Log:Mandalore: The Wasteland Way - The Hungry

Mandalore: The Wasteland Way - The Hungry

OOC Date: June 3, 2021
Location: Mandalore
Participants: Sumi Kora, Hahtavi, Avery Ihala Kora, Zelo Parrai, Valeska Jaivon, Terek Rosol and Hadrix Kora as GM Clan Kora Mandalorian

Bring back an artifact of the home lost. Or heads of Shriekers

The request of Bron of Shad'hain, given by Bhava; one of his Ruus'alore. Maps were given updates and landmarks added - even if one of their number didn't need them to find his way back to the old fortress that had been a childhood home. The Great Southern Desert opened up to them and a Saiwali air-skiff carrying them with the wind on the approach of what was once perhaps a bittersweet memory.

Through macrobinocular and visor magnifications any can see the walls have been allowed to fall into disrepair - but there bodies strung up on X posts along battlements. Flayed bodies tied to them and left to dry in the sun - their musculature in various stages of removal by the look.

The skins have been hung, daubed with almost primitive symbols, like macabre banners. Shuk'la Vercopaanir it is called now, Broken Hope and despair is clearly the predominate resident in the cracked walls of the fortress resting by the deepening, empty, basin of what was once a sea.

<<"Well. Isn't that lovely?">> Valeska takes in the carnage-made-decorations with a scowl that can be heard loud and clear through the comms. She thought she had seen brutality already, but this was on a different plane. Her stomach lurches and knots as she scans the various bloody ramparts. <<<"If that isn't an open invitation to skewer every single one of them, I don't know what is.">>

Retracting the zoom, she looks around until she spots Hahtavi and approaches him: a hand coming to land on his shoulder as she speaks directly to him. <"We'll clear them out. Cleanse it with fire."> A pause taken to stop her innards from doing cartwheels. <"You okay?">

Avery looks upon the scene with disgust, though that would be difficult to tell beneath the smoke colored helmet the man wears. Instead, all that is seen from his companions is a shake of his head from side to side as they come closer to the grisly scene. The darkened T-Visor swivels to find Haht, idly wondering what the man will do if he finds one of his family among those that decorate the wall. Chest rising and falling with a deep sigh, his attention moves to Valeska when she speaks, his gaze roaming over the weapons she slings. Though she marched with these in the days prior she hasn't had the opportunity to test them in combat, hopefully they will prove to be an advantage to her now.

<"They will lose their lives."> Is all Avery says, his hard focus returning to the approaching walls, optics searching for signs of life or folk that need a good killing. In that thought, the grey Mandalorian clutches his carbine a little tighter, the sound of leather creaking as he adjusts his grip. <"What's the plan, Alor?"> Avery asks, his head tilting toward Clan Kora's leader.

Hahtavi stands on the bow of the sail skiff, looking towards the old fortress that once was his home. He has a new place now, as tal'at'cuyir to Clan Kora, others are becoming family to him. The bodies hung up to dry, flayed and tortored, are studied. Does he know any of their faces? Thankfully dessication in the desert means he probably can't identify who they belonged to now and that is probably a blessing.

The binos in his optics of his helmet are used to zoom in elsewhere, studying the fortress and looking for signs of movement. Habitation by Shriekers, changes to the basic structure that might be notable. He speaks low into his coms, <<"Getting in may not be difficult. There's a cave and system of cysterns, old sewers, if you knew where the old accesses were... they may have been blocked though. The fortress itself is many layered like a maze. ">> Great for defense, a bitch to get caught inside of.

Val's hand on his shoulder slightly startles him. Hahtavi focuses on her, <<" Only if Sumi and Hadrix think that's best. Otherwise, we can start by doing a recon and just getting some heaeds or artifacts out. Not my call to make.">>

Terek is doing what he can to help scan for threats, kneeling near the railing as he looks across the battlements, <"They've got charges pre-set near the battlements. I'm no demo expert but it looks like they're set to drop rocks on anyone trying to get near.">

He shifts his position a little bit and then tilts his head, squinting, <"Also something or someone just moved near the west end of the wall. Zelo, can you get eyes on it with your rifle?">

Sumi slides her helm on, the obsidian tinted visor washing out with a reflective cascade of mirror-like silver when the HUD came online. <"We follow Hahtavi. You know the land, we know our weapons."> Sumi props a booted foot up on the railing of the skiff they're on to make an adjustment to her shin-guard, both slapping the buckle and cinching it tight before switching to do the other. They were here to conquer and get some. That's what we're going to do, sweethearts.

Pheegus and Greeza are on hand, at the controls of the skiff should the need arise and even Clankah is there with Gripper next to Hadrix an that portable cannon of his. Waiting for the go ahead while surveying what has been marked by others. <"Must be quite the function, it's drawn the finest people."> his Coruscanti lilt made a little thicker while he scopes down his rangefinder. <"Val payt'oyayc mar'eyir vercopaanir o'r'val ijaat'kyr'am. Val'tion'ad partaylir rejorhaa'ir Be'val'mandokar, be'tion'tuur te'ca?nara olaror; val'epan ba'dinuir'an.... Gehat'ike oyacyir'bat. Shi'Mando'ad olaror lo'eyn'gev.">

Let those left behind find hope in their sacrifice. Let those who knew them well speak of their fierce loyalty, unwavering convictions and when the time came; their ultimate willingness to give all. Legends live on. Only warriors come to an end.

The quiet of the desert suffers a break, a sound like metal bending and squealing in protest with grunting sounds answering it. Then quiet anew while the expedition looks on at the fortress. A thing that hovers like a hunger surveying potential morsels coming before it. The dry rasp of stones falling behind the walls. The scrape of steel on rock.

Targets are lighting up her HUD now and by the Maker there's an awful lot of them. Nevermind the ones that are no doubt crawling behind the walls like so many disgusting insects. Hadrix's words, surely, are inspiring. Even more so if someone is translating them. Putting a finger to her helmet, she zooms in again to get a better look at the targets where she can, but really she is getting a look at the death and destruction they are so very proud to display.

The past few days have found some room for levity. That is gone now.

With a snap, Valeska hits the safety with the palm of her hand harder than she needs to and the carbine whines to life with deadly intent. <<"Scrap 'em.">> That's Val's contribution to battle plans and tactics.

Avery grips the railing in preparation for the evasive maneuvers to miss the trip line that Zelo noticed. His own attention taken by the multiple movements in the shadows of the battlements, his lips pulling into a thin line. <"Yes... there are many."> He states simply, the hairs on his neck standing up with the unnerving sensation of being watched. <"I've got a bad feeling about this."> The Slicer states quietly, his attention roving over the crew that has assembled at this horrible place.

It's as if the walls could read his thoughts and decided to make itself even more imposing. The screech of metal sounding from the fortress snaps his head around, eyes frantically searching for any evidence of what could have made that horrific noise. The carbine is clutched a little tighter and his expression grows a measure darker, the aura of the immediate area raising all sorts of alarms in the Mandalorian's mind.

Hahtavi shifts his weight and focuses on the fortress ahead, <<"Much of the landscape here is hardpan and there's the dead sea on the other side. Very salty water. But there /are/ some ravines and canyons that we could use to briikarir... defilade, hide us from their view. It is through those we can access some of the underground entrances.">>

He turns at the bow to look back at Hadrix and Sumi, <<" I can show the way to one I think they are least likely to have learned about. Any such entrances may be guarded or blocked but there were a few if the first one proves unusable. A direct approach will be too easily seen otherwise.">>

Terek moves to take up a position not far from Avery, pistol in hand, as he watches, and listens. It's hard not to have a bad feeling about this, to say the least. He doesn't make any moves, not yet. Not until they know what they're up against.

Zelo considers the path ahead, listening to Hahtavi's personal knowledge of the location - likely from long before it had come to its present state. He zooms to look to the net, then looks to Hahtavi, the Al'verde, and the Alor in turn. <"I may be able to disable that net with a shot, though that would only remove it as a concern for chasers, now that we know of it. If you will consider taking the underground entrance, I have an idea. This dune,"> the sniper pauses to point, indicating a small enough rise, but something worth marking in a flatter desert, <"Would make an excellent watch-me spot. I could station up there and - on your call - start raising all manner of trouble. Get them all looking at me while you come in from behind. Dangerous for me. But... With surprise on your sides, I think we can end this quickly.">

The Nautolan's baritone voice, sharpened by the vocoder, is calm and it covers any misgivings he has about his own plan. If this is what the Clan chooses... He will play his part. It's not the first watch-me post he's taken.

<"Take the lead, Hahtavi, we'll be right behind you."> Sumi checks her wrist launcher, then prepares her jetpack. All her gear appears to be in order, or so it feels like to her. The last thing she slaps is her side, where a heavy slugthrowing handcannon rests snug in a tactical drop-leg holster.

The strategy raised by Zelo is taken in, but Sumi turns to Hahtavi, who she has given command!

When they get the sail skiff as far into the canyons as they can go, with Hahtavi directing the way from strong memories of this place, he takes a good look around before he hops off. His boots land on the hard canyon floor and his rifle is already clipped to his tactical sling and in hand, freshly reloaded. Silently over his coms, <<" This entrance will be single file, at least at first. Should widen once we are a ways inside. I hope I can remember the way. We don't want to get lost in the catacombs or sewers. This is a very ancient site.">> Used even before the wars wasted Mandalore long ago, rebuilt since.

Hahtavi advances cautiously to the entrance of the old pipe. he glances back to the others, then ducks his head slightly (not really necessary) and starts to head on in. Good thing his helmet has low light and night vision, as well as even a spot lamp, because it'll soon be pitch black in there... He is very watchful for trip wires, pressure plates, electronics, and all manner of traps they might run into. Or further in, even Shriekers, or Gods help them, maybe even strill.

With a plan forming, it sounds like the party is splitting up and Valeska considers her options. With less drama as she had turned it on, Valeska powers down her carbine and lets it hang to her side. Taking the sniper rifle in both hands, she turns on the ball of her foot and follows Zelo. Which may be a surprise to him, but she offers a slight grin towards the Mando as they go about their merry way. <"I'll try not to get in the way and follow your lead, yeah?"> The Dantooine accent is thick right now; eager to go Punisher on some baddies.

Once in place, she sets up a few feet from Zelo as prone as she can get. It's been a long time since she's used a rifle. Even longer since she's sniped and that was basic training. Not much sniping to be done on most mercenary missions. Not the dull ones she'd always end up with anyways. Peering down the scope, she scans the fortifications and listens to the comm chatter to keep track of where everyone is.

<"Zelo. Got movement."> She pinpoints a place where one of the bodies is has been removed. More targets flicker onto the HUDs; little heads that need to be exploded and shiny flashes of metal. <"Looks like they're redecorating. Maybe they're expecting company.">

Avery watches and waits only shifting positions to give Zelo and Valeska a solemn nod and a clap on each of their pauldrons. <"See you soon."> He tells them both, a lingering gaze left on Val before they are left to snipe from the sands. His regard stays on the shrinking dune for a time, only turning away to view their path when the dune blends into the rest of the sand.

He is all business when they pull into the shallow ravine, those dark emerald eyes of his snapping to each possible hiding spot for any sign of life, any odd movement of earth, anything that will give away an ambush. He wrinkles his nose at the smell that permeates the area, moving quickly to press a button on his forearm to activate the filters on his helm.

He's shortly off the skiff behind Hahtavi, boots placed deliberately in the same area that Tavi steps, his head on a swivel as they approach the pipe. Before they enter, something along the side of the pipe rim catches his eye. A message, sand-worn, but still discernable in Mando'a is 'clear, ten meters -- left pipe branch. <<"Check, message on the pipe.">> Avery calls, lifting a gloved hand from the carbine to point at the marking before they enter. He too ducks his head, activating the nightvision on his visor, HUD shifting to blue to mark any object of interest they come upon.

It doesn't sound like much Terek can report on. The dripping sounds like natural cavern sounds. He frowns a bit behind his helmet, and then readies his weapon, for the moment just sort of watching and keeping guard, moving with the group.

The Sniper in the gleaming blue Beskar has summited the large, near-lying sand dune and taken to the business of setting up the massive SX-451 framework, plating the bipod's feet to make up for the sand's texture. He scans the parapets, not immediately noting anything his spotter and co-agitator had not spied. <<"Command, this is Overwatch. We have movement behind the wall, nothing out of the ordinary. Fire comes on your mark. If you can, give us a little time to get the eyes this way before you jump out of the cake. They're amassing, let us light the candles.">> Banter. There we go.

Zelo looks to Val. <"Just remember. When he says go, you empty your clip as fast as you can while putting bolts in enemies. We want to draw their attention so their backs are exposed."> He pauses, flicking on the thermal scanner of his digital scope. <"I'm going to be dialed in, so make sure I know if you take a wound and we need to extract. I don't see everything when it's as close as you."> He offers Val a thumbs-up, and then prepares his first shot.

Sumi brings up the rear of the group to file into this single-file width of a pipe. Not freeing a weapon from her holster yet, Sumi kept her hand on the grip of her pistol and moved at a slight hunch, her cape fanning out behind her from all the movement. <"..Hope no one flushes.."> She said, before going beneath the shadow of the pipe.

Five meters in the pipe widens into a service branch, older than even Sumi and growing wide enough that Hadrix and Hahtavi could stand on either side and just barely touch if they reached out. The sewage trench in the center long dry, the floor with a brittle clay like layer that expels an acrid reek when disturbed.

It looks to have been a trunk for wiring in the old days and maybe there had been some fortification above - lost to time. But the next five meters is enough to allow the group to gather. Three branches going further in, simple left, right or forward. In the middle of these underground crossroads? Skeletons. A half dozen, bones picked clean and left years ago.

The wall top viewed by Zelo and Valeska continues to have that 'thickening' sort of movement in the shadows before a raw throated shrill cry goes up then another and more. Each building on the other until it feels as though a fervor was being built up. The sting-wing nest kicking itself, after a fashion.

<<"I worry about Zelo and Valeska. If things get bad for them, we may need to send the sail skiff back for them.">> Not to mention wishing they had a lot more people to be making this infiltration. Hahtavi made a note of Avery's finding and nodded ere he proceeded. Now he pauses and studies the bones, looking for signs of any recent tracks, old dried dung, anything that might indicate who or what might have killed and whether the remains are human, and thus likely his former clanmates. He's cautious though, not going close up to the bones lest it be bait for a trap.

Instead, Hahtavi starts for the left hand passage unless someone should see something he missed and speak up.

<<" Command Copies, Overwatch. Keep us informed. We have entered and are proceeding. Keep frosty, over.">>

<"Got it."> Valeska nods to Zelo's orders even if he doesn't see it. Finger curled lightly around the trigger, she listens to the catterwalling with no small amount of annoyance. <"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep making noise. I'll send a bolt straight down your throat."> But the waiting is weighing down like a gravity field.

Valeska switches to the global comms. <<"They're getting rowdy over there. I'm sure you can hear it. We may not get to launch the first shots at this rate.">>

He nods to Haht as he speaks, agreeing completely with his statement, protecting family's back is always at the forefront of his mind. The barrel of his E-11 stays pointed down the tunnel, an eyebrow lifting when they come upon the lot of skeletons piled in the middle of a fork in the pipe. Avery gives them a bit of consideration, wondering just how long these bodies have been here to be in this state.

His eyes next lift to the three tunnels, wondering if the message were true enough to follow but not currently seeing any signs that it was false. Old drag marks from the right and center branch, about a year old at best... longer most likely. It looks like these bodies may have arrived from those directions. <<"We're making our way inside, at a crossroads, about to move deeper.">> The grey Mandalorian states, giving those on Overwatch a heads up to their progress. When Haht gives a questioning look to the rest of the crew, Avery nods his confidence and lifts his carbine, ready to move behind the former resident down the tunnel and inside.

Terek makes a sound for a second, <<"Hold up. I hear something.">> He says, holding up his fist, <<"I hear wind coming from the left. And sounds like echoing shrieks coming from the right...I think left leads us out, and right leads us to something that probably wants to eat us.">> He does train his weapon on the right path, just to be on the safe side.

Zelo starts marking targets with his HUD, just to pass the time. The resonant, growing cries are unsettling and - no lie - they're making him question the wisdom of this position. But then, it's a watch-me. It's never wise. <"Command may get gun-shy. If things go hot, we're not waiting for the go-ahead. Dead men can't shoot us."> Zelo listens to Val and has to second what she said.

<<"Command, overwatch advises you double-time if you can do so safely. We may not have a choice when this pops off. Repeat, if we go loud unscheduled, I have every faith you'll be where you need to be. Over.">> Zelo looks to Val.

<"Don't worry... I haven't been shot in days."> There. All the bad luck is on him.

Sumi pauses, trying to listen for the shrieking noise that Terek picked out. She doesn't hear it, but the urge to go down that way and kill whatever 'likely' wanted to eat them was real. She stands there a moment, looking right then left, then right and staring a bit longer. She eventually steps left to follow the group, her finger tap-tap-tapping on the pistol grip with her index finger. She'd come back for a skin...

<<"This place takes me back to Raxus Prime.">> Sumi intones, looking at the skeletons in passing, acting casual.

Sumi pauses, trying to listen for the shrieking noise that Terek picked out. She doesn't hear it, but the urge to go down that way and kill whatever 'likely' wanted to eat them was real. She stands there a moment, looking right then left, then right and staring a bit longer. She eventually steps left to follow the group, her finger tap-tap-tapping on the pistol grip with her index finger. She'd come back for a skin...

<<"This place takes me back to Raxus Prime.">> Sumi intones, looking at the skeletons in passing, acting casual.

The tunnel is disused yet, maybe ignored or forgotten by the current keepers. It lacks for branches but makes up for this with small service alcoves spaced where junction boxes or other similar utility workings. Long only for the switchback and stairs that must be taken. That one final stairway rising up into a service antechamber with the walls hung with banners and tapestry crafted from crudely tanned leather. Stretched as they are, some years old and some only weeks if that, the impression of humanoid limbs and details outlining that these were sons or daughters of another made painfully clear. None have heads. Nor hands nor feet.

The skins are stretched across the only opening with bones crafted in cruel iconography, twisted offerings to some deity or idea conjured up by the more often secular people now clearly gone mad. Light shines through the eyes, nostrils, eternally screaming mouths. The center part of the hellscape curtain clasped by severed, mummified, hands with fingers bent to form catching hooks.

The blood on the floor is fresh. As are some of the remains of gnawed organs and the pile of eyes at the center of the room where the light shining through the stretched faces seems to focus.

A ear splitting, animal, cry being made by a figure dressed in mandalorian armor many years patched over, with stretched skins across many of the plates and a more whole skin draped with the mouth of the victim stretched over the helm and the limbs flapping around what looks like a jetpack. The sound is rhythmic, directed, and is answered by other sounds out beyond the faces.

All of this viewed from the dark of a stairwell alcove, leading down to the minutes long trek through darkness and nightmares.

This gets worse and worse the deeper they get, the Mandalorians apparently arriving in hell at the end of this tunnel. Avery's eyes are wide in the helmet, his attention on high alert with the absolute horrific scene they are presented with. He can only imagine Hahtavi's emotions and thoughts, walking through what could quite possibly be a room decorated with his friends, maybe even family. He grits his teeth and turns the carbine in the man's direction, finger depressing the trigger slowly to get the best aim and odds of killing. <<"Let's finish this.">>