What's that coming over the hill? (OS Dominion of Gratos)

[Vandra Zambrano]

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one) | [member="Darth Timoris"]
Enemies: None yet


Vandra merely Bowed in acknowledgement and went ahead. She didn't question being sent first in fact she was glad she was it meant she could have the chance of striking first. She was in the presence of one of siths finest and she had no intention of embarrassing her self or the sith on this mission. She moved with quick and nimble speed but kept her self quiet as she found a high spot to scout what she could see ahead.

 

[Sage Bane]

Objective: B, claim the Abattar
Location: The Ruins of Groxus
Allies: [member="Darth Noxia"]
Enemies: [member="Darth Callidus"]
8/20

Ignoring the cathartic howl that echoed through the tombs, Sage took the Abattar and looped the silver chain around his neck. Despite its small size, the amulet felt heavy, as if it held the weight of an anchor. It was pregnant with Sith magic, dark, ancient power that threaded through him, sealing his fate as the Abattar's protector. His fingers caressed the pendant that lay upon his collarbone. A strong urge consumed Sage, an urge to fight to the death for the artifact.

Suddenly, Callidus was back, snarling like an animal. Sage's eyes flashed crimson for a moment, but he did not ignite his saber. Callidus was clearly a more experienced bladesman. In a lightsaber fight, Sage knew he would be unceremoniously outmatched. However, Sith sorcery was the Sith Lord's metier, and lately Sage had been studying the writings of an ancient Sith Lord known as Darth Sanguis. Through Sanguis' ancient scrolls, looted from a Halm desert temple, Sage had recently learned some new incantations. One of the spells was called Sutta Chwituskak, or Bolt of Hatred.

Weaving his hands in the air, and speaking the ancient words of the sorcerers before him, Sage gathered up a ball of pure Dark Sided hatred, and molded it into a sharp spear. With an unearthly scream, his hands shot forward, and he hurled the Bolt of Hatred directly at Darth Callidus, aiming the dark energy spear right for the Zabrak's heart.

 

[Khallesh]

Khallesh was happy. This was rare. After the debacle with iBorg she had been in a particularly sullen mood. Her subordinates had even seemed to have been taking turns to deal with her directly. But today…today was going to be a good day.

The Graug were fearsome beasts. Nearly as strong as a Wookie and with armoured hides. Violence was an inherent component of their culture and day-to-day lives. Today she would get to meet some of them in battle. Her hands almost shook with excitement.

Unfortunately her excitement was tempered by being late again. Being tardy to the party was now a recurring theme for Khallesh when the One Sith went to war. Whilst she now spent much of her time trying to rebuild settlements on New Yuuzhan’tar, she respected what was being done with the Legion on Selvaris. The lies surrounding the heritage of the Dark Lord had been exposed, and the Yuuzhan Vong freed to embrace their own culture and ways. Of course, as Khallesh had seen, the culture of her people changed more than many cared to admit. The Master Shaper Jun Phaarth kept telling her that change was necessary to advance the cause, but her experience of Yuuzhan Vong who had gone “native” had been a little shocking. Those domains that allowed members to interbreed between castes and even domains did not seem as shocking any more. Perhaps that had been the point.

She sensed the gentle encouragement from the War Coordinator. Another splinter clan had been found near their position. The Yorik Trema shifted its bulk and changed course to bring them into battle. Glorious.

 

[Khallesh]

One arm was pinned underneath its knee, the other arm held at the wrist. Its other fist was raised into the air and came down three times. Each blow rattled her senses and she was left discombobulated. She blinked her eyes as obsidian blood ran down her cheek. The beams of light that pieces the thick canopy above them shifted in and out of focus.

The Graug grunted. As Khallesh managed to clear her thoughts, she saw its free hand reach behind its back, probably for a weapon to finish the job. Khallesh shifted her weight suddenly. Her left leg was outside of the Graug’s and her only hope at breaking free. In one smooth motion she planted her left foot on the massive creature’s hip and pressed down. She started to pull free and the Graug panicked.

Opportunity presented itself and she was the quickest to react. She slipped her arm out of the wrist hold and reversed it. She pulled the Graug’s arm tight to her chest. Her right leg, now free was wrapped around the Graug’s back. Flinging her weight upwards, her left leg came up and over the graug’s head and she placed its neck behind her knee.

With its arm held close to her chest, it could not resist the roll. They came to a halt with Khallesh on her rump, and the Graug down. With both arms she pulled on its arm, whilst her powerful leg pushed down against its head. It tried to free itself in vain. The thing was made of stern stuff, so Khallesh started to go into a jerking motion pulling and pressing in sudden motions. Finally there was the satisfied crack she was expecting and the Graug went limp.

As she got up, she rolled it into its back, its head lolling at an impossible angle. Wiping the blood from above her eyes, she left a dark smear down one side of her head. She held her arms out to the sides and her fighting claws snapped free, slick with her own blood.

“Any more?” she asked in their language, using the aid of a tizowyrm.

It seemed not. It was time to have these Graug shipped off to the others and to go and find Vrag.

 

[Vrag]

[8/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: Air
Allies: [member="Khallesh"]​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bma1fAgEY9Q​

​

She'd led both Sith and Yuuzhan Vong in battle, and though both were efficient and skillful in their own ways, Vrag found herself prefering the Warriors and their kin over time. There was simply something… lacking, once she'd learned of the particulars that came with working alongside the proud culture, and she had never been able to achieve the same results when her orders were carried out by the One Sith infantry.

It was something that wasn't entirely palpable, like a gut feeling, almost, and though the firrerreo eschewed those on principle — unfounded argument found little mercy with the woman — this was one of the few occasions where she made an exception based on the irrefutable empirical evidence. Arguments be damned, Vrag prefered efficacy and practicality, and for all their odd customs that she could never hope to grasp completely, the Yuuzhan Vong understood war like she did, and that was enough.

They didn't entertain those foolish concepts of honor in battle — or at least not in the traditonal sense as understood by most of the Galaxy — and the joy they felt for what they did never failed to bleed into the level of performance displayed. Whether it was direct conflict, with lives being extinguished left and right, or upon the training grounds, or even under the proficient hands of the Shapers; the warrior peoples were geared towards conquest in its purest, undiluted form, and Vrag couldn't help but feel enamored — in whatever capacity was left for such sentiment within her heart — of their way of life.

This peculiar fondness only grew when she worked with especially competent members of their kin, like the P-7 to P-12 at her side. They always displayed a certain… dedication to their purpose that was otherwise hard to find within the common soldier.

Ah, speaking of dedication.

Vrag shook off her reverie as the Otliq dropped in altitude, approaching the landing site where the looming Savan-class stood above the treeline, its hulking bulk like that of a felled giant slain upon antediluvian plains by gods long forgotten. The exterior, at a glance, truly seemed reminiscent of a decaying cadaver left to rot in the wilderness, with its serrated edges and uneven growths.

She couldn't imagine how desparaging it was to disappear into the bowels of that monstrosity, but the Graug below were certainly experiencing the whole gamut of possible emotion.

"Commander Khallesh," she spoke into her oggzil, the sharp clicks and barks of Yuuzhan Vong coaxed forth from her throat with some effort — though compared to a few years ago, living on Selvaris had left its mark — leading the Otliq ever lower towards the clearing in front of the massive ship.

"What's the situation at your position?"

 

[Khallesh]

[member="Vrag"]

Khallesh was applying some salves to her wounds when she received the message. A small beetle-like biot with wide jaws and needle-like teeth was used to pin the gash across her forehead. The creature bit down and Khallesh twisted its head off, leaving a neat line of green clamps in place.

She reached out and placed a hand on her Vaghrokka. Some wild Graug had been spotted in the hills to the east and she had been planning on delaying their meeting to go and hunt them down. So much for that sport, it seemed.

“The clans here have been coerced successfully. A few have fled, we were going to deal with them appropriately,” Khallesh replied. At least the human did not mangle their language as she had at their first meeting on Manaan. Her accent was still strange. “I am free to come to your position.”

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=16+2=18]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one) | [member="Vandra"]
Enemies: None yet

Melori allowed the enthusiasm of youth lead the way. It was almost funny. She was only just out of her teens yet she was in so many ways a veteran. She'd fought to capture innumerable planets, fought in Invasions and Skirmishes against the Republic and yet felt unfulfilled. Apart from that one Jedi on Ruusan, she'd been up against people she wished dead - but not passionately. It was her sister's beloved Order she wanted to bring down, not fight the troops of the Republic military or those Force Users that represented the Pubbies.

And she wondered if she'd ever get a chance to put a nail in their coffin? Their numbers seemed to be dwindling and she mused they might become extinct - like the dinosaurs they truly were. But such an end would be unfulfilling. She wanted their demise to be slow and painful. And at her hand.

But she shook her head and wondered where that Acolyte had gotten to...

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 16/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Her bald head raised itself as she viewed the area surrounding her once more; burning eyes pierced through the trees, leaves and lichen that stood in her way. How many trees were there? It appeared to double, as if a ghost of the swamp stepped out from its body to mock her. Ophidia shook her head and focused on her path once more. Her legs tensed as she prepared for another jump. Her hands connected with a branch, allowing her to slightly change direction and boost herself on to a third branch, which the Rattataki used as a springboard to a fourth. When she landed, she had to take another moment to focus. The wet stain from her wound was growing by the minute. The strenuous activity she had put herself through certainly did not aid her recovery.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Was she afraid? This was not the death she had envisioned when she became Sith. To come so far, and then die from fumbling on some slippery lichen in a forsaken swamp? No, she would not have it. Such a pathetic death would not mark the death of Darth Ophidia. It was now pride fuelled her anger, shallow, petty pride. Yet, it worked. Ophidia got to her feet once more and threw herself into a new and extended set of acrobatics. Was the swamp thinning out? Possibly, she could see one or two rays of light now. Hope? No that was not the word. Expectation was more like it. She could still escape this wretched world with her little prize.[/SIZE]

 

[Vrag]

[9/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: Savan-class carrier LZ
Allies: [member="Khallesh"]​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACL_5nls_Tk​

She hummed in satisfaction as the Huntress responded, nodding absently as she made another mental note. Along with the reports of the rest of the officers and commanders leading the assault, it was becoming apparent that Gratos was as good as theirs. The notion had her face splitting in a truly foreboding grin as they finally touched down some meters away from the throng of Graug being herded into the mouth of the looming carrier, thirteen pairs of chitin-clad feet landing with unnatural silence upon the lush grass.

They fell in formation with trained ease, hands resting upon ridges and hilts of amphistaves as well as lightsabers and Chom-Huun — depending on the heritage and preference of the individual [REDACTED] — as the squad of visually entirely indistinguishable warriors neared the clearing.

A handful of hateful glares shot their way from the undulating mass, but a few well-placed threats and weapons quickly put them back in line, and they all watched, unmoved and unmoving, as the men, women, and children were all ushered into the pitch-black darkness of the ship.

There was a metaphor somewhere in there, but Vrag was no [member="Reverance"], and so the elusive beast slipped her notice as the Hand paid attention to more tangible matters.

"Hunt down the defectors," she finally responded, her blue eyes flickering from the Graug to the mountains in the distance, where the Commander prowled. "They chose their fate."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 17/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As Darth Ophidia landed on yet another lichen-clad branch, she leaned on the tree trunk. Something was wrong, a contraction in her abdomen. Something crawled in the back of her throat and her hands shook as if exposed to terrible cold. Another contraction came, was she heaving? Oh, yes. As the nails of her left hand dug into the skin of the three. She heaved up the contents of her stomach, along with an unhealthy amount of blood. Whatever that wound had damaged, it was not good. She was dizzy, unstable, going to faint? No! She could not. She would not. Shaking her head, she looked at her right hand as it shook feebly. It appeared rather more pale than usual. Her fingers extended and contracted before clenching into a violent hiss. Her eyes, growing steadily more feverish, glared ahead into the nothingness between the swamp trees.

Suddenly, from her pocket, a ‘blip’ sound. Her datapad? Perhaps she could get a signal. Leaning her back against the trunk of the tree, she took the datapad out with unsteady hands. Her left hand worked the screen frantically as she readied and sent out the distress signal. Now she just needed to get herself to a rendezvous point. The datapad slipped back into her satchel as she raised herself up and clutched a hand against her bleeding wound. Once more, she defied her limitations and set out for the trail the Force had carved out for her. She would survive. She must survive. Pride, fury, pain, fuel for the Sith. Far in the back of her mind, she wondered which hot beverage she would have when she got back to the ship. The Arkanian soup perhaps.[/SIZE]

 

[Khallesh]

[member="Vrag"]
Dealing with the strange gait of the Vaghrokka was far easier for Khallesh than using one of the airborne mounts in the Yuuzhan Vong arsenal. Even when the creature scuttled up a sheer cliff face, Khallesh felt more secure than during a smooth glide on a Nuhlrokka. Perhaps it was the threat of a flying beast losing a wing to an errant later bolt. To a Yuuzhan Vong warrior plunging from the skies to die in a heap was a distinctly underwhelming prospect. Khallesh would meet her end gladly, but she would rather it be looking into the eyes of a worthy enemy, with her weapon in hands.

Shuun Val had known as much. It was how he had distracted her so effectively in their duel. By presenting a possible future where Khallesh was awarded no honour, just shame, he had managed to put fear in a Yuuzhan Vong warrior. It was a despicable act, but it did make Khallesh think on the nature of misdirection in warfare. She made a mental note to discuss the matter with a priest of the trickster goddess.

There was a whoop from one of the forwards scouts. It seemed the game was on. Khallesh spurred her mount on, as the sound of blaster bolts rang out across the mountains.

"This won't take long," she relayed to Vrag.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 18/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.

She could see it, the clearing. The light of the sun was right there in front of her. In her fever, her senses were dulled, but she could sense it. She could practically taste the freedom on her tongue when her boots set down on the next branch. Then with a sudden crack, the branch was no longer there. What had been solid was now air. What was air suddenly became the harsh reality of water as the Rattataki collided with the cold swampy water. She was so close to her destination, however not close enough. Her hands scrambled to grip onto the roots of the swamp-trees. With Force enhanced strength, she pulled herself up to the surface and drew a breath only to curse under it.

The trail of blood she left in the swamp attracted predators, no doubt. Ophidia climbed up on the roots and shook off most of the water before looking toward the exit. Should she climb once more or should she risk the swim? Her legs tensed once more and she threw herself off the roots, in the direction of the next tree. One foot bare, one foot booted hit the roots and she dug her fingers into the tree’s skin. When did she lose her boot? Probably the fall. She looked down at her one piece of footwear with disappointment. They were good boots, real Corellian leather and just perfectly worn down. Ophidia kicked off the other boot and held it over the water with a small melancholic sigh. She appreciated a comfortable pair of boots, and these were lost in their prime. Ophidia’s hand opened and the leather footwear splashed into the water. It floated briefly and then the swamp swallowed it up as it did to all things[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Climbing around the trunk of the tree, she looked out at the mouth of the river she had entered the swamp through previously.[/SIZE]

 

[Vandra Zambrano]

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one) | Darth Timoris
Enemies: None yet


The young acolyte made it so that Timoris could sense where she was. Vandra while being the scout didnt venture far from the group. But she scouted with her Binoculars to see what she could see. Despite the high amount of adrenaline that was pumping into her body she was surprisingly still.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[SIZE=9pt]Post: 19/20.
Objective E. Escape the Swamp.
Location: A tree.
Allies: The Force.
Enemies: Environment.

No roots to stand on, no ship in sight. She opened her satchel, but found that her datapad had not survived the fall. The waterproof casing had cracked and the electronics were fried. She would have to trust in her pilots to find her. At least the containers for the frogs were still intact. She just hoped the frogs themselves had survived the rough treatment. As she surveyed the area, she spotted a clear little island in the middle of the river. At least it would make her more visible. Considering the distress signal, she had sent out earlier, they should be on the lookout for their master.

Drawing a deep breath, she dived into the strong current of the water. With all her strength, she fought the torrent and clawed her way through the water. It took all her strength to keep herself floating and moving. Ophidia had to swim against the current lest it swept her past the island for a watery grave. However, as the island came close, she found no riverbed in which to put her feet. She nearly swept away, but managed to get hold of the root of a single shrubbery that claimed the island as its domain. Now it would belong to Ophidia.

She clambered up the plant’s root, set her feet in the rocky sand, and tore herself from the current with the shrubbery in hand. In her fury, she had ripped her saviour from its bedding. It mattered not. She dropped the dying plant on the sparse grass and sat down in the lotus position to await her pickup. Her eyes closed, and her breath calmed. The dizziness and nausea came back to her as the adrenaline settled. Blood soaked her clothes along with the water, and aquatic predators stalked the trail she had left. She could feel their presences, their scorned hunger for her flesh. [/SIZE]

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=17+2=19]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the facilities
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one) | [member="Vandra"]
Enemies: None yet

It didn't take long for Melori to catch up with the Acolyte. The underground corridors had opened up into a vast underground canyon. Artificial lights gave sufficient illumination to see the far side. It looked half a kilometre in diameter and was roughly circular - the roof up to fifty metres high in places.

The area was clearly some sort of a warehouse - which explained what the others were doing here - clearly after some easy pickings. Melori wondered if there was anything of value to be found? From where they were, there were steps leading down to the ground level and Melori estimated that there were well over a thousand crates here. It would take a long time to remove them all - but since they were about to claim this planet, they had all the time in the world.

Melori herself had all she needed and if anything of value was found by her troopers as they did a first sweep of the area, they'd bring it to her attention. She signalled for those with her to fan out and search.

Then she turned her attention to Vandra. "Head down there and see if there's anything of value you might want to find before it all gets catalogued. Finder's keeper's works until it becomes the official property of the One Sith."

Melori didn't expect her to find any ancient relics. But a crystal or datacron? Gold? Credit chips? All these things were possible.

 

[Vrag]

[10/20]
Objective: Train the [REDACTED]
Location: LZ, Savan-class carrier
Allies: [member="Khallesh"]​

​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpO8q533WE​

Her mouth quirked up behind the perennial leer of her skull mask at the curt reply she received from Khallesh, images flickering before her inner eye. She'd seen the Commander in action before — beside her, against her — and the Huntress had always moved with the sort of innate grace typical of natural born killers; the sort that made even the most gruesome of deaths look like a work of art.

A familiar tune came unbidden to the tip of her tongue, and Vrag let her gaze wander about the clearing as the melody was coaxed forth between slightly pursed lips, her posture growing more relaxed as the ramp of the massive ship closed behind the last of the Graug.

The Hand lived no illusions; there were doubtless still thousands lurking in the intraversible jungles of Gratos, biding their time to repay the Sith's kindess, but the job was good enough for a first pass. Oh, they would return, to harvest more of their kin, and to quench those who grew complacent and loud without the shadows of Star Destroyers obscuring the sun.

But for today, they'd done well, striking fear in the hearts of men — or, Graug, rather — as they were wont to do. Let people say what they will, but the method had always served the One Sith remarkably.

Funny, how that works.

 

[Vandra Zambrano]

She went through the crates finding some gold and credit chips But there was a crystal she found in one of the crates that caught her eye. She recognized that it was a Quixoni crystal and she knew how useful this crystal would be from reading about them. She pocketed the crystal to put it into her light saber later on and continued looking around.
[member="Darth Timoris"]

 

[Darth Timoris]

[Post=[COLOR=#ffff00]18[/COLOR]+2=20]​

Objective: Objective B – Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: Inside the warehouse
Allies: One squad of Sitherhood troopers (minus one) | [member="Vandra"]
Enemies: No more posts

The meds were already starting to wear off. The wound inflicted was serious and the Sitherhood troopers were encouraging her to go back to the main ship and enter a bacta tank.

"In good time," she snapped. She didn't apologise, despite knowing she was out of order. But they would never fuss over her again and so they had learned a lesson.

She smiled as she saw the young Sith rummage and pocket various bits and pieces. To the victor the spoils, eh? And she spotted a saber crystal too. She had two such crystals herself and so recognised their aura. Her strength in the Force was clearly growing. She'd sensed not only the crystal itself but the type from this distance.

She smiled at her own cleverness. That arrogance would one day be the death of her. Like not taking sound medical advice. Which she would learn when she woke up, for right now she passed out and collapsed on the floor of the warehouse, the pain and damage too much for a simple field repair job to both halt and allow her to carry on as if nothing had happened.

But then the blackness felt rather good...

 

[Darth Pyrrhus]

[3/20]
Objective: B - Investigate the Lost Lands
Location: I'm on the ground!
Allies: [member="Darth Azurea"] [member="Darth Noxia"]

Pyrrhus nodded. A smiled formed across his lips. She was perceptive. He had not considered the many resources available to her in the ruin. Tanek had suspected that removing themselves from the jungle would decrease the trip's usefulness, though Setzi seemed more than capable of finding ways. This was her area of expertise and he wouldn't interfere. Equipped with a poison detector, the brunette came equipped and prepared for the planet below. "You seem to come prepared. Good work" he shouldn't be surprised. This was her thing after all.

The shuttle carried the duo down to the planet. It was a rather smooth and quick trip. The airspace was cleared, and they descended without any other threat made on their position. Now that they touched down, it was time to team up with Greta Kohler. They hadn't been able to touch down on the ruins, and its immediate surroundings was a thick jungle. So instead, it became a rather uninspired walk.

"Are you researching anything in particular? Or just general studies to broaden your knowledge?" he asked, curious as to her intent.

 

[Khallesh]

The constant clacking sound echoed through the trees. At the speed Khallesh was riding, the sound of a Vaghrokka was more like a thunderous rattle. The beast broke through a gap in the trees and came to a sudden halt before one of @Vrag’s entourage. The beast held its mandibles out wide, as if preparing to strike. The Yuuzhan Vong held its ground stoically.

Khallesh slid off the mount and landed in a crouch. The mottled-blue creature took a few steps back. Khallesh brought her fist to her blood-spattered chest plate in a salute.

“That is one rebellion that’s never going to have the chance to begin,” she said proudly. Her arachnostaff coiled around her forearm, it too was slick with blood. She cast and appraising eye over Vrag’s identically garbed squad. No two suits of Vonduun Skerr Kyrric were ever exactly alike, yet this group wore almost indistinguishable suits of armour, as if they had been purposefully shaped in that manner. Khallesh allowed herself a small self-satisfied smile. Today she had nearly died in battle with a worthy opponent, but now the day was theirs. If there was a better way to spend a day, she was not aware of it.