Log:Against the Current

Against the Current

OOC Date: June 28, 2019
Location: Ruby Island, Glee Anselm
Participants: Jax Greystorm, Jessika Pava, Ektor, Merek, Nova Korell, Tallissan Lintra, Domino Graystorm, Iollan Canem, D4-K4, Aryn Cole

Ruby Island, Glee Anselm

This landing area is a private beach off the northern coast of Ruby Island, the private resort where pirates have taken over. There is a cliff face to the south, and the sea is to the north. A path leads out of this private cove and further into the northern jungle of the resort. The sounds of wildlife are missing, and the distant storm clouds are hauntingly dark with frequent flashes of lightning. The wind is strong, cool and threatening of rain.

Those who brought ships were given specific coordinates to land. (Refer to the room desc). This beach is large, and has natural defilade by way of a cliff side to the south. To the north, the open ocean. Low rumbling thunder spreads across the sky, a sign that danger was quickly approaching.

Dr. Aryn Cole, a young bright blonde haired female dressed as a noble wearing a cape and all, marches out to a central congregation area to meet with the volunteer teams. The plan is to push into the resort, eliminate the pirate threat, and figure out where the remaining civilians were hiding.

Aryn glances at her datapad and sighs. "We don't have a lot of time." The wind kicks up sand and whistles by everyone. Aryn makes no effort to keep her hair under control. Raising a hand, she gestures for everyone to group up quickly. "Come on!" She yells, competing with the wind.

Descending the ship alongside the young, noble Doctor, a dark-haired woman in an armored flightsuit and a blaster attached to her hip strides along with her. The coming gusts rushing in from the ocean to hit the cliff whips the fastened tail of her hair against her back and her shoulder. While the Doctor addresses the gathered, Jessika turns her gaze towards the distant sky with a hand lifted to cover her eyes. Not because of the brightness of the light, which is long blocked behind the building, colossal clouds they'd flown through to arrive on the surface, but because of the occasional beads of moisture carried on the wind and brought in by the waves lapping at the beach. And the sand. Sand sucks. She reckons Aryn is right. They don't have a lot of time.

Following the Doctor's lead, she turns from gazing at the coming danger and tilts her head forward to help break into the wind. A gentle turn of her chin tries to help keep the particulates in the air from getting at her eyes by positioning away from the gusts.

In the gulf of the looming storm, this rangy figure looks at ease as anything. Like other he has come wearing at least some armour, a blaster strapped to his hip, but had elected to leave the helmet at home; tawny hair was loose and scattered by the wind as he survey the small group, quietly thoughtful. Tucked to the corner of a crooked grin was a familiar rollup, the smoke snatched away by the wind.

But there's little time for scenery; at the doctor's shout Iollan moves to keep up, too-long stride having no trouble with it as a gloved hand falls to rest on his blaster's handle.

The old B2 Superbattlehunter (AMAZING!? Right!?) came in its own rig, a heavily modified YV-666 painted an unobtrusive BRIGHT orange with citrus green. The droid is dressed in modified plates with a waist cape, and bops along moving towards the iddy biddy doc. "Well I got years of livin'... by and how I choose Ain't never been a gambler" it waves to Aryn, and if it could smile it may be doing so now... "'Cause I's always bound to lose. My buddies, they drink liquor, sometimes I'll go along, n'I got a girl who don't like that at all." it does a little spin, making fingerguns at the flight-suited woman.

"Well, you know I wouldn't fight, if these guys wouldn't shove me. Now I can't go home,'cause my baby, she don't love me... There ain't no use in tryin' anymore" it finishes in a kick-step, right arm up, ion cannon partially extended.

Merek has taken his time to settle his ship, while he places his jacket about his frame and adjusts his scarf as well, with goggles upon it also. He then makes his way to follow with Cole, while he takes a moment to place a hand upon the holster of his also.

Ektor had landed in a civilian rebuild of a Y-wing Longprobe starfighter. Despite the wind, he'd popped the canopy and sat on the heavy fighter's nose, his booted feet hanging lazily between the laser cannons. "Come on out, Moonbeam. Weather's fine!" he hollers back at Nova to be heard over the awful weather. A crooked grin and sidelong wink at a pair of familiar faces and when he spots Aryn and Jess walking up full of purpose. At the summons, he hops down onto the sand, landing a bit awkwardly, and swagger-limping in the indicated direction, lazily checking the charge on his civil war era sidearm, as he goes.

An Arakyd Helix Class Interceptor Model B comes darting through the sky dodging the fury of the storm like it's being piloted by a laser brain nerf herding Corellian that thinks he's a fighter jockey. The little freighter comes to land at the coordinates on the beach, the repulsor engines bringing the ship in for a tight landing. Then moments later the engines turn off before a brown headed man emerges from the freighter wearing a bantha hide jacket, and a pair of Dl-44s. THere's a swagger in Jax Greystorm walk as he approaches the good doctor and her associates. He offers a cocky grin, "Word is there was some folks need some help." Great he is Corellian, maybe he's good for canon fodder?

"You have an interesting definition of 'fine'," Moonbeam observes, catching up her well-worn Tracker from the rear seat's cargo locker and clambering out of the cockpit of Ektor's Y-Wing. She vaults easily down from the old starfighter, moving to answer Aryn's mustering-call. There are a few familiar faces here. Iollan and D4 get a quick wave, as does the woman in the flight suit. "We'd better hurry," she says in her fading Imperial accent, glancing at the sky. "The bottom could fall out of that pot of Hell at any time."

Domino scowls distainfully at the wind Dom yanks a kerchief out of her haversack and shakes it out before securely tying it over her wildly swaying curls. She has traded the heels in for flats but otherwise looks incredibly out of place-as if a tour group has lost a trust-fund girl. Maybe her chauffer got called to action- she sashays closer once she's got her hair under control. A long stare is leveled with the battledroid, before Aryn shifts to look at the others. Like Jess did, Aryn raises a hand up to shield her eyes. She echoes her earlier statement after nodding to Jax and Domino. "

A long stare is leveled with the battledroid, before Aryn shifts to look at the others. Like Jess did, Aryn raises a hand up to shield her eyes. She echoes her earlier statement after nodding to Jax and Domino. "We don't have a lot of time."-- "I got word back from locals about islands like these. There's a signal that's constantly broadcasted here in case of emergencies so crews can link into surveillance and find where people are. I need someone who is great with a computer, and I mean.. great with a computer, to use these details to log in and give us some direction." She holds the datapad up for someone to take it from her.

"Secondly, if you're not good in a fight, you'll be at the back of the group. Those of you who are good with blasters, and don't mind being shot at.. you've got the front. If you see something we can use along the way, or have an idea, utilize the comm links we all got, with the encrypted channel. That way we don't have to scream over this /bloody/ storm." Another gust, as if timed perfectly. "We're taking that path into the resort. According to the map layout, it will lead us to the resort housing for guests. I have no idea how many pirates are here, or how heavily armed or organized they are. So those up front.. use your best judgement."

A gesture is made with her hand to indicate it's time to move out.

A long stare is leveled with the battledroid, before Aryn shifts to look at the others. Like Jess did, Aryn raises a hand up to shield her eyes. She echoes her earlier statement after nodding to Jax and Domino. "We don't have a lot of time."-- "I got word back from locals about islands like these. There's a signal that's constantly broadcasted here in case of emergencies so crews can link into surveillance and find where people are. I need someone who is great with a computer, and I mean.. great with a computer, to use these details to log in and give us some direction." She holds the datapad up for someone to take it from her.

"Secondly, if you're not good in a fight, you'll be at the back of the group. Those of you who are good with blasters, and don't mind being shot at.. you've got the front. If you see something we can use along the way, or have an idea, utilize the comm links we all got, with the encrypted channel. That way we don't have to scream over this /bloody/ storm." Another gust, as if timed perfectly. "We're taking that path into the resort. According to the map layout, it will lead us to the resort housing for guests. I have no idea how many pirates are here, or how heavily armed or organized they are. So those up front.. use your best judgement."

A gesture is made with her hand to indicate it's time to move out.

What brief headway they make into getting things started comes to a quick halt for Aryn to run through a few more details. At the mention of those who are good in a fight, Jessika's hand shifts towards the familiar grip of her sidearm. She braces it there, without drawing, knowing that it'll probably come into play at some point. They're dealing with pirates, after all. Pirates who have no problems throwing their weight around to try and get what they want. Ignoring the datapad held up, Jessika instead begins to move on, intent on taking point at the forefront of the group. Her eyes were inquisitive before, but now her head is on a swivel, ready and looking for anything that stands out as wrong to her state of hypervigilance. It's risky to be the first one down the path, but it's a risk she's clearly willing to take.

The computer is not for him. All the datapad garners is a passing glance, brow knotted slightly, before green eyes move back to skimming the group at hand. Even as he listens the PI takes stock of faces, weapons, his idle smile keeping up the noncommittal affect of it all. As she finishes the directives, he takes one last hearty pull of the rollup before flicking the buttend off into the sand, mentally settling into the task at hand.

He has no hesitation to be near the front, though; weapon still holstered, his hand keeps to the worn grip of it while Iollan steps towards the vanguard of the group. What's getting shot again, eh?

Glad that it doesn't have to fumble with things, like the spare commlink and other data, D4 bobs its head to nod, lacking a head after all. "Man, I just love pirates. They never stop you know?" it fist pumps and there is a sound of ion powering into the chamber, "Hey! You don't mind if I tag and drag a few to drop at the local offices once we're done right?" it emits a chuckling sound "Space you're adorably tii-hii-hii-" the droid looks to Domino with the sashay walk, "You organics are pretty gross with the whole sloshing skin-bag and blood deal, but you got the walk missy. Work it!" the droid's pace changes to mimic Domino's sashay, "Uhnh! No load lifter droid could resist me with this walk!" it stops, pops its hip out, and rests its free hand, making a hiss noise from its vocoder, near the front end of the group, turning to Iollan, "Hey stud."

Merek looks at his pistol while he checks on it, then he places that within hands while he makes to move with Cole after he looks to the information on the datapad as well. "I will take the front also," he says, with a husky drawl, while he moves that way. He twirls about his weapon while he takes a moment to listen to all the others, see what they are doing.

"I'm interesting in general, Moonbeam," Ektor grins back at Nova's retort. "Besides using words they way they're *supposed* to be is just.. boring, yeah?" With a second look back at the carbine toting Korell, he adds, "Now remember, Moonbeam: only shoot the BAD pirates, yeah?" The mission outline from Aryn gets a lazy pair of nods. "So, uh.. not for nothing? But.. if they dug in too deep and all, could always just.. Take the wishbone up and blow em up from the air, a bit. That usually works, every time." Anticipating a complaint, "I mean AFTER we make sure we know where the civvies is, yeah? *Obviously*."

There are times when Tallie feels like her role in life is to roll eyes at Ektor. Prime example is his explanation to Moonbeam, unsuccessfully suppressing a smile she clears her throat and busies herself checking her gun. She's a flyer, not a shooters - not quite like being a lover and not a fighter but it will do for the moment so into the back of the group she goes.

Jax pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath and lets it out. He looks around for the briefest of moments confursed and concern. The cocky attitude melting away from the fraction of a moment. He pulls one of his Dl-44's then checks it. "Sounds good to me." He falls in line with the group preferring not the be front line at the moment, t-shirt and jeans. THough as D4-K4, "Careful there, I know a hunter that got melted by those hips. He was in the preveral junk yard when she was through." He winks at Domino. Though as Ektor says something about pirates, "Well at least no shooting the pirates on your side, tonight."

"I always do," Moonbeam replies to Ektor, moving to join Jessika and Aryn up front. She's good in this kind of fight, after all. "We won't have much time for recon. We'll have to find these hostages and their captors in a hurry. Hopefully we'll see them before they see us."

Domino wrinkles her nose "I am not here to fight. I am here to get you all in quietly, offer a diversion, go in to have a lookey loo or create a breach for you alll to enter through, secure or interrupt comms, or get hostages out while you all do thee dirty work or in a pinch, a passable medic. I am very happy to hide behind you meatshields or be further away from the action once it starts."

The group is off! The path takes them up a semi-steep hill and places them in the middle of a jungle like setting. Large trees, palm trees and other large trunked trees, sway heavily in the wind, casting odd glares of light across the path way and surrounding areas. The air is cool here, and things are falling (like limbs, leaves, coconuts). There is a pirate patrol up ahead (4 Pirate Enforcers, 1 Slaver trying to tie up a civilian. The group is gaggled around the slaver and the victim, who cannot scream because their face is being held against the dirt by the boot of one enforcer. Those who passed Spot see this.

A completely separate figure is nearby as well, their back pressed against the tree as if they are hiding. They're not dressed for combat, and seem to be civilian in nature. If you passed Gather Information, you see this civilian.

As they leave the beach, Aryn holds the datapad out to Domino. "If you're good at disrupting comms, log into this signal and see what you can do, please."

Moving along the pathway leads them into their first encounter. While such a direct approach wouldn't initially be her choice, it's better than traipsing off into the jungle with this kind of storm. That would be a survival nightmare, and Jessika's willing to bet all the ionic interference in the atmosphere would wreak havoc with their tech if they were foolish enough to try such a thing. As soon as she spots the band of individuals, Jessika raises her arm to just below shoulder level. It bends at the elbow and her hand goes up, fingers closed into a fist. She looks back for acknowledgment, and only then shifts her hand to her throat, where the microbead toggle is pressed against the side of her neck. She doesn't whisper thanks to all the ambient noise, but she does keep her voice appropriately low. "Group of six. Five hostiles, one in distress." It's at this point her right hand finally eases the weight of her blaster out of the holster attached to the belt of her flightsuit.

He hasn't spotted everything out there in the snarl of trees, but he's seen enough. Footsteps grow practicedly quiet as the party moves up, Iollan staying near the front as before, his weapons finally coming to bear in a smooth motion, finger flipping the safety off. Suddenly much of the flippant air of him funnels into something more pointed, more razored as he looks at the oncoming combat. "Pick a target," is his only contribution, rough voice low in the ambiance of the jungle.

The droid is quiet as soon as they're on the march, even its clanking is subdued once to business, moving ahead less like a toddling war machine, but instead keeping itself low - oblivious unfortunately until Jessika notes the contacts, at which point it updates its hud and drops its right arm down and brings the left up. The ion cannon in the right humming up to full charge while the multiple barrels in the let ratchet into place.

"Only one? There are so many?" is murmured. "Man. That one really needs to pick that wedgie... I'm going to shoot him... Gross."

Merek seems to be moving to flank, then it looks like someone is opening fire on the slaver also. He gives a look back to the front liners while he keeps on his path so he can take up his position also.

"Oh, I see 'em- hey, Moonbeam," Ektor notes, pointing briefly toward a treee where a civilian appears to be taking terrified cover, "Civvie over that way, they probably gonna start screaming in a second or two, yeah?" Then, choosing the direct approach in keeping with his tremendous patience and subtlety, Ektor hauls his blaster up with a grin, swaggers into sight and chuckles aloud, "Lookit me, all sneaky and drek." Firing off a pair of bolts, the first of which makes a seared ruin of the slaver's gun hand, the Tionese affects a crooked grin.

Jax was moving up into cover with the rest of the group. He's using a tree to take cover and luckly a large coconut like fruit just misses him in the wind. He lines up a shot and waits for the order to open fire. Then one of his fellow flyboys opens fire on the pirates. He wasn't the Greystorm that would be gripping about fire discpline. Jax pulls the trigger of his dl-44 hitting one of the pirate enforcers milling about in the chest. THen with a quick turn opens fire on his buddy dropping him too.

Domino tugs out her datapad which is, of course, B edazelled AF and sports a number of dainty little charms dangling from it's case. The nails don't slow her down as she hastily taps and toggles through screens, staying WELL away from the shooting "Someone gets me shot they're gonna owe me." she mutters distractedly while she works.

Hearing the mention of trouble up ahead, Nova moves to slip into cover, using her Tracker's combat optic to look over the little group. <Confirm five hostiles, one civilian on the ground. We might be able to...>

That's as far as she gets before someone opens fire! She can't tell who, but with surprise officially blown, she takes aim at the one standing on the poor soul on the ground and opens fire!

Her shots scatter around him, only one striking home. It's at least enough to convince him that there are better places to stand.

A coconut thuds to the ground behind Tallie causing her to startle. She slides her gun out but keeps the safety on walking with it pointing to the ground. The wind whipping through the trees makes hearing difficult but the message is received about what awaits them up ahead.

Craning her head left and right she looks for a path through the trees that will allow her to flank the group and cut off some of their lines of escape. Things heat up quickly after Jax takes a few shots; she joins the barrage hitting an enforcer that runs screaming into the storm. A second coconut falls and glances off of her upper arm. She will be nicely bruised tomorrow, manages to not take down one of the group wildly missing her target.

The slave that was on the ground was suddenly freed when a pair of red bolts cut across the open expanse following the sound of a blaster discharging. It was loud, and the man that was seated upon her has fallen off to the side, scrambling for a weapon. She begins to wiggle like her life depended on it, and screams because it's the first fresh gulp of air she could manage.

The other civilian, the one that was hiding, crouches down and holds their hands against their ears.

The sudden ambush expands into a heated, one sided battle. Blaster bolts glance off smaller trees while other, more well aimed shots, catch the pirates off guard. When it settles, and those that survived the encounter slowly try to crawl from the wriggling slave, the wind begins to pick up more.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! HELLLLLLLLLLP!" Screams the civilian that's tied up, their phobia of being incapable of moving setting its roots firm.--The two pirates that managed to run further ahead, take cover behind trees. One pulls his comm out and talks into it, but only gets static. He's seen bashing the comm against the tree, growling at it to get it to work. The other enforcer is still running, screaming "WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT WAIT.. WAIT!"

Aryn is near Domino, her back to a tree. When the information streams to her datapad, she begins trying to decipher it, her ears ringing from the battle.

So much for the element of surprise. She's not sure who shoots first, because she's not looking in that direction anymore, but she's sure of one thing: they need to get this over with quickly. Red lances of light dart through the jungle foliage, enhanced in color by the shade of the canopy and of the approaching storm. The hostiles in the group go down, while the civilian on the ground realizes help might by nearby and begins calling out for help. Some of the pirates attempt to make a run for it, and Jessika knows that things are going to get far worse if any of them get away. Aligning the sights of her blaster with the center mass of the torso of one of the fleeing individuals, she times her breath, and applies that gentle squeeze of the trigger that ensures the report of the blaster is a surprise. Less surprising is the impact and the sudden sprawling of the target she's taken out.

"Not waiting then, are we," is the only reply as blasterfire starts sounding all around them. A glance to Jess nearby affirms the exasperation of the whole thing, but suddenly there's little time for admonishment; a body drops, more shots pops off, and in the scatter of a heartbeat Iollan is moving into the fray. He rises from the combat stealth crouch, breaking into a run as he takes aim at one particular pirate hiding behind the tree. It's a high shot, notching the tree just above his head, and the PI curses something at the miss. But he's in the open and has no time to stop, continuing his run towards his target.

Tromping forth as the party starts, though with less of the wobbly trundling his kind are known for - it's still moving with disturbingly organic mobility. D4's right arm trains, and it does what it normally does - relies on the armor plating it was designed with to withstand attack.

"Zap! Choom! Choomchoom!" the droid stops and points at a pirate that looks at it. "Ha! Kidding!" BWOMP the ion cannon mounted belches out blue energy that launches the poor pirate back with a noteworthy 'OOoAAA-YAH!' before he hits the tree and drops.

"I love this part! This is the violent part! It's hillarious! You're all 'pewpewpew' or crawling and crying, and I'm just shooting you!"

Merek makes his way to the flank while he twirls his pistol then takes a clean two shots. More likely they will make it with his shot than if he let the others shoot them also, after he switches his weapon to stun. He then looks to some of those that were shooting, "Can we try to not shoot fleeing people with full charge?" he asks.

Ektor sees the hostiles fall in turn, and continues advancing with his uneven gait, pistol and eye aimed in the direction the pirates had been fleeing toward. His eye is turned aside as he draws even with Merek, and he hears the trooper's call and then sees his shot. A one-beat pause, and his free hand lazily swats Merek upside the helmet. "Can we try try to not shoot crawling people, neither? Spooky-cloak look- you just melted his damn face. Come on, come on..." Onward they go.

"We're here to rescue you." Jax says with a smile. Though as he breaks out the knife to cut people loose. They might be a bit on the cocerned side. "And get you out of here before the storm hits." He goes to work quickly freeing people. "Go towards the beach and the oposite direction of us." The Corellian says. Then looks up to call after Ektor and Merek, "I'm glad I don't have to do the AAR on this."

This is turning into a mess, and quickly. Too many officers and not enough troopers. Nova huffs an exasperated sigh and lifts her rifle again, putting a shot into the dirt inches away from that last mobile pirate. "KISS SOME DIRT, SCUMBAG, OR THE NEXT ONE GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD!"

He does, and quickly. Guess her old stripes, and the pipes that go with them, haven't lost their punch. Keeping her aim on him, she moves forward to assist with corralling the pirates, and getting the civilians some needed aid.

Domino jerks and twitches with each report of a blaster and occasional sharp inhale of gasp of any blaster bolt that even flies this way in her line of sight. She sliiiides down the tree trunk and tugs her knees to her chest seeming to defy physics as she shrinks in on herself and goes veryveryvery still as if all at pink and black is just a curious fungal growth Nothing to see, nothing to shoot lalalala. She then peers at her screen-if there are coms she will rely information along to our heros, if NOT she will try to comm it to D4 for him to relay:

"There seem to be more slaves being loaded up for transport, You all best get moving. IT looks like a small port southwest of where we are-you all can probably make it.

Passing the woman working on com surveillance on the trail Tallie nods and motions with her blaster towards Ektor. "I'm with him," she murmurs then kicks a fallen coconut out of her path. She walks on with her head swiveling left to right alert for more pirates that might be off the path.

The pirate who had been bashing his comm against the tree in hopes it would fix its signal from being jammed is taken out. Further inspection of his body reveals that he died. The other crawling pirate, the one Nova did not apprehend, has also perished. He is not moving any longer. The civilian that is freed from their binds quickly rolls away from Jax and stands up. She is rubbing her wrists and backing away from the group. "Who are you?!.. I mean, you killed them, so I guess you're good.. look, we were the last two.." She points out the other civilian nearby who is still hiding. "..to get away. They found everyone. /Everyone/, they're down by the port.. trying to load everyone up in a big Gallofree transport."

At being ordered to go to the secret cove, the two civilians run up the trail and manage to catch Aryn there. She directs them further down. <<"I'm taking these two back to the ships. Proceed without me, and see if you can halt their operations at the port. If we take control of their ship, it's simply a matter of getting it in orbit at that point.">>

Around them, the wind is picking up, and thunder cracks a lot louder. Rain is beginning to fall now, and more debris is falling from above. The jungle is suddenly much more dangerous.

Ahead, they can see a clearing, where the path pans out to the living areas of the resort. Lawn chairs and other furniture is starting to blow and slide across the ground. Tables roll into the nearby pools, and there's general chaos all around. There is a sign further down that matches Domino's directions, pointing out the path to take to the port.

"There are plenty alive," Jessika retorts back at Merek for his quip about shooting people in the back. "And I'm not going to risk one of them getting back to the larger group and warning them of our presence. Which they may already be, thanks to these theatrics." Mindful they're not a unified group in that there's people with guns and people without them, Jessika's hand goes to the microbead at her throat again. "We need the Doctor up here to check this civilian for injuries. And apparently there's another hiding in the bushes." That particular detail is finalized when Aryn reports she's going to guide the two back to the ships. "We'll keep going." Confirmation that they'll proceed to the port to continue this rescue attempt is punctuated by action.

Jessika doesn't bother putting her sidearm away as she treks forward, and she hunches down even further to both protect and break through the encroaching wind. Not that it'll help much. The starting rain ensures her efforts are in vain. Jessika turns her mind from the unpleasant situation and focuses internally on what they're there to do. Pirates holding people hostage is probably at the top of her shit list. Maybe second. It's difficult to say.

It proves a short run across the open area, wind snatching at his hair and the open front of his jacket as he slides over the fallen leaves. As most shots ring out, Iollan slides the last couple feet on a knee, hoping to avoid another head injury; luckily one luckier team member than him takes the shot and his own target falls, dropping the comm. It's the work of a moment to snatch it up, gloved hand clicking over the buttons as he gets to his feet. Another curse, low and spit through the rising noise of the storm, and the PI smacks the device several times.

"Doc and at least one of you stay here," comes shouted over his shoulder, over the wind. The comm gets shoved into a pocket, perhaps for later, as he starts loping after Jessica down the path, blaster still drawn. "Make sure those people get out safe, but the rest of us have to move! Now!"

Happy to be a radio relay when needed, should it be required, the Droid transmits in Domino's voice even as it sort of kick-step-sliiiiiides along the path, following the others, giving a little rump wiggle every third step.

"Some kind of trouble is coming, don't know when, don't know what. I will stand by you, brother 'Til the daylight comes or I'm dead and gone" its singing again, even as it scans the area.

"Hey guys, looks like there's storm damage coming in... S'gonna be all sorts of fun, I'll tell ya! Rooves are starting to come off!" pointing. Yes. The best method

"Well, it's settled," Merek says, while he takes a moment to look to the others, with a nod to Jessika as well as to Ektor. He then makes to follow with all of the others while he checks his weapon as well.

"See, this right here is an important distinction, yeah? *These* guys?" a gesture is made with the big blaster up ahead. "THESE ain't pirates. They *slavers*. BIG difference, yeah?" His idle rambling cuts off as more instructions come over the comm. <<Them big tubs is slower than frozen drek. If it lifts off, I got ion cannons on the Wishbone. Can knock it out once it clears orbit, but before it's outta the gravity well, yeah? Say->> he goes off comms to holler as he hustles along, "Hey, anybody else got ion guns on their ride, just in case?"

"Us? We're concerned galatic citizens against Slavery. Uhm CGAS. It's a work in progress. Look the storms moving in get out of here and get to help." Jax says to the keep up with the rest of the group. "I got a couple of Ion canons on the Warrior. That and an R2 unit aching to get into combat like a spice head jonesing for a fix. Kinda awkward, but if we need him for a pickup. " He says moving into position with the rest of them. "Storm's getting rough too."

"We're going to have to hurry," Nova says, probably needlessly. "We don't want to still be in the neighborhood when that storm hits. I doubt we've got more than half an hour at this point."

Domino grimaces and abandons the tree as even a city slicker like her knows that one ought not be cozied up to the tallest thing around in a storm. she yanks out a poncho for herself and a rainsleeve for her datapad. A frequent inhabitant of Nar at least she's prepared for the rain if not everything else that comes with it. In touch digitallly she begins to seek better shelter.

Rain and wild wind - with water dripping into the collar of her flight suit she hunches her shoulders futilely against the weather. Tallie stops to get her bearings and listen to the instructions coming over their coms. She crosses the pool area standing aside as a table is kited into the pool by the wind. Breaking into a trot she follows the ones ahead of her, a head shake and a quick grin of disbelief for the droid's antics.

Talking over the com, "We have a plan for when we get down to the port?"

Through the creepy shop they go. The main door opens and closes, a dead body, bludgeoned to meat matter keeps the doors from actually closing all the way. Wind is brutal, rain is falling in sheets, and lights are beginning to flicker. As the team pushes into the flickering-lit shop, toys and shelves fall over at the sudden sound of a glass window shattering, a piece of debris flying through the new opening, it's the culprit for the shelves tipping over. Music still plays here, it's loud and dreamy, like the soft tones of beach music, but it can barely be heard over the violent whistling of the wind from outside.

Thunder crackles over head, but it's muffled indoors.-- The shop segues to a long customs checking area which pans out further into the large, walled in port. There is only one port landing and its hosting the Gallofree transport. Rain is smashing against the ship's hull at such a force it mists. Outside, in the chaos of this, hundreds of civilians sit weathering the storm, confined and tied down as 15 PIRATE ENFORCERS try to pull each of them up one by one to go aboard the vessel by ramp. The team is not seen at this point, but they have clear angles on all 15 PIRATE ENFORCERS.

The going is not fast. The shop seems deserted, but Jessika treats it like there are pirates lurking around every corner. She checks corners, sidearm held at the high ready and tucked close to her body, much like her elbows are. Her steps are determined, and skim the floor to ensure she bumps into objects with her toe, rather than setting her weight down on something at the risk of tripping. The storm outside is growing to dangerous levels, and the howling on the inside sounds even worse than it did on the outside. That's not the only noise. The torrent of rain smashing into the building reminds Jessika of the deep, internal thrum of a starship's engine. Once they've cleared it, and begin moving further to the port, she gets a true measure of the situation.

It's not good. Any firefight they'd start here could turn into a total massacre. She begins racking her brain for the right way to approach this. As she's considering the Doctor on the ship, and the powerful position of having it show up with weapons aimed at the pirates, she's also cursing herself for not being prepared for this kind of situation. "Does anyone have any stun grenades? Any kind of crowd control anything?" She looks to her companions, hoping that they have long enough to brainstorm a solid plan before someone does something. "Doctor, we may need you to show up as a bluff." The pirates don't really know who they are, so maybe they can be convinced the group doesn't care about civilian casualties.

And hasn't it just been one of those days; they run along, he barely manages to block a flying deck chair with an upraised arm, they stumble and grapple their way down into the port, but at least everyone is still alive. Small successes.

"Nobody get trigger happy this time," comes the hissed instruction as the party filters into the shop, hunkers down in cover as they see fit. No one had seen fit to step into the shoes of a defacto leader, so with a weary sight the PI takes only a beat before speaking again, something assured ringing in his tone. "This gets a lot messier if they take off, so this is it - we have enough sharp shooters to get most of them on a surprise attack, yeah? So on three I'm gonna take a leap and see if I can leg it to that ramp before anyone gets the idea to cut and run." There's a nod to Nova, briefly. "If you wanna risk it with me, it's appreciated."

There comes and goes a moment then, everyone taking their time before it pops off once more. A deep breath, held, and Iollan adjusts his grip on his blaster before starting the slow, silent count. One, two- and there's the leap, turning and vaulting over one of the displays as everyone takes action at once. Of course, it's not as graceful as imagined: a foot slips on the wet ground, he tumbles and wipes out, turning it into something of a roll. But through the sudden combat it's easy enough to get back up and start pelting to the ramp, dodging fire as needed.

"Get to cover, and fire, I'll get their attention!" the battle droid announces, stepping into the open when the suiciders begin their mad charge, D4 engages a bull-horn like sound from its vocoder and opens fire at the pirates numbers. "PEW!" one bolt goes wide, slapping the transport, but the next tracks correctly and scoops the head off of the next. "His head exploded! By the unfeeling processors of my automated assembly line! You organics are gross! Why did his head vaporize like that!? I mean I know... I'm not stupid. But jeeze!"

The final bolt takes another pirate between the legs and the poor human goes down wishing his was dead, screaming and clutching the scorched, smoking, ruin of his bittles.

"OH! OH! Right in the externals!? Man I'm great! I'm also bad." it turns to look at Ektor, "I'mma sumbitch, as they say, right?" still firing wildly at the pirates.

Merek looks as it seems like people are deciding to fire instead of waiting. He then sighs while he takes a few shots to take one of the pirates to the floor also.

"Stun grenades?" Ektor echoes back at Jessika, shaking his head. "Can set for stun, so we don't take the wrong guy's head off with a bad shot, but.. Say, that looks like it'll take em awhile, you want that I oughta have Genius fly in the Y-wing-" but then the shooting starts. "Oh! We doing this NOW? Drek.." Fumbling with his comlink, the idiot inputs the wrong unlock code and curses, just opening fire, instead, while grasping blindly for the fallen comm with his free hand. Jax slides into the best cover he can behind the counter that the cashier had used. Iollan's orders ringing into his ear, "May the force be with you." He's focused on combat and letting his persona of devil may care slip away. Then when Iollan and Nova takes off at a run, Jax pops up firing a couple of bolts at the slavers, one through the heart and the other a couple bolts hitting the torso.

That ship is the real prize: If they can take it over, Nova knows, they'll have a fast way off this planet for both the civilians in town and the innocent people the pirates have captured. Seeing Iollan take off for the ship, she hesitates, then follows in his wake. "He'll need help! I'm going, too!"

She's quick on her feet, catching up to the fallen PI easily. But she can't get a good grip on him, between the storm and wind-whipped spray from the ocean. She has to stop and help him up, bringing their progress to a momentary halt.

With all those pirates still there. "We might have a problem, Iollan..."

Tallie drops to the ground just outside the shop and opens fire for cover as Iollan and D4 rush the pirates. The broken glass on the ground around her lights up in a strobe of lightning overhead. She takes aim and misses her running target in the chaos of pirates breaking left and right, screaming civilians and the pelting rain. A shot sizzles closely over her head as she lines up her next target.

The battle began suddenly, and in the pouring rain. It fell in thick droves, like waves and sheets. Visibility is drek, and hearing anything beyond the blasts of blasters is a true feat. The wind is whistling, and loose debris is passing by overhead, sometimes crashing at random on some poor civilian.

Red lances of laser bolts pass between the two parties. In the initial trade off, several pirates go down, but they're giving as good as they get. Shots that miss have a high risk of hitting civilians, and several do. People begin to scream in pain as the pirates shove the civilians away to fight this new armed force.

"STOP FIRING!" Jessika yells it at the remainder of the team that hasn't tried taking off running towards the ship. "You're going to hit the prisoners!" She's already seen it happen. They're at a disadvantage. They have no clear shot at all their targets, while their targets have only one thing to fire at: the split cluster of people who have come to fix this situation. Jessika's gaze snaps to Ektor. "Get Genius to bring the Y-Wing! If nothing else, be ready to follow that transport if it takes off. It's faster, and if it tries to escape through the clouds, just punch through to orbit to wait for it to pop up on radar. Otherwise it'll lose him in all of the ionization." She glances back outwards, to see the fate of Nova and Iollan.

"Doctor, you need to bring the ship to the port as fast as possible. We need to make these pirates stand down, immediately. We've entered into a protracted fight, and we have absolutely no clear field of fire. There's too many civilians in the way. Maybe they'll stand down when they see they're so outgunned. Try to talk them into surrendering, because we've got no other recourse." Right now, she's too wired to be shocked at the sight of people being injured. "We're also taking casualties." It's surprisingly calm for all the chaos and the subject at hand, but she's been in the middle of chaos before. She's seen friends killed.

Perhaps he does deserve this, short lived stint of heroics. Perhaps taking imitative was not for the best. Either way there is little in the tumble of his thought as Iollan stumbles into combat - a firm grasp on his arm signals Nova there with him, trying to help, but in the turmoil of it all he barely makes ti to his feet. There's a moment of weightless panic as another couple strides hit the ground, his eyes afixed to the ramp far ahead, but too suddenly there's a rain of blaster fire he can't quite escape.

At the first hit to his shoulder the PI staggers, spins out to the left from the impact and shock. Within a heartbeat another one hits though, lower in his side and without a noise he staggers, momentum carrying his body to hit the floor, face down, one arm only barely catching his face from hitting directly to the floor before unconsciousness takes him.

Stalking forward still, right arm up again to use non-lethal means, there is a glow that builds up around the barrel of the cannon that D4 fires before a loud BWOWM signals the shot. "Fine! Back to non-lethal! UGH!"

The battledroid goes to work, intent on only stunning now with Pava hollaring. Organics - Shoot, don't shoot, c'mon. There's always options. No logic. Seriously. A number of shots from the pirates wing in, one hitting its armor and disapating, several richocheting off its chest plate. "Hey! Stop it! I'm the good guy here! Stop it or I'm going to pull your hips out through your ears!"

Merek is shot clean at the lower back, then he winces while he shifts his position. He twirls about the pistol then takes two clean shots towards the pirates, taking two of them to the floor also.

"I hear you," Ektor affirms to Jessika, ducking out of sight as best he can and activating the, "Stupid ass machine- No, Genius- I was talking about the comlink! Will you just shut up and power up the Shaak? Storm is pretty wild, but bring the shields up and zero in on where I'm at, yeah? There's this big ass clam boat we gotta keep from lifting off, and some dumbass slavers to scare down- We're the ones NOT taking hostages, what kinda kriffing question is that??"

Jax flips his com to another channel briefly, "Exine, you and Fives get the warrior running. I need you to come in at this position." He starts to rattle off position. Then switch back to the tactical frequency, "I have another ion canon armed ship coming in. I can draw them out if I need to." He says moving to grab a scarf from the counter. Then dropping back down, "Hope this thing matches my eyes." Then begins to pull the scarf around the bottom of his face and tie it tight.

Nova turns to follow Iollan as the man comes to his feet and stumbles forward... and is hit twice by blaster fire! Even as he goes down, she can see that this whole thing's going to founder if she stays. She'll have no chance to patch Iollan up until after the pirates are taken care of, no matter how! "Sorry!" she says hastily, her feet already beginning to carry her away. She makes good time! Within moments, the soldier is at the foot of the boarding ramp, grabbing for the ramp support to steady her steps as she takes her first step onto it...

Firing high to avoid hitting the civilians cowering on the tarmac Tallie takes sporadic pot shots at the pirates to distract them from the more vulnerable of their crew. Blue bolts sizzle around her leaving the distinct tang of ozone in the air.

<<"I understand! I'll try to get there as soon as I can!" Aryn sounds frantic as she hears the sound of blaster fire in the background of Captain Pava's transmission. She quickly goes over the controls of her ship, slapping the shields online and triggering the weapons before pulling the lever to launch the vessel up. Other IFFs come to life on her view screen and she sees the other ships flying as well, joining her in formation. The flight over the island is a short one.

As the battle wages on, three looming shadows appear from above, breaking through the mists of rain. Weapons come online and ion warning shots are fired harmlessly overhead to garner attention. An antenna breaks off the port and crashes against the rainstorm, shattering into countless pieces and raining over the entire port clearing, some people being hit by the debris and injured. The intercom crackles to life as the accented voice of the doctor is heard.

<<"This is Port Authority. Cease fire and stay your weapons at once! Automated weapons are online and LIDAR is tracking anyone with a weapon in hand. Fire and be fired upon, we are authorized to use deadly force!">>

The pirates look up and think to run for the ship, but they realize that Nova is there, cutting off their escape. Surrounded, heavily outgunned, the pirates reluctantly toss their weapons down to the ground. <<"Seize them.">> Orders the doctor.

The droid keeps moving forward, another shot curves over the rounded chest plate, going into the sky, and then one bounces off its hip. One shot scores a solid shot to the chest, sending molten durasteel running down its torso to drip and freeze like metal blood.

"HEY! HEEEEY!" the droid just keeps coming, fists shaking under its guns. "MAN!" it grumbles and then points at them all, looking back at the others. "Dibs! I call dibs!"

Merek takes a clean shot into the side, as well as his hip also the leg. It sears right through him, taking him to the floor also while he winces a bit, and rolls onto his side to make himself less a target also.

Ektor peers back out the window to see the effects of the sky cavalry arriving, with a crooked grin bending his lip. "No lie, is there any problem a wishbone can't solve? Arright, everybody, sound off: who's dead?"

Feeling the heat of a blaster bolt that flashed by behind her, Nova dashes up the ramp, heading for the transport's cockpit. Whatever's happening behind her, she's got a job to do. Hopefully the pirates are all outside!

Finding the cockpit, she drops into the pilot's seat and looks the controls over. It's a lot different from a starfighter. But there are enough similarities that she can figure out how to at least get main power up. From there, it's just a matter of getting the repulsorlifts and main drives fired up...

Under threat of being mistaken for a pirate, Tallie thumbs her blaster's safety on and crawls towards the wounded in the group. Caution keeps her head down till there is a real all clear. "Not dead yet but we do have at least two down from the looks of it. I don't know about the civilians yet."

The pirates are apprehended and taken into custody, the ones still alive that is. All of them are given to D4 to process under the writs granted to him by the BHG. The civilians are ushered onto the main ship as Nova begins to fire it up. The ships waiting back at the beach have pilots ferried to them, and everyone manages to depart just as the larger waves begin to batter the resort. The last image many see is the island becoming submerged beneath the waves and endless assault of rain. All ships manage the climb into orbit. The mission is largely a success, but five families must be notified of their recently departed. The result of a fire fight that went sideways.