Log:Resistance: Rishi Retreat

Rishi Retreat

OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Blackrock Starbase, Rishi
Participants: Ektor, Poe Dameron, Sabrina Codi, Sapphira Solari, Tallie Lintra, The Resistance

Twelve hours had passed since their return to friendly lines. Twelve long hours of silence after a day of blasters and space battles. Poe Dameron walked with purpose despite favoring his side to bruising and pain. Despite personal injury or exhaustion, Commander Dameron had devoted the entire time to tracking his prey. An official debrief had been prepared for for command. It was going to be a holo recording of both Dr. Codi and Dameron explaining the events that happened on Bespin. Standing at the center of the station's command center, Poe looks over the holo terminal projection of Bespin's cloud city. Images from the battle, and broken clips from the terminals allowed a playback of their arrival at the space dock, and ensuing battle. Captain Connix stands beside the haggard looking Poe, watching the recordings for the first time.

Sabrina steps into the austere Command Center, feeling as the doors behind her hiss close with a finality. She clenches one hand by her side before striding forward to stand next to Poe, saluting Captain Connix and watching the holo play out. "Major," she nods in acknowledgement. Her eyes scan his haggard and tired visage. "... I believe I recommended that you get some rest," she says bluntly.

"In time, Doctor." Poe says, seemingly dismissive of his state, but not being unreasonable about it. Anyone that knew how Poe worked should expect his total devotion to missions he felt were important. This was one of those instances where he couldn't think beyond the next mission. Connix returned the rendered salute and spoke " Doctor Codi," in passing greeting before walking away. She was overseeing more than just the mission overview. "I've set up the holo recorder if you're ready, Doctor," Poe explained. "I think some background on the conference and which prominent doctors in attendance would be appropriate." Not that Poe was telling her what to say. He just knew how General Organa preferred her briefs.

"Then let me start by saying, on record, that I expect you to report to the medical wing to get examined at your earliest convenience," Sabrina says to Poe, fixing him with a piercing glare. Slowly turning her attention back to the holoprojector, she straightens the lapels of her Resistance uniform before launching into her details.

"This is Doctor Sabrina Codi," she starts to explain, "I was invited to attend a symposium on cybernetic feedback systems, an annual conference that was scheduled to be held in Cloud City this year. I had been invited to present information that I had consulted on regarding cybernetic implantation and biofeedback systems." Sabrina pauses before continuing. "The guest list was smaller than usual... the cybernetic practitioner community isn't terribly large. This conference is more of a theoretical forum for the presentation of new ideas and research methodology. The keynote speaker was slated to be Professor Igor Valenti, a pioneer in the field of cybernetics. He developed the current model of cybernetics and systems endocrinology as we understand it. I... I had been looking quite forward to his keynote speech."

"This is Dameron." Poe says, taking over. "At approximately 11:00, Dr Codi and I departed Blackrock in my freighter designated Ghost to attend the Bespin conference. My mission was separate from Dr Codi's but took place in the same system. I was to meet up with Agent Suralinda Javos. Upon arrival in the system, we found the local security forces engaged with a large contingent of unaligned fighters and freighters. We were contacted by Bespin authority, and I identified as Republic Naval Officer Commander Poe Dameron, then asked how we could help. We were asked to engage crafts using hostile IFF transponders which the Bespin security transferred to our ship HUD. I organized an assault using the ghost as the spear to punch through the pirate defense screen. We were ultimately successful in our run, scattering remaining forces."

"We continued to the planet where I landed the Ghost at the main docking arm. Civilian ships aligned various parking slots but remained unused because the entire cloud city was under lock down. We proceeded to terminal to try to get inside only to find the doors locked. BB-8 gained us entry, and we were joined by Captain Adhar Gann from the Array Consortium, and Dr Faidra, our Chief Medical Officer who was already in attendance at the conference. Dr Codi set up an aid station within the terminal while Captain Gann and I pushed ahead to engage hostile forces within the station. Four were apprehended, three others were killed in our assault. Unfortunately, their main craft, a CEC Model YT-2000, managed to escape with Professor Valenti and several other doctors. I was able to plant a tracking beacon on their hull. We're tracking the pirates now, and have traced their origins from the planet Rishi. The purpose of their attack and the nature of their supplies and armament remain a mystery. I've sanctioned that a recon team be assembled to ascertain the details we need to launch a full scale attack to retrieve our doctors, and crush this organization."

A puzzled look comes over Sabrina's face for a moment, and she turns to Poe. "Major, were we able to get a list of the doctors that were taken besides Dr. Valenti? Is there any rhyme or reason to the victimology of the kidnapping?" Sabrina peers over her gold rimmed spectacles at the data streaming across the screen. "Rishi... Rishi... Hm... any word if there have been any cybernetic part shipments that have gone missing? I'm assuming, of course... but why kidnap a bunch of cybernetic specialists unless you needed the services of one?"

"Yes. Well, at last from the terminal registry that assigned temporary access to the portion of the station being used for the conference." Poe explains, changing the image of the battle to a scrolling list of names projected in blue holo. It scrolls down the list first, then pans back and pulls up four names, which included Prof. Valenti. "Not much is known about Rishi save it's a pirate world that is well supplied and guarded. Pirates may be the scum of the galaxy, but anyone who is anyone in their regime has a place in Rishi to call home.

Sabrina adjusts her glasses and reads off the names aloud, musing. "Dr. Jessika Wildes... she's an expert in cybernetic limb replacement. I did a rotation with her on Naboo... quite brilliant. Dr. Gibson Bouclier... I've heard of him... he pioneered a method to merge and reinforce cybernetic organ implantation by using the patient's own blood cells as genetic markers for the organ output. Dr. Benjamin Travers... Professor Emeritus and Guest lecturer at the Coruscant Medical Facility. Haven't heard of him, but his pedigree is pretty hardcore. Professor Evelyn Song. Oh, interesting. She's a hematologist! I wonder what she was doing at a cybernetics conference?" Sabrina reads her bio for a minute before shaking her head. "Curious... And then of course, Dr. Valenti... an renowned expert in the field. But... he's old... and has a known medical condition..." Sabrina frowns and turns to Poe. "Major... if we can help, we must try to recover them. If Dr. Valenti doesn't receive regular medical attention, he could be in a lot of trouble."

A box of electronics and a line of droids bearing more trundle into the room. A pair of blue eyes peek over the top of the lead box, uniformed pants, long and slender, take careful steps as the box is laid on a nearby console. Dusting her hands Tallie turns to look across the room to her Commander, a nod, and a quick salute is followed by a narrowing of the eyes as she assesses the fatigue that seems to roll off of him in waves. Silently, she crosses the distance to join them.

"My intent is to get them out of there as soon as I can, Doctor, but Rishi is a large planet with countless places they could be. We have to determine who it is,what they want, and then decide how to stop them. I can't just fly in there with the squadron. Every fighter on that planet will want to pick a fight, or worse.." Poe combs his hand back through his hair, pondering through the stress. Tallie's arrival earns his attention though, and he returns the salute casually. "First step will be reconnaissance. We need the lay of the land."

"There's one thing that you need if you're going to do surgery on that scale," Sabrina muses, taking off her glasses and letting them dangle around her neck. "Power." She pulls up a map of Rishi. "A facility to safely do cybernetic surgery would be drawing quite a bit from the power grid. Perhaps we can use that to narrow down the search parameters?"

"On the hunt, sir? I caught wind of the action on Bespin, wish I had been with you. Doctor," she nods, glancing between the two of them then up at the monitor to study the map. "That is an interesting premise. A complex of buildings that pulls a lot of power. I hope they were not smart enough to be off-grid."

Poe crosses his arms as he watches the map of Rishi pulled up. The planet circles in holo projection, flickering before them as the scope is narrowed to the surface. Old scans revealed power grids, but Rishi was not as established as a city like Corellia. It was much more rudimentary and antiquated by using generators or even geothermal depots. His tracker had placed their target ship on Rishi, but they'd have to do a close up surface scan to track the signal to a specific spot. "That's a good point, and something we'll have to keep in mind when we reach Rishi." When Tallie stepped near, Poe afforded the ace pilot a grin. "I'm always on the hunt, Lieutenant." He patted her shoulder endearingly, nodding. "I'm still not used to seeing you around again. I'm glad you're back with us."

"Lieutenant," Sabrina nods at the new arrival, and then turns back to the map. "... another thing they'll need..." muses Sabrina, "is bacta. Lots of it." She puzzles at the map again and then turns back to Poe. "Maybe instead of us finding them, we make them find us? A big enough honeypot might make them careless... We just need to find enough bacta to make it worth their time."

Poe adjusts his stance to share that look with Dr. Codi. "It's another good point, doctor but if we had kolto and bacta to spare, then that'd be a possibility too. We can't risk just any pirate group intercepting us. That is one such commodity they could all use." Poe looks back at the map. "Once we get to the planet, I think it will be more clear to us. Both on how to proceed, and where we should attack."

Ektor strolls in, peering around the command center and promptly noticing Poe standing in conversation with Sabrina and the unfamiliar Tallie. "Hey," he drawls in lazy greeting; military decorum clearly not his strong suit. "So ah, I'm hearing some chatter that you gonna be doing something dumb, yeah? What gives?" As an afterthought, he adds with a dismissive motion of one hand, "Oh, and Chief West is prolly gonna be yelling about something I did, she's overreacting, you can just ignore her. So what's the mark, yeah?"

A raised eyebrow, a nod and a tiny lift of one side of her mouth for the newcomer before Tallie's attention returns to the discussion at hand. "I like the idea of a honey pot. But you don't, sir?"

Sapphira Yavok, as she is known around these here parts, breezes into the Command room. She's quieter than the hiss of the automated door, no doubt partially due to the shadowsilk bodysuit she wears. Her red hair is pulled back in a braid, and her head is covered with her inifinity scarf pulled up like a hood. She pauses as the door closes behind here, looking this way and that until her green eyes settle on Major Dameron. "You rang, sir?" she asks, looking around the room before she finds a wall to hold up with her back.

Sabrina turns to address Tallie. "I see the Major's point. It's a bit too risky. If we get overwhelmed, we'd lose resources AND personnel. I think that our only choice is to go there and get a force on the ground." Sabrina turns back to face Poe. "... and I suppose this means you'll need medical personnel?" A flash of auburn catches her peripheral vision, and she sees Sapphira melt out of the shadows. A crooked smile spreads across Sabrina's face as she gives her an acknowledging nod.

Everyone begins arriving, and Poe has to laugh. The Resistance was the only place where its members congregated where the action was going to take place. Typically, that meant following Dameron down some crazy damned rabbit hole. Poe looks to Ektor, then Tallie when she comments about the honey pot plot, then Dr. Codi who agrees with Poe's take on drawing out a response from the pirates. Lastly, his gaze lifts to Sapphira, who arrived ready for action. Poe made a decision then and straightened up. "Yesterday Bespin was attacked. Cloud City was the intended target, but Dr. Codi and I had to fight our way through a space battle to even reach the planet. A doctor's convention over cybernetic surgery was scheduled to take place with the key bright minds of the health profession in attendance. When pirates crashed the party, they took several people prisoner." The pictures and names of the doctors streamed on the holo projector. "I was able to place a tracking device on the pirate vessel as they retreated, and traced them to the pirate haven world of Rishi. As of now, I cannot see past the atmosphere of this planet, but we.." He shared a glance with Dr. Codi, "suspect they're on the surface doing the force only knows what. I have to get a reconnaissance team to the surface to ascertain who they are, where they are, and what they're planning to do." He looked to Sabrina again. "Yes, we'll need a medic in case we encounter Dr. Valenti, since he has health issues." Poe looked back around the table. "I need volunteers to come with us to Rishi and try to track these pirates down."

Ektor gives a crooked grin back at any eye turned his way, greeting the others present in turn, "Doc," Sabrina, "Spook," Sapphira, and Tallie... "Yeah, hi. I don't know you." An apologetic shrug. Then Poe is breaking down the situation, and Ektor nods along at a few points, to show he's still listening. "Got it. Bad pirates, got hostages, might need to shoot through a bunch of drek to get in and out. I recommend leaving immediately, and bringing a lot of rockets."

"Time is against us," Sabrina warns again. "Even under the best of circumstances, Dr. Valenti's medical condition would need to be treated within 72 galactic hours. I somehow doubt that the pirates would be conscious of that, or even care for that matter." The brown-haired doctor turns to Poe. "How fast can you get us to Rishi?"

Sapphira offers a shadowsilk finger-wiggle-gloved wave toward Sabrina, but then her eyes snap back to Poe. At the mention of recon, she nudges herself off the wall to standing. She looks to Ektor though, and his desire for explosives. "Or...." she posits, slowly, "we get the recon team going sooner rather than later. Hostages are likely still alive - their most valuable resource is their brain matter." She looks back to Poe. "Gimme a good pilot with a stealthy ship? I'll get going as soon as you want me gone, sir." Because recon, spying, spooking ... that's kind of her jam.

The call for volunteers elicits a muffled chuckle from Tallie, "I'm behind you, Commander. No need to ask." But there is the faintest lack of confidence in her words and hope because this would take her out of the realm of making a come back into being a functioning pilot. She hides the deep breath she takes and stands quietly radiating the quiet confidence she doesn't feel.

Ektor mumbles as the Intel agent suggests a sneaky and less stupid plan than 'blow it all up'. "Sure, if you wanna do it that way, I guess." Something else Sapphira says draws a thoughtful look to his face. "Valuable brains, huh? Yeah, they totally got taken alive, so some crazy scientist can put all their brains into some droid mega-doctor thing. No doubt," he says with certainty. "But sure, I'm in, yeah?" Rather than quiet, the Tionese pilot clearly favors the 'loud confidence'.

"If we leave now, the Ghost can get us there within the hour. I have a recon shuttle we can use for aerial reconnaissance and we'll need to scope out the ground too. As the doc said, time is of the essence if we intend to save Dr. Valenti. We'll all meet in hangar 7 and depart on the Ghost in ten minutes. Get what gear you need and expect a fight. If the opportunity presents itself, I don't want to wait." He shares a glance with all of them, nodding. He hasn't set a plan of action beyond that yet because they needed to see what they were working against.

Ground-scoping. That's her jam. With those orders, Sapphira, still with her arms crossed, turns and moves out the door as silently as she came in. Those shadowsilk booties really are great for quiet work. Rather than head for the Ghost, however, she takes a turn in another direction. How odd!

"... Droid mega-doctor thing?" Sabrina stares at Ektor with an incredulous look on her face. She shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Honestly..." she mutters under her breath. As Poe gives directions, she nods firmly and starts heading towards the medical wing to restock her medpacks.

Ektor glances down at his uniform. "Riiight, I'm gonna get changed then. Which hangar was it? Seven? Yeah, hangar seven, see you there." He turns an eye back to Sabrina and solemnly nods. "Droid mega-doctor. Just you watch. S'gonna end up being a droid mega-doctor."

When others begin to arrive, Sapphira is (perhaps creepily) already here, sitting on the edge of a sofa arm. One foot is propped up against the sofa cushion, the other at the ground. She is holding a long sniper rifle between her hands, pointed down at the floor between her knees. With a loud, long SHUNK of the mechanism, she ejects an empty cartridge and slaps in a full one, looking down at the weapon's settings to make sure everything is set just so.

Ektor is apparently only a change of clothes away from looking like a common pirate, rather than a (mostly) upstanding member of the Resistance who could use a shave. Decked out in a battered armored flight suit that has been mended more than once, with an oddly old-fashioned digitized skull pattern on the faceplate, he enters the tactical room from below grousing, "I just don't get how you can have TWO ships and neither one of them has a torpedo tube, yeah? I mean it barely counts as a fighter, yeah?" he is in the midst of merrily ribbing Poe.

Sabrina walks into the tactical room, fully encased in her armor. She moves stiffly and ungracefully, not quite getting the hang of it. Tripping, she stumbles into a wall, and then into the arm of the couch that Sapphira is sitting on before pinwheeling her arms and falling backwards onto the couch. She stares at the menacing looking barrel of Sapphira's rifle nervously for a second before struggling to sit upright. "... This is extremely awkward... how does anybody move in this thing?" Sabrina complains.

"You know, with a little bit of recon and some properly-laid groundwork, there's usually no need to flatten half a planet to accomplish an objective," Sapphira points out to Ektor, lifting her eyes to grin at the man. Now who's doing the ribbing. She might be about to say more, but Dr. Codi flails and pinwheels toward her, and Sapphira is quick to pluck up the rifle and hold it away from the falling medical professional. Only once Sabrina is safe on the couch beside her does Sapphira lower the weapon, this time pointed at the ceiling with the butt resting on the floor beneath her. "Personally I'm not really sure. S'why I wear this," she motions to her black bodysuit. "But then, if I get shot I'm in for a very bad day. If you get shot you might just think a bug flew into you. So of the two of us, you're likely the safer one." Truth, or kind words to boost the other woman's morale?

"Move in what?" Tallie asks as she walks through the door pulling on a gauntlet. "Oooh!" a grin sneaks on her face which she unsuccessfully hides as she finds the gauntlet needing a lot of attention - heavy, unwieldy thing that it is. When she has sufficient control over her face she crosses the room to stand next to Sabrina eyeing the rifle as well. "Nice kit, Sapphira!" She has a helmet under her arm, much more battered than her flight suit which looks newly issued.

"Not throwing rocks at ground work, or recon or... whatever other stuff you smart folk do, yeah?" Ektor grins back at Sapphira. "Just saying, in the end you still need a big boom to make a Death Star or two go away, yeah? BOOM, I win," he decides, independent of reason. Then a flailing Doctor in a fiber suit enters, and Ektor ducks to avoid the (minimal) risk of getting clobbered with an arm. "Not saying we gonna run into a Death Star on this run... just... the high probability of a Droid mega-doctor. Who might be constructing an orbital space laboratory, fully loaded out with lasers to do surgery on a planet. ...We're gonna run into a Death Star, is what I'm saying."

Poe is the last to file in once the ship is underway. The Ghost, despite its age, was outfitted to compliment a crew like the one assembled. That tactical room was cold, but the various displays available there began to power on and show their flight path. Security feeds showed Poe's approach well before he stepped inside. "Good, I think we're just about ready. When we reach the system, we'll leave the ghost in high orbit with BB-8 to monitor our progress. Flight Officer Apollyon (Ektor) can take us down in the Far Rider.. which is perfectly capable of defending itself without rockets, missiles, or torpedoes." He looked Ektor's way grinning. "We're looking for my tracking signal. Far rider will set a team down on the surface, then move up into the air but beneath sensor range. Get us a picture of the terrain, and be prepared if we manage to raise an alarm." Poe adjusts his jacket. "Any questions on that?"

Sabrina shoots Sapphira an mildly annoyed glance. "No need to sugar coat it, Sapphira. You know that this sort of field work is out of my wheelhouse. I'm afraid the Major insisted..." she says tossing her head in Poe's direction. "Not to mention... I've seen your medical records, Ms. Yavok. History shows that it would take more than a few blaster shots to take you down." Sabrina grins at her, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Now. Help me up," she says to the red-haired woman and holding out her hands. Turning her attention back to the briefing at hand, Sabrina raises her hand. "Do we seek out ground transportation then? Or are we planning to just... walk into a pirate haven and ask if they've seen any missing doctors?"

"Thank you, dearie," Sapphira says pleasantly to Tallie. She looks the weapon up and down. "I've yet to take her out in the field, yet. Hoping I get a chance to try her out. So long as I get to shoot /someone/ on this little field trip." Sap's a bit bitter about the lack of violence in her life, lately. "Anyway, I haven't been shot in a long while, Doc. I'd prefer to keep it that way." As she glowers about the lack of violence (even the lack of being shot), a free hand comes out to grasp Sabrina's. Little Sapphira has a hard time hauling the girl up, and there's some grunts and a slight flush in her cheeks as she attempts to help the other woman. She speaks to Ektor in tight words as she struggles. "You do know that ... Quentin Haslett is dead ... right? Maybe I'm out of touch but ... I dunno that there's a lot of other mad scientists of his caliber running around, these days. Most have work with us or the ... order. There you are, dear," the last is to Sabrina. "I think you're giving these pirates too much credit." At last, the orders from Poe are addressed with a nod. "Yes sir, sir." Sapphira puts a lot of stock in her sirs, apparently.

"No, sir, all clear!" she snaps at Poe's orders. Though her eyes are wide in her effort to not grin; Tallie offers a hand up for the doctor as well. Clearing her throat she remarks, "Hardly think you are going to walk in wearing that suit. Erm. Run, maybe? Ma'am."

"Yanno, some good ground work and little recon and you can complete a mission without shooting anyone'," Ektor drawls like a snot to Sapphira. "S'what I hear, anyway." A crooked grin and small cackle under his breath, follow. As for pirates getting too much credit, he shakes his head. "Nah, I'm giving pirates just enough credit. See, most pirates don't take hostages. Lot more toruble than they're worth, usually. You gotta contact a buyer, who ALWAYS ends up double-crossing you, if you can even find one.. Nah, if pirates grab hostages, it's cause some smarter, richer piece of drek pitched them the idea, first, in order to further their plan of medical droid super-overlords. Just how the galaxy works."

"Alright, when we've arrived, we'll see what my tracker says. That will determine where and how we're gonna travel. With any luck, we'll /all/ get to shoot something." Poe glances at the console behind him. "Looks like we're do to come out of hyperspace any second now. Let's get the shuttle loaded." (sharakes)

The Far Rider is a personnel shuttle that doubles as a capable fighter. It's loaded from the stern, where the ramp can lower from a locked position. Inside, two benches align the bulkheads with a pair of pilot seats up front, and a turret gunner position at the center. Every motion and g force is felt within this thing. Poe brings up the surface scan from the Ghost as they depart from it. "Looks like our new friends have set up shop along the fringe islands. We're lucky in that this is isolated, and away from more populated regions. The island is a part of a chain of islands separated by waist depth streams of blue fresh water. We're looking at jungle landscape, a lot of wildlife, and a central volcanic island where it appears.. they have a geothermal plant. The facility looks to be outside while the power plant could be inside. Their landing pads are here, along the western shore, so we can come in from the west and cross the stream to their ships. Disabling them should be an easy enough task at least. Sap, You can cover us from that island with your sniper rifle. Ektor can provide strafing runs as needed. Questions?"

Sap gets to use her sniper rifle? JOY OF JOYS! "No, sir." This time it's said with a wide, dare we say shit-eating grin.

"Sir? What am I flying? Or am I?" Tallie asks with just an edge of suspicion for what is waiting for her.

"I hear you, Dam," Ektor sounds off. "Wait for the word, then shoot up everything that looks at you funny." That's mostly what Poe said, right?

"Don't miss, Sap." Poe moves up front. "Tallie, you got turret duty for Ektor. If you get a tail, it's up to you to smoke them while Ektor does what he does." A fist hammers Ektor's shoulder lightly. "I'll mark targets with sensor balls. They'll show up on the HUD. You see that stuff, you blow the drek out of it. If we're to be successful, I'll need to get inside and figure out where our doctors are. Our dust off location will be at Sap's firing point. If this mission goes sideways, our fallback is for BB-8 to bring the Ghost down." This whole time they've been flying to the surface. The islands are up ahead and a cliff outcropping to the west of the main complex can be seen. Further west is a small jungle clearing that's large enough to set down.

"Eh," Sapphira responds, noncommitally. "I might just wing a few for fun. Like pulling legs off bugs, right?" When was the last time this bitch had a psych eval? Apparently not recent enough. She moves to the closed bay, one hand holding onto a handle above her head to keep her from wobbling too mcuh as they come in to land. "Same goes for you, Ek. But instead of don't miss ... miss. At least, miss me."

"No one will miss. We will only miss your good looking face." Tallie grimaces at Ektor as she says that. "I don't mean yours. Give me the angle and I will knock them down for you, sir! You knock 'em dead Sapphira."

Ektor turns an eye toward the Lieutenant as Poe finally says her name out loud. "Tallie, huh? OH, right you're the Blue Squad boss, yeah? Good to know you, yeah? I'm Ektor-Xer." Sapphira's parting words are answered with a jaunty two-fingered salute. "Don't worry none, I'll miss ya," he quips with a wink. Oh course, Tallie beat him to the joke, and gets a sharp chuckle, Sounds good."

"Alright Sap, open it up. Ektor, give us the thumbs up when you're over the LZ." Poe pulls his blaster free and joins Sap at the stern of the ship. When the hatch opens, humid air filters in and replaces the cool ventilated air. It's overcast, raining a bit, with a mixture of sunlight and cloudy skies. The ground below is green and moving fast, the trees wavering from side to side as the shuttle passes over them at a fast speed. Poe takes hold of the handle above and peers down. Both he and Sap are wearing similar garbs intended for special ops missions like this. With hair going wild, Poe's expression seems more awake and alert. He looks to Sap, grinning. "YOU READY?" He yells over the loud sound of engines and rushing air.

Ektor nods as he lazily stretches his neck to one side, while the little auxiliary craft soars over the dense jungle. As he eyes the little ship's navigation display and the numbers cascade past, he languidly reaches one hand out to the side. "Annnnnnnnnnd, here we are." The outstretched hand turns its thumb up abrputly. They're in the landing zone, it's Go Time. He hollers to Tallie, "You ready on the big guns, yeah?"

It doesn't take much effort to drop down from the shuttle once Ektor has positioned them over the DZ. Like Sap, Poe lands on moist terra firma and stays crouched for the moment. He watches the shuttle pull away then straightens to look at Sap while she speaks, smiling. "I'd make a lot of credits." He shared, chuckling. "Be careful," Was all he said after her, then he was alone.

The compound Ektor is supposed to scan is located due east of the DZ. It's a rather large structure, with no walls but large canopy canvas that's strung high up in the trees. Large fabrications are set down on the surface closest shoreline but face eastward. Small stations relaying power dot the elevated slope of a dormant volcano, and a group of freighters are parked at the landing pad. Personnel idly walk, some are having chow beneath the mess tent, while a few congregate at a large satellite dish. A larger armored man walks into the largest prefab building, that looks more like a large warehouse with no doors.

Poe has managed to come in from the west by wading through the waist deep water separating the pair of islands. Climbing onto the landing pad, he takes cover behind a landing strut of a YT-2550 medium freighter. <<Can you see me, Sap?>> Poe's voice is low, barely audible over the pattering rain.

"Not after I robbed you, you wouldn't," Sapphira mutters to herself in a totally (?) joking manner as she and Poe go their seperate ways. While Poe makes his way toward the compound, Sapphira makes her way ... well, it's kind of parallel to it. Across the way on her own island, she has her own climbing to do. But she, and that shadowsuit, do the business well; she moves silently and hidden from view, staying behind rocky outcroppings or copses of trees. She settles into a spot among some rocks, unslinging her sniper rifle and working to set it up out of the way of prying eyes. She ends up setting the tripod on a shorter rock, and she is leaned back against the hill behind it, with the barrel at her shoulder. She peers through the scope. <<Damn right I can,>> she responds softly to Poe's inquiry. <<BB-8 can likely see your ass from space. What have you been eating?>> She doesn't give Poe a chance to respond. Instead, she starts reporting to him what is easily visable: the personnel idly walking, having chow at the mess tent, and those around the satallite dish. <<And one guy who'll put your ass to shame in that armor, just walked into that giant warehouse on the North side.>>

Ektor banks the little shuttle sharply upon ascending, setting a course that doesn't run directly at the complex but will bring the craft into range of focused sensor scans. Over the comms, he mutters, sounding almost bored, <<Sooooo... No ships launching, yet. I got a bunch of power relays, and a communication dish. Volcano is making a mess of my readings, but until we can spot the mega-doctor assembly spot, I'm thinking those are gonna be my first targets. You all want a distraction, or you gonna go in all... sneaky spooky-like, first?>>

Poe massages the bridge of his nose for a moment then just chuckles. <<Thanks, Saaaaaap.>> Poe sounds sarcastic, but he means well. Looking around when Sap reports, then Ektor, Poe tries to make out what they see. He can't. <<Target their comms first, Ektor. Power next. We don't want to risk auxiliary power booting up and comms going out. You're green to engage, Ektor. Sap, engage targets as the opportunity arises, but mind your firing rate. Try to alternate your attacks with Ektor's distractions."

<< I'm just saying, Sir. Cholesterol is a silent killer. You'll never know something's wrong until it's too late, so you should really keep an eye on your->> Oh, but Ektor's opening up on the comms. With deft, tiny finger, Sapphira twists a knob on the targeting computer on the sniper rifle, lowering her attacking roll by -30 by raising her hiding rolls by +50 while it's activated. She looks through the targeting computer, and when it looks like it's on red, she squeezes. Alas, it bumped out of red just before she fired. "Right, so. Might need some more practice with this thing."

Ektor cracks a lazy grin as Poe gives him the clearance to open up. "Hey, Tallie: can you check the chron and tell me what time it is?" he wonders, before once again banking and diving into an attack vector, howling, "It's Boom Time, baby!" The Far Rider's fixed laser cannons spit destruction at the big communication dish, causing catastrophic damage to the apparatus, and a broad smile to split the Tionese pilot's face. "Heheeee."

The explosion of the comm station is no small feat. The concussive wave makes the trees bow outward until an explosion consumes the pair at the station in flames. They're so disoriented by the blast and peppered by shrapnel that they have no idea they're being shot at too!. One rises up looking for a shrapnel embedded separated arm, while the other crawls away, both charred and smoking. The plumes of black and grey smoke mushroom upward as flames take to the trees. Men in the camp come stumbling out into the opening and start to head for their ships.

Poe, unable to move anywhere but back into the water, runs and dives back in. The moment he surfaces, he puts his back to the landing pad. He's hidden well enough. <<Their ships, Ektor. Smoke their ships!>>

Sapphira flips her hair back out of her way, sucking in annoyance on her lower lip. "Stop moving," she mutters off-comm to the little people running amok that she wants so desperately to murder. "This is a lot harder when you fricking assholes move," she says, putting her eye to the scope and the computer again. She waits, until she sees red. Another bolt, but this one buries itself into the flame of Ektor's own taste of violence. Sapphira lets out a string of curses that would make any Nar-bred pirate blush.

The explosion is so catastrophic that the landing pad begins to break in half from the intense heat. A massive explosion stretches skyward that's so loud and powerful that a visible concussive waves spreads out shaking the trees violently and sending gathered moisture everywhere. Ektor may notice that the two surviving craft, a pair of small fighters, rise up from the smoke in pursuit of the Far Rider. Personnel are scattered among the debris. The freighter going up has all but demolished one prefab, and wiped out the chow tent, killing several pirates. No one has noticed Sap's position, or Poe for that matter.

Poe attempts to climb up from where he is, but he feels the intense heat and cannot make it. So he walks the length of the landing platform as three pirates emerge from the treeline ahead of him. They were more focused on the destruction of their ship than Poe, who lifted his blaster and shot all three in quick succession. They fell dead as Poe wiped the blood from the side of his head. <<Good work, Ektor Watch yourself up there.>> Poe runs toward the camp now, intent to reach the larger prefab to see what can be found.

<<You know, anyone can hit a ship with a round as big as the ship itself,>> Sapphira defensively points out. <<What I'm trying to do down here requires finesse. Intelligence. Taking into account wind speed and direction, the movement of the target....>> Her mouth, now finished writing that particular check, shushes to see if her ass can cash it. Another blinking on the computer, and another trigger squeezed. This time it's a sucking chest shot that drops a man in his tracks amid all the chaos and confusion. Just another body on the ground, right? <<HAH!>> Sapphira forgot to turn her comms off, apparently. <<HAH!>> She says again, clearly very proud of herself.

The Far Rider wheels in the hot and humid atmosphere of the jungle world as Ektor brings the craft to bear on a pair of ascending pirate starfighters. One moves quickly and sharply, the other moving subtly slower, perhaps under the hand of a less experienced pilot. Ektor prompts Tallie, "Keep the sharp one off our tail, yeah? I'ma even the odds real quick.." It's not that the pirate fighter craft even made a mistake, they were just caught in a bad position by a killer accustomed to dueling TIEs. The weaker opponent is put right back down in flaming wreckage by repeated volleys of the Far Rider's laser cannons, while the turret fire keeps the better pirate from interfering for just long enough.

The chaos of the entire encampment is summed up by the roar of rushing flames and mini explosions where ordinance is cooked off by the landing pad, and the aerial battle happening above. What remain of the pirates are preoccupied with pulling their people from flaming debris, or trying to find a way to radio their friends. All of this seems to irritate the big man who comes from the large pre-fab carrying a blaster rifle. "WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE! GET THIS DREK IN ORDER! PICK THAT MAN UP! FALL BACK TO THE MAIN BUILDING!" His orders seem to cause results as the older pirate Captain shoulders his blaster casually despite the destruction and points with his free hand.

Meanwhile, the Ace pilot behind Ektor is astonished that Ektor blitz past his screen of fire. The result has massive bolts of energy plastering the ground causing more destruction amidst the pirates. Poe has found a spot to hide behind some boxes and is attempting to find a way into the larger pre-fab to see what's inside. <<Looks like their boss has made an appearance Sap. Anything you can do from there?>>

<<Let's see, shall we?>> Sapphira asks back over the comms. She inhales, exhales, and then squeezes. Her form is perfect. It's just her aim that is absolute bonkers level shit. The blaster bolt sails over the Big Bad's shoulder, nowhere near hurting him, and burns a scuff mark in the wall behind him. <<Nope,>> she reports, matter of factly. <<Start running. I'll at least try and get him to change direction and slow him down if I can't take his head off.>> She lowers her face to the sniper rifle again.

<<No problem up here, these guys are flying civilian grade birds,>> Ektor reports, as a deft roll and midair turn bring him around and the cannons light up again, blasting through shields, ripping apart the enemy's engines, and raining scraps of fuselage onto the jungle, below. << I mean.. I'm in a civilian grade bird too, but yanno. It don't count that way, me being from Tion and all.>> Tallie adds a hit with the turrets, and earns a "Nice one." Switching to an open channel, he sends toward the crippled pirate, <<Your ejection seat still work? You should prolly find out, yeah?>>

The Ace's craft goes down when an internal explosion renders black smoke and his descent becomes too sharp. He ejects last second, but finds the trunk of a tree when the craft unexpectedly angles down sending him right into the stalwart palm. There was no hope for him. The craft itself hits the open stretch of water creating a massive wave before being dragged down to the depths. The Pirate captain has avoided a blaster shot from somewhere. He looked out over the stretch of the stream and saw nothing. Where did it come from? "SNIPERS! THERE'S SNIPERS! FIND COVER!" He was taking his own advice, running to a nearby crate, the same crate where Poe was last.

Poe had run from the crates when Sap said to, and he moved toward the back of the complex to find a rear entrance. Once inside the structure, he crouched down for a moment to get the lay of the land. Aside from the ensuing battle outside, there was no one else in here. He rose and got a good look at everything.

The warehouse, for a lack of better terms, was large and tall, with two stories to it. The upper loft was attainable by a set of stairs on the right side, and used a walkway/loft that traced the shape of the building. Poe could see bunks up there. Below, on the floor he resided, was a series of computer equipment, bacta tanks, and lab tables. Arranged in the back corner was a larger computer displaying a download. Poe moved to it first, and oriented himself with the computer details. Establishing an encrypted link with BB-8, the download became an upload.

Poe was about to leave when he heard a pitiful voice, female in tone, come from the other corner. He looked over to find a cage constructed of bamboo and lashed with rigging. Inside, a woman wearing doctor's clothes, was strung up by her arms and left to sit on her knees. She had been tortured by the looks of it, and her head sagged. "Hey... Hey!" Poe called, trying to see their face. It was Dr. Evelyn Song. Poe tried to disable the lock, but it was not reacting to his frantic presses. "..help me.." Evelyn said softly. <<I've got one of the Docs inside.. I'm trying to get her out. I also downloaded what they had to the Ghost. I don't see anyone else here.." Poe tried jerking the cage and grimaced.

<<Blow the lock,>> Sapphira says easily over her comms to Poe. She keeps her eyes on the Big Bad, and pulls the trigger when he makes a move. Just another shot, sailing far over his shoulder. But at least it'll likely keep him pinned where he is. <<Dammit you kriffin' bastard, lift your head and show me your ugly face....>> Sapphira complains, clearly once more forgetting that she's still got her comms on. <<C'mon, pussy.>>

Ektor gives an (only slightly) exaggerated wince at the sight of the downed pirate ace ejecting right into a tree trunk. "Thaaaat's gonna leave a mark," he mutters to his gunner. "I mean it. A big, red mark- ah no, he's sliding down the trunk-" Coming back around toward the base, he begins targeting the base power relays he'd spotted earlier. <<Did you know this place grows Red Palms? Real exotic. And uh.. you tell him, Red.>>

The explosion from the power relay showers sparks over the entire camp. Canvas that is strung high up in the trees immediately catch flame, and the scenery below is that of absolute bedlam. Everyone is trying to get out of the way of falling, flaming canvas as the trees catch too. Men and women alike scream in terror, blasters go off in random directions as 'covering fire'. Anything that was powered in the camp is no longer. Lights go out, prefab doors unlock, and generators stop working altogether.

Poe watches the electronic lock snap back when the magnetic influence was cut off by Ektor's decisive blasts to the power relay outside. Poe throws the door open and holsters his pistol, sliding right in front of the Doc so that he's on one knee befor her. He releases her restraints and she falls against him, crying. There's no way she can walk, her legs are broken. Poe determines this just from how weak she looked. So he hoists her over his shoulders and hooks her arm and leg over his torso. His free hand plucks his blaster back from its holster, and he turns toward the main exit of the building.

Flames and debris are falling everywhere, and what's left of the pirate forces have fled to the jungles. Wildlife has now gotten involved, and large lizards are on the offensive, thinking the smaller sentients are prey fleeing from them. The Captain finds one such lizard when it leaps atop his crate. He backs away from it, and Sap watches the animal pounce on him, ripping him to shreds. <<I'm coming out of the front. Keep me covered as I try to get to the LZ.>> Poe calls out. He steps into the chaos and tries to run, but the cluster of fearful people and debris make it hard to do just that. He adjusts Song's weight and pushes on.

Sapphira does her best to provide cover for poor Poe and his hostage-turned-refugee. She doesn't hit most of the targets, but perhaps the fire will be enough to make them duck for cover rather than to bother the weighed-down major. Pew. Pew. Pew. <<WHY IS THIS SO HARD IT WASN'T THIS HARD AT THE RANGE?!>> Sapphira's very frustrated voice growls across the comms. Really, she should learn to turn off her comms. <<Winged that one, at least. Kriffin' shit.>>

<<Arright, I got eyes on you- whoa, fire. Aheeehe. Right, Dam I see you. I'm gonna clear the road for you in abooooooout three seconds. Sit tight, for a tick.>> A pass of strafing cannons chews up the ground between Poe and the treeline, making a ruin of any man or beast unfortunate enough to be in Poe's way. <<Red, if it helps? I still miss you.>>

Poe is moving as quickly as he can manage, and there's just no time to stop and shoot. It's either shoot people and be shot at or eaten, or move. Ektor calls over comms just as Poe takes a knee to rest. Sap's shot whip-cracks overhead winging the man running near Poe and spilling him off to the side. Simultaneously, the Far Rider crests over the tree line and opens fire, kicking up dirt, smoke, debris, bodies, live bodies, and animals alike in a cavalcade of destruction. Poe's hearing goes then, he can't hear a kriffin' thing, but he stands up and moves through the dust and smoke. Moments later, Sap sees his shape emerge from the dusty destruction, and he's wading into the water, trudging and carrying the doctor. No one is in pursuit of him presently, but he's closing slowly. <<Keep.. going... Poe... Keep... going.. Poe...>> They can hear his pained grunts and growls as he struggles to keep her weight and run through water back to the LZ.

<< I'm gonna foon your eyes out, Tion,>> Sapphira growls, rifle still up in the firing position. She takes a calming breath, trying to get a bit more in the zone. <<And mind your arson boner up there, no one wants to see that when you pick us up.>> Another breath. The rifle barrel moves ever so slightly to try and compensate for the moving target. Lo, it fires. Lo, it misses. <<JDFLSFJLDEIJFLDJLDJFLDSJFDDFAIOWUREIUR!!!!!>> It's basic, certainly. Perhaps that pitch she hit was so high that it caused the comms to static out. Or perhaps there's just so many swears in one breath it's broken the time-space continuum. Either way, everyone's ears now hurt.

The threat to 'foon his eyes out' draws a crooked grin, and a chuckled, <<Love it when you talk dirty, Red->> Then Sapphira's shot is fouled and the stream of scorching frustration is let loose. <<Whoa! That... was dirtier than expected.>> Blinking and stretching his jaw to try and get the ringing out of his skull, he adds, <<Returning to the El-zee for pickup. No dropping dead yet, Dam.>>

Poe couldn't hear anything to begin with, so crossing the bank was not with an added distraction of Sap's frustration. When Poe made it to the otherside, he began to run to the LZ, cutting through the foliage with the subtlety of a crash landing ship. He spills out into the opening and stays standing there, half soaked, muddy, leaves stuck to various parts of his armor, and sweating profusely. This was clearly a struggle.

Sapphira doesn't want to pack it up. She's not ready to call it a day. But there's a job to be done, and it's technically done, and there's no use in risking that just because she's butt-hurt. <<Foon, Tion,>> she reminds the man, almost threateningly. It's clear she's not really mad at him, though. Just the world. Herself. This kriffin rifle. With the thing slung over her back she turns and disappears behind some of those boulders again, skidding down the side of the hill to a tree-filled jungle below. It's only a quick jaunt to bring her to the LZ field, where poor Poe is sweating out the weight of the doctor on his back. Sapphira looks very, very grouchy. Damn near pouty. "What, he's not here yet?!"

Ektor is last to the party, as the Far Rider appears overhead, lowering to the ground almost TOO quickly, before firing thrusters and starting to lower the aft hatch even before touching the ground. Tallie in the Turret swings to aim the guns back at the ruined base, just in case as the external speakers carry Ektor's lazy greeting, <<Now boarding for a first class ride to the realm of foonings, mind your heads.>>

Poe sees Sap come out of the brush and judges from the look on her face, she isn't very happy. He didn't know with what. Maybe she was stung by some bugs? No matter, Ektor arrived and Poe climbed aboard, a slight struggle, then transitioned the injured doctor to Dr. Codi who secured her first, then began medical treatment. They'd have to get Dr. Song to the Medbay on the Ghost to keep her sustained. Meanwhile, Poe just laid out on the deck in the back, just breathing hard, his hearing slowly coming back.

"About kriffin' time," the grumpy redhead grumbles. She steps back to allow Poe up first, and then she herself jumps up, reaching upward for the handle. She grasps it. All is well. But ... well, see, here's the thing. When Sapphira ducks her head low, the barrel of the rifle is taller than she is. So as she ducks to enter the Far Rider, there's a loud CLANG! as the rifle bumps hard against the hatchway of the ship. It's enough to bounce the redhead backwards. Poe might see the moment of sheer panic on Sapphira's face as she goes assward out the back of the hatch, landing flat on her back (and on the rifle) a few feet below on the wet grass. <<No....>> she groans. <<Just leave me. I want to die.>> She's fucking fine, she's just being a drama queen. A few more breaths and she starts to push to her feet, groaning at a crack in her back. <<Once more with feeling, Tion? Bring 'er down.>>

"About kriffin' time," the grumpy redhead grumbles. She steps back to allow Poe up first, and then she herself jumps up, reaching upward for the handle. She grasps it. All is well. But ... well, see, here's the thing. When Sapphira ducks her head low, the barrel of the rifle is taller than she is. So as she ducks to enter the Far Rider, there's a loud CLANG! as the rifle bumps hard against the hatchway of the ship. It's enough to bounce the redhead backwards. Poe might see the moment of sheer panic on Sapphira's face as she goes assward out the back of the hatch, landing flat on her back (and on the rifle) a few feet below on the wet grass. <<No....>> she groans. <<Just leave me. I want to die.>> She's fucking fine, she's just being a drama queen. A few more breaths and she starts to push to her feet, groaning at a crack in her back. <<Once more with feeling, Tion? Bring 'er down.>>

"Huh? Did I take off too early?" Ektor frowns, puzzled at Sapphira's request. To Tallie he calls, "Did I take off too early?" A shrug. <<Coming back down.. Is there just the one doctor? I thought there'd be more. Don't tell me we're too late and the rest got their brains put into the droid?>>

Poe stayed on the deck, laid out and okay with just existing for now. <<No. She was the only one. I don't know where the others were, but they weren't in that camp. Our best bet.. will be to bring her back to health, and see what she knows. The trail goes cold at this point.>> At least until they review the data he'd gotten to the Ghost, and spoke with Dr. Song.

"THERE'S NO DROID!" Sapphira doesn't need the comms for that one; her shout at Ektor is loud enough for him to hear her just fine. This time, when he lowers down, Sapphira is careful to climb aboard and watch out for the rifle. Seated at last on the floor, she bangs her fist twice on the hull of the ship to indicate to Ektor and Tallie that they're ready for takeoff. However, just as they get up into the sky, something leaps out of the hatch of the ship. No, not leaps. Gets thrown. Chucked, you might say. It's Sapphira's rifle, and it falls ass-over-teakettle to the rocky volcano slope below, where it tumbles and jumbles and cracks and breaks all the way down to it's unseen death in the water.