Public Synthesis Distress

[Arcane Syn NPCs]

Meteor showers were uncommon on the world of Baalia, although they had been known to occur when an asteroid from the nearby Roche Asteroids ended a decades or centuries long drift from the field towards the planet. With the small population in relation to other worlds in the Auril Sector, such occasions brought many of the colonists and natives out to watch the spectacle. This event was no different, brief streaks of red in the atmosphere as the debris broke apart and burned up. An impacts from meteorites, detected by both military and commercial scanners, would send people out to possibly recover valuable materials or a souvenir.

Oddly, some of the meteorite impact zones had a strange metallic core and an oily discharge on it. Five Days Later... a distress call would start emitting from the world, on any frequency in hopes of reaching aid. The message would be of a harried looking young man in farmer clothes, blonde hair slicked back, and worry etched on his face. A lightsaber would hang from a work belt as he looked into his recording beacon.

"This is Jedi Apprentice Varen Goril of the AgriCorps requesting immediate assistance for the planet of Baalia. Five days ago, the planet had a meteor shower and I'm convinced during it something was released onto the planet. It started near one of the Ithorian towns, I think. We lost all contact with the town, and when the authorities went to investigate they found the citizens... changed. They were, and I can't believe I'm saying this, they had been altered, mutated, all metal... and were still alive. The investigative team was completely wiped out, but not dead, changed and mutated like the others, and since then more outbreaks have been reported, all starting near Ithorian settlements. Even planet life is getting altered."

The Jedi would look nervously over his shoulder, voices in the background conveying distress.

"They have some sort of sonic attack that can paralyze you and..." blaster fire would obscure part of his words "small arms are having little effect on the warped Ithorians. The metal covering their bodies..." The Jedi apprentice would suddenly disappear from the beacon's visual recorder, going off screen. His voice could still be heard. "Stop! Please! Leave them alone!"

The snap-hiss of lightsaber activating would fill the audio.

A warbled voice, metallic sounding but distinctly Ithorian speaking basic would say, "All will join the Great Synthesis."

The transmission would end with a horrible sonic screeching, and then the recorder would cut out before playing on repeat the image of the creature.

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OOC: Starting a little story sandbox for anyone interested in joining and investigating what is occurring, whether it be to help survivors and eliminate whatever has infected the planet or to acquire whatever the infection is for your own purposes. My hope is to start off a little story arc for people to participate in, a series of threads outside of the wars currently going on or on pause while we enter the December moratorium.

 

[B0-OM]

Tags: Open!

B0 had a lot of interest in the woes and troubles of organics. In fact, he rather enjoyed hearing the delightfully panicked shouting emitted by the young Jedi Apprentice when he had tuned into the holonet to listen to the distress call - a shame he could not see the carnage. But after the euphoria had worn off, ideas flooded his metallic mind. This was a chance! To prove himself to his new benefactors! All the implications and usages if this was a weapon were untold. And wasn't the Big One looking into a process like this? He would want to be the first to know about this! This sounded like a perfect thing to investigate.

So, the diminutive astromech was determined in his new mission. First he triumphantly rolled around the place, bleeping binary of all sorts to alert (and to brag to) others like himself all about how had discovered something wonderful. Then off he went to the hangar of the planet he was offered sanctuary on, borrowed a ship to pilot - perhaps accompanied by a few of his newfound partners in crime! - before setting course directly to Baalia. There wasn't any time to lose, for who knows how many other people heard and saw the same potential in this opportunity they did? Organics do so love to muck things up, even when they aren't supposed to be involved.

No, rather, this was a job for Droids.

 

[Entirr Mokuze]

Entirr's Centurion-class Star Destroyer arrived to the orbit of the planet Baalia. He received the transmission from the planet and he decided to potentially resolve the problem in the interests of the Lilaste Order. The Ithorian looked at the planet and then he sent a transmission to Laphisto : "Commander, there are suspicious signals coming from the planet. Something is terrorizing civilians on this planet and makes them join something called "the Great Synthesis". I have decided to investigate this and resolve the problem in the interests of the Order. I will request aid when needed."

 

[Voxum]

"Finally."

Voxum stood aboard the vessel, replaying the message yet again. Only the beginning part of it mattered, but the information was replayed over and over so they might hear it. Organics turned metal. Not a reprogramed droid with the downloaded thoughts of the original organic, but true conversion. It wasn't something the Shard had thought possible in the slightest, and yet here it was. Proof that the blessing of metal could overcome the curse of flesh.

It pleased them to no end.

"When do we arrive, B0-OM? I feel.. Impatient."

B0-OM | Arcane Syn NPCs | Entirr Mokuze

 

[KLR-13]

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KLR-13 paced in the cockpit of the starship as it mad the journey to the planet Baalia. The images played by the holocron played over and over in KLR-13's processor. The true destruction of organic life. It did not approve of granting organic life the gift of metal, however this was an opportunity the Mecha Factum could not and would not pass up. It stopped pacing before speaking to the others along for the ride.

"They are not going anywhere, Voxum. We'll arrive in time to at least collect some specimen as I'm sure is your prime directive on this mission." KLR-13 interjected. "I only hope some of the organics survived. So that I may kill them myself."

B0-OM | Voxum | Entirr Mokuze | Arcane Syn NPCs
​

 

[Xalax]

Tag: Open

Image Credit: Here

As the last transmission from the doomed Jedi Apprentice ended, dozens of calculations were already running through Xalax’s droid brain. Assessments of risk/reward, estimations on the strength of the infection, and simulations of its spread across space. After about five minutes of intense computation, Xalax had made his decision. He would go to Baalia to personally investigate this “Great Synthesis”.

One uneventful shuttle trip later, Xalax was on the surface of the planet Baalia, with a group of 15 battle droids (plus his two B-2 bodyguards) in tow. They had landed about a mile away from the location where the transmission describing organic life being converted into machines had originated from. And sure enough, signs of the Great Synthesis doing its work covered the landscape.

There were trees covered in mechanical gears and tubes, grass which had turned into fiber-optics, and even the ground itself had morphed into a metallic surface covered in pipes and flashing lights. While Xalax was not typically one to express admiration for something like a landscape, even he found his optical sensors entranced by the beauty of it all. He stood in place for a while, until his reverie was interrupted by the metallic voice of a battle droid commander. “General. What is it?” the commander asked, clearly not as inspired by the planet as Xalax was. “This… This is our Triumph.” Xalax declared.

 

[B0-OM]

Tags: Arcane Syn NPCs | Voxum | KLR-13 | Open!

<Organic saying = "Patience is a virtue!"> The astromech bleeped out cloyingly, in a small jest towards Voxum. <ETA = not much longer.> Beezero would affirm nonetheless.

<Big One = seems enthusiastic for opportunity // B0 = knew Big One would! // B0 = also believes now is opportune time to mention interest in several new missile munitions.> Binary chirped in cheeky fashion, a few turns of the scomp link as he piloted the ship into the atmosphere. <B0 = wouldn’t hope for too much // Outbreak = recorded only near Ithorian Settlements // Conclusion = source may only be for Ithorians // Hopes = much better for meddling organics to kill. // Baalia = already holds several ships in orbit.>

At the mention of which, of course, a few of the power-systems dimmed on the ship. Purposefully masking signals, lowering outputs, to maintain a low-profile in order to avoid detection. As loud-and-proud as he was, he had to admit their presence wasn’t as much fun if it wasn’t a surprise. Especially if there was competition.

<B0 = still doesn’t know Big One's designation! // Combative Model = also mostly unknown.> He trilled indignantly. He most definitely did, especially after KLR-13 just said Voxum's - But they had never been properly introduced, and it seemed like a swell opportunity. Introduction was likely a quaint idea, for the likes of a droid.

<B0 = surprised to see KLR-13 present // KLR-13 = did not seem to be interested in such investigations // B0 + KLR-13 = appeared to have similar interests! // KLR-13 = understands finer things of mechanical life.> He would chirrup out gleefully. The finer things mostly pertaining to the extinguishing of other life, of course. Beezero could not help but feel a measure of satisfaction with the death of organics in a variety of bombastic ways. One may also note he absolutely did know his companion’s designations. More harping on introductions were left unspoken, as the Astromech searched for a clearing and landed not long thereafter.

 

[Voxum]

"Mm."

Voxum turned their gaze to KLR-13, regarding the fellow droid in silence. It was important to have an opinion that contradicted Voxum's own, less they get too set in their programing and forget the other values to consider. Saving the organics from their curse would only go so far if the organics resisted. But these ones hadn't. There were indeed some that realized their curse.

"If they resist, kill them. But take those who don't alive. I must study the way this substance changes them to that of metal. The more willing, the better. But they are slaves to their curse, and I will save them no matter their resistance." They paused, turned their photoreceptors towards B0-OM.

"I believe the body I am using currently is a K series droid, but it is not what I am limited to. I just feel the most.. Me, in it." A Shard could use any mechanical body so long as it was adapted properly. But the shell Voxum wore currently was one they'd worn for a long, long time. "Voxum is my designation, though."

B0-OM | KLR-13

 

[Entirr Mokuze]

Entirr sent a message to the fighters that were docked in the Star Destroyer: "You know what your mission is, go and explore the surface of the planet."

Then, the fighters flew away from the Destroyer and arrived to the troposphere of the planet. They flew over Xalax 's company. One pilot of the fighters sent a transmission to the Star Destroyer: "Commander, we have found a group of battle droids on the planet's surface, what should we do?" Entirr replied: "Watch over them, but do not attack until they do."