Ask Nar Shaddaa Biohazard

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gram shook his cloak vigorously as the Mandalorian turned to address them both. The Vahla, for his part, was absolutely taken by cleaning his attire. When it became obvious that was impossible, he took the draping off and hurled it to the ground - leaving only his basic robes beneath. It seemed the Hunter, or perhaps a mercenary, both knew and was on good terms with the woman - returning her datapad. His comment about scrubbing his armor elicited a chuckle. The woman, whom the Mandalorian had called Dala, thanked them both for their efforts.

While the woman was cleaning herself, Gram took the opportunity to collect his Halberd and re-sling it across his body, attaching the clips to both sides of the weapon. Still, his eyes scanned the background, making sure they weren’t about to encounter a second prize fight.

“There might be a second variant, yes. But you won’t come up with any solutions without isolating the original strains.”

The girl then knelt and took a sample, as though her mind had already reached the conclusion that Gram had spoken out loud. Now was a time for him to consider the benefits of aiding these beings, or returning to Kashyyyk posthaste to continue planning a potential rescue mission. Weighing the AMS virus was easy enough - it was just as dangerous as any warring Sith, and given the circumstances, the Vahla was obligated to address it if possible.

“If we can locate the Sith, or access information on nature of their experiments, we might be able to counter this disease in some manner.”

The shriek sounded from the darkness, perhaps further into the lab, perhaps out in the streets. Seemingly in response to the roar, another Mandalorian stepped down from the shadows. The Mystic simply unclipped his lightsaber and kept it deactivated yet on hand, angling himself so he could watch the newcomer.

“...the more the merrier. Apparently.”

The Vahla’s eyebrow raised slightly, looking over this new warrior before looking back at his newfound allies.

@Charndley @Rhogar @Kell Rook

 

[Akalenedat]

Kell looked more nervous than he did a threat. His grip tightened on his EE-3 but he kept it pointed to the ground.
“Thank you. I just want to get out of here, though I can be of some use to you if you think you need it. I’m ready to serve.” He said in a mature kiwi accent. This place did give him the creeps, but if these guys needed...samples, was it? He’d be more than happy to offer his assistance.

“You may call me Arbalest.” He inclined his head respectfully towards the group. Kell wondered if they were all as scared as he was. His fear was marginal and wouldn’t effect his skills as a warrior, but still. Nar Shadda was not somewhere he would consider a “Happy Place”. He was used to hunting in the dark, but not being hunted in the dark himself.

These...creatures that lurked around the horror-themed corridors sent chills down his back. Nothing did that to Kell Rook- except for, well, you know.

“Um...they likesound. And light. Or I think they do. So, I’ve been trying to shoot my blasters as little as possible...because they create a lot of both.” Arbalest motioned to his arsenal that was strapped around him. Along with his EE-3 he carried two Westar-35s, both holstered at his hips, and an E-11S was sling over his left shoulder.

“Where do you need me?”

@Aurius

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

Yeah, so Tal had came in, rescued the girl, saved the datapad, and felt like an absolute rockstar. Now she wanted more samples? Damn, so more nerd osik. Well, she was a Jedi and nerd osik was, in fact, their forte just like Force osik. He'd crouch beside Nara, hand extended for the tubes. "I'll take the samples. Just point out what ya need. I can actually just power hose mine clean, you'll need to incinerate whatever you're wearing." He'd pull his own dagger to collect the samples, kriff Jedi were some sicko's.

Then he heard some boots and he was more than ready to throw the infected dagger at the newcomer, the only thing not keeping him from doing so was the somewhat less than confident voice. "Sure, welcome to the party, kid." It wasn't the first Tal had seen or fought these things and it was far from the last time. "Arbalest, huh? So we're using our fake names." he'd tease as he collected another sample. With that second shriek, one thing would become abundantly clear: It was going to be a -long- night.

@Charndley @Aurius @Kell Rook

 

[Juniper]

The newcomer seemed to float out of nowhere, but the more living the better at the minute. She passed a few sample tubes to the helpful Mandalorian... though not all of them. The attempted theft of her datapad made her slightly paranoid about her research. The more samples she kept to herself, the better. "Thanks."

Standing, she addressed the man with the halberd first. He had the right idea, even if the information was out of date. "The Sith who ran this place died a while back. I was there. His lab was buried, some seismic activity or explosives, I never did find out." Thinking back to that crapshoot day wasn't something she liked to do very often. "But there may be information left over. Old viral samples. Genetic maps. Anything on a computer."

She turned and looked towards the dark hallway, filled with unknown horrors.

"There's only one way to go to get them," Nara said, rising to her feet. What samples she'd gathered went into her bag as she placed her saber hilt in her palm. Taking a breath, she stepped towards the darkness. Her boots squeaked on the gore-soaked floor.

"I could probably use a couple of blasters as back up," she said over her shoulder as she lit her saber again, the darkness retreating into familiar blue light. Scratched, clawed and damaged walls framing what was once filled with screens and equipment. Twisted coils of rotten flesh stretched across them like tendrils.

"Keep close, don't panic," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

@Aurius @Kell Rook @Rhogar

 

[Akalenedat]

“Holy cotton socks...” Kell muttered to himself as he watched Nara ignite her lightsaber. “Did you not hear what I just said?” Arbalest said in a hoarse whisper. Probably shouldn’t worry too much, actually. She’s a Jedi, I think.

The Mandalorian glanced at the other Mandalorian who seemed to be helping the apparent Jedi. What Clan was he from? Arbalest didn’t recognize any markings or distinct armor coloring. Kell’s was blue and dark grey- like most other Visla Clan members. He even had the ol’ yellow Visla Death Watch symbol on his shoulder plates.

Kell didn’t worry much about the other Clans as long as they weren’t hurting his own Clan. Though Kell Rook was indeed a Mandalorian, he had little interest in what most of his kin was into. Arbalest found that through his own service to the common people of the galaxy, the people he helped would remember a more heroic version of a Mandalorian rather than a mercenary with cool looking armor and jet packs.

Keep close, don’t panic. Arbalest was very okay with those orders. “I’ve got your backs.” He replied with unfettered certainty.

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

((I'm going to post to keep this thread going))

Tal would pack the samples away carefully and once they were in a nice locked container, he would pass them back to the woman. "Here. Got no interest in holding onto that osik." he'd say with a laugh. He gave his blasters a once over, as he stepped up beside her. "Lead on, though if we get swarmed, stay between me and the kid." he'd say to Nara, nodding his head to Arbalest as he said 'kid'. "Our armor will keep us safe. Rather not fight a forced out infected."

His gaze washed over the young Mandalorian. "Bold, wearing a terrorists sigil." Tal said with a nod of his head, as he stepped into the hall behind. "Walk at the rear, kid. Gods only know we'll get overrun from both sides." He'd then begin to whistle as he walked. They already knew they were there, he'd rather die comfortable rather than not.

@Charndley @Kell Rook

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gram stayed relatively silent as the Mandalorian’s deliberated over different possible causes for the infected to attack. The younger Mandalorian - an obvious guess based off of his uncertainty - seemed to deduce that noise and light were factors, and using blasters would only increase the likelihood of being overwhelmed. Likewise, by that logic, a lightsaber would stick out way too much. He was lucky enough to be in possession of his halberd - if only he had brought vibroswords instead of his own sabers.

To make matters worse, the woman explained that she had been present when the Sith and his laboratory had been decimated. So, the best source of information concerning the AMS virus - its possible creator - was gone and useless to them. Her recommendation of finding logs on some of the data pads and computer terminals was not poor, but far from certain to achieve results. The woman was entirely dry and accurate with her last point, there was only one way forward to their goal.

“She has no other weapons, Arbalest.”

The Vahla sighed, looking onwards into the darkness grimly. He heard the elder Mandalorian assign his kin to the rear, which meant the woman and himself would be taking up the lead for now. All the better, given the two beskar-clad warriors would be given birth to open fire as necessary, while he and the girl engaged the infected with melee attacks.

“If we do this properly, those things will never have the chance to surround us...”

Taking a brisk pace behind the azure bladed warrior, Gram calmly unslung his halberd, using it like a staff as they continued further into the unending dark. Though the Vahla could see some of the building through the darkness, most was obscured by it’s dark veil. The smell, however - the smell was distinct. Dank and moldy, with a putrid hint of rotting flesh wafting through the air. Enough of a warning for any save those brave or foolish. In an effort to break with some levity, the Vahla quietly addressed the human.

“So. I never got your name.”

@Kell Rook @Rhogar @Charndley
OOC: Nice. Sorry for the delay.

 

[Juniper]

"I heard you," Nara said to the newcomer, "I just chose to ignore your poor advice." Now wasn't the time to coddle people, not when the hordes of undead could be upon them any moment. The very fact that they'd need light to see seemed to lost on them... but oh well.

She took point with the halberd-wielder, leaving the two Mandalorians to bring up the rear. Moving slowly down the hallway, Nara took in what the blue light brought to their attention. More and more smears of gore. Twisted flesh. Almost like it'd shaped. Almost like it'd started to mutate.

Well... that's worrying.

"Hm? Oh. Nara," she replied, looking to the side for a second. She flashed him a small, quick smile before her attention turned to face ahead, checking for any sudden movements in the darkness. "Formerly of the Jedi Order, in case it wasn't obvious with the saber." Her voice in a quiet whisper, pausing for a second as she heard something in the distance. Stopping. Waiting. Just to be sure. "What about you?" she asked, only when she thought it was clear.

Bad idea.

Another noise. Something falling, like a box or a lamp. A little scuffling. Nara stood still, lowering her saber to a more defensive stance. A squelch. A squeal. A slam.

The pounding of myriad feet echoed ahead of them as the screams of the infected filled the abandoned facility.

"Get ready!" she yelled, though it wasn't really necessary. She waited, staring and ready, drawing on the Force to move quicker than quick, coiled and ready to strike. In an instant, the infected swarmed ahead. A wave of them, too dark to count, rushing towards them all.

Nara took a deep breath and slashed with her saber, the wide arc cutting through a mass of dead flesh, searing and sparking it in the gloom. Yet they still kept coming.

@Aurius @Rhogar @Kell Rook

 

[Akalenedat]

A former Jedi. Kell didn’t think you were aloud to leave the Order. Either Order. It would explain the lightsaber though. The Force was always a strange topic for Kell. He wasn’t Force sensitive- or at least he thought he wasn’t. His encampment on Ord Mantel didn’t seem to notice or care. He was glad he grew up a Mandalorian anyway.

The horrific sounds that came from a the horde broke his thoughts and snapped him back into the present. His breathing quickened along with his pulse as he jerked his EE-3 up to aim it down sights. He pivoted in one-eighty degrees to cover the back in case anything scary tried a stealth assault. If there wasn’t anything when the assault started, he’d help the others with wretched up front.

@Aurius @Rhogar @Charndley

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

Unlike the two Forcies, Tal doubted he and the other Mandalorian needed a night light, at least, he had a flashlight. But Nara was so insistent on leading the group, either out of fear of someone stealing the glory or out of necessity to be in the front, maybe a confidence issue. He didn't know, maybe she felt she needed to prove herself, especially after leaving the Order. Either way, the two squishbags in front of him would be the two last on the moon presently that he wanted to turn into flesh eaters. He'd break from his whistling just to speak up a bit. "So we got Arbalest, Nara, Halbuardo, that's what I'm gonna call ya.." he'd say to Gram. "And I'm Nakadr. Two Mandos, a grifter, and well.. you an exile or deserter?" he'd ask of Nara. "You dump them or they dump you? Either way, it has the makings of a great joke."

He would laugh a bit before taking up his whistling again, kriff was it going to be a long night. Or a short one, depending how many poor turns they take, either way he was with it. As Nara stopped, he stopped, the fact they assumed they could be stealthy at this point was all but comedy to him. Readying his DC-17x, he began to fire the moment the horde charged them.

"Kid! Rear!" he'd try to usher them somewhere with a chokepoint to make their current position a little defensible. That first clip was gone faster then you could say 'kriff nuggets', the bolts having ripped torsos and heads to pieces. There was no attempt to reload, he just dropped the rifle and let the sling catch it. "Break!" he'd shout to Nara and Gram, hoping they'd get the memo to make a small gap for him. Once they did, he'd fire his repulsor sending the infected swarming at the front sprawling, buying them a moments reprieve as well as valuable seconds.

@Kell Rook @Charndley @Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

So. A Knight of the Jedi Order. Former Knight, at least. Not surprising to find her here, then, risking herself to protect the sanctity of life. Nor was it terribly surprising to hear the elder Mandalorian quip at him. Something about “halberdo”. A colorful nickname, to say the least. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head at the Mandalorian’s nerve.

“I’ve heard better. Heard worse too.”

His attention was brought back to Nara as she asked him who and what he was. It was only a courtesy to answer, and he as fully prepared to do so - but the sound of clattering scenery and the distinct drum of feet on durasteel froze him. Temporarily.

“Name’s Gram.”

His answer was swift, and short - only his name for now. They’d have to wait for anything further. Nara roared to prepare, even as the Mandalorians began to raise their blasters. The former Jedi cleaved through one even as Gram pierced another through the abdomen, dropping it’s husk as abruptly as it emerged from the darkness. Using the back of his left leg’s cybernetics, Gram kicked the halberd’s butt with intense kinetic energy - punting it into the diseased skull of another.

Nakadr roared for an opening, prompting the Vahla to make a berth to the left of their formation, drawing upon the Force as he continued to retreat towards Arbalest. His plan was to allow the Mandalorian’s free reign to open fire, while bolstering their close range point defense. As he exhaled, the mystic send a wreath of flames across the ground, cutting a swathing half-circle around the group’s rear.

@Charndley @Kell Rook @Rhogar

 

[Juniper]

The horde came at them, surging like a swollen river of dead flesh. Howls of ravenous hunger died as the beasts were cut down, smashed or smashed with blaster bolts. But as each one fell, it seemed two more would rise up from the darkness to fill the place.

Nara heard the shout and mimicked Gale, moving to the right of her position to make an opening. The repulsor fire knocked back the rows of infected, sending the ones at the front into a tangled mess. A sprawling mass of confused, tangled limbs as they wrenched to try and free themselves.

With the rear covered by the curve of flames behind them, Nara stepped back, following Gale's movements. It wasn't long before the infected started to disentangle themselves and Nara watched. Just as the horde began to rush again, she concentrated hard. Breathed in. Focused on the energies around them, drawing on everything. Her elbow pulled back as she closed her fist.

With effort, she shoved hard through the Force. The wave crashed right into the creatures, tossing them like ragdolls. It thundered through the hallway, sending anything and everything in a crashing whirr. A few of the creatures smacked into walls and the ceiling, breaking bones and spraying foul, black blood on the rest of them.

"I'd shoot if I were you!" she yelled at the Mandolorians as she took a few deep, gasping breaths. As experienced as she was with the Force, sending out that powerful a blast could still knock the wind out of her.

@Kell Rook @Rhogar @Aurius

 

[Akalenedat]

Akalenedat opened fire with his EE-3 but found that they were quickly overwhelming them. The attacks both Gram and Nara preformed were amazing but didn’t seem to be enough to hold the horde at bay.

“Anyone call for some crowd control?” Kell spoke in a regal baritone and pulled out his lil grenade launcher. It didn’t look like much at first- until loaded the first slug.

Clunk- BOOM.
Reload. Clunk- BOOM.
Reload. Clunk- BOOM.

The three explosive slugs obliterated everything in its blast radius and seemed to be helping just a little bit more than his blaster rifle. “YEESS!” He roared after one got in his face which he soon bashed in the head, disabling it. He loaded one more slug and fired it, blowing a dozen more infected wretches, before he grabbed a small shiny sphere, armed it, wait three seconds, then threw it and watched the carnage. The onslaught continued and so did Kell’s offensive.

“We can push them! Hold the line!”

@Rhogar @Aurius @Charndley

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

They had begun to quickly go from nice stroll through the underground, to infected fight night. If he had a dating profile, Tal was sure both would be in the pro column.

After he had floored the infected, the Jedi then did the same, this extra time was much needed for Tal to reload his rifle.

That's when the complex began to shake from multiple explosions. "Kid!" He'd yell over the fighting. "Explosions and chemicals don't mi-" suddenly, the four of them would be thrown as one of the explosives reacted with a cabinet with some chemicals in it. The resulting shockwave would also level many of the infected.

Tal cursed as he was launched three meters, stopped only by hitting a pillar. The older Mandalorian would shake his head to clear the descending fog, gripping his rifle and firing and the infected. One hand would slide up the post as he steadied himself.

A small chemical fire would begin to burn, afflicting the infected first.

@Charndley @Kell Rook @Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Damn. Not bad.

Gram’s respect for Nara only grew as he watched the former Jedi unleash a kinetic attack that would have made his nickname, Gale, seem pale in comparison. Likewise, both Mandalorians began to turn the incoming wave into mulched flesh riddled with burnt plasma holes. It was at that moment when Arbalest began to fire his grenade launcher with devastating effect.

At first, the Vahla was onboard to push forward with the ally he had chosen to defend. Once again refocusing his connection through the Force, the Van Alasdaire intended to send bolts of flames from the wreath he had created into the oncoming foes. Unfortunately, as the elder clearly pointed out, explosions and chemicals were an altogether bad cocktail. Like clockwork, as the warning was mentioned, what appeared to be a durasteel container combusted, verdant green ripples of energy blasting a half-glow around the entire room. The sheer impact of the shockwave lifted Gram from his feet and sent him sprawling towards the adjacent wall.

“Krifff- Arggh!”

If it had not been for the fact that he was skilled in acrobatics, he would surely have careened into the wall with full force. Instead, he tucked himself into a tight knit ball. A simple flip allowed him to kick back off the wall, tumbling onto his side unceremoniously. As he rose back to his feet, he could not help but groan, groggy and uncomfortable. The threat, however, didn’t have a habit of ceasing to allow him recuperation.

“Form... form a square! N..now!”

A square, a diamond, a circle. Whatever they wanted to call it, the formation would allow them to cover all of their angles at the price of being surrounded. The infected would poke and prod at them, trying to force them to flee, but they needed to hold and move together. If their objective was to arrive at this laboratory and keep in intact, the grenades would also have to stop.

Igniting his purified inquisitor’s saber, activating disk mode and placing it in front of him. He didn’t typically utilize the gyroscopic spinning feature, but in this circumstance it was actually quite the advantage. The infected liked to lunge and attempt to grab and bite. Any attempt to do so now would result in being torn apart by a rotating blade of silver energy.

Moving to close the distance between himself, Arbalest, Nara and the others. Upon noticing the flames, Gram paused. If they were allowed to burn out of control, they might bring the entire place down overtop their heads. Or worse, leave them in several pieces. He had never attempted to manipulate a plasma fire before - but the Vahla saw no reason it would be any different than a supercharged flame.

As soon as they joined him, he would extend his left arm, free from his saber hilt, and begin to seep his energies within the combustion of the flames, spreading his perception to the nature of it’s spark. Volatile, both an equally heated and chemical reaction, difficult to separate entirely. Gram could redirect it, attempt to choke out it’s oxygen, or attempt to ground the charge powering the plasma. The former was easiest, for obvious reasons.

@Charndley @Kell Rook @Rhogar

 

[Juniper]

Nara was concentrating on the infected immediately in front of her, holding them back as they went in for another assault. All up until the first grenade sailed over them, exploding in the mass of infected. The floor shook. The walls cracked. Nara was about ready to turn and snatch that launcher off him before the explosion happened. Caught by surprise, she flew back and smacked into the wall, slumping to the ground.

Her head rang with the screeching tinnitus, vaguely aware of shouts and firing weapons around her. Her vision blurred, muddied and unfocused as she slowly came back round, noticing a formation starting to come together. Luckily, the infected had been thrown back just as much as they had been, keeping them at bay a little longer. As Nara scrambled to her feet, ears still ringing, she noticed the crumble of mortar and dirt from above. Peeking up, she saw it. The true horror of it.

A web of cracks, criss-crossing the surface above. More snaking across with each second. The structure of the lab had already been compromised once. The explosions had set it off again.

"We're running out of time!" Nara yelled as she moved into position, saber lit and ready. "This place isn't gonna hold very long, not with all this," she called out, slicing through a couple of infected that managed to jump towards her. A trickle of blood ran down from her matted hair, smearing on her pale skin.

"We've gotta push now, or we'll never get there and out in time!"

@Kell Rook @Rhogar @Aurius

 

[Akalenedat]

When Akalanedat regained consciousness after the explosion, he immediately got back to his feet which triggered sharp pain down his left leg. No matter. He’d live. Kell couldn’t allow himself to be a liability now, like Nara said, they had to push on.

He limped while walked- Kell was afraid wouldn’t be able to run. Once he was outside, however, his jetpack would do all the heavy lifting for him. He follows after the others and put away his grenade launcher, taking his EE-3 back into his hands and readied himself for another undead onslaught.

“Ready when you are.” He decided to watch everyone’s backs again after the stunt he just pulled.

@Rhogar @Aurius @Charndley

 

[Taldorak Trenessar]

Taldorak cursed to himself about the inexperience of youth. There would be time enough to dress down Arbalest, but it could wait. "I got an idea, but its not pretty!" Tal would yell over his blaster fire, expelling another empty clip before slamming a fresh one home. "Gram cracker and the human explosive here, hold the door. He can use the Force to keep the roof from collapsing and we need to secure our exit and the kid can pew pew. Nara and I make a push for what she needs. Spirit fingers keep the building from collapsing, tin men lay down fire."

He didn't wait for a confirmation. He would just move. His carbine would snap from left to right as he moved forward, the pain shooting through his spine and leg. Adrenaline would keep him moving but Kad was he gonna hurt like hell in the morning. Luckily for Tal, he had enough variety in his weapons that he didn't need to reload, he could sling and change.

He did not want to die underground in a lab with absolute strangers, that was the big fact that was keeping him moving.

@Kell Rook @Charndley @Aurius