Open Kessel - Crude Fuel

[Novaron Rah]

​

Kessel, a world most would consider a blight on the galaxy at large with it’s notorious reputation for slavery and spice manufacturing, was finally in the sights of both the Jedi Order and the Free World Alliance. Better late than never, one might say…. Nova was not one such character. As the Cathar male stood behind the pilot who was responsible for bringing the shuttle in through the hazy brown atmosphere, his black lips curled backward in a nearly silent snarl. Even the mere thought of the conditions that the many slaves of this world had endured over the generations was enough to turn his stomach inside out, further amplified was the sensation when he recalled how it was never something to be reigned in. Not by the Old Republic or New and the Jedi had simply chosen to ignore it for centuries. Had the need for a foothold in the sector as well as a resource rich world not arisen from the current state of galactic affairs, would they even be here now? Likely not…

”We’re approaching the refinery now, you two,” the pilot hollered back, unaware that Nova was merely feet away from him. ”The sun is still a few hours from rising so you’ll at least have the cover of night to get you in there… Can’t say I envy you, though,”

”This is not a job for cowards, boy. Perhaps this is why you’ve only been assigned to fly the ship,” Nova growled in his gruff voice as he continued to stare ahead at the ship’s descent. It was never the Cathar’s intent to be rude but it always seemed to come naturally to the man; a trait he had acquired from his years of mercenary work before joining the Order. ”How close can you get us?”

”Farther, now,” the pilot joked with resentment of Nova’s previous comment. ”No, I’ll get you within a klick but I can’t risk coming in too close. The last thing anyone wants is those Pyke bastards flipping on their AA guns around all that coaxium,”

”Perhaps…” Nova stated plainly. ”I have high doubts that the Pykes would want to blow themselves to one of Kessel’s moons, either,” Turning from the pilot, the Cathar nodded to the partner he had been assigned from the FWA, Bast Emblai. He didn’t know much of the woman but she seemed an alright sort from the description he had been given. She was no stranger to serving alongside Jedi and was an accomplished detective before receiving a life altering injury. Nova, however, knew it was unwise to judge someone by their past and any type of disabilities they might have. After all, she would have faced and triumphed over hardships that many other’s would succumb too. ”I trust you are prepared for what is to come, girl?” Nova queried as he removed the brown cloak from his shoulders, dropping it at his feet. ”I am curious to see what the best of the Alliance has to offer,” Curling his black lips into a smirk, the Cathar placed his hand on the activation panel to drop the boarding ramp as the shuttle soared above the rocky surface below.

@Kestrel

 

[Bast Emblai]

The woman paced. Seven measured steps up and down the small cockpit. Well, perhaps it was more around twelve, but she did not want to draw too near to the pilot or the Jedi. After all, she knew neither. She could not help but be reminded of her shuttle to the outpost; Although the ship was different, the air of anticipation was almost identical. This was no small mission, nor one without significant danger. The Corellian detective was just that- not a fighter. Sure, she could fire a blaster accurately and pass combat training, but she took no joy from violence or fear. It drained her. The mess on Kessel was nothing new. The Pyke Syndicate effectively governed the planet. Slavery was rampant. Perhaps a decade before she would have been shaken, but Bast had seen the horrors of the galaxy: cold blooded murder and forced labor alike. It was as if her professional empathy had been calloused. One could only see a child in a cage so many times before it stopped being a surprise.

”We’re approaching the refinery now, you two. The sun is still a few hours from rising so you’ll at least have the cover of night to get you in there… Can’t say I envy you, though,” What was originally intended as a cordial smile of thanks shifted into a tight-lipped expression of surprise and then a wavering, half smile as her partner spoke. It was rather difficult to tell whether he had been joking, or he was simply in a sour mood. She supposed she would find out soon enough. From what she could gather, which was hardly much, he seemed rather stoic.

Unlike much of her work within the Sector Rangers, Bast’s partner had been chosen, or rather assigned, on what he could only assume was skill, rather than matched for efficiency and compatibility. Not that it would be an issue. He seemed nice enough. She simply rarely dealt with Jedi. This particular Cathar appeared to be sizing her up.

”I trust you are prepared for what is to come, girl?” Girl? Was that what he thought of her? Perhaps it was simply an expression she used. Nevertheless, the seasoned woman bristled and straightneed her cybernetic spine. She wondered if he knew about it. The accident was no secret, but generally was not discussed to preserve her reputation. Few thought a once paralyzed woman was worth working with.

“Of course, sir.“ A lean hand gestured to the blaster rifle across her back and the pistol at her hip. “And may I ask what you have to offer?”

Before he could respond, the pilot began to descend. The mission had begun.

@Tulos

 

[Novaron Rah]

A small smirk began to crease Nova's black lips as Bast indicated the weapons she had brought along for the mission. Of course, he too was armed with all the necessities he felt he would require. Both lightsabers were clipped firmly to his belt while his heavy blaster sat snug in the holster on his hip and his binocs were tucked in underneath the sash that was draped across his chest. Doubting he would need much more since he too had the Force at his side, the Cathar had also come to the conclusion that since they were about to make their way into a coaxium refinery, too much firepower was more a threat than a benefit. As he prepared to respond to the woman, the pilot called back to the pair.

"Game faces, you two! Send us the call when it's done and we'll send in a team to finish securing the facility! Good luck!"

Jumping to the ground, Nova landed flat footed and knelt forward to touch the surface with his left hand to brace his impact. While they were still a short distance from the refinery, it was brightly visible ahead of them and as he pulled the binocs from his sash, his survey of the area ahead displayed that at least their on-foot approach should be of little difficulty.

"Well, Miss Emblai, for better or worse," Nova stated coolly before starting to make his way towards the refinery. The pair needed to get closer to evaluate the defenses of the facility but it would not be long before they were directly in the middle of hostile forces. Nova was never once to mince words, small talk typically irritated the Cathar, but if the two were to infiltrate an enemy installation and secure it with minimal damage, they needed to co-operate to achieve their goals. "From what I've studied of the facility from orbital surveillance," Nova called to his partner as he walked. "This place is lined with two anti infantry canons at each of the two entrances and three AA guns along the ridge on the south. There is a maintenance shaft, however, underneath the aircraft defenses that may just be our path inside," Turning to look at the woman, Nova nodded his head curtly whilst never breaking stride. "Once inside... Well, who knows what's waiting for us..."

@Kestrel

 

[Bast Emblai]

Although he was cut off, it seemed Nova was well enough armed. Not one, but two lightsabers hung at his belt, glinting in the pale yellow light of the warm atmosphere. Having seen them in action previously, Bast had a healthy respect for the weapons. For any other galactic citizen, they would be ineffective, perhaps even downright dangerous to utilize in combat. However, the force allowed jedi to engage in closer proximity to their opponents. The former CorSec officer had no real conviction about the Jedi. To her, they seemed relatively peaceful. As long as they prevented rather than began conflict and did not meddle with politics, they were harmless. Some, perhaps, could even be considered good.

The woman smiled slightly at the memory of Haji, her young, carefree, force-wielding companion. The man opposite her appeared as if he could not be more different. There was no youthful glint in his eyes nor a good natured smile of contentment. Of course there was always some variety of personality within a trade, but having little experience with Jedi, the woman was surprised to find Nova neither a sage or a spry, enthusiastic knight. Still, he was her ally, and they must cooperate. It was not as if she was the typical Ranger, either.

As the ramp descended, a wall of humid, stifling air hit her, an uncomfortable contrast to the cool air of the ship. An orange-brown haze drifted from their target destination: the refinery. Bast slid her helmet on over tightly bunned hair, holding serious doubts the smog would pass industrial safety regulations on Coruscant. While the Jedi landed a graceful jump off the still-elevated ramp, his partner opted to slide off, hang on the edge, then dropping, her boots landing hard on the chalky soil.

With no hesitation, the Cathar cut directly to the plan, outline his research and suggesting a maintenance tunnel for access. It seemed a reasonable course of action, especially to escape notice for the time being. Bast’s own studies revealed that the second floor, accessible by two lifts or one locked stairwell, housed a control room that dictated power throughout the facility, as well as held a plethora of important operating systems.

“I’m impressed by your knowledge of the grounds. I was able to find some older blueprints on Coruscant by RayCorps detailing the structural equipment needed. That and a comm correspondence hotspot suggest there is a control room of sorts on the second floor. If the building follows the correct codes it should have atleast one emergency stairwell and two lifts for cargo. Perhaps we should try the stairwell first, as it is less likely we may run into a hostile.“ The voice held a slight metallic ring from the helmet.

Whatever his response, the woman would continue to plot dutifully along until the hatch was reached.

@Tulos

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra did not really want to be here, but her Master thought it would be good for her to "network" with syndicate members. He seemed to not mind them, but she could have been spending her time doing other things she would prefer such as reading or studying, or mapping the coordinates around magnetic anomalies in vacuums. So while he pranced around in his ancient armor, loading up on spice most likely, Lyra decided she would busy herself by looking at just exactly what this place was as she strolled through the refinery. Though before she had left, she heard her Master's words echoed in her mind.

Be sure to find Preef and get his autograph...

Lyra was uncertain if he was being serious; she could never tell and even more so with the helmet over his head. At least she knew what a Preef was, but she couldn't remember if he was a frog or a gecko though, just there was green, so she was seeking out everyone who may be greenish. She thought of course that being green would mean someone would stick out, but that seemed like it wasn't the case and it almost seemed like everyone was a little bit green around here. Although she was not having much luck finding this Preef, she did find a Wookiee who was called Konn and he claimed to know what this Preef smelled like. Seeing how she couldn't have any poorer luck beyond this Preef not being here, she would trust the nose of a Wookiee before her own green-gunslinger identification skills.

As they strolled together through the refinery, her own senses detected something that seemed out-of-place. She paused in her step, feeling it like a flicker as it snapped against her center and disappeared. Her lips pursed in thought and she glanced up at the Wookiee, "Forget Preef for a moment, I sense something..." she said turning on her heel, hoping the Wookiee would follow along in case she needed back up. Her hand fell onto the small of her back, resting atop of the saber hilt as she reached out deeper.

"There is someone here that should not be here."

@Faust Rex
@Tulos @Kestrel

 

[Konn]

Konn

Konn had met up with some sith woman who was looking for Preef. A man he had, had the pleasure of meeting. As well as the pleasure of meeting his boss. Konn had told Lyra he could help her find the Rodian. Although he wasn’t entirely sure how good her Shyriiwook was. She seemed to understand him. The 9 foot tall Wookiee followed her. She paused in her walking and the Wookiee stopped too. Looking down at the woman she mentioned something, someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. Konn took in the air around him. There were a few scents. The scent of dirt, the scent of sweat and oil and other workers and droids but nothing close which jumped out to him. Whatever she felt, it wasn’t close, at least not yet. Leaning down he got a whiff of Lyra and then rose, knowing her scent would be important. He didn’t want to confuse her smell for anyone else’s. “Nice perfume”. The Wookie purred quietly as he pulled his bowcaster off his shoulder and readied it. Following the sith closely he was ready to start blasting. It was always good to have a Wookiee. Even better to have an incredibly large and muscular Wookiee. Konn took in his surroundings and kept his ears primed for anyone whom may be approaching. Smelling the air again he didn’t catch anything different. “Where could they come from?”. He purred as he looked down at her, he didn’t particularly know anything about this mine. If there was trouble, it’d probably be big. Nobody attacks a coaxium mine without the intent to capture it.

@GABA @Kestrel @Tulos

​

 

[Novaron Rah]

Listening intently as Bast relayed what information she could provide, Nova nodded dutifully. He was not surprised, of course. She struck him as a woman who took her job seriously and if his intuitive read of her was correct, then the pair should triumph with relative ease over the poorly trained gangsters that would be staffing the refinery ahead. Considering the details of her report, Nova brought a hand to his chin, stroking the lengthy white fur that protruded downward.

"Hm, a control room, you say?" the Cathar repeated back to Bast calmly. "That opens a lot of doors for us, if you'd allow me the pun," Smirking at his own dry and bland humor, Nova looked ahead to the refinery when a sudden cold shiver shot down his spine and caused the smile to fade nearly immediately. The Force was speaking to him but, as it usually was in the current unrest of the galaxy, what it was trying to tell him remained clouded and that fact caused him a great deal of concern. Stopping for a moment, Nova held his hand out ahead of Bast to bring her to a halt before closing his eyes and reaching outward. Yet all he felt was... Nothing? No, he didn't believe that. Not in the slightest...

"Something unwanted is awaiting us, I believe," His black lips curling upwards to reveal the razor sharp teeth they covered and his eyes shot open once more, determination glowing behind the off white iris'. "Come, we must hurry..." Nova growled before picking up the pace, jogging towards their destination.

@Kestrel
@GABA @Faust Rex

 

[Bast Emblai]

As the small team drew closer to the hatch, Nova appeared to be increasingly more uneasy. Her experience analyzing behavior mostly applied to humans and humanoids, but the Cathar‘s expression was not completely foreign. The hair on his body was raised slightly and his feline eyes flicked around their surroundings, every inch of him alert. The woman herself felt no more uneasy than she had exiting the ship, but she did not possess ‘the force‘. However skeptical Bast was of Force user’s true intentions and mystical abilities, it was foolish to give them no merit. There was no reason to be suspicious of her comrade.

Bast fought the urge to roll her eyes at the pun, instead raising an eyebrow. The Jedi seemed sure of himself. Perhaps too sure. It was difficult to puzzle him out. Straightforward, but silly? She’d figure him out eventually. Seeing her guide had paused, the detective froze in place, not moving a muscle. Perhaps it was the tension she had carried since disembarking, but she was taking no chances. The two could have been traversing a field of land mines for all her caution.

For better or for worse, Nova confirmed the excess care was justified. At his full height, teeth bared, he looked animalistically formidable. There was intelligence behind his brute force, and that was what would make him dangerous. She could only hope their enemies would not match that.

A small patch of greenish-blue, damp moss outlined a square roughly 1 by 1 meters. Clearly, based on the water collection and rust, it had been a good while since the maintenance chart was used. The woman silently hoped the facility was well enough maintained to not collapse over their heads. Carefully opening the heavy door, she slipped gracefully down into the dark and switched on the low-light HUD display. water stains ran down the duracrete walls and the place smelled of mold. After the hatch had clanged shut once more, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “How close does it wait?”

@GABA
@Faust Rex
@Tulos

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The Wookiee questioned where they could be coming from and Lyra frowned. It felt like they were practically on top of it. It reminded the apprentice of a scratch she could not itch.

Perhaps it was nothing, however, that option just did not sit well with the young Sith and she glanced up at the Wookiee. "Lets just be vigilant-" Lyra paused seeing a Rodian coming toward them and she felt her heart beat a little faster, "Preef?" she questioned suddenly forgetting about the sickening feeling she was investigating; the Rodian gave the apprentice a puzzled look and started laughing that reminded the girl of a bike horn honk.

"/Stupid pink monkey./" the Rodian continued to laugh as he passed by the Wookiee and human. Frowning, Lyra knew she deserved that insult. The girl looked at the Wookiee and shrugged, she was certain Konn would have picked up the scent and should have sought his opinion before speaking first. Lyra let out a sigh.

"C'mon, lets go to the second level to see if there something going down that we're missing." suggested the acolyte as they headed to the stairwell. As dull as things were starting to become, Lyra noticed the increase of guards starting to fill the halls of the factory; their comm chatter busy as they spoke something about Jedi and Rangers being present. Lyra's eyes widened and she looked at Konn, feeling some relief she was not going crazy in the sensation she felt in the Force.

@Faust Rex
@Tulos @Kestrel

 

[Konn]

Konn

Konn nodded and followed Lyra, she asked if a Rodian was Preef without consulting him. No, that wouldn’t be Preef. Konn would have said if it was. The Rodian however was rude to Lyra. Angering Konn, he turned around and grabbed the Rodian by the back of the neck. Raising him up with his right hand he threw the defenceless guy against the wall.

“Watch who you talk rudely to next time Rodian!”

The Wookiee growled and snarled as he turned back around and followed Lyra. Again, following her up to the second level he listened over the comm chatter and gave a low growl of frustration. Jedi and rangers attacking Kessel? Here? At any rate, he’d have to make sure that the young Sith was okay.

“I think they won’t be expected a Wookiee and a sith in here. Maybe the Jedi can feel you through the force. But they wouldn’t expect me. Maybe you can try drawing them out with your force sense stuff and I’ll sneak from behind? Or we try finding where they’re coming from and I hold it shut.”

The Wookiee was throwing about some ideas, he waasn’t much of an ideas person, but he knew how to hunt and track something. Smelling the air again for any new scents, he got onto his knees to smell some more before standing up again with a frustrated growl. He had the faintest smell of a new human and something feline.
“I smell...I smell a human and a cat.”

The Wookiee said with a nod as they traversed the facility.

“They’re not close though, it’s only faint.”

@GABA @Kestrel @Tulos

​

 

[Novaron Rah]

As Bast opened the hatch that would drop the duo into the maintenance tunnels that weaved below the anti air cannons, Nova could not shake the feeling of darkness as it seeped through the refinery below like smoke in a burning building. Something was here, of that he held no further doubts. Not any longer. Dropping in beside his partner, the Cathar reached upward and called upon the force, flicking his wrist to seal the hatch behind them.

"Closer than I would like, to be sure," Nova growled as he scanned the dark tunnel ahead. Clearly sitting unutilized for an extended amount of time, the light fixtures that adorned the walls of the tunnel were mostly inactive save a few at intermittent points down the long corridor. Of course, the odd light fixture would briefly flicker to life before fading away once more, giving the environment the same ambience of a classic horror holo.

Unclipping his standard saber from his belt, the Cathar held it tightly in his grasp as he walked slowly, silently. Ahead, he could see a ladder that would likely bring them down into the main corridor system of the facility and, more likely than not, the potential of encountering the first forms of opposition the pair would meet.

"I shall take point, Miss Emblai," Nova stated plainly as he walked ahead of the woman, still leaving the lightsaber inactive in his hand. "Sword and shield maneuver, if you're aware? I'll drop down into the main corridor first and serve as our defense while you give that blaster a work out should we run into any Pyke footmen... Or worse,"

@Kestrel
@GABA @Faust Rex

 

[Bast Emblai]

Bast was no force user, but base instinct was beginning to kick in. Ranger training had instilled both a need for survival and a courage not taught to most civilians. The balance was delicate, and had to be trained into the woman much like her other learned skills. Instinct only went so far as to provide self preservation, and sometimes not even that. Self preservation was Not high on the list of desirable traits for a protector of the people, but then again, neither was foolish recklessness. Nevertheless, the back of her neck prickled and the hair on her arms rose.

The man’s observation only confirmed her suspicions. Perhaps it was her paranoia or the eerie surroundings, but the woman’s confidence was fading. The hall felt like one out of her nightmares- unfamiliar and never ending. The occasional flashing lights temporarily blinded her.

Finally a ladder appeared out of the looming darkness, allowing her partner to take the lead, she switched off the safety on her blaster. The rungs were cold, and climbing with one hand occupied and the other clammy with nervous sweat was more than a difficult task. It seemed the passage descended to a lower level, perhaps the first, or even a subterranean storage basement. As two boots quietly hit the ground, She motioned for him to advance, her blaster pistol ready and set to stun. One wrong move and she could blow them all to hell.

@Tulos
@GABA
@Faust Rex

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a creaking that reminded Lyra of a metal joint and the girl turned around, seeing a large Cather (@Tulos) and a feminine figure (@Kestrel) drop down from a metal hatch. The acolyte stood quietly, jaw agape, wondering if she may have inhaled some spice or had a contact high, they were on Kessel after all, but it was the oddest occurrence ever witnessed by the young Sith. She quickly noted the saber hilt in the paw of the cat and the other armored figure was certainly carrying a blaster, was there an infestation of Jedi and their friends? Like womprats when they get in your walls? Lyra glanced at her wookiee companion, her face contorted with confusion and bewilderment.

They stood in front of the doors leading to a stairwell that would take them to the second level; there was of course another exit in the corridor which led to another hall clearly with more foot traffic and it wouldn't be long before Pyke patrols completed another round. They would certainly hear any commotion created by sabers and blaster fire.

"I don't think you guys work here...so, you can just surrender or we can get more Pyke Pals come and force you to surrender." Lyra said coolly and ignited her saber. The blood red blade screamed and crackled, she was really hoping they would surrender since this was now putting a much unneeded delay in finding Preef for that autograph.

@Faust Rex

 

[Konn]

Konn

The 9 foot Wookiee turned around as Lyra did seeing the sector ranger and Cathar. He raised and readied his bowcaster, ready to blow the ranger out of existence with it. The Wookiee bore his teeth slightly and gave out a low growl as he watched the ranger woman and the Jedi. He wasn’t as surprised as Lyra though, nothing surprised the Wookiee much. Konn was actually quite excited that he could possibly partake in some violence if this ranger and Jedi didn’t surrender.

“Listen to the Sith...unless you want to leave with no arms”

Konn said fiercely to the Cathar and human, whether or not they could understand him didn’t matter. His mere tone would suggest what he meant. Especially given the reputation for his kind to rip off arms. The Wookiee held a tight grip around his bowcaster, his finger on the trigger ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Konn showed no quarter in combat, he was a fierce and vicious warrior.

@GABA @Kestrel @Tulos

​

 

[Novaron Rah]

As the pads of his feet touched down on the cool durasteel plating, the hairs on the back of Nova's neck suddenly shot upward. Not because the Force told him of the dangers in his area but by pure primal instinct, as though the generations of his family reached to him from the afterlife and reaffirmed his fears with a cool touch. It didn't take long before Bast had joined the Cathar on what would be the first floor of the facility and as he turned to scan the area, a young human girl and a giant Wookie came into view standing between them and the stairwell. Taking them in as his black lips curled upward to reveal his teeth once again, the expression of the young woman's face told him that she wasn't expecting them to arrive, or perhaps was caught off guard by their method of infiltration, while the Wookie seemed more prepared.

As the young woman requested their surrender, the cylinder of steel in her hand soon erupted with a crimson blade, the crackling hum filling the corridor.

"Sith..." Nova growled before igniting his own blue blade, giving off a far more consistent and low vibration. Disregarding the Wookie words, of which he could not understand anyway, the Cathar raised his blade upward at a forty five degree angle, directly ahead of himself and stepped ahead of the Ranger but was sure to leave enough room to his right side for her to get a clear shot on the pair. "It seems the Sith have thrown in with petty criminals..." Nova continued. "Or are you also not supposed to be here, girl?"

@Kestrel
@GABA @Faust Rex

 

[Bast Emblai]

Bast’s initial impression of the hall was not one that answered any questions. Nova had frozen, so she followed his lead barely breathing, just in time to catch sight of the posterior sides of a woman and a Wookie. It seemed a tad doubtful that they were Pykes. The woman spun around quickly, apparently equally as surprised to find her team their as she was to see theirs. The Wookie, however, seemed barely phased. Perhaps it was his attitude, but it was more likely he had some sort of experience or training. Being snuck up on would cause anyone a shock. Although both beings seemed at first on the defensive more than the offensive, the woman knew better than to let her guard down. There was only supposed to be one infiltration team, and she was on it.

The instinctual fear proved correct as the other woman, her hair glinting red in the light smirked coolly. Her obvious deduction was correct, but the others did not appear to be workers either, it was a flimsy argument. Unless Bast was mistaken, they would both be taken in for trespassing, therefore putting the four opponents at an impasse. “You yourself do not appear to be a Pyke either-“

A red blade erupted from a hilt previously unseen by the lieutenant. Ah. So she was a Sith. There were rumors of alliances between the Sith and syndicates, but this was the first indicative situation the woman had seen. With a light tap, she captured the image in front of her. If worst came to worst, the holopic could be taken from her helmet, and the criminals IDed and caught.

Her partner’s words only confirmed her guess, though the wookie did not appear to possess a lightsaber. She pushed back thoughts of her closest friend at death’s door from a single, Sith inflicted cut. But the fear of death was quickly overridden by adrenaline and discipline. Bracing her pistol with two hands so as to improve accuracy if there was kickback, she fired two quick bolts at the woman.

@GABA
@Tulos
@Faust Rex

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The acolyte's eyes flickered between the Jedi and the Ranger as they questioned her reasoning for being here an then promptly insulted her and Konn. They were a rude pair for certain who were clearly trespassing and Lyra did not think they had any leverage in this situation. The Ranger then raised her pistol and fired two shots at the acolyte who stepped forward, moving with one fluid motion to reflect the bolts back at both the Ranger and the Jedi. It was a move that she had done hundred of thousands of times in her training; she thought it was going to be more difficult than this.

The darkside crept like a slow heavy shadow from the girl. "Wrong move!" she hissed, knowing the trespassers were certainly caught on the security holos that were recording in the corridor, "Trespassing, and now deliberating firing your weapon outside your jurisdiction, tsk." Lyra scoffed, and threw out her palm, the energy of the Force bent to her will as it would collide with the Ranger, "Your other friends are gone." Lyra glanced at the feline Jedi, expecting him to act foolishly also, "Clearly sacrificing you two so they could escape safely."

Her blade raised slightly, readying for another attack, she could hear shouting from the guards as they were approaching, "C'mon, you're so eager to want to fight your way out, don't hesitate." she taunted, knowing the Wookiee would be eager for a fight.

@Faust Rex
@Tulos @Kestrel

 

[Konn]

Konn

Konn had his bowcaster already aimed at the Ranger. There was some discourse, asking if either side should be here. This Jedi was awfully condescending and as much as he’d like to tear his arms off, a Jedi was out of his league. Anger was bubbling inside the Wookiee. Maybe Konn could beat him in hand to hand, but he had heard they were able to increase their strength and run as fast as a ship. The Wookiee growled, eying up the Ranger. Then, she made a bad move. The ranger fired at Lyra. Konn’s body guard and violent instincts kicked in, he needed to protect the Sith and tear this human in half. As soon as she fired at Lyra, Konn fired too with a large roar and growl. Two blaster bolts from his bowcaster shot towards Bast. If there wasn’t a lightsaber wielding Cathar in front of him, he probably would have closed the distance. He could easily overpower a small human, Wookiee’s were known for their strength and Konn was a much stronger than an average Wookiee. Konn took some steps back.

“Cut that Cathar in half Lyra! Make him pay for his disrespect.”

Konn growled loudly, Wookiee rage taking over. He was surveying the situation, looking for the right moment to charge Bast down knowing he could easily win that situation against the human.

@GABA @Kestrel @Tulos

​

 

[Novaron Rah]

As the blaster fire from Bast's pistol rang out, Nova knew that her choosing to fire on the Sith was the opposite choice he would have made in her shoes. Instinctively and guided by the Force, the Cathar shifted his weight to his left foot and turned his torso to the right to allow the deflected bolt to race past him, though he remained unable to do anything to protect his companion from the second deflected shot. What he could do, however, was bring his left hand up simultaneously as he dodged the deflection and call upon his training in the Force and froze the two metallic rounds fired by the Wookie in mid air before propelling them back towards their source. While slug throwers were effective against lightsabers, the metallic core provided a Force User a physical construct that could be manipulated; something that could not be done with a simple blaster bolt.

Keeping his saber in his right hand, gripped tightly, Nova looked to the young Sith woman. The ancestral enemy of the Jedi Order, and his first encounter with them was barely more than a child... "Do yourself a favor, girl," Nova growled, ignoring her attempts of deceit. "Walk away before it is too late," The sounds of the Pyke's in the hall were growing closer... But he was the shield and he needed Bast to be the sword.

@Kestrel
@GABA @Faust Rex

 

[Bast Emblai]

Wrong move? The Ranger held herself above snarky discourse with enemies- it was unprofessional. Still, the young Sith, who looked no more than twenty’s opinion was hardly an accurate assessment. That much still remained to be seen. It was like a game of holochess. Her shots had been an opener. A Lieutenant’s Gambit. She was not foolish enough to give up her game before it began.

The hum of her reflected bolt drew closer, and Bast was forcefully pulled out of her analytical state. She had to survive for any of this to work. Diving to the side, she dodged the counterattack, adrenaline pumping. Just as she began to right herself, a wave of force slammed her back. It felt as if she had been hit by a speeder bike. Gasping, the wind knocked out of her, the woman shook an aching head. Thank the suns for her helmet. Without it, she would have been out cold.

A high-pitched ping resonated in the helmet, causing Bast to wince in pain at the sharp noise. Only a moment later did she remember that was the agreed upon cue. Frequency 1559. The mission was done. A gravelly voice came through the fitted earpiece, telling all personnelle to fall back. Feinting, as if to shoot at the wookie, she switched the blaster setting from stun to kill. Just before she pulled the trigger, the woman smoothly swiveled the barrel to an overhead pipe and shot three rounds in quick succession. Shounder any one of them connect, boiling hot steam would pour from the hole, filling the hallway with haze and intense, sulfurous heat. Gesturing for Nova to follow, she ascended the ladder.

@GABA
@Tulos
@Faust Rex