Log:Clan Kora: Intrusive Intel

The pieces are falling into place and a full-scale attack on the Blackout Headquarters is on the horizon. A team of Kora Clan infiltrators take on a shadow op to recon their target. Get a lay of the land and zero in on their target.

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Intrusive Intel

OOC Date: February 10, 2022
Location: Umbara
Participants: Valeska Kora (GM), Zevin Daodhri, Avery Ihala Kora, Fae Renta, Zelo Parrai, Hadrix Kora, Sumi Kora (as Sana), Hahtavi Kora, Clan Kora

--Valeska--

The Blackout Headquarters isn't so much a compound as it is a fortress. Built within a dense and carnivorous forest, the overall layout is difficult to ascertain: kept permanently cloaked by the flora and fauna of Umbara. Made of up several buildings tactically spaced out with garrisons, guardhouses, and watchtowers dotting the landscape, a seige on this expanse of land is treacherous on the face of it. Nevermind the various flame beetle nests such an act of aggression would kick up.

But that is a tomorrow problem. Today is a covert op targetting one of the security buildings scattered about the large premises. Which security building?

The intel regarding the security station had been collected under no small amount of duress but has so far proven correct. Snipers already in their positions can confirm to the ground team they have visual of the building in question as well as several heavy patrols. The team will need to navigate the treacherous, hungry foliage to a checkpoint first in order to disable the alarm network.

--Zevin--

Zevin Daodhri takes point. He's not technically minded, but the man knows how to sneak. He moves nearly silently through the undergrowth, watching out for any parts of it that have teeth or seem to be hungry. In his hand he already has a knife, both for quietly hacking any of the shrubbery that gets handsy and for taking out any sentries or patrol members. Each step is careful, but he's balancing speed and stealth with a quarter-crouch.

--Avery--

Silent approach... not something Avery is usually good at but for some reason, his feet find the right places to make the least amount of noise as the group approaches the buildings. The Slicer crouches low to the ground, a handy but unfamiliar pistol in his grasp, one meant for just such a situation with the suppressor on the end of the barrel stifling all sound of the hopefully killing blow. The team moves swiftly from the forest and across the expanse, the green eyed man sweeping his head from side to side as he looks for marks to pick up and transmit through their shared HUDs. <<"So far, seems pretty quiet. Bit of a blessing all things considered... then again, could just be the silence before the storm, so to speak.">> He probably should stop uttering these cryptic remarks.

--Hahtavi--

It's a very good thing that Hadrix insisted that he, and others of their aliit, practiced a lot of jungle tactics and moving silently in thick, foliage rich environments. Like trecherous Dxun. Hahtavi moves very slowly and carefully through the Umbarian jungle twilight, mindful of things like snakey poisonous vines that might want to drag him into scummy pools of filth to digest him at their leisure. Here, the flowers are rumored to devour the unwary, not to mention fire beetles and all else to watch out for.

So it is that this Kora moves quietly as he may through the darkness, pausing often and randomly to watch and listen ere he moves again. Hahtavi takes whatever opportunity presents itself to zoom in with his helmet's optics to study the building ahead when he can catch a glimpse of it, watching out for targets of interest to mark on his HUD to share with his teammates.

No rifle in his hands though he carries one. Like Zev, Hahtavi has his combat knife.

--Fae--

There's a sound of a struggle in the dark. A muted yell and then a scuffle, and then the sound of a body hitting the ground. It's like that old saying though, yeah? If a dead body hits the ground in the forest and nobody's around to hear it, it's just like... a... tree or something. That's how that goes, right? Yeah! Fae Renta plants a tree face-first in the ground with a crack of bone and sinew and readies her Dresellian Slugthrower rifle on the little railing in front of her. She squints through the scope as she turns it towards the compound or... where she thinks the compound should be.

<"Farkle. Where is it?"> she murmurs to herself, microphone hot and heard over coms. By the time she's saying: <"Ohhh..."> and lining it up into her sights, it's a bit too late to provide any meaningful information to the rest of the time. She'll blame it on her Hapan eyes, but that helmet do be having night-vision.

--Zelo--

A world wrapped in darkness is a sniper's friend. But for some reason, Zelo Parrai does not feel particularly welcome. Tension holds him still within the brilliant blue armor, even if it's not shining without light to reflect. From this lookout tower beyond the walls, there's a good enough view to see movement despite the inustriously thick flora all about. In his hands, a weapon unfamiliar to him, but the purpose is the same as ever. It's said that you don't see the bolts of a Nightstinger. But every bit of his sniper's instincts has crafted a small next to hide as much as possible and obfuscate his position.

In case.

<<"Overwatch, in place.">>

--Hadrix--

<<"Worst part about this planet...">> Hadrix starts, settled in position at the top of a tower. Rifle assembled, targeting scope data fed into his HUD and a body with its neck at a severe angle resting behind him, <<"Can't have a smoke without giving yourself away. Ever.">> head shaking and looking to a feed being provided by Gripper.

<<"Too damn dark...">> <<"Maybe you should get your eye modified like you keep muttering about.">> <<"I might if it shuts you up.">> the battle of the posh accents beginning before the big man rests the convex cheekguard of his helmet against his rifle, centering his visors' gaze on the readout presented by the, fairly, complex rifle's equipment. <<"As if you really would.">> Gripper's optics are dim, to the point one might think she were offline, save for her hovering. <<"I'm going to now.">> tower-dwelling Coruscanti blended with gravel biting out each word while seeking to find targets to mark for the ground team to evade, slowly rotating the rifle and teasing with the modified tibanna injector systems.

Not a quiet weapon.

Not like Fae's slug rifle. But not quiet.

--Sumi (as Sana)--

Sana Ryder joins the ground team moving along at their far right in a wide skirmishers formation. The red Mandalorian is silent as the grave, moving with a practiced grace and ease from nearly two centuries of experience. The huntress takes a kneeling position behind some natural concealment, peeking her visored eyes above to observe the direction they were going. From Sana's perspective, she could hear with enhanced auditory sensors on her helmet; the distant crack of a twig, the flutter of something from a tree; the heavy breathing of someone-- is Sumi with them?

Sana turns, seeing the identifying markers in her HUD for each member. <"Thank the Gods,"> Sana laments. Sumi couldn't sneak into the kitchen, much less into a fortified position.

<<"Sana standing by for orders,">> She intones, the Mando'ade accent thick when she used basic. At this moment, Sana has no weapon out or in hand. She reserved both hands for touching the environment around her to better navigate.

--Valeska--

Hovering in the atmosphere just out of range of the scanners, the Woor'tra maintains a vigilant watch of the orchestration below. With Pheegus at the helm and Greeza manning the guns -- just in case -- Valeska has propped herself in the co-pilot's as if she owns it (she does, we all know it) and is pouring over the information being sent from the various eyes they have scattered about the ground. It's her job to take it all and filter it through wherever necessary.

Right now she's got her armour on, but a headset instead of her helmet and staring at a projection of the 'battlefield.' <"If things get hairy, we're coming in fast to get you. So try not to have too much fun down there, yeah? First target is a checkpoint about a thousand yards to your east, Ground. Overwatch is lighting up my screen like a Life Day tree with targets---wait. What in the name of--">

Valeska is the last to know. The Umbaran forest has woken up to the movement within its branches and the barely-heard rustling of grass blades and scuttling of soil is the only warning before thick, grasping vines lash out at the intruders.

--Zevin--

From behind him, Zevin hears the coil and snap of vines reaching out at them. Though none go for him this time, one of the vine-tacles reaches past at Sana. He drives his knife straight into the plant, where it's lodged for a few seconds as he wrenches at it, holding on despite the movement, and finally pushes it through, to where the plant leaks .... well it smells like blood, for a given value of blood, but it's whatever these plants have. <"Ah swear, tentacle's a tentacle, it don't get a free pass just 'cause it grows outta dirt!"> That's transmitted, not coming out the vocoder in person.

--Avery--

Avery finds himself being somewhat jealous of the knives and cutting implements in the others' hands. One of the few times he brought a blaster to a knife fight. <<"This place sucks.">> the Mandalorian Slicer remarks, moving at double time to escape from the forest and into the, hopefully less dangerous, compound. The Night Sniper comes up as he moves, a few shots being squeezed off as he goes, two of the three silent blasts flying wide of the offending fauna.

He curses quietly while turning his attention to their approaching target, pulling his boots high off the ground as if that would prevent the vicious vines from snaring his legs and dragging him down... worth a shot at least.

--Hahtavi--

One breath he's walking softly and the next things begin to move in the jungle around him! A vine lashes out at his /head/ and Hahtavi ducks it, <<"Vines! Watch yourselves, vode!">>

It's all he has time for! Good thing he already had his knife in hand, ready for the jungle to be devious. Elek, Dxun /was/ good training for this! Haht moves to the side, waits for the vine to try for himself again, then lunges and lashes out with the combat knife. The dark blade bites into the woody vine and slices. Then he's busy fending off another with the blade and leaping again to the side, trying to keep moving.

A third slash fails to make contact with the thing that's attacking him. Heart rate and breathing up, this Kora nonetheless tries to watch where he's going so not to crash around like a paniced animal. Quietly, focused!

--Fae--

Fae Renta's got one eye closed and the other peering into her sights as she scans the compound for anything that appears amiss. So far, so good. Whether it's dense foliage or low light, or that everything -actually- is going according to plan, she sees nothing worth chirping up over comms about. Instead, she adjusts her stance against that railing, tipping her head to the side and gently tucking that stock up into her shoulder in a more comfortable position.

But then, Fae catches something. Movement. Something weaves and winds towards the ground team and... yup. Yup, they're definitely attacking it. Fae's not blind enough to miss that. She bites her lower lip and lines up a shot, breathing in through her nose and out through her lips as she squeezes the trigger. The suppressor on her rifle gives a little grunt as the slug lurches out the barrel. It isn't strictly quiet, but neither was the sound of the guard's neck cracking below.

Orders of magnitude.

<"Splashhhhh,"> Fae says under her breath. That bolt is slid up and back, ejecting an empty casing. Forward, then down.

<"Ground team, you are being attacked by hostile vegetation. I just wanted to make sure you were aware.">

--Zelo--

Quiet in the compound is expected, since the ground force has yet to reach it. But not all is quiet in the jungle, clearly, as vines close in on the covert Kora contingent. A finger tenses briefly on the trigger, but the Nautolan holds composure. As long as they do, at any rate. <<"Trying not to give away my position, but I've got my sights on them if they need the extra power down there.">> The bolts are invisible, but the noise still carries and the fewer shots he fires, the less likely they'll know this tower has an unconscious guard and a Mandalorian on it.

Zelo looks above the scope for a moment and scans further past the ground team. <<"Shift yourselves to the northeast, when you can. Nothing moving that way, over.">>

--Hadrix--

<<"Plant life reminds me of Dxun, though. So that's nice.">> <<"You'd think it was nice...">> Gripper moving to simulate shaking her head and hunkering a bit. The big man's HUD is lighting up at sights nearing the ground crew, tagging and trying to get as many alerts as possible, switching his comms to the group now, rather than just the private channel between the droid and he,

<<"More of those vines moving in, either got to evade or slaughter. Careful if they grab you, they drag to big mouth like bulbs that stick out of the ground.">> which suddenly appears bracketed on HUDS,

<<"Like that one. Put distance between you and it, or kill the bulb.">> Hadrix's finger still away from the firing stud, resting against the trigger guard until he absolutely knows for sure.

--Sumi (as Sana)--

Sana is warned by first the sound of the plant's movement, then Zevin's intervention. She turns in time to see the plant coming, thanks to optics, and steps over one swing of the vine before falling forward and into a graceful tumble as another 'WHOOSHED' over her head. Using her own momentum to roll back to her feet, and a kneeling position, Sana draws both beskad swords from her back, joining in on the quiet melee of the plant.

She slides the Mando iron-blade across a large length of the plant's extension, then swings with her offhand, missing, only to bring her other down in a hellish stab that went straight through. Sana grunted, throwing her weight to try to pin the damn thing down so the others could waylay it a bit more. The effort is quiet for now, not wanting to speak in case more attention was drawn toward their location.

--Valeska--

The forest around the team writhes and wiggles, dead leaves flying into the air like small celebratory explosions. The low brush rustles and shakes as purple and brown vines as thick as a man's leg zig and zag across the ground looking for its next hapless meal. The plant-based tentacles rear up like serpents, lashing out with ferocity, only to be met by a thrasher of blades and quiet, deadly energy bolts.

Around them, the trees themselves seem to shake and groan within their bark. Umbara isn't just hungry, now it's angry. More vines whip and grab only to be chopped off at the... leaf? Elbow? What body parts does a plant have? Chlorophyll?

Somewhere nearby a bulb is very miffed, filled with body-dissolving acid that yearns for delicious flesh. A young tree creaks then snaps under the pressure of the vines constricting around it and another onslaught is upon them.

--Hadrix--

<<"Zelo, lock my target and eliminate. Do not displace yet. Ground operation team, move north by north-west to give a berth if they send out scouts.">> a movement path, starting to form now <<"Lady, support Zelo">> that path being sent to the ground team, highlighting paths providing concealment from suspected recon movements.

Hadrix himself has to remain 'quiet' where he is set up, still looking through the targeting system - fed to his HUD and in turn his eye.

<<"Move quick, watch for more vines so we don't wake any more up.">> swiveling to one side, then the other. Mouth drawn into a deep set grimace and his body freezing solid. A statue in monument to violence.

--Zelo--

<<"Copy that. It's a good hide, it should take them a lot longer to start isolating us. Long as ground's underway faster.">> The first shot from outside the compound is likely to bring more attention and higher security, so Zelo takes a moment to line up on the targeted beacon that is clearly the bulb. Better to end this as fast as possible, instead of fighting appendages. But it's a narrow window through trees and other plantlife, and the invisible bolt cuts a ghostly path through several before slamming into the bulb with a small eruption of Umbaran plant smoothie. Not a resounding hit, but it never saw it coming.

They may have heard it though.

--Fae--

Fae inhales through her nostrils as she hears Hadrix's order come through comms. She swivels that sight around to line up a shot on Hadrix and Zelo's target. Another exhale, another careful squeeze of the trigger. That rifle butts up against her shoulder in protest. It wants to yell, but the suppressor fixed to its barrel keeps it nice and quiet. That slug rips through the air and strikes Hadrix's target dead center. Splash. <<"I think it's dead.">> Fae says calmly into comms. She doesn't move from her position yet. Her eyes are still trained on that scope as she scans the area for more targets or any sign of life from the thing she'd just put down.

--Zevin--

<<"Copy, Overwatch. Movin' north by northeast. Come on, y'all! Step easy.">> Knife still held up and out to parry any further tentacle strikes, he starts walking away from the direction of the now-dead menace. He is staying low and quiet. From here he can't see the patrols and wall defenses very well, though he can see the markings on his heads-up display.

After careful steps, following the path marked and dodging the mostly-safe vegetation that still surrounds them, his swivels from left to right. <"Ground has reached first checkpoint.">

--Avery--

<<"Rather aware, thanks!">> Avery calls back to Fae over the comms, wrestling against the thick underbrush as well as the stupid attacking vines, and to think he used to feel comfortable in nature. His HUD flares to life with all the targets marked by the team, the bulbs indicated by Hadrix drawing a decent portion of his attention as he levels the pistol once again...

...but before he can fire, the vines shake and the bulb shudders, the assault from above ending the current threat on the ground. The Night Sniper is lowered and his other hand comes up to salute the Overwatch crew. <<"Thanks!">> he remarks cheerfully, pausing for one second to orient himself before continuing in the indicated north easternly direction. Back to sneaking, moving quietly but with more of an awareness of their surroundings. He hadn't expected to find enemies in the forest itself, he can only imagine what they'll find once they reach their actual destination.

Speaking of, the crew pulls up to the first of the buildings, pressing themselves as near to it as possible to remain out of sight, keeping their advantage for the moment, or so he hopes.

--Hahtavi--

Aye, now they are free of the thing trying to molest and eat them, Hahtavi starts moving quietly towards the north east, his Al'verde confirming the direction. <<"Hahtavi copies, over.">> He trusts their overwatch to have eyes on what's going on better than the ground team can see.

Indeed, the shooting may well have gotten attention, or the ravaging of the jungle. So Hahtavi draws a slow, deep breath to slow his heart rate and do as ordered. Boots move softly, quietly but with what speed he can without being reckless or noisy.

Keep moving, sharp eye out for more dangerous tricks and traps in this jungle.

--Sumi (as Sana)--

With the plant down, Sana withdraws her blade and slides both back into their holds with quick motions. As calls go out that they're to move Northeast, Sana waits for the team to move and brings up the rear, quietly, announcing <<"I have tail-end; moving.">> Sana moves quickly, and gracefully, until they have arrived at the checkpoint. She takes a kneel for a moment to get the lay of the land, glancing back to see where the lanes of fire from their snipers were, and how that might intersect with what they were seeing.

--Valeska--

The plantlife eating at all hours of the night -- which is always on Umbara -- isn't that much to cause alarm. Even the breaking tree doesn't even blink an eye. But have you ever heard the question regarding if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it? Well, on Umbara, it absolutely makes a sound. When the bulbs takes the hits, it's six-slitted petal-like bulb rips open with an explosion of poisonous, burning acid that sprays all around it. And that absolutely makes a noise.

The guards at the checkpoint are quick to respond, running into the foliage, cautiously but quickly, brushes past the Mandalorian crew by about twenty yards. A fortititous happenstance that the Koras had taken a northeastern route rather than straight east!

While the guards are coming across a mysteriously dead plant, the checkpoint is currently unguarded and the door leading into the small security room is open. A blinking console just begging to be tampered with. But there might not be much time as the guards at the dead plant are now quickly turning around and intend to head back, clearly speaking into their headsets.

--Hadrix--

<<"Lady, Zelo, silence the radio crew.">> chinning to a different channel after informing the overwatch team, <<"Ground - there is a patrol checking out the plant, having overwatch silence comms. Your timetable is moving up. There's another group moving from east, be ready to repel... I have to go loud; hopefully a good distraction.">>

There's a sudden reeling whine from the EZ-Snap that has been modified unrecognizable. The already formidable targeting system having been long ago re-tuned and upgraded to an excessive degree. So much so that when he blink-selects his target Hadrix is presented with a shifting night-scope/infrared highlight of the target. A pulse showing where the heart is.

<"Good morning..."> Gripper's main optic blinks when she turns to Hadrix at that, tilting curiously before the overpressure tubes begin to glow and the 'plasma heat threshold' alert begins flashing on the readout.

<<"SPACE DAMNIT HADRIX!">>

The humid jungle air of Umbara bears a sudden spiral of mist forming starting from the white hot glowing barrel and blistered paint of the Mandalorian handling it, the softened metal of the tower railing, and through the thick, tendril like vegetation now scarred by the beam of crimson sunlight that has passed between to strike the center of mass on the member of Blackout. Vaporizing blood, melting tissue and causing bones to explode when marrow begins to boil. Shoulders, neck and head falling forward and whip-lashing after the lower body that crumples to fall backwards.

<<"They know we're here.">> announced on the clan coms. <<"No shavit...">> Gripper's voice quick on the heels of his.

--Zelo--

Plants down and ground team moving along an out-of-the-way route? That's the best-case scenari- Oh... Patrol was definitely paying attention as they venture out to investigate the noxious mound of floral devastation. <<"What are the odds they're going to think it was natural causes?">> He's already leaned into the scope though, waiting for the signal. Not great odds, to be certain. With the order given, another depression of trigger sends silent death down nearly the same trajectory as the last. However, there's no man-do-eating plant at the end of it this time. Only...

One less Umbaran, falling in the same way as a hole opens in their center mass, seemingly out of nowhere. <<"Overwatch, that's two down, over.">> Hadrix may be taking the blame for Zelo's missing bolts, though.

--Fae--

Fae Renta tips her head into her shoulder to receive Hadrix's order to silence the patrol. <<"I can see three, I'm not sure if we can drop them al--">> Fae starts to say, but, just like that, Zelo has begun to shoot. The Hapan doesn't hesitate. She locks that rifle against her shoulder. Inhale. Exhale. Trigger. It kicks again, winding a little higher than center of mass. He's hurting, but not dead. Fae slides that bolt up and back, forward and down and gets ready to level another shot when she sees Hadrix and Gripper tanning the remaining guard to death.

<<"...Ha.">> is all the Hapan can really say. A loss for words, as it were.

--Zevin--

<<"This is y'all now.">> The middle-aged half-Echani is addressing the ground team over their own comm, giving Avery and Hahtavi each a look. Zevin turns to leave them to their work, flattening against the nearest building, and keeping his head moving, looking here and there. Sana gets a look - his expression can't be seen, of course, but from the tilt of his head, he seems to be wondering if she has some technical side skills he has been hitherto unaware of.

There is an unnecessarily dramatic red blast that he can't see many details of at all, but birds and fliers . <<"Copy, Overwatch. Can hear 'em coming. Movin' to intercept.">> He tucks his knife into its sheath at his chest and takes his Z6 riot baton in hand, hand closing around the grip, thumb resting atop the switch that will bring it to humming, lightning-powered life, but not quite pressing it yet. <<"Sana, when they get close, I'll count us off, okay?">> Attacking from both flanks at once might just do it.

--Avery--

While pressed against the building, trying to make himself look less silver, shiny, and noticeable, the guards file by the group seemingly headed out to check the explosion of the plant as it spews its acids all over the near surroundings. Thankfully they don't see the ground team and the crew are able to enter the abandoned post... and see to his delight a couple of security terminals are blinking and available.

There's a nod shared between Slicers, Hahtavi moving to one and Avery to the other. Likewise a line snakes out from Avery's bracer, plugging into the machine to interface with the system. The oft used holo display pops up on his wrist, his other hand deftly moving over the keys to navigate through the system.

It's definitely more complex than he had imagined, the system proving much more difficult than assumed, the navigation tricky as he delves deep. He had started to work on security when Haht's voice echoes in his ears. Y-visored helmet snaps in his direction before he pauses to look at the readout that filters through the display... the alarm. Kriff.

Switching gears Avery attempts to head off the trigger, pressing buttons quickly and efficiently, racing ahead of the system before it alerts the whole compound. Finally, thankfully, the red of the display turns to a pleasant green... the alarm nullified. <<"Whew.... no problem. We got it. Alarm disabled.">>

--Hahtavi--

Now they are inside, they have to work fast. And yet, this is something Hahtavi can't rush. He's been working hard and getting training from a really good computer hacking specialist, but ... this is the first time he has /really/ had to put it to the test. Where's Zee'Roh when you need her, shavit!

No one can see how Hahtavi sticks the tip of his tongue out while he works, getting into the system and using his universal comp interface to aid him, inset into one of the wrists of his customized armor. With his helmet on, his T-visor makes him look as cool as a Mando can as he stands before the dataport and the computer terminal.

The first section he clears through but sweat prickles under his arms. Then the second wall is much harder. <<"Avery ... I've hit a block. I think I need your help, vod.">> The next moment, he swears, <<"Osik!">> And then there's nothing left to do but push through to the next part and see if he can fix what he's tripped before the alarm sounds off...

The pressure's on and Avery's already busy at the other terminal. Gods help him if he blows the op, puts his team in danger.

--Sumi (as Sana)--

Sana sets up to guard their techno-savvy-whatsit-gizmoto-hacker-doodles. Sana moves to the shadows to make sure that anything that would come within range to hinder their hacking mission, or harm the Mando'ade, has to go through her first. In setting up the LP/OP, Sana observes a noise coming directly from the east. She is not able to discern /what/ it is, only that /something/ is there and drawing closer. A triple series of clicks is heard over comms, then Sana is alerting the ground crew that, <<"Got company from the east. No visual yet, but something draws near. Keep pecking at the keys, we may be able to deal with this..">> Sana waits to see what comes of the sound.

--Valeska--

<<Kora, Woor. Everything good down there?>> Valeska is sitting at the edge of the co-pilot's seat, one hand pressing her headset against her ear as she is trying to pick up on all the chatter. There are lights going on and then lights going out on her display. As soon as Hadrix marks the targets coming in from the east, Valeska frowns deeper. <<"Hey, you got--">>

Once again she is cut off by the force that is Hadrix doing what Hadrxies do best. It takes her a second before Valeska's heavily accented voice is on the comms again. <<"Okay, so the clock is ticking now, yeah? We're keepin' the engines warm.">>

On the ground, reinforcements are breaking through the foliage -- some of them still shaking off the remnants of vines -- and they start to converge upon the checkpoint. There's quite a few of them. Enough to keep everyone's hands busy and they are trying to rush to secure the checkpoint.

--Hadrix--

<<"Incoming.">>

It's all he needs to say to have Gripper making to move the sniper blaster and begin disassembling it while the big man stands and lets himself fall over the edge into a front flip that is arrested by rockets bursting to life on his back and casting Plan Besh upon wings of fire. <<"Woor'tra, start your pickup run.">>

The last bit said by Hadrix as he quite literally slams into one of the umbarans like a comet, smashing them into the ground with his shoulder and then crushing in their throat with a fist. His motion to get clear lending to the big man tumbling over to one side and awkwardly onto his back when another comes rushing.

Kicking his legs upward, the Boar-Wolf of Ealor twists into a one-hand stand, inverted with one knee bent to fire a rocket dart at the approaching foeman, thudding into chest armor and kicking them back before he continues to come down on his feet, turning to face the other attackers. One fist slams against the beskar of his cuirass and a barking sound, a challenge. issues from the vocalizer speakers in his helmet.

--Zelo--

Weapons are free at this point, and that's likely for the best as another force is moving in on the security checkpoint. Zelo takes the opportunity to shoot at the first unfriendly his visor picks up, pivoting the smallest fraction to line up the shot when-

• RAW-Kaa-*

A particularly vocal hawk-like creature, having the misfortune to have spoted this odd stick-like snake at the top of one of those Umbaran-made towers, swoops down with a screech to capture the unfortunate animal, just as that unfortunate animal's Nautolan wielder twitches in surprise. That twitch, of course, is death for the Umbaran Shriek-Hawk, as an invisible nothing seems to explode the predator into a red-feathered mist. <"Is it something about me? Do I just... Attract them?"> The sniper mutters to himself as he quickly wipes his scope's lens clean. He won't be shooting worth anything if he can't see the enemy closing on the Koras below.

--Fae--

Fae moves from her position quickly. With the window to evac closing and the patrol guards taken care of, it makes sense for her to join the rest of the group and help them deal with the last remaining guards standing between them and what they came for. In the time that it takes her to move from her position to the rest of the team, she's slung that rifle back over her shoulder and removed her vibrodagger. Its vibration is switched on and she can feel it dance so beautifully in her fingertips. Those little vibrations weave all the way down from her fingers to her metacarpals. Metacarpals to proper carpals.

<"Sana. Always a pleasure, cyar'ika."> Fae says to Sana Ryder. A little curtsy is given, which looks slightly less elegant in full armor. Only slightly.

When the Umbaran guards who have realized what they are doing respond, they're met with... well. The force of clan Kora. Fae Renta might not look ferocious, but that vibrodagger bites. Three quick swings carve into one of the guards. One across their belly, the other scraping armor across their chest, and the last carving around the outside of their arm. He was injured.

Injured bad.

Fae exhales and lifts that vibrodagger to a defensive position, taking a few steps to the side as she scans for someone else to kill.

--Zevin--

Here come the guards, shaking off the vines and getting their bearings to take back this outpost.

Not if Zevin has anything to say about it. <<"On three. One-">> The guards clear the trees. <<"Two.">> More guards filter out. <<"... three.">> And he detaches from the wall, the 'mallet' sliding out and locking into place with electricity shining blue. It's almost a dance, the way he turns with each step, reaching hit arm out send the weapon in an arc that terminates in one guard's face, flipping the free-movement switch to let the impact spin the mallet out and over into another's chest, where the electricity /really/ goes at it. There's a smell of smoke.

Then a pirouette that turns into a fencer's lunge, driving the business end of the stun baton into one guard's hip.

It's dissolved fully into a melee, now. <"I'll take the lot a' ye, ya mewlin' whelps!"> Is it smack talk or taunting to draw attention from the others?

Why not both?

--Hahtavi--

/This/ time Avery is right there working the security system and Hahtavi's following his lead. The two of them have their universal comp interfaces locked into the access sockets as they each work, having swapped to a private com frequency where they can speak low with one another. Avery works on his own problems but directs Hahtavi what he's to deal with. Working together as teammates, the less experienced Kora isn't messing things up this time.

Calm, cool, collected. It's a much more difficult system to crack than Hahtavi's worked on before. He sweats inside of his armor but he's making progress, and also learning more as they make headway with the security system.

As the lead and primary slicer, Avery cuts through the security system like the seasoned pro he is. Between the two of them the slicer team gets through.

<<"We're through. Download starting. Going to take a little time, over.">> Hopefully they /have/ time.

--Sumi (as Sana)--

On three, Sana joins in the assault, using ranged instead of melee combat. She shoots one man out right with a stark silent bolt that spills him backward in a heap, a steaming hole blasted through plate and bore deep into the chest. He's dead, and Sana doesn't even need to confirm it, she shot in a spot where the armor was weak!

Pivoting in place, she fires off a hammered pair, two blasts that pock up dirt and ground instead of causing death. The sound of the falling debris is eclipsed by Sana's curse as she adjusts her aim for the next, standing her ground for now until the word is given that they fall back.

<"....rekk!">

--Valeska--

"You heard 'im," Valeska says to Pheegus as she hops out of the copilot's seat and spins around it, snatching her helmet from where it rests and slipping it onto her head. As the Woor'tra dips deeper into the atmosphere, Valeska calls up to Greeza and Mir at the turrets. <"Time to wake up! We're moving in, yeah?"> There's a bit of excitement to her voice as she navigates the interior of the ship as if she could do it blindfolded.

Swinging her rifle over her shoulder, she waits in the landing bay hanging onto the hull and charging her first shot. As soon as they land, things will move quickly.

The Woor'tra breaks through the cloud cover and opens fire beyond where the group are fighting; blasting beyond the skirmish and into the east to fell trees and likely killing about three more awful, terrible plants. Over half of the group of remaining enemies flinch at the sound of the heavens opening up and they are distracted momentarily.

--Hadrix--

shhPANG!

Crimson sparks fly when fire is drawn down on Hadrix on his stalk towards his next target. Shoulders hunching, head lowering and tilting to one side as if to angle the glare of his bionic pulsing visibly behind the right arm of his T-visor. A scorch mark on his chest FWANG! another shot glancing off his arm then PAF another dead center of mass.

Head lifting when the announcement from the Woor comes, the big man steps back and his jets fire again, the noise of them covering the sound of another rocket tube letting loose to put the solid fuel propelled dart into the throat of the shooter even as he is lifted away - Gripper fast on approach to hand-off the collapsed rifle while they make their lift for the extraction ship - looking for the open bomb-bay doors to go up into.

<<"Exfiltrating.">>

--Zelo--

One last shot. After the bird, a lot of time has been lost. Enough time for the Woor'tra to swoop in, and for a blistering round of blaster fire to sweep through the ground crew at the security checkpoint. Most are wide and stray from the Koras, but some find a mark. Zelo rises from the nest, resting the barrel of the Nightstinger on the top railing to take one last shot and cover as much as he can, but the Woor'tra's too far for him to play last-line-of-defense, so this single bolt will...

Go wide. The hasty lens cleaning had set the sight just slightly off. It was barely off, but at several hundred meters, that's enough to put a surprise scorchmark on the wall of the security checkpoint. Muttering and cursing, the Nautolan slings the rifle, steps onto the railing and leaps off, letting the rocket pack catch him.

Letting the rocket pack catch him. *CLICKCLICK*

FWOOSH

Halfway to the ground with the grav belt's protection, the rocket ignites, sending the sniper through brush and tree-cover, dodging a few animated vines and their interest in having him over for dinner, to land on the ramp largely thanks to guidance from his helmet and a lot of narrow dodging fueled by a pilot's instinct. At least he landed something tonight.

--Fae--

Ow. It never -doesn't- hurt getting shot, even in that armor. Fae Renta lets out a yelp of pain when a blaster bolt dings her across her torso and staggers back. For a moment, she actually slumps down onto her knee, but, again, that stagger is fleeting. The humming of that vibrodagger in her hand causes it to slowly sink into the ground. She pulls it out like butter when she stands to her feet and readies that dagger to attack again.

OH! It's time to boogey!

Fae has succeeded in finding her next victim to kill, but she has not succeeded in killing said victim. Alas! Three strikes across the bow, two of them near misses and one of them scraping into armor but not flesh. She gives a grunt of frustration as well as a kick to the grunt she'd attacked. For a moment, it seems like she might be going to swing again, but... okay, now it's -actually- time to boogey. She turns and begins to make her evac as Mandalorians jetpack all around her. Hmmm. Is running the best way to travel? Probably not. But she's doing it anyway.

A little slowly, though. On account of her having just been shot.

Ow. Ow. Owww. Ow ow ow.

--Zevin--

<"It's been great kickin' yer arses, but now it's time to say-"> He takes a shot to the chest, a clear retort to his call to fight all of the Umbaran troops on his own, but though he staggers, Zevin seems to take it more as an insult than anything else, as he regains his balance and brings down the electric hammer right on the offending guard's head. His helmet is not proof against this blow. <"Now listen here, yew little shavit."> He delivers an electric punch right into the crotch of the next guard.

Then it bounces off chest armor. He deactivates the baton and it retracts, still with leverage on the soldier's arm, and his jetpack ignites, pulling him and the soldier's arm up with him. The Umbaran soldier gets a ride about halfway towards the Woor'Tra's ramp before Zevin hauls up on the baton, still braced around the man's arm. There is an audible cracking sound, the fellow screams, and Zevin lets him drop fifteen feet into the ground at high speed.

He just strides up the ramp as the jets deactivate and walks on inside, stopping just inside and to the right to snap the baton back into its place at his hip.

--Avery--

<<"Well done, vod!">> Avery says with a wide, but hidden, smile to Hahtavi as the pair navigate through the system and access the data they're looking for. Then it's just the waiting as the information streams onto their embedded hard drives, the sounds of combat opening up around them while the rest of the crew start taking down Umbaran guards.

The Silver Slicer peeks his head out of the door way and receives a blast to his chest for his effort, the red bolt plinking off into the distance thanks to the precious beskar that plates his armor.

<"Sounds like things are getting a little busy out there."> Avery says as he pulls back into the room just as the readout on their displays flash green to notify them the download is complete. <"And we're good in here!"> with a yank, the UCI cord detaches from the console and snaps back into his bracer. About that time, the sound of the Woor'tra roars into focus and the call to skedaddle is broadcast over their comms.

Leave he does, slipping out of the security room and igniting his jetpack to zoom faster toward their ride outta here. On his way, Avery spins and squeezes off a few departing shots at the guards on the ground, each of his shots simply scoring the ground nearby instead of doing any actual damage. Perhaps the damage he did was mental... we'll go with that. After a short jaunt across the sky, Avery lands before the Woor and sprints up the gangplank, stepping into the safety of Hadrix's ship to be whisked away into the galaxy.

--Hahtavi--

Waiting, waiting... and then the download is complete! Hahtavi unjacks his universal comp and it slithers back up into the wrist socket of his armor. <<"Downloaded! Hahtavi copies, exfiltration, over.">> But not until he's certain that his vod is also finished and ready to go - because he's got Avery's back.

A shot comes in through the open hatch and hits Hahtavi, burning his upper right arm. There's a <"~grunt~"> that escapes him but he's still on his feet.

Rifle is yanked off his back and then this Kora runs to GTFO of the security bunker. A hop, skip and a jump and Hahtavi's rocketpack is firing off and lifting him up into the air. Boots leave the ground as he rises up into the Umbarian night. As he skims over the trees and suddenly has a better vantage point to see what's going on below him, two shots he fires at the Umbarians and down one of them goes.

His path is clear as the Woor'tra comes in overhead like an enormus mother hen, swooping in to shelter and collect her chicks. A moment later, <<"Hahtavi, on board.">>

--Sumi (as Sana)--

Sana's jetpack comes to life when the Mandos begin to make their exits. Leaping backward and increasing the propulsion, Sana began to gain altitude whilst flying backward. Parting shots are made in an effort to keep their enemies suppressed, and while Sana missed two, the third found a home.

As the final blast was released, Sana adjusted her flight path, rotating in place and moving for the Woor'tra. A few moments later, her heavy booted feet THUNK onto the deck and she casts back her wolf-skin cape to seat her pistol back into the holster. Looking back out, she waited to make sure all made it aboard, sharp eyes searching for any sign that something was amiss.

--Valeska--

With cover fire supplied by the crew of the Woor'tra, the Kora Clan backtrack through the tall, thick canopy of woods that all but swallow the Blackout territory. And then there is Fae running like a trooper, taking one final look at the dead bulb plant that had moments ago tried to eat them. Now, the acid is dissolving it into a gloop of bubbling, sizzling ooze. Nature.

The Woor'tra swings around as the ramp opens and reveals Valeska waiting there with her rifle in hand pointed outwards. <"Welcome home, yeah?!"> She pops off a shot and hits absolutely nothing. But it's cover first. Yeeeah, that's the ticket. Seeing Fae's approach on foot, Valeska runs down the ramp as the other Mandos land, stooping down at the edge and extending a gloved hand. <"All aboard!">

With a 'ayup' of effort, the Hapan is hoisted up on the hovering ship and the pair rush further in. <<"We're all in, Pheegus!">> The ramp starts to close as the Woor'tra rises, the turrets firing in its wake to ward off what little retaliation could be attempted.