Log:Black Squadron: Heathen Prayers

Black Squad rescues a captured Recon team and their beacon

OOC Date: November 19, 2020
Location: Uncharted World
Participants: Black Squadron, Jessika Pava, Bors Thul, Elrych Cometburn, Poe Dameron

The Ghost broke atmosphere and the ship's cargo lift opened, providing a means for the group to feel the cool autumn air of a forested world and watch the countless trees blur past the view. It's loud in the cargo bay, but Poe is speaking to them over their comms while Mr. Bones is prepping the fast rope they'll use to descend to the ground.

<<"Intel isn't so sure about this world. A primitive race that gave some scout troopers a lot of trouble is cause for concern though. There's a Corporal Taber on the ground.. or was; I'm going with IS.. there is a Corporal Taber on the ground that's trying to get his squad back. Word is, they got captured by natives while retrieving a deep-space recon probe which.. get this.. the natives have adopted as a rekking God.">>

Poe laughs. <<"This op is sensitive.. but only if you get caught. Primary objective is retrieving that probe. I'd like you to mark it with a beacon and I'll use the Ghost's tractor beam to pull it up. Secondary objective is to get the squad back. That might mean punching natives in the face-- but get creative if you can. When you have the squad, pop your IFF and I'll direct you to an ideal clearing for dust off. Easy day?">>

The Ghost is starting to slow and get closer to the ground. <<"Final checks before deployment. Testor, you got 'em. Pretty Boy out.">>

"Great. Another 'don't get caught'. 'Cause the last one turned out so well." Jessika Pava talks more to herself than anyone else. The events on Bespin are still fresh, and the prospect of tip-toeing around another incident twangs the taut bands of her nerves. They avoided any kind of serious fallout from what went down in Bespin City, but when such a thing as risk as involved, it's less a matter of if they're going to have to pay the price and more a when. Jessika steps to the descent rope and breathes in the crisp, clean air of the forest. It's tinged with the musky smells of foliage and trees, and the temperature leaves her cheeks suffused a subtle red when the blood beneath rushes to the surface to heat her skin. <"The only hard day was yesterday.">

"Let's go." She descends, feet pinched around the rope to control her descent if necessary and gloved hands set off from one another.

Elrych was double checking his satchel haversack as Poe was dishing out the breifing over comms. It was Jess' comment that caused him to stop and look up. He blinked once, clearing his throat before looking down to his pack once more. "I'll ah... open my ears more this time, Testor."

He really had beaten himself up for that one. There might not have been an issue if he hadn't failed to listen to Jess. Live and learn, he was still only Twenty Two.

Following along with Jess as she moves down the ramp into the forst, he takes a deep breath. He's wearing his normal Jedi attire with a camo poncho instead of his dark green hooded cloak. He keeps his eyes and ears open.

Easy day, indeed! Bereft of A-Wing - but clad in metal all the same. Bors has his old ee-3 slung to his shoulder, a grin on his face and a song in his heart. Grabbing the next line and descending in turn, <"Yesterday, all our troubles seemed so far away."> a little singsong to his tones as he makes his way to the ground.

<"Nary be concerned, pretty boy, I am well versed in attending to these sorts of matters, would that we be made to talk our way through it. I shall bring Testor and Elrock back unscathed. Maybe."> a moment and his shoulders move like he is giggling off comms as he hits the ground with a flex of his knees.

<"At least should stealth fail."> then speaking off comms "When it fails." head turning and trying not to press his hand to his cheek. These flowers are -lovely-

The group descends in quick intervals, landing in a very small clearing. VTOL engine vents cast a heavy gust of wind as the stealth system on the Ghost is activated. The stealth capability left the engine noise cut by half by storing the emissions that would otherwise allow them to be tracked or make the engines louder. From the ground, they can see the orange hot color of the vents and the waves of heat.

After observing their safe deployment from above, the trust murderous Mr. Bones begins to spool the rope back into the belly of the Ghost and Poe pilots the craft away. The shadow above them is removed, and the planet's distant pulsar star ligh shown down, gifting them with a cloudless sky and an atmosphere that was riddled with swirling gases that could be seen with the naked eye, courtesy of the enhanced radiation of the star. Intel had said the ozone of the planet was enough that the team would be fine on the surface so long as they were not there for weeks.

With the Ghost gone, the sounds of the forest returned. Avains flocked and chirped wildly, the breeze blew and the trees swayed; a symphonic sound of rustling leaves swept across the valley, and for a moment, it sounded as if a river of rushing water might be nearby.

HUDs revealed a friendly IFF approaching, the tag: CPL TABER. Per New Republic military protocol, he was behind cover but with a vantage. A small blue light blinked at the special forces team. This was in the vicinity of the NORTH.

"Bors?" Jessika asks once he's made landfall, from her position of one knee down and blaster carbine raised up to her shoulder. "I don't need saving." There's something like a warning in her tone when she says it, like she's trying to impress upon him the concept she's giving to him with utmost seriousness. "Don't dwell on the past, Elrych." With advice given to her compatriots, Jessika rises from her knee and glances up towards the sky. It's beautiful here. A lack of light pollution and the system's own quirks pair to give the sky a breathtaking quality. She admires it for all of one second before her mind divorces herself from anything but the mission. Her ears begin to adjust to the noises around her, with tension raising as she begins the arduous process of discerning which ones she should worry about and which ones aren't a problem.

Not one to stand out in the open, Jessika marries a tree to her hip and begins waiting for the contact. She doesn't have to wait long. Left hand grabbing a small beam emitter from a pouch near her hip, she angles it back in the direction that the blue light blinks and flashes it back the requisite few presses necessary to identify themselves. Only then does she begin to approach the IFF tag, and she does so cautiously. Returning the emitter to her pouch, Jessika motions with her hand for Elrych and Bors to follow. A lack of speaking should be all the signal they need to employ their own noise discipline.

"Sound advice," Elrych comments, continueing to follow Testor as she leads them on. Blue eyes look up and around, taking in the flora ans what fauna they can see or make out. It was a rather nice world. He opens up to the force, to feel the life around him and find his center. He takes a deep breath and lets it out.

He glances to Jess a moment as she takes out the IFF reader, nodding as she starts them in the right direction. Bushwacking was something Elrych was growing acostume too.

A selection of purple and rose pink flowers with jocular blooms sway from where Bors has tucked them into a joint for his helmet visor, still all the more while taking up the rear position, as has become his norm. The urge to hum is real, but the need to keep quiet is doubly so.

<"None had I spoke to rescue, Testor, you being most capable. I said I shall return you unscathed to the hold for Pretty Boy's retinue."> a momentary pause before he adds, <"And you used names on comms, Testor."> a bit of cheek!? Zounds! <"Now my death is assured and I am honorbound to sell my life dearly so that the curse is found with little joy for the fates that seek so malicious a prize as my name on the winds of chance in the field of conflict.">

Then Jessika is motioning for silence that he follows, lips tight and eyes open, blaster still held to be swung down and to firing ready should the need arise. Another bloom taken and tucked into a line of combat webbing near his ammo packs. Delightful.

From the other end of the clearing, a short and stocky enlisted soldier appears wearing a camo-poncho and a heavy helm with all the optics gear in the 'off' position. He carries a bandolier and carries an A280, its buttstock chickenwinged under his arm and hauled casually; the mark of an experienced soldier. He used his other arm for balance, swinging it naturally until he was near the team and trees. "I gotta say.. when I heard Black Squad was coming out.. I sighed in relief. This everybody, Major?" Toby Taber glanced at the trio. The tone of his question wasn't exasperation but genuine curiosity. He seemed relieved to see them, so it didn't seem that numbers were an issue. That was the mark of a scout from the Recon Corps.

"Name's Toby Taber; my boys call me Tee. We're about a klick out from the native's village, the beacon, and my team. I can bring you all in.. if that's the plan?" The Corporal yielded to the Major, but glanced to the other pair briefly, as if eager to receive wisdom or guidance from any of them.

Jessika doesn't bother correcting Bors. She hadn't used comms at all to address either of them during the brief moment they were waiting at their drop site. Now's not the time for it and later will just be petty. This isn't even a military outfit. Once the poncho-wearing soldier emerges from his cover and approaches them, Jessika allows some of the tension in her shoulders to ease away. Not much, but enough to indicate she's not about to blast the poor kid who she was waiting to see was either friend or foe. Jessika nods to the Corporal who introduces himself as Tee. "This is everyone. First order of business is the probe. Once we've got the initial job done, we'll work on liberating your team. What can you tell me about the natives? Numbers? Weapons?"

"Okay. I'm saying it now, he's totally worse than Ban." The Jedi offers in responce to Bors' just speaking. As they arrive at the clearing and the contact revealths themself, he comes to a stop, adjusting the sack he carries.

Elrych nods to the Corperal, keeping silent for the time being. He lingures back in the brush a bit, his lightsaber hanging untouched on his belt. He scans the tree line, the clearing an open spot for them to be found. The natives likely knew the land much better than they did too.

As Jess asks her questions, he looks back towards Toby awaiting an answer.

Watching, listening, eyes on Tee and the jungle at large, Bors stands relaxed while his senses stay alert. Nothing for him here unless he's called on to act, but his expression evens out to the normal, natural sort of grin that is ever presently in place. There's an urge to scratch at the bit of beard on his cheeks, or to adjust his armor, but therein lay the combination of training at court and in the Republic fighter corps, keeping him still when he wants to move.

For Elrych's cheek there is a brow raised and the resistance to shrug. But now he is eyeing the man's belt and thinking of some of those flowers... And also of the hood the man has on his robes, and how many it might hold should it be worn down for any length of time.

He's clearly better than Ban. Lord of Iskendar or not - Thul is a much older and grander house!

"They are a goodly number: Last count I had this morning was sixty-three adult males, thirty adult females, roughly twenty children. Their weapons are primitive: Talking polearms and some sharp as drek rocks. They use projectiles too.. like rekking..sling ropes and rocks. Really rekking good at hitting at mid-range too. We watched them hunt some of the local fauna.. they were taking avians out of the rekking sky." Tee rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"The natives are humanoid, grey skin but it can change with the environment. Our Doc said she thought it had to do with the radiation or some drek, I don't know. If they go on the prowl, you won't know until they're right on you. That's what happened to us. Rookie mistake. The wind is key here.." He pointed to the high valley ridges. "Wind changes are frequent. You get have to pay attention to it. They got amazing senses of smell. We had not anticipated that."

"Thankfully, the village church is at the edge of their little city. Easy to cut through the exterior with a torch or some drek, and the best part.. the team is being held in there. If we're collecting the beacon, we'll need their help to move it. That rekking thing weighs as much as a pregnant hutt after a life-day feast."

Although she doesn't say anything, Jessika does take note of the great disparity in numbers between males and females. There's probably some explanation for it, like males being more prevalent in birth rate, or warring tribes taking females hostage, but she's not an athropologist, this isn't a research team, and there's no time to really delve into any of it. She files the information away for later, because the more important information being given is about weapons and capabilities. And the native species in general. Camouflaging enemies? Great. Jessika's eyes instinctively dart around, as if she's going to notice some just waiting to pop out at them. A turn of her chin in Elrych's direction allows her to set her gaze on him. "Hopefully you'll know before a whole pack of them descends on us." No pressure.

Returning her attention to Tee, Jessika gives a final nod. "We have means to get the beacon out without their help. We're gonna get the team back, Corporal. I'm not in the business of leaving people behind. We just have to make sure the beacon is secure first. Can you take us there?"

"I have trained to recognize my precognative prodings..." Elrych says to Jess, "But there is always room for improvment. It's easier if they have killing intent." Laymens Terms: There's a small chance I won't see them coming but I totally could most of the time.

A nod to the Corperal, "Show us the best way to the Beacon... we will do our best to stay quiet." He wasn't overly interested in the Anthropology... though he's have to let Aryn know about this place when he got back... she totally would nerd out over it.

Secure the beacon. Secure the team. Mind turning round, Bors finds himself with nothing presently to offer to the situation. Silence prevails in the absence of something constructive. At least until Elrych speaks and Bors looks to the man considering in expression.

"M'lord, I have effervescently grand opinion of your ability and am confident that you shall do and not fail." resting a hand on the Jedi's shoulder, casually tucking a flower in the folds of the man's robe.

"Ere I go forth I shall so with the grace of The Mother and The Father, buoyed that they have placed me in your company to show that the Force is guide and guardian in the same." a genuine smile from him and a look to Jessika for the go-ahead to get getting on.

Tee looks to Elrych curiously when the Major says he'll notice before the others do. It's an interesting statement and leaves Corporal Taber studying the Corellian a moment longer before Jessika addresses him. Her words cut deep, reminding him of the hard reality of a military life and the priority of the mission. He nodded his head, looking down. "I understand, ma'am."

A moment later, he looks back up. "I know the way. If the wind is with us, we won't have to sneak too much." Getting the final nod from Jess, the Corporal turned about to lead them on.

The trek across the country was far from treacherous. The world was beautiful. The forest was well lit with trees of golden yellow and autumn orange leaves that made a sea like canopy above. Where light peeked through, God rays crisscrossed and avians flew by swooping for insects and other tasty treats. The forest floor was loud, but there were ample trails used, muddied by the trampling hooved shape feet of local fauna. Rocks here are white, like snow, and some of the ones cracked open shine with glittering quartz.

When they arrive along the outskirts of the village, the Corporal holds up a fist, then flattens his hand to gesture 'down'. He pulls the optic off his rifle and looks toward the village. Waving canvas told the story of the winds further down in the valley, and from the Corporal's measure, it seemed favorable for approach.

He passed the scope off to the Major, pointing toward the 'church' that sat closest to them and at the edge of the village. The village was in a large clearing, with hutts made from timber. A river passed by the village and cut further down the valley. It was a deep river, crisp green water with a strong current. It was east of the church and on the opposite side of the village from where the team currently looked.

The church was the tallest structure, and it appeared to have figures walking inside with polearms in hand.

Once again, Jessika finds herself wishing she'd brought Ailee along. Getting pictures of the planet's flora and fauna would have been smart. She could have also recorded imagery of the village and the native species they're looking down on now. Hunkered low to the ground and with as little of her silhouetted against the overlook as possible, Jessika accepts Tee's offer of the scope and lines it up with her eye until she's glancing through it and able to make out what she's looking at. "Is the beacon also located in the church?" Going back over what Poe said, it makes sense that it might be, and it might just change the order in which they try to complete things here. Jessika offers the scope off to the side for anyone who wants to take it.

Elrych blinks as Bors closes the distance between them and places a flower in the croix of his robe. There is a look down to the flower, then back to Bors, to the flower, and once more to the Alderaanian. The Corellian Jedi simply shakes his head and turns to follow Jess and Toby.

Elrych comes to a stop when they arive, his skin a bit more moist from the walk, breaths a bit more laboured. He was glad for the stop. A look over the villiage caused a sight of impressment upon his features. "Huh... not a bad set up for their tech level." Perhaps the other Jedi might enjoy coming here for study... if it didn't end badly...

Sharp icy blue eyes look around, counting the number of guards her could see. He was not yet adpt in individual life detection plus they were likey too far out.

Stepping up closer to Testor he taps her on the shoulder before pointing towards teh rushing river. "We'll never get the beacon back up the hill... but we could float it down."

He's going to gather a bouquet for Her Highness too. Who more deserves flowers, that would accept them from him? Bors knows of only one other, but she has placed herself upon a pillar that elevates her even above those shows of his respect.

Jessika would shank him, undoubtedly. But as he walks he keeps behind Elrych, quietly depositing flowers into the hood of his robe, just the blossoms - lest it overflow too soon. At least until they arrive.

Hunkering to scan the area through his carbine scope, lips straight again, sweeping slowly to take in what he can - the others are talking and it sounds like his two centi-creds are not, as yet, required.

"It is. We tried to get it three times, but ROE prevented us from harming the locals to do it. We tried waiting until night, but.. they got captured. With the team captured, ROE changes. We can stun or match their force.." Taking the scope back, he hooked it onto his rifle and glanced back at Elrych, and all his flowers. What an interesting squad.

"He's right. Floating it down the river would be the quickest way. Only other option would be humping it up the side of these ridges. Beacons are bouyant, ideal for extraction." They probably knew that already.

"I can lead us down if you're ready, Major."

"Standby," Jessika says to Tee. She sinks away from the edge of the overlook and rolls onto her side so she's not got her blaster carbine crushed between herself and the ground. <"Ghost, Testor. Mission priority has changed. Beacon is located within a structure. Ground intel indicates it's too heavy to move with a limited number. Short of blowing the top off the structure, we'll have to complete secondary objective ahead of primary. Confirm?"> She doesn't doubt the General will go along with it, but she's going to update him all the same. <"We'll also likely be engaging the village, so."> There's that. In preparation of that, her thumb bumps against the selector on her carbine, adjusting it to stun rather than kill.

<<"Roger Testor. I trust your judgement.">> Poe replies back, his voice somewhat robotic. It's likely the radiation in the atmosphere. With confirmation made, Toby nodded to the team and began the descent. Being a scout by trade, the Corporal knew how to traverse terrain in a way that looked like practiced grace. Sliding off a rock was effortless and quiet, moving down a steep part of the hill was careful and measured. He stopped often to check the wind or to glance back at the team to ensure they were there.

When they arrived at the back of the church, the wall was made of a weaved wicker. Which meant the village people had spent countless hours weaving this wall until they could cake it with clay and give it a solid exterior, likely one that could hold heat.

Toby motioned to the wall. "We can cut through here, get my people, the beacon.. and hoof it to the river. There's always guards in here though.. so.." He held his rifle up and shook it, which meant 'get hot.' "Any body got a torch?"

Slinging her carbine near her hip, Jessika reaches for a larger pouch on her left side. Undoing the clasp, she pulls her engineer kit from inside. Finding the handheld torch in it, she withdraws it from the pouch and clutches it under her arm before putting everything away. Jessika glances to Elrych and motions to him to cut a semi-circle out of the left side. She'll take care of the right. Activating the torch, the visor of her helmet dims to prevent her retina from being scarred by the intensity. She begins cutting, moving slow and methodically to open a path up for them.

The flowers... Elrych was letting Bors put the flowers in. In fact, Bors was doing him a favor because he inteded to give his own bouqet to his hot Ysanna girlfriend. All according to plan.

"Well this aught to be intersting..." Elrych says in seponce to Jess, pulling his lightsaber from his belt but not lightning it.

Speaking of moving through the terrain, Elrych is doing it like he actually did run the course at Ajara multiple times and possibly even mastered it. He mvoes through trees and brush with ease, managing to keep up with Toby... not a single flower was lost.

As they arrive at the back fo the church, the Corellian Jedi takes a knee only to stand a moment later when Jess nods him towards the wall. He activates his blade. While loudish at first as it comes to life, his mephite crystal is actually the most quiet of Adegan gems. He manages to cut a long arch for them to use in short order.

<"Ingress points here, here, and here - defilade from those points."> Bors begins pointing before people begin moving, <"We could potentially avoid visual till we get to the church but ere from hence we travel from we shall be more likely evading pursuit than sight."> nodding to himself, <"Frankly I see us spending much of this running and screaming."> par for the course.

Quiet again as they approach. He has no cutting tools. No laser sword. He has only his poets heart, winning smile and a pretty powerfully constructed rekking gun set for stun.

<"We seek only that conflict be resolved non-lethally, yes?"> because he has to ask.

The wall that's cut falls outward, making little noise and revealing the interior. It takes a moment for eyes to adjust, but the portion of the interior they've opened up is caged, and occupied by the trio of half naked troopers inside, who positioned themselves in front of the hole being made to conceal it from the sentries inside. "Tee, that you?!" One whispers, not daring to glance back. They're all down to skivvies and nothing else. Their bound hands are facing the hole and the team.

"Yeah.. hold on.. stop looking so guilty.." Tee whispers back, pulling out his knife. He leans in to cut their binds. "How many inside?"

"Four, they're praying at the beacon."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Leigh broke her hand punching one.." One says, another laughs, and 'Leigh' elbows his side to make him stop.

"Alright, I'm going to pull you out one by one. Don't make any noise."

Tee, true to his word, starts with Leigh, pulling her out. It's clear she's in pain, her face red from holding it in. Tee sets her down outside, and she takes a knee and finally flexes her arms and shoulders. Tee pulls the other two out, then motions for his team to stay down for a moment. "Here.. I have hold out blasters.. Say hi to Black Squad." Tee passes out the blasters and each of his squad waves to Black Squad.

Black Squad has clear view of the interior, the beacon, and the four kneeling in front of it praying. Theu can engage from this vantage.

Jessika quickly points out the plan both with her fingers and her whispers. "Elrych, immobilize one if you can. We're gonna take all four out at the same time. Bors," Jessika indicates the target she wants him on. Then she gestures for the Corporal. Only when they all indicate that they're ready does Jessika begin the count down. "Three. Two. One. Execute." A squeeze of the trigger of her blaster carbine sees a blue bolt smash into her selected target. And, when Elrych's is ready, she puts a stun bolt into that one, too. "Let's move smoothly. Let's get this beacon and get out."

"Looks like these folks know how to party..." Elrych says, shutting down his lightsaber but not taking it out of his hand. He helps get the prisoners out , "Alright... you're good... out we go." Doing his best to keep quiet with his word yet reassure them that help was here.

Once the team is clear, he moves to get a good vantage point at the alter. There is a slight purse of his lips as he contemplates their next moves. After Jess' instruction, the Jedi raises a hand towards one of the praying natives. Then, reaching out with the force, he wraps it around one, contricting and holding every fascit of his body still. THey rais off the ground slowly, prime for someone to stun out of his shaken statis.

Once that is taken care of the Jedi moves towards the beacon and gets ready to help shlup the thing out with or without the aid of the force.

A curt nod, weapon set to stun as ever, taking aim and firing a pulsing ion ring into the port sots body. Brow a canyon map, but at least no blood is on his hands this day, "Mother give them ease in wakening." looking for one moment longer before Black Squad and Strike Team Skivvies are headed for the beacon. Looking from point to point before he, with some expression of regret, reaches to take the duty cape from his shoulders an lays it out and motions for the beacon to be rested on it. Making to be ready to drag with the friction reducing bit of cloth to aid passage.

Work smarter. Not harder.

Team skivvies follows Black Squad inside, and they move to the beacon, casting off the trinkets and things the natives have decorated it with. Leigh is the only team member not helping, and it's because her hand is in a really bad way. Tee gives her a purpose by saying, "Leigh. We are going to the river. Lead us there.. we won't have time to pathfind and carry this thing at the same time."

Leigh nods and replies, "Yes Corporal, and moves to the exit, dropping back outside quietly. The other team members look to Tee, then to Black Squad. There was only one thing left to do.

Gathering around the beacon with the rest of Black Squadron and the remaining members of the Recon team, Jessika first tests its weight with a quick heft of her own muscles. This is not going to be fun. "Again, on three. One. Two. Three." Jessika grunts and lifts, helping heft the device so that it's no longer on the ground. It allows her to move with the team, acting as a guide. Already, beads of sweat are starting to form at the nape of her neck and her temples. This thing is not light. "We just need to get it to where Poe can pick it up." Already, she wishes Elrych could handle this thing alone. Sometimes there's just going to be things that suck about a mission and this is one of those.

While innitially looking like a slacker, the sly grin having Corellian Jedi hangs towards the outside of the group as they start to lift the heavy beacon. Placing his lightsaber back on his belt the Jedi takes a deep breath. When they start to struggle with it just a bit, both his hands reach out. Then... as if the extra weight was lifted, they're abel to move the contraption. Elrych follows along with his arms stretched out, a sweat bead of concentration dripping across his brow slightly, the force his ally this day.

Lift with the knees! Or drag with them in his case. A rushing burst of strength to show his mettle. Yea that the Major and He shan't ever be, for he is meant for unions arranged most as like, but ere can she look upon this Adonis of unexpected muscular girth as he puts to task!

Bors grunts and pulls, teeth showing for a moment as he works to help tug the big fat hunk of junk to where they can get the damned thing in the river.

"Bitch got a fat ass."

GUTTER TALK... From the Lord of Thul!

"Wow.. this is heavy. Rekk. Me." Grunts Tee. One of the team skivvies stepped on something, and instead of screaming, he bit his arm and groaned into it while cradling his bare bleeding foot. The others managed to get it, veins sticking out and red faces. Hogly brings up the rear, limping.. and Leigh is at the front directing them.

Moving back into the treeline, the follow the outer perimeter of the city and make it to the river. Both Leigh and Hogly wade out into the water holding onto the beacon. Kayton and Tee follow after Tee slings his weapon.

<<"Testor, it's Ghost. I have visual of the beacon in the river. If you guys can latch onto it, I can tractor you to the cargo bay. Just make sure everyone is tethered to it; let's not leave it to chance.">>

The Ghost makes it sudden approach from above, her VTOL engines coming to life, kicking up steamy misty water in a small vortex of kinetic energy. They didn't have long.

<"Ghost, Testor. Roger that."> Indicating for everyone to set the beacon down, Jessika lowers her part of it to the point that it's in touch with the ground at the same time. After that, she begins to secure herself to the frame of the beacon. "Everyone make sure you're secured and not beneath the thing." Moving her hand up to her weapon, she safeties it and slips it to her hip. <"Ghost, have Bones on standby."> That'll help when they finally get up into the craft. He'll be able to handle helping them out.

Elrych continues to help in his own way, staying towards the back of the group, arms out stretched towards the beacon. His lips are pursed together in concentration, face reddening a bit with the exertion of using the force for an extended period of time. It wasn't easy, not with an object this heavy, nor with the group of Skivvie helping carry and pull it into the river.

As the call to hop on comes over the horn, Elrych is quick to climb up onto the rop of the thing, surfing it in a safe, but totally radical manner.

Kowabunga Dude.

Tucking his carbine back on its' sling, Bors frowns at the sight of Elrych climbing atop, but he shrugs. It's an interesting idea... though he cannot deposit any more flowers in Elrych's hood. But thankfully he's also collected enough for a proper bouquet for Her Highness - piecemeal tucked into portions of his webbing - a cord normally meant for securing equipment now helping lash him to the beacon itself.

"Take me ho-ome... tractor beam. To the place, I belong. Squadron Hangar, Chandrila'aaa. Take me home, tractor beam..." still yet a song in his heart!

The tractor beam lifts the beacon up, and in essence, the others too. As they are guided to the cargo bay, the droid Mr. Bones responds to Jessika's response. <<"GREAT DESTROYER, Mister Bones is always standing by for violence.">> The red and blue battle droid hooked the beacon with a grapple and made use of a pulley to bring everyone inside. When the hatch closed beneath them, the droid lowered the beacon down to the deck. Comm-it, the floating seeker droid drifted by to interface with the beacon and begin uploading the intelligence into the tactical room for review. Members of team skivvies are given towels and blankets. BB-8 informs them through Leigh, their Doc, that food is in the galley. "Hey, thanks kick ball."

The Ghost adjusts course as rocks are thrown against the hull like the natives planned to drop them like one of their avian prey. He leaned forward, pulled back on the thruster throttle, and took them toward space!