Dominion The Dominion of Taul [SO/GC]

[Darth Kentarch]

​

OBJECTIVE 1/BYOO: DEFEAT THE SQUID!

The sun was beginning its descent on Vaul, casting long shadows over the undulating swamps. The mists, thick and caustic, hovered just above the murky waters, obscuring the treacherous ground below. As Darth Kentarch made his way cautiously through the quagmire, every sense was on high alert. The sounds of the swamp, the distant croaks, and splashes provided an eerie backdrop to his journey.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled. At first, it was a subtle vibration, but it quickly grew into a full-blown tremor. Kentarch paused, trying to locate the source. It was then that he felt it—a cold, slimy tendril wrapping around his ankle.

Reacting instantly, Kentarch ignited his crimson lightsaber, its glow slicing through the thick fog. But before he could sever the appendage, another tendril shot up, wrapping around his wrist, and pulling him off balance.

From the depths of the swampy waters emerged a colossal creature, its skin glistening with muck and algae. The beast had multiple tentacle-like arms, each lined with suction cups and razor-sharp barbs. Its eyes, beady and yellow, fixed on Kentarch with predatory intent. A Squid monster, one of Vaul's deadliest predators, is known to lurk in the mud and waters, waiting for its next prey.

The creature let out a guttural roar, its maw opening to reveal rows of jagged teeth, dripping with venom. Kentarch, however, was not one to be easily intimidated. Channeling the Force, he freed himself from the monster's grip, executing a graceful mid-air flip and landing a few meters away.

The Suid lunged, its tentacles reaching out in a wild frenzy. Kentarch dodged and weaved, his lightsaber dancing in his hand, deflecting the creature's advances. With every parry and strike, steam hissed as the hot blade made contact with the creature's wet appendages.

But the monster was relentless. With each attack Kentarch deflected, two more came his way. The Sith Lord was cornered, the weight of the swamp making it difficult to gain solid footing.

Just as the situation seemed dire, Kentarch tapped deeper into the dark side. His eyes glowing with malevolent energy, he raised his free hand, fingers splayed, channeling Force lightning towards the beast. The indigo arcs of energy crackled through the air, meeting the wet skin of the Suid.

The creature shrieked in agony, its massive body convulsing under the onslaught. The once murky waters around them began to boil and bubble from the intense heat. But the beast had yet to be defeated.

 

[Shasill Kaarte]

When Shasill heard that Darth Malum of House Marr had cleared a hangar, his shuttle dove through the clouds, bucking and jerking like a wild animal trying to throw the Sith off its back. The apprentice did not budge, instead sitting calmly in his seat.

When he broke through the cloud layer, he spotted the hangar down below. The pilot leveled off from the turbulent dive, and slowly descended to land inside. Through the viewport, Shasill spotted several friendly guards, and dozens of dead pirates.

Shasill exited the vessel, now wondering if he should have assaulted the enemy outpost by himself, with only the soldiers following behind him to help. In this situation, he'd be following in someone else's footsteps. He didn't like it one bit.

Shasill wanted to be the one to claim victory over the enemy, to have that achievement under his belt, and his belt alone. Ambitious, he had to admit. Perhaps it would be best if he watched someone else succeed first, to be apart of the victory. That way he could learn how to do such things before he went off trying on his own.

His independence would have to be restricted just this once...

Darth Nwul Muss Noren Darth Iraath

 

[Tarus Undara]

Taul
Objective II: Corral the Spiders

​

Taul was an acid-washed wasteland of a world, but underneath the surface it held important resources for the Order. The only thing that stood between the Sith and their prize were the Taul Ravagers, and while Tarus would have loved to put them down like dogs, it was the spice-spider nests that demanded his focus. Very little of his life before the Sith remained in his memory, but he’d discovered an advantageous skill with animals that was certainly a residual ability from before.

Ideally, Tarus and the others could use their talents - or, in their case, brute force - to bring the creatures to heel. Outright slaughtering them was a terribly expensive last resort.

Tarus preferred the former, at least making attempts at beast control before slaying the spiders. But he was unfamiliar with the members of the team, sans the gilded man Diodoros whom he’d met on an excursion to Thule, where he’d been tasked with reporting on the Foreign Legion’s progress. He didn’t know how they would operate, so he planned for the very worst case possible: A hoard of violent spiderlings and a pissed-off matriarch.

A sharp, arachnoid hiss from ahead in the tunnels make Tarus snap his head that direction. Perhaps they’d already cast their lot with violence.

The Sith spoke telepathically, attempting to console the life form around the corner.

~”I’m not you’re enemy,”~ Tarus said.

~”This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed.”~

The hissing lulled for a moment, but as soon as the Sith’s boot crunched the next rock, it returned with vigor.

~”Death is the only alternative for your nest-“~

He was cut short by the sudden appearance of a sizable spice-slider, leaping with fangs bared for a savage bite. Tarus snatched his lightsaber, bisecting the beast mid-air. Its two halves felt to the ground with a wet slap, spattering green blood across the stone.

Tarus sighed.

“Pity.”

- Diodoros | O Osisa | Alina Tremiru | Astrid pentoghast -​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina lifted a slender finger to her lips, giving the ghost a simple wink. Worry would be wasted on the golden boy. And Alina was curious to see just how much it'd take for him to be broken. She was fully intent on just letting him lead the way. Letting him take the assault, the kills. She'd feed off of them.. Discretely. Those near death, latched on with crackles of orange as she drained them of their life.

Play the part of a weakling sent to die. It seemed like a fun little challenge.

Though they weren't alone. Death surged close by, pulling Alina's gaze towards it. Someone was approaching. It'd make hiding her strength harder from another. She hummed, debating on whether to keep her charade going or not. Then sighed. No, the spiders were far more agitated than she expected. She raised a hand, letting a blast of lightning rip through another creature. "We've friends arriving. Shall we greet them?"

O Osisa | Diodoros | Tarus Undara

 

[Astrid pentoghast]

Obejctive two: corralling drug spiders
Diodoros O Osisa Tarus Undara Alina Tremiru

Astrid would continue to use her sorcery to enslave the minds of the spiders that directly opposed her bending them to her will. Overriding the call of their queen as she walked through the hoard of spiders attacking using the spiders under her control to wrap the spiders who wheren't up to make them harmless so they could be collected later at her leisure or the golden covenants leisure. Who ever needed more for their own means she would collect a few for obedient glitter stim production for her own funds she wouldn't need as much realistically as the sith empire but money never hurt to have. The real trick was to keep them away from Lucy for territory in the future but that was a problem for another day now she needed to come out of this alive.

As the witch walked through the tunnel she was in she sensed the other Darksiders in the tunnels she knew she wouldn't be alone but figured more would have come maybe they where dealing with the pirates either way. She would need to get to the Queen first to complete her goal here although with the other group that could cause a problem potentially if they interfered especially the one created by Darth Nwul seeing as they had a direct link to him.

 

[Osisa]

Diodoros Alina Tremiru Tarus Undara Astrid pentoghast

Osisa regarded the gold-skinned hunk with what would've been a passive gaze - if she had eyes. He was well, that was good. The smaller their losses, the better. The specter's veiled head tilted to the side when the pale woman made a shh gesture.

Oh, okay then.

There was little time for chatting when spiders came pouring out from nearly every direction. One attempted to skewer the little Jensaa with a sharp jab of its pointed legs, but they simply passed through her immaterial form, leaving her unharmed. Her clothing was not without harm, though - robes now sporting a pair of ragged holes where her abdomen would’ve been.

When she raised a bandaged hand, the spider froze. It struggled against her paralytic hold, limbs trembling, but it could not move. A second hand joined the first, the Force rippling outwards to stun the spiders in their immediate vicinity and slow the movements of those further into the tunnels.

<"Dispatch them now."> Her ghostly whisper seeped into the Force itself, calling out to those who'd come to tame the spiders. <"Do not kill them if possible. They are valuable.">

 

[Darth Kentarch]

​

OBJECTIVE 1/BYOO: DEFEAT THE SQUID!


As the Force lightning intensified, the surrounding swamp began to steam and sizzle, turning the once-treacherous quagmire into a boiling cauldron. However, the massive squid, despite its immense pain, was far from defeated. With a surprising burst of agility, it managed to evade the direct stream of lightning and lunged at Kentarch with even greater fury.

Kentarch, momentarily caught off guard, found himself pinned under two powerful tentacles. The weight and power of the squid bore down on him, pressing him into the bubbling muck beneath. The acidic nature of the swamp began to burn at his skin and his lightsaber was knocked out of reach. Every breath became a struggle as the mud and water threatened to choke him.

The squid's yellow eyes bore into Kentarch's, relishing in the apparent impending victory. The Sith Lord, however, was not one to surrender so easily. Even in his compromised state, he reached out with the Force, trying to push the creature off. But the squid, sensing his efforts, tightened its grip further, squeezing the breath out of him.

Just as the darkness began to cloud Kentarch's vision and all seemed lost, a memory flashed through his mind: his defeat at the hands of Mand'alor. He remembered being taught that the Dark Side was not just about rage and aggression, but also about perseverance and resilience.

Using this newfound determination, Kentarch began to slowly channel the Force, not in an explosive manner as before, but in a calm, focused stream. He sent it flowing through his body, reinforcing his muscles and providing a barrier between him and the acidic swamp. The pain began to subside, and his strength returned.

With a sudden, explosive burst of telekinetic energy, Kentarch pushed the squid off him, sending it reeling backward. Gasping for breath, he scrambled to his feet and retrieved his lightsaber, its red glow reflecting in his determined eyes.

But even though he had momentarily turned the tide, the fight was far from over. The squid, recovering from the shock, roared in anger, preparing for another assault. Kentarch, now on the defensive, braced himself for another attack.

 

[Cato Demora]

Tag: Open​

​

While this world, once a place befitting the Rebel Alliance to hide away a training facility, was under assault by the Golden Covenant, Cato Demora was sent out by the Imperial Legions to enact a specific goal on their own - active a hidden surveillance safehouse on the world to watch what happened from here on out. Yes, Darth Nwul would gain this world likely under his direct influence - but the Dark Council and Empyrean had demanded it be watched.​

​

The squad weren't his usual. Once he rolled exclusively with First Legion members, special forces meant for deep cover missions against dangerous targets; but his list of dangerous targets were slowing and slim pickings. He'd been split off, tasked to lead a group of soldiers to both train them, and see them through the harshest of situations. Skilled recruits from the academy, he was told, and most dossiers on them fit that bill.​

​

The ship fell out of cloaking only meters from the ground, landing with a heavy thud before the group began to wander out of it - guns trained on the nearby ridgelines to ensure nobody kept an eye on them. A recon drone was let loose from his vambrace, quietly reporting back to him about all the local signs of fauna - but none intelligent as far as it could find. Lowering his weapon he sighed and motioned with a swirl of his hand to bring them all in.​

​

"Got a mile from here to the outpost - deep in the canyon over yonder.", he said, motioning to the crags and spikes of rock spilling with who knows how much acidic nonsense.​

​

"It's gonna be a hike - everyone read the terrain reports? Fleet imagery doesn't predict any acid rains coming by - but weather conditions fluctuate heavily. Could be trapped here a bit if one rolls in."​

 

[Kadann]

"Gentlemen," Kadann said at the approaching group.

A dozen weapons were shouldered and aimed at the cloaked figure. Kadann stood up. He had placed a crate at the foot of the freighter's loading ramp and waited patiently.

"This is a nice ship," Kadann said.

"He's dressed like them."

"Go away old man."

"Just put him down."

Kadann rolled his eyes. He had been waiting a distance from the Taul Reaver base at a ship that had been identified from orbit. He had vetoed the order to drop a proton torpedo on it and had instead landed nearby.

"I believe this is the Artisan Rowdy, and one of you is the famed Captain Goshan?" Kadann asked.

His gaze turned to Goshan, who identified himself just by his reaction.

"You're fleeing the destruction of your base, but your ship is marked and you won't break atmosphere in one piece. You can shoot me, take off and die. It will be a quick death, I suppose. But I have an alternative."

"Which is?"

"I just happen to have a need of a ship like this and a crew like...all of you. Amnesty, safe passage, but you will be working for me. I have something that I need taking into and out of Alliance space. So...famous pirates and smugglers. Death...or dishonest work?"

 

[Darth Kentarch]

​

OBJECTIVE 1/BYOO: DEFEAT THE SQUID!

The giant squid pressed the attack. With each successive clash, the squid's tentacles became more coordinated and forceful. Kentarch found himself constantly on the back foot, dodging and deflecting, but every parry seemed to drain him more. Multiple times, he narrowly escaped the beast's crushing embrace, the air filled with the scent of burning flesh as his lightsaber clashed against the wet tentacles.

His strength waned, and the squid sensed it. With a triumphant roar, it unleashed a flurry of strikes, each more aggressive than the last. Kentarch's defense broke, and he was once again pinned down, his lightsaber knocked away, sinking into the muck. The weight of the squid pressed down on him, its beady eyes gleaming with malevolent triumph.

But in that darkest moment, Kentarch's Sith training and indomitable willpower came to the fore. With a final, desperate surge of the Dark Side, he summoned his lightsaber back to his hand. As the squid leaned in, thinking its prey was defeated, Kentarch drove the blade upwards with all his might, piercing the creature's underbelly.

The swamp echoed with the creature's pain-filled cry. The massive squid writhed and thrashed, but Kentarch, summoning every ounce of strength left in him, pushed deeper with his lightsaber, ensuring that the beast would never rise again.

Finally, with one last shudder, the once-mighty predator fell lifeless beside the Sith Lord. Exhausted, Kentarch slowly rose, using his lightsaber as a crutch. He looked down at the defeated creature, respect evident in his eyes for the formidable opponent it had proven to be.

With the duel over, Darth Kentarch took a moment to center himself before continuing his journey to the pirate base.

 

[SF-3335]

Location: 2 Miles Outside of Reavers Stronghold - Taul
Objective: 1. Ground Assault
Call Sign: Tempest Four
Unit Support: 1 Kainate Outrider Squadron
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic”
Tags: Darth Xyrah Varus Vraks Muss Noren Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Iraath Darth Kentarch

"Imperial Pride, Sith Might, the Dark Side is with you, my brothers and sisters of the Empire. Today, the Empire begins a new era of glory. Consume this world and know that I am with all of you."

The fires of passion and fanaticism erupted across the fleet, pilots eyes becoming more focused, their minds touching one another from afar, their chests puffing out, their heads rising.

"GLORY TO THE EMPIRE!" Nwul bellowed.

Unbidden, the words of the Lord of Passion ignited a fire inside of SF-3335’s chest as she gunned Crimson Velocity’s engines, the bike coiled and wound up beneath her like a feline primed to strike out at prey. Moments later, the bay door in front of her popped open and immediately, the strand-cast accelerated her bike out of the transport before angling into a steep descent towards the surface. A few moments later, she “landed” on a gravitational cushion and leveled off less than a half-meter above the ground itself, before slamming on the accelerator to send her bike flying across the hostile, swampy terrain at blistering speed.

Immediately, she was flying directly towards the enemy.

The quiet whine of the Crimson Velocity’s sound-baffled engines, along with its riders' precise, deliberate handling of the machine by keeping to the relative concealment of the swamps allowed her to get the jump on a squad of patrolling Reavers. Before they were aware of her presence, a salvo of machine gun fire tore through their formation, cutting down four of the pirates in the split of a second. As the remaining pirates dived out of the way, 3335 squeezed the brakes before whipping her bike around to point the forward outriggers towards the remaining three pirates who had managed to sprint into the nearby shrubs. Nevertheless, the optics in her helmet immediately highlighted their thermal signatures, at which point the strand-cast laid on the machine guns once more, unleashing a hail of slugs on the pirates’ positions that ripped through shrubbery, clothing, armor, then soft flesh.

<<Foot patrol in sector 14-C, destroyed! Splash seven foot mobiles!>> SF-3335 hissed with no small amount of fire in her tone as she wheeled around and accelerated towards the toxic river surrounding the pirate base, where tanks, mobile weapons platforms, and laser cannon emplacements awaited.

For all intents and purposes, 3335 intended to break through the river and assault the Reaver base on her own, if necessary.

Spoiler: Loadout

Craft: Crimson Velocity

• FAE/S-05 ECM Array: Inactive
• FAE/S-02 Semi-Active Stealth System: Inactive
• FAE/S-03 “Phase Masque” Distortion Matrix: Inactive

Loadout:

• Primary Gun Hardpoint (4)
  
  • MCDC-01 Man-portable Class-D Disruptor Cannon
  • FAE/W-09 "Yammka" Medium Machine Gun
    
    • 10.36x77mm Explosive
  • FAE/W-09 "Yammka" Medium Machine Gun
    
    • 10.36x77mm Explosive
  • MCDC-01 Man-portable Class-D Disruptor Cannon
• Universal Chemical Projectile Launcher (2)
  
  • Pink Vapor
  • Nagnol Gas
• Cargo
  
  • SV-5 “Phanes” Survival Kit
• Pilot Equipment
  
  • FAE/A-03 Repulsor Craft Riding Suit
    
    • Utility
      
      • Neahtid Earpiece
  • X8 “Gambit” Elite Disruptor Pistol

 

[Diodoros]

Location: Taul, Caves
Objective 2: 'Eight Legged Freaks'
Tag: O Osisa | Alina Tremiru | Tarus Undara | Astrid pentoghast (Proximity)​

The brutish man enjoyed this. It was fun for him to fight a bunch of vicious spiders. Plus he could feel good about ‘protecting’ the pale woman. The ghostly one he didn’t care as much for. Could she even get hurt anyways? For a moment Diodoros briefly noticed the arrival of another who seemed a little bit familiar-

“AHH!” Diodoros screamed following a sudden and abrupt flash of lightning that echoed in the confined cave network. The loud noise of it made his ears ring violently. Feeling as though he’d been flash banged as the night vision goggles he wore hurt his eyes from the brightness of the sudden electrical discharge.

Dazed and confused over what just happened he looked around as his eyes adjusted from the flash burn. He had his back turned to some of the spiders who quickly capitalized on how vulnerable he was now. Their talon-like legs viciously stabbed into his body, hurting the golden man even more. One of the spiders pounced on his shoulders. He still couldn’t really see or hear what was going on, but he could feel them. Grabbing the oversized spider with a solid grip in both hands he pulled it apart. Rending the energy spider in two with just his arms before forcefully kicking another away from him. Its body splattered against the cave wall.

But he started to feel… funny. With the open wounds and the spicy environment they found themselves in he was starting to feel the powerful effects glitterstim entering his system. His blues eyes began to wildly dilate behind his night vision goggles. “...Woah… Hehe…” Within this mentally boosted altered state he began to truly feel the fanaticism urged on by Nwul. He laughed a bit to himself before turning his attention to more of the spiders deeper into the cave. Not really paying attention to the mental whispers the ghostly woman communicated to him. In an instant Diodoros bolted further into the cave. Rather easily plowing through any spiders unfortunate enough to get in his way as he pushed forward like a runaway semi-truck down a steep hill. However, he wasn’t really going the right way. But seemed to catch the attention of a good few spiders in his drug fueled rampage, heightened by the presence of Lord Nwul. ​

 

[Darth Kentarch]

​

OBJECTIVE 1: Ground Assault

After trekking through the perilous terrain, facing both natural and supernatural threats, Darth Kentarch finally found himself on the outskirts of the pirate base of the Taul Reavers. Before him, rising from the swamp, was a massive, makeshift fortress. It was constructed from the salvaged wreckage of various starships, pieced together haphazardly, but effectively. Towers with mounted turrets overlooked the swamp, and the faint hum of generator shields could be heard.

The base was alive with activity. Pirates moved about, transporting stolen goods, engaging in raucous banter, and celebrating recent raids. The emblem of the Taul Reavers—a stylized skull with crossed blasters—was painted on walls and banners throughout the compound, asserting their dominance over the region.

Kentarch, cloaked in shadows, observed the scene from a concealed vantage point. He noted the patrols, the locations of weapon emplacements, and the main entrance to the fortress. While a direct assault might prove devastating, Kentarch had always favored the more subtle, stealthy approach.

He reached out with the Force, probing the minds of the guards. He searched for any weaknesses, any gaps in their defenses, and any internal strife he could exploit. A plan began to form in his mind. If he could infiltrate the base, sow discord from within, and take out the leaders, he might be able to neutralize the Taul Reavers without a prolonged battle.

The night was young, and Darth Kentarch was prepared to bring the wrath of the Sith down upon the Taul Reavers. With determination, he began to execute his plan, using the darkness as his ally.

 

[SF-3335]

Location: 1 Mile Outside of Reavers Stronghold - Taul
Objective: 1. Ground Assault
Call Sign: Tempest Four
Unit Support: 1 Kainate Outrider Squadron
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic”
Tags: Darth Xyrah Varus Vraks Muss Noren Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Iraath Darth Kentarch

Given the recent landings and the veritable lightshow of Sith and pirate warships exchanging fire in orbit, the pirates were all too aware of the approaching offensive. Accordingly, the assault would be challenging. However, the fact that the Sith ground forces had yet to break through the pirates’ lines had made the Reavers arrogant and complacent.

“You’ll never take the fortress Sith dogs!” Words were shouted over an open broadcast from the enemy, accompanied by a holographic image of a stricken Sith tank, repulsed during one of the initial assaults on the stronghold—a failed one given the pirates’ boasts.

As the next part of the broadcast came on, 3335 cut the feed and pressed ahead. The swamp was beginning to give way to the more treacherous, craggy terrain that surrounded the fortress. On cue, her sensors came alight with fresh signatures, at which point the strand-cast activated her speeder bike’s stealth systems to conceal her approach.

<<Tempest Four, going silent.>>

Driving her speeder bike to a halt, 3335 came to a stop on a ridge overlooking the toxic river flowing around the base. From her vantage point, she watched as a number of armored vehicles patrolled along the edge of the river, including mobile weapon platforms and tanks. Without hesitation, the strand-cast locked onto two of the tanks and powered her weapons to life.

Whip-thwop!

Suddenly, a searing lance of cerulean EM plasma tore out from the barrel of one of the energy torpedo launchers mounted on her bike. The energized torpedo crossed the 1250 meters of distance that it had been fired from at relativistic velocity, before connecting its target—a tank at the head of the formation—with a blinding explosion that seemed to consume both the vehicle and its hapless crew. A second energy torpedo followed only a moment after, before striking the tank at the rear of the formation to a similarly visceral, devastating effect.

With that, 3335 immediately kicked the engines to life before accelerating off of the ridge and flying towards the toxic river. Landing on a gravitational cushion less than a meter above the ground, the strand-cast closed much of the distance separating her from the remaining tanks in mere seconds. Then, she unleashed a hail of Class-D disruptor and fire into their ranks, instantly disintegrating chunks out of another tank’s titanium-alusteel armor before causing the vehicle to explode as its ammunition stores were struck. All the while, sight and sensor-obscuring nagnol gas was fired both ahead and behind her, causing billowing clouds of smoke to fill the area around the toxic river as 3335 continued her lone assault on the armored formation.

It wouldn’t be long before she had enough cover to move for the fortress.

Spoiler: Loadout

Craft: Crimson Velocity

• FAE/S-05 ECM Array: Inactive
• FAE/S-02 Semi-Active Stealth System: Active
• FAE/S-03 “Phase Masque” Distortion Matrix: Inactive
• Sound / Auditory Dampening System: Inactive

Loadout:

• Primary Gun Hardpoint (4)
  
  • MCDC-01 Man-portable Class-D Disruptor Cannon
  • FAE/W-09 "Yammka" Medium Machine Gun
    
    • 10.36x77mm Explosive
  • FAE/W-09 "Yammka" Medium Machine Gun
    
    • 10.36x77mm Explosive
  • MCDC-01 Man-portable Class-D Disruptor Cannon
• Universal Chemical Projectile Launcher (2)
  
  • Pink Vapor
  • Nagnol Gas
• Cargo
  
  • SV-5 “Phanes” Survival Kit
• Pilot Equipment
  
  • FAE/A-03 Repulsor Craft Riding Suit
    
    • Utility
      
      • Neahtid Earpiece
  • X8 “Gambit” Elite Disruptor Pistol