Zealots, R&D, and Ysalamiri

[Boethiah]

Science and engineering has become more and more common within the Primeval since the last half decade. With worlds like Bastion, Lorrd, and Telos; the amount of scientific data, research, and material they have is nearly without equal among the rest of the galaxy. If there is any fault in their design, it is that they do not utilize what they have enough.

That all changes with the Y.N.D. A weapon designed to disable the troublesome creature known simply as Ysalimir. Ysalimiri are small, gentle reptiles who find their home in the tree canopies of Myrkr. Because their predator, the Vornskr, use a primitive version of the force to camouflage themselves, the Ysalimiri have too developed in such a way that they may use the force.

Except their version, is far more frightening… And yet they cannot even comprehend this. By manipulating the force, the Ysalamiri are able to creature a bubble which negates all use of the force within it. Furthermore, when grouped together this bubble can extend to a radius as great as several kilometers.

So they were dangerous. Very dangerous.

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Who knew how long it was until the creatures were discovered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]That fact mattered very little to the researchers, as one thing was certain. Their enemies--the Primeval’s enemies--utilized the Ysalimiri as a weapon of war, giving soldiers the benefit of fighting force users on their own terms by subjecting them to the force negation bubble. Furthermore, this bubble was a constant existence which meant if you wanted to disable it, you had to get rid of the pesky creature.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Shooting it, stabbing it, or otherwise ending its life through conventional means has always been the chosen method. Yet it didn’t take too long for the enemy to adapt. To encase their precious pets in specialized nutrient tanks protected against gas attacks, sonic weaponry, and even reinforced them with beskar as added protection.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Finding a way to kill them then was becoming more of a challenge. Conventional means simply didn’t work anymore. [/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]So what did you do when conventional means failed to deliver the desired results? You looked into unconventional means. No matter how bizarre, unlikely, or even dangerous; the Primeval were not afraid to search outside of the box for methods which could bypass the current countermeasures and even offer some future-proofing if need be.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Gas weapons, sonic weapons, and other similar devices were immediately disregarded. If the Mandalorians didn’t have countermeasures for those already, they would have them too quickly for the device to have any meaningful outcome in their war.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]This meant where they looked had to go beyond what the Mandalorians could easily counter themselves. A countermeasure was only effective so long as it had no countermeasures itself. Of course, it’d be impossible to have a perfect weapon, but if the Mandalorians underestimated it or didn’t have enough time to understand how it worked, then that’d change it up quite quickly.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]That is why on the remote world of Bastion, a powerful fortress hidden away in the outskirts of Wild Space, a team of scientists under the watchful eye of the Host Lord were hard at work.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Their sole mission was to develop a device which could kill the creatures at a range, and easily. The device had to be small, efficient, reliable, and inconspicuous. It was a tall order for sure, but already a different team on Wayland had discovered a few startling facts about the Ysalamiri. Namely their brainwave patterns, and how their nervous system responded to foreign signals.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Using this data, the Primeval would develop an emitter which could manipulate the creatures--and these ones alone--in such a way as to end their lives in a mere moment. Thinking about that caused some nerve among the researchers; it was a hefty task and with higher ups watching the progress it meant that every failure would cost them dearly.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Over the course of the first few weeks, progress was slow but not unfruitful. Initially, the lack of speed was due to a lack of understanding. Although they could see the data, even read it, they had trouble grasping its nature. Through computer simulations and mock demonstrations, they were able to begin understanding how the Ysalamiri operated as a lifeform.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]What they did need were live subjects for testing, but unfortunately moving them was not an easy task. Back on Wayland the scientists were slowly, but surely preparing a dozen specimen for transport to Bastion.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Until they arrived, however, the science team was forced to continue conducting simulations and testing theories. Unless proven, it was possible all their research had been in vain. Yet their progress was not hindered, they continued to work day and night, many refusing to sleep for several days at a time until they’ve achieved something worth noting.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Once the specimen from Wayland had arrived, the scientists were confident that their own research would be able to produce a desired effect. Only after a few days, certain results had been shown. Using a prototype device, the team developed a clumsy emitter which when subjected to the Ysalamiri caused involuntary twitching and outbursts. A few of the creatures reacted much like a sick animal would, forcing itself into a state of hibernation as it recovered.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Yet this was still not the desired effect, as the creature’s bubble remained effective.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Only if the creature was killed, would this device work the way they needed it too. What they did know for sure was that they were on the right road. Despite not achieving the desired results immediately, it was only a matter of time until they’d finally grasp the necessary signal transmissions to effect the creatures as needed.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Progress continued to remain slow. Two of the specimen died after a few hours of trauma due to stress. Unfortunately this is too long, as a fight with a Ysalimiri-wielding Mandalorian would not last that long. No fight lasted that long. But with two less creatures than they began with, they knew they’d have to progress at a quicker rate or they’d run out of specimen to test on.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Thus, before they began to do more live studies, the researchers went back to simulations and mock tests. A few startling results were revealed, including some mistakes in their initial theories. Correcting those mistakes would take time itself, but with a better understanding of what they’re dealing with it became almost certain that what they were looking for was within the realm of possibility.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]From time to time, delegates of the Host Lord would arrive to inspect the progress and report back to the witch. Anja herself was interested, yet mostly uninvolved with the project. She was there on Wayland with Khaleel, discussing the initial need yet she was not a scientist. Her understanding was limited to that of those around her. Hence why she wisely decided to give the task to those who were better suited for designing such a device. [/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]With their new research in place, the prototype was tuned to a different signal for the second testing phase on live subjects. This time they brought out three specimen and placed them in the testing tanks. To the small creatures, they could not grasp the situation they were in and instinctively fed off the nutrients as the scientists prepared.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Preparations complete, the emitter was once more activated. This time instead of a few violent twitches, the Ysalamiri shriveled up and fell over in a moment, their bodies spasming before stopping entirely. After the device was switched off, several staff rushed into the room and began checking the creatures’ vitals.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]All three specimen were dead. Their hearts went critical, causing their internal organs to shut down and killing the creatures. It was a quick death, a desired death by all accounts. With the knowledge that their research had succeeded, they had all that they needed to develop a more appropriate, battle-ready device.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Manufacturing of a battle-ready device took time, but the design work went rather swiftly. The emitter was shrunk down into a handheld side and equipped to a remote-like device which could be implanted into an armband, or even hooked up to one’s armour if they were technically savvy. Otherwise by default the remote was handheld and activated with the press of the button of cognitively if connected to a cognitive HUD.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Although it was a ranged weapon, the range was short and limited to a cone radius rather than a three sixty degree radius as desired. Still, the product itself was more than enough to turn the tide against the Ysalamiri. When engaging anyone with such a creature, they would certainly be unsure as to what the device was for. That didn’t mean it had no weaknesses, however.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Like all electronics, it is susceptible to EMP attacks and the casing is rather cheap, making it relatively fragile. Despite all this, the production lines for such a device began immediately and would become distributed amongst those of the Primeval.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]The team of researchers and scientists themselves were not dismissed. Instead they continued to work on this project if ever their enemies developed a countermeasure to this countermeasure. In war, those who prepared the most would achieve victory.[/SIZE]

 

[Boethiah]

[SIZE=14.6667px]With the devices distributed to those who needed them, a quick training demonstration was provided at various camps across Wild Space. It didn’t take much time to understand how the device worked, but still, a proper tactic for using them would help prevent mishaps should anyone use them improperly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]Anja herself was taught how they worked, and given the opportunity to test it on one of the remaining specimen. Her initial reaction was a pleased one, but she too was concerned about the possibilities of a countermeasure to this device and ordered the research team to continue working on further devices.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px]The unofficial special weapons research team on Bastion would continue to grow, to develop, and to produce strange weapons of war. The Y.N.D. is but a beginning to a new future for the zealots of Wild Space. There is no telling what the Primeval’s forces would encounter in the future, or what lengths their enemies would go to in order to stop them.[/SIZE]