Hutthouse Rock

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

The exterior of the Hutt safe house made the place appear to be a restaurant. There were clientele coming and going, mostly Hutt enforcers that could eat at the place free. As a result, the food there wasn’t the greatest, that tended to keep the locals away. There were certainly better places to eat in the Corellia sector of Nar Shaddaa. Local law enforcement tended to pass by this area as well without stopping, it was easier to let the Hutt boys’ police themselves than try and get involved. Especially for what they got paid.

The interior of the safe house was another matter entirely. There were multiple rooms where various prisoners of all types were being held. It was not a maximum-security setting, more like a town jail in comparison, but it did have locks, bars, cameras and doors. All these physical security measures were, in most cases, more than enough to keep their Hutt's unwilling guests there for the duration of their stay. Guards were there, and this would be the tricky part. These were some of Loobey’s better guards. They wore armor and had carbines and blasters. Many of these were vets of the Sith Civil war on other planets and they knew how to rock, and roll should it come to that.

According to Raubeek’s information, there should be nine guards at the faux jail. The manager of the restaurant and the head waiter were both guards and packing under their staff uniforms. The other seven guards were stationed within the jail itself and would be wearing armor and side arms. The entrance to the jail was through the kitchen in the back. There was a door leading into the kitchen and no guard there as many of the staff went out back to smoke and mingle on breaks. This would be their point of entry.

After leaving Raubeek’s place, Diocletian and Vu’thari had met back up with Cory and Arturo. The latter two having been watching the target for the last few hours. Dio had worked with Arturo a little bit more than Cory and had clan ties on his side in that relationship. Cory was the wife of Dio’s friend Malagith and that made her someone he trusted as well. He knew they would do their job in this to the best of their ability.

As soon as he and Vu’thari came within comm range of the other two, he called them in to the rendezvous behind the target. As he did so he was uploading the layout, plans and security codes to their data pads from the information he had been given by Raubeek. It would not be the hardest of situations, but it certainly would not be a cake run. They met on the second floor of an abandoned tenement behind the restaurant slash jail. Looking down from a window, Dio could see the open back door to the kitchen, the expected group of waitstaff and cooks smoking there.

Turning away from the window he smiled at his three friends, “Well we didn’t get all dressed up for nothing, anyone have any ideas?”

Diocletian was decked out in his beskar’gam and had his usual load out of bowcaster, shriek-hawk, strill blaster and vibroknife to go along with his usual compliment of grenades. He was a walking and talking arsenal and he knew it. He had a plan cooking in the back of his head that he had been formulating since they left the Trandoshans office but he still wanted to hear the recommendations of his friends before they hit the place.


@Mithias
@Kraken
@EmilyHuene

 

[Corrine Solus]

The mission was finally here. The boys were deadset on finding a new hideout slash workshop and to do that they planned on rescuing the son of their target garage's owner. If they could pull the kid out of Hutt estrangement then they'd have some leverage to deal with the owner and thus trade titles. They would have a place worthy of some real smuggling (as was the actual reasoning behind this upgrade) and the man would have a better place to live out his later years...with his son at his side of course.

They met just behind the establishment and were about as cloaked as any Mandalorian could be. Which meant they were kriffing invisible. That's what any real hunter was good at. They would come in and take out whatever force was in their way to complete their objective. The Hutts would never know what hit them.

As always, the troupe was dressed in Beskar'gam gear. Corrine Eldar's iron skin was red, to honor her family. She had her usual "Strill" blaster pistols on her hips, but she'd switched out her rifle for a new Westar-C1 blaster carbine. Hopefully this one would prove to be more effective than her previous "shriekhawk" which gave her so much trouble on Kashyyyk for the Life Day event.

In doing that little mission of theirs though, she got a rather bountiful reward. With all the coin they produced from selling off the Sith gear (and also the actual credits the men at the time had on them), Corrine was able to buy herself a fancy new upgrade: one wrist-mounted flamethrower. Corrine had wanted one of those bad boys for years. But with them being highly illegal, it wasn't something she wanted to go flashing around. But now they were at war. Literally. This wasn't just some bounty hunting mission. Ok, for them this was all just selfish gain anyways. But the Sith could attack at any moment! She wasn't about to get blindsided because her morality wanted her to obey some stupid law.

Crouching down beside Dio he'd ask the party if she were ready. Responding with a "thumbs-up" gesture she'd reply, "Bro, I was born ready! Let's kick some slime butt!"

Her voice was only slightly distorted due to her helmet over her head, but it was nothing the team of Mandalorian warriors wasn't used to. They lived and breathed for battle. Wearing the armor was no burden to them nor was wearing the helmet. They were ready for this. And Corrine was no exception.

 

[Vuthari]

Outside the “Hutt House”
Corellia Sector
Nar Shaddaa

He was out of place. In the early parts of his relationship with this tight group of Mandalorians, it would have bothered him. But now, it was just the way it was. Wearing dark, loose breeches and tunic, the twi’lek donned his armor that was smooth, free of attachments or anything else that would restrict his movement. His DH-7 was strapped down to his right thigh and making a rare appearance were a a double pair of grenades obtained from the Galactic Alliance. Within his small backpack, he opted to bring along a port scanner…just in case access became troublesome. Once again, this was a scenario where the Jedi did not carry his lightsaber. In fact, it was simply a rule—no lightsabers in Nar Shaddaa. It had kept him anonymous for five years—he was not about to start now. There were other subtle uses of the Force that would suffice just fine…

Aside from being very different than the appearance of the Mandalorians, he was dressed for mayhem. He gently put his headset in place, effectively tied in to the Mandalorians’ comlink system for ease of communication. To cap it all off, the twi’lek wore a loose, black hooded cloak that allowed Vu’thari to drape his lekku inside the cloak behind him, making it difficult to see from behind and far away from up close that he was indeed twi’lek. While he was not the only pink-skinned twi’lek on Nar Shaddaa, he did not want to make it any easier on his enemies or potential enemies…

The Jedi had studied the layout. Security was top-notch, but the Mandalorians were unphased. In fact, he was beginning to be unphased. His confidence in the Force was growing daily. At this point, he was quite sure he was where he was five years ago in his training…and close to eclipsing where he was. But in truth, he knew he needed more guidance. That was why he was hoping his next few forays out to discover lost Jedi sites might produce something really useful along that vein…like a holocron from a Jedi Master.

Putting those thoughts to the side, Vu’thari focused on the task at hand. He was going to let the Mandalorians run this operation. He would go along with their plan. But due to their garb, he knew their stealth was going to last for only so long before it got real ugly, real fast….

@Critas
@EmilyHuene
@Kraken

 

[Arturo Solus]

Arturo checked and rechecked his gear, going through the motions with mechanical ease. His weapons and armor were in good condition, as always. They had seen much use in the past few weeks; they were likely to see more before the day was out. Holstering his Shrill Blaster Pistol for what felt like the millionth time, he stood, sneaking a peek through the stained glass of the window. It was covered in a thin layer of dust, and Arturo had left it undisturbed for the duration of his reconnaissance, only now deciding to trace a line across the glass with his index. The gloved finger came away dirty. He wiped it away on his greaves.

They had been working up the nerve for a couple days now. Planning, preparing, setting some wheels in motion. Hells, Arturo had even taken the time to encourage some disillusioned workers to share what they knew of Hutt House -unfortunately, it was all rumor and hearsay- and all he'd had to do was buy them a drink or two. He was certain they didn't remember the conversation they'd had; the alcohol had done its work, and besides, folk round here disliked the Hutt. They wouldn't talk, and there was no way the cartel would find out until the raid was over, and the prisoner freed.

Anyways, Dio had already garnered the same information Arturo had from Raubeek. The Trandoshan probably knew more about the safe house/prison than the workers did, if not more. Besides, his interest in this operation was personal, as was Dio's and Vu'thari's. The talks were over, an agreement negotiated, though not yet secured. The time for action was on them, and Arturo would play his part, whatever that entailed.

He smiled as Cory said her piece, nodding to Dio as her words echoed through the derelict building. "None you haven't already thought of," he said, donning his helmet. He knuckled it twice -secure!- before snatching up his A-10 leant against the wall. "I do suggest, however, that we free all of the prisoners caged within. Make it look like a mass breakout. Hopefully, they'll distract the guards, and any reinforcements they call. We grab Raubeek's boy, and escape during the confusion."

Arturo looked out the window again. A lone Twi'lek -catering staff, I think- stood by the entrance to the kitchens, smoking a certain recreational something. Arturo turned to each of them, and then to Dio, holding his clansman's attention for a moment. I'm ready. The Twi'lek went back inside.

@Critas
@EmilyHuene
@Mithias

 

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

Diocletian still had his helmet off as he regarded each of the members of his team on this mission. It was important to him and to the future of his children to get this done. The mechanical shop and its credits were how he kept his family fed and how he funded his missions with his clan. It was crucial that this go off without a hitch and they were able to make the exchange to acquire the larger space. He knew the three arrayed before him would do their jobs, he just had to do his.

Pulling out his data pad, he transferred all of the information and codes to his compatriots. It also included his plan which he stated out loud for their benefit. “We will start with a distraction to clear the kitchens, Ill start a small but smoky fire outside. The open door should act as a chimney and pull the smoke inside the kitchen and cause the staff to exit. I will also hit the fire alarm to add to the confusion in the front of the restaurant. That is our in. The entrance to the holding cells is in the kitchen, just to the left after we enter. I will take point until we enter the kitchen.” He paused a moment to allow the first half of the plan to sink in.

“Once in the kitchen, Cory you take point with Arturo as backup, Vu’thari you take the three position with the electrocuffs just in case our Trandoshan friend is less than pleased to go with us. He is your baggage, make sure he is, if not comfortable, then at least mobile. I will then transfer to cover our six as we infiltrate. Cory, breach and clear the door to the basement and get us inside. You and Arturo pave the road, Vu’thari and I will handle any stragglers or side passages. The good part of this is it is a straight shot to our boy.” Another pause to ensure that they were all tracking with the plan before continuing.

“Once we have acquired our baggage we will move to the exit and release the rest of the prisoners to aid in covering our acquisitions exit. According to intel, we should have around ten guards to deal with inside. Do not hesitate, they will not. Loobey doesn’t use his second string here.”

After laying out the plan he started to move, making his way down the stairs in the side building and to the entrance that faced the rear of their target. He had some oily rags with him that would provide their fire, lots of smoke but little flame to worry about. It would ensure that the building did not actually catch on fire which could be a problem in itself. After waiting for the kitchen staff to finish their breaks and head back in, Dio quickly opened the door and moved across the alley.

Dropping into a crouch beside the entrance, he put the rags on top of the grease trap and set them a flame. After several heart beats the smoke started to feed into the open back door as predicted. Dio could hear the shouts start within the kitchen which was their cue to make entry. Dio raised his Shriek-Hawk up to the high ready and entered the kitchen. The kitchen was small, about ten meters by ten meters. There was a long row of burners and kitchen equipment to their immediate right and a large stainless-steel table in the center, covered with food in various stages of preparation. Their gambit had worked so far as it was clear of any personnel, as predicted they had fled from the smoke into the interior of the restaurant.

Dio entered the kitchen and set up to cover the entrance from the main restaurant to the kitchen. He knew there were two guards that acted as restaurant staff that would undoubtedly come looking for the source of the fire. He hit the fire alarm panel as he passed, causing its alarm to clang through the kitchen and restaurant. He settled in behind the large table and called the game, “Panel beside the door, code one, Vu’thari on code, Arturo and Cory breach and clear.”

They were in and the clock had started.

Guard Count: 9​

@Mithias
@Kraken
@EmilyHuene

 

[Vuthari]

“Hutt House”
Corellia Sector
Nar Shaddaa

Dio laid out the plan well enough. The plan was simple, utilizing a distraction clearing everyone out and then going in behind them. Vu’thari’s part had more to do with the prisoner: getting access to the prisoner and escorting the prisoner out. Dio began letting loose the smoke and it worked as planned. Staff members were quickly egressing the kitchen. Once everyone was gone from the kitchen, the four of them made their way in. Vu’thari breathed in and held his breath until it cleared. Coming in third, Vu’thari winded around the kitchen to the discrete cell door.

“Panel beside the door, code one, Vu’thari on code…”

Without wasting another moment, the twi’lek slid up to the door. Reaching over his head and into his backpack, he pulled out his port scanner. Quickly, the Jedi used his spanner at his hip and top the panel off. Stripping the wires from the assembly, Vu’thari hooked up his port scanner and began slicing the door. Plugging in the code he was given, the twi’lek heard the satisfying click of the maglock rescinding.

*CLICK*

With that, the door slid open with the twi’lek covering with his DH-7 Blaster Pistol…

Over the comlink, Vu'thari relayed to the Mandalorians, "We're in..."

@Critas
@EmilyHuene
@Kraken

 

[Arturo Solus]

Arturo hit the kitchens just after Vu'thari and Cory, slinging his A-10 over his right shoulder, a hand already pulling one of his Strill's clear of the holster. It was much more appropriate for close quarters work, and he kept it tucked close to his chest as they secured the room, his eyes darting from corner to corner. The air was overripe with the smell of dried sweat and cooked meats, and through his visor the overhead lights looked painstakingly bright, streaks of white light cutting the smoke that danced across the small room's ceiling. Arturo scrunched up his face; a wave of claustrophobia clouded his senses, washing over him in the blink of an eye. Then, it was gone, replaced by the need to focus.

He stacked up on the opposite side from Cory as they took up position by the door leading to the cells. He watched Vu'thari work as he did, every now and then checking the exit they'd entered through, and a second door that led further into the building. He counted the seconds as they ticked by, wanting to make Vu'thari hurry, knowing it was best to just let the man work. He almost didn't hear the locks click open over the blaring alarm, and before he knew it, he was following Cory through the door as it slid open, not sure what waited for him on the other side.

Motion registered first, then the wail of a blaster pistol as a bolt sizzled past his ear, striking sparks from the door frame as it passed. He reacted on instinct, and blind rage, already falling into a firing stance by the time he realized that a Weequay had tried to waste him. Too bad he missed. The guard fired again, and this time Arturo retaliated, two quick shots, both aimed at the Weequay's head as the alien's second bolt whizzed by, missing by only a couple inches.

The tracker was already turning before he saw the Weequay's head disappear in a fine mist, blood, gristle and brain matter splattering the wall as the body crumpled. A second alien stirred to his left, and Arturo shifted, fast. Green skin, reptilian, carbine-- Arturo inverted his grip on the Strill, lashing out as his offhand dragged the carbine's barrel aside. His opponent's weapon discharged, again and again, his foe panicking. He used the confusion, slamming his pistol into the side of the Rodian's head, striking a second time, and a third. He didn't stop until the guard went down under the torrent of blows, his face pulped and battered. A single shot did for him, and Arturo called it Mercy.

There were two offshoots in the room, one to either side, and Arturo tried to collect himself as his heart raged, pumping adrenaline. The holding cells, most like. Arturo looked to Cory, oblivious to the mess they'd made of the guard room and its furnishings. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then strode left.

"C, go right! Find the boy!" He called over his shoulder, hoping she heard as row upon row of durasteel and concrete drifted into view.

@EmilyHuene
@Critas
@Mithias

 

[Corrine Solus]

Arturo had a wonderful idea. Free the other prisoners. Oh it was a perfect jail break. That way nothing came back on them, on the father, or on Mandalorians in general. Well there wasn't any way to guarantee that last part. But it was still a good plan. She looked out across the gap and took another look at what was going down. She was ready.

The plan was simple, but would require teamwork. A fire in the kitchen: that was Dio's job. Same for the fire alarm to make sure everyone inside was good and confused. Once panic ensued the group would rush in and split. Her target was to the left and she was in charge -along with Arturo- to make sure no one came to bother them. Then....something she was dying to do. She got to do the breach. Oh how she hoped to use explosives. She was shaking with anticipation.

And just like that they were off. A well-oiled team of elite killers. And one Twi'lek. Corrine held her Westar in her arms and ran with her team. Dio would enter first. Corrine stayed behind across the street and tapped her fingers in rhythm on the edge of her gun. It was something she liked to do with her fingernails, but since she was wearing gauntlets/gloves it didn't have the same effect. Every second after that, every succession of her fingers, felt like eternity. Waiting was the worst part.

Then came the screams. Corrine bolted. This was it! Here we go! She came in and checked her corners for baddies. Clear. Clear. So far so good. Now they just needed Vu'thari to break the code and she'd really start to have her fun for the evening. She let him pass and got up behind him. Her boot thumped rapidly on the ground in excitement. Click. It was open. Not at all sorry for herself, she practically shoved Vu'thari out of the way so she could run through. It was for his safety afterall. Didn't want the poor guy getting shot in that getup.

A good thing too because blaster fire rippled toward them. Arturo fired blindly into the opening. She followed suit just for the fun of it. Her bolts stuck the body of the Weequay though his head was quite gone by this point. Arturo then focused on a Rodian while Corrine moved past to check the rest of the hall. Clear. She spun and checked the other side. Clear.

Behind her Arturo instructed her to move to the right. While any other day she would have protested and stood up for herself, saying something along the lines of No one tells me what to do, while in combat she was part of this team and would follow action with obedience. It was just second thought. Second nature.

"Vu-vu! With me"

Corrine focused her attention forward and moved into the offshoot. She turned a corner and noted rather quickly a rather startled and confused guard holding his gun toward her. His hesitation was his downfall. Her finger was already on the trigger and she was shooting to kill. The blast hit him square in the chest and his torso practically ripped apart as guts splattered the walls. Juicy. The man, if you could call one of those ugly pig things a man (hell...it could have been a woman; Corrine didn't know), fell to the ground with a thud.

Corrine didn't even need to check if the pig was dead. There was...literally no way he could be. She'd then hold up her arm and motion for Vu'thari to enter. Assuming he was actually behind her. She hadn't checked. Corrine went to the downed guard and double-checked his person for any keys or weapons. Nothing she liked. Standing back up she looked into the cell for their assignment. All accounted for. He seemed a little scared...rightfully so.

 

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

Diocletian watched the main entrance from the restaurant to the kitchen from cover. He had slid a large freezer beside the steel table in the middle of the room, creating a hard point from which to cover the rest of the team. He heard the door slide open behind him and could feel the heat of the kitchen escape into the hallway of the secret lair under the restaurant. The sound of blasters echoed from the hallway as the battle in the holding cells commenced in earnest.

Shouting of orders came from the front room of the restaurant, bringing Dio’s full attention back to the doorway from that area into the kitchen. Two rough looking men shouldered through the doorway, both had a blaster pistol in their fist as they ran to see what the disturbance in the kitchen was. Their haste would be the cause of their demise. Pushing their way through the door, they paused as they saw the door to the secret area was open and the kitchen equipment had been moved. Their gaze fell to the Shriek-Hawk that poked out from the improvised hard point just as it flashed twice, firing two shots that took each of the men in the chest.

Dio called over the joint comms with the rest of the crew, “Uninvited guests down, what is the status on the package?” Looking over at Vu he jerked his head towards the door to the jail just as Cory called for the twi’lek to join her. The twi’lek had done well so far and Dio knew he would handle their target with the kid gloves that would be required in that situation. The kid did not need to know who had sent them or even that anyone had. It would take a deft hand to convince the kid to put the binders on, but he knew Vu would be the one to do it if anyone could.

As Vu stood to leave the kitchen area, it left Dio alone and covering their escape. He adjusted his position to give him a better view of the kitchen as a whole while being able to keep an eye on the back door in case, they had company from an unknown entity. It was unlikely but stranger things had happened in the Underworld of Nar Shaddaa.

Dead Guard Count: 5 of 9​

@Mithias
@Kraken
@EmilyHuene

 

[Vuthari]

“Hutt House”
Corellia Sector
Nar Shaddaa

Once the door opened, the Mandalorians filed in quickly. It was a flurry of activity, blaster fire tied in with a bit of chaos. Cory pushed her way past Vu’thari and immediately behind her came Arturo. The pair quickly engaged the guards within the holding facility.

“Uninvited guests down, what is the status on the package?”

"Vu-vu! With me"

Falling in behind Cory, the twi’lek gripped his DH-7 Blaster pistol with both hands, looking down the sights as he quickly made his way into the prison facility. Inside the holding area, it was a simple rectangular space with four blast doors to either side and a simple door at the end of the corridor. The blast doors were solid durasteel, but there was a viewport on each door that had a sliding sheet of metal to either peek inside or obscure sight within. Closing his eyes, the Jedi only sensed three prisoners occupying the cells and all of them were along the left wall. Opening his eyes an instant later, Vu’thari skipped past to the second door on the right and slide the viewport open. A human male clad in a tattered tunic and breeches sat on his shoddy cot peering over to the viewport. The twi’lek closed the viewport back, moving to the next cell. Repeating the procedure, he looked inside the 3rd viewport on the left and saw a young twi’lek slave girl…barely a teenager. The Jedi’s heart sank…Vu’thari determined then and there that he would not leave her there. Garbed in a tattered top and panties, the young girl quickly ran up to the door pleading for help. He shut the viewport and moved to the next one.

Coming to the last blast door on the left, Vu’thari keyed it open. A young trandoshan was squatting against the wall with a murderous façade on his face. With a growl in the back of his throat, the boy rose to his full height and began stepping towards the Jedi. Even though the trandoshan was young, he was still just a couple of inches shorter than the 6’3” twi’lek. Bringing his hand up to stop the progress of the trandoshan, he reached out and said, “You are coming with us to meet your father…”

But the trandoshan was not a weak-minded teenager, the trandoshan growled and spoke in his broken Basic, “I will kill you, Hutt slave!” Vu’thari knew things had gone sideways with the boy and began weaving the Force into his left hand. The trandoshan did not seem to care that the twi’lek had a pistol in his right hand. Putting all his weight into the haymaker, Raubeek’s son spread his clawed fingers intent on ripping the face off of the Jedi. With a deft sidestep, Vu’thari ducked underneath the trandoshan, stepped into the teen and slapped his left hand on the forehead of the reptilian alien. As soon as the twi’lek’s fingers touched the temple of the trandoshan, he dropped like a sack of nuna legs to floor. Not wasting a second, Vu'thari grabbed Raubeek’s son by the arm and pulled the unconscious body over his shoulder, hefting the trandoshan up with him.

Exiting the cell with the unconscious trandoshan, he said over the comlink to the Mandalorians, “Package is out of commission. But I have him…and one of these prisoners is not staying here.”

As he walked towards the door, the punched the blast door to the young twi’lek’s cell. There was hope in her eyes as she looked up at Vu’thari. In Ryl, the twi’lek asked softly, “Do you have a place you can go?”

Her head bobbed quickly. Vu’thari nodded and said quickly, “Then go. Follow the smoke out before the guards return…”
She flashed Vu’thari an appreciative smile and sprinted through the door leading to the kitchen.

Coming across the comlink, he added, “There is a human in the 2nd cell on the left. Up to you whether to free him or not…”

The Jedi let the Force flow through him, allowing it to course through his limbs, aiding in his movement with the large trandoshan over his left shoulder. This allowed the twi'lek to keep his right hand free for his DH-7 in case of an emergency. Otherwise, the Mandalorians would have to do the "dirty work" if they encountered more opposition. Glancing down at his chronometer, they were ahead of schedule--at that was going for them...

@Critas
@EmilyHuene
@Kraken

 

[Arturo Solus]

He went left, and the other two went right, their footsteps already fading away as he suddenly found himself alone in enemy territory. Despite the relatively close proximity he had to his comrades, he could no longer count on someone having his back. The thought of being overwhelmed and his friends being none the wiser sent shivers down his spine, and caused emotions which he quickly suppressed, taking stock of the situation as he advanced down the offshoot, his boots thud-thudding along with his heart. There were cells on both sides in this hallway; thick, durasteel doors barred entry to them, pads by each and every one blinking red, requesting a keycard he didn't have.

There were slots in each of the doors, and Arturo wrenched one back, taking a brief look in side. He recoiled as a prisoner ran full pelt at the door, screaming obscenities in a language he didn't understand. The slot slammed home, and the guttural growling of the maddened creature in the first cell vanished, cut short by the soundproofed walls. Arturo cursed, continuing on down the hall, checking the cells as he went. The hallway ended in a sharp right turn, and Arturo was halfway to it when a noise from one of the cells made him pause.

One of the slots in a cell door to his left had been left open for some reason, and the tracker took a few steady steps towards it, eyeing both ends of the corridor as he did, his head swiveling. He could hear the faint, decidedly female sound of sobbing resonating from the opened slot and, out of the blue, Arturo found his skin prickling, the hairs standing on edge as Despair's tone triggered something within him. Something he thought he'd lost long ago: Pity. He almost didn't see the shadow as it wheeled around the corner, his periphery picking up the movement a touch late.

He threw himself flat as the carbine sounded, already shooting as the air above him flamed bright, bolt upon bolt whirring by, ricocheting as they struck durasteel. The shadow -a shadow wearing heavy armor, and toting enough firepower to level a city block- retreated behind the corner. Arturo found his feet, his mind going blank as he fired, each squeeze sending a bolt downrange, the corner where the shadow hid splaying apart as the bolts tore chunks from the concrete.

Then, the Strill blaster clicked. Empty.

---​

The shadow, seeing it's chance, slid like a serpent from cover, knowing and reveling in the fact that he had his foe dead to rights. The shadow's name was Fov Nasked, and he clutched his Gladius tight, already sighting down on that kriffing human invader, the one who'd killed his brother a few moments before. Fov wasn't sure what to feel as the target's chest filled his sights, other than elation at the prospect of vengeance. Then a bolt from the second Strill caught him between the eyes, and everything went black.

---​

Arturo watched as the second Weequay toppled, his ticket thoroughly punched. The Strill -his reserve pistol- smoked profusely in his offhand, and he lowered it as he blinked away the fear that for the space of a whole second had racked his bones. Half a second slower and he would've been toast. He let out a breath, a deep exhale that accompanied the Weequay as it's death throes took hold. Damn you, damn you! Vu'thari's voice sounded over comms, and Arturo let out another breath, already pacing towards his fallen foe, a quick search relieving the corpse of a cred chit and a keycard.

He opened the doors as he went, shouting out a half-remembered dialect that he thought might pass for Huttese, hastening the prisoners from their cells.

"Doptkee! Doptkee! Yoieu doi wata ateema!"

@EmilyHuene
@Critas
@Mithias

 

[Corrine Solus]

Corrine would patiently -for now- watch as Vu'thari checked the cells. He was quick to move about one by one which is why she didn't lecture him to get a move on it. She heard the cries of the girl from the second cell, but she didn't get a good look at her. She did think it a little cold he just slammed the viewport in her face though. Oh well. The mission came first. She could respect his choice in that matter. He'd then open the last door showing their Trandoshan target. The boy was tall, and intimidating because of it. Corrine couldn't help but keep her blaster at the ready. And a good thing too because he raised his hand to strike at Vu'thari. Her gun snapped to attention and her finger pressed against the blaster. Killing him would not do them any good. But a bullet wound to the shoulder wouldn't kill him.

But then Vu'thari did something she did not expect. He dodged easily enough of the angered teen. But then with his hand placed it upon the forehead of the kid and fell to the floor unconscious. Now Corrine knew several methods of hand to hand combat. She even knew ways to hit pressure points in just the right way so someone would fall asleep. But she didn't know a single way someone could just do it with nothing but a touch. It was a good thing he couldn't see past her visor else he'd see a very suspicious face.

Vu'thari would start to pull his catch out of the cell and Corrine lowered her weapon. He'd then relay to the rest of their group that he'd succeeded in his task. Perhaps he forgot they planned on having all of the prisoners escape, not just their target. He would free the woman in the second cell which was now apparent to Corrine that he'd saved a Twi'lek. Of course. She figured he'd have a soft spot for his own kind. Then another surprise came to her as he seemingly lifted the boy up with one arm and slung him over his shoulder. She hadn't pegged him to have that sort of strength. But it was happening right before her eyes. She'd have to ask Malagith about what she was seeing to be sure...but something was very different about this Twi'lek than she had previous realized.

Corrine would open the door to the last cell and motion for the human to get moving, "Hurry. Get out of here and don't look back"

The human darted past her without so much as a second glance. Corrine would follow after and turn to the other hall which Arturo had gone. She stepped around the corner and ducked back in one slick movement to merely see what was around the other side. It was part of her training to never take for granted what might be lying in wait on the other side. Seeing it was clear, she moved back into the hall and saw Arturo standing outside one of the cells. She didn't try to approach him as she was in his blind spot and didn't want him turning around thinking she an enemy. That was all she needed: to get shot by her own brethren.

"What's the holdup here? Are you letting them out or not?"

 

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

Diocletian had remained in the kitchen, trusting the rest of his team to do their jobs in the secret prison. The initial threat from outside had been neutralized but he had a feeling that it was not the only threat they would receive from outside. Murphy’s law had a way of raising its ugly head in more than one occasion. So, he remained hunkered down in the kitchen, eyes on the entrance from the street as well as from the main restaurant proper.

As predicted, Dio started to hear hushed whispering from just outside the door leading to the alley. He was not sure of the identity of these inquisitive souls. They could just be passersby who heard the shooting and were looking to pick at a dead corpse. They could be law enforcement who just happened to be nearby. Whoever they were, Dio was not about to move around and give away his position of ambush in the kitchen.

Sighting in over the top of his Shriek-Hawk, Dio watched the doorway as three thugs came in with blaster pistols. They were stacked up and moving fairly well for Hutt enforcers, Dio was impressed and briefly wondered if they had been trained on Mandalore. It didn’t really matter in the big picture of things as they had missed rule number one, always check your corners. Dio fired three times at just under 6 meters with his weapon. The first took the lead hood in the head, dropping him immediately. The second took the third man in the stack in the chest as he turned to face Dio and fire.

The last of the three raised his hands above his head and shouted for Dio not to shoot. “Don’t shoot kriff it, don’t shoot! I give up!” The man said as he dropped his blaster to the floor. Dio’s bottom lip became a single line as he pursed his lips, they couldn’t afford prisoners or witnesses in this situation. That was the last heartbeat the man ever felt as the third bolt from Dio struck him in the face and killed him where he stood, his body slowly toppling to the floor.

Over the shared communications Dio said, “The natives are getting restless up here. Any ETA on junior? We need to exfil.” Dio walked over and took the three R5 Blasters from the bodies of the fallen hoods. Quickly he looked out into the alley and saw that it was all clear, for now. He decided to take up position in the doorway, keeping his eyes on the entrance from the restaurant and the alley at once. That last group had almost snuck up on him and he did not want it to happen again.

Dead Guard Count : 9 of 9​

@Mithias
@Kraken
@EmilyHuene

 

[Arturo Solus]

Arturo stared through the slot in the cell door, his mind cycling from one idea to another, unsure on what to do with the last prisoner. It was the man from before, a Zabrak, crazed by bloodlust or way too long in confinement, or something else entirely. Arturo couldn't tell. The thought had popped into his head as he'd been opening the cells, one by one. What if there's a reason the Hutta had these people locked up? It was only a passing thought, but it had drawn him up short all the same and now, looking at the Zabrak talk to himself, the thought returned.

The alien with the ruby-red skin, weird tattoos and horns wasn't the first prisoner to unsettle Arturo; from the very beginning, the other prisoners had set off a warning siren in his head. They were all so different, and yet so similar to one another. They all had the same air about them, the same manner with which they carried themselves, the same characteristic ticks that Arturo had seen time and again in Nar Shaddaa. These were criminals, no doubt about it. The fact that, once released, a prisoner had ignored his words and made a move for the fallen carbine should've put him onto it sooner. How did I miss this? He thought, eyeing the Zabrak, distracted by the numerous incisions marring the alien's rouge skin. Kill tallies...kriffing hell!

A voice snapped him out of his trance, and Arturo turned to see Cory waiting for him at the end of the hall. He shook his head, chancing one last glance at the caged monster; it stared back at him, and smiled a shark-toothed smile as he slammed the little porthole closed. "Not all of them, no." He answered Cory, jogging up to her, thumping her armored shoulder as he passed in a gentle show of respect. "Let's boogie." Arturo said, heading straight for the secret door to the kitchens with nary a look back.

"Dio, we're coming out!" He called, stepping out into the kitchen with a Strill angled towards the Hutt House proper. He noticed the bodies first, and smelt smoke on the breeze, blinking away the need to scrunch up his nose. I just raided a hive of scum and villiany to rescue some lowlife's kid, he thought, waiting for Vu'thari and Cory to pass him before backing up towards the door they'd entered through. And now I just sicked a bunch of killers, thieves and monsters on the innocent people of Nar Shaddaa. He frowned, knowing that his actions may have consequences he couldn't possibly foresee. Then, as if on cue, he realized that there were no innocents to speak of in Nar Shaddaa, and the idea that he'd just given the Hutt a headache made him smile wanly.

The smile faded as they stepped outside.

@Mithias
@EmilyHuene
@Critas

 

[Vuthari]

“Hutt House”
Corellia Sector
Nar Shaddaa

“The natives are getting restless up here. Any ETA on junior? We need to exfil.”

“Exiting.”

Vu’thari carried the trandoshan over his left shoulder with his blaster pistol out in his left. The twi’lek followed Cory out, past Arturo through the kitchen and back out into the night. The alley was quiet, at least for Nar Shaddaa. Seeing that Dio was covering his progress, Vu’thari continued down the alley to a spot further along, away from the restaurant. Their speeders were nestled in an alley across the thoroughfare down the street a bit, peaking around the corner to lay eyes on them, it was just a matter of…

“Kriff…”

The twi’lek spoke into the shared comlink network as he sidled up closer against the wall in the darkened alley. Looking down the walkway, a full squad of heavily armed Imperial Hutta soldiers looked to be on alert at the entrance to the alley where their speeders were. While the sentries did not look like they were specifically guarding their speeders, they just picked a location where they could respond to unrest. It seemed they were looking for something…or some group. Reaching out, the Jedi could sense the state of alertness…as if they were waiting on something.

Coming across the comlink, Vu’thari shared, “We are not getting ‘Junior’ out the way we came in. An Imperial Hutta Response team has camped out right in the middle of our path to escape. I do not think they are the only response team nearby either. They must be waiting on our blaster shots to pin down where all the blaster fire was coming from…thoughts Dio?”

@Critas
@EmilyHuene
@Kraken

 

[Corrine Solus]

Arturo for whatever reason was electing to not free all of the prisoners which had been their previous plan. She was sure he had his reason and didn't even second guess her brother. He'd give her a friendly nudge on the shoulder and she'd nod her head in response. "After you, my brother," she replied and turned on her heel with a snap in the opposite direction as to follow Arturo.

Their acting commander as it were called over the comms to get an approximate timeframe of their escapade. Arturo responded for her. She was focused on making sure there were no sudden surprises waiting for them as they made their way back up to the kitchen. She trusted that the way would still be clear, but she could never be too sure. When she saw her other brother waiting in the other room she relaxed some. All was going according to plan. That was until they got outside

The group of them fled the kitchen and started to head for their speeders. Vu'thari noticed them first. A group of Imperial Hutta soldiers just ready to try their guns on the Mandalorians. Luckily they hadn't spotted them yet or bothered to head to the restaurant they were coming out of. Corrine stopped and leaned herself against the wall behind a corner of a building. She peered out to get a better understanding of them. From what she could tell there were five of them in sight. But she had a feeling there might be more around.

"I see five," she'd say quietly. "Do we risk it?"

 

[Diocletian Solus]

Diocletian had waited for the group to emerge with their cargo from the depths of Loobey’s detention block. As they all emerged in one piece, he counted heads and then followed them out into the alley. The arrival of the Hutt soldiers did not really surprise Dio, they had been tearing up that restaurant at a pretty frantic pace and it was sure to draw attention eventually. He just had hoped that it would not be so soon and definitely not on top of their speeders.

Looking up and down the block, Dio pointed to several spots of cover and concealment. They did not need to sit for long, but they did not need to stand in the open alleyway for any Hutt sniper to start picking off. As the small group moved into cover, Dio started to weight their options. He knew they needed to get out of that area of the city as fast as possible. Eventually, their passenger was going to start asking questions and might even make a break for it. Dio wanted to avoid that at all costs, he knew Raubeek understood his son, but he might get angsty if they started shooting holes in him. Fathers were like that Dio had heard.

As he looked out at the buildings, the street, the passing speeders and bikes, he noticed his comm light blinking. Who in the kriff would be calling him right now? Dio considered if he should break the cardinal rule on a job like this and finally decided that it couldn’t hurt, it might just get them out of this jam.