The Means of Production [TSE Dominion of Oricon Hex]

[Darth Carnifex]

Oricon
Corva Sector

The image of [member="The Slave"] appeared before the Dark Lord, immaculately sculpted face and alabaster hair abound. If Carnifex was a younger man, he would've bedded this lecherous fiend at the drop of a hat. But he was not the same man he was thirty some odd years ago, he held himself up to higher standards devoid of lusting after base desires. Not that he could act on them anyways, his pursuit of immortality had left him woefully bereft of tactile sensations.

Not that sex had been anything other than abstract domination for him anyways, but it wasn't the same without the sensation of touch.

"Slave." The Dark Lord's voice boomed and rumbled even across the distance of space, reverberating on the same frequency as rumbling thunder or crackling stone. "One time High Chancellor of the Dominion, the pleasure is all mine. It is a shame that we had not made ourselves acquainted earlier, your exploits are quite extensively documented and your contributions to the Dominion's downfall are of immense praise. I do have to wonder... What does Jaeger Solutions want with a planet like Oricon, excluding the obvious of course."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

ORICON
Oversee factory construction.

Zhelen's enormous wings billowed against the resistance of the wind as he coasted over Oricon's vast industrial districts. Darth Ophidia sat astride his back, the robes of dark silk fluttering around her slender frame. Her ashen face was almost entirely obscured under the hood that protected her from the harsh winds of flight. Yet, together they seemingly formed a seamless unit; the fellbeast and its pale rider.

Constructs dotted the ground below; skeletons of steel given duracrete flesh and glass eyes. Some stood finished, with inspectors looking for any flaw and checking it twice. The Empire would not accept weakness in their line of production.

Pulling gently on the reigns, the Sith Lord brought Zhelen into a quick turn and careful drift towards one of the skeletal constructs, about half finished by the look of it. He strafed over it, leaning into a curve that finally brought him down outside the site, well from the majority of the workers. They knew better than to get in the way. Zhelen bowed down to allow Ophidia to climb off with ease. The Sith Lord traced her fingers along his leathery neck and under his jaw. Then, with a simple look, ordered him to coast above.

As the fellbest flew, the wind of his wings hitting hard against the concrete surfaces, Ophidia remained. She clasped her hands behind her back and observed skyline of factories until her apprentice joined her at last: Darth Filiae was observing the construction of one of the droid factories, but when the Csen'ai called, she would come.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Slave pondered his question for a moment, tapping a finger against his cheekbone in idle thought before simply shrugging and offering a placid tone;

“I have no idea. The history? The potential?”, he simply shrugged again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know, it was that he didn’t care. Cybele was the mastermind behind the company, the production of its materials, and especially the planning of this entire project. Thousands of Southstar Battle Droid’s rummaged around the surface of the planet, taught through her infinite knowledge just what they needed to be to fill the roles of an elite engineering corps. The Slave however, simply sat at the wayside and watched his empire expand; second by second, brick by brick.

“A better question is what use you think I have. What use is my loyalty?”

Golden corrupted eyes offered their own challenging look as he broke a grin;

“What worth is my loyalty?”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Ignatius]

Objective 4: Discover more about Oricon
Location: Inside Volcano
Tags: Anyone who feels like joining me.

My body was hurt, and in pain. The only thing getting me through this torture, and punishment was my will to press on, and my skills as a Matukai. While most of it was a general increase of physical attributes, there was one thing I could do. Harden and solidify my body to resist massive impacts. I could prevent cuts and tears within my skin. I could prevent bones from breaking and even from receiving concussions. It was one of the marvels of being a student of the Matukai way of life.

I could feel the heat of the volcano from my boots. They were long and away melted down to glorified rubber slippers covering my feet. My pants were singed and torn up to hell, with them resembling more of shorts than pants. My hair was cut due to the heat and I was surprised that my hair had not caught on fire. Likely my resistances to heat and flame with pyrokinesis. Either way, I walked onward to a small platform that overhung the top of a chasm. One that threatened me with falling hundreds of feet down to a fiery death.

Looking around, I then closed my eyes, and opened my mind to the force. Letting it have a flow that rivaled water in a stream. I could feel the ebbs and the flows of the force around me. The Dark side pounded against me. Threatening to break down my mental barriers, to turn me into an insane monster of what I once was. Yet, there was also a neutral party. One that I did not expect. One that could be shifted and changed into something much more. Looking to where this came from, I could see across this expanse of rock and molten metal, was a small growing of crystals. Smiling, I knew I had to take these. Not steal it, but claim it for myself.

​The lava flows, over hundreds if not thousands of years had created a pressure and heat unequivocal to that of any other planet. Crystal formations were entirely possible here. Obsidian was a crystal. While not charged with the force, it was a crystalline structure. Seeing this, was not different. How could I tell that this was different? The force flowing in and around it. When I would push upon it with said force, it would glow brighter than the lava. The burning magma and shine through the rock face. Smiling deeply, I looked to it. The distance was quite large. Meters long and in no way possible for anyone to naturally do anything about it.

However, I could.

This was a test. One that I had to overcome. One that I needed to reach the stone. Like a fool that my father was, I prepared myself. Charging up every available emotion within me, and focused upon the ground beneath me, the crystal across the way, and the way my feet could feel the growing cracks upon the surface. I could feel within my body the organs as they worked. The blood pumping through my body. Taking control of it, I snapped my eyes open. Taking a few steps back, I leaned down like I would in my childhood. Preparing to race against another child in the school yard. Feet back, rear high up into the air, and body leaning forward with hands on the ground. The hot, cracking and coarse ground. In that moment of meditation, in that moment of focus, I could feel myself becoming stronger.

Taking that moment, I launched from my position. Racing not against the child, not against my sister, nor other soldiers in a foot race. I raced death herself. I raced for my life, and for that, I gave everything I had. While it may have seemed like a long platform to run along, I seemed to clear it in just a second, and with my last planted foot fall, I pushed up into the air. My body flung across the distance and slapping hard into the rock face. My hands and feet digging in as a slid down the side. Slamming my hand into the rock face, I found purchase. My entire body burned through head and the use of the force. It was a burning and a pain unlike I had ever felt. One I would not forget either. My body climbed of it's own will towards the crystal. Pushing past the limits of any human, or any other living being for that matter.

I am not a being with the force, I am a being of the force.

Every muscle ached. Every fiber stretched, and my willpower waning fast, I moved quickly. Pushing and pushing with no relent. I slowly made my way to the crystal. Staring at it as I reached it. Smiling brightly to myself as I could almost see the reflection of my face within it. I made it.

Almost.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Oricon
Corva Sector

The Dark Lord shrugged, "That depends. How much do you want me to believe it is worth, Slave?"

Loyalty was a difficult commodity to come by these days, especially in an environment such as this. The Sith Code idolized the idea of absolute individuality over the conformity of the Jedi, placing it on a pedestal and holding it to the highest standard. Many confused it with selfishness, they believe that because the code says that you should elevate the self that you are not beholden to anyone or anything.

They are misguided.

It speaks to the power of the Sith for the prideful to set aside their self-serving desires to serve something greater, something with longer lasting consequences than what they could ever hope to achieve in their measly lifetimes. The New Sith Empire he had helped establish was testament to this idea, his point-of-view wholly vindicated through the Empire's success against not only its neighbors, but against the very nature of the Sith (stereotypical as it might be to someone like him).

The power of Empire was often greater than the power of the individual. Together they were strong, divided they were nothing but gnats.

"I know your kind, Slave, I know your hunger. Life is a never ending cascade of pleasures, spice and flesh equally tantalizing to the senses and just as crucial as eating and breathing. You value wealth and material possessions over more intangible concepts like destiny and ideology. I can understand that, I was once in that same position a mere thirty years ago. I grew out of it, I found purpose in the dream of Empire. But I don't expect you to give up a life of vice at the drop of a hat and a few kind words, I don't expect you to give it up at all. In the end your loyalty is worth little, so I will put stock in your desire of self-preservation and your lustful avarice."

[member="The Slave"]​

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Objective Three: Wipe out Vermin in Vetus' Fortress | Push further into the Hollow Tower
​Location: ​Inner Courtyard -> Fortress Entrance | The Hollow Tower |
​​Tags: ​[member="Arken Lussk"] | [member="Darth Voracitos"]​ | Objective 3 Peeps

​The Matador only heard one word; Proceed. ​With no response, he placed Oribuir on his back and left the residue of his fight to the inspection of the Lord of Gluttony. Only now was he able to really inspect the massive open area the abomination had resided within, there was a small cut out portion of the Hollow Tower in the very end of the room, with three individual elevator doors built against thick oval columns that lead to a transparent ground floor of the actual tower. Their might've been thirty walkways that spiralled up the body of the tower leading to a black top. The walls were thick with sith spawn, layers of secretion of ancient flesh, slowly being picked at by the various creations. The transparent bottom level had the same black liquid flowing against its edges, similar to that of cooled magma. It seemed as though the abominations within the tower mirrored in existence to the ebb and flow of the planet.

​The Matador aimed for the middle elevator, pressing a thudding finger against the black framed keypad. Nothing, once more the equipment within the Fortress appeared to require a serious rework. He sighed, extending an open palm. Fingers, tensed and shooting upward from his palm, bending at the joints in a form close to a fist as the door began to shift, reluctantly moving upward into its intended position. The Matador stepped forward, seeing an empty elevator shaft. He looked down, seeing the Elevator was down several floors, and likely as likely to function correctly as the abominations were to leave if asked politely.

​The Matador examined a few feet in front of himself, seeing a cable wire. He lunged forward, wrapping his legs around the cable, with one arm ahead of the other and begun to pull himself upward, slowly moving towards the highest floor. The Matador had time to think as he climbed, pondering on how perhaps a Sith of high regard and hubris might've dealt with the situation, perhaps huffed and stomped their feet until the power was turned back on. That way, they could gracefully use the elevator. Much of his experience with the Sith provided various answers to his misconceptions. In many ways they were what he expected, and in others. Entirely different, he did not expect such great individuality among them. He supposed, he imagined great beings of powers to be quite alike to his own representations of power. However, he was quickly learning this was short-sighted in his behalf.
​
That however did not change his view that there was a prerequisite for true strength and power. However, he doubted that such things were more than trivial by comparison to the materialistic views the Sith had. Their eyes appeared to be set on expansion and subjugation. The need to expand was something born of an ambition of fear, he knew the Keeper disagreed in that account; but that was his belief.

​The black ceiling of the Elevator shaft was rife with cobwebs and tangled cables, some looked to have been cut. He had been fortunate that one remained, he extended a hand, repeating the same exercising of lifting the door once more. As the door began to shift, he saw them. More abominations, humanoids and animalistic creatures chewing on the flesh of those of their brethren that had been lost to time. The Matador outstretched his palm, grasping onto the frame of the door way and throwing himself into the room.

​Heavy plated boots met the thick glass floor with a clunk, the Matador's hunched form now suddenly visible to all of the various creatures within the fortresses hollow tower. But now, he could also see the full extent of the infestation; the walls were lined with pockets of hibernating flying creatures buried in the thick secretion. Hound like creatures began to bound forward in his direction as Oribuir slid handily from its place on his back. He had the advantage of range, taking a single step forward and slashing with a two handed grip, slicing the hound in two and throwing its halves into the corners of the room. The second creature came from his left, launching its body at him with all of its weight. The Matador used the momentum of his first strike to bring Oribuir to a resting position on his right shoulder, releasing his left hand. It shot out, grapping the hound like beast by its throat; the creature gagged and chocked, wrestling and whimpering against his iron chokehold. He dropped to one knee, using his bodies momentum to throttle the creature to the ground.

​It didn't move, but its cries had woken the hibernating creatures. Subteroths and other variably unrecognisable beasts waking from their positions on the many walk ways above him. He'd woke the hive.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Vice? Self Preservation?”, The Slave offered in a vaguely confused manner.

“You’re overestimating me, Carnifex.”, he said idly.

“I don't care for my life, nor do I care for what I experience. I'm not an entity that strives on vice alone. Drugs, the mortal form, all secondary. They could disappear, and I honestly could care less.”

As he spoke, he moved from his unprofessional, almost taunting status on the chair. Swinging his leg from over the arm rest, only to lean forward on the edge of the seat and offer Carnifex his full focus; The full, soul piercing stare of his electrum colored eyes dulled only by the electronic buffer between them, brought to attention solely on Carnifex himself.

“I’m a man of whim. I do to just do, and I destroy to destroy. They may call me The Slave, but I have no master but my own aspiration.”

The Slave grinned as they spoke.

“I work not out of loyalty, that much is right. If you know I don’t work out of loyalty, what trust can you have in me? What ties me to the empire?”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Arken Lussk]

As their conversation soon faded away, neither of them had ended the transmission. Arken had taken it upon himself to dispatch personal orders to the machinery down below. Organic officers oversaw the operation of innumerable assets; droids deployed in legions, their minds were augmented by their ever-capable AI and transformed into a collective of elite engineers. Their unsurpassed strength and propensity for learning, along with their tireless endurance, led to a very rapid development of prefabricated foundries and factories.

These were simply the basis of their operations. Each new building erected bore the emblazoned logos of both Aegis Systems and Jaeger Solutions, the harbingers of progress and ingenuity.

However, as the young CEO sat himself down to collect his notes and receive feedback from his planetside managers, the Slave's voice erupted once again. Cybele reported something rather interesting in the background before a new, booming voice joined in.

Smiling to himself, Lussk eavesdropped. He muted his end of the line and kicked back, watching his master discuss the matter of loyalty with their dark sovereign.

[member="The Slave"], [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Dante Sotari]

Objective: Are you karking serious? It did what?
Location: Mineral Flats
Nearby: [member="Morgan Vance"] [member="Scipio Alta"]

"I don't think we're gonna get a chance for that," one of the engineers interjected. He pointed out the obvious- that the metal of the tub was starting to corrode and it was only a matter of time before the super heated, mineral laced waters ate through entirely.

That was when the Minster spoke up and Dante had to utilize all of her self control to not roll her eyes at him.

"We are assessing the situation, sir," she replied, back teeth a little tight. But then she smiled sweetly.

"Of course, if you are in such a hurry you could always climb into the tub? We'll need someone to secure the winch after all, and the overseer does look rather lonely and scared. I am sure you would be of much comfort to him, with your rank and all, it's really quite sweet to see how much you care about his well being."

All of it was delivered with a straight face and friendly smile. But she knew Morgan at least caught the glint in her eye and several of the engineers were stifling laughter. The minster blinked and bumbled, snorting for a moment before Dante cut smoothly back in.

"Oh well, I suppose he'll just have to settle for us. By your leave...."

She turned to the engineers then, starting to give instructions and ignoring the minister aggressively. They'd get him out of there before the tub sank. And she might end up with a report bumped up the chain.

But it was worth it.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Oricon
Corva Sector

He blew air out of his nose in a dismissive scoff.

"Your aspirations are not your only master, Slave. Whether you realize it or not you have made yourself a servant of destiny, allowing yourself to be cast into the tempest of fate." Carnifex had always strove to be the master of his own destiny, doing anything and everything in his power to twist the threads of fate to his own ends. He had braved the fires of Chaos, and had brought men like Ra Vizsla back from the dead to serve the Sith cause.

He was not an advocate of the lifestyle Slave led.

But there was the million credit question, if the Slave could not be counted on for his loyalty then what assurance did the Dark Lord have that the Slave would work, if not directly with, than parallel to the Empire's interests. "And the answer to your question is simple. The Empire is the future. The Dominion has been smashed, and the Silver Jedi run scared. There are no longer any obstacles in our path. To stand against us would mean death, Slave, and you're too smart to deny that fact. To do so would condemn all that you have accomplished chasing your aspirations."

Truthfully if the Slave didn't care for his own life then that would not be the case, but deep down every being possessed the primal desire of self-preservation. [member="The Slave"] may continue to deny it, but it would not change reality.

 

[Kenth Typho]

Objective: Are you karking serious? It did what?
Location: Mineral Flats
Nearby: [member="Dante Sotari"] | [member="Scipio Alta"]

Morgan blinked and eyed the Adjutant, while Dante verbally danced circles around him.

The confusion stemmed from not actually noticing him before. Which was odd, considering just how... conspicuous the man was. He resembled a large walking ham more than anything else, yet, he had managed to sneak up on them like a thin feather.

His voice was a whine and his eyes watery like that of a weasel.

Usually Morgan liked people. He enjoyed talking to them, getting to know them, things like that. But instinctively Mor knew that this man was worth disliking.

Once Dan was done with her spinning and dancing Morgan joined her aggressive ignoring act. He wasn't worried all that much. Both of them were outside the regular order of things. Unless the Sith they served had a distinct like to useless windbags Morgan was reasonably sure they could get away with a lot. He started humming a song next to Dan as they oversaw the rescue of the Houk.

An old drinking rhyme about a big dry ham sinking slowly in the sea they had discovered a few weeks ago.

Seemed apt.

Inch by inch the Houk was liberated from his own applied doom. Then they could hopefully get out of here and have a few drinks.

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

Meanwhile on Bastion....

The little Nezumi went bopping through the halls toward Tai Fa's office. Up until recently, they would usually drop to all fours, to get where they were going faster. But since Mirial, since Lord Fa had given them the title of 'Sith Knight' (even though Hirou was not, in the least, a force user and the title was entirely an honorable one), the mouse had walked a little straighter, a little more importance in their step. It seemed as though they had been given a gift, yes....

But also a responsibility.

Hirou took the rank of Sith Knight very seriously.

Reaching the office, the Nezumi scampered up the ladder that had been installed on one side of the desk, just for the peacock's smallest informants.

"Lord Fa!" Hirou squeaked, trying out a bow they had been practicing in front of a mirror all day. "Word from Oricon!"

The Sith Lord inclined his head, and Hirou began their report.

The clearing out of the Sith beasts at the Fortress of Darth Vitus was going as hoped now that a prepared force had made its way inside. The Ministry of Industry was reporting building speeds above projected planning, as well as team working at up to ninety percent efficiency (no one expected 100% in these cases, not even the Sith. They had learned well the lessons of those too strict with their work force and understood the inherent weakness in such a method). And lastly, the Dark Lord himself had arrived as scheduled, meeting with Jaeger and Aegis to cement those ties.... though how, exactly, had been suspiciously absent in the missive.

The Nezumi looked up, ears flicking with pleasure to be delivering such good news to the Sith Lord.

Turning Oricon from a ragged, volcanic wasteland into a manufacturing center for the Empire was going smoothly. Soon it would offer returns many times that which were being poured into it. Another jewel, if a sulfurous one, added to the crown of the Empire.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Fear?”, he said, tapping his fingers on his chin.

The Slave sighs as he leans back, letting silence fill the void between the two force users. His expression had faded, taken more to some placid and apathetic. Eventually, he spoke up once more with a lazy gaze back to the hologram of the Dark Lord;

“You dissapoint me, Carnifex.”, he said with a faint shake of his head.

Glancing to the console nearby, he watched as Cybele pretended to ‘work’ instead of listening to him, but her eavesdropping was rather obvious. He offered her a faint grin before looking back to Carnifex on the hologram, speaking once more;

“I suppose we’ll see your ‘Empire’ expand. I’m interested, but nothing more.”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Kilrys Serccci]

[member="Jairdain"]

The barrier pushed him back. He growled, she was definitely capable in the Force but that only made him more hungry, his proboscises twitched freely with hunger. The magenta blade unfazed him as he pulled out his ancestor vibrosword. The long handle and extended blade made it difficult to wield in the small hallway, but it was his only blade. Holding it tightly, Kilrys growled lowly before launching himself forward. He used the Force to speed his movements as he slashed heavily and hard at the barrier.

"I want your soup! I will have your soup!" He chanted angrily, hunger was his sole thought as he attacked the barrier. Kilrys stabbed and slashed more, determined to weaken her barrier to attack her properly. Though his Force powers were limited and weak compared to her, he was sure his years of combat and predator mindset were superior to hers.

 

[Jairdain]

Her barrier held off his attack and his words didn't phase her. He moved fast and when her barrier did finally give, Jairdain had a shocking surprise waiting for him. Deactivating her lightsaber, she did keep the hilt in her hand. Her other hand extended and took a firm grip on his vibrosword. The energy created by it was repelled by Tutaminis and she redirected it back at him.

Up through his blade, the energy should hit his hands and shock him enough to cause him to drop the blade. If it didn't, she still had her grip on it and they would be at a stalemate. However, if he dropped his blade, Jairdain would send a push in his direction. In theory, it would send him closer to those beasts down the hallway. The sound of their brief fight had caught their attention and were moving closer.

They were big ifs in her mind, but until the outcome of her moves were decided, she had to keep calm and then decide what action to take next. If the opportunity presented itself and he was knocked away, she would just run and leave Oricon behind again. This time with no intention to come.

[member="Kilrys Serccci"]

 

[Ignatius]

Objective 4: Discover more about Oricon
Location: Inside Volcano
Tags: Anyone who feels like joining me.

Slowly I began to slip. My grip and attention upon using the force was failing. My body was shaking like the leaves within the wind. I was exerting so much energy just to get this one crystal. I was using the force to propel myself across the distance, to climb, and to hold myself in place for far too long. Even as I felt myself sliding and wanting to fall into the pit below, I slammed my fingers around the crystal. Pealing away the rocks around it to grab a hold. Eventually taking out a fairly large piece of this crystal. Lucem was floating over to me and attempted to take it from me. Instead, I shoved the crystal into my mouth. Gripping it with my chapped lips and teeth.

I could feel the sharp edged piercing the soft skin of my cheek and cutting into it. I could feel the heat burning my tongue, and the roof of my mouth. My face began to tear up. Pain was assaulting me in every direction. I could barely take this. I felt like everything was against me, preventing me from moving. I had to move back to the other side of the pit, yet I could feel my strength depleting. I couldn't give up now. Grunting and growling through the crystal in my mouth, I pushed to move my feet between my chest and the rock. My fingers felt like they were breaking as I held myself in this position for a moment. Pushing off with my feet, I twisted my upper body as I launched myself back across. Smacking into the side of the rock wall hard, slamming my hand once more into the side. Stopping my descent into the drop. However, pain flooded my arm unlike ever before.

My shoulder had dislocated itself. Hanging by my muscles and tendons alone. My bones were separated and hanging there in pain. I screamed out in agony. Tears wetting my face even more so. Every fiber of my body wanted me to give in. To fall below and accept the death that awaited me. I replaced my injured limb with my good one. Holding on with everything I had. Pushing up with my feet to keep all of my weight off of my one arm. Breathing heavily as I took a moment to gather myself.

"Ignis, I swear to the gods."
"M-uff uph!"
"Shut up?"
"Yeph."
"I said you were going to kill yourself."

Ingnoring the taunts from the shard, I reached up and grabbed a hold of the place my right arm was hanging onto. Hot flashes covered my vision as I pushed up with my legs, and pulled with my injured arm as best I could. Using my right to slam into the rock face to create another hand hold. Reaching up, I held both hands onto the new hand hold, and climbed up after it. Repeating this step by step process to try and reach the top. Each movement sent pain through my entire body. Reaching closer and closer to the top, I reached the ledge and using both hands and feet, pushed myself up. Rolling to the side. Vomiting up what I had eaten before. So much exertion of my body, that it couldn't take the food I once had.

I continued to vomit until nothing else was coming out. Just air and the choking sounds of my body wanting to reject everything. Once my body was done, I fell to my side. Tears still falling down my face as I laid there. Unable to move. Unwilling to move. Lucem was scanning the lightsaber crystal and was running through any and all records he had of such items. Finally coming up with something as I had calmed down. Letting the pain slowly turn from a hot jab in my arm, to a throbbing ache.

"This is a Lava Crystal. It's stated as being able to have a plasma drip from a lightsaber blade. But I don't know how much of that is true."
"My father has a Lightsaber that can do that."
"Don't talk. Just rest. FYI, this crystal will need to be cleaned before you can use it."
"No chit."

At my harsh words stated, I started a coughing fit. Almost vomiting my lungs up with the contents of my stomach already on the black rock next to me. Leaning up, I adjusted myself to sit next to the rock wall. Placing the left side of my back against it. Holding my left wrist with my right hand, Lucem came over and started to scan my shoulder.

"It looks to only be dislocated. Not as bad as what it could have been. Before you move, you will need to pop it back into place."
"Alright. How will I do that?"
"Keeping your shoulder blade against the rock, You will need to take your arm, place it as close as you can to the socket, and then leverage it into place. Warning, it will hurt."
"Help me push my arm. Not sure if I can do it myself."
"I will not stop even if you cry out. We have to get this done."
"Do it."

Moving into position, I followed Lucem's directions. Preparing myself once more for pain that would flood me. I concentrated upon myself. Closing my eyes. Feeling the heat of the lava flows. Hearing the cracking and rumbling of the belly of the volcano. The wind as it was pushed out from the center as a lung. I could even feel the crystal as it was awaiting to be shaped into a new form. the potential to become something more. Nodding my head, Lucem pushed as I did. Hearing creaking and then a pop that also came with crying out in pain. The socket was put back together. It felt so much better, but I was still feeling sore and the entirety of my body felt like it didn't want to move. I reached over with my right arm to pick up the bile covered lava crystal. I then placed it in my pocket without caring to wipe it down.

Walking out of the volcano, my limping was clear. However, outside was Caleo. A ship hovering just slightly over the lip of the ledge. She stood there with my jacket in her hands. At the sight of me, she rushed over. Taking my right arm over her shoulder and helping me walk to the ramp of the ship. She was fussing over the condition that I was in. I didn't care. I was just glad that in a few moments, I would be laying in a bed. Walking onto the ramp, the cool metal felt comforting to my feet. Now realizing that the boots I had worn were melted completely down to my feet, and all that I wore was a pair of torn shorts that resembled more of a pair of under garments than pants that I had been wearing earlier. Good thing I didn't wear my nice boots.

My mind was off in the distance as I could feel cool water running down my body as the ship moved. Kinta had taken over for Caleo and was cleaning me up. She washed just about every part of my body. I had only realized this when Kinta was almost dropping me into my bed. In the nude, and without soot on me. She then knelt down and was very close to smacking me. I could see it.

"We are taking you home, and I swear, if you ever do that again, I'll kill you myself."

I chuckled lightly as I turned my head. Feeling everything in this room was cold compared to the flows of lava. Feeling myself drifting off while Caleo was flying the ship away from here, Kinta stayed by my side. Even though I had released her from the life debt that she owed my father, she stayed. That thought alone comforted me as she and lucem were arguing about why he didn't take good enough care of me.

I wanted to sleep for the next week. And I am sure none of my crew would object as we exited the planet's atmosphere, and into hyperspace.

 

[Kilrys Serccci]

The Force User gripped his blade, the usual sonic vibration that would leave a person with a gaping wound was nullified by her use of a Force Power called Tutaminis, something Kilrys did not understand yet. Kilrys growled in frustration as his attack did not work. He sliced her palm while she struck the blade with an electrical shock. The shock caused the temperamental generator to explode and cause burns to his hands. Kilrys hissed in agony as he attempted to ignore the pain to his hand. Unfortunately, he was too distracted by his hand to realise the woman was building a Force Push.

Force Push shoved him into the range of random beasts. He smirked as he clawed the lesser beasts with ease, his strength being fuelled by the Dark Side of the palace. During his rampage killed, the woman made her escape, he turned his focus on her, the wound on her hand likely healed quickly and no longer could he follow her trail. His prey escaped his capture once more. Howling loudly in anger, he grabbed a nearby animal and forced his proboscises into the nostrils of his new prey and drained it of soup.

Next time. Next time, they will be mine. Kilrys thought to himself.

[member="Jairdain"]

 

[Bastian Briareos]

Objective Four: Yet Another Fortress
Location: Oricon Fortress
Tags: Empty

The men and I pushed in to the fortress. There was no reaction from any defenses to our intrusion. I always expected there to be something to attack me when I don't want it to. A rare exception today. And so it proved true the further we explored the lower levels, eventually finding our way to the hanger we'd set our sights on. I made my way to the control station, leaving my men to secure our entryway. The terminal was powered down but I quickly sorted out the power button and had it up and running in no time. The thing wasn't even password secured. Perhaps whoever build this place never expected people to enter from an alternate means, or even find this place. Well no time to theorize or the luxury of even this momentary pause I opened the bay door and called our gunship over to give us a way out if need be. That was about half my plan done. Half of what I'd thought up on the fly anyways. I contemplated now having a foothold whether it would be a prudent idea to call in reinforcements. Always a good idea to have more bodies between me and whatever could be in the upper levels of this place.

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Objective Three: Feast upon the Beast
Location: Darth Vitium's Fortress - Outside the Hollow Tower
Tags: [member="The Matador"]

"My Lord, they report that 'The Matador' has encountered what they christen, 'The Nest'. There appears to be a host of Sithspawn activity in the tower. I suspect, my Lord, that what we are looking for should be located within that concentration..." The Hungered Vassal lowered himself to his Dark Lord, as his chair clattered meticulously across the bloody floor, which was all turning into dust at his passing. Darth Voracitos seemed to smile to himself as he came across the three elevators. I am definitively not going to fit through any of those... The Dark Lord thought becoming slightly amused, as his own party came across the Imperials who had followed the Matador to the elevator shafts.

"Your 'Matador', has an interesting habit of getting to places I cannot follow him," Voracitos rumbled amused to an Imperial Officer, before his yellow eyes inspected him heel to chin. "What is stopping you from following him, officer?" A cruel smile enveloped the massive man, as the officer visibly began to take a paler complexion. Suddenly, his Hungered Vassal knelt beside the Lord of Gluttony.

"My Master, I would gladly assist the Matador in the name of your Coven, to take what is ours... what is yours." The Dark Lords eyes looked down upon his vassal from the side of his face, with more amusement. After a moments contemplation, and the shrieks of beasts above them intensifying where the slaughter was taking place, Voracitos nodded to the Hungered Vassal. In a moment, the Hungered Vassal burst into a shadow, and like a banshee flew like the spirit the branded him to the Dark Lord's will, flying him through the elevator shaft to join The Matador, to collect the strange Relics which had brewed this Fortress into a nest of creatures of the dark side.

Eyeing the officer again, who seemed to be sweating now, Voracitos bared his teeth at him...