Gods and Faith [Darth Legion's Claim to Dubrillion]

[Zambrano the Starweird]

In the eyes of Bo Rapuung...

Dubrillion, the Living Palace​

​

Bo Rapuung, the indisputed ruler of Dubrillion, his most Extolled Warlordship, sat upon his living Throne, grooming a beast within his lap. Yuuzhan Vong servants and warriors walked in and out of the palace, separated by caste, though the Warriors were made sure to pay their respects to the Extolled servant class, least their Warlord kill them.

Much had changed over the past 400 years in the culture of the Yuuzhan Vong, especially upon worlds like Dubrillion. After years of underground fighting tactics and rebellion, finally they were once again in a position of power and strength within the Primeval, and nothing.... nothing, was ever going to rip that control from them again.

Not from the Yuuzhan Vong anyway, some day after all, Bo Rapuung would die. A successor or a replacement would have to be selected in order to continue on the legacy of ruling Dubrillion.

Who that might be, however, may surprise them.

"<Kruffle salivates in hunger, fetch him something to hunt! I wish for entertainment, do you not all wish for it as well?>" The Warlord spoke in his tongue to the others who freely walked within his Throne Room, made various grunts and nods of approvement, seeking for a small thrill to light up their rather dull morning. This level of comfortability had not set into the other Yuuzhan Vong, far more accustomed to planning the next attack or raid. No all they had to do was enforce... and it was almost too easy for them.

Some random beast was released from a cage, and "Kruffle" leapt from Bo Rapuung's lap to chase after it, knocking over residents, tables, drinks, and other such things in the process, and the enormous Warlord laughed in amusement, having no clue of what was coming.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

As the beast pursued its prey, another Hunter had found his mark and had made his move to pursue it. With everyone distracted by the mildly amusing show, a Force was moving on the Palace. If the Vong weren't Force Dead, they'd have seen it coming, but alas that was not the case. A slow wind began to stir in the center of the room, it grew in size and speed, as if a tornado was starting to form inside the palace.

The air became lit with an erey green aura, leaves began to swirl, yet there were no trees within the walls. As the wind speed increased, so to did the light, when all at once, a bright flash errupted in the halls, and when the light faded, there stood a black hooded man with his face wrapped in cloth. As the beast ran by, a staff slammed down, crushing the creatures back and killing it. Flowing around the head of the man, were three ghostly skulls of green, each of them gazing eyelessly at the Warlord who resided in his thrown. Without any movement from the black hooded man, words filled the room, as if the voice of universe itself spoke.

"We have come to take what is Ours...You will leave or die...This is Our only warning..."

The robed man, Talos slowly walked forwards, the skulls raced towards Bo, but before they could reach him, fangs showing in their skeletal jaw, they were pulled back into the outstretched hand of Talos.

"We are the Legion of Talos...We reside here in the Temple...And you are in Our way to holding this sector for the Legion..." This time the words were clearly coming from the wrapped face of Talos, but still there were more than one voice speaking.

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

An un-amused smile transfixed the face of the Yuuzhan Vong Warlord, who sat idly in his seat of power, as his black pupil-less eyes betrayed his surprise of an intruder within his living domain. A flash of anger filled his the features of his upturned mouth as the "Legion of Talos" slammed down his staff and ended the life of Kruffle. What his eyes once betrayed as surprise, now betrayed hatred.

From an omniscient perspective, it would seem that the Legion of Talos made a wrong choice in confronting the Yuuzhan Vong through force, given that he would easily have believed him to be something god-like... but more importantly, as a "Jedi". If he believed him to be a "Jedi" (Sith Lords, Witches, Dark Jedi, etc.), he'd probably have grovelled after enough time.

But no, he killed his pet and demanded he surrender his seat of power. At this point, he couldn't care less if the historic Darth Vader had been resurrected as a Yuuzhan Vong/Sith Alchemized Zombie genetically spliced with a Leviathan on Super-Saiyan-Steroids, he wanted this man who dared challenge his power to die.

With deliberate slowness, the Warlord pushed against his armrests leaning forward, as he rose from his Throne, draped in some organism that served as a cape of some kind, probably related to an ooglith masquer. It took between five and ten seconds for him to ascend to his full height, almost a half meter taller than his challenger, and 100% genetically superior muscle and augmentation... save for his purposely sabotaged biots to serve his vanity as an Extolled.

With a heavy Yuuzhan Vong accent, and a pointed finger, the behemothian man spoke to the "God of Dubrillion" as a pet.

"You are stupid. Stupid is bad. Bad is punished. I will teach you, to know your place, fool." The words were simple, but clear, and no other words would need exchanging. His massive rippling arms reached out to the sides, offering him the first shot if he should take it.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

Talos nodded, took a stoiclly offensive stance and grabbed the dead creature and threw it at the Vong. Size was no matter to Talos, he'd taken out AT-ATs before and they would squash this Vong like the beast who now flew through the air. Twirling his staff, he imbued it with the Force, glowing blue with its power, he awaited the beast the reach his target before stepping out of existence and in again beside the Vong. The swing from the hooded man was like that of a ball player clobbering a walk off in the ninth inning.

His strength alone wasn't entirely impressive, but the added Force in the Staff would connect like a sonic weapon to the ribs. If the staff connected like it should, the Vong, even of his size, would surely be moved from his feet, Forcedead or not, he'd feel that in the morning. Sequentially, Talos would reach out for the air around the left arm of the Vong and rapidly excite the particles in the air until they exploded. Hopefully that would separate the limb from its vile home.

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

A few pounds of once-loved flesh was tossed through the air, as his cape fell to the floor, revealing the rippling muscles underneath just as it made impact to his chest, where one arm grasped upon the animal corpse and tore it from his proximity into a nearby wall, unmoved by its velocity given his superior mass. Blindingly, the Legion appeared beside him with a glowing staff, and his superior senses pumped adrenaline into his blood to react to the stimuli he received as the attack was initiated.

Almost immediately, a short burst of blood spattered from his forearms, as enormous living blades cut through his own flesh and surfaced in their full glory, fighting claws were unleashed from either arm. His face exploded into a contorted, vicious, animalistic, pain-filled, rageful roar with spittle flying from his sharpened fangs as his right clawed arm swung down and outwards to parry the staff to the side. If not for the staff's imbuement, the claw likely would have sliced directly through it. In a burst of aggressive speed, his left arm lunged for his aggressors face, leaving absolutely no time for any focused attacks beyond his melee engagement.

Since agility and stamina ailed him, he relied heavily on his sheer power and speed to overwhelm his opponents with a flurry of powerful strikes, lunges, and charges, which is why as soon as the staff was parried, his right arm went immediately to lunge for his ribs as his calves bulged in propelling his full weight forward into his target, so as to puncture both his head, as well as his torso at the same time... goring him in a bull-like charge.

In short, he was relatively unphased by the animal carcass, parried the staff with his right fighting claw, and immediately lunged both claws to puncture through Telos' head and torso before anything else could occur.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

Talos felt the air shift from the speed of the Vong's movement. It was surprising, but not definite. Talos stepped back and out of the dimension, the hands not far from his face and chest would follow through the portal, but would likely be ripped off as the portal collapsed as soon as Talos stopped his move. He dodged instinctively in case the hands did follow, their blood blades wouldn't help Talos claim his title. Leaping back from his dimension step, which was now at the base of the thrown steps, a ball of fire launched from the wrapped hand at the Vong's position. Bugs burned just like anything else.

"We hope you learn quick Vong...As the lesson will be over shortly...Then your thrown will be mine..."

Talos readied his staff, angling it towards Bo and planted his feet. He focused on Force, drew it in and waited to release its energy into his next strike.

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

His target vanished and with it the edges of his Talons, blood splattered as parts of his flesh followed the Legion, and the Yuuzhan Vong Warlord roared in rage as he charged through nothing. It took a second for him to bring himself to a full stop, and as he did so a burst of fire launched from his enemies hands. His ears flickered as he heard the sizzling moments before it launched, and although he reacted in time, his body was not meant to move in the manner he wanted it to.

As he attempted to sidestep, his massive body was too much to move so quickly to dodge the biting flames, and he regretted dropping his cape at the foot of the Throne. The burning flames ate at the flesh on his back, and he roared with bared teeth at his enemies, as he lunged forward again into a full on sprint. His blades extended to make up for what had been lost, and took on more of a whip like versatility.

As the staff was leveled, his left arm swung upward and around, to deflect it, as well as to wrap around it. Meanwhile as his fighting claw hopefully locked his staff into his control, his right arm slashed diagonally across his combatants torso, before following up with a second slash across the midsection.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

Talos felt the speed as the air shifted slightly with each footfall of the large Vong. Where the claws had been ripped from their homes, a pair of whip blades grew in their stead. Tightening his grip, Talos prepared for the next attack, he was able to predict the attack enough to lean into it. When the whip grabbed the staff, Talos didn't release it, he followed it.

The Vong should have no trouble heaving the extra weight around. The arc would launch Talos up and over the shoulder of his opponent, his staff somewhere to the side. Talos flipped safely and rolled to a crouch. The secondary slashes would either miss or need to be redirected. Talos would continue to hold the energy he'd gathered, since conventional tactics didn't work on Vong, he'd need to find his opening. Using his abilities too much would wear him down and make him vulnerable.

While the Vong would surely correct his position Talos reached out for the Staff across the room, slowly pulling it his way. Once the opportunity presented itself, he'd act upon the motion.

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

The sound of a clattering staff and the footfall of boots upon the ground, indicated that Bo Rapuung's slashes did not hit their mark. The whip like feature of his left toughened and returned to its nature as a blade. Heaving now, snarling in rage at the failure of his rapid clashing thus far, and the elusive nature of his target, almost red furious eyes whipped around to glare at the Legion.

His whole body began to turn now with his head, his calves bulged as the first step was taken, then the second, each one successively faster and stronger than the last. A slow build up of speed and momentum, and the humongous Vong rose in volume with his charge, the prongs of his blade crossed over his chest in a defensive position.

"STAY!" His booming voice reverberating off of the walls as he issued his command, before suddenly his legs propelled him into the air, and his crossed blades parted as they prepared for two vertical slashes meant to delimb his opponent upon landing on top of him. He would not be able to stay the course of this combat for long, thus he prefered a strategy to eliminate his target immediately. This was as close as he could manage right now.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

Talos had spent many months meditating with the Echoes and with the Force, drawing in all of the knowledge he could afford, build his talents and strengthen his connection to the Force. With this long arduous training regiment, he had developed the ability to utilize a very dangerous, yet powerful skill. With it came as many risks as rewards, loss of life being the most obvious. He had spent the last few moments gathering energy inside himself, building pressure and power as the Vong fought on in the seemingly one sided match.

When the Vong made his attack, Talos yanked the staff with the Force straight on an intercept course with the blood blades. This was a ruse of course, because he was sure the Vong would attempt some kind of block out of reflex. This would allow a small window of time where his chest was unprotected and THAT would be the moment Talos would strike.

As soon as Bo would defelct, Talos would release the built up energy through the palm of an outstretched hand. The energy was powerful enough to vaporize his enemy.* It was a last ditch effort to eliminate his enemy. If it failed to kill, he'd be far too exhausted to continue.

*Force Destruction

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

With a harrowing impact, the full weight of the Vong crashed his biot blades into a staff that intercepted them before he could destroy his target. Roaring and heaving in a loss of endurance, he pulled a blade off of the staff bringing it back before lunging it forward over the staff to stab his target's face. The duel though, was lasting too long, his muscles burned in agony, and the burns on his back pounded with his rushing blood.

Bo Rapuung hadn't even realized yet how exhuasted he would be as he made his attempt to attack, prior to being blasted backwards as pressurized energy began to pull the particles within his light mobile armor and chest were turned into a gaseous state or otherwise pulverized into liquidized flesh. Black ripples tore through his muscular torso and ripped open his cheeks as his black muscles were exposed to the air, revealing black stained ribs beneath.

He fell backwards onto his burned back and attempted to roar, but had no wind to force through his throat. There was a moment of dizzying unthought, where the Yuuzhan Vong could hardly understand what was going on. His black beady eyes searched the living breathing ceiling and tried to breath. Desperate now, in a furrowed enraged face, he slammed his torn arms into the ground and forced his head up even against the protest of his grievous wounds. Being outside the force, the destructive energy did not have the same vaporizing effect on him, and also due to his mass it all saved him from being brought immediately to the doors of death. He hacked up black blood from his lips, and wiped it away from his chin with his arm as his vision narrowed into a black bull rage to his target.

"<AMPHISTAFF!>" His voice boomed, as his adrenaline returned to him enough to send him on one last stand. A servant sent the deadly serpent through the air where his arms voraciouslyy retrieved it. Immediately its poison was projected across the room. A black pool of his fluids drenched the spot where he now kneeled from, his wounds no laughing matter, but his resolve not just yet destroyed.

He loathed the use of ranged combat, but his energies for close quarter combat in his condition was dissolved. As the Warlord, it was by his honor that he must destroy his enemy by any means necessary, even if those means appeared to him to be dishonorable in nature. It had to be done.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

Within the depths of Talos' soul, the fire that kept him moving was dimming, the physical might of the creature before him was outweighing his power within the Force. It seemed at all odds he would fall here. Until...His opponent changed tactics, it had been enough, his last Attack had forced him to alter his style of combat from close range to long. Good, keep the distance, give him time to react and counter. This realization relit the fire inside. It was time to finish this.

With much pain and effort on his part, Talos struggled to stand while Bo retreated and grabbed an amphistaff. The venom that was launched across the room landed with a hiss onto the floor as Talos jumped out of the way. Staff venom was not something he wanted to experience personally, he'd seen what it did to men in combat, which was one reason Talos loathed the Vong so much. They were brutish, vile creatures with distorted views on the Galaxy like slavery and oppression, points of which Darth Legion found repulsive.

Gathe what strength he could, he summoned the remains of the broken staff he carried into this fight. With Bo appearing so viciously damaged, the staff surely was in pieces. A stake in each hand, Talos readied himself to unleash what he could to keep Bo occupied. Throwing a few fireballs his way to keep him moving or back pedaling, Talos closed the gap and concentrated on the movements the Vong made. He began to see his opponent move before real time acctually occured. Fighting Sight, a technique taught to him by the Aang-tii, allowed momentary precognition during a fight, giving him the ability to predict what his opponent would do and react almost as it happened.

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

Unfortunately for the Legion, he could only image where the Yuuzhan Vong might go, as being outside of the force he was not subject to the predictions of the force. If the Legion had experience in vong-sense however, which prevented the use of sensing with the force, they might have been able to predict where he would move depending on the movement of the air around him. Such though, was most likely beyond the powers of any force user short of a one on the cusp of Masterdom.

More fire flew across the room towards the Yuuzhan Vong, and he reacted by turning his Amphistaff into a whip, and swung the serpent-like creature in front of him to strike the flames and dissipate the burning orbs as they came. Shards of flame and sparks smattered the Yuuzhan Vong in his stationary position, burning some of his wounds. Gritting his bloody teeth in rage, the Warlord began to take steps forward as he slashed through the last orb of flames. Some of his blood on the ground lit on fire from the attack, and emitted an awful rotten stink. The Warlord coughed up more blood, and his walk was slow with a limp.

"You've few tricks left, 'Jeedai', then I will end you for mocking your culture in betraying me!" With that, he whipped his Amphistaff as Legion in the hopes of being in distance, as it unleashed another volley of poison, spraying the toxin as it sailed through the air.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]

Talos interacted with the movements of the Vong, it was slowly walking forward, his movements hindered by a body full of burns and blood. That should help Talos take him down. With stakes in hand, and acid flying through the air, it was imperative that the distance be closed. Saving thethe last bits of energy he had left, Talos ducked under the spray of the Amphistaff and kept pressing forward.

With a tight fist, he held one stake like a dagger, the other left his hand at speed , aimed for the throat of his opponent. He dive-rolled forward and after he rose, he stabbed at the throat of the decrepid Vong before him, but...he would not be in front of Bo. Just when he would have been blocked by the Vong and his staff, he hand would be thrusting towards the base of the skull.

 

[Zambrano the Starweird]

In moments, Bo's target would charge at him, and thinking him foolish, smiled with a wolfish grin. His Fighting Fangs still out, his left arm sprung into action to slice through and decapitate his target, while his whip-like Amphistaff would become rigid as he attempted to spire him, when it would bite, lethally paralyzing him with its venom. Roaring in something that sound close to laughter, his mind was unable to process what was happening before him. As his blade like fang soured through the air, the head it was supposed to separate from its place upon his targets shoulders, vanished... and his spear bit at empty air.

"Gaagk..." Black liquid spurted out of his mouth, as the dagger struck home into the base of his neck. "Ugk..." Still standing, he appeared some what paralyzed with surprise, as blood trickled down his neck. His black orbs narrowed and his arms twitched as they attempted to react, but the mind couldn't send the signals properly. "Akk..." More liquid poured out of him, but he did not drop his weapons, and refused to fall.

"I'llk... illk... you...." The last syllable sputtered indefinitely through the liquids in his throat, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, before the liquids began to suffocate him. Finally, he passed out standing, and began to fall over... waiting for his brain to die from a lack of oxygen, and his rapid heart beat to finally cease. His beaten corpse, still held within his hand that ever so loyal Amphistaff, would remain in its stiff nature, unyielding in its dedication to its master.

The congregated vong watched in seething anger, waiting to see what the victor would say, having conquered their Warlord.

[member="Darth Legion"]

 

[Talos Rygat]

With all his energy expended, Talos collapsed to a knee as the Vong warlord sputtered his final words through the black blood that draped the stake that was embedded through his throat.

Onlookers of Vong awaited the next move, would they challenge him, or obey? Either way, Talos keyed a button on his commlink and dropships descended all around the palace. One thousand Sephi dressed in archaic robes, wielding swords and rifles disembarked from the belly of the dropships onto the palace grounds. They gathered the Vong all in the court yard.

Beside Talos appeared four immaculately robed Sephi, they gathered Talos and escorted him to an over watch of the courtyard. There, his Legion stood around the gathered Vong. With pain in each syllable, Talos addressed them all.

"Your lord Bo Rapuung has been defeated...He fell by Our hands...You will either Join or Die..." With that, the Legion of Talos steadied their rifles on the crowd, not actively aiming, but ready in either case.

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]