Private The Cleansing of Pergitor

[Darth Callidus]

The Lord of Hunger

Darth Callidus remained composed, even as the ferocity of the chitinous creatures surged against them. The dark side crackled in the air, thick and oppressive, as her amber eyes gleamed with calculated malice.

Her voice was cool and unhurried as she watched Credius dispatch the creatures with his devastating hunger. "Determined little things," she remarked, the faintest hint of disdain lacing her tone. "Though determination alone is a poor substitute for power."

Extending a hand, she seized the creatures still approaching her. The Force surged around her in an invisible storm, a tidal wave of sheer willpower. With a sharp, deliberate motion of her fingers, she crushed the nearest beasts, their chitinous shells crumpling inward with sickening cracks. Others she suspended mid-air, twisting them apart as though they were nothing more than paper. Gore and shattered carapaces littered the ground in her wake, though her steps remained untainted, as if the carnage itself bent to avoid her touch.

She glanced toward Credius as he drained the life from his attackers. "They seem to share your hunger, Credius," she said with a dry smile, brushing specks of debris from her cloak. "But even beasts know fear when faced with a predator beyond their ken."

The roar that emanated from the gates drew her attention, her gaze narrowing slightly. The sound resonated with primal fury, a challenge laced with malice. Callidus turned her head toward Credius, her expression unreadable. "So, the true host finally answers. I trust you'll find your… feast satisfying enough. Shall we?" Her voice carried a sharp edge, daring, even in its calmness.

The remaining beasts, paralyzed by her power and the overwhelming presence of the Lord of Hunger, trembled as Callidus flicked her wrist, casting them aside like broken toys. She gestured toward the gates, her dark cloak billowing as she stepped forward, her presence in the Force a cold, unrelenting tempest. "Let us greet the coward properly," she said, her voice laced with quiet venom.

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Pergitor
OBJECTIVE: Catalogue the beasts, exterminate any threat, create a foothold
IMPORTANT LINKS: Sword | Armor | Jewel | Ring | Necklace | The Usurper | The guards | The Enforcer
TAG: Darth Callidus


Credius couldn't refrain himself from chuckling softly, as he found Callidus' dry wits to be rather amusing given the situation. What lay beyond the darkness, beyond the gates, could very well be their undoing. Still, it showed not the cockiness of this new acquaintance, but their level head despite the possibility that this might have gone wrong. "I should really do you the courtesy of remembering your name, Lady Callidus."

Turning his attention away from Callidus, the Lord of Hunger slowly moved forwards, limping a bit as the wounds he had sustained on his arms and legs were slowly healing and mending themselves. It was perhaps lucky that he had been wearing his armor, for if he hadn't, this might not have ended so well, considering it would have taken him a bit more effort to heal should his limbs have been torn off. He wasn't immortal at all, but luckily the advantage of this mutated vessel of his, was that as long as the wound was not distinctly mortal...he would be able to regrow any lost part, any wound no matter the possible lethality of it.

"Those beasts... the ones found in the forests, these ones... if they are all part of one singular strain, a singular hive... one would be pressed to wonder just how much more variation there might have been in their own realm and if they'd been given more time," Slowly the Abomination began to flex his arms, feeling how despite not being exactly optima forma, the painkillers provided by his armor started to flush his system and dull both the pain and the encroaching age. With a swift motion, he unsheathed his massive red blade; the Genesis and stopped in his tracks, as a massive shadow, far larger than any a Rancor could cast upon any wall in dim light would have had, seemed to move a bit, followed by chattering and clicking sounds akin to the sounds those six-legged beasts made.

Reaching for Callidus' shoulder, Credius remained silent as he pointed with his sword towards what looked like entire clutches of sticky, goey eggsacks filled with what could only be described as thick, globulous, ellipse-shaped eggs that were semi-see through. "I think perhaps we could have something work in our favor if we managed to nab a few of these... would you not be remotely interested in what these 'things' could be used for when properly managed?"

​

 

[Darth Callidus]

The Lord of Hunger


Darth Callidus stiffened as Credius' hand touched her shoulder, the faintest flicker of anger rippling through her like a spark igniting a powder keg. Her amber eyes blazed momentarily, and the oppressive aura of the dark side around her flared, pressing outward in a brief, invisible shockwave. With a smooth, deliberate motion, she stepped away from his reach, her cloak sweeping behind her like a shadow cast by her own simmering fury.

"Do not presume familiarity, Lord Credius," she said sharply, her voice low and cutting, like the edge of a vibroblade. For a moment, her controlled mask cracked, revealing the cold tempest beneath. But just as quickly, she reined it in, her composure snapping back into place like a steel trap. "Touch me again, and you will learn firsthand how little patience I have for such… liberties."

With that, she turned her attention back to the grotesque clusters of egg sacs, her voice returning to its usual icy calm, though the venom lingered in her words. "These creatures hold no inherent interest to me, but I will assist in capturing a few if it serves a purpose." She extended her hand, the Force rippling outward to probe the eggs. A few sacs quivered under her power, their gelatinous forms trembling at her deliberate manipulation. "Their fragility is almost insulting," she muttered, her lips curling into a faint sneer.

She stepped away from the eggs, her amber gaze flicking toward the massive shadow that loomed ahead, her senses brushing against its primal, feral presence. "Focus on securing what you need," she instructed curtly, her tone sharp but composed. "Once that's done, we'll address whatever this broodmother intends to do."

Raising her arms slightly, Callidus allowed the Force to flow through her like a storm ready to break. The chittering and clicking intensified as the creatures responded to her presence, their hunger and malice meeting her unshakable will. She began to move forward, the air around her thick with the dark side, her steps measured and deliberate. "Let them come," she said over her shoulder, her voice cold as ice. "This will be over soon enough."

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Pergitor
OBJECTIVE: Catalogue the beasts, exterminate any threat, create a foothold
IMPORTANT LINKS: Sword | Armor | Jewel | Ring | Necklace | The Usurper | The guards | The Enforcer
TAG: Darth Callidus


As soon as the younger Sith lord revealed her fangs in the form of the momentary uptick of her aura, the Lord of Hunger's hand retracted with a jolt, his head tilting ever so slightly as he looked at her. If there had been any moment of tension in the air, it was this exact moment, for in that split second so much could have happened. Yet, in the end, Credius chuckled...a dry and empty chuckle in response to the momentary revelation of rage and anger coming from Darth Callidus . Yet that was all, with a few chuckling sounds, the ordeal was done and the Lord of Hunger seemed to practically have burried the woman's remarks as if they were the roars of a paper tiger in front of a hurricane. Still, Credius had felt that hint, that spark within Callidus earlier and as he grit his teeth, he came to the realization that though she couldn't compare to his prime... she was dangerously close to his power at this point...and while his was declining with each use of the force...hers seemed to only grow ever so slightly...as if she adapted, took in her surroundings faster and more fastidiously than he ever could. Darth Callidus would be dangerous if she grew any stronger...but that in itself also made it an interesting to watch...

"Hmm...we'll need a few of those eggsacks..." Raising both his arms, the Lord of Hunger's left hand started to gather the darkness around it and slowly this fog started to swirl underneath several of the eggsacks, at which point, he reached with his right hand towards the eggsacks, firing off several bolts of crackling lightning to rip and tear through the viscous membrane which seemed to hold the sacks in place, allowing them to fall into the portals, which were connected to the basecamp. "There...that should do it."

Leaning forward, the Lord of Hunger started to cough, falling to one knee as he realized utilizing those portals and that force lightning together had severely taken a toll on his reserves. His body underneath the armor's facade was drying up, withering and decaying, aging far more rapidly than any human ever should. With his back heaving with every breath he took, Credius grunted when his armor injected him with a veritable cocktail of painkillers and suppressants all for the sake of keeping his mutation at bay and to stave off the nearly inevitable decay he suffered.

Yet as he felt his strength leave him, the sounds of chittering and growling could be heard from several places, with the shadows revealing that whatever had been in charge, had now managed to call upon their brood once more, all for the sake of protecting their inner sanctum. Just as Callidus had given out the challenge, a few became visible, then a few more, stalking the two intruders. Then even more from above, some crawling around the eggsacks, others casually crawling down the columns that supported the large room, even more appeared, and more, and more... yet Credius could not move, he couldn't stand...

"This is rather unfortunate..."​

 

[Darth Callidus]

Tags: The Lord of Hunger

Darth Callidus stood unmoving, amber eyes cold as she watched Credius collapse to one knee. His body betrayed the toll his power demanded, his frame withering beneath the strain. For all his bravado, for all his titles, the Lord of Hunger was still bound by the same mortal limitations that plagued all who relied too heavily on raw, unchecked power.

"Unfortunate?" she echoed, stepping forward with slow, deliberate grace, her gaze drifting toward the creatures swarming in from the shadows. The chittering chorus rose in a frenzied crescendo, their hunger a mirror of Credius' own. Callidus, however, remained unmoved. "No, Lord Credius. Predictable."

Her cloak billowed slightly as the oppressive weight of the dark side gathered around her. The beasts circled, hesitating, their primitive minds brushing against the Force presence that radiated from her like a cold, unrelenting tide. Unlike Credius, she did not burn through her reserves recklessly. She did not wage war on herself to grasp at power beyond her means. She wielded the dark side as one might wield a finely honed blade—precise, calculated, and utterly without waste.

She extended a hand, fingers curling as the first of the creatures lunged. The beast froze mid-air, its limbs twitching violently as an invisible grip tightened around it. Callidus did not slam it into the ground, nor tear it apart in some dramatic display. No, she simply began to crush—slowly, methodically—until its exoskeleton cracked and its insides ruptured from the pressure.

The others hesitated.

"I suggest you rise, Credius," she said, her voice edged with condescension but laced with something more—command. "Or shall I leave you here to be devoured by creatures you deem beneath you?" She turned her head slightly, just enough for him to see the faint smirk at the edge of her lips.

Another beast lunged from above. With the barest flick of her wrist, it was seized mid-leap and hurled into the others, sending a dozen of them skittering backward in a tangle of screeching limbs. Still, more of them came, undeterred by their fallen kin. The swarm was relentless, but Callidus did not fear it. She did not waste breath on curses or theatrics.

She merely stepped forward.

Her presence in the Force expanded, rippling outward like a vast storm, an invisible command that radiated through the hive-mind of the creatures. The beasts closest to her stopped—not out of fear, but out of sheer, overpowering dominance. The dark side had many ways to break the will of the weak, and she did not need to kill them all to prove her superiority.

Those still willing to attack, she would destroy.

Those who hesitated, she would bend.

Tilting her head slightly, she addressed Credius again. "You wanted them, did you not? Their kind, their eggs—their secrets." A pause, then a slow, wicked smile. "Perhaps, then, you should show them why you are worthy of it."

A test. A challenge. An expectation.

She had no intention of carrying him. If he wished to survive, he would do so on his own terms. If he wished to prove his power, then he would do so now. The stories of what the man before her had once been were near mythic in scale, and she needed to know if anything of that being who had caused such fear, such devastation, still lingered.

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Pergitor
OBJECTIVE: Catalogue the beasts, exterminate any threat, create a foothold
IMPORTANT LINKS: Sword | Armor | Jewel | Ring | Necklace | The Usurper | The guards | The Enforcer
TAG: Darth Callidus
​

"I suggest you rise, Credius," she said, her voice edged with condescension but laced with something more—command. "Or shall I leave you here to be devoured by creatures you deem beneath you?"

The Lord of Hunger grit his teeth, yet even if he hated the words this upstart sith lord threw at him, he could feel how having utilized so much of his own power has lowered his body's resistance to the very corruption his soul brought upon him. Rage and hatred burned within him, strengthening his connection to the dark side of the force, but because of it also furthering the decay within himself. The mutation he had managed to inflict upon himself all those decades ago had been useful when his body was still not withered and decayed, the rapid healing, the increased strength, it was all so good to have, but with time the hunger grew, it escalated. No longer was it purely physical, but also spiritual. Even when he was in stasis, even with his essence separated from his body, the hunger remained, gnawing at him, forcing him to feed, to engorge himself on the essence of others. His hunger had transcended the physical realm and had passed into the spiritual realm...while his soul grew in strength, his essence having gained power beyond the likes of any normal human, it came at the cost of his body being incapable of withstanding the decay of the dark side, even with the mutation.

"You wanted them, did you not? Their kind, their eggs—their secrets." A pause, then a slow, wicked smile. "Perhaps, then, you should show them why you are worthy of it."

"You...annoying, little child," Credius' voice was cold, yet seething with rage, his eyes burning vibrantly behind his mask's visors, yet his tone was hollow, his breathing ragged and distorted, like a wheeze forced out of his lungs with too great of an effort. While Callidus was dispatching those beasts that attacked her, the ones that had stopped in their tracks to her display of power suddenly turned their attention towards Credius, who in his weakened state didn't seem to pose such a threat as the other Sith Lord in their presence.

"Your ignorance...your conduct...your clear provocation, it is infuriating, it is callous and careless," More and more of the beasts still managed to crawl out of the walls and shadows, stalking the pair, but now mainly the seemingly crippled Lord of Hunger began to be surrounded by these six-legged, carnivorous hound-like beasts.

"Your belief in your strength and your dismissal of others...it angers me so much," While there were still some beasts jumping at Darth Callidus , the overwhelming number did focus unto what seemed to be their most easy target at this point, arriving at the decision to throw away all caution when they had managed to stalk Credius long enough, meassuring his response, his reactions and his strength.

"Thank you..."
​

If Callidus was anywhere near as powerful as she thought herself to be, anywhere nearly as attuned as she hoped herself to be...she would be capable of feeling it, like a whisper in the wind, a shallow breathing in the back of her neck. Something about the atmosphere would feel off, something would feel...dangerous and terrifying. Like the cloak of night, the slowly creeping grasp of the boney, chilling hand of death. Something would cause a whole lot of alarms to go off throughout the entirety of the force.

Credius slowly raised himself, his arms limp, his legs seemingly crooked, but something was off, something was...abnormal. It was as if he was cloaked by shadow, a completely black figure with eyes like coals, burning and raging, yet at the same time they were like a void... empty and desperate to be filled and satiated.

A shockwave would suddenly erupt and course throughout the entirety of the giant interior space, flining beasts and eggsacks into the air, shattering pillars and columns. One hand of the Lord of Hunger, still cloaked in that strange darkness had been lifted up, his fingers almost looking as if he cramped up, as all the beasts that had been blown away by the shockwave were suspended in the air, floating around in fear and awe, but also in utter disbelief.

The his second hand rose upwards, with a spark and a crackle foreshadowing the sudden burst of lightning coming from both his hands, coursing from one beast to another, tearing each down to the molecular level, while if one watched the whole spectacle through the force, they could see not just how all of those lives were being sniffed out, but how all of those beasts' essence was drawn towards the Lord of Hunger, increasing with every jolt of lightning, with every body being dissimilated and desintegrated, the flow of essence grew.

"Heh...heheheh...HAHAHAHAAAH!" Feeling his body rejuvinate, his wounds heal and mend, his youth and physical power return to him, The Lord of Hunger's presence became noticeable, imposing, unbearable and overwhelming. With his ody straightening itself, the monster slowly started to walk towards Callidus, each step different, for with each foot being put forward, his strength increased, his health returned and so too his dominating presence. "...Let's go see this Queen..."

Slamming his hand upon the ground, the floor cracked, tore open and buckled, revealing that which had been hidden underneath: A beast the size of a freighter, easily several tonnes in weight and without question far more powerful than the beasts they had seen and encountered so far. "Shall we give her a proper end."