Hoth - Grey Kestrel Down

[Alcmaeon]

Yep. Makework.

Sidrin was going to be a master of Sith makework. Keep the busybody acolyte tied up with pointless jobs, and he couldn't bother anybody else trying to get better at his job or accomplish anything. When he wasn't training, he was looking for work, or some way to distinguish himself. Now that he was Sith, being the gray man wasn't good any longer. He had to be better than the rest, or he would stay an acolyte until someone killed him. The only way the Draethos knew to get better, was to go out and do the job. Training only got you so far.

But so far the job was just search and rescue, intel gathering, security patrols. Not that he minded, he had and could do all those things well, but good god he was supposed to be off scragging Jedi, not humping snowballs looking for a wiped out scout craft.

At least he'd been issued a ship, if only for the mission, and with express instruction to return it unscathed.

The Icarus class hummed low over a glacier, in the capable hands of a droid. Sidrin could pilot most ground based speeders, and even small rock hopping drop ships, but he preferred to leave flight for the robots. His skills were better placed elsewhere, and he sat in the sensor suite, glancing at the screens when not lost in a meditative funk. His senses were elsewhere, reaching out beyond the Icarus to find... Anything really.

His comm channel flickered open, the droid at the helm contacting him, advising him he had an incoming message.

"Ah yes, that would be our babysitter." He'd been informed he wouldn't be undertaking this venture alone, and he could expect contact shortly after arrival. "Patch it through."

@Andrewza

 

[Andrewza]

Far above in polar a war levathian class corrvet, the "Black Nova" had a single craft leave its hanger. A CZ-ES01 shuttel in a mat black paint job. It blened n to space but it would stand out belllow in flight through the skies of Hoth. In side Mortem relaxed, her thick winter winter jacket not yet ziped up.


As the on board Droid Brain AI flew she could speak. "Ah helo solder boy, i heard you have been busy. But today is different, this time you have a real job. A privately contracted freighter was carring Khyber crystals when we lost contacted with it. We traced it to the Hoth system and think it crashed near by. Our mission, find the ship, recover tge crystals, find out tge cause of the crash and if need be insure there wont be a repeat."

She knew last time they met shee put ona act as a acoylit and wondered how long she could keep that act with him. Probably until he saw her ship.

 

[Alcmaeon]

His IFF picked up a return, and he immediately switched his focus in the force to that point. It was faint at first, but it began to grow stronger with proximity. He cued the limited firing controls to his console. Even a few weeks ago that much computer work would have been impossible for him, but since he had joined the Sith, a significant amount of his time had been devoted to learning computers, robotics, physics, and many other academic subjects he'd never had the time to brush up on. Had he not been expecting company, and sensed another presence in the force tainted by the darkside, he might have even let the computer obtain a lock, but he dismissed it almost immediately.

He recognized the voice.

Sidrin grunted, a huff of condensation expanding in the cold air of the cabin. He had also set the air recyclers to match conditions outside, the better to acclimate in case ground ops became necessary. It wasn't comfortable, but he'd dressed the part at least. He listened to her spiel, an eye raising. Kyber crystals? No wonder they'd sent Sith instead of normal Imperial troops. He sat up a little straighter, and began dancing his fingers across the inputs of his computer. This was a big boy mission after all, not just another make work.

"Copy. I'm sending you my scan data. Only a few hunting camps and some very old wrecks. I'll keep an eye and ear out however. Welcome to Hoth, kitty cat."

The last was a tongue in cheek response to the soldier boy crack. He nudged the droid to form up on her vector, whistling low as her ship appeared cleanly on his scanners. She had nice toys, he had to give her that, above and beyond what any Acolyte... He turned to the droid.

"I think I just called a full fledged Sith 'Kitty Cat.'"

Well, there were worse planets to die on.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem laughed at the quirk though not over coms, that would give him wrong ideas though she did alter her craft on a intercept course with his. Her small shuttle easily accelerating while passed the Icarus top speed. Soon the craft was in few as she sat back and let the droid brain AI fly. "Under stood, keep a note on those hunting sights they may of seen it go down. Remember the weather here can change fast covering and covering whole star destoyers over time, but the force can see through any thing. "

 

[Alcmaeon]

His acknowledging reply came back curt and clipped, appropriate from an acolyte to a superior, a military sounding affirmative. Even as he spoke however, he was working, his fingers rattling over control panels and maps. As her ship overtook his, he naturally had to admire the vessel. The thing had a nice arse to be sure, and flying along behind it gave him time to covet the smaller shuttle.

But there was something to be said for function. Several small probe droids dropped from their berths, humming towards the most promising of the camps to reccy the area before hand. He'd been covering this grid for some time now, and he was going to have to either land and undertake a more aggressive search, or enter a holding pattern and rely on the force.

Sidrin's training said the camps, and if the shuttle had crashed by foul play they would be the first stop, but his gut said to trust the force. He directed the droid to enter a slow orbit around a thoroughly cracked glacier, and began to focus inwards, probing some life into the hate and anger that lived there, if only to push his senses outwards.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem did not have the array of droids but she did have access to up to date sensor data and she too focused on the Glacier. The freighter could easly of hit it and smashed through the ice maybe falling in to some caven bellow. But For now she let Sidrin do most of the work as she had her shuttle enter in to formation with the Icuras. "Have you located any thing that looks promising?"

 

[Alcmaeon]

While it would take the droids some time to reach the settlements, and even more time to gather any data which may or may not be relevant, the glacier was a much more present source. His anger pulsed within him as he dug deep into all the things that pissed him off, using it to push the force into the ice below them, feeling. His irritation grew as he cast about, finding nothing initially, and tje icarus began to rattle slightly as the force boiled around him.

It was there.

He could feel it in his instincts, but where exactly. His mind hurtled over the surface of the ice, seeking the impact point. With a distant plume of snow, he found it. It was a small thing, considering where they were in relation, but the droid marked it.

Sidrin sat back in his chair, breathing heavily. It had taken a lot out of him. Something had rattled loose in the scrubbers, and the air was beginning to smell funky too.

"I have a breach in the ice some distance to our south. Coordinates relayed, I'm adjusting course."

 

[Andrewza]

"under stood"

Mortem her self let the force guide her though in this case she simply trusted Sidrin, there was no point in checking to ensure he ws correct. The forces want them to go there so they would. What the found she did not yet know

 

[Alcmaeon]

The Icarus made the trip in reasonable time, a wave of proximity scanners spraying light over the crater as they arrived and the ship circled the site menacingly. A small camp of scavengers scattered, running for speeders and local domesticated animals. The ventral blasters on the Icarus pulsed, turning most of the transports to slag and soup. It was unnecessary, there were less people than transports, so there would be scavengers in the crater still, but it was satisfying. He prompted the ship to settle on the north side, beside a large crack in the side of the crater that lead below.

Those denied transport were already running. They would likely freeze.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem landed her shuttel next to the Icuars. Her hatch opening before the ship even full landed. The cold blast of air taking her by surprise. Pulling her hood tight she walked to the location of the Icuras ramp. The scavengers where scattering now in to the wilderness though she though that death would probably be worse than if they just fought. Though she did hope no one found the crystals and removed them. Hope fully they could intergate a few of them.

 

[Alcmaeon]

Sidrin, ever the soldier, descended the landing ramp from his own ship with the ever present blaster carbine raised and sighted, sweeping his vectors as always. He didn't acknowledge Mortem initially, saving for a perceptible lowering of his blaster whenever it swept in her direction, taking it off a line that would put her under threat from it. Nothing appeared to challenge him, although he hadn't had a good fight in a long time. It was a little disappointing that they'd all ran.

He lowered the blaster, and banged his fist on the side of the Icarus. The shuttle hummed back into the air as he reached safe distance, and took up a holding pattern nearby. Air support. Always have air support. He turned and approached the human, lowering his head deferentially as he neared.

"I felt a ship somewhere below our current position, something about it called out to me." He gestured at the running scavengers and their destroyed egress. "There were more vehicles than passengers. Likely an advance party. Would you like me to take point?"

The crack in the side of the crater was an obvious opening to something. Hopefully the shuttle hadn't plummeted too far into the abyss below.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem watched him descend watching every way for threats. While impressive she did not see the need, the force would warn her of dangers and if it did not it was her time to join the darkness. "Mmmmm I think the rest are down bellow, try not to kill them all and I hope the crystals are still on the ship" Waving a hand she indicated for him to take point as she stuck her hands in to her pocket. "please lead the way and don't kill every one we may need to ask some questions, and asking the living is far better than asking the dead."

 

[Alcmaeon]

Though he was getting more in touch with the force every day, old habits refused to be broken. You always swept and cleared, having the force just added an extra element. If he died, it would not be with any degree of complacence. He was not yet resigned to oblivion, he would die fighting, regardless of his foe.

'I'll be sure to save at least one or two.'

In all honesty, scavengers were the least of his worries. He felt no urge to kill needlessly or without orders to do so. Directly at least, that those poor bastards were liable to freeze to death out here was their problem. Hence why he'd instructed his ship to take off. He didn't want to come back to a bunch of stowaways or a missing shuttle that didn't even belong to him.

As he descended the crater, accomplished by a rather graceless sliding on his backside, Sidrin marveled at the changes in himself. He got to choose who and what he killed now, to some extent. Before it was all orders this, and rules of engagement that. It was a nice change. He stacked up on the side of the crevice, letting the force flow out from him. It was almost with disdain he detected a pair of guards with murderous intent skulking just around the first bend.

'Two foot mobiles, hostile. I'm sorry I called you kitty cat by the way.'

"Hey you two, why don't you drop the blasters and come on up. Nobody needs to die today."

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem was sure that any body try to steal her ship would get a shock when the 2 HK droids activated. Though scavers lived long know when and who to scvange from. Her agility and grace did mean Mortem stayed up right during the decent but it was not gracefully still who cares "O yeah, you know cats bite and scratch faces, call me a cat again and I will act like one" then she burst out laughing as Sidrin called out to the two guards who responded by raising there guns before Mortem raised them by there necks through the force. "he said drop them not raise them, must I clean out those ears or remove them since you don't seem to be using them haaa haaaa"

 

[Alcmaeon]

'Is that a threat or a promise?'

Humor aside, there were more pressing matters at hand. He sensed the use of the force clearly, though he had also sensed their impromptu lynching. He chuckled, and moved quickly, crossing the crevasse and assuming cover just a few feet away. He reached out with the force, focusing on them, or rather their hands.

A more advanced and pacifistic Sith may have deftly plucked the weapons away from the scavengers. Personally, he preferred a more direct method. Bone splintered as he bore down on them, crushing their grip on tje weapons and rendering them incapable of holding the weapons. The screams would echo through the glacier, reminding the others to comply, shoukd they get uppity.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem smilled at the use of the force as he droped the two. As they gasped for air and quiverd in pain. Pulling the blasters away a devet flick from her blade sliced the two blasters in two. " we did not come here for them but to secure the cargo. Lets move on. Killing them will only mean we less likely to have others give up. Still we could just fight our way through ever one in side." as she said that she brandished her blade at them smiling. "Or we ignore these weak fools"

 

[Alcmaeon]

Sidrin paused over top of them as he passed, though he had alredy dismissed them as a threat. They were indeed a better asset to them alive than dead, provided they kept screaming. Psych warfare had not been his strongest method back in the day. Rather he preferred to leave that to the brains and jsut shoot the enemy till he died.

But now he was Sith. There were more factors to consider for one of his station.

The force quivered again, as he reached out and one by one broke the ankles of the scavengers.

'Hard to semd a message when the billboard walks off into the snow.'

He said it dispassionately, but there was a tinge in his voice. The Draethos was enjoying himself a little more than he should. He raised the carbine, and continued into the depths, probing ahead with the force.

 

[Andrewza]

Mortem chuckled at his comment "haaa they sure cant, let push forward and let the force guide you, it will show you the way even if you cant see it at first"

As they pushed forward the ship came in to few while most of what was a ship. It had hit with a fare amount of force and smashed through the ice above

"keep on your guard, a scared and frighten beast can still lash out if corned and do not think your self immortal, sith and jedi can fall just as easy to a blaster as a light sabre"

 

[Alcmaeon]

The Acolyte moved low, scanning everything ahead of him with his carbine to bear. He knew by now to trust his instincts, as that was often where the force showed its hand, and it seemed that they'd paid off, as he peered round a corner to sight a crashed freighter. He'd been feeling ahead with the force as they went, so he wasn't entirely surprised though.

He said nothing in response to Mortem. Reminding her that the last dead Jedi he'd seen had been killed by blaster fire, or that he'd been shooting at people since before she was born was as pointless as it was insubordinate. Instead, he reached out, using the irritation he felt at being second guessed to stir the dark side. Sidrin searched through the force, seeking signs of life beyond, waiting for someone to show themselves.