Trial by Fire (Frost, Idallo, Eidolon, PN)

[Karl Valten]

“Every great civilization in the multi-millennia history of the galaxy has followed the same pattern, the same mold, since the first interstellar government. As with planetary governments, multiple system regimes start by band together for protection from the unknown, for the feeling of mutual cooperation, and above all else, survival in a hostile existence.”

Inquisitor Karl Valten, for once not in his CMC-400 Exo-armor, paced in front of a line of men and women, his pitch black cape billowing out behind the red tunic of the Inquisitorial uniform, black jackboots echoing on the ferrocrete floor. He locked eyes with each one of the dozen people as he walked on.

“For a while they thrive, grow, and expand across the stars, but as the population grows, so does dissention and malcontent. In an attempt to keep the populace happy, the government forms a system in which the people can influence the government under the common names of democracy, representation, freedom, equality.”

Several of the inductees glowered at the Inquisitor as he passed by, those that had not come by choice, the ones that had been blackmailed or otherwise threatened. There were others, of course, who listened with rapt attention, soaking up every word spoken.

“As we have seen with the Republic, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Corporate Sector, the Tion Cluster. Democracy only lasts so long before everyone is clamoring with there own demands. Senates, Dumas, Councils, Soviets, and Forums lag behind more and more, trying to keep up with the growing demands, but the people only grow more rebellious when the system slows and the begin to take things into their own hand. As the Jedi did in the Old Republic, as the Sector Authority and the Rangers do know in the CSA and Tion cluster”

Karl paused staring hard at the man he stopped before.

“Civilization and fragile cooperation collapse into chaos. The Empire is here to break that mold. Democracy is ignorance, equality does not exist, and freedom is an illusion. Beings of the galaxy do not realize that deep in their hearts desire order, not some notion of happiness among equals. Under the democratic Republic, they believed they had everything they wanted, they had peace and prosperity. Yet beneath this shroud was the grim fact that corruption and infighting plagued the Republic.”

A determined look came over Valten’s face as he addressed the group. The conviction in his voice, almost fanatic, shook the psyche to the core. Gesturing emphatically with his hand, the loyal Imperial continued.


“It is the sight of Stormtroopers on the streets, of the Imperial Fleet guarding space lanes; that is security, it is the knowledge that order prevails, that you are safe to walk home in the dark. If a few aliens or dissidents don’t like that, so be it. It is not possible to please every last citizen of the Empire.”

A scowl passed over his face.

“But never-the-less, these dissidents are a threat to the order the Empire offers the galaxy. And this is the reason for our existence, for the existence of the Inquisitoriate. We are the keepers of order, we are the warriors that give the population hope for security, and we are the only ones have the courage to do anything in our power to make sure it stays that way.”

“All of you have been brought here, willing or no, because we value your skills, the Empire values your skills. This is your chance to atone for your past sins against the Empire. This is your final test of skill, endurance, and resolve. If you are accepted, your slate will be wiped clean, there will be nothing to trace you be, no prove that you've ever existed.”

Valten clicked and device concealed in his coat. With a low groan of protest, a heavy durasteel blast-door opened at the back of the room, leading into the wrecked hell of the Coruscant underworld kilometer beneath the gleaming metropolis of the skies.

“You’re goal is simple, get to the upper-levels.”

One of the men stepped forward, a hateful glare on his face—one of the unwilling participants of this expirement, a skilled assasin tracked down and captured for use by the Inquistoriate.. Karl was not fazed at all, not even when the man waved a heavy blaster-rifle in his face.

“What’s the catch, Imp scum?”

An evil smile spread across Valten’s darkened face. “Simple, only those that live will be accepted. Now, before I send you off to your task, are there any other questions?”

[Y'roth Helghast]

Motivation was key.

"Sgt Mjr Scothis, motivate them."

"Yes, Major Helghast."

Scothis HUD magnified his view as his snipermod-C-14 charged a round. The hairs picked up one man who was picking his nose. And these were all supposed to be hard core initiates? The Nightmare Gear responded to Scothis' will and his finger pulled the trigger. Instantaneously, the man was blown in two, the bullet strong enough to remove his torso. The crowd responded in a rush of chaos. They were motivated.

[Bishop Frost]

Cold, emotionless orbs slowly drifted over the small group that had been gathered in the bowels of the city, meticulously watching each member and his movements, making mental notes of everything, it was an old habit, a habit that had saved his life on more then one occasion, in places far more vile and dangerous then this.

A toothy grin spread across Bishops thinly pressed lips as he stood at attention in silence, listening to the mans motivational speech, it was well orchestrated and very enthusiastic, though it was sure to have fallen upon many deaf ears, as a great deal of the men present possessed no concept of what he was saying or trying to accomplish.

The galaxy it seemed had slipped slowly into darkness, the death of the Emperor had brought with it a time of lawlessness and anarchy. It was now a place where chaos and corruption were tolerated, if not embraced. A time and place where the some called rebel alliance, an organization comprised of terrorists and vermin were allowed to reign and thrive.

Since he was a child he wanted nothing more in life then to become a member of the special forces of the Imperial army, to walk the same line as his father, and it seemed that this was his chance, his time to prove himself once and for all; it was his time to shine. The man known as Valten had since finished his speech, and small unseen smile tugged at the corners of Bishops lips, though quite eager to begin he waited to see if anyone held a question of their own.

A few minutes passed and still no one spoke, and then came the sergeant majors "motivation," which cost a man his life as he was cut in two. Upon witnessing the event he chuckled lightly to himself, these were just the type of people he wanted to deal with, ruthless and to the point. Unslinging the battlerifle that was slung over his left shoulder he thumbed off the weapons safety and moved from the room, being the first of the group to step into the planets famed underground. He would not fail.

[Rial I'Dallo]

Rial I'Dallo quickly followed Frost pushing his way in between Inquisitor Valten and Major Helghast. Raising his under-slung rotary carbine to eye level he entered the underground and soon was walking side by side with Bishop Frost, a man who he knew of to be out for glory just as he himself was.

Searching their surroundings as they walked deeper into the underground Rial started to notice more and more shadows moving around in the dim lights. Slipping his left index finger onto the trigger of his carbine he had to constantly fight the temptation of just opening up on everything that moved (and for spite, some things that didn’t).

[Y'roth Helghast]

(ooc - Rial, Helghast is not on the scene)

ic - From Scothis' position, hidden a couple of stories up from the ground level in a deserted building, he could see two men clearly step out from the crowd. Both seemed in less of a hurry but at least it was a start. Once those two managed to cross the start line, several others followed but in a more rushed, frantic manner. Scothis mused over the recruits for a moment before spotting the first two again.

No, this was not yet a team project, no one was allowed to get buddy buddy yet. Scothis fired off another powerful round from the C-14, the lethal projectile slamming into the ground right between I'Dallo and Frost. A moment afterwards though, his comm buzzed.

"Sgt Mjr Scothis reporting, Major."

"Sgt Mjr, signal the mercs. Lets give the recruits a chance to meet their first wave of playmates."

"Roger that, Major."

With that, Scothis' comm switched to another channel, where heavy, raspy breaths could be heard on the other side.

"Jaxxmad, your Trandoshans have the green for hunting season."

A grunt of approval could be heard on the other end, the raspy breathing becoming excited hisses.

"Took them long enough, Nightmaresssss. We be ready for 'em."

Scothis heard the familiar cocking noise of a Trandoshan energy weapon. Scothis' HUD magnified again, this time though in the direction that the recruits were intended. From foxholes and every nook and cranny visible, ugly green shapes were crawling out, armed and snarling.

[Rial I'Dallo]

Rial Didn’t take well to the warning shot given by Sgt Mjr Scothis, and he showed his displeasure with a rapid fire back at his location.
“No ammo worries.” Rial stated. "My gun is constantly charged by this power source on the back of my armor." Rial pointed to the small pack on the back of his armor.

Both of the men were then quickly distracted by the hissing coming from the
shadows. Both raising there guns to eye level once again Rial couldn’t control his urge and fired an early shot into a larger opening.

Quickly the Trandoshans came pouring out of everywhere.
Rial quickly dives behind an empty cargo container that looked like it had been in the underground for quite some time. The Trandoshans wasted no time, firing in all directions, at anything they could find.

Two of the non-voluntary participants took rounds from the Trand’s directly in the chest as they made their way towards the other members. Falling hard to the ground the rest of the group stayed motivated and hurried to take cover.

Rial gripped his Carbine as tight as possible and rolled on his stomach out into the clear firing his gun non-stop at a large pack of Trand’s. Four dropped almost instantly while two more limped for cover. Shortly after the firing seized the Trandoshans started up again firing heavy at the container that Rial was behind.

[Karl Valten]

Karl crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching the ‘selected’ soldiers scramble across the starting line with a perverse glint in his eyes. Scothis’s shot, though messy, had done its job. He shifted his attention to a certain pair of possible recruits that seemed ahead of the game compared to the rest; the one that looked as if he had enjoyed watching a fellow warrior blasted apart by the sniper and the one that fired in the Sergeant Major’s direction with an illegal rotary carbine. Those two would have to be watched closely.

A hollow laugh escaped Karl’s mouth when the first of the soldiers fell to the Trandoshan assault. This evening was sure to be an enlightening experience for those that survived. Still laughing, the Inquisitor turned back to the turbolift as the doors behind him closed. The doors hissed closed and Karl pulled an ornately carved dagger from his tunic. He ran his fingers over the exquisite ivory hilt, feeling every embossed contour. A long series of tick marks ran across the far end of the ivory, each one marking a life the blade had taken. Valten twirled the dagger between his fingers, smiling the entire time. If he was lucky, a new row of notches would be carved.

But first, there were things that needed attending too.

"Eidolon if you would please meet me on level 236, I have an exercise that may be beneficial to you and your Centurions. "

"By your command, unit GWD-407 enroute."

The Inquisitor’s lips never moved during the entire exchange, all communication had been through the extensive neural network within the Inquisitoriate building. In a way, it let those with neural implants to communicate by ‘thought’.