Public Savages

[Natalya Calgar]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
Situation: Ground Forces in Contact, East Fero Nova
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​

This was the third such attack in as many days, a frustrating prospect for the newly installed Moff. She brushed aside a stray lock of hair as emerald eyes scanned the latest report. It saddened the woman at the state of things but rather than wallow in the body counts and loss of resources sunk into the protection of this new venture, she kept a stiff upper lip. It was odd to her. The situation wasn't that much different than before - the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium and their expansive assault into the Outer Rim. Many many lives had been lost attempting to stem the tide of saurian invaders, her brother even. This was more than that however. The Ssi-Ruuvi had been hard, cruel, amoral and savage in their own right but the Yuuzhan Vong? The thought of what they did for fun still made her skin crawl. This was more than cultural difference, this was more than a mere disagreement on shipping lane rights and land rights. No, this was war of the bloodiest sort. There were no half measures, there would be no half measures. "Arsenau, I want Commander Tresk on the holo. No excuses this time." Her words had a familiar bite to them suggesting this sort of behavior was expected from the local garrison commander. "On it Moff Calgar." replied the man presumably named Arsenau. An elder gentleman though certainly not old enough to be her father procured a commlink from his pocket, turning away from the Moff as he spoke briskly into the unit.

These were the growing pains, weren't they? It seems Dante Calgar had found yet another way from the grave to stick it to his younger sister. A wry smirk and a shake of her head and Natalya Calgar turned back to the task at hand. They were going to need help. The local garrison had its moments but by and large they were ineffective on the offense. Sure, they did well enough at protecting the provincial capital most of the time but what really needed to be done was a full extermination. Years ago she might have thought it extreme, the idea of wiping an entire culture, an entire species, from the surface of a planet but the Yuuzhan Vong were different to say in the least. "No half measures." she whispered to herself. "What was that Ms. Calgar?" An inquisitive Arsenau raised an eyebrow. "Oh, nothing. Were you able to get a hold of Tresk?" A frown and a shake of his head indicated to the Moff that her assistant had been unsuccessful. "Drat." she spat out in a frustrated tone. "Well then, it looks like we're going on a trip. Let's pay Commander Tresk a little visit shall we?"

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​

In comparison to the form fitting official garb of the New Imperial Order, the blaster resistant suit she now wore made her skin itch. Reaching up to her neck she slipped a finger between the stiff collar and her skin, scratching at a particularly irritating itch. "I still can't get used to this thing." Awkwardly she placed her hand at her side, the bulky holster at her hip keeping her arms from resting naturally. After a few more attempts she finally decided on crossing her arms, a fowl glare aimed at the weapon on her belt. "Besides, the garrison should be plenty safe if Tresk's attendance is anything to go by." A roll of her eyes was met by an amused expression from her assistant. "I wouldn't test fate miss. Not proper." Arsenau too wore a heavier blast tunic coupled by his own sidearm. "Right troopers are we then?" she quipped, mimicking a blaster rifle in her hands. "I wish he'd hurry up already."

The words had hardly left her mouth before a soft chime at the door indicated someone had arrived. With a hydraulic whoosh the doors parted, the man who stepped into the room sending Natalya's only mildly irate but amused mood through the floor. Blood. The deep crimson stain against the light gray of his uniform the first thing she noticed. Black splotches spattered here and there. Yuuzhan blood? "As requested." The man's angry scowl could be heard as well as seen, his footsteps stopping short nearly a full eight feet in front of the Moff. A quiet intake of breath caught in the Moff's throat, the awkward pause lingering long enough for Commander Tresk to cut in. "If it pleases the Moff, you'll be happy to know we've secured the walls again at a cost of only fifteen of my men." Blood dripped from the man's arm to the floor, a small puddle forming on the durasteel of the deck. Whether it was his own or someone else's the Moff couldn't tell. What she did know was that she'd just been handed a healthy dose of reality by the man whether she liked him or not. "I appreciate that Commander. The people of Fero Nova appreciate that." There was little else to say on that matter, the news too new for anything she could say to make a difference - except, well, maybe one.

"I'm requesting assistance Commander. For you, for your men, for the people of Fero Nova. You and your men protect the citizens day in and day out and we all manage to hold the line. As I'm sure you're well aware however, that isn't going to keep us from losing men and women to the Yuuzhan scourge. What we need.." she paused. "..is to eradicate them. Completely." Her words had the desired effect, his anger fading slightly as the realization of what she'd committed to washed over him. "We need to go on the offensive and we can't do it alone. I've got a line on some assets and manpower that just might fit the bill. I need two weeks Commander. Two weeks to secure the deal and get you your manpower." A determined smile cracked across the woman's face, emerald eyes shimmering in the overhead lighting. "That." the Commander uttered. "That we can do."

 

[Hans Rennagen]

Two Weeks Later
Natalya Calgar | Imperial Knights

​

The call for help from New Bakstre was received with both urgency and reluctance. It was another Braxant world screwed up by the Sith retreat, and it was a border world to boot. Just like Ketaris had seen its problems continue after the arrival the New Imperial Order, so too had New Bakstre. But these problems weren't simple revolutionaries.

Hans had heard all about the Vong infested sewers of the planet when the New Empire had first arrived. He hadn't witnessed them himself, which he was thankful for until the Knights had been called to aid the new Moff. The scene they arrived at was far from welcoming. The Vong were not only tough to kill, but they multiplied like rabbits. And they'd gotten bolder. The NIO had angered them no doubt when they bombed Havridam into the ground.

Hans was getting accustomed to leading strike teams after Ord Thoden and Serenno. Hopefully this would be no different. The squad of Imperial Knights entered the outpost with shoulders square and chests puffed, maintaining a look of courage they'd need not only to fight the Vong, but to inspire those who had already been fighting them for weeks. They needed to know that everything was going to be ok.

The doors to the Moff's office slid open before Hans, and he strode inside.

"Moff Calgar? My name is Hans Rennagen with the Force Corps. My fellow knights and I here have been sent to be at your disposal. How would you like us to help you?"

 

[Natalya Calgar]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
Situation: Ground Forces in Contact, East Fero Nova
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​

They were resolved then, and though Moff Calgar smiled there was a coldness lurking behind her eyes. You will. "You'd best get to it then, Commander." Turning on her heel Natalya stepped to a large display on the wall, eyeing what appeared to be combat reports and troop numbers. It wasn't hard to tell that things were looking grim. Of course they'd managed to clear the surface of New Bakstre, more specifically New Havridan, but that only seemed to make their problem worse. The previous responsible authority, a Moff by the name of Orlan Bex, had failed to properly secure the new capital of Fero Nova. Now that responsibility fell to Natalya and hells be damned if she was going to fail. Behind the woman and her assistant Arsenau the doors hissed, opening and closing as Commander Tresk undoubtedly left to drum up whatever troops he had left to further 'man the battlements' so to speak. A figure remained however, newly entered.

Glancing briefly over her shoulder Moff Calgar turned to face the new arrival, a warm smile greeting the statuesque visage standing before her. "Knight Rennagen, it bring me hope to see you and yours." Taking a few steps towards Hans she motioned towards the way they'd come. "Commander Tresk has the tactical details and while your men are I'm sure more than capable of holding walls and gates, I think you'll agree there's only one real way to get rid of this blight." She let the words hang in the air, unconsciously standing just a hair taller. Already at a height disadvantage, she looked up to the Knight. "We have to root them out at the source." It was a harrowing thought for the Moff. She'd never even seen a 'Vong' as they were commonly referred to, at least not in person. Much less, dove into one of the numerous tunnel systems they called home here on New Bakstre. Luckily, it was unlikely she'd ever have to descend into those depths. "Complete extermination is the only way we'll make this planet safe again - the people here have suffered enough."

The task at hand was far from small, they'd have to take it one step at a time. No war worth fighting was won in a single day but they sure as hell could win a battle. Decisively. Natalya was thorough and as such had paid particularly close attention to the situation reports furnished to her on her first day regarding the known Vong infestation. Preliminary reports had indicated a central hub not two kilometers from where they currently found their feet. That would be a prime target to eliminate. Not only would its demise secure further Fero Nova, but it would set the stage in what would eventually become a planetary campaign to eradicate the Vong. "A formality I'm sure Knight Rennagen, but you and your men - I could use your expertise here." Raising her hand she pointed to a readout on the wall display. A vibrant blue splotch was superimposed beneath what appeared to be an overlay of Fero Nova. "It's a Vong nest and the source of much of our instability here in the city. Do you think you can burn them out?"

Hans Rennagen ​

 

[Hans Rennagen]

Natalya Calgar | Imperial Knights | NIO

​

The Moff seemed like a capable woman, following Hans straight into the talk of business. Hans looked down at her as the first order of business left her lips. The room tensed up. Imperial Knights were the Empire's finest warriors, but the Vong were near unstoppable. Hans didn't want to admit to himself that she was right, that they needed to be wiped out completely. The last time they had tried that, it only brought them to the problems they faced here and now.

Calgar motioned to the wall display and Hans stepped up to it for a closer look. The fact that the Vong were nesting under Fero Nova as well as Havridam was not a good sign. People these days chastised the New Imperials for not fighting the Bryn'adul, but the Vong were a problem far worse that needed to be nipped at the bud. Hans would not allow the Empire to be the ones who failed to stop the Vong a second time.

"We have to try, Ma'am. I'm not sure what our chances are, but it's important we don't let this get out of hand."

​

 

[Silas Sunfyre]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
173rd Legion | Taka Group

It was two weeks after the call went out did the Myrmidons arrive. Up and down the border with the Sith Empire did the Fourth Company range. Of the worlds closest to the border of most centralized governments were the more rebellious, and negligent leaders. But these worlds along the Braxant were the ones that the New Order secured through strength of arms and blood. Blood spent freeing them from the Sith and the ilk that followed in their shadows. The Myrmidons were no stranger to the nameless skirmishes that occurred back and forth across enemy lines.

But a threat, that lingered long after the Order's encompassing strength wrapped its protection around a world, remained. That was not success, it was failure.

A single dropship landed, depositing a small contingent of the Myrmidons company in the Outpost. At their head, Silas Sunfyre. Upon entering, he left them outside the command room.

The Tenebrae Pattern Combat Armour shone pristinely, at first glances, the battle scars that had been accumulated in such a short timeframe went unnoticed. But anyone who didn't allow themselves to be mesmerized by the phantom-like appearance of the Myrmidons could see those patches where a blaster's scorch mark went unpolished, uncleaned and remained a few shades darker than other parts, that had undoubtedly gone untouched.

Ziost, Serenno, Silas' Taka Group had been to the major engagements that needed them. Something like this? It seemed almost insignificant. But the Yuuzhan Vong. Even centuries later, stories of their rampage through the edges of the Galaxy and into the Core were still taught.

Again, the Moff's door slid open, admitting the 2nd Lieutenant into the office.

His first glance was to the Knight, Hans Rennagen , a stranger, and then to the Moff, Natalya Calgar , the source of the request for aid.

"Moff Calgar," he addressed. The vocoder in the helmet masking the youth in his voice. "2nd Lieutenant Sunfyre of the 173rd Legion."

"Is there a live tactical map available?"

 

[Natalya Calgar]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
Situation: Ground Forces in Contact, East Fero Nova
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​

"We may have an advantage this time that eluded us previously." she said, expression tightening as she motioned with her hand. The projected display shifted, replaced by another screen showing an almost three dimensional view. It almost looked like a wireframe sketch of a tree, superimposed upon the blank space beneath Fero Nova. The tips of the 'Branches' were the brightest, fading to dark splotches as they wound deeper into the ground. "Unfortunately, we weren't prepared for this kind of complexity. If we had some mining scanners we'd be able to get a higher resolution readout but this is what we have so far. "As to your question Lieutenant Sunfyre, sort of.."she trailed off. "We have rough, and I mean rough estimates as to the Vong numbers and we have an extremely grainy active scanners aimed at the upper layers of tunnels but as you can see... they descend far below the surface." Natalya tilted her head to the side for a moment, a faint rumble felt beneath her feet. Maybe we finally got some walker support?

With another gesture the projection shifted again, this time a grainy but colorful display illuminated. "We were able to get some thermal imaging help from a local science ship but the range is pretty short - and the area it can scan at any given time is limited, for example." She pointed towards their own location. "Here, you can see that we know where the tunnels have been but we haven't had the ship pass over this area in a while. I'll show you what I mean. Arsenau?" The man nodded from his place across the room, speaking briefly into a comm unit. A moment later a splash of color blossomed near their building as the scanner moved. Modifying the zoom levels for the duo of soldier and knight, they could almost see small speckles of light where they were standing inside the building. "If you can coordinate with the Estalia they can get you up to date reporting on suspected.." her voice caught in her throat as her eyes darted back to the display.

Is that... are those...

Small blotches of light were forming. Right beneath their feet. Another rumble beneath the Moff's feet. "I think we've got a bigger pro.." The woman's voice was cut short by a violent crack as the ground beneath their feet split open. Violently durasteel, dirt, and guck were thrown into the air and the Moff was thrown from her feet. An unnatural screech filled the air and the ground shook as Yuuzhan Vong spilt forth from the newly opened wound. The end was nigh.

Hans Rennagen | Silas Sunfyre ​

 

[Hans Rennagen]

Natalya Calgar | Silas Sunfyre | Imperial Knights | NIO​

​

The sight of the stormtrooper and the knowledge that the famed Myrmidons were here was a relief to Hans. He nodded to the 2nd Lieutenant but didn't interrupt Natalya.

A nagging feeling in the back of his mind took his attention away from her maps. Something felt wrong, out of place almost. The looks of the Moff's face made it clear she felt it as well.

The floor erupted wildly, unlike anything he'd seen before. The Vong that pulled themselves out from the subterranean were just as disgusting as he'd been brief they were. They howled like wild dogs as they emerged, clothed in rags or makeshift armour, a handful even possessed the chitinous black armour he'd heard they were famous for. They looked like death incarnate.

As the Moff fell back, Hans lept between her and one of the stronger looking Yuuzhan Vong. He swung his knife in a sharp arc, the blade was twisted and black as midnight, down towards Hans, who activate his pure white saber just in time to connect with the enemy weapon.

The lightsaber severed the blade, which itself seemed to let out a strange, living squeal as it was broken. The Vong threw the remains of the knife to the floor and tried to grab at Hans. He swung his lightsaber upwards and around to sever the monster's hands. In the rush to combat them, Hans had not felt the eerie shift in the force. As he kicked the Vong back into the whole, he suddenly became aware of how cold the force felt around them, and how the Vong themselves were like icy voids that he could not see through.

"Ma'am, are you ok?!"

 

[Alais Kaun [DECEASED]]

1LT. Alais Kaun
Fero Nova, New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost

Silas Sunfyre Hans Rennagen Natalya Calgar​

Towering above the rank-and-file "Light Infantry" wearing the signature armour design of the humble "Stormtrooper" were men and one Alais Kaun entombed within intimidating devil black sleek ceramic-alloy exoskeletons. These "Powered Infantry" formations were and are the most heavily armoured infantry platforms available to the New Imperial Order. Fielded only by special-operations capable Stormtrooper units trained in their use and deployed only in times of extraordinary crisis.

Seven barrels begin whirring loudly with Lieutenant Alais Kaun punching into the room only to find that there was a cavern bored into the room's floor. It had swallowed a holotable that the young Junior Officer had expected to find there, the armour's droid intelligence begins steaming a smorgasbord of tactical data to Alais via the helmet-mounted display. Three other slate-coloured power armoured soldiers follow their platoon commander into the Moff's executive office.

Alais' gaze falls onto a handsome Imperial Knight clutching a white lightsabre, gauntlet's steel digit eases off the rotary blaster cannons trigger. Alais and each of her men were armed to the teeth, carrying rotary blaster cannons, automatic grenade launchers and defoliator projectors or "Flamethrowers" as they were more commonly known. "Sir!"

The amplified speech of Alais' annunciator rings out like a clarion call. "My men and I can secure the breach! We can smoke out the subterranean tunnels with our Flamethrowers." Outwardly steely confident and sure, Alais quietly nurses her anxiety beneath the convincing veil of a military leader and was ignorant enough in matters of the force to believe it wouldn't be perceived by the Moff, Imperial Knight or the Myrmidon Stormtrooper Officer.

Truthfully? Alais was frightened and shaken to her core fighting these things like Demons they tunnelled out of the depths of the underworld and sprouted forth like some horde straight out of hells' depths, cruel and vicious they dragged their victims off into the darkness to a fate Alais imagined was far worse than death. Alais hoped Knight Rennagen would direct her to do anything other than go down into the pit.

 

[Silas Sunfyre]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
173rd Legion | Taka Group
Alais Kaun | Hans Rennagen | Natalya Calgar

Silas stepped closer to the display, a hand raising to trace along the scarcely mapped out tunnels. The Yuuzhan Vong were a warrior race, at least, that's what he had been led to believe in his life. Frightening warriors, the like that could slaughter even the most powerful of Jedi. Absent from the Force. The concept of such a thing was... Jarring. To be disconnected from the Force meant, they could not be felt. They could not be... Anticipated, not in the typical fashion of danger sense.

The Moff went on, explaining to the duo, while Silas' gaze traveled over the holo-display. Two groups, he thought. The-- and just like that, his thought process came to an abrupt end. A crack echoed through the room, and Silas' eyes dropped to the ground. His hand already reaching to grasp his vibrosword from its place on his back. From over his head, his thumb brushed over the activation button, triggering the vibro-generator as the blade came down, cleaving the first of the Vong to lurch at him.

As the sword carved a deep gouge through its skull, its black blood coating his fist and blade, he waded into the group, wide, sweeping cuts that'd slash through the towering warriors. They were not the great warriors of legends, he recognized in those moments. Few donned the infamous resistant armour, and those that didn't were easily dispatched by the Imperial Knight and the Myrmidon.

Part of him sought to reach into the Force, to touch the minds of his Taka Group and alert them to the danger. It was instinct. The closest to Silas in the unit, experienced the briefest of glimpses of danger, and for the veteran soldiers it was enough to grant them a longer life. Reckless he was, but he had never asked them to perform a task that he himself would not do. In the footsteps of the Myrmidons Jedi Commander he walked, for one day, Silas thought to earn his recognition. Not for who he had been, but for what he had transformed into.

But with a member of the Force Corps in his presence, the risk was too high. Some new training, in a new branch, far away from the goals he yearned for. Instead, his presence in the Force remained mute. To all outwardly appearances, he lacked the ability to touch and manipulate the Force.

And then, the fight was over.

The built in vocoder in his helmet scrambled his words, it sounded like staticky scrambled sounds to those not privy to Taka's comms. It was then that Silas noticed the other Lieutenant. The sound of claws scraping over rock growing more and more distance, filling the office with silence.

"Is there another display!? I need that map!" It was then that Silas turned, to search for the Moff. "The rest of Taka Group will remain here and bolster the garrison.

Whatever available flametroopers we have should be here, and ready to herd these scavenging mongrels to one spot."

 

[Natalya Calgar]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
Situation: Ambushed!
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​

Natalya had landed without decorum, squarely on her rear. Around her, the hells themselves had erupted from beneath their feet and spat out what could only be accurately described as demons. Paintings, holostills, she'd seen aplenty of the Yuuzhan Vong but they wholly failed to portray the terrifying visage now bearing down on the upended woman. A sharp intake of breath and the Moff found herself scrambling backwards, a blackened mottled Vong stomping its way across the quickly shortening room. Ringing in her ears. Ragged breath escaped her lips as her feet pushed her backwards, hands just trying to keep up until she felt her back press up against the wall. With each beat of her heart she could feel the walls closing in, the dryness of her mouth, the stale air now escaping into the room from the tunnels beneath.

In a moment, Knight Rennaggen had thrown himself from his position inbetween the advancing creature and herself. The respite was fleeting as the blood began to flow. The sounds of Hans' saber cutting through air, then flesh and bone, cauterizing the Vong's flesh. An acrid scent filled the air accompanied by the screeching of the wounded. Your blaster you doldt! It was as if a fog had come down, threatening to suffocate her mind but now that the immediate threat in front of her had been handled she began to regain some faculty. Reaching down to the holster she tore free the blaster, eyes darting around the room. There had been more Vong, blood littered the breach and Lt. Sunfyre stood by with a bloodied vibroblade.

"I'm alright - I'm alright." she said, almost as if to reassure herself. Arsenau hadn't balked at the fight, his blaster only just replaced. "A hand." Natalya gladly took it in aid, hoisting herself up from the floor and taking a breath. There had been a quick response, the subtle flicker of the new arrival's flamethrower a welcome sight. The expression of relief on the Moff's face took a turn, a harder more determined one replacing it. "Yes. I want them gone. Gone." The fear had begun to fade, now an almost righteous anger. These Yuuzhan Vong, these creatures had deigned to be so bold...

"Lieutenant Sunfyre," she said. "Here." Reaching to a small code cylinder clipped onto her uniform she extended her hand. "You'll find authorizations and comm freaks here. If you get lucky, they might be able to pipe those scans direct to your HUDs." Natalya smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "Burn them out."

Hans Rennagen | Silas Sunfyre | Alais Kaun​

 

[Silas Sunfyre]

Fero Nova | New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
173rd Legion | Taka Group
Natalya Calgar , Hans Rennagen , Alais Kaun

Beyond the black visor he found the Moff. Cared for by the Imperial Knight, Silas marched right over. His mind racing as every moment passed. The Yuuzhan Vong, attacked them here? That wasn't calculated. They were... More akin to rabid animals, feral, than the great warriors that had terrorized the galaxy in the past. Silas spared a glance into the hole before turning back to Natalya Calgar when she referred to him.

"Thank you," he answered hurriedly, accepting the code cylinder, he immediately set about to establishing a connection between the embedded wrist display and the cylindrical data storage. As the information loaded, he reached for his vibrosword, left balancing against the wall and scooped it up. Shooting a glance to the Knight, and then the other Lieutenant, Silas spoke.

"I'll take point. I'm seeing the map... Their life signs are getting further out... We have to hurry before they exceed our mapped territory." Brushing his thumb over the activation button on the vibrosword, he dropped down into the wide gape in the floor. Where once there had been the chittering noise of the Vong mongrels escaping, now there was nothing, and as his mounted lights activated, his light swept the tunnel. "It's clear. I would suggest all currently deployed Flametroopers close in from all known breaches and press inward."

Without waiting any longer, he continued down the tunnel before it segued off in a plethora of directions.

 

[Hans Rennagen]

Silas Sunfyre | Natalya Calgar | Alais Kaun

​

And so they descended into the Yuuzhan Vong tunnels. Hans had 2 of his best follow him, and the rest of the squad left at the Moff's disposal above ground, in the case of any more bold attacks. The knights held their sabers above them for light as the soldiers pointed their flashlights down the tunnel to illuminate whatever was ahead.

Hunks of strange bio-material were periodically strewn through the tunnels, but no full Vong yet. When they reached a fork in the tunnels they stopped.

“Ok Lieutenant. The path is your call.” he inquired to Silas. It was such a strange feeling to not be able to sense even a shred of a presence in the force, down any of the tunnels. He gripped his saber a little tighter than before as he tensed up.

An animalistic growl was faint and in the distance, and he couldn’t discern which tunnel, if not all of them, it was coming from...

 

[Alais Kaun [DECEASED]]

1LT. Alais Kaun
Fero Nova, New Imperial Order Provincial Outpost
Silas Sunfyre Hans Rennagen Natalya Calgar

Alais' steps through the fetid tunnel of the alien with an unnerved care, in the exoskeleton's massive steel hands is a rotary blaster cannon, the helmet-mounted display projected the goopy path in low-light clarity. Two soldiers wearing the same matte black suits of powered combat armour carrying heavy flamethrowers follow behind Lieutenant Kaun.

Breath shallow and eyes tremoring in their sockets, these aliens were nothing like Alais had ever encountered; savage and utterly without mercy. The stuff of nightmare, their party paused at a fork in the tunnels. If the Imperial Knight might sense nothing else, Alais' fear though not outwardly apparently through the heavy thick plating of the powered suit could be sensed through the force.

She glances towards Silas from behind her amber burning lenses. "Lieutenant Sunfyre, I suggest you take your team down the right, I'll go down the left." Looking to the handsome Imperial Knight, Alais continues. "Sir, your thoughts? If I had to guess based on that noise." Alais' helmeted head cocks towards the abyssal tunnels waiting to swallow them. "We're getting close to their lines. But it's possible only one path will take us to contact"

The Lieutenant pauses. "I'm not supportive of the idea of splitting our limited manpower."