Log:Clan Kora: Strike Hard

Kora and some allies strike at a Merc Group that earned the ire of one of their own.

OOC Date: December 15, 2022
Location: Shili Scrublands
Participants: Sumi Kora, Amaia Dara, Valeska Kora, Hahtavi Kora, Narsai Ordo, Jallo Dara, Faath Kora, Kirana Ryder, Fennec Sand and Hadrix Kora as GM Mandalorians, Clan Kora,

The clearing was small, such that from above it might be missed as a shadow in the tree canopy. Tucked away and protected by sonic deterrents that caused painful noise levels to the local animals, tuned to their specific biology. It would have been a matter of disrupting them, rendering a fix to require moving off site.

Hadrix and Narsai had been on Shili, utilizing trail craft to find this place for days and subtle beacons were highlighting the location for the airborne drop to commence. Everyone having to go out and hitch a ride down or rely on their own rocket pack skills to get on site.

It was a simple mission, revenge. Shortly after the Bloodfields, the Al'Verde of Kora was sabotaged to steal a contract out from under him. Made to look sloppy, incompetent. That his reputation was overblown at best and a sham at worse. It would take time to clean the falsely placed dark marks on him. But striking back at these mercenaries was a retribution on a personal level.

<<"Narsai and I are in position, I'm lasing the center of their camp. Lock on and be ready to land shooting.">> Hadrix's voice on comms, briefly, before he cuts out again - limiting the chance for his signal to be noticed.

Revenge. Valeska can defintely understand that, and the better she can understand something on a personal level, the most into it she is. The smearing of her clan's name is worth a payback. The mockery of her brother's name in particular? Well, with that she brings out the big gun. The shiny gun. The absurdly gold-painted gun.

The bowcaster is heavy enough to wield and she's never been quite good at /hitting/ what she's aiming at. But today seems like a good day to go full exotic. <"Gonna rekk them up today, yeah?"> she says to anyone who happens to be nearby. Val's not picky.

The IR marker is locked onto in Hahtavi's HUD inside of his helmet. <<"Bes'uliik copies. Marker lock-on and jumping, over.">> Anyone who wants to piggy back and have a ride down with Haht's jetpack better step up and hold on tight. He waits a moment to check and see if anyone needs the assistance before he steps off into the air... as if he's done this a number of times. And he has.

No leaping, just a step off into open air... and then dropping. Hahtavi has his Galaar rifle already clipped to the front of his tactical rig, ready to hand when he needs it. He allows his body to spread out flat against the wind to control his descent, alert for anything that might be moving below, targeting them, or firing. As the ground notably starts to come up, the distance closing, he shifts his position and fires off his jetpack to re-orient himself and start slowing the last bit for a landed with his knees slightly bent.

THUMP! A few quick steps, hands going to his rifle. Haht starts moving for cover at once and go make room for others about to touch down...

Above the high turu grass of Shili one of the Mandalorians standing among the rest onboard the shuttle is a small, thin woman clad in the light Skyripper armor she favored of late. The wingsuit was currently collapsed and ready to be deployed once ordered. Kirana Ryder is lightly armed, as is usual, displaying only a blaster pistol held within a bantha leather holster on her left hip and a telescopic staff hooked to a self-modified hardpoint behind the shoulder of her armor.

Remaining unarmed for the moment, Kira pauses at the hatch, holding onto the bulkhead to lean herself over and watch the outside for a moment. She calculates speed and trajectory, unable to get a sense of the wind within the heavy armor and moving shuttle, so has to use the sway of the grass and trees to make that judgement. Wind would be everything. <<"I'm going.">> She says simply, taking a few steps back and then charging forward, leaping out of the side door!

Spreading her arms as she clears the ship, the material of the wingsuit catches the wind, pulling her up slightly before she closes her arms a bit to dive down. But not too much, she wants a controlled fall, not a freefall. Coming near to the ground, the Morellian spreads her arms to full, leaning back to kill her speed with air resistance. Kicking her feet out to catch herself, she hits the ground literally running, collapsing the wingsuit and slowing her forward momentum while reaching back to grab at her staff. She throws her arm forward, extending both sides of the staff and comes to a stop, both hands on the weapon in a combat position!

There was a figure in Doomseeker armor, yes. Bearing the colors of Clan Dara. Also yes. But the Mandalorian in question was not the miraluka mechanic and ground fighter. Rather, this one was smaller, slimmer, female, rather than male, new to most eyes. But, Amaia stood resolute regardless, bearing no weapon save what looked like a terribly ineffective holdout blaster on one hip, and a force pike strapped to her back, adjusted so that it did not interfere with her jetpack. A hand rose, glove smoothing over the top of her hairless head, before the Rattataki pulled the helmet down to cover her face and prepped to jump. She would serve to stand in Jallo's stead for this earned act of retribution. "So we can hope." And then she stepped out into air, freefalling to get clear of the other bodies, before her jetpack ignited, carrying her over towards a sound landing place.

Simple mission, pre-scouting, Narsai had been moving with Hadrix for most of the time. When the call had gone out she'd remained quiet, resting nearby with a rifle almost as large as her slung nearby.

It wasn't her usual choice of weapon, the redhead petite Alor usually prefering nimble movements and sharp things...but there was no arguing with firepower and it would do plenty to cover the landing of the others if needed.

Casting her T-visor shrouded gaze upwards the woman smiles lightly beneath her helmet. <"Here they come...">

The doctor of Clan Kora glances around to see everyone start jumping and she steps off as well, massive gun in hand. She doesn't rocket right away though as she turns and aims towards the laser mark and zips silently through the sky at break neck speeds. She gets under radar cover before she lights the packs a little to slow her down and as her feet touch the ground, she sinks low and goes silent.

Her gun is lifted up as she moves invisible through the grass. She is very tiny so it works out well. She makes sure she's reloaded and then lets her visor and eyes scan the area for hostile movement.

The JT-12 attached to Jallo's back flares as he comes to a landing before the E-14 holstered to his thigh is brought back up into his hands as his visor'd helmet doing a quick look around moving off to the side slightly this figure sporting some Clan Dara insignia is in fact the blind mechanic. <"Thanks for letting us tag along.">

Radio chatter brought Fennec back into focus, her eyes sighting down the display of her rifle. 'Coming in hot' had a different meaning for her. 'Find a respectable target and send it'. She dared to inch closer, tugging at the strap that secured her in her hiding tree. That was what was so brilliant about this--Mandalorians never climbed trees. So long as she avoided any annoying pups, detection was easy to avoid. <"Checking in,"> she says, softly, in deliberate, slow words that wouldn't give away her position.

The appearance of armored figures into the clearing from above is a shock for the figures within the camp. Though camp is a misnomer, to put it mildly. Several pre-fab buildings of reinforced durasteel sheeting, 'radio' towers ringing the perimeter and lights on cross-stands bathing the area in golden light. Those outside turn, shocked, some standing from heater-units and drawing weapons and those who had been looking outwards from short watch-stands wheeling about in shock.

"ALERT! ALERT!"

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

It's akin to kicking a stingwing hive, the sudden buzz of activity. Hut doors snapping open and occupants starting to move out. Some heading for the woodlands, arms and legs pumping in a sprint. Voices raise and the click-whir of blasters charging, preparing to fire joins the chorus.

<"Watch the kick if you use the grenade function"> Hadrix rumbles aside to Narsai before he is up and charging the tree line to join the others making their entrances to the clearing, wookiee rifle up and already beginning its throaty hum with the combination of tibanna pressurizing and mag-coils polarizing.

The freefall is the best part, really. A moment of solitude where you are temporarily at the mercy of gravity. A chance to contemplate the battle to come. To center oneself. Valeska leaps from the carrier and swan dives the best she can while dragging a stupidly-large bowcaster with her. The ground approaches quickly, her fall cushioned by a burst of her jetpack that swings her legs down for a not-at-all fancy landing.

She eenie-meenie-minie-moes her target; some brutish-looking SOB with a mullet haircut and messed up jaw. He is the first to get targeted by the Wookiee-sized armament that sings in an unmistakable KA-CHUNK! Though the bolt missed, it obliterates the first thing it /does/ hit. A solid chunk of durasteel siding is bend in and warped from impact. <"Yeah. Now just imagine that in your gullet."> She's already readying the next bolt with a jerk of the lever.

As soon as he's got boots on the ground, Haht is moving for cover and scanning the small clearing, his Galaar rifle pointed in whatever direction he's looking as he turns his body and hunkers down. The alert is given and he picks out a target, firing twice in quick succession to see if he can drop some of them...

He manages to hit two! Then he's moving again, trying to provide cover for his team mates.

Staff extended in her left hand, the young Kira Ryder takes a moment to assess the situation. There's one tent to her right, several more in front of her and the main camp area a little left. As goons and thugs stand to their feet and otherwise rush out of their tents, she hears shuffling from inside the tent nearest to her: her right. Without knowing what's inside it would be dumb to rush in while the occupant is hyper alert, but as Kirana approaches the door, it swings open! The Thug that was within takes a step out and looks first to his right, then to his left, and once he looks left her staff catches him under his chin!

The thug's jaw clenches tight and there's a cry of half surprise and half pain as he's forced to bite his tongue, but his adrenaline keeps him on his toes as the Morellian shoves him back and comes at him with the back of the staff. A trick like that works fairly often on people, but this particular poacher was ready for it. Or perhaps simply lucky. Either way, his chin is turning red from the blood that leaks from his tongue.

There was a moment, just before her body hit the ground, that Amaia's whole body flexed, and she allowed the force to settle through her body as she oriented herself on the rats rushing out of their den, the light jetpack's fire snicking out and leaving her ground mobile. A chin up towards Jallo, before she moved to find a space to open fire, the laser on her vambrace activating as she moved. The pike stayed on her back. Likely for the best, until they thinned the herd.

"Noted," Narsai muses, a little nod before Hadrix goes in charging. Bringing up the rear wasn't exactly something that Narsai was generally happy with, but as the heavy T27 is braced against her shoulder the Reviver leader exhales a breath and pulls the trigger. Oh yes, there's a kick to it, but even as she only -clips- her target the heavy wound from the small cannon was enough to bring a little blink of amusement from Narsai as she takes aim once more.

Okay, it might not be the melee but... <"I can work with this.">

Of course, she wasn't quite staying back to snipe from safety, more moving in at a wider pattern to offer covering fire.

The sneaking continues as she moves around more of the outside of the camp. She settles down and watches the attack start. Her visor turns this and that way as she lifts her gun up and aims down sight. She takes a little breath as she focuses and when a poor soul steps into her line of sight, the trigger is pulled and she doesn't even wait to see if the creature is downed or not.

Angry eyes turn towards her next target, moving quickly throughout the bush to hide from anyone who might have heard the cannon go off. She finds another position and waits again.

Jallo's E-14 comes up at the alarm and at the first enemy that comes into the sights of the E-14 he squeezes the trigger first shot dissipating on the Goon's armor but the second one impacting with extreme force for the tiny little carbine the flames from the incendiary bolts flickering from the blaster wound, <"Oof that's going to leave a mark.">

The orange glow of Fennec's rifle-sight followed Faath a moment thoughtfully. <"Lets have some fun,"> Fennec whispers. The rifle tilts upwards a moment, as she scans the camp for something. A moment later, a quick arc of plasma cuts overhead and takes out a small generator paneling, causing a sudden burst. Overhead, above Faath, the lights go out. Only half a moment later the shot is repeated at a new target, and the darkness spreads out in front of Faath, giving her a paath to the killing.

Sumi's arrival was heralded by the heavy-weighted sound of metal armor plating hitting the ground. The prey she pounced from above had only the time it took to turn and see the mirrored visor of a feline-designed Mandalorian helmet looking at them. Their scream was cut short by the puncturing jab of a vibro weapon that would typically require a serrated edge to make any leeway through the muscles of a throat, but its technology allowed the weapon to slice with little to no resistance. This allowed Sumi to pivot around her opponent with the sound of her cape shuffling with the motion and momentum. She struck a second time, sinking the blade into the thigh and carrying their leg (and balance) up, toppling the poor sod on the ground in a bloody mess that would not recover.

She faced down a second opponent, switching the weapon to her ambidextrous left hand to hurl the blade toward them. Every box was checked with technique save the slight stumble. Her new opponent screamed when the glint of the thrown blade sailed toward them, but the damned thing careened right off their chest piece after smacking handle first. The knife went somewhere in the distance, leaving Sumi with just her hands. She charges right at the goon, ready to tackle and pommel them to death.

<"AHHHHHHHHHH! LET'S GO! OYAAA!">

Golden flood-lights is changed to the strobing blazes of green and red plasma criss-crossing in nigh every direction when the assault begins in earnest. Smoking bodies hitting the ground and fires being started by stray shots. A thin boled tree at the edge of the clearing. The trunk compressing as flash-boiled sap make it burst outward and from alongside comes the midnight purple form of Hadrix, running with his wookiee rifle held to rifle fire.

The focus of his immediate ire is blown off their feet and sent skidding in the tramped down grass with their chest smoking from the small crater the plasma sheathed durasteel bolt. In similar fashion the big man is swung to his right and sent into another tree when his boots fail to get traction from his poor mobile bracing. Hitting and half-slumping before ratcheting a fresh round into the chamber,

<"Kriffing thing.">

The full response of the camp defenders is definite in its prejudice, targets are called out and fire is focused in fusillades from groups working together, trying to pin down or eliminate attackers immediately.

"MASS FIRE! MASS FIRE!"

The call is out and the shots rain down, those fighting moving to screen for those fleeing for the forest edge at the northwest edge of the camp.

The brawler returns the shot in kind. Valeska dodges the shot in kind. Another bolt flies and misses. Well, it doesn't /miss/, per se. It hits something. A young, thin tree with its whole life ahead of it. Branches still reaching towards the heavens, forking this way and that to show off its lovely green plummage. How dare this brawler take shelter behind such a majestic, up-and-coming arboreal wonder! And now it stands implade by a massive bowcaster bolt. Struck down in its prime and for what? For some scumbag to eek out a few precious moments of life?

It's a travesty! A crime! An affront against nature that is wholly the fault of this ne'er-do-well and not at all the fault of the Mandalorian woman lugging the damnable weapon around. <"Now see what you made me do? Come out and face me like a rekkin' man, you mullet-wearing yokel!"> One more round of this and she might consider getting serious.

From the trees, Hahtavi blasts two more shots when Hadrix asks for massed fire to a particular quadrant. He keeps to the edge of the trees for whatever cover they can provide but is then at risk of trunks splintering when blasted. Risks, risks.

Oooh, there's Sumi jumping in like some heroine out of the Mandalorian myths of old, to inspire her clan mates! Haht takes up her call, <"OYA!"> and keeps moving, looking for targets.

Having made the man bite his tongue to the point of bleeding, it's of no surprise that the poacher blasts Kirana point blank in the chest. There's an <<"Aagh!">> that escapes from her as she stumbles back, the pristine Skyripper suit taking most of the hit for her. That close and in that location, that'd have been lethal otherwise. Recovering by catching herself with the back of her staff, the Morellian uses it to propel herself forward, determined to make him bite his tongue once more! Snarkily aiming below his chin once more, the staff connects, making the man clamp down once again and this time it's his turn to 'aagh!'. She follows up with two more counter-attacks, but she hadn't expected him to recoil in so much pain, her swipes coming just short of making contact.

It should be noted that every one of her swings is aimed at her chin. She means to make him eat that tongue.

Amaia moved, keeping a weather eye on the movement, not only of the enemy thugs, but the mandalorians who were moving to engage them. Friendly fire was...not something she wanted to add to the fire tonight. As the lights went down, she went down, taking a knee as she tried to use one of the tents for cover, peeking out behind to sight one of the number, a shot from her laser putting him down.

A flip of the switch and the energy within the power cell whines, the tibana gas superheating into the grenade burst as Narsai takes aim at the advancing forces and sends the impact surging right into the crowd of targets, sending them hurtling about the audible explosion and a little grunt of effort at the recoil. 

<"Oh.">

Well, that was quite a satisfying kick and impact!

Lifting her visor up she sees Fennec and there is a little bow of her head as she moves through the bushes and sets up. She lifts her gun up and waits until there is a merc in her sights, she pulls the trigger and immediately she knows that she missed. Her eyes narrow slowly and she takes a slow deep breath. There is a quick line up as she preps to shoot at the same one again. A moment of calm and the mini mano cracks her neck in her suit and breathes quietly. The doctor looks down to her pack of grenades then to her gun. <<"Bolt with your name on it... or...">> Again a look to her grenades, <<"To whom it may concern...">> She growls out quietly.

Jallo's still adjusting his point of aim as he brings his E-14 over to another goon squeezing the trigger and shooting a bit early however the second shot slams into this one as well. <"Such a target rich environment. Another one down.">

Fennec kept at it, taking out another panel of lights from the camp. She understood the assignment: send a message. Make others afraid of what could be done to them. Taking away their sight, making them ghosts, well. That was Fennec's bread and butter. Just as she was about to take another shot, however, a stray shot hit the tree above her. A Hutt curse echoes through the comms, after the panic trigger pull sent a shot wide of any target.

Hearing others scream Oya was just as motivating as screaming it herself. It inspired Sumi to push forward, colliding shoulder first with her opponent and planting herself against their mid-section. That's when she activated her jetpack to provide the extra mmmmph, then brute strength behind lifting them up and planting them firmly upon their back. The placement and connection to the ground displaced a great deal of dust, and the two scramble against one another. Unable to land a second punch, Sumi activates the wrist vambrace and watches her opponent's eyes get larger as the high pitched whine indicated the weapon was primed.

Sumi orients the barrel toward their face, and their guard falls to inch their left arm right over their face just as she discharged a bolt at close range. It's not clear if it went through, but the fact they were no longer moving when Sumi rose up slowly, (like an old lady) and searched for her next target, it would seem they had passed on. Sumi hadn't even noticed the blaster bolt intended for her pocking up the ground near her feet. She was soaking in the sounds of the battle. <"THERE'S MORE ALIVE THAN DEAD! LIGHT 'EM UP! HAHAHA!"> Now she's charging toward another.

Darkness and explosions added to the mix only adds to the confusion, lanes where only the direction of the enemy can be made out relative to where blaster bolts are coming from. The grenade burst and hailstorm of fire thinning ranks and sowing further confusion from the defenders.

Dropped halfway to one knee when a bolt strikes the gambeson between cuisse and hip. Hadrix's response to the fire sent his way goes wide, slamming into the wall of a pre-fab and blowing a hole into it as he is pressed against the tree he'd been leaned on. Absorbing the recoil and stepping forward, leaning into the next shot he looses into the mass of enemies, sending another boneless to the ground.

But the defenders keep up their fire, the return fire smaller than the numbers present moments ago, movement in the forest undergrowth fading as well, but a rumbling sound coming distantly from the camp. An undertone, almost an emphasis, to the shriek and pulse of tibanna plasma fire roaring outward from the shrinking numbers.

One new foe emerges from the central pre-fab, "Withdraw! WITHDRAW! OR MISS THE BOAT!" A heavy 'caliber' pistol gripped in his fist, head moving to where the massive plasma ball had emerged and firing in Narsai's direction with a sneer crossing her scarred features.

Light 'em up? <"Kora'alor has ordered the barbarque. Where are you lot goin'?"> Those who wish to remain alive turn tail and run. Those who take too long to consider it-- well. They won't live long enough to regret it. Not because of Valeska, oh no no no. She's been menacing the structures and local flora. But her compatriots are doing a bang-up job clearing the proverbial air. Think twice about wrecking the reputations of others, yeah?!

A roaring streak of fire eruptes from her vambrace, missing those who flee but certainly making their retreat a toasty one. The heat and fire recede a few seconds later, leaving Valeska to start tucking away her bowcaster. <"Maxed on training, yeah? Guess I'll just need to get stronger and faster with this thing.">

When Kirana's opponent raises his blaster at her once more, the Morellian twists to the side, narrowly avoiding his shot! At this sideways angle, she slams her staff into the wall of the shack they're fighting against, using the kinetic energy to shove herself forward, catching the poacher on the collar bone with her elbow! There is nothing else in the universe at the moment as far as Kirana is concerned, save for this fight she's having with the poacher thug. He slams into the wall, falling on his bottom. Kirana slices her staff upward through the air, catching him on his chin for the third time tonight with the back end of it and then for good measure kicks his head into the wall. He chokes and gargles as his tongue, half-severed by his own teeth, catches in the back of his throat and cuts off his air circulation. Kira kicks the man's blaster out of his hand and reach, then spins around, staff held at the ready to deflect an attack from another.

This position also allows her to briefly stand vigil over the man as he chokes out, ensuring nobody can come to his aide while his spirit becomes part of Shili's history.

Amaia was not advancing into the fray. First, because she did not have the weaponry to go toe to toe, and also, because if one had the advantage of distance, there was no reason not to use it. The smaller Dara kept close to the tents, using them to allow for some cover, moving away to sight and shoot. Another body dropped, as she turned her head, quickly scanning to pick up the current position of the mandalorian strike team.

Jallo continues to fire his E-14's barrel moving to aim at one of the thugs a double tap on the trigger as the short carbine barks off a pair of red flame inducing bolts striking the thug with one and the ground nearby the thug with the second, <"They're running faster than I expected.">

As Fennec settled back into her position, and exhales softly, she re-engages, easily finding a pair of targets of opportunity that didn't realize they were already gone. Two shots, back to back, and they were gone. One was particularly more gone than the other, but, a lady never tells.

Sumi closed the distance, ducking slightly beneath another blast intended for her. When she arrived to attack one of the brawlers, it was at a full run, but for Sumi, that still lacked the amount of momentum she required to lay one out. An extra boost from her jetpack saw the smaller soldier lift into the air and pommel her enemy with a single punch that saw their head turn from the connection, and their mouth to spew out teeth and blood. There was no will left, and they dropped like a limp bonefish.

She left them there on the ground to pursue another, swinging and missing when the ducked beneath her hook. They backtracked and Sumi chased, stepping after them with intent behind the mirrored visor gaze.

With Faath headed to cover, ready to move out to tend injuries and the one shouting withdraw put down mere moments after calling out, panic is sewn - the remaining lot backing towards cover, the tree line. Rifles raised and firing in an attempt to put heads down, no true aim there, no art or skill being utilized. Panic has taken root. The distant rumble growing, trees and buildings shaking, the light of massive engines illuminating the trunks of trees. A sight that sends many of the foe to running, rather than risking further delay.

The moment they are close enough the lot of them turn, chased by blaster fire, by the heavy propelled shots of wookiee design, making no attempt to hold off their enemy now and instead sprinting where they can in the foliage. In the midst of the camp Hadrix comes to a halt, the 'recoil' groove customed into his right pauldron hasn't changed, but one might think it'd become deeper for the way he carries himself. Raising and sighting, but not squeezing the trigger when the multitude of explosions begin to go off.

The last of the scant handful of runners gone and then the bright lights begin to rise. Raining down torn camo netting, humps of branches and bramble woven into it and sensor-baffle materials. The sudden surge of the engines bending trees and even felling some of the smaller ones.

The canopy is shoved back bodily and the significant bulk of a light cruiser, one of those sized just at the limits before gravity would tear a ship apart, is rising. Shields raising and angling to begin a full thruster burn for atmosphere.

<<"I think we're going to need to get to the ships...">> Al'Verde Kora's growl over the comms as the ship begins making headway.

te threats, then for companions in need of aide. Finding none of the above, she steps her feet together into a more relaxed stance. She thumbs the lever on her staff to the 'unlock' position and tilts it to both sides, retracting the telescopic weapon back into its handle before flipping it backed to its locked position. As she does this she watches the enemy retreat, but it becomes clear as to why when the cruiser makes its dramatic appearance.

<<"On my way,">> she responds to Hadrix's suggestion of getting to the ships, and, slowed a bit by her chest wound, walks toward the forest.

Ah, there it is, Hadrix's order for them to fall back and return to their own ship. The enemy is in full route, running away as fast as they can. But before they are all out of range and out of sight, Hahtavi pulls out a grenade, <"FRAG OUT!"> He warns his comrads as he's pulled the pin but retains the grenade while he runs a bit further after those fleeing - allowing the grenade to cook off a few seconds. Then he stops and hefts it right into the thickest part of the fleeing thugs.

The grenade goes off as it lands, throwing dirt, rocks, shattered wood fragments and metal shrapnel into the fleeing bodies.

There's no telling how many Hahtavi just injured or dropped. He doesn't even stay to follow up and find out. He starts falling back, rifle back in his hands and will play leapfrog with his clan mates, pausing frequently to cover them before he too falls back again...

Okay, big as the gun she had was...it wasn't going to be taking down a light cruiser. A little laugh from the Ordo woman as she reset the weapon back to standard blasts, the redhead lowers the cannon and keys her comlink, activating her jetpack for the trip back to the ships.

<<"I'll meet you there!">>

Amaia had no idea who this enemy was. She only know that she had been asked to come in for support. And so she had. But she had been hunting men like this for most of her almost adult and adult life, and she did not leave the field of battle without looking out for something that might give the team some small clue as to where this enemy might be routed, so, though she did move to join the group, she picked up sa satchel on her way out. Always time to rifle things on the ride.