Viox Savage
Blackguard Imperium
"You want the same as me. My redemption, eternal ascension. Setting me free."
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Post by Viox Savage on Jun 25, 2019 13:05:15 GMT -8
 - Colonel Gideon Raith. Date Started:2013-2014 JvS 1.5 - May 5th, 2015 (Current JvS Site) Character Death: December 14th, 2015 Colonel Gideon Raith was a soldier through and through. Many men are brought into this world with no purpose. Gideon wasn't one of them. Moving from Emperor Omega's Stomrtrooper Corps to being a Colonel for Lord Sinistra's Galactic Empire, Gideon has many masters over the years. Serving loyally and to the best of his abilities, Gideon was a participant in notable conflicts such as the Scouring of the Togot Hive and the Second Mandalorian Crusade. Few have encountered the Stomrtrooper Colonel in battle and lived to tell about it afterwards. Admired by his men and respected by his comrades, Gideon was the best of the best, if ever there was one.~ Whispers in the Dark ~ Blood trickled down the bridge of his nose, as the blade had made its seventh cut. His eyes burned with the brilliance of a thousand suns, blinding him to all sensation but the molten fire coursing through his veins. A booming chorus of laughter resounded within his mind, clearing him of the choking fog. His hands were bound behind his back, kept tight to his bare tattooed flesh by the magnetic restraints of binder cuffs. He knew what had held his fists tight, not because he could see them, but because of how achingly familiar the sensation had become. For nearly a week, this torture had been inflicted upon him time and time again, in the bid to break his legendary will and force him to submit to the voices whispering upon the horizon of his consciousness. Gideon would have none of it. Though he was beaten daily by someone he had once called brother and stripped bare so that all could see his hidden shame written atop his flesh, the Colonel held true to his sense of self. Madness was a disease that could never be cured, therefore, the Stormtrooper could not break. He had to endure. He had to hold onto the last shred of his sanity to ensure that the dream could never die. The Imperium could still rise once more, just so long as one man does not lose his way. Gideon believed he was such a man, the only one still sane enough to clutch after an unattainable goal in a galaxy gone mad. "Break!" The voice had bellowed, making a meal out of the word as it slipped past his lips. He enjoyed this, the Colonel mused. As a moment of silence had gone by, and Gideon's optics had recycled back into focus, the poisoned blade sliced downwards and left an angry gash across his breast. White light had blinded him once again, making the Trooper mistakenly believe that he was young again, forever blinded by the chemicals of the Balmorran Weapons Factorum. That swiftly changed as his blood burst once more into flames, leaving him with his mouth agape and wordlessly crying out in pain. He wouldn't break the Colonel, not by such trivial means. The pain was merely weakness leaving the body, and Gideon was drowned within the agonizing current. With the passing of the blade's molten touch, the bound Trooper began to laugh. It was not the boisterous merriment given forth by his captor, but instead, it was something altogether more haggard. The sound was akin to stones rolling atop one another in a soundless avalanche. "Do you hear the voices, Brother?" The man said with an almost maddening edge of insanity coating his words. Gideon's moment of triumph had ended with laughter, as the sound had returned once more to his achingly parched vocals. "No," The Colonel replied, "Your voices do not linger, nor are they what makes me laugh." A meaty fist thrusts forward and lifts the Trooper's chin. "Then enlighten me, as I have enlightened your flesh. Tell me what makes you laugh?" Gideon's eyes had refocused then, the silvered lattices spun within the gaze of depthless blue pearls. He had seen this man before, as he was one of the Legion. His name, though made apparent by the ocular implants, had escaped him during their frantic search for information. Once his eyes had displayed the data in several display windows, choking the sight of the clothed figure before him, the Stormtroopers lips curled into a smile. With interest plaguing his maddened eyes, the brute leaned forward to better hear what his captive had to say. In that fleeting moment of respite, Gideon felt the trickling blood pool beneath his tongue. Without hesitation, the Colonel spat his own vital fluids into the eyes of his captor, smearing his sight with the crimson waters of life. "I'm laughing," Gideon barked, "Because you've got a bit of red on you!" Rage swelled within the brute's chest, as his hand shot up to wipe the grisly liquid from his face. Though he had painted his face red in the process, taking on a more zealous visage in the process, the Colonel knew that he had done it. After several days of endless torture, Gideon had pushed his captor past his breaking point, doing exactly the opposite of what he had intended to do. To the soldier, that was hilarious! How often does the Captor break, when they torture the captive? It was almost unheard of, especially since most torturers end up killing their captive in a blind rage. Such a truth was about to be made apparent, as the Captor vented his rage in a lion's approximation of a roar. Clearly, there was no going back from this path. So, in recognition of this, Gideon's smile curled back into a gratified grin. Sure, his final hour had been fast approaching, but at least, he would die true to himself. He wouldn't let what fate befell his Legion, become his own.
The Stormtrooper was defiant until the end.
However, the end had never come. Gideon was still alive. In the time it had taken him to blink, a mysterious figure shrouded in robes of midnight black burst through the door, and tore open his Captor's throat with a gauntleted hand. Gasping for air, the brute collapsed to the deck and died badly - as all men who live violent lives must. "Your time has not yet come," The Shadow had spoken, it's voice resounding within two planes of existence. It was impossible, but considering what had happened to his men, normally steadfast in their duty, now depraved lunatics looking to the sky for their salvation, Gideon knew that whatever this was - the mysterious and boundless powers of the Force were at play here. "You still have work to do." "What... work?" He had said, confused at what the Shadow meant. Turning about, the cowled figure leaned close to the Colonel, revealing an impression of familiarity behind the midnight clad warrior. "Your Legion has betrayed you, leaving you for dead on some misbegotten world. They hoped to find an answer to a question they did not have, and in the process, lost their way. You have returned to rally those that were still sane enough to know their efforts were futile but instead have found that none were spared madness' festering touch. That leaves you with only one path left. Take it, and see that your men are pulled back from the abyss," The Shadow paused for a moment, allowing his words the chance to settle within Gideon's addled mind. "Kill them all." "I..." The Stormtrooper began but stopped as he found it was next to impossible to deny this man's words. No matter how hard they were to hear, there was no hope left for those that he had once called his brothers. They could not be saved from Insanity's touch unless their mortal coils were severed. Perhaps then, as death's cold embrace took hold, they would be able to see clearly again. That was all he could hope for. "I understand." Flicking his cybernetic eyes to gaze into the darkness of the man's cowl, Gideon's gaze hardened with newfound purpose. He had come to save these benighted souls. Now? He would save them in the only way he knew how. "You have... my thanks, Stranger." The Shade nodded in return, before breaking the Stormtrooper's bonds with a flick of his wrist. Freed from his manacles, the Soldier attempted to stand to his feet - only to collapse atop his fallen former comrade. With the man dead, and his saviour standing afore him, the soldier let out an audible groan. He wasn't afraid to show that he was weakened anymore, not because his pride had demanded it of him, but because he was tired and could no longer muster the strength to ignore his suffering. Gideon wanted to rest his aching eyes for a moment, but as the shadow encompassed him, the Soldier knew that he would likely never have the chance again. "You are weak. Take this and reclaim what you have lost." The figure held out his hand, as the other grasped his wounded shoulder. Within his metallic palm, there was a stimulant pack - though what stayed the Stormtrooper's hand was the replaced vial housed inside the device. It wasn't the normal sapphire fluids he was used too, instead, it was pearlescent green. "What... is this?" "Think of it... as the waters of life, from that fabled myth. Take it into your flesh, and your wounds shall be reknit. In a matter of moments, you will become strong once more." Normally, the Soldier would've shunned the use of non-regulation adrenals, but this was a special case. What did he have to lose if the desired effect had never come to pass? He'd still be a mewling wretch atop the corpse of a fallen brother, waiting for his body to naturally seal the thousand cuts that graced his flesh. Swallowing his fears, the Colonel weakly takes the stim pack from the mysterious shade and slams the pointed needle into his bare side and depressed the plunger. As the emerald fluid joined with his previously molten blood, Gideon began to feel stronger with every passing second. Every wound that his Captor had inflicted over the week scabbed over and had instantaneously scared to perfection. The sensation was... not what he had imagined. It burned, just as the blade had whenever it cut, but the fire felt like it was made of... something beyond his ken.
He didn't scream as the Devarion Blood-poison carved through his flesh, blinding him to everything but the fire thundering through his veins. He didn't scream when he had been betrayed by the very things he had created, turned against him to pursue madness here at the edge of the known universe. Gideon screamed when the frigid flames of whatever concoction this was coursed through his mortal frame. His cries of torment echoed throughout the room and despoiled his aura within the force. After several moments of anguish rippling through time and space, the Stormtrooper's flesh had been healed, albeit at a heavy cost. Though he was whole once again, he felt... wrong. It was beyond his understanding how this had come to pass, or why he had to suffer through the transformation once the adrenal had been injected, but what mattered was that he was able to carry on with his duty.
So, despite the off-putting sensation lingering at the back of his mind, the Soldier stood from the ground, using the body of his Captor as a fulcrum to push off the deck and stand to his full height. Now freed from his bondage, and able to see the details of the interrogation room clearly, Gideon had become aware of how truly naked he was. He had forgotten that his clothes were torn asunder before his very eyes and that the body suit was slashed to pieces in the opening hours of his hellish week. He turned his gaze towards the Shade, whom still lingered within the chamber and stood a head and a half taller than the Colonel. "You wouldn't happen to have any idea where these bastards put my armour, would you?" The shadow nodded, mirroring the gesture from before. "In the next room. I have prepared another body glove for you, and one of the space trooper prototype frames as well. This mountain base is treacherous, and when the fire begins to rain from the sky, I believe that the snow shall crumble and take everything with it into the depths below."Gideon wasn't sure what he had meant by the cryptic message detailing fires from the sky. Was he alluding to an orbital bombardment? Did he somehow manage to break through the blockade, succeeding where the Colonel had failed and brought an entire fleet with him to counter Galahad's formation? Far too many questions that lacked answers, and the Stormtrooper felt like this man wouldn't answer them, without giving him a metaphoric riddle to solve first. Nodding his approval, the soldier moved into the adjoining room and was immediately assaulted by the scent of death. Several of his former comrades lay dead and were scattered about the room. Some were nothing more than a pile of severed limbs, whilst others were unnaturally crushed by powers beyond his understanding.
So, this Shade was a Sith then, Gideon mused.
Blinking the thought from his mind, the Colonel began adorning himself in his accoutrements of war. His mouth had worked in silent repose, as ritually engrained mantras sprang forth unbidden into his mind. He didn't fight them, nor did the Stormtrooper give them audible life. These words were his, and his alone. None save the worthy could listen to this bond between a man and his armour. The dead men were once considered meritorious enough to speak these words... but as they had betrayed the Imperial ideal and followed the Betrayer into a self-imposed exile, they were unfit to shoulder such an honourable burden. Even in death, they would not hear his words. Once he was clad in the alabaster warplate of the Legion, Gideon held his helmet before his eyes.
So much had changed in the year following his return to the Second Imperium, and in the gaze of his newly forged faceplate, the Colonel could barely recognize the man staring back at him. The golden straw adorning his skull was long and unkempt, and a thick mane of hair had studded his sculpted jaw. He was a stranger in the flesh of another man. How had it come to this? Why had the Universe gone mad? Gideon spun the battle helm about and placed it atop his crown, knowing exactly how things had come to pass. He had only the Shard to blame. Pushing the thought from his mind as the recycled purity of his suit's environmental controls had removed him from the cloying scent of decaying flesh, the Stormtrooper snatched a rifle from the wall mounted rack and moved back into the chamber where he had been previously held captive. Pulling the power cell from it's housing and checking the charge, he methodically slammed the device back into his newly acquired weapon and listened with satisfaction as the blaster cycled live.
Lifting his gaze from the weapon he held in his gauntleted fists, Gideon noted that the Shade had vanished as mysteriously as he had arrived. No matter. The man had done what he had set out to do, and now it was the Colonel's turn. Letting a heavily laden sigh of anticipation slip through his stalwart façade, the Soldier shouldered his weapon and moved towards the exit. Punching the door panel with an armoured fist, He watched with interest as the portal had slid back into the wall, revealing the carnage outside the interrogation chamber. Dozens of alabaster clad Stormtroopers were strewn about the obsidian deck, piled atop one another with severed limbs and blood coating their marbled perfection. Such a sight would've drove a blade of sorrow deep into his soul, yet now, it didn't phase him in the slightest. He didn't care, for, in the end, that meant he had less of his own men to butcher. Moving past them with an echoing grace, the rifle had swept the edges of his surroundings, scanning for targets to kill.
When none were found, he moved on to the next area. Palming the door open with yet another forceful punch, Gideon was greeted by a sight that had stood in direct opposition to what he had left behind him. There, in the dark steel hallway, the Stormtrooper had stood before several of his kin, who stood sentinel outside several rooms similar to his own torturous cell. Without waiting to see if he had garnered their attentions, the Colonel raised his rifle and pulled back upon the trigger. Eight shots had ranged out into the formerly silent corridor, leaving seven bodies behind in their wake. The last had been smart enough to stick to his training, and as the first had fallen to their former Commander's surprise attack, he ducked behind cover and attempted to retaliate. While the deed was admirable, he still fell like the rest.
Moving further down the corridor, the Soldier cleared the sector - room by room, gunning down all that stood in his way. There were fellow Stormtroopers standing guard within the cells, as well as several prisoners of little remark. Each had taken several rounds to kill, but such an expenditure was to ensure that they were truly dead, rather than put into a shock induced state of unconsciousness - only so that they would rise again in the future, leaving Gideon's holy work undone. As he had exited the room, the Colonel slung his rifle's strap across his shoulder and withdrew his pistol. He had only shot those in the hallway once, and to make certain that they were truly slain, he went about and placed a high powered round between their eyes.
Once they were executed with such methodical poise, the Stormtrooper moved to continue his righteous deeds. That was when the facility shook, violently. Was this the rain of fire that the shade had mentioned? Clearly, something with such power had caused the base to tremble down to it's very foundations. He had to get out of here, and fast. Changing the setting on his rifle to full burst, he charged down the corridor and smashed the butt of his rifle into the door's control panel in a bid to have the newly sealed blast door's open. When they remained still, Gideon cursed silently. These were the newer Imperial models that had lacked the failsafe of the previous generation, therefore, nothing more than the cover had fallen off as his rifle's stock had struck into the mounted device. With the wiring revealed, the Colonel slung his rifle about his shoulder once again and rammed his armoured fist into the coiled cluster. Grabbing a hold of several wires, he pulled his combat knife free and severed their connection with a single stroke. Sparks spat violently from the wires, and the control panel thereafter, as the doors trundled open. While they were a newer model, the oldest tricks in the book still held some sway in revealing their flaws.
Now, freed from the Detention level, Gideon came face to face with the transparisteel exterior of the base and came to an instant realization where he was. While the Shade had mentioned that this facility was implanted within the mountainside, he had no idea just how high up they were. The shimmering ocean of snow spread out as far as the eye could see, broken only by the metaphorical fire that the Sith had spoken of moments before. Dozens of vessels, both of Imperial and Republic make, had dueled amongst the stars with lances of emerald and crimson light. Even though they were far above the surface, the lingering touches of their battle stung the surface with the violence of a careless predator. Those were shots that had missed their mark, and this facility was feeling their misplaced wrath. How curious, Gideon mused. That meant the battle had been joined mere moments ago. Such disorganization was never made apparent when two opposing forces had sighted each other from across the board.
This reeked of a surprise attack.
Knowing that it was only a matter of time until the facility had fallen upon the weight of the ships slogging it out in the skies above, Gideon tensed his muscles in an act of preparation. The Space trooper prototype thrummed live in response, finally sensing it's time had come. Thrusters attached to both of his feet and shoulders ignited with a muffled roar. Adding to the cacophony of sound filling the empty foyer, the Stormtrooper levelled his rifle at the window before him and fired a three-round burst into its crystalline surface. As they had impacted, He surged forwards, spurned forth by the speed bequeathed unto him by the jump jets. Once his maximum velocity had been reached, the Stormtrooper shattered the sundered pane of transparisteel by forcibly slamming his shoulder into its surface.
He spun freely in the air as his feet had passed through the improvised exit. Bereft of the stability gifted to him by the Detention block, the Soldier meteored into the snow below. He had managed to correct his descent, only after he had smashed into the freshly fallen powder and rolled down the side of the mountain. Firing the thrusters once again, Gideon vaulted towards the next section of the facility studding the interconnected massif. It was then that the raging battle in the skies had struck the surface once again, another lance strike that had failed to connect with it's intended target. This time, the turbolaser round had struck the summit of the lone alp, annihilating the detention lock and starting an avalanche. Tossing his gaze over his pauldron and seeing the fast approaching tide of snow sliding towards him in an unyielding torrent, the Stormtrooper knew that he had to make it to the bottom before the snow caught up to him. At least then, he had a chance to survive and ensure that his work could be completed. Thus, firing his boosters, he trudged through the snow upon fiery contrails of incinerated fuel.
He wasn't alone for much longer, as those within the facility had recognized the threat looming over their heads and attempted to follow in their former Commander's path. From every section, Imperial shuttles surged forth from their hangar bays, whilst those left behind began spilling out onto the mountainside. They, like the Colonel, were wearing experimental space trooper frames that had allowed them to traverse the treacherous snow covered slopes. A savage smile adorned the Stormtrooper's lips as he landed in an ankle deep bank of the frozen sleet, before flash frying it to slush as he jumped once more. Now, he wouldn't have to wait until the avalanche had settled to enact his vengeance. This was where things had gotten interesting. Shouldering his rifle and sighting a target down the weapon's sights, Gideon discharged his weapon. The man died screaming as his body was dragged underneath the snow by the weight of his own momentum. Entertained by how exciting this had become, Gideon found himself laughing as he slaughtered his former subordinates. They died in the most awe-inspiring ways, which had left a part of the Soldier's mind to believe that this scene was plucked straight from one of the many HoloDrama's dotting the universe.
His mind since pushed that thought aside, as the shuttles rapidly ascending were suddenly engaged by various space superiority fighters. He could easily tell what model they were and from where they were manufactured, but what Gideon couldn't understand, was how the Republic had managed to scrape together the audacity to strike a forlorn Imperial base? No matter. They were doing him a favour by attacking those he could not chase. What made things all the more entertaining, however, as that as the shuttles and fighters were engaged by their polar opposites, the wreckage began plummeting to the surface and dotted the landscape. Several flaming chunks had plunged into the snow, killing entire squads of Stormtroopers as they impacted. Gideon roared his approval as he continued watching his kill counter click towards higher numerals.
This what better than he could have ever imagined. This, was total war, something he had been chasing after for much of his lifetime. The various Empire's he had been attached too had reigned him in and forced him to languish within a prison, not of his own making. He was a soldier, and soldier's needed a war to fight in order to feel like they had somewhere to belong. The Shard was supposed to give him that war, yet instead, it had assailed his senses with maddening whispers. Even now, they lingered upon the edges of his thoughts. Make us whole, they cried in aetheric silence. No. He shut them out, forcing himself to listen instead to the drumming whine of his rifle losing its charge. Casually tossing the weapon aside, Gideon dropped to the mountain's surface once again and slid down its side. As he raced towards the bottom, the Stormtrooper snatched one of the rifles from a fallen comrade and began the massacre once more.
Forward. Keep moving Forward. The old adage rang true as the Colonel dashed towards his destination, slaughtering all that stood in his way. His former Soldier's had retaliated, of course, as he had expected them too. However, their shots were wild, as the malady of affecting their minds had stolen all sense of order and discipline from them. He had nearly taken a bolt in the arm, as he jumped skyward to avoid the raining fire of debris, and laughed as the shot's heat scored his armour with carbon. His relentless assault carried on after he had landed, taking the lives of several more soldier's as his rifle ran dry. Cursing that such an annoyance had fouled his mood for a fleeting moment, the Stormtrooper withdrew his sidearm and continued the holiest of acts. As he had surged down the slopes, the resistance that had met him grew ever thicker. More and more soldier's were emptying out of their fortifications as the avalanche rumbled towards the surface. With the debris raining down from the skies, and the battle far above still raging, Gideon was left wondering what would come next - before his helmet was torn free by the lashing wind and a lucky shot.
His flesh prickled as the frigid air rushed to embrace him, and his smile had faded into something altogether insidious. How dare they! He thought as he smashed down atop one of his soldier's shoulders, driving his armoured face into the snow by his momentum alone. Ending his life with a snapped shot to the back of the helm, Gideon tucked and rolled to his feet, only to boost himself forwards thereafter. Now aloft, the Colonel finds himself falling rapidly, the fuel in his prototype frame failing to keep up with his capricious whims. In the time it took his heart to beat, the Stormtrooper crashed into the metallic surface of a hovering gunship and slid along its curvaceous length. What luck! He mused before he managed to pull his blade free from its shoulder sheath, and slam it down into the gunship's hull. With his progress arrested by the hovering craft, one that he had assumed was intent upon picking up those Troopers it had failed to gather before it dusted off, the Soldier withdrew his knife from the craft's hull and activated the magnetic seals within his boots.
Clamping himself to the side of the slowly thrumming vessel, he trudged along its surface and punched the blast door's emergency access panel. Both of its side doors thundered open, catching the soldier's within off guard. Several were flung outwards and died as they were dragged underneath the torrential tide of cascading snow. The others, those that were able to grab hold of the railings, wailed in terror and anger as the unhelmed specter of vengeance stalked forth with the blade in hand. One man, who had rallied in the face of his demise, leveled his rifle with his former commander, only to feel the bite of frozen steel slip in between the gap of his breastplate. He cried out in agony as Gideon struck again, and again, and again. The knife biting deeper with every plunge. "Traitors!" He snarled, as an unmagnetized boot lifted from the deck and kicked the dying Stormtrooper from the passenger's compartment. Those that remained within continued to wail in terror, as Gideon butchered the squad with the sharpened edge of his knife. Slashing arcs of crimson jetted out of their alabaster warplate, as his combat blade struck home with every swipe. He knew how their armour was fitted, and where exactly to strike. He was their greatest foil, as they had become his. Thus, as the compartment was littered with freshly fallen corpses, he stalked towards the command cabin. Punching the panel, like he had so many times before, the doors slid open to reveal what lay beyond. Raising his sidearm as the two pilots turned to face their demise, the Colonel didn't wait to hear them scream before shooting them both between the eyes with calculated precision.
With the commanders of the gunship slain, it's engines raged in response, sending the craft plummeting towards the surface. Before it had lovingly embraced the slopes surface with open arms, Gideon withdrew into the passenger compartment and stole two canisters of fuel from the fallen, pilfering yet another rifle in the process. Rearmed and ready for the last stretch of snow covered mountain, Gideon deactivated the magnetic seal keeping him attached to the gunship and jumped into the air. Free of the vessel's rapid descent, the Stormtrooper slowed his plunge with a retroactive burst from his boosters, before gunning them once again. Blaster fire from all angles echoed around him as he rushed towards his goal, only stopping when either the Colonel had to acquire a new target, or his enemy was dragged underneath the cascading tide of snow. Debris was starting to fall faster now, making him jump more and in various directions to avoid the final plunge. He was curious as to what exactly would cause so much debris to meteor into the surface. Surely the destroyed shuttles would offer little in the way of the wreckage. As another impact had forced him into the sky, Gideon cast his cybernetic gaze towards the heavens and saw just exactly was coming for him. Galahad's Star Destroyer, once the proud vessel that sailed the stars bearing the Imperial Crest, was now a burning wreck soaring towards the very mountain it had silently guarded from orbit.
Well.. That was unexpected.
Pushing the image from his mind in favour of focusing upon the remnants of his Legion arrayed before him, Gideon smashed into yet another group of soldiers. One was lucky enough to overcome his fears and crack off a deadly volley of blaster fire, several rounds had incinerated the snow, but two had bored into his armour - searing the bodyglove and flesh beneath. The Colonel roared as he rounded on the Stormtrooper, throwing a swift jab beneath his helmet, catching the man in the throat. As his fist had connected, a knuckle mounted vibro-blade shot forth and tore into the traitors windpipe. Withdrawing both his newly revealed blade and clenched hand, Gideon pushed off the ground and aimed to land further down the slope. He was almost there now. Sure, he was wounded and the pain was distracting him from the task at hand, but he couldn't let that stop him. He needed to end this before the corruption spread. The Colonel couldn't live with himself if they had escaped into the void, bringing their darkness and smothering the Imperial dream.
His feet had come down atop one of the many abandoned tanks, littering the landscape, and he keyed his magnetic seals to activate like they had mere moments ago. Was it mere moments ago, or was it an age? He couldn't tell, and he was likely to believe any story that someone else would tell in regards to the passage of time. Locked to the hull of the battle tank, Gideon tore open the hatch and clambered inside. There was little he could do to escape the coming tide of falling snow, despite how swiftly he made his defiant descent. So, in knowing he would have little chance to survive outside the protective shell of the tank, he sealed himself within the vehicle and strapped his armoured bulk into the crash couch. It was there that he waited for the storm to pass, and pass it did. The tank was momentarily tossed into the air, before being dragged underfoot. It's hull groaned in protest, before giving way to the titanic forces pressing down upon the tank from every side. He felt like this was going to end badly, but as the pressure began to alleviate, such a train of thought was cast aside.
Not only had he done the impossible, but he had felt damn good doing it. The natural rush of adrenaline had taken over, when the emerald fluids had been filtered out of his system, and that wrong sensation he had felt some time earlier, vanished. He laughed in recognition of that fact, before pulling himself free of the belted harness and climbing out of the crushed interior of the battle tank. The Colonel had to smash his gauntleted fist into the hatch several times before it came loose, and blood trickled down the lengths of his fingers. More laurels of pain to wreath his wounded form. Breathing heavily as the Stormtrooper rose from the sundered wreck, Gideon cast his gaze out across the landscape to see what damage hath been wrought. The facility was a buried ruin, that still suffered under the emerald lance strikes prickling it's shrouded surface. If that rain of fire had continued, he doubted that anything would survive long under such a casual bombardment. Buried wrecks of starfighters, freighters, shuttles, and gunships dotted the slopes, each carpeted by the bodies of the fallen. But, what had caught his gaze, was that Galahad's Flagship had crashed into the surface during the course of the avalanche, leaving the Star Destroyer a silent monolith to the Legion's final day. "How fitting," He said, as he unslung his rifle and boosted through the last stretch of crimson strewn snow.
After several minutes of silent skyward thrusts, Gideon had come to rest atop the shorn surface of the Conqueror, Galahad's Flagship. Reigniting the thrusters and kicking off the rent hull, Gideon ascended the tattered vessel. He knew exactly where Galahad could be, and so, from the outside, Gideon placed several bolts through the transparisteel barrier blocking his entrance to the bridge. He dashed forwards, like before, and shoulder checked the disjointed pane of armoured glass. Now within the stilled mind of the vessel, the silvered lattice of his prosthetic eyes scoured the vast array of corpses blanketing their terminals. None were Galahad. He must've escaped during the rapid descent. Climbing through the wreckage and grabbing hold of the command throne, Gideon pulled himself into the commanders chair. Once his bulk was uncomfortably enthroned, his fingers danced across one of the chair's armrest terminals in the hopes there was still enough power to have them activate. In response to the intrusion, the slumbering screen flickered to life. Smirking slightly, Gideon searched through the Captain's logs to determine what had happened and where Galahad had gone.
It seemed that his earlier suspicions were correct in assuming that the attack had been a surprise, as Aximand's report had listed the arrival of nearly a dozen Capital-class vessels mere seconds before the engagement had begun. There were several blank sections, as the flickering light had deprived him of the knowledge he desired until he had come across the list of crew that had made it to the saviour pods. To his surprise, Galahad was one of the name's listed near the top of the list. Sneering, as it seemed the coward had not only betrayed everything he stood for but turned against his duty as a Captain as well. They were supposed to go down with the Ship, yet here he was, among the first to abandon his post in the bid to save his life. How pathetic. Sighing heavily, the Colonel lifted himself from the command throne and exited the ship through the hole he had created. No longer being attacked by the remnants of his Legion, Gideon had the time to adjust and refocus his ocular implants so that he could track and home in on Galahad's location. With the adjustments made, and the beacon found, the Stormtrooper jumped off the deck and surged towards the location.
Several bolts of sapphire light had shot his way as he approached the downed escape pod. As with the troopers before, they had gone wild and vaporized the snow about his person. He could only laugh in response as he charged the cylindrical life-boat. Was this what the Betrayer had devolved too, a maddened fool that couldn't even shoot straight? Could there be any shred of the man he knew before left alive in that sniveling wreck? No. He was gone. Taken by the whispers. It was a shame that this had run its course, Gideon would've enjoyed this deed more if the man he had known before wasn't entirely claimed by the voices housed within the shard. As the stolen jet fuel had run dry, the Colonel was unable to make a vaulting attack over the crashed escape pod. Thus, instead, he leveled his rifle and slowly moved around its circumference. He waited, and watched for any sign of movement, and when something had caught his eye, his blaster barked. With the shot ringing out across the frigid, and now silent landscape of Ilum, the Stormtrooper heard a soft mewl come from within the pod. Turning into the boat's entrance portal and eying his former comrade, and the man who brought this madness down upon their heads was lying with his back atop the deck and pointing his pistol at the recently revealed Stormtrooper. "We could've done great things with the Shard, Gideon," Aximand said, his voice marred by the shot that the Colonel had made, blowing out his check with the fires of superheated plasma. "The voices. They speak the truth, you know. What we had, what we were working towards? It would've never lasted. The Imperial dream is dead. We have no Emperor now, and the pretenders and usurpers fail at every turn. What life is that for men of the Empire; To constantly wander among the stars in search of a purpose?" "A better one than what you sought to bring." Gideon Interrupted. "I wanted them to live, as they should have, but the voices... they wanted to be freed too. So that's why I took them here, to the fringe of the known galaxy, and upon this world of Ilum, I'd give them what they sought, just as you gave our Legion the sense of purpose they sorely lacked in the days following the False Emperor's disappearance." "Enough," The Stormtrooper growled. "I'm finishing this." "Wait!" Galahad shrieked. "I have one thing left to say." Raising his rifle, Gideon wordlessly nodded his approval, a final favour for an old friend. "Make us whole..." The Colonel pulled back on the trigger and burned a hole through the Commodore's skull. The lifeless husk of Galahad Aximand collapsed back to the deck with a resounding thud. The pistol he had held within his clutches gracelessly clattered to the deck, and the Shard that had caused this entire debacle fell out of the man's pocket. Gideon's eyes glittered as he laid eyes upon the amethyst, not out of interest or greed, but out of depthless hatred. Here lay the very thing that had destroyed his entire way of life, and ruined all hope for a better tomorrow. Snarling in rage, Gideon shot the crystal, only to find that his weapon was useless. It couldn't be destroyed, not by any artificial means. If the superheated plasma of the blaster was useless, perhaps then the smoldering heart of the Star Destroyer might. He'd have to take that risk, even if it meant that he would die in the process. No one could have the shard, not until it was nothing more than atomic ash.
Picking the shard up from where it lay, and casting one last, longing look at the corpse of his oldest friend, Gideon began the long walk towards the slain Conqueror. The path he walked was long and silent, and the winds began to whistle - leaving the Stormtrooper with the hauntingly distant voices of the shard attempting to breach his trained barrier. Silent screams of the dead and dying were carried aloft by the frozen gusts of wind, and they had become the Colonel's only company as he treked across the ashen wasteland. Make us whole, they said. What did that mean, and why were those the last words of Aximand? Had they held some sort of ritualistic meaning, where there was something this shard had aetherically desired? So many questions, and too little answers. He was tired. Oh, so very tired. The Stormtrooper had killed the Legion it had taken a lifetime for him to build, and it all transpired within the span of an afternoon. This little shard. The cause of all his problems. Make us whole. No. The quiet whispering would never find a foothold within his mind! He was Gideon Raith, a High Colonel of the Second Imperium, and Master of ten thousand men. No. He was nothing now. The Soldier had killed everything he had at the edge of a blaster. He was empty now, nothing but the will to live to drive him forward. Make us whole. No.
Make us whole.
Withdrawing his sidearm, Gideon placed its nozzle against his temple - willing the voices to be silent. Nay, commanding them. Silence! He needed to think. Everything was coming to him in a blur now. Make us whole. No! He needed to think. What was he doing again? Right. Walking. If that was what he was doing, why had he fallen into the snow? Gideon couldn't say. There were no words to describe what was going through his mind. Make us whole. NO! Enough with the voices whisperings. He tried to fight it. He pushed the blaster deeper and deeper into his flesh, feeling winter's cold metallic bite all the while. No. No. No. No. He would end it, if only he could walk, but like Galahad, his body had betrayed him. It was unworthy and unwilling. Perhaps it likes the snow. Make us whole! "NO!" He screamed. "I'M NOT FINISHED YET! I STILL HAVE WORK TO DO!" It was then that the whispers had broken him, and the madness began to seep in. No, Gideon couldn't have that. Not yet. There was so much left for him to do! But how could he go on if he wasn't himself.
Make us whole!
Yes...
With the pistol against his temple, Gideon pulled the trigger and watched in silent agony as his vision faded to black. |
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Viox Savage
Blackguard Imperium
"You want the same as me. My redemption, eternal ascension. Setting me free."
Posts: 2,938
Affiliation: Sith Order
Traffic Light: Blue
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Post by Viox Savage on Jun 25, 2019 13:32:07 GMT -8
 -Erly 'Ely' Ryzer Date Registered: July 29th, 2014 Retirement Date: March 17th, 2017 Erly Ryzer was an incredibly intelligent young woman. Applying to work with CorSec, she authored a "playbook" on anticipating criminal activities and how to preemptively counterattack. While certainly capable of pursuing that line in life, Erly stuck with being an analyst and writer of codes, concepts and ideas. Sometime later, Erly joined up with the Draykon Crew aboard the Midnight Shadow. From there, she proved to be a valuable part of the crew. Aiding in the rescue of slaves destined for the spice mines of Kessel, Erly's writer has since retired from the forums. Below is the final IC (In Character) post from Erly.Theed Spaceport, Naboo
Boarding Ramp, Wayfarer-class transport, the Midnight ShadowShe closed her eyes, internally cringing, before finally raising her head and looking up at him. He's so blasted tall, she abruptly thought, then snapped back to the problem. She knew Trent Weston could read body language. Knew that from the time she started getting to know him on board the Shadow. But she wondered whether that would be enough for him to figure her out. She wasn't as high up on the ladder as he probably thought right then. It was only dumb luck that she knew that secret code. So it actually gave her a sense of dread when she saw his reaction, and it showed on her face, along with the beads of sweat forming on her brow, despite the cool weather. His speechlessness actually frightened her more than anger would have. Her mouth opened, then closed, almost mimicking him at one point. Then the flat, cold voice, with one simple question that balanced so much of Erly's future with Adrien and the crew, and the blonde woman knew she was on trial now."No." Was her simple and honest reply, and her eyes were fixed on him. She kept her eyes locked with his as long as he would hold it. Even if she wanted very much to look away, but she was not ashamed. Afraid, yes. But ashamed? No. Not one bit. She did not regret using CorSec resources to aid these people. It was the least the governments could do, honestly. There was enough suffering in the galaxy, and truth be told, "If I have to use the resources at my disposal to help these people, this crew, again...wouldn't hesitate to do it again too." She spoke softly, and gave the blue eyed man a weak smile, "Erly Ryzer, former analyst at CorSec." Tilting her lips until her dimple made a deep impression on one side of her face, she went on, "And if you're wondering how a little analyst like me ends up having that kind of power or knowledge...well, it's because I listen, and never forget." She gestured towards him, "Such as the fact you clearly have Republic military and probably navy training? You talk like someone who's been through the mental discipline instilled in pilots, oh, and I recognize some of the manoeuvres you pulled. Just something I've observed. It's what I do. Annnd, I'm no longer CorSec. I was burned. You know what I mean, right?" It was something she only just now realized. That was why they had cut off contact with her on Juvex, and pulled out any and all resources save whatever she managed to squirrel away for herself. She must have been compromised somehow, or she had given herself away. And just like that, she had been cut off from everything she knew all her life; her home, her husband...it wasn't until she felt the strain of muscles on her face that she realized she was looking angry and hurt, and she returned to a lighter expression, looking once more to Trent. It all hung on him now. "Though I was an analyst, I participated in a few cover missions, and the last one where I was abandoned by CorSec, was on Juvex. That's where I met Draykon. I was supposed to undermine the slave trade of select cartels and return. It was simple enough. Something went wrong, I don't know what, but I was burned and left behind. Now I have nothing, no purpose. Draykon gave me one. I learned that passphrase because I was observing an exchange between a Republic spy and an official on Corellia once. It made no sense to me back then. I mean, I sort of guessed, but I wasn't really sure until just now. So, no, you're not a mission...you're all I have." That wasn't entirely true, she realized in the back of her head. What about her husband? She couldn't for the life of her recall any distinguishing feature of his, but she was married. It was something to think about later...if she remembered to think about it. More important right now was whether or not Trent bought anything she said, or thought she was lying. As far as she was concerned, she had said nothing but the absolute truth to him. But would it be enough? "I was burned by the organization I was loyal to, with no explanation, no clue as to the why. So I owe them nothing for leaving me to die. Look at me, Trent. Am I lying to you? Do you feel like I've been less than candid with you and the others?" She bit her lower lip, then spoke, "Do you unload everything on people you've newly met? Or show off your entire load of baggage first chance you get?" |
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From a display of excellent control over the Force to a battle of mind within an instant. While testing her, he had to be careful when playing in the mind of another. His Force-Walking experience on Iridonia, in the ruins of his old family estate had granted him immense power. Power enough to snuff out the life of a planet in an instant, if desired. But the price it carried had wounded him, deeper than any physical wound ever could. Fueled by his anger, rage, tenacity and vindictive intelligence, at his very core, the Zabrak Sith'ari was hollow. A gaping, gnawing emptiness resided within. Rabid and ravenous, the abyss would bite and bite away at the very essence that was Viox Savage. Once a man of honor, principle and integrity, now nothing more than an empty void fueled by emotions and a lust for power, the man that had once been ceased to exist the moment he took in the essences of the Elders.*
