Log:BHG: Silent but Violent
Lehtera Street in Corellian District becomes a war zone!
OOC Date: August 30, 2021
Location: Corellian Sector, Nar Shaddaa
Participants: Amal Jha, Avery, Hahtavi, Narsai Ordo, Valeska Jaivon, Hadrix Kora, Pherra, Sumi Kora
The sound of Sumi's voice sounds over the comm channel shared by the mercenaries on this mission. <<"You are approaching Lehtera Street. It appears that the street is on lockdown while this gang flexes their influence to effect the businesses in this zone. They hope by keeping everyone out, business will see the impact they have and resign to pay their protection fee. Today, you're going to give them something to protect.">> Sumi's comms cut out a second.
<<"I will be overwatch for this mission. Get in that region and crush these huttsuckers. Leave a few alive so they can go crying back to their boss and tell them how mean Nar Shaddaa can be.">>
As the group approached the makeshift checkpoint, fifteen (15) thugs left their gaggle to block the path. All of them looked young, mid-twenties (even the aliens where age was a distinguishing factor). One raises his hand to stop the group. "Do yourself a favor and leave, before you all get hurt. We run this territory now, and no one's getting through until dues are paid." The guy pulled out his blaster, but he did not have a chance to use it, or even wave it about. A single red blaster bolt caught his forehead and jerked his head, and body, backwards. A breeze of pulverized blood misted his fourteen (14) companions behind him just as his body clattered to the deck. The shot came from longrange, likely Sumi given she just chuckled over the comms. <<"I hope he didn't have anything important to say. Element of surprise is yours, wipe these thugs out.">> Sumi's comm cut out then.
A lone pale figure, dressed in clothes which could only be described as, well, plain and rather ordinary, in the midst of the deeper, darker tones of the armor around her, the woman most knew as Jha stood silent, offering no acknowledgement save the shifting of her feet as the orders were relayed over the comm unit which she had been leant for the evening's entertainments. The weapon she crew from its back sheath spit and sparked pink and red against the white of her attire as she activated its electrical field. her feet directed her away from the most immediate lines of fire, as she moved to take advantage of the attack of opportunity that Sumi's shot had given them.
He remembers Kasia coming to the Kora clan earlier on mentioning a gang of folk who wanted to try to strong arm the area into paying them a 'protection' fee. It seems that group of idiots actually tried and here is the smattering of folk that think they can pull that off... Clearly they're as dumb as they look, threatening a group of mercenaries which contain not one, but multiple Mandalorians.
Avery happens to be one of those Mandalorians, the silver and blue armored man chuckling lightly as the punk falls flat on his back and the look of shock is registered by his companions. <"Looks like today just might not be your day..."> He adds, pulling his trusty E-11 from it's holster on his back and bringing the weapon to bear on the crew. <"I'd recommend running if you value your lives...">
<<”Understood, Alor. I regularly run into scum over here I've run out of the neighborhood.”>> Hahtavi's baritone replies over their shared coms. And it's true, just ask Kasia. This Kora pulls his rifle and double checks it, securing it to his tactical rig in case things should esculate past warning folk off or fisticuffs. One never knows and should be prepared.
Then one of the thugs struts up and makes his declaration. < "Left your single brain cells at home today?" > Talk about stupidity. Sumi fires her shot to puntuate the point and kicks things right off. Esculation on! Watch all the by standers scatter!
Well, they could have started with a beating, a warning to reconsider their life choices and otherwise walk away with only a few bruises to show for it. Then they decided to pull blasters on a gathering of armored Mandalorians. Narsai actually sighs a little from behind her T-visor, the Ordo Alor's hand smoothly drawing the heavy blaster pistol from her thigh and brandishing it towards the group. The red and black armored woman's finger already had the trigger half-depressed, barely having stopped the instinctual 'quickdraw' shot in favor of giving the thugs a chance.
Just one though...
<"Walk away, anyone who pulls a weapon on us is meeting the same fate as their headless friend there.">
It's quite the gaggle of mercenaries and good samaritans of Nar Shaddaa that has arrived to clean these mean streets. And by 'gaggle,' that is to say that it's a half dozen Mandalorians and an Echani. And by 'mean streets', that is to say the place affectionately referred to as the slums. And by 'affectionately'... nevermind. Needlesstosay, a formidable task force as shown up to take out the trash and the trash is too stupid to do it themselves.
An unfamiliar suit is among the group: a Journeyman set painted an unmistakable crimson. What's more unmistakable is the voice that comes from within the helmet as she watches the thug with a mouth get silenced rather quickly. <<"Oh, Sumi. You spoil us.">>
Reaching over her shoulder, Valeska pulls her rifle around to bear. <"The paint hasn't even dried all the way,> she says to the gang in front of her. <"First to ding this gets a faceful of blaster.">
<<"Copy.">>
Broken throated growl over comms rasping as he throws one shoulder to put the krayt scale cape to one side, Hadrix drifts through the street shadows like smoke.
<"Running means you'll be tired..."> the crimson glow in the right branch of his T-visor flaring before a boot comes into view and then the shape of a repeater. Saddle brace tucked against his right hip, the big man's helmet cants to one side before his thumb taps a the tibanna pressurizer and internal systems begin thrumming and whining - setting a light that matches the one where his eye should be deep down the barrel of the cannon he is wielding.
<"Any of you lot have the gett'se to come dance, I'll make it quick."> something has him in a mood. Cranky.
Pherra, in her shabby armor, trails behind the others her riffle quietly shifted off her back. As Sumi, from her overwatch position, calls down orders, the tall figure remains quiet. Unlike herself normally, she presently offers no witty banter. Helm in place, she is as anonymous as one can be. The Kora alora's shot announces the start of the conflict. bringing the riffle to bear, she slips aside, finding a defensible position to shoot from.
Welp. That pissed off the thugs who pulled their weapons just as their companion was gunned down before their eyes. Fourteen (14) THUGS fall back, saying things like "REKK YOU!" Or just screaming in terror as they came face to face with a real outfit of ultimate bad asses. Sumi is laughing, partially hot-micing comms. It's everything she expected this gang to be, and less.
Everyones' comms made a noise as crypto began to crack and a droid voice with a posh accent spoke out, <<"I have cracked their local comm network. Enjoy!">>
<<"We need HELP.. AT THE CHECKPOINT! PEOPLE WITH GUNS.. LOTS OF GUNS! KOTO IS DOWN!">>
<<"Is it Corsec?">>
<<"REKK NO! THEY SHOT HIM DOWN WITHOUT WARNING! IT'S SOMEONE ELSE!">>
<<"Hold on, we're on our way. Just hold the district as best you can.">>
Sumi's voice cuts over comms then. <<"We'll have company soon. Clear this trash out and get into a defensible position for ambush. We won't have long.">>
That escalated quickly. The jump from tough guys to tough t***ties, well. Perhaps it was not altogether unexpected. That did now, however, stop Jha from wading out into the fray, those measured movements that made her personage so distinctive adding a fluid grace as she stepped in to cut off the retreat along the left flank of the group. The rapier's blade whined as she twisted to her left, slicing down one of the bodies, casually stepping across it to advance into the next. He too, ended up as another bump in the road. Thankfully, she was a nimble soul.
<"Oooooookay!"> comes the acceptance of their choice, the comms a flurry with Sumi's laughing and the call from the gang. Since no one is running it looks like its time for gunning and Avery depresses the trigger on his E-11 a couple of times, each shot barking from the tip of his carbine to fly at the thugs. His first shot connects with one of the closest gang members, the red bolt bringing a look of surprise from the now wounded alien. The individual barely has time to exclaim in pain before Avery's second shot sends them off their feet, cartwheeling across the ground to slam into a refuse pile nearby. <"I suppose that's one way to take out the trash... eh? EH?"> Avery calls, a glance behind him at his crew to see if any appreciate the jest.
Thinks break loose and in those seconds of stunned shock at their friend's head having been blown into pudding, and their refusal to take the hint, Hahtavi opens up with his modified Galaar. One bolt, then two surge into the thugs even as many more fiery bursts of light fire off all around him. Haht drops one right off but they are suddenly moving and he misses his second shot.
That's his cue to move his shebs! The Kora dives for what cover he can get close by, aiming for a speeder parked along the street that isn't in great shape. It's about to be in even worse shape. A nice, classy, action packed charred finish that the owner didn't even have to pay to upgrade to! Won't everyone be so impressed?
Well, they -did- warn them! Narsai's finger completes the squeeze and a bolt lances out, but her target was already scattering and a soft exhalation of frustration comes from the woman as she fires once more, blasting her target off their feet with the second shot. The wave of blaster fire that comes from their side brings a smile, the Ordo Alor glancing left to right, but when Amal Jha leaps into the fray in her noticably-not-beskar attire and reveals that electro-whip that's sent crackling into the close quarters combat, Narsai actually glances sidelong to the mountain of Hadrix beside her.
<"Alright, I definately need to get one of those...">
The panicked cries and yells on her comms has Valeska belly-laughing so much the barrel of her rifle is shaking as much as her shoulders. She makes no attempt to hide it, either. Even going as far as to slap her armoured knee a bit and mockingly say, <"Oh, poor Koto. He'll never get his dues!"> Just so these goons know that they are being listened to and that they are seen as no threat.
<"Corsec? That's almost insulting, yeah?"> Sumi's orders come down the pipeline and Valeska's merry guffawing comes to an end. <"Roger. Cleaning up."> And by 'cleaning' up... Bracing herself, Valeska's shot sends one of the goonsquad staggering backwards, alive yet having a terrible, terrible day.
<"Not going to lie, it's fun. I got to use one, once, back in the old life."> Said to Narsai with a flicker of the red glow in his visor, likely a wink while the cryopak system engages to keep the whole thing from going up in his hands from the sheer amount of heat its putting off. Shimmer is all around the big man now with the 407 at full charge. Watching Amal stride in where the big gun was going to be aimed; but then the man was also pretty confident in his marksmanship... With a gun almost as tall as he is, stock to barrel.
<"You're welcome, Hadrix."> <"Gripper, your ego."> <"Can't have an ego about truth.">
Eyes rolling within his helmet a moment before the weapon in hand begins belching in a heavy, grunting, thud that shakes the man. Bracing in his stance, one of the thugs next to Amal quite literally vaporized when shots rake across his torso and then move right, sending others scrabbling for cover, <"Think they'll stay down?">
<"Doubtul."> Gripper's posh accent a matched set to Hadrix's
Pherra watches as the pale Amal wades into the tangle of thugs, her whip unfurling to unleash a graceful arc of violence upon them. She doesn't watch too long, however, instead of sinking behind a pile of rubbish bins and metal containers, the barrel of her rifle finding a nice niche to nestle atop. With singular focus she chooses a target among those not yet mowed down by her comrades and loses a few bolts. One less thug to contend with.
It's a total nightmare out on the street, and thankfully, the random passersby have already been taken out of sight by the gang leaving the environment 'target rich'. That means, everyone present is a target (except our friendlies of course!) Sumi's laughing so hard her shot PWANG's off the edge of a long-ago drained fountain. The shot rattles the guy behind it who realizes he almost died like Koto! "REKK ME!" Screams that random thug, who hunkers down just a /little/ bit further.
Intense laser fire lights up the street, the bulk of volume coming from a barking turret held by Commander Hadrix, who has managed to pin down all seven (7) thugs, leaving them fixed in their position.
From an adjacent street, nine (9) swoop bikes arrive carrying PUNKs who draw swords and melee weapons to join the fight. They arrive sooner than anticipated, thus ambushing our team from the side. These fighters are brawlers, not professionals. They make a giant mess of things.
Amal, seeing her right flank cut off by the friendly turret fire, twisted at the sound of incoming swoop bikes. A flick of her wrist preceded the tall echani's leap forward, as she moved to get herself between the incoming punks on the wing. The rapier's blade segmented apart, the whip snapping out to cut one of the sword wielding swoop bikers down from his mouth, a cant to the side avoiding the bike itself impacting with her body. That cant to the side turned into a half spin, as she lashed out a second time, the whip's razor sharp edge wrapping around the neck of another one of the bikers and removing it from his body, before another turn of her wrist drew the weapon back.
"Pfff... not even a chuckle... ah well" Avery grumbles under his breath, no one has a sense of humor. When Hadrix's weapon starts up, even he ducks slightly at the sound of the turret gun revving and firing, a hail of blaster bolts streaming from off to his side to pepper, and evaporate, one of the gang members. <<"Where was that thing on Mandalore, Hadrix? We definitely could have used it then!">> the Mandalorian Slicer comments before he turns back to the pinned down foe... aaaaaand their reinforcements!
Remembering the last time he had to deal with melee folk and how well that went, Avery immediately turns to the incoming Punks and looses two shots, one of which does its job and ends a life before it can get close, the other merely wounds his target and sends the poor fellow down to a knee. Hopefully he won't be alive for too much longer for more reasons than one.
Another shot, another target down, Narsai turns to the sound of the swoops 'swooping' in to hit their flank. If she was suprised then the T-Visor of her helmet formed quite a handy mask of impassiveness as she lowers her blaster to her thigh, holstering it and then drawing the short blade of forged Beskar from the small of her back in one smooth motion.
If they wanted to get into melee with the Mandalorians? Well, she was happy to make them regret that as readily as picking the blaster fight!
The approach of swoop bikes isn't hard to miss especially since they were made aware back up is coming. Yet the sound ilicits a curious tilt of Valeska's helmet; her shoulders pulled down a moment. <"Really? Already? Ah, kriff it."> Amal is already moving in on the PUNKS as is Narsai, it would seem. While Hadrix may be confident in his aim, Valeska opts not to to test her luck today. Especially when yielding a rifle and not her pistol.
<"It's a tough crowd,"> Valeska assures Avery as she takes a few steps back to stand closer to him. This many enemies at once -- potentially flanking them -- is enough to make the cocksure woman a little nervous. Erasing a scrub from the flock of THUGS can only do so much to settle her nerves. Hadrix's rocket show helps, as well.
<"Just kill any chump that doesn't laugh,"> she further suggests, looking over her shoulder to make sure their comrades-in-arms are all doing okay. <"That'll get them rolling. Literally, yeah?"> Though that weapon the Echani has does, indeed, catch her attention and she gives a brief nod of understanding to Narsai. <"If you find one, nab another for me, yeah? Pay you back.">
<<"Didn't have it then. Have it now.">> simple enough of an answer for Avery. That he can even speak while that thing is trying to make a protein shake of him is a feat in of itself. But it's Al'Verde Kora. As a specimen, yes, he's intimidating! My what a guy, that Hadrix.
Walking forward despite the kick of the heavy weapon, the Massive Mandalorian feels the heat of one blast flash frying the air past his right leg before his HUD indicates the cryopak has cooled the weapon enough to press the firing stud again.
HRUNNKHRUNNKHRUNNKHRUNNKHRUNNKHRUNNKHRUNNK - the weapon's nickname of The Pig from the Imperial days made into audial reality; each grunt an overcharged plasma bolt destroying duracrete, turning the moisture in Nar Shaddaa's air into mist and slagging durasteel that is caught in the fire stream.
In a blaster fight nobody shoots like Hadrix. For there's no mando as burly or brawny; as you can see he's got biceps to spare!
When he was a lad he ate four dozen eggs, every morning, to help him get large. Now that he's grown, he eats five dozen eggs; so he's roughly the size of a BAA-AARGE!!!
Another step and the launcher on his right knee spits, sending a micro-rocket dart into the chest of one of the thugs, cast backwards before it explodes, messily, within the poor sot.
No. One. Shoots like Hadrix, makes those beauts like Hadrix! Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Hadrix!
The man-pak turret catching another and sending them to Haran.
He uses skulls in all of his DEEECORAAATING!
My what a guy. Hadrix.
For the moment, Pherra has taken no fire, so she keeps her cover. The arrival of the reinforcements is marked silently, as Pherra chooses her next target. She remains focus on those fixed turrets. their numbers continue to dwindle. She chooses another, firing off another two bolts. While one hits, her target remains standing. <"Kriff."> She mutters softly to herself.
Still keeping to cover behind the corner of the speeder, Hahtavi fires away when one of the thugs tries to shift, evading Hadrix's supressive fire! It's a moment he doesn't waste.
One blast of his rifle misses and strikes the fountain! That makes the thug jump half out of his skin, exposing him in his confusion as to which direction /that/ shot came from. Hahtavi doesn't fail to nail'm with his second shot.
<< "Another one down. You are a great distraction, Hadrix!" >> Oh boy, the swoop bikes are arriving and things heat up from a new direction. But they are already falling to fire and half of them get cut down rapidly. Sumi's on it!
Amal stood in absolute silence, moving left, right, gauging her opponents as she calculated their approaches, a twist right, which avoided the swipe of a blade, turning her into the parting blaster shot, opening a wound in her chest. And ruining the fine white of her suit. That was a tragedy. It did not, however, cause her to retreat, and she continued her attack, moving to a slightly better position to place the swoops between herself and the turret fire, in the hopes, no doubt, of narrowing the area in which they could move. One of the punks advanced on the injured echani, and Amal moved to meet him. It was not the first time she had fought injured, and, as she cut down the man with a twist of her whip under his guard, it was unlikely to be the last.
And as if to prove his point about melee combatants, one of these huttsuckers gets right up close and buries a spike in Avery's right leg. <"OW! You bantha-loving, egg-sucking, wookie-kissing... not that there's anything wrong with that... offspring of a Wompaa and a Nerf!"> the Slicer yells in the punk's face before turning the carbine in his direction. <"I hope that was worth it for your final act..."> Avery remarks, squeezing the trigger that would have ended that offenders life...
Or at least it would have had the aforementioned scum bucket not moved at the last second and made Avery's shot go wide. <"Eeeeer... I mean, now."> and the trigger is depressed again... this time he hit but the foe before him still stands, not well... but is standing. <"Well Kriff... now I just look stupid.">
Blade in hand Narsai swings and slashes, a grin on her face beneath the protection of her helmet while the blade bites into her foe. It's not enough to kill him, indeed the punk actually stumbles back out of the way of her follow-up strike before she gives a little click of her tongue, stepping forwards and stabbing down to finish off the injured thug.
A pointy end to a short career in shakedowns!
A blaster bolt she could understand. That's dignified. Expected. Downright homegrown, even. Energy blasts are like comfort food. A warm hello. The embrace of a lover. When you step into a fray, you step into a rain of bolts.
What you /don't/ expect is so fool to get up in your face and swing a damned spiked bat at you like some kind of neanderthal! Clearly not expecting some of the herd to break through the gauntlet, Valeska is too slow to dodge out of the way and a wicked loud KKKKKRKRKRRRRRRRR is heard as metal scraaaaaaapes along the breastplate of her armour. The newly painted on. The one that took her WEEKS to put on for various reasons.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Her comms are off -- thankfully -- but it can still be head echoing outwards from her helmet like a very angry bell. A shot pops off but misses. Does she even notice it misses?
Rockets.
Missiles.
Ordnance.
He's been cranky without any sort of means of alleviating the stress - so his answer is to let the turret cannon cool before the targeting antenna flips down over his visor. A split second to aim and his system to note lock before the missile is away - skimming just past the shoulder of one of those few remaining of the original shakedown crew.
Fortunate that the poor fellow had been already in the midst of diving cover, less fortunate for the fountain that erupts. Concrete powder turning to gray mud and water from the now open main spraying out from the explosion shaking the area. Tinnitus for everyone!
<"It's one of my charms, Haht."> the remaining pair of rocket-darts from his knee streaking out. Catching the one who had been diving in the hip and blowing him across the street. The other is shy of the target, creating a small impact crater in a wall behind - leaving the bugger fairly exposed.
Pherra rolled the dice and decided to keep to her same cover. It had worked thus far, and in any case, the brigands seemed to be on the run. She returned her attention to the Thug she'd already inured and losed another bolt. And she got him! Hazel eyes scanned the field but found no more turrets. All that remained, were the punks in melee. Swinging her rifle onto her back once more. The tall, shabbily armored Mandalorian then stepped out from behind her cover, and pulled vibroweapons. She started towards the remaining punks. Assuming there were any left to face.
Pherra finishes off the last of the thugs hiding behind the fountain for cover against Hadrix's awesome assault. Yes, everyone is in awe! Such power, such poise, such sexy knee rockets!
Hahtavi swaps to the other side of the speeder he's been using for cover and then pops up to take a couple of shots at the punks running amok. He's missing about half his shots and it's seriously annoying him but Haht does manage to lay another punk out to measure himself against the duracrete.
Keeping to cover, Hahtavi grumbles to himself, <" I must be getting old. Need my eyes checked..." > Hadrix coaxes a laugh out of him, << "That you do, ner vod!" >>
The remaining Punks make it back to their swoops to high-tail it out of there, leaving Lehtera Street looking like a god damn war zone. In the brief silence that followed the wake of battle, a piece of stone fell off the pillar of a building nearby and crashed onto the walkway, crumbling into pieces. A good number of dead lay motionless in random places.
Sumi's voice sounds over the comms again, still amused as her last shot punctuates the retreat of their foe, ringing off the side of the swoop bike. <<"That will not be the last of them. Their leadership was wise to pull back and regroup. I'll have our analysis droid look over the effects of the dead and pinpoint where we need to go next. For now, I think they got the message. Get the rekk out of the Corellian district. Good work. Sumi out.">>
