Log:MM: Rotting Hope

A team jumps into the darkness to help strangers in need.

OOC Date: June 08, 2021
Location: Colony Rakon
Participants: Chani Tahn, Hadrix Kora, Hahtavi, Ban Iskender, Aryn Cortess

Colony Rakon, Fringe Sector

Rakon is situated at the edge of a river and serves as a central port for outlying villages seeking trade. The colony is separated into districts with the 'cloud district' being the one both in higher elevation, and with more protection. However, the power and all other vital functions for the colony reside in the lower districts, which are more a maze of buildings and gravel roads.

The vessel they're in rocks from the humid air and rough altitude, but after the s-foils open to full span, it becomes less choppy. Aryn, who is in heavy plasteel armor, pulls open the sliding hatch to their hold to reveal a dark sky and eerie sight down below.

A colony has gone dark, save for the fire that spreads in one quadrant, and the 'Cloud District' where defenders hold a wall using superior firepower. The lights from the district vary: green, blue, red, orange, even an occasional explosion. It's not clear what it is they're fighting back.

Aryn's posh tone breaks the white noise in the comm-headsets. <<"Our foe is a parasitic entity known as the Mnggal Mnggal. Coming in contact with this substance, even for a moment, has proven fatal. My research concludes that it invades a sentient's body through their skin pores, traveling to the brain where it begins to consume its host from the inside out, inheriting their identity though in husk form. They smell of rot, speak in disembodied voices, and often echo what their hosts said during their last moments of life. Tis a cruel enemy, and they are an enemy, because there is no other option but to destroy it and everything it touches. Fire destroys them. We must move as a cohesive team if we are to survive the terror that awaits us below. Prepare yourselves whilst I make contact with the denizens below.">>

Aryn glances down to her comm device and makes the switch in frequency to contact the open channel. <<"Colony Rakon, I am Aryn Cortess of the New Republic and have arrived ahead of schedule to assist. I have with me a strike team that, at this exact moment, is prepping for deployment. We observe that the colony is without power, that a quadrant has been set aflame, and that defenders hold the higher district where there are walls. Tell us how we might assist, and we will begin our approach, over.">>

<<"Cortess, this is Mal Ryke, Al'Verde of Clan Ros. We hold our line in the Cloud District, but our evacuation faces some challenges. We need power to open the hangars. The power comes from the river, in the lower district at the dam. Something has jeopardized our power source there, and we are trapped because of it. If you can restore power, we have the means to leave this place.">>

Aryn motions to the pilot, pointing toward the dam, hoping there was some place they could set down for a quick disembark.

<<"Additionally, we need to scuttle the Colony. If you can hold the dam until we are airborne, then overload the reactor; it should destroy the rest of the city.. and this.... thing.. with it.">>

<<"Ryke, this is Cortess. We understand our mission. I will advise when we have made some progress. Fight well, Commander.">>

<"This sounds cheerful,"> Chani murmurs to herself. The nature of wearing sealed armor and the fact she has not yet gotten used to the toggle on the helmet necessitating being turned on and off with the tip of her tongue means that it is stuck in the on position. The air passing through the suit means it doesn't feel suffocating or cramped in the helmet, but there is a distinct filtering of noise and other ambience which is more muted. It means her own voice and breathing sound louder to her than they might otherwise. Standing near the opened hatch, Chani glances down towards the darkened span of land that makes up the colony and the blazing fire and kaleidoscope of various blaster fire reflects itself off the visor of her helmet.

Princess Cortess tells them to wield fire. Chani doesn't carry anything distinct that would produce such a thing. To the untrained eye, at least. In her right hand, a metal cylindrical hilt is clutched between her fingers. The textured padding on the inside aids her in keeping hold of the object, while the plasteel armor on the back of her hand is meant to protect the soft tissue beneath. It is seperated into further articulating panels along the backs of her fingers. Aside from the plasteel armor covering her body, Chani wears nothing more than a utility belt around her waist. Numerous pouches hide whatever items she has brought with her for aid. Even the armor can't make her more imposing than her meager height allows, however. She would certainly not pass for a stormtrooper.

<<"This thing again.">> Hadrix is settled in one corner of the drop craft - listening to the comms chatter and the name going out. Filing it away for later. Drawing the e-11 looking plasma caster from his holster and adjusting the larger Sonn-Blass incinerator on its strap before he is to his feat. Sealed armor, no beskar... but mag-locks. Boots thunking as they connect to the floor and one hand going to a hang-strap.

<<"Doctor. I can drop from the craft and move ahead, bring Hahtavi with me and allow you and yours to make your specific spectacular entrances.">> helmet turning to Chani and Ban before his flame rifle is lifted in a small salute. Making for one of the hatches, but waiting for Aryn to give the go-ahead before he does anything other than speak to his clan mate,

<<"Hahtavi, be'senaare mando'ade eh?">> Mandalorian Missiles, eh? Laughing as he shifts to make his jetpack shake in emphasis.

Ban Iskender checks and double checks his weapons on approach, adjusting the lie of half cape and swordbelt. His armor might seem a reckless vulnerability, before he activates the personal shield projector, cloaking his form in a flicker of blue. A dip of his helmed head to Hadrix as the other offers his small salute. When Chani speaks lightly of cheer, Ban thinks to ask aloud, "On that subject, are there any avian species native to this world?"

Hahtavi has his maglock boots securing him to the ship's deck as they toss and bump through atmospheric entry, one gloved hand up to hold onto something to steady himself. The Mandalorian has his helmet on already, listening to Ayrn's briefing and what comes over her coms with the surface below.

His T-shaped visor turns slightly to look to the rest of the team's members. Hadrix of course, his own Al'Verde, then Chani Tahn whom he's familiar with, then to Ban whom he's seen before but does not 'know'. The Bounty Hunter holds his place, his armor sealed, also carrying a flamer in addition to his more usual rifle.

A nod is given to Hadrix, <"Aye.>" He too is outfitted with a jetpack and will shift position closer to the now open hatch if that's Hadrix's plan. Assuming Aryn agrees - this is her op. His wolfish grin is unseen behind his helmet but Hahtavi laughs, <"Indeed. Let us be as effective."> One hopes, except for that part where you hit the ground in a bright splash.

Aryn gives Hadrix and Hahtavi the 'thumbs up' to allow them to do their thing. <<"We will see you shortly. Aim for the dam, the pilot has marked it.">> And so they have: For those who have a HUD, the small tic-mark above the dam indicates where they're headed.

To Chani and Ban, Aryn shrugs. Mandalorians, right? Turning to look back out the opened hatch, Aryn observes their descent closer to the colony, which seemed to get darker and dark the lower they got. <<"I am sure there are, Lord Ban. Though I have given up trying to articulate their strategies. Were there avian though, I suspect the Commander would have said something..">> A glance given to Chani then back to Ban, Aryn's face showing worry. <<"..I hope.">> Gulp.

Below, where the Mandalorians have landed, they find a paved street blocked off by fencing and a checkpoint with signs conveyed in Aurebesh that the area is for authorized personnel only. The street continues on over the top of the bridge, though it becomes wider. The top of the dam itself is the safest place for the dropship to hover, but something occupies the space. Humanoid shapes stand motionless, staring out over the river, or in random directions. They begin to turn in unison when the Mandos arrive. Ten (10) in total shuffles and run toward the gate, putting out a high-screeched sound followed by disembodied voices. "Heeelllp."

"I don't want to die like this."

"The pain.."

"HELP MEEEE!"

<<"Pilot, bring us to a low hover above the dam!">> The U-Wing switches to VTOL, hot propulsion misting the water beneath them as they come within 10m (33ft) above the dam to observe the dead gathering at the fence, the same fence that separates the Mandos from the rest of the team.

Watching Hadrix and his compatriot prepare to leave the U-Wing with their rocket packs, Chani offers a simple, <"Shiraya protect you."> They'll all need some of the Moon goddess's protection at this rate. She turns her head away from the bright flare of their equipment and then they're gone, into the darkness, like missiles. The exchanged glance with Ban and Aryn leads Chani's gaze to focus back out the door again. The U-Wing continues its descent in a swoop towards the dam and Chani's left hand tightens on the sling near the door that helps ensure she is not errantly flung out the open bay from the craft's movement. The craft lurches when it switches to hover and begins to ease towards the ground. Chani misjudges the distance.

Which means that when she jumps, she jumps to soon. She has just long enough to register the mistake as a lurch in her abdomen before she hits the ground hard enough that it feels like it rattles her teeth. She rolls forward to absorb the impact and spread the kinetic energy over a greater distance, though rolling in sealed armor is something of a spectacle and she winds up more on her hand and knees than she does in any semblance of being ready. By pure virtue of squeezing her lightsaber's hilt tight does it not go flinging off somewhere into the dark. What dark there is is forced to retreat around her as she rises to her feet and depresses the activation stud on the hilt. A deep blue column of light emerges from the emitter and Chani draws her weapon up into a defensive stance.

<<"They use their victims as weapons, Hahtavi. I've aided Princess Cortess before with these things.">> walking after the landing with an easy flex of the knees as he stalks forward, <<"Keep your eye out, we may find some unconsumed. But it isn't likely">> Grim business, working to clear space at the dam.

One of the creatures onrushing is pointed at and a cloud erupts and is turned into an immolating cloud by the pilot flame of the rifle Hadrix wields. <<"They're all one creature too. One sees us, they all know.">> stalking forward still, <<"Should've brought Clankah and handed him the incinerator.">> Shoulda, woulda, coulda. But it doesn't stop the disembodied screams and please. All of it meant to keep him from fighting, keep any of them from fighting. Distraction. Need one.

<<"Miss Chani... What's a Shiraya?">>

"As you say, my Lady," Ban answers on the subject of the native Mandalorians making no mention of attacks from above. "Still, I daresay the pilots would be wise to seal this transport once we disembark." As they hover above the dam and horrific figures below, they 'disembark'. Taking the risk of igniting his own green sword before he lands, the soldier hits the ground, moving into an immediate right shoulder roll, lightsaber held out in his left hand. The swordsman promptly lays about himself, striking down a trio of the desecrated corpses in three slashes and thrusts, each disintegrating into ash and cinders.

When the word is given, Hahtavi waits his turn, allowing Hadrix to clear the hatch first. The two men are of a size in height, very close, but Hadrix has more bulk and things attached to his armor. Best to give his Al'verde room to move and clear the way - then the Tal'at'cuyir follows.

Half cloak snagged to the side by one arm, Hahtavi ignites his jetpack and leaps out of the hatch, instantly snatched away by the rushing wind. The jetpack throttles up to clear him from the ship and to propell him to drop in line with Hadrix's own descent, two missiles arcing for the dark surface below, dotted with lights and fire. Hahtavi's Heads Up Display within his helmet is marking targets, the night vision feature making his optics clearer as to what lies below them as the landscape comes rushing up to meet them. The dam is marked clearly as their destination.

His orientation flips and his jetpack rockets aid in a light touchdown, boots striking the paved street with a light thud, knees flexed to absorb the impact. The instant he sees the figures and their ... somehow disturbing stances, Hahtavi has the flamer in his gloved hands. His tactic is to flank Hadrix and use his flamer along side his Commander's, thus broading their sweep into a wall of flames in the hopes of making it harder for their targets to avoid. His fails to fry any of the shambling husks but Hadrix nails one right off! <<"I copy, Hadrix. Following your lead.">> Hahtavi's never encountered this parasite before. Lovely. This poor colony. Ooh, lightsabers again - don't get in the way of those!

Aryn brushes her cape to one side and follows Ban and Chani out, landing gracefully below and tumbling like Ban. Upon returning to her feet, Aryn drew her weapon from her belt and activated it in a practiced transition, subsequently stabbing through a corpse and chasing down another with a graceful slash. She spins the weapon with keen perception of where it is, cutting wide with a final stroke that's avoided by the monster's sudden reaction to sprint for the fence. Aryn reasoned that she should chase them down, but her focus turned to an incoming foe which she promptly side stepped to avoid. She brings her weapon back to her side, walking after it with an urgent stride.

Many of the corpses have fallen already, some struck and transformed to ashes by the lightsabers while another melted beneath the plasma burn of flames, screaming in a haunted voices as it liquified before them and boiled upon the ground until becoming nothing more than a stain upon the pavement.

Four remain, attacking the invaders with heightened vigor. Every attack is sudden, it's not even over-projected by poor form, but rather immediate making these foe unpredictable. Two chase after Lord Ban, one had lunged for Aryn, and one struck Hahtavi after breaking free of the fence to pursue him, screaming in a woman's pained scream as it struck.

Above, the co-pilot shut the hatch for their ride, and the ship began to lift up toward a safe distance, the glimmer of its shield reactivating.

Four (4) remain.

If not for the plasteel armor, Chani would be missing swatches of skin after an impact like that. The surface layer of the armor is scuffed from the impact, but the thickness of the body glove underneath means she avoids doing anything but bruising deep tissue and causing a powerful ache to suffuse through her elbows and knees. It's a painful enough punishment on its own, and the stress of that pain colors the tone of her reply. <"She's the Moon goddess of Naboo."> Someone worshipping such a deity might take comfort in the fact that they are under the night sky, but if this kind of protection is what Chani can expect from her matron, then perhaps invoking her name might not be so pertinent an idea. One would not interpret this as a good omen.

Chani advances forward and is quick to fend off a few of the husks. Her blade thrums with violence as it cuts through air, before making a deeper, more muffled noise as it passes through a husk that decides to lunge. The chop forward is turned into a bisecting motion from left to right, right hand steering the hilt of her lightsaber to the left and left hand pulling against the bottom of the hilt while she steps with her feet and rotates both her shoulders and her hips into the swing. The husk collapses over and Chani releases the hilt with her right hand to backswing with the left, clearing the space in front of her and just to her left to ruin any opportunity the approaching husk has to lunge.

<"Mngall Mngall, you're still alive. Unfortunate."> speaking over externals now as Hadrix makes his way forward, <"Still nipping at edges, unable to move forward. Afraid of fire and jetii with their laser swords to cut you to pieces - so you crawl about these outskirt worlds."> utter derision in his growling voice.

Hand sweeping to ignite the one that had been on Hahtavi, figures he might've upset the damned thing, however doubtful that is, <"I suppose this is the only place a thing like you can survive. Parasite."> back-pedaling when the things starts running at him, on fire. Because... Well the suit is good but things that are on fire can do a bit of damage can they not?

<<"If she pulls her weight, then I'll accept that. If she's like all those other gods, well. I'll appreciate the sentiment.">> bracing for the moment he finds himself barreled into.

A foe who must achieve touch is at a marked disadvantage against the ancient weapons of the Jedi; the pair of Mnggal Mnggal who assail Ban with outstretched arms run directly into a pair of aggressive parries that lop off arms which dissolve into ashes before they have time to land on the duracrete, underfoot. <<"The initial detachment is unmade. Where is it estimated that the generator and its obstruction are located?">

One of the zombie like husks tries to tackle Hahtavi when he fails to fry it's shebs. The Mandalorian leaps back but not quite far enough, taking the brunt of the impact against his right thigh. It isn't nearly enough to stagger him, his weight and stance enough to brace against it and keep his footing. But he'll have a bruise. Backing further, when it gets up and goes for Hadrix, getting flamed in the process, Hahtavi follows and continues to lend his support to his Al'verde's targeting. Between them they manage to bring that one down!

There's a quick glance to see how the others are doing - but all /three/ of the others have lightsabers! Surely Hadrix is a living tank all on his own.

His attention switches back to frying corpses! <<"Thanks, Hadrix.">> That for getting that one off of him! Team effort here.

With the immediate threat cleared, Aryn deactivates her weapon and brings her free hand to press to her ear. <<"Bee-Dee, it's clear to drop down. We need you to help us with the dam.">> The two-legged droid detaches from the ship and lands below with a distinct noise. Unfazed by the impact, the droid walks forward almost instantly.

"My speculation is that the generator, and its respective reactor, reside within the dam." Aryn answers Ban, making a stomp with her foot as if to communicate below them. She waits for the team to regroup before motioning to a staircase that leads below. "I believe our path continues down those stairs."

The team makes it into the dam, a dark wide location consisting of ten (10) turbines in total. These turbines served as the primary source of power for the city, and they appeared to be gunked up with some sort of crusty residue, unable to pump, and therefore, unable to generate power.

Movement was in this space too, shifting beneath the shadows made by the emergency lighting. Eighteen (18) husks in dam uniforms and bright helmets begin to shift toward the arrivals.

Bee-Dee issues a statement, conveying that the turbines' obstruction is the cause for the power failure. Destroying the obstacles should allow for power to return. Five (5) were needed to generate enough power for the denizens in the Cloud District. All ten (10) were needed to initiate a reactor overload to scuttle the city. Bee-Dee also confirmed the presence of eighteen (18) moving humanoid targets within the interior and closing in from all sides.

"Those suited to defense, form a perimeter for the team. We must re-initiate the turbines if there is any hope of success." Aryn reactivates her lightsaber, and walks forward to help make a path through the dead defenders to reach a turbine.

Entering into the dam's power plant is a whole different kind of darkness. The gloam is so thick that it would be like ink if Chani's helmet didn't come equipped with low-light amplifiers through the visor. Chani removes the need for them by activating the lamp on the helmet and lighting up the interior. The lamp is not turned up to full lumens, meaning it's less like staring at the surface of the sun and more having enough illumination that she doesn't need the extra power from the visor to see. The husks are on approach even before she turns the light on. <"They're coming,"> Chani announces in case others are unaware. She's quick to rush forward to meet a few. Chani wields her lightsaber in her right hand for this.

The first encounter is a stab that uses the her hand on the very base of the lightsaber hilt to gain extra reach from it. It pierces through what used to be a sentient and causes it to spill on the floor. Chani draws back and weaves the tip of the lightsaber in the open air in front of her, preventing an immediate attack from the creature that takes its place. She sidesteps as it lunges and returns her left hand to the hilt so that she can angle the blade tip towards the ground and sweep it in a diagonal cut upwards that rips through the next one. She's already trying to move into a position to intercept more so that others can work on preparing the generators for work and to be overloaded.

<<"Hahtavi, with me. We'll re-engage power, let the jetii handle the creature.">> the big man hurrying for the turbines to get what's necessary done. <<"Jetii, suggest positions at six, three and nine relative to myself and Hahtavi while we get the evacuation prepped.">> the creature was legion, as long as it had bodies to utilize for its ends. remove its source, remove the puppets.

Already pressing the firing stud on the flame rifle to coat the crusted over turbines with thin accelerant before the pilot engages and a fireball consumes the filth.

<<"We shouldn't be too long at this. It will just be getting out that will make things less than pleasant.">>

"Understood, my Lady," Ban answers in his measured baritone. When the turbines, their obstruction, and their late keepers are discovered, and Chani informs them of the foe's approach, he nods. Taking several even steps from Chani's side to spread out the perimeter, his sword is drawn slowly up into a vertical guard that is adjusted subtly to affect a salute before he greets the charging corpses with a thrust, recovered and sent aside in a sweeping tip cut, his footwork never deviating more than a few steps from the chosen center line; there is a perimeter to hold, after all.

As soon as the first wave are cleared, Hahtavi backs off a few steps from the steaming hot remains and ashe, watchful and silent. He watches Aryn's droid drop down from the ship to join them, listening. The tiny flame at the tip of his flame rifle stays lit and ready.

Ah, stairwell. He follows their lead to begin their descent to where the turbines are located. Dark and dank. Thank goodness for the optics in his helmet, Hahtavi can see fine. Then he sees them - a /lot/ of them.

<<"Wilco, Hadrix - I'm with you.">> Taking his orders in stride, and having confidence that the Jedi can handle the parastic bodies shambling for them, Hahtavi turns his flamer onto the turbines to see what he can do about burning off the crust as directed.

Flames leap from his plasma rifle, rolling forth like a mystical dragon's breath to turn the crust into char, lighting it up!

The swarm is much faster than they let on, and while the Jedi do their best to defend against the horde, even their enhanced senses have limits. Several get by, though not without notice. "Hadrix.. Hahtavi.. several have moved past us.. look out!" In the absence of a solid defense, communication would have to suffice to warn them that an impending ambush was coming.

Aryn cut through two with measured success, but her pursuit of a third concludes a miss, the sound of the energy blade betraying that. She twists about in a flutter of cape and falls back to help Hahtavi.

Meanwhile, Bee-Dee is synced up with each of the turbine computers to begin the process of generating power. It's a slow process to do this, the dam must make the appropriate adjustments and allow water to flow in order to function. Eight (8) more turbines require maintenance, and twelve (12) husks have swarmed the area, turning a reasonable plan of defense into sudden, dark chaos.

The husks keep coming. The lightsabers might be adept at cutting them down, but they approach and attack with no fear. Attempting to fend off from one direction, Chani is unprepared for the husk that rushes her. It's a big sentient. It tackles her to the ground with all the ease of a bantha charging a jawa. <"Ungh!"> Chani goes sprawling onto the duracrete floor and cracks her head against it. The protective covering of the plasteel helmet and the contoured interior help cushion the hit, but it's still enough to make her dizzy. What comes next is an awful tearing sensation at her leg. Chani screams and starts writhing on the ground to try to escape the hulking husk that's biting through the body glove near her right hip.

The savagery of the bites are unparalleled. Controlled by a parasite rather than a brain focused on survival, the husk's limited muscle strength is overriden and its biting force is significant. It tears through the glove and into her skin and rends chunks of her skin off in jagged patterns. The wounds left behind look more like ground up nerf meat than anything else. Chani flails her lightsaber down at her attacker, but she has to both be careful and contend with the violent gnashing that's spilling blood all over the ground. <"HELP!"> The rest is screeches of pain. The husks continue to advance and now there's a breach in their perimeter.

<<"Get Hahtavi clear!">> the mission. Hadrix's helmet turns towards Hahtavi being swarmed and the Jedi themselves while his flamer keeps cooking the gunk keeping the dam from doing its job. <<"Hahtavi, hold tight, we'll be clear soon enough.">> his thoughts fall on the rocket launcher on his back. But that would be a little too much and too soon.

Chani's call lifts his head next and Hadrix is forced to look between the work again, the mission and another member of the operation being struck down. Distractions; horrible distractions. Keep letting them distract and they'll never get the turbines running. Inside the temperature controlled suit, he sweats some.

Ban Iskender's head is pulled aside by Chani's cry for help. He had evaded the solitary corpse who assailed him, only to discover that the bulk of the danger had fallen upon his fellows. Those few steps apart are crossed in haste as the nobleman seeks to cut away Chani's attacker without the lightsaber cutting away any of Chani in the bargain. It takes three tries. Then Hadrix alerts him to Hahtavi's predicament. His comment is a low, "Damnation."

Hahtavi is using a flamer on the turbines. And he's wearing a /sealed/ helmet, so while he might hear someone yell at him the roar of the flames masks it when his coms aren't toggled to pass on the warning. Mandalorian armor is tough, and the helmets are very useful, but they do limit the range of vision.

His trust that the Jedi will keep the line and defend them as they work to free the turbines is ... well, not betrayed, but also not upheld. Try as Aryn does, five of them are suddenly upon Hahtavi!

He tries to turn and flame them but they are too quick! He is dogpiled, one after another pounding on his armor, knocking him down and leaping on him, using their very unnatural strength to even /dent/ his armor - but not yet break the seals that are good even in the vacuum of space.

But it's only a matter of time. Or until the think to rip his helmet off and break his armor's seals. <<"I'm down! Get them OFF of me! Off, etyc skanah! Slana'pir!">> Cursing ensues in Mando'a as Hahtavi flails, trying to force them off of himself and get free. They are evening trying to /bite/ through his Dreadfinder armor! Unbelievable! His flame rifle is attached to his tactical harness and he -tries- to use it to burn them off of himself and push them away!

It doesn't look like it's working. There are too many on top of him.

Hahtavi is not alone. A vibrant blue blade pierces two of the abominations transforming them to ash. The humming of her weapons blade passes near Hahtavi's face, missing by inches as its wielder deftly orients herself between the warrior and those doing harm. "Find your feet!" Aryn says, tension in her voice as she begins to dip and avoid being harmed with a graceful ease, almost as if she knew where to move prior to doing so.

Husks swarm, screaming whatever echoes belonged to their hosts in disembodied voices with expressions that were dead and left staring. Eyes as dark as night swarmed with a black ooze, something Hahtavi was witness to up close as they had tried to batter, break, and consume him. They laugh, they scream, they are intent to kill. Ban is made to realize this as one manages a blow, striking him harshly but finding no purchase thanks to the protective shield his body was encased in. It shimmers in blue, recoiling from the blow.

Chaos is still upon them, with eight (8) husks to contend with, and seven (7) turbines to 'uncrust'.

It takes Ban cutting down the husk attacking her for Chani to become free. She scrambles away, first with her shoulders and hips working to slink back, and then with her body rolling onto her left hip to try and get up. Pain screams through her leg and Chani's choked sob comes over the communications net because the thing is still on in her helmet. <"My suit is breached."> Her voice is pained, panicked, and thick with the lump in her throat. Wavering in her hand, the deep blue blade of her lightsaber is never angled straight up. Her left arm is crossed across her body so her left hand can try to press against the wound, but the mere touch of that has her hissing and gasping loudly. When she withdraws, her trembling fingers are bloody.

Chani puts as much weight as she can on her left leg and takes as much off of her right as is possible. A bend at the knee and the balance of her right foot on the tip of the boot helps alleviate some of the tension in her muscles as they are not drawn taut by being stretched out. <"I'm going to help clear the crust. I think I'm bleeding badly."> The pain in her voice continues to be thick and it makes the quality of it husky. Quiet, guttural grunts punctuate each step she takes in limping over to the generators. Hadrix works on clearing some of the crust with his flamethrower. Chani sets her lightsaber to the task. The first swing is too wild to even make an impact because of her lack of balance. She tries again by gathering her focus and trying to push the pain out.

• WHOP* One of Gripper's claw limbs pops out to clonk Hadrix in the head, directing him towards the call of a breeched suit, and he goes into action. <<"Hahtavi up and to my back, I have yours. Focus your fire on the creatures while Chani is attending the turbines.">> head snapping point to point, taking in the circumstance.

<<"Gripper, go.">> the black ID10 launching from her spot on his backback and heading to help BD with activating the turbine systems, probe inserted and turning with the customary whirs and clicks.

<<"Aryn, Ban Form a wedge I am the spearhead and you are the wall to cover Miss Chani.">> the big man's flamer already going to work now, immolating one of those after Miss Tan and reducing it to sludge in the wake of his pass. Voice a rippling growl now, that old urge to go charging in stronger by the second.

Ban Iskender steps to intercept the trio of screeching husks who advance upon either himself or Chani, evading the first two before the deceptively swift blow if the third lands above his right arm, eliciting a flash of the personal shield and staggering him backward a pair of short steps. As the other Jedi regains her feet, he answers, "Indeed, Mistress Tahn." He strikes down one, but the infernal wailing of the others is leaving the gentleman rather out of sorts. Combined with the speed of the foe, his remaining cuts find only air. Feeling his ire and dread rising, the swordsman exhales sharply, and draws in a measure of calm with the next noseful of reeking air. His movements grow less erratic, and his back straightens, returning to a stance much nearer to a gentleman's dueling posture. He answers Hadrix steadily, "On your left."

It happened so fast, so brutal, that Hahtavi doesn't realize /how/ badly he's hurt until Aryn's standing over him and he's trying to get himself up. <<"Aye! Ori'vor'e!">> A gasp of his thanks through their coms for the assistance. Up on one knee, Hahtavi tries to flame some of the creeping husks left ere he drags himself up onto both of his boots.

Man's barely on his feet though, amazingly battered as if a bloody Rancor had mauled him for water's sake! The Mandalorian native backs up, limping and hurting. <<"I hear you, Al'verde.">> His baritone is strained with pain but not paniced, keeping his wits about him. Hahtavi does as ordered, following up Hadrix's six but facing outwards with the flamer.

Aryn moves with the group, but steps into a slow spin amidst the chaos using her momentum to bi-sect a humanoid husk in two as it charged for Hadrix. Arriving where the Commander directed, Aryn swings and gracefully misses, transitioning into a fancy display of blade work that concludes with a stout thrust through the center of another husk that promptly transforms to ash. "I have the right!" Aryn calls out, holding the line in closer proximity now with her blade held to her lower right, its curved hilt making it appear that she's holding the weapon with a dainty grip. Her other arm is cast out to her side as if for balance, her cape partially hung off her arm. "Call out your movements so we know to shift, please!" Aryn calls out, her focus devoted solely to their defense now as a husk tests her worth.

<<"This is Al'Verde Ryke. I don't know what.. or how you did it, but we have power. Evacuation is commencing now, we're due to depart enemy lines in the next five minutes. Fight well. We will not forget this. Ryke out.">>

Five (5) more turbines to go to initiate the reactor overload, and four (4) husks left.

The perimeter is reinforced by someone uninjured when Hadrix and Chani trade places. The Mandalorian warrior's flamethrower is proving far more effective than Chani's amateur martial work when it comes to fending off the husks. With some of the generators cleared, she limps onto the next. Her breathing is heavy. The throbbing in her leg is hot and sharp and Chani places only the slightest amount of weight on her foot before jerking her left foot forward to catch herself. She carves through more of the crust on another generator. The lightsaber separates it at a molecular level, allowing her to work through the built up junk quickly before having to move onto the next. Her vision is starting to sparkle, though.

It's also starting to grow dark at the edges. Chani feels like the energy is draining out of her muscles. The lightsaber blade grows more unsteady because the gyroscopic motions in the hilt are less and less controled by her unsteady, trembling fingers. She's determined to see it through, though. If she can't defend the perimeter and fight the husks, she's going to carve through what's keeping the generators stuffed up and she's going to unclog enough of them that they're able to prep the plant for destruction.

<<"Copy, sweeping nine to six. Rotating, keeping Tahn within shelter.">> Hadrix, the sprayer of the flame rifle keeping up the grizzly work, reports while Gripper keeps working with BD to get the turbines up and running as Chani gets them de-gooked. Eyes flicking to the wrap-around imager in his HUD.

<<"Should've brought the Woor. Would have had Pheegus on hand for a quick pick-up, eh?">> the last more for Hahtavi while Hadrix is laughing now. Fire everywhere and creatures melting to slag - and the big man is laughing.

Ban Iskender's movements are smooth and swift as the final quartet of Mnggal Mnggal hosts in the immediate area descend upon them. Though stubborn and often predictable, the creature is not stupid, and the four seek to overwhelm one end of the wedge: his. Hadrix destroys one, and the remaining trio are cut down in a deft flourish, a sweeping cut across one torso that leads into a lunhkng thrust to the far side, recovered into a vertical guard and salute. A small nod aside to Aryn, before the doctor hastens toward their fellows.

Hadrix told him to flame the creatures, and that is Hatavi's intention. Except that Ban mows them down like so much grass. That frees up Hahtavi to turn and flame crust on one of the turbines instead, until it's no more than char flaking off. <<"-double click-">> Acknowledgement over his coms without speaking. He keeps aware of the team's rotation and moves with Hadrix, staying close.

No chatter out of Hahtavi. Rough, very painful breathing. He must somehow have broken ribs even through his armor. Fighting dizziness, but he's still on his feet. Barely.

Aryn nods back to Ban, but her urgent walk carries her to the final two turbines which she strikes clear of obstructing debris. Bee-Dee makes quick work of it, bringing the dam to full power. Lights begin to flicker back on with loud 'CLACK-CLACK-CLAK' down each row revealing the scale of death that filled this space. The crust that obstructed the turbines turned out to be hardened debris from the bodies of the dead the husks had killed, dismembered, and put together. Remarkable, the lengths they went to disable a colony, but futile against the might of a specialized team (even one partly injured).

<<"This is Ryke. We're out. All of us.">>

<<"Understood, Commander. We have just finished our work at the dam. Beginning the reactor overload ..">> She glances toward BeeDee who chirped, <<"Now.">> Aryn turns to the group and motions back to the exit. "Time to leave.. let us be away from this terrible place.">>

Outside, they find their ride waiting, door sliding open with a door-gunner offering a gloves hand to pull them back aboard. By the time they reach high altitude, the colony erupts in a magnificent explosion that can be seen from orbit. Rakon Colony was no more, and hopefully, that was the end of the Mnggal Mnggal's wrath upon this world..