[Galactic Empire] Ghosts Among The Cogs

Frevik Margos · Jul 12, 2017

Hypori. A world under Imperial control, but not yet fully turned to the Empire's purposes.

Almost as soon as his shuttle set down upon the dusty, uneven surface, Frevik Margos was walking down the boarding ramp, his crimson cape billowing out behind him. He had no time for delays; efficiency was his watchword and creed, for it was through his efforts that the forces of the New Order were kept supplied. And this rocky world would soon become a part of that vast effort, but it was not something he could accomplish alone. As much as he hated to divert forces from the war in Bothan Space, he had seen the potential in the ancient foundries beneath his feet. Where once they had built battle droids for the CIS, they could now create the armor of the Remnant's stormtroopers.

But he was getting ahead of himself. Putting the factories to work once more was not as simple as flicking the power switch. That was why he needed military help.

"The droid control program," he murmured aloud, the jagged scars around his mouth puckering as he enunciated each word. In front of him lay two huge blast doors, entrances to the warren of manufacturing tunnels that lay beneath Hypori's rocky surface. Somewhere within that tangled labyrinth lay the droid control program that, in the right hands, could turn this world from near-worthless rock to thriving center of industry in an instant. But there was no telling what lurked in those endless warrens; none of the scout teams had returned, and neither sensors nor comms functioned well beneath so much dense rock. It was time for a more dramatic solution. It was time for military intervention.

The mission was clear, if not simple. Investigate the tunnels. Recover the droid control program. Eliminate any who dared oppose the Empire.

OOC - This will be a DMed thread. Any members of the Empire are welcome to join in; I'll tailor it to the amount of interest I get.

Travis Caalgen · Jul 13, 2017

[THEME]

The sleek black hull of Director Caalgen's Delta-class T-3c shuttlecraft, the INV Kestral, descended through the beige, dusty clouds of Hypori's atmosphere, followed by a handful of Imperial Sentinel-class landing crafts. They would proceed to land next to [member="Frevik Margos"]'s shuttle with some of the Sentinels beginning to have a solid platoon of stormtroopers debark each, others unloading already-crewed AT-ST squadrons from their massive cargo bays. Finally, the Kestral lowered it's boarding ramp and down strode Travis Caalgen of Advanced Weapons Research, followed by Reaper Regiment, the six most elite deathtroopers in all of special forces and his bodyguard unit.

The man would approach Frevik quickly, making sure that his heavy blaster pistol was secured to his hip under his white duster. "Mister Margos, consider your request for military intervention approved." He said, stopping just short of the business owner. Earlier, during the invasion of Hypori, the then-Remnant had secured one of the control cores but only for the droid army stationed there; All attempts to reactivate the underground foundries had been met with heavy resistance. But now, the Imperial military was determined to break through, even now a Warlord-class Destroyer/Carrier hung over the planet with even more forces in its hangar bays.

NT-6922 · Jul 13, 2017

"You heard the news, boys; it's time for some hazard pay!"
Natassia ordered her platoon out of the landing crafts, giving orders onto SQUAD-comm, dispatching her sergeants to secure the immediate environment.
"Remember the briefing; the only data we got is from the spooks, so be ready for anything. I want each point man to be extremely careful about this."

She gazed down at her wrist display, frowning at the inconvenience of an underground firefight. Still, they had come prepared, and so she patched in her radio to order the squad specialists to prefer flamethrowers to rocket launchers. Torching down hallways would prove efficient, should they need a quick getaway or a sudden rush to a certain location. Eventually, she approached [member="Travis Caalgen"] after giving a doubtful look toward the AT-STs, and saluted.
"Sir, the platoon is ready."

Tendra Daklan · Jul 13, 2017

A single Lambda-class shuttle lowered from the hangar of a Victory IV-class Star Destroyer, which loomed above the planet of Hypori. Descending with the rest of the Imperial forces, the craft touched down near the site of interest, which was said to be the secret to unlocking Hypori's potential. The Inquisitor visited many strange and mysterious places in his life, having been an archaeologist before discovering the force. The boarding ramp began to lower, mist spraying from the ship's hull as the airtight seal disengaged.

Walking down the plank, Inquisitor Garonnin looked down at his attire, making sure his armor and weaponry were secure before advancing. He hadn't bothered bringing any soldiers with him, figuring that what had already arrived on the surface would be more than enough. The large facility was most impressive, and Thetan could not resist running a hand over the gigantic blast doors, extending his presence in the force as to gauge the metallic surface.

Casting a glance over to [member="Frevik Margos"], the Inquisitor spoke. "How do we plan to get in?" If none of the scouts had ever returned, then there was something being done wrong. Perhaps something within already knew of their presence, and would be ready for them once they entered.

[member="Travis Caalgen"] [member="NT-6922"]

Jerun opress · Jul 13, 2017

As his star Courier landed on the planet, Jerun was uncertain if anything a value could belong on such a wretched planet. When the doors opened and the ramp extended he was confronted by mist that damped his red robes. Needless to say he wasn't happy to be on the planet and would much rather be somewhere fighting but a mission was a mission and the Empire needed him.

When Jerun reached the rest of the imperial forces he was happy to see a fellow Inquisitor in [member="Thetan"] and trained soldier like @NT-6922. He made his way over to [member="Frevik Margos"] if his scouts were dead or incapacitated that meant that something was in their that would surely attack them. It didn't really matter to him if something was in their or not because with the fire power that they had brought whatever was down their would stand no chance.

"[member="Frevik Margos"] is it possible that there are some rouge droids down there that attacked our people?"

Frevik Margos · Jul 13, 2017

Frevik smiled as he watched the Imperial shuttles descend. Director [member="Travis Caalgen"] certainly knew how to make an entrance.

There could be no half measures on a world like Hypori, a place of true and enduring strategic importance, and IMICOL's executive was pleased to see that the military had recognized it. He allowed his thin lips to curve into a tight smile as a full platoon's worth of stark white boots churned up the gravel and grit surrounding the facility entrance, the AT-STs behind them crushing chest-sized rocks to dust with each step. This was a formidable assault group, emblematic of the power of the Empire to bring order through overwhelming force. Whatever lay beneath them would be conquered through iron discipline and superior firepower.

Frevik glanced over the assembled troopers as they neared, noting the weapons they had chosen - flamethrowers, all the better for tunnel fighting. Frevik was no great tactical mind - it was why he served the Empire through logistics rather than leading the fight - but he could recognize that much. He also knew that Hypori's tunnels, many of which had once accommodated cargo trams and large Separatist vehicles, were tall and wide enough for the AT-STs to provide the group with a deadly armored core, though Frevik worried somewhat about their maneuverability. If they were forced to fall back, it would be challenging for the vehicles to turn around.

Better not to have to retreat at all, then, he resolved, checking his own sidearm.

"Thank you, Director," Frevik replied as Caalgen approached him, offering a formal half-bow. "I will ensure that your efforts are repaid tenfold." And he meant it. The stormtroopers arrayed here could be rearmed and rearmored in an hour if the full potential of Hypori were unlocked. But even as the businessman delivered his confident promise, he felt a chill sweep over him that had nothing to do with the planet's climate. An inquisitor had arrived, a force as terrifying and perhaps as deadly as the entire platoon. "My lord," Frevik murmured, offering another bow. "My technicians will be able to open the doors. They have done so before, but resealed them as a precaution."

Frevik fought to keep any pallor from his face as a second inquisitor stepped forward. "Rogue droids are certainly a possibility, my lord," he replied, "but we cannot be certain. Our sensors have been ineffective at determining the nature of the threat. There is too much interference." He swallowed hard. To have Director Caalgen's eyes on him was pressure enough, but now... Pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind, he steeled himself. Nothing of substance had changed. He intended to be successful regardless of who was watching. "Open the blast doors," he ordered, and half a dozen IMICOL technicians scrambled to obey.

[member="NT-6922"] | [member="Thetan"] | [member="Jerun opress"]

Dark Forces · Jul 13, 2017

The huge doors hissed open, releasing a wheeze of stale, metallic-tasting air. Beyond was utter darkness, at least for a moment. As the technicians continued to labor, weak, flickering lights spread slowly down the tunnel, revealing a long descent into the planet's festering gut. The tunnel was wide and tall, designed for machines rather than men, but for such a large force it still seemed claustrophobic. The atmosphere oozing out of it was oddly humid, a contrast to the dry plains above. Water pooled in cracks and gashes on the duracrete floor, and strange black and green moulds clung to the corners of durasteel beams. The glowpanels buzzed loudly, their light a sickly yellow.

Apart from the dripping of water from the ceiling and the hum of the lights, the tunnel was silent. Dirty bootprints were the only sign that Imperial scouts had ever passed this way. But there was a palpable sense of tension, an unease that set one's teeth on edge. As fresh air disturbed the tomb-like confines, fist-sized moths began to flutter around the lights, their primitive navigational abilities trying to guide them outside. Each flicker of silky wings was silent but tugged at the eye, a half-seen motion. And perhaps not all such movements were moths. Still, as the doors opened, the technicians' sensor array flashed. The powerful signal of the droid control program pointed this way.

NT-6922 · Jul 13, 2017

While she had remained there, waiting for further orders from her superior, Natassia gritted her teeth as not one, but two inquisitors arrived. She had to summon every inch of her willpower not to let out any obvious sign of her distaste for them, focusing on [member="Frevik Margos"] instead. In her eyes, he was slightly out of place here - but she knew from the teachings of a good Jedi friend that there was more to people than just what they appeared to be. Still, as he gave the order to open the doors, she patched into SQUADcomm. Her platoon was made of professionals - troopers whom she formed with her tactical experience, tempered in battle, coming out stronger and more reliable. She cared for them, and the fact that they were about to head into droid-infested ruins displeased her, for minimizing losses would prove quite hard in such an environment. Still, it was their duty, and they all knew the risks. But how much of them would come back? How much rounds would they raise in their next shore leave for those who would inevitably fool? She shook her head lightly, chasing the thoughts away from her head. It was pointless to worry about it now. All she could do was to make sure most of them would make it out in one piece, and succeeded in their mission.

"Squads Bravo and Echo, set up a firing position in case anything gets through these doors. If the droids are just waiting for us behind it, we'll lose the technicians. Alpha and Charlie, send us your specialists, just in case they pack something armored. Once the doors are open, if things are still clear, get in and secure the perimeter."
As she finished speaking, she brought her hand to her unorthodox blaster pistol, a modified DL-44; the simple fact of touching it comforted her greatly. It was unreliable, easy to "jam" (which meant it would simply refuse the current battery pack and need to be reloaded entirely again) and possessed troublesome recoil, but it saved her life on multiple occasions. After all, it was able to punch through anything she had come up against so far.
"Sir", she said as she turned toward Margos, "is the entirety of your personnel necessary for your expedition? If so, I'll need to break them up between my squads, which I need to know before we head inside."

As the doors opened, she bit her lip in anticipation, whispering under her breath. "Gods damned tomb is what it is." It was all so uninviting, like most abandoned places she had been to. Looking down at her helmet's display, eyeing her radar intensely, she swore under her breath; most contacts were too sketchy to be recognized by any automated friend-or-foe system.
"Bravo squad, you're on point. Switch to close-range weaponry; Echo squad, you'll be getting the middle-range gear. Alpha and Charlie, you get in after everyone else and cover the rear; I want you to carry the heavy ordnance."

[member="Travis Caalgen"] I [member="Thetan"] I [member="Jerun opress"]

Tendra Daklan · Jul 13, 2017

Thetan wished he had more information. The old man stepped back, his glare piercing through the darkness as the blast doors swung open. There were little to no signs of life within, even as the lights started to power on and illuminate the corridor. [member="Frevik Margos"] had explained the obvious, also confirming any suspicion he might have had. This was probably the only entrance to the droid control center, which was a shame, for whatever droids were below knew they were coming.

Inquisitor Garonnin looked back to the group that had gathered. A lieutenant, [member="NT-6922"], whose emotion flowed strongly. She held a great kinship with her fellow soldiers, though not as much with Inquisitors. [member="Jerun opress"]'s presence would give the descending team an even higher chance of survival, as their senses allowed them to foresee danger. If that wasn't enough, there was always the white armored fodder that surrounded them. Secretly, the old man hoped that [member="Travis Caalgen"] would join them, having never seen his Deathtroopers in action before.

Travis Caalgen · Jul 14, 2017

The Director stared in contained excitement when the hulking blast doors of the underground foundries were opened once more by the Imperial Mining Coalition. Ever since the the damned Rebellion had forced the government to prematurely begin operations in the Bothawui theater, forces had been diverted from the newly conquered reaches of Hypori and Caalgen's new charge, Scarif. He turned once more to watch as a stormtrooper lieutenant, female by the voice, dished out orders to the platoon under her command; Travis admired this sort of initiative, therefore he began tailoring the battle lines to fit what had already went on.

"I want an AT-ST squadron on the front and the rear, half a platoon on either side of them. The third platoon will form the center, and we'll leave the fourth here to guard the shuttles just in case some droids slip past." The military director began, exerting his authority as an equivalent to a high colonel. "Inquisitors [member="Thetan"] and [member="Jerun opress"] can take my deathtrooper squad up ahead and act as our vanguard. Officers in the middle with me!" And at this did [member="DT-5981"] stood forward, the squad leader as designated by his pauldron, giving a small nod of acknowledgement to the inquisitor duo.

[member="NT-6922"] | [member="Frevik Margos"]

Jerun opress · Jul 14, 2017

Jerun was more than excited when he saw the doors to the droid factory open. He felt at home in darkness as it made him embrace his connection to the dark side and fear. Whatever was in there waiting for them would be in for a deadly surprise, nothing could match the amount of fire power that they were bringing.

Jerun smiled when he was informed that there would be death troopers, he had never served with such skilled soldiers. He was happy when the director had assigned him and [member="Thetan"]to to lead the way into the factory. A Sith’s place was at the front of the battle using the force and their lightsaber to tear apart those who would oppose the Empire.

He entered the driod factory, but found the flight system to be unreliable and opted to use his lighsaber as well. He ignited his red lightsaber allowing him to see a little better even when the lights flickered. The saber cast a shadow of red across his face making his presence even more intimidating. He was happy to have [member="Thetan"] with him, two sith were much better than one. He couldn't lie that he was surprised when he heard that [member="Travis Caalgen"] was joining them seeing as though officers usally stayed in there command centers or on ships above the planet. His respect for other man grew as a result of his willingness to lead in battle.
"Remember everyone Peace is a lie. There is only Passion, and Through Passion you gain Strength."

Frevik Margos · Jul 14, 2017

Frevik had seen the tunnels open before. Each ill-fated mission to explore and map them, each doomed effort to locate and retrieve the droid control program, had begun with his go-ahead, and as such this was not the first force he had prepared to step through these doors - though it was certainly the best armed. Yet each time he felt the same chill in his bones, perhaps even deeper now that so many of his own personnel had failed to return. Over the varied years of his young life, from his time in Shiffrin's militias to the most competitive programs at the Baobab Merchant Marine Academy, he had learned to trust his instincts, and every fiber of his being distrusted these clammy halls.

But he had also learned to be ruthless in the pursuit of his goals. He took a deep, steadying breath. He would not be turned away.

One of the stormtroopers, her designation reading [member="NT-6922"], approached where he stood, and Frevik listened to her advice with a thoughtful nod. "You raise a good point, Lieutenant," he replied. "We will need at least one of my technicians to activate the droid control program, though more will do the job more efficiently. I will assign one to each of your squads and trust in your protection." The mining CEO had much to separate him from a junior military officer, but he respected her contribution; each had vital skills, and as such the Empire needed the likes of both of them in order to flourish. He gestured quickly, and four of the hazard-suited techs separated out to join their escorts.

With characteristic efficiency and charisma, Director [member="Travis Caalgen"] moved the remainder of the company into place. The AT-STs clanked and clattered, adjusting to the dim conditions and limited movement conditions they would soon operate under, as the Death Trooper vanguard and its attendant inquisitors prepared to lead. Frevik thumbed his sidearm, checking the power pack for the twelfth time in as many minutes. He had not inconsiderable combat experience, but it had been some time since he had been in such a situation. Still, his own knowledge of how to activate Hypori's inner workings might prove valuable, especially if the technicians did not survive.

The crimson glow of an inquisitor's lightsaber illuminated their path, his words echoing between the ancient durasteel walls...

[member="Jerun opress"] | [member="Thetan"]

Dark Forces · Jul 14, 2017

The Imperial column descended like a celestial army through the gates of hell, the flickering lights reflected from polished white armor and the hulls of the AT-STs. Almost immediately the stench intensified, though the helmets of the stormtroopers at least filtered it. The tunnels reeked of rust and mildew, but there was an undercurrent of something else, something that felt almost sticky in the throat and nostrils. The tunnel descended at a punishing rate, forcing the AT-ST pilots to use great care as they set the vehicles' feet down on the slick and often cracked slope. Only two hundred meters inside, the weight of the rock above already seemed to press down on the soldiers.

Four hundred meters in, a thin, wispy mist began to swirl around the troopers' boots. It only thickened with each step they took, reducing visibility to only a few meters ahead. Phantom life form readings and heat signatures danced across helmet sensors and vehicle scopes, spectres in the rising fog. And as the mist grew more and more solid, that strange, sticky smell swelled in intensity. Half a klick in, the entrance was far from sight. Only the weak illumination from further up the tunnel hinted that the soldiers had ever seen daylight. But finally the downward slope leveled out, and the tunnel broadened into a wide junction. Three separate paths branched away.

In the center of the junction, sprawled in a tangle of limbs, lay five technicians in IMICOL hazard suits. Blood oozed sluggishly from ruptures in the protective clothing, and every so often the white of shattered bone poked through. There were no blaster burns, no vibroblade cuts, no teeth or claw marks. Something had simply pulped each of them, as if squeezing a ripe fruit. The shattered remains of their droid escort were scattered further around, with some components missing, torn free by inhuman fingers. In the IMICOL executive's hand, the signal tracker beeped weakly. The central path, descending even further, led to the droid control program.

Tendra Daklan · Jul 16, 2017

Something wasn't right. As the large group entered the tunnels and began to descend, a thick fog could be seen ahead, even worse was the stench that seemed to come with it. The force came to the Inquisitor's aid, as he started to control his breathing, limiting the amount of air he required to take in during his breaths. Something viral and deadly in the air was a possibility, and the old man figured the force technique would only help so much.

Soon, the bodies came into sight, a puddle of blood having gathered beneath them. Though it didn't appear as if they were attacked physically, it was more than likely that something had done this to them. Crouching down to examine the deceased scientists, Inquisitor Garonnin would attempt to look for any clues upon them, before directing his attention to the pathways ahead. While the central path seemed to be where they needed to go, perhaps there were survivors elsewhere.

[member="Frevik Margos"] [member="Jerun opress"] [member="Travis Caalgen"] [member="NT-6922"]

Graf's Archive Account · Jul 22, 2017

Already the most skilled variant of the common stormtroopers, the death trooper squad's ranks were further bolstered by the addition of two fully-realized Imperial Inquisitors; trained in the Dark Side of the Force and equipped with abilities that the elite special forces unit could only dream of. They would've been the first to encounter the slaughtered IMICOL technicians, with DT-5981 crouching down to investigate the technicians. No scorch marks, no stab or slug wounds, it looked to be something purely kinetic that killed these men, but the death trooper needed a second opinion, calling up the squad's weapons expert.

"Sonic." DT-5981 said, his helmet scrambling the word.

"Sonic." DT-4599 agreed, nodding to his officer.

At that moment, it seemed as though the mission had just gotten magnitudes more difficult. DT-5981 turned to Director Caalgen, who was listening to the conversation, having heard and understood what his troopers had said even through the scrambler. "Keep center, in a place like this; only an idiot would split their forces up! FLANKGUARD! Keep watch in case anything comes from behind, those two corridors definitely lead somewhere." Caalgen would bark.

[member="NT-6922"] | [member="Frevik Margos"]

Jez Palabor · Jul 23, 2017

Having arrived a day early for the mission, as she was excited to finally be included in one, Jez started to sense something. Hearing the deathtroopers running towards her, she hid behind a rock as fast as she could. She didn't know what they wanted, besides the droid control center. All of a sudden, something seemed off. Sniffing the air, Jez got a whiff of the stench. It had smelled like rotten fish mixed with the scent of mist. Hoping that it wouldn't do anything bad to her, she sat and waited. She didn't care if they found her, no one would be able to know it was her until they questioned her. But, if it came down to that, Jez didn't think that she would be able to handle it.

Hours earlier, Jez had waited for troops to arrive to assist her. As they had walked in she came out and shouted, "Finally! Where have you guys been?" They responded by walking up to her and asked, "Who are you?" "I'm.. Jez Palabor, you know, the new Inquisitor trainee." Their only response was a nod as they remembered. Soon, rogue droids had started to show up. As the troopers were preparing to attack, Jez butted in. "I can handle them by myself, I think." This did not please, and prompted one to retort with, "You're just an acolyte of the Inquisitors, you haven't been taught yet! You can do nothing!" He had shouted in her face. This did not sit well with Jez, and she first destroyed the droids before heading towards what she really wanted to fight. Completely pissed off now, she then used as much of the force that she knew to defeat each and every trooper. They had no time to fight back as she had somehow held all of them with the force, even though there were only about 5 of them. Having calmed down, she started freaking out hoping no one knew what she did.

After the Death Troopers had entered, she thought back to what happened earlier. She felt bad about it, but as long as she wasn't caught it would be okay. She never even knew she could do that, and she had gotten so out of control. *I hope someone can teach me soon in the ways of the force so that something like that doesn't happen again. Then I could know what I'm doing.* Jez thought, gulping and holding her breath as they got closer to her.

[member="DT-5981"]

[Galactic Empire] Ghosts Among The Cogs

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