Log:Cold Desert Nights

Cold Desert Nights

OOC Date: March 13, 2020
Location: Lord Jabba’s Palace, Tatooine
Participants: Grom, Tara Sur, Hadrix Kora, Elrych Cometburn, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Terek Rosol, Ca’tra Kora, Kirioth Kora, Sumi Kora

It's night. In most places, that was considered a time of peace, a time for sleeping. But on a savage world like Tatooine, where the sand and rock has been stained with the blood of thousands of years of survival, night time was just a setting in another arena.

The oldest native peoples of Tatooine were most notably the Sandpeople, the tusken raiders, the tuskless raiders according to the King of Fale. They roamed the desert, scavenging and capturing, torturing, consuming, and killing. To an outsider, the Tusken Raiders were savages. To those who lived in settlements, or outlying moisture farm communities, they were savages. And to the person who hired mercenaries, they were an obstacle.

Sumi had assembled a team of the most dangerous people she could find to follow her into the desert at night, entering the domain of the Sandpeople to crush them. It was not a matter of destruction or revenge. They were in the way. If they could be scared off? Great, but it was a hard mountain to scale, scaring the sandpeople. For everyone, the brief went like this.

<"This is Sumi Kora. Once everyone is in position, I will radio for the vehicles to move in. We will establish a firing line using the AT-ST as the central draw of attention. Sandpeople will either flock to attack, or run. Our aim is not the total destruction of this migrant group. But if they intend to stand and fight, we will smash them into the ground.">

Sumi shifts in the holo image. <"Vehicles will smash the ruins with sustained rates of fire. Target tent structures and fences containing livestock. Target things that will ensure chaos. We will continue to pour fire into the old palace until the majority of warriors have run away. If they fight, I'll signal for the Kyber Heart to provide close air support, and we'll shatter their fighting spirit. Following the vehicle ops, a ground team led by the King of Fale, Grom, will push into the ruins to search for survivors and make way for our searching party. Our objective, the reason we are here, is to find Lord Jabba's old treasure vault and allow Brother Bizz to retrieve a very precious heirloom.">

<"I've provided the map locations. Meet the AT ST vehicle group. That's both vehicle support and ground team. Wait for my signal, and the vehicles will move in first to begin hammering the settlement. Provide long range fire until we've worn them out. Grom will lead the ground team forward into what's left. Let's make it happen. Sumi out.">

Fast Forward.

Everyone is at the meeting location, vehicles are prepped. Sumi's voice crackles over the comms. <<"Vic team, spool up and step off. Ground team, dig in and get sights on our vehicles. Keep the secondaries off of the vehicles using long range fire. Now, everyone comm check, and state your role: ground team or Vic team.">>

Tara, unfortunately, had yet to acquire an armed speeder. The Flitknot was speedy and had some good altitude, but was entirely unarmed. It'd been a ride across the desert for her and Jenth, but for now the vehicle was silent and the Hunter and her droid were perched on the side of a dune overlooking the palace. <<"Tara here, Everything's quiet so far.">>

Bizz Bliptettjupp, of the Guardians of the Whills, has been hunting the shattered pieces of the healing crystal of fire for many years. When he heard the slicer Shinn of Mos Eisley had found information linking one fragment to the B'omarr monks, he paid to send a small scouting party to Jabba's destroyed palace. The scouts were flayed alive by those malignant Sand Persons. So now overwhelming force must be used. Bizz is with the ground team of course. While stringing his energy bow, he says to GROM, "I am a man of peace! But these Sand Peoples have gotten on my last nerve, by the FORCE."

From high up in the sky, a black and sleek ship hovered in the air, still and quiet for night. All but the soft and swaying music coming from the cokcpit. Elrych cometburn was occupying his recently aquired X-17A Air Speeder, basically an air fighter the corperate sector used to use as a vehicle interceptor in their crowded skyways. Here to make sure Bizz got what he came for, those stones were important to the Jedi Order, thought lost to time and the purge. <<"Shades here... Vic group for now...">> He pushed the throttle forwards so the ship started to move, the engines roaring to life and propelling him to circle around he palace for now.

Grom had heard the initial mission outline and excitedly begun searching through the small arsenal of weapons carried, holstered, or clipped to his gruesome powered armor (complete with crest crudely fashioned of giant fangs!). However, upon hearing that they'll need to enter the area afterward, he pauses, turning to whichever human is nearest and asking, "Grom wonders: how much radiation do mammals eat before melting? Hurm. It is probably not very much." At about that point, holo-Sumi is stating he will be with the ground team. "Hurm, yes. Grom supposed that is only fair. Any who beheld Grom upon a large chariot would surrender TOO hard. Slow Roaring Gun! It is your turn," he informs a large blaster rifle, shouldering a weapon that was not designed to be shoulder fired with a dumb, toothy smile.

<<"Hadrix, comms registering.">> The ambling gate of the old Imperial walker granted an odd sort of comfort, rocking side to side in the close quarters of the command cabin. The seat had already had been replaced to accommodate one of his size.

The chiller for the bottles and the ash-tray were the other. Helmet off, cigarra clamped in his teeth and weapons online - the metallic chunking footsteps, the crunch in the sand. It was only a matter of time now before the fire orders commenced and the action could really begin.

Having had to bum a ride to get to the meeting point, Terek had spent a good portion of the trip wondering about getting himself a speeder. He didn't need anything too crazy. Of course then he'd need somewhere to store it where it wouldn't get stolen or picked apart by some Jawas. Maybe he should focus on getting a ship first, then worry about a speeder.

At this point, he was pacing back and forth a bit near the feet of the AT-ST. He'd never seen one of them this close before. How hard it must be to take one down. A perfect rocket shot, maybe a lucky thermal detonator. That'd make for a hell of a show.

But this one was on his side, at least in so much as there were 'sides' in this conflict. Really it was pest control. He'd been on Tattooine long enough to know that the Tusken Raiders, while native to the world, were anything but friendly. Running them off is always a good idea.

Back resting against a broken wall of local stone, the Mandalorian doctor looks up from her own prep. The helmet hides her grin at Grom's promises. The satisfying clack of a blaster reload punctuates Ca'tra's com check, <<Ground team to mop up, Alor.>> Readjusting the bag slung across her black and tan armor, she walks a few steps to check the balance of the rocket pack. <<Go on your word, alor">>

Roth's not a driver, but, she'll be wherever the rest of the group thinks that the Arkanian will need to be. She's in full armor and apparently not taking the helm off tonight. She stands quietly and listens to Sumi over the comms, <<Roger.>> she nods her head to no one in particular. Trying to get herself ready for the action to get going. Once they were moving she'd be on autopilot as it was.

Sumi is stationed atop a nearby ridge unseen for the blanket of night. With such clear skies, the backdrop looking up to the rock structure was swallowed by the beautiful void of space and infinite stars beyond. She lowers down into a prone position, brushing her sandy cape over her back and drawing the hood up. A sling is tightened around her arm, locking her into a solid shooting position. A quick view through her optics, she saw Shades high above, and their AT-ST moving into position. She grinned. Behind Sumi, the B1 battledroid patrols, watching her back and ensuring none of the sandpeople get the jump on her.

<<"Vic team, this is Sumi. I'm marking ideal targets for destruction. You may fire when ready.">>

<<"Ground team, hunker down and sight in on our AT-ST. It will get swarmed, more than likely. Blast those stupid rekkers off there so we don't have any issues.">>

The distance from the vehicle's firing positions to the ground team's position was roughly 100m. Making it possible for blaster pistols if the user was skilled enough.

Sumi's target markers appeared in the targeting reticules for the vehicles. Each was labeled with a number, 1 being the highest priority, and 5 being the lowest. Sumi did not indicate /what/ they were shooting at, just a number and a reticule to show /where/ it was.

Still prone herself, the dark desert is rendered in daylight by Tara's helmet HUD. Sumi's target marks appear, followed by flashes of motion. "<<Heads up, We've got runners. Opening up.">> The Sentinel heavy pistol barks and slams into the back of one of the lookouts, dropping him into a tumble down the dune. Tara's next two shots go wide, blasting little glassy craters into the sand.

Bizz Bliptettjupp strings his telescoping Kyuzo-style energy bow. He takes a conducting bolt from his quiver and draws it back. Then, when the vehicles start hitting the main camp, the chubby monk pops up over a sand dune and fires two energized arrows at the fleeing Sand People scouts. FWOOM FWOOM. Both arrows hit, but one of the scouts is still limping away.

Elrych turns the craft hard and really pushes the speed as soon as his targeting computer lights up with different targets. It doesn't take long for the incredibly fast craft to almost hit the deck, the engines roaring and sand blasting away in the wake. The X-17 rips across the ridge Sumi is on, feet above her as it then angles down towards the pin filled with Dewbacks. The two fixed repeating blasters alight with crimson fire, smashing apart the fencing and any infastructer. Sand and dirt erupts as Elrych strafs the ground, sending the animals into a frenzy…

"Yes, Grom shall blast MANY of the 'stupid rekkers'," Grom declares, neglecting to activate the comm, and simply.. talking as a result. Peering through his oversized rifle scope, the hulking Houk fires once before noticing, "These Stoopid Rekkers look a great deal like.. like Tuskless Raiders!" Peering back through the scope to verify, the large reptile exclaims, "AH. Grom sees! Stoo-pid Rekker has split into two beings! This must be a sub species of Tuskless- wait. No, Grom simply blasted one in half. Never mind." All still off comms.

Head bobbing to the sound of inner core snyth-pop, fingers fly over commands to engage artillery systems, <<"Hadrix, ground force - engaging launchers. Danger close.">> Tapping out targets and adjusting for spacing, the side disks of the AT-ST suddenly jut out, launch tubes extending and a series of 'Foonk!Foonk!Foonk!Foonk!' sounds come with red tailed spheres arching out in a broad spread pattern.

When they air-burst hunks of masonry and a few rag covered hunks of smoking... something are hurled skyward. The walker shifts, feet spreading with a distinctive 'Chyunk-KRANK'.

Setting up on the dune, keeping an eye on the big AT-ST, Terek aims down the sights of his rifle.

The explosions from the AT-ST's weapon systems make him duck his head in order to avoid any fragmentation, and then he pokes his head back up. One of the targets visible, as he squeezes the trigger, landing a solid shot mid-torso and sending the tusken raider sprawling.

Ca'tra's H-shaped visor silvers as the HUD goes active. Tracking the movement of greenish ghost-like shapes moving towards the AT-ST, she mutters, <<"Stupid or brave?"> Stooping to balance the blaster on a rock, she adds a little more mayhem to the fire being laid down by Grom's divide and conquer action. A figure spins and drops onto the sand then creeps for cover.

Roth's eyes go wide behind her helm when grenades go launching. Holy kriff! That was awesome! She starts getting one of her swords out as the keep heading towards the enemy. Because sadly, Roth wasn't a shooter, she just stabbed things. Maybe we'd get her a blaster sometime.

The battle has begun, and the scouts that have emerged from hiding run toward the ruins of the old palace. It's in vain. Blaster bolts from the firing position 100m out begin to pepper the ground and hit some of the scouts, dropping and injuring them. The one injured by Ca'tra rises only for its head to explode from an unseen bolt fired from Sumi's smoking rifle. She lowers the nightstinger, and draws out the F-11S, adjusting the optics and looking through.

<<"It's a mynock nest in there.">> Sumi observes, watching the streamers of the artillery as they whistle down from above before impacting in sudden expanding circle like clouds of dust and smoke. The very air around the proximity shakes as massive blasts of concussive authority rip outward, sending waves of sand and dust and rock. Visibility is reduced, and what blasts from blaster bolts shade the chaotic storm in whatever hue its powering crystal produces.

The AT-ST is being swarmed now, despite the raging dewbacks stampeding the camp and striking tents. Distant screams of Sandpeople can be heard over all the chaos. Several of the sandpeople are hugging the legs of the chicken walker, raising their gaderffis and screaming obscenities while WHACKING the metal leg. It's disturbing and sad. But this pity is short lived as the first WHIP CRACK noises of slug rounds angle over the ground team's head. Pock marks are made in the sand where slugs hit the deck too short, or they overshot. The Sandpeople know where they are!

Compensating for the increased range, Tara swaps to her carbine and fires a pair of bolts at one of the raiders swarming the walker. Unfortunately, the poor shabuir in question is flattened by a conc grenade and the bolts go wide. <<"Not sure if a storm's kicking up, or if the grenades are just that shabla good!">> And then the cyclers open up. <<"Incoming fire, hit the deck!">>

SHU-CHEW! SHU-CHEW! While many alive now don't now it, for old timers, old veterans, or those unlucky enough to have lived through the last of the Imperial Remnant the sound is distinct. The AT-ST chin guns swivel while Hadrix adjusts the AT-ST's stance. Massive paddle feet up and stomping while the Sand People swarm.

The marked target points sent by Sumi are tracked by the chin guns, again SHU-CHEW! SHU-CHEW! screams out, deafening in the throng of shrieking tuskans and blaster fire.

Masonry superheats and bursts, sending a hunk of tower down to open more fences, cause more chaos.

Another concussive blast from Grom's overpowered rifle sizzles through the night, cutting down another enemy. Observing the sand at his feet kicked up by a Tusken slugthrower, he shouts helpfully, "YOU ARE AIMING TOO LOW. GROM IS FURTHER AWAY THAN YOU THINK. LIKELY BECAUSE OF GROM'S *MIGHTY* STATURE." The big idiot certainly does draw fire. His advice helps, and in the next volley a slug thuds into his chestplate inflicting a light wound and earning a cheerful, "MUCH BETTER!"

Elrych turns the aerofighter about in a steep maneuver, the intertial dampners on board doing their best to keep up with the Ace Pilot's skills at handling such a craft. Leveling out once he's come about, he ripples across the deck once more, blasting around a line of Sandpeople, trying to encourage the savages to retreat. He looks towards his sensors to get a bead on another one of those targets given to him by Kora.

Bizz is still firing at the sand persons. He isn't charging in until Grom goes first! The extreme range requires him to aim upward and fire, loosing the energized arrows one at a time, then drawing another from his magnetic quiver that rests on his thigh. One strikes a sand person but the other arrow sticks in the sand, creating an eerie yellow haze in the sandstorm kicked up by the vehicles.

With everything that's going on, Terek is a bit surprised he actually managed to hit that first target

Well maybe not THAT surprised. He's confident enough in his abilities. But when he fires a second shot it goes wide, because everything that's going on is kicking up a lot of sand and dust, obscuring views and making things harder to see. He reaches one of his hands up and taps the side of his visor to turn on the enemy tracker, trying to home in on those muzzle flashes.

The black night splits open with the lurid green of blaster fire; open-mouthed Ca'tra listens to Grom congratulate a Raider on hitting him.

The Sandpeople are moving at the limit of her range with a blaster. Novel for her, she unpacks the L16-HFE from its carrier, flips off the safety, and lays the barrel on that same piece of rock for stability. Her shot misses and she uncharacteristically growls to herself, "So much for accuracy."

Roth's realizing that she should get a blaster at some point if she doesn't want to make her family look like they are nuts for keeping her around. She really does fight! Once they start to get closer the Arkanian moves, working her way closer to see if she might be able to lean out an whack a sandperson. It could be a new game!

The battle is one way, unfair, and yet it's becoming decisive. Three quarters of the sandpeople garrisoned here have taken to flight, running into the dark desert in fear of the hulking metal monster and its winged companion. The impacts from the laser cannons, both the AT ST and the flying craft, create more loud concussive blasts, though nothing comparable to the WHIP CRACK of slug rounds as they pass by over the ground team's head.

<<"Shades, this is Sumi. Keep an eye on the retreating sandpeople and ensure they keep running into the desert. Hadrix, position yourself to the north, where the sandpeople fled. If they decide or somehow manage to come back, let it be you they see first.">>

Sumi adjusts her firing position, sighting in another sandperson and blasting them off the leg of the AT-ST. Her involvement, and use of a weapon that showed the blaster contrail, earns the attention of a scout who fired in her direction. The whip-crack of the round strikes a rock near Sumi, showering her with dirt and debris. Sumi grunts and flinches away from it, only to open her eyes and look down. <<"Grom, lead your team forward now. It's time for mop up operations.">>

Re-slinging the carbine as the order goes out, Tara switches back to dual pistols. Kick her helmet's vcoder into PA mode... <<"Oya! Eyaytir, Hut'uun!">> She starts to run down the dune, right thruster sputtering twice before igniting and propelling the hunter up in an arc. A volley of bolts lashes out, although apparently she'd left the DL-30 on stun... Ah well, one raider down anyway.

<<"Shades aknowledges, making sure that retreat is perminant....">> The Corellian Ace comms in responce to Sumi. He brings the slight and agile craft, sleek and black, hidden against Tatooine's harsh black night. Elrych straffes behind the retreating line of Tuskan raiders, not intending to kill, but intending to cause panik and the continued pushing of them away from the rest of the group. These people knew the land better than anyone and would be fine on their own. He attempts to go a league farther, reching out with the Force to project the image of what he imagines a very angry Krayte Dragon would look like chasing after these people.... What the Jedi doesn't see if that it looks ore like a poorly rendered cartoon from a novice holo-artist... or just the shimmering of the heat in the deserts hot night.

"Yes! IT IS TIME," Grom booms with monstrous enthusiasm. "Little Tuskless Raiders: the Mighty Grom is upon you! CHAAAAAAARGE," as the Houk lurches into a lumbering sprint toward the ruins and any enemies still willing to offer resistance. On the move, he handles the bulky rifle as if it were an assault carbine.. which it is not. The unspectacular results are predictable. "GROM.. IS.. ALMOST UPON YOU." Huff, huff.

<<"Copy, repositioning.">> Massive servos whining and then the ambling clunk and clank of the 'scout' walker is in the air once more, only using discrimination in his steps as far as the ground team. For the tuskens he is glad to casually kick or step upon the tan robed creatures.

<<"Engaging terror tactics. Danger close">> Again the side disks open and begin to spin, hurling concussive detonators hurtling in contrastingly graceful arcs after the fleeing sand people. Little glowing red falling stars, that turn into crashing thunder and flashes of lightning. Several are blown off their feet, bones broken, soft tissues pulped. Within the darkened command cabin the Big Mandalorian frowns, watching the carnage.

"Something wrong?" "It's not the same." "Why because you're not soaked in seven shadws of different people's blood, screaming, shooting wildly with blaster burns in your side, blades broken off in your chest and organ damage?" "Stop." "Stop what?" "Stop getting me all hot and bothered." "Disgusting sir." "You're in love with me, I knew it." "SIR!" "Admit it." "Shut up, Hadrix." "Only if you kiss me." At that, Gripper emits a 'UGHRGH!' sound, the ID10 unit floating away from the big man, flailing her robo-tentacles.

Terek is doing his best to try to keep himself in cover while firing his shots, but his positioning is causing him to miss his shots. He grumbles a little bit, pushing himself up into a better position. But now it seems like Grom has decided to attract more attention.

A slug slams into the dirt next to Terek, and he uses his visor to pinpoint where that shot came from, homing in on that spot, bracing his rifle in his hands and getting ready to fire again.

Moving out to get better range on the Raiders suits Ca'tra fine. Weight back on her heels, feet sinking into the sand, she rounds the protective wall she hunkered behind to pound down the side of the dune.

Three times she slows to aim, each shot leaving another Raider in the sand as she follows the hulking form of the lizard towards their targets.

Roth grips the rod she was leaning out from and uses the leverage from kicking off of the vehicle she was on to thrust the vibrosword into the sternum of the Sandperson that had become an unlucky part of a shish kebab. "Hello. Do you have a moment to talk about your local Jawa problem?" she asks. "Oh wait, you're dead." she draws the sword back and continues on.

The sound of distant laser impacts coupled with the screaming descent of artillery is overshadowed by the sudden explosions of those heavy shells. Again, massive clouds of dust and heated debris consume five of the fleeing sandpeople, before their retreat is completely concealed by the wave of dust to the north.

The Sandpeople who remain in the ruins are being picked off as the ground team moves forward opening fire. Even Sumi gets a piece of the action, all the way up till one of the Sandpeople, a crack shot by the name of AHOOOOONNNNN ARR ARR ARHHHONNNNNNNN, nailed Sumi in the shoulder, sparking an impact off the beskar pauldron that had her screaming obscenities from the top of the cliff side. <"GODSDAMNIT.. MOTHER REKKER.. DREEEEEEK! KRIFFIN SON OF A.."> You get the idea. Sumi is displeased.

Down below, three sandpeople slink further into the ruins, only to cower when a hatch opens from the ground and out steps a massive chieftain. Standing roughly seven feet in height, broad, and padded with armor gathered from trash and scrap, this Chieftain was the veteran of some half a hundred battles. It roared, shaking its gaderffi over its head before charging forward.

Elrych Cometburn is like an annoying desert fly as he continues to strafe across the retreating line keeping the hordes off the backs of the others.

Grom's yellow eyes widen with reptilian glee at the emergence of a seven foot Tusken chief. "Worthy Foe- WORTHY FOE," he booms, lumbering toward the largest enemy, slowed only slightly by the slinging of a big rifle, and the drawing out of a pitted, notched battle axe which had been shoved through his belt like a hatchet.

Tapping keys to keep the AT-ST firing on automatic for a few moments longer, Hadrix hefts his own rifle and moves up the ladder out of the control cabin. Leaning back against the rim of the hatch to brace in addition to his shoulder.

SHOOONK

The report is always impressive. Hot metal smell fills the air when he opens fire, sighting through the complex targeting system. A crimson sun roars across the distance, causing heat ripple and warming the massive chieftain before slamming into masonry and coring a black hole into it.

"Damnit..." Hadrix snarls, cigarra rolling in the corner of his mouth.

Bracing his shot worked, because this time Terek is able to get his aim correct. With the enemy tracker, his target is lit up like a Life Day tree, and Terek is able to sight in on him. He exhales and squeezes the trigger, striking the raider in the upper torso, near the shoulder. Hopefully he's able to disable him, but he'll follow up the shot with another one if his target doesn't go down or retreat.

The HUD targets three ahead of Ca'tra, not slowing down just makes hitting them all that much harder. Arm stretched in front of her, she squeezes off a shot and only two are left standing. No need for the HUD to follow the mad lizard, she homes in on his bellows as they run towards the last objectives.

Roth's not going to keep getting so lucky with things, but, she's keeping to the peons tonight for the moment. Making sure that if anymore come rushing in that they are moved down pretty quickly. The Arkanian takes down her next target and then powers through to see where new ones might be coming from.

Grom deflects the first gaderffi strike of the Tusken chief with the haft of his vibro axe, continuing the motion into a broad wind-up that slashes back at the big Sandman in a powerful counter-attack. The blows being exchanged are titanic in their force, but this far both warriors are showing more skill at arms than their stature might suggest, and the two strike and block with aplomb.

<<"Cathar. I don't know your name.">> Hadrix's voice rumbles over comms as he jams his helmet on, seals hissing closed, <<"Once this is done. I would speak with you.">> Tone casual, lining up another shot that sets out the thermobaric overpressure contrail in it's wake with the now very familiar SHOOONK of the report.

<<"I feel it would be much to your benefit. I can provide transit in addition.">> a bit of a grumble in his tone as he misses the shot, snorting and causing a comms pop. Such agility!

Another shot, another miss. Terek grumbles a little bit to himself, "Damnit, come on!" He yells, mostly at himself. He ducks back down behind cover, and drops the rifle onto his sling, before he draws his pistol instead. Maybe he'll have a better time with a weapon he's more familiar with.

"Am I drunk?" the doc asks herself after missing three successive shots at the giant Chieftain. Ca'tra slows to reload and to watch the majestic swings of the ax the King of Fale wields. Dust rises in slow motion puffs around the two. Around her shots break the peace of the desert night and then fall to silence.

Casting her rifle to its sling, Sumi rose and stepped off the edge of the cliff, her jetpack igniting a moment after her cape took flight from her fall. She arrived in the center of the ruins, joining the others in the battle and landing on the wounded Sandperson, firing before impacting and taking him to the ground. She pins him face down to the ground with her boot, preventing his next attack, and she glances up to watch the fight with the two Titans of battle.

Instead of another swooping attack this time, Tara leans sideways and starts to circle around the melee battle below, pouring a steady hail of blaster bolts downward. Unfortunately, with the whipping sand, it's kind of hard to shabla see. <<"Hadrix! Can you get Gripper to tacmap us some? This osikla sand is making it really hard to shoot accurately!">>

Grom and the Tusken chief strike and parry, counterstrike and riposte. They visually seem to be moving a bit slowly, but that's an optical illusion owed to how far each blow and parry are traveling. Grom catches a gaderffi hack squarely on the haft of his axe and muscles it back with a tooth baring grunt. His own heavy chop is narrowly avoided, slamming harmlessly into the sand. "GROM IS ENJOYING THIS GREATLY," he informs all within earshot.

<<"Te'Mando'ade kar'taylir val nu'liser shukalar buruk, a'par buruk'ika val'liser mav'ashie teh chaab">> Speaking again, calming himself, mnemonic devices to dump natural uppers into his body, and downers to even out the adrenaline rush,

<<"Val payt'oyayc mar'eyir vercopaanir o'r'val ijaat'kyr'am. Val'tion'ad partaylir rejorhaa'ir be'val'mandokar, be'tion?tuur te'ca?nara olaror; val'epan ba'dinuir'an.">> Targeting computer linked to his helmet now, a receptor cup sealed over his bionic eye, feeding data to his brain.

<<"No need, vod... I'm lasing the target...">> a bite tab and a blink command feeding his targeting data as he takes the shot, the chestplate of his armor starting to glow, HUD giving heat warnings.

SHOOONK

<<"Gehat'ike oyacyir'bat. Shi'Mando'ade olaror lo'eyn'gev.">> A sun of plasma springs forth, aimed for the side of the Tuskan lord, to scour flesh, cloth and resolve from his enemy.

Unfortunately Terek's plan was not that good it would seem. He leans back over the berm and fires a shot with his pistol, but it goes wide. The only target that was left appears to be the chieftan. Maybe he should have picked up on that target before he opened fire. He grumbles a little bit to himself and then re-adjusts his aim towards the chief.

It's irresistible. As much as she enjoys watching the dust being beaten into the air by the Houk, Ca'tra lines up for shot and wings him. Lines up for a second shot only to have the blaster cough emptily.

Roth's seeing that everyone and her family are starting to circle the chief and well, she follows suit. She gets the blade ready and makes a running choppy attack, but, the chieftains too good for that.

<<"Keep firing, keep the aruetii off balance!">> Tara continues her orbit and pours fire into the center of the melee below, aim careful to not hit any friendlies. Another strike to the Chief, another would to slow him, hinder his combat.

Grom grunts with mixed pain and delight as the spike of a gaderffi stick bites between the knee and thigh plates of his right leg, starting dark purplish blood to trickling. "AH. A FINE shot, Little Tusk King- HRRRAGH," he bellows with another axe blow, angled diagonally down, parallel to the Chieftain's guard.. The Sandman barely avoids it with a swift backward step. "You are WISE to focus your attacks on the Mighty Grom, Sand King. FOR GROM IS MOST DANGEROUS. Usually. GROM MEANS IT."

If only there were individual cartridges in this monster. The idea of them being flung from an ejection port. The fact that he is setting a red trail across the top of his scout walker is good enough. His shoulder is going to feel this later, his armor may even need to have a dent pounded out.

<"K'atini"> remembering to get off comms before he's talking again, mantras, phrases. All to get himself zoned in.

<<"Grom, you should have attacked him from the top of my AT-ST, your lack of a battle chariot is your downfall.">>

Banter is fun.

The battering fight continues but the rest of the team seem eager to end the fight. Blasters light up the night. Ca'tra pumps three bolts into the side of the Chieftain; two make him stagger a step or two, he is too intent on the lizard to pay her shots much mind.

"JUST!" STAB.

"DIE!" SLICE.

"ALREADY!" Roth screams as the vibrosword is used to stab at the Chieftan. This dude could take a beating apparently. Not to mention there might be more incoming. Needed to do it quicklike. The Chieftain is beginning to get lit up from all sides now, and Sumi takes her next shots into account. Tumbling forward, she rolls to a kneeling stance, raising her blaster pistol up while her offhand, the one with the injured shoulder, hangs at her side. Her first shot impacts hard into the Chief's stomach, the resulting blast and subsequent exit from his back occurring in a sudden flash of red, spraying out a mist of pulverized blood that peppers the sand behind him.

Sumi's second shot, the more devastating, happens after her chin dips and helmet tips downward slightly. Lifting the pistol up a bit higher, she fires a final round that catches its chin, smashing it in and forcing the bone, brain, and gore out the back of its head. The smoking hole that's left as a result of the handcannon is on display for as long as it takes for the sand king to tumble backward in a pile of bleeding mess.

Sumi rises up, holstering her pistol casually. A slow walk to the Chieftain and Sumi holds up his gaderffi for inspection. <<"Search the ruins and find this vault. Tell Bizz he can collect his treasures now. I want my credits.">> Sumi walks off to find first aid, her rekking shoulder is killing her.

Grom turns to peer up at Hadrix at the merry banter. "But.. Grom has not fallen down. GROM DOES NOT UNDERSTAND, LITTLE WALKING CHARIOT RIDER. Grom should clarify, that the chariot walks, not you, who are clearly riding. SO SPEAKS GROM." A moment later he does add under his breath (loud and easily audible), "Hurm... *battle chariot*. Yessss."