The Bellow of the Beast | First Order Dominion of Belgaroth Hex

[Natasi Fortan]

Post 13
FIV Malice

[member="Tmoxin Temi"] need not have worried about the Disciple of Ren taking offense. This wasn't a social call; his interest was in keeping them all live and furthering the Supreme Leader's goals and interests in this region. He did have to wonder if there was danger in the form of the Hapan woman and her interest in [member="Mishel Zanteres"], but that was going to have to be for another time. He swept his blade fluidly, lavender eyes flashing crimson with his blade as he batted away a flurry of blaster bolts that came his way. He drew again on the Force and channeled it into a telekinetic blast. This time, the droid not being off-balance at the beginning of his attack, the droid didn't quite fall over, but it did stumble against the bulkhead.

His lightsaber sliced through one arm and and then one leg of the droid. The droid's other arm continued firing the blaster, and a bolt caught Liam on the upper arm, burning through his tunic and the top layers of his flesh. Liam growled in rage, reactively swinging his blade around to sever the barrel from the blaster. He kicked the droid as hard as he could, sending it slamming into the bulkhead, and drove his saber through its midsection, carving through its core before dragging his lightsaber up and through the droid's head and motivator.

He swung his saber around, backpedaling towards the other friendlies. He was in no mood for a quip, but damned if he couldn't go for a drink. "I'll drink to that," he muttered, taking his eye off the attacking droids for a moment to glance at his smoking wound. Blast.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Location: Phu
Objective: Run the Phu-Phuii classic
Allies: [member="Zmej Ren"]
Enemies: Ka Zor Cartel
Post: 14/37

And then came the moment of truth: in the few seconds the Ciasi needed to cool down his underside turret, Dunames had enough time to fire without having a clear shot at the pod itself; if she lands two or three shots in the volley of F-Web fire, she will win another podrace for the first time in seven years. But if she doesn't, she is going to be fried. She nervously fires at the Ciasi's pod from behind him, firing a little wildly, hitting the thrust vectoring vanes, the left-hand side steering cable, but otherwise nothing important. Yet hitting the steering cable made the Ciasi lose control over its pod, and no amount of laser cannon fire can save him now, especially not as the pod itself was sent spinning while the left engine hit a boulder, destroying it. With all three favorites from the Cartel now being out of play, and only about one-third of the original entrants still standing, she began to boost her way to the finish line, where her victory is, by now, a foregone conclusion.

"Against all odds, Dunames won the Phu-Phuii Classic!" Althea began to tell on air.

"One can readily imagine how angry the Ka Zor Cartel will be at her" Karine commented.

 

[Zmej Ren]

Location: Phu
Allies: [member="Emilia Ravel"]

​

Regarding the agent with an amused glare, one that revealed nothing at all, yet lasted long enough to make others uncomfortable, Zmej remained silent for a bit to let the moment sink it. She had not expected success – even less so upon finding Abraxo in suspiciously good shape and slurping a stew. Burning sulphur fell upon the FOSB operative once more, accompanied by respectful nods that sent a strand of blonde hair flopping back and forth. Living up to the FOSB’s reputation was no small feat, even Zmej had to admit the red-haired agent’s competency despite finding her approach far too soft.

“And here I thought my intervention would be necessary! Please, accept my apologies, agent. You’re quite the interrogator. Very good!” The knight declared with masterfully feigned praise, disappointed the tools she had picked earlier turned useless.

Gloved fingers greedily seized the paper and let the corrupted eyes feast upon its contents, memorizing each name as she went through the list. Still harbouring doubt, Sieger’s elite agent briefly considered cracking the man’s mind open right there, making him verify his own words over and over until there was no doubt he spoke the truth. Pain was an excellent tool to untie one’s tongue – if applied correctly. But instead of going through with it and leaving a dead Devaronian behind, Zmej decided to end it without dragging things out for any longer. Both had more work to do.

“Considering your success, there is no reason to keep the vermin alive,” Zmej cocked her eyebrows, voice firm and commanding, “Terminate the twat – he is no longer of any use.”

The valuable piece of intel found its way into the FOSB agent’s pocket, a testament to her persuasive ways. Zmej herself used the freed hand to open her pack of cigarras, lighting one, eyes never leaving the red-haired woman. She was a resourceful little snake – and the Ren realized this asset’s value, making a mental note to stay on her good side, for those who got on the FOSB’s bad side never lived for very long.

A relaxing puff followed.

“With this list, the First Order will root out and liquidate the Ka Zor. I’ll ensure you get full credit for uncovering, apprehending, and interrogating the scum.” She smirked, dropping the cigarra and putting it out with the tip of her boot, similarly to how she intended to squash the Ka Zor.

“Let’s break this little cult and end their operations. Are you up for freeing a few slaves?”

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Location: Phu
Objective: Get the kark out of here
Post: 3

"I can fix droids, yeah. I expect half of the payment up front, you take care of the shipping to and from my workshop. Do that and I'll make sure they'll be pristine when you get them back." It was a simple deal. The droids weren't capable of doing anything illegal and it would stay that way, so there was no risk involved. Easy credits, a deal well worth the trip to Phu. The man at the other side of the desk nodded in contemplation before speaking up. "I suppose that is a fair-" He was interrupted by his secretary bursting into the door of the office with a look of shock in his eyes. "S-sir, there are First Order stormtroopers at the entrance." The color in the man's face immediately drained, which left Jaya with a simple conclusion. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "You're doing illegal business, aren't you?. Well, feth."

She shot out of her chair and opened the window of the office before looking back one last time. "I personally don't care about your business, but I can guarantee you that those stormtroopers don't think like I do. I'd get off of Phu as quickly as possible if I were you." With that Jaya started climbing out of the window before the troopers were able to completely surround the building. "Now exuse me, I don't want to be sentenced as guilty by association. Oh, and the deal's off. Bye!" Both feet thumped down onto the ground outside and immediately she started sprinting, hoping nobody would see her. She wasn't that lucky, however.

"Hey, you! Stop!"

Oh for kark's sake, Cupcake thought to herself as she saw blaster shots fly past her. My luck truly has been great today. First I miss my transport, then I get lost in this stupid city trying to find that idiot, and now this...

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Post XV
Objective: Stay The Course

Carlyle could feel himself calming down. He looked at himself, the slight mirror effect offered by the viewport. "This isn't the end." He whispered to himself, locking eyes with the shadowy reflection, "Listen to yourself Carlyle, you've faced far worse than the pirates." He mused sullenly, his body began to rock, and his head nodded. This would not be how the tale of Carlyle Rausgeber ended. Some coward aboard a vessel, cowering before a motley crew of pirates. Perish the thought.

Armed with this knowledge, Carlyle's gaze moved to the space around his fleet. It began to glow a little, as the space around the destroyer cleared itself of hostiles. Many of whom perished instantaneously in firey, and aesthetically pleasing explosions. Rausgeber smirked. This wasn't the end. He had overreacted. He would see this battle through. There was no way he would allow some poncy dunce to school him on what needed to be done. He was an admiral for karks sake. A fleet admiral. And as any great leader needed to be, Rausgeber held an obligation to his men to be strong and tough in the face of adversity.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Post 14
Phu
Garage #1138

She was rewarded with a slap across the face for her insolence. Blood splashed across the gravel of the floor, and she slumped against the rocky surface. "What's this," he asked, dragging her upright by the hair and holding out his other hand in front of her. The shining surface of the tracking devices shone in his palm. "I'll play," she replied. "What'th that?" Another belt across the face. She jerked to the other side now, body slumping onto the gravel.

"Thkinny dip," she muttered.

"What?" the man demanded. He grabbed her by the hair, once more dragging her to a kneeling position. "What did you say?"

"I thaid..." Beka began, panting a little as she felt hot blood trickling from her split lip. "Thkinny dip." He raised a hand, preparing to smack her again, but she shied away. "For heaventhake," Beka cried. "Are you brain-damaged? It'th a blathed poithon. The bothman wanted to get rid of thome people," she explained. "Thome guyth who were thkimming off the top, thee? Cheating the both out of what'th rightfully hith. Thend a methage, you dig?"

[member="Adrian Calipsa"]

 

[Atlas Kane]

II
Belgaroth
Hunt the Beasts

There was plenty of evidence that hinted at Droidbreakers having come this way, half-eaten ship parts, holes in bulkheads and plates, large animal foot prints in the ground, it all spoke for Droidbreakers, yet, Atlas could sense none, not within his vicinity, not on the path, nowhere. It was as if they had become invisible. A beast as large as a Droidbreaker would hardly be easy to miss within the Force, the presence it should have would be easy to pick up on if not because of its sheer size alone. But still he felt none, senses extended over at least a few kilometres around him, no luck.

The Sith paused for a moment, it had now been at least two hours that he had spent walking in one direction and all he had to show for it was a collection of destroyed metals and a couple of shallow holes in the ground. He sat down on a broken droid's torso near the right side of the valley of junk he had been walking along, taking a moment to drink some water and rest for a short moment.

Something hit his head, however. Something slimy, it ran down the back of his robes, he could feel it clinging to the fabric as gravity pushed it down. His head slowly panned upwards, gaze finally coming to a halt on a face above him, staring right back at him. A Droidbreaker, ready to pounce the intruder. The two simply stared at each other for a moment. Atlas took this opportunity to try to figure out why he couldn't sense the massive creatures like other ones, then it hit him, they mainly fed on metal, there was most likely a large quantity of it within their bodies, their presence in the Force would obviously be fainter than that of other creatures.

In the same moment both the creature and Atlas moved. It, jumping down towards Atlas' position, Atlas, rolling out of the way to the other side of the valley. It would be a claustrophobic fight, but he was ready. The red blade ignited.

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Post XVI
Objective: REMOVE DROIDS
Allies; @Tmoxin Temri | [member="Liam Fairfax"]

The BX droids continued to fight valiantly, however the group which had foolishly begun to engage the Ren were nearly destroyed. It's remnants began to retreat, fighting backwards as they attempt to pull away from the brutal fighting which had seen their brethren slain. The droids would use their superior mechanical agility to avoid the attempts by stormtroopers to stop them. However, being pursued by knights of Ren was an entirely different kettle of fish. Although the droids were trained to kill Jedi. Dark siders weren't their speciality.

Carlyle continued to observe the battle. The swirling chaos which had overcome the space around him. First Order vessels were finally beginning to assert their dominance over the space. The star destroyers had finally returned command to their space, as the final freighters began to be intercepted by a mixture of corvette fire and the grace and teamwork of TIE fighter squadrons. A deep sense of satisfaction was to be held from this acheivment.

 

[Atlas Kane]

III
Belgaroth
Hunt the Beasts

The beast charged towards him as soon as it had its footing on the ground of the valley. The five-metre tall monstrosity hungered for both his flesh and his armour, it seemed. Or perhaps it was protecting its territory, Atlas couldn't tell. The thunderous steps came in a fast paced staccato, one after the other, twelve times, then it roared as it slid to a halt while its horned tail lashed out in a wide arc before it. Atlas had remained still meanwhile, preparing himself to strike.

The tail impacted right below him as he jumped, the clang of metal bending under extreme pressures was all he experienced the strike. The creature was sideways towards him, its head turned to face him, tail already rearing back to strike him again, but he would be faster, with a quick swing of his sabre he-

Boom.

His back impacted the wall, the Droidbreaker had shot forwards with its head, sending Atlas' body shooting straight into the massive durasteel plate on the side of the valley. It bent a little where he impacted, his sabre deactivated as he fell to the ground, rolling away from his hand. His breathing was shallow, slowing down too. he felt the pain all over his body, broken bones, crushed organs, he was not in a good position. The beast simply trotted towards him slowly, triumphant in this battle.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

Location: FIV Concordia, Phu System
Objective: Presumably
Post: 03/20

Of course, Moff Creed would need to be involved. Colonization initiatives did fall under her purview, much as he suffered to deal with anyone other than [member="Natasi Fortan"]. Tytos did not expect any conversation would have to be substantial, just sign off on some documents and send the necessary materials. Tytos could handle the advertising himself if needed. So long as he was free to dictate what happened on the planets otherwise, things would move smoothly and efficiently. Something the Supreme Leader would no doubt appreciate. Another opportunity to distinguish himself. Tytos was beginning to suspect he had all the good fortune in the universe.

Force knew he had earned that much.

"Again, I am happy to serve in whatever capacity is necessary. Shall I assume I am operating under a strict time frame?" As luxurious as it might have been to dawdle in assimilation the planets (the more time allotted, the smoother things went), but the First Order was still something of a Wehrmacht. It would be beneficial of the majority of the integration efforts were wrapping up by the time the next wave of territorial expansion began. If that necessitated economic development under the barrel of a blaster rifle, so be it.

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Objective: Mop up the remnants
Post: XVII

The final group of freighters launched a suicidal attack, charging at the Malice. It was a beautiful sight to watch, at least in Rausgeber's opinion. The distintergration of these vessels into a fire-y blaze never got old in his opinion. There was no other sight more satisfying than watching the the deaths of those who stood in the way of progress. Vagrants and idiots who dared to defy the odds and would try to escape the militarism and progress of the First Order's armies. These pirates, these scum were a symbol of another age.

One which romanticised piracy, and the warlord and tribalism which stagnated the Unknown Regions and Outer Rim's progress to Galactic powers. It was these murderers and fiends. Now civilisation had decidedly cracked down, deciding that these mavericks and warlords were no longer neccessary in a Galaxy which would uniformly be governed by an empire attired in the crisp white of a stormtroopers armour and the black of its officers.

 

[Atlas Kane]

IV
Belgaroth
Survive

Slowly he managed to lift himself off the ground, limbs aching, bones barely holding together. The intense pain within his right arm was nearly unbearable. The bone was broken, no doubt, perhaps even shattered. His left shoulder felt similarly. The stabbing pain of every one of his movements would have caused a lesser man to yield and accept his fate, however, Atlas was Sith. He let the pain course through his system, fuel his inner fire, fuel his rage. It was a cathartic feeling for him, the transition of pain into anger.

He managed to get up on his knees, back arched, hands still planted on the ground. His eyes shot upwards, the feet of the massive creature were coming closer. He concentrated a moment, reaching out with the Force to find his lightsabre, pinpointing its location a few metres away from him. Then, channelling his anger he used the Force to hurl it, igniting it during its flight. It did not fly towards him, but rather the creature. He kept his concentration solely on the lightsabre as it came into contact with the Droidbreaker, slowly workings its way through its chest and out its back. Directing an object like that so finely was harder than he had thought, but it worked out in the end.

The Lightsabre's blade remerged from the creature's back after a few moments, the Droidbreaker itself had been releasing loud cries of pain as it stamped its feet where it stood. When the sabre severed its spine, however, it ceased its cries and simply fell limply into the dirt. Atlas managed to stand after several minutes, letting the silence seep into his system, calming him as the pain slowly faded, though never fully. Now he stood triumphant.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Location: Phu
Objective: Run the Phu-Phuii classic
Allies: [member="Zmej Ren"]
Enemies: Ka Zor Cartel
Post: 15/37

Having finally won a podrace in seven years, Dunames was jubilant; the same could not be said of the Ka Zor Cartel, whose losses were staggering, because of a handful of gamblers, most of whom were hailing from First Order territory, wagering on the Polydroxol, whose pre-race odds were described as abysmal at best. In addition, a hunt began in earnest to hunt down the remaining bookmakers, forced to pay out huge amounts of money (by their standards), wiping out nearly three months of profits. She was a little shaken and she needed to go to sleep, soon: on the paddock she was to meet with one of the bettors that benefitted from her victory in the Phu-Phuii Classic before going to sleep. That was going to be the time for her to eat, so the mystery bettor would probably like to have a word with her after she gets dressed again. Suspicious that she might fall into a trap laid by the cartel, she decides to come only accompanied by other people, the people that helped maintain the pod. While at the table...

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Post XVII
Objective: Continue the subjugation

It would be the First Order's armies which would bring order to the Galaxy. It would be the First Order who would liberate the Unknown Regions from these treacherous cartels and warlords. And it would be men like Carlyle Rausgeber who would deliver that sort of freedom. The freedom to no longer stagnate. The freedom to be able to acheive. The freedom to have a legacy. One that would be lasting in the Galaxy. Carlyle knew that feeling. It was all too familiar. Had it not been for Sieger Ren he would be some tax man.

Some overglorified bureaucrat. But now he was a hero. One who had saved the Galaxy from the treachery of the One Sith. One who had defended his people from the greed, and ambition of Jedi. And now, he was going to wipe out the remainders of the pirates and other scum who preyed upon the Galaxy's poorest. Those who lived under the yoke of the Ssi-Ruuk. Those who sought to pillage and plunder. Those who would profit from the less fortunate. It was these men, who Carlyle Rausgeber subjugated. And it was these men Carlyle was destroying right now.

 

[Atlas Kane]

V
Belgaroth
Survive

He finally managed to try and take a step forward, but the pain in his leg increased tenfold as he did, causing him to collapse to one side, only breaking his fall with his hand, which, in turn, sent more searing pain through his body's nerves. He'd have to use the Force to retrieve his Lightsabre. It had come to a rest a few metres away from the dead creature. He extended his arm and beckoned it forth with the Force. The hilt twitched a few times then it flew into his hand in a straight path. It was surprisingly clean for having been inside the creature, just a few minor bits of ash and burned flesh sticking to it, but he wiped those off quickly.

Looking around he found a few iron pipes that were quite thin. Through a quick application of the Force they were in his hand as well, soon enough. They would serve as splints for his broken leg. With a few quick movements, he ripped off a small shred of his robes and bound it around the thin metal pipes. It hurt when he first created the splint, but the pain subsided, leaving only its echo. Atlas sat against a small piece of scrap, taking a moment to catch his breath now that he could. He noticed several large bruises all over him, internal bleeding most likely, blood had been running from his nose and mouth without his knowledge, staining the top of his tunic red. The initial bit of blood he had spat against his mask involuntarily had begun drying up. He wasn't in a good shape, that Droidbreaker had nearly killed him.

He spent a few moments meditating, allowing the Force to ease his pain when he was interrupted. He heard several faint footsteps in nearby. Not small ones from humans, big ones. More Droidbreakers. Lovely.

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Post XIX
Objective Secure the Scene

The remaining vessels who had not rebelled were kept penned in and hemmed by some heavy empire-class frigates and an imperial-x class star destroyer. Now they were slowly processed. Dozens of escape pods had been deposited in the space around the fleet. Now shuttles and atmospheric assault landers buzzed around, picking them up using a series of magnets and tethers. Using them effectively, the First Order personnel now hoisted them into the hangars, where their occupants, dependent on whether they were crewman or not, were arrested.

Scores of smugglers were hauled before angry stormtrooper crews, who consequently frogmarched them to the brig, where they were shoved into cells, five men to one cell. Of course there would be violence between prisoners, but given the conduct of the smugglers, the infantry officers took some glee in putting particularly antagonistic races together. Like wookies with trandoshians and the like. Even if there were some deaths, it did not matter. Their trials and subsequent sentences would make a particularly good show trial.

 

[Atlas Kane]

VI
Belgaroth
Escape

He tried standing up, managing to keep his balance this time, though the pain was still there. It was time for him to leave, he'd killed one beast, but he couldn't take the others. With a quick slice, he took part of the beast as proof and made his way back to the settlement, slowly. His walk was fairly slow compared to his earlier brisk job, but such was the price of battle scars. Each step pained him, though his inner fire had mostly died along with the Droidbreaker, so he instead used the Force to reduce its tiring effects on his body, letting the Force flow through it as he slowly made his way to safety.

Though the steps became louder and louder each moment. He heard them off in the distance, the other Droidbreakers. There was no point in even trying to hunt all of them, he'd get only a third of the pay he was promised, but he'd at least live to tell the tale. A shame, really, he could use the credits, but the Force did not seem to want him to stay here, he thought. Not after he took a beating like that, or rather one punch like that. He could still feel the pain all throughout his body, lessened as it may be. The weeks he'd spent in a bacta tank were already a despised thought in his mind.

Then the steps stopped for a few moments. Atlas paid it no mind, as he assumed the Droidbreakers had simply found a place to eat. However when they began again, much faster this time. Worry shot across his mind. Had those Breakers found the corpse? And had that sent them into a rage during which they now sought the killer? He turned around for a moment. There as only one way they could come. Towards him.

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Post XX
Objective: Destroy droids

The First Order's idea of justice differed to many other parts of the Galaxy. While other groups may find some sort of adherence to the rule of law, they were often flexible. The Galactic Alliance would permit dark siders so long as they were kosher to their military goals. Kaeshana had taught him that. The Silver Jedi would tolerate dissenters. The Outer Rim Coalition would be a group of lawless buffoons, and the Commoner Systems Alliance had enough issues on its own. Its adherence to archaic principles of democracy confused Rausgeber.

However, it was the strong arm of the First Order which brough true law and order to the Galaxy. The Imperial Remnant's sociopathy and personality cult lead to rash decisions. The Sith Empire was, well, Sith. And the Iron Empire was too irelevant on the Galactic stage for it to be a true bringer of justice. Without hypocrisy. Without waver. The First Order would bring justice. Justice of course in most forms took the form of labour camps, but for more serious crimes like the ones presented by the smugglers and pirates who had resisted, Carlyle suspected firing squads may be the cure for their rebellious tendencies.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Location: Phu
Objective: Run the Phu-Phuii Classic Buy the podracing track
Allies: First Order
Enemies: Ka Zor Cartel
Post: 16/37

"What will it be for you, borscht or pho?" the waiter asked both Dunames and the mystery bettor.

"Borscht" the mystery bettor told the waiter.

"Pho"

The restaurant where Dunames and the mystery bettor met sold two big varieties of soup: borscht and Phu pho, locally called pho for short, both being noodle soup varieties popularly made on Phu. Borscht was a noodle and meat stew prepared in a tomato-red, spicy soup, while pho was the same set of noodles and meat but in a broth usually prepared with the same meat as it is served in. But the wait time for the food to arrive at their table was somewhat significant and Dunames did her best not to fall asleep until it arrived; it just was her physiology. And once the meal is over, she'd better go to sleep, and fast. Yet the mystery bettor would be somewhat hesitant to begin talking to Dunames; was it because something else rendered the Tunroth nervous to be in front of her? Seven years have elapsed since the events of Jiroch-Reslia, seven years since the horror theme park is in operation on that planet; she would not expect the Tunroth to have grudges lasting that long. Especially not when the Assemblage of Three has since been replaced.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Post 15
FIV Concordia

A ghost of a smile crossed Natasi's face. "There's an old saying on Galidraan -- I'm not sure of it's origination, to be honest, but I find it applicable. Manners require time; there is nothing more vulgar than haste. We mustn't dawdle or drag our feet, but allow yourself the time to understand the task and the people you will be -- processing seems so unmusical a word, but, alas it is the only one that quite fits. Then again, the Galidraani also say too great haste to repay an obligation is a kind of ingratitude, so who earthly knows what they really mean to say?"

She took another swig of her tea and sighed contentedly. "At any rate, I'm sure you'll know what to do. I will inform Minister Creed that you are to be provided whatever is necessary and I will rely upon your discretion in achieving our aims." She inclined her head to the Governor. "Have you any other questions, Governor?"

[member="Tytos Ardik"]