Rakata Balls (Lords of the Fringe Dominion of Rakata Beta)

[Sargon Vynea]

The curved walls of the Rakata temple were beautiful to behold, but this was not a reflection of the spirit of the Rakata people. They were a people at war with the galaxy at large, each other, and even themselves. They lived with the same dream that every known Rakate colony before them has, the rebirth of the Infinite Empire. Its a fate that has almost completely passed them by, a forgotten legend amongst the people of the galaxy at large.

The people of Rakata Beta though had yet to relinquish this dream, and were not about without a fight. To any outsider Rakata Beta looked like a paradise world, vast jungles dominated the ever warm super continent, and the oceans held a particularly deep shade of blue in their depths. The eyes were easily deceived though.

The truth of Rakata Beta was far crueler, and the souls of its people twisted into true evil. The voices of slaves wasn't heard on Rakata Beta, more from fear of being noticed then the lack of pain and hardships. The noticed on Rakata would often find themselves stripped of flesh by the teeth of the hungry Rakata. A hunger that went deeper then the blood and sinew they swallowed so greedily. It was a hunger for a pain they couldn't bear, and it was like the loss of their very soul. To this day they could feel the lose of the force within their spirits. Like a rip in space in which nothing could exist, but neither could the Rakata heal while the pain remained.

Such is what brought the delegation of Rakata to the capital world of the Fringe. They exited hyperspace with a small armada of warships, but their design simply didn't work with the modern technology of the galaxy at large. The limitations of the Rakata people lay in the fact that some of its best minds never would have a chance to ponder these schematics over. The priests held what little power remained to them greedily, and that included the power over the shipyards technology.

The ships were therefore no threat to the full might of the Fringe, but it wouldn't have kept their warriors from attacking for one moment. To call the Rakata a savage race was to misunderstand a keen point. Their glory had come to ruins and their honor destroyed. This had created a constant need in the people who had ruled the Infinite Empire. They did have one final hope though. One mad plan they were willing to chance anything for, before the last light of hope left their dark hearts.

A single Rakata stood on the bridge of the lead ship while they others worked diligently. The warrior caste ruled aboard the war ships, it was simply their domain, but this day a priest held the command. He was tall for a Rakata and not quite as thin as the average Rakata. In the warrior's caste it would have been a sign of weakness, but to the priests it was a sign of how high he had risen. His skin color was a dull gray that he thought looked imposing with matching clothes.

Waiting a moment for the build of interest inside the Fringe fleet, and capital he finally opened a channel. “This is the Enlightened One of the Infinite Empire, we seek the one known as Grand Admiral Shira Karrde. We bring gifts, and an offering.” He could here the near growl like undertone from the warrior caste around him, but they would be silent. This was their last hope of being whole again.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"This is Grand Admiral Karrde."

The holodisplay depicted a woman entering mature years, wearing rough and defiantly non-military attire. A warrior, not a soldier. An iconoclast over things that really didn't matter. She sat in a throne, a special command chair on the bridge of a Star Destroyer. The Chimaera stood sentinel over Annaj, the capital of the Fringe Confederation, along with a good-sized defensive force.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Enlightened One. I, too, have gifts I would offer in friendship to the Rakatan Empire." She was making that up, naturally, but she could do fairly well on a moment's notice. Derriphan's Eye alchemical blades, dripping with Sith Poison. That kind of thing. Shiny but inconsequential. "I would be pleased to hear your offer, Enlightened One -- now over the holocomm, or at your convenience, aboard my vessel or yours, or on the planet below us, as you wish."

She held all the cards and outgunned him about three to one. She could afford to be friendly.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer waited in the shadows near Karrde. She remained quiet thought the meeting it wasn't her place to enter the conversation. Taking a deep breath she remained calm and remained ready if she was needed to act. Admiral Karrde was good at this and Spencer took notes. Closing her eyes she pressed the masked against her face and remained still.

 

[Darth Torment]

Isis watched as the life like depiction of a rakatan came over the holo-display as she was a guest on karrde's (@[member="Ashin Varanin"]) ship and watched as they interacted, she did so from the shadows as her training had commanded her to do, as she reviewed the meeting she made sure to hide herself from view and observed them speaking to each other.

It was such an awesome site seeing the admiral speak diplomacy, it was something Isis had no affinity for but something she respected nonetheless and as she waited for the meeting to close to an end she observed and made sure the conversation stayed friendly on the side of the Rakatan...hers was a mind forged of wars and she was a master of stealth and deception yet this day she remained a guest and an honored guard to Admiral Karrde herself.

(OOC: Sorry Ashin, I didn't think you'd mind much)

 

[Sargon Vynea]

The Enlightened One smiled at the holocomm, it's sharpened teeth showing in a manner that other species would have found intimidating. It had no illusions of its position against the might it saw before it, but it also had no doubt that if he could bring about a true rebirth to the Infinite Empire, then this wretched rabble would be as nothing. This was not the time for that, but he wouldn't be cowed either, he was the High Priest of the Rakata. “We of t he Rakata prefer personal interactions, as a show of our hospitality we invite you and your mate to dine with us, and we shall treat you with to an honor we would only treat a Rakata.”

The Enlightened One continued his cruel smile at the holocomm, it made him sick to treat something not Rakata this way. There was no choice in the end though, and so he would welcome the Fringe aboard and offer them gifts that had never been offered in the history of Rakata, if they would met their prices.

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]
@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Admiral Karre nodded. "Enlightened One, I accept your gracious invitation. My wife and I will join you shortly."

As the transmission ended, she rose from the throne on the bridge. "Hope you packed something fancy, Yun-Harla. @[member="Isis Fontana"], please accompany me as an honor guard. Let's meet on the diplomatic shuttle in half an hour, shall we?"

She had just the dress in mind, too.

***

Half an hour later, the shuttle containing her, Spencer, some nice gifts, and Isis, settled down inside the hangar bay of the lead Rakata ship. Her dress was, as it happened, the same one she'd worn to the Red Wedding on Eshan.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer smirked and she nodded. Excusing herself she left the pair and headed to change. Only moments later she followed behind Karrde. It would never get old hearing the woman calling her wife. The mask remained plastered on her face and the tight black dress clung to every curve of the young blonde. An eyebrow raised as she noticed the dress the older woman was wearing. Quickly her face blushed and she knew exactly where she had seen it before.

"Nice choice on your dress Karrde"

Her smile showed her appreciation and her arm slipped gently under Karrde's. Staying close she let the woman lead for once.


(Will hyperlink at a computer http://us.cdn282.fansshare.com/celebrity/photos/934_dianna-agron-black-dress-black-hair-2027460372.jpg )

 

[Darth Torment]

Isis had watched as the conversation was indeed civil and went off without a single disrespect being shown as she watched the admiral get off her seat Isis strode over confidently and after given her orders she put up her cloak and then walked out of the command chambers of the ship, Isis went to her guest room and placed on her spandex underneath her warriors garb and then took a new robe fitted with a specialized cloak and placed it over her body, she then grabbed her saberstaff and equipped it into the inside sheath of the robes, taking her twin sabers she let them dangle loosely off her belt and then put on her high heeled knee high boots with a pair of gloves that helped with her grip, she then placed on her mask and placed the robes over her face. (She looks the part of an assassin)

Afterward she fastened the leg holsters and placed her dual recon rogue pistols on them and in her belt she placed extra mags for the pistols, as she equipped herself she made sure to put on her wrist casters that shot out stun darts and then walked out of the guest room and headed for the drop ship, she entered it and as soon as the ship landed in the rakatan ship she exited first to make sure it was all clear, without speaking she nodded the o.k. and then waited for them to exit and waited as she was merely the body guard to ashin this day.

 

[Garza]

DELETE

 

[Sargon Vynea]

The Enlightened One met the Grand Admiral and her party at the end of the main hall's dining table. Theatrics were in full display, but so was memory of the glory that was the Infinite Empire. The dark gray Rakata wore his full robes, the collar spraying out like an ocean wave in every direction. It flowed down to his feet and there the stain was a darker color. Upon closer examination one would notice that the stain was no simple dye but stained from the blood of a thousand lives extinguished on the cold steps of the temple.

The table itself was long enough to seat fifty on each side and rounded on the corners. The wood was of an odd grain of wood, some odd spots seemed to be an odd pale color. It was beautiful and another hidden depravity of the Rakata, the bones of slaves lovingly pressed into it. It created a design of death that one could see clearly from the ceiling. The bones were all that remained of Rakata tribe. Considered by to weak in their wish to simply give up on the Infinite Empire. There were tales of colonies of Rakata who had done so but not here. It would never be allowed on Rakata Beta.

The table itself was surrounded on one side by the priest caste, and the other by the warrior caste. They didn't mix and their hostility towards one another was open in their glare. They kept their peace for the moment however, for when had any nonRakata been brought to their table, and not been dinner? The room itself was surrounded by Rakata warriors their thin bodies covered in their ancient styled armor.

The weaknesses of the Rakata were simple in this manner, they simply hadn't learned to move forward away from their glorious past. 'Welcome, Grand Admiral. If you would please sit we shall began the evenings entertainment.”

With that he snapped his smooth skinned fingers and a dozen of the Rakata broke off from the wall and using a small latch opened the end of the table up. They filed into the center with precise efforts and when they had spread across the entire interior simply turned to face one another and stopped. “Shall we dine?”

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The Astral Horizon dropped out of hyerspace, bringing its hulking form to rest at the side of Karrde's flagship. Its 4 kilometre long form housing the souls of over 60,000 Fringe personnel, all under the command of a single man. Lord Admiral Dranok Lussk strode from his personal tactical center to the command bridge, hoping that his staff would have a solution for the current situation. What fleet the natives wielded sat in front of the small Fringe armada, their weapons no doubt poised to fire if they moved a single inch forward. Yet, they wouldn't. The Lord hoped that whoever was in command was smart enough not to fire upon the flagship of the Fringe Navy, a flagship that wielded over 1,880 heavy guns alone.

A young Captain strode to Dranok's side as the Lord Admiral paced forward, "Sir, the Chimera has commenced boarding. They're going as diplomats, sir." Dranok nodded in acknowledgement, "Prepare my shuttle as well. We'll merge behind them and accompany the diplomats." The officer gave a salute and left to prepare the Lord Admiral's personal shuttle and notify his bodyguard, Horak.

---​

​

Minutes later the shuttle was launched from the belly of the mechanical beast and on its way into the hangar of the foreign vessel. Dranok wasn't surprised, it was Karrde and Yun-Harla's style to show up personally. So, with Horak at his side, Dranok left to meet with them.

(OOC: Assume I show up minutes after Karrde and Yun-Harla do.)

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Oh...my...word.

Few occurrences left Ashin Varanin nonplussed. In the minds of those present she felt a confirmation of the truth she'd guessed. The Rakata were the meal. Student of Velok though she was, she had never eaten the flesh of a sentient being, of any kind. It wasn't cannibalism as long as they weren't human. It was still...wrong, a word she didn't use much.

But there was nothing else to be done, and so she looked at the Rakata she was supposed to eat, tried to get a sense of the mind behind the wide-set eyes. She found a normal person, much like a Fringer, toughened and inured to violence. Not an innocent, no more than she was. She glanced over her shoulder as @[member="Dranok Lussk"] entered the room, and her eyes caught Spencer's gaze. Her mouth set in a thin line, and she turned back to her...dinner.

It lunged at her, maybe sensing weakness. She met its momentum with a bone-shattering palm, grabbed its face, and Force Drained the life from it over the course of several heartbeats. The Rakata sank to the floor, and she knelt, drawing her Derriphan's eye to carve a slice of flesh from the being's arm. She cooked it with a thought and chewed, standing.

That would have to do.

 

[Garza]

I sat in the shuttle in a rather nice Suit. I didnt want to carry weapons, but I always carried my Magma saber and chain if need be. The chain wrapped around my waist like a belt but more as a decoration and easily taken off with a flick of my wrist. my saber was inside the jacket pocket ready if need be. Sitting across from the Admiral I kept my head down as we were taking a trip to Rakata beta. Here the Lords of the Fringe could have a chance to meet with the ancient race that could possibly help in out endeavors as a faction, and as people over all. I looked at @[member="Dranok Lussk"] who had his body guard that happened to be here. I kept a close eye on him however.

I pulled out a Kolto cigarette and lit it with a snap of my fingers. The flame danced on my finger for the stick of addictive herbs to lite up. Every body was getting ready for the ball that was to take place. However I was wondering how I would dance with the strange creatures. let alone make eye contact and not stare at their..... teeth.

Only then did I try to keep my lunch in after I saw that what we would be served for dinner.
OOC: bam done

 

[Mercy Raxel]

Dressed in a black dress that looked as though it were painted to her skin, hiding everything and yet nothing all at once, Mercy waited patiently for her cue. She had been hired to perform for some event, the specifics were of little importance to her, but her boss had made one thing clear. This was to likely be the biggest job of her life. Staying hidden from prying eyes she reclined in a plush chair, a bored expression upon her lips as she stared at her perfectly manicured nails.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer's decided to follow suit and attempted to attack her. The woman didn't move an inch but her "dinner" shook and then fell back holding his own throat. In a moment he fell limp and blood dripped from his eye sockets. Spencer looked over towards Ashin as the woman ate a bit of the guard. Her nose wrinkled slightly and she leaned toward Ashin and whispered quickly.

'The hell am I supposed to do....I'm a vegan I don't eat this stuff. Though Velok starved me till I did....'

She looked at the body in front of her and she signed. It looked like she was going to starve tonight.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The trip was uneventful, @[member="Morna Imura"], a Prophet Knight, decided to tag along as well. Dranok didn't mind, he knew the Knight and noticed that he was well beyond capable enough to handle himself. However, the Lord noticed that he tended to keep a close eye on the HK-51 Assassin droid, dubbed Horak, sitting at Dranok's flank. Before he could reflect on the observation, the shuttle touched down and the doors dropped.

---​

​

In minutes, Dranok, Morna, and Horak found themselves in the presence of ancient Rakatan warriors and two of the Big Three. Both of which were dressed finely, Karrde making a move forward to effortlessly drain the life of one of the warriors. Dranok frowned at the sight, weren't these so-called warriors supposed to be aggressive and good fighters rather than savages. In spite of the current scenery, Dranok merely planted himself next to Yun-Harla with Horak at his side.

"Pathetic creatures." He muttered under his breath.

 

[Garza]

I followed everyone here as I sat down at the long and very..... disgusting table of food. I smiled at Dranoks comment about them being savages. I shushed him slightly not wanting the hosts to get mad at him. I bowed my head slightly and was the first to talk. "We thank you for this offer in a meal. However, we generally do not eat other sentient beings." I tried to be polite as I didn't want to scream "We are not fracking canables!!!!" I tried to hint at that we may want other food as this was not so..... delectable as I, or others here, would like.

@[member="Dranok Lussk"], @[member="Spencer Jacobs"], @[member="Ashin Varanin"], @[member="Sargon Vynea"]

 

[Darth Torment]

Isis watched in disgust as the others killed and at the weirdo creatures called the rakatan, she almost vomited when this happened and then one got in close and she force pushed it against a nearby wall... she was not about to just eat one, she couldn't could she?


As Isis watched they continued to come so she did the next best thing and force pulled one and shot it in it's head and then watched as it dropped lifeless to the ground, as she continued to watch she knelt down and stripped a piece of it's flesh and took a bite to find it tasted worse than it smelled.

 

[Sargon Vynea]

The Enlightened One smiled lustfully as he watched the Rakata die. He yearned to bath in their blood and rip the flesh from their bodies with his teeth. This was amongst the greatest honor available to be given the flesh of a Rakata warrior. These were no mere slaves to be thrown away like the dirt they were, and yet the mate of the Grand Admiral had. The Enlightened One choose to keep silent on the subject. Their ways were weak and there was no need to point that out further.


With a sudden snarl the Enlightened One leaped upon the Rakata in front of him. The pure rage of thousands years of empty torment came out of him as his teeth closed down on the warrior's flesh ripping the hot tissue from the living warrior. The entire room erupted then, as much a feeding frenzy as pure unadulterated aggression poured out onto the warriors who were chosen as their dinner. Their fury knew untold depths, like the burning of the sun it consumed their beings as the hate they felt for all the universe for what had been stolen was brought to the surface.

It was as much a bloodbath as anything else and when the feeding was done the Rakata were covered in the blood of their kin. They made no efforts to clean themselves off as the overwhelming hate slowly calmed inside their hearts. This was the power of the Rakata Infinite Empire, they had fallen so seduced by the dark side that no amount of violence would ever quell their wrath. No amount of power and death would satisfy their hate.

As the Enlightened One slowly felt his the rush of blood in his veins slow he turned back towards the new guests. “Welcome, witness the glory of the Infinite Empire, but first as new friends we offer gifts.” With a snarl he commanded a temple underling to bring them in. “These are treasures amongst our people and gladly do we give them to you.”

The first gift was heard long before it was seen. Its roar of rage and hunger unmistakable for any who had ever seen one in the flesh. Its voice lacked the deep bass of a its full grown kind, and in few cultures would this ever be considered a great gift. A group of Rakata appeared from a large doorway behind the rear of the table pulling a young rancor. It was a prize amongst the Rakata and it would be hard to find a world of theirs they had not brought them to. “We give you a gift of strength.”

With a snap of his fingers he signaled for the next of three gifts to be brought in. This time a group of four elder priests brought in a small piece of metal no bigger then a thumb. “We give you our past. It is said this metal was a piece off the Star Forge. This is our future.” With the holiest reverence he picked up the small shard and placed it before the Grand Admiral.

The last gift was brought in as the Enlightened One still stared longingly at the metal, and when he looked up he snarled in hate. “This is our gift of victory! Behold the Kwi! A beast brought low for its defiance of the Infinite Empire!” The creature was a pathetic excuse of life, and its repeated torture at the hands of its enemy showed in its scars. It let out a pleading sound, nearly a whimper, and there could be no doubt it was simply for death.

@[member="Isis Fontana"]@[member="Morna Imura"]@[member="Dranok Lussk"]@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

A cold resolve settled into Ashin's gut. The rancor was nothing, the fragment of the Star Forge was nothing, but a tortured being? Tortured for the sake of its species? Yes. She could claim that.

She stepped over the body of her meal and faced the Kwi. "I accept your gifts of strength, of past and future, and of shared subjugation." She snapped her fingers, and some of her associates took the rancor's chains and began to lead it toward the shuttle. Others stepped forward at her mental urging and claimed the Kwi, as Ashin's level eyes moved from the scarred blue creature to the Enlightened One. She had no intention of killing the Kwi, but, fortunately, she had virtually been handed the means to steal the Enlightened One's attention.

"A piece of the Star Forge -- truly a mighty gift. Your generosity outdoes mine, Enlightened One." She accepted the thumb-sized bit of metal. "But allow me to offer you such gifts as I can give."

She drew the serrated, alchemical knife from her belt. "This is known as a Derriphan's Eye. Only a handful were ever made, as commemorative trophies of one of my greatest victories. This knife has since tasted the blood of the Shreeftut of the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium, as well as Masters of the Sith. Its poison brings rage and death, but only to the weak." It was the knife she'd used to eat, just now. That should convey a message or two.

"I offer you another gift, in connection with the first." Expertly, she drew a line across the back of her left hand. The blade's Sith poison burned gently, but it had been ten years now that she'd known Sith poison inside and out. It held no fears for her, not anymore. Her blood welled on the blade. The weapon spun in her fingers, and she offered it to the Enlightened One pommel-first. "A taste of my blood, Enlightened One. The last you'll ever have, of course, but I give it to you that you may know the strength in my blood, know the enemies I have overcome.

"And one...last gift. There is a legend that, once, the Rakatan people wielded powers that dwarfed my own -- and I am accounted a Master, one of the greatest. In my studies of a portion of your legacy-" The Telos Holocron counted as that. "-I found a power that has few equals. It will exhaust me, but when you taste my blood, you will know my strength is sufficient."

She raised her hands, and the blood flared to steam and smoke on the back of her left hand, part of the efflux of a piece of Sith Magic that even she hesitated to use. "All life is part of the Force. All beings can be given this gift -- but it is only ever given to the most worthy of all."

Her power descended on the Enlightened One, then faded away, and she relaxed. "Stretch out with your rage, Enlightened One -- and touch the Force."