Log:Rotting Missile
Another random encounter with the Mnggal Mnggal
OOC Date: August 15, 2020
Location: CRV Essless IV
Participants: Ban Iskender, Narsai Ordo, Elrych Cometburn, Jax Greystorm, Hadrix Kora, Aryn Cole
Essless IV, an ancient corvette from the period of the Old Republic, has both mysteriously appeared and come online all at once. Going at a slow impulse, yet steady enough to be dangerous, the vessel has locked a course for the station and is dedicated to smashing it. Shields are not activated, its weapons remain inactive, and bits of old armor fall off, leaving a trail of spinning debris in its wake.
The shuttle that makes for the ship is piloted by a small specialist team whose mission was to adjust the ship's coordinates toward the nearest star. They'd done a similar mission once, yet the strategy seemed familiar.
Aryn Cole is with the team, saying, "It's the Mnggal Mnggal. I can feel it. A looming dark presence. Perverse, malicious, and evil. An ancient evil. Sickening even.. I believe we must move fast and remain together as a group. Their advantage is in numbers.." They were beginning to land in the hangar, the interior of the ship dark, foreboding, and scary.
Ban Iskender nods once to Aryn's summary of the dire situation. "Thus we cannot simply destroy the vessel, I see," the soldier realizes. A slow breath drawn and let out as he draws his sword, adjusts the lie of his green half-cape over the left shoulder, and prepares to move out into the looming evil. "Have schematics of this vessel provided us a course to the bridge, my Lady?" he wonders of Doctor Cole.
Jax was standing not far away from Ban and Aryn. "I've only encountered this thing once or twice. So I'm not sure why we can't just do just that." He though pulls the helm of his Katarn armor. He'd yet to reach to connect to the force. Though a shiver runs through him and his hand goes to his saber from instict. "That is cold and foul." He says stepping off the ship following the others.
Even a hint of the mggal mggal meanth that Elrych took the extra precaution to put on his Void armor, even if it was slightly more restrictive than his robes. <<"Here we go, team exterminator. Really... we should advertise.">> He attempts to lighten the mood, whether it is effective or not is another story. He picks his lightsaber from his belt yet does not activate it just yet.
On one knee, hands folded with one rested across his leg and head down - Hadrix's head bobs as he speaks, words just loud enough for externals to pick up <"Par'te Mando'ad te'haat'kyr kyr'am. Te'Mando'ad nayc'chaab kyr'am, Par'ibac takisit oya'la."> if he hears the surrounding conversation, or the bizarre name he hasn't recognized it, only going through his motions.
<"Te'Mando'ad kar'taylir val nu'liser shukalar buruk, a'par buruk'ika val'liser mav'ashie teh chaab"> Gripper hovers at his side, quiet for a change, simply watching her human speak - a cold calm radiating around him, a shell around a core of rage. <"Val payt'oyayc mar'eyir vercopaanir o'r'val ijaat'kyr'am. Val'tion'ad partaylir"> head rising up he looks to the others briefly, still murmuring as he draws a carbine from his hip.
<"Rejorhaa'ir Be'val'mandokar, be'tion'tuur te'ca?nara olaror; val'epan ba'dinuir'an."> a nod and Gripper moves to his back, seating herself on her 'saddle' on his jetpack. <"Gehat'ike oyacyir'bat. Shi'Mando'ad olaror lo'eyn'gev.">
"No records of this ship remain, Lord Ban. It was thought lost and never heard from again." Aryn's blonde is restrained and kept from her face as she pulls her helmet on. Its seal is made, the visor coming online with a HUD that made it easier to see in the dark. She triggers its lamp, and does not draw her weapon.
"If we're lucky, there won't be much Mnggal Mnggal to deal with. Though if there is.. it will be thousands of years old.. and starved."
Their ship sets down, the hatch opens, and they're met with a large hangar area swirling with idle dust and total silence.
<<"I say all that to answer: We must find our way to the bridge and pray the controls still function.">> Aryn brushes her cape back, freeing the space around her blaster and curved lightsaber hilt.
"Any trace of the creatures could survive and one day spark a fresh contagion, I suspect," Ban guesses aloud to Jax, before acknowledging Aryn's answer, giving the hint of a smile to Elrych's banter, and a curious look to Hadrix. Then into the ancient dust they go. Letting his green eyes go half closed, as his senses extend beyond sight or smell, the young nobleman flinches briefly, brow creasing in distaste. "They are here-" he begins, before correcting himself. "No.. not 'they'. *It*. It speaks to me." A look of revulsion fades behind stoicism as his green weapon comes to life with a screech.
<You can wear a cape with armor?> Jax says as he steps out into the hanger. Instead of turning on the lamps or NIght vision, Jax uses the pale blue of his saber to examine the hanger bay. < I think I found something.> Jax finds his way to a flickering console. There's a few moments of button pushing it. <Uhm, Alright. So uhm they really need to update the food court. A couple of these planets don't exisit.> Then he licks his armor to the terminal. Then moments later, < I'm uploading the map of this ship. It should be coming up on peoples HUDS.> Then Jax says, <What ever it says Ban, don't listen to it.>
Elrych inhales sharply as he exits the ship with the others. It causes him to pause just a moment. The Jedi's voice cracks as he starts to speak, <<"Oh yeah... it's them... and they know we're here.">> His thumb presses the red button on his black and angelshine metal lightsaber. The weapon squeels to life presenting a brillian blue mephite focused beam.
<<"Stay togeher and work out way forward is my suggestion.">>
<"Everyone have mag-locks on their boots? Or just me?"> Hadrix rumbles idly as he advances within, e-11 in a pistol grip with the stock folded, held in low-ready posture as he makes his way in, helmet HUD being marked with blinks as a data-cup slides down and suctions over his bionic, direct feeding data as he goes.
<"Gripper, be ready to eject and move on that..."> a toggle switch on one wall highlighted for them both, <"If I can't get to it.">, shrugging his shoulders to flip his own cape back behind himself and keep his arms free, <"Greystorm... you can wear a cape with anything.">
<"I have maglocks,"> Aryn answers, though she has not activated them. She shrinks a bit, moving timidly after the small group. She was brave when it was needed, but it was not something that manifested naturally in Aryn. She had nightmares of the Mnggal Mnggal, and the scar over her eye itched when she was near them. The feeling was making her skin crawl.
With the addition of the map, and knowledge that they were being watched, it should have come as no surprise that motion trackers began to detect movement all around them.
The path they took, which the map indicated was still intact, was the food court area (a place Jax had mentioned was outdated). Just so, they arrived in a dark and massive atrium where lunar light shown through the skylight portholes giving the interior an eerie gaze. Tables and chairs were everywhere, debris was everywhere, and signs of old restaurants flickered. Those neons might be worth a pretty cred these days for antiquities sake, but the subjects that moved beneath that eerie light would not allow for a chance to collect. They growled in unison, appearing in a group of fifteen (15). They sprinted toward the group, hungry for flesh, for brains, for everything that consisted of sentient life.
The spooky sight gave Aryn pause and her breath caught. An urge of terror consumed her and she wanted to run away.
<"The way is forward.. through these abominations."> She said in a shaky voice.
"As the gentleman says, Mister Greystorm: with anything," Ban affirms evenly. As to listening, "Should it begin to offer political council, I'll be certain to disregard it, sir." A nod to Elrych. "Agreed, master Cometburn." Regarding their course and obstructions with a steady breath he voices to Aryn without looking aside at her, <"As your Highness bids."> A sharp motion of his sword up in salute, and then leading with the point, he engages the horrors. In deft succession, one is struck down with a thrust, the next with a tip cut, and the third is rendered to screaming ash by an agressive party when a tendril reaches toward him.
<Lord Iskender, I would remind you that you have my permission to call me Jax. But I know it will do know good. Sooo Capes with your sleep wear? I really got to pay attention to the fashion when I visit Dad." As the creatures move to attack in a charge. Jax goes running to meet them in combat. His saber slashing out in three quick attacks and dispatching three of the creatures.
Elry turns towards the growing sense of dread, into the breach. As the entities come, the Jedi takes a stance at midguard... a more basic form. He strikes, slicing into hallway twice before striking down one of he parasitic monsters.
Abominations... <<"Gripper.">> the droid responding to Hadrix ejects and begins to fly back for the hangar at high speed.
<<"Getting into position, Hadrix.">> leaving the Mandalorian with a whole host of people armed with glowing blades and himself with his blaster. An amazing day it seems it's going to be. And Ban even called him a
<"Gentleman? I must be losing my touch."> The Massive Mandalorian then begins stalking towards the creatures, blaster held out only for him to be struck across the faceplate of his helmet, head rocking back before another is around his waist. <"Shab..."> grunted out as his first shot is wide before bringing up a knee to strike the midline of the beast and then a boot kick to shove it back - firing into the... abdomen? It tumbles down, writhing and warbling but not ceasing moving.
<"Shab...">
Another armored figure, albeit a smaller and thus far quiet one had been amongst the group, perhaps lost in her own thoughts and considerations.
Narsai remembered these things, the base where they'd lurked and attempted to overwhelm the Mandalorians sent to recover information. As the creatures surge forwards, the armored redhead lifts her own lightsaber hilt, the beskar metal shining in the light of the violet plasma that erupts from the weapon before she lashes out, reducing one reaching creature to ash while the others shrink back a moment, recoiling from the light.
Aryn is the last of the group to move into combat, but it is not any less graceful than the other sword wielding Jedi. She cuts through two, which ash immediately, but a third eludes her stab and rewards her faulty strike by crushing a table across her middle. Aryn cuts through the table, but is still hit by the pieces and goes back first to the ground, sliding across the deck in a comical squeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak.
More Mnggal Mnggal begin to swarm, and the one Hadrix shot reforges itself into a shape. Debris is cast at the group in great number, creating a mess of walking space and making it difficult to move forward. What had been dead silence switches to the sound of crashing stuff all over the place.
Aryn crawls away, but feels her cape get pulled, and it close-lines her back down onto her back staring up at the moonlit portholes of the ceiling. <"Ugh.">
"Any who can appreciate the sartorial nuances of a good cape deserves such an honorific, master Kora," Ban notes with dry amusement in reply to Hadrix. When ancient furnishings are propelled at them and Aryn is taken from her feet, the gentleman steps toward her, cutting down the creature affixed to her cape first, before striking down another in a pair of attempts. A gauntleted hand is offered to assist the Princess in rising should she wish it. "My Lady?"
Jax slashs through one of the Entites. His other attacks missing as the creatures show surprising agility. He stops commenting on the capes and who deserves one of the titles. His saber swishing around trying to keep the creatures at bay for the moment.
Elrych slides out of the way of an incoming object thrown at him. It crashes and breaks far behind him. The Corellian Jedi twirls his blue blade around his wrist, waiting as the thoroughfare fills with more of the decrepit and evil Entities. <<"Alright....">> He says before rushing forwards as they do. His blade cuts one in twin through the midsection, the parasite inside burning away. He strikes hard at another, yet his blade misses, cutting into the hull and making it glow and orange streak across the metal. His final strike lands, extinguishing that being as well.
Curiosity and disgust is momentarily pushes aside when a plastboard surface slams into his shoulder, breaking over him and then Hadrix is forced to bend and sway out of the path of a chair cartwheeling past him, <"Oya Verd'Iskander! Oya pel'beskar.">
<"I can vent atmosphere! Does anyone besides Aryn, myself, and Alor'Ordo have mag boots! Otherwise I'm going to have to get real friendly with some of you!"> one foot going down to try and hold the entity at his feet with a boot as his blaster opens up again with the signature SHU-CHEW! SHU-CHEW! of the old E-11 models at another coming at him. Sending the creature back stumbling, only for it to stop and turn to face the Al'Verde of Kora with it's chest and shoulder slowly re-forming and a glowering shift of its face aimed at him.
<"Stang."> looking to the warrior chieftess in crimson plate, <"Nar'ika - you do have mag-boots, right?"> Assuming, but hey!
Another swinging arc of violet cuts one of the creatures down, Narsai pivoting on her feet to swing again and once more not quite able to end the more aware creatures. Spotting Aryn go down, there's a moment of pause...but only a moment as she's up and slashing once more.
Hadrix's question? One might swear they could -feel- the eyeroll of the redhead from behind her helmet. <<"Yes Hadrix,>> she answers with a twist of her weapon, brandishing it defensively. <<"I have mag-boots.">>
Ban's offered hand is clapped by Aryn's, then used to pull herself back up and out of her daze. <"Thanks.">
She moves past the gentleman to stab another entity, sliding across the dusty floor and transitioning her strike to an overhead swing that a second entity dodges with ease leaving the blade to make a loud WHMMPH noise. Following her momentum, Aryn turns and swings wide catching the same entity across the center and spilling it to ash. That's when she backs to Ban, looking about for more threats and this time only finding four (4) remaining in the large food court area.
The four that remain continue to hurl objects at the team. Tables, chairs, menues, cutlery (which proves dangerous when a fork stick solidly into a nearby pillar.)
<"I do not, nor would I well weather decompression, sir,"> Ban answers Hadrix at the repeated prompt of mag boots. Perhaps feeling the VERY PRESSING need to persuade the Mandalorian that the skirmish is under control, he launches an elegant series of thrusts and a twirling slash to reduce a further trio of the monstrosities to screaming ash.
< I have mag boots.> Jax says, <Though decompression won't work as it will only delay the situation. Since blowing the ship up doesn't work." Jax sees that the fight is undercontrol. THe Corellian uses an old security terminal to access the ship various corridors. <Bad News, Everybody. I can't tell you what's going on in the next cooridor. I can tell you that a mass of them are gathering into one form on the bridge.>
Under any other circumstance, Elrych would let the wounded live, yet this was no longer a living being and was occupied by evil encarnate. Cytting it down would be a mercy to the soul it devoured. Elrych does just that, slicing throufh and burning away the entity from its host like some sort of retro space monk might exercise a demon. <<"Hopefully you may find peace 8n the force now.">> There is a pause before he shakes his heaf. <<"Now I sound like yuuuu wait what">> He turns rapidly towards jax.
<"Copy... I see them... or where they're moving through"> Hadrix motions towards a vent structure that is juttering rapidly from movement. The T-visor of his helmet turned towards it as well, <"You jetii and not being able to handle space. I thought you had some sorcery for such."> shaking his head,
<"And you're sure we cannot detonate the craft? I have a detonator on me... We could lob it in the bridge, close the door... It'll be really amazing on the external views.> distinctly excited at the idea of explosions.
A soft snort of amusement comes from beneath Narsai's helmet, clearly finding some humor in the exchange before she lowers her lightsaber and glances about the chaos. <<"I imagine you're about to tell me these thing can survive the vaccum of space?">> the Ordo questions before tilting her head. <<"What about setting a course into a star? I can't think of much more 'light and heat' than that...">>
Aryn recalls the blue blade of her Jedi weapon and holds the deactivated hilt in her hand. Her gaze turns toward Jax first, then up toward the vents Hadrix pointed out. <"Unfortunately, these entities survive space. My friend Palena's ship was invaded by Mnggal Mnggal while mining in the void. So the plan is to drive this ship into the nearby star."> Aryn answers both Hadrix and Narsai.
They leave the food court and make their way to the bridge. It's not far, but they had to take stairs because the lifts weren't working!
The doors have to be forced apart, but what awaits them in the bridge is unnerving. A massive entity moves sluggishly, but forms a face that's amplified by the light of a nearby planet and distant space station. Sunlight decorates part of this massive bridge, and shadows rise in that light holding no reflection of the orange. Eighteen (18) of these smaller shadows begin to rush our heroes to keep them from the one (1) larger entity, which now sprouts long arms with needle like ends.
<"Alas that I am more a soldier and less a sorceror, sir,"> Ban 'commiserates' with Hadrix. <"Perhaps I am lacking in imagination, but I daresay striking the foe repeatedly with lightsabers seems an apt course, though of course I invite better ideas. As to detonation, I yield to the more learned among us."> Idly he notes to Narsai of her fly into a star plan, <"That is indeed our current object, madam."> When they have trudged through the ancient corvette and pried open the bridge, Ban gazes on the liquid monstrosity. "..Oh," is his inelegant first comment. As the shadows creep swiftly to threaten them, the Iskender seizes the initiative and counterattacks, scoring a hit that cuts away one of those horrid needle-appendages.
Jax shrugs, < I don't know what I qualify as though I doubt anyone would call me a wizard.> Jax whistles, <What does the archives say if anything on this creature?> Jax fails a pair of the small ones. They were in the way.
Elrych Cometburn enter with the others, standing in pause as he surveys the infected ones... and the really bug mass, <<"Ahh hell...">> As Lord Bang charges forward, he enters into the melee, striking one down with a trio of well crafted swings.
The trip to Ordo is looking to be less intimidating by the minute as they make their way closer to the bridge and the creature within. But Ban's comments about using his laser sword as a beat-stick en route is not the thing expected by the Massive Mandalorian.
<"I keep liking him more and more."> Said as his visor lights next on Narsai, pausing then when the hatchway opens and just... SO many of them are there. So many.
<"Didn't get all dressed for nothing."> watching the jedi charging and moving with him, though he makes for the smaller creatures, trying to help make space for those going for the tentacle monster, ducking through a swarm of swinging limbs, one blaster bolt splashing the wall and scoring it black and another putting a creature to the floor, boiling to reconstruct itself and drawing a scowling sigh from the big man as he prepares to sight up another shot - trying to ignite the bastards.
<"Someone cover me... I need to make a statement...">
Well...Now Narsai was left wandering how much she'd been distracted during the breifing. She'd have to be embarassed later. For now the woman rushes forwards, a series of swings with her weapon landing only one solid blow to speak of.
Ban Iskender has certainly attracted attention. It must be the cape. He scores a further pair of hits on the hulking foe, after being struck once and driven back several paces, but keeping his feet and finding himself unhurt. <"I should enjoy facing a less viscous villain in the future,"> he notes, giving a short nod aside to Narsai as the Ordo joins him against the towering Mnggal Mnggal.
< I'm quite sure Mr. Iskender, that is a goal for all of us. I hate fighting this Sithspawn.> Jax calls out as he slices down three more. < So did we know the could turn into one large mass or is this news? I got to say not really surprised from what I've heard Aryn mention about these creatures.> Jax says as his saber deftly ends threee of the creatures.
Elrych Cometburn bobs and weaves out of the way of two attacks, seeing them coming moments before they were executes. He goes on the coubter attack, cutting two down with the aubtle twisting of his blade, becoming more and more effeciant at disposing of these entities.
<"I don't suppose anyone else carries a portable flame emitter?"> Fancy talk rumbled as the Coruscanti accented Hadrix's left hand rises suddenly and fires where his carbine had been pointed - keeping the damned thing burbling on the floor before he is smashed into from the side, skidding along the floor with only his cape to keep the metal of his armor from sparking against it.
His carbine, still in his grip, is locked to his hip just in time for him to roll out of the way of another stabbing into the ground where he just was with a dozen tentacles tipped with dagger like projections. <"I do have one! Jetti'kad seem to be working!">
A kick backwards as another club like limb smashes down where Hadrix had just been. <"I need to travel with you lot more. Always a fancy party with you lot!"> back up to his feet again his plasma flamer lighting up.
The massive entity was towering, hunched with the tall ceiling, and its hundreds of spiky arms was reminescent of a centipede, except they stabbed at the three that had come to fight it. Aryn with Ordo and Iskender, cuts three of the arms off that try to impale her. Twisting her lightsaber into a flurry she has to put her back to the entity to duck under a minor entity to avoid being taken down. She steps quickly with heavy bootfalls, her cape rustling violently behind her as she came about.
<"No records exist of these things. It's as if no one wished us to know they existed!"> Aryn calls back.
The fight rages on as the team dances under heavy strikes.
Ban Iskender is struck twice more- once by a minor shade, and once by the towering horror. Both times the swordsman is staggered- the second time falling to one knee for the force of the monster's blow, but as Aryn presses her decisive attack on the Mnggal Mnggal, Ban rises to his feet, still unbloodied. As the colossal shadow fiend turns toward its newest tormentor, Ban returns to the attack, scoring a trio of powerful hits on the increasingly erratic and sluggish darkness. No words, no banter, all breath is saved for the skirmish, now.
"Perhaps. Though there is a chance that any information we had on them has not been regained. Scarier yet if the Order was not aware of them." Jax says as he dances out of the creatures attacks. He dances back in disolving one with his first strike, "The Creature does seem to be learning. This is problematic."
<<"The Order was unaware of many things, then again maybe we just havn't found the answers or looked in the right place yet.">> Elrych comments as he moves out of the way of one attack, almost being struck with a close follow up. He lashes out again, cutting through two more of the creatures. He stops, taking a breath as the others dish out a flurry of decimation upon the remaining Mggnal Mggnal.
Go to your roots. That's what he should do. Always go to your roots.
Can take the Flame Trooper out of the First Order... Hard to take the pyromania out of the warrior. A hard uppercut from yet another of these damned things launches Hadrix airborne and into a wall before his left hand squeezing a control igniting jets and casting the Kora into the air on wings of fire matched to the sudden plume of iridescent conflagration birthed in a spray from the nozzle of the weapon that looks disturbingly similar to the frame of the weapon tucked away.
<"Hettir! Chakaar hut'uun!"> there's no mistaking the absolute manic joy in his voice now. Using fire. Why wasn't he earlier.
Dropping to his feet and spraying liquid flame over the bubbling entities on the ground, laughing hard enough to cause his externals to burst with static - roaring laughter highlighted in high contrast behind the blacked out T-visor of his helmet.
Ah. That's why.
The large beast falls, bubbles and ash...but there was still plenty more out there. As the 'Knights' strike down the creature, one of its flailing blows impacts with the armored Mandalorian girl, earning a soft 'Umpf' of the collision that sends her stumbling back into the midst of the more minor creatures. Lifting her weapon, Narsai lashes out, warding back where she can and striking down another of the far smaller creatures.
The massive creature has sustained too much damage. Each loss of an arm results in more ash. Unable to handle the trio of force users focused on it, the massive entity provides an opportunity which Lord Ban seizes and strikes the killing blow. It screams in agony as its entire body is consumed by the embering death before it simply ashes away, coating the floor and instruments all about in the soot of its life.
The remaining entities are also cut down, set ablaze, or otherwise eradicated. Aryn ends the last two decisively, then deactivates her weapon.
<"It learns because it is sentient. These are not individuals we deal with; it is one entity. One source that controls all of them. Each shade of Mnggal Mnggal is an extension of its core self."> She explains. She's spoken with the Mnggal Mnggal before with Rey on Naboo before Rey set it ablaze using the force.
<"Come.. we must man these controls and intercept the star. It is the only way to be certain this ship does not spread its filth across the galaxy.">
