NationStates Jolt Archive

It had been several weeks since a snowstorm-ridden hike with several ninjas-in-training had enabled Prefect Xenith Steele to uncover an ancient alien complex with many strange and wonderful gadgets and gizmos to study and muck about with. The most incredible find of all, though, was a construction facility designed to construct one of the most feared and devastating mistakes of the Triad's past.

Xenith pored over the command consoles of the complex, puzzling out the functions of the entire database had been easy, since the prefect was fortunate enough to understand the language used by its creators. However, reading all the information stored within was proving to be quite a challenge.

One of the technicians working with him whirred happily through the massive volume of data, searching for things of interest such as technical specifications, research information, and other randomized tidbits. After several hours of staring at the screen for a while, he was tired, but still enthusiastic about being one of the select few to have a first look at the colossal archive. Then something caught his eye.

"Prefect?"

"What?" Xenith replied, not turning from his own display screen. He was just as fascinated as the techs.

"Think I found something. About that Sivv'Nakh fellow you told us about."

"What about it?"

"Did the Titan we found here ever say what happened to him after he drove the Shirassi to extinction?"

"I would assume they managed to destroy it, but lost their own lives in the process. We have the information on Sivv'Nakh's construction, and supposedly all historical info faded away just a year later."

"Sir, I found a database of secondary sites, several of them are underground, and one of them evidently stopped activity some thirty years after Sivv'Nakh was built."

That got Xenith's attention. He turned and gave the tech an intense glare. "Thirty years... AFTER?"

"Yes sir, the computer in that site appears to be still active. I can establish a connection, if you wish."

"Do so, then shunt the information to my console. Keep it down to stuff that was entered after Sivv'Nakh's creation."

"Yes, Prefect."

Xenith's display soon developed a serious case of Backlog, as a surprisingly large number of holofeed journal entries, but nothing else, fed into his display. For the next night he watched the bi-monthly musings of a half-insane Shirassi military commander who had fled into the 'bunker' at the expense of those under his command in order to escape the ravages of Sivv'Nakh. Apparently driven mad with guilt, he seemed to find it necessary to keep track of the Titan's movements after the rest of his people had long since been obliterated.

Almost no data corruption at all. Xenith had to admit that these sites were amazingly well preserved.

As the logs wore on, it became increasingly apparent that the Shirassi's guilt and loneliness were taking their toll on him. His eyes grew more sunken and his skin more pallid with each passing entry, and his expression grew more haunted. Then, on the final entry, the haunted look went away, replaced by a look of nearly unsurpassed serenity.

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"I can hear their voices still, I can hear them screaming to be let in with me. I know they hate me, and why should they not? I left them to die, just to save my own miserable life. The Death Angel was supposed to be our greatest achievement, and in the end it killed us all. The Death Angel is the very manifestation of our pride, and inability to leave well enough alone.

"For any who might read this, maybe tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years from now, understand this: the Death Angel is out there. Sivv'Nakh, Angel of Death, remains. We did our best to end him. We did our best to remove him. None of our weapons worked. Nothing worked.

"I detail his locations so that those who read this in the future will know where not to tread. I do not wish for more destruction. I do not wish for more death. I think they would have wanted it that way."

A starmap materialized beside him, detailing flight paths throughout the galaxy, and planets of interest, some familiar, some not.

"He has moved inwards into the galaxy. We think to hide himself in the chaotic morass of this 'Galactic Republic' that controls most of the galactic interior. We have only had minor contact with this 'Republic', but it appears to consist of far too many races to keep track of. From telemmetric information acquired from what little data we have from the 'Republic' he has thus far focused on heavily forested and lightly populated worlds, far from the sprawl of civilization. I cannot say what he looks like now, but know that no matter what he appears as, he is programmed to keep eyes of pure silver in all his forms, as well as a constant body height of 2.3 meters. Some of the programming took hold, much though it wasn't very useful to us.

"Avoid such worlds at all costs, please. I do not wish for any more bloodshed. I am the last of my species, and after this log, the Shirassi will be no more. I am no longer afraid of oblivion. The voices call to me, as they have for all these years. They say I should have died with them, well now they will get their wish.

"If any of you are foolish enough to attempt to find him, and actually attempt to subdue him, you are fully welcome to do so. However know that I shall, from my grave, both pity and laugh at you. Fair warning, and I have said my peace. End log."

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"Well, so we know where he went now. Roughly, anyway."

"Indeed."

"Leave him alone or find him?"

"We need to find him, and hopefully send him back to the interdimensional medium like the other Titan. We know of his existence, and no matter how hard fate may allow Sivv'Nakh his peace, chances are somebody will find him out, and then there'll be a rush to hunt him down. Even Sojun would be interested in his acquisition."

"So we're actually going to seek him out?"

"I don't think we have a choice."

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"So you wish to find this... Sivv'Nakh, hmm?" Baron Skye queried as he leaned back in his chair with a ponderous look on his face.

"You got it."

"You realize that Maximillian might get to thinking he can 'correct' his mistake from so long ago."

"I am hoping that he will remain ignorant of our true motives."

"I could not agree more. It is fortunate that he is preoccupied with the Coredian Campaign against the 'Central Powers'. We can move with relative freedom in this galaxy without letting too much information reach his ears."

"He could be anywhere though, among these planets that were detailed to us. And it would be too dangerous for us to enter into Imperial Space ourselves. 'Oh hi! We're just looking for a metallic golem with the power to end civilizations with ease!' THAT'LL make 'em look away."

"Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters are quite useful in that instance. No better supply of skilled trackers and cannon fodder in the galaxy. Just put out a bunch of wanted ALIVE posters and there should be plenty of response."

"I suppose so."

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Soon enough, through smuggling and other surreptitious means, 'Wanted Fugitive' posters began appearing in pirate holes and smugglers dens throughout the galaxy.

WANTED
ALIVE

Sivv'Nakh, the Death Angel
for the heinous crime of: GENOCIDE

Reward: 10 Billion Credits

No photo available, but the following facts are known:
Silver Eyes
Approximately 7 Feet Tall
Roams between forested and underpopulated worlds
such as Yavin, Korriban, Endor, Kashyyk, etc.

When found, bring to Thorn Star System for reward.

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OOC: Open story. Might be wise to plan for casualties. 'Good' guys and 'Bad' guys alike are welcome to attempt to find and/or bend him to their own purposes, but be ready for whatever consequences that might bring.

OOC: Before I actually write up a post, can I be an "Evill Villain" type with lots of expendable henchmen under my command?

Meh, can do whatever, be feasible though. If people start bringing in entire armies, they start spending more than they'll actually be able to get back...

OOC: If I brought in a team of a dozen or so mercenaries, would there be a reasonable chance that a few of them would survive?

OOC: Depends on how you intend to approach him. If you're bounty hunters attempting to subdue and return him, then you could get by with a few people. If you're a nation attempting to take control of him for your own purposes you could conceivably throw entire armies into the effort. Either to just try and take him or to prevent others from doing so.

OOC: Better than travelling light I suppose; just don't bring a four man crew; fucking insulting :P

Oh, and btw Tag

OOC: Bounty hunters... The Kendaryn government has no idea how important Sivv'Nakh might turn out to be. Depending on how other nations respond and so forth, they might eventually realize there's something major going on.

IC:
~~~~A small tavern in the port-city of Khazad, on the planet Tal Gurik~~~~
Tajak Demrol should have kept quiet about the message, like the others that had read it, but what he saw came as something of a shock. Besides, he had always had a hard time keeping his mouth shut.
"Ten billion!?!"

In places like this seedy Khazad bar, such an exclamation is certain to attract attention. Most of the customers hadn't even noticed the poster, but now the entire crowd came rushing to look at it. Such a fortune could tempt even the mildest pacifist to consider going hunting, and such people rarely frequent small Khazad taverns. In moments, only three customers remained in the room. The bartender sighed regretfully.

Tajak himself managed to get out before the rest, and hurried back to the ship he called home with only one brief interruption.

~~~~At the modified destroyer Victory, on a Khazad landing platform~~~~
"Hey, Captain- get everybody back! Hurry!"

"Who are you in trouble with this time, Tajak?"

"Nobody. I found a wanted poster with a reward of 10 billion Credits!"

"Ten billion!?! OK, this time you're right. We can start doing the research once we're off planet."

Captain Barän Varth tapped a few buttons on Victory's control panel, and throughout Khazad a set of communicators sounded three quick tones. Every member of his crew knew that signal: "Come with haste. Urgent, but not an emergency." A few minutes later, with everyone aboard, Victory left Tal Gurik.

"So, Tajak... tell us about this wanted poster you saw."

OOC: Sorry about the rushed post; not much time. This is just to establish their interest...

Kempai read the notice a second time as he sat in a dark cantina in the port city of Competria. He dropped the notice to the top of his table and took a deep sip from his cooling tea.

He breathed its fumes in and closed his eyes, enjoying the smell and taste of the refreshing liquid.

After drinking the cup he stood up from the table, kicking the dead corpse next to the table out of his way and picked up the wanted notice. He threw a gold coin to the bar tender. "Sorry for the mess," he said. He threw on his black cloak and his tall form stepped into the darkened city.

Making his way through the maze of houses and buildings Kempai finally made it to his ship. Punching in the key code he opened the side lift and entered. After closing it and re-arming the defensive grid he walked into his sleeping courters.

He took a thumn tack and put the notice onto the wall. A wall the was covered in several different notices just like it, some in other languages, but each held the universal language of numbers.

He stripped down to his tight fitting shorts, his body's scars showing as his muscles moved beneath the skin. He took a deep breathe and dropped into a sitting position on the floor, his eyes closing, a low murmur coming from his lips.

He sat imobile for over an hour. Suddenly his eyes flickered open, their icy blue orbs quickly assessing where he was. He stood and lay down on the bed, relaxing his body after his long meditation. "This should be interesting," he said aloud. He looked at the wanted notice one more time, then closed his eyes and fell into a deeo sleep.

On a backwater corner of a backwater planet, Sivv'Nakh sat, watching the stars overhead. It was always the same sky, and he could name every single star in view by their Republic/Imperial names and Shirassi designations. He sat upon a rock, staring upwards, thinking.

What he thought about, none knew but himself. He debated philosophy, learned the workings of the universe, and delved into concepts so complex and alien that it would take entire planets multiple generations just to understand. This was nothing new to him. He simply thought. He thought as much as he could, as quickly as he could, as brain-breakingly complex as he could.

He thought to get his mind off his guilt.

He had killed them. All of them. Not just his creators, not just those who thought themselves his master, but all of them. Males, females, hatchlings, all fell before him. He wasn't even sure why, but he knew two things: It gave him no pleasure, and he would do it again.

He hid himself in the form of an advanced elder member of a species known as humans, who had been around almost as long as the shirassi had, but never matched their technological prowess, not even today. Evidently his habits had made him out to be some kind of wise scholar who knew all the mysteries of the universe.

They came to him, usually once or twice a year. To ask him questions about the meaning of life, the riddles of love, or even annoying little questions such as 'why?'

His answer to the latter was always 'Because it likes to watch you squirm,' whereupon he would clunk the speaker of the question over the head and send him or her back home with a nice bruise. Such questions never bothered him. Being asked to solve the problems of others gave him respite from thinking about the atrocities he committed so long ago. Anything to get away from the guilt.

Soon it would all change...

-:Ten Billion...:-. The Marnikaran looked at the poster, his massive Tripedal form standing in the Bar. The human who had stood in his way was sprawled against the floor ten meters away, his arm at a funny angle. The Marnikaran looked as the animals scurried to move from his way. He wore the Armor of an Inquisitoral Henchmen, more accuratly they where Marnikaran's sent out into the universe to find infomation. It was a good life, you basicly got free reign and all you needed to do was send a report if you found anything interesting. The Triped turned, moving forward at a speed that was pratically a run for any human.

He watched as numbered danced across his eye pannel, the report filed itself out, making notes to his orders. As he walked through the crowded streets of the Desert City, the animals had said it was Mos something...he shrugged, the barking sounds these ones made mattered not to him. With a praticed ease, he raised himself onto the Roof of one of the houses, and then, began a shout. When humans shout, they mearly make a loud sound. But when a species that when it speaks normally is as loud as the loudest human shouting as loud as they could, when they shout, you hear it. The sound rang across the city.

"Hunters Lookng for good pay, meet at hanger bay 94" He screamed, before running towards the said bay.

When he arrived, he had a group of thirty Animals stood. They where variously equipted, and had the look of warriors to them. He looked them over, and then chose four. One of them moved towards him, his hand moving towards his gun, and he spoke words which the Marnikaran did not care to hear. With a flash, the Inquisitoral Henchman's arm came flying up, struke the side of the Bounty Hunters Head. The force literally ripped the head, along with various Cybernetic conections, from the mans body.

"The rest of you will Leave!" He roared, which was met with approval. The four that remained looked at him grimly.

"I am Xorlandru of the Marnikaran Planetoid Craft Marthara. You have been hired by me to help in subduing and transporting the Warrior Sivv'Nakh. He is apparently an enemy of some animals in some coner of the galaxy, he killed a few thousand creatures. This matters not. The reward is Ten Billion credits alive. You will each recive One Billion for your trouble. Anyone not happy with this payment will ask me to increase it." He looked at them with a smile, showing the sharp teeth. "No? Good. Now, you have your own ships. We will split across, going to forested worlds. When the target is found you will notify us if you do not I will hunt you down." He nodded. "Now, move, lets find this bastard."

The four bounty hunters ran off, each heading towards their respective Landing bays. The Warrior watched them go, before moving to his own ship. He flipped a switch, and from the front of the ship, small hyperspace Needle Probes launched. They would head to hundreds of worlds, scanning for what they where looking for. As the ship rose, he wondered how he would remove of the Animals once he was done with them.

Bump for views and more participants...

"10 Billion." A voice chuckled, half-amused, half-interested; eyes alight beneath the folds of his hood; looking out of the viewscreen across the star-marked void; arms folded, pistols resting....For Now. He let his hand drift to a grip, caressing the weapon; before he turned, surveying his brother. The grotesque, crouched form, tearing at the corpse with razor-edged implement. Alexus smirked softly as Marius looked up at him, stretching up to his full seven feet of height; various devices glimmering on his armor; gleaming blade edges and weapons-systems...he, the Bio-Scholar; the Vizier.

"10 Billion you say? All for some genocidal Godulan upstart? Seems a little...presumtuous, dear brother"

"When have I ever led you astray?" Alexus tittered softly; turning back to gaze at the void. "We'll pick up a trail; and set the boys on his trail. We'll make the capture, of course...We'll rival the legends; we'll be more famed than Turel, more legendary than Ezekial; the Emperor himself will have to reward us. Ten Bill, will look like pocket money next to Marcus' generosity. It's good enough that he sponsors our....work"

For Alexus and Marius were no ordinary warriors; not even ordinary Space Marines. Together they were the Lords of the Black Corsairs; feared pirates and mauraders, operating within and around the Imperium; supported in secre t by Marcus De Drakan. Whether flaunting their piracy before the stringent purges of the Federal Union; or bringing a little secondary income to the Imperium; through the destruction and seizure of vessels; they are among the most feared and respected beings in all of Chronosia; near Legends...

And now they go forth, in search of this Angel of Death...In search of fame, fortune, and bloody glory.

Kempai had not slept long. After waking he quickly set to getting his ship, the Faith, ready for take-off. With the dawning of the new day, his ship rose from the dirty small backwards planet, and after Kempai adjusted a veiw things in his log-computers and gave his nav computer a few coordinates, jumped into hyperspace.



Three days later...

Kempai stood near his ship, its landing gear firmly planted on the dried out dead land scape of the planet he was on. Planet Kemori, one that Kempai had not visited in years...many years.

In the middle of what had once been a beautiful valley, but now was desert, was a large broken down complex of buildings. The white wash paint that had once been along the walls was all but gone. The high arc over the gate was crumbling, and the insignia for the school (Faith, Dedication, and Power) was a rusting hulk above the cracked open door.

Kempai stood there staring at the school for some time. Memories flashing into his mind. A ringing entered his ears. He felt a loss of breathe - he clenched his hands into fists and breathed deep, closing his eyes. After a few moments he opened his eyes and then stepped forward. He entered through the gate, its doors crumbling into dust as he touched them.

He walked past a long line of decayed and wind-worn stone dragons, a few whose eyes stared at Kempai with anger and power. kempai ignored what his imagination was feeding his brain.

In front of him, a large house, its low roof still held up, yet with holes in it. Kempai walked up to the stone walk way that surrounded the house, and took off his shoes before stepping into the house itself.

Inside he found it dark, yet lighted by the beams coming in through holes in the roof, giving the ante chamber room and errie look. The thick smell of dust and decay filled Kempai's nostrils as he continued on into a room further back. A paper sliding door blocked him, he gently touched it, and it fell into dust. After the cloud disapeared he was shocked to see who he had been expecting.

Before him, sitting on the floor of the room, was a very old looking man. His skin was dark brown and had a deep leathery look to them. Kempai avoided looking into his face, for the mans eyes where closed - sown shut by a thick thread. He was balding except for a long gray silver mane that hung around him and rapped around his seated form.

"Welcome Tokugawa Sdo Kempai, defeater of the High Master, and wielder of the ancients power, welcome to my house," the man said in a surprisingly deep yet raspy voice. Kempai swallowed.

"You know then why I am here?" Kempai asked. The old man nodded. "I may be blind and have no eyes, yet I can See a different way," said the old man.

"This then is why I have come, please, tell me what information you can give me. Tell me what is in my future," asked Kempai, he kneeled onto the floor and bowed to the old man.

"I have the Truth, do you wish to hear it?" the old man asked.

"Yes."

"And will you use it wisely and well?" asked the old man, his forehead wrinkling slightly.

"Yes."

"Hmpf! Indeed you do not and will not, but Destiny must be heard. You do not wish to hear the words of your death, Kempai the Wanderer, son of Ieyasu, and so I will withhold them," said the old man. "Now turn away, for this will be my last and it will require all I have left of myself."

Kempai turned away, shutting his eyes.

The old man leaned forward and set both his hands down to the floor, he began muttering in a tongue that Kempair could not understand. A light began to glow, it flew along a line, almost as if drawn into the floor, until it reache dthe bright form of a pentegram. "Kioze!" yelled the old man. The light exploded upwards, it danced as flames around the old man, bathing him in its white light. The old man opened his mouth and breathed in, taking in all the light. His body slumped to the floor and did not move. Kempai was tempted to look at what he had heard, but did not for fear.

Suddenly the old mans form straited at an unholy speed. His hair flew out from his face, and his sown eyes burst open, and where eyes should have been, there were instead white balls of light.

"DEATH'S ANGEL DOES WALK THE PATHS
OPEN DOORS SHALL THUS LEAD YOU
PAIN AND SUFFERING WILL YOU BE OFFERED
AND HE WHO WALKS IN DEATH SHALL FIND YOU
AND THE CHALLENGE SHALL BE MADE
FIND IN DEATH THE ANGEL'S PATH
FROM PATH TO INFINITY YOUR FUTURE LIES
STRAY BUT A LITTLE AND THAT PATH TO DEATH SHALL LEAD!!!"

The old man's voice had changed and sounded as if a thousands souls were crying out from hell, each crying from their depths of untold horrors and pain. Kempai opened his eyes.

The old man's white eyes looked into his.

A force like a mighty hand picked kempai up and threw him through the walls of the school until he landed once more in the front year, by the door where he had entered.

Coughing and spluttering he stood. He was shaking as he stared through the tunnel he had made in the walls. At the end, the old man's form was disolving into a white flame. The flame grew greater until suddenly, it all dived into a small ball of light, and disapeared.

Kempai walked back to his ship and quickly got in it. He now knew his future, now it was time to get more information; kicking his ships engine into operating he took off from the Planet Kemori.

OOC: Certainly an interesting post there... I'll start up another post either tomorrow or when a couple more participants jump in.

ooc: :D I felt like getting creative.

OOC:

I will role-play Nagi, a Juraian by birth, but independent bounty hunter by trade (owing neither allegiance nor love to Jurai Empire). She travels and works alone, but she is very powerful – supernaturally fast, strong and tough (at one point she had a building collapsed onto her and lived to tell the tale), and masterfully handles energy whip/blade and a rapier with a build-in blaster. That’s not to mention some supernatural powers, like abilities to fly and to form energy blade or whip out of thin air. She also owns Ken-Oh-Ki, a small but very powerful spaceship, which is known for making short work of Jurai Battleships (which are quite powerful themselves). I would prefer for Nagi to survive so that she could participate in other RPGs (whether she succeeds or fails is a secondary matter, though she isn’t the one to give up easily), but needless to say, I won’t complain if it won’t happen (after all, as a player I understand that Nagi goes after someone who is probably even more powerful then she is).

IC:

An outlaw space station, somewhere in neutral space…

A dark cloaked figure sat at the bartable, sipping red wine, the best this god-forsaken place had to offer. At figure’s feet, a small white furry animal that appeared to be something of a mixture between a rabbit and a cat slept quietly. Of all bar’s patrons, only bartender could catch a glimpse of the figure’s face from under its hood, and he didn’t like what he saw. Over the years of working in this bar, he has seen monstrous humanoids and non-humanoids from all over the galaxy, but something in this woman’s red eyes made her appear more dangerous then all of them taken together; and despite being a veteran of dozens of bar-fights and shot-outs, the bartender couldn’t help feeling chill at the very thought of it.

“Anythin’ else I can get for ya?” the bartender asked eventually, but when the woman ignored him, he quickly retreated to serve his other customers.

The woman continued to sip her red wine quietly, seemingly absorbed into her drink. Though unknown to the other patrons, her keen ears were picking up conversations that took place all over the bar…

“Blast those Juraians, barely made it here!”
“Weren’t they having troubles or something?”
“It just stirred the bastards up! Now if someone’d bust the Jurai itself, it’d be fun…”

“…Any good?”
“Damn right! Just done with a run myself. The Republic is trying to get a hold on Kessel, but prices on spice just go up, and it’s not like in the Empire’s time anyway.”

“…You say?”
“That’s right 10 billon award! Must’ve killed a few thousands or so.”
“Whatever. I always say clean robbery is way better.”
“Well, that guy is on most wanted list now. I’d like to be famous like…”
“A 10 billion award, you say?”

A trio a space pirates immediately stopped their conversation and looked at the black cloaked figure that now stood beside their table; none of them saw or heard her approach. They stared upon her for a couple of moment, before the realization crossed one of their minds…

“A bounty hunter!”

The pirates immediately jumped up, drawing their blasters… Then there was a flash of violet… The next thing everybody saw was blasters exploding in pirates hands, and the mysterious woman taking a long second to sheath her rapier; no one saw her drawing it. With mauled hands the least of their concerns, the pirates looked at the woman with expression of pure terror written upon their faces: red eyes, black lines upon her pale cheeks, energy blade…

“You. You can’t be, you can’t be…” one of the pirates muttered frightfully.

“There is no need for you to worry, I am not interested in you at all. Now tell me more about this criminal… The one with 10 billion award.”

Durgan fancied himself to be an up-and-coming mercenary commander, and looked forward to his bounty hunting expeditions as a means to fund his future company, the life was hard, the pay was sporadic, but he kept his spirits up through it all. The ten billion credit reward for this Sivv'Nakh fellow had struck as the way to get around all these puny little jobs that had to this point brought little more than subsistence funding, and he had decided not to hesitate.

As the information on Sivv'Nakh's description and possible locations left a seriously massive area to scan, he decided to start from the ground up. Find a planet matching the criteria, the more backwoods the better, and ask the inhabitants about any tall silver eyed folk.

So it was that he came to the nondescript world of Insiar II, a farming world known for the strength of its lumber but little else. With nothing to go on but two body features, he landed and began asking about a Silver-eyed fellow roaming about.

"Nope, never heard of anybody like that. You should ask the old guy who lives way up north. He might now."

"Silver eyes? Believe me, sir, I would have remembered a guy with THAT. You tried the old guy up north? I bet he would remember crossing paths with him, dude knows everything else."

"Seven feet tall, you say? With silver eyes? Ain't had one of those through here in like... ever. But hey, I'm just a lumber squad overseer, I haven't seen nearly as much as the old fellow up north has."

Durgan knew a pattern when he saw it.

"Old man who lives up north? Who wouldn't know him? Its almost a pilgrimage to find that blind geezer and ask him some big question about the workings of the universe. Everybody either comes back with a new outlook on life or an impressive bruise on the side of their face. What? Can't tell you how to find him. I just know that he roams about up north and that chances are if you look long enough you'll find him. Don't know how to explain it, but that guy can cover a lot of ground..."

So it was that Durgan found himself meandering some kilometers from his landing spot in the northern regions of Insiar II, occasionally calling out "Old man! Are you out there?" whenever the forest seemed particularly quiet. After two days of meandering through the forest, he finally got an answer.

"Old man, are you there?"

"NO."

This answer startled him both due to its intensity and the odd nature of the response.

"No?" he repeated curiously, "Well, where are you then?"

"NOT THERE."

"Well that's kinda obvious."

"THEN WHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING IF I AM?"

Durgan knew this was going to go nowhere, so he changed his approach. The old man was obviously having fun at his expense.

"Look, could you please come out where I can see you?"

The old man appeared before him, sitting on a nearby branch and munching on what appeared to be a piece of spiced bread. From the way it smelled he knew it was A) delicious, B) still warm. The man had a rag over his eyes, and stringy gray hair fell down over his face, making him look like some kind of humanoid mop.

"YOU WANT SOME? JUST DID UP A BATCH."

Durgan's stomach growled. The smell was truly entrancing. "You know what? Why not."

Durgan took a seat on the same low branch as the old man, who ripped off a chunk of the bread and handed it to him, then continued nibbling on his share. Durgan savored every bite of the bread. It tasted even better than its smell let on. When he finished, he waited for the old man to finish grinding away at his bread.

The old man beat him to the punch.

"SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW."

"Well sir," Durgan began, "I'm trying to locate a man, and the locals told me that if anybody would know where to find him, you would be the best person to ask."

"DID THEY?"

"Yes they did. Every single one of them."

"AND WHAT MIGHT THIS 'MAN' LOOK LIKE?"

"The description was waaaay incomplete, but it said to focus on a being seven feet tall with silver eyes on unpopulated worlds."

The old man didn't show any outward signs of recognition, but for some reason one of Durgan's "Hunch detectors" almost immediately started ringing.

"A SILVER EYED GIANT HERMIT, IS IT? WHAT MIGHT THE NAME OF THIS WANDERLUST-AFFLICTED FELLOW BE?"

"A weird name, Sivv'Nakh. The Godulans want him because of some act of genocide or something."

"INDEED."

Durgan's brain lit up with another internal detector going off: his sense of self-preservation. Curious as to why things were going all wierd, Durgan stood up and walked a few steps from the old man. "You wouldn't know where to find him at all, would you?"

"I WILL NOT LIE TO YOU, BOUNTY HUNTER, I KNOW THIS FELLOW, AND THE ONLY ADVICE I WILL PROVIDE IS THAT WHEN A MAN IS FACED WITH A SEARCH THAT HAS NO DESTINATION, IT WOULD BE WISE TO LOOK DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ONE'S FACE..."

At about that time Durgan's blaster came out and pointed itself directly at the old man. Durgan's voice also came out.

"Off with the blindfold, mister."

The old man quirked his head to the side with a shrug, and took off his blindfold, revealing the silvery orbs of his eyes. The man also drew up to his full height.

"WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO, BOUNTY HUNTER?"

"Take you in and let you face whatever justice you deserve."

"YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT."

"And you had the right to kill those people?"

"YOU PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH, BOUNTY HUNTER. NEITHER YOU, NOR ANYONE, HAS THE RIGHT TO EXACT 'JUSTICE' UPON ME. I AM BEYOND SUCH THINGS. THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN PUNISH ME IS MYSELF, AND THE ARROGANT MORALITY OF OTHERS WILL NOT CHANGE THAT."

"Sounds like you intend to resist."

"IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU INTEND TO FORCE THE ISSUE. I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST THIS."

"It said 'alive', nothing was said about 'intact'. Now are you going to come peacefully, or do I need to pick off a finger or two?"

"YOU ARE WELCOME TO MAKE THE ATTEMPT, BOUNTY HUNTER."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Durgan said, and fired.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How is he?"

"Stable now. We fixed him up right good, we did. What can I say, we've got so many lumberjacks around we can deal with this type of wound with our eyes closed."

"I would expect nothing less. Hey, he's coming around."

The darkness gave way to blurry images of people in blue coats around him.

"You're lucky the old man was around, else you would have bled to death out there. What were you doing so far out, anyway, all alone like that?"

He heard his own voice respond with "Wh-What?" His mouth felt like it was full of cottonballs.

"Oh... oh my, he doesn't know what happened?"

Durgan's voice continued. "What's going on? Where am I? Lemme up!" He attempted to take the sheets off of him, but realized with a start that his arm was refusing to respond. He turned his head to see why his arm wasn't paying attention, and screamed.

"MY ARM! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY ARM?!"

"The old man said a tree fell on it, and he had to cut you free. Amazing job he did, too. Cauterized the wound and everything. You really should thank him, he even went to the trouble to leave you this."

The doctor who had spoken turned away, and came back with what appeared to be a datapad. "He said this was in apology."

Durgan shakily took the datapad with his remaining arm and turned it on. The doctors left as he began to scan the contents.

Five minutes later, his lost arm was forgotten, he could afford another one.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Durgan Yigal,

Many apologies about the arm. Don't say I didn't warn YOU. I took the liberty of looking through your history and related information, and decided you were worthy of at least some small measure of compassion. Your habit towards taking 'Alive Only' contracts has come to save the day, I suppose.

It took me an hour, but I believe that when you next access your bank account, you will find a sum of no less than two point five billion credits added to your present account. Bank errors are wonderful things. This money is insurance on my part. Unfortunate circumstances would befall you if you were to divulge my location to anybody. And be advised, I am better informed than you realize.

So shut up,

Sivv'Nakh.

OOC: Just out of curiosity, and rather unconnected to this, is your MSN working, mine's been down for the last couple of days, and I'm not sure why...

IC:

From: James Raynor, commander Terran Dominion Special Operations Command

To: Godulan representative dealing with the Sivv'Nakh bounty

Subject: Information and Aid

To whom it may concern, I am Colonel James Raynor, former Marsal of the Dominion Planetary Militia for Korhal, our government has taken note of the bounty, and is willing to provide a mixed Terran\Protoss team of 20 to hunt it down, in return we ask that they be given carte blanche to take any action they see fit while inside your boundaries looking for the target, if this is granted we will waive half of the bounty. Any information that might possibly lead to its wherabouts would also be appreciated, assuming you have any that has not been released with the bounty.

OOC: Can I be a guy poised to help your government, but he's really out to find Sivv'Nakh to talk about aiding Huntaer to kill off all of the remaining Malkir forces (refers to huntarian civil war)?
I would like to do a bit of character RPing with my Kirtir Assassin/Spy (Warrior Shaman). It's fun.

If not, I'll have to use Huntaer as Huntarian Alliance for now (jolt problems) to RP as my good nation.

OOC: Doesn't really matter what yer reasoning is for going in. Government contact with Godular is minimal. Just RP yerself spotting the poster and go.

As for Mini Miehm: My MSN is working just fine, and the RP does not take place within the Godulan Space. Its out in 'the galaxy' and pretty much takes place on less paid-attention-to worlds I make up as I go.

OOC: Damn, I miss my IM abilities...

Oh well, on to more important things, I figured I'd start my search in your space, since searching blindly has very low odds of finding him, I thought I'd contact the guys who found out he still existed, and then see what they could tell me, hence the information request, the Carte Blance is because they've gotten paranoid since they got Mikes last report from Sentinal VII about Grondes Marines attacking him.

OOC: Truth be told, all the information that is known is on the Wanted poster. There's several thousand years between the last log entry they have for information and present day, and they know that Sivv'Nakh can move from planet to planet by himself if necessity requires, and that he prefers unpopulated worlds (which Godulan worlds are most certainly NOT).

Besides, attempting to Interrogate Xenith Steele would NOT be advisable.

OOC: Doesn't really matter what yer reasoning is for going in. Government contact with Godular is minimal. Just RP yerself spotting the poster and go.

OOC: Cool. Enter, Warrior Shamman and HK-59 (yes, HK-59 is a HK droid but this version is much much more updated and sophisitcated version than HK-49 in KOTOR 1 and 2)

IC:

Shamman was piloting his personal YT 1300 transport. He had recieved a message from his master, Darth Aelikes, on a manner of a Godulan bounty.
He [Darth Aelikes] suspected that through the higher learning of the Kirtir, Shamman may have a shot at either:

a) Persuading the Sivv'Nakh to aid them in killing off the Malkir once and for all or
b)... Well... Shamman prayed to the Kirtir God Skorm that it won't come to that one. He never liked spying. He prefered the assassination part. It's what he's trained for.

"Querry: Who is our target this time Master?"

"A Sivv'Nakh Death Angel. He's supposedly very dangerous. Aelikes wants us to persuade him to work for the (huntarian) Empire and wipe out the Malkir forever. Does that information suffice '59?"

"Speculation: It is consevable that someone like this Sivv'Nakh would be interested in mass genocide if he has committed it several times before. Why stop now?"

"Change of heart perhapse. Doubtfull considering the mass murders he's commited. If it does come to killing him, we'll still have a nice 10 billion credit reward. You could do with a few upgrades."

"Sarcastic Comment: I'm absolutly fine being a underappreciated assassin master."

Shamman ignored HK-59's comment and took out the pass ports and Identification's that his master has provided.


Name: Warrior Shamman
Faction: Huntarian Alliance/Malkir
Relation: Aid for the Malkir resistance against the Galactic Empire of Huntaer.
History:.....

It went on. HK was designated as a protocal droid instead of an assassin.

Shamman went over his equipment again. Just to make sure everything is in order.

2 Lightsabers (black blades), 2 SaberClaws(red), 2 Light Scimitars(orange),
1 Light Reaper (Yellow), 2 Light Axe (red), 1 Kirtir Battle Riffle....
He closed his weapons case. He was set. All he needs to do is find his mask and he was all set to meet the Sivv'Nakh should thing's go wrong.

He has one more problem though. With all of the planet's he's been given, he'll have a tough time trying to find the Sivv'Nakh.

Well, there's always the force.

OOC: Just because he's a stinkin little NINJA? Naw, it's always a good idea to antagonize the guy who can kill you without even breaking your skin... Although my interrogations have a tendency to be rather non-violent, due to the presence of Psions...

IC:

The 20 person team of Miehmish specops members was taking a more unconventional search method than most would believe possible, they were relying entirely on the powers of their Half-Eternal commander, youngest son of the coupling of Berenalai and his Eternal Wife, before he was outcaste at the beginning of the Second Black Crusade, he was more powerful than any pure-breed Protoss save the Darchon, and then the power difference was minimal, he should be able to detect a being as powerful as Sivv'Nakh merely by entering the proper system.

The first system was a bust, as was the second, and the third, but the fourth seemed like a pretty good prospect, there was something down there at least, wether it was Sivv'Nakh or not remained to be seen, but the team was deploying towards the surface, and would soon be investigating the psionic disturbance on the planet below...

OOC: That's all for tonight, time now for sleeping here...

OOC: Would you mind if a few of my Sin Hunters (inner region rangers/law enforcers) try this for experience. They would be Lawful Evil to you or anyone else. Cruel and cunning, they like to torture and belittle their prey before going for a kill.

“I found it on a wall in the Broken Dagger. It read, ‘Wanted, alive: Sivv'Nakh, the Death Angel, for the heinous crime of genocide. Reward: 10 Billion Credits.’” Tajak waited for the exclamations to quiet, then continued. “‘No photo available, but the following facts are known: Silver eyes, approximately 7 feet tall. Roams between forested and under-populated worlds
such as Yavin, Korriban, Endor, Kashyyk, etc. When found, bring to Thorn Star System for reward.’ That’s all it said. I got back to the ship as quickly as I could.”

“I think we can all agree that the chance to get ten billion credits shouldn’t be ignored, but we’ll need a lot more information before we can get started. Kayla, Tômas – start setting up a communication scan, and we’ll-“

“Captain, we’ve got company!”

A few quick key-taps brought the image of the approaching vessel up on a convenient viewscreen; it had weapons out, and looked ready for combat.

“Tajak, are you sure you didn’t get anyone mad at you while we were in Khazad?”

“Well… Garrin Trakdïr and a couple of his thugs tried to stop me on the way back to Victory…”

“You got into a fight with the favorite lieutenant of the most powerful criminal on the planet?!”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“It might have been better if you had. Jethil can only get so angry, and it might have taken him longer to find out who was responsible. Still, if he thinks he can take Victory out with one frigate- Blast, here come two more. There’s no profit in this fight. Let’s move!”

Barän had already entered the coordinates for the Salmath system. Without more time to analyze its current location, Victory couldn’t make a very accurate jump, but opening a portal only requires a few seconds. Hurrying now would probably cost them an extra jump or two; staying would mean making repairs to the shield projectors, at least. Jethil’s forces opened fire as soon as the portal appeared, but at this range only a few shots hit. Victory was gone before they could get closer.

As the portal closed and Victory began orienting itself, Barän continued.
“As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, we’ll head for Korvial. If we learn anything directly useful, either there or through the com. scan, we’ll follow the lead. Otherwise, this’ll probably be a long search. Either way, we’re going to have to take this “Sivv’Nakh” person alive. That means a number of us won’t be using or favorite weapons, and we might need some extra non-lethal incapacitation gear. Tômas, after you get the scan set up, see what you’ve got that might be useful for that. The rest of you, free time until we’ve got some information. Anybody who knows anything that might be relevant, speak up… Nothing? In that case, meeting adjourned.”

~~~~Korvial, Salmath system~~~~

Victory was challenged by one of the Korvial battlestations upon arrival; after Barän identified himself and his vessel, they were allowed to land. Kayla and Belten went forth into the Library to search for information, with the Captain coming to keep them from getting distracted. While Barän stood over them and watched, Kayla directed the search and the WX-45 recorded everything she found. Finally, with a stack of data disks holding everything that came up under a search for “Sivv’Nakh, silver eyes” and another disk full of information about silver-eyed races of the proper size range and inhabitable but sparsely settled worlds, the team was ready to return… theoretically.

“Captain, may I look up a few other things while we’re here?”

Barän had expected this question, and had planned his response before they even reached the Library. “You’ve got ten minutes, and not a second more. Belten, you get five after she’s done. Don’t complain; we all know you’ll still get more information than Kayla…”

15 minutes later, they headed back to the ship to sort what they had found. Most of it would be useless… obscure religions with well-documented origins, characters from rightfully forgotten movies, and the like… but if there was any information at all available about the Death Angel, this should provide at least a clue about where to find it. If not, they would have to do this the hard way, trusting to luck and a thorough search.

OOC: Is there anything they might find out that way, or are they going to have to search basically at random?
By the way, WX wasn’t a typo – it means that the robot was designed for a civilian career. Belten’s got some modifications that make him more effective in combat than most WXs, but he’s still not a match for an actual MX in a fight (ignoring matters of skill and allies). There are a lot more WX than MX models, both in number and in variety.

A young man sits at a table reading a newspaper. "So...one billion credits to find this guy. He must be pretty tough. Not that I need the money, but it helps if I wanna buy a Star Destroyer or something. *Chuckle* Star Destroyer. Right."

A kid in cowboy garb snickers. "So Jake, are you going to take it?"

"Hmm. I don't know. Knowing Godulans, the thing would be worse than all the dinosaurs of Coredia put together. I don't wanna risk my life catching this thing." Jake grumbled.

"Who said anything about catching it. We could just...talk to it or something." The kid said.

Jake slowly lowered the newspaper and gave his partner a very dirty look. "Chris, you're a fuckin' nerfherder, you know that?"

"Aww. C'mon! Please! How bad can this Sivv'Nakh be?"

"He committed genocide." Jake deadpanned.

"So does everyone and their mother. If nothing else, do it for the challenge." That struck a chord. Chris smirked as he knew Jake couldn't resist a challenge, not for long.

"Chris, you're one crystal short of a lightsaber." Jake sighed. "But if you really want to find this Sivv'Nakh, we'll do it."

"Yay!" Chris cheered.

And so, yet another bounty hunter team begins the crazy hunt for the billion dollar Death Angel...

OOC: Xenith ain't a ninja. He's a Spellsinger with a Dominion Gaze ability, but that's a bit of a tangent anyway.

Kendari: There's a couple leads one might take. Looking for references of people with silver eyes, or just looking around a few planets first. Chances are you'll run into somebody from Insiar II who might recommend the old guy of the north because he might just be old enough to remember that far. Might find the guy selling some of Sivv'Nakh's bread. He sells it to the locals and donates it to the hospital, and the locals resell it for a premium price. Lets just say that the bread is rather captivating.

Tanthan: Sure, just remember though, Sivv'Nakh is NOT defenseless, and I mentioned armies earlier... I suppose that could be a hint for people intending to directly antagonize him.

OOC: Skipping alot of the crappy intro so people read it.

IC:
In deep space, far from Tanthan....a small Type B Scouter is on a sharp descent towards a foreign planet's surface. Luckily it is inhabited...

The ship speeds through the atmosphere and crashes down near a back-water place and out pops three Elven. One of them starts to repair the ship while the two girls head out to a near-by town.

Some time later the two came across a poster that read:


WANTED
ALIVE

Sivv'Nakh, the Death Angel
for the heinous crime of: GENOCIDE

Reward: 10 Billion Credits

No photo available, but the following facts are known:
Silver Eyes
Approximately 7 Feet Tall
Roams between forested and underpopulated worlds
such as Yavin, Korriban, Endor, Kashyyk, etc.

When found, bring to Thorn Star System for reward.


The younger of the two girls smirked and pointed at the reward, "Wow....not bad, I think we should report it and get a bit of the profit after our Sin Hunters drag him in."

The other sighed and nodded, "Ya....we'll need it to get the hell off this planet..."

The two would call the nearest Patrol ship to send the message to the High Command.

---------

Message XXXX-817
SIN HUNTER TARGET IDENTIFIED
SENDING INFO....
REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ACTION
FOUR HUNTERS NEEDED, FULL GEAR

---------

The teammade planetfall soon after they left the ship, from what they could tell this was a fecund world, very little population or high technology, but, for all its fecunditity, there was a certain presence to the place, as though a great power was either hiding itself here, or had recently been here. Now they headed to the largest population center on the planet, and started where every good bounty hunter starts, the local bars, they split up, 2 people to a bar, and they all asked the same question, "Have you ever seen a tall man, with eyes of silver here, or know of anyone who might have seen such a person?" Depending on the response they would work from there.

IC:

Two days later, Yavin system

A small bluish-white spaceship (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/blackrobed_one/Ken-Oh-Ki.jpg) jumped into the system (OOC: click on the link to get the picture). While the ship itself is quite small, its “wings” are approximately 25 meters long, making the entire ship look to be about the same size as YT-1300 (OOC: the ship that served as a base for Millennium Falcon design). The ship looks like it is perfectly able to move in any direction, though at the moment it just hangs in space on the outskirts of the system.

And inside the ship…

…The dark cloaked woman stood in the center of sinister-looking violet pentagram, which was in turn located in the center of a dark room. The only signs of technology were screens that hanged in the air at some distance from the woman; most of them were currently displaying Yavin system from different viewpoints and in different zoomings. The only other things in the room were a number of dark crystals of some kind that also hanged in the air but without any apparent organization or purpose.

The woman has never been in this system before, or in this part of the Universe for that matter, yet it would do little to slow her down; ever so often she would step upon new hunting grounds, and she was accustomed to it. Following the woman’s mental command, her ship began scanning the system: first of all she needed to know if there was any civilization at all in this god-forsaken place…

OOC:

I am still a touch unsure about how you will GM (i.e. “lead”) this RPG, Godular. I hope it will be something like character-based RPGs I used to play and GM, i.e. with players posting their actions and GM (AKA Game Master) posting results and/or responses.

Mini Miehm-

Most of the bars on the planet were your typical ramshackle watering hole affair, save one. The Crispy Critter Bar'N'Grill appeared much like its counterparts, save the fact that the junky exterior was something of a decoration scheme rather than simple shoddy construction.

Inside, smoke hung a meter from the ceiling, fed by swarms of fuming cigarettes at every table. The smell was horrid, but somehow, nobody cared. There was another smell that overpowered all others and seemed to prevent people from noticing the scummy interior.

The Bartender, a fellow so tall his head was engulfed by the smoke, gave two of the Miehman newcomers a curious look as they sidled up and asked him about some silver-eyed giant.

"Nope, ain't seen nothin' like that. All we have here is our mood-cat habitats. Big chunk of our economy it is. Kitties that change color and attitude depending on your mood. Slight telepathic nature in 'em. You'd be surprised how often people come down asking about Jedi Masters and stuff. Its so funny. Hey, want some bread? A new batch just came in from Insiar. Best stuff you will have EVER tasted, and that's a fact."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

TPJ-

Initial surface scans of Yavin IV reveal a well-jungled world with signs of recent fighting that appeared to burn a healthy swath across what appears to be a wrecked temple complex. Signs of sentient life should at this point be nonexistent. From the data, it would appear that some army had jumped in and laid waste to the place for a few trinkets.

OOC: This is true. A Chronosian Exile and his entourage took a rather blunt approach to 'excavating' Exar Kun's tomb complex.

OCC: *snarls in rage* I had most of a post typed up, and my thrice-cursed computer crashed. Post coming soon... hopefully.

In another bar, on the same world; a man raised a glass to his lips; savoring the amasec with an almost languid sigh; moving to sip on it once again; before placing the now depleted glass on the bar before him. Gloved fingers raised into the air, fingers adorned with sharp gauntlet-tips of gold and silver. A smirk playing across the face beneath the hood. "Another" Came the slow whisper; and he looked up, facing the barkeep; smirking shifting to wry grin. "We're only just beginning"

Behind him; the great figure stood; a great black coat enveloping his frame; arms folded behind his back; a silent sentry; watching his brother and the barkeep; glancing about the establishment. Weapons concealed in the folds of his clothing; eyes alert and alive. Perking at the mentions of mood-cat markets; or the latest rumors amongst off-world traders and hardened industry-locals.

"I want to ask you something" Alexus spoke as he placed the money for the next amasec upon the rough surface of the bar, along with several more considerable sums. Gold glittered there; some jewels; evidently very valuable; considerably rare "And I want you to indulge me." He tittered softly, before turning his gaze upon the bartender; focussing his will into his voice. "I wish to know of any....Unsettling rumors. And I want to know about...A Stranger; with silver eyes" He chuckled again.

Pausing now; glancing to Marius; he turned his attentions from the bartender for a moment. Far above; the flagship of the Corsair fleet waited; it's identification said it was a heavily armed Rogue Trader out of Kosse; trading in fine silks, antiques, and Azahan metals. A fine cargo of gold, silver and armors. Some of it from the personnal collection of a certain Lord Turel of the Nelo Angelus...

And thus it began to play out. The subtle questions; the slow burn of a fine investigation. The build-up; the bustle and the scent of vaguest glory and triumph and jubilation.

OOC: Yeah, Chronos' skirmishes in search of glory (which he eventually got) did rather maul the beautiful world. I also seem to remember hurting it considerably from orbit, to try and blame CW...

"A silver-eyed stranger you say? Naw. Most interesting people I've seen in the past decade are... you. No, wait, I forget myself. There was some guy named Durgan that came through here about a week ago, asking about the same thing. He said he was gonna try the Insiar system next, never did hear what happened to him."

Four beautiful, but almost frighteningly powerful Feles appeared in the doorway of the jet black long range ship. Its a powerful, but sleek and stealthy flagship of the Feles Sin Hunters. They were about to depart and then a short Tovenaar appeared, wobbling up to the much taller Feles, his voice was high-pitched almost squeaky, but about as masculine as a pre-pubescent child.

"Alrighty! Let's get this over with, the longer I am here the more my seed is in danger....never know what a bunch of hor---AHHHH!" he was saying until the captain gave him a sharp kick in the butt and sent him flying into the ship and crashed into the far wall with a loud clang.

"Watch your mouth you digusting creature! Say something like that again and I'll roast you over an open fire while your still alive after I torture you to the point of near-death. Then of course enjoy your tasty meat all for myself, you know....on my world it is a delicacy still!" she said, laughing lightly.

The three others behind her laughed and poked more fun at the tiny Tovenaar.

"You aren't worth even trying to 'play' with, SOOO small!" the dark black haired hunter said, making a small inch-sized spacing between her thumb and index finger.

"AHAHAHAH! Ya, I haven't had Tovenaar since my trip to Hinka...darn...I want some now." said the light blue haired one.

"Little Tovenaar talk so big, but we all know they are less then 3 inches...isn't that right Alpha?" said the last, a dark red haired hunter.

The ships door closed and a hiss and rush of air sent a stream of super-cooled air out as the ship detatched from the dock. The four hunters and the Tovenaar were heading out on a mission to capture their prey and bring him to justice.

"Insiar, you say? I've never been there; not in all my years as a trader; not in all my years in the navy either. So, tell me; what is Insiar like? And where can it be found?" More lucre spills across the table as Alexus sips his amasec, chuckling lightly as he swirls the liquor in the glass; letting his eyes drift up to the barman once more. Marius has moved closer; waiting; watching, both of them alert and eager. Pretty soon; they would have to leave, and everything would fall into place.

OOC:

Hmm... The Thorn system?

You mean Kaluza, right? :)

I wonder, since I never retreived the hulk of Kanuckistan's ship, is it still floating around there somewhere?

Well, good luck finding the Death Angel. Meanwhile, I'll be committing my own genocide...

Victory’s computer took a while to sort through the data they had collected, then generated a convenient summary. There were no definite leads, but a number of possible clues, mostly sightings of silver eyes on planets where such is rarely seen. This had narrowed the field quite a bit; finding Sivv’Nakh would still be like looking for a light brown, non-magnetic needle in a haystack, but it was a much smaller haystack.

Now it was down to searching, and there were still many routes that could be taken. Bäran made a list of the five most efficient, but left it to Kayla to make the final decision. The team had learned to trust her impulses in such matters.

The first world on the chosen route was surprisingly close to Salmath, and Victory reached it in three jumps. The crew spent most of the time looking over the collection of non-lethal weaponry Tômas had produced. Upon arrival, Bäran deployed a few of their special observation drones (like most gadgets on the ship, they had been extensively modified by Tômas), then brought the vessel quietly to a landing just out of sight of a convenient town.

A team of three was sent out to seek information. Kayla would ask the questions, of course; she could often learn more from a slight change in expression than the rest of the crew would figure out from a five minute speech. Daryn would be her visible guard. Visibly armed with a small Narvok blast rifle, he should make those who might think Kayla looked like easy prey think twice before attacking without actually scaring the people they tried to question. Verdil would watch them both from afar, doing his best to remain unseen.

The three set forth, Verdil vanishing silently into the bushes while the other two headed straight for the town.

OOC: Verdil and Kayla are Nertar, by the way – catlike humanoids native to Kendari, with pointed ears, narrow, vertical pupils, etc. They tend to be somewhat shorter than most humans.

OOC: Kendari.....yours are EXACTLY like mine....wow, we must both be fans of anime or FF11! XD Are they elite hunters though

OOC: Actually, I designed the Nertar myself... originally to provide a race for a character I was using in a story. They're an interesting species, and make (in my opinion) fun characters. They're about 30% of the Kendaryn population.

As for the elite hunters question... I'm not sure exactly what your standards are, but these are certainly not fighters to be trifled with, and they're pretty good at tracking and such.

Anyway, there's certainly potential for an interesting meeting here...

The pair in the Crispy Critter relayed their findings to the other teams and decided that they were hungry, so they took a break to eat, whatever the house was good at making, and some of the bread from Insiar, after the first taste the Protoss Teamleader knew something was funny, there was a hint of something, a sense of something more than human, or Protoss for that matter, about it, it was something so slight that he couldn't even recognise it until he had eaten half a slice, but it was there, and he knew what their next target was...

They quickly ate, payed their bill, and headed back to the ship, at which point they set a course directly for Insiar...

GZ: Its THORN. You ended up giving me the system, and the Godulans stuck with the name they gave it. :D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chronosia:

"Oh, its close by, just a few light years off. Plainly marked, just nobody ever bothers to make it a hotspot, which is why I remember when somebody says they're going there as if its important.

Its a lumber world. A couple little settlements and a damn lot of trees. I hope you're not allergic to pine. That planet has evergreens that can tower almost half a kilometer high. Don't walk barefoot either. Them needles can go straight through your feet."

The signs of recent battle immediately sparked the woman’s attention; she knew too well that what appears to be an army’s doing can easily be a work of a single person… For a moment, a wicked half-smile appeared on the woman’s face as she remembered some of her hunts and the lengths she had to go to apprehend some especially unruly preys.

Meanwhile, the ship burst into motion, swiftly flying towards Yavin IV until it eventually came to stop above what was left of an ancient Sith temple. The woman gave the ruins a brief glance, and provided that nothing attracted her attention, began considering her options. Hunting a single person on all but uninhabited planet (assuming that he was there at all, of which the woman wasn’t certain) wasn’t exactly her specialty, though she always had a few trick up in her sleeve… Like a highly advanced Bio Scanner, for example.

Following her mental command, another screen appeared right in front of the woman, were she proceeded to mentally (OOC: Nagi usually controls Ken-Oh-Ki mentally, through telepathic link between them, though she is known for occasionally giving verbal commands too) set Bio Scanner to look for creatures of approximately human size. Depending upon local fauna, the targets may be many… Or few. “If later will be the case,” the woman thought as she waited for results, “It may be worth my time to linger on this planet a little longer.”

The only thing the scan reveals is a few large plant-eating sloth type creatures. Beyond that, humanoid scans are non existent.

The not-so-dynamic duo sped through space, thinking about where to begin for leads. There are a lot of forested worlds in the galaxy, and those with large populations like Kashyyyk were eliminated as Sivv'Nakh would most likely wish to be isolated.

They decided on heading towards an outskirt world of the galaxy, one with nothing but a few settlements. They call it...Arbora.

"What kind of name is Arbora? It's too bland and unoriginal." Chris commented.

"Eh. Probably has many interesting plants there." Jake shrugged.

And so, the unlikely twosome sped onwards to the world of Arbora...

Sivv'Nakh lay upon a flat rock, 'staring' at the night sky. After his encounter with Durgan, the old man had decided to activate his long-dormant sensor suite and check the surrounding region of space.

He was not pleased.

Ships with fake registries and illicit purposes abounded throughout the sector. They were looking for him.

They had no RIGHT...

"Holy shit thats good stuff!" The man said, a small amount of Melange spice on the side of his lips. "Gimme Some more would ya?"

"I have told you." Talbor Said, his blue caste eyes watching the man before him. "I don't give anyone this stuff, you want it you pay." He turned and looked at the figure in power armour behind him. "Don't want to pay, you leave."

"Dude," the man said, his head smiling. "Your talking to the head of Crime in this city, an..." He stopped as the Dark figure's hand lit up, lighting running along the massive claws on the right hand. "What the fuck?"

"This my friend, is not our problem," the Talbor said. "You want? You pay, you don't? we will leave now. I have no time for cheap skates."

"Fine you bastard, here you are" he said, throwing them a data pad.

"We don't take infomation," the Power armoured figure said in a highly mechinized voice.

"Now Drach'Nyen," Talbor said. "Lets find out what it is first."

He activated the data pad. On it, a number of things flashed, Talbor read them at amazing speeds, at a glance he had absorbed the page into his memory.

"Computing now...I think we might have something usful, Ten Billion you say?" he laughed. "If we can't find him, or this thing doesn't pay, I me and Drach'Nyen here might just come after you. But for now, you get this." he smiled, throwing a small waist bag to the man before him. He walked off, motioning for the Marine to follow him.

***

"Drach'Nyen?" Yarel Said. "Why that one in paricular?"

"It sounded impressive, I heard it somewhere in your Daemon cult, so figured it would have some effect on the weakling. What was it anyway?"

"It was the sword of Abaddon the Despoiler." The warrior said softly.

"Hm...well, anyway, we should go on this lead. I need to go work a few things out, meet me in the ship in four hours."

"What are you working out brother?"

"I need more Data."

***

OOC Yea, he is going round random bars, looking for the info. He is a Mentat, and all info given would be nice. Planet is some outer rim world.

About the only information the mentat would be able to garner on this world is to go someplace more isolated, with a couple sectors suggested, one of them being the right one.

The twosome set down in what amounts to a spaceport on the outer rim planet of Arbora and got out of their craft to ask around about a silver-eyed dude running around.

Nobody knew anything about that kind of fellow, and for all of its rustic charm, there wasn't much to pay attention to on Arbora. The only thing that would have caught anybody's attention was a particularly delectable smell emanating from inside a local watering hole, and somebody inside commenting on how 'it' smelled and tasted so fresh even after a lengthy shipping process.

The twosome got back together and compared notes, so to speak.

"Anything?" Jake asked.

"No, nothing...except that several locals have smelled something delicious coming from a local watering hole." Chris answered.

Jake looked thoughtful. "Yeah, an old crone said it was the best bread she's smelled in years."

"Think it's a lead?"

Jake shrugged. "Could be. Then again, it could just be some smugglers hiding out. Let's just see what's what and if it's nothing, we'll keep looking elsewhere."

"All right."

The two bounty hunters headed into the forest where the watering hole was rumored to be...

The Mentat moved back to the craft with anger in his stride. He looked up to see Yarel standing by the open hanger of the ship. He was looking inside, yelling something to a small red window before him.

"...Bitch, I want you to look just a little furhter then five minutes to see if you can give us any idea where to go!" He roared at the Navigator which squirmed inside the craft. "Since we got the Hyperdrive on this ship now, we don't NEED you, so get your head working over time." His claws came up, lighting arching acros them.

"Trying to indimidate the Navigator?" Talbor asked as he aproched, his face smiling suddenly. "Good luck, that thing isn't scared of you."

The Marine screamed in anger when the fish creature shook its head, his claws ripped through the canister, slicing the small being apart.

"Bout time you realised to get rid of it." the Mentat said smiling. "I told you it was a comodity."

"I suppose, what did you get?"

"I got a few sector suggestions. There is nothing else on this world, we going to have to go search manually."

"WHAT!?" The Marine roared. "By the Will of the Emperor, this is going to take a while."

The Mentat smiled. "To manually search every system possible would take in excess of One million years. We will search the ones given by the locals first."

"Think that will get us anywhere?" The marine asked hopefully.

"One in...Three million chance one of these systems is correct, if you acount over variables, it goes down to one in one hundred thousand." he shrugged. "Either way, their our best leads."

"Lets get searching then, where we going to start?"

"I consider the planet of...unchosen, data not sufficient." The marine slaped the man on the back of the head. "Out of the Mentat Mindset you fool, choose."

"Thank you, we go to Maliria."

Two days after departure:

They had arrived in the Insiar system just minutes ago, broadcasting their standard Military Grade Transponder Code, and already they were on the way to the surface, just three this time, The Unit Commander, the Team Leader, and his Ghost counterpart.

Bump.

Y'all can post more than just landing on the planet. Go around, ask questions. Insiar II is really just a small-town planet. Post yourselves asking questions, and I'll answer easily enough.

[snip]
A team of three was sent out to seek information. Kayla would ask the questions, of course; she could often learn more from a slight change in expression than the rest of the crew would figure out from a five minute speech. Daryn would be her visible guard. Visibly armed with a small Narvok blast rifle, he should make those who might think Kayla looked like easy prey think twice before attacking without actually scaring the people they tried to question. Verdil would watch them both from afar, doing his best to remain unseen.

The three set forth, Verdil vanishing silently into the bushes while the other two headed straight for the town.
OOC: You wnat to do anything with this, or shall I just write this section and head for Insiar? I'm thinking they'll find someone selling his bread here...

The town itself was rather small, and squirrel-ish creatures bounded across the rooftops of the assorted buildings in the small settlement. Questioning the locals revealed nothing beyond shrugs and apologies.

As they approached the center of town, however, they were almost bowled over by a small man running towards a somewhat busy cantina, hastily speaking to himself. "I'm late I'm late I'm late, boss is gonna kill meeeee..."

As he passed, the smell hit...

Kempai sat in space, his ship imobile. He sat in the center of his ship, several inscence candles were lit and around him in a circle. Kempai himself was sitting cross-legged in the middle, stripped down to a pair of black cotten trousers. His muscled body flexed as slightly as he breathed in and out deeply. The ripples like that of a rock hitting the surface of a pond.

He sat with his eyes closed, his mind empty of all thought, all thought except for the Ancient Words of Finding. He thought them over in his mind then began muttering in the old tongue.

'Veniant spiritus aerials fulgurientes, cum fulgurationi flet tempestas austrina. Jovis tempestas fulguriens...Sagitta maigca, wries fulguralis.'

In his mind's eye images flowed as if someone was placing them there. First there was the tall form, human-like but with dark skin, and silver eyes.

A forested planet, it was not very distinctive in any real fashion.

A man on the ground before him, arm twisted at an odd angle.

An ancient computer consul with ancient markings and dials, dark hands moving over its controls bringing some technology online.

The night sky, stars shining from above. The sensation of cold smooth rock underneath him.


Kempai's eyes broke open with a start. The images he had recieved floated in his mind. He chose one. The others disapeared. The one he chose burned into his memory as if it was uploaded by a computer.

"Interesting," Kempai said aloud. He stood and doused all the candles. He streatched and untensed all his muscles. He walked over to his large navigation computer and called up a series of star charts. He began matching the image of the night sky witht that of the star charts. "This will take awhile," he thought to himself. he shrugged and continued on trying to find a match.

OOC: Hey, don't forget me!

As the little man rushed away, Kayla sniffed with interest. Something made her think that this smell was more significant than it seemed.

"Come on, I want to find out what that guy's carrying."

"I know it smells good, but do we really have time to worry about food? We haven't found a thing here, and we've got a lot of searching to do."

"This is important. I'm not sure why, but it is."

With Daryn still grumbling quietly, the two headed into the cantina.

The Unit commander and his two suboordinates split up, each headed to a different small town, looking for the source of the bread...

Thrashia: After about half an hour, the computer comes up with a positive match. Judging from starcharts and the effective angle of viewing, it appears to be coming from a few miles south of the 54th parallel on a world known as Insiar II.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CoreWorlds: The watering hole was a classic example of a moonshine bar. People chugged from bottles with no other label than a lightning bolt etched into the glass, and took bites out of a particularly fragrant spiced bread.

"What'll it be, y'all?" The Bartender spoke jovially as the two newcomers entered.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kendari: Following the running and gasping man took them to what appeared to be a local deli with what appeared to be a surprisingly lengthy line. As he approached, the people in the line cried out with glee, and as he entered a small stream of curses from what sounded like a very frustrated manager crept from the threshold. This was immediately followed by a sign in the window turning around to read 'Insiar II Special Today!', further followed by a hearty cheer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mini Miehm: The response to questioning was almost unanimous.

"The bread? Old dude of the north, my man." "Old man winter bakes this stuff up. Its almost as popular as the lumber around here!" "Old feller up north makes it. Sells it off for a small price and donates it to the local hospital for medical gear. He's a wierd one, all right. He says he does it with a simple oven, but damned if he doesn't make enough to seem like he mass produces it!" "What, you want the old guy up north? Just go north and wander around, you'll run into him eventually. "

CoreWorlds: The watering hole was a classic example of a moonshine bar. People chugged from bottles with no other label than a lightning bolt etched into the glass, and took bites out of a particularly fragrant spiced bread.

"What'll it be, y'all?" The Bartender spoke jovially as the two newcomers entered.
"We just happened on the bread smell and we're wondering who made it." Jake said.

"Comes from out of system. Insiar II, I think. Some old guy there bakes it and the stuff somehow manages to stay fresh. Best stuff we've ever had, and business goes up bigtime every time we get a new batch."

Kayla spoke quietly into her comm. set.
-"Hey, Captain - check the data on Insiar II, will you?"-

After a moment's pause, she got a response.

-"Small, heavily forested, and lightly inhabited. Known for its lumber. It's number 27 on the list, as it happens. Why?"-

-"Call it a hunch... I think we might find a lead there. With luck, I'll know more fairly soon."-

When she finally reached the front of the line, Kayla ordered the Insiar II special. "This stuff smells wonderful! Do you know who makes it?" she asked, while paying for it.

The three got back together, and headed north, looking for the man that made the bread, they had a pretty good idea where he was, so they weren't bothering to search a very large are, only about 1 mile on a side, and they were very intent on finding this man as soon as possible...

Kendari: "I hear tell its from some old guy that makes tons of the stuff and sells it for money he gives to the local hospital. My Brother lost a leg on that planet, and if it weren't for what that hermit gives the hospital, he'd have bled to death. Why you ask? Want to get an exclusive on the bread?"

Mini Miehm: There was no sign whatsoever of this strange old man, but any of the more intuitive members of the group would have felt a strong sense of being watched.

All three members of the party know he's out there, watching them, but they can't find him, they're not really sure what to do, so they decide to take a break and eat lunch.

"Comes from out of system. Insiar II, I think. Some old guy there bakes it and the stuff somehow manages to stay fresh. Best stuff we've ever had, and business goes up bigtime every time we get a new batch."
"Hmm..." Jake seemed lost in thought. "Do you have any more specific directions to the place?"

"We'll take two breads and two sodas, please." Chris beamed.

Mini Miehm: Several kilometers away, sitting on a rock, Sivv'Nakh sat, watching them as if he were directly beside them. I will confront them tomorrow...

Coreworlds: "Gotta warn ya though, the bread ain't cheap, but don't think you're not getting your money's worth," he said as he placed the two bread and 'sodas' on the bar. "That'll be twenty-five creds."

"Just curious. It's rare indeed that I encounter something that smells that good, especially after shipping from off-planet. Thanks, and have a nice day."

Taking the bread back with them, the three quickly returned to the ship. Kayla there reported her findings, and the strange feeling she had of their importance.

"I think this baker knows something. Possibly through his contact with the hospital, or simply news mentioned by a customer. Somehow, he has a clue that will lead us to Sivv'Nakh."

"Very well - Insiar II it is."

Victory lifted off of the planet with no attempt at stealth, gathered its observation drones, and headed for Insiar. A few hours later, it arrived in the outskirts of the system. The area showed unusual levels of activity; clearly, they weren't the only ones interested in this world.

After the drones were deployed and the ship landed, the same team went out to find more information. This time, they had two people to ask about... or at least, so they thought.

Coreworlds: "Gotta warn ya though, the bread ain't cheap, but don't think you're not getting your money's worth," he said as he placed the two bread and 'sodas' on the bar. "That'll be twenty-five creds."
"No problem." Jake produced a five-cred and two ten-credit chips for the bartender. He took his share.

"Thanks!" Chris smiled and tore a piece off. Cute kid. "Mmm. Excellent."

Jake bit into his. "Best bread I've ever had."

Jake and Chris put the bread away into their bags and headed back to their ship. Soon, they took off and after the navicomputer hooked up to the 'net to download coordinates to Insiar II (took a minute because it's pretty obscure) and made the jump to hyperspace.

The Trio decided that after the day they had had they would spend the night in the woods, and continue the search in the morning.

Reverting to realspace, the little ship zoomed into the atmosphere of Insiar II and descended onto a land full of trees, trees and more trees. The little ship took to a big clearance and the two young bounty hunters began tree-jumping like they were naturals. Tree-jumping is a Coredian trademark, after all.

Kendari: As one of the observation drones drifted by overhead, the old man, resting on his rock, showed no concern, for he was... a rock.

The town itself showed no sign whatsoever of tension, people simply wandered by, with the occasional child wandering past munching a piece of spiced bread. Any queries about the old man would point north. Any queries about a silver-eyed fellow would point to the old man up north, he might know...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would appear that it is time for some paranoia, the old man calculated to himself, and he went to work.

For the two groups that had come bounding into the forest, at the exact same time, twigs snapped, bushes rustled, and they did it in straight lines. Both 'lines of commotion' led towards the other group...

"Hey." Chris stopped for a moment. "Hear that?"

Twigs snapped and other rustling noises occured.

"Yeah. Let's check it out..." Jake said, and the two hunters changed direction, heading towards the noises...

OOC: @#($*!! computer crashed when I was almost done with a post again. This'll be a somewhat condensed version of the original, because I don't have time to type the whole thing up again at the moment. I'll edit in the rest when I can.

IC:
The drones spotted no sign of the old man, but they did detect several other teams on the planet. Victory moved to a clearing further north, and the crew that got out to search the region was equipped for battle... just in case. Barän remained on board the ship with three others, to provide assistance if it was needed, while the rest of the group split into pairs to search.

OOC:
Summary of groups:
Tômas (heavily customized light power armor under a trenchcoat with a lot of pockets, no obvious weapons) is with Daryn (medium-weight armor, Narvok blast rifle, several pouches of programmable grenades (about the size and shape of golf balls), and a few other small devices). Kayla (Nertar, extremely light armor, primarily for protection against extreme conditions, no obvious weapons) is with Tajak (Nertar, medium/light armor, black cloak, several heavy blasters and large knives). Teralyn (light armor designed for concealment, small, almost skeletal Yamiri sniper's gun, several smaller devices) is with Belten (WX-45, currently has two legs and four arms), and Verdil (Nertar, armor little heavier than Kayla's, ragged clothing in shades of green, brown, and gray, silenced Yamiri blaster, two T'zarith dueling knives) watches Bethan (heavy power armor, Tor Ganot blast rifle, special equipment) from above.

Kempai's ship came out of hypersapce with a jolt, his flight harness rubbing against him as it held him to the pilot seat.

"Computer, calculate the distance to Insiar II," he said aloud. For a moment no reply came until a small wirl of beeps and other computic sounds were heard, then a voice said: "23,000km away captain, Insiar II is the 2nd world of the Insiar System, not known to be heavily populated, the majority of the planets are forest covered and have small populations; a recent log in the Holo Net says that a particularly good bread can be found at Insiar II."

Kempai's eyes narrowed. "Bread?" He breathed deeply then shifted his course to the distant planet.



Kempai chose a remote loacation to land, several kilometers away from any of the small number of villages. He got out of his ship and walked upon the planet. It had some of the freshest air he had breathed in a long time, it was nearly peaceful, except for a small feeling growing in the back of his mind.

"Now to find him," he said. Once more he returned to his ship, then he left it again carrying a bag and his long staff. He walked to a nearby patch of what looke dlike Earth Elm trees, nice and thick ones that formed a circle around him.

He sat down in the middle of the space and took out five candles from it. He put them in the form of a large pentagon. Satisfied, he took out a small reg silk bag. From it he took a handful of what looked like red sand. With it he made lines in with the sand upon the ground, connecting each of the candles, one by one; until finally he had a large pentagram made.

Sitting in its center he left his cloak and bag outside of it. but kept his staff, and sat cross-legged in the center. Closing his eyes he entered a meditive state.

The three team members were on a watch and watch rotation, meaning that only the Ghost was awake when the rustling started, and the Sense he got from the "presence" in the trees was not human, or Protoss, or any other species he'd ever encountered for that matter, he decided that waking the other two would be his best bet, and so he did.

Once they were all awake they decided that waiting for whatever was coming towards them would be their best bet, though they did all ready their weapons, they believed that if iut was SivvNakh, confrontation would be a very bad idea...

The two bounty hunters stopped one more, some meters from the Protoss campsite and more meters above them.

"Huh. The sounds appear to have stopped." Jake scratched his head.

"Yeah. Where could they be..." Chris wondered.

They've stopped moving, what do we do?

Wait, there are definitely two point sources, but other than that I'm getting mixed readings, almost as though they were jedi, or ninja...

Perhaps they are Masaki's, the Masaki clan are traditionally both Ninja and Jedi, and they are allies of Godular, the group that put out the bounty, perhaps they sent a pair of operatives...

They've stopped moving, what do we do?

Wait, there are definitely two point sources, but other than that I'm getting mixed readings, almost as though they were jedi, or ninja...

Perhaps they are Masaki's, the Masaki clan are traditionally both Ninja and Jedi, and they are allies of Godular, the group that put out the bounty, perhaps they sent a pair of operatives...
Jake and Chris suddenly sensed a spike of psionic energy in the area. He sent hand-signals to Chris. Stay right here. I'm going to find out what that was.

Right. Chris signaled back.

Jake bounced quickly from one tree trunk to another, getting down to the ground. He began reaching out, with non-hostile intentions, and used his 'mental radar' to search...

One of them is coming closer, trap him.

Understood.

The Protoss Team Leader struck out with hs mind, trying to pin the individual who had gotten closer for a look, and hopefully capture it.

One of them is coming closer, trap him.

Understood.

The Protoss Team Leader struck out with hs mind, trying to pin the individual who had gotten closer for a look, and hopefully capture it.
"Wha--!" Jake was suddenly slammed into the trunk of a tree, then a force crashed him onto the forest floor, narrowly missing a sharp needle. "OWW!!"

The Ghost quickly grabbed him and preceded to drag him over to the rest of the team, while the Protoss went out to get the other one, who had been left alone by his allies investigation.

The Ghost quickly grabbed him and preceded to drag him over to the rest of the team, while the Protoss went out to get the other one, who had been left alone by his allies investigation.
Damn! Jake's caught! What do I do? Chris cried to himself.

"What the hell you think you're doing!" Jake yelled as he was dragged over to the team.

"We could ask the same of you, human. We are here sleeping, you are sneaking up on our camp, we have every right to react in our defense."

The Protoss team leader approaches Chris, and attempts the same trick he used on Jake.

The shouting, unsurprisingly, attracted the attention of others...

Verdil and Bethan happened to be searching somewhat to the left of the site of the confrontation. The Nertar, with his already keen senses further enhanced by spy gear, was the first to notice. He heard Jake's initial cry of surprise, and promptly turned to look in that direction.

"What d'you hear?"

"Quiet!"

"What the hell you think you're doing!"

This, Bethan heard. So did Teralyn and Belten, seraching to the right.

-"Verdil, can you see what's causing the racket?"-

-"No, but I'm going to try to get a look at it. Could you move a bit closer in case I need backup?"-

-"Will do."-

"There's no way I'd get close without being noticed." Bethan noted. "I'll wait here, ready to move in if you need me."

"Thanks. With luck, they'll never notice me, but it's nice knowing help is nearby..."

While the power-armored human waited with her back to a thick tree trunk, Verdil moved silently toward the source of the commotion.

"We could ask the same of you, human. We are here sleeping, you are sneaking up on our camp, we have every right to react in our defense."
"Hang on...if you were sleeping, then what was that noise earlier?" Jake asked.

The Protoss team leader approaches Chris, and attempts the same trick he used on Jake.
It failed because the young hunter was a slippery sort, slipping through the branches. He pulled out his blaster...

"Hang on...if you were sleeping, then what was that noise earlier?" Jake asked.


It failed because the young hunter was a slippery sort, slipping through the branches. He pulled out his blaster...

"We assumed the noises were you coming towards us, only the Ghost was awake, on watch."

The blaster would never be allowed to clear its holster, The Team Leader made a grab for it with his mind, not giving the young Jedi, or Ninja, or whatever he was, a chance to use it against him if it could be helped. "Surrender now, we have your friend, if you surrender I swear on the honor of the Templar that you will not be harmed."

The shouting, unsurprisingly, attracted the attention of others...

Verdil and Bethan happened to be searching somewhat to the left of the site of the confrontation. The Nertar, with his already keen senses further enhanced by spy gear, was the first to notice. He heard Jake's initial cry of surprise, and promptly turned to look in that direction.

"What d'you hear?"

"Quiet!"

"What the hell you think you're doing!"

This, Bethan heard. So did Teralyn and Belten, seraching to the right.

-"Verdil, can you see what's causing the racket?"-

-"No, but I'm going to try to get a look at it. Could you move a bit closer in case I need backup?"-

-"Will do."-

"There's no way I'd get close without being noticed." Bethan noted. "I'll wait here, ready to move in if you need me."

"Thanks. With luck, they'll never notice me, but it's nice knowing help is nearby..."

While the power-armored human waited with her back to a thick tree trunk, Verdil moved silently toward the source of the commotion.

OOC: Italics is telepathy, and cannot be overheard, only detected.

IC:

Sir, there's another point source coming towards us, with at least one more staying behind, I detected surprise, and an alien emotion, it came from that direction. He points towards the encroaching Nertar.

Understood, are they mechanicals?

There are mechanical signatures in the group, should I Lock them down?

Not yet, only if they are hostile.

OOC: You'd probably notice the two approaching from the other side, as well, although they're further away. The WX, Belten, would seem very unusual - purely mechanical, but much more alive than most robots.

IC:
Drawing close to the place he had heard the cry, Verdil crept slowly along a branch that would soon give him a view of the group...

"We assumed the noises were you coming towards us, only the Ghost was awake, on watch."
"No. Any noises we made would have been above you, if at all." Jake shook his head. "The noises were on the ground. Well, I guess you're all right." Then he closed his eyes momentarily.

The blaster would never be allowed to clear its holster, The Team Leader made a grab for it with his mind, not giving the young Jedi, or Ninja, or whatever he was, a chance to use it against him if it could be helped. "Surrender now, we have your friend, if you surrender I swear on the honor of the Templar that you will not be harmed."
"Hey!" Chris was getting ready to do something when he heard Jake. Stand down. It's all right. They're friendlies.

"All right. I'll surrender." Chris sighed. It was pretty close.

OOC: You'd probably notice the two approaching from the other side, as well, although they're further away. The WX, Belten, would seem very unusual - purely mechanical, but much more alive than most robots.

IC:
Drawing close to the place he had heard the cry, Verdil crept slowly along a branch that would soon give him a view of the group...

Sir, two more point sources detected, one pure mechanical, but still registering, I've never seen anything like this before sir.

Ready 3 Lockdown rounds and load one of them, fire at any sign of hostilitry, or on my signal.

Understood sir. The Ghost readies 3 anti-machinery rounds, lockdown, they interfered with the operation of most mechanical devices that had been encountered by the Dominion, and they had no reason to think that this time would be any different.

"Whoever you are, we know you are out there, reveal yourselves peacefully, or we will be forced to consider you hostile and react with all due force!" The Protoss speaking voice was impressive, a heavy baritone that seemed to fitthe massive creature well, with a hint of vibrado that revealed its alien origins.

"No. Any noises we made would have been above you, if at all." Jake shook his head. "The noises were on the ground. Well, I guess you're all right." Then he closed his eyes momentarily.


"Hey!" Chris was getting ready to do something when he heard Jake. Stand down. It's all right. They're friendlies.

"All right. I'll surrender." Chris sighed. It was pretty close.

The Commander was puzzled by this, it may be that the new arrivals were the sources of the sound, but they were positioned wrong for that, and the humans were obviously telling the truth,so where had the noises come from? The Commander turned to the young Masaki, "Identify yourself, what is your name?"

The Team Leader directed Chris to follow him back to their camp, where he would be questioned, along with Jake.

Blast, how did they know? Verdil thought. I didn't make any sound... Scent could be possible. Maybe some form of psi? They even realize I'm not alone!

"So be it. We have no hostile intent."

Dropping lightly from the tree branch, he strode calmly into the open - carefully keepiing his hands in clear view. Before actually entering the sight of the unknown force, he tapped one of the code buttons on his comm. set: -Approach openly, no immediate danger expected-.

The appearance of the Nertar was rather surprising, theyhad known he was close, but how close was a difficult thing to tell with psionics, and he had been practically right on top of them!

Com signal to the other forece has been detected, transmission encoded.

Understood, assume they're friendly anyway.

Yes sir.

The Commander turned from questioningf the Masaki Boy, to the Nertar in their midst, "We are representatives of the Terran Dominion, seeking Sivv'Nakh at the request of our ally Godular, who are you, and why are you here?"

'We are from Kendari, and likewise hunting Shivv'Nakh."

The approach of the other two was clearly audible to Verdil, now; they would arrive shortly.

OOC: By the way, the code was a preset signal - a matter of speed, not secrecy, although it wouldn't have a readily apparent meaning to others.

'We are from Kendari, and likewise hunting Shivv'Nakh."

The approach of the other two was clearly audible to Verdil, now; they would arrive shortly.

OOC: By the way, the code was a preset signal - a matter of speed, not secrecy, although it wouldn't have a readily apparent meaning to others.


"What are you doing near our camp then, it was obvious that he was not here, so why did you venture closer to our camp?" The Commander was not really suspicious, he just wanted to have all the facts before making a decision.

The Commander was puzzled by this, it may be that the new arrivals were the sources of the sound, but they were positioned wrong for that, and the humans were obviously telling the truth,so where had the noises come from? The Commander turned to the young Masaki, "Identify yourself, what is your name?"

The Team Leader directed Chris to follow him back to their camp, where he would be questioned, along with Jake.
"McNeil. Jake McNeil." Jake answered. "My associate is Chris Thompson. Like everyone else here, I'm looking for Godular's target."

Chris followed the Protoss commander to the campsite.

The Commander turned back towards the approaching Team Leader, Find out their origins and report back to me.

I understand.

The Team Leader led the two away from the main camp, and began his questioning, "Where are you from, and why were you at our campsite tonight?"

"I heard someone shout, and I wanted to know what had happened. For all I could tell, Sivv'Nakh might have been involved. Of course, I now can see that that was not the case, but I didn't know that before investigating. Besides, the unknown can be dangerous. I wanted to know if there was a threat in the area."

The Commander turned back towards the approaching Team Leader, Find out their origins and report back to me.

I understand.

The Team Leader led the two away from the main camp, and began his questioning, "Where are you from, and why were you at our campsite tonight?"
"We're Coredian-born bounty hunters and we just stumbled on your campsite." Jake said. Interesting. It's possible this Sivv'Nakh might want us to meet together...wonder why?

The old man lay upon his rock, watching the stars.

Another observation drone went by, disrupting his reverie and eliciting an ever so slight seismic rumble of a growl.

He extended a filament of himself out to the offending drone and merrily ripped it to pieces. The move was performed with a speed and precision that would suggest a meteor impact rather than a surgical removal.

Deciding that the action amused him, he decided to send more filaments of himself out, following the forest floor and aiming to rip the bounty hunters' vessels apart...

The destruction of the drone, of course, registered almost instantly on Victory's computer. The report was promptly displayed, with a beep for attention. Sure, the effect was consistent with a meteor impact, but the odds of such a strike occurring are low, and mercenary work doesn't encourage a casual attitude toward apart coincidence, especially in sensor elimination. For anyone planning to attack the ship, destroying or incapacitating the drones would be a high priority.

Probably it was just some sort of accident, but there was no point in taking chances when preparing for trouble was easy. Barän activated full shielding, and set Victory's sensor systems to alert status. A quick command sent several drones to scan the area where the one had been destroyed for debris. If it was just a meteor, this would be a minor waste of energy, but being careful had saved his life more than once in the past.

"I heard someone shout, and I wanted to know what had happened. For all I could tell, Sivv'Nakh might have been involved. Of course, I now can see that that was not the case, but I didn't know that before investigating. Besides, the unknown can be dangerous. I wanted to know if there was a threat in the area."

"We're Coredian-born bounty hunters and we just stumbled on your campsite." Jake said. Interesting. It's possible this Sivv'Nakh might want us to meet together...wonder why?

Sir, they're Coredians, not Masaki's though, they followed some sounds to our campsite, much like the ones that alerted us to their arrival.

Understood, you can bring them back to the camp now.

The Commander was satisfied that they were safe if they were Coredian.

"I see, well then, we are here looking for Sivv'Nakh, and resting until tomorrow morning, which, incidentally, seems to be fast approaching, before we continue our search."

The Ghost, who was still on watch, detected the sudden spikes in presence caused by Sivv'Nakhs attacks, but it wasn't fast enough to give a good warning to the ship.

The Ships shields flared and then went dim as Sivv'Nakhs attack struck home, but they held long enough for the gunship to move away from the strike and take minimal damage.

Jake's ship was not so lucky as the filament blew the ship up spectacularly.

"Aww no!" Jake yelled as smoke rose in the distance. "My ship! I just had it washed and waxed!"

OOC: Ah, well that was you mistake, then. Might as well put a big sign on it saying "Shoot me!";)

The small black bird sat on a branch over looking the group of firgures. It itself was no different from the other birds, at least not when looked at from the ground. The bird listened carefully as the different figures spoke, naming themselves and saying what they were after, their reasons for being here. THe bird recorded it all into its memory. With a rush it flew straight up and into the night sky, and with little moonlight, was undetected.

It flew swiftly for some distance until at last it reached a small clearing. There sat a man, the birds master, in a pentagram in the center of the trees. The bird flew down, and was met by the mans hand, which the bird landed in. With a soft spoken word by the man the bird fell and then changed back into his original form.

Kempai held the paper-cut out of a bird in his hand carefully. He smiled and turned it over; there written on it was all the bird had heard.

"Good job Paper Golem, you've found my competition. Fools, telling each other who they are and where they come from." He read down the small paragraph. "One idiot even told everyone they were searching for Sivv'Nakh! Baka!" Kempai shook his head, it was all the better that his competitiors were foolish. It would make it easier for him to get what he wanted.

He waited a few more moments then held out his hand, and six other bird-paper golems came and landed in his hand. He had sent them out earlier in hopes of finding hs target, but thus far only reports of these bounty hunters were coming in.

A small flash of an explosion in the sky drew Kempai's attention. "Wonder what that was?" he asked himself. He set the paper golems down outside the circle and closed his eyes.

"Spiritus Aerlis Obscuri! Undecim spiritus lucis!"

A faint white light shot up from the pentagram and covered Kempai, then it molded with his skin. After a moment, his entire body shimmered. Then the light disapeared.

Kempai opened his eyes again and looked down at his seated form. He smiled and flew about in the trees, feeling again the sensation of flying that his physical body would never know. He looked again to where he saw the explosion, and flew, his spirit self moving quickly.

The ground was clear and with his magically enhanced senses he could see the small group of bounty hunters speaking bellow.

He passed over the group and came to where the explosion happened. For a moment he didn't move, he shut his spirit eyes and focus on his senses. He felt the presence bellow him. He opened is eyes and looked down a few kilometers away. There lying on a rock, was an old man, yet Kempai felt something else about him.

He flew down quickly and 'landed' several meters away from the old man. He stepped closer and looked carefully over him. He looked like any normal old geezer that Kempai had ever come accross in his travels. The old man lay with his hands behind him and his head resting there, his eyes open and staring into space.

"So, this is Sivv'Nakh," Kempai said to himself.

"Are you quite done with your inspection?" The old man asked. Kempai jumped, shocked out of his mind. The old man turned on his side, his eyes turning and becoming like black coals.

"What!? You can see me?" Kempai asked loudly.

"Yes I can," said the old man.

OOC: That better? Sorry about that as well. :P

Jake's ship was not so lucky as the filament blew the ship up spectacularly.

"Aww no!" Jake yelled as smoke rose in the distance. "My ship! I just had it washed and waxed!"


"You should have had a better ship."

OOC: Thrashia... thou shalt not RP my characters. Edit that thing and we can get a proper conversation started.

PS: MM, your ship is also targeted.

The Ships shields flared and then went dim as Sivv'Nakhs attack struck home, but they held long enough for the gunship to move away from the strike and take minimal damage.
OOC: *points to quote*
Do I get any information from the attack on Victory, or was it to fast for the sensors to pick anything up? I'm assuming the shields were able to hold.

IC:
"Are you going to need a ride? Ours has a bit of extra room."

Well, it would be the equivalent of your vessel getting into a wrestling match with a monofilament wire. Although I thought you had a vessel on the ground, rather than in orbit. He's not attacking orbiting vessels.

Well, it would be the equivalent of your vessel getting into a wrestling match with a monofilament wire. Although I thought you had a vessel on the ground, rather than in orbit. He's not attacking orbiting vessels.

OOC: No, I sent my pinnace back into space as part of SOP for detatched teams in sebnsitive areas. The idea is that they are less luikely to be discovbered if the ship is not on the ground with them, giving away the fact that my guys are on the planet.

Oh... well then. Then I guess I'll just leave it at that and add that Kendari's ship also got Filament-whipped.

OOC: Changed the post.

OOC: Modifying the circumstances somewhat...

The Old Man had been so busy working towards the destruction of the bounty hunters' vessels that he had failed to discern the apparition until it had gotten too close to avoid detection even by normal shapechanging. For all his effort, though, the Old Man didn't even look like he was moving.

The phantasm landed nearby and gave the Old Man a cursory inspection. Though he appeared to be looking up at the sky, a feat that would seem blocked due to the blindfold over his eyes, the Old Man was perfectly aware of his surroundings. He then heard the apparition speak, as if to itself:

"So, this is Sivv'Nakh."

Unmoving, the Old Man simply replied:

"HAD I KNOWN THAT SOME EXISTED WHO COULD STILL USE THE MEANS OF MYSTICISM, I WOULD HAVE WARDED MYSELF. DO I SEEM FRAIL TO YOU, O GHOST ON THE WIND?"

The phantasm seemed shocked at his outburst, the Old Man cared not.

"What?! You can see me?"

"I CAN SENSE SCRYING AND OTHER FORMS OF MAGICAL DIVINATIONS, AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS. I CAN PERCIEVE YOUR FORM AS EASILY AS I CAN SEE A TREE RODENT JUMPING FROM BRANCH TO BRANCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS UNTRODDEN WORLD. FEW THINGS REMAIN HIDDEN FROM ME.

"IF YOU ARE HERE TO LOCATE ME FOR FUTURE APPREHENSION, YOU WILL BE SORELY DISAPPOINTED. HERE, I AM ALL. I AM THE LORD OF THESE WOODS."

"Are you going to need a ride? Ours has a bit of extra room."

Jake sighed. "Yeah, probably. 'Sides, with our ship busted, we'll have nothing else to do but continue to search for Sivv'Nakh. And we all know he's around here somewhere."

Kempai laughed to himself. "As expected of the Death Angel, I should have known you'd be able to sense me...however I am still surprised. I have marked you, and not a single being, be he mortal or no, has ever yet lived when I have. But I am curious, there is as you must know a bounty on your head, as to why your worth so much? It said you are responsible for killing many people, yet here you are on a planet providing people with a special bread."

Kempai looked the creature up and down. It remained in the form of an Old Man, yet it still held a small aura of power around it.

"Yes, these things I wish to know. I am the last of a line of magic users known as Magi; beings such as yourself once livedin harmoney with my kind, and I sense you are the last of your own kind as well. Why do the Godular seek you so?" kempai asked. His spirit form squatted down and sat cross-legged, awaiting the answer.

"KILLING IS JUST ONE OF MY MANY CRIMES. I PERFORMED MANY ATROCITIES AGAINST MANY WORLDS. THEY ARE MY CRIMES, AND THE PENANCE SHALL BE MINE OWN. NO OTHERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHARGE ME.

"Yes, these things I wish to know. I am the last of a line of magic users known as Magi; beings such as yourself once livedin harmoney with my kind, and I sense you are the last of your own kind as well. Why do the Godular seek you so?"

"YOU ARE MISTAKEN, LITTLE GHOST. I HAVE NO KIND TO HARMONY WITH. I NEVER HAD A KIND TO HARMONY WITH. I AM UNIQUE, AND ALONE. I WAS CREATED AS A WEAPON OF DESTRUCTION, AND I WAS THE DESTRUCTION OF MY CREATORS. THESE GODULANS POPULATE THE WORLD OF MY CREATORS, AND THEY LEARNED OF ME. THEY LEARNED OF WHAT I DID. I KNOW NOT WHAT THEY INTEND."

"Then you have no purpose...how sad. Then I must destroy you," Kempai said simply.

OOC: OK they are still enroute to the system....estimated arrival is tomorrow morning IRL. The ships aren't the fastest, but it does take time to arrive for the hunters.

"Then you have no purpose...how sad. Then I must destroy you," Kempai said simply.

"AGAIN YOU ARE MISTAKEN, LITTLE GHOST. MY PENANCE IS MY PURPOSE, AND YOU WILL NOT HINDER ME. SHOULD YOU FOOLISHLY WISH TO PURSUE, FACE ME IN THE FLESH. YOU WILL FIND THAT I HAVE DISABLED YOU FROM WORKING FURTHER MAGIC IN SPECTRAL FORM, THOUGH I DOUBT YOU SUSTAIN THE POWER TO PERFORM SUCH A FEAT."

As if to punctuate the old man's statement, the ground beneath them began to glow with a strange inner vibrance. And several dozen runes began playing about around the grove. And then, a rhythmic beat seeming to emanate from the ground itself, accompanied by a hushed whispering, began shaping designs on the ground, and with each arcane symbol shining on the floor beneath, an increasingly powerful disjunction spell was cast.

Kempai would feel it in his spectral form as if being struck by a brick wall that knocked him back a goodly distance each time it struck...

"DO NOT THINK ME WEAK..."

Well, it would be the equivalent of your vessel getting into a wrestling match with a monofilament wire. Although I thought you had a vessel on the ground, rather than in orbit. He's not attacking orbiting vessels.
Let's see... he attacked vehicles at or near ground level, right? I didn't specify Victory's location, but that would be a perfectly reasonable place for it. Sharp edges don't have much effect on a standard Kendaryn barrier shield, by the way - it's just a matter of the total energy that hits the shield. Patchwork shields would be another matter, but they're fairly unusual.

IC:
"It hardly seems likely that anyone else would be attacking..."

Verdil paused, listening to a transmission from the ship.

-"Victory has been attacked. Shields held up to the attack. Readings were consistent with a blow from a thin wire, possibly even monomoleculer. The strike was too rapid to get a decent directional reading."-

"Our vessel was also struck, fortunately, without sustaining damage."

Kempai felt the first impact, then began chanting in Ancient Greek, the language of Higher Magic.

"Αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης για: Δεν βρέθηκαν λέξεις!" He put forth his arm, two of his fingers and aimed it at the old man. From his hand launched a bright beam of light that launched forward and smashed into the old mans form, a gas exploded out around so that Kempai could not see him exactly.


OOC/Translation note:

Αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης για: Δεν βρέθηκαν λέξεις

This is ancient greek, in an english translation, if an person who couldn't read this,it would read like this:

Basilke Galeote, Meta, Kokto, Bodon Kai Kakoin Onmatrain Force Emay Kairi Katiarth Toy Kakoi Delgmai Toksuesato Kakon Omma Petroseos!

= "Little King, Eight-Legged Lizard, Master of the Evil Eye. Let your light shine from my hand, release the fire of catastrophe: 'Evil Eye of Petrification.'

A spell that emits a beam of light from the fingertips, causing the petrification of the subject. Petrification, being that the subject is turned to stone. This is unsurprisingly a high-level spell invoked in ancient greek.

The beam traveled forth towards Sivv'Nakh, where it contacted one of the legion wards he had established each time the ground pulsed beneath him, another rune glittered into existence before the old man and then dissipated into his body. These runes were almost heart-stoppingly complex, with intricate border inscriptions of a long-forgotten language.

When Sivv'Nakh spoke now, his voice had added power, as if hundreds of voices were chanting forth spell after spell all at once. His voice almost seemed to... buzz.

"YOUR EFFORTS ARE WORTHY, YET FUTILE. YOU ARE OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I AM A CREATURE OF FLESH AND SINEW. ANOTHER MISTAKE, LITTLE GHOST. YOU BATTLE NOT ONE BEING, BUT AN ENTIRE CIVILIZATION. I HOLD THE ARCANE KNOWLEDGE OF THOSE I DESTROYED SO LONG AGO. ALL THEIR SPELLS, THEIR WARDS, THEIR WEAPONS, THEIR TECHNOLOGY, ALL RESIDE WITHIN THIS SHELL. I AM THE REMNANT OF THE SHIRASSI, AND IT SHALL REMIND ME FOREVER OF MY CRIME."

The pulsing grew stronger, and the trees around the grove seemed to lean towards Sivv'Nakh. Complex runes formed, but did not dissipate, instead, each rune began to build upon each other, realigning and improving themselves with each added rune.

Then, with one last pulse of magical energy, Sivv'Nakh fired off his second Disjunction spell. The pulse alone would be visible from a considerable distance, right before sensors went black.

Akurza's Reality Sever. Essentially a disjunction spell that not only blocks spellcasting, but shatters any and all magical effects caught within. Kempai's phantasmal form will effectively be annihilated, and chances are Kempai himself will feel like somebody just slammed him in the face with a buick.

Anybody with psionic sensitivity will notice the last pulse, but they will also be disrupted for the duration of the spell. Force wielders will feel essentially the same thing.

"What the..." Jake and Chris both saw and sensed a large amount of energy pulsing out several klicks away, then they were slammed by what amounted to a Force-disruptor, which included a headache. "Oww!"

After the spell cleared, it was clear that someone was fighting someone. And that someone could be the one they were looking for! Jake and Chris then began to head towards the direction where the pulse originated.

The Ghost was knocked unconcious by the effect, since he was the most sensiitive of the three, though he had little actual brute power, while the Team Leader was only stunned for a moment, along with the Commander.

"Well, it would seem that we have a problem, our scout is unconcious, and from what I have tested, most of our major, and all of our minor powers are non-functional, my blades will not even ignite! Something has happened, and it came from that direction..." He points vaguely in the direction of where Sivv'Nakh had just lit off his spell. "Let's move out, and I'll carry Jimmy."

-Aaugh!-

-"Kayla? What happened?"-

-"I don't know. Felt like somebody hit me over the head with a club."-

-"Belten here. Whatever it was, it affected me, too. I simply deactivated for a moment. I'm running a diagnostic; there don't seem to have been any permanent effects."-

Verdil drew one of his knives and tapped a button on the handle, sighing in relief as energy flowed along the blade.

"Whatever that was, it seems to have had a temporary effect on our gear. Let's hope the target can't do that too often..."

Putting away the blade, he followed Jake and Chris. The other members of the crew also converged on the location the pulse had originated from, and Barän prepared to approach it from above.

OOC: I'm making the effects temporary because of the very thorough mix of magic and technology - the non-magical aspects of Kendaryn equipment wouldn't be affected, and would be able to renew the magical elements after there was nothing directly surpressing them. Also, if I didn't, all of my gear would now be utterly useless aside from a few knives, and there's no saying what would have happened to the energy storage packs...

Kempai barely had time to utter a counter-spell. "Reflexio!" He put nearly all of his remaining strength and power into it, giving him time to make one other small spell.

"Mae Spiritus." His reflection spell wall crumbled and the dangerous spell of the Death Angel same on, and hit nothing. Kempai's spirit had disapated.



When kempai opened his eyes he could not breathe for a moment. Then with shuddering breathes he fell backwards onto his back. His body was sore all over, muscles screaming against the slightest movement. "Damn but that was close," kempai thought to himself. Even thinking hurt.

He moved his head slightly and saw that he was still within his barriers he had put up earlier. Without a second longer his head fell back and he entered a deep sleep.

The apparition banished, the Old man lay back down on his rock slab to watch the stars once again. He decided that he might as well get as much thinking done as he could before the others came. And so he pondered the universe, staring serenely upwards...

The apparition banished, the Old man lay back down on his rock slab to watch the stars once again. He decided that he might as well get as much thinking done as he could before the others came. And so he pondered the universe, staring serenely upwards...


The cybernetic enhancement and natural strength of the Protoss allow them to crash through all but the thickest brush with ease, they were sure to reach Sivv'Nakh before even the Coredian pair did, in fact, they could already sense his presence, aand now that they knew what to look for, it was rather overwhelming, power like nothing they had ever experienced, yet so tightly reigned in and controlled that they had to get this close to detect him... This could end nastily...

They would reach the Rock in just a few more minutes, and then they would meet their target...

"Be ready for anything." Jake warned. "This guy won't be easy."

"I know." Chris said simply. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I've got plans." Jake smirked.

"You aren't going to..." Chris asked.

"I'm going to need it." Jake replied.

"Yeah."

They continued jumping from branch to branch like overgrown squirrels, heading towards the Old Man...and possible conflict.

They were not being stealthy in their approach, that was for certain. The destruction of the underbrush angered him somewhat, as he thought their rushing was somewhat needless. He would not move, and he would not allow them to take him.

He would remain.

Returning the blindfold over his head, he could still see perfectly. Without turning, he perceived a small yellow flower at the base of the rock. Instead of taking it from the ground and studying it, he attempted to recreate it in his hand. He had attempted this practice many times, and could never get the flower perfect. He got closer with every passing day, but he could never quite reach the point where the flower he created and the one on the ground matched exactly.

It was good practice, truthfully.

The smashing and crashing got closer. The Old Man resolved to exact recompense for the trampling of his forest. He had grown attached to this planet after all. A nice quiet place to contemplate his wrongs...

They were not being stealthy in their approach, that was for certain. The destruction of the underbrush angered him somewhat, as he thought their rushing was somewhat needless. He would not move, and he would not allow them to take him.

He would remain.

Returning the blindfold over his head, he could still see perfectly. Without turning, he perceived a small yellow flower at the base of the rock. Instead of taking it from the ground and studying it, he attempted to recreate it in his hand. He had attempted this practice many times, and could never get the flower perfect. He got closer with every passing day, but he could never quite reach the point where the flower he created and the one on the ground matched exactly.

It was good practice, truthfully.

The smashing and crashing got closer. The Old Man resolved to exact recompense for the trampling of his forest. He had grown attached to this planet after all. A nice quiet place to contemplate his wrongs...


They finally reached the clearing, all they found was a man on a rock, nothing impressive or frightening, unless you had the eyes to see, the power of this one being was almost overwhelming, the two concious Protoss, and the semi-concious Ghost were stunned by the sheer immensity of strength that this ione being wielded and represented. Trying to take Sivv'Nakh with anything other than a full Legion of Archons was likely suicide.

"You are Sivv'Nakh, known as the Death Angel, are you not?"

The Old Man simply lie there, seemingly transfixed on the little yellow flower. Though he did not physically show it, all of his attention was now focused upon the two protoss.

"I CANNOT LIE. I AM."

The Old Man simply lie there, seemingly transfixed on the little yellow flower. Though he did not physically show it, all of his attention was now focused upon the two protoss.

"I CANNOT LIE. I AM."

"I assume from your calm that you know why we are here? That our purpose is to take you into custody, however inadvisable that may be?"

OOC: Get on MSN, I have a few questions to ask about this.

OOC: Invite me too when you get on.

IC:

The two bounty hunters quietly perched themselves on top of a tree, listening to the dialogue.

"He's strong in the Force...very strong." Jake whispered to Chris.

"Yeah. I know." Chris replied quietly. "What now?"

"Nothing. Let's just watch." Jake whispered back.

The transport ship slowed down to light speed as they enterred the solar system of one of the planets with the Wanted poster. Definately later then planned they began to search for the downed ship, to repair and begin their mission.

On the surface the team found the downed ship and slipped in with a vertical soft re-entry. The ship landed only 500 meters from the original ship.

"Hey! Hunters...oh my..." called the captain upon seeing the sleek ship.

The ship turned silver in color with a bright shiny luster and then dissappeared as quickly as it landed. The ship never opened, but five figures appeared from outside the ship with a strange glyph being burned into the ground on their arrival.

The hunters appeared and smiled at the nervous captain. Instantly the captain fell to her knees unconsicous and they walked towards the town....

Verdil waited silently in another tree, while Kayla took up position on the other side of the clearing. The others gathered in between them, further from Sivv'Nakh's location. All of them had approached quietly, even Bethan managing to avoid stepping on anything besides a few dead twigs. Victory hovered a few hundred meters up; its stealth shield was activated, on the off chance that it might do any good.

OOC: Tanthan, shall I assume that your people landed on Insiar?

"I assume from your calm that you know why we are here? That our purpose is to take you into custody, however inadvisable that may be?"

The old man continued to hold the flower for a moment, not deigning to respond to the questioning protoss. Then, as if in the blink of an eye, the flower's shape shifted into that of a wickedly formed longsword. He twirled the sword around on one finger for a moment then reverted it back to the familiar form of the simple yellow flower.

He looked at it with an entranced expression, then sat up.

"I KNOW YOUR PURPOSE. KNOW NOW THAT I WILL DEFEAT ANY ATTEMPT TO SUBDUE ME.

MY CRIME IS MY OWN, AS IS MY PENANCE. THESE GODULANS HAVE NO RIGHT TO DEMAND MY CAPTURE TO FACE THEIR JUSTICE. NO ONE HAS THIS RIGHT. I WILL RESIST. I WILL REMAIN."

The old man turned to the trees, giving both Verdil and Jake direct looks.

"YOU CAN COME DOWN NOW. YOUR PRESENT POSITIONS OFFER NO ADVANTAGE."

How does he...never mind, it doesn't matter. Jake and Chris jumped down from their current perch and landed lightly on the forest floor.

OOC: Tanthan, shall I assume that your people landed on Insiar?



The old man continued to hold the flower for a moment, not deigning to respond to the questioning protoss. Then, as if in the blink of an eye, the flower's shape shifted into that of a wickedly formed longsword. He twirled the sword around on one finger for a moment then reverted it back to the familiar form of the simple yellow flower.

He looked at it with an entranced expression, then sat up.

"I KNOW YOUR PURPOSE. KNOW NOW THAT I WILL DEFEAT ANY ATTEMPT TO SUBDUE ME.

MY CRIME IS MY OWN, AS IS MY PENANCE. THESE GODULANS HAVE NO RIGHT TO DEMAND MY CAPTURE TO FACE THEIR JUSTICE. NO ONE HAS THIS RIGHT. I WILL RESIST. I WILL REMAIN."


"You gave up your rights the moment you committed Genocide, you cannot resist what we can bring, come peacefully, we do not wish to be forced into battle."

The Ghost was now concious enough to figure out what was going on, and very pointedly did NOT check his weapon, or prepare a Locdown shot, or five...

"YOU ARE MISTAKEN. THE RIGHTS THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS IS DETERMINED BY HOW STRONGLY SUCH INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THEM. THE ONLY CREATURES THAT HAVE ANY RIGHT TO PROSECUTE MY WRONGS ARE LONG GONE. DESTROYED BY MY HAND FOR THEIR OWN WRONGS. THESE GODULANS HAVE NO RIGHT TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF THOSE WHO LIVED ON THE WORLD OF ALITAR SO LONG AGO. YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS RIGHT. NONE HAVE THIS RIGHT. DO NOT THINK I REGRET MY ACTIONS FROM THAT TIME. I AM HAUNTED BY THEM NOW AND FOREVER. BUT DO NOT PRESUME TO THINK THAT MEANS I WILL GIVE MYSELF UP WILLINGLY TO THE FIRST LITTLE UPSTART THAT DEMANDS MY SURRENDER. MY PENANCE IS MY OWN, AND I WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY.

"I WILL NOT ENJOY TAKING MORE LIVES, BUT I WILL NOT HINDER MYSELF FROM DOING SO."

"YOU ARE MISTAKEN. THE RIGHTS THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS IS DETERMINED BY HOW STRONGLY SUCH INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THEM. THE ONLY CREATURES THAT HAVE ANY RIGHT TO PROSECUTE MY WRONGS ARE LONG GONE. DESTROYED BY MY HAND FOR THEIR OWN WRONGS. THESE GODULANS HAVE NO RIGHT TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF THOSE WHO LIVED ON THE WORLD OF ALITAR SO LONG AGO. YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS RIGHT. NONE HAVE THIS RIGHT. DO NOT THINK I REGRET MY ACTIONS FROM THAT TIME. I AM HAUNTED BY THEM NOW AND FOREVER. BUT DO NOT PRESUME TO THINK THAT MEANS I WILL GIVE MYSELF UP WILLINGLY TO THE FIRST LITTLE UPSTART THAT DEMANDS MY SURRENDER. MY PENANCE IS MY OWN, AND I WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY.

"I WILL NOT ENJOY TAKING MORE LIVES, BUT I WILL NOT HINDER MYSELF FROM DOING SO."

"Your penance is not your own and never was, none may judge their own crimes as harshly as others would judge them. Your holier than thou attitude will be your downfall, especially if you remain convinced of the rectitude of your actions over the evidence that you are still doing wrong."

"MY PENANCE BECAME MY OWN THE MOMENT THE LAST OF THE SHIRASSI LIE DEAD. I CARE NOT ABOUT YOUR SUPPOSED RULE OF LAW. YOU COME HERE TO ENFORCE A SUMMONS FROM A NATION THAT HAS NO JURISDICTION ON THIS WORLD. NOT EVEN THE EMPIRE THAT CONTROLS THE GREATER PORTION OF THIS GALAXY ATTEMPTS TO ENFORCE ITS RULE HERE.

"I *AM* AN ATROCITY. AND MUCH THOUGH THE ACT PAINS ME EVEN NOW, I KNOW THAT ALL THOSE WHO SOUGHT TO CONTROL ME GOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVED. THE SHIRASSI CONSTRUCTED ME AS A WEAPON, LITTLE ONE. A WEAPON TO TAKE THE GALAXY BY FIRE. CAN YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND THE LOSS OF LIFE HAD I BEEN FULLY UNLEASHED?"

"Both of you have good points." Jake said, coming out to intervene, fingering his blaster pistols. "However, the point still stands that you, Sivv'nakh, has committed genocide, and that the Godulan authorities have decided to pursue you for your crimes against the civilization you wiped out. It would seem, then that they have the evidence to convict you in a court of law. Therefore I ask you, as futile as it may be, to come quietly or be charged with resisting arrest."

"Both of you have good points." Jake said, coming out to intervene, fingering his blaster pistols. "However, the point still stands that you, Sivv'nakh, has committed genocide, and that the Godulan authorities have decided to pursue you for your crimes against the civilization you wiped out. It would seem, then that they have the evidence to convict you in a court of law. Therefore I ask you, as futile as it may be, to come quietly or be charged with resisting arrest."

"He will not come quietly, he has said so repeatedly, so the question is, are you able and willing to take him in by force?"

"I will simply do what I must." Jake replied.

OOC: Yes Godular, I have landed Insiar.

The five hunters, entered the town that their comrades had recently come across. Almost instinctively they split up.

Alpha went to the bar alone, Beta to the local Inn, Delta to the nearest authority office and Epsilon began to search for food. The small tovenaar followed Alpha, his wobbling motion made him look funny, but he kept up with Alpha before she entered the bar.


OOC: Ya...I don't know the town, but they are going out to search for people for information, up to you to see who interacts with who, but they are on a mission!

Tanthan: In town, everything has stopped dead. Everybody is just standing there and looking off in a northerly direction. The occasional whispered comment of "What are they doing to the old man?" and "I hope they don't kill him, he's done so much for us!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SO BE IT," Sivv'Nakh replied, standing up. He stood up not to the typical hunched frame of his old man form, but to his full seven foot glory.

Then, the old man's features melted away, revealing the form of a tall and well formed figure, nude though androgynous with but a few subtly masculine features. His skin was positively radiant, and in places one could see areas of vestigial scales on the knees, elbows, and eyebrows. He was bald, and his perfectly formed face expressed a look of almost awe-inspiring serenity. A pair of great feathered wings flexed slightly from his shoulders, and the only thing to mar the entire appearance was the existence of a pair of ivory horns jutting out from his temples, wickedly shaped and undoubtedly razor-sharp.

He turned to the protoss and extended a hand, from which emerged a great jagged-bladed scythe, runes materializing on its surface with a pulse of magical energy even as it finished taking shape.

"I NEVER DID EXACT PENANCE FOR YOUR BLIND CHARGE THROUGH MY FOREST. YOU DAMAGED MANY TREES IN YOUR RUSH TO REACH ME FIRST."

Tanthan: In town, everything has stopped dead. Everybody is just standing there and looking off in a northerly direction. The occasional whispered comment of "What are they doing to the old man?" and "I hope they don't kill him, he's done so much for us!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SO BE IT," Sivv'Nakh replied, standing up. He stood up not to the typical hunched frame of his old man form, but to his full seven foot glory.

Then, the old man's features melted away, revealing the form of a tall and well formed figure, nude though androgynous with but a few subtly masculine features. His skin was positively radiant, and in places one could see areas of vestigial scales on the knees, elbows, and eyebrows. He was bald, and his perfectly formed face expressed a look of almost awe-inspiring serenity. A pair of great feathered wings flexed slightly from his shoulders, and the only thing to mar the entire appearance was the existence of a pair of ivory horns jutting out from his temples, wickedly shaped and undoubtedly razor-sharp.

He turned to the protoss and extended a hand, from which emerged a great jagged-bladed scythe, runes materializing on its surface with a pulse of magical energy even as it finished taking shape.

"I NEVER DID EXACT PENANCE FOR YOUR BLIND CHARGE THROUGH MY FOREST. YOU DAMAGED MANY TREES IN YOUR RUSH TO REACH ME FIRST."


"The trees will heal in time." Both Protoss had reacted with remarkable speed, their blades were active and shimmering with projected force, nearly 6 feet long, the twin psi-blades of a zealot were more than enough to carve up almost anything that opposed them, and shields crackled around their bodies, making a temporarily impenetrable barrier to any strike that Sivv'Nakh might make.

The Ghost had a Lockdown ready and chambered almost as fast as the two Protoss had their blades ready. If Sivv'Nakh tried to exact retribution, they would see how he dealt with being frozen in place while they carved on him...

"AND IS THAT NOT THE WAY OF THE UNIVERSE ENTIRE?" Sivv'Nakh replied, his voice growing in power slightly. "MY CRIME WAS MANY MILLENIA AGO, YET THERE IS A NEW CIVILIZATION UPON THE ASHES, AND NONE BUT THEY REMEMBER THE SHIRASSI AT ALL. THE WOUND WAS CONSIDERED HEALED. YET HERE YOU STAND. INTENDING TO BRING ME TO SOME PARODY OF JUSTICE FOR A TRAGEDY LONG SINCE PASSED. YOUR HYPOCRISY IS NOTED..."

As he finished speaking, he brought his scythe up, and as if intending to strike at the closest protoss.

Then, without any sign of preparation whatsoever, a razor sharp tendril of steel burst from his body, launching itself toward the second protoss.

Steel was nothing against the shields and blades of the Protoss, the shield stopped the strike, and the blades flashed with deadly purpose towards the lance that was projecting from Sivv'Nakhs chest.

"You are a betrayer, and the scars of Genocide never truly heal, there is a void in the universe that the Shirassi once filled, and nothing can ever fill that void but those who first filled it."

The Ghost reacted quickly, firing a single round from his massive Canister rifle, a single roud that might decide the outcome of the entire fight...

But the tendril was not mere steel. Nor had he intended it to strike its mark. As soon as the tendril contacted the shield, it exploded with activity, nigh instantly reforming into Sivv'Nakh so quickly that a small pop of displaced air accompanied his transfer alongside the discharge of the Ghost's weapon, which simply sailed off into the forest.

Now that he was directly in their midst, he whirled the runed scythe around.

"AND WHAT OF THE ANTHILLS YOU TRAMPLED? OR THE BEEHIVE THAT YOU DISLODGED FROM ITS TREE, KILLING THE QUEEN AND DOOMING THE COLONY ENTIRE? MANY LIVES WERE LOST, YET YOU SHOW NO REMORSE."

But the tendril was not mere steel. Nor had he intended it to strike its mark. As soon as the tendril contacted the shield, it exploded with activity, nigh instantly reforming into Sivv'Nakh so quickly that a small pop of displaced air accompanied his transfer alongside the discharge of the Ghost's weapon, which simply sailed off into the forest.

Now that he was directly in their midst, he whirled the runed scythe around.

"AND WHAT OF THE ANTHILLS YOU TRAMPLED? OR THE BEEHIVE THAT YOU DISLODGED FROM ITS TREE, KILLING THE QUEEN AND DOOMING THE COLONY ENTIRE? MANY LIVES WERE LOST, YET YOU SHOW NO REMORSE."

"Their lives are of little consequence, but sentience is a rare gift, besides, even a thousand destroyed Bee-hives would not be enough to kill the species, the species will live on no matter what I do."

The Protoss blocked the blade with one of his own, and cut with the other, while the second devoted himself entirely to the attack, since he was so far untouched by Sivv'Nakh's attacks.

The Ghost reloaded, another lockdown round, and fired once more, the shot would have no effect on the embattle Protosds, but it might just damage Sivv'Nakh a great deal, it only had to get close before it detonated, freezing any purely or mostly mechanical devices in its area.

"IT IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE AND RATIONALIZATION THEN? BUT YOU ARE BUT ANTS BEFORE ME. THOUGH THEY WERE MY CREATORS, THE SHIRASSI KNEW ALMOST NOTHING OF WHAT THEY WROUGHT AND WERE BUT ANTS BEFORE ME AS WELL. THEY INTENDED ME TO KILL EVERYTHING IN THE GALAXY, YET YOU SEEK JUSTICE ON THEIR BEHALF?"

A second pair of arms burst from his torso, each wielding great runed warswords that hummed with internal energy and immediately operating to counteract the second protoss, while a second runed scythe was formed to continue the assault on the first.

Then the Lockdown Canister struck activated next to his forehead.

His assault continued, completely unobstructed by the disabling canister. He did not even respond to it as a hostile action.

His strength quickly increased, as did his speed...

"IT IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE AND RATIONALIZATION THEN? BUT YOU ARE BUT ANTS BEFORE ME. THOUGH THEY WERE MY CREATORS, THE SHIRASSI KNEW ALMOST NOTHING OF WHAT THEY WROUGHT AND WERE BUT ANTS BEFORE ME AS WELL. THEY INTENDED ME TO KILL EVERYTHING IN THE GALAXY, YET YOU SEEK JUSTICE ON THEIR BEHALF?"

A second pair of arms burst from his torso, each wielding great runed warswords that hummed with internal energy and immediately operating to counteract the second protoss, while a second runed scythe was formed to continue the assault on the first.

Then the Lockdown Canister struck activated next to his forehead.

His assault continued, completely unobstructed by the disabling canister. He did not even respond to it as a hostile action.

His strength quickly increased, as did his speed...


The Protoss were still able to match him, they were cybernetically enhanced, and nothing thy had met before coud match them is speed and strength, they were hard pressed, but they could do this...

"I am no ant Degenerate, I am High Prince pof the Protoss, offspring of Berenalai and The Eternals, we are at the very least equal, and you have no right to treat us as lesser beings, I assume that if we do not leave you alone you will simply go on another rampage, commit another inconscionable act of Genocide, on a much grander scale this time? I will not allow it."

The Ghost was stunned, lockdown always worked against mechanical\metallic opponents... Oh well, no matter. He still had two more trump cards to play. He fished out the first one, a new round that was just being issued to the Special Forces units: a Laser Shell. He loaded, locked, and fired, sending the package of destruction towards the seemingly unstoppable being.

OOC: The laser round is like a very small, but powerful, bomb pumped laser, detonating at a stand off range and sending a dozen or so X-Ray laser stilettos in the general direction of the target.

Jake was watching the battle unfold with detached interest. He focused within the Force, judging when the time would be right to strike...

For now, the Kendaryns also waited. All them them except those still on Victory had entered the clearing, and all watched the fight with interest. So far, the battle seemed even... any interference would have to be carefully timed to minimize the risk of accidently tipping the balance the wrong way.

In his ship, Barän prepared two message-drones. Among the pieces of special equipment installed one the vessel were three drone launchers Tômas had constructed from captured KaosKorp space-splitter cannons. With one, he would send a warning about Sivv'Nakh to Kendari; with another, he would send word of the Death Angel's location to the Thorn system. That way, whatever the outcome of this battle, at least the efforts of those who fought here would not go to nothing... assuming he had time to launch the drones.

He loaded both, and began charging the launchers. A few seconds more would see them gone from the system.

"ARROGANCE," Sivv'Nakh replied with a detached voice. "TYPICAL OF YOU AND YOUR ILK. WEAKLINGS WITH DELUSIONS OF CAPABILITY."

With that, the ground started pulsing again, and Sivv'Nakh's swords took on an almost ethereal quality as the speed of his strikes and counters rocketed up to the point that the only sign he was even moving was in the afterimages he left behind. His form took on an almost liquid quality, the blades morphed forward to increase the speed of his attacks with a rapid succession of deafening whipcracks strong enough to rattle ribcages. Even further, more and more arms sprouted from his torso, lengthened as necessary and fully equipped with wickedly shaped runeblades, each moving at unfathomable speeds.

The ghost seemingly assumed that his attention was divided between the protoss, as he did not bother to hide his efforts to prepare a second form of ordinance, despite the fact that his 'body' was staring straight at him. As he pulled up the cannon to fire, a new arm leapt forth from Sivv'Nakh's body, equipped with a very large cannon cannon gleaming with purplish inner light. As the ghost fired, so did he. The shell scattered and pumped several bolts of laserfire into his body, leaving dark pocks in his perfect skin. In return, a great shockwave of kinetic force targeted the ghost with enough power to turn him into a humanoid pin-ball amongst the trees behind him.

"PERHAPS YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I WAS DESIGNED TO DESTROY ENTIRE ARMIES. I WAS DESIGNED TO DEFEAT ENEMIES OF ALL TYPES, ALL RACES. I AM DEATH ANGEL, I AM THE WEAPON. AGAINST ALL SHALL I STAND...

At this point, a second Sivv'Nakh emerged. This one did not erupt from some hole in the ground, but seemingly just 'formed.' Same appearance. Same serene expression.

"...AND AGAINST ALL SHALL I PREVAIL."

"ARROGANCE," Sivv'Nakh replied with a detached voice. "TYPICAL OF YOU AND YOUR ILK. WEAKLINGS WITH DELUSIONS OF CAPABILITY."

With that, the ground started pulsing again, and Sivv'Nakh's swords took on an almost ethereal quality as the speed of his strikes and counters rocketed up to the point that the only sign he was even moving was in the afterimages he left behind. His form took on an almost liquid quality, the blades morphed forward to increase the speed of his attacks with a rapid succession of deafening whipcracks strong enough to rattle ribcages. Even further, more and more arms sprouted from his torso, lengthened as necessary and fully equipped with wickedly shaped runeblades, each moving at unfathomable speeds.

The ghost seemingly assumed that his attention was divided between the protoss, as he did not bother to hide his efforts to prepare a second form of ordinance, despite the fact that his 'body' was staring straight at him. As he pulled up the cannon to fire, a new arm leapt forth from Sivv'Nakh's body, equipped with a very large cannon cannon gleaming with purplish inner light. As the ghost fired, so did he. The shell scattered and pumped several bolts of laserfire into his body, leaving dark pocks in his perfect skin. In return, a great shockwave of kinetic force targeted the ghost with enough power to turn him into a humanoid pin-ball amongst the trees behind him.

"PERHAPS YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I WAS DESIGNED TO DESTROY ENTIRE ARMIES. I WAS DESIGNED TO DEFEAT ENEMIES OF ALL TYPES, ALL RACES. I AM DEATH ANGEL, I AM THE WEAPON. AGAINST ALL SHALL I STAND...

At this point, a second Sivv'Nakh emerged. This one did not erupt from some hole in the ground, but seemingly just 'formed.' Same appearance. Same serene expression.

"...AND AGAINST ALL SHALL I PREVAIL."

The cannon strike was inconvenient to say the least, but his Personal Defense Screen blunted most of the hit, and his Kinetic Reactive suit blunted still more, so instead of being pulped into jelly by a tree, he only broke two of his ribs. The Ghost got slowly to his feet, loaded another Laser Round, and fired again, he'd seen that lasers could hurt it, now he just had to hurt it enough.

The two Protoss were forced to split up in the face of this new threat, the Commander was still managing to hold his own, but barely, while the Team Leader was taking hits on his shield all to often, finally it flared, dimmed, and let out a piercing wail of warning as it flickered and died, it would eventually recharge, but until that time he was vulnerable. The first sword broke through his defenses a second later, one, two three times it hit his armor as he tried to parry, and then he was wounded, a nasty cut along the length of his torso, painful, but survivable. The two Protoss would be hard put to win this fight alone.

High above, onboard their Gunship, things were beginning to move, the two pilots dropped it towards the planet, fast, and headed in to give the 3 cut off fighters some fire support, while the ships Pinnace broke away and dropped the rest of the team into the fight, Templar and Ghosts swarmed towards the battle, they'd been dropped far enough away to be out of direct line of sight, so they had to move fast to get their in time to be of any use.

[...]
At this point, a second Sivv'Nakh emerged. This one did not erupt from some hole in the ground, but seemingly just 'formed.' Same appearance. Same serene expression.

"...AND AGAINST ALL SHALL I PREVAIL."
"Two of them!? What the...?"
Tajak drew a heavy Narvok blaster with his left hand, tapped a few of the controls, and fired, sending a beam of sparkling light lancing out toward the new Death Angel. ((It's just modified light, and perfectly harmless; the question is, will it bounce off of Sivv'Nakh's duplicate, or pass right through it?))

Across the clearing, Belten shimmered. Two legs became four, four arms became eight, and the eight stretched into many-jointed, several meter limbs. Each hand sprouted a pair of gleaming blades (looking something like a clothes hanger). Kayla produced the hilt of a Tolmadren energy sword (one sufficiently observant and familiar with Kendaryn weaponry might notice that it was slightly longer than normal, and had a more complex set of controls), and around the clearing other weapons were readied, most of them less recognizable than these. Tajak, however, was the only one who made any move that might be seen as an attack.

Above them, Barän sent the drones on their way. Space split, leaving two narrow, incredibly long gaps containing... nothing. The width and length could be determined, but the distance between the edges was zero, and the time required to traverse it was likewise zero. Accuracy put a practical limit on the range of the technique as a useable weapon, but little accuracy is required to send a messenger. Somewhere in the general vicinity of the Thorn system, a drone appeared and began transmitting its call: -I bring a message for those seeking the capture of Sivv'Nakh.-
A similar drone appeared in the Kanell system, seeking the attention of the Kendaryn government.

OOC: I'll post the reaction to the latter drone when I have time. I may not be able to post again until after the weekend; if Sivv'Nakh reacts to Tajak's shot violently, you have my permission to write his incapacitation or death, assuming the attack is too fast for him to possibly react to.

Now! Jake whipped out his pair of blasters, spun them cowboy-like on his fingers, then aimed them at the second Death Angel. He squeezed the triggers, sending forth intense beams of blue particle/plasma energy known commonly as blaster bolts. The bounty hunter has joined the battle!

"YOU TIRE, PROTOSS. YET I AM STILL INCREASING SPEED," Sivv'Nakh noted as the whipcracks of his movements continued to increase in frequency until it was a tooth-grinding hum. It would have dismayed those paying attention to his body that the blaster marks had suddenly regenerated to nothing. "MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS PER SECOND AND I AM HARDLY STRAINED."

The second Death Angel, as yet unmoved from the position it had formed, looked down at the laser beam that left a harmless dot of light on his shoulder. Then, so suddenly it caused a pop of displaced air, he formed a mirror on his shoulder to focus and reflect it directly back at Tajak's forehead. It would be insufficient to deal any major damage, but the shock alone would be enough of a warning.

Then the mirror vanished, and the Death Angel recoiled only slightly from the hail of blaster bolts fired upon it by Jake. As the firing continued, Sivv'Nakh brought up a defensive shield of his own and gave the bounty hunter a no-no wave.

When the gesture was finished, the second Death Angel looked at the edge of the grove in the exact direction the protoss reinforcements were approaching from. With no sound whatsoever, two more Death Angels emerged from the edge of the grove, moving with an almost ethereal grace, to stand by the second Death Angel.

They turned to regard the two protoss and the ghost fighting their many-limbed progenitor, and as one, all four of them spoke a single word:

"NO."

Immediately, Sivv'Nakh ceased his attack and vanished into the ground. As he did so, the ground itself shifted from underneath them like a carpet being yanked from their feet, and metallic grasping hands launched upward to catch their feet in the event of any attempts to leap from danger and hurl the protoss into what appeared to be a very large plate of metal spikes.

Two of the other Death Angels tore forth, swords at the ready, to capitalize on the attack.

"ARMIES, LITTLE PROTOSS, I CAN DESTROY ARMIES..."

And with that, Sivv'Nakh reformed, and the two newest Death Angels spread their wings and flew towards the approaching reinforcements.

"YOU TIRE, PROTOSS. YET I AM STILL INCREASING SPEED," Sivv'Nakh noted as the whipcracks of his movements continued to increase in frequency until it was a tooth-grinding hum. It would have dismayed those paying attention to his body that the blaster marks had suddenly regenerated to nothing. "MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS PER SECOND AND I AM HARDLY STRAINED."

The second Death Angel, as yet unmoved from the position it had formed, looked down at the laser beam that left a harmless dot of light on his shoulder. Then, so suddenly it caused a pop of displaced air, he formed a mirror on his shoulder to focus and reflect it directly back at Tajak's forehead. It would be insufficient to deal any major damage, but the shock alone would be enough of a warning.

Then the mirror vanished, and the Death Angel recoiled only slightly from the hail of blaster bolts fired upon it by Jake. As the firing continued, Sivv'Nakh brought up a defensive shield of his own and gave the bounty hunter a no-no wave.

When the gesture was finished, the second Death Angel looked at the edge of the grove in the exact direction the protoss reinforcements were approaching from. With no sound whatsoever, two more Death Angels emerged from the edge of the grove, moving with an almost ethereal grace, to stand by the second Death Angel.

They turned to regard the two protoss and the ghost fighting their many-limbed progenitor, and as one, all four of them spoke a single word:

"NO."

Immediately, Sivv'Nakh ceased his attack and vanished into the ground. As he did so, the ground itself shifted from underneath them like a carpet being yanked from their feet, and metallic grasping hands launched upward to catch their feet in the event of any attempts to leap from danger and hurl the protoss into what appeared to be a very large plate of metal spikes.

Two of the other Death Angels tore forth, swords at the ready, to capitalize on the attack.

"ARMIES, LITTLE PROTOSS, I CAN DESTROY ARMIES..."

And with that, Sivv'Nakh reformed, and the two newest Death Angels spread their wings and flew towards the approaching reinforcements.


"As can we Degenerate. These are the eyes that can't see me, these are the hands that drop your trust, these are the boots that kick you around, this is the tongue that speaks on the inside, these are the ears that ring with hate, this is the face that will never change, this is the fist that grinds you down, and this is the voice of silence no more..."

A piercing psychic cry rips out from the Commander, it is enough to shatter the minds of those sensitive to it and not properly shielded, as it is bad things are going to happen to everyone and everything in the area, including Sivv'Nakh, because the cry affects the very fabric of the universe, rocks shatter for no apparent reason and trees are destroyed before the raw unleashed fury of the Protoss. Ufortunately three of the backup Templar are reduced to gibbering insanity by the move, cutting the backup down to 14.

"I'm some kind of Monster. This Monster lives!"

The Commander sags for a moment, temporarily spent byhis attack, before gathering himself to resume his fight.

The Reinforcements may have been knocked down, but the Death Angels would not get very far, as a Hellbore lets loose into first one, then the other, followed by warp-missiles, capable of dragging their targets at least partially into hyperspace, Grav-Guns, firing 3mm kinetic energy projectiles, and Grav-Cannon, firing 10mm DU\AM penetrators, a Legion Gunship was nothing to fool around with...

The Ghosts in the reinforcements had trouble breaking loose from Sivv'Nakhs trap, butthe Templar were free in no time, and readyt to fight within seconds of the actual form leaving the area, only 6 of the team were Templar, but they were probably going to be good enough to keep the Death Angels off of the Ghosts for long enough.

OOC: Godular, what is going on here....I dunno what my team will react to or what is even going on...rather not throw them into the fray or any trap when they are natually able to suspect those things, being hunters themselves.

OOC: Godular, what is going on here....I dunno what my team will react to or what is even going on...rather not throw them into the fray or any trap when they are natually able to suspect those things, being hunters themselves.

OOC: Well, the rather large nuclear strikes, and the warp tears should give some indication that combat is occuring, and where it is, while the rather large Gunship is an even better tip off that something bad is going down Over There.

OOC: I am not even on the same planet I think, and DEFINATELY not the same area, I was refering to his post earlier about all the townspeople.

Sivv'Nakh's wards shuddered under the power of the strike, lasting only long enough for him to initiate a second Reality Sever. Even with those precautions, a shockwave of shattering enemy surged outward from the protoss, leveling trees and pulverizing stone.

At the same time, the detonations of two nuclear weapons could be heard nearby as the terran Hellbores impacted upon nothing. With the Protoss' psychic scream, the two Death Angels had seemingly vanished into thin air.

Around the protoss, Sivv'Nakh burst into a thousand razor sharp blades of metal that shot outward for a moment then melted into the ground. Around the three parties, the ground flowed away, revealing the true forest floor beneath them. For a few moments it seemed as if the Death Angel had been destroyed.

This prospect was shattered when Sivv'Nakh materialized again, at the far edge of the now heavily expanded grove, standing amidst broken and shattered trees and dead animals.

He knealt down and picked something up. It moved slightly in his hands, then lay still. Closer inspection would have revealed it to be a mere hatchling of a small avian songbird native to the planet. It appeared to have been battered by the psychic shockwave and its destruction of the trees within the area of effect.

"THESE... TREES... I RAISED THESE TREES FROM SEED AND SAPLING. I FOSTERED GENERATIONS OF HATCHLINGS AND CUBS TO MATURITY. I WATCHED THIS ONE HATCH JUST TWO DAYS AGO. AND NOW THEY ARE DEAD... ALL OF THEM..."

He turned to the assembled bounty hunters, his head low over his hands, and knealt down to place the dead hatchling upon the ground, where he had found it. As he stood back up, he reared his horned head up and let loose a mournful shriek of pure agony that rattled the very ground itself. It was an endless scream of thousands of grindstones rasping upon thousands of swords, a cacophony of unadulterated rage.

Eventually, the scream faded, though it continued to echo from nearby mountain ranges and was soon responded to by the mournful wails of millions of forest creatures. Predator and prey alike joined together to voice their sorrow and anger. This secondary chorus of rage ended somewhat more swiftly, as if those who voiced the cry were stopping to see what the Death Angel intended next. The forest became unnaturally silent at this point, and even the wind itself seemed to stop dead, as if waiting to see what would happen.

"POINTLESS," he eventually uttered, his voice retaining the grating quality of a thousand grindstones grinding. "SUCH. POINTLESS. DESTRUCTION. THIS WORLD IS MY PENANCE. HOW DARE YOU TREAT MY PENANCE SO SHAMEFULLY? YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN ENLIGHTENED BEING, YET YOU COME HERE WITH NAUGHT BUT IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE. IT IS NOT I, BUT YOU WHO ARE THE ATROCITY THIS DAY."

He finally looked up to regard the Protoss and everybody could see that his eyes were filled with pure hatred. His wings trembled with fury, and his skin began to turn a silvery hue that glistened and shuddered like disturbed water. His fingers extended and sharpened into mono-filament edges, and his expression revealed an expression of pure murderous intent.

"PENANCE..." He began, stepping toward the protoss.

"WILL..."

"BE..."

"EXACTED!"

With that, he reared back once again, then lunged forward two steps, brought his head low to the ground, and cut loose with a scream of psychic power exactly the same as, but far better controlled than the protoss' own psychic assault. It came not as a shockwave, but as a cone of condensed psychic energy centered upon this atrocity of a Protoss prince. It would strike with as much if not greater power, then simply fade away before it reached the edge of the devastated clearing. Even in his rage, Sivv'Nakh would not allow more innocent lives to be lost. Not even the man who had fired the blaster bolts at him would be affected, nor the ghost who only fired canisters at him, nor the strange robotic folk who had as yet left his actions unhindered. Sivv'Nakh's rage had only one target.

He had less than a second to ereact, and by the time the strike hit, it was too late, he was already shifting, to the Spectral Realm, but he was going to feel this one in the morning, he could already tell that he was going to be here healing for a lot longer than usual, hours most likely, assuming he was even concious when he arrived...

The Ghost had one last trump card to play, and now seemed like the time to play it, he pushed a single button on his suit, he was told to push it only in an emergency, and this counted, the Panic Button as it was known to the troops, called for the nearest Fleet reinforcements, and on the deck of a carrier, a little used alarm began to go off, calling the enrtire Carrier Group to the aid of a single relatively unimportant SpecOps task force out in the back end of nowhere...

As Jake lowered his pistols, he barely was able to put up a Force shield to protect himself and Chris nearby from the explosions the Protoss caused. He could sense the lives of wildlife snuffing out like nothing, and then he saw that Sivv'Nakh grieved over the death of plants he had known for centuries. Emotion played over his own face.

Is this right? He thought. Is it really right to just take him in, even if he wanted to? He performs a self-exile and a penance upon himself to pay for the crimes he could never truly pay for. The people in that village loved him as the old man they knew. The old man who bakes the amazingly good bread.

Jake reholstered his pistols and scowled at the Protoss. The Death Angel is right. They are arrogant fools. I have seen much needless destruction myself and sometimes ordered such, to my own horror. But in trying to apprehend Sivv'Nakh, I fear we are making a grave mistake. A very grave mistake.

The Team Leader was suddenly in command, and his only possible reaction was shock... "WHAT THE HELL WAS THE COMMANDER THINKING!?!?! HE'S GOING TO KILL US ALL NOW!!! RUN LIKE HELL AND WAIT FOR BACKUP, TEAM SCATTER!!! The Team Leader was the first out of the Grove, and the Ghost was hot on his heels, they would quit the field for today, and hopefully the reinforcements would make it back to the pinnace and away before Sivv'Nakh descended on them in force.

In their flight, the fleeing protoss and ghost did not bother to note that Sivv'Nakh had temporarily froze in place. Holding his screaming position and his expression of unsurpassed berserker rage.

As Jake, Chris, and the Kendaryn bounty hunters watched, the grove began to resonate with a low hum, and the Death Angel's body glowed with an eerie purple light. The humming intensified, and the angelic form began to move, slowly at first, but increasing rapidly. Eventually, his now silent scream faded, and he stood up gingerly.

"I will have to pulp this area later," he said, his voice strangely normal, though one could sense the increasing power in his voice. "It is necessary to provide the new plants with the nutrients they will need to grow. There is a type of shrub with blossoms and berries of a most wonderful smell and flavor. I believe I shall place SUCH PLANTS IN THIS GROVE. IT WOULD BE A SUITABLE MEMORIAL, DO YOU NOT AGREE?" He gave Jake an inquiring look as he finished the sentence, then looked back to where the protoss and the ghost had fled.

"AH, BUT FIRST, I MUST DRIVE THESE VIOLATORS FROM MY WORLD. EVEN NOW THEY SEND FOR MORE SHIPS WITH THEIR GUNS AND THEIR BOMBS AND THEIR IGNORANCE."

With that, he melted into the ground, and one could see the slight rustle in the trees towards the enemy force as he dedicated more and more of himself to their eradication.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

He reformed before the fleeing protoss and the ghost, spreading his wings to maximum span to halt their progress. Razor sharp tendrils lanced forth and stopped just short of impaling their necks.

"KNOW THAT YOUR PENANCE HAS BEEN EXACTED. THE HUMAN WAS UNINVOLVED, AND YOU," the tendril poked closer to the protoss, whose wounds still bled slightly, "YOU HAVE PAID YOUR PRICE. KNOW THAT I WILL NOT CHALLENGE YOUR DEPARTURE. HOWEVER, I MUST TAKE THE SHIP. PENANCE IS NOT YET EXACTED FOR THOSE WHO BOMBED MY FOREST."

Again his form melted away, and one could hear a sound akin to a vast stampede of forest animals as Sivv'Nakh's rushing form disturbed the forest floor, focusing its direction towards the Pinnace.

Jake calmly walked to Chris. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sure. He's a nice guy, really." Chris said. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Not sure." Jake replied. "Something tells me that this isn't over yet..."

Jake summoned from a pouch an obsidian-black staff. The Force tells him that something about the staff and the Death Angel seems related. To test that, he tapped the forest floor once.

Nothing occured. Sivv'Nakh had begun concentrating and moving himself to the Miehman forces, they would face a great many Death Angels this day...

~~~Earlier~~~
Tajak released the trigger as the beam of light struck his head. He had learned what he wanted to know: either the duplicate was real, or it was a sufficiently powerful illusion that it might as well be.

~~~~~~~~

All of the Kendaryns staggered under the impact of the Protoss Commander's psychic scream, and Kayla practically collapsed. They watched the ensuing battle with awe and a certain amount of horror. Such senseless destruction... so many helpless, harmless creatures killed... The reaction of the Death Angel was also noted.

As Sivv'Nakh left in pursuit of the Miehman forces, Bäran brought his vessel down to a landing in the battered clearing.

"I think we all need to have a bit of a discussion." he said, emerging from the ship.

Around the clearing, weapons vanished as the Kendaryn mercenaries gathered. A space was carefully left for the two Coredians.

"Yeah. Let's." Jake said and he and Chris moved into the space.

In their flight, the fleeing protoss and ghost did not bother to note that Sivv'Nakh had temporarily froze in place. Holding his screaming position and his expression of unsurpassed berserker rage.

As Jake, Chris, and the Kendaryn bounty hunters watched, the grove began to resonate with a low hum, and the Death Angel's body glowed with an eerie purple light. The humming intensified, and the angelic form began to move, slowly at first, but increasing rapidly. Eventually, his now silent scream faded, and he stood up gingerly.

"I will have to pulp this area later," he said, his voice strangely normal, though one could sense the increasing power in his voice. "It is necessary to provide the new plants with the nutrients they will need to grow. There is a type of shrub with blossoms and berries of a most wonderful smell and flavor. I believe I shall place SUCH PLANTS IN THIS GROVE. IT WOULD BE A SUITABLE MEMORIAL, DO YOU NOT AGREE?" He gave Jake an inquiring look as he finished the sentence, then looked back to where the protoss and the ghost had fled.

"AH, BUT FIRST, I MUST DRIVE THESE VIOLATORS FROM MY WORLD. EVEN NOW THEY SEND FOR MORE SHIPS WITH THEIR GUNS AND THEIR BOMBS AND THEIR IGNORANCE."

With that, he melted into the ground, and one could see the slight rustle in the trees towards the enemy force as he dedicated more and more of himself to their eradication.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

He reformed before the fleeing protoss and the ghost, spreading his wings to maximum span to halt their progress. Razor sharp tendrils lanced forth and stopped just short of impaling their necks.

"KNOW THAT YOUR PENANCE HAS BEEN EXACTED. THE HUMAN WAS UNINVOLVED, AND YOU," the tendril poked closer to the protoss, whose wounds still bled slightly, "YOU HAVE PAID YOUR PRICE. KNOW THAT I WILL NOT CHALLENGE YOUR DEPARTURE. HOWEVER, I MUST TAKE THE SHIP. PENANCE IS NOT YET EXACTED FOR THOSE WHO BOMBED MY FOREST."

Again his form melted away, and one could hear a sound akin to a vast stampede of forest animals as Sivv'Nakh's rushing form disturbed the forest floor, focusing its direction towards the Pinnace.


The Pinnace was already on its way back to retrieve the remainder of the team, and they were gathered in a clearing to board, they had quickly moved away from the confrontation they had been forced into by the damn Coredian opening his mouth...

OOC: I blame CW for everything that has just happened, because if his bounty hunter had kept his mouth shut, we'd probably still be trying to talk this out...

IC2:

Carrier Group 63

How soon to the target of the distress call?

Just an hour lord, who knows what we will find there though...

We will find Death my friend, we will find Death...

Yes, Lord Tassadar.

OOC: Tanthan, your people are on the right planet. Sivv'Nakh is the old man they speak of, and they know him only as a kind, if somewhat reserved, old hermit who bakes bread and gives money to the hospital.

The people are basically responding to the sounds of battle coming from the forest. Even from a few hundred miles off, they could hear it.

OOC: And isn't bringing a carrier group, Mini Miehm, alittle beyond the rule od only using a small number of mercs?

OOC: Actually, I mentioned that one could either use a small group or attempt to bring one's full military to bear. As word gets out of what happens here today, I'm hoping maybe one or two more will think that Sivv'Nakh may just be a very effective weapon if harnessed properly.

In either event, just watch.

~~~Deep space, Kanell system~~~
-Important message for the Kendaryn government. Important message for the Kendaryn government. Important message for the Kendaryn government.-

The messenger drone continued sending its call into the void, and soon attracted attention. As it happened, the closest ship was the personal transport of the Yamiri ambassador, Terdak räl Kerthion. Bäran had set the security level to low, figuring that this would get the information out faster, and Terdak’s ID card was sufficient to unlock the message. He listened with interest to Bäran’s warning about the Death Angel…

“I send this message to warn you of a danger I have found. A bounty was offered for the capture of a being referred to as Sivv’Nakh, the Death Angel, for the crime of genocide. My crew and I took up the search, and found the target. I believe Sivv’Nakh could be very dangerous indeed. We will attempt his apprehension, but I am not certain we can defeat him. If we fail, he needs to be watched carefully. Included here is a recording of what has occurred here so far, which will be updated by hyperlink as long as I can continue to record it. I leave it to you to decide if my concerns are justified.”

After viewing the recording, Terdak paused for a moment of thought. Then he began sending out a few messages of his own. When the Yamiri Ambassador feels that something outside of Kendari merits close observation, this draws attention quickly. Less than half an hour later, a scout ship set out for Insiar III.

~~~Deep space, somewhere near Thorn system~~~
Meanwhile, the other messenger got its bearings and headed for Thorn, continuing to broadcast its call for attention.

~~~Insiar III, a very battered clearing in the woods~~~
“As I see it, there are several things we need to decide. First, do we want Sivv’Nakh to be captured? He does not seem to be evil, but he is most certainly dangerous…”

Baron Skye sat in his chair, awaiting word for the next crucial happenstance. The day had been somewhat boring so he simply remained in reverie. He was not the least surprised that the door burst open to admit a small man rushing forward. The fellow's emotional state was distinguishable a mile away.

"Baron Skye! Baron Skye!"

"So they found him."

"Baro-- uh... yeah. Somewhere on Insiar II. They say he's everything we expected."

"I would have expected nothing less. Any status on attempts to apprehend?"

"No sir, the message ended before they went to work."

"Good work, Captain. You may leave me now. I must consider the next action."

"Yes sir!" the captain replied, then left the chamber, making certain that his exit was nowhere near as loud as his entrance.

Baron Skye thumbed a small intercom on his desk. "Get me Xenith."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pinnace's location was not lost to Sivv'Nakh, and unknown to the troops awaiting pickup, they were surrounded on all sides by the great monstrosity. He would wait for the vessel to come into range, and then lash out at it, not merely to harm, but to grab a hold of.

Baron Skye sat in his chair, awaiting word for the next crucial happenstance. The day had been somewhat boring so he simply remained in reverie. He was not the least surprised that the door burst open to admit a small man rushing forward. The fellow's emotional state was distinguishable a mile away.

"Baron Skye! Baron Skye!"

"So they found him."

"Baro-- uh... yeah. Somewhere on Insiar II. They say he's everything we expected."

"I would have expected nothing less. Any status on attempts to apprehend?"

"No sir, the message ended before they went to work."

"Good work, Captain. You may leave me now. I must consider the next action."

"Yes sir!" the captain replied, then left the chamber, making certain that his exit was nowhere near as loud as his entrance.

Baron Skye thumbed a small intercom on his desk. "Get me Xenith."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pinnace's location was not lost to Sivv'Nakh, and unknown to the troops awaiting pickup, they were surrounded on all sides by the great monstrosity. He would wait for the vessel to come into range, and then lash out at it, not merely to harm, but to grab a hold of.


The Pinnace was close enough to the ground that it was time to deploy its landing skids, and the Team was effectively fully assembled, now all they had to do was wait until the Pinnace was down and they could safely board the landing craft.

OOC: Changing tactic utilizing new information.

Sivv'Nakh held back, waiting for the Pinnace to land...

OOC: Changing tactic utilizing new information.

Sivv'Nakh held back, waiting for the Pinnace to land...

The Pinnace landed, and opened its doors to let the team get on, apparently they would be let off with little damage...

He sent out a filament of himself, wrapping it around one of the Pinnace's landing struts. It would provide no resistance to their departure, nor would it register as a significant mass increase. Indeed it would be nigh impossible to even note that a foreign substance had latched itself onto the landing craft at all.

~~~Insiar III, a very battered clearing in the woods~~~
“As I see it, there are several things we need to decide. First, do we want Sivv’Nakh to be captured? He does not seem to be evil, but he is most certainly dangerous…”
"Yeah. Quite the dilemma..." Jake agreed. "I have a feeling that this isn't over yet."

He sent out a filament of himself, wrapping it around one of the Pinnace's landing struts. It would provide no resistance to their departure, nor would it register as a significant mass increase. Indeed it would be nigh impossible to even note that a foreign substance had latched itself onto the landing craft at all.

The Pinnace loaded up the team and left the planet, totally unaware that anything was wrong...

The Carriers were moving constantly closer, now just 40 minutes from the system periphery, they would soon translate to Realspace, and find out exactly what was going on out here.

Sivv'Nakh's tendril extended itself to prevent the ascending Pinnace from feeling any form of residual drag. Further and further the tendril went, showing no sign of its existence right up until the Pinnace approached the Gunship to dock.

Finally, after nearly 30 minutes of travel, the Pinnace prepared to dock with the Gunship...

The Carriers would be insystem in just about 25 minutes, and then things would get interesting...

And thus, the tendril waited... and waited, as the gunship got closer. Sivv'Nakh wished only to breach the shielding, and with the Pinnace's docking his goals would be achieved...

And thus, the tendril waited... and waited, as the gunship got closer. Sivv'Nakh wished only to breach the shielding, and with the Pinnace's docking his goals would be achieved...

The pinnace finally docked with its gunship transport, and the team prepard to disembark.

The next sequence of events ensued with surprising speed as the pinnace finally came to rest aboard the gunship.

Sivv'Nakh immediately began feeding himself into the enemy vessel, and within seconds the whole of his body rested upon the very thing that had created two unceremonious craters in his forest, breaching its shields with the assistance of the pinnace. The pinnace itself was rather turbulently thrown free of the ship, and the titan immediately began extending himself over the surface of the vessel, clogging missile tubes, ripping cannons out of their mounts and forcing entry through the sockets, and also taking hold of various parts of the hull in an attempt to peel the vessel apart. The hull could hold, but not for long...

From the outside, it would have looked as though the Gunship had just been attacked by a very large space blob.

The next sequence of events ensued with surprising speed as the pinnace finally came to rest aboard the gunship.

Sivv'Nakh immediately began feeding himself into the enemy vessel, and within seconds the whole of his body rested upon the very thing that had created two unceremonious craters in his forest, breaching its shields with the assistance of the pinnace. The pinnace itself was rather turbulently thrown free of the ship, and the titan immediately began extending himself over the surface of the vessel, clogging missile tubes, ripping cannons out of their mounts and forcing entry through the sockets, and also taking hold of various parts of the hull in an attempt to peel the vessel apart. The hull could hold, but not for long...

From the outside, it would have looked as though the Gunship had just been attacked by a very large space blob.

The Pinnace was thrown free, but it was still an armed landing craft, and that meant it could try and save its mothership, its light 30cm lasers stitched their way through space, striking out at their apparently immortal foe...

Sivv'Nakh took whatever pieces of hull he ripped off and interspersed them around his body to intercept the Pinnace's weapons. He was not yet fully recharged enough to activate his own shields, so the gunship's hull would have to do for the moment.

He had now chosen a single point to focus on, burrowing deeper and deeper into the vessel's hull, intent on establishing a full breach and commencing a shipwide incursion.

Penance would be exacted.

Sivv'Nakh took whatever pieces of hull he ripped off and interspersed them around his body to intercept the Pinnace's weapons. He was not yet fully recharged enough to activate his own shields, so the gunship's hull would have to do for the moment.

He had now chosen a single point to focus on, burrowing deeper and deeper into the vessel's hull, intent on establishing a full breach and commencing a shipwide incursion.

Penance would be exacted.

The Pinnace gave up its attacks as pointless, maybe if there had been more of them, but alone it would never be enough to take down Sivv'Nakh alone...

The Gunship was quickly broken into, its armort was only light Chromsten, and it was meant to take energy weapons and shell fire, not the concentrated assault of a blob...

The Carrier squadron arrived at the edge of the system, and began moving in towards the primary, where they would see what this commotion was all about...

Incoming Vessels...

Identifying... power signature matches present opponent...

Conclusion... enemy reinforcements... complete present action sequence...

The great mass that was Sivv'Nakh extended itself over the lengthwise beam of the gunship, and like a great monofilament, sheared the vessel straight down the middle. Then, using some unseen means, Sivv'Nakh anchored himself into position and hurled the two halves of the vessel into deep space. One of the halves, coincidentally would come surprisingly close, if not through, the incoming Miehman fleet.

And then, his purpose fulfilled, Sivv'Nakh transformed once again. It proceeded somewhat slowly, as if the titan was uncertain what assuming this form would cause, but the transformation still only took but a matter of seconds.

In comparative terms, it stood about twenty stories tall, nothing truly spectacular when compared to the mechanized monstrosities of the modern universe. Humanoid in form, its torso, arms, and legs appeared distinctly android like, as though it were a form fitting suit of armor. Its legs and arms were disproportionately long with respect to the rest of its body, with the legs ending in a two-toed affair that suggested the feet were used for grappling just as much for walking. Its arms ended in wicked talons, gleaming in the sunlight. Over its chest was a strange armored mantle of what appeared to be pure obsidian or some other deep black material. This mantle extended and tapered upwards in the exaggerated shape of a humanoid neck, terminating in a simple ovoid face, featureless save for two wickedly sharp horns emerging straight out from its forehead and then abruptly bending to match the curve of Sivv'Nakh's face, and a line of three lights running vertically up the face, with the topmost one being directly between the two horns.

It then extended its colossal wings, perhaps a kilometer or so in overall wingspan, seemingly feathered with razorblades, and undoubtedly much more flexible than they looked.

Without moving a single part of its new form, Sivv'Nakh moved away from the planet, intending to catch the fleet midway. He made no overt offensive moves apart from this advance, and kept his arms apart in a gesture showing non-hostile disposition..

Incoming Vessels...

Identifying... power signature matches present opponent...

Conclusion... enemy reinforcements... complete present action sequence...

The great mass that was Sivv'Nakh extended itself over the lengthwise beam of the gunship, and like a great monofilament, sheared the vessel straight down the middle. Then, using some unseen means, Sivv'Nakh anchored himself into position and hurled the two halves of the vessel into deep space. One of the halves, coincidentally would come surprisingly close, if not through, the incoming Miehman fleet.

And then, his purpose fulfilled, Sivv'Nakh transformed once again. It proceeded somewhat slowly, as if the titan was uncertain what assuming this form would cause, but the transformation still only took but a matter of seconds.

In comparative terms, it stood about twenty stories tall, nothing truly spectacular when compared to the mechanized monstrosities of the modern universe. Humanoid in form, its torso, arms, and legs appeared distinctly android like, as though it were a form fitting suit of armor. Its legs and arms were disproportionately long with respect to the rest of its body, with the legs ending in a two-toed affair that suggested the feet were used for grappling just as much for walking. Its arms ended in wicked talons, gleaming in the sunlight. Over its chest was a strange armored mantle of what appeared to be pure obsidian or some other deep black material. This mantle extended and tapered upwards in the exaggerated shape of a humanoid neck, terminating in a simple ovoid face, featureless save for two wickedly sharp horns emerging straight out from its forehead and then abruptly bending to match the curve of Sivv'Nakh's face, and a line of three lights running vertically up the face, with the topmost one being directly between the two horns.

It then extended its colossal wings, perhaps a kilometer or so in overall wingspan, seemingly feathered with razorblades, and undoubtedly much more flexible than they looked.

Without moving a single part of its new form, Sivv'Nakh moved away from the planet, intending to catch the fleet midway. He made no overt offensive moves apart from this advance, and kept his arms apart in a gesture showing non-hostile disposition..

"My Lord, there is something coming towards us!!!"

I see it, do not attack, it has not struck at us, and I will not strike first..."

Transmission to unidentified being

"I am Tassadar, Grand Templar of the Protoss Fleets, and commander of this Carrier Group, please state your intentions..."

"My Lord, there is something coming towards us!!!"

I see it, do not attack, it has not struck at us, and I will not strike first..."

Transmission to unidentified being

"I am Tassadar, Grand Templar of the Protoss Fleets, and commander of this Carrier Group, please state your intentions..."

OOC: You know...technically speaking, this statement is pretty absurd considering the object had just recenlty killed off a few protoss, and if this were a Darwinism rp you'd probably die first with the same sentence spouting out Mini.
:P

Not to be rude or mean, but...it just struck me that way...

OOC: You know...technically speaking, this statement is pretty absurd considering the object had just recenlty killed off a few protoss, and if this were a Darwinism rp you'd probably die first with the same sentence spouting out Mini.
:P

Not to be rude or mean, but...it just struck me that way...

OOC: Actually, it has yet to kill anyone, the pilots are both still alive in their Skin Suits, though how long they will stay alive is debatable, and besides, all my Protoss are still alive, the pilots are both Terrans...

In response to Tassadar's query, a strange voice, like a number of differently pitched hums regulated in such a way as to generate discernible speech, came onto all comms.

"My intention is to bar your way. My purpose is defense of myself and my home. You may retrieve the crew from the destroyed gunship, but leave the gunship itself."

In response to Tassadar's query, a strange voice, like a number of differently pitched hums regulated in such a way as to generate discernible speech, came onto all comms.

"My intention is to bar your way. My purpose is defense of myself and my home. You may retrieve the crew from the destroyed gunship, but leave the gunship itself."

Reply:

Excuse me a moment, your home? Are you Sivv'Nakh? If you are, what has our brilliant prince done this time? Killed someone, attacked you, defaced some holy relic, worse? I thank you for the opportunity to save the Terrans, but we may be too late , so you'll ecuse me if I send a pair of Interceptors to get them, rather than using these lumbering behemoths to retrieve them, and the Pinnace should be able to come to us, but I digress... Could we possibly meet, just the two of us, to discuss what my most esteemed royal moron has done this time? I'll even come unarmed if you like...

"We are meeting now. I see no reason to pursue formality.

"Your 'prince' came to this world that is my home of exile, demanding my submission to the authority of those who have no authority over me. I do not submit. In his efforts to force my submission, and the efforts of those under his immediate command, massive collateral damage was inflicted upon the forest that I have inhabited and cultivated for the past millenia as my penance for the horror I caused so long ago. This damage is exactly equivalent to two thermonuclear devices and one heavy concussion bomb.

"Penance has been exacted for these losses, however I fear that others may come and cause more damage in an attempt to bring me under control.

"I will not be controlled."

"We are meeting now. I see no reason to pursue formality.

"Your 'prince' came to this world that is my home of exile, demanding my submission to the authority of those who have no authority over me. I do not submit. In his efforts to force my submission, and the efforts of those under his immediate command, massive collateral damage was inflicted upon the forest that I have inhabited and cultivated for the past millenia as my penance for the horror I caused so long ago. This damage is exactly equivalent to two thermonuclear devices and one heavy concussion bomb.

"Penance has been exacted for these losses, however I fear that others may come and cause more damage in an attempt to bring me under control.

"I will not be controlled."

Reply:

My orders are to make sure the prince does not do anything overly stupid, but from what you described he's been acting even more like an aristocratic imbecile than usual, tell me please, did he say anything before the "concussion bomb" went off? Because the effect you describe frightens me, since, if it is what I think it is, that technique has been proscribed to even be taught for the last few millenia... The two Nuclear strikes would be the Gunships Hellbore...

I must ask one more thing, is the price still alive at least?

"The effect was a form of psionic scream that generated a concussion shockwave, which leveled a portion of my forest. I returned fire in kind, but more focused. He planeshifted before lethal damage could be dealt but I know not whether he has passed on as a result of wounds recieved."

"The effect was a form of psionic scream that generated a concussion shockwave, which leveled a portion of my forest. I returned fire in kind, but more focused. He planeshifted before lethal damage could be dealt but I know not whether he has passed on as a result of wounds recieved."

If he has plane-shifted he will be alive, though it is even worse than I feared, what you described is the Glyph of Sound, I had hoped it was only the Glyph of Force, a rather minor transgression, but Sound is a different matter entirely, and even his birth will not be able to save him this time... Hmm... Perhaps I should explain, long ago, during the Aeon of Strife there were six techniques created as the ultimate attacks, Force, weakest and easiest to perform performs much as you have described, but is only a shockwave, Stone is worse, robbing a person of control over their entire body, and freezing them in place, Sound is horrible, destroying mind and body alike of the unprotected, Liquid drowns a person in their own blood, Fire ignites even stone or metal, and Light cleanses everything it touches, including the user, destroying everything for nearly a kilometer around...

I must make ammends for my princes foolish actions, what may we do to aid you?

"Penance has been exacted. I wish merely to be left alone, to remember my crimes in peace."

"Penance has been exacted. I wish merely to be left alone, to remember my crimes in peace."


Then we will retrieve our people and leave you to the peace you so desire. If you see our prince again, tell him there is a price on his head. In fact, you may collect the bounty yourself if you wish...

"His penance was exacted. However, it is recognized that he is a member of your people, and should you wish him judged properly as justified, I shall bring him to you should his presence become known to me once more."

Unusual levels of activity attract notice. Of course, this doesn't matter if there's nobody to see them. Usually, the Protoss carrier group would probably have gone undetected by any but those already present on or near Insiar III. Purely through coincidence, however, a Vaxintorian raiding ship happened to be in the same general area. The raiding ships have powerful scanners, and there was no way that significant fleet movements wouldn't be noticed.

Like most Vaxintorian vessels, the Locust looked more like a heap of wreckage than an active warship... 500 meters of heavily armed space junk. As it happened, the raiding craft was being used for a training expedition, with new recruits making up over half its crew. This mattered little to Kerek Dral, the D’zukaru who controlled it. Deaths during training were not just acceptable; they were expected.

Vor Tanash, Captain of the Locust, was more cautious. Preserving his rank meant bringing back most of his crew alive, and he could die as easily as the rest of them in a hard fight. So, when the ship’s scanners picked up a carrier squadron approaching a nearby system, he became a bit worried. Perhaps the D’zukaru should be informed of this potential threat…

Leaving his second-in-command at the controls, the 2.5 meter Vaxintorian warrior hurried to Kerek’s chamber, deep in middle of the vessel. He reached up to knock, but the mighty steel door slid aside before his hand reached it.

“ENTER!”, boomed the D’zukaru. “What concerns you?”

“Mighty one, we have spotted a carrier group moving in the area.”

“Is it approaching the target?”

“No, mighty one, but it could still become a problem. Its intentions are unknown-“

“You will change course immediately…”

“Thank you for listeni-“

“Approach the destination of this unknown force.”

“APPROACH!? But we have no idea who they are, or what they can do! The entire ship could be dest-“

“YOU WILL OBEY ME!! A carrier group is not moving into a backwater system in the middle of nowhere for nothing. There is something important going on, and I intend to find out what. If they prove too dangerous, we should be able to avoid a fight.”

“Very well, mighty one. It shall be as you command.

“But don’t blame me if this goes wrong.” Vor grumbled, as he headed back to the control room.

A few minutes later, the Locust shot towards Insiar with a flash of blue light. It would be approaching the planet from the opposite direction of the Protoss forces. Captain Tanash made every effort he could at stealth. It’s hardly a Vaxintorian specialty, but raiding ships are better equipped for it than most of their vessels, and he had some hope of avoiding notice.

OOC: Somebody has to play the fools who actually try to gain control of Sivv’Nakh. With any luck, I can get the Death Angel, the bounty hunters that came to capture the Death Angel, the Protoss fleet, and some sort of militia from the towns on Insiar III all fighting with Tanash and his soldiers.

OOC: I was wondering when somebody would take that line... was kinda hoping more people would, actually. I'll make an actual post later.

OOC: I was wondering when somebody would take that line... was kinda hoping more people would, actually. I'll make an actual post later.

OOC: Oh, he's fucked... He's taking on Tassadar, and an entire Carrier Group, with its 40,000 Interceptors... And, since he obviously wants a fight, I believe that Battle Group 2, "Famine", can find its way to Insiar...

OOC: Oh, he's fucked... He's taking on Tassadar, and an entire Carrier Group, with its 40,000 Interceptors... And, since he obviously wants a fight, I believe that Battle Group 2, "Famine", can find its way to Insiar...
OOC: Well, I did call 'em fools... Keep in mind that this isn't really much more than a scout group and training expedition. If they have time to send off a message saying that they're being slaughtered before they're all finished off, the area will draw some more substantial attention...

OOC: Well, I did call 'em fools... Keep in mind that this isn't really much more than a scout group and training expedition. If they have time to send off a message saying that they're being slaughtered before they're all finished off, the area will draw some more substantial attention...

OOC: I see, in that case they may just be allowed to get that message off, so I can actually use a full Battle Group, I've honestly never gotten a chance to actually use one without having the enemy GM their way out of trouble. Like HFI and his uber unbeatable shield...

OOC: HFI?

Not all of Victory’s observation drones were pointed down, and one of them had a view of the gunship when Sivv’Nakh arrived on it.

-“Captain, we’re getting a report from one of the drones that you all should see.”-

-“Got it… Projector on.-
"Everyone, watch. This must be important."

Tapping a button on his wrist, Barän activated the visual projector that was built into his armor. An image appeared in the center of the circle, showing Sivv'Nakh's arrival at the Gunship, and the subsequent fight.

"Wow!" Tajak said. "I think we're lucky we didn't try harder to capture him..."

Then, quite suddenly, Kayla spoke up. There was a strange, distant sound to her voice.
"Trouble is coming... worse, in its way, then the Death Angel."

~~~Elsewhere, on a small scout ship, rapidly approaching~~~
"Hey Jak, did the Commander tell you anything about what exactly we're doing?"

"Nope. Just that it would be either perfectly safe, or extremely dangerous, and we'd be working with one of the Yamiri."

"And we sure didn't learn much from them... just a set of coordinates, and barely a word since. Well, maybe we'll find out more soon... just three jumps to the destination."

OOC: HFI?

OOC: the guy with the sun-sized ball of plasma, he also had a shield that, apparently, drew power from latent psionic energy, I proceeded to inform him that there were exactly 3 sources of that in the entire system... He disagreed, and continued to use his unbreakable shield againt a bombardment powerful enough to destroy a planet. I ignored him after that...

OOC: No worries. The only time I'd even consider stretching things is to protect the life of my leader, and then it would be a secret escape route (if anything) - never invincible shields or such. The Vs have got a few unusual defenses, but nothing that can't be beaten...

Have fun crushing the superfortress! :)

OOC: No worries. The only time I'd even consider stretching things is to protect the life of my leader, and then it would be a secret escape route (if anything) - never invincible shields or such. The Vs have got a few unusual defenses, but nothing that can't be beaten...

Have fun crushing the superfortress! :)

What kind of superfortress??? Something that I'm gonna need to call a battleglobe for, because I really would like to avoid doing that...

The Death Angel's head turned as his own sensors picked up the newcomer's readings. He wasn't quite certain what to make of the vessel, though considering the previous entrants, he suspected they wanted him as well.

He turned about and bolted back to Insiar II. He would attempt to keep them at bay with his previous tactics, but if they tried bombing his forest too, there would be hell to pay...

The Death Angel's head turned as his own sensors picked up the newcomer's readings. He wasn't quite certain what to make of the vessel, though considering the previous entrants, he suspected they wanted him as well.

He turned about and bolted back to Insiar II. He would attempt to keep them at bay with his previous tactics, but if they tried bombing his forest too, there would be hell to pay...

Hmm, more units of unknown origin entering the system... We should offer aid, it is only right...

Transmission to Sivv'Nakh:

We have also detected the new presence, would you like our aid in dealing with this incursion? We have 800 Interceptors per carrier, and ther are 50 of us in the system, together with our onboard energy weapons we should be able to destroy them, no matter what they are.

"This next jump should take us to Insiar."

The Yamiri agent's voice sounded suddenly in the control room, startling the pilots slightly.
-"Excellent. Soon, we will find out what must be done."-

A moment later, she entered the chamber, moving on four of her six limbs.

"I want a full scan as soon as we enter the system. We need to know who else is there, and what they're doing."

Jake and Chris decided to try and get another ship offplanet and headed into the town to do so. Sivv'Nakh just can't be beaten.

What kind of superfortress??? Something that I'm gonna need to call a battleglobe for, because I really would like to avoid doing that...
OOC: Picture a cube, about 2 km per side, composed of your choice of SF steel replacement. Carve chunks out of it until about half the mass is gone, so that the surface is incredibly complicated, covered in pits and extensions and so forth. Hollow out what's left, fill it with power plants, living quarters, computers, and such, and cover the entire surface with weapons. This, basically, is a Vaxintorian Superfortress. They're designed to carry as many weapons as possible, for taking on large groups of smaller vessels, but they also have a few large turrets.

Bring in whatever you think the IC information makes reasonable. Superfortresses are tough, but certainly not unbeatable. I'd advise you to attack from a distance, if possible - Vaxintorian weapons are a lot more dangerous at close range.

IC: Tanash brought the Locust back into realspace, immediately activating the cloak. A modification of the Vaxintorian's first line of defense, their cloak allowed light to pass through the ship as if it were empty space; the only side effect was a slight blue glow, which was usually too faint to be noticed.

The raiding vessel drifted silently toward the planet that seemed to be the focus of attention, passively collecting what information it could about the other forces present in the system. Tanash was becoming even more convinced that something important was going on here.

We have also detected the new presence, would you like our aid in dealing with this incursion? We have 800 Interceptors per carrier, and ther are 50 of us in the system, together with our onboard energy weapons we should be able to destroy them, no matter what they are.

Not here.

The Death Angel changed course somewhat abruptly, diving into the far reaches of the system with phenomenal speed, then vanished into hyperspace in such a direction that it looked like he was fleeing both the Protoss and the newcomers.

Hmm, we will wait, let us first see wether or not the other force takes the bait, if they do, follow immediately, plot a course alon Sivv'Nakhs vector in case they do follow him, if they do not, we are on our own until Famine can extricate itself from the meeting called by the Kendari.

"Mighty one, our sensors just picked up something leaving the system. Strange... it looked almost like a giant statue or robot... certainly no kind of ship I've seen before. Should we follow it, or continue to the planet? It could be trying to escape, lure us away, or lead us into a trap."

For a moment, the D'zukaru was silent. Then, reaching a decision, it spoke.

"We cannot afford to ignore this departure, nor to ignore the world below us. Continue to the surface. I will take four hundred soldiers and begin searching the planet; you will take the rest, and follow that mysterious object. Hurry, or it will get away!"

Tanash rushed back to the control room. With no time for continued stealth, the raider shot towards the surface of Insiar II.

"Mighty one, our sensors just picked up something leaving the system. Strange... it looked almost like a giant statue or robot... certainly no kind of ship I've seen before. Should we follow it, or continue to the planet? It could be trying to escape, lure us away, or lead us into a trap."

For a moment, the D'zukaru was silent. Then, reaching a decision, it spoke.

"We cannot afford to ignore this departure, nor to ignore the world below us. Continue to the surface. I will take four hundred soldiers and begin searching the planet; you will take the rest, and follow that mysterious object. Hurry, or it will get away!"

Tanash rushed back to the control room. With no time for continued stealth, the raider shot towards the surface of Insiar II.


Redeploy the team, send them to the surface to deal with what's happening there. The rest of us will follow Sivv'Nakh out of the system.

A single carrier brought the Pinnace back to the planet, under cover of its interceptor screen, just in case, while the rest of the Carrier Group left the system. 49 carriers should be able to handle anything the enemy could throw at them.

Tanash brought the Locust to a landing with a loud thump that shook the craft, and Vaxintorian soldiers began pouring out. The warriors were a diverse lot, with each appearance tailored to its owner's taste. Fur, scales, armor-like plates, and tough, leathery skin could all be seen in the crowd. Some had as many as eight limbs; a few had none at all. One thing, though, they all had in common: none of them looked friendly. Most were heavily armed, though few looked like they really needed weapons.

Last of all came Kerek Dral. The D'zukaru towered over even the largest of its warriors, slithering on dozens of long, flexible limbs. It seemed to be somehow cloaked in darkness, with two great eyes shining in the depths of the gloom.

"Notify me immediatly if you discover anything."

"It shall be as you command."

Tanash jumped back into the Locust and took off, following the course of the Death Angel's departure. He was sure that he was heading into danger, but disobeying the D'zukaru would be suicide. Now that Lord Dral was off of his ship, the Vaxintorian captain would be able to act in greater freedom...

"My hundred shall remain here, in reserve. The rest of you, move out! And remember... I want information, not plunder or blood. Don't start any fights unless you have to. Anyone who delays the search WILL regret it!"

Three hundred Vaxintorians scattered, in groups ranging from three warriors to a dozen. Among them were ten scout vessels, vaguely saucer-like, yet triangular, which skimmed swiftly above the ground. The hunt was on; the Vaxintorians searched for signs of secrecy, evidence of military involvement, and informed-looking people to question.

OOC: Vaxintorians are shapeshifters, but limited and slow. Something like forming a new arm takes several hours. D'zukaru are much faster, but most lack the skill to, for example, convincingly disguise themselves as human.

Tanash brought the Locust to a landing with a loud thump that shook the craft, and Vaxintorian soldiers began pouring out. The warriors were a diverse lot, with each appearance tailored to its owner's taste. Fur, scales, armor-like plates, and tough, leathery skin could all be seen in the crowd. Some had as many as eight limbs; a few had none at all. One thing, though, they all had in common: none of them looked friendly. Most were heavily armed, though few looked like they really needed weapons.

Last of all came Kerek Dral. The D'zukaru towered over even the largest of its warriors, slithering on dozens of long, flexible limbs. It seemed to be somehow cloaked in darkness, with two great eyes shining in the depths of the gloom.

"Notify me immediatly if you discover anything."

"It shall be as you command."

Tanash jumped back into the Locust and took off, following the course of the Death Angel's departure. He was sure that he was heading into danger, but disobeying the D'zukaru would be suicide. Now that Lord Dral was off of his ship, the Vaxintorian captain would be able to act in greater freedom...

"My hundred shall remain here, in reserve. The rest of you, move out! And remember... I want information, not plunder or blood. Don't start any fights unless you have to. Anyone who delays the search WILL regret it!"

Three hundred Vaxintorians scattered, in groups ranging from three warriors to a dozen. Among them were ten scout vessels, vaguely saucer-like, yet triangular, which skimmed swiftly above the ground. The hunt was on; the Vaxintorians searched for signs of secrecy, evidence of military involvement, and informed-looking people to question.

OOC: Vaxintorians are shapeshifters, but limited and slow. Something like forming a new arm takes several hours. D'zukaru are much faster, but most lack the skill to, for example, convincingly disguise themselves as human.


They were fools, they had divided their forces, and no the hunt was on...

the team did not split up, they were a group, capable of overwhelming even the largest of the enemy groups through numbers, their 15 to the enemies dozen...

(Somewhere in the woods - the first group to encounter MM's team.)

Seven soldiers hurried through the forest, five new recruits inder the direction of two veterans. As it happened, all of them were vaguely humanoid, with two legs, two arms, and two eyes. Five of them carried large, strange looking blast rifles, while two were armed with handguns; their hand-to-hand weapons were more varied.

"Keep a close watch out." one of the older warriors commanded quietly. "Something doesn't feel right..."

(Somewhere in the woods - the first group to encounter MM's team.)

Seven soldiers hurried through the forest, five new recruits inder the direction of two veterans. As it happened, all of them were vaguely humanoid, with two legs, two arms, and two eyes. Five of them carried large, strange looking blast rifles, while two were armed with handguns; their hand-to-hand weapons were more varied.

"Keep a close watch out." one of the older warriors commanded quietly. "Something doesn't feel right..."

Three shots rang out, and then, another 7 followed quickly, before the 5 Protoss unleashed thier Psionic Storms on the forces in the forest,, there would be as little damage as possible, but they woulds not allow these beasts to defile this place as they had done not so long ago...

OOC: What exactly does the Psionic Storm do?

IC: One soldier went down under the first three shots, and another was injured, his steaming, black blood staining the ground. This was quite enough to alert the others to the attack. They turned swiftly to face the enemy, returning fire with bolts of what looked like crimson lightning. One activated his communicator, crying "Alert! Under attack, unkno-" before a shot shattered his skull. Two others also went down under these seven shots, leaving three, two of them injured, to face the Psionic Storms... One of the survivors, the higher ranking of the two veterans, swept the attacking force with rapid-pulse fire. His gun was clearly a different variety from the others.

OOC: The red 'lightning' is the standard mid-range setting of their weapons. It crackles through whatever it hits, kind of like real electricity, but does so quite a bit more destructively.

Jake and Chris decided to try and get another ship offplanet and headed into the town to do so. Sivv'Nakh just can't be beaten.
As they left, Barän tossed a communicator to them.
"We're not leaving yet, but if there's anything we can do for you, give us a call."

Tômas had vanished into his workshop, muttering about an idea, when the drones spotted the Vaxintorian vessel arriving. Most of the crew gathered around Barän's projector again, watching with interest as unpleasant-looking soldiers poured out of it.

"Somehow, I don't think this is good..." Barän remarked. "I want everyone onboard, ready to take off if we need to. Maybe I should give those other two a call, too... I just hope they've got the comm. turned on."

As the crew filed back onto Victory, he tried sending a quick call to the communicator.

Jake answered. "Yes, what is it?"

"We've got visitors coming, and they don't look nice. There seem to be several hundred of them. Any luck finding a ship yet?"

"Nope. We're still looking." Jake sighed. "You need any help?"

"I don't think so. Their ship took off, so if worst comes to worst I can just head out of here. Thought I should warn you about them, and offer you a ride."

"Might be a good idea." Jake answered.

Sitting down before Victory's control board, Barän closed the door and brought the ship up.

"Where are you? I'll pick you up."

Jake concentrated and fired off a random lightning bolt into the air. "You see that?"

"Yep. Impressive."

Hovering on high intensity repulsion fields, the destroyer shot over the tree tops, barely ruffling their leaves with the wind that supported it. It wasn't long before it drew near Jake's position. Shifting to low power repulsion beams, Barän brought the ship to a gentle landing near the two bounty hunters. Armor plates slid aside, a door opened, and a ramp extended to the ground.

The bounty hunters wasted no time in running up the ramp and into the ship.

"Welcome aboard my humble home!" Barän said, closing the door behind them and lifting off.

"I'll show you around once we get off planet. In the mean time, take a look at the footage we got of those visitors - I'm bringing it up on the screen to your left."

Jake and Chris looked at the screen. "Interesting. Someone's sent an army looking for Sivv'Nakh, most likely." Jake said.

"Proably." Barän agreed, as he sent the ship hurtling away from the surface. Inertial nullifiers and carefully balanced repulsion fields compensated for the acceleration.

"I could almost pity them, but I doubt they'll get more than they deserve. After all, we all got out without a scratch..."

"Except my ship!" Jake blubbered. "I paid twenty thousand for the craft and I just had it waxed!"

Chris just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah... sorry 'bout that. Sivv'Nakh does seem to be a bit more casual about first strikes against other people's property. Still, we're all alive and uninjured, and I suspect he could have killed the lot of us rather quickly.

"Now that we're up here, I can take the time to show you what's what around here." Turning his head, Barän instructed a nearby crewman, "Daryn, keep an eye on the screens while I'm away."

"The cabins are back here..."

OOC: Last post for tonight; I've got a final tomorrow.