In the vast untold regions of space, something stirred. A dark entity of dauntless hunger. Even now, its eyes - if it had any - shifted to the over-crowded world of Sartis-IV. There were lifesigns all around the world - it was simply teeming with life, food. The entity then turned its attention to the world - tethering its own psyche to the planet's lifesigns and pulling itself closer with each passing moment. 

The creature, however, needed a vessel in the world - a harbinger to 'soften things up' for its arrival. Dark energies reverberated from its dark appendages as it focused its awesome psychic powers into a single weak entity in the world - an entity to be its vessel. The creature grinned as it tore through the veils of a billion minds and found nearly all of them were weak enough to dominate.

But no....

It needed the perfect vessel. One whose disappearance or sudden shift in behavior would be ignored....

And so it found the perfect host in one Jean D'Liber, a former miner now refugee. His entire family had been afflicted with the Helix virus, and he watched as the soldiers' weapons tore through his wife and children with practiced ease. Now he was here, hopeless and in despair - alone in every sense of the word. 

In the solemn silence, not one of the crowd saw Jean's face contort and his eyes roll back into his head, nor did they notice the bluish streaks of psychic energies appearing all over his body for a few milliseconds. Not one, save for a boy in tattered clothes - a boy who wrapped himself tighter into his grandfather's robes in fear of what he'd seen. He blinked, and Jean wasn't there anymore; disappearing into the copious amounts of people.

The boy was scared but guided his grandfather,being his eyes. It wasn't a easy life,not since the attack on their station,they where travellers once,going from station to station looking for work.Now the work has stopped and the stations no more.

He led his grandfather to the truck struggling to navigate the dangerous wave of refugees clawing for food,the Corporation security forced them into orderly lines but the desperate tension between the wave remained.

"Remain calm there is enough food for everyone,we will get to you eventually..." A phrase the boy had gotten used to after his two year stay on this planet.

The red uniformed Imperial regulars would keep their weapons lowered but not holstered,meaning to intimidate any rabble that would try and spark unrest into the camp....Especially after the riot two days ago....Several men where cut down without warning by both Corporate and Imperial forces after they attacked one of the barracks.

The heat of the sun scorched the camp,there was no shade save the brief shadows cast by passing ships and the Imperial frigate that kept the planet secure from any Helix recon drones. The Terra Corporation had invested vast amounts of GSU Credits into the refugee camp,mostly as a PR-Scheme which helped increase their public investments by 204%.

The camp had several problems however,it was stuck in a desert world with little available water,most of it kept under strict guard by the Corporation in a reservoir 4 kilometers outside the camp.Several groups of "rebels" had attempted to break into it before but all had been chased back into the camp,with ration restrictions.

The boy and the old man where one of the last to get food,it was enough to let them get through the night...But not enough to sate the gnawing hunger that beset the camp.

The camp was beset bu rebellion,unrest spread like a disease which turned the refugees violent towards the Corporation who soon lost control over the situation.


Commodore Aren Fisk,a blonde haired human admiral stood on the deck of the Imperial frigate,stroking his clean shaven chin as he watched the chaos unfold on the holo-screen. "The Terra Corporation has ordered us to sort out the situation...." His Varanus first mate spoke with a hateful grin crossed inbetween his green-scaled face.Instead of facing the Helix like the other Imperials he and his crew was tasked with the glory-less mission of securing a bloody refugee camp.


"Would you kindly take control of the situation Commodore" The hologram of a man said in a rather southerner American accent.


"Dear Chairman I do not remember taking orders from you....." The Commodore replied


"Of course....I apologize but you know as well as I that the success of your project relies on the safe acquisition of the more unfortunate members of society....I promised your Imperator that we will assist in completing the project in return for....well you know what I want."


"It's about her isn't it?" 


"...................Take control of the situation please Commodore......"


"Of course."
 


The Corporate troops on the ground fell back as a wall of riot-geared soldiers approached bearing the logo of the Corporate Security branch.


Overhead the large frame of the frigate darkened the camp as it approached and roared orders from the intercom system littered across the camp.


"STAND DOWN NOW.....Return to your tents this is your first and final warning." Unlike the Corporation the Imperials where not concerned with their public view....They had little to lose if a few refugees where forced under a gun to conform....


The Corporate security forces had tazer rifles deployed and marched forward shocking those that would resist,the Imperial forces had all fallen back to the frigate that loomed overhead and lighted the camp with spotlights as the sun began to set.

It wasn't the drive for violence nor the absolutely horrendous need for supplies that brought the band of violent refugees here. It could even be said that they never had a choice to begin with. The moment they heard him speak, it was as if their will was no longer their own. They felt something stir their emotions, pushing them into acts they never would've done in their right minds - they felt a presence tug at their psyche, willing them on to follow whatever Jean had commanded them to do; whatever atrocities they would commit in the name of whatever cause had made them do this.

Indeed, they'd only been listening to whatever force within them had stirred such emotions. 

Be that as it may, the band of thousands of refugees had already committed atrocities....and stopping didn't seem possible at this point. 

 "FIRE AT THEM!"  Perhaps they shouldn't have listened to the commands of Jean, but it was too late now. Whatever regrets they had were already shed away by the deeds they'd committed. "ATTACK!"  


And so, with the weapons they'd managed to loot from the dead soldiers they'd killed prior, Jean's group of refugees opened fire towards the rows of soldiers. Those without ranged weapons simply charged like animals with their sharpened stakes and bludgeoning instruments. 


A great chaos ensued, and Jean smiled as he watched his merry little band wreak havoc - even at the expense of their own lives, his influence had already affected them to such a degree that they'd become suicidal in their charge; facing the soldiers head on even in the face of overwhelming suppressive fire from Imperial soldiers. 


Chaos....that was all he needed....

A sudden flash of light, and suddenly everything went to hell. 

"RETURN TO YOUR HOMES....THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!" 

They heard it. They heard it clearly and yet....their hearts could heed no warning. Once again they charged, to certain death. With only a few blasters and crude cave weapons, they attacked the guards and anyone else close to them. 

It was total chaos...and only one being benefited from it all.

.....

Away from the planet, a mining vessel strode onwards - speeding towards the world filled with refugees. There were no life signs on board, for what lay inside could hardly be called life. What lay inside was hunger, a terrible hunger that knew no satiation. 
.....

Jean smirk as he watched from afar, the chaos he'd spun. Softening up the planet indeed....

Jean's use had run out. 

His body flailed and fell to the ground in a sudden burst of psychic energy leaving his body. Jean's corpse slowly disintegrated as it lay on the sandy ground....

Ordrud's mental influence on the populace was still in place, and the creature did its best to maintain the chaos it had created. Sure enough, the populace was in complete tatters as they charged into machine gun fire. 

The mining vessel was nearing the planet. The Imperial fleet, docked in orbit, could clearly be seen from the vessel's bridge.

It won't take long now....

A small relief fleet of Imperial transporter frigates was stationed in orbit unaware of the chaos taking place on the planet.

"My lord....We are picking up a unidentified signal in the southern quadrant vector 88-9-01....It's the mining vessel that frequents the asteroid chain few lightyears away. " The radar ensign called.

"Company?"

"No,local miner named Jean and a crew of 8 others...No formal registration with a mining company or guild we know of." 

"Very well direct the mining vessel to the INS Kurmak for inspection."

"Yes lord"

The Ensign then opened communications with the mining vessel.

"Attention mining vessel proceed to the far left transportation frigate classified as Kurmak and prepare for inspection...."

Meanwhile on the ground.

The Imperial regiment pushed forward in senseless slaughter to the point that several of the marines began to hesitate in following orders.They where killing refugees....Some of which where Imperial citizens as well,the Captain in command of the regiment began questioning why the Commodore ordered such violence.

The Commodore would remain silent,telling them that this was for the good of the refugee camp...It was all to maintain order where the Terra Corporation had failed.The field was filled with the shredded corpses of the refugees,strewn across the dusty camp.

The Commodore had no authority to order such slaughter and the Marines knew that yet the Captain kept his grief and anger under a mask of obedience.