Ask Purging the Undead

[Veles]

Utapau, Pau City
1825 local time

The shuttle rumbled lightly with turbulence as they entered the massive sinkhole that Pau City was built in, the few skyscrapers their capital city had shining in the light of the planet's only sun, which was also named Utapau. Creative people, the Pau'ans. Veles could admire their resolve, though, the way that they had resisted extinction and adapted to life on the planet despite the hyperwind storms that ravaged its surface and stripped it of its flora and fauna. Living under the ground and in the sinkholes caused by the planet's world ocean, they had managed to prosper by exporting the minerals and resources they discovered underground to the rest of the Galaxy. It was unfortunate that their planet had nevertheless succumbed to the AMS virus and had been reduced to a ghost town populated by the diseased.

Eyes down on the land below ravaged by zombies, he idly played with one of the rings on the index finger of his right hand, twisting the movable bit around. He was considering the plan he had devised, the possible bumps in the road or larger obstacles. The troops around them shifted nervously as the zombies came into view, and he could feel their fear but he said nothing. They were here for a reason, and they were soldiers. Succumbing to the terror meant only that they did not belong in the Imperial army, and their deaths would be a welcome purge so that their resources would be allocated to troops that were more well-suited to take on the mantle.

It was lucky that there would be no need for diplomacy with the Utapauans, and their conquest of the planet hinged solely on martial prowess. The only issue would be fighting back the massive horde, but once they had set up a garrison in the capital, things would fall into place. They would repopulate with the Utapauns who had managed to evacuate, distribute vaccines to all and set up a ruler that was aligned with Sith interests. It was a straightforward approach.

"30 seconds to contact, Lord Veles. Prepare for disembarking."

The voice of the pilot buzzed in his ear, and he nodded. "Thank you, Captain. This should not take long."

His mind shifted to another train of thought, one he had been avoiding for the past day in hopes that he will have the time to sit back and meditate on the news. He had not confirmed anything, since he had been spending the past few weeks in the Galactic South and reaching Dromund Kaas would take a good few days, but the day was quickly nearing for him to make the trip and see for himself the reactions of his compatriots. Many did not understand what Andruil was playing at, why she felt the need to purge her entire council, but Veles did. He, much like her, loathed stagnation, and the first thing he thought when the Queen of Dathomir took hold of the Empire was how the time for progress had at last begun. The Council's lack of activity and meaningful action irked him as well, and it seemed the glass had filled and tipped over at last. Caelestis' challenge--while an extraordinary feat--had not surprised him, considering what had happened at the Hal'loween ball on Serenno. Heads were eventually going to be butting, though it would have been nicer if that did not mean the Empire was without a Council.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the ship touched down smoothly onto one of the free landing pads, and the hiss of air decompressing signaled that it was show time. Veles turned to the Acolyte and nodded, then turned to face the soldiers behind him.

"For some of you, this may be the first time you step onto a battlefield wearing the uniform of an Imperial soldier. It may be the first time you use your blasters and blades to spearhead the conquest of a planet in the name of your Empire, and it may be the first time you will see your compatriots die in front of you. The battle ahead will be difficult and you may find yourself wishing you could simply close your eyes and embrace death. If that is your intention, do so. If you wish to make your life mean something, if you wish to do your duty as a soldier, then hold your head high and remember, you are fighting for something much larger than your existence." His voice was calm and collected, his voice echoing through the ship as every pair of eyes was trained on him. "For the Empire!"

His battlecry was met with the roars of the troops, the air thick with the tension of a craft full of people ready to go out and put their lives on the line in face of an emotionless foe fueled by nothing more than the desire to tear their throats out.

Veles ran a hand through his hair to tug a few stray strands out of his face, then turned toward Aadya at his side. As the door slowly lowered, his fists found the hilts of the two lightsabers on his belt, and he cast his cloak off. He was the first out, charging forward with a burst of heat in the core of his being, the Force gathering around him as he swung into action, the zombies rushing forward the moment there was no more barrier separating them from the Imperials.

Blaster fire erupted and the troops, too charged forth, the smell of charred flesh filling the battlefield mere seconds after the fight began. A few fell right then and there, succumbing as they were piled on by hordes of the undead, but most held their ground.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya had remained in her quarters for most of the trip to Utapau. Nose buried in holobooks and notes, mostly. While she knew of its existence, just like everyone else in the galaxy, Aadya had no direct experience in dealing with the AMS virus. Luckily, there was an ample amount of information available on the subject. She didn't want to look stupid or unprepared in front of Veles, after all.

When they were close to Utapau Aadya had left her confinement and joined Veles who was standing at the head of a large group of soldiers. Aadya listened to Veles' speech to the men and it seemed to work well enough. Her thoughts drifted, wondering if put into the same position if she would be able to muster up the words to inspire soldiers to charge headlong into their deaths.

The rallying cry of for the Empire pulled Aadya back to the present, though she did not join in the shouting. Aadya would serve the Empress in the capacities in which she was required but she felt no particular deep loyalty to the Empire. To certain people within it, sure, but that was a different matter.

As the floodgates opened, Aadya stayed lock-step with Veles and exited directly into the fray. Her lightsaber sprung to life instantly, its silver blade casting a harsh light onto the surroundings. Aadya knew that their main priority at the moment was clearing the creatures and establishing a proper FOB, so she didn't hesitate in getting to work.

With the lethal grace of a nexu, Aadya started removing zombie heads as she pushed into the throngs. Hopefully they had brought some Imperial Janitors to help clean up after they were finished, the dead bodies already starting to turn from piles into mountains.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

It was not a very relaxing thing to be on a battlefield surrounded by creatures that, if they managed to get the smallest bite on you, would doom you to a slow and painful death followed by a wretched reanimation. The stakes were pretty high, and it was clear that the zombies were nothing to underestimate.

Blaster fire whizzed through the streets of Pau City, some charring the buildings built out of bleached bones. The Utapaun zombies were a bit more challenging to take down that normal ones, since they were much taller and had exceptionally sharp teeth. They had been, after all, a carnivorous species in life so they were essentially geared to be savage killing machines.

Fortunately for the Imperials, they had technology, and as the front line formed, the stars of the show arrived. Several soldiers strode forward, activating their flamethrowers and turning the zombies into charred corpses, the troops moving forward slowly and methodically decimating the beasts as the forces made their way toward the government building. Once it was claimed, they would set up the garrison and get to work clearing the rest of the city. Then, the rest of the planet. The Utapauns better be very grateful, because he was risking his life and valuable Imperial resources to liberate them from the virus. The New Republic only helped its own people.

Veles was deep behind enemy lines, his lightsaber swinging and slashing, decapitating undead after undead, his armor covered in blood. He'd worn his helmet for this occasion especially because he did not want to accidentally ingest any bodily fluids.

He glanced toward Aadya and saw that she was handling herself well on the battlefield, not struggling to fight back the hordes. Not bad for an Acolyte.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

As Aadya continued her slaughter of the infected, the government building they were heading for loomed a couple hundred yards ahead of her. Unfortunately, in between her and the building were dozens of zombies, each one with gnashing teeth and a never ending hunger for flesh.

Looking around, Aadya noticed one of the flametroopers become overwhelmed and torn to ribbons before any of his compatriots could help him, the blaster fire coming just a few seconds too late to mow down the ones that had killed him. Not wanting Sith resources to go to waste, Aadya got an idea.

Reaching out with the force, she gripped the fuel tanks that the trooper was wearing on his back. With a strong yank, she sent the tank flying towards the groups of zombies closer to the government building. When it was in range to cause the most damage, Aadya crushed the tank with the force and caused it to explode in a massive fireball, melting a large group of zombies down to slag.

A path is clear! She said over comms, signaling the troops to rush the building.

The longer they stayed out here carving through bodies, the more likely it was that eventually their numbers would be too small to hold the building and set up a proper FOB. They needed to start getting the place fortified and coming up with a real plan for Utapau.

Rushing forward, Aadya kept her wits about her as she continued to slay the monsters and close in on the building.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

It was ridiculous the things he did with his time when he was dedicating every hour of every day to Imperial work. It seemed as though the Force ran out of ideas so it just started throwing random things at him that proved to be exceptionally intense. Surrounded on all sides by zombies, being constantly lunged at by dozens of enemies that would like nothing more than to tear him to pieces, he was handling himself, but it was pretty stressful.

As Aadya cleared a path, the creatures exploding to bits of flesh and tissue right in front of him, and the troopers charged forth immediately. Veles hung to the flank, gathering the Force to himself and channeling it out in the form of green flames erupting from his hands that scorched the figures in front of him, effectively creating a wall of fire separating the troops from the zombies.

It worked for the time being, and he was among the last to enter the building as they broke down the door and rushed in. As quickly as they were inside, the door was promptly barricaded and they regrouped, the soldiers looking to him for guidance.

"Very good. Now, we focus on fortifying this building and following that we will take to the rooftops and clear the city of infected. It may take a few days, but the sooner we get started, the better." The building was massive, and they found a few zombies inside, either stuck in rooms because they couldn't open the door or caught under something like a collapsed desk.

Veles and Aadya, too, strode through the halls inspecting for any potential enemies that might ambush them, but the trip was more peaceful than anything, because they hadn't stumbled upon any yet.

"Impressive work out there. Do you have a Master, or is that all self-taught?" he inquired genuinely, his voice not too authoritative.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya was glad to have made it to the sanctuary of the building. There was still so much to do to get Utapau into working order for the Sith, but at least for now they didn't have to worry about getting dogpiled by a bunch of fucking zombies. The troops would start sweeping through the city proper, though hopefully more battalions would be coming soon. They were going to need the replacements.

I have a master, Aadya replied to Veles as they walked the halls. I've learned primarily under Darth Stolas but more recently Darth Raze as well. It would almost sound like a humble brag, but that wasn't Aadya's intention.

I had Jedi teachers too, a long time ago. Some useful lessons, but that's about it. There was a time when Aadya was loathe to talk about her Jedi past, like it somehow made her a lesser Sith. Not so much anymore, though.

As they walked the halls, Aadya kept her senses on alert in case they stumbled upon any infected that had managed to find their ways inside. So far, so good though.

What are the plans once the infected are cleared? She asked, genuinely curious. Aadya didn't know a lot about AMS, but she did know that Utapau was essentially ground zero. Things were worse here than pretty much anywhere else in the galaxy.

Are there even any Utapauians left?

@vamp

 

[Veles]

So this was Darth Stolas' apprentice. Truth be told, Veles was so disconnected from the Council and whatever it was they were doing--or not doing--that he had not even known that the Firrerreo had an apprentice. The only thing he knew was that they were all dead now except for Raze and Andruil. Did she know? Was that why she was training with Raze now?

"Once they're cleared we bring in evacuated Utapauans and repopulate the planet. Their government will be appointed by us with diplomats that favor the Empire." Corrupt? Did corruption even matter to someone who didn't care?

He wasn't quite sure why AMS had even hit them this hard, but perhaps it was the proximity in which they lived in, packed closely together in sinkholes. It was difficult to escape once a horde had formed, especially if the spaceport is overwhelmed. They'd have to keep a presence on the world for some time, a garrison just in case the virus comes back. Already, he was planning it all out in his head, because the Imperial agents were not capable enough to lead something like this.

"None on-world. A small percentage of the planet managed to evacuate, and we'll be bringing them back. First we need to wipe the zombies out and get rid of the corpses, then disinfect every single surface in the city." It would be a hefty task and might take a few weeks to get the town fully operational, but Veles was willing to spend a few days to help them get back on their feet and then return. He was spending much time on Mustafar, which wasn't too far.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya thought it was weird that Veles asked a question but didn't seem to have a comment when she answered. She wondered if there was a reason he didn't inquire any further, but something tingling at the base of her brain said maybe he knew something that she didn't. What that was, Aadya wasn't sure. But she couldn't shake the feeling.

What benefit does Utapau offer the Empire? She asked, genuinely curious. The body of work sitting before them to get the planet into any form of working order seemed quite daunting. There had to be something here that made it worth it.

I'm glad that at least some of the locals were able to get off world. No species deserves to be eradicated completely by something as unceremonious as a fucking virus. Aadya may have been a Sith but she wasn't totally heartless.

As they continued to walk through the halls, Aadya felt her mind wander. Though, it didn't get too far before a blaring siren started echoing through the complex.

There is a situation forming outside. We picked up a large horde on our scanners and it is moving towards our location, we are going to need some help out here.

With a slightly annoyed sigh, Aadya turned her gaze to Veles and gave him a shrug.

We better go. She said, picking up her pace and heading back towards the front of the building. Hopefully this would become less of a problem once they got proper defensive measures set up.

Aadya couldn't help but think that she should have brought her god damned tank.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

If Veles could sense Aadya's suspicion, he certainly did not show it, instead remaining relatively stoic as they prowled the hallway. If the subject were to rise, he would not be averse to discussing it, but he also didn't know if she would rather avoid the subject so that she did not being to reminisce. Social cues were not always easy, even when you were skilled at it.

"Utapau is a major exporter of ores, minerals, and sometimes even starships. It would be a valuable asset to bolster the Empire's resource production." He sounded like a holonet news broadcast, and the Sith Lord almost chuckled as the thought flashed through his mind. "Rule of the Strong and everything," he noted as she mentioned the virus. "Then again, it is a pretty unfair fight." Getting taken down by something that could hide and spread among millions of bodies in weeks trumped even the Sith philosophy.

Veles turned suddenly as the alarms blared, his eyes looking around at the flashing sirens on the wall. For a moment, he did nothing, instead standing still. Then, he pointed to the lights incredulously. "They got the alarm system working in minutes!" he remarked, pleasantly surprised. Imperial soldiers were much more well-trained than the original stormtroopers had been.

Rather than go check on the defenses, he made for the stairs, taking Aadya up to the rooftop where the soldiers had formed a defensive line that rained down plasma onto the horde below as it approached. It seemed like it would be a difficult battle to weather for a moment, his eyes on the crowd of zombies as he stepped forward to the edge. Then, the troopers started to really hit, and he watched as the numbers dwindled before his eyes. The defenses held strong because they had not even been touched yet.

But they could not just sit there doing nothing, even if the soldiers were doing a remarkable job. The entire reason for the Sith being here was to provide that extra edge in combat and lead. Veles extended his arm and a burst of green flame erupted like an inferno out of his palm, swooshing down onto the horde, scorching their rotting flesh and eliciting load moans and groans as the infected cooked in the fire. The smell of burning skin hung thick in the air, mingling with the scent of blasters after being fired. But the zombies didn't completely stopped. With Aadya's help, they'd be able to conquer it.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Unsure of what Veles' plan was, Aadya followed him up the stairs with bit of curiosity. Maybe there were some big turrets or some other kind of large ordinance up there or something. Aadaya was kind of into nuking some zombies with a rocket launcher.

Her gaze turned to Veles as they watched the soldiers rain death down on the horde below. When the wave of green flame erupted from the his hand, Aadya knew exactly how to help. Channeling the force, Aadya would whip up a torrent of wind with aerokinesis and funneled it directly into the fire. While already formidable, Veles' fire roared even larger, developing into a true raging inferno.

No longer was it just burning soft flesh, it was now hot enough to literally melt the zombies down to nothing but bones seconds after the flames licked at their bodies. What was left the bodies now laid in little more than smoldering piles on the ground, plumes of acrid black smoke billowing into the air. It did seem though, for now, all of the dangers had passed.

Turning to Veles, Aadya nodded her head in a little bit in that way people do when they were saying "nice bro."

Why are your flames green? I've never seen that before,

@vamp

 

[Veles]

As the flames were turned into an infernal vortex, Veles increased their intensity, and coupled with the aerokinesis, it resulted in an open-air crematorium for the zombies. Even the Sith and the soldiers could feel the sheer sweltering heat emanating from the ground, a burn that was nearly unbearable. When they were done and there were no more undead, the packed dirt was scorched, blackened, and cracked, and was as hot to the touch as freshly-formed volcanic rock. No one would be stepping on that for the next few hours.

He turned toward Aadya when they were done. Her quick thinking had been impressive, and he had never really seen anyone use the Force in such a way that it complements his attack so perfectly. She had been the ideal support today, which definitely pleasantly surprised and impressed him. He'd definitely be saving her contact. As he looked at her for more than the two minutes he had on the ship, he slowly came to realize something. Wait, she's hot. Yes, turns out there were now two reasons to keep her contact on his datapad.

"Have you ever heard of the Nightsisters of Dathomir?" he asked, then continued regardless of what she'd answer. "Their use of the Force is...special. It channels the power of the dark side, but it does so using the ichor of Dathomir, which leads to a specialized magick that draws on the planet itself, no matter how far in the Galaxy. My flames are green because I know shadow magick."

He opened his mouth to ask something, when one of the men called out, and a small commotion ensued. Puzzled, he turned, scanning the city ahead from their vantage point. For a moment, he saw nothing. Then, he noted the small group of zombies still alive, Pauans in various stages of decomposition, some just barely crawling over. It seemed a few were able to step on the hot ground, but he was confident the troopers had the situation handled. It would mean that they'd be spending a little more time on the planet, but at least he had good company. He turned back to her as though nothing had happened.

"That's another half hour tacked on to our stay."

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

I have, actually. I spent a short amount of time with the Empress on Dathomir, though it didn't quite work out. She replied, thinking back to the time she spent being shown around Dathomir by Renfry. Aadya had hoped at the time to perhaps become a nightsister herself, but her life had gone in a different direction since then.


I've never met a Dathomirian that wasn't a woman, She said after Veles had explained his situation, a look of genuine interest on her face. I'd always heard the rumor that the Nightsisters ate their mates after they'd finished using them. She shot Veles a playful smirk, her tone clearly joking. Though she had heard that before, more than once.

Aadya's gaze followed Veles' as he looked out on the horizon when the men spotted a new group of zombies. Similarly, she didn't regard the horde with much interest. At this point, there was nothing that had happened to insinuate the troopers wouldn't be able to handle anything Utapau was going to throw at them.

Unfortunate, but you're probably right. She said, wondering just how long the two of them would need to stay. Likely just until the defenses were fully operational, which with the way things were progressing, probably wouldn't take that much longer.

What are your plans after Utapau? She asked, thinking ahead about what Veles might be up to. They had worked together quite well so far, so if he would have her Aadya would tag along with him wherever he was going next.

She always did much better when there were things to keep her mind focused on.

@vamp

 

[Veles]

He was actually surprised to hear that she spent time with the Empress on Dathomir, and he eyed her. Had she been intending to become a nightsister? Because there was a certain way he and Altair shared about nightsisters, and he couldn't help but think about it. Veles quickly shifted his attention toward the actual conversation.

"I believe Darth Draugr is from Dathomir, actually." He shrugged. "99.9% of men from Dathomir are Zabraks, but my dad and I are pretty much the only outliers." Veles grinned. "Someone has to fill the niche."

"They don't. They just keep them around like livestock for breeding and treat them like second class citizens." Oh, sweet utopia. Why did he have to leave?

Almost as if on cue, a Lieutenant approached them hurriedly. "My Lord, the situation is handled, and we estimate it will take us around thirty minutes to properly set down defenses." Veles nodded. At least they would be sure they won't run into zombies on the way back to the ship. "Once we've set up camp, we will begin the push into the city, to ensure we've completely eliminated the undead threat."

"Very well, Lieutenant Raxol. In that case, we'll let you go. It seems you've got a long day ahead." Subtly shifting the leadership to the Lieutenant—who was a perfectly capable leader—and essentially freeing them from the burden of remaining, Veles smiled.

”Yes, Lord Veles. I’ll send you the mission report later in a few hours.” The man turned and walked away, eyes scanning the city ahead, the gears in his brain shifting as he planned. Yes, they’d be fine. Utapau was theirs.

”After? An academy, I think. On Dagobah.” He didn’t have many days to rest before he had to travel there to set down the roots and get around to corrupting that Force nexus that the Jedi cared so much about. ”I find the swamps full of lethal predators to be a sublime learning environment.” He cracked a smirk.

@Logan