Star Wars 5 BBY - The Imperial Fist

OOC: As some of you may have read in Jocasta's Kev-Mas is without net right now and has passed the reigns of his character to me for the time being, that said, here we go.

Kev-Mas Colcha
And the 53rd Shadow Stormtrooper Squad
Shadow Messenger & battle
CT-01 Airspace

Lift-Off

Brinlon Vosk and the remaining members of the 53rd squad had just finished strapping themselves into their harnesses when the alarm for hyperspace reversion sounded off. As the occupants of the ship felt the deceleration from hyperspace Kev-Mas activated the ships sensors which quickly tied into those of the Redacted.

The flight decks holoprojectors sprang to life and crimson outlined images of the rebel force organized around CT-01 came to view. One of the troopers let slip a ?by the maker? before Vosk told him to stow it. Kev-Mas for his part let the slip slide as he eyed the all to familiar forces organized against the Empire.

It was all so very familiar, like a scene out of the Clone Wars transplanted right into the present. The only difference was that instead of Kev-Mas commanding a Venator and a battalion of clones as a General, he was commanding a squad of six men as one of the Emperors personal guards. Colcha regretted nothing about where he was, but a small part of him, deep in the recesses of his mind wished to be at the lead of this attack, not just a game piece.

None of that mattered for the moment however, as the order came down from the Admiral to launch all forces. Kev-Mas switched the Shadow Messenger from standby to full power and the systems lit up like a Life Day tree. The ship vibrated as heavy repulsor lifts kicked in and the craft lifted up off the deck. The ship lurched forward as its landing gear raised up in to the hull.

Beyond the blue barrier of the hangar?s force field Kev-Mas watched a flight of the SD?s TIEs leave the opposing hangar, followed quickly by a group of lumbering Stormtrooper transports. Pumping power into the engines the Shadow Guard guided the ship into formation along with the DX-9s. Kev-Mas could easily push the craft to the head of the group but years of experience let him know that charging head-long into battle would likely lead to never reaching it.

Keeping the Star Courier at fifty five megalights and locked in behind one of the DX-9s Kev-Mas kept an eye the battle-group?s collective sensor-net. A flight of Y-wings and the old staple of Vulture droids was meeting the Empire?s TIEs between the two capital groups. Things were clearly on the Empire?s side however, until the sensor-net pinged another two squadrons being launched from CT-01.

Comm-chatter broke out as Imperial pilots panicked and broke ranks, scattering at the onslaught of the new fighters. Imperial fighters. The rebellious scum were using Imperial Prototypes to facilitate their heretical ideals. It was outrageous, it was insulting. The thought of Imperial technology being used for such perversions almost made Kev-Mas sick to his stomach as it caused anger to well up inside him.

The Shadow Guard raised a gloved hand and began flipping switches on his overhead console. The ship?s rounded S-foils folded out, granting it a more TIE like appearance and maneuverability. Activating the comm Kev-M

 

Geonosis Orbit
TL-1200 Transport Duraless

"They sound unhappy," the Cerean noted.

"Eh, galaxy's full of disappointments," Mij muttered in reply as he waited patiently for a response from the other ship. "But you'd think that whoever posted the job in the first place would be interested on what could be found down there."

The Cerean shrugged in reply.

The comm channel soon became active again as the voice that they had been speaking with the entire time came back on. Mij stood calmly as the voice ranted but, upon hearing the conditions - a double in fines and that they were to be left alone during the search -, the captain had to raise a brow. His hand twitched at that, as if seeking the feel of the flask, but he held back on the habit. Instead, he brought the hand to his mouth as he audibly cleared his throat.

"Well that's a nice set of conditions that you're requesting," he spoke aloud. "But if it'll get you to do the job then, by all means, we will accept this arrangement. I doubt we'll be seeing any Imperials anytime soon but we will keep an eye out for any that decide to pay an unexpected visit." Looking back at the Cerean he quickly spoke an order of, "Send them the coordinates."

Striker and her group would get a map shown on the displays of the Blastboat a second later. The planet of Geonosis hovered in front of their eyes before it suddenly magnified, giving them a closer look at it's sandy surface full rocky plains with canyons and cliffs sliced within. It was one of these canyons that became highlighted, showing them the exact location that was to be searched.

"Imperial personnel have been vanishing in and around this canyon range. More in-depth sweeps unveiled hollow points beneath the surrounding surface; hidden tunnels and catacombs no doubt. We're assuming it's because these canyons are only a few miles away from where the Battle of Geonosis took place. Specifically, where the Jedi strike team had infiltrated the arena and kicked off the whole war with their Grand Army. An extravagant tunnel system had no doubt been made and used to evacuate key Separatist personnel...as well as whatever information and schematics they were carrying. That Geonosian droid foundry that had warranted a second Republic invasion is actually not that far off either, hence why we hope to find something worthwhile."

Mif coughed. "Excuse me. You. Whenever you're ready, you can start your search. We'll be up here in case you need anything. Duraless out."

The transmission was cut off soon after the proclamation, bringing the entire bridge into silence. No one said a word, and a deep frown had immediately formed on Mij's face. It was after a minute had ticked by that his sensor officer, having become quite uneasy herself, suddenly spoke.

"You didn't tell them."

Mij snorted. "No I didn't. But what did you want me to say? That the Imperials have been telling ghost stories down below?"

"You remember my work here in the Engineering Corps," she insisted. "We found a few...unsettling things when we were blasting tunnels." She shuddered, the memory giving her chills. "Real creepy stuff."

"So you've told me," murmured Mij in exasperation. "You heard them though; they want to do this alone. We'll be here for them just in case they change their minds but the salvage is all that our superiors care about."

"Yes, sir."

TAG: Ktala, grey, Liam




Corellian Orbit
Shipyards, DP20 Frigate

"It won't take long," Roland promised, hoping to remain useful to the group so that they don't decide to rethink about the idea of killing him. "I was just wrapping it up when I heard a noise and came to investigate! I just need another minute and then I can unlock everything." He focused on the control panels, his hands moving to input commands. "Navigations will be restored, engines and hyperdrive will be unlocked, and then we can get out of here."

If there was something funny to be found in all this, it almost sounded as if the technician was believing he had thrown in his lot with them. Of co

 

IC: Romeyn Oakes
The Blue Mynock-Geonosis Orbit

Romeyn had returned to the rear of the Skipray Blastboat in order to prepare his few belongings in the event that their salvage mission got underway. Over the thrum of the engines, he had barely heard Grim ask about Imperial Stormtroopers. Hadn't even heard Striker's answer. At this point, such an encounter would hardly have surprised him but those white armored warriors of the Empire gave him the chills. Their emotionless behavior, the way they carried out their orders, the stories he had heard even on his family ranch back home on Roon. They really were death on two feet.

Focus.

Romeyn's weathered hands fumbled with his 9118 blaster carbine as he stared down at the cold blackness of its exterior remembering the first life he had ever taken with the weapon. The eyes of a nerf stared back at him, its mouth bellowing in pain as it had been caught in the vicious trap of a poacher. Most of the leg had been torn up in the ensuing trap and there was little Oakes could have done for the poor girl.

He had pulled the trigger, tears flowing down his face, one of the herd that he had actually been attached to. The last time he had ever allowed himself to be so close to an animal that his family owned and raised since birth. It made separation easier that way. Made dealing out death easier. Made him sleep at night, though he would still have nightmares of those dark, abyss like eyes, staring up at him, begging him to help. Begging him to end its troubled life. Every time in the dream, he woke up just as he was pulling the trigger, the sound of his blaster carbine echoing in the caverns of his mind.

Caverns. Somebody is speaking about caverns Oakes thought as he finished readying his carbine and subsequent energy cells. The word had resonated deeply with him for some reason, drawing him from his dark thoughts. His attention, and physical presence, returned to the cockpit. Eyes piercing the displays as coordinates were shown regarding Geonosis and their salvage mission.

"So, they're sending us underground to find the salvage. I always knew there was a reason I enjoyed staying above the surface. You can see what is going to kill you," Oakes grumbled as he chewed on some dried nerf meat.

Tag: Ktala, Grey

 

Striker
Geonosis Orbit

Oakes moved to the back, as Striker and Grim waited to the Transport to respond. They didnt have to wait long.

"Well that's a nice set of conditions that you're requesting," The man replied. "But if it'll get you to do the job then, by all means, we will accept this arrangement. I doubt we'll be seeing any Imperials anytime soon but we will keep an eye out for any that decide to pay an unexpected visit."

Striker responded. "Accepted then."

Suddenly, her ships computer comlink went active once more. After a scan she saw on the ships displays, a map. The planet of Geonosis hovered in front of their eyes before it suddenly magnified, giving them a closer look at it's sandy surface full rocky plains with canyons and cliffs sliced within. It was one of these canyons that became highlighted, showing them the exact location that was to be searched.

"Imperial personnel have been vanishing in and around this canyon range. More in-depth sweeps unveiled hollow points beneath the surrounding surface; hidden tunnels and catacombs no doubt. We're assuming it's because these canyons are only a few miles away from where the Battle of Geonosis took place. Specifically, where the Jedi strike team had infiltrated the arena and kicked off the whole war with their Grand Army. An extravagant tunnel system had no doubt been made and used to evacuate key Separatist personnel...as well as whatever information and schematics they were carrying. That Geonosian droid foundry that had warranted a second Republic invasion is actually not that far off either, hence why we hope to find something worthwhile."

Oh FORCE!! Striker thought to herself, as she scanned the map closely. She downloaded a copy to her datapad, as she studied the terrain closely. She stayed quiet as she looked over the information.

The man coughed. "Excuse me. You. Whenever you're ready, you can start your search. We'll be up here in case you need anything. Duraless out."

"Mynok, Out." she muttered, and cut off her comlink.

The transmission died.

By that time, Oakes had walked back in, and was listening to the end of the transmission.

"So, they're sending us underground to find the salvage. I always knew there was a reason I enjoyed staying above the surface. You can see what is going to kill you," Oakes grumbled as he chewed on some dried nerf meat.

Striker looked up, a dark frown on her face. "Those weren't hockers." she said after a long moment. "They agreed far too easily, with our terms. They didnt even blink an eyebrow." she growled darkly. "So, we go in, and we go in hot, because this dosent smell right. They didnt even ask if they could have someone join us, to make sure we dont snip em."

She pulled back her goggles, and sighed. "Lovely, we got a place were they say the Jedi used. On the plus side, probably not booby trapped. But, someone might be monitoring it." She snorted softly. "Knowing my luck, the dang place could be haunted. I've heard some pretty nasty stories...." Striker grew quiet, letting that thought go. She gave a deep sigh. Time for a new tact.

Striker stood up, sipping her caffa, as she pointed to a place on the map.
"Luckily, with this terrain, If someone has walked on that surface, then I will find it. For all we know, could be some tech gone loco ... and killing everything in sight."

She pointed towards a close hollow spot. A supposed opening. "And we wear trackers. If there is a catacomb down there, it would be too easy to get lost. Lots of places to set an ambush. So we dont give them a chance."

Striker tapped on her goggles. "I can see in UV and see heat sources among other things, but I only got one other pair. So we're going to have to play it smart. It could be some simple beast, using the holes to hunt on whatever wanders by. Imperials aint the smartest of the pack."

Striker looked back at the others. "One thing for sure, they are desperate to find SOMETHING down there. So we better watch our backsides."

Striker looked over towards Grim. "See if you can

 

Bbaru, The Middle of Nowhere

Grinning confidently at having managed to ambush two distracted ships slower than his own, Bbaru clicked happily as he swung the MorningStar lazily towards the remaining trio.

What was left of them, anyway. With wide eyes and a lungless gasp (helpfully translated by his vocoder), he watched in shocked admiration as the relatively massive corvette twisted agilely to set its turbolaser turrets on a well-planned intercept course, the competent lieutenant easily reading the untrained smugglers' predictable movements. The Headhunter and its lookalikes, expecting to slip behind their quarry before unloading their missiles, were torn to pieces by a convergent array of viridescent blasts before that opportunity could arrive. Its shields and sublight engines crippled, along with other debilitating damage, the leading Z-95 limped away from the scattered debris which had been its wingmates moments ago.

The Gand was snapped awake from his astonishment by the crackle of his comm: the Rendili Light was hailing the damaged starfighter on the same public channel it had used to contact Bbaru. "Unidentified Headhunter, this is Lieutenant Kol Arantis of the Imperial Customs Ship Impinger." The words were familiar, but the controlled anger evident in his tone was new, likely due to the minor damage that his ship's hull had taken in the skirmish. The corvette's shields having dropped during the maneuver, it had been mildly scratched by the nearby explosions of the two Cannibalizers and their missile banks; the lasers had singed the armor plating but done little more than that to the sturdy vessel.

"Your craft has been IDed and tagged," the lieutenant continued, "and Customs is now informed that you fired on my ship without provocation and were reported as a smuggler by a citizen of the Empire. Luckily for you, I don't have the time to deal with you myself, but that also includes taking you aboard. You have twenty seconds to jump out of this sector before we open fire."

Those words sparked a Force vision that led Bbaru to come up with the worst plan in the galactic history of terrible plans.

Krash's lackey would want to jettison unnecessary components to lose mass, as his wounded ship would need all the help it could get to make the jump to hyperspace. However, starfighters weren't generally capable of doing so mid-flight; cargo ejection functionality was probable given that this was a smuggler's craft, but that would be the extent of it...other than the concussion missiles. While a small fraction of the ship's total mass, firing them would still be of use.

The relevance of his precognitive abilities here was simple: he knew precisely in which direction the Headhunter would be turning to empty its missile bays. Additionally, due to the fifteen second time limit and the Issagra smuggler's undisguised loathing for Imperials, the pilot wouldn't be wasting his time explaining his actions on the comm. He'd be half hoping to be killed swiftly in response to his firing, rather than to be apprehended at a later date by Customs as Arantis had promised. That comm silence meant that, even though Bbaru knew what was about to happen...the corvette's commanding officer did not.

And thus ensued a moment of brilliant stupidity as Bbaru, now more certain than ever that the Force wanted him to board the Imperial ship, let out a triumphant war whoop over the public channel and slammed the thrusters.

The smuggler was no doubt shocked to find a MorningStar-B just at the edge of his missiles' default detonation range, but by then it was far too late to react as the explosions obliterated the craft's shields entirely and essentially disintegrated eighty percent of the chassis.

...That was cutting it rather close. His piloting abilities not matching up to the specificity of his vision, Bbaru had expected to take a moderate amount of damage to his hyperdrive and thus be able to request that he dock with the corvette rather than be stranded in an empty sector forevermore. He had helped limit the damage by div

 

Idissan Tzek
Imperial Star Destroyer Redacted, Hangar Bay III

'Sir!' one of the COMPFORCE soldiers assigned under his command saluted him as he walked aboard his Lambda shuttle The Eye "At east soldier" Idissan replied and the trooper returned to his station.
Idissan walked past rows of armaments, data cabinets and a numerous amount of analytic computers, this was the heart of his success. His ability to analyze every situation at forehand, why he succeeded where others failed. Idissan entered a cramped room filled with wires and mechanical bits. In the center was a round table like object with a vast number of buttons.
He quickly pressed several of them and within moments an Imperial Officer was seen in a hologram hovering just above the circular object throwing a gloomy blue light in the room.

'Major Idissan Tzek, how may I be off service?'

'I need the blueprints of research and tie factory station CT-01 with all it's technical specifications.'

The blue hologram figure nodded and motioned at someone out of sight.

"Authenticate"

Idissan Nodded and from seemingly out of nowhere a small round metal cylinder appeared in his hand, he inserted the object into a slot into the holo projector, waited a few moments until a green light lit up and then he pressed another set of keys.

"Authentication has been confirmed, five minutes and we will transmit the plans. Anything else I can help you with sir?" the imperial officer asked with a neutral voice.

Idissan hesitated for a moment, would he request information on Kev-Mas? He could not stop thinking about this so called dark jedi, dark or light they were all the same. Scum of the galaxy. But, it would be out of place.. And he really had nothing to go on, at the moment.
Once he got something on him Idissan would report him at once to internal affairs, one way or another.. the jedi was going down.

"On reccord" Idissan replied "Yes sir?" the officer replied and seemed to press something. "We are about to engage rebel scum as they have taken CT-01 with force and are attempting to throw over the New Order in this sector. I, Idissan Tzek am pointing out that we are currently commanded by an extremely young Admiral with what I assume to be little or no experience from battle. And if we fail here I suggest demoting him in rank and strip him of privileges. That is all." The officer nodded as he turned off whatever he was using to record. "Is that all?"

"Yes" Idissan replied and the officer saluted him and the hologram disappeared but the link was still active until they had received all the data he had requested. In silence, in the darkness Idissan stood focusing his eyes on the other side of the wall. If eyes could breach walls he would be on the other side of the galaxy by now.
Minutes later a dark blue light indicated that the transfer was complete, quickly he severed the link and brought the schematics up on the holoprojector. Just then the ship entered hyperspace once more. Damn! time was of the essence as he had no clue as to how long the journey would take.
His fingers moved quickly pressing different keys, zooming in and out of the station and his eyes moved at rapid speed as he digested as much of the schematics he could.
Where.. where, there must be something!

He switched from the schematics to other types of records, armaments, production rates, ordered goods.
Minutes passed, sweat was forming on his forehead, the sound of the machines buzzing in the background as the dim blue light threw gloomy shadows behind wires and plates of metal.
Seconds, minutes, it was all taking to long. To much information at the same time, not even analytic algorithms would help him here, just sheer dumb luck. But there had to be something!

"Soldier!" Idissan yelled and within seconds a trooper stood ready for orders at his side. "Take this data and analyze what type of internal security there is inside and how to breach it, use it to our own advantage.". H

 

IC: Grim
Aboard the Blue Mynok, In orbit - Geonosis

For the length of the conversation between Striker and their job contact, Grim remained silent. He simply listened and assessed, then ran the probabilities in his mind. In a galaxy were nothing was 'ideal', the original deal had been altered three times already. There was no reason to believe that things would not 'suddenly and unexpectedly change' in the immediate future.

If these jobbers thought that they could deal dirty and get away with it...well, it would be an unfortunate thing for everyone involved. But there was no use in getting ahead of oneself. Yet.

A topographical holo-transmition was sent to the Mynock, detailing the area where their search should be conducted. The canyon in question had the word TRAP written all over it, especially seeing how they were the only ones risking themselves for 'salvage'.

That, and there was something not right about their contact. Something definitely felt off. It was apparent that the others felt it too. He'd have too look out for any sign of foul play, should they attempt it.

Despite all the intrigue and mystery, at least they knew to focus on the Geonosian droid foundry, which was the center piece of their mission.

Almost as soon as it had started, what passed for 'pleasantries' was over, as the job was officially accepted, and the com went dead.


"So, they're sending us underground to find the salvage. I always knew there was a reason I enjoyed staying above the surface. You can see what is going to kill you," Oakes grumbled as he chewed on some dried nerf meat. Grim chuckled, amused by the irony.

Striker looked up, a dark frown on her face. "Those weren't hockers." she said after a long moment. "They agreed far too easily, with our terms. They didn't even blink an eyebrow." she growled darkly. "So, we go in, and we go in hot, because this dosen't smell right. They didn't even ask if they could have someone join us, to make sure we dont snip 'em."

Grim nodded his agreement on this.

Striker when on to speak some of her thoughts aloud. It was nice to see how comfortable she was doing so in their presence. It said much about her. Grim wasn't there quite yet. But he would let his actions speak for him. When she mentioned her spare UV goggles, Grim did comment.

"Romeyn could have the goggles if he wishes. I'm...quite keen when it comes to tracking as well."

With his sharp 'senses', it would be very difficult for anything to surprise them.

"One thing for sure, they are desperate to find SOMETHING down there. So we better watch our backsides." Striker declared. Given the level of risk they were about to undertake, her warning and call for caution was well founded. Once again, he nodded his agreement.

Striker looked over towards Grim. "See if you can find a place I can set the ship down in...someplace hidden. And see if you can locate that dang Imp base. Don't want to be shot down, landing the dang thing."

"Aye, Captain."

While Striker went to avail herself of another drink, Grim focused on finding a landing spot. Cross referencing the ship sensors with the data they've been given, it didn't take him long to find a series of landing platforms some distance along the canyon in question. He could only guess what they were originally used for. The good news was, that there was more than enough space for the Mynock to land. Now, concerning an Imperial Base, there was no sign of one. At least not along the canyon or any areas near it. If there was one, it was probably underground, but he doubted it. The report said the troopers had vanished without a trace. That meant that their camp was probably razed as well.

"What do you think, Oakes?" Grim called out without looking up.

He just wanted a second opinion on the landing spot. By the time Striker returned, they would have a spot to land in.

Tag: Ktala, Liam

OOC: Sorry for the brevity. Not much time tonight.

 

IC: Zenie ?Covy? Covell

"Launch all TIE Fighters!"

Covy heard the command over her speakers and prepared for launch. She heard the clicks as the ladder was pulled up and the cables were detached. She felt the TIE drop free and she pushed the yoke forward a bit to free the TIE completely from the bracket and out into space. She immediately adjusted the knob and fed more power into her engines so she could race toward the enemy craft.

"Three flight, on me." She ordered to the other three pilots in her command. Three flight was always the last to launch so they were trailing behind the rest of the squadron.

"Let's hope the squad leaves something for us to do this time." BowTIE 10 said over their flight channel.

"Tighten it up, ten. Less chatter." Came the automatic response from Covy. Her wingmate was very sour about being stuck in three flight and usually complained about it.

Covy glanced down at her display to see more enemy squadrons appear. "Looks like that isn't something we'll have to worry about this time."

"Nine to Lead, what are those things?" She asked, seeing a new craft appear on her display.

"Not sure, but they are heading straight for us." Lead responded.

Fantastic... Covy thought to herself. She adjusted power again and shunted some of it into her lasers. She'd still be maneuverable, but she hoped that if she managed to score a hit on these faster models that it would do more damage. Her and her wingmate engaged a Y-wing and blew it out of the sky. She juked away from the explosion and glanced at her display again to find eleven and twelve. They were flying just below them and had each taken out a Y-wing as Covy's shots destroyed a vulture droid.

"Three flight we're going in hot after the new ships." Covy commanded and then suited action to words. She peeled away from the Y-wings, taking another shot at a vulture droid nearby and barely registered that it exploded. The scene of chaos that laid out before her was devastating. Explosions lit up her viewport as the new superior craft laid waste to the TIE squadrons currently engaging them. Covy knew that her flight would have to work together to take out one of these new ships. The shields were definitely a problem.

"Three flight, I'm going to pick one out and trail after it painting its shields up with my lasers. Ten, Eleven, and Twelve you will come at it from the other direction and take it down." Without waiting for a response, Covy attached herself to the tail of one of the enemies. The pilot juked up, down, left, right while attempting to shake Covy off of his tail. She stayed with him and kept painting him with her lasers whenever possible. Covy knew that her aft was horribly bare without ten behind her, but she usually took risks. So far they'd all paid off. This one was no different. While the enemy pilot was distracted and had put power into his aft shields, the rest of her flight had circled around the battle to approach them from the other direction. It was even more risky to be shooting at Covy but she trusted her fellow Imperials. The ship in front of her soon exploded spectacularly and Covy jammed the yoke down and dove through the battle. Ten split off from the other two and was once again located on her aft.

"Good shooting, three flight." She commed quickly before looking for another target.

Tag: Sarge

 

IC: Romeyn Oakes
The Blue Mynock

Romeyn had been studying the layout sent to them by the transport in silence. The operation gave him the creeps but so long as he had his well manufactured blaster carbine with him, well, things might turn out all right. Course, another problem crept into his mind. How am I going to see in the dark down there? Anything could sneak up on me and I'd be as useful to the team as an astromech droid with no legs.

The answer came shortly as Striker revealed that she had an extra pair of goggles but Romeyn figured she would defer to Grim and let him have the first chance at using them. Thus, it came as a surprise when Grim said, "Romeyn could have the goggles if he wishes. I'm...quite keen when it comes to tracking as well."

Romeyn had wondered about Grim since he first boarded the vessel. The guy seemed honest enough, just quiet, as if he were hiding some secret he didn't want the rest of the crew or the galaxy at large to know. Fair enough, wasn't his business to pry, but curiosity nearly got the better of him at the comment Grim made regarding his keen senses. There must be something I'm missing about this guy. Something special about him that might reveal itself during the mission.

Striker interrupted his thoughts.

"One thing for sure, they are desperate to find SOMETHING down there. So we better watch our backsides."

"See if you can find a place I can set the ship down in...someplace hidden. And see if you can locate that dang Imp base. Don't want to be shot down, landing the dang thing."

"Aye, Captain."

Oakes once more remained silent. It was far better to speak intelligently at critical times than waste ones own precious breath trying to convince others of an idiotic plan. Easing himself into the co-pilot's chair, Oakes' soft eyes scanned the controls as the Blue Mynock but it was only a passing glance. Most of his attention was once more on the topography of Geonosis and the area of interest where their 'salvage' might be discovered.

"What do you think, Oakes?" Grim called out without looking up.

"About finding a landing spot? I think the canyon is our best shot. Relatively protected from any aerial intruder, unless the pilot is insane, and any ground party isn't going to want to peek too far over the edge with what I'm reading are Geonosis' surface features. Let's just say, that's a long way to fall. You've got my backing on the landing pads, easy access to our location, and hopefully, just as easy of an exit in case this entire mission goes to the stars. I'm just concerned with the misinformation. Our 'overseers' in the transport claim that Imperial patrol after Imperial patrol has disappeared under ground, yet, our scans reveal very little Imperial activity. We all know the Empire personally prides itself on its lack of subtlety and I'll admit, on a backwater planet, any thought of camouflaging a base would be pointless, so where are they? I doubt they're underground. Not their style. That's the kind of strategy thieves and those who do not want to be found would use. Maybe they have troop deployments every so often from orbit?"

Romeyn shrugged. He wasn't a political analyst. He was simply a rancher trying to help his family survive. Politics was not his thing, but in his limited travels, he had picked up a thing or two about the workings of the galaxy. And one thing was consistently churning in his stomach: This all felt so wrong. The crew of the Blue Mynock would definitely need to be on their guard for this mission.

"Hope you guys brought enough firepower. Might have to shoot our way out," Oakes mumbled as he finished his dried nerf meat.

Tag:Grey, Ktala

 

Striker
aboard the Blue Mynok, Landing - Geonosis

Striker asked Grim to locate a spot, as she began the landing sequence. Since they couldnt find a base, she was bringing the ship in hot.

"Aye, Captain." Grim answered. He then called out, "What do you think, Oakes?"

"About finding a landing spot? I think the canyon is our best shot. Relatively protected from any aerial intruder, unless the pilot is insane, and any ground party isn't going to want to peek too far over the edge with what I'm reading are Geonosis' surface features. Let's just say, that's a long way to fall. You've got my backing on the landing pads, easy access to our location, and hopefully, just as easy of an exit in case this entire mission goes to the stars. I'm just concerned with the misinformation. Our 'overseers' in the transport claim that Imperial patrol after Imperial patrol has disappeared under ground, yet, our scans reveal very little Imperial activity. We all know the Empire personally prides itself on its lack of subtlety and I'll admit, on a backwater planet, any thought of camouflaging a base would be pointless, so where are they? I doubt they're underground. Not their style. That's the kind of strategy thieves and those who do not want to be found would use. Maybe they have troop deployments every so often from orbit?"

"Good point." Striker noted. "Though the weather could be erasing their info. Wont know until we land." she added.

"Hope you guys brought enough firepower. Might have to shoot our way out," Oakes mumbled as he finished his dried nerf meat.

At that point, Striker laughed. "Oh..I have a few toys. Dont think I float around this quadrant, with just my good looks do you?" Striker gave a chuckle, as she reached down, and tossed Oakes her extra pair of goggles.

She then looked over at the landing pads that both Grim and Striker had noticed. Luckily, her ship was nimble, and it looked like the pads would just be enough for her ship. She gave a grin, as she began her decent. She reached over, and activated her weapon systems tracking. She turned her head slightly.

"Grab your garters boys, and strap in. We're going in hot and heavy in case anyone is tracking this baby. We're going to make it really difficult for them to keep up."

With a grin, she suddenly pushed the joystick down as she sped up the ship. With a whoop, she slid the goggles down, and pushed a button. Her smile stayed, but she became totally business like, as she expertly piloted the ship down on its steep decent, seemingly heading for one spot, before turning away at the last minute, to head into the canyon. The walls of the canyon seemed to close in close, and to those not used to such maneuvers would find the walls of the canyon getting uncomfortably close. But for Striker, there was nothing better. Her ship slipped down towards the pad, executed a turn, so it would be ready for a quick escape, and with a blast of the landing rockets, came to rest down on landing pad, nicely tucked away.

She didnt shut down her systems, but put them on standby mode. She wanted to be ready to retreat in a moments notice. She looked down, to the dark bit of fur at her feet.

"Daks. You guard the ship while we're busy. And let us know if anything comes this way..alright?"

Striker looked up at the two men. "Time to party!" she proclaimed, as she exited the pilots chair. She slipped her pilot's hat on, and moved towards her quarters to retrieve her weapon. She paused, looking over at Grim.

"You need a weapon? Or you covered?" she asked before stepping into her room, to grab her equipment.



Tag: Grey, Liam, Sarge

 

IC: Grim
Aboard the Blue Mynock, Landing - Geonosis

It was good to hear Striker in an adventurous mood. Her clever answer to Oakes caused Grim to chuckle in mild amusement. It was good to know that they did have enough 'fire power', as the good farmer had stated. They were going to need it. Hopefully that was enough to put Romeyn's anxious mind at ease.

"Grab your garters boys, and strap in. We're going in hot and heavy in case anyone is tracking this baby. We're going to make it really difficult for them to keep up." Striker announced before securing herself on the pilot's seat. Grim followed suit, and glad he was that he did.

Striker was not exaggerating about her piloting skills. She was good, very good in fact. She maneuvered the Mynock like it was a starfighter. Taking sudden turns and slipping into narrow places within the canyon. It all seemed reckless, but Striker was in complete control.
Finally the ship landed, quite smoothly actually. Grim was impressed. He nodded respectfully at their young Captain.

They were now one step closer to their mission. There was no turning back now, and to tell the truth, Grim wouldn't have it any other way.

After ordering Daks to stand guard ( which Grim found endearing but did not show it), Striker turned to the two men.

"Time to party!" she proclaimed, as she exited the pilot's chair. She slipped her pilot's hat on, and moved towards her quarters to retrieve her weapon. She paused, looking over at Grim.

"You need a weapon? Or you covered?" she asked before stepping into her room, to grab her equipment.

Grim had grabbed his back pack earlier and stashed it under his seat. He had a data-pad, several glow rods, food and water rations and even a small med-kit in it. He was already wearing his wrist communicator. Hidden within his trench coat was his 'special weapon'. So, with a bit of a frown, he thought about the offer.

It didn't take him long to reach a decision.

"Hmm. Yes. I think I'll take a Blaster if you can spare one. Just for good measure. Can't be too careful."

He gave Striker a solid nod, and turned to the nav station. Striker had the ship on standby, so it was only natural that an exit vector be ready and plotted for a quick escape.

Looking over at Oakes, he gave the man a grin, seeing how he held on to his blaster rifle. The farmer meant business, and that was a very good thing.

"Asking questions after you shoot, eh, Romeyn?" Grim said jokingly at the man.

Tag: Ktala, Liam

OOC: I know, sleepy post, but I had to get it out there! now I can crash!

 

IC: Liesl Bridehead
Scoundrel's Corner Cantina, Issagra Station

Got My Mind Set On You

That up tempo, percussion beat was not only a welcome relief from the usual wordless, high pitched wail that permeated cantinas across the galaxy. Usually Liesl didn't splurge on a jukebox but tonight she did. Feeling fresh, clean, and frankly rather tip top, Liesl moseyed her way back across the bar, shimmying her shoulders a bit as she did so. Had this bar not been one of Issagra's many grimy scumbag watering holes, she might have even danced a bit with a reasonably cute spacer. Why not? She felt like it now that she'd cleaned up and had those credits safely deposited in the bank--less a small bit to enable her to have a bit of fun tonight. Though she was a woman of financial prudence, she also knew the value of rewarding herself with a night out from time to time.

"But it's gonna take money
A whole lotta spendin' money
It's gonna take plenty of money
To do it right child."

That was certainly true. Credits made the galaxy spin. Ran out of them and you were up a creek. For the moment Liesl was doing all right for herself thanks to this last job. Those credits...she could take a small vacation on that if she wanted. She'd done it in the past when she had a more than adequate cushion. Even so, there was just something about this last job that didn't feel right. She was thrilled by the money, but she'd obviously helped someone who didn't want anything about him to be official. It was not the first job Liesl had done that might have crossed the arbitrary line that was the law, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this one was different. Dangerously different.

"I know that if I put my mind to it
I know that I really could do it."

Liesl looked up from her bottle of beer into the grimy mirror behind the bar. In it she could see a few of the slimeballs checking her out. She was used to it. As long as they stayed where they were she wouldn't have to take any actions. She wasn't going to let them ruin her night, just like she wasn't going to let worries about today's job unduly worry her. At least not until tomorrow.

Besides, as Liesl looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit that she didn't so much mind looking. After all, she was looking good. That was the whole idea. She had on her father's Lahara Sector Defense jacket from the Clone Wars. He'd given it to her before she'd left Agamar, which now seemed so, so long ago. When she wasn't working on a ship, she was wearing this. There was nothing that she owned that meant more to her. It was a dark navy blue with a high collar and in a double breasted style. At the moment she had the top button undone, letting one corner hang down in a relaxed manner. Looking uptight on a night like that was simply not going to do. Liesl took care to make sure that the large black buttons stayed polished. On the left shoulder the yellow gold insignia of the Sector Defense proudly showed in raised embroidery. The best part about the jacket was that Liesl thought she looked just great in it. This jacket and her had seen a lot of different star systems of which Issagra was just one in a long line.

Liesl tapped the side of her bottle with her right index finger. Maybe it was time that she moved on to the next place. After all, she'd been here for a few weeks and she'd just done a big job...a big job she wouldn't mind distancing herself from.

Yes, maybe it was time to move on.

Tag: Anyone on Issagra. Alternately, if you're somewhere else and you might have use for Liesl, drop me a PM and we can make it happen.

 

IC: Romeyn Oakes
The Blue Mynock Landing Ramp-Geonosis

"Grab your garters boys, and strap in. We're going in hot and heavy in case anyone is tracking this baby. We're going to make it really difficult for them to keep up."

Oakes only had time to feel one emotion, fear.

The fierce pitch of the Blue Mynock as it plummeted, purposefully, down toward the surface of Geonosis, whipping through the atmosphere like a bird of prey launched his stomach nearly into his mouth, the taste of bile at the back of his throat. He felt dizzy, nauseated. Eyes flicking toward the refresher in cash he needed to make a sudden dash to soil its pristine surfaces.

I'm going to be sick. Never was much for rough flying. Good pilot or not, I hope she doesn't kill us! Oakes thought as his usually tan face, exposed to the harsh light of Roon, grew paler by the second.

Then they stopped with a smooth, seamless transition onto a landing pad just the size of the Blue Mynock. Leaning against the bulkhead, the dizziness fading, his heart pounding, Romeyn Oakes began to calm down, not realizing he had nearly broken the spare IR goggles that Striker had given him moments before. His white knuckles slowly releasing their hold on the goggles. Oakes quickly adjusted the IR goggles onto his head, resting them above the eyes for easy access should he need them as they progressed underground in a few short minutes.

"Daks. You guard the ship while we're busy. And let us know if anything comes this way..alright?"

Oakes examined the black feline and let out a tiny chuckle. He had very little doubt that the animal would do alright by the standards of its three human occupants.

"Time to party!"

If the woman thinks a shootout is a party, well, I suppose she's just crazy enough to get us out of here alive Oakes mused as he nervously checked his 9118 blaster carbine to make sure that it was in full operating order. Everything looked fine. His dominant hand shook a bit. He tried to hide his jitters by slipping it into his pocket. Romeyn had taken a being's life before. Was not a new experience, simply unpleasant. He looked up distractedly as Striker addressed Grim.

"You need a weapon? Or you covered?"

"Hmm. Yes. I think I'll take a Blaster if you can spare one. Just for good measure. Can't be too careful."

Oakes held his blaster carbine tight. The reassuring material resting in at a fairly decent weight. It packed a punch, had decent range, and most importantly, didn't require a follow up shot to make sure a target stayed down and out of a fight.

"Asking questions after you shoot, eh, Romeyn?" Grim said jokingly at the man.

"Hmmm?," Oakes responded, eyes ripping away from the weapon in his hands. "I find its the best policy when dealing with people unwilling to negotiate. Questions only get you so far. I'll meet you two outside," he announced as he descended the landing ramp of the Blue Mynock to take point.

His eyes adjusted to the light of Geonosis. The wind had begun to pick up, racing through the canyon like an out of control nerf. The clothes that he wore, of simple design to reflect his simple life, blew freely in the wind. Lots of rock, dust, and sand.

And no signs of life. Great, just great Oakes thought, hoisting his blaster carbine on his shoulder, its barrel pointed to the sky.

Tag: Ktala, GreyJedi

 

James Tesla
-Theed

The Theed Royal Palace was quite a site. He had never been on Naboo before, since he had spent most of his life on Corellia. The buildings looked prettier overall, compared to where he had grown up around on Corellia. He had arrived earlier in the day and his internal had been thrown off. He had slept on a bench inside the Spaceport for five hours before waking up and actually going about his business.

He rented a room at a hotel and was now sitting on a park bench staring at the Theed Royal Palace. He had some blue and white sunglasses on, but they were far from necessary. These particular glasses were more for looks than use, but that was what James liked about them. He had headphones in his ears to block out the noise of kids running around and speeders honking and buzzing through the capital. Simply, he was observing.

Apparently, there had been some trouble with the gungans in the past recent weeks, from what he had seen on the holonet. Eh..that was not his scene. Though, he would actually like to be in some kind of military scuffle. However, he was here for a fight, or that was what he had been told. From what he had seen so far in Theed, he did not see a good place that could hold a capacity crowd and a shockingboxing match. But his comlink was on and he was expecting someone to call him and tell him what was going on with the fight. Until then, he would continue to enjoy himself in this peaceful and calm environment.

Tag: Sarge

 

Striker
Landing Pad - Geonosis

"You need a weapon? Or you covered?" Striker asked Grim before stepping into her room, to grab her equipment.

Grim replied, "Hmm. Yes. I think I'll take a Blaster if you can spare one. Just for good measure. Can't be too careful."

With a nod, Striker went into her quarters, with Daks right behind her. She leaned down, giving the feline a gentle pet, and then slipped a curious looking device on her collar. Striker grinned. Daks just gave a loud purr.

Striker went over to her closet, and put her palm on the door. It gave a soft beep E-11 Blaster Riffle for Grim, and then slipped on 2 handouts and her baby, the T-28 Sniper rifle. She quickly went through her routine, checking it to make sure it was in top working order, and grabbed a few extra energy packs. She then grabbed her sonic blaster, and tucked it into her suit.

Striker came out, and called out to Grim. "Here. Hope this is something you can deal with." she told him as she handed him the blaster rifle. She noticed that Oakes was already outside, taking a look about. She moved to the back of the ship, and pulled out three packs. She held them up. "Breathers. In case we find some nasty air."

She walked over towards the door, and took a look out. "Lovely weather we're having." she said with a smirk. She looked over towards Daks. "Call, if anyone comes looking." she told Daks. She then slid down the goggles, and looked out on the sandy plains. She looked out at the map. She gave Oakes a nod. "See anything interesting?" she asked him with a grin.

Striker looked around. "Well. It looks like the entrance is that way. Best get to it. Watch your six." She slid the sniper rifle to her side, as she moved to the front, and began to do what she did best.

Track.

She began to look for the tail-tale signs that someone else had visited the lovely vacation spot, besides them. She also switched her goggles, and began looking for any toys that might have been left behind as well.



Tag: Laim, GreyJedi, Sarge

 

Deep Space
Battle of CT-01

As Kev-Mas Colcha and Zenie Covell would soon discover, despite the shielding and other technological additions on these advanced models, the pilots possessed mediocre skills at best. A result of too much dependency on droids? Perhaps. While there were organic officers and other high-ranked personnel in the Separatist forces during the Clone Wars, nearly every foot soldier and fighter pilot in the Droid Army were just that: droids. These Separatist holdouts, bereft of the numerous droid factories, had to turn to organics sooner or later. And wherever these pilots came from, they seemed to lack any training that could match that of the Empire's fighter corps.

It didn't mean that they weren't dangerous. The advanced TIEs' superiority supplemented their skills somewhat...but technology could only make up for so much. As well as the odds. Despite the opening salvo that had caught the Imperial pilots off guard, the rebels were still facing over 2 to 1 odds and thus became the victims of well-executed, coordinated strikes like that of BowTIE's pilots. The outdated Vulture droids and Y-Wings didn't even have the advantages that the advanced TIEs possessed and were falling more quickly.

Even then there were problems for the Imperial forces. The Y-Wings that made it over the fighter screen were managing to score scattered barrages upon the Star Destroyers, weakening their shields and even penetrating at certain points to strike at their hulls. It was only then that the rebel fleet - the battlecruiser and the frigates - moved in to meet the Imperial fleet head-on with turbolasers blazing and missiles soaring. The Action IV Transport, however, remained behind. And back at the facility known as CT-01, advanced TIEs continued to be sent out into battle. As he drew closer in his shuttle, Idissan Tzek could see the launch of a half squadron made up of six of the advanced TIEs. While four of them flew on to join the space battle, two stayed behind and started harassing the Imperial transports that were ferrying stormtroopers to the facility.

The Nebulon-B Frigate Mutilator and it's pair of light cruiser escorts had pulled away from the interdictor Constrictor and were moving forward to join the space battle. The reigning Admiral had figured out what this was all about. This was no simple raid by the Separatist holdouts that the Imperials had happened to trap inside. The ships that had assembled, the use of CT-01, and how quickly and eager that the rebel fleet seemed to engage the Imperial task force was obvious. The rebels had come here for a fight.

But how will it end here? Each side had its advantages, each were scoring hits upon the other, and either one can claim victory unless actions were taken by the combatants.

TAG: Imperials




Geonosis
Canyon Range

Geonosis was like any ball of sand with the canyon giving the intruders the full experience. Dust and sand was blasted through the carved landscape by gusting winds, polluting the air with particles that stung the eyes, nose, and tickled the back of the throat. Though not anywhere near toxic, the masks and goggles that Striker suggested wearing would be a good shield to the discomforts that Romeyn not only felt but tasted. It was a very dry world, Geonosis. It was also a very miserable world.

To think that such a world as this was the site of not one but two major battles during the Clone Wars and warranted a small Imperial presence to this day.

The current conditions, Striker would find, made it hard to do any tracking. Whatever footprints that may've been laid by Imperial personnel or any native creatures would've been swept away by the wind in minutes if not seconds. Any small objects would've vanished just as quickly. Looking for any signs that could point out to where they should search was going to be next to impossible to come by unless they found something bigger, more noticeable.

There was something, however. It was a speck. A small, black speck that was difficult to

 

IC: Grim
The Blue Mynock, Geonosis

Grim gave a respectful nod as Oakes walked past him and made his way down the landing ramp and out of the Blue Mynock.

The man was positively wired and ready to get the mission started. It was all nerves, but Grim admired the farmers composure. He wasn't letting the tension get the best of him, which was good. It meant he wouldn't panic when things got heated.

A sound caught his attention then, and Grim turned just in time to see Striker coming towards him. She definitely looked ready for action.

"Here." She told him as she handed him the E-11 blaster rifle. Grim almost winced in disgust when he saw the traditional Imperial Weapon, but to his credit, he held his feelings in check as he took the weapon in hand. "Hope this is something you can deal with." Striker finished. "Thanks.." he responded simply, if a bit dryly. It's not like he had much of a choice in the matter, so it was best to put the weapon to good use. That thought made him feel a little better.

Striker noticed that Oakes was already outside, taking a look about. She moved to the back of the ship, and pulled out three packs. She held them up. "Breathers. In case we find some nasty air."

"Good call." Grim replied.

With each passing moment Striker showed how experienced she was. It was easy to see why she was underestimated so frequently, which was something she no doubt used to her advantage. Grim smiled for a brief moment as he recalled their brief tussle at the Lowlife Cantina. That had been 'fun'.

A moment later, the Blue Mynock was secured behind them and the three of them stood outside the ship, ready to embark on their venture.

"See anything interesting?" she asked Oakes him with a grin.

Grim looked over to the tense farmer and gave him a playful wink. The man needed to relax a bit. Being alert was a good thing. Jumping at shadows was not, but Oakes did not seem to be the skittish type.

Striker looked around for a moment. Grim did the same and also opened himself to the currents of the Force. If there was anything afoot, he would know about it.

"Well. It looks like the entrance is that way" Striker announced after a beat. "Best get to it. Watch your six."

Grim patted the blaster rifle in a sign of agreement and reassurance.He then looked over to Oakes and gave the man a silent nod.

Without even speaking words, everyone seemed to fall into place. Striker slid her sniper rifle to her side, as she moved to the front, and began to do what she did best.

Track.

Grim motioned for Romeyn to move past and ahead of him, as he took up the rear. If anyone even tried to sneak up behind them, they would regret it, plain and simple.

Now with Striker doing her tracking as she took point, it was now just a matter of time before they came across something or someone.

*****

Geonosis
Canyon Range

As they went on, it seemed that the landscape itself was selfishly keeping its secrets to itself as nothing became apparent. No life, no scraps, no nothing -other than rock, wind and dust for as far as the eye could see. If there was something here, they would not find it out here in the open. They would have to go underground, a place Romeyn had verbalized reservations about. Another thought came to mind, perhaps they could triple check with the data their 'contact' had given them earlier.

Grim was about to suggest that, when he noticed a small jerk of Striker's head. It was an almost imperceptible motion, almost as if something seemed to have caught her attention.

He, however, did not sense anything amiss.

"What is it, captain?" Grim called out, his voice almost drowned by a gust of wind.



Tag:Ktala, Liam

 

Striker
Canyon Range - Geonosis

The wind that greeted Striker when they stepped out was even more fun than she had imagined it would have been. The wind whipped and howled through the canyon like a posesed creature, making things difficult. She hopped the wind was the only thing that wiped through these canyons.

As Striker began her scans, she noticed Grim and Oakes taking up good positions. Good. She looked back down. No way to find footprints. Not in this blast pit. But that didnt mean that it was hopeless. She continued to scan and search, as they slowly made their way towards one of the openings.

"What is it, captain?" Grim called out, his voice almost drowned by a howl of wind.

Striker made a hand sign. Stopping them, as she slowly moved towards the speck she had noticed. She slowly moved towards it, her eyes narrowing. She reached onto the side of her belt, and pulled out a knife. With a small flick of the wrist, she gently scrapped a bit of sand away from the black speck.

It seemed that the folks in the ship above spoke some truth. Someone had been here. And somewhat recently. The form of what looked like the muzzle and half a barrel of some kind of blaster. Instantly, the question of 'who's' blaster came to mind. Was it an Imperial blaster, or some other poor jak who had tried this? Striker looked up, trying to scan the walls of the canyon. It would be a great place to pick off people. "Seems like our handlers werent just jacking us." she told Oakes and Grim.

She clicked her comlink. "Stay near the walls. Gonna see if there is more to this blaster." she warned them, as she gently began to use her knife to move the sand around the barrel. She wanted to see what else the sand was trying to hide from them. Especially if there was more under the sand besides just the blaster. The thought did come to mind, and she tried to steel herself in case that was true. She used her dagger to continue to dig to see if there was anything else of interest under the sand.

At least finding enough of the blaster, could tell them if there was indeed more Imperials here. Striker thought of the openings. The wind could be useful in that case. Unless there was some mad Jedi's each carving holes through the place, which would be easy to tell - by the way, then the wind would let them know if the holes were interconnected or not. Wind whistling over so many opening would make quite a bit of an interesting sound.

Striker frowned, as she continued using her dagger to dig more info from the sand. Here senses were giving her THAT feeling. She gave a small shake of her head, as she concentrated on the task in front of her, trying to push away the unusual sensation. Striker had work to do.

"Keep careful in this canyon. In this wind, would be hard to hear anything trying to sneak up on you." she reminded them. This reminded her of a few of her previous missions. Again, the annoying buzz to the back of her mind. With a controlled effort, she finished her task, looking to see if there was more to the muzzle she had found.



TAG: SARGE, greyjedi, Liam

 

Geonosis
Canyon Range

Digging in the sand did prove to offer more clues from such a simple blaster. Well, not so simple considering the intricate optical and infrared targeting scopes that were featured on top of the weapon. It was an SE-14C blaster pistol, an upgraded version of the regular SE-14 model that was manufactured by BlasTech and had been seen widespread use by the Separatist droid armies. BlasTech, of course, denied that the model used by the Republic's - and thus the Empire's - enemies were theirs and at the end of the war the SE-14 and it's later models - the SE-14r and the SE-14C - were used by Imperial personnel. Thus the blaster that Striker dug out of the sand was most likely one that could've belonged to one of the missing Imperial patrols.

In case she needed more evidence, however, there were the gloved fingers that she found wrapped around the pistol when she dug out enough sand to unveil the trigger.

Severed at the wrist, the gloved hand still clutched at the blaster in a death grip. One of the fingers, even now, was keeping the trigger of the blaster pistol pulled back to show that the wielder had been trying to kill something before another something - perhaps the same one - had taken his hand. Fortunately the blaster pack currently loaded in it was empty and Striker was saved from any chances of being slain by a severed limb.

The hand itself offered more clues. The glove and the lack of any white knuckle plate revealed that it couldn't have been a stormtrooper that owned the hand. Instead, the black glove would've been worn by a member of the Empire's regular ground forces of the Imperial Army which usually oversaw the occupation of subjugated worlds.

If Striker so desired, a peek inside the glove would reveal pale flesh, bone, and blood that still remained on the hand. The condition of the hand and blaster would prove that whatever happened had occurred not too long ago. A couple days maybe if that.

TAG: Ktala, grey, Liam

 

IC: Romeyn Oakes
Geonosis Canyon-Salvage Mission

The wind picked up, roaring through the canyon, threatening to blow the three occupants of the Blue Mynock away into oblivion. Sand began to bite at his face, small peppers of pain at first then increasing in tempo with the gusts. Instinctively, Romeyn pulled the goggles down over his eyes, which relieved the pain he had felt a moment before, and lowered his blaster carbine into a safe but easily accessible position in his gloved hands.

Romeyn felt horribly alone on the landing platform. Just the desolation of Geonosis and the roaring of the wind. Couldn't imagine what might have compelled beings to fight two major conflicts on the planet. A few veterans back on Roon had told their tales in the seedier bars of the capital city of Nime. What they had revealed about their experiences in the Clone Wars was horrific. But so was any conflict.

"See anything interesting?". The voice belonged to Striker and for a moment he had barely heard it over the roaring wind of the canyon. Oakes shook his head imperceptibly, noticing Grim had departed the Blue Mynock as well, looking calm and collected. A polite nod sent his way. Oakes simply returned it, mutual respect between the two men.

"Well. It looks like the entrance is that way" Striker announced after a beat. "Best get to it. Watch your six." And that was when Striker took point and attempted to employ her tracking skills, which from Romeyn's casual observation, would have come in handy were the weather conditions more favorable to her talents. They were not.

Grim made a polite gesture to Romeyn, indicating that he should take the middle of the formation. Romeyn did, feeling comfortable for some inexplicable reason that Grim was taking up the rear, one of the most vulnerable spots in the party as they trudged forward into the harsh terrain of Geonosis.

They journeyed forward for an immeasurable amount of time, the weather staying consistently poor and obstructive to their mission.

Oakes had his attention on the canyon walls, the likely source of any ambush, when Grim called out, "What is it, captain?"

Oakes followed the call of Grim's voice and stared intently at Striker as she carefully dug out an object with a knife. Wonder what we have here? Oakes wondered, briefly lowering his attention from the canyon walls, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Stay near the walls. Gonna see if there is more to this blaster." A voice, Striker's, crackled into his comlink.

Blaster? Must be from an Imperial Patrol Oakes assumed, craning his neck to peer over Striker's shoulder. Keep your attention on the walls, Oakes, let the woman do her job. He reminded himself as he once again scanned the rocky canyon for any threats from above.

As if to remind the party, Striker's voice boomed over the comlink,"Keep careful in this canyon. In this wind, would be hard to hear anything trying to sneak up on you."

Ain't that the truth Romeyn admitted to himself as he continued his vigil.

Romeyn's mind, mature and capable, desperately wanted to see what Striker had found as he had noticed she had continued to dig beyond the blaster. One quick scan behind him told him everything he needed to know. Grim had the rear of the formation under control. Peering once more over Striker's shoulder, he caught a glimpse, through the dust, sand, and wind, of a black gloved hand clutching tightly to a blaster rifle. Oakes had seen gloves like these before. Gloves that were the standard uniform of an Imperial Army trooper.

For a moment he thought of Roon. Thought of the Imperial presence on his planet. Felt a brief moment of sick pleasure at the thought that this soldier had ended his life in a miserable planet such as this. Didn't matter if the man had a family. Didn't matter to him if the man was kind and simply doing his job. Point was, it was one more Imperial that wouldn't be enforcing the tyrannical rule of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpat

 

IC: Grim
Geonosis Canyon, Salvage Mission

Grim took a visual sweep of the area behind them, then stretched out a bit further out with the force, increasing his range of awareness.

Nothing.

Just wind, rock and dust, swirling chaotically without the need to answer to anything or anyone, save the reddish planet surface itself. At least here, the elements still held sway over their environment. When he was still but a youngling, Grim remembered having trouble believing that Coruscant's surface had once been covered with vast oceans and mountains. Against the dominating sprawl of the never ending cityscapes, such a thing was hard to visualize. Only holo-vids and the fact that the Jedi Temple itself was built on top of a mountain gave credence to such contrasting ideas.

The sudden sound of his activating comlink brought Grim out of his unintentional reverie.

"Stay near the walls. Gonna see if there is more to this blaster." Striker informed via comlink.

Grim's raised an eyebrow in mounting curiosity. He observed that Oakes had become curious as well and had walked up to the Captain in order to take a quick peek over her shoulder as she continued to dig with a utility knife.

"Keep careful in this canyon. In this wind, would be hard to hear anything trying to sneak up on you." Strike warned them.

Hmm. Come to think of it, this was a good spot for an ambush. That realization caused Grim to scrutinize their surroundings in greater detail for possible attackers, but even with the Force aiding him, they were still alone.

At least for now.

Without breaking formation, Grim moved slightly to the side on a diagonal angle. This way, he could take a better look at the weapon the Captain was digging from the dust-covered ground. It was then that he saw what was attached to the weapon.

Both of his eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that, which in itself was quite telling.

Another thought quickly came to him, and it was one he found to be important enough to share with the team, however, he had to phrase it in a way that was not misunderstood. Raising his left arm to his mouth, Grim spoke into his comlink so both Romeyn and Striker could hear him clearly without his need to shout over the gusting wind.

"Uhmm, Captain. How would you feel if you saw someone come into your home with weapons drawn? How would you react?"

Grim paused and waited for a response. The question was relevant to them and their situation, so a bit of reflection on the possibilities couldn't hurt, given their find.

Tag: Ktala, Liam, Sarge

 

Marneg Polo
Theed Palace, Naboo

If I have one character flaw - and believe me when I say that that's a gross underestimation - it's that I enjoy brazen lies. Not little white lies, not exaggerate boasts, but big, honking steaks of falsehoods with a side order of balderdash washed down with a cold glass of male cow feces. I lie to authority figures, I lie to myself, and not that long ago I lied to all of you. Yeah, you idiots who are sitting there in the warm glow of the display screen reading this crap as fast as I can throw it up onto the now that I'm long gone.

Oh yes, you didn't think I was on to you? You didn't think it was just a little too damn easy to find this datapad? A little too damn easy to access? This record's being kept for posterity - I dunno when exactly I'm going to die, but I'll be damned if some poor schmuck in some intelligence outfit doesn't have to read through my life's story as told through a haze of booze and drugs once I do. Maybe you're that schmuck. Hello schmuck!

Anyway, the point of that little aside there is to emphasize that you, schmuck, have just been lied to. Remember that throwaway line about how I didn't down Fantazi in front of the brass?

... Well, let me just say there's fireworks everywhere and I'm pretty damn sure it's not a holiday.

The great thing about Fantazi mushrooms, especially when you start mixing them with other narcotics, is that each one has its own unique theme. It's sort of like a fingerprint, only more ****ed up. Oh, you don't notice it at first, or even after ten or twenty or more, but it's there. You just have to be perceptive - there's a reason everyone's a giant pile of snakes, and it ain't because you've got mother issues. So it should come as no surprise that there weren't any snakes this time - oh no, we're beyond snakes. Snakes were last mushroom. They're out. Blase. Done. Kaput. Now we're into amorphous slithering abominations - I couldn't even begin to describe this **** if I wanted to, and believe me, I do. I'll try my best.

A pulsating blob of grey-pink acid goo is gurgling as it informs the other writhing thousand tentacled purple octopi and myself that we're going to be hunting troublesome Gungans - exactly what I came here to do. Naturally, I'm wondering why the forty-foot and yet no-foot tall billion toothed maw dripping with blood and water is saying this while showing me an image of reptilian bubbles that explode into hands composed of nothing but fingers, but then I remember that I'm high as a kite. Those hands probably only have five fingers like normal.

Still, the omnidirectional infinite abyss churning with chartreuse energy is making quite the offer - my fellow rat bastards and I systematically eradicate as many lizard-man ****s as we can, and we get a fabulous prize: a brand new car, $1500, and two tickets to San Juan. I haven't even heard of those last things, so that was probably just an auditory hallucination, but damned if they don't sweeten the deal. A guy's got to make a living, and killing stupid lizard-man ****s - I think I just reused that insult, I apologize - is a bloody fantastic way to enjoy yourself doing it. One small step on the road to universal annihilation.

BOOM!

And it all goes up in flames like a place I left long ago.

"Yeah, question right here," I said, instinctively reaching for a hardened death stick - it's important to put on a collected front, after all - but then I let it go. No qualms about getting blazed in front of the lead idiots, but they didn't take kindly to smoking illegal substances right in their faces. Save the act for the cantina. "You said we get paid based on the number of bodies? So, what, you just split the pay evenly?" Another sip of ale. "What a load of ****. I'll get ten times as much as these clowns, no problem, and I don't want them getting reimbursement for my hard work."

TAG: Sarge

 

Striker
Canyon Range - Geonosis


Striker dug carefully. She had told herself what she could expect. But telling yourself what to expect, and actually coming ACROSS what you feared, was two different things. She bit her tongue, glad for the goggles slid across her eyes, as she spotted the black gloved hand that held a death grip on the blaster trigger. She held her breath for a moment, as she willed herself steady. She was the captain, and she had people nearby.

Oakes was busy hovering behind her, so he no doubt saw the hand, neatly severed at the wrist. Whatever they had fought, they had drained the pack on the blaster dry.. and it had done no good.

She breathed deep, and then spoke.

"Well. At least they told the truth. This isnt more than a day or two old."

Striker gave a snort, using to sound to desguise the fact that she wanted to hurl. Strikers thoughts kicked in, as he kicked the sand, covering the hand and the blaster back to its hidden spot once more.

"It had to be quick, to sever the hand. The clip was dry." Striker said, as he stood, and with a gesture, moved back towards the canyon walls.

Her comlink crackled to life. It was Grim speaking.

"Uhmm, Captain. How would you feel if you saw someone come into your home with weapons drawn? How would you react?"

Grim paused, and Oakes was quiet.

Striker got close to the wall, and was silent as she thought about the response. She didnt like where the question was going.

"Well." Striker answered slowly, "If it was my house, I probably wouldnt be to happy with uninvited guests, toting gifts." he answered dryly. Striker paused a bit. "And that little find, brings a entirely new meaning of the term, unarmed..." Striker turned to look at Grim.

"But, Im not liking the idea of walking around this force forsaken sandpit, with my weapon in my pocket either." She looked down the canyon. "Problem is, it could be a ... weapons deterrent.. or it could just be some hungry creature, especially since we didnt find any more of the body."

Striker looked down the canyon. She didnt see anything with her heat or UR and IR scans. No power. Striker spoke slowly then. "I dont think its unreasonable to carry something. We keep our weapons. But we point them DOWN, or keep them slung low. There is a difference to being cautious - versus being scrug food. "Imperials carry their weapons high and in front. We keep ours down, and dont bring them up unless something looks to make a meal of us. Im willing to go that far. Striker looked over at Oakes.

"I know it dosent sound good. Im not happy either. But if Grim IS right... I dont think we want to meet what that trooper did. If it is some fancy trap..it probably wont extend past the canyon. Once we get inside, it should be fine."

'I hope...' Striker thought, but didnt say. That thought, she kept silent. With a determined grunt, Striker moved, taking point once more, her dagger close by, as she began to track once more, looking for any other signs, as they moved closer towards one of the supposed entry openings. At least, thats what Striker hopped they were. They could just as easily be openings for some pop out creatures, that used the holes to hunt from.

THAT was not a comforting thought.

Striker moved on. She would have to rely on Oakes and Grim, and hope that if something did jump out, they would deal with it. If not... then Striker would.

She put all of her focus back on what lay in front of them, and above.




TAG: SARGE, greyjedi, Liam

 

Naboo
Theed Palace

"If you don't like it, then you can leave," the Imperial replied to the disgruntled - and quite insane - looking man that had spoken up. "Other then that, the only advice that I can offer you is that you better make sure to kill a good number of these toads while you're out there. Rest assured that, coupled with the standard recruitment fee, the Empire will make sure to generously compensate your efforts to exterminate it's enemies. Truth be told, I think our generosity is a bit excessive considering the ease of this assignment."

Despite the rudeness of Marneg's comment, the Imperial officer had a cruel grin on his face. How the grin would translate in Marneg's drug-induced illusions was unknown but it's origins would be in the nasty looks that the rest of the bounty hunters gave to the human at his outburst. Apparently, being called "clowns" did not sit well with them. The officer, having noted those looks, continued with,

"If you have a problem with the distribution of your pay then you are free to discuss it amongst your fellow employees. Until then, if there are no more questions, then please report to the hangar for your transport."

TAG: ramza, Kahn




Naboo
Theed, Park

Even at a simple park, you could find the signs of Naboo's Imperial occupation. While the children played - and a couple gave the sunglasses-wearing man a curious look -, there was the unmistakable sound of speeder bikes that caused kids and parents alike to turn to the streets and see a trio of speeder bikes blast past. 74-Z speeder bikes to be exact, each one with an Imperial driver saddled up and on patrol.

Though it has been thirteen long years since the Imperial invasion and subjugation of Naboo, the Empire has continued to hold the world with contempt and suspicion. With the garrison that had been in place ever since the invasion, the Empire was keeping constant vigilance over Naboo to make sure that it's people would never be able to take up arms again.

And yet there were the rumors, the acts of sabotage, the increase in security and even curfews. Something on Naboo was trying to fight back despite the Empire's best efforts.

And it was the suddenly vibration of a comlink that sought to bring James Tesla into the fold.

TAG: blubeast




Geonosis
Canyon Range

Other then the blaster pistol and it's grisly attachment, there was no other evidence nearby that Striker or any other member of her group could find. There was no body - or even a second hand - to go with what they had found. So far, there was not even a single clue about who else could've been at the site. There was no sign of who or what could've possibly attacked the unfortunate trooper or if the man or woman had been alone. If there had been any craft nearby that had transported them to this place there was no sign of even that.

If not for their discovery, it could've easily been assumed that no one has been here in a long, long time.

And as they continued to move on, their weapons lowered, no one came out to greet or, thankfully, attack them. Instead, as they walked, the same sights just continued to greet them. There were the canyon walls that were as covered in sand and dust as the very air that constantly howled all around them. Finally, however, they did come across something. Upon another inspection of their surroundings in another vain attempt to find something, the group would come upon one of the reported tunnels that had been within the canyon range.

The tunnel opening seemed to materialize out of nowhere, a dark cavern that suddenly yawned open within one of the canyon walls. Inside the tunnel, darkness. If the reports were accurate, this was only one of the several that could be found here. Currently, it seemed like this entrance was the closest one to their landing zone...and their little discovery.

TAG: Ktala, grey, Liam