Dominion Slimy places, Slimy People (OPA Dominion of Kitarkin/Mijos)

[Enlil]

Kitarkin

A grungy, mechanized factory world on the Corellian Trade Spine, in the days of the Empire Kitarkin was one of the most profitable stops along the Hyperlane. With a Type II atmosphere, it's breathable, but an oxygen mask is recommended.

Here, we see an opportunity for businesses to sink their teeth in and shipwrights to stake out a prime new location for an OPA drydock. Of course, there are plenty of other tales to tell, if you know where to look...

Mijos

​

If a civilized world just ain't your style, Mijos is the mudhole for you. Because of its location in the loop Hyperlane, many spacers have tried to set up multiple spaceports on the surface. Only one has really stuck, and until now, they haven't been best friends with the OPA.

Stake out the area, find anything that might have been reclaimed by nature and feel free to pocket it; but remember, you're here because we want the people to like us.

Or at least, let us use their spaceport.

Objectives:

Spoiler

I: Any businessmen or shipwrights, go to work on Kitarkin! Find yourself contracts, lay the groundwork for a new drydock, rope them in with promises of economic prosperity and freedom from external governance.

II: Mijos boasts a lone spaceport that has stood against time and the elements, and it would be great if we could use it. Convince the locals to share, or rumble in the jungle looking to reclaim things it stole during other, failed attempts to build.

III: BYOO- neither of these suits you? Well, that's just fine! Explore either world at your leisure. Tell your own story! Have fun with it!

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

Location: Orbit of Kitarkin aboard AIN Nigata
Objective I: Kill them with Kindness...and a little sex appeal
Party Lead: Mari O'Hara (NPC)

Pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, the blonde woman was at her wits end with the company engineers and architects. They had been at the table for the past several hours, haggling over proposals and ideas for the inclusion of the planned OPA Spaceport. O'Hara Holdings had taken a keeen interest in the idea of expanding the trade routes into and out of Alliance territory on the Corellian Trade Spine, allowing several things to become accomplished.

Selfishly, the Imperial Heiress turned business owner/Political Advisor, knew the influx of credits would expand nearly every aspect of the Alliance, and in turn, the little Empire she now called home.

"I'm not going to say this again," she spoke up, finally fed up with the arguing at the holotable,"the plans include not just a spaceport, but the beginnings of a new manufacturing center in orbit. Y'know, with your planet's position on the end of the 'Spine, it would not only improve you and your people's standing in the Alliance, but the location and loose oversight would bolster the economies of all involved." she leaned forward slightly, allowing the planet's administration a clear view,"Plus, with all the traffic the new imports would generate, might allow you to set yourselves up to clean up the place a bit. Maybe even attracting some tourists..." she stated coyly, adding a wink to the end.

She hoped her own bit of flair would work in her favor. Sitting back up straight, she awaited any input from any of the OPA delegates...

Location: Surface of Mijos
Objective III: BYOO - Work on the site of a military base
Party Lead: Me!

"Commander, if the scans were accurate, this should be the location of the complex!" the Nav Officer spoke, causing the members of the small expedition to share knowing glances.

"Very well. Lieutenant, set us down, carefully." Chika told the pilot of the shuttle, who responded,"Aye Ma'am, I'll keep us 'feet dry' unless absolutely necessary. Can't risk the shuttle getting stuck in the muck." the response earned a chuckle from the rest of the party.

The little landing shuttle swooped gracefully into a clearing and lowered its ramp before coming to a stop barely above the surface and allowing the party to disembark. A small security team accompanied by military planners, engineers, and strategists stepped foot onto, more like into, the soggy marsh. Last to hop down was the Empress herself, needing a break from the stark white of the palace.

The shuttle waited several moments before returning to the sky, beginning to circle and provide overwatch as the party did their thing.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

MIJOS

Mudhole, people called it. That was silly. It was a wild world, untouched by the greater galactic civilization, more or less. There had been attempts but the world always won. He appreciated that. It was the Force itself in action.

He picked his way through the jungle as his boots sank into the mud, and he leaned on the staff to keep him upright. It reminded him of Dagobah and the weeks he had spent there trying to fortify and defend the world against the First Order and the Galactic Empire.

In a way, he appreciated the familiarity. Mud spattered across the hem of his robes and boots. There were some sensations he felt in the Force. Places where it pooled and grew strong.

He was seeking them out to see what caused them and where they were. Perhaps there were new tea plants growing. There was a strong connection with rare tea plants and pools of the Force.

 

[Eldin Daine]

Location: Mijos
Party: Tiland Kortun
Objective: Follow the Jedi and find tea?
Mood: Groan

Not everyone liked the OPA, out here they looked upon the green blob with a fair amount of suspicion. Eldin did not know why nor did he care, but today he was running shot gun for a Jedi. As if Jedi need protection. But that was his directive from the Marshals at HQ. Maybe he had done something wrong, something they did were displeased with for them to issue orders to come here. The Jedi was trailblazing through the mud like he was born to it, certainly he was relishing it, but not Eldin. Mud caked his fine leather boots which were not ruined, he had spent a pretty penny on them, only worn them the once and now they are stuffed. What was worse, muddy water had gotten into his socks and soaked his feet making them prune and soft.

The cane wielding Jedi forged ahead, Eldin falling behind cursing his life and plight. All this for a plant?

He too could sense the strength of the force in this place, it seemed to seep out of everything and wanted nothing more than to penetrate him. If Eldin could tell the force to f-off it would, so frustrated by the tracking through the mud and damp to the core he was not in the mind to enjoy himself. Who .. in their right mind .. would? He's nuts. He shot the Jedi a dark look right in the center of his back.

"How much further?", Eldin sounded like a child tried of traveling and confined.

Around the quagmire there was a constant buzzing, insects of all nature busy with life and death, some decided that Eldin's blood was a feast to be had and settled on the back of his neck puncturing his skin only to be met with death dealt by a swift hand slapping on the back of his neck.

The force was strong in Eldin, not that he knew of anything of that, what little ability he has had all been self taught. He had toyed with the idea of seeking out training but who has the time for that? What with his job and smuggling, gambling and .. women. But he supposed that one day he aught to, hone some of the abilities he has and maybe learn something useful.

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

Location: Mijos
Allies: OPA
Enemies: Rogue project

"Are you sure it's a good idea to get here?" Tamana asked. "I mean, if it's anything like the real Apex Vanguard, we'd better have ECM"

"Here's the plan: we need someone to get the Apex Vanguard into the shade. While it may get more dangerous into the shadows, he regenerates in broad daylight so only use fire spells after a while. I will cast the ECM spell and then fire the Panic Launcher at the missile batteries"

Some distance away from the spaceport, some entity codenamed the Apex Vanguard was threatening the attempts by the locals to re-settle the area. Dense vegetation meant options were limited as to how to deal with it. Dumelie being away on official business, this meant the other four witches in the coven were there alongside local forest patrol. They were willing to pay in plots of land, but what the coven would do with it is a different business. Tramping in the forest, they were on the lookout for noises, or paw traces consistent with a creature that size. Also, Anastasia, the impoverished patrician witch from Samovar, rode her brand new MobileMortar-4 and, on multiple occasions, seemed to have a limited grasp of driving a swoop. As such, she incurred a lot of near-misses while being ahead of the rest of the party, and recklessly firing a mortar at the missile batteries...

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Eldin Daine

“How much further?” Tiland called back to his struggling companion. Eldin, this Marshal was certainly not one for traveling in the wilderness, but apparently the Judges has decided to send an escort along with him. It amused him, more than he let on. Although, he also suspected other reasons. “Reach out with your feelings. What does the Force tell you?”

The youth had potential, certainly, but lacked training. More importantly, Eldin lacked the commitment to training, from what he had sensed on the journey. No, this Eldin still lived in the material plane.

Hence Tiland’s response to the question. He didn’t know how much further it would be, but where exactly the location was to be found. They would find it when they found it and not before. It’s where the trust came in. Trust in the Force. Trust in well honed instincts. There was no replacement for that.

But he did know how difficult it could be for people not accustomed to the wilderness, so he climbed onto a fallen log and took a seat. “We can take a breather here.”

The old monk pulled out a thermos of tea and unscrewed the cap. “And by the way. If you cover your skin with thick mud and let it dry, the mosquitoes won’t be able to bite through it.”

He had heard it was true. But Anzati didn’t have blood like humans, so he wasn’t sure.

 

[Cassian Tethus]

Mijos, The Backwater.
Location: Within Earshot of Tiland Kortun and Eldin Daine
Allied: OPA
Neutral: Jedi
Hostile: Forces of Chaos
Objective: BYOO, Purge Traitors / Mercenary Run

​

The Renegades were here for one reason only. There have been whispers by the local townsfolk of Forces of Chaos taint located on the quite sleepy planet itself. The history of this planet was rather quiet, with minimal historical events happening within its borders. Completely unremarkable to any sort of stellar cartographer at all.

"Traitor Shock Marine of the Blood Marines Battlegroup"​

The History of the Renagedes and the Forces of Chaos was a long one. Years ago, when the Catharian Hegemony had its fangs out for the Chiss Ascendancy in its attempt to annex the nation and bring it into the Bulwark, many thousands of loyal Shock Marines turned against the Queen Mother, corrupted by the Forces of chaos who had infiltrated the impregnable vaults of Cathay. Members of Tethus's own Legion fell to the horrible taint that was the Forces of Chaos. Turned traitor.

Despite the great Catharian Exodus from the Galaxy, all that remained of its once great civilization were scattered pockets of forgotten Shock Marines and Catharian Army Forces. The Throneworld of Cathay herself, abandoned to time.

These Farmers and localized Hunters have chosen to hire the Renegades for this job to eliminate this cult on planet, each of these farmings banding together to pay their exorbitant fees. The Marine's Goal for these cultists? Purge it forever and bring their damned souls back into the light of the Queen Mother. However, the Renegades were low in number. Three Marines, Tethus, a Firestorm Marine, and a Scout Marine. Intel was also limited on the numbers of Traitors located on planet, three? Two? Maybe one and fifty Cultists. Even still, a single Chaos Shock Marine was a match for an entire Squad of Loyalist Shock Marines.

The Three Renegades were hidden in the Brush, Their steel Gray Power Armor coated with mud to provide some rudimentary camouflage. Movement was heard nearby, and this contact would likely be horrible for the Transhuman Giants who stood half the height of the trees here. But, the latent darkness and hidden nature of the Renegade Marines would help to conceal their bulky forms. The only thing visible in he Darkness, would be their Ocular Visors, glowing in the darkness in a Deep Red Coloration.

Tethus, clad in his Standardized Power Armor suit, knelt at the forefront of his Compatriots, Slugthrower in hand and prepared for contact. Meanwhile, the Heavier Marine stood still against the backdrop of the forests. The Scout, well. He was no where to be seen. Reaction to possible contact was all but a fluid motion for these Marines, having experienced far worse on the bloody battlegrounds of Thearterra, and Bogo-Rai.

 

[Enlil]

Objective III - Kitarkin

He looked down at the chronometer, still trying to wrap his mind around it. The movement of the sun was practically unreliable for telling time on a world where the skies were so polluted. The fact that humanity had discovered a means to keep and tell time, however, still struck the King dumb.

When Yula Perl explained to him how they used numbers to designate what part of the day it was, he initially laughed at her. As he compared the time as the device told it to what he knew of daylight, modern technology only baffled him more.

That, coupled with the breathing mask that pumped clean air into his lungs, made this experience all the more eye-opening. "Subject was last seen fleeing the corporate sector, we no longer have a lock on him."

"He'll make for the port and try to get off world." The local authorities were not lax in their duties as on some other worlds in the Outer Rim, but that came with being industrialized. "This is it, Alliance boy. Time to show us how you work."

"Already moving to intercept," Enlil had taken stock of the city's landscape and learned the fastest routes between places. When they engineered this arrest, before they sent the initial team in, they knew the perpetrator would attempt to flee.

Off world was the only way to go. Once you escaped local justice, it was only Bounty Hunters after you in the Outer Rim. 50/50 shot that you'd live quietly the rest of your life or end up in a slab of Carbonite.

"I've got eyes on him," Enlil snapped as he dove through the back alleys and tore toward the spaceport. "He got off the main road and is taking the service path."

"Stang," the first Lawman cursed. "I'll try to get a team to lock down the spaceport. It's short notice, and it might be disruptive, but we need this guy locked down."

"Better hurry," Enlil huffed. "He's moving fast."

 

[Vouvry]

Location: Surface of Mijos
Objective III: BYOO - Work on the site of a military base
Party Lead: Kimiko Taiyou

Similar to the Empress' shuttle, Vouvry's freighter never actually set down onto the ground but hovered a meter or two above it. Leaving the pilot's chair, the young Mirialan looked over to his astromech "Look after her for me" he said, patting the machine on its head as he walked past. Glancing back, he joked "No joyrides" with a stern voice, receiving a disgruntled series of beeps and boops in return. Having already moved on, he let a light chuckle out before hollering "Just kidding" whilst taking on a pair of knee-high boots by the ramp.

Looking down at the green march below, Vouvry hoped that their estimations were correct and that this would indeed be a more pleasant spot for him to disembark on. But then, he threw an eye to the Kimiko's shuttle - it was letting its passengers off at what he had thought was a rather unpleasant area but they seemed to be fine. Realising that it was well past the point of going back to make a few more calculations, the young Mirialan hopped down from the ramp, producing daft and boring splat as he landed. The march reached rather high up his ankle but at least he was not standing waist deep in it. Raising his arm, Vouvry spoke to his droid through the coms "Alright buddy, I'm on the ground" he said. Within a few moments, the droid replied and steered the ship away, intending to hover a fair bit above the location and return to pick the owner back up when called upon.

With that, he started plowing his way through the muck to reach the Sakuran landing party. Catching the eye of a few of them, he sent them an awkward wave. With his holdout blaster safe in its holster and a rifle hanging lazily by his back, Vouvry felt ready to aid in the group's protection. There was no doubt in his mind that they could probably have arranged for only involving their own people in the team's security, but he was grateful for the opportunity to help out - the credits were certainly needed.

Finally arriving, he sought out a member of the security team "Hey chief" his voice was light and cheerful, projecting a sense of enthusiasm for whatever it was that they were going to do. "Got any ideas on what to keep an eye out for? We spotted some local wildlife on our way down, but they didn't seem all that close at the time" he said, throwing in his own observation in the unlikely case that it had been missed. Upon having received his answer from the guard, Vouvry moved on to Kimiko, raising his hand in a wave but quickly remembering that it was an Empress that he was dealing with after all. She was certainly not Sith but the rank usually required something a tad more formal than a wave. With that, he scrambled to transform what had begun as wave into some sort of salute followed by an awkward bow "I am glad to see you again"

 

[Eldin Daine]

Location: Mijos
Party: Tiland Kortun | Cassian Tethus
Objective: Follow the Jedi and find tea?


Eldin rolled his eyes behind the back of the old monk Jedi, “The force speaks basic?”, he said with his thick drool, through a mild level of frustration. Why do they all say that? He stopped as the Jedi did, watching him perch on a log and provide himself with a hot drink. Fiine.

He took a seat next to him, not that Eldin needed a break but maybe the old guy did, so be it.

“Exactly how do I listen to the force?”, he had heard that expression before, but did not know how he was supposed to tap into it to listen. Sure, he had had inklings before, even strong alerts that did not guide him astray, and part of him knew, part of him wanted to believe the force was protecting him or guiding him, but trust was something Eldin found hard to give into such things. People well, they were different, he could control that, but the force was something entirely different. How do you put trust in something you can’t see?

As for the remedy for the biting insects, yeah that would work he knew that, “Ya cover yaself in the muck first”, although for some reason the insects were not bothering the old goat.

He was about to give it a go, try and listen to the force while the Jedi sipped his tea. The alert came first, the prickling sensation rode up the back of his neck, it was eerier every time it happened. It was only moment before he heard the sound in the jungle not far from them. With instinct Eldin reached for his twin pistols on his hip.

“We got company”, he spoke low as he stood up.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Eldin Daine Cassian Tethus

Tiland simply smiled to himself, and poured another cup of tea, as the Judge kept talking and asking questions. "The first step to listening to the Force is the same first step as listening to others- not talking over them." His voice was gentle and there was humor behind it. Not insulting or being cruel, but an observation. "But the difference with the Force is that it's our mind that we quiet."

He raised an eyebrow as his companion raised his guns and reached out with the Force. He closed his eyes for a moment. Then nodded. "Three of them. Wary of our presence and our nature, but I feel that we are not their target." He frowned and stroked his beard for a moment. "But the question is definitely, why are they here and who exactly are they going after?"

The old Jedi gazed down at his cup of tea and shrugged. "Perhaps we should invite them to tea. They haven't shot us yet, which suggests they aren't planning on shooting us. And I suspect the Force brought us together for a reason. Perhaps we can help each other."

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

Location: Mijos
Allies: OPA

The first mortar shot didn't do much to the dorsal missile batteries, in fact, it instead hit the beast's dorsal spine. Anastasia's reckless firing caused the beast to seek shelter into the foliage, whatever shelter it could actually get in there. Tamana, in her hatred for that gigantic living weapons platform, attempted to channel whatever ambient hatred there was around them, while Alyssa hid behind Janick. In the meantime, she could feel that the lock-on sequence was initiated on the Apex Vanguard, and then, drawing on her knowledge of ECM, she sought to aim a well-placed bolt of Force Lightning onto the targeting equipment, which also had the particularity of being hard-wired to the fire control system, so as to fry it, while Alyssa seemed to focus on casting some sort of transmutation spell that would cause the beast's stomach to rupture because the gastric juice would then eat away at it, and the innards to melt away afterward. Yet they both knew that innards melting away, starting from the stomach, would take forever to cause any significant damage to a beast that size.

 

[Enlil]

Kitarkin

The King cleared a pipe that spanned the middle of the alleyway and turned down an adjacent avenue. Lower areas of Kitarkin were not unlike the undercity of an ecumenopolis, littered with sewage lines, water lines, and all other manner of the dregs of infrastructure. It almost seemed unlivable as he looked at it. Humanity had divorced itself from living off the world itself and found ways to manufacture luxury.

If he had time to scrutinize it all, Enlil would have indicted the people of the world for that alone. It was important that people understood the planet they lived on, lest the planet inevitably turn against them. Humanity was more parasite than symbiote.

He ducked another and turned sharply to race down the narrow lane toward his quarry. The perp jetted past just a fraction of a second before Enlil managed to head him off, but he saw the King out of the corner of his eye, and his tenacity appeared to renew in an instant.

"You'll never take me alive!" he screamed. There was no mask to aid him with him breathing, so Enlil imagined every word rewarded him with the taste of dung. What a pathetic creature, truly.

"They're not paying me to," he called out harshly, "so don't give me any ideas!"

 

[Eldin Daine]

Slowly Eldin relaxed his grip on his guns and put them back in the holster on his hip. “Well I don’t think they are here for tea”, he only just got the words out before the old Jedi thought it nice to invite them. “Got a feelin’ they’d prefer whiskey”, truth was Eldin did too and really wanted one now, tea was not a drink he even remotely had an inclination for.

Who ever they were did not seem to be interested in coming their way, maybe in time they would meet up with them. The old Jedi seemed to think they were not a threat; he might be right but Eldin would keep an alert anyway.

He threw a leg over the log and sat again facing the old man, watching him stroking his long beard. He looked over his face, lined with age and tender eyes. This man is kind, quiet in nature as well as action, but Eldin wondered if he was happy. Content. Or just told to be? Or whether he found this place himself.

“What lights ya wick Master?”, as he awaited the answer, Eldin did some contemplation of his own. He doubted that there was a time in his life where he could say he had a quiet mind. Not enough for the force to be able to speak to him, clearly. Eldin picked at the bark on the log, peeling it back as if in hope to find something hidden within. An idol action with purpose.

“Too many .. bad memories for me mind to be still”.

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Eldin Daine

Tiland nodded as his companion spoke, but shrugged. "Unfortunate. I find that sharing tea with with fascinating strangers is one of the great delights of life." He stood up and perched atop the log, lifting one foot so that balanced on one leg, raising the cup of tea in the other. He raised an eyebrow at the Judge.

"Lights my wick?" His mouth quirked at the phrasing and terminology. A thousand years and he head never a phrasing like that. "That I have never heard. But dark memories, I do know."

Be gestured to how he stood. "It is why we Jedi speak so much about balance, and about detaching our self from our emotions. They are a wind and a tidal wave whose power can be overwhelming. And for many, they are rooted in memory, creating a storm."

He nodded. "That is the great struggle of each individual, as Light and Dark is that of the galaxy." One finger tapped the side of his forehead. "Fighting a war against ourself only divides our self. Our pain, our regrets, our grief, all of these are part of who we are. Our instinct, as sentient beings, is to avoid pain, avoid discomfort. Natural, after all, because those are our body telling us that we are in a place where survival is suboptimal. So we push them away. Distract ourselves. Anything to avoid them. But until we learn to accept and make peace with these parts of ourself, we will be controlled by that within us we wish to hide from."

A sad smile flickered across his face. "That is the war of an individual. And it can be a long process. "

 

[Enlil]

They were both on a straightaway now, angled down the main boulevard toward the spaceport. Sirens blared as the local lawmen finally got their asses in gear, and signs around them began to flicker with warnings. Fugitive on the loose. Be advised, do not engage, call KitSec immediately...

It was the sort of slow uptake that made the King's blood burn. They'd called for help, and Kitarkin's government had asked the Judges for assistance; but to Enlil, it felt like the OPA was doing all of the legwork, and the locals just didn't want to look bad. Tasteless.

"Whatever they're paying," the man rasped, "double! No, triple! Please!"

"Save your breath," Enlil dug in deeper and accelerated his pace with the assistance of the Force. It was gradual, and he didn't augment himself all at once. A short burst would wear him thin in the long run. A gentle enhancement, however, was more economic. He could sustain it. "You can't afford me."

 

[Kimiko Taiyou]

Location: Surface of Mijos
Objective III: BYOO - Work on the site of a military base
Party: Vouvry

She was watching some of the crew set out plans and begin drawing up layouts of the prospective base. Amused by how hard it was for them to navigate in the terrain, allowing herself to chuckle now and again when one of them fell, or lost balance in the deep muck of the swamp. She really enjoyed watching Chika lose one of her boots and immediately face plant into the mud, not able to control herself, earning an angry glare from her supreme commander.

The approach of familiar presence caused her to turn and was greeted by Vouvry, formally as usual, but she offered an appreciative smile in return,"Ah Vouvry, thank you for joining us on this, interesting expedition. I do hope your travels have not been to dangerous since we last spoke?"

 

[Kahne Porte]

Location:KItarkin
Objective:Stay out of trouble

"Remember your jobs, watch each others six. And please don't forget to wear your mask so you can work easier." One of the leads of their little expedition or scavenging group if you would call it spoke up to the rest of the team. During his time in the outer rim Kahne had made contact with several individuals, some of them not as reputable as the others, but still they weren't bad, bad guys. Kahne's vessel hovered in the sky for a few moments as his ship scanned the area for accessible places to set down, and also to give the team more time to get themselves ready. Kahne was here for more security than anything. While most of his team had seen combat before, still having a Jedi along seemed like a good idea.

A green indicator light blinked on the navi-computer console and Kahne tapped the button to silence it.

"Landing is fixing to happen, hold on to your butts."

 

[Vouvry]

Locations: Surface of Mijos
Objective III: BYOO - Work on the site of a military base
Party: Kimiko Taiyou

Smiling, nodding and finally waving away her thanks, Vouvry took a deep breath, thinking of what he had been through since they had last met. Claiming that it had been free from danger would be a bit further from the truth than he preferred. With that, he simply let out a quick "Thanks" and soon added "You too" before turning to look out over their surroundings.

Taking a deep breath, Vouvry immediately felt a sense of regret. The air, whilst clean, was characterised by the damp and wet swamp they stood it "Bringing some civilisation to this swamp I hope" the Mirialan spoke with a cheerful tone. Having seen people plan the establishment of new farms and farmhouses along with a solid education, he had a few ideas of what they might consider. Naturally, his knowledge was nowhere close to as deep as that of an expert.

"How large is it going to be?" he asked, looking at a few trees and boulders which would be obstacles to their progress lest they were removed first. The young Mirialan's eyes kept surveying the area until he finally spoke again "Why did you even choose this area in the first place?" While he had noted a few pointers which seemed to make it rather defensible on his decent aboard his freighter, Vouvry was still curious to see her reasoning and hoped to learn something from it.

 

[Janick Beauchamp]

Location: Mijos
Allies: OPA

An imprudent forest guard strayed too close to the target, going for the knees, but was eaten by the Apex Vanguard at point-blank range. Meanwhile, the beast was attempting to restart its fire control system, oblivious to internal hemorrages it may have suffered by the transmutation spell. Such things Janick can feel: a firepower kill can cause the beast to panic when coupled to internal hemorrages. So she took aim with the Utai Panic Launcher, with a pressure-detonated high explosive round being loaded, making sure it hits the ammunition magazine: that way, even if the fire control system could be restarted, with no ammo, it would require to be at point-blank to kill someone. Once the shot was first fired, it scored a direct hit, causing a chain reaction that made warheads explode prematurely, and severing the beast's spine. Yet it still lived, just in a panic state that made it get out of the foliage and into the light.