Dominion The Battle For The Kathol Outback [Part II] | SO Dominion of Pitann

[Aspect of Resolve]

Kathol Outback​

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It has been five weeks since the battle of Timbra Ott. Five weeks of bloody, pointless fighting leaving many thousands dead. The Sith’s plan to crush the alliance fleet at Timbra Ott worked better than anyone hoped, and the consequences grew dire. Without the fleet, the Kathol Alliance was pushed back quickly, violently, breaking on the rocks as they retreated from the Sith war machine.​

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Now, only two remain - the Kathol Republic and the Qektoth Confederation. They fight for survival, for their own right to governance, to remain free of the oppression of the Sith. For all the fight their spirit still holds, they lack the weapons and ships to do what they have set out to do - and the final bell begins to toll.​

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Dyark, Capital of the Kathol Republic, fell in only three days. All ships were marshaled to hold Pitaan and its connection to the Qektoth Confederation for supplies - but the trade lane became the focus of the Sith fleet. In only four days, they had pulsed all the way to the Kathol Rift - bent on searching for a latent sign of the Aing-Tii.​

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Now, only two true battles remain - the fight for Pitann, and the forces that are still under siege on Dolstan. There is nothing else to be done, the Kathol Outback has fallen, and all that is left is to make it hurt to hold. Prepare your resolve for the final push.​

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Objective I - Bio-Warfare​

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The Kathol Republic could not hold back the Sith Fleet on its own, so it relied on the Qekthoth Confederation to support it - but the Qekthoth have long denied the sins of technology. The arrival of the Mandalorians and their reliance on beskar had only inflamed tensions; but were ignored until now.​

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As the Sith ground forces landed on Pitann, the Qekthoth showed their true face. In a final bid to secure their sovereignty, they let loose a plague that did not pick or choose. A nerve agent that took the mind hostage and drove them insane, but the Qekthoth ship carrying the vaporized vaccine was shot down onto the world before it could leave.​

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The war will continue, but the planet is not worth conquering if all on it are dead. As the mobs run rampant, and the invading army is slowly whittled down by the toxin and odds, there is no choice left but to team up with the enemy on a tenuous basis. Activate the vapor shot, releasing it into the atmosphere, and saving the world - and yourselves.​

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Objective II - Stay Behind (Still)​

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The invasion of Dolstan was over quickly, but the efforts of the Mandalorians had done much. While the mainstay planetary defense force was crushed in only a few weeks, the militias and Mandalorians unable to depart the planet yet remain, and fight non stop. Now, however, you must return home - and see that you can live to fight another day.​

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With your duty done, the Mandalorians left on the world must get to the space port, held captive by a strong contingent of the Sith Eternal military. Use whatever means necessary to get to the ships in impound, and get free of the world before the Sith can stop you. Your militia allies will support you, and blow the spaceport when you’re gone - don’t fail them.​

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Objective III - Mysteries of the Rift​

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While the sector has fallen, the Mandalorian reinforcements have arrived with information. The Sith have bypassed the sectors entirely, and moved into the Kathol Rift for investigations into the location of the Aing-Tii. The Rift is notorious for hallucinations, made worse for force sensitives, and in this the Mandalorians have a moment to strike. With sensors unreliable, it is the perfect place for an ambush on the Sith fleet going through its depths.​

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Star Destroyers are spread out, Sith aboard each searching for any sign of the Aing-Tii. As a Sith, you must find them and survive the conditions of the Rift, but as a Mandalorian, you have the singular goal of destroying the Sith before they do. The Sith can not be allowed to find the location of the Aing-Tii.​

 

[Darth Excidium]

ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ɪɪɪ

The Kathol Rift was a wonderfully disturbing place, filled with all manner of hallucinogenic effects on the mind and body. It was amazing to feel those sensations, so deeply as a Force user, that it felt almost as though the region of space wanted to drive one insane.

Perhaps it did.

Nonetheless, Excidium relished in the opportunity to pit his mind against - yet another - dangerous influence. The Holy of Holies, within the mysterious and reality warping False Celestial Dreadnaught, had been a place similar, though perhaps more pervasive and intrusive. It had certainly taken Excidium considerable time to glean what he wished, in return for... something of himself, perhaps, as some kind of offering.

Perhaps the Kathol Rift demand a similar price.

Seated within his acquired Sith Meditation Sphere, the Sith Lord floated through space, barely aware of the other large vessels around. His eyes were closed, his mind open, and the Force - specifically the dark side - flowed from him and through the enhancing and focusing crystals in the central meditation chamber. There would be all attempts to locate the Aing-Tii, especially as Excidium had want to learn much of their ways, as had always been his desire... knowledge, and with knowledge, power.

Even as the next waves of mind altering influences began to seep into his consciousness, Excidium smiled.

The Sith Lord dealt with the mysterious and unnatural everyday.

This would be no different.

The Aing-Tii would be found.

Open​

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Objective 2: Stay Behind (Still)

Out from the frying pan straight into the fire.

That was at least how it felt, from defending a diplomatic summit from the Mandalorian attack, to now defending a starport from a Mandalorian attack. They on paper sounded like similar enough objectives.

But if one thought so, they clearly were not looking hard enough.

The attack on the summit had been a mere strategic objective for the Mandalorians, an attempt to end the conciliatory talks between the Sith Order and Kal'Shebbol, there was the risk of death of course, just like any operation, but it was minimised heavily by a few factors, the least of all being that the path to retreat was open.

They had taken said path to attack them after all.

However, this was far from just a strategic military operation. This was one born of desperation.

They would attack with a ferocity born of need, a need to escape this planet or face the only option there was death.

There was also capture, he supposed, but Malum doubted that that option appealed much to Mandalorians, especially not surrendering to Sith.

There would be factors that would help the Mandalorians achieve it as well, as it stood several hard hitters that had been at Kal'Shebbol, he did not see here. He had no idea where his Mistress was, neither did he see the presence of Alina or... or... Adeline. Malum felt butterflies, summersaults, and a burning all at once. Putting it aside for now. What he did know was that even with built and reinforced positions, desperation may still win the day. They would not win by making them retreat.

When retreating was all but certain for them, annihilation.

They would attack, and attack, and attack again until the Sith broke.

Or they did.

This was going to be an uncomfortable fight no matter what, and indeed, if Malum had his way, he may have even just let them leave. A cornered lion fought harder and faster when trapped, and the Mandalorians were far fiercer than lions.

Still, at the very least, he was not completely alone, C Cygnus of House Marr was nearby at least. One of his more favoured cousins, even if he did not see him very often. Malum stepped off the wall of the structure he was leaning against, before walking a few steps.

It would be good to speak to his cousin.

Before this, all went to shit.

C Cygnus of House Marr

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Space Port - Dolstan
Objective: II - Stay Behind
Tags: C Cygnus of House Marr Darth Malum of House Marr

KHRD Type 2, Unit 410: Initialize. New Directives: Defend the Space Port. Neutralize Mandalorian Hostiles with Extreme Prejudice. Secure Impounded Starships.

KHRD Type 2, Unit 410: Active - All Systems Nominal. New Directives: Confirmed. Present Status: Positioned at Target Area. Inquiry: Status of Eternalist and Tsis’kaar Forces in AO?

KHRD Type 2, Unit 410: Inquiry Accepted. Directive: Temporary Truce in Effect. Do Not Engage as Hostile.

A temporary truce, or so it seemed.

The HRD did not question it, but she knew that a degree of caution would still be necessary while working with the Tsis’Kaar and Eternalist forces at the space port. That went doubly so for those of House Marr, who she had been advised to stay clear of, due to an untrustworthy reputation.

With such warnings in mind, it was odd indeed to find herself fighting alongside them, even if only on a temporary basis.

Nevertheless, the HRD could not afford to dwell on it for long. At the very least, she intended to refrain from getting friendly with them, but it seemed that keeping her distance would be impossible. Upon arriving at the outer reaches of the space port, Unit 410’s photoreceptors widened as they came upon two Sith of House Marr in position, the soldiers under their command in close proximity. The HRD spared them little more than a glance as she came up on them, but not long after that a distant roar manifested in the distance as Enclave Marines on jetpacks unleashed their opening salvos towards the space port, followed moments later by a column of wheeled troop transports which were showing signs of damage and disrepair from the battle.

The probing blaster fire from the flying Marines raked their position, but before long they were closing the distance, raining down and firepower on the Sith positions. Reflex circuits kicking into overdrive, Unit 410’s perception of time slowed to a crawl, at which point she spotted three grenades raining down from the sky, towards the two Sith of House Marr. Without hesitation, she willed forth a repulsive blast the repulsor weapon on her right gauntlet to send the explosives flying clear from her temporary allies, before shifting her focus back to the skies. With machine precision, she let loose a salvo of particle beams on the flying Marines with her gauntlet blasters, cutting down one, two, three, and four of the soldiers in quick succession with surgical headshots that burned gruesome, fiery holes through the white helmets of their armor. Subsequently, their lifeless bodies crashed head first into various structures within the encampment with sickening cracks or violent explosions, but the HRD spared it little attention as she continued her fire against the Marines that persisted as active threats.

After all, she had little reason to believe that the real Mandalorians would keep them waiting for long.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Daeva Combat Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-10 Hybrid Gauntlet Particle Blaster - Heavy (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Kirino Visual Interface
• XA-4 'Sliverslash' Galvanic Whipblade (2)

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Space Port - Dolstan
Objective: II - Stay Behind
Tags: C Cygnus of House Marr Darth Malum of House Marr D Duke Kino Cadera
Direct Engagement: D Duke Kino Cadera

Unit 410 raced through the defensive encampment, never lingering in one place for long. All the while, the HRD’s photoreceptors were largely focused skyward as the Enclave Marines continued to descend down upon the Sith lines. With surgical, machine precision, she unleashed a salvo of firepower towards a trio of jetpack-Marines flying in a textbook Vic formation, magenta particle bolts turning their heads into a charred mess of flesh and Duraplast in a rapid sequence of three snapshots. Their lifeless bodies flew for a few moments longer before crashing within the space port, out of sight and for the moment, out of mind.

Then, came the Mandalorians.

Shouts and war cries in their barbaric tongue filled the air over the screeches of blaster fire, the cracks of slugthrowers, and the booms of detonating explosives. Descending from the heavens, the beskar of the Supercommandos turned away all but the most focused of fire. And yet, one made the mistake of coming down on the HRD, only to find himself beset by a salvo of magenta particle beams, a rapid sequence of four bolts which each struck the exact same spot within the center of his helmet’s T-visor, progressively ablating away the beskar until the metal in that area was reduced to little more than slag. The HRD’s fourth and final shot burned through the Mandalorian’s skull and brain matter, at which point his lifeless form careened down from the air before landing with a harsh crack only a couple meters behind her.

Not a moment later, the HRD’s photoreceptors narrowed as they caught sight of another Mandalorian—this one clad in jet black beskar with a red undersuit.

An officer. And yet, Unit 410 did not spare the Mandalorian a second thought. She saw only another enemy for her to kill. Sweeping down into a low, feline stance,the HRD opened up with a salvo of three particle beams from 18 meters away, firing both of her gauntlet blasters at their maximum rate in the process. Each of her shots targeted the center of his helmet’s T-visor, attempting to end the Mandalorian officer just as she had done to one of his subordinates only moments before!

Spoiler: Loadout

• Daeva Combat Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-10 Hybrid Gauntlet Particle Blaster - Heavy (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Kirino Visual Interface
• XA-4 'Sliverslash' Galvanic Whipblade (2)

 

[Kylraya]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: The Red Dunes, Pitann
Objective: Cure a Plague | Consume a plague.

Send a plague to cure a plague. Biowarfare, a refreshing bath.​

A single drop pod slammed into the ground, breaking apart as it did so. There was a deep flickering hiss of sound and force energy as the pieces were flung outward, impaling anyone infected that was too close. Yellow eyes opened and long exoskeleton talons extended outward, pushing into the ground and launching her out of the crater.

Landing at a run on the shifting sand. A desert world, rich in ore, barren and lifeless to the Swarm Mother. This unsettled her deeply at first, but she corrected for it. She began to naturally bond with whatever small weak-minded life was below the earth, shaping her behavior as the insect. No fear, instinct, in this state as foreign to her opponents as she would be to anyone else.

Although they stabilized her biology, acting as a miniature hive, her bonded insects would take too long to find her prey. Deeper into this planet the hive would need to establish itself, using her senses, across a small but distant network of bonded insectoid life, until…

A sand panther. Harder at this range to bond, it was an untamable mind. So she concentrated on becoming part of its pack, rather than overtaking it. Blocking out the sounds of the infected closing in around her. The one ability that shaped her, even before her change, was to bond with animals with unnatural ease. The swarm mother sensed what her bondmate sensed and she moved as it moved now, with the panther scouting the sands ahead.

With graceful ease, her talons struck the first infected, using it as a stepping stone, to push toward the ground and jump, hurling herself over another and leaving it in the sandy dust behind her. Moving gracefully, quietly, like the panther she was bonded to, seeking out her prey.

 

[Serpentis]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Deep in the infected.
Personal Objective: Indulge in Hobbies.

Dead scenes, entombed and enriched in each new malicious act.​

Elsewhere, dead things stirred to life. Things that certain others had long hoped would remain dead. Two Echani force ghosts were looking out over the infected from a higher vantage point. Watching one of their countless creations rip and tear through their ranks, testing their experiments as always. One spirit was a fading memory, old, cracked, and broken. The other was a resplendent gold color, shimmering from head to toe in her neverending vanity.

"You hate them all, yet will never release them. Why is that brother?" Serpentis, or Kiara to her brother, ridiculed.

"All these years, you ask what you know." Her brother's gritty, faded voice scolded.

All Serpentis had left was the torment she could inflict. Kiara smiled mockingly and did not respond. It was a fading flicker of emotion that she clung to for meaning.

"The work never ends." Her brother stated, and turned to fade from view.

Plagues to dead things were a useful method of cleansing and worth observing or collecting. You cannot kill what is already dead. For a moment she became visible to the hordes, a beaming, blessed painting of vanity. Sure to attract a multitude of insane infected her way. They salivated and charged toward her sandy dune. She laughed politely, their hands passing through her form. Drifting and leading many away from the paths of others going for the cure. It was a fun diversion. That's what her brother lacked a sense of fun, play, or relaxation, always the work with him.

 

[Atlas Drake]

I. BIO-WARFARE
Kylraya Serpentis ​

"Drake to Horizon, landing party has made planetfall."

Somewhere up in the heavens a marauder corvette was taking advantage of the confusion to conduct some needed repairs. Their captain should be with them, but only one man in what remained of the Kathol Navy had enough salvage experience to board a crashed Qektoth bioship and survive. Atlas checked each seal on his enviro-suit before opening the shuttle hatch. Pitann's dense atmosphere made him feel like he was carrying a protocol droid on his back.

"That sandstorm forced us off course," he scowled, "Crash site should be around here somewhere."

A squad of Kathol Marines in heavy combat armor deployed around him using mandalorian tactics. Through the smog haze Captain Drake glimpsed a settlement, one of countless grimy mining towns which flecked Pitann's surface. Their immediate surroundings resembled slag heaps. Drake activated a tracking fob loaded with the crash's last known coordinates but before he could orient himself one of the marines blasted something.

"Karabast!" Atlas cursed.

Infected swarmed at them, alerted by the landing ship's engines. Most resembled local miners, but Drake glimpsed some marines and even a few Sith troopers twisted by disease into mindless killing machines. There was no time to react, so Atlas fired his Glie-44 from the hip. More infected were drawn like shadowmoths to a flame and Drake knew he was in trouble.

 

[Kylraya]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Closing on the Cure's wrecked ship.
Atlas Drake

Slithering, writhing, a snake wound its way around her left leg. Hive mind establishing connections far from home, her neck clicked and head snapped, as another bonded mind joined her pack. Again her mannerisms began to adapt to the changing nature of it.

Patience served her well here. Another infected was stalked, like the panther might, pausing to strike as the snake would, until it was too close to get out of the way, Kylraya impaled the infected on her Barab clawed arm, like a sudden bite took chunks out of the armor and body beneath. Withdrawing quickly like the snake, and then pouncing to finish its companion like the panther.

Insects for instinct, panther for the hunter, and a snake for its patience. The longer the hive had time on a planet, the worse this problem got. The Keth's loved their games and Kylraya was an old experiment to unleash upon unsuspecting targets.

Looking down upon the dead for confirmation, she continued toward her real prey, bounding forward to the top of a dune. A place for momentary respite, crouched low watching, panther coming to her side, snake hissing from her leg, and insects shifting beneath the sand. Snapping her head up, sounds of gunfire were elsewhere, she didn't see anything yet, but her panther's ears picked it up

Friend or Foe? Hive or Not? The back of her throat cracked and growled low as the panther did the same. The gunfire had drawn enough away to push the final distance. So they did, moving as one pack, lashing and cutting any that came close enough, straight into the wrecked metal shell. Looking for places to hunt from...

 

[Serpentis]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Deep in the infected.
Personal Objective: Make a spectacle, be a distraction.
Atlas Drake

Serpentis rose her arms upward, her golden visage glowing, drawing more and more madness to her like a beacon. This appealed to her sensibilities no end. Hovering forward while madness tried to pull at her, insanity fought to get to her. The infected were dozens if not more surrounding the Sith. Their voices growling and moaning like any good horde out of a holovid.

She smiled, her lips pursed together slyly, and her form continued to radiate golden light to blind and stumble those moving forward. A very showy way of doing force light but what do you expect from the queen of vanity? Lit up like a beacon across the sand, the whole area around her was bathed.

Blind. Unable to see where they were. Stumbling straight off the cliff she was hovering over. They spilled in droves like unaware lemmings. Watching the results of her handy work the sith spirit felt a momentary smug satisfaction. Sigh... always called upon to do the mundane things. This was tiring without a host. Taking her time to look through the mob for one worthy enough at the back. Soon rushing toward her and knocking her off her feet to get a better look. A pretty face most would say, "passable, but your nose my dear is hideous", Kiara shook her head, she would have it fixed. It was good to get your priorities right in the middle of a plague.

Pinning the flailing infected beneath her with a force push. "Not yet. Wait and be patient for our servants to clean the air dear. Show some manners."

 

[Atlas Drake]

I. BIO-WARFARE
Kylraya Serpentis ​

Captain Drake lost half his marines to the infected, overwhelmed by sheer numbers, before enough were drawn towards an unnatural light for the Kathol landing party to flee into desert wastes. He glanced back at the settlement and beheld the strange glow. Atlas did not turn back again. Several others uttered frantic prayers to the Rift. His tracking fob continued to ping softly.

"Keep moving!" the rebel leader urged them on, "That blasted Qektoth scrap heap is out here somewhere."

Navigating sand dunes in a rugged salvager's enviro-suit slowed Drake down and the surviving marines fared little better in bulky duraplast. He used a thin extendable monocular to spot the first signs of wreckage. Chiming grew more rapid until Drake deactivated the fob and stored it back on his belt. There was no mistaking this strange leviathan for anything else. Organic growths covered the hull in a mycelial lattice.

"Be careful, marines. There's something about this place. It's almost like we're being watched."

Several helmets nodded in agreement. Atlas scanned the area one more time with his monocular but there was no sign of whatever hunted them. Some primordial instinct or maybe the Force was giving him a bad feeling about this. Hokey Jedi superstitions couldn't stop his mission to save an entire world.

Drake aimed a liquid-cable launcher up into the darkness and fired. It quickly solidified into a climbable wire. Once activated the jetpack on his back required a few seconds to charge before Captain Drake boosted up into the ruined Qektoth ship.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Mysteries of the Rift
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Darth Excidium

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"Have the scans reported back anything yet?" The short pause before the familiar yet still disappointing answer only seemed to increase the throb that he felt behind his eyes. "Nothing new, Darth Strosius, and no reports coming from the rest of the fleet either." Alisteri sighed and pressed a hand against the side of his head as if it would dull the pain that came with each throb that he felt. The Kathol Rift sat heavy in his mind as the Shikkar-Class Corvette that he sat in drifted along in search of their target.

Normally he would have preferred some more action on the frontlines but his orders had been clear and explicit in this regard, the Aing-Tii had to be found and his master wanted to ensure that a pair of eyes belonging to her found them first. So here he was, sitting in one of the many seats on the bridge and fighting off the influences of the Rift as best he could while the rest of the crew did the same.

The possibility of either his, or another ship's, crew coming under some hallucination and crashing or shooting at one another also weighed on his mind. He had no idea why they even bothered to send a whole fleet into the Rift in search of some mysterious yet powerful Force Users, a droid or some other automated scouting method would have surely worked just as well. Perhaps the 'Emperor' was worried about the Aing-Tii putting up a fight? Even if they were found and did try to fight back he had little doubt that such a large force was needed to combat them.

If they were in this Rift then they were having the same issues and thus surely wouldn't be anywhere near their full potential either. Regardless his headache wouldn't subside until they found what they were looking for, so on the search went.

"Darth Strosius, we've just gotten word that one of the forward scouts have gone dark. Suddenly and without explanation, ships are already inbound to investigate." Alisteri sighed and opened his eyes just enough to glance at the communications officer. "They probably just lost comms given this forsaken Rift. Stay the course but keep me updated, if these Aing-Tii have decided to show themselves then we move to intercept immediately."

A moment passed by, and then something moved in the shifting and confusing clouds before the viewport. The Sith raised his head to look as the shields of the ship suddenly flashed to life in response to a quick burst of laser bolts impacting it. "Fighters! Off the starboard and coming around the front, the nearest ships are reporting similar attacks!" The masked Knight stood from his seat, appearing in command instantly despite his previous pained position. "Engage all targets and send out warnings to the rest of the fleet."

 

[Kylraya]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Deck 2 Ventilation Shaft, Moving to Deck 3.
Tag: Atlas Drake

While courage and distraction might have made all their entry possible, the infected still snarled and hissed within the ship. Its fallen corridors roamed with the same crew that had tried to steal away with the cure. A fitting if dark fate for their end. Sliding herself through the ventilation shaft, like the snake, she bypassed several of them. Arriving with her pack on the second deck.

On entrance Atlas and his squad might come across the mauled bodies of infected, bitten, clawed, and pierced where the pack had torn threw the initial few. Like wild animals had taken refuge within the craft. Kylraya could sense their arrival but to her, all non-hive were non-hive, considered as separated and isolated minds. They were chaotic, random, and difficult to predict. They wore dead metal and spoke in broken voices. Yet they were harmonious compared to the madness around her, it had to end.

Resisting instinctual urge that this nerve agent sort to propagate. The animalistic nature of the infected might make for a hive species, but she felt the poisonous trap it offered and resisted. Reaching her attention elsewhere, a cluster of four space mites on the outer hull hissed and clicked, burrowing their way inward…

After a time, a single spider dropped down toward the marines to test their reaction. A meter-long arachnid creature that could be a clear sign to the marines that something else was here. It skittered back and forth, not attacking but waiting for them to make the first move. Behind its eyes, Kylraya watched everything about the men in dead metal, her connection with her creature deepening toward a singularity.

Current Bonded Pack:
1x Desert Panther
1x Sand Viper
4x Space Mites
Various Small Insects

 

[Lucia Naberrie]

Location: Space Port - Dolstan
Objective: II - Stay Behind
Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr

Whoever the Mandalorian officer in jet black beskar had been, he was nothing now.

The gynoid’s particle bolts burned through the warrior’s T-visor and in moments, a smoking crater had been burned through his skull, causing her target to fall where once he had stood.

And yet, some lingering part of the gynoid’s synthetic mind was surprised. If anything, she had expected a challenge to be waged. Nevertheless, her time to dwell on the matter was all too short, as the Mandalorians in the immediate area set their sights on her, intent upon avenging their fallen leader. Almost immediately, blaster fire rained down upon her position, but the gynoid had been expecting it. Her energy shield coalesced in a skintight “film” around her form, intercepting the initial salvos of incoming fire. However, ever aware of the fact that the energized barrier wouldn’t last forever under such a sustained assault, Unit 410 launched herself into a sprint, her speed almost dizzying to the eye. Plugging the closest Mandalorian four times in his T-visor in a surgical salvo, the gynoid shunted power to the servos in her legs to initiate a powerful leap over his standing, yet lifeless form, which collapsed to the ground moments after she landed. By that time, she had felled a second Mandalorian in a similar manner and had set herself on another, one of her whipblades uncoiling as it lashed out towards the warrior’s neck, before dumping a powerful electrical current into his flesh!

Spoiler: Loadout

• Daeva Combat Bodysuit
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/W-10 Hybrid Gauntlet Particle Blaster - Heavy (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Synthspray
    • Kirino Visual Interface
• XA-4 'Sliverslash' Galvanic Whipblade (2)

 

[Seela Leini]

Location: Deep Space - Kathol Rift
Objective: III - Mysteries of the Rift │ Defeat Mandalorian Ambush
Tags: Darth Excidium Darth Strosius

The void howled against her awareness.

Even with the Force mask integrated into her helmet, the mental intrusions of the Kathol Rift were relentless. It was all Seela could do to keep herself centered—prayers to the Eternal Father spoken under her breath as she navigated her starfighter through the hazardous nebula, fraught with perils, apparitions, and hidden monstrosities. Such creatures made areas of space like the Kathol Rift their habitat, taking advantage of pilots and crew who had succumbed to the hallucinations to feed on their physical forms or in some cases, the very essence of their souls.

By the Eternal Father, she would not be found wanting.

The sudden ring of alerts vibrating against her ear cones pulled Seela from her prayer, compelling her to focus her awareness on her sensors and by extension, the sensor data feeding in from the other starfighters in her squadron and the nearby corvette serving as their command and control platform.

An ambush.

“Fragile Dancer, en route to intercept.” Seela said, before rolling her starfighter’s wings to port as she set a course for the position of one of the allied ships—a Shikkar-class corvette of the Tsis’Kaar. The thought of helping heretics would never sit well with her, but she was not only Prophet of the Godhead, but also a professional starfighter pilot. Given the tenuous alliance formed between the Kainate and the rival factions for the operation, she was compelled to yield to the latter, rather than the former.

“ETA: Thirty seconds.” She added. And yet, by pushing her starfighter’s engines and maneuverability towards their limits, she was there in twenty, arriving at a scene of Mandalorian small craft swarming the Tsis’Kaar corvette. Without hesitation, Seela accelerated her starfighter towards the Mandalorian squadrons, getting into knife fight range before unloading a burst from her scattercannons into the tail of a Buurenaar-1 she had caught unawares, reducing the craft to slag in an instant. Then, pulling her control sticks to starboard, Seela came up behind a second starfighter from above. Without hesitation, she willed her scattercannons to let loose a second salvo into the cockpit, vaping the hapless pilot before they could become aware of her presence.

Nostrils flaring like a shark smelling prey, Seela flew her starfighter along the edges of enemy squadron’s formation, casting forth a pair of bursts from her scattercannons which struck down a pair of bandits who had broken to the starboard, the pilots inside the cockpits craning their necks in their attempts to locate her position. Both of the starfighters went off explosively as they were shot—a telltale sign of a ammunition explosions. Nevertheless, Seela let her shields absorb the brunt of the energy as she flew through the wreckage, before breaking to port, intent upon flying into the teeth of the Mandalorian starfighter elements…

Spoiler: Loadout

• Lobeha Mwadu II
  
  • Cannon Hardpoint (2)
    
    • FAE/SW-10 Hybrid Scattercannon - Medium
    • FAE/SW-10 Hybrid Scattercannon - Medium
  • Universal Missile Launcher (2)
    
    • Concussion Missile (10)
  • Pilot Equipment
    
    • FAE/A-09 Anti-G Suit
    • X8 “Gambit” Elite Disruptor Pistol

 

[Serpentis]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Deep in the infected.
Personal Objective: Continue the abductions.
Atlas Drake
Muse Music

Three figures approached out of the radiating gold force light display, the sandy glow truly affecting to her artistic sensibilities. Adorned in gold, the first of her acolytes, and first of his name approached.

"Do you have them?" Her voice inquired.

"We do." He answered. Serpentis's smile radiated pure gold in her cheeks. "Then don't keep me waiting." She slung the body of the pinned infected along the ground to the trio. Madness covered in sand, the poor host rolling around in a frenzy of confused delusion. "Keep that one unharmed until the cure is ready." She would be useful later.

Above the cliff face, a ship rose, infected now contained within its open cargo hold as they had fallen, scooped up like lemmings. The One Sith had been doing this purposefully elsewhere, increasingly of late. Their abductions were increasing in frequency and mass.

"What will you do with them?" One of the golden trio asked.

"What they were meant to do." Kiara sighed wistfully, uncurling her arms out to her side, and glided off toward her shuttle. Her insane victim dragged along behind by the guards, the 'lucky' one.

Fin for Serpentis/Kiara

 

[Atlas Drake]

I. BIO-WARFARE
Kylraya ​

"Karabast! Looks like some kind of animal attack."

Drake knelt to inspect the mauled infected. His enviro-suit's glowlamp illuminated grisly remains. Dark theories about a mutant strain infecting the local fauna formed in the captain's racing mind. Four marines covered him while Drake inspected the carnage. A sound from somewhere deeper in the ship drew his attention back to their surroundings.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

Heavy blaster in one hand, Captain Drake led the way down a corridor so infused with biotech it resembled a geonosian hive more than a starship. There were no further signs of intelligent life. He nearly blasted the descending spider on reflex but when one of the marines lifted their carbine Drake pushed it down.

"Wait," Atlas warned, "This is a Qektoth ship, remember? Could be a trap."

There were always exceptions in xenobiology, but every species of arachnid Drake had ever come across feared the light. Yet even with his suit's glowlamp trained on the strange creature it made no attempt to flee. Finding mauled bodies had unsettled him but upon a few moments reflection this seemed an unlikely culprit. Instead, Captain Drake fired an experimental warning shot into the strange hull between them.

 

[Kylraya]

Objective I - Bio-Warfare
Location: Deck 3
Tag: Atlas Drake

As Atlas found out, light did nothing when it should have. Connected to her, the pack's instincts were to pull back from the shot. The spider was chittering in warning, and so Kylraya's body language tensed backward from where she watched. That feeling spread out to the pack around her. A critical junction point, like a nerve cluster transmitting a signal. How to communicate with this disparity of voices? Other hive beings would just attack on sight, but the madness of the infection was too much to risk it spreading.

Bang Bang Bang

It wrapped on the floor. For a moment the spider stayed still, not doing anything at all.

Tap Tap Tap….. Tap Tap…. Tap

Varying speed of the hits.

Was there something to it?

Yes Dadita. It was an ancient Mandalorian code but it was there. An attempt to simply give intent. She didn't distinguish between marines, alliance troopers, Mandalorians, or mercenaries, only seeing individuals in metal armor.

"Non-Hive in Ships Mind. Directing Infected. Hiding Cure"

Disjointed and repeated four times. Trying to tell them that someone was orchestrating this from the bridge, to keep the cure from being found. Stubborn and malicious to the end. Either way, if it wasn't shot, the spider scuttled off ahead of them and kept wrapping on the next door.

"Trap Ahead. Trap Ahead. Trap Ahead."

It repeated this in Dadita until someone either shot it or acknowledged it. Someone was trying to seal them in, and then flood the next room with infected or worse. If Atlas went in and didn't shoot their messenger, they wouldn't be alone. Predatory Talon, Claw, Bite, and venom would fall from the ceiling vents to assist. She'd observe their choice whether to trust, shoot, bypass the trap, or go in guns blazing.

Current Bonded Pack:
1x Desert Panther
1x Sand Viper
4x Space Mites
Various Small Insects

 

[Darth Luctus]

Location: Space Port - Coming From Sedation
Objective: II - Stay Behind
Tags: Darth Malum of House Marr Lucia Naberrie

"Is the *&$@(&! waking up yet?!"
"It takes some time! You sure about this? The Dark Lord of Rebirth said not to wake him unl-"
"Emergency yes! If we do not, we will all-"

There was a gasp of breath as the eyes of Darth Luctis behind the mask awakened, his body stuck to some form of table. Bounded onto the table, the two medical figures looked in shock as he had awakened far earlier than possible, the male struggling against the bonds on the table. Before one could even attempt to undo a strap, Luctis broke one with sheer strength along with another, getting off the table as the Aura of Guilt started to overthrow everyone in the area. Without even needing to do a single thing, parts of the medical wing started to become incapacited. People started to scream in horror as Luctis looked side to side, as if wondering where he is, what was going on, where- the noise of an explosion, it drawn him towards the field of battle.

Within a minute, the One of Grief had went on top of the spaceport. The violent fighting has started to begun, blasters firing all over the place and turbolaser fire screeching past the area. Bodies were flown to the side, vehicles erupted in flames and parts of the city around them were in ruins! It was filled with so much suffering, so much pain that could be felt from a singular glance...so much GRIEF! So much Grief that it caused Darth Luctis to grasp his head, screaming out in pain as it started to overwhelm him greatly, so much anger, so much hatred towards all that have done this!

After several seconds of screaming, arms pushed back and head hanging towards the sky, he screamed out the loudest he possibly could. Part of his vocal cards started to break, his throat becoming bloodied and his eyes started to leak black goo out of the mask. The Force Scream erupted towards anyone that could hear him, a powerful force signature that literally screamed the emotion of Grief. No one was damaged, but everyone could feel that aura, that aura of pure uncontrolled grief and suffering! All the while though...the Sith, the soldiers, even the tiniest person among their armies, their own milita...those who could feel with emotion, started to feel...a strange embodiment of power.

Darth Malum of House Marr would feel it possibly the most, the scream possibly shaking someone to their core but to himself, could feel an entire surge of power. The mind could feel now as if everything could be thought of, every move, every counter. The battlefield became more...centralized, the place looked unlike anything possibly seen. As if a feeling, a nudge was presented to help throughout every moment of encounter. The Mandalorians true might, the Mandalorians will of itself, flying all coordinated...seemed disjointed, unmoving in the right direction. The effects of morale and valor, while strange...felt lifted now.

Lucia Naberrie whom probably could not feel what was going on, could see it in front of everyones eyes. Those who were in shell shock, were starting to fight back that were on her side! The Mandalorians on the other hand, were starting to make more mistakes...more and more every second. Some even started to possibly think of falling back, as unnatural it was. It felt unnatural, even all the while she could hear this piercing scream in the distance, like an pained animal being tortured from the inside out. The screaming just never seemed to truly end, as if its own ability to keep going was the sole reason the person was alive!

 

[Nalana Baxa]

Tags: Seela Leini Darth Excidium Darth Strosius

Piloting: Mandalores Fist
Number of Starfighters Under Current Command: TIE/MK Drones (4), A/FN Swarm Starfighters (48), A/D Bombers (12), TIE/IE Interceptors (8),

The distinct whine over communications indicated the battle had begun nearby. They had however, other plans. Disrupting the Sith was all that mattered to her and the idea of killing them in full was all that consumed her mind. The idea of striking those nearby was all that she wanted, all she desired. Whether or not this was the Dark Side talking, she would not know. Pressing forward on the controls, the Mandalores Fist would whine forward under its unique cloaking device. All around her, was the command of starfighters that awaited in the sensor shadow mass they were near.

When the ambush began, the TIE/MK Drones accelerated with dangerous speeds. Roaring past all the other starfighters, they would be detected and shot out of the space save for one. One was all it needed, it slammed directly into the back of one of the light cruisers engine compartments. With a specular display of lights and implosions, the seismic payload went off. The rings cutting through the hull like butter, it would start to separate the cruisers back end from the rest of it, large seismic rings erupting from inside it as it traveled outwards, possibly pushing or harming other large starships in the area. It was a kamikaze attack to not only surprise, but also interrupt others pursuit around the fleets.

Darth Strosius would notice the starfighters erupting from the sides, including that of rather newer designs, some being older but some more well known from the Elysium Empire. As they started to fly by, a massive signature was being picked up nearby. Something was attempting to sneak up towards the back of the fleet...though what would be the better question. All the while, bomber signatures were being picked up and attempting their run towards the capital ship!

Seela Leini can see the large amount of swarm starfighters having entered the fray. They would circle around the starfighter and, while not as well made or dangerous, were doing pack tactics against any friendlies in the area. They were taking out Sith Order starfighters whenever possible and refused to let themselves get cornered easily...not that it mattered to skilled pilots nor the paper like hull the swarm starfighters had...though the more dangerous prey of the TIE/IE were starting to populate the battlefield along with the special light freighter, the Mandalores Fist.

Darth Excidium may be attempting to seek out those of the Aing-Tii, there may be a nagging bit around the Sorcerer. A new mind seemed to have entered nearby, one that just so happened to be fighting around the battlefield. One that seemed...suggestive to the Dark Side of the Force, someones mind that could be altered in the pursuit of a better goal. So much hatred...centered around one singular Mandalorian, one that so happens to be piloting the Mandalores Fist. One whose mind...is not accustomed to the mind influences of the Force.