Log:BHG: Pirates and Slavers II

Conclusion of part one.

OOC Date: April 06, 2021
Location: Outer Rim Colony
Participants: Bounty Hunters' Guild, Zelo Parrai, Hadrix Kora, Hahtavi, Sumi Kora

The rain has picked up, the night at its mid-point, and the colony still seems as deadly quiet as it was when the team infiltrated its walled perimeter. One group took the pirate transport speeder truck, a large vehicle that was both covered and armored to shield from harsh elements and combat (but lacking heavy weapons to be offensive), while a smaller recon element (led by Zelo Parrai) stowed themselves in one of the many high rise business structures overlooking the fateful city square and the large ship that hovered above the park.

The ship's size was hidden by the darkness of the night and the storm, though lightning flashes periodically illuminate the space above, constituting a looming shadow of a vessel intended for cattle (slave) transport.

Our team make their approach, radioing ahead to Zelo to ascertain what await them at the foot of this ships onboarding ramp and surrounding park.

Zelo navigated the alleyway deftly enough, boots pounding as he approached one of the taller buildings around the central square. Thankfully, he hadn't crossed any paths on the back stairwell and now set up on the rooftop, built-in binoculars zooming in for recon purposes. Zelo raises a hand and activates the trusted comms. <<"We've got two turret emplacements, indeterminant number of armed enemy - it's shifting as they're in and out, but I'd say twenty at least. A lot of innocents being loaded on this ship. I'm in place, waiting for an order or a sign to light them up.">> The young Nautolan's tenor voice is calm and he sheds his usual attachments as he looks at the men loading slaves. They are nothing but slavers. That's all that matters. One bare fingertip releases the safety on the E-17D - ready to go to work.

Behind the controls, because everyone else seems only able to fly craft that allow them to deny the laws of mass and physics and thus carry themselves into the air... and he also knows how to drive speeders, Hadrix has his helmet rested back so that a jerk of his head can get it on, blade resting against the door with a hand on it and his pistol tucked where it can be snatched up.

<<"Copy, Zelo... Target one of the turrets. I can focus on the other.">> grinning like a maniac as he gooses the throttle of the speeder.

"You're not."

"Tweedle fweep?"

"I am."

"I hate you."

"Fweeeeeerrp."

The big man grins even while his droids complain, or make complaint sounds. <<"Everyone mounted up... be ready for a fast exit."

Hahtavi is hunkered down in the speeder truck, galaar rifle in his gloved hands. His dark armor glistens where the rain has soaked him prior to boarding. Too bad he doesn't have Jarret's grenade launcher tonight. Just a rifle will have to do as he listens to Zelo over their coms. <<"Hahtavi copies, over. ">>

A glance up at Hadrix in the driver's seat. He can feel the sudden accelleration as the Al'verde guns the vehicle and starts out with speed. Hahtavi shifts position and brings his rifle into position, watching for targets through the down pour.

Sumi is in the back with Hahtavi. For much of the ride, she's sat in relative silence just rocking to and from because of the bumpy route (indicative of old repulsors needing replacements). As they close the distance to the square, Zelo gets eyes on the vehicle and sees a shift in the stance of what passed for defense in the city's square. Turrets were brought up and powered on, and five pirates jogged out into the path of the speeder waving their hands for them to stop. One of the five were already preparing to open the back expectant of slaves needing be off loaded and taken aboard their vessel.

Sumi primes her rifle as they draw close, and turns her helmeted head toward the view port to look out curiously as they came into range of the square, and likely the place they were going to make a valiant stand.

She had no encouraging words for them; it took up valuable comm time that something might change, and Zelo could communicate.

Two (2) turrets are manned, and five (5) pirates make their way closer to the moving speeder.

Throttling up, letting inertia push him back into the seat, Hadrix doesn't stop for the pirate to open the back hatch, instead making straight to the turret ahead with blaster fire smashing into the front of the vehicle - sluggish hunk that it is with its' janky lift system. Listing to one side and then pushing along kickingdirt and stones up into air as it smashes into the emplacement.

<<"Hah! Everyone still alive?">> the big man wedged between the front console and the passenger seat, Gofor trapped against his backside and Gripper clinging to the roof with all four claws.

"I hate you..."

Zelo waits for the order, one turret gunner already in his sights as his finger moves to rest on the trigger - tense and straining, the smallest flex will fire the weapon. The order becomes clear, though, as the speeder accelerates further and course-corrects directly to the further turret. Fair enough. Zelo's finger tenses and his aim is direct, scoring a solid hit on the gunner behind the turret. Perhaps some of it was deflected by the turret, perhaps he'd been a little too tense... Maybe it was that he didn't exhale before shooting. <<"Solid hit on the other turret, but the gunner's still at it.">> Zelo's sights aren't straying, preparing to try to finish the job this time.

<<"Nice driving, sir.">>

Here they go! Hahtavi sets his maglock boots and holds on with one gloved hand, rifle still in the other has he realizes what Hadrix is going to do - prepared to be thrown, he's braced for it! If the jolt doesn't break his neck or his ankles, he'll be ready!

The impact shock wracks the through the frame of the speeder truck with a huge jolt!

Hahtavi is nearly thrown all the same, but manages to keep his feet. Maglocks released, he throws open the back doors and leaps out, boots hitting the ground as both hands bring his rifle around. Around the side he fires two shots in quick succession, using the truck for what cover it may provide. Two of the pirates at once are thrown back and hit the earth, down from the bright red bolts that seared into them!

Hahtavi hears Zelo over his coms and turns to see if he can locate the other turret...

Sumi is cast about when their vehicle is suddenly struck by turret fire. The armor absorbed much of the impact, but not all of it. Compounded further by the fact they rammed something full speed meant Sumi was spilled over from her seat and laid out on the ground dazed and confused by the sudden re-orientation of their surroundings.

What was heard the most was the screaming outside. Alarm. They had alerted the ship to what was going on, and more pirates were likely to come as a result to keep the hunters from boarding and taking it over. Also, blaster fire. Blaster fire was everywhere, crisscrossing over the chassis of the speeder now laid out sideways and smoking.

When the back hatch lowered, the pirates did not expect to see Mando'ade come out. They slid to a halt to backtrack, but two of their number fell in an initial attack, and a third was gunned down by a burst of fire from a second, much shorter Mandalorian, that exited after Hahtavi. Trudging forward at a slight jiggyjob, Sumi sought out other enemies, seeking cover behind a tree to obtain a vantage of the ship where she saw more pirates emerging to block their way on board. A quick scan revealed ten (10), on top of the two (2) pirates that still remained outside in the rain, and the damaged turret gunner Zelo smacked from a distance.

Zelo inches a little further forward, trying to find the perfect angle on the turret gun. "Breathe," he reminds himself, warm breath filling the beskar helmet as he inches. However, his barrel inches just a little too close to the ledge, placing it in clear view as he empties his lungs and pulls the trigger. The angle is far less than he had hoped for and his blaster bolt strikes true, but less soundly than he had hoped. <<"Gunner's weaker, still not dead yet.">> The Nautolan doesn't shift again, holding this angle and just believing in his instincts.

Judicious applications of precision savagery. That's what Narsai has said... in the mad hope that he comes back in one piece. Armed to the teeth and outfitted as a one man army. Plan Besh erupts from the spiderwebbed viewscreen glass of the truck carried on twin plumes of blue fire with pistol out and pointed towards the turret highlighted by Zelo, putting a solid slug through the neck of the humanoid at the controls.

He has nothing fancy to say, but there's a distinct wet growl in his externals as he drops down, vibrosword slashing through armor to draw a line in flesh and tissue. Helmet dangerously clear as a leg cocks out and a small rocket dart shoots out, weaving through the masses in an unintentional show of grace to detonate in the ruins of the original turret.

"HADRIX WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Gripper still yelling at him... mostly because the truck is over where that first emplacement just got a little more exploded.

The second turret is taken care of so Hahtavi keeps moving but towards the slavers! A grenade admist them would be nice but he doesn't have any. Just as well that he leaves the wrecked truck as Hadrix's knee rocket impacts the first turret, blowing pieces of schrapnel into the air.

Boots splash through the rain as clan Kora's newest tal'at'cuyir comes up to a thick trunked tree and pauses, rifle lifted to shoot two more of the pirates down! The rain continues to fall even as blaster fire lights up the darkness, giving away positions. Hahtavi's HUD marks the locations of targets by their blaster fire, constantly updating.

Bit by bit Hahtavi's working his way closer to the slaver's ship, his blood up and silently focused on the fighting like some kind of high.

Sumi advanced opposite of Hahtavi, toggling her 'key to the city' attachment beneath the suppression rifle. Sumi sighted in a group of pirates and posted up to fire, but sustained a shot that impacted her arm casting her off balance. Her shot goes feral, splashing on the street and exploding into the rain. Sumi spills over into a pile of pissed off, her armor sparking against the duracreet.

The pirates hold their ground as the ship begins the process of pre-flight to takeoff. Pirates begin to backtrack a bit, but hold their new position adopting a heavy field of fire. They have spotted a sharpshooter in the distance, not to mention they feel pretty good about their odds against four total combatants!

Blasterbolts in a fusillade come for him, the first spakking off of the Beskar of his armor before Hadrix is moving in a fashion far unlikely to be expected for his bulk. Ducking back and twisting to evade a pair before his head comes down to take a bolt in the Mandalorian Iron crown over his brow and another singing over his shoulder and getting a shriek from the pirate still on his blade, the weapon lodged in a brow of armor having bound Mandalorian to Pirate, for now.

<"Advance, use their dead for cover."> Twisting the blade and re-engaging the vibro-engine with a scream matched to his victim as a broad cut sends blood and entrails flying into the face of the next poor rekker on the Massive Mandalorian's dwang list today, the big man moving at full speed, a slug punching a hole in the cheek of one to explode out the back of their neck moments before he is lifted onto Haddle's shoulder and carried forward, the slug pistol belching fire and thunder again to leave another of the slavers gutshot and screaming out his last.

<"They're going to fall back faster. Herding tactics."> rumbled between hard breaths as he pelts forward.

Zelo's been made. That much is clear by the returned fire coming from the pirates on the street, even though their weapons aren't optimal at this range. It's still compromise. <<"Overwatch is moving, I'm compromised. Will comm when I've reestablished sightlines.">> Now to just cross his fingers. Zelo rolls away from the edge of the roof and stands, looking about for some easy form or egress - a shorter building to which he could glide, but everything's identical and that means a rooftop transfer is out. He jogs quickly over to one side - slightly closer to the team on the street and glances down while slinging his rifle over his shoulder. Well... There are windows...

"This is not a great idea," the Nautolan tells himself, nictitating eyelids closing tight for a few moments before he takes a deep breath and starts running. He leaps and spread his arms, gliders extending and guiding him so gracefully through the air that you may think the cobalt-blue Nautolan in the gleaming blue armor was just swimming. It stopped being graceful when he crashed through the window, but at this height, maybe it just sounds like more rainfall. He's on the run and he finds the first window he can, pulling furniture and setting up a deep hide in this... He looks around. Apartment. Hopefully the residents won't mind it. As he lays down, pulling up the bipod on his gun, he comms again.

<<"Overwatch, relocated. Back in position. Over.">>

Moving fast, Hahvati sees the wounded slavers still shooting so he puts one of them down and gut shots another, dropping him. His helmet turns sharply at their falling back towards the ship, <<" Alor! Can you put some grenades into their engines and keep that ship from taking off? ">> Maybe, if the distance isn't too far for the T-27.

There's no time to loiter. Hahtavi turns at once and keeps moving, 'herding' the others back and trying to keep them bunched. There may only be four of them but the slavers are taking losses left and right and the Mandalorians aren't!

Boots skid and slip on the wet grass as he crosses a muddy patch, seeking more targets. There are quick glances to keep tabs on his comrads and their positions as marked in his HUD.

Sumi rises back up to a kneeling stance, working the breach by pumping the charge with a loud CHIK-CLUNK that results in a red hot spent cannister that held a high yield tibanna pressurized explosive. When primed for a second charge, Sumi takes aim again, flinching when another bolt comes near, and fires into the crowd of pirates backpedaling to a new location. Three of their number are consumed in the sudden explosion of muddy earth, rain, and concussion not to be seen in whole form again. She cycles the breach again, glancing down to see she has enough charge for another shot before requiring a reload. <<"Ain't got enough of a charge, I will need to reload.">> Sumi grumbles back to Hahtavi before moving after him. She goes through the ritual of reloading.

Four (4) Pirates remain outside the ship, and as they run for the ramp that's raising up, they bounce off the invisible barrier of the shields. Betrayed by their own for survival. Engines begin to tick, indicative that they were about to take off and blast into the storming sky.

Zelo growls, not quietly because there's no need. No one can hear him. He sees the pirates trying to flee and sees them bounce off the shields. That means that ship, full of some non-zero amount of captured slaves, is getting away, and the Nautolan's glowing a very bright red in his helmet. He lowers his sight slightly and snaps off a shot at one of the pirates, neatly demolishing where his head used to be. The Mandalorian rolls off the table and stands at the window now, body hidden by a half bookcase as he wills the pilot toward some catastrophic failure. <<"Overwatch, one more down... Ship's shields are up... We need one alive, right?">> He switches his rifle to stun and continues to aim. Maybe if he hadn't botched his sniper's nest earlier... They wouldn't be taking slaves from this planet.

The corpse of a prior victim cast forward with a heave that hurls the blast into the way of pirate fire before Hadrix is aloft in a hard leap. Blade sinking into the gut of the one who tried to cut him down. One foot slamming down onto the pirate's, the big man's head comes back for a sudden strike of the crown of his helm against the man he has impaled, spraying blood before his head comes down again with a distinct crunch to coincide with the collapse of the poor rekker's face becoming a bowl around the beskar iron.

A tilt of his blade allows the corpse to slide free and tumble to the ground, allowing the Al'Verde the chance to turn as a blood soaked night beast towards the other pirates remaining, his response to Zelo coming over externals and comms,

<"Only need one..."> balor gaze behind his visor sweeping from one to the next as he gives his vibrosword a flick to shed the excess blood from it.

A grimace at what Sumi says over his coms. Privately, to himself Hahvati says "Shit." but keeps moving. Nothing /he/ can do to keep that ship from taking off no matter how much he wants to stop them.

He sees the slavers unable to board their own ship, <<" Bastards, leaving their own behind! ">> Disgusted, it doesn't keep Hahtavi from firing on them and taking another one down, missing the last. Their behavior probably reminds him of brutalities of his own people back on Manda'yaim, and his being surprised when the Koras didn't leave him behind when he was wounded.

Rifle up, Hahtavi sees the last slaver offering surrender and holds his fire, keeping the rifle on the poor bastard, "<" DOWN! Face in the mud, NOW! "> He doesn't move to close in though, not if that ship is about to throttle up and give them backwash from the engines.

Sumi was going through the reloading process and sighted in so she might fire on their enemy. She's shot in the crossfire though, the bolt catching her inner thigh and buckling her stance. Despite the bolt being redirected by the beskar that protected her leg, Sumi still fell over with a grunt, landing in the mud and puddled water with a splash. She grunted when climbing back up, firing off an angry blast while her companions surgically picked apart the other three in quick, precise succession.

While Sumi's shots missed, they still served Zelo's call to take one alive. Sumi wondered if the pirate heard this some how, because after the angry burst from her weapon, they cast their weapon aside and screamed for surrender.

Slow to rise, clearly pained from the awkward hit from the bolt, Sumi limps to a tree and watches with a reflective visor 'gaze' as the ship lifts off and disappears into the rainy storm. She had a solemn expression beneath the helmet, but with any luck, their one survivor would spill the beans or have his guts pulled out.

<<"Lady Fae, bring our shuttle about.">> Sumi's gaze slowly goes to the apprehension of their prisoner and the rainy battlefield now quiet, with small chemical fires burning despite the rain, and an empty colonized city. This is what failure felt like.