Log:Thyferra: Frack the Concordance
A typical Zhu Yan caper. War crimes were probably committed.
OOC Date: July 12, 2022
Location: Thyferra
Participants: Cora Das, Hadrix Kora, Kohnner, Nerys Greystorm, Zhu Yan as Self/GM
[ Zhu Yan (Yan)]
"We're going to hit-and-fade from the east, while we sneak and sabotage from the west," Zhu Yan had explained.
In war, there are rules, first and foremost of which is 'don't shoot the medic'. Now, if Zhu Yan were a stickler for the rules he'd be poor and probably not fat, but dietary rules are rules and rules are made to be broken. So Yan was going to break some more, which involved tampering with that glorious lifeblood of the galaxy that kept people alive, because people having to recover the slow way was a real inconvenience to the war effort for those without young Firrerreo doctors around to glue them back together.
We come now to a beautiful Thyferran sunset, where a small convoy of bacta is approaching a Sith Empire checkpoint, beyond which it will /never be seen again/. Less dramatically, after that point trying to get to said bacta was an impossibility. So, the checkpoint. Why not en route? "I want to hurt them a little bit too," Yan had answered. The checkpoint was nestled in what could charitably be called a valley, but really it was just the point where two sloping hills bottomed out and met.
What this meant was that behind the brightly-lit hill on the east was a Zhu Yan loaded for Grom with armour that would make a Mandalorian cry and a Disruptor Rifle that was banned anywhere that had a weapon ban in place for /very good reason/. With him was anyone else who wanted to be loud, noisy, and drag the attention away from the goings-on from the shaded and dark west side.
The west hill. This is where the fun begins. When the attack from the east started, those from the west were to get down to the convoy while no one was looking and swap out part of the bacta containment units with these handy little devices that Zhu Yan had provided. "Bacta relies on a sensitive mix of alahzi and kavam in order to work, disrupt that, all sorts of not-fun things happen," he'd explained when issuing them. "Basically replace the kavam injectors with these ones, and it'll render the bacta inert."
The convoy was pulling up now, and if Yan's intel was right, all three vehicles carrying six total bacta containers had to power down completely for checks to take place. Thirty seconds until go time!
[ Nerys Greystorm (Nerys)]
On the western edge of the valley, Nerys had taken a knee, hands checking over her equipment, as she watched the approach of the convoy. She was, in large part, silent, her expression hidden behind the helmet of her armor, but she did speak up, once she was certain that she had everything in place, a hand reaching up to activate the shadowplates on said armor. "Prepped to move." Big group or large, Nerys was intent on heading down as soon as the convoy was properly distracted.
[ Hadrix Kora (Had)]
'Nobody Touches Doc' is a very common rule. Especially if you want to get unalived quicker than you can blink.
One would think that Kora's Plan Besh would be situated on the east side, armed for a one man war and raring to get stuck in. He's still in the plates hand forged for him by Alor Ordo herself, in the heart of her namesake world's forge. Heavy plates dyed midnight purple that seem to make the air around him seem dimmer. Muck and local flora allowed to build up on it to provide additional cover, going in guerilla being an exercise not often afforded to the commando cum Warlord.
<<"In position, ready on signal.">>
Near Nerys but apart to allow for if he, or she, had trouble that their mutual cover wouldn't be blown. With his ID10 unit hovering low to the ground nearby.
[ Cora Das (Cora)]
I want to hurt them a little bit too.
It was a sentiment shared by Cora Das as well, though not one ever vocalized. The destruction of Hosnian Prime, the planet that was (for lack of a better term) her home sent her core programming into a feedback loop. Purpose and clarity was replaced with something a bit more abstract. It killed her, in other words. At least, it killed the person she used to be.
If she is driven by any sort of emotional response, it is absent from her face. Instead, she is calm, quiet, reserved and professional. A nod is given when the faulty kavam-injector is passed to her, and she lifts it up towards the hot Thyferran sunset to see the way the light shines through.
"Understood."
Hit them where it hurts.
She moves to join the others that will, at least at the beginning, go in -quiet-. The best laid plans of wamp-rat and men.
[ Kohnner (Chon)]
CHON KOHNNER was not the stealthy type. His HONOR and PRIDE would not allow his feet to be silent or agile. He didn't even try to change the colors of his armor to match his surroundings. It was an open invitation to the enemy. A single glance to Yan as he studied him, perhaps contemplating the man's words. <<"I await the orders to attack.">> The Klatooinian informed the Fat and Hair Zhu Yan in that growling low voice of his. The fat man whom he had a debt to.
Which he continually thanked the maker it wasn't one of the wookiee life debts because... yikes.
The Canine seemed to be only armed in bladed weapons, none of which were drawn at the moment.
[ Zhu Yan (Yan)]
"<<Remember, we don't want to wipe them out, we want them to think they repelled us,>>" Yan explained quietly over the comms. He heard the repulsors of the convoy do their final shutdown whine, and then declared it to be, "<<Go time.>>"
A couple of things happened. Firstly, the thruster jets on Yan's heavy power armour burst into life, propelling him upwards over the lip of the hill and into full sight of both the convoy and the checkpoint. Secondly, the DXR-6 in his arms made that distinctive whaPOW noise of a fully charged yellow beam of light, atomizing a guardrail next to the Checkpoint Captain. Thirdly, boosted by the vocoder, Yan's native Thyferran accent blasted out a vicious cry of war. "DIE, SITH DOGS! THYFERRA STANDS FREE!"
Responding with a collective dropping of metaphorical bricks, both the stunned Xucphra convoy team and nonplussed checkpoint soldiers scrambled and brought blasters to bear!
Appropriate: https://youtu.be/9sFU2XIaQyQ
Dissonant: https://youtu.be/NwmDUVxBxA0
[ Nerys Greystorm (Nerys)]
As soon as Nerys heard the sound of familiar rocket boots, she began to move, lifting a hand to signal to the mandalorian. They had worked together enough times that they at least had a set of signals with which to communicate that did not require words. She kept herself low to the ground, slinking along as she took an arc that would separate her from Hadrix and Cora, so that if one of them were spotted, the other two might evade detection. She gave no amount of attention to the fireworks which were going on, only focused on keeping a weather eye on the convoy, and the guards who were protecting the tanks.
[ Hadrix Kora (Had)]
<<"Well. That's the signal.">> Gripper's voice in Hadrix's ear when weapons are fired and hollering begins. Keeping low and keeping quiet in spite of the heavy armor he wears, gliding through the grasses with one hand checking his equipment pouches, again, for the gear for the sabotage work.
<<"On approach, En-Gee, See-Dee, forwarding my location beacon to your HUDs.">> blinking a command and chinning a tab to send data to Nerys while he's en route. Periodically shifting from a low walk to all fours and back again while the distance is covered. Letting them know where he is to at least be able to better coordinate movements with him.
[ Cora Das (Cora)]
The sound of blaster fire erupts near the convoy. Nerys, Hadrix, and Cora are on the move. <<"I'm on the move,">> Cora says, and pushes off of the ground in an attempt to hit the opposite side of the convoy as quickly as she can. Unlike the other two, Cora opts for speed over stealth. Someone ought to, after all. Her sprint form is rhythmic and perfectly textbook. As she moves, her right hand drops to her thigh to press on a hydraulic lock on the exterior of her thigh plate. It hisses, popping up the hilt of a vibrodagger that she draws. One tap on that released compartment with the blade not only taps it back into place, but sparks that internal mechanism within to start to hum.
She reaches the opposite end of the convoy a few short moments later, breath quick but silent, knife held up with the business end pointed out towards her elbow. She peeks up and over to see if she's alerted anyone.
[ Kohnner (Chon)]
If the Sith Troopers at the checkpoint didn't think the vaporizing guard rail and shouting Yan was scary, well... perhaps crashing branches and thudding foot steps as Canine legs allowed CHON KOHNNER to plow through the jungle, exiting the tree line in a jump towards the lead trooper would.
His dirt white and torn hooded cloak flapping as he launched himself forwards, the Klatooinian drew his primitive blade and struck out at the officer. The blade cut deep, and before the trooper could react two more swift strikes cut deep through weak spots in the armor. Blood spurted out.
When the Space Ronin's series of attacks came to an end, he stood there at mid guard, growling through his helmets vocorder, ready for the reprisal.
[ Zhu Yan (Yan)]
This was a bad plan, guys, and Yan would admit that in hindsight, with a lot of pressure, if they managed to walk out of here today. The Sith Empire guards drew a bead on Chon Kohnner and let him have it, while the Xucphra leader shot his own unknown-countryman out of the sky. The shot clipped Yan's left leg and sent him spinning, along with a litany of foul language unfit for public consumption. His rifle raised to point, luckily, towards the crewman who had just locked unfortunate eyes on Cora Das, and the Disruptor whined and severed the right leg from his hip. That was two bad guys incapacitated, now he just needed to, y'know, not die!
With Cora Das present at the tanks, she was free to start hotswapping kavam injectors! There were six in total and Yan had provided plenty of spares (do not ask him where he got them) so now all that nedded to be done was to change them out!
[ Nerys Greystorm (Nerys)]
Nerys, coming down along the wall of the valley, caught sight of the sudden altercation at the tanks, and the disruptor that partly, but not completely, fixed the problem. Well, she was not on the right side of the tanks to come to the assist, and so, she did what Nerys usually did in situations such as these. She got busy with the mission. Coming to a halt by one of the tankers, she retrieved one of the injectors and moved as quickly and quietly as possible to swap out the replacement.
[ Hadrix Kora (Had)]
Watching Cora go on the move, Hadrix keeps his pace steady, listening to the Charge of the Klatoonian and the resulting fire that brings. The inexplicably quiet, big man making a face inside of his helmet, <<"If you need an additional distraction, signal.">>
Seven against one, knowing Yan. He still likes those odds.
Slipping up to one of the tanks and nodding to the droid who is up to hold panels open or move a wire bundle, as it turns out, so that he can get the injectors swapped... the 'clean' one being slipped into a pouch beneath his greave,
<<"Side gig, hrmmm?">>
<<"I expect the Selkath wouldn't mind having one of these to research. Intact and with the chemical still loaded.">>
<<"Good point.">> the pair's dialogue silenced by helmet and direct comms while they work.
[ Cora Das (Cora)]
Plans change. Situations evolve. Cora Das is peering over the lip of the convoy that she'd pressed herself up against when she sees the soldiers open up on the two advancing members of the... distraction brigade. With wide eyes, she watches Kohnner take the brunt of the opening hail of blaster fire, but not before getting several vicious hits on the captain. "Kark," she hisses, and gives a glance over to Nerys and Hadrix as the two begin to work on swapping out the tanks. She tosses her's -- one to Hadrix, one to Nerys -- and gives them a look that seems to say.
Well, what else am I gonna do?
She vaults over the top of the convoy and sprints towards the soldiers. She advances quickly and from the rear, which is why she likely causes the first soldier completely by surprise. The first plunge of her blade through their back shatters the armor. The second shatters bone. She rips the vibroblade out from between their shoulder-blades with a rough snap.
Time to improvise.
[ Kohnner (Chon)]
And thus the reprisal came.
CHON KOHNNER had been lucky these past few engagements. Outside of that old bio-weapons laboratory, not even his exploits on Tion or Delaya had caused him much or any harm. Perhaps the Ronin Space Pup was getting a bit too comfortable. A bit too daring. Then again, the Klatooinian warrior didn't really fear death. However, Sith Trooper's didn't play by the rules of an honorable warrior. They didn't engage in purely melee combat. No... they used they cowards tool, an uncivilized weapon: the blaster.
Kohnner shifted his legs and moves into a position to attack... when all of a sudden blaster bolts erupted towards him. Being the closest and biggest threat after absolutely wreaking their leader it was natural instinct to just turn their guns on him and lay waste to his location. One bolt hit his left leg, sparking against the armor and smoldering the plasteel into his flesh. He twisted in response, howling in pain. Two more bolts slammed into his right leg, the first one doing much like the left leg injury. The second completely ripping away the limb from his body and sending it flying /somewhere/ into the jungle.
CHON KOHNNER, Comrade Dogface, whatever anyone decided to call him fell immediately to the ground unconscious from shock after the attack.
IT was this day, the young warrior fell for the first time in battle and paid the price for someone who lived by the sword.
[ Zhu Yan (Yan)]
The fight had burst into chaos. "No!" erupted the flying Yan when he finally drew eyes on Kohnner's stricken form. "Get him outta here, fall back, let's go!" There was a hint of shrillness to his voice, something false, this was uncharacteristic of the flying metal man but to be fair he had a sucking leg wound and it was /annoying/ him something fierce. A fired shot towards a crewman bored a hole in a patch of grass as he started his descent down towards the fight, to help get his comrade out!
Meanwhile, Haddles and Nerys were undetected in comparison to Cora The Human Blender. Uninterrupted, they could work at rapid pace and abscond when ready! So far, it was looking like a very painful success!
[ Nerys Greystorm (Nerys)]
Nerys reached up, not even looking in Cora's direction, and yet, still managed to snatch the injector out of the air before she returned to work. Moving under the cover of the altercation, hearing the plan go sideways, even if she wasn't looking in that direction, she placed the second injector and then continued on to the next clean tank. She moved with a practiced ease, as if this was just a Tuesday, as it was, in some galaxy far, far away, laser focused on completing her portion of the mission and getting clear of the convoy. <<"Three injectors in. Have you got the rest, Had?">>
[ Hadrix Kora (Had)]
Another panel, a turnkey moved and mechanisms swapped out and a rolling step carries him onward, Gripper tucked in close and Hadrix proceeding without another word as he dips through shadows and ignores stray fire whipping past him.
He might even be humming to himself beneath his helmet while he works. Gripper floating ahead to get panels open for the big man to continue the work, finishing with a, <<"Objective completed. Ba'slan shev'la.">> tucking the other injectors into beskar protected pouches under his armor and he is on the move. Headed for further cover and a point where he can either die in the heat and humidity, or get the chance to boost out on his jets.
[ Cora Das (Cora)]
<<"Moving. Get to safety.">> Cora calls out. As she moves for Kohnner, there's a sudden hard -smack- at her back, and a singing burn shortly after. Pain cells light up and she takes in a sharp breath while she staggers forward. That breath is exhaled over hot comms as she staggers forward, a rush of carefully-constructed neurotransmitters hard at work to dull the pain. Live to fight another day.
She reaches down to pick up the fallen form of Kohnner and sling him over her shoulder in a fireman carry. She could've Princess carried him, but this particular pose lets her keep one hand to stabilize him and the other to hold the still-whirring vibrodagger in her stabbin' hand.
<<"I've got our man and am moving out. Cover our retreat if you can.">>
[ Zhu Yan (Yan)]
With the space-herculean feat of strength from Cora Das lifting Kohnner free from his prison of The Ground, Yan jetted himself to a stable shooting position at the top of the hill. With distance now coming into play, and Yan wielding a sniper rifle, return fire towards those retreating was scattered. Yan's counterpoint, however, was a long yellow beam of dissolving goodness that cleaved a literal hole out of the leader of the Xucphra convoy. It also included some verbal repartee! "YOU'LL RUE THE DAY YOU INVADED US, INTERLOPERS!"
Now all that was left was for those still in danger to get out before the distraction of Zhu Yan And His Big Mouth stopped being such!
[ Nerys Greystorm (Nerys)]
With the mission completed, however haphazardly on the one hand, Nerys continued away from the convoy, once again keeping low. As long as she wasn't seen, she could take her time with the rendezvous. And that was the key, wasn't it? Leave the caravan with no suspicions of tampering. <<"Greystorm, clear. Moving to the meetup point.">> As she moved, she made sure that everything was secure, including the injectors she had swapped out with the tampered one.
[ Hadrix Kora (Had)]
<<"Pheegus, I'm en route to the dust-off. Have Greeza and Mir in the turrets just in case.">> A rare instance for Zhu Yan to see the old blockade runner he, inexplicably, sold to Hadrix years ago (probably because EJ asked him to). Well maybe, he might catch a glimpse of a ship that has had so many hull and armor panels replaced the VCX-350 looks like its been painted winter camo.
Slipping into tall grasses and then brush, not a shot fired by him, nothing detonated, tipped over, disturbed, mildly annoyed (Zhu doesn't count) or otherwise. The Boar-Wolf of Ealor simply fades into the brush with his new black market injectors and a sudden need to visit Manaan.
<<"Not even a knifing on the way out.">>
<<"We're being paid for stealth...">> Hadrix rumbles back over his and Gripper's private comms.
[ Cora Das (Cora)]
Oh. Right. They're acting. Cora Das' nose scrunches as she legs it with Kohnner (butt first, if you're curious) bouncing on her shoulder. She squints up at Yan's method acting and decides to give it her best. "Long life Thyferra!" she shouts, holding her dagger up above her head for extra dramatic emphasis. Is anyone believing them? I mean, probably. Who else but poorly-trained, inadequately-informed rebels would charge head first into a Bacta transport caravan, get all shot up to Hell, and then have the gall to pontificate while making an awkward retreat?
You'd have to be some kind of inept moron, Zhu Yan.
<<"That could have gone better.">>
Cora Das states the obvious.
