Uprising on Hutta! - Makebre

[Ner Giza]

Makeb, Imperial Hutta, Mid Rim​

DC​

Once again the intelligence people within the Alliance had come through and a concerted force had been sent off to Makeb to rescue some refugees fleeing Imperial Hutta. The alert had sent her scrambling toward the freighter already being loaded up with food, medical supplies, and whatever might be needed to respond to the crash landing site. Although her own ship was better equipped, having more room to haul the survivors was more important. 99 was already on board and Ji Hu would be riding along as her co-pilot.

Apparently it had been a mass exodus so several teams were dispatched to rescue as many of the refugees as possible. Her teammate for the mission was a woman she had never worked with before by the name of Esfir Radin but Nera was not worried about the unknown woman. As yet she had to work with anyone in the Alliance who couldn’t handle themselves well. There really wasn’t time for a formal introduction because along with news of the event had also come word that the Imperials were searching for the indigents. It was a race against the chronometer. They would no doubt become better acquainted on the job.

Already other teams were lifting off and deploying by the time she climbed on board the freighter and strapped herself into the pilot’s chair. ”How’s it look 99?, she asked the droid while drawing up the gangplank and beginning to ferry the craft into position for liftoff. Assured that all systems were functional called back to Ji Hu who was securing the supplies back in the hold, ”Commencing Lift off.” The man was an old hand at quick get-aways and as they shot up into the sky he was more than able to maintain his footing. Taxing her way to the staging area she flicked the comm to hail her team mate. ”Star Seven to Esfir Radin. Any last minute questions before we make the jump to hyperspace?” Ji Hu came forward and strapped himself into the co-pilot’s seat grinning from ear to ear before saying in Huttese, " Joppay baa cou?" She just laughed and replied same as always, ”Next week, of course!”

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

Esfir sitting in the cockpit of the Tempest Hunter took a deep breath and let it out. She had some experience with flying but did felt a bit uncomfortable borrowing someone’s else. That why the Sahminian let Slippken pilot the freighter instead, since he worked for Ner Giza. Indeed, her first assignment with the latter had came quite suddenly.

May fate be kind Esfir hoped, while the ship lifted off from the landing pad. She closed and opened her left hand repeatedly, mentally preparing herself for the coming struggle. The young woman wanted to prove her worth to the Alliance after they done for her so far. As she saw this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Subsequently Esfir heard the message from Ner Giza.

Swiftly she asked while the pilot was getting them ready to jump into lightspeed. “Any updates on the refugees so far Star Seven?”

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

Slippken of course would take good care of her baby or answer to 99 and no one wanted to get on the bad side of her astromech. He just about had the calculations complete and it shouldn’t be too much longer. Even so she was itching to go. It was always like this before heading out on a mission, and this one more so than most due to the rushed nature of getting the respondents off and away. Ner’Giza smiled upon hearing the woman’s voice come over the comm and replied, ”Sadly no. I would brace yourself for the worst. Makeb is a jumble of rocky cliffs and teetering towers. I can’t think crashing in a place like that would be very good. It’s likely that many will not have survived the impact and those that have made be injured, all are sure to be traumatized. A scared people are not always rational. The first thing we need to do before even landing is identify ourselves and hope we get there before the Imperials do.”

99 signaled the calculations were ready and Ji Hu began counting down till time to leap. ”Star Seven entering hyperspace. See you on the other side!” Upon the termination of the count, she pulled the levers into place and that nauseating streak of light filled the windshield.There was not much to do but pace and fret and worry in the interval between worlds. Reaching under her seat she felt around and then came back with a protein bar. Ji Hu looked at her with his mustaches curling upward in disgust but she paid him no mind. Food was food and you never knew where your next meal might be.

By the time they reached Makeb she had finished two. Ner’Giza cued the comm and said, ”Star Seven to The Tempest. Take the lead to the crash sight and watch your sensors for Imperials.” Even before she finished speaking her own sensors were screaming at her as three ships appeared on her screen. ”Got an identity on those Ji?”, she said hoping they hadn’t been spotted.

Lasers streaking through space toward them made his answer pretty moot and sent him clambering out of his safety harness and barreling for the ladder up to the dorsal mounted laser turret. She began evasive moves and called over the comm. ”Hunter, we got 3 bogies. Man the turret Esfir and prepare for battle!” She knew Slippken was a good pilot and that he would line up Esfir for perfect shots from the ball turret on the tail. If need be, he could fire the groundsweepers from the pilot’s seat as well.

The sensor’s identified the ships as Reflex class, but they didn’t have hyper-drives despite their speed. She wondered where their hyper-drive rings were or if they had come from the planet or might there be a huge ship in the area? She hoped not. They needed to end this swiftly and get to the crash site.

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

Esfir listened to Ner Giza’s explanation. Very grave indeed. She thought solemnly about the survivors. The Sahminian knew the trauma that comes with being a survivor of a terrible event all the well. Sighing, Esfir reminded herself looking down aimlessly at the controls.

I can’t wash away their sorrows but hopefully give these people a chance to live for something.

The mountain woman looked back up at the view of the cockpit with renewed determination. She may not understand everything about the galaxy as whole nor all the politics of this war but Esfir will not shrink from her present duty. Then they came out of hyperspace and the planet was in full view. Like on Ner’s barrowed freighter, the Tempest crew detected three incoming enemy starfighters. Radin jumped from her seat, heading for the turret as instructed by the Twi’lek on the other line of the comms.

Within seconds she was in the gunner’s seat. “Line me up!” Esfir called out to Slippken the pilot who angrily answered back in Huttese that she couldn’t understand. Nevertheless, the Tempest took a hard left to avoid bursts of laser shots firing in its direction. Twisting the turret around Esfir spotted the party of bogies swarming the two freighters like avian predators.

Aiming through the sights at the nearest one on the right hand side, the exile squeezed down the trigger. A barrage opened up clipping the Relfex fighter at one of its wings before being reduced to space dust by the second volley. The remaing craft sped back around in an attack run against the Tempest from behind. Esfir turned the turret into that direction letting loose with crimson bursts. Another Reflex fighter took the full brunt and blasted into explosive pieces.

However, only did the final one got away but managed lock on target of the freighter. The entire vessel rocked with violence upon impact and alarms were going off from the inside as the Imp starfighter dive away. Esfir gritted her teeth from a newfound headache and frustration.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza pushed the throttle forward urging the freighter to its top speed, as Ji Hu powered up her weapons from the dorsal turret. She had complete confidence in Slippken to out maneuver the fighter pilots but was unsure how well Esfir’s gunnery skills might be. The Tempest Hunter darted through space and pulled some pretty slick moves lining the woman up for her shots before the blackness lit up with the light of the Reflex fighters exploding into space.

”Whooo! Good going you guys!”, she called out knowing the military grade shields on her baby would protect it from the hit she took. It had been under the gun of just such a vessel before and it didn’t disappoint this time either.

Her approach veered off keeping the remaining vessel in sight and trying to get her gunner lined up. It all was over fairly quick as Ji Hu fired the dual lasers Striking home with the first of his strafing shots, the second missing and the third landing true. Turning the freighter back to rejoin the Tempest Hunter she said, ”Let’s hope that is all the Imperials sent. Probably just scouts seeking the wreckage. I’m thinking if they were found a large transport would have been sent.”, she messaged over the comm. Naturally she didn’t voice the thought she had that it might be possible the fighters were just sent to light up the crash sight with no intention of recovering their runaway refugees.

She cued the comm once more and said, ”Let’s get down there before something else happens. Lead the way!”

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

As soon as the firefight began, it ended. Esfir was relieved, watching Ner’s team took out that last fighter. Fortune smiles upon us. She and Slippken can hear the Twi’lek’s latest dispatch to them. The Sahminian allowed herself to grin for a moment while their ships began their descent.

After breaking into the surface they flew, the rebels would soon note the numerous cliffs that covered the land. Having grown up a similar landscape, Esfir knew it was not for the faint of heart. To think people crashed into a place like this the twenty-three year old hoped at least somebody survived. Her heart grew heavy as images of the past threatened to resurface. She shook her head while still on the turret.

No not now. Must be strong.

Getting a hold of herself, Esfir exited from the gunner’s seat. Swiftly she returned to the cockpit with Slippken acknowledging her with a grunt. Now back in the co-pilot chair Esfir examined the sensor just as they approached the crash site. The young woman grimaced, not picking anything until a faint signal appeared several hundred yards southwest of the destroyed vessel. Swiftly the pilot followed the signal and transmitted to Ner Giza just in case she didn’t pick it up.

The freighter dived lower toward the direction. Looking out from the screen view Esfir squinted her eye until beaming with delight. Down below she spotted a few figures in front of a cave waving wildly at them. “Erê! There they are.”

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

Flying amid the stone spires she was shocked to see large sections of lush and fertile areas clinging to the sheer slopes of the columns reminding her of the large fungus that grew on Wroshyr trees on Kashyyyk. She had expected such rugged terrain to be more inhospitable and had to remind herself of the tenacity of life to adapt to its environment. She had to be on her game navigating between the spires but it was not as hateful as running through an asteroid belt; at least these columns and rickety looking mesas were stationary and not threatening to collide with her under momentum of their own.

Checking Ji Hu remained in the turret just in case other dangers would present itself requiring his level of expertise while 99 ran scans for life signs. This left Nera free to navigate the unusual terrain. Esfir’s voice came over the comm system announcing she had found the survivors and once the Twi’lek angled the freighter round a large mesa she was able to make a visual on both her partners and the refugees below. ”Great work Esfir, let's find a landing spot and get down there.”

The cave entrance there was a wide landing spot that would accommodate both the freighters and Nera was more than glad to take advantage of the lucky break. She noted the wreckage of their transport and just shook her head. Whoever the pilot was they deserved a medal or three for though its wing had been clipped the bulk of the freighter had made it safely onto the wide ledge Certainly it was a landing that one could walk away from and she was relieved to see numerous people now crowding round the mouth of the cave to greet their rescuers.

Ner’Giza brought the freighter down upon the ledge without incident more than grateful the way things were playing out. The ship of the refugees could just have easily ended up a total loss hitting one of the stone spires and breaking up into the canyons below. That there were any survivors at wall was miraculous. Shutting down the freighter, she released her safety harness and moved back toward the cargo hold. Ji Hu and 99 were already waiting and she said, ”Lower the gangplank 99. Let’s see what kind of shape they are in and get everyone loaded on board.”

Grabbing up a medical kit, she exited the ship in the company of Ji Hu who was warily keeping an eye out for danger. With a wave of her hand and a smile on her face, she moved to greet them.

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

Slippken muttered in Huttese that he will stay onboard. Of course his Sahminian couldn’t mostly understand him, but she didn’t care at the moment. Right now she had to go outside. The ramp was already opening with hisses of steam when the hooded woman reached. She briskly walked down the plank only to be confronted by a swarm of desperate people rushing over to her.

“Please get us out of here!”

A Rodian woman pleaded in torn rags while holding unto a human boy. More people pressed around her demanding to get onboard already. Esfir was taken aback by the whole thing before regathering her wits. “Hold on. Don’t panic we will get you all of here soon.” The exile finally managed pushing back against the crowd. She hoped Ner Giza was having better luck control her own mob.

Suddenly the men outside the cave came rushing back in shouting with panic. “An Imperial Fighter is here!” Upon hearing so the refugees began to moan and shriek. Meanwhile outside the Reflex fighter circled around the crash site obviously searching for the Empire’s lost prey.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

The scene was about what one might expect, tons of desperate people in various states of despair trying to keep it together suddenly faced with rescue and a hope for tomorrow.

“Everyone listen up!”, she called out over the crowd of excited voices, sounds of joy, and cries of distress from the milling crowd. ”Everyone will get a place on the ships even if you have to sit on the floor. Move now and board the vessels. There are enemy ships in the area and we’ve no time to waste. DO NOT BRING USELESS ITEMS. We have room for people, not you family heirlooms. Those who want to live get moving now!”, she commanded knowing that the voice of confidence would go a long way to stilling the fears of these people.

For the most part people were all too willing to comply, however when the enemy ship arrived about a quarter of the people ran back into the cave frightened out of their wits. Ji Hu was the one thinking on his feet and he questioned the pilot who had waved them down from the air if his weapons on the freighter still functioned, but sadly there was no such luck.

There was no way she was going to get her ship up into the sky in time to fight but perhaps they could defend from the ground. ”Stay inside. Ji, come with me.”, she said before darting outside and running for her borrowed ship. Once on board she didn’t even have to tell 99 to raise the gangplank which saved time for pushing her way through the milling mass of refugees was slowing her from reaching the cockpit. ”Everyone sit down. We’ll come back for the rest. They’ll be safe in the cave.”, she commanded hoping it would be true.

Ji had better luck than she and was already climbing up into the dorsal turret while 99 powered up the ship’s weapons. Hopefully they could get airborne before the enemy ship located them but in her heart she didn’t think things would pan out that way at all.

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

The Sahminian soon found herself struggling to keep refugees from swarming over her. “Don’t panic! Just get in the ship and make room for each other. Now!” She shouted while shoving and kicking adults to go inside in an orderly matter.

Considering the situation, Esfir did not feel there was time to be soft. The sooner they’re onboard the better was her opinion. When the frieghter filled, Radin went up the ramp, messaging the pilot to close it. The order was followed and the exile then struggled pushing her way through the masses of frightened people. In spite of that, she managed to get on the turret.

Subsequently, Esfir Radin called Ner Riza. “I got your back comrade.”

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner’Giza hoped she could get off the ground before the searchers found them but she and Ji Hu worked well together even on a different freighter than her own. The man signaled that he was in place and powering up the weapons array even as Esfir’s voice came over the shared link. ”Good to hear. Let’s take down this guy and finish picking up the others and get out of here!” As the freighter pushed up into the air, she began doing scans of the area searching for the enemy vessel.

She didn’t have to wait too long as the fighter popped up over the crest of a mesa spying both she and the Tempest Hunter still on the ground. She called out to Esfir, ”There she is, south of your position.” There would be no point in trying to draw the enemy away for Ner’Giza was certain it had spotted the Tempest as well as the cavern containing the remaining refugees. Already Ji Hu was targeting the vessel and firing off his strikes even as she saw Esfir firing upon the craft from the ground.

His first shot certainly got the vessel’s attention but it must have had some pretty powerful shield for it didn’t do a thing. That is when his laser blast went totally wild and she was wondering what the kark he was doing until she realized there was another fighter popping up over the rise behind the first. Moving forward to line him up at the new target, his final shot struck true and blew the bird out of the sky.

@Minuteman75

 

[Esfir Radin]

The exile wasn’t know to swear but she was sorely tempted to do so when the enemy fighter came diving in toward their direction. Squeezing on the trigger, Esfir fired. The first shot missed utterly and starfighter mangeed to fire back damaging the Tempest. But her second bolt wiped out its shield and before being destroying by the third blast. She subsequently witnessed a second starfighter appeared before being destroyed by Ji Hu.

It’s time to leave. Radin decided, knowing the Tempest was full to capacity. Slippken called in, letting her know he was ready and they lifted off from the ground. Esfir send a message to other rebel pair back on the barrowed frieghter.

“We’re heading out now. See you soon Ner Giza.”

With that, the Tempest Hunter flew out of the mesa then the surface of Makeb without further trouble. Finally, they went into lightspeed.

@Kayenta Moenkopi

 

[Ner Giza]

Ner'Giza wiped the sweat from her brow to see the Esfir taking out that ship in such timely fashion. Cuing the comm she said, "Copy that Esfir. I'll join you soon as I collect the rest of the refugees." She had left some of them at the cave and promised the ones with her that she would return for their family and friends. It hadn't been a popular decision at the time, to lift off before her ship was full, but it had emitted her to get into the air and spy the second ship that had been coming up behind the first. her gunner kept his place in the turret but she was hopeful that no more Imperials would arrive to interfere with the rescue.

Landing once the ledge was cleared, she lowered the gangplank and those within the cavern came running out to get on board the freighter. Ji Hu left the ship at that time to make sure the cavern had been cleared out, but Nera stayed on board just in case any of the refugees panicked and tried to steal the ship. Once everything was secured and all person's on board, she piloted the craft away from the rocky spire and into the atmosphere for the jump to hyperspace. Delivering them to a nuetral planet the refugees could then make their own arrangements as to where they wished to start over with the second lease on life the Alliance had just provided.

@Minuteman75

/end thread