Log:Perlemian Rangers: Trapper's Walk

Trapper's Walk

Location: Capital Codru, Munto Codru
Participants: Saturi, Callax Dalso

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CAPTIAL CODRU, MUNTO CODRU, PAKUUNI SECTOR

02:15 HOURS

There are twenty-six hours for every day on Munto Codru - enough to set you off-balance just a tiny bit if you're used to the twenty-four hour sidereal day. The shadows run long in the city now, with power shut off to large swathes of the city and First Order troops on regular patrols through the majority of its streets. Sections of the city are mangled fields of blasted buildings and broken streets, flooded with water and worse from burst pipes and waste conduits - in the end, it doesn't matter how high the level of technology a society has, in wartime, it all ends up put back into the stone age.

It's one such section of the city that Callax and Saturi have been dispatched to now. Sector Four-Two-Besh was until recently a major thoroughfare in the ancient city, equal parts tarmac and cobblestone, modern structures and long-laid brick. Quiet now, it has been marked by Republic command as a potential avenue of invasion for Republic troops should they finally get the high ground in this portion of the city - or, alternatively, the same method by which the First Order could take for any push to kick the Republic out should they get a little more traction.

Needless to say, it must be denied them.

So tonight, the two have been dispatched to the region to set the explosives that they spent the night before creating. Callax, dressed in void-sealed combat armor, walks quietly along the ruined buildings, rifle in hand, keeping low as they lead the way along the edge of the region. There are four areas the two will need to lay charges; the first is already near, an intersection where a major road, still largely intact, runs southward toward the spaceport. Quiet as death, the population long since either evacuated or hiding away should they attract the wrong attention, the blasted towers and bombed-out businesses are like the shattered teeth of some ancient skull recently unearthed, with only a few lights glimmering feebly on gel batteries or solar cells. << All right, >> Callax says over their coded comms channel, << We're getting to the first area. How you holding up? >>

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<"I don't know."> is all that Saturi can muster as a response. Her words sound muffled to anyone not on the channel, her external speakers turned off. 'I don't know' translates directly to 'not well' when considering the conditions and her tone. She is used to planting explosives in rubble, just not rubble that used to be a business or a home. The woman follows closely behind Callax, notably without a blasters in hand. By her guess, the First Order might wait to kill her until /after/ they've searched her if she doesn't have her weapon out.

The Pantoran would be nearly impossible to identify if it weren't for her transparent face plate. Her body is protected by a deep purple set of armour. Luckily for the operation, she didn't bring anything bright green or yellow. The darkness just blends against her form. <"Let's just get this over with.">

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Callax has a brace of weapons attached - pistol, long knife, a sleek rifle mag-mounted to the side of the jet unit affixed to their back - but these all remain in place in favor of a large satchel they carry from a strap on their shoulder. Callax's armor is dark red in color; like Saturi's, the color isn't exactly camouflage, but fits in well enough in the darkness of the streets. << Understandable. Just keep it together and follow me, Miss Kavan, and we'll get through this with hopefully minimal issue. Just get ready to run when I tell you. >>

Callax stops at an intersection by the bones of a centuries-old bakery now rendered into ruin, looking slowly around the corner. << Just...keep your night vision active. And be wary of any bright light that could blind you while it's on. >> Quietly they pause, looking into the dimness of the street around the corner, then looks over their shoulder. << Looks clear. Take your time moving down the street. We're just about at the first site. >>

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<"I knew a man who looked like us."> 'Us' being 'her' and not so much Callax. <"He had blue skin and red eyes. They called themselves a Chiss."> The Pantoran double checks the filters on her augmented reality, not wanting to be blind. <"He was easy to look at."> She carefully follows behind the commander before her. <"His pupils, aside from having red around them, they were not like ours. He could see without night vision."> Her hands stay close to her body, trying to limit her profile. <"At least, that's what he said.">

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<< Mmmhmm. >> Down the street they begin to creep, gesturing for her to follow. << I've seen them from time to time. I have a similar gift, as it happens. Sharpened vision as well. >> They move, creeping, to the mouth of the target area, sweeping their gaze across it.

It's an intersection. Like everything in the city, it's a mix of old and new; old cobblestone streets have been tamed into sidewalks, where fresh ribbons of tarmac take the place of the rest. That pristine material is shattered in places, now, but it is largely intact. It is also cut off in two places where a large building - possibly a squat office block, or some form of apartment tower - has collapsed, brick and permacrete alike spilling across to form mounds of stonework impassable by groundspeeders and difficult terrain at best for troops. The result is a clear dogleg leading into the areas not taken yet by the Order.

<< Right, >> Callax says, << Keep an eye out. Go ahead and mark the points you think we should work with and we can get started. >>

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<"I would need to conduct a survey for the best results."> Always with the disclaimers. <"If you take a look, these buildings are sturdier than they look."> Saturi reaches past her cape and into her backpack. She draws out a small tool to mark exactly where she wants things. The small laser pointer causes icons to pop up on her augmented display. <"The exterior is mostly cosmetic. There appear to be durasteel lattices supporting each structure."> A pause. <"Ignore the ancient brick, it's not as critical as the reinforced beams.">

Her voice goes quiet after everything is tagged appropriately. She slowly scoots forward and begins to place the explosives. The Pantoran works deliberately. She isn't fast, but she is careful. Each charge is given the upmost care to be placed properly, preventing any accidents or misfires. <"Why is the Republic so set on freeing this world?">

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<< Huh. Well, I suppose that's one way of preserving your history. >> Thanks to Saturi's insights, Callax places their charges with the benefit of her expertise - though they're planting those horrible fragmentation bombs, not bunkerbusters, the knowledge of what's more resistant than ancient brick and where gives the Commander a real leg up on proper placement. Carefully they move to place the bombs in areas both effective and unobtrusive, sliding them behind signs or covering them with detritus in such a way that they won't be easily detected. Soon enough the work is done, and this place, at least, has been turned into a zone of death.

<< Right, >> Callax says as they put the last charge in place. << That's that. And you know, I don't know. Sorry not to answer sooner - they just find it important, and usually that's enough. They've got a greater strategic plan. >>

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<"Any idea why the First Order is so set on keeping it then?"> Saturi continues to pry for information, the woman slowly moves back towards Callax, making certain not to interfere with any of their work. <"Not that I care all too much, but I be we could formulate what your superiors are thinking...based on what the First Order wants."> Her gaze is cast down the street, looking for any sign of trouble. <"They don't do this sort of thing for nothing.">

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<< That, >> Callax says with a shake of their head, <> That said, Callax picks up their satchel, plastic bottles rattling inside. << Here, let's walk and talk. >>

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<"I'm going to stick behind you."> The Pantoran declares, slipping past the last of the placed mines. She waits for Callax to pass her before falling in line behind her. <"Pantora was relatively unscathed from the Empire."> Saturi explains her line of thought. <"My home sits in the outer-rim. Pirates, smugglers, Hutts, other sorts of criminals. They were kept at bay by the Imperials."> She keeps her eyes ahead, trying to help spot any potential threats. <"Without their protection, I wouldn't have been raised the way I was.">

<"My people had many discussions related to remaining within the Empire after the Republic's end."> Her voice is almost a whisper. <"Of course, we remained. And unlike some worlds, we primarily benefited from the Moff's rule.">

<"It's upsetting to see this First Order. They're fanatics."> It's said with a sting. <"I haven't been home in two years. We were isolated after the fall of the Empire.">

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<< They're /always/ fanatics. >> Callax sighs as they walk; directed by the map projected in both helmets' HUD systems, they lead Saturi along through blasted streets, lugging those bombs still. << Only way they can get people to act like that is to radicalize them - or use mental conditioning. They charge like madmen. Easier to shoot them that way in a mass, but... >> A shake of the head, and Callax pauses as they two reach a street that's been positively choked by the fallen facades of the buildings that line it, irregular slopes of masonry crashed in like an avalanche of stone and permacrete. The remnants of a TIE fighter can be seen here, its ruined wing jutting out of the side of one of the ruined buildings.

<< Damnation, >> Callax sighs, looking at the mess. <> A shake of their head, and Callax starts down the sidewalk opposite the collapse. << There should be a utility tunnel around here. We'll want to plant it with those implosion charges, bring the buildings down if they trigger the magnetic fuses. >>

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<"This is a mess."> Saturi remarks, looking at the fallen facades and busted TIE. <"I'm following you."> She says again, possibly for the third time. It's clear that she doesn't want to be responsible for where they go, only how they plant charges. Her stalking movements slow to turn behind Callax. <"I just don't want to get caught by your fanatics.">

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<< Well, neither do I. >> Callax crouches down to unseal a hatch found by a ruined shopfront, previously hidden by a slab that has been torn free. Carefully, ever so carefully, they turn the wheel so that it does not make /too/ much noise, their attention on the work. Then the hatch's lock mechanism lets out a soft clunk as Callax turns the access wheel fully to the right; it yawns open with a hiss. << All right, >> they murmur, turning on the headlamp affixed to their helmet to shine a bright cone of white light down into the depths beneath the street. << ...looks clear. >>

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Golden eyes watch Callax carefully unseal the hatch. Her attention is cast out on the street, her night vision aiding her sight. <"You heard that, right?"> She looks back at the commander with a bit of worry. <"It sounded like a droid, maybe chatter."> Saturi starts down the hatch, butting Callax out of the way. She isn't about to be caught up there with the stormtroopers. <"I'll take my chances down here.">

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<< What? >> Callax snaps off the light, looking back up - listening quietly for a moment, bracing themselves against the extant masonry while butting unceremoniously aside. << Shavit - oof. Gods of Blood, woman, don't knock me out of the way! >> Clear of escaping Saturi, Callax lays a hand on the grip of the pistol on their thigh, watching still the other end. When she's clear, though, they drop down with her, leting the hatch fall closed and seal behind them.

Down here, it's pitch black. Without light for the night-vision systems to amplify, the headlamps are required; Callax snaps theirs on as soon as the hatch closed, revealing a long tunnel of smooth white permacrete, studded with machinery and pipes here and there, and veined with deep cracks thanks to the damage above. A utility line has broken somewhere, leaving the two knee-deep on brackish water, paper and other detritus floating there. Lovely.

<< Allllll right, >> Callax murmurs, unslinging the rifle they brought with them. << Go ahead and get planting, Miss Kavan. I'll cover us. >>

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<"This drainage is going to be a problem."> The Pantoran is concerned, her tone wavering slightly. <"My cape is drenched..."> Is what she mentions next, turning on her own headlamp, and gripping at the fabric flowing from her shoulders. <"I want to keep the charges above the water, if they detonate under the surface, it could result in a failure."> Saturi looks to Callax for a split second. <"Adhesive?"> She asks.

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<< Here. >> Sligning the rifle a moment, they produce from their bag a tube applicator of adhesive gel, sort of like a little pistol-sized caulk gun. << Don't worry, I'll handle your cleaning bill. Why wear a cape like that in the fied, eh? Not that it doesn't look amazing on you. >> They're busy listening now, straining their ears, trying to catch some snippet of sound above.

And grunt. << Sounds like Stormies, yeah, >> Callax whispers now. << Probably range patrol. Go ahead, get on it. >>

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Saturi reaches out for the tube of adhesive gel. She moves deeper into the tunnel, draws out charges, and begins pasting them to the wall. Her hands work above her head, fearing that the tunnel may fill up and cover the bombs. <"If I'm going to get shot, I'm going to die looking my best."> She defends her decision to wear the unnecessary garment. <"Plus, you never know when one might be useful."> The Pantoran works down the length of the wall, planting each charge in as relaxed a fashion as possible.

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<< Uh huh... >> Callax pauses, sweeping their lamp down the tunnel and back - waiting, rifle trained on the hatch, waiting for the horrible possibility for the hatch to pop open and unfriendly deaths-head helmets to be seen around the entrance.

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<"This may be the most disgusting place I've ever worked on."> Saturi is complaining as she sloshes through the tunnel. She climbs around the rubble, not enjoying herself while doing so. Her breathing can be heard through the communicator. <"I'm ready to get out of it."> The woman works to plant the charges, finding the driest spots to place the bombs. <"We're running out of adhesive."> She notes.

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<< I've got more. >> Callax is quiet for a moment longer, straining to listen overhead. Once satisfied they're not going to get marched on in the moment, they turn back to slosh back over to produce another tube of the gel and hand it over. << C'mon. Faster we're out of here, the happier we'll both be. Don't wanna get in a gunfight in a tube. Not much cover out here. >>

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<"I don't plan on taking much longer."> The cesspit is making her uncomfortable, sealed body armour or not. She reaches out for the gel, grabbing it with armoured hands. <"Did you know that Pantora is primarily cold bog and tundra marsh?"> Saturi meanders through the section, avoiding the debris and working to plan the last of the explosives. <"Despite being untamed, it's still cleaner than this mess.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Still births the prettiest blue ladies. >> Callax chuckles, still keeping an eye out - though their eye remains drawn to Saturi's work. << Shame you don't want to be known about, >> they murmur, << Republic military would bury you in credits for some of this stuff. Right. You about done? >>

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<"Consider it a gift then."> The Pantoran finishes up placing the last of the explosives, well, for this section. <"Honestly, a lack of recognition never hurt. Most of the time, I'm receiving too much of it."> She moves through the debris back towards Callax. <"It's not always positive. There are people that don't appreciate my success."> That's an understatement. <"We're good to go.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Those people are stupid. >> Callax leads, climbing up the ladder again and slowly lifts the lid to peer out across the street - but not finding anything, climbs out and unslings their rifle once more. << Guess they're gone, >> they say thoughtfully. << Might not have been Stormies, if nothing went off. Maybe scavs or something. >>

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<"A scav?"> Saturi asks with a nervous caution. <"What are they?"> She is under the impression that there are threatening beasts roaming about the destroyed city. Her eyes look down to the lid, which she chooses to set back into place. The faint sound of metal clashes as the cover is closed. <"Dangerous?"> The woman steps over beside Callax.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Scavengers, >> Callax says with a shake of their head. << Any warzone has people that are coming around picking over damaged buildings, looking for scraps. >> They check the rifle over and then nod down the street. << C'mon, let's go. >>

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<"That's all that's left."> The armoured woman pauses her thought whilst starting her march. Unlike Callax, she doesn't have a rifle to bother checking. <"Scraps."> Saturi finally finishes the sentence. <"People that stick around like this are insane. Home or no home."> Her breathing transmits over the microphone. <"I'm not saying that it's easy, but I've survived a couple of years without seeing Orto Plutonia on the horizon.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Keeping low, Callax leads Saturi along the streets, pausing here and there. << Well, that's the thing, though, >> they say, << They can't exactly leave with the First Order hovering in orbit. That's what they do, see. They normally don't dispatch troops, because they don't have to; they just park one of those big damn floating death-castles in orbit and hose down anyone they don't want to travel with turbolaser fire. >>

The next location is another series of structures, or rather the remnants of an officer park. As they walk, Callax chuckles softly to themselves. << You know, >> they say, <>

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<"Don't be like that now."> Saturi objects to Callax leaving her without the reason why the First Order may have wanted the planet. <"If the Republic isn't going to give me those mountains of credits you just mentioned, you could at least share a little."> She laughs loudly. <"It's not fair to keep me in the dark."> Who knows...maybe she is an informant for the First Order!

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The streets are dead lanes of concrete, flanked on either side by toppled shopfronts, some modern, some thousands of years old; occasionally, when one looks closely, one can see the subtle signs of those who were caught among the explosions. The occasional white-clad limb. Shadowed silhouette of the occasional four-armed body, a hapless citizen dead and now left to rot. Mercifully, these scenes of mouldering death are not easily seen from where they walk.

<< Well, >> Callax says as the two of them prowl these battered avenues, << It strikes me that Munto Codru isn't really anything in the way of interest here, but I've been thinking abot ut over and over - and it reminds me that we're only a few jumps away from Mon Cala, and that there's only two ways to get into Calamari space. One's Delaya, and you can't muster an invasion force there, it's all water. Whereas Munto Codru..."

Callax is about to say more, but now they're drawing close to the third target location, and the Commander falls silent. << Stop, >> Callax hisses suddenly, dropping down into a crouch by the ragged corner of a blasted bookstore. << Stop! C'mere, get down close next to me. >> They lean around the corner, now, looking at...something - something revealed, if only slightly to Saturi, at what looks like a few speeders parked in the traffic loop of the office park to which they mean to enter. Small and surrounded on all sides by towering structures, the roundabout there nonetheless connects to several major streets going to north and east as well as the western route they've taken to draw near. Callax checks over the rifle again, this time quickly, ensuring its boxy imager scope is focused. What is it, then, that draws their attention so sharply?

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With the call to stop, Saturi immediately scoots over to Callax's position. The woman tries to minimize her silhouette as much as possible. <"If there are people over there, I have no intention of moving in their direction."> She isn't going to put herself at risk to bomb an occupied building. <"You saw the speeders, right?"> Her voice has a floaty nervousness to it.

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<< Yeah, yeah - here, look." Callax rocks forward on their heels, allowing Saturi to look over their shoulder to the speeders in the roundabout. A pair of speeder trucks and a single cycle rest there; a few men and women toil about, most of them the four-armed shapes of the locals, load goods into said trucks, limbs working in practiced concept. Some stand around on guard, too, carrying blasters and watching for any intruders. Apparently not a pair of folks, but a squad of Stormtroopers, because they're not watching the corners but the main thoroughfares, the skies, for signs of trouble.

<< Right, >> Callax says as they watch the loading of the scavenged plunder. << So we still need to get into there. What do you want to do? >>

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<"Abandon the mission."> It's said as a matter of fact. She's serious and it's clear. The woman peeks to see for herself. <"Or at the very least, skip past this and onto the last site."> Her nervous behavior radiates throughout her body. <"I'm sorry. It's just not worth it if we both get spotted. Although I've not been home in awhile, I would like to see the marshes again.">

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<< Relax, Saturi. >> Callax looks over their shoulder at the blue bomber, chuckling faintly. << I'm not here to drag you in front of a firing squad. I mean, /how/ do you want to get around it? Or do you want to back up a little into one of those buildings, wait them out? >>

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<"Double back and find another way around them."> The Pantoran would even brave the tunnel again if it meant avoiding the stormtroopers. <"I am not a professional insurgent."> She declares, despite the solid snooping and bomb laying. <"I don't have faith in my ability to sneak past them. Or the will to hope they don't search for us.">

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At this, Callax nods, lips set into a line. << Yeah... >> They take a step back, then another, easing around Saturi so that they can duck away. << Right, let's head back, we can probably get around through the maintenance tunnels. There's a line near here should cut around past them. >>

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<"I'm following you."> Saturi responds, letting Callax pass so that he can lead the way. She says it as if there may have been question as to who was leading who. The water from the previous tunnel continues to bead off her armour. "I'm going to voice discomfort with passing under destroyed buildings...but...if I have a choice between that and troopers, I'll take the tunnel."?

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Trust me, darling, >> Callax murmurs as they proceed around the back of the building, << I'm as displeased about this development as you are. >> Proceeding along the back of the ruined bookshop, Callax follows the map projected into both their helmets' displays to another - yes, another - maintenance hatch set into a concrete bulkwark tucked just inside an alley mouth. After fiddling with the hatch seal for a moment, Callax is able to pop it open, releasing a foetid gush of what the enviro sensors of both their armor identifies as basically sewer gas.

<< Ooookay, then, >> Callax says, heaving a sigh; they cut on their helmet lamp, finding otherwise impenetrable darkness below, throwing a spot of white light down the rungs that they begin to descend with. << Make sure you've got your breath supply active. It's nasty down here. >>

Below, of course, is a large maintenance tunnel, the power long since cut off due to combat damage. Calf-deep in brackish water (and hopefully nothing else,) Callax waits for Saturi to climb down and walk with them, rifle slung once more.

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<"I turned on the oxygen before leaving your camp."> She proudly announces. Her armour makes a pinging sound as she descends into the tunnel. <"As much as I trust the First Order to play nice, I'd rather not die not being able to breathe."> Saturi is against suffocating in nerve gas. <"The last time I was in this many tunnels, it was on an old mining base."> She fiddles with her helmet, activating her headlamp. <"It was crawling with ancient droids. Well, not ancient, but it certainly felt like it.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Funny you say that, >> Callax says as they sweep the beam down the corridor. <> They begin leading the way down the corridor, now, sloshing with effort as they go.

This is why, of course, Callax does not see the beast that is emerging from a breach in the wall just by a power trunk. Tendrils, a vaguely humanoid shape, these are suggested by the shadows barely chased away by the edge of Callax's helmet beam.

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<"I don't think we're alone."> Saturi freezes in her tracks, letting Callax meander ahead for a minute. <"There was something up there."> She declares with a worried tone. Her left hand drops down towards her leg. <"I'm not going crazy."> The Pantoran takes a cautious step forward, her golden gaze locked on the crevice.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< It's not that I don't believe you, >> Callax says, turning away from the shadow. << It's that I just don't see -- shavit! >> What Callax does not see introduces itself in energetic fashion; misshapen and hunchbacked, its face full of feelers and its elongated arms tipped with hooked claws, the thing - whatever it is - takes a raking swing at Callax, who despite their lack of immediate visual acuity is able to leap back and out of the way even as they reach to pull a long knife from its place at their side. << Get back, Saturi, >> they bark as they drop into a fighting stance fueled by apparent skill and adrenaline, the black-chromed blade in their hand humming to ultrasonic life. << Get way back! >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Whatever that thing is, Saturi isn't going to have any part of it. The woman backs up the second Callax is attacked, moving towards the exit to the tunnel. She advances towards the entrance, knee deep in water. Her armoured hands work to ascend back towards the street level, more or less leaving the insurgent to fend for himself. <"I'm opening the hatch!"> She declares, accessing the doorway above.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< No, >> Callax barks as they square up with the thing, << You might spring a patrol! >> And that's all that they say, for in the moment they clash with the thing, holding the blade just-so as they leap upon the monster as it just tried to leap upon them. There's a sudden brutality about the act that belies Callax's bodily elegance, how they wrap about the misshapen thing, driving the whirring knife twice into its thorax and once into its tentacled skull far, far more quickly than the suit would suggest they could. With a chillling, reedy cry the thing shudders and vomits forth a slick of black blood down Callax's knife arm and rolls free into the muck, leaving Callax standing unharmed and with the knife smoking as friction steams its ichor away.

<< ...It's fine, >> Callax says after a moment, turning off the blade and wiping it clean on their thigh before sheathing it again. << Come on, we don't have much to go. Just keep an eye out. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The hatch is already open by the time that Callax calls for Saturi. The woman peers out onto the street with care, sliding the cover back shut after descending back into the hellhole. <"You're insane if you think I'm going to wade through this muck only to be attacked by /whatever/ that thing was."> She is of the impression that there may be more of them. <"I'd rather be shot to death by the First Order.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Saturi. >> Callax's voice is, for a moment, iron hard, and for just that moment they consider leaving her to her fate - just a little. A few moments more are spent catching their breath after that momentary display of fantastic violence. << Saturi. >> The second time is gentler, softer. Like calming a horse, but without all the patronizing. A tone they're used to using with panicked people.

<< Now...listen. Saturi. >> Callax turns her way, now, light flashing down the corridor, voice pouring into her ears over comms. << I know this is scary. Hell, I didn't expect that thing either - but you wanted us to go around, and this is the only way /to/ go around. So we either back up and get caught by those scavs or we move forward the next little bit and we mine that overpass and return after they've gone. We know these things might be down here, and you saw it didn't stand a damn chance with me. What do you want to do? >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"I want to get off this debris-ridden hellhole of a planet."> Her voice is laden with anger. She laughs nervously, trying to think on her feet. The First Order isn't her typical opposition. The fear factor of dealing with faceless soldiers is daunting. At least with gangsters, you know who they are. <"Let's go then."> Saturi jabs her hand towards the other end of the tunnel. <"I know they're out there. I don't know if there are any more of those things down here.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< I'll fly you myself the moment we're done, here. And I'll even give you a bottle of my finest wine to get blackout drunk with on the way home. >> Callax smiles, though they share that same fear. Monstrosities aren't something they're terribly used to dealing with, either - but they bleed and die, and Callax can certainly make them do both, so that's good enough for them. << Just be careful, and don't shoot a blaster in here. Could set off the fumes. >> Just to remind /themselves/ of this, they draw their knife once more, and leads on.

It only takes five minutes to clear the other end of the tunnel section, but it might as well be a year. Walking in the dark, sloshing water about their legs and only the helmet lamps to light their way, the rungs leading up to the hatch are soon in sight. << All right, >> Callax says in that same low, gentle tone, looking past the two of them with knife still in hand. << Excellent job, Saturi. Knew you could do it. Just give me a moment to pop up the hatch and I'll give you the all clear. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"A natural curiosity is absolutely useless in these conditions."> The Pantoran is obviously calmer by the time they reach the other end of the tunnel. <"If there wasn't a war going on above, we could have taken the time to get a closer look at that thing."> She detests the conflict. It's a serious hamper on her style. <"Scientists that can operate within these parameters are lunatics.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A faint smile lines Callax's lips. << My sentiments exactly, >> they say, and sheathing the knife once more clambers up the rungs to unseal the hatch - dousing the light and peering out into the streets once more. << All right, >> they say after a moment, opening up the hatch, << It's clear. C'mon. >>

Once Saturi emerges, the two find themselves on the other side of the office park; the sound of loading and voices can still be heard, but otherwise it seems that business is as usual. Callax points out another street that winds from the park down another canyon of buildings toward an overpass some blocks away, a section that is otherwise surrounded by the splintered remains of buildings and offers little but a mountain of stone and permacrete and mortar to clamber up to get to. There, charges are meant to be laid to collapse the overpass on whatever speeder or infantry traffic dares use it as a lane of travel.

<< All right, >> Callax says, unslinging their rifle once more - and, though painted deep purple, is shown in the light to be a curious pattern of First Order rifle. Longer barrel. Advanced scope. Bayonet lug as an aftermarket application. << You ready to go? Come on. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"I'm ready as I'll ever be."> Saturi answers whilst coming out from the tunnel. She stammers around for a moment, the water dripping from her knees. Ewww. It's the sort of thing that she worries will leave a trace of their presence. <"I want to get this over with. I've seen enough of the rubble."> Her hands reach back to her pack, prematurely drawing out equipment to help lay explosives.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It's a terrible place, for certain. << At least this is rare. The rest of the city's pretty much intact. >> Rifle in hand, Callax walks carefully but confidently across the street, looking warily both ways before doing so as if expecting incoming traffic. The rifle in their hands swinging, muzzle like the end of a dowser's wand. << Look at it this way, Saturi. If we can kick these jackanapes off this planet, Mon Calamari and a couple of billion people will be safe. You'd be helping with that in your way. Maybe you won't think it's worth it right /now/, but in hindsight, you might even be proud of yourself. >>

Up the hill of blasted buildings the two go, and finally over a guardrail onto the overpass; intact, the road leads off to the north, and finally the rest of the city can be seen, mostly intact and filled with spires, colored with night's velvet brush. << All right, >> Callax says after a long moment looking out across that vista, unlimbering their satchel and digging out implosion bombs as well. << Let's get these charges set and then we can get the Hell back. Hopefully they'll be done by then. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"I can't be proud if I'm dead."> It barely makes it through the comlink. It's said under her breath. She is a grumpy camper at the moment. Her cape is soiled, emotions strained, and mind tired. <"I can't scratch my nose."> The woman is beginning to get itchy. The regulators in her suit help with sweat, but at times, they can make things /too/ dry. <"It's the worst part of the job."> She jokes as she begins to plan her own set of charges. <"I could take my helmet off to get it, but..."> The nerve gas.

<"I've yet to find someone that has worked out a cure for a scratch."> Saturi ventures away from Callax, continuing her work. <"I try my best to keep my focus off of it. I frequently fail.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Well I doubt they're gonna gas the place now, and I'm gonna be a bit slower than you, so take a chance and scratch it, huh? >> A grin lines their lips, unseen behind the helmet's face, as they start setting charges of their own. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"I'm not going to take any chances."> It's a joke. Undoing her helmet is more trouble than it's worth. Getting her head back into it without peeling the hair out of her scalp is a science. Better not to have to deal with it. <"Anyway. It's gone."> She's a liar. It's still there...worse than before! Saturi wraps up her side of things, eventually moving back towards Callax. <"Doing this for weeks on end? I think you're crazy too.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Callax sets one of the matte-gray tubes into place along the roadway, spraying fixative. Made to look like one of the dead traffic lamps that line the road, it isn't perfect but it isn't going to be spotted unless specifically looked for. << I've been doing this for years and years, darling, >> Callax says, arming the device and moving to plant another. << Before I joined the Resistance as a pilot I was a terrorist, did I tell you that? >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"Terrorizing /what/?"> Her question is phrased as an accusation. She crosses her arms with discomfort. Why is this a problem? Who knows. They're engaged in insurgent like tactics at the moment. Maybe it's the thought of targeting something other than the First Order. <"You didn't tell me you were a terrorist."> Again. The tone of accusation is like a knife. Saturi takes a step back.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< Relax, >> Callax says with a chuckle. << That's just what they called us. I was what you'd call a 'militant anti-slavery activist'. Fought for many years to bust slaver rings, pirates, break up business that made use of them - we used a lot of the same tactics, here. Really, you'd had been a natural at the same thing, with your instincts being what they are for explosives. >> The last bomb is set, and Callax gets to their feet, satchel now much lighter now. << Never hurt anyone that wasn't directly involved in the trade, and certainly never an innocent person. It's fine. >>

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"Ah."> is all the response that Callax is going to get. She wouldn't admit it openly with someone that identifies as an anti-slavery activist, but her ties with the Hutt Cartel make her partially complicit. <"When you first approached me, I thought you were corporate thugs."> That's a harsh way of putting it. <"I get the full picture now, but, this sort of trade isn't what I would associate with the Republic's values."> Her perspective has changed substantially after visiting this moon.

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<< You're not a soldier, darling. >> Callax gets to her feet, looking across the way. << This is what warfare is - setting charges, sapping bases. It's not all heroic charges and shooting each other in the face. And where I /was/ a 'militant anti-slavery activist', I am now a reformed member of the Republic. We just want to keep people free to live their lives without fear of a boot on their neck. >> Callax looks to her after a moment. <>

And with that, Callax heads back down the hill, out onto the street, leading Saturi on back to the office park - where, hooray hooray, the scavengers have gone. Planting charges there will be easy now, and Callax gets to mining the fountain that rests in the center with anti-vehicle charges.

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[Saturi]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

<"I don't like it when people put words in my mouth."> The Pantoran bites back at Callax's assumption. <"I've never said anything about discontinuing our arrangement."> She follows the soldier down the street, watching as they begin to place mines. Her arms stay crossed as she silently judges them. <"With that in mind, if we are to do something in the future, I am going to strongly object to any agreements that require me to slink about through ruins patrolled by stormtroopers, monsters, and thugs.">

<"I do my best to remain unscathed."> Saturi sounds disgusted. <"I stick my neck out on occasion, but this isn't my ideal environment.">

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[ Callax Dalso (Cax)]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

<> Callax says as they finish planting the last of the det charges, rolling up the empty satchel and lashing it into a roll by its own straps. << And I apologize for that. I'm used to people fleeing after hearing about my old nonsense. Not that my Rangers don't know, but they're all pretty unified about the slavery business. >> With that done, and Saturi having done her work, Callax leads her back - this time, blessedly, without incident. Once finally back to Republic lines (such as they are) Callax gets her in a speeder and drives away, far away, from Capital Codru, where the sleek ray-like shape of Callax's own patrol ship, /Peacekeeper/, awaits. The old Imperial scout craft is insanely fast, and its crew amenities insanely comfortable thanks to Callax's investments and their own sartorial sensibilities. Good food. A /damned/ fine bottle of Alderaanian wine. Ever sleep in a ship with ultralux bunk foam, massager and warming coils on demand? YOU WILL.

But ultimately, safety is assured. Callax is a pilot par excellence, and /Peacekeeper/ is as fast as modern military starfighters. the First Order doesn't have a chance to catch her as she carries Saturi off, back home, far away from where the First Order can shoot her.

Or monsters from the pit.

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Log:Perlemian Rangers: Trapper's Walk

Trapper's Walk

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