Log:Greystorm: Ice Queen Down

Kort Greystorm's Hwk-290, the Ice Queen, is shot down behind enemy lines. A general, a representative, and a jedi knight go to rescue him.

OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Corellia
Participants: Ambrosia Greystorm, Sesti Greystorm, Jax Greystorm

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 19:13:51 ] Intel had shown up on the desk of the general as it always did. Casualty reports, supply manifests, strategic reports, and as always Intel reports of various topics interest to give her parameters and metrics to judge just how well the fight was going. It was enough to choke a bantha and enough to keep a team of aides busy.

Buried in one of the files was a report of how an independent freighter had been smuggling in weapons for one of the allied groups of Corellian Freedom Fighters who had been shot down behind enemy lines. This being Corellian tit is probably a common occurrence. Although one of the long suffering aids had flagged the report for the name of the ship, a Hwk-290, named 'Ice Queen.' The ignored personal messages from Aora, the general's daughter, over the last day or so had confirmed it. The general's husband, Kort, was shot down and MIA behind enemy lines. Worse, the final message from Aora had been one line. 'Fine, I'm contacting Jax.'

The arrival of the Kal'Ayure using both senatorial and jedi clearance codes had not been expected but here it was all the same. No sooner than yacht land did the ramp lower and emerging down the ramp of the ship, the physical manifestation of Aora's ultimatum appeared the hooded figure of Jax Greystorm.

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 19:50:43 ]

'Ice Queen'.

The very definition of the word(s) is embodied in the rancorous roar that bellows forth from the General's bunkroom/office. She's been catching up on reports after returning from a jaunt around the Nomad bunker, across the valley. The mention of a certain Corellian's supply ship being shot down and not yet recovered has not....not sat well, to say the least.

"PENDING!?" the roar demands to know, old battleaxe stomping out of her hole, waving the datapad around. "Anyone care to enlighten me on the progress of that status!?"

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 20:06:09 ] The usual accompniment to Aora's ultimatum follows closely on his heels down the ramp, the long, armored coat cutting a similar figure to the jedi robes of her husband. The mottled color of the leather refuses to settle on a particular shade of brown or olive, instead it seems to enbody all of them. Sesti appears unarmed, and her hood is pushed back to reveal the zabrak horns and intricate braids; but the old battle axe would know better. She stays quietly just behind and off Jax's left shoulder, ready to follow whatever unfolds.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 20:09:16 ] One of the aides, a chipper Twi'lek lieutenant, that had rank pulled on her to placid the general, slowly approaches. The way that she hopes Amber does not attack. "We just got an update of a report from SFC. We couldn't get in a team on the ground. The First Order was too entrenched. A flight of Y-wings from Rancor Squadron escorted by Snubnose fighters from Echo Squadron was able to slag the area before the First Order was able to salvage cargo or components of the civilian ship. Status of the crew are still unknown. We've included flight data. Apparently also a Jedi Knight and the Representative from Iridonia are requesting a meeting... at the same time? Should I continue to tell them you're unavailable? You're standard response for digitaries" The happless aid asks hoping to survive long enough to get reassigned.

Meanwhile Jax was sitting patiently on the tarmac with his legs crossed as waits for clearance from a pair of soldiers on guard duty. "I would give it a moment, Representative. I'm sure the fog of war has slowed down response times a bit."

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 20:28:34 ]

"Slagged the area." The way Ambrosia repeats it probably isn't a good thing. Punctuated by a raise of her brow.

It's standard protocol, if immediate SAR isn't feasible.

She doesn't appear appeased.

Her lips are pressed into a thing, hard line and before the Lt can finish her sentence, Greystorm Sr has turned in an about-face and doubled back for her quarters. "Tell them I'll be on tarmac, presently." First, a wardrobe change.

When Ambrosia does re emerge, it's in a set of light combat armor with auto-camo tech, making the subtle shifts of tone and pattern to mingle with her immediate surroundings. Also, there's the hefty rucksack on her back. No doubt what that's full of.

"I want the logistics of that train run mapped out by the time I return!" she barks on her way out into the sun.

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 20:33:00 ]

With her feet planted about a hip width apart, and her hands clasped lightly behind her back, Sesti maintains her position behind and off Jax'es left shoulder. "Give what a moment?" she asks curiously, her eyes roving leisurely around their surroundings. The roaming stops when a familiar storm cloud exits the building with a heavy rucksack. Even with the armor blending the Admiral into her surroundings, there's nothing that can disguise the sheer force of nature embodied in the Ice Queen.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 20:43:26 ]

The arrival of the General and the armored speeder at almost the same time, causes Jax to rise to his feet. Though his expression is stern until he looks Amber in the eyes, and his face soften into a smile, "Mom." Then he looks to Sesti. "That."

Once the driver is decided upon, the team of Greystorms is off. The go roaring through the scenic countryside landscape of Corellia, that well is not so scenic as the ravages of war have taken their toll here and there. The crash site was a couple of clicks away when Jax speaks up, "Any idea of where he could be? I don't feel anything yet though if we don't have any ideas, we should see if we could go to the crash site?" They were cross First Order lines but it wasn't a hard line at the moment and more porous than either side would ever admit.

- [ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 20:49:49 ]

Sesti shrugs one shoulder as she looks around them. "I would search directly under the flight path before the site. If he ejected before the Queen went down, would that not put him before the crash site, so to speak?" She pauses. "Assuming he ejected, of course." Her mouth curls ruefully at one corner, unseen behind the helmet she's pulled up for the speeder ride.

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 21:03:23 ]

"Drive to the site and drop," Ambrosia looks up from her tightening of straps to address the driver. Another knife's been buckled to thigh. "Then you buzz off till we call for evac. Order's been hovering around that area pretty tight and I don't expect the bombing to keep'em away forever. We start at the known point of contact," the crash "then back track along what bit of trajectory they've got. On foot. If he didn't eject ahead of time and survived the crash, might find signs of which way he went. But. If he did eject...well I wager he's made a push for shelter. Just so happens there's a farmhouse situated along the projected path. But. Site first."

The General's steely greens are plenty visible behind her transparisteel visor, reflecting back the faint, orange blip of her HUD's standby mode.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 21:15:38 ]

The driver had dropped them off just as Amber ordered before speeding away. The remains of Kort's Hwk-290 was a mangled charred mess. The bombs had done their job in destroying the ship and keeping the First Order away. Jax though stood in the middle of the crater. His face hidden by his hood he looked at the crashed mangled mess of a ship. It where he'd grown up when he wasn't on the planet. There's a slight huff before the jedi slide inside what remained of the cockpit of the ship. His hands sliding forward to find a holocapture that's a bit burnt around the edges but somehow still survived.

He emerges moments later, "The canopy is gone and so is the pilots chair. His astromech didn't make it." It was a cranky old thing. Jax reaches out to hand the holocapture to Amber. "I have echos of the wind on the picture and him grasping for it be not grabbing it in time and then fire."

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 21:21:35 ]

Sesti nods at Amber's orders, and waits patiently. When they are on the ground, she checks over her supplies, her newly refilled med kit, and her blades. By the time she's double checked everything, Jax returns with the holocapture. She cranes her neck slightly, curious to see the image Kort kept with him when he flew. "So, we follow back along his path and look for where he came down?"

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 21:44:20 ]

Scorched bits of bulkhead and twisted frags of metal crunch into smaller pieces under the weight of Amber's tread as she scuffs around. Looking everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. She's knelt to inspect a snakish curl of melted fabric, twirling it between gloved fingers. Flightsuit?

Whatever worries, whatever dark assumptions might be stewing around in her head are kept tightly under wraps, hidden and secured behind a taut line of jaw and cold, calculating stare. It's a look more befitting droid than mother, this frigid lock on Jax in her crosshairs when he makes his approach, mystery item in hand. She holds her hand out to receive and as he speaks, regards it with similar air of neutrality. It's kept there when she pushes to her feet, holocapture balancing on her palm rather than folded within it. Like it's a foreign object and not the invaluable object linking them to evidence that Kort is - or was - still alive.

He might be dead now, but he didn't die here.

"Yeah," she says in summary to Sesti, toggling one corner of her visor and bringing up the graphed tracking of Kort's final descent. Blips and grid lines over simplified topographical data, coordinates scrolling by to trace the path. "He bailed, so question is 'at which point?'" A glance to Jax. "Don't suppose it tells ya that."

The little capture gets stuffed into a pack at her waist, right alongside her collection of frag grenades.

"If he saw the house from the air, might be he timed his hop with hopes of hiding out. It's gonna be uh..." her eyes tick to and fro behind the faint glow. "A hike."

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 21:56:35 ]

"It doesn't work like that, I'm sorry. I gives me vague impressions of events imprinted upon it." He closes his eyes for a moment then there's a shake of his head, "Nothing, I haven't learned that talent and it's saying he's here. I guess 30 years of him living on the ship is too much for my connection."

They follow the path back towards the farm with no real signs of Kort ejecting along the way. Though as they draw near they find a First Order transport parked outside the farm and a squad of Stormtroopers sweeping the farm and the adjacent outbuildings. [ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 22:05:31 ]

One eye ridge raises when Amber tells them it will be a hike, and Sesti turns to head in the direcion her own display tells her the house Amber has chosen is located. The tucking of teh holocapture in with the grenades does not cause any reaction, after all, she's tucking it in with her other prized possessions. She looks to the two other Grey storms, and decides to take up the middle position. She doesn't dare take point from Amber, and Jax usually likes the view. She keeps quiet as the go, and spots the movement of white armor way up ahead even before she notices the house. She goes slower still, letting the shades of her coat bland with the vegetation around them.

-[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 22:16:07 ]

The old Ice Queen Aderanne stomps over the smoldering remains of her namesake, exiting the crater to track along the flight path. Foot patrol. It's long, it's tiresome, but it's easier to make use of stealth mode than riding around in repulsorcraft. "Dammit," she hisses under breath, blinking the illuminated display out of view in favor of focusing better in real time on those tiny white figures moving about in the distance. She likewise slows her approach. All...the...way...dooooown.

Ambrosia lays on her belly, propped on elbows, and flips a little macro attachment over on visor to zoom in on the terrain ahead. A slow scan processes....processses...processes...

"Headcount." Explanation? Order? Request? She doesn't specify.

Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 20:22:18 ] The Greystorms had found their way to a secluded farm caught up in the front of the battlefield. Though from the looks of the place it appeared abandoned but recently so. There were no signs of damage or fire fight to the man house or the barn. An industrial land speeder that obviously had once served as transport for the farm sits in the farmyard not far from a fuel tank. There's an old water tower and a silo on the other side of the barn. There appeared to be no livestock at the place. In the middle of what would be a peaceful scene was a squadron (10) of storm troopers and an armored APC land speeder. The squadron had broken down into two fireteams and were searching for something or someone. There was an eleventh individual, a junior , near the land speeder. He appears boredly waiting for the troopers to finish their assignments and the search.

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 20:59:50 ]

After observing their 'worst case' scenario at length, Ambrosia flips the macros away from her visor, still lying belly-down in the field. <<Solid squad of ten, nothing we can't handle. Best way to handle? Divvy'em up. I vouch one of us makes a creep for that speeder, wires it a'go, and takes it for a joyride. Draw a chunk of'em off. Won't be hard t'nix the one loitering around the speeder there." Arching a brow, she looks to the both of them for consensus. "Failing that, we blow the fuel tank. Distract the squad, give your Dad a heads-up that help's arrived."

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 21:21:35 ] Surveying the scene with Amber, elbows out wide as she keeps her head low, Sesti nods once in agreement. "Jax is sneakier than I am these days, and definitely a better driver," she suggests. Her eyes continue to watch the patrol searching, noting their movements and then moving ahead of their intended direction to see if she notices anything 'out of place' in their path. Her eyes pause over a patch of shadow and strain to see if it has any sort of human shape.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 21:32:59 ]

Jax nods, "By one of us, You mean me." As this all sounds like part of Jax's skill set. Then the Corellian sets off down towards the APC and sticking to the shadows. The sun had just dipped below the horizon and it dusk and not true night yet. As Jax makes it inot the shadows he wills the Force around him to hide him. Though as he does a pair of storm troopers come around the corner and one of them looks into the shadows to see Jax, <Halt put your hands up!> Jax might officially be the worst.

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 21:56:35 ]

"Farkin..." Ambrosia utters a malcontented grumble upon seeing the pair of troopers catch Jax in the act. It's difficult to say who she's more irritated at - the inconvenient bucketheads or her son. The old rebel settles into a comfortable position with her rifle, cheek nested flush with the weapon as she puts one of the two advancing troopers in her sights. The fuel tank is....it is inconvient, as well. So near. A direct hit might endanger Jax from the resulting blast, so precision is key.... E Tracking the white armor with held breath, she exhales to Sesti "Whatever you do, don't be seen as I've only got one scope."

• PEW*

It's not likely that the sound of her heated cursing is audible above of the BLAAAST of that tank.

Well. At least they'll feel the heat /some/ way.

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 22:17:02 ] The helmet she wears hides Sesti's brief closing of her eyes as Jax runs into his usial luck that is outside any Force control. Putting her palms to the ground, she shoves herself back and up into the shadows. She gives an unseen salute to Amber's back as she skirts around a different direction than the one her husband took. As she skirts around, there's a blast that's as unexpected to Sesti as everyone else, but she rapidly adapts and uses it to her advantage. The sound pulls the attention of the Junior and also muffles the whine as the speeder revs up. She gives it a little jump in his direction, hoping the contact puts him on his face before she shoots around in an arc, as close as she dares to the troopers halting their would be thief, head down as she continues across the best firing line of Amber's position, trying to string them out for the old battle axe to pick off.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 22:39:07 ]

Before Jax can respond all hell breaks loose, a blaster bolt goes zipping past the storm trooper before he can say anything and hits the fuel tank. There's a massive fireball that briefly lightsup the sky. In the illumination of the barn yard there appears the form of a cranky old pilot in the barn's loft as he lays out and his Dl-44 strikes one of the storm troopers droping it.

Jax sighs, "I tried the proper way." His saber striking out to end the trooper that had called him out and then open fire at him hitting him. Jax blade cutting the trooper in two before missing with the next swing.

The Lieutenant drops to the ground as Sesti nearly strikes him. He calls out, <Squad retrieve the APC.> Which five of the troopers take off to follow the now moving APC.

" [ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 22:56:53 ]

In lieu of an 'oops' there is a hisss of air, sucked between that old Battleaxe's teeth. The fiery plume that erupts in the wake of her misaligned headshot is a reminder that rifles are NOT her forte. She ought to take this fight to arm's reach.

While the blaze is still a spectacle worth oggling, she shrugs the rifle's strap over shoulder and embarks on an expedient creep forward to close her position. Hers was blown, afterall.

And she ducks, hunkering in place as that landspeeder Jax originally went in pursuit of goes whizzing on by....

<<Driver, Driver, this is IceQueen. Requesting intercept for liberated APC...>> She resumes her high-speed slinking, gaze fixed on the form of the the FO Lieutenant who's just picked themselves up from the ground. <<Sesti Greystorm is in the wheelhouse, drawing enemy fire away from barn, coordinates...>> and so the hushed relay of said coordinates go. <<Needing backup fire.>> Or at least a mild form of harassment to split the heat.

It's radio silence then the last several meters as she yanks the serrated blade from its sheath on her thigh and executes a sprint that leaves no option for reconsideration of plan once executed. She is in the open for approximately four seconds, bearing down on the Lt like the gale force storm she is.

A last minute drop to ground, upward slice at groin cuts deeply where the armored plating fails to come together, endangering an artery, before she pops up and grapples with the trooper for a chokehold to deliver that killing STAB.

Said Lt is a bit squirmy, however, so this might take a minute.

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 23:18:14 ]

When no more rifle fire rings out from Amber's position to shoot the trooperes following her, Sesti looks behind her. The troopers are falling out of formation in their zeal to bring down the speeder. Making a quick decision she slams a foot on the brake and pulls around the speeder to confront her pursuers. The turn strains the engine, and it coughs and sputters, refusing to take her all the way back. With a grunt of disgust, she puts a foot to the side to jump out, just as it coughs once more and hitches forward. The graceful leap she had intended is thrown sideways, and she lands sideways and rolls over onto her back the wind knocked out of her. She winces and rolls a little sideways so that she can pull at the hilt of her sword from where it dug into her side. She gives a little cough as her voice returns, then gets ready to roll to her feet and confront the lead trooper.

[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 23:36:39 ]

<< Pick-up inbound. ETA 30 seconds.>> That's the word Amber heres on the com unit. A pair of stormtroopers appear to the side of Amber as she takes out the Lieutant. Kort seeing them from his vantage point raises his pistol, "Hey Kriffers." His blaster firing out hitting one of the stormtroopers as he the trooper returns fire striking the old ace in the left let. There's a grunt and a series of cuss words escaping the mans mouth. His buddy not spooked by Kort opens fire on the old general herself.

Jax quickly slices down the one remaining next to him. Then theres a quick run past his injured mother. The Corellian knight can be heard reciting the jedi oath as he tries to remain calm. I mean both his parents were injured.

His wife was also injured but he didn't know that. The stormtroopers chasing her were confused and well only two of them recover quick enough to open fire at her.

[ Ambrosia Greystorm (Amber) | 23:44:27 ]

It's mid kerfluffle that Ambrosia feels the telltale searing heat which says medbay's gonna have its work cut out for them later. Her right ribs are unappreciative upon expansion, but considering her tolerance, on a 1 out of 10 scale, it's a '4'. The Lieutenant is shoved to the ground, off her blade and out of her grasp as she gasps, staggers, and looks to the element of fire previously unseen.

"...KORT!?" She doesn't sound pleased. "How's'is'fer change'o'pace?" Slurred on raspy exhale as she favors those seared ribs and looks to the scorched and melted bodysuit suit under armor.

DAmmit.

Jax blurs by and she struggles just a moment to follow suit. 30 seconds. They had to hold out 30 seconds. "PREP FOR EVAC!" she screams in the direction of Kort's loft, then goes barreling after their son.

[ Sesti Greystorm (Sesti) | 00:19:01 ] Five coming towards her, Sesti measures the distance between them as they approach, then hears the call for the evac inbound. She keeps her sword out so it doesn't bruise her again, and just in case Jax's luck rubs off on her as she moves through the grasses towards the point where the other Greystorms are headed. She ducks lower as one blaster bolt whizzes by a little too close to her shoulder. <<On my way>> she says quietly in coms, her voice still a little breathless from the air returning to her lungs.

" [ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 00:26:15 ]

The Republic Landspeeder shows up right on time. Sliding in between Jax and Amber. This allows allows Amber and Kort to both load their injured selves up. Kort giving Amber his best Devil may care smile in between the winces of pain, "Hey Good Looking. I know you'd bring the boy and come get me." He says slumped in his seat. The blaster pistol plopped into the seat next to him.

The stormtroopers are hot on Sesti's tail as she makes her way to the evac as quickly as her breathless self can make it. A couple of the troopers firing at her though the sight of the robed figure with a lightsaber draw most of the shots, Jax dodging or in one case deflecting a blaster bolt upwards. He gives Sesti a little breathing room to load up. He gives her a smile, "Hey, glad to see you brought friends. You alright? We got two injured." Then as he ducks into the Republic APC. A turret on top of the speeder turns and fires at the stormtroopers as the vehicle turns and goes zipping off to head back to base.