Log:It's a KRAYT Day For Mos Espa
It's a KRAYT Day For Mos Espa
OOC Date: April 24, 2021 (Optional)
Location: Tatooine
Participants: Sumi Kora, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Wrrlryyhn, Terek Rosol, Bizz Bliptettjupp and Hadrix Kora as GM, Clan Kora
A sandstorm churned by the stomping feet of Bantha fleeing from the desert into the city proper. Panicked groaning cries mixing with the thunder of heavy limbs shaking dust from adobe buildings and forming cracks in some of them for the tremors shooting through the ground. Those who'd responded to distress calls having barely had time to set down and exit craft when things went wrong.
People are flooding westward away from the eastern ranges of Mos Espa, many calling out in terror... and event then some actually rallying others to position on rooftops and the streets with what weapons they have at hand. Heedless to the form pushing sand up in a great hump that runs a snaking line right up to the edge of the buildings on the edge of the city before the great plow like head smashes through the ground and the walls of a granary.
The monstrous reptilian's forelegs break through soon after the head, punching down a two-floor residential and bracing itself to see the fleeing bantha and then the figures of city defenders opening fire with small arms that ricochet off of its stone like scales. Beady eyes glaring before the jagged toothed maw opens and the roar that emits rattles bones and bursts unprotected eardrums of those too close.
Sumi sat upon the rooftop of a structure further into Mos Espa looking onto the destruction behind the reflective visor of a Mandalorian helmet. She had never seen a Krayt Dragon before, so she had no idea what to call this manner of beast. What she observed was how ineffective small arms were. <<"Pull back the defenders,">> Sumi orders. <<"If there is to be any success in the defense of this city, it must be from a united front. We need to control the path of the banthas and bring this thing where we want it. Are there any heavy hitting vessels or ordnance on stand by? Defense turrets on walls, perhaps?">>
Sumi lays out a long protective case and opens it to reveal its contents. A SX-451 Anti-Materiel long rifle held the dull shine of the light as she pulled it from its placement and set the heavy weapon out so its bipod kept it up right. She charged the receiver by pumping the bolt, and uncapped its optics before hefting the big son of a bantha up to rest on the edge of the rooftop railing so she could peer down the scope and watch a moment.
Having received the distress call the Wookiee female heads to Tatooine to offer what aid she can. Dressed in newly 'acquired' armor, and girded with a bristling assortment of weapons from spear to bow caster, as well as a med kit strapped to her belted waist, she descends from the ramp of her gun ship. The site of disarray and dusty chaos take a moment for her to digest and assess. Injured townsfolk first? No, likely to deal with the invading beastie first.
The rallying commands of the as yet unseen Mandalorian alor sends her to the shadows of nearby building to offer herself what cover she can find. Her bow caster is unslung and brought to bear though she is unsure if it's enough to pierce the hide of this beast. For the moment, she waited, looking towards those gathering the herds, ready to lend a hand to help lure the krayt dragon where it was needed.
<"All I've got is pistols! How in the nine hells are we supposed to take that thing down!?"> That would be Terek, who really only just has a few blaster pistols strapped to his armor. He had jetpacked up onto a roof and was watching through his helmet's rangefinder.
<"Couldn't we just bring one of the ships in and blast it from the sky?"> He asks, as he preps his pistol anyway, for all the good it'll probably do him, <"Or maybe some old First Order rocket launchers or something?">
<<"Maybe walls that could hold back Sand People.">> Hadrix's voice rumbles on comms while the big man kneels on another rooftop some distance from the main avenues of destruction caused by the behemoth. Some of those caught at where it breached the ground have already begun running in terror from the massive Krayt, several caught between its jaws before it dives below again, a seemingly endless line of its body trailing after before hind legs come and go, diving back down into the sand with the heavy battering ram of its tail sinking below again.
Mos Espa shakes, Banthas flee and speeders begin picking up others as they flee in all directions, trying to evade the great destroyer.
<<"Those rocket launchers weren't so effective as the old Kuat Drive Yard models.">> Hadrix's opinion added. <<"If you have ordinance, we could use charges as well. Or if you can, shoot it in the damned eyes.">> good tip... There are potentially ships that could be used - when its surface, if one were to try and make for their craft.
<<"I have sensors trying to track its movements. Marking position.">> seismic reports shorting a trudging line provided by the Woor'tra hovering high in the air with shields up. Allowing for at least some idea of where to not be when its head comes up again, narrowly missing a straggler from the stampeding Bantha herd, a scaled column erupting from below, trailing sand like streams of water.
<"Terek, see what can be done to redirect the Bantha. It is tracking its meal, we should capitalize on that at least."> In the absence of weapons to control a fight, use what you have to come at it from a different approach! Sumi hits a button on her wrist and the feline shaped ears rise up on her helmet, the built in antennae system for her HUD to 'dial out.' The ring tone sounds in her helmet, and a tired, disheveled blonde haired Hapan appeared in the corner of Sumi's HUD, rubbing her eyes. <<"Fae.. I need you here on Tatooine..">> Sumi says, stepping to one side whilst aiming and making use of her bipod.
A second later, Sumi fires a shot, catching the beast with a shot that pierced its thick hide with a heavy blow that concussed its frame upon impact.
"When, like --yawn-- tomorrow or something?" Fae asks, stretching. <<"No. Now. Get dressed and fly the Rotworm out here. We'll be marking a target. There's a chance you'll have to drop a proton bomb. Move quickly, our lives depend on it.">> The feed cut out just as realization etched itself in Fae's expression. She was rolling out of her bed in the holo-image before it cut out. Sumi cycles the spent cartridge in the heavy sniper rifle by pulling the bolt and ejecting the hot tibanna cannister.
<<"Hit it once.. it knows I'm here.">> Sumi says coldly calm.
The headset in her helmet, crackles to life, picking up the the nearby comms traffic, likely an open channel given the need for speedy communication. Hadrix's gruff voice she recognizes instantly though she doesn't burst in with a bunch of warbling and roaring. She does however, take the sage advice, and attempts to locate, and then fire upon the beastie's eyes. Not, an easy feat.
Not an easy feat at all, as her bolt bounces ineffectually off the thick hide. Finally, she breaks in over the comms, but uses her translation droid to connect directly with the headsets, with her own warbling in the back ground. <'If there are wounded, I can help. The Wookiee in the streets below.'> Drones the mechanical voice of the droid.
Terek fires up his jetpack and once again shoots through the air. He fires several bolts down at the dragon as he shoots overhead, and then lands on another roof.
He quickly spots the bantha that the dragon is chasing, and moves to try to intercept it. If he can guide that thing out of town, it'll do a lot less damage to the city proper. It'll be harder than he thinks though, he's never really had to ride a bantha before..
Turning first towards the heavy strike of the blast against its body and then the next when the bowcaster bolt detonates against it, the creature. It holds, hesitates and then screams out a call of primal challenge before a massive forelimb slams through the side of a building and the overcharged plasma star of Hadrix's long rifle cores into the joint between jaw and neck.
City workers, hearing Sumi, try to halt the flow of the herd, a desperate act and their calls do more to draw the attention of the creature, a moment, before it turns and remembers the second shot to smash through its scales, even with Terek's blaster fire heating scales and bouncing off.
<<"Osik...">> running along a roof and leaping at the last moment to get clear with his jets, the Dragon's charge is such that it widens a street by smashing in the walls of buildings and then, with a swing of its head, catches the massive Mandalorian and sends him flying several hundred meters like a Hutt-Ball out of a cannon and through a wall.
The Krayt turns again, looking for food, or threats, or both and shattering glass when its throat vibrates with its roar.
Sumi takes to the sky after witnessing the unknown fate of Commander Hadrix. Concern writes itself on her features but the fight must continue. Sumi takes hold of her heavy rifle with both hands and looks up toward the hovering VCX-350 in the sky. A second later and the dust on her roof WOOSHES outward from the sudden propulsion of her jetpack, and Sumi is airborne. Her rocketpack leaves a contrail of white smoke in her wake, all the way until she lands atop the vessel.
Moving to a position where she can shoot, she uses her HUD to locate Hadrix's IFF. <<"Commander Hadrix has been struck. Fate unknown. Honorable Wookiee, please make your way to his location. If you have some manner of observing waypoints, I have marked his location.">>
Sumi fires down into the dragon once it's appeared again, taking another hide shot but seemingly hitting nothing of critical value. <"Huttsuckin'.."> She curses, cycling the bolt again.
Wrr starts to head to help with the herd. However, the sight of the dragon going after the large Mandalorian brings her up short. The Wookiee starts to jog towards where it looks like the man might have landed. The tracking aid from Sumi, allows her to shoot on the run, though she's too focused on finding Hadrix to note whether she finds her mark or not.
<<'Got him.'>> The droid translates over comms as the Wookiee hurries over to see what aid she can provide. She does call out a greeting warning before she reaches him though, to let the Mandalorian know she is near. Her warning seems to go unheeded however, as she finds him out cold in a pile of rubble. Fortunately for him, the combat medic on hand happens to be a Wookiee, and she easily pulls the boulder sized bits of duracrete from around his body.
Wrr doesn't move him yet, as she's unsure of the depth of his injuries. Carefully removing his helm, which she is sure he will not thank her for later, she very gently pats his cheeks with the rubbery pads of hands. Then there are dulcet tones of a 'quiet' roar to try and rouse him.
Sumi wants those bantha out of town, Terek's weapon isn't going to penetrate the hide of that dragon, and the wookie is going after Hadrix. There's too much stuff going on for Terek to focus on everything at once, so he picks the one thing close to him that he can focus on.
Spotting a straight shot out of the town, he knows he has to get those bantha going down that road. So he hops over a few rooftops and then drops down in front of the charging herd. This will either work, or he'll get trampled and not have to worry about the dragon.
Terek pulls his helmet off with his left hand, plants his feet, and lets out a loud, predatory roar at the lead bantha, intent on getting it to change directions and head down the road out of town.
To emphisize his point, he also fires a couple of blaster shots into the dirt in front of the leader of the stampede.
One brave Cathar, or one downright crazy one. He's a member of Kora and if nothing else the lot of them have often blurred that line in order to get the job done, especially when clan mates lives were at stake.
No heroes in Kora, just duty driven lunatics it seems.
But the herd turns just before that moment where one might expect that even if they were to follow his direction anyway that they'd still paste him into the ground. Sand and the musk of bantha wash over Terek as they move as a unified heard, smashing through partition fences and bazaar walls of adobe and leather as they make for what will be open desert.
A certain Ordo is quite happy that Al'Verde Hadrix has that helmet made out of Mandalorian Iron with gorget and cowling to go with - the bruising around his face and neck alone suggest he might have had some fractures instead of bruising in those places. One leg bent oddly at the mid thigh and his right arm very clearly out of socket.
The roar pops both eyes open, gray iris dilating and gold rimmed bionic filling with glowing red. "I'm up! I'm up!" voice raspy and strained from freshly cracked ribs and bruising up one side of his torso and down the other. "Rekking... drag..." left eyelid fluttering.
The dragon can be seen just outside of the Holedrix opposite of where the big man lay and the Wookiee crouches, the massive beast having lost track of the sources of injury and how heading after the more tantalizing target rushing towards open desert again. Allowing a moment of respite to regroup for the hunters and a chance to escape for the city dwellers.
<<"Understood,">> Sumi replies to the Wookiee. Her attention goes to the success Terek has in getting the Bantha out of the city. It's a welcomed sight. <<"My commendations on a job well done, Terek. The beast is following its meal. We will keep it out in the open desert for now. Find height, and prepare to laser the target in preparation for Lady Fae's arrival. She'll need a clear designation before she drops the proton bomb.">>
Sumi fires an ascension line against the exterior hull of the craft she is on before ordering Greeza to, <<"Pursue the Dragon,.. Pheegus, get on the guns. We need to keep it in the desert. Mindful of the herd.">>
When they move, and eventually settle, Sumi snaps off another shot but it's not successful. The cannon fire, however, is. She watches the heavy concussive impacts the laser cannons make. <<"Good shots, good shots. Keep it over here, do not allow it to divert!">>
"rwarrl woeieowl" Wrr warbles to Hadrix as his one biological eye flutters open. His bruising causes her a good bit of concern. But at the moment, she wants to make sure the grizzled warrior doesn't hemorrhage out. Scanning him with her medical scanner, she begins her assessment and emergency treatment. There's only so much she can do, given their limitations, but her emergency field medicine will at least hopefully, get him back on his feet. "woeieowl woeieowl rwowoal rwowoal rwarrl rwarrl rwowoal rwarrl rwowoal roarrl." She churrs, the small droid at her belt breaking her Shyriiwook warbling into monotone basic. She kept a firm hand on his chest, continuing her ministrations, just in case the Mando got the idea to try and rejoin combat.
Wasaka translates for Wrrlryyhn, "Hold still You'll still need to see a Doctor in the morning."
Terek stands firm even as the bantha herd bears down on him, but they do turn. He wishes he'd kept his helmet on as the smell of bantha washes over him, but he quickly puts it back on, clears it, and then fires up his jetpack. He wants to get clear before the dragon shows up. So he launches up to one of the rooftops, just in time it seems.
He fires off a trio of shots as he flies upwards, figuring that the beast will continue to ignore him, and he can get into position to laze the dragon when the bombing run happens.
Wrr removed her large hand from the Mando's chest. She looked out over her shoulder to see the hunt has moved onward a bit. While she did start to pack her implements back up, she did not yet leave the side of her patient. She considered her next move as she watched Hadrix recover. "rwowoal rwoarl rwarrl rwowoal rwowoal woeieowl woeieowl wrall grarrrl. woeieowl rwarrl rwal rwowoal rwarrl rwarrl woeieowl. rwowoal woeieowl, grarrrl rwarrl rwarrl rwal." She explained with a warble and chirr.
Wasaka translates for Wrrlryyhn, "They succeeded in leading the creature out of town. I will perhaps follow in my ship. No debt, this is my duty."
Sumi hoists the long rifle to rest against her back, the magnetic strip activating to take hold of the weapon's receiver and hold it in place. Making use of her anchor, Sumi swung herself to the port side of the large medium freighter to hang off its side while chicken-winging the T27 suppression weapon under one arm. Her HUD, synced with the weapon, lines up a shot and she fires a HEDP explosive from the weapon's lower attachment; its sound was like THOOONK, though it was lost to the overwhelming roar of the engines.
The grenade's impact caused some disruption from the dragon below, and Sumi hoisted her weapon up to observe. <<"Pheegus, open up! It's in the open! -- Terek.. you got it lazed. Lady Fae is on station!">>
Terek gets up on top of one of the buildings. He has to bear in mind to keep the Krayt Dragon focused and stay away from the banthas. He lazes towards the creature and airs on the side of caution to laze towards the side of the dragon that is away from the bantha herd. That way he won't have to worry about the bomb hitting too close.
Brother Bizz was in the salt flats on an 'archaeological expedition' when the comm relay between moisture farms finally reached him. Riding on an old Aratech speeder bike, the fat Jedhan monk finally breaks into open desert with his robes flitting in the breeze. "<<By the FORCE, it is a big one! Can you see it from the air?>>" he asks over the open comms. He uses a simple electrorangefinder scavenged from a targeting computer, projecting a green beam that rattles with each jump of the repulsors on his bike. It is typically used to measure soil depth but any ship's targeting computer could pick it out like a beacon.
"I don't work like that. You will be repaid in kind." a half grin forming on Hadrix's features before he coughs and lays back again. "Rekk..." head falling back and his helmet gathered up, pulled back on so that he can toggle his comms,
<<"Sumi... I still live.">> the balor glow of his bionic eye winking out as he closes his eyes and lets his expression slip from studied, bemused, calm to 'Ow... my everything.'
The Dragon, stuttered in movement by the detonation of the grenade from Sumi's rifle makes a wet barking sound that is silenced by the Ithorian's firing is able to turn aside a lunge from the creature that seems to be caught between the irritant or getting a meal and going. Throat bulging as it prepares to spit again and lunges back to the sand to close the distance between it and the bantha again.
Hunger and misfortune giving at least some reprieve.
The Bantha are beginning to spread out some as they hit open desert. Less clustered and turning into a mass that is churning up the kind of sandstorms that the locals of Tatooine speak of in hushed tones in cantinas after securing their moisture and fungus farm equipment.
expands, and whites out the region of area it has effected before the sound has time to catch up. The sound, if the explosion could be explained as a sound, was incomprehensible. The feeling of the explosion was more easily experienced by the sudden kinetic shift of energy as concussive waves of air spread out in every direction before angling up in a tower of dust, dirt, rock and debris.
The very ground in Mos Espa rattled violently, and the sound pollution was so potent that untreated glass, or any clear material that was not transparisteel, shattered and broke. It was glorious. But it was a miss. Those without ear protection, even those still in the city, would have ringing ears because of the blast. If they could hear, the first thing that came across the comms was,
<<"Gods damn it, Fae. You missed. You had one shot, and it's a bloody miss.-- PHEEGUS.. LIGHT THIS HUTTSUCKER UP! If we're to kill it, we need to pour everything we got into it! OPEN FIRE! FAE, GET YOUR ASS AROUND AND POUR CANNON FIRE INTO IT!">> Sumi fires another HE/DP (High Explosive/Dual Purpose) grenade into the exposed scales of the Krayt Dragon, this time earning its attention with a pained roar. <"That's right you UGLY Huttsucker, stay out where we can see you.." She cycled the breech of her weapon, ejecting the spent grenade cannister and chambering the next.
Terek's attempt to laze the beast didn't work the way he would have hoped, as the bomb goes off and kicks up a ton of dirt and dust.
No way that pressure wave didn't at least do some damage, but Terek's going to have to do this the old fashioned way. He moves to the edge of the roof, takes a knee, and then starts to squeeze off rounds at the beast, "Come on, go down!" How do the sand people kill these things normally? Poison banthas maybe?
Bizz has to squint his eyes despite the protective goggles he wears. The explosion rattles through him and his speeder bike with a WHAAAAAAAAANG sound, making the repulsors stutter for a few moments. "<>" He rattles his dusty electroscope then paints the hide of the beast again. Y-Wings have laser cannons after all.
Bleeding, pitted and with great rents cut into the creature's natural armor. The ground is blackened, shiny, glass in places from the impact of the bomb that has even cracked some of the perimeter walls for all of the distance from the blast epicenter. Snarling and losing interest in the bantha for a moment when the explosive round from Sumi forces it to recoil and it twitches when the Cathar's blaster bolts strike exposed flesh among the spines and horned scales that have been cracked or chipped away.
When it lunges, Greeza is J'hahnne on the spot with the thrusters, blasting the ship back from massive teeth that threaten capability to bite past shields and into hull plates of the craft - catching only empty air but also keeping it clear of the shots from the Ithorian manned ventral turret.
<<"No glory, trying to get a shot.">> Pheegus's translator drones.
Hadrix, meanwhile, in the rubble where he was tended lays there, dozing in and out of consciousness - letting the medical drugs and bacta work.
It's not going well, but Sumi is adamant about eliminating the threat altogether, so it never terrorizes Mos Espa again. She spots the inaccurate fire of the ships and curses, activating her jetpack and recalling the grapple that's kept her anchored to the top of the ship. She goes airborne, briefly, and lands in the sand, lifting a hand to the side of her helmet to initiate the targeting lens.
It extends and lowers in front of her right eye and Sumi take aim at the throat, locking onto the organic target before tipping her head down to release a missile from her back. It cuts through the obscurity of all the dust and raining dirt/debris to find purchase precisely where she aimed.
How it died, or if it died, was unknown to her. All she saw was the subsequent explosion, and being at this proximity even with hearing protection, her ears were left ringing.
The kinetic, concussive blast of the respective explosion sent her cape flapping back and she had to drop to a knee to keep from being flung backward. The only thing that replayed in her mind at that moment was the gravely echo of Hadrix's voice, as she mentally replayed what he said; Sumi... I still live.
She smirked.
The missile hit from Sumi's jetpack burrows into one of the bared spots within the neck of the dragon, cutting through raw flesh and seating itself deeply enough so that when the warhead goes off the spray is phenomenal. Meat and blood raining from the side of the beast, turning its roars into a wet sound, like a waterfall screaming while it lurches to one side.
One massive, clawed, forelimb scrabbles for purchase in the sand, digging massive trenches before it shakes, jerks, and its limb gives out - sending it tumbling over sideways towards the ground with its venom sacks squeezing on instinct. A blistering, steaming, torrent of blood tainted acid that pours out to melt sand and send up a toxic reeking steam that last for mere moments before it breathes its last.
A rattling sound and an eye glassing over while staring at the banthas.
Wrr had great timing it seemed! She jogged up just close enough to get in range with her Bow caster, just in time to be hit by the concussive wave of the explosion. She hits the ground and takes cover, reflexively. For a moment, she waits for the smoke to clear and peers up. Of course the font of blood and flesh are a sight to see though. Fortunately she's mostly far enough away still that she is in danger of only getting hit with a few blobs of cooked krayt flesh. She goes of the open comm they'd all been using. The deadpan monotone of her droid, takes some of the heat out of the moment. <<'Is that it?'>>
Terek's blaster shots are hitting, finding weak points here and there, but then the missile flies in and strikes clean, burying itself in the dragon and detonating it.
Terek jumps up, throwing one fist into the air as the creature explodes and chunks itself all over the place, "Yes!" Though once he settles down, he looks at the carnage around them, <"I have got to get one of those."> He says over comms, in regards to Sumi's launcher, <"I don't think that'll be bothering this town again.">
Bizz nearly falls off his bike as another explosion rocks the desert. "By the FORCE! Is it dead?" He turns his speeder bike around with a WHZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and putters closer to the acid-spewing corpse. "They eat sarlaccs, I read." He leans on his bike's handlebars, removing those anti-glare goggles to get a good look at an exploded greater krayt dragon.
Perhaps not bothering conventionally, but certainly raising the blood pressure of food marketers as the city begins to descend with everything from plasma-cutters to vibro-blades. All looking to get at the meat that this thing offered, leather, bones, teeth... perhaps even a Pearl to be claimed. The remains to be divided used, every last piece that the locals can to turn it into something. On Tatooine you didn't leave resources to rot.
The only sign of the dragon's attack to still be seen in upcoming days would be the slowing filling in crator from the bomb drop - once the civilians were done with it.
And at least it wouldn't be taking bantha any more.
