NationStates Jolt Archive

Mind Sifter paced the bridge of the strike cruiser Ebonbrand anxiously. The fleet rested in deep space between systems, where no one would bother to look and from reports far from where they were being searched for. They had chosen to fleet toward Sol, and then beyond. His replacement had yet to realize there was a gap in his search nets, or was acting under orders to avoid potential conflicts with the Earth-based powers. Either way the result was the same, the renegade fleet was safe for now.

“Admiral?” the call went up from farther down the line, from one of the imperial techs.

“What is it?” Mind Sifter hissed in his watery voice, threading his way through the massed rows of consoles.

“Our probes have re-entered comm range, sir. We are receiving data packets now, the full surveys will take some time but the initial intel is ready for you to read.”

“Continue your work, send copies of all data to my command throne,” Mind Sifter looked down at the console for a minute as images of planets began to appear and then he spun on his heel and walked toward the back of the command deck. He reached the massive stone command throne that was present on all Padmasan vessels. He sat on the cold stone seat and felt the icy sensation as mechandrites in his hands slid from his palms and interfaced with the ship.

All at once he was no longer present on the deck but was everywhere, every piece of information, everything to do with the ship, its weapons, and its engines was his to command. He ignored all of this however and concentrated on what was being sent from the drone control station, the information flooded into his mind like ice water poured directly onto his brain and he gave a gasp. But a moment later he was nodding as the graphics appeared around him. Naturally he knew everything they showed but it was the software’s way of helping his mind to assimilate all of the knowledge so as to avoid mental damage.

Reluctantly he cut the interface and was once again sitting upon a cold stone chair, insufferably uncomfortable, he reflected. Comm, he thought, sending his message mind to mind with the other Illithid, call for the rest of the fleet. We have found our temporary base.

*********

Two days later aboard the Reaper Crimson Fist all the leaders of the rebellion gathered. Typhus sat at the head of the table in his armour, his helmet resting at his elbow and his glowing eyes gleaming brightly as he looked at the display. With him were, Ari of the werewolves, The Huntmaster of The Hunters, Mind Sifter of the Fleet and Thundercorp, and General Kaasik of the Padmasan army. Each sat watching the display and reviewing dataslates while aides brought nectar and took notes for later review.

“Are you sure? This much Tungsten will do us wonders, Sifter!” Kaasik murmured as he read the sheet.

“Of course I am certain, general,” Mind Sifter hissed, his tentacles lashing the air as he spoke, “Moreover it is in the ideal location as I have noted before. There is very little civilization on this world and next to none in the area we want.”

“Yes, you made several notations about how ideal this site is, Admiral,” Typhus mused. He looked around at the others and flashed a menacing grin that showed his fangs. “Despite my misgivings about building a base on a world with life on it, these conditions are such that we must take advantage of them. General, what do we have for engineers?”

“We have a full brigade, Typhus,” Kaasik said.

“Excellent! Here is my plan for this operation. Initial drop of a forty-Draconian suppression team inside the village you’ve noticed. We burn the place to the ground and eliminate the natives. Then we detail the full brigade of engineers, with normal soldiers providing cover. They build our landing pads and the beginnings of a fort. Once that is done, we have a battalion go to Mine Site Alpha, and a second go to Mine Site Gamma. They are to begin mining operations while the third battalion and the HQ begin work on our permanent fort and solidifying the roads to both mining sites. While this is going on, I want company strength forces of Hunters combing the forest and mountains around us. They are to find and eliminate any hermits, map everything, and ensure that there really is only one way into this valley,” Typhus said.

“Sounds excellent, but why are we establishing a base?” Ari asked.

“Our men have been aboard these ships for three months, everyone is going a bit stir crazy, Ari. So we need a place where we can rotate men off ship and onto a planet where they can walk around on actual dirt, breathe normal air, and generally cool off. Besides, I would like to get our food stocks replenished, and since it’ll be happening no matter what we should sanction at least a couple of attempts at setting up a brewery. We may be sitting fine with our wine stocks but I’ve heard rumors of men trying to make alcohol from their rations…” Typhus explained.

Mind Sifter had been nodding and the holo in the center of the table suddenly changed, showing the valley with red marks showing locations of construction, blue lines showing roads, and a few floating notes. “Excellent, Typhus. However, I think we should do something more… I think we should establish fortifications in the pass that gives entrance to the valley with roads leading up to it. It seems likely that the people of this valley will be missed eventually or at very least a traveling trader will come by, we should be ready to repulse attacks before they enter our lands and to capture and kill anyone that could bring word to the natives that something new has happened,” he said.

“Excellent point, Admiral. Okay, that will be part of the initial ops as the securing our lands is far more important than getting the mines up immediately. Ari, I know your men have nothing to do in the initial ops, but they will be part of the first rotation down once we get our base set up,” Typhus said. Ari looked up from the map and grinned. “All right gentlemen. You each know what is going to happen, refine things as you need, get your men prepped, and select who will be going. My Draconians drop an hour before local sunrise and I want our LZ built well before nightfall.”

Typhus and the others stood and each left the room quickly. Each very happy about news of finally being able to get onto a planet and walk on actual ground for once.

*********

Nine hours later the initial teams dropped to earth, Typhus leading the slaughter personally. It went off perfectly, no one in the tiny village could manage to even dent the Ravager Tactical Mech Armour of the Draconians. They burned the village and within half an hour dropships full of engineers were falling from the sky in a constant roar of engines to begin construction. Typhus never left the planet trusting that a comm tower would be one of the first things up and that he could direct his forces from that. Three months aboard ship had given him a keen appreciation for being a ground-pounder.

The only problem, if it could be called that, was the lack of intel about the village. Had they waited they would have known that the number of dead was two short. They could have moved to cut off the pass before the man and his son escaped and ran for the capital to report the Gods sending great flaming rocks from the sky to burn the village. As it was they didn’t know and the two escaped even though it would take them more than a week to reach the capital.

Well before dawn with a rather unusual case of insomnia, Robert Rahl woke and stood out on his bedroom balcony in the black of night, where the stars are the only source of light. While contemplating which kingdom to attack next, he noticed a new group of stars that he had never noticed before. Before he could think about it further, fireballs rained down from the sky. After a few seconds, the fireballs stopped raining down and the night was dark again. Robert immediately had one of his captains send out a pair of scouts to investigate. An hour after the scouts left, Robert's insomnia subsided and allowed the leader to sleep.

---

Six days later...

“Lord Rahl,” a guard shouted running up to Robert. “The scouts have returned with a villager and his son from Sedral. The villagers told the scouts that fireballs have destroyed their village.”

“Direct them all to my library. I will be waiting for them,” Robert responded to the guard.

The noble guard nodded and left swiftly to do as his Lord ordered. Meanwhile, Robert had one of the other castle guards send some servants to prepare the library for the scouts and visitors. Afterwards, he made his own way to his library through the dark and dimly-lit hallways of his castle.

Shortly after arriving arriving at his library, Robert settled himself down in his favorite armchair next to a warm, roaring fireplace. A short time later, a knock was sounded from the door. Robert called the people outside the door inside to enter. Then, two of his scouts and the Sedralites arrived. Robert waved the Sedralites over towards him and gestured to two other chairs by the fireplace. Robert then spoke to the scouts.

“What are you two doing back?” he asked.

“We brought you two survivors of the fireball attack on Sedral,” a scout replied. “We wanted to make sure you saw them.”

“Good job,” Robert said to the scouts. “However, I need you two scouting Sedral. I want to know who or what attacked the village to begin making my decisions upon the matter. I want you two to pack new supplies and be on your way towards Sedral within the hour.”

“Yes, Lord Rahl!” the scouts shouted with enthusiasm. They immediately made their way out of the library and left the Sedralites with Robert.

Robert turned to the adult Sedralite and asked, “Now then, what is your story?”

The villager began by saying, “Thank you, Lord Rahl, for seeing me and my son. We have traveled --”

“For some time, I know,” Robert interrupted. “I saw what happened to Sedral several days ago. How did you two survive?”

The villager began explaining. “My son and I were miles from Sedral since I was showing him how to hunt when the fireballs started coming down from the sky. I was just about ready to start teaching him when the fireballs rained down over my village. We stood and watched as the fireballs rain down. The whole event didn't last more than 10 seconds, Lord Rahl. I then decided it would be best to come to you and tell you of Sedral's plight.”

Robert sat back and thought for a moment. A look of intrigue formed upon his face. When he finished thinking, he said to the villager, “First, I would like to offer you a room in my castle for bringing me this information. It will only be for the night. Afterwards, you will have to find some other place to stay. Secondly, I will speak to your son alone to confirm your story. I'll send him after you when finished.”

After the father had left, Robert asked the boy to wait in the library. Robert stepped outside of the library and called for a guard to fetch Captain Yang, a young officer who has been working with Robert and gaining notoriety with the Lord since joining the army. After several minutes, Yang arrived at the library entrance.

“What is it my Lord wishes of me?” Yang asked.

"Have a guard escort the villager to a room for the night,” Robert commanded Yang. “Then, take the boy in the library and put him in a special room to himself. Don't harm or frighten him. I want him unhurt. I have a spell I have found that requires a young and innocent boy as a sacrifice and he appears to be perfect for the spell. If the villager asks, give him an excuse. If he keeps asking, I don't want him leaving this castle. Well, not alive at least."

"It will be done, Lord Rahl. Would there be anything more you would like me to do?” asked Yang.

“Yes,” Robert responded. “I want to know the second those scouts of yours get back from Sedral. Otherwise, get some sleep. The next week or so may be very interesting.”

Typhus rose slowly from his position kneeling in what had become his chamber. It was a tiny cell with just enough room for a table, pallet, and weapons rack. He had hung a Cult banner on one wall and now stared up at the stylized talons that had become the Cult's symbol and by extension the flag of the whole rebellion.

He sighed and stepped out into the dark metal hall. The entire structure was assembled from old parts meant to construct field bases during an advance that the engineers had been carrying... Typhus wasn't sure why exactly they would have them but was glad of it none the less. He headed down the halls into the center of the base joining a steady flow of officers going in between their wing and the barracks. Soon enough he found his way into the massive dome of the command centre.

“Sifter,” he said with a nod to the Illithid who was seated on a raised dais in the center of the room facing the massive main holo projector that covered the central wall. “How goes things?”

”The second mine is 40 seconds behind schedule, but other than that, things are going splendidly,” Mind Sifter replied without looking over. Typhus shook his head sadly and headed outside, intent on seeing how work was going on setting up a small farm.

He passed through the airlocks and into the oppressive heat of the world. He glared about him for a moment, taking in the sunlit expanse of the landing fields and beyond them the forests that were currently home to at least 200 members of the Padmasan army on a training mission. He turned to his left and began following the ever widening path toward mining sight alpha.

After twenty minutes of walking he had passed through almost 200 meters of forest and the entire width of the base, to arrive at a massive clearing that stretched out to both sides of the path. Here the forest was being cleared away and the ground “plowed” using jury-rigged mining bots. He laughed softly looking at the scrambling engineers and techs as the fell upon one of the machines that stopped mid way down the field.

”Sir!” someone shouted behind him and Typhus stopped mid stride, he had been about to go speak with the lead engineer in charge of the farming project. He spun on his heel and looked down at a soldier who was bent over panting from a run.

“Yes!” he hissed.

The man was smart enough to bow and then looked up at Typhus carefully. “Sir, someone has approached our fortifications at the pass. We managed to kill one of the two riders and wound the second… undoubtedly killing its mount.”

“Its mount?” Typhus asked in a low voice.

“Ah yes sir. Mammalian quadruped, about two meters tall at the shoulder and a herbivore,” the man replied looking suddenly fearful.

“I see… and what of the escaping creature?” Typhus voice dropped further.

“We don’t know lord. The marksmen assure us he was mortally wounded…” the man stammered.

“They don’t know?” Typhus asked.

”No sir, no one has mounted a pursuit of the rider,” the man replied looking suddenly fearful.


”Damn! What the hell am I do to do now? Was its mount still alive when it fled?”

“Ah, yes sir. It was limping but still able to run.”

“I don’t shoot those that deliver bad news… be thankful for that. Tell Mind Sifter to double the guard around the pass and have tanks waiting nearby. I want nothing escaping us again.” Typhus glared at the man.

“Yes, sir,” the man bowed and ran off toward the main compound. Typhus hissed softly to himself and opened up his commlink to the Draconians who were on planet. “I want all cult members to attend me at the Pass Outpost. We may be receiving hostiles soon.”

Typhus looked around and then walked back toward the compound. He would have to be content with repulsing an attack… and killing the guards that had been foolish enough to let the native escape. He hissed softly to himself remembering the slaughter of the natives and how they only weapons they could bring to bear were hopelessly outdated. He would enjoy himself he decided.

The guard walked slowly and cautiously towards the door. He knew his Lord was behind it through the link he has with his Lord. Unfortunately, he brought bad news to the Lord.

The guard felt he would severely regret bringing his Lord the news today.

With sweat dripping down his face and a worried expression, the guard swallowed and knocked on the door...

---

Robert was in the middle of brainwashing the Sedral child for the day when someone knocked on the door. Robert excused himself from the child and left the room. He found a lone guard standing outside of the room with droplets of sweat dripping down his face. He looked worried.

“Well, what is it? Can't you see I'm busy?” Robert scolded the guard as he closed the door. Once the door was closed, he cast a ward around the room to keep any noises or disturbances from reaching the child's ears.

The guard nervously stuttered, “N-news of the s-scouts has just arrived, Lord Rahl.”

“And where are they?” Robert asked, irritated.

The guard swallowed. “One of the scouts is lying at the front gate, d-dead.”

“What?!” Robert yelled. “And what of the other one!? He had best be here to make up for the other's failure.”

The guard responded nervously, “He did not arrive with the other scout. He is presumed missing in action.”

---

Robert could be heard yelling throughout the hallways of the castle. A crack of thunder followed shortly afterwards. After the the hallways became silent, servants and guards rushed to their Lord to find him standing over a pile of ashes.

“Tell Captain Yang I wish to see him in my quarters!” Robert shouted at the arriving guards. After spotting the pile of ashes, they scrambled to do as their Lord wished in hopes of avoiding the same fate as their comrade.

---

Robert waited impatiently at his desk chair as Yang entered his chamber.

“It's about time you got here!” Robert shouted as he stood up and stomped over towards Yang. “Your scouts have failed. They should have been more careful!”

“I'll send out five more scouts, Lord Rahl,” Yang said quickly in hopes of appeasing Robert. “They will be my best. They should succeed where my first scouts failed.”

Robert stood inches from Yang's face and spoke in a low and serious voice, “You had best hope they do. Otherwise, the Keeper will be the least of your worries.”

Robert turned around and walked a few paces away from Yang. Without turning around, he spoke, “Hurry. I want these scouts to return as quickly as possible. Give them our best horses. Make sure they know to be careful. The newcomers appear to be very strong and angering them would not be wise. Now go.”

Yang nodded in agreement and left immediately to give his scouts their orders, leaving Robert to scowl about the dead scouts and their failure.

Typhus sat quietly waiting. He clung to the side of the mountain high above the Pass that led into his new domain. The claws of his feet and one hand were dug into the cliff face anchoring him securely while he idly tracked a few birds with his Dominion Pattern Flechette Rifle. His men awaited his orders all about the mountains most looked like some bizarre gargoyle as they knelt waiting to launch themselves into the air.

Suddenly and acting purely on reflex Typhus switched the vision mode on his helm and zoomed in on a group of approaching riders. Each wore a heavy cloak pulled tight against the cold and rode one of the quadrupeds Typhus had seen with the first corpse, with several more beasts trailing on lead ropes. Typhus watched them trot along quickly approaching the bend that lead into his lands a wolfish grin playing over his features.
“Scorched Earth,” he whispered into the comm.

The pathetic little animals looked around quickly as a series of thunderous booms split the night from far off. They stopped quickly and seemed to be gathering their courage when the first shell hit. Typhus had had several artillery emplacements dug in and armed with incendiary charges. Now he saw them at work as rock ran like wax in front of the scouting party turning the pass into a false dawn as fire rained. The animals bolted, tearing away leads and ran, several men were carried away and two others were thrown from the backs of the beasts as they ran.

Typhus gave an inhuman howl and dropped from his perch. All had escaped save these two… examples. Typhus dropped quickly, only triggering his Titan G.I.D. at the last moment. The two were scrambling up and away from the heat of the firestorm that raged in front of them. Neither saw Typhus until he was upon them. With contemptuous ease he cut them down, crippling them, before setting to the real work.

Their screams carried their friends away faster than even the firestorm, and they screamed for long hours as Typhus worked his claws oh so carefully. The corpses would be displayed at the end of the pass and should be regarded as works of art. Each cut was perfect, every rip a measured thing. Even the pools of blood and the splattering on the shreds of clothing were done with an artful purpose and joy. They would be the best warning Typhus could give.

However he knew that that would not be enough. He lingered over his work but all too soon both had expired and it lost the entertainment value. But all too soon he knew he had to take to the air and ensure this would never happen again. He leapt up calling out the opening lines to the Hymn of Vengeance, his party, one hundred of the best warriors of the entire cult, joined him both in the air and in the song.

They flew slowly, always scanning the ground, advanced systems making maps and notations about wildlife, people, buildings, everything. The night was dark but it was not long until the great hunting pack found its quarry. The surviving riders were still moving despite the darkness. Each rode, but there were none of the additional beasts that had been present before. Typhus smiled and watched them carefully judging progress, speed, and direction carefully. Before long he had to put that to use, the dawn came and Typhus would not allow his men to be seen. And so as light began to fill sky Typhus and his pack dropped down into the forested hills far from any people.

They did not camp, but scattered. Each moved off and perched somewhere among the trees like a perverse bird. And so they spent the days hidden, waiting, preparing for the task ahead. And so it was for five days and nights, the night spent watching and following, the day asleep. On the sixth night they came upon the city. It was a great sprawling affair, several rings of city existed as it was walled in and outgrew the walls once again. It was defensible with towers spaced evenly around the wall and a good sized gap between wall and forest. Typhus watched his prey ride, gallop, through the streets heading to the center of the city. But Typhus could move faster and he did, guessing their destination quickly and issuing orders quickly.

It was a massive stone structure, with its own wall and many towers. He smiled and waited, watching. Just as the riders entered through the massive central gate he gave a hellish scream and dropped from the night, cloak whipping around him. His men worked murderously fast, rockets flew from multiple launchers to obliterate the tops of the towers and send the guards flying through the air… if they weren’t vaporized. And so it was amongst smoke and flying stone that Typhus landed and rose to stand erect a sword in his hand and pistol in the other to greet the scouts. His men meanwhile had killed ever guard patrolling the upper walls and now stood ringing the wall looking inward with assault weaponry and rifles leveled, waiting.

The scouts would have run, but Typhus gave an idle gesture and they were cut down with withering gunfire from above. Typhus nodded with satisfaction and walked to the first corpse. With a clean motion he beheaded it and held it up by the hair toward the doors of the central building which were open and filled with awed guards staring at the demon that walked among them. Typhus helm which looked like a screaming deamon’s face yielding nothing though save bright burning eyes. The head he held suddenly jerked and the mouth moved. It spoke with an unearthly, hellish voice, lips moving in synch with Typhus’, “Bring forth he who ordered my lands invaded and defiled by lesser beings!” For good measure Typhus used the plasma pistol built into his wrist to strike a guard down with a cyan ball of light, vaporizing his head. As the man fell, the guards scattered from the wrath of the angry god in their midst to find Rahl. Typhus waited patiently, the tip of his sword resting on the ground, but his left arm was perfectly straight holding the severed head of the scout.

Robert busted out of the room the Sedral child was held – or at least what was left of his smoldering corpse – and began making his way towards the front entrance of the castle. He had been watching the attack from beyond the veil in the realm of the Keeper. He was furious. All ten of the scouts that were sent out to look in the Sedral area were dead. Robert had gotten the Sedral boy ready a week earlier for the ritual that would allow him passage through the underworld, but had only managed to see his scouts attacked by the strange creature that now called him to the front gate.

As the week progressed, he had found his guiding spirit, the spirit of the Sedral child, more reluctant to watch this new being. Before long, the spirit guide would not allow Robert to watch the new threat. Robert had watched his scouts since then in short intervals, more interested in how soon he may be honored to meet such a powerful and imposing figure that would put fear into the dead just by his image.

After watching the creature's attack and his scouts' murder, he returned to the world of the living to confront the destructive creature. He was not afraid to deal with such power, but he knew that panic would sweep his ranks if he didn't confront the attacker. He wasn't going to be careless, either, since it could mean the end of his own life.

While marching toward the castle entrance, Captain Yang approached. “A demon has attacked the base, Lord Rahl!” he shouted. “He demands to see you!”

Robert held up a hand while continuing past. “If it's a demon, it isn't one I recognize,” Robert responded. “Have a dozen guards meet me at the entrance and get four Mord-Sith waiting inside of the castle. This being casts spells. The demon is very strong and probably easy to anger as well.”

“What about roof support, Lord Rahl?” Yang asked, confused.

Robert scowled. “Enemy forces are all over the roof. Anyone who emerged on the roof of this castle from inside would be dead before they made it outside. Now, will you get those guards ready?”

“Yes, Lord Rahl,” Yang responded with a shocked expression and left to do as his lord bid him.

---

Robert came to the door and met the guards that were to follow him outside to greet the creature calling him from outside. He had the doors opened as he walked outside in his black garb, his crimson cape flowing behind him. The guards formed a line out in front of the entrance to the castle, weapons resting on their belts.

As Robert stood before the creature holding the severed head of one of the scouts, he looked it over. The creature was completely black. There were minor discolorations in its skin, but nothing that seemed out-of-place for an agent of the Keeper. The creature was a great deal taller than Robert, as well. It was probably at least twice his height, though it looked like he was even taller. It also wielded a rather large sword, which appeared to burn with runes Robert had never seen before. Robert's Han felt different while looking at the runes. He had to concentrate to avoid showing the pain the appearance of the runes gave him. If nothing else, the sword this being was currently using like a cane either contained magic or influenced it somehow. Finally, it had no wings. This puzzled Robert since he distinctly remembered that this creature followed his scouts by air. He knew of no creature that didn't fly without wings.

The creature then looked down at Robert from where it stood. Robert was impressed but showed no expression. He didn't know who or what the creature was and wasn't about to do anything without careful thought and reason.

Robert chose his words carefully as he spoke. “Greetings, demon,” Robert said with a scowl as he looked the creature right into what he thought was its eyes. “I don't appreciate that you killed seven of my scouts. I have no idea how you detected them, though it matters little now.” Robert stopped scowling and looked off into space. A thoughtful look appeared on his face as he continued. “At least they served a purpose to me. They did inevitably bring you here.”

Robert then appeared calm and relaxed, though his face was emotionless. Robert's eyes shifted to look at the demon as he said, “I have been informed that you are here to speak with me for reasons I am sure you wish to explain. Since you are my guest, you will go first. If you have questions, I will answer to the best of my abilities. If you wish to make statements, I will listen.” As Robert finished, he gazed expectantly up at the creature, waiting for his response.