Piece by Piece - TSE Dominion of Hex AO-18

[Kev'vazulan]

OPERATION​

ACQUISITION​

Location: Kamarian Badlands - Planet Kamar
Objective: Track and Capture Live Bloodsniffers
Wearing: Appropriate Desert Attire
Tags: [member=Dubiety]

Ryder might've done a fair bit of research regarding the Bloodsniffers, but not enough to expect their decision to be uphill.

He took note of the commands Kahlil made, the violetblue eyes gazing upon the three figures heading towards the elevated ground. His gaze couldn't take note of their color schemes with clarity, Ryde rprompting instead to close his eyes. Through sucking in his lower lip, Ryder could let out an exhale which felt like a cold breeze in comparison to the humid, warm air of the Kamar Badlands. It allowed him to focus - not on his own breathing but the quickening cardiovascular rates of the mercenaries. He registered where their hearts were, and where their lungs were. He knew that he needed to differentiate them from potential Bloodsniffers.

Either the plan would go smooth, or the Bloodsniffers would be smarter with their camoflague than Ryder intended.

He had the same thought process as Kahlil did - they were expendable, and that was his plan B. At the end of the day, he was fully aware that Kahlil and himself could easily manage the Bloodsniffers as they are typically pitiful in battle from long distances, something which Kahlil was extremely potent at. Their close-quarters abilities were diminished severely when they did not have the moment of surprise, meaning that Ryder was a dangerous foe to them. A few mercenaries dying wouldn't jeopardize the mission - but it'd be useful to keep them around.

The grip around the wooden stick tightened. One. Two, Three, Four... Five. He felt the approaching figures that came from the left of his frame - to where the mercenaries were.

Ryder remained composed even when faced with the tormented screams of mercenaries being brutalized by reptilian-like beasts. His eyes remained closed and he kept his focus on the area. There should be at most three other Bloodsniffers present, excluding that of the pups. His head suddenly turned away from where the screams came from, the wooden stick being raised. He pointed towards the location of about twelve more signatures, guaranteeing that at least nine of them were defenseless pups. They were watching on another elevated ground, using their natural camoflague to gaze cautiously from afar.

His empty, dried palm moved to speak to his superior through the com once more.

"The Bloodsniffers went to the elevated grounds after all, which means they're not going to be able to escape once they realize what they've run into." Ryder let out a sigh of relief if anything - whilst it didn't go fully according to plan, he still managed to lure them out and he also managed to catch the Bloodsniffers off-guard. "Twelve of them are over there. Maximum of three adults. They stand no chance now that we know where they are. The other five will charge dead ahead when they see what's going on. The mercenaries will be injured at best, they won't attempt to feed until we're all weak." He rolled his shoulders back and took a few strides towards the hill where the majority of the adults were. He had a grin underneath the layers of clothing, staring at the Sniffers above the three now-incapacitated mercenaries, the Sniffers no doubt having noticed the other group's roundabout towards the pups.

Anyone loses rational thought when faced with distress, even tactical beasts.

"Care to join me in holding the line, Boss?"

 

[Darth Thuyrn]

Blaster fire streaked around him, a maze of deadly plasma through which he expertly bobbed and weaved between. Lithe muscles strained beneath wrinkled skin as Darth Thuryn lunged off of the durasteel walkway, somersaulting through the air, and landing in a crouch on a platform several meters down. Since his exciting free-fall drop onto the processing facility's upper levels, the battle surrounding the compound had only intensified even further as more and more Imperial soldiers managed to establish redoubtable beachheads on landing pads and isolated walkways.

But it was still not enough, so long as the slaves held sway over the interior of the facility they could hold out for weeks, maybe even months. And with the Emperor's decree that the facility was to be reclaimed, not destroyed, it was required of the assaulting force to clear the structure out floor by floor, room by room, until all resistance had been snuffed out.

Gritting his teeth, Thuryn welcomed the challenge. Another theater to prove himself worthy to the Emperor, another notch to carve on his belt.

Re-igniting his light-whip, the Pau'an Sith Lord slashed two long deep perpendicular incisions in the durasteel wall he faced. Placing his left hand at the center of these intersecting slashes, he summoned the strength of the Dark Side in him and blasted a hole large enough for himself to enter through the wall. Slipping inside, he found the hall he had infiltrated vacant and quiet, scorch marks indicating that the battle for the control of the facility had passed through here at least once during the slave revolt.

With caution, he began to advance deeper into the facility.

 

[Lark]

Objective: BYOO
Location: Kadavo
Nearby: None yet

"You are looking to buy, yes? Come, come! Normally our facility does sell this close to an auction, but I will make an exception for you, Sith. I cannot sell you them all, but if you come to the auction tonight you can buy to your heart's content, eh?"

Lark followed the greasy slaver through the mining facility. He was a short fat man with a raspy, curt voice, and looked more vermin than human. He's trying far to hard to be friendly, Lark thought. But any merchant worth their salt tried to be, no matter how forced it might seem. As they walked towards where the slaves up for auction were held, Lark gazed down towards a chasm where slaves mindlessly extracted precious metal after precious metal. Some met his eyes, begging for some kind of relief from the torment they were forced to constantly endure. But he did not meet their forlorn stares with any sort of sympathy. He only looked in case one of their faces sparked some recognition within him, to see if one of those lost souls were his siblings. It was an astronomically slim chance, but stranger things have happened.

"I'll attend your auction, if only to mingle with other buyers. But there is only one slave in the galaxy I'm after, and I highly doubt that you have her here. I'll have a look at your records, simply to see if she's ever passed through here." Lark said this with authority, letting the slaver know that he would not be challenged on the matter.

The slimy man squirmed. "I... I can let you do this. But many slaves have been here over the years, do you intend to look at them all? No, it will take you to long. Perhaps you can speak with other buyers, see if they know your woman?"

He's trying to dissuade me. And it was true, his sister had been kidnapped over a decade ago. That was a long time frame to cover. "I can assure you that I work quickly. And worry not, whatever other schemes you have going on are no concern of mine. I'll look through your records, and whatever is not applicable to my search will be ignored. Does that satisfy you?"

After a moment of hesitation, the man nodded. "Very well. This way." Lark was led to a room farther away from the mining yards, to a lone monitor. The slaver rummaged through a nearby shelf, and took out a disc. "You must understand our records are very limited per individual. Sometimes all we can get is a face. The auction begins in four hours."

A face is all I need. While the data began to load onto the monitor and the slaver left to prepare for the auction, Lark took the opportunity of solitude to search the rest of the room. He wanted to know if any of the buyers would be familiar to him, he had met his fair share of slavers over the years, and sometimes they could prove difficult to track down. He scanned through the list of names, and towards the end of the list, one name made his heart nearly stop.

Fii Chye.

The night Lark's brother abandoned him, he had left for a meeting with Fii. The two brothers were instrumental in her plan to smuggle some weapons off of Myrkr, and his brother met with her to ensure the plan would go smoothly.

So Fii, you're still alive. He settled down in a chair, and began flipping through faces, one after another. He had quite a few to get through before the auction began. But even if he didn't find out anything about his sister, this trip would not be in vain. Its been over ten years, Fii. I wonder if you thought that you'd seen the last of me. I wonder if you'll even recognize me.

Oh, how I can't wait to catch up.

 

[Cara Dalgas]

C a r a _ D a l g a s

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Boarding enemy flagship
Objective | Board and Neutralize Flagship

The Kimaris was barreling through hyperspace as all preparations had been completed for the oncoming operation. Transports had been loaded up, with both Cara's teams and standard Legionnaires. There would be a subtle shift in atmosphere as The Kimaris exited hyperspace to the scene of starfighters engaging each other as well as the Sith fleets engaging the enemy. The flagship had been disabled and left a sitting duck as transports began to disembark whilst The Kimaris itself began to maneuver to join up with the larger fleet. Transports began to fly through the void of space, the endless black interrupted by flashes of laser fire and explosions.

Cara stood inside of the dimly lit transport with a full squad of armored Dragoons as they approached the disabled enemy flagship. She would key her comms as she spoke to her Lieutenant on a separate transport, " Lieutenant Kaito, proceed with your objective. " A beep would be heard in acknowledgment as one of the transport peeled away from the squadron heading for the main hangar. The transport would open its doors as it glided just above the surface of the flagship, a series of shadowy mirages hopped out and latched themselves onto the hull of the ship with magboots, getting to work on cutting their way through the hull.

The squadron of SI - AIT fly their way into the hangar, blasting whatever fighters attempted to fly out to reinforce. The transports would hover for a bit, blasting anything out in the open and creating a clear landing zone as they opened up to disembark their troopers. Cara would leap out of the transport and land with a solid metallic thud, hefting her Autokrator Assault Blaster Rifle as she scanned the hangar for any signs of opposition. In the immediate vicinity were the burning, ruined wrecks of fighters as well as a number of wounded enemies that were either trapped or too injured to flee. Standard Legionnaires would begin to clear the hangar and put an end to the suffering wounded. It would not be long after their arrival that the welcoming committee would arrive, a number of enemy troops in an attempt to expel the intruders.

Whilst the Legionnaires took cover to avoid being blasted immediately, Cara and her squad of Dragoons lept into action, their large armored forms jumping above the wrecks with the assistance of jetpacks, blaster fire filling the air. Taken by surprise that the enemy had decided to full-on blitz them, the defenders were descended upon in a near instant as the Dragoons outright gunned them down. Cara would be at the head of the charge as she got within personal distance at startling speeds, grabbing the blaster and ripping it out of the hands of the wielder only to swiftly use it as a makeshift bludgeoning weapon that collapsed a man's ribs upon impact. In a fluid series of motions, she would bob and weave through blaster fire as she reached over her shoulder and grabbed SI-HB-2 Power Mace, activating it and using it to send her enemies flying as she shattered bones on impact and rendered many unconscious or outright killing others. The Dragoons had neutralized and wiped out the welcome wagon with the speed and ferocity of starved Nexu cats. There was minimal talk between the Dragoons as they proceeded further into the ship whilst letting the Legionnaires move to clear the ship at their own pace.

---​

[member="Amseth Typho"]​

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective I: Survive.
Nearby: [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Darth Banshee"], [member="Darth Thuyrn"]
Post Number II

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From the sound of it, it was hell out there. At least it would keep the rebellious slaves distracted, though there was a risk the fighting would move downwards as they were inevitably pushed back. Just more reason to vacate the premises as quickly as possible, he supposed.

Moving around the corner stealthily - or rather as stealthy as an over two-metre tall Epicanthix in a blatantly obvious Imperial uniform helping along a wounded officer could manage - he was finally struck by a bit of luck. Occupying a maintenance alcove was a pair of slaves, one tending to the other. Outside... was a dead Zygerrian guard. Definitely not unarmed, then.

Leaning his semi-conscious comrade against the wall with the utmost care, he inched closer, blaster pistol held tightly in both hands.

It took him three shots to hit, five to end his target's misery. If they hadn't been so distracted... no, he couldn't think like that. Pushing the nozzle of his blaster against the forehead of the wounded slave before the Rodian could reach a blaster, a look of sad determination entered his eyes.

"P... please. You don't have to do this!" Shaking his head sadly, the blaster never wavered. "Oh, but I do. Know that I am sorry, but I simply cannot risk bringing along a prisoner." A look of regret flitted across his features as he paused briefly. "I'll make it quick." Before the slave's eyes had even fully widened, the soft discharge of a blaster could be heard, followed by the thump of a body hitting the ground.

Now he just needed to figure out how to treat an arm that would likely need amputation with a basic medkit. One without a bloody instruction manual, no less. Karking Zygerrians.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Objective: BYOO - Kamar
Nearby: [member="Ryder Zeshatt"]

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"My my. Clever beasts." Dubiety hummed his response to his ally into the com, as if he was enjoying this all. And of course, he was. The Sniffers had proven to be a smart group of animals. Not enough to think several steps ahead, but if Dubiety and his group weren't here and this was the average hunting party, they'd have ambushed the ambush and sent all of the hunters into disarray.

Truly worth respect.

The Epicanthix gave a swift nod to the Trandoshian leader, who set off on his assigned task to capture the little ones. The Sith would deal with the adults who were surely on their way back to protect their young. He stepped in view of the cliffside, walking his way beside Ryder as he began chanting and mumbling under his breath. The black book rested in his hand as he curled his fingers in the other, pointing them for the ledge.

"S͉͈̫͍̭̯ͅṳ̻̠̞͍̱t̷̺̼͇͚̖t͍̫̹̞a̩͖͎̲̦ ̟́C̮̩͓̬̼̣̼͟h̀w̶̫it̵͙͇̗u͉̲̱̝ͅs̛̻̻̮ka̯͍̯̭̟̪̫k̸̺."

A sphere of darkness formed before his outstretched fingers, and with a subtle expansion of those digits he sent it flying forward. Near the side of the group the sphere impacted one of the creatures, then suddenly expanded. The Dark was palpable, as hate and anger flooded the area. There was nothing left of the creature the sphere had impacted, and the two beside it were charred as if burnt by intense heat.

The sorcerer then lowered his arm, glancing to his ally. "Show me what you can do."

 

[Kev'vazulan]

OPERATION​

ACQUISITION​

Location: Kamarian Badlands - Planet Kamar
Objective: Track and Capture Live Bloodsniffers
Wearing: Appropriate Desert Attire
Tags: [member=Dubiety]

Ryder also found a level of respect for the beasts.

He knew that they would become valuable assets for that of his superior, and in turn it would also benefit the Empire as they knew it. The beasts were cunning enough to handle men with conventional firearms, meaning that a mass-scale of them in a defensive position could become an incredible trump card for the Sith. They could be used to take down a portion of an invading army before they even reach the troops. They are quick to multiply as their packs are large despite being in a malnourished desert, meaning that the amount of Bloodsniffers lost could easily be replenished.

And with the way Kahlil described the potency of Sith Alchemy, there was no doubt in his mind that they could evolve from beasts - they could become behemoths.

The very thought sent a chill down his spine. They could become far more resilient. More physically powerful. The Alchemy could provide them newfound abilities. Their natural camoflague could become adaptable. Their size could be increased exponentially, or they could be made much smaller to be harder to spot. There was a near-infinite use for these beasts, and they would cause an upset within enemy ranks. They care for devouring whilst striking fear and agony into their prey - a perfect addition for the Dark Side.

Ryder was learning.

His eyes wandered towards his master as he conjured a spell. A spell of hatred, one which shook Ryder to his very soul. He felt the emotions coursing through his body just by being in close proximity to it, reminding him of the sensation he felt back when the two had first met. Kahlil was the cause of him making use of the Force for the first time, and as such there is a connection between of the two, at least on Ryder's end. The emotions put into these sorceries resonate with him almost perfectly, and as such he was frozen solid in place.

His body was only brought into motion at the sound of his master, the now violet eyes staring at the two approaching sniffers that survived the spell. He approached the figures darting through the sand and rock, dropping the wooden stick so that it hit the sand with a gentle thud. His shoulders rolled backwards and his posture straightened, emitting a similar energy to the one he had during their first encounter. Even if it would be for a few minutes, the spell caused his mind to be tainted once more...

And this time he wasn't going to be denied of blood.

His body charged forward in a fit of rage and what followed wa an intense battle between beasts and a man with the mentality of a beast. He was following his instincts, his reflexes giving him the ability to dodge a series of claws and pounces in a way which could be classified as non-human. He was focusing upon the two beings, his mind completely unaware of the rest of his surroundings. In his mind, the small space in which he was fighting at was surrounded by the void, the vacuum, nonexistance.

This is all that mattered.

His eyes flickered from left to right to look at the two, noticing a crack in the sky. He could see something approaching him before it even occured. And he acted upon it. His body sunk down towards the ground as the Sniffer to the right pounced forward, and began elongating its tongue. He memorized the imagery even though it was only there for a split second, his left leg sweeping along of the sand in an arc upwards, sending the other Sniffer upwards. The tongue whipped forth like a snake along a branch, before spearheading through its own kin, the tongue being sharp like metal.

The remaining Sniffer attempted to desperately flee towards the pups once it realized what it had done, leaving it without an advantage against Ryder. He grabbed the corpse by the tail, spn the body twice, and threw it towards the running mammal at a speed comparable to a thrown ball. It slammed into the Sniffer, causing it to tumble and throw up sand in a cluster. He jumped upwards to cover the distance, and landed on top of the two bodies with a huge crash.

The sand was spinning around of the impact point like a desert storm, and a set of gleaming violet eyes were seen glaring through it towards Kahlil. It was unsurprising, given he had just made use of the Force, and at this current point in time he touched upon the Dark Side.

"Satisfied, Master?"

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective I: Survive.
Nearby: [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Darth Banshee"], [member="Darth Thuyrn"]
Post Number III

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As it turned out, being drugged out of one's mind was preferable to being semi-conscious due to extreme pain. At least mobility wise.

He wasn't entirely sure what he'd pumped into the Lieutenant - those slimy Zygerrians didn't seem to put that much effort into clearly labelling their medkits - but she was trudging along, which was an improvement. He hadn't found anything to treat blaster burns, however, so whatever it was had to be bloody potent.

Returning his attention to the engineering station in the small alcove, he felt the urge to punch its designer. Preferably repeatedly. He'd only been in this miserable facility for a few hours, and he already longed for the cold pragmatism of Sith-Imperial Engineering. When he worked in the Corps of Engineers, he had prided himself on the minimalistic elegance of his designs. Everything had a purpose, everything was intuitive. This? This was just disgusting.

Even so, he managed to pull up a map of the facility. Insert the all-access code he had been given before commencing his inspection - thank the Emperor for that bit of luck - he found exactly what he had been looking for. A small hangar, hidden near the facility's bottom. No doubt meant to save the overseers, in case of a slave uprising. Only problem was, it was on the other end of the floor... and he didn't have any piloting experience beyond the mandatory emergency-piloting courses back at the Academy. Well, one problem at a time. First, he had to get them there.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Kamar, Badlands

As soon as the dropship opened and the light hit the legionnaires within, they rushed out with purpose.

On either side of their advance, giant machines of war trampled earth and dry grass under metal feet. The ground shook with every step they made, like a line of drummers, drumming the beat of war on the earth itself. It brought courage to the legionnaires as they raised their blasters and assaulted the villages.

The insectoid kamarians looked, and then began to run.

Some ran away, grabbing what they loved or felt they needed. Others grabbed weapons and ran to meet the Sith-Imperial force in battle. The kamarian weapons were surprisingly effective, but the Sith Empire held a greater technological edge. The first who fell were those just too slow in engaging their shields, and even then the solid-projectile weapons were only effective when they struck between armour plates. The legionnaires fired back, burning through carapace and flesh.

And then the cavalry unleashed their fire.

First, just a single shot. It tore through the air and crashed into one of the larger village structures, which erupted in a ball of fire. Then, the rest unleashed theirs, starting on the flanks of the village.

 

[Darth Thuyrn]

Light-whip crackling with latent energy, Thuryn rounded a corner into a large room. What was once the security center of the entire facility had been repurposed into the slave's command center, allowing them to monitor movement throughout the compound and direct action where need be. But these cretins had not anticipated a seasoned Sith Lord to infiltrate their defenses so quickly, nor could they recognize the minute signs of concealment that allowed Thuryn to bypass the security cameras so easily.

Now that he was in amongst them, he lashed out with his twirling weapon.

Slicing off limbs, Thuryn moved among them like a shadow. Legs were bisected below the knee, arms lobbed off at the elbows. Occasionally he would go in for the killing strike, heads falling from shoulders or bodies sliced in twain at the hip. But he was intent on keeping several of these vermin alive for his own purposes, as he sensed something was amiss within the compound.

There appeared to be a lack of a ringleader, as far as he could see. And the slaves couldn't have gotten this organized without some sort of leadership guiding their movements, which meant that he needed to question some of the survivors. So when the last combatant collapsed into a heap of diced meat, Thuryn turned to those he had so cruelly spared. Lifting them up with the Force, he twisted and contorted their bodies in agonizing fashion until their throats grew ragged with screams.

"Tell me, everything~"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Objective: BYOO - Kamar
Nearby: [member="Ryder Zeshatt"]

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"Good, very good." Dubiety gave his ally a respectful nod, an admission of his strength. And his progress. Was this how a master felt when those they trained showed more then just promise? Still, they had a job to do. He continued his walk forward, his black book closed and the staff now in his hands. More dark uttering not meant for humanoid ears escaped the Epicanthix as he raised the blood colored gem.

The two bloodsniffers that were sprawled on the ground began to glow the same red color as the gem. Tendrils of that aura reached to the staff, caressing the gem as the very souls of the creatures began to fuel the staff. Their corpses shriveled and dried, becoming naught but a husk, a shell of what they once were. Once fully drained, the ritual ended, the tendrils severed and the young Sith let out a sigh.

Relief.

The dark whisper in his mind spoke, approving of his feeding.

More.

"Soon, dark one. Soon." Dubiety muttered under his breath. Behind him the husks rose to their feet, stumbling after their new master. "How do you think the others fared?"

 

[Amseth Typho]

Objective: Objective III, crush the rebels
Allies: Cara Dalgashttp://starwarsrp.net/user/20466-cara-dalgas/http://starwarsrp.net/user/20466-cara-dalgas/
Enemies: Recusant Empire Forces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KxDZz45Aec​

​

Given how a Marr-class was familiar enough territory, Amseth's forces could work smarter, not harder. Trusting the forces of the Kimaris, the Square Hammer's shuttles attacked the more vulnerable regions of the star destroyer, attaching and breaching the boarding docks. Executioner Droids piled out, slowly advancing in a menacing phalanx. Their blasters lit up the hallways in front of them, cutting down any traitor who attempted to halt their relentless advance. The typical light firepower of crew holdout blasters and legionary blaster rifles did very little against the droids' shielding. As the lower levels were crushed by the Kimaris troopers, the upper levels were utterly decimated by the hammer of the High Tribunal.

And amongst them was Amseth Typho, comfortably striding behind his cohort of droids in his full armor. He had his saber, but kept from igniting it: doing so would be redundant. The Executioners could handle more than any threat. And true to his ethos of working smarter, Amseth had picked the executive boarding dock, the one closest to the bridge. In virtually no time at all, him and his cohort had made it to the rebel ship's bridge.

With a mere gesture, Amseth forced the doors to the bridge open. Following his orders, the droids began a slow systemic slaughter of the bridge crew, gunning them down where they stood as Amseth moved directly through the chaos and up to the arch-traitor himself. Before the Vice Admiral could respond, Amseth's telekinetic hand was around his throat, limiting his responses. He feel to his knees as Amseth confidently approached him and, relaxing the telekinetic grip, grabbed the perp by his head and lifted him up.

"Vice-Admiral [SIZE=11pt]Pielleo, I presume?" [/SIZE]He asked with a smirk.

 

[Kev'vazulan]

OPERATION​

ACQUISITION​

​

Location: Kamarian Badlands - Planet Kamar
Objective: Track and Capture Live Bloodsniffers
Wearing: Appropriate Desert Attire
Tags: [member=Dubiety]


The Trandoshan in charge approached his employer alongside the other men hired for the task of hunting down the beasts, having captured a grand total of ten different pups that were incapacitated accordingly. The Trandoshan had a devilish look underneath of the visor as it dragged along the two adults that were protecting the litter of pups, the mottled skin surrounding their heads flogged off, and their tongues and claws severed from their bodies. The Trandoshan was going to bring them home as evidence to his hunt - this would mean plenty of Jagannath Points, enough to get a hold of his first droid.

It delivered the status report in an excited fashion.

"Sir Dubiety" he called out, only knowing the employer's alias - if he knew who was behind the mask, he'd surely have used a modest phrase befit for royalty. "Ten pups at your service - I honestly thought we'd find four at most, given the rumors about them. They follow Ashkrik like none other!" He let out a hearted chuckle, truly in awe over their primal nature. "Will those ten suffice or do you want to get a hold of..." The reptilian eyes settled upon the thralls, causing the Trandoshan to freeze up momentarily. "... Of more of them, Sir? The more I get to kill, the better for me - we both benefit, Horont?" The Trandoshan donned a large grin before looking away from the masked figure, the jolly expression changing.

"Where did your Jahumba go?"

Tracks were left where Ryder once stood, footprints leading up one of the elevated grounds before coming to an abrupt end, his body nowhere to be seen.

​

OPERATION​

ACQUISITION​

CONVERSION​

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Location: Kamarian Badlands - Planet Kamar
Objective: Track and Capture Live Bloodsniffers - Attempt to Reason
Wearing: Appropriate Desert Attire
Tags: [member=Joycelyn Zambrano] [member=Jahangir Zambrano]

The pain of witnessing the actions of Kahlil had made Ryder's mind spin completely out of control, fuelled by lust for carnage. If he wasn't for his previous discussions with the Zambrano, he would have attempted to kill him on strike after seeing the beasts being brought back from the dead - but Ryder used the remainder of his self-control into redirecting his anger towards another target, far away from where his master was. It ended up with him in the middle of the desert, lashing out in th form of screams and meaningless punches into the sand until the rage quenched itself.

Awakening from his 'drunken' rage, he was staring at the sky with no clouds, hearing faint barking accompanied by scolding which silenced the noises. He rose from his position as he felt motions behind and above of him, glancing over towards a Kamarian Badlander that was accompanied by two tamed Howlrunners. The Kamarian was covered in robings that seemed to indicate it having a higher status, its body language showing caution, the Howlrunners flaring their fangs through the cartilage and bone which covered their heads. It had learned the basics of Galactic Standard thanks to previous visitors of the planet. "... Hail. Why you angry? What wrong?"

Ryder had simply dismissed answering the question, and instead requested he be told what happened. The Kamarian, who turned out to be a religious figurehead respected by many of the Badlands settlements, reluctantly complied. "You... Jump from hill to hill... Scream and destroy... Ground near village. Scare herds." His eyes widened at the mention of village and herd, having slowly moved towards another elevated ground, spotting the settlement the insectoid had mentioned. There were many of them standing outside of its perimeter, staring cautiously from afar. It made his previous anger transition to pity, as they seemed fearful. "I... I'm sorry. I was overcome with something. That's all.. I know I'm in no position to ask, but - Who.. are you?"

The native explained that he was the leader of the village which was a central location for the Kamarian beliefs. They were in connection with a few other of the villages who agreed that cooperation was more beneficial than continuous conflicts with one another, bonding through their faith. He also explained what the faith was; They called it the Cult of Varn. Ryder recognised the planet Varn, one with water. The Kamarian seemed to shine up immediately and explained that it was their paradise, where they would go once they succumbed to old age or by other factors.

All they wanted was to have water.

Ryder's curiosity was gnawing at his mind, his lips parting in order to speak. "What would you do if you'd get a hold of a lot of water? It seems to matter a lot." The Kamarian priest spoke in a dreamy tone. "We'd do anything! We be saved. So we'd owe lives. Our lives. And our small. And their future small. So on." Ryder listened intently, biting his lower lip as he was not ignorant compared to the Kamarian. They were primitive, so they didnt' know that there was water in abundance on loads of planets, and it wasn't hard giving them what they needed. "What if I can get you somewhere where there's water?" Silence. The Kamarian eventually found the courage to speak once more. "You'd... be savior. Prophet, God. We make up for it, for eternity."

---​

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Present Time

In the midst of the assault lead by the two Sith of the ever-powerful Zambrano Bloodline, the comlinks were being littered with different status reports across several villages of the Badlanders.

"Colonel Zambrano, this is KR1247 offering a status report. We have been met with no resistance, and it seems the village has been evacuated. Scouts have discovered footprints heading eastward. Orders, Colonel?"

"Colonel, RZ65243 reporting in. We have stumbled across a similar predicament. Prints have been detected heading North."

"Your Highness, there are no lifeforms present here on the northernmost strike point. Footprints heading South. Some came from the North. Looks like the additional footprints came from the mountain holdings. What's our course of action?"

It seemed as if some of the Kamarians were aware of the incoming presence of the Sith Empire, joining arms in order to possibly fend off against the incoming assaults. Given the reports, it seems the conflicting Kamarians had decided to settle their differences for a common cause, which was something most unexpected. It was eventually confirmed:

"... Reporting in. The Kamarian have joined forces at our location ahead of time. They are at least ten times the expected numbers, and they are lead by a Non-Kamarian in heavy robes proclaiming to be part of the Empire. He supposedly has a means of making the inhabitants of the planet willingly serve our cause, his only wish is an audience with 'the ones in charge'. Orders?"

 

[Cara Dalgas]

C a r a _ D a l g a s

---

---

Onboard the enemy flagship
Objective | Board and Neutralize Flagship

The Dragoons led by Captain Dalgas stormed the corridors of the enemy's flagship, gunning down any that stood in their way with brutal and startling speeds. They were an unstoppable juggernaut as far as infantry forces went, being able to stand in the middle of corridors and fire back at the enemy, unafraid of taking fire due to their personal shield generators. When one's shield would be nearly depleted they would simply pull back for another with fresh shields to take up the front and provide cover. The corridors were littered with smoking corpses as the chosen elite of Kor Vexen's legion. Cara would follow behind a pair of Dragoons as they began to make their way to the bridge. A doorway would open as Cara passed, a terrified defender tossing his blaster rifle to the ground as he raised his hands up in surrender, his voice quivering as he begged for mercy after having witnessed the fate of his comrades. Cara would look down at the man as she lifted her blaster rifle and maglocked it to her shoulder before turning to the man, towering over him in an imposing set of armor. Without hesitation she reached down to her thigh holster, pulling out her HPX-7 Heavy Blaster Pistol and leveled it to the soldier's head before pulling the trigger. The body would collapse flat on its face with a smoldering hole through their head as Cara holstered her pistol before speaking, " The Empire does not tolerate deserters that aid with high treason against the Emperor... "

Elsewhere on the flagship, Lieutenant Kaito and his team of Nightseers had sliced their way into the ship, having moved like ghostly mirages throughout the halls, silently executing anyone that was in the way of their objective; the main reactor room. The layout of the ship came as no issue to the team as two of the ships that made up the Gehenna fleet were Marr class as well. The team would pause as they reached the area of the ship that led to the reactor. It was under heavy guard as to be expected as it was one of the vital areas of the ship. Unlike the Dragoons, the Nightseers lacked powerful shielding to stand up in a firefight which is why they resorted to stealth. They moved unseen until they got within close enough range. A quiet set of beeps were heard that drew the attention of the guards. Seemingly from thin air, a series of canisters seemed to phase into existence after leaving the cloaking fields of the Nightseers, towards the feet of the guards. They would take one look at the canisters before the DAX-15 LIS Grenades detonated, releasing a thick blue cloud of smoke that not only blinded the guards but rendered their blasters ineffective. The obscure smokescreen was not a problem for the Nightseers however who had enhanced vision systems that allowed them to see through it. They lunged forward in the blink of an eye, running into the smoke and dispatching the guards in a timely fashion using vibroblades that were sunk into the vitals of the unfortunate. With the guards having been dealt with the Nightseers were free to go about their objective of laying out explosives in the reactor.

Cara and her team of Dragoons during this time had been busy clearing the shortest path from their initial point to the bridge. As they drew closer to the bridge signs of battle began to show as indicated by the trail of corpses that had been dealt with by Typho and his company of droids, letting Cara and her team move towards the bridge with little to no resistance, keeping pace with those already ahead. A dozen armored Dragoons were nearing the bridge as a series of beeps were heard inside of Cara's helmet, an indicator from Lieutenant Kaito that his team had reached the objective and were planting charges and getting ready to turn the Marr class destroyer into an exquisite wreck. Good. Half of their task had been dealt with, all that remained was the extraction of the Vice Admiral. Cara was determined to ensure that he was taken into their custody.

---​

[member="Amseth Typho"]​

 

[Lark]

After hours of scanning face after face, searching for any sign of his sister, Lark reached the final recorded slave. The woman was older than Lark, which meant he didn't even need to bother looking at her picture. If his sister was sold into slavery as he expected she had been, she had never been to Kadavo. Perhaps she was a slave for whatever gang took her. If that were the case, it might be nearly impossible to track her down.

But Lark would not let himself be deterred from finding his siblings. Fii Chye was at this auction, she might be the only person in the galaxy that knew where his brother was. From her, Lark could pry out some answers.

He walked into the auction, nodding to the slaver from before. He spotted Fii immediately, and he was brought back to his childhood, after his mother's suicide. Lark and his brother made a name for themselves on the streets, even though they were only children. Fii took them under her wing, and together with her gang they committed all sorts of heists and other jobs. Smuggling, thieving, drug running, they did it all.

Lark strode over to the bar, getting two glasses of wine. One white, one red. Then he casually approached his old boss, and his heart of stone did not beat. She was scrutinizing the slaves up for sale from afar, taking in every detail of their physique. "Has one caught your eye?" Lark asked, offering her the glass of white wine. "I'm afraid I haven't quite located the one I'm looking for."

Fii didn't recognize him right away, but she took the wine anyways. "Sorry kid, you're a bit young for me. And if you're looking for work, too bad. I don't hire just anyone, no matter how pretty they speak. I'm not searching for any opportunist who thinks a glass of wine will win me over." She took a sip, and narrowed her eyes at him. "How'd you know I like white wine?"

"That's all you ever drank," Lark said softly. "You could never stomach hard liquor, and the stench of beer put your teeth on edge. All of the reds we ever had were too sweet for you. That's one of the reasons you hired me. I noticed things that most others don't. Small quirks, that sort of thing. And then you discovered my talent for weaving together pretty words."

Fii's eyes widened as she put together who Lark was. "It's been a long time," he continued. "Nearly a decade ago, you saved my life. Have you forgotten already? About the brothers under the bridge?"

Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes glazed over in shock. "Dear god," she quivered. "You're alive?"

"That's right, you do remember. It's me," Lark smiled. "Let's talk."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Objective: BYOO - Kamar
Nearby: [member="Ryder Zeshatt"]

---

---

---

Dubiety clicked his tongue once he learned his partner had left. Odd, that he would run off on his own. That needed addressing, and soon. He didn't bother with the com, Ryder was most likely going to ignore any attempt to contact him. Instead, he simply nodded to the hunters. "Bring the pups to my ship. I must find my associate. If you find more, I'll be glad to pay you for each pup, all of you."

He nodded again, then turned where he stood, his staff in hand and the thralls still following him. He'd follow the com, letting the signal help guide him as he otherwise used the Force to find his friend.

 

[Delaney Wilder]

Objective II: Settle disputes by military might.
Location: Kamar Badlands Settlements.
[member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]

He smiled briefly when it became clear his ploy as it were had gone unnoticed.

The one that killed the most, would pay the drinks.

It didn't take any pride away from him. Knowing that Joyce would be more successful in that regard. It was simply the way of things. She was a warrior, born, bred and through fire for it. This was presumably why their father had allowed her to ascend as Princess of the Empire. It did not bother Jahan. Something told him that being Emperor would be more problematic for him, than that it was truly worth. A life constant of struggle and strife. No one you could trust and always looking over your shoulder.

No, thank you.

Instead Jahan would simply try and affect change from the inside. Politics. That was where his heart was. "I hope you brought yours, Joyce." He murmured, before the plain white mask settled over his features. The two Vahla priests settled behind him after they completed the act.

Reverently.

The mask was unadorned, but there came an influence off of it.

Jahan breathed in, raised his hands and summoned the Force within. Immediately the young man was hit by that same feeling of nausea. It gurgled from a pit in his stomach. Like he had swallowed something wrong. Something that was truly spoiled. He ignored that feeling. Instead Jahan channeled it through the mask. It cleansed the fire within. Air broke around his fingers. They shattered into licks of flames. Nowhere near the river of fire that Joyce was summoning.

But it was enough.

As they joined the fray small balls of liquid fire burst away from his hands.

One after another, catching targets as they sped away. They burned cleanly through flesh and lower metals. Men and women dropped in the face of it.

"Let there be peace," Jahan whispered ironically. "One way or another..."

 

[Darth Thuyrn]

The Force wrapped around him like a cloak, shielding him from the ignorant eyes of the slaves as he cut them down in the halls. A brief gust of wind followed by a slave suddenly falling to pieces in a shower of steamed blood and gore was all that marked his passage, most slaves not even realizing that they had died when the Sith's light-whip cut through their flesh as if it wasn't even there. Though he would've preferred to take his time prolonging the agonizing demise of each and every upstart slave on this planet, his haste was well-justified.

He had learned from those slaves he had spared that the ringleader was planning to detonate several powerful explosives at the base of the facility's stabilizing cables, which would result in the whole place tumbling down into the dormant volcano.

That was unacceptable.

So he ran, pressing his legs to go faster as he navigated the interior without hassle. Any slave he encountered die, their remains left to rot in his wake. It wasn't until he neared his destination that he did slow, still concealing himself with the Force as he crept along one of the upper walkways to peer down at the assembled group. They were all tinkering around what looked like several explosive devices cobbled together into one big explosive.

It looked like they were still working on the priming sequence as he gracefully lowered himself down to their level, snuck up behind them, and in one swipe killed all of the unsuspecting slaves with his light-whip, their bisected corpses flopping to the ground in an awkward bunch. A wave of his hand disassembled the ad-hoc super-explosive, and Thuryn was free to continue onto the next location.

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

Objective II: Settle disputes by military might.
Location: Kamar, Badlands Settlements.
[member="Jahangir Zambrano"] [member="Ryder Zeshatt"]

She had missed it, his little reversal of their typical deal. In her head there were manoeuvres and possibilities, as well as the everpresent whispers of the dark side. Then again, she had always been more of a doer than a talker, and quips were occasionally lost on her. What was not lost on her, however, was the sheer enjoyment of spreading fire to living flesh. The village she and Jahan were hitting was most definitely still populated, as proven by the steadily growing piles of bodies. Each was a sacrifice to Vahl; a soul delivered to the destructive goddess on a plate of cinders.

The living flame she summoned streaked forward, slipped into buildings, and grew to blazing infernos before skipping to another. Those who exited were met by more direct force: By Jahan's beads or Joyce's fiery lash, the insectoids fell in droves. Fleeing or fighting, it did not matter.

Legionnaires on speeder bikes had circled around to cut off the escape, and this was but one terminal of assault.

"Colonel..." "Colonel..." "Your Highness..." "Reporting..."

She tossed a broken body aside before taking a moment to respond.

"A servant of the Empire?" She sneered in return, clearly displeased. She ground her teeth as she forced down the rage that fuelled her. "Fine, I will grant them an audience."

A wrench thrown into her carefully laid out plan, by one within the Empire no less. She had half a mind to court martial whoever the individual was, and have them flayed as a warning not to meddle with her affairs. Then again, she knew she was under the influence of Zaudraka. It gave her rage, power, but at the loss of control and self preservation. That was why she was careful about using it.

To vent some of her frustration, she picked up one of the kamarians as it was crawling away, and held it up to her own face. As it scratched against her armour, she summoned the fire of Vahl to burn in her hand and heat the carapace until it cooked what was inside. Once it was crisp and brittle, she closed her hand and felt it crumble beneath her fingers.

"It seems someone opened the path of diplomacy after all." She looked at Jahan.

No doubt he would enjoy that. It was curious, in her mind, that he had not done more to work with the Imperial Mission. They seemed to share his sentimentality.

Joycelyn and Jahan would not trek off personally to the audience, the logistics of that switch in command would be a nightmare. She did, however, send a small group of legionnaires with Major Yaitzun Okaas, and small, mobile droid with a holoprojector to project her image during the audience. She would see what the droid saw on her own droid, once they both were active. It was fortunate she had brought them to negotiate kamarian surrender and submission to the Sith Empire.

"Keep your coms clear, but not stop the attack until I give the order." She rid her commanders of doubt. "They have not surrendered yet, and some villages are actively resisting."

The group were sent by gunship, the fastest way for them to travel in atmo.

 

[Zeric Parcra]

Objective I: Survive.
Nearby: [member="Erin Tenel"], [member="Darth Banshee"], [member="Darth Thuyrn"]
Post Number IV

---

---

---

As it turned out, while being lucky was all well and good, it only lasted so long.

This time, he was the one caught unaware. This time, he was the one taking a bolt of energy to the chest.

Groaning, he tried to push himself upwards but fumbled in a manner most unbecoming of a Sith-Imperial officer. Fortunately, that meant he was still alive. Unfortunately, the trio of burly slaves squinting down at him seemed determined to do something about that. "Idh... suheg... akh." That... hadn't gone quite as planned. What in the Emperor's name had they shot him with? Consciousness fading, he desperately tried to put together what he knew, what he had guessed, but it was so hard. Thinking was so hard. Maybe all he needed was a nap.

---

"... commander ... worth more ..." Shivering, he struggled to push through the fog surrounding his mind. "... too big ... you can ..." Drifting in and out of consciousness, Zeric desperately tried to remember. To remember what was going on. Where he was. Why his chest hurt. "... gone bad ... if she dies, we won't ... need a hostage."

"We can keep her alive until then. Can't be too hard. Surely, even they want their own alive. They'll make the trade. They have to." He remembered... but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to. For now, all he could do was feign unconsciousness. Whatever they had shot him with clearly hadn't been designed with an Epicanthix in mind, so that ought to give him an edge. Now he just needed an opportunity.