Log:First Order: Agent: Missing: Part 3

The hunt for Neelar Baduk begins.

OOC Date: February 28, 2019
Location: Draxon IV
Participants: GM: Artemis, First Order: Hadrix Rol, Erisi Auslese, Drath, Saanvi, Karys and Evie_Leven

The search for Neelar Baduk continues in the oppressive heat and incessant glare of its multiple suns that seem keenly situated to eliminate any sort of naturally occuring shade. Left with few options, our motley crew has ransacked the remnants of Doctor Plag's research base and taken the remaining troop transport in to the desert where First Order Intelligence had provided indications that there may be a crashed ship. With limited water, and limited fuel to drive the air circulators on the vehicle, the hope is that at the very least the agent's locale can be ascertained to salvage an otherwise lacklustre mission.

In between natural bluffs, some measure of shelter has been discovered along with the research vessel GENESIS. Nearby, large, partially ajar doors lead in to an abandoned mineral mine. Having followed a series of vehicular tracks out of the bluff, it has become clear that an ambush was likely planned but the group's penchant for favoring violence at the first possible instance likely made them second guess the plan and evacuate sooner than planned. The evidence of a thopter take-off was found at the end of the vehicle tracks where the dune had been cut by a nearly perfect circle.

The ship is strangely mostly intact although the cockpit is destroyed and there's a giant outward facing explosion in the lab area at the back of the large freighter. Multiple corpses have been found but they are strangely devoid of organs. Instead, their flabby, sunbaked husks remain as wrinkled prunes. At least one person has tinkered with the ship's computers and found two logs still intact despite the damage to the system. With a press, a Mon Cal has appeared. Greeting the viewer, the background a lab with a containment cannister and within what appears to be a wriggling worm with elongated teeth spiraling about one opening. He moves to speak.

"We have been continuing our research on the min --bzzt-- on Draxo --bzzt-- and have made a breakthrough. Where synthetic processes failed, we instead found success in genetic modification. Rather than fight against nature, it seems that the critical element was to instead work with it." The Mon Cal wanders backwards towards the worm, allowing those viewing the presentation to get a better view. "However, it was quickly discovered that its appetites and --bzzt-- conversion to dangerous --bzzt-- transporting to Raf --bzzt-- four." The log is too corrupted to continue and the terminal errors out. There is still at least one more log available.

Drath, still sporting that wound in his chest, returned from the surrounding bluff with Hadrix a few moments ago, soon enough to view that log. Hefting his F-11D rifle up to his side, he folds an arm beneath it to hold the weapon up as he turns and views the nearby corpses with a curious gaze. Humming, the trooper leaves activating the second log to the others, and steps around to the side of the ship where that explosion apparently happened. <<Looks like the explosion originated from the inside of the ship, based on how the hull is bent out there.>> he chirps over the comms, raising an armored hand to point at what he's looking at. <<Which means something went wrong inside the ship itself. Not likely to have been the engines, I think, considering it happened next to the lab. Wasn't shot down, either. Maybe this was the transport?>>

Drath says, "<<Explosion seems to have occurred before re-entry into the atmosphere.>>"

<<"Well, by all means we should go in and examine, likely not but candy and fruit flavored fizzy drinks to greet us and not horrific beasts crafted by scientists who ask 'Could we?' but never 'Should we?', what do you say Ninety-One?" Hadrix sighs and hefts his flamer, staring at the downed ship. He looks about to the others and then back to Starship Fantastic. "Maybe we can at least find actual supplies and a means to send a signal eh?"

Glancing from the ship back to Drath, KS-0218 shifts her weight on her feet as her pistols remain in hand. The new recruit is focused on the horizon and anything that might still be waiting for them. There is always a remote chance really and she is not wanting to take chances. Karys takes a step to the side, making a slow scan once more of the area. <<If we can find something inside to boost a signal, I might be able to fashion it to working order.>> This said in regards to Hadrix' observation. It's not been a great trip for one Evie Leven. She's been camping before, she's even been on military survival excursions... but the lack of resources has been getting to her. Her normally peppy gait is sluggish instead, her hand sitting on the hilt of her blaster as much for comfort as for readiness... and she's /pretty sure/ she saw the kind of water amusement park you'd expect on Zeltros in the distance a while back, but kept that one to herself.

It probably was a mirage. Probably. Maybe. Even if it wasn't, it's not like she brought entrance credits with her.

<<Anything's possible,>> Evie offers up, breaking her abnormal silence. <<Besides. If we're gonna die out here, I'd rather die trying than sitting around and waiting for it.>>

Abruptly, an arc of electricity cuts across the face of the hull, leaping from one point of least resistance to the next. Its lethal transit mercifully skips all of the troopers, instead circuiting around through the terminal and then in to the metal doors of the mine. Ozone follows the crash of lightning. A scorch mark lingers on the partially ajar door.

Unbeckoned, the terminal starts to play back the first log in reverse before shuddering and skipping to the next item in the list.

The log is a panicked one reminiscient of a hand-held camera as the image shakes and twists. The sound pickup is horrible as large explosions and a constant shrieking alarm forces it to try and compress the shrill noise in to something vaguely pleasant to listen to. While there is no fire, anything that isn't tied down seems to be gravitating towards the bottom right of the viewfinder and the scientist himself appears to be struggling to hold on.

"A malfunction, sabotage ma --bzzt--. Making an emergency la --bzzt--. The creature is missing but hopefully --bzzt-- vacuum of space."

The Mon Cal's eyes then roll back and suddenly vanish as its skin deflates like a party mask. There's the briefest flicker of motion as the alien's mouth gapes before the log cuts out and presents the same error dialog as before.

Drath nods to the others, adjusting his rifle back to a relaxed place for the time being. <> Stopping, he turns to gaze at the crackle of electricity, the Trooper listening to the log quietly as it plays the last moment of the crew of this particular vessel. <<Hopefully whatever was in there was spaced, but let's just assume whatever ate their organs could be here waiting for us, and keep on alert.>> Nodding his helmet at that declaration, he turns away from the ship, beginning to make his way towards those large doors at the base of the ridge as he gives a slight, if tired, hum over the comms. <<Nine-Oh, you wanna take point? Still nursing this kriffing chest wound.>>

Has she been here the entire time? Yes, yes she has. A cloaked figure that ..has totally been here the entire time. Listening to the playback in forward and reverse, Erisi raised up unkempt eyebrows from behind light red rimmed spectacles, hazel eyes behind them somewhat horrified. Hands had travelled up to her ears to neuter the sound coming from the playback, and she'll look to the troopers, the lone Knight in all of this. So many regrets, "I would super like to not die, even trying, I ..I have plans later this week so ..." Ever so helpfully towards Evie, Erisi outfitted in the cloak and no other armor, hence no helmet to speak on though she's been outfitted with an earbud, "So, just putting this out there, I'm ..sorta good with computer systems so ..." Lips purse beneath her head as she meanders around the ship a little, a step here, a step there, "Slicin' and dicin' ..." Arms circle at her sides like she's doing a slow dance, trying to keep up with the soldiers. With these uber professional soldiers. Babysitting. They're babysitting Erisi.

As the electricity springs to life, Karys instinctively ducks a little as it arcs over head like some living entity. She is quiet as she listens as well before turning her head. <> Meaning the husks. She regards Erisi but merely with a glance towards Erisi. <<If you wish we can get a look inside and see if the both of us can not set something up. I have a way with circuits.>> Her voice is filtered through her helmet before she steps forward, attempting to remember exactly where the electricity hit and staying low as she begins to rummage for something that was or is a long range comsys.

<<"Always, Ninety One.">> Maybe it got spaced, there's deflated bodies on the ground. Really. Hadrix resists the urge to shake his head as he makes for the opening, plasma rifle held at the ready. Making for the loading hatch in the ship, <<"Keep an eye on that cockpit.">> Moving to scout up on the explosion wound near the aft of the ship, waiting for the other to be near before peeping in through the damage, ready to spray fire in should horrifying monsters be sighted.

As the electricity springs to life, Karys instinctively ducks a little as it arcs over head like some living entity. She is quiet as she listens as well before turning her head. <> Meaning the husks. She regards Erisi but merely with a glance towards Erisi. <<If you wish we can get a look inside and see if the both of us can not set something up. I have a way with circuits.>> Her voice is filtered through her helmet before she steps forward to follow Hadrix, attempting to remember exactly where the electricity hit and staying low as she begins to rummage for something that was or is a long range comsys.

The lab is in decent order and she holsters the pistol to her hip so that she can begin pulling out relevant pieces of equipment that they may be able to use. A stack is slowly made as KS-0218 begins to take inventory. <> She offers the rest of the group.

<<For what it's worth, /my/ plans later this week might ki-->> Evie's quip back to Erisi is cut short as the ship -- and the log -- come back to life with a demonstration of power and fear. Behind the helmet, the Kuati's eyes stare at the log. Ships are a sacred place. To think, some kind of... /thing/ was on board, violating that hallowed ground? It just sends a shiver down her spine. <<We should operate under the assumption that the creature /is/ still around. Better to expect the worst than face it unprepared.>> is offered, as Evie follows after Hadrix and Karys. It's still a slow pace she keeps, but now she forces herself to draw that blaster from its holster, both hands wrapped around it to keep it steady. Better to be ready. <<Will keep my eyes open.>> is added, for Karys' sake.

The ship has been reduced to two major components on collision: the cockpit and the lab. The living quarters between have been pancaked nearly flat giving the craft a strange necklace-like look around the middle as living quarters, refreshers, kitchen bits, and whatever other living arrangements tried to find a new space.

There's not much in the way of dead or a ton of loose debris in the lab - most likely having been sucked out of the ship's gaping wound on entry. There's two corpses beyond the one that was ejected and they all are mere tanned skinsuits of their original freshness.

"Honestly, I'm not gonna lie to you lady, I don't /think/ anything that we could salvage here could break through that planetary field, I mean ..I'm not an expert, but I kinda am, and I don't ..." Her hood is pushed back as she continues to follow Karys, inspecting the pieces the other woman finds, turning this bit and that bit in around her hands as she checks them all out, "We might be able to ...reach the base, but ..let me think, think, think, think." Her head bobs from side to side as she does her thinking, hips wiggling a little as she leans in eventually on her right hip, all her thinking and propping up pieces beside other pieces ending with her shaking her head, "Not any design I can think of right now that would do even that if I'm being honest .." A grimace, a piece tossed back into the pile Karys has put together, hands tucking into the pockets of her cool robe, "We need to find the source, because Mack-jiggerin' something ain't gonna cut it."

<<Whereas extraction is important, I suggest you gather up the materials needed for communications off planet if you can find them, search this ship for our missing agent, then we move on into the mines over there. We're not done here, need to stay on task.>> Drath chirps over the comms, the Trooper stopping next to the hole in the side of the ship as he turns his helmeted gaze across to the bodies nearby. <<It's possible this crash was related, and it's possible it's a coincidence.>> Steadying himself on the hull of the ship for a moment, he gazes at the bodies closer, <<Negative on agent matches externally.>>

Quietly turning his head to look at Drath, at Erisi's antics. Hadrix remains still a moment longer. <<"Going in, on Reccie - One-Eight with me. Ninety-One, scout that hole? Knight Auslese, recommend you hang back with Eleven and Eighty-Five.">>

The trooper slips in through the ship hole, not the ground hole, the ship hole. Drath made a good point to scout for the missing agent after all. <<"One eight, see if you can find anything we can usea as well.">> Proceeding to sweep and clear each room available, working from the exploded area, and moving forward.

<<Right. Likely not going to break planet atmo but we need something. I am going to just keep everything we might need..>> And then Erisi is tossing the piece aside and KS-0218 goes quiet as her head goes still. It's hard to tell what the trooper is staring at but it might be the woman or the piece she just plopped back onto the pile. <<Right. We will keep this stuff here in case we need it.>> Slowly Karys pushes herself up and grasps for her other pistol as she gives the items set together on the lab floor once more. A shake of her helmet is given before she glances to Drath and Hadrix and finally takes in the other two women. <<With you, Nine-oh.>> She steps forward to follow Hadrix and help him sweep the rooms as they scan for anything useful.

<<If... if we had enough time, and the tools, and maybe some spare parts... and a hundred hands... maybe I could take apart an engine and rebuild it into a distress buoy with limited range. But that's not the kind of thing I came ready for.>> Evie chimes in. Helpful? Probably not. She's well aware that they're not probably not just going to turn a corner and find the kind of resources she'd expect in a hangar bay just waiting for her.

...wait, is that one over... no, no. Giving her head a hard shake, Evie refocuses her attention and resumes scanning the area. A little paranoid, maybe, but... she figures it might be worthwhile to be, right now. All she can really do right now is be ready.

"Hey, I'm all for hoarding, so .." Eri's hands have risen up to shoulder level as she lets her palms wiggle in the air. As everyone turns to continue onwards she'll curve a wide smile, completely tickled internally that she's out with the Troopers. Evie's words resonate deeply with her, "See, that's what I'm talking about, we just don't have the resources to do anything useful, best thing ..find what's creating the field, bust it down -- but ..you guys already figured that out didn't you. Yeaaaah you did, freakin' Vanguard Storm-bloody-effin-Troopahs." Pride there, perhaps a little adoration for the group, no one in specific, but, you know. An appreciation for all in the role. Erisi leaves the Troopering to the Troopers, not sweeping persay, but following behind, ready and willing to be useful should the moment arise.

Saanvi's granite gray eyes roam slowly taking it all in "In what priority are the objects we seek? A shame we are so far removed from regularly patrolled space, there seems to be enough here to have made a beacon or flare of some varity."

<<We're not worried about extraction until we've found that agent. Mission is priority. Getting ourselves off this dust ball is tertiary at best.>> Drath chirps over the comms, pushing his injured self off the hull of that freighter as he takes a moment to right his rifle into a more relaxed ready stands, and turns to start off towards those ajar doors in the distance of the ridge. <<Someone up there keep an eye on my back for me.>> Rifle raised, the Trooper steps up to the slightly ajar doors, pressing the tip of it inside one of them and pushing it open, if it'll move. Stepping inside slightly, he turns his attention down to the ground, comming back <<Several recent sets of footprints, maybe a few droids. More in than out, someone's in here. Regroup here when finished with the ship, any positive ID on the agent?>>

The mine itself is beset by an eerie incandescent, orange glow as if the suns overhead could somehow pierce through rock and durasteel with impunity. It's a strangely welcome sight given that none of the artificial lighting in the roughly hewn tunnel appears to be functioning. For the moment, the tunnel heads straight and then arcs to the right providing a limited field of view. At the very least, the source of the glow is clearly visible: barrels full of crsytals. Some of the metal appears to be melting as a consequence of some sort of reaction with the flourescent mineral and others appear to have been pried open at some point or tipped and broken open by entropy or scavengers.

<<"Clear in here, Ninety One, this place is a tomb, no contact with extraction target.">> Hadrix mutters into comms, looking to Karys and jerking his head to call her to follow. He spends little time in the exit, moving to link up with the other troopers once clear of the broken spacecraft.

<<"Suggest spear-posture, Ninety one on my right, One Eight on my left, Knight Asset and Medic within escort wedge.">> He turns to look at Drath and Karys, a silent check for their suggestions, or the go-ahead.

With nothing to report back from their brief foray deeper into the ship - because there really is no further /into/ the ship, Karys turns her head at the sound of Drath's observations. She takes a step back from the ship interior and nods to Hadrix. <<Nothing more to report.>> Nothing can be done but the items they scavenged from the lab in the ship are kept close together in case they do need them later on.

The new recruit is not one to argue with positioning so that when they reach the mine entrance she glances back at Erisi and Saanvi before she nods. <<In position. On your lead Nine-oh.>> She will enter with Hadrix' set pace at front.

Erisi will suddenly stop, regardless of the formations and the like the others are planning, and draw in a deep breath dramatically, head tilting back. Like a Ryn about to read your future she reaches her hands out in front of her, features twisting in deep concentration. This means a wrinkled nose, pinched lips, and tightly closed eyes and a soft 'nnnnmmm' as she tries to do ...something. She'll at one point in the three seconds of focusing, draw her shoulders back from her natural slouch as if that might add some oomph. An exasperated sigh later, hands dropping to her sides, and she shakes her head, "Sorry guys ..I am really still quite awful at /this/ job, as opposed to my day job so .." Bottom lip tucks upwards as she shrugs, moving to follow along, "I couldn't even sense /you/ guys, like ..I sensed half of one of you, like ..maybe a leg .." A low self-depreciating chuckle, hands once again tucking into her robes, a sudden whispering, "Oh wait ..I should talk like this, huh." Whissper. Deeper she goes with the others. As quietly as she can. Creep.

Saanvi looks to Drath, "Are you familiar with the concept of expenditure? It wastes rather expensive resources if we persue objective without the means to relay intel or complete future missions. To complete this mission at the risk of all future endeavors presumes the Order's priorities. I am not so full of hubris or endowed with the need to complete an objective only to then have that gain rendered obsolete." she stops at the glow "Be advised that glowing minerals are often radioactive, do not handle the crystals as protocol would dictate I not risk contamination by treating you until it is confirmed to be safe. If you are seeking a slow death as your body decomposes while you yet live, then do enjoy your new bounty."

Erisi is given a cant of her head and seems puzzled "I don't understand the benefit to you in sensing us?"

For all its lack of sun, the tunnel is more oppressive for its apparent humidity. It's as if all the water on the world had somehow coalesced in this mine and thickened the air in to a soup vaguely reminiscient of base slop. Curiously, the walls remain dry and the ground crunches underfoot, littered with a powdery residue that releases a bitterly noxious concoction with each heavy step. While smelly, it does not appear to be nauseating.

The first thing the group comes upon is an alcove astride a large, warped gate long corroded and rusted to near irrelevance by the acrid air. In the alcove a dented, pitted metal desk and several lockers can be found already open and left ajar. Empty food and water ration containers litter the ground, taunting those that happen upon it seeking a way to survive on the oppressive planet.

Peering past the useless gate, several tunnels come off the main chute but they appear to be totally collapsed. The barrels continue to litter the walkway, drawing the eye to a large open cavern about a hundred meters away from the inset.

<<Copy, Nine-Oh. Forming up. Medic is priority one for protection..>> Drath says over the comms, mostly for Karys' benefit, as he sidles on up next to Hadrix in position with his blaster rifles raised before him. <<Knight Auslese, if you are versed in sensing danger, are you able to extend that out among the group, or is that restricted to your own person?>> Strolling on forward, with Hadrix at the head, Drath keeps his eyes peeled as the injured man continues forward. <<If we are unable to relay information back to base, Eighty-five, we will either have the footage retrieved from our helmet cams, or we will leave a report with our corpses at the landing pad. Orders were to locate agent.>>

Starting into the mine, leaving the chatter behind. Giving a moment of hesitation before he begins to move at a slight increase of pace, but nothing that the others could not shift to match, <<"Corroded equipment, humanoid figure, possible target contact. Eighty Five, get your kit ready. Ninety-Eight, One-Eight, be ready I suspect an ambush.">> and he still plods on. How does a Hadrix deal with potential ambush? Marching in and shooting it probably, or stabbing, typical violent counter-point tactic.

Karys gives only a passing look over the used and discarded items, the air still felt even through the helmet that filters out only so much. She turns her attention ahead where the tunnel continues. A breath drawn there is a click as she speaks: <> Giving Hadrix a glance with a slight turn of her helmet, Karys lifts her pistols at ready as they approach together in formation still - slightly behind and aside from Nine-oh. Her fingers may not be on the triggers of her pistols but they rest on the outside of the guards at ready.

"I know, right? I know you guys are here, I was trying to sense the asset, but ..just trooper pieces. It's ..so useless. Kylo's teaching me though, but ..I'm so much better at other things, none of which are useful /here/." Whispered to Saanvi, Erisi falling in beside the woman she considers a friend but has only met twice. Shoulders raising and falling helplessly until she hears the word 'ambush', hazel eyes lighting up just a little too much as she bites the middle of her lip making a little chipmunky smile, "Oh, I might actually do okay now." She'd nudge Saanvi, but she respects the space of others far too much, instead drawing in a steadying breath, lips licked, woman ready to do grown up things and ...make her master proud, "Or I'll set myself on fire again, I mean ..it could go like ..one of fifty ways so far that I've found." More whispers, Eri rolling up her sleeves, and waiting for the magic to happen.

Saanvi reports through her com in her helm <> She proceeds towards the body with purposful strides, stepping past any of her comrades she needs to on the way.

The cavern is large and a victim of cave-ins at some point making the tunnels that arch off of this main section impassable. Even the corroded mining equipment mocks them with its pitted and paint peeling surface, its fusion cells long since devoured by the air and spilling its chemical innards all over the ground like mechanical organs.

The body that comes in to view as the group marches down the tunnel is apparently someone that at least matches the dossier. Acquiline features, generous lips, a brunette with brown eyes. Instead of standing proud as the image depicted her, she is seated haphazardly with arms and legs spread as if waiting to be hugged. Her hair is matted with sweat and blood, a theme that is echoed in her clothing. As the group approaches she comes to and struggles to lift a hand, beckoning the group to stop. Curiously her eyes are closed, relying on sound alone to identify that someone has arrived.

"Stop," Neelar painfully manages to utter the word. "They've... done things to me. Let me die. Go back."

Drath goes silent as the group approaches the agent down the tunnel, his rifle still raised, even as they notice that the woman is in fact alive. <<"Agent Baduk.">> the man chirps out over his external comms. Taking a moment to turn and scan the area, he shortly enough returns his attention to the Agent. <<"Have you retrieved the information you were sent to collect?">> The words are generally ignored, to be honest. She could be suffering from severe dehydration. Saanvi can check the vitals, Drath just seems interested in the information itself.

"Knight Auslese, do you have any means of... detecting what is going on with... that?" Hadrix's externals click on as well, he has his flamer pointed at the agent, because you never know, the pilot light extending a little further. He does not demand to know what was done with the agent, doesn't care right now. Drath asked for the info, best not to muddy the waters.

/They've/ done things to her. Karys noted that specifically and begins to scan the cavern at large for wherever these unknown entities are. She takes a step forward but goes still shorty after so that her pistols will lead her view in case she does find something to worry over - or shoot at. Internal coms click on. <<We were told to retrieve her. I will cover Nine-oh if he wishes to step forward and help me retrieve the agent.>> Her attention focuses on Baduk, curiously peering at the fact that her eyes have not opened.

Erisi exhales out, her thumbtip having found its way into her mouth, a hangnail chewed on before Hadrix's question has her raising a brow, a half step taken back as she lets her hand fall to the side, "I mean I could try but I'm like two months brand new. I'm super good at setting things to fire but .." Unsure she'll then bite the inside of her cheek, sniffing in once as she glances around before looking at the agent, "I'll try." Said with utmost seriousness, and again with the raise of her hands she'll curl her pinky and ring fingers in towards her palms, closing her own eyes as she breathes slowly. Lips part, and she focuses hard, muscles in her face twitching as her fingers flex slightly, "I ..she's ..she doesn't know why she can't see ...and ..." Her head turns, as if listening, "She says her chest is hurting, it's burning ..like ..a hot line down one of her breasts ..I can't ..she doesn't know why, or how it happened." Useful? Maybe, but when hazel eyes open she'll look around her to those with her, "She's definitely badly injured, I just ..sorry, we only practiced that skill two days ago, and I wasn't very good. She's not thinking anything about your questions or the answers to the questions. Just the pain and not being able to see."

Saanvi stops and surveys for traps or other hazards. She doesn't offer any platitudes nor reassurances only studies the figure with detached interested "She is alive. How remarkable." She turns her head over her shoulder "Any reason I should not do my best to stabilize her?" Letting whoever is point on this misadventure make the choice for her in this case.

Neelar spasms stiff, her limbs ratcheting up and down as a current rips through her nervous system. Her head tilts back suddenly as if she were trying to scream but no words come out even as her mouth gapes. Then her eyelids open and rather than the dull, fleshy gelatin of ocular organs, the group is met with a remarkably complex array of electronics and a projected image.

"Oh finally! This has been," One of the men pauses and the other seated next to him continues, "remarkably suspenseful."

The backdrop of the projection is that of a cruiser, staffed by a number of haphazardly dressed humanoids from a variety of races. The area near the two men that sit in front of the viewfinder though is neatly appointed with a mirror-finish floor and two clone-leather seats that conform to their every twist. The two men themselves are smartly dressed and of high lineage with a strong, fit jaw and an avant-garde haircut. They are identical in every way save for they are mirror images of each other: chronometer on left on one, right on the other; hair undercut on one side, the other for the twin. Hadrix would recognize them.

"Oh, how," One says as the other continues. "Lovely." They both lean in, pressing forward to get a better view of what is likely a two-way projection. "First Order perhaps? Unexpected. Explains how this one," they both wave a hand forward, directing the attention of onlookers towards the woman. "Got as far as she did."

Then Doctor Plag, the Faustian enters on stage right, addressing the pair in a way that suggests that he is oblivious to the show. "There were complications and the project has had to be expedited." Both the twins point forward at the screen, annoyed enough that they move in unison and use the same hand. "Ah." Plag notes after a brief look before adjusting his goggles and pivoting on the ball of his foot. He leaves as quickly as he arrived.

At the movement from the Agent, Drath swipes his hand up, swapping his rifle over to stun mode as he raises it to point at the Agent herself. Only to be met with a hologram, causing him to wrinkle his nose within his helmet as he lowers the weapon. Not enough so that it's not at the ready, but enough to show he's not about to open fire. Swapping to internal comms, he suggests <<Might be more humane to put her out of her misery, if we didn't need to bring this back for study.>> Because obviously that's important. Keeping to his internal comms, he comments, <> He's unsure what to do with this, unfamiliar as he is with the situation, and as such goes silent to allow others more versed in this sort of thing to go ahead.

<<"One-Eight, if you can you find anything on the signal they're using?">> Hadrix keeps strictly to comms now, eyes narrowing at the sight of the twins. He knows them, remembers them, he lost an eye the last time saw them. He has no other ideas at the moment, and the agent isn't much use, even with the Knight running through her mind.

His temper flaring, he tabs off his comms and begins reciting doctrines and performing breathing exercises. There's still the damn worm too, possibly. He sees nothing as he gives a quick visual, so says nothing.

"The creatures these scientists have engineered,"

"Are quite remarkable." The twins nod towards each other in agreence. "But they have a number,"

"Of unfortunate flaws. You see,"

"They grow remarkably quickly making them impractical,"

"To house and they are curiously annoyed by,"

"Loud noises."

One of the pair of twins holds aloft a control pad that had been balanced carefully on the arm of his chair. "Have fun."

Beep! A button is depressed and a device from within Neelar's breast begins casting a shrill noise as if all the cicadas in the universe had congregated within the woman's body. The ground begins to quake, rumbling with ever-increasing loudness.

The wall suddenly falls away and the articulated, scaley edge of a massive worm replaces it as it travels to swallow the offending noise. It is indiscriminate in its rage, swallowing both the agent and many of the barrels strewn about before careening in to the opposite wall. The source of the collapsed tunnels has been found.

The worm disappears from view, leaving rumbling behind more a massive explosion is heard followed by a shrill shriek. Incensed, the rumbling begins to grow louder presaging the creature's angered return.

Erisi only has two seconds to look ..you know, amazed at the display, then the twins speak and she's left taking a half-step back, losing contact with the agent. As things begin to rumble she'll call out, "We should run." Sagely offered as she looks to the others.

Unable to get even close to the Agent to discern what is going on or how best to use the signal for their own benefit, Karys was enroute closer to the poor woman when the rumbling starts. She goes still and then hurries a step back as the ground begins to break open and KS-0218 takes a few more steps back, her head tilting as she watches the thing take off and disappear - until that explosion and shriek. Turning back about she hurries to the line with the rest of her squadmates and charges. <<We are not going to be using their signal for our own benefit. I echo the sentiment that it is best to go.>> She readies her pistols however and will be helping to bring up the rear to usher the Knight and Medic out ahead of them.

Jumping back at the sudden appearance of a kriffing WORM, Drath raises his weapon, swapping it back off of stun mode as it passes them by. <<Kriffing hell. I don't know who those guys are, but I look forward to shooting them.>> Taking a few glances around, he proceeds to point at the nearby barrels. <<Let's get these stacked, make a trap. Hopefully it'll be a moment getting back.>> Slinging his rifle, the Trooper approaches one of the barrels, and attempting to roll it over to the center of the area in front of the tunnel the worm disappeared into.

<<"On Ninety-One, he's the demo expert.">> Hadrix moves to assist with the barrels, <<"We setting and exfilling?">> he inquires while he jumps to, set on getting the demolitions in place ASAP. <<"Because I don't think we want to be -in- here when whatever it is you're planning is detonated.">>

Giving Drath a look as he rushes forward to stack barrels, Karys hesitates a moment more before she is muttering below her breath to herself. Pistols are clipped back into place at her sides to free her hands as she turns a barrel to its side and begins to roll it over, stopping it center before hurrying back to do much the same to another, trying to expand the pile in a hurry. <<It won't be long. And we are going to need to clear some range before it even gets here.>> She does not stop adding to the pile, barrels moved with a look at efficiency and quantity.

The rumbling continues...

<<Copy. Not planning on being nearby.>> Drath explains, rolling another barrel over as best he can as he piles them up. <<Roger, Nine-Oh. Setting up a proximity trigger, in case it doesn't come out this way.>> Stepping back, the Trooper allows the other two to stack some more barrels, pausing for a moment to remove a bangle of frag grenades from his belt. Taking one of them, he goes about setting them up for proximity explosion, leaving it deactivated for remove activation for the time being. Giving a few glances around the cavern, and taking the proximity set into account, he arranges it just so, allowing maximum coverage by the grenade that will surely set off the powderkeg of crystals nearby if it were to go off. Just in case.

Pulling off his helmet and yanking out the commlink mounted inside, Hadrix looks to Karys, "Activate yours, and put it next to mine!" Feedback loop, high pitched screeching. Gotta keep the worm pointed in the right direction. Setting his own on top of the barrels, locked to 'open' "Then exfil, on the sharp" He half-crouches, getting himself into a pre-running pose while keeping his eye out for the need to set things on fire.

Catching her breath as Hadrix gives the order, Karys yanks her helmet off to a dark brow wet with sweat. She tears out the comm unit and temps up beside Nine-oh. Winding the cord up she lowers, hitting the button into lock down for the unit and wincing just a little as the feedback is already keening up in the cavern. She puts down direct next to Hadrix and then steps back, pulling a pistol free from her belt. "Lets get moving," the ground is moving already under foot as the rumbling nears far too close for comfort. She makes certain Nine-one is set and then the new recruit turns, starting to book it from the cavern the way they had entered , the sound of her armor complaining filling her ears.

Cresting above the surface of the cavern as if the rock were mere water, the worm bursts out with an incensed roar and looms over the offending shrill noise makers. It dives down immediately then, its serrated maw making short work of the collection of explosives and barrels as it dives deep in to the earth.

KABOOM!

Silence follows.

Naturally, Drath had ran away from his own explosives after they were set, the proximity alarm activated on a ten second timer for the grenade before he goes. After running as well as he can manage down the shaft, rifle tucked in against his chest, he leans over and takes a deep breath as he glances behind him down the tunnel itself. <<Kriffing worm.>> is his observation there, the Trooper straightening up and slinging his rifle over his shoulder as he gives a deep sigh to the other two. <<Okay, extraction?>>

Hadrix didn't look back for an explosion. Never would. No way. He doesn't even look back down the tunnel, if the worm still exists, it'll be back, maybe. Out in the sun now, helmet off and clipped to his belt so that he can be heard now with the sacrifice of his comms. "No idea." eyes rolling skyward. "Unless we want to chuck a grenade down that hole and see if the explosion will draw attention from orbit..."

Coming about after covering her head, Karys waits for more rumbling only to find there is none. The new recruit does however find something curiously available. "The signal is still broadcasting...give me a moment and I will use it to send out a signal." With no more rumbling and the crazy agent holoprojector no longer something to worry over KS-0218 is soon using her small collection of items from the ship's laboratory to piece together a crude comm unit to piggy back off the signal. Once it reads the signal she depresses the connector with her finger to live feed the receiver. "This is KS-0218. Target was found and lost. Seeking Exfil information." The reply comes, crackling and not all together strong but its enough when they get back a:

<<KS-0218. Confirmed read on you. Return to research base. Over.>>

"Copy, sir. Ar-Tee-Bee. KS-0218 out."

It's a long, hot ride back in the transport to the place that they started but rather than be greeted with the vacated base, there's a new shuttle waiting for them. In orbit, the outline of a Star Destroyer can be seen looming with unspoken menace.

Log:First Order: Agent: Missing: Part 3

The hunt for Neelar Baduk begins.

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