Log:The Irregulars - I Hate This Planet and Want to go Home

I Hate This Planet and Want to go Home

OOC Date: March 23, 2019
Location: Hoth
Participants: Dyannah Nerus, Zian, Rial Het and Atrel Katah

Hoth, simple idea for a job right? Investigate smugglers, smash their base, take their stuff, maybe arrest the lot of them.

Unfortunately life isn't very good about making this sort of thing easy, especially when the Irregulars are involved. Did they manage to spot the smuggler base location from orbit and confirm scans after breaking atmosphere? Yes.

Did they confirm that these smugglers may be hostile? Also yes. The downside to the revelation came when quad-ion cannon emplacements opened up on the dropship, threatening to fry out shields, sensors, and comms. Flight controls... Guidance systems. Basically everything needed to keep alive.

Zian, soon covered in soot and lubricants sprayed from frayed cords, is able to keep directional shields operating which is a plus as far as allowing Dyannah, thrust in the pilot seat is able to keep their flight angle from breaking into a flat spin, or burning them up in re-entry... Even when the blue humanoid is unable to keep life-support online allowing a combination of friction heat and the cold to overload systems she is able to keep level and bring the ship in for a tolerable drag landing made much simpler when Zian's work gets the repulsor drives working in time to keep the craft from burrowing into the snow, so much as skidding across.

Rudimentry work has been able to restore basic life support, and even weapon systems which have served to ward of predators in the two days the ship has been stuck, engines sunk down into the frozen crust of ice and snow - but our band of heroes must choose to go after the smugglers, or risk a journey to Echo Base (the further of options) in hopes of finding what they need to get home.

It's cold and Atrel has been attempting to help portion out what they have for rations on the transport. Giving them enough energy to keep them warm and moving but enough to extend their chances of survival over a week. She's looking more irritated than usual and so when she finally speaks up she stands from her huddle to keep some of her body warmth. It might just be the idea of what is outside their ship but its enough to cut through her reserves. "We need to move now. We have a job to do and it is likely they have what we need to either repair or find a new ship all together. I suggest we move on the smugglers now before we have little else but the cold to keep our corpses company."

She has her white coat over the shadowsuit as ifs he is ready to brave the cold and blind in easily with the landscape. She will be the hardest to spot considering the other flesh colors aboard this wreck.

Zian, as it turns out, is from a world similar to Hoth. As such, the Chiss seems... Well, pretty much fine here. His lower body temperature does a lot to extend his operability in the cold, and though he has in fact bundled up with some fur beneath his light battle armor, he otherwise seems to be doing fine with the temperature. "Either is fine. I am sure we can find workable equipment at both locations, though one is military in nature, and may perhaps have weaponry available that we might utilize to make our assault." he explains, the Engineer having been hard at work the past couple of days ensuring the shipboard systems are fully operable. A lot of work has been done outside, once he'd reached the point of having everything done inside that he can.

Special ops requires masks, masks of all colors and the Zeltron used to having her skin color a subject of discussion has both a night mask, yes, black and a snow mask, yes, white. Arms wrapped around herself she stamps her feet while listening to the doctor and shrugs slightly at the color remark. She is used to it. "No problems. But problems for sure for the parts we need. Or? How flyable is she, Zian?"

"An on the upside? Rather sure they think we're dead by now, aye?" Rial quips dryly on the subject of heading out. Exhaling sharply and bundled up as thick as he can manage, the rogue wonders aloud, "Right, which way we going, then?

If nothing else, two days grounded and sounds of life inside are going to draw more interest from the local predators than can be warded off by the U-Wing's weapon systems. It is unknown if there are any of the Ice Beasts camped nearby, but there have been the whistling moaning sounds of wind in new Sapphire Ice-Worm tunnels that have formed just at the edges of visible range.

In the past two days there have been sounds akin to heavy repulsor engines, and possibly the crack of blaster rifles in the distance. While it is certain that there have been Wampa, the U-Wing's guns have been getting use keeping those from getting too close on a trio of occasions, there have been sounds not as one would expect of a frozen wasteland, especially with the Chiss to confirm on such. There have been Tauntaun sightings, a herd of them, and they seem to be keeping closer and closer to the ship.

Atrel and Dyannah get the best confirmation that this isnt normal when there is sight of a two man speeder 'herding' the creatures over a ridgeline before disappearing again. There are over two dozen of the furry warm blooded reptillians bunching up for warmth... But there have been loud roaring cries in the distance as well.

"Well I say we head directly towards the base and see if we can't get a better view. We know there is more out there than we would like to meet so lets make it quick and keep moving. We stop and we likely are want to eventually be found rather than do the finding...of anything." She adjusts her sniper rifle and checks the regular rifle on her back to be sure all is ready to go. She looks ready to go as Rial is heading out, following in a step behind him.

The outside temperature is a shock, a fist to the face like it always is when they go out to get a look. It takes a moment for her to adjust and she manages to draw a breath finally. It mists out before her and she makes a motion, "The base is that way, no?" Wanting confirmation before they head out and get lost in snow blindness. "We know someone has been venturing out this far so lets just keep that in mind..and those roars" She lifts up her rifle and sights down it in hopes of seeing something.

"We are not spaceworthy. The engines are operable, however life support is not at an adequate state of repair to operate in vacuum, and the engines are not properly shielded for the time being." Zian explains, his hands motioning about to seemingly random parts of the ship as he speaks. "However, with the repulsorlifts active, and the frontal, aft, and port shields operating properly, we may be able to use the ship effectively."

Turning to point at the entry hatch on the side, Zian says, "Say we engage the ship's systems, and pilot it utilizing the repulsorlifts towards the smuggler's outpost. We may be able to utilize it as a gun emplacement to punch holes in their defenses from a distance. I feel that would be preferable to a direct assault on foot." In environments no one here is really trained for combat in, to his knowledge.

As the group prepares for a scouting mission, Zian steps out of the U-Wing, drawing his pistol and peering off into the distance with those red eyes as he prepares to follow along. He's out of his depth with anything outside shooting and shipboard operations, after all.

Stepping behind Zian she nods unseen at his recital adding little hums of acknowledgement as they ready themselves for the outside. Despite the mask, she claps her hands to her face at the brutal chill of the outside. She stands to the side and casts a wide net around her, sentients leave traces for her and there is something moving in the horrendous cold. Her head bowed, a hand next to her forehead as shading her eyes she listens then lifts the scope of her rifle carefully to her face, the metal already so cold as to be a danger without the mask to protect her face. Swinging it from side to side, she scans the horizon.

"Just so long as the shuttle's in one piece when we get back, aye? Don't much fancy the notion of some fellas swooping in and cutting it up, do I?" Rial mutters, upon preparing to venture out with Atrel and Zian, gesturing at the Chiss, "Aye, I like that notion- we fly there, pew pew pew wit' the guns, and spend less time freezing, aye?"

In the glaring, freezing, sunshine of Hoth. The tauntauns are everywhere now, distractingly so. Yaaaaarrrking and making that bizzare 'wakkum-wakkum' sound between bleats. There's not a whisp of cloud in the sky. But there is the sound of more coming, from the north-east of where the ship is.

The ones present are getting stirred up by something, stomping and blarpking at each other. One even toddle hops up to the group, poking its reeking face at Ziam, giving him a faceful of tauntaun breath with a roiling "Wakkum-wakkum!"

No one sees the incoming tauntaun that is going for ZIan but the fact they are stirring has her attention. "Well I do not think they are moving because of us...that does not bode well. Remember that speeder...I am getting into position just in case." She lowers so that she can steady her shot as she sights her gaze overtop her scope to get a broader vision of what may be causing the creatures to shift and react like they are. "Eyes open, we may have company soon."

As it happens, Zian takes a moment to lock the ship down before they leave, ensuring it's tightly sealed up and the controls are inoperable until they return. Nothing physical, it's just a remote command, but of course you'd need the right frequency to undo it. Fun times~

Tauntauns should learn to keep their distance, is the first thought zian has when one of them comes up to him, and as such the Chiss promptly draws his Tunderer. "Why the kriff did I leave the ship." the man complains, and after a quick swap to stun mode, he raises the large weapon and promptly stuns the Tauntaun in its stinky, stinky face. Narrowing his eyes, he takes some steps back from the herd as the creature heaves over into the snow, likely to wake up sometime. Probably.

"Doctor, dear: EVERYONE hates this planet," Rial observes through chattering teeth. "Look, even these lizard.. goat.. snow beasties hate it. If'n they knew there were planets where they could run about on a nice warm beach, they'd do it, wouldn't they? Be dashing about on the sand saying to each other 'we're bloody reptiles, mate! What were we thinking growing fur in the first place, aye?" Apparently talking is how he maintains a sustainable core body temperature. Then there is a stunned tauntaun. "Well. That's one way to warm up, innit?"

Normally that's a quiet sound.... a *wweoow!* sort of noise that is quickly lost in backgrounds. On Hoth there is only echo-planes, too much crusted ice and snow to absorb the sound that quickly doubles over itself again and again.

The Tauntaun heard are asll suddenly up on their feet, the young crowding the adults and the more skittish adults spreading panic that the alphas struggle to reign in, all of them going eerily still as the instincts to stay or run go to war.

As Zian fires Atrel turns and just stares at him. There comes out a rather angry sounding hiss from her as well as a cloud of steam past her lips. "What...are you..doing?!" This is a low faint sound, no less frustrated before she turns her head to watch the herd bunch up and give them due consideration. "Well..we need to move slowly I think, no need to startle them and send them running." She has no idea they would even consider attacking at this point.

"Lets get some room and just keep walking.." She starts walking ahead, trying to angle them so that they do not walk any closer to the creatures than they need to.

Zian tilts his head at that echoing sound, but simply shrugs as he toggles his weapon back to kill and keeps it at his side for the time being. "It seemed aggressive. I chose the least noisy option." he explains, keeping that Thunderer out and to the side as he turns and keeps walking with the others. "I apologize if my job description has never included survivalism on a hellishly barren ice world during my past employment." There's some sarcasm there, quite a bit of it, but it's not all that aggressive. Just the usual Chiss form of joking!

"I'm walking already, waiting on you pair, aren't I?" Rial returns as he keeps moving. "If'n I stood still too long I'd freeze solid, aye?" He narrows his eyes and peers ahead, hoping in vain to see their destination, already.

Trudging through the snow makes Rial loquacious and works its cold fingered magic the opposite on Dyannah. She hasn't spoken for most of the hike. The others snipe and bitch at one another but she has only eyes for the horizon and for her feet. One side of her clothing is still powdered with snow from a fall. Under the mask, she squints and furrows her brow, anxiety and more than just her group's anxiety hangs in the air like their suspended breath.

She breaks her silence. "Quiet!" She raises her hand in the air. "Do you hear it?"

Rial Het goes mercifully silent when he's scolded for quiet. Frowning with focus, he cants his head to an angle and listens, even managing the brains not to verbally yell that he hears nothing, instead just shaking his head.

This is not going well for any of them save for Dyannah. The Arkanian is on edge due to the echoing sound of the pistol shot that cracked off into the open air. As its still disappearing into the distance she goes still when there is a call from the other female. Tilting her head she narrows her gaze and turns her head slowly, attempting to see if she can hear anything off. Her sniper rifle is slowly lowered, angled at the ground as her breath mists out in a fog from her lips. There is no reply to the question of if she has heard anything. Nothing. A shake of her head is given but she says nothing still.

Zian comes to a stop when the others do, tilting his head to attempt to hear whatever it is, but eventually just shaking it as he swaps his pistol to his other hand and awaits whatever information might be forthcoming from those who are a little more alert than he is.

Hardly aware of the command in her voice, she nods at the immediate response from the doctor and the others. One eyebrow is raised at Rial's sudden silence but she makes no comment aloud. Hand still in the air, eyes closed the Zeltron listens with all of her senses. "Don't you hear it?" She waves her hand to the east. She knows better than to ask if they feel it, knowing that they are deaf to the worry that comes from over the ridge.

Rial Het sloooowly (so as not to make more noise by breaking the ice that has no doubt formed a thin layer over his entire body in the moments of idleness) draws the better of his blasters, sensing imminent trouble. He winks back at Dy, but shakes his head.

Things have gone quiet again, the tauntauns left behind near the ship, even the wind seems to have died down. There's a peace that never leaves anyone with the sort of peace of mind that indicates joy and crumb cakes await.

West of everyone, another roaring sound cuts the stillness. Closer than before, when the group had set out before.

The roar is enough to cause Atrel to take a step back and lift her gun. "We need cover now..we need to move." Standing out in the open is not going to stop what is likely headed their way. She makes no look towards Zian but one can almost sense she is indicating him in some way. Your fault. "Should we head back to the ship?" How far really are they. She turns her head to give it a look and then frowns. "Move, we need to move now." She says and instead of heading for the craft she is going the direction they were headed. With any luck the gaggle of Tauntauns will be whatever it is first intent.

Zian turns his head in the direction of the roaring noise, narrowing his gaze as he hefts his pistol a bit more and looks around them at the barren... Nothing. "We should return to the ship. Why we did not simply hover it in this direction is beyond me." Clearly, no one is really cut out for this one. But then Atrel is starting to move in the direction opposite the ship, and Zian gives a slight sigh, but turns to follow her anyway. He's at least not going to split the group, apparently. "I would like to suggest we ignore any potential survivalist situation in future job selection."

Roars complicate things immensely, Dy's first instinct is to duck and cover her ears to listen with her mind. West and east glow with the heat of emotion for her. And like an avalanche brought on by a loud sound tipping the snow over its point of precarious balance, something or someone reacts to the roars; she hears scrabbling on the opposite ridge and sees a flash of light. "What? What was that? Rial, look over there>"

"Aye, and we should pick a nice beach for our next job," Rial adds dryly to Zian's aversion to future survivalist situations, as the rogue joins the building dash in the direction they were already headed. "Half-way point's the worst part of any trip, truly it is.. can't turn back an' can't get where you're going fast enough, can you?" Dyanna's call and direction halt him in his tracks and he looks from the Zeltron to the indicated ridge, and back to the Zeltron. "Which, the snow-beasties, or the snow?"

A flash of color in this bleached wasteland - bright crimson leaving a heat trail visible in the air before it slams into the snow sending up a geyser of steam and creating a small crater that fills with glassy ice.

The sound is like thunder in the echo-planes of Hoth. There are voices over the ridge now, and the shot practically highlights the shooter as the heat of the shot sends up a cloud around the cold weather gear wearing figure.

As the shot nearly hits upon Zian her head turns to watch it belatedly steam before she is dropping to a knee and using her other to stabilize her shot. She lines up at the top of the ridge where the figure who shot at the Chiss is residing. She misses however, watching her shot go high and wide with a curse. She is adjusting for her next shot, trying to line up the perpetrator. "Well we are going to be drawing a lot more attention."

A sudden blaster shot sizzles into the snow near Zian, and the Chiss narrows his eyes as he drops to one knee to stabilize himself and raises the large, somewhat impractical weapon in that direction. It's a pistol, but it's somewhat slow, though he does fire off a single shot that clips his assailant's head with a nasty round of superheated plasma. "No turning back now." is his general response to Rial, the Chiss lining up another shot for the scum who shot in his direction.

Already kneeling, Dyannah wipes at the side of her mask where a piece of ice ricocheted and hit her. The blaster is out of its holster and she has thumbed off the safety as those around her drop to the ground. "We are under their attention already. That's what I was feeling. Still." She looks up the ridge towards the origin of the shot and then around at the others. "Well?"

"Can always turn back, me lad," Rial grins to Zian as he ducks to lower his profile. "Just a question of how many blaster bolts would be chasing us, innit?" Wincing, as he gets an eye for the source of the blaster fire, the rogue pulls the oversized DL pistol back out and switches it to kill. "Just the two of 'em is it?" he wonders aloud of the keener-eyed Atrel and Dyannah.

Weaponsfire from the ridgeline answers Rial as blaster bolts begin hailing all around the group. Red darts slamming into the ice, wreathing the quartet in fog as the original long range rifle fires, the bolt aimed like a professional intended for Zian's center of mass.

Jeering goes up from the shooting nest voices calling out in gutter argot languages, insults and cat calls. Westerly, the roaring and growling cuts off, a lone figure against the snow standing up straight, listening.

When Zian takes a hit, she hesitates and then is hurrying towards him, pulling her medpac from its place at her side as she lets her rifle sling back to her shoulder. She begins immediately pulling free a quick fix kit, something for an application of bacta and pad, rudimentary but it will get the job done while they are caught in the open like they are. "Hold still as best you can for a few seconds." Then she is yanking his chest piece open and loosening the armor so she can roughly get the tube of bacta dispensed and then a patch slapped over it before quickly tugging the armor back into place. He can fire how he needs to while she field dresses his wound, making a face as she gets some mess on her white gloves. But there is little can be done for it as she drops the wrapper and tube on the ground. LITTERING!

"Why the kriff we no one else ready to fire!" Zian calls out at the others, but then a blaster bolt sails into his chest, and the Chiss grunts heavily in pain as it burns through his armor and scores the blue flesh beneath. Atrel is there to help, thankfully, and as she treats his wounds he raises his arm to rest is over her shoulder to steady it. Another shot burns out of the Thunderer and straight into his assailants center of mass as he keeps quiet and still for the treatment being given to him. Though it does earn some hisses of pain from the man.

Listening intently for other intruders leaves Dyannah open mentally and she winces in real pain as Zian is hit. "Ugh," she cries aloud then clamps her mouth shut in embarrassment. Embarrassment does not keep her from firing almost simultaneously with Zian. His target drops and hers staggers.

"You complain too much, friend," Rial advises Zian brightly, firing a hasty shot off at one of the visible targets. "You're in for it now, lads!" he hollers toward the distant ambushers, an inexplicable smile in his voice as they crane to hear the roar.

One attacker down, rocked back by the second shot from Zian and another groaning as he is taken in the collarbone by Dyannah's shot, the sag of his body pulling him out of Rial's line of fire.

The attackers are apparently smart though - shooting at the obvious medic and the other attacker who has been landing hits with pistol fire.

"Throw up them arms we'll make sure you live when you get off this snowball!" comes one voice, snarling over the din while the other groans, curses, and says something along the line of 'Jus' shoot em!'

As the shot slams into her back, it pitches her into Zian before Atrel can react or get out of the way. She grunts, white hair singed and smoking as does her wound that has gone clean through her shadowsuit and the outer white jacket she was wearing. Her eyes widen as she turns, wincing as she tries to lift her rifles, feeling the strain in her shoulder blade. She sights down at the nearest target and messily gets of a shot.

She is muttering in Arkanian, cursing most likely as she is trying to shake off the significant wound. She missed Dy's own tango with a bolt.

Zian is at least feeling a bit better after that wound was patched. It hurts less, anyway, and along with the adrenaline coursing through him it makes it a lot easier to move. As well as to keep his footing when Atrel falls into him after taking a shot in the back. Without a word, the Chiss pushes himself up to his feet after giving her a pat on the side and ensuring she's stable, keeping low as he places himself in the line of fire between Atrel and her assailtants. His shot goes a bit wide, but that's likely due to the movements. "This cannot even be the entire garrison of them."

Dyannah suddenly finds herself planted face down in the snow, the ice on the hard pack scraped her face and she is aware of it burning and the absence of her left leg. She is tired suddenly, very tired and forgets the fight for a moment as she argues with herself over the need to sleep and how distant everything seems suddenly. Heat and pain comes barreling in. The zeltron is seldom angry, it is a matter of upbringing and of self-preservation but the pain makes her furious, raising her head she fires twice missing wildly before going limp.

"Hell," Rial breathes as the incoming blaster fire hits Atrel, but he's speechless in the next breath when a heinous wound sends Dyannah sprawling in the snow. "Still with us, luv?" he mutters, ducking into the snow beside her. "Doctor dear, ye-" he'd been about to ask if she was alive when the Arkanian is back up and firing. "That'd be a yes.. Atrel!" A quick look around at the state of their horribly wounded band and the pair of tormentors still at a distance. "Listen, alla you:" he mutters to his remaining fellows. "I've not gone stupid, but we're dying like this, and we need an edge. All of you hold your fire until me or them starts shooting, aye? Stay low in the snow, blasters in hand and please be sure Dy don't bleed out, you hear?" he asks, before looking back at the ambushers.

sticking his hands straight up and rising slowly to his feet, Rial tosses the heavy blaster to one side. "Stop shooting! I don't know how you lads found out, but its true: we've got the coordinates of the old lad's stash, and if you stop shooting, we'll give it to you, aye?" he calls while walking toward their attackers.

No shots come, but the first voice can be heard, and then the other far more incredulous and then the arguing starts ended by a sudden blaster bolt sound before a scrabbly near human stands, blaster raised towards the group,

"Yeah? Well leave the bleedin' stump there and we'll make it a four way split eh?" Why deal with the other smugglers in the group if he can get rich and slink away? The man actually approaches, blaster still out, more than happy to belive he's suddenly found his ticket to the good life.

Glancing to Rial as he speaks it holds her next shot though now she is seeing Dyannah on the ground. There is a long sigh, "Back to the ship after this, I have people to see to." Atrel remarks sharply below her breath. But she waits, waits so patiently and as somehow..well really she knows how. The FACE gets off his bluff she glances from him up to the two on the ridge and watches something happen that is completely unexpected but has her gun lifting. She aims down the barrel of is the man's cohort falls hard and smoking. She stabilizes and shoots, narrowing her gaze along the sight as the bolt hits home. There is a satisfied smirk that crosses her lips.

Zian watches this occur, and sighs in relief at the stupidity smugglers always seem to exhibit when it comes to the thought of making a lot of money. Raising the Thunderer, he fires off a shot along with Atrel, though with the way the man twists when her shot hits him his own sails /just/ past the smuggler's face. Reaching over, he slips an arm beneath Atrel's, and attempts to pull her to her feet as he says something softly to her, then to the others, "We need to return to the ship. We cannot continue in this condition." He seems confident the others can handle taking out the lone man now. Assuming Atrel complies, he starts off in that direction. Or if not, he'll wait. He's not exactly strong enough to make anyone do anything.

It is not a closely kept secret about Zeltron anger or the rampage that a Zeltron warrior can go on if goaded into battle fury. It is by far not the popular version of the pink skinned people. Everyone loves a lover. Dyannanh shows the flip side of the lover, she has clearly been goaded. Twice she fires at the man advancing on them. The first shot hitting true and taking him in the upper torso, not a heart shot, but not through any lack of desire on her part. No. The man keeps doubling, drek him and she has to decide which of the two to shoot. The second shot misses both of the doubled men. She blinks like a nightbird caught in the sun and lays her down now, too dizzy to fight.

"You're a smart man with a keen mind for math, friend," Rial congratulates Nyt Pann with a ready smile. "And a fine shot, too! Ye were the lad that put down me flashy pistolier, were you not? You're gonna be a very rich man, me friend." His hands still held up, palms open to prove how harmless he is.

Right up until the shooting starts.

Then the smile vanishes from his face, a holdout pistol on a quickdraw mechanism is produced from his sleeve. The unsmiling rogue woodenly fires off shots at the mercenary, scarcely caring- or perhaps caring too much to aim.

Betrayed! The look is on his face! Struck in the left leg, then the chest, Nyt is forced back stumbling even as Dyannah's shots go wide and Rial's stitch plooms of steam around him. They were going to be friends! Rich friends (he was going to double cross them too)! He would have let them go their way with their cut! (He wouldn't) and he attempts to return fire, shooting at the man who cut out his heart with his sweet words and sneaky ways!

Again in the distance, there is another roar... closer.

ZIan may be tugging at her but Atrel is hell bent now. People are down, the dull ache at her back is becoming a deep burn. She lifts that gun with a side step or two after Zian and takes that moment to breathe. She's pissed. Atrel's version of pissed is her happy version, just a bit more staring. As she lets out her last shot upon hearing that roar she digs her heels in slings her rifle, holding back with one hand as her long legs stretch out. "Dyannah? Can you fly or we going to need a proxy?" She knows she got hit hard and she hesitates only so long as it takes to make sure everyone has someone to run with or can run themselves. She grits her teeth and will begin that trek back over that kilometer to the ship.

Zian watches that last smuggler get missed... Five times, only to be taken down by Atrel after she seemingly refuses to get going until it's done. But he keeps his ground regardless, his pistol aimed in that direction to ensure the man goes down. And when he does, he makes a soft 'tch' noise. "I am a pilot as well." and turns to start back to the ship. He's not very fast. At all. But he at least starts jogging a bit before he cringes and reaches up with his free hand to cradle that chest wound he's sporting. Would make a good parody movie.

A few moments of rest allows the woman to collect herself, begin to process the fact that she is shot, that she is not the only one injured and that they really need to leave. But the confusion sets in again when she hears repulsors though unable to pinpoint the source of the sound. Slowly, she gathers herself to roll over, puzzled at the wetness under her armor.

"Hit me up, doctor. Hit me up. And, I can fly."

Rial Het empties the last two shots in his holdout into the fallen Nyt, following up with a needless kick to the corpse, before running back toward his fellows. For once, he's not all smiles as he mutters to the Zeltron, "Gimme your arm, Dyannah. over the shoulder and get moving in a hurry, aye?"

The trip towards the downed U-Wing is daunting to say the least. Almost everyone shot, beat up, tired, cold - except for Zian. The dead are left, already gathering frost as their bodyheat is whipped away within minutes of their demise.

It's not the cold though that is becoming an immediate threat. Atrel's eyes, genetically designed to see in infrared spots heat to the west, coming fast, on all fours and closing the gap moment to moment.

By the half-kilometer mark the amount of distance is shrinking at an alarming rate, but the ship can be seen... but where are all the tauntauns?

Bringing up the rear to the group after her last chance shot that is how she spots that impending doom that plays in bright red colors against her vision. "KRIFF!" That may be the first time anyone has heard the Doctor swear. "We have in bound fauna to the West. Closing fast!" RUN! Run she tries and her feet give out beneath her, spilling her to a knee a she nearly faceplants. She scrambling in a slip sliding attempt to hurry herself forward, nearly half falling against for a good ten strides before she is upright again and trying to make up for lost ground with her long strides.

She is panting, breath misting as she tries to keep her footing in the heavy snow.

Zian is hurrying as much as he can, but the Engineer is completely aware that he's not cut out for this shavit. But the ship is within sight! Beautiful Spaceship! He's still hurrying along, but he holsters his weapon and trades it out from the datapad in his utility belt. Bringing it online, he taps away at it rapidly, the Chiss not looking behind him for the time being and instead relying on Atrel's instructions. He's not even trying to run, instead jogging along as best he can.

The ship off in the distance suddenly comes online as a hum runs through it. Promptly thereafter, the repeating ion cannon pops out of the bottom of the fore, and begins to spin up as it focuses its attention to the west and that inbound fauna. This is about what he's spent the last two days working on, it seems. Getting the ship running as best he can.

Rising to her feet even with Rial's help is one of the more difficult things she has done in her life. Dyannah calls on reserves of willpower and some instinct pushes her to share that with the others in the group. It is there for the taking and each of them can decide to draw on it or not. They begin to run and were it not so painful, some distant part of herself would laugh at them floundering through the snow towards the U-Wing. The beautiful U-Wing. She leans hard on Rial, murmuring her thanks. Occasionally closing her eyes as the jolts to her knee bring back the double vision

Rial Het is hurrying along as best he can while sharing Dyannah's weight. "Hobbling toward safety on a wounded leg.. ravenous beastie in pursuit... S'all a bit cliche, innit?" He quips to the Zeltron, between heaving breaths, sweat freezing on his forehead, before it can drip down his face. "Almost there, now. Just a bit.. further."

The ship also visibly shakes as Zian brings up the rest of everything that wasn't keeping it from freezing up online. The repeater is aiming west, though it's dicy at first - the barrel swinging to point at the hull for a second before it points where he wants it to.

It's there now! Waiting welcoming... There is also a wampa. Atrel's eyes can make that out for certain by the very shape of it let alone the sounds its making. It's going to be there soon.

It's all she can do to stay up right and it is rather comical with how Zian makes as much progress as the rest of them who are merely trying to beat feet faster. Atrel can see the shape and frowns moment not familiar with the local fauna she does not croon out what it is just says, "It's big..." she remarks and lets out a sharp breath. She stumbles again, getting a hand down to stop her forward fall, letting out a heavy breath as she just glances up at the 'strolling' Chiss with his datapad but as the ship lurches to life there is a look of relief. "Thank you.." Yep, she's grateful. Seeing the gun come to life also gives her a bit more heart. She HATES this planet.

Zian continues to make zero effort to overly exert himself in his attempts to escape. They're back near the ship, a rough half a kilometer or more around which is his domain with that ion repeater coming online. Tapping away a few more times at the datapad, causing the turret to shudder a few times in the distance as it seeks a targeting soliton, Zian gives a motion to the others towards the ship. "Please approach in a less panicked fashion." Just after he says this, the turret zips to the side, and fires some fairly large rounds of ion energy in rapid succession off into the distance with a loud *THEW THEW THEW* noise to accompany them.

"Almost there," she gasps. "Almost there. Goddess, look at Zian go!" The Chiss calm and the turret turning, strike her as funny and she is grinning until she asks Rial to stop. "Just need a...no terrible idea. Let's go. Let's go. Thank you." The rest of what she says is in Zeltron.

Massive plumes of steam turning to snow erupt around the blasts as they keep the incoming predator at bay, forcing it to divert its course to find a better path to come at its live prey. It howls and snarls ineffectually in the distance, the wind and echoing tundral plains of Hoth carrying its voice to them, like some bogie coming from beneath a bed to assail a child's dreams.

The ship is so close, and so like a beacon of hope and welcome, battered as it is. It has come to life like a creature meant to protect its brood, spitting flame and ire at those who would harm the ones who have curled in its loving arms.

Will it be reached yet?

Atrel might actually have something to say to Zian's calm demeanor, making her eye twitch a little as he just casually moves on. No, of course there is no vicious native animal hot on their tails ready to be done with them. Even if the ship manages to help them in some regard there is still a chance that it could take them all out. She gives him a look as they make the back of the ship to haul herself up inside and then turns to reach back for Dyannah and help her in, getting her towards the Captain's seat with Rials help. Only then will she begin attempt to address wounds.

Zian is a bit behind the others as he gets to the U-Wing. All the systems are online and the temperature inside is toasty compared to Hoth, though opening the door does cause some issues for that. The turret jerks again as the creature changes course, and like a youth playing a hologame is Zian with his datapad in hand. Though the movements are jerky, and the aim is supposedly iffy, the Engineer isn't and proceeds to correct from his last shot for those variables.

Promptly, the turret begins to THEW THEW THEW THEW at its true rate, firing fairly rapidly into the distance where shortly thereafter a rather loud death cry of a roar is heard, just before that wild animal that decided to mess with higher beings is pasted all over the snow around it. Surely a dead Wampa is a good animal deterrent. He's not even reached the ship yet.

The change in temperature is a relief. Despite her her efforts, she is crumbling again and only has eyes for the chair. "Help me, Rial. Help me, sit down and I'll be alright." Later, she will have time to marvel at Xian's ability with the data pad, the doctor's handiness with a gun and Rial's anger.

Back in the ship, with armor plating and shield generators between themselves and the rigors of Hoth. The wampa is dead, and the tauntaun have run to who knows where.

A smuggler base still exists, most likely, but at least its down three members. Those three members having left a snow-speeder just over the ridge they were shooting from (Dyannah heard it).

It's not like they're getting off this rock anytime soon, not immediately anyway, but as soon as the immediate threat has been dealt with Zian gets to work on the ship. Repairing life support, making more repairs to the repulsorlifts, and then spending over an entire day working on JUST the engines. He's fairly confident this is the correct thing to do, and generally keeps himself quiet while he works. In the end they're left with an operable ship! Hardly space worthy, but operable enough to fly around in atmosphere without any issues whatsoever. With guns. And shields. Yay non-combat skills!