Return of the Klaxxi (OP Dominion of Sullust)

[Coryth Elaris]

Sullust .. the surface was was a rather inhospitable place. The multicolored stone was veined through with lava channels and frequent volcanic eruptions plagued the land forcing atmospheric blackouts from the bouts of ash and smoke. Beneath the harsh surface a series of underground tunnels, and caverns were must more hospitable.

And it was there that our tale beings. In the darkness forced by a recent volcano eruptions, they had come in the night. Like a whisper on the winds. The monsters used the blackness upon the surface to hide their ships and themselves as well as they fanned out into the night.

It didn't take long for them to reach the tunnels to the underground cities. For there was the prey they very much desires. The Klaxxi and their slaves attacked without warning and began to lay siege to the cities. Their goal was simple, to capture who they could and kill who they couldn't. After all, they had to eat and the local Sullustans were just such a prize. Swarm after swarm of the Ozzlites led the charge, guided by a few of their masters.

Coryth had been on the way to the planet to ensure it had made it through the initial disappearances. However the moment she came out of hyperspace, her ship was attacked by the vessels of the Klaxxi and soon she was swarmed by their fighters. It wasn't much longer before she found herself plummeting to the surface below.

Just barely she managed to get off a single distress call. "Mayday mayday! This is Master Coryth Elaris to any nearby Protectorate forces! Just attacked above Sullust and now plummeting to the surface! Send who you can! Sullust is under attack." Undoubtedly she would not be in the air much longer as she buckled herself into her seat, knowing the surface below was fast approaching. If there is a god ... I really could use some help right now .... She prayed silently as she watched the planet's surface growing in her viewscreen.

 

[Tilda Sai]

OMEGA DEFENSE FORCE
Ship of the Fleet
Cielo Azuel

​

The Omega Defense Force was quickly starting to spread from the Core Worlds and onto the Outer Rim. It was necessary for the Protectorate to make contact with the worlds they had promised to protect and defend. In the wake of so many disappearing, those left behind were attempting to utilize as manpower as they can.

Standing at the bridge, Major Od'Manteiv would furrow her brow. A mayday ([member="Coryth Elaris"] ) came in.

"Major, we have an incoming distress call."

"Patch it through."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Mayday mayday! This is Master Coryth Elaris to any nearby Protectorate forces! Just attacked above Sullust and now plummeting to the surface! Send who you can! Sullust is under attack.​

The distress call was from Sullust.

Her lips would thin.

"Contact all Omega Defense Forces near Sullust; have them make way for it with all haste. Get me a line to Jedi Master Elaris, relay that we have ODF forces on our way."


"Aye Ma'am!"

A glance to another comm officer would prompt another command, "Get me the Interm Vice Admiral" ([member="Sarge Potteiger"])

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]


Caerys Argente was, as it turned out, already on the planet of Sullust. The world was harsh, inhospitable and scorched by the recent eruptions of a volcano. Bouts of ash and smoke rose up into the air. The capital city, at present, was a battlefield. Klaxxi and their Ozzlites slaves everywhere. Some Sullustan collaborators, foolishly believing that they could spare themselves from being devoured if they threw in their lot with the insatiable, cruel spiders, had sided with the invaders.


They were only postponing the inevitable. Within the city, amidst the ruins and the screams of Sullustans as they were dragged away by the monstrosities, a horde of creatures bore down upon the death machine. Klaxxi were tough, tenacious, their thick exoskeleton resisted even the blow of lightsabres and they could turn themselves invisible through the Force, though how well that would work given how utterly out of balance the mystical energy field was one could only guess. Ozzlites were just dumb muscle and fairly easily slain, but came in mass, joined by Sullustan lackeys who rained down blaster and gun fire upon her.


This was irrelevant. They would all die. [member="Amnell de Portiers"] was in the city as well, though hiding. Ergo Caerys would protect her. Dual MK1 bolters barked loudly, thrusting out explosive bolts towards the mooks, implacable as their blades, spears and gun shots came for her. No time for pity, no time for mercy, but then she was incapable of feeling such sentiments. She had not been designed for them and they only got in the way anyway. The fluids of the alien, vaguely humanoid Ozzlites stained the ground and their spears bounced off her duraplast armour. When her magazines clicked empty she simply used her guns as improvised clubs to bash heads and break bones.


Ozzlites fled, stricken with fear, but there was...something out there which she could not pinpoint. She reloaded and switched through vision modes, before suddenly she was hit with a powerful force, so strong that she was thrust through the air and crashed into debris. A shape was upon her, like that of a spider, a Klaxxi. Immense black spikes pounded against her, strong enough to break the bones of a human, its legs sought to seize and its spined ripped into her face, smoke coiling off it as they tried to tear into her fake skin. Caerys sought to throw the blows off, hearing angry, aggressive screeching, then suddenly surged forward and simply rammed her opponent with such force that the spider flew off.


If she had been able to feel pain it would have hurt her, given the beast's powerful exoskeleton. Her durasteel fist landed a hard punch, with a blow that would have killed a man. As the Klaxxi charged once more she raised her bolt pistol and fired. BAM BAM BAM APE rounds bounced off its armour or tore through the exoskeleton, exposing skin and expelling foul-smelling. But then she had to riposte when she suddenly had to fend off vicious blows from another Klaxxi that came at her from the flank. The spider suffered a vicious kick against its chest cavity before she caught spines and ripped them off before simply grabbing it and tossing it at the first Klaxxi.


No sooner had she tried to made this move than that she was suddenly thrust down and found herself being pulled into the belly of a Klaxxi that had leapt upon her, its maw trying to swallow her from the head down. Vicious, large teeth sought to tear through her mercilessly...but, as the spider would find out, droids were not particularly tasty. Nor were they inclined to panic or helpless. Moreover, the Klaxxi were a good deal less armoured on the inside than out. Suddenly the Klaxxi seemed to explode as Caerys brutally punched and cut her way out of its gut. An inhumane, blood-curdling screech escaped it as the spider could only watch helplessly in the last moments of its existence as Caerys emerged. Showered in Klaxxi blood and guts, skin torn and metal clearly showing, marked with vicious cuts. Impassively she tore off spines from the dead Klaxxi and sent them sailing through the air to impale a spider, using the blood-fountained tendrils as impromptu missiles and scythes.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

Kaeshana
Santaissa, Citadel of the Angelii.


Seraph Kaida Taldir was sitting in her office deep within the Citadel. No, not her office, she reminded herself. It was the ofice of the Grand Seraph Aeda Shaytari, reported MIA since the disappearances began. She was believed to have vanished into the netherworld along with untold trillions. Kaida had only taken over her duties until she returned. If she returned, No she could not think that way. Kaida had only known the woman for a short while and they could not even be remotely described as close, but she respected her.


In the meantime, she had her shoes to fill. The chaos engendered by the disappearances had caused much disruption. Order had been restored on Kaeshana, but it was clear that they had not weathered the storm yet. But they would soldier and do their duty, for Kaeshana, their people, the Queen. The reports piled up upon her desk testified to that. As such martial law remained in effect and a state of emergency had been enacted. She was reading through one when suddenly an aide rushed in. A young Angelii Wing Leader, who, looking rather nervous, handed her a slip of flimsi. She bid the flustered soldier to leave and then attentively read the paper. Her brow furrowed as she absorbed its contents. Sullust was under attack, but thruth be told what count Kaida's attention was the identity of the sender who was calling for help.


Jedi Master [member="Coryth Elaris"]. A very well-known healer and friend to Kaeshana. Also one of the very few high-ranking Firemane members left after Kerrigan had disappeared, reportedly vanishing through a portal to the netherworld to get wife and child back. Kaida did not hesitate but simply pressed a button her comm. Her call went to Her Majesty, Star Queen Tirathana the Seventh of Kaeshana. Known amongst her closest friends as [member="Anya Venari"], as had been her common name was opposed to her regnal one. "Your Majesty, this is Taldir, we've received a distress signal from Master Elaris. She is crashing into Sullust's surface and requesting help. The planet is under invasion by unknown enemy forces."

 

[Rhen Qel-Droma]

VANDELHELM

Another mayday call came. This time it was from Sullust.

There were too many calls for help. Deep furrows would crest over the Corellian Jedi Knight's brow. What was he to do?

Time and place. For now, he would aide as much of the people of Vandelhelm as he could. Once that task was done, he would make his way over to Sullust to see what he could provide help with them there.

There was far too much work to be done. Too much.

And the Force, above all else, was lost to him.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Her entire ship was shaking violently as she started to burn through the upper atmosphere. Gods I am not payed enough for this mess. Does pay really matter when you might be a pink paste on the planet's surface soon? Nope, nope not at all but talking to myself is keeping me a hell of a lot calmer.

It was then she heard her com beep. Reaching forward she flipped the switch to see who was calling her, "Oh thank gods." The redhead spoke quickly as the message was relayed to her. "Just uh, tell them to hurry the hell up because I'm only a couple minutes from making polite conversation with the planet's surface. And I suspect it will not be a pleasant experience. Engines are out. Unsure of what alien creature is attacking but it isn't just in the sky. I'm seeing smoke burning out of the tunnels below! Stuff is bad here! Hurry!" Coryth said the distress more than evident in the woman's voice. But at least talking, even if only to a com officer and relaying what little information she had as she kept falling towards the surface.

For now, falling was all that could be done. Seconds ticked by like an eternity as she could only watch the vivid colors of flame dance upon the viewscreen of her ship. This waiting to die crap... I'm so over it. It's entirely overrated.

[member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Anika Od'Manteiv"] | [member="Sarge Potteiger"]

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Coryth Elaris"]

"Sullust? I see. What forces can you summon, ready to move today? I believe the situation is under control enough here to dispatch the Ariane's Fist if the Protectorate provides assistance as well."
It was quite a step, and some might see it as the Eldorai pushing foreign policy, but there was very little direction from the top and she was the only Exarch left. By default she was temporarily in command of the Omega Protectorate!

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Anya Venari"]


"Ariane's Fist and a team of Angelii can be spared and deployed on such short notice. The message has been passed on to Firemane. I imagine Sergeant Solveig will provide support. Firemane and Angelii quick reaction units are on standbye for situations such as this," Kaida responded curtly. After all, aside from her Coryth was one of the few ranking Firemane employees left.


One advantage of Anya being the only remaining Exarch was that these days the Eldorai had a lot more ships! They could even call on an Alcori-Class and a Kerrigan-Class Star Defender now! Admittedly they would probably get nothing out of this if the Protectorate fell apart.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

Vice Admiral Hastings, First Captain of the Inquisition, stood aboard the Leviathan as it took aboard freshly trained crew. The ratings that would now be swarming the halls to fully staff the colossal vessel were a mixture of old and new. Some were former sailors pulled out of retirement by sheer virtue of being left behind; some hadn't completed Boot and were unable to do so. This might, for them perhaps, be a blessing in disguise.

Actual experience trumped training any day of the week.

Still, he was grateful to not be running below the minimum accepted threshold. Any improvement was an advantage for him and his men. But they weren't even half loaded when the distress came through. Frowning, he hit the button on the holoprojector so he could communicate with [member="Anika Od'Manteiv"]. "Go." He says flatly, still managing to make the single word sound friendly, genial.

A step above dealing with the prickly Lord Protector.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

"Note to self: Write a last will and testament if I survive this." She muttered as the flames around her hull grew brighter and more red as she descended further into the atmosphere. "Never hurts to be prepared!" She grumbled with a roll of her eyes as she fumbled with the control console, trying to find anything that might give her a temporary boost and somehow slow her fall and maybe just maybe keep her from ending up that lovely pink paste on the planet's surface.

Alas it seemed these were her final moments as the ground came rushing up much more suddenly than she expected. On instinct alone, she threw up her arms to protect her face from the viewport as her ship slammed into the stone ground. By the sheer grace of the stars above she managed to wrap a protective bubble around herself and the ship, likely preventing worse injuries than what she received in the end.

Her ship bounced not once, not twice but three times before it finally skidded to a halt. The glass had shattered upon the viewport but hadn't quite broken through. Her seat had been torn from it's spot and the redhead along with the seat ended up bouncing through much of the cockpit. How exactly she ended up, upside down and pinned beneath the console was a bit beyond her.

It was a few minutes before she actually started to stir. A cough followed by a heavy groan were about all she could manage as she tried to dislodge herself from the console. A scream escaped her lips as she found her shoulder had been dislocated during the crash and further more as she tried to use one of her feet to push away from the dash of the ship, it too had been badly broken. "Ugh..." She moaned, as smoke started to drift through what was left of the cabin. If she didn't somehow get help soon, Coryth was going to have more problems than just a broken leg, and a dislocated shoulder. Another cough against the smoke made her suddenly realize that there was a good chance a couple ribs had been broken too. This day, really can't possibly even a tiny bit get worse than this....

[member="Sarge Potteiger"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Anika Od'Manteiv"]

 

[Tilda Sai]

OMEGA DEFENSE FORCE
Ship of the Fleet
Cielo Azuel
[member="Coryth Elaris"]. [member="Sarge Potteiger"]

The message from the Jedi Master came in. Anika have a curt nod.

"Jedi Master Elaris, this is Major Anika Od'Manteiv. We have received your distress call and are sending all available troops to you immediately"

An officer caught her attention. They had the Vice Admiral.

Another comm was opened and Anika would debrief Hastings.

"Vice Admiral, we have relieved a distress signal from Sullust. I've sent available OH-Dee-Efh forces to aid. It is currently under attack. We are getting more information as it comes"

 

[Rhen Qel-Droma]

VANDELHELM

Rhen's progress with the archeologist group that he rescued in the cavern managed to get settled with ODF forces. He had found curious crystals there that he had collected. They had pulsed strangely, and he wondered if it had to do with the lack of the Force or how it was acting so strangely.

Either way, he now had time to make his passage to Sullust. Perhaps more clues to the sudden disappearance will be revealed there.

 

[Amnell de Portiers]

Amnell had been hiding in her hotel room, staying beneath the bed to try and stay out of sight. But even she wasn't foolish enough to think that she'd stay hidden and safe there forever. The young woman somehow was going to have to find a way to watch her back. She first sent Nine out, her R9 unit out to find her another droid.

Soon enough he returned dragging a guard droid in tow. It seemed Nine had convinced the guardian droid that Amnell was visiting royalty and was to be protected at all costs.

"Your royal highness Amnell de Portiers." Nine whistled at her as he entered.

"Your what? What are you playin ... Oh right, royal highness... Yes, yes Nine, thank you." With that Nine was on his way to find another droid as his mistress worked upon the first.This soon turned into one more semi-functional droid joining her in the hotel room. With a few quickl minor repairs and programming updates so they'd solely serve her, Amnell finally dared to step out of her room. She started out into the tunnel way to find where she knew Caerys had been heading.

It was as Amnell rounded a corner that she saw the vicious spider like creature that had just finished swallowing Caerys. Her eyes widened as it turned towards her. < Dessert! > It spoke directly into her mind, leaving her backpedaling quickly when the beast suddenly seemed to come down with a bit of a HRD sized stomach ache. She couldn't help but scream out as Caerys cut through the being and fell out from the monster as it died. "Caerys, are you alright?" She asked rather concerned for her caretaker.

[member="Caerys Argente"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Amnell de Portiers"]


Klaxxi were vicious, powerful and extremely strong creatures. Their exoskeletons were hard, resistant to many conventional attacks and naturally resistant to energy attacks, as much of the energy was deflected across their body in the same way as with songsteel. More to the point, they could even resist lightsabres to an extent. Piercing worked, however. As Caerys had discovered, armour-piercing rounds were just fine. Or stabbing them through the mouth. Moreover, they were telepathic and possessed a natural Force cloaking ability.



However...the Force was just a bit wonky these days. Sometimes it worked just fine, sometimes it backfired...sometimes it did not work at all. This was something that could be managed and worked around if you knew it. If you were unaware, on the other hand, it tended to end badly for you. Caerys had heard Amnell's scream as she burrowed and sliced her way out of the Klaxxi's belly, then her query of concern after the HRD had taken out some other attackers. However, the death machine did not respond right away and instead grabbed her sword, for she had already noticed the next attacker. Unfortunately for the Klaxxi that had come pouncing at her, its cloak was not working.


<< You are next. For dinner! << It would speak directly into the mind of Amnell. Then it would experience agonising pain as Caerys abruptly rammed her heavy, absurdly sharp Sith chainsword into its massive skull with such brutal force behind the strike that she decapacitated it. As the head rolled onto the pavement Caerys, splattered with Klaxxi innards and ichor, damaged and with smoke coiling off her, mechanical eyes flashing, approached Amnell.


"Come with me if you want to live. Oh, and here's your six o'clock meds. Take them now," she said blandly to the woman, handing her a small packet with tablets, before suddenly spinning and cleaving an attacking Sullustan in half from shoulder to belly.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

Hastings knew enough to know there was a good number of distress calls. Something was important about this one, though, if it meant contacting him. "Well, [member="Anika Od'Manteiv"], keep me appraised. We're just about finished boarding the new crew. If necessary, we will make all due haste to Sullust." There was only so often a ship could speed through the void without resupply; he didn't want to test the limit with all these disappearances.

 

[Tilda Sai]

[member="Sarge Potteiger"]

OMEGA DEFENSE FORCE
Ship of the Fleet
Cielo Azuel

Anika gave a curt nod.

"Affirmative Vice Admiral, we will will keep you appraised of the situation". A wave was sent to transfer over to [member="Coryth Elaris"].

"Jedi Master Elaris, what can you tell us about who is attacking? Is it the Sith? Bando Gora?"

Finding out who they were dealing with would help out in the long run.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth heard her comlink beep loudly above the crackle of the flames that were creeping ever closer to her section of the ship.

With a heavy groan, she managed to tap the comlink to on. "One ..." A heavy cough and another groan could be heard. "Second." More coughing could be heard over the comlink before several gasps for breath, "Once ... I'm not ... busy, trying ...." More coughing followed by a hiss of pain, "Not to ... die, I'll get ... back to you ... on that." She went into a coughing fit as the sound of twisting metal no doubt filtered over the com, "But ... right now I ... I can't even... move from beneath ... the wreckage."

[member="Anika Od'Manteiv"] | [member="Sarge Potteiger"]

 

[Rhen Qel-Droma]

Enroute to Sullust

Rhen would lift off from Vandlhelm shortly. His ship engines would whine, rumbling as he went through the preflight procedures. With luck, the jump from Vandlehelm to Sullust will be a short one.

That is of there were no complications.

May the Force be with us, he'd murmur under his breath. Guiding the ship, he would streak off into atmo, hitting the black void of space until the mottled tunnel of hyperspace took him.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

Hastings stood, foot nearly tapping on the decking as he stood with arms folded. His foot wasn't tapping physically, of course, because that was unbecoming, but he was mentally tapping it. Same difference. He was trying to remember what he could about Sullust. Freighters? He thought they were a freighter shipyard. He couldn't really remember, though. So many planets in the galaxy and you could only remember so many.

Good thing they had a database that would bring up the information.

Let's see, he thought.

Ah, Sorosuub. Was that a ship- oh, it made everything. Well, that was certainly a thing.

"What's the status of SoroSuub, do we know?"

[member="Anika Od'Manteiv"]

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Coryth Elaris"]

"Then go forth, Kaida. Bring Coryth back alive if possible. Reestablish control over Sullust if practical. I will dispatch whatever fleet and military elements I can to you."

And when we get Coryth back we're going to put a bell on her so she doesn't keep running off, the Star Queen thought. That amused her.

However, as last known active Exarch, and with no Protector, Anya was actually the defacto leader of the Protectorate. Even if not, inside her Exarchate she could give orders to OP units, thus ordering unassigned units to join in the Sullust restoration.