Log:Knights of Ren: Storming the Desert
The Knights brave the deserts of Savareen. Turns out they aren't the only ones.
OOC Date: August 26, 2021
Location: Savareen
Participants: Errod Zand, Tamsin Cas as Self/GM, Xavier Harcourt, Knights of Ren
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
Savareen. A world with wide deserts like many deserts. Dusty, stormy, dead to most life. Useless, as most such places in the galaxy were. The domain of the downtrodden and the down at heel scavengers. Unlike many of those desert worlds, though, Savareen offered something that had value beyond measure. A thriving trade in the mining and export of coaxium.
Coaxium, one of the most valuable...and volatile fuels in the galaxy. Quite a trove for those who might acquire it for themselves. And so, the Knights had been dispatched to 'secure' the transport and the fuel it contained. It was too valuable a resource for both the Knights forces, and for negotiations with the First order to leave such a prize untried.
Tamsin, who had busied herself waiting for the skiff which had been commissioned to be prepared for them, adjusted the sleeve of her robes, passing a rare moment of idle time with idle things. Once the nod was given, and the skiff was prepared, Tamsin had stepped up onto the skiff, moving to stand beside the pilot's seat. The skiff was no pleasure barge, but it was, at least, large enough to hold all of the Knights attending this mission and the troopers assigned to them.
Now, the skiff moved at speed, heading towards the rendezvous point for the last known location of the transport convoy. "We will need to take care, when we make the approach. The fuel is highly volatile. Too little care given, and we will fail in our mission in mores ways than one." Dead Knights made poor Knights.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
It's not the kind of mission he is used to running. Then again, Xavier hasn't run a mission in over thirty years and those were usually more of the swing-and-kill variety. So when it came to looming on the skiff, the Knights' newest/oldest member kept to his seat, arms crossed over his chest and masked head bowed as he listens.
Volatile. To him, that word meant 'fun' or at the very least 'useful' But again, that's a thought process over three decades old. Blowing up a city block with toxic fuel might be frowned upon. At least in this particular situation. "How does it do for ballistics, I wonder," the man muses out loud but not really expecting an answer.
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
As the skiff speeds across the desert, Errod Zand stares into the middle distance from a nearby haunt, one hand braced against a structure not unlike a mast rising from the skiff's deck. "Will it matter, then, to the disassembled pieces of our vaporized corpses?" he asks, wild eyes fixed on the land ahead as it streaks closer. His loose, messy ponytail flaps in the breeze, eyes watery and red from the wind, squinting against the needling air. The lower half of his outfit billows helpfully as well, unwilling to be left out of the excitement.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
"Likely not, as Sebek is not here to give us the sendoff that would be appropriate for our kind." If one had to go out, best to do so in the belly of the beast, literally. Tamsin, glancing away from the forward course of the skiff, turned her attention to the gathered team, "Likely very poorly. One of the reasons we are striking the convoy here, rather than waiting for them to approach any of the cities, is to use the sand as a cushion, to prevent the fuel from being triggered by too much vibration."
The skiff continued along the desert floor, sand billowing on either side as the pilot kept up the pace, the defacto clouds pluming on either side making visual recon of the surrounding area difficult at best and frustratingly annoying at worst. The sound of wind pummeling each of the bodies packed into the skiff coupled with the hum of the engine created an odd deadzone of sensation for most. <"We are approaching the coordinates, Knight Cas."> Tamsin nodded to the pilot, as the trooper relayed the information.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
The head lifts curiously and looks over to Errod, a Knight he hasn't met yet. Ah, but what better way to meet a comrade-in-arms than on a dry, useless desert? It's the stuff of memories. Idle thoughts are interrupted by something turning Xavier's helmeted head one way... then the other. Arms unfold and his posture stiffens to be more alert. "I hear something," he says to the other two. But not the pilot. Just because. "Sounds like..." Anoether tilt or three of his head as he attempts to triangulate where the noise is coming from. "That way, I believe." A gloved finger points to the southwest.
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
Errod isn't wearing a helmet. It's not that he doesn't believe in them; his is clipped to the back of his belt, a plain metal case with slits for eyes and no other details. But it's hot, and sometimes a man wants to feel an uncomfortable level of wind in his hair. He looks, following Xavier's point, watery eyes narrowed. "Mm," he half-growls in agreement, reaching back over his shoulder to unshackle the long sword-like weapon slung across his back, bringing the chain-whip around. "Looks like we're being followed. How secret is this information?" he rasps to Tamsin, not really expecting a clearcut answer, thumb worrying with the activator switch on the weapon's handle.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
The cloud that could be soon better seen and the vehicle that could be better seen as it moved on a course that would bring it into line with the skiff became clearer as the more time ticked past. The knight's pilot remained on course, though he did increase their speed, trying to move to hopefully evade the incoming vehicle that way, without sacrificing the approach to the designated convoy. "The mining operation is no secret, and I imagine, if you are looking to hijack a shipment, an aerial scan would make it easy enough to find." The downside to moving across the desert, is there was very little cover to disguise yourself with. "As valuable as the fuel is, we have either triggered their security forces, or someone who wants the shipment as much as we do." As for Tamsin, she remained where she was, saber hilt coming into her hand, though she held back from igniting it just yet.
Time passed quickly, and the approaching vehicle continued on its intercept course.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Rising from his seat, Xavier draws his slugthrower pistol from his hip with a lazy flourish: a spin about his finger before the handle comes to rest in his palm. "Either or, seems like they're aiming to be a pain." Robes flapping wildly in the wind, Xavier plants his feet on the skiff as it races across the sands. A ballistic shot BANGS! outwards, recoiling into his arm which soaks in the kickback with familiarity. The shot, however, tastes desert instead of flesh. Masks. Very hard to aim with them.
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
Errod has a pistol, strapped there on his hip, but apparently he's forgotten about it, as instead of pulling the weapon out, he flips the activator on the chain-whip, sending rivulets of bright pink plasma running down the furrows carved in the flanged blade. With this in hand, he grabs a dangling cable and hauls himself onto the railing that runs around the perimeter of the deck, facing the oncoming skiff filled with its crew of pirates and marauders. "Come on then!" he barks at them, brandishing his crackling sword, manic eyes wide with a light born of insanity (typical) and fury (conditional). "Jump! I promise to catch you."
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
The vehicle that was approaching, a skiff, not that dissimilar to what the Knights were riding in, was coming closer and better into view, as the enemy pilot revved the engine to compensate for the burst of speed put on by the knights' own pilot. Tamsin, who moved to the edge of the passenger, well, let's be honest, it was really the cargo well, of the skiff, called over to the pilot, "Redirect the skiff for an intercept course with the incoming vehicle. Maintain current speed." Tamsin was going to need all of the help she could get, yes? Yes.
The trooper pilot, knowing better than to disobey an order, even an entirely stupid one, did as he was commanded, and the two vehicles were now on what might end up as a collision course. The distance between the two vehicles was rapidly dwindling to nothing. Soon they would easier race past each other, or settle into line with each other.
And then, She Who Rages, who might, just might, at this moment be She Who Takes Too Damned Much After Sebek, leapt from the knights' skiff, muscles aided by the force propelling across the distance to the oncoming skiff, the crimson blade igniting in mid-air in the moment before she landed in the midst of the nine bodies who were arrayed along the outside edges of the vehicle. They were, oddly, or, perhaps given the shabby state of their gear and vehicle, pirates of some poor quality.
Well, that was Savareen for you. But what they did have, was a grappling system, which they seemed determined to use to capture the knights' skiff.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
The skiff veers towards the oncoming vehicle, toppling Xavier off his balance a bit and though they are closer in range now, his shot goes off target once more. He's more than a little rusty but that doesn't stop the frustration from welling up. Bullets are /expensive/ and he's working on a budget! "No good. Need to get---what are you doing?!" Yet another question that goes unanswered as Tamsin leaps from their skiff onto the other, preparing to rain down crimson fury. Xavier's head turns towards Errod. He pulls his mask off, hooking it to his belt as black hair whips around his head. "That a common battle strategy?"
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
"Hm," Errod grumbles to himself as the skiff draws nearer despite his promise to catch anyone stupid enough to attempt to board. His eyes turn down slightly, judging the distance between them, bending his knees, finger in the wind, looks good to- Tamsin goes hurtling past. "Krif."
"Well now we're stuck over here, we can't all leave this one," he complains gruffly to Xavier, mustache bunching up as he purses his lips with frustration. The answer the question is apparently 'yes'. He's about to say more when a loud pop of pneumatic pressure being released interrupts, and a harpoon, trailing durasteel cable like a ribbon behind it, crashes into the bell skirt of the skiff's hull a foot from his perch on the railing, two of the marauders pulling back on the winch it shot out from and drawing the cable tight.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
As the grappling hook bit into the side of the knights' skiff, the vehicle shuddered, as the trooper pilot tried to compensate for the sideways drag on the skiff, trying to keep it from taking a nosedive into the sand. Until the line was cut, they were going to be side heavy, and he could do nothing but try to match speed, so that the skiff did not spill everyone off. This was a big desert. trying to walk back to the !!Night Buzzard!! would be a super ***** from this distance.
Across on the enemy skiff, Tamsin kept her feet, attempting to stop the pirates from boarding her previously departed ride. Close quarters made for tricky combat situations, and as she did not wish to damage the skiff so badly that it risked crashing or exploding, with her on it (oh, and yes, with the other knights attached, can't forget that), engaging was perhaps too close for comfort. One of the pirates managed to duck behind the central power unit of the skiff, avoiding Tamsin's blade, but two were not as lucky, and she now had bodies to climb over. Bother.
The knight's skiff was not unscathed, as four of the pirates jumped over the wall of their skiff, two landing badly, and fumbling to catch their feet. Two, more capable than their brethren, charged at Xavier and Errod, identifying them as the most dangerous targets.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Tamsin is on another skiff outnumbered. Both vehicles continue to scream down the sands. Aaaaaan now they're being boarded. That's just fantastic! Dark brown eyes narrow as frustration turns into anger, but what good does it do him these days? Makes him look extra scary. Maybe. A shot fired at the first pirate he sees followed by a second one as Xavier takes a step back to dodge a swipe from a vibroblade. A concussive BLAM BLAM! ends in no victory. Only a growl through gritted teeth. "There are not security!"
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
Errod doesn't even remove himself from the guardrail as another harpoon launches into the skiff, anchoring itself to form the galaxy's second-most-dangerous bridge right after the catwalks in First Order facilities. The pirates come across, feet on one cable, gripping onto the other, a tightwire act at breakneck speeds.
The first leaps the last few feet, surprising Errod and getting him past the Knight, but the next is less fortunate. Holding onto his overhead wire and quick-stepping along the railing, the Knight smashes the blade of his chain-whip into the second marauder. When they still cling to the cables, he thrusts wildly, punching the speartip point of the weapon through their body and losing his footing on the railing in the process. "You are the security!" he growls as his boots slip off the rail, tugged by inertia and the drag of a corpse, now hanging over the side of the skiff from a thin overhead wire and staring at a rope bridge of approaching pirates. "Hm."
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
It was, quite literally, hack and slash work, over on the pirates' skiff, as the three remaining pirates turned to confront Tamsin. There was money to be made here, and nobody was going to get in their way.Until someone did. Clearly. Even with the shuddering of the two skiffs as they attempted to separate, on the one hand, and remain attached on the other, they closed to distance with Tamsin, who simply advanced into their ranks, making use of that proximity (she might take time to learn, but she did learn, when it came to combat) and the battle was engaged. Their weapons were no match for the saber, of course, and the knight dodged, but did not bother to parry, attacking with all of that anger she so rarely felt, let alone allowed herself to exhibit, cutting through the trio of bodies, before she looked over to Errod, "You alright over there?" She could go one of two ways, towards the pilot or back towards her skiff.
As the battle raged, the whining of smaller, faster more deadly engines rose even above the sounds of shearing steel and pained shouts. A half a dozen dots were appearing on the horizon now, making a beeline for where the two skiffs were grappled together.
Aboard the knights' skiff, the three remaining pirates, the one on Xavier, and the two who had needed a minute to gather themselves, moved to engage with the two knights still on their home territory. The one on Xavier stayed on Xavier, the other two headed for the rapier-wielding Errod.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
This isn't his element. This is far, far from his element. Maybe he should have used more of that time on Nar Shaddaa to train himself into something resembling a fighting form. Ah, but he's been too busy trying to make the screaming stop.
As the anger rises, those screams to start returning with a vengeance. Echoing in his head. They're demanding he take action. Reach out his hand, clutch it, and force it to obey! Jaw clenched, Xavier gives a shake of his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on the present. And the present is coming at him with a vibrosword.
A short hop backwards dances him out of the way, the blurring blade slicing into his robe but going no deeper. "I almost miss Exegol," Xavier grins bitterly. "Almost." The pistol disappears into the black folds of fabric and from within emerges a simple combat sword. Answer a blade with a blade. At least enough to defend himself.
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
Errod, now hanging freely from the cable like a shirt from a line, has some choices to make, and the pirates seem to recognize that this is their best opportunity to take him out. They come on, grinning their Weequay grins, which is to say scowling fiercely, Weequays don't know how to grin. Everyone is on cables, it's basically even ground, but for the lack of ground.
The clash is anticlimactic. The first gets within range, and is promptly batted away by the dangling Knight. The second, learning no lessons, suffers the same fate. Errod allows himself a grunt of satisfaction that rapidly withers as the cable he is hanging on begins to pull free from its moorings, and he drops a meter lower on the side of the skiff's hull before coming to a twangy, rebounding halt, leaving him now well below the deckline. "Krif."
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
Tamsin, turning to the pirate pilot, spoke loudly enough to be heard, "If you try to pull away now, I will kill you." Of course, she might kill him anyway, but did he really want to add to the bodycount? He kept the skiff in line with the knights'. As for Tamsin, the decision was made for her, as she saw Errod begin to fall below the deckline of the skiff and she reached out, using will, rather than her own physical strength to get to the dangling Knight. The grab was firm, the unseen force surprisingly gentle, as it grabbed him up, lifting him from the cables (unless he clung on for dear life) and depositing him back on the skiff.
The gang of swoops were now, well, swooping in, each armed with melee weapons, just as their compatriots had been, trying to fly in close enough to take a whack at anything that look better dressed and better equipped than they did, without being whacked in return.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Having the blade in his hand is enough to silence the ten dozen voices all talking at once. His eyes come into focus again, aged face creasing along every wrinkle line. A foot slides back to anchor him as his blade rises to deflect the next attack with a clanging of swords. Though his does not hum with any sort of power of vibration, the sword answers in kind; jutting forward and sticking the pirate in his abdomen.
"You okay back there?" Errod falling over the edge is caught just out of the corner of his eye. Yet no sooner had the man fallen over that he is back onto the skiff with a bit of help. "Ah, well met." A boot plants into the hip of the pirate stuck onto his sword like a skewer and tries to kick them away with a grunt.
[ Errod Zand (EZ)]
Errod hangs from the wire, dangling in the whipping wind, tired eyes looking down at the sand below as it zooms past at what seems like the speed of sound. He takes in a deep breath, lets it out slow, and lets go of the cable.
...only to find himself lifted upward rather than falling down. His mouth twists with something like... it must be a smile, no one could be displeased by this, correct?
Set down on the deck just in time for Xavier to kick his opponent flat, the Knight lets out a sigh of what must surely be relief and with a few quick steps casually prods the struggling pirate's life out of him with the tip of his chain-whip. "Okay is one way of putting it."
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
With Errod safely back on the skiff, Tamsin looked back to where she had leapt from the safety of her ship to begin with. She should probably try to get back, right? Right. But not before eliminating the last of the trouble. She moved back to the pilot's chair, and promptly sliced her saber through his neck. Never trust a Knight. Of course, that meant !hold on! for the knights on their own skiff, as the pirates' vehicle began to list and go off course, and Tamsin took off running, leaping back onto her side. "Looks like they brought friends." Time to cut the cables and prepare for incoming.
Tune in next time. Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel. (TBC)
