Ask Event Killik With Fire

[Bryce Callaway]

Ship stuff
​

The docking ring door slammed shut, just missing the unwelcome boarder but managing to slice off it's back legs (AH/effect with DM permission). It's charge, if it could be called that, would probably be reduced more to a crawl, hopefully giving Bryce time to flick his DE-10 pistol to lethal mode and fire twice right at the thing's head. If that wasn't enough to put the thing down, then he might as well start saying his prayers, as the ship shuddered under the added weight of something.

A trickle of fear wormed its way into Bryce's mind as he raced back towards the cockpit, feeling his ship protest against the unwanted intruder. He was fully prepared to be met by more regular kiliks along the way, but fortunately those were gone. In their place, however, was something much, much worse.

Bryce had never wished for windshield wipers quite like he did now, as well as the ability to wipe an image from his mind. The sight of a Tainted Kilik climbing his ship was not one easily forgotten, nor dealt easily with. The first attempt was to seize the controls and vigorously try to shake the TK off. If that failed, Bryce had one final trick up his sleeve. Ensuring that he was clear of the pilot's seat, and timing his maneuver until the TK was on the cockpit glass, the soldier punched the button for the ejector seat.

Automatic processes would take care of the rest as Bryce dove to his right and away from the seat, losing a pistol as he did so and feeling the heat of the chair's thrusters dance across his left foot and leg. Part of the windshield would blow off, and if that didn't knock the TK free and down the 60m to the ground, the pilot's seat would just a tenth of a second later as Bryce tried to turn it into an improvised missile.

If that didn't work, well, he was prone on the ground a couple meters away from where the chair had been with one DE-10 and a prayer left.

@Nefieslab

Spoiler: The Ship

Bryce fires two lethal shots at the wounded kilik's head
Bryce scrambles back to the cockpit to see something he wishes to unsee.
Bryce tries to shake the TK free as it climbs the ship. If that doesn't work, he tries a final gambit.
Timing his gamble until when the TK is on the windshield, Bryce hits the ejection seat button (while clear of the chair) to try and use the process as an improvised missile to knock the TK off his ship.

 

[Bast Emblai]

Bast barely had time to see of her shots landed before another cry for help reached her. In the precious few moments she had spent trying to save one man, a dozen more had fallen into peril. Corsec was in a frenzy now. If panic took over, they were all doomed.

Some might have found the Captain cold. She watched soldiers die without flinching. Her voice never wavered. Protocol never changed. But it was not a lack of care that steeled the woman. She simply cared enough that she understood emotion was fruitless and in moments of crisis, panic meant death. The dead needed no tears, at least not immediately. Regret was a motivator but despair was simply a waste of essential time.

It was therefore with a firm but gentle voice she spoke over the local comm channel. “Hold it together. I will assist as soon as I can. Do you copy? I do not want to see any rash tactics.”

Bast swallowed, her face still completely blank. They had not been trained for this, for a planetary invasion. Those soldiers were used to slapping cuffs on small-time dealers and handing out speeding tickets. She knew because she had been one of them. The Sector Rangers has tested her, pushed her, moulded her. And where that had failed, she had learned through the shed blood of her partners and the bitter sting of injustice. She was not ready for the Killiks, but she was prepared. The Corsec soldiers did not have that privilege.

Nothing broke through the professional calm, but deep an anger festered at the greed of the insects, that the soldiers had to learn so fast.

Hurriedly, Bast fell into rank with the Corsec personnel, positioning herself slightly in front of the second group. She sincerely hoped they all had good enough aim to avoid shooting her in the back. She had previously been cautious with her ammunition, as she had only had time to bring one spare pack. Now, in a calculated risk, she must start being more aggressive. The woman opened up fire on two of the Killiks in the center group, firing two shots at each. Mercifully, those around her did not know that Bast rarely wasted more than one shot on a close range target, or that she was getting desperate.

Spoiler: TLDR

Bast fires two at shots each at two Killiks in group two. Lots of twos

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was pretty sure that the only two things that saved his life were that the creature was blind and that Varyn was already jumping back and pushed himself to the side. This was why movement was such a key part of Form X.

The jump turned the full body slam into more of a bumping graze, but even at that from a creature of this size, it was no small thing. The only thing that kept him on his feet was his balance that he attributed to the Force.

His saber hilt slapped back into his hand and the blade hissed to life. The red blade was oddly comforting in the moment, and the weight of the weapon was like a warm blanket in the heat of the fight. The saber swung back around would slam into the leg of the Killik was it tried to bite at where it thought his head should be but wasn't.

With any lucky, he would sever the legs on this side of the body in one fell swoop and take the creature out of the fight at least... or set up a killing blow.

Spoiler: TLDR

Varyn redirects his jump back to avoid being totally body slammed and munched. Then uses his saber to cut off the legs on the side of the bug.

 

[Drow Venn]

"Figured!" Drow grunted as he was slammed into the support pole. His suspicions confirmed, he was now no longer willing to hold back. It didn't matter if these were Joiners or mercenaries - they represented the same threat.

Keeping the sniper rifles barrel away from him Drow used the sniper pushing him to his advantage and threw the man's momentum against him. Now having a human shield to soak up the blaster bolts heading his way, Drow had some buffer time to withdraw his lightsaber from his belt and ignite it in the man's torso. Then he'd proceed to deflect any further bolts coming his way back at the source.

TLDR: Drow uses the sniper as a human shield before using his lightsaber to stab him and deflect bolts

 

[Grerse'dava'nlon]

Just as it looked like the tide of tainted Killiks were weakening, the smaller ones were creeping up and then CorSec requested backup. Grese shifted his aim, taking note of two smaller Killiks that were approaching, different from the ones the Sector Ranger Captain would be targetting and firing. One shot, if they can connect, should be enough to take one down. So Davan fired one shot at each of them, and remained vigilant and ready to fire again if more smaller Killiks make their approach.

After firing the second shot, he suddenly got a bad feeling, courtesy of the Sight (what Chiss call the Force). Looking in that direction, he could see it. The glimpse of a huge, hulking Killik. Davan did recall something about a huge Killik when they first emerged into the main galaxy. Davan would wonder if any of his weapons would even scratch it. No time to think at the moment though, got to deal with all these smaller ones first.

Spoiler: abridged

Davan shots two smaller killiks with heavy blaster rifle, one shot each

 

[Wayson Hanson]

Wayson was thankful that the kid had survived but as he prepared to take care of the Killik charging him he was knocked down by the flying kid thanks to his weakened legs. While Wayson wanted to save the kid he kind of wished the kid could do more than just be a hostage. But perhaps that was too much to ask from the kid considering the trauma they was experiencing. Throwing him just a bit further away and landing on his right shoulder. Even despite the pain of losing their legs Killiks were genuinely committed to the genocide of the Corellians. Hitting the ground the Jedi would have avoided the strike to the head from the Killik. Seeing that the Killik was still coming at him, Wayson would bring his pistol back up again and continue to fire on the Killik. Sending two more shots to the center mass.

While Wayson was shooting with one hand he ignited the lightsaber in the other hand and kept it in front of his body. Ready to intercept the Killiks strike to his head if it continued to aim for it now that he was on the ground.

After shooting at the Killik rushing him, Wayson would feel the other Killik begin to grab at his legs and Wayson will begin to kick at the Killiks arms. Hoping to avoid getting grab while also keeping it distracted so if freed to do so Wayson can turn his pistol to that killik and shot it in the head.

The whole whole Wayson wished he was back on his ship and had avoided coming to this planet all together.

Spoiler: TL’DR

1. Wayson will be knocked to the ground because of the injured legs and kid throw. Avoiding the head strike.
2. Wayson would ignite his lightsaber keeping it in front of his body while shooting two more bolts at the Killiks center.
3. Feeling the Killik reach for his legs Wayson will begin to kick at the Killiks hands. If the charging Killik is dead Wayson will take a shot at the Killik on the grounds head.

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Romeo grew frustrated at the simple display of arrogance by the Kilik as it purposefully murdered a child with him watching. He snarled and fired another shot at the beast's middle torso before shuttling forwards with his jetpack. The forward movement allowed him to coincidentally avoid the blaster bolt fired at his back, the shot smashing into through air onto the ground behind him.

Due to the commotion as well as noises surrounding him, the Mandalorian was still unaware of the joiner snipers that had attempted to open fire on him. HIs attention however was focused on one of the Tainted Killiks in Group 3. Landing to the ground, Romeo lowered his rifle and unsheathed his beskad. Fingers wrapped around the hilt before pounding it several times at his own chest and then pointing it towards the creature.

It was a show of bravado, and even the monster would know that the Badger was challenging it to single combat...

@Nefieslab

Spoiler: OOC

Romeo shoots at the killik that killed the child in the previous round while also moving forward and avoiding the blaster bolt to his back. He is unaware of the snipers, he then challenges one of the tainted Killiks to a melee match with his beskad

 

[Darth Tempest]

Despite the chaos that raged all around her, Vahliri never tore her gaze from the Tainted Kilik - watching with sick satisfaction as the Insectoid rolled and was lanced through the lower jaw with her shoto-blade. Vibrant through her sensitive hearing, Vahliri drank in every scream and shriek of agony - sensations that radiated through the Force and only served to fuel the Dark Side that thrummed through her every extremity.

There was no denying that the half-Annfyn relished every bit of pain she inflicted upon the creature - knowing full-well that it was suffered and experienced by their collective hive mind.

Vahliri’s jaw tightened ever-so-slightly as the Tainted Kilik began to charge, its legs poised viciously like the horns of a bull. Her gaze momentarily flicked towards the horizon - watching as the Tanker Kilik burst forth from the ground and presented what was easily the biggest threat to the facility. All the same, the half-Annfyn didn’t move a muscle of the way - maintaining her saber-forward stance. Instead, The Force flowed vibrantly through her left hand - - coiling once more around the hilt of her shoto. While she might have thrown the weapon, that hardly meant she was done with it.

Due to its upward trajectory, the weapon never left the half-Annfyn’s line of sight - and it was all too easy to grasp and freeze it mid-air. Just as she did so, her fingers and wrist curled inward, and the shoto began to reverse its direction - sailing backwards and back towards Vahliri’s hand - and thus, through the Tainted Kilik. She deliberately manipulated the Force to rotate the saber as it was pulled through the air - beginning to rapidly spin into a buzzsaw of crimson plasma. She attempted to yank the blade right through the back of the Insectoid’s neck - passing through its exoskeleton in hopes of removing its head from the rest of its body. The half-Annfyn banked on the Insectoid moving slower than usual, and that it wouldn’t be aware of what was happening behind its line of sight, to put an end to their engagement.

Regardless of whether the attack found its mark, the shoto-blade would continue to spin - dispersing any residual acidic blood - before returning to Vahliri’s left hand. If the Insectoid didn’t collapse then and there, the half-Annfyn was prepared to respond accordingly.

Spoiler: TLDR

Vahliri grasps her thrown saber mid-air, pulling it backwards and spinning it like a buzzsaw. She attempts to yank the saber through the Tainted Kilik to decapitate it and retrieve the weapon.

@Nefieslab @lizziie

 

[The Storyteller]

Up above the battle, still circling the scene in the armed transport ship, Fleur Wescott continued her newscast of the situation.

"The defenders appear to have worn down the numbers of the Killiks, but we can spot several injuries. It- it appears that though many of the children have reached safety, some were unable to make it."

There would be a short pause before she continued - a moment of silence for the children who had been killed.

"It also appears that the rest of the approaching forces have slowed down. They appear to be regrouping, maybe? Repositioning, too. We're a bit worried about some of the larger bugs we can see among their ranks. They're certainly too big to get inside the Core..."

** Ship stuff. **​

[@SlagathorTheUnknown]
​

Losing its legs meant losing its momentum, and the now-legless Killik would've been hard-pressed to reach @Bryce Callaway in the same short amount of time as it had planned. Thankfully or unfortunately - depending on the person - Bryce fixed its issue for it. After all, if it was dead then it had no need to reach him!

The Tainted Killik wrestling with the Firespray was an issue though. A very large issue. Its large, lengthy limbs pierced into the hull of the ship as it clawed its way upward, tearing steel from bolts and causing damage with every meter it climbed. Its hold on the ship could not be shaken - it was a mindless drone fueled by the will of a million or more.

Lights would begin to flash and alarms would begin to sound within the ship as the console readout damage to the hull, the filtration system, and even the engine. WARNING. WARNING. ENGINE IS IN CRIT—

WOOOoosh!"

The ejected sheet burst from its place and rocketed up through the viewport, leaving a large, jagged hole as it made its way toward the Tainted Killik. The chair collided with its upper body, causing the creature to cry out in pain as it was thrown backward from the force of the collision. Its limbs remained deeply punctured within the hull though, so rather than be sent flying, its limbs were pushed deeper into the ship and the entire vehicle lurched forward.

WARNING. WARNING. ENGINE EXPERIENCING CRITICAL FAILURE. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.

Almost immediately, the Firespray would begin spiraling toward the ground. The ship would eventually crash into the ground, squishing the Tainted Killik like a, well, a bug beneath its weight not far from @Vahliri Kahtal. In the meantime, Bryce would need to make a very quick decision on what to do as the ship crashed toward the ground with him inside.

** Group one stuff. **​

[@LouJoVi @Sicadorito]​

Now that the Tainted Killik was left on three legs @Quin Leonkri would successfully be able to swipe its legs out from under it. The wretched creature quickly lost its balance, fell to the side, and hit the ground with a loud thud! Though it would take more effort than the padawan initially expected - the Tainted Killik was quite heavy - he would have plenty of time to continue forward with his second attack.

Quin's lightsaber would strike at the creature's "abdomen", which was barely an abdomen at all, and slice through the small part of the body that connected its legs to its flat head. He would really have to put his back into it to get the saber through in one go, but thankfully the decapitated head would slide off away from the padawan, saving him from having to dodge its mass.

Both Quin and @Caerllion of Cyfnos would then be able to quickly back up and make their way to join the CorSec soldiers on the steps in the defense against the approaching Group Two bugs.

// End group one

** Group two stuff. **​

[@Richie B. @Tom]​

@Wayson Hanson's fall saved him from the slash toward his face, but it also put him prone on the ground with very little maneuverability. Not only that, but he now had a very terrified kid clingingly desperately to his side. He thought quickly enough to swing his gun forward and blast two bolts into the charging Killik, however, he would be unable to draw his lightsaber as the kid clung to his arm in fear.

Thankfully, those two blaster bolts were enough to finish off the charging Killik, though he now had another problem as the bug's body fell down on top of him. Between it, the kid, and his already precarious position prone on the ground, Wayson was more or less pinned down with yet another Killik grabbing at his leg. The kicking kept it from getting to his Achilles', but it didn't shake the Killik entirely.

Not too far away, @Laeonas Tannaras was left by the Killiks, bleeding out and disemboweled in the dust and grime of the city street as they hurried forward to continue their objective.

** Group three stuff. **​

[@Faded @Altaris @Phoenix]​

@Vahliri Kahtal and @Varyn Atrix continued their assault on their respective enemies, each challenging a wounded or tiring Tainted Killik on foot. Vahliri's thrown Shoto blade, at her command, would reach the apex of its flight path and immediately spin back around like a boomerang returning to its point of origin. It spun, whirling into a donut of crimson red, and came slicing through the air back toward the Tainted Killik it had struck just before. The Tainted Killik barely had time to make more than a few steps forward before Vahliri's Shoto blade came spinning, slicing, and searing through the region that connected its massive flat head to its body. Without a moment to spare, the entire bug collapsed in on itself, reduced to nothing but a corpse spewing ichor from its fatal wound.

However, Vahliri would need to quickly get up and out of dodge as @Bryce Callaway's ship, the Firespray, came crashing her way.

Varyn on the other hand, was not quite at the finish line for his fight with the Tainted Killik. Even a graze from the Tainted Killik would be enough to send him stumbling backward, though he was able to stay on his feet thanks to his affinity with the Force. As the bug recovered from its failed strike, Varyn would make his move, swinging his lightsaber toward its legs on the left side. Unfortunately, the Tainted Killik's legs were too far apart for the saber to cut through both, but one leg was enough to throw the creature off balance. Because its weight was already put forward, losing its front left leg through its weight enough more forward, and the Tainted Killik would stumble forward onto its face. If he chose to take it, Varyn had a free shot at the wounded, burning bug.

Unfortunately for @Romeo Solus, being propelled forward by his jetpack as he killed the killik that had taunted him before was not nearly enough to save him from a sniper with a clear shot at his back. Just as the Mandalorian squeezed the trigger of his gun to finish off the Killik, the sniper in the construction tower squeezed his, and the bolt made contact with Romeo's unprotected back a moment later. With nothing in its way, the bullet would travel through the middle of his lower back, through one of his lumbar vertebrae, and out the front. Romeo would feel the effects immediately as he lost all movement below the hips, and he would be unable to secure a landing as he crashed into the ground not far from Varyn. For now, the third Tainted Killik would go unchallenged.

// Auto-hit for inadequent defense

** Upon the stairs and beyond. **​

[@Kestrel @The Good Doctor ]​

@Bast Emblai charged forward with some of the CorSec soldiers and fired her weapon upon the advancing bugs. The Killiks in this group still had quite a few hostages left, so as they charged the stairs they continued to try and use the kids as meat shields. The soldiers, for the most part, were able to avoid outright hitting the kids, but it was difficult to miss them altogether.

Bast's four shots landed true - two into each of the two bugs she'd aimed at - hitting the Killiks where they weren't blocking themselves with children. The two kids immediately began scrambling to get out of the way of the chaos as the CorSec soldiers shot at the other approaching bugs. They got about three of the Killiks down themselves, releasing the kids. Their shots weren't quite as perfect, and the kids struggled to get up the stairs with grazed limbs.

@Grerse'dava'nlon's two heavy bolts would slam into a Killik each, eliminating two more of the bugs from the ongoing struggle in group two. He would notice, additionally, two CorSec soldiers struggling to fight two killiks that had managed to make their way up the stairs in group three. The bugs had thrown aside the limp corpses of their hostages - dead - to engage physically with the soldiers. Though they were just out of his range, he wouldn't have to move far to get a clear shot at them.

Further out, the Tanker Killik was getting closer and closer. It was probably only about 250 meters away now, meaning the defenders didn't have all too long before it was upon them.

** Construction watchtower. **​

[Fantasy Liver]​

The sniper with the bloodied hand pushed forward and slammed @Drow Venn into the support pole, his intentions now entirely clear. Rather than let himself be overwhelmed by the attack, Drow let the man get close and maneuvered him in the way of the blaster bolts that came his way as the spotter shot. Instead of burning through Drow's stomach, they pierced into the sniper's back. From the other side of the sniper's torso, Drow's lightsaber pierced through. The attacks caused the sniper to go limp, and Drow would easily be able to shove the defeated Joiner aside if he wished.

Witnessing this, the spotter would try and shoot two more shots at Drow's feet, hoping to get a cheap shot at the Jedi as he recovered.

Spoiler: INFO

Hostages
Hostages saved: 21/50
Hostages lost: 7
Pending…: 9

** Group 1 (Dark Blue) ** - DEFEATED
Tainted Killiks: 0/3
Killiks: 0/30

** Group 2 (Light Blue) **
Tainted Killiks: 0/3
Killiks: 6/30

** Group 3 (Green) **
Tainted Killiks: 2/3
Killiks: 2/30

** Group 4 **
Tanker Killik: 1/1
Currently 250m out

** Map **

Killik with Fire

Tainted Killiks (TK) Group 1 TK Group 2 TK Group 3 TK Tower Ship Gloop-Grenade Regular Killiks (RK) Group 2 RK Group 3 RK Drow Varyn Gerse Bast Vahliri Romeo Laeo Wayson Caer Quin Logna Etr Joined Tanker Killik CorSec Bryce entrance

docs.google.com

 

[Varyn Atrix]

"All life is sacred" the Jedi would say. "Crispy bugs don't kill people" is what Varyn would say. He was already feeling fatigue pull at him, his body still pounding adrenaline like there would be no tomorrow - because, you know, there might not be - but he wasn't going to quit yet.

When his saber found purchase in a leg and the creature fell forward, there wasn't even a moment's hesitation. The oftentimes plagued Jedi who struggled with the Light and Dark, morality and justifiability, and all these other complex things, he didn't feel a hint of doubt in this one. His saber came around in a downward, two-handed slash to take the stumbling creature's head clean off.

If the creature was dead, he would begin to turn his sights on the final massive Killik. Not that he didn't want to help the wounded man, but like with the children, if someone didn't stop the creatures, they were all dead.

Varyn would move over to intercept the Killik, aiming to slash away another leg as it moved, hoping to catch it by surprise as he had with the others.

Spoiler: TLDR

Varyn takes the open kill shot and then moves over to try to take a leg off the final Killik with the element of surprise(?).

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin’s gaze was focused on the Killiks that were coming near the stairs. These were the regular ones, not like the tainted one he’d just decapitated. Good. He didn’t know if he could handle another one of those. But as he was about to move in to attack, something behind them caught his eye. It was a man bleeding on the ground, left behind by the bugs.

He took a step forward, but he still couldn’t make out who it was. Did that matter, though? Whoever it was, he needed help— he couldn’t just leave a wounded man in the middle of a battlefield.

Taking his lightsaber, Quin would head for the right flank of the Group Two Killiks, aiming to slice the pincers and then the head of the one closest to him. However, his main focus was getting to the man, and if there were no more challengers he would get over as fast as he could. It was only then that he realized that the man laying there, bleeding, was none other than Laeo (@Tom).

“NO!” Blasted bugs! I’ll kill you! It was just like Jakku all over again— Ruz, Elidan, and now Laeo. Running over, he would set his saber aside for a moment as he attempted to sling the man’s arm over his shoulder and hoist him up to carry him.

“You’ve got to hold on, Laeo. I’ll get you back to the stairs. You’ll be safe there.” He didn’t know how true that was, but he would try. His saber flew back into his hand as he pulled it over with the Force, though it was quickly becoming hard to stand up straight with Laeo’s weight on his back. But he kept his eyes fixed on the stairs, slowly heading further away from the main group as he would try to get to the part that they had just cleared.

Spoiler: TL;DR

Quin goes along the right flank of the incoming Group 2 Killiks, aiming to kill one by slicing off the pincers and its head. After that, he heads for Laeo and tries to bring him back to the part of the stairs where Group 1 was before.

 

[Bryce Callaway]

The ship was going down; there was no doubt about that. Bryce's jaw slackened in shock as his Firespray went from mostly green to catastrophic engine failure in the span of a few seconds, and as the soldier scrambled to his feet, he felt the ship shudder violently as the engines cut out and the stabilizers did their best on emergency power. Under normal circumstances, they would've been able to guide the starship down gently to the surface, but the designers had somehow not anticipated this happening with a giant kilik attached to the front of the ship.

Time for another happy landing.

Bryce dove for the control yoke, conscious of the payload of concussion missiles onboard. As soon as his fingers closed around it, he yanked the sticks away from the Core while to make as smooth of a landing as was possible; both to avoid blowing up his ship and taking the entire city block along with it, and to try to put as much distance between himself and the defenders in case this did happen. At least he had a Tainted Kilik to help soften the landing, and his desperate attempt to control the landing might control the ship enough that it would impact the streets with more horizontal movement than vertical.

What he didn't have, however, was a seatbelt, or even a seat- having sent it flying into the tainted Kilik just moments earlier.

Upon impact, Bryce would be thrown forward, his body crashing against what remained of the windshield of his ship. Only the fact that he was wearing some armor- most importantly, a helmet- kept him from being killed on impact; instead, he was left unconscious amidst the remains of the Tainted Kilik and his ship.

/KO
@lizziie

Spoiler: Ship Stuff

Bryce scrambles to his feet and tries to control the landing as much as possible with emergency thrusters
Bryce tries to "land" the ship as far away from the Core as possible
Upon impact, Bryce is KO'd by the crash

 

[Romeo Solus]

.

Well... Shit

An unfortunate turn of events for Romeo it seemed as his carelessness got him into some problems once again. As he moved forward in an attempt to challenge the tainted Killik, he felt the burning sting of the blaster bolt make contact with his flesh. It was in an instance, but that brief moment was unlike any other he had endured. The massive pain radiated and shot through his entire spinal axis, causing an immediate lack of ability to sense his lower extremities. The Mandalorian let out an agonizing howl as his armored form crashed into the ground and tumbled several meters forwards before coming to a stop near Varyn @Phoenix .

"FUCK!" Romeo roared, "I can't feel my fucking legs!"

Visibly in discomfort, the warrior struggled to even turn on the ground and remained in a supine position, head tilting to its side as he looked upon the monsters in their approach. It was in that moment that perhaps adrenaline kicked in, endorphins pumping through his veins with the marvel of the human body. Fighting through the pain, he lifted his left hand and slid it over to his right forearm, right arm raising and dropping the right wrist. A single button was pressed, as he fired his wrist rocket at the tainted killik and its surrounding comrades in Group 3. The timing of the rocket was such that it was aimed to strike its target prior to the undercover Jedi/Sith agent reaching in melee range to the beast.

A billow of plum and smoke sparked from the gauntlet, the micro warhead screeched forward and slammed at the ground near the feet of its target. Romeo hoped that even in his crippled form, his explosive arsenal would be of some use to the defenders. After that, he collapsed his head back onto the ground, taking in deep sighs as the warrior slipped in and out of unconsciousness.

@Nefieslab

Spoiler: OOC

Romeo is in pain and crashed on the ground as per autohit. He fires his wrist rocket at the Tainted killik in group 3

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

With the Jedi successfully killing the Killik, Caerllion walked back to the stairs. If they continued fighting this way, there was a chance that they would be able to defeat the bugs and survive. However, the Acolyte had learned during his missions to never expect that something would be good. Last time that he did it, the Annfyn ended up falling several times in the mud.

While he prepared for the arrival of the bugs, Caerllion saw the Jedi moving toward the group of Killiks. He wondered if the Light Sider went crazy. It would be a better strategy if he waited for them to approach the stairs, this way he would have the cover of the CorSec.

Then he saw that the Jedi was trying to reach a body that was on the floor. At first the Acolyte didn’t recognise who it was, but the clothes that the person was wearing reminded him of that balck-haired loud guy from early.

A smirk appeared on his lips, hidden behind his helmet. It seemed that the loud guy wasn’t that good after all. It seems that a dog that barks, does not bite, after all.

He wondered why the Jedi was going to help the man, who seemed to be already dead. It would only open himself to be attacked by the Killiks. Caerllion ignored the fact that they could be friends, because the loud guy didn’t seem the type to have any. He was too annoying for that.

Watching from the stair, Caerllion saw the Jedi’s effort to carry the fallen man. Carrying someone in his back in a situation like this wasn't something smart to do, he would end up exposed to attacks.

The Annfyn didn’t know exactly what made him do it, perhaps gratitude for the Jedi’s help in fighting the Killik, or only wanting to maintain another fighter alive to maintain their numbers good enough to face the new wave of bugs, but he ended up using the Force to run toward the Light Sider. Like the Jedi, he moved through the right flank of the Group Two and would use his lightsaber to cut off the legs of one of the bugs that was close to him.

If it worked or not, Caerllion wasn't going to stay here for much long. He continued running to help the Jedi. “Let me help you. We can share his weight.” he said, offering help. Now that he was close, he could see how the loud guy was covered in blood. It made him wonder if the man wasn’t already dead and this saving wasn’t pointless.

@Sicadorito

Spoiler: TL;DR

Caerllion used the Force to move through the right flank of the Group Two and would use his lightsaber to cut off the legs of one of the Kiiliks that was close to him. If it worked or not, he would continue running to help Quin move Laeonas back to the area where the Group One was.

 

[Bast Emblai]

Someone was dragging the bleeding body of a force user towards the steps. He looked bad, his body torn. Abdominal wounds were nasty. Intestinal perforations, internal bleeding, organ failure. It was impossible to tell if he was conscious, but Bast did not have time to move any closer. Another figure joined in to help bring the body to safety, and Bast let it leave her mind. There was nothing more she could do, nothing she could have done in the first place.

Distantly, she heard a desperate yelling. The mandalorian was down, prone and vulnerable. Perhaps she had misheard, or the message was lost in the clamor and chaos, but he sounded almost scared.

The Captain paused to determine her next course of action, but any attempt at coherent thought was interrupted by the loud, sputtering engines of a dying ship. It was Bryce Callaway’s. The spiral was uncontrollable. She could not look away, even as something hurtled through the windshield. Reckless flyboy. It never got easier seeing people die. Unless- the fireball had not yet hit the fuel tank. He was not necessarily dead yet.

Doing her best to filter the chaos, the woman was forced to make a split-second decision: leave the injured, help the man who was paralyzed, or check on Callaway. There was no telling if the pilot was alive, so any retrieval might be in vain. On the slim chance that he was, however, he was the most critical casualty still on the field. It could have been instinct or obligation towards a potential comrade, or internal justification by means of her own exospine, but Bast decided on Callaway. Seeking cover where she could, hoping the fight would be enough of a distraction, she headed towards the ship.

As soon as she began her descent, guilt throbbed in her chest. There was nothing more vulnerable than losing control of oneself, one’s body, and often as a result, one’s mind. She knew because she had lost all three. Hopefully the mandalorian was stronger than she had been. But damn it, she had lived and he still had that chance. With the ship crash, it was less likely.

No matter the decision, the guilt swelled like an unrelenting tide. None had been saved at Outpost Blue. Even now, she could not save them all.

Bast ran to the ship wreckage. Amongst the debris lay the pilot, still and unmoving. Yanking his helmet off, Bast would check of a pulse. Upon finding one, she holstered her blaster and grabbed under the unconscious man’s arms. “I got you,” she whispered, out of breath. The reassurance was mostly for herself. “Someone give me some cover here while I drag this soldier back!”

Spoiler: TLDR

Bast tries to reach Bryce and drag him back to safety, asks for cover fire from others.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri tilted her chin up ever-so-slightly, unable to mask her smirk as the Tainted Kilik staggered forward and collapsed onto the ground - nothing more than an ichor-spewing corpse. Her thrown shoto completed a few additional rotations before seamlessly returning the half-Annfyn’s hand. The blade tipped down in a flourish before she promptly unignited the crimson blade and returned the hilt to her waist - proceeding with her single curved saber for the time being. She was only afforded a few moments to admire her own handiwork before her attention was draw upwards - fluted ears flattening against the sides of her skull the moment she caught a glimspe of Callaway’s ship careening downward.

“FOR FUCK’S SAKE!” She hissed. It was the second time that the man had proved to be an environmental hazard and Vahliri was starting to wonder if his presence was more dangerous than the Kilik’s.

Without a moment to lose, Vahliri darted to the right - the Force billowing through her extremities to carry her a bit farther than normal and - ideally - beyond the collision of the vessel. It was only than that Vahliri glanced back towards the single remaining Tainted Kilik. She watched as Varyn rushed to engage the Insectoid, and her amber gaze snapped further right to lock onto Romeo. The half-Annfyn had to bite back a smirk as the Mandalorian careened towards the ground - sensitive hearing easily picking up on his panicked protest about his legs.

Good.

She hadn’t forgotten about Onderon, and the sadistic part of the half-Annfyn - more vibrant and vocal than ever in the heat of battle - found distinct satisfaction in watching the Solus crumple pathetically to the ground by virtue of his own failed defense. Perhaps the man’s sole saving grace was that he managed to be useful for the final time - launching his wrist rocket at the last moment.

With the incoming projectiles and Varyn striking at the Tainted Kilik’s legs, Vahliri extended her left hand toward the creature - inhaling as the Darkness roiled within her fingertips. Within a split moment, tendrils of vicious electricity poured forth from the half-Annfyn’s gloved hand - streaking through the air in hopes of slamming directly into the Insectoid’s face. She deliberately aimed the blast toward the Kilik’s face to avoid hitting Varyn inadvertently, and only unleashed a single blast of electricity versus a prolonged channel.

With that, Vahliri turned and broke away from the Varyn and the Tainted Kilik - relying on the fellow Champion to finish off the Insectoid at that point. She didn’t bother with the Core or picking off the lesser Kiliks, and instead turned her focus onto the Tanker far off in the distance. She had seen footage from Ruusan, and the half-Annfyn was keenly aware of the threat the monstrocity posed. Whether others turned to follow her or not, Vahliri began to dart in the direction of the Insectoid before it reached the Core.

Spoiler: TLDR

Vahliri dashes out of the way of Byrce's fallen ship and turns to attack the Tainted Kilik - launching Lightning at its face while Romeo and Varyn do their thing. She then turns and starts running toward the Tanker Kilik in the distance.

@Nefieslab @lizziie

@Faded @SlagathorTheUnknown @Phoenix (Tagging those addressed in my post.)

 

[Grerse'dava'nlon]

The Chiss smiled as he watched his blaster bolts hit in on their targets. Good. There is still more to do, after scanning the battlefield before him, The Chiss noticed there were a few officers that were struggling with Killiks who had come up the stairs. Davan wouldn't let allies get wasted if he could help it. Davan would then move close to where the third group of Killiks were at, still keeping on higher ground. Soon he would be able to get in weapons range. He would aim his rifle after making sure there was nothing else in his line of sight and then fire a heavy bolt at each of those Killiks assaulting those officers.

If his shots made it hit home, he would then look towards Sector Ranger Captain (@Kestrel). She has already went out there to retrieved that down pilot, putting herself a bigger risk at doing so. "Covering" he would reply back. He would aim his rifle in his general direction prepared to intercept any Killiks that come at her.

Davan couldn't help but look at the 'Tanker' Killik that is closing in. It won't be too much longer. Davan is prepared to move to dodge that acid attack if need be. A tanker killik used it on Ruusan, so there is that. "Does anyone have any high explosives to throw at it?" Hopefully the Mandalorian didn't waste all of his on the small fry. Davan wonders, what kind of damage his heavy rifle could do if he managers to land a shot in one of it's eyes..."

Spoiler: abridged

Davan moves closer to and fires a shot at each of the smaller group 3 killiks attacking CorSec officers. Davan would then train his rifle to cover Bast. Then he would look at the tanker Killik and ask if anyone had any explosives'?

@Nefieslab @lizziie

 

[Wayson Hanson]

Wayson felt the kid grab onto his arm, the fear radiating off them hitting Wayson like a speeder. If there wasn't a major fight happening all around them he would have done more to comfort them. Right now he needed to survive so that the kid would. Still, the kid was preventing him from actually defending himself. The kid needed to be brave now.

"Kid run to the soldiers now!" Wayson would yell, hoping the kid would listen to him.

Continuing to kick at the Killik reaching for his legs, the Jedi had to wiggle his right hand to be on the dead Killik's side. Challenging the Force and sending whatever energy he still had left into the dead body to attempt to throw it against the legless Killik coming at him.

Wayson did not have the strength to send the Killik flying with any real speed or force, just enough to give him the chance to bring his upper body up to aim his pistol and fire two shots at the legless Killik center. His legs were in pain, as well as his head. He was going to need to spend some time healing and recentering himself.

If he had killed the last of the Killiks that were keeping him down, the Jedi will attempt to sit himself up. Hoping that the kid had run away at this point. Looking at the massive bug heading their way, Wayson could feel his body wasn't ready for a heavy fight like that, and seeing that there were other bugs still attacking the Corsec defenders. Wayson headed to the remaining Killik warriors activating his lightsaber and aiming his pistol at a nearby Killik.

Hearing the crying out for assistance, Wayson responded.

"I got Fragmentation grenades but that's it."

@lizziie @The Good Doctor

Spoiler: TL'DR

1. Wayson moves his right hand to the side of the dead Killik using the Force to push it off him towards the fallen Killik to allow him to move his upper body.
2. Wayson will tell the kid to run to the Corsec defenders.
3. Wayson will aim his pistol at the Killik reaching for his legs and firing two bolts to the center of the Killik.
4. Wayson will get up and respond to Grerse, before slowly moving to the Killiks that remain near the Core. Activating his lightsaber.

 

[Drow Venn]

Drow did not let the Joiner go quite yet as the man was still pretty useful as a human shield. Instead he charged forward, using the man's body as a human shield (with a little extra Force speed) to close the distance between him and the spotter. Once there he'd shove the Joiner corpse at the spotter and try and behead hin with his saber.

 

[The Storyteller]

** Ship stuff. **​

[@SlagathorTheUnknown @Kestrel ]​

The Firespray unceremoniously crashed into the city street concrete, but thanks to @Bryce Callaway's efforts, the ship did not explode on impact. As the ship slumped into the ground, Bryce similarly slumped over as his vision was overtaken by black splotches. Unconscious respite was not a promise of safety for the brave pilot though. With the Tanker Killik grower every closer and smoke beginning to fill the cockpit, the pilot was in a precarious position.

He would not go without help for much longer. @Bast Emblai would arrive having run through the emptied backfield to kneel down beside his limp body. After making sure he was alive, Bryce would be hoisted up by the Sector Ranger captain as she curled her arms underneath his to pull him along. Bast would have a clear view of the approaching Tanker Killik as she slowly made her way back, and the woman would have an even clearer view of the speed at which the creature was advancing.

** Group two stuff. **​

[@Richie B. ]​

@Wayson Hanson put a blaster bolt through the head of the legless Killik, able to get a grip on his pistol despite the kid that was so incessantly trying to cling to him. The kid had listened enough to let go of him, but didn't move much further away and continued to shadow Wayson on his way back toward the Core. Only once the Jedi reached the steps would the kid scurry away, letting out muffled sobs as it hurried to join the growing group of rescued kids.

** Saving Laeonas. **​

[@Tom @Sicadorito @LouJoVi ]​

@Quin Leonkri left the stairs, able to rush through the advancing Killiks as they were otherwise preoccupied, and made his way over to the injured @Laeonas Tannaras. Other than the former Jedi's weight, Quin would have to deal with another problem: getting the injured man through the remaining Killiks. He had been able to slip by them before, but they might take the chance to swipe at Quin while he was vulnerable. He could try going around the group; it would be a longer but safer route.

Thankfully, the Sith he'd been fighting aside decided to come to the two's aide. @Caerllion of Cyfnos would be able to make his way to the pair with ease, skirting around the remaining Killiks to reach Quin and Laeonas. Caer's attempt to swipe at the legs of the closest Killik would meet empty air by millimeters as the closest bug continued its dash for the CorSec soldiers. With two of them now working together to shoulder the weight of the injured man, they would be able to bring Laeonas to safety much quicker.

** Group three stuff. **​

[@Faded @Altaris @Phoenix]​

@Varyn Atrix put his body into the swing, and his saber cut through the small of the Tainted Killik's neck like butter as it severed head from abdomen. The dark lifeblood of the insectile creature began to fester along the cauterized cut, and the corpse further collapsed onto the ground as Varyn moved onto his next target.

Though his intention was to catch the creature by surprise, the hivemind was an ethernet of information. The fallen Tainted Killik had screamed out its telepathic warnings as it fell, so as Varyn approached, the final big ol' bug was ready. The swing would meet empty air as the agile creature pulled its leg up and away, but as soon as it cleared the attack it would stab the limb back down at Varyn as forcefully as it could.

Despite losing movement to his leg and taking serious damage from the sniper bolt, @Romeo Solus was still able to get off a shot at the final Tainted Killik. The rocket spun through the air and found its target, exploding against the creature distracted by Varyn's advancements. It exploded against the bug's face, burning through the bug's chitin armor and sending shrapnel piercing into its eyes. The attack effectively blinded the Tainted Killik, and its stab at Varyn would miss its mark as it reared back and roared in pain.

That pain was only increased by the crackle of electricity @Vahliri Kahtal shot its way, singeing the already burned and blinded face of the Tainted Killik. If it had the capacity to assess the situation right then, it might find itself thankful that the Sith champion decided to direct her attention away from it for the Tanker Killik, though it still had the other champion, Varyn, to worry about.

** Upon the stairs and beyond. **
[@The Good Doctor]​

Caerllion and Quin went off to help the injured Laeonas, leaving the CorSec soldiers to fight three of the remaining Killiks in group two by themselves. One of the soldiers managed to pistol whip an attacking bug and stagger it, giving her time to blast it through the head while it reeled back. The other two fell victim to their attackers though, cut to pieces by the blade-tipped spears the Killiks wielded. One of the creatures began to try to run in between @Grerse'dava'nlon and the victorious CorSec soldier, while the other one descended upon the Chiss man and swiped at his turned back shortly after he fired at the Killiks in group three.

Before the attack came his way though, Davan's first shot would leave a hole in the head of one of the group three Killiks, but the pillar supporting the overhang ceiling would prevent him from getting a shot off at the other Killik. One was enough though, and the freed-up CorSec soldier was able to assist his comrade in dealing with the remaining Killik. Between the three of them over there, they took care of the wretched bug.

Unfortunately, because the bug was attacking Davan, he would have to turn his attention away from Bast until he could deal with the offending bug.

** Construction watchtower. **​

[@Fantasy Liver]​

The corpse meat shield proved pretty effective as @Drow Venn bulldozed into the spotter. His saber cut clean through the Joiner's neck and sent the beheaded cranium rolling off to the left somewhere. Drow wouldn't have a moment to rest as the remaining Joiner - the sniper - spun around and set his sights on the Force user. The sniper's finger squeezed the trigger of his rifle, sending a close-range shot off at the alien Jedi.

** Taking on the tanker. **​

[/center]
The Tanker Killik had arrived.

The creature was large - as big as, or maybe bigger than a Rancor - and covered in thick, dark chitin that armored its face, legs, and back. Its long, thick legs allowed it to run much faster than one might expect, but once it was close enough, it rolled up into a giant rolly-polly ball and began barreling toward the group. The closest target was Vahliri who would find herself crushed by the mass of the creature if she didn't get the hell out of dodge.

Spoiler: INFO

Hostages
Hostages saved: 30/50
Hostages lost: 7
Pending…: 13

** Group 1 (Dark Blue) ** - DEFEATED
Tainted Killiks: 0/3
Killiks: 0/30

** Group 2 (Light Blue) **
Tainted Killiks: 0/3
Killiks: 2/30

** Group 3 (Green) **
Tainted Killiks: 1/3
Killiks: 0/30

** Group 4 **
Tanker Killik: 1/1

** Map **

Killik with Fire

Tainted Killiks (TK) Group 1 TK Group 2 TK Group 3 TK Tower Ship Gloop-Grenade Regular Killiks (RK) Group 2 RK Group 3 RK Drow Varyn Gerse Bast Vahliri Romeo Laeo Wayson Caer Quin Logna Etr Joined Tanker Killik CorSec Bryce entrance

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