Previous entry ‘Escape from hell’.
http://templarsoftherose.net/trgn/journals/test-swtor-journal-3
(A great big thank you to Zetera for editing.)
Fimfink hated the bag.
It was stuffy, claustrophobic, bouncy, disorienting and dark. The big demon hunter, ‘Ryo’ the others called him. Ryo had really long quick steps, felt like the bag was constantly vibrating up and down, it made it impossible to simply sit comfortably. On top of that Fim couldn’t tell which direction he was going, and every time Ryo took a corner too sharply or walked too close to something Fim got poked. It was bad enough he got motion sick easily, the pokes really were too much.
“Maybe I could at least get a bag with a window or something. Still better than being eaten though.” ‘Be useful or be food.’ That’s what Ryo told him. So long as Fim was useful he won’t be food. Well that’s the hope at least.
Fim felt himself set down on a solid surface. He loved solid surfaces, not bouncing him around or throwing him through the air, just solid and stable. The Imp pulled the mouth of the bag open allowing the light to flood in, and found himself back in Ops, sitting upon the rarely used meeting table. He glanced around the room to orient himself, noting the big guy was staring at him expectantly and the main three Illidari Thorn, Valencia and Silysa were all gathered around.
“Okay the maps are in that cabinet there.” He gestured to where they kept the old paper maps. Judging by the fact that the lights were still off, the power probably never got restored, which meant all the computers were still dead.
“I believe I hath found it!” Thorn reported then bought the map over and spread it across the table.
Fim stepped onto map, “Okay so we’re in luck my job was so boring I read every operations guide at least ten times, including ‘compromised prison recapture procedures’ so I know everything about everything about how they’re going to storm in here.” Fim couldn’t help but smile and stand a bit taller. This felt good. Maybe it was showing up his bosses that stuck him with the crummy Illidari sitting job, maybe it was finally do something different from his tedious, boring day to day life, he wasn’t sure, but he felt grand. “Alright so the primary targets are Ops where we are now, the Central Power core, and the Lockdown suppression field generator.” He walked across the map pointing out the areas as he listed them off.
“Wait.” Valencia interrupted. “What’s a ‘suppression field’?”
“Oh it’s how we keep the–” Fim cut himself off short, realizing he needed to pick his words carefully. He glanced up at the four Illidari figures towering above him. None of them looked upset, well except Ryo but, ‘grim, pissed off and determined’ seemed to be his only expression. Fim started again, “I mean, it’s how the *Legion*, those rat bastards… keeps prisoners docile. Fairly new tech, not all the prisons have them yet.”
“But what does it do?” Valencia inquired further.
“Well umm, okay you know how Succubi can cause feelings of joy, arousal, lust and such? Well the suppression fields are the like that but the opposite. They cause feelings of depression, hopelessness, sadness… oh and they REALLY $#@* with your perception of time and memories. Each of the cells has one, as well as the master lockdown suppression field for the whole facility. They’ve had zero escapes since they started using them — um well until today I suppose.”
Valencia nodded. “That explains why I feel so much better outside of the cell.” Thorn and Silysa nodded in agreement. “But, wait you said there was one for the whole facility?”
Fim nodded. “Yeah, but don’t worry. The only way to activate it is the emergency switch.”
“Where might one findth this switch of which you spoke? Could we somehow yield the suppression field against the demons?”
“Um… Well…” Fim gestured to a damaged section of wall with an exposed wire hanging from it. “I guess Ryo must have known about it. That’s where it’s supposed to be. After he grabbed me he ripped the control panel out of the wall and threw it out the window. And no, they only work on Illidari not demons.”
“He didn’t just snap the handle off he ripped it clean out of the wall,” Silysa noted in surprise without actually looking at the damaged section of wall. Fim thought it was creepy how she does that. It’s like she’s blinder than the others yet somehow sees more.
Valencia raised an eyebrow and slowly shifted her gaze to Ryo. He didn’t seem to notice or care, his gaze remained fixated on the map. With an annoyed edge to her voice she asked, “Is there anything you don’t do by sheer bloody force?”
“Taxes.” He replied in a booming montone.
Fim chuckled. “Probably because he doesn’t do them at all.”
Ryo gestured to the ‘central power core’ section of the map. “Self-destruct?”
Fim nodded. “Yeah in case of total facility loss there is a remote controlled self destruct. It’ll wipe out the entire asteroid.”
“‘Remote controlled’ doest thou mean they might destroy us without portaling in?” Thorn asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
“Nah, Legion policy is to recapture.” Fim explained. “Far as anyone knows, in the Twisting Nether, death works the same for you guys as it does us. Die here and you’re gone forever, and ‘Big S’ himself declared, ‘Anyone that opposes the Legion shall suffer for all eternity’ and he damned well meant it. They’ll send in a squad of Jailers and Succubi, they’ll use mind tricks to make you fight each other to wear you down then use banishing cages to trap and transport.”
“I hath not heard of these ‘banishing cages’ of which you speak.”
“Like the ‘Banish’ spell, but in a mobile cage. Sticks you in a pocket dimension just outside of normal reality. You’ll be unable to move or do anything but on the plus side nothing can hurt you… until they let you out anyway.” Fim explained.
“Victory lies in defeat.” Silysa commented suddenly and quietly.
Thorn gave her a raised eyebrow. “Art thou speaking in riddles again, Silysa?”
“I say what the goddess tell me.” She replied in soft, yet matter of fact tone.
“I don’t suppose the goddess has more details, does she?” Valencia sighed as she rested her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. “Most of our people barely have the will to stand, resisting mind control is out the question. We cannot hope to win in a straight out fight.”
Silysa shrugged, the goddess had nothing more to offer.
“Then we four shalt simply storm the first portal that opens and seize the vessel by force! The enemy won’t expectith that. We four are much stronger than the rest giving us the best chance of resisting their dark whispers!” Thorn declared boldly.
“Umm… you have to understand…” Fim chimed in. “…these aren’t your garden variety Succubi, they’ll be the really hardcore badasses. Born and breed for exactly this kind of thing, you may be mighty Thorn, but they have tons of experience, backed up by the sheer numbers on their side.”
Thorn looked a bit deflated, his shoulders sank. “Surely we must haveth something to see us to victory this day.”
“A bomb.” Ryo answered.
Valencia sighed. “Ryo, if your plan is to set off the self-destruct and kill us all when they show up… well… I actually prefer that to being recaptured.” She admitted.
Ryo reached out and placed a hand upon Valencia shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “Don’t worry.”
Elsewhere…
Carmarthras the dread lord paced across the topside deck of his ship, this distraction from his schedule was quite irksome. He was on route to Argus to join the defensive fleet in preparation of the rumored ‘Bridge event’ when he got orders to check on some prison asteroid. A real fight might be coming and he got delayed because some idiots failed to maintain their equipment. He glanced around from the deepest black ahead of them to the fel green and yellow tunnel that surrounded the ship. He was always annoyed warp travel didn’t allow him to see the stars flying by, it made it feel like they weren’t actually moving at all.
“We’re nearing the destination.” The helmsman reported. “Breaking warp in 3.. 2.. 1..”
The black ahead of them suddenly swallowed the tunnel. Points of light flew past, streaking by like comets, a purple dot ahead of them grew and grew, and took shape as a large misshapen potato, then became their destination.
“We’re getting a visual of the facility now.” The Gan’arg at the sensor controls reported then put a picture on the main screen.
Carmarthras was surprised, perhaps even a bit reassured that his time may not have been wasted. “Damage report.” He barked.
“Comms is gone, Ops is wrecked, someone did a number to this place… hold on. We’re getting a signal, short range radio on the emergency frequency.”
“Patch it through.” There’s a short chime indicating the channel was open. “This is Ship Commander Camarthras of the Sargeras’ Fury, respond.” He demanded with a well practiced tone of authority.
“Oh thank the Dark Titan! This is Fim of prison facility Omega-1387. I am declaring a full state of emergency!”
“Understood… ‘Fim’ was it? We’ll be in portal range shortly. What’s your status? According to the records your facility should have a master suppression system. Is it active?”
“I’m fine but-but-but everyone else is dead!” The panic caused the Imp’s voice to hit a particularly squeaky tone. “I had to pretend to help the Illidari to keep them from eating me! But yes it’s working, that damn Illidari giant ripped the control out of the wall, but I managed sneak away, get a wall panel open and bypass the switch.”
Carmarthras smirked. “Illidari fools thought a loyal agent of the Legion could be used against us. Well done Fim.”
“Umm yeah… loyal hehehe… THAT’S me and… Shit… shit shitt SHIT!!!” Fim screeched through the radio.
“What?” The dreadlord demanded.
“The-the-the big one, and few of the others are resisting the field! They’re heading for the power core right now! They know about the self destruct! They said they’ll blow themselves up rather than be recaptured!”
This could be a chance for Carmarthras to prove himself as a commander. If he could prevent the prison’s destruction and capture the escapes, his superiors would be pleased. “Helmsman get us to portaling range of the power facility.” He turned to his executive officer a Wrathguard named Klekshak. “Ready our best fighters to deal with the escapees heading for the core, they will defeat them and bring them to me… alive, and prepare recovery teams to extract the rest.”
“Fighters? You want to take them by force? Why not just use the Tinale and her Succubi?”
The dreadlord shook his head, he should have snapped at Klekshak for not jumping to execute his order immediately, but he had a valid question. “I want the troops to get some practice in case the ‘Bridge Event’ comes to pass, this is a perfect chance for them to test themselves against the Illidari. Most likely they’ll beat them soundly, if somehow they should be defeated then they’re useless to us and we’ll be able to get replacements. Have Tinale on stand-by just in case.”
Klekshak nodded and set to his tasks.
Carmarthras turned his attention back to the matters at hand. “Fim are you still there?”
“Yeah. I heard everything. Tell your guys not to underestimate that big demon hunter, he’s like a freaking Illidari legend or something.”
“My troops will handle them, a recovery team should be with you shortly.”
Continued in part 2 here.
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