Log:Jedi: Into the Heart of Darkness
The Jedi break into the Imperial Star Destroyer headquarters of the Prime Sentinel.
OOC Date: 3/14/22
Location: Kulma System
Participants: Rey, Rune, Jax Greystorm, Aryn Cortess, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Nora Frayus, Yuun, Vega, Ax, Qutha Buvu Pah, Zandra naMuriel
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 20:00:59 ]
Rey had sent out the message to meet up at these coordinates in the Kulma System. She'd initially said she was going to meet Maz, and her team, but they hadn't shown up. The plans for this mission had gone awry from the get-go.... No more Republic aid, the attack on the Cometburn family on Corellia, and now no Maz.
But, Rey had also said she had a plan...
When others begin to arrive, they'll find the former Red 5, the former Rogue Leader, the current Silver Leader, X-wing fighter sitting up ahead in space, its s-foils closed-shut, the engines in stand-by mode.
Inside the cockpit, Rey has her helmet on her lap, her eyes are on the sensors and she's watching... the Star Destroyer's aft section up ahead inside the asteroid field.
The Star Destroyer's engines are burning bright, and hot, sending small asteroids, and ship debris, in all directions around the black of space.
"Glad you all could make it." Rey's voice speaks over the chimes, as Artoo's silver and blue dome spins around to watch the ships popping out of hyperspace behind the form of Silver Leader.
[ Rune (R) | 20:11:12 ]
Saber Six slows from lightspeed, the star pattern quickly decreasing from a wash of white lines to solid dots. Rune checks the coordinate readout that his astromech droid brings up on the ETA-2c's screen. "That looks correct, Ecksdee." As if on queue, the signal from Rey's X-Wing pings on the display, beyond her the looming Star Destroyer and its hot burning engines.
"Hello Rey!" Rune states with a raised hand in greeting, though through the cockpit windshield and across the small expanse of space, the gesture was likely not noted. "Glad we could make it as well." He remarks as the other ships pop out of lightspeed around them. Hellos given, the young Jedi peers from the spider-webbed durasteel window, tiny S-foils also not engaged, but the sense of dread when so close to a ship of known destruction raises the hairs on the back of his neck.
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 20:16:31 ] Earlier on the Eravana, Jax had stood on the landing bay waiting for the jedi of the mission that were riding with him. He looked at his R2 unit as it came rolling toward his ship, "Sorry buddy, not this time. I don't think there's going to be enough room." The R2 let out a vocal complaint. "I know I promised you adventures all those years ago and I'm reneging again. I promise not to break her and I got a decent gunner for the mission. Besides somebody's got to make sure 70 and the Aethersprites are alright." The little droid spinning around to go find Chopper, Jax shakes his head, "I got a bad feeling about this."
A helix interceptor with the IFF identifying itself as the Painted Guardian had arrived at the rally point. Jax brought the ship into Rey's formation. He looks over at Bizz. "Don't shoot anyone on our side." Then flips a switch turning on laser turret on the bottom of the ship. "And may the Force Provide." That's what the monk had said to him in the early days of their meeting as Jax's R2 unit went hurling into space. "Alright kids, I don't know how crazy Rey's plan is or how well we're going to fit a Helix Interceptor into it. She said small fighters. You might want to hang onto something."
Jax hits the com unit to make a tiny blue Jax appear in the cockpits of the other ships, "Saber Leader checking in, Silver Leader. Let's go get Cometburn."
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 20:18:00 ]
Rainstorm arrives in a flash of blue light, her blue engines coming to life as the pilot places her gloved hand on the throttle to ease her forward. Logged into the encrypted net, the crew aboard the Rainstorm hears Rey's voice, albeit robotic sounding. Aryn is wearing a headset with a boom mic, and has the elegant display of her ship's controls on holo before her, their violet hue easy to read with the backdrop of space beyond it.
The Helix interceptor's modified engines purr, and shields shimmer into place. Reaching over to hit the comms, Aryn answers, <<"Rainstorm checking in, over.">> Aryn glances back behind her seat toward the BB series droid 'Cedar', "Be ready to help with energy fluctuations, the shields may get wonky, Cedar." The droid's warbling is it acknowledging.
Saber 2 drops out of hyper behind the pack of others that have joined in the cause. Vega has Round One with her in his little spot and he warbles when he realizes where they are. "Oh come on..." she whispers to her droid. <<Gremlin reporting in. Everyone keep your eyes peeled and make sure to avoid those freaky buzzard droids if they are still here.>> she states. Then she falls back to being quiet as to not confuse folks.
[ Bizz Bliptettjupp (bizz) | 20:26:12 ]
Brother Bizz is in the gunner's seat in the cockpit, controlling the plasburst belly lasers on Jax's Arakyd Interceptor. "Oh, I have not worked a turret since the Battle of Exegol. This should be exciting!" He is just finishing a bucket of deep-fried coin-crabs with Iskalonian tartar sauce so his fingers have just the right amount of grease for the gunnery joysticks.
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 20:26:43 ]
Sitting in the copilot and gunner seat of the Helix Interceptor Rainstorm is Nora Frayus. Given that her hands are folded across her chest and that she's staring with some scrutiny at the control panel in front of her, it's safe to say that she won't be piloting anything during this particular engagement. She reaches out with her right hand to give the yoke of the turret a poke with her index finger, watching it gently wobble back and forth. She returns her hand to where it was moments prior, both arms folded tightly over her chest. Nora turns her eyes up to peer out the viewport in front of them towards their destination -- the star destroyer's aft section, and its engines firing randomly to scatter debris and asteroids out behind it.
"My lady, if I may..." Nora says, and gestures towards the Destroyer -just- as its engines begin to fire. "And you will forgive my vulgar language, but this does seem like a rather shavit idea, does it not?" And then the Alderaanian double checks that her microphone was not hot and lets out a soft inhale of relief.
<<"Ahh.. aha, yes. We are with you, Lady Skywalker. May the Force be with all of us. That does look...">> The engine superheats a chunk of rock that turns from grey to orange to red... before disintegrating entirely. <<"Well, daresay, it looks quite dubious!">>
[ Yuun (Yun) | 20:26:47 ]
Yuun comes running up to the Painted Guardian, "Hey I need a ride too." he chuckles and boards the ship as well. He finds a place to stand, he moves into a spot near the cockpit and cargo hold. He smiles and makes sure that he is able to brace himself during the flight. Yuun looks around. Once they arrive, Yuun is quiet for time being letting Jax do what he needs to do and he nods to Bizz.
[ Ax (A) | 20:32:35 ] ~ Not knowing what he was getting into, Ax opted for the fastest of his ships to bring to Kulma. The TIE Avenger was a relic of the Galactic Civil War, but thanks to his wife, the machine was in likely better than it was when it was newly manufactured.
Coming out of hyperspace, the Specter flashes its IFF towards Rey's X-wing. <<"Don't shoot!">> Ax calls out over comms to those that were already in system. <<"I didn't want to bring Saber 3, woulda taken me too long to get to it from Chan.">> ~
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 20:33:38 ] "Bother..." Crammed into a makeshift area of the cargo compartment, strapped in and surrounded by glow-lamps to attend to the darkness of the craft interior. Robes gathered around him, hood down and hands folded in his lap, the Zelosian is white-knuckled while stuck in the transport section.
"Bother and blow..." leaning back to rest his head against the bulkhead and close his eyes, breathing deep and attempting to clear his thoughts, which are persistently filled with visions of hulls tearing open and sucking him out into space. Or the momentary flash of the explosion that crisps him.
Or Nora trying to get him to try those chocolates again; because he's sure she wanted to see what happened if she got him drunk. With candy. Because it's novel to people that alcohol does nothing, but a Rock'n'Choco'Snooker Bar will have him ripped up one side and down the other.
Why!? Maybe he should have taken one, so that he could die oblivious in the back of this craft.
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 20:39:41 ] Zandra is boring. She's in Saber 5, her usual eta-2c ship. She's got Bubbles with her this time though, instead of Ono. Which means her comms are a lot quieter than usual. << Saber 5 all systems check green,>> she says, and then, << We usually do shoot those, I hope they don't have any! >> And then to Bubbles, "Mark that TIE Avenger as ours and don't lose that mark. >> Bubbles whirrs and the top ball rolls a bit in reply.
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 20:43:54 ]
With everyone in-system, Rey watches the screens on her fighter's control board before she looks to her left, and then her right. "I'm glad everyone could make it. I will say, that this is a bit of a hair-brained plan, but it's one that ... well... we're running low on options."
Her hands bring up her helmet and she slips it on, before fastening the chin-guard.
"I've been through ship's like this one enough times to know what a weak point looks like, and what a weak point doesn't look like... I've seen how they make these things, and seen how they can be... un made too..." Rey adds as she puts her hands on the controls of the X-wing, minus the 'right amount of grease' that Brother Bizz yields his.
"I need to say, that if you feel this is too ... insane, you're not required to come with. But, the rest of you---"
The Star Destroyer's engines flicker, and then putter out, as the debris behind it start to calm down again without the influx of engine wash to cause them chaos!
"Okay, form up on me!" Rey says with more vigor as she fires up the Silver Leader's four red engines, and sends the ship hurtling forwared at the top of its speed!
"We only have a small amount of time!" Rey says further over the comms. "We have to get through, before they come back online!"
They what?
The four red engines of Rey's X-wing blaze forward, as she zips downward toward the aft of that derelict Star Destroyer!
[ Rune (R) | 20:50:05 ]
Rune had been 'calmly' looking out the window at the rest of the troops as they appeared in system, small unseen waves to the lot of them as they arrived. It was only when chatter of 'too insane' a plan came over his headset did he really start looking at the Star Destroyer and its off and on engines. It was when Rey flared her X-Wing to life and asked the others to fall in that her true intentions came to light in his mind. "Oh... OH!" the Ysannan remarked to himself, realization setting in.
Ecksdee beeped and warbled in delight when his pilot spurred into gear and began slamming the throttle to full, the other hand on the yoke. <<"No time like the present!">> Rune broadcasts over their secured channel and sails in behind their teacher, the nimble ETA-2c forming in on her right. This may be a crazy idea, but he's oft been witness to many such bonkers ideas working out... there's only one way to find out for sure!
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 20:51:50 ]
"Yeah? How did you do? I shot down some fighters and finished off a Star Destroyer. Then I nearly dropped out of the sky when Palpatine shot us with Force lighting. Aw Geez, do you have to get grease on my ship's controls?" A mouse droid in its station and next to Qutha's feet reves to life and goes shooting from its docking station turning on the light in the cargo hold/living quarters of Jax's hsip. It beeps irritably at Yuun as it zips past him to clean up Bizz's remains of his bucket. Jax shakes his head, "Qutha takes deep breaths back there buddy. I usually know what I'm doing when I'm flying. Trust the force." Jax turns his head to glance at Yuun, "You really want to strap yourself in."
Jax forming the Painted Guardian up on Rey. As Rey's orders come in Jax chuckles. << Alright Sabers, No calling my plans insane after this.>> Jax pulls back on the throttle of his ship and the engines burst to life, every bit of power ripping through the engines as Jax reaches out to the force letting it guide his actions and his control of the stick. A smile spreads across his face.
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 20:56:18 ]
Aryn doesn't respond over comms, the need for urgency has her throttling the engines more to form up on Silver Leader's wing. Slapping down a series of switches inside, the weapon's programming comes online, and the control cabin switches from a soothing violet color to orange. A minor proximity alert clues Aryn in on the fact she's near the others, and she begins to lead the Rainstorm through the motions of following them in.
[ Vega (Ve) | 20:57:02 ]
Vega gives a frown as she sees the engines flicker and then turn off. Oh this was going to be fun...said no one ever! <<Forming up on Silver Leader!>> she states over the comms and then guides her Aethersprite into formation with the others to make it quick and not lose them any time.
[ Bizz Bliptettjupp (bizz) | 20:57:29 ]
Bizz wipes his hands on the hem of his holy robes. "Do not worry. It's just the right amount of grease. We'll use THE FORCE!" He clicks on his harness before the sudden acceleration pancakes the pudgy monk into his space chair. Bizz looks at the droid snatching his fried crab bucket. "Hey there's still one crab in that buck-HNNNNNNG," he grunts, the inertial dampeners not completely negating this sudden change in velocity.
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 20:58:26 ]
Nora Frayus watches those engines slowly putter out, come online, and then putter out again. She gives a soft exhaling sigh while she listens to Rey speak, as well as a glance over her shoulder towards Aryn in the pilot seat beside her. Rey's words all but confirm her suspicion. This is it. This is the plan. To fly directly into the ion thruster engines of a massive star destroyer. She leans dramatically back in her seat sighs when the Princess engages those thrusters and guides them towards what Lady Nora is sure to be disintegration.
<<"At least I won't leave behind some wretched corpse. Just a pile of dust. Oh, are my comm's still o--.">>
-skskshhh-
[ Yuun (Yun) | 20:58:35 ]
Yuun nods his head and quickly finds a seat which he promptly sits down after hearing what is about to happen. Yuun looks to Qutha and smiles, "Just relax." he says. He then straps in and he bows his head, closing his eyes. He trusts in his friends and the Force. "May the Force be with all of us." he says loud enough for those in the ship to hear him.
[ Ax (A) | 20:59:26 ] ~ Ax just grins broadly, and was suddenly glad this ship didn't have a droid socket on it so Buster couldn't tell Kadi about the insanity that was about to take place. The Echani pilot pushes his throttle to the max, then backs off of it as he starts to overtake Rey's X-wing, sliding into formation just behind and to the side. <<"Roger that!">> he says over comms, one might even notice the absolute mirth in his voice. THIS WAS WHAT HE LIVED FOR! Or maybe it's just what he dreamed about doing, without being called insane for doing it. ~
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 21:00:18 ] Too insane.
Well even if it was... there's a complete lack of controls back here.
"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." spoken barely above a whisper - and then the mouse droid is whipping past. Mouse droids. Why mouse droids. At least this one lacks the vibro-saw that the one that stabbed him in the leg was set up with.
"Yes. Relax..." frown creasing his brow the zelosian continues, "You know, telling people to relax is actually more likely to cause anxiety" muttered though and the 'usually know what he's doing' isn't much of a help, "I really don't enjoy fighter craft. I like a ship that moves at sane speeds..." called back and resuming his muttering, Qutha continues the mantra.
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 21:01:26 ] << you know I will still call your plans insane, Saber One,>> Zan replies immediately. She forms up on the wing across from Jax, so she's got room to work on her own flight, so to speak. It also maybe puts her at the back of the pile, on one side. << Formed up and here we go, >> she puts in. She hits the throttle and the fighter zooms right onto the wing, formed up and ready to go. There's a slight smile on Zandra's face. It's a crazy idea of course it is. But it just might work.
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 21:06:17 ]
The approach to the Star Destroyer's aft is a quick one, the ship growing ever larger, and ever more looking as the plan settles in to everyone's mind. But focus is the key here, though skill helps a lot too!
As the train of fighters get closer to that main central engine port behind the Destroyer, the interior of its coils can be seen, still glowing with some of the power from the previous 'burn' that the ship had been going through on some old orders still programmed in to its flight computer systems.
The debris from the asteroid field is light at the moment, with rocks bounjd to be pattering off of everyone's canopies...
With Rey's s-foils locked in attack position, she reaches up to flip a switch, causing the X-wing to gain a little more speed. "Artoo, put all power in to the engines. Sap it from the deflectors if you have to... it's all or nothing at this point." She tells the faithful droid, who beeps and whirls a noise behind her cockpit.
Leading the charge in to the engine port, the X-wing's four red engines flare brighter, and just before Silver Leader is engulfed inside the engine, and the ship, she opens fire with the X-wing's cannons!
Red laser bursts zip in to the now dark port of the destroyer's engine, and begin to light up the inside, blasting the way in to the back of the engine, and creating a reasonably sized gap for the pilots to navigate further in to the super structure of!
The explosions send durasteel debris out across all the ships making this crazy run!
[ Rune (R) | 21:14:44 ]
The closer they get to the engine, the more intimidating their current plan seems. The fighters are racing headlong toward where fire just vaporized a few errant asteroids, the dust and tiny rocks left from the destruction clattering noisily off the transparasteel cockpit, one or two pebbles bouncing off Ecksdee's rounded surface.
Rune's eyes widen as Rey pours on more speed despite the S-Foils locking in the famed X-position and blasting a hole in the base of the engine. Likewise, a toggle is flicked and the triangular patches of wing fold up on Saber Six, the cannons flaring to life and the readout now displaying a targetter. A few short blasts remove any medium sized debris from their path and the fighters continue on their path. Soon the engines are looming and the ships are angling toward that newly opened hole, Rune holding his breath while his BB Droid whistles in excitement.
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 21:16:32 ]
"Just the right amount of grease, remember." Jax says to Bizz as the mouse droid shoves the bucket into the waste compactor, crushing the waste and ejecting it out into space behind his ship. Then the little droid goes back to it's docking station. "Brother Bizz, help with debris. I'm going to make sure I make sure the hole is wide enough for us." Jax says as he fires the heavy lasers that replaced the ions that were fixed mounts long ago. <<Trigger, I've seen your plans. Something about blaster cannons in glass Star Destroyers.>> The Helix Interceptor blows past the engine and inside the Star Destroyer, "We're inside. Always wanted to do this on a Capital ship. I have an uncle that claims he did this."
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 21:19:29 ]
They make it through, and Aryn's nerves are already shot. She's fallen back to get in line with the other ships, moving off instinct and skill at the moment, her knuckles white on the flight stick. "Hang on, Lady Nora... this could be a pickle.."
A pickle, indeed, they were going IN. Aryn could hardly believe her eyes, but she forced herself to focus ahead, reaching out with the Force and adjusting speed as the need showed itself.
[ Vega (Ve) | 21:23:34 ]
Vega's voice is quiet and her shooting is on point. She didn't want to lose anyone and they were needing time to be on their side for this. The white haired woman gives a shakey breath out as they clear a course for the moment and her ship keeps track of the rest of them.
[ Bizz Bliptettjupp (bizz) | 21:23:59 ]
Brother Bizz exclaims, "We are going INSIDE the engines? Ohhhh noooo." He grips the turret's firing sticks and hits the 'pickle switch' which powers up the guns, then fires the plasburst laser turret at flying debris. "Watch out!" The guns go BRAP-BRAP-BRAP and blow durasteel bits everywhere. They sprinkle on Jax's ship's hull like little raindrops.
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 21:24:27 ]
"'Could be a pickle', she says," Nora Frayus says, leaning back into her chair and squeezing her thighs together. Curling her toes. Flexing her core. Closes one eye. The kick of thrusters makes her heart feel as if its dropped into her stomach, and the sound of fixed mounts ripping through asteroids sees that second eye join it soon enough. "Hooooo, I could've been on Alderaan getting tan in my new swimsuit. Why did I choose this? Why did I choose this? Why did I choose thiiiiiiiis!"
And they're off. Nora really does try her best to calm herself. To reach out to the Force. To stop the sound of screeching strings inside her head, but every time she feels as if she might have a fingertip on a chord or string itself, she hears a chunk of space rock bump into the cockpit viewport and has to open her eyes to make sure she's not about to get sucked into the cold vacuum of space.
"W... well flown, Your Grace!" she says. Laughs, bemused. Unable to believe it. "-Extremely- well flown! We're nearly there!"
[ Ax (A) | 21:28:15 ] ~ Ax cannot help but yell YEEHAWW!!!! in the cockpit, fortunately for everyone else, he didn't key up the comms beforehand. The Avenger was fast and agile, and one of his favorite ships to fly, next best thing to a Defender. One day....
Flying at near full-tilt, Ax maneuvered through narrow corridors and used the tractor beam and lasers of his TIE to vaporize and shove debris out of the way.
<<"Best. Day. Ever. Saber Leader.">> Ax says with a huge grin on his face. <<"I know I shouldn't be enjoying this, but... I can't help it!">> ~
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 21:29:37 ] "Hrnnnnnnnnngh" Articulate today, Qutha remains as the craft are put through their paces, gripping the straps now and clenching up when the pressure changes vibrate the hull. Breathing in through his nose, holding it and continuing the mantra soundlessly through moving lips. Head lowering and deciding that if this is the day he finally goes - then there's no point in doing it out of his wits.
Surrendering himself to destiny as the Force would will, the farmer's breathing slows and his eyes remaining closed when peace, rather than just calm, finds him. Sitting still while emotion drains from his body and his expression.
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 21:29:46 ] Zan grins and shrugs, not that anyone can see it. << I mean, what can I say? I'm a cargo pilot. >> She doesn't have a problem flying that fighter of hers, though she nearly misses shooting a small piece of debris that is just big enough to cause her fighter trouble. Nearly. Bubbles raspberries her for that terrible shooting, but at least the thing only bounces off her hull and doesn't put any holes in it. She shuts up on comms now, as she concentrates on flying, reaching for the Force instinctively to help her with it.
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 21:40:10 ]
With the group of fighters making their entry in to the engine port, the debris is picking up in size and danger!
The walls in to the engineering section of the destroyer are punched through by cannon fire, followed by more debris of wall panneling, and all manner of ship sub systems!
One by one the fighters zip through the interior of the ship, and of note, with the vacuum of space exposed to the inside, more than just ship debris is flying by cockpits now...
Stormtrooper bodies, and ship crew bodies are limply flailing through the air as they are sent out toward the open engine port now....
Rey's X-wing continues through the engineering section of the ship to blast more holes in walls, more bulkheads blowing up and giving way in to what quickly becomes an wide open interior room!
The aft vehicle bay of the Star Destroyer! It's security lights come online, as the X-wing is quickly spun around, and its canopy flung open!
Rey scurries out of the X-wing and leaps to the deck before it can fully land under R2's piloting! She lands with a thud on the polished obsidian hued floor panels and runs toward the aft, just as two huge blast doors start to shut, over a atmosphere shielded wall that has been erected by emergency systems!
in the aft of the Destroyer, the engines start to come back online! the coils heating up as the Destroyer starts its run routine once again!
[ Rune (R) | 21:45:44 ]
"No, I see it. I have it Ecksdee, do not worry, I have i-" choice words to be used before Saber Six collides with an outcropping as it rockets through the makeshift tunnel. Rune managed to dodge the first protuberance, it was the second one behind it that he didn't see.
Careening out of control, the ETA-2c spins like a top, the pilot inside slammed against the side of the cockpit as his hands go flying from the controls. Around and around the ship spins, miraculously passing through the holes created by Rey but crashing heavily along the hangar bay floor. The damaged Jedi Starfighter skids along the shiny black surface, Ecksdee wailing loudly as sparks fly from the contact. Finally with a deep groan the ETA stops, rocking back and forth for a moment before all momentum is bled from the hunk of metal.
Inside Rune clutches at his head, the comm unit that had been tucked over his ear lying at his feet, flung from his head during the crash. "Nnnnnh... are... are you alright Ecksdee?" the Jedi asks his astromech droid as he shifts to manually unlatch the cockpit canopy. A couple of deep beeps and whirrs later and Rune acknowledges with a pained but crooked smile. "Well... to be fair, I thought I saw it."
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 21:48:36 ]
As the Painted Guardian goes roaring down the hallway, the heavy cannons blowing up bulk heads behind Silver Leader to make the hole that much larger. Debris thumping down the hull of the ship making it sound like it's raining outside. Jax shoots a large chunk of metal free and the vacuum of space sucking a slab of metal towards them, "Bizz, Bizz, I need you to shoot that. My weapons are cycling." Then at the last moment the heavy cannons cycle and Jax opens fire as spins the Helix interceptor in the hall, so it can pass through eye of the needle he's created. The scrapping along both the top of and bottom of his ship, leaving some nice scrapes and a less inexperienced pilot wouldn't have survived.
As the Painted Guardian enters into hanger, Jax pulls back on the throttle and uses the repulsor engines to come in for a landing. "We're here." He says raising his hand and starts to run past the exit of his ship. His hand going to his saber.
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 21:56:05 ]
Aryn's piloting is good, but her aim is poor at best. That shows when she misses an intended target and the result has undispersed debris CLANGING against the exterior hull. Aryn tenses and winces, "Whoopsy-doodle.. I think I missed..ack!"
There is no time for lingering on the failure though, they come out at the hangar and Aryn has to flip a switch to fire up the ventral repulsor lifts, transitioning from the rocket thrusters to the VTOL hover, the effort displaces her blonde hair as she alternates between one throttle and another simultaneously.
Artificial gravity has her at the lengths of her protective straps, her face flushed, and the effort clearly exhausting.. "I think.. we are alive..deploying the landing struts..."
The lever for the skids has been pulled down, and the Rainstorm settles, its ramp lowering to allow their exit.
Aryn disembarks with the images of jettisoned bodies on her conscience. It was a terrible way to die, she imagined.
[ Vega (Ve) | 21:56:30 ]
Vega grits her teeth as she tries to get through the debris and thankfully her flying is not trying to get her killed tonight. Most of the ones around were already dead and well...that would be an unwelcome nightmare. She clears out a good chunk of debris. She lands in the hangar with a bit of a breath out and makes quick of handing over controls over to her bb-unit, "Keep her running and don't leave me unless you want to deal with explaining that to Ewan!" she shouts at her droid as she climbs out of the cockpit and scurries down to the floor. "Right behind you." she states as she runs across the hangar. Good gravy this was a long hangar and she had short legs!
[ Bizz Bliptettjupp (bizz) | 21:58:25 ]
Bizz is firing wildly at all of the metal debris flying around the Painted Guardian. "Ahhhh! There's too many of them!" BRAP-BRAP-BRAP go the turret guns, blowing metals apart. One of them is blown into the bottom of the ship. Maybe it's just cosmetic damage. "Uh, I think I got them all. Most of them."
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 22:01:09 ]
Nora's celebration may have been a touch premature. While Aryn is certainly a deft pilot, an errant asteroid that those fixed cannons were meant to hit impacts the Rainstorm's hull. Nora jostles hard to the right and turns to look over at Aryn's 'whoopsidoodle' with hair having been knocked from her shoulders to the front of her face. She huffs those pink tresses up with a rush of air and unclasps her seatbelt to rise just after Aryn's set the Rainstorm down and deploys the landing struts. Nora's gaze turns to the viewport as she sees the bodies of the crew jettison into the cold of space, flailing as the vacuum rapidly turns their blood to vapor within their veins. She lets out a single exhale that nearly resembles a laugh. "Efficient," she murmurs.
"And excellent piloting, Highness," Nora says, offering to aid Aryn's rise to her feet should she accept it. Either way, she turns to move towards the aft of the Rainstorm and down the exit ramp to joint he rest of the others aboard the Star Destroyer. One by one, fellow Jedi arrive safely just in time for those engines to kick back on and Nora exhales an audible sigh of relief.
"Either we all died and are in the warm embrace of the Mother, or we have all survived. In either case, it is truly good to see you all."
[ Yuun (Yun) | 22:02:57 ]
"Unnnnhhhh...." Yuun holds onto the restraints as they come in hot. Doing what he can to not bump around as much, Yuun gasps for breath as they land and stop. The flashing of lights and crazy maneuvers are over, and honestly it's a bit exhilarating to have gone through that, but now is not the time to think about it, they have work to do.
Unbuckling himself from the harness, Yuun quickly gets up and begins running to the landing ramp behind Jax, "Come on you two." he calls to both Qutha and Bizz. Yuun's hand moves to the hilt of his lightsaber as he follows after Jax.
[ Ax (A) | 22:03:18 ]
~
BAM! Ax's fighter is cooking through the narrow spots of the ship, he's zigging and zagging and shooting at debris that gets in his way. Cockiness though, usually ends in disaster and Ax fires off the lasers at the tips of his wings, though instead of vaporizing the debris, it just causes it to shift its patern and bounce off a durasteel plate and right into his path.
<<"OH CR...">> Is the exclamation from the Echani just before impact. The small fighter bounces off, careens towards the same wall and sheers off a section of the solar cell on his port foil before he can correct his trajectory to keep from going splat. Well, now he didn't need Buster to tell on him, no way could he fix that good enough that his wife wouldn't notice.
<<"I'm alright...">> Ax says over garbled comms as he lands the ship. He has to kick the canopy hatch open thanks the the impact it took, his only hope was that it shut and sealed when they were done. He REALLY didn't want to leave his favorite ship here on this damnable destroyer. Stepping out, grabbing his lightsaber and tossing the giant bucket helmet into the cockpit, Ax is moving to join Rey, doing his best to not look at the damage to the Specter or he might begin to cry, and he couldn't afford that right now. ~
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 22:04:10 ] "Thank the Sun..." Qutha is out and on the deck by the time Yuun is even calling to him, a wood sheathed cylinder being grabbed from his hip and his footfalls begin to find pattern in following Jax for the moment. Luckily he can't biologically leave behind a pollen trail. Or he might have. Yellowish dust all over the inside of the guardian. Fortunate to have been spared the sight of bodies floating himself.
Nothing of the sort though, concentrating to let his sense of vision shift to a form that makes the emergency lighting less dim and stark and sighing when things become sharper and the world around him brighter. No good to have all matter of bright light showing him off if he doesn't need it to.
"Miss Aryn, do you think we'll run into... ah... opposition?" timing.
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 22:05:10 ] Zandra dodges some debris, shoots some others, including some that comes flying when ships ahead of her get knocked about. She's laser focused at the moment, both her piloting and shooting on point. At least for the moment. It's tense and tight, but that doesn't stop the smile on her face as she gets to the landing bay, settling saber 5 down gently on its landing struts. Her ship's canopy opens, and she comes out. << Bubbles, keep it ready to go at a moment's notice, >> she suggests. Not like she needed to, the little bb unit is totally game to go, and keeps things warm waiting for the pilot to return. "That was exciting," she comments, as one hand goes to her lightsaber, making sure it's ready for action.
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 22:11:12 ]
Rey sees the condition that Rune's fighter is in as he makes his crash landing. She's already running toward it by the time it comes to a halt. She's there immediately to help him. "Rune!" She calls out as his hatch opens up. "Are you hurt?" She's asking him...
The others come zipping through the closing bulk heavy blast doors as the debris from the interior of the hangar is being pulled out in to space further back in to the aft of the ship, while more doors close further back to help close off the pull of the vacuum from outside.
After the last of the ship's makes its entrance, the big heavy blast doors thud close, and more Stormtrooper bodies slam in to the doors, then fall toward the deck of the Vehicle Storage bay....
Strewn all around the arriving Jedi, are more bodies. Officers, troopers, deck hands, they're all dead...
They've been dead, for decades.... It's a gruesome, and morbid sight to behold.
Rey looks to the others then, "We made it. More or less." She notes, gazing at the ship's that sustained a bit more damage than the others.
She then glances to the corpses and toward the fore of the hangar that leads way further on deeper in to the Star Destroyer's superstructure.
"WE should make haste." Rey says then, starting to move toward one of the lift plates that gives access to the upper levels. "This should take us to the main corridor. From there, we... can split up in to two teams. One for the bridge, one for the droid center. I ... hope that the droid center will have the information we seek..." She says as she starts to try and wake the large lift plate up from its slumbering state.
[ Rune (R) | 22:17:55 ]
The cockpit hisses as the air inside is released into the atmosphere of the hangar bay, and there is Rey staring at him with wide eyes in the opening. The Ysannan takes her helping hand, working out of the wreckage with a sigh and a shrug. "I am as fine as I can be. Wish I could say the same for the ship." Rune ruefully states as they step from the sparking Saber Six.
Ecksdee, in the meantime, has popped himself out of his droid socket, rolling around to beep and whirr angrily at his pilot. "I am sorry... you were right, I thought I had it." he admits while he checks himself for any worse injuries aside from a number of bruises and a lightly bleeding cut along his forehead.
Rune takes stock of the situation, the dead bodies all around, the rest of the Jedi climbing from their ships, a sympathetic look to Ax as he joins them from his damaged one... and then it's time for business. The shaken and stirred Padawan following behind Rey with the group as they move deeper into the ship.
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 22:19:53 ]
"Rune! I think you just earned your wings as a fighter pilot. You crashed it and walked away." Jax calls then looks at other jedi drawn up in a group with him doing a quick head count. "Ax, tell her I stole the Specter." Then at Rey's orders to hurry, Jax takes off at a run to follow her at the lift plates. "What are the teams?"
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 22:25:46 ]
"If any of the jettisoned soldiers were to clue us in on the occupants of this craft, I dare say we should expect opposition, Mr. Qutha," Aryn answers while brushing her cape to one side to produce her lightsaber. The white-gold curved hilt is held gently in her gloved grasp, and out to her side, unactivated, for now. "Thank you, my Lady," Aryn comments back to Nora.
To the teams dividing up, Aryn answers, "I should like to lead a team to the bridge. Provided I can navigate this dreadful place.." Aryn says aloud, looking for indications of where the bridge might be.
[ Vega (Ve) | 22:26:44 ]
Maybe if Vega didn't think about a ship being crashed she would scream into the void. Yeah...that's the ticket. She gives a worried look to Rune and then there's a sorrowful look to Saber 6. She'd get it back in good shape...if they made it off this ship. She gives a look to the others, "I'd suggest whatever the groups are that you have someone handy with computers etc in the group if you can." she states.
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 22:30:15 ]
Nora's attention turns to Qutha as he approaches, and the Zelosian is given a brief nod. Her attention then turns to the bodies that litter the corridors. She takes a few steps towards them. Macabre as it is, the young woman seems hardly shy in reaching out to handle them. Albeit with a gloved hand, she takes the long-decayed and dried up bodies and manipulates them. The one she turns over has a long vibroblade thrust through its stomach, lips retreated and baring teeth with hollow eyes that stare directly up and towards her.
"I believe we may be a few decades too late for the opposition. Were these the bodies we saw being blown into space as well?" she muses, and turns to inspect another. "Blaster fire and simple weaponry. There was a fight here, though," she says, and rises to her feet. Her hand drifts across her torso to rest her hand on the grip of her sword, but she doesn't draw the blade. Not yet.
"I will go where I am needed -- be that the bridge or the machine room. In either case, I would prefer not to dally," she says.
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 22:34:59 ] Nevermind - now he spots them. Bodies all about and Qutha and now Rune's emergence still alive. Skin going waxy when Nora decides to toy with them. If he had anything to say to her directly, it's lost. He's not quite able to keep himself utterly quiet when he mumbles, "Sakes, why're the pretty ones buggo?"
Does she hear? Does she stab? THE MYSTERY.
Harrowing as it is, but no other choice to press on into the maddness at hand, "I'm actually not bad with computers or some light repair work, so whomever could use me, I can follow." jerking his head towards Nora, "I dare say she might not be so inclined to be of a exploratory nature of me, since it's all plant formed calcium, nerves and fibrous tissue..." and squishy plant organs.
The wood sheathed cylinder in his hand is ignited now. Because he likely just made himself a vivisection target.
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 22:37:23 ] Zan's attention goes to the ships as she moves over to Rey, eyes widening as she sees the damage done to several of them. "Everyone is okay, yes?" she asks, as she gets there too. But Rey is saying they need to hurry and that does seem right. Zan moves to help with the panel, if needed. She considers the teams and nods to Vega. "Good idea," she says simply. "Do we know which way we're going? I'll join whichever team needs me." She gives Qutha a thoughtful look, hearing that comment. He either just called her not pretty ... or buggo. Hrmph. Later, she might have a few questions for a certain plant guy.
[ Yuun (Yun) | 22:42:37 ]
Lightsaber hilt in hand and Yuun watches the others as they come in and he moves to where the main group are. He sees the bodies, decades old and the dark skinned Jedi Knight bows his head, "May you rest in peace and I hope have gone with the Force." he says as he looks up as he hears what the teams will be. Knowing that they don't have a lot of time, he centers himself before they begin, preparing himself. Yuun allows the force to flow through him, allowing him to be it's conduit. "Same here, I will go where I'm needed."
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 22:46:11 ]
With everyone gathering up on the lift, the computer panel for it comes online, and Rey activates the switch which has them raising up in to the air and leaving the deck of the vehicle storage bay behind. The bay itself is still filled with vehicles of war, even AT-ATs stored in their mechanic bays...
"What happened to the people of this ship, it seems like it happened very quickly." Rey comments to everyone, as she looks toward the other Jedi. "We'll sort teams, and split up once we're in the main corridor." She says next. As she's about to speak further, the buzzing of comlinks interrupts her.
"Jedi. Jedi Order. This is Maz--" Maz Kanata's voice sounds off through static and distance in space. "Have you gone on inside without us? You've created quite a mess out here." Her aged tones gains a bit of clarity.
Rey looks around at the others, before she picks up her comlink off her satchel. "Maz?" Rey asks. "You're late."
"Sorry, Bunbun. We got held up at a First Order, and New Republic checkpoint. Can you believe that? Enemies working together? I'm not sure if I should feel inspired, or vomit."
"Maz. We made it in through an engine port. But we need a new way out." Rey speaks.
The lift rolls onward, and upward, coming to a halt, inside a smaller bay filled with tanks... massive war machines, Juggernauts and AT-STs too. The lights are on dim-mode, but the vehicles are just sitting there, almost pristine in condition.
"I'll find you a new way out. Our mining teams are on it. Don't worry, kiddo."
"Thanks, Maz..." Rey says with a sigh.
Up ahead, a pair of doors glide open to give the Jedi passage out in to a quintessential Imperial corridor, more trooper bodies lay sprawled out on the floor though, and a actual working Mouse droid rolls by the open doors, on patrol... like its any other given normal day. [ Rune (R) | 22:48:42 ]
"Is that what it takes to be a fighter pilot? I feel sorry for the ships that are sacrificed in the stead!" A sorrowful look is reserved for Vega when she joins them at the wreckage, a light shrug and a mouthed word of apology are offered for the work she will need to do in order to get the ship back in working order.
However, all that is a problem for another time, they currently need to get what they came for and escape this ship. Rune looks from one group to the other, not certain really where his skills would come in handy. He's decent with systems and terminals but that can be said for a number of the Jedi as well. Fortunately there's some time to contemplate on a resolution as they move through the main corridor of the Star Destroyer, his lightsaber unignited but removed from his belt and clutched in his hand just the same. The BB droid stayed with the rest of the ships, not currently trusting Rune enough to not get him in any further trouble whether or not a ship was involved from this point on.
The journey is a strange one, so much death and destruction that lies about them, yet it's all very peaceful in a macabre sort of way. The floor is illuminated by a multitude of different colored lights as the Jedi pass into the corridor beyond, an eyebrow lifting at the mouse droid as it scurries by. "At least there is some life here."
[ Jax Greystorm (Jax) | 22:52:29 ]
Jax nods sagely to Rune, "Crashing or nearly crashing seems to define one as a fighter pilot more than the kills you make." Jax says as he stops to the side to let the Mouse droid past. He doesn't want stabbed liked his padawan. There's a nod to Qutha's saber. "Looks good." Then he says, "I'll take the Droid Center then." Jax says solemnly.
[ Aryn Cortess (AC) | 22:54:48 ]
Upon the elevator, Aryn glances up half expectant of some music to start playing. When Rey comments about splitting up once they're in the main corridor, Aryn remains quiet and nods. One hand cups over her other, and she waits 'properly' for them to arrive.
New Content [ Vega (Ve) | 22:56:37 ]
Vega's grey gaze follows after the mouse droid and there's a moment where she looks like she might try to pick it up, but she decides against it! She gives a look to the rest of the group, awaiting the assignments of who is going with who and to where.
[ Nora Frayus (Nora) | 22:59:25 ]
Nora moves through the corridor and continues to keep her ice blue eyes on the corpses that she passes. Her lips thin as she searches them, trying to understand just -what- killed them so rapidly and so violently. "An ambush, that much is certain. Though with Imperials, it is just as likely to have come from within. Vicious and cruel, like starving dogs," she says.
As she passes it, Nora gives that mouse droid a shove with her foot. It topples over onto its side, little wheels spinning helplessly in thin air.
" [ Ax (A) | 23:02:03 ] ~ Ax smiles as he hears Maz's voice. His wedding was hosted by her on Takodana, next to a not far from her compound. Looking to Rune, Ax chuckles. "It's usually how callsigns are earned, or can be. For a while, I was called Toast because of a pretty epic crash."
Ax looks forward, his saberstaff in hand as he follows Rey. "I'd look into the past here, but I don't know that now is the time, no telling what kind of emotional impact it would have and I'd prefer to have my head fully in the game when it comes to any threats ahead."
[ Qutha Buvu Pah (Qutha) | 23:04:27 ] "Study, patience and solitude seem to be my catalyst, Jax." the design work very fine indeed, not a single mark of a tool to it besides the craft work done on the wood that sheathes the main housing within. The blade held steady as it humms, casting rich blue light against his features, the natural green undertones making his flesh look aqua.
"I suppose I go with you unless you direct otherwise, Jax." brow lifting, watching expressions, reactions. The clatter of the MSE being toppled gaining a freshly creased brow and a pained expression. No words for the Alderaanian - but he does turn his free hand with the slightest uptilt. Quietly lifting the little worker droid up and back to it's wheels.
"Go with the passage of the Sun and be ever illuminated by the Light, little thing." Qutha murmurs, "Poor li'l feller..."
[ Zandra naMuriel (Zan) | 23:05:43 ] Zandra half shrugs, continuing forward with the others, onto the lift and then out into the tank bay. "So many machines," she murmurs softly. She looks over at Jax and opens her mouth, and then closes it. "Guess I'm still a rookie," is her comment, wry, and soft spoken. "Though it is true that such things often bring a new level of clarity to flying." She has her lightsaber in hand, but not ignited. Totally ready to go, with the press of a button. She too eyes the mouse droid as it passes, but turns her attention to whatever else might pop out.
[ Yuun (Yun) | 23:07:59 ]
Yuun looks on at this and shakes his head, "I don't know." is all he says on what's happened. He stands with them as they start heading towards the main corridor. Looking at the machines that are still here, and the lives lost here. "Anything could've happened, but I don't think we have the time to wonder." he says with a frown.
[ Rey Skywalker (Ry) | 23:13:00 ]
The group reaches the main turbolifts that reach through the spine of the ship. Rey pauses outside one of the curved blastdoors as she looks back to the others. She nods her head softly. "We'll take this lift down to the droid bay." She looks to Aryn then. "Take the others with you to the bridge. Set a self destruct for..." Rey gently shakes her head. "Six hours?" She asks, assuming that that is more than enough time to get things done around here."
She takes a breath in then before she taps the button on the first lift. "We'll--"
Cut off again by Maz's voice, Rey reaches for her comlink at the lift doors open up with a whooosh.
"Jedi." Maz says. "We have a good update, and a bad update... The good? We think we can free the asteroid blocking the hangar mouth. It is a simple enough job of making some precision cuts, and we're already on our way..."
"The bad?" Rey asks then, as she waits to board the lift.
"There's an Imperial Dreadnaught here. They just arrived, and are slowly making their way toward our location. You may want to hurry..."
Rey looks up, her brown eyes quickly scurrying over everyone before she nods. "Thanks, Maz. Be careful."
"you too, Jedi."
"Lets go." Rey tells everyone. "We'll meet up back here... or if unable to, back at the ships."
The Jedi split up, the two turbolifts are accessed... and the danger begins to grow more impending.
In the central corridor that the Jedi just left, however, the lights suddenly start to go offline. One by one, each section shuts down, popping off in a line that carries them all the way down to the distant far fore end of the Destroyer's main hallway.
The darkness lingers like this, as the ship makes creaking noises, the sounds of ambient rocks hitting the hull outside quiet and distant also...
Then the face of a glowing menace fades-in, a decrepet ancient face, with yellowed eyes, and a big, happy smile upon his pale grey visage.
A large spikey obsidian foot slams down on the central corridor, crushing the mouse droid with a last dying squeak from its vocoder.
