( Bhaal Chronicles ) The Escape from Demir

{ The Escape from Demir }

1-Shot story

IC: Bhaal, Gatekeeper to the Underworld.

156Aby

Location: // “The Saving Grace” Heavy Command Frigate in orbit above Demir, Demir system, Unknown regions //

{{ As the Alliance Command Frigate hovers over the lost world of Demir scanning the planetary readouts, a single dropship containing a special extraction team descends to the planet's surface…. }}

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “Bridge Commander Sonya, this is Bravo Leader. Recovery team has started our planetary descent. ETA to planet surface, T-minus 5 minutes.”

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Roger Bravo Leader. The distress call came from a large structure about two clicks northeast from the drop location. Planetary sensors aren’t picking up many life forms down there but it seems the planet itself is rich in iron ore.”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “Might be the irons messing with the sensors Commander.. What was the name of the rescue again?”

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “possibly.. Or perhaps we are just too late to save anyone. Still, best stay alert Bravo Leader. The pickup called himself Ryder. The message was encrypted but said he was sitting on a cache of technology. That could be quite valuable to the Alliance, the superiors are always looking for new tech and it could mean big things for us if it checks out.”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “Roger that Bridge Commander, We’ll make sure we get the technology back to the Command Ship first and foremost priority. Switching to local now.. I’ll make contact again once we get to the drop site. Over.”

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Copy that Bravo Leader.”  \*clic\**

~\*~\*~

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] Come Bri.. Commander Sonya. This is Bravo Lead.., Bravo team has touc.. down on…. Seems like there is a problem wi… ignal. Dropship…… says the air is breathable..  movi.. to extraction point.. ove…

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Roger Bravo Leader.. your right, it seems the fortress is surrounded by rich ore veins, they are distorting the signal at the planet's surface. No idea how long whoever sent the encrypted message was trying for… would have been quite the task getting the transmission into the atmosphere… report back in when you reach the source of the message.”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “Ro……” \*clic\*

~\*~\*~

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “Come in Bri… mmander thi.. Bravo Lead.. We’ve arri... at the stronghold. Seem.. none around..  You two…. pen the doors…”… \*Static\*”

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Come in Bravo Leader… I want a report on progress…”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] …..\*static… “The pla.. it smells li… th….just…ful…. masks on!.. HELLO! WE’V…..ELP!……YOUR SA… WERE HERE TO RE… YOU! HELLO!?”

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Bravo Leader. What can you see..? Are there any survivors? Can you see the technology?….come in… Bravo Leader?!”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] “…..static… you.., are you alright?… Sir?..are..are you? Ohhh….. ohh g….no……noooo ahhhhh” \*blaster fire…\*static..

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Report!!! Bravo Leader Report NOW!!.”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] \*clic…..\*static… \*heavy breathing……

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Come in Bravo Leader…. Lieutenant Reynolds…? Status report now!.”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] …\*Heavy Breathing……....static…………..\*whispers in an unusual almost sinister voice “wait for us..… I found it……what you’ve come for…..” static..…\*click\*

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “Bravo squad report… What was that blaster fire down there? Are you ok?? Do you need medical assistance?… come in?”*

[ *Lt. Reynolds* ] ….…..static

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “First technician Browning, I want you to keep trying to get Bravo leader on the coms, the line seems to have dropped out completely now. It seems he may have run into some trouble down there.. but he also said he found what we are looking for… Alpha Leader, get your team together and get planet side asap. We need that technology… I won’t leave without it.”*

*~\*~ an hour later….~\*~*

*[ First technician Browning ] “Commander Sonya, we still haven’t been able to make radio contact with Bravo team. And Alpha team also lost communications once they entered the structure. Sensors have picked about around twenty moving targets though approaching the dropships.”*

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “that must be the teams.. about time I was starting to worry.. can we be sure it’s them? I’ve just got a bad feeling somthings gone wrong..I wish I knew what they were firing at?”*

*[ First technician Browning ] “still nothing on the audio but readouts show alliance armour matching our recovery teams, Commander. Perhaps there was some local wildlife inside? Or they faced a group of squatters? A place like this could also attract all kinds of smugglers or pirates looking for a defencive foothold on the area.”*

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] Hmm perhaps, but with the communications breaking down it seems unlikely. We have facial, thumbprint and retina scanning access codes to the dropship transports and also the main hangar bay lifts. If these are pirates we’ll know very soon. Attention Gunners.. focus ions on the transports. If the recognition access fails you are to fire without delay.”*

*[ First technician Browning ] “Commander access granted for both transports from Bravo and Alpha leaders. I still can’t get through to their personal communications. It’s as though they’ve switched them off?”*

*[ Bridge Commander Sonya ] “I’m sure there is a good reason for it, First Technician. Most likely the constant static was playing havoc with their eardrums… and I for one can relate. Send a full welcoming party to meet them as they come out of the airlock. I can’t wait to hear what happened down there.”*

*~\*~ about 45 mins later.*

*“Welcome back Bravo commander.” Said Bridge Commander Sonya as a man in full tactical gear approached her then suddenly came to an abrupt halt, several feet into the open area of the Command Frigates bridge. “Tell me.. what happened down there? Did you find this Ryder?? And what of the technology he promised.??”*

*For a moment the Bravo Leader said nothing.. he just stood, staring at the Commander… and behind him slowly, dozens of crew started filtering in and standing behind him. Many were dressed in the same tactical uniform.. but others were common ships crew but also several officers.*

*“What…. What is this?” The Commander asked..*

“Where is Manea Nephthys?” The Bravo leader asked.. His voice was odd, echoing like hundreds of people trying to speak at once.

*“Who?… what are you talking about? And what’s wrong with your voice? Are you sick? Do you need help?” Commander Sonya replied, eyes looking shocked and her hand slowly reaching for her blaster on her belt.. all the while the crew who had filed in behind Bravo Leader were spreading out and making their way to the bridge crew. There was something off about them, something dark and disturbing.. and she noticed many of them were quite wounded, clothes torn and some even looked to have broken necks and limbs, arms, heads and legs twisted awkwardly in unnatural angles. On several of them, now she looked at them more closely.. she could clearly see fresh bone protruding from skin..*

*“Bravo Leader! you will stand down now! The Alliance doesn’t take kindly to mutiny!” The commander spat towards him.. “You will be court marshalled for this!!” She warned… panic setting into her voice.. what in the world was happening. She must have been going crazy? Or did they pickup some kind of deadly virus down there on the Planet??*

*“I’m not your Bravo Leader…” said the man standing still before her.. and with a shake of his head he dropped the Sith illusion spell and revealed his true form..*

*He was still a man, or at least he was once. He had white shoulder length hair, reasonably muscled but with pale pasty and ravaged skin sporting many large and disturbing scars..and his eyes…. his eyes were black as the void of space.. “My followers call me Bhaal…” he said, raising his arms.. and all around him the crew that had followed him now rushed and started attacking the bridge crew.. biting, scratching, tearing them from their seats and ripping them apart on the floor of the Command Frigates central control room. The sound of her crew dying filled the air. Screaming and yelling., “No!! Stop!!!” They begged.. but it would not help them.*

*“*Where is Manea Nephthys?” Where are the Sith!? Bhaal asked again, now more loudly.. a threatening violence in his voice… his eyes turned a bright blinding white and he held out one hand, telekinetically pulling Commander Sonya's blaster from her belt into his own hand. He then dropped it to the floor. “I won’t ask again..” he said.. his echo like voice turning eerily softer.

“D…Drromund Kaas.” She said shakily…”anandd Korribann…..The heart of the Galactic Empire.. Sith Space…” she continued, dropping off her seat to her knees and visible frightened half to death. Tears started to fall… “please… ppplease don’t kill me…” Bhaal laughed with a certain madness as he stepped closer to the kneeling commander.. The room around them slowly becoming quieter as the screaming and gurgling of a dozen dying crew members subsided one by one.

“My dear Commander….” He said, his eyes burning a white brightness as he extended his palms outwards and the Commanders eyes widened in horror as all the newly dead bridge crew around him slowly began to pick themselves up off the floor. Ripped clothes and bloodied faces they all turned to look at their Master.. faces expressionless. Eyes void of all humanity that had only minutes ago been fully present. “There is only one problem with your request Commander…” said Bhaal as he stepped closer to the kneeling Alliance Commander pulling a lightsaber from his belt and infighting the deep dark green blade, raising it to infront of his face.. “The dead do not suffer the will of the living!” He exclaimed sharply, his words full of venom and rage.. and with them he brought down his saber in one foul death stroke, the Commanders lifeless body slumped to the floor. The rest of the room was silent save for the ever present electronic beeping of the control room.

“Set a course….. to Dromund Kaas.” He said bluntly, turning and walking out from the bridge.  Behind him the crew members slowly shuffled back to their stations… he would find her. His old master.. he could still feel her in the force.. She was out there alright, and Dromund Kaas would be where he started his search.

~To be Continued….