Dominion Into the Unknown! - TSE Dominion of Zeta-09

[Vandra Zambrano]

New places to explore and with her mother and father on top of that? how could she ever refuse such an adventure, So much mystery around this monolith they went too and so much knowledge that could reside inside it to use and learn from as well as learn a trick or too from her family that she was with. She covered her eyes as the flash of light consumed them, next thing she knew she was awakening with everyone else she wondered how long they were out but she took note that her father was awake before them which was little to no surprise to her, She followed him down the ramp to see the beautiful view that laid before her.
''I wonder what we may find here father...what secrets to learn'' She was giddy as ever and excited to explore this new world.

It was filled with mystery and beauty yet there was an odd feeling to it and she hoped to learn what she can from this place incase they can never return to it after they are done here. This world was protected by that monolith for a purpose and it was time for us to uncover that purpose and perhaps find a more permanent way of visiting this world again and again. ''It i a beautiful place' She couldn't help but mention it.



Vigdis Zambrano Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Taeli Raaf Lark Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Darth Ophidia Kyrel Ren Kaalia Pavanos

 

[Darth Ophidia]

One by one, they dropped out of the meditation. Ophidia had decided to hold on for a while longer, and only in the end did she open her eyes. She saw the shape of Mortis only for a moment before they were all enveloped in harsh, white light. She stared into the brightness for as long as she could before she, like the others, faded from consciousness.

Darth Ophidia woke among them. Swiftly and quietly, she removed herself from their entanglement.

She turned half-way and looked behind the ship, curious as to the manner of their transportation from the deep of space, presumably through the octahedron, to this landscape. She had interacted with portals before, and experimented with their creation, but this was strange. Was this another plane of existence like the Netherworld, or had they simply been transported to another place in their own galaxy?

"We shouldn't dally about. We never know how the temporal shift will affect us." "Nor do we know that we are alone."

She looked at the other Sith; a variety of sizes, experience, and expertise. She nodded to the most obvious landmark, the one they all should have noticed by now.

"There is a structure."

Vigdis Zambrano Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Taeli Raaf Lark Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Kyrel Ren Kaalia Pavanos Vandra Zambrano

 

[Kyrel Ren]

He felt fear, a paranoia that crept up on him as they entered the portal that led inside what was known from his readings as Mortis. Never had he felt that fear consume him, while hearing the voice of one of the wives of Zambrano speak. He gave her a glare through that of his mask. All the while it masked the uneasiness that was clearly shown. He knew that Vader was inside the mysterious place. And while it felt amazing to walk in his footsteps. Something about the energy, the aura of the mysterious monolith had gripped him in a paralysis of fear. Fear he couldn't shake off. He still wasn't going to let it show in front of the Emperor. He was a Master of the Knights of Ren. He had a reputation to uphold as fleeting as it all may seem.

Entering inside, he saw nothing but what seemed to be what looked on most beautiful worlds. Yet saw that there was a structure. A tower on top of a mountain. Looking to the others a they landed. Stepping out, his paranoia wouldn't cease. He never felt the Force so strongly before not even around Fortress Vader. Yet he felt it shift. Dark and Light always a constant. It made him even more worried that the balance could be upset in this very place. It would turn to be unfortunate to them.

Wandering slowly with the group. Not having any idea what must come next. He said cautiously aloud to no one. "We must be wary... The Force feels... Strange in this place."

Darth Ophidia Vigdis Zambrano Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf Kaalia Pavanos Lark Darth Prazutis Vandra Zambrano

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Beer in Mexico
​

The yacht pushed forward into open waters where the jungle met the coastline, wide-open waters with a just wide-enough river behind them. Fiolette put on her sunglasses and let her hair down. She nursed the can of Bastion's best hops and looked out over the bow once more. She was doing her best to waste away another day, as the warm air pushed past her hair. The sounds of laughter and the sight of children splashing in the swimming pool on the main deck brought a smile to her face.​

​

This is what life was all about, making memories and spendin' time with the ones you loved. The Galidraani took a few pictures of herself and sent them to her wife Taeli Raaf and then decided she'd take a few more. She finished off the can of beer and went down to the lower decks and took pictures of the kids, friends, grandkids and their own family. Then there was another can of beer as she walked the main deck and let the warm air melt all her blues away. ​

​

She supposed she'd at least build with the environment in mind, after all - places like this were often turned into dirty polluted worlds. Profits and preservation could co-exist after all. A few moments later she snuck in a few cheeky selfies to send to her wife, rather choices one to encourage the woman to hurry up with whatever she as doin'. A hand through her hair as the wind brushed by once again, as the pristine yacht churned forward toward the setting sun. ​

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective II: Secure the coaxium.
Location: Isstol, approaching native settlement.
Tags: Aerarii Tithe
Post Number III
---

The bureaucrat was clearly out of his comfort zone, but he wouldn't have been sent unless he had something to contribute. Perhaps all he needed was a little push.

Gunship setting down in a clearing near the village they had decided to contact, its door slid open, disgorging a squad of marines who immediately began forming a perimeter - eerily opaque helmets flicking back and forth as sensor suites struggled to penetrate the thick foliage.

Stepping into the light and clearly signalling for the Treasurer-General to follow him, the Captain inhaled sharply. Fresh air, clean. Considerable biodiversity, too. A valuable world, even without the coaxium.

Interrupting his musings, the shaft of an arrow thudded into the ground between his feet, causing more marines to hurry outward, establishing a protective cordon. Raising his hand to prevent any rash behaviour, he followed to the gaze of his bodyguards, seeing a trio of colourful creatures emerging from the foliage. "Well, Treasurer-General. I suppose this is your time to shine."

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Location: Isstol, native settlement
Objective: II - Secure the coaxium
Allies: Captain Zeric Parcra
Post: 2


The Sith-Imperial gunship glided across the untouched jungles of Isstol toward the largest native village, the soon-to-be site of Aerarii's negotiations. Not that he was the first outsider to visit the planet - the gunships threat detection suite identified a private yacht cruising the planet's pristine waters. The vessel, which returned a valid authenticity code when challenged, appeared to belong to a loyal citizen of the Empire with close ties to the inner ruling circle. Private enterprises were wasting no time in their exploration of the world for valuable resources.

"Well most of my experience is talking to CEOs and trade minister, helping them to see the value of swiftly agreeing to the terms we've put forward without further question." The gunship touched down gracefully on a clearing just outside the primitively constructed village. With a hiss the door opened, exposing everyone to the humid jungle air as the marines established their perimeter. "Of course, having a Sith dread fleet sitting in orbit awaiting the outcomes of the meeting tends to swing them in my favour."

No sooner rather they stepped foot on the uncharted world than the natives gave their greeting, in the form of a single arrow which landed at the feet of the Sith-Imperial delegation. The bureaucrat gulped. "Believe it or not this is only the second most hostile welcoming I've ever gotten." It was still took soon to talk about Oorn Tchis.

The Treasurer-General took a few steps toward the local greeting party, his hands raised and held open in a sign of peace. "Greetings, ohh dear protectors of the forest. I come on behalf of a powerful people, bearing wondrous gifts. All we seek is an audience."

The Isstollans exchanged confused looks between themselves and jittered in a sing-song language which was beyond his comprehensive. He turned back toward the gunship, and the lone protocol droid they had brought with them "Did you happen to catch that?" The droid explained, in a convoluted and winding fashion, that the locals spoke a language which had no similarities to the seven million forms of communication the droid was versed in.

That was fine. The Sith-Imperial Banking Clan had provided him with a good supply of the only true universal language - money.

"Bring up the crates, we'll start with the shiny ones."

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective II: Secure the coaxium.
Location: Isstol, near native settlement.
Tags: Aerarii Tithe
Post Number IV
---

The man was used to negotiating from a position of strength, then? Unsurprising, given the nature of their Empire. It remained to be seen if the aliens were capable of recognising superiority when they saw it, or were too ignorant to know fear.

Narrowing his eyes as the creatures spoke, he wasn't all that surprised when the protocol droid failed to recognise the language. It was strange, like nothing he had ever heard, to the point where he couldn't even tell whether they were neutral or challenging, peaceful or aggressive.

Waving a hand at the crates, sending a pair of marines into motion, he too stepped a bit forward, hands raised nonthreateningly. "Baubles? Could work. Has worked more than once, I'm told. I assume you brought some technological goods, in case they are hard to impress?"

Worst case scenario, he supposed he could always give them his multitool. To such a primitive society, it might well seem nigh on miraculous.

 

[Lark]

Fortunately, Lark's bout of unconsciousness was as brief as the others. He rose quickly, following the trail of Sith into the mystical scenery of Mortis. He hopped of the edge of the boarding ramp, a brief but subtle hint of the childlike wonder that still dwelled within him, even after everything he had done. I've never seen a place as ethereally beautiful as this, he thought. Everything was overwhelmingly serene, from the gentle gusts of wind to the song-like ripples of water. Brother and sister would have loved this...

If not for the omnipresent pressures of the Force, it would have been the most peaceful moment Lark had ever felt. The more resplendent something appeared to be, the more sinister the secrets were. He would not waver in the face of any mountain or monastery, no matter how eldritch they turned out to be.

Lark walked alongside the Sith parade in mostly silence, as the shadow of the mountain began to engulf them. He couldn't venture to guess how long the ascent would take, but he needed to know what was hidden within the halls of that monastery. The specters that haunted his mind had some meaning, ones that he would discover.

And if this dimension of the Force refuses to help me, I'll tear my own way through in order to find what it is I'm seeking.

Taeli Raaf Darth Prazutis Kyrel Ren Darth Carnifex Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Darth Ophidia Kaalia Pavanos Vigdis Zambrano Vandra Zambrano

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

OBJECTIVE ONE
Location: Zeta-Zero-Nine

A Whiphid Raider doesn't touch down so much as lay claim to the ground. Ice shivered for miles, and again as the ramp slammed down. Velok the Youngest took a deep breath of the subzero air and promptly took off his outer layer of mastmot furs. "Too warm," he said. The rest of his hunting party chuckled and followed suit. It was a good day for contempt.

They hefted spears, slugthrower rifles, and automatic grenade launchers built for Whiphid hands. Apparently the Empire's puny human forces ( Nan'eth'illa Cara Dorniarn Karina Lowe) had already landed nearby on a similar mission: taking the rebuilt base, deep under the ice.

The Whiphids started to run, listening to the ice and feeling its reverberation. They homed in on the entrance to the facility with unerring accuracy and extreme hunger.

Humanoids might be puny, but enough of them could make up a decent kebab.

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

Bitter cold and biting wind; Cara liked neither. The armor she wore could only keep her insulated for a time, and arctic chill slowly crawled up the bare metal of her arms with a threat to soak deeper. The green cloak she wore whipped at her heels, its folds seeming to reach out to grasp the gray door that lay before the engineer. The portal was half submerged in ice, its lack of use dooming it to succumb to the icy growth. Current interlopers either failed to utilize this entrance or were ignorant of it entirely, leaving it to become a hole for pests to slink into.

Aidee whistled a few high notes over Cara’s shoulder. She shook her head then bent down to inspect the ice, “No big entrances. A surreptitious entry is only in our favor, I think we could all agree.” Muffled beneath the cloak was a dry click, followed by a glimpse of a robust vibroknife sinking into the ice surrounding the doorframe. Properly lodged, the thick spine of the vibroknife faced downward as Cara guided its path. The verglas covering the door shattered and sloughed away as its edges were broken, a sheet of which fell squarely on Cara’s head like a window pane. A binary chuckle squeaked from Aidee as it bobbed from shoulder to shoulder picking away the fragments, removing most of the excess before Cara shooed it away.

“There’s ice in the access panel. I’ve only a fusioncutter, and a knife could either damage it or set off any security systems that are active…” Words trailed off into a mumble the more she scrutinized the panel. They came back once her “diagnosis” was conclusive, “…but I don’t think it will matter as power seems nonexistent. Force it open,” She dusted off the snow from her knees, rested both palms to either side, and breathed a short breath. An icy spray formed a crystalline ghost as the doors flew back into their pockets. A narrow turbolift shaft, empty, industrial, and ending at an indiscernible depth.

Cara searched a pouch on her hip then removed a light stick, snapping it before throwing it down the tube. Taps and clatters marked its descent as it spiraled almost out of sight. The faint glow stopped around eighteen meters. Aidee hovered into the shaft and looked down, turned to Cara, then whistled a low tune. She gestured for it to get behind her as she leaned forward to inspect the structure. Aidee, becoming anxious from its fear of incredible heights, floated lower to the icy ground. Its green eye scanned the miserable landscape around them. Ice. Slush. Glacial groans. Whipids. Snow. Whipids? The grid in Aidee’s vision selected the creatures and zoomed. The long tusked snouts coupled with their hairy exterior confirmed it.

An eruption of binary startled Cara and she grasped the edges of the turbolift. She spun around to seize Aidee’s disc-like chassis, holding the droid in place as it sputtered intelligible lines of gibberish. The droid flickered a profile hologram of a Whipid face.

Cara scoffed, “I am not concerned about local fauna, Aidee.” The droid blurbed an alternate image, this time a full-bodied, clothed, and blaster wielding Whipid.

“That swine-faced animal is considered sentient? Ridiculous.” Her words were thick with revulsion and she let go of Aidee, “How many you say? Coming here? Very well. If they wish to meet it’ll be on our terms.” She looked back to the shaft and reached in, seizing one of two rods lining the back of the tunnel. She pulled to test its strength and, finding it sufficient, swung in a leg to secure some footing against the back. Aidee gave a panicked whine but dared not to interfere, its clamps attempting to cover all but three of its eyes. Cara threw in her other hand to grasp the rod parallel with the other, then proceeded to make her way down.

Tags: Nan'eth'illa Velok Brokentusk

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Beautiful.

The ramp of the ship descended unveiling the otherworldly beauty of the plane that was Mortis before them. The armored form of the Shadow Hand was second to descend the ramp alongside the Sith Emperor, unlike the other assembled lords he stood beside his nephew as an equal, a peer soaking in the beauty before them. It was one of the most beautiful sights the Lord of Lies had seen in quite a long time. Never did he ever think back on the old Thyferra estate that they would end up here, together, but here they were besides brothers and sisters of the sith immortal. The force was strong here, as if they were standing straight in the middle of a vast well. Yet he could feel the unpredictability and elusiveness of the currents. It was not known just how long they would be able to remain, which meant every second counted.

"We must proceed."

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

Nan'eth'illa @Cara Dornian

Far ahead, little humanoids were making their way down some aperture, a fissure or forgotten door. They'd probably get the nexu's share of loot and glory, but theirs wasn't the only way. Velok held up a fist the size of a human rib cage, and the Toglannoq hunters came to a halt.

<We walk down> he roared. <This way.>

A huge fissure yawned open nearby. The Whiphids, well used to glaciers, began the long descent. The wall of the ice canyon offered reasonable purchase, even for beings of their size. Their mass broke chunks free and slid down to dark water - and to the cybernetics facility revealed by shifting ice. Only part of it stuck out from the ice and the water. The Whiphids crashed down onto that portion in a shower of ice chips. Huge three-clawed hands tore at any available grip. Durasteel shrieked in terror. The Whiphids dropped down through the breach and got to work.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Location: Isstol, native settlement
Objective: II - Secure the coaxium
Allies: Captain Zeric Parcra
Post: 3


Two marines brought forward a midnight blackcamtono bearing the seal of the Sith Imperial Banking Clan, and placed the heavy container at the feet of the alien delegation. They activated the opening sequence of the container and stepped back to join their colleagues, and while their blasters were pointed at the ground, their fingers never strayed too far from the blasters triggers. On a more civilised world, The Imperial Mission, who were more accustomed to making contact with native peoples and less likely to blast the locals on sight, would have been responsible for such a delicate operation.

The eldest Isstollan stepped forward and examined the contents of the camtono. The piles of unsorted gems, precious stones and jewellery glistened in the sunlight, casting colourful reflections of every imaginable colours. The elder studied them for a moment, and after a quick exchange in his undecipherable native tongue, kicked the container over. The look of disgust he wore was universal.

He barked in the native language and pointed to the other camtonos arranged in neatly by the gunship.

Aerarii looked to Captain Parcra and raised his hands in confusion. "Maybe they have enough shiny things to go around?" It could have also been that the Isstollans didn't see value in the items. "Let's, ummm, let's try the glowrods."

The marines brought forward a camtono of small glowrods and offered them to the Isstollans. The elder examined the devices for a moment, trying to figure out its purchase. The Treasurer-General was just about to step forward and demonstrate when the native accidentally activated the device. He immediately dropped it and staggered back, howling and clutching his eyes - he had been looking directly into the device when he had activated it.

Immediately the other Isstollans raised their spears and bows and aimed them at Aerarii, Zeric and the marines.

The bureaucrat stepped back slowly toward the safety of the gunship, his hands raised to show he meant no harm. "Err, Captain ...?"

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective II: Secure the coaxium.
Location: Isstol, near native settlement.
Tags: Aerarii Tithe
Post Number V
---

That could have gone better. "Perhaps. A shame, but given the world's resources, a thousand times that amount would be put a drop in the ocean."

Caught off guard by the pencil-pusher straight-up giving the primitive a device before demonstrating its proper use, the Captain was just about to interfere... when the elder activated the glowrod, howling in pain and discomfort as the light blinded him. Karking chit.

"I'll take it from here." Tone calm, he raised his hands, flats outward, trying his best to communicate nonhostility...

(Yes, I rolled a dice. I'm crazy like that.)​

... and for a moment, it seemed to be working, until, that is, one of the brash young warriors hiding in the treeline surged forward, primitive hatchet crashing against the neck of one of Zeric's marines, the armour saving her life, though she was pushed to the ground by the sudden assault.

Within moments, the marines responded, a barrage of stun bolts crashing into the primitive with such intensity that his survival seemed doubtful. Things only got worse from there, both sides predominately dominated by veteran warriors who knew that every second counted, in a fight.

Jumping backwards, the Captain pulled Aerarii with him to the ground, narrowly dodging a thrown javelin.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Objective: Explore and Discover
Allies: Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Vigdis Zambrano Lark Kyrel Ren Darth Ophidia

It truly was a beautiful place, but it was definitely beauty born from no lifeform touching it in some time. Unspoiled and positively flowing with the energies of the Force, which likely explained all of the plant growth. The structure approaching in the distance, situated on top of a mountain, even from here looked ruined. She remained behind the Emperor and his Shadow Hand, both of theme expressing their desire to explore the ruin. The Ren with them was wary, and not without cause. No doubt they would each be tested in some way. It was the nature of such places powerful within the Force, and hardly any other place besides one was stronger than Mortis.

Even as they walked, the skies above were starting to darken, fast moving to twilight. Unnaturally so, the world sensed their presence already. Shadows lengthened, the grass beneath their feet slowly fading away. The trees began losing their foliage, a light blue glow coming from their bark. This was a world of balance between light and dark, and with their appearance, the delicate scales of Mortis were temporarily tipped.

"Always rushing into the unknown."

She stopped moving, falling behind the rest of the group. They wouldn't have heard the voice, but she knew it anywhere. She, even now, missed it.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Velok Brokentusk Cara Dorniarn

It had to be said: Between Cara and Nethil's cybernetics there was probably not much of a kebab to be had.

The Whiphids were not hard to spot as they clawed their way through snow and steel toward the core of the installation. And it appeared Dornian had found a hole to hide in or slip through as well. It seemed they were all headed for the same objective. Nethil found her own little entrance, an exhaust vent that had been sealed before the whole system was frozen.

Quickly, she traced out the corners of the vent, chipping the ice with her pointed, metallic fingertips. She closed her organic eye, then took a small torch out of her toolbelt and lit it. The bright, blue flame cut through the snow and steel with a furious hiss. Once the metal was weakened and loosened enough, she pried her metal fingers inside and pulled it outward. It complained, creaking and cracking as it bent inward and allowed the assassin to slip inside. Then, with a kick, she pushed it back into place.

The vent was tight and cold, but no worse than outside.

However, Nethil was used to manoeuvring such tight spaces. She had the tools and training to do so. Even in spite of her cybernetic replacements, every movement was soft and fluent as she climbed along with surprising speed.

Coming up to an intersection, she peered from side to side, considering which way would be shortest. Logic suggested the right, but something in the back of her mind wanted her to go left. She would need evidence, data, something to move on with. The young apprentice reached up to her cybernetic eye and pulled it out of its socket, then rolled it to the right. It picked up speed as it rolled along, then fell down, down into a shaft. There it bounced with a loud thud, then came to silence.

A red light burst from the disembodied eye as it righted itself and scanned its surroundings. Two floors down, the vent connected with a hallway and supplied it with fresh air.

"Fine."

She moved to the left.

 

[Vigdis Zambrano]

Objective: Mortis
Allies: Darth Prazutis Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf Darth Ophidia Kaalia Pavanos Ahani Najwa-Zambrano Kyrel Ren Vigdis Zambrano Lark

Vigdis walked one step behind her father, dainty fingers still folded into his gigantic hand. Her brow furrowed, hair tugged behind her cloaked head.

“Papa…” The girl-child stepped into the sun and found it pleasant on her face. Mortis was beyond any beauty she remembered, the scope of it settling on her mind in a hope of remembering each piece of it forever… but then, a small voice.

A whisper in the breeze.

“Do you hear that, Papa?” Her hand slid out of her father’s, and the teenager walked off the ship into the forest.

“Hullo? Vandra, do you hear it?” The music lilted on, a rush of lungs inhaling and exhaling. Drawing the teenager away from her father, away from the group. A fear of losing track of the apparition grasped into her and clung. The fear of being left behind again. Cast off, as her mother cast her off.

Left with no warmth or true safety until Papa picked her up and promised she would know loneliness no more. The apparition’s song shifted, more feminine, a gripping beauty.

“Where…” The grass under her feet faded and died off, trees losing their flowers and their leaves. Vigdis ran as the strains faded.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Go forth, my brethren. We mustn't tarry, I can feel the energies of this place shifting, changing... undulating like a tide."​

​

As if to accentuate the Emperor's words, the foliage around them began to decay and wither as the scales of the Force were tipped towards the Dark Side of the Force with their arrival. Though the Emperor would continue headlong towards the mountain monastery, moving like a destructive force through the landscape, the others were allowed to explore where they wished across the lands of Mortis. Undoubtedly they would face danger, personal challenges that would test their conviction of mind, body, and soul. ​

​

When all was said and done, and the Sith rejoined at the shuttle some indeterminate time later, it was clear that all were changed in some imperceivable manner. They all had faced the trials of Mortis and had come out the other side, though whether or not they were still whole could not be said. ​

​

Without much revelry, they boarded the shuttle and departed the lands of Mortis. When the light again took them and brought them back to the void of space, the titanic monolith which welcomed them had disappeared entirely.​

​

Gone as quickly as it had come.​

​

(To Be Continued~)​

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

Shifting ice and deep tides sent groans rattling through the facility. Shortly after the Whiphids tore their way inside, Velok gave the order to sling grenade launchers over big shoulders and focus on other weapons. His grandfather, Velok the Younger, had commissioned Whiphid-sized rifles too, not just the launchers. They were Hekler-Kok automatic slugthrowers, capable of cutting down enemies in bulk without risking the facility's structural integrity.

The cyborg warriors should have died quickly. They didn't. Personal particle shields held off the barrage of lead slugs with ease. What they didn't counter so well was Whiphid fists the size of human rib cages. The cyborgs died messily and promptly.

The goal here was technology acquisition. Therefore, the Whiphids started keeping bags of interesting parts - skulls with cranial implants, for the most part. A few of those were really all the mission needed.

The Whiphids headed out, somewhat happy but also unsatisfied. The cyborgs had been no challenge.

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

The seeker droid had locked its clamps onto the back of her armor and shut down. It was unknown to her how the droid developed a fear of heights of all things. It had been one of the many quirks the droid had developed during the span of 25 years. It should have been wiped years ago and reprogrammed, or scrapped altogether. A task Cara could never follow through with.

The light stick was beneath them now and Cara hopped down. She reached behind, arms contorted in an unnatural manner as she pressed the droid’s power key. Aidee’s green eye blazed to life, spun its chassis to check their location, then bobbed into the air with a happy whistle. Cara checked the floor below them and found it to be the top of a turbolift. She removed the fusioncutter then ignited its blue flame. Sparks bounced off the darkened glasteel of her helmet as the cutter carved a large half circle into the metal. Finished, she stood then reached with the Force, pulling up the tab. She slunk through the opening, landing with a thud heavier than expected. Both she and the droid waited, listened. The noise hadn’t, it seemed, alerted anyone. With a long breath she paused to meditate, extending her grasp to find any automated systems beyond the shaft’s closed doors. Only Aidee and the network of her suit were online. Besides that, the doors were the same as above and she manipulated them with the wave of a hand.

This wasn’t what she was expecting. The turbolift had been abandoned, but she didn’t anticipate the entire section. Water dripped from the corridor ceiling while exposed, dead wiring piled from broken wall panels. Light was nonexistent, provided only by the droid and her suit.

“Dismal.” Cara moved with a steady plod through the wrecked hallway, water passing the soles of her boots.“To think such a base has fallen into the grasp of halfwits.”

The water and clutter lessened the further she treaded through the facility, stopping ever so often to cross-reference holomaps Aidee provided. They passed many control panels, but Cara refused to access them, not yet. A sudden redirection of power could cause anyone with half a mind to be suspicious of their entry. Lights did, eventually, come into view. A shuttle bay, outfitted with long-abandoned Imperial maritime crafts, cargo and munition crates, and several aquatic ships unidentifiable to Cara. She directed Aidee to take a holoimage of the ships before crossing to another hallway.

Echoes of animalistic rampage caused the two to avoid one passage, and heavy metallic footfalls lead them down another. If there were killer cyborgs here Cara wanted to see them in person. Of course she would have her wish; a Skakoan escorted by two lumbering figures hastened into a room which thick doors sealed shut.

Cara fumed. It figured Skakoans were involved in some measure, as their hijacking and theft of ideas from brighter minds was their hobby. For this Skakoan, Cara drafted the plan to make its pastime terminal. The thick doors were impressive. Cara glanced to the locked control panel and set to typing away. Hundreds of years ago it would have taken mechu-deru to unlock the matrix. Unfortunately, such a matrix had in recent years been the example of how not to lock a system. Doors hissed as they flew back and a crackle of energy slammed against the molecular shielding of her armor.

Aidee hid behind a wall as Cara ran into the command room, bulldozing one of the cyborgs. Arms wrapped around the waist of the cyborg she threw him over in a suplex. He crashed into the ground and Cara snaked over him, straddling his chest as she wrenched his head in swift, mechanized motion. The cyborg’s arms flailed as if drunk, his finger squeezing the trigger of the turbocannon. Cara grabbed the cannon wielding arm and aimed at the other cyborg. The shots glanced off his body. The cyborg was too close, and as she swung an offensive blow he caught her fist.

“Oh—” He pulled backward, sending her to crash into—and dent— the raised holo display pad in the center of the room. She landed behind with a groan, raising her head to see the Skakoan engineer cowered in the corner of the room. The cyborg’s heavy thuds came closer to the display. Cara lurched to her feet and leapt forward, meeting the 2.5 meter tall cyborg face-to-face. Her hand caught both sides of his head while the muzzle of the turbocannon laid flat against her diaphragm.

“You’re mine,” the Sith glow surged in her eyes as she spoke, piercing his neural core to cut old commands and thread new. “And you’re going to do exactly what I want.”

The cyborg convulsed as organic remnants were overtaken by the cybernetic, slowly lowering the turbocannon from its target.

Tags: Nan'eth'illa Velok Brokentusk