STGOD: The Pheonix Wars (Chapter III)

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Darth Kreshna cut the communications. His eyes blazes with anger. What Irene has been doing with the Goa'uld System Lord?

Stop it. I am here to save her. Imperial Death Squad could be there already, mingling with the population to perform their mission

Still, the conflicting emotions; love and hate, collides. Several consoles aboard the bridge explode as Kreshna tries to surpress his rage.

"Milord!"

Darth Kreshna dismisses him, hesitates for a moment, then recalls the Captain, "Captain Tanner!"

"Yes, milord."

"Put me on broadcast."

The Captain signals a communication officer, then Darth Kreshna's voice is heard by every commander of the Ha'taks swarming the Phoenix.

"THIS IS DARTH KRESHNA OF THE GALACTIC EMPIRE. GOA'ULDS, STAND STILL. THE EMPIRE WISHES NO AGGRESSION, BUT BEAR IN MIND THAT A SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION WILL RESULT IN SEVERE RETRIBUTION."

The broadcast is arrogant in tone, truly reflects the Empire's behaviour as a superpower nation; not to mention the fact it was the Phoenix which violated Goa'ulds space on the first place. However, the point is clear: a military hostility is not the Empire's intention.

He then turns to the Captain, "hold fire. Wait for the Ha'taks reaction. If they fire upon us, destroy them."


The Captain nods. He understands that Darth Kreshna's personal fleet is still waiting outside the border. Should the worst happen, he can always call for reinforcements.

Darth Kreshna walks to the turbolift and says, "if I'm not returning in an hour, leave this place."

Moments later, a gigantic bird-shaped aura flies through the vacuum of space to the Goa'ulds capital planet where Ra resides. Shrouded by the aura is a human being which is small in comparison. The human wears a scarlet military uniform.

It is Darth Kreshna.


OOC: yes, the Phoenix can fly. An example is Jean Grey when she became a Phoenix Incarnation in X-Men: Dark Phoenix saga. But don't worry, it can still be defeated.

[Josh]

"Xenotech," the Techmarine hissed, his augmetic third arm gently poking the machine-laden skeleton.

"Not Tyranid, though," Petrosjko noted, crouching down to look more closely at the remains.

"No, not Tyranid. Some other xenos abomination that we have not encountered before." The lastorch flared briefly, cutting a sample of the material away for analysis.

"We log this one for the Mechanicus then," Petrosjko said with a nod, glancing at another one of the bodies. That one was clearly human, clad in some sort of red pajamas and clutching a banana-shaped weapon. He stepped over to examine the weapon.

"Have a care, commissar. That weapon has not been sanctified by the Machine God, and could contaminate you with its soulless nature."

Yeah yeah, whatever, why don't you go worship your damned Etch-a-Sketch already, you primitive screwhead.

"Thank you, Brother Ahantus, I'll be careful." Whatever the soul or soulless state of the weapon, it was a shitty design with horrid ergonomics. No wonder the poor bastard was dead.

[The KANCient Guardians]

"Thank you, Brother Ahantus, I'll be careful." Whatever the soul or soulless state of the weapon, it was a shitty design with horrid ergonomics. No wonder the poor bastard was dead.

Suddenly some parts of the surrounding walls move, morphing into a large, blobbish, gelatinous, formless creature. Although the Imperium Commissar and his underlings does not yet aware of what creature it is, ancient scrolls and manuscripts refer to the creature as 'Sogh-Oth'; a blasphemous creation of the Ancient Guardians. The creature is practically 'impervious' to kinetic energy attacks due to its semi-liquid nature. Shooting projectiles at a Sogh-Oth is as pointless as shooting at gel, as the bullets would simply punch holes through it without even harming it; worse, the holes would soon close again as the Shog-Oth reforms itself.

But of course, the troops of the Imperium of Man still do not have the knowledge of the very nature of the blobbish, gelatinous, dark creature that looms over them.

Or probably they would learn soon?



OOC: tips: the Sogh-Oth is vulnerable to heat. ;)

[Josh]

OOC- How 'bout explosive rounds? That's the standard ammunition of the Space Marine bolters.

IC-
The Witch Hammers responded with the nigh-inhuman reflexes of Space Marines, falling into a firing line and blazing away with their bolters.

"DEATH TO THE XENOS!" the squad leader called out as they layed down a rippling burst of fire. Both he and the commissar fired their plasma pistols into the mass, superheated balls of plasma tearing into it with great power.

[Robert Walper]

After his communication with Ra, Lord Walper contemplated his situation. Assistance to his ally he decided would be a favorable decision. Information scrolled rapidly across the three dimensional screen that surrounded him:

BORG COLLECTIVE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT:

-UNICOMPLEX OPERATIONAL

-TRANSWARP HUB OPERATIONAL

-1 MULTIKINETIC NEUTRONIC MINE OPERATIONAL

-8967 CUBES OPERATIONAL

-1254 SPHERES OPERATIONAL

-110 PROBES OPERATIONAL

-29850 BORG SCANNERS ACTIVE


Robert nodded. He could spare some of his forces to help Ra with his defenses. A single thought sent a thousand Borg cubes into transwarp, their destination being Gou'ald space. A good eighth of his entire armada would be at Ra's disposal to maintain borders and defense.

Walper initiated a new protocol; the cube fleet would hail and inform Ra he could direct the vessels as he saw fit.

Satisfied he had appeased the Borg/Gou'ald alliance, Walper again regarded the new information he had been pondering.

A single planet had appeared in Borg space, one that had not been there before. It was too deep in Borg space to have been discovered by any other power, thus Robert pondered what to do with it.

He decided he would investigate this anomaly himself personally.

[Ra]

OOC: The Ha'taks never opened fire, actually.

*Ra watches in horror as the Phoenix flies ever closer. His personal forcefield flickers to life, but he has a feeling it won't be enough.*

"Orders, my lord?"

*Ra's lips trembled.*

"M'lord!"

"SHIELDS!"

*The shields raised. However, they had no effect on the Phoenix, which passed right through with no problem.*

"Where is Patterson?"

"Still at the capital, m'lady. The Palace Guards found some Tauri trying to break in while she was still asleep. We ordered her to be confined to the room for the moment. Besides the one door, there is no way in."

"Darth Kreshna does not know that, First Prime."

Captain Kar'm looked up. "M'lord, the Phoenix has breached the hull, and is moving down Deck Seven. Should I deploy forces to intercept?"

Ra continued to tremble, but shook his head. "Kulls are no match for him."

Galadriel began to meditate. Then, a bright, beautiful figure appeared to her. "Be strong, Galadriel. You cannot fight this enemy alone, but you will not have to," Melian encouraged. "The grace of the Valar is with you."

*Galadriel opened her eyes, and examined her ring. It shined brightly. She then sensed where the Phoenix was, and what it was doing. Darth Kreshna was storming down the corridors of the Goa'uld ship, leaving everything behind him scorched and ruined. His very presence was choking the vessel's life-support systems.*

*Galadriel walked calmly into the Ha'tak's hangar bay. The entire room was on fire, changing the very appearance of the hangar into something resembling Hell itself. She walked through the door, and stood calmly as the Phoenix lept onto her platform, its firey wings spreading provokatively. The creature screached loudly at her, but Galadriel was not phased. She simply held up the hand that bore the ring Nenya.

"You shall go no further, Being of Fire."

[Comrade Tortoise]

The Infernal Tax Collector appeared before the Birg QUeen at Unimatrix Zero

"Greetings your highness, I am with the IRS. It appears as if you have made several mistakes have been made on the W2 forms of all your drones, and this promps us at the IRS to perform..." his eyes started to glow red and the eir s=crackled with governmental energy
"an Audit"

[Destructionator XV]

At A'millian Prime...

"Starships Iyo and Kokoya requesting approach permission and instructions."

"Permission granted for standard orbit on vector B. Welcome back."

The two ships enter orbit and the Lady and the two captians beam down to the castle. They meet Lord Adam, alone.

"What did you guys learn?"

"These guardians are corrupt and need to be eliminated."

"Sir, they destroyed all life in the Riwal system, and tried to capture an ancient outpost."

"And we will be next."

"Maybe we can talk to them?"

"Doubtful. They are corrupted beyond realistic repair."

"However, if we openly denounce them..."

"...They will undoubtly destroy our worlds."

"Or worse. Recent polls have shown that Khardem and the guardians have over 55% public approval ratings. And there are aspects of the military who will flaunt to the war cry of Khardem. It could plunge us into civil war."

"And sir, the guardian bioships outclass our vessels. We think our phasers can vap their innards, but we need to penetrate their armour first. And our weapons haven't the ability to do that."

"You gentlemen have been away for a long time. Khardem has provided us with weapons that have the power to do that."

"So we will use the weapons they provided against them? Are you sure that will work?"


OOC: To be continued. I want to play some Starcraft. Now.

[Dartzap]

My Lord.. are we actually going to be doing anything soon?

Detritus glanced at Flotsam, who was cleary bored with staying here, he had heared of the reports of huge battles going on.



"Not yet, we are waiting for a battle, be it on the ground, or in space, which we can use decsivley"

Sir! my troops are restless! What about these Space Marines? I hear they are worthy of battle...

While this is true, they do not actually have any contact with the Guardians... At the monent i've been watching our A'millein allys do things which i would not usally associate with their culture.. it may soon be time for me to have a meeting with him...

"A meeting sir? or a "meeting"?

Did you just wink at me Flotsam?"

"no sir!"

Good!, Fine you may have use of Goliathand her support group...If the Marines have a world that looks worthwhile for resources, you may take it from them"

Flotsam quietly prayed to the Trollish god of war Kaleth

Thank you sir! we shall deploy within the hour!"

...An hour? that seems very quick to prepare and plan.. Im almost thinking youve been planning for some time..."

Me sir? Plan? Not since the old days...

Very well Flotsam, i see your eager as ever, go when you please.

Yes sir!"

[The KANcient Guardians]

OOC- How 'bout explosive rounds? That's the standard ammunition of the Space Marine bolters.

OOC: is the explosive like today's grenades; throwing metallic shards and the likes, or more like plasma? The latter would be more effective than the former. I imagine the most effective weapon is flamethrower or sort of.

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The Shog-Oth writhes in pain as it is being burned by the plasma fired by the Space Marines; its painful scream sends a horrible psychic wave that induces fear even among those hardened marines.

The remaining parts, however, organizes themselves and forming a larger, blobbish, formless shape. The blob leaps with a blinding speed to a nearby Space Marine.

[Dartzap]

With Flotsam going off to play with the Space Marines, detritus now has the oppertunity to fight the real enemy. Darth Kreshna to his enemies, The Pheonix Being to all of his other enemies.


He had been spotted, apprently skirmishing with Ra and his comrads

Detrutis hits a com switch, Admiral Flint appears on screen.



Admiral Flint, I have a battle to attend, i will need the Titan's and Ruby's Pride battle fleets ready to leave as soon as possible.

"Of course My lord, what will be the purpose of this mission?"

I have an chicken to pluck admiral, a chicken made of flames, but a chicken none the less.

"Of course Sir, the fleets of Titan and Ruby's Pride will be ready within a few hours"

Excellent.

[Josh]

OOC- More like grenades, unfortunately.

=--------------------------=

Brother Tanthius was consumed by the blob-creature, betraying his oath with the scream of a weakling as he died. The others fell back, their bolter rounds having not effect on the monstrosity beyond splatting it around a bit.

"Brother Zarnas, burn this monstrosity!"

The squad flamer troop lit off his flamer, bathing the Shog-Oth in a wave of jellied promethium as the squad leader called in reinforcements. Petrosjko listened to the whine of his recharing plasma pistol with an expert ear, and when the tone indicated it was ready, snapped of another shot.

[Dartzap]

*some hours later*

"Admiral, when will we be exiting this jump?"

"Exiting L-space oin exactly 6 minuets, My Lord."

"Good, prepare my shuttle, I may have to face this battle alone, if any fleets start firing at you have permission to blow them sky high"

"Aye aye Sir"

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

OOC: so the battle happen aboard a Goa'uld ship instead of the home planet? By the way, my original plan is Darth Kreshna should attack Ra first; giving him and Galadriel a reason to fight.

*Galadriel walked calmly into the Ha'tak's hangar bay. The entire room was on fire, changing the very appearance of the hangar into something resembling Hell itself. She walked through the door, and stood calmly as the Phoenix lept onto her platform, its firey wings spreading provokatively. The creature screached loudly at her, but Galadriel was not phased. She simply held up the hand that bore the ring Nenya.

"You shall go no further, Being of Fire."

"Stay of out my way, Sorceress."

"Your are consumed with hatred, Being of Fire."

"I only seek to protect her," Darth Kreshna speaks the words bitterly.

"How can you protect someone when you are filled with hatred?" Galadriel's then voice becomes soft as she approaches the possessed Sith Inquisitor and put her hand on his temple, "go home, Being of Fire. Go home in peace, as she is safe with us."

Kreshna hesitates for a moment as Galadriel's soothing words flows into his consciousness, reminds him of all things that were stripped of him when he started his Dark Side training with the Emperor years ago.

What I am doing is wrong. I am here to protect her.

I can not protect someone with grief and hatred.

"I love you." The voice echoes again in his mind.

Galadriel stares deeply into Darth Kreshna's eyes. She actually feels sorry for him; all his life, the very reason of his existence, is nothing but a mere tool for an egomaniac despot which manipulated him mercilessly.

He merely comes to protect someone he loves, yet everyone opposes him; including the juvenile-behaving System Lord.

Despite all things, there is still goodness inside him.


"Fear, hatred, anger. Those are the ways of the Sith. Do not disappoint me, my Phoenix. Do not disappoint me."

Darth Kreshna's eyes start flaming again. Galadriel yells in disgust, "LEAVE HIM ALONE, SIDIOUS! HE HAS SUFFERED ENOUGH!!"


The Sith Inquisitor stands still; struggling with his internal emotions as a regal figure appears, escorted by Kull Warriors, "Galadriel? Lord Detritus is coming. He just contacted me and...."

Galadriel suddenly tensed. Great. Ra always has perfect sense of timing, she thinks with anger, "stay out of this, Ra! You will only make things worse."

But it's too late. Darth Kreshna burns in rage at Ra's presence. His bird-shaped aura expands while the Phoenix is screeching. The raging flames drives Galadriel to step back. A fiery tendril reaches into Ra, enveloping him in a searing heat as the System Lord is lifted to the air.

"YOU WILL BRING HER BACK TO ME, GOA'ULD!!"

[Ra]

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! It burns! It burns us!"

"Fool of a Goa'uld! Did I not make it clear to stay on the command bridge?"

Galadriel then turned to Darth Kreshna. "Release him."

"Good, good! He is defenseless. Destroy him and eradicate the Goa'uld once and for all. GIVE IN TO YOUR ANGER!"

"Anger and hatred will only destroy you, Darth Kreshna. The Dark Lord only seeks power for himself. RELEASE HIM!"

Ra is dropped onto the deck, where he lays motionless and charred. Darth Kreshna looms over him, his eyes blazing. "I......only wanted...her......help. I...needed......to stop...them! They will destroy......you! And then......everything!"

"WHERE IS IRENE?"

"The......plan-" At that Ra loses consciousness.

"She is at Per-Ra, in the Palace of the Sun. Under guard," Galadriel said sadly. "His thoughts betrayed it before he blacked out."

"Bring her to me."

"Captain Kar'm, transport Major Patterson to this ship."

"Immediately, m'lady."

*On the command bridge, the characteristic hum of the transporter activates. Several rings descend, and flash with light. They then return to the cieling, revealing Major Patterson.*

"Major, Galadriel wants you to report to hangar bay three at once."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kar'm then grabbed her by the wrist, and looked her in the eye. "You'll need this. It's a Zat'nikatel. One shot stuns, two kills, three disintegrates."

Patterson examined the cobra-shaped weapon, and then nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

"Good luck."

[Comrade Tortoise]

OOC- More like grenades, unfortunately.

=--------------------------=

Brother Tanthius was consumed by the blob-creature, betraying his oath with the scream of a weakling as he died. The others fell back, their bolter rounds having not effect on the monstrosity beyond splatting it around a bit.

"Brother Zarnas, burn this monstrosity!"

The squad flamer troop lit off his flamer, bathing the Shog-Oth in a wave of jellied promethium as the squad leader called in reinforcements. Petrosjko listened to the whine of his recharing plasma pistol with an expert ear, and when the tone indicated it was ready, snapped of another shot.

It was then that an Infe\rnal Tax Collector showed up. It materialized out of nothing, knocking on a spectral door and letting itself in. It was a gangly demon, wearing an armani suit and carrying a briefcase, its arrowhead tail twitched behind it, as its batlike wings gently flapped, to cool himself. His snake like tongue flicked in an out.

"Greetings intergalactic citizen. My records indicate that you have not been filing taxes for the last ten years. And as such I have been assigned to audit your assets to determine how much is due to us. Now if you please have your recipts ready and fill out these forms"

He stacked a pile of forms 5 feet deep infront of the space marines

"in triplicate. I will keep this..creature... in stasis until you are finished"

ANd the blob thing was put in a stasis field

[Josh]

While the Marines stare at this bizarre apparition, the commissar wasted no time screaming and drawing his chainsword, leaping for the abomination.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

OOC: Alright, alright. I change the scene. Someone would hate me so much for killing Irene Patterson. *grumbles* :P

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moments later, Irene Patterson arrives on board, escorted by two Jaffas. Galadriel feels relieved. "Here's your woman, Fire Being. Now leave in peace."

Irene could not describe her feelings as she is looking at the man she once loved -no, a man she still loves- has turned into a monster; a man emotionally maimed beyond recognition.

Mama, look at what you have done to him; to me.

To us.

She stares at the man shrouded by the fire; the man she has lost many years ago since he was trained by the Emperor.

She still remembers their conversation;

"Kreshna, don't do it."

The Emperor's Hand answered bitterly, "what do you care."

"You, becoming a Sith. Please, Kreshna. You know you don't want it."

"I can't believe you would say such religious prejudice bullshit."

"It is nothing about religion! I know what a Sith is. They will strip all your happiness, your feelings, your heart. You won't be able to love anymore. You will be an abomination, like Darth Vader!"

"And what difference it would make? For cyring out loud, Irene! You are married!"

Several months later, she received a package; Kreshna's old lightsaber. The weapon had served him during his assigment as Emperor's Hand, the weapon that had saved her own life as well. She tried her best to hide the thing from her husband, let alone her mother.

And she understood.

"Darth Kreshna" would have never used a green lightsaber anymore.

And the man now stands before her; shrouded in a fiery aura. The surrounding is heavily damaged, with burned corpses sprawling everywhere; corpses belong to the Goa'ulds unfortunate enough to be there when the Phoenix breached the hull.

"Kreshna... What- what have you become?"




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


OOC: Alright, Ra. Your turn. Y'know, writing the "what have you become" scene.

OOC: Don't get confused: Kreshna had been using lightsaber even before his training by Palpatine; he was already a Secret Order member before rescuing the Emperor from Zaarin.

[Comrade Tortoise]

The Tax Collector was like a cockroach, it would not go away

"Looks like you want to do this the hard way" he said as he sidestepped the chainsword He pressed a button on his PDA and several very large heavily armored audit-demons Knockdoored into the area, armed with Asset Leech pistols with Stone Bleeder rounds. The stood between the Collector and his targets

[Josh]

The arrival of the daemons spurred the Marines into action. Bolter fire blazed at the foul creatures of chaos.

"Switch to Kraken rounds!" the squad leader commanded, prompting them to change to armor-piercing ammo.

[Comrade Tortoise]

At just that moment, between 15-30% of the assets of each Marine were claimed, as the Audit-demons fired their weapons. Several guns vanished, and armor now had holes in it. One of the marines even had his spleen taken and sent off to the Revenue Service Dimension.

"And that is just for the last fiscal year" the Collector said as he plied his craft upon the Commisar. He held up tax forms, and magically charged them like Gambit charging a card, and threw them at the poor bastard, they sliced through anything they touched trying to extract their pound of flesh

Several of the Audit Demons dropped however, unlike the collector, they could die. However citations for killing an officer were tendered and arrest warrants were drawn up in the main office when each of their souls was strapped to a desk to do paperwork for all eternity. Those marines now faced the ire of the IRS individually, as well as an organization.

[Robert Walper]

The Infernal Tax Collector appeared before the Borg Leader at Unicomplex.

"Greetings, Lord Walper. I am with the IRS. It appears as if you have made several mistakes have been made on the W2 forms of all your drones, and this promps us at the IRS to perform..." his eyes started to glow red and the eir s=crackled with governmental energy
"an Audit"

Lord Walper glances at this unexpected visitor.

"The Borg do not utilize currency or economics capable of being taxed, you poor fool."

The Tax Collector stiffened as his throat contracted under an invisible grip of iron.

"Audits do not concern me. Taxes are irrelevent. Hopefully your demise will demostrate to your fellows the stupidity of confronting me with such pathetic matters."

The Tax Collector was lifted from the floor, the Force grip intensifying as Walper glared at him. The Tax Collector's eyes dimmed as the life drained out of him.

"Young fool. Only now...at the end...do you understand!"

And with that, the visitor's neck cracked loudly, bending at an unnatural angle. The lifeless body slumped to the floor. It then disappeared into the glow of a Borg transporter beam as it was converted into pure energy.

[Josh]

The marines were distracted by their difficulties, allowing the commissar to weave his way through the forms with preturnatural agility without raising questions. Raising a hand, he force-pushed the auditor into the wall with brutal power.

"Tax fiend, I know thy name... AUDITOR, I BANISH THEE!"

[Comrade Tortoise]

However, it then reappeared. Not the same one... that one was strapped to a desk.

"Fool. The IRS is not concerned with your currency. You still have ASSETs and those taxes will be paid, even if I have to extract the pounds of flesh manually"

His Tax SHelter was activated, and his body was shiewlded from further attacks

He then took out his forms, and charged them with crackeling energy.

"These are Phased energy W2s. If you do not fill them out in triplicate, I will be forced to use themk to destroy your assets. I will transform your assets into a pile of debt.. and your borg shields will not protect you... a lien just got put on them"

WIth that, he flicked one of the forms at the nearest borg drone, and he was cut in half, while a squad of Audit Demons Knockdoored in

"I have to pay paul after all."

[Comrade Tortoise]

The marines were distracted by their difficulties, allowing the commissar to weave his way through the forms with preturnatural agility without raising questions. Raising a hand, he force-pushed the auditor into the wall with brutal power.

"Tax fiend, I know thy name... AUDITOR, I BANISH THEE!"

"HAHAHA! I need not leave under IRS H Res. I seventeen Dash seven paragraph two clause seventynine thousand six hundred and seventy nine." he said, as his creative paperwork ability took effect and pens and papers swirled around him