Shaman Chill
Administrator
Stay frosty, my friends!
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Affiliation: The Ancient Order of the Whills
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Post by Shaman Chill on Mar 31, 2016 21:44:59 GMT -8
Hypori was a temperate world of small oceans and rocky landscapes, rich with minerals.
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Belbe
Kumauri Industries
Posts: 13
Affiliation: Kumauri Industries
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Post by Belbe on May 11, 2017 13:33:41 GMT -8
As the cloaked Barloz-class Medium Freighter settled down amidst a collection of small mesas on the outskirts near the main hive cluster the ramp lowered and Belbe strode off of the ship. Scaling the back side of one of the mesas with practiced ease, she laid out flat so that the cloak of her armor rendered her all but invisible against the rocky surface of the outcropping. For the next twenty-four hours she laid completely still, not even breathing as she observed the comings and goings of the hive, the patrol routes and shift changes of guards, and any other useful information that she could gather via her integrated optics. Once she had acquired the information that she sought, Belbe made her way back down from the mesa and began crossing the distance between where she had landed and the entrance to the hive. Moving quickly, she took advantage of what she knew of the positioning and movements of the various guards and sentries to avoid detection as she activated the actual stealth device on her belt and slipped into the hive cluster itself.
Once inside, Belbe avoided several run-ins with the local Geonosians as she explored the network of caverns until she located a suitable location where she could conceal herself and observe the comings and goings of the inhabitants at a distance that would allow her to listen in on any conversations. Slipping into a long-disused alcove in the ceiling of one of the more major passageways, she settled into place and shifted her cloak so that it would camouflage her from below before deactivating her stealth device and settling in for another long period of observation. Getting into the hive cluster had been the easy part; all of the comings and goings could be effortlessly observed from a safe distance and an entry route chosen. Now that she was inside the labyrinthine network of tunnels, chambers, and passages Belbe was operating blind once again, and the risks were much higher than outside on her mesa. Deactivating her life simulation systems again, her breathing stilled and the systems which imitated digestion and several other telltale signs of organic life stilled to better allow her to avoid detection. All that remained was to wait, watch, and listen until she could glean enough information from the passing Geonosians to find her way to where Hypori's Archduke resided.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2017 20:27:46 GMT -8
As the dozens of fighters flew overhead, blasting key Anti Air positions with their powerful missiles, the support ships set down just outside the enemy defenses. The front opened up as a hail of laser fire began pounding the shields of the ships. Having little to no effect on the superior technology, most of the shots were simply absorbed by the barrier. Then, 50 MHC’s charged out of the ships, laying down cover fire. The powerful plasma projectiles ripped through the enemy defenses, while the antipersonell cannons quickly dispatched any brave enough or foolish enough to stand up to the mechanical beasts. As a hole opened up in the enemy lines, 50 Impending Assault Tanks smashed through the holes, breaking the enemy lines as copious amounts of laser fire was emptied into the soon-lifeless bodies of the defenders. Whatever few remained quickly surrendered to the militia troops that had surrounded them. As a few enemy walkers tried charging them in a desperate offensive, the Hove Tanks made quick work of them, their duel plasma cannons piercing the walkers armor like a knife through butter. With the main enemy force destroyed, troops began swarming the population centers with little to no resistance.
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Belbe
Kumauri Industries
Posts: 13
Affiliation: Kumauri Industries
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Post by Belbe on Nov 19, 2017 11:17:22 GMT -8
Belbe had worked her way slowly through the Hive, infiltrating deep past the layers of security and into the Archduke's throne room where she had pressed herself into one of the many recesses which lined the ceiling. She had then begun eavesdropping on the Archduke's business, looking for an ideal opportunity when her master would be able to eliminate the Geonosian and replace him with a replica droid copy. It was in that recess, cloaked by camouflage and shadow, that Belbe was concealed when the distant thud of impacting ordinance reached her sensitive hearing. War seemed to have come to Hypori, likely from some outside force as the Archduke had not made any mention of any conflicts in her long surveillance of the Geonosian leader. The throne room quickly became active as the natives began to plan their defense and the airwaves filled with comms chatter. With little more than a thought she risked sending a minuscule command signal back to her ship, trusting that such a blip would go unnoticed amidst the saturated airwaves of an invasion, and the Barloz-class Medium Freighter vanished amidst the cluster of mesas in which it sat. With her ship cloaked, Belbe settled into her hiding place, listened, and watched; this unexpected invasion would likely result in a shift in their plans but she did not risk sending a notification to Lord Stormro just yet. While the short command to cloak her vessel was unlikely to be detected in the chaos of the invasion a longer transmission represented a larger risk of discovery. For now her role seemed to have shifted from assassin to spy, and unless given an order to the contrary she would continue to follow her best judgement in order to preserve her master's plans.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2017 12:59:27 GMT -8
Although the Geonosians has begun amassing their defenses, it was already too late. Impending Assault Tanks moved underground, smashing through fortified areas before moving on to systematically eliminate another area. At the same time, MHC’s destroyed large clusters of troops and tanks, while infantry advanced under the cover fire of the artillary units. Long range missiles pounded into enemy defenses. While this was happening, a daring assault was about to occur, as 50 IATs dug underneath the hive of the Archduke, making use of the catacombs to quickly slice through the rock, bursting forth into the citadel and eliminating the high command along with the archduke. After the hive was cleared out, however, their life form scanners still picked up something. After looking around for a bit, they noticed Belbe hiding in the cieling. However, the Umbarans has been told not to engage non-Geonosians, as they could potentially turn out to be allies. Hello up there! We mean no harm, we could be allies. Please, come down here so we can gain a better understanding of each other’s motives for being here!”
NOTE: The Commander of this group could speak Basic.
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Belbe
Kumauri Industries
Posts: 13
Affiliation: Kumauri Industries
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Post by Belbe on Dec 10, 2017 9:52:35 GMT -8
As the IATs burst into the room Belbe decided that now was the time to begin extracting herself from the situation. Activating her personal stealth device, she quickly scaled down to the floor as the crawlers opened fire on the surprised Archduke, high command, and their guards. This turn of events would most certainly require a change in her master's plans, but she suspected that Lord Stormro would be able to find a way to turn it into an advantage regardless. Slipping invisibly into the hive's labyrinthine network of tunnels as the dying screams of the Archduke and his men filled the room she had just left, Belbe began retracing her way back out of the hive so that she could extract herself and avoid having to abandon her current body. She had inhabited it for years now, ever since sacrificing her previous body during a particularly ill-fated mission with the Bloody Aces Mercenary Force, and had to admit that she had grown fond of it. None of that mattered, of course; the capture of her or any of the sophisticated technology that she represented was an unacceptable outcome and she would happily destroy it rather than have it fall into enemy hands. Diverting down a side tunnel to navigate around a particularly badly collapsed section of Hive that had resulted from the IATs tearing through the structure, she listened as the Geonosian comm channels erupted in chaos as the chain of command was shattered from the top down, only to begin slowly dying again as pockets of resistance fell to the unexpected IAT assault. Whoever these invaders were they seemed to be bound and determined to eradicate the locals as far as she could tell, and she had no intentions of sticking around to risk being caught up in the massacre. She was a dangerous combatant, even in death, but there was little to be gained in sacrificing herself here and much to lose. No, better to pull out and await her master's next orders. With the decision made she deactivated her stealth device to allow it to recharge and focused on navigating the tunnels, beelining for the exit as quickly as she could while trying to avoid any of the remaining Geonosians or the invading Umbaran who were slaughtering them. She would prefer to have the device charged for the run across the open terrain between the hive and where her ship was concealed, and would only activate it to avoid being seen if she ran into others.
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Belbe
Kumauri Industries
Posts: 13
Affiliation: Kumauri Industries
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Post by Belbe on Feb 25, 2018 14:42:06 GMT -8
As isolated pockets of resistance continued to fight to try and defend the Hive a thought struck Belbe, causing her to divert from her chosen path and head down into the lower levels of the hive. With any luck the invading Umbaran's focus on striking the military chain of command would leave her enough time to retrieve a seed with which her master could grow new plans to replace those interrupted by the invasion. Nearing her target, she activated her personal cloaking device with a thought and slipped past the elite guards who were at the ready and braced for a more overt attack. Once past them she continued on into the warm egg chamber beyond, slipping past another pair of guards before moving along the edge of the room and concealing herself in a darkened alcove. Looking over the small, heavily guarded chamber she eyed the small gathering of eggs that merited such protection; future Geonosian queens, should they survive long enough. An entire hive, given enough time, and she was confident that Lord Stormro could find use for such seeds. Moving silently around the the back of the eggs, she blinked as her vision cycled to thermal vision and she scanned the priceless orbs, searching for the two warmest eggs in the hopes that they would survive the trip away from their natural incubation chamber. Slipping her two chosen queens into the folds of her cloak, Belbe rose and was about to slip out of the chamber when the fighting reached the room. Pressing herself into an alcove as IATs burst through the chamber walls, she waited until an opportunity presented itself and slipped into one of the tunnels carved by the Umbaran tanks. Making her way back to one of the hive's tunnels, she deactivated her cloaking device and resumed making her way towards one of the hive's exits, two valuable young Geonosians concealed beneath her cloak.
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Belbe
Kumauri Industries
Posts: 13
Affiliation: Kumauri Industries
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Post by Belbe on Jun 29, 2018 11:55:22 GMT -8
Emerging from the hive, Belbe paused at the entrance to quickly scan for threats before activating her cloak and darting across the open terrain at inhuman speeds, the two eggs still tucked safely beneath the fabric of her cloak as she abandoned any pretense of organic life. Reaching the collection of mesas where her ship was hidden, Belbe began the priming sequence on the engines with a thought as the closest ramp lowered to allow her to board the freighter. Moving to the cockpit, Belbe firmly secured the two eggs into the copilot's chair before making her way to the concealed chamber hidden behind a panel in one of the main cargo bay's walls as the freighter cloaked and lifted off of the ground. Stripping off her clothing as the craft moved, Belbe changed into a set of innocuous clothing appropriate for your average small freighter pilot and mentally cranked the heat in the ship up in order to provide the eggs the incubation that they needed until they could be delivered to her Master. As she departed fighting continued below, the beginning of a conflict that would continue for the near future as the native Geonosian's of Hypori fought to preserve their sovereignty.
===SEVERAL MONTHS LATER=== The resistance against the Umbaran Invasion had seemed hopeless at first. In the initial attack the aggressors had struck the primary hive cluster, seemingly killing the Queen, her Archduke, and the entire batch of future queens. Geonosian cells were slowly being eradicated one by one until the Archduke emerged from hiding roughly a month into the invasion, having somehow escaped the massacre at the primary hive cluster with a single one of the precious future queens. He rallied the largest remaining cell around him and arranged a deal with Kumauri Industries, who had been beginning to court the Archduke before the invasion for permission to operate on Hypori, where they would provide wardroids, armaments, and most importantly of all supplies to the Archduke's forces. In exchange they would be allowed to establish their corporate headquarters on the planet and begin operating once the Geonosians were free. With the additional support from Kumauri Industries the Archduke was able to rally his people and begin slowly pushing the invaders back. Now, after a long, bloody conflict, Geonosis was finally free. As the planet began its recovery efforts Kumauri Industries was there to help rebuild, providing direct funding and aid as well as employing countless members of the local population in their growing operations as factories were built and production began. To the Geonosians of Hypori Kumauri Industries had been the agent of their salvation; in reality, however, it was all a ruse.
The real Archduke had perished instantly when the IATs had breached his command room, along with the rest of the Geonosian's leadership. The Archduke who lead the Geonosians now was in fact a highly sophisticated replica droid, created by Stevan Stormro, in the original Archduke's image. The original plan had been to assassinate the Archduke and replace him with the replica, but the invasion of Hypori had provided Kumauri Industries with a far better use of the droid. The young queen, who had since hatched and was beginning to grow and mature under the guidance of the "Archduke", was one of the two eggs Belbe had rescued when she had fled the primary hive cluster. Even if the Archduke was rousted, their influence on the young queen through his guidance would hopefully keep the Geonosians amiable towards Kumauri Industries.
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Prophet C'thyl
Quarren Dominion
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Affiliation: Quarren Dominion
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Post by Prophet C'thyl on May 20, 2020 1:51:22 GMT -8
As the Dominion's influence spread, the need for additional advanced vehicles for land assaults within the Dominion's military spread. Emissaries were sent to Hypori in order to conduct larger deals with Baktoid Armor Workshop in order to get AATs, DSD1 dwarf spider droids, Heavy Artillery Guns, Multi-Troop Transports, OG-9 homing spider droids, Ostracoda-class gunboats, Single Trooper Aerial Platforms and Super tanks manifactured upon the Dominion worlds. The Quarren Dominion promised a large payment alongside new factory sites to claim for Baktoid Armor Workshop on neighbouring systems of Mon Calamari. With the negotiations ongoing, the Quarren Dominion furthermore would buy the stashes of armoury, which were originally designed for the Grand Confederacy of Independence, but were never sent once they began losing their fights against the Blackguard Reborn and couldn't afford the payment anymore.
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,190
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Nov 21, 2022 11:22:44 GMT -8
On the far side of the planet on the rust red continent formerly known to the Techno Union as the Corroded Corridor, there existed a toxic caldera, the remnants of a chemical manufacturing plant that had been destroyed during the events of the Clone Wars. Following that event, Wat Tambor and his mechanical minions used the contaminated continent as a dumping ground for all the waste the droid foundries produced. Chemical and radiological contaminants seeped into the soil, killing all but the most resilient forms of organic life, poisoning the ground for the next ten thousand years. It was here amongst the filth and trash that the forces of Clan Rustrot decided to continue the tradition started by the Techno Union, choosing it as the main site for their own waste disposal. The cargo containers dropped from orbit had largely burned up as they had entered the atmosphere, choking the sky with dark clouds that drenched the disposal site with a hissing deluge of acid rain that rotted away metal and plastics that littered the area. A luminous glow emitted from stagnant ponds of waste water that bubbled like stinking cauldrons of putrescence, filling the air with a chemical fog that made it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead at a time.As the empress-class super freighters descended on the site, the space-rats at the helm of each transport had to rely on their sensor screens more than the visual display. An acrid scent wafted from burning hills of trash in the nearby vicinity, set alit by the flaming garbage that had rained down from above during their arrival. Each of the two dozen transports landed around a centralized hill of trash, more of a mountain actually, for the rising heap of waste ascended up through the clouds as it reached a startling height of six thousand meters. The ships formed up at the base of the monstrous mountain of filth, setting down on their landing gear as each made planetfall. Small eruptions of expelled atmosphere elicited hisses as hydraulic mechanisms were activated and each trash compartment was unsealed and tilted on an angle, allowing gravity to do the rest. All manner of alchemical fluid, organic waste, and scrap material were dumped. Slave rats poured from the holds, some carrying shovels but most relying on their gnarled paws as they began to scoop piles of delivered garbage onto the base of the mound.From the lead transport appeared a figure more machine than mouse. Skalterra Brassclaw, Chief Warlock Engineer of Clan Rustrot, stood apart from his kin by the mass amount of enhancements to his ranat form, with most of his body being comprised of bronzium cybernetic augmentations. Both legs and arms were mechanical, as was his wire thin tail that was in fact an actual wire with a crackling live end that discharged electrical current. Most of his verminous features appeared to have been replaced by machine, though the upper left portion of his face still held one natural born beady eye and the scabrous flesh around it appeared to be natural. The lower half of his face was a metal snout locked in position, occasionally venting scalding steam in between loud breaths from his purely mechanical lungs. His enhancements protected the tinker-rat from most of the poisons in the air, though it was plain to see that the chemical fog was already tarnishing his otherwise pristine bronzium shell. His right claw was essentially a large pneumatic vice capable of crushing all but beskar-iron. In his left mechanical digits he rested his metal palm on a half meter tall staff of cortosis alloy that he used like a walking stick. The staffs head was actually a black melon sized firkrann crystal that sparked with contained lightning. An electro-magnetic pulse generator in the body of the staff allowed the Chief Warlock to discharge lightning bolts, further enhanced by the properties of its crystal head. Loudly cresting a trash pile, the tinker-rat studied the toxic caldera with his cybernetic eye for several moments before speaking."What fortuitous fortunes we have found here, yes-yes." Exclaimed Skaltera, causing the two albino furred storm vermin standing on either side of him to nod their verminous snouts and clap the butts of their rusted halberds on the trash mound in an appropriate display of subservience. Though Chief Brassclaw was unable to smile due to the fixed nature of his metal snout, his true left eye widened, which was usually a sign that he was pleased. The droid-vocabulator in his throat continued to screech in indecipherable rat-speech. "Here amongst this wealth of waste we shall rise in prominence above the other clans of Dragusblight. This metal mountain of mushed machinery will serve well as a warren for our warlock engineers. It shall be known as..." Up came the toothed vice of his right claw, scraping the underside of his metal snout in the same way a wholly organic being might scratch their chin while pondering. Hot sparks jumped from the point of contact in a metal shriek. "...The Heap. Yes-yes, brilliantly decided. Hurry-scurry, my tinker rats! Claim this site for Clan Rustrot!"Those warlock engineers not currently tasked with overseeing the slave rats began to offload equipment and set up antiquated drilling machinery. Once the waste had all been dumped, the engineers used long shock prods with pronged ends to divert the efforts of the slave mice to burrowing. It would take time of course but if there was one thing that ranats knew it was how to dig tunnels.It was as the teams of slaves were hard at work that something drew the attention of Skaltera Brassclaw. A fur raising shriek sounded from one mushy puddle of organic waste as something animate emerged from the chemical muck. The chief engineer noted with a glance the name of the transport next to it, from which the waste had come. The 'Horned Rat' it said in bold gothic lettering. Due to the nature of his augmentations, Skaltera's brain was 95% cybernetic replacement, which allowed for the ability to store vast amounts of data. Essentially, he never forgot anything...ever. So it was all too easy to recall the manifest for that ship and what contaminants had been aboard. That particular vessel had been tasked with disposing of organic waste from the flesh pits of the Apothecarium beneath the Fortress of Tawntoom. So it should come as little surprise that as the sludge sluiced off the emerging creature's ghastly mutant form, that it was quickly exposed as a rakghoul. The mutant shrieked again before leaping atop a slave rat, sinking its jaws deep into the neck of the rodent before ripping a greasy furred chunk of verminous flesh free. Dark blood spurted in its face, blinding it as it spat the chunk free and began suckling at the rent artery.From his elevated position, all it took was for the Chief Warlock to raise his staff and thumb the activation stud on the handle, bringing to life the electro-magnetic pulse generator there within. Electricity crackled around the firkrann crystal at its head, before erupting as a bolt of lightning that was followed by a deafening crack of thunder.FFFFFFFFSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! CRACK! The bolt of lightning crashed into both slave rat and rakghoul, blasting them apart with opposing forks of electrical current. The slave rats body crisped to a char, flesh cooking off the bone and fur set ablaze. Still a better end than bleeding out, not that Chief Brassclaw much cared either way. The rakghoul twitched on the ground as steam wafted from its leathery hide that had been seared blistering raw, but there still appeared to be some life in the stunned mutant. Descending the trash mound carefully, Skaltera approached the downed rakghoul and placed the pointed tip of his staff under the creature's chin, resting just enough of his weight on its throat to encourage discomfort."Scurry-hurry and secure this beast." His vocabulator screeched at his two storm vermin bodyguards, before he turned to them and glared with his cybernetic eye that pulsed with green light as though it were possessed by witch-fire. "I've an idea how it might be useful..."
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Nov 21, 2022 13:01:41 GMT -8
The Shadowgore held the lead with the Stormtrooper transports amassed slightly behind it. Groups of transports started to split off to divert off toward their destinations as they descended lower and lower into the atmosphere. However, this descent was soon interrupted by an alert from the far side of the planet. Valefor set the controls to autopilot as he turned his attention to the screen showing the arrival of ships belonging to the Dark Apothecary. Soon, however, additional sensor points were seen launching toward the surface with hazardous warnings showing up from sensor scans What is that fool doing... We're not meant to be making this place hostile to all life... Thankfully, there seemed to only be a handful of the marked containers and all of them headed to make impact on the far side of the planet. He marked out the continental landmass which the containers were projected to land on and set its status to off limits. What ever might exist there would not survive long.
With that sorted out, he turned his attention back to his controls as more of the transports split off and accounted for the change in troop assignments based off the objective map update. By the time the Shadowgore was pulling out of its dive and angling toward a research facility, the other transports had all diverted off to various production and research facilities of their own that littered the planet's surface.
Valefor eased the controls back before setting the TIE Freighter down on a rather dilapidated looking landing pad. Clouds of dust were blown up as the landing gear extended out and the thrusters powered down. He powered the ship down before making his way to the landing ramp, the controls being activated by Azaal and allowing Valefor to stroll through the cargo bay and down the ramp. His gaze settling on the building in front of him as the pair of Demons stood either side of him Let us see what the Confederacy left behind to uncover...
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Dec 6, 2022 13:34:21 GMT -8
Valefor ventured forth from his ship up towards what looked like a loading dock area of the facility. Several large blast doors stood locked down. The question that presented itself then, was whether these doors were intended to keep something out or something in. The few bits of information he had stumbled upon regarding Hypori had been unclear as to what he should expect. On the one hand, the most likely explanation was that its former masters had locked the facility down to keep prying eyes out until their eventual return. But the Confederacy had not been able to foresee their ultimate failure. On the other hand, there was a non-zero likelihood that the lockdown had been activated to keep whatever they had been working on inside. And this was the eventuality that Valefor was hoping for.
He stood before one of the blast doors and focused his thoughts towards it. The Force quickly bent to his will as it coalesced around him and flowed out toward the slab of metal, forming into a giant hand of sorts. Valefor stood motionless for a moment as he commanded the door to open up, with a loud creaking noise grating out as the mechanisms were forced to work in reverse. Gears pushed against each other as the door rose further and further up. Untold years had passed since the Confederacy had abandoned this facility and left it to rot. The state of decay soon became apparent as the force exerted by the door travelled through the mechanism and frame. Metal groaned loudly until...
A loud snap rang out as the frame of the door snapped apart, with several of its mechanisms cracked in half. The door tilted to the side before crashing down along the remains of the tracks. The right side of the door caught on an indent in the track, while the left side continued down to impact the floor whilst tearing apart the failing frame. A deep thud resounded as the blast door came to rest at its new open position, leaving a gap enough for people to pass through.
Valefor had brought his wings up to protect himself from the cloud of dust that was kicked up and outward in a shockwave from the crash. But he lowered them so he could examine the aftermath of his work Perfect... He strode forward through the opening and into the dark depths of the facility, eager to find out what lay within. Something that would be worth his time
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,190
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Jan 4, 2023 11:47:25 GMT -8
Location: Hypori's Southern Pole : Corroded Continent: Toxicity "The Heap"Beneath clouds carrying acid rain to soak the sour and rust stained mountain of trash known as the Heap, the verminous agents of decay worked tirelessly in pursuit of mechanical mastery. Evidence of their work was present in the form of toxic sludge that poured from rotten pipes into acid lakes, the excess waste from their experiments. In the heart of this chemical choked filthtopia, Skalterra Brassclaw banged along on mechanical hoofs, his original claws having both long rotted away and been replaced with superior cybernetic limbs. A river of oily black slime dripped from the lower jaw of his snout, split down the middle with one half mechanical, the other a scabrous rodents face. One fang leaked saliva, the other oil. What had him so excited was obvious, as he crossed the railing above the cloning vats where the warlock eningseers of Clan Rustrot toiled to produce the mechanical meat for its experiments into cybernetic augmentation and enhancement. Massive ranat-ogres with great big shoulders and bulging muscles stirred long wooden paddles into vats of nutrient slime, churning around humanoid forms that writhed and flailed in the vat waters, occasionally shrieking in a sort of primal hate as their throats tasted brief moments of air.Perhaps darkest of all those present in the rusting palace was its latest visitor, a night ewok shaman of Weaping Bark Village. Well, not a true night ewok, not genetically. Greybeard, which was his name, was an ewok of a far older stock. He was born among the inhabitants of Bright Tree Village, a true child of Endor. When his 'gift' appeared, he turned to the greatest master of the dark sorcerous art of ewok magic. A being so fear invoking he made crone-like creatures such as Palpatine and Mother Talzin look like hedge witches and bush conjurers by comparison. This being was of course the ewok shaman Zarrak. He served for a time as apprentice to this great conjurer of primal magics, before woefully parting ways on his own dark journey into old age and infirmity, a life extended unnaturally thanks to a questionable elixir offered to him by a seductive saurian with black scales and red eyes. Suspect or not, he drank it still, downing the foul contents in one unpleasant swallow. His body had wanted to wretch, but the contents of the cup had its roots sunk deep into his flesh, changing him into something more.A much revitalized, much more youthful, Greybeard stood on a rusted balcony overlooking the polluted chemical sea to the East. But his attention was turned to the North, to the far off northern continent where the droid foundries were located. He rested two grey furred paws on the gnarled head of a staff made from Pzobian oak, festooned with tusks tied to strips of gamorrean hide, it rattled as he moved. He could feel the flow of darkness at his paws as he channeled his hate, an easy enough feat for one who had suffered a life of disrespect as he had. Ewoks were more connected to the primal magics of the Force, drawing their power from the land, being at one with the planet. When Greybeard manipulated the Force, crafting with its darkest elements, he drew on the planets spirit as well. This portion of the world was dying, the bones rotting away into chemical filth, expelling radioactive sludge and carcinogenic smoke. Yet in Hypori's screaming despair, there was a power there to be seized upon. The Rot. He allowed the element of decay to embolden his dark sorcery, which for now was on loan to Clan Rustrot. The wounded land allowed him to spread its corrosive influence, rotting away anything he touched. Sacrilegious though it might be, he enjoyed what he suspected was a taste of Famine. The master would not approve of others dabbling in those ill-intentioned currents of the arcane winds. They belonged to him alone.Between Skalterra Brassclaw and Greybeards combined efforts, they were working on something to combine the flesh crafting of the warlock enginseers with this new ruinous manipulation of the darkside, a creature so foul that grown men would shudder in its presence. It had taken some effort to gather one of the unhatched eggs from Dragus' litter; he wasn't proud of his actions that day. Matured to full size, enhanced by all manner of bronzium cased cybernetic enhancements, a feral reptoid cyborg that was the worst sort of fusion of scale and machine. It was a predator machine wired to kill. The most innovated tinker-rats called it Mecha-Dragus.Soon it would be ready.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Jan 10, 2023 14:51:01 GMT -8
Then...
Despite the years of idleness, the lockdown protocols had preserved everything within pretty well throughout most of the facility. Service lights provided just enough illumination by which Valefor could see and find his way from the loading dock area and through the corridors and hallways of the facility. His Smoke Demons soon split off and took branching paths throughout the facility to scout ahead and find what might reside within. Leaving Valefor alone to head toward the control room deep within the building, from where he could restart the power systems. But if the Sith Sorcerer ever thought he was alone, he would have been a fool.
However, he did not make such a mistake. He could sense something else was haunting the corridors, which he attributed the claw marks on several walls to. As he had hoped, the lockdown protocols had been enacted to keep something in, and not out. Further lending credence to the intel he had come across in some items he had acquired.
With his suspicions heightened, Valefor went about setting little magical traps to alert him of any presence getting too close.
Something which gave him peace of mind as he finally came to the Control Room where he quickly set to work inscribing a entrapment spell upon the floor. The Smoke Demons maintained their searches of the facility, but now with the knowledge to be alert for an additional presence. But not one Valefor expected them to find or corral.
If anything, he was pretty certain the creature was already well on its way toward him as he finished up the last markings to complete the trap. A task he could not have completed a moment too soon, as he sensed a shift in the Force as his quarry drew closer. But Valefor did his best to remain nonchalant as he turned back to the rest of the room and got to work powering up the generators and bringing the systems online.
Hallways across the facility lit up, with some light fixtures sparking out energy due to damage. Fabrication machines started warming up alongside forges which came to life. It was during this commotion that Valefor snapped back toward the door as an amalgamation of flesh and machine hobbled into his trap. The magic barrier activated within moments and trapped the beast within. Allowing the Sorcerer to examine his catch as the Smoke Demons made their way to the Control Room So... the rumours were true... The Separatists were trying to bring back the dead... A quick call up to the Felstorm soon had a capture team headed to the surface alongside a cage and other equipment You will do just fine...
Now...
In the Weeks and Months since Hypori's successful capture, the long dormant droid production facilities had been brought back online for the Sith Eternal under the Guise of Roon. In exchange for his efforts capturing the world, the Supreme Leader had named him Fabricator-General of the Dark Forge and Master Droid-Maker. Titles which Valefor had humbly accepted and taken to over that same time frame. Turning Hypori from a dormant wasteland into a bustling hive of manufacturing, turning out droid armies to reinforce and complement the existing forces of the Eternal.
To such an end, Valefor had temporarily landed the Felstorm upon Hypori. Using it as his base of operations from which he could oversee the general governance and running of Hypori. But it, along with the nearby facility, served as research and development of his side projects, one of which related to the beast he had captured upon his arrival here.
However, such work was set aside for the day as a comm transmission came through advising of the arrival of a Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier under the flag of Chang Fang. One of Dragus' subordinates, from what Valefor had gathered.
He headed for the main hangar bay of the Felstorm, whilst orders were transmitted along the chain to Orbital Control to give Chang Fang permission to head down and land
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,190
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
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Post by Dragus on Jan 11, 2023 6:44:18 GMT -8
Chang Fang's peregrine-class star yacht Fuscipes flew into the open hangar, flanked on either side by a Fang-class starfighter, as their landing gear began to extend and all three ships landed on the deck in an orderly row. The boarding ramp lowered smoothly, barely eliciting a hiss of pressure as it settled on the hangar floor. Simultaneously the cockpit canopy of both starfighters unsealed and flipped up, allowing the occupants inside either fighter craft to climb out. They were ranats in modified NLZ5-11 Dragon powersuits, worn piecemeal to better fit their short meter tall frames. Each had dispensed with the body glove and sealed helmet that obstructed their long snouts, but kept the chest-piece and attached shoulder pauldrons, from which ribbed tubing ran into a thick wrist bracer on their left forearm containing twin flame projectors. On the hip of one was a holstered renegade heavy blaster pistol and sheathed gladius style vibro-shortsword. The other was holding a Seatrooper spear blaster in his paws and a model 7 therm-ax hanging loosely from a loop on its belt. Heavily armed as they were, these space-rats from Clan Skrittlespike looked menacing, even with their red eyes hidden behind black framed goggles with green reflective lenses.
That's not why he'd requested that they attend him on this mission. The Shogun's name was well known amongst the ranks of the Sith Eternal; he had gained fame fighting in the sparring pits of thrice cursed Roon, breaking bones and spilling blood in that deadly arena. For Chang Fang was a master of Teräs Käsi, more specifically the ninth and most lethal style 'Squeak-Fu', the Way of the Ranat. It allowed a physically smaller practitioner to take on a much larger and stronger opponent. With his lightning quick paw strikes, he became infamous, considered unbeatable until the day he'd crossed paths with the Supreme Leader's favourite acolyte. His duel with Xitan had lasted six hours, leaving both competitors wounded and dripping in sweat. For all his command of the Force and ferocious style of brawling, the Sith's attempts to end the fight were thwarted by Chang's perfect form. It was only as the games-master grew weary of the conflict and introduced weapons into their fight that the duel came to a quick conclusion. Chang's ninjatō blade was no match against Xitan's signature cross-guard lightsaber. He still lived with the shame of that loss.
Of course, that was before the Doujikiri Yasutsna came into his possession. He rested a paw on the handle of the katana inserted through his belt over his left hip just above his shorter wakizashi blade. The Death shard growled in its scabbard, bleeding black wisps of ethereal smoke from where the base of the blade met the end of its artfully lacquered sheath. A fragment of the splintered soul of the avatar of Death, Mortale, the Doujikiri Yasutsna was a frightful blade that Chang wielded with the utmost caution and only in the most dire of circumstance. But the origin story of his katana was a black tale for another day. The point of all this being that the Verminlord of Clan Moonblade required no bodyguards.
They did however make excellent walking advertisements of all the stolen goods they had taken from SoroSuub.
A VX Sidewinder repeating blaster mounted to the Fuscipes chin tracked Chang Fang's graceful movements as he strode down the ramp of the yacht and set paw in the hangar. Cooling repulsor engines caused the skirt of his midnight hued kimono to rise, exposing paws sheathed in soft wooden sandals that clunked on the floor as he walked. So thin and whip like, the long wire like tail extending from his backside was barely perceptible. Observing the hangar of the Felstorm with two beady black eyes, he brought his right paw under his chin and stroked the fu-manchu style whiskers that drooped from either side of his snout. Unlike the mangier space-rats accompanying him whose personal hygiene habits were questionable at best, the Shogun was well groomed, with his thinning layer of snow white fur slicked back against his pink flesh.
While the three rodents waited to be acknowledged, Chang allowed his thoughtful gaze to inspect the hangar thoroughly. He was not gifted with the means to wield the sorcerous currents of the fey like the Sith did, but his powerful olfactory senses were well attuned to the sulphuric tinge it often left on the air, a sure sign that its users were delving into something malefic. He caught that same scent here, permeating everything. No wonder the Doujikiri Yasutsna was aroused.
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Jan 15, 2023 18:37:31 GMT -8
The hangar bay of the Felstorm was a hive of activity as the growing flight crews oversaw the arrival and departure of transports and starfighters alike. Some were the newer manned fighter models that had been brought over from the Resurgent Sith Conclave, while others were droid fighters. The droid foundries had been producing all variety of models, with factory lines slowly working toward specializations. The crews kept away from the arriving vessels except to connect in fuel lines to refuel their visitors as was curtesy. But few spent more time than was necessary near their guests.
Valefor soon arrived to the hangar bay himself, his cloven hoofs ringing out upon the metal floor as he crossed the makeshift spaceport of sorts. A pair of IG-100 MagnaGuards followed close behind gripping their Electrostaffs with armorweave cloaks billowing out behind them. Valefor himself was dressed and armoured minimally, preferring much more freedom of movement for casting of spells as well as the fact his wings did not easily fit into any fashion of clothing. Low level magic protected him from most ailments of being as undressed as he was, and thus was unphased in most weather conditions.
The hustle and bustle of the hangar continued even as the Fabricator-General came to a stop a couple feet away from Chang Fang and crossed his arms over his chest. He had much work to do, experiments to oversee, and personal projects to pursue. But the Shogun might prove a worthwhile emissary to entertain a visit from Welcome aboard the Felstorm. Have you travelled all this way for a social visit? or for business?
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,190
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Dragus on Jan 18, 2023 9:34:18 GMT -8
Chang's lips curled into a smirk. "Can't it be both?" Squeak! He often found conducting business to be a social experience, though that alone was not the reason for his visit.His area of responsibility and assumed duties were made very clear to him by the Council of Seven. As leader of the Black Fang organization, which in itself was just a front for the Sith Eternal's less law-abiding activities, he was to manage the flow of illegal goods and services throughout the Outer Rim. While it was a necessary position, elevating him as high as a non-Sith could rise within the SE, his level of authority would always be second string compared to the lowest acolyte within the Roon based cult. However, just because he was not able to wield the insidious magics of the fey as the Sith could, didn't mean he couldn't excel at their games of manipulation and deceit. In order to do so meant first meeting the more prestigious members of the cult, then ingratiating himself to them.As a citizen of Dragusblight he was already familiar with the dark apothecary. Indeed, his own history with the Famine Lord stretched as far back as the War of the Rat that took place deep beneath the surface of mysterious Pzob, before the clans were united in common cause by the Harbinger of Decay. He knew the Council of Seven now, with several of its members already minimally beholden to him over a few favours he had performed. There were a few other Sith lurking around the Nullus Beacon that Chang had been hoping to meet, though the ones he had marked as more worthy of his time and efforts had already departed on some mission to Kashyyyk. They'd have to wait until later. Besides, none of them were as important a figure as the creature he had come to visit today.The Sith Eternal's shadow empire currently consisted of four worlds: Rishi, Roon, Ryloth, and Hypori. The last being under the control of the SE's Fabricator-General, Valefor, whose command of the droid foundries placed him in a position of equal importance to that of any Council member. This was someone worth developing a relationship with.While most of his kind were incapable of Galactic Basic, the Shogun's tongue was quite talented, so when he spoke his words were as precise and well practised as a protocol droid. Well, save for the sharp squeak that seemed to follow every sentence. That habit was as hard to break as stopping a Gamorrean from scratching its arse."I was instructed by the Council to deliver a cargo of slave labourers to assist in your efforts here." Chang squeaked as he continued, looking Valefor over from his cloven hooves to his horned head. "They're still aboard my ship in orbit." Squeak! "Sullustans, taken from the factory floor of the SoroSuub Corporation." Squeak! "Assuming you approve, I'll have them sent down shortly." Squeak! "Truthfully though..." Squeak? "...I've wanted to meet you since word reached my ear of your takeover of the foundries here." Squeak!Displaying some slight of hand, Chang produced a credit chip in his right paw that seemed to materialize from nowhere, which he proceeded to roll between his fingers."As I am sure you are aware, Fabricator-General, you're sitting on a mountain of credits here." Squeak! "A mountain I am convinced the Black Fang can help you move, for a percentage, while lining your own pockets in the process."Squeak!
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Feb 2, 2023 13:44:40 GMT -8
It was certainly true that some cultures and species across the galaxy held practices which combined social constructs and practices into their business dealings. There were entire rule sets for how and where such meetings would take place, right down to the way in which one would exchange contact details. They were a curiosity amongst the many species out there, but not something Valefor had taken a keen interest in. Truth be told, his current role and responsibilities within the SE had far outpaced what he had intended to accrue. But the Eternal were still a relatively young group and they had needed assistance with expanding their power. A task which had coincided with one of his own projects.
It was an unavoidable compromise, but it did not mean he was any more inclined to indulge in the typical performance that was expected of a defacto Governor of a world. Thankfully Hypori's lack of a native population had made his job significantly easier, since those brought here knew who and what he was. So there was no need to install a puppet as a figurehead through which Valefor would rule. But that also meant he was forced to engage with those few rare visitors that did come to Hypori personally. Much like Fang, they too had gambled incorrectly where Valefor's concerns and interest laid regarding certain topics Sullustans are a hardy people and will provide much needed labour on some of the production lines and maintenance works which droids are not always well equipped to resolve... His gaze only briefly followed the movement of the credit shit that Fang rolled across his fingers I'm afraid flattery will not get you far here, Chang. I am not as egotistical as some of my colleagues and have little use for sugared words, so do not waste your time on them in my presence. So speak plainly, what is the percentage you would seek for moving this veritable fortune? The truth was that the credits meant very little to him. They were superfluous to his greater goals and especially to that which he would attain. But he was curious to see how the Ewok would value the money he sought to move. The Black Fang were a useful front, but Valefor had no intention of being beholden to them or anyone else.
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Dragus
The Sith Eternal
In front of the Empire, to all you Vader haters out there. We'll blow your planet up.
Posts: 1,190
Affiliation: Sith Eternal
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Dragus on Feb 6, 2023 9:27:32 GMT -8
Valefor wasn't what Chang had expected. The Fabricator General's quick assessment of the sullustans worth as slave labourers inferred to the ranat shogun that this particular Sith was far more practical than his other more manipulative kin, as did his address of the kimono clad rodent. It might have been refreshing even, were it not for the fact that the shogun's initial strategy had been to play upon the hoofed hulk's ego, which now seemed unlikely to produce the result he was hoping for. However, Chang was nothing if not adaptable. You didn't reach the rank of Verminlord among the warrens of Dragusblight by remaining static. Change or die, as the Pater Mutatis so often preached.Despite the desire of his fur to bristle, Chang remained the definition of composure, palming the credit chip he'd be playing with as he folded his arms across his chest. "Alright." Squeak! "Allow me to be as direct as I can." Squeak!While ranats typically had quicker reflexes than most humanoids, it caused them to display a certain level of restlessness when not in action. This quirk ranged from simple whisker twitches to tail flicks and a near constant chittering as their fangs ground together. The shogun redirected his own restless energy into his legs, beginning to pace back and forth in front of Valefor."We want half." He raised a crooked finger. "I recognise that sounds exorbitant, but consider what 50% of overall sales profits will buy you." Squeak! "The Black Fang will assume the risk of moving these weapons and droids, discretely selling them to every warlord and mercenary band this side of the Outer Rim, in addition to our already extensive list of clients from our other black-market operations. There seems no shortage of fat-pursed pirate interested in your wares." Squeak! "Also, while the Sith Eternal's control over Ryloth means you already have a steady supply of doonium for the foundries here, there is another material found in several of the droid models traditionally manufactured on Hypori that is not found within any SE held territory." Squeak! "Phrik."Chang ceased his pacing long enough to jerk a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the ship parked behind him that he had arrived on. "Once our business concludes here my duties take me next to Tatooine. It is my intention to run the Black Fang's operations out of Jabba's old seat of power. The latest census of soil samples collected there suggest the planet is still fertile with phrik deposits just waiting for someone to come along and extract them. As part of our arrangement, we would provide your foundries here with as much of the the unrefined ore as we can claw from the ground." Squeak!
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Valefor
The Sith Eternal
Posts: 177
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Post by Valefor on Feb 12, 2023 20:09:12 GMT -8
There was nothing more refreshing than someone that spoke their mind and got straight to the point of what they were after. Far too many Sith did seek to employ tactics much like Chang had opened with, but it was all pointless flattery. It was a way of them trying to belittle you and prove hey were superior by appearing inferior. But one who spoke plainly was a true equal, regardless of physical stature. And soon enough Chang came straight out with his proposition: 50% split of sales, in return a near limitless supply of Phrik. A material which surpassed even the Cortosis mined on Roon. It certainly appeared, at first, like a rather disadvantageous deal for him. However, having access to a Phrik mine for the price it was going to cost? Well, for a man that did not care for credits, it was too lucrative a deal to pass up "A fifty percent split of the profits? It's quite the ask, however it's impossible to deny that the Phrik mines would not more than compensate such a cut... hmmm... Consider it a deal Chang..." He reached down his large clawed hand for Chang to shake and make the deal official
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