Public Protectors and Destructors

[Taeli Raaf]

Sessile Spire Peninsula
3 kilometers out from the Super Construct

She was discovering that the Drones that made up most of the infantry of the Bryn'adul were not the problems. Sure, they had inflicted some casualties on her two legions as they broke out from the landing zone, but they had been slaughtering their way slowly forward. The Brutes were much more of a problem, and every time an individual soldier met one, they died horribly and required some of her Adepts to intervene or almost a full squad.

The big tank-like monsters that the men had discovered were called Rhivaks were an altogether different form of unpleasant. The beam attack had wiped out entire squads and even some of the tanks they had brought with them, and their horns and stomping feet could crush men even through their armor. Taeli rushed forward as one such beast tore through a division, a bellowing roar and a charging of red energy between the horns announced another blast of death through her troops.

As the creature finished its attack, and a Drone that tried to intercept her found its arms falling to the ground to meet its upper half, she flicked her hand, and a dark blast of energy struck the beast in its flank. The Rhivak turned its attention to her and charged, red glowing energy forming along its horns again. As the beam erupted towards her, she vanished into black smoke and reappeared above the beast, standing on its head.

And she drove her will down into its brain to dominate it... and with a bellow, she had it turn from her own troops and surge towards a cluster of Brutes.

She couldn't wait to study these beasts.

Velok Brokentusk Alessandra Io Grundark Arcturus Dinn

 

[Grundark]

It was strange perhaps to some that Grundark found the battlefield a perfect place for thought, but this was the clearest his mind had been in quite some time. Between adrenaline, and violent motions lethargy had left him, for the time at least. The surge of joy and challenge he felt on the battlefield which the Whipids were the perfect companions for. They were kindred spirits to his own people he felt, and one day they should met. Of course that meant going home one day.

Moving down low below a Drael's guard he slammed his greatsaber home through it's gut as he yanked it up. Already though there was another opponent as he took a quick moment to use the force to push away a nearby Whipid's opponent to give him breathing room. He could hear more then see Arcturus Dinn moving around like a blur with his knives and such. Come to think of it he probably should have asked why they were fighting, but Velok Brokentusk had sent a message just entailing it be a good fight.

Oh well, details.

It didn't matter really, these were details and for the moment he just needed the fight and a single moment with a clear head. A day with an enemy he could put his hands on and not just shadowed thoughts that whispered. Heaving his free hand back he struck a Drael in the side of his head wincing even in the force at the pain from what seemed to be a carapace. Still the shocked had served it's point stunning the creature for a half a second while he worked his saber inside his guard and took off a hand.

Refusing to give though the damn thing struck it's own blow pulling at his trunk in an attempt to take Grundark off balance no doubt. Yanking back up through the pain the Cragmoloid moved a tusk up into the creatures chest. Bastards were strong.

Taeli Raaf

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Though he kept tabs on the presence of the Cragmoloid, to avoid becoming lost from their makeshift herd, in that moment Arcturus had become singularly focused on the task at hand. Unlike Grundark there was little room for thought or consideration, he just continued his bloody waltz and amassed cuts and bruises of his own along the way.

When one big sweeping arm caught him in the midrift and sent him flying, Arcturus landed with a sharp expulsion of breath several feet from his friend and for a moment it appeared as though he might not get back up. Certainly it had caused stars to spot beneath his eyelids, and when he raised a hand toward his chest some of his ribs felt particularly tender. He spat blood, shook his head this way and that, and then forced himself back to his feet.

A steady rage began to bubble and boil beneath the surface as he licked his bloody lips and forced air back into his lungs.

Then he pushed off with his back foot and sprang into action. Lightsaber back in his grasp, he ignited it once more in a flurry of red streaks set against the sky as he charged at the creature who had swatted him like a fly. There was no method to the madness of his swings, just an unceasing desire to rend them limb from limb.

Grundark Velok Brokentusk Taeli Raaf

 

[Percival Io]

Percival was aboard the Harlock, en route back to Khemost after completing a special mission, when he received word of the slaughter on Kesh. He would be late to the party, but the chance to kill Bryn was too attractive to ignore. Using his technopathy, he issued a silent order to the pilot to re-route. There had been a change in plans.

"Acknowledged," the pilot replied over the intercom system. Unusual for a House Io vessel, the Harlock was piloted by an organic—a Wroonian named Theo Vathek. But then, the Harlock was an unusual ship among the Io fleet. Originally owned by a man named Alyosha Drutin, an old friend of Mother's who had been killed in battle against the Bryn at Sarka, the freighter was absolutely hideous to look at, sticking out like a sore thumb due its bizarre pirate-themed design. But Alyosha had left it to Laertia in his will, so to honor him the Harlock saw continued use in the extermination of the Drael. At the very least, it would humiliate any Bryn vessel unlucky enough to be shot down by such an ugly, ridiculous ship.

Other items that had once belonged to Alyosha remained stowed away. A suit of armor was among them. Percival was drawn to the flexibility of the design, allowing for freedom of movement, but he was unsure if it would be right to don the armor of a dead man. A consequence of the Chaplain's programming meant that while he was not inherently superstitious, he was far too knowledgeable of ghost stories and death taboos for his own good. Still, it was a fine suit... and perhaps Alyosha wouldn't mind if he wore it to protect himself against the Bryn.

Thus did Percival appear on the surface of Kesh, Theo dropping him straight into chaos. All around him he saw figures locked in battle. Mother was there, along with her Consort and the Amalgam; his brothers and sisters had already joined the fray, singing battle songs as they slew the horde. Others were strangers to him—an elephantine Cragmoloid, a boarish Whiphid, a red-haired Human. He didn't know them, but anyone who killed Drael couldn't be so bad.

Percival himself was unrecognizable behind his helmet. He looked like a ghost, save for the sword he wielded in place of Alyosha's spear. The Edge of Judgement glinted as it swung, cracking open the skull of the closest Bryn, and didn't stop there.

Alessandra Io The Battalion Velok Brokentusk Taeli Raaf Grundark Arcturus Dinn​

 

[The Battalion]

The Battalion, after snacking on more Drael-Burgers, had performed a minor Dark Side Ritual to empower all the Whiphid attacking the Drael. This made the Whiphid heal faster and become even stronger and they more easily began to take on the Drael around them. But she then got right back into slashing and stabbing right alongside Darth Xiphos, both communicating tactics wordlessly through their bond.

The Battalion's presence in the Force, almost as rotted as that of The Amalgam's, nonetheless had a curious fire to it that made it a guilty pleasure for Xiphos to bask in.

The Battalion, for her part, was drawn in by Xiphos's icy will and fierce enjoyment of combat, and understanding it more caused The Battalion to actively want to embrace it. She didn't let on too much, but Xiphos's idealism, however minimally, struck a chord with her.

When she had first been revived, she hadn't really understood why Amy was so obsessed with Maple and Laertia. What made them so special.

As she had gotten to know her, however, The Battalion had begun, subtly, in ways she hadn't noticed at first glance, to be drawn in to the cause. It frightened her on the inside, how much give and take they were starting to have with each other.

The Battalion dueled two Juggernauts, her absolute mastery of Makashi and Djem So allowing her to avoid the deadly fast, crushing sword attacks. She responded with her own swiftness and precision, matched with her own brute strength. The Witch met both attacks at once, guiding them away from her torso, immediately counter-attack with swift slices to the eyes, which one managed to block but the other was clipped partially in the face, but this only seemed to enrage him and he dived for her, trying to use his immense strength and girth to hold her down so he could beat her to death.

The Battalion floated up out of his dive attempt, evading the blow from a second attacker, and then immediately crashed her feet down on the Juggernaut's skull, making his brains splatter out from the sides and getting a rush of ecstasy as she felt his life snuff out. She then crashed her blade fast and viciously into her remaining opponent in a display of Xiphos-esque aggression, brutally smashing through his defenses, battering the weakpoints in his armor, out manuevering his retaliation attempts simply by virtue of being smaller and faster.

She took her time with him, feeding off his rage and growing despair as he watched the Annihilation of his people, even watching them get cooked and eaten on the beach as their corpses and live prisoners were actively dragged to the beach to be tortured and then put into a sandwich by the Model 2 units, no matter how young.

His people were supposedly superior to everyone, yet to their enemies they were nothing but cattle, having forfeited their right to dignity in their unrestrained slaughter of countless planets.

He redoubled his efforts, but he only delayed the inevitable by about forty seconds, eventually, the Battalion pulled an Obi-Wan, cutting off three of four limbs, leaving him a screaming mess as she continued to torture his flesh with the tip of her blade, searing his eyes off.

"Consort?" A nearby Model 2 asked. "The Whiphids are requesting more live meat. May I take this one to him?"

"Oh yes, go ahead!" The Battalion chuckled, tossing him the ruined Juggernaut, whose arm he immediately broke and dragged back to the beach.

The Battalion spotted Percival Io enter the fray, already cutting one open.

The Battalion, having already spent months in this strange cabal of Witches, genetic monstrosities had slowly gotten used to the fact that since she was for all intents and purposes Xiphos's spouse, that made her creations technically The Battalion's step children.

So that was why she didn't hesitate to reach out with the Dark Side to grab a Drone that had been about to charge him and crushed the drone into a ball of pulpy flesh and blood.

"Hello, Percival! Taking in the sights today?" The Battalion asked as she floated over to him. Of all Xiphos's children, Percival was the one she was most fond of. He was a hot head, a fire brand, and the one that reminded her the most of Xiphos. She liked his impulsivity.

Xiphos soon sensed her son also, and immediately teleported to him, having sliced a Juggernaut in half.

"Percy!" she said joyfully, absentmindedly ramming a piece of shrapnel through a Juggernaut's skull with Telekinesis as she walked up to him.

"I'm so glad you showed! C'mon, let's show these Drael why they should fear our family together!" she said, armored fingers softly running across her son's hair in greeting. Then she called out to one of the House Io Mercenary Droids.

"Samuel? Detonators please."

"Coming right up, Creator!" Samuel the Mercenary Droid replied, tossing her his grenade belt. Then he hefted his shatter rifle and continued firing.

"The path of the Righteous Droid, is beset on all sides by the inequities of the Jedi, and the cruelties of evil Drael..." Samuel muttered, blasting a few Drone heads off.

Xiphos began throwing those grenades like she was Willem Dafoe on a glider. The Battalion busted up laughing as Xiphos, in full inhuman looking armor, made exaggerated tosses and gestures as she did.

The Amalgam , having once more seized control of her body, was no less indulgent on Drael Meat than Phyre was, trollishly scarfing a Drael Burger as she watched Xiphos teleport Thermal Detonators to select points in the battlefield away from friendly lines. They would reappear over hoardes of drones and Risen and go off, blasting them to pieces. She called down lightning strikes from above to reinforce the catastrophic damage being inflicted. She also watched a Drael youngling getting roasted alive.

"Put pepper on that one!" She called out as she headed over to Alessandra Io .

"Hey, Alessandra, wanna bite? It's got pickles..." The Amalgam said teasingly.

 

[Percival Io]

Mother and her Consort were quick to greet Percival, their arrival heralded by the unceremonious deaths of the Bryn nearest to him. His blade decapitated a Drone, and he kicked the headless corpse away before whirling around to impale another that had charged at him.

As grenades started flying like snowballs, he took cover, tossing a few explosives himself. Grinning beneath his helmet, he turned to grab more from the pile... only to pause as he caught a glimpse of the barbecue. His smile slipped away at the sight of the youngling being roasted alive. Somewhere in the elaborate mental architecture of his brain, a touch of empathy had developed, at least where the young of any given species are concerned. Perhaps it was all the time he had been spending around Rebecca and her infant son.

His body gave a slight jolt as his programming reset, avoiding a clash of ideals. Mother was not participating in this degeneracy. Only the members of the Cult were. Yet House Io was allied with the Cult, and Mother had taken one of their members as her Consort...

This problem—the beginnings of an internal power struggle borne within the troubled circuits of a droid cursed with both undying loyalty and the ability to learn and develop as an individual—would have to be set aside for another day. For now, Percival left cover, crossing the battlefield to the barbecue. His blade flashed as he swiftly ended the life of the doomed youngling, just in time to overhear the Amalgam offering his sister Alessandra a taste of the Drael meat.

"I would not sully my systems with their filth," Percival muttered through the comms system, though it was not he who had been asked. Perhaps for good reason. "House Io has standards to uphold. We should rejoice in justice and in destroying evildoers—not take joy in inflicting suffering."

The Battalion Alessandra Io​

 

[Solan Charr]

This whole being dead thing, it really was not that interesting.

It had been some time, months? Weeks? Years? Decades? Honestly you really cant tell time when you are dead, when your home is slowly corroding and being torn up and torn apart. He honestly wondered if his spirit was kept in one piece in the afterlife... sadly though, that required he having made it to the afterlife.

That was the issue though, as his mind wandered aimlessly and without consciousness, he had not passed on and instead had remained in the very ground of the planet that he had sacrificed his very being to try and protect. Tearing apart his body had reduced his very spirit to a fragmented state that could not recollect itself or be restored. He had wondered what he would experience in death but to his surprise it had been like sleeping, the world going dark and him dreaming in a way, witnessing the course of his planet's life after his disappearance.

Of course, he could do nothing, at best he was like the wind, running over the surface of the planet, scattered and spread out over the area he had died in. That final use of the force, that last bit of his will having stranded him on those battle-scarred plains. It was likely he would never have woken up, he would likely have been nothing more than a forgotten piece of the planet had the fate of the Galaxy not changed again. In the strangest turn, the Sith had come to liberate the planet from those who had sought to destroy every last reminder of it's past.

Solan couldn't help but find humor in the situation, but after some thought he did remember that much of his life seemed to have that kind of confusing mix, his past as a Dark Jedi hanging around Jedi and the Republic, fighting for them over the forces of the darkside, struggling to do what was right even if he used darker means to achieve it. He never did succeed in creating a home for all those who needed one, for those who wanted to be away from the danger of the core and the empires who fought over those worlds. He had thought his little slice of the outer rim would survive without the need for such involvement... a private utopia created for that purpose.

Still, the renewed fighting, the return of those seeking to reclaim the home of the Keshiri People. Even if it was not to reform and rebuild the Keshiri Empire that had existed on the planet, it had caused the mind of Solan to stir. His spirit collected, anchored to the dead field that had been drained of life in Solan's last attempt to defend his home. Formed out of what seemed like smoke, the white haired man, who had aged so heavily in his life time would start to walk. His movements weren't quite physical, more a false replication of those things and instead he more correctly floated as he made a mock gesture of breathing in the air around him.

"This feels familiar..." It was all he said, the wandering spirit, the ghost king that had once ruled here looked out towards the South West, towards the volcano that sat at the end of the peninsula, some hundred miles away from Gyn which sat at the mouth of the Ragnos Lakes. He looked from that direction to the city, and to the trenches and destroyed equipment that had not been scrapped before closing his eyes and chuckling.

"How am I not surprised, and here I thought that someone would clean up after my little tantrum."

 

[Venn Kolis]

Taeli Raaf Arcturus Dinn Velok Brokentusk Grundark
PROTECTORS & DESTRUCTORS
Find the First Apprentice​

"By the Worm... it's like a nightmare."

Venn was tempted to agree with the young ruffian standing beside him. Together, they looked out the open bay door as the Adonis Transport raced above the shattered City in the Sea. Among the derelict structures of Gyn, two armies of diverse monsters clashed below the starship in messy and visceral combat. The mists of gore could be seen from even this height, coloring the air.

Bor held a hand to his mouth as if he could smell the carnage mid-flight, and Venn had to sympathize. Only a few weeks ago, the lad had been a Corellian speedbiker, a worthless gangster. Now he had a front-row seat to a battle that would determine the fate of Kesh. The first battle of many, Venn was certain.

Finally tearing his eyes from the scene, Bor turned to the Sith. "And you're certain that he's here?"

"Not really!" Venn called back casually over the rush of wind under the open cargo door. "But the word was that Arcturus intended to answer Raaf's summons, and it was the first decent lead we've had in a month. And aside from tracking down Dinn, I would have come here regardless. Raaf is a friend worth making; helps to begin with a good first impression. Plus, Kesh is a jungle planet with a rich history of Sith presence, and the natives traditionally ride giant winged beasts.... meaning it might as well be Onderon." Bor gave Venn an odd look at this, to which the apprentice added "I'm originally from Onderon."

Realization dawned on Bor's face, and the thug turned to gesture back into the shuttle's cargo hold. "And Onderon is where you got.... that thing?"

He was referring to the huge purple animal tossing around the rest of Venn's men like ragdolls, as the poor saps tried desperately to get a saddle on the thing. Its scaly body rippled with muscle, each beat of its great wings whipping up a gale that stung the eyes of all present. Protected by his helmet, Venn only laughed. "It hasn't killed anyone, so it's definitely just playing with them."

"Sir please, for the love of Akos, get this thing to calm doOOWWN-"

Eslo was cutoff mid-plea as he was brushed across the length of the shuttle by the Drexl's long tail, to tumble into a pair of ex-gangsters. Venn shook his head in disappointment. "C'mon, Eslo! You're Onderonian! Show these bikers how it's done!"

But despite that heritage, the hunter was having no more luck than his city-folk comrades, and as amusing as this show was, the shuttle was over the drop-zone. Enough games. Venn stepped forwards to raise his hand, and the Drexl stopped all flailing to lock eyes on the young Sith. Ever since acquiring the Drexl on his homeplanet, Venn had spent hours upon hours meditating in this bay, pouring his will and malice into the beast before him. The two were now attuned, but some part of the Drexl still wasn't sure just what his new master was capable of.

It was time for them both to find that out. Venn hoisted himself into the saddle, feeling the predator underneath him already straining forward, hungering to kill. Venn switched on his helmet's coms. "Well lads, wish me luck."

At this offhand comment, the hick beast-riders and punk bikers that made up Venn's crew snapped to attention. Their eyes hardened and they shouted a chant in practiced unison. "To rely on luck is to surrender to the Tyrant, Destiny! We must break our chains! The Sith are ETERNAL."

Under his helmet, Venn smiled proudly. So, there was some hope for them after all. "Good answer."

The entire shuttle rumbled ominously, and a collected voice came over the coms. <"Apprentice? The shields have weathered the hit, but we've been spotted. This airspace is now contested.">

"Not for much longer," Venn growled under his breath, and he seized his Drexl's guidelines. "Get the ship out of here! Double back and find the beachhead landing zone!"

<"Understood sir. Deploy safely.">

At the slightest nudge from Venn, the Drexl surged out of the shuttle and into the open air. Throwing open its wings, the beast screamed to the sky, and Venn thrilled at the familiar rush of power.

With a start, Venn suddenly realized the light cruiser he was flying towards was actually a flying wyrm with jagged fins and impressive teeth. Cannons flashed red from its sides, and the Drexl spun to avoid the incoming fire, hissing as a glancing shot burned its side. That thing was many times larger than a Drexl... but if it was alive, then it had eyes.

Urging his mount closer, Venn flew straight on at the thing, banking up and over the side of its head at the last moment. As he did, the apprentice reached down a hand from his saddle towards the Bryn monster. "Burn."

Flames exploded from the young man's hand to wash over the side of the thing's head, and its bellow of pain was so loud that Venn's skull shook in his helmet. Then the moment was gone, the burned maw had passed Venn by, and his mount was racing past the rest of the beast's long body. "Well, that was terrifying."

<"It's called a Ra'mak. A Bryn troop carrier. It's apparently hyperdrive capable.">
"Eslo?! How are you talking?"
<"I can hear and see what you see through your helmet. I also have access to the Sith Order's accumulated database on the Bryn'adul, and a tactical map of the area being updated in real time.">
"Sound like it's time I shut up, then. What've you got?"
<"The beachhead seems to be largely secure.... I have data suggesting they're holding a cookout in the middle of the battle? That's unconfirmed, and not important. The thickest fighting is down the peninsula: an amphibious assault landed just a few kliks from the Bryn superstructure, about two legions' worth. They're facing heavy resistance.">

Venn turned his mount so that he was facing the Sessal Spire rising in the distance. "Then that's where I'm going. Keep me posted on the status of the beachhead. We're taking this continent back- I don't care if it takes us all year." As he spoke, he gripped his reins tightly, and let his rage and certainty flood into his Drexl unhindered. With new strength, it raced through the infernal heat of a terraformed planet, screaming in fury.

For the first time in far too long, a beast-rider winged across the skies of Kesh, burning for battle.

​

 

[Aithne Charr]

Edric and Aithne decided that the dismantling going on in former Bryn territory was an open invitation to ensuring the return of their people and their father's kingdom... though they were rather poor at letting anyone know ahead of time considering the Keshiri People had been largely space faring in the years since their home had been lost. Using the old Keshiri Empire's fleet as the new home for their people, the fleet had been wandering deep space, keeping away from those who would see them harmed.

It had not been easy for the people of Kesh, not used to their new life of wandering the stars, learning to exist in a state that was no better than Refugees with no where to go. To say that a feeling of vengeance and a policy of Revanchism had taken over the leadership of the Keshiri people, the military and political groups that had run the society was being vague.

And at the head of that push were Edric and Aithne, the two of them wanting nothing more than to carve up the Bryn that remained on the planet. It was with that intention that the two of them had split up, Edric would bring the large amount of the Forces out of Hyperspace, a number of frigates and other ships arriving in a moment over the planet, the Keshiri fleet a mixture of old ships throughout history that had once made up the planet's defenses and defended the Empire's other holdings on the systems near it.

While Gyn was the target for Taeli and her efforts, the Keshiri had a different target as dropships came down towards the former capital of the planet. Tahv, the Glass City, the one that had been shattered by the Bryn's actions and the gardens that Solan had spent so much time cultivating burned and destroyed. The thousands of Eternal Mourners trampled and their deaths ensured.

While the Keshiri Army and Navy would be setting up and forming a FOB outside the walls of the city, assaulting it more slowly and securing the lands around the city, a number of Dropships and landing craft made for the City of Tahv immediately. The Umbra Class Dropship was the preferred weapon of the The Shadow Legion, the shock troops of the Keshiri Empire and the very ones that had protected the royal family in the final battle of the planet. Not many of the ranks had survived the battle, but in the wake of losing their planet, the Legion had grown quickly with the hate for the Bryn being a common feature of the Legion.

Aithne herself was with them, and her eyes remained closed as she felt the Gunship making its way down to the city, the sound of rounds bursting in the air near her ship muffled by the metal but also making the craft shake and groan each time it nearly hit them. She was not her brother, no her brother was a softer man, a kinder one... she by far was much more like her father when in combat.

The dropship would shake as it made contact with the ground, the doors opening and Aithne's eyes opening up as she glared. Rounds already came her way, striking a soldier beside her as they were assaulting the Palace itself now. She had been there when the Palace had fallen, when the shielding for the city had collapsed and these monsters had trampled over her Father's home. She grabbed in one hand the saber with its dark blue blade coming from it, and a crystal that her Father had always carried on him. These two weapons were her inheritance, her gifts from her father's final actions in transporting them to her in the moments before his death.

And with a hand rising, holding out the crystal in her hand, she let loose her rage and anger, dark energy leaping from her and latching onto the creatures firing on at her and her soldiers, a blast striking her in the shoulder as her face contorted in pain. That energy shot out, snaking into the chests of the creatures infront of her, draining them of their life and healing her as she would not see any survive. Aithne relied on the Gardener's Heart, this connection to her father and his final moments, this crystal through which he had crafted his beautiful gardens and developed life that had brought her wonder. It would not strengthen her abilities, but that was not the point... no it was a focus for her anger at the loss of her adoptive father, at having being robbed a family that she had been brought into.

"Exterminate these pests, I do not want a single one of these Insects alive... this is not their home, this is our home, and I will see to it that none take our home from us again." She spoke, her voice transferred across an open frequency for any in the area of Tahv... and with it the palace fighting would become a emotion fueled blind assault, none of the Shadow Legion caring about how they achieved victory, only that the Bryn inside Tahv were slaughtered to the man.

IF the Bryn would not let them live and let them have their home in peace, then the Keshiri would return the favor, first on Kesh, and later on the rest of the Bryn's old holdings.

And for those who were on the planet, the Keshiri would not fire on them, not interfere, but they were the enemy too if they intended to take from the Keshiri their home just as the Bryn had done. A fact the Keshiri would make blatantly obvious should any of these 'reclaimers' and 'liberators' would learn soon enough should such attempts be made.

 

[Dyyr T'Pada]

Location: The ruins of Gyn
Assignment: Control the advance of the Whiphid raiding party
Contingent: Shaman Battle group
Four Shaman Beast Tamers, one Shaman Beast Master
six Zealot Minors, one Zealot Major

---

"...What I wouldn't give to be down there..."

Dyyr T'Pada watched as one of the hundreds of Whiphid raiders down below blasted a Badurin Juggernaut apart with what seemed to be a freezing grenade launcher of some kind. He was viewing the battle from a few hundred meters in the air, high in the ruins of a building on the outskirts of Gyn. He looked down at the frozen carnage with longing.

As an Aeravalin, the standard temperature of a Bryn terraformed world required a life support suit to keep his body at a survivable temperature. The partially terraformed jungles of Kesh were survivable, but he still had to fight a creeping sense of lethargy. He watched his brethren below literally freezing to death and chuckled at the irony. He would probably have been invigorated by those weapons, which would've been a nice surprise for their wielders. Sadly, it was not his place to fight on the front lines. Not yet.

Given that he had officially completed his training almost a month ago and this was his first major deployment, he was considered a late bloomer among the Drael. He had been assigned to the contingent of a shaman beastmaster and was doing his best to make up for the time he had lost receiving extra tutelage in the force. The time he had spent in training had paid off, as he was far ahead of the prowess of many of his peers in controlling the beasts of the Drael war machine. Unfortunately, that prowess did not give him license to join the drones and juggernauts on the front lines. It did, however, give him a tantalizingly good view of the glorious battle raging below. Yes, he would give just about anything to be in the fray. If not to score some kills, then at least to cool off...

"T'Pada! Keep your eyes up! Another Ra'Mak is on its way down."

The officer's voice rang harsh through his mindstone. He had been assigned to guide the Ra'Mak troop transports in on their approach to refreshen the lines. He would much rather try his hand guiding a batteherd of Burmak, but his was becoming an increasingly important duty.

The Whiphids were a fascinating show to watch. There was almost no pattern to their attack except to hit as hard as they could muster. One pattern he had noticed was for a singular marauder to lay down a cryogenic barrage, then charge forward, ploughing deep through the Badurin line. The frozen soldiers gave the smaller Whiphids little trouble, but once their insulated comrades regrouped, the raging Whiphid would be stomped out quickly. This rabid attack strategy caused a steady retreat in the Badurin line, but with a new Ra'Mak bringing in reinforcements every few minutes, the battle could only last so long.

Dyyr squinted past the main lines into the beachhead the Whiphids had established to see if they were receiving similar strength. He couldn't see much, but he could make out several of them squatting in big circles around fires. They seemed to be eating... almost as if they were having a-

"T'Pada! I said eyes up!" Now there was frustration in his commander's voice.

"Won't happen again sir!" He turned from the battle and looked into the sky where, sure enough, he could make out another massive Ra'Mak making its way towards the hollow city. He reached out with his mind and spoke to the creature. "This way you floating slug, a perfect opening!"

The creature seemed reluctant to respond. Odd. It had been more difficult to convince the previous Ra'mak to disembark from the battle for another wave of reinforcements. After focusing in on the creature, he discovered that it wasn't reluctant at all, it was responding to a threat. Something was flying to intercept the Ra'mak. Dyyr scanned the skyline for a contender. He spotted a smaller beast flying on a collision course with the troop carrier. It certainly wasn't a Bryn beast. It was hardly large enough for a single passenger. Now he reached out to the newcomer. "What do you think you're doing, little thing?"

But the new creature didn't just deny him a response, he realized after a moment that he couldn't touch this thing's mind at all. He struggled and pressed until he began to grow dizzy. Something was locking him out! He threw down his mental effort in frustration, only to lose his balance and topple over. In the throes of concentration, he had shifted his weight unconsciously and lost balance. He cursed silently and looked back at his Zealot escort sitting a few paces away in the rubble. One of them was watching him with an amused grin. As he rose, his attention snapped back to the Ra'mak in the sky.

"Bring that thing down!" His thoughts barked up to the beast's mind so that it's weapons personnel would hear through their mindstones. The Ra'Mak gave a roar and its gunners opened fire from their mounted turrets. Dyyr watched as the intrusive flyer wheeled deftly in and out of the oncoming fire. It was closing fast. He wasn't sure what such a comparatively tiny animal thought it could do to a beast like a Ra'Mak, but whatever its plan was it was working. "If you can't shoot it then just-"

At that moment, the creature swooped to the side, making its rider visible. Dyyr hadn't realized the beast was mounted. The figure was small and wrapped in black. It didn't seem to have a weapon, but one of its hands was reaching out.

"-just... kill that thing!"

But it was too late. The beast was to close for the effective range of its support turrets. Just as the Ra'mak's jaws gaped open, the smaller creature balked and crested its opponent's lunging skull. And he lost sight of it right about then. As its mount carried him out of the mouth of death, Dyyr saw flames burst out of the riders extended hand. Dyyr watched, stunned, as the flames tore ravenous at the creature's head plating, almost as if they were too hungry to care about the wind shear, or the fact that the armor should've been fireproof. The Ra'mak had gone catatonic from pain and panic. As he tried to reconnect to the beast his commander spoke, this time with his voice rather than through his mindstone.

"Change of plans men! We've been recalled to the superstructure."

Dyyr spun to see that his entire contingent had gathered behind him. One of the Zealots asked the reason for their reassignment.

"We've received a report that a second force is making its way up the peninsula. One of our Rhivak herds met their advance but they weren't enough. We've been sent to cut them off."

Dyyr looked back up, but the mysterious flyer had vanished. As he waited for their redeployment transport, he pondered the flaming rider. Was that man cutting off Dyyr's influence on his mount? It had to have been one of those force wielders he had been trained on. That would explain the fire. There was more to this attack than a simple raid by fearsome frozen Neanderthals. Perhaps he would get a chance to prove himself after all...

 

[Venn Kolis]

Taeli Raaf Dyyr T'Pada Darth Empyrean
PROTECTORS & DESTRUCTORS
Join the Forward Assault​

Ahead, a great volcano rose on the horizon. To the right, the sea could be glimpsed as a glittering field of light. On his left, distant mountains stood tall and daunting.

And below? Carnage.

Streams of red and green plasma flew from the dark-clad troopers who marched valiantly against an army of hulking monsters. The assault carbines of the Bryn'adul thralls could be heard even from this height, as Venn's drexl glided over the battlefield on a buffeting current of warm air. Its leathery wings made a noise as it soared, like a warbanner in a stiff breeze. Looking down upon the advancing Bryn, the Sith apprentice poured his malice into his mount, hoping that the predator understood who was foe and who was friend; all Venn was detecting from the animal was indiscriminate bloodlust.

<"That is the Shadow Legion, and very little is publicly known about them. A report in the Kainate database estimates their number to be in the tens of thousands. Evidently, each member is sworn into the organization through some kind of ritual administered by Darth Arcanix herself. Sith magic. Details unknown.">

"And wouldn't you know it..." Even as Eslo was talking into his ear, Venn spotted an enormous Bryn beast turning about to plunge horns-first into the enemy's heavy infantry. Upon the thing's back stood a figure in flowing black robes and silver armor. As she left a trail of smashed carcasses in her wake, Venn whistled long and slow. <"Now, that is properly scary. It took her two seconds to subjugate that thing's will. I've worked with this winged menace for hours one-on-one, and it still ponders eating me.">

<"Darth Arcanix is not to be taken lightly. The current Galactic Alliance is basically the shattered remnants of the previous Alliance, which the woman brought down through insurrection and sabotage, almost single-handedly.">
<"What?!>
<"Well, ok, the Twice-Emperor may have lent a hand at some point, and that might've been two Galactic Alliances ago? Look, galactic history is a chaotic mess, but suffice to say Arcanix is a well-established power in her own right.">
<"Then I guess we'd better make a stellar first impression.">
<"Hasn't your master talked about her at all?">
<"Eh, Lord Maliphant doesn't talk much about other Sith; I'd never suspect him of feuding with any Sith (outside of those disgraces in the Maw,) but then again the man is impossible to read... hey, what's that thing she's riding?">
<"A Rhivak. Big organic tank, largely used for- KOLIS WATCH OUT!">

Venn's fear flooded into his drexl, and even as he jerked on the creature's reins, it was tucking in its wings to dive in a spin to one side. There was a bone-shaking thrum, as a red glow blasted up from the battlefield. The crackling cannon missed Venn's mount by a few feet.

As the drexl righted itself, Venn could sense it had been thoroughly spooked. The Rhivak's beam notwithstanding, he'd shared his own fear uninhibited; a foolish mistake. Emotion was a powerful tool, but only simpletons like the Maw allowed it to rampage unchecked.

<"How many of those damn things do they have?!">
<"Eslo, I can't get the drexl under control. If I deploy to the front lines it might kill a Shadow Legionnaire... or ten. I'm going in farther.">
<"Be careful.">

Flying over Arcanix, her troops, and the main fighting, Venn dove down behind enemy lines. His drexl crashed into a squad of Bryn drones, biting one in half as it's great clawed hands seized another pair and crushed them in bursts of fluid. With a wave of his gloved hands, Venn materialized a swarm of orange sparks in the air, and sent them flying after the nearest infantry. "Emberfly!" Each pinpoint of light exploded like a thermal detonator once it'd reached a drone's head, wounding if not outright killing.

The drexl seized upon the last of the enemy squad to remove its head. As Venn looked about him, great thundering footfalls came over the ridge. <"Incoming, boss. Could be that Rhivak that took a shot at you.">

The beast came over the ridge. It wasn't a Rhivak.

"Oh, karabast."