her own reputation into this. Failure for it will be a black mark against her.

Not that he cared - and, if she had any sense, he suspected that she would not either. They both knew that the politics of the upper echelons of the Sith had always been fraught with risk: the appearance of weakness on the part of any of their number might easily send a signal both to their peers and to their subordinates that they were ready to be replaced. We all dance on a knife's edge, truly. Venefica was smart enough to know that her survival could well be placed at stake were the project to go badly, the Sith's resources, knowledge and manpower wasted on something that would not bear fruit. Though she will have prepared for that, no doubt. At least, that would be so had he not misjudged her, and Tirdarius sincerely hoped that wasn't the case. After all, here is a woman prepared to act, rather than talk about acting.

"With the atmosphere established, I would delay to review the results, and ensure that your scientists' analysis is correct," the Sith Lord continued, though he had little reason to doubt them thus far - after all, he did not have the level of scientific knowledge required to question them. Nonetheless, always respect the error factor in any analysis, he noted inwardly. "From there, I would establish a small base of operations on the planet, a point from which other experiments and tests can be conducted safely. The terraforming may yet have unexpected results: what if local vegetation proves to be toxic, or other issues arise that have not been foreseen?"

He shrugged slightly, knowing fully well that nobody can fully predict the results of terraforming: only the Yuuzhan Vong had ever mastered true world-shaping, and even they had occasionally suffered as existing wildlife combined with their own bio-tech in ways they had not anticipated. The Force has a habit of playing games with those who try to play God. He'd always found it an amusing irony, but reflecting on it and observing it happen were too very different things.

"In the interim, I would also advise focusing on operations up here: establishing a proper orbital defense and supply system," he said, glancing back along the Bridge towards the observation area. "Even with a fleet here, we could still be caught vulnerable. Securing ourselves up here will give the scientists time enough to do baseline checks, to ascertain viability. From there, the project can push on at scheduled."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

She was grateful for his input and suggestions, though her pride would not allow her to express it openly. This was her project and it would be her name that passed through the lips of the Dark Lord as he preached the success of this project and the glory she brought to the Sith to the other Lords and Ladies. But Darth Venefica was no fool nor was she ungrateful. She would see to it that Lord Tirdarius was rewarded for his help and hardwork, indirectly from her of course. Everyone had something they desired most in life, and by cashing in a couple of favours owed to her, she would see to it that his greatest desire was fulfilled.​

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With a small gesture from her hand, the XO gave the command to launch the transports. "We shall begin the process of changing the atmosphere at once Lord Tirdarius"​

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Several container transports began descending to the surface of the planet, each vessel carrying various parts to construct the terraform processor that would be utilized in reshaping the planet and other materials to erect a housing structure for the workers. It was far more efficient cost wise to have the workers live on the planet during the construction of the machine than continuously transporting them back and forth. Several more transports were now being deployed that carried the hundreds of workers that were hired or transferred from other projects she requested from the corporation's owners. The time table for bringing the terraform processor online and working at full capacity was one week. Henforth, the labour force would be working around the clock. In addition, both a medical supply ship and two smaller versions of supply carriers with enough food and such to sustain the workers were also dispatched.​

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"As you suggested...our focus should be on securing ourselves here," the Sith Lady commented while gesturing for one of her officers to join them. "This is Captain Howe. He comes highly recommended by the Sith Imperial Navy for his work with orbital defenses. Perhaps Lord Tirdarius, the good Captain and yourself would like to get started on that project. As you stated earlier, we don't want to outstretch our control."​

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[member="Tirdarius"]​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

[member="Darth Venefica"]

Doesn't waste any time, this one, Tirdarius noted, watching his fellow Sith Lord at work, issuing instructions to her officers and watching them move with casual efficiency to see to their tasks. I do wonder how she would respond to failure, or a setback, he mused, reflecting on the fact that so many of their kind responded with lethality for even the smallest of obstacles being placed in their way. He'd always considered it wasteful: there was no doubt that making an example often achieved what more positive forms of motivation might fail to gain, but he had never been the type to believe that reacting with violence to bad news was a means to improve the situation. Sith must be seen to offer benevolence and mercy to those who serve, to improve morale and give them reason to serve beyond "Do this or die", he thought. So, there it is: be good to those who serve you faithfully, and be ruthless with those who oppose you. Striking such a balance would only make the Sith stronger.

That her people responded swiftly and without that soft undercurrent of fear that he so often sensed in those who lived and worked alongside the Sith... that spoke volumes to his mind. Had she been such a type, though, he knew his own participation in this project would have ended in a manner unlikely to prove immediately productive. It's not often that I offer violence to my own kind, but allowing them to abuse those who offer their service to the Sith in good faith isn't something I'm likely to stand by and allow. Many of their brethren had taken for granted the notion that another Sith would simply allow them to do as they saw fit around those who could touch the Force. How rapidly I have had to teach them otherwise. Good help was far harder to find than Sith able to replace those that were cut down through their own absurdity. He who preys upon those they should protect soon learn that most fundamental lesson of Sith nature: nobody is bigger than the whole.

It was always a risk, working with other Sith, of course: his Master had long ago taught him that much. Perhaps part of the reason that she works so hard to keep her Sith affiliations so carefully hidden, so that she only works with those she extends an invitation to. His own policy had always been a little less choosy: extend friendship to all who put the Order before themselves, but always keep both eyes open. Thus far, Venefica only seems worth watching insofar as I'm curious as to what she will do next. She hadn't done anything to warrant distrust, and for that, he was eminently thankful. A project of this undertaking benefits well from strong, positively-minded direction. That much she certainly seemed able to provide.

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain," he remarked on being introduced to the officer that Venefica was thus recommending, offering the slightest bow of respect to the man. It didn't do to alienate those in the upper echelons of the Fleet, particularly those competent enough to come to the notice of someone as powerful and capable as Venefica clearly was. Such people bear watching. "If you will excuse us, my Lord, we will make our preparations. I doubt we will have to concern ourselves overly much with defending Eclipse, but we should be prepared for any eventuality. Risking a project of this magnitude would be arrogance unbecoming for either of us", Tirdarius continued, offering another short bow to his fellow Sith Lord as he turned about and started walking back along the Bridge, heading for one of the conference rooms built to sweep along either side of the control centre.

The chances of an attack on their fleet was fairly slim: the beauty of Eclipse was that the location would afford it a perfectly secure world concealed by the fluctuating hyperspace routes of the Deep Core, protected from outside interference in much the same way that the ancient Jedi world of Tython was defended. Indeed, Eclipse was designed as a place of safety for the Jedi to retreat to during the Yuuzhan Vong War. Now, perhaps, it shall serve our purposes. The nearby asteroid field was excellent cover against hyperspace intrusion, and it was likely that even the Jedi had forgotten that it might exist here. If Venefica is successful, this shall be our stronghold within the Core, within striking distant of Coruscant in the event that we are forced from it. He could hardly fault her planning - it was a stroke of genius.

Even so, Tirdarius wasn't one to take chances without considering all possible angles - that would ultimately include considering the possibility that their operations here had already been compromised. One Republic Agent among our forces, one alert Jedi Scout checking their old stomping grounds, one loud mouth bought... It could all be for nothing. Complacency, then, was their greatest danger, and he wasn't inclined to permit that. Such a thing is for children and those of lesser ambition.

"I feel that we should array our forces in planetary blockade," Tirdarius remarked conversationally, directing his words to the Imperial officer now walking alongside. "An interdictor placed along our defensive perimeter will pull ships out of Hyperspace out of range of the planet, so any forces we cared to assemble in our defense would have time to scramble and offer an overwhelming response." It was a common enough tactic in the Imperial textbook, but one that only found counter if an opposing fleet was willing to pull themselves out of Hyperspace even earlier, and thus further away from a planetary orbit. "What ships do we have to devote to our defense? We cannot jeopardise the terraform process to shore up any openings, so we will have to make do with what ships we have. Thoughts?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

Reforming a planet. The news spread quickly through the Sith of one of their owns attempt to give life to a dead planet. Many viewed this as a waste of time as a dead planet was just that. Yet not all did. People such as [member="Darth Venefica"] and [member="Tirdarius"] seemed to think it was possible. And they were not alone. Darth Ferus, a man known to create inanimate objects, wanted to try something new. All his life he had made weapons built to kill. To end life. And now, well. He had the chance to create life. A chance he would not pass up for anything short of his own child's birth.

As he moved about the ship, he was not alone. He was trailed by a single entity, something that may prove far more valuable than a scientist who could only see as far as their formula. Bar'reth, the Bah'lir. The large tiger like animal walked behind the red man, it's black fur practically shining. Bar'reth took pride in himself, and while he was only an animal, there was a hint of a larger consciousness than another would have expected. The pair would, however, find themselves stared at. A red man wearing a rather unique outfit trailed by what many see as a savage beast. Don't let them get to you, Bar'reth. They're scared. A single thought went from Ferus to his friend, and the cat would let out a low growl. The Bah'lir hated being stared at.

But he was certainly going to find much more stares as they both made their way to Venefica's position. As they entered through the doorway, both could already hear the murmurs of the crew members positioned around the bridge gasp. The five foot tall tiger was a sight to behold, especially with how rare of a beast it was. A slight bow of both their heads to the group ahead would be seen right before the Iridonian himself would speak.

"I hope I'm not too late for the party. I had hoped to be able to assist."

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The arrival, even if late, of [member="Darth Ferus"] was refreshing. There were several projects that needed to be attended to, and with the arrival of the Sith Lord another project could be delegated. However, she was unsure of what talents he possessed or where he would fit in in terms of the various projects. Lord Tirdarius was working with one of the officers on the orbital defense project which she no doubt would be both successful and well planned out. The report on the planet's surface was the housing units had been completed quicker than she planned, a testament to the crew's ability to work efficiently. ​

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"Lord Ferus," she said with a small bow of her head. "We had heard you would be arriving soon to join us in this project. Allow us to get you up to date. Lord Tirdarius is working on the orbital defense systems and the crew on the planet has just completed the barracks and will begin working on the terraform processor slightly ahead of schedule. The fleet has moved into a planetary blockade with fifteen minute intervals of scouting patrols. We are told the Interdictor will be arriving within the hour."​

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She handed the Lord a datapad that contained and outlined in detail the several projects that still needed attention. Most could not be started until the process of terra-forming the planet was completed. Everything rested on that. ​

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"You are welcome to choose any project from the list that most appeals to you."​

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Eclipse (Planet Surface)​

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Though there were injuries and at least two deaths, ruled as poor judgement on their parts, all ten temporary barracks had been completed in under three days. The workers had continuously worked in cycles with the promise of bonuses and incentives to get it done. With the completion of the first stage, the barracks, they could now focus on building the machine to reshape the planet.​

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The site, chosen by the reports from the combined efforts of the engineers and scientists, was cleared of trees and stumps using both worker droids and manual labourers equipped with tree felling vibrosaws. Once the site was ready, several monitoring droids and guard droids along with a few battle droids all from Titan Industries were brought in to defend and monitor the site and surrounding areas. With droids in place, construction of the building could commence.​

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After five days, the processor was up and running. The scientists, along with their teams, aboard the Meshuga where transferred to the surface to begin operations. According to Dr. Pany, the changing of the atmosphere would take at least a week to complete. In the meantime, the workers began working on new building that would become the science labs. Even after the terra-forming process was complete, several tests would need to be conducted before the okay was given to move into the next phase of the project.​

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[member="Tirdarius"] ... [member="Darth Ferus"]​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The environmental suit she wore was both restricting and uncomfortable, but it was a necessity for the trek across the landing pad to the terra-form processor, or TFP it was being called. The atmosphere was still unfavourable to breathe without the suit, but the science team was making great strides. Dr. Pany had requested her presence at the TFP and she was more than happy to oblige. Reading reports was one thing, actually seeing the progress was another. Her first impression of the TFP she got was that the building had an eerie look to it. Of course that could be chalked up to the shaded visor the suit's helmet employed. She hated these suits.​

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"Welcome Lady Venefica," Dr. Pany greeted her once she removed the helmet after going through dual airlocks. Safety precautions had been installed to prevent the air from outside coming inside. "Artificial air scrubbers," he added when he noticed her take a hesitant intake of air. "Rest assured my Lady, you are quite safe here."​

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"You're assurance is duly noted," she replied as she looked around the main room. "So Dr. Pany...the nature of this visit?"​

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"Ah yes, the visit. The TFP you know is up an running at full capacity and we felt a tour of the facility might put some of your restlessness at ease. If you will follow me my Lady."​

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Darth Venefica walked alongside the good Doctor as he pointed out the several programs being ran simultaneously from different machines throughout the facility that would reshape the atmosphere of the planet. On the walls were charts, marked in different coulours, that he explained were previous tests they ran on the air outside to give them an accurate account of how far they have come and how far they still needed to go.​

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"We currently run a series of diagnostics on the air every twenty minutes to gauge the difference between the current atmosphere and the atmosphere we are trying to achieve."​

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"And what is the overall report on that."​

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"Initially our time table for completion was a week. However, in the first three days of terra-forming the atmosphere we had some resistance from the planet's current atmosphere. After a round of discussions and a few tweaks here and there, we were able to counter it and move forward."​

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"Then we are to assume your timetable has been slightly pushed back," Darth Venefica asked.​

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"I wish I had a better answer for you, my Lady. Yes. But only by two days, maybe less. Everyone down here is well aware how important this project is to you, the Dark Lord, and the One Sith."​

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"Sometimes things are beyond our control. Good work Doctor."​

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[member="Tirdarius"] ... [member="Darth Ferus"]​

 

[Darth Ferus]

"Any project you say? Well.." Taking the datapad in his real hand, he would begin to look at quite a few of the options presented. Re-population of the wildlife, plant searching, ocean creating. All sounded boring to the red man. The last thing he wanted to do was flower/animal/water shop. He was about to hand the datapad back and call it a day, but something caught his eye. The fossils. Looking over to one of the scientists, Ferus would point at one of the pictures.

"This seems to be the picture of a head, have you figured out any way to regenerate the original wild life?" The scientist, a small female human, practically jumped out of her skin as the Darth adressed her. She wasn't a lead scientist or anything close, more like an extra set of hands than a true researcher. Her brown eyes went right to the floor as she tried to stutter out a response.


"T... They're past life on th.. the planet.. W.. We haven't b... been able to... Well... Figure out what they are.. They're huge reptiles of sorts, but..." She was cut off as another actually ranking scientist entered in the conversation. The larger male practically stepped in between Ferus and the smaller girl, and with a clipboard in hands he began to explain.

"The fossils have been dead for far too long to recreate living tissue around the bones. This is a dead end sort of feat, and the idea has been scraped. Please, do not waste your ti-" His own voice was cut off as he was suddenly lifted into the air. Ferus was a very patient man, but he couldn't stand it when someone else decided to cut into a conversation they weren't invited to. A choke hold would carry the man by his throat, but the blue eyes of the Darth kept on the female.

"Continue, miss. I apologize for the interruption." A faint smile formed on the red mans face as he offered a bow to the girl. He released the interuptor by this point, and it was clear both of the scientists were terrified. The man fled quickly back to his station, leaving the girl with the red man, a terrifying situation for her. Her stuttering would get worse as she tried to avoid a chocking end.

"I.. I h.. h.. have a theory on h.. how to bring t.. these b.. beasts back.. B... but t.. they t... told me t... to give up.." Ferus would nod once before looking back to [member="Darth Venefica"] . "I'll be taking this one, and the process to bring back the original beasts. If what she says is true, large reptiles could be provided to the One Sith military." Bar'reth had moved off to lay down away from the group. While still on the bridge, he kept mostly to himself, though his gaze rarely left his red partner.



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It was five days before the pair, Ferus and Rose, could find a starting point. Recreating flesh on the fossil bones was an impossible task, but Ferus had an advantage the female did not. Alchemy. Within those five days they tried to find a complete fossil of one of the massive beasts, and it wasn't until the fifth day that they got one. A bipedal, large headed creature with razor looking teeth.

"Ah, finally. I was wondering when we would get one of these done. Tell me now Rose, what do we do next?" Ferus's blue gaze remained on the fossil, but he did await an answer from the girl. His skills in Alchemy would only go so far, and he would need a far more.. Scientific course of action.

"Well, now we have to find a way to make the bones more.. Bone like. They're more like rock than anything else, and if we could restore the bones we could begin right away on bringing it back to life." Within the five days there was more than just getting a fossil. Rose was no longer terrified of the Zabrak, and even trusted his judgement in this process. He had taken her from being an assistant to a lead scientist after all.

"Back to life? Well, I've got a thing or two that could work. All I need now is some blood." Blood was an essential part of any form of Alchemy. And a faint grin formed on his face as he would begin. Reviving a fossil could certianly take some time.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Eclipse Surface (Previous 9 Days )​

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The days leading up this event, the first official test of the air, had seen quite a bit of activity on the surface of the planet. First, several locations had been marked for potential sites for the first city to be built on the planet. The engineers had chosen areas close to major water sources such as small lakes and one area that had numerous rivers that intersected through each other that eventually spilled into one massive lake. But the final decision on the location was left up to Darth Venefica, who wanted an area that had the potential to have an agricultural centre for farms to raise livestock and other products associated with food and medicinal herbs. She did not want another Galactic City. Imports would be required, naturally, but she wanted the city to be able to sustain itself. If the city proved successful then others may crop up elsewhere on the surface.​

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For three days she took tours of the marked locations and after some much needed answers to some of her more important questions, she narrowed the search to three sites. All three served what she wanted; one by a massive lake, one by the intersecting rivers, and the last by lush forest with patches of large ponds dotting the inside of the forest. However, the water sources and forests, along with all flora, would need to be tested before she made the final decision; and only after the terra-form process.​

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It was during this time that the science building had been erected and made fully functional; serving as a testing facility for Eclipse's surface. Leaving nothing to chance after the terra-forming process was complete, samples of water, flora, rock, sand, dirt, and everything imaginable would be subjected to a battery of tests. Toxins and other harmful elements was the target while a contingency plan was put in place. If the water proved tainted after the process, several massive and portable water filtration tanks would be brought in to purify the water.​

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Eclipse Surface (Present)​

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Everyone stood inside the facility as they watched the two volunteers through the windows stand outside in the newly crafted atmosphere with their environment suits still on. All previous tests the past two days concurred and confirmed the atmosphere was now ready. Silence fell over all those present as they watched with anticipation. Then both volunteers removed their helmets, each one taking a long deep breath. They smiled and gave a thumbs up that caused the facility to erupt with cheers and congratulations. They done it. Eclipse, atmosphere wise, was now habitable.​

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"Dr. Pany," Darth Venefica began with a smile, "Prepare the retrieval teams to begin collecting samples at once. We are far from completion."​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Team 1 (8 Days)​

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Team 1, lead by Dr. Horm, scoured the planet collecting samples from several types of plant life to be taken back to the science facility to be analyzed and tested for impurities. They visited forests, jungles, hillsides, and even the open plains where both flowers and plants were thriving. They managed to collect over 200 different samples during their 8 day expedition.​

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Team 2 (10 Days)​

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Led by Dr. Zyth'ly, team two visited the mountain regions and deserts to collect samples of dirt, rock, and sand. The previous experiments earlier on proved there was once living organisms in the rocks, but failed to revive them. And new series of tests would be ran again on the rocks with the completion of the terra-forming process.​

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Team two also collected samples of mud by the river banks and throughout the planet, including soil from the three main sites that had been selected as possible locations for the construction of the city. Just as team one had done when they collected plant life from the plains, they did the same with the dirt, finding at least four separate styles of it; black, brown, red brown (eventually they would discover it was clay), and light brown.​

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Several mining droids would later be brought in to begin mining for resources when the tests were concluded.​

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Team 3 (15 Days)​

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Dr. Pany led this team to obtain water samples from all the lakes, ponds, and rivers; as well as algae and plant life found at the bottom. They also measured the depths of each water source. These samples would be tested repeatedly for anything that could be harmful to people, aliens, and eventually the animals that would be imported from other planets.​

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Everything essentially relied on the purity of the water. Water was a necessity in life. Without it, everything would die. ​

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Team 4 (28 Days)​

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Mapping the entire planet was important, and that was team four's responsibility. Mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, hills, forests, jungles, plains, and rock formations would all be mapped using electronic devices. When all the data was collected, a functioning topography map would be put together and copies sent to everyone involved with the project.​

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Caves would be searched and samples of soil, fungi, and other materials discovered would be collected and brought back to the science labs. ​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

"Where to begin," Dr. Pany said as he entered the bridge of the Meshuga.​

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It had been over a month since the tests had began and though she was somewhat patient, Darth Venefica was growing antsy of late. For the past two weeks she had to deal with representatives from the corporations bugging her about the progress of Eclipse. She wondered if they fully understood how much work was involved. Then she had spoken with the Dark Lord, who seemed to be even more patient than she would have expected, about where the Eclipse stood in completion of the tests. Then, again with the corporate people.​

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So when she received word that Dr. Pany was coming up to see here, she was sure that his reports would put most of the people at ease, or make them annoy her further. She suspected the former since she came to respect the doctor's work. He was well aware of the success of this project and it seemed to her that he wanted to see the project succeed. He had even staked his reputation on it once when they were discussing the matter of locations for the city.​

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"The results on the flora. Excellent! There are no signs of any toxins or poisons or anything except for the plant's that already posses them naturally. In fact, we are seeing much improvement in most areas with the new atmosphere in place. Success!"​

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"I assume a catalog is being created for all the plant life, poison and not poison."​

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"Done! Now to the next test results. The water. We ran over 300 separate tests and the result, clean water. Therefore we do not need to bring in those bulky machines afterall. That should please those penny pinchers. However, we have not discovered any aquatic life in the lakes or rivers or ponds. We assume there never was any due to the previous atmosphere. So there is no risk of upsetting the natural order."​

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There had been many different species of fish to choose from to introduce to the the planet's water systems. The greatest concern was how they and if any other species here would adapt and co-habitat. That issue had been solved. ​

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"The soil is extremely fertile. More so now after the terra-forming process. Like I stated earlier with the plant life thriving, we have seen barren lands showing the early signs of grass and such. Our mining teams have discovered alum, calcite, hfredium and kammris.​

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Two of the minerals, kammris and hfredium, could be used in the construction of starships. The One Sith now had another planet's resurce to add to their list. She knew all parties involved would be happy with that discovery.​

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"And finally the topography map has been completed. Copies, per your request, have been sent to those you've named. I, we, can now begin bringing in the animals and introduce them to the planet."​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The time finally arrived for them to begin introducing the species, chosen from other planets around the galaxy, that would now call Eclipse home. Several hundred transports began landing all over the planet near the lakes, ponds, rivers, and swamps to unload their cargo. Military forces had been assigned to some of the transports that carried the predators, species whose sole purpose was to keep the numbers in balance. This was a delicate situation in the progress of reshaping the planet. Once the aquatic species were set free, scientists would study them to ensure they could adapt before bringing in the other species that would live in the mountains, swamps, plains, and forests and jungles.​

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The first type of species to be unloaded were the fish and small creatures. Both adults, male and female, and younglings paired with their parents, with certain species, of cetians, grimwaldi sponges, gurfs, hermit crabs, kemlish, klepthian rock otters, ollopoms, skibs, and spinefish. Data was collected as the scientists observed their early behaviour. More detail observations would take place once all the species were put into play.​

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The next set of species released were the water fowls, both male and female. Pelikkis, caranaks, and vonnuvi were set free. Chicks along with their parents were set up slightly further away from the water source. This was to ensure the survival of the birds, knowing their instincts would eventually take them closer to the water sources where they would create their own habitat, such as nests.​

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With two fourths of this process complete, the next stage was bringing in both the insects and amphibians. Both were chosen to be alternate food sources for the natural predators and other small creatures, while the amphibians would double as predators to assist in keeping the insect population in check. So bandaras, water beetles, water-skeeters, water gliders, chags, and nharpiras were brought in by the millions and carefully distributed among all the water sources to prevent over population and bringing harm to the flora and surrounding environment.​

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Finally the predators that lived in the water sources were brought in. They would be watched far more closely than the other species due to their predatory nature. Like the previous species, males and females of aquatic gundarks, blossoming gulpers, Dagobian jumping stars, and marmaws were systematically placed to prevent them from devastating the other species they would feed upon. For better monitoring purposes, each predator was tagged with a small tracking device under their skins. ​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

to: Darth Venefica

from: Dr. Drion, Aquatic Dept.

subject: Aquatic Species

Good Afternoon Lady Venefica....​

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It is my pleasure to inform you that after weeks of extensive observations in and around the aquatic habitats that the introduction process is a success! All of the species have taking to their new environment like a, pardon the pun, fish in water. In fact, we have noticed a slight migration pattern in one specie of water fowl, the vonnuvi. Naturally we have anticipated this. The natural instinct of animals will always kick in and we all down here believe the migration of the fowl is a good sign.​

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Now for the fearsome predators. We were worried at first that by not bringing their main source of food from their original planets might cause them to wither and die. But we wrong! They have adapted quite well. It shows that when you are hungry anything looks good. Also, seems some of the females of their respected species are with child or children. This is good news. But we will continue to observe their numbers to make sure they do not overrun areas and decimate any of the other species. ​

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Several files have been attached with this email outlining in graph form the data we have collected. Everything seems to be in order and it has been suggested by the council of doctors and specialists that we can now begin to bring in the land species.​

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Riding on the back of success from when they properly and methodically introduced the aquatic species to Eclipse, the time to populate the grasslands and plains was now upon them. To avoid overcrowding and damage caused from grazing from the herd animals, the planet was broken down into sections and one-third of each species was placed allowing for them to grow into larger herds or separate into smaller ones. To ensure the animals would not over populate, it was decided that the predator population would be broken down into one-fourth, then transplanted to the plains and grasslands.​

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Several hundred and massive transports, coordinating with one another, began landing all over the planet. The workers moved quickly to begin unloading the cages to prevent the animals from enduring more stress than they already where. To avoid mass confusion or stampeding herds, the moment a cage was unloaded it was opened to allow the animals to exit and quickly flee the scene.​

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While each cage was opened, a zoologist stood with a datapad to check off the species as they exited. They started with the grazers and herd animals first. Bists, chollas, drivvebs, falumpasets, Gapillian grazers, and grondas were all released from their cages. When the last of the herd and grazers galloped away, they moved forward with releasing the two species of birds; goa lawahs and criers.​

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Next on the list to be released into the plains and grasslands were the lone insect species, the rootjiggers, and the only species of snake Darth Venefica would allow on the plains and grasslands, the spitting rawl. She didn't care much for insects or snakes but she understood the ecology behind it. So she just gritted her teeth and randomly picked one breed of snake. ​

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The last and by far the dangerous of the process was releasing the predators. Precautions were taken to avoid any injury or deaths to both the workers and the beasts themselves. Soldiers , armed with high powered stunners, stood poised to leap into action if the situation deemed it necessary. The three predator groups, gurrcats, manka cats, and razoronns, were added to Eclipse's plains and grasslands.​