Log:Silent Angel
The New Republic Investigate an outpost gone quiet.
OOC Date: July 31, 2020
Location: Carida
Participants: Callax Dalso, Nova Korell, Jessika Pava
WHOOOOOSH. With the war still going strong, and no side having a massive advantage, the lines of scrimage would constantly shift. It was due to this that the transports were flying only meters along the clear way - staying well under what would be considered below Radar range. The two Transports would be escorted by three X-wings. About the maximum amount New Republic Command could afford given the threat levels that were occuring. The ships moved at an even pace and it would be only minutes from launch that they find themselves with in striking distance of Forward Firebase Angel. Even now, the Firebase was not returning any attempts at communications. All of the read outs returned that they had recieved the communication - just noone answering. As the ship landed down, Both Nova and Callax would be let off - each being given about 4 soldiers each to go with them. The strain on military resources meant that they were using anyone with military experience and ties to the New Republic.
The Complex itself was relatively small.. There were two interests - one side had a large door with a clearing to bring in supplies (this is where you are), the other side had a landing padd which still had all of the vessels there. There were four five main rooms, with a basement.
As the group moved forward, you would find yourself infront of the large triangular door - large enough to allow ground vehicles to come in. To the right, there would be a panel - that had multiple buttons and one singular, blinking red light.
On the ground now after the flight in, Nova gestures her little squad into a rush across the short distance to the building. <Stack up... we'll hold here for the moment. I need to do a little checking on this lock,> she says, connecting up her handheld computer and getting to work. It's a few seconds before she looks up. <Only one operational camera inside, and it's on the other side of this door. The place is on full operational lockdown... which means something seriously bad's happened. Either the base's CO or the main computer had to initiate the lockdown... and we already know nobody's talking here.> She looks to the squad techie. <Sensors. Lifeform, power emissions, the works. We need to know just what we're dealing with here.>
Whilst Nova's turned within, Callax looks without; though their sealed battle armor is painted violent purple, they have the good sense to wear a brown oilcloth camo poncho over this. Even masks their First Order-issue marksman rifle, which has been painted to match. Because of course it has. << All right, lads, >> Callax commands, their normally airy femme contralto now hardened with the weight of their command. << Keep an eye out on the perimeter. Wouldn't put it past anyone to be lying in wait. >> Behind the tinted visor of their helmet, Callax's eyes perform acts of bizarre organic plasticity, the single dot pupils of their human heritage warping into a thoroughly disurbing triple-lobed structure that suddenly sharpens and extends their range of vision as though looking through electrobinocs. Nothing. Which is as bad as enemy troops.
<< Nobody's been here for good span, Nova, >> Callax says over comms. << In or out. Likely as long as a week. Be careful about opening that outpost. >>
<Sounds like that's a little longer than our briefing spoke of,> Nova says. <No signals in or out in days. Frontline units never got scheduled supplies, either. It's like the place fell off the map... but here it is, on lockdown, with no word as to why. Weird.> The sound of the door opening pulls Nova's attention like only an unexplained SNAFU can. <Cover that entrance!> she orders, pulling an infodump from the lock's computer log and then disconnecting her computer. You can't fight and hit keys at the same time. She unshoulders her own weapon to do her part for the covering. She glances to Callax again. <It's a sure bet somebody knows we're here now. 15-18 life forms inside, but no idea who they are.>
<< Oh, I've seen this movie before, >> Callax mutters over the link; immediately, indications are made with hand signals to their troops, taking up defensible positions among the gear and boxes in the bay, to which the troopers (such as they are) dutifully move. Not exactly steel-eyed veterans, after all. << All right, >> they say, shouldering their lovely purple marksman's rifle. << Do we crack the hatch and see what comes out to greet us? >>
"Don't salute in a combat zone," Jessika Pava keeps her voice low, but her tone sharp. "You like making someone a target for sharpshooters?" There's annoyance in there, and she delivers all this without looking away from the direction that she has her BlasTech A280 blaster rifle trained in. The Specialist armor is already the type that blends into their surroundings, albeit with subtle trimming in yellow in places. Nothing that stands out since they're not exactly trying to blend into the foliage. She could have taken a look at the panel next to the door, but Jessika feels her attention is best suited to perimeter control. This is a hostile planet, and the last thing she wants is to not see a threat coming. Not when she can help it, at least.
It's not something she has to worry about in the end. The deep noises of large mechanical locks and hydraulic hisses as mechanisms unlink is enough to make Jessika cast another glance from the direction her barrel is trained in. She allows herself to be distracted just a bit longer and starts looking for any external sign of sensors or viewing equipment that might indicate someone knows they're outside the door. This could be a trap. Or someone could be preparing to leave. It's difficult to tell in a situation like this. Jessika's paranoia says it's the former. That maybe whoever is responsible for this firebase going silent now has eyes on them and is prepared for whatever they're doing. She doesn't like it. Almost immediately, she starts identifying surveillance equipment.
"There are eyes everywhere. They don't seem active, but we can't assume they can't see us." Jessika adjusts attention to her squad. "Stack, right side entry. Let's approach the hatch." Moving into the number three position out of four, one of the corporals in Jessika's squad takes point. His barrel is trained at the distant hatch. The number two has their barrel trained to the left, where friendly troopers aren't finding cover behind equipment. Jessika's barrel is higher, searching for any top down positions, while her number four checks their back on a thirty-second interval.
The soldiers move to take their positions inside as ordered - getting behind crates and defensible areas. Those of which not having any any sealed helmets or armor will get a stench - though not completely overpowering it is definitively bad. It has that of rotted food - it completely permeates the bay. There are flies and other bugs being drawn to the increasingly foul odor.
thump..thump..thump.. They can hear something hitting against a door to the left, what appears to be some form of utility closet.
Nova shrugs at the nervous tech. <Dont salute me anyway, soldier. I work for a living,> she replies, just a little wryly. <Get those sensors to work again, continual scans. We don't want any surprises.> She waits for Jessika and her team to get through, then gestures her own troops forward... and nearly misses a step at the sight of the buzzing insects. The broken-open crates near them, and the rotting food visible inside, explain their presence. <That's not how you /usually/ get dinner around here, I'm sure,> she comments, giving them a wide berth. At the sight of the door, and the sound of the thumping within, she gestures to two of her squad. <Samson, stay with Durnwyn,> she orders, meaning the tech. <Griff, Leems, cover me.> Shouldering her carbine, she moves to the side of the door, then toggles the switch to open it. "Come out! No sudden moves!" She doubts it, but with fifteen lives on the line, she's not taking chances on who's in there.
Nova shrugs at the nervous tech. <Dont salute me anyway, soldier. I work for a living,> she replies, just a little wryly. <Get those sensors to work again, continual scans. We don't want any surprises.> She waits for Jessika and her team to get through, then gestures her own troops forward... and nearly misses a step at the sight of the buzzing insects. The broken-open crates near them, and the rotting food visible inside, explain their presence. <That's not how you /usually/ get dinner around here, I'm sure,> she comments, giving them a wide berth. At the sight of the door, and the sound of the thumping within, she gestures to two of her squad. <Samson, stay with Durnwyn,> she orders, meaning the tech. <Griff, Leems, cover me.> Shouldering her carbine, she moves to the side of the door, then toggles the switch to open it. "Come out! No sudden moves!" She doubts it, but with fifteen lives on the line, she's not taking chances on who's in there.
It hits Jessika and the rest of their squad. Disgusted looks are shared all around, with Jessika's nostrils flaring as she exhales forcefully and switches to breathing through her mouth. It helps, because she's not about to take her hand off its supported position on her blaster rifle, just underneath the barrel and around the powercell well. "Breathe through your mouths." The younger troopers might benefit from the advice, and she keeps it low volume so it only passes between them. Despite the thumping going on, Jessika's point trooper keeps their attention trained on the hatch rather than a side access. That's the number two's job, and their blaster rifle remains trained on it. Jessika continues to scan elevated, but the squad of four is starting to stack on up on the hatch, point on the right side of the door and the rest on the left side. Here, they've got dominant control over the entry/exit point and they're not in the fatal funnel in front of it. "Prepare to breach. Standby for confirmation that the bay is all clear." Jessika herself is checking the panel to determine whether or not this, too, is locked and needs bypassing. It doesn't surprise her that it is. She doesn't set to work on it, yet. Instead, she watches as Nova's squad starts to clear the utility cloest.
BMP.. BMP.. PCHHHHH The utility closet while being worked on suddenly bursts open and a man comes out - his hands up, "Don't Shoot! Don't Shoot!" He is wearing a Republic Officer's uniform - though his hair and his face show a youth that is rarely seen in such a position. Given the war, it's not unusual for field commissions or fast tracking officers in order to get them out. His breathing is erratic and he looked desheveled as his eyes go between all of them, "I'm Lieutenant Junior Grade Martinez.." He says quickly, going to his knees even though he doesn't have to - just to ensure they aren't as blaster happy, "Be careful opening that door. The soldiers here.. They've gone.." He shakes his head, "They're insane.."
His breathing stayed pretty heavy, "We recieved a shipment from one of the local supply farms. Some kind of animal got in there and had died after eating the food.. They contaminated it or something.."
<Hold fire,> Nova says, though the soldiers probably figure it out themselves, what with the uniform. Never hurts to make it an order, though. <Come out, Lieuntant. We're good guys too, service rivalries aside.> She looks back at Jessika's troops by the door, then gestures griff and Leems to join them, with Samson and Durnwyn staying with herself and the Lieutenant. For her own part, she's finding her handheld scanner and taking a good look at the food. <Scans bear out the story; the food's been contaminated with an unknown microbe. Biosigns are consistent with life on this world.> Her attention returns to the Navy man. <Better stay with us, sir. Unless you prefer the closet?> she says, not without a touch of humor.
And then there's Callax, snug in their voidproofed armor. Contaminants? Five hour enviro-seal is thus activated with a touch of a tongue control. Don't mind the vivid purple person wearing the oilcloth. << Right, then, >> Callax says waspishly through their helmet's annunciator. << Are those bunkers sealed, Lieutenant? >> They look to Jessika, her fsce reflected in tinted metaglass. << Perhaps we could cut off environmental. Knock 'em out from the outside so they can get medical attention. >> No point in hurting anyone if it wasnt needed, after all.
With the proclaimed Lieutenant bursting through the hatch, Jessika is able to watch the scene unfold. So does her number four, who has their back to the number two on the port side of the hatch. With her helmet trained on the individual in question, Jessika begins to speak. <"Republic Command, Strike Six. Requesting identification confirmation on personnel stationed at Firebase Angel. Last name Martinez, rank Lieutenant, Junior Grade. Visual verification through my helmet."> It doesn't take long for Republic command to send confirmation based on the individual, though the rank doesn't match. "You sure you're a Lieutenant, Ensign?" That definitely raises some questions in her mind. Leaving Nova and her squad to handle it, Jessika pops open the panel in front of her.
It takes only moments to bypass the power supply and disable the lock from the inside. No password needed. In a sudden rush, the door whisks open and both her number two and her number one bring weapons to bear just inside the hatch. Number one goes low, number two goes high, giving them overlapping fields of fire while they scan what's going on. Jessika's attention turns to Callax. "I highly doubt they went to the great lengths necessary to build this firebase with a sealed off air system. It's just a combat position, not a permanent installation, and we've had no suspicions that any kind of viral or biological agents have been deployed. We need to secure that Lieutenant until we know what's happened here. Trust only the team we've brought with us."
The Man coughs as he slowly begins to get up. His hand coming up to his lip to wipe some blood away. His head shaking erratically, "Be..Becareful. They're crazy now. I don't know if you have to eat it or its the smell.." Another cough as he looks to Jessika when she speaks. He nods his head, "Yes Ma'am. I was promoted after we lost the Lieutenant to some small arms combat about two weeks ago." His eyes going to Callax, "The entire base was shut down by order of the Captain before he.." The man goes into another coughing fit and motions, "I'll stay with you!"
The Door is ultimately accessed and a long hallway can be seen. There are two doors on the right, and one on the left. At the very end, it leads to some stares that lead all the way up.
There is scaring on either side of the hallway and a trail of something red that is smeared and splattered on the floor leads from the doorway and to the right into a room with a faceplate that says 'Medical'. The door to Medical is open, but nothing can be seen in it yet.
In the background, soft music can softly be heard over the intercom - something not able to be heard in the docking bay.
<Samson, get a sample. They'll want to analyze this back home,> Nova says, gesturing to the techie. Finding a breath mask in her pack, she offers it to Martinez. <Here... I doubt it's smell or this stuff would've turned you by now, but no point in taking chances. Cal, can you and your people stay with him? I'd rather not leave anyone alone... or our way out unsecured.> Once Samson's done, she signals a form-up and moves with the squad to back up Jessika's squad in their entry.
"Good idea. We'll need a rear guard. This is our fallback point." Jessika motions forward with her hand in a blade, instructing her point through the door. Her number two sweeps in, and Jessika follows, once more moving in a stack with barrels trained in numerous directions. Knowing there are friendlies immediately behind, Jessika's rear trooper no longer checks behind, but instead adds their barrel to the right side of the hallway just like Jessika's. The point is already calling directions out as soon as they move. "Long hall, four entries. Door left." They move to it first. When it opens, both number one and two step in and split directions, one going right, two going left. They move methodical. Slow. Because slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Both troopers check their corners and angles, surveying what's available in the room all as Jessika steps forward, right next to the door without passing it or moving in front of it. She covers the left side of the hall and down the corridor while her rear covers the right. From within, she can hear the troopers calling out clear left and clear right. "It's an armory, Major. Power cells, weapons all over the place." As soon as they've said that, she's moving forward and number one and number two become number three and four, setting Jessika and the trooper behind her as the ones that will enter the next room. They stay to the side in the corridor. Not right against the wall, but close to it.
Before they can make it to the Medical - A woman in a New Republic Marine Uniform comes out of it. Her hands on a weapon as she has it aimed at them. The woman's hair is a soft black, her skin a light brown. She watches them through dark eyes. The uniform is shredded and there are cuts and bruises all over her body. She keeps the weapon focused - pointed in Jessika's general location.
"I'm not going back." She says firmly. The weapon moves between them, "Are you with him? Mr. Lieutenant Junior Grade? Did he get to you to?" She keeps the weapon steady but starts to move backwards, "I don't know what he did to you or the others - but stay back. Now."
As she's backing up, from behind her another cylindrical device is in her hand.
Following carefully behind Jessika and her squad, Nova and her troops make their slow way forward, double-checking the doors. The armory gets a look... and a comment, of course, since that's how she keeps the tension from getting to herself and her squad. <Definitely not ship-shape. Shaky discipline around here.> Which is about when someone new makes an appearance. Nova's tracker is up in an instant, but she lifts her foreward hand and gestures in a 'stand down' kind of way. "Easy, Marine! Keep waving that around and you're liable to hurt somebody," she says. "We're still figuring out what's going on here. We'd welcome the chance to hear your story. But first, you need to put that away."
"Drop the weapon, now!" Jessika is not quiet about it. In fact, the only reason the trooper gets to stay standing is because Nova speaks first. Her index finger, resting on the trigger of her blaster rifle, is mere milimeters away from discharging frozen tibanna gas as a kill bolt into her center mass. "Get on your knees, cross your ankles, and interlace your fingers behind your head. You have ten seconds to comply." The weapon raised in their direction means Jessika is not going to play around. They have no idea if this firebase has been compromised, and the fact that spoiled food got in means that someone, somewhere, has been conspiring to make it happen. She's not taking any chances. Not when the safety of so many others is at stake. "I am not messing around with you, Sergeant. You are endangering lives and I will not hesitate to protect my team." There's not going to be any game-playing here. It's war time, and Jessika's given a completely lawful order.
".. you don't know what happened.. What he did.. He brought them here..Those.." She seems disorganized, even slightly confused, "Knights of Ren?" She stares at Nova as she speaks and then looks to Jessika. Both of the women cause her to be less aggressive - the weapon even lowering just a tinge. She begins to slowly walk back towards the stairwell and motions with the gun towards the medical center, "..You don't want to endanger your team?" Her voice raises, "ENDANGER YOUR TEAM!? Did you see what he did to her!" When she steps back enough, one can peer in and see a woman on the table - her body a mess and half opened. The scratches on the table and her face shows that she was probably awake and.. probably not anesthetized. She motions with her other hand with the object, "He is standing back there unshackled.. About to do all matters of harm to your mean, and you are worried about me!?"
The New Republic Soldiers were trained very well, they keep their weapons up and don't question Nova nor Jessika.. just waiting to see what their orders are. Alot of weapons trained on this woman.
"Major, be cool, okay?" Nova says, rather exasperatedly. "We still don't know what's going on here. Maybe she does. We can't question a corpse." Times like this, she's reminded of why she left the military for good. She shoulders her own weapon, stepping forward empty-handed... not that her hands don't make pretty good weapons themselves. "Sergeant, I get it. You've been through some serious drek. People are dead because of it. We just walked in on this. Tell us what's going on. If we're going to get anyone else out of this alive, we have to know what we're dealing with. So could you please hand over the weapon before the Major decides to be a lot less nice than I'm being?"
"Stun her." Jessika says it at a volume that her squad can hear. Disobeying a lawful order is the line where things stop. The woman refuses to disarm and comply, and Jessika's not going to take chances. Not when they may be dealing with individuals who are mentally compromised either from some sort of food contamination or otherwise. And if a Knight of Ren was involved? The issue of mind control comes up, too. Without hesitation, the troopers in her squad discharge their blaster rifles after a simple nudging movement with their thumb sets their weapons from kill to stun. Their weapons discharge, releasing blue instead of red beams that impact against the Sergeant and dump her into the floor. She's neutralized, and that's all that matters.
<"Pava to Dalso. Put that Lieutenant under arrest immediately. I have reason to believe these individuals are mentally compromised."> Keeping her blaster rifle trained on the distant door, Jessika speaks to a different person. <"Republic Command, Strike Six. We may be dealing with a potential biological or viral contaminant. Encountered personnel have been mentally unstable, with one confusing to comply with lawful orders. Requesting dispatch of special medical personnel in contamination gear to enact quarantine protocols. Break,"> Jessika clears the net for a second, just to ensure no traffic is trying to come through to her in the process. <"Also requesting a Jedi. The Knights of Ren may have been involved here and we could be dealing with some sort of mind control.">
The woman goes down with out much more. On Comms the first communication comes up, <<"Yes Ma'am.>> The line goes dead and then a feminine sultry voice comes up when she contacted New Republic Command is contacted, <<"Acknowledged. Our resources are stretched thin, but a Jedi with specialized strike team will be dispatched as soon as possible.">> It is only a few moments after this until a voice can be heard on the cylindrical object the woman was holding - a communication of a soft.
<<"...OoOoOoOh.. HAHA.. Have you defeated my champion? Ashame.. ASHAME.. but this base is now mine.. and you are sending JEdi to me? To build my Army.. Good..GoOoOoOoOoOoODD!! Shall my other champion rise up and defeat your friends while we wait for my newest apprentice to arrive?">>
From the docking bay there begins screaming, blaster fires, yells and the words 'Emperor', 'The Force', and 'Die' can be heard.
The speaker comes back on <<"Your friends sound introuble.. Guess you could help them. I'll just stay up here in the command center.. All by my lonesome.. So many buttons. SoOoOoOoOo much information.">>
The bright stun-blasts suddenly flying past Nova create an eerie stroboscopic tube effect in the half-lit hallway. The woman in her antique armor stops where she is, going rock-still. While she doesn't speak, that sudden stillness suggests it would be extremely unpleasant if she did. She's only starting to turn Jessika's way when that cylindrical object, now revealed as a comlink and /not/ a grenade, begins speaking. And that angry stiffness goes out of Nova within two breaths. This news is too bad for there to be time for an argument. <You were right, this time,> she says at last, tightly but with no real rancor. <Squad, you're with the Major. I'm going to check on our guest back in the storeroom. I'll catch up once things are handled there.> With no more wasted words or time, she's running back down the corridor. She'll handle the smaller fire. Pava and the troops can handle the bigger one. Preferably before either burns this place to ashes.
With the soldier dumped into the floor, Jessika glances towards the commlink that comes alive and fills the hallway with crazed speech. It sounds a lot like more of the same of what they've already heard. Jessika's eyebrows lift visibly behind the visor of her helmet, which provides coverage to her face without concealing it. "That's often the case." It's the only reply she provides Nova. There's nothing else to say. Motioning forward, Jessika moves to the Sergeant and picks up the commlink. She thumbs it to muted, so that nothing from their end is transmitting any longer. It's only on receive. "Second squad, arrest her." Jessika steps by, barrel trained down the hallway. One of Nova's former troopers binds the Sergeant's hands behind her back and her ankles together. "Two of you stand guard. Other two with me." She can't leave the Sergeant just laying in the hallway alone, nor can she give up this position. It's clear from all the commotion going on that they have to establish a new position of safety.
The sound from within the bunker have certainly not been encouraging, but Callax has kept their ground out in the by along with their squad and stuck to the comms. Upon receiving the order to restrain the young Lieutenant, out come the binders mag-clamped to Callax's belt (matching, of course) and are applied judiciously to the poor young man's trembling wrists. << Keep your head down, darling, >> Callax murmurs in what they intend to be a soothing voice, until the crazy folk stumble out screaming about dark evils and Force knows what else.
At this, Callax pops up behind the crates that they were standing by, the Lieutenant on the deck and out of sight. << Disciplined fire, >> the pilot roars in an authoritative rendition of their usual tralee not commonly heard, bringing up their own rifle. << Stunners only! They're not themselves! >> The Order rifle, recaimed and turned into a combat-fashion accessory though it has been, loses none of its potency as a sizzling blue bolt of neurodisruptive energy snaps through the air and strikes one of the raving Republic troopers, dead center of their chest. << Bring 'em down softly! >
And the seen is set.. As Jessika moves up into the Command Center she will find it empty - the controls still there and the screens still giving off their faint view..but noone is there. Save for one man..who slowly turns and stands up as he watches her, "Ahh.. My Knight has arrived!" He says, his voice a tenor above what his voice actually sounds like. The man is wearing what appears to be civilian clothing as he walks towards them. His clothing is ripped to shreds and he has scars about his face. While he does have civillian clothes on, he is wearing a Naval hat with the rank pins of a Lieutenant. He looks at the three and then focuses on Jessika.
"Kneel before me..and join your destiny.." Before much of a reaction is given though, he draws his weapon, "For mine is the kingdom."
As Nova arrives into the docking bay - it is all out chaos. No matter what has been screamed - and alot has.. It would appear that men and women in shredded republic garb are making an assault on Callax and his intrepid troops. They intend to take the heretics in!
Nova ignores Jessika's rejoinder, focused on the task at hand. Things sound really bad in the docking bay. She stacks up against the door leading back in.
A quick peek around the doorjamb shows that things are exactly as bad as they sound. Where did all these brainwashed maniacs come from?
Irrelevant. That they're here is all that matters at the moment. Nova whirls around the doorway, her carbine coming up.
The first blue stun-blast takes down one of the ragged, charging fanatics, taking her off her feet and sending her tumbling across the floor. The equally-ragged man behind her, though, checks his speed and is narrowly missed.
She takes a second to check the docking bay door leading out, the only way they could've come in. <Cal's right, they're not themselves! Stun blasts only! And watch that door!>
As they enter the command center, Jessika is on alert. She trades her blaster rifle for her sidearm, applying safety to the rifle and letting it hang from its one-point contact sling while her right hand draws the Bryar K-16 from the holster on her hip. She switches it from kill to stun, and motions for her troopers to fan out to the left and the right, covering corners. Almost immediately, the individual she's been hearing on the other side of the commlink stands up and begins to address her. She sees the weapon in hand. The torn civilian clothing. The hat on his head. Just like with the Sergeant, Jessika doesn't hesitate to get muzzle on. "Drop the weapon. You get what I gave the other person. Ten seconds. Get on your knees, ankles crossed, fingers interlaced behind your head. If you don't, my friends here will want to have a chat."
As the howling manglers stumble forth, Callax fires again - and though they miss with the electric bolt, their voice blare loud and steely through the anunciator in their helm. << Keep it up lads, >> they bellow, << Don't let them get too close! We don't know if they're virulent! >> The sword at their hip is close at hand, certainly, but Callax doesn't relish the idea of drawing steel on their own colleagues. But if it's between them and the men in their charge…
The man takes a step back as she talks, he looks visibly shaken and the gun does fall. He nods his head, "Yes.. Yes.. You are right.." He turns around and reaches over to hit a button on the console, leading out to the landing Padd. He brings his hands up, "My work is not done!" He rushes outside towards the Snubfighters. The soldiers pause a moment and then bring their rifles up ready to fire - since thats most likely what is going to happen.
In the loading bay - things are not going as easily for the others. The Crazed Republic soldiers continue rushing forward - wildly dodging the attacks. They fire on the soldiers, red hot lasers moving to hit. One unfortunate soldier taking a full shot to the chest and falling down, dead.
Nova keeps firing at that elusive maniac from earlier. Not that it does much good, but if somebody gets a lucky shot it might take him down. Well, some luck would definitely come in handy right now!
Yeah, this isn't going well; Callax is able to keep the lads firing in proper chorus, but their maddened colleagues just seem to be able to flail their way through the fire unharmed. When the first of their squaddies goes down hard with a hole in their chest, Callax changes tack. Gazelle-long legs work as they jump over the crate ahead of them, then higher and onward as the jetpack integrated into their breastplate fires and carries them over the knot of mad ones on tongues of alcohol-blue flame. Landing behind them, Callax takes quick aim and snaps off another electric bolt...which strikes one of the maddened soldiers square in the side of the head, and sends them falling senseless to the ground like a sack of wet sand.
< I'm over here, you shavits, >> Callax calls to them. << Come on, over here! >>
"Stun him!" As soon as the individual takes off, Jessika opens fire. Two discharged stun bolts miss him as he takes off, smacking harmlessly into a wall. She relies on her troopers to do the rest, and if none of them make it? She's going to take off after him and out towards the landing pad. She'd bet credits that even behind him, she'd probably be able to get into a starfighter and get after him faster than he'd be able to turn around and wipe them out. She doesn't know what he's a Lieutenant of, but she'd also be willing to bet its not the starfighter corps. She's never seen this guy before, much less anything else. And she realizes she's going to have to start running moments later when the troopers all miss their shots.
The Man continues to run! To run he says! He dashes out the door as all of the bolts miss him! He knew it, he was chosen! The Emperor was revitalized in him and he would be one! He must go! He is late, he is late for a very important date! He runs over to one of the X-Wings and begins climbing in it - trying to get everything situated.
The Soldiers continue fighting along side Callax and nova missing.. While they are doing such - the two remaining crazed republic soldiers to be worried about watching in Aww as Callax jumps over head. The bring up their weapons to take out the would-be Jedi.
Nova has to stop and watch as Callax does his Rocketeer impression. It's not only a great spectacle, it's an instant flanking maneuver. <Nice move, Cal!> she coms, and continues firing. With hit-and-miss results. Sometimes consistency is a bad thing.
They can't afford for this crazed individual to make it to the starfighter. Actually, they can't afford for this individual to make it to the starfighter and take it. Jessika knows she's better, but that involves destroying New Republic assets and losing a large chance at figuring out what's going on here. She doesn't expect the troopers to take off with her, but as she raises her arm and squeezes off two more shots at the Lieutenant, she finds a chorus of fire following her own. Multiple stun bolts impact him as he's reaching the top of the ladder that leads to the starfighter's cockpit. Jessika watches him suddenly go limp and slide right off it to impact the ground. "Corporal, put him in binders. We're going to take him back down to where the Sergeant is, then link up with Dalso's squad to take the rest into custody." She's already starting to move back that way, heaving a sigh of relief. <"Pava to Dalso, we're coming to support you."> Moments later, "Republic Command, Strike Six. We've secured the command center. We're going to try to finish taking the rest into custody. Still recommend quarantine protocols and medical personnel until we figure out what we're dealing with. Belay the request for a Jedi.">
The jump show has done it job; the shots fire by the remaning insane lance past them easily, and Callax responds with another head-shot from their rifle, dropping the remainder to one. << Acknowledge, >> Callax calls back. << Prepare your men to move casualties Major! >>
It is with much care, and great aim that Nova takes a shot and is able to wrangle the last insane Denizen. With the 'commander' down - all of the different soldiers are brought together and tied up. It wouldn't be much longer before the strike team that was requested arrived and everyone was shipped back. It would be only a few hours later when it was determined that a local creature - vermin - of Carida had gotten into some off-planetary food that had been specially shipped in as a treat for the troops. These vermin would pass microbes that caused delusion and points of grandeur. Fortunately, for those that survive with appropriate medicine and time they would be returned to themselves and .. perhaps.. graciously.. would not remember what had occured.
Thanks to our intrepid heroes.. That had returned and saved the day. The Firepost would return to normal operations for the front.
