Log:Something Wicked

Something Wicked

OOC Date: October 18, 2024
Location: Transit Station Outpost Peth-23-Isk, Corporate Sector Space
Participants: Lira'una, Sumi Kora, Alys Zapal and Hadrix Kora as GM

Transit Station Outpost Peth-23-Isk existed on the edges of Corporate Sector space, on the side of the border abutting to where Imperial and Hutt Space met. A prime location for smuggling, gray market deals and quite often... forgotten by regular Corporate Authority patrols due to its remote positioning.

Situated on a dwarf planet on the outskirts of a blue neutron star system benefitting from atmospheric and gravity generators akin to those 'tested' on the more dangerous sections of Kessel - where the planets size and shape allow for 'tides' of atmosphere. Fortunately TSO-P23I did not share such problems. Atmosphere was precious, artificial, but at least it wasn't 'mobile'.

The section of the station in question was a Space Elevator Docking Zone, where goods were being hauled and transported to loading stations in orbit. The benefit of such was an enclosed structure with no landing pads and thus less chance of craft sneaking in. A double edged sword, because it allowed for a gap in equipment movements while providing aerospace security.

Those hired to observe, steal, or destroy had options for entry - ductwork, charm, disguise, perhaps even good old fashioned blunt force. But it was in Space Elevator Station NEN that those offering the contract wanted answers, or plunder, from. And they didn't care how they got it, only results.

The door hisses apart and the first person through is a short, blue-armored Mandalorian who walks with heavy bootfalls. Each step is accompanied with a jingle-jangle, both spurs and spent round casings (the latter of which bounced around in a pouch on her belt) heralded a somewhat aggressive approach.

With her Helm on, those around her were gifted with a feline-eared Mandalorian helmet that had a reflective, mirror like T-Visor awarding any who met her 'gaze' with their own reflection. A cape concealed much of her armory, but the century old warrior made no mystery of being armed and dangerous. She approached as brazen as one might be, eager to seek the prize and carry it back for a price. <<"Comms check.">> She said, her voice low and hoarse.

How is it that Lira ends up tagging along with Mandalorians so often? Well, it surely has something to do with her connection to Hadrix... a connection she's been woefully remiss in renewing since she's been 'back' from being stranded in Ilthara for over six months.

When rumors trickled through the grape vine (or whatever kind of vine grows on Nar Shaddaa.. she tried not to think too hard about it) that clan Kora was up to something -- and then a comm came in from her Rebel contact soliciting her involvement in the same deal -- the petite lavender Twi'lek showed up for the ride.

It wasn't Hadrix, though. She'd met Sumi before. They didn't know each other well, but then... she's not sure that she'd say she knew Hadrix 'well.' She just... knew a few things about him. And he tried to give her a bleached skull that he'd turned into a mug, once, which was probably super sweet even though she literally ran off in the rain...

Aaanyway... Lira likes the Koras, so she volunteered (asked?) to tag along, and she spent the entire ride here in quiet meditation. Right up until Sumi was ready to roll out.

She'd long since learned not to question the Clan's tactics. Most of them were one-person armies. But, if she could get anything for her contacts, help Clan Kora, and maybe... maybe... save one or two people from disintegration along the way, she'd pretty much chalk the whole trip up to a success.

<< "Loud and clear." >>

The twi'lek has a com-piece over her ear cone, and she's wearing a long black cloak with nothing except her regular clothes underneath -- a crop top and leggings with soft soled boots and a utility belt. For this trip, she also has two blasters -- one strapped to either thigh. She seems to be kitted out for some amount of stealth since there's not really any noise when she walks, but of course... that's not the plan.

If there is in fact a plan.

Is there a plan?

Well, they can figure that out as they go. So she emerges shortly after Sumi, slipping the San-Ni staff off of its clip on her belt and holding it loosely in one hand.

Alys is not on official Empire business. This is personal. While perusing some files, the Transit Station came up as a potential location of something she's been looking for. Something she needs to further her training. Rumors and hints have indicated that in some of the high end collectables, there may be pre-Palpatine era Jedi lightsabers. Just rumors, but Alys's need is great, and these people are criminals anyway.

It's a win-win.

The Acolyte landed her ship a few clicks away from the docking station, shutting it down and disembarking. She proceeds to the target area on foot, staying out of sight and making sure she's equipped and prepared. She ducks behind a crate, peering around for an entrance point when the Mando With The Guns shows up and walks in like she owns the place.

This can work.

As the door starts to hiss closed, the Acolyte slips in the door, dashing into a shadowed corner. She crouches, slinking along the wall, moving deeper into the structure.

The approaching Mandalorian was turned to by guards - one raising her hand with the other on the grip of their blaster, "Hold! Stop there! This is a private area, public docks are in sector Besh." Two others coming to her flanks. Weapons undrawn as of yet.

<<"Comms green...">> The growling answer came as the much larger figure in heavy plate armor appeared behind Sumi. Targeting whip down over the right branch of his own visor, a hefty pistol in either hand... one of which looking absolutely ludicrous for the sheer size of the weapon in his right.

Combined with the purple twi'lek it was a prime distraction for Alys behind them all when more guards started to turn to look at the intruders.

Within the loading structure it was crates upon crates. Being hefted by binary lifters, hauled on repulsor sleds or similar trolleys to the varied panels that would draw them up to the space elevator itself. Not a ship in sight, but dozens of employees trying to be unnoticed so as to avoid extra duty, guards on alert and droids of multiple purpose.

The air was heavy with the reek of machine oil, overheated plastics and ozone coming from a cargo crawler with silver armored guard resting closest to the lift panels themselves.

Sumi heard the familiar gravel of Kora's Commander and the corner of her mouth twitched toward a grin beneath the confines of her helmet. As they rounded the corner and the guard issued an order to stop, Sumi did not. In the blink of an eye, her heavy revolver cleared leather and fired instantly from the hip.

The discharge was so loud that anyone without a helmet or ear protection would be suffering from the tinnitus this weapon instilled. Cordite filled the air, and a fiery slug sparked off the apparatus above the guard showering flames. When they looked, Sumi had thumbed back the single action hammer and fired again, this time with an outstretched arm.

P-COOOWWW!

It struck the guard and carried them backward, igniting their clothing with sudden flames. A third shot joined the hammered pair, but had just as much effect as the first. Sumi continued forward at the same clip, not concerned about the retaliation or danger. She did put herself in front of their Twi'lek friend, Lira in the event they shot back. The silly female wasn't armored!

Tagging along with Mandalorians came with certain expectations. Namely, you weren't coming along to get in their way. If you were allowed to be there at all, you were either being helpful or, at a bare minimum, not making their job any harder than it already was.

Lira had learned that lessons a while ago. She wasn't here to keep Clan Kora from doing whatever it was that was in their hearts to these poor people, but such was true with the New Rebellion, too. She wasn't there to be the one to convince the two sides to sit down and talk peacefully -- she was there to do damage control, to help things end as quickly and with as little loss of life as possible.

Also, oh! Hey! Hadrix is here! She almost seems like she wants to say something... and then...

P-COOWWW.

Right. Handheld artillery. She wrinkles her nose against the ringing in her ears and moves forward.

"Throw down your weap -- !"

Yeah, that's... not doing anything. They're not even flinching. So that little lavender Twi'lek, that staff already in her hand, rushes forward and brings it to bear and one of the two flanking guards -- engaging a pistol-wielder in a melee battle (or forcing him to give up on the pistol... either way worked for her), with a third strike of her staff crackling with a sudden burst of energy from the power couplings.

The sounds of violence erupt behind her, but Alys doesn't turn to look. She knows how that kind of thing goes. She isn't a fresh recruit to be unnerved or disturbed by the sounds of sentients dying behind her. Her focus is on the prize.

She sticks to the shadows, evading guards and ducking droids. Her senses reach out, searching for that resonance. That presence in the Force that Kyber crystals have. If the rumors were wrong, she'll just have to help wreck up the place.

She sinks into a shadow and closes her eyes, extending her feelings out through the facility, seeking that little pinpoint of Power. Frustration starts to bubble, but that's just a normal day for her. Good thing it just makes her stronger.

A durasteel slug sheathed in bright blue plasma seared past Sumi's head on one side, then again before a report like her handgun chased with the wind whipping over the opposite side riffled her cape. The shots narrowly missing their marks as the one set aflame throwing himself down on the ground, screaming and another is batterd by Lira.

Sparks explode at the impact points of shots, raining down on figures moving to engage or flee.

The wake of the ranged assault combined with the Twi'lek suddenly surging into them was enough to draw calls of alert from deeper in - dockworkers scrambling for cover. More troops in Corp-Sec armor moving to intercede and with them a collection of old combat model droids, as well as a few scattered new ones.

<<"Chief, where do you want the demo?">> Because explosions

For the one not engaged in such madness there is a twinge, power, raw and singing from the truck where silver armored guards stand, refusing to leave their post even as they turn towards the conflagration of violence erupting, watching as return fire is hurled at the intruders.

<<"Deploying Zee to identify key points cause I ain't an engineer,">> Sumi growled back (not in frustration, but it was difficult to distinguish). "Zee-Roh, work your magic, beautiful."

The small droid clipped into Sumi's back and interfaced with her armor's systems began to detach and conceal itself behind cover. Zee was quick to find a terminal, and the familiar voice of Kora's Ruus'alor sounded over comms. <<"To no one's surprise, I'm in.">>

Details about the ideal placement for the demo began to list in the HUDs of those tied to the network. Meanwhile, Sumi had continued her advance without so much as stutter-stepping despite being hit in the chest. The crimson bolt sparked off her chest plate and angled up, harmlessly. "Ow," Sumi growled.

The man on the ground rolling about trying to put out the flames saw Sumi's approach from where he lay. In her off hand, a weapon extended with a loud snap, and serrated edges angled up along the end of the mace. When she raised the weapon and spun it using the vertical baton grip, it generated a sudden blue spark of energy and began to crackle. He had enough time to say no about four times before Sumi struck the side of his head and killed him instantly. Whatever organic contents were ushered from his ear, mouth, nose, and eyes peppered the floor and bulkhead behind him.

Sumi turned in place, rounds from the Boarwolf SNAPPING by, and aimed her revolver up. Firing twice, she saw to the end of a rushing guard, the second round blowing a portion of their torso off.

Aloud, she yelled over the chaos, <"KEEP MOVING!"> Cliiik-click. The hammer of her revolver was pulled back once more, and she stormed ahead NOT running, but walking briskly.

The Force is with me, and I am with the Force... The Force is with me, and I am with the Force...

These aren't words that are muttered aloud, but they are repeated in the mind of the five-foot lavender twi'lek who stands in the middle of the battle in just that black cloak and her clothes (what little of them there are).

As the San-Ni staff in her hand spins -- one of the chosen weapons of the Jedhan martial artists, the practioners of Zama-shiwo -- it connects with a crackle of energy.. once, twice, three times.. and then she's moving on from the collapsing guard without hesitation.

The bolts fired towards her seem to phase her not at all. She doesn't even seem to react to them specifically, but she's constantly in motion and she simply isn't where any of them were aimed.

Maybe they're just bad shots? Or perhaps there's more going on. Other way, there's a flutter of black cloak as the Twi'lek works on cutting her way through the line. The more she could down herself, the more lives she could preserve -- the couplings on her staff worked like extremely powerful stun prods. They'd be out cold long enough for them to do what they came to do.

Her senses extended, Alys pinpoints what she's after. Her gaze snaps over to the truck surrounded by guards. She only frowns a little. She reaches into her cloak and pulls out her whip, twisting her hand on the grip so it slinks back together into its sword mode.

She sticks by the wall, using her size, the shadows, and the massive gunfight going on behind her, to stay hidden from the guards who clearly are not looking for a petite woman with murder in her eyes.

Not yet anyway.

She finds a spot. Close enough to reach the truck in a dash, hidden enough that they shouldn't spot her. She's close now, she can feel the resonant hum of the Kyber in the truck. It's as good as hers. There's just a few corpses who aren't aware of it yet in her way.

The distance between volleys narrows further as guards look for cover to fire from, leaning out and leapfrogging towards the Mandalorian and the unarmored youth. Calling out to one another on comms as fellows are felled and the combat droids attempt to move up in bulwark against the invaders,

"Call it in, we have a code red! Full alert!" Klaxons begin sounding and red lights strobe to respond to the outcry while one of the pair of Mandalorian keeps walking forward, his step briefly staggered by the impact against his thigh and on his right vambrace a panel opens with a miniature calliope launcher sliding out.

Helmet HUD beginning to lock onto moving targets - bracketing them on Hadrix's HUD save for one as they manage to duck behind cover just before sensors sweep over.

At the larger truck a pair of binary lifters descend from the ramp, trundling towards the lifts as the guards there wheeled back to block the exit while more droids approached, scissor grip 'hands' opening in preparation for when they, too, would step up to continue their work. Helmeted heads bob some, and two of the half dozen guards for the truck turn and raise blasters and begin to sweep, looking for potential trouble.

Sumi's advance is halted slightly when another bolt plinks off her chestplate, then a second hits her shin-guard, angling into the deck with a shower of sparks. Forced to take a knee a moment, Sumi holstered her pistol, and slowly stood back to her meager height with a pained growl. When she looked toward the droids and their incoming advance, she knew she needed to buy the team time to operate.

Her jets came to life a second later and the distance between the group of droids and Sumi was closed in an instant. She landed and struck the first droid she saw, sending it backward with a release of electric energy. <"YAH!">

Spinning in place to generate some more momentum, she struck out twice with the weapon only to discover her combatants dodged well, avoiding her attacks. <"Huh, upgrades!">

Sliding into her battle stance, she charged forward to keep them occupied.

It was only ever going to take one shot connecting to end Lira's advance, and though she had been weaving through them with the grace of a practiced dancer.. that ended abruptly when one of those blaster bolts caught her in the chest, spun her, and sent her to the ground with a cry of pain and a puddle of black cloak that made it hard to tell how bad it was.

But it was... bad.

<< "I'm... I'm hit..." >>

Her voice is weak, but she's struggling through the pain. She's not unconscious at least.

<< "I'm... falling... back..." >>

And trying not to die, but there was no sense in adding that. The girl's lekku curled around her shoulders protectively as she kept low -- either because she simply couldn't get back up or because she didn't want to present any more of a target than necessary -- as she made her way back towards the ship they came in from.

Alys bides her time, waiting for what the Force tells her is the right moment. She draws a breath, and it hits. She launches herself out of her shadow, streaking across the open space and striking one of the guards with her crackling electro-blade. It hisses and crackles in her hand as it carves into armor.

She spins, cloak flaring out as she lashes out again, the tip of the weapon whistling through the air as the guard evades her follow-up strike. She skips back half a step, twisting the handle just-so. The blade collapses, seeming to fall apart, except the pieces are held together by electric current.

She snaps the now whip, violet eyes gleaming and starting to slide into yellow as she immerses herself in the Dark Side.

"Walk away. I just need something in that truck. Or die. Your choice."

Blaster bolts slamming into his chest, rocking his body left then right, Al'Verde Kora watches Sumi take flight and land among the battle droids that scatter and attempt to surround the mandalorian now laying into them in proximity. Sparks flying from the one that was battered - the ionized paddle causing it to judder and stumbles off kilter.

The Twi'lek hurled down by fire is let to bleed, crawl away or pass for all the defenders care for the moment, blasters training from the blue armored woman to the midnight purple armored brute who raises his right hand again.

"Look out!"

"Where'd that one come from!?"

The silver plated forces spin to train weapons on Alys while the one injured by her blade stumbles to lean against the vehicle, nursing their side. A wave of confusion rolls off them when she makes her demands, before fire is levied against her. The one closest to the truck ramp moving to step up after the Binary Lifters have ascended.

Among the other station guards, spinning smoke contrails end in the guts of three defenders and a single crate, drawing confusion and panic before the trio of human soldiers simply POP into eruptions of ichor and the side of a crate blows open to send what look like circuit boards for spacecraft come sliding out.

<<"Zee, pinpoint best location for thermo-nuclear.">>

Sumi moved just as fluid as the other combatants, twisting and ducking with a swirl of her cape. She never backtracked. The way she had trained Koras was a large part of their culture, 'only forward, never back; this is the way.' Despite being struck in the leg, the limb only sparked from impact, and would've knocked Sumi off her feet had she not just rolled with the momentum and tumbled, rising up to swing twice, miss, then spin and strike a droid dead center with a harsh swing.

<"AHA!"> Was she laughing?

Alys snarls, letting the Dark Side fill her and run through her. It heightens her speed, letting her duck and weave out of the way as the guards shoot her. For her, time seems to slow, blaster bolts whinging by. It feels like she can almost see the air rippling around them as they sizzle past. She pivots, lashing out with her former sword, now whip, at the previously injured guard. The wicked and surprisingly heavy tip of it punches through his helmet in a shower of metal and plasteel.

She flicks her wrist, and it flies free, the guard slumping to the floor. She plants her feet and slings her arm underhanded. The whip extends like some kind of scorpion, punching into the next guard's chestplate, but not fatally. This time.

"This is your last warning. Leave this post, or die! I have no quarrel with you, but if you choose to fight me, I will not be merciful!"

She has a feeling that that Mando is going to do something. She needs to hurry up.

One droid knocked to the ground by Sumi, falling like a marionette with its strings cut, the remaining quintet continue to circle - attacking at seeming random between feints and bluffs in their attempt to batter the mandalorian down. One with a tube like head of an IG unit mounted on a Corp-Sec combat droid body drawing back a limb that splits into a bloom of blades that spins up in its lunge towards the beskar plated figure.

<<"Grid Oresk-Three-Three, high.">> Zee's voice comes over comms turning Hadrix's head - the Morellian pistol dropping into his holster to free his hand to grab a spheroid object from his hip.

<<"Copy.">>

A wave of cold radiates from Alys's proximity, frosting metal plates and making breath visible when her attack comes. The felled figure collapsed and twitching from the ionized impulse sending their body into reeling spasms.

"Get her!"

"Stop!"

The Sith's movements allowing her an opportunity to position at the foot of the loader ramp, spying several crates, most bulky and among them a case that looks like it's mostly padding. Explosive warning labels practically wrapping around like holiday garlands. The call of the Dark Side from the woman tinging the sensations from within that container. Not matching but blending.

The standing station guards open up on Hadrix again, in the wake of the violent of their compatriots, some calling out in shock and terror at the silvery ball hurled by the big man towards the pillar that they're using for cover.

The report is such that sound is evaporated, the roar felt more than heard. The shockwave rattling cate stacks and sending some toppling while others, like the covering guards, are outright vaporized in the blinding flash that bleaches colour out of the world. A flash contained within a ten meter field that leaves more than half of the pillar gone.

<<"Danger close">> No. Kriffing. Drock. One of the droids that had been rounding on Sumi is gone, leaving a quartet around her and even they are looking away from the flash.

The rumbling continues and the ceiling begins to crack.

Sumi took another hit and this time it caused a lot of discomfort. Tumbling again, she rose back up and unclipped a glop from her bandolier, activating it and dropping in the middle of the group of droids. A split second before it detonated, the Mandalorian activated her jetpack and landed back near Hadrix, hitting the ground at a jiggy-jog. <<"What's left?">>

Sumi looked about for their Twi'lek. She probably didn't hear the transmission from earlier given her own tinnitus and all that had transpired (what with the mini-nuke going off a moment before). <<"Did she die?">> Lira, that is.

The guards' shouts are as nothing to her. Words that hold no meaning or warning to Alys. She is Sith, they are not. She leaps to the side, hitting the ground and rolling to her feet, springboarding back up. Her eyes, and the Force, scan through the truck. One box, smaller than the others, but plastered with warnings, calls to her. She brandishes her whip warningly, and lifts her free hand. The box doesn't even shudder. It lifts and floats quickly from the truck to her hand. She pulls it close, tucking it under her arm.

She slaps her whip onto the floor, throwing sparks and threatening, and then she bolts. The Force makes her faster, sending her racing through the facility, boots skidding on the floor. She hits a corner and conserves momentum by leaping up and running on the wall for a few meters, dropping back to the floor and continuing.

A door marked 'EMERGENCY EXIT' comes racing up in front of her. With a thought, the door slides open, adding another klaxon to the cacaphony already going on. She races outside and off and away, disappearing into the wilds and back towards her ship with her prize.

<<"Exfiltrated, extreme injury.">>

A massive section of masonry descends to smash into the floor, hurling splinters of duracrete and streamers of ferrosteel rebar into the air. Atmospheric warnings begin to shriek as the integrity of the building is compromised. Spiderweb cracks rush out from the hole above towards other support pillars.

Stability compromised dockworkers begin fleeing in droves towards the differing exits and the remaining guards, abandoned by Alys look shocked at one another at the flicker of motion that is the form streaking. Blaster bolts striking the ground where she'd been before they're forced to abandon their own positions when an I-Beam slams down like a spear into the top of their ward.

Droids turn, trying to take aim through the goop spattered over their optic systems and one of the massive wampa paw hands of Hadrix grabs Sumi by the shoulder. Bodily hefting her off her feet,

<<"Kar, open the bay doors and flyover.">>

<<"Copy, Buir.">>

Lira had been gone, headed for the ship, a ship. A way to get off world. The leaders of Clan Kora were lifting off, headed through one of the rents in the roof towards the blockade runner, Woor'tra that was en route to pass overhead.

Meanwhile a kneeing groan echoed throughout as the weakened supports caused the rooted primary transit tube of the space elevator umbilical to shift, buckle. Emergency clamps higher up releasing and sending it towards the structure like a felled Wooshyyyr Tree. The great cylinder almost immediately catapulting into a spin, airborne, when fuel rods and hyperspace crystals suffer catastrophic damage, spewing fire and debris into the air.

Not pretty. But a mission accomplished.