Little Base of Horrors: CIS Dominion of Xagobah Hex

[Aspect of Defiance]

Xagobah.

The world carried meaning for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In 21 BBY, the planet was conquered by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the Outer Rim Sieges, there was a Confederacy buildup directed by Wat Tambor of the Techno Union, who experimented on the native plant species and bioengineered many of them to serve his own ends.

Prior to Separatist occupation of Xagobah, the native Xamster race, reptilian looking beings, lived in relative peace. Xamster families held bonds with the malvil-trees, which seemed to possess some sort of sentience, but after the war found the planet, Xamsters were used as laborers or later hired by the Republic to fight the droid armies of the Mazariyan. This left the native population devastated and the malvil-trees largely unprotected.

Over the past several centuries, Wat Tambor’s experiments have grown unchecked and uncontrolled. Without the guiding hand of the Xamster race to maintain their link with the malvil-trees, much of the vegetation turned rabid. Many of the plants became hostile, even to the point of craving the taste of living flesh. Predatory in nature, these plants found ways to attract their keepers and devour them.

At the center of it all was the Mazariyan base itself. Once a facility which was used to churn out more droids for the Separatist war machine, the bioengineered base had become a living creature which turned on its creators. The very center of the creature was a large chamber that was shaped more like a cavern than a room with numerous circuits that were covered with banks of monitors as well as Xabar fungus in the region. Thrusting from the floor was a huge blob like purple mass which pulsed and shuddered in a manner similar to a massive slime mold. Protruding from it were dozens of tentacle-like tubes which pulsed with a dark glowing violet liquid stream that moved into the walls. These veins rippled with deep red color from the walls and into the bioengineered nerve center and fed the organic construct. Those who entered this facility simply did not return.

The time has come for the Confederacy of Independent Systems to reclaim Xagobah and the facility itself. The best scientists and most elite of their fighting forces had been assembled for the dangerous task of surveying the wild flora as well as rid the Mazariyan of its deadly core. The havoc caused by Wat Tambor had run rampant long enough. Dropships descended on the planet intent on cleaning up a mess which had been ignored for far too long. Knights Obsidian and members of the Ministry of Science traveled together as this mission involved more than a simple set of explosives. While it would likely work the living science and biology of the base was too curious a thing to not investigate. With the threat of being eaten too real, the CDF landed with a large contingent of droids. Hopefully the plants of Xagobah had not developed a taste for metal.

The first dropship landed announcing that the CIS would deal with their own sordid past this day.


OBJECTIVES

Spoiler

The Mazariyan hunters with an insatiable appetite that cannot be quenched. The task is simple. Destroy the core. Kill the base. Keep it from killing again. This is not going to be easy because unless you’re a droid, you’re on the menu.

Collect sample or the wild spores. Work with the ministry of science in determining the value of the living organisms. Maybe you are part of the Mandragora looking for a new toxin or ingredient for a spell. Search the area for anything that may be useful to you and the Confederacy. Remember, these plants will eat you too!

Don’t feel like killing a base or collecting samples? Maybe you’d rather hike and admire the homicidal terrain? Are you in need of a vacation or a camping trip? Whatever your fancy you can find it here. Make your own story and see what happens.

CIS Tag List:

Spoiler

[member="A'Runda"]
[member="Adelle Bastiel"]
[member="Alden Akaran"]
[member="Alkor Centaris"]
[member="Ashara Evanaris"]
[member="Willow Fae"]
[member="Amelia von Sorenn"]
[member="Aston Jacobs"]
[member="Aya Clarke"]
[member="Caesar Kenway"]
[member="Chikako Liona"]
[member="Corvus Dravere"]
[member="Cypher Raige"]
[member="Daisy Americus"]
[member="Damsy Callat"]
[member="Dalton Kenway"]
[member="Darth Tacitus"]
[member="Darth Novus"]
[member="Daxton Bane"]
[member="Destroyer 2873"]
[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]
[member="Erin Tenel"]
[member="Eli-Mae Forrest"]
[member="Fawn Alzi"]
[member="Faye Irithiel"]
[member="Gerwald Lechner"]
[member="Havoc (CT-375)"]
[member="Holt"]
[member="Ingrid L'lerim"]
[member="Ithiel Vi'Dreya"]
[member="Jayce Pryde"]
@Joannis Campbell
[member="John Locke"]
[member="Jorco Czeku"]
[member="Jorge"]
[member="Josh Dragonsflame"]
[member="Jyoti Nooran"]
[member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]
[member="Kasca Fen"]
[member="Kathryn Foster"]
[member="Kayla Wylen"]
[member="Keva"]
[member="Kiff Brayde"]
[member="Kingsley"]
[member="Krystal Estain"]
[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]
[member="Kurenai Yumi"]
[member="Kyber"]
[member="Kyrinov"]
[member="Luna Terrik"]
[member="Luna Vega"]
[member="Lyla Quinn"]
[member="Maple Harte"]
[member="Maur"]
[member="Mauer"]
[member="Minerva Vessia"]
[member="Muad Dib"]
[member="Nine Lives"]
[member="Oax Ordo"]
[member="Orion Trex"]
[member="Petra Cavataio"]
[member="Pom Stych Tivé"]
[member="Qaarssk Roark"]
[member="Razelle Breuner"]
[member="Roy Americus"]
[member="Rylan Kordel"]
[member="Scherezade deWinter"]
[member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
[member="Srina Talon"]
[member="Talon Rahl"]
[member="To'Kola Bakari"]
@Teyla Ee'everwest
[member="Valencia Hadley"]
[member="Vanric Dannon"]
[member="Veronika Fleischer"]
[member="VildarnTentoria"]
[member="Voph"]
[member="Vyra Silara"]
[member="Vytal Noctura"]

 

[GL3AM]

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O B J E C T I V E: FEED ME
A L L I E S: CIS
E N E M I E S: PLANTS
T A G S: [NONE]
__________________________

Well.

There were times GL3AM regretted his metal form, and felt existential anguish at the lack of organic inside of him. Through his time working and fighting alongside the flesh creatures, he had seen them accomplish feats far beyond the normal boundaries of their mortal flesh prison should have allowed them too. He had seen them, too, fight for their beliefs and for their connections, their loves and families.

Indeed, there were times where GL3AM wished to be truly alive.

And this was certainly not one of them.

The laboratory was too quiet -- even with his augmented hearing there was no sound or sign of any of the previous parties that had gone. Who sends groups of organics to fight massive carnivorous plants is my question. Regardless, it would appear that the powers-that-be of the CIS had finally come to their senses and sent soldiers, not appetizers.

With his unit of glorious battle droids with him, ready to plunge into battle, GL3AM would wait... perhaps some hapless organics would end up needing protection inside, or perhaps he could conscript employ the services of any other fighter droid. At the very least, a human would certainly provide entertainment.

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

LOCATION: Dense Forest
OBJECTIVE: Gather unknown organic matter for Chemistry experimentation.

The opportunity to discover unique plant specimen for their medicinal properties sparked interest in the Mandragora. [member="Vytal Noctura"] presented the finest new development in specimen collection and storage, paid for with the gracious offer from [member="Bedrovelse Hevn"], Pomsty had to get out there and put the new equipment to good use. Of course she wanted her two favorite people to accompany her on the Mission.

The Mandragora arrived on the scene with a vehicle that can dehydrate and freeze a vast number of plants and tissue, in order to study them in a number of chemical composite for their familiar characteristics.

As the vehicle was unloaded from the hangar the witches and warlocks loaded up inside and headed into the wildlands. Because of the known properties of some of the plants to consume organic matter, the issued uniform today was a bio-suit.

Pom stood on the running board and held onto a handle grip. She watched the gunners slip into their seats, before jumping inside the all terrain vehicle and latching the hatch. The group did not have much information about the abilities of the undocumented life they would encounter, just that they were carnivorous, and they weren't going to take any chances. She has every faith that the mandragora will perform well.

 

[Jenmae Ophiro]

Location: Forests of Xagobah​

Tag: [member="Seren"] / Open

This time was like something from a dream.

Her Wolf had intercepted communications from members of the Confederacy about some strange happenings on Xagobah - plant-life that would likely bring members of what he'd explained were the beginnings of a powerful coven within their ranks. He'd called them the Mandragora, and the White Witch was thrilled. The witches of Dathomir, though powerful, were so limited in their thinking... Sisters that had also seen fit to break with their roots were exactly what she would need to reach her goal.

Dressed in simple black travelling clothes, the Siren paced in slow circles in the hold of the ship the pair had used to travel to the distant sector. At the edges of her attentions she could hear the chatter over coms that suggested they were close, likely breaking atmo as she turned on her heels again to pace back towards the rear of the ship. It wouldn't be long now.

Halting in her constant movement, the woman turned and strode quickly back towards the cockpit, knowing she'd find her paramour there. As the access port slid open and showed [member="Seren"] seated at the helm, a soft smile broke across lips that had been painted a red so deep they appeared black in most light. Quietly she stepped behind the seat where he stood and slid hands tipped into nails sharpened to points across his shoulders and down across his chest as her chin came to rest lightly atop his head.

"Are we there yet?" she teased, her voice just as warm as the hands that rested against his chest, the warmth of her like a scalding brand even through the fabric of his shirt.

 

[Seren]

Location: Forests of Xagobah
Tag: [member="Jenmae Ophiro"] / Open

Things were finally beginning to settle.

In the wake of the harrowing ritual, the future and the present collided in a mighty way. And, in truth, all was as the Siren had predicted. All that Seren had desired had come to pass - and now the time had come to uphold their mission. In the place they once called home, the pair had been literal gods. Yet it had taken many years fumbling in the dark to get there. Now, they knew better. Time, for once, was their ally. And all efforts were expended towards bringing them closer to what they once claimed. In the immediate present, this included following any leads that could prove useful. Namely, introducing themselves to the Southern Systems' "Mandragora."

The coven was not a community that Seren held in high regard, solely due to their former submission to his elder sibling. However, for what Jenmae craved and her own roots, they were a breath of refreshing air. With Katrine long since removed from the mantle of Nightmother, the Siren found a willing participant in her partner to engage in the mission of the day: investigating Xagobah. Comms had been intercepted from the Confederate channels, which had turned about their itinerary.

One hyperspace leap later and their shared vessel and mobile home was slicing through the atmosphere of the distant world. When the Siren graced her partner with her presence, a smile immediately broke out upon his face. Her accented voice was welcome in his ears, as was the feel of her nails upon his person. "Ask me again and so help me I'll turn this ship around." came his response, teasing just as much. However, he did motion with his dominant hand towards one particular window on the console before him. "Just scanning for a clear spot to land. Shouldn't be long."

He then leaned back in his seat, indulging all the more in her presence. Seren would have relaxed completely, were it not for the transmission which suddenly blared into being. Encrypted as always - and heralded by their Sigil - Seren found himself leaning forward to listen.

Operatives in zone M-18, assets for Project Scorpius have been identified on Xagobah. Details attached.​

Seren didn't even need to browse the file to know what the Crucible were after. Project Scorpius was a weapon of hellish design - and therefore, they were after the same thing as the Confederates. Spores. And lots of them.

"Dearest, you don't have any allergies, right?"

 

[Luna Terrik]

Objective: Feed me – destroy the core
Time: 1500 Hours
Equipment: Personal Dauntless Armor, SC4 Blaster, Tactical Recon Handguns, XZ-77 “Buster” Comms Device
Post: 01
Tags: Anyone else assaulting the core; feel free to tag!

​

During her time with the Dauntless, Luna had fought many a different time of enemy. Slavers, rogue soldiers, terrorists, and even zombies on an occasion or two. Yes, even zombies. Those weren’t the hardest to take down, either. But this, the enemy that they had been briefed on for this op was certainly something that she had never seen before. It wasn’t exactly something she anticipated ever seeing it again. Especially not on an officially silenced kill mission that required one of the Dauntless’s best squads; her own.

Plants. Giant, man eating, plants. Flora that was literally able to kill a fully-fledged warrior. That’s why, she supposed, that they were calling them in. The best of the best from the confederacy, or at least that’s what she thought and the rumor that was spread around. Yet in the face of impending danger, especially ones that were part of some sort of plant based life, a lot of things could change very quickly. Knowing this, she had advised her squad to take this as seriously as any other mission. Fully loaded out, fully equipped, and fully ready to blast those plants to wherever they came from.

As soon as boots touched ground, having come on one of the first shuttled down the planet, Omega squad was prepared to feel the brunt of the first assault that they would have to undertake to get to the core of the building. Her two master sergeants, a huge, monstrous Kesheri and a smaller, leaner Zabrak, flanked the commander as she led the squad forward. Their respective weapons matched their looks, with the bigger of the pair carrying a rotary cannon and the smaller, a sniper bolt rifle.

Turning to watch as the droids that would be assisting in this mission being loaded off their transports, Luna couldn’t help but think that perhaps they should be the only ones on this mission. Perhaps not the useless B-1s, but possibly some super battle droids would be better to attempt this mission. Surely the vegetation wouldn’t have that much of an appetite for droids they couldn’t digest, right?

“Commander, we’re ready to push into the base.” The voice of the taller of her master sergeants, Tien, spoke, pulling her from her thoughts of potentially better strategies. The grey armored woman gave a nod, heading toward the entrance to the overgrown base, which she could see was already completely overflowing with green. Even the door itself looked like it was trying to keep them out, to which she gave a look toward the demolition unit of Omega squad. “Either blow this open or get me a flame unit here, asap. I don’t care which, just whatever gets us in this place faster.” With that, the commander took a step back, crossing her armors and observing the entry way to yet another mission, albeit, not a normal one.

 

[Vytal Noctura]

LOCATION: Dense Forest
OBJECTIVE: Gather unknown organic matter for Chemistry experimentation.

Vytal groaned as she looked down at the biosuit Pom had insisted was necessary. She'd read the report. The planet had countless spores capable of just about anything, but that did not mean she had to like wearing this thing. At least it wasn't baggy; she could still move and see. Reminded Vytal of the time they took a walk on the surface of an asteroid -- she hadn't been terribly fond of those suits either. A Witch was meant to be in communion with the world, not isolated from it. Though on an asteroid there wasn't much communion to be had.

"Pom," the Nightsister leaned forward to look at her Sister, "everyone's had enough time to get familiar with this metal beast, right?" It was a monstrosity. It had better prove worth the credits too. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind being handed a god's worth of credits, but every now and then buying something to reward the Witches and Warlocks that strove so hard was the right thing to do. In this case, Pom in particular benefited. The other pale woman had a special interest in potions, and collecting new biological samples was sure to result in some unique creations. Potions, salves, perhaps even something consumable. Vytal would make sure anything narcotic was keep under wraps, however. The Mandragora wasn't in the habit of feeding the worst in society.

Though they might be able to weaponize it for the Confederacy. Vytal's lips twisted for a moment. Or perhaps not. Such a thing could be used against Dathomir. The Nightsister gave a silent sigh; her position among the Confederacy was growing more complicated by the day.

"Well, now's as good a time as any to test that. Set a course for that bio-diverse region nearby." Vytal laid a hand on her Sister's shoulder. "Give the word, Pom." A smile crossed those black lips as she let her Sister command the vehicle and have her fun on the planet.

Meanwhile, a quick visual check of all those in sight was performed as the crew were sure to do a station check over the comm. Hopefully they'd find a place to get out and explore on foot; because staying trapped in this metal construct was just as strange as the bio-suit. Starships were different. There was literally nothing outside of a starship. Those metal walls not only served a purpose, but were undeniable necessary. Xagobah? Vytal wanted to see these deadly plant species. Perhaps test their reaction to magick energy -- something this technological beast wouldn't know how to perform on a living specimen.

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | [member="Bedrovelse Hevn"] | Mandragora | Confederates | Open​

 

[Nyx N1X3]

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LOCATION: Base
OBJECTIVE: Breach and Clear

A synthesized voice called out, "That will be unnecessary, Commander."

The ground crunched under Nyx's weight, though she managed to distribute the force in such a way to prevent excessive ground vibration. Cradled in both hands was a bulky flamethrower rifle, which the droid hefted without a sag or tilt to her stance. "Please have all units stand clear of the entryway." Just as casually as she'd strode up, Nyx began to advance on the covered passageway. There were unlikely to be any of her personnel loitering close enough to be a concern, but all the same the warning had been given. No one needed an inattentive unit getting too close.

Positioned before the entryway, Nyx snapped the flame on and directed the nozzle toward the overgrown creation. With a fwoosh a cloud of fire spread out before the dark droid soon eclipsed by the bright light cast by the conflagration. Slowly the weapon was swept over the doorway from side to side and top to bottom. Sensors registered a dramatic increase in the surrounding air temperature, and that of her own chassis, but well without operational tolerances.

As the exterior fell before the onslaught, Nyx started to slowly advance. Between the flames she could tell the overgrowth extended a short ways into the facility. It would all be cleared out in moments tall enough for the diverse organic units to proceed inside without even needing to crouch.

With the opening clear, the flamethrower was snapped off for the time being. She turned to look back at the soldiers that had come to clear the base. "The entrance is clear, Commander. Please ensure your personnel have sufficient scatter guns before proceeding." Not that she intended to tell Luna how to do her job, but there was an overwhelming chance of close-range organic (plant) combat. Narrow-focused slugs or energy blasts would have limited effectiveness against a base over run by relatively thin organic tissue or appendages. Wide-area assault would likely be more effective in holding hostile creep at bay.

Tag: [member="GL3AM"] | [member="Luna Terrik"] | Open​

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 8 Nozhi Blades | 2 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 TOTT-001 Arc Light Blaster | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets |A MOTHERKRAKKING BLOWTORCH
Tags: [member="Vytal Noctura"] [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | feel free to join!

What was it with forests and jungles that tried to eat her lately?! Scherezade slapped her own cheek to kill something mosquito-like that had tried to make a meal out of her and rolled its carcass between her fingers, relishing on the sound of the squish before she wiped it against her thigh. It was a good thing that her armor came in washable.

She was at the rendezvous point, where she was supposed to meet some of the Knights Obsidian for… Spore gathering. It seemed that Scherezade, usually a plug to be placed wherever a role fulfillment was needed, had been set to servicing the Ministry of Science that day. Not that she minded, for a chance. Everything as of late tickled uncomfortably beneath her skin, as though something was incredibly wrong with the 'verse. It had started when her sister's other half had died, and had simply become progressively worse since. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet. There were times in which a girl wasn't in the mood to hear her concerns dismissed.

Looking at the plants, the Blood Hound grumped. Carnivorous plants. One day she was going to set all those that existed in the 'verse on fire. Her little adventure on Kiros had been bad enough. The only reason she was here today, was because for a change, she actually needed one of the plants that she had a potential of finding there. Tiny, pink, bloomed in very specific conditions. She knew the odds of finding it were rare, especially since-

Oh, noise.

Scherzade looked over beyond the trees, to where the big metal vehicle was coming through. It was… Not a discreet one. She wondered if that was the reason she couldn't hear any avian beasts around her; perhaps they'd heard it coming from miles away and had taken flight to somewhere safer.

Staying put in her place, Scherezade had every expectation that the vehicle would come to a full stop before it got to her, giving the witches that she knew were on it ample time to jump out and join this life of nature that many of them appeared to prefer.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Her entire face crinkled as she realized it was not going to stop in time. If she did not move, she was going to turn into Blood Hound Pancake, complete with flattened porcupine spikes. And yet, she could not tear her eyes away from the magnificence of the gigantic metal beast approaching her.

It was only at the last second that she managed to jump, rolling from beneath its wheels a fraction of a second before getting completely and utterly squished.

"Hey!" she yelled at it, waving her arms around. The witches on that thing had better deliver a damn good explanation of why they'd almost run her over, or she was going to pick that thing up with the Force and smash it over and over again against the ground. That is, if she'd actually pause for a moment and realize that evil tentacles were slowly beginning to coil around her right ankle.

 

[Allya Vi'Dreya]

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

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Equipment: Beskar'gam, Lightsaber, Blasters, Jetpack, IONA, Incendiary grenades, Bodyglove, Jumpsuit, Fragmentation Grenades​

Location: Base (Near Luna)​

Objective: Obey, defeat the enemy​

Tag: [member="Nyx N1X3"] | [member="Luna Terrik"] | [member="GL3AM"]​

Allya stood next to Luna and led her Dauntless troopers with pride. The place was overgrown, and the Crash had healed up well form his injuries, and he ever stood behind her, ready and able. But while Allya was paying attention, she was also having a conversation inside herself with her suit's new AI unit. “Allya, this suit is still a bit cramped. I can't wait for the new one to be finished, it's much more roomy. Though, I must admit, I can't believe you were able to take in all this data without me! Impressive, even for a cramped little thing.”

“Everyone has always been weirded out by the fact I can. It's been that way most of my life. But yeah, I can't wait either IONA. It's going to be sweet! I can't wait to try out the shield disruptor, or the Nightcaller.” Her eyes scanned the panels in front of her. “Hmmm, that one is interesting.” Her eyes went to the information panel about Nyx. “IONA, connect me to the vital stats of each Dauntless' suit. Feed and monitor in real time their stats. Main priority is everyone returning alive. Keep the shields at ready. We can at least boost it enough to protect those near us. Activate weapon systems.” In the next suit, she wouldn't need to tell IONA anything, she just would have to think it, will it. But that wasn't quite yet.

Her armor protected her from the pollen and spores found in the atmosphere, and as a tendril ran to grab at her leg, her arm rose. A jet of flame burst from her wrist, and consumed the plant. She liked this planet. It would be fun to hunt on, to train some more. She wanted it.

The wings spread out on her jetpack, and the E-Webs folded away from the wing, and pointed in front, arching a bit up, down, and sideways, as IONA calibrated the system. “A bit slower than I would like. Let's invest in a faster connection system in the next version.” Allya smirked, as the deflector shield came online, and spread around her body. There was a slight buzz she could feel from inside her beskar'gam, but it was thrilling. A molecular shield, a deflector shield, and a small light shield, heavy armor. The girl was getting closer to her goal. This would be a good practice for the new system. However, her mind flashed back to reality. The door was open. “I'll take point commander, follow behind.” Ever confident, Allya strode forth.

One of her hands picked her lightsaber from her belt and flicked it on. It held this lovely purple hew today. Her other hand reached for her blaster, flicked the setting to sonic attacks, which would tear the plants apart, and strode inside entrance way for the base. But she did not go to far. Her commander could always counter her desire, and she had no desire to be disobedient today.

 

[Jenmae Ophiro]

Location: Forests of Xagobah
Tag: [member="Seren"] / Soon to the the Mandrogora / Open

There was a tension in her Wolf as their ship made the break into atmo, the small bit of turbulence not seeming to be the cause. Leaning forward her nose gently brushed against the top of his head, drawing in his scent as her eyes slid closed. It seemed to her that it had been an age since she'd been able to hold him in her arms, and even though he had Witch for several months now, it had only been a handful of days that she'd had a body once again - and especially one that allowed her to hold him again. Even with his tension revolving around these other witches and their prior allegiances, it was hard for her to find anything to be stressed about.


The white-haired Siren remained right where she was, even as the ship settled into a densely forested region of the planet, and [member="Seren"] threatened to turn them around. For a moment she toyed with the thought, considering what sort of activities they would attend to instead of chasing the young witches through the forests, collecting spores. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when their comm system erupted into the comfortable silence announcing some information about his little side project.

A soft sigh was given as the specter slowly unraveled her arms from around her companion and allowed him to sit forward to respond to the call, should he choose. Instead she made her way into the hold of the ship once more, calling over her shoulder to answer his question and ask one of her own. "Of course not." Her form disappeared from sight as she made her way to the ramp that would allow them to make their way to the planet proper, but her voice carried regardless. "Tell me again why it is that you're bothering with this side project of yours, Wolf?"

Fingers gently pressed upon the screen adjacent to the door, engaging the ramp and allowing the door to slide upwards. "You know what we need - why are you expending effort on this... Gath was it?"

​

 

[Saraya Arenais]

​

Location: Forests of Xagobah​

[member=Seren] | [member=Jenmae Ophiro]​

For the little spider, the trip to Xagobah had mostly been spent tucked away in the hold. It was more comfortable here and she was content to simply watch space go by through the porthole. She wasn’t alone, of course. The Wolf and the Witch had been talking between themselves the entire journey. Despite the ship being relatively small their voices sounded distant to Willow. She’d listened at the start, found their words interesting, but in the end Willow found she could barely understand half of it. Mandragora, Gath, spore samples… they fell on deaf ears.

Willow didn’t come round from her self-induced dream state until the sound of feet clicking across a metal walkway echoed through her mind.

She froze at the sight of her. If it weren’t for the unblinking eyes set into hollow features, Willow would have mistaken her for a marble statue every single time. The young Vahla had known dark before, her people were famous for their natural connection to it. Some of the members of the Ember Cult radiated it so aggressively it swallowed a room whole, as though they had commanded the creation of a black hole. But the darkness The White Witch radiated? Willow had never felt any equal.

Still as a mouse the fiery haired woman remained in the corner, allowing Jenmae to pass without so much as a glance in her direction.

The little spider’s ears pricked up at the sound of the door hissing open. Despite Seren briefly informing her of their task on this planet, and the dangers they might face, Willow was looking forward to getting off the ship. Though her excursions were more frequent now, and she felt less like a prisoner at the very least, being outside made her feel normal again. Like her entire life wasn’t sold to a man governed by a Wolf. Outside the ship she could pretend it was something different, and that gave her peace.

She hopped from one foot to the other waiting for Seren to appear. After a long and arduous few weeks receiving punishment after punishment for her crimes, she had learned to obey him. Of course, it was a little different now. Just after their trip to Geonosis, their relationship had recently morphed into something that felt very different. Apart from the obvious Willow couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that had changed. He was kinder, more gentle and sensitive. But she still found herself unwilling to risk his anger, so she waited.

 

[Pom Stych Tivé]

LOCATION: Dense Forest
OBJECTIVE: Gather unknown organic matter for Chemistry experimentation.



"Well Geez, Vytal, I too would rather we Apparate around the entire day, but just imagine what this bio-organism crap is going to do once placed inside our pockets! Besides, as usual mine are already full." Pom pats her potions stash. She's always toting around a viable arsenal of all manner of crafted goodies of their ancient heritage. Just the uncapping of particular ones in unison, the fumes intermixing can cause explosions. Surely [member="Vytal Noctura"] cannot complain after she sees just how much Sciency stuff their new baby can accomplish away from the castle!

'If only I could get this contraption to Apparate,' she thought. 'Most certain it can be done!'

All loaded up with the shudders open for external viewing, with the Mandragora ready to get to gathering up amazing newfound chemistries, while Pom is hovering over the driver. "Just punch that. This thing flies!"

The driver does exactly as he believed he was directed to do but nothing happens…

"No. This AND that together!" Pom clarifies reaching across his scope of vision to point out the correct controls.

And there is [member="Scherezade deWinter"] standing right in line with their path. Pom can be seen in the cockpit with her mouth dropping open at the circumstance. She flicks a switch to speak with Scherezade through the external loud speaker, "Erm…Hi. How are you? Want to ride along?"

Just then the gunner shot at the ground around Scherezade's feet, causing Pom and the driver both to unexpectedly cringe in unison. Pom first turned about to chastise the gunner, but looking back at Scherezade, luckily she noticed the plant recoiling from the woman's ankles.

"I think you should ride with us." Pom opened the hatch.

 

[Seren]

Location: Forests of Xagobah
Tag: [member="Jenmae Ophiro"] + [member="Willow Fae"]
Nearby: The Knights Obsidian (Mandragora)

For the first time, the Wolf found himself...conflicted.

When he had first emerged into the Galaxy, it was the Crucible who had plucked him from the jaws of death amidst the stars. Their efforts and missions kept him fed and paid whilst he initiated his search for his elder sibling. And, despite the grievous disappointment that was Katrine Van-Derveld, the organization allowed him some semblance of revenge. Their very nature pitted them against the Confederacy - and thus, Seren was almost guaranteed to have the blood of Katrine's allies fresh upon his hands. However. A divine interruption to this trend came in the form of the Siren herself. When she liberated him from the hunts of the old Mandragora, she had set herself upon a mighty pedastal in his life.

Thus, when the call came through, causing Jenmae's touch to conclude, the Wolf pursed his lips. She called back to him as her footsteps echoed throughout the ship, answering his sassy quip and posing a question of her own. Why, she asked, given all they knew of the future...and all they were working towards...did he spend precious time paying attention to what the Crucible wanted? She did not have to say as much explicitly for him to know this was the meaning of her words. From whence she came, there was no Crucible, after all. There was only the Wolf and their well-laid plans. Leaning back into the pilot's seat, Seren huffed slightly.

Because frankly, it was a good question.

Regardless, he reached forward and tapped upon the console, allowing the message to play itself out. The Crucible was developing some sort of...toxin. Something specifically designed to harm force sensitives - and they needed spores from Xagobah in order to conclude their research. Seren gave no response to the missive, but they would know their message had been received. He rose and began his own voyage across the vessel, pausing only to tap upon a few buttons on the adjacent panel. This would cause a new cacophony to erupt into being - in tandem with the lowering of the ramp. Three speeders were carefully unloaded by the ship's automated systems - one for each of the occupants.

"In the beginning, they were useful in my search for Katrine." he began, resuming his walk towards the door. "At the moment, I keep the tie alive - just on the chance that they can prove useful to our goals." And, if their usefulness ran out, Jenmae would be the first to say so.

All of this may as well had been a foreign language to the third occupant of their vessel. The fiery-haired woman who had joined - under duress initially - would have had no prior knowledge of the Crucible. Or even the history shared between the Wolf and the Witch. Rather, Willow's exposure to Jenmae had first been as whispers and allusions. Seren had taken the time to inform the young woman that he was not alone in the stars; and that it was on the fulfillment of their mutual goal that he even stayed in Hutt Space during those fateful weeks. He made it clear that the Siren commanded his loyalties, above all else. And, formerly, had made it clear that Willow was an object.

At least, until the aquatic festival on Golbah City. During that seemingly basic event, Seren had begun to see something in the young woman. Remnants of himself - and how alone and lost he was before Jenmae. Potential. And more that he could not yet adequately put to words. And, in light of this, the young woman found herself far more free. He treated her, frankly, like she was a human - and up until now things had been far less tense aboard the vessel. Seren paused when he joined Willow's side and reached out, fingertips gingerly pressing against her cheek in a playful manner. "Eyes up Willow." he said, before descending the ramp.

His journey came to an end before one of the speeders, where he promptly swung his leg over in a practiced motion. "You two...know how to ride these, right?" If not, with technology, all things were possible.

 

[Jenmae Ophiro]

Location: Forests of Xagobah
Tags: [member="Seren"] | [member="Willow Fae"] | Soon to be the Mandrogora | Open

As the Wolf battled within himself over the worthiness of his involvement with the Crucible, his Witch instead made her way down the ramp - hearing no immediate response from the man. The soft metal clank as her heels impacted was a pleasant contrast to the near constant hum of the insects and birds that filled the trees surrounding the ship. It was nearly enough for her not to feel the eyes that bore into her back as she strolled down the ramp.

The young woman that [member="Seren"] had brought along hadn't been of much interest to the White Witch when they'd left Cularin. In the time they'd known one another, most especially in the years that proceeded the Siren warming up to her little wolf, she'd been used to him finding comfort in the presence of others. It wasn't a foreign concept for her to see him taking along what she'd taken to playfully referring to as 'snacks'. Though something about the way he had been interacting with this one had started to catch her attention.

During the trip the girl had remained coiled in her corner of the ship, all that blazen red hair like a curtain around her as the light from the stars had danced across her pale features. She was pretty enough, and if what the Wolf had told her upon making the brief introduction was true, he'd picked her up on his most recent foray from home, looking for information on the The Nine. The girl seemed to hang off his every word and motion, much as a distant version of the Wolf once had with herself. It was all very interesting, but far from her mind once the trio had arrived.

As the Siren set foot in the damp soil at the end of the ramp, eyes the colour of spent charcoal scanned the horizon dully. The sounds of the speeders lowering caused her to turn, a lazy smile painted across carmine lips as she watched her Wolf descend the ramp, his little bird following behind. "You'll recall that we've ridden these before. Though I dare say never when this body was so young..." She strode towards the speeder at his right and easily swung across the seat, quite the feat in the robes she wore. Nails that looked like they would be better suited for pouring over ancient texts wrapped around the handles with a practiced grip, and she gave a soft chuckle as the bike revved below her.

"I trust your ability to track won't fail us. Find them for me, Wolf." She nodded towards the forest ahead of them and didn't wait for a response, setting her heel into the propulsion system and allowing the bike to carry her away.

 

[John Locke]

​

Location: Xagobah​

Objective: Collect resources for further experimentation​

Tagging: Open​

​

​

It was perhaps the most unexpected sight that you could see, in the middle of a planet where nature had run rampant there was a small hive of activity, but no normal activity. No, these were the droids of the Confederacy unleashed on a planet where nature had run rampant, where organic life was predominant. In the end that was why John was here, the base, the living hub there was an amazing creation, the biological computer running it worthy of further study, of understanding, yet despite that it had been deemed was too dangerous to be allowed to survive. It was a shame but, the lives of the citizens of the Confederacy had to come first, and just the fact that something like that existed had started his research and development moving in a new and unexpected direction. With or without samples from the base he'd plumb the depths and discover what was going on there. and replicate it, it was just a matter of time.

That in part was what had brought him out here, while Wat Tambor's experiments within the base had gone out of control those experiments in the wild were still running around like crazy. Those experiments were why he was here in the first place, while the base might have run completely out of control similiar techniques, similiar processes had been used in the creation of the experiemtns which had been allowed to roam free here, and once he'd gotten some blood samples from them, it was onyl a matter of time before the man could plumb the depths of those mysteries and discover what it was the man had done in the first place. It was always about finding those tools, once you understood how someone did something, replicating and improving on their creations was the easy part, it was why scientists protected their techniques so closely.

The cyborg slipped his hands into his pockets, staring at the droids deployed around him, a small selection of the confederacy's arsenal picked with one purpose in mind, the tagging and cataloguing of the wildlife around him, both flora and fauna. The man's eyes glowed turqoise for a moment as a silent command was sent out and suddenly the clearing exploded into a hive of activity, the droids scattering to their alloted tasks, some chasing animals, tasers and darts flying, some harvesting the planets for further study. And at hte centre, in the eye of this storm of activity the dark haired Cyborg let his gaze dance back over to the base, wondering what other wonders would wait once it had been declared safe by the forces assaulting it, wondering how they were all handling the situation within those walls.

 

[Kerstan Blackmoore]

​

w. [member="Áine"]​

​

Everything was about his next project or his next creation. Kerstan would work to see the fruition of decades, even centuries, of planning to take place. Kerstan'ur'Xan, heir to the Blackmoore throne would sit on the seat of his father's power. Xander had long abandoned it, and Kerstan resented him for it. He had been abandoned by his father as a child, who in turn abandoned his own creation when she could have been considered a child. The guilt which she had made him feel still cut deep. They were on better terms now, in fact, Kerstan would describe their relationship as one which had lived up to every expectation he once had. The creator had fallen for his creation, and she had claimed him as hers as well. While the fiery haired woman belonged to no one, Kerstan still held the only claim that mattered. She was in fact his because he had made her. Which was why she had answered when he called. He needed passage inside of a Confederate mission to the world of Xagobah, and she would be his ticket in.

His ship touched down on the world, with his creation aboard, and the would be king wasted no time in preparing himself for the task ahead. His long coat covered the rest of his outfit, designed to protect him from the plants which would eat him if they could. In fact, it was those very plants which had captured his attention. Bioengineering had seen these plants take on a life of their own and perhaps would offer something he needed for the army he was building as well. Kerstan waited at the edge of the boarding ramp for his beloved creation as his eyes surveyed the jungle in front of him.

"Beautiful," Kerstan stated as she approached. Whether he was speaking of her or the jungle was up for debate. In truth, Kerstan was referring to both. She was the only person his silver tongue did not work on, and he was the only one her pheromones could not seduce. They were matched in their defenses against each other, and yet there they stood, partners, after years of resentment.

Kerstan began to walk toward the jungle, his boots clicking against the metal of the ramp before sinking into the soft and fertile ground of the world below.

"We need samples from every variety we can find, and be careful my love... these plants will eat you if they can. Now come along dear... let's conquer the world shall we?"

 

[Vytal Noctura]

LOCATION: Dense Forest
OBJECTIVE: Gather unknown organic matter for Chemistry experimentation.

"Crap?" Vytal stared at Pom with a raised brow. They were here for exotic ingredients for countless research and application purposes, were they not? How that qualified as 'crap' was beyond the Nightsister's ability to comprehend. Why was this Basic language so infuriating? Surely what her Sister had said did not mean when Vytal believed it to.

"I can well imagine what the life of this planet would do given the chance." Vytal drew in a slow, calming breath. A metal coffin. Yes, it was decided. This was a metal coffin on wheels. Well, so long as it did not rot around them it should provide some measure of protection from the creatures that crawled about the world.

In truth, Vytal had also imagined Pom would give a command that issues their progress forward. Instead, what the Nightsister observed was a bit of banter with the driver on how to get them going. Yet, her tongue was still. Not even a sigh of exasperation. Pom had it in hand. Soon the rumble of movement would come and on their way they would be. Off to collect 'crap.'

With a vehicle this sized, there was an expectation they would collect a large and diverse collection of samples from the planet. Such samples would be well preserved for study in secure environments elsewhere. The Mandragora might even share with the various scientific departments of the Ministry of Science and other organizations within the Confederacy. If the planet showed promise, others might return to collect more samples. It was unlikely such an aggressive planet like this would quickly run out; but Vytal was mindful if it did catch peoples' eyes to make sure the Confederacy did not let anyone strip mine it. Even aggressive plant life only grow so fast.

In the midst of pondering their future, the abrupt halt of the vehicle caused the Dathomiri woman to cling to her hand hold and grunt with the collision of a pole. They could not start it smoothly, nor could they stop it smoothly. Vytal's teeth were clenched together for a moment as she refrained from any lengthy curses being visited upon those present.

"Who is...?" Curious who Pom was addressing outside of the vehicle all of a sudden, the Nightsister's question was cut off when a gunner got trigger happy. Or so it seemed, but soon enough Pom dismissed the entire matter and unsealed the hatch for Scherezade to join them. Ah, Vytal's old not-Witch friend. This was perhaps the first time in a while outside of combat they'd seen one another.

Vytal stepped forward to speak into the microphone, "You can dice the plants up at the collection site, deWinter woman." Had Pom met Scherezade? Probably given her position in the Confederacy before the two of them had reunited again and run off to wreck havoc among the Mandragora -- or so Vytal liked to think the presiding Nightmother thought of them. Just two Daughters of Dathomir making sure the galaxy hadn't forgotten the mysteries of magick were not to be hidden for long.

Tag: [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | Mandragora | Confederates | Open​

 

[Luna Terrik]

Objective: Feed me – destroy the core
Time: 1510 Hours
Equipment: Personal Dauntless Armor, SC4 Blaster, Tactical Recon Handguns, XZ-77 “Buster” Comms Device
Post: 02
Tags: [member="Nyx N1X3"], @Allya Vi’Dreya, [member="GL3AM"]

​

Now, this was the kind of heavy firepower Luna could get behind. Making sure to take a few liberal steps backward as the large droid approached the doorway and began to bath it in fire, she could feel the beginning a small smile peaking at the edge of her lips. It wasn’t often that they had help like this, especially not in the form of such a self-sufficient droid. B-1’s could typically handle themselves, but it wasn’t often a droid walked up in front of a bunch of commandos and told them to stand back with such efficiency.

It was certainly something she could appreciate, especially as the doorway was clear and she was given the tip of how to configure their blasters. Of course, being the level of commandos they were, this had already been gone over in the briefing, but it definitely was worth the reminder. She turned to the smaller of her master sergeants, nodding to her. “Double check with the squad and make sure everyone has their blasters either set to scatter or are paired with a battle buddy that does.” The commander got a nod in response before the woman moved off to tell the similarly armored squad.

Watching as Allya took point, Luna made the follow motion for the rest of her squad to squad up behind her. Two lines of six, each flanking the lines of the hallway, followed behind the armored woman in white that was leading the back as they entered into the abandoned base covered in the green leaves. Through her comm link, Luna got back in touch with the large droid that had opened the way earlier. “Make sure the B-1’s are following behind you closely. Try to keep the force together. My squad will take point and scout ahead. You have this link if you need us.”

Her attention focused back on the hallway after this moment, blaster pointed straight forward while the scanner in her visor scanned the plants for any sort of movement or activity. The white armored woman in front of the group already had her laser sword pulled and ignited, which was also illuminating the way. Luna took moment to comm in Allya’s channel, while still keeping her eyes down the hallway. “Keep me updated. That fancy new AI of yours will be some help analyzing these plants of any sort of bad intent, I imagine.” With that, all of her focus turned back to the mission at hand, ready to burn this whole place to the ground if needed to get to the core.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Wearing: Armor | Pathfinder Boots | The Forgemaster's Ring | Ring of Stasis | Sofitor
Wielding: 8 Nozhi Blades | 2 Czerka knives | 2 Nastirci Combat Knives | Copero's Wail | Fire and Smoke (lightsabers) | Combat Gauntlets | Knight Obsidian Sword | 2 TOTT-001 Arc Light Blaster | 2 Dissuader K-30 Pistols with Glitter Bullets |A MOTHERKRAKKING BLOWTORCH
Tags: [member="Vytal Noctura"] [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]" | + Feel free to join!

She heard the booming sound over the noise of the jungle, the voice of one of the Witches. It sounded familiar but it took her a few seconds to locate it, realizing she had worked with the witch when the Knights Obsidian had ventured into the Dark Labyrinth. It had been so long ago, and Scherezade had not even been part of the Ministry of Secrets at the time, but she remembered. Not much though; mostly, that her first name was Pom, and that she liked her potions and her singing. The second voice, she recognized clearly, and the offered the vehicle a wide grin.

"Coming!" she yelled, and took a step forward to hop into the big metal thing with them, any notion of annoyance over almost having been run over and turned into a deWinter pancake gone from her mind. Company was always better than doing these things solo and she already knew Vytal's company. While a Mandragora and a Dathomiri, Scherezade was happily surprised to learn about herself that neither of those things bothered her about the woman. Maybe it was a blooming friendship. Maybe it was just healing from the traumas the former Nightmother had bestowed on her. Maybe it was just randomness. Who knew? She did certainly not.

But her step did not advance her much further. As she had completely missed the vine wrapping itself around her ankle, attempting to take that single step forward had her lose her balance. Before she could regain it, the vines snapped and pulled, dragging her along with them. Scherezade forced herself to scream, hoping it would reach the vehicle and the witches would understand that this meant that plans were not working as they normally ought to have.

And a moment later, Scherezade was hoisted into the air, head dangling down, above the mouth of a giant plant that had fangs. Of course it had fangs. Why wouldn't something she hadn't planned on being dropped into not have fangs?

Grunting, and thankful for her wonderful abs, she pulled herself up with a knife in hands, and began to work on cutting the vine. Something in the back of her head whispered to her of the upcoming danger. Time was not going to be something she received much of.

"Any chance you could move that fanged plant away from right beneath me?" she yelled-asked. Being on top here was one thing. Dropping into that giant mouth which most likely had acidic saliva that was meant to tear proteins apart was quite another.

Force, she hated moving greenery.