Battle of Dantooine (Hteg War)

Shakedown
The RSS Bespin was en route to Dantooine for her shakedown mission, but as Captain Nosredna and Kiyrk Sulhin explained to Commander Drapehs in private, there was more at stake here than a test run. A Rakatan Beacon had been unearthed on Dantooine and the Bespin had been sent to retrieve it. This was also going to be an evaluation mission for Drapehs, to see if the commander was ready to become a Council Agent.

As they approached the planet, Comedian picked up a transmission of Republic marines - including a female gunnery chief - on the surface taking heavy losses against an unseen enemy. The message showed an enormous dreadnought in the sky before it cut out.

Once they reached Dantooine, Comedian dropped Kiyrk off - Kiyrk planning to scout ahead - then brought the Bespin to the second insertion point. Along with Lieutenant Nadiak Oknela and Corporal Sinkenj, Drapehs headed out onto the surface. The colony was burning and there were bodies everywhere - radio chatter from Kiyrk suggested there was worse to come. As they headed toward the dig site, they are ambushed by Hteg assault drones and Sinkenj was killed. Drapehs and Oknela had to leave him and continue on. A Republic marine came running from the other direction, the woman who was on the distress transmission, who was being chased by more drones and Hteg troops. With her help they manage to kill the Hteg and earn a brief respite.

The marine introduced herself as Yelhsa Smailliw. Her unit was dispatched to guard the beacon, but then the Hteg arrived and her whole unit was killed. She reasoned that the Hteg were on Dantooine for the beacon. Drapehs asked Yelsha to come along and lead them to the dig site, but when they arrived, the beacon had been moved. Over the radio, Kiyrk said he was going to the local spaceport to see what he can find. Drapehs' team headed up to the dig site's camp looking for survivors and run into more Hteg. Once the area was secure, Drapehs found two survivors in the camp, Dr Nerraw and her assistant Leunam. Nerraw said the beacon was taken to the spaceport that morning. Drapehs asked if they had seen Kiyrk, their Nairut ally. Leunam gibbered that he'd seen a Nairut, but it was before the attack. This confused Drapehs and Oknela - wasn't Kiyrk on the Bespin?

Agents and Survivors
Ahead at the spaceport, Kiyrk was checking the area when he saw Suiretra Neras, another Nairut Agent. Surprised, Kiyrk asked what he was doing on Dantooine. Suiretra spoke reassuringly, saying he'd come to back Kiyrk up. Kiyrk started looking around: Suiretra pointed a pistol at the back of his head.

A shot echoed as Drapehs led his Special Operations team to the spaceport, but they were distracted as an enormous ship, the dreadnought from the transmission, took off from the surface from somewhere up ahead. Drapehs clears the area of Hteg and founds three survivors hiding nearby. They told Drapehs that the Hteg came out of that ship, which was emitting some sort of horrible noise. Under questioning one of the survivors, Eloc, confesses he was involved in a small smuggling ring on Dantooine and handed over the weapons he was hoarding.

Down at the spaceport platform, Oknela spotted Kiyrk's body. As they went to investigate, a man popped up from behind the crates and Drapehs nearly shot him by accident. His name was Lewop; he told them that he saw everything, a Nairut called Suiretra killed Kiyrk. Suiretra was leading the Hteg. Lewop also told them that the beacon was taken to the other train platform earlier on and that Suiretra had gone that way. Drepahs took the team on the cargo train to intercept him.

The Beacon
Approaching the Rakatan beacon, Suiretra told one of the Hteg to set charges to destroy the colony and all evidence that they were here. As he got closer to the beacon, a mysterious force suddenly pulled him off the ground.

Drapehs' team arrived at the other platform and spotted a demolition charge. Oknela and Smailliw held off the Hteg while the commander disabled the charges one by one. Finally they spotted the beacon, intact and apparently active. Drapehs called the Bespin to report their success. Smailliw, curious about the beacon, took a look at it, but got too close and the beacon reacted with a security field. Drapehs intervened but was caught in the field instead, pulled off the ground like Suiretra was. The commander's mind was assaulted by a horrific vision - war, synthetics murdering thousands of beings. The beacon exploded and the blast knocked Drapehs unconscious.