Bringing Heaven to Hell (Firemane)

[Qual'Zyanya]

Timelines are terribly fuzzy, especially in a thread that's so bloody big. Last time were with Valeska she was gushing about having found the badly mauled and maimed corpse of the Mechanical Dragon, the Machine God and a host of other fancy titles. Said dragon had gotten its massive head chopped off while being beaten to death with its own wings. Moreover, at present it was being crushed by the massive statue of Siobhan Kerrigan and a slightly smaller one of HK-36. Naturally there was also a statue of Mia Monroe there, since she was a Chaos Champion as far as the Bando Gora were concerned and might soon be deified as well.



Anyhow, Valeska had been busy making notes and taking holopics, having also taken some pieces of the massive dragon's corpse to examine and what trinkets she had been able to find upon the dead bodies of Bando Gora Cultists. Not like they needed them anymore and it's not like she had much respect for private property. "The Bando Gora are fething nuts," Amelia commented after she had presumably gotten bored of guard duties.


"Your grasp of the obvious is astounding, pet," Valeska commented dismissively while examining the arcane symbols carved into the mutilated head of a Bando Gora Marauder. They were most definitely similar to those she had found in the ruins of a Takana Temple. Cultural influence or perhaps just plagiarism. With the Bando Gora one could never be sure.


For her part Amelia looked huffy but then presumably remembered that her mistress could snap her neck like a twig and might be hungry again soon. "Look, Kerrigan murders their leaders, beats their god to a bloody pulp and razes their city. Then they have nothing better to do than build statues of her across the place and make sacrifices. And when they encounter her...or her allies, they death charge because they think that'll earn them their goddess' favour and they'll...ascend, whatever. Makes no sense."


Valeska found that the eye of the dark warrior's was quite interesting, so she cut it out and put it in a small jar. It looked like some sort of biotech. "It's the motive of a stronger god. You prove that you're more powerful and worthy of worship by tearing down rival deities and smashing their idols. Tremendously primitive, but then the Mandalorians choose their leaders through one on one duels. As for the rest, they're a death-obsessed chaos cult with strong elements of sadomasochism. All those drugs addle their mind. That, and substandard stimcaf. Of course, they were terribly convenient for the Protectorate because it strongly needed an enemy to unite against. The perfect rallying cry. Hmmph, maybe they shouldn't have defeated them so thoroughly. Fighting them would give their forty-eight exarchs something to do."


Amelia did not look that convinced but simply nodded. Apparently she was used to Valeska ranting and not really paying attention to anyone else. So with nothing really to do she examined the body of a High Priest, who apparently had had his hear torn out, which was as messy as could be expected. As she searched through his dust covered, crimson robes she came across a datapad. "Hey, found this, Mistress," she said, tossing it over to her.


"Good work, pet," Valeska spoke indulgently for sometimes it was smart to pander to your minions and make them think that they were relevant. Otherwise the cow might not give milk and then she would have to be unpleasant. She cocked her head to the side as she examined the pad, looking at intently as she activated it and read across the screen. Suddenly, without warning, she began to burst out into laughter. Genuine, terribly amused laughter.


Amelia looked understandably perplexed. "What is it? What's so funny?"


"Oh, nothing, dear, just the resolution to one of the biggest cases of illogicality in recent history. 'Finally I have achieved success. Long have I sacrificed, prayed and endured the embrace of pain, for therein lies clarity, but my faith in Chaos Unbound has been rewarded. With this formula...the True Believers will be able to cast a spell to reduce armies and fleets to mere background noise. The shroud of the dark side shall cloud all and before the onslaught of chaos the armies of infidels shall vanish. A cohort of Dark Masters, strong in faith in the true dark lord, could seize the core worlds and purge them of decadence in one strike. The rivers shall be red with blood...a flood of heathen souls shall nourish the Great Ones,'" Valeska quoted from the datapad, then flipped through until she reached another section that seemed of interes to her.


"'Moloch is an Apostate, for he does understand my vision. The heretic claims that a battle won without deaths in the thousands is displeasing to the Great Ones. For they feed upon the souls of the dead and their hunger is insatiable. We prove our faith by sheddding the blood of thousands and dying in turn! Victory is not the imperative, but eternal struggle. The fool lacks vision!' Well, that explains Coruscant," Valeska commented dryly after she had finished reciting.


"Seriously...Coruscant is supposed to have fallen to a band of space wizards because they performed a space magic ritual conjured up by a chaos cultist high on drugs?" Amelia exclaimed loudly and with obvious incredulity. "That's...absurd."


Valeska just shrugged, looking, you might have guessed it, indifferent. "As absurd as the Republic personnel crewing the defence fleet and the planetary defences all being asleep or on vacation when the Sith 'returned from the shadows'. That said...the ritual supposedly requires true devotion to Chaos. These days the Sith are trying to convince everyone they're misunderstood Anti-Heroes using their Dark Is Not Evil superpowers to bring about an utopia. Or whatever. Too tedious to pay much attention."

 

[Kalinai Soluza]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

“Captain, we’re coming up on…” Elaine begun.
“Ah!” Kalinai commented, interrupting her.
Elaine sighed. “Exarch, we’re coming up on Gehenna.”
That’s more like it! I have this title and I’m going to use it, damn it!”
“But you’re not really…” Elaine tried again.
“Ah! I earned that title fair and square. Besides, practically everyone’s getting the title these days. Why not 49? Why should I be excluded? I’m special!”
“As you say…Exarch.”
“That’s my girl. Now, let’s get scrapping!”

Emerging from hyperspace the Flying Pineapple sent a message to the Eldorai commander who Tegaea had presumably informed of the new arrival.
“Lady Cadalthor, we are collecting salvage using our ships, as per an agreement with Lady Alcori,” Elaine said. “Captain…sorry Exarch Soluza offers her assistance wherever it is needed.”
Kalinai made a face out of what she thought was sight of the camera. “No I don’t. Stupid polite underlings,” she muttered.

Either way, behind the Pineapple came a large, empty shell of a cargo ship, big enough to stash a frigate in. It began to rapidly tractor in and store salvage….

 

[Vaena Askari]

The bridge officer looked disapproving, like any prim and proper officer would, upon hearing the transmission from the Flying Pineapple. "Exarch Soluza? Truly a disgrace that pirates can act like this and make preposterous claims."
Tarissa for her part did not seem to care much. "Given the dull, colourless, nameless list of forty-eight nonentities, they might as well name a Jester Exarch. It would probably do a better job!" she declared. "Its first decree would be that anyone who does not give up all their food gets executed."
The bridge officer just shook her head at the illogicality of the universe. "It does make you wonder why Kaeshana is sticking with them. If the homeworld were to be nvaded, I question whether we'd get any more than token support, if any."
Tarissa raised an eyebrow at that. "The Star Queen decrees we shall be members and to question her will is heresy. They are useful to us and stay out of our way, so we're quite comfortable with being members while politely ignoring them. The day will come when we will stand on our own feet and take our rightful place in the stars. At least if more of our people stop being wet hens waiting for Ashira to come descending from the heavens to bail them out! Now get me the progress report from the salvage operation on the Golgothy moon," she commanded imperiously, which was something she did a lot. Needless to say meanwhile the salvage operation was still ongoing. With the combined forces of the Eldorai/Firemane fleet and the massive cargo ship of the Pirate Queen at work, space should be cleared of debris soon enough.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]

One of the rarer powers available to pyromancers was the ability to summon intense, burning light to illuminate and blind their enemies. And so in this most desperate of struggles, several of the Angelii used their powers to both light the surroundings and to blind the creatures. These creatures, denizens of darkness, reacted with surprise and pain to the sudden intrusion of harsh light.

But it was just a momentary reprieve. Again the Angelii held the rear, and again they stood their ground in a shieldwall. The Taegis proved ideal for resisting the acidic bile of the creatures, whilst their pikes and swords proved vital in melee when it came to actually fighting the enemy.

Aeda herself was not idle. This time she took her position in the shield wall but used her Sciia to send scalding fire against the creatures. Time and again they came, and several Angelii were pulled down and mauled. However, the remaining Angelii fought on like the Goddess herself inspired them and a dozen of the creatures soon lay smoking and torn on the deck.

As more came on, the Grand Seraph handed her shield over and summoned a wall of flame which acted like a broom, sweeping back a second wave and consuming them. When at last her flank was secured she nodded to her troops.

“Rear watch. Rest aid Lady Kerrigan,” she commanded.

 

[Darth Libertas]

On the Space Hulk,
slightly creepy Bando Gora prayer room,
away from everyone else.


By now Naamah had completely lost track of time. She could not say for how long she had been lying inside the chamber with the now thoroughly wrecked Bando Gora shrine. Her rage had torn through the room and left naught but devastation, even crashing through the walls and the altar with such powerful wrath to destroy them.


She had endured pain and agony as the ghostly apparition of the old woman invaded her mind. Yet with the pain had come clarity and understanding. A valuable lesson had been learned as she was held in the cruel embrace of pain. The dark magicks of the Bando Gora, inherited from the teachings of the Sith, had healed her from her wounds and so now she arose. Still very shaky on her legs and panting heavily as she sought to fill her lungs with air, shivering slightly for though the spirit had vanished the coldness that had spread across the room still lingered on. But she managed to stand and as she reached out with the Force to get a sense upon her environment, her lips curved into a smile that was almost feral.


You were drawn here as well, Miri? Drawn to your past...I wonder when the truth will set you free, she thought to herself, a feeling of amusement overcoming her. Force knows what the forces of self-righteousness will think when they find out. However, as strong as the urge was, she could not confront [member="Mirien Valdier"] now. Not here, not in this place, not when she was surrounded by her 'companions'. Not that she wanted a physical confrontation, for Naamah knew that she stood no chance there. Not yet at least!


Go fight their battles, I'll open your eyes, and with that Naamah made her way over to the wrecked shrine, past the crushed pews and the debris that had been tossed across the chamber. As she bent down, idly kicking a mutilated human body that had been sacrificed to the Chaos Gods aside, she found a datacron. As it happened the technical device was stained with human innards, probably a result of the shockwave that her overpowering Force Scream had spawned. She quickly pocketed the datacron in her backpack, then picked up a Sith blade that had unholy, arcanic runes emblazoned upon it. She affectionately ran her finger over the sword, which was still stained with blood, presumably from human sacrifices. She would make sure to use the blade well and licked her bruised lips.


The pain she had felt just moments ago no longer bothered her. Indeed it felt like she had been reenergised and invigorated, as if the dark powers the ghost had used animated her. Outside the sounds of battle could be heard, becoming ever louder and violent. A beautiful purge was taking place. The Eldorai and their Firemane allies had come to cleanse this ship as they would lay claim to the hellish world of Gehenna, seeking to bring heaven to hell and undo what the dark magicks had wrought. But one cannot tame chaos. Chaos Was Everything. On the bright side it should provide a suitable distraction by focusing all the monsters upon them while she made her getaway, and so Naamah quickly left the chamber and vanished into the shadows.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Kaida Taldir"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

Tempest’s Spacebook page had unfortunately become haunted with several semi-stalkers who were pushing for pics of her with ‘The Kerrigan’ and tattling about alleged parts of her life. One of them even had announced that Tempest was actually a shapeshifting lizard creature infiltrating Firemane!
Tempest rarely went to her page any more.

In any case she noticed that Kaida was up and about again, so she moved over to meet her.
“Captain, the way’s clear. I’ll start to set up my operation here in the confines of the mountain if you’re pushing onwards. I’ll contact Lady Cadalthor and get her to send down my construction units and templates.”

The plan was to set up a base inside the mountain which would eventually become Firemane’s HQ and begin their larger scale operations.
Though there were still enemies inside the city, they could probably be dealt with by Kaida, Delila and Eyrecae’s commands.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"]


Poor Tempest would probably become really popular in the coming months. See, it was quite likely that enthusiastic Firemane troopers had filmed her lightning strikes and so very soon videos showing her flying through the air and summoning storms would flood Galaxytube. Doubtless she would soon be receiving holomails from Ashira's Angels requesting her to pose for them, just like her teacher was fond of doing. After all, 'The Kerrigan' was a celebrity and Tempest was bound to attract fame of her own.


For her part Kaida never accessed Spacebook. In her eyes it was filled with weird people who for some reason had nothing better to do than to make trivial posts describing every single thing they were doing. Or mope about their problems and spam chat with emoticons. The acidic, frosty elf had little time for nonsense like that. Besides, all these fan fic sites that she kept getting links for were just weird. Did people have nothing better to do than to 'ship' this woman that one?


Anyhow, Kaida was busy setting up operations and looking terribly content at the sight of one of Kerrigan's statues being blown to pieces when she heard from Tempest. For the record, they were already within the confines of the mountain and as a matter of fact within the ruins of the industrial town that had once been the centre of Bando Gora war production, though by now most of the factories were smouldering ruins. Presumably Firemane would have to clear away what the Chaos worshippers considered interior decoration because covering the walls of your tunnels with human flesh was not the classy thing to do. "Good. Fresh reinforcements have landed and are pushing through the tunnels. Enemy forces are being mauled badly. I intend to push through the industrial district to the former temple grounds. There's supposed to be a remnant of cultists there." Presumably there would be annoying voices whispering out of the ether. "Master [member="Coryth Elaris"] was supposed to join the survey, but contact has been lost with her. Last reports she made it into the mountain before the storm wiped out the mental insects."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Kaida Taldir"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

Tempest, perhaps a bit stunned from her strain, or because her writer forgot to reread Kaida’s post, remembered where they were now.

“I’ll get things set up here and secured, then I’ll go looking for Master Elaris. Can you send me the last known coordinates?”
Looking for people in tunnels wasn’t the most dignified way to do things, but Tempest was a woman of action and not used to sitting around playing Bab the Builder whilst others were fighting.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"]


"Transmitting them to your HUD now," Kaida said as she pressed some buttons on a datapad and so in a flash Tempest should receive the last known coordinates of the little Jedi Master. "From what I've picked up on comms chatter, she was gallopping on a Reek." The frost elf was not inclined to fangirling over everyone and so that was said in her usual matter-of-fact tone.


"Be on watch for traps. There may be mines and Bando Gora don't know when to give up on death charging." With that useful advice said Kaida set back to work and passed out commands to her troops. Her eyes fell upon each and every one of them in a moment of unspoken communication, more being expressed by looks than could be through words. "Let's go, girls." No big speeches because if they needed those then they had no place here in the first place. Quickly the unit of Eldorai soldiers moved back into formation and made its move down through the ruins of the industrial district, past the enormous, smouldering spires that had once been the factories that created the powerful demon engines that had claimed so many lives during the invasion.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Tempest"]


There were moments when Lady Cadalthor hated the holonet. Oh, sure, it was terribly useful to be informed instead of wallowing in ignorance. As reluctant as she was to admit, some of the human holovids were actually entertaining to watch and their music had some things going for it. But it was also annoying on so many levels. Why so many people wasted their time spamming chat rooms and this 'Spacebook' site with a flood of trivia boggled the mind. It seemed like they had nothing to do with their lives.


Personally she was entertaining the theory that Coruscant had fallen to the One Sith precisely because the soldiers who ought to handle the planetary defence had been wasting time on Spacebook. Or playing online roleplaying games, which were bad as well. Or watching Galaxytube vids.


Much to her immense annoyance she had to order a technician to be chucked into the brig because rather than doing her job she had been watching Galaxytube vids of some redhead jumping on a Reek and killing a Bando Gora sorcerer and of a dark skinned woman summoning lightning while flying. Sure that was impressive and all that, but there was actual work to do. Times like these made Tarissa deeply regret the fact that the Queen had abolished a number of 'brutal' but tremendously useful punishments that fabulously encouraged discipline. She very strongly felt like ordering the girl to be publicly flogged for her offence as an example to others.


Bloody liberals and space hippies these days, she thought scathingly when she received the transmission from Tempest's task force. "Well, at least there are still people doing their job. Deploy the engineers to the Firemane base and send down construction units and templates. Make sure they're well-guarded. Valora only helps those who put in actual effort," she commanded, you might have guessed it by now, imperiously. She looked down at her cup and a frown creased her perfect features. "And get me some starcaf."

 

[Coryth Elaris]

After a moment of getting her bearings Coryth looked dismally to her com that lay smashed upon the floor. "Well that sucks." Oh, it was just her luck truly. I don't look for trouble. I really don't. Really? Cause I have tons of evidence to the contrary. Do we have to do this now? Trouble comes looking for you? Is that how you believe it goes? Last time I checked it was you who got us into the cave.... and the floor gave way! I don't know about you, but I see a pattern. Where you go, trouble always seems to be there to greet you with open arms. Okay, so maybe there is a pattern, but it's NOT my fault. Mmmhmm, just keep thinking that princess. Bite me....

Cautiously she pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it with the familiar snap-hiss, letting it light the room she was currently stuck in. An involuntary shudder raced down her spine as she looked around the place, seeing all manner of skeletons of every variety, human flesh adorning the walls. "Someone needs a better interior decorator, seriously..." She coughed a bit on the stench as she moved forward to the door.

To her eyes, there was no opening mechanism on this side. "And doorknobs, they need to be introduced to that too! For want of a freaking doorknob..." She groaned as she pressed up against the door, trying to make it move at all. However, there wasn't even the slightly indication that it was capable of movement. Then, there was a rustling from outside, and a sense of many creatures nearby ... "Oh joy! ..... I fell into the food pit didn't I?" Worse luck could not have befallen anyone else in the galaxy. She shook her head and sighed, for the moment, content to leave the door shut. I sooo need a plan. And backup. Yes, that too...

[member="Tempest"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

And so we are back with another episode from Hellworld 2: Mane of Fire! Assuredly this movie, once it hits the cinema, will be a blockbuster and a total hit. Anyhow, as you might have noticed, dear reader, our valiant band of slightly destructive heroes has penetrated the evil dungeon and the ranks of monsters are thinning. However, if we got straight to the part where our party can loot the evil sorcerers' treasures and take all their loot, things would be boring and we still need to see more Cory smash because that's become a meme.


So, without further ado, we shall now come to the next scene involving bloodshed and slaughter because we can't make things too easy. 4th wall breaking meta comments aside, while [member="Tempest"] was going off to look for [member="Coryth Elaris"], Kaida's unit had been moving past the ruins of the old industrial city, where Firemane engineers were busy setting up a base and clearing away the rubble, into the vast tunnels. A good deal of the scenery had been wrecked from the last invasion and so they came across rubble, various skeletal corpses that littered the ground and the usual Bando Gora interior decoration, though even that had suffered a great deal. It was, you might have guessed it by now, rather dark and dimly lit like in your typical creepy horror movie, but fortunately they had headlamps and glowrods. So far they had seemingly only faced light resistance coming from scattered bands of Reavers who had thrown themselves at them with suicidal recklessness so that one might get the impression that they wanted to commit suicide by bolter. Given the fact that the Bando Gora were a frankly sadomasochistic death cult this might actually be a plausible supposition, but nonetheless Kaida was still wary. She remembered all too well how things had gone during the original exterminatus, which shall be covered in the hopefully award-winning blockbluster Hellworld: Omega's Pyre.


Loud explosions were heard as charges their demolitions expert had set detonated, blowing up some rubble that impeded their progress, then the assault team advanced, accompanied by a tank, with some soldiers sitting on the armoured behemoth. The strike force came to a halt as their point man signalled them, rumbles being heard across the ground as the armoured vehicles linked up with the infantry. Caution was advised because, as they had found out some time ago, the Bando Gora liked placing traps and mines. Kaida walked onward, linking up with the troops up front since leading from there was the Angelii thing to do. It was all quiet, no turrets, no sign of booby traps even after their demolitions expert had run a scan, no sudden appearance of alchemical war beasts from hidden pens. Not even poorly aimed blaster fire and chanting of Chaos prayers in the Dark Tongue.


In other words something was about to happen. Kaida fetched a pair of binoculars to scan the area before them, which was a very long tunnel that ended in enormous, towering spires rising up into the air, flanked to both sides by rivers of lava. In other words it was terribly cliched from her perspective. Whoever the Bando Gora architect was had been watching too much Hammer of the Gods. She passed out commands to her unit, designating a team to go ahead and scout the situation out. Then, suddenly defeaning noise came blaring out of what seemed to be loudspeakers. What the frak, Kaida thought to herself as she heard the voice.


"My friends, it has often been said that I like war. My friends, I like war....no, friends, I love war! I love holocausts. I love BDZs. I love defensive lines. I love sieges, sarges, I love force storms, I love mop-up operations, and retreats. Wars across prairies, in streets, in trenches, in grasslands, in frozen tundras, through deserts, in the air, in space, I love every act of war that can occur in this Galaxy. I love blasting the enemy to smithereens with artillery salvoes that thunder across the lines of battles. My heart leaps with joy whenever a soldier is tossed high into the air and cut to pieces by well-placed sniper rounds. And there is nothing like a walker operator using an AT-AT to destroy enemy walkers...."


"Take cover. Cover front and the right corridor. Get off the tank," Kaida yelled at her troops as the voice came shouting from seemingly out of the ether. Even as the words were spoken, multiple presences started appearing upon her HUD, coming closer. Suddenly there was a loud whoosh as an anti-tank missiles was fired from a missile launchers from the right and came shooting through the air, along with volleys of heavy blaster fire. Soldiers quickly scrambled from the assault tank, which sought to move but was not fast enough and while some of the missiles were deflected by the chaf launchers, the mechanical behemoth was enveloped by a powerful fire ball and blasted.


Kaida was caught in the shockwave and thrust through the air, though the Force wrapped itself around her, and thrown against debris. Momentarily stunned and hurt by the impact, she felt dizzy and was out of it for a moment, but was fortunately pulled into cover by one of the soldiers as the enemy began lobbing in grenades at the Eldorai troopers. As she regained her bearings Kaida heard hostiles coming in from both the front and the adjacent right corridor. There was nothing to be sensed in the Force because...their enemies were not living sentient beings, but skeletal battle droids, mechanical automatons spawned by the factories and the twisted science of the Bando Gora. "Metal demons. Destroy the abominations, purge them with fire and steel!" the Warsinger cried out, using her powers to inspire her fellow Eldorai to greater levels of courage and valour against the menace, though Kaida felt like rolling her eyes at the overly dramatic designation that smacked of archaic superstition. She gripped her heavy ion blaster tight and fired off two shots, taking down one of the more lightly armoured constructs. With a pull of the Force she gripped a damaged piece of wall plaiting free and tossed it at droids storming towards them from the right, though that did not stop the onslaught. It seemed the entire area was filled with the droid abominations and the crazed voice of the demented Chaos priest kept blaring out of the ether.


"Like when raks of infantry brandish their bayonets rushing into enemy lines. It moves me deep within my heart to watch a fresh recruit stabbing over and over into the bloated chest of a long-dead enemy. The sight of deserters being strung up from a street lamp is an irrestible pleasure. It's so beautiful to watch a Sith fry a dozen soldiers in a torrent of lightning. And there is nothing more arousing than the sounds made by prisoners of war dropping like flies, screaming in agony as they're moved down by bolters."


A grenade landed next to her and with lightning reflexes she tossed it back at the enemy though she was knocked down when a blaster bolt grazed her shoulder, though her armour fortunately absorbed most of the blast, and a stun bolt hit her in the stomach, with the Force coursing through to will her body to keep going. Blaster shots and explosions resounded through the room and pure chaos on them as she pulled herself up. The Eldorai soldiers had taken cover behind the wrecks and were furiously returning fire as they found themselves besieged on two sides. Here an Eldorai trooper fell, there a machine was shredded by bolter rounds and salvoes of blaster fire, but their numbers seemed endless. Agonised screams were heard as Eldorai soldiers who had advanced to far were speared and often ripped apart by the droids or simply riddled with blaster bolts. In a flash Kaida's lightsabre was in her hand and she spun her blade, her motions economical and focused despite the chaos as she sought to create a zone of denial and reflected incoming blaster bolts back at the shooters. What was not covered by her blade was blocked, though less effectively, by her Taegis battle shield, though the weight was heavy on her given the fact that elves were physically weaker than humans.


Scanning as rounds bounced off her blade and she kept up her shield, she tried to take charge amid the chaos. "Radio Ariane's Fist. Tell them we're taking heavy fire and need support. Give me a bolter bombardment and an RPG to the right. Keep them busy," she called out to one of the Host Leaders, having to shout to make herself heard over the chaos. Getting the attention of an Eldorai Banner Leader who carried a couple cryoban grenades, she passed out instructions. "Toss them all the metal demons coming from the front. I'll give them a freezing." She noticed a wall to the left that had been badly weakened by the explosions, with a small hole in it, but they could not move yet given the heavy bombardment they were facing. From both sides the massed units of mechanical abominations came advancing, seemingly resistant to even the armour-shredding APE rounds a number of bolter shooters were employing, with the eyes of the droids glowing a bright crimson like those of demons.


"When a band of pitiful rebels makes their final stand with nothing but small arms, only to have their city smashed to atoms block by block by proton bombs, I'm in ecstasy. I love it when my forces are ravaged by a Sith armoured division. It's so sad to see towns and villages that were supposed to be defended at all costs, being laid to waste, their women and children being raped and killed. I love to be squashed under the heel of the Omegan and Mandalorian war machines. The humiliation, as my men crawl around like vermin, ducking the Inimicas flying overhead. I'm overcome by waves of pleasure when ysalamiri suddenly render Jedi and Sith helpless and they were mowed down by stormtroopers without mercy."



A loud whoosh was heard as an RPG came streaking through the air and was accompanied by the flat crack of bolters as the shooters fired, shredding many of the droids in the process as they were engulfed by the blast. Kaida kept up her vigorous defence with her lightsabre, batting rounds out of the air though she passed her shield on to another soldier as it was getting too heavy and she had to concentrate on casting, when the the cryoban grenades were tossed through the air. She concentrated and sank into the Force, willing the cold gust of a wind to sweep through the air to propel the grenades towards the droids. Cryoban discharges swept across the corridor as the automatons stomed towards them, seemingly freezing them instantly and casing them in thick layers of ice as Kaida sought to strengthen the encasement by exerting herself to turn it into a powerful wall. However, the machines were tough and while many were impeded, they batted against the walls and so it shattered, though many should find their mobility impeded. As the ice broke Kaida thrust her free hand forward and suddenly the droids were engulfed by a powerful flood as the water, which should be turning rather steamy given the temperatures, were slammed backward as the onslaught of liquid crashed into them.



But still more were coming, for retreat was apparently not a word that existed in their dictionary, though at least the chaos caused by the explosions gave the Eldorai some breathing space. "Keep the bastards busy and advance at my signal, I'll take a group and break through the left to hit them in the rear. We can pincer them between us," she called out to the Host Leader, with some bolter shooters soon providing a distraction by firing Blind rounds, which combined a traditional smoke grenade with electro-statically charged particles to create a barrier to visible sight as well as most scanners. Scanners using infrared to see through the cloud would get unusual readings and distorted pictures, though it would not damage droids passing through the cloud. Using the smoke and general confusion she emerged out. Stray blaster bolts whizzed past her and the smoke made it difficult to deflect, forcing her just to run. Using the Force she hurled a grenade at the vulnerable piece of wall, shredding it. While this happened the soldiers in cover kept up a continous volley of blaster and bolter fire, trying their best to keep the ranks of machines at bay.


"Gentlemen...all I ask for is war, a grand so grand as to make the Nine Hells tremble. Gentlemen, I ask you as fellow brothers in arms, what is it that you really want? Do you wish for further war as I do? Do you wish for a merciless, bloody war. A whose fury is built with iron, and lightning, and fire? Do you ask for war to sweep in like a tempest, leaving not even ravens to savenge, from this Earth? For death stars to utterly erase worlds from existence?"


As the brutal battle continued and soldiers died on both sides, suddenly the droids could be heard speaking in unison. Dull, mechanical voices devoid of emotion spoke as one, repeating one single word over and over again as if it were a chant. It was as creepy as can be imagined. "WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR!" A shattering explosion tore the weakened wall apart and through the thick clouds of smoke billowing upward into the air, the unit of Eldorai soldiers with Kaida at the helm raced through, weapons at the ready so that they might fall upon the metal demons like the wrath of Ashira, for no one could be allowed to stop the purification of Gehenna. As for the annoying voice, whoever was behind it would be shot once they had destroyed the machines.


"Very well. Then war is what you shall have. We are a clenched fist, ready to strike down all who oppose us, with our might. But...after enduirng so long an age wallowing in the darkness, for us, a simple 'ordinary' war will no longer be sufficient. We need a MASSIVE war! A war beyond any other that man's history has ever known!"

 

[Vaena Askari]

Explosions! Explosions everywhere! Although this might come across as a bit of a surprise, Firemane and its Eldorai allies had not come to Gehenna purely for the purpose of slaughtering lots of monsters, although given how much time had been consumed by monster hunting, random property destructions and general slaughter, one might be excused for assuming such. No, Firemane wanted to establish a base beneath the mountains within the ruins of the Bando Gora city. Eventually the long-term goal was to turn the planet's atmosphere into something...significantly less lethal. So that one day people might be able to walk upon the surface without being covered in full armour from head to tea and breathing equipment.


If this were a sappy holovid dripping with mushy feelings then extinguishing all evil upon the planet, defeating the malicious dark lord and using a machine powered by handwavium and running on space magic would turn Gehenna into a paradise world to rival Naboo, with lush forests teeming with life and beautiful lakes with nice beaches. Naturally the story would end with our heroines having terribly romantic scenes on said beaches as the sun set, with sappy music playing in the background. However, unfortunately for the romantics this was not a holovid and Firemane had yet to discover the secret blueprints to create the aforementioned machine of pure space magic handwavium.


In any case, terraforming operations would not be carried out yet. What actually happened was that a legion of engineers descended upon the section of the old city that had been cleared of hostiles. Engineers were a Firemane catch all term for engineers on steroids and they would assuredly live up to their task. First order of business was clearing away the dead bodies, cadavres and enormous piles of rubble that littered the way because that was neither classy nor particularly helpful. Assuredly plenty of explosions would be heard and improve everyone's mood as charges of baradium were employed to clear away obstructions. The removal of the Bando Gora's revolting interior decoration would have to wait for a bit. Transport vehicles fanned out and brought in building materiels that would be used to create the structures that would form the base. Where possible the old Bando Gora buildings and factory complexes would be incorporated rather than blown out of the way. After all, as tedious as cleaning all the mess that the Chaos worshippers considered decorations were, it was cheaper than building something entirely new. All those perverse statues would be taken down though because such heathen idolatory was absolutely revolting to any civilised individual. Large working crews had been mobilised for this veture, the elves had even swallowed their pride and allowed the use of labour droids despite their distrust of machines.


Likewise survey teams, accompanied by heavily armoured soldiers since Reavers might still be lurking around, would be dispatched to the locations that according to information provided by probe droids held the diamond mines that had been so vital to the Bando Gora cause. Not the most exciting sort of work, but someone had to do it. As fun as blowing up monsters was, it was generally not something that helped balance the budget and produce a profit at the end of the cycle.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Tempest had set everything in order, and was now prepared to begin her mission.
"Squad, on me!" she called. "We are searching for Master Coryth Elaris, last seen with a Reek. Yes, Cahyta, a Reek, live with it. Watch for enemies, mind your fields of fire. Load APE rounds."

The tunnels beneath the mountain were a warren of dead ends, pitfalls and traps. However, they did have one key advantage, they knew where Coryth was, appoximately anyway. A lifescanner picked up her in a deep pit some way away and her Reek friend too.

With liberal use of floating sensor drones scouting the path ahead they soon were heading in the right direction. Soon though the squad came to a halt in a narrow and winding corridor.

"Sir, heavy lifesigns nearby...and coming this way."
"Size of individual?"
"Small, sir."
"Right. Change ammunition. Section One load buckshot, Section Two load explosive. Ready grenades."
"Here they come!"
Out of the darkness a slithering horde of creatures appeared. They headed without delay for the soldiers.

Spoiler

"Open fire! Grenades now!" Tempest ordered.

The shadows were lit with the crash and bang of bolters and the deep thud of grenades. The mass of creatures rippled and buckled, blood spurted and the creatures died by the hundreds.

And yet, on they came, heedless of losses and danger, driven by a primal need for food. The Firemane troops could kill a thousand of them and another thousand would appear, and they'd never stop until they had consumed their enemy or were themselves completely destroyed.

Tempest's bolter kicked and spat into the mass, finally running out. They were close now, and some of the soldiers began to back away. It was time for Tempest to do what she should have done to start with.
She had the Force, yet she insisted on using a weapon first. The bolter dropped from her hand, and a flare of lightning arced from her hands and into the mass. This elicited such squeals and roars that she gritted her teeth into a smile. The lightning was holding the creatures back, but ammunition and power would not last forever, seemingly unlike the swarm.
"Blow the roof...seal them off!" she hissed.
The Sergeant looked about to argue, but it was unwise to argue with the only person preventing you from being eaten to the bone. Swiftly charges were set and the roof of the tunnel the way they had come crashed down.

Now they had to press on as there was no way back....

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

Eyrecae wandered her own path down, down into the darkness. She was now far away from Delila's tanks, Kaida's battle with the Hellsing quoting voice-over and Tempest's beastie adventures.
She was by herself.

From the darkness before her a door loomed, dark metal, festooned with spikes. A cultist stood guard, and as he approached he produced an impressive looking Hekler'Kok slugthrower and unleashing a full salvo.
When it was over, Eyrecae looked down at her phrik armour which had little tiny divots from the impacts. Then back up at the cultist who was trying feverishly to reload.
"Idiot, never take a slugger to the blaster fight!" she growled and grabbed the fool. Picking him up, she slammed him into the spiked door hard enough to impale him and break it open.

Pulling out her hammer, she pushed her way inside.

The scene was horrifying, or probably would be to others. A dark, fetid dungeon lay within. Stone floor and walls were combined with tarnished steel bars to create large cages. On one side of the room there were a collection of horrid instruments of pain and death, the exact details of which would probably horrify even the violence loving kiddies which haunt these threads.

A jailor dressed in the standard leather jerkin, hood and hobnail boots was lovingly sharpening his tools when she burst in. He tried to get away, but Eyrecae's blaster pistol was drawn and shooting through his knee in a heartbeat. Striding down the stairs she picked him up.
"Well now, you can give it, but can you take it?"
Fear showed in his eyes as she pulled off his hood and threw him to the ground, kicking his maimed leg to get him howling.

The cells were full, full of humans, Eldorai, Twi'leks, any race the slavers could grab. They were dirty, bloody, emaciated, now fearful of her.
"Fear not, I'm with Firemane to rescue you all."
Her hammer smashed in locks and opened cages, and soon the prisoners were limping out, surrounding the torturer.
Eyrecae casually kicked the fallen man again. "He's all yours. I'll be outside when you're done...."

Screams soon came from inside the cells, but for once it was not the hapless prisoners being tormented....

 

[Kaida Taldir]

Kaida's battle was not with a voice-over but with a horde of droids that looked like Necrons. Regardless, while Eyrecae was heroically rescuing lots of slaves and proving why archaic slugthrowers are absolutely useless, the Eldorai soldiers had been fighting a brutal battle against the ferocious onslaught of machines that looked like Necron copies. Perhaps the Bando Gora had been inspired by certain episodes from the popular series Hammer of the Gods. Or rather the Machine Cult had been inspired by it. Once its terrifying demon engines had been the bane of the rim, all beholden to the powerful Void Dragon who had been slain by Siobhan and [member="HK-36"]


However, now only a remnant remained of his once proud legions, with his factories now turned to ruins and his works just as much dust as the creations of Ozymandias. Look upon his works, ye mighty, and despair! However, the Last Battalion still had fight in them. The shadows of the dark corridors were lit with the crash and bang of bolter rounds and the deep thud of grenades. Flash rounds were fired through the darkness and set the place alight, providing illumination, while likewise searing beams of laser fire were shot from the cannons of the machines, their eyes blowing a bright crimson. The Eldorai fought on ferociously from behind their cover, having used wrecks and debris to their advantage, but the numbers of the enemy seemed endless.


Oh, and the annoying voiceover kept being a pain in the arse. "There is but one law that has and ever will dominate the Galaxy: War, war without pity, war without end. Our wars shall secure a new race, a race of masters, born to ride the booted and spurred masses of the galaxy. Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or why a field burns. I have a dream: A world of eternal freedom, eternal war. Not for money, not for stygium, but for the sheer ecstasy of battle. Everyone man will be free to fight his own wars. Comrades, is it war you want!"

"WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR! SOULS FOR THE DEMON ENGINES!" Hearing skeletal battle droids chant in a dull monotone, a cacophony of hundreds of voices that seemed to turn into an emotionless chorus that seemed to fill the hall and rival with the symphony of battle being played out across the corridor was probably rather disturbing. It was most certainly tremendously annoying. From the ranks of the Eldorai electromancers flares of lightning arced from their hands and into the mass of droids, accompanied by ion grenades being lobbed in and explosive bolts being spat out of bolters. Machines were struck and fell, tumbling to the ground disabled or blown to pieces by the ensuing explosions, yet more were coming and kept advancing inexorably, driven not by primal hunger or even by fanaticism, but by directives that left no room for retreat. They were the last battalion and would stand and fall here. Agonised cries of pain were heard as Eldorai soldiers were cut down by searing laser beams that came streaking through the air, those who carried Taegis shield brought them up to form a shield wall along with the cover provided by debris and wrecks, like a phalanx of old behind which shooters unleashed a hailstorm of destruction with bolters, repeating blasters and their Sciiac powers. The vile energies of the dark side were strong in these halls, calling to them and seeking to weaken their resolve as a thousand whispers were active, attempting to plant seeds of doubt in their mind. Yet against the onslaught of demonic machines the phalanx of Eldorai soldiers held.

Then through from the left flank the Kaida and her unit, which had used the chaos earlier to break through a weakened piece of the wall and disappear in the thick clouds of smoke that were rising into the air, came breaking through, hitting the machines in the rear as they descended upon them like furies. As if they were the avenging angels of Ashira, driven solely by the impulse to destroy all that stood in her way. "Kill them all. And anyone who shoots that annoying voice gets a bonus. For Kaeshana!" Kaida had long stopped being a true believer. There had been too many disappointments and revelations about the truth of her people's dark past and origins to make her believe in a goddess, who in reality had been the first of their race created as a slave for megalomaniacal aliens. However, though she might not believe in the Word and in the existence of the Great Goddess, in this moment she was the sword the Angelii were supposed to be and so she led the charge of her group in what some might call best frontline leadership.


Her blazing yellow lightsabre hewed down droids as it glowed like a weapon of light and purity against the corruption of the Bando Gora. One droid was cut down and cleaved in half, another was brought down after its oil was frozen and it was thus rendered inert. Finding themselves hit from an unexpected quarter the machines tried to reorient themselves, but a group of Eldorai soldiers, bolstered by reinforcements from Ariane's Fist that had finally arrived, were rolling them up from the right flank. Kaida quickly lost count of how many automatons were falling as she gave herself to the Force and let it guide her blade to strike with lethal intent, bring up her battered but still functional Taegis shield at just the right moment to intercept an attack. There was no sign of exultation written across her features, obscured though they were by her helmet, likewise no bloodlust. As the droids seemed to be cornered ion grenades were lobbed at them, the winds she conjured up combining with those of the other Sciians in her unit to propel the deadly balls of explosives across the distance and fry automatons. Eldorai troopers dragged wounded out of the crossfire as the battle seemed to wind down, with the Warsingers chanting powerfully, inspiring their battle sisters to greater deeds of courage and valour. The air was soon rank with the stench of burnt electronis, broken machine parts and charred flesh, for this charge did not come without casualties, since that is the price of war.


However, obviously the battle could not be over yet. Otherwise it would not only be too easy but the post would be too short! For some reason this writer has been repeatedly spamming this thread with wall of text posts, so this one must get an end boss of sorts. As Kaida plunged her blade into one of the last metal abomination, impaling it upon it, she suddenly heard an unearthly shriek and beheld a massive shadow at the edge of the large hall, which by now was clogged with smoke. Even so, there was no missing the monster and for just a moment the Captain gasped at the visage of utter darkness and terror.


"Another heathen abominations. Destroy it, the Goddess wills it! No demon can stand against her light," the Warsinger called out, her voice somehow strong enough to carry across the room despite the noise, but then it was perhaps amplified by the power of the Force.


One Eldorai soldier pulled a repeatin blaster to her shoulder and fired, letting loose rounds at the shadow, but they did not seem to stop the beast for one moment. It howled as the bolts vanished into its shroud of dark vapour and then charged. With such speed that it sent corpses and weapons flying with each massive footfall that seemed to make the ground itself quake. At its flanks were Reavers upon Reavers, each of them full of bestial fury and rage, with nothing else on their mind other than primal hunger, for they would feast upon the elves and devour them. Now that it was charging out of the shadows Kaida could see the beast for what it was. For a moment fear rose up inside her but then she suppressed it. Any abomination could be slain with the right combinations of numbers, superior firepower and a degree of brains.


"Terentatek! Force powers are useless against it. Spread out and lay down suppression fire with your heaviest weapons. Unit two, keep the Reavers off your back!" she called out, having to shout loudly to make herself heard over the chaos as the massive abomination and the Bando Gora fanatics death charged them. The Eldorai soldiers quickly pulled back and spread out so that the terentatek could not crush them, opening up a hailstorm of fire with bolters and repeaters as it seemed to rush straight at Kaida. The shots and explosions tore bloody wounds into the beast and made it roar in anger, a sound so loud that some Eldorai soldiers might have felt like their eardrums were about to burst, but still it pressed on. Upon closer inspection it would have been revealed that it was no ordinary terentatek, but had been extensively modified and experimented on by using the particular brand of alchemy and cybernetics that the Machine Cult practiced. Chaos raged as the elves unleashed bloody salvoes upon their creatures and Reavers fell upon them. Bodies and weapons were thrown into the air, part of the ceiling collapsed. Strangely enough the terentatek wielded a powerful mace as large as an elf, using it to send several of them flying as it smashed straight into a group that had been taking pod shots at it.



An Eldorai trooper, perhaps driven by what some might call heroism or stupidity, rushed to meet the abomination and hewed at it with her sarix. As the blade clove into something, vapor flew off the beast's body and black liquid spilled onto the wrecked ground. But as the elf struck again the beast reared up and seized the warrior with its massive claws. In one rending motion it tore the elf in two at the waist and swallowed her. More blaster bolts and bolter rounds were shot towards the beast. Amidst the onslaught of fiends the Eldorai were pulling back to the wrecks, using her powers Kaida gripped a couple Eldorai soldiers tight and quickly, unceremoniously thrust them back with great speed before they could be cut down by the rampaging monster.


"All bolter shooters load explosive. Give me a full bombardment!" But then the towering beast was upon her since she had been directing the pullback, and she ducked to evade its great claws, then slashed at its legs, raining down cuts upon the massive beast. The beast howled, for apparently the hot plasma could hurt it despite its powerful armour, and it was profoundly bleeding from multiple wounds inflicted by the bolter and blaster salvoes, with black liquid spilling out in droves, but even so it persisted. As Kaida tried to pull back, finding her path blocked by a swarm of Reavers that came descending upon her, the terentatek just casually swatted her and she was sent flying through the air, with white hot pain shooting through her body as she was tossed like a ragdoll before painfully slamming into a pile of broken machines. There was no reprieve for Reavers pounced upon her and her blade had fallen out of her hand and been thrown far away.



Their vicious claws and teeth gnawed at her and she grabbed by one and smashed into the ground once more, but then the Reavers themselves screamed as they were gunned down by salvoes of blaster fire. With a pained groan Kaida got up, rolling and vacating the space she had been holding as the beast swung its massive mace that split the ground when it struck, though she cried out in pain as its claws slashed into her back. A grenade was lobbed at the beast but it simply batted it aside as if it were a tennis ball and it exploded far away. She tried to evade as a massive footfall came crashing down towards her but then the abomination howled in pain and reeled as it was peppered with bolter rounds, clearly weakening under the onslaught. Managing to pull herself up and with the Force surging through her tired body Kaida ran, moving to the side and then, at the large scaly giant lunged for her, calling upon her Sciia to leap very high and jump onto its back.


"Caerys, charge up the MD-1!" she called out. Her lightsabre was gone but she still had her sarix and brutally thrust down into it, piercing the darkness. A horrible shriek tore through the air as the beast screamed in pain and it staggered under the onslaught. However, as she tried to hew down its neck the beast sought to pluck her from its back with claws, slashing at her with such force to make her almost fall. The beast kept thrashing and she had to grab one of its spines to avoid falling.



"Charged up...firing," a soldier called out. And then there was a very loud boom as if a cannon had been fired. The Mass Driver-1, also popularly known as the shatterbolter, had been designed as a weapon that fired explosive bolts and solid durasteel slugs at a velocity and force strong enough to pierce even the armour of a tank. As it was a very large shattergun, it was highly accurate. In this case the soldier had loaded solid slugs, which were propelled at an incredible speed and were highly accurate. As it was the monstrosity let out an earth-crushing shriek of pain as the bullet punched through its armour and tore through its mouth. Indeed, it went so far to penetrate its skull entirely. In the same moment Kaida stabbed down into its neck and countless bolters let loose a hail of explosive bolts towards the beast's skull. Kaida tumbled as the beast tumbled and was blown apart under the overwhelmning onslaught, finally toppling over.


And so it came to pass that there were....plenty of explosions. Well, things were probably not that bad but suffice to say the terentatek endured plenty of punishment in the last seconds of its existence as it died an agonising death. Its head and stomach were blown apart, a foul smelling smoke filled the air and black liquid spilled upon the ground. Seeing that the great beast had been struck down the Bando Gora slave-soldiers, suddenly feeling something that might have been an approximation of fear, took to flight though the Eldorai were in no mood to let them go unmolested and focused their fire upon them now. Kaida grunted as she got up, covered in the terentatek's ichor and looking a complete mess, with guts having splattered on to her. Fortunately the terentatek's cadavre had not crushed her beneath it, though some foul-smelling Reaver bodies had been thrown her way by the impact of the shockwaves. Kaida staggered and almost fell but managed to stand, with an Eldorai medic quickly rushing over to her and catching her before she could hit the ground with a thud. The path through the tunnels was clear for them now.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]


While seemingly everyone else was fighting dramatic battles, struggling for survival against monsters and the Bando Gora's seemingly unending desire to commit plagiarism by stealing the lines, beasts and intellectual property of other franchises, bureaucracy, logistics and plain old fashioned work in form of manual labour was taking its course. You see, Firemane did not run on committing mass slaughter against evil fiends alone, though it is understandable if the uninitiated outsider might get the impression. It was quite likely that some of its employees thought that as well.


Anyhow, back in the by now very wrecked industria district of the equally ruined Bando Gora City work was proceeding. Before the working crews, both organic and mechanical, could properly get started on constructing a base, setting up buildings, warehouses, communications centres, barracks and so on and so forth, they would have to deal with clearing away the detritus of battle. Once upon a time this city had been the capital of the Bando Gora. Then Exarch Kerrigan, full of righteous fury and zeal, had led an army to the planet and torn the place apart. Quite literally actually, since she had seen fit to the drop the mountain ceiling on the place and thus caused no ends of property damage. That had happened [insert number of years] ago. Now Firemane and the Eldorai had just landed a few hours ago and done the whole over again. So not only did the place just look like a massive bomb had just exploded, there were also plenty of corpses lying around. Well, actually thousands of them. Fortunately by now the alchemised nexu, giant lizards and spiders that seemed to populate the planet had eaten most of their flesh, so in many cases the smell was not so bad, but that only applied to the dead who had died some time ago. Having foul-smelling corpses that looked like this or even this lying around was bad for a number of reasons. For one it was terrible for hygiene and plain unsanitary, bad for employee motivation if they had to live and labour next to a pile of dead Reavers or even share their room with them and frankly the bodies just got in the way because there were so many of them.


Unfortunately the Bando Gora had not built a crematorium, but because they were Chaotic Evil loons they had built a city beneath a mountain on an apocalyptic death world. Every death world must fulfil a number of tropes to count as one. One of those tropes is that a large pit of lava is absolutely necessary. Those Firemane mercenaries who had been part of Omega Pyre or the ODF when Kerrigan led the exterminatus on Gehenna might be very familiar with said lava pit because at the close of her duel with Abaddon, Great Prophet and God of the Bando Gora, Siobhan had not only dropped the ceiling on everyone but also torn a big chunk of the ground apart, thereby exposing the rivers of lava that flowed beneath. Those Omegan soldiers who had not made it out of the collapsing city in time had perished in a fiery pit of doom, a most painful and agonising death that had claimed Abaddon as well. Kerrigan had only survived because Maelion Liates had saved her at the last moment, which in the light of recent events was rather ironic.

So it was only fitting that the aforementioned lava pit do its part and claim a massive load of bodies. They would assuredly burn nicely. When it came to the bodies of the dead Omegan soldiers that might have been found an attempt would be made to get them out of the mountain and make some effort at identifying them. After all, many were MIA years after the invasion of Gehenna. Their families might be able to rest a bit more easily once they had learned what had happened to their lost loved ones and had been given the chance to bury their bodies - or perform whatever rites their culture had for the dead. The dead Reavers, Bando Gora cultists and beasts would loaded up on vehicles controlled by droids and tossed away wholesale, so that the fires of the pit beneath Mount Doom would claim them! The flames welcomed the onslaught of bodies in their fiery embrace, consuming them utterly. Somewhat hilariously all this took place under the watchful eyes of a Cerberus, the life-sized statue of a hound of hell the Bando Gora had built, the vigiliant guardian of their Fire and Brimstone Hell.


This somewhat macabre duty was still ongoing but Firemane Engineers were already busy removing another obstacle by blowing up the enormous piles of rubble. Granted some elements of the old Bando Gora architecture would be incorporated, although it seemed the Cultists had not bothered ponder for even one moment whether all these ominous towers, massive spires and enormous statues of their dark gods, which in some cases seemed perversely erotic, were even needed by anyone. But so many buildings were simply big ruins and they impeded progress and simple movement. So baradium charges would be laid, the place would be evacced and then controlled demolitions would be performed.


BAM BAM BAM BAM and so on and so forth. Other obstacles would be removed by big construction vehicles. Where possible the building materiels used by the Cultists would be recycled. Then actual construction work would begin. For now it was a military operation, for even after the planet had been purged dangers might still lurk on the planet and so the first priority would be to set up a base where soldiers could live in. Then facilities for scientists who would work on turning the atmosphere to something less ridiculously lethal and likewise for those Firemane workers who would come here to mine diamonds. Javelin and Ballista turrets would be set up when the smoke cleared and they could actually work undisturbed, thus providing better protection against attackers. The industrial city was a massive construction yard, teeming with workers and labour droids swarming around like termites, and construction vehicles, under the watchful eye of Eldorai soldiers who had been given perimeter duty. Likewise a medical station had been set up to take care of the wounded. Speaking of diamonds, the probe droids that had been sent out were seemingly penetrating the layers of Gehenna, deep in the lowest levels beneath the earth, where the gems could be found.


As for Lady Tarissa Cadalthor, she was, you might have guessed it by now, still on the bridge of the Valora's Blade, still studying reports and drinking an ungodly amount of coffee. Well, she had taken a quick break in the cantina because Eldorai really needed to eat to keep their strength up, but even then she had still been studying paperwork. It would not be inaccurate to say that the woman was a bit of a workaholic, but she would not be slacking on the job to attend literacy modules. As for Spacebook, she never used it. For some reason weird people had kept spamming her account with questions about whether she was Adril Tythorin and how she had survived Cthulhu thrashing Ahto City. Especially weird people kept pestering her with questions about how she felt about her 'beloved Siobhan' being married to Tegaea. It was all very absurd in her opinion. Silly monkeighs and xenos needed to get a life. She smiled thinly with grim satisfaction when she heard about the pit being used to dispose of the bodies of monsters and fiends. If only they could cast out all those who disbelieved and refused to believe in the Great Goddess like that...

 

[Elanil Saedaris]

Elanil sat quietly in her cabin on the Valora's Blade going over a lengthy list of the required equipment for the terraforming event. Looong.. long list. Hydrogen, check. Oxygen, check. Mass amounts of water, check. Carbon dioxide, check. Handwavium machine, check! A sigh came as she put the datapad aside, after all this was about the fourth time she'd been over the list of supplies brought for the final terraforming event that she was to help with. Pushing back from the small desk, the redhead returned to her bed, and flopped upon it with huff.

"Bored.... I'm fething bored. I have absolutely nothing to do until the mundanes get done with this thing called war ... or maybe a mop up operation. Who cares what they call it? I sure as feth don't. I seriously should have brought another project to work on. At least that way I could be moderately productive, instead of wasting time. So much time wasted." Oh, yes .. Elanil was talking to herself in a most cranky and annoyed manner. The woman didn't like having nothing to do. Even more so, she loathed waiting. And both, at once was almost too much for the scientist to bear.

"Such is the life of a lady of science. Not a damn thing to do until they get done on the surface. It's not safe for me they said... And they are right. Even a tsetse fly could kick my ass into the next century. Bloody well worthless once a fight starts." She shrugged before rolling onto her side and pulling the covers up over her slender form. "Maybe a nap .... It's not like I have anything but time to kill right now. So ... I might as well enjoy the benefits of having some free time. A nap it is..." She whispered as she closed her eyes, trying to will herself to let go of her stresses and sleep.

[member="Tarissa Cadalthor"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]


If it was any consolation for [member="Elanil Saedaris"] then in all likelihood the fighting should be concluded soon on the ground. Well, Cory smash still had to happen and [member="Tempest"] had to fry people with lightning again because this threads seriously needs more Storm gifs, but against the overwhelmning, furious onslaught of awesomeness and brutality the Bando Gora were standing little chance. Then it would just be a matter of Kerrigan, [member="Mirien Valdier"] and Aeda purging the Space Hulk and, unaffected from that, the actual mission could start. Yes, dear reader, the actual mission is to terraform the planet into something that does not look like Hellworld, as surprising as that might seem.


Regardless by now Kaida had recovered and, after dismissing any suggestions from the medic that she should take time out and ridiculous stuff like that, the unit of Eldorai soldiers was once again on the move. Behind them lay a scene of pure devastation, namely dead Eldorai battle sisters, similarly dead Reavers and, of course, the terentatek.


"You think if we call AEL and tell them we bagged a terentatek, they'll pay us?" one Eldorai soldier wondered out loudly.


Clearly one of her comrades disapproved of such mercantile thinking and elbowed her lightly. "We just almost got slaughtered by metal demons and you're thinking of that?"


"Well...it seems like a good way to get some cash. My girlfriend has all the ese expensive shoes she wants to buy from Ashira's Mall. Hmm, if the cadavre's even still worth it."


"Maybe we could stuff out the body and put it on display in the base as a trophy. Thus to all beasts who stand against the Eldorai."


"Cut the chatter and focus on your damn job if you don't want a beating. There's still Reavers out there," Kaida snapped at them irritably, her voice as hard as polished durasteel and like the crack of a whip. Thus suitably spanked - well, metaphorically of course - the soldiers looked contrite and stopped yammering. Now that the hordes of mooks and the mid-level end boss had been defeated, clearly this was the grand moment when the true end boss awaited them, for no good plot would be complete without one. As they passed through the ruins of the massive citadel and surmounted the wreckage Kaida felt a powerful sensation creeping up on her. A sensation that was of the dark side for its power was so strong that it was almost palpable, like a physical presence. Human flesh adorned the partially collapsed walls and towers, all manners of skeletons lay around on the ground. Perhaps somewhat hilariously, one could even see the stuffed head of a terentatek hanging from the partially collapsed ceiling.


Enormous statues of demons lined their path as the Eldorai soldiers moved in closer. Likewise their arrival was greeted by dramatic music. "Stay sharp." she commanded laconically as they found themselves facing a massive gilded skull throne, so large that it towered above them. A massive monument to depravity and evil, made out of the skulls and bones of thousands of humans. It was sickening to say the least. Upon the enormous throne, as could be seen as they came closer, lay a figure. It was....


"A skeleton?" one of the Wing Leaders exclaimed as she looked through her binoculars. And lo behold, what they found lying upon the throne were the skeletal remains of a human clothed in ornate, purple robes with a diadem and a sceptre that had accumulated a great deal of dust on it by now.


Then there was a loud bang and the skeleton was blown apart when one of the soldiers brought up her boltgun and blasted it. "What? Just makin' sure he's really dead!" she exclaimed when the others gave her weird looks. Given how often evil overlords came back from the dead she could not be faulted.


"I LOVE WAR!"


There it was, the annoying voice again. For her part Kaida looked terribly exasperated when suddenly she heard noise and spun, beholding a very large black curtain that stood to the side of the massive hall. Using the Force she gripped the entire curtain and violently pulled it down. As the black curtain was pulled down the soldiers immediately levelled their bolters and blaster rifles at the place, for this must be where the evil end boss was hidden.


Undoubtedly everyone looked surprised when the curtain was pulled down and they beheld what amounted to a large broadcasting studio, with all sorts of holoprojectors, recorders, technical devices and some demon statues and, in the centre of it all, a little Ewok dressed in a shiny and expensive looking suit, with the amulet of the Bando Gora hanging around his neck. He yelped when he beheld the intruders who had the impertinence to interrupt his show.


"What? You did not expect this did you," he squeaked in perfect Basic. "That the true mastermind behind it all...behind the legions of Chaos was me...a small Ewok. Did you really think Abaddon did it all on his own? That there'd be some dramatic end boss fight with an omnipotent Dark Lord or a Bloodthirster. Fools, it was me all along, exploiting everyone's desire for drama. I was the great puppet master. And now you have ruined...," he did not get any further because he suddenly toppled over from a blaster bolt.


"Did you really have to do that? We could've kept him," one soldier snarked, though the Eldorai who had shot just shrugged. Another blaster bolt to the oversized recorder put an end to the annoying, Hellsing-quoting voice-over.


Kaida, who had just been staring at the scene in dumbounfed surprise, had by now recovered her equilibrium. "I guess that's what they call the banality of evil," she said very dryly. Looking over the scenery she gestured to one of the officers, indicating a ridiculously massive tower that seemed to still be standing against all odds. "Banner Leader, take some of our sisters and hoist the flag." And so the Eldorai assumed direct control. Their techniques had torn Bando Gora apart. This hurt them.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Tarissa Cadalthor"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

“Is this a joke, Lieutenant?” Tegaea asked crisply.
“No, ma’am. That’s the report sent from Captain Taldir herself.”
Tegaea read the dispatch again, let out a hissing breath. “Then either she’s lost her mind or the universe is monumentally more bizarre than I suspected.”
She laid aside the dispatch from the surface. An Ewok behind a curtain? This was the god of the Bando Gora? Well, the Bando Gora had poor taste in deities, seemingly elevating anyone to the rank. Now Tegaea loved her wife dearly, possibly too much, but aside from certain times during certain nocturnal activities she’d never considered her a deity.
Either way, the battle was winding down, so the next stage could begin.

“What news of the prisoners Eyrecae rescued?”
“They’re being picked up and brought to one of the medical ships for treatment.”
“Poor souls. We’ll see if we can’t settle them on Dahomey or somewhere else if they have no homes to go back to. Does Lady Cadalthor know of this latest news?”
“She would do by now, ma’am.”
“Good. Suggest to her that we can now begin Stage 3.” Stage 3 was the name of the next phase of the plan where terraforming could begin, where the base building and clean up could intensify, and they could start systematically mapping out the tunnels and passages of the mountain.