Archanis - Cleaning Out The Closets

This thread is established for purposes of administering a run-on for members of House Archanis. If you are not a member of that house you should not post.

The run-on will begin on January 16, 2007 with an in character post by me. Each member of the House Archanis is encouraged to post often but with no double posting except that I will “double post” to start the run-on by posting behind this administrative post. The run-on will last for four weeks. At the end of each week, posts for the week will be judged for writing, continuity and realism. A first, second and third place prize of the appropriate crescent will be given each week.

Participants are encouraged to use this opportunity to develop their characters and write a brief history in time for House Archanis as it opens its base anew. If you do not participate, you will be left out of the history. Before using other characters, take care to make posts consistent with their character sheets and prior posts. If in doubt as to another character, do not do it. Focus on your character. All posts should be in character.

Do not feel as though your posts have to be spectacular. Participate with enthusiasm. You may be surprised how much can come out of you and how much fun you will have developing your character.

And...oh yes, there will be blood.

Be sure and look back here on 16 Jan 07 US.

Al’Meda Zarco armed herself for the cleaning of the base. She knew that she would have to be careful to do as little damage as possible to the base and its environs so her usual choice of a DX-2 was right out. She grabbed a Force Pike so that she could stun or kill with a melee weapon. She then picked an E-11 blaster carbine that could be set for stun or regular fire. The familiar B-22 blaster went in her ankle holster from which it had emerged several times in a pinch even since she had joined the Bortherhood.

She placed a partial suit of armour, breast plate, epaulets, shins, thighs, upper arms and forearms, over her body. A utility belt with several stun grenades and cyroban sticks went around her waist. Extra magazines for her weapons adorned her chest above the armor. She turned to leave and then turned back to the weapons locker in her and Baron Zarco’s room.

Her hand went to a holster that she placed on her thigh and attached to hang from her belt. She then pulled a DX-2 from the cabinet and secured it in the low-slung holster. “I feel naked without it,” she thought to herself as she turned to leave.

The Tetrarch of the Crimson Vanguard called on the open channel to all House Archanis members. “Al’Meda Zarco here. Please secure your gear and assemble in the level three lobby. I will be waiting for you there."

Baron Zarco had risen and gone to attend to other business. When he heard the call of the Crimsoness One he manuevered his way towards the lift that would take him to level three. He made a mental note of his equipment, exactly like Al'Meda's except that he had no use for a Force Pike and he had his lightsaber attached to his belt. His heart rumbled at the thought of battle that would be as productive as it was destructive.

Anik woke from his semiconscious, meditative state to the beeping of his personal datapad. His teammates knew better than to disturb him during his training, so he knew it was from one of his superiors. He pressed the switch to activate the hologram projector and the red hair of Tetrarch Al’Meda Zarco illuminated his personal chambers. Anik listened intently as her address to the entire House Archanis played before him. He gathered his thoughts and began his preparations for the upcoming task.

Anik remembered when Baron Zarco had summoned him from his personal exile. He had found himself coming to a point in his training to be a warrior where it was necessary to learn self-reliance. Anik had traveled the galaxy working as a mercenary for anyone willing to pay for his extraordinary talents. Anik may be though to have rather weak abilities compared to higher ranking members of the Brotherhood, but compared to those not perceptive to the force, he was nearly supernatural. He was in exile for almost half a year, amassing a fortune that he used to arm himself in many of the galaxy’s more violent tools. Then suddenly, his previous life returned to him. A message from a mysterious hooded figure was on his holonet. But the identity of this mysterious figure was no mystery to Anik; it was his old friend and mentor Baron Zarco. Zarco told Anik how he was reforming the old Taldryanian House Archanis, and that Anik would be a welcome addition to the new house. Zarco made a play on Anik’s desire for glory, showing him how great of an opportunity this was and that to miss this would be a dire mistake. Anik had always trusted Zarco, his intellect had always made Anik feel that he had much that he could learn from this more experienced jedi. If Zarco said that this endeavor was worthwhile, Anik would believe him.

Going to his personal armory that Anik had created with the use of the credits he had made freelancing, he collected the gear that he would need on the coming mission. He knew that the goal was to cleanse the Archanis base, not to destroy it, so his choice of weapons would be on the less destructive side. He grabbed his DL-44 and Sith Sword first, the pair of weapons that had best served him no matter the situation. He also picked up his AXM-50, a well-rounded, dependable blaster rifle. Strapping on his web belt carrying his essential survival and mission gear, he also added a few fragmentation grenades to a few pockets. The frag grenades would do considerable damage to the unarmored creatures that infested the base and would do considerably less structural damage than his usual choice of thermal detonators. He also stowed his highly concealable B22 Imperial in his ankle holster, the backup weapon lending a sense of security to Anik. He also knew that the lower tunnels would be infested with creatures, and that the cramped areas would make it difficult to avoid every attack directed toward him so he also strapped on a suit of light armor. The light armor would only protect him from minor cuts and scrapes, but the unrestricted mobility that the armor granted him made it worth it.

Feeling fully prepared for the coming mission, Anik strode out of his chambers locking them behind him. He walked to the turbolift which would take him up to the third floor and then to the lobby to receive the Tetrarch’s full briefing.

Daar Kareth, a young Acolyte new to the brotherhood sat in his chambers with only a small open flame of a candle glowing softly in the darkness. Alert now after the announcement instructing him to ready his gear for some "pest extermination". Standing slowly whilst pondering his load out fromthe small chest he carried with him from Ektrosis.

*Click* The chest opened to reveal it's contents, consisting of a E-11 Blaster rifle, his Blastsword and a few Frag grenades, and even a DL-18.

after gathering ammo and straping on his gear he checked his weapons.
with a smile he ran towards to turbo lift to start cleanin house.

Ricco Vao sat in his old room in the Ektrosis halls, all his things were packed up to go to Archanis where he would become the Rollmaster of the re-opened house. He would miss all his old friends in Ektrosis, but he was excited about going to clean up the old base.

He took the transport to the house and headed to the level 3 lobby to find Anik, Al’Meda, Zarco, and Daar waiting on him. He left most of his things with the rest of the luggage, all but his violet saber and his trusty Fira sword.

“This should be a fun exterminating job” Al’Meda said.

“Yes, a little rest after our expeditions in Ektrosis” agreed Ricco.

The group started talking about what to do whilst waiting on more people to arrive. ‘This extermination may have more surprises in store for the group than we think’ thought Ricco but said nothing to the rest.

Resting in his Anteroom, Fire-Knight was caught by suprise when his Datapad went off detailing Al'Meda's planned clean up.

"Uhh Crix, why am I getting messages over the Battle Team Frequency?"

"Duga assigned you as a trooper on transfer."

"Wait your joking right?"

"No, now go help them out, but leave everything to the Zarcos."

"Yes sir."

Mumbling to himself Fire-Knight stood up and dressed in his Royal Guard armour, back from when he had served as a Guard for the Headmaster. The Templar then grabbed his Primary saber as well as two back ups, and his Silver Bryar pistol. Walking out of the room and quickly down the hall, FK headed for the Turbolifts.

Minutes later the Templar found himself standing just outside of the assembled group, leaving the newly assigned summit members to sort out the initial process.

Al’Meda Zarco studied the crew before her, the towering Obelisk in his Royal Guard Armor, the Zabrak/Chiss hybrid who had been in the same unit had she since she joined, the two humans, one of which she had known before her time in the Brotherhood and, finally, her beloved Zarco.

“I will record these instructions and transmit them for anyone who chooses to join us later.”

“As some of you know,” she looked at the Giant Fire Knight in his Crimson Armour, ”we captured this base from an enemy still unknown in affiliation some weeks ago. Sensors indicate that there are remaining intruders. It is unknown whether these remaining intruders are part of that force or separate elements completely unrelated or some of both.”

“We will start on this level and work our way down and then out through the tunnels joining the base. Fire Knight will take point with me second. Ricco will be third with Daar Kareth behind him. Baron Zarco will take rear guard. Keep a three meter spread until circumstances warrant. Maintain radio silence except as needed and operate through telepathy and hand signals.”

“If you would, please take us to the conference rooms Fire Knight.” Al’Meda zarco then fell in behind the red giant and readied her E-ll carbine.

The towering Templar in his full armor was amazingly quiet. The floors were polished but, as the party turned to enter a side corridor, were severely scratched, gouged even. Some careless, perhaps wounded beast lurked in the conference rooms that the invaders ahd taken up for headquarters. Zarco remembered well the myriad machinery that had been stacked practically to the ceiling.

He reached out to apprehend a taste of what sort of beast had made these gouges when suddenly, he understood. Before he could alert the others, a dragging, screeching sound curdled the air between them. A massive electronic beast blocked the way. It’s legs were substantial, a walker. It’s four arms were massive as well though the bottom two were clearly devoted to combat as a crushing fist flexed and a blade vibrated where a hand could have been.

The smaller, upper arms displayed a flamethrower and a repeating blaster. A massive speaker in the metallic monster’s chest blared a sonic attack that had begun to ripple the air before it.

“Showtime!” Zarco screamed though his words were consumed by the building, defeaning roar that built in the hall, threatening the party.

The machine let the blaster rip but Ricco and Zarco were quick blocking the blasts with their sabers.

"We can't hold for long, the rest of you attack but watch the flames." shouted Zarco over the noise of the robot.

The giant thing took a swing at Ricco with the sabre but he blocked letting Zarco handle the blaster on his own just as the Bot was getting the better of him a Gen'Dai blade swished past him slicing at the inards of the Bot distracting it. Ricco cought a glimpse of his new teammate and noticed it was Rannik 'late as usual Ricco thought'...

Rannik was late, as usual, but he always makes it just in the nick of time when you need him the most. After Narius's giant blade colided with the colossal droid, he jumped back about five feet.

"Sorry I'm late again yal," he yelled out, "Got lost back there and couldn't find my way through!"

Rannik stared at the droid, it wasn't much bigger than him; he tightened his grip on the balde and ran towards it. He slung his arms over his head and did a powerful downward slash. The ferocious attack connected with the top of the right arm of the droid. Warhammer quickly glanced around the room noticing all his fellow Team Mates attacking the giant droid.

Anik’s Sith sword struck the durasteel plating of the unliving construct, the chemically altered blade unable to do any damage to the heavily armed and armored droid. As Anik recovered from the tingling sensation from the rebounding of his sword, the large crushing hand of the droid swung down towards Anik. Anik rolled out fo the way, the mechanically powered fist crushing the stone tile underneath, leaving a large impression. Anik completed his roll, resuming a ready stance, and he saw the large hand swing towards him.

‘God, this thing is relentless,’ Anik thought. Even thought all his teammates were fighting this enormous construct they were making no progress. The only lightsaber wielding team members were busy deflecting laser blasts and avoiding the flamethrower. Anik momentarily disengaged from the combat, trying to draw in as much information that he could gather about the droid. He noticed that each arm seemed to operate independently, the robot could track the movements of every single combatant. Anik tried to see the sensory devices that the construct had, noticing a large bubble that housed what looked like infrared sensors, 360 degree visual tracking, and night vision cameras. It seemed that this was the central sensory input. It that could be disabled, then there would be no problem defeating the robot.

Anik unslung his AXM-50, loading a armor penetrating explosive into the grenade launcher attachment. Anik sent out a telepathic message to his teammates of his intentions, so that the deadly machine would have no idea would have no idea what was going on. His teammates backed away from the droid as Anik lined up the shot. Seeing a opening Anik squeezed the trigger sending explosive projectile hurtling towards the construct. The grenade shell penetrated the laser resistant glass, detonating a split second later.

The robot went wild, unable to sense any of the opponents nearby, its artificial intelligence still smart enough to remember that they still existed. Baron Zarco, Fire-Knight, and Ricco Vao moved in using their lightsabers against the defenseless droid. The robot was disassembled in mere moments. Each arm laid on the ground, still sizzling from the sun-like heat produced by the ancient Jedi weapon. The central chassis remained intact except for the sensor hub. Anik walked up tp the droid, having experience hacking into electronics he plugged his datapad into the central processor of the droid and begun delving for information. He discovered that the droid had almost no programming to speak of, simply that it should activate when it detects the presence of am intruder. That means that it was being remotely controlled, and that its controllers are now aware of their presence.

“We have got to move,” Anik telepathically sent out to his teammates, informing them of the unfolding situation.

Al'Meda Zarco patted Anik Koran on the back. "Good job Guardian!" She then jumped into the lead and into the large room from which the droid had emerged. The room was the one that she and Baron Zarco had cornered the command of the usurpers of the base weeks before. She recalled how the leader of that group, a Falleen, had escaped narrowly as his hanchmen died or had been captured at her and Baron Zarco's hands.

Baron Zarco thought of his interrogation of the captured Twi'Lek, the Falleen's associate. Though the Twi'Lek had managed to keep his partner's identity a secret, he had informed Zarco that the party was not interested in the base so much as the surrounding environs, specifically the volcano. As Baron Zarco entered the room he saw that Al'Meda Zarco had already sensed a hidden passage behind storage crates and had persuaded Fire Knight and Rannik to move the crates with their massive combined strengths.

A hole, not more than three feet wide in a square, led into a passage cut into the volcanic rock. It sloped gently down and away from the base. The Tetrarch contacted Crix, informed him of their situation and then ducked into the hole.

Hey Ricco, you smell that? Daar asked his friend Ricco Vao. At that moment everyone stopped and sniffed at the air about them.
Roting.. corpses and burning meat..flesh of some type. Ricco replied with uncertainty. Rannik turned the focus of his gaze upon the Acolyte.
It approaches, the baron said as he took up a defensive stance.

Suddenly a swarm of insect like creatures were upon them. The creatures had what appeared to be Durasteel plates attached to their shells.
The insects had been burned and marred by intense heat and open flame. They moved to feed driven only by the need to survive, the injuries they had received
did not stop them from continuing their search for food.

Daar had drawn his E-11 and DL-18 as the sight of the swarm coming towards the team.
The first to turn the corner from the hallway and reach the threshold of the door way was met with a single blast to the face area. The shot ignited the insect with internal to external flames.
Here! Daar exclaimed as the critters poured into the doorway. Tossing his E-11 to Ricco. Switching fire rates on the blaster Ricco opened fire upon the swarm, as did the others. The Fire knight had drawn his side arm and began picking off the creatures as they entered their closed in position.


Their still coming! Daar yelled as he placed himself in front of the swarm. In an attempt to gain a firing advantage against the seemingly infinite swarm he stood swinging his Blast sword with his left in a side to side low swipe pattern whilst blasting at the eyes and unprotected regions of the enemy.
Annik realizing what the Acolyte plans to do grabs two frag grenades off the belt of Daar. The swarm keeps pushing forward knawing at the ankles of the one barring their entrance. 51! Daar cried out in agony from the biting of the insects. NOW! Al'Meda yelled. Just as Daar moved out of the way the grenades flew towards
there destination set with a 1 second delay. Heavy covering fire erupted from the team. *explosion* Blue-green ooze covered the Hallway outside of the door. They had survived the onslaught of the swarm.

*Graargh* Daar moaned threw clenched teeth. The wounded Acolyte leaned against the wall behind him and began to examine his ankles. The Baron Zarco approached Daar Kareth and shook his hand before he began to treat the many small bites missing from the Acolytes ankles.
With the quick use of a Med pack and Bacta soaked bandages Daar was ready to go.

Team we're not out of the woods yet, let's keep moving Al'Meda said as she addressed the her Battle team.