Time to Play

[Narir Solus]

Narir looked at the elevator ahead that led shallowly into space. When people had told him that Fondor was a desert wasteland, he hadn't realized just how true it was, but sure enough, outside the cities, there was... nothing. Hot and beating suns and the deserts that it produced. It worked well for Narir's purposes right now, though.

No one had really bothered the two Mandalorians as they scouted out the facility, holing up in an abandoned bunker within easy eyesight of the elevator up if they popped their heads out. It seemed the workers liked to keep to themselves. Narir had been itching to try out his new Basilisk, but had been forced to leave it aboard the Revenge, which was "parked" far enough away not to raise any suspicion. It killed him, but he lived. Fondor was not the planet for pulling out the oversized droid.

The elevator they'd been watching shipped directly into the shipyards above, primarily for exporting garbage to the nearby dump, which was likely why no one paid it much heed and why it was in the middle of nowhere. It was perfect for what Narir wanted to do, however. He waited for the sun to set and give the pair of Mandalorians good cover.

In the meantime, he'd moved deep into the old bunker, making sure that no glow could be seen from outside (though with the sun still up for his practice, there wasn't much of a way to see the light anyway). From there, he'd spent quite some time practicing with the lightsaber he had recently obtained. It handled similarly to swords, but was just a hint different. He wanted to improve with it so he could use it on missions, but for the moment carried his beskad as well. But his skills were improving day by day.

The saber flashed out, and he glanced over to Leandros as the sun went down. He was one of his fellow brothers and badgers who Narir had grown quite accustomed to working with. He enjoyed the man's company and had come to trust that he was more than a competent combatant who Narir could rely on. No time like the present, he said in Mando'a to the other man as he hoisted his carbine into place and let his saber return to his belt. The sun was down and it was time for the badgers to come out to play. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros knelt in the abandoned bunker, rifle and helmet laid out before him. He muttered under his breath a devotional, praying to Kad Ha’rangir for strength and accuracy in the coming battle. In recent weeks, he had grown more devout, realizing that his shortcomings were in part due to his lack of faith to the gods. He knew that he could rectify this solution on his own, and so in his spare time between missions he had inscribed on his flesh various litanies and devotionals to the gods on his bare flesh. It was something simple to ensure his faith in times of tumult.

Fondor was not a particularly intriguing planet; most desert planets were wastelands through and through, and this was no different. Outside of the civilized areas, there was nothing notable. Nothing except miles upon miles of open, hot terrain. Luckily, this lack of activity worked in their favor, as nobody was going to investigate the abandoned bunker to find the Mandalorians within, and, if they did, they would not live to tell of their presence to their peers and superiors.

Narir was not far off, practicing with his newly-acquired lightsaber. The weapon had distinctive properties that took some time getting used to, like the weight offset and the unusual qualities of the blade itself. He was no master of the weapon by any measure, but he at least practiced with it during his spare time. Something as unique as a lightsaber is what set apart the veteran warriors from the regular foot soldiers, since it was physical proof of his success in battle against their most-hated foe.

Leandros liked Narir. The two had worked together a few times and were becoming more acquainted with their combat styles and personalities. Leandros appreciated Narir’s can-do, industrious attitude when it came to bringing death and destruction to their enemy. It was an admirable quality to possess in a time of strife like the current rebellion. These days would be no different, for the battle against the Sith was not close to being over. They were targeting points of strategic importance – shipyards. With the destruction of more and more shipyards following Kuat, the Imperials would have greatly diminished naval capabilities when the time came for true war. The Mandalorians needed whatever edge they could get in the coming battles, so attacking key places like Fondor, Bilbringi, and Kuat was a necessity.

As the day came to a head and the sun began to set, Leandros finished his prayers and gathered his items. They were nearby an Imperial facility with a space elevator that led directly to the shipyards above. Tonight, they would bring ruin to this shipyard. Darkness engulfed the area in short time as Narir approached Leandros. Looking out into the darkness, Leandros responded with a curt, ”Yes,” in Mando’a. He panned his gaze toward Narir, lifting his rifle and sliding on his helmet, ”And our foe will feel our wrath for a thousand futures.”

He stepped out into the night and crouched low, sweeping across the area with his rifle. So far, none of the workers were out, and it was unlikely that they would notice him with his dark armor coated in scatterweave. He motioned for Narir to come and join him, for it was time for the fun to begin.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Just like old times. Except this time they weren't hunting miners, they were hunting dock workers. And it wasn't random people, but Imperial-aligned guards that would litter the region they were hunting. That was better in Narir's mind. Although not everyone in the shipyard was a soldier, their work was directly aiding the war effort, which meant that they were every bit to blame as the Imperial soldiers themselves. What was the difference between one of the soldiers and one of these dockworkers? Both were sentient beings, and though one held a rifle and one held a plasma torch, both were necessary to the Imperial war machine grinding ever onward.

As fascinating as he would have found discussing those ethical dilemmas to no ends, Narir decided that now likely wasn't the best time. Leandros mentioned their enemies feeling their wrath for a thousand futures, and Narir just... kind of nodded. He wasn't really sure what that was all about, and couldn't help noting the... changes to Leandros's tattoos, but that really probably wasn't any of the warrior's business.

What they were here for began with what Narir hated most: stealth. Sneaking onto the facility, and making their way to the elevator. They - once again - had the cover of darkness to help them, but the Veren-Solus hybrid was just sure his Veren roots were going to undo him again.

Narir grabbed his poncho, and with his first steps out of the bunker, he was once again surprised at how hard the ground was: rocky and devoid of much in terms of plants, but scattered with random garbage that had failed to make it to the dumps or been otherwise blown away. Narir picked cautious steps toward the perimeter, moving from cover to cover and watching for any indication of people having spotted them. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros stalked through the darkness, moving carefully from cover to cover. Rock formations, debris, and general clutter that did not make it to space provided ample concealment as the raiding duo dashed between them, closing the distance between them and the facility. All the while he was moving, Leandros quietly whispered an incantation to himself, ”Ni olya werda ibac wa'liu'a ni. Ni olya abiik ibac wa'liu'a ni. Ni olya rusur ibac haaranovor ni. Ni parer at nynir teh werda. Ni parer at kyr'amur teh ut shiib abiik. Ni olya nuhaatyc, bal Ni olya shev'la kyr'am.” He repeated the litany every time it ended, his voice a barely-audible whisper, especially with the sound of the facility’s operations overpowering it. It was something to remind himself of his devotion, as well as reinforce his faith. Hod Ha’ran would render him invisible to his enemies so long as he remained faithful. Still, he was not a tactical moron and he still kept to cover and concealment where he could.

It was a short while to the facility and the two would arrive without much issue. As he approached, one of the facility workers stepped outside with a friend, both lighting up a cigarette of some kind for a smoke break. Quickly hiding behind a large piece of ship debris, Leandros drew his beskad and looked at Narir. The workers had their backs to the Mandalorians as they faced the building, gazing up at the grandeur of the space elevator. Killing them would certainly help, but it would potentially lead to some issue if the two workers did not return to their duties. He continued to recite his litany, though it was mostly internal at this point.

Leandros kept behind the cover but looked to Narir, motioning to the two workers and holding up a finger to wait, hoping the man would get his intentions regarding the two workers. They needed to get in and out quickly, sabotaging the shipyard above, but they could not do it if their cover was broken. His weapon was drawn, but that was more for his sake than it was for killing’s sake. It was a quiet tool unlike his blaster, meaning that he could kill if need be without raising alarm. The time for bloodshed would be soon, but they needed to get as far as they could before being noticed.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir understood what Leandros was getting at as he motioned to the men. The Mandalorian had taken up a position behind some of the shrubbery several meters off of the fence, and waited for the men to leave. They seemed to be taking their time, causing Narir to alternate his sites between one man, then the other, then back again. It was more for practice - and a little bit out of boredom - than because he thought he was actually going to fire on them.

Eventually, they continued on their patrol. It seemed they were not supposed to be on a smoke break - big surprise - and had hidden for a short while while they consumed their illicit materials. Narir continued to wait, prone behind the bushes, until he was satisfied they were gone. The stones he was lying on were still hot, and it began to slowly seep through his suit, but 30 seconds more and he was moving slowly on his feet again.

Cover, he said quietly, letting his carbine fall to its sling as he pulled out the small lightsaber hilt. The sabers were not silent, but also not overly noisy. He'd heard of Sith cutting into a camp of Tuskens without them noticing before slaughtering the whole camp once. No one had seen or heard the initial cut. That same stealth was what Narir applied now, letting the blade light up and cutting through the fence edge with a single cut just wide enough for them to get through, but not fully cutting the piece away. They had their entrance, and the moment they did, Narir extinguished the blade and gripped his carbine once more, pulling back the section of fence for his partner to climb through. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros remained crouched low, watching and waiting for the two workers to finally move on. It felt like an eternity, but their smoke eventually ended and they continued on their way, presumably to get back to work before they were chastised for skipping out on their duties. Once the coast was clear, Leandros slowly moved forward, beskad in one hand and pistol in the other, while Narir moved to cut through the fence and create an entrance for them. Pistol raised, Leandros kept an eye on the facility to make sure that they would not be spotted.

Once through, Leandros stepped beyond the fence and pushed forwards towards the facility, motioning for Narir to follow. From where they were, they would have to go through the various processing rooms, equipment storages, power stations, and all other important areas before they could get to the elevator. He looked at Narir, nodding his head towards the elevator, and asked ”Plan?”

They were here to sabotage the shipyards above, but they were but two men armed with nothing more than paltry explosives and their various weapons. The elevator, of course, was the means of getting to the shipyard, but they needed a way to get the job done. Leandros thought for a few seconds, considering the different ways they could do this, before speaking up again, ”These places need a strong reactor to power it all – probably, uh, rhydonium… or anthracite or… something. They’re bound to have canisters of the stuff we could use and send up the elevator to detonate.” He kept an eye out for any other guards, but for the time being they seemed to be alone in their efforts. He waited for Narir to respond, eager to hurry up and get the job done.

@Phoenix

OOC: sorry for the late reply :p

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir considered their options. While sending up a reactor into the facility was appealing, he wasn't sure that it was very viable. There was no telling how long it would take them to get up into the facility, and it could detonate long before it got there. I think we're going to have to go up, he said, glancing over at Leandros. The proposition was incredibly dangerous, but at the same time, it was their best bet.

We have remote charges, and they have ship-grade munitions... he said, pointing out where this was going. They had an opportunity to do some real damage, and Narir didn't want to botch it.

Are you in? he asked, though he was fairly sure of what the answer was. If luck was on their side at all - ha, right, with Bad-Luck Badger - then they might be able to get in and out without anyone noticing. After all, who pays attention to the trash chute? That was what they were effectively traveling up in. Maybe the elevator would even be clear! @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros nodded along as Narir corrected his plan; it was better and less prone to catastrophe, which tended to make plans viable. They would need to sneak through the facility and make it onto the elevator in order to reach the shipyards above, which meant more of the one thing that the two Mandalorians could not seem to be able to avoid – stealth. Sick. He adjusted while in his crouch, looking at the man as he asked if he was in. Was he in? He was already this far, why would he not be? ”Yes,” he replied curtly, ready to be on the move.

Afterwards, Leandros moved towards the same entrance the two workers had come through in order to smoke, pistol and sword at the ready. He peered his head around the corner, checking to see if the coast was clear. The door seemed to lead into some kind of dimly-lit intermediate storage area that opened up to a wider equipment room. On the left, a fenced-in area of hazardous materials blocked them from view, while on the right appeared to be a vaulted storage room for more important goods. So far, nobody was in sight. Leandros crept forward, ready to strike if necessary, though most of the workers were, presumably, out actually working instead of sitting in the equipment room.

As he proceeded forward, he heard the sounds of laughter and discussion and immediately halted, motioning for Narir to do so as well. Beyond the fenced-in area were two workers enjoying idle conversation as they went through supply manifests and did an inventory check of the goods inside the room. Leandros kept to the darker areas and skulked through the shadows, head turned in the direction of the two workers, though they were not immediately visible. Gods, he hated sneaking.

@Phoenix