I am wrath. I am steel.

[Darth Eversor]

Anaxes​

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The forge of oblivion; a hammer falls.​

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The armor of those that will one day bring out a new dawn.​

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Let the hammer fall once more, onto the forge of oblivion.​

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Sparks spill out across the galaxy, the arms of knights rise.​

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From the forge shall come the might of few.​

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From the forge, the helms of tomorrow are made.​

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From the forge, a new future is made strong.​

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Things were finally falling into place for this plan that [member="Hans Vaiden"] had in mind. Abraxas could only stare in wonder at this marvel of weaponry. It truly seemed that a new dawn was arising over all planets in the known galaxy as these monstrous suits of armor were assembled and aligned for future use. The creation walked around the factory only to notice that one other thing was in the process of being made.

Swords? They looked rather large in size too. Abraxas typically didn't feel when it came to most things, hell, he didn't feel at all. But when it was something like this, it was as if he were a child walking into a candy store. His curiosity went wild and he scanned nearly anything he saw, nearly burning out his processor-like brain with all the information he was absorbing.

But after all, it was time to get to work. Mr. Vaiden expected a detailed report of how things were coming along, and it would be unacceptable for this to turn into a failed mess.

Abraxas put his hands behind his back and continued to observe the construction that would hopefully and possibly be the weapon that could change the history of the stars forevermore. These Dark Troopers, they would be the true might of the Empire. They would be the mercy of angels; merciless to those that dare oppose them. They would be wrath incarnate.

And they shall know no fear.

 

[Hans Vaiden]

They were wrath.​

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They were steel.​

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They were the mercy of angels.​

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They were the chosen ones, to cleanse this galaxy of war and strife.​

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They were the strong, the ultimate.​

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They were absolute in their loyalty.​

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They were unhesitating in their duties.​

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They were harbingers.​

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With his own hands clasped behind the small of his back, Hans stood silently near Abraxas. Piercing, cold eyes skimmed to and fro across the marvel that his team of engineers, scientists, medical specialists, and technical personnel had constructed. Each detail had been given an insurmountable amount of attention and everything was as precise as the blade of a freshly sharpened sword. Three sets of the hulking suits of dura-armor plating hung from the ceiling in the testing facility. Each set displayed their respectable traits of the whole armor.

The first suit was the first stage of development, a rather flimsy looking contraption that appeared to be something akin to an exoskeleton. Wires and cords hung about, no doubt intended to quite literally plug into its wearer. Other sensory and cybernetical devices clung to its interior along with a comfortable, flexible mesh of armorweave for superior bodily comfort and last-line defense should anything manage to pierce through the first two layers.

Sigmund also seemed impressed with the armor, taking a keen interest by pacing back and forth on metallic supports. "Query: This looks heavy, master. How shall your men be able to even stand up straight in these things? You organics are fairly flimsy things, master." The droid cocked a seemingly frightful glance towards the Commodore, "No offense, master. You are the one and only organic that could complete such feats - him too." Sigmund pulled a mechanical hand away from his rifle to briefly point at the Sith abomination behind Hans.

"You'll see, Sigmund. I've made sure that these men and women will be able to effectively survive and operate within these things. I even used some of my own personal funds to pursue this endeavor." The Commodore pulled his hands away and jammed them nonchalantly into his pockets, fishing for a datapad. "Here, Abraxas. These are most of the important details." Hans handed the monster his datapad and stepped backwards to occupy his flank, being dwarfed by a monstrous shadow.

"Is there anything that sticks out to you? A weakness perhaps?"

[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Abraxas was lost in the moment as he watched a massive vibrosword take shape before his very eyes. But something peculiar was being engraved onto the flat of said blades; "Your death is my life." The work of these human beings was owning up to be far more than the monstrosity had anticipated. Even the face of the helmets that were being made had quite the grim and intimidating features bestowed upon them. This truly wad a feat for both science and technology. Massive pauldrons were stamped and decorated with designs that Abraxas had never seen the likes of before - by the looks of it, they would determine what respective divisions they would belong to.

Everything right down to the hulking gauntlets only promoted the idea that humans were capable of spectacular feats in the creation's mind. This all made him feel a new emotion as well; inferiority. These new creations would certainly out measure Abraxas' own limitations and skill-sets, and he didn't particularly find the idea of being a lesser to be too pleasing.

This was only a new challenge to overcome, however. And challenges were always welcomed.

Abraxas' attention was finally caught by the yapping of what sounded to be a droid; turning around, the creation's hunch was correct. He even received a complement from it too - an acceptable form of commentary, he supposed. Being approached by [member="Hans Vaiden"], Abraxas was handed a datapad regarding the possible drawbacks in the creation of the armor - everything seemed almost flawless except for the fact that such a massive suit of protection would surely be susceptible to high caliber weaponry, among other things.

"You should understand, Mr. Vaiden, that anything ranging from Armor Piercing, Anti-Tank, and Ion weaponry will be detrimental if not fatal to these Dark Troopers in the midst of battle. There is nothing further that I can logically suggest without starting from scratch. Otherwise, the design is something I can agree on and am content with. What are your thoughts?"

Abraxas stared silently at the droid that accompanied the Imperial. He may have been composed of steel, but the one thing colder than metal was the creation's soulless gaze.

 

[Hans Vaiden]

The Commodore nodded as his tactical expert and constant companion detailed the flaws and weaknesses of this armor system. Of course it was vulnerable to heavy weaponry in regards to anti-tank and armor piercing rounds, but it was hard to find a conventional army that operated entirely off of slugthrowers. Some old planetary governments utilized such outdated weaponry but most armies had converted to plasma and blasters, mainly because of the lower cost and higher accuracy as opposed to a slug that would drop.

"I understand that, Abraxas, but fortifying these things any more would turn them into walkers. I don't exactly need any more AT-STs or AT-ATs. I need a mobile, flexible fighting force of shock troopers to ensure Imperial dominance and strike fear into the hearts of our foes." He pointed a finger at one of the plating visuals on the screen before noting it on the actual prototype. "And those cybernetic connections via neural link are there to enhance reaction times and allow the wearer to better operate within the armor system. While the whole thing is somewhat vulnerable to ion and EMP weapons, there's a noticeable weak spot in the back."

The screen's visual rotated to show the back of the armor, with a small bulge fitted squarely between the shoulder blades. "This small module houses most of the primary electric systems for the suit. The whole electronic subsystems and routines are based off of the Zero-G Assault Trooper armor, typically referred to as the Spacetrooper's armor. It's in sync with the wearer's bodily electrical functions to help keep the suit powered indefinitely, but that's where the weakness comes into play as an occasional critical injury could result in complete termination."

Hans kept pointed things out for the interior of the armor. The next detail was the leg armor, which housed other electronics. "And like your typical Stormtrooper armor, auxiliary power cells are housed near the left kneecap to kick in should anything like ion weaponry or EMP come into contact with it. These power cells will kick in around five seconds after initial discharge to keep the Dark Trooper going."

[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Despite all efforts weakness was bound to remain. All things had a weakness, even if these Dark Troopers were by all definitions walking tanks. The creation thought for a moment as [member="Hans Vaiden"] pointed out the fact that these so called shock troopers couldn't take on anymore plating or else they may as well be stationary slaughterhouses. Abraxas figured that placing a small layer over the housing of the module should solve most problems, or perhaps save the Dark Troopers from sneak attacks or those with the understanding that removing said module would result in the suit's failure to function properly.

"I suggest altering the helmet to extend their senses beyond what you have in mind. Perhaps since they are to be whole with their armor, they can also process and use a combat system built within their headgear. Audio-filters, targeting reticules, and perhaps even range finders. You would also do well to consider tactical display along with a defense against toxins."

Abraxas looked to Hans.

"My calculations deem it a possibility albeit not one-hundred percent fail-proof to implement an internal oxygen supply. That is if there is enough room on or within the suit to fit a device allowing such."

The creation took a moment to think a bit more about these Dark Troopers; they would obviously be hulking figures that surely might require a substantial amount of nutrition and maintenance. Then another idea came to mind.

"The suit should be interfaced with a nutrient reservoir. It would be self-replenishing and would store a proper liquid diet to uphold a healthy metabolism. This could ease the cost of needing to have them stop and rest. As for their leg armor, I would recommend a gyroscopic stabilizer in the event they find themselves in a zero-gravity environment. Magnetize their soles, essentially. As for the module, can we not simply find another means of protecting it?"

All else seemed to be in order. It was only time to see if the two gentlemen - rather, the Imperial and the monster could come to terms and agree with what they both had in mind.

 

[Hans Vaiden]

The Commodore was intrigued by this thing's thinking. Hans had been entirely too focused on the suit itself along with much higher grade technology considered into it. His measures and designs were set in place to help sustain the armor and keep the wearer alive within it, to protect them from all external harm. However, Abraxas surprised him by showing concern for the nourishment and well-being of the wearer's themselves. His suggestions were highly thoughtful and noteworthy, Hans had to admit.

"I'm sure all of things can be implemented, Abraxas. Especially those gyroscopic stabilizers seeing as they are regularly implemented into droid and walker technology. I suggest placing one near the chest cavity or abdomen to help center their balance rather than simply keeping their legs in place." The officer cocked a glance over to Sigmund, who happened to be taking interest in the current topic by lifting one leg and balancing on the other.

"Approval: That is a very wise decision, master. These really do work."

And then they were on to the nutrient reservoir and the internal oxygen supply. The latter device was a common object in higher end armor and environmental suits so one of those wouldn't be hard to install, but the air supply would be extremely limited.

"The nutrient reservoir is extremely possible. As for the oxygen supply, that is a possible installation idea but I assume the supply will be fairly limited. In spite of this, I suggest an oxygen filtration device to be implemented into the helmet to ensure clean, fresh air reaches the wearer, along with protection from airborne toxins and gases." Commodore Vaiden tapped a finger to his chin. "Actually, I'm sure all of these suggestions could be installed into the helmet module."

[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Abraxas gave a nod to [member="Hans Vaiden"]. He kept getting distracted by the rather spastic droid, though. A strange creation albeit possibly defective to some degree. The creation hadn't any clue why the Imperial kept him around; was the commodore getting lonely? Abraxas wasn't too skilled at picking up on such detailed emotions since they didn't matter to him in the first place. The only reasoning the monstrosity had was that of cold calculation and mathematical depth. The care of the armor's wearers was only to prolong the possibility of carrying out objectives and killing the enemy.

This new line of mass-destruction would surely have to be guarded well with both secrecy and a solid mind. One clean of corruption and without the tendency to fall through. If these Dark Troopers were to get into the wrong hands, then the galaxy may have a new threat to worry about - they were a threat regardless of alignment, however. But with all these features going into the suits, it was a wonder whether or not the individuals wearing them could practically live inside them most the time.

Abraxas understood these creations would probably not be likened to your average citizens or military personnel. They might even be steered away entirely from public interactions since they were practically more of a monstrosity than Sylvanan's creation himself.

"Exceptional input, Mr.Vaiden. But for now, I'm confident that the suits will be more than enough in their current design. But tell me, what are your expectations for their future? Will we choose to dominate or defend? Will you decide it a grand idea to seize territories and claim planets? Or will you have them be the protectors of the Empire?"

Corruption lay within all men's hearts. Abraxas knew this and was incapable of it in a strange way, yet he was curious if Mr.Vaiden's heart would be swayed with all these new found power.

 

[Hans Vaiden]

In all honesty, Hans did get lonely. When a man entered Imperial military service as an officer and quickly ascended the ranks to a command-level position, it was almost impossible to have friends in either subordinate ranks or superior ones. If you befriended an Admiral, it was as if you were brown nosing and doing something for your own gain. When an officer closely affiliated with junior grade personnel like enlisted folks, it was seen as unprofessional and it developed unnecessary attachments. But Sigmund, Sigmund fell right along those lines as an equal.

The Commodore turned his attention back to the Sith monstrosity and his perpetual gaze locked upon the three sets of the new Phase IV armor. His vision searched for answers in the crooks and crannies of the floor, caged in thought regarding the morality of these new... demons of war that they'd created. The intended wearers for these soldiers had seen years of development and many of them were already fully capable, altered adults.

"I desire neither, Abraxas. Picking extremes is uncalled for and finding a balance is difficult, but I shall do it." The man peered up at the monster, "They can be your worst nightmare and become demonic, bloodthirsty hellions bent on exterminating life itself. However, they will also be guardians, justicars, and the heroes of the sector. Think of them as angels of death."

[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

"And so they shall be known as just that; angels of death." Death was a concept the monstrosity was too familiar with. His thoughts were encased in a shell of decadence and disregard for most life. These new spawn bred from the forges of hell would open a swath of fear and paranoia upon the Sith and Jedi and all those condemned to a life of opposing the the true essence of the Empire. The Sith themselves didn't progress much of anything without those who weren't gifted with the Force. Pitied were those whom sought their own devices as a means of ascension; that was the Sith mindset.

Picking extremes was uncalled for, said Mr. Vaiden. But when it came down to the grit of reality, extremes seemed to be the only thing that would ensure a tomorrow where both the creation and the Imperial could plot again for their own sake. There was no grace to these new creations, no touch of gentleness or even a morality system in mind. They were like dogs bred for hunting and killing, pitted in the crucible that held all of the galaxy as their opponents.

And they would do well to strike and rip out the throat.


[member="Hans Vaiden"]