Ask Plot Signal Scramblers

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
It was typical, wasn't it? All the bluster about the buildings on Yavin IV, how important they were for the order, what an honour it was to be part of this mission... and they'd dumped the padawans on the outskirts. Deep in the thick, messy jungle, where they could only just about see the tips of the ziggaruts in the distant treeline.

What is the Jedi obsession with sweltering jungle planets and ancient buildings?

"They were not kidding when they said the perimeter, were they?"
Nara asked her partner for the mission, as they stood a fair distance from the edge of the complex. The more impressive buildings seemed to be much deeper in the complex, where the others would no doubt be covering themselves in glory. Still, they had an important task. The spice runners that'd taken over the complex were using the two skinnier, slender towers at the edge for their communications. Nara's eyes followed the shape, up over the mouldering, mossy stone.

"Looks like that one's the planet-wide and space communications," Nara offered, pointing to the larger dish on one tower. It dominated the side of it, growing off the ancient tower like a off-metal tumour. The other tower was littered with smaller dishes, antenna and aerials. "That must be local, then. Seems like they're pretty disciplined with this comms set-up." That was the real reason she was in for this task, why she'd known she'd be perfect for it. If they're using standard comms tech, I can get in there. Looks like it could be Chedak? Seems a little shinier than the 45X-Es, they mighta patched that hole with the broadband receiver ports...

Nara couldn't make out how many, but there were definitely people guarding. Spice runners. Again, pretty disciplined if they're protecting communications that closely.

"I can't see how many. You got a better sight?" she asked Kalam.

@Wit

Figured we could roll for how many patrols there are/people on patrol and what we do. Hopefully this is a decent enough start to work with!
 

Kalam Mekhar

Character
Jedi Order
Rank
Jedi Padawan

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Wit
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Kal walked along with his staff slung over a shoulder, eyes darting from side to side, taking everything in with barely concealed curiosity. He wasn't as well traveled or knowledgeable as most members of the Order, so this was a very novel experience for him. He had never known that spice was a thing, much less that gangs like the one that occupied the temple existed. He had signed up for the mission almost out of curiosity, to see first hand how criminal groups like these operated.

As Nara pointed out the two towers, making observations about what each was used for, Kal nodded in feigned agreement. "Uhh, yeah. I guess so." He just went with whatever she was saying, assuming she knew what she was talking about, and studying the dishes to try and understand how she had come to those conclusions. The truth was he had absolutely no idea how any of it worked, so he really had no way of knowing whether or not she was right. As had become the norm for him lately, almost every day was a learning experience.

He glanced around and spotted a nearby tree that he could climb up to get a better vantage point. Once up, he pulled out a holo-binocular that he had managed to procure from another Jedi some time back and scouted the base of the towers. This was something he felt comfortable with, he had spent a lot of time as a scout for his father's troops, and the binoculars just made it a whole lot easier. Looking at the towers he knew where to expect any guards to be stationed, and what routes any possible patrols might take. What surprised him was what he notices after a few minute's worth of observation.

"That's odd," he said as he dropped down from the tree, "I only spotted one guard, a big one for sure, but just the one. They might have more inside, but there seems to be just one on the outside." He was silent for a moment, eyebrows furrowed as he thought more on it. "This spice, it addles your head right? These spice runners must consume a lot of it, would explain why they left such an important target so unprotected."

@Charndley
 

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
"Just one? Seriously?" Nara asked, frowning. That was lucky. Suspiciously lucky. She had no reason to doubt Kalam though. She grabbed her own holo-binoculars from her belt, trying to see through the midst of the trees. She could see the guard now. A little bit hard to make out the details, but Kalam was right. The guy was pretty big.

"Hmm... if you were caught using in any serious crew, they'd throw you off that tower," she muttered, pointing again to the communication rig. "Not that I know much about spice running gangs, really," she hastened to add, giving a side-look to Kalam. Yeah, just go announcing what you remember from back home to every Jedi you meet, real clever Nara.

"I'm gonna take a closer look... he doesn't seem Like the most observant guy." Nara clipped her binoculars back and headed forwards, trying to ease her way through the jungle undergrowth. The general hubbub and buzz of life around her hid the gentle, soft pad of her boots in the grass and mud. It didn't even really need that much finesse either. As she approached, Nara noticed the guard's posture and attitude. He stood slouching, arms folded, tapping his foot. He'd look around for a couple of seconds and stretch, before fiddling with the blaster rifle he was carrying.

Guy really wants to be anywhere but here, Nara thought as she watched him. She waved back towards where she'd been stood, trying to get Kalam over. She groped on the ground, finding a decent-sized rock. With a little twisting, she wrapped a bit of wire and circuitry around it from one of the pouches on her belt. This better work.

She threw it a little ways further to her right, into the jungle. She just about heard the light slap of the rock against the trees. One second, two seconds, three... A somewhat-loud clicking noise burst out from over there, cutting through the relative silence. The guard jumped, looking around anxiously. Looking twitchy and clutching his rifle, he started to stomp over towards the noise. Grunting, he stepped deeper into the undergrowth. Nara saw his heavy shoulders and shifting back as she crept closer to the entrance of the towers, clutching her blaster in case there was someone else lurking inside.

@Wit
 

Kalam Mekhar

Character
Jedi Order
Rank
Jedi Padawan

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Wit
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Kal smiled as Nara spoke about her lack of knowledge regarding spice running gangs. It put him at ease, not seeing every Jedi acting like some legendary paragon of justice who couldn't do wrong. Seeing them as human made it easier for him to keep his head wrapped around the whole concept of training to become one.

As Nara made off to get a closer look, Kal tried to get a good vantage point as well, carefully moving towards the compound while doing his best to stay out of sight. He managed to find a path through the trees that actually brought him pretty close to the compound without being detected. That was when he noticed what Nara was doing, only managing to spot her because he knew the direction in which she had gone and was actively on the lookout for her. He noticed her distract the guard, and got an idea. She had a blaster, all he had was a stick. She was the one better prepared to take deal with the man.

He looked around and tried to find something he could use to further distract the guard, but couldn't find anything beyond leaves and muck. Having to get creative, he cupped his hands over his mouth and let out a loud hoot. The guard, already on edge by Nara's ploy, jumped at the sound and spun around to look in Kal's general direction. He let out another hoot, and the guard started moving towards him, his back turned completely to Nara, an open shot.

He wished that he had learned how to speak to people through their minds, but it was a skill that was well beyond his current capabilities. So he hoped that Nara would see the opening and take a shot. He assumed that she was carrying one of those blasters that could stun instead of kill. He had taken a few lives in the past, in war it was unavoidable. But he had learned since joining the Jedi that it was not something they condoned, and he hoped he would't have to play party to one today. He had only ever killed in the heat of battle, and mostly to save his own life. Killing someone like this, out in the open and almost in cold blood, he had no idea how he would feel about that.

@Charndley
 

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
Nara heard the hoot at the same time as the guard, turning quickly as she huddled close to the entrance. She had a little bit more sense, though. She knew it must be Kalam. What were the chances of it being some inopportune random creature, hooting right at that time? She saw the guard spin around, advancing warily towards Kal's position. Somehow, she knew this was her best chance. Her blaster weighed heavy in her hand. She reached down, fiddling with the setting, making it lock on the low-power Stun mark.

Please make this shot please please please she thought to herself as she aimed, looking right at the guard. Staring down the worn sights. Looked like a good shot. Please don't be too loud... please don't have others here, waiting and listening.

She fired. The sound pulsed through the air around them, but muffled in the trees. The bolt shot right towards the guard, who'd turned in the last half-second after hearing that noise. The bolt smacked straight into his head, sending him spinning round and smacking face-first into the mud. Nara gasped as she watched him fall, wondering if she'd killed him. For a split-second, it seemed like she had. Then she heard the unconscious, instinctive groan that let out from the guard's mouth. Ouch. Musta hurt.

She pumped her fist with a little grin, looking over towards Kalam. She pointed at him and then at the guard. Check him over, could be something. Even just the rifle, she thought, as she pointed towards herself and the tower. I'm going in to sort out this comms stuff. She turned and headed inside, starting to climb the spiral of rough-hewn stone stairs towards where she presumed the equipment would be.

@Wit
 

Saul Devan

Character
Jedi Order
Rank
Jedi Knight

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Nightfall
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
107
Reaction score
75


As the Padawans had moved directly on the communications tower, Saul had been biding his time in the jungles nearby, scouting out patrols and trying to keep them away from the Padawans as they did their important work.

Or at least, that was what he wanted to be doing. Things had not been quite working out that way.

While he had little trouble moving through the jungles, they reminded of Virgillia 7, his home. Whatever tracking skills hew had once had had severely diminished. He hoped he could blame it on the cybernetics affecting his intuition or something, not that he was just getting slow. Force, he didn't want to be getting slow. A galaxy in a state this one was in couldn't afford anyone to be off their best, and he couldn't afford it, not when he had come face to face with the dark side and was preparing to do so once again.

This for him, was a test as much as it was for the Padawans.

So, when he exited the jungle's edge and came across the body Nara had effectively blasted, he found his senses pricking up. Glacing up with a start, he saw from the other end of the clearing a patrol returning. Force, he had missed them entirely, and left Nara in danger,

Look up, we've got to move quickly, I'll try and keep them busy

@Charndley

Minor failure on Saul keeping a look out
 

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
Nara climbed up the stairs carefully, blaster ready just in case. She couldn't hear anyone else, but you could never know. Slowly, she edged up the wall to reveal the floor above her. The familiar, bright-spotted blink of a comms console met her eyes. After a quick scan to check there was no-one else there, Nara headed to the console, running her fingers over it.

Looks like a 4YX-Comm spliced with... is that a ship's comm system? It's pretty barebones. They musta ripped this straight off some old wreck... Nara thought judging how to attack it. How could she do this? One wrong move and it'd fire up the entire temple, plus anyone else listening. Like back-up.

She felt Saul's message reach her. She shivered slightly, feeling a little bit of fear as she tapped on the console. C'mon, c'mon, there's gotta be something. Come on... she tapped frantically, hoping to get access. She knew it had to go, now. With a little bit of panic setting in, Nara tried to access the root of the system but it locked down, hard. The screen frizzed and belched INTRUDER IDENTIFIED at her.

"Crap..." she muttered, her face pale, as she knew it'd be pinging the nearest patrols now. Working on instinct, she took out her blaster, turned the power up and just fired. Three rapid shots at the screen, then two at the comms router and tracker. The screen cracked and the box burned with acrid smoke, thick gouts of sparks shooting out and sizzling on her coat. But lo and behold, the screen died. The lights snapped out instantly.

Yeah, I think they know there's an intruder now, Nara thought. If they hadn't been pinged, they'd have definitely seen the smoke, or heard the blaster fire. She took up a position near the stairs, waiting as she breathed deep.


@Nightfall
 

Saul Devan

Character
Jedi Order
Rank
Jedi Knight

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Nightfall
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
107
Reaction score
75

Crouching in the undergrowth, Saul watched as Nara whipped out her blaster and blew the Force damned comm unit to smithereens. The smoke and sparks that shot off from it could mean little else, their work here was done. It just meant they had to get out in one piece, and that was the real worry. Especially as the patrol returning certainly knew where to look. That meant at least he had to give them something else to look at,

Skkk-bhrk, his rebreather heaved as he raised his voice to them,

“Blasters won’t be much use here!” Saul raised his lightsaber and ignited it, moving toward them to draw attention. The jungle was thick on every side, they’d be able to lose them in their. Their work was done, they didn’t need to end these people, just get out well enough to complete the operation.

But as blaster bolts started to fly and Saul leapt into the treeline, it seemed they were still hot on his trail.

giphy.gif

Trying to keep his wits about him, he crashed through and into trees on his way down, taking bruises all over his body. At least, he thought, Nara would have an easier time escaping. Even if he was going through a rather dangerous route to make sure of that.

@Charndley

17/100 for losing the patrol
 

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
Nara heard the patrol approach and then... what sounded like chaos. Nara headed down the steps carefully, looking out into the jungle. She saw the guards running in there, after Saul. She could vaguely see the bright blossom of light coming from his saber, filtering through the trees.

I can help him, draw off a couple, maybe split them, she thought foolishly. Split them up, disappear into the jungle, save the day. Easy, right?

As she ran out she took aim with her blaster, pointing at the guard running behind. She fired... a little too quickly. The blaster bolt smacked into the tree beside him as he whipped around, seeing her stood openly outside the smoke-drenched tower.

Oh crap, she thought, trying to aim again. But the guard was quicker. His rifle was already raised. He fired.

Nara smacked back, thudding into the muddy ground. She felt... strange. Like the breath had gone out of her... then the pain came all at once, a horrible, brutal rush from the chest outwards. A slight singe of fabric and skin hung in the air as she desperately tried to scramble for anything. Her lungs flashed with searing pain with each laboured, gasping breath. Her limbs shot through with agony as she pushed back pathetically, trying to get away.

She coughed weakly, trying to prop herself up with her elbow, trying to aim her blaster up again. It felt like a useless, lead weight in her hand.

Help help help anyone, anything, anywhere... she thought in a panic, trying to push her thoughts through the overwhelming pain running through her. Help! HELP! Ngh... The Force is with me... the Force is with me... she fell back on, trying to believe as the two guards turned towards her, smirking at their hit.

Wow that was a bad roll. 7/100 on trying to split them off.

@Nightfall
 

Saul Devan

Character
Jedi Order
Rank
Jedi Knight

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Nightfall
Joined
Jan 5, 2020
Messages
107
Reaction score
75

Nara's pain shot out in the Force, the calling in his mind sparking suddenly as he ducked in and out of the treeline to try and lose the patrol following him. But knowing the Padawan was injured, knowing what it felt like to be in sudden, searing pain and unable to pull oneself out. Well, he couldn't allow it to happen to another.

His own purpose renewed, he lashed out with his lightsaber, felling a tree as he passed, cutting off the guards from the path behind him as he looped back round in the jungle, following his tracks back to the tower where he last saw Nara. Pushing through thick scrub, he began to merely cut his way through bushes when he couldn't go around, time was off the essence.

And as Saul entered the clearing, he could see the guards stalking their way over to her, their blasters raised as they took in the girl who'd done in the comms.

It would be too bad for them that as soon as they closed in, their bodies were enveloped in a field they had never felt before, and thrown bouncing across the stone back down to the broken beacon,

Skkk-bhrk, Saul's rebreather wheezed as he reached down to scoop her up,

"I am so sorry Padawan...We're leaving, our job is done" he spoke to try and comfort her, dashing off from the target as the two guards writhed in pain down below. They were getting out of here, and getting Nara straight to safety.

@Charndley




Better than expected save, we're outta here! We probably don't need more rolls, but if you'd like to post again for us to wrap up that's all cool :)
 

Juniper

Character
Independent
Rank
Independent Force User

Character Profile
Link
OOC
Charndley
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
494
Reaction score
506
Nara felt like she was in some sort of nightmare as the two guards advanced, weapons raised at her. Smug smirks melting into their rough-hewn features, all a swirl in her pain-wracked vision. Nara was going to end up captured, or just shot. She tried to raise her hand, desperately scrabbling for one last chance, one last hope of stopping them. She wouldn't let them just win...

Then they were shoved aside roughly, their bodies hitting the stone as Saul strode over to her quickly. Her pale face broke into a small smile as she struggled to breathe, nearly matching the cadence of Saul's rebreather.

"Not... your fault...." she admitted, clutching onto him as he lifted her from the ground. As he carried her, Nara jostled in his grip, wincing as her signed clothes rubbed against the wound. "Stupid... idea... to shoot..." she told him, but she wasn't sure he heard her as he brought her back through the jungle growth, towards where they'd left the ship.

Afterwards, Nara laid on the couch on the shuttle, a crude bandage wrapped over her chest and shoulder. They'd have to wait to get to Ajan Kloss or a spaceport for Nara to get proper treatment, but she'd somehow managed to apply some bacta and a couple of pain stims. Enough for her to feel ready to doze off into a drug-induced sleep.

"Thanks Saul..." she said to him quietly, her voice still sore and breathy, but not quite as bad as it was out in the jungle clearing.

Mission accomplished. Kinda.

/END
 
Top