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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2019 22:41:31 GMT -8
Kortos kept his left blade in a guard position as the Master parried his right blade. He pulled back then as Harnan attempted to take the Master by surprise, but to no avail. Valance rushed forward then, his full body shield acting as a giant ram into the Masters side. Kortos waited until the precise moment the Master moved just the slightest to rush in and spin both sabers in a diagonal slash. The blades sent sparks flying as the Master managed to shift his stance and brought his blade into position to block the attack. Harnan came rushing in then, the blade of his staff dragging across the ground, before the Knight of Ren swung it upward. The Master seemed unfazed by the sparks flying through the air as he slipped forward past the blade and grabbed hold of the shaft. Harnan yanked back on the staff as he jammed the edge of his shield toward the Masters wrist, Kortos taking the quick distraction as a moment to rotate around the Master
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Ga’ab Solomon
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Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on Apr 21, 2019 19:13:32 GMT -8
Space Between Stars in the Mid Rim, Enroute to the Unknown Regions
Rygal rested his head on his knuckles as he slumped in the Nebulon B Frigate's captain's chair. The Ryn looked tired. Since their harrowing escape from the Bahalian Shipyards and the evil clutches of the Tenloss Syndicate he had presided over all 6 of their course corrections over the last 24 hours. Their circuitous route slowed their progress core-word but Rygal knew the necessity of throwing off pursuit. He had no doubt that the Tenloss Syndicate had already plastered the profile, engine signature, and BoSS ship codes all over the Outer Rim with a bounty high enough to attract attention. These dark thoughts roused Rygal from his slump and with a tired sigh he pulled himself out of the command chair. Around him, other members of his clan family, those with experience enough to contribute to manning the large starship's duty stations were equally as tired, though they faithfully carried on, stifling yawns. Rygal moved amongst them speaking words of encouragement and asking them simple, affirmative questions to boost morale.
Rygal was about to reach for his commlink when the bridge doors opened and a dozen Ryn children raced into the bridge. Their primate-like tails flicked with excitement as they beheld the warship's bridge with its flashing consoles and displays, and the blue glow of hyperspace that filtered through the bridge viewports. Rygal cleared his throat and that seemed to arouse the youths from their stupor. They approached the older Ryn, in their small hands they carried steaming cups of caf which Rygal and his fellow crewers gratefully accepted.
"Thank you, young one." Said Rygal as he knelt down to accept a cup of steaming caf. He tussled the young Ryn's furry head before he stood up. Raising the cup to hover beneath his nostrils he inhaled deeply the rich aroma that preluded the surge of energy he so desperately needed. He was about to press the brim to his lips when a voice interrupted.
"We're about to decelerate sir." Called out a Ryn named Orossus at the chief navigator's station.
Rygal took a quick gulp that scalded his tongue and he bit back a curse as he walked swiftly to his command station. "Status?" He had to raise his voice to be heard over the deceleration alarms. Half-empty cup of caf stowed in a convenient cup-holder, Rygal's attention was fixed to his overview displays. A small 2D image of the Nebulon B Frigate was shown on a sector map, the third sector in the Mid-Rim that they had travelled too in their ongoing escape. They were now within the Taldot Sector and in a few moments would come to a spot in the deep space between any stars.
"Engine room is reporting that the deceleration from hyperspace to realspace is going to damage the remaining engines. We might only have two or three more jumps before the engine housing begins to melt." Replied the Ryn Comm officer.
Rygal grimaced. He was hoping for at least four more jumps to completely throw off pursuers. Unfortunately the damage that their vessel had taken in their flight from the Bahalian shipyards had spread beyond the two Kuat Galaxy-15 Ion Engines that Overseer Sc'eran Tha's pilots had done. The Ryn had managed to shut down the two damaged engines and jump to hyperspace on the remaining five, albeit at a slower speed. However in their subsequent hyperspace jumps they had discovered that the surrounding engine heat-sinks had also been damaged. The hyperspace-realspace reversions were particularly taxing. "Navigation, give us our options. Assume we have only have one safe jump to reach our final destination."
"This'll take a minute or two Rygal." Said an older female Ryn, Zuuria, who had been a navigator on a Ore Freighter once upon a time. Across the bridge she studied star-charts and updated atro-navigational data and fed it into the ships own nav-computer. "Well, if we only have 1 more jump... Maybe we shoot waaaaay out there... Skirt the Unknown regions?"
Rygal pulled it up on the galaxy map on his command screen. He studied the area for a moment, but honestly he was too tired to really care. It was far out of their way that they might confuse any pursuers dogged enough to have tracked them through the previous several jumps. "Sure. Let's skirt the Unknown Regions and brush by a civilized world, maybe try to lose our engine drive trail in some local traffic." Suggested Rygal, despite the fatigue he remained cagey.
With their course plotted, the crew braced themselves for the jump to lightspeed. When they reverted to realspace they trusted they would find themselves so far to the edge of the galaxy that not even a Gand could find them when they took their last hyperspace jump to Contruum and their new home
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Ga’ab Solomon
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Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on Apr 22, 2019 17:36:31 GMT -8
Unknown Regions, Open Space Near Roxuli
Hours earlier Rygal had been convinced to take some much needed rest by his wife, Ariceli. Rygal had fallen into a deep sleep the moment his head touched the pillow in the captain's quarters. Ariceli lay next to him and snuggled her smaller body against his. Soon, she too was sound asleep, confident that their troubles were behind them and that finally the clan could breathe free air and wander the starlanes as they had done for generations. In the dimmed lighting of the cabin, with only the soothing sound of breathing all seemed for a moment peaceful.
The frigate cruised serenely through the void of hyperspace the Ryn could be forgiven for the sense security and calm that allowed to fall asleep in soft bunks that were a novelty in their slave barracks. Those adult Ryn who were not asleep or replenishing their nutrients with ration packs were inventorying the ship's supplies and equipment. The Ryn were an inventive and industrious species. What they could not repurpose for their new settlement on a cold, dry moon, they would sell or barter. It was unlikely that the Ryn would need a Nebulon B Frigate, and it was easily worth several million credits if they could find a contact wealthy enough, ambitious enough, and most importantly discreet enough, to take it off their hands. The Ryn would much prefer reinvesting in a modest fleet of small freighters.
Unfortunately, all these dreams and their peaceable journey to the far end of the galaxy was going to come to an abrupt and horrifying end...
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The Nebulon B-Frigate shuddered as it was wrenched out of hyperspace with enough force to throw both Rygal and Ariceli up off the mattress. Both Ryn awoke in an instant and leapt to their feet, their instincts taking over as they unconsciously reverted to a fight or flight response. A piercing siren began to sound throughout the ship which made Rygal's stomach tie itself into a knot. "What's going on?" Asked Ariceli as she looked around nervously, there was real fear in her eyes. Rygal had already begun to put on his clothes before he snatched up his commlink. "Bridge? What happened?!" Rygal, this is Yara, I have the bridge. Something's forced us out of hyperspace! Engine room is reporting all sorts of problems! You need to get up here!" Replied a static-y female voice over the comm. "Check the room and see if the captain's stored any blasters here, then meet me at the bridge." He called over his shoulder as he raced out of the captain's quarters and down the hallways that were bathed red with emergency lighting. Rygal's mind raced as he furiously hypothesized over what had happened. The odds were astronomical that Tenloss or one of their cronies had somehow gotten an interdictor cruiser in place to intercept them. No, Rygal concluded, it had to be the engines. He should have just plotted a course to Contruum at the last jump, they should have taken their chances with four course corrections. If their engines shut down out here, wherever here was, they could be stranded for weeks or months.
Rygal entered the chaotic bridge to find the clan's elders already waiting for him. They had been conversing on the left side of the bridge around a holo-display along with Yara and their chief navigator Zuuria. "Turn that alarm off" He ordered, "Everyone's already awake and they know something's wrong." As Rygal approached the impromptu council, the Ryn greeted him. "What's happened?" He asked them, though the holoprojected image of the Engine and attached regions of the ship confirmed what he had feared. Yara replied first, "We're still trying to figure it out. We obviously reverted to real-space suddenly and while there was damage to the engines after deceleration, Frix in the engine room would stake his tale that an engine problem didn't bring us out of hyperspace." Rygal's bushy brows furrowed at the report. "Run a wide-beam sensor sweep, do it in grids if you have too, if there's an interdictor out there hiding I want to know about it." Other Ryn on the bridge went to fulfil his orders. "Does Frix have any idea when we'll be spaceworthy again?" "No. Not really. He said they were still stabilizing the engine reactors and it could be some time before they're within safe operating condition." Rygal nodded. Bad news.
"Sir! We've been conducting wide-scans as you ordered. We haven't picked up any ships but there's something in front of us. I'm forwarding it to the holoprojector" yelled out a voice from across the bridge. There was a gasp from a Ryn elder he elicited a dark curses as an image was rendered in front of them. Rygal raised an eyebrow at the elder named Zuurhio, to him it just looked like large asteroid. It was strange though that an asteroid of this size size hadn't been registered in this region's star charts, but that wasn't unheard of. "Kriffing asteroid." Griped Zuuria. "And a big one. It must've had the mass to trigger the ship's real-space reversion." She kept looked at the sensor's readout of the object's mass.. "Kriffing too big to not make it onto the known list of interstellar objects. I wouldn't have plotted this course." She said defensively, but mostly to herself. The older Ryn male that had cursed had begun to wring his furred hands. "We should raise the shields." He said with a fearful yet forceful voice that surprised Rygal and caused the others to look at him. The ryn male who had just spoken was knwon as Old Zuurhio, a distant relation of Zuuria, he had the distinction of being the oldest Ryn in the clan. "With respect Elder, that asteroid isn't close enough to pose a threat and we should really be focused on repairing the engines and getting us moving. There's nothing out there." Replied Rygal calmly, a bit annoyed he had to assuage the Elder's palpable fear.
With the source of their unexplained stop answered, Rygal and the others turned their attention back to the ship and their duties. What Ryn that possessed mechanical skill that weren't already in the engine room were sent that way and in the subsequent minutes since the alarms had been turned off a cautious calm had returned to the ship with the exception of Old Zuurhio who had begun to wring his hands and mutter about the Vong, which everyone, including his elder peers ignored.
"What's that?" Asked Yara as she notived a much smaller object that had either broken off of, or had been hiding in the shadow of the large asteroid. Rygal, his attention called back to the holoprojector began to study it. At first glance it looked as rocky and jagged as the asteroid, but there was something else, something almost organic about it? The other Ryn had gathered around and quietly studied the smaller asteroid. Almost as if it had noticed their attention, it began to change course... "Wait, what's it doing?" Asked a female elder as she noticed the smaller asteroid's spin. "It's orienting on us!" Exclaimed Zuuria with surprise. "It's a Vong ship..." Said old Zuurhio. His voice had now become sullen and he shook his head as if beset by terrible memories. "That's impossible! There haven't been Vong seen in the galaxy for decades, maybe even a century!" Said another elder derisively.
Rygal, like all Ryn, had grown up hearing the horror stories of what the Yuuzhan Vong had done to the Ryn refugees and spacers that had come across their path. They had mutilated them, turned them into monstrosities or simply killed them for profane rituals. But he, like so many adult Ryn, had soon discovered that real horror existed, and it was not some tale from antiquity, it existed today in the form of such groups as the Tenloss Syndicate or the Bando Gora. While Rygal may not be a true believer, he couldn't ignore the approaching asteroid-thing. "Shields up!" He bellowed as he raced across the deck to the command chair. "Feed targetting data to the gunnery computer, it's going to have to handle the shooting." Rygal knew that there weren't eniugh Ryn with combat ship experience to put up much of a fight. The warship's-computer system would have to do its best to track and fire on the target. It took an agonizingly long time for the frigate's turbolasers to charge up. In that time Rygal and the rest of the crew watched with growing fear as the second, smaller asteroid raced towards them... with frightening speed.
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Ayeniner
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Post by Ayeniner on Apr 23, 2019 10:54:47 GMT -8
The Redeemer, a comet-shaped Yorik-stronha on its maiden voyage from Zonama Sekot, lies in wait behind the asteroid it had dragged through darkspace. Eerily silent, the creature is designed to be covert. It blends seamlessly with the larger bit of space debris, and it waits. The exalted members of the Chosen Race within the void creature also wait, though they are much more apprehensive. Shaper Numi continues fussing over the different vital organs, complaining that they don't have enough blood supply or that the yorik coral sheets look weak in certain areas. Eventually her rattling is silenced by Orik, who stands vigil behind the architect of the glory that is to come.
Tokin Herr, Seer of the priest caste, has defied all rules and common sense to be here. Where his Remnant government are happy to sit by and allow the once-great race of the Yuuzhan Vong to rot, confined on one world and without the ability to grow ships and travel the stars, he is not. He knows the Truth of the Yun'O must come to the infidels of this galaxy, and he knows he is the chosen one. The events speak for themselves; had the Gods not wanted him to succeed, he would have died when the Redeemer first took flight. Had Yun-Yammka, the Slayer God, not approved of his vision to bring holy fire to those who refused to submit to the Way, then Tokin would have been cut down at Dantooine. Had Yun-Harla, the Trickster Goddess, not admired his scheme to cement him as leader of a resurgent Yuuzhan Vong then she would not have allowed him to develop his scheme where capturing infidels to sacrifice would propel him to his rightful place as leader of his own race.
These things all came to pass, and now Tokin is certain that the next step in his plan will also bear fruit.
The Redeemer awaits sacrifices, and it is not long before the Gods grant Tokin's wish once more.
Seven hours later
Dromin squeals on his own hau polyp, and thrusts his hand towards the villip berry sitting on a yorik coral surface not far from where the Seer overseas the operation. Tokin stands, and although very much wants to sprint to the villip, retains his composure and strides with purpose over to the bench. Orik, ever faithful, follows him. The Shaper, Numi Dim, also approaches, but her interest is academic. She wants to make sure her creations are working as she has promised, for if they don't her own punishment will be severe.
Tokin reaches out with a slender finger and strokes the ridge-like stoma. The leathery, flaky villip begins inverting, its mass contorting and its skin moulding until it forms a picture of a very odd abomination. There is a signal villip just beyond the asteroid that this villip is linked to, and its sister is relaying what it perceives in the void of space to the berry in front of the trio. Though scale can be difficult to define without a suitable object of reference, the vessel is easily bigger than the Redeemer, though the thin spine looks like one mighty weakness. "Fools," Tokin admonishes the infidels. "How could that thing ever hope to best the perfection that we bring upon them?"
"We shall show them the error of their ways, Most Holy!" Orik growls. He is excited to begin his vengeance upon the galaxy, and Tokin sees no reason to delay that want any longer.
"Indeed we shall, Orik. Take your warriors and assemble at the oqa membrane. Capture as many as you can, but don't forget the Redeemer cannot hold too many." Tokin then turns to Dromin as Orik runs out of the command centre. "Pilot; engage the infidels. Rain holy fire upon them. Target that spine. Once beaten, we shall move in and allow Orik to do the rest."
"As you wish, Most Holy."
The battle
The Redeemer is clearly not just an asteroid, and it leaves the relative protection of the actual asteroid it has used to draw the unsuspecting infidel ship from hyperspace. It loops around the surface and heads straight for the metal abomination, waiting until it gets closer before unleashing its holy fury upon the enemy. The enemy ship powers up its weapons and begins firing. Without an electronic signature to follow, it takes a few bolts before the targeting computers understand they are firing on a moving asteroid. Some of the destructive light is on target, but is then swallowed by small black holes generated by the Yorik-stronha's dovin basals. Each time one is generated the Redeemer seems to slow, but it does not stop. It has a holy purpose to fulfill.
The closer the Redeemer gets, however, the less time it has to generate adequate defenses and some bolts begin impacting on the surface of the creature. Small chunks of asteroid and yorik coral eject viciously into space, leaving furrows on the Redeemer. However, the Redeemer answers in kind.
It has nine yaret kors secreted into the many nooks and crannies that the shape of the vessel provides. Due to their uneven distribution there is only a limited broadside firing arc and, as the Yorik-stronha lines up its port side with the enemy's starboard silhouette, it fires with two of its plasma cannons.
Superheated rock, newly harvested from the large asteroid it dragged through darkspace, launches for the spine of the abomination. One misses, quite widely - Numi would have to answer for such inaccuracy - but the other hits its mark. Shields flash and spark, not expecting to have to fend off such a brute-force weapon, and it begins burning through the spine. It has not snapped, not yet, but Tokin can see gushes of atmosphere on the villip displaying the scene before him. He thinks he can even see bodies.
"Excellent!" Tokin cries. "Continue the attack. Once the spine has snapped, move closer and allow our warriors to board. I think the oqa membrane would fit quite nicely around the opening of the spine, once snapped..."
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Ga’ab Solomon
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Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on Apr 23, 2019 18:07:47 GMT -8
Rygal did not know much about naval combat but he would have given his tail for a squadron of starfighters to keep the approaching Unidentified Flying Object at a distance. There was something wrong, the guns still hadn't fired. "Why haven't the guns fired?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"The targeting computer is having a hard time getting a lock. There's a lot of organic matter there that the computer is struggling to process." Replied a Ryn crewer as he summarized the gunnery report. "It's getting closer!" Said Elder Zuurhio hysterically.
"Drop the accuracy requirements, reduce power output and increase rate of fire! I want that thing peppered, maybe we can drive it off." Ordered Rygal as he was hit with a flash of inspiration. It was a similar principle to laying down cover fire on the ground, if you didn't have eyes on target but needed to keep the enemy's head down you sprayed and prayed. Rygal felt the rumble under the deck as the Nebulon B-Frigate's guns began to fire. The Ryn on the bridge held their collected breath as volleys of red and green turbolaser fire lanced out towards the U.F.O.
Rygal brought up a tactical display on his command console. He muttered ancient prayers as he willed the turbolasers to strike the target. Outside the Nebulon B Frigate the space was alight with frantic fire. But it didn't look like a single shot had connected. That was impossible! Thought Rygal to himself. His eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets with confusion, he couldn't understand what he was seeing. Looking closer the ship's sensors capturing the battle revealed that some shots appeared to be on target but then they would suddenly veer away from the UFO at impossible angles. "That's impossible." Rygal whispered to himself, then to the crew he asked. "What happened, Guns, Sensors?'
"Rygal, I'm picking up gravitic anomalies all over the asteroid. It's like it has blackholes or something incredibly dense that pulled the turbolaser bolts from their path." Said Yara in a strained voice. She too was dumbfounded by what she was seeing. She wanted to blame the ship's sensors, but she had spent over a year of forced labor perfecting the Frigate's sensor suite and she was forced to accept the truth of their situation. She looked at her shipboard computer, something small had detached itself from the asteroid and was headed towards them. "Incoming!" She called out.
There was a concussive boom and rattle throughout the warship as something incredibly solid and dense impacted against the hull. "Damage report?" Rygal almost didn't want to know. They were quickly losing control of the situation. Without their engines they were sitting ducks.
"Rygal, this is shield control! Something's wrong! The projectile didn't break through the shield but its like something burning through them. We've gotta draw more power to keep them up. I've never seen anything like it. A few more hits and our shields'll drop."
Despite their best efforts, the Ryn were outmatched. The Frigate's guns coudln't keep the rocky biological spaceship at bay and in between each volley of turbolaser fire it managed to duck in closer and closer to their derelict ship. "Another incoming!" Warned Yara. She, Rygal and the others on the bridge braced for another booming impact. This time the enemy was close enough to see through the forward viewport. It had jumped above a futile turbolaser volley and was racing on an attack path from 12 o'clock high. Before it flew above the bridge's line of sight, Rygal saw golden orbs of something - perhaps plasma? - streak away from the attacker. Seconds later the ship shuddered even more violently than before. The beleugered aft shields collapsed in a spray of arcing electricity that raced across the hall from the overloaded shield generators.
"We've lost the aft shields! The electrical feedback fried Artria and Jerran." Reported a Ryn in the shield control room with a somber voice.
Rygal brought up a schematic of the warship, showing its shield and hull integrity. The aft-most portion of the vulnerable mid-ship spine was glowing a furious red on the display. Shields were gone and it looked they were losing hull integrity. It didn't take long for Rygal to understand what was about to happen and his heart sank. He would have to perform a terrible triage while he still could. The enemy had come upon them too fast to better prepare. He activated the ship comms. "We are about to lose hull integrity on the mid-ship spine. I'm sealing all bulkheads in one standard minute in anticipation of explosive decompression." If both halves of the ship were separated from one another, then the bridge and forward structures would lose their connection with the main reactor. They'd be powerless... and if this unknown enemy didn't kill them all they'd run out of oxygen soon enough. "Yara, reroute power to the life support system. Double the oxygen output, we may have to rely on this for awhile."
Ariceli had raced onto the bridge, armed to the teeth. Rygal noticed her and the other Ryn who had followed her, all wearing mismatched and oversized body armor, but he couldn't afford to be distracted.
The ship groaned, a terrible sound of bending durasteel plate. "The aft spine just took another hit..." Yara reported in a strained voice. She thought of her family and clan that had survived so much, who had just gotten the taste of hope and freedom. She cursed the universe for its cruelty. Her fur visible wilted. "Hull breach in 20 seconds."
"I hope they had enough time." Rygal said quietly, knowing that if any Ryn had been too slow he was condemning them to death. "Close the bulkheads." "More shots incoming!" "No!" Wailed Elder Zuurhio. "This can't be happening!"
The now unshielded frigate was struck again and again without mercy. The vulnerable mid-ship spine that had always been considered a design flaw succumbed to the barrage. In a horrific explosion of plasma, metal, Ryn and escaping air, the aft-section of the mid-ship spine exploded. With the connection between the reactor module and the bridge severed, both floating pieces of frigate were plunged into darkness. What Ryn weren't killed in the explosion, those not fast enough to evacuate the ship's spine, were now trapped in metal coffins, secured by now inoperative bulkheads.
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Ayeniner
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Post by Ayeniner on Apr 24, 2019 11:52:47 GMT -8
Tokin almost hears the crack of the spine snapping before the furious assault that the Redeemer has unleashed. He is pleased with its performance, but the creature is not without its wounds. Alongside the bodies that have been ejected from the enemy abomination, the Seer can see chunks of yorik coral and asteroid in the villip's representation of what is happening in the void. The Yuuzhan Vong know of sacrifice and pain. Their chief god, Yun-Yuuzhan, used his own corporeal body to gift them all the worlds and everything within them. The Yorik-stronha was right to feel pain in carrying out the will of the Yun'O.
"Excellent work, Dromin," Tokin says. "Leave their... propulsion area... alone. We must be quick; there may be more abominations in the area and I will not risk the Redeemer against an actual warship. Position us next to the breach and have the oqa membrane ready. We will join with the abomination for the briefest of periods while we gather sacrifices." He smiles, too, knowing what is to come. "It is time to allow Orik to have his revenge."
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The Yuuzhan Vong warrior stands at the oqa membrane. The creature that will allow them to traverse into the abomination looks like a valve with three parts that are currently sealed shut, just waiting for a command from Dromin to unleash his holy vengeance. He heads a team of six warriors, including himself. The other five were at the gathering of admirers before the Redeemer took flight, and the Most Holy had asked Orik to gather warriors that would stand with them. These five were easy choices.
Orik stands a full head taller than the rest. His vonduun armour is unusual in that it has three red stripes bisecting his form, a birth mark that he has taken as a sign from the Gods that he is anointed to do their holy work. An amphistaff remains silent and curled around his waist, ready to do battle with him. He imagines that it can feel his own excitement at the battle that is to come. He has decided against any biots that can be used to kill from a distance, wanting his conquests to be up close and personal. The other warriors have not restricted themselves thus, however.
He is only concerned about his own performance in the eyes of the Gods. "Remember; we are to capture some alive," he orders simply. There need not be any further discussion; the warriors are aware of their orders and would suffer greatly at Orik's own hands should they disobey the Most Holy.
They are ready. The Redeemer shudders slightly and there is a feint sucking sound as the rim around the oqa membrane connects with the breach and seals. With an eerie silence that is broken by his own war cry, Orik leads the five warriors into the abomination.
"And woe to our enemies!" Orik yells in his local language, sounding like "do-ro'ik vong pratte!" to beings resident in this galaxy. It is the war cry of his caste, and it fills him with vigour. He stops and looks around, seeing nothing. One of the warriors accompanying him produces a lambent which lights their way. He cocks his head as he hears a noise in the distance, growls and runs toward the source. His amphistaff is now in his hands, though not yet completely rigid, and is thirsting for a kill.
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Ga’ab Solomon
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Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on Apr 25, 2019 9:40:36 GMT -8
Jerik Nasdo willed the mag-lev carriage to go faster. All around him were the sounds of battle. The rumble of the ship's turbolasers and the loud concussive thuds of the hull being repeatedly struck by an unknown enemy. There was also the sound of fearful Ryn, the quiet prayers from adults and confused crying from the children. There were near fifty Ryn men women and children whom Jerik had led to the mag-lev carriages. That hadn't originally been the plan however. Before the battle began Jerik whose experience as an information broker's chief of security, had familiarized him with weaponry, had been inventorying the aft security stations with a dozen other Ryn with varying degree of combat training. When the battle had began, they had armed themselves to the teeth and had decided they'd head towards the bridge. However, along the way the armored Ryn had attracted fearful families and their progress had slowed considerably. They had only just barely made it onto the mag-lev when Rygal's dire pronouncement of a hull breach came through the ship's comm system.
As the mag-lev sped across it's magnetic heading away from the engine/reactor module and through the spine towards the ship's bow, Jerik could see the bulkhead doorways sealing shut in front of them. He bit back a terrible curse and willed the carriage to go faster. It was going to be tight... With a screech like nails on a chalkboard and a flash of sparks, the mag-lev carriage barely slipped through the closing bulkheads. Almost giddy with relief, Jerik's shoulders visibly relaxed. Perhaps he had only prolonged the inevitable but in this game you were either still breathing or dead, this counted as a victory, however short lived it may have been.
Moments later the final punishing salvo of molten plasma burned through the mid-ship's spine causing explosive decompression that split the frigate in half. Without connection to a power source the mag-lev, artificial gravity, all shipboard systems were now, confirmed by the now floating Ryn and the mag-lev carriage that came to a screeching halt on its powerless rail.
"Get those doors open." Ordered Jerik, and eventually the Ryn within the carriage managed to pull the doors apart. The armed Ryn from the aft security station, those armed in Tenloss armor and sporting Tenloss Disruptor rifles activated their helmet lights and cautiously floated out into the large, dark tube. Jerik followed them out, turning on his own light. The zero-gravity made him feel like his stomach was rising into his mouth, it was disorienting, and he was not the only one to feel that way. Inside the carriage other Ryn were trying unnsucesfully to gain their bearings or cling tightly to a outcropping so they wouldn't start floating away. "Stay together and keep hold of something, you don't want to be caught still in zero-g" He said loud enough for everyone to gear. He was gingerly inching his way across the top of the mag-lev carriage. Once he had reached the edge, he shown his light down the tunnel in the direction of the bridge. His small lights didn't penetrate thirty meters into the dark tunnel. He sighed and wondered if it would be worth it, to try to head in that direction, or if they were dead already and just didn't know it yet. These macabre thoughts were interrupted by a new sound, a thud that came from behind him.
"Jerik!" Called out a Ryn in a quivering voice. Jerik turned in that direction, in the direction of the bulkhead that had closed behind him. He heard another thump. "What is it?" Asked another fearful Ryn as she cluched her disruptor rifle in shaky hands. Jerik gently pushed himself forward. "Steady on, its's probably debris from..." But his words caught in his throat as a new source of light entered the tunnel. The bulkhead door had begun to glow, a dull red at first, barely noticable but now it was becoming yellow, and then white...
"Is that a rescue party?" Asked a Ryn hopefully and naively.
"Not kriffing likely. Gunners, form up and aim at the hole. Fire on my command and don't stop till I tell you." Jerik ordered as he struggled to find a firing position in zero-g. He and the other armed and armored Ryn had hooked themselves to the carriage with precarious footfolds or handholds, but firing while floating was a quick way to be disoriented by the kickback and to be caught in a slow, spin that left you unable to fight. "Here they come, aim ready." The unarmed Ryn huddled as best they could within the carriage, clutching loved ones and trying to comfort the children.
The bulkhead door had turned white hot and began to melt into a circular opening... "Fire!" Yelled Jerik as he raised his disruptor rifle and began to fire wildly at the direction of the hole. The other armed Ryn followed suite, pouring a steady if not accurate stream of fire. There was a movement inside the impromptu boarding hole and the Ryn's poured even more frantic fire into it, expecting Tenloss security men. What they found instead was much more horrifying...
Without any shipbaord lights, the only thing that guided the Ryn's fire were their small helmet lights and the orange flash of their own disruptor fire which cast strange shadows on the wall. Jerik paused in his firing for a moment as he looked at one of the shadows, it seemed to be moving... moving towards them! He brought up his disuptor and fired a shot that caught the shadow in the middle of it's torso. As the disruptor bolt connected with organic matter its reaction spread quickly, dissolving matter at the molecular level with a sickly orange glow that illuminated a horrifying face. It was a face from nightmares and was now sneering in pain and rage, and coming straight towards Jerik. He didn't get another shot off when the horrific face and the body connected to it slammed into him. Jerik felt a burst at the impact which sent him and his aggressor spinning away from the mag-lev carriage into the dark...
The other Ryn were not so lucky. There were other enemies lurking with the shadows who under the cover of the disrutpor light-show had crawled through the edges of their impromptu airlock and had then kicked off the bulkhead wall to launch themselves at the desperate and unskilled Ryn gunners. There were sickening thuds as the shadow warriors fell upon the Ryn. They would hit the Ryn with zero-g tackles that would knock the air from their lungs, their enemies undeterred would then rip into their fur and flesh with rocky, serated fists or what the Ryn could only describe as spears in their last moments of life.
"Flee! Flee for your lives!" Said a Ryn male who had managed to block a downward swing of one of the strange spears with his uplifted disruptor rifle. However he could do no more than gurgle a surprised and pained cry as the spear lost its rigidity and plunged past his make-shift shield to strike him through his left eye and bury itself deeply into his skull. The fight was over before it began... The last Ryn disruptor rifle fell silent and those unarmed Ryn would had tried to flee the mag-lev carriage were summarily hunted as sport by the shadow warriors waiting outside...
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Ayeniner
Member
Posts: 149
Affiliation: The Vanguard
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Ayeniner on Apr 27, 2019 7:45:12 GMT -8
The Avatar of Yun-Yammka leads the five warriors further into the enemy vessel. His heavy footfalls echo and his amphistaff hisses, knowing it will get to spill infidel blood again. They travel for a short period of time, frustratingly finding the ship so far deserted, before coming across a large, sealed door. He stops and holds out a vicious-looking hand, and the five other warriors stop with him.
"Is this the way?" Ytek asks. He is a younger warrior, eager to please and foolish in his tactical assessments. Orik hopes that this excursion will harden him into a resource he can more easily rely upon. He frowns but does not answer. The lambent casts shadows all around them, but Orik is confident that they are currently alone. He knows the infidels of this galaxy; they will shoot at first sight. If they had been spotted the boarding party would know of it.
Orik steps forward and thumps his fist on the door. It echoes loudly. He does it three more times. "Shh!" he hisses. "I can hear something."
He strains his pointed ears, however there is no more noise. Perhaps it was his own wishful thinking, as he so wants to unleash holy hell amongst the local inhabitants of this galaxy. He waves another warrior forward. "Breach it."
Orik allows Dwynek the honour of further breaching into the abomination. The other warrior, stout but heavily set, has brought with him a type of slug that, when its slime came into contact with metals, generated such heat as to burn right through. Dwynek has a handful and is passing them over the metal in a circle. It seems like agonising minutes before the circle is complete and the way is open.
Ytek is, unsurprisingly and yet frustratingly, first through the breach. The young warrior snarls and jumps through, looking for prey. It seems he has found it, as the whine of infidel fire crashes through the eerie silence like a volcano. Orik looks at the four remaining warriors. "For the Most Holy; to battle!"
He screeches and jumps through the portal. Orik could no longer see Ytek, but he could identify several infidels, their head-lights shaking in fear and confusion. Orik smiles and begins the slaughter. He jumps to the first infidel; it has a mane of white hair and a prehensile tail. Orik snarls as he tackles it to the ground; a shot goes wide and the head-lights of the creature illuminate the fear in its face. Good.
"Slay with me!" he commands the amphistaff in his own language. The creature jumps uncoils from his waist and rests in his hands. He thrusts its head to the infidel's torso, and his living weapon-companion enjoys ravaging into the creatures chest. Blood begins to pool and Orik stands, looking for more enemies.
He hears the panicked screams of one of the furry infidels and runs to engage, not understanding the language without a tizowrym wiggling in his ear. As Avatar of the glorious Yun-Yammka, Orik stands a good few heads above this pathetic excuse for life. With slight pressure he commands his amphistaff to become rigid and swipes down, knowing its unique properties would bisect the creature in a glorious sacrifice for his patron God. The creature holds its weapon up to block and Orik develops a small modicum of respect. It is quickly crushed as he allows his weapon-companion to become fluid once more and bury into the creature's skull.
He stands, the rush of battle over. Only one enemy remains alive, and it whimpers in the corner. Orik snarls in disgust. Dwynek unceremoniously punches her in the face, knocking her unconscious and dragging her to the bulkhead entrance. "We will collect her on the way back," Orik announces. "We push on. Our hunger for their lives may be insatiable, but we must show control. The next group of infidels we see will be captured, not slain. Am I clear?"
Silence provides the affirmative answer. No one challenges his authority.
"What about Ytek?" Dwynek asks.
"He has shamed himself and the Yun'O by his actions. Leave him. If he survives, he will only reclaim his honour by finding his way back alone."
The Yuuzhan Vong warriors head further into the vessel, looking this time for a group of infidels to capture and herd to the Redeemer. Some stragglers of the initial group are found on their journey and are dispatched quickly - Orik decides it more efficient to slaughter lone individuals and capture any groups they find.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2019 21:25:08 GMT -8
Kortos kept his left blade in a guard position as the Master parried his right blade. He pulled back then as Harnan attempted to take the Master by surprise, but to no avail. Valance rushed forward then, his full body shield acting as a giant ram into the Masters side. Kortos waited until the precise moment the Master moved just the slightest to rush in and spin both sabers in a diagonal slash. The blades sent sparks flying as the Master managed to shift his stance and brought his blade into position to block the attack. Harnan came rushing in then, the blade of his staff dragging across the ground, before the Knight of Ren swung it upward. The Master seemed unfazed by the sparks flying through the air as he slipped forward past the blade and grabbed hold of the shaft. Harnan yanked back on the staff as he jammed the edge of his shield toward the Masters wrist, Kortos taking the quick distraction as a moment to rotate around the Master As the fight between Harnan, Kortos, Valance and the Master of the Ren raged on, Kaleena was continuously analyzing the Master. Thanks to a small modification to Harnan and Kortos' helmets, she was able to draw upon information from the three different feeds. Each new attack providing a wealth of information for the AI to compute. Allowing Valance to focus on the fight as he dodged in and out of the fight, watching as the Master let go of Harnan's spear before the shield crashed in on his wrist. But despite the apparent failure to land a single proper attack, they did not let up.
Kortos slipped in for another attack, striking at the Masters mid section with his double blades. Both of which were once more deflected from their targets. Harnan and Valance thrusted their staff's at the Master simultaneously, the man once again managing to avoid the attack. And then, the Master went on the offensive. His blade striking against the two shields, their surfaces taking the impacts with relative ease thanks to their composite materials. But the point was not to break through them, merely to force Harnan and Valance back before the Master turned upon Kortos.
Valance rested the butt of his spear upon the ground as he took a moment to catch his breath when he heard Kaleena speaking :: Boss, battlegroup alpha five has arrived... :: "Good... Turn this place into a hunk of junk... And have cruiser six execute the experimental maneuver..." :: Are you sure? You might not survive it... :: "We can't risk the Master escaping!" :: Very well, instructions have been relayed... :: "Thank you Kaleena..." Valance lifted his gaze back to the Master as several alerts went off within the giant chamber, announcing the arrival of the Eternal Fleet Battlecruisers from hyperspace. Valance rushed in again, to strike at the Master and provide some relief for Kortos. Klaxon's started up soon as turbolaser fire from the Battlecruisers impacted parts of the Mega-class Star Dreadnought. Valance smiled beneath his helmet as he traded strikes with the Master of the Ren, knowing what was about to come next.
The entire ship violently shook then, as Battlecruiser Six powered up its shields and impacted the Mega-class just off to the right of the center mass. The entire right wing shearing clean off the Dreadnought...
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Post by Nicademus Delvardus IV on May 2, 2019 19:04:24 GMT -8
Sol Invictus - Medical Deck. Observation Room - Zero G Surgery Suite.Nodding, the cyborg agreed with the Emperor."A single spore can destroy a species...if the Dracus manages to escape from this ship or take control of it, it means the end of the galaxy as we know it..."Due to the highly infectious nature of the Dracus, coupled with its vast intelligence, the parasite could learn, adapt and survive in many situations deemed inhospitable to most other sentient beings. The fact that they were quarantined in space, on a Sovereign-Class Super Star Destroyer, was not inspiring much confidence the cyborg scientist. Such an impressive war machine was insignificant to the power of the Dracus. A sudden metallic ping followed by a hissing sound brought his attentions back to the present. Glancing over at the nearest ventilation ducts, an opaque green fog was seeping out, followed by several infection forms. Beneath his helmet, the Zabrak scowled. He should have sensed that. The fact that he hadn't, worried him. Clearly the Hivemind was much more devious than he had originally thought. Wrapping his clawed fingers around the hilt of his lightsaber, he thumbed the activation stud. The wavering red blade sprang to life, casting an eerie red glow in the room."You need to leave, your Majesty..."And then the Sith strode forward, motioning for the Emperor to leave, while moving towards the infection forms skittering towards them... Nicademus was quite aware of the potency of the Dracus. He had seen it firsthand both up close and from the holovideos that captured its appearance of Csilla. Thankfully, both were controlled scenarios where the Dracus was not rampant and out of control like what was happening here. Nicademus heard noises here and there. Blaster fire, muffled commands, screeches, and screams... the one that stood out came from one of the ventilation ducts. Immediately upon seeing the green fog, the Emperor covers his mouth and nose with his gloved hands, taking some steps back. For once, Nicademus feared for his life and knew that if he stayed any longer, the Empire would be without its leader.
His eyes glanced over at Cain as his lightsaber sprang to life and the Sith gave his suggestion. The Imperial didn't need to be told twice. Nicademus slowly moves back towards an available doorway, backing up through the door as it hissed and then shut. Once inside the hallway, he slammed his fist on the door panel, putting it on lockdown. A squad of Stormtroopers and a few Imperial Knights met up with the Emperor shortly after.Relay my orders. Any that get infected must be terminated. All uninfected crew... prepare to abandon ship.It was a waste to turn the star dreadnought into floating molten space metal, but they had no choice.Cain, I have given the order to abandon ship. Hopefully, that should ensure that the Dracus runs low on bodies to use.
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Ga’ab Solomon
Member
Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on May 3, 2019 18:33:58 GMT -8
There was palpable fear in mid-ship droid storage room 3. A dozen Ryn men, women and children huddled together amid the skeletal forms of maintenance droids. The droids, like the rest of the ship, were powerless. Shortly after the power-outage locked them within the room, the Ryn had attempted to reactivate the droids as a means of escape. They had been unsuccesful and in the pitch darkness of the room they had elected to huddle together for warmth and comfort. The Ryn of mid-ship droid storage room 3's situation was not a unique one. Many hundreds of Ryn in small and large groups were trapped within their metal coffins, in complete darkness. Even those fortunate enough to have a view of the stars would only know them by the small pinpricks of light in the darkness.
Unfortunately for the Ryn of mid-ship droid storage room 3, their coffin was about to be opened with horrific results. "Shh shh, listen!" Said a Ryn woman and a hushed silence fell across the group. At first the others had to strain to hear, but soon enough all of them could hear the sounds of screaming from the other side of the blast door. The screaming became more distinguishable as whatever trauma it was made its way down the outside hall. The Ryn children began to cry in fear and the adults hastened to silence them. The screaming outside stopped after a few more moments, leaving the Ryn inside the droid storage room to silently contemplate what terrible fate had befallen the Ryn in the hallway. Unfortunately their imagined horrors were nothing compared to the reality.
The Ryn in the droid storage room became agitated when in the subsequent silence, they heard a sizzling sound like grease on a stove. "What... What is that?"
"There's a light!" Whispered a male Ryn loudly.
"The door is melting!" And with that exclamation all hell broke loose. The parents of the children sprang to their feet and began a futile search around the dark room for a place to hide. Fortunately one Ryn managed to remove a grate covering an air duct. "Here! Children come!" He called, picking up the nearest child and lifting him up into the air duct. One by one, with increasing urgency, he lifted the small Ryn into the air duct. "Go! Keep crawling and don't stop, no matter what." And with that he closed the air duct grate behind them. He had the chance to hear their sniffles and footfalls before the cries of the other Ryn drowned them out. He turned in time to see the now blastdoor turn to slag. There were fightened shouts from the other Ryn as black figures moved into the storage room. There were futile pleas and screams of terror which were quickly silenced. He only got out a brief cry of alarm before something solid hit him over the head and he lost consciousness.
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Ayeniner
Member
Posts: 149
Affiliation: The Vanguard
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Ayeniner on May 3, 2019 23:34:50 GMT -8
They plunge deeper into the metal abomination that carries infidels between the stars. The very fact it exists is an affront to the Truth, but Orik is an adept warrior and knows to prioritise his mission above religious zealotry. He leads his remaining four warriors through a maze of corridors; he is unsure where a concentration of infidels would be. He is about to growl in frustration when he hears whimpering.
He takes a moment to locate it. There, behind another metal door. "Dwynek," he commands. "Breach this barrier."
The other warrior obliges, placing the worm-like biots in a circle on the surface of the bulkhead. Their slime begins to burn through the metal like it is wax, proving undoubtedly that the biotechnology of the Chosen Race is superior to anything the heathens of this galaxy could ever create. The closer the door is to being breached, the louder the cries of panic from beyond become. It is like music to Orik's ears, hearing this infidels in fear for their lives. Once the breach is complete, he steps into the dark room. A lambent from behind him casts deep shadows, but it is enough to see the gathered creatures.
Dwytek moves in front of Orik and thumps one of the creatures on the head, knocking him unconscious. Orik hisses at him loudly. "The Gods gave you the ability to reason; use it!" he admonishes. "If we are to carry every unconscious infidel back to the Redeemer, how long do you think it will take? We are only four. No. We are to herd them back, conscious."
He illustrates by grabbing one of the tailed beings by the scruff of the neck, and points at it with his claw-like fingers. He then throws it out into the hallway with a whimper. Orik keeps an eye to see if it decides to run; it does not. Good. They know when they are outmatched. He then gestures to the rest of the beings, around twenty of them, to follow. At first they don't know what Orik wants, so he growls and shouts until they begin moving into the corridor. He cares not for their wails, only what their lifeblood will bring the Yuuzhan Vong.
"Kyron, you shall take this group back to the Redeemer. Remain with them until we return."
Orik half expects the warrior to object at being taken away from potential fighting and slaughter, but he nods his deference. "As you will, Avatar of Yun-Yammka."
Orik looks at the one that Dwynek knocked unconscious. He commands his amphistaff to harden and unceremoniously thrusts its sharpened tail through its skull. "One more for the Gods," he whispers, and moves out into the corridor. He leads the warriors deeper into the ship, not knowing how much longer they can stay there before something comes to its rescue.
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Cain Dracus
Member
Retired
Posts: 120
Affiliation: The First Order
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Post by Cain Dracus on May 5, 2019 13:32:00 GMT -8
Sol Invictus - Medical Deck. Observation Room - Zero G Surgery Suite.Nodding, the cyborg agreed with the Emperor."A single spore can destroy a species...if the Dracus manages to escape from this ship or take control of it, it means the end of the galaxy as we know it..."Due to the highly infectious nature of the Dracus, coupled with its vast intelligence, the parasite could learn, adapt and survive in many situations deemed inhospitable to most other sentient beings. The fact that they were quarantined in space, on a Sovereign-Class Super Star Destroyer, was not inspiring much confidence the cyborg scientist. Such an impressive war machine was insignificant to the power of the Dracus. A sudden metallic ping followed by a hissing sound brought his attentions back to the present. Glancing over at the nearest ventilation ducts, an opaque green fog was seeping out, followed by several infection forms. Beneath his helmet, the Zabrak scowled. He should have sensed that. The fact that he hadn't, worried him. Clearly the Hivemind was much more devious than he had originally thought. Wrapping his clawed fingers around the hilt of his lightsaber, he thumbed the activation stud. The wavering red blade sprang to life, casting an eerie red glow in the room."You need to leave, your Majesty..."And then the Sith strode forward, motioning for the Emperor to leave, while moving towards the infection forms skittering towards them... Nicademus was quite aware of the potency of the Dracus. He had seen it firsthand both up close and from the holovideos that captured its appearance of Csilla. Thankfully, both were controlled scenarios where the Dracus was not rampant and out of control like what was happening here. Nicademus heard noises here and there. Blaster fire, muffled commands, screeches, and screams... the one that stood out came from one of the ventilation ducts. Immediately upon seeing the green fog, the Emperor covers his mouth and nose with his gloved hands, taking some steps back. For once, Nicademus feared for his life and knew that if he stayed any longer, the Empire would be without its leader.
His eyes glanced over at Cain as his lightsaber sprang to life and the Sith gave his suggestion. The Imperial didn't need to be told twice. Nicademus slowly moves back towards an available doorway, backing up through the door as it hissed and then shut. Once inside the hallway, he slammed his fist on the door panel, putting it on lockdown. A squad of Stormtroopers and a few Imperial Knights met up with the Emperor shortly after.Relay my orders. Any that get infected must be terminated. All uninfected crew... prepare to abandon ship.It was a waste to turn the star dreadnought into floating molten space metal, but they had no choice.Cain, I have given the order to abandon ship. Hopefully, that should ensure that the Dracus runs low on bodies to use. Sol Invictus - Starboard Hangar.Effectively sealed from the vacuum of space, the entirety of the starboard hangar was now entirely unrecognizable. Fleshy, pus-oozing growths were slowly growing in the corners of the bay. Several meter-thick tentacles were woven throughout the bay. The floors were slick with blood, pus and various other bodily fluids. Clumps of biomass clung to the walls and ceilings, slowly creeping along. The air in the bay was stagnant, rancid and opaque with a sinister green-grey mist. Aside from the faint sounds of battle that echoed across the ship, all was silent here. The remains of the MedStar-Class frigate were now barely visible, protruding from the massive growth that had consumed it. The Dracus Hivemind was once again whole, and ready to consume the galaxy once more. Able to carry memories and information across generations, even millenia, each Hivemind was able to remember information amassed by their predecessor. And so, information carried from each outbreak adds to the collective intelligence of the creatures...a trait that was fascinating, but at the same time detrimental to defeating the parasite. Sol Invictus - Engineering Deck, Crew Lounge.Despite the call to lockdown and ultimately abandon ship, it had come too late. With most of the ventilation that was still operational locked down, the Dracus infection forms had to push quickly throughout the massive ship. Above the engineering deck's crew lounge, several infection forms fell from the vents and went to work. With the ship in lockdown, groups of crew and troopers alike were trapped within the ship. The unarmored engineers fell quickly, only to rise once more as a hideous combat form. Mutated and mutilated, the bodies would one by one, rise and engage the remaining troopers. All the while, a foul green mist began to seep from the vent. As the mist poured out, two tentacles slithered out as well. Despite being located in the starboard hangar bay, the Hivemind could 'see' through its thralls, and had a keen telepathic ability. A haughty laughter echoed throughout the ship as the tentacles that had just entered the engineering deck sprouted into smaller tentacles and began to branch out, intent on taking control of the deck."Now the gate has been unlatched. Headstones pushed aside. Corpses shift and offer room...a fate you must abide!"Reaching the appropriate controls, the lockdown for the engineering section was lifted, allowing the Dracus infection forms and combat forms unrestricted access to the ship's vital functions... Sol Invictus - Medical Deck, Triage.Having fought through several infection forms and a handful of combat forms, Cain Dracus was now creeping his way through the massive ship, trying to avoid engaging the Dracus directly until he reached the Hivemind. Originally meant to be a weapon that the First Order might have been able to utilize, the Dracus broke free from Cain's influence and reverted back to their original, virulent nature. Infecting and consuming the galaxy. Walking down the dimly lit corridor of the medical deck, there were overturned gurneys, broken bacta tanks and damaged medical droids strewn about. Blood spattered the walls and floor. Severed limbs, various other body parts and even a few relatively intact bodies also littered the floor. Several glowpanels flickered and shot sparks. Aside from the starboard hangars, the medical deck would have been the next hardest hit area, as injured troopers would have been brought here to receive medical attention. Unfortunately, it would have been all for naught. One infected trooper would have unwittingly started the outbreak on this deck. And from there, chaos ensued. Psychosis, dementia, paranoia and outbursts of violent behavior would have swept through this deck like a wildfire spread through a drought-ridden forest. Once airborne, the parasite would have spread from person to person due to the close proximity they were in. Like watching dominoes fall, this process would repeat itself across the ship until everyone was infected or the ship was destroyed. A metallic clanging ahead, caused the armored Sith to halt in his tracks. Forcibly slowing his breathing and listening carefully, the armored Zabrak watched a lone infection form skitter out from beneath an overturned gurney, ascend the wall and disappear into an smashed open duct. Exhaling slowly and once more continuing onward, the Sith continued on his cautious trek to the hangar bay level. It was then that his comm crackled. It was the Emperor saying he had ordered all personnel to abandon ship. Trying to respond, all he was receiving was static. Either the local com network was down, or the Dracus was managing to interfere with the signal on the ship. Either scenario didn't leave him feeling all that confident. Cursing under his breath as the Emperor's lapse in judgement, as evacuating the ship now was a terrible idea, the Sith happened to absently glance at a viewport in a patient room. He needed a more direct route to the hangar. Because this needed to end now. If even a single infected person were to manage to escape this ship, then the process would begin all over again on another ship. Smirking beneath his helm as he had just found his new route, the armored Zabrak ensured his suit was still capable of vacuum operations. Using the Force, the Zabrak hurled some debris at the viewport. Exploding outwards, this part of the medical deck decompressed violently. Within mere seconds, the Sith was sucked out of the broken viewport. Mere moment after exiting the ship, the magnacon field sprang up over the window. Slowly drifting away from the titanic vessel, the Zabrak fired a high tensile cable towards the ship. Once connected to the ship again, the Sith allowed the cable to recoil, pulling him towards the hull. Once at the hull, the Sith engaged his mag-boots. Sucked down to the hull via powerful magnets, the Zabrak began to traverse the outside of the ship, towards the starboard side...
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Harnan Ren
Knights of Ren
Posts: 594
Affiliation: Knights of Ren
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Post by Harnan Ren on May 11, 2019 16:56:13 GMT -8
...The entire ship violently shook then, as Battlecruiser Six powered up its shields and impacted the Mega-class just off to the right of the center mass. The entire right wing shearing clean off the Dreadnought... Harnan heard the alarms start to sound, and knew instantly what it meant. He gripped his staff tighter and rushed toward the Master of the Ren. But before he reached the man, the ground shifted beneath his feet, sending him flying through the air. He caught the briefest glimpses of both Kortos and Valance being tossed around as well. Everything suddenly went black as he impacted the ground...
He suddenly shot up into a sitting position, his breaths coming hard and fast. His thoughts and memories were all so hazy, sitting just beyond his ability to catch them. His blurry vision focusing upon the bedroom that he and Illaria shared aboard the Infiltrator. He could have sworn that had not used the custom built Sith Infiltrator in years. His gaze quickly turning down upon his chest and arms. They seemed far less injured than he felt like they should. His focus shifted to the sleeping form of Illaria laying next to him. His hand resting upon her shoulderHmmm... Perhaps it was all just a dream... Surely...He moved his hand as Illaria shifted and turned over, her eyes lazily opening to focus on him. He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. The shapeshifter smiling up at him as he pulled awayGood morning...Oh Harnan... I wish this were morning. But you're not awake yet...What...Illaria reached up then, resting her hand upon his cheek as she gently caressed her thumb across it. His hands falling upon her wrist. Everything came back to him in that moment, right up until the moment he had blacked out and woken up hereThis is the dream...Illaria... I... I've failed you again. I have forsaken my oath...I know...I just... I couldn't continue this any longer... You disappeared on some mission...It's okay Harnan... I forgive you...He shifted her hand then, pressing a kiss into itYou shouldn't... Not now, not then... But... I know why... You did it all on purpose... You wanted to push me away. To keep me safe...Yes... But it didn't work... No matter how much I fed your darkness, you did not succumb to it...You are the only thing I lived for... But could never have... And yet, here we are...Harnan...He pulled her in to a kiss before she could finish. Whether it was a dream or not, he had held himself back one too many times beforeYou can't stay here...Why not? Everything I want is right here...Because it's a lie... I'm not real... This is all just a fantasy! You need to wake up. The Master is still alive Harnan. You've already broken your oath to not fight him, do not give up now! You have to finish what you started! Kill him Harnan! Wake up! Wake up Harnan! WAKE UP!!Harnan clutched at his forehead as she screamed for him to wake up. He gritted his teeth as he felt like his head was about to split in two...ARGH!The world went black for a moment. And then he opened his eyes, the throne room coming into focus. He was splayed out upon the floor. Fires had started throughout the room, while panels were falling apart. Alarms were ringing, and just above that noise, he could hear Kortos yellingWake up Harnan!He shook his head, as he pushed himself up. Settling his gaze upon the Imperial Knight who was already on his feet facing off with the Master who currently had Valance gripped by the throat. He snatched up his saberstaff and pushed himself up onto his feet, groaning as he did so. An action which caught the Master's attentionAh, so you're still alive... Good, you can watch me squeeze the life out of your descendant... Before I do the same to you!Not if we kill you first!Harnan tossed his saberstaff through the air. He pulled out his lightsaber then, the blade snapping to life as he ran forward. The Master flung Valance's body around with ease, Harnan's spear impaling the Zakuulan Kngiht's body. Harnan kept charging forward even as the Master tossed Valance aside and activated his lightsaberThis is the end!Harnan felt the blade pierce right through his abdomen, bringing him to something of an abrupt stop just before his own saber could reach the Master. His saber blade snapped off and the hilt clattered against the floor as his arms fell limpYou were no match for me Harnan... Like I said, you were merely a pa...The Master's next words were cut off as Harnan grabbed the Master's wrist and shoved the blade deeper into himself. Gripping the man's hand in placeOh really.... A pawn huh... You clearly are not the grand strategist you believe yourself to be... Check mate...Two silver blades sprouted forth from the Master's chest and head then. Both of which just as quickly disappeared as Kortos then cut the blades through the Master at neck and chest height. Harnan released his grip as the Master's blade flickered out and his body fell into three pieces upon the floorFinally... Took you long enough...I wasn't about to interrupt your little monologue... Harnan!His legs gave out beneath him then. First falling to his knees, and then onto his side. Kortos rushed to his side, cradling Harnan's head within his lapYou fool... Getting yourself stabbed... What am I going to do with you...It... It was the only way... You needed an opening...You were reckless.... As you always have been... No wonder she fell for you... But I'm afraid you can't rest yet my friend...What do you mean? It's... It's over Kortos... We killed the Master...I know. But her children yet live... And that is one promise I cannot let you break...Harnan groaned as Kortos pressed his hand to the wound in his side. But if that had hurt any, it was soon eclipsed by the pain he felt as he felt his wound being stitched back together. The Force flowed from Kortos' palm and through the hole, closing the damaged vessels and nicked organs. Sealing off the damage from the inside out, his skin knitting itself back together before Kortos removed his handDammit Kortos! What in the name of the Force...Oh shut up... Just one last thing left to do...Don't you dare...Kortos pulled his helmet free then, before placing the palm of his hand upon Harnan's forehead. His own hands flying up to clasp Kortos' wrist as the Imperial Knight started chanting an incantation. He felt the darkness flowing out in that moment. Being torn from where it lay within him. The yellow corruption draining away as they returned to their normal colour. But as the darkness flowed out of Harnan, it crept all the way up Kortos' arm, black marks twisting and morphing their way up until the last of it had been drawn from Harnan like a poisonMmmmmm... That really burns...Kortos pulled his hand away from Harnan's forehead then, before dragging the Knight of Ren to his feetThis cannot be the end of your story yet Harnan... You have freed Illaria, or gained justice for her. Do not squander this opportunity... Those children need you Harnan...Harnan turned to look over his shoulder as a door opened up toward an escape shuttle. His gaze shifting back to Kortos as he started putting together what was about to happenNo... We can...No, we can't... This darkness must be destroyed here and now... It's the sacrifice I make... Now go!Harnan felt himself go flying through the air as Kortos sent a concentrated push of energy into his chest. The doors to the escape craft snapping closed as he passed through them. The controls started activating, and before he could do anything, the shuttle engines flared to lifeNO!He rushed up to the front viewport, watching as the hulking wreck of the star dreadnought passed by below. The last thing he saw was the explosion as the ships reactor was breached just as the shuttle made the jump to hyperspace
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Cain Dracus
Member
Retired
Posts: 120
Affiliation: The First Order
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Post by Cain Dracus on May 13, 2019 19:02:45 GMT -8
Sol Invictus - Outer Hull.One heavy footfall after another, the armored Zabrak made his way across the exterior of the massive Star Destroyer. It was a slow trek, certainly, but there was no opposition this way either. Though, as the Zabrak reached the peak within the hull, he knew it wasn't going to be that way much longer. Thick, pulsing tentacles were slowly etching their way across the exterior of the ship, as the Hivemind continued to grow larger with each passing minute. Regardless, Cain pressed forward. He needed to end this. Once and for all... Sol Invictus - Engineering Deck.In the span it had taken Cain to traverse half of the ship, the engineering deck was almost entirely unrecognizable. Thick, gooey biomass had crept across the floor like moss. Bulbous, quivering pustules grew along the walls. Infection forms occasionally burst forth from them, once the incubation process was complete. The odd combat form left behind, shambled about groaning every so often. No one living was left on this deck, and all of the ship's primary vital functions were now under the parasite's control. Which didn't bode well for the Imperials, holding position just outside of firing range of the vessel. Absorbing and being able to utilize the intelligence of its hosts, as well as accessing a collective intelligence that spanned eons, the Hivemind was able to quickly adapt to its surroundings as well as utilize weapons, equipment and even starships, given enough time. And this was no different. Having consumed various personnel across the ship, as well as still battle the few remaining holdouts across the ship, the Hivemind had gathered enough to know how to utilize the vessel it was on. Weapons, while poorly manned, came online. And with that, the Dracus had control of the ship. While nowhere near as skilled as their living counterparts, the Dracus manned weapons began spraying turbolaser fire out towards the Imperial ships. Whether or not it would have the desired effect, remained to be seen. The remaining fighters in the port-side hangar, on the other hand, were manned with Dracus Combat Forms and filled to the brim with Infection Forms, intent on capturing another ship. Launching from the hangar, these fighters, shuttles and other various space-worthy craft, swept forth haphazardly. Favoring speed over offensive capabilities, these ships surged forth, intent on flooding the surrounding Imperials. This 'divide and conquer' tactic, while reckless, was done purely to force the Imperials on the defensive while the Hivemind continued to gain greater control over the massive ship...
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Ga’ab Solomon
Member
Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on May 17, 2019 9:09:36 GMT -8
They plunge deeper into the metal abomination that carries infidels between the stars. The very fact it exists is an affront to the Truth, but Orik is an adept warrior and knows to prioritise his mission above religious zealotry. He leads his remaining four warriors through a maze of corridors; he is unsure where a concentration of infidels would be. He is about to growl in frustration when he hears whimpering.
He takes a moment to locate it. There, behind another metal door. "Dwynek," he commands. "Breach this barrier."
The other warrior obliges, placing the worm-like biots in a circle on the surface of the bulkhead. Their slime begins to burn through the metal like it is wax, proving undoubtedly that the biotechnology of the Chosen Race is superior to anything the heathens of this galaxy could ever create. The closer the door is to being breached, the louder the cries of panic from beyond become. It is like music to Orik's ears, hearing this infidels in fear for their lives. Once the breach is complete, he steps into the dark room. A lambent from behind him casts deep shadows, but it is enough to see the gathered creatures.
Dwytek moves in front of Orik and thumps one of the creatures on the head, knocking him unconscious. Orik hisses at him loudly. "The Gods gave you the ability to reason; use it!" he admonishes. "If we are to carry every unconscious infidel back to the Redeemer, how long do you think it will take? We are only four. No. We are to herd them back, conscious."
He illustrates by grabbing one of the tailed beings by the scruff of the neck, and points at it with his claw-like fingers. He then throws it out into the hallway with a whimper. Orik keeps an eye to see if it decides to run; it does not. Good. They know when they are outmatched. He then gestures to the rest of the beings, around twenty of them, to follow. At first they don't know what Orik wants, so he growls and shouts until they begin moving into the corridor. He cares not for their wails, only what their lifeblood will bring the Yuuzhan Vong.
"Kyron, you shall take this group back to the Redeemer. Remain with them until we return."
Orik half expects the warrior to object at being taken away from potential fighting and slaughter, but he nods his deference. "As you will, Avatar of Yun-Yammka."
Orik looks at the one that Dwynek knocked unconscious. He commands his amphistaff to harden and unceremoniously thrusts its sharpened tail through its skull. "One more for the Gods," he whispers, and moves out into the corridor. He leads the warriors deeper into the ship, not knowing how much longer they can stay there before something comes to its rescue.
Aboard the Nebulon B Frigate Endless Salvation, near RoxuliLynne Jameroo had been surprisingly receptive to Ga'ab's request to raid the ship's store of drugs. The trip had already been much more than she had bargained for and Ga'ab wondered if she were simply so exhausted by his obfuscation that it simply wasn't worth her protests. Whatever the reason, Ga'ab had been escorted to the medical bay and under the supervision of an attending physician picked the necessary drugs.
However as a military officer and a captain she couldn't very well allow his inebriated presence on her bridge, so he Ga'ab had been respectfully barred him from the bridge and the ship's hallways while he was under the influence of his cocktail of opiates. This is why, upon entering the Roxuli planetary system, Ga'ab was locked in a forward observation bubble with his medical team outside the door. At the point Ga'ab had assumed that Captain Jameroo was inclined to conduct the search without him, using conventional investigatory tools such as communicating with Roxulis planetary authority. Ga'ab would have saved her the time by reminding her that his own inquiries had uncovered no new clues, however he was not inclined to further irritate his reluctant ally. Inevitably, when Roxuli responded that they had absolutely no information on a space disaster in nearby space, Captain Jameroo turned to long-range scanners and a search grid.
Therefore, it was up to Ga'ab to fulfill his promise of locating the Ryn's ship and to prove to the Captain that this had not been a giant waste of her time. Ga'ab sat cross legged in a pose of meditation. Outside the forward view-screen was the blackness of space and the faint pinpricks of distant stars. The Endless Salvation had since turned away from Roxuli and had pointed her bow towards the relatively unmapped expanse of the Unknown Region. The lights in Ga'ab's observation room had been turned off, however the room was illuminated by the holoprojected map courtesy of the Nebulon Frigate's long-range scanners. Ga'ab was seated at the center of the hologram breathing deeply and steadily as stars and asteroids spun slowly around him.
He was in a state of drug induced bliss. A thin IV was connected to his wrist which pumped a steady stream of drugs into his bloodstream. His own irrational fears and his axiety over the fate of his friend had disappeared. He was overcome with a sense of contentment and peace as the chemical cocktail worked its magic. As Ga'ab's fears and trepidation were carried away on the chemical current, he stretched out with the force. It was a struggle of course, to find the clarity of mind and focus while under the influence of the drugs, but it was much easier than fighting the influences of the darkside; fear, anger, hate and suffering. Ga'ab brushed against the current of the force and felt its warmth. He opened himself to it and invited it to parlay with him. Overcome by the force and the IV, Ga'ab allowed himself to fall backwards.
His physical body thumped against the deck-plates by his consciousness kept falling through the ship. His mind's eye saw the ship as a tiny speck in the vast reaches of space, it saw one of it's turbolasers looming over him impossibly large, it saw a crewer sink into her cot. And he realized that he both saw the ship and was the ship. Completely enmeshed in the force, Ga'ab's Miralukan force sight was dialed up to 11. He expanded his consciousness beyond the ship, beyond the range of her scanners, deeper into the dark void of space. He felt a flicker of something, a pinprick of fear? He retracted his mind and then focused it on that one point in space. Much like a hologram becoming crisper and clearer, so too did the image Ga'ab saw through the force. He saw Rygal's Nebulon B Frigate split in two by a horrific explosion in the ship's midship spine. All at once the frigate's guns fell silent and the ship's running lights lost their power. The last thing Ga'ab saw before he lost contact was the two separated pieces of the frigate drifting apart.
Ga'ab came back to himself with a start. He groggily pulled himself off of the floor and pulled the IV from his wrist. "Open the door, let me out!" He demanded in slurred speech. He had managed to make it to the blastdoor and was leaning against it heavily.
"Sir, it was the captain's orders that you remain outside of the public areas while under the influence." Said the crisp voice of his medical attendant, who, much to Ga'ab's irritation, had not yet opened the door.
"Blast you! I know where the ship is!" Said Ga'ab and then he threw up.
"Oof, sounds like you're having a rough time." Replied the medic with no small amount of humor. After another moment he opened the blast door and then immediately put his hand over his nose. "Kark me, that's rank."
"I'll aim the next one at you." Ga'ab said quietly before slumping to the ground. He managed to wave his hand towards the holoprojector and with the force he highlighted a part of space. "Tell the captain there."
"Alright. You take it easy. We had to mix in adrenaline so you wouldn't fall asleep from the cocktail but the drawback is this feeling." Said the medic cheerily. "I'll get word to the Captain. You can rest easy now, that point doesn't look too far away and if anyone's still alive we'll keep them that way." The medic left and closed the blastdoor as he exited.
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Ayeniner
Member
Posts: 149
Affiliation: The Vanguard
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Ayeniner on May 17, 2019 13:27:31 GMT -8
Orik briefly considers their progress so far. He now has two warriors remaining with him; Dwytek and Ftkryon. They had come across another group of the tailed bipeds and the Avatar of Yun-Yammka had sent Janop back to the Redeemer just like he had Kyron. The warrior stops and considers their position. Though the small villip on his shoulder had not moved, he is now trying to estimate how much time they had spent on the abomination. "How many sacrifices have we acquired?" he asks.
Dwytek, whom Orik is beginning to view as a contender for his second-in-command, answers immediately. "We have fifty three."
Orik mutters a prayer to Yun-Yammka. Their chief goal on this mission is not to kill, but to capture infidels and return them to Zonama Sekot. Orik knows that they need to get back alive. "Wait for a few moments, I must consider whether this will satisfy our Most Holy."
Aboard the Redeemer
Tokin considers himself a patient and reasonable being. It is his patience and willingness to wait for the Redeemer to be crafted that allowed them to get this far. He finds his eye twitching, however. The comet-like living biot is still firmly attached to the spine of the abomination and has remained unmolested, but he knows this cannot last forever. Silently he is becoming nervous; he has plenty of sacrifices held firm by the vessel's dovin basals in a large chamber near its bulbous front. He briefly considers whether he should recall Orik - he cannot lose the Avatar of Yun-Yammka; that will do nothing for his plans to lead a resurgent Yuuzhan Vong.
He mutters a prayer to the Yun'O, hoping for inspiration.
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Post by Nicademus Delvardus IV on May 17, 2019 18:38:52 GMT -8
Cain DracusNicademus moved through the ship, moving to the furthest escape pod location. He pulls out his comlink.Commander Talen, are you still on the bridge?=Commander Talen= Yes I am, Your Majesty.Status on the ship, Commander.From what Talen would tell the Emperor, the Dracus was contained in some areas and overwhelming in others. Whole sections were reporting biomasses of strange origins and likely caused by the Hivemind and its minions. A number of the crew was already spacing out through escape pods and were reported to be picked up by neighboring ships. So far, the Dracus remained contained to the Sovereign-class and had not managed to get anywhere else. The Emperor had to think fast of what could be done on how to slow the Dracus and keep it contained.Commander, lock down sections with emergency protocol. Give everyone a five minute notification before shutting down the sections. Override spacing controls for the ship too, locate it down and send the overriding mechanism to my comlink. Also, have defensive perimeters go to automated defense. Full evacuation.=Commander Talen= Right away, Your Majesty.And one more time, Commander... kill the shields.There was a moment of silence before the Commander acknowledged. Afterward, the channel was changed.Captain Warren of the warship, Tenebris... begin Protocol Firestorm. Begin the countdown and have the ships positioned properly.
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Lynne Jameroo
New Rebel Alliance
Posts: 181
Affiliation: New Rebel Alliance
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Post by Lynne Jameroo on May 20, 2019 11:39:18 GMT -8
They plunge deeper into the metal abomination that carries infidels between the stars. The very fact it exists is an affront to the Truth, but Orik is an adept warrior and knows to prioritise his mission above religious zealotry. He leads his remaining four warriors through a maze of corridors; he is unsure where a concentration of infidels would be. He is about to growl in frustration when he hears whimpering.
He takes a moment to locate it. There, behind another metal door. "Dwynek," he commands. "Breach this barrier."
The other warrior obliges, placing the worm-like biots in a circle on the surface of the bulkhead. Their slime begins to burn through the metal like it is wax, proving undoubtedly that the biotechnology of the Chosen Race is superior to anything the heathens of this galaxy could ever create. The closer the door is to being breached, the louder the cries of panic from beyond become. It is like music to Orik's ears, hearing this infidels in fear for their lives. Once the breach is complete, he steps into the dark room. A lambent from behind him casts deep shadows, but it is enough to see the gathered creatures.
Dwytek moves in front of Orik and thumps one of the creatures on the head, knocking him unconscious. Orik hisses at him loudly. "The Gods gave you the ability to reason; use it!" he admonishes. "If we are to carry every unconscious infidel back to the Redeemer, how long do you think it will take? We are only four. No. We are to herd them back, conscious."
He illustrates by grabbing one of the tailed beings by the scruff of the neck, and points at it with his claw-like fingers. He then throws it out into the hallway with a whimper. Orik keeps an eye to see if it decides to run; it does not. Good. They know when they are outmatched. He then gestures to the rest of the beings, around twenty of them, to follow. At first they don't know what Orik wants, so he growls and shouts until they begin moving into the corridor. He cares not for their wails, only what their lifeblood will bring the Yuuzhan Vong.
"Kyron, you shall take this group back to the Redeemer. Remain with them until we return."
Orik half expects the warrior to object at being taken away from potential fighting and slaughter, but he nods his deference. "As you will, Avatar of Yun-Yammka."
Orik looks at the one that Dwynek knocked unconscious. He commands his amphistaff to harden and unceremoniously thrusts its sharpened tail through its skull. "One more for the Gods," he whispers, and moves out into the corridor. He leads the warriors deeper into the ship, not knowing how much longer they can stay there before something comes to its rescue.
Aboard the Nebulon B Frigate Endless Salvation, near RoxuliLynne Jameroo had been surprisingly receptive to Ga'ab's request to raid the ship's store of drugs. The trip had already been much more than she had bargained for and Ga'ab wondered if she were simply so exhausted by his obfuscation that it simply wasn't worth her protests. Whatever the reason, Ga'ab had been escorted to the medical bay and under the supervision of an attending physician picked the necessary drugs.
However as a military officer and a captain she couldn't very well allow his inebriated presence on her bridge, so he Ga'ab had been respectfully barred him from the bridge and the ship's hallways while he was under the influence of his cocktail of opiates. This is why, upon entering the Roxuli planetary system, Ga'ab was locked in a forward observation bubble with his medical team outside the door. At the point Ga'ab had assumed that Captain Jameroo was inclined to conduct the search without him, using conventional investigatory tools such as communicating with Roxulis planetary authority. Ga'ab would have saved her the time by reminding her that his own inquiries had uncovered no new clues, however he was not inclined to further irritate his reluctant ally. Inevitably, when Roxuli responded that they had absolutely no information on a space disaster in nearby space, Captain Jameroo turned to long-range scanners and a search grid.
Therefore, it was up to Ga'ab to fulfill his promise of locating the Ryn's ship and to prove to the Captain that this had not been a giant waste of her time. Ga'ab sat cross legged in a pose of meditation. Outside the forward view-screen was the blackness of space and the faint pinpricks of distant stars. The Endless Salvation had since turned away from Roxuli and had pointed her bow towards the relatively unmapped expanse of the Unknown Region. The lights in Ga'ab's observation room had been turned off, however the room was illuminated by the holoprojected map courtesy of the Nebulon Frigate's long-range scanners. Ga'ab was seated at the center of the hologram breathing deeply and steadily as stars and asteroids spun slowly around him.
He was in a state of drug induced bliss. A thin IV was connected to his wrist which pumped a steady stream of drugs into his bloodstream. His own irrational fears and his axiety over the fate of his friend had disappeared. He was overcome with a sense of contentment and peace as the chemical cocktail worked its magic. As Ga'ab's fears and trepidation were carried away on the chemical current, he stretched out with the force. It was a struggle of course, to find the clarity of mind and focus while under the influence of the drugs, but it was much easier than fighting the influences of the darkside; fear, anger, hate and suffering. Ga'ab brushed against the current of the force and felt its warmth. He opened himself to it and invited it to parlay with him. Overcome by the force and the IV, Ga'ab allowed himself to fall backwards.
His physical body thumped against the deck-plates by his consciousness kept falling through the ship. His mind's eye saw the ship as a tiny speck in the vast reaches of space, it saw one of it's turbolasers looming over him impossibly large, it saw a crewer sink into her cot. And he realized that he both saw the ship and was the ship. Completely enmeshed in the force, Ga'ab's Miralukan force sight was dialed up to 11. He expanded his consciousness beyond the ship, beyond the range of her scanners, deeper into the dark void of space. He felt a flicker of something, a pinprick of fear? He retracted his mind and then focused it on that one point in space. Much like a hologram becoming crisper and clearer, so too did the image Ga'ab saw through the force. He saw Rygal's Nebulon B Frigate split in two by a horrific explosion in the ship's midship spine. All at once the frigate's guns fell silent and the ship's running lights lost their power. The last thing Ga'ab saw before he lost contact was the two separated pieces of the frigate drifting apart.
Ga'ab came back to himself with a start. He groggily pulled himself off of the floor and pulled the IV from his wrist. "Open the door, let me out!" He demanded in slurred speech. He had managed to make it to the blastdoor and was leaning against it heavily.
"Sir, it was the captain's orders that you remain outside of the public areas while under the influence." Said the crisp voice of his medical attendant, who, much to Ga'ab's irritation, had not yet opened the door.
"Blast you! I know where the ship is!" Said Ga'ab and then he threw up.
"Oof, sounds like you're having a rough time." Replied the medic with no small amount of humor. After another moment he opened the blast door and then immediately put his hand over his nose. "Kark me, that's rank."
"I'll aim the next one at you." Ga'ab said quietly before slumping to the ground. He managed to wave his hand towards the holoprojector and with the force he highlighted a part of space. "Tell the captain there."
"Alright. You take it easy. We had to mix in adrenaline so you wouldn't fall asleep from the cocktail but the drawback is this feeling." Said the medic cheerily. "I'll get word to the Captain. You can rest easy now, that point doesn't look too far away and if anyone's still alive we'll keep them that way." The medic left and closed the blastdoor as he exited. Word did indeed reach Captain Jameroo, she hastily ordered fighters be launched before the jump to hyperspace, so they wouldn't waist time if they were stumbling into a trap. Once that was done she gave the order and all ships with her jumped to the pointed that had been indicated. Some of the bridge crew found it odd that Lynne was taking coordinates from a doped up man who had lied to the prior, but no one said a word of it. Lynne herself was worried, but felt that this was the right thing to do. As the ship sped through hyperspace, she had an away team prepped near the boarding tubes. Major Tethras would be in the lead with several Guardians and field medics wearing envio suits. The captain would follow behind with more medical staff and Guardians if necessary. The ships came hurtling out of hyperspace at the point their intoxicated friend had pointed out.
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Ga’ab Solomon
Member
Posts: 63
Affiliation: Clan Jugsmuk of Gamorr
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Post by Ga’ab Solomon on May 21, 2019 19:47:11 GMT -8
Rygal held his wife and mate, Ariceli in his arms. "Shhh shhh" He said soothingly while he squeezed her against his chest. He caressed her head lovingly and whispered words of love and comfort as her tears matted his fur. It had been hours since the initial attack. Rygal and the others locked on the bridge had big one another farewell and had been prepared for the finishing salvo that would fully destroy their ship but as the seconds turned into minutes their grim acceptance changed to confusion. They had asked one another why they had not been destroyed, and the general consensus was that their attackers were satisfied with letting the ship's crew slowly die in the void of space. The bridge had been left in pitch blackness. The Ryn had long since elected to extinguish their flashlights. There was no need to see the fear and pain on each other's faces. Coughing had begun some short time ago. Without power their life-support systems were inoperative and the air within the ship was beginning to get stale from hyperventilating and stressed breaths. It had long since been cold enough to force the Ryn to huddle together for warmth.
While he comforted his wife, Rygal seethed with barely controlled anger. He HATED whoever or whatever had attacked them with the intensity of a supernova. The words 'its not fair' were repeated over and over in his mind and as he contemplated the truth of those words his anger grew. Why had his people been so cruelly cursed? To have been given the briefest taste of freedom and a new life after a lifetime of enslavement, only to have it ripped away was a fate so terrible to Rygal that he could not express it in words. He only resonated hate, hate directed uselessly at those who had conspired against him and his people. He did not know if he believed Old Zuurhio's pitiful moans about it being the Yuuzhan Vong, but he did know what whoever or whatever had done this was worthy of every curse and torture he could envision and he only hoped that the mental curses he flung would be carried out by someone else.
"Look!" exclaimed Zuuria from the darkness. "The viewports" She added for clarification. From her spot in the Ryn's huddling circle, she was facing the stars. She had always wanted to die looking at the stars. Rygal, Ariceli, Old Zuurhio and the other Ryn turned their heads or bodies and together they gasped. In the distance but visible with the naked eye was another Nebulon B Frigate... _______________________________________________________
Kerad Juul, Weequaay fighter ace of the Basadii Hutt's reconquest of Teth, sat snugly in the cockpit of his Z-95 Headhunter. It was a downgrade from the snubfighters he had flown for the hutts, but at least the Z-95s that he and the hastily assembled, newly christened 'Tusk Squadron' flew were assembly-line new. He inhaled appreciatively. It still had that new-ship smell. Soon enough the only odor in the cockpit would be sweat and booze, but until then he appreciated the pristine condition of the ship. He checked his navi-computer which displayed the countdown to real-space reversion. He didn't know what to expect. Their mission had been maddeningly secret. There was a ping from his comm-station which was odd in hyperspace. The file received was text only, which made sense due to the limitations of hyperspace communication. It simply read: Hyperspace re-entry DANGER CLOSE. Weapons hot. Assume hostiles are in area and engage at will. Objective is to secure second Nebulon B-Frigate.
Kerad didn't even have time to reply let alone communicate the orders, moments later the streaking starlines shrank and became solid pinpricks of light in the darkness of space. He reacted instantly, bringing up his own shields at the same time as he barked orders into the comm-channel for his squadron-mates to raise their shields and bring their weapon systems online. Kerad then glanced at his scanners and was shocked to not see any targets lit up on the display. He tapped the display and yet they remained clear. He got back on the squad comm, "Tusk Leader to Tusk Squadron. Form up on me. Our objective is the forward section of Nebulon B Frigate drifting to port. We buzz it, then establish a perimeter while the Endless Salvation and its crew search for survivors. Keep your eyes on your scanners, that ship wasn't destroyed of its own accord."
"Copy Tusk Leader" Came the 23 replies from his squadron-mates. They were a motley collection of GA and imperial deserters, former hutt enforcers, and young, overeager freighter hands who dreamt of being a starfighter pilot. As Kerad banked his fighter to the left he considered that it was probably fortunate that there were no enemies to deal with, at least nothing on scopes 24 Z-95 Headhunter raced past the Endless Salvation and in a wide attack pattern of eight smaller flights of four fighters they began to close the distance to the crippled Nebulon B Frigate...
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