[Episode V - NR][M10 - Sarapin - NR3F] The Doctor's High Temperature - The Sleemo Seven (V)

The Doctor

Veyra Keth could taste the acrid bite of Sarapin's air even through her rebreather. Heat shimmered off rivers of lava, turning the horizon into a wavering mirage.

She would never have come to this cursed world if not for what lay beneath it. Rhydonium.

The Remnant saw it as fuel, something to ignite their campaign on Reytha. She could never understand the crude brutality of the Imperial war machine. Veyra saw something more.

She knelt beside a row of bright red canisters. This wasn't just raw energy, but untapped potential. There were transformative properties buried in the complex chemical sequences here.

Her work on Trianii had earned her a reputation. She had tailored a neurochemical agent, 'quite masterfully' she thought to herself, and had turned the population rabid. Friends, families, and even entire cities collapsing into controlled madness. Those who survived had been rendered sterile.

The Empire had claimed the world without firing a shot. She saw it as her magnum opus, a response to the stormtrooper battalions and their brutal tactics. Pure efficiency.

Her mind raced now with possibilities. Rhydonium could be refined, weaponized, and made more subtle. She could feel the power radiating from the canisters.

Still, the troopers assigned to her detail unsettled her. They barely spoke a word on their journey here.

Reports spoke of assassinated senior Imperial leaders, dead without warning, and without a trace of the perpetrators. In an effort to protect her, Remnant leaders had given her this trooper protection. They had called them Execution Troopers.

She found herself hoping the title referred to their mission for these assassins, and not herself...

---

"You know," Veyra said idly, turning toward one of them, "I may be the only one left in the Empire who understands that weapons need not be blasters and cannons."

The skull-faced helmet turned toward her, and adjusted his hold of his large blaster rifle.

Even through the heat, a chill crept down her spine. The trooper said nothing, and turned away.

All around them, Sarapin laborers worked- hauling equipment, mining the ground and tinkering with machinery across the molten rock and rusted platforms.

What a miserable place, she thought. The sooner I leave, the better.

---

Above, one of the troopers stumbled slightly as a worker squeezed by him. "Move along, ash-brain," the trooper's voice crackled, shoving them.

The worker stopped, turned to face the trooper, and shoved him back.

"Take your blasted Rhydonium and leave," the worker snapped. "Don't you have enough scraps of an Empire left for you to terrorize?"

The trooper fumbled with his long rifle- he was armed for taking out assassins at a distance, but not this.

The worker recognized the hostile move, raised a heavy wrench, and charged.

---

Tarnov noticed the commotion above, and whispered softly through his comm. "We need to take The Doctor now."

A blaster shot cracked through the air, and the trooper next to Veyra dropped instantly, armor wheezing as he hit the ground.

Veyra spun to face the barrel of Tarnov's blaster.

"Are you insane?!" she shouted. "Stop firing! One stray shot and this entire facility goes up!" Her eyes narrowed behind the rebreather. She studied him, regaining her composure.

"Do you know who I am, Duros?" Her emphasis on his species spoke venomous volumes.

"I do," Tarnov said coldly. "Doctor Veyra Keth."

Behind her, the second trooper vanished over the platform's edge, armor clanging once before disappearing into the lava below. A brief hiss marked the end.

"Innumerable worlds have suffered because of you," Tarnov continued. "You just make sure you’re never there to see it."

Veyra sidestepped, hoping to put some distance between her and Tarnov. She realized her mistake too late.

The heat surged behind her. Lava churned just inches below. She was trapped.

"You're the assassins," she said, steadying herself. "You're the one's who killed Kaelor and Serik."

Tarnov's companions stood nearby, observing the scene. "And Moff Voss," Kessa added curtly.

Veyra's gaze flicked between them. "Why?" she demanded. "Do you understand what I'm worth? To the Remnant? To the Republic? I could be-"

"A useful asset? A ransom?" Tarnov stepped closer, and she leaned back, her footing slipping as molten rock licked at her boot.

"Oh, we know exactly what you’re worth," he said. "But we’re not here to bargain." The lava's glow reflected in his deep red eyes.

"We’re here to end your uncapped terror." His tone, even altered by the rebreather, clearly left no room for debate.

Veyra's voice sharpened. "Everything I've done was in pursuit of science, of medicine, of progress!" Blank, angry glares were her only response.

Then Tarnov lunged forward quickly, and with a single shove, Veyra Keth vanished into the lava. She was gone in an instant with barely a sound.

---

Everyone was silent, only the low churn of molten rock remained.

Kessa exhaled slowly. "That one was well deserved." Ryla didn't respond. Her gaze lingered on the bubbling surface below.

Tarnov lowered his weapon, still shaking with anger at the Doctor's words. "Deserved, but that doesn't make it easier."

"Reinforcements will be here soon," Kavren said. "I don't want to stay here a moment longer than we need to."

Kessa nodded. "Are the charges set?" Ryla nodded in confirmation. Tarnov gave one last look at the Rhydonium stores, and was thankful they'd never be used for the Doctor's brutal designs.

"Then let's make sure the Remnant can't use this stuff for any of their twisted reasons."

Kessa looked up at a group of workers who had now gathered. "I'd recommend you all get very far away from here, and quickly!" She called out.

---

The Sleemo crew made their own escape quickly, disappearing into the smoke and heat as sirens began sounding across Sarapin.

Once they were clear of the facility, it erupted. Fire tore through the platforms as Rhydonium ignited in a chain reaction, turning the mining operation into an expanding inferno. Towers collapsed into lava. Shockwaves rippled across the molten fields.

From a distant ridge, the crews and workers watched in silence.

One more name crossed off. "This mission has cut us down to five," Kessa said quietly.

Tarnov didn't look away from the flames. "The last few haven't been easy,” he admitted.

Kavren checked his weapon. "Good. I'm not interested in easy. I'm interested in making these monsters pay."

They knew they had two more names on their list, though they only knew the identity of one- "The Admiral". The other, "The Spy", was as mysterious as their title indicated.

Ryla had suggested going underground with her connections on Gyndine, probing the underworld network for more information.

---

A bit of a smaller build this time, but I had a lot of fun building "lava" for the first time! I feel like the rock work has improved as well, and a huge thanks for the other folks from the Flame of Zhar who have been giving great advice and notes on how to improve on terrain detailing 🙂

As always, I'd appreciate any notes, critiques or advice for future builds, and would love to hear how you like this build!