Log:The Circle: Trading in Secrets
the CSA has asked any interested parties to help with uncovering exactly what occurred to a small group of trading vessels
OOC Date: June 26, 2022 (Optional)
Location: Ando Prime
Participants: Vhe Tenara as GM/Herself, Zelo Parrai, Fshmaw, Kohnner, Khalim, Dyna Selenis
Ando Prime is a cold place, not all together friendly by any means and it is the beginning of what is likely to become a blizzard in short order that is making visbility a bit difficult. The CSA representative had given coordinates but had refused to go down to the surface, sighting the face that it was just 'too kriffing cold'. The ships are easy to see against the white landsacpe and the mountain ranges, more than few broken into huge hunks across a wide area. The snow immediately around them has melted into slushy puddles due to entry and the metal not yet cooling down. There are a few small areas where the once slushy snow has turned to ice, making traversing the immediate area hazardous at best. The instructions given had been to collect pieces of data and of the actual ships that are of importance as well as finding the desginated 'black boxes' of the ships as it were.
Warnings also about native fauna that were more keen to hunt in the night were given. Though for the moment the immediate area just seems to be the various pieces of the ships and not much more.
Vhe is bundled up, shivering still as the air bites at her and she makes some muttered noises from beneath the layers of her chosen apparel. She shields her eyes to keep the endledss white from blinding her before heading for what looks like a sizeable portion of a hull.
Capes... Cloaks... All things averse to Zelo Parrai's training and sensibility. But when frigid wind blows and digs at the seams between plates, when durasteel and beskar take up the freezing temperatures and hold them to your body, one compromises. The gleaming blue Beskar is hidden about the shoulders and down the back by a dark gray cape drawn forward for further coverage. Within, the Nautolan has a small heating unit circulating under the bodysuit that holds everything together. But... Just in case... He also has an incinerator on his back, slung beside a pair of other weapons that hopefully will not be necessary. Still, he leaves the Nomad armed and ready for anything.
Except the cold.
It hits, cutting through bodysuit, layers, and even making the cape behind him feel insignificant. Gloved hands quickly draw it close again, but the chill is already in his bones, despite the precautions. Still, he presses on, H-visor scanning both for active wildlife sightings as well as likely hull sections that may support a black box. Presently he follows the Jedi until a more solid plan of attack forms. <"Do you think it will work better to search in teams and take a while longer, or split up and..."> He looks through the blizzard, at a shadow that must just have been a shadow. <"Okay, splitting up sounds like a bad idea before I finished saying it.">
Fshmaw *inhales deeply.* "Cold, miserable and hazardous to civilized life: is it not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?!" He distributes free back-slaps, communicating himself via a belt-mounted translator-- apparently he's decided the 3P0 wouldn't thrive in the weather. "... less time translating than I would expect, but perhaps that only means more time scavenging the arctic desert for our prize!"
The traveling space ronin known as CHON KOHNNER, a Klatooinian trader who's reputation was starting to grow, descended the ramp of his freighter known as the Unusual Scurrier. He was wearing the protective armor known as VOID which provided some great protection against such cold weather extremes. Not to mention an air supply, toxin filter... and augmented reality system that might help in any white outs. It was a great piece of equipment that a frugal trader such as Kohnner would take pride in purchasing.
Of course his white cloak, looking a bit dirty and worn down started to flutter in the high winds that were threatening to take over the area in a blizzard. A helmeted glance towards the Jedi. <<"That is a strong observation...">> He mentions in a vocorder distorted deep growl. Space Dog, please forgive him. He had only his sword and assorted other melee weapons with him but that wasn't unusual for the Canine. A Quick look to the others in the team as they spoke.
The ability to navigate generally inhospitable climates was part of the design language built into Khalim's aged suit of phase two Clone Trooper armor. The chill is at least partially rebuffed by recently replaced environmental seals, its interior attempting to maintain a much more comforable temperature... and yet some of that chill still manages to creep in. The Mirialan's helmet looks off to one side, the skeletal wreckage of a thoroughly ruined Action-class medium transport rising as if it were a monument to that bleak day. The sky had rained the doomed starships that now surrounded this little team of investigators.
<"Visible is low enough that if we do separate, nobody should wander alone. Trip over a bit of durasteel and conk out and nobody will find us."> He looks back to the others present. <"That said, there's a lot of wreckage... it's a big debris field and staying together is going to push us towards nightfall.">
Perhaps somewhat fitting given who the mission had came from, Dyna was clad in her repainted CSA Riot Armor for the occasion. It conveniently was designed to protect the wearer in such extreme temperatures as these as well. Holstered on her back, incase any of the local fauna - or whatever else they might encounter - took an interest in them was a customized E-11. She had taken a personal shuttle to the site, designated the Effective Orbital, and scans the crash site curiously when she steps off the ship. <"Quite the mess out there,"> she notes a bit, brow furrowing under her helmet. A glance is given toward Zelo when he considers splitting up briefly and she shakes her head. <"No, I don't think that'd be particularly wise.">
"Yeah I am not quite so sure about wandering off alone, you go a good twenty feet or so and you might start to disappear..." she points out. Vhe gives the others a look, specifically Fshmaw who seems 'genuinely' happy to be on the frosted planet. "I suppose a positive attitude makes the job easier, why don't we begin trying to find the cockpits...so that we can get those boxes. If we find anything else, wonderful, but lets not stay out here long enough to fully get lost in the dark," Vhe observes and rubbing her gloved hands over her arms she glances to the others.
"Those of you who are ship experts, I know Zelo to be, should leads us...but keep your eyes open."
She turns back around, waiting to be instructed as she kicks at the snow and begins to brush at the areas around the hull that have frozen into the ground. Nothing yet but then there is a lot to look around. Two ships in total, the other way off-course was already recovered by the CSA.
The wind whips and rips at them, causing snow to fly up in their faces. It is not an ideal situation, to say the least.
Snow. It's like water, but incredibly unfavorable for swimming. The Nautolan is far from pleased as his heating unit is working overtime to keep his freezing a step above freezing to death. Nonetheless, it's motivation for a spring in his step as he nods. <"That's wise. I might even fly up, see what can be spotted, as long as someone has a torch to guide-"> Zelo cuts off, visor looking into the distance and zooming in on a shape blurred by snowfall. With a whir, the image grows, and he nods.
<"Cockpit, that direction. I'm not sure what it's out of, but I can just make out a nav console."> That direction is not too far away, but there are some larger, building dunes of snow between here and there, and the going won't be the fastest. He takes a few steps in that direction, then pauses, looking back before setting off. <"I'll get to breaking the trail.">
Fshmaw relays: "Pack animal activity. Curious little things, no clear sign of necrophagy yet. If anyone survived the crash, that is." He reflexively checks the level on his pistol, reloading it as the software translates his dialogue for the others. "If you see any value in a trip below the ice, I can last underwater for some time. Maybe we'll get lucky and it's just scattered on the surface, but." He shrugs for nobody.
Kohnner is silent as the group continues along, glad they are electing to stay together, especially as conditions get worse. He scan with his augmented reality sytem. He stops just short of something sticking out of the snow.
The armored Canine leans down to inspect it, <<"One of the Cargo pods... but...">> He runs a gloved finger along something glittering out of a crack in the container. He holds it close to him and then watches the wind take it off his finger and into the air, sparkling as it joins with the flakes of snow. <<"Glitterstim... Spice.">>
At the announcement of finding the cockpit, he turns and heads in that direction to help the Mandalorian if they so needed.
While sticking largely with the group, constantly glancing to ensure he can at least see the vague outlines of fellow search party members, Khalim begins exploring the debris field. Noting the size of the vessel's durasteel-reinforced body, even broken as it is, he considers the likelihood that this was a multi-crew vessel. <"This ship likely needed more than a single crew in the cockpit. Probably a helmsman and a dedicated astrogator...">
His comm cuts off as he notes something sticking out of the snow, a shadow just beyond his vision. An oddity about its coloration, visible for a brief moment before a swirl of snow had again obscured it. He approaches. What had appeared as a vaguely unnatural outline coalesces into something a bit more dreadful. He bends low and begins clearing packed snow. <"I think I've found a body.">
Dyna activates the helmet lamp on her armor, squinting a bit as she scans the wreckage. As she looks around, the light reflecting off something metallic catches her attention and she takes a few steps in the direction of the object - not wanting to put too much distance between herself and the rest of the group. <"Let's see... well, looks like we've got the door of an escape pod over here. And not a used escape pod, someone didn't get the chance to make it off the ship unfortunately. Suggests the ship went down pretty quickly if they didn't have time to pod."> Dyna tsks lightly and shakes her head. Scanning the poor visibility of her surroundings some more, Dyna can't help but worry about what might be lurking in the darkness. A worry that's furthered by the mention of pack animals from one of the others. She draws her E-11 off her back, keeping it at the ready just incase as she moves back toward the others.
As the group begins to find small items here and there, or pick out the most likely troubles, Vhe nods, listening to each as she follows Zelo for the most part, letting the armored figure cut through the snow so that theyc can have a path. For her at least the snow comes up to her thighs so having the way cleared is going to be easier. But she sees an opportunity and reaches out and with the Force and shoves snow aside, as if parting it with her intention alone, though it's not a wholly clear and easy path that she makes, it will become slightly less of a burden for Zelo to plow his way forward towards the cockpit he had made a motion at.
But she pauses as the other observations roll in, looking from one to another as she nods. "I am going to stay with Khalim to help with the body...the rest of you see if you can find the black box." She nods to Zelo, her hooded head bobbing just so as she redirects herself towards Khalim. "It is unfortunate...what has occurred. Spice...no chance of survival. But we have a problem. Predators have already encroached on the area, this is not going to be easy."
She reaches down and begins to dig at the snow, wet and clingy as it is.
As the group nears the cockpit ahead, there are shards here and there, packed snow where pieces had fallen and skid leaving a nice area to begin searching.
Breaking snow is hard work, and hard work makes sweat. Sweat makes a horrible combination with freezing temperatures. Thankfully, there is unseen assistance and the Mandalorian glances back to the robed figure as the snow seems to lighten in front of him. <"Thanks. You're doing the hard work."> There's a smile under that visor, but it's turned back to the cockpit and its growing visibility. As the dunes, pre-split, are traversed, a walkable path is made, though snow still stands ready to brush against legs and steal as much heat as possible. Zelo reaches back to touch the incinerator, wondering if it's necessary, as the last dune breaks and he approaches the cockpit. Boots find purchase, luckily, on slick patches and he reaches the cockpit.
The layout is familiar, and he moves to the nav console, digging at a panel and flipping it open to touch a release that does... Nothing. He looks to another section of the console nearby, now able to see that part of it is missing. <"The beacon and box have been flung... Or torn out. They're not here... We may have to start sweeping outward, unless anyone has a good guess..."> The beskar-clad figure looks back to the rest, open to all suggestions.
Fshmaw traces the line of wreckage with his eyes, dragging a circular radius across his wrist-comp. The deep, hollow voice repeats after his seal-like barks: "It'll have broken off the cockpit, sailed no further than this. It's probably along this vector in a snowbank nearby," he reports, correcting course to begin trudging thataway...
Kohnner was looking around with Zelo but Fsh's discovery causes him to turn and move over towards the Aqualish who seems to have zeroed in on a potential location. He notices a bit of an edge sticking out and starts to dig the snow away.
Has anyone ever heard that Klatoonians were good at digging? They were. you see back on Klatooine one had to dig wells into underground water sources because the arid land was so dry the water didn't much exists up on the surface. Also, a primal thing in their evolution. Holes provide for good bedding, cool bedding. So the snow flies away and the black box is soon revealed. The Canine picks it up and hefts it onto one shoulder as if it was nothing, leaving his sword hand free just in-case said local animals desired a go around with the group. Of course his balance would be tested in such an altercation. <<"We found it...">> he says deadpan.
Securing that frozen body from the harsh grip of the packed snow and ice that had formed around it is not easy, though Vhe's arrival receives a side-long glance and an appreciative nod. <"Must be crew, buried here where he fell. If we can get down past this arm we may be able to free the rest of the body.">
And so they dig, but oh how wrong he'd been.
Khalim makes an effort to better secure his grip upon that arm, still stick partially out of the ground and... it frees. It's just an arm. There's no torso beneath, and the violence with which it had been separated from its once-body is clear. Fortunately the fluids that had leaked free had long since frozen, but the Mirialan feels that familiar burning sensation in his throat as the taste in his mouth sours. He doesn't purge the contents of his stomach onto his visor but it's a near thing. He holds the arm away from himself, both reflexively but also in examination. <"This was..."> He peers. Bite marks. This arm had cleared been gnawed upon. <"Something's lunch.">
Khalim looks again to Vhe, and though his face is completely hidden behind plasteel there is more than enough discomfort present within his lightly vocoded voice as he adds, <"If predators are here, they've /returned/, and likely in more numbers. We're in danger."> That arm is dropped back onto the snow, immediately receiving a fresh dusting of snow.
Dyna takes one glance in the direction of Khalim and shakes her head. She was not touching a dead body if she had any say in the matter. So instead she'd focus on the cockpit with the others. Fshmaw and Zelo seemed to have the location of the black box figured out at least. That left the heavy work to Kohnner and herself. Trudging through the snow in her riot armor, Dyna makes her way over to where Kohnner was digging to lend him a hand, prying away at the snow and then helping to lift the black box out of it. There was probably a comment to be made about a dog being good at digging holes. <"Well, that's one down, one to go."> Dyna notes over comms. She was keeping pretty calm for the moment as they seemed to be making good progress. At least until she heard that report from Khalim. <"Fantastic,"> she notes bitterly. She looks out toward the snow and darkness around them, raising her blaster as Kohnner shouldered the burden of carrying that black box.
As Khalim lifts the arm that he and Vhe had been digging around upwards sans a body there is a look that crosses the woman's face. She heaves in a breath and is suddenly very glad its cold here so she need not see something more gruesome than she already has. She clears her throat finally and nods. "It would appear we need to be quick." She says this just as they call out having found one of the boxes.
There is a sound of relief from her. "I suspect there is no reason to try to bury that. Best to leave it," she says to Khalim, reaching out her hand to pat his arm as she steps around him. No one to bring home at the moment.
She begins to traverse back towards the other group just as the black box is lifted and settled on a shoulder. "Okay then...where do we go next? Anyone have a set of eyes?" She tilts her head, lifting on her toes as she tries to scan the distant pieces of wreckage for the second ship. Both had gone down in the same area. They had been docked trading goods.
Somewhere in the distance this is a warbling sound, almost near a hollow before the wind swallows it up.
Thankful for the Aqualish and their keen eye for wreckage, Zelo begins to travel in the direction indicated but finds... Well, that others have found the box before he can lend much for aid. In fact, the Klatooinian has it shouldered, though the burden is far from insignificant. While the man seems sturdy enough, the trek won't be a quick one and the Mandalorian defaults to watching backs with the mention of predators. The incinerator swings forward, a click igniting the pilot. Anything that lives here is probably not used to a great deal of heat, nor fire, and likely at least uncomfortable around both. Is the Nautolan also hoping to feel a flash of heat to warm himself? That's possible.
Eyes... Zelo has those. He clicks the igniter again, putting out the pilot light and dropping the incinerator again to the sling. <"I can go up, take a look around. From up there, it may be easier to make sense of... All of this."> There's a gesture of gloves hands, and then Zelo takes a few deep breaths to prepare... He's going to have to drop his cape, lest it burn up on his rocket pack. Like an adhesive bandage, he pulls it quickly off and drops it onto the bank at his feet, CLICK goes the control and in an instant he is rocketing up into the snowfall. From up here, it's both colder, and clearer, and he can see with great advantage. Black pools behind H-visor land on another cockpit and he marks the location on his HUD before descending to pick up the cape and throw it quickly back on. <"I found it,"> he says around chattering teeth. <"Not very close, that direction,"> he adds with a point. <"I could fly over but... If predators may be about, I think the concensus of not going out alone is probably the wise choice."> He starts to make for that direction, prepared to snowbreak, but the incinerator is also in his hand once more.
Fshmaw, too, struggles against the snow but is quick to warn the group: "We've got hostiles. Under no circumstances should you stray from the group. Stay tight, stay focused. We all live through this if we stay together." As he barks his report into the comms, he struggles to make headway against the weight of the snow. "Before anyone chimes in with a sly remark, I was born on Tanaab. /Tanaab./"
Kohnner has eyes as well, but currently they're a bit more focused at his immediate surroundings and whether or not he can locate the second black box. No such luck as the white stuff starts to thicken and the Blizzard looms ever closer.
He starts to move back the way they came, trudging through the snow. His stature and size made it a bit more easier than the others, packing down some of the snow for those behind him. There is a glance back over his shoulder, <<"Well... thank you for that very helpful information.">> Said in a growling deep deadpan. He trudges on-wards, living in the moment, ready to face any attacks when they come.
[Khalim]]
Khalim sends a final look down at that arm, again dusted with white and either bound to be covered, frozen, and again lost forever or rediscovered and made some creature's snack. A fellow pilot, one who'd fallen too fast and too far, as was the shared danger of their profession. This icy hellscale - if you weren't Fshmaw of course - would kill him as well, however, if he didn't keep up, and so the mirialan steps out to follow Vhe and the others.
The aqualish's warning draws a hard stare in the indicated direction. As Khalim fights the snow forward, step by step, the targeting system integrated into his helmet begins pinging those same dark shapes. They're imperfect locks that disappear and reappear as red brackets around not-so-distant dark shapes. The man's eyes in this moment seem a bit more functional than the electronically derived sensors intended to supplement them.
His pistol is slipped out of its holster, its brief cycle-charge whine heard even beneath that helmet. <"Definitely looks like a pack, though I can't tell what of. They're headed towards our destination. Having seen their handiwork though I can tell you they've got functional teeth, so everyone be careful. Shoot first, ask questions later.">
Dyna scans the snowy terrain as she follows behind the others, blaster carbine in hand. Her eyes narrow under her helmet when the presence of hostiles are confirmed. Darkness. Hostile alien creatures. The things she did for potential business relations. Shaking her head, Dyna focuses her attention forward. <"Do we know how big these things are?"> she asks over comms. Hopefully if there was a 'pack' of them, they weren't particularly large creatures at least. Taking up the rear, she kept to the path the others ahead of her were taking, which helped make her trek through the snow a bit easier at least. <"Funny they're going in the same direction we are, and not toward us. Think they've noticed us yet?"> She'd be surprised if they hadn't of course. Wild animals would undoubtedly have better senses than them, and in their armor with the noise they were making they would probably be easier to notice to.
Vhe's head lifts at the warnings as the group struggles in the snow, the Ysanna narrows her gaze and frowns to a greater degree before she is reaching to her side, pulling a cylindrical item from her belt. "Let us hope they keep their distance. Maybe the threat of us being in a pack will make them think otherwise," she remarks and glances past the other's heads as they traverse the distance towards their next destination. As they begin to enter the area that had been melted away and turned to ice, she begins looking, lifting her chin to get a better study of what is around them.
"Let's hope this one is just as easy to find..."
But as the dunes surrounding the portion of the wreck of the second shop rise higher, it becomes obvious they are losing their line of sight on the pack. "Let us hope they have not seen us," she replies to Dyna. "I am not familiar with this planet's wildlife or its habits."
Zelo fights the elements with the rest of the group, not lugging a black box like Kohnner but still feeling the weight of this place. Wreckage, cold, predators, all of it. Down here, he's just another pair of feet... With a thought, he undoes the cape and tosses it aside. <"I'm going to watch from the sky... The dune's growing and we're losing sight of them. I'll call down what I can."> There's determination in that vocoded voice, the chattering of his teeth filtered out as he works up the nerve. Then, with ignition, he is off, borne aloft on rocketfuel. From up here, again his visor can scan and black pool eyes take note of a similar debris field to the first. Cockpit, twisted metal, nav console...
<"There! I think I'm seeing where it is. I'm going to-"> He starts to say he's going to fly closer, but his position is absolutely apparent to the pack of hungry local animals, who begin loping this direction. <"I'm going to go for a fly. I've been spotted by the animals, so I'm going to lead them away and hopefully keep them occupied. That way!"> He points, pinging on his HUD for anyone who can receive tracking information. Then, he's off, incinerator clutched tight in gloved hands, extended flight getting colder by the second as he tries to lead the pack away from those on the ground. He rolls periodically to scan behind, making sure he's being followed as he flies lower, perhaps closer to leaping distance from the ground if these things have a decent vertical.
Fshmaw trudges along with Zelo's data on his wrist, arriving there to announce: "Lifters, diggers and holders-- we're up!" Flexing what he possesses, surprise or no, beneath a warmth-ensuring layer of blubber puckered with a few blaster-scars, he grunts and shoves! The work has begun, and the air of his people's homeland burns brightly in the lungs of this... incomprehensible reprobate!
Kohnner lumbers towards where Fsh is heading, bending his knees in order to get under some to the scrap where they believe the second black box is located. He lifts with his free arm, still carrying the not so heavy weight of the first box over his shoulder. It's not too much of a hassle for him, especially after the others join in. He doesn't comment on Maw's tattoo's or scars. He had his own past and knew many reprobates. He kept to his own business.
Khalim
Khalim continues to work his way in the direction of that hopefully-actual second black box, following that ping as he wades up and then (hopefully) over that dune. Each step is exertion and he can feel that mild ache begin to sap the strength of his legs. "Every world, ice and snow," he laments, though it is to himself and neither rebroadcast nor vocoded. He eventually falls in with Fshmaw and Kohnner, stalking along a bit behind them, pushing that snow, blaster gripped yet held low at his side.
Dyna watches with a bit of amazement as Zelo rockets up into the air with his jetpack, letting out a whistle. She needed to get herself one of those. And then learn to fly one so she didn't faceplant into a rock when she first fired it up. Her gaze shifts from the rocketeer to scan ahead of them when the location of the next black box is pointed out. She moves forward with the others toward the spot where it's buried and kneels down to help with the digging and lifting, setting her blaster down for a moment. Thanks to Zelo's efforts, for now at least she didn't seem to need it. With the group effort, the four of them managed to lift it out of the snow.
As Zelo takes off into the air, Vhe's head tilts up to watch him, a furrwing of her brow follows. The warbling cry from somewhere in the distance happens again and the mandalorian is suddenly off, causing Vhe to glance back down at the others as the group has moved on to pull and shift a piece of the hull upwards so that one of their number can slip beneath. For a moment the woman looks as if she is at a loss of what to do to help, the second black box pulled out by Dyna seems whole.
"Okay, time to get back. I do not think looking for anything else is going to help us...what do you all say?" It is a group decision after all.
Vhe reacts suddenly, her head lifting to the edge of a dune just seconds before the dark shape of something thick and almost wolf life appears. But far larger than a canine. It starts to bear its teeth. The Force fails her at first, causing the snow to give where she had attempted to grasp the creature but finally she feels the burden of the creature become part of her. The Ysanna grunts and throws the creature overtop of them and across the snowy plains to skids across the ice and snow. "That won't keep it!" Se declares.
She motions for them to move. "GO!"
The party's making quick work of the black box retrieval, and the blistering cold seeping into Zelo's cobalt skin makes him exceedingly grateful for all of their hustle. He doubles back periodically, keeping the pack chasing after him as he flies low enough to seem attainable, but... The HUD explains what he missed... One of the pack is missing. It's then that he sees it flying through the air. "Alright, time for you all to run home." He speaks quietly within the helmet, under the rushing wind of his flight and the sounds of cold, snow, and blizzard. One more double-back, leading the back near to the edge of the crash site, then...
Zelo spins around, quickly reversing direction and discharging the Incinerator between the pack and his people. If he can just scare them away... He can go help without bringing more trouble. And... Then he can land. And find his cape... And get inside a ship. The blast is a long one, arcing down and making a faint U shape in the ground where snow immediately melts to ice and sublimates to steam in the burning flames. He continues flying, but the visor remains trained on the animals... Hoping that was enough to send them running. There's only one warning shot.
Fshmaw, despite the rippling spare tire, does manage to pop off a pair of shots at the rapidly-approaching danger! Claws! Teeth! Whatever is 'no bueno!' in Aqualish! But despite his prickly personality and literal years spent pacing and lifting in a cage, he does get its attention! "Over here, you (AQUALISH PROFANITY REDACTED)!"
Of course as Maw grabs the attention of the creature, it comes flailing and angrily chomping at poor Kohnner. Now let's get something clear, being a Canine gave Comrade Dogface some empathy for other... dogfaced creatures. Yet, these little (big) kriffers were trying the space ronin's patience. He growled and kicked at one, sending up nothing but powder instead before he took off like a bat out of hell, two black boxes hefted on each shoulder. <<"Can we hurry it up please?">>
Time to go. Khalim doesn't argue, especially as that wolf-like creature appears to menace the group. As it recovers from Vhe's force-empowered throw the mirialan begins running back whence they'd come. It's all of two steps and his foot catches on a bit of hardened ground beneath that snowdrift and he's falling. Caught by a firmly planted hand, he's half turned and about to reclaim his footing when that creature springs next to him. Surprised and more than a little shocked, two bright golden bolts are discharged into the snow, burning harmless holes into white. The beast bares its teeth and looks to the mirialan, hunger and intended violence behind its eyes. <"Oh no you kriffing don't,"> Khalim growls, the shock and suddenly adrenalized burst of fear surviving that light vocoding. His pistol is suddenly a short-handled club, whipping against the creature's jaw with a heavy
Dyna stares in disbelief for a moment as Vhe uses the force to toss the creature that suddenly appeared before them. She was -not- expecting there to be a Jedi with them on this little adventure. Zelo still seemed to have at least four out of five of the creatures distracted, but that still left them to deal with this one. Picking up her rifle, Dyna turns to try to run while firing off a quick pair of shots at the creature. Unfortunately in her haste, she lost her footing and went down hard in the snow. Her shots both fly off completely wild from the fall, piercing nothing but the night sky above them. <"KARK!"> Dyna growls over her comms when she goes down like that.
The item in Vhe's hand suddenly slides to life, pale blue light in the form of a blade shines off the snow around them as the creature, warg like in stature rushes the group retracing their steps through the snow, forcing them into single file lest they try to make their way through snow that is untested. She swings as the others take their shots but it always seems too quick, even blaster bolts do no good as it cries out and in that moment the rest of the pack stops following Zelo, hearing the call of the wild.
They redirect course, tearing across the open plains with special wide feet that keep them above the crust and not sinking inwards. Dyna takes a spill and Vhe loses her footing, going to a knee as she struggles with one arm to drag Dyna back to her feet - but its going to take both women to manage. Its the swing of a clawed thick paw that swings over Vhe's head that has her crying out in surprise, eyes going wide as she half leans into Dyna to keep from having it connect.
"Go...go I think the others..." but her heart is pounding so it's hard to tell.
They are closing in on the first sight of the original black box and in the distance their ship as the cold air bites..probably not quite as much as it had earlier now that their adrenaline is up.
White flakes falling everywhere make it easy for everything to look the same. But small landmarks like the burst of flame can provide short breaks. Or the ignition of a lightsaber. Zelo, drawn to that glowing beam, gives one more glance to the pack before seeing the fearsome creature closing on two figures - one of whom is the wielder of that glowing blue beacon. If he has to fight the pack, he will, but he's making for the breakaway wolf-like critter to take a stand with the Jedi and cover the getaway of their team. Several wargs already head that way, called to battle by their packmate.
The rocketpack propels the Nautolan forward, landing on the ground in a short-lived three-point stance before spinning and rising, a massive gout of flame lancing out from the tip toward the predator. Of course, the orientation is not ideal, and it ends up shooting slightly to the side, between it and the approaching pack in a gout of blessed warmth that lasts not nearly long enough. He takes up a stance beside the Jedi. <"It is FAR too cold here... And I'm not a fan of the wildlife.">
Fshmaw's attacks, this time, are more effective! But pausing to center his shots costs him footing, and he stumbles even as one of his bolts flies true...
Kohnner has that sixth sense. No not the force... well maybe, considering he had in the past recognized or been pushed in a certain direction. But since he gave what he needed to give to the Force Witch he had been clear minded. No, this sense was of animal instinct. He could sense the prey on his back as he ran, So he juked to the side and kicked, missing the creature and sending snow up. It might have been considered pretty.
He's the first to reach the ship, stopping just a the ramp and pressing the buttons to get it lowered, <<"Ships open... come in hot if you have to.">> He tosses the two black boxes up into the hold and then draws his sword, stepping out to meet any potential threat.
The wolf-like creature's distracted by Vhe, even going so far as to lunge at the Jedi - fortunately missing - which gives Khalim an opportunity to regain his footing and rejoin the group's flight to their waiting starships. Intending to dissuade the beast from trying again the mirialan discharges another pair of golden bolts, one splashing harmlessly against a far snowdrift but the other? It scores the hardened skin at the monster's flank, burning a hole that leaves it clearly injured.
The mirialan looks back to see if anyone is being left behind, just in time to see Dyna take the beginning of a spill. A hand darts out, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. Momentum is life. It's just enough to keep her moving.
Vhe having a lightsaber probably should have been expected by this point, but it still came as a bit of a shock to see her igniting the thing and taking a stab at the wolf-thing with it. She tries to get to her feet while it was distracted and start running, only to slip and almost fall again as she tries to make her way forward. Fortunately, Khalim was able lend her a hand and catch her, keeping her on her feet as she ran toward the ship.
Zelo Parrai
One of the creatures has fallen, but two more continue to close in. Zelo takes off again, trying once more to deter the two but seeing that they will close the gap too soon for another blast of flame to be effective. He doubles back, looping around and coming in low. Vhe's hand already outstretched, he knows they're on the same page. He drops lower, turning to make a quick grab - aided by the Jedi's own preparation - and the two are airborn in the stinging cold. The trek is far shorter in the air, but freezing cold and it feels like the Mandalorian's heating unit has given out entirely.
<"We're coming in hot!"> Zelo calls over the air. <"I'll join you on the ramp after... Uh, landing,"> He calls, and then he's depositing Vhe at the top of the ramp before immediately continuing to fly into the Nomad's bay and tumbling a few times to roll up onto his feet. His boots still skid across the bay's floor before he can come to a halt, and then he's running toward the ramp, Incinerator at the ready to hold the line. Hopefully that other pilot's quick with the controls.
Fshmaw's parting shots are for nil, trying mainly to scare or dissuade them, but his feet are strong and true! He makes up any distance he lost last round, firing every muscle in his body at escape velocity! Not getting left behind in the snow, no sirree!
Kohnner's beat up white cloak whips around his armored body as the wind picks up and the Blizzard seems close to arriving. He his left hand down, opening his hand while his right hand holds his blade outwards at a mid guard, showing the length of the sharpened piece of metal. He takes a deep breath and waits.
When others start moving past him, he reacts on that instinct, one of the creatures jumping out at him. He is fast, almost a blur as his blade slices through the beast. There is a yelp as it lands and slides into the snow dead, staining it with whatever color blood it might have. It stops at the bottom of the loading ramp.
A second and third creature attacks the Canine. He slices through the first but just missed the second by a hair. Either way, they start to back off with others arriving and attacking. He starts to back up the ramp his sword angled at the remaining creatures.
A quick look is sent Vhe's way as the Knight places herself between the escaping party and that beast. Though his inclination is to yell, to urge her to run, that lance of death held at the ready is likely all that stands between all of them and a final resting place within the creature's belly. He runs.
Their starship awaits, ramp down, and he breathlessly rushes past Kohnner and his blade, and Fshmaw and his pistol, which is even now lancing bolts of red in the opposite direction. Do they hit anything? Khalim hasn't a clue. He surmounts the ramp and that first interior compartment just beyond its simply airlock.
<"Powering us up, alert me when everyone's aboard and I'll get her in the air."> The mirialan, a veteran of countless similar cockpits, begins slamming switches open. The vessel's hypermatter core energizes, a low thrum felt as a slight vibration along its decking proof of the ship's life. Under normal circumstances there would be a lengthy pre-flight checklist, and each system would be given time to settle within operating parameters... but not now. This is an emergency and safeties are disengaged with each toggle of a rocker and press of a bypass switch. The ship's sublight drives begin screaming towards full power, a harsh sound that meets with a couple of points of yellow and red upon the ship's status board due to the stress they're under. It would be a few extra credits to service strained systems, but a price far better to pay than funeral arrangements.
A series of green lights indicate both repulsors and sublight drives have been fed to full operating power, and Khalim alerts to the group, <"We're ready. Give me the word.">
Dyna manages to make it to the ship and onto the ramp. Looking back over her shoulder she sees the two creatures that had decided to join the first one in coming after them, though that first one was now cleanly dealt with by Vhe Tenara's lightsaber. She could see Fshmaw taking shots at one of the remaining creatures, though missing the mark, and Kohnner getting up close and personal with one of them with his own sword and cutting it up nicely. That left just the one beast coming after them. Taking aim from her spot on the ramp, Dyna opens fire on the remaining beast, firing off a pair of blaster shots from her E-11. This time, her shots find their mark, the bolts tearing through the creature leaving a pair of sizzling blaster holes in it as it collapses. <"Think that was the last one."> Dyna calls out over comms.
Vhe feels the icy ground give way as Zelo grasps hold of her and she him to secure her place on the rocket ride as the wargs bite at the place she had just been. They follow the trail of the jetpack as the two snacks disappear within the bowels of the ship. Vhe lands, rolling over her shoulder and comming up quickly to be sure she does not break anything to watch as the first scrambles up the ramp, claws raking the durasteel as it tries to grab hold of Kohnner only to find the blade sinking deep more than once. It howls in pain and rage but falls back, falling from the fatal wounds.
The blaster bolts miss and hit the second, causing it to spin and spiral in mid-air before even getting the chance to try to jump onto the rising ramp.
The ship rockets up and begins its ascent, the group triumphant in their mission and blessedly whole. Vhe shoves back her hood, her cheeks rosy and breath still misting in front of her.
"Good job..." she looks to each and then turns, giving Zelo a smile and thumbs up.
"TIME TO GO!" This she calls out to the waiting pilot as the back of the sheep squeals and shinks heavily togther, quickly sealing for the jump back to the CSA ship which awaits them.
A job well done.
