Well we're trying to capture The Foundry in one piece. I mean yes it can repair itself when fed, but since it's an incredibly ancient wonder that might be sort of alive (you can never be sure with the Rakata and it does have a presence in The Force), I'd rather we treat it with respect like any good archeologist.
May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)
- Thread starter Dr. Snark
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star wars canon what canon tsundere dice ck2 quest actions have consequences all the credits all work and no play makes ciaran a dull girl best sister capitalism ho! despairing qm teetotaller society member gotta catch 'em all insanity looting off the rails sage dice approaching spicy sheev tsundere asajj
Well we're trying to capture The Foundry in one piece. I mean yes it can repair itself when fed, but since it's an incredibly ancient wonder that might be sort of alive (you can never be sure with the Rakata and it does have a presence in The Force), I'd rather we treat it with respect like any good archeologist.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
What, like a modern archeologist, or an Indiana Jones era archeologist?
- Location
- Queensland, Australia
Riphath, don't you know making something Idiot-Proof just means that the universe will soon introduce you to a 'better' quality idiot?
... Though I have yet to work out if it's because the Universe really likes being a troll, or if it just really wants those idiots to be Idiots-no-more... through whatever method is available. ... It's probably both.
... Though I have yet to work out if it's because the Universe really likes being a troll, or if it just really wants those idiots to be Idiots-no-more... through whatever method is available. ... It's probably both.
- Location
- Somewhere and somewhen in time and space
In the immortal words of General Hammond, spinning is way better than not spinning. Jymeen seems to be discovering the joys of it.
I was thinking Lara Croft archeologist; swipe all the shinies, kill the ancient abominations living within and only destroy what would look cinematically awesome.
I prefer Ciaran style archaeology: Swipe all the shinies, ancient abominations, cinematics and the site of the expedition itself. Then convince everybody else that there were no shinies, ancient abominations, cinematics or archaeologic expeditions in the first place.
Foundry Raid Night II After Action Report
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
The Foundry
Abyss Watchers Forward Operating Base, Seventh Deck
Unlike the base back on the first deck, the forward operating base on the Foundry's seventh deck was clearly more hastily constructed due to the fact that no one had expected Grievous to get that far. Crates were more haphazardly scattered around, wires were left exposed, and the prefabricated buildings were more often than not only half-built. Still, much like before the base was bustling with activity with the news that the Kaleesh would once again be returning - though this time there was considerably more chatter once they got word that all five of the Abysswalkers would be present during the raid. Many of the staff were gossiping as to what they would be like, since they were the best of the best and had to be some of the galaxy's greatest soldiers, obviously.
After the droids and Kaleesh landed - though the latter were noticeably more subdued this time around - the staff were eager to meet them or at least catch a glimpse of them. And it was fairly easy to pick them out given that they were each wearing matte black Phase 1 armor. As they passed through the base towards the command center the staff began to mutter among themselves, casting glances in their direction.
"You know, I think this is the first time in my life I've ever been this popular," Riphath commented to Dani and Koliya as he glanced at a couple of workers who seemed to freeze up for a moment before quickly moving away. "I uh...don't know how I feel about this whole 'awe-inspiring presence' thing."
"Better get used to it pal," Dani replied. "We're borderline mythical to the rank and file."
"Our nature, training regimen, site of training, and full capabilities are all highly classified - but at the same time many know that we exist," Koliya noted. "By nature we are a mysterious force that is only deployed for the most dire of situations. That makes us far more terrifying than any Kaleesh."
"I find that hard to believe," Riphath said. "I've served with them long enough to know how terrifying they can be."
"Fair, but these people know who the Kaleesh are and what they are capable of," Koliya replied. "They know next to nothing about us."
After a few more moments, Greivous and HK-47 came out of the command center, followed by a figure in armor much like the Abysswalkers were wearing, though it was more of a steely grey in comparison.
"Is...there something we missed in the briefing?" Dani said out loud. "Who was-"
Her thought was interrupted by the sound of a small explosion going off followed by a string of cursing.
"Ah. It would seem Piebald is getting ready," Koliya said offhandedly.
"He's going to cause so many injuries, I just know it..." Riphath muttered despondently. "Maybe blow off a leg or something even..."
"Huh...now that I think about it where is Ciaran's Number One Fan anyway?" Dani said as she glanced around. "Haven't seen her around."
"I believe she is with the rest of the Kaleesh - as we should be," Koliya finished as she noticed the troops beginning to gather and listening to a quite frankly terrifying speech from HK-47, the BXs stoically standing by while the Spider Droid Hive glanced around randomly.
"Right, that's where you guys need to go," Riphath said as he started to turn and walk in another direction. "I need to get the Equus-"
As the sounds of a speeder starting up echoed through the area everyone, droid and organic alike, seemed to freeze and turn towards where it was coming from. It got louder and louder then-
"HOW DO YOU STOP THIS THIIIIINNNNGGGG" the Equus' inadvertent pilot Jymeen screamed out as it sailed past the stunned crowd and into the distance.
"Oh gods, he just went in," a Kaleesh said out loud, as if trying to confirm what was happening was real.
Those words broke the trance the crowd was in as Grievous began barking orders to the Kaleesh while the BXs and spider droids began to stoically march forward, quickly followed by droidekas rolling past them to try and catch up with the runaway speeder.
"Do you think he'll be alright!?" Dani shouted at Riphath as they began running.
"It'll be fine. The Equus is idiot-proof!"
-----------
The Foundry
Deck 8
"OhgodsohgodsohgodsthiswasaMISTAKE" Jymeen screamed out as the Equus charged towards a group of exterminator droids opening fire on him. "I'MPULLINGTHETRIGGERWHYISN'TANYTHINGHAPPENING"
As he wrestled with the controls, the speeder started to spin as it slammed through the droids, a few of them bouncing off of its hull as it burst through. From behind it the sounds of blaster fire began to echo as the rest of the assault team began to catch up.
"Okay, okay, uh uh uh THE SAFETY THAT'S IT!" Jymeen shouted triumphantly as he got the Equus back under control and started randomly hitting buttons. "Come on come on-"
"Self destruct sequence armed."
"NONONONONO WRONG BUTTON"
"Self destruct sequence canceled. Wipers activated."
"NOT HELPING!" Jymeen shouted as he glanced up and saw a much bigger group of exterminator droids in front of him. "WHY AREN'T THESE LABELED!?" he yelled as he pushed one last button-
"Safeties disengaged."
"YES!" Jymeen grabbed the control stick, pulling down on the trigger. "Come on come on-"
The Equus' gun barrel began to whir up before the corridor in front of Jymeen was filled with laser fire, cutting down droids left and right.
"PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW-Gah!" Jymeen gasped for breath. "PEWPEWPEWPEWPE-"
After a few seconds of firing and Jymeen having to catch his breath another couple of times the Equus cruised over the broken bodies of the droids it had destroyed.
"Okay. Great! Now how do I get this thing to stop moving!?" Jymeen said as he pushed another couple of buttons.
"Cruise control disabled."
Jymeen let out a breath of relief as the Equus finally came to a stop.
Meanwhile, it's actual pilot Riphath was deeply regretting not keeping a closer eye on it.
"This was a lot easier when I had starfighter-grade shields between me and them!" he shouted as he tried his level best to not get shot by an advancing group of exterminator droids while Dani provided cover.
"Yeah, well welcome to the party, pal!" she shouted back, visibly grinning before activating her visor. "Okay...let's see what these Bits can really do."
A quartet of Bits detached from her armor, darting around her and hovering in place before they opened fire with a thought from Dani. While their rate of fire was relatively normal, the majority of their shots would hit a critical part of a hostile droid - a leg joint, a blaster arm, and if Dani could make out an opening an exposed power source. Within a few seconds the droids in front of her began to be reduced to scrap.
"HAHAHA, damn these things are fun to use!" she shouted triumphantly with a wide grin on her face as she started to charge forward, leaving a slightly concerned Riphath behind.
"This is going to be my whole day, isn't it?" he grumbled.
His question was answered when a muffled explosion went off close by and Piebald sailed into view before skidding across the ground, visibly covered in soot. "Oh come on, I checked those charges five times each and now they don't work!?" he grumbled before getting up and running back into the fray.
Still, despite the...suddenness of the beginning of the raid, the control room for the floor was secured without issue. And once again another file was found buried in the system - though if one was in the control center at the time they would have noticed the figure in grey armor taking a particular interest in it...
Unfortunately for the team, Jymeen just "happened to hit the wrong button" and started moving towards the next deck, though this time around it was because the Kaleesh in question knew that the moment he got out of the Equus he was dead. The only question would be who he would get shot by - the droids, or Grievous? ...Probably the latter given how he was hearing over the comms that Grievous had fallen behind HK-47 in kill count...
The Foundry
Deck 9
The sound of a massive explosion echoed through the shaking deck as most of the team staggered and tried to stay upright. As everyone regained their footing many could hear the borderline insane laughter of Abysswalker Piebald echo through the halls.
Meanwhile - to the consternation of some of the Kaleesh who were familiar with the pilot in question - it was turning out that Jymeen was actually doing a good job of piloting the Equus, managing to pilot the speeder effectively as an assault unit capable of breaking through heavier concentrations of droids. To say nothing of the droidekas as the sounds of their rolling around almost constantly echoed through the deck's halls, sometimes interrupted by the distinct sound of their rapid fire. A few Kaleesh commented that it was probably the first time any organic soldier would be happy to hear the sound of a droideka rolling by.
As for Riphath...
"So Rondaes, what's the issue today?" he sarcastically said as he patched up a blaster wound while trying not to get shot by random droids that would make it to his position - though the droids in question would quickly get shot by the rest of the Kaleesh holding that position.
"Well doctor, I seem to have gotten myself shot while on a glorious charge alongside one Kygeetu san Torgh. I'm not sure it's something you'd understand right now."
"Hey, I've been busy trying to keep people alive. I haven't had the time to go on glorious charges," Riphath retorted as he finished his patch job.
Still, all things considered the assault was as successful as before, though this time around there were considerably more injuries among the troops. At the same time many of the Kaleesh began to become curious about the armored soldier fighting with them, as he was proving himself to be a very capable fighter, managing to keep pace with Greivous and HK-47 despite the odds.
The Foundry
Deck 10
One of the more common sights of the raid was that of Koliya charging into a group of exterminator droids - he would use the Bits as suppressing fire before igniting his lightsaber and getting into a full melee with the droids, using a mixture of raw strength and close combat skills to tear through his opponents. As he got into another melee though, he and the rest of the droids he was fighting were blown off of their feet by the shockwave of yet another massive explosion.
Many of the team began to actively ask over the comms if there was a "keep these decks intact" part of the mission briefing that should have been added in. For his part, HK stated that the collateral damage was impressive, albeit slightly too indiscriminate for his personal tastes.
"Statement: While I admit that explosive ordinance can in fact solve a variety of problems, it also removes some of the challenge in securing a kill. I could have used detonators to kill most of my targets, but I strongly believe that there is nothing that makes a kill more satisfying than pulling the trigger yourself."
Many of the Kaleesh agreed with his words of wisdom.
The Foundry
Deck 11
Unfortunately for the team, a snag hit them at Deck 11 from the least likely offenders.
"Unit 2 does not concur with strategy proposed by Unit 6."
"Unit 6 demands explanation for refusal."
"Strategy does not compensate for abnormalities in organic movement due to presence of Abysswalker-class units and Equus-class speeder."
"Movement of units in question to be factored into strategy as time goes on."
"Unit 5 demands additional oil baths."
"Unit 1 demands Unit 5 not make irrelevant requests in a combat situation."
"Unit 5 does not agree with Unit 1's demand."
"Unit 2 concurs."
"Unit 3 concurs."
"Unit 8 concurs."
Making matters worse were that the assault team didn't have any proper technicians on hand, so responsibility for dealing with the argument fell to the person who was determined to be "a good enough substitute."
"Would you stop arguing about whatever it is!?" a clearly fed up Riphath shouted at the spider droids. "Just go out there and shoot at the enemy."
As one, the spider droids turned to look at him, before turning back to face each other and presumably continuing their argument.
"Gaaaah! Listen, I've been handling unit drama since before you droids were ore! You need to work this out before the enemy does it for you!"
After another massive Piebald-induced explosion shook the deck, another problem emerged.
"PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW-" Jymeen gasped for breath as the Equus continued to pour fire into a group of droids. "PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPE-"
"Main cannon overheating. Initiating emergency cooldown mode."
"Uh oh."
Jymeen glanced up to see a group of extermination droids rounding a corner and taking aim.
"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" he screamed as he threw the Equus in reverse and blaster fire began to impact the speeder.
Despite those setbacks, the assault team managed to reach the control center once again. Though this time as the grey-armored solider stormed the control center, he took a pair of blaster bolts to the chest, knocking him to the ground. Fortunately for him, HK was able to quickly enter the override codes and took control of the floor.
"Reaper!" Grievous shouted over the comms. "Control center, medical support, priority one!"
"Sir!"
As HK finished inputting the deactivation codes, Riphath moved to fix up the figure in armor. "Just relax, it looks like the armor took most of the damage-"
"Indeed it has Master Althean. However I would like to be sure I did not sustain any injuries more serious than that."
The medic froze as he heard him speak - he would recognize that refined voice anywhere. "Thrawn!? I-I mean, uh, s-sir!?"
As Rip balked at the revelation, Thrawn took off his helmet and began to gingerly extract himself from his armor. After a brief second Rip recovered and began to run a quick checkup on the Chiss who by all rights should have been elsewhere. "Um...if you don't mind me asking, sir...why have you been disguising yourself as a regular soldier?"
"When I spoke to General Grievous about the raids, he told me something," Thrawn explained. "He said that I could study how his Kaleesh fought for a decade and never come any closer to understanding how they were able to defy my predictions. And that according to him, the only way to learn was to enter the battlefield for myself and fight alongside his warriors."
"Indeed," Grievous said from behind Rip, startling him slightly as he glanced between the two before making the decision to leave the two alone having confirmed Thrawn's injuries were not severe. As Grievous helped Thrawn to his feet he asked, "Do you understand what I meant now when I said that you lacked the knowledge of being among warriors and not above them?"
"I...believe I will have to determine that after the adrenaline has fully left my system," Thrawn admitted. "Though I do at least have a much better idea of what drives your men to exceed themselves," he said as he walked over to the terminal to examine the file HK had uncovered, glancing over it for a brief moment before beginning to type on it, setting up a connection with the assault team's communications and holocam network. "That being said I believe my role as a soldier has ended - I would rather not take the risk of pushing my body any further."
"Statement: I believe that would be a wise decision, meatbag," HK said as the assault team began to gather for the final push. "Clarification: The next deck contains the master control terminal for the facility and it will be heavily guarded. We will not be able to deploy the entirety of our forces, and it is guaranteed that the Foundry's toughest defenses will be stationed there."
"Understood," Thrawn replied, as he glanced over reports of the troops. "I would of course recommend that the Walkers go with you and Grievous, then after that the Spider Droids, the Equus, and a Kaleesh squad of Grievous' choice should go with you for the final push." He looked at HK. "Would they fit?"
"Analysis: According to the blueprints of the deck, those forces should suffice."
"You're serious when you say that this 'Jymeen' should join in the final raid," Grievous said in disbelief. "The fool wasn't even meant to pilot that speeder-"
"And yet he was able to do so to an effective degree on no less than three out of four decks, and he was able to preserve it despite attracting considerable enemy fire," Thrawn replied. "The circumstances may hardly have been ideal, but I believe he has proven that he can manage the Equus to a reasonable degree."
Grievous was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Fine. But if he shoots me in the back you will bear the responsibility for it." With that he moved to gather the squad that would support him for the final push.
The choice was obvious of course. While he respected the bravery of every Kaleesh that had fought their way here, he knew that his eight Izvoshra were the ones who would be at his side for the final battle.
The Foundry
Deck 12
As the now much smaller team reached the final deck they were greeted with a noise none of them expected:
Silence.
"...Where are the droids?" Grievous said to himself, glancing around as the team slowly moved forward. They moved past a crossroads that would have made for a perfect ambush position and spread out to prepare for it...but nothing came.
"Statement: The Foundry does have limited production capabilities on this level, primarily for defensive purposes. However I cannot detect any signatures of any hostile units."
"Nothing is appearing on any sensors," Thrawn said over the comms. "This is...strange..."
As the team moved on, the air started to get colder. Suddenly, all five of the Abysswalkers froze in place, causing the rest of the team to look at them with concern.
"I-I'm not the only one feeling that, right!?" Piebald said nervously.
"That...what is that?" Kygeetu said as she reflexively grabbed her lightsabers.
"...I don't know what exactly that is, but that is definitely kind the feeling the Dark Side of the Force would give off," Dani said to the concern of everyone.
"She's right," Riphath said, visibly tensing up and starting to breathe more heavily. "I...I've felt that kind of energy before when I was fighting a Sith."
"We should be wary. There is no telling what lies ahead," Koliya said, starting to move forward only to notice that HK-47 was uncharacteristically not moving with the rest of the team. "Something the matter?"
"...Deflection: It is nothing. My former master is long since dead anyway," he said, moving ahead as the rest of the team's organic members followed behind him much more cautiously. Eventually they reached a large room with a ceiling that had to be forty meters high, the walls covered in images of what appeared to be Rakatans and their conquests over other species. Aside from that the room was entirely bare save for a large console at the other end...and a massive pile of scrap metal right behind it.
"...Fan out," Grievous said softly as the team slowly spread out, the Spider Droids magnetizing themselves to the walls and moving up them to get a better firing position. After a moment of no activity, Grievous and HK slowly started to move forward-
Suddenly Grievous felt something in the air changed, and as he looked back he saw each one of the Abysswalkers doubling over in pain.
"T-that scrap pile...I don't know how but something in there hates us," Rip explained to Grievous as he recovered. Before he could get more information the sounds of scraping metal began to echo through the room. As he turned to face the scrap pile he could see that the plates were beginning to move, slowly at first, then more rapidly as they began to assemble themselves into coherent shapes. A pair of gigantic arms lunged forward as a body for them was being assembled, and as the body was being constructed a head began to form - one that unmistakably resembled that of HK-47's.
"OPEN FIRE!"
With that order from Grievous blaster and rifle fire began to echo through the room, bolts impacting the scrap metal giant as it continued to assemble itself. Each time a bolt managed to knock a piece away, it would quickly be drawn back to the main body as though it were being attracted by a magnet.
"This is insane - that thing is being held together by the Force!" Koliya shouted as he commanded his Bits to open fire, trying to find some kind of opening-
Unfortunately for the team the giant HK had assembled itself enough to begin going on the offensive, dragging itself forwards even though its legs had not finished being built and quite literally throwing itself at its foes. Everyone found themselves desperately dodging for their lives as the titan went on a rampage, smashing itself against the ground and walls to try and kill them. And each time it collided with something, jagged metal would fly off of it at angles that were far to precise to be random shrapnel, nearly impaling many of the team who barely managed to dodge out of the way in time even as a few spikes managed to embed themselves in their armor. Still, whenever they could Grievous and his Izvoshra would return fire alongside HK-47, and Blaster Bits were constantly dancing around the titanic scrap HK, continuously firing into it and trying to do some meaningful damage. Jymeen was doing his best to simply not get smashed by his titanic opponent, opting to simply hold down the trigger and dodging its swings whenever he could.
"This isn't working - Abysswalker Piebald, I need you to get as many explosives as you possibly can into that thing's body, it's the only way we're going to be able to do any real damage."
With a vicious grin on his face, the Abysswalker in question began hurling thermal detonators, plastic explosives, and anything he had on him that he thought would be sufficiently combustible at the titan as fast as he possibly could, and he was rewarded with the sight of explosions blossoming across the titan's body and the scrap monstrosity screaming, the deafening sound of what could only be described as steel grating against itself forcing the organic members of the team to cover their ears.
"It's about to lash out, dodge!" Thrawn shouted over the the comms as true to his word the scrap titan began to throw itself around with even greater recklessness, nearly crushing the team as they only barely managed to dodge out of the way. For their part the Spider Droids had reached the ceiling and were pouring fire into it from above, though it didn't seem to notice as it continued on its berserk rampage-
Then as an explosive round from HK-47 impacted its head, it turned to face its attacker - only to stop in place for a brief moment, as did HK himself.
"...Query: Master?"
In response the titan let out another roar and began focusing its efforts on destroying HK-47, charging after him and wildly swinging its arms in the hopes of scoring a solid hit. HK managed to dodge, though he quickly realized that if he stayed on the ground he would not survive. He activated his jetpack, going up in the air to try and get some distance-
Only for the berserk titan to manage to score a hit, sending HK flying across the room and slamming into the far wall. As HK dropped to the ground it was clear that he was still barely functional, though given the sparks emitting from his body odds were he would not survive another hit.
Meanwhile at the sidelines Riphath was observing the battle playing out, trying to figure out what he could do to help end the battle-
"Why are you hesitating?"
He started and looked over to see one of the Izvoshra looking at him. "I'm trying to look for an opening-"
"You are afraid."
"I'm trying to-"
"You have been letting your doubts control you," he said as in the background Kygeetu charged in, slicing at the titan with her lightsabers as Dani poured fire from her Bits and kyber blaster into it. "Do not think about what could be done. Act," and proving his words true he charged back into the fray, providing covering fire for his general.
Rip watched the battle for a second, two, three-
"Hell with it."
Grabbing his scythe he charged forward, the blade extending to its full length. "Cover me!" he shouted over the comms as he closed the distance. The titan was still primarily using its arms to move around so if he could disable one it could turn the tide-
<"DEATH TO HE WHO FORSAKES HONOR"> he heard himself scream in Kaleesh as he swung just as the titan extended its left arm, burying his scythe in it and tearing a plate of metal away, slicing it apart as he pulled back only to keep swinging into the arm with reckless ferocity. Though he didn't realize it in his adrenaline-induced haze Koliya was doing something similar, using the opportunity to begin carving up the other arm with his lightsabers.
With their combined efforts and the continued fire from the Spider Droid Hive and the Equus, the scrap titan finally began to collapse, the pieces that made it up no longer pulling themselves back together as it continued to try and lash out in its death throes. As Grievous shouted "END IT!" the titan looked up one last time-
Only to see HK-47 pointing a Kyber-enhanced blaster at it. With a pull of the trigger part of the titan's head was blasted off, and as it began to scream HK continued to pour fire into it, the barrel of his rifle beginning to glow from the heat of his rapid fire.
After a few moments of shooting, what was left of the titan reared up...and promptly collapsed, the power that had held it together dissipating completely as it fell apart back into harmless pieces of scrap metal. Without a word HK stomped past it, moving to the now exposed master control terminal. As the rest of the team recovered, they looked towards HK...
"Statement: Virus in Foundry systems eliminated. All decks secure."
A loud victory chant could be heard over the comms as most of the team either collapsed against a wall or simply fell to the ground, the exhaustion of the raid finally catching up with them.
-------------
Lady Ciaran,
You will probably soon hear about my participation in the most recent attack on the Foundry sooner than later. I wish to reassure you that it was entirely voluntary despite any rumors to the contrary that you may hear from the troops.
When I was analyzing the results of the last raid I admit I was...puzzled. For the life of me I simply could not figure out where I had gone wrong in my calculations. So I decided to go to the best source I had to give me a more complete answer - Grievous. And he told me something that I did not quite understand until I fought alongside him and his men. He told me that while I understood strategy, tactics, logistics, and everything that would make someone a capable general, I did not understand what it meant to be a soldier.
I disagreed with his assessment at the time - after all I had quite the lengthy career in the Chiss military. But he went on to say that for all my knowledge, there was simply no substitute for placing yourself in the line of fire with a blaster in your hands, your allies at your back, and your adversaries in front of you. And now...I cannot quite say I fully understand what it was I was missing, only that now I feel I can comprehend it much more clearly - for lack of a better way of putting it.
On a related note if you heard about the issues with the Equus I can assure you that a full inquiry was carried out and exonerated Jymeen iai Lairoi of all charges barring a formal reprimand for his actions. Apparently he was planning on piloting the Equus to Abysswalker Althean to impress him in some fashion, but lost control of the speeder in the meantime by pure accident.
Aside from that we were able to extract more files from the Foundry's databanks, and with them I believe we now have a complete picture of what happened.
File 8 was a series of holoimages of the fleet that ended up destroying the Foundry as per the previous logs. After some research I was able to conclude that the ship designs indicated that they were affiliated with the Eternal Empire of Zakuul, the hidden superpower that nearly conquered the galaxy as you are no doubt aware. Presumably they had obtained information about the Foundry and determined that it would be better off destroyed instead of remaining active.
As for how the Eternal Empire learned about the Foundry, the next file should clarify things:
From what I understand the Eternal Empire had an almost precognitive knowledge of both Imperial and Republic positions despite their presumed isolation, allowing them to cause untold destruction in a short period of time. Regretfully, that is all I was able to find out from public records. No doubt there is more to this story, but whatever it may be has been lost to time for now.
At any rate, the next file clarifies just why the Foundry was not used - though I believe it was not a conversation that was meant to be recorded.
According to records of the era, the Sith Emperor was attempting to devour as much life in the galaxy as he could to sustain himself. Judging by this report, the deaths that would have been caused by the Foundry's activation would not have aided him in that regard, though that is entirely speculation on my part.
At any rate, if you are assuming that the Emperor was behind the virus that infected the facility's systems, then you would be correct.
Rather cut and dry I suppose.
As for the last file...it was stored on the master control mainframe, where the team fought that titanic monster. I looked at it briefly, but I did not fully analyze it myself.
Perhaps I am being too sentimental, but I truly believe you should see this before anyone else in this organization does.
That is all. Good luck to you on your other endeavors this quarter.
Rewards: Foundry secured, relevant details of operation will be available next turn. Thrawn gains "Mind of a Soldier" trait.
AN: I think I went through 3 different genres and 5 different tones this one update alone. I think it worked out pretty well though.
Anyway, next time things will probably be a bit lighter, don't worry.
Abyss Watchers Forward Operating Base, Seventh Deck
Unlike the base back on the first deck, the forward operating base on the Foundry's seventh deck was clearly more hastily constructed due to the fact that no one had expected Grievous to get that far. Crates were more haphazardly scattered around, wires were left exposed, and the prefabricated buildings were more often than not only half-built. Still, much like before the base was bustling with activity with the news that the Kaleesh would once again be returning - though this time there was considerably more chatter once they got word that all five of the Abysswalkers would be present during the raid. Many of the staff were gossiping as to what they would be like, since they were the best of the best and had to be some of the galaxy's greatest soldiers, obviously.
After the droids and Kaleesh landed - though the latter were noticeably more subdued this time around - the staff were eager to meet them or at least catch a glimpse of them. And it was fairly easy to pick them out given that they were each wearing matte black Phase 1 armor. As they passed through the base towards the command center the staff began to mutter among themselves, casting glances in their direction.
"You know, I think this is the first time in my life I've ever been this popular," Riphath commented to Dani and Koliya as he glanced at a couple of workers who seemed to freeze up for a moment before quickly moving away. "I uh...don't know how I feel about this whole 'awe-inspiring presence' thing."
"Better get used to it pal," Dani replied. "We're borderline mythical to the rank and file."
"Our nature, training regimen, site of training, and full capabilities are all highly classified - but at the same time many know that we exist," Koliya noted. "By nature we are a mysterious force that is only deployed for the most dire of situations. That makes us far more terrifying than any Kaleesh."
"I find that hard to believe," Riphath said. "I've served with them long enough to know how terrifying they can be."
"Fair, but these people know who the Kaleesh are and what they are capable of," Koliya replied. "They know next to nothing about us."
After a few more moments, Greivous and HK-47 came out of the command center, followed by a figure in armor much like the Abysswalkers were wearing, though it was more of a steely grey in comparison.
"Is...there something we missed in the briefing?" Dani said out loud. "Who was-"
Her thought was interrupted by the sound of a small explosion going off followed by a string of cursing.
"Ah. It would seem Piebald is getting ready," Koliya said offhandedly.
"He's going to cause so many injuries, I just know it..." Riphath muttered despondently. "Maybe blow off a leg or something even..."
"Huh...now that I think about it where is Ciaran's Number One Fan anyway?" Dani said as she glanced around. "Haven't seen her around."
"I believe she is with the rest of the Kaleesh - as we should be," Koliya finished as she noticed the troops beginning to gather and listening to a quite frankly terrifying speech from HK-47, the BXs stoically standing by while the Spider Droid Hive glanced around randomly.
"Right, that's where you guys need to go," Riphath said as he started to turn and walk in another direction. "I need to get the Equus-"
As the sounds of a speeder starting up echoed through the area everyone, droid and organic alike, seemed to freeze and turn towards where it was coming from. It got louder and louder then-
"HOW DO YOU STOP THIS THIIIIINNNNGGGG" the Equus' inadvertent pilot Jymeen screamed out as it sailed past the stunned crowd and into the distance.
"Oh gods, he just went in," a Kaleesh said out loud, as if trying to confirm what was happening was real.
Those words broke the trance the crowd was in as Grievous began barking orders to the Kaleesh while the BXs and spider droids began to stoically march forward, quickly followed by droidekas rolling past them to try and catch up with the runaway speeder.
"Do you think he'll be alright!?" Dani shouted at Riphath as they began running.
"It'll be fine. The Equus is idiot-proof!"
-----------
The Foundry
Deck 8
"OhgodsohgodsohgodsthiswasaMISTAKE" Jymeen screamed out as the Equus charged towards a group of exterminator droids opening fire on him. "I'MPULLINGTHETRIGGERWHYISN'TANYTHINGHAPPENING"
As he wrestled with the controls, the speeder started to spin as it slammed through the droids, a few of them bouncing off of its hull as it burst through. From behind it the sounds of blaster fire began to echo as the rest of the assault team began to catch up.
"Okay, okay, uh uh uh THE SAFETY THAT'S IT!" Jymeen shouted triumphantly as he got the Equus back under control and started randomly hitting buttons. "Come on come on-"
"Self destruct sequence armed."
"NONONONONO WRONG BUTTON"
"Self destruct sequence canceled. Wipers activated."
"NOT HELPING!" Jymeen shouted as he glanced up and saw a much bigger group of exterminator droids in front of him. "WHY AREN'T THESE LABELED!?" he yelled as he pushed one last button-
"Safeties disengaged."
"YES!" Jymeen grabbed the control stick, pulling down on the trigger. "Come on come on-"
The Equus' gun barrel began to whir up before the corridor in front of Jymeen was filled with laser fire, cutting down droids left and right.
"PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW-Gah!" Jymeen gasped for breath. "PEWPEWPEWPEWPE-"
After a few seconds of firing and Jymeen having to catch his breath another couple of times the Equus cruised over the broken bodies of the droids it had destroyed.
"Okay. Great! Now how do I get this thing to stop moving!?" Jymeen said as he pushed another couple of buttons.
"Cruise control disabled."
Jymeen let out a breath of relief as the Equus finally came to a stop.
Meanwhile, it's actual pilot Riphath was deeply regretting not keeping a closer eye on it.
"This was a lot easier when I had starfighter-grade shields between me and them!" he shouted as he tried his level best to not get shot by an advancing group of exterminator droids while Dani provided cover.
"Yeah, well welcome to the party, pal!" she shouted back, visibly grinning before activating her visor. "Okay...let's see what these Bits can really do."
A quartet of Bits detached from her armor, darting around her and hovering in place before they opened fire with a thought from Dani. While their rate of fire was relatively normal, the majority of their shots would hit a critical part of a hostile droid - a leg joint, a blaster arm, and if Dani could make out an opening an exposed power source. Within a few seconds the droids in front of her began to be reduced to scrap.
"HAHAHA, damn these things are fun to use!" she shouted triumphantly with a wide grin on her face as she started to charge forward, leaving a slightly concerned Riphath behind.
"This is going to be my whole day, isn't it?" he grumbled.
His question was answered when a muffled explosion went off close by and Piebald sailed into view before skidding across the ground, visibly covered in soot. "Oh come on, I checked those charges five times each and now they don't work!?" he grumbled before getting up and running back into the fray.
Still, despite the...suddenness of the beginning of the raid, the control room for the floor was secured without issue. And once again another file was found buried in the system - though if one was in the control center at the time they would have noticed the figure in grey armor taking a particular interest in it...
Unfortunately for the team, Jymeen just "happened to hit the wrong button" and started moving towards the next deck, though this time around it was because the Kaleesh in question knew that the moment he got out of the Equus he was dead. The only question would be who he would get shot by - the droids, or Grievous? ...Probably the latter given how he was hearing over the comms that Grievous had fallen behind HK-47 in kill count...
The Foundry
Deck 9
The sound of a massive explosion echoed through the shaking deck as most of the team staggered and tried to stay upright. As everyone regained their footing many could hear the borderline insane laughter of Abysswalker Piebald echo through the halls.
Meanwhile - to the consternation of some of the Kaleesh who were familiar with the pilot in question - it was turning out that Jymeen was actually doing a good job of piloting the Equus, managing to pilot the speeder effectively as an assault unit capable of breaking through heavier concentrations of droids. To say nothing of the droidekas as the sounds of their rolling around almost constantly echoed through the deck's halls, sometimes interrupted by the distinct sound of their rapid fire. A few Kaleesh commented that it was probably the first time any organic soldier would be happy to hear the sound of a droideka rolling by.
As for Riphath...
"So Rondaes, what's the issue today?" he sarcastically said as he patched up a blaster wound while trying not to get shot by random droids that would make it to his position - though the droids in question would quickly get shot by the rest of the Kaleesh holding that position.
"Well doctor, I seem to have gotten myself shot while on a glorious charge alongside one Kygeetu san Torgh. I'm not sure it's something you'd understand right now."
"Hey, I've been busy trying to keep people alive. I haven't had the time to go on glorious charges," Riphath retorted as he finished his patch job.
Still, all things considered the assault was as successful as before, though this time around there were considerably more injuries among the troops. At the same time many of the Kaleesh began to become curious about the armored soldier fighting with them, as he was proving himself to be a very capable fighter, managing to keep pace with Greivous and HK-47 despite the odds.
The Foundry
Deck 10
One of the more common sights of the raid was that of Koliya charging into a group of exterminator droids - he would use the Bits as suppressing fire before igniting his lightsaber and getting into a full melee with the droids, using a mixture of raw strength and close combat skills to tear through his opponents. As he got into another melee though, he and the rest of the droids he was fighting were blown off of their feet by the shockwave of yet another massive explosion.
Many of the team began to actively ask over the comms if there was a "keep these decks intact" part of the mission briefing that should have been added in. For his part, HK stated that the collateral damage was impressive, albeit slightly too indiscriminate for his personal tastes.
"Statement: While I admit that explosive ordinance can in fact solve a variety of problems, it also removes some of the challenge in securing a kill. I could have used detonators to kill most of my targets, but I strongly believe that there is nothing that makes a kill more satisfying than pulling the trigger yourself."
Many of the Kaleesh agreed with his words of wisdom.
The Foundry
Deck 11
Unfortunately for the team, a snag hit them at Deck 11 from the least likely offenders.
"Unit 2 does not concur with strategy proposed by Unit 6."
"Unit 6 demands explanation for refusal."
"Strategy does not compensate for abnormalities in organic movement due to presence of Abysswalker-class units and Equus-class speeder."
"Movement of units in question to be factored into strategy as time goes on."
"Unit 5 demands additional oil baths."
"Unit 1 demands Unit 5 not make irrelevant requests in a combat situation."
"Unit 5 does not agree with Unit 1's demand."
"Unit 2 concurs."
"Unit 3 concurs."
"Unit 8 concurs."
Making matters worse were that the assault team didn't have any proper technicians on hand, so responsibility for dealing with the argument fell to the person who was determined to be "a good enough substitute."
"Would you stop arguing about whatever it is!?" a clearly fed up Riphath shouted at the spider droids. "Just go out there and shoot at the enemy."
As one, the spider droids turned to look at him, before turning back to face each other and presumably continuing their argument.
"Gaaaah! Listen, I've been handling unit drama since before you droids were ore! You need to work this out before the enemy does it for you!"
After another massive Piebald-induced explosion shook the deck, another problem emerged.
"PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW-" Jymeen gasped for breath as the Equus continued to pour fire into a group of droids. "PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPE-"
"Main cannon overheating. Initiating emergency cooldown mode."
"Uh oh."
Jymeen glanced up to see a group of extermination droids rounding a corner and taking aim.
"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" he screamed as he threw the Equus in reverse and blaster fire began to impact the speeder.
Despite those setbacks, the assault team managed to reach the control center once again. Though this time as the grey-armored solider stormed the control center, he took a pair of blaster bolts to the chest, knocking him to the ground. Fortunately for him, HK was able to quickly enter the override codes and took control of the floor.
"Reaper!" Grievous shouted over the comms. "Control center, medical support, priority one!"
"Sir!"
As HK finished inputting the deactivation codes, Riphath moved to fix up the figure in armor. "Just relax, it looks like the armor took most of the damage-"
"Indeed it has Master Althean. However I would like to be sure I did not sustain any injuries more serious than that."
The medic froze as he heard him speak - he would recognize that refined voice anywhere. "Thrawn!? I-I mean, uh, s-sir!?"
As Rip balked at the revelation, Thrawn took off his helmet and began to gingerly extract himself from his armor. After a brief second Rip recovered and began to run a quick checkup on the Chiss who by all rights should have been elsewhere. "Um...if you don't mind me asking, sir...why have you been disguising yourself as a regular soldier?"
"When I spoke to General Grievous about the raids, he told me something," Thrawn explained. "He said that I could study how his Kaleesh fought for a decade and never come any closer to understanding how they were able to defy my predictions. And that according to him, the only way to learn was to enter the battlefield for myself and fight alongside his warriors."
"Indeed," Grievous said from behind Rip, startling him slightly as he glanced between the two before making the decision to leave the two alone having confirmed Thrawn's injuries were not severe. As Grievous helped Thrawn to his feet he asked, "Do you understand what I meant now when I said that you lacked the knowledge of being among warriors and not above them?"
"I...believe I will have to determine that after the adrenaline has fully left my system," Thrawn admitted. "Though I do at least have a much better idea of what drives your men to exceed themselves," he said as he walked over to the terminal to examine the file HK had uncovered, glancing over it for a brief moment before beginning to type on it, setting up a connection with the assault team's communications and holocam network. "That being said I believe my role as a soldier has ended - I would rather not take the risk of pushing my body any further."
"Statement: I believe that would be a wise decision, meatbag," HK said as the assault team began to gather for the final push. "Clarification: The next deck contains the master control terminal for the facility and it will be heavily guarded. We will not be able to deploy the entirety of our forces, and it is guaranteed that the Foundry's toughest defenses will be stationed there."
"Understood," Thrawn replied, as he glanced over reports of the troops. "I would of course recommend that the Walkers go with you and Grievous, then after that the Spider Droids, the Equus, and a Kaleesh squad of Grievous' choice should go with you for the final push." He looked at HK. "Would they fit?"
"Analysis: According to the blueprints of the deck, those forces should suffice."
"You're serious when you say that this 'Jymeen' should join in the final raid," Grievous said in disbelief. "The fool wasn't even meant to pilot that speeder-"
"And yet he was able to do so to an effective degree on no less than three out of four decks, and he was able to preserve it despite attracting considerable enemy fire," Thrawn replied. "The circumstances may hardly have been ideal, but I believe he has proven that he can manage the Equus to a reasonable degree."
Grievous was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Fine. But if he shoots me in the back you will bear the responsibility for it." With that he moved to gather the squad that would support him for the final push.
The choice was obvious of course. While he respected the bravery of every Kaleesh that had fought their way here, he knew that his eight Izvoshra were the ones who would be at his side for the final battle.
The Foundry
Deck 12
As the now much smaller team reached the final deck they were greeted with a noise none of them expected:
Silence.
"...Where are the droids?" Grievous said to himself, glancing around as the team slowly moved forward. They moved past a crossroads that would have made for a perfect ambush position and spread out to prepare for it...but nothing came.
"Statement: The Foundry does have limited production capabilities on this level, primarily for defensive purposes. However I cannot detect any signatures of any hostile units."
"Nothing is appearing on any sensors," Thrawn said over the comms. "This is...strange..."
As the team moved on, the air started to get colder. Suddenly, all five of the Abysswalkers froze in place, causing the rest of the team to look at them with concern.
"I-I'm not the only one feeling that, right!?" Piebald said nervously.
"That...what is that?" Kygeetu said as she reflexively grabbed her lightsabers.
"...I don't know what exactly that is, but that is definitely kind the feeling the Dark Side of the Force would give off," Dani said to the concern of everyone.
"She's right," Riphath said, visibly tensing up and starting to breathe more heavily. "I...I've felt that kind of energy before when I was fighting a Sith."
"We should be wary. There is no telling what lies ahead," Koliya said, starting to move forward only to notice that HK-47 was uncharacteristically not moving with the rest of the team. "Something the matter?"
"...Deflection: It is nothing. My former master is long since dead anyway," he said, moving ahead as the rest of the team's organic members followed behind him much more cautiously. Eventually they reached a large room with a ceiling that had to be forty meters high, the walls covered in images of what appeared to be Rakatans and their conquests over other species. Aside from that the room was entirely bare save for a large console at the other end...and a massive pile of scrap metal right behind it.
"...Fan out," Grievous said softly as the team slowly spread out, the Spider Droids magnetizing themselves to the walls and moving up them to get a better firing position. After a moment of no activity, Grievous and HK slowly started to move forward-
Suddenly Grievous felt something in the air changed, and as he looked back he saw each one of the Abysswalkers doubling over in pain.
"T-that scrap pile...I don't know how but something in there hates us," Rip explained to Grievous as he recovered. Before he could get more information the sounds of scraping metal began to echo through the room. As he turned to face the scrap pile he could see that the plates were beginning to move, slowly at first, then more rapidly as they began to assemble themselves into coherent shapes. A pair of gigantic arms lunged forward as a body for them was being assembled, and as the body was being constructed a head began to form - one that unmistakably resembled that of HK-47's.
"OPEN FIRE!"
With that order from Grievous blaster and rifle fire began to echo through the room, bolts impacting the scrap metal giant as it continued to assemble itself. Each time a bolt managed to knock a piece away, it would quickly be drawn back to the main body as though it were being attracted by a magnet.
"This is insane - that thing is being held together by the Force!" Koliya shouted as he commanded his Bits to open fire, trying to find some kind of opening-
Unfortunately for the team the giant HK had assembled itself enough to begin going on the offensive, dragging itself forwards even though its legs had not finished being built and quite literally throwing itself at its foes. Everyone found themselves desperately dodging for their lives as the titan went on a rampage, smashing itself against the ground and walls to try and kill them. And each time it collided with something, jagged metal would fly off of it at angles that were far to precise to be random shrapnel, nearly impaling many of the team who barely managed to dodge out of the way in time even as a few spikes managed to embed themselves in their armor. Still, whenever they could Grievous and his Izvoshra would return fire alongside HK-47, and Blaster Bits were constantly dancing around the titanic scrap HK, continuously firing into it and trying to do some meaningful damage. Jymeen was doing his best to simply not get smashed by his titanic opponent, opting to simply hold down the trigger and dodging its swings whenever he could.
"This isn't working - Abysswalker Piebald, I need you to get as many explosives as you possibly can into that thing's body, it's the only way we're going to be able to do any real damage."
With a vicious grin on his face, the Abysswalker in question began hurling thermal detonators, plastic explosives, and anything he had on him that he thought would be sufficiently combustible at the titan as fast as he possibly could, and he was rewarded with the sight of explosions blossoming across the titan's body and the scrap monstrosity screaming, the deafening sound of what could only be described as steel grating against itself forcing the organic members of the team to cover their ears.
"It's about to lash out, dodge!" Thrawn shouted over the the comms as true to his word the scrap titan began to throw itself around with even greater recklessness, nearly crushing the team as they only barely managed to dodge out of the way. For their part the Spider Droids had reached the ceiling and were pouring fire into it from above, though it didn't seem to notice as it continued on its berserk rampage-
Then as an explosive round from HK-47 impacted its head, it turned to face its attacker - only to stop in place for a brief moment, as did HK himself.
"...Query: Master?"
In response the titan let out another roar and began focusing its efforts on destroying HK-47, charging after him and wildly swinging its arms in the hopes of scoring a solid hit. HK managed to dodge, though he quickly realized that if he stayed on the ground he would not survive. He activated his jetpack, going up in the air to try and get some distance-
Only for the berserk titan to manage to score a hit, sending HK flying across the room and slamming into the far wall. As HK dropped to the ground it was clear that he was still barely functional, though given the sparks emitting from his body odds were he would not survive another hit.
Meanwhile at the sidelines Riphath was observing the battle playing out, trying to figure out what he could do to help end the battle-
"Why are you hesitating?"
He started and looked over to see one of the Izvoshra looking at him. "I'm trying to look for an opening-"
"You are afraid."
"I'm trying to-"
"You have been letting your doubts control you," he said as in the background Kygeetu charged in, slicing at the titan with her lightsabers as Dani poured fire from her Bits and kyber blaster into it. "Do not think about what could be done. Act," and proving his words true he charged back into the fray, providing covering fire for his general.
Rip watched the battle for a second, two, three-
"Hell with it."
Grabbing his scythe he charged forward, the blade extending to its full length. "Cover me!" he shouted over the comms as he closed the distance. The titan was still primarily using its arms to move around so if he could disable one it could turn the tide-
<"DEATH TO HE WHO FORSAKES HONOR"> he heard himself scream in Kaleesh as he swung just as the titan extended its left arm, burying his scythe in it and tearing a plate of metal away, slicing it apart as he pulled back only to keep swinging into the arm with reckless ferocity. Though he didn't realize it in his adrenaline-induced haze Koliya was doing something similar, using the opportunity to begin carving up the other arm with his lightsabers.
With their combined efforts and the continued fire from the Spider Droid Hive and the Equus, the scrap titan finally began to collapse, the pieces that made it up no longer pulling themselves back together as it continued to try and lash out in its death throes. As Grievous shouted "END IT!" the titan looked up one last time-
Only to see HK-47 pointing a Kyber-enhanced blaster at it. With a pull of the trigger part of the titan's head was blasted off, and as it began to scream HK continued to pour fire into it, the barrel of his rifle beginning to glow from the heat of his rapid fire.
After a few moments of shooting, what was left of the titan reared up...and promptly collapsed, the power that had held it together dissipating completely as it fell apart back into harmless pieces of scrap metal. Without a word HK stomped past it, moving to the now exposed master control terminal. As the rest of the team recovered, they looked towards HK...
"Statement: Virus in Foundry systems eliminated. All decks secure."
A loud victory chant could be heard over the comms as most of the team either collapsed against a wall or simply fell to the ground, the exhaustion of the raid finally catching up with them.
-------------
Lady Ciaran,
You will probably soon hear about my participation in the most recent attack on the Foundry sooner than later. I wish to reassure you that it was entirely voluntary despite any rumors to the contrary that you may hear from the troops.
When I was analyzing the results of the last raid I admit I was...puzzled. For the life of me I simply could not figure out where I had gone wrong in my calculations. So I decided to go to the best source I had to give me a more complete answer - Grievous. And he told me something that I did not quite understand until I fought alongside him and his men. He told me that while I understood strategy, tactics, logistics, and everything that would make someone a capable general, I did not understand what it meant to be a soldier.
I disagreed with his assessment at the time - after all I had quite the lengthy career in the Chiss military. But he went on to say that for all my knowledge, there was simply no substitute for placing yourself in the line of fire with a blaster in your hands, your allies at your back, and your adversaries in front of you. And now...I cannot quite say I fully understand what it was I was missing, only that now I feel I can comprehend it much more clearly - for lack of a better way of putting it.
On a related note if you heard about the issues with the Equus I can assure you that a full inquiry was carried out and exonerated Jymeen iai Lairoi of all charges barring a formal reprimand for his actions. Apparently he was planning on piloting the Equus to Abysswalker Althean to impress him in some fashion, but lost control of the speeder in the meantime by pure accident.
Aside from that we were able to extract more files from the Foundry's databanks, and with them I believe we now have a complete picture of what happened.
File 8 was a series of holoimages of the fleet that ended up destroying the Foundry as per the previous logs. After some research I was able to conclude that the ship designs indicated that they were affiliated with the Eternal Empire of Zakuul, the hidden superpower that nearly conquered the galaxy as you are no doubt aware. Presumably they had obtained information about the Foundry and determined that it would be better off destroyed instead of remaining active.
As for how the Eternal Empire learned about the Foundry, the next file should clarify things:
Audio Recording. Speaker Unknown.
"This - this is - gah, my name is not important. All that matters is that I am an officer in the Sith Empire, and that we have been betrayed.
The Foundry's location was heavily classified to the upper levels of Imperial command and there is no way that the Eternal Empire could have learned of its location unless there was a traitor that sold it out. I don't know who it was or why they did it, but they have signed our death warrants. I'm leaving this message behind in the hopes that someone will find and kill the traitor responsible for this.
Glory to the Emperor."
"This - this is - gah, my name is not important. All that matters is that I am an officer in the Sith Empire, and that we have been betrayed.
The Foundry's location was heavily classified to the upper levels of Imperial command and there is no way that the Eternal Empire could have learned of its location unless there was a traitor that sold it out. I don't know who it was or why they did it, but they have signed our death warrants. I'm leaving this message behind in the hopes that someone will find and kill the traitor responsible for this.
Glory to the Emperor."
From what I understand the Eternal Empire had an almost precognitive knowledge of both Imperial and Republic positions despite their presumed isolation, allowing them to cause untold destruction in a short period of time. Regretfully, that is all I was able to find out from public records. No doubt there is more to this story, but whatever it may be has been lost to time for now.
At any rate, the next file clarifies just why the Foundry was not used - though I believe it was not a conversation that was meant to be recorded.
Audio Recording. Speakers: Unknown, ERROR (Full Access).
"My Lord, surely we can use this facility to destroy the Republic in a matter of months. Why are we not using it now?"
"You do not understand just how fragile our Empire truly is. For now, we are united by a common enemy in the Republic, and even so many of our brightest officers have been slaying each other in the hopes of gaining more power for themselves. If we were to fully utilize this facility and our victory became apparent, then there is no doubt that the Sith Lords would turn on each other in an instant, plunging the Empire into civil war."
"B-but with the Foundry-"
"I cannot afford that level of bloodshed in the galaxy, otherwise everything I have been working towards for the past centuries will have been for nothing. For the sake of my plans, this facility must remain offline. Am I clear?"
"...Of course, my Emperor."
"My Lord, surely we can use this facility to destroy the Republic in a matter of months. Why are we not using it now?"
"You do not understand just how fragile our Empire truly is. For now, we are united by a common enemy in the Republic, and even so many of our brightest officers have been slaying each other in the hopes of gaining more power for themselves. If we were to fully utilize this facility and our victory became apparent, then there is no doubt that the Sith Lords would turn on each other in an instant, plunging the Empire into civil war."
"B-but with the Foundry-"
"I cannot afford that level of bloodshed in the galaxy, otherwise everything I have been working towards for the past centuries will have been for nothing. For the sake of my plans, this facility must remain offline. Am I clear?"
"...Of course, my Emperor."
According to records of the era, the Sith Emperor was attempting to devour as much life in the galaxy as he could to sustain himself. Judging by this report, the deaths that would have been caused by the Foundry's activation would not have aided him in that regard, though that is entirely speculation on my part.
At any rate, if you are assuming that the Emperor was behind the virus that infected the facility's systems, then you would be correct.
System Logs.
User ERROR has logged into Foundry databanks.
User ERROR has uploaded program "NAME UNKNOWN" into Foundry databanks.
Analyzing program "NAME UNKNOWN."
Analysis complete. No viruses detected. Program saved in databanks.
New commands accepted.
Foundry will activate program "NAME UNKNOWN" should any user aside from ERROR attempt to access its systems.
User ERROR has logged into Foundry databanks.
User ERROR has uploaded program "NAME UNKNOWN" into Foundry databanks.
Analyzing program "NAME UNKNOWN."
Analysis complete. No viruses detected. Program saved in databanks.
New commands accepted.
Foundry will activate program "NAME UNKNOWN" should any user aside from ERROR attempt to access its systems.
Rather cut and dry I suppose.
As for the last file...it was stored on the master control mainframe, where the team fought that titanic monster. I looked at it briefly, but I did not fully analyze it myself.
Perhaps I am being too sentimental, but I truly believe you should see this before anyone else in this organization does.
That is all. Good luck to you on your other endeavors this quarter.
Holorecording. Speaker: Revan (Full Access)
"Three hundred years.
I have been fighting against the Sith Emperor for three hundred years.
He has tortured me in ways that are beyond imagining, made me suffer in the hopes of breaking my will and allowing him to run fully rampant in the galaxy. But I did not yield. And if it had come to it I was prepared to fight him until the end of time if that was what it took to protect the galaxy.
He is mad. He wishes to consume the Force from every living being in the galaxy so that he may live forever, and he will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. In the face of that monstrosity, in the face of the extinction of every living being in the galaxy...any alternative to that is preferable. Which is why I have no choice but to use this facility to destroy the Sith Empire in its entirety.
I imagine that what I am about to do will mean that one day there will be people who come to this place asking themselves why I did what I did. As such I will be leaving behind this testament of my actions so that the galaxy may understand why they were necessary.
The fact that the extermination droids were meant to wipe out the entire Imperial population was not because of any corruption by this station or because of the influence of HK-47 as many will want to believe. I chose that option because there is no other alternative to protect the galaxy from the threat of the Sith Emperor. I have seen what he is capable of and how far he is willing to go, and there is simply no alternative. For the galaxy to survive, the Empire must be eradicated in its entirety.
I do not expect forgiveness for what I am about to do. I merely wish for those who come after to understand.
...I wish there was some other way. I truly do.
...
...If a monster like me is allowed to leave behind wishes for the future, then I would ask this of whoever finds this message: There are people in my life who risked everything to stand by my side when I needed them most. I want them to be remembered. At least in some small way. Their names are:
Arren Kae. Human female. If not for her I would have never become the man I am today...for better or for worse.
Alek, likely better known as Darth Malak. Male human, from Queli. He may have turned against me but he was once my friend, and I will never forget that.
Carth Onasi. Male human, from Telos IV. A brave soldier, and a true patriot.
Mission Vao. Female Twi'lek, from Taris. Despite her youth she was just as brave as anyone else who fought alongside me.
Zaalbar. Male Wookiee, from Kashyyyk. Faithful guardian of Mission, a fierce warrior, and loyal to the end.
Canderous Ordo, likely better known as Mandalore the Preserver. Male human, from Ordo. While he may have fought against the Republic at one point, I hope that he and his people will find some way to live on with the rest of the galaxy.
Juhani. Female Cathar, from the planet of the same name. I hope she was able to find peace after all she had been through. She earned it.
Jolee Bindo. Male Human, from...well he never told me actually. The Jedi could have used more men like him - people who were able to see that the galaxy is not as black and white as many would like to believe.
My faithful droid companions, T3-M4 and HK-47. Some may say I am overly sentimental, especially in the latter case - I would respond that I would have died long ago if not for either of them.
...
...Meetra Surik. Human female...I don't know where she was from. ...She deserved better after everything she sacrificed for the sake of the galaxy.
...
...I...
......
...Bastila Shan. Human female, from Talravin.
I...
I'll see you soon.
I promise."
"Three hundred years.
I have been fighting against the Sith Emperor for three hundred years.
He has tortured me in ways that are beyond imagining, made me suffer in the hopes of breaking my will and allowing him to run fully rampant in the galaxy. But I did not yield. And if it had come to it I was prepared to fight him until the end of time if that was what it took to protect the galaxy.
He is mad. He wishes to consume the Force from every living being in the galaxy so that he may live forever, and he will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. In the face of that monstrosity, in the face of the extinction of every living being in the galaxy...any alternative to that is preferable. Which is why I have no choice but to use this facility to destroy the Sith Empire in its entirety.
I imagine that what I am about to do will mean that one day there will be people who come to this place asking themselves why I did what I did. As such I will be leaving behind this testament of my actions so that the galaxy may understand why they were necessary.
The fact that the extermination droids were meant to wipe out the entire Imperial population was not because of any corruption by this station or because of the influence of HK-47 as many will want to believe. I chose that option because there is no other alternative to protect the galaxy from the threat of the Sith Emperor. I have seen what he is capable of and how far he is willing to go, and there is simply no alternative. For the galaxy to survive, the Empire must be eradicated in its entirety.
I do not expect forgiveness for what I am about to do. I merely wish for those who come after to understand.
...I wish there was some other way. I truly do.
...
...If a monster like me is allowed to leave behind wishes for the future, then I would ask this of whoever finds this message: There are people in my life who risked everything to stand by my side when I needed them most. I want them to be remembered. At least in some small way. Their names are:
Arren Kae. Human female. If not for her I would have never become the man I am today...for better or for worse.
Alek, likely better known as Darth Malak. Male human, from Queli. He may have turned against me but he was once my friend, and I will never forget that.
Carth Onasi. Male human, from Telos IV. A brave soldier, and a true patriot.
Mission Vao. Female Twi'lek, from Taris. Despite her youth she was just as brave as anyone else who fought alongside me.
Zaalbar. Male Wookiee, from Kashyyyk. Faithful guardian of Mission, a fierce warrior, and loyal to the end.
Canderous Ordo, likely better known as Mandalore the Preserver. Male human, from Ordo. While he may have fought against the Republic at one point, I hope that he and his people will find some way to live on with the rest of the galaxy.
Juhani. Female Cathar, from the planet of the same name. I hope she was able to find peace after all she had been through. She earned it.
Jolee Bindo. Male Human, from...well he never told me actually. The Jedi could have used more men like him - people who were able to see that the galaxy is not as black and white as many would like to believe.
My faithful droid companions, T3-M4 and HK-47. Some may say I am overly sentimental, especially in the latter case - I would respond that I would have died long ago if not for either of them.
...
...Meetra Surik. Human female...I don't know where she was from. ...She deserved better after everything she sacrificed for the sake of the galaxy.
...
...I...
......
...Bastila Shan. Human female, from Talravin.
I...
I'll see you soon.
I promise."
Rewards: Foundry secured, relevant details of operation will be available next turn. Thrawn gains "Mind of a Soldier" trait.
AN: I think I went through 3 different genres and 5 different tones this one update alone. I think it worked out pretty well though.
Anyway, next time things will probably be a bit lighter, don't worry.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Mmm, good try Revan. Good try.
- Location
- USA
So ends Revan. It is good that at least some people know what happened to him. Also Jymeen was crazy effective in this fight, maybe enough to not get punished too badly afterwards. Lots of character development, can't wait to see what Thrawn's new trait is as well.
I am so looking forward to what the Foundry will provide. The droid potential alone will have us outmatch the CIS. And who knows what other upgrades we could make.
DB_Explorer
Purveyor of alternate realities.
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Leroy Jymeen: Jymeen uses the Equus
- Location
- Tulsa Oklahoma
... well then, I suspect that pretty much everyone in the galaxy, including Palpatine, likely would find the plans of the Emperor from that era monstrous to the point of being willing to ally with the Jedi if he reemerged. If it was a choice between him or the Mother being unleashed upon the galaxy, I'm more likely to let the Mother go. Now, here's the really scary part, he likely knows force phantom, so he's still out there, unless and until we stab him with the Mortis dagger. Pleasant dreams.
- Location
- Florida
Fixed for accuracy.
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
I mean, Dark Empire!Palpy wasn't far off that goal himself.
Then again, he's pretty clearly insane soooooo....
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
I mentioned it in the Rollz session, but it was more of a Dark Side anomaly created by the echoes of Revan's hatred, rage, and pain when he was in control of the Foundry.
If you need a name for it, I called it "Revan's Monster" there.
Last edited:
We.... should probably maybe keep a better eye on HK-47. Because we've managed to be responsible for the deaths of about half the people still around from the Mandalorian war.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Also, future factory versions of the Equus-class will be better labeled. There will be future factory versions, particularly given the excellent performance by the vehicle in the hands of a...Jymeen.
- Location
- Australia
Could a similarly powerful Light Side anomaly be created by sufficiently strong positive emotions?
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
*shrugs* Probably. The Force is weird, man. It's just 99 times out of a 100 it's usually the "lingering spirit thirsting for revenge" sort of thing that you see in Star Wars.
- Location
- Australia
Why is that?
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
It's a good idea as any for a plot point. Don't look at me, ask the dozens of EU writers instead!
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
How many light-side immortality gimmicks of any kind do you see? At best, in the Light-Side-Afterlife, you might be able to manifest as a ghost for 10-20 years; long enough to settle your unfinished business but nothing like Force Phantoms or the Sith Ghosts tied to their tombs.
EDIT: Did a review of immortality gimmicks, which due to rapid-fire discussion got moved to the next page.
EDIT: Did a review of immortality gimmicks, which due to rapid-fire discussion got moved to the next page.
Last edited:
- Location
- Tulsa Oklahoma
Maybe, but he at least realized that he liked having people to rule over. The original Emperor seems to be omnicidal to the extent Darvos was when he built the Reality Bomb. I mean, if he succeeded, all life in the galaxy would have been wiped clean, leaving nothing but him to contemplate his thoughts for eternity, alone. Heh, it is amusing when you think about it, his own plan would have left him in a Hell of his own creation.
