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Terminus II
(1) The Desert Planet of LictarxThe Histarctican planetary expedition to the third planet in the Cezza Star System, Lictarx, has successfully landed on the planet's dry and brutal surface. ( https://imgur.com/desert-planet-lictarx-JlaAagp )
The expedition, which is accompanied by an Imperial Starfleet battlecruiser, is mainly organized and led by Val-Itani Industries, which has landed personnel on the planet.
The expedition arrived yesterday at the former Histarctican colony of Terminus II, which was abandoned by the colonists after an unsolved incident.
So far, the expedition has established communications and secured a small base at Terminus II. The expedition will soon venture further into the large complex.
(2) Entering the base, Terminus II
The Val-Itani Industries-led expeditionary force has now begun their journey deeper into the abandoned Histarctican colony, Terminus II. The large building complex, located on Mount Anrock, which contains an old mining operation, is relatively unknown. The information about Terminus II is sparse and the stories about the place are distressing. Nevertheless, the expedition has so far managed to reach the first gateway and is in the process of finding a way through.
In the meantime, communications and the outpost at Terminus II's spaceport are being stabilized by the remaining personnel, to ensure a stable entry and supply for the expedition.
Meanwhile, probes from the Imperial Starfleet have begun scanning the surrounding landscape on the barren desert planet.
(3) First gate opened
The expedition has finally managed to open the first gate into the vast base, Terminus II. The expedition was met by an abandoned and chaotic hall, where it was clear that the former colonists had fled the area in great haste. Skeletons of about 11 dead colonists were found, but what was surprising, and distressing, was that several of the colonists showed signs of bizarre causes of death that cannot be from accidents or disease, but deliberate injuries from an unknown cause. Further inside the hall, clear traces of bullet holes were found and that there had been a skirmish between colonists and an enemy. The discovery has undoubtedly left an impression on the staff, but Val-Itani Industries is not stopping and has pushed the expedition to reach much further into Terminus II.
All the while, Val-Itani Industries has managed without any major problems to get the old spaceport up and running, as both an outpost and communication center but also as a supply route. Additionally, the Imperial Starfleet continues to scan the planet's surface.
(4) Gate Two
Despite the beginning with the eleven corpses at Gate One giving some cause for concern and strengthening the expedition's vigilance, no more corpses were found, but plenty of destruction and signs of fighting. In a few places, old blood remains were even found. Information was sparse in Section One of Terminus II, but the expedition nevertheless found some disturbing clues that pointed to something gruesome that the colonists had found or similar in the core of Terminus II. After two days of struggling in the dark, the first units reached Gate Two, which will lead the expedition into the residential areas.
Furthermore, the Imperial Starfleet has yet to find significant traces on the planet's surface.
(5) Under attack?
The vanguard of the expedition easily managed to open Gate Two and enter the residential section of Terminus II. Here followed the same as before, namely chaos, and signs of battles and that Terminus II contains a greater terrible secret than previously assumed.
The 15-person vanguard, consisting of a mix of civilian and armed employees of Val-Itani Industries, found several bodies around the residential area, and also found an unknown organic material.
A small group consisting of four people had headed towards the kitchen and dining halls, where they suddenly came under attack from an unknown creature that killed engineer Tia and injured a guard. Despite persistent attempts, the group did not succeed in eliminating the creature, but it has made a big impression on the group. The vanguard has chosen to create a security line at residential area 4 near dining hall 2, where the incident happened. While the group waits for the rest of the expedition.
There have been several issues with communication the further the expedition enters Terminus II, and a safe route from the spaceport to the residential area has not yet been established.
The dead engineer is on her way back to the spaceport, much to the grief of her colleagues. However, Val-Itani Industries has sent a directive to increase security and push further into Terminus II.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Starfleet has found Terminus I, a much smaller version of Terminus II. The old colony is completely in ruins, but there are indications that this is the result of an explosion.
(6) Advance further into Terminus II
"Advance further into Terminus II", was the order given by Val-Itani Industries to the expedition. The armed part of the expedition has taken over and hastily moved on towards Gate Three which contains the base's laboratories and research units.
No living traces have been discovered of the creature that attacked and killed a member of the expedition, but the organic material has been found in several places in the habitation area.
However, the communication have been improved and a route through the complex from the space port to the residential area has been more or less established. An armed vanguard of 25 men is moving towards Gate Three to open the gate and go further inside.
Meanwhile, imperial probes and naval units have observed several caves and what appear to be underground entrances around the desert plant, Lictarx, and especially in relative proximity to Mount Anrock and Terminus II.
(7) The Creatures
The Val-Itani Industries-led armed vanguard of 25 men has now opened Gate Three and entered the laboratory and research section of Terminus II. The group immediately announced that the entire section was covered in an alien organic material and that several containers in the laboratories were broken and their contents missing.
The entire section showed signs of battle, destruction and death as the group moved further and further into Section Three. When the crew reached what can be described as a kind of square, they were greeted by howls and noise from all sides. Suddenly they were surrounded by several wild and malevolent creatures, some even a fusion of what looks like former colonists and an organic material or being.
It was as if the group was being attacked by dead colonists, laboratory experiments and wild creatures of unknown origin.
Desperately, the vanguard, which was fortunately well equipped, tried to slow down the onslaught from all sides. At first everything went well, but gradually more and more soldiers were taken by the creatures or killed on the spot.
Seven soldiers from the vanguard managed to fight their way back towards Gate Three and the residential area, where fortunately they had managed to communicate to the rearguard that they were on their run and that a defense line had to be established.
The creatures were stopped and pushed back into the darkness of Terminus II.
The situation has turned completely upside down. Based on recent events, Val-Itani Industries has dispatched an elite force to the planet Lictarx to "conquer Terminus II" and perhaps even obtain the colony's dark secrets.
(8) Conquer Terminus II
Val-Itani Industries' special forces have arrived on planet Lictarx and the colony Terminus II to, in the company's words, conquer the vast building complex and investigate the alien organic being that has apparently taken over Terminus II, turned its colonists into mutants and multiplied into the hundreds.
The force has already arrived at Gate Three and are now preparing their "invasion". No sign of the creatures yet, but a defence line has been set up at Gate Three. But ever since the vanguard was surrounded and had to flee, sounds have been heard from inside of the old laboratories. Something has been awakened in Terminus II.
(9) Battle of the Laboratories
The Val-Itani Industries-led special forces of around 50 well-equipped and battle-ready soldiers entered the lab areas yesterday local time to exterminate the mutants, creatures, organic matter and anything alien that resides in Terminus II.
Quickly the group was met with the ferocity and hostility of the deformed creatures, but this time Val-Itani Industries was ready. Slowly but surely and without loss, the soldiers moved further and further into Section Three, exterminating and burning everything in their path through one laboratory after another.
It quickly became clear that the former colonists and researchers had experimented on something they had found deep inside Mount Anrock - and more and more it became clear that they could not control what they had found and "played with".
Evidence, material and documents were secured, but every room and corridor was cleared of mutants and creatures.
Finally they reached Gate Four and the road into the mines and factories. No casualties but a lot of ammunition used.
(10) The Mines
Val-Itani Industries' special forces entered Section Four's vast factory complex and the deep mines of Mount Anrock, but soon the half-dark corridors were filled with the sound of battles. The wild creatures, mutants created by the mad experiments with the organic matter, had become more aggressive, and it was as if they were driven by a collective will.
The soldiers fought bravely, but the resistance only became more intense. Every time they thought they had vanquished a group of the wild creatures, more would emerge from the shadows, possessed by a relentless power. The creatures' eyes glowed in the darkness, and their screams filled the air with an eerie sound that seemed to cut through the soul.
The soldiers soon realized that it wasn't just the creatures they were fighting; it was also the organic matter which, in a way, tried to defend itself. As if it were some kind of ecosystem protecting itself from enemies.
But Val-Itani Industries did not have time for long strategic considerations. The order was clear: "Secure the area". The soldiers, now nervous and exhausted, were forced to continue forward, despite the casualties that were piling up.
They began to discover more and more remnants of the former colonists' terrible fates. The darkness deepened and the footsteps of the wild creatures drew nearer. Every time the special forces lost a man, the fear increased and the unity dwindled. It became clear that they were caught in a fight for survival against an enemy they barely understood.
Should they continue the fight, or retreat and report to their superiors the gravity of the situation? But with the merciless policies of Val-Itani Industries in mind, there was only one way forward for the hard-pressed soldiers. They had to continue fighting and ask for reinforcements.
It became a race against time as they tried to figure out how they could survive against an enemy – who was perhaps once part of the planet's very nature? They realized that this conflict was possibly more complex than they had ever imagined.
(11) Section Five
After several weeks of non-stop combat, it can now be reported that the special forces of Val-Itani Industries have secured a critical victory in the colony of Terminus II, located at the foot of Mount Anrock on the planet Lictarx. This campaign has been marked by bloody battles and great human cost as the forces have battled the monstrous mutants and unknown creatures that have haunted both the colony complex and the vast mines that stretch deep into Mount Anrock's interior.
The operation began as an expedition to re-establish Val-Itani Industries' control over the resource-rich mines of Terminus II, but it soon became clear that something far more sinister had taken root in the area. A previously unknown organic growth could soon be reported, slowly enveloping the mines and infecting the infrastructure. Along with this phenomenon, an army of mutants and creatures emerged from the darkness. They had settled in the factory sector and used the abandoned buildings and mine shafts for ambushes and attacks.
Val-Itani Industries' special forces took on the task with determination, despite the shocking lost of lives. The soldiers' attempts to retake the factory sector were repeatedly interrupted by sudden mutant attacks, and the mines proved to be full of traps and unfamiliar terrain, making it extremely difficult to make a quick and effective breakthrough.
Despite overwhelming opposition, it was ultimately technological superiority and raw determination that turned the tide of battle. Using advanced drones and heat-seeking equipment, the forces began mapping the mutants' lairs and organic material. Targeted bombardments were launched, followed by brutal attacks. One of the most significant operations occurred when the forces located and destroyed a giant mutant nest in one of the mines, which had acted as a sort of command center for the hostile creatures. This attack involved the heavily armed elite soldiers using heavy machinery and flamethrowers to fight their way through dark, claustrophobic shafts where they encountered mutated creatures of great strength and speed.
After countless casualties and fierce fighting, the special forces finally managed to gain control over both the factory sector and the majority of the mines. Once the mutants were defeated, the surviving soldiers immediately began securing the area. They instituted extensive fire purification procedures where any organic material that could carry the mutation was burned to ashes. It was an attempt to prevent the mysterious infection from spreading further. Large parts of the factory complex were also destroyed to eliminate any risk of future mutant attacks.
But the most challenging phase of the expedition is not yet over. As the forces reached deeper into Mount Anrock's mines, they encountered an underground barrier previously unknown. This section, now dubbed Section Five, is a huge network of tunnels and caves where nothing is known for certain. Attempts to penetrate this area have been stopped by mysterious energy disturbances, and several soldiers sent in to scout have not returned.
Reports suggest that Section Five may be home to something far worse than the mutants and creatures previously slain. All attempts to penetrate Section Five have been ordered halted for the time being until additional reinforcements and heavier equipment can arrive. There is speculation that this part of Mount Anrock may hold links to the planet's deepest secrets – and perhaps reveal the source of the organic material that has plagued the area.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Starfleet continues to explore the surface of the planet Lictarx, where they have discovered more and more mysterious entrances to the planet's interior. These openings appear to be part of a much larger system of underground tunnels that connect several parts of the planet with each other. What is hidden in these deep underground structures is still unknown.
Although the factory complex is now secured and the mutants in the outer area defeated, it is clear that Lictarx still harbors countless dangers. Reinforcements from Val-Itani Industries are on the way, and the future of both Terminus II and Lictarx will be decided in the coming months. For Val-Itani Industries, it is especially about maintaining overall command of the mission without Imperial interference.
(12) Mount Anrock
In a late twist, Val-Itani Industries, with a tenuous mandate in the Imperial Commissariat, has managed to gain time and resources to maintain control of the colonization of the desert planet Lictarx. This is due in no small part to the skillful diplomatic efforts of Trade Commissioner Corrad Valreos, who has secured the company's continued right to explore the colony of Terminus II as well as the entire planet, including the infamous Mount Anrock, which is said to be filled with rich resources.
Despite the growing uncertainty of hostile organisms disturbing the mission, Commissioner Andrew Foy, in charge of the Imperial Starfleet, has ordered the imperial support fleet to withdraw from Lictarx's surface. However, the fleet remains in orbit around the planet, suggesting that the Empire has not yet fully written off their interest in Lictarx.
With the removal of the Imperial Starfleet, Val-Itani Industries now has free rein to deal with the situation on the planet's surface. Their next step will be to control the hostile organisms that threaten the safety of the colonists, while securing access to the valuable resources of Mount Anrock.
Mount Anrock must be cleared of anything that stands in the way of Val-Itani Industries' ambitions, and no resources will be spared to ensure that this strategic region comes under the company's full control.
The desert planet of Lictarx is an important piece of the galactic economy, and this development could have far-reaching consequences for both the Imperial Commissariat and Val-Itani Industries' future dominance of the region.
(13) Voices of the Deep
After months of bloody fighting, exploration and strategic maneuvering, Val-Itani Industries has gained control of large parts of Terminus II. The special forces have cleared the colony of many of the mutants and secured the mines of Mount Anrock, but Section Five — the deep tunnels and mysterious network beneath the mountain — remains unclaimed and uncharted territory.
Reinforcements have been sent to the planet, this time with the heavy equipment needed to breach the underground energy barriers, and among the new arrivals is a small, elite group of scientists and engineers. These specialists are not only combat trained, but are selected for their knowledge of unknown energy forms and complex organic structures. Their mission is clear: step deeper into the heart of Mount Anrock and find the source of the mysterious organic matter whose growth only seems to increase in strength.
After the establishment of an additional line of defense at the entrance to Section Five, forces are assembled to penetrate deeper. Equipped with high-frequency energy dischargers and sonar-based mapping equipment, a contingent of elite soldiers and researchers move through the narrow, damp corridors. The tunnels vibrate with a latent energy, and some of the men believe they can hear a buzzing sound, almost like an echo from inside the rock.
The researchers quickly notice that this part of the mountain is not natural; the rock walls are mysteriously smooth, as if melted or shaped by some previously unknown technology or form of energy originating deep within Lictarx's core. One of the researchers, Dr. Brannard, notes that the minerals here have a unique composition, which may explain the energy barriers they encountered.
But there are not only minerals to be found in the tunnels. They soon discover traces of large, unknown creatures whose footsteps lead them further and further into the dark depths. At the same time, they note that the organic growth they have experienced so far is slowly changing character. It is denser here, and its color has changed from the dark green shade to a deep purple that almost pulsates in the dark.
Further into Section Five, the group is greeted by a sudden silence. The buzzing stops and the tunnels open up into a huge underground cavern. The cave walls are covered with the organic material, which glows faintly in purple and reddish tones and creates a surreal atmosphere. The group moves in slowly, weapons raised and senses heightened.
Suddenly, something emerges from the darkness – a figure formed from the organic material, a hybrid of the mutated beings. The creature is massive, with body armor that looks like stone and tissue, and eyes that glow in the dark. The scientists and soldiers freeze, caught in the terrifying creature's gaze.
The figure does not speak, but a voice fills everyone's heads, a cold and alien consciousness that directs words and thoughts directly into their minds: “You have violated my rest. My children and I were here long before your people came. What do you seek when you have brought death and fire to my home?”
The scientists and soldiers cannot answer; their bodies are paralyzed by the creature's telepathic power. It is clear that they are not only facing a biological enemy, but a species or creature with an intelligence and perhaps a consciousness they had never imagined.
After a few moments that feel like an eternity, the special forces strike in desperation. They fire their weapons and the noise of the shots fills the cave. The bullets hit the creature but seem to have no effect. Instead, the cave around them begins to move, and organic creatures – mutants and new creatures never before seen – begin to emerge from the shadows and surround the group.
A massive battle breaks out and the scientists make a hasty retreat towards the exit as the soldiers desperately try to hold the creatures back. Dr. Brannard manages to utter one last observation over the radio before the signal disappears: "It's a whole... it's a symbiosis between..."
Several soldiers fall in the fight, and the survivors are forced back towards the tunnels. With one last glance towards the cave, they see the large creature watching them, as if it knows their intentions and is just waiting for them to try again.
As the group, or what's left of it, reaches the security line, the mood is somber. Reports of the losses are sent back to Val-Itani Industries' management, who respond promptly. A struggle for power and control is now unfolding at headquarters, with some proposing to exterminate everything with even more violence, while others believe that some form of negotiation might be the most strategic solution.
A solution that awaits its decision.
(14) H.I.M.S. Protector
The fate of the planet Lictarx was sealed with the arrival of H.I.M.S. Protector, an armored imperial battleship whose massive presence in orbit around the planet signaled the Empire's final decision to put an end to the chaos at the old colony Terminus II. Commissioner-General Prince Eamonn, brother of the Emperor himself, had personally authorized this operation, and nothing less than the total annihilation of the colony and its threats would be accepted.
At the same time, Val-Itani Industries worked feverishly to salvage what could be salvaged. While they had formally lost control of the military operation, they had still secured the rights to exploit Lictarx's resources. This meant that any opportunity to preserve essential data, technological finds, and minerals from Mount Anrock was still vital to the company.
On the surface of Terminus II, the remaining special forces fought a desperate battle to hold back the mutated creatures and the aggressive organic growth. It was a race against time – as the imperial battleship prepared to bombard the area, Val-Itani-personnel attempted to secure laboratory data and mineral maps from the abandoned complex.
Amidst the chaos, Section Five, the deepest and most mysterious area of Mount Anrock, suddenly became active. A massive energy surge, affecting communications with the Protector, surged up from the depths. Several scientists and soldiers reported that beings from the lower mines were becoming more organized and aggressive, as if they were being led by a central intelligence. Val-Itani Industries refused to abandon the mission without understanding the source of the mysterious energy and the mutated beings. A team of volunteers was sent into the depths once more to investigate what lay behind the energy, and perhaps uncover the truth about Mount Anrock’s dark secrets.
Aboard the Protector, the imperial crew prepared for a massively concentrated bombing campaign. Prince Eamonn had given clear orders:
- Destroy Terminus II and its surroundings.
- No hostile organisms or uncontrolled technology were to survive.
- The planet was to be secured for the Empire.
However, Rear Admiral Varian, the battleship's commander, was skeptical. Several reports from reconnaissance drones suggested that the organisms on the planet were reacting differently than expected. These were not just mutations, but a bio-organic intelligence, possibly of planetary origin, that had been dormant for centuries and had now been awakened.
Despite these doubts, the Protector set in on the target coordinates. Preparations for the bombardment began, while emissaries from Val-Itani Industries tried to persuade imperial authorities to postpone the attack.
Meanwhile, deep beneath Mount Anrock, the dispatched team discovered something disturbing. A huge bio-organic structure not far from where the previous team of soldiers and scientists had been attacked by the giant creature. Was that where the energy and control of the creatures came from? The scientists theorized that it could be some form of planetary intelligence – perhaps even a leftover artifact from an alien civilization that had used Lictarx as a base?
The team attempted to collect samples, but the structure reacted violently to their proximity. Creatures poured in from all sides, none of the team made it back to safety.
The bombardment was authorized...
(15) The Leftovers
The flash of the massive plasma cannons from H.I.M.S. Protector had barely subsided before it was all over. The bombardment had not only obliterated Terminus II, but also most of the complex tunnel systems beneath Mount Anrock. For 15 minutes the planet's surface shook, and when the smoke and dust finally settled, all life in the area seemed extinct.
Val-Itani Industries, stripped of all control, watched from a safe distance. Everything they had invested in the colony was now gone - technologies, resources, and any chance of laying claim to the planet's rich mineral deposits without Imperial approval. For the Val-Itani, it was not only a financial loss, but also a shameful admission of their defeat to the Empire. But the defeat is no greater than that Val-Itani Industries has maintained their right to the planet's resources.
Once the remains had cooled, Imperial Marines landed in the outer reaches of Mount Anrock to begin a meticulous investigation. Drones and infantry were sent into the craters, crevices, and remains of the complex, but found only ash, charred steel structures, and collapsed tunnel systems. The bio-organic life that had previously threatened colonists and military forces alike had vanished without a trace.
As Imperial analysts attempted to understand the consequences of the destruction, new data reached military command. This analysis—based on previous discoveries from Terminus II, the deep mines, and the internal planetary structure of Lictarx, as well as Confederate intelligence—suggested that the mysterious bio-organic entity and energy structure might be related to the Ancients, a mythical civilization whose technology was known to be erratic and destructive.
The Ancients were an almost mythological subject among scientists and historians in the Agalun sector. According to previous Confederate reports, the Ancients had mastered a technology far beyond Confederate understanding—a technology that was often bio-organic in nature, creating a connection with what had been discovered under Mount Anrock.
The Histarctican theory proposed that the bio-organic entity and growths encountered by the expedition could be:
An ancient bio-weapons platform designed to adapt to and take over hostile environments. Some form of automatic defense mechanism activated by Histarctican intrusion. Or perhaps an intelligent, planetary biosphere designed to evolve and control itself as an integral part of a larger planetary strategy.
Although the theory was speculative, its implications were serious. If the Ancients had indeed left behind weapons or defense systems on Lictarx, similar discoveries could await elsewhere in the sector. This meant that Lictarx was possibly just the tip of the iceberg in a much larger context.
The Imperial Marines who explored Mount Anrock found no sign of the mutated creatures or the massive bio-organic structure that the expedition had reported before the bombardment. It had all disappeared – perhaps vaporized in the extreme heat of the bombardment or, as some speculated, drawn deeper into the planet’s subsurface.
A single Marine patrol did report something strange, however. In a ravine near one of the mines, they found small, pulsating bio-organic fragments that appeared to have survived. The fragments were immediately collected and sealed in a shielded laboratory for further analysis.
At the same time, scans detected signs of irregular energy fields deep beneath the planet’s crust – field lines reminiscent of those from Mount Anrock, but extending across the entire planet’s internal structure. It was as if the entire Lictarx was functioning as a gigantic energy network, perhaps designed to channel or accumulate power in a way that modern technology could barely comprehend.