Junction The Sundering Dawn | Act II: Galaxy in Crisis (Chapter 2 | Crimson Wake)

[CT-312]

//: Mordecai Zambrano Odrin Rath The King in Red //:
//: Allyson Locke Madelyn Lowe Lirka Ka //:
//: Odacer‑Faustin, Silent Meridian Polar Shelf//:
//: Attire //:
//: Weapons: IQA-11 , LO-18D ASSAULT RIFLE, & Vibroblade Knife//:
//: Objective II | Crimson Wake//:​

Watching the group from behind, CT-312 could see the two newcomers whispering to each other every now and then as the other Sith Lords kept to themselves. The Minister’s voice soon cut through the silence.

"Excellent work leading us here, CT-312." said Madelyn. "Have your soldiers form up in front and ready their weapons. Let us retrieve this 'Crimson Cauteriser' in the name of our Empire."

Commands were given by this “Minster Lowe”, CT-312 did not know anything of them. Recalling her primary orders: evaluate the new recruits, hands off on their mission. If the recruits failed then their objective became her objective. Who was CT-312 to stop this Minister if she wanted to bark orders at the recruits? Granted it was the “Our Empire” that struck an unpleasant chord with the silent Trooper. “Our” –presumed a loyalty that she didn’t feel towards the Empire. A place CT-312 never truly had. It wasn’t hers, not really. To the mission on the other hand? Yes. MB-1782 and TK-2142 turned to look at her reaction to this new order. The Scout Trooper remained silent. Head slightly turned to look at Minister Lowe for a brief second only to lock visors with the Marine Trooper guarding next to them. The Trooper could feel the Scout’s vacant stare, neither defying or embracing the order. TK-2142 only stiffened when she was approached by CT-312.

Boots crunching on the ground could be heard as CT-312 moved minimally. Slow and deliberate. Just enough to avoid consequences. Authority held no weight to her, whether leading or being led she remained emotionally disengaged. Everything else was just noise. As she stood closely in front of the uneasy Marine, TK-2142 gave a quick nod. “Ah– I’ll handle it from here, Minster Lowe”, pivoting to the Minster, quickly saluting before stepping back. The Trooper headed towards the group of recruits in front, “You heard Minister Lowe, form up in front and ready your weapons. Locate and retrieve the Crimson Cauterizer!“

CT-312 had no idea why an Imperial Clergy member was giving out orders to her, but who was she to question how the Empire ran things. Probably sent the Minister for all the dead that are here or soon to be. The Camo Trooper somewhat obeyed the orders without question– not out of discipline. But because questioning takes more energy than she was willing to give or care. CT-312’s patience was certainly being tested as the burning and throbbing of her head persisted dully. ‘Our Empire’, she scoffed. There was no home for her.

Looking ahead, CT-312 used her helmet’s optics and night vision, seeing there were three paths. “Tch”, letting out a low grumble. They would all have to split up to find this ‘Crimson Cauterizer’. Turning her head to address at MB-1782, the Minister's Escort locked eyes with her visor.

"So three pathways?"

A simple nod was given for confirmation. This Allyson person soon was able to point out and relay more information than CT-312 was able to see. Blinking in surprise and confusion, wondering how the Escort was able to see all that with basically no equipment. The same thoughts crossed their mind as well with splitting up. Allyson spoke for the Minister as the two would go down the middle path. CT-312 walked forward towards the right path standing in front of its entrance. Activating her comms to the Troopers, “Left and right”. MB-1782 and TK-2142 took the recruit Troopers in front to the left path. The Flame Trooper, TK-3232 ushered the recruits who volunteered to guard the Minister and Escort towards the waiting Scout Trooper.

Without warning, the Scout Troopers internal HUD began to flash up. Subtly jerking her head back, as the burning sensation and throbbing at her temple sharpened. Wincing through the pain as a new overlay appeared on the data they found earlier on. Yellow hazard runes in some ancient language scrolled across her HUD. “What the–” not knowing what to make of the unfamiliar text. Low groans as everything subtly shook and rattled around them, causing one of the flakes to float downward from the ceiling.

Looking back at the group before entering, Allyson spoke about ‘the dust’ and faintly heard about the uncertainty of finding the item. A flake landed on CT-312’s weapon optics. Using her finger to wipe it off, images flashed into her mind briefly. Red lights flashing, words being said, not making any sense, only a brief “contain or cauterize”. The sharp pain in her head brought her back to the present. Unknowingly, her breathing slipped into deeper inhales. Did the once inhabitants laced the dust with some drugs? Spice? Probably to send those looking for this thing into madness. Controlling her breathing, settling back into a normal rhythm.

“Don’t touch the dust.” CT-312 repeated the Escort’s words, punctuating each word to the Troopers. She didn’t need them to be on some kind of drug trip.

"Public comms will shout if something gets bad."

With that, CT-312 and the Troopers moved out into their respective paths.

Spoiler: Tags

Kalðr Ísbjørn

 

[Lirka Ka]

In the destruction, Lirka lost herself. She didn't even notice the attention she had drawn to herself from Allyson Locke and Madelyn Lowe or the brief hellos from the warrior CT-312 - a thankful thing at that, the embarrassment from this current bout of tantrums would certainly have sent Lirka down a path most...unadvisable were she to actually pay her fellows any mind. Nay, for this moment ever-so-brief Lirka would succumb to lustrous call of destruction. Darkness swirled around her thoughts, and so would she let it seep to her actions.

These creatures of ice smashed well, shattering beneath her fists in glittering shards. The succor they offered was brief, for destruction cared not what was annihilated. The line between ice-monster and the snow beneath her feet blurred to nothingness as Lirka vented out her frustrations in the only way she knew how. Immature, violent, action. With it, came the whisper in the back of her mind. The words of Rhand, that little glimmer of enlightenment that had sent her down this wretched path of damnation.

Only power is real, and the only power is the power to destroy. Existence is fleeting. Destruction is eternal.

It was an odd thing to look back upon, all heralded by the primal jealousy born from witnessing simple affection. But the mind of the Once-Sephi worked in odd ways. She had allowed herself to become untethered, to slip into the foolish savagery of Rhand once again. And in a moment, with fists smashed against the earth did Lirka snap back to reality - the time for self pity had passed. There was work to be done. There was glory to be gained. There were trinkets and baubles of unknowable power that belonged in her possession. There would be time to fume about her lot in life later, of that Lirka was sure. Yet it brought about a moment most rare.

Lirka Ka let out a prayer, a soft thing meant only for herself.

"Darkness Primordial, hear my words. I have suffered your test upon this fractured mind. I spit at your feet, and rise tall once more. For I am Lirka Ka, and I will not falter upon the path. Aldaron en' naer'lin"

Glory to the strong.

With that, Lirka rose from the earth and went to properly join the gathered assembly of Sith and troopers. Of course, a bit fashionably late after her brief little moment of childish frustrations. For as quickly had Lirka become untethered, her own words tethered herself to the here and now just as fast. There were quote-unquote allies to meet, and tombs to be raided - finally thumping her way to the approaching descent and taking a proper gauge of who had come to this most suspicious of places. The Minister and the "greatest spy in the Galaxy", she had already noted. A handful of Sith whom she had never seen before. And of course the appearance of CT-312 who had quickly been becoming something of a fascination to the Once-Sephi, if for no other reason than being apart of the gaggle that had suffered all the grim nonsense at Hoth: a welcomed skillset.

She met the meager little trooper with a fist slammed against where Lirka's hearts presumably were - a warrior's salute.

"Hail, Warrior-312. A welcome sight"

By all metrics it seemed that the middle route had been the favorite, and ever the stalker, Lirka Ka gladly followed the dynamic duo. If not for curiosity's sake, to at least make some pitiful attempt to rectify the rather poor display she had been putting out: it didn't hurt to sometimes remind this lot Lirka did actually have a reason for having the rank she held. Yet, try as she might there were some things Lirka Ka was simply not all that capable of.

And moving with proper care was one of them.

She could certainly keep formation, and she wouldn't dream of denying the Minister's request to keep the blaster-heads up front for when things, inevitably, went south. That didn't stop her from moving with a certain, loud, thundering swagger that seemed awfully unbecoming of someone who just moments before was throwing some sort of violent tantrum because her "boss" dared to do something as repugnant as hug someone.

With great curiosity did Lirka acknowledge this growing hubbub about the dust. As a...moderately regular enjoyer of Neutron Pixie Lirka was never going to be deterred from a hallucinogenic - a metallic claw slowly reaching out to take a flake and try and tap into whatever strange oddities the rest of the assembly had witness. The brief flash of memory was an almost comforting thing, it reminded her of the Flash Memories burned into her skull. And with flashes came even more questions. The terror of lesser beings flashed into her brain, and that too offered Lirka a comfort. Lirka Ka knew not the fear of lesser beings, and to taste it for but a moment was a divine thing. She chalked it up to a reward from Primordial Dark for not losing herself to Rhandite drivel.

Finally, back to reality. Lirka spoke out to no one in particular - and with this new information in mind, alongside its nice tagline, She simply felt compelled to question.

"Crimson Cauterizer. What do we know of it? Evidently, our flaky-friends seem to think it was something necessary to contain - a living weapon, perhaps?"

Admittedly, she hadn't bothered reading much of any preliminary reports this go around.

Allyson Locke Madelyn Lowe CT-312 Mordecai Zambrano Odrin Rath The King in Red​

 

[Kalðr Ísbjørn]

---

Kalðr Ísbjørn continued to smash the carbonite tombs as he made his way down the central tunnel way ahead of any others. Then the klaxons sounded. "Shabla!" Maybe he had been a little hasty to destroy them, if he had caused this. Then again, maybe it was his mere presence that caused it, and destroying them had saved him some trouble. He stopped smashing the coffins and began running past them as they started to thaw, the frozen zombie-like beings inside coming to life and emerging.

Unfortunately, the grand hallway seemed to be endless, with the sarcophagi lined and stacked seemingly infinitely. He had made it a few kilometers when the creatures were finally fully revived and falling from the walls and ceiling onto him. He fought off what he could, switching from his hammer to his beskad and revolver. He killed many, but they came endlessly. He activated his jetpack to soar through the middle of them, still slicing and firing as he went to keep them off him.

Finally, the massive Mandalorian saw a clearing, the end of the stretching hallway. How many turns had it made? He could have sworn he had been going back up at one point. He stowed his blade and gun as he landed on the other side of the endless horde. He pulled his hammer back out. He had stored up a lot of energy from the kinetite generator smashing the tombs. He flipped it around to the spike side and drove it into the ground, releasing the stored kinetic energy. The powerful blast sent him flying back, and it cratered the floor and dislodge many of the coffins. Those coffins fell, smashing the frost zombies and creating a giant barricade. Kalðr quickly dispatched any of the remaining shamblers. "That should keep them at bay. Any Sith following too." And the undead would have no choice but to turn back on any Sith following as well.

For extra measure, he used several CryoBan grenades to fill in the barrier with carbonite. That would make it even more difficult to get through. There may have been some kind of an accord, but he would never trust the Sith not to be nefarious. He turned to the end of the hallway. There was a single door. He smashed through it with his hammer. More stairs lead downward. Maybe they would finally reach the destination....

---

TAGS: OPEN

Spoiler: Equipment

Armor: Htagir'Jorir | Kalðr Ísbjørn's Beskar'gam w/ENCL-JR5 Striking Falcon Jetpack & PMP-7 "Icharus" Gravpack
Weapons: G'ahycaya | Kalðr Ísbjørn's Beskad - Ciryc'saca | Kalðr Ísbjørn's Slugthrower Revolver - Htagir'karyatr | "Ice Hammer" - Htagir'senaar Whistling Birds
KSTR-28 Foremund Sniper Rifle - KSTR-24 Dvalin Blaster Rifle - KSTR-26 Perudin Blast Cannon - ENCL-43 Kayaur Heavy Blaster Cannon
Items: AXC (x3) - CryoBan Grenade (x12) - Power Packs (x7) - Slugs (Grulyr'bedtr CryoSlugs: x312) - Ration Packs (x5 Days)​