Know Thy Enemy: It's Name is Sathar!

JCab747's picture
JCab747
February 18, 2019 - 3:01pm
The purpose of this posting is to outline an idea for a story for Frontier Explorer magazine (2019). 

Spacefleet Intelligence Agency (SFIA)

Special Agent Dox Redlum, Human, male

Special Agent Zk'ul'eeK, Vrusk, female

Redlum and Zk'ul'eek travel to an asylum on Gran Quivera to interview the last survivor of an infamous concentration camp on New Pale from the First Sathar War.

The camp is known in the Frontier by the name of a destroyed Human settlement -- Mogkton -- that was nearby. A place of horrors, the Sathar experimented on captives to determine how long it would take them to die of starvation, from dehydration, their limits of pain tolerance, heat tolerance, cold tolerance, etc. The worms also conducted genetic manipulation on some of the prisoners.

All told, it is estimated that 2,000-3,000 New Pale settlers died at the camp. This represented a good portion of the planet's mostly Human colonists. During this time, the planet had been a Pan Galactic controlled agricultural colony, so many of the victims were PGC employees.

When the worms were finally driven out of Truane's Star, only about a dozen captives were liberated from Mogkton. 
Joe Cabadas
Comments:

JCab747's picture
JCab747
February 18, 2019 - 3:15pm
Many of the freed Mogkton captives were died within the first 25 years after the war. Three were still alive by 50 FY.

They had told stories of their captivity that UPF officials had found hard to believe. 

The commander of the Sathar camp was called either the "Dragon" or the "Demon Worm." The captives said the commander could sprout wings and fly. That the worm had features unlike any other Sathar and traveled in an immense saucer-shaped vehicle.

Given more recent intelligence, Redlum and Zk'ul'eeK are to talk to the the last survivor.

Year, approximately 50 FY.


Joe Cabadas

JCab747's picture
JCab747
February 18, 2019 - 10:57pm
the survivor is Ryan Belcher who was age 26 during the Sathar invasion of Truane's Star. Originally a PGC employee, he joined the New Pale resistance but was later captured and taken to Mogkton.

He was subjugated to Sathar genetic manipulation experiments, including having some sort of contact with the Demon Worm. These experiments left Belcher with a number of physical deformities -- affected the right side of his body only -- along with episodes of mental instability.

Belcher's right arm bulges as if were muscular, covered with hair, skin but also a chitinous armor. His right hand has become gnarled and clawed, but is useless for combat.

Likewise the right side of his body has chitnous armor like plates, but he must limp, dragging his right leg along.
Joe Cabadas

jedion357's picture
jedion357
February 19, 2019 - 6:26pm
3000 deaths for comparison is the Pearl Harbor attack or the 9/11 attack. What you describe is probably a low number and the fluff you presents sounds like a bigger number.

I know the population numbers in AD are hazy but a light population colony is probably much more than 3K. I live in a small town in Maine and it has 23k residents. Maine's total pop is over a 1 million, Vt is over 1/2 million.

Just throwing out numbers here but a outpost colony could have a few 1000 but a Light population colony probably has in neighborhood of 1/2 to a million residents. this gives a whole planet a population comparable to a less populous New England state. Which is ok in a society with air cars and potentially high speed mono rail.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!