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Betad by Priapus, Beans, Marethyu, Mike God of Lore
The Celestial Inquisitor
Chapter 15: Bugtown Extermination
– Darth Lachris –
While the truth of Taris was unknown to most Sith, she was not most Sith. Darth Marr had informed her of the true culprit behind the crisis that had the entire galaxy on edge. An entire planet, even one that was already ruined, was engulfed in a devastating storm of unknown origin. It was bound to spread fear, everyone wondering, praying, that this was a one-off. A freak occurrence.
Of course, Marr had also informed her that if the truth leaked because of her, he'd kill her himself. She knew he meant it. But the truth was, her little alliance with Sarik had already started to pay off in more ways than just dealing with the Balmorran Resistance.
"I can see why Sarik decided to make this little alliance. Balmorra really is a wonderful testing ground," Zash agreed with a beaming smile. Zash had arrived in preparation for her apprentice returning to Balmorra, but something about the other Sith put her on edge.
Zash was examining the statue that Sarik had left behind. It was inactive at the moment, probably. Sarik explained that sometimes he needed his full attention elsewhere and would release his control of the statue, leaving it inanimate.
She had studied it herself, and she couldn't sense anything from the statue when he wasn't using it. For all intents and purposes, it was just a surprisingly detailed statue. Of course, she also suspected that he would pretend to leave it so that he could spy on her through it. She certainly would do the same in his position.
"You lucked into quite the apprentice, Lord Zash," Lachris 'praised', making Zash chuckle. Many Sith would take offence to the implication that they lucked into anything, no matter how true. Zash was one of those worrying Sith that had very little ego. It only furthered Lachris's caution around her.
"Didn't I? I really should thank Harkun for sending Sarik into that tomb. Well, I'll thank his corpse the next time I get back to Korriban. It's been quite fun to examine him and the multitude of plagues ravaging his body. Or it had been until Darth Acharon took possession of it," Zash admitted cheerfully. She could imagine why the Sphere of Biotic Science had an interest in Sarik and his Lore of Plagues.
She'd already had feelers reaching out to her due to the way she and Sarik were weaponising his plagues against the resistance. They'd proven that diseases could be made that would not affect humans or Sith while hindering aliens, and that had gotten them a considerable amount of attention. It was easy for Sarik to make his diseases ineffective against force-users as well, useful for breaking the will of planets that tried to fight back against Sith control.
In truth, she already had her eyes on Darth Acharon's seat. He was one of the weaker members of the Dark Council, and with Sarik working under her, she could weaponise the plagues and prove their efficiency as a weapon against the Republic for when the war restarted.
She lacked Acharon's knowledge of Sith Alchemy, but he was a universally hated Sith and had few allies. Sarik had a point. There was no reason for them to turn on each other. She would be useful to Sarik even as she rose in power, and he would be useful to her in keeping said power. It was to their benefit to continue using one another for all they were worth.
As she received word that Sarik's ship was landing, she smiled to herself and sent for an officer to bring him straight to her. She wasn't waiting for long, as Sarik was led to her office with Kory and Khem Val by his side.
"Ah, it's good to see you again, Apprentice. And you even brought your own apprentice along," Zash greeted with a smile. Again, most Sith would take offence at their apprentice claiming an apprentice of their own, and Kory clearly knew it from the way she stiffened. "Oh, don't look so worried, Kory. You're practically my grand-apprentice."
Zash was not like most Sith.
"It's good to see you, Master. I wasn't expecting you to leave Korriban so soon," Sarik admitted, with surprising humility for a man who had just destroyed a planet.
"Why, with my adorable little apprentice causing such a scene, I had to come and see you in person," Zash teased. "But I believe our gracious host wishes to speak with you. Come along, Kory. I want to hear about your training."
Kory looked over to Sarik, another thing that would have sent most Sith into a rage as she clearly valued Sarik's orders over Zash's, and Zash just smiled. Sarik just nodded once, watching the pair leave. Zash was truly a worrying kind of Sith.
"Leave us," Lachris ordered the officer.
"Khem, guard the door. Let nobody get close enough to listen in," Sarik ordered, making his massive beast nod respectfully.
"Feel free to eat anyone who tries to get past you," Lachris said idly, watching the Dashade leave as the door closed. Having a hulking, flesh-eating beast standing guard would deter most, but she had some truly stupid minions here. "You should be proud, Sarik. You have won in a week what I am still struggling to get. Darth Marr's respect. Darth Marr was most impressed with your actions."
"I suspect it's less a matter of respect and more a matter of him working out how best to weaponise me," Sarik replied, taking the seat she gestured to as she laughed.
"Of course, he sees you as useful and powerful, and yes, he's planning to use you in defence of the Empire. That is the greatest sign of respect Marr has, and one that many members of the Dark Council do not get from him," Lachris agreed. "It is a respect that I have fought for since he took me as his apprentice. It is the respect that I still have not won."
"But it is conditional on me continuing to be useful. I intend to see the Balmorran Resistance entirely crushed before I'm called to meet with the Dark Council," Sarik explained, making her smirk. It was good that he understood how Marr worked. As long as Sarik was acting to the benefit of the Empire, Marr would approve. "You have my full attention until I'm called to Dromund Kaas. I am at your command."
"Then I intend to use you for all you are worth," Lachris said with a sultry smile. "The resistance outpost in… Bugtown that your rats found is weak and ready to be crushed. They will require little effort to slaughter to the last. Our biggest problem comes in the fact that Cheketta has taken many of the Resistance and moved into the Balmorran Arms Factory. The best weapons factory in Balmorra, useless to us."
"How heavily defended is it?" Sarik asked, and she could already tell that he was planning something.
"A full-frontal assault would be costly. We would win through sheer numbers, but those kinds of casualties would reflect poorly on us both," Lachris admitted. "The factory has been turned into a fortress, countless turrets and droids reprogrammed to defend the resistance. If we break Cheketta, the resistance itself will break. I know that look, Sarik. What are you planning?"
"Pass me your lightsaber," Sarik requested, and her eyes narrowed in anger for a moment before she pulled out her weapon.
"This had better be good," Lachris warned, handing it over as she watched him pull a strange wooden mask out of thin air. Her eyes widened as he lifted it to his face, and then his entire body changed, the mask melting onto his face and shifting to look like her. "You are full of tricks, aren't you?"
"This is the Mask of Gnose, an artefact that lets the wielder take on the appearance of another. It requires an item of great value to the person you're transforming into," Sarik explained in her voice before taking off the mask and handing her lightsaber back.
"You intend to infiltrate the factory and turn the defences off from the inside," Lachris realised, a cruel smile on her lips as she watched him click his fingers, and a strange bloated alien creature appeared beside him, its blue head looking around.
"This is Floats. If I can get him to the security centre, he can do more than turn off the defences. We can turn their own protection into their method of execution," Sarik explained, making her smile grow wider. Floats trilled excitedly, and she could sense the malicious glee in the strange creature at the idea.
The Resistance would be doomed, trapped inside a tomb of their own making.
"But we need someone to impersonate," Lachris continued. "Someone from Bugtown?"
"Exactly. We crush Bugtown and take someone important enough prisoner. Make sure to let enough of the Resistance flee, and then we have our 'captive' flee to the Arms Factory to join Cheketta's last bastion.
"There is a Jedi Master within the Arms Factory. I know little about her, but I've heard rumours of this 'Barsen'thor'," Lachris warned. "The Republic is playing increasingly loose with the peace treaty."
"Then they can't complain when we break her," Sarik said simply. "We both know Cheketta is acting with the Republic's aid, even if they deny it. If we capture him and this Jedi Master and force them both to admit that the Republic is aiding the Balmorran Resistance in defiance of the treaty, the Republic will have no choice but to abandon Balmorra entirely."
There would still be the smaller holdouts all over the planet, but with their main support gone, crushing them would prove easy. They would fall to pieces, one by one.
"You want her, don't you? I can sense it. The idea of a Jedi Master, broken as your toy excites you," Lachris laughed.
"We all have our passions, don't we?" Sarik admitted shamelessly. "And the idea of so utterly breaking the resistance excites you."
Lachris just smiled at that, not denying his claim.
"I have another idea. I have Retheus Galthe, the President of Balmorra, as one of my… guests. He is quite broken, but among his effects was his wedding ring," Lachris explained. "I know of several resistance spies that I could leak his location to."
"Then they come and rescue the 'President', unknowingly taking our agent into the Arms Factory, their last fortress," Sarik continued. "Especially if we completely eradicate the Bugtown base beforehand. I like it."
It was still mostly Sarik's plan, with some minor changes. Enough for her to call it her plan when people asked who the mastermind was. If she wanted to join the Dark Council, she needed the renown. Sarik clearly understood that as well, giving her a knowing look.
"You will lead the assault on Bugtown," Lachris decided, making his eyebrow rise. She needed to share the spotlight because if she claimed too much of the credit, Sarik may start to wonder if this alliance was truly worth it. Of course, there were other ways she could reward him as well.
"As you wish," Sarik agreed easily. "I plan to slaughter them to the last if we're using the president."
"I'll make sure you have the soldiers to support you. Do have fun and come back to me in one piece. I still have use for that body of yours," Lachris said with a smirk, her eyes roaming his robe-clad form. Returning the little trick he'd done last time, she reached out with the Force and gently squeezed down on a certain part of his body. His eyes narrowed in hunger, but she wasn't that easy.
– Sarik –
100cp granted, [Staff of the Horned Rat] unlocked.
Mara said I needed to crush the resistance with incredible brutality to send a message to the Galaxy itself, and I just got another fun little tool to help with them. With the Staff of the Horned Rat, my Skaven magic is going to be far more effective.
Leaving Lachris to her preparations, I chuckle to myself as I head back to my ship to prepare. I like Lachris, she's fun.
"I have to say, Apprentice. You really have caused quite the scene, haven't you?" Zash asks in amusement, making me shrug.
"I'm an overachiever. Why capture a Jedi when I can capture a planet," I reply with a shameless shrug.
"Capture? Ahh, you can still access Taris, then?" Zash asks, making me nod. I don't plan to hide that I, and I alone, hold the way into Taris. "You truly are impressive. Kory here has been telling me of all the fascinating techniques you've been teaching her."
I had told Kory mentally that she could, and so I just chuckle.
"And now you want them for yourself?" I ask, making her shrug shamelessly.
"I'm a Sith, Sarik. I always want more power," Zash admits with zero hesitation. "You know, you've thoroughly derailed my original plans for you?"
"I think I derailed everyone's plans," I admit, making her laugh.
"Well, yes. But most people weren't hoping to wear you like a skinsuit," Zash admits, making Kory and me freeze. "Oh, don't give me that look. I'm old, Sarik, and playing with every Sith artefact you find is a good way to shorten your lifespan. Trust me, you don't want to see what I look like under this glamour. I do like you, apprentice, but it was that or dying of old age and well, I don't like anyone that much."
I just snort at her casual admittance.
"And now?" I ask, making her smirk.
"Frankly, I have no idea what would even happen if I tried to possess you, and I'm not eager to have my soul eaten by the Celestial Holocron. Besides, you seem to be making the impossible rather commonplace. My best bet is to just wait for you to find something that can fix my body," Zash admits easily.
"Drop the glamour," I request, making her pause before she shrugs and does so. Her youthful looks fade instantly, her blonde hair turning grey and her skin becoming decidedly corpselike. Her soft brown eyes fade to a fearsome yellow, the Dark Side coursing through her body.
"As you can see, my studies of the Sith Artefacts have taken their toll on me," Zash admits with a shrug that seems out of place on such a menacing figure.
"I'm pretty sure I can already fix most of that," I admit, making her blink. The Rune of Corruption would slowly undo the damage. "One of the runes I can grant to other people should at least alleviate the damage, but it's still in the testing phase. I used it on Ki Sazen and her Cult, as it's needed for anyone studying the Lore of Plagues. If Ki doesn't mutate into an abomination, I'll be able to safely place the rune on the rest of my followers as well, granting them the benefits of it."
"Ah, I was right to place my bets on you, Sarik," Zash says, thankfully placing the glamour back up. "So, the only question is, what do you want for your aid? I'm not foolish enough to expect anyone, even my apprentice, to aid me for free."
"Would you be interested in moving? Take my statue and move to Taris. You will teach me, and Ki, to control the Force like you do, and in exchange, I will teach you the Lore of Ruin," I offer.
"And, of course, we can both keep an eye on that lovely rune of yours while we ensure Ki doesn't forget which side she has joined," Zash agrees, a beaming smile on her restored face. "I have to admit, I'm rather excited. Taris must be fascinating after being at the centre of your little ritual."
"That's one word for it," I agree after a moment.
"You have a deal, of course. I think you'll be a fascinating student to teach, and this statue trick of yours is just wonderful," Zash admits. This way, I can continue my studies in the more traditional Sith arts without stopping my adventure. "Frankly, I suspect Darth Atroxa will be grateful to have me out of her Academy. I'm a little too useful for her to kick out, but she dislikes sharing her domain."
I don't know much about Atroxa beyond her renowned skill with the Force and Lightsaber. Somehow, I'm not surprised she didn't like having Zash treat the place like her own little base.
"Master, please don't go back to the Academy just to fulfil your lust for Twi'leks. You already have a red one," Kory adds, making me blink at her teasing tone before I snort.
"I don't have a thing for Twi'leks. It's just a coincidence that I've ended up with so many," I swear, giving her a slap on the ass. I don't mind her getting enough confidence in our relationship to tease me as long as she stays loyal. "If I go back, it'll be for more than Darth Atroxa's body."
"Atroxa is aroused by power. Once you become publicly known as the culprit behind the desolation of Taris, I imagine she'd welcome you back with open legs," Zash adds helpfully. For just a moment, I stop to consider it, making the pair of them look amused as Kory giggles. "I imagine most female Sith would, frankly. Power attracts, my apprentice. Why, if I wasn't stuck in a rotting husk…"
"Then we'll have to get you your youth back for us both to enjoy," I say, playing along. "But for now, I need to commit biological war crimes against the Resistance."
"Ooh, I think I'll stick around for this. I felt the aftereffects of Taris from Korriban, but I'd love to see you in action. It has been a while since I indulged in a massacre," Zash says excitedly. She's… pretty twisted, isn't she?
She freezes as I conjure my staff, the blackened wood appearing in my hand, the Symbol of the Horned God atop it. It looks like it's made from fragile wood, but it just radiates foul power, and she knows it. Her eyes dilate, hunger clear as she looks upon such a powerful artefact.
"Then sit back and enjoy the show. I plan to give a demonstration of just how powerful the Skaven Lores can be," I swear, a grin on my face.
– Zenith –
Coughing, he cursed the Sith and their alchemy. What else could it be? Anything alien was bedridden; his body ached as he tried to push through it. He'd watched some of his best men die, coughing up coagulated blood, and eventually, he'd had to go to Farnel Outpost to get the men he had left medical aid.
Farnel Outpost was a shitshow. Undisciplined, barely secure, just all around a disaster waiting to happen. They were one serious attack away from losing their main foothold in Balmorra, and nobody seemed to know it but him.
As foul, unnatural chittering echoed through the base, he realised that that attack had arrived.
"What's going on?" Zenith demanded, his rifle in hand. Even breathing was difficult for him, the disease ravaging his body, but he wasn't going to die in a fucking hospital bed.
"It's raining poison!"
He looked out from the entrance of the base and saw it to be true. Thick, black clouds spat green rain down onto them as the guards stationed outside ran for cover. He saw guards fall to the floor, collapsing as they seemingly fell into a slumber. He saw their weapons begin to rust and decay but above all else?
He saw the Sith.
Standing out in the open, the robed Sith continued his foul chanting with his arms outstretched and a staff in one hand. The Sith stood atop a giant rock, drawing attention to himself as Zenith snapped into action, sniper rifle raised.
It took him less than a second to line up his shot, finger already on the trigger as he fired. Despite his sickness, it was a perfect shot. The bolt flew true and Zenith watched as another figure deflected it with casual ease, stepping in front of the Sith. The bolt flew right back towards them, striking the man who had told him about the rain, and a blonde Sith grinned playfully as she twirled her lightsaber, enjoying the show.
Multiple Sith, four at least.
A red-headed human, a blonde human, another hooded figure and the main Sith who was causing this rain.
They couldn't go outside, but Zenith knew a trap when he saw one. The men were rushing into the Outpost, and several times he'd told the resistance leaders of this little shithole that it wasn't secure enough. He told them that they didn't have a way out if the Empire assaulted the base. They had no backdoor because the Resistance had accidentally burrowed into a Colicoid nest when they tried to create one and had then just given up. They'd claimed that the Sith wouldn't come to Bugtown because the Colicoids provided a deterrent and hid their presence. They were wrong.
The Sith had made it so that staying outside was a death sentence, so everyone was rushing into the Outpost like rats being herded into a trap. He knew a trap when he saw one, but his warnings went unheeded. The Sith's red lips curved into a sadistic smile as Zenith tried again, knowing it wouldn't succeed.
The strange words only grew louder, the Sith's voice seemingly making the very ground shake. And then, the Sith was right in front of him. In a poof of green smoke, the Sith appeared metres from the entrance and with a cackle, he pointed his staff at the base.
Red mist rushed from the tip like a river, and Zenith could only brace himself as the mist hit him with enough force to knock him back. It just kept coming, flooding the Outpost. As he glared at the smug Sith, he could feel giant, oozing boils appearing on his skin, growing larger until they were the size of his fists, covering his entire body and then they burst. Red, sticky ooze coated his body, burning his skin as the Sith once again vanished in a puff of smoke, returning to his allies.
He couldn't see them, not with the mist covering his view and the sheer pain as his body wept and he fell to the floor, coughing up blood. His last thought was a simple one: He really hated Sith.
– Sarik –
Toxic Rain to get them into the base, and The Great Red Pox to ensure that everyone stupid enough to be inside that base dies painfully. I couldn't have done that without the Staff and [Mana Seism] but when you're willing to kill any area you're fighting in, you have some more options.
"My, my, apprentice. You are a cruel one," Zash says, watching the visible resistance fighters die as the giant boils grow all over their bodies, deforming them as they die in agony.
"They're the lucky ones," I say idly, focusing again as I eat more Warpstone tokens. I'm not done yet, but I grasp the staff with both hands. I rejected Lachris' offer of Imperial assistance because I have all the assistance I need right here.
My chittered words grow louder as I draw from the power from the very earth around the Outpost, partially killing the planet as I cast my final spell of the day.
The Chittering. A spell that warps the very minds of the victims, turning them into obedient slaves for the Gray Seer. Normally, it has a shorter range, but as I said, the Staff and Mana Seism give me options.
The survivors begin to screech, their pained screams turning into chittered words as my magic muddles their minds, and I give out a single mental order to all the survivors of the Great Red Pox.
Devour.
It's not just the resistance that has been affected either, as the Colicoids Bugtown is named for bend to my will, rushing toward the base.
"Oh, wow, Master…" Kory gasps as she watches one of the resistance lookouts dive at his former comrade, ripping out the woman's throat with his teeth as he claws and bites at her flesh. She was his trusted ally against the Empire an hour ago, and now she's nothing more than lunch.
Those who don't have anyone nearby still find plenty of meat, gnawing on their own limbs as I keep the spell up. My Queekish words driving them into utter madness. Mara wanted brutality, and forcing the Resistance's largest outpost to cannibalise themselves should work, right?
Floats has access to their security cameras, so the slaughter is being recorded. This is Empire territory. We have no reason to hide the fates of those foolish enough to stand against us.
Feats Achieved: Destroy Farnel Outpost (100cp), Kill Zenith (100cp), Get on the Republic's Most Wanted list (200cp). 400cp granted.
Who the fuck was Zenith? Eh, doesn't matter.
[Apparitions in the Night] - 400cp, 0cp remaining.
More than a few varieties of yaoguai are ghosts, spirits who, for whatever reason, did not or could not pass on to the afterlife. Some wander around, looking for bodies to possess, while others terrorise and bring harm to the living. You are one of these beings. You can survive without a body and physically affect things with your wandering soul, possessing mortals and those who are weak of will.
Well, isn't that interesting? The knowledge of how to simply… disconnect from my body floods my mind, and now even death won't stop me unless they have a way to capture my very soul.
I watch in satisfaction as the resistance dies. There are a few small bases that I can hit while I wait for them to take the bait to make sure they have only one place left to go.
The real question is, who should be the one to pose as the president? With my bond to her, I could send Vette in and summon Floats to her. It could make a good final test for her infiltration skills, after all. I could follow her in spirit form as long as I avoid the Jedi Master. I don't know if she'll be able to see me in spirit form.
Or I could just say fuck it and do it myself. We both should be able to slip under the Jedi's senses with my powers. Well, we have time to decide as I watch the chaos with a smile.
Balmorra really is a good testing area.
– Thana Vesh –
In the remnants of the Imperial base, she looked around rapidly, lightsaber ignited.
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE WRONG!" Thana screamed, glaring at the corpse of her master. She'd heard it, he was dead, she'd ripped out his tongue and taken his head but he was still talking. Still judging. She was better, she was stronger, she was-
Clutching her head, she tried to silence the whispers. She didn't know who it was, but they never shut up. Always talking, always whispering into her ear. What did they want? Why wouldn't they let her rest?
She'd done what they said; she'd killed them all, but the voice just wouldn't shut up.
She hadn't killed enough. Not enough blood had been spilled. Not enough skulls were taken as she looked at the pile she had made from beheading every Imperial in this pathetic base. It wasn't big enough.
Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne.
Letting out a scream of rage, she headed out into the twisted and warped Taris, hunting anything unfortunate enough to cross her path.
— Quest Section — VOTING CONCLUDED
Who should infiltrate the Balmorran Arms Factory?
Sarik.
Vette, as her trial.
Author's Note: Sorry, Zenith, you made the tactical error of being a male Twi'lek so you don't get kept around.
Written: 20/12/2024
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The Advance Chapters
Diamond: Guide to Freedom Ch15, The Celestial Professor Ch06, The Game Master Ch09, The Celestial Escalation Ch06, The Celestial Remnant Ch12
Plat: The Celestial Farmer Ch02, The Celestial Escalation Ch05, The Celestial Farmer Ch01, The Nightmare Ch15, The Unbound Ch04
Gold: The Vampire Ch13, The Celestial Conquest Ch03, The Gambler Ch15
Basic: The Celestial Remnant Ch11, The Tamer Ch17
Quest: The Celestial Inquisitor Ch16-20
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