First Reply Doppelgangers I The Sundering Dawn

[TK-1313 "Lotus"]

LOCATION: Bakura

If my day couldn't get any worse, it did quickly. As I was passing by the planet of Bakura, my starfighter's mechanical systems, along with the electronical systems, began to slowly shut down one-by-one. So much for my furlough, I thought. I began making all the proper moves to set down on the planet below. With my navigational computer down, I was forced to land abruptly, only later would I discover it was the continent, Kishh'daar.

I sat in the cockpit for several passing minutes, staring out the ship's viewscreen at the sprawling valley ahead, with patches of forest dotting about, and a monstrous mountain off in the horizon. Sighing heavily, I exited the starfighter in hopes of finding civilization; the desire to spend my life on Bakura held no appeal. I began walking through the plains, occasionally removing my helmet to pull a few sips from the passing creeks and small rivers. It was near dusk when I stumbled upon a village, a rather big one but not city sized.

Entering the village, I was quickly greeted by several humanoid species, who referred to themselves as Kurtzen, and was filled with tales I found both disturbing and almost unbelievable. The elder of this colony spoke about how his people and those in other settlements were experiencing something he could only describe as unholy body snatchers. I forced myself not to laugh. But when his face became stern, I started to think there was substance to his ghost stories.

I am no Inquisitor or any agent that works to unravel situations that have been thrusted upon me, I'm a special ops soldier; I fight, I kill. But seeing the growing concerns on his face, I felt compelled to give him my word that I would help, in exchange for his in return. We had sealed a deal with an awkward handshake. I began asking around the village before venturing out to the others what they knew, and one defining response evolved around two of the same people, in physical appearances but different personalities. I was confused by this revelation.

And, through the responses, some of the double-looking individuals were being replaced in favor of those that looked like family and friends but were unrecognizable in temperaments; their original loved ones never seen again. And just like that, my day gotten even worse.
​

OUTFIT: Standardized Armor | GEAR: Blaster Rifle / Blaster Pistol / Med Kit / Thermal Grenades | TAGS: Open​

 

[TK-1313 "Lotus"]

LOCATION: Bakura

I set out first morning, opting to leave my armor behind in the village. I'm a cyborg, unique for an Imperial Stormtrooper, but I gave my word. Bonds are everything to us grunt workers, something of an enigma to our citizens whose lives we protect. I crossed through the plains to the nearest village, always recording and observing, and on occasion if the information could be valid, listen to those ghost stories.

What greeted me was a mixture of melancholy and confusion, a collection of unsettling facial expressions entwined with facial composures of certainty, with a hint of horror in the villagers. I was at a loss of words, for this was way above my pay scale. Then in the corner, I saw a small child huddled against a corner of a hut, weeping and wailing.

Briefly I looked at the villagers before taking a single step toward the mourning wails echoing proudly throughout the village from the crouched girl, when I felt a hand grip my arm. Quickly I turned to the owner of the arm, seeing a sorrowful eye of a women staring back at me. Her lips tried to part but could not. I gently removed her arm and moved forward.

As I crouched behind the girl, I spoke as softly as I could, whilst placing a soft hand upon her shoulders. The girl stiffened, then turning her eyes toward mine as we locked, I saw myself as a child again. I stumbled back, drawing my pistol and fired. I was not intending to kill the child, but that thing. Now I felt another had rest on my shoulder, and when I looked up, it was an exact copy of the Elder from the other village.




​

OUTFIT: Standardized Armor | GEAR: Blaster Rifle / Blaster Pistol / Med Kit / Thermal Grenades | TAGS: Open​

 

[Hanna]

Location: Village, Kishh’daar - Bakura
Objective: Extract TK-1313
Tag: TK-1313 "Lotus"

She had been sent to extract a downed Imperial trooper caught in an isolated region on Bakura. In that, Hanna had only been told what she needed to know. Her target—TK-1313—was a special forces-qualified cyborg trooper whose starfighter had mysteriously gone down on the continent Kishh’daar. The crash site had been triangulated as being within the proximity of a remote village, close enough to be within a day’s walk.

However, on repulsorlift skates, the trip was just over twenty minutes.

Still, it had taken several hours for Hanna to reach the continent in the first place. Thus, it was already morning by the time she arrived at the crash site and thereafter the village.

And by that point, TK-1313 was gone.

Hanna asked after the whereabouts of the trooper, and the local villagers quickly pointed her in the direction of the nearest settlement. The Qilin noticed that they were wary of her, all seemingly eager to remove the quite visibly armed and dangerous figure from their remote community. However, in her rush to find the trooper, the Qilin didn’t register anything as being off...

Until she arrived at the next village.

Hanna slowed then, her helmet turning transparent to reveal her delicately sculpted features as she made her way into the village via the main road. She saw faces lined with equal parts awe and terror, their expressions manifesting a contradicting array of emotions that caused Hanna to tense up as she anxiously bit the inside of her cheek. Not wanting to expose herself, she turned her helmet back opaque before pressing deeper into the village. All the while, she rested a hand on one of the Verpine shatter pistols that she had mag-locked to her hips, primed to draw the weapon at a moment’s notice.

Then, the wails reached her.

Grief-stricken, keening—they pulled her toward the village square like hooks in her ribs. That was when she saw them: a small girl curled against a hut’s corner, and beside her, the cyborg trooper she’d been sent to rescue. TK-1313.

Her ears twitched then, upon registering the loud, mourning wails echoing through the village. And yet, she was compelled to head towards the square, where they seemed to originate. At that point, Hanna caught sight of a small girl huddled against the corner of a hut. Beside her was a much taller figure—the cyborg trooper that she had been searching for.

Hanna opened her mouth to speak. However, before she could call out the trooper’s designation, TK-1313 drew her pistol and shot the child.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Sparkle Velocity
  
  • Gauntlets and Vambraces
    
    • Modular Weapon Mount (3) - R
      
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • Medium Plasma Gas Canister
      • NML-02VTB Nano Missile Launcher
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • Depleted Baradium-tipped Baradium Nano Missiles (12)
    • Modular Weapon Mount (3) - L
      
      • IceJet Miniaturized CryoBan Projector
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • CryoBan Canister
      • Repulsor Projector
• Hanna’s HB-42 Disruptor Pistols (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • FAE/AM-01-S2 Energy Weapon Cartridge - Ethaerium X Gas and CryoBan Coolant (4)
    • FAE/AM-01-S2 Energy Weapon Cartridge - Ethaerium Gas and CryoBan Coolant (4)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• Glitter Roses (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Standard Magazine - Controlled-Penetration (4)
    • Standard Magazine - Standard Penetrator (2)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• FAE/MDE-01-S2 Semiautonomous Seeker Concussion Explosive (2)
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)

 

[TK-1313 "Lotus"]

LOCATION: Bakura

My grip loosened on my pistol, as my cybernetic eyes, if entirely possible, grew extremely wide in disbelief. I had just spoke to the Elder, but this was not the same one I spoke too. It couldn't have been, could it? I looked around the village, then slowly back to the dead child with the smoldering hole faintly smoking from her small frame. Then realization came to me. I turned toward the Elder, the faux one, I think, saying as I motioned to the corpse, "That....that is not possible!"

A small, sad frown appeared on the face of the Elder before he replied, "It is not possible, but it is. Please, come with me." I took a step backwards, not trusting him or whatever secretive motives he possessed. Again, I glanced around, seeing the similar emotional faces of these villages as those of the previous village. The first Elder had asked my help; this one had shown malice in lieu of my actions. Then something occurred to me.

"Wait," I said, slowly holstering my weapon. "You're the twin brother of the other Elder, from the other village, correct?" He smiled at me and gestured me to follow. It was then that I saw a different face in the crowd, not of this species but a foreigner like me, with magenta color hair. "Give me one minute," I partially implored to the Elder, whilst moving toward this newcomer.

"I don't know who you are," I said stopping a few yards from her, "But I can assure you of one thing, you have stumbled onto something straight out of a horror movie."

​

OUTFIT: Standardized Armor | GEAR: Blaster Rifle / Blaster Pistol / Med Kit / Thermal Grenades | TAGS: Hanna​

 

[Hanna]

Location: Village, Kishh’daar - Bakura
Objective: Extract TK-1313
Tag: TK-1313 "Lotus"

Hanna stood stock-still as the child collapsed to the ground, a charred, smoldering hole burned through her frame. For several moments, the Qilin’s eyes shifted between the body and the cyborg trooper, her irises wide with equal parts disbelief and bewilderment.

It was only when the elder approached the scene did Hanna shift her attention towards him, her eyes taking in his sad, frowning features, which yet seemed to display no signs of fear or disgust.

Conflicted thoughts swirled inside Hanna’s mind. Though the Qilin was certainly no stranger to violence and death, she had never once visited it upon an innocent, much less a child. Still, while she did not know TK-1313, the suddenness of the act told her that this was a product of something else.

Of what, she did not know.

More villagers had gathered within the square, crowding around the scene as the elder implored the cyborg to come with him. She instead turned towards Hanna, eyebrows rising as the augmented woman approached.

"I don't know who you are," I said stopping a few yards from her, "But I can assure you of one thing, you have stumbled onto something straight out of a horror movie."

“My name is Hanna. I’m with the Contractor Corps.” Hanna replied. “I've been sent to extract you. Do you have your armor nearby?” The Qilin continued, before her gaze flicked towards the smoking corpse behind the cyborg, then to the encircling villagers.

Her nose twitched. The air reeked of charred flesh and tibanna discharge.

“I think we should leave...as soon as possible, Sergeant Major.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Sparkle Velocity
  
  • Gauntlets and Vambraces
    
    • Modular Weapon Mount (3) - R
      
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • Medium Plasma Gas Canister
      • NML-02VTB Nano Missile Launcher
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • Depleted Baradium-tipped Baradium Nano Missiles (12)
    • Modular Weapon Mount (3) - L
      
      • IceJet Miniaturized CryoBan Projector
        
        • Ammunition
          
          • CryoBan Canister
      • Repulsor Projector
• Hanna’s HB-42 Disruptor Pistols (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • FAE/AM-01-S2 Energy Weapon Cartridge - Ethaerium X Gas and CryoBan Coolant (4)
    • FAE/AM-01-S2 Energy Weapon Cartridge - Ethaerium Gas and CryoBan Coolant (4)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• Glitter Roses (2)
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Standard Magazine - Controlled-Penetration (4)
    • Standard Magazine - Standard Penetrator (2)
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• FAE/MDE-01-S2 Semiautonomous Seeker Concussion Explosive (2)
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)