Log:New Alderaan: Now You Cant Leave

History repeats itself aboard the Tantive IV, kind of..

OOC Date: October 4, 2021
Location: Tantive IV, Alderaan Sector
Participants: New Alderaan, Aubrei, Chani Tahn, Ulani Kalgaav, Sorin Endesea, Ariel Teral, Bors Thul, Rune, Aryn Cortess as GM/Kiko Alde

The sound of a proximity alert whined across the alarm speakers of the corvette Tantive IV. Lights flickered when its shields sustained a blow, yet the diplomatic vessel did not return fire. From the bridge, an announcement sounded over the intercom for troops and defenders to make their way to the main corridor of the ship, a boarding part was expected and it was the kind of boarding party that brought violence.

During emergency procedures, the comms were switched to open broadcast. Lady Kiko Alde's voice is heard over the comms.

<<"This is Tantive IV, a diplomatic envoy being dispatched to negotiate with Lana of House Panteer. Cease fire and allow us to pass peacefully.">>

<<"Negative, Tantive IV. You are to power down engines and prepare to be boarded. This can end peacefully, or another way.">>

<<"Be advised, if you board this vessel, you are violating any opportunity for peaceful resolution. I'm asking you to leave, back down and allow us to carry out our diplomatic service.">>

<<"Last chance, power down your engines, Tantive IV.">>

The engines power down and the corvette comes to a slow orbit around the planet of Delaya. Those aboard the vessel can hear the comm traffic, and experience a shift in the atmosphere of the interior, where lights dim, and strobes of red begin to flash. There's a loud noise from something that's attached itself to the Tantive IV, and the airlock snaps shut. Sparks begin to cut through the airlock.. someone was going to come in..

<<"Last chance, Security Forces.. leave this vessel alone, and allow us to carry out our diplomatic mission.">> Kiko warns, her voice calm and measured.

The keening sound of the proximity alert eventually is explained and Aubrei is quick to grab at her gear, pulling on her helmet and adjusting the belt about her waist which helps suspend her compliment of arms and items. Buttoned up and ready to go she moves along the corridor with the access to the airlock with the rest, giving a brief glance at hte others with the dark visor being the only indication of her attention shifting.

Aubrei ducks down and secures herself in place at one branching portion. She goes to a knee and braces hesrelf to try to take the first shot at those that have decided diplomacy is not the chosen avenue of the day. The large snare gun is then braced against the side of the bulkhead and her elbow propped up on her leg.

The main corridor of the Tantive IV consists of polished flooring and white walls. The blue-robed guards of the Alderaanian forces stand out in this environment, but Chani supposes she does, too, in the dark brown robe draped over her shoulders and mostly shut over her cream garb. A shuddering that seems to permeate the ship rumbles through the soles of her brown leather boots and Chani glances down towards the floor right before the lights go from stark white to far more dim. The flashing red along the corridor comes with every turn of the dual-lamped beams that rotate in their glass cage. It adds an ominous atmosphere to the whole ship, especially down the corridor where the airlock begins to spark and fizzle as someone works about cutting through it.

"I wish they'd stop. This won't end well." Chani moves forward towards the front of the guards and takes the hilt of her lightsaber in her hand. Many call it a weapon, but for the young Naboo native it is a tool of defense. She'll do what she can in that regard. She wants to give the forces that board another chance to surrender, but Chani is not in charge here.

It was supposed to be a simple mission. Oh, but they're never simple, are they? From her seat with the others, Ulani looks up from her datapad -- she /is/ actually reading today as opposed to preparing a series of programs and the like -- as the communication exchange plays overhead. A quick glance to the familiar faces around her then the datapad is put away.

By the time the red lights are flashing, Ulani has grabbed her rifle and risen to her feet; moving to take a position at the end of the corridor. Kneeling down to allow others a clear visual of the breach-in-progress, Ulani powers up her rifles and brings it to bear, steadying it against her shoulder and her eye settled down at the sight. Locked in and ready. "I think they want it to not end well," Ulani says sadly up to Chani.

The Tantive IV's central corridor was a stark white picture of utilitarian design. This was a starship that tried, and succeded, in looking exactly as you'd imagine a small dual-purpose capital ship to appear. In this moment, that was decidedly /ready for war/. As the corridor's bright white bulkheads are washed in the red glow of emergency lighting, and defenders begin taking up positions along its length, Sorin crouched as far into a small recess as his armored powersuit allows.

The knight looks across the corridor, to Aubrei ducked down and secured at a corridor branch, and nods. Then, crystalline sword drawn with that distinctive ring, he steps just far enough out to begin carrying himself closer to the airlock's still-sealed ring-like entrance. Melee combat was in his future.

"Oh that's no good." Ariel had stated when the lights flickered and then the proximity alert went off. Definitely not good! The red haired Lady of House Teral gathers herself up and then proceeds to where the rest of those people that had traveled aboard the Corvette are gathering. The quiet young woman gives a nod to those that she recognizes and then removes the baton from her side. If they were going to get violent she was going to shock a few people real good.

It might not brighten their day, but it wouldn't brighten hers.

"Bounders..." listening to the chatter while lifting up his helmet and checking the blast screen, Bors of House Thul's head was shaking as he let off such a marvelously course bit of language. Absolutely foul. Drawing the helmet on with a quick flick of fingers to secure the catch before the black and gold hilted blade bearing marks of his house was drawn from its scabbard.

Yes. Repelling invaders with a sword; how fantastically antiquated.

<<"This is Bors of Thul, positioning myself. Lady Kiko I am at thine service.">> sending word over the private comms and giving the blade a brief, swishing, flick to balance himself. Looking in the direction of Ulani and Chani when they speak, "It is the determination of the mad to engage again and again in tireless repetition, expecting change at each turn. Sad as it may be."

Warning sirens rarely herald something good in nature and, when the ship shudders with the attachment of another ship, the sparks fly from the attempting breach, the something not good in nature is presented. Rune likewise stands in front of the group of folk gathered in defense of the main corridor, the black hilt of his lightsaber in hand. His cloak has been discarded for ease of movement revealing the normal cream and light brown robes adorning his form. The Initiate stands to the left of Chani, ready for when the blaster bolts start flying, hoping to deflect as many that seek to harm his fellows as possible.

"Power corrupts... it seems we find more corrupted individuals on a daily basis. It is sad that most do not want to use this power for the benefit of all, rather, typically, the benefit of one." he states, eyes narrowed and glued to the red line that grows in the bulkhead door ahead of him. His thumb twitches on the activation button of his saber, knowing the moment will come and just waiting.... waiting....

Kiko watched the surveillance from the bridge as the boarders poured into the airlock. "Pressurize it, yeah.. okay.. stand by." Kiko gave the perception that this vessel was complying, but to her last request that they leave, the Tantive IV went unanswered. "Gunnery station, this is Alde.. prepare to deploy the hardpoints and bring the main guns about... target is their boarding ship..-- Have gunnery get a bead on the fighters outside as well. Let me know when it is done."

Meanwhile, the sparks flying off the airlock door have nearly reached full circuit and are slowing down, likely because they are loading a breaching charge against the hatch to give it that extra umph!

The charge goes off, the loud noise registering all the way down the corridor. The Panteers have breached.

"Targets locked, my Lady." Offers the First Officer, to which Kiko waves her hand and utters, "Fire."

A series of things happen at once whilst the Panteers pour into the corridor. Outside the Tantive IV, the massive turrets have deployed along its exterior, and the two dual heavy turbo lasers have extended and rotated to face the boarding craft currently magnetized to the hull. All at once, the turbo lasers and turrets fire, obliterating the vessel attached to the Tantive IV vessel before it could perform its emergency detach. The vessel, crew and all, are erased in a blaze of fiery death. The Tantive IV vibrates harshly from the blast, sustaining a huge hull hit. "Shields up now!" Kiko calls out with command, and the shields shimmer into place just as the fighters outside begin to retaliate. Turrets open fire on them.

To the confusion of the boarding crew, Kiko clues them in on their mistake with one phrase.

<"Now you can't leave.">

A full fledged space battle occurs outside and in orbit, whilst Kiko steps out from the bridge with a shotgun in hand, racking and priming the receiver in one go to join the defense.

Twenty (20) Panteer soldiers rushed forward after the breaching blast. The corridor is smoky, with a white-grey haze, and blaster bolts begin to trade back and forth as defenders engage the invaders.

The whole ship convulses with the shift in power as shields go up and turrets release their onslaught. It leaves those waiting in the corridor for their uninvited guests ready to receive. Aubrei aims directly at the hatch as it gives and as it thumps down she goes for center mass in the middle of two figures. Create a choke point and some obstacles. Her finger flexes and then pulls, squeezing the snare gun trigger as the heavy recoil kicks back into her armored shoulder. The net clears the air and smacks into the intended target, taking the Panteer trooper down. Too close fo rcomfort for the rest, Aubrei is slinging the snare gun on her back as she rises and looks to fall back to the next point, her hand upon the S-5 at her side.

The smoke still drifting in the corridor from the cutting of the door swirls in her wake as she seeks a better hold out spot.

Chani flinches. The explosive charge setting off in an enclosed area sends the shockwave the only way it can go: down the corridor. Lips parting, the young Jedi flexes muscles in her jaw to equalize her ears rather than let the uncomfortable pressure linger thanks to variance between inside her sinuses and the external forces in the hall. Smoke curls and sweeps along the scratched floors and blackened walls before rushing up towards the vents in the ceiling that keep the air in the ship recycling. At the first appearance of the Panteer soldiers, Chani depresses the activation stud on her lightsaber and its pale blue blade fills the corridor around her with its glow. Chani adopts a general defensive stance in front of the Alderaanian forces and those there to aid in their defense, like Ulani, Bors, and Aubrei. She doesn't answer any of them, however, as the firefight erupts and the cacophony of blaster rifles discharging takes over everything.

They're only seconds from a fully breach. Ulani tenses a little, drawing in a breath and holding it in anticipation. "Fight well," Ulani says softly towards Bors when that familiar ring of his sword reverberates nearby. Then all hell breaks loose. The exploding transport causes her to stumble a bit, though kneeled down Ulani maintains her position. The corridor is filled with caustic smoke and particles. Visability is low and she knows in a matter of heartbeats, there will be those rushing into the melee. A shot it fired but whether it hits anything or not, Ulani cannot tell.

That explosive charge propels breached durasteel into the corridor with a CRACK-WHOOMP, missing Sorin by centimeters just as he reaches the corridor's head. There's a reflexive pull-away that would have been infinitely too late had he been in its trajectory, and just as his his vision sweeps back towards that now-smoking breach hole figures begin emerging.

This was a very, VERY dangerous animal unleashed. Cornered. Trapped. Sorin knows, from experience, that these animals are experiencing a force multiplying sense of fear coupled with fanaticism.

Among that first squad of troopers that emerges, one locks eyes with powersuit visor and Sorin knows his target. There's a cold professionalism from the man opposite, only tinged by Panteer hatred, and that crystalline sword sweeps in. It's deflected by an excellently turned armored vambrace, and with a distinct grunt Sorin hews in from the opposite direction, a slash made difficult by the cramped confines of the corridor that misses yet again.

The knight takes a step back, left arm brushing the corridor bulkhead, in anticipation of the retaliation he knows is coming.

Ariel lets the electricity escape from the baton as she raises it and she heads towards one of the outlying troops that cross the threshold into the corridor. The redhead raises the baton over her head and then brings it down in quick succession three times. The poor guy on the other end is probably wishing he stayed on the other ship with all those jolts running through him.

A saucy wink for Ulani when she wishes him well and then, "Long we tossed on the Hyperlane, now we're safe in port D'agque. Don't forget your old shipmate." Yes, Bors is singing - low voiced enough to evade hot-micing too much on comms, right brow and cheek pinching on the monocle before his eye while the under-breath verse tumbles out. Despite holding to defilade he raises himself to a pre-lunge posture; hilt back, empty hand forward with the flat of the blade teasing against the edge of his thumb. When the charges go off his head ducks and his grin flickers to a grimace for the span of a second before he continues, ever on.

"Faldee raldee raldey raldee rye-yyYYY-DOOOOE." the last small bit of the nonsense words raising and becoming arguably the silliest option of battle cries with the foppish lord advancing at speed. Seemingly ignorant of the blaster fire suddenly erupting all around. A sweeping flourish of steps marking the first of two swift jabs of the razor keen blade - the words of his sister, that there will be no quarter for Panteer, carried out in cold glare when the first target is left to fall to his knees, both lungs punctured in quick succession. A spinning whirl past the next, to let them overreach past the noble before the tip of his blade wicks across the neck of the soldier behind. His expression somber and focused in one while Bors begins to make his butcher's tally.

Rune shifts to the side to brace just as the breached door goes flying by, sparing a casual glance to the thick piece of ship that sailed down the corridor. Turning back to peer down the now smoke filled hallway, the previously mentioned activation button is depressed and an emerald column springs to life, humming readily when the hilt is turned once. He doesn't move forward in an attack, instead standing ready to defend the return fire that is sure to come. The blade of green held in front of the Jedi as he calls to the Force to work with him in protecting the crew that holds the hallway of the Tantive IV.

The battle is in full tilt now, and handedly going to the defenders it seems. A well placed stun net hindered initial advance into the Tantive IV, and now the soldiers are having to shoot at awkward angles or only aim at shadows in the smoke. The defenders have the advantage in only needing to shoot and attack in one direction.

Kiko reinforces their ranks and fires into a trooper at near point-blank. The results of the shotgun blast are not pretty, and the mural she creates of organic matter is hidden by the smoke, thankfully. "One down," Kiko calls out just as she watches a soldier close in and fire at her. "DREK!" Screams the old Commander, who is caught off guard. Kiko tries to tumble away, unaware of how close a bolt came to scorching her wonderfully polished armor.

The fight is still going strong, and Alderaanians in the blue cloak stalk forward to engage with the Panteers. Cries for Alderaan, and Panteer can be heard on both sides, even over the noise of all the violence.

Sliding into place at her next destination, Aubrei glances up towards the saber that is lit and then the next, green and blue dancing in the smokey corridor. It might be pretty if not for the fact there is death walking in through the door - though its more like fumbling as the body she netted remains right in the way. She might be giggling inside her helmet - but who is to know that?

<"I have you covered,"> is what she offers the nearest force user, Rune before she glances up to watch Sorin wade into battle, dragging out that gun as she aims down the barrel. Seconds later stun rings go flying past those entering melee, aiming purely for the door an those still filtering in.

<"Hello and welcome aboard. We would have brought you snacks but this will have to do.">

There are members of the Alderaanian forces that move beyond her ability to help them. Sir Endesea and Lord Thul may be beyond her defense, but Lady Alde is not. The lance of red that zips through smoke and dimmed light is meant for the noble Kiko, but Chani's blue lightsaber blade gives a distinctive hum when she angles her left hand up to be aside her right. The shift from angled forward to horizontal out to her right puts the blade in the path of the blaster bolt and sends it reflecting off into the floor, while a lean into her forward braced right foot and the curl of her arms towards one another helps her combat the kinetic impact of the bolt hitting the blade of her lightsaber. Lady Kiko is spared her armor being tarnished and more besides.

Chani's blade snaps back into position before her, ready to intercept other bolts that might attempt to breach by her into the line of Alderaanians.

Two in the melee, somewhere in that haze of smoke. Ulani's grip tightens on her rifle as she fights for concentration. Too many targets in a small area. Yelling coming from both sides. Filter it out... filter it out. A deep breath in then released. Amongst the chaos and fury, she can hear Bors singing; something she's grown accustomed to hearing be it leisurely or over the comms in the thick of a dogfight. A grin touches her lips. She knows where one of the melee fighters is and, thus, she knows where at least some of the targets are, as well.

Drawing in on a half-blurry figure that is certainly not the fop she knows, Ulani fires. The stunning rings strike one of the attackers near the Lord Thul and collaspses them uselessly to the floor.

The expected retaliation comes immediately, in a light show of tibana-infused packets of charged particles that scream into the corridor. They score and mar that pristine white paneling. They hew near, but do not strike, the defenders. It's something of a miracle, though made possible by the chaos Aubrei's stun-net has inflicted upon the Panteer front rank.

There's no lull, however, as the two sides are upon each other and Sorin's foe remains standing, smoke from that breaching explosive wisping around the man. He can't help a light snerk into his still-muted mic at Aubrei's quip, but the next moment is all seriousness as that sword of lightly opaque sky-blue crystal sings in an arc, cleaving into the Panteer. The man crumples forward, blood reaching lips, as eyes lock with visor. "I'm but one..." he manages to get out, before he's down on a knee, and then the ground, eyes beginning to glaze.

<"As am I,"> Sorin responds, voice even.

Ariel doesn't seem like she's having trouble with bonking the Panteer troopers with her electrified rod. The little red head crouches low when one of the bolts whizzes past her and she pops back up to smack one of the soldiers across the face with the baton. Another gets the tip of it rammed into their gut and the third that goes down just has a bad day against smaller folks. She tries to get towards cover, but it's a corridor, there's not a lot.

It's near things. No masterful, or artful, dodges when blaster bolts are squealing all around. Bors's half cape is holed in places, the left shoulder of his armor scorched and an angry red bar where he was nearly caught in the ear forming from his temple. "All who cast down weapons shall be afforded clemency!" Left eye narrowing before he jukes and twists to evade a buttstroke meant to take him in the jaw.

And then the man is on the ground, given a thorough and stinging what-for from Ula's Blue Energy Donut of Sleep.

"Gadzooks!" Blade removed from the abdomen of the next and made to lunge for a second foeman when the intended strike is blocked by the barrel of a boarding rifle and forcing him to step back for balance. Shifting to get his traction and maintain his momentum if possible.

Amid the noise of the combat there's a soft thunk at the wall behind him, the young Force user taking the briefest of seconds to look back at the defender that closed the gap. A quick smile finds Aubrei and he gives her a resolute nod. "And I will try to cover you." Rune replies, the saber in his hand shifted a tad to indicate how exactly he'll be covering her.

Greetings given, the Ysannan turns back to the skirmish in front of him, eyes narrowing on a particular Trooper when they move to try to engage Bors. His hand comes up as he reaches out to the Force, attempting to flick the offender to the side and into a wall. Instead, all he does is lift his palm and wave it about uselessly in the air, a bit of a sheepish look crossing his face when the Force fails to aid him as requested. At least he still has his lightsaber to protect the crew...

"Call in the droids.. activate them now, I don't care if they're not ready yet!" One of the Panteer troopers screams inside the open breach of the airlock. Through the wavering smoke, a series of red lights shine through and the uniformed march of heavy droids follow. The dark masses step through, and into the open, presenting their weapons to engage.

<"TARGETING PARAMETERS SKEWED.. ENGAGING /ALL/ HOSTILES!"> They do just that-- The droids engage the closest to them first, executing several of the Panteer fighters as they tried to engage with Alderaanian forces. Five (5) Panteer troopers remain, and five (5) battle droids have come out of the open with more coming through.

"SHUT THEM OFF!" Cries the same soldier who wanted them turned on, but the man who controlled the droids just had the inside of his cleaned out by a point-blank droid blast.

<"That is called teamwork," she says in a way, teasing the Jedi that engages into battle. Aubrei grins a bit inside her helmet and watches for a moment, somewhat dumbfounded as the droids meant to harm them are no turning on their people. She huffs out a breath and laughs as it echoes out of her vocoder. The S-5 is lifted and the mandalorian stands up aims down the length of her barrel. Another shot is released, a second, and a third as two more troopers are downed.

The recycled air filtering through her helmet is much better than the scent that follows. SHe sniffs at it moving and she swallows past the itch in her throat.

So far defensive, Chani Tahn's focus changes once battle droids spilling into the corridor scream their directive to eliminate everyone in the corridor. She walks forward, blade tip angled towards the floor and dark brown robe fluttering around every step from her brown leather boots. The first droid she encounters trains its glowing red eyes on the Jedi. It loses them a second later when Chani's right arm darts forward and stabs the tip of her lightsaber's blade right through the middle of its face. Its motivator and logic engine are destroyed in a single blow. It doesn't have time to crumple to the ground before the Jedi yanks her blade out to the side. Her left hand quickly joins her right on the metal hilt and she turns sharply on her right foot so she's facing a whole new direction when her left foot sweeps around to brace. As the first droid hits its knees, Chani cleaves through the second droid from its right shoulder to its left hip, bisecting through not only its chassis but its arms. Uneven chunks of metal clatter to the Tantive IV's deck and the droid loses the gleaming light in its eyes. Sparks fly from separated components cleaved in twain.

Her lightsaber blade suddenly angles back and over her left shoulder, elbows raised near her head and face briefly obscured by her arms. The angled blue blade is put in place of a blaster rifle round fired from a third droid, and while Chani's lightsaber intends to angle it back, the shot goes wide and the Jedi is once again stalking towards her target. Before she has a chance to engage it, a green lightsaber is in the fray and cutting through those remaining.

Ulani is having difficulty believing what she is seeing. Her head lifts up from the sight of her rifle as the silhouettes in the smoke emerge; bulkier and stiffer. Then those terrifying, hulking machines begin to open fire on /all/ organics on the ship and several Panteer soldiers are unfortunately in the way. It isn't terribly surprising that her next shot is wide; whizzing past the kind of droid that most certainly would /not/ be sold in /her/ shop. Nosiree.

"We need Bones," she can maybe be heard muttering nervously under her breath, trying desperately to find the melee fighters in the fray. The lightsabers are easy enough to follow, at least, and give some illumination to the scene.

A brilliantly crimson blaster bolt darts in from compressed Panteer lines, taking Sorin directly upon that curve of left pauldron. The bolt scores through durasteel, though the heavy plating blunts its energy as a divot of armor is ablated. He grunts into a suddenly hot mic, and protectively angles his left side - not yet sure just how badly he's been injured.

The sight of combat droids beginning to lay waste to the surviving line of sentient Panteer troopers widens hazel eyes, though the expression remains hidden. Gritting away the sharp lance of pain still felt within his left arm, Sorin squares himself against the remaining collection of soldiery and rampaging droids still attempting to escape the airlock and wades forward, sword singing in an arc that takes a Panteer soldier to ground.

The Knight of Alderaan steps over the body of his fallen foe, only to find a droid /right there/. That sword is heaved overhead, brought down upon the droid with all the exertion Sorin can muster, but it impacts with an armored plate at just the wrong angle and is deflected with a striking /RING/ of futile impact.

Ariel sees that the droids have finally started their uprising and she gives a little whistle, "We should probably take care of those." she states as she ducks under another shot from one of the Panteer soldiers. She is being sloppy with the swings, but the last two soldiers are brought down with the strikes from the baton.

Bors Thul says, "Oh. Bollocks."

Combat droids on the approach and Bors left eye widens while the right remains pinched to keep his monocle.

"Bollocks and balderdash." barely throwing himself to one side when the blaster bolt screams past to blacken the corridor wall just behind his shoulder. The remaining panteers down and his only venture to remain being the noble charge. Sword against... Metal... guy. It's a humanform droid - so Bors rushes to move around and behind, attempting to keep his back to the wall and the droids to the fore while sparks fly and oil runs down the length of his blade.

Not downing the robotstrocity - only gaining it's ire. "I'm sorry...""

"Teamwork... I am familiar with that concept, I think." comes his reply with a chuckle, the mirth fading once Sorin is wounded by an attack. Rune is able to protect most behind him but those engaged in melee are beyond his reach. This doesn't seem to matter much once the droids are called in to engage, though nearly immediately the mechanical machines turn on their masters instead. The invading troopers are dealt with swiftly, the remaining crew putting them down or out with rapid ease, Chani bringing down two of the assault droids nearly as quickly as they appear.

une moved to attack as the last humanoid attacker fell, the droids incapable of being reasoned with and a threat to all. Where Chani's attack ended his began, sweeping the torso of one droid from its legs before turning to slice a second on a diagonal, the pieces of metal clattering to the floor to add to the scrap heap. The last droid, battered at by Sorin and Bors, meets its fate shortly after their attacks cease, the young Jedi standing from his attacks to thrust the glowing emerald blade through its chest. With one quick draw upward, the lightsaber slides up and through the top of its head, bisecting the upper half of the mindless thing to render it so much refuse as well.

Suddenly the corridor is quiet save the heavy breathing of the combatants and the hum of the lightsabers, the brief but brutal fight dealt with and the boarding party eliminated.

The droid line is obliterated in a single defensive action, leaving the additional detachment to emerge alone and without direction. Drawing their weapons out, presenting them forward, they move in unison lacking bravado or even sentient life. Cold red eyes lock to their intended targets as they close the range to engage with extreme prejudice.

Lady Kiko falls back a step, re-racking her shotgun to eject an orange hot tibanna cannister and prime it with another. "Defend against the droids! We are almost out of this!" She chicken-wings the buttstock of her weapon, adopting the stoicism of an officer watching her line carry out her orders without the need to be directly in it at this moment.

Meanwhile, outside the Tantive IV, New Republic forces have arrived to rescue the Alderaanian diplomatic war craft, which could be argued that it didn't need help at all. The Tantive IV had survived Exegol, a scrap with thugs was nothing, right? The void crisscrosses with laser fire as the Delayan forces are routed back to the atmosphere.

<<"Tantive IV, this is General Dune.. that's the best we can do until your Princess sorts out the Delayans. Enjoy the clear air, over.">>

More droids. Chani doesn't hesitate. The blue lightsaber blade wielded by the Jedi sweeps horizontal and cleaves through arms and chassis straight across. The droid's forward momentum means the top section goes tumbling forward and behind Chani. The rest collapses on the floor before her feet. Chani is forced into defense a moment later, with her lightsaber blade weaving in front of her in two short, diagonal strokes to deflect away blaster bolts meant to hit her in the torso. She needn't worry about the rest of the droids after. The rest of the Alderaanian contingent deals with them, leaving the floor covered in sparking, leaking hunks of metal no more dangerous than the floor that they're standing on. Chani doesn't drop her guard, however. Her right and left hands take up a position near the lower curve of the right side of her rib cage, blade extended up and its purr prominent in her ear.

As much as Ulani could argue the point when it comes to R2's and Seekers and even her onw little prototype T3: droids are not the same as people. Yes, they deserve to be treated fairly. With respect, even. And they make the most wonderful of companions. But they're not flesh and blood. A dead droid can be repaired. Returned. Even reprogrammed to put down its weapons and become a nanny... if one tries hard enough.

It is with this knowledge that Ulani toggles her rifle from stun to kill, her eye returning to the sight more steadily and locking onto the droid engaged with Bors. The shot grazes the offending mech in the shoulder; supplying little more than an annoyance. If droids can, indeed, be annoyed.

A machine driven by a man, Sorin within that powered suit of dark grey armor, stands face to face with a machine built to kill those such as him. The red lenses that stare at him from that machine face display nothing like hatred, just a passionless need to meet its objective. Murder.

The machine takes a step forward, gun-hand rising to square with Sorin's chest. A surge of adrenaline coupled with the motive support of powered servos brings that crystalline sword down upon the droid's weapon barrel, kinetic force and a blade sharpened to a near molecular fineness cutting through. That downward stroke is immediately translated into a whip up, then back down with a crushing blow directly atop the machine's head. It's neural-net processor is crushed and shorn and that red shine slowly dies from behind droid eyes.

Ariel doesn't really want to attack droids, but it's a kill or be killed situation so she is indeed going to attack. She drops the baton down in a low swing, like she's playing space croquet and smacks one of the droids that was advancing. Their circuits short out and it stops in its tracks.

A moment of reprieve granted by Rune before the next rank of droids approaches. It's enough to make Bors feel his age before he pushes off of the corridor wall, "Good form, young man. Good form." sparing a moment to pat the jedi's shoulder before he sets off at a soft jog that evolves into a midway blend of jog and run.

Then a blaster bolt swiffs past his head, blowing his hair up into a paradise bird's fringe when it spaks off of the droid shoulder, making him look quite the disheveled bloke until his forward motion smooths it back down into 'crazed windblown.'

"Shoot them, Ula dear! I understand thee cannot take thine eyes off!" a little humor. He'll pay for it later.

Worth it.

One swing removes an arm and when he draws back to finish Bors's wrist is slapped by cold metal, twirling him back into the nearest bulkhead with the automaton bearing down on him. Blaster raised and ready to put an end to this branch of Thul at last when he lunges, most suddenly, to put the blade through the chest of the droid, where the brain of most are kept - as opposed to the heads... those are mostly for sensors unless stupid Geonosians are building them.

No this was the chest-brain stab and the droid crumbles, "Oh... Ooop!" dragging Bors down to a kneel while he seeks to get the blade free, looking over his shoulder again to announce to the source of his knowledge of how to truly headshot a droid, "Thank you, Ula!"

All fleshy targets are eliminated though she thinks most are possibly stunned. This leaves the droids which causes Aubrei to thumb the setting to kill. The straight concentrated energy that is unleashed claims one of the droids but the next two ping off this way and that, finding their energy absorbed by the walls or floor - thankfully no friendlies at this juncture.

Turning around she searches for the power armored figure of Sorin in the mixture of bolts and smoke, her hand lifting to waft at the air to clear it.

It seems Rune assumed the end of the battle too soon. A second after the clatter from the droids dropping to the hallway ended, stomps from more droids began, the red soulless eyes of the attacker appearing from the gloom of the hole to menace the group. "Thank you!" he calls to the form of Bors as the Lord moves past to engage, the blades of the group, both crystal and light, doing work against the combative machines. Though imposing by nature, the crew are able to deal with the new threat as swiftly and easily as they did the last line of droids. All are silenced save one, the one that meets a spinning green blade, the weapon reducing the last to nothing but a sparking mess that collapses to the floor to join the rest. He had been wrong about there being no more attackers previously. As such, the young Ysannan stands ready, hazel eyes peering into the dark hole of the breach, saber posed in case more storm their corridor.

With the fall of the last droid, the corridor is cleared.. well clear of threats, not of bodies. Droids spark and malfunction, men and women of Panteer moan and groan from dying or wounds. Kiko seems aloof to it all. <<"Understood, General Dune. Thank you for the assist. Tantive IV out.">> Kiko's voice is still calm when conveyed over the open channel. When she addresses the group, she speaks more loudly.

"Separate these invaders from their weapons and bind them. Wounds may be treated, but they are to be escorted back to Delaya to face the Duchess' justice -- The true Duchess," And by Duchess, the Regent of Delaya meant the justice she intended to give out once the Ducal throne was secured from Panteer's treachery.

Lacking any other purpose to remain, the older noblewoman pivots and walks back to the bridge, passing her shotgun off to the bewildered First Officer who seems surprised their defense worked, this time.

Thus, Alderaan Endures.