Dominion &nbsp; The Lost Expedition | EE Dominion of Netherworld Hex

Lilanna Kelamvor

From where Corin stood, the city didn't look like much. Old and battered beyond recognition, the place had clearly seen better days. How long ago those days were, the captain could not say. The last century, perhaps. Or the one before that. Maybe even the one before that. Whatever the case was, the city had been abandoned for what appeared to have been a long time. Claimed by the Nether. The thought made Corin shiver. Straightening up, she swept her gaze over the city, past the crumbling walls and the ancient suburbs that had once encircled this side of the city. It was hard to tell what she saw, exactly. A lot of nothing, mostly. But that couldn't of been right, surely?

Two recon teams had gone missing here, and the Ultranaut was fairly certain they hadn't gotten lost. So what had happened to them?

Corin hoped to find out. Waving the section forward, she spread out alongside the rest of her men as they formed a loose skirmish line and advanced on the city. One of the contractors had gone on ahead, scouting. Through a break in the ruined buildings, Cor could just about make out the cloaked figure as she walked through the gates leading into the city. The Ultranaut Captain picked up the pace as the figure -little more than a shape with a blue outline marked on her HUD- was lost from sight. Glancing to her left and right as she broke through the row of dilapidated buildings, she headed for the gate. Her three fireteams and the other contractors and their allies did the same.

Passing beneath the gate's wide arch, Corin took to scanning the buildings as she emerged from the shadows, one Ultranaut among many. Doors, windows, the spaces in between; her scrutiny encompassed all. The last thing she needed- wanted was to be surprised. "Eyes up and safeties off, people." She instructed, her words driving back the silence for all of a few seconds before it's inevitable return. "Adros. Get your people up on the walls. Ryker, your team's on security. The rest of you, spread out and start searching, and for the Empress's sake, don't go anywhere alone. We're here to find our comrades, not get lost ourselves."

"Understood, sir. We'll be careful." Sergeant Ryker replied, his ultranauts moving to take up positions amongst the buildings. Cor watched them go, before approaching the twi'lek, letting her sling take the most of her KC-47's weight. "Agent Domino." She said, falling in alongside the woman. "Anything to report?" Casting a glance sideways, Cor waited patiently. As far as introductions went, it wasn't much of one. Not that the twi'lek would mind. Proper introductions -if they were to be made- could wait until they were somewhere else. Somewhere safer.

Somewhere that wasn't the Nether.

Ingrid L'lerim · Jul 9, 2021

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud, Leader of the Dawn of Hope
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group

Objective II.: The Ritual
Location: Eternal Empire's base, Netherworld
Equipment: N/A || Empyrean gland
Tag(s): N/A |

Asmus Omaand

[ Requiem for a Dream ]

<"Mother? Who are you?"> she asked back.

<"I’m not surprised you don’t recognise me, you’ve never seen me that way."> the man answered.

<"I will not ask again, who are you?!"> her voice was cold and military again.

<"Look at me better, who do I look like?"> he still has not answered.

Ingrid turned to the young man completely to look at him. She was trying to discover familiar features on it. By implication, she recognized for the first time what was characteristic of her and the L'lerim bloodline. These were not difficult to recognize, as many traits had been dominant in the family for centuries and she knew them perfectly. Especially since she was also involved in genetics because of Adrian.

The man said nothing, just waiting for the woman to recognise him. It took about half a minute for this to happen. Ingrid identified the traits as she wanted to speak, all over her body the pain waves awakened inside her and she fell to her knees. In reality, she was still conscious, but she still felt the very strong pain. In reality, a telekinetic wave left her due to the pain into which much of the base trembled. When the pain subsided, she looked up at the man, the Osborn traits were definitely recognizable.

<"Greg… How?"> she whispered.

Domino · Jul 9, 2021

Location: City Inside NW Gate.
Equipment: Vornskr Armor, Leviathan Bracers, Neti Field Cloak, Sabers, LWRC-45, Wildcat, Parabellum, Vibroknives x2, Survival Pack.
Tags:

Corin Autem

Standing still, Domino waited listening to the area around her until the rest of the team caught up. There was something out there, she just couldn't put her finger on it. After a few minutes the black-armored leader of the Ultranaughts approached her. Domino had to admit it was some good-looking stuff, so long as you didn't mind being the stuff of children's nightmares or opposition propaganda. Not that they'd ever need the help.

"If there were something to report, I'd have reported it sailor." She said it without malice or reproach, simply stating a fact as she stared at the robot dog following the sergeant(?) around. Domino wasn't familiar with the EE's ranks and insignia. Hadn't she studied them at one point? She took another slow look around, trying to peer into the heavy shadows comprising building interiors, once again wishing she'd brought her own bevy of probe droids. She hadn't though. "I'd turn that thing off and pull the brain, don't really want a 'bot around when an AI capable of re-writing people and making droids of them is in charge. No idea what it can do to your friend there."

Opinion dispensed, the Twi'lek turned and made her way down the road crossing theirs. There was a cathedral looking structure on the Northern border of the city she wanted to check out before heading to that large compound to the south. This place was seriously bugging her to the point she didn't even consider how rude she'd just been, checking instead the charge and safety on her blaster carbine as she brought it to the ready.

Lilanna Kelamvor · Jul 10, 2021

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O B J E C T I V E 1

Tags:

Equipment: Lilanna's Lightsaber, Lilanna's Armor, BG-400 Blaster Pistol.

Lilanna had been relying on her force senses to try and scout out any remnant of the team as the moved around the abandon city, though there was little that it uncovered. As her team was in the middle of recouping, she sensed something approach, and with it she attempted to call out a warning; though the words died in her throat. She felt her mind leave her, her thoughts vanishing, and her body going stiff.

Lilanna stared off in the distance, the Wardens form unwavering, almost as if she was a droid in stand by mode. In reality, she was struggling to keep herself here, in the now, and not being pulled away. 'Who are you?' She asked, feeling part of her being pulled away, having felt it since they arrived, only now as they planned out their next objective did this entity make itself known. Lilanna didn't like it one bit. She felt similar to how she felt on Vagaari, her body and focus felt split, and her strength was...questionable to say the least. 'I'm a part of you, remember? You are the vessel that will carry my will. Your the echo that carries my will, the pole upon which my flag will wave....I'm you, the part that you try so hard to bury.' The voice sounded familiar to her ears, feminine, and sinister. It certainly wasn't her. That much she was certain of. 'Deny it all you want. Just know, you're under my protection now.' She felt her mind snapping back into her body, her head reeling back, and nearly stumbling backwards as she became aware of the world around her.

Catching herself, she found Corin and their newest member in the midst of a conversation. Right, they had a mission to accomplish, and a foe to combat. She shook her head, feeling that voice still dormant in the back of her head, though she pressed on. Domino was moving forward, and the Warden wasn't entirely sure if Corin had given the order to do so, or if they were still just trying to get intel. Her hands were gripping the blaster rifle tightly, this time using the correct grip that Corin had taught her, though the weapon still felt unwieldy in her hands. She kept behind Corin, her being the only among the Ultranauts that she felt comfortable with. "Something isn't right with this place, I have a bad feeling about it." She said, the force felt heavy here for her, like weight being dropped upon her back. Not to mention the encounter with that being from before, she felt that there was a great deal more at stake here than two missing recon groups.

Corin Autem · Jul 10, 2021

Tags:

Lilanna Kelamvor
Gear: KC-47 Hybrid Strike Rifle, KC-95 Blaster Pistol, Lucius-pattern Bayonet, Sk-RS MK. IV Armour, Valdr Skær-Pattern Dual-Role Droid

"True enough." Corin replied, unphased by the twi'elk's bluntness. The Ultranaut had spent most of her adult life surrounded by stoic types. One more wouldn't make no difference. Turning at Domino's words, Cor regarded the mysterious woman for all of a heartbeat before shifting her gaze towards Banish. The Wolf Droid sat only a few feet away, it's sensors focused on the world around them. It didn't seem like he realized the twi'lek was talking about him. Not that the droid would have cared. He was did what he was programmed to do, and, Corin confessed, he did it well. Just like the rest of his models. Temporarily disabling him as a precaution just didn't seem worth it.

Mostly cause if they did run into this machine god, they were all fethed anyway.

"No idea sums this place up perfectly." Corin said, her gaze lingering on Banish -otherwise known as Ban-Ban- for a moment. "I'll keep that in mind," she continued, her words both parts evasive and honest. The sound of footsteps made her turn back to Domino, only for her to find the woman had started to walk away, up a street connected to the square they found themselves in. "Well, she's a cold one." Sergeant Ryker said, stepping into the space Domino had once filled. Cor pondered his words, shook her head. "No, she's just on edge. If it weren't for this place, I'm sure she'd be a real sweetheart." Ryker chuckled. "Wanna take bets on that?" The Captain shook her head again, glad her helmet hid her smile.

Waving a hand lazily, Cor watched as Banish padded off after the twi'lek, soundless if not for the whine of his servos.

"Sir?"

"Go ahead, Adros."

"Sir. We managed to get up on the walls as ordered. I told the boys to take a look around. Doesn't seem to be much in sight. Nothing on optics or thermals, and the only landmarks we can make out are the plaza North-East of here and the Cathedral just shy of a klick North. Apart from that, there's naught but dust, sand and dead memories to be found."

"Understood, corporal. Come back down. We're moving on." Letting the connection drop, Cor waved her troops on, Ryker's squad and her own moving to follow behind Domino and Banish. A voice at her shoulder made her pause. Casting a glance back, the Ultranaut listened to Lil's words, nodded. "Yeah, me too. Just stay close, Lil. We'll make it through okay." Reaching out, Cor squeezed the apprentice's shoulder, gently pulled her on by as Adros' squad appeared from a crumbling gatehouse nearby. "All good?" She asked as the corporal approached.

He threw up a thumb, the universal signal for all good.

Cor nodded, turned back to Lil. "Let's move."

Ladybug · Jul 10, 2021

Mikilanna Mihaly (Darth Kauhu)
Overseer of Science Development, Knight Warden of the Shroud

Equipment: Dark Blessings of Kuolema / Varjokävely
Ship: Aries XIII

A lone ship slowly descended upon the makeshift landing zone in another part of the city, where another rescue team had been thrust into service to seek and locate the two lost teams, garnished several curious minds; prompting a handful of Eternal Empire soldiers, assigned to contracted scouts and trackers for the rescue expedition, to move toward the ship upon landing. All weapons trained on the ship. The ship itself was not of Empire design, nor did it brandish any markings that would suggest it was aligned with the Empire. The ship's doors parted, casting a smoke screen that engulfed the opening with a barely visible silhouette standing at the top. The weapons of the soldiers now exchanged targets, moving from the ship to the individual.

"I say," came the voice of a tall but lanky gentleman slipping through the ranks of the soldiers; disregarding their collective protests of him approaching the ship. "I am Captain Mason of the....," he continued before the voice of the fogged individual cut him off. "Ah....so you're the one that is to blame for this expedition's failure to carry out the simplest of commands. Were you not to be on your way as of two days ago? I thank you in advance for sparing me the tiresome time of seeking you out." The man stopped abruptly in his tracks, bellowing in a strong, overcharged tone, "Who are you to speak to me in such a manner! I shall have..." His words, again, were cut-off only to discover that a tightening vice was now gripping his trachea violently; strangling it shut and shutting off the valve of airflow into his lungs.

"Silence," the voice commanded as the figure crept hauntingly through the slowly faltering smoke; revealing herself simultaneously as she robbed the defunct man of his life. A few of the soldiers lowered their weapons recognizing the woman, whilst whispers, rumors, and confusion ran amok through the others of the identity of the imposing woman. A young sergeant stepped up, bowing his head respectively which promptly culled the waves of theories among his fellow soldiers as he spoke, "And here I thought you dead, Lady Mihaly."

Domino · Jul 10, 2021

Location: City Inside NW Gate.
Equipment: Vornskr Armor, Leviathan Bracers, Neti Field Cloak, Sabers, LWRC-45, Wildcat, Parabellum, Vibroknives x2, Survival Pack.
Tags:

Lilanna Kelamvor

Ladybug

There was fear here, the mass' behind her, her own. Fear of what? The buildings? Domino peered into one as she passed, wondering what was inside, who had lived there before. Fear of the unknown then, or apprehension. It was why they were sticking to the streets, in the too-bright sunlight it was safe and it would turn to a dread for the dark. Come nighttime they'd huddle in the light they'd brought and get picked off. Each death, each lost contact increasing the dread of what was out there. Was that what had happened to the scout teams? It's what she would have done had she been defending. That or an ambush with mortars and heavy repeaters.

Whatever was happening it was time to change the dynamic.

Pivoting on her next step, Domino broke into a sprint as she allowed the Force to flow through her, invigorating, sweeping away her former hesitation. three streets fed into the intersection she was crossing, not counting the one she'd just come down, Domino went with the middle one, turning away from the city wall. The next intersection dumped her out at the mouth of the cathedral, its gothic buttresses looming over the buildings around it. A big square building took up the corner opposite. She'd hit it next and then the compound.

Her charge carried her up the steps and into the building, blowing through the twin carved doors and into the vestibule as if they weren't even there. The sound of them bouncing on their hinges to slam closed again likely alerted everything in the building to her presence and Domino scrunched behind a wall for some temporary concealment as she blinked her eyes clear again in the darkened interior of the building.

Vision clearing, she pivoted around the corner carbine at the ready, and made her way deeper into the chapel. At least that dog hadn't followed her.

Ladybug · Jul 11, 2021

Mikilanna Mihaly (Darth Kauhu)
Overseer of Science Development, Knight Warden of the Shroud

Location: City, Ruined Bridge
Equipment: Dark Blessings of Kuolema / Varjokävely
Ship: Aries XIII
Tags:

Domino /

Corin Autem /

Lilanna Kelamvor

There was just to much city to cover, even if one subtracted all the burned-out buildings to search, for such a large congregation of force. Despite the unknown factors infecting the city itself, along with all the strewn litter and bodies in varying states of decomposition flooding the region, plus the corpses of buildings that jaunted about like jagged, rotten teeth of some ancient beast, it would benefit the lost teams if she split her party into separate squads. For each squad, numbering in six, was assigned eight soldiers to accompany three scouts and four trackers. She would take only three soldiers and one scout and one tracker in her party.

Upon completion of the tasks assigned to each squad, minus hers, the groups set out in search for the lost teams. Mikilanna led her small group through dark, ash ridden alleyways stopping briefly to inspect the buildings. The ever presence of darkness was slowly encroaching overhead, a problem for her party and the others but not her. She possessed a natural affinity to see in the dark as clearly if the brightness of light cascaded freely about. The orders given before the groups departure was to keep all devices cable of fabricating false illuminations extinguished, to prevent painting themselves as either targets or a source off nourishment.

When the little band of six entered a building that stood almost nearly unmolested, the Sith Lord caught drips of fresh blood on the once polished marble floors. Following the trail of drips, she discovered a set of bloody handprints; one handprint on a set of elevator doors, the other which appeared to have been made by fumbling fingers on the side panel where the call buttons where resting. After trying the buttons herself, the elevator remained uninterested in lending the group a joyride up. Mikilanna ordered the group to seek a stairwell, which was later discovered a few moments later. Taking one soldier with her, leaving the other four to guard the stairwell's opening, the pair headed up the dark, narrow stairs.

There was a disturbing smell fumigating about, affecting her heightened sense of smell more than the soldier, that was sulfur in nature; not of death itself. The higher the pair went, the stronger the smell became. Within a few minutes, they came to a badly dented door who amazingly remained intact, but bearing the scars of some kind of battering; its control panel in ruins. The soldier, acting automatically by instinct, aimed the rifle of his barrel toward the door as Mikilanna slipped her fingers between a small opening in between the door's panels and pushed them to their respected sides.

Lilanna Kelamvor · Jul 11, 2021

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O B J E C T I V E 1

Tags:

Ladybug

Equipment: Lilanna's Lightsaber, Lilanna's Armor, BG-400 Blaster Pistol.

Feeling Corin's hand squeeze her shoulder, the Warden merely scowled as the Ultranaut stated that their squad move onward. The Warden had no real choice however but to merely continue on. She trusted Corin, that much she could take comfort in, but this place...it was just off. Moving towards the gatehouse when the all clear signal was given, Lil felt something amiss not long after. There was a buzzing in the air, a sensation she felt like...needles stabbing into her skin. She could hear a voice, binary, yet still audible in her ears speaking to her. 'Do you serve at the masters table?' It paused, the stabbing sensation hitting again, freezing the Warden in place, as she gazed into the distance. 'Who are you?' She spoke back to the droning sound. There was no response, and the Warden believed it best to inform her friend of the situation. "Corin something else is out there, I feel-." An excruciating ear piercing pulse answered back, prompting Lil to grip the sides of her head, pain striking through her being.

She dropped to her knees, holding the side of her head as the sound intensified, then it was suddenly stopped.

Silence took over, and the voice from before spoke to her.

'Now do you see why I chose you?' The feminine voice replied, echoing once again from within Lil's mind, the Warden now rising, her eyes looking upward for the unseen entity, and found nothing. 'This place is not safe, not for your kind, Warden. You risk a war beyond your control.' Lil shook her head, trying to vanish the voices, but only succeeded in diluting it. This voice wouldn't silence, continuing on as the Warden attempted to compose herself. 'I can protect you from it's influence for a time, but you must steel yourself, or you shall become yet another drone.' Then, it left, Lil felt the alien presence overwhelm her, the Warden not even able to cry out as she felt her body go limp, her eyes taking up a black hue to them now. She gave no answer to anything Corin would say, as she felt her body was...off once more. Her mind felt like it was now being closed off, information trickled to her slowly, as she no longer felt that she was in control of her body.

Lil soon felt a tremor in the force, something close. She could feel Agent Domino up ahead, moving swiftly, the force working around her, as something had caught the woman's attention. Without a word, Lil would move towards the chapel in the distance, the force taking over her body, as she leapt high into the air, and ran like the wind. There was some level of restraint in her movements however, as instead of moving further into the cathedral like Domino had, the same alien presence brought her to a halt outside of the building, as if expecting something to unfold. What that could be she didn't know. The alien presence spoke to her slowly, as if chiding her. 'You don't know what it is you're dealing with, so until then, I shall commander this vessel.' The Warden's shout of disagreement was suppressed, her saber flicking to her hand, as the blaster rifle was thrown aside. She began to pace in place, her senses slowly sweeping outwards, as if on the lookout for someone or something, though what that could be the Warden didn't know; the presence in her mind was trying to keep her suppressed, but from what she hadn't a clue.

Corin Autem · Jul 11, 2021

Tags:

Lilanna Kelamvor

Ladybug
Gear: KC-47 Hybrid Strike Rifle, KC-95 Blaster Pistol, Lucius-pattern Bayonet, Sk-RS MK. IV Armour, Valdr Skær-Pattern Dual-Role Droid

Falling into position behind her squads, Cor started up the street after Domino and Banish. Her men and women -Epicanthix, mostly- moved up either side of the street, close to the walls yet not quite hugging them. The leading pair had their weapons focused forwards. The rest scanned the windows, doorways and alleys, always alert, waiting for the moment where things took a violent turn. They didn't, and, after a while, Cor found herself relaxing somewhat. They'd almost made it to the cathedral when the Ultranaut opposite called out to her. "Sir!"

Turning, Cor followed the Ultranaut's gaze back down to where Lilanna stood motionless in the middle of the street. The sight of the cyborg stood there -just stood there- made Cor's skin crawl, not out of any innate dislike for the woman, but because of the... strangeness that seemed to surround her like a dark cloud. Sharing a look with the Ultranaut who'd warned her, Cor called for her soldiers to halt. The Ultranauts went to ground, ever vigilant of their surroundings. Tension radiated from them, filled the air around Corin with unseen energy. She could feel it, understand it, even. Being in this city, wandering it's streets, was much akin to jogging through a graveyard, giving no chits for those who slumbered within.

It felt like they were waiting for the cadavers to appear, vengeful, angry at being disturbed. Maybe they were at that.

Adros appeared at her side, took a knee. "What's wrong?" He asked, a hard edge to his voice. "I don't know." Corin answered truthfully, her eyes locked on the motionless Lil. "Cover me," she said, not waiting for a reply before making her way back to Lilanna. When she was within a dozen paces of the cyborg, Cor took a knee again. "Lil?" She asked, her voice careful, tentative. "Lil! What's wrong?"

A rush of air, and suddenly Lil was no longer where she'd been stood a moment before. Cor reeled back as her friend/acquaintance became a blur of flesh and steel. Her rifle came up almost on instinct, tried to trace the cyborg's path through the air. Cobbles cracked loudly up ahead, and Cor heard muted tones of surprise as the apprentice landed amongst her men. And then she was off. Running up the street after Lil, Cor threw caution to the wind. "Go!" She called to her men over the encrypted channel.

The Ultranauts stood as one, and double-timed it up the street after Lil.

A small box popped into existence in the top left corner of Cor's HUD as she ran, next to the biosigns of her squads, and she opened it with a series of blinks and rapid-eye movements. From Banish's perspective, the world looked strange, like someone had upped the resolution. Cor saw clearly the inside of the cathedral, Banish's sensors piercing the deep shadows and shifting light, painting a perfect picture of what awaited them there. Lil, saber in hand, paced perhaps three or so meters from where Banish sat.

Around her, dried blood marked the floors, the walls, the door leading to some stairs that led upwards. To the bell tower, maybe? A body sat in the doorway, it's back to the arch, head slumped forward. Even through her droid's eyes, Cor knew who the man was simply, mostly due to the armor he wore, and the insignia on his shoulder. She drew in a breath at the sight of his left arm. It had been reduced to a bloody stump. As had both of the scouts legs. "Kark me." Cor cursed under her breath as the first of her men reached the cathedral.

They went in loud, splitting to either side as the space opened up around them. Cor was one of the last in, and she made sure to shut the heavy doors behind her as she went. "Captain. You're gonna want to see this." Ryker called from the gloom. Making her way over to him, she almost drew in another breath as she made out two more bodies lying nearby. Both had been mutilated, their weapons cleaved, armor rent. Blood stained their chests and arms and faces. Through the ruined faceplate of one of the scout's helmets, she could make out an eye widened in fear.

They had died hard.

"Kriffing hell." Someone exclaimed, and Cor was inclined to let it pass. "Guess we found our missing scouts. Poor sods."
"What happened to them?" Another asked, his gaze bouncing around the room.

"More like what did this to them." Adros corrected, his voice calm, clear. Truth be told, Cor was calm too. She had to be. "And is it still here?" She finished the sentence for him. For a minute, no-one spoke. Her words provoked thought, and, unfortunately, a subtle sense of dread that they couldn't shake. She gestured for her men to spread out before it could take root fully, and they did so silently. It was only when they were in position that Cor realized the darkness filling the room was moving around.

Moving towards them.

Ladybug · Jul 11, 2021

Mikilanna Mihaly (Darth Kauhu)
Overseer of Science Development, Knight Warden of the Shroud

Location: City, Near A Ruined Bridge
Equipment: Dark Blessings of Kuolema / Varjokävely
Ship: Aries XIII
Tags:

Domino /

Corin Autem /

Lilanna Kelamvor

Sounds of retching and uncontrolled dry-heaving from the soldier behind the Sith Lord only infused substance into the horrific scene that quickly unfolded before them the moment the doors parted. The once proud and lavish hallway had undergone a sickening metamorphosis; transforming into a graveyard of limbs and half-eaten corpses. First impressions, no survivors. Stepping into the macabre scene, Mikilanna brushed the sides of her cloak aside granting easy access to her twin hilts. There was a presence here, faint and growing fainter quickly. The presence, she deduced after connecting to it via the Force, was not primal but one of elevated fear, pain, and confusion. It wasn't the presence, itself, that allocated the reasoning for heightened alertness; but some of the corpses were still fresh, flowing blood pooling onto the floor and around the bodies.

Gesturing slightly with her head, the soldier entered the hallway following the Sith as she strolled down the hallway of horrors. Briefly glimpsing the shredded clothes that barely covered cold, greying exposed flesh, she easily deduced by the lack of Eternal Empire fittings they were not the lost team; only poor fools who stumbled upon the bad side of luck. Reaching the elevator doors, the familiar bloody handprints from floors below marked the wall on the left as they slinked further down the hall. Mikilanna, with her only support slowly keeping up from behind, followed the bloody trail noticing the red signs left smearing patches from time to time; a clear indication the artist's life energy was fleeting.

Reaching a half-opened door where the presence had now taken up residence behind, Mikilanna put a single finger to her lips, silently ordering the soldier to be quiet. Aided by the Force, the door was mentally pushed away. Mikilanna, alone, stepped inside the room. The room, back in it's glorious days of old, was once an office of high executive stature. However, now everything contained within the room was destroyed, for the exception of paintings and photos adding decor to once bright colored walls. Slumped in the furthest corner was a single figure struggling for air through a series of laboring breaths; holding back the contents of his inner being from splashing outward with a single hand, whilst the other hand shook nervously trying to aim a small hold-out blaster pistol at the Warden.

Domino · Jul 12, 2021

Location: City Inside NW Gate.
Equipment: Vornskr Armor, Leviathan Bracers, Neti Field Cloak, Sabers, LWRC-45, Wildcat, Parabellum, Vibroknives x2, Survival Pack.
Tags:

Lilanna Kelamvor

Ladybug

The soft rubber tread of Domino's combat boots whispered quieter than the rustling of her field cloak as she advanced between the rows of empty pews, her attention drawn to a lone figure kneeling before the alter as in supplication. He was draped in a fine blue vestment and the back of his stole bore a single orange circle that appeared to glow with the light of the setting sun that shone on him as if from a spotlight through the high windows of the sanctuary bathing him and the alter in its reddish orange.

When the Twi'lek entered the cleared space between the benches and where the floor stepped to that holy place around the alter from whence sermons were dispatched the man slowly rose, his arms stretching wide as he turned. "Greetings." the voice was smooth, welcoming in that calm way of someone who is very sure that things are just as they should be. "Have you come for conversion?"

That word pricked at Domino's consciousness like few things had of late, resonating throughout the fractured dimensions of her mind and even the tiny pockets that had been tracking the progress of the others through other sections of the cathedral or in their state of attrition turned their full attention to this man and screamed danger. "I'm searching for others that have come before." She replied cautiously after wetting her lips with her tongue.

"Then you are here for conversion!" The last word would have shrieked throughout the room had the sharp bark of Domino's carbine not cut him off before he'd gotten more than half-way through it. Instead his head snapped back and his body seemed to hang there for a moment. Then metal tendrils whipped out the sides of the man's (cyborg? android?) robes to stream forth. For her part Domino had already resumed shooting, holding down the trigger to send a stream of red blaster fire dancing across the thing's chest as she sprung aside without letting up the barrage. Preferring to miss a few shots or let them play along the tendrils than to give the thing a moment not under fire.

Coming down in the second row, she again dodged to the side as the thing's next attack slammed through the wooden pews. Rolling she came up, snapped off a trio of shots and finally took a moment to assess her opponent as he drew the tendrils back again. Robes and much of the flesh had been burned away to reveal a partially melted skeleton of metal puppeteered about by the wire tendrils. The head lolled forward and Domino could see where her shot had scoured away the flesh above the orange glowing eyes to leave a neat, empty, little hole. "Convert!" The thing screeched again.

Domino was sure that her stream of heavy blaster fire would take thins thing down eventually, but she wanted it dead now. And closing into saber range would mean giving it the chance to bundle her up from all directions in its multitude of tendrils. That left one option, she needed range.

"Not bloody likely," she muttered more to herself than it, as she activated the Neti. Pulling the fold she'd made into a hood up she all but disappeared as the cloth shifted and changed trying to mimic what was behind her. It was far from perfect but Domino used it to kick herself over another row of benches where she rolled back a few more. When next she rose the 'Converter' as she'd decided to call it fixed its eyes to her having already figured out her trick. This time however when she pulled the trigger it wasn't on her carbine but the parabellum grenade launcher she'd carried. The magazine sent two anti-personal grenades followed by an armor-piercing shell into the beast. The triple boom was deafening as shrapnel pinged about the stone interior of the chapel raining dust down on its once fine interior. "Mawp."

Asmus Omaand · Jul 15, 2021

Armor: Armor
Weapons:Scatterblaster, Charric Rifle, 3 Vibro-knives, 2 Batons, Veshet Right Sleeve Blaster,Sniper Rifle,
Tinfoil Hat, 3 Probe Droid Grenades

The droid dropped low, a long gaze cast their way before looking back down at the ground where it stood. A noise of annoyance came from Jules, Asmus content to sit and watch finally if it meant shooting the thing.

"How many rounds do you have on you?" He asked, eyes still in the binoculars as Asmus did a quick mental tally.

"I've got enough."

"Hard number?"

"Would have to stop looking. Had a rucksack with spares you threw behind us. Have four plus one magazine on me." Asmus snapped, remembering his pockets being heavy alongside the rucksack he had drug out here.

"I'll grab the rucksack then. Gonna need more than that when the bantha poodoo hits the fan." Jules sighed, sliding backwards out-of his position to grab the rucksack.

"Hey, target moving toward us."

"Yeah. Figured it would. Target the neck but wait for my signal."

"Copy."

Asmus put his arms together, left hand on the stock while right flexed over the grip. The sight settled over the omni-droid, its photoreceptors directed towards the pair.

"Looking our way."

"I figured. Those things are supposed to be good hunters." Jules informed him quietly, pulling the rucksack forward before getting back into his position.

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Ingrid L'lerim

Lilanna Kelamvor · Jul 15, 2021

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O B J E C T I V E 1

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