Log:Clan Kora: Thicker than Blood Pt. 2
Clan Kora, with their allies seek out the facility where Karys' brother is being trained in to extract him...
OOC Date: February 9, 2021
Location: Zero Zeta Nine
Participants: Karys, Sumi Kora, Avery Ithala Kora, Zelo Parrai, Hadrix Kora, Kirioth Kora, Hahtavi, Aejin, Rathe Kora
Zeta Zero Nine, in the wastes of space is a treacherous and long flight. Here the Order has restored a destroyed Imperial base to working order and currently use it to prime the last years of their troopers into fighting troops. Here is where MZ-162 is said to be held. The brother Karys never knew she had. The facility stands alone, a stark contrast and as the Woor'ta is brought in close the group inside the ship can hear the comms raise them. "Unidentified unregistered ship please give us your registration and purpose here at at Training Facility Alpha-four-nine-zero."
The comm crackles and Karys is busy readying her gear as she steadies herself with what is likely to be a quick landing atop the building. <"We will need a charge set on the roof to get in most likely unless they have access, which they may. Then we break through there. Just like the last facility we need to find the central command which is likely to be on the top floor with the bunks beind mid level or just below."> She gives what information she was able to glean out of their last site so they are not going in blind.
<"We will need to identify the target ident MZ-162. He will a young man likely with blue eyes and dark hair. I can not be entirely certain. But we should be able to get his location in the command center and move from there."> SHe looks up at the crew and as Zelo handles their arrival she adds. <"Thank you all, for helping me retrieve him. He deserves more than many of us got. I am forever in your debt."> Her voice affords the emotion within as she glances back towards the cockpit before the rest, her guns locked and loaded.
<"We land, we breach and move."> The air around her is tense as she breathes out, the sound managing to slip out of her vocoder.
<"Speak nothing of debts with this family for they do not exist," Intones Sumi Kora, who expands an energy bow to its full height. Sumi is armed to the teeth, with missiles, blasters, swords, knives, nukes, sharpsticks; it's all there for them to glean. Her cape is swept to one side to make room for her heavier jetpack, its payload a rocket that sticks up parallel with her neck. <"How much longer?">
Avery peers back up towards the cockpit when the ship levels off, a sigh of his own coming as he places the obsidian colored helmet over his head, the last armor piece secured before they engage. He knows his part in this, get into the console in the comms center and find Karys' elusive brother.... no problem. At least he's useful in some regards, blowing a hole in the top of the building, that's beyond him. Better for Sumi or Hadrix to create the dynamic entrance that they're known for. <"Piece of cake, Karys... we'll be in and out in no time."> he remarks, the smile on his face coloring the tone that comes through the vox. He moves over to the exit to give a final check of his weapons, armor, and rocketpack. Once satisfied, making sure that his Karys designed E-11 is on stun, he nods to their Alor the unseen smile spreading only wider in anticipation of the mission ahead. <"I could really go for a piece of cake though... honestly.">
Zelo is flying as low as he can while still calling it flying and not skimming. The plan is simple: give the enemy the least notice of their pending arrival, take them by surprise, get in, secure the objective, get out, get clear - that's the plan. His guns are all racked behind the seat for easy retrieval before disembark. But first, the landing. As he moves up on the facility, their incoming comms tell him he didn't need to be quite so conservative, or he could have been more. <"Training Facility Alpha-four-nine-zero, the registration is none of your concern. Our purpose is to reclaim what does not belong to you. Anyone who raises arms against us will live to regret. Very briefly."> With that, the ship sets down with a heavy thud. It could have been smoother, but how often do you get to punctuate the end of a comm with something proper, to send the right message? <"We're there,"> Zelo calls back to the Alor.
With that, the lanky Nautolan is out of the pilot's seat, retrieving his guns from the rack and slinging them onto his back in order of likelihood of use, ending with the E-11 Karys had given him - in close quarters, there was no better option. As he moves through the ship to where the rest of the Mandalorians gather, he runs his fingers over the clasps of his suit, including the mismatched helmet he has borrowed while his other is having... work done. He looks around, readying up for the action. <"Well, they know we're coming, but I made a very firm reply. I'm set."> Wielding the E-11, he shakes his head one more time, feeling the strange squeeze on his tendrils... New helmet.
Hunkered by the drop doors, practically sitting on his own heels with the butt of the field piece that wookiees call a long rifle before him, one hand on the barrel and the other resting on his knees. Hunched and grumbling to himself with his BB unit latched to his back and Gripper in her cradle.
"If they're anything like I was. Best kill them while we hunt for the target. Mercy." voice molten and the remains of the cigarra clamped in his mouth is removed, twisted into the knee plate of his armor and dropped to the ground with a soft 'tuk' of contact before the big man is looming to his feet helmet drawn on and hissing when filters lock into place and push out the smoke he is exhaling within.
<"Four corner distribution, backs to Aliit, space in the center for demo-operative."> he pulls a charge slide on the top of the weapon causing the sphere in the weapon to begin thudding and humming. <"Most of us know what they'll be trying. Don't fall for the bog-down tactics."> head turning slowly to survey the lot of them before he is headed for the ramp at a jog, rifle at low ready and moving on the balls of his feet.
Roth had napped for a few given the long flight. Merc's could sleep anywhere usually. The woman had been seated in a corner with her arms crossed over her chest and her helmed head leaned against the wall of the ship. But now she was up and moving. Or well, she was on her feet and checking weapons. There's no chatting from her. She was usually quiet pre-fighting and there wasn't much need to do so for the moment. When the ship lands, she follows others out onto the roof, her white shoulder cape catching in the breeze as she does. She lets the demo folks handle getting them in though and stands back for them to do so.
Hahtavi has come along on this mission as he did the last one. Seems their new pilot isn't flying much for clan Kora yet but he's willing enough to risk his neck joining in their various ops, when he's welcome. This round he's taken the time to familiarize himself with the EE-11 he's been lent with a nod of thanks to Karys. Plenty of time before they loaded up to triple check all of his gear. On the ride out he dozed or listened to the others talk, concerving his energy for the mission ahead. Once they are coming in, he wakes up instantly and shifts his weight in his seat webbing, mentally preparing himself for their imminent assault.
The EE-3 is slung around on his tactical harness and given one last check ere he awaits their arrival. "<Hahtavi copies, over.>" Helmet already on, he looks ready and alert, his right gloved hand on the web release, moving to stand the moment Zelo sets them down, ready to deass the transport and hustle his butt out with the others.
Aejin spares no time in vacating the ship. The moment armored bodies are up, moving, and egressing; Aejin is soon to follow. Upon hitting the flat surface, his legs bend ever so slightly to absorb the shop. "<<Door will be down in just a moment,>>" he answers in a cool, dry voice. As the various warriors of Clan Kora - or affiliated Mandalorian warriors - begin to spread out, Aejin takes a direct route toward the secured door. Clearly it isn't slicing that he has in mind because upon arrival at the door, he begins pulling explosives from his laden utility belt. Clamp. Clamp. Clamp. Clamp. Clamp. Clamp. Clamp. To the untrained eye, he's simply applying some low yield explosive charges. To the trained eye, he may be adding a little more than is necessary. Whether that's to make an entrance, a statement, or kill a metric crap ton of people who could possibly be awaiting on the other side of the door? Is up for debate.
Once the final charge is in place, Aejin springs up from his squating position and begins to take a few steps away, "<<Charges placed. Standing by,>>" the golden armored Mandalorian intones throughout the shared internal comms. Then he does exactly as he said; stands by for the order to detonate.
Pacing. Rathe is pacing for a change, instead of being hunkered down like he usually is, a caged animal awaiting it's chance to escape from captivity and get into a fight. He still blindly checks his gear without looking. A very old personal practice in case he cannot spare a glance down. The medpac on his right thigh, the E-11 holstered above it. His vibrodagger bolted to his left torso, the Vibrosword bolted to the exterior armor of his left calf, putting the hilt just above his knee. The blaster pistol in a cross-draw rig on his left.
All of these things on heavily modified Dreadfinder armor. He only stops pacing when Karys starts giving the final briefing. The magclamps of his boots engage for it. The E-11 is drawn slowly, stock extended, sling pulled over head and shoulders, and quietly cycled to stun. His vox crackles as it opens for him to speak? and Rathe says nothing after all. Several long moments and there is a muffled sound from inside the helmet instead.
Rathe stiffens and his visor slowwwwwwly turns onto Avery silently at first. The visor stares at Avery until at last a pop-crackling. <"Now I want cake too, what is wrong with- know what? Nevermind. Cake for all when this is over."> The helmet tilts up and to the side as Rathe catches the transmission from Zelo. There is a bark of laughter that emits on the vox to precede. <"I like that one a lot sometimes.">.
Hadrix speaks of killing for mercy and he turns his helmet towards the man. <"I do not disagree, vod. The risks however of hitting the wrong target?"> Rathe's armored shoulders shrug. The visor starts cycling to the others. Sumi, Roth, Hahtavi. Finally to Aejin. <"Try to not blow yourself, and more importantly, -us- up?"> Aejin is up and moving, that leaves Rathe to step up and stand at ready.
Letting the demolitions expert up front and center, Karys is with the others as they slowly descend but already there is a thundering of her heart in her ears as she ticks her head up to look back at the others as she steps to the side and goes down to a knee to brace for the explosion. Luckily Aejin manages to keep his appendages and everyone else remains intact as the set explosions are ready. <"Detonate."> Its a calm response from her as she feels the urge to move itch along her shoulders.
Inside the facility there are alarms already going because the group is going in loud and fast. Loud being exactly what happens next when Aejin deploys is arsenal upon the door.
The building actually shudders and the door as well as the small raised portion that allows for the stairs to be enclosed is blow apart. Hopefully the stairs are still in one piece as pieces of the building and door pepper the group and the Woor'ta.
As the dust starts to settle the HUD whirs to life completely and the group is given room to enter. She steps forward and lifts her pistol as her blaster steadies and aims forward. Hadrix knowledge of the facility is going to allow them to go with some better understanding. As they descend the stairs into the alarms that are grating to the ear and the flashes of red light, some of the lights flicker, guttering as some of the systems were damaged by their rather amazing entrance.
Sumi glances away when the explosion occurs, then it's into the breach.
Dropping in, the energy bow presented, Sumi nocked the arrow and drew back in a single motion after aligning with the most experienced member of Blue Squad; their NCO. When the arrow released, the weapon thrummed and shot a blue hued projectile that struck the NCO in their torso and sank deep between the protective plastoid plates of their armor.
The exit wound stuck through their back, and was responsible for spraying the bulkhead behind them with freckled dots of bright red blood; Sumi had hit an artery. She moved forward with the grace of a predator and the aggression of a soldier. <"Stand down or be /put/ down children. You play at war. We worship it."> Sumi was not stopping her movement.
Zelo stands calmly for a moment, then bounces from one foot to the next... Then calmly standing again. His energy cycles as the nerves build up and then are swallowed by his mental exercises. He closes his eyes and pictures nothing, and sends the energy there... And then he opens them, and the energy comes. But soon, the detonation means there's no waiting left to do. He holds his weapon at the ready, descending into the building with blaring klaxons and flashing lights, It is now that the energy is useful. Drawing up his E-11 and bringing it to bear, he spies resistance moving up as they move down, and there is no hesitation. The Alor'Kora fires, and after Avery, Zelo follows, putting the energy through his sights into two of the blue squad, dropping a pair of them into piles of plastoid and nerve pain.
<"I'll take up position here, and rotate through as needed once we're in position."> He stations himself at the base of the western stairs, weapon and helmet slightly out as he watches where the squad seemed to have been coming from to the south, waiting for more.
<"Call his numbers, he'll respond or they'll try to move him away from us. You remember what instincts were when they were used... Outsiders didn't know them."> Hadrix keeps his cannon raised, sweeping for potential threat while Aejin sets his charges and Avery speaks of cake... Then Rathe... Zelo's humor breaks through a crack and he gives a bestial sort of chuckle, even as he turns some to get out of potential back-blast zones.
When the way is opened he rolls, rife pointed up until his firing lane is clear and he's on the descent into the base. Behind him rolls Gofor and just behind him Gripper - both detached for service. Speaking aloud within his helmet as he catches sight of stormtroopers in final day markings and their commander being struck by Sumi's bow.
<"Par'te Mando'ad te'haat'kyr kyr'am. Te'Mando'ad nayc'chaab kyr'am, Par'ibac takisit oya'la."> They're giving the kids a chance. His blood is up and memories are surging to the front when his cannon spits a plasma soaked durasteel bolt heated white hot slams into the backside of the sergeant his Alor had put against the wall. Poor man was turned and the effect of flesh and tissue flash boiling or vaporizing launches most of the upper half of the poor bastard skyward to slam against the ceiling and tumble down the way.
<"Te'Mando'ad kar'taylir val nu'liser shukalar buruk, a'par buruk'ika val'liser mav'ashie teh chaab"> growled at the one remaining trooper trainee. <"MZ-162... I want him. Where?"> the glowing red pinlight in the visoor's right branch boring into the young trooper.
Hahtavi doesn't have to be told twice. Karys briefed them and Hadrix gives the orders as they hit the roof. The new guy keeps low but moves fast, following their group but watching their six, letting others take the lead. As soon as there's cover he's using what he can get, leapfrogging until their demolitions people find where they want to set their charges. Back to them and spaced a little distance out, Hahtavi keeps a sharp eye for hostiles, listening.
Avery's voice over the coms. Hahtavi opens his mouth slightly to compensate for the overpreassure on his ears when the door blows, and he waits. /His/ rifle hasn't been set to stun. Not yet. He's no fan of having unconscious people getting back up to shoot you in the back. He'll just have to be careful about target ID.
Soon as the door is blown, Hahtavi ducks low and waits for others to descend, while debris rains all around and on top of them! Look Mom! It's snowing! He'll keep to the back to watch their butts as before. When the initial squad is down, and while others move north, he hears sounds coming from the south. Hahtavi hustles to the end of the passage and covers the south stairs exit so nobody's coming up their butt by surprise. He uses the corner for cover, rifle up and ready.
"<<So. This 'command center',>" Aejin begins before the rumble of the explosion has fully dissipated, his voice practically dripping with metaphorical air quotes at the use of 'command center', "<<do we *need* it intact? Or do we have a need to blow that up too?>>" Surely Aejin is simply asking for scholarly purposes. Regardless, the door has been blown - along with a fair bit of structure along with it - and Aejin's quick to follow on the heels of the other Mandalorians pouring into the facility. Given that he hadn't needed to fire his own weapon, it remains at his side on account of the rest of the squad dispatching would-be resistance with relative ease. As bodies lay crumpled Aejin's visor sweeps this way and that, his Enforcer rising ever so slightly to a readied position without being truly aimed at any one thing. As Hahtavi begins to move toward the southern point of entry once within the hallways, Aejin begins to move off to lend him direct support. Absently his free hand begins to fish around at his utility belt. The faintest of faint shrill whistling sounds can almost be heard; it almost sounds like he's whistling within his helmet while he begins to fish around for a just the right grenade for the occasion.
There is a nod to a faint sound in his helmet. Next Karys commands, and Aejin has made a door in a spectacular fashion that seemed... <"Aejin, vod. What did I just get done saying?> Rathe sounds amused, not annoyed. Sumi engages in aggressive diplomatic negotiation. Rathe likes it. Avery puts his down, so does Zelo nice shots by both. This leaves little to fight after Hadrix vaporizes the Sergeant and terrorizes what is left. <"Save some for others."> Rathe grumbles, and then zips it. He's keyed up, and is working to clamp down on it. This particular mission is sacred to him, because it's sacred to Karys.
He can hear the footsteps, time to move. He hasn't a clue what the Al'verde has said, he'll worry about it later. He turns immediately left, and glances at his HUD and the imagery from the briefing. When it is time he turns right, and steps beyond the door. He switches to the operational comms. <<"Intact, Aejin. We need the data.... I'll take up position covering that southern approach so Avery can work his magic. Avery. I am sending you a particular packet to look for too, it's for Karys.">> Rathe takes up position face south, chest up against the corner so he can lean to the right and peer down the hall, ready to start shooting those in need.
The young trooper looks shaken as he gazes upwards at the mandalorians and throws his blaster rifle to the ground. It clatters with a poignant sound as he lifts his hands up to show he is not intending harm when Hadrix grills him for information. "MZ-162 is on his last year before special ops training. He is down below in the chow hall I believe but likely being armed from the arms locker across the hall."
Karys hears this and stop from following the others. She hesitates but then goes South, heading for the stairs that lead down. <"Avery we need that ident to our HUDS like Rathe said, with his updated information so that we can identify him. I am headed down. He is supposedly in the chow hall a room below. Hopefully we will find him."> She may be being reckless but there is a personal stake here as the rest fan out, ready to take up positions to defend the command room.
There is the sound of boots from the far left hallway but there is the shout of orders down the stairs as well. They are about to have friends from both sides. Karys hugs the outside wall of the stairs and tries to get a vantage as she descends. <"I need back up.">
Karys called for back up? Sumi's bootsteps thunder down the hallway only for Sumi to trip and wipe out. She had been in the process of lowering the bow and stowing it to her back when something went terribly wrong. Terribly wrong. Sprawling out over the flooring, Sumi's boot soles squeak against the deck and she gets back up, laughing. That's when Creet starts up the stairs.
<"Hey!"> Sumi says from above, before running/falling down the steps to cold-cock Sgt Creet from downtown. Sumi hits so hard after throwing her bodyweight into it that she, Creet, and a few of the members of Yellow Squad, all lay out at the bottom of the stairs.
Sumi takes hold of Creet's collar and growls, trying to shove another fist across their face, but Sumi is headbutted instead. It turns into a small brawl, and over the sounds of the scuffling, Sumi is laughing.
Avery pauses before he moves down the hallway, the sounds of troopers filing in from the south distracts him for just a moment. The slicer is brought back to task by the mention of a particular packet he's to search for as well as looking for Karys' brother and his location. His free hand lifts to his helmet and he cycles comm channels, <<"Got it, I'll look for this as well. Thanks for the cover, be back shortly.">> Is the last thing said before he makes his move into the comm center to search for a terminal.
It's not terribly hard to find one, the entire communications room is /filled/ with such things. A soft chuckle escapes the young man and he withdraws his trusty Universal Computer Interface. With another admonishment to have the stupid thing installed on his armor, he pulls out the cord and wires into the nearest comp bank. The data readout flares to life in his HUD and, after a few button presses, the Slicer is away and running, navigating the safeguards and diving into the guts of the creche's personal files. <<"Alright... I'm in... give me a minute to find his locale.">> Avery calls back over the comms, his eyes darting rapidly from side to side as he scans the readouts for any mention of MZ-162.
Zelo watches the Mandalorians deploy, pluming into the base like blood in the water, stirring up some sharks who don't know they're being hunted. Some are in the command room, some are stationed outside, but his sponsor is moving up and calling for backup. With one look to the Al'verde - an odd quirk of his head to the side as he considers those words, perhaps drowned out by the blast of the Wookie rifle - he's moving quickly past and after Karys. <"I'm on your six, Karys."> He sprints to catch up at the South stairs.
Navigating the unconscious bodies isn't an issue as he leaps and sidesteps around, but his left boot steps solidly into the viscera and mess left by what used to be a Stormtrooper Sergeant, causing his boot to slide out from under him. He narrowly catches himself hard on his right foot but has to take a moment to clear the muck on his boot before continuing, leaving him a few feet further behind his sponsor and the Alor than he would like - unready to fire on the enemy.
'It's just blood, 904. Most have plenty. You'll see gallons..'
A heavy kick drives plated boot tip past the eye slit of the Sergeant's helmet, creating a hollow crack and then a squelching crunch. It should be enough. But it's not and there is a sound from within Hadrix's helmet, rage and something else behind it as his boot comes down again and again until the crown piece of the helmet bursts off and rolls down the hall leaving a stuttered red trail in it's wake.
<<"Covering Avery">> looming after, the younger, <<"All the faith in the universe, little brother.">> as more stormtroopers round the corner, Hadrix fires quick, the report of the wookiee gun enough that his mouth is open when he fires and masonry cracks along the travel path before the bolt hits and detonates like a grenade, spraying duracrete powder and Hadrix is pushed into the opposite wall hard enough for armor to scrape stone chips before he gets his balance, leans into the shot and fires again - powdering plastoid, burning flesh and only just not killing the trooper before Hadrix holds his rifle in one hand and draws a sphere off of his hip, sliding the activator switch.
<"ISK-Four-Four-Four protocol, ladies and gentlemen."> Emergency nuclear weapon evacuation. The threat is clear.
Roth's helmed head looks towards the line of folks that go running by to go for the stairs down and then she looks down to see that Hadrix is squaring off against a whole squad by himself. There's a look between things again before the white armored Mando runs full steam ahead towards those that look ready to gun down Hadrix, <<His dance card is filled, I'll be glad to cut something with you guys though.>> the woman growls out as she just starts stabbing. There's more than a few voices going 'Hadrix is gonna be mad!' but she'd deal with that later.
Avery is not the only one who drops a hand to his belt to reach for a grenade. Only, Hahtavi doesn't have any on him and grimaces behind his helmet. /Stairwells/ simply -beg- for grenades. All the same he also doesn't know if Kary's kid brother is down there.
Aaannndddd there goes Kary's and Sumi bolting (or tripping and falling) down the stairwell! Nevermind that idea then! He gives a quick glance to Avery, then shrugs and starts down the stairwell at a run as well! Seems to him that Aejin's got plenty of backup but most of the Troopers will be on the lower floors.
Hahtavi doesn't get far down the stairs before his line of sight opens up for a clear shot! His rifle already up, he slows and puts himself up against the stairwell wall to steady his aim and fires a shot! The red bolt from his borrowed rifle nails one of the Yellow Squad troopers in the shoulder, trying to wing the guy and get him out of the fight more than outright kill him.
Moving forward through the doorway following the call for backup, Aejin's soon on the heels of Hahtavi as the pair begin to move to reinforce those already engaged in the stairwell. He's quick to arrive and just as quick to aim the barrel of his Enforcer over the railing, down the column that is the stairwell, and snaps off a shot. Unfortunately he misses. Also unfortunately, the round ricochets once, twice, or thrice before embedding itself in a wall.
A call for backup, and Rathe finds himself HERE and not with Karys. He grits teeth, and stands fast where he is at. He disables broadcasting on comms to speak locally with Avery. <"Avery how much longer to find MZ-162? I don't like the sounds from down there."> He chances a look over his right shoulder towards the room Avery works in. <"That file ident is secondary for sure. I'll explain it another time. Just need you to trust me."> He turns his attention back down the hall. He wants to rush down there and be in the fight. His entire being craves war... but he has a duty to uphold here. So he tries to focus on the importance of guard duty. <"We need to find a cake with way too much icing, Karys and that sweet tooth and all."> Rathe pauses, he has a bad feeling. He looks up and over...
Right at the security camera staring at Rathe.
His E-11 comes up and snaps off a shot to cause a cascade of sparks. Now he broadcasts to them all. <<"We're going to have more company. Security cameras all over this place.">> Cameras. All over. As if Rathe doesn't only just see the ONE.
Yellow squad is surprised by the sudden appearance of Sumi bowling ball as she barrels into Creet. NEARLY as surprised as Karys as her Alor almost 'falls' past her. Karys is missed by the blaster shots but those behind her are not as lucky as some shots hit. <"OUT OF OUR WAY!"> This she declares aloud as she waits for the HUD Ident to be passed through from Avery. It will help them quick scan those trainees they come across. <"Chow is likely ahead!"> One aim. One target.
Karys is merciless as she downs one of the squad members with two shots but misses her third as she pivots on the stairs, holding her position until the way is clear.
The Klaxon's keep sounding as the thermal in Hadrix' hand blinks and Hava is dazed to hell. Roth gets shot for her attempts at downing the last of Orange squad still up, the woman beneath the armor bleeding as she hisses at the mandalorian before her, not phased by Hadrix' threat.
Hava passes out and slumps as her trainee is facing down two rather impressive mandalorians. The laughing from Sumi unsettles a few of the yellow squad at the bottom of the stairs.
Rathe's shot at the camera causes it to explode as one of the screens blinks out in Avery's room to show that its been taken out. Must be another monitoring room in the facility as it blinks that both connections were lost.
Sumi's back hits the wall after being headbutted, and though she isn't seeing stars it still hurt like a son of a gun. Creet is on her quick, taking hold of her. He swings, she ducks down and breaking his grasp, and he misses. BANG! Is the sound his fist makes when it connects with the wall. From down low, in a crouch, Sumi springs upward ramming her shoulder into Creet's solar-plexis and plastoid armored center. Her hands hook at the cusp bends of his knee, and she charges back into view planting Creet on his back with a loud grunt and sudden struggle to breathe (Creet that is.)
Sumi claims the full mount, putting her weight behind a strike with her elbow that forced Creet's face one way, then? She takes his collar and yanks him to her while simultaneously raining her beskar helmeted head to ring against his.
CRUNCH!
Keldabe Kiss.
Sumi hit him so hard the plastoid of his stormtrooper helmet cracked and splintered into a white dust. The protective visor over his eyes gone and jagged, Creet's eyes closed. <"/That's/ how you do it, kid."> As if teaching him a lesson only a Mando could teach.
Lifeless, Sumi left the Sergeant there and rose back up giggling. <"LET'S GO! WHO'S NEXT! HAHAHA!">
<"Just a second! I think I've almost got it..."> Avery replies, furiously scrolling through the entire network of data and trying to locate the MZ-162 in the haystack. His jaw muscles flex as he grits his teeth, moving at near inhuman speeds through the mountain of texts. Finally his software clues in on a hit, 'MZ-162... location...' and the rest is history. With a jouful cry Avery downloads the info and immediately uploads it to everyone's HUD, the identification of their target certain to flare up the moment he's spotted. <"Got it! I....."> In his elation, his thumb slipped and keyed a wrong input. Immediately the screens in the comm center go dark, his UCI shuts down, and all power in the area is dead. <"KRIFF!" I tripped something, Rathe... the system's gone dark. I didn't get your file, I'm sorry."> He replies mournfully, extracting the line from his device to replace back in his beltpouch. With a sigh, the slicer turns to head to the door and rejoin the fight, his lips pulled into a grim line.
Perhaps it's good fortune, or the Force, that guides Zelo's boot to those entrails, as the Nautolan's late arrival is just in time to reel back and narrowly dodge a blaster bolt that was intended for his face. Hahtavi takes a not-unsizable hit but looks to still be in the action. There are four from Yellow still standing, and the Alor is tangled with Creet, it would make sense to thin out the resistance at the bottom of the stairs... But as the marksman brings up his E-11 to drop half of the resistance in front of them, he catches the glint of something out of place in the reflection. Trusting something that tells him to drop, he's on the floor, looking across the stairwell into the hallway below, where four plastoid-laden forms are setting up an EWebb.
<"EWebb, in the hallway! Going to try to delay them, but I'm trusting you all to clear these out. Hahtavi, are you good?"> Frantic, his first shot hits the Ewebb directly, a stun charge doing almost nothing to it. The second shot, after a quick exhalation and a slow blink, manages to hit one of the forms with its back more turned, taking out a knee and throwing the installation off balance.
<<"Sumi'alor.">> Hadrix is watching information being fed by Avery's work, <<"Karys.">> eyes flicking point to point before he continues, <<"Arming station your left as you near chow hall, can sweep to side hall before entering for one of the secondary accesses.
whumWhumWHumWHUmWHUM SHOOOONK
The last standing member of Orange squadron isn't there anymore and Hadrix is slammed into the side of the hatch he's guarding in the wake of the blast. Overcharge tibanna chamber screaming still even with the discharge that cores through the trooper and explodes a shallow crater in the wall some meters behind them.
<<"Crossfire will be their priority, do not give them a centerline, force them to one side or the other - do not let them have both sides of a corridor.">> getting his footing again, shifting his stance and pulling the stock of the long gun out of the dent it has made in his pauldron with a brief 'snhnk' sound.
<"I SAID RUN! STUPID! STUPID REKKING DREK HEADS!"> bellowing down the hall before a gauntleted fist hits the wall and he brings the rifle up again.
'Too stupid to fail, Nine Oh Four?' <"Shut up..."> head shaking while he argues with ghosts. 'You're going to end up in a ditch, Nine Oh Four. Too stupid to know when to turn back.' <"I said shut up..."> head shaking violently now, <"Can you get back in, Avery?">
Roth looks over to Hadrix, makes sure he's not been blown to drek. Or she was a little too late on that. "Hadrix we got to get down there with them." she tells the man calmly. She wasn't an ex-Vanguard, but she had known them long enough. She takes off down the hall she came down, winging a right at the door and almost tossing herself over the rail, "Whoooooaaaa." she hisses as she rights herself. Gotta make it!
Things are happening very fast in the cramped stairwell. Red bolts lance through the air in both directions. One slams Hahtavi into the wall he'd just pushed off from and down on his arse! He twists and tries to get back up, only to get hit with the second bolt in his left butt cheek! An involuntary sound escapes his helmet, partly pain and partly surprise! Hopefully he won't trip up Avery but Hahtavi's down.
Soon as he can suck air, Hahtavi's cursing and using the railing to haul himself back up. Limping, he says, <"Hahtavi hit, but I'm still move'n.>" At least his armor took some of it. They've got no time for medics!
Despite it being a burn, Hahtavi can feel blood already soaking the back of his left thigh. Rifle back up, Hahtavi hits the bottom of the stairs just in time to see Sumi crush Creet's helmet with her own, <"Sweet.>" Free hand to hand lessons on the fly! Even as he hears Zelo through his helmet there's Yellow Squad troopers in his face. Too fully grown to be Kary's brother. Hahtavi fires two shots in quick succession, taking both of them down! You paged Rathe Kora with 'Hadrix was told he was a floor down in Chow'
When Hahtavi is hit, Aejin instinctively shifts away from that incoming fire. Then he recognizes that a team member was, in fact, hit. Which results in the golden armored Mandalorian promptly shifting a step or three toward Hahtavi, likely to render aid if necessary. Then the other Mandalorian pulls himself up once again by the hand rail and resumes fire. Aejin's shoulders shake, likely with some contained laughter before he sends a message across the comm network, "<<Doctor Magicfingers, we've got an injury. I think it pen'd,>>" Aejin offers for the sake of Rathe's information. A glance is given over the railing of the stairwell, taking note of Sumi's recent exploits with her Keldabe Kiss, and then Aejin leans back from that railing and mutters within his helmet. Then there's further exchange of fire and an e-web is being leveraged into position, which results in Aejin promptly moving to seek cover and begin laying down fire on the would-be emplacement's position.
Sounds of a fight. Sounds of a fight and he's not in the fight. Sounds of a fight SO CLOSE. Rathe exhales slowly, trying to calm his storm. He just needs to focus on his current assignment, and let Avery work without being prodded every 5 seco-<"Any luck now?">. Rathe tried. He really did. Then Avery speaks and it causes him to hit a mental reset and go back to worrying about covering Avery. There is a whoop of joy as his IFF pings on his HUD to confirm the addition of MZ-162 as a FRIENDLY. Hopefully no one blasts the kid? Rathe would hate to have to kill a friendly in blind rage.
Then Avery curses, loudly. Rathe's visor turns back towards the room. Expecting explosions or droids. It's worse in a sense, and a hammerblow right to Rathe's heart. He just nods. <"All right Avery, you tried. I'll explain it some day. Fall back, haul ass. We need to get into the fight!"> He falls back from the corner to look directly in at Avery to make sure he is understood. <"Start running!"> Rathe puts actions to words and makes it down the stairs without killing himself, the E-webb causes the boots his Dreadfinder to skiiiiiiiiiid, and he fires off a reflexive shot? and the stunbolt goes wide.
Hadrix and Roth see the end to Hava and her squad, the one stubborn trainee going down hard in a heap with Hadrix last hit. The dark command room is not going to give Avery anything. Lock down means that the main computers are fried and the connection to the shared mainframe is gone. The slicer is locked out at this location but the pertinent and important information about MZ-162 has been passed along so now they won't accidentally shoot him.
More squads are assembling down the hall near the EWebb, oddly without armor. They are in their PT uniforms and setting up in rows, the front kneeling. As the group within range gets a view down the hall the HUD pings and the image of MZ-162's flickers up on those who manage to get him in range of their view.
<"There he is."> He is part of Beta squad, he's standing in the back line and beginning to aim down at them.
<"HE'S RIGHT THERE!"> Its not so much a yell from Karys but a strained sort of gasp that leaves her breathless and tense. She starts forward after she guns and stuns the last two of yellow squad. Two EWebb technicians are starting to get the thing prepped.
Sumi is beginning to run down the hall toward the EWebb when Hadrix says her name and she tilts her head slightly distracted by hearing it. <"Wha--">, Sumi's voice is cut off from the comms abruptly in the way someone often was when they were promptly killed. Why? The smoking gun that a member of Yellow Squad is holding put a bolt into the back of her dome, and instead of running, she goes down in a glorious clatter of armor, discontent, and pissed off.
Birds circle her head a moment, and she turns back, suffering a state of tachypsychia to watch as both Yellow Squad members are gunned down.
Sumi is slow to rise, but something about her seems to correct the way she moves. At first, it was a struggle, her legs sluggish. Then her body shifts gears, her head shakes, her eyes suddenly narrow and before she can attempt to run again, her jetpack activates.
This isn't some aerial stunt or fantastic display of acrobatics. Her propulsion is intended to give her momentum where running had failed her. In the subsequent moments of landing, Sumi struck an injured Alpha member so hard across the face their visor shattered and neck broke. They crumbled at her feet, and she turned to look at the others, saying something like, <"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WEEEEEEEEEEBBBBBBBBB!"> Because her brain was soup, at the moment.
Avery is replacing his UCI in the belt pouch and unslinging his E-11 when Rathe rushes away. He sighs as he leaves the darkened room, frustrated at the failure to garner the information Rathe requested. The sounds of blaster fire down the stairwell drag his focus and, with a shake of his head, he's back in the moment. The obsidian Mandalorian races ahead, down the corridors, the stairwell, and to his comrades, meeting up in time to see Sumi pulverize one of the two on the EWebb. He lifts his carbine, sights the other, flips the switch to kill.....and shoots the ceiling... his heavy breathing and lack of concentration sending the shot well wide of his target. A grunt escapes the slicer as he flicks the switch back to stun, Karys' brother's signature appearing bright on his HUD. <"There, he's there! MZ-162! He's right there!"> The young Mando states, his free hand out and pointing at the figure they seek. He was a little late to the party and didn't hear Karys' yells denoting the same.
Watching the EWebb taking fire, Zelo looks around to reassess the situation. Hahtavi up and firing after all. Aejin returning some decent fire. Karys dropping the last of Yellow Squard. Rathe running up just in time to dodge as the Mandalorians all converge on the south stairwell, descending. Suddenly, a ping - new IFF information in the Nautolan's display, showing 'MZ-162.' Target acquired. Zelo takes his next shot quickly, not even thinking as he shoots right after Sumi's rocketing, war-crying form and dropping the last EWebb technician.
The tone of Karys' voice pulls at Zelo's heart as he suddenly imagines what he would do to rescue one of his sisters. It's not a long journey for his mind, as it's not dissimilar from what they're doing now. But it's enough of a divergence for his focus to slip and the shot he takes at the lead member of Alpha squad goes wide. <"Kriff!"> Rattled, the lanky figure moves down a few steps, seeking a more direct angle, but also opening himself up as a more available target. <"Yeah, he's right there, Avery. Can we knock the others out and grab him before you do the cake dance?"> There. Banter to keep the mind in the game. Mhunir taught him that one.
'Hadrix we got to get down there with them.' Roth's voice pulls him back out and Hadrix's visor is on the Alabaster Mandalorian and after a moment of his shoulders bucking with heavy breaths, gathering himself up and then starting off after her. She was right. They had to get down there. <<"IFF recognized, we're coming.">> taking the stairs in a downward vault to turn himself, and continue - heedless of potential oncoming fire as he leaps down the next half of the flight. Airborne and likely to be carried into trouble until;
SHOOOONK
He fires and is practically put right back up the flight he had been charging down, a catapulting that might have landed him on his fool head had he not the presence of mind to kick up with his momentum, twisting to put his feet against a wall to the side of the stairwell, brace, and push forward to carry himself into the run... pounding down the hall past those in the rear ranks.
Roth gives a look over the rail of the stairs and well...decisions are made. Much like her throwing herself through windows, the alabastrine Mandalorian decides that the fastest way down is over first. Thankfully she's got a jetpack and doesn't do something embarrassing like splat on the ground beneath them. She does land quickly and strikes out with the vibrodagger in her hand before readying to follow it up with the sword. People were not dying...but they'd be losing a lot of blood.
Adrenaline is a helluva natural drug.
Hahtavi flips his rifle from lethal to stun at the news coming over his helmet coms. He doesn't see /which/ boy is Karys' borhter though, alas. He leans out past the corner (and past AEJIN) to fire off two shots. The first misses but the second connects with an unarmored youth of Beta squad down the hallway. Already wounded himself, the new guy needs no perssuation to duck back behind the corner after he's fired those two shots. At least the Ewebb is currently unmanned but that could change at any moment. Hahtavi's hurting but he grits his teeth and keeps his back pressed against the wall when he's not firing.
Aejin begins to move again after Hahtavi's shots are taken from the corner. When Hahtavi moves back, Aejin moves forward. Passing by Rathe, Aejin's vocoder clicks to life as he remarks to the fleshmender in passing, "<Your body hair is overrated>". Then onward Aejin goes to the corner, leans out with a tilt of his helmet. Then back into cover. Then out again, this time with the barrel of his Enforcer leading the way. It roars out as a trio of shots are taken, striking one individual while one of the shots goes wide. Then back into the cover presented by the corner he goes.
The important thing is Avery found Karys' brother, Rathe bears this in mind as he's skidded to a halt in the open. Thankfully Yellow Squad fails at life, and staying awake as first they miss him, and then Karys saves his backside. The HUD blips a new green tag, and he can hear the subtitles to Karys' emotions as she spots MZ-162? her Brother.
As much as he wants to run off after Karys, once again duty prevents him from acting on his desires. He drops to a knee by Hahtavi and clucks a tongue, his E-11 stays in his left hand as he scans with his right after blindly pulling the scanner from the pack on his thigh. <"How?"> Rathe sounds confused at what should be a simple buttock wound being SO devastating to Hahtavi's systems. Aejin's comment, a reply to a private comm transmission gets a bark of laughter. <"Sometimes."> The scanner is slid away and Rathe turns poor Hahtavi away from that wall. <"You're only supposed to have one hole in your backside, just so you are aware. Uhm. Sting and a pinch, then numbness!"> Rathe unceremoniously stabs the hypospray into Hahtavi's cheek-crater, fires off a cocktail of anesthetic, antibiotics, and bacta. Then shoves gauze into the wound and slaps a temp-patch over the armor.
For some reason the blaster bolts miss or rather are not aimed at Karys as she wades forward into the mess. As more of Beta goes down she aims first at the trainee to her brother's right and then she aims at him.
PEW
He stumbles, dropping his rifle much like his cohort before the gunslinger clsoes the distance and reaches out, grabbing him by the heavy thick wicking shirt and drags him with her. She growls a bit and starts stalking towards the clan, her blaster lowering to her side. <"Target acquired."> For now, that is what he is. He is nothing more than that just for the sake of preserving his identity and not making him a target more than he might already be.
She starts for the stares, having to lug him with so it makes her progress slow as the EWebb stands abandoned and Alpha squad does their best to hold their ground with so many of their fellows down and bleeding. Alpha hesitates, lowering their weapons a little as they finally start to drop. Their reinforcements are on the way but they will likely perish if they persist. Hands lift upwards to show they mean no harm as Karys finally gets back to the others with her brother stumbling in her hold.
There is the sound of more filing towards them but its time to go. Time to exfil and who knows what waits back up on the top floor for them.
The Stormtroopers do the right thing, and Sumi doesn't attack a surrendered foe. For a brief moment, the reflective 'gaze' of her mirror like visor shows a trooper their face, the telltale Sumi was looking at it. Without saying anything, she nods, then steps after Karys.
Unhooking the Z6 riot control baton off her belt, Sumi initiated its activation by first extending it.
SNAP!
Then she primed it, twisting it into a circle to generate the sudden sparking hunger of an electrical current. The charge and arcing energy is so bright it casts a blue hue over Sumi, and those in her proximity.
Trainees and officers fall all around them and, aside from a few injuries, the team wasn't doing too poorly. Avery hefts his E-11 to rest on his shoulder, and stares straight at the trainees that dropped their weapons, the lack of emotion coming from the T-visor about as intimidating as the young Slicer can get. <"I would suggest you all leave here, find a way off this rock and never look back. Make a life for yourselves outside of the Order... they don't care about you, you're being used, and everything you've been taught is a lie."> Bitterness is heard even from the vox that transmits his voice to the group. Finally, with a sigh, he drags the helmet from his head and blinks in the bright light. "I was AV-1004... I am a slave no longer. Learn from this and live..." After a few hard moments of staring each of the Alpha team down, he replaces the helmet and follows his family up the stairs, carbine switched to kill now that the man they came for has been acquired.
Zelo, always watching, tracks every enemy on the field, including the one showing designation MZ-162. He sees the remaining members of Alpha squad discarding their weapons, surrendering. He sees Karys dragging the collapsed form of MZ-162 and the slow progress of it and lowers his E-11 to hang by his side as he takes up some of the weight, bending down to raise an arm over his shoulder and help carry the family of his family. <"Let me give you a hand. I'll run ahead and fire the engines when we're closer to the top. Until then, I figure I'll walk with you a spell.">
<<"Karys, get him the rekk outta here. Now.">> the growl over comms coming as Hadrix moves to take a rear-guard posture, <<"Sumi'Alor, Aejin - spearhead back for the ship. Avery, with me. Cover for Hahtavi, Roth and Rathe in between. Prepare to fend off pursuit or clear our path. Suggest all weapons free. We have our package.">> studying the display map, any data he can get while he walks backwards until the rest are on the stairs.
There is a momentary twitch beneath the helmet, the lid over his organic eye fluttering and something sinking deep in his gut where it turns to ice and threatens his entire body with a momentary tremor before he says something rarely, if ever, said by the Massive Mandalorian in the field; <<"I've a bad feeling...">> rifle angling from one side to the next, the end of the barrel still smoking from use. It settles on each of the Alpha members, a gateway to hell. But their weapons are down.
Roth's not trusting any of the folks down here unless they are prospects or their name is Kora. She keeps her sword and dagger focused on the group as her rockets are engaged again and she keeps watching them until she's back up on the second floor rail like some demonic steel bird that arrived to an empty bird feeder. She didn't want to kill young people, but if they didn't surrender then it was a whole other ballgame. <"Listen to him."> jerking his head towards Avery, <"You're being lied to."> The finality in the growling scrape of rough stones over on another holding something else just beneath the surface. <"Get out.">
And there's Rathe. Hahtavi has a brief, strained laugh over his com to Rathe, <"Kriff if I know. We gotta stop meeting like this. I haven't even bought you flowers.>" He turns as directed and braces himself against the pain. The stabb into the wound makes him almost black out, slapping a hand to the wall to steady himself from falling. A choked grunt is all he can manage until the numbness begins to spread enough to let him get his breath. "<Thanks - again. I gotta stop getting shot.>"
Just in time for their baar'ur to be wounded! Hahtavi switches to the team's coms, "<Drek! Rathe's hit!>" Thankfully Kary's is dagging what is presumably her brother back towards the stairwell. It's Hahtavi's turn to slap Rathe's shoulder pauldron, "
As the withdrawal begins and Hadrix's order is conveyed, there's not a sound to confirm it's receipt. Aejin simply turns and begins to move with haste to join up with Sumi. As he goes the Enforcer's drum is rolled out, a precise quick reload made, and then the drum is rolled closed once again.
He cannot be there for Karys, right now. His visor tracks her motions, her struggle with her brother. He wants to be there, but needs to deal with what Alpha wrought. Primarily Rathe is busy inhaling and exhaling through his teeth at the new blaster burn through his armor into his right leg. His turn to make with the stabbery. No preamble for Rathe at this point. He just triggers the hypospray and seals the armor with a patch. He's let the E-11 hang fully on his sling as he needs to tend to Roth next if the IFF on his HUD is correct. <<"It's okay Hahtavi, I swear. I'm almost always hit. No matter how much time I put in training to Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge.">
Avery tries to reason with them all, Hadrix as well. Rathe turns his visor to the rest of them. <"I was Resh Aurek Five One Five Zero. Get out while you can, the First Order failed to uphold its promise of order from chaos. It -IS- chaos. You have been misled."> He turns to limp after Hahtavi, ahead of Hadrix and Avery as the order Hadrix suggests. <<"Karys? Breathe.">> It is all he can do for now.
As the group takes positions given to them by Hadrix with a few leading, their way is unimpeded at first. AT first. As the main body of the group which has Karys and MZ beside her get at the top of the stairs an officer and two of his underlings come around the corner of the right hallway where Hadrix and Roth met with Hava and her squad. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" He declares and leveling a nasty looking carbine at the main group MZ takes that moment. "Release me!" He's still woozy but gives his sister, unbenownst to him to the side. Karys stumbles but wads her fingers up in his clothing to keep from losing hold of him. She growls below her breath and is wheeling around when the carbine levels at MZ. "He is going no wherew ith you!"
The intent is clear. Take away their prize. A prize that is not understood presently by the officer. Karys side steps and slams herself into her brother, her body wielded like a shield as the whine of the carbine sounds out and the rapid burst shot slams into Karys trunk.
The recoil of the heavier weapon brings them aim up her chest and the rapid fire finds the weak spots of her armor past the plates to form openings, holes in her body and though most cauterize there is a sudden flow of blood out around her armor.
Her hand lifts and she shoves MZ forward towards those spearheading as she takes some shots at Balen. <"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!"> Her voice sounds strained and her stance looks weak as more blood hits the floor below her before she stumbles and keeps moving towards the steps, trying to herd the young man forward even as she herself seems to have lost all strength in forward movement. Rathe's comment replays in her mind. Breathe. Breathe. Time to go. But her vision starts to swim.
<"....grrrrrrr--AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"> Sumi steps in /just/ as Karys' attack concludes. She slams the business end of the serrated mace into the center mass of Captain Balen, the concussive electrical energy casting him backward, airborne, and off his feet to land on his back and slide from her. Sumi sees red as she murderously stalks forward, slamming the baton against the ground, MISSING, then hefting it up again like a woodsman does an axe. She rains it down right on Balen's head, destroying whatever made their face unique and spilling the contents of their head, like a violent mural, all over their surroundings.
<"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!">
Sumi's not done. The targeting arm on her helmet folds down and the warning alarm on her jetpack initiates, claiming the warhead is armed and ready to fire.
<<"Karys is wounded. Bad. Someone get her, and someone grab this kid."> She rasps, her voice emotional and angry as she wrestles with wanting to kill everything.
With a final look at Alpha squad, Avery heads up the stairs, his head tilting at the sudden blaster fire that sounded up ahead. The E-11 is dropped to a ready state and he crests the landing in time to see Karys stumbling, Sumi splatting a fellow, and their target being shoved in his direction. <"I got the kid."> The slicer grabs the man by his collar and hoists the fighting man up. <"Knock it off...."> Is all he says, his head turning more toward the liquid that is streaming from Karys' armor.... The struggling of their target snaps his head back to the situation at hand, <"STOP!"> Avery says forcefully to her brother, giving him a quick shake to show him who is actually in control. The T-visor shifts back over to Karys, the concern there but no worry. They've been through worse than this before, hell... she's had an arm blown off... just need to get Rathe here and plug her into some bacta.
Zelo's given the slip as MZ-162 pulls away from him trying to get away from Karys as the officer fires. Everything goes still in that moment, or maybe it's just a trick of the mind. MZ is flung forward by his sister, there's blood and Sumi unmakes the captain who spilled it. All he can think of is that it's his job to get everyone back into the Black safely. <"I'm going for the ship!"> Well, he plans to. But the sniper's a pilot, he's not the running type. Must be a lot of debris and the adrenaline's just not letting him see it. Something must be in his vision because he hits every piece of it as he stumbles awkwardly through the hall to the west stairs, making for the roof. And then trips once on his scrabbling way up said stairs.
In the air, back outside the facility, there are ships circling. The Nautolan pilot's making a break for the cargo ramp, hoping he's not going to take a hit on the small open stretch of roof.
Blaster fire upstairs, the hell is happening. Sumi is calling out and the second to last comment lifts his head. Rifle slinging as he turns and begins to run, stampeding like a kimogila after wounded prey as his strides lengthen and the Massive Mandalorian's arms go out like some hunting predator, or a raptor swooping with the intent of hooking Rathe and Hahtavi under their arms and pull them along despite their wounds.
<"This will hurt. Need to get back now."> too much weight for his jets, so it's all for pumping legs now, forcibly lifting the pair after several lunging steps, hefting either over each shoulder and feeling his body complain for the weight - so much so that even Gripper gets involved, latching onto him and sending her anti-gravs into full power. Equipment designed to carry two hundred and fifty pounds despite her slight, almost miniscule, size. But it's something to help them clear onto the top floor.
There's too much blood on the floor.
<"Karys?">
There's a trail to be followed for the amount of it.
<"Karys!?"> Panic there. It's been a long time since an instance like this. A first meeting flashes across fore thoughts. There's something else clawing through next and vision begins to haze on the edges.
Roth feels like things are a bit surreal for a moment and then there's the blood that's hitting the ground from Karys and the woman drops her dagger and sheathes the sword as she barrels towards her. <<No...nonono. No.>> the Arkanian states as she takes a knee to gather up the bleeding Karys, <<We've got him. We've got to get you out of here. We'll get everything fixed.>> the older woman tells her. Roth is normally not emotional, but there is something definitely bleeding through. <<Outta the way!>> she shrieks as she takes off towards the route they came through and back up towards the ship. God damn walls! Why did they have to be there. It would be much easier for another hole to be in this place.
Hahtavi is husting up the stairs as best he may, and thanks to Rathe's dope, he's not doing /too/ badly considering he's missing a chunk out of his ass. Gonna need to get that cosmetically fixed. Won't do at /all/ to only have one butt cheek! His left leg is just not working right though, mostly half numb dead weight.
Then suddenly he's grabbed and lifted up by Hadrix! Had about gets a rifle muzzle shoved into his mouth by accident before Hahtavi's being lifted! He's very nearly as big as Hadrix so it's no small thing to throw him over a shoulder. <"Damn it, Hadrix! I can get myself outta here!>" Handled like so much baggage, there's no point in fighting the Kora's strength. Instead, Hahtavi brings his rifle to bear to try and cover ... whatever the hell he can as he's hauled out towards the roof!
As Aejin takes a stroll down the halls on the route back to the ship that will act as their exfiltration, he seems eager to provide a parting gift to their enemies. Or at least a surprise party for any who may attempt to land and resecure the area after their departure. It's only after Aejin's slapped at least seven or eight charges at seemingly random points, mag-clamping them to various places of structural significance that he steps. His helmet twists suddenly - surely the eyes inside are wide, nearly to the point of bulging from his skull - then back to the closest of the charges. He calmly activates his helmet's vocoder. The first sound is his tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth, "<Tch,>" and then after the pregnant pause he concludes, "" It's because he's so distracted by the explosives and that rather short timer that Aejin doesn't seem to register anything awry regarding Karys' state. Perhaps even that she had been hit. Because he's too busy staring at that demo charge's timer reading: 2:51.
Roth bears most of Karys' weight once Avery has her brother, Sumi downs Balen and Karys finally feels like she can give in a little to the strange weakness slipping over her. It hurts. A lot and her voice hiccups behind her visor. She gets to the ship with swift purpose thanks to Roth and climbing on board she lets herself collapse upon the floor of the Woor'ta. She lays upon her side a moment and grips at her helmet. The sight revealed is a bit of blood that slips from her lips down her cheek. She collapses back to the cold durasteel floor with a cough.
The others move quickly and the whir of the engines fill the air as once everyone is onboard the ship will begin to lift off. "We got him?" MZ is still fighting Avery and may just need a good stunning to settle down finally.
Karys gaze focuses in on the helmet looming over her, eyes having trouble as they flit about. Finally her shaking hands lift after sliding over her wounds. "Bad, its bad..stop..." Its a sound of resignation as she grips the sides of Rathe's helmet, a weak tug lifting it upwards or trying to free him of it. Even then a errant but yet important thought filters through the unsteady consciousness. "Avery, my brother..." she says and feels the sway of the ship beneath her.
"Its okay..." Her conversations are darting around. This last said to Rathe.
It is bad, the Woor'ta becoming stained as her blood continues to flow too freely and the light in those blue eyes is dimming already as they focus in and out.
Inside the Woor'tra now, finally having ended his stumbling farce of a sprint, Zelo is throwing his guns over his shoulder, unslinging each and letting them clatter carelessly to the deck behind him as he makes directly for the cockpit. Before his set is fully realized, lanky arms are leaning forward and across to deftly and precisely trigger the startup sequence, one system after the other quickly coming online. <<"Woor'tra's ready to go as soon as everyone's on. Secure fast, I may not have the time nor space to do this gentle. Two-and-a-half-minutes, you kriffin-">> He checks the scanner, the Nautolan trying to take a moment to take a deep breath before he speaks to himself.
"And someone tell me what's going on back there..." The young Nautolan whispers inside his helmet, one hand on the throttle, a finger on the lifts, and the other hand on the yoke, ready to get the ship off the ground. The second the ramp is up, the lifts are toggled, the yoke is delicately tilted and the throttle is engaged as softly as possible while hurrying from the about-to-explode facility. Zelo does everything he can to let their war medic do what he always does. There are Ties in the air, and they're not missing the large intruding ship's takeoff. Some of them are in pursuit, and Zelo moves to open the throttle wider as he stays level as long as he can.
Avery wrestles the man through the halls and up the stairs, occasionally bumping him against a wall to calm him down while they move to the ship. Alarm begins to pick up as the trail of blood, even when ferreted away so quickly by Roth, is still substantial. His pace quickens and he all but drags her brother along the last remaining meters and into the ship.
The sight that greets him will haunt his dreams... Karys... the one who brought him from terror into the light, the one that dragged him kicking and screaming back to reality, his first crush, his sister, his damned near everything.... lying in a pool of her own blood that should not be... Her brother tries to escape once more and he shoves him back against the durasteel wall with a snarl. "YOU SON OF A.... THIS IS YOUR SISTER YOU..." And he gestures madly at the wounded woman on the floor. "RATHE!" He screams, tears starting to well in his eyes. "SAVE HER! DO SOMETHING!" the young slicer cries, dropping to his knees next to the pair while his soul is crushed from the inability to help. He frantically looks from one member of the clan to the next, wide emerald eyes pleading with each, hoping something can be done....
And he sobs.... openly, hands dropped between his knees, helpless, hopeless, and crushed. Her few words toward him provoke a choked cry, more blubbering before he nods resolutely. He will do his part, she lies dying on the floor in front of them, he will honor her last request. "Karys......" he wails, "please don't go..."
<"Eyes open trooper!"> it's the first thing out of Hadrix's mouth as he lunges up the ramp and into the ship in the wake of others. It's called out for her. Something digging it's way out, forcing itself into his voice. There's names coming, rushing over. He refuses numbers.
Ciferni.
His helmet is off once they're aboard, Hahtavi deposited where he can rest. Rathe at work and Hadrix is kneeling with his own medkit out, where Rathe can get tools, extra bacta, anything he can. <"Talk to me. Tell me your first memory, a training memory, think hard and talk"> memory. All of his worst moments are played over by memory. Like a yawning pit with edges crumbling and chasing his heels.
Artemis.
Eyes of gray and glowing red turn towards MZ-162 and there is only naked hate. For the briefest of moments there is no Hadrix Kora. No Hadrix Rol before. Not even AO-904. There is only that thing that is chained and boxed, tucked down deep and screaming for him to let go and just submit to everything that they built in him and turned loose when they needing a thing. A creature without conscious, remorse, or self preservation instinct. There's moisture on his lips, frothing as his breaths rage and veins stick out.
Drath.
"No." to himself? To her? To the boy laid out on the floor, feeling the speed of his ship carrying them away. There's blood but it's not the blood he wants. And she is lifting Rathe's helmet off. Saying it's okay. One hand is on its face and pulling the hateful thing back. The eye still capable of it is welling up and he dashes his arm against his cheek too hard and fast, like a strike that jars his head and brings some sense with the furious red mark. No more words said, she's speaking to Rathe now.
Karys.
As soon as Hadrixs drops him on the ship, Hahtavi smacks Hadrix once on the back. The larger man's got other things to do and so does Rathe. So the new guy gets out of their way and drags himself to a seat to get himself into it, painful as sitting will be, and webs in. He could offer to be a gunner for Zelo but there are others here that know the Woor'tra better.
Unfortunately, his seat gives him an all too good view of Karys bleeding out on the deck and Rathe bent over her prone form. Avery and Hadrix joining on either side of their baar'ur. Alas, all he can do is remove his own helmet and stare, watching, aware of their profound grief.
The helpless feeling is going around. Roth settles Karys onto the floor of the ship and she quickly moves out of the way so that Rathe can get to the woman that is bleeding. She rolls to the side and then pops back up. Near MZ. Roth sheds the helmet and looks at the young man. Then she looks to Karys. Then back to him. There are words there...but she can't say them really. And Roth is realizing that they are going to lose her. Rathe is talking and Avery is crying. And she's standing there with her helmet hanging out of one hand unable to help. She rakes her hand back through her hair and tries to stay out of the way. A look is given to Zelo, her pure white gaze unsure for the moment, "It's not good." she tells him as she then looks back down to her armor which has added the blood of Karys to it.
Sumi ensures the ramp closes behind them, lingering at the line of safety and battle until all boots cross the line. The ship takes off, thanks to Zelo's piloting, and the shrinking image of this backwater facility grow smaller while engines leave a contrail in their wake. The light from outside slowly fades to darkness, consuming the lone Mando that watches it behind a mirrored gaze.
When she entered the hold where Karys lay dying, Sumi watched quietly and thought of the old prayers, of fallen comrades, of her lost Sana. There were few words one might offer in the final moments of life, but Sumi echoes their creed, the oath they all took when they received their brand.
<"No matter the field of battle, the time, the clime or place. You will find us, your family, beside you. No battle will claim you absent us. Where you fall, we will be there to pick you back up. You will not die alone.">
Sumi's words. They drag Hahtavi's gaze from the awful tableau before his eyes. Something in what she says strikes a chord deep, even if it's not his to share in. He turns his head back to watch the others in their last moments with Karys and he says nothing, feeling much that he does not share.
The clock is always against any surgeon, even when it is a routine procedure. What Rathe faces is something alive from his nightmares. <"We got him, Karys. He's free, we did it. -You- did it cyar'ika."> Rathe's visor looks to Hadrix and Avery, her brothers too, as not all relations are blood, and they were Vanguard. His visor shakes side to side at them both, one at a time. <"I'm sorry. I'd die for her if I could, if it would change..."> Karys is trying to remove his helmet, he pauses motion, refusing to fight her tug but the helmet is sealed and locked. Rathe has to force his hands off of her, to tap at his left gauntlet. The environmental seals hiss and the locking ring disengages. He lets Karys pull it free, and helps her set it aside.
Unable to stop himself, he shifts her with his arms to cradle her up just enough. With helmet off, they all can see he is openly crying. Tears freely spilling down his cheeks. Only one other living soul has seen Rathe do this... and she is dying in his arms. Rathe struggles to suddenly shove his right hand down the front collar of his Dreadfinder armor. He gives up with a snarl, plucking at his neck instead, finally ripping out a chain in a tight grip. His fingers close finally on a holotag. First Order issue. The chain is parted with a vicious yank, and he is shoving it into Karys' hand. "Aside from these, you were the closest thing consistently next to my heart." Rathe's head bows his forehead to hers, a stolen gentle kiss, and then he shifts to put lips to her ears with words just for her.
You sense: Rathe Kora speaks quickly, with a purpose though the tone is ragged for he is crying. "These -were- my life, take them, for -you- are my life. I don't want to go on without you. Many call you Karys Kora, but you never took the name formally. It? was never really necessary. Take it now? Be my wife. Take my name. Like we talked about on the beach? I love you. I wish we had more time. I wish I'd been a better man, a better partner for you. I should have done more, tried harder. I should have been more human, less war machine. I love you. I have made so many mistakes. But I am yours. Please." He breaks into sobbing words. "Don't leave me alone?"
'It's not good.'
That, his indication. Something he already knows, like the copper scent in the air, seeping through the loose joints of his helmet and permeating his lungs. Instinctively, his hand pushes the throttle further forward, now open as the Woor'tra moves at breakneck speeds only a few dozen meters above rock crags and outcroppings. If only it were faster, maybe Zelo could help them outrun time. But they can't. As he weaves gently, in a piloting fugue, through the twisted canyon, shaking one Tie loose and another crashing, he begins to pull the yoke back, maneuvering still with all the grace he can muster, his movements fluid and aqueous as he dodges locks from the remaining Tie. In the cargo bay, most may only feel a downward pressure, not being tossed about, as the ship approaches the border of atmo and the Black. He just needs to get to the Black... Already, he's pulling up a pre-plotted course in the nav computer, recalculating the jump to Nar Shaddaa.
Their voices are there, Karys can register them from Hadrix stern figure above simply stating no. Avery crying beside her and as the Rathe's helmet lifts off she lets a hand lower as she reaches over to lightly touch Avery. "Head up," she says, her eyes taking a good moment or two to find him, focusing. Roth is noted, scene as she focuses out and then her eyes close a moment, lips parting before she exhales, a ragged breath drawn as her chest rises slowly. Blue eyes open to find Hahtavi but she feels the words of Sumi wash over her, she feels they are important but she can not truly hear them. "Not alone..." that she repeats and understood. "Hadrix...number is up."
"I can not feel anything..." The pain is going away. Pressure is still there in places and she finds it hard to breathe even as Rathe moves her. There is a faint wince as her hand reaches up and finally finds his arm to rest on and listen, blinking a few times as a breath wheezes in to fill what is likely lungs full of what should not be there.
And airy sound comes out of her after words are imparted and her fingers are closed around his tags. "yes...yes.." she smiles a bit and moves her head enough to try to see him.
Her breath stutters then an an involuntary convulsion goes through her. "get...him...home.." Her brother.
Her head starts to tilt back a little, eyes fluttering a bit as they focus through Rathe. Bright blues staring up until the last bit of warmth fades from them and the hand holding the tags slides further down her torso.
"Yes?" There's a brief lived happy sound that breaks through with a ragged sob. "It'll be done, just like I promised. Parmarthe." Karys' light fades. "No." Fighting to not completely break, it is all he can say, he kisses the top of her head. Struggling to speak, even as he reaches and plucks up Karys' helmet. He pulls a clear sealer from his medpack and starts applying it to the sides of his own helmet... covering her bloody handprints here. "Ki-" Rathe stops mid syllable. He was going to say 'Kill them all'. His instincts rage to kill, maim, hurt, rip and tear. But it would have hurt Karys if she was still... alive. Instead. Rathe speaks slowly and deliberately.
"Karys and I have datapads at home left for each other every time we go out on a mission. Letters and our wills, so to speak. I know she has left specific instructions as to the disposition of her armor. I'll owe whoever it is a helmet. I'm keeping hers." Rathe points towards Karys' helmet lying there on its side. He then replaces his helmet to be alone in his grief. All external comms closed, the vox disabled. He rocks with her body and the helmet gives his wailed grief some modicum of privacy even as his shoulders betray his clear sobbing.
With her departure complete, a heavy weight bears down on Sumi's small shoulders, and the quiet sentry nods her head, glances up briefly, then steps away. She moves past Hahtavi, Hadrix, Avery, and Rathe to find the cockpit to join Zelo. The solemn silence is for thinking now; reflecting on the time they were fortunate enough to share with Karys when she lived. Sumi pauses briefly to turn her mirrored gaze on the brother; then, she steps through the hatch and out of view, heavy bootfalls sounding her departure to give the Vanguard their privacy.
'Not alone...' Hahtavi Llearil turns his face away to look somewhere else. Anywhere else before he closes his eyes, memories of his own to keep him company. To grant the Koras, and especially Rathe and Karys, what little privacy he can, here at her end.
Zelo, cutting the ship behind a rogue asteroid, hits the switch and sets the ship adrifft. For a few moments, they are entirely vulnerable while the computer commits all resources to the hyperdrive. Then, the Black turns white and as pinpricks of stars stretch out into infinity, and the system is gone from behind them. He looks over the instruments one more time and then rises from the pilot's seat, turning to see Sumi making her way into the cockpit. <"It's not... She's not..."> He knows it, but he really would like the Alor to correct him as he assumes the worst.
Sumi regards Zelo with a silent 'gaze' for a moment, then she speaks. <"She lives on in our hearts now; at peace surrounded by those who love her. Go, be with the clan. I will see to things here."> Sumi steps to one side to open the path back below, giving Zelo an opportunity to be there when the clan needed solidarity the most.
She's gone. It has barely registered even as her eyes dim and her body sags.
As Rathe gathers her up and Sumi's words bludgeon down all of the worst parts of him that want to come forth and take all of the pain away while Hadrix's growl builds and rolls like thunder. To the boy, who is only numbers and to him will only ever be numbers. With her eyes. Dazed and reeling the affects of stun blasts. The big man loses control. For a moment.
"I hate you." MZ-162 was up, with the massive hand of the man wrapped around jaw and neck. Feet dangling nearly a foot off the ground "I will always hate you. I want you to know that. You did this. You did this to us and I hate you more than anything I will ever face ever again. I never want to see you again. You're alive because she wants you alive. You're going home because she wants you to go home. When we get there, I never want to see you again." because he has her eyes. Because he failed. He said he would keep them all alive and he's a damned liar. There's a creak, a threating sound like the kid's jaw might crack for the force of Hadrix's grip before he is released to fall, to let MZ-162 hit the deck. "She died, so you could live and I will never forgive that. Her life keeps yours safe."
Hadrix turns to the sight of Rathe and Karys. Rathe in her helmet. He'd close those eyes, but that's not his job. His job was to keep her alive. Something in him snarls and he doesn't know when he knelt next to Rathe. He won't touch him. He speaks for her, lips moving steadily and his hand is momentarily on her arm.
Standing again, looking over his shoulder at the boy, and then back down to her, him. Them. He's out of the bay and down one of the halls, fists slamming into walls while rage and pain tear apart his throat. A ruin of trophies hurled from walls and skins torn down until the hatchway to his own den within the Woor'tra seals behind him. Cutting out animal screams and breaking things.\
Zelo nods, black pool eyes already beginning to stream in earnest as he he steps around Sumi and through the hatch into the corridor beyond. He navigates on leaden feet through the ship, stepping over the guns he'd so haphazardly strewn about on his flight to the flight controls. Each step is slower as he nears the cargo bay, hearing the departure of the Al'verde before he can make himself take that last step. He stands in the doorway for a long time, eyes locked on the blood on the floor, not looking at the figures reflected in his visor. Not wanting to put that image in his memory. The black pool eyes look everywhere but, and land - finally - on the first gun he'd dropped. The E-11, which she had given him.
There is no enemy, no one to fight now, much as part of him wants to turn it on MZ-162. But he needs to have it in his hands. Right now. With more purpose than his previous steps, he makes his way to it and picks it up by the sling and cradles it to himself, not unlike the way Rathe cradles the woman who had brought Zelo into the clan. With that retrieved, he lowers to the floor, staring at the gun, not looking at anyone else. Faintly at first, but picking up power the more time passes, a red glow begins to emanate from the literal cracks in his armor - the joints where the pieces meet and gather.
