Log:Sith Empire: Training Day
The Sith and the Mark partake of some training and team building.
OOC Date: October 6, 2021
Location: Harbinger
Participants: Sith Empire: Anlace, ST-K7020, Tamsin Cas, Tarq Najjic as Self/GM, Xavier Harcourt
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
The combat sections of the training room have been reconfigured today. Waist-high barriers of duracrete form triangles of varying heights scattered throughout. The floor is uneven, with stacks of some black material piled up in some places and not others. A few tires are out there to trip the unwary. Several additional light fixtures are along the walls and at the far end. There are fans and some small devices on wheels with vents.
In the dueling circles and the range, there are a variety of droids with differing numbers of arms and legs. Some have treads, a few wheels, but most are bipeds. What they all have in common is that they have clubs of a metal that reflects colors very brightly in their arms and that they have armor bolted on in every conceivable place. These would not be effective in true combat. They might never make it out of this room again.
By the entrance, Tarq is waiting, hands clasped behind his back under his cape. His makeup is more of the war paint variety, darkening around his eyes and brightening other places so that his face looks - less like a face, if you squint. "Welcome! Is time to train to fight most dangerous foe: Jedi. Please state name and - or - designation, your best or favorite weapon and kind of fighting, and - raise your hand if you have fought Jedi before."
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
Standing with the same impassive face provided her by her helmet as always, ST-K7020 observes the dueling rings and the range and the changes that have been applied to them for this specific gathering. The trooper in red gammaplast armor is not armed at the moment, but her Sonn-Blas F-11D blaster rifle is maglocked to her right thigh. The armor is new. It lacks the harsh carbon scoring from the set she'd worn recently to Coruscant. When it comes time to speak, she keeps it succinct. "I am Sith Trooper designation krenth seven zero two zero." There's no mention of a favorite weapon or kind of fighting. The trooper does not raise her hand in response to the question of a Jedi encounter. She's had exactly three combat engagements starting with Exegol and ending with being shot repeatedly in the Uscru district.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
Tamsin, who had claimed, as she always did, her robes and masked helm, entered the training area, and once instead, moved to stand where she had been indicated to wait, head turning left or right, as the rest of the team gathered, waited with endless patience, until such time as Tarq broke the silence, eyes studying the course, as well as the two 'enemies' which had been created for them. "Tamsin Cas. Lightsaber combined with telekinesis. I prefer to fight at a distance, but have no trouble closing to range." And then she raised her hand, in answer to the question of having fought Jedi.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Xavier enters into the training center of the Harbinger with his cloak draped over an arm. Not really one to wear it outside of missions, he brought it just in case he found himself underdressed. And, indeed, it would seem he finds himself underdressed. "Hey, Najjic," he says in casual passing, throwing the robes over one extended arm then the other. A tug on the front to adjust it on his shoulders and a quick knot ties it around him secure enough.
"Xavier Harcourt. I prefer to manipulate my way through a confrontation, but a blade works just as well when all else fails. Loaded question on the Jedi thing. Needs more than a hand raised, but the short answer is yes." Because Xavier follows the spirit of the rules rather than the letter. He offers a nod to Tamsin and then to the other stormie, a grin. "Good to see you on your feet again, Kay." Because he's trying it out.
[ Anlace (An)]
The Sith Trooper A1025 enters the room and takes a position to one side, their body segueing to the state of parade rest. She wears the crimson armor of the trooper with the scowling helmet and makes use of bland body language that translates to the discipline of a life-long soldier. When ordered to state designation, the voice emitter clicks in her helmet and the Imperial accent followed. <"This trooper is Aurek one zero two five. This trooper specializes in close quarters combat."> Anlace does not raise her hand.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
Tarq's hand is raised. "A Jedi who is prepared? Extremely dangerous. Stronger, faster, avoiding threats /before/ they happen, swinging weapon that cuts through almost anything. Fighting /sounds/ hopeless. Is not! Respond as would to other superior - enemy - force. With few twists."
"These droids serving role as... facsimile Jedi." His tone is dry. "Overclocked, quick to block, and armored enough to last evening. Have sensors - light behind each will be green at true hit, red at deflected or missed shots. Try," he invites, gesturing at the row of droids as he presses a remote to activate them.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
<"For the Empire, my Lord."> Xavier receives a drilled-in response that expresses both acknowledgment and gratitude all at once. She is otherwise silent. Tarq explains the point of the amalgamated machines presented before them and K7020 lifts her right hand from its spot along her thigh to grasp the pistol grip of her blaster rifle. Depressing the sensor on the handle with her thumb, the maglock disengages and K7020 draws the standard issue weapon up. The stock goes into her shoulder, her left hand is gripped around the weapon foreward of its power cell well and pulling back, and her thumb slips off the safety of the weapon. A squeeze of the trigger, not a yank, and done between the natural dips and crests in her breathing, sees the blaster rifle bark a crimson red bolt right into the facsimile Jedi so that its armored torso is left scorched by a hit. Having done so, K7020 adjusts her blaster rifle to the low ready. She remains in her squared off, torso forward, low-center of gravity stance, with the barrel dipped down to aim at the floor rather than her target.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
Tamsin, looking from Tarq to the droid which seemed to have been designated as hers, remained where she was standing, though she did claim her saber, the crimson blade igniting, and casting that reddish glow against the black of her robes. There was just the slightest tilt of her head, as though she were deciding on a course of attack, the wrist of her free hand flicking down her sleeve. When the attack came, there was no visible movement from the woman, and only the sound of twisting metal as one of the joints which formed the 'wrist' of one of her droid's arms crumpled, leaving the club it was wielding dangling at a un-usable angle.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
"The Empire." Xavier is actually not in the best of moods this day and it shows in his dour expression. The opportunity to beat on some 'Jedi' droids seems appealing, but it could also spell no small amount of annoyance and embarrassment. The former he can swallow. The latter hasn't been a problem since the Battle of Endor.
From his hip, Xavier draws a plain, simple sword. A primitive thing, really. A hilt, a crossguard, a long blade with a pointy end. Archaic. The dark-haired man studies his personal 'training buddy'; the various mechanisms that shift and grind. The quick, jerky motions of each limb. Somewhere in there is the opening. That perfect spot.
It opens up and Xavier moves. Rushing into the droid's melee ranger, Xavier ducks under to fake an attack to the midsection; giving him opportunity for three rapid slices into his opponent. The first two connect but the light remainds red. A jaw-clenched growl and Xavier jams his elbow where the stomach would be and then stabs back; hitting the abdomen hard enough for the green to flick on.
[ Anlace (An)]
Given the command to drill against the bots, A1025 withdraws the collapsed baton and extends it with the press of a button. It snaps loudly, and she twists it to generate the initial charge of electricity, which appears in blue arcs that hum hungrily and crackle idly.
Stalking forward, the trooper adopts a text book stance and swings at the droid only for the blow to be blocked with ease, and parried. A1025 pivoted, making use of the momentum conceived from its parry, to spin and strike again. It's a fluid movement and ultimately, it fails when a second block announces the connection. From her observation, the droid does not register the blows as being real blows, thus A1025 failed the exercise. She doubles back to attempt it again, quiet and disciplined about it despite experiencing the sting of red cheeks beneath her crimson helmet.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
"Droids will still be here for practice afterwards. For now, note that even when hitting, Jedi may not feel it, or may avoid true effect." Tarq paces down the line, gesturing Anlace back. "Is no shame missing against such foe. Indeed, almost /expect/ it. Best ways to be sure are air strike, explosives, artillery - wide enough area Jedi cannot escape. So why be here?" he asks sharply. "What is point of knowing futility at worst, great difficulty at best?"
He waits a moment, drawing out the silence for a few beats. "Because Jedi on field does not prevent mission /success/. For that that, must harry, must avoid. Use terrain, prevent direct confrontation unless with backup. Must deploy own counters, and must /get job done/."
He raises a hand. It contains a datacard. Then he points down the room at a terminal just past what appear to be... smoke machines, as they start producing mist, and fans start dispersing it. "Primary objective: get datacard uploaded into console. Secondary objective: survive. Are holographic projectors, droids with blasters, and droids with clubs. Every droid with clubs is Jedi. Will light up green when engaged. Will turn red when taken out. Will take a lot to take out," he warns. "Remember: mission is not to kill Jedi. But mission must be accomplished." He extends the datacard to K7. "Take. Have minutes to work out group strategy. When clock starts, have five minutes to accomplish mission. Good luck."
Behind him the mists have encompassed the room down to ten foot visibility, and lights are flashing here and there inside it. A few triangular cover sections are on the right, and a slight rise on the left. The console was in the middle past more obstacles.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
K7020 does not lower her blaster rifle. Instead, it adjusts position so that the body of the weapon is tucked across her torso. The barrel itself remains angled down towards the left, at a vacant spot on the floor that's near her foot rather than far from it. <"Yes, my Lord."> The datacard is taken in hand and K7 turns towards the gathered group of Sith acolytes and ST-A1025. <"Aurek one zero two five would be an ideal canddiate to carry the card to the terminal. She specializes in fast movement through enemy engagements, my Lords. What are your operational orders?"> K7's left hand maintains possession of the card for the moment. The trooper has only made a suggestion. Command authority is deferred to the gathered Sith by default. The option to take it, anyway, is on the table.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
As the smoke fog began to fill the room, Tamsin's eyelids flickered behind her mark. Had her face been visible, it might have been possible to see the slight haze that remained over her eyes leaving her with a film that glistened unnaturally in the light still visible in the area around the small cluster of armed combatants. This time, rather than remain where she was, she lifted her saber, holding it in two handed grip, preparing to move out as K7 was handed the datachit. "I will provide a screen for your movement, K7. Avoid engagement, unless as a last resort. The mission is the terminal." That being said, Tamsin moved ahead, not quite into the obstacle field, but far enough ahead that if anything came out of the fog, it might be more inclined to attack her than the stormtrooper.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Resting his sword to his side, Xavier takes in the change of situation with a raised brow. Avoid contact with the enemy. Accomplish mission. That's pretty much was his entire schtick in the Before Times. Now? Well... while some abilities may be a bit rusty, they are likely still useable. But against droids posing as organics? Not so much. Ah, but there appears to be a plan already in motion so Xavier opts to remain stationed at the starting point to run interference if he has to. Too many feet moving at once is too many chances for the group to be heard.
[ Anlace (An)]
Anlace lowers the weapon and adjusts to face the group. The strategy is laid out before them, and taking K7's assessment to heart, A1025 extends their hand to accept the card. She had training in close quarters and navigating chaotic situations. The objective seemed clear enough with an idea of what foe(s) obstructed their path. If given the card, A1025 would await the command for the scenario to begin.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
Tarq looks over the group, listening with his thumbs hooked behind his belt. When they seem to have a plan, he steps to one side of the room, pulls out a digital counter, and says, "Begin!" as he presses it.
Blasters begin firing erratically from within the mists. As before, the left has a path leading uphill and the right has more frequent spots of cover. The terminal is out of sight, but was in the middle, further down the room.
As of yet, there are no green glows.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
<"Covering you."> The brief burst of communication is given over the Sith Trooper battle net, meaning it doesn't blurt out over vocorder. At the shout of begin, K7020 begins advancing. The lenses of her helmet take care of the low light condition and the filters deal with whatever the mist is. She breathes only recycled air that scrubs out the carbon dioxide. As blaster rifle fire starts punching through the mists, her helmet begins targeting the exit points and running trajectories back to the point of origin. Through that foggy haze, augmented reality indicators provide a reticle to where K7020 can expect the fire to be coming from. With the telemetry pod and her helmet recording every bit of what's going on, K7020 moves towards the right, blaster rifle brought back up into the low ready and boots thumping hard on the ground with the sprint.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
As K7 selected a direction in which to move, Tamsin made to push ahead in the same direction, her steps carrying her right, feet quick as she kept the pace, saber held at the ready. She trusted the troopers' skill and training, and focused her own attention on seeking for any obstacles that were wielding either blasters or clubs. It did not seem to matter which of the enemy she encountered first or how many. Only that such an obstacles should be removed to provide the troopers safe passage.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Xavier has always been a master at biding his time. It's a blessing and a curse, really. Usually for those around him more than against him personally. Here is no different. As the others move ahead, Xavier remains where they started to keep an eye on the situation as it unfolds. A firm believer of keeping all his eggs appropriately separated lest a droid or three comes along to smash 'em all at once.
[ Anlace (An)]
Accepting the card, Sith Trooper A1025 allows the first two to go ahead, and she follows suit, walking casually and tucking the card into one of the pouches of her belt. She maintains the stun baton at her side for now and makes use of her augmented reality HUD to track where her fellow trooper moves. Imperial protocols dictate formations adopting patrol or advancing missions were to maintain some distance between them to mitigate the possibility of explosives or competent melee fighters. Anlace is in compliance with this doctrine and trusts the team blindly to cover her as she searches for the objective, her scowling helmet moving from side to side as if on a swivel.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
As K7 and Tamsin surge forward on the right, they reach a small line of the duracrete blocks providing cover, but beyond it is open space as far as they can see. Some of the blaster fire draws closer, charring off pieces of the cover. In front of them, a green light activates. With infrared, the troopers can can see the droid power up. It's another mishmash machine, but it seems to be more mobile, moving on treads. For everyone else, there's just the green light, and the sound of treads moving forward.
Then, parallel to it, on the left, another green light appears. A Jedi droid is approaching on each side, and while those on the right have cover from the droid in front of them, there won't be cover for any of them once the droid on the left rolls far enough forward.
Blaster fire towards those advancing on the right has grown more accurate as the two have approached.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
Making it to the cover on the right side, K7020 slips down into a knee to ensure that duracrete blocks provide as much surface area protection as possible. There's a specific posture in this kneeling stance, with her toes pushed out behind her and then angled to the side so that the surface and side of her foot are flat on the ground. This prevents her ankle from snapping if someone collides with her and forces her onto her back. Her left knee and leg are at a right angle to her body, allowing her elbow to rest on the very edge of her knee, just beyond its curve, to provide her blaster rifle with the most stable firing platform she can give it. K7020 attempts to engage the flanking bot approaching from the left, though the shot goes ridiculously wide. Her breathing is more erratic and her heart is pounding from the brief sprint. <"Target at ten, ten meters and approaching flank. Covering fire.">
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
The green lights blinked into existence, and Tamsin did a quick assessment of the approaching enemy. One straight ahead, but two from the sides, and one of those bearing down on them. The decision was made, and Tamsin did as she said she would do, skirting any obstacles on the floor, and evading the blaster fire streaking through the air, as she moved to engage the closest 'Jedi' droid, the pair clashing saber to club, Block after block, but that was not a loss, as if it was attacking her, it could not attack the troopers. "Keep to cover, move if you can." She said no more.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Xavier sighs heavily. Well, covert didn't last long, did it? Was it ever truly an option? Xavier steps forward, the fingers of his left hand twitching this way and that; as if plucking at invisible strands that dance between them. A roll of his wrist and the fist clenches. His elbow jerks into his own side then the hand juts outwards, a wave of unseen power rushing through his robes before making direct yet superficial contact with the very bulky droid. Now their enemies have three targets to focus on and hopefully none of them are Anlace.
[ Anlace (An)]
A1025's purpose was not to engage with the enemy, but reach the objective. Displaying absolute devotion to the mission, this trooper trusts the team to engage with the enemy while she advances forward in search of the objective. If the droids were engaged with the team, they were not engaged with her. Each second in scenarios like these, mattered. What if the objective were a ticking bomb that required prompt action? This question is in Anlace's mind as she hunches slightly to move along cover, her visor gaze shifting to seek out the terminal. She spots it, but it's between the two Jedi droids. The one on the left is thoroughly distracted, though A1025 has to avoid the one on the right.
Her approach, much to her chagrin, is not text book, though perhaps the droid's perception motivators are off? /Somehow/ she gets by despite stumbling. She arrives at the objective and looks over the device before producing the card. She has to find where it's supposed to be input.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
Between Tamsin's attack bringing her lightsaber to bear, which is 'blocked' even though the slowing down of each swing is shearing off the thick metal of an arm, the blast from K7, and the telekinetic impact from Xavier in the rear, the Jedi bot on the left is thoroughly distracted. The one on the right may be having some sort of sensor malfunction, because it utterly fails to register Anlace's sneaking past it. Its lights go down, and then it comes back up, the green returning as it scans its surroundings.
This time it notices Anlace, but it's facing completely the wrong direction. It starts to rotate on its treads to better approach her.
The terminal is standard, like many Anlace has encountered on the ship and elsewhere. There is a visible timer on it, though, that hasn't activated. There's definitely the datacard slot there, though.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
These are not training settings. The blurted outcry of being shot in the right arm is done in her helmet and not keyed up over any net, which means it's nothing but silence from the Sith Trooper despite the powerful blast that's hit her recently healed arm and melted the gammaplast. It disperses what energy that it can. K7020 fires back, though, because the blaster fire peppering the duracrete cover has started to shift towards where A1025 is attempting to activate the terminal with the datacard provided. Pinging even the wall around the laser turrets indicates an active threat, which K7020 hopes will suffice as a means of distraction yet again. Powerful pulses of pain throb through her arm. Gritted teeth will do for a painkiller.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
Tamsin did not disengage from the bot she was fighting with. She could take the thing a piece at a time if she had to. Again and again, her attacks were blocked, and somewhere behind that helm, a smile was forming. What did she expect from the Kuati force user? Of all of those who knew her, save one, he knew her style best. It would be just like him to account for that. Just as the jedi she had fought before would do. More blocks, more lost arms. All was well.
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
The hits, along with a bevy of other attacks heading their way, is enough of a jostle for Xavier to break into a run: something he is not accustomed to, really. But the old man still has some fire in him and Xavier moves in. Not towards his first target...
... but to the one that is slowly turning around towards Anlace. The objective must be completed. The clang of metal and metal reverberates not just into the space of the training room, but all the way up Xavier's arm, into his shoulder, then down his back. The first swing is deflected with ease, the second also but not as quickly. The third connects and in a flash of sparks, several of the limbs jerk unnervingly then fall useless to the droid's side.
[ Anlace (An)]
A1025 places the card into the terminal prompting an immediate response: A countdown begins from five, slowly going down. This indicates to Anlace, she must remain for the card to be accepted. Just as this dawns, a laser bolt flashes by her and sparks off the surface of something nearby. Dedicating herself to the mission, the words 'For the Empire' branded upon her brain, she places herself between the terminal and their opposition and shields it with her body. Five seconds was all she needed to achieve by staying within its proximity, and those droids would have to peel her dead body from it to get her to move.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
Tamsin's Jedi bot is losing arms quick, and will soon be out of them. Even when it successfully deflects, it's losing arms: no beskar or cortosis here. It stays focused on her, swinging away and failing to connect. Both of them block endlessly.
The other bot, which was turning to engage Anlace, stops when it's struck multiple times by Xavier's blade, and instead turns to attack him. One bank of arms is no longer functional after his attack, but the others swing all the harder.
The turrets keep opening fire, and they seem to be set to full power. That seems like a mistake, or this is a really harsh training. Sith Empire - it could go either way. Shots blast out at Anlace, Tamsin, and Xavier.
The countdown completes on Anlace's console, and the red light turns green. The smoke machines stop, the fans kick into high gear to sweep aside the mist, and the formerly green lit Jedi bots deactivate. "Mission - accomplished." Tarq's voice rings out from the other side of the room, though he's not visible for a few seconds. When he is, he's dashing, heading straight for K7 and the nearby Xavier with a concerned expression. "Sensed - undue pain." He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Focus on mission was absolute. Foe that cannot be outfought can be out-thought, outmaneuvered. Well done, all." He makes his way past K7 to Xavier, and crouches next to him. "Can stand?" he asks.
[ ST-K7020 (K7)]
<"Operational, my Lord."> Pain? Yes. Clarity? Still there. So is the unwavering attitude. K7020 rises from her knee and, despite the injured arm, adjusts her weapon around so that it is no longer at the low ready but in a guarded position across her torso. The carbon scoring on the right arm's gammaplast and the scent of something singed is undeniable. The answer is given despite the target of attention being Xavier. K7020 doesn't seem disturbed by this. <"Good work,"> She broadcasts over the Sith Trooper net to A1025. The operation was successful. Since she could understand spoken language, K7020 has had it brainwashed into her that she is merely a cog in the great wheel of the Empire. The only thing that matters is objective success and in the grand scheme of things, even a Sith acolyte's life is significantly more valuable than her own.
[ Tamsin Cas (Cas)]
As soon as the droids powered down, and Tarq's comment announced the end of the training exercise, Tamsin's saber deactivated, and she replaced the hilt on the clip of her belt. Now was time for the other half of her duties, as she retrieved her medpac from beneath the folds of her robes. Tamsin went for the one who was down first, taking a knee beside Xavier, moving with the swift motions born of long practice. "We all need to get back into fighting shape." She glanced to K7, who was now standing, "If you would prefer not to be treated here in the practice room," Not everyone enjoyed being healed before an audience, "report to medical for treatment."
[ Xavier Harcourt (Xav)]
Putting himself in to harm's way is certainly a last resort in Xavier's book. Yet here he is once again putting himself into harm's way. Why? This is just a training exercise. Not exactly life or death. But old habits refuse to die even when one's mind is quite literally shattered then pieced back together again. It is the old habits that keep the consciousness functional enough.
And it is habits that animate him now. Xavier is swift to dodge the Jedi Bot's swings. Especially because it is missing a few operational arms. Makes it a lot easier to follow the rest. The buzz in the back of his head warns him of the turret, but distracted by Anlace's progress, Xavier's roll out of the way isn't fast enough. The shot burns through his cloak and hits his right leg; forcing a foreign curse from his lips.
But the mission is a success and Xavier takes this opportunity to rest himself on the floor. "Yeah, I can stand. Just opting to sit. You don't screw around with training, Najjic," Xavier grunts gently; offering a nod to Tamsin's question. He isn't shy about injuries treated in the field. He does glance over curiously to the trooper who seems to be chewing on the toughest of nails.
[ Anlace (An)]
ST-A1025 unpeels herself from the objective terminal surprised her bravery was not rewarded with injury. Devotion to the mission was absolute, nothing obstructed that. K7's subtle acknowledgement of the deed earns a subtle nod of gratitude. Anlace looks onto her peer seeing the injury she sustained. A sense of pride was inspired by K7020's tolerance for the pain, and adherence to discipline despite the injury. <"Thank you,"> She says back over the net, seeming silent to those who were not included on that frequency.
To Tarq, ST-A1025 asks, <"This trooper was wondering if training has concluded, my Lord?"> Her baton deactivates and she hooks it back to her belt, unceremoniously.
[ Tarq Najjic (T)]
"Training complete, yes. Wounded, report to Medical. All else..." What is that military word? Tarq is not an officer by custom or experience. Ah, right: "Dismissed." He goes over to one of the droids and begins examining it with an inexpert eye.
