The Spoils of War, Part 1

[The Storyteller]

Twilight Princess​

A monotone voice.

A recording of a text to voice briefing.

"This is the Jedi Mission Briefing Service."

The sound is harsh and rather grating on even the least sensitive of ears. Had the listener above-human hearing it would be almost unbearable. It wasn't really the best system but it was the best that could be done this far from the inner rim or, indeed, civilisation.

"Your mission is as follows..."

There was a pause as the recording accessed the right file.

"Board and capture the vessel, Twilight Princess, by breaching the hull. You have been equipped with EVA suits for this purpose and the ship is unaware of your presence at this time as your shuttle is flying without power to avoid showing on scanners. Please make the jump to the corvette quickly to avoid detection."

There was a burst of static.

"May the Force be with you."

Before the transmission was over and the mission was a go.

Spoiler: OOC

To clarify; I am NOT dming this thread. Someone will DM for us.

@Nightfall096 @Esther Nyx

 

[Vollen Shai]

The cold silence of space was something Vollen had seen many times over the course of his life, enough that the dark of the ovoid didn't really get to him anymore, if as their transport drifted silently closer to the warlords corvette, the Twilight Princess. A warlord was an unwelcome presence anywhere in the galaxy, especially so when they struck out at innocents in stolen ships. It was one of the more active parts of a Jedi's role, the protection of innocents from villains like this. And yet, it had to be done, and here was a clever and hopefully quick way to see it done.

The ship was docked, refueling, unable to flee if it wanted to. And here were two Jedi ready to storm the ship and force them to stand down. If they would stand down that was. While he would do what was in his power to take the pirates down non-lethally, the thought played on his mind that they would offer no such chance, nor the same courtesy to them. And alongside him today was a pair of younger knight he had not yet met, Sigal (@Esther Nyx) and Lucian (@Nefieslab), a crack team from what he knew, undoubtedly ready for a fight. Though hopefully not spoiling for one. He had been that sort of man before, force, it wasn't even that long ago that his hubris had caused great losses. He wouldn't let this pair fall into the same trap, certainly not today, if he could help it.

He'd brought with him, alongside his normal equipment, an ascension gun. All the better to cling to the side of the ship with when they made the leap into space. And suiting up into an EVA suit, ready for insertion, he began to speak,

"I'm glad to have you along, both of you. I doubt these pirates will offer us any quarter, but we can offer it to them, if they'll take it" he offered to the pair. They were Jedi, peacekeepers, that meant avoiding violence if they could. But he fingered his lightsaber, ready if things did not go as he hoped,

"If we break the hull near the bridge we might be able to seize it and force a lockdown before word spreads across the ship, seize it before they realise too much. Though it is risky, so is this whole thing." that was his plan atleast, he wold be interested what the others had to say.

But, from the cockpit window he saw the corvette drift into view as they edged along it. They wouldn't have much time before the operation began. Giving them a chance to reply and a plan to be agreed on, he'd ready himself by the bay door, lightsaber in hand,

"Ready?"

 

[Lucian Volante]

Lucian was typically the pilot in missions like this but he couldn't be here.

The ship was entirely devoid of electrical life, which meant that there was no way to pilot the damn thing even if he wanted to. There was a good reason for it too... namely the less electronics and the fewer signals being received and sent then the less the enemy actually had to pick up on scanners. Sure, they could pick up on the metal of the craft but that would require an active scan and since they were currently sat there being refuelled? He doubted that they were going to be interested in running active scans.

Dressed in his typical armour underneath his EVA suit, Lucian had come equipped with his lightsaber and blaster - but he had followed Vollen's lead and taken an ascension gun as well. Breathing deeply, Lucian stood beside the bay door. It was open but since they were all wearing EVA suits that was hardly an issue.

"If we breach near the bridge we may space the entire ship." he reasoned with a small frown, "Few ships come with automatic bulkheads in case of a hull breach - most require input from the bridge."

He shook his head,

"But that has it's own benefits." he declared, moving to stand slightly behind Vollen in the bay door, "After you Master Shai... Sigal and I shall follow your lead."

Except he doubted Sigal would be happy about it at all.

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096

 

[Sigal Adi Chume'da]

Sigal was not happy, not at all. Not only was she paired off, once more, with Lucian Volante but she was also under the authority of a Jedi master. A male Jedi master. To a Hapan, the concept of an authoritative man was utterly foreign. Power was solely reserved for women, it was the entire foundation of Hapes society. Their monarch was the Queen Mother, political leaders were women of status, even the family was dominated by a monarch. So, it should come as no surprise that Sigal was nothing short of vexed by the current situation.
Yet no amount of complaining would rectify the dilemma. The Jedi were not ones to panda to the whims of every single Jedi Knight. The Order was a collective of many species, not all entirely humanoid. Clashes of cultures were to be expected. But for the greater good of the galaxy, and the force, Jedi were to rise above this.

With a soured pout, Sigal did just that, donning her own EVA suit, "Let us make haste and be done with it."

The corvette wasn’t much to look but it was the ultimate objective of this assignment. The sooner it was secured, the better. Then Sigal could free herself of her current company. Still, the Hapan wondered just how much this ship was actually worth, especially if a trio of Jedi were sent to capture it.

Not particularly one for conflict, Sigal hoped to accomplish this mission as quick and painlessly as possible.

 

[Vollen Shai]

Automatic bulkheads.

Good point.

As easy as it would make their task today, the thought of spacing the crew without provocation was not the Jedi way. Nor would they necessarily be able to get in and seal it off themselves if everything was being depressurised so quickly. No, Not an option he would be taking, not today. He was glad to have the pair along, one could only learn so much alone, and clearly they both would have a great deal to offer. He glanced one last time at an outline of the ship, reassessing his plan,

"Here then perhaps, a third of the way down the ship from the bridge, up from the lifeboat bay. If we cut in from their we should get an easy bit of metal to cut through so we're inside without too much fuss, and a faster way to seal a breach. That said, if it doesn't go so well... well, I'm sure we'll be fine" he said, affixing his EVA helmet, there wasn't much time to chat any longer,

"Time to move" he nodded at Sigal, clearly ready to be off. Once everyone had suited up, Vollen hit the release on their small ships docking bay, opening them up to the cold dark of the void. Their little transport drifted itself by the hull of their target vessel, aimlessly floating above its durasteel frame. He took one last breath before jumping.

Using the force ever so lightly to control his landing he'd touch down against the ships hull without a sound, only the echo of his breathing in his helmet. He'd never spacewalked before. And sadly now there would be little time to admire the beauty of it all. Now there was only time to move. Igniting his lightsaber he thrust it into the metal of the lifeboat, his blade cutting through its comparatively thin metal in moments, giving them a gap to cut through. Ushering the others in first he'd open the escape pods front door and into the ship proper, closing it again to seal the breach. The pirates no doubt recognised something was up, and reaching out with his senses he felt for enemies approaching, lightsaber at the ready.

It was show time.

 

[Lucian Volante]

Lucian nodded.

It was nice to be listened to when it came to superiors - let it never be said that an officer or a superior had the right to speak to his people as he wanted. There had to be respect both ways for the relationship to truly work and it would seem that Master Shai was perfectly happy to do that.

He took a deep breath and centred himself in the Force.

"I am a leaf on the wind..." he whispered to himself, "Watch how I soar."

Pushing off into the void of space, Lucian felt a fleeting moment of fear, as if he were acknowledging that he could very well die just drifting forever... but it passed quickly enough and he landed on the hull of the ship's lifeboat with the magnetic boots activating to keep him locked on. With Vollen cutting through, Lucian was the first one actually through the breach, lightsaber in his right hand and blaster pistol in his left but without the blade ignited for now.

He was aboard the ship though and that was what mattered.

"Shall we head to the bridge Master Shai or would you prefer we hit another target first?"

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096 @Aberforth

 

[Sigal Adi Chume'da]

With a groan, Sigal donned her helmet as well; she only hoped it didn't mess with her silky golden locks. She hated missions like this, missions that required actual physical labour and peril. She'd much rather prefer the more diplomatic assignments, ones that allowed her to utilise her charm as oppose to her saber. But Sigal had learnt better than to challenge the wishes of the Jedi elders; the more she defied them the greater they made her suffer. Some silly notion about curbed her less than desirable personality. Perhaps that is why she was partnered with the two males.

So spiteful, in her opinion.

But the soon they completed the mission, she sooner she could be rid of her present company. Yet as the two advanced ahead of her, Sigal hesitated, not following directly behind. Instead, the jewelled eyed Jedi paused for the slightest moment, her body seizing. The void of space was vast; its blackness utterly endless. Hapans appalled the dark, given their planet was in constant celestial daylight. Sigal was no different. In the absence of light, she was near blind. Understandably, she was ill at ease. She'd never admit it openly, but for a fleeting moment, she was like a child afraid of the surrounding dark. Only the light from Mast Shai's saber broke the nefarious spell.

Drawing on her pride, Sigal pushed off and glided through the depths of space. She willed the force to guide her, hoping to would even accelerate her progress.

With a sigh of relief, Sigal breached the ship right after Lucian. Whilst he covered one direction, she covered the other, allowing Shai to enter safely.

 

[The Storyteller]

Lounging in the comfort of the captain's chair in the bridge of the Twilight Princess, Erri T'aiva is in a pink set of Mandalorian Medium Armor (With a Jetpack, Life Support Box, Rebreathers and E-Vac Suit functions mounted on) would be watching over her bridge crew as she is going to set her next course. Erri T'aiva is a Mandalorian pirate who has racked up quite a name for herself around these parts. She and her raiders are very proficient in their work. Her marauders have been know full and well how to fight on foot while in space, and the Twilight Princess is known for it's daring crew, which is mostly composed of females, with men taking up canon fodder or menial roles on the Princess. Erri T'aiva declares herself a 'Pirate Queen' and if someone has an issue with that and tells her to her face she will cut that person's head off. Her first mate Verresa Windwalker was flanking her, she has similar armor to Erri, but her armor is colored grey.

All is going good, until one of the bridge crew informed Erri about their being a hull breach in the escape pods on the starboard side. Erri raised an eyebrow beneath her helmet. The bridge didn't detect any ships or anything either. How curious "Oh really? Send the nearest raiders to check out. Have them inform us immediately once the find out what it is." The Pirate Queen was irradiated. She was planning to jump to Manaan and raid a shipment carrying Kolto in what will be a very profitable score, but it looks like that will have to wait. If this takes too long then she will be too late.

With that, three pirates would be heading towards the escape pods area where the breach was detected. They would have Enforcer Armor on them. Two of them would be carrying Marauder Pulse Wave Rifles, the one leading them would instead have a Vibrosword already raised as well as a thunderslug pistol in his off hand. The squad leader would be openning the door while the flunkies would have their weapons leveled. All of them would be cautious. This could be malfunction on the bridge end, or this could be Republic troopers or something.

Spoiler: NPC Info

Pirate Queen/Captain Erri is level 3. In addition to aforementioned armor, has a vibrosword and a thunderslug pistol.
First Mate Verresa is level 2. In addition to aforementioned armor, has a Marauder Pulse Wave Rifle and a collapsible vibrosword.

GL;HF :)

@Nefieslab! @Nightfall096 @Esther Nyx

 

[Vollen Shai]

"Straight to the bridge, we take their command hopefully we can force a surrender. Spare who we can" Volle replied to Lucian, it was time to keep moving. If they could sprint this thing then he'd be happy. The pirates who crewed this ship, cruel as they might be, wouldn't face death today, not if he could prevent it.

And it seemed they'd be tested on that sooner than he'd exactly hoped.

To his left a hiss, a bulkhead door sliding open as a trio of pirates came to investigate. Vollen cursed at himself inwardly. His plan had been made in haste, if anything happened to those alongside him it would be his fault, and he knew it. Which meant it was his duty to take the lead now, and make sure it didn't.

As the three pirates passed through the door, weapons at the ready, Vollen activated the energy shield on his right arm and reach out with the force in a sudden and powerful application of Dull Senses against the three pirates. Without the force at their side there would be little they could do to counter the sudden and intense drowsiness that would overtake them, and while it would take a moment to render them fully unconscious, Vollen hoped he could count on the two by his side to knock them down even sooner.


@Nefieslab @Esther Nyx @Faster Than Light

 

[Lucian Volante]

For the love of the Force... things couldn't go easy for them could we huh?

Sighing a little bit, Lucian's lightsaber was ready in his right hand when the enemies presented themselves in the doorway, startling everyone present. Acting quickly, Lucian would use the Force to grab the slugthrower of the leader, tearing it from her hand and throwing it away from her while she would be disorirentated by Vollen's attack.

Slugthrowers were a pain in the backside for Jedi after all.

Once that was done, Lucian would immediately move his lightsaber into a defensive position even as he fired two stun rounds from his blaster for the head of the leader.

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096 @Faster Than Light

 

[Sigal Adi Chume'da]

Sigal did not share Vollen's notions of mercy and compassion; soon as the pirates prove hostile, their lives would be forfeited. Besides, the Hapan had little patience for their kind, and even less when it came to conflict. She particularly didn't take kindly to the prospect of injuries and wounds. Like many of her kinswomen, Sigal avoided such threats whenever possible, fearing physical disfigurement. Yet again she questioned as to why she had been tasked with such a perilous mission, especially as it seemed the dangers were not wholly explored.

The council would hear of her displeasure, that much was certain. She'd rant about this most assuredly...if they survived this encounter.

Not only were their adversaries pirates, but it would seem they were also Mandalorians; this was not a welcomed revelation. Mandalorians were notorious warriors, skilled in the art of combat. Engaging them would be troublesome, but it seemed they had no noise.

With Vollen weakening them and Lucian striking at one of the team, Sigal focused on the companions; using the force, Sigal sent the two tumbling back, ensuring they could not backup and fortify each other's position with any firepower. It was a particularly forceful shove, one that might have knocked the wind out of their lungs; but Sigal knew they wouldn't stay down, not for long. It would take more than a knock to force a Mandalorian into submission and Sigal was more than willing to accommodate that.

Turning her attention to the stunned squad leader, Sigal drew her blade and readied to charge; she had no qualms with relieving the Mando of a limb or extremities, but she knew Vollen might have something to say about it...

​

 

[The Storyteller]

Vollen just assumed they would walk through the doors blindly didn't he? The pirate squad did not however. Once they saw three figures in EVA suits, they knew something was up and it is not anything good. The pirates would be in the right to shoot them where they stand and not ask questions. The two flunkies next to the squad leader would have their targets picked. It's easier for them to focus down one target. They aimed their pulse-wave blasters at Vollen and fired three shots both at him in quick succession, they already had their weapons leveled before opening the door. Because Vollen would have chose to wait until they came through the door way, this would come before Vollen would put up his primitive ray-shield device (who uses those these days?) and before he could use that force dulling attack, thereby interrupting negating those actions. EVA suits tend to be very awkward to fight in as well and would greatly reduce Vollen's agility to the point where even he couldn't dodge those shots (that and they don't provide protection against weapons.). If Vollen managed to get his ray-shield device up in time, the pulse-wave shots would easily shred through it and still kill the man behind. Not even a force barrier instinctively formed would be able to hold off the shots for long. The other two Jedi aren't able to conveniently save him, as they would be a bit pre-occupied. If Vollen doesn't figure a way out of his situation the Jedi Councilor is going to be a dead man.

The Pirate squad leader went to fire her thunderslug in concern with the other two's rifles, but that Jedi pulled it out of her hand. However she saw one of them blaster pistol and fired two stunbolts at her head. All the squad leader had to do squat down a bit, and the stun shots aimed at her head would sail overhead until they lose cohesion. The squad leader was wondering silently what kind of amateur shooter aims at someone's head. If he had aimed for her torso she would have been down and out, no way around it, but that's not what happened. These Jedi must be men.

The force push from the Hapan woman would then hit the two other pirates, pushing them back down the hallways, their backs hitting the floors a decent distance away. They would be vulnerable, but they aren't out of the fight yet.

Back in the bridge, the Pirate Queen is still in her seat. Erri is expecting that the squad she sent report very soon. She normally is an impatient woman, that and paranoid. (She is a criminal after all). She trusts her women to do their jobs, but knows full and well whatever is causing that disturbance might be a good reason why she wouldn't be able to report in. She is prepared to take further action as needed.

@Nefieslab! @Nightfall096 @Esther Nyx

 

[Vollen Shai]

These villains were faster than he thought, but they wouldn't be fast enough.

As the pulse wave bolts spat from the muzzle of the thugs rifle, Vollen acted on instinct, throwing up what was possibly a unconventional, but effective defense.

Snapping the force to his needs as he pushed himself to move the force damned weight of the eva suit left, Vollen rapidly used cryokinesis to form a pair of stalagmites directly in front of the two mercenaries that fired upon him. As the pulse wave bolts smacked into them, they would shatter the ice certainly, but would equally dissipate on impact, covering him from any damage the pirate might have even thought they would have done to him with those first shots, and buying him time to throw himself (and all the bulk of his eva suit) left, and out of the path of the rest of the following shots. It took a hell of a lot of strength to do so, but with the extra time he'd be able to make it.

Only just.

He wouldn't be taking another chance like that again. Not one that close.

Immediately as the danger from the bolts was gone, he dropped the cryokinesis, the remaining ice shards dropping to the floor as he flicked out his free hand to send a wave of kinetic energy at the squad leader (the other two, including the one that fired upon him, having just been thrown by Sigal's blast) that would send her slamming back into the floor and skidding to join her companions on the floor. There'd be little chance for her to dodge it, a wave coming at her not squat body. The three pirates would all be vulnerable now, ready for his team to end this little skirmish.

They needed to keep moving.


@Nefieslab @Esther Nyx @Faster Than Light

 

[Lucian Volante]

Well this was already turning into something of an ordeal now wasn't it? His own attacks on the leader had been avoided neatly and only Sigal had managed to land a blow on their enemies to begin with. Deciding to capitalise on the way both Sigal and Vollen had left their opponents down by the Force, Lucian fired his remaining stun bolts (3) into the torsos of the downed and distracted enemies, one for each of them.

With the stun rounds done, Lucian reaches out with the Force and applies it as a blanket of pressure on the female pirates so that they cannot push themselves back up to their feet.

If Sigal knocked them out, he would merely defend himself with his lightsaber to ward off potential other attacks. If Sigal did not, Lucian would defend with his lightsaber... before shooting each woman twice in the chest with his pistol, the stun rounds gone and replaced with the lethal rounds as his pistol held 5 stun rounds and then 10 lethal rounds.

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096 @Faster Than Light

 

[Sigal Adi Chume'da]

Sigal absently noted the gender of their opponents; she was surprised to say the least, having never encountered an all female pirate crew. Indeed, the Hapan military and navy was predominantly women but still it was intriguing to see what other roles females donned outside of Hapes. As obscure as it seemed, not all planets shared the matriarchal system; utterly ludicrous to someone like Sigal, a beautiful and proud woman.

But fellow gender would not save these pirates, not from the Jedi's assault. Rather savagely, Sigal launched a rather ceremonial kick to both of the downed subordinates, the localised aim intent on robbing them of their consciousness. There was a sickening crunch of broken bone and cartilage, but Sigal seemed unfazed. She would do whatever necessary to keep her enemies down. Let it never be said Sigal was anything but vicious. She delivered the same treatment to the squad leader, taking a moment to look down at the damage she had inflicted.

"This could be a scouting party..." The Hapan balked, cautious now as to their surroundings, "There could be more, especially if these three don't check back in..."

Moving towards the unconscious leader -after kicking away near weapons- Sigal patting her pockets, checking for anything of use; perhaps a layout of the ship, a communication link, or even any pass keys. The three of them must have gotten around the ship somehow.

Looking towards the other two, Sigal cocked her brow in haste, "I suggest we move; hit them hard and fast whilst we still have the element of surprise"

 

[Lucian Volante]

The three pirates were knocked down and pinned down effectively by both himself and Vollen and stayed there, apparently surprised or just shaken, while all three of his stun bolts hit them square in the chests. If that wasn't enough, Sigal then kicked them hard in the faces to knock them out as well.

Between the combined assault, the three were out cold and would be for the foreseeable future.

Knowing the layout of the ship pretty well from memory, Lucian nodded to both Sigal and Vollen as he took the lead, his lightsaber held up in a defence across his front as he started running towards the bridge.

"This way to the bridge." he told his fellow Jedi, "We need to make sure we take out their leader as soon as possible - without their leader, their will to fight should flake away."

Approaching the bridge, if the door was open, Lucian would shoot three shots at the captain's chest while still covering himself with his lightsaber. If the door was not open, he would continue to approach it cautiously, moving to reach the door controls but fully prepared to defend himself as needs be.

Spoiler: OOC

DM skipped due to time out - autohit rules apply.

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096 @Faster Than Light

 

[Vollen Shai]

With the pirates advance group downed, their way seemed clear to storm the ship and take the bridge. Hopefully they could end this faster than their infiltration had seemed to suggest. Lucian stormed ahead, as it appeared the Knight often did, a valiant effort on his behalf, though all of them were brave to have dared take on this mission in he first place. Such was the lives of Jedi.

"That's the hope, anyhow" Vollen added as they dashed forwards, aprroaching the bridge as Lucian led them closer, and closer. Vollen had spent a great deal of his life aboard ships, but even then, he couldn't dare reach Lucians expertise there. It was something the knight could perhaps teach him one day. If they succeeded here that was, and he'd already come closer than he'd liked to failing. No longer.

Like Lucian, if the door was open Vollen would reahc out with both his hands, and twist the force around the captain and her first mate (if that's who was there), hoping to give enough time for Lucian's shots to connect, and give Sigal a good chance to get in some of her own. Otherwise, the lightsaber in his left hand continued to hum, ready to deflect or defend if anything came at them. He stood next to the bulkhead, ready to jump back behind into cover if the need arose.

If the door wasn't open, Vollen put himself in cover on the opposite side of the door to Lucian, ready to spring out and react as soon as the door opened before them.


@Esther Nyx @Faster Than Light @Nefieslab

 

[Lucian Volante]

The Captain and the rest of the bridge crew would, seemingly, be too stunned to react as Lucian and his Jedi allies barged into the bridge because his three shots all hit home, killing the Captain almost instantly as Vollen's use of the Force held the First Mater locked in place.

Moving into the bridge with his lightsaber up defensively, he would work hard to keep the bridge crew within his sights as he moved up and pressed the barrel of his blaster to the side of the head of the First Mate.

His senses were still alert.

"Prepare for a jump to hyperspace." he commanded the bridge crew firmly, "Get us out of the system - now."

Once they were out of the system, away from any potential aid, they could have them jump to where more forces loyal to the Jedi Order would be able to take command of them.

Spoiler: OOC

DM skipped due to time out - autohit rules apply.

@Esther Nyx @Nightfall096 @Faster Than Light

 

[Vollen Shai]

Despite their slow start, by the time the Jedi strike team hit the bridge they were a force to be reckoned with. With a few blaster shots the captain was taken down, and the first mate quickly bound by Lucian. They had made it this far, they couldn’t afford to slip up now.

He could afford no slip ups now.

Perhaps in his heart he had something to prove. Perhaps he always had. But leading such a strike now that he was on the council meant there was a standard to hold, to be sure, at least to himself, that he was a warrior of the light. It was a thought he tried to dismiss, but couldn’t so easily. There was some truth to it. It was something he had tried to prove his whole life.

But no matter his doubts, for now they were subsumed by focus on the mission at hand.

Pressing forward he kept his grip tight on his blade, ready to defend, and the force held tight on the first mate in case she tried anything. For now though he approached the staff in charge of the security. As Lucian commanded the jump Vollen made his own request,

“Seal off the crew. I don’t want to harm anyone else but I doubt they shall feel the same. They won’t succeed if they try” he spoke in a forthright tone, sure of himself. Trying to be, anyhow. With the crew sealed off their jump would be uninterrupted and able to be easily dealt with when the time came.

Soon, soon this would all be over. And Vollen would be able to breathe again.


@Esther Nyx @Faster Than Light @Nefieslab