The Chorus of Chaos (Dominion Dom of Mandalore Hex)

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Fire burned in Cedric's chest.

The youth stood at the back of his shuttle his arms folded behind the small of his back. A lump had begun to form in the back of his throat, and words were becoming difficult to find. As he watched the world below him rise up to greet the shuttle, Cedric felt disdain. Masses of vessels ranging from snub fighters to broken capital ships dotted the rain soaked landscape. Above them hung the remnants of a massive cityscape, one destroyed in a time long before his birth.

This was a place of death, and he welcomed its purity.

There would be no politics here. There would be no tactical thinking; no need to play the great game. The Acerbitas and her crew simply needed to refuel and salvage what they could for the crusade. The land they had chosen to erect their garrison was flooded with the planet's native fauna, but such trifling creatures were of little threat to the Dominion and her armies.

No, there was something else here that left Cedric feeling spurned.

"This world puts me in a dark place," he mused to his compatriots. "It makes me wonder as to what could become of what we have built if we fail. Part of me welcomes that simple purity; the promise of open, bloody combat and an honorable death. The other part cowers in fear at the thought."

The vessel touched down atop a rusted out building in the middle of a massive settlement. The whole area had been abandoned, its inhabitants slaughtered by fauna.

 

[Darth Eversor]

Abraxas stood next to [member="Cedric Grayson"], looking upon the world much differently. It reminded him, in gory detail, of what the Sith had done to civilizations before this one. Pillaging and burning, dashing the flesh and sinew of innocents across landscapes once peaceful. It was a time that the former Sith did not feel sorry for, it was a pride that none could take away.

"Fear is non-negotiable, child. You must embrace it, even those that sow the seeds of dread are capable of anxious faults. it is only natural. Either you let it take you, or you harness it and put it on the leash it needs."

The wanderer's armor clanked as he shifted his shoulders, his massive blade sheathed at his back. The former executioner of Darth Carnifex did not promise these good-doers anything, not even his hand in allegiance to secure a future. His will was his own, and their cause was a tool. An efficient method to take what the former Sith felt entitled to, even if it was out of a selfish act.

 

[Alyson Halle]

Alyson was for once left alone from all of the responsibilities of being a ruler and a jedi at the same time, she had spent much time off world and had begun to start feeling a tad homesick, but she continued to push on, this crusade was extremely important to the long term stability of the Dominion and if nothing were done to continue this bad things could happen to them and all who had aligned with them. Alyson could not allow her people to be opressed by foreign rulers with no representation in their government or rulership, she wanted her people to control their own destiny, not some council, oligarchy or dictatorship, that did not understand her people or their ways. Atleast with the dominion her people could speak for themselves rather than having words put in their mouths.

The planet they had come around emmited a dark aura that chilled her to the bone. Death thrived here, nothing but the cold darkness of an atrocity that had long passed, Darkness reigned on this world, the cold blackness eminated from the planet like a stink from a barn, it permeated it and hte space surrounding it, she just wanted to get away from it as quickly as possible, complete the objective they wished to complete and leave. Hopefully that would be soon, but for now her and her guards would have a little hunt, they would track down and hunt the native fauna, they were told to be dangerous and deadly, just the way she liked it.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Objective: Open a new route to Taris
Post: 1/20

After what transpired on Hijarna, nearby Taris was going to be the next stop for Dunames. It was going to be shaky, but it had to be done. The Dominion was booming, which was good for Star Tours at this stage of the game. Taris a place where they would need to be careful about it: the ship made its approach towards Taris without a hitch, and the Maersk of Lanteeb was going to be a little stressed when the landing sequence was going to be activated after reverting to realspace.

"How do you feel?" the chief engineer asked Dunames.

"I feel a little on edge: the Dominion is going to make a run for the Core, and that's not going to do us any good"

 

[null3]

The ships engines flared as the admiral stood silently of the bridge of his new ship, he was proud to once again be rewarded for his crucial parts in the the dominions of Irn and Ventooine, he is now moving for Taris at a high speed, the fleet behind him and 2nd attack battalion back on Irn.

The Battalions were prepped and the ships were ready for the new challenge.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Even concealed beneath the stoic visors of their helmets, Vorian could sense the ambivalent grimness of their attitudes. There was hardly not a soul in the Galaxy who did not know of the scourging of Taris, billions of lives extinguished for a handful of plucky adventurers. Even now, the once great skyscrapers of the towering ecumenopolis now served as grave markers for a entire planet, flayed of all ornaments and bereft of the splendor of ale, song and women they once entertained. Merely skeletal carcasses, spires jutting into the heavens.

The natural offspring of hubris and paranoia. A easy trap to fall into, and a difficult one to escape.

He jerked his head to [member="Cedric Grayson"] and the hulking, plate-armored stack of protein nucleotides that presumed itself to advise him. He sensed a odd pride radiating from whatever twisted creature resided within those slabs of articulated metal. A revulsion to that beast immediately generated.

"There is nothing to relish about the needless expenditure of manpower. Darth Malak was a idiot, which could have been forgiven if he was not a vicious one. The destruction of Taris was nothing but posturing, a strongman flexing power he truly never had and to no one's surprise, lasted hardly a few years in power."

[member="Abraxas"]

 

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"Perhaps not, but it's something I shall conquer all the same. I fear not mortals nor mortality, but the passage of time." Cedric mused, his arms folding behind the small of his back as the ship's doors hissed open. Rancid swamp air rushed into the cargo bay, causing the young Archlord to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

The contingent of the 501st that had accompanied the men filed out ahead of the group. Cedric followed behind them, pulling his cowl down tight over his skull as he stepped onto the cracked permacrete. Below, Cedric could already hear the sputtering of blaster fire and the screams of some ungodly creature.

The settlement had to be purged.

A hand fell to the familiar cylinder at its belt. With a twitch of his thumb, the bright blue blade came to life - it was his father's weapon, and it would do here.

"Such is the fate of tyrants and despots Vorian." Cedric began to follow after the 501st down the steps of the building. "Let us bring these creatures the justice of the grave."

[member="Vorian Adasca"], [member="Abraxas"], [member="Fleet Admiral Harris"], [member="Dunames Lopez"], [member="Alyson Halle"]

 

[null3]

The Taris system was directly ahead, the ships came out of hyperspace within minutes and now hung low above the planet taris, below the atmosphere, you could see firefights breaking out across the surface, the ships began to slow down and reach a complete stop in low orbit. The dropships flew from the bottom of the acclamators and Imperial star destroyers.

 

[Darth Eversor]

"Darth Malak was nothing, and is easily forgotten by most. Do not spout criticisms nor advise that which I've already learned, the Sith of the current time are a mockery. They hold no torch nor merit to what was of the past. Manpower may not be the answer to every query, but the display of dominance and power can be feared by many, especially those of a simplistic nature. 'Tis why it has become so effective to expend upon masses."

Abraxas turned to look at [member="Vorian Adasca"] for a brief moment before following suit with [member="Cedric Grayson"]. The stench of the world and all of its decay felt like home, and the confidence of the wayward stranger increased tenfold. But the time to reminiscence was not now, nor would it ever be suitable for the likes of such company surrounding the former Sith.

But one was able to imagine, even dream, no?

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Allies: N/A
Foes: The Dominion
Post: [01/20]

His purpose was negligible.

There was no rhyme or reason behind his being here.

The will of the dark tides of the Force had summoned him to this world. A former urban graveyard of tens of millions. Their souls had been extinguished under the might of beings so seemingly powerful that they themselves couldn't have done it alone. The Sith required armies of beings to enact their will, the Jedi required backing from great and age-old Republics to form their backbone. Neither was independent, neither was strong enough to take what they wanted by their own will and strength.

It seemed like this Dominion possessed exactly the same traits.

Rather than idly standing by, entertaining himself with the chaotic spectacle of war, Judas had taken it upon himself to stop them.

Not for the people of Taris, not for morality's sake.

For the sole reason of being able to say he did it alone.

[member="Cedric Grayson"], [member="Vorian Adasca"], [member="Fleet Admiral Harris"], [member="Dunames Lopez"], [member="Alyson Halle"], [member="Abraxas"]

 

[TK-7475 (Storm Sentinal)]

The Light of the dropships flickered and flared, the lights were dim and this metal coffin was falling through the hell-like inferno of atmospheric entry. The troopers lined the walls, side by side with rifles in hand. The ship rumbled and rattled. The sound of two explosions rattled the craft. The sentinel team smiled as they knew the sound quiet well, the firing engines right after breaking the sound barrier.

The craft continued to rattle and bump until the sound of it slowin was heard after a good three minutes of free falling. The lights came on in the back and ten troopers in red stormtrooper armor place their helmets on their heads and readied their weapons. These men were the 3rd Attack battalion, Harris' Fist. The ship slowed and the doors opened into the night, hitting the ground and kicking up dust, the now unbundled men stood as the gear hit the ground. The door light turned green And Captain Wills started shouting go. Dropships landed around them, ten in this group, and this was just the first. The men charged out the door into the dark, unfamiliar world to capture this planet in the name of the dominion.

 

[Alyson Halle]

Alyson readied her weapon. This planet was a putrid swamp, and the fauna they had spoken about was some sort of sick euphamism. This was no fauna they were horrible abominations, unspoken horrors from some unthinkable hell that not one man would ever want to live on. She quickly led her group of soldiers on a charge, she refused to let these beasts kill any of her men, for they felt like corrupted twisted souls of former people, like the echos of men long lost, their souls and bodies tormented and twisted into an unrecognizable form. This was a disgrace to whoever these men and women were before, now they were just mindless beasts with no thought for their own.

Alyson began to lead a charge, hopefully she could put these beasts out of their misery.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Objective: Open a new route to Taris
Post: 2/20

"There are worse threats than the Alliance here: here they claim the Alliance is a demoniac entity"

"Their atrocities have been a little low-key to be fair, compared to the One Sith before them: Directive 12"

The landing sequence began in earnest for the crew of the Maersk of Lanteeb. They knew that they had to make it quick, but she has to be perceived as something other than an instrument of the Dominion for the plan to work. Dunames has never been that much of a woman for this, and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for this to occur. For them to rush so quickly to the Core when their holdings in the Outer Rim are still vulnerable to a Resurgent Empire attack. A few moments later, the 500m ship made landfall on Taris, where she hoped that the locals would actually welcome Star Tours for what it is.

 

[Xiarr Sair]

Taris was a grim world, a planet of nothing but death and shattered memories long past. Taking Taris would be necessary in order to make sure that the Dominion would have access to the core worlds, but other than that, Xiarr saw Taris as having little strategic importance. Perhaps he was wrong, and there would be something of use on the planet, but nonetheless, the Dominion wanted Taris, and he would help them secure the planet.

As the others debated about the history and meaning of Taris, Xiarr remained silent with a grim look on face. When the doors of the shuttle opened, the flora was everywhere, nature had taken back everything it was deprived of, and it was doing the same across the entire planet. Xiarr activated his lightsaber and lead a squadron into battle against the beasts, hoping this would be quick.

[member="Abraxas"]
[member="Dunames Lopez"]
[member="Cedric Grayson"]
[member="Alyson Halle"]
[member="Judas Foster"]
[member="Fleet Admiral Harris"]
[member="Vorian Adasca"]
[member="TK-7475 (Storm Sentinal)"]

 

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"Rule of fear is rule of the weak. If you must crush your allies to keep them in line, then you are not fit enough for the sole of my boot. These rulers are more so children that lack both the maturity and the mental acumen to run a state properly. It is for that reason that I will criticize Malak and his constituents to the very end: weak, overzealous, fools. The Dominion will never resort to such tactics. If it does, then we will have fallen so far as to be in complete ruin."

The words were spoken calmly to [member="Abraxas"], and Cedric carried no form of malice to his tone. He was simply expressing his views on the subject. Whether they lined up with those of the dark warrior or not was none of his concern.

The storm grew heavier as the shuttles lifted off to encicle the settlement. Cedric held his blade up at the ready, watching as a small horde of the pale-skinned monsters were gunned down by a volley of fire.

"There are less of them than I expected," he muttered as he stepped out into the muddy roadway. "Hold here. Something is wrong."

His mind extended outward, and a single monstrous presence greeted him. It was not one of the Rakghouls, but rather another thing entirely. So powerful was it that the beasts made a point to ignore it all together. This was no creature, but a sentient being, one with dark intent.

[member="Xiarr Sair"], [member="Alyson Halle"], [member="TK-7475 (Storm Sentinal)"], [member="Judas Foster"], [member="Abraxas"], [member="Vorian Adasca"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Allies: N/A
Foes: The Dominion
Post: [02/20]

It was as if some god had answered his prayers.

Judas stood alone, golden eyes shimmering in the sunlight as he moved to intercept the Dominion forces landing on Taris. It was a large, abandoned sector of the cityscape that had been largely unscathed by any signs of warfare.

But that was all to change.

Rakghouls. Vicious vermin they were, but quite useful. They snarled and screeched past him, storming into the buildings in droves as they detected the sounds of thundering engines and repulsorlifts from invading soldiers. This Dominion had not made a very good first impression, especially when it came to making a "tactical" entry. Even the youngest, most naive cadet at any military academy could tell you that dropping into the middle of a city was the closest thing to suicide.

Judas grinned wickedly.

It was playtime.

[member="Xiarr Sair"], [member="Dunames Lopez"], [member="Alyson Halle"], [member="TK-7475 (Storm Sentinal)"], [member="Abraxas"], [member="Vorian Adasca"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Objective: Open a new route to Taris
Post: 3/20

Once the Maersk of Lanteeb has landed on Taris, mostly empty except for a few... containers full of Hijarna stones, Dunames wastes no time in setting up the advertising booth into the spaceport's ground-side area. Hopefully it would make some of the would-be travelers at the ticketing area willing to at least check out what makes Star Tours different from the run-of-the-mill spaceline. Then again, Taris was a barren world, so it might be a better place to place ground-bound maintenance facilities than to actually fly people in or out. At least Hijarna had a resource that actually mattered, she thought, upon seeing the spaeport that clearly saw better days before all the deaths occurred.

"Change of plans: we have to use the dirt cheap space around the spaceport to allow us to maintain Maersks as well as anything on down"

"I'll just buy what starship maintenance equipment there is around"

 

[Tyberius Fel]

[member="Abraxas"]

Vorian figured a force sensitive scholar like himself had little place in the salvaging efforts, a job best left to the numerous auxiliaries and outriders which strengthened the military of the Dominion. As such, the Arkanian Sorcerer decided to occupy himself with debating this 'Abraxas' fellow. Some would had considered it unwise to engage in verbal sparring with a man who appeared as if he he could cleave a Rancor from groin to gullet in a single swing with sufficient effort, but Vorian had never had a (fellow?) Sith to debate against before and the opportunity was too tantalizing to pass up.

"Fear is a fickle weapon. You can galvanize men into fighting to the death against you just as easily as you send them quivering and cowering into a rout." He seemed contemplative for a moment. "The only 'fear' the slaughter of the helpless inspires is that in men who were already craven and weak to begin with. No true opponent would fear blasting away women and children with Star Destroyers anymore than they would a school boy incinerating ants with magnifying glasses. It is entirely a moot exercise, which is why Malak utterly failed as not only a Sith, but as the tyrant he so desperately fancied himself as."

Vorian nodded along to Cedric voicing a single sentiment, and watched him approach the dark figure.

 

[Alyson Halle]

Alyson continued to fight the rakghouls, they went down rather easy, but she lost a man or two to the beasts. This was not a good situation for anybody, but they had to cull the hordes of the beasts in order to complete their objective. This would be a hard fight but it would be an exhilarating one, these beasts wer no normal animals, they were a true challenge that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. Alyson however after killing one of the beats stopped in her tracks, there was something else afoot, something that she could not fully see or understand, it was a great thing, strong in the dark side, it presided over the area like a great watcher, sitting watching ll those who fought. This was no normal foe. For now, however, Alyson would keep fighting

 

[Dunames Lopez]

Objective: Open a new route to Taris
Post: 4/20

"What about the stockholders? Do they object to this?"

"By now you have to acknowledge that a significant chunk of the stocks are held by frequent flyer card holders: they far outweigh any institutional or corporate investors: they usually have little to say about how Star Tours is run"

The crew was frantically looking for starship maintenance equipment as well as spare parts: no starship maintenance center, ground-bound or orbital, would be complete without a supply of spare parts, so long as they do not pertain to the repulsorlift generators: these items require the repairs to be carried out in orbit, especially on ships 500m and larger. Granted, these items usually had good reliability, but one could never be too cautious. Especially not when it can cause nightmares to repair: a repulsorlift generator failure can cause a cascade of problems. Broken landing gears, tarmac damage, lower deck damage, to name the main areas of concern if one of those things was to fail on a ship that big. Dunames knew more about spare parts than she did about maintenance equipment but that was understandable.