Priming Borgo Prime: Penthouse Politics

[Ner Giza]

Borgo Prime, Outer-Rim Territories​

DC Thread​

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Penthouse living was about to get a whole lot less attractive for a certain crime lord, that much was for certain. Nera switched off the comm link having just been given word that Slamasi’s muscle, The Eclipse, had just been taken down. She grinned to her crew, the six men of the Quilting Bee, and said to Slippken, ”Now don’t go getting trigger happy and leave us all in the dust like back on Nar Shaddaa, kay?” That was a wild time and truthfully the man’s actions had saved her butt on more than one occasion. The man merely shrugged leaving his pilot to her own assumptions. Ji Hu was at the end of the alley keeping watch on the tower in which their target had set up residence while Dozer and the others watched their rear. She felt certain each would do their part without direction for this wasn’t actually their first mission together. Even so there was one of whom she had no knowledge, only that she was on their side and that was good enough for Nera.

The Twi’lek turned her gaze upon Larissa Adrastos and asked, ”Do you have any last minute concerns or ideas?” The plan was pretty simple: breech the tower, reach the penthouse, and take out the crime lord. That didn’t mean it couldn’t be improved and she was not the sort that would ignore the advice or insight of her team mates. Although Ner’Giza could have had a command position if she had pushed for it, that sort of responsibility was never an ambition. She preferred to just do the grunt work and let others make the hard choices.

@Korvo

 

[Larissa Adrastos]

Larissa had met the Quarren before. In fact, she still remembered the discomfort as if it had all been just the other day. Years ago, during her visitation to Mon Cala to study philosophy at the academies of the Mon Calamari, Larissa had come into contact with Quarren that resided in the planet's capital city. In an otherwise pleasant stay, every time the Quarren and Mon Cala entered into one another's proximity, there was a tension in the waters, like a rip current ready to carve through the seas. There was a sense respect between the two peoples, that much was evident by their co-existence, but among the Quarrens, there was an aggression there; untapped to its fullest, but hardly concealed, either. It reminded Larissa too much of the historical accounts of the Sesid, who had long warred against her own people.

"Well... nothing of consequence", Larissa said, turning to face the lieutenant. She couldn't see her in a physical way, but looking at things through the Force was still remarkable in its own right. "But then, I've never been blessed with an overly-creative mind."

Larissa grinned, attempting to keep the mood light, if at least optimistic. For better or worse, this was Larissa's first, true endeavor as a Jedi, without a Master to guide her. It'd have tasted a bitter lie if she said she didn't have some trepidation, some anxiety, but she'd resolved to do her part, however she could. Now, it was time for her to follow through on her promise to herself.

"Ready when you are, ma'am."

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

DC ​

”You do understand that the target is to be put down? Don’t worry about that part, I know the Jedi frown on such things. Fortunately you can rely on the rest of us to handle the ugly practicalities. This one’s crimes befit the punishment and we can’t have him rising up later to take out the new leader and aly who takes his place.” Nera wasn’t much of a fan of making speeches but she couldn’t spare time when it came down to making the killing blow debating the semantics of morality. Nor could she spare the time to wonder when she had gotten so cavalier about handing out death. All she knew was that the enemy wouldn’t hesitate and so neither would she.

Slippken clicked his teeth together drawing her focus to the tower. Eight guards were making a show of being on duty causing her to frown. ”What the....”, she muttered before falling shut. They didn’t look like they were even aware the asteroid was under attack. They could have been porters waiting outside a hotel for all the more vigilance they put into manning the doors. A couple were lounging along the wall left of the doors smoking, another pair actually by the doors, and four more squatted low in a huddle to the right of the door as if throwing dice. ”Looks like a set up to be. Let’s circle round the back and see what we can…” but the man darted from cover and made straight for the main door bold and brazen as ever. His old motto was stealth was for cowards. She was rather fond of her life but took out after the man. ”Come on then. We’re doing this the hard way folks!”

@Korvo

 

[Larissa Adrastos]

There are some civilizations that say that the eyes are the windows into the soul, that they reveal what words otherwise would not. By the Force, Larissa was gladdened by the fact that her eyes were concealed behind a veil. Beforehand, she hadn't been aware of the... permanence that was required. Perhaps it was simple naiveté on her part, or that age-old "Jedi idealism" that everyone always said never worked in the real galaxy.

"I... see", Larissa said, attempting to appear at ease with the decision. She wasn't.

Larissa had taken lives in self-defense before, but it was always a last resort, and she was never comfortable with it. It was a hard stance to reconcile in the middle of a war. Following Ner's lead, Larissa expected the entire operation to be more discrete than direct, but one of the men made a charge without any forethought or strategy. Or at least, it had appeared that way; unless it was two armies meeting on a open plain, the direct approach never made sense to Larissa. But this much was true; as Lieutenant Giza had declared, this mission was going to have to be accomplished the 'hard way'.

"Then perhaps it is for the best!"

Larissa pulled her lightsaber out and ignited it, charging forward in full view to the opposition while likewise maneuvering herself away from the others. Her heart felt like it would burst in her chest and there was a part of Larissa that was telling her this was foolhardy, but she was committed now, and she was determined to follow through.

A Jedi's life was sacrifice, wasn't it?

Immediately, four of the eight guards gave their full attention to Larissa, with blasters raised and firing at the Jedi Padawan. Larissa wasn't going to attack them outright; she was outnumbered, and would be too easily outflanked to do something that would have required the skill of a true Jedi Knight. Instead, the Jedi Padawan devoted everything she had to defense and redirection.

A hail of blaster bolts came like a storm's rain, a dazzling array of energy that appeared almost... beautiful, when looking at it all through the Force. But then, everything always did... at least when the Dark Side of the Force wasn't around. With the Force augmenting her senses and reflexes, Larissa wove her blade around with an elegance becoming of the Jedi she'd aspired to be.

"Now! Hurry!", Larissa yelled out, urging her companions to press the attack.

With every blaster bolt that came, it was deflected away, each and every one. In fact, it all went even better than expected, as Larissa not only mounted a successful defense, but had even managed to deflect several of the blaster bolts back towards her attackers. One was struck by a single redirected blaster bolt to his collarbone, knocking him down and sending him into shock. A second had two other blaster bolts redirected towards him, striking him in the upper torso. Both men were injured and would be in need of medical attention, but for now, they would both have been rendered unconscious.

Larissa was still technically pinned down from the other two guards that were still firing at her, but it was progress, at least.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

DC​

Naturally two guards on the right turned their attention to Slippken which was a blessing for it permitted Nera to make her rush to the doors at even odds. But it was rotten luck to say the least. He was the one who had spoiled their element of surprise, and if he didn't get them all killed it would be a miracle. She was gonna give one of his top knots a sharp tug if ever she lived so long, the old Dovi Gang member was always getting her into more trouble than she sought.

As she sprang from the alleyway she drew her R5 and Quickdraw blasters taking quick aim at the two men on the left, she missed them completely with all three shots. Were it not for Larissa providing coverage with her lightsaber she was certain she would have been riddled with holes by the time she crossed the street. As it was she did make it to one of the pillars holding up the roof of the entryway and planted her back to its bulk thinking herself quite clever when one of the men advanced and busted her right in the face with the butt of his rifle. Bloody brilliant. Her head was ringing and blaster bolts were flying all over the place and where was Slippken? Probably inside and safe as could be, the little trouble maker that he was!

For all of a split second she was disoriented but knew her crew was right on her heels. She didn’t have time to get clocked like this!

@Korvo

 

[Larissa Adrastos]

In spite of the degree of success Larissa had managed to etch out for herself, it had quickly dawned on her that this wasn't a session of training, or some exercise. This was real. This was a place of real sweat, real blood, and real consequences. However well she might have fared, she had a duty to the protection of others, even if it came at the expense of herself.

While acting as a stalwart defender had been serving Larissa well enough, she knew she was only delaying the inevitable. On her own, this might not have been such a terrible thing, but with others placing their lives on the line, she saw herself, in effect, as allowing others to remain at risk unnecessarily. As so, she did what she imagined any other Jedi would, in her position.

Deflecting the blaster bolts of the remaining two guards all the while, Larissa charged forth, homing in on one of the guards. As the distance between them shrunk to a melee range, Larissa swung her blade with continued grace, performing a sun djem, slicing through the blaster of the guard in a downward stroke, and immediately followed her initial attack with another; a cho mai maneuver, the cutting off of her opponent's weapon-hand. The guard cried out in pain, and Larissa responded in kind with a Force push, telekinetically hurling the guard backwards so that he would hit his head against the nearby wall, knocking him unconscious.

Either due to happenstance, or perhaps well-intended hubris, Larissa's dedication to not taking a life left her vulnerable, even in her measure of success. As she dispatched the first guard, the second had armed himself with his vibro-blade and slashed at Larissa. Although sensing the danger, the Padawan had failed to evade the attack in its entirety, with a razor's wound being cut on her right arm. Although painful, it wasn't debilitating, and Larissa was able to, however strained, push herself through the sensation and slash the second guard across the face. It was another non-lethal attack, but it had nearly sent the guard into shock from the pain. In instant succession, Larissa launched a forceful uppercutting kick at the guard's head, knocking him unconscious as well in the process.

Perhaps she was idealistic. But then... maybe it was in times such as these that ideals really did matter the most.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

DC​

It was close quarters there for a moment, too close for the man to fire his rifle and so he reared back his blaster in an attempt to slam Nera in the head once more. No doubt a second blow to the head would have been endgame for the Twi’lek, as it was the first had bloodied her nose, but she was far from out of the running. There was no rule in her book that said hitting below the belt was bad form, not when it was do or die.

Dropping to the ground, her blasters released to clatter on the pavement, the rebel caught herself on her palms and left hip before kicking out with her legs to buckle the man’s knees out from under him. The man went down, but it was the pillar that took most of the credit for arched back as he was with his rifle he had no defense to keep from smacking his head off the stone roof support.

Quick to take advantage of his dazed condition, Nera reached out to grab his jacket, pull him to the ground, and throat punch the man. She could feel the damage beneath her fist that would leave the man gasping for breath before passing out but she didn’t have time to spare and made a dive for her pistols.

Blaster fire still filled the air, she could hear the whir of Larissa’s light saber and hear the cries of the men as the Jedi took them out but she spared no action on peeking until after her blasters were in hand. With her back to the pillar she kicked at the man’s legs to clear room for her to perch when the second guard rounded the pillar. A cry tore from her throat as she fired the R5 into his face then rolled to her left to lie prone and get her first close up look at the scene. Slippken’s guards had him pinned down and she had to grin at his predicament but from her vantage she had a clear shot with her quickdraw.

Twin bolts sped across the distance, one taking out the lead man then from out of nowhere the second was downed. Hearing footsteps behind her she rolled over and pointed both blasters at her attacker only to see it was Ji Hu and Dozer. "Jot kantasonh vehpe kaae chik. Jeejee yoieu joday bai woy." Ji taunted her as Dozer ran on past with Birdman and Akahige close on his heels. Slippken turned as Dozer clapped him on the back grinning from ear to ear. These guy, The Quilting Bee, she mused. Was it any wonder she drank?

Scrambling to her feet she saw Larissa and immediately saw the wound on her arm as she made her way to the door. ”You alright Larissa?” They had lucked out so far, the way into the tower was clear but she didn’t figure it would be just an elevator ride to the penthouse listening to canned music either.

@Korvo

 

[Larissa Adrastos]

The noise around Larissa seemed to numb her physical senses... at least, to a degree. He "vision" via the Force was as potent as ever, but her hearing felt muffled, as if she were hearing the sounds above the surface from underwater. In some ways, that was as ironic a sensation as she could have, given her species, but it made everything around her seem surreal. A fascinating feeling, but also a dangerous one, as it lulled her spatial awareness.

As Larissa continued pressing forward in the spray of blasterfire, she was constantly splitting her attention from protecting herself from danger, being alert to strategic moments to disable her enemies, as well as keeping notice of her allies. While she did consider herself something of a multitasker, dividing her attention for so long felt almost arduous, as if something was about to give at any moment. Eventually, all Larissa could clearly hear was her own breathing, which her own surprise, was not erratic and rapid, but paced and tempered.

Calmness in the storm. Within the twilight-between. Center of Being. It was both a stance of combat as well as a state of mind that Larissa had practiced with the Jedi Masters before, but it was always in controlled conditions. Never before had she managed to accomplish it in the field, on her own and in the midst of true combat. Whereas everything around her became chaotic, Larissa felt only a sense of serenity, like peace washing over her, keeping her calm, composed and resolute.

Two blaster bolts fired toward Larissa's position at the same time, and with the bending of her left knee and the stretching of her right leg, the young Wrean maneuvered her body and lightsaber into a position where she was able to deflect both at the same time, redirecting them at her attackers. One of the bolts was deflected back and struck the head of the first remaining guard, but at the lower half, burning into his jaw and knocking him backwards. If the pain of injury and the impact of the bolt didn't knock the guard unconscious, banging his head on the ground would have. The other bolt struck the second guard at the center of his chest, right at the ribs, also knocking him back.

However, the wound was neither lethal nor debilitating. Instead, the guard thrashed on the ground, withering in pain as he sought to forcefully collect himself. Lifting himself back to his knees, the guard reached for his weapon, only for Larissa, who had been approaching the entire time, to press her foot onto, preventing him from taking it.

"There has been enough fighting", she said, staring down at him as the guard likewise stared up at her, and the waving of her hand. "Rest now, for you needn't fight anymore."

"I... will rest now, for I... I needn't...", the guard said, before falling down forward, unconscious.

Around that time, Larissa heard another voice projected towards her. With a slight pause, the Wrean Padawan deactivated her lightsaber and mounted it on her waist once more, and looked in Nera's direction with a gentle smile.

"Despite my best efforts to the contrary... I think I am", Larissa said, her smile growing a bit as she walked back toward Nera and the others. "Where to next, ma'am?"

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

DC​

Amazingly enough Slippken’s bold move had not gotten them killed and when Larissa reassured the Twi’lek that she was alright she let loose with a grin and said, ”Through the front doors and make for a turbo lift. I’ve no wish to climb a flight of stairs all the way to the penthouse suite.” Her words made it seem simple but she was certain no one, including herself, was fooled by her glib tone of voice. Her gunner made for the doors but she bolted forward to lay hand on his shoulder, ”Dozer is taking the lead this time old friend. I need you to cover our backs.”

No sooner said than done, the four men burst through the front doors, leaving Slippken and Ji Hu to guard the women as they made their entry into the complex. A wide lobby-type area greeted them that was a scene of widespread mayhem. Civilians and guards alike were running in opposite directions in what appeared to be some sort of hot spot for the syndicate’s night’s life. Leave it to the crime lord to live over top of a casino! Screams filled the air as people had already been running away from the attack at the front of the tower for their lives while the thugs who provided security for the place were converging on the lobby. It was total confusion with people diving to the floor to avoid the blaster fire of the guards leveled at the rebels.

The four front men were returning fire cutting a path toward the turbo lifts and Nera followed suit. Her aim seemed to be much better taking out a guard or two as she followed in the wake of her men. It was the worst set up imaginable, her mind going through the numerous things that could be waiting for them at the top of the tower rightoutside the doors of the lift and it seemed like they were headed for nothing more than a death trap. There was nothing elegant about the mission and they would be lucky not to be pinned down once they reached the top. Ahead she saw Dozer reach the lift and press the door panel to open them. The lift wasn’t empty however but was occupied by three service droids that skittered out into the lobby with high pitched squeals of alarm.

Holding the doors with his back he waved the others on through to the interior. Ner’Giza leaped over a Rodian lying on the ground cowering with his arms crossed over his head and fired her R5 at a rather tall Cerean. The man dropped his blaster as he fell to the ground leaving it clear between her and the lift. Leaping inside she turned round to provide cover for the others willing this day to end swiftly.

@Korvo

 

[Larissa Adrastos]

Larissa knew better than to think it would last, but she had enjoyed the calm while it was there, and however lost it would stay. A breather was more than just a physical reprieve, it was a mental one and, in her case, a spiritual one as well. Every moment not in battle was a moment to recenter herself. And she would need it.

As the front doors burst open, Larissa had entered into a scene of chaos. People were everywhere, running about every-which-way; combatants and non-combatants alike. With her lightsaber brought out again, Larissa had deflected whatever blaster bolts had come her way, or close enough that it was a danger to any of her allies. But between the frenzy of what was happening and her difficulty in determining who was an enemy and who was a civilian, Larissa dared not to redirect any blaster bolts at her attackers, or even to do so aimlessly, lest she harm someone unintentionally. Instead, Larissa dedicated her efforts to deflecting the blaster bolts coming her way so that they would be directed away from people, often upwards to the walls or towards the ground.

Letting herself drift into the Force, almost entering a trance-esque state of mind, Larissa became as a stalwart bastion. Her lightsaber was like the wand of a conductor or the brush of an artist, entirely her own and wielded to near-perfection; almost all the enemies focused their attacks on her, yet to no avail in bringing her down, or even harming her. With her lightsaber seizing the attention, the Alliance troopers would have had no difficulty in cutting down the remaining opponents in the room, making for a successful arrival at the turbolift. She'd yet to reach it herself, but she now knew that she could. In spite of the bleaker-than-desired premise, things had turned around, going far better than expected.

"Press forward! To the turbo-lift!", Larissa said, strongly with her voice amplified, but without the harshness or intensity of a true yell. "The path is safe! Go now!"

Everyone needed to be ready now, for there was no telling what awaited them above.

@Kayenta Moenkopi