Log:Mandalore: Into the Mines

Mandalore: Into the Mines

OOC Date: April 14th, 2022
Location: King Mountain,Mandalore
Participants: Hadrix Kora, Valeska Kora, Fae Renta, Terek Rosol, Dailo Fett, Zelo Parrai, Hahtavi Kora as ST, Bo Kantan as NPC, Clan Kora

In a secured chamber taken inside of King Mountain's massive gate Mandalorians fighting in the name of Boba Fett have gathered in haste. Hahtavi directs the fast briefing, speaking very carefully so that his words are slurred as little as possible. Transcribed text is directed to people's HUD systems or to datapads. The formerly injured Kora has his own helmet on using a program that helps make his words clear. Haht also has his own datapad powered up, set into the right inside forearm of his armor so he can share data.

<"Inside sources have tipped off the Mand'alore that the most highly valuable prisoners held in King Mountain are being sent down into the mines, deep in the mountain's roots. They could be hidden or evacuated through tunnels and given over to allied clans. We can't let that happen."> On an encrypted frequency data is sent out - brief descriptions of four individuals with ID numbers.

<"We have to move fast to intercept the transfer of four prisoners. Two men, two women."> Hahtavi sends data to the team members. Descriptions but no photos - height, coloring, species. One of the women is noted as being human and having short red hair. <"Prisoner are fitted with metals collars around their necks stamped with their ID numbers. We find the right ones, we have to keep them alive. Our orders are to bag them, bind them, and make the prisoners secure until we can present them to the Mand'alore.">

By 'bag them' black sacks to cover people's heads are indicated and handed out to the team.

The last data transmitted in the briefing is a rough sketch of tunnel layouts. Hahtavi continues, <"Our intel source says they are heading for this junction. From there they can take mining carts into any of the mining quadrants on that side of the mountain. We know they are on the move already, so we have to hustle and move fast. No time to spare - watch for ambushes in the tunnels. I may have trouble keeping up. Do NOT hesitate to take the lead to keep moving. Koyachi!">

Hyped on stimulants to help him be able to move fast in the tunnels, Hahtavi powers down the datapad. His rifle is already clipped to his tactical rig on the front of his armor, <"Let's move out!"> The tunnel mapping is crude at best but it will help the team head for the junction deep in the mountain and the junction location is marked on their HUD systems. Otherwise they could be hopelessly lost in the tunnels.

Good intel, that.

Down, down the team moves. At various tunnel intersections or passages the team runs into running gun fights with the Savages of King Mountain. Casualties are taken as they progress. It's a hard push that leaves people out of breath in between taking cover or firing.

After a while, the tunnel mapping shared among the team members indicates the junction is near. Somehow, Hahtavi has managed to keep up with the team so far even if he lagged behind at points. He has brought them to a narrow side tunnel that is dim in this section, intermittently well lit with overhead lighting in more heavily used passages such as the junction corridor ahead.

Over their helmet coms, Hahtavi's augmented speech comes through, <<"Out of this tunnel, turn right into the main corridor. If our intel is correct, the rail junction begins about 50 meters further south.">> Up ahead and out of sight, the team can hear voices and movement indicating hasty activity. The clang of metal and muffled shouting of orders in Mando'a.

Mandalore. A crucible forever burning. Taking in scrap and either spitting out iron or slag. Valeska can't figure out yet which one she is: iron or slag. She's still upright and mobile. Still got that fighting spirit. But it hasn't been without its price to pay. Prices. Every day she looks around the Outpost feels like there are fewer warriors than when they started. Even with other clans sending their fighters, their vehicles, their weapons every mission consumes them ravenously.

This mission will prove no different. Down in the mines, Valeska moves along with the group; her carbine in her hands and her gait severely lopsided when hurried. No words right now; simply trying to focus on the task at hand. Secure four prisoners and taken them... prisoner? Kill anyone who tries to stop them. Easy peasy.

Rescue mission. Zelo Parrai didn't have to be asked twice. Not that he would have been. But the Nautolan is no fan of captivity so his steps have little hesitation as he falls in. The normally gleaming blue beskar is dulled with soot from some of the recent firefights, but-

'valuable prisoners...bag them, bind them...'

Not quite a rescue. More of a transfer. Still, where Koras go, Zelo goes, as this will be anything but safe... <<"I take it with the black bag treatment, this is not the 'enemy of my enemy' sort of operation.">> He looks to the readied E-11, seen enough battle to have its own scars from all the near-misses. But it still works. The cobalt-blue fingertip of his trigger finger, cut free of the glove as snipers sometimes do to connect with their guns, switches to Stun. If that's the case... They may need to disable some of them. Not everyone will stay still long enough to be checked. <<"Stun's on, eyes open.">> Black-pool eyes check the layout on his HUD, all hidden beneath that widened H-visor.

"Hhmmmmhh," Fae Renta had said curiously as she examined that hood meant to slip over the heads of one of the prisoners. Anyone that knows the Hapan knows from here smile that there's something on the tip of her tongue. She does, after all, always get the same sort of expression on her face when she's about to say something naughty. "Blindfolds and zipties. Hahtavi, I had no idea it was that kind of party," she'd murmured.

But that was then. And this is now.

Her helmet's been snapped into place and her weapon drawn. That E-11 is resting on her torso, held on a sling over her shoulder with its barrel pointed towards the ground as she moves. She's quiet as she moves through the tunnel system, uneasy not only about the limited space and low light, but also the way the sound of voices plays off of the walls. The acoustics make it so even Zelo, who she -knows- is just ahead of her, sounds as if he could be behind her as well. There's a vocoded sigh, and Fae reaches across to brush bits of dust and sand off of her E-11 before the party gets started.

Moving with the hustle as a being born to a combat march, for lack of better terms, the Boar-Wolf of Ealor presses on past the brief skirmishes, holding up only long enough to scout ahead, the right hand tunnel mentioned given his attention - <<"Copy, fifty meters, south.">> the pause lasting a heartbeat before Hadrix's stride picks back up - adjusting how the heavy rifle in his set with a flick of a toggle.

<<"Intel is intel.">> picking up his pace to a jog, krayt scale cape allowed to rest over his left shoulder, over his arm - an additional bit of armor should the need arise. <<"Watch your flanks, it could get very tight very suddenly." the bionics worked into his still mostly organic eye, matched to settings in the bionic, engage as things dim further giving the left pupil a felinoid eyeshine.

The cathar Mandalorian checks his weapon one last time. He listens to the briefing and then has pretty much the same question as Zelo when they're told to bag and bind them, <<"So we need them, but I'm guessing they don't know that yet.">> He says with a little bit of a laugh, taking a couple of the bags and tucking them into a pouch.

<<"Do we need to worry about anything other than guards? Droids? Other prisoners?">> This is asked as he moves along not too far behind Hadrix, though it's not directed at him. He has his weapon at his side, though knowing him he could have it back on a target within a moment if an ambush does happen.

Lady Dailo Fett is among the select number sent to retrieve very specific people from the mines of Mandalore. Dailo was not in the Night Owl armor, in fact, no one was sure who the warrior in red beskar plating was until the Slavic accent of Dailo betrayed who she was. <"These prisoners.. they are not enemies. We capture, but do not harm. Mandalore has many secrets in its sand.">

This is not an order, this of course was not her mission to give commands, but Dailo spoke with her father's words. There might have been more to add, but she stays silent as they are given the prompt to move out. <"For Mand'alor."> Dailo says, then hoists her weapon up and moves with the others.

As they arrive near the location of their junction, information is passed via comms, and their warriors shift. Dailo takes a knee, turning to face their rear and cover from the way they came. Native warriors roamed these tunnels moving like shadowed wraiths. She was under no sense of security here.. they could be surrounded and not know it. <<"Fett covering... rear approach.">>

Over their coms Hahtavi answers Zelo, <<"I don't know, vod. Those were the orders handed down to me. No other details about the prisoners.">> Who knows Fae? Maybe it will be that kind of party. Alas for Terek, Hahtavi didn't know the answer to that question either.

When the team advances, the junction up ahead is well lit. The wide corridor opens into a chamber filled with rail tracks and low rail cargo carts. Some are piled with raw ores or a few kinds, brought up and ready to be shunted off on lines that lead to the smelters. They must not be distant because one can feel the warmth in the air and smell the sharp hot tang of metals.

Wooden and metal rail carts are everywhere. Most are idle upon the tracks, presumably abandoned when the assault on the mountain interrupted schedules to pull abled bodied fighters to the gates and elsewhere. Some are empty, and some closer to the tunnel mouths that open and descend into the depths are not filled with ores, but are caged.

A number of armored Mandalorian Savage Clan members are milling about, pushing and prodding slaves or prisoners to load or unload from caged carts. All of the slaves appear to be shackled in strings of four to eight, all of them are dressed soiled clothing now little more than rags, filthy and lean from ill feeding. All of them also wear metal collars. A few stun batons crackle and orders are barked in Mando'a, but most of the Savage clanners are armed with rifles.

Between the team, the handlers and their prisoners, there are several empty carts ready to head back into the mines. One Savage clanner stands near the those carts on the far end waiting to hook them up to prisoner cages that are loading.

Problem is there are currently three cages with slaves or prisoners loaded, ready to start into the mines or to be unloaded, but it isn't clear which, yet. There are easily 50 people in this junction, most of them chained together and some of them with their hands bound - others with their hands free but wearing leg shackles.

Currently there are about a dozen obvious guards who are armed but carts and people block some of the team's view. There are undoubtedly more in the tunnels.

They make it to their objective like a well-oiled machine. A cohesive of trained and able fighters with steady trigger fingers. For now. Valeska crouches low behind a cart, favouring her right leg and chewing on a rapid-release painkiller pill as she peers around the edge and scans the throng ahead. <"Enemies spotted."> She knows her comrades seem them, too. It's more of a confirmation to /them/ that she's on the proverbial ball.

Augementation in her helmet scans the fifty or so figures as she mutters 'eenie meenie minie...' <"Can't get positive I.D. on our objectives buuuuuut---"> She quickly sends some intel to the HUDs of her companions which lights up a large, unarmed figure in the back overseeing a card being loaded by eight prisoners. Hurriedly and impatiently, too. <"Looks like they're in a bit of a rush, yeah? Suggest we move to intercept before they get the run on us."> But who knows? There might be other targets.

Prisoners milling about in this depot have the Nautolan's grip tightening on the E-11. It's quick to translate into his posture. <<"Copy that,">> Zelo replies on the internal comms. <<"I'm going to try to see what we can't see from here.">> He tries to be subtle. Tries to move undisturbed. Tries to let that soot hide his gleaming blue beskar, but the tension in his body involves a rock kicked and scuttled away here, beskar rubbing against a surface there. Behind a cart and not standing that subtlely below sightlines, Zelo peers beyond.

<<"Another cart. Loading... eight prisoners. I think the person in charge - about Hadrix's size - is overseeing their loading personally, no rifle. A woman with...">> Hair is strange, sometimes, to a species without. <<"Red, maybe? hair. It's dirty, darker than... I'm not sure. Lighting's not great.">> The carbine raises to ready, but Zelo waits on orders.

Fae Renta follows behind Valeska while her sister-in-arms moves up to get a positive ID on a target. She takes a nearby minecart for herself, staying low and slinging that E-11 back off her shoulders. The butt-stock is folded down and neatly pressed to her thigh, where mag-locks give a soft metallic -click- as it locks into place. From that same thigh, she slides her vibrodagger from its sheath. A soft hum shakes sand and dust from its blade as the vibration mechanism is engaged, and Fae gently taps the flat of it against her helmet, right where her lips would be. A quiet acknowledgement to Valeska.

The targeting data fed into her helmet makes her lift her chin to peer up over the cart to get a better visual, but what she actually bares witness to is Zelo doing his best to be subtle. She nearly laughs, but instead there's simply a soft rush of a vocoded breath through her local coms. She waves a hand at Zelo. A universal 'get down' sort of motion.

<<"Maneuvering">>

How does a man his size move like that? HUD indicators on friendly reads show where he is supposed to be, according to The Prophecy. But with a silent shift to the shadows, hunkering and moving at speed with a rolling step to keep his boots from scraping. The inky midnight purple of his armor seems to absorb light in spite of its oily iridescent reflection.

A smudge of darkness that comes to halt in proximity to one of the sentries, where the carts are to be hooked up, <<"In position. Will signal.">>

When he's ready to give them a war they wouldn't believe.

Terek slows down when the group does, and when everyone starts to move into position, he does as well. He also manages to trip over a wrench that someone had left, knocking it into a metal divider nearby. Thankfully it doesn't seem to have gotten him spotted.

<<"I see a red haired woman getting shoved out of one of the cages. Whole mess of people around her though, not sure if that's who we need.">> He only has his blasters with him, so he's holding fire until things pop off.

As the group shifts, prepping for the attack, they are joined by Lady Fett who covers down on one of the sentries. Adjusting her EE-3 carbine to one side, she brandishes a knife that catches a fragment of a light, betraying her approach, but her footfalls are silent and she looms like a stalking Graiveh.

Some of the team aren't as good at moving around quietly or unseen but none of the Savages seem to notice. A slave or two turns a head at movement but the many ore carts give concealment to those who are on the move. A young girl of maybe seven standard years with bedragged blond hair glances in Dailo's direction as the assassin moves up - but she is sharply prodded in the back for stopping.

All of the prisoners, upon closer examination, look about half starved. Filthy, rags for clothes, all of them with neck binders around their throats. Most have their hands free and only their feet shackled and chained in links to move together. But a few here and there have their hands bound as well.

There's plenty of noise as the team sneaks into positions behind cover. Ore carts getting moved make a lot of noise. People barking orders, chains rattling and feet moving over the dusty ground. The more distant sounds of ore being dumped into smelters. It's hot down here yet big circulating fans are slowly drawing air down through shafts.

The far caged cart that caught Val's and Zelo's attention is almost finished loading. The big Mandalorian who dosen't have a rifle closes the door and locks the back, then moves towards the front of the cart. Four others who are more obviously armed move to get ready to depart.

Meanwhile, another caged cart is unloading prisoners or slaves to transfer, some of them being shoved out as Terek points them out. A group of six more are waiting to take their place and load up.

No one seems to notice Hadrix as he gets into position behind the waiting guard by the end of a line of empty carts. That one actually turns out to be a woman upon closer examination, wearing battered armor that by the team's standards is a tin can joke. She's watching the slaves, not the corridor behind her, a blaster rifle idle in her hands.

Behind the rest of the team, Hahtavi moves up. He too utilizes the empty carts for concealment. He's quiet enough in the noise and keeps himself out of sight, peering through between metal wheels on the tracks.

The four armed guards at the loaded cage step up and climb the sides, ready to go.

Lifting up in the shadow behind the figure at the carts awaiting loading, Hadrix's balor eye glimmers momentarily. No time for gloating or to allot time to be spotted for a amateur's need to get that brief moment of fear before he strikes. One massive shaved wampa paw wraps around the savage's neck and drags back. Putting his weight into dropping to a half-kneel with his other hand joining the first and both squeezing to pinch carotid and jugular.

<<"Sentry neutralized.">>

Growled over comms while the spasms begin to slow - a poor angle to wrap his legs around to fully immobilize, to cut off the chance of a kick of the leg or scrape of a boot to give him away. But he holds like a fighting dog, trained to grab the throat of much larger beasts and hold until he dies, or they do.

<<"Cart path that way should be jammed up some.">> giving one last squeeze, to make sure the job is done when they go still.

Valeska looks over towards Fae, a series of unnecssary yet flourishing hand gestures as she speaks. <"I'm going for the big guy before he can cart away with that payload he's so worried about, yeah?"> Her thumb hits the toggle of her gun, switching it from blasts of red death to bright blue stun donuts. <"I promise to stay on the ground this time--"> much to the pain in her leg <"--but watch my back just in case."> Patience she has learned and patiences she can utilized: waiting for the promised signal from Hadrix but unsure of how it will manifest.

'Sentry neutralized'

Ah. There it is. One more check of her carbine and Valeska slide around the cart into the open and breaks into a run, blitzing through prisoner and prisoner alike as she tears across the junction towards the large Overseer. She opens fire, but her range falls short of her goal and the blue rings of stun dissolve into the air. Welp. They know she's coming now, at least.

In the oppressive, heavy air of the subterranean, even with the clanking and rattling of chains, echoing off of mine walls, there is a lull. More of a spiritual one. The feeling of breath collectively and unknowingly held in the stillness before explosions rip that peace apart. And when the comms toll one guard down, that breath is exhaled as suddenly there's no time to waste. In a flurry, Val is running, shots are firing, and the Nautolan Mandalorian is trying to climb that cart he had so preciously slunk and snuck a few feet to hide behind. Of course, the soot on his armor, mixed with the sediment and dust on the bars of the cart make for a horrible combination, and not even the in-built climbing hooks and grip of Skyripper armor can overcome both.

Desperate to do ANYTHING to keep this whole operation from falling to the wayside, Zelo lifts the E-11 to aim, red glow filling the inside of his visor as the sight finds a target and the cobalt blue finger slips on the trigger - courtesy of that same damned mine dust that had prevented his ascent. The defender, for whom the shot would have been a quick trip to naptime, escapes unscathed as stunning energy shoots far wide of their head - only barely missing colliding with any innocent bystanders, of whom there are many.

Fae slowly scans her surroundings, the nightvision of her helmet pinging targeting data and better illuminating the space than her naked eyes ever could. As she turns to look towards Dailo, her tracking vision stops at the sight of a young girl. The little one is turning to look in Dailo's direction, but before she can speak, she's prodded in the back by a guard attempting to move her further along. Fae exhales and begins to move towards them, quiet as she goes, just as Hadrix takes down the first and Valeska sprints towards the prisoners, weapons hot.

Well. No point in going quietly now. She pushes up onto her feet and sprints towards the group of four prisoners, taking a hard arcing cut of her vibrodagger across the guard that's moving them along's back. They howl out in pain and stagger forward. Fae's next two swings catch bits of armor that guide the blade harmlessly out of the way, making the young Hapan stagger back two steps. Fae moves to step between the four prisoners and the guard.

<"Go."> she says.

Well there it is. Terek is glad it wasn't him that did it. As soon as everything starts, he already had his target picked out. His weapon had been directed at one of the armed guards. Putting armed opponents out before anything else has to be a priority.

Terek's blaster goes off in rapid succession, firing off three rapid shots. His target takes two to the chest and drops in a flash, as Terek already starts scanning for another target.

Dailo lifts a gloved hand, one digit extended, and placed silently over the spot where her mouth was beneath the obsidian T visor of her helmet. If it weren't easily conveyed enough to be 'friendly', Dailo wasn't sure how else to 'say' it. She observes the one they call Lady Fae move up, so Dailo does not switch her target from the sentry she intended.

In time with the other hostilities, Dailo springs from her quiet shadow like a wraith, using one arm to wrap around the front of her opponent's helmeted head and yank it back abruptly, exposing the soft spot of their neck. Before they could gain footing, she rendered their weight bearing leg useless by kicking their knee to bend, giving out any leverage they had to stand.

Her knife struck true, sliding into their throat before air could generate a sound of their voice. The serrated edge of her knife sawed across brutally, spilling the man's life source of blood in a brutal, yet efficient, display of life taking. Unable to speak or do anything at all, the sentry is guided to the ground to die, discarded in the shadows where the darkness beckoned him into a cold embrace.

Dailo sheathed her knife and brought her EE-3 back up, adjusting her stance into a close quarters firing position and holding her ground. Her voice does not join the others in their reports and commands of the situation. Fetts were notoriously lone wolves, and Dailo was no different. Not like the Koras needed anyone to watch over them; their name was one forged across a river of blood.

As Valeska leaves cover and starts running through the rail junction, winding her way dodging prisoners and guards, eyes intent on the big guy getting into a loaded cage cart, firing away... one of her stun rings that miss him grazes the side of the cage. The prisoners or slaves within start shouting and one of them is partly stunned. They waste no time throwing themselves against the opposite side bars of the enclosure away from the side the big guy passed on. The four armed prisoner guards mount up the sides and as the big guy gets inside and they look for targets to start firing back! The Overseer ducks down and starts up the loaded cart, suddenly no longer visible as a target himself. Self powered on the rails, the loaded cage cart starts moving towards the mouth of a tunnel which begins to swallow it up.

All around the junction prisoners or slaves start shouting! Guards are whipping around, lifting rifles. Several of them are over whelmed before they can sight up targets to fire upon and two of them find they can't sight up any of the team and hold their fire.

Prisoners and guards start moving, diving for cover if they can or just hitting the ground if they can't, or pawing madly to try and get through or drag others along in panic. Mostly though they act like they've been in fights before and a lot of the slaves simply hit the ground, dragging others down with them to get out of the line of fire. Guards are getting behind cover!

Fae succeeds in running out to the chain of slaves the little girl's standing among. She succeeds in wounding that guard and he doesn't yet go down, his attempt to shoot her going very wide and up at the ceiling as she decks him a good one!

Hahtavi draws fire but isn't hit as the cage full of prisoners Val is closest too pulls out. <<"One of the carts is getting away!">> He tries to point in Val's direction and indeed, among the prisoners within it, one of them Zelo had spotted looks back quickly and shouts /something/ in Mando'a. Damned if she doesn't look like she has short red hair. Dirty but her clothing looks a lot better than rags.

The entire junction is chaos. Guards are shouting for backup. The smelters are close by and boots can be heard running in the tunnels.

Hadrix, having just taken out the guard at the end of the empty carts sees that these things are drivable and ... the one he's standing by is on the same rail as the caged cart that's disappearing into the tunnels.

The aftershocks of her stun blasts hit an unfortunate prisoner. Whoops. Well, she'll have to remember to apologize later because right now their target is getting away. <"Rekk me... sorry, Fae."> Her jetpack ignites and she takes off faster than her lame leg can carry her. To her credit, Valeska doesn't go /too/ far into the air. So she's almost keeping her promise to stay grounded, really.

She clears the distance quickly, latching onto the back of the caged-in cart, hooking her leg around to keep a lock on as both hands attempt to aim at one of the four guards clinging to the vehicle, as well. Twin blasts of blue fire out all wobbly and off-target as the cart starts racing down the narrow passageway. Hopefully the prisoners inside are smart enough to get down. <"Goin' for a ride, yeah? Might need assistance!">

Composure. It's only three syllables, but every one of them is missing within the Skyripper armor as the Nautolan's temper threatens to overtake him. Midnight whorls patterning over Zelo's cobalt blue skin pulse with a faint red glow, counting heartbeats as blue blood pounds within his veins. That same blood pounds around auditory nerves, blotting out whatever the red-haired woman yelled, but Zelo's in pursuit. His aim has forsaken him, but he can still drive - just as long as he avoids pools of acid, unlike last time.

<<"I'm rolling your backup, just hold tight. Anyone who's pursuing that cart, climb on.">> Zelo darts forward, kicking anything and everything in his way to vent some of his anger as the cart shakes and shimmies to life to roll down the track. <<"On the move.">> With no thought toward brakes, and an E-11 sitting on his lap as the cart picks up speed.

The melee between Fae Renta and the guard doesn't last a great deal longer. He squeezes a bolt out towards her chest, but she's able to twist out of the way just in time to see it rip into the top of the ceiling above her instead. She plunges her vibrodagger down into his thigh, buzzing through his femoral artery. The rush of blood and drop in blood pressure's enough to drop him into a heap as he loses consciousness and bleeds out on the ground. Fae ducks back behind a still-stationary cart and moves to where the slaves from before had huddled. She ushers them lower, and waves a few more over in here direction as the guards still in the tunnel start to react and fire blindly.

<"Stay down and stay hidden. We will be back for you."> Fae says. Another group scrambles blindly for cover, and Fae pulls them to join her behind that wider loading cart.

Shots ring out as the massive figure flips to his feet, walking over and beyond the body of the one felled, first his compatriots and then the enemy. Sparks fly and red lines glow along the dyed beskar of his armor. The second shot skipping off of the same right rebracer - the glow from the first serving as a tracer round and drawing a growling sound from the helmet vocalizer.

<<"Really missing the power armor right now.">> Hadrix growls as he leans forward as if to fall before his jets cut in and his legs begin pumping. Mine dust kicking up in his wake and beskar tread of his boots sending up sparks when they scrape against metal in the full on run that sees him covering meters between steps until the crash of metal on metal.

The cart, moving as it is, jostles, shakes, maybe even lifts a fraction so as to create the whispering screech of metal grazing metal. The big man attached, fingers gripping the cage and his feet finding purchase, <<"Kriffing thing...">>

This all went far differently when he shoulder charged that APC on Kalarba.

But on that day he was eight feet tall and a metric ton in weight thanks to the heavy powered suit he was wearing back then.

Terek isn't dumb. He's not going to stay put with all the hostiles that are probably incoming. Spotting Zelo getting one of the cars going, he does a running leap for the car. He lands down in the seat, and looks over at Zelo, <<"Just get me in range, I'll bring 'em to a stop!">> He holds on with his left hand while already starting to line up his shot. They're on a rail so it's not like he'll be surprised which direction their target is.

Dailo takes a hard hit to the chest, her torso hit with such succinct and abrasive kinetic energy it puts her against the interior wall where she drops her EE-3 from her grasp, leveraging the use of her sling to keep it in place. This hit does not feel good, and Dailo stumbles across the opening as action takes place all around her. They had a mission to complete, and with so much chaos, the only sure victory seemed to be in freeing all the Mandalorian slaves.

This thought manifests as she's helped back up by one of those wearing a collar, and when their eyes meet, Dailo knew what must be done.

The darkness of the mines become alight with the bright blue of a hopeful looking presence, a pontite lightsaber has come to life. Dailo was no secret Jedi, but the weapon had come from her father so that she might train with him and help him understand the mysteries of the Darksaber. Now, it was being used in the defense of, what presumably were, innocents. Humming when she moved the light blue, Dailo illuminated the source of the slave captivity and halved the chains with a single pass of the weapon. <"You are free,"> She says before cutting the second chain. <"Nothing is given. Earn your right to stay free and escape these horrors you have faced. I will cover.. for as long as I stand. Go!">

Dailo put herself between the escaping prisoners and harm to cover their escape, then.. she hoped she would be capable of joining them.

Slaves are crawling for cover, dragging their chains. Some have tried to run and hide. Most are face down on the ground trying to look around and keep their heads down at the same time. Several of them are shouting. The little girl near to Fae has big blue eyes and looks strangely not afraid. She is a child of Mandalore after all and looks instead eager to get free.

Several of the prisoners start getting up when they realize that /they/ aren't being shot at and even unarmed as they are, they start attacking their guards! Bare hands, chains, grabbing for chunks of ore, a dropped rifle, whatever they can get to hand. They /too/ are children of Mandalore and not afraid to die if they might win their freedom!

Many are starting to shout, "OYA! OYA! OYA!" to encourage each other not to remain passive observers.

Valeska and Hadrix succeed in reaching the fleeing caged cart full of people. The eight prisoners within, all chained and with hands cuffed, look hopeful. Some of them even start reaching through the bars to try and grab or dislodge the guards hanging on the sides. The red head in particular looks grimly DETERMINED to end her jailers, even at the risk of getting shot herself. She yells in Mando'a, "Pry their kriffing fingers from the bars!" in her attempt to rally her fellow prisoners to attack and dislodge the armed guards - who for the most part are only holding on with boot toes and one hand, while trying to use their rifles with the other.

Zelo and Terek make it into one of the empty ore carts and fire it up. It gets rolling and begins to build up speed, leaving Fae and Dalio behind. The prisoners and slaves look grateful for the assistance, less inclined though to flee when Dalio starts to try to usher them into the tunnels. One man stops and looks her in the eye, "Nayc! We will fight!" he snarls in Mando'a and grabs the length of chain Dailo just cut, sliding it out of their shackles. Instead of fleeing, he takes that chain and is followed by several more, going after guards even as more Savage Defenders are arriving from the tunnels from the smelters. A few of the weaker or smaller prisoners do take to the tunnels when freed, trying to escape.

Bolts are fired at Zelo and Terek both as they try to head after the prisoner cage in the wake of Valeska and Hadrix. Other guards can't get a clear shot or are eye balling Fae and Dailo - or the light saber, and not at all sure they want to fight /that/.

Down inside of the tunnel, the prisoners are keeping two of the Prisoner guards too occupied to shoot, trying not to get dislodged. First one falls and yells, his body and armor instantly crushed against the wall to bounce under the cart's wheels. His body barely makes the cart bump, the weight of it slicing him in half and leaving a bloody mess on the rails. The other gets his hand bashed and his boot toes shoved and he too falls, but he manages not to get too badly mangled, rolling back to his feet and left behind. He turns and lifts his rifle to face the on coming Zelo and Terek as they enter the tunnel. At the same time the last two Prisoner Guards are firing away at Hadrix and missing him, but the other NAILS Valeska at almost point blank range! The bolt knocks her clear of the moving cage! That's going to leave a mark.

At the last moment, Hahtavi sees Dailo and Fae are sell set to handle Savages and they have a mission to complete. He grabs hold of Zelo's cart and manages to start climbing, flipping over the edge and falling into it with a thump. But doesn't have a chance to get a shot off.

The cart suddenly lurches HARD to the side and for a moment, it feels like it might have hit a break in the rails and is about to flip over. A second later, Valeska realizes that a familiar purple and black set of armour has joined her on this little joyride. <"Hadrix. Fancy meeting you here, yeah? Was that you hitting like a damn chargin' bantha?"> Of course it was. Sadly, it's too much weight and speed for even Hadrix to topple, and their cart continues barreling down the tunnel. Now with a pair of stowaways.

But not for long. A rifle explodes what seems to be right next to her. A bright flash of light and a pain so intense that she can't even muster out a scream. The last thing she sees is Hadrix next to her turn into a blur as she is literally shot off of the caged cart and goes into a brief freefall. Her body hits the rails below and tumbles like a ragdoll, propelled by momentum. Eventually coming to a stop sprawled on the tracks. Dizzy, dazed, and unable to feel her right arm, Valeska gathers enough instincts to roll PAINFULLY to the side to clear the way for the other cart racing down the tunnel behind them. And there she lays, awake but down. No way she can catch up to the carts now.

Zelo watches Val fly off the cart as the passengers attempt their own insurrection. The one shot just HAD to land. Without thought, he glances to Terek. <"Keep the pedal down, no matter that guy-"> The Nautolan gestures to the guard rising on the tracks. <"And we'll be right back."> Sure. Just... Trust the rocket pack. The one that always let him down. But...

• Click*

Not this time. At the last moment between Zelo leaping from the cart and hitting the track in front of the cart, the rockets ignit, and Zelo is speeding toward Valeska even as she rolls off the tracks. He tries to scoop her up without landing, but... This pilot isn't built for the muscle-up side of Mandalorian life. Rockets cut out and Zelo kneels, pulling Val up by her non-wounded side.

<"You can lie down when this is over. If you can stand, I'll get us to the cart."> He gives her a look over and a pat on that same shoulder. <"You can still shoot? Yes. You can still shoot."> He'd shot with wounds like that. Once or twice.

The little one with the ferocious blue eyes is the last slave that Fae cuts away with her vibrodagger. There's a hum of steel and a spray of sparks that's enough to light a flare of orange in the glassy reflection of her eyes, as well as the T-shaped visor on Fae's helmet. The rest of the Mandalorians have made for the minecarts in pursuit of the captives, the sound of their blaster fire growing quieter and quieter with each passing moment.

"Not you, cyar'ika," she says to the girl, "You stay still. Stay hidden." There's another sound. A familiar sound. The sound of a lightsaber sparking and growling in ignition. For a moment, Fae thinks it's Sumi. She perks up to look, but it's an unfamiliar color and figure that wields this blade. She pulls the stock back from beneath the barrel of her E-11 and tucks it against her shoulder.

She moves to close the distance between her and her fellow Mandalorian, leveling her blaster and loosing a spray of blaster fire in that narrow corridor towards one of the Savage Defenders. It's an entire bloom of blaster fire that peppers her, but there's enough that hit her to knock her onto her ass, groaning in pain and covered in burns.

<"I'm with you, Lady Fett."> Fae Renta says, readying her blaster to fire again!

<<"Primary acquisition target spotted.">> Hadrix's voice is a snarl, watching Valeska fall, teeth gritted.

"Let me out." "No." "This isn't fair."

Toes lifting, momentarily hooking his boots in the bars to give him a chance to twist and curl his fingers around. Granting him the leverage to fling out his legs and turn, swinging round to set his feet again to the cage, hook his boots against the edge of them. Quick turns of his hands allowing him to fix his hold, set his grip. Like a lupine with its jaws around the neck of its kill while foam forms on his lips within the helmet that hides his features and the blazing red of his bionic eye flashes bright enough to show crimson silhouette of his features through the visor.

"They hurt one of ours." "No." "Let. Me. Out." "No." "I hate you." "I hate you more."

Voices in his head. Both his, but one not quite so. The old anger, bubbling to the surface, the rage, the him when he was numbers. The creature built to crush, rip, tear and sunder. The sudden strain of his grunt loud enough to engage comms, the exertion becoming a growl when his legs flex and his hands send signals to his brain to let go, let go before he causes self-harm. Impulses that the animal catches in its teeth and strangles, it's snarling bleeding into the big man's breaths as he strains.

"Just have to use a little Finesse." another voice, even when friendly it sounded deriding, condescending. Except in those rare, quiet moments, when no others were there to witness. The bars at his fists creak and those below his boots bend inward. His jets cut in with the squeeze of his hands, adding to the force.

"ON YOUR BACKS! PUSH! PUSH!" the red-headed woman calls out, realizing what is happening and following suit when those with her get into action. Bracing and stomping, pushing. Arms threatening to pull loose, fingers, hips screaming - no that's the metal. The joint effort rewarded with a 'KHRIIYNHK' of metal breaking when the door is pulled free - Hadrix's balance lost, his jets pulling him away before they cut out before he kicks into a twisting backflip to land on his boots in the wake of the cart, bent cage door bouncing and cartwheeling away behind him while the big man skids to a halt, dropped to one knee and one fist to the ground for balance.

Terek is surprised when Zalo jumps out of the cart. That surprise is distracted a moment later as a lucky blast strikes the cart and chunks through his left leg. He yells out in pain and shock, returning fire as he lifts the injured leg and jams it down on the pedal, yelling out as he tries to run down the same guy he's shooting at. He barely misses slamming into the guy, missing his last shots as the guy dodges out of the way of getting splattered. Onward!"

<"I said you are free!"> Dailo claimed, stepping away from those who fled. <"If you choose to fight, it is because that was the choice you made."> Dailo moves the lightsaber to her side and glances over when Lady Fae arrives to put a savage out to pasture. Prisoners join their line, saying much the same as Lady Fae. <"Then we are kin forged by the blood we spill together. Mando'ade, to war...!"> Dailo gives Fae a nod, then turns to look ahead.

Taking the initiative to bring the fight to the savages, regardless of their number, Lady Fett leads the charge into the eternal darkness of the mine, the sound of battle soon to follow.

There's a lot going on. In the main junction, Fae and Dailo are holding court and the prisoners and slaves, as they are getting freed, are /attacking/ the guards. Some of them are gunned down but it means those guards who are firing upon them, aren't firing upon Fae and Dailo. Even as more are showing up out of the tunnels the prisoners are rallying. There are a lot more of them down in this chamber than there are guards and it's hard to even pick Fae out of the mob for them to shoot at her!

Dailo on the other hand has a light saber and is slicing guards and chains left and right. Savages who came to defend the mines are skidding to a stop, mouths hanging open. A few of them shout orders but others think THIS IS A BAD IDEA. Several of them take cover and some outright turn to run away.

It is starting to look like a full scale prisoner revolt in the mines.

The girl watches Fae and reluctantly does as told, but she also loots the body of the dead guard and comes up with a rifle. The child seems to know how to check the charge and looks ready to cook some meat! Child of Mandalore indeed.

Zelo makes sure Val is safe and Terek succeeds in injuring the Prisoner Guard who was about to try and shoot him! He instead finds the cart about to run him down and the man has enough sense to throw himself towards the wall and out of the way of being run over! His rifle clatters to the tracks and isn't so lucky, instantly destroyed as the heavy wheels demolish it. Oops. All the prisoners out in the junction rallying, the injured Prisoner Guard decides this might be a good time to get out alive while he can! If he can.

Meanwhile, Hadrix does indeed manage to rip open the back of the cage as that cart gets ever deeper into the tunnels. The prisoners within, lead by the red headed woman giving orders, not only aid him in removing the door but others inside also pry off the grips of BOTH of the remaining guards riding the sides!

One gets clear but falls to his death under the wheels, and the other hits the wall but manages to get clear. There's no waiting to try and reach the driver. The red head is up and shouting orders to her fellow prisoners to "JUMP! GET OUT!"

And they do! Even with chains and shackles, it takes only seconds for all 8 of them to bail and hit the ground and the tracks. Now if Terek can just keep from running them over! They look like they could use a lift.

The human body, Mandalorian or not, can only take so much abuse in such a short period of time. Valeska's in particular has been getting a complete remodeling with each passing mission and it's getting more and more difficult to bounce back. Bacta and bed rest and training can only do so much to make up for the injuries sustained one on top of the other.

Zelo is next to her, helping her to feet. Offering words of encouragement. He's right, he's right. Valeska staggers upright, helmet turning towards Zelo in regard. Rest assured her expression underneath is grateful if pained. <"Thank you, vod. Though if I'm firing this thing again, it's going red."> She's not stunned anyone except a prisoner with bad luck today.

And lo. There be a plump target before them; an injured guard thrown from the cart now reaching for his rifle. A flick of her thumb toggles her carbine to kill and Valeska throws the barrel up; the butt dug into her armpit to try to make up for leverage lost. It comes as no surprise that the shots go wide, but it'll give him something to think about.

Zelo nods, any smile under his helm a thin one still lined with anger more than good humor, as Val raises her weapon. He takes her weight as best he can while she squeezes off the shots she can. <"If there's battle, we don't stop shooting until we can't shoot again..."> That was his way. The fight isn't over, until it is. With a click much more responsive than the first, his jetpack lights again and he's off, squeezing just past the unencumbered side of the cart to get back to the controls, where he'd left Terek.

<"Going to be a BIT of a squeeze. Nobodby fall-"> It's then that he notices the prisoners now arrayed on the tracks ahead. <"KRIFF!"> And with that, the Nautolan slams on the brakes, threatening to upend the rear of the cart as it screeches to a halt only a few meters short of the splayed prisoners. He gives Val and Terek a look and leans the former on the seat before he hops down to approach the prisoners.

<"Some of you are needed. All of you have a ride."> He looks to the stolen cart, then back down as he offers a hand to the nearest, visor looking to the red-headed woman who had so stuck out. <"For what it's worth, I think this is all going to work out.">

Fae Renta's attention is on Dailo as the woman leads a rallying cry for those slaves around them. She turns to look towards them, too. At how they fight, though malnourished and worked to the bone, to the very end. Some are cut down by blaster fire, and others are the ones to do the cutting. Fae Renta has never been a leader. Not like this, at least. Not here. The call is 'To War', and Fae Renta just lets out a long breath through her lips and fires towards the surging advance towards the exit of the mine tunnels.

She follows the light of that saber more than anything, though when she hears a sound of heavy stomps behind her, it draws her attention backwards. It's that unlucky, stumbling guard trying to flee towards safety and his comarades, only to see them entirely overrun.

And the barrel of Fae Renta's rifle. And then red. And then black.

One last guard and his blood is up. Kicking off from his three point stance into a flat out run that is making his already bruised, strained and overtaxed form scream in protest. A little bit of the beast taking hold. Taking the pain and fueling the anger with it, focusing him to a razor's edge. He knows there will be agony later, time stretched out, ice packs and ointment.

Old before he's reached his thirties. Maybe that's another reason he and Sumi seem to get on so well.

The roar bursts over his vocalizer when he goes airborne, tucking and springing forward to give him just a little more momentum to get his hands on the armored cowling of the guard's shoulders, fingers of his left had biting in between the armor joints, right hand pistoning. Beskar strike plate sparking off the helmet when the dursteel shakes, deforms, then bends in with the repeated punches.

Hadrix is still howling animal noises while he rides the other down to the ground, the front of their helmet cracking bones, pressing into flesh drawing strained gurgles until his right knee is shoved up under their chin.

• Click-whhIIIIIEEEEEEEN*

A single rocket dart is launched, sinking through soft tissue under the jaw, piercing, pinning their tongue to the roof of their mouth before their head bursts like a melon and the Boar-Wolf of Ealor rises to his feet, shoulders hunched, head low and breathing far harder than he might otherwise.

"Nice save." Terek says to Zelo as they screech to a halt just in time. He manages to limp himself off of the cart and towards the prisoners, "You're just gonna have to trust me here." He says, as he puts the bag over the red head's head closes it up. Limping all the while, he moves to the second prisoner and hmms, checking their tag to see if they're one of the ones they need, "Seems like they're already bound so I suppose that's half the job done." He'll probably need a bit of help getting them back to the junction.

Amidst those in battle, Dailo cuts down another foe with an easy slash, but find those who called that fallen warrior brother once, left his side to flee. She allows them that chance to dishonor their kin, but the battle wages on. Dailo makes a concerted effort to remain near Fae, as they made up the spine of this insurrection, and it fell to them to see it through to the end.

The prisoners who were trapped in the back of the cage - four of them do indeed match the descriptions of persons the Mand'alore desires to be rescued and brought before him. Their collar numbers match the list. Two men, two women. As well as four others thought to be of high enough value to have been added to the rest. Among them, the woman with the short red hair is definitely picking herself up to stand tall and eye their rescuers.

Terek comes up to try and put a bag over her head and she's not having any of it! "Do you know who I am?! You di'kut!" She tries to fight free of him but her hands are bound, her pride keeping her back straight as she attempts to evade him. Her legs have shackles and chains and with effort, Terek manages to bag her.

The red head's breath can be seen to huff against the cloth, then suck air against it. Her muffled voice comes through, undeterred. "I am Bo Katan! If you call yourself Mandalorians, you will release us!"

Hahtavi looks over the rim of the ore cart, rifle in hands to cover the prisoners ... or more likely the caged cart they came out of that keeps on going further away down the tracks. His vocoder crackles to life, his speech only a little slurred, <"We have orders otherwise. Bo Katan, or not, we are to take you before the Mand'alor.">

For a few stunned moments, silence reigns in the tunnel. The eight prisoners freeze - except for those not yet with bags over their heads? They share startled looks among themselves.

Outside in the junction, things are well under control. The Savage Guards who weren't killed have retreated to regroup behind defensive positions, mostly in the direction of the smelters. The freed slaves shout, collect weapons, and look ready to head out with the aid of their rescuers. It looks like the new Manda'lore got himself lots more inside intel on King Mountain if he wants it, as well as additional fighters.