Star Wars OPEN Paradoxical Echoes: An Original Trilogy Game (Always Accepting New Players)

Continued...

One of the benches along the side, was in one piece. He jumped onto that, ran up it about twelve feet beyond the amount of safe flooring, gingerly turned on the relatively thin ledge, and jogged down towards the end, avoiding armrests, dropped onto the solid decking, to the hatch, and jumped out, the MTAT disappearing underneath him as he tried to keep himself airborne as long as possible, reaching the barracks, but not the roof, crashing through a frosted glase window and skidding across a multi-person set of showers, shards of glase sliding across the white ceramic with him.

He had tired off the robe by this point, and tore it over his head as he struggled to his feet, turning the sable-coloured garment inside out to free his arms then hands from the sleeves and trying not to entangle his feet in it.

He lifted his right elbow over his head to allow that shoulder to press into the earbud. "I didn't make it to the roof. I'm inside the barracks on one of the upper floors, trying to find the stairs to the roof."

Devon's voice suggested that they blow a hole in the roof, so that he could jump up out of it.

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed, and within a few minutes, was onboard the rescue craft, braving the faltering inferno with Jyn and Tim, as the Fluffy swept away from the prison, towards the nearest safe body of water.

Tag: no-one

 

IC: Elena Shan
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin

Elena smiled at Animal before breaking out into laughter. "You too Animal. I'll see you later." She watched him leave and looked back up at the television. She wasn't tired, and knew that she was in the dark about the next mission, but Elena couldn't help but wonder at what her grandfather had commanded her to do, and if she would be able to accomplish it. If this mission was meant to last two years; who would be in command of it? What would the galaxy be like when she returned. What would Erik be like?

These were questions Elena hoped would be answered soon. I hate waiting. I just wish I knew who was commanding this operation. The Unknown Regions...I don't want to stay there for too long.

Tag: @Bravo

 

IC: Sergeant First Class Adrias Stark
A Shady Motel, Downtown, Javin

Adrias remained silent while considering the offer. It was surely tempting but it had a potential downside. He did not want to become indebted to a member of his new squad. He considered that the man’s intentions might be pure, but given that they were in the Imperial Army that elicit greater level of carefulness. Favors are not easily handed and usually come back to haunt you at the worst time possible. It was too soon to render judgement on the man whether or not he could be trusted or not.

“Maybe later.” he shook his head “I want to settle in first, so to speak.” Adrias chuckled “Do you have any idea what will be our first assignment together?”

TAG: @Bravo

 

IC: Jingleheimmer Voss (Jingle)
Dinning at 'The Drooping Stalk', Planet of Javin

When he had been waiting a little while he eventually stuck his head out from his booth at the sound of a somewhat familiar voice. Well, there was one of them, "Table Voss! In the back!" he called out, more just in case others hadn't had the idea to simply ask for the table with the one legged man sitting at it. Well, one real one droid leg.

Waving her back he looked at the veritable spread on the table that the servers had already brought from the sample platters. "Either enjoy the experimentation or tell me what you like and I will guide you to something else you should like." he simply explained. Once everyone was seated they would need to clear the air with their spook, and share their collective concerns.

TAG: @Sith-I-5 , @Laine_Snowtrekker , @galactic-vagabond422 , @Bravo
OOC: Sorry for the delay, my writers block has been huge here for some reason.

 

IC: Trooper DW-418125 (Benjamin Jacob Waynes; "Face")
A Shady Motel, Downtown, Javin


Benjamin smirked, shaking his head as he put the glass of water down on the coffee table, and got up from the chair and stretched, turning to the window to look out. He could see Adrias' face in the window's reflection, "No idea," Face said, pausing for a long moment and then adding, "But something feels strange. Like we're all about to walk into hell," he shook his head, "I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing. How about you?"


TAG @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Natalia Markova
Javin

Natalia kept to herself, she wasn't much of a social butterfly. Her head was buried into her datapad, double checking what she had and what she suspected. There was still nothing to prove and all she had were anonymized numbers. And she had to hope that the person they were allowing into this investigation, if you could call it that, was going to help them. All she wanted was the truth, to know what happened to the Commodore. Vengeance wasn't on her mind. Only justice, and curiosity if she was being honest. It was something that didn't make sense, and she needed it to make sense.

The food lay before her and she wasn't sure what she was looking at, what was editable and what wasn't sprang to mind first. A few of the dishes seemed to have live creatures still on the plate. Her stomach turned at the sight and she returned her attention to her datapad, her appetite well and truly gone.

She had nothing to say to the others as they entered mearly nodding her head and making room were needed. They had already discussed everything they needed to. This was about bringing in one person…

A person that was yet to arrive.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto @Sith-I-5 @Bravo

 

IC: Alex Qipao19, Miami Vice, Baille Harte, The Drooping Stalk

Alex looked up as the waiter returned with a large ridged glass of froth-headed beer, and the sip-cup, though as the latter was set down before Miami, he could see a half-inch of clear liquid sloshing about the base of it.

The Chiss girl looked up. "My usual?"

"Your usual?" Alex echoed, looking across to her.

"Your usual." The waiter confirmed.

"Thank you, Vance." She confirmed, cupping hands around the plastic vessel. She looked at Alex while the waiter asked if they were ready to order. "I live in town, so I have been to several of the establishments by now."

"Table Voss!" Sounded out of the dimly-lit establishment.

"That's my cue." Alex reported, pulling his wallet out and peeling off notes for about forty credits, and laid them on the table as he rose out of his chair. "Order whatever you want, Miami. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Alex hesitated, then leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips, closing his eyes as her hands cupped his face and reciprocated on the kissing.

"In the back!"

Opening his eyes, the pilot glared a challenge at the startled Vance.

"Oh, that wasn't me offering you advice on what to do next, Sir." Vance waved towards the rear of the restaurant. "That was your 'cue', telling you where his table was. In the back. Sir."

Alex straightened. "Oh, okay. Think you can lead the way; I don't know where the back is."

He trailed Vance through several tables, heading for a curtained area ahead.

"Alex!"

The pilot turned at the call, spying his wing-mate clopping towards him past the bar, and waited for her to pass between the tables.

"Looking good, Sis'. Though I don't recognise the shoes."

"You wouldn't. Roy bought them for me.""

"Roy?" He felt his eyebrows shoot up.

"We'll talk later. Is this it? Her last words were aimed at the draped off section indicated by the dark-clothed waiter, pushing the heavy velveteen barrier out of her way at his affirming nod.

Baille went through first, noting their shy slicer, Natalia first, then the platters of food, then their master chef.

She frowned down at some of the servings. "You seriously need some more light in this place; it's so dark that some of that stuff looks like it is still moving."

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422 @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Emperor Palpatine
Emperor's Throne Room, Central Spire, Imperial Palace, Coruscant


Control.

It was the one action that allowed all other successful processes to follow suit. Without control, even the most talented of people could be defeated.

The slave boy turned Jedi Knight turned Darth Vader was a perfect example. A useful pawn now, not able to control The Force as he once did as the full bodied Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine saw Vader as a once promising apprentice, only for that potential to be stripped away because Vader became too lost with the Dark Side of the Force and couldn't control the power of it. But that lossed potential also meant Palpatine could keep Vader from overpowering him.

Vader had lacked control. Supremely gifted, but the Skywalker had lacked control. A fault that would lead him to his lost limbs and future mobile life support suit.

Mastery was the step beyond Control. Mastery was where one could master the control they had for truly powerful and individualized skills. Once one had learned control, mastery was the proper application of that control.

Palpatine was a Master. A Sith Lord.

As he relaxed into his throne with his eyes shut, he reached out through the Dark Side of the Force; Palpatine could see where the Force was leading him. He smiled thinly at the challenge.

Betrayal.

But as by whom, was yet to be known; as to when this betrayal would happen, was not known. But it would be unexpected. Lord Vader? A ever present threat, but one that didn't feel right with this vision that seemed ever more clouded and seemed, for now, to be resting in the Unknown Regions. No, this betrayal was far more than what Vader's appetite for vengeance against Palpatine could be. This was a deeper, darker, betrayal.

He reached out further through the galaxy, finding his Emperor's Hand. He could feel her, see her through the Force at the hotel.

"Our enemies move against us Granddaughter," the Emperor pushed gently, "Not now, but later. Not later, but now. Not near, but from afar. Not afar, but near. From within our own, most loyalist ranks. Trust no one. Be on the alert. The Unknown Regions hold a great many dangers to us. I send you there as my eyes and ears, as something is stopping me from seeing it, yet pulling me towards it. Be ready."

After Palpatine broke the connection with his Hand, he opened his eyes slowly from his throne. Yes, something was out there. But it wasn't in the Unknown Regions. It was elsewhere, yet the Unknown Regions would lead towards it.


TAG @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Elena Shan
Downtown, Javin

Elena sat up as the Emperor spoke to her, and took in his every word. His warning. She tilted her head before she answered him. Yes Master. I will do ask you command. Elena sat up as The Emperor disconnected their link, and looked at her uniform on the table; then at the news on the holo-screen. It was still talking about Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Unknown Regions. Trust no one. The warning rang clear in her head, and Elena stood up; walking back to her room to get dressed. By the time she had her uniform on again, she took a moment to reflect on all she had done to get here. And wondered if she would be able to handle the challenges ahead.

I hope Erik stays safe while I'm away.

Tag: @Bravo

 

IC: Sergeant First Class Adrias Stark
A Shady Motel, Downtown, Javin

Adrias was not sure how much he could trust the man. On one hand he had some doubts about it all. But on the other he reminded himself that he was a mere Sergeant and it was not his place to question orders. Besides his father had told him that not even he gets all the information in regards to the missions. “I am not sure what to think, I have not been here for too long and things had been hectic lately, with the terrorists taking the liner...”

TAG: @Bravo

 

IC: Alliance Commander Tep, prisoner cell AB-77
Location: Javin OverSector Command

Tep's braintails slid with unease over his shoulders as he sat scrunched up in the corner of the bare metal cell with his captured compatriots.

He had his back against the wall, knees up tight against his chest, with his arms locked around them.

Of the three men who had been pushed in here with him, after they had been brought down from the star destroyer that had captured their escape pod over Lepsawn....he was already down one man.

Thanks to Imperial apathy. The mynocks had ignored their banging on the doors to signal for help.

He glanced blearily at the metal slab that served as a bed, where his man lay.

Tep did not know the name of the creature, plant, whatever, but it was a silicate lifeform that infested city power conduits feeding off electrical energy wherever it could find it, perpetually growing tendrils and roots along miles of pipes and cabling in the search for more electrical energy, something that, according to a late night holo-doc he had watched instead of doing his university coursework, was how human brains worked...

If he stood and went over there now, unless something had changed, he would see a knobbly, cream-coloured pencil-thin length of root stretching from a power outlet and into h-his fr-friends ear!

Tep looked over as the cell's only door snapped up into the ceiling, revealing an Imperial stormtrooper with his blaster carbine aimed into the cell.

"Commander Tep? Alliance to Restore the Republic?"

The Twi'lek scowled. "It is too late." He could overhear the melodic whistling of a droid beyond the Imperial.

Bishop, one of his remaining officers, and a former fighter ace (X-Wings), leaned in to whisper: "Sir? That droid is saying, the guy he shot in the groin, is reaching for the alarm."

"Oh stang!" The trooper turned and fired a shot but was apparently too late, a deafening two-tone alarm moo-woo'ing beyond the cell.

"YES, I'M COMMANDER TEP!" The Rebel officer yelled, convinced enough by the alarm to cooperate.

"I'M LUKE SKYWALKER AND I'M HERE TO RESCUE YOU."

The 'R' word stood out there, and the Twi'lek felt his heart quicken with a surge of hope, unfolding himself as his companions tried to help him up.
"YOU'RE WHO?"

"THAT'LL MAKE MORE SENSE IN A COUPLE STANDARD YEARS' TIME." The stormtrooper holstered his E-11, levered off his helmet to reveal a tan face with a faint olive tinge to it, and pointed ears. "I'M ACTUALLY YAVSCOUT, AN AGENT WITH S.G.I.S., HOWEVER THE RESCUE BIT STILL STANDS."

After checking on the body on the bunk, Yav encouraged the dubious survivors to join hands with him, so that he could explain how they were getting out of there, when instead, he "linked" with them mentally, and Group Ported (teleported) them outta there.

Tag: @Bravo for alarm on the prison levels, Rebel captives gone, one dead jailer.

 

IC: Trooper DW-418125 (Benjamin Jacob Waynes; "Face")
A Shady Motel, Downtown, Javin


"Yeah," Face said, echoing the sergeant's words in thought if not in action, "Its all a little strange, isn't it? A calm before the storm, as they say."

By text book, the liner was a non-factor in this all this. It was a random event at a random location with random results. Crunch it by the numbers and it was just that, a non-factor even by mathematical standards. No pattern. No repetitiveness. No information to hint at any connection between the liner and Face's and---it seemed now---Stark's sense of doom.

But doom where? Somewhere out there, was all that Face could say. Something was out there and hunting them down. He could feel it. But there was no mathematical science to it.

But his experience said something was amiss.

Knock.

Face turned towards the distant door on the other side of the hotel room.

Knock. Knock.

Face turned to Stark and mouthed, "Company?"

Face grabbed the palmgun hold-out blaster he had hidden inside his boot. Not regulation, but his personal firearm, which Imperial policy allowed him his own personal sidearm. He just never allowed anyone to know he had it---even Animal.

He whistled and tossed it to Stark, as he signaled the sergeant to get Business up and take up a defensive position further back in the room as he himself walked up to the door. Range and ambushing power was key; at his close range to the door, the blaster would be useless. But Stark had range on his side and could line up the shots as enemies entered, hitting them one by one with punishing brutality in close quarters.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Stormtrooper patrol! Open up!"

The tell-tale sound of a voice being filtered through a Stormtrooper helmet could be heard.

Face peaked through the spy hole.

Sure enough, two Patrol Troopers were outside!

Face decided to use the challenge word that any true Stormtrooper should know.

"So you say!" Face shouted through the door, "But I have a question for you!"

"Look Trooper!" shouted a very frustrated stormtrooper barked back, "I don't have time for this! I got orders---"

"Who's mom has it going on?" Face interrupted.

"What?" the Patrol Trooper replied, "What the heck does that mean?"

"I said," Face repeated, "Who's---Mom---Has---It---Going---On?"

Face watched through peak hole as the lead trooper looked up and down the hallway, as if ashamed if he would get caught. He then whispered lowered, as if worried the helmet's audio system would blast it for all the world to hear.

"Stacy's Mom has got it going' on."

"And?" Face asked, looking through the peak hole as the trooper threw his head back in frustration.

"Look," the Patrol Trooper fired back, "I got orders and---"

"Say it!" Face replied through the door, now toying with the trooper for all the time he had left.

The trooper looked around the hallway again, grunting as he nodded to a pair of married Twi'leks that walked by. The aliens held their confused stare on the two troopers a moment longer, before disappearing from the peak hole's view. Soon, the leader trooper nudged his comrade behind him and the two broke out in a dance and song, but not before checking the hallway one last time.

"You know," both troopers began in union as they put their armor to work, "I'm not the little boy that I used to be; I'm all grown up now, baby can't you see!"

Face was chuckling so hard on the other side of the door that the two troopers must have heard him. The dance and song was worth every second of the challenge word.

"Let us in before I blast the locks off these doors!" the lead trooper barked, now thoroughly embarrassed.

Face looked back into the room and said, "Clear." He didn't want Stark popping friendlies with blaster fire.

Face opened the door with a smile, but the smile quickly faded with the EC-17 hold-out blaster pointed at his chest from waist height from the other trooper.

"Blas---" Face started (trying to say blaster), as he twisted his body inwards, hoping to deflect as much of the blast as possible, but was cut short when the blaster bolt tore into his shoulder and sent him falling into the wall. The two troopers pushed past a failing Face and into the room proper, their blasters ready and already firing as they bolted into the room. Instead of waiting for targets of opportunity, they laid waste to the room indiscriminately, blaster bolts tearing into the bed, the wall, and anything else in their path.....


TAG @TheAdmiral

 

IC: DW-418121 ("Animal"; Craig Anthony Stewart)
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin


Animal was making sure the last bits of his uniform looked proper; he used the window as a reflection. A cigarette was in his mouth as he quietly repeated to himself the steps of making sure his uniform was how it was supposed to be. Down to the last button.

Despite the early morning hours---it was still dark outside---Animal couldn't sleep. So there was no point. He was up and it was time to get the day going. He took a last long drag before smashing it in the ash tray behind him. He exhaled the toxic smoke and picked up his new glass from the table and turned back to the window. He finished off the remainder of whyren's reserve as he looked down at the street below. Not one pair---or two---but five pairs of C-PH Patrol Speeder Bikes went up the street. Interesting at this time of night and in this part of town. But, hey, maybe they had got a call about some fight, blaster fire, or something else going on.

He didn't put much thought to it as he turned back to the table and put the glass back; he now grabbed his breathe freshener to mask any smell on his breath and as he turned back to the windows and sprayed the mist into his mouth, he watched out the window as the speeder bikes had now broken off evenly i groups---left, right, left, right) to either side of the street and pairs of Patrol Troopers disembarked. Two troopers remained with the bikes, the last grouping splitting one trooper to each side.

Once again, common practice. Send in the troopers, keep troopers back to guard the bikes. If numbers allowed, you kept a reserve force in the rear in case things got hairy. But at this time of night, that reserve force was doubtful.

The troopers were going into hotels, which was odd. Animal watched a moment longer as he put the mouth freshener back into his pocket and withdrew a cigarette and lit it. Taking a drag, he shrugged as he went towards the door. He minus well walk the town a bit and see what was going on. Maybe these Patrol Troopers needed a second pair of eyes on whatever op they were on.

Making sure to grab his key card for the door on the table, Animal opened the door and walked out into the hallway. He checked the corridor and saw two Patrol Troopers make their way onto his floor. Animal put his fingers around the cigarette and withdrew it from his mouth as his eyes followed the two troopers as they waited for a second, said a few words between each other, then walked down the hallway.

"Gentlemen," Animal called out, "Trouble?"

"Orders," one of the troopers said.

"For?" Animal asked.

"Are you Master Sergeant Craig Stewart?"

Alarms were going off in Animal's head. Stormtroopers never refereed to real names & ranks, only operating numbers when addressing fellow troopers in public and in fear of civilian listening hears.

"Who's asking?" Animal asked.

The two troopers---roughly halfway down the hallway---pulled their EC-17 hold-out blasters and started firing towards the Master Sergeant. Three shots had been discharged and flying towards or past Animal by the time the Master Sergeant was already leaping back into his hotel room's open door. Falling on the floor just inside the door, he kicked it shut as hard as he could as blaster bolts flew past his room, into the floor by his door, and into the wall and door indiscriminately. He scrambled up to his feet and bolted around the wall just inside his room. The civilian rated door didn't last long and Animal could hear the door be blown to bits by the blasters.

His comlink! He mentally cursed himself as it was still on the table, a clear sprint across open ground to get it and be mowed down by blaster bolts.

Soon, Animal could hear the two troopers kicking through the remnants of the door and then the feet entering the room itself.

"Watch your corners!" One of the troopers barked to his comrade.

So it came to this? Killed by his own?

Fine. But he wouldn't die without a fight. There was many ways to kill a man without a weapon and many more ways a simple coffee cup could be turned into a tool of death. Both of these troopers were about to learn both of them.

As the first trooper stepped into view---his breathing & fear audible through the helmet's voice filters---Animal reached out and grabbed his arm with both arms and pulled opposite (outward) and towards the wall. The resulting loosening of resistance, snap sound, and the trooper's yelp of pain all confirmed that Animal had broken the man's arm, releasing the blaster pistol into Animal's waiting hand. Animal used the ragtag like arm, like a wet noodle and yanked the man forward and snapped his knee with his foot. As the trooper collapsed, the other trooper came rushing in---Animal kicked the first trooper's head backwards and the trooper's body went flying and collapsing into the second trooper, causing the man to fall backwards.

As the two troopers crumpled into the wall, Animal could hear the second trooper know his fate and yell, "No! Wait!"

But it was too late as Animal pumped both trooper bodies full of blaster bolts. Soon Animal could hear the last exhale of life from the trooper at the bottom of the pile and Animal picked up the other dead man's blaster. He picked up his still lit cigarette and took a drag as he walked out of the room. Two more Patrol Troopers appeared around the corner and Animal raised his blaster to mow them down.

"WAIT!" Both troopers said, holding up their hands with blasters, "WAIT!" the lead trooper repeated, "We're on your----"

"Watch out!" the other trooper said, pushing his comrade out of the way as the hallway intersection where they were became filled with blaster fire as the trooper tried to raise his blaster to the threat. The second trooper who had saved his comrade went down in a hail of blaster fire as the first trooper collected himself and as he tried to return fire, kept saying, "John! John! Talk to----"

Before the lead trooper could finish his words and before Animal's running legs could get him to the trooper, the corner wall where the patrol trooper had been taking cover behind started falling apart and soon the trooper went down. Animal shoved one of the pistols into his boot as he dragged the still alive trooper down the hallway. Two patrol troopers rounded the corner and started filling the hallway with blaster bolts. Animal started firing back, but he was in the open with no cover, dragging a comrade to safety. It would only be a matter of time now as the first wild shots were now gone by his enemies and now they could zero in on their target...


TAG @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Rick Taller (& company)
Maryo


The warm air rushed past Taller's face as he followed Courage Stack. Taller took what shots he could, but it would be all in vein. The two speeder bikes raced up and along a narrow road towards a lone building far, far back into the mountainous area.

That had to be where Stack was going and most likely his way to escape.

But Taller wouldn't allow that.

No.

He would ensure it would be Courage's last stand.

He opened his wrist comlink, "Winterkill! Havah! Courage is headed to his estate, trying an escape. I'm following him! We don't have time for games---hurry up and follow my signal!"

While games would be a slight playful term for most in the heat of the battle, Taller knew both commandos were more than capable of finishing this now. And he would need them to---Courage COULD NOT ESCAPE!


TAG @greyjedi125 , @Mitth_Fisto

 

IC: Stormtrooper Squad (sergeant)
Lepsawn 1-9

The Stormtroopers pushed their way through the corridors; administrative personnel, civilians, and droids cowering for cover. A handful of Imperial Navy Troopers had already taken up defensive positions and were waiving the troopers forward as they had their blasters pointed in the direction of where the troopers were going. The sergeant's internal helmet audio was abuzz with updates from command, navy troopers, and members of his own squad as they all cleared corners, offices, and cells. They finally reached the cell where they had to be a turn later and the sergeant stared at the empty cell.

Two stormtroopers had gone into the cell to physically check it, as the Sergeant posted a guard at the cell and dispatched the other 5 troopers of his squad to secure the rest of the prison complex with the Navy Trooper guards and other stormtroopers. He stood outside the cell as he keyed his helmet comm, "Command, this is TK-12398. The prisoners are gone."

"What do you mean they're gone???" Came the officer's voice.

"They're physically not in the cell, sir," the sergeant replied.

"Sensors had them there a moment ago! Check the rest of the complex!"

"I already am, sir. Did security cameras pick up anything? Can they point us to where they went?"

There was a moment of silence, then the officer came back, his voice in shocked disbelief, "I don't believe it."

"Believe what, sir?" the sergeant replied.

"Sergeant, get your men to take samples of that cell. Every square inch. And bring the samples directly back to command. I'll need to get Military Intelligence on the horn for this."

"Take samples of what, sir?" the Sergeant replied.

"Anything, sergeant!" the officer replied, his voice upset, "I'll be sent to some backwater post for the rest of my career for sure, after this!"

"Right away, sir," the sergeant replied, ending the comm with the thought that Lepsawn 1-9 was about as backwater you could get. A course---unless---the officer meant Tatooine. Now that planet was a Bantha's dead end of a military posting, if there ever was one!


TAG @Sith-I-5

 

IC: Elena Shan
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin

Elena was attaching her dagger to her belt when the first shots rang out. She ducked and hit the ground on instinct, grabbing the blaster pistol she had as a more formal sidearm; something that was to be used only when necessary when she heard footsteps stop outside her door. Elena pulled herself down behind the bed, and waited. Slow you're breathing. Elena let out a slow breath. Wait for the target to be in perfect sight.

The door was smashed open, and she was surprised to see stormtrooper boots on the floor. They crept forward slowly, and Elena heard the words, "She's not here? Track her down. Kill-" As they moved across the room. She carefully slid out from under the bed and fired two quick shots in rapid succession; dropping the two troopers. She approached, and realising quickly from a touch of her hand to their wrists that they were gone turned and crept toward the door of the room; watching her corner for a moment before she felt a searing pain hit her in the upper right arm.

Elena dropped and turned up just in time to see another stormtrooper throw themselves at her. She scurried back; this time afraid as she raised her blaster to shoot before it was knocked out of her hand. She ducked a swing and grabbed the dagger; thrusting it up in between the armor of the neck and head as the stormtrooper dropped. She hit them again for good measure; and crawled over to her blaster; standing up on shaky legs.

I'm bleeding. Elena realised; noting the blood that made her uniform warm and sticky. She knelt down after looking around the hallway and heard shooting from close by and then a yell. Animal. Elena thought as she placed her dagger into the hilt on her hip as she took off down the hallway. She came upon two troopers shooting down the hallway and spotted Animal with an injured man being fired upon by them. Elena fired one shot and took the stormtrooper out on the left before charging and tackling the other one from behind. "Animal! Animal shoot them." Elena ordered as she struggled for control. She dropped her blaster and it was kicked away, before she reached and grabbed her dagger. The stormtrooper forced her arm down and the blade started to cut into her hand. "Animal! Do something, please!"

Someone help me.

Tag: @Bravo

 

IC: Winterkill
Stack’s Secret Hangar, Chasing the Prize

It was chaos and carnage all around, but is wasn’t over yet. Winterkill pivoted with his ‘meat shield’, just in time to save himself from one of the armed guards firing at him. The nagai shoved the dead body he’d been holding at his attacker, then shot out both his eyes while he was tangled up. Now both lay crumpled on the floor.

That made 10.

[“Winterkill! Havah! Courage is headed to his estate, trying an escape. I'm following him! We don't have time for games---hurry up and follow my signal!”]

It was Lord Visor coming through his ear piece.

The Nagai spat on the floor and let out a curse under his breath. No more games.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spied two tuxedo wearing enemies trying frantically to set up an E-Web, but they were’nt focused, as they were rushing and bungling their own op. Winterkill cartwheeled and rolled on the floor, evading another series of shots, which he returned unerringly.

11,12.

Smoothly coming to his feet, he remained crouched as he ran towards the two guards attempting to assemble the Heavy repeating Blaster. Winterkill made a feral sound, getting their attention in order to delay them and fuel their fears. Death was coming for them, fast!

One of them drew his weapon, but the shank was already airborne and lodged itself in the man’s throat with a wet sound. The second guard realized he could not finish alone and went for his own weapon, but was rewarded by a blaster bolt to his temple. Too late.

13,14.

Winterkill finished connecting the Heavy Weapon with minimal effort, then opened fire on the remaining guards. In an instant, he wiped out all remaining enemies, except the one(s) who engaged against Havah Jeth. Not only would he NOT risk hitting his fellow Merc, he was confident the Arkanian would finish off his hapless prey in short order.

Without waiting another second, Winterkill jumped on the fastest vehicle he could find, as he’d already cased the hangar the moment they had arrived.

“OYA!!” He yelled to Havah.

It was time to go. Courage Stack had to be stopped. Immediately. Captain’s orders.


Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @Bravo

 

IC: Havah Jeth
Stack's Secret Hanger, Chasing the Prize

More of the Security Droids kept coming out and Havah seeing Winterkill having his own fun with a meat shield had run in close and started his own little game. Keep away, and he was the one that had to stay out of grasp. It was a fun little dance as he also made up a rule that he couldn't just kill these ones like the last ones. No that would be far too easy. Twas a better thing to have to hit the narrow joint to disable their blaster arm, then the off arm. Of course as a machine believing in machine superiority they would doggedly advance for the stomp. They were droids, they had the numbers, and based off high class fools they should easily win according to the odds even if he got a couple lucky shots in.

Sadly they didn't have all the pertinent data and he then if safe from another blaster shot would disable the legs at the hip joints. With that done one shot to the gap at the head and neck juncture aimed up into the servo brain to fry any recordings and knowledge they contained. Occasionally an organic would try to move in and he simply treated them like another droid, only they always fell down when he disabled their arms at the shoulders. But that made it a much shorter game.

Then the comm call had come as he was disabling the last of the droids. With a sigh he shot it down through both photoreceptors and once under the jaw as it tipped backwards. A dive roll saw him coming under the suppressive fire of another organic goon, woefully purely organic. With the butt of the rifle he jabbed the woman's neck with the smoking and he figured spent blaster before blasting her head with her own weapon as he knelt procuring another, and then dropping a guy that was trying to run. Pitiful. It was sad he had had to rush things. He felt the odd twinge at that moment, the fear, the remorse, the self hate and sadness come crushing in as he stared at the body smoldering on the ground. Continuing the game and taking out a runner would of been much more interesting instead of just mopping it up, not to mention he might of been too busy to have this calm standing moment looking at a corpse gunned down in cold blood that was trying to run. It had honestly been an automatic reflex. Look, Find, Shoot targets once the game was called done. Still, seeing the mans body face down and smoking triggered those old memories, that old regret and horror that could never be forgiven.

“OYA!!” He barely heard Winterkill's yelled call to himself. But it was enough, enough to turn away to spot the other on the fastest ride in the place and to get his legs moving again. Even if the world for an odd reason was shifting in and out of blurry focus.

Running up he hopped on, letting Winterkill drive as It was time to go. Courage Stack had to be stopped. Immediately. Captain’s orders. "Go." he simply whispered as he held the two blasters at the ready down by the side of either hip.


Tag: @greyjedi125 , @Bravo

 

IC: DW-418121 ("Animal"; Craig Anthony Stewart)
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin


Animal watched it unfold before his eyes as the incoming blaster fire went from a hail storm of impossibilities of survival to a sudden sputtering of incoherent messaging of his---and the injured trooper he dragged---survival.

"Animal!"

It all happened slow motion as it always did. He dropped the trooper's arm he had been dragging, the man grunting pain as Elena's plea for survival still rang in his ears. He came up, raising his blaster pistol---seeing the tango, seeing her, struggling between life and death---as he took a step around the injured trooper and forward, his iron sights laying bare upon the enemy trooper, but mere inches from Elena's face. A miss could not be an option.

"Do something, please!"

The Lieutenant's words were now one of desperation in the handful of moments it took Animal to get a clear shot. Clearly, even she knew, that this was a battle she would not win. The best soldiers knew sooner than later when they were over-matched and had to adjust or be killed. It was the foolish blowhards that died because of their lack of wisdom.

His borrowed blaster pistol aimed, he pulled the trigger. He watched as the Patrol Trooper's front facial helmet filters and sound system splintered & shattered as the blaster bolt impacted and tore through it. Pieces of armor from the helmet went in all directions, pieces of blood and bone as well as the impact, penetration, and mini explosion from the blaster bolt shattering armor and devices inside the helmet's frontal section. The enemy soldier reared up in shock & pain and that's when Animal got in the second shot into the side of the trooper helmet and blasting the Hutt slime off of Elena and onto the ground next to her. The lifeless motion from the patrol trooper told the result of the two blaster bolts.

Before reaching the LT, Animal took cover behind the blasted remnants of the corner wall and cleared the access corridor.

Strange.

No panicked guests pulling the fire alarm, emergency power coming on as main power is cut, or yelling as more law enforcement came up steps or a turbolift. No outside sirens to show more responding units.

He looked to Elena and signaled for her to crawl his way. He didn't use words as he kept clearing the corridor. He grabbed the extra blaster from his boot and gave it to her, as he signaled her to stay and guard the corridor, as he went back for the injured trooper, who at this point was up against the wall with his helmet off.

"What's going on trooper?" Animal asked.

The man shook his head, his face in pain from the obvious blast damage to his armor. But the armor had held and he would survive.

"No idea, sir," the patrol trooper could see Animal's higher rank on his uniform, "FD-87639."

"You're name, trooper?"

The young soldier looked at him with a confused look, "Sir?"

"You're name. You have a name, correct?"

The trooper paused, as if he had to go back into his own long term memory to remember his own name. "Chris, sir. Private First Class Chris Tang."

"Master Sergeant Anthony Stewart. But most people call me Animal," Animal started to help the man up.

The young man saw the bodies of the two troopers in Animal's room and looked at him, "I can see why."

"Nice," Animal replied and provided a shoulder as they made their way to Elena's covering position, "What was your mission here?"

"Serving a warrant," Chris said, nodding to his buddy's lifeless body, "John and I were serving a warrant on this level. We checked in with command to double confirm more units were in the area," he nodded to the two dead hostile troopers in the hallway, "Command said negative. So we kept an eye on them. We came to the floor first to serve the warrant, then them. Then they fired on us the minute we saw you."

"Does your commanding officer know about this?" Animal pressed.

Chris nodded, "Yes, sir. He told us he was looking into it. To keep him updated. Communications between command and us have been quiet since, I can't raise anyone at central."

Animal looked at Elena, "Lieutenant, thoughts?"


TAG @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Jim Palso and Jason Lasso
Maryo


"Captain," Palso said over the comm channel used by The Mercs as he danced the modified G-400 above the the ground, the green angry laser bolts from the TIE Fighters impacting the ground around him---Lasso's G-400 was slightly ahead, the canyon just beyond that. "We have a situation. Imperials."

"Thank you Palso for stating the obvious!" came Taller's voice, the wind flying past his comlink could be heard on the return.

"That good, huh?" Jim replied.

"Always," Rick replied, "We're following our VIP towards his mansion. Winterkill and Havah on my six. Somewhere."

Jim looked out the side of his canopy to port and saw two speeder bikes racing up a open mountain road, one trailing not too far behind the leader. The trailing one was shooting red blaster fire at the elusive leader. He then looked forward and saw the distant wooded area where the mansion was most likely hidden from view. Somewhere between here and there, with mountain white clouds moving in to block a clear view, his sensors were picking up more targets.

"There's a Lambda-class Shuttle in the area with escorts," Jim stated with canyon fast approaching now, "I'm going to assume the mansion is in the same area."

"Our VIP must be hotter than we thought," Rick replied, "Stay alive. We'll meet on the flip side."

"As always, sir," Palso replied and cut the comlink. He grimaced; Taller's meet on the flip side meant things were hairy and to survive long enough to see each other again. It had seemed the mercenary organization was always one step away from ruin every other mission, yet never quite there either thanks to the people that had come together in a rather uncanny way to make a group that, by all standards, was defying the odds every day.

Jim got back to the here and now and knew Taller & company didn't stand a chance with no air cover. He keyed his comlink as he started navigating the first few banks and turns in the canyon, "Hero, you'll have to hold your own. I'll draw as many away as I can. But Captain is headed into trouble."

"I understand," Lasso's voice came back, "Be safe Quagmire!"

"You too kid," Palso said with not as much confidence as he wanted and pulled up out of the canyon (accelerating as fast as he could), drawing 3 of the 6 TIEs to him, a grim look on his face. He barrel rolled as he climbed, the angry green blaster bolts twirling around him. "Okay Imps," Jim said out loud to himself, "Let's see you dance!" He put full force into slowing down and felt as if his insides were going to burst out his body. The 3 TIEs overshot him, all scattering in different directions but as he punched it again---his insides wanting to rebel despite the flight suit and internal systems of the starfighters---he found the one TIE banking too close in towards starboard and knew that, within planetary, he wouldn't be able to escape. Once in range as the TIE tried in vein to circle back around faster, Palso peppered the area with laser & blaster fire, soon the TIE breaking apart and falling to the planet below in debris.

Jim wasn't foolish enough to stick around long as he adjusted course and looked around the skies for his targets and checking his sensors for confirmation. The other two TIEs were had come together, utilizing numbers in their favor. They were trying to come down directly on Jim from above!

Catching them at the last second through visual scan from the canopy, Jim put the starfighter on wing and watched as the green bolts sliced through the air and the TIEs rocketed past and beneath him, his starfighter shaking with their passing so close. But even before the TIEs had shot past him, the mercenary was turning his fighter into a barrel roll then dive, giving pursuit at half speed. As the TIEs shot past at higher speeds, they struggled to recover a quicker turn out of their dives and Palso was already lining up one of the TIEs as he adjusted with the TIE at a slower speed. The TIE was stuck at high speeds and high pull to get out of his current flight path without sending his starfighter into a uncontrolled maneuver to the ground. So as Palso pushed the speed to close the distance, he knew the Imperial TIE Pilot knew his fate and soon the night sky was alive with green laser bolts and blaster bolts and a expanding ball of gas & debris from an explosion middle.

One TIE left. Palso checked his sensors. The pilot had recovered and had time to loop around to be in Jim's rear (almost). Palso knew the TIE had the one up on him when it came to this, but the mercenary played the dance that followed perfectly. Weaving in and out as he inched his way towards the clouds covering the mansion ahead. Green bolts this way and that way (two scoring hits on his shields and dropping them), but Palso pressed on. Through the clouds and warning alarms from sensors that he was too close to a mountain side or something else. But the clouds blocked his view!

Just when the clouds seemed like they would never end, they suddenly parted and only wisps of their remnants remains moments later as he broke through the massive mansion lay before him, the lonely dirt mountain road where Taller, Courage, Winterkill, and Havah were coming from just visible leading away from the massive complex and into the white clouds. The mansion was built into the side of a mountain, the road leading to it being it's end point for travel. Massive walls---four stories---lead out from the front of the mountain fortress and were covered with massive art-stained glass panels. Two landing pads were off the side of the mountain and its here where Palso saw the Lambda landed, as were two TIEs on the other landing pad. Palso watched as red blaster bolts shot out from sentry stormtroopers below on the landing pad.

Smiling like a hunter, Palso dived in towards the two TIEs on the landing platform (he knew the other two were out there somewhere, along with the one following him) as the sound of a diving bomber blasted throughout the air. The stormtroopers must have heard it and started running for cover as Palso's blaster cannons and laser cannon lit up the landing pad with the TIEs. Despite one of them starting to hover and rotate to fly away, the two TIEs were soon smoking debris and the one which had attempted to fly one fell onto the landing pad's edge and it's fiery hulk slid off the pad and into the deep, dark mountains below.

Jim was so pleased with himself that he almost forgot to pull up and when he did, he barely did so in time to avoid becoming bug splat on the mansion's roof.

"That was too close!" Palso said, looping back around and watching the roof of the mansion with the stormtrooper sentries running for cover and firing up at him, and scanning the sky.

THERE!

Palso's trailing buddy had finally emerged from the dense clouds and Jim peppered the area with blaster & laser fire, catching the cautious pilot (who wouldn't be, while flying through dense clouds in the mountains) off guard and watching his TIE explode and flaming debris fall to the mountain darkness depths below. Soon, however, Jim's free-for-all came to an end as the other two escort TIEs appeared side-by-side and angling in from above on the far opposite side of the mountain, their paired green laser cannons ripping through the air. As they flew towards Jim, they barrel rolled under him lazily and disappeared into the clouds.

Apparently these two pilots were much more comfortable in the confines of night flying in mountains with heavy clouds. Palso knew, however, it would take them time to get back here, unless---

Jim brought his fighter around towards the mansion and checked his sensors, seeing what the pilots were doing. They were rocketing up through the clouds to reduce their return time and diving back down! After all, their sensors were practically on-top of him!

Putting the starfighter into hover, Jim angled the starfighter's noise up----allowing the armor to collect what blaster bolts made their way towards the starfighter from the 4 or so Stormtroopers he guessed were guarding the roof. He waited and as he started to see dark shapes in the clouds above and the swirl of whiteness, he opened up fire. Spraying the area as he yelled in union as he pressed harder and harder and HARDER on the trigger button and watched as the first TIE to his right, it's wing popping off at the incoming weaponry from Palso and the TIE spun mindlessly to the depths below. The other TIE tried to adjust, dancing around as he did, but his dive was too steep, too fast, and went to applied the breaks he did so in a manner that made him a fat, clear target! Jim's blasters and laser cannon tore into the TIE from different points and the fiery wreck was out of control and headed right for Palso!

Jim's eyes went wide in surprise and he suddenly disengaged the repulsors and watched his starfighter fall from the sky as the out of control TIE crashed into the Lambda shuttle, pushing the shuttle across the landing pad and into the roof proper, setting off more explosions as both machines slid across the roof! By now, Jim had regained control of his own starfighter and hovered up, seeing secondary explosions from the shuttle as TIE and shuttle were a mangled mess. Three of the four stormtroopers lay dead or wounded and the one that foolishly fired on Palso, the mercenary quickly silenced with a short blast from his wing mounted blaster cannons.

He hit the comlink, "Captain, you're skies are clear at the VIP location. Roof is secured, unknown tangos on the inside of the mansion. I'm going back to assist Lasso."

"Copy Palso!" came back Taller's voice and the wind, "We're almost through these thick clouds!"

"Quagmire copy. Out," Jim rotated his starfighter and blasted towards the skies, soon the open night sky being free from any fragments of dense cloud cover. He keyed his comm, "Hero, where are you?"

"A bit over my head Quagmire! But I think I got it!" Lasso replied.

Palso's heart dropped as he started scanning the skies and canyon below, his worse fears of leaving the new kid alone coming true. There! He could see the green laser fire reflecting up through the canyon walls and he raced towards it, "How many?"

"Two left!" Lasso's voice was over burden, "Shields down! Got a few marks on the paint job. Don't let Taller know," the man tried to joke.

"I see you! I see you!" Jim hurried, "Pull up! I'm headed right for you!"

"Copy Quagmire," Jason said, his voice being covered with coughs as he raised out of the canyon and smoke trailed behind him, signaling smoke was filling the canopy of the fighter as well by sound of the coughing.

Palso pushed his fighter to the limits and beyond. He didn't care if he crashed at this point in the dive, he had to get to Lasso----that's all that mattered now! "Climb kid! Climb! Keep dancing. I'll tell you when to break port!."

He was almost there...

There!

"Break! Break! Break!" Jim ordered and watched as Lasso broke, but one of the TIEs didn't take the bait and looped under Palso's flight back and kept under and behind Lasso! Despite his blasters and lasers ripping into the other TIE and blowing him to bits, Jim knew he couldn't pull the moves he had to do to recover fast enough. Although he tried!

"One slipped through! One slipped through!" Palso yelled through the comm channel, "Behind you! Behind you!"

"I can't see him!" Lasso said, coughing as he spoke.

"Roll!" Palso yelled in frustration as the starfighter resisted the high maneuvers that it's structural design wasn't made for, "Come on! Come on!" he said to himself, but also to Lasso inadvertently. Finally the starfighter started to respond after the dive and Jim started climbing again after a long loop around. He looked up as he sped towards the two starfighters in the distance up above, one smoking in the lead and the other getting within range. "Roll Lasso! Dive! Dive!"

"I can't! Controls are freezing up!"

"Eject kid! Eject!" Palso pressed, putting as much speed into the engines as he could.

"I'm losing speed! Power is draining!" Lasso said, as the systems started to shut down one by one due to the battle damage.

"Eject!" Palso said as he watched hopelessly as the TIE Fighter now toyed with Lasso as the starfighter started drifting to the right and bank roll almost towards the ground as speed, power, and other systems started failing rapidly.

"I can't," Lasso said; Jim could almost hear the smile of irony across the man's face, "There's homes down there. I have to make sure we avoid them."

Jim watched the TIE break away, leveling off high above into the sky as to not kill a wounded combatant and seeing what now Palso saw as well that Lasso was looking at.

"Don't be a hero, kid!" Jim said, "Eject!"

"I can't," Lasso said, adding with a cough, "You know that."

Jim watched helplessly as the under-powered starfighter's fall from the skies accelerated as bits of flaming debris pealed off the fighter's damaged body, but the brave pilot within controlled it's path just enough with what little system control he had left in the controls. The fiery debris and smoke marked where a star was falling

Jim flew above slowly, watching it all as he trailed. He knew the kid was right. Ejecting would have been a cowardly thing to do. Just beyond the homes was a small hill. From the damaged starfighter's path, the kid wouldn't have enough power to pull up.

Jim keyed the comm, "I'll see you on the flip side, Hero."

Lasso replied, system warnings in the background of the comm channel, "On the flip side, Quagmire."

Jim watched as the falling star crashed into the hill below.

Jim felt a tear run down his cheek and his quickly wiped it away. He banked away from the crash and saw the TIE Fighter in the distance tip his solar panels in respect and race off higher towards the moon above.

Palso keyed the comm, "Captain, Hero is down. I repeat, Hero is down," there was a moment of silence on Jim's end, then he added, "Returning to station at mansion. Last TIE buggered out."



******************


Taller eased up against the wall of the entrance to the mansion. Outside, Jim's starfighter was parked and the pilot was providing exterior guard. Rick pushed the blaster pistol against Courage's skull as he had the man's hands tied behind his back. Havah was bringing up the rear behind Taller and Winterkill was somewhere up ahead in the darkened shadows.

But Taller soon heard a whistle from somewhere up ahead and Taller pushed the captive ahead to where Winterkill was waiting, at the edge of a great open space. The entry way had opened into a hall lined with suits of armor that then opened up into a grand open area that branched off into two different corridors with a spiraling staircase heading upwards to the next level directly ahead (Winterkill was waiting at the edge of the shadows where Taller & company caught up); a waterfall with gold plating was on the far end of the wall behind the staircase. The power was cut, most likely done by the Stormtroopers, with emergency lights only. Throughout the massive place, you could hear the screams of servants as the Stormtroopers were torturing them for information on the whereabouts of their prize. Every now-and-then a short firefight were erupt between the Stormtroopers and private security. The place all seemed very spooky.

"You tell us where to go," Taller pressed Courage, "And you live."

"And if I don't?" Courage replied, still thinking he was the one in control here.

There was a scream and then the sound of a blaster bolt. The red flash could be seen at the level above them.

"We turn you over to the Empire," Taller replied.

"Left," Courage answered after a moment, "It'll take you deeper into the mountain and hidden secured vaults, power supply, and water wells."

Taller looked to Winterkill, "Lead the way."


TAG @greyjedi125 & @Mitth_Fisto


OOG: Grey, Mitth; feel free to create the mansion layout as you go.

I'm going to say the Stormtroopers are in five teams of three a piece. You have two hallways (left/right) leading into different wings. The left wing is towards the vaults, power supply, and water wells, where we're headed (assume private security of some short---I'm going to assume droids and a few organics). The right wing would lead to private starship hangers, work shops, etc. The central middle staircase would lead to 10 levels up above of personal studies, entertainment rooms, living quarters, kitchens, etc. Assume both left & right wings have at least two levels each.

 

IC: Elena Shan
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin

Everything had happened quickly, the shots that drove the trooper off of her; Animal motioning her to get to his position, to cover. Elena half dragged herself; not sure entirely how she got all the way there because she faded out for just a moment; and then she was leaning against the wall; picking up- the blaster Animal gave her and tucking her injured hand under her arm. The cut was deep; it would be a couple of bacta treatments but she was alive. Thanks to Animal.

Elena covered the corner as Animal helped the injured trooper up and against a wall, asking him questions before they moved to her position. She felt the warmth from the blood from the wound on her shoulder start to seep further down her side, but it seemed to be slowing down. She knew in the right light the dark stain would be visible, but that was the least of Elena's concerns right now. Elena listened to the trooper and then Animal, before she was asked for her thoughts.

"They came into my room saying they were going to kill me." Elena admitted, and she winched slightly. "The best thing we can do right now is try to link up with Business and the others. We also need to get communications working again." Elena shut her eyes and opened them again, "I don't know why we were attacked yet, but we need to figure it out quickly before they come back in a second wave. Javin is supposed to be an Imperial planet right? Why are there no civilians acting scared?"

Tag: @Bravo

 

IC: DW-418121 ("Animal"; Craig Anthony Stewart)
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin


Animal agreed with everything the LT had said and added his own thoughts as he helped Chris up, "I want to know how they got hold of Stormtrooper armor. That means they have access to the armory," the Master Sergeant looked at the patrol trooper, "Can you walk, trooper?"

"Yes Sergeant," the trooper replied.

"Good," Animal said and turned to the Lieutenant, "You alright LT? We need to get to the far side of Downtown if you want to link up with Business and company, with comms down. Can you make it or do I need to leave you and Private First Class Tang here," he took a moment and looked at her with all seriousness, "I can make it faster if I was alone."

He didn't need to add that her and Chris should pick another floor or area of the hotel to hold up in, since whoever was attacking them already knew where their room was. They'd be sitting ducks for a second wave, equally so sitting ducks if her and Chris came along and slowed Animal down.

But it would be her call, she was the ranking officer. At least if they stayed at the hotel, they could set up a bastion of defense on their terms for any second wave.

Whoever was attacking them, Animal would put his last bottom credit that it was a small elite team with a focused logistics support unit and little in the way of meaningful reinforcements if things went south. While their surprise attack in Stormtrooper armor gave them an initial advantage, they made a fatal flaw. They left Animal alive and he would pick them apart, one by one, and ensure they wished certain death over what he would do to them. He would dine in their torture and following death, with more pleasure than he would openly admit to anyone.


TAG @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Elena Shan
Galactic Seas motel, Downtown, Javin

Elena struggled a little but stood up, nodding at Animal and Private Tang. "I can make it." She looked at the trooper and added, "I'm Lieutenant Elena Shan. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before." Elena apologised and reloaded her weapon. "Let's go find the others and figure out how this happened at all." She looked around and nodded at Animal. "You can take point Sergeant, and stick close to us Tang-" Elena added with a small smile, "If you want anyone by you're side in battle it's Animal."

How could they gain access to the armoury unless they had help from the inside? None of this adds up. And who's trying to kill is in the first place? Rebels aren't this sophisticated.

Tag: @Bravo

 

IC: Sergeant First Class Adrias Stark
A Shady Motel, Downtown, Javin

Face suddenly grew silent, probably dozed off? Nah, he could see the reflection of the outside lights in the man’s eyes. Adrias was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. The Sergeant frowned, probably someone mixed up the room or a lady of the night offering her services. Before he could dismiss that thought, a couple more knocks.

He frowned at what Face was mouthing. Adrias certainly did not expect any company. His muscles tensed as the other man took a pistol. These things usually did not end well. Especially in a place like this. Adrias took the gun that was tossed to him. He checked the power levels, it was fully charged. He turned off the safety, but kept his finger away from the trigger.

Adrias relaxed slightly at the mention of the Stormtrooper Patrol. They were on the same side. He hoped they won’t get into any trouble though. The Sergeant frowned at the sound of the altercation that was going on in the corridor. What was Face doing? He was supposed to hear them out, reply if necessary and then send them on their merry way, not provoke any scandal.

The sound of the chuckle puzzled Adrias, what was going on? He was about to head towards them when Face opened the door. He lowered the gun when he heard the Clear. But then things happened so fast. Face almost screamed “Blast...” then was gunned down. Adrias could not see in the gloom where exactly. There was no time to worry about that. He raised the pistol and sent a crimson shot, but it flew wildly and struck the side of the door. It sent splinters flying towards the Patrol troopers. Hopefully that will throw their aim long enough for him to take cover.

Adrias ducked and rolled, with a swift motion upturned the coffee table. Not that it would save him from the blaster bolts, but was better than nothing. He took a couple more shots, which illuminated the room. He could smell smoke, probably the wallpaper caught fire from the blaster fire. But first things first. “Face you alright?” he shouted.

TAG: @Bravo

 

IC: Devon Robie (SGIS), Kamali (Rebel Alliance), Rachael Williams, bridge of the 'Fluffy' Bantha-class transport
Location: Wobani, escaping the Imperial Correctional Facility

The Rodian captain, Devon, looked up from his Terrain Following Sensors and checked his other scanners, calling to his temporary bridge crew.
"Miss Williams, keep an eye out for that park. Should be easy to spot, it'll be green with trees and grassland."

"Roger that."

"Private, I read two TIE fighters inbound from directly behind and above us. I shall try to make it hard for them to simply drop in behind us. If we can force them to overshoot and go ahead of us, you need to be ready to hit at least one of them."

Kamali nodded to herself. "On it, Captain. Are they instructing us to land and surrender?"

"I think they are past that, soldier."

Rachael's array of repeater screen were aimed either downwards under the airborne craft, or horizontally towards the horizon in different directions.
"Sir, you said trees? I think I have your park, three standard miles ahead, and ten degrees to the right."

Devon confirmed her findings, acknowledged her, and steered the ship in that direction.
This was dicey. There was no way that they were going to be able to drop into the water enough to extinguish the fire, close up, drop the Rebs and Ms Erso off at their U-Wing in town, and get clear before those Imperial fighters were upon them.

The tops of trees appeared beyond the forward window blisters, and blurred by beneath them.

Devon made sure their deflectors were up, and a moment later, the ship shuddered as energy fire raked over the upper hull, and then a single TIE fighter showed them its' scarlet ion engines as it shot into the distance, chased by turbolaser fire, the Rebel trooper swinging almost out of her seat as she guided one of their turrets after the thing.

"Okay, we are coming up to that lake, Captain!" Williams shrilled.

"Cheers!" He acknowledged, concentrating on the task ahead.

Suckered digits toggled the intercom so he could talk to the cargo bay.
"Better hold on down there, and be ready to swim!"

He steered his ship over the last of the trees, and dove for the shoreline, hoping that the water lapping there would be deep enough to have a decent amount flowing in through the open hatch.

He felt much heavier, painfully so, as the Fluffy belly-splashed onto the lakeshore and skidded into the water.

The sounds of rushing water echoed up from below decks.

The pained groaning from the girls matched just how Robie felt himself, but instead he had a myriad of internal alarms to deal wiith, most of which he never had occasion to hear before, so didn't know what they meant without looking.

"Here they come again." Kamali reported, grimly.

To be continued...