Log:Shadow of The Empire

Shadow of The Empire

OOC Date: March 19, 2020
Location: Tangrene
Participants: Evie Levin, Aryn Cole, Sajin, Kirioth Kora Terek Rosol, Vex Sshylisk and Hadrix Kora Clan Kora

<<"We're coming out of hyperspace now">> Hardix's visage appearing on holocomms for those who have them, or just in audio if they don't. Rumbling like a thunder head as sensors report the nearing of exit coordinates.

<<"Scout vectors show where we can insert out of LOS of the turbolasers from the sensor logs from SSS. Little further from the target zone, but allows for stealth approach. If you lot want to go in hot, we can go in hot. Your choice.">> a rough topographic map of the area showing a ridgeline the ships can be put down behind, and projected 'hot landing' zones near the target area. <<"This wasn't an ISB garrison, so it should follow standard Imperial design.">>

A wireframe hologram builds itself, showing an octagonal central building with antennae towers, radar dish and turret emplacements at each of the eight points and a central tower with three entry points with a trio of cruiser class turbolaser towers crowning it. Eight smaller octagons of similar design are stationed at the sides, exposing only the corners of the main building. While there is hilly land around the fortress, there are no trees or steep ground features for heavy cover.

<<"Alpha point is the a direct hot-drop on the main structure, you will need to slave ships to to the Laar'Kote or have flight droids follow an escape path to dust-off. Suggest drop-lines rather than touchdown.">>

West of the fortress is a dip in the land, that would allow only line of sight to two points and two outbuildings from the fortress.

<<"Beta has some cover from towers and ships can be put down. There's a chance they can be fired on, so if you have droids, have them power the shields and angle as needed. But it puts the whole force approximately 50 meters from the fortress and we can try to open up a wall or two and get ground support fire if anyone has gunners remaining on ship.">> And then a third point pops up a small valley between hills on the north side.

<<"Gamma has the best positioning for the ships, but we will need to either skyline on hill ridges for two hundred meters to the first out-building, or risk being put down a kill-channel between them for the same distance if they have any surprises or send infantry. Tell me where you're going and I'll plug coordinates for ingress.">>

"What even -is- this?" Vex can be heard speaking with the large black scaled Trandoshan she so often keeps company with, turning her pistol over to look at some unidentifiable gunk, the crinkling of the skin above her nose hidden by the helmet she wears with its reflective lenses and full coverage. She whips a piece of cloth from a tactical bag affixed to her hip, trying as best as she can to remove the offending, obviously terribly sticky material. "Really?" Her head snaps toward Slick, "-Really-, Slick?" ... she is displeased. She also doesn't make much sense of all the technical conversation going on, fiddling about with her equipment in preparation, her head only finally lifting when Hadrix states his last. "...Where I'm going? You're asking me to know where I'm going?" She has, however, forgotten to transmit, and is instead just muffledly talking through her helmet. She's new. No judgments.

Helmet clicked into place, Narsai wasn't piloting her beloved Thunderheart today...she didn't trust a droid enough to man it while she was gone and she didn't have a suitable pilot available. Behind the T-Visor, the redhead Mandalorian woman looks over the wireframe, glancing back to the assembled Mandos and Mercs alike. "Practicality says we go for Beta. More cover for the less maneuverable, the heavier armed and armored can punch through a path without getting hit as easily from the side. We'll need to move fast whatever we choose."

Roth's probably where the other members of Clan Kora are and well, that means she's probably on Evie's ship because well, she's got a ship and Roth doesn't! She is a bum like that. The Arkanian is already in full armor and there's a poke at the data pad that she has on her. <<We ready to do this?>> she asks the Empress of the Void, newly acquired Kora. <<Hopefully nothing stuck down there that wants to eat us.>> she muses to that. She has her vibrosword and her Beskad sheathed at her side. Because that's what she does best. Stab things.

Sshylisk - better known as Slick - hunches in the seat that he decided to pick for his own, fully secured and locked in place so that he isn't thrown out during any turbulance, turbolaser fire, or, you know, sliding out of the seat. Slitted iris' follow along with the holoprojection in the corner of his helmet. "Fun." States Slick, "Going to kill. Going to hunt. Going to ssssssssscore pointsssss. Learn about prey."

His helmet covered head turns to look at Vex, and he leans down to promptly give the woman what can only be approximated as a 'Nar Shaddaa Kiss'. Helmet to helmet.

• CLUNK.*

His head raises up from the affectionate gesture, and she can hear the soft hissing of excited breathing that comes from being a snicker. Or a giggle. Take your pick. "Sssstay behind me, Ghrakhowsk." Then a pause as iris' skim along the augmented display, switching comms. Those who are listening in on the same comms as Hadrix are blessed with his hissing voice. <<"Put ussss down at Beta. I have brought explosssssivesssss to deal with any structuressss that get in the way. Do not ssssstand near me when I am placing explossssives. The wiressss were ssssupplied by Jawa'sss. Your milage may vary.">>

Coming out of hyperspace in a small fighter was wholly overwhelming for the small, blonde doctor. Despite her training with a particular Jedi ace pilot, Aryn had become very familiar with the controls and aspects surrounding Spark 3, an ETA-2b Actis class Interceptor. It was a small thing, and when it wasn't consumed by the vastness of the void, it had a screaming like engine comparable to that of the TIEs.

The ETA zipped into view in a sudden flash of blue, leaving an infinitely long yet dim blue contrail glow to her wake. Reaching forward, the Jedi deployed her S-foils and accepted the holo-transmission from the Mandalorian Al'verde known as Commander Hadrix.

<<"This is Doc. I've got a clear vector to all three, though what's the advantage of the most direct route? It brings us closer to our objective?">> Aryn unclips her lightsaber, and nods to her droid Cedar. <<"I think I'll take the most direct route. Any brave enough are welcome to follow me in.">>

"Alright, Cedar. We're going for Alpha point. Lock onto it and prepare for the hasty deployment.. just like we practiced." The Actis class angles for the alpha point in true Mando'ade spirit! OYA! Depsite the occupant hardly being anything more than a young lady trained to fight like one.

Internal comms aboard the Outrageous Asteroid are turned on so that everyone can stay in the loop. Evie's never been the type to deal in secrets, and she wasn't about to pull the shades over the ones that entrusted their lives to her flight. << "Ready as I'll ever be... and if there is, let's be sure to eat it, first." >> is replied to Roth, said Empress giving a nod to her copilot before stepping out of the pilot's seat and drawing one of her weapons from the many holsters adourning her suit. She's hopeful she won't have to use it, but certainly prepared in the case that she does. A look is given over to the older Mandalorian, grinning as she slips her helmet over her head. << "I do think we've been challenged. I trust Em on the guns if you want to aim for Beta, but if you prefer Alpha to not be shown up by a /doctor/, I support your decision, vod. Your call." >>

Evie, for her part, is trying very hard to keep her inner showman down after Aryn's challenge. The flashiest way isn't always best, and she'll defer to her more experienced sister, here.

It seems that like most of the last few days, Terek is being dragged along by Hadrix on another adventure. Not that he's complaining, this is the reason he left Cathar in the first place. He gives his new armor one last good check over before he puts his helmet on and seals it, making sure all thei nfo on the HUD is displaying correctly. So this could actually be the Empire still holding out after all this time? Even with the First Order out there? Terek would think that the two groups would have made contact at some point. He slides his new blaster out of the holster. This is going to be a test of all his new equipment it seems.

Sajin totally hitched a ride with someone because there was absolutly no way he was going to fit in his e-wing with his power armor on. He had finally healed up from the arena battle, and one collapsed lung later, he was back at it again to make the money RAIN. <<"I have no idea what's going on...">> This was normal for the dumb but beautiful Hapan, <<"So just point me somewhere and I'll kill the guys who shoot back at us.">> This as he removes the large ebony Ryyk blade from his back, grey cape swaying just a bit.

Viridian pillars of coherent light surge skyward as the ships scream through atmosphere, shields buffeted by friction that causes dust even in the upper atmosphere to burst into flames and defense screens glow under the damage they are keeping from hull plates.

Bursting through the clouds and headed directly to the craggy old fortress, battered, aging, barely maintained. But the weapons are effective. Tower turrets begin opening up forcing craft to buck and weave through the hailstorm surrounding them.

<"I KNOW WE'RE UNDER FIRE!!!"> Hadrix hollars while Heiyuu panicks off to the side. The Laar'Kote suddenly emitting emergency klaxons and the sounds of impact, flash-burning metal plates, and electrical shorts begins filling the halls. <<"Laar'Kote to flight, going to have to have the ship hard-land near dust-off.">> looking at the R2 droid, that looks back at him. Long stares.

Tapping a course into the command console and muttering to himself, Hadrix is visible in the docking bay as Heiyuu takes over to keep up flight corrections. The cargo hatches sliding open.

<"Drop ropes or jets. See you lot on the ground."> and then Hadrix steps out to drop as the Clearwater halts long enough for the passengers to drop out, before it will then take off at maximum thrust, kicking capes into glorious flurring flappings! Majestic!

Weirdly, for once she'd suggested the safer path for the sake of others...and been outvoted. Shaking her head, there's a quirk of amusement as she nods at Evie before shrugging her shoulders. "Someone's been a bad influence on you Doc, but you know I've got your back." With that, the Mandalorian in red shifts and moves to the drop hatch. There's one last check of her weapons, one last glance at the others and a hidden frown behind her T-Visor at the sound of Hadrix's ship under fire, then she's diving free to make her drop.

"... Uh, sure." Vex doesn't exactly appear to be nearly so keen as Slick on this whole ordeal -- after all, she's no soldier -- but, hey, she's here, and she's one more gun on the field when it gets right down to it. There's a squinting of her dimly glowing eyes beyond that visor of hers, her head turning to direct her attentions toward Slick again, her breath stilling in a moment of hesitation. "Do you know anything about demolitions? Because I'm pretty sure I've seen you chewing on them once or twice and have, in fact, questioned the wisdom of your involvement with anything of the sort." Another moment of a pause, "... Do you even see in colour? Can... can you tell th--hey," She clears her throat, finally properly heard over the comms. <<"Hey, does, uh... does anybody know if Trandoshans are colourblind?">> A moment of softly hissing dead air, <<"Asking for a friend.">> Despite all her fiddling about, the falleen woman does appear to be ready. Or, at the very least, as ready as she's ever going to be, and as comfortable as can be with the idea of that girthy lizard handling copius amounts of explosives. "Brave enough..." She mutters under her breath, eyes giving a bit of a roll, one last check of her weapon ensuring that the ammunition cell is seated properly. "... clearly ain't met me..." She continues talking to herself, clearly having the balls necessary to gripe to Aryn's face, but uh... y'know, bein' too classy at the same time or something. And then? Chaos. Madness! "Buuhhhh," Her head turns this way and that as she tries to let that reptilian brain put things together. "Sure!" She finally decides(?), and can be seen artfully ... hurling herself out an opening, attached to a rope, having herself a grand old time.

Roth gives a bit of a grin, <> she chuckles to Evie with a nod to that. <<We'll go with Alpha then.>> she nods to that. <<Anyone need a ride down?">> she asks as she fires up the jetpack and gets ready to launch off the ship.

"I can ssssee in colour, yesss. I can alsssso sssee in pitch black. It'ssss what makesss my ssspeciesss sssuperior to othersss." Slick responds to the second thing before the first. With the ship now a rockin', and everyone still knockin', he also hauls himself up on to his feet.

"Yessss. I've built a few bombssss in my lifetime. It'ssss how I got rid of a ssssmall gang that weren't paying tribute, bosssslady. Threw it at them. Wassss more like a grenade. But it was jusssst explossssives --" THUD. Rock. Boots thump a few times. "-- on a sssshort fussse."

Thump Thump Thump. Slick grabs the rope that he's meant to be using. He THINKS he's hooked himself on to it. He then promptly tosses himself out of the ship - only to notice that he is, indeed - unhooked.

<<"I am in freefall.">> Comes the hissing voice of the Trandoshan over the comms. He sounds more bemused by the fact that he somehow mucked this up so badly. <<"I am going to land poorly. If one of my limbssss come off, pleasssse grab it to ssssee if we can reattach sssso I don't have to grow a new one.">>

He then begins to try to angle himself so that he doesn't land head first. Don't know why. Would probably be the better option. Instead he just manages to start falling face first towards the ground.

It's a great start to a great day. The Trandoshan is smiling. Or he's gritting his teeth. Probably both.

Spinning was a nice trick. Lances of laser fire skimmed by the screaming Actis fighter as it broke supersonic speeds in its descent. Jerking the stick back with a loud grunt, the pilot supposed her Ace friend would be proud of the trick, despite its obvious sloppyness.

Ventral jets fired to life with bright blue flames, kicking up a wave of dust, water, and debris. S-foils closed as the Jedi pulled back the handle for the canopy. "You got it, Cedar. Nothing too--" The Jedi is ejected from the seat, taking flight high above the vessel. Aryn's cape takes flight behind her as she makes her descent, landing hard and channeling her command of the force to counter-impact her fall.

A massive wave of kinetic energy released from around the doctor when she landed, taking a knee for that moment only to straighten and activate her lightsaber in the same act. The hilt presented produced a sapphire blue blade with a distinct SNAP--HISS noise, and hummed with each movement, even the subtle ones. She lowered the weapon to her side, then tapped the deflector shield on her belt, submerging herself in its protective glow before it disappeared to shimmer only when something was close.

The objective was ahead, and that's where this Jedi was going. Her ship, flown by her trust Alderaanian BB-series droid, whistled as Aryn finally said the word she intended to say in the cockpit. "..fancy."

<< "Em, Ria, ship's in your hands. Don't let me down, alright?" >> is offered over comms to Evie's crewmembers before she moves into position to accept the ride down to the ground.

Yes, Hadrix has been working with her on the jetpack. She's getting better! But until she feels like she's ready to dogfight in it, it's still a plan b when a more efficient plan was available... and having multiple experienced Mandolorians available and willing to give her a ride? That seems more efficient, and leaves her free to focus on things like, y'know, shooting, if she needs to.

That, and glancing /up/ to ensure her crew is handling her ship properly. What she sees puts a smile under her helmet. Atta gals. She knew she could trust them.

Terek steels himself as they approach. Things start to rattle as the massive lances from the turbolaser fly past the ship. Once the order is given, he moves up to the edge of the door, takes one last moment in case this is the last thing he ever does, and then leaps.

Thankfully it seems the new armor that his Mandalorian brothers provided him does the trick. As he begins to plummet through the air, the jetpack on the back of the armor ignites, and sends him sailing away from the ground, flying through the air like Cathar were never meant to do. It takes a bit of doing, but he manages to maneuver his way from his freefall to the ground intact, cutting off his jetpack as he hits the ground. Well, that's one hard part down. Only countless more hard parts to go.

Sajin raises a hand, tumbling a bit against the hull as the ship is rocked with laser-fire, <<"Geez, can we hire a better pilot!">> The Hapan quips, moving quickly out of the way of explosed panels that are sparking and possibly on fire. The Door opens then and he takes the jump towards the surface without hesitation. His Powerarmo's joints whine as the force is absorbed by his knees hydrolics. Standing up-right, he scans the horizon from inside his Helmet's Hud. <<"Sajin on the ground.">> His blade at the ready.

The roof is not an anticipated location for the assault force to come. The grounds were thought more likely, clearly, by the initial lack of forces to meet them. Precious time garnered to let them find their cover points and method of attack when the doors of the central tower open with the cessation of tower fire.

Stormtroopers poor out. The white of their armor yellowed and dingy in places, patched back together, cracked and re-sealed in places. Carbines in hand as they come out shooting, among them troopers with red shoulder pads, and others with paired blue in smaller and smaller number again, weapons blazing.

It is mostly show of force, few able to find targets at first, covering fire meant to get heads down while they try to envelope.

Blaster bolts fly! Touching down with Evie, Narsai was already moving, weaving away from weapon fire...but some of their number were hit already, earning a little hiss of annoyance. Well, they -had- chosen a hot landing!

Sweeping her blaster pistol around, a pair of heavy shots are fired off one-handed, but both narrowly miss their mark as she tries to offer Evie some cover.

Roth drops down with her swords drawn, sadly the first swing with the Beskad goes wide and the Vibrosword doesn't go much better. She takes the shot to the armor and there's a sigh, <<Off to a great start.>> she mutters as she heads for the next trooper.

The fighting begins immediately, and the sound of discharging rifle spurns the caped Jedi into motion as she takes the center of the group. Twisting her lightsaber in a quick series of spins, she smacks two bolts back to their origins before moving forward at a slight trot.

Those origins happened to be the chest of one Officer, who took the shot hard before tumbling backward incapable of fighting any longer. The other was a stormtrooper, whose blaster shot stained their plasteel armor with carbon scoring, spilling them backward but not out of the fight.

Aryn's jog forward has a chance encounter with another trooper. She cut their rifle in two with a single pass of her sword, and spun, driving her lightsaber through a stylish shiak velocity. When the blade emerged from the trooper's back, bits of their plasteel and bodysuit ashed to embers which drifted to the ground. Aryn pushed the trooper free of her weapon and moved forward.

Now that it's down to the nitty gritties, Vex drops silent, scuttling along to find herself a vantage point from which to assault the enemy. Once she has found one, she locates the most beneficial target and opens fire to ... fixed... result.

Grabbed by the ever so strong arms of of a certain Hadrix, Slick is saved from an embarressing end to the start of open conflict -- a casuality of gravity. Halted from the sudden end by Hadrix and the angry burst of jetpack that halts his rapid descent, the Trandoshan is uprighted and then dumped at an appropriate altitude for the Trandoshan to land, stumble forwards, and then immediately pick himself up and begin his lumbering advance in the direction of the Stormtroopers.

It's straight and direct, the Trandoshan's mindset of 'wear enough armour that you can take a shot until you get close enough to start gutting people' seems to be exemplified in the fact that as he takes his long strided advance towards the troopers, his head turns a bit to locate Vex. A blaster bolt goes near him - then reflected back - but he has to clarify.. Ah. Vex's fire is tracked by Slick to the target, and his gun-arm swivels towards the Office Trooper. In collaboration with Vex, he squeezes on the trigger repeatedly, sending one bolt wide while the second impacts with Vex's third shot, sending the Officer crashing to the ground.

<<"That one is yourssss. Zero Pointsssss. Three for you.">> comes the... irritated? Excited? Annoyed? Something. It's Slick hissing through the comms again at Vex.

This is what she gets for not keeping her eyes on the prize and letting someone /else/ handle the flying. Blaster bolts from below tear into her armor, proving that she's not quite as invincible as she'd thought she was... at least outside of that beautiful, beautiful cockpit of hers. She nearly drops her pistol as hands shoot up to her helmet to turn off the comms so that the only thing that's broadcast is a loud yelp of pain before it devolves into a loud string of entirely unladylike cursing. There's a quiet mental note /not/ to look down as seeing just how many of her internals are in danger of becoming externals will almost surely shake the confidence that remains inside that armor.

Noticing that Narsai's trying to provide her some cover, she forces herself back to her feet and tries to more or less glue herself to the back of the other Mandalorian's armor, there's not a lot of other cover available at the moment, and, well, if she can't trust one of her people, even if Narsai's of a different clan, who can she trust?

Steadying herself as best she can, one arm extends around Narsai to fire off one frantic shot after another. It's a good thing that the pain is blinding her right now, because she can't come to terms with the fact that these are /Stormtroopers/ she's shooting at. Can't mentally process that her blaster is very much set to kill.

Fortunately, the force is on her side and she's not accidentally shooting at her /allies,/ because frankly, she's not even bothering to look at the recipients of the fire. One, two, three troopers go down in the wake of pretty green blaster bolts. Unarmed hand reaches up to turn her comms again.

<< "Did... did I get them?" >> is asked, the labored breathing evident in her voice. Girl got hit hard.

Safely on the ground, Terek's pistol comes to bear. With the attacking Stormtroopers already starting to fall under the withering fire from the assault forces, Terek joins in, his pistol firing a pair of blue bolts at one of the Troopers. The first hit strikes home, dead center in the torso, and drops the target, causing his second shot to go wide and sail off into a wall.

The armored cathar drops behind cover in order to hopefully avoid being shot by any of the undoubted return fire they would receive from the Stromtroopers.

With Aryn blocking the bolt intended for him (and whether he realized it or not) the King of Drik starts his forward omentum towards the incoming wave of Troopers. Thud, thud, thud! goes the power armor wearing Hapan. Officers and NCO's are always first on his list. He picks out one of the Sargeants, his maxxive blade rising and then crashing down in a huge powerful swing. The Trooper is fast and staggers back out of the way. The Drikish King is faster on his follow up swing, his blade slashing sideways, chopping through the thin neck armor of the trooper's plasteel... The body falls and the head pops off, rolling away. Blood pours from the OPEN ABSCESS!

The voice of command cut off, the officers dead, many of their own going down under fire now. The stormtroopers surge in a hail of fire into the attacking forces while lightsabers flare to life or cut into their ranks.

"Jedi! Blast 'em!" one crazy puuduu sucker screams and an NCO follows suit.

Blaster scores cover the ground, but the troops begin to fall back, towards the central tower - avoiding several dips in the roof as the look to the roaring trandoshan, focusing fire.

"HEY!" Vex snort-barks the single word.

"HEY, STOP ... SHOOTIN'..." Vex is halfway unaware of the Jedi saving her fine green ass, though maybe once this is all over she'll give her the thanks she deserves. But, let's face it -- this is Vex, so probably not. "MY LIZARD! -SLICK-!" Again, another snort into the comms, "-BAD-! Get back here, don't y--ooohhh! What'd I just--you are in SUCH shavit when we get back to the ship!" Her pistol has been raised somewhere through all this mindless noise that's errupting from her yap gap.

The first shot it fires toward those that are shooting at her sidekick, which apparently only she has any right to do, goes wide, streaking crimson through the air only to impact something unhelpful. The second? That tears right through one of those better-weapon-wielding lowlives, mirrored by the third and final bolt loosed as it pounds into another Sarge's chest. "GET. BACK. HERE. RIGHTNOW!"

Roth's already noticed the roof, <<Anyone want me to go up and take care of caving the the roof in?>> she asks over the comms. Maximum effort! She keeps the Beskad down while the Vibroblade is used. <<Or if we need to keep this place in at least one piece I'll continue on down here.>> she grunts after she hits one of the Stormtroopers.

Aryn's glowing blade deflection had done well, very well. Narsai's pistol fire on the other hand? Not so much! As Evie sticks to Narsai's smaller frame, back to back and firing out at the troopers, she's on the mark. <<Beautiful shooting!>> the petite Mando in red calls back, but she's already lowering her W-35. Narsai Ordo wasn't exactly towering in stature, the girl couldn't provide much cover with her frame...but she had an alternative!

Drawing the heavier Mandalorian Iron hilt from its hidden release, the blowing violet blade of her 'saber bursts to life, two quick movements sending blaster bolts intended for her team slamming back into their senders.

<<Watch those weak spots!>> Narsai calls as she advances, <<We don't need anyone falling through the damn roof just yet!>>

It is time to engage in STEALTH.

It is time to SCOUT.

Slick comes marching from the bit of cover he had to start lumbering up towards the Stormtroopers. It's one thing to start moving from cover to cover -- it's another thing entirely to eschew cover for the psychological effect that someone advancing like that towards you can do. The first Stormtrooper notices, and starts opening fire. The second starts shooting. A bolt strikes home, the Trandoshan begins to pick up the pace. Walking, to jogging.

Another bolt strikes, and the pace begins to pick up more. More fire begins to pour down on the Trandoshan, a few bolts impacting off thickly armoured plate and striking dirt or wall, and a bolt screams off in Vex's location. He stops jogging, and begins running. The third bolt hits.

This one makes him drop his blaster, and show what he has instead. Claws. Long digits ending in thick, sharp claws. For rending and tearing. His pace increases to a brief sprint as the blaster bolts continue searing his armour, stripping painting and ritualized markings from it until he's in melee range. Static covers his aug. reality display as his suit reels from the series of bolt impacts, and he's simply swinging wildly. It's crude. More bolts impact into the Trandoshan, but all that does is apparently send him into what can be better described as 'very angry lizard'. His left knee sits off at an angle, after the impact of one of the Sargetroopers bolts. He opens a line of communication. Dialogue with the enemy.

<<"smon smyip dwaork! it akru sund pra!">>

Ah. Trandoshan Diplomacy.

It's to the defense now. Aryn swings and misses one bolt, and has to duck beneath another that singed the shoulder portion of her cape. Twisting in place, Aryn struck another bolt back to its origin, spilling the poor sod who shot it backward as if they'd been closelined.

Twisting about, Aryn trots toward the NCOs, missing one that falls over and crawls away, her lightsaber blade WHHHOOOMMPH'ing over them. She dances back, cutting down a different Sergeant, and when she attempted to go back after the crawling one, she struck a bit of debris instead, missing entirely.

Aryn backed off, turning to her companions before looking out over their walkway. She noticed that there were portions of the roof that were being avoided. Curious.

Evennia Leven in a pilot. Not even a soldier, first, just a pilot. She wasn't used to pain like this. There's a brief moment of doubt in her mind, a moment of consideration to ask her co-pilot to come /back/ and try to rocket back to the ship so she could do what she does /best./ But no. She's better than that. She owes it to her family. Her friends. Her... troopers?

Pain does funny things to a person who's not used to it. It serves as a trigger for memories long passed. In her head, Evie's not on that rooftop anymore. No, the little Kuati's somewhere else entirely. It's not Mandalorian armor she sees on her form but the familiar black flightsuit of a TIE pilot. Reliving memories.

<< "Just... just tell us where Baduk is, and nobody else has to die!" >> is yelled out, audible in person and over comms, entirely irrelevant to the current situation. << "Hadrix, careful! Your armor won't take much more of that! Nice blocking, Erisi! Lio, when did you get here?!" >> The roles of Hadrix, Erisi, and Lioria, in Evie's head, being played by Slick, Narsai, and Aryn respectively. << "I'm not complaining. It doesn't look like these chumps are going to tell us where she is. You know what we have to do." >> Her voice is grim, reflecting her view on 'what had to be done', even then.

Leaning back out from around Narsai, she fires more blasts from her Nabooian blaster. Most go wide, one hits a retreating trooper. She's not realizing any of it. << "Thanks for the cover, 'Risi -- what do you say? You, me, candlelight, nice dinner? I could enjoy hanging out this close for a while longer..." >> ...and there goes Narsai to make with the offense. << "You could've just said no! Gosh." >>

Terek is surprised to see a lightsaber that saves him. He has so many questions. Where did it come from? Was it built by hand? He thought Jedi were extinct. Also isn't there a standing bounty on them? No they just saved him from a blaster bolt, so he wouldn't even think about that.

He leans back out from his position and sights in on another trooper, squeezing off another bolt. His first shot kicks up a bunch of dirt in front of one of the troopers, apparently blinding him enough for Terek to get off a second shot, hitting him in that sweet spot between the helmet and chest armor where there's an opening and ensuring that his target goes down.

Sajin stalks ahead, not once relenting from his advance on the troopers and their NCO's. He swings his mighty Ryyk blade once, then twice. The enemy keeping well and clear from his massive sword. The armored king lets out a war cry, a shout that echo's and terrifies before he stomps forward yet again. Five troopers and one of their remaining NCO's group up where that crumbling and loose bit of wall is on the roof. There is a crack, then a rumble, before it gives way and they fall to doom and death. Sajin steps forward carfeully and peers down into the hole... <<"Huh... interesting...">> A shrug is given before he looks about for another target.

Alarm sirens that had been muffled before become roaring cacophony when the roof caves in to send troopers tumbling to their end in a heap below, a heap that sinks and falls again as the floor below gives out.

Within, below, there is a feeling that surges through the force. Fear? Hope? It is mixed with the indignation, the rage that swells as the remaining troopers simply cut and run. Blaster bolts hail from the skies as the indigo armored form of Hadrix slams down near Evie, two shots twisting an Imperial trooper one way, then the other and the other's head becomes a crescent as he falls.

<<"Ev'ika. We're here.">> rumbled into comms. <<"Ingress team, we have openings. Proceed.">>

Maybe it was the battle of Exegol, maybe it was the childhood full of stories and days on the dangerous and devestated surface of Mandalore? It didn't really matter. Stormtroopers, the white-armored figures of the Empire were before her, her wounded companions were behind her...and Narsai wasn't exactly a Jedi. She really -hated- the Empire that burned her homeworld and hunted her people. There's a surge of movement, graceful steps around the damaged rooftops before she twists and swings her saber in a heavy blow through one armored figure. A pivot and two-handed swing, the violet blade slams through the next trooper and cuts him down. A sharp motion of her hands swipes out at the last trooper, but clearly that man knew that getting the hell out of the way was the best way to deal with a lightsaber!

Slick is standing there. Slick didn't get to kill anything. Slick has been shot. Repeatedly.. And he didn't even get his claws wet. His shoulders begin to sag as the stimulants pumping through his veins begin to wane, his body starting to produce the natural painkillers as he begins to itch. Oh. The itch. When wounds begin to painfully and visibly knit themselves back together.

His left knee cracks and pops as he lumbers after the only remaining Stormtrooper. It's like something out of a horror movie - the battered, visibly bleeding and lumping monstrosity lumbering after the poor, innocent human. Claws lash out, scraping through the air before the tips of his claws scrape down the back of the Stormtrooper before whatever adrenaline that was keeping the Trandoshan finally putters out.

His knee gives way, actually. The last lumbering step put too much weight on it, and his lower left leg participates in his knee hitting the ground. By the fact that his knee isn't supporting anything below it right now, and his calf and ankle just wobble away to the side as he lands on his knees.

The noise he emits is sort of like the noise you would make if you were getting out of bed and didn't want to wake anyone up, but in the process of doing so, you stand on your cat's head. Its muffled hissing makes you panic, until it's fangs sink in to your heel. You swing your other leg forwards, only for your pinky toe to get caught on the wrong side of your bedpost.

Then he collapses forwards, and his leg gets blessed succor. Then it visibly begins to straighten itself. It's not perfect, but the armour wants to straighten, and it helps things move.

<<"Ssssorry, Bosssslady. I got a bit ahead of mysssself again. It'sssss okay. I'm getting back up now. Give me a moment.">>

One moment. Two moment. Three moment.

Aryn deactivates her Jedi weapon but holds it at her side. It seemed the troopers were in full retreat, and while Aryn did not share the same passion her comrades had for harming the troopers, she did understand their mission. The way is forward.

It's to Sajin that Aryn walks, and she peers into the hole he made use of. "Well struck, your grace. I believe this to be the most direct route down. Shall we?" Aryn drops into the hole to land below in the corridor. There's a CiC, an Officer's mess, and a portion of an old turbolift. Aryn lands smoothly, her cape falling along her back as she straightens.

Evie was trying to block out the pain, for the sake of her allies... but on one side, the bad guys were retreating, for another? The memories of her time with the First Order were fading back in favor of reality. There's one blink. Two blinks. And then the pilot drops down to her bottom on the rooftop. Arms instinctively crossing over her chest. Wounded, but not dying... and just needing a moment to recover herself.

<< "'s good to hear your voice, Hadrix. Always when I need you." >> offers the pilot, grateful for the aid.

She'll be up to work on following Aryn's lead in a moment. Just not /yet./

Looks like the majority of the troopers are down. There's one guy left, and he's running. But after the Imperial occupation of Cathar, and every other story he's heard about the Empire and the First Order, there's no chance Terek is going to allow someone who willingly serves them to run off.

He does hesitate for a moment. Shooting someone who is running away isn't the same as shooting someone who is trying to kill you. But he thinks about the fact that he may well be saving lives in the future by taking one now, straightens up his stance and fires a single blue bolt which strikes home lower than where he was aiming. He winces, though thankfully nobody can see it under his armor.

Sajin's gaze from behind his armor's helm is greeted with dead troopers and injuried allies. Unfortunatly there was nothing he could do about the injured Allies. He was no Doctor! Speaking of Doctor, though. Aryn appears at his side. Her slight voice starles him a moment, as he looks across and past her. He has to look down to finally see who it is. <<"OH! Yeah I guess... thanks for the... you know.">> He gives a mock swing of his Ryyk blade and makes a VROOM sound before laughing awkwardsly. Then, without hesitation, he follows the Alderannian princess down into the hole... Another thud and whine of power armor servos as he lands effortlessly. <<"YoooooouHooo? Anyone home?">>

Above it's quiet, power to external lights are flickering and towers are grinding, trying to come online and failing. The doors that the last trooper tried to reach shaking to a halt while the light inside dims, flickers and brightens anew.

Below where Aryn and Sajin rest, the automats in the officers mess begin shorting out, spewing out Protein Paste Supplement Besk Besk-Osk-1B on the floor and the other vomits some sort of green juice. Or coolant. Possibly both combined.

What can be seen in the old CIC includes a guttering holodisplay panel, computer banks.

The turbolift still works somehow. Unaffected and is indicating it is rising to the level of Royalty.

With that last target down, Narsai's own lightsaber ends its humming with the shriek of its retraction into the hilt. Replaced in its hidden holster as quickly as it had been drawn, the armored woman looks back over her shoulder towards the others already injured. <<Anyone needing to be evac'd?>> she questions, tilting her head to the side. Evie had certainly seemed in bad shape, lost in her mind earlier, but the rest of the threats could easily come pouring out atop of their injured if they held up too long. Spotting Aryn and Sajin dropping down the hole, the young Ordo exhales a breath and then makes for the open doors the trooper had been fleeing to. <<I'll make sure we're not flanked, stay in contact just in case.>>

Aryn is overshadowed by the hulking mass that lands behind her. While she is quiet, the King of Drik calls for an answer, seeking their opponents. His brash nature brings a smile to Aryn's face as she steps wide of Sajin and glances between the rooms thoughtfully. "Hmm."

Walking carefully back to the corridor, the sound of the lift rising draws her attention. "Someone rises to answer your challenge, Sajin. Perhaps I might persuade them against this folly and end this conflict. Stand ready, my friend." Aryn walks to the intercom near the lift, though she triggers her comms first. <<"Hey team. We have someone taking the lift at our location. Sajin and I are in a corridor. I'll try to persuade them not to attack. If they cannot be talked down..-- Well, stand by.">>

<"Members of the Empire. Or.. whomever is taking the lift up. Know that when these doors part, you've no hope for victory should violence be your course of action. You stand against the famed and ruthless warriors known as Mandalorians; you stand against the ire and ebony blade wielded by the strength of Drik's King. They are not alone, for they have allies who have already felled many of your rank. Common scans and surveillance would reveal this to be true.">>

<"So, in the face of this adversity, I ask that you not force our hand. I respect the rigors of your discipline, what it may mean to wear the armor that you do, or the symbols that you uphold. But you live in the shadow of a time that's out of reach. Live to fight another day. This is not your hill to die on. Grant us our boon, and we will leave. When your lift arrives; we shall be ready to receive you. One way.. or another.">

Aryn steps back, activating her lightsaber and bringing it to bear, favoring a high guard. A nod is given to Sajin before she focuses ahead. /The Force is with me./ Is what she chants silently in her mind, praying to the Mother that these foes listen to reason.

One hand. Two hands. Drag. Drag. Push. One knee. Push. Two knees. Click, pop. A test press of clawed toes. The strain is taken, and Slick regains upward mobility. A gutteral snarl as he takes a step or two as a test. He's limping, but he's moving. It is enough. There's a low mutter as he watches the running trooper get gunned down. He turns and lumbers back towards the hole and the group, reaching down with a slight stagger to pick up his D.D.C. Defender.

Head paning for a moment. Blink. <<CLICK>>. Blink. <<CLICK>>. Eyes momentarily roam over his HUD -- blink. CLICK. The comms click on. <<"Holding above. Knee will not sssssssurvive drop.>> He offers, flopping back down on to his back.

There were a lot of Stormtroopers killed on that rooftop, but only one that Evie managed to /see/ killed. Who was retreating and shot by Terek. Who was... /retreating/ and shot by Terek. Blue eyes narrow under her helmet and lips twist into a scowl. The pain and the difficulty it adds to talking is the only thing that keeps her from overriding her brain, which reminds her of clan traditions, and just start yelling at the Cathar.

Maybe getting shot like that was fortune favoring her, afterall.

But this? This wasn't finished, and would be remembered at a more appropriate time and place. << "I can still walk, I can still help. Just... can't take another shot like that first one." >> is replied to Narsai. Stubbornly, the pilot stands again, trades one blaster for another, and trudges towards the hole in the floor. Although, at Aryn's words, she looks around -- until she spies the turbolift doors through the door that Narsai just walked through, and uses that for cover, training the Relby on the turbolift doors. At Slick's words, she adds, << "You need an evac, Slick?" >> ...yes, she remembers working with him, even though their portions of the mission wasn't /exactly/ together.

Terek can hear the offer being given to the Stormtroopers or whoever is inside of that lift that's coming up towards them. Spotting the group moving up towards the lift, he makes his way up as well, taking a knee and aiming down the sights of his pistol and waiting. Hopefully they will surrender, otherwise this might be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Sajin gives a simple nod to Aryn, instead choosing to place his blade back into it's resting place on his back and instead draw his DL-44. He watches cautiously, carefully, waiting to see what the responce is while making sure his pistol is ready to unlesh hell fire on what ever may try to attack next. <<"She's got a point, kids... ant no use dying in this shavit hole... I mean seriously, the cieling is falling in on it's self. It's totally not up to code.">>

<"So... Ambassador."> The age in the voice that comes over the intercom cannot be washed out by the system. <"Mandalorians... Drikkish warriors... And something else you seek to hide."> there is a tone as the lift passes Aryn and Sajin's floor. Reaching for the surface despite the power issues.

<"What are you demanding, mmm?"> the voice has the rich flow of the Kuati sector, possibly even the prime worlds. But mixed with a clipped attempt at 'proper' Coruscanti elite. <"Revenge? Did one of mine wipe out your family, Ambassador? What old grudge are you trying to settle?">

Hate pours through the comm, beneath their feet it is almost as if some ancient evil has turned its eye upwards.

<"Name your terms of parlay.">

The doors of the lift open, more troopers standing with blasters held at the ready, tense, but not firing yet.

Opened Turbolift brings more troopers, more weapons her way...Narsai's ready with her weapons...but no blaster bolts fly from her and no plasma blade ignites just yet. Aryn was negotiating surrender, there were wounded behind her...but the almost taunting voice of what she can only assume was an officer has her eyes narrowing behind the T-Visor. Her weight shifts, her hands remain at the ready as she exhales a slow breath. Either this was going to go one way or the other, but she'd be ready. Of course, the memory of her brother hucking a thermal detonator into a lift full of troopers does cross her mind...but she didn't have any grenades on her.

<"To proceed, we need assurances that your men are not for violence. Have them lower their weapons, make safe, and place them on the deck. I will patch in the Commander for this mission to discuss what must follow that."> Aryn did not reveal just what she was, or even who. She didn't feel so good about that second half of her speech, but she felt worse that the lift went higher than they anticipated as well. Her gaze angles skyward for a moment, then something has her look down. A feeling. She frowns.

That accent is unmistakable to /Evie./ It's the same kind she has. At least, when she's trying to impersonate Oran. Which she can't do anymore. Sigh. Hands reach up to remove the helmet from her head, exposing her face and letting her accent join the crowd. "You see the carnage above, don't you? This isn't a battle that can be won, and the Emperor isn't alive to force you to run onto any more lightsabers." A shake of her head, hair going everywhere. "We can talk like civilized people. Nobody's here to kill you, and if they fire the first shot? My blaster will fire the second at the culprit."

...it might be an offer better recieved if Evie didn't exactly look like she was about to fall over. Or have the face of a traitor.

Terek keeps his position, on one knee with his pistol pointed at the man. His finger is off the trigger for anyone paying attention. He tilts his head a bit to try to get a better listen at the intercom. Something sounds off with it, but he's not sure what yet.

Sajin had been a King for a few years now. Working diplomatically with your enemy was sometimes needed, especially in the Drikish parliment where many lords and ladys were trying to stab you (and several other people) in the back for their own gain. Politics, uglier than even the carnage this crew caused above only moments before. He knew that sometimes, you just had to give you opponant what they wanted before they did what you wanted or got what you needed. Hefting a sight he places his gun back in it's holster. No worries, it could be easily drawn once more if the situation warrented it. <<"I put my gun away, how about you put yours awa... huh?">> There is a shake of his head. <<"You're not even there are you, you're somewhere else. I can hear the repulsors revving up on your ship or speeder before you run away and cower... Listen. I'll tell you why we're here. Those scavangers you attacked. We want the ones you took back. IF not, payment and restitution is expected. Now being noble imperials like your selves, you wouldn't mind paying out the families for their losses. Also, Vacating the area after words would be great. Yeahhh... like there's a whole new empire core-wards you all can get off on serving."

The turbolift hatch snaps shut then, the lift sounding as it descends, matched to a groaning of servos engaging, a massive hatchway in the side of the fortress. <"Astute... Hapan..."> an ear for accents most like <"Kuati turncoats, Hapans... Mandalorians. Scum."> An old Lambda craft with Imperial markings surging.

<"We're marking where you can find them. Scum."> a rasp of vicious laughter following before comms suddenly silence and a series of repulsor trucks and an old Delta transport roar out while the rear turrets of those craft that have them fire wildly into where they came.

Those double-crossing, back-stabbing, murderous...imperial bastards. Narsai's eyes go wide and she throws her hand out, willing the force to try and enclose the prisoners in the wall of flickering light to hold off blaster fire, abandoning all guise or secrets that were probably stretched beyond thing at this point...and she fails. Narsai Ordo was no Jedi Knight after all, or Sith, she'd had no temples to learn in. Seeing the destruction, her fingers tighten into fists. 

<<We need to go after them. Every last one.>>

Stepping away, Aryn places a finger to her ear. <<"To our angels in the sky. We've enemy vehicles firing upon what we suspect to be innocents. Your haste is needed. Eliminate these threats so we can be done with this mission and these foes.">> Aryn says, deactivating her lightsaber to stow it on her belt.

Helmet's going back on, quickly at that news, frantic and pained Kuati voice coming over comms. << "Hadrix, Juria, Emma, you don't need to eliminate the crafts, /just/ the weapons. Make the weapons a priority. If they leave and can't shoot, that's still a win -- I've got faith in you all.">>

Evie does; it's why she's not trying to go anywhere at this point, just looking up through the skies in hopes of seeing good news.

Sajin sighs deeply, annoyed, possibly angry as the blaster fire erupts beneath them. <"Well... shall we go see what's left down stairs then?"> He moves along with Aryn while those still in the air attempt to take out the vehicles.

<<"Aryn, my ship is in need of repairs... damn thing can't fight">> Hadrix's voice rumbles as Evie's own ship lifts off, strafing after those craft moving slower than the speeder craft and the spaceworthy ships. They're splitting up though. Dust-balling. There will be losses yes.

The Delta-DX and the Lambda craft stop shooting, but there is smoke pouring out of the side of the fortress like some draconian beast of myth and legend.

What stormtroopers and even men and women who have appearances similar to older looking troops can be found, civilian husbands and wives that couldn't make it to evac.

Children. A second generation born in the wake of the Empire's death, like grubs chewing through a corpse.

In the hangar though - or what is left of it. Devastation. Death. Craters from ship class weaponry. The ships being chased by the Asteroid out of atmosphere. Ships focusing full power to engines and shields, no longer bothering with weapons; only buying time. Two others leap to the air, from the plains beyond sight of the fortress. Surging for space. Tangrene is lost to them, or lost for now. But their Empire slouches like some undead beast on it's last leg. A rotted tooth, fallen from the jaw.

Bodies are their legacy. Some shadows burned into the duracrete to mark their last terror ridden moments

Some half gone. Some crushed under a debris. Just under a quarter of the prisoners left alive. But that's still a small victory? Isn't it?