Public Terror at Mugg Fallow: Raiding the Rotten Crown (OPEN: rewards and glory)

[Shath Kharole]

A notice had gone out:

TOP PRICE PAID FOR RECOVERED SHIPS
EXTREME DANGER

The Unknown Regions planet Mugg Fallow (coordinates and route attached) is widely considered the deadliest place in the known universe. It is home to the infectious super-entity known as Mnggal-Mnggal. Over many tens of thousands of years, this entity has brought starships into orbit, creating a ring of derelicts: the so-called rotten crown of Mugg Fallow.

Some of these ships are irreplaceable relics of our ancestors. We will pay in Underworld Credits and functional Gree technology for recovery of any pre-Republic non-human vessel — and neutralization and containment of the aggressive Mnggal-Mnggal substance aboard.

This is best done in sealed armor, using CryoBan or carbon-freezing weapons and stasis containers. Even these measures do not guarantee your safety.

Make no mistake: if you choose to honor our request, it will be the most dangerous job of your life regardless of your experience and expertise.

While any Mnggal-Mnggal-infected 'undead' aboard will have decayed into the 'gray goo' Mnggal-Mnggal substance long ago, the substance is mobile, aggressive, malevolent, sadistic, invasive, and highly intelligent.

If you secure an orbiting vessel and neutralize the Mnggal-Mnggal aboard, but are infected, we may be able to offer extreme medical care. Failing that, we will pay your reward to the heirs, dependants, or charity of your choice.

Do not descend to the surface of Mugg Fallow for any reason.

Do not communicate with Mnggal-Mnggal for any reason.

Do not make physical contact with Mnggal-Mnggal for any reason.​

---

THE TYRAX — SHARUKAN EXPEDITIONARY BATTLESHIP
APPROACHING MUGG FALLOW

Shath Kharole, Thrella mist-weaver, wore a layer of woven mist over his space-suit as extra security. The layer was just as tough, just as impregnable to fluids, and totally undigestable. It made him look like he was coated in dull, cream-colored silk padding from head to toe. This was a proper weaving of the Mist — what the Gree called the Transparent Sphere and the Rakata and Humans called the Force. Mist-weaving was a far older way and as ever, Shath reminded himself to treat even its mundane applications with respect.

Nobody else here could mist-weave, but everyone here had comparable protection — tough space-suits and sealed armor of a dozen kinds. Shath looked around the assembled Forerunners, many of them about to go through airlocks into their own ships and break away from the Tyrax.

"Remember," he said. "We can replace the human money and the technology we use to pay those who accept our offer. What we cannot replace is you."

He let that stand as he headed for his own shuttle, a human-made assault ship that ought to get him into and out of the action about to erupt. Already any number of non-Forerunners — people taking the contract or out for their own purposes — were exiting hyperspace near the rotten crown of Mugg Fallow, intent on risking their lives for a very, very nice payday.

Ships of every description converged on the deadliest world in the known universe.

Despite all he'd learned and endured, Shath felt a tremor of genuine fear.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

A new task came through the HoloNet. That was… interesting. She had heard of Mugg Fallow, any spacer worth their salt had. It was a treasure trove wrapped in a disaster and was on nearly everyone's no-fly-no-pass zone. When other captains say 'fly safe' they may as well be saying 'don't fly to Mugg Fallow.' Yet every few years, you hear of one new spacer, or someone who just had too many drinks taking off, heading for Mugg and losing their ship and their life to the Rusted Crown.

Yet here she was, pacing the deck of the Corellian Dawn as the ship was following the path she set out for it. Getting deep into the ass-end of the Unknown Regions was no small feat, but well, she had access to some of the best wayfinders the galaxy could offer. With the advertisement being put out by the Forerunners, and who her father was, she wasn't about to be the Captain who responded. The Corellian Dawn was under a falsified transponder as the Credit Chaser, and it was being captained by a trusted friend of her father's, Cuan Kunn. The one nice thing about being watched by the Home Guard?

Sullustans were everywhere.

And they had a lot of weird weapons too. From cryo tech to molten tech. Someone would be able to handle the Mnggal-Mnggal, she hoped.

If not? They could at least move ships into the right area.

"Lets hope we are not making a mistake." She shuddered as the ship entered real space. There were the Forerunners, and everyone else.

And there was the quarry…

 

[Onrai]

Within the orbit of Mugg Fallow, a tremendous fleet of warships exited from hyperspace. A dozen Sovereign-class Battlecruisers, dozens of worn Pluton-class Battleships, and countless other miscellaneous ships whose history spanned across decades of galactic history. Every one of the ships in question was manned by skeleton crews of Sith-Imperial veterans, some augmented by droids or automated systems to further reduce their necessary operational count.

A single Pluton, different from the others, broke from the great formation of ships and moved towards the planet below. An open hail was sent out on all frequencies to all parties within the system.

"This is the Ablution. Flagship of the Void Irregular Fleet. We are here to cleanse the planet of Mugg Fallow of its Mnggal-Mnggal infestation. Do not interfere in our operations." A female voice spoke, chilling tone radiating across the vastness of space. Her interest in the floating hulks orbiting the world were minimal if not nonexistent.

Aboard the bridge of her old ship, a stalwart companion to her across the entirety of her life, the order was given for the former Sith fleet assets, freshly resupplied at Kiross, to begin moving in upon the planet. The primordial entity that had once been their commander stood stalwartly, her apprentice by her side as the operation began. When Mugg Fallow was finally sterilized, the last of the primordials would be neutralized and no threat could arise that could potentially impede her ambitions. She sensed the malevolence of the entity, its amorphous form scattered across innumerable worlds in fragmented form - yet ultimately, it was here the creature had been brought into the universe, and it was here the vast majority of it would be taken out.

Perhaps the other warlords of the Maw region would realize exactly what it was that they had to do. If this threat was ever allowed to escape the Mugg Fallow system in any serious quantity, it would spell the end of the galaxy itself.

Tegan Starfall Sasmay Cull Shath Kharole Kaia Starchaser

 

[Shath Kharole]

Shath's comlink buzzed halfway through the airlock. "Awakener Kharole to the bridge, please," said a tense and humorless Sharukan voice. "Immediately."

---

A knot of discussion broke apart as Shath approached the captain's chair. Captain Edresk was a quintessential officer, a gray-haired Sharuka who wore his heirloom Bloodlyre as an elegant bracelet under his uniform cuff. Lovely piece, but Shath had seen how quickly it could turn into an equally elegant sword regardless of who was in the way of that transformation.

Tactical displays showed the situation. The salvage flotilla — Forerunners and contractors alike — converged on various sections of the orbital derelict ring. Some shied away from a gigantic new fleet that rivalled the derelict field for size.

"It's here to sterilize the surface and destroy Mnggal-Mnggal," said Edresk. "A Sith fleet — you're familiar with the Sith?"

"Not personally." Shath grimaced. "I'm sure Mnggal-Mnggal will defend and preserve itself in some way. In my day it had a presence all throughout the Unknown Regions, dark pools here and there. It's tenacious. Even the Celestials couldn't destroy it. But if these Sith Lords wish to distract it for us and purge as much as possible, more power to them."

"My thoughts as well. The Tyrax will hold position here, at the edge of weapons range. If the Sith fleet happens to move against our reclamation teams, we'll have slim options. I'd like you to stay on the bridge to maximize those options, Awakener."

Shath moved from the holo display to the viewport. Far ahead, off to the side, the Sith fleet was bearing down on Mugg Fallow with ill intent. Shath found himself wishing them luck.

 

[Cord]

The First Kiss was one of dozens of ships approaching the rotten crown of Mugg Fallow. This was a dangerous job, one other Sith, Jedi and Bounty hunters would surely turn down. Ancient Gree technology was supposed to be quite something between dark matter and hypergates, but was it worth dealing with the Mnngal-Mnngal?

Probably not, if Cord was honest. But Cord didn't simply come here for a payday. Moving to one of the hidden storage compartments on the ship he pulled out the glass jar with the Drengir root he'd obtained from the captain of the Pomojema. Filled with power, hatred, and a violent hive mind. He pondered the material for a moment then pulled out another alchemized container, built to create a powerful vacuum seal with a little application of the Force. Making extraordinary things required extraordinary risks, and Cord couldn't rely on mysterious trainers to do all the leg work for him.

Cord returned the Drengir root and took out the alchemized glass into his pack, before doing one last check on his vacuum sealed armor. Today Cord would win or lose, there was no draw

 

[Tegan Starfall]

Tags: Onrai | Sasmay Cull | Cord | Shath Kharole | Kaia Starchaser

​

Tegan sat in her meditation sphere, she stared blankly at the white walls surrounding her. Mentally the one who had been Rhand connected with the inky black spirit of the world below. Mugg Fallow as many had come to call it, but why it was called that no one knew. It was just the name of the world and it had always been that but not really it was what inky black that had consumed it named it and had forced the name upon the Galaxy. The Chiss had been one of the first to speak of this place long ago, the planet of rot no life came from this place they would say.


The Planet of Mugg Fallow spoke to the one who use to be Rhand, the world felt a familiarity a darkness spread across both their surfaces. A darkness that could not be extinguished the scars ran so dead the bleed their darkness to other worlds. The Inky Black of Mugg Fallow ran deep into the core and soul of the world the rot was it's darkness. Whereas the one formally known as Rhand her darkness came from a tortured existence one that was eternal.


The world of Mugg Fallow could sense the sith, pirates, rogues, and Mercs. The Inky black thirsted for the flesh it was happy to have all this life coming to it and it knew it could spread once more. The Conversation between Tegan and the world bellow was very one sided it spoke endlessly of spreading the pool and making the stars it's new ocean once again.


In the past the inky black, rot, or as it called itself the Mnggal-Mnggal had spread across the stars reaching even wild space. Yet anyone who thought Mnggal-Mnggal could not be defeated were not a student of history as it's spread had been halted and the chiss and many others learned how to push it back and fight it. The Rot was stoppable and for a long time now it had been trapped on it's supposed world of origin. Though the Chiss had once had a Theory this rot had come from someplace outside this reality.


Tegan finally spoke to the world and to the pool itself that had tainted the world through the telepathic link she was maintaining with her meditation chamber. "You seek to devour, create a black ocean across the stars. You seek an end to everyone and everything. Yet today you will be given your final choice join the Maw or be destroyed. If you choose the Maw I will be a giving god and let you feast upon all those who have come here seeking fortune." With that she waited an answer from the world and its pool of rot.

 

[Onrai]

The fleet began to move within bombardment ranges of the planet’s surface. Some Voracitos-class Bombardment Spheres and their seeker baradium missiles had already begun launching barrages of high powered ordnance across the reach of space towards the world’s great oceans. Plasma shone from the beam weaponry of the battlecruisers, battleships, and other lesser warships as great gouts of energy lanced across the reach of space, beams of pure energy vaporizing the pernicious substance on contact with the surface of the world. The fire of turbolasers and countless other weapons rained down upon the planet in a way that the entity had never experienced before. In the eighteen years Onrai had spent as a mortal in exile, her former flagship scarred and wounded by the great menaces that sought her undoing, she had encountered the pernicious Mnggal-Mnggal as a foe on multiple occasions. Always it had been the one thing to terrify her, the skin and bones of one of her soldiers worn as its own abominable avatar, mocking her inability to stop it.

No longer.

-

As Onrai watched the activities of her fleet, on the barren wasteland of the continent itself, a shade began to manifest. How fortunate was she to not have to worry about a risk of consumption in this form - Mnggal-Mnggal fed only on the flesh. On the sterilized surface of the world, she spoke verbally to the great ethereal masses of the planet.

“Hear me, child - I have returned. You asked for a world to consume, to spread - it was given to you. Yet here you rot. Yet here you fester. All of the others are dead. Gorog’a power belongs to an empress. Typhojem’s heart to the expertly crafted daughter of a family whose numbers have swelled so much even you could never devour them all. And Ooradryl… it was his death that awakened me. Allowed me to return from my slumber.” The world rumbled tenuously as the crude forms of the ever-amorphous being began to rise from the planet’s surface, in reaction to her own intent and purpose.

“You have failed as the others. This world is no longer yours to call home. I have found those worthy to take the mantle of the new gods of this galaxy, and so too will I find one worthy to replace you - after your extermination.” Though the entity did not seem to speak back to her directly - whether or not it could not being clear - a great rumble filled the landscape as great golems of amorphous slime rose to meet the shade.

-

“It is a great victory today.” The form of Onrai on the bridge of her flagship said to her apprentice. “The last of the old gods will die today. The last of the children of El’Shuddem. And we are all here to witness it.” There had never been a more visible smile within the shadow of her own ethereal presence.

Sasmay Cull Shath Kharole Tegan Starfall

 

[Sasmay Cull]

WEAPONS: 4 Whimsy Knives, 1 Nastirci Combat Knife, 'FAE/M-01' Energy Blade, 1 HG-88 ‘Big Iron’ Hand Cannon, (4) Elemental Grenades, Phase X-E CryoSonic Heavy Pistol
EQUIPMENT: Kirino Visual Interface, Darkkoninn Robes, Pendant of Faith
Tags: Onrai Tegan Starfall Shath Kharole @

Sasmay stood by, watching the blips and gathering of the large fleet that her master kept about her move towards their goal. The destruction of an obstacle in her path forward. Regardless of the rationale, Sasmay was still watching with a sharp eye on the proceedings.

"The old gods would stand in your way? What was their reason?" A question posed to learn rather than lance Vanessa's reasoning. She didn't understand what was between the two groups.

Needed to understand.

 

[Onrai]

As the bombardment continued, Onrai chose to take the opportunity to explain precisely to Sasmay her reasons for desiring the destruction rather than the subjugation of the abomination below, whose biomass was being atomized by the energy of an entire fleet.

“The Old Gods were creatures that would make the modern Sith seem like schoolyard bullies in comparison. Creating and destroying species at their whim. Promoting sacrifice on a galactic scale. Creating abominations that would require entire teams of Sith Lords including the Dark Lord himself to destroy, all made casually with the wave of a hand. Gorog, Typhojem, Ooradryl, and Mnggal-Mnggal, the children of the Soulworm, are the Old Gods. And now one remains, all others dead for millennia or slain at my hand. When Mnggal-Mnggal is destroyed, a pantheon of the New will take their place. More understanding of order than senseless chaos. Already two others have received the opportunity to be a part of the pantheon - and there may yet be more mortals to receive the opportunity.” She said, smiling at the bombardments. Of course, she mentioned nothing about how Darth Mori and Ingrid L'lerim were the ones to receive such.

That was not needed information.

Sasmay Cull

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

"OK Cuan, nice and easy. We probably really don't want these guys angry at us." Who knew what a Forerunner was capable of in the Force? Kaia did not want to find out. As much as seeing her father going toe to toe with people who were around when the Force was young? It'd be a fight she'd rather just see in a fiction, not for real.

Cuan retorted in Sullustese. It was a language that Kaia could at least translate, if not speak, like Csillia. Her other main language was Huttese, as a trade language. She was getting better at the other two but Cuan understood Basic as well as anyone. "I know it's a job, but you see that?" She pointed out the viewport at the Tyrax. "It wants to kill me, that's why you're on screens today. Still my ship, though. And oh right, black ooze monsters."

Clearly she was nervous, but Cuan just shook his head and laughed. "No, I know… I didn't check who all joined us, and yeah Yula Perl and her droid army would come in handy!" Or Aeshi Tillian , really.

"First step, lets ID something we can tow, pull it away, and see what we can do about venting it into space, yeah?" She had the Force, and she had this weird thing with gravity, she could pull things out. Would deep space freeze MumbleMumble ooze? She hoped.

As she watched, Cuan directed the crew of the Credit Chaser to go full shields, and pull the small oddity, it seemed to have markings similar to Tyrax away from the cluster. Cuan gave an order to deploy small droid ships, each with their own tractor beam as well, to make the movement easier.

 

[Shath Kharole]

The Tyrax's bridge viewports dimmed to compensate for the brilliant light of the Maw Irregular Fleet's bombardment. Shath flinched. He'd seen worlds hurt before, but never like this. Instead of millions dying, he caught the edges of an awful agony.

Albeit a deserved one. No, he had no intention of empathy for Mnggal-Mnggal, past and future scourge of billions.

Lacking a bridge station of his own, he moved to watch sensor operators monitor the reclamation efforts. Forerunner and contractor ships alike were closing in on priority hulks — Rakata, Kwa, Gree, and so forth — regardless of the orbital bombardment. A Sharukan officer watched intently as Kaia Starchaser moved in on a small Sharu vessel. Cord and others appeared to be closing in on likely targets of their own.

 

[Cord]

With the checks on Cord's vacuum suit complete Cord made it to the cockpit and looked over the sensors. On request the Forerunners had provided information to find exactly what wreck was valuable and an idea of how to dock with it. Following the principles of need to know, this only consisted of ways to identify a ship was Rakata, Gree, Kwa, etc and spots one could plug up a cofferdam to without damaging the craft. Cord knew nothing about schematics, internal defenses, layouts, or anything else useful, but it stopped Cord from putting in a bunch of effort for an old herglic vessel the client wouldn't pay for.

Using this info Cord was now able to find a Rakata vessel that fit the client's description. Star Forge Era, maybe earlier.

"It's go time." Cord mused to himself. He flew the First Kiss over to the vessel and began hooking the cofferdam to the target. Cord needed to clear any Mnngal-Mnngal infestation on board and get the vessel, at a minimum, hyperspace towable. At best he'd restore power and fly it out with the First Kiss tacked on the back.

"Tyrax this is the First Kiss. Hookup to Rakata Vessel Empire's Pride is success. Entering vessel now." Cord would send a message to Shath Kharole's ship, as per protocol. Mnngal-Mnngal was something to be contained after all. He theorized they had a way of telling the infestation level of a vessel, to verify a job was actually done and ready to move. Whether he was walking into an easy target or a death trap, they probably knew.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

The scans were finding the ships but the one that she had an interest in was being pulled now. Kaia was moving to the controls and prioritizing a few different ships, she had the next three targets picked out. Thatd be fine. What she really would need, and maybe she should make a work commission for this for Starchaser Enterprises, but a small unit that could tractor beam things in… Just leave it and forget it. Maybe it wouldn't help pulling large derelicts, but space debrs…

Could she just have invented space hoovering?

Right…

"Deploying the scrapper droids." She stated to her 'Captain'. "What was the damage allowed? The thing is derelict but if we can break a seal…" Muttering, she still gave order for the breaching droids t break the hatch open. It'd allow for a few moments of depressurization, hopefully freezing any of the Mnggal inside. She saw that the small shuttle that housed a few Sullustans and humans in vacsuits and scrapper gear. As well as each being given flechette guns loaded with cryo rounds.

"Away team has made contact, seems depressurization is complete. Entering the vessel."

Kaia gave a thumbs up over to Cuan who then contacted the Sharu, informing them of the beginning of the operation.

 

[Cord]

Cord dropped into the Empire's Pride with an oversized cryorifle in hand. He hit a button to seal the cofferdams, vac-sealing a barrier between the Rakata vessel and his own. A code would need to be entered for the seal, one that Cord had memorized but not written down. Hopefully such protection wouldn't be necessary, but part of assuring the customer involved posthumous security measures.

Cord walked through the vessel slowly, opening his senses and trying to detect the presence of the Mnngal-Mnngal. Cord didn't have the best sense abilities, but had some refinement of those skills as a hunter. He expected to detect a dark, rotting presence but instead felt something familiar. It was almost like a Sith, but a little more animalistic, and it was strong. The strength was odd though. It in one place, but not a single point. A room maybe? Why would the Mnngal-Mnngal isolate in one location?

Letting his curiosity get the better of him Cord made his way towards the presence.

 

[Shath Kharole]

The Tyrax's comm officers exchanged updates and sensor overwatch notifications with the contractors — Cord , Kaia Starchaser , and all the rest. The expeditionary battleship had the sensor resolution to pinpoint situations where Mnggal-Mnggal was concentrating its biomass — or spreading out to infiltrate snug spaces.

Considering Mnggal-Mnggal was all one entity, the variable approaches came down to the situation aboard any given ship, and how the entity estimated its likelihood of preserving a presence.

By concealment or by infestation. Or rather, by infestation either immediate or delayed.

Suffice it to say that everyone who survived the day would have a rendezvous with serious medical scanners.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

A brief question came across all channels in Sullustese.

"What the Captain is trying to say…" Kaia's voice followed, emphasizing Captain. "Is… What are you all doing to deal with the ooze?" Clearly, everyone probably had their own ways of approaching this, but… Couldn't they help one another? And it was a dreadfully quiet radio.

"We're going with cryo rounds in flechette. And well, the right kinds of scans for anyone coming back." Kaia echoed what Cuan had stated. Hoping to just ease the tension a bit.

Cord Shath Kharole

 

[Cord]

Cord walked through the derelict in a cautious fashion. The Rakata Vessel fed on the Force, and Cord found that pathways illuminated themselves as Cord took them, reacting to his presence. He hadn't decided if it was more or less creepy that way, but it was definitely useful when his life depended on identifying the purple goo before it found him.

Cord continued to go towards the overwhelming presence he felt in the Force. He came to what looked like a cargo bay door and tried to open it. The system, still active by pulling from Cord's strength, refused to open and printed an error message Cord couldn't read.

"Well, to the bridge then." Cord responded, turning around to find the Mnngal-Mnngal three meters in front of him.

 

[Shath Kharole]

As urgent discussion re: Mnggal-Mnggal containment erupted across the subspace channels, Shath leaned in to use the Tyrax's comms.

"Cryogenics should work well," he said. "Hard vacuum can render a volume of Mnggal-Mnggal inert too, just not as rapidly, which might give some fraction of it time to find shelter. We're providing you with appropriate sensor standards to use for your containment scans. The first reclaimed vessels are coming back for further scans from the Tyrax. Once scanned, we'll take the reclaimed vessels in tow and transact your payment."

And here came number one: a Barabel privateer towing a beautiful little Golden Transect Gree shuttle. Scans registered clean. Shath transmitted the appropriate sum and sent a Sharukan messenger to deliver the agreed-upon payment: a piece of useful Gree tech with clear labels and a fresh power source. The Tyrax snared the empty shuttle with its tractor beams and took it in tow.

Cord Kaia Starchaser