Heat

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

<Snipped quote by Heat>

link

Also Ew don't remind me we're old now. I'm a homeowner and engaged now.

If you fancy connection to any of my myriad of characters you let me know

@Sep

We’re basically dinosaurs by this site’s standards, well actually the dudes that were before dinosaurs at this point.

Glad you’re killing it. I’m going back to school and doing pretty well.

I’m still figuring out what direction I wanna go with my char. Gonna figure that out this weekend prob.

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

I haven’t RP’d in 2 years but find myself with some upcoming extra free time and a craving for something Star Wars-ey.

Also my old old old old friend @Sep is in this.

So I might try to get in on this, tho the discord link is expired.

Mass Effect: Harpocrates

I’m gonna roll with a Quarian. I’ll have the sheet before the weekend.

Mass Effect: Harpocrates

Interested and coming out of RP retirement for this.

Mass Effect: Vigil

The shuttle ride to the site of the thrown together team's mission had been a quiet, observant one for the Asari commando as she sat in silence awaiting the true beginning of her first taste of combat post Reaper war. In the dimly lit shuttle her eyes had fallen upon the other Asari, clad in Eclipse armor. Keslia had no shortage of encounter with mercenaries, their morals followed the credit flow. Right after the missile had been unleashed from the shuttle which carried Lia and the rest of the 'distraction team', the commando heard faint prayers being spoken by the other Asari. A slight smirk danced across the more battle ready Asari as she heard goddess Kurinith's familiar name. Keslia didn't even remember the last time she'd even prayed to their people's deities. The Reaper onslaught and its life altering horrors did a number on her faith in any religion. Once the craft began its descent the warrior had drawn her submachine gun as her expression shifted int one off sheer, hardened focus beneath her battle helm.

Upon emergence from the aircraft Keslia's eyes rocketed up as a returning fired missile whizzed above the team, screaming as their operation almost ended at that moment. The commando sprinted across the dunes, then slid behind some cover as the action kicked into expected gear. She took a deep breath to clear her pain stricken mind, dashing grief filled memories of the most recent war to focus on task at hand. A shot rang to her side, spiking familiar adrenaline through her veins. With only the briefest of moments needed she popped from behind cover as her biotics flared to life, with a grunt of focus she telekinetically grasped upon the first Drell she saw emerge into her sight-line then pulled them towards her. The unfortunate enemy careened through the air before slamming into the dirt, blasting sand into the wind before they scrambled to their feet, only to be met with a forceful barrage from her firearm.

Then the huntress catapulted herself into the open, intent on shifting forward to gain more ground on the opposition. As she dove behind another wreckage she felt several shots slam into her leg, flaring her shields up as she grimaced behind the new piece of cover. Keslia let out another deep breath as she waited for her shields to recover. She heard the telltale sound of a sniper rifle firing then felt an ounce of relief as their own marksman eliminated the Drell sharpshooter. The warrior readied herself to strike again as she popped from cover, firing off some suppressing fire at enemies aiming at her teammates. The team was outnumbered but these Drell were poor shots, even with their altered minds. The action intensified as an enemy rocket launcher made itself known as it fired upon them, obliterating their teammate Sigma.

At the scene Lia felt a ping of stress ripple over her, huddling momentarily behind the wreckage to recollect herself. She didn't know the biotic but the brutal death had sent painful memories through her mind. Keslia had mentally pulled herself from the action as she fought with her own brain to get back into it. Her breathing intensified before she shut her eyes, placed her hands on the side of helmet and forced herself to empty her war ravaged brain. As the team managed to seize the battle at hand she collected herself, then tucked away entirely any traces of the moment. She hoped none of the others had witnessed her panic attack, but if they did she'd ignore any mention of it. The huntres had emerged from her cover as the sounds of fighting quieted down and the distraction team prepared to finish their part of the plan. Though as they did so often on these 'simple' operations, the plan had shifted dramatically as an explosion rippled near them, Yarik's shuttle. Then the other team coming barrelling towards them pursued by a collector and its swarm.

"What in Athame's name?" The commando muttered before desperately slamming a fresh thermal clip into her weapon. Then she raised her Tempest and pulled the trigger, aimed at the Locust. As the swarms horrifically obliterated the helpless Drell the Asari dropped her weapon, then with both hands upwards put all her energy into her biotics. A forceful blast of blue pushed against the approaching swarm, deflecting them from her and any teammates nearest to her. As the swarm weakly dissipated she scooped her weapon back up and stared at the Collector, over her commlink in her helmet she heard Katya holler her name.

"You, Keslia! See that rocket launcher, by the collector? Pull it here!"

With reflexes properly befitting an Asari commando she shifted to her side to get a better angle, then pulled the rocket launcher towards Katya. She flared that menacing blue aura for another moment as a Cluster Grenade launched towards the Locust. Keslia had judged the distance well enough, that Krogan was still far enough away he wouldn't be injured, likely just knocked onto his back. If this worked then that monstrosity was going to be blown to pieces.

What are some of your Favorite Metal Albums....

So i listened to Deftones white pony, and I would put them in the same category as Nirvana, Grunge Rock.

@HEAVY METAL

Lmao. That’s extremely far off. Grunge died out in the mid 90s. White Pony was released in 2000. Deftones were nu metal then escaped the genre and started doing their own thing.

@Heat Thoughts?

@POOHEAD189

Deftones are kinda their own thing but they fall closest to metal. Alternative metal like SOAD is probably the best way to characterize them.

Are we counting industrial metal? If so, The Downward Spiral is a classic.

@EzzyButWorse

Great album but I’d put NIN as industrial rock. They definitely have some heavy moments though.

What are some of your Favorite Metal Albums....

Why not? One per band.

big list, no order

Opeth - Blackwater Park
Mastodon - Leviathan
Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
ISIS - Panopticon
Behemoth - The Satanist
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Agalloch - The Mantle
Protest the Hero - Fortress
Baroness - Red Album
Torche - Admission
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
Death - Sound of Perseverance
Meshuggah - Koloss
System Of A Down - Toxicity
Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Machine Head - The Blackening
The Contortionist - Language
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Jinjer - King of Everything
Deftones - White Pony
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

Mass Effect: Vigil

Outskirts of London

The sounds of laughter echoed through the playground, behind it several collapsed buildings laid crashed on the rubble covered streets. The city's once breathtaking horizon had been utterly annihilated by the war. In the park grounds most of the trees had been similarly ravaged, broken and beaten by the Reaper's horrific besieging of the human homeworld. It seemed as if the genocidal wrath of the ancient machines hadn't left a single block of the capitol city untouched. A refugee camp had been set up near the park, where the civilian survivors of the battle could receive aid and shelter. Unfortunately they'd pulled more dead from the rumble of the city than found survivors. As the Asari huntress sat silently upon a wooden bench she watched the children play in the relatively unscathed playground. Keslia was still clad in her armor, though her current state was far from one of the trained warrior. A rare moment of relaxation filled her soul as she watched the three young human girls play, their mother almost as happy as her kids to be experiencing some normalcy.

For the veteran commando such moments were fading. For decades all that she had known was fighting, killing and war, or training for these subjects. Now "The War" had been won and she was left in a strange state. Perhaps Lia had never expected the war to end, for the sounds of the Reapers' cannons to never leave her ears, or the howls of the husks as they terrorized innocents to no longer keep her awake at night. For a soldier like Keslia, she continued to replay the war in her mind even as she tried her damnedest to clear her thoughts and find peace. When she looked upon those survivors rescued from the ruins of London she could only think of the tragedy they'd experienced, forced to dwell upon the sorrow in their eyes as they tried to make sense of it all, surviving when billions had not been so lucky. But in this current moment the Asari felt some mental clarity as she looked upon the joyous children. As they ran around the playground a smile almost cracked through her subdued features.

As a breeze whipped through the barren, beaten trees around the park Keslia leaned forward, her purple tinted eyes shifting back to the eviscerated skyline of the city. She was pulled from the brief moment of elation as her thoughts involuntarily shifted to her own Reaper desecrated homeworld, Thessia. The three young girls playing happily reminded her of her own family, when her own mother would let her, Riena and Vaedra frolic in childhood bliss, unaware and beautifully ignorant of the 'grown up' horrors which lingered in the background. Lia may very well have been the last one still alive, her entire family tree brought to near extinction by the Reapers. The trained warrior began to spiral once more, as she realized just how alone she'd truly become, dealt a bad hand by the cosmic horrors which had finally been vanquished. Streaks of tears began to ripple down from her irises as Lia brought her gloved palms to cover her sudden release of grief. Droplets fell to the ground beneath her boots, slamming into the grass. The huntress pulled herself to her feet, then walked away from the playground scene, one final tear filled gaze all she gave before she departed and the sounds of happiness faded.

---

Namibia

The African continent was a far cry from the shattered cities of Europe, upon Keslia's initial arrival to it the first thing which struck the warrior was the sand covered landscape. She was trained to deal with all manner of environments, an Asari commando's life required that flexibility. Desert worlds were something she'd experienced before, her last operation on one being a strike against some marauding pirates hiding out on the barren landscape. She'd grown accustom to the war stricken skies of London, constantly ablaze with the smoke and fires of the war. As she stepped off of the shuttle she had taken a long moment to gaze at the skies, momentarily losing herself in the peacefulness of it. Even as the similarly wrecked skyline of the African city sat beneath it. Keslia was pulled from her gaze by a sand filled gust of wind which caused her to shut her eyes momentarily. The climate wouldn't have been her choice to do work in but it was not the worst environment she'd been forced to operate in.

She remained silent within the group, her durable bag of personal belongings touted over her shoulder. The armored Asari chose to remain off to the side as she briefly looked over the others. She was not here to make friends, nor did she have any want to do so. The Sol Restoration Network had been practically begging her to join up with them, an Asari commando must've been quite the snag. Truthfully she simply joined out of need to do something, anything to get her mind off its frequent distressed state. Lia held very little care for the humans or their homeworld, but she was for all intents and purposes stranded here. The credits were a fine incentive too, even though she didn't really need them. The mission description they'd all been provided did give her a strange feeling, typically when given an operation by Asari command she'd take every chance to research all of the details. A well informed soldier was often times more deadly than a well armed one. But this type of mission was lacking in such details, beyond what the client had told them.

Keslia decided to sit down on a nearby crate, tucked in the shade. It provided some relief from the warm temperature, her armor not exactly cooling in its design. She folded her hands together than glanced quietly around her, not interacting with any of the other recruited team members. Instead she was approached by another Asari, a younger relief worker who stared at her in a state of surprise. Lia didn't even notice the worker until the girl spoke up to her, clearly trying to figure out what to say.

"Excuse me, are you a huntress? I've never seen one in the flesh." The younger Asari muttered, standing to the left of Keslia as they met eyes. The commando's expression a far cry from the other woman's.

"Not in the mood. Don't you have some people to help?" Lia replied, her tone very dismissive. She didn't even answer the young woman's question, her telltale armor telling the truth of it.

"I do but I just had to say something when I saw you. I'm sure you're very busy," The other Asari said in meek tone, then spoke with some sadness. "My mother was on Thessia, did you hear anything from there?"

Keslia took a moment to ponder the words, she'd constantly thought about her people's once beautiful world, now a war ravaged hellscape much like Earth. She felt the emotions in the girl's words as she spoke of her mother, and it made Lia think of her own, fallen mother. She forced herself to keep up her strong, stern expression then once more glanced at her fellow Asari.

"I haven't. But our people are strong, I'm sure your mother is just fine. It will be alright." Keslia said with a nod, her tone more encouraging then it typically was. Often tinged with sadness or disregard, it sort of seemed as if Lia was reinforcing her own grief filled thoughts on her homeworld's state.

"Thank you, I can only hope so too." The other Asari said, as a relief dotted smile broke through her features. Though Keslia did not return the look, simply giving another firm nod as the other woman went back to her relief work. Lia's gaze turned towards the ground as she forced herself to remain composed and strong, as she had been trained to be.

Star Wars - Rise of Crusade

En route to First Order space, aboard the Vagabond

The distant stars danced around the YU-410 light freighter as it emerged from hyperspace with a rumble. The bronze colored spacecraft was marked with scoffs and rust, owing to its long history with its owner, Deonor Arkmer. The veteran merchant had been enlisted by the new Separatist movement for a 'less than legal' job. A band of eight heavily armed mercenaries were smuggled aboard his hefty freighter, each soldier for hire seemingly more well armed than the last one. Deonor sat alone in the cockpit, humming along to the melodic jatz music playing over the speakers which masked the pulsating sounds of the ship's engines. He had been paid handsomely by Union, if the Order were to discover the smuggled Separatist aligned warriors stowed on his ship then he was certain to face the harshest of criminal penalties. Back in the cargo bay of the Vagabond the assembled mercenaries waited impatiently.

Two Trandoshans brothers relaxed near a side-turned crate as they played pazaak, while a scarred Mirialan watched their game silently as he puffed upon a cigar. A trio of humans, two men and one woman chatted on the opposite side of the cargo bay, all three eager eyed for the dangerous job they'd all signed up for. A particularly wicked looking Palliduvan warrior sharpened a sword few meters from the human trio, seated on a metal box as he drew a curious eye from one of the humans. Across from the warrior was Vurs, the heavily armed Weequay leaned against a wall as he watched the blade sharpener as well. A faint smirk dotted his grizzled features as he waited for their 'taxi' to arrive, it had been a long, tense ride. He had no qualm with any of these other guns for hire, hell, he didn't even recognize any of them. It was a big galaxy after all, the fellow mercenaries he'd known well enough had either died or wisely gotten out of the game. Stubborn old Vurs loved the work (and the credits) too much to retire.

The former slave continued to watch the Palliduvan, as they glided the sharpening stone across the blade near obsessively. It must have been some sort of ritual for them, a vibrosword like the one Vurs carried required no such maintenance. Unless this merc's sword was customized in some other fashion he wondered truly how useful such an old fashion weapon was against armor and blasters. The smile remained upon the Weequay's expression as the heavily tattooed Palliduvan looked up, inadvertently making direct eye contact with Vurs. The constant sharpening stopped as the two locked eyes for a brief moment.

"What are you smiling at?" The Palliduvan's tone sparked with fire, seemingly offended at Vur's smirking. Then the other mercenary popped up from his seated position, his ponytail rocking behind him as he stepped towards the taller, more experienced hired gun. "Something funny?"

"Just your little ritual. How really good is that in a fight? It ain't a vibroblade. One bad swing and it'll snap like nothing." Vurs replied firmly, in better control of his emotions than the cocky Palliduvan. He was not frightened of this insolent little dirtball.

"How about I show you, old timer? Could slash you right in half through that rusty armor of yours." The younger mercenary exclaimed as he stepped even closer to Vurs, nearly face to face with the elder warrior. A few inches separating them height wise. The interaction had drawn the attention of some of the other hired soldiers, who watched quietly, unsure if they were about to witness a pre-fight brawl.

"Don't make threats you can't back up, you aren't the brightest star in the sky, are you?" Vurs inquired tauntingly as he clenched one of his fists. The smirk having widened on his wrinkled, leathery face.

"Look at you, bet you aren't even any good at merc work. Still doing this instead of retired on a farm somewhere quiet." The Palliduvan spouted back as he raised the point of his sword, nearly at Vurs' chin. With a near sigh the Weequay thought for a second before he slammed his right knee forward into the younger mercenaries' gut, then with a powerful hand grasped the man's wrist and knocked the sword from his grasp. The weapon clanged against the durasteel cargo bay floor. A sudden twist followed, as a startling scream erupted from the cocky warrior for hire as his wrist was expertly broken.

"Because I love this damn job, kid. You still got one good hand, sit down and relax til we get there. Or maybe I start chopping off pieces of you and send them out the airlock one by one." Vurs stated as his tone grew more menacing as he looked directly into the Palliduvan' eyes as he held a vice grip upon the mercenary's shattered wrist. Then he released the hold as he pushed the cocky little nerfherder to the floor.

The Palliduvan scrambled to his feet, embarrassment evident as he quickly scooped up his fancy sword with his one good hand. Then speed walked to the opposite side of the cargo bay, the only sounds his boots against the floor and the raucous laughter emitting from the two Trandoshans. Vurs returned to his previous position, as he crossed his arms and went once more silent. The hulking soldier could've done more, but he didn't need to explain why they were down a blaster before they even got off the ship. Not that he particularly cared, in a way he felt he'd taught the Palliduvan a few work lessons and some manners.

"We are on approach, I got all the clearance to get you folks onto the world. From there you are on your own." The freighter pilot chimed in, the sound of music in the background behind his words as they filled the cargo bay.

The mercenaries had a general location of the First Order aligned pirates base of operations, due to their benefactor’s impressive intelligent network. It was now simply a matter of them getting the job done. Vurs was eager for some action after the long flight.

What Are You Listening To?