It is unaVOIDable, it is your destiny. [TSE Dom of Nathema Hex - AN,21]

[Darth Carnifex]

The growth of the New Sith Empire could not be stopped, it could not even be slowed. With every passing galactic week, about a dozen or so systems pledged fealty to the rising Imperial power, which had yet reached its zenith as it exercised its unflinchingly merciless will upon the galaxy. Those that had stood against it, the Silver Jedi, the Galactic Alliance, the Rebel Alliance, they had all either been destroyed, dismantled, or displaced until they were in no position to threaten the Sith Regime.

With virtually no opposition, the Sith Empire had gone on to annex hundreds of star systems throughout the Outer Rim. Voss had fallen, Ossus had capitulated, and the Corporate Sector fully backed their new Imperial benefactors.

Now the Sith Emperor turned his eyes to the world of Nathema, a world shrouded in mystery and ancient atrocity. Thousands of years ago the Dark Lord Vitiate had conducted a ritual so perverse that it had warped the very fabric of the Force around Nathema, creating a pocket of an unnatural void that muted color and sound across the planet’s surface. After this death hundreds of years later, Nathema began to recover as the void haze was lifted from the world.

Nathema’s vast rolling plains and luscious canyons was considered the perfect environment for a new agricultural center in the Northeastern half of the Sith Empire. Colonists were dispatched alongside a Legionary escort, and engineers and architects were tasked with designing a Sith Temple to honor the Empire’s return to the planet.

However, not everything was as simple as it seemed. Vicious beasts roamed the wilds of Nathema, and foreboding spirits dwelled in dark places forgotten by time. If the Empire was to take Nathema, they would have to safeguard it from all threats; natural and unnatural.

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OBJECTIVE I - Rebuild the Sanitarium as a Sith Temple
The Sanitarium was a structure utilized by the ancient Sith Emperor Vitiate to experiment with the Void in the Force left behind by his planet-cleansing ritual. Nathema has since recovered after his death thousands of years ago, and nothing of the Sanitarium remains except ruin and legends. Rebuilding the structure as a Sith Temple would go a long way to cementing our presence on the revitalized Nathema.

OBJECTIVE II - Voices of the Past
Nathema is shrouded in darkness and mysticism, and the spirits of those who had perished on the world still haunt the darkest recesses. Root out these hotspots of paranormal activity, and either bend the spirits residing there into serving the Sith or eradicate them so they can no longer pose a threat.

OBJECTIVE III - Agricultural Revolution
In age's past Nathema was a bountiful agriworld for the ancient Sith, before the entire world was ravaged by the Dark Lord Vitiate’s ritual. Thousands of years of recovery have restored the world to its former glory, and it again stands poised to serve as one of the New Sith Empire’s breadbaskets. Aid Imperial colonists in establishing new settlements and defending them from the beasts of the wild.

OBJECTIVE IV - BYOO

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

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A Dark Cave, Nathema​

Objective IV :: Sweep and Clear​

Nathema was swamped with darkness.

Orders had led him to the formerly drained planet even if the Colonel had no real business dealing with ghosts; he did so enough already, what with the haunting of his psyche and their manifestations that plagued his vision of the galaxy day after day. As boots came to the healed surface of the planet, whilst Sith and Legionaries alike went about their work hunting animals or spirits that roamed the surface and hid within the shroud of shadows, Vestille was counted among them. As various squads moved off to hunt in their designated sectors and groups of Sith moved into the caverns and darker places upon the world to strike a deal with spirits or simply eradicate them from existence, the Colonel was there to observe the proceedings, advise the troops and form the extermination of hostile wildlife into some sort of organized clean up rather than some savage culling; some troopers would no doubt try to skin some of the beasts and sell of various body parts for some extra credits on the side from the black market, this would not be allowed under the eyes of Vestille, the bodies of the animal belonged to the Sith Empire, not personal profit.

Come.

Something called out to him like a scent emitting from a fresh kill but this was no animal. This was something dark, evil; playing upon the deepest roots of his psyche where the beast lived, calling it to a hunt. He tried to resist at first, his sense of duty was grounded and to set aside his duties for anything else would be a act of weakness and treason in that mind so focused on zeal and doctrine. Yet that call kept digging into him, tempting him as if dripping acid upon the cage which contained that of which would be his undoing. Try as he might, it was as if it was crawling around in his skin, writhing underneath that flesh and blood, begging to be led to water. Nobody was watching... If he were to go, it would be now. His body turned towards the origin of the call and his feet started to move, step after step, moving towards the mouth of the cave that most had seemed to entirely ignore.

The abyss soon covered him again as he descended into the depths, down into the mouth of misery. Each step made the beast crash against the cage, the sensation of crawling underneath his skin turn more and more into desperate clawing; something was here, a dark presence that sought him and only him. Whispers came from the walls, snippets of sentences and dialogue that at first, sounded like complete gibberish and nonsense; the ravings of men driven man stacked atop each other in a disorganized mess but, the further he descended, the voices started to become more and more clear. These were not just random voices but rather people he once knew. Comrades, family, perhaps going as far as loved ones; the things that he had all but lost sight and value of now, their voices and presence stained the walls of the cavern. His helmet lit the way, the night vision giving at least some illumination to help him traverse his descent yet it seemed that the deeper he went, the darker it became, no matter how much he increased the output of the vision assistant that was kept internal within his helmet.

The voices never stopped. Voice upon voice, it was maddening and seemed to have no intent on stopping.

"This is Pestilence Actual, move to Waypoint Aurek, remember the ROE. Out."

His own voice came from in front of him and all it took was a blink. The sudden darkness of the cave was warped and twisted into a vision of his past, a nightmare that he had seen a thousand times over. Dagobah. The swamp of death that had started it all, turned him into the hollow shell that had been hammered into what he was to this day; the Haunted Commander, that was what the nickname had been spread among the Sovereignty and now the Sith Empire. More machine than man, a being of pure zeal and doctrine to the point where it was more to prevent himself slipping into the abyss and allowing the bottled up rage, anger and urge to kill to slip from its containment and being let loose. Yet now he was here, back at the source, surrounded by the bodies of his comrades still dressed in the void black armor signature to the Death Troopers and the swamp that had become their grave yet the deeper he looked... The more sinister everything became.

The jungle was no the jungle, it was a hellscape. The sky that had once been a faint blueish green was now crimson red with a mist that rolled over like a virus covering everything it touched. Pestilence, his friends and brothers in arms, no longer had helmets; their faces twisted into horrifying new forms, grotesque and inhuman. Their eyes opened all at once, in unison as their choking screams and pleads began to fill the air, all calling for one person and one person only; their Commanding Officer.

He was in hell and by the way that their bodies began to shift and writhe through the bloody and murky swamp water, all towards him, this was just the beginning.

 

[Onrai]

Nathema has existed outside of Sith space, on the fringes of the Empire’s territory for far too long. Using the raw materials of many former Imperia and New Order ships, the great orbital complex had been forged. The Complex itself was suited to repairing, manufacturing, and refueling an entire fleet, and while it had been long the purvey of the research and development projects within the Maldrood, it was apparently now time to bring such within the fold.

A fortunate thing given the lack of defense one could certainly expect to receive here.

The obelisk that she and Kaalia Pavanos had constructed here was still standing. How fortunate. But there were other things to attend to - things such as the modulation ship Vanessa had designed. This weapon would, in theory, allow for a variety of weapon types to be modulated to a frequency at which they would be able to pierce through enemy shields. As usual, an archaic warship, this time a Pellaeon II-class Star Destroyer that had once served the New Order, was in place over the world. Soon, the tests would determine whether or not the vessel would in question function as intended.

If it did... then problems would certainly be arising for the Empire's enemies.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: Nathema.
Allies: [member="Cassandra Paige"]
1

Everyone bowed to someone.

This was the universal truth of the Galaxy.

The lowest slave bowed to their overseer, the Imperial bowed to the Sith, the Sith Lord bowed to their Dark Lord... and the Dark Lord of the Sith bowed to the Darkside of the Force. Where did Cerbera fit in that neat little contraption? She pondered it for a moment, before making a decision. Science. Yes. The art of creation, the art of discovery, those were her highest guiding principles. After another moment of thought she agreed with herself.

But where did Cassandra Paige fit?

Truly she probably imagined herself to bow to no one, but her own greed and ambition. Yet. When Cerbera called, how could Miss Paige decline? Akure Executive Interstellar was a large sponsor of GenPals and that gave her clout.

The green-skinned woman stood on a landing platform. Waiting patiently for Paige's transport to arrive.

This meeting took place in one of her more... normal facilities. Whilst Cerbera was dying to expose Cass to Leviathan's Wake, she knew that it would have to be a smaller process. Ease her into it.

Maybe next time.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective 4 - BYOO
Study the history and local wildlife of Nathema

"Absolutely fascinating," she muttered, taking measurements on a captured voreclaw specimen. She and a team of operatives and alchemists from her Order of Shadows had arrived on Nathema, and had immediately gone about their business of capturing as many forms of fauna the planet offered as they could. Some, they had seen already, but the unique events that had occurred on Nathema had caused unseen mutations and corruptions of creatures like sleen, acklays, and nexus. But for Taeli, what she had really desired a chance to study was the voreclaw. Ravenous insectoids that had somehow survived the ancient Ritual of Nathema and been subjugated, supposedly, by Vitiate to serve as guardians of his Sanitorium.

The creatures were incredible in her opinion. Monstrous and deadly, they would soon find new purpose in the service of the current Sith Empire.

"My Lady, we have another two specimens in stasis now."

"Excellent."

Lifting the claw of the monster, she took a few more measurements, taking some samples of the chitin and skin of the creature for further study.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Above Nathema the Behemoth loomed, its shape cutting through the upper atmosphere as dozens upon dozens, hundreds really, of cargo transports and large haulers moved men and material from the gargantuan warship down to the site of an ancient ruin. There a team of archaeologists and excavation officers would be meticulously cataloging what remained of the structure's layout before removing the debris and rubble and clearing the area with a combination of laborers armed with hand-held tractor beams and hulking class five droids that could left massive chunks of stone without so much as a complaint and deposit it where the overseers demanded.

Emperor Carnifex watched the steady supply train constantly move through the air as more and more material was stockpiled near the construction site, a smaller green-skinned alien standing next to him as he swiped through a logistics list on the datapad in his hands. Chief Engineer Aushrekiv Chifriox was so engrossed in his work that he almost didn't hear the booming voice of the Emperor pose a question, to which his face immediately jerked up to glance at the towering monolithic man.

"We're right on schedule, your Excellency. Soon enough we should be ready to break ground and start preliminary assembly of the temple's framework."

"Keep it that way, Chifriox. You know how I detest being kept waiting."

"Your will is my destiny, Emperor."

In no time at all, true to the predicitions of the Chief Engineer, the ground breaking would commence as controlled explosives were detonated at key points around the cleared area and the laboring crew immediately was put to work excavating the rest of the massive underground section that would go beneath the temple's main structure.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Cassandra didn't see it as bowing. She saw it as the sensible business choice. In its own way, coming when [member="Cerbera"] requested a meeting was bowing to her own avarice. The partnership with the other woman had been profitable for GenPals, which in turn made it profitable for Cassandra.

The shuttle winged over Nathema. While Cassandra's gaze swept the lush greenery beneath her, her mind and attention were elsewhere. If it had been any other business, she could have insisted on the other person coming to her. Work in the Corporate Sector had been non-stop. Even GenPals plans had been put on hold while she and [member="Itash Mecetti"] put into place the structure necessary to handle the unexpected responsibility dropped oh so neatly into Tash's lap by one [member="Darth Carnifex"]. Originally the plan had been for Itash to accompany her today, for the pair to make a short get away of it here on this beautiful world. But problems had arisen. As they seemed to wont to do these days on Etti IV.

The shuttle eased onto the landing pad, and the redhead disembarked a minute later. Dressed as was typical for her in business settings, she wore a crisp white suit. Heels taked on the tarmac as she approached Cerbera.

"Good morning," Cassandra inclined her head. "This is quite a location. I was unfamiliar with the planet before your invitation, but some of the wildlife here is simply fascinating, no?"

Oh, Cass didn't care about the wildlife for it's own sake. Only for how it could benefit her.

"Now, what was so important we couldn't speak of it over a holocall?" Cass was smiling, her tone friendly. It always was when dealing with Cerbera.

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead.
Allies: [member="Elline Adasca"] & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. I

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Death came to all things, yet not all accepted this eventuality.

Some, like the Dark Lord Vitiate, had come close, ever so close, to true immortality. To life everlasting. Others, among them many of his victims, were confined to a maddening half-existence. Stuck in limbo as their spirits refused the call of the Nether.

They were not, however, powerless. Unlike the foolish Jedi, these long-dead Sith retained the power to influence the material plane, retained the power to impose their will upon the living. Therein, of course, lies the problem. Few of these Sith held any loyalty to the Sith Empire of today, and many had been driven mad by the passage of time and the horrors that precipitated the deaths of their mortal forms. Still others sought to regain their former glory at the expense of the living, stealing away the bodies of loyal Sith-Imperial citizens in a feeble attempt at regaining their lost life. This could not be allowed to continue, though the young Knight had not given up hope that these ancient ones could be turned to their side... or at least divulge some useful information before being laid to rest.

He was not, however, a fool. That was why, instead of heading in alone, he was currently seated amongst a squad of Helldivers as his shuttle slid ever closer to his destination. As much as he hated to admit it, they were likely far better qualified than him to handle threats of this calibre; even with all his knowledge of the Dark Side, he had never been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to come face-to-face with a Sith spirit.

Gaze falling on the Arkanian Acolyte seated across from him, Adrian's mouth curved up into a slight smile, his tone cheerful. "I suspect things are about to get interesting. Ready to face your first spirit, Acolyte Adasca?"

 

[Elline Adasca]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

Elline was indeed interested by all this, for at the heart of the woman was still the sciences. She wanted specimens from this rock, to examine how they grew up from a world that had once been so desolate and empty. The possibilities to abuse this evolution were endless and none of them pleasant for the Galaxy as a whole...maybe new mutants that can survive on the most hostile of worlds?...

Quickly she was yanked out of her daydream of great and vile mutant life. Back in the shuttle as they made the full descent, and the strange madmen around her that quickly Elline had come to dislike. Too chaotic, not orderly enough for her tastes. Her blank white eyes turned over to the other Sith, she actually bemused his question for a moment. Thinking both her proper answer and what would be the right one.

"I am. I'd like to study one of those spirits."

A mixture of naive truth and lies to make herself seem useful in the role that had been tossed to her. An inquisitive mind to create and research for the Empire. Her lightly accented had no such cheerfulness, it was somewhat bland in tone.

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead.
Allies: Elline Adasca & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. II

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This one, he liked. Too many Sith were concerned with acquiring power, too few with satisfying their curiosity. Perhaps, in their narrow-mindedness, they did not realize that the latter often led to the former.

Chuckling slightly, Adrian's smile turned into a slight grin. "Wouldn't we all. Perhaps, if you're unlucky, it'll decide to study you." Still chuckling mirthfully, he looked over at the Helldivers, their faces grim. Perhaps they had seen firsthand the results of a Sith spirit's curiosity... or perhaps they were just dull people. Hard to tell the difference, really.

With a slight thump, the shuttle landed, which was quickly followed by the soft hiss of the doors sliding open. As one, grim-faced men and women made their way outside, eyes steely as they surveyed the scene before them. Blood caked the dirt around the trio of settlers, with what he recognised as Sith runes, painted in blood, on the walls of the prefabricated shelter behind them. "Eternally transcendent is Darth Kherros, may her glory never fade? A bit garish, don't you think?"

Even as he joked, his eyes remained alert. He did not feel a presence -not here, not now- but there was a certain taint. An echo of a presence. Now to see whether they could track it from whence it came; according to the texts he had read, Sith spirits tended to be tied to a location or artefact, though he had no doubt there were exceptions to that rule. "According to my sources, there were twelve colonists in this party. That means nine ..." Pausing as one of the Helldivers described in a bland tone the charred beyond recognition corpse he had found inside the shelter, Adrian sighed almost inaudibly before continuing. "... eight are still unaccounted for. With any luck, they'll lead us right to the, err, good Darth."

 

[Tehkyram]

Objective: Be a reasonable attendant for your master as he oversees sanitarium construction.
Allies: [member=Darth Carnifex]

"Ah, so good to see you, old friend, so good to see the fruits of our labors ripen for us to pluck," Darth Amortem addressed his Dark Lord, strolling up to the Emperor. It was a hard walk up to the cliffs overlooking the temple, but not too hard for the aged count and a sturdy walking stick. He chuckled. "The secrets of Vitiate, Sidious, Krayt, the ones who came before us. The secrets of life and death. Yes, so tantalizing. But I supposed you know more of how to overcome the final foe than I, yes?"

For Tehkyram, of course, the hike was nothing. The more pressing issue was the immense darkness surrounding the area. It was a radiant darkness, near blinding in its negative brilliance. There was the simmering, ever-present darkness of his master, the most familiar form. Then there was that refined mastercrafted darkness of the Emperor in all of his magnificence. And of course, there was the Behemoth, the grand obscenity that overtook him on Commenor, the shining void-sun that hung in the sky and cast its shadow on all. Such magnificent killing power...

He had been fixated on meeting the Emperor. To study under his wisdom and guidance. And to an extent, he still did want that. But something about that ship and its weaponry, the instruments of mass death, something about that seemed like the most profound tutor of all. He gawked at it shamelessly, watching it continue to disperse construction materials and supplies. A destroyer that could also create. How utterly divine.

 

[Mythos]

Objective: III A Feast For the Horde

As the empire moved to conquer more of the galaxy Mythos took his old role in the One Sith. He sought to prove himself yet again as if he was a Knight but for the Sith Empire. The Cathedral Ship designs had been well adjusted and now he brought the settlers of the empire to this world. Mythos' people saw him as a a Prophet, he brought with him people from the galaxy over that he once ruled. It was a mixed batch, Atrisians, Nubians, Anubians, Humans and races galore especially citizens of Angramar the moon of Nibelungen.

Seeking the protection if his Lord Mythos delivered lands of bountiful pastures in the name of their new Lord; [member="Darth Carnifex"]. He donned The Golden Armour of Mythos, speaking to his people of the new promised land. He spoke truth.

Like a sign from the sky the ships descended, Pyramid behemoths that numbered in the hundreds escorted by the Sith Empire Star Destroyers and the protective shadow of their Emperor. Mythos did not only bring warriors but farmers, mechanics, families and supplies. But most importantly of all was the construction and logistics machine that trailed right behind him.

Magnus Architecture and Munitions was here as well. The men and company he had created and employed were here in full force and their mission was to construct a city.

Mythos was in his personal ship, the Magnus Battlecruiser. The capital ship destroying monster was here and never was it far from it's master. As the Pyramid ships neared orbit so did the 2 mile battlecruiser enter topside with it preparing to land and initiate the operation.

"Get my Gunships flying. I'm heading down. Get the reaper plows down here. There is already crop to be taken"

 

[Elline Adasca]

[member="Adrian Vandiir"]

Elline had the good Sith traits, but they were hidden away under her coldness to nearly all things. It was a defense mechanism, these traits were all weaknesses if shown too apparent. She was yet to consider all the nonsense with how the spirits of the Sith worked, mystical nonsense. Not quite beneficial to the scientific mind.

“Do spirits show such tendencies?”

She went right into the cold logical outlook of it all. Jokes didn’t roll over her, she just ignored them in favor of the greater arc of it all. As the shuttle touched down, the rather small Arkanian waited a few moments before rising. Meat shields, that was the general concept. A trick she had pulled when moving around Azloc III so long ago. For what little it helped.

“Fascinating. These spirits hold a strong hold over the physical world. What reason is there to murder colonists?”

Inquisitive. That was a good word to describe her in such an unknown environment, while she didn’t like the Helldivers much but she felt strangely comfortable.

 

[Onrai]

"And here it comes."

The vessel in question had been hauled out of the Imperial Graveyard - it was a Rampant-class Assailant Monitor, freshly refitted with a variety of new weapons in an attempt to serve as a prototype for both a revised Rampant and the modulator that would hopefully prove to be useful against the enemy. The ship in question, named Stiletto, soon turned towards the Pellaeon II.

"Modulator is coming online. We're scanning through the ship's potential shield frequencies and narrowing things down to determine the frequency of the Pellaeon's shields."

"Make it quick." Vanessa responded. "If this were a combat situation they would already have detected you by now and moved to intercept."

"Very well." They said. "Forward beams have been modulated. Opening fire on the bridge in three... two... one..."

 

[Sienna Vekarr]

Objective I

This planet felt...Wrong.

She could feel it from the Behemoth. Twisted and dark, despite having regrown over thousands of years into a lush, verdant world. The Mastadon-class transport with several other Sith and a few legionnaires left the massive hangars of the Behemoth. The shuttle rocked as it entered the atmosphere, sending the hand holds in the troop bay swaying back and forth, and her along with them. She held tightly and covered her mouth as they drew closer to the site of the ancient building known as the Sanitarium.

She'd read the report diligently before they'd left. She knew its history, or at least the basics. How many Jedi and Sith had died behind those beautiful walls of vines and green? The void on the planet had been removed...for the most part but as they passed through small pockets of that ancient scar and back into the heaviness of the dark side she found herself doing all she could to stop herself from vomiting in front of her master. She slowed her breathing but as they touched down she rushed out of the sliding doors and into a bush, unable to contain herself.

She felt weak here.

She did not like feeling weak.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Nathema.

It was a planet famous in the annals of Sith lore for its connection to the mysterious and powerful Dark Lord Vitiate. A man who had mastered the dark arts to such a degree he created a ritual so dark, so perverse it blackened Nathema and stripped the life from it for hundreds of years. Anything relating to Lord Vitiate was of particular interest to the Lord of Lies because of its connection to his own family and their dark past. Their ancient ancestor Solomon Zambrano also known as Nemeroth, God of Death was rooted in similar magic. Solomon was cursed with an insatiable hunger for control and a brilliant mind. For all his faults Solomon the Black had mastered the dark side in a way few ever could, and perhaps came closest to Lord Vitiate as he had heard of a Sith ever coming. Solomon's mastery of the dark arts was said to be absolute and he too performed similar black rituals much like the ancient Sith Emperor had, mass sacrifices, the devouring of souls.

Solomon had studied the path of Vitiate and emulated the ancient dark lord in his first creations the nearly indestructible Sith Behemoths created from pure dark side energy given physical form. Solomon the Conqueror he was remembered as for the Unification War that bent Bunduki, Fornow, Ravaath, and Sorimow to his will to a degree never seen before creating the Black Empire. But Solomon had reached too far much like Vitiate did and his curse for control consumed him, he wove a ritual so black it brought the lights fury down upon him. A ritual that sought to shatter the veil and allow him to pass into the world between worlds to let him conquer all of reality. But even after his death both Vitiate and Nemeroth were truly eternal because of the legacy they left behind, the writings and artifacts that existed long after their death, the destruction in their wake, and in Solomon's case the family he sired.

Today aboard the Midnight he stood alongside his apprentice [member="Sienna Vekarr"] she was strong in the force with plenty of potential. Lazerus his chief lieutenant often kept him appraised of interesting candidates among the generations of acolytes to pass through the Sith Academy and Sienna came across his desk. She wasn't the best student nor was she the shining star, she held her own but it was other qualities that interested him. It was her untapped potential, her willingness to embrace the darkness and the path laid out before them. Above all she was relentless and willing to do what it takes to succeed. She received his warning in the beginning that the academy was nothing compared to what his training was like.

The look on his face twisted into a scowl as the shuttle made its descent and he could see the unease, the nausea roll off her. She wasn't used to experiencing this sort of atrocity, this level of darkness. Life itself was stripped from the surface of Nathema and it was a void that would exist long after they were gone. As soon as the shuttle touched down in the exclusive area within the sanitarium for the Shadow Hand she had rushed down the ramp and straight into a bush her mind clouded. The Sith Lord descended calmly wearing his deathly shroud a pair of lightsabers clipped to his waist. "You feel weak." Prazutis said his eyes scanning around them, while a constant feed of updates came from the Sith-Imperial Legion's progress as well as construction efforts straight to him. "You can see it on your face, crawl across your skin. It makes you look weak, and vulnerable to enemies and rivals, as well as unworthy to potential allies. Compose yourself. Do not ever let anyone see such weakness. Always keep true self hidden if other's don't know who you are, what you want, or how you feel they don't know what to expect." He said an entourage followed a few paces behind them. "This is the dark side at its strongest, a nexus of our power. The ability to tap into the dark side comes easily through emotion but to tap into a nexus naturally takes practice. It can be overwhelming. Stop rejecting that darkness trying to dig its way in and let it flow in, and out. Immerse yourself in its flowing waters feel the energy flow and tap into it. We are strongest in nexus's of such power" He lectured. She would need to get used to the feeling of a dark side they were fortunate enough to travel on the Behemoth for this journey. The Lord of Lies flagship the Goliath is a mobile dark side nexus and she would spend quite a lot of time on his flagship in the future.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

Objective: 3 - Agricultural Revolution
Location: The Verdant Valley
Equipment: [ Attire ] [ Wristlink ] [ Lightsaber ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSMmwOqo0rY​

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Finally, a planet without all that water!

The young Cathar arced through the air, nimbly backflipping as he vaulted up and away from a rather wicked looking, sickle-shaped claw.

The acklay was about three times the size of any of the younglings. And obviously less than happy at the fact that its intended prey were fighting back. As Micah leapt out of the way, Blink went charging in. Or, at least, what passed for charging in the case of a Polydroxol that was in a semi-liquid state at best. Blink flowed forward like a metallic wave, forming a spiky, silvery barricade that caused the oversized preying mantis to take several steps back.

Jorah, the Zabrak came rushing up the ramp formed by Blink's temporary form. Jumping up into the air, the Sith warrior wannabe brazenly held his lightsaber aloft as he sailed toward the creature's head in what was surely a single second of awesome.

Then the moment was over, and a backhanded swipe of the acklay's claw knocked the young Zabrak aside.

Landing on the balls of his feet, the small Cathar skidded back along the prairie grass. Then, stepping forward, the boy's ears folded back along his head as he stretched out both literally and figuratively. Through the Force, the kitten reached out to the creature's mind. Hands extended out in an obscure sign of the Sith, the boy tried to use strength of will to dominate the mind of the beast.

It was an invisible struggle that was less than totally effective, except it didn't need to be completely effective. Micah only needed to distract the acklay for a moment or two.

Transitioning from out of the form of a barricade into a pair of silvery chains, Blink splashed forward to ensnare the giant bug's massive foreclaws, inhibiting its ability to strike back. Which was when Jorah snapped back into action, leaping through the air with a diagonal slash that was Shii-cho in its most primitive form.

But also effect at bisecting the acklay's head.

Landing back on his feet, Jorah spun his lightsaber with a flourish even as he commenced the time-honored Sith tradition of the celebratory booty dance. Blink pulled himself back into the usual humanoid-ish approximation, while the young Cathar bent down to recover the article of clothing that he'd dropped.

The ten gallon hat dropped down over the kitten's eyes, tilting back so that he could see.

The trio of Sith Academy younglings were escorting the shipment of livestock and supplies to a farm that was being started up on the planet. Taking his position at the head of the wagon train, the young Cathar pointed down the dusty trail ahead of them as he said, "Onward, for the Sith Emperor!"

The Zabrak's voice was heard from the rear as he cried, "And for food!"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: Nathema.
Allies: [member="Cassandra Paige"]
2

Hmm.

Was the morning good?

Her chin lifted slightly as Cerbera watched the way the sun burned in the distant sky and illuminated the horizon. Nathema was vibrant, it was alive in such a large contrast to how the ancient scrolls described the world in the aftermath of the Dark Emperor's ascension. Perhaps in some ways it was a testament to just the sheer flexibility the Force possessed. It could truly bounce back from anything and return to bland... neutrality.

Who could have known that it would look so beautiful?

"Good morning indeed." Cerbera agreed before chuckling. "I am not surprised, miss Paige, the secrets of the Force and the Sith are often missed by the uninitiated."

Was that a veiled smirk there in response? Quickly covered up? The Sith Lord had noticed that Cassandra seemed... different. More alive in some aspects. As if a great cloud had lifted itself from her visage and allowed those around her to see her for the first time.

A quick probe did not reveal anything else though.

It seemed that the Force was still dim and uneventful within her. What a shame.

"I am working on a project. Something rather.... grand and after a moment of consideration I decided to offer you and GenPals the opportunity to assist me." The reply came at the same time as she gestured for Cassandra to follow her inside the facility. Once inside the temperature shift was noticeable. Colder, the air less humid and more filtered clean and clinical. Behind them the doors hissed close and Cerbera ushered them into a hyper-lift.

It would take them several levels down.

Truly it went on for some time while the awkward elevator tune played in the background.

 

[AMCO]

Objective II: Harness the power of the dead.
Allies: [member="Elline Adasca"] & a squad of Helldivers.
Post Nr. III

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Crouching down to peer at one of the corpses, Adrian peered down at the deceased human, eyes more interested than concerned. "Reason? There might not even be one. Maybe the spirits in question have long-since gone mad, or maybe they were merely curious." Seemingly deep in thought for a moment, he turned towards the Arkanian, smiling wryly. "Or maybe this is a trap, a clever plot to attract more important individuals for whatever reason. Possession, perhaps?"

After casting one last cursory glance across the corpse, he rose smoothly to his feet, nodding cheerfully to the Helldivers' squad leader. "Feel free to take the lead, Sergeant Xaruk; I would, however, appreciate it refrained from attempting to eliminate the spirit... at least until I've tried diplomacy." Eyes narrowing imperceptively, the Zabrak nodded, though the young Knight thought he heard a slight sigh. One of the dull ones, then. Still, he had to admit that that made him more comfortable than some of the other ones; he could swear he had heard one giggling not long ago. That was not the sort of thing that inspired confidence when it came from a hardened hunter of the occult.

As the black-clad men and women did their magic, Adrian closed his eyes and allowed his breathing to slow. Carefully, he began to extend his senses outwards, taking every precaution to ensure he didn't bring anything back with him. He didn't quite know what a spirit could or could not do, but he wasn't about to take any chances. Yes, yes. There was something. Like a looming shadow at the edge of his consciousness, perhaps, with a bit of work, he could locate its...

"Initiate Vandiir? We've got the trail. With all due respect, I'd advise you stay behind us." For a moment, the young Knight considered objecting, then decided against it. They clearly knew what they were doing; besides, if they didn't, better they be in the line of fire than him.

 

[Sienna Vekarr]

She wanted to snap back at him, show him that she wasn't weak. She'd known all too well the consequences of letting people see who one truly was, it was why she had dyed her hair as a child, and continued to do so now. She wanted to tell him this wasn't her first nexus, that he was wrong about her. Really she wanted to cut that overly calm face from his head.

Instead she tightened her fist and wiped the drool and bile from her chin and sniffed before standing straight up again.

"Yes Master." She half wished the Hounds from her youth were still hunting her, just so she could kill one now. Then again, she doubted if there wouldn't be monsters to kill here. Mutated and crazed creatures had guarded this place for thousands of years and she doubted they'd stopped breeding just because their master perished.

"It won't happen again," she said, her voice low.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]