Eyes in the Desert [TSE Dominion of Navrozh]

[Dante Sotari]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle Outskirts
[member="Vaylin"] [member="Morgan Vance"]

"I'd be better if ya quit asking me that," came the surly response.

After Thyferra, Dante had tried to turn in her squad command. She didn't deserve it. Didn't want it. And yet for some reason, that had only strengthened the Legion's desire to keep her in that position. Her request had been denied, her quick thinking in the moment had been praised, and she'd been sent on her way. Still with the burden of a squadron of special ops soldiers that would end up needing to be rebuilt. The only saving grace was that they wouldn't be assigned again until the empty slots could be filled.

Well, not as a whole group anyway.

Dante and Morgan had been sent to Navrozh to support a particular Sith Knight's endevors. That didn't happen too often, but it was common enough that it didn't draw particular comment from them.

She had spent the week leading up to this op drunk. She'd sobered up the day before, reporting in for duty red eyed and slow. But a good night's sleep and plenty of water left her with nothing worse than a headache and a bad attitude.

The trek through the jungle was uneventful. Almost alarmingly so. The outpost rose up out of the trees not too far ahead. It was only as they got near that the underbrush not far away rustled. Dante missed it, a little distracted by the pounding in her head.

Morgan and Vaylin wouldn't.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The walkers had finally reached the fourth and final ring, a slew of droid corpses and broken battlements left in their tumultuous wake. They had barely suffered any damage other than some carbon scoring on their trunk-like legs, while every counterattack the droids had launched had ended up an abstract failure.

It was a good sign, though it would be foolish to consider this the definitive outcome when put up against flesh-and-blood enemies.

No matter how advanced you made your droids, a computer couldn't match up with the ingenuity of an organic brain.

Carnifex's eyes caught the departure of his apprentice, her claws clutching her beeping datapad as she disappeared from view. Curiously the Dark Lord silently walked towards the adjacent rooms, leaving the Voivode's inquiry of "Milord?" to fall on deaf ears as he peered through the threshold.

"Mom, I'm kinda busy. I can't really talk right now."

He chuckled, "Is that Missus De-Bor-Rah, apprentice? Would you mind telling her I send my best wishes and regards?"

[member="Cle-Var-Ri"]​

 

[Vaylin]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle -> Lab

Their progress through the jungle had been practically unhindered, as had the second group that had split off to cover the other path. It was slightly disconcerting for Vaylin, having expected to find some manner of opposition.

But the closest thing to anything hostile was a snake that didn't particularly like them passing its territory.

At one point she glanced back at the two Agents that made up half of their small group. Vaylin had read up on the two, of their more recent actions on Thyferra. They had been commended for their actions, and yet supposedly Dante's response was to try and have her command relieved.

The Zabrak assumed that was why she had reported for duty looking freshly sober. The Sith wasn't particularly shy from getting drunk, but never to that extent.

Either way, she wasn't going to reprimand it. What she cared for is whether Dante could fight and not get killed in the process.

As the outpost finally came into view, the sudden rustle nearby put her on alert. Both Vaylin and the other Sith with them, went for their lightsabers. That was when the source made its appearance, pushing aside the underbrush with a snarl.

It was a Vornskr, and a rather large one at that. Clearly the beast had kept itself very well fed, its size was almost double the average, and it still looked like it was swift on its feet. What became more alarming however, was further rustling that revealed the rest of the pack.

The domino fell, and struck another.

A roar tore from the Vornskr's depths, and it startled the Ysalamiri hidden up in the trees.

"Move! We need to get to the outpost!"

Out in the open, the Vornskr pack had the advantage.

​

[member="Morgan Vance"] | [member="Dante Sotari"]​

 

[Cle-Var-Ri]

So caught up in stopping her mother's call before it turned into ten, Cle-Var-Ri hadn't noticed her master listening in. The realization caused quite the fright for the Tiss'Sharl, her giving a little screech and jump of surprise, spurring on a whole new barrage of questions from her mother on the other line. There was a list of people she'd never wanted to expose to her parents, her Master being on the top of that. She'd been hoping to avoid such a situation in general.

Her mother hadn't taken her greeting as an acceptable response, the woman starting almost a lecture of sorts. "Uhh sorry mom. Yes, I'm sorry...Master sends his regards...Yes, of course, I'm eating. No...No, I'm not having problems with other acolytes, geez! Mom!" Try as she did, the acolyte just couldn't get her mother to stop nagging.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Kenth Typho]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle Outskirts

[member="Vaylin"] | [member="Dante Sotari"]

Vance sighed softly.

This is how it went most of the time. Friendly and together when there was alcohol, surly and difficult when there was not. It was bad and Morgan wasn't sure what he could do about it, if there even was something he could do about it. Why the Empire was putting so much pressure on her was beyond him. She didn't want the command, but they kept her in- why? Morgan didn't know, but he did know she needed a pause. A break, something to help her cope without the booze.

But pressing that would push her away.

He didn't want that.

Vance's rifle reared up at the shaking of the vegetation. "We got-" The first vornskr came out, its head tilting softly as it eyed them. Then its roar brought out the others and Morgan squeezed the trigger. Easy squeezed, covering their march forward and making sure the attention would be away from them and on him. One, twice, then as the whines turned into angry snarls, did Vance start to run. He was fast and unless the Sith were using the Force to make themselves faster, he'd easy catch up with them.

"Took one, maybe two down." Sub-dermal relay towards Dante, but the switch in the channel ensured Vaylin would hear it too.

 

[Dante Sotari]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle Outskirts
[member="Vaylin"] [member="Morgan Vance"]

She was a beat behind. Not enough to make a difference this time. Raising her own rifle she let two shots take another one coming out of the brush right in the chest. While Morgan covered the group at large, Dante stayed on the Sith Knight's six, picking off another vornskr as it emerged into the open. Pack hunters, they were all around them, but the three dropped gave them enough pause for the group to make it before the howling started again.

"Get in get in!" Dante barked, pausing at the door after Vaylin dashed inside, turning to cover the rest of them as Morgan dropped his and finally followed. She stood her ground, rifle up and waiting. The pack followed and she pulled off a shot over Morgan's shoulder, a thick thump and a whimper as the leader predator hit the ground.

So far, the drinking wasn't interfering with her ability to function in her job.

Which was probably why, as far as Dante was concerned, she didn't have a problem.

With a grunt, as soon as Morgan was through she swung the heavy door closed behind her with a thud.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

A monumental explosion designated the conclusion of the demonstration, as the enemy fortress had been cracked open by the combined might of the three walkers. A plume of smoke and fire rose high into the desert sky, a beacon that could be seen for miles and miles around.

Carnifex turned away from his ever increasingly embarrassed apprentice to face the Voivode, who looked mighty triumphant as he puffed his chest out at the sight of his walker's success.

"As you can see, my Emperor, these new walkers will revolutionize the way the Empire wages its war."

It was hard to disagree with the results, and while much more testing would have to be conducted before the Emperor was fully satisfied with the Voivode's newest toy; he was for the moment sufficiently impressed. "Indeed. These walkers are quite the treat, and the Empire will reward you handsomely for your latest designs, Voivode. I want the foundries of Kol Huro working overtime to manufacture more of these beasts." The Voivode bowed deeply, and hurried off to boss around his own subordinates to relay the message to Kol Huro.

Ash and smoke filled the air as the fortress continued to burn away to nothing, and the Dark Lord breathed in deeply of the destruction imagining the wars to come.

[member="Cle-Var-Ri"]​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective 5 BYOO: Her own research

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt the void bubble being projected by the ysalamiri wash over her. Such an interesting ability, and devilishly hard to study and isolate to figure out how they did. She looked forward to the challenge of figuring that puzzle out. The vornskrs would be much easier to study... and to dissect.

"My Lady, some of more... lesser members are expressing some disquiet about collecting ysalamiri," one of her Adepts muttered as they walked. "They seem to be under the assumption they should just be destroyed."

"They lack foresight then," she replied. "They are young, they will learn in time. Have initial readings been taken?"

"Yes, my Lady," the Adept responded. "Doesn't matter if they are awake or asleep, the bubble is constantly projected. Brain scans have shown some interesting activity, and we've been taking blood samples for analysis. Perhaps the midi-chlorians of the lizards might have a key to how they project their bubble. The vornskr subjects we have collected have been tagged, with tissue and blood samples taken. It shouldn't be hard to isolate their ability to hunt through the Force."

"Excellent."

That wasn't the only thing she had in mind when it came to the vornskr. She had heard the stories of the voxyn, even heard rumors they had been temporarily revived in years past. While she had no intentions of pursuing Vongshaping projects at the present, the stories did stick in her mind.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

OBJECTIVE: 4
Greater Krayt Dragon Hunt

The mighty fellbeast fell sprawled on the side of the dune with a heavy thud, throwing a cloud of sand up under its black form. Zhelen scrambled with wings and clawed feet to get out of its position of voulnerability before he was pinned. The greater krayt dragon was upon him. As the white-scaled beast's front feet landed back in the sand, it threw its hindquarters around to shift its position. As the enormous feet crashed into the sand, the tail - lance still embedded in its bulk - came lashing out in Ophidia's direction. Meanwhile, it's horn-crowned head reared in the direction of Zhelen, enormous teeth coming bare between the white, scaled lips.

When the tail came lashing from the krayt dragon's shift in position, it came swinging high. Ophidia knew that if it clocked her clean in the head, no helmet would do much to aid her. She ducked down, sand parting from her planted legs as the spikes flew just over her back, so close she could almost feel them. She darted forward, thumb ready to activate her sabre.

The greater krayt dragon lashed out with a bite against Zhelen, but the fellbeast had gained its footing and managed to step back. He shot forward in retaliation, trying to counterattack with a bite of his own, but the sand collapsed beneath his bulk and his teeth came just short. The krayt dragon lashed out with a clawed foot and batted Zhelen on the side of the head, sending the black beast reeling and screeching with pain.

As the two beasts fought, the white tail lashed twice more against Ophidia, as much in counterbalance as to threaten the Rattataki. When the first lashing came, she threw herself towards the tail, legs sprawling out behind her as she flattened herself in the air and passed just over the, still active, point of the embedded lance. A few steps closer to the beast's complete bulk, the tail returned and Ophidia jumped again, this time higher and not as far. She landed on the base of the krayt dragon's tail in a whirl of black fabrics, and her fingers grabbed on to one of the spines of the white beast's body.

The krayt dragon launched forward, batting for zhelen's head once more and rearing its teeth for a moment of exposed neck. One moment of error, and the fellbeast would fall, unless the Sith Lord could finish it first.

 

[Vaylin]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Outpost

Neither Vaylin or the other Sith paused for a second before they began running. Albeit they're additional reason was the Ysalamiri lingering up in the trees. Their screeches filled the air as the group hurried out of the jungle and across the open terrain that separated it from the outpost.

The creatures' effect was immediate, and even though they were fast, Vaylin could constantly feel the edge's of the Ysalamiri's nullification nudging at the back of her feet.

As they drew closer, the Zabrak noted a trio of the Vornskr were attempting to flank them, two at her side, and the third near the other Sith. She knew Morgan and Dante were lagging behind, if only slightly so they could provide cover fire.

Vaylin shouted something in Sith, alerting her comrade to the enemies tactics. With a sharp nod, the man grabbed his lightsaber. She wanted to use some lightning, but thought against that idea. Instead, she ignited one of her own blades and waited. The first Vornskr was shot down by Dante, but it allowed the second to leap for an attack.

However the beast met with a dodge followed by a swift slash across its midsection. At no point did either Sith slow down, the momentum; or the loss of it for the Vornskr sent their lifeless bodies crashing along the ground.

The Valkyrie quickly turned around after she had passed through the outpost's threshold, prepared to defend should any of the beasts manage to get close. Unfortunately for them though, Dante managed to get the door down just as a number of them slammed into the bulkhead.

Vaylin let out a heavy breath, immediately pulling out her commlink.

"Team Two, report in."

"We've reached the secondary entrance, we've got the lab in sight."

"Excellent, start forming a perimeter. And call in to Base that we need some backup." She paused to catch her breath. "We encountered a pack of Vornskr, and they've seemed to stir the nest."

"Understood. Makes sense of the roars we heard and why some of the Ysalamiri here woke up."

With that, Vaylin disconnected the call and turned to the rest of her group. Her eyes fell on Dante and Morgan specifically.

"Good work, now let's get this side of the outpost secure."

[member="Morgan Vance"] | [member="Dante Sotari"]​

 

[Onrai]

A familiar presence began to push at the back of her mind. It was someone she knew, but it was hard to place. She had not interacted for an extended period of time with the person, but she thought about for what reason they would be here. Probably the Vornskrs and ysalamiri. Who knew?

The presence quickly ended as she felt something leap on her, knocking her to the ground. She flipped herself over to see the vornskr having returned to assault her, tail ready to strike. She brought a hand to its muzzle, clamping down as she tried to simply send it to sleep. The creature weakened, then keeled over atop her. She looked at her arm - it had gotten a bit of a bite in. She needed to get bacta on it soon - but her mission, to acquire creatures for the Empire and for personal use, had been successful.

She needed to check up with some old friends.

 

[Kenth Typho]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle Outskirts

[member="Vaylin"] | [member="Dante Sotari"]

He side-eyed Dante while she was slamming the door shut.

That had been close.

Morgan noticed, even if nobody else had - courtesy of working together with her for a year now. It hadn't become a problem now, but if she didn't get it under control someone could get hurt. Feth. She could get hurt. "10-4." Vance retorted, before slipping further into the facility. The other team would secure the other parts of the facility while they were doing this one.

This was hard.

Why was it so fethin' hard all the time? He pushed it aside for now, there would be enough time to sort this mess out for himself later. Now they had to get their shet together and secure this thing.

:: clear :: As they swept room by room, it wouldn't be the last time that word got uttered.

 

[Dante Sotari]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Jungle Outskirts
[member="Vaylin"] [member="Morgan Vance"]

It wasn't hard to Dante. The drinking was the only thing that made things easier it felt like anymore. Morgan made it all harder on himself than he had to, as far as she was concerned. She hadn't asked him for help. Didn't want his advice. Weren't the times they had fun enough? She caught the side eye and ignored it. He wasn't her mother for feth's sake. He didn't need to be up her arse about chit. It'd be easier on him if he'd just do his job and not worry about her doing hers.

She peeled off to another room. They swept through the facility, one sector after another.

::Clear::

::Clear::

::Clear::

The heavy security doors and bars across the windows had done their job. They'd kept anything larger than an occasional rodent or snake following the rodents out. No Vornskrs here. The original builders had done their jobs well.

::Clear::

As the last call came through, Dante finally relaxed. It wasn't her op, but one going this smoothly was the best thing that could have happened now. A small salve after Thyferra. No one dead, hell, no one hurt. It was a good day.

When they got back, she'd celebrate with a drink.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

OBJECTIVE: 4
Greater Krayt Dragon Hunt

Zhelen was prepared this time, and his head curled down and under the krayt dragon's clawed strike, thanks to his long, flexible neck. The spines on the fellbeast's back and the pointed tips of his wings flared out like a mass of spears as he shifted his wings and powerful back legs in the sand for a different purchase, and inhaled deeply.

Meanwhile, Darth Ophidia climed up along the greater krayt dragon's back, her hands finding purchase between the thick scales and pointed spines of the vast beast's body. She turned the lightsabre in her right hand as she reached its middle back and pointed the muzzle down at the beast. She aimed for its heart.

Zhelen pounced forward, spreading his wings wide to confuse the krayt dragon, and extending his neck. His jaws opened wide, green fog rolled out over his tongue and trailed down between his teeth as his wing-arms grabbed on to the krayt dragon's neck. The white dragon reared its head and lifted itself up on its six hind legs to return the wrestle and bring a fatal bite.

The Sith Lord ingited her lightsabre and thrusted it with all her might into the krayt dragon's back. The bloodshine blade burned deep into its back, into its lungs, and touched its' heart with its searing point.

The dragon's open maw turned from bite to screaming howl as it tried to rear around and attack the figure on its back, but Zhelen's jaws locked down around the white beast's nose and spewed out a thick, dark-green mass of poison gas. The krayt dragon breathed deeply and as it reared further, the black beast clung more firmly to its neck, wresting it towards the ground.

Ophidia and Zhelen locked eyes, master and mount sensing each other in murderous harmony. The greater krayt dragon collapsed onto its side, drew two deep breaths as its eyes rolled back, and remained still.

"We got it"

 

[Vereshin]

Location: Desert Camp
Objective: #5
Allies: [member="Leira Rhys"]

As the sandtusker charged towards them, Vereshin yelped involuntarily and jumped behind Leira, delivering a swift push to her back and forcing her to fight off the creature. The sorcerer remained entirely capable of defending himself in the situation and only tested Leira to see how well she performed. He fed his power into her reach and conjured a surge of fire from her hands, incinerating the sandtusker and leaving him to her mercy. As much as he would not admit, Vereshin remained less averse to harming animals than humans. In a situation where an animal would most definitely harm him, Leira and himself had no choice.

"Very well done, Leira." The sorcerer said as he approached Leira from behind. She was still removing her vibrosword from the sandtusker as he rewarded her with praise. Cries from the desert camp echoed from over the dune and Vereshin's eyes abruptly widened. He sought Leira's advice and pressed onward, trying to keep up in front of her amidst the heat. As he caught up to her, Vereshin waved a hand through the air and blanketed the light making both of their appearances visible. The colours vanished and they disappeared from sight while creeping around the barriers of the camp.

Maddened guards with pots on their head and armed with makeshift weapons patrolled the boundary. Ten or so paced back and forward wielding stun guns and swords crackling with electricity. Too many armed the camp for Leira to take them out on her own. With a hand slightly touching her shoulder, Vereshin communicated to Leira to stay put while he rose to his feet. As the Acolyte waited, Vereshin strode forward in the sand, releasing his hold on the blanket of energy concealing his appearance to focus his energy elsewhere. The guards noticed him only slightly when he raised his hands.

With a release of energy, the five guards marching before him and the grains of sand blowing through the wind froze immediately in time. Grass and debris halted in mid-air as the wind itself ceased to move. "Go now, slaughter them. You don't have much time." While Vereshin held the spell in place, he commanded Leira to run forward and take out the five guards while they could not respond or fight back. Since his energy was dedicated to freezing the movement of the area, he did not control Leira through the Force. Vereshin chose instead to test her obedience and ability to fight at her own will.

 

[Vaylin]

Objective 1: Secure the Lab
Location: Main Oasis | Outpost

Vaylin had ordered Morgan, Dante and the other Sith to check their side of the outpost. While they did that, the Sith Knight focused on ensuring the entire complex had power and to find a terminal in which she could discern what exactly had happened.

One by one they moved through the facility, checking every room and every corner for any sign of hostiles or friendlies. There was never much of a chance of the latter, but no one was going to complain about the lack of the former.

Eventually Vaylin's team met up with the others, who had mirrored their actions in covering the other half of the outpost. Their report had indicated that a breakout had occured deeper in the facility, where the creatures had been locked up. Bodies of both staff, Ysalamiri and Vornskr were found, leading towards a single point of entry that must've been used by the surviving creatures to leave the outpost.

It matched with what Vaylin had discovered through the records, and summarily had that weak point covered twenty-four seven.

From there, the call was made to Base and reinforcements were dispatched. The much larger group had an easier time, the greater numbers and the knowledge of what laid in wait were invaluable assets. Any foolish Vornskr that attempted to ambush them, were quickly taken care of. Once a safe path had been carved through the jungle, defences were set up along the outpost allowing workers to enter the premises and begin rebuilding what had been lost.

[member="Morgan Vance"] | [member="Dante Sotari"]​

 

[Leira Rhys]

Leira sighed with relief as they began to walk in the opposite direction.

She pressed a button on her vibrosword and the blade disappeared into the hilt of the weapon. They began to walk, the farther they traveled the more Leira thought she saw specks on the horizon; A camp. She had no clue why Vereshin was walking right into civilization. She knew Vereshin well enough that they were not going for a benign reason. He was much too devious for that. It seemed awfully foolish of him to walk headfirst into an entire camp, outnumbered, with a teenage girl to defend him. She almost questioned him before he waved his hand, making them disappear into thin air. Shocked, Leira's eyes widened as she was taken aback and a surprised exclamation escaped from her lips. She knew better than to ask him questions even though she had a considerable amount of them; She knew it was his Force magic at work.

What the hell, how the hell, what the hell? Leira repeated to herself internally, her thoughts stringing together in a jumble of confused horror.

They entered the camp. Desert locals stood with their respective weapons, some advanced and some makeshift. She occasionally waved her hand in front of their faces; They were unphased. Totally unaware.

Another wave of Vereshin's hand froze them. Before she could spit out the sentence "What gives?" He offered her an explanation.

"Go now, slaughter them. You don't have much time."

That sentence aroused so much rage inside of Leira. He first had her kill animals and now he was having her kill people. People who were frozen and couldn't fight back. She felt her cheeks heat up, her fingers curled to make fists. Condensation gathered in the palms of her hands. She felt like baring her teeth and ripping his throat out. He was so, so disgusting, so evil, vile, soulless.

Before she knew it, her vision was red. Her muscles tensed and her knee bent. Her leg flew up--And she lived out her desires from earlier,

She kicked him.

In the nuts.

"Nasty bastard!" Leira yelled at him. Suddenly the spell faded, Vereshin doubling over and losing his focus on his surroundings. The people of the camp stared at the angry child and the doubled over sorcerer. Her face turned from red with anger to pale with fear.

"Uh oh." She whispered, almost inaudibly.

[member="Vereshin"]