So I was thinking about writing some fan fiction

[VonCorsa]

Wildstar is going to be a delightfully fun and light hearted place to die over and over, but if you think about it, the background between the Dominion and the Exiles is actually quite a bit harsher. I imagine a story or fan fiction specifically, in the Wildstar universe would be somewhat darker than the game itself. I decided to start writing a little story and see where it led. Thought I would post the beginning here and see what people thought, bearing in mind it's somewhat darker nature that departs from the humor of the game (I'm bad at writing humor).

The first part is just exposition I made up, so if you just like character interaction, you might skip straight to that part after the stars. I'm sorta just making up stuff as I go along, but hey, fan fiction yo. So tell me what you think?

Untitled so far.

S28-P4 was a barren boulder of a Dominion cache world, though the term world might be an insult to other planetary bodies everywhere. It sports a gravity-well only half again as large as a good size asteroid, and it was more of a floating gravel pile than a true planet. It orbited a little known and little traveled yellow dwarf out in the periphery of dominion space, far from any decent space lanes, and only just barely within the goldilocks zone of its tiny four planetoid system. Nothing remarkable could even be viewed or scanned from space about S28-P4, except the very faintly unsettling look of something artificial.

Possibly for that very reason, S28-P4 was continually surrounded by a virtual blockade of Dominion Navy ships and science vessels. S28-P4, an abysmal little mud-ball without life sustaining plants and animals or even natural traces of water did have one major attraction. It held deep within its cold tomblike depths the ruins of an ancient space faring civilization. It cradled one of the few remaining vestiges of the Eldan.

Dominion scientists flocked to S28-P4 in droves and hopes were high that fortunes and careers would be staked on the Eldan find. Originally, the planetoid hadnÔÇÖt been important enough to even be named, but quite suddenly it was so important that it couldnÔÇÖt be classified by name and was stricken from all but the most secret of Dominion documents and archives. Secrecy became of the utmost importance, and yet as with all secrets so large, rumors spread.

The planet itself came under a great deal of scrutiny after a band of privateers took brief refuge in the little uncharted system, intending only to flee a larger conflict on the borders of space belonging to the Hraaxe. Hraaxe and Dominion forces warred for supremacy in the distant systems along the Drift, a wide empty swathe of space on the outer rim of the galaxy. Little was known about the Hraaxe, but any species willing to war with the Dominion was a foe worthy of exceptional care. The pirates had no desire to be drawn into the conflict and they simply could not afford to ply their bloody trade in a warzone.

Battling their way out from skirmishes and a number of close calls, they eventually found their way to S28-P4 and were only too delighted to find traces of deep energy thrumming away below the surface of the little lifeless world. It appeared it may have served as a mobile sanctuary in eons past, only snared by the local star by the sheerest of luck on its stately passage out into the Drift long ago. The privateers in question had sent out urgent coded signals to allies and brokers back in more civilized Dominion space seeking help to begin excavations. Unfortunately, no pirate code is safe from the Dominion. Picket ships sent after the fleeing pirates with instructions to find and forcefully recruit the privateer vessel into the larger battle had intercepted the transmissions and forwarded the fortuitous news straight to Dominion command.

Within very short order, Dominion science and salvage vessels began arriving in the dark leaden skies above S28-P4 and the pirates taken into custody. None of this could possibly take place fast enough however before word reached the ears of individuals of dubious character throughout the darker lonelier reaches of Dominion space. One particular hole in the ass end of Dominion space seemed almost destined to hear of the discovery. That place was Ghrasaed, in a little town called Steriss, in a little bar called Liqiud Hope. Locals just referred to it as the Drunken Snooze however.

*******

ÔÇ£Hey. Renalt.ÔÇØ Goehron said. ÔÇ£Renalt. Seriously, wake up man.ÔÇØ

Renalt continued to snooze blissfully in his chair, head down on the little table in the corner of the sweltering bar. It wasnÔÇÖt busy this time of day. The few patrons that dropped by in the early afternoon were all either regulars or just down on their luck, but frankly the Snooze was avoided for other reasons. It was a suspected haven for the dealings of factions not entirely noble and sometimes not entirely legal by Dominion definition. Word even occasionally made the rounds that rebels and defectors of the Dominion sometimes operated locally from the Snooze, though no one with any real sense ever paid attention to those sorts of stories. Ghrasaed was a world only just barely within range of Dominion interests and all sorts of people came to trade rather dubious commodities here. If all races werenÔÇÖt exactly openly welcome here, they were also not exactly turned away. Money was scarce out here. Business exchanges were simply kept quiet and everyone got what they wanted. Local magistrates were taken care of, local militia made a little extra profit and local businesses werenÔÇÖt looked at very keenly. And everyone and everything here was local. No matter where you hailed from. It was the local custom.

Goehron stared down at Renalt glumly, briefly wondering what it was he could be grinning so stupidly at even in sleep. Renalt was a good enough boss, but it was time to discuss business.

With a hard shove of his foot, Goehron sent Renalts stool tumbling out from under him. Renalts body flopped loose in midair, suddenly unsupported and sliding out from under him in the heavy gravity. He had time for one brief sqwuak as his eyelids flew open and his chin slipped off the edge of the table and connected with the not so open and comforting floor tiles.

Groaning, Renalt rolled over and stared at the slowly turning fan above him in the dark little room. ÔÇ£What in blazes was that for? If you donÔÇÖt have a damn good reason for interupÔÇØ he was cut off in mid-sentence as Goehrons stormy visage appeared from up above the table rim and speared him with its intensity. Goehron was massive, one of the rare few Granok to be found in Dominion held space and also his partner. He was also not to be trifled with. While Renalt might technically be in charge, he dare not take Goehron or Goehrons opinions lightly or he could quickly find himself in the big Granoks crosshairs. It didnÔÇÖt help matters that Goehron felt simply blasting off one of his legs or an arm was fair compensation for any sort of business grievance. Renalt had always felt rather attached to his limbs.

ÔÇ£Listen, we got business. Time to go Ren.ÔÇØ Goehron said as he reached one massive rocklike hand down and bodily hoisted Renalt up by his shoulder. Renalt grimaced and gritted his teeth in pain but refused to let out a whimper over the rough treatment. He knew to Goehron, it was simply a matter of giving him a hand up. Sometimes he wished he had a body built like a rock too.

Renalt was a full head and a half shorter than Goehron, average height really for a Human. He wasnÔÇÖt a terribly imposing person, but thatÔÇÖs what he brought Goehron along for. With a quick grin and a dashingly handsome face, he imagined himself a better than average man of the galaxy. Together with Goehron, Renalt plied the mercenary trade, finding work as bodyguards, enforcers, bounty collectors and what he fondly imagined as salvagers. They werenÔÇÖt picky about who they worked for and sometimes ended up on the slightly wrong side of right, but he wasnÔÇÖt keen on thinking negatively about any of it.

ÔÇ£Alright, alright, let go of me already. Entire bar knows we have business now Goehr.ÔÇØ Renalt said snarkily as he blearily peered around the room at all of three other patrons who were studiously ignoring him. Goehron just raised one think eyeridge then turned and worked his way through the table to the back room. Following, Renalt was at one assaulted by the sickly sweet stench of incense as it wafted from the doorway. Wrinkling his nose before following, he took a deep breath and let himself into Draefs personal little sanctum.

Renalt paused to get his bearings as he closed the door with sudden determination. The cloying air took getting used to in here. A bank of old monitors took up half of one wall and a small furnace in one corner kept incense and heat billowing constantly in the small cramped space. A heating unit would have been better, but amenities were hard to come by on a frontier world. A small desk no doubt filled with secrets and defensive weaponry to boot took up the center of the room and behind the small desk sat possibly the most repulsive figure Renalt could imagine. Draef was an information broker, one of the best out here, but he was also disgusting. His flesh had a decidedly pale greyish pallor to it. His eyes were large and bulbous, his lips pulled back tightly to his face and his hair dyed black hair was clearly patchy and falling out in tufts. He was also mostly dead and rotting, but that had never stopped his kind before. Draef was Mordeshi and the Mordesh were a people tainted.

Peering from under his deep brooding brows, Draef seemed to take little real notice of Renalt or his surroundings, but Renalt was certain the Mordeshi missed nothing. ÔÇ£Here. Read it before you ask me.ÔÇØ He said as he passed over an actual printed sheet of paper. Renalt thought that odd since any information he usually received was simply relayed via coded transmission. What could he possibly be bothered with that necessitated destructible documentation?

He briefly scratched his stubbly chin and took the document to peruse its contents, with Goehron crowding up behind and above him to make the room feel even more cramped and claustrophobic if that were possible. The swirling incense Draef used to hide his stench seemed heavy enough to force any real air out and Renalt found his palms suddenly sweating as he read. There wasnÔÇÖt much.

ÔÇ£Is this for real?ÔÇØ He asked pointedly, staring with heated intensity down at one single word. He was having trouble breathing. The room was too hot, too close. He tried to even he breathing but his voice came out harsh and ragged anyways. ÔÇ£You can vouch the source. You traced the origin. YouÔÇÖre not shitting me. Tell me you arenÔÇÖt.ÔÇØ

Draef looked back at him coolly, for all the world like the king personally deigning to reward a favored serf. This time Renalt thought that actually might be closer to the mark than not. He didnÔÇÖt say anything. He didnÔÇÖt have to.

ÔÇ£Eldan.ÔÇØ Goehron breathed out, his eyes still glued to the page.

ÔÇ£Shhhhh. DonÔÇÖt speak out loud Goehr. ItÔÇÖs not safe here.ÔÇØ Renalt said as he pulled a burner from his pocket and flicked the page alight. Draef raised one eyebrow at this audacity, but offered no objection. ÔÇ£When do we ship?ÔÇØ Renalt asked as he held the steadily dwindling page up over the little furnace. Clearly the furnace existed there for more than just warming DraefÔÇÖs pallid skin.

Draef leaned forward and handed a new document to Renalt, this one clearly plotting his next course with times, dates, and routing information for dropships, carriers and cargo haulers that would be his home for next several weeks. Draef rarely spoke, as his voice came out rasping and dry, but for once he seemed to have more than a little need for voice.

ÔÇ£Understand something Renalt Garrigon. You are not the only recipient of this news. Others will seeeeeeek as well.ÔÇØ He hissed out. ÔÇ£There are many, but you must memory wipe before departure. You MUSSSST.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Mem-cleanse? ThatÔÇÖs a little much Draef, youÔÇÖve never asked us to do that before.ÔÇØ A suspicion gripped him then. ÔÇ£This isnÔÇÖt one of yours is it? Why are you giving this to me Draef? Why the sudden care for your skin? YouÔÇÖve never handed me anything for free. Ever. Since when do you hand out profits?ÔÇØ Renalt asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

Draef looked up and pointed at his dome light. The message was clear. They were being listened to. But who was listening and what for? Renalt was certain they would take the job regardless. It was too much, too good. This clearly wasnÔÇÖt a task from Draef though, that was obvious.

ÔÇ£The Beasts may also be on this job Renalt Garrigan. Take absolute care, and forget this place exists. I will not be here any longer once you leave that door. The seriousness of this situation cannot be made any more pointed than that. Good luck.ÔÇØ

Renalt turned and looked up at Goehron briefly, seeing the confusion in his partnersÔÇÖ eyes as he turned to leave at their dismissal. A chill ran down his spine despite his earlier claustrophobia in the stifling little furnace of an office. The Beasts Draef had said. He could only mean two people. Two people in the whole of the Dominion more feared and less whispered about than any man had a right to. Rumor had it that a Cassian and a Draken plied the darkest of corners, haunting the most lightless of Dominion hearts. No one knew for sure exactly. Speculation had it that they were partners or rivals and no one could agree on which, but one fact was certain: men donÔÇÖt send the Devil to do their bidding. The Devil does as he chooses, and men simply die for it. The two were known only in hushed whispers and fevered dreams.

Shivering again, Renalt nodded once to Draef and left the room. He knew exactly how serious this was now. Mem-cleanse was the least of his issues. He might need a rejuve treatment just to get his reflexes in tip top shape. He had plenty of preparation to look forward to in the combat chambers.

After his door closed, Draef stared down at his desk for a few moments. A few moments stretched into minutes and minutes began stretching into an hour before he finally twitched and slowly rose up from the quiet stillness that only his kind could emulate. Shaking the deathlike pose out from his shoulders, he began systematically destroying his computer files and was just shoveling the last of his paper copy into the furnace when a door slid silently away from the rear wall of his room. He had expected this earlier, but time was of the essence so he kept working. From the corner of his eye, he watched as a slender shadow slunk into his room and perched on the edge of his desk, quietly watching as he continued.

When he was finished with his task and everything burned to cinders he finally turned and took in the lithe young woman in the shadowy synthetic bodyglove. Her torso was wrapped in a tight half jacket and her fatigue style pants were tucked into calf high boots. Hip holsters rode each thigh with a thin deadly blaster in each rig, and the long ties on the black cloth mask she wore over her face hung from the back down over one shoulder. Slight bulges here in there around her jacket hinted at more hidden weaponry and Draef knew that what was visible were the least of her dangers. Her long purple tail was the only visible indication of her personal features, both indicating her Aurin heritage and also reinforcing the knowledge that her targets still didnÔÇÖt know anywhere near enough.

ÔÇ£You think theyÔÇÖll do it?ÔÇØ She asked him, the slow throaty purr of her voice at once sensual and also reminding Draef of his own lack of life and depth.

ÔÇ£TheyÔÇÖll do it. The question you should be asking is ÔÇÿcanÔÇÖ they though. You know as well as I who theyÔÇÖre up against, and the Dominion is the least of their problems. No one survives the Beasts. No one. You people are making me dangle death right in my best teamsÔÇÖ faces. Mark me. You will pay for that.ÔÇØ He rasped out.

ÔÇ£We already are paying for it my lovely. DonÔÇÖt forget who you work for.ÔÇØ She said in a sing song voice. ÔÇ£We will go to any length to oppose the Dominion. Any length, pet. Now, be a good boy and come with me. We have new work for you. ItÔÇÖs not a request, pet.ÔÇØ She breathed into his ear. With that she turned and sashayed quickly out the door, her completely silent passage barely even swirling the incense laden air.

Breathing deeply, Draef took one last look around his little refuge. The rebels wouldnÔÇÖt have any of his contacts or his secrets, but they had him nonetheless. Dark deeds were unfolding before him and he felt powerless in the grasp of fate. He carefully poured out some cans of oil round the room and activated the security locks for the entire bar. It was too bad for the workers and the patrons really, but one could never be too careful in the employ of the Exiled. Sacrifices were sometimes made. It was for the greater good.

He pushed over the furnace onto the floor and the office caught fire in a great whoosh of flame. He took his time and replaced the flame retardant false door and made his way down the deep tunnel. Screams began echoing behind him in the distance. They kept echoing long down the path as he walked away. He was certain he would never stop hearing them.

[VonCorsa]

Btw none of my spacing or tab usage showed up correctly. Not sure how to fix that, but don't hold it against me.

I'm sorta going for characters that have "GRITTY BAD PEOPLE" writ large on their souls.
I probably need to do better description of surroundings too I spose, but again, work in progress right?

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy

[VonCorsa]

The plot thickens.

Day and night cycles passed on the little combat cruiser. Renalt and Goehron both passed the initial legs of their journey in deep sleep under the tender care of rejuvenation capsules. That first stretch had been in a luxury liner that specialized in privacy, the only reason it could reasonably be worth making lifts to such out of the way systems near the Dominions edges. When they were awoken and ferried to a freight hauler for the next leg of their journey, it had been a little like losing a favorite weapon, a cold slap in the face. Luckily, being hauled as freight through several more heavily populated Dominion systems had been uneventful and they had progressed quickly to more backwater space lanes. The seemingly unending monotony of various freight haulers ended at a small trading outpost where they were given their current accommodations.

Renalt had been extremely surprised and appreciative of the cruiser, but as with any gift so large, his suspicions were immediately validated. Draef couldnÔÇÖt afford an entire ship, certainly not a light combat capable craft, and certainly not to give to the likes of hired mercenaries. This ship had Exile written all over it, or Renalt would eat his own teeth. And his smile would never suffer that sort of injustice. No, it was very clear who the mission was for now, as if there had been any real doubt in Renalts mind.

The craft itself was a small one, but equipped with two very rare pieces of technology, indicating the kinds of funds the Exiles were willing to drop to get what they wanted. The first was an Anrecine F58 Engine. Normally a heavy engine of that caliber would only be installed on craft at least as large as Dominion Navy frigates. While not technically made to fit a ship this small, the retrofit and extra bracing that took up every extra free inch of space allowed the engine to be installed at the expense of most of the extra crew capacity. At most, now the little ship could only berth five crew members. It was originally designed to hold fifteen.

The second piece of equipment, and possibly even more impressive was an active stealth system that piggy backed the defensive shields. When in use, the shields dropped to the absolute lowest levels, only enough defense to deter incoming space debris while traversing the stars. In order to increase the shields to maximum, they would have to give up any stealth, but at that point it might be more important to enter a hard burn and make a run for it anyways.

With only a single torpedo bay and two laser cannons, they wouldn't be fighting anyone. They did have an old gauss cannon as well, but any opponentsÔÇÖ shields would need to be completely destroyed before the physical rounds could even hope to penetrate another ship.

Still. Renalt didnÔÇÖt plan on fighting. He was definitely going to do his best to try and keep the ship after this though. Whatever it took.

He was just finishing up a light workout in the tiny gravity gym that he and Goehron had rigged up for arms practice when GoehronÔÇÖs heavy foot falls came thumping up the walk. Renalt figured this was coming and heÔÇÖd already put it off much too long. Goehron wanted some answers and two days out from their final destination, he wasnÔÇÖt going to be patient anymore.

ÔÇ£Alright Ren, itÔÇÖs about time we got some details straight.ÔÇØ The big Granok said, coming around the doorway. They already knew each other well enough from long experience to have a feel for when something was really bothering the other. ÔÇ£WhatÔÇÖs got you on edge? DonÔÇÖt bother trying to pad the truth either. I know better. Spill.ÔÇØ

Lying on his back under the heavy gravity bar, Renalt could immediately see that his workout was over for now. He thumbed off the power in the bars grip and as soon as the bar lightened, he quickly switched it over to its inert state and slid it away in the wall mount that would keep it from sliding loose during battle, burn, or zero gravity. He took a moment to compose his thoughts, slowly mopping the sweat from his face and arms with a gym rag.

ÔÇ£Alright. I know IÔÇÖve kept you in the dark a little longer than necessary Goehr. And honestly, IÔÇÖm sorry about that. It isnÔÇÖt my intention to keep a distance. IÔÇÖm just worried, thatÔÇÖs all. IÔÇÖm worried this time we may be taking on more than we can actually handle. Our best chance is to slip in and out as quickly as possible during the confusion. WeÔÇÖre a small team, and thatÔÇÖs our one big advantage here.ÔÇØ

Goehron just stared for a moment. ÔÇ£What confusion?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Sorry, just thinking out loud there. Draef said we arenÔÇÖt the only ones on this job. What Draef ÔÇÿdidnÔÇÖtÔÇÖ say was how many teams there would be, and who was hiring. We know the Exiles provided us this fine little ship. We also know the Exiles tactics though. Guerilla organizations arenÔÇÖt nice, and they donÔÇÖt play that way either. You donÔÇÖt win in a war against a powerhouse like the Dominion by taking chances. We arenÔÇÖt the only team, but we will be one of the smallest. My guess is theyÔÇÖll be sending in a number of merc units and anyone else not directly affiliated with their command structure for something this important. Not all of us are expected to make it. You also donÔÇÖt assault Dominion fortified planets without damn good reason. The Dominion knows it too. TheyÔÇÖll be expecting something soon.ÔÇØ Renalt shared more of his thoughts as he reasoned more of their position out.

Goehron was less than convinced. ÔÇ£Look, Ren, weÔÇÖve been in fights before, and weÔÇÖve always cracked some cold ones after. That isnÔÇÖt what has you jumping. IÔÇÖve never seen you bother to actually prepare yourself before a job. YouÔÇÖre just this side of excellent enough to make other guys jealous. I donÔÇÖt work for amateurs. WhatÔÇÖs this really about? Tell me.ÔÇØ

Oddly, Goehrons deep gravelly voice was more persuasive than one might expect of a Granok, Renalt thought. He wondered idly if maybe the big guys reassuring presence and calm professionalism just made him worry a little less and eased his mind. ÔÇ£You remember Draef mentioned the Beasts right? ThatÔÇÖs it. They worry me. TheyÔÇÖre a wild card that no one can predict.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£So tell me then.ÔÇØ Goehron prompted, a brief measure of excitement entering his voice. Renalt knew the big Granok loved any tales of a good battle.

ÔÇ£ThereÔÇÖs less to tell then one might expect. Just some eye witness accounts from people nobody believes. Those two arenÔÇÖt fighters. They kill for money, but no one knows how they pick and choose their clients or even which jobs theyÔÇÖre willing to take. People willing to hire them are never sure if theyÔÇÖll take a job, and those they choose not to take have dire consequences.ÔÇØ Renalt said.

ÔÇ£Like what? And why would they leave eye witnesses alive if theyÔÇÖre such great assassins?ÔÇØ Goehron brought up.

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a part of their message. If they feel a kill is beneath them, they murder the client instead. Goehr, you gotta understand my hesitance about this, those two arenÔÇÖt assassins at all. TheyÔÇÖre butchers, and no mistake, they revel in it. You like a good fight. You donÔÇÖt mind killin the other guy, but youÔÇÖve never seen this sort of mayhem before. They do it for sport, for the sheer joy of the kill, and they donÔÇÖt mind messy. They like messy.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£CÔÇÖmon now Renalt, you make it sound like they fight without consequences. Nobody lands in a fight with me or you that walks away unscathed. How many scrapes have we had? How many times have we sent somebody packing? I mean, you must have some sort of evidence if these guys are good right? Figure they canÔÇÖt be that incredible if they canÔÇÖt take a target without people knowinÔÇÖ it was them.ÔÇØ Goehron said.

ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs sorta what IÔÇÖm tryin to say man. They operate the way they do because they want people to know. And people know thereÔÇÖs nothing they can do about it either.ÔÇØ Renalt frowned. It wasnÔÇÖt that he was trying to make them sound like some sort of boogeymen. He didnÔÇÖt know how exactly to put into words how scary these people were though. Between two men who fought and stole and took whatever they needed from life, the idea of someone else being scary was alien and difficult to describe.

ÔÇ£Okay, how about this. You remember about seven years ago on Phaneas, that news story about the Dominion planetary defense vault that got assaulted?ÔÇØ Renalt asked. He and Goehron had only been together now for four years, so it was possible he hadnÔÇÖt. It had certainly never come up in conversation between the two of them.

ÔÇ£Sure but that couldnÔÇÖt have been these guys youÔÇÖre talking about.ÔÇØ Goehron started counting points off on his fingers. ÔÇ£ ÔÇÿ1ÔÇÖ that was a Dominion target, and ÔÇÿ2ÔÇÖ that was ruled as an operation run by the Exiles to nab some planetary defense codes and archeotech they thought they could use as their own nuclear deterrent. I read all about that, Doms civilian population was in an uproar worried about whether theyÔÇÖd get slagged by some kind of super bio weapon. Damn guerillas methods are almost worse than the Doms, even if they really do ÔÇÿave a legitimate grievance. That ainÔÇÖt right. I know guerillas canÔÇÖt fight against the Dominions position head on, and I know they never used whatever they found, so maybe they just didnÔÇÖt want the Doms to have it, but the Doms didnÔÇÖt have a target to use it on anyways, so scarinÔÇÖ civies just made ÔÇÿem look bad. ItÔÇÖs not fightin the way fightin should be.ÔÇØ Goehron had some pretty specific feelings towards the Exiles methods. Many of the Granok race had joined with the Exiles, and he felt they were completely justified in doing so given what the Dominion had done to them, and the Aurin both, but he could never agree with their hit and run tactics. Goehron just preferred a stand up fight.

ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs where the weird starts my friend.ÔÇØ Renalt said. He had picked up a fair amount of chatter in old channels long gone dark that indicated the Beasts were completely responsible for that hit.

ÔÇ£I had a number of contacts once in the Exile and we parted ways shortly after that debacle. I didnÔÇÖt like what I was hearing, but IÔÇÖm at least not important enough to bother offing. The Beasts were actually hired by the Exiles to get them whatever it was that was down there. What I heard later from the people they left alive was grim enough that I didnÔÇÖt really believe it. At first.ÔÇØ Renalt took a deep breath, trying to remember everything that had been reported to him.

ÔÇ£Survivors told stories about men who moved like shadow, people that could disappear right in front of you. They described killing shades, one a man, the other a Draken most likely, moving in and out amongst fully armed soldiers, and I mean Dominion commandos and legionaries, best of the best types, scything them down like wheat. Stories told of people popping in and out of existence, of all cameras and recording equipment failing to respond, of communications going haywire and braying loud Terran classical music, of great shrouded stalking darkness that left only death in its wake. I say again Goehron, you like a good fight, but you wouldnÔÇÖt like these guys. They donÔÇÖt care about fighting, only death.ÔÇØ

Goehron frowned. ÔÇ£Sounds like a ton of hearsay to me Ren. Maybe they left some people alive to spread rumors, but rumors have a way of growing. That still doesnÔÇÖt explain why theyÔÇÖd hire out to the Exiles either. You're absolutely sure the Exiles would hire these guys? I mean even their name sounds stupid.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Honestly, I donÔÇÖt know. I donÔÇÖt think anyone does. There was speculation back then that it was only meant to look that way, but some of the Doms think tanks supposedly verified their work. Said they found the planetary defense minister torn apart with the word ÔÇ£nuitÔÇØ scrawled in his own blood on a wall. I donÔÇÖt know what it means, and I donÔÇÖt want to either. Just means there are probably a whole bunch more factions within both the Dominion and probably the Exile too than we know about.ÔÇØ Renalt hated not having information. ÔÇ£What we definitely know though is that Draef knew about them, and we also know heÔÇÖs somehow connected to the Exiles. He couldnÔÇÖt have gotten info on guys like this without a much broader network than heÔÇÖs ever had access to before. ThatÔÇÖs pretty damning, regardless of their stupid name. I think the Exiles actually started calling ÔÇÿem that because they didnÔÇÖt have another name for setting loose animals like that.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Over the years, a number of tragedies and massacres have happened on both sides, all with the exact same MO. Sometimes an Exile ship appears dead in space, all life extinguished, or a Dominion border outpost, there was even a space station once that went dark. They never found any bodies in that one. ItÔÇÖs creepy as a Mordesh, and you know how I feel about them. They make my skin crawl.ÔÇØ Renalt finished candidly.

Goehron left the doorway where he had been leaning and took a seat against their jogging wheel, a common shipboard exercise machine that always left him feeling like a giant space hamster.

ÔÇ£Look, I get where youÔÇÖre coming from, but we canÔÇÖt worry about that anyways. We arrive at our destination in another two days ship time, this ÔÇ£S28-P4ÔÇØ place that they couldnÔÇÖt be bothered to name. Do you have a plan in mind for when we get there?ÔÇØ

Leaning his own head back against a bulkhead, Renalt sighed. ÔÇ£Honestly, weÔÇÖre going to have to see just how fortified the Doms have managed to make this place when we arrive. We have the stealth shield thankfully, so we can take a little time to plan, but not much.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£And our goal?ÔÇØ Goehron asked pointedly. Only Renalt had received the hypno-instructions while he underwent his rejuvenation treatment. He felt better in body than he had in years thanks to that, but conflictingly terrible now that he understood what was being asked of him.

ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre to steal any plans or uncovered data the scientists have unearthed from the Eldan site, sabotage whatever studies we can, recover any archeotech if possible and escape only once we have recovered the Eldan life pod that was discovered in the ruins.ÔÇØ He said woodenly. Renalt stared blankly at his feet.

Goehron whistled appreciatively. ÔÇ£An Eldan life pod huh? A real life legend.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yeah. The Exiles wants to try and wake it up.ÔÇØ Renalt said.

Goehron looked searchingly at his friend as the quiet thrum of the engine filled the silence momentarily. Buuuuuuut.?

ÔÇ£If the Dominion learns anything from that cache of tech or the Eldan itself, weÔÇÖre all screwed. TheyÔÇÖd be light years ahead of everyone else in our galaxy. Luckily their scientists are nothing if not careful. They wonÔÇÖt try and wake it unless they can get him to a Dom core world with all of the most sophisticated equipment and the best minds they can bring to bear. Spies have reported some trouble in removing the pod however and itÔÇÖs taking them time to move forward. They donÔÇÖt dare do anything too experimental yet. Besides, they think they have time.ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£And the Exiles?ÔÇØ Goehron had already picked up on RenaltÔÇÖs mood and knew where this was going.

ÔÇ£They want to wake him for themselves and are no doubt mounting a full system offensive as well as hiring us and others as possible back up. ThereÔÇÖs gonna be a ton of the most dangerous individuals in this galaxy assaulting that rock, and weÔÇÖre just one small sliver of whatÔÇÖs happening here. WeÔÇÖre cut off from any communications with their offensive network though in case the Doms break their codes. WeÔÇÖre on our own, but the Exiles were willing to hire groups like the Beasts as well as us. IÔÇÖd expect privateers as well. If their scientists get hold of that Eldan, they could finally avenge themselves with the kind of advances theyÔÇÖd gain. The whole damn galaxy could erupt in warfare if that happens.ÔÇØ

Goehron nodded his massive head thoughtfully. ÔÇ£So what are we gonna do about it boss?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£We get what we can of info or archeotech and we avoid the other groups if at all possible, but thatÔÇÖs as far as IÔÇÖm willing to be bought this time. We canÔÇÖt let Exile scientists have a live Eldan. We canÔÇÖt let the Dominion have one either.ÔÇØ Renalt looked at Goehron with a cold sober stare. ÔÇ£We have to destroy that planet.ÔÇØ

[VonCorsa]

Grrr, I wish I could edit my posts a little now. Looking back at the exposition, as well some of the sentence structure and grammar in the start of the story, I keep finding lots of little things to either add too or change up slightly so it reads better. [EDIT: I figured out where the edit buttons were. Go figure, I never noticed 'em til now.]

Also, I know what I'm writing here doesn't exactly fit the light hearted mold of the game so it feels a little "off" from what you might expect in the Wildstar universe too. By the second part I had a more distinct idea where I was going with the plot and more of an idea of what could be important enough to all the characters to motivate them, so I feel as if that's a step forward. Jotting down my thoughts here is kinda nice as a method of thinking out loud.

I like to imagine a small system conflict, more traditionally science fiction in nature, between many arms of a guerilla Exile organization and the more militarily robust Dominion. While the Dominion may be strong and arrogant in nature, I have to imagine it would also be a society like any other, stable only trough the might of it's own leaders and it's ability to provide wealth and comfort to it's citizenry. Just as Palpatines thoughts and drive could never really be felt by storm trooper # 42083054302, I can't imagine the normal rank an file or the majority of Dominion polpulace would feel the exact same arrogance or calculation that the nobility aspires to. I figure they might have alot of pride in belonging to their nation/planets/empire, but beyond that, again, just a strong functioning society is where most of them would be coming from.

Also, I like to imagine the Exiles as a group of disparate factions, a quasi militaristic band of outlaws forced to play the back lanes of dominion space, setting up outposts far from civilisation, or living in small junker fleets. I don't necessarily see them as "good" either, simply more factions of peoples who were not only oppressed or defeated, but who also seek vengeance for the injustices wrought upon their people. That is a LOT of grey area to work with, storywise. There could be a great deal of variety in Exile characters, from the types who seek Justice, to scientists who take their services to any who will give them the most leeway and least moral boundaries. A guerilla organization would not be able to be too picky about many of its members if it truly wanted to have a chance against a larger, more stable society. Not only that, but I feel like the moods and personalities of many of it's own faction members would vary a great deal, from deadly serious assassins to more peaceful but strong settlers who just want to be left alone. Much like the rebellion in the star wars universe, there's just this amazingly wide variety of characters I can think of for the Exiles. But I cannot imagine their organization playing nice. Not after what their member races were put through. And while they may even be justified in warring against the Dominion for it, the Dominion itself is clearly a stronger, more stable society. Or is it?

In my mind, the characterization of individuals fitting the specific class molds in the game makes it easy to justify characters for a good story that are somewhat stereotypical too. I was thinking about the two main characters, Renalt and Goehron as a warrior human and a engineering Granok (if that indeed turns out to be a class with a big gun). If they're mercenaries living on the fringes of civilized (read Dominion) space, then their characters wouldn't directly associate with the rebel factions (read Exile) or their various arms but would instead be working for whoever paid the most. Likewise, the unfolding information about the "Beasts" pair of characters they will eventually run into as Stalkers in a Dominion society, they couldn't readily (in my mind) be directly tied to the Dominion itself if they're like this quasi rogue assassin type of class, unless they were like personal assassins of the highest levels of empire society. I couldn't imagine them being say, standard military. They would need to be something special, something a little extra.

I kinda like the idea of this deadly Aurin spellslinger too, as say a top member operative in the Exiles, working behind the scenes to set up their agenda. I like the idea that she would be somewhat callous, but incredibly smooth and efficient, someone with personal drive and the kind of skills to see her will done in spite of everything the universe has thrown at her, and who uses her advantages against her enemies with grace and precision. Maybe something like scarlett johanssens portrayal in the avengers movie? Dunno, just want her more deadly and svelte than simply bouncy and fun. The Mordesh character could easily be that "fringe" scientist type I was talking about earlier too, another niche benefit of working with the classes that Wildstar has already developed. He could be a sociopathic character, but one who the Exiles wouldn't be able to help but use, as their goals couldn't be accomplished by half measures, moral or not.

Soooo many possibilities to play with, I love it. I think maybe I should write all this down in different colors to more easily illustrate the difference between me just rambling and thinking about the factions and the actual plot posts. Also, if my story blows really hard, don't be afraid to tell me, it won't hurt my feelings. I'm just making a bunch of crap up to flesh out the universe in my own mind, something to apply background to just a single small event to make the story feel more rounded. I can't actually grammatically correct here or even make sure all the spelling is set, but it's sort of an evolving process. I'd love to know better ways to write about the characters too, but I'm learning as I go. I just love the universe Wildstar is crafting.

Also, how's this color? Too bright too dark? easy to read and distinguish for edit posts vs the plot posts? Might continue plot posts in a light green or something.

[Cheecha]

I'm going to read this tomorrow, just wanted to let you know (so you are not left hanging over there). I like the orange text color, kind of distinguishes it from a regular post as fan fiction.

[VonCorsa]

I'm still sorta figuring out the best way to differentiate story text from my own random thoughts on how to write in the wildstar universe. I just thought about sorta after the fact and decided it was probably best in another color so it all doesn't blur together like some of the initial stuff.

My actual edited version in Word already has a ton of grammar errors ad verbiage cleared up and changed, but I can't really edit my posts here, so everything is really rough. I keep reading back through the exposition and changing things there, and adding more to the descriptions of surroundings, character thoughts and expressions, things like that, but the major substance of each rough draft is what I've been posting here, unedited in most cases. I don't really even know if I can write any humor into it, but I'd like to try. I keep thinking the character interactions are okay but need more descriptive elements surrounding the places they're in or things they are doing without being to wordy.

But anyways yeah, the orange text is sorta just my thoughts on the subject more than anything.

[VonCorsa]

Renalt looked around him in the deep mists, seeking something to anchor himself on. He had been here before, but as with every time before, his sight could no more penetrate the soupy gloom than any of his other senses. He seemed to be standing on cracked and pitted concrete that stretched away beneath his feet in every direction, evidence of both age and violence marked out by gouges and old stains. Was he all alone again? He looked and looked, feeling a dense claustrophobia beginning to creep in on him, his body filled with nervous energy. A vague silhouette , darkening slowly and gaining more distinct shape by the moment, approached from his left. He thought he could just make out her features and his fuzzy thoughts could almost grasp her significance when she turned abruptly and began walking away. The heavy air was thick and difficult to move through, but he reached out leaden limbs, hoping she would wait. He wasnt sure how he knew her, or even how he knew she was female, but his consciousness steadily supplied recognition that seemed just out of reach. He tried calling out to her as she moved away, her departure unhampered in the sludgelike space. He found he couldnt speak, his throat aching to make sounds, yet none came. It felt like bands of gauze were slithering across his throat, tightening and rough. He struggled and started thrashing, his slow motions wild and jarring, but he couldnt seem to advance. He couldnt breathe, he was choking, he..woke up.

A faint static could be heard over the intercom, the steady hiss and crackle of dead air time, the air scrubbers, fans and electrical equipment sounds pulled in by a mic left on. Breathing. Deep and low, he could hear just breathing. Waking more from his dream, he opened his eyes, seeing only his small bunk, the bare metal ceiling and the rumpled blankets around him.

Renalt took a deep breath, his dream already fading, and wiped a sweat laden brow with one forearm. He knew that dream, had had it before on occasion. He wished he could remember it better, remember her better, but she was always fleeting, always shrouded in the fog. He could never quite recall her and didnÔÇÖt know if she were some vague apparition of his imagination, or the remaining phantasm of someone he had known long ago, before his first mem-cleanse. He could never be sure, and she haunted his waking mind.

Rolling over, he took in his small cabin while he tried to clear his head. Cabin space here was Spartan, and neither he nor Goehron had brought more than a duffel each for clothes, favored weapons, and small personal items. It didnÔÇÖt pay to have too many material things in this line of work, only CREDD. You could afford material things when you retired. Traveling and sometimes having to leave in a hurry meant much more than what they had was impractical. He wanted a house someday, something he could come home to and sit on his porch and relax in the knowledge that no one and nothing was looking for him. It would be nice to belong somewhere, maybe have friends or business acquaintances that he didnÔÇÖt have to worry about trying to flee from.

The static hiss pop of a mic broke him from his revary. Ren. Youre gonna wanna see this. Ive been staring for awhile now and. well, just get up here. Goehron wasnt always the most talkative type, but he was rarely lacking for words, Renalt thought. I suppose I shouldve been up by now anyways.

Sitting up, he located a shirt and pulled it on over his head. Old scars livened up the blank canvas of his back, wounds inflicted once before during a period he spent behind bars in a Dominion labor camp. He hadnÔÇÖt done anything wrong, simply another bland soul rounded up under false pretenses on a planet with major overpopulation issues. It was funny how being branded a criminal had started him down the path to actually being one. Still, he had no desire to describe his circumstance to anyone else, and was slightly uncomfortable with the idea of anyone seeing his scars. Goehron had once asked why he didnÔÇÖt simply wipe those memories too, but he couldnÔÇÖt bare the idea of losing his origins. Some things, while painful, made up the core of your identity, your experiences. He had been forced to lose more than he would have liked already in his short life. He certainly had no desire to lose much more.

He took a few extra minutes to use the can, and then wash up, making at least the barest effort to clean himself. Shipboard life usually left much to be desired in a small craft and the least people could do was make certain their own body odor didnÔÇÖt force the air scrubbers to work any harder on the already stale recycled oxygen.

Leaving his cabin, he made his way aft towards the little control room. On larger ships, control rooms were never anywhere near an engine room, the two being both prime targets for boarders and separate targets that could be barricaded and defended by a token crew. On a ship this small, it was easier to design the two very near each other so that defense doubled for both and the heavy reinforced bulkheads and shielding around the engine offered crew members a place they could easily retreat to in case of a loss of pressure or other emergencies they might need to be sealed from.

The walls and floors in the ship were heavy metal, only the barest of nods towards comfort having been made using plasticrete and laminate inlays for accents around computer terminals, piping and ductwork often running along the walls and beneath the grillwork flooring. Minimal lighting had been used, and the creak and groan of metal struts and braces under the pressure of high stress was a constant reminder that the ship was mostly rigged together by what was available at the time, rather than design. Still, Renalt had fallen in love with this little ship. If he could add a few more external cabins and some arms and armor expansions, he thought he might even name her. He still wasnÔÇÖt sure if he could keep the ship, but the Exiles had to know that giving away something like this to mercenaries, that they might not get it back. It was apparent in the way the walls and inner structure was treated. Minimal parts and minimal attention to aesthetics meant minimal costs for a ship they might lose. Still, modular ship designs these days did allow for expansion and retrofitting if he could afford it.
Arriving at the bulkhead leading into what they were already calling their command center, the room was the largest single open space on the ship. A small table in the back was set up for everything from meals to holo-maps and doubled as a lounging spot for up to six crew members, but just down a short metal stair, four crash couches on either side of the aisle made up for piloting and remote weapons control systems. In a pinch, up to ten crew could sequester themselves here, with another six in engineering. It would be incredibly cramped, and a single lavatory was attached to both, along with a small station housing three heavy duty space suits for outside repairs. Even enough emergency rations to last a solid month for all involved had been built into the bridge and enginarium cluster. With the engine that Exile mechanics had jury rigged onto this ship however, only six fore crew berths remained, so even had he more crew to fill them, this room seemed large and open without so many people around.

Goehron was already sitting back in one of the forward couches, his bulk almost too large for the position, but adjustments had been made early in the expansionist eras for starships to fit many different races. Goehron just happened to be big even for a Granok.

He was silently staring at a number of holo-screens showing the detected energy signatures of everything in the ships sensor range and didnÔÇÖt seem to hear Renalt come in. Renalt dropped heavily into the couch next to his and pulled up both the physical screens to monitor ship systems and a set of the tactical holos that Goehron was watching so closely.

ÔÇ£Wow.ÔÇØ Renalt whistled appreciatively. It was all he could think to say. There hadnÔÇÖt been a major system battle between anything but the Dominion and the Hraaxe in a long time. This was something only major powers could possibly put together. Arrayed across his screen, the two forces were already colliding closer in system, a small Dominion exploration fleet the primary defenders of S28-P4. It looked as if most of the heavier elements of the Dominion fleet must have been drawn out system, though Renalt couldnÔÇÖt imagine the scale of the disturbance that could have provoked them. What remained guarding S28-P4 seemed at first glance to be primarily Scouts, Auxiliaries and Frigates. He could see corvettes and cruisers too, but nothing as heavy as Capitol or Emperor class vessels. A single Dreadnought seemed to be leading the Dominion faction, and while it was certainly the heaviest vessel doing battle, a number of enemy Destroyers were surrounding it in an attempt to outgun the massive shields it used.

The Exile faction seemed to be made up mostly of smaller pirate crews in various Cruisers and Corvettes, smuggling ships of older makes and models and armed to the teeth with whatever ordnance the Exiles had seen fit to give them. The largest faction of ships, the Exiles own were the old Destroyers, and a Battleship, an almost legendary vessel out of a time when humans first ventured into the heavens. Its enormous ancient bulk was swarming with fighter craft defending it from small Dominion drone Bombers. Renalt wasnÔÇÖt certain all of the elder Exile ships would be victorious over the small Dominion force even though they seemed to outnumber the defenders. Numbers counted for much in space, but newer stronger technology always had an edge.

ÔÇ£Tell me we arenÔÇÖt getting involved in that.ÔÇØ Goehron said. Looking over, Renalt met his gaze with one firm shake of his head.

ÔÇ£Not a chance. They didnÔÇÖt give us this stealth screen for nothing. Even the other cruisers out there have far more armament and arms than we do. I wonder how many other stealth vessels are making headway right now though. I donÔÇÖt think they would have taken on that Dom fleet, small as it is, if something hadnÔÇÖt gone wrong already. We need to hurry. We can burn in system in about five hours is we donÔÇÖt use the screen. WhatÔÇÖs do you think?ÔÇØ

Goehron seemed taken aback that Renalt wanted his opinion, his usual assertiveness clearly shaken by the mass of carnage and debris that could even now be identified further out across space. ÔÇ£I say we use the stealth. It may take us a full day to hit dirtside, but we can monitor the system traffic, and try to make sure we arenÔÇÖt just walking into a situation thatÔÇÖs already lost.ÔÇØ

Renalt nodded agreement. Things clearly werenÔÇÖt going to plan if the Exiles were actually attempting a head on fight with the Dominion. ÔÇ£Alright, set in the course, also, IÔÇÖm gonna see if we canÔÇÖt get some more details on the entrance to these ruins. You already completed your mem-wipe right?ÔÇØ

ÔÇ£Yeah, did mine yesterday. I really hate having to type out a log of the things IÔÇÖm actually supposed to remember. That Mordesh character, Draef, he already wired up a quarter of our CREDD to be delivered to our accounts back in Dom territory. Did you see the full amount if we make it out? I dunno who that guy is, but thereÔÇÖs no way heÔÇÖs not connected to the Exiles.ÔÇØ Goehron had always seemed less bothered by systematically destroying portions of his own memory. For him, the possibility of a good fight was always more important, his core personality shining through no matter what else he lost.

ÔÇ£Yeah I saw. When we make it out, weÔÇÖve got the coordinates for an information outpost that should lead us back to more details. I hate this poopoo. Exiles always demand it when we take jobs from ÔÇÿem, no matter how trivial. YouÔÇÖd think unless we had some vital knowledge of their fleet and scavenging movements, they could leave our brains alone.ÔÇØ Renalt grumbled.

*****

The flight in system took most of the rest of the day, with Renalt and Goehron taking turns watching the battle flow and unfold the closer they got. Sensors in their ship picked up both light and propulsion emissions, giving them a great deal of coverage to watch hours after the action had already happened. The time lapse from their distance began considerably shortening as they closed on their target, and their dismay at the prospect of the Dominion fleet outclassing the Exiles grew by the hour.

It wasnÔÇÖt Exile policy to throw away lives, one reason for their typical hit and run tactics, policies verging on the underhanded that kept them alive in a struggle with a much more powerful society. This fight could only have been caused by the discovery of their agents planetside. Renalt couldnÔÇÖt imagine even the unruly pirate groups taking on the might of the Dominion without some known advantage.

Laser fire and torpedoes criss crossed the vast silent stretches of space. Over the course of the next seventeen hours they watched as smaller ships on either side were eviscerated by fightercraft, tactical nukes and heavy tungsten rounds. Somewhere around the fifteenth hour, the Dominion Dreanought was finally destroyed, but at the cost of the Exiles precious Battleship and three Destroyers. The remaining four Exile Destroyers regrouped as the largest attackers left and formed a boxlike defensive shell around several damaged Cruisers and a single remaining Frigate.

Dominion forces remaining were still seven Frigates as well as a number of their own Cruisers and Scouts, but Renalt doubted they had much fight in them after their Dreanought had been gutted and left adrift in the wake of the Exile Battleships destruction.

By hour eighteen however, several more pirate Corvettes had been destroyed by the Dominion coalition, the game of cat and mouse only escalating as the bunched Dominion forces chased down older slower ships while avoiding the main Exile defensive block.

The Exiles own oft used tactics were suddenly being used against them by the faster Dominion block, who were hunting whatever forces they could and destroying them piecemeal. At this rate, the Dominion Frigates would be able to turn on the Exiles within the next few hours, and seeing this, the largest two pirate groups decided to turn and flee, setting a heavy burn for the sole jump point. While the remaining Exile Destroyers should be able to outclass the Dominion forces, any chance of doing so and achieving their primary goals planetside would be nigh impossible without more forces.

At hour twenty, disaster struck. Renalt watched in horrified fascination as the jump point was suddenly filled with incoming signals. The other half of the Dominion exploratory fleet returned.

By the time their ship could sense the light signatures, everything was already several hours old. The raggedly fleeing pirate groups heading straight for the jump point as fast as they possibly could were caught in a withering fusillade of incoming fire, the assembled work of incoming Cruisers, another Dreadnought, two Dominion Destroyers and a monolithic Capitol class Orion. It seemed the heavyweights had come back. The pirate Cruisers never stood a chance. They were obliterated by salvoes of torpedoes and laser fire, weaponry so large that their shields were mostly penetrated within instants.

My job just got harder. Renalt was accustomed to death. It was part and parcel of his work. He never wanted to go like that though. He didnÔÇÖt have the Exiles idealism to support his hopes in a grand cause. What he witnessed here was a waste, a waste of life and potential and dreams. It hit home stronger than ever that these two forces couldnÔÇÖt be allowed to have more potential for carnage. The technology represented by the Eldan, the sheer advances a society could gain were like guns in the hands of children. Our races arenÔÇÖt ready for this, they donÔÇÖt have the foresight or the wisdom to be worthy of knowledge that would be put to use for more of this sort of slaughter. We arenÔÇÖt mature enough to control ourselves, much less the advances of someone far wiser and more experienced. This has to stop.

At hour twenty two, the now outnumbered and outclassed Exile ships took a long pass around to the other side of the systems yellow dwarf, trying desperately to vie for time to repair and attempting to distance themselves from the converging Dominion fleet. At that same time, Renalt and Goehron finally began their decent to the surface in one of the pair of tiny shuttles they had at their disposal.

Landing at a clear site low in a crater, they trudged towards the Dominion fortifications above the digsite. There was no telling what they would find in there, but time was now short and the two of them would have to rely as much as possible on stealth and surprise. Even so, Renalt knew other stealth teams were likely in transit as well. They were all professionals. Even the likes of the space battle above them would not impede the job at hand, but it might as least provide some distraction to the Dominion forces.

As he and Goehron slithered up the crest of the final barren grey dune, they got their first glimpse of the target.

Goehron whistled low and quiet beside him. ÔÇ£Well that I was not expecting.ÔÇØ He said.

[VonCorsa]

Some distance below them down in a grey rocky valley, its floor dotted with numerous outcroppings and jagged boulders sat one of the Dominions large mobile keeps, a floating fortress dropped from space to provide instant tactical and heavily defendable terrain for ground forces.

These sorts of buildings had been developed specifically for major land battles where terrain was difficult to defend and forward outposts could instantly spell win or loss for an invading army. They were rare enough to be the first of its kind that Renalt or Goehron had ever seen, though there was no doubt whatsoever of its import. Its imposing walls rose up from the blasted rock below like a giant towering over the land. Enormous plasma cannons rose from above the crenellations, silhouetted against towers and landing zones raised above the inner courtyard. The walls were a thick armored shell, composed of the same meters thick plate used in the defense of star ships, and here on the ground, few were the weapons that would penetrate it. Short of destroying it from space, enemies would be extremely unlikely to take such a bastion and with air support, a mobile keep could reinforce a flank, provide cover for invading ground and armored cavalry, take and solidify the crux of a battle or even simply provide a place for Dominion soldiers to rest up before the next sortie. The building was an obscenely valuable piece of war equipment.

That however, was not what drew the attention of the two mercenaries.

Three separate troop landers were parked in the very lee of the great walls, all apparently empty. The only sign of where the crew may have been was an enormous blasted hole in the outer wall of the keep. The sheer amount of damage it would take to bore through such a wall was astounding. That it could be done without destroying everything in the valley was astonishing. Only shaped plasma charges could have done it, and those were extremely sensitive devices, almost rarer than the fortress. Plasma charges burned as hot as stars in small compact areas. Renalt didnÔÇÖt know what stopped the fusion reaction from spreading further, but all he really needed in the end was a sign that said ÔÇÿDanger, donÔÇÖt touchÔÇÖ and that was that. Charges like that would be expensive on a scale he couldnÔÇÖt imagine. The Exiles were clearly willing to make any sacrifice for this venture.

ÔÇ£Well, what do you think?ÔÇØ Goehron asked quietly over his com. ÔÇ£Two ÔÇÿa them birds look like Aurin ships, but I donÔÇÖt place that other.ÔÇØ

Renalt had no illusions about the other ship. It was a sleek midnight black with no insignias or other identifying marks on it. It looked like a bird of prey, if a bird of prey could look menacing and have a strong aggressive stance. Retractable armor plating folded over missile racks and swiveling laser turrets adorned each side. The ship didnÔÇÖt land either, underslung gravity rails keeping it gently hovering above the ground, and it was clear that the engine was running in an idle mode so that it could be ready in an instant. A faint shimmery sheen all around it indicated its own miniature shields, a feat that required a heavy reactor for such a small ship to possess, and the veil of silence surrounding such a core mustÔÇÖve been generated by a noise dampening field. It was beautiful. It was deadly. It was very very bad news.

ÔÇ£TheyÔÇÖre here.ÔÇØ Renalt replied, his pulse already beginning to race.

[VonCorsa]

Renalt quickly checked himself over one last time, trying to remember if he was missing anything and coming up blank. Goehron was doing double checks himself, ever the consummate professional.

While Renalt had on a darkly colored rune warded great cloak, high boots with reinforced shin guards and a vest woven of fine impact dampening layers, the big Granok had a completely mismatched series of heavy flak armor and various pieces of shoulder, chest and leg guards over fatigues and enormous combat boots. In the effort to go silently, the big guy had forgone his normal full heavy armor for only certain pieces that wouldnÔÇÖt clak together when he walked, and both of them had on low psy-amp shielding helmets and face guards. What precautions theyÔÇÖre gear would make was still minimal in the case of any full on barrage by a trained spellslinger or esper, but they were reasonably well protected from anything indirect.

Renalt had a thick two handed blade, hand carved of a super dense type of crystal called oracaelum. The edge it held wasnÔÇÖt always the best, but the light weight of the blade was at odds with its impact absorbance and the thick plane of the flat side could be used to block and absorb energy blasts or melee attacks both as long as the wielder were quick enough. If he expected to fight heavily, he would rather have depended on heavier armor and warding possibly even a ripsaw shield, but the best defense they had this time was stealth.

Goehron had a much harder time of relying on remaining unseen, as the big Granok couldnÔÇÖt help but make noise. They had fastened small noise cancellation devices to his boots, but even machines made to read oscillations of air current and amplify the same waveforms back in a negative wavefront can only do so much and for only a small distance around his feet using such small units. He had also slung a great beast of a sonic shock blaster over his back. Most of the guns and lasers he normally used were both loud highly explosive, appealing to his Granok sense of destruction. This particular weapon was one of very few he had come across over the years that would allow him to perform relatively stealthily in combat, relatively being the operative term. It fired high intensity air blasts focused using close range impact to shatter bones and liquefy internal organs. Goehron had never liked the results much, the great ÔÇÿwhumpÔÇÖ of low dense air lacking much of the intensity of a good roaring chain gun, but he had to admit, a gun that could only be heard and felt in his immediate vicinity was of particular tactical value.

Breathing deeply of the stale recycled oxygen provided by his face mask in the chill artificial atmosphere, Renalt waved them both forward across the rocky expanse. The great boulders and craggy nature of the landscape provided ample cover for the two of them to hide, but the ominous hole they proceeded towards indicated the possibility that someone else was already keeping enemy units inside the great fortress busy. It was unlikely now that spotters would see two small shadows flitting to the base of their walls.

When they were close to the hole, Renalt motioned a quick stop and checked the sides of the great gaping maw of darkness for heat residue. Sure enough, there were still signs of cheery red melted armor deep in the thickest layers of the wall. He pointed these out and motioned them forward once more. The inside of the fortress wall looked to be a small barracks and either by ill luck or design, fighting here had been bloody and one sided. Dominion soldiers in various forms of undress had died here, some of the bodies hideously burned and malformed by the heat of the plasma charges as the penetrated the outer walls of the bunker. Others seemed to have been cut or blasted by a variety of means, from blades to thick frozen projectiles, indications of warriors and spell users both.

The soldiers here had been taken mostly by surprise, that much was evident, and only at the rooms exit was any clue to resistance.

Renalt spared a quick glance around the room noting, triple bunks, foot lockers and tiered weapon racks. It was a spare sort of place, with stainless laminate white walls, the glow of red emergency lighting leaving a deep sense of unease. The bulkhead doorway had clearly been hacked open, the network panel next to it broken loose and leaving wires dangling. Even so, it must have held for a short time as, great gouges and pits marred the doors otherwise smooth surface. Someone must have been able to bar it in time to reinforce it or else maybe automatic functions had taken over when a loss in pressure was read by the roomsÔÇÖ sensors due to the breach. Either way, whoever had come this way must have been stymied at least momentarily.

The hallway beyond was littered with more bodies, these in uniform and armed, possibly reinforcements from another area of the base. Someone had shot out the lights, leaving dark shadows and gloom except for a patchy strobing white light emanating from what must have been a communal lavatory at one side of the hallway.

Renalt and Goehron proceeded cautiously down the corridor, making note for the first time of a dead Mordeshi, his body immobilized and rigid as rigor mortis set in quickly after being held at bay for so long. He was dressed all in dark shock trooper gear and boarding armor, the sort of equipment used to take starships.

Edging around the body, Renalt took a quick look into the lavatory, the room seemingly having been turned into a temporary holdout for the defenders. Soldiers too seriously wounded to continue fighting had been dragged in and lay around the clinically sterile tiles. Someone had taken the time to enter and dispatch anyone still breathing, with deep bloody punctures to the chest the most prevalent method.

Renalt couldnÔÇÖt help but feel disgusted at the sight. Professional soldiers remains shouldnÔÇÖt be treated like this. There were cleaner ways to ensure a man or woman couldnÔÇÖt remain a threat. Cleaner and more humane. He wasnÔÇÖt always dealing with humans though.

Briefly he made eye contact with Goehron through his visor and he could read the same losthing there. He jerked his head down the hall and they moved silently on. At the end of the hallway, marks of laser burns, flaming char and shrapnel imbedded in the walls travelled away to their left. Someone sure made a mess coming through here.

Renalt decided rather than follow the course taken by the interlopers, it might be best if they found a way around and stayed away from any heavy fighting. They headed right, keeping to what shadows they could in the red emergency lit hallways. It seemed no klaxons had been sounded, or someone had the foresight to hack the security net. Either way, cameras no longer swiveled, alarms didnÔÇÖt sound, and this section of the base was eerily silent except for occasional trolleybots and the hiss of the air scrubbers.

After taking stock of a few office rooms, more empty barracks and a washroom, they arrived at a small door with a window overlooking the courtyard. Major damage could be seen around the vehicle hangar doors off in the distance, and the slagged remains of several defense droids and cannon nests were lit under the intense glare of unmoving spotlights, any searches in the empty courtyard long since over.

The two of them went out and traversed the darkened base of the walls until they came upon a ventilation corridor designed to filter up hot air and dust from deep core drilling machines used to tunnel below the surface. The actual entrance to the dig site was somewhat more grand, and further in the forts embrace. This little hole probably wouldnÔÇÖt be comfortable, but it was better than going in by the front door. A series of these tunnels would likely span the length of the base and they would need to be careful as others might have used the same entrances.

The hole was covered over by a thick metal grate without any sort of lock or hatch, the dark metal bars embedded directly into the side walls of the tunnel. A normal man wouldnÔÇÖt be able to break those bars loose, but normal men werenÔÇÖt the same thing as a normal Granok.

Goehron slung his gun and moved forward to look over the grillwork. He settled his big rocky grip over the iron bars and set his feet while Renalt moved away to watch the courtyard from the edge of a low building. Without any signs of movement, the Dominion buildings felt cold and distant, not at all what he expected. Whoever was no doubt clearing this place room by room, would be stiff opposition, and he hoped to be in and out before they knew anyone else was even here.

Heaving and panting, Goehron could hear the metal creak and bend under his great frame and he bent his knees to try and create more leverage against the bars. Ever so slowly, they bent under his pressure, but they werenÔÇÖt coming loose.

Letting go, signaled Renalt to be ready. ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm gonna have ta blast it Ren.ÔÇØ He said over his com, his voice a little breathy as he tried to catch his breath with only the visors air to breathe.

ÔÇ£Go ahead.ÔÇØ Renalt nodded. He didnÔÇÖt think anyone was still alive out here to notice, but at least that sonic weapon would be somewhat more muffled and less bright than explosives.

Unslinging his gun, Goehron turned back to the heavy duty grill and let loose three quick blasts of super pressurized air at the weakest looking areas of the rock.

ÔÇÿWhump, whump, whumpÔÇÖ, the air blasted and fragmented rock, the dust and clattering shards from the blasts pattering down and making far more noise than the gun had. A great crack split along the edge and with some more heavy pulling, Goehron managed to break loose and bend back a part of the grill big enough squeeze tightly around.

ÔÇ£Good thing someone drew all the heavy fighting away from here earlier. WeÔÇÖd never have gotten that open without drawing attention to ourselves.ÔÇØ Goehron said over the com. Silently, Renalt could only agree.

The tunnel was dark and low, the ring edges of where the rock had been drilled a rough and constant feeling under Renalts fingers as he crawled along. Goehron only barely fit, his armor often rubbing poorly against the ground, and his grumbling over the com a constant low stream. It seemed the tunnel proceeded down in a slow spiral, and the two of them crawled for some time before coming to a new room far below. A much flimsier grill here provided a small view of a large underground cavern, with a small number of robotic labor droids including the drills used in reaching the cavern. White paint on various walls and floors had been used to section off areas for supplies and equipment, and deeper in, Renalt could hear a low humming noise. Lighting was sparse, the caverns having been rigged with spotlights and long spools of wiring bolted directly into the cavern walls.

Carefully, Renalt reached back and took a small arc torch from his belt, a handheld burner used to weld or burn through light objects. Placing his fingers through the grill, he slowly applied the burner around the edges until he had it loose enough to force loose, so he could climb out of the shaft. Dropping behind some crates, he discarded the ruined grill and got a better feel for the cavern while Goehron climbed down as quietly as a Granok could, which is to say much louder than he would have liked.

Moving adroitly up and down rows of crates across the cavern floor, Renalt saw various trolleybots and security drones trundling along on unknown chores. He and Goehron spent long minutes sprinting across whatever ill lit areas they could find, often taking cover behind crates or freezing to stillness in crowded aisles as drones passed. They finally arrived at the head of the cavern and were surprised to discover a lessening of the bright flood lamps and red emergency lighting. Instead, as they made their way carefully forward down a new tunnel, a faint green light seemed to be spreading through the quiet gloom. The humming Renalt had detected earlier became much louder here, achieving a pitch just below droning. Without his helmet on, he thought the deep thrum might eventually leave him feeling nauseous but the worst of it was kept at bay.

The tunnel they were traveling had the definite appearance of crude cutting tools, the jagged finish and pocked face of the rock attesting to almost archaic tool use and Renalt wondered briefly where exactly this world had been from. Without life, and no larger than many moons, he wasnÔÇÖt even sure what kept it here in orbit instead of being caught up in the pull of one of the worldsÔÇÖ closer to the local star.

Regardless of his musings, they arrived at the small mouth of the tunnel overlooking a vast underground complex of ruins. Many other tunnels branched away in the distance, but it was clear they had arrived. Great columns were hollowed and turned into towers, stalagmites formed into small homes or reservoirs. In and around all the naturally forming speleotherms, stone building of ancient cut rock formed the base of a sprawling elder city inside the incredibly large dome. Green light formed patterns and whorls dug directly into the rock of the distant ceiling, the apparatus of which could not be seen, doubtless some arcane technology yet to be deciphered. The city appeared to be a great tiered structure, but inverted, as small buildings crowded the upper edges, and larger buildings and temples were built on lower tiers, the entire metropolis able to view the lowest spiral of the ring, where a great six sided pyramid of ancient stone rose into the air, its peak almost reaching the same level as the highest ring.

The air here was warm and dry, feeling rich with age and stillness. The noise of distant machinery on deeper levels was a subtle reminder that they were intruders in an ancient landscape, and the very dust through which they tread a mild disturbance to the dead city. This was a place of wonder, of a culture seemingly advanced enough to do anything and yet, their culture seemed to live in such a primitive state. What sort of people must once have called this place home? Did they build in such a way aesthetically to choose a life of seclusion and peace, or was it possibly a religious reason? Were minimalist or rugged lifestyles a way of grounding themselves morally or theologically? Was this just a place for servants to a higher life form? Was it possible their culture had offshoots of people who chose regression or enlightenment over technology or ascension? There were so many questions here to be answered.

They spent the next few hours scrambling over low walls and ancient structures, working their way deeper along great winding routes lower and lower toward the pyramids base. They were all too aware that the dust they disturbed along the way left a growing trail pointing right at them. Eventually someone would spot them. It was only a matter of time.

Reaching the bottom, they came upon a great market, clearly a place of trade and commerce. The surrounding manses and tomblike rectories in the area were riddled with bullet holes, laser burns and spell splash, clear signs of a pitched battle having been fought only recently in the gouges and chunks blasted from the cities buildings and streets. Rubble lay scattered everywhere, and sentinel drones could be seen on continuous circuits above spotlit alleys and streets.

Renalt activated his helms zoom function and spied smoke still seething from the wreckage of machines lined up in defense at the base of the pyramid. A great entrance structure formed on a raised platform there and mobile laser cannons and artillery formed a light barricade at the front with sniper nests above and defensive servitors in a phalanx formation out front. The scattered bodies of Exile shock troops and Dominion soldiers alike lay sprawled in the dust and more than one still moaned and rolled in pools of slowly cooling blood. Destroyed machines were everywhere, but the worst part was the burning stench of superheated flesh, hair and machine unguents.

A makeshift fence held prisoners and the screams of someone being beaten echoed up from the direction of a nearby command and control vehicle.

Renalt shifted uneasily knowing they had little time and yet he didnÔÇÖt want to leave these wretches to their fate. He had just about made up his mind to bypass them when he noticed a large procession heading for the pyramid. Four Imperial Mechari warriors were dragging a lone Aurin woman in a singed and battle worn bodyglove between them into the structure. He hands were brutally constricted to her feet, and a dirty black cloth mask dragged along behind her, the fabric torn away to reveal a steely hard look of battered defiance on her face as they unceremoniously took her away.

Renalt didnÔÇÖt know what lay beneath the pyramid, but Mechari werenÔÇÖt known for their tender care, and they didnÔÇÖt send them out unless there was something incredibly important and valuable to protect. They made the sort of troops no one wanted to face, and it was likely that they and they alone had blunted the entire impact of the Exiles attack here.

Decision made, Renalt motioned for Goehron to follow and they began making their way down towards the pyramid.