Log:Resistance: The Snows of Kijimi
The Snows of Kijimi
OOC Date: January 16, 2020
Location: Kijimi
Participants: Ambrosia Greystorm(GM), Nova Korell, Lofty, Aryn Cole, Elrych Cometburn, Merek, K-5Z9, Sapphira Tavers, The Resistance
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
The craggy peaks of Ghollidaru Massif are visible at a distance by day, but by night, the faraway shapes melt into the gray, overcast shadow that swallows every mountainous hill in Kijimi City. Really, /everything/ here seems a shade of gray. In particular, the stacked-stone buildings that line these curvacious streets. Structures much older than any of its current residents seem to rise organically up from the mountain itself, foundations carved directly into the hillsides and steps notched into the steepest bits of alleyways between. Treading frozen ground is never without inherent risk, but eliminating some steepness of the slope underfoot does help.
It's through narrow streets like this that our skilled band of seekers was deployed, following a cautious reminder from their pilot to "Watch your sixes. You get into a bind, need a pickup, I'm just a call away. If you can get to a rooftop or a patch o'dirt big enough to accomodate this wide girl, that is." The drop pilot grinned, throwing a wink back from the cockpit while powering down systems and lowering the ramp. "Round of hot caf's on me, if you can make this quick!"
He wasn't kidding about the cold. While not Hoth-level frozen, the temperature outside DOES have a bit of a bite to it and whistled sharply through the open gangway. Weightless flakes of snow (or is it ash?) wafted and whirled outside, welcoming the Resistance with chilly embrace.
That was a considerable length of time ago, an hour maybe, and in the gap between the then and now, this search team has managed to navigate a few kliks along from their precarious drop zone, into the heart of what SHOULD be a hub of residential activity.
The streets seem unaturally quiet by the time they reach the nearest block of ancient, Kijimi City, seeming void of most residential activities. Shops appear closed, what few bodies are about are murmuring quietly to selves and hurrying along toward their respective homes. Strange, this.
[Merek]
Merek snaps on the pieces of his white and black armor, which is adjusted about his frame while the snow shifts about. The thermal snap-hisses while he begins to adjust the helmet with the orange face plate upon it as well. He shifts up his pistol which he places to both hands, then he lifts a finger while he points, <<"On our 7, street kilk 2.1 there is a searchlight, a drone is on the corner, coming that way. People yelling. Updating your navigation people.">> He then uses the playback recording feature so he can upload information to the team also.
[Sapphira]
Sapphira is wearing a black leather jacket over her shadowsuit, with a black cap on her head. The entire effect makes it easy for her to fade into the shadows as she makes her own way along the tight residential streets and even tighter alleys. She seems to prefer the latter. Something about the narrow spaces is comforting. She might have one or two other people with her as she moves, but any more than that will make her nervous, and she'll try to shake them off. <<Is it weird that I kind of really like it here?>> the redhead mutters over the comms as she ducks into another empty alleyway.
It's at the end of the next alley that her usually bright greens cast up into the overcast drizzel of snow, squinting against a light bouncing off the clouds from a source a street or two over. <<Moving west>> she reports, and then does just that, dipping into another dark path.
[Lofty]
Lofty paused before they landed to observe Kijimi City through his pair of TE4.4 field quadnoculars, having adjusted them for his unique four eyes. But it was too hazy. Dressed in a dark blue cloak and with his bowcaster at the ready, the Talz presses on. Beneath the cloak is his trooper armor, complete with stealth camoflauge that has slowly shifted to dark colors and city-friendly patterns. He attaches a small scrambled comm unit to his earhole for communication. He turns to avoid the incoming drone.
[Aryn Cole]
The youthful doctor, Aryn Cole, stays near the tall Talz, relying more upon his natural predatory skills for survivor. She was no soldier, or stealthy assassin! She wore a gray heavy poncho with a hood over a set of atmospheric armor that combatted the cold air. Her bright blonde hair is tucked beneath the warm confines of a black beany cap, and any weapon she has is concealed from plain view. Thick gloves cover her hands, maintaining warmth even to the lengths of her fingers! /She remains quiet, letting the professionals work, but she does pause to listen to the sound of raised voices in the distance. She silently determined that they sounded a street over./
[Nova Korell]
Nova Korell, an off-white poncho worn over her urban digicamo armor, nods, hearing Merek's transmission. <Confirming searchlights, look to be one street over. I have eyes on the drone... and a bad feeling our white-armored friends are in town,> she coms, moving to take point.
She pauses as she comes down into the streets, kneeling to examine an abandoned plush toy in a slushy puddle. <No child would leave this behind. That bad feeling's getting worse. Do you think they might be... /recruiting/?>
She shivers at the thought, her breath rasping through the microphone. <Mission first... mission... /first/.>
It's a moment before she gets to her feet, stepping quickly into cover in an alleyway. <Sorry... I'm all right now,> she murmurs, still sounding breathless, but a little less so.
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych is in his robes, the ones mirrored after the Corellian JEdi of old with his own flare added to it. His glasses obscure his face along with the shemaug in a blue and white checkered pattern he wears over his neck and the rest of his face. The thick green cloak's hood is up to assist in that and it conceals andything he's carrying on his belt. It was cold after all here on Kijimi. He's keeping to the back of the ground, paying attention to all his senses... though the wind and hood covering his ears is preventing much on thel istening front. his gait is steady and methodicaly, with an air of confidence. "Hermmm... seaker droids." He echos lowly.
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
The source of those shouts and cries of despair is soon within sight for Sapphira and any who follow her slinky lead.
A weather-beaten, wooden sign creaks painfully to and fro from the rooftop of what appears to be a small, family-style tavern or restaurant. The upper level is pitted with a few small windows - residential quarters above, perhaps. More importantly though, there's a rough scene happening in the street outside.
Familiarly armored figures in white (6, plus their commander) are trying to pull a adolescent boy from his father's grip while the mother is being pinned against the wall, barrel of a carbine nestled firmly between her shoulders. A younger woman (substantially rotund about the belly in her shapeless garb) emerges from inside and attempts to intervene by reaching gently for the nearest trooper, but they shove her away and raise their rifle. "BACKUP!" the vocoded mask orders her, "Over there." The girl follows the gesturing of rifle with her eyes, then turns a panicked expression back onto the featureless 'face' looking back at her. "I said MOVE!" The rifle moves again, this time more meaningfully AT her. Finger poised.
"Leave her alone!" screams the pinned mother. "She doesn't understand!"
"WAIT." The sudden reprieve is issued from their squad Commander in the street, who motions with the taclight on his rifle to highlight her midsection. "That's a future soldier. Better it hatch here, alive."
The other trooper shrugs compliance, inverts his weapon, and raps it deftly betwen her eyes, instead. A love tap, enough for her to get the idea and put her on her ass. Which it does. The big-bellied girl crumples where she stands and lies in a heap in the snow.
About this time, a comm call comes through from our /other/ team (Poe, Finn, Rey and crew) that the person of interest has been located. Contact made. Standing by...Which means, the Kijimi job is more or less done, for this team. They could turn around right now and standby for the evac order. Or...
A single streak of scalding red errupts from the hip of one of those troopers wrestling with the man, striking the father figure in the chest and he falls back. The young teen is almost pulled off his feet as he tries to get away.
The choice is yours. The passing drone has not picked up on the intrusion.
[Merek]
As Merek is beginning to come upon the place, he looks to the team, then he finds that Nova probably has the most experience in tactics. <<"Moonbeam, I would like to advise we take up flanking position, if we sweep them fast from there we can easily best them, but we should probably wait til' the civilians step back inside a bit. We could probably use assistance from range for a suppression. What's your thoughts?">> He then lift up his weapon to wait for Moonbeam to give orders, or whomever might be.
[Sapphira]
While Merek plots, Sapphira ... doesn't. <<Recruiters, 2 klicks west. Count six. Engaging. Better hurry up if you want a peice of this, baby girl.>> The last comment from Sapphira in that transmission is meant for Nova, and it's a nickname she's used for the woman previously, so that will be known. The black-beanie-wearing redhead offers no more words, but steps out of the mouth of the alley to squeeze off a few shots at the Sergeant currently pointing a blaster at the teen's mom. Pew. Pew. Two to the head, and Sapphira continues moving forward, moving for forward cover. She finds it in the form of a set of stone steps leading into the tavern, stepping behind it just as another shot goes off, missing a bewildered private ... but only just. The shot has left blast scarring on his shoulder.
[K-5Z9]
Not only are the FO troopers traitors and deserters, but they're kidnappers too. This makes Kayfive angry, as much as it's capable for a droid to be so. <<I'm flanking left to draw their fire and suppress. Suggest the rest of you catch them from behind in a pincer movement.>> Merek's suggestion only solidifies her plan. Great loping strides on the droid's overlong legs, and she's quickly in position. The T-21 hums happily in her arms, indicators all good. She ups her vocabulator volume to full. "Hey Meat Cans! Pick on someone your own size!" The T-21 roars, vomiting a staccato stream of bolts to rip just over the head of the troopers, before dropping down and practically ripping one of the troopers in half.
[Lofty]
Lofty hears chatter over the comm in his earhole. The large Talz throws back his cloak, revealing a bowcaster that is powering up with a distinct thrumming sound. "<<They killing civilians. Open fire!>>" His tactical positioning isn't the greatest because of the speed required, but he fires from an alleyway that has some cover. A quarrel from his bowcaster surges forward enveloped in plasma, smashing into the stormtrooper captain and exploding.
[Aryn Cole]
Aryn raises her hand, using her special ability to manipulate the force, she influences the space around the Stormtrooper commander. A moment longer of focusing, and the trooper stops moving entirely, indicative of her control over his body. A sudden twist of her hand influences the direction of his head, and she smashes his face against the corner of the wall so hard, the helmet visor shatters and he falls back into a clump of clattered plating. Aryn was not certain if he would live or die, but she presumed the galaxy would be better off without his commands being carried out. A slow, foggy breath leaves her mouth as her shoulders fall a bit.
[Nova Korell]
<That sounds...> Nova winces inwardly as Sapphira does a Leeroy Jenkins right into the horrific scene before them. <So much for the considered approach. I'm with Lofty and K5 now!> she mutters, stepping from cover and opening fire as she airborne-shuffles towards the fighting.
Her first shot takes a Stormtrooper right in the bucket, putting him in the dirt permanently. The second smacks into another trooper's abdomen, not putting him down but possibly making him rethink army life. The third hits between said trooper's feet. At least no civilians were hurt.
The infuriated soldier lifts her carbine, holding it aimed right at the head of the Stormtrooper holding the child. <Let. Go. NOW! Before we /really/ get angry.>
[Elrych Cometburn]
At the behest of the other who just start... well... shooting, there isn't much else Elrych can do in regards to the current situation other than to walk forward towards the assailing troopers. It's a calm walk, blaster bolts streaking past him. He reaches a hand out, his lightsaber flying from inside his voluminous cloak and into his right hand. The button is pressed and the brilliant blue illuminates the cobblestone. He doesn't attack, no he's a little too far away. However, The Force swelled inside of him, lightly... not too much. It wasn't overly powerful, but there was something behind his words as he looked to one of the troopers who was still standing after the initial volley and Aryn's own force attack. "I think you'd rather put down the gun and leave, pal."
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
That's funny. She thought she'd capped the insubordinate man in just ONE shot -oooooh.
The trooper's helmeted head swivels left to witness the boy's mother duck her way to freedom when Sarge loses much of his cranium and drops like a sack of meat. <<Local resistance!>> The trooper wrestling the kid into a bear hug barks into her comm while trying to drag him backward toward reinforcements. Whether she meant THE Resistance or simply locals-up-in-arms isn't clear, but the message going out to nearby squads is simple: <<Reinforcements N-->>
The next nearest trooper suddenly bursts, seemingly from the inside, complete with Wilhelm scream, as a suddent torrent of WICKED fire rips the Private in two. More or less. Possibly less. Simultaneously, the Captain is rearing back with a howl, leg obliterated at the hip by an explosion from a BOWCASTER of all things (didn't they just confiscate one of those?) but hasn't got time to think too much about the FO healthplan because some unseen force smashes his face into the unforgiving stone.
Another gets dropped by the at-last spotted enemy onslaught and those left standing are scrambling to return the favor. Except for TR-145, who's holding the kid. She's busy staring down the business end of Nova's boomstick. And that advice...it's begining to sound appealing. One of the other wounded is obeying a sudden voice in their head.
<<We should disarm and report back>> they say and do just that - dropping the carbine.
This confuses the hell out of one of Merek's victims, who just follows the lead of his minor superior, who's decided the odds are not in favor of holding their ground. That kid? They get SHOVED in Nova's direction, before she (trooper) and the other wounded one take off, scrambling for cover in the shadows to await backup. The mindtricked fellow follows suit.
[Merek]
Merek seems about to speak when it looks like people open up on the stormtroopers. Then it looks between the bolts going back and forth a bit. He does take a moment to consider it, then he fires two stun bolts as well as a normal crimson lance that all strike. One of them looks stunned.
After it looks like they are standing away from the fight, he thinks about it a moment, <<"We can't let them call for back-up in full and regroup.">> He then fires off three of the energy lances from the 718 with amazing accuracy like a gunslinger, while two more are stunned, with another looking like they are trying their best to limp away from the field.
[Sapphira]
They're fleeing. They're breaking. The mother and kid and preggo lady are all safe. The father from earlier, though? That still remains to be seen. As the great Exodus of Stormtroopers begins, Sapphira steps up from her cover. She moves, pistol still in hand, quickly across the open 'green' area, referred to as such here for it's architectural traits rather than it's color ones. Cause nothing is green, here.
The woman in black draws up quickly on the father at the ground, facing him with her back to the retreating Stormtroopers and hovering over him to provide some manner of shielding should the fighting pick up again. <<Doc, you around yet? Get up front, there's a wounded civvie and it all looks like bantha burger to me.>>
[Lofty]
Lofty taps his comm unit with a claw. "<<EXTRACTOR. Team engage First Order. Need pickup at coordinates.>>" He looks around for a proper roof, and, spotting one that is scaleable nearby, he clicks a button on his comm unit to send coordinates. "<<Look for red signal.>>" He has a red glowrod to flag down the extraction ship, at least. "We go soon."
[Aryn Cole]
At being called to the front, Aryn has to step around the massive Talz and moves into view. Since she was singled out for being the one to help people with injuries, it shows to reason why the small blonde reveals her medical satchel and takes a kneeling position beside the accosted civilian in question. She lays her kit out beside her, then pulls her heavy gloves off and swipes blonde hair from her eyes. "I need a moment.. this looks bad." She informs, her words making fog in the cold air. Slightly shaking hands open the area around the wound and she shines a light down before depositing the small pen-light between her lips.
It takes some quick work, and it's not her best work, but she triages and establishes a strong, sustained pulse. "He'll live." She declares, shooting him with an injector for pain, and a second for bacta to help mend and close the wound. An occlusive bandage is left in place, and she pulls her shaking, icy hands back into gloves only AFTER repacking her gear. Upon standing up, she looks for direction. She was not in charge here and mother save her if she got in the way.
[Nova Korell]
Nova, almost forgetting about the imminent threat of reinforcements because she's so busy catching the shoved child, sighs quietly in relief as the fleeing Stormtroopers are taken down with stunbolts. <Good job. Lofty's right, though. It's going to be too bright around here for shadows to take before long. Someone has to have heard those shots.>
Nonetheless, she kneels to check on the boy, setting down her carbine. Seeing those wide eyes, she pauses to pull off her own Clone Commando helmet, shaking out her hair. "Are you all right, sonny?" she asks, doing her best to be gentle. "They're gone now. The bad plastic people are gone."
[K-5Z9]
Okay, the civilians are rescued, all but one trooper is down, and that one's running away. Merek's right, though. Kayfive takes her left hand off the foregrip of the T-21, and levels it at the fleeing trooper. The weapon mounted underneath her left forearm charges with a whine, and a blue-white stunblast takes the fleeing trooper down, crackling arcs racing across her body for a few moments after. The droid jogs over and retrieves the buckethead, tossing the unfortunate over one shoulder in a fireman's carry and returning to the group. "Prisoner secured."
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych stands there with his blade still humming and held low at his side. The Jedi takes a deep breath and looks towards K-5. There is a simple and silent nod before he extinguishes the blade but keeps the black and gold cylinder in his hand incase those reinforcments show up before the evac vessel does with Lofty's call to it for extraction. He studies the family a moment, a raised brow gracing his features before he looks up to the sky and the gently falling snow. Something didn't sit right with him here. "We better get going soon." He comments in general.
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
"Galen!" The woman with grey etching into her brunette temples recovers herself from the ground, stumbles over trooper gore, and huddles alongside Sapphira and Aryn with her husband on the ground. She recoils almost as quickly, seeing the damage done, and turns instead to shield her son's eyes from it all when he shakes himself free of Nova. The pock-faced boy, maybe 12-13 yrs old, pushes on by anyway to surveil the carnage. Blood drains from his face at the sight of the glowing saber sucking back into its hilt but he doesn't run back inside. Instead, a defiant look is issued to the lot of them there and he moves to pickup one of the fallen weapons.
The mother turns blue eyes upon the foreign mercenaries. Soldiers? People. Droid. She swallows, mouth working without sound for a moment while kneeling alongside the younger woman's on the frozen ground. Gentle shakes of her shoulder rouse her and she's gathered with some difficulty into arms. "There isn't time," the matronly one warns, voice hollow. "There will soon be more. There's always more. D'you see those lights?" Her head nods vaguely to the west without looking. "Can you feel the ground quake? You will soon. You can hide here. Escape through the tunnels. Dug'em years ago to make deliveries easier. Hard pushin a full sled through a dining hall full o'customers. When we /had/ customers. Leads to the market." The last bit is whispered and her face falls, then looks thoughtfully to the gal shivering in her lap.
The human heap is transformed slowly into an upright creature, frame unfolding to reveal a lanky, tall girl made cumbersome by pregnant girth. Wisps of fiery hair are matted to the bruised and bloody welt rising on forehead, under a hood of fur.
"Please, take her," begs the mother, pushing her pregnant daughter at the Res troopers. "She can cook for you, she's shaped much of the menu. They'll be back, time and time again and one of these times, there will be a new babe for the harvest, /please/. She won't cause you any trouble there's nothing for her here, her husband was killed two raids ago, trying to smuggle children out, this is their first." she points to that belly. "Besides, I don't--" snot glistens on her upper lip and she sniffs furiously.
"I can't keep here here, anymore. She's fat, she eats too much!"
This last excuse is obviously a lie, as difficult as it was for her to spout off with such forced vehemence, and even now she fails to uphold the glare aimed at the quivering, confused young woman, her own chin trembling with tears yet to fall. A mother, driving her young away so that they may live.
And yet, the daughter has yet to utter a word in defense of her own fate. Is she mute? She only stares, heterochromatic eyes wide and frightened at the lot of them and attempts to reach for her agitated mater, only to have her hands batted away.
<<Affirmative>> answers back their pilot, responding to Lofty's call. <<Getting this bird in the air, eta.....2 minutes tops.>>
In the distance, something big is on the move. These troopers HERE, at least, have been neutralized. And that's bought them time.
[Sapphira]
"I'll take the lot of you," Sapphira says from her position over the father, still acting as a shield in case some of those re-enforcements decide to come around. She turns and looks over her shoulder, eyes seeking out Nova. "I'll get them out on the Backstitch," she assures the other woman, then looks to Lofty. "Report the addition of new civilians, all of them." Then she's looking back to the wounded man and to Aryn. She gives the jedi an almost half-smile of encouragement. Almost. "You did good," she promises the other lady. "Get ready for the EVAC." Then she's talking on the comms. <> Because broad Sapphira shoulder's ain't.
[Aryn Cole]
Aryn looks up when Sapphira acknowledges her work. The hint of a half-smile is enough to earn a pretty one from the younger Jedi who pulls her poncho hood up. "Be safe, Red." Aryn says, and turns to follow the Talz to find a path to the rooftop for their dustoff. She makes for the route he takes, content to rise above this chaotic world and ride out on their bird to safety.
[Nova Korell]
Nova winces faintly, seeing the kid go off and pick up a weapon. If he only knew where that leads... but still, she can't blame him. In his shoes, she'd feel the same way. She gets to her feet, slinging her carbine, and turns to the family. "You /all/ should come with us, ma'am," she says, as the mother seems to be the spokesperson for the group. "I know the First Order well. When they come back and find their dead, they'll likely kill all of you and bring the building down to bury you. I can't promise a pleasant life with us, but at least you'll be safe."
She lifts her helmet so she can get to the comlink. <Extractor, change of plans. This place'll be very hot shortly. We'll be taking a quick trip to the marketplace. Should be plenty of room for you to set down there. Evacuation signal will be the same.>
[K-5Z9]
Kayfive takes the brief amount of time to remove the armor tallies from the fallen troopers, placing the plastoid slugs in a pouch on her webbing. She's not sure why exactly, but it feels like the right thing to do. <<My shoulders are quite broad. I can carry two people at once.>> The gangly droid makes her way over to the family, offering a hand to the injured civilian. The one not equipped with a stun rifle. "I am Kayfivezeenine. You are all being rescued to prevent First Order reprisal." She's going to follow NOva's lead. Tunnel time...
[Elrych Cometburn]
Stepping in to the building with the others, Elrych glances to the teenage boy in the family. His free hand comes to push back the hood and pull down the front of the shemagh he was using to protect his face from the cold and add a bit of anonymity to who he was. Shedding it might also make the family trust him more, especially with the passive Lightsaber still in his hand. He walks up to the boy, the force emanating calm from him as he does so. A gentle voice as he presses a hand to the trigger finger and keeps it on the guard, away from the trigger. Then he pushes the barrel down to the ground gently. "Keep it pointed at the ground and don't touch that trigger until you know you're ready to use it." Good trigger discipline was the center of every young soldier's humble beginnings right? "Keep your eyes open when he head into the tunnels and get to the market place." He looks towards the rest of the family now. "You can come with us. It's no worry... As Moonbeam said. You really should." Some might think him unnaturally charismatic in this moment. "We've got snacks and refreshments of all sorts on board. And no Troopers to hassle you. I really won't take no for an answer" He holds out a hand towards the older woman, smiling that cheesy Corellian smile of his. So suave, so charming. "Show us the way."
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
Galen is barely conscious and simply lolls his head aside in response to K5's courteous introduction. Those drugs administered are goooooood and it's obvious he'll not be resisting the Resistance. Backstitch? Ocilu? Anywhere's good. He can barely make coherent sounds, let alone process the situation.
The restaurant's matriarch shakes her head at Nova, at Elrych, taking a small step aside toward her husband and planting a kiss upon his head. "This is our home. We have...we have /work/ to do yet." Work. Winkwink. Probably no coincidence the girl's husband was killed. "People waiting. We were just preparing to go when the banging started on our door. Everything's still underground. Galen and I - /I/ have to finish what we started. I s'posed he needs more'n I can provide, now. But.." bloodshot eyes turn to land upon her boy, who is busy looking from his hand/gun under the Jedi's hand to those cool, cool shades cloaking the man's eyes in mystery.
"Jonah!" The woman snaps him out of his reverie "Help me with your sister." Then to Sapphira, "I have to wake our youngest - she is still sleeping upstairs. Yari will show you the way out." And off she goes. Jonah follows suit.
If a child can sleep through what's going on outside, they're either deaf, drugged, or someone's installed one hell of a white noise machine. The former, of course, might explain the eldest daughter's problem. When she does muster the bravery to look any of them in the face, it's not at their eyes, but their lips.
"Go, Yari" the mother reappears just seconds later, just long enough to rip a tattered old satchel off the wall and shove it into her eldest daughter's hands. "GO!" A gentle pat to Yari's cheek slides downward to cup her chin and forces the girl to look her mother in the face. "I will follow you soon."
Yari stumbles obediently through the cozy dining hall, through the door, into the kitchen with stiff, shocky gait on legs that are slow to respond. Brain reeling, no doubt, unable to make sense of these past five minutes. Her breast heaves, shoulders shake with muted sobs. A hesitant finger punches in the code to open a short but wide door. The ramp leads down just three meters before leveling out. It's tunnel time.
Up in the air, Ocilu is nearing their current coordinates but radios back <<Gotcha, Moonbeam. I'll uh...yeah, that seems a better fit. I'll meet you there. Hurry. Looks like trouble's heading your way. Turrets at the ready...just in case.>>
[Merek]
Merek looks to the team while he nods a bit, thinking about the orders given to him, he begins maneuvering into the tunnel while he follows with Yari, and looks to the side while he lifts his brow, then he comlinks to the team, <<"Move it, away from the tunnels, we need to get to the other side. We have geo-seismic activity, it's... This isn't natural, it's interval'd.">> A look offered to the civilians, "Does anyone work on machinery next this place?" he asks. He keeps pistol up while he chases along.
[Nova Korell]
Nova stays at the entrance, waiting for the group to get inside. She'll act as rearguard. She gives Yari a quick, reassuring smile as the girl steps down into the tunnel. "We will keep you safe," she promises.
Of course, once they're down there and things are close and dark, the promise doesn't feel so substantial. And then there's the odd vibrations in the objects downstairs. The disturbances are too regular to be natural. "Merek's right. Something's very wrong about this..."
The answer hits her like a bucket of ice water in the face. "Move... /move/! We need to be down this tunnel /yesterday/!" she snaps. "There are /walkers/ coming! We have to reach the market and our ride before they get in range!"
[K-5Z9]
The tunnels are a bit tight given that Kayfive's basically carrying Galen and the stunned trooper, but she can manage. Moving in a low shuffle, her gaze passes off some old crates with familiar markings... <<There's an ammo dump down here. Blastech packs, looks like.>> She keeps the stun rifle arm aimed forward down the tunnel, ready in case of attack. ...And walkers. That's bad. She picks up the pace.
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych glances to the jars and the dust moving around, the vibrations of the walkers approaching. "Wal-yeah... it's that." He says that without mushc surprise. He continues down the tunnel at the quickstep, keeping close to the pregnant one and the teenage boy. "We'll be fine once we get to the market... they're likely heading the opposite direction." He offers.
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
<<What did you guys DO!?>> queries their pilot who is no doubt witnessing the march of doom plodding in their direction. <<Forty seconds, my estimate, and I'll be made, rate they're goin. Hatch is open, thrusters roarin to go.>>
Yari's not the most adept evacuee. She's managed to drop the torch(flashlight) pulled off the wall twice while leading them through the winding tunnel and one of those times was in tandem with a trip over her own feet. She's uttered not a word this entire time, just punctuates her terrified panting with the occasional squeak or hiccup. At the expeditious (therefore clumsy) pace she's setting, it's hard to tell if she's guiding them or trying to flee from them. Fortunately, she's laden with raggedy furs and a sizeable belly, so really the girl isn't scurrying as fast as she might otherwise intend.
As raw and puffy as her eyes are, she mightn't be seeing well in this moment, either. After picking herself off the damp stone floor for a second time, Yari gives a sudden pause to turn the torch about and illuminate a 360 spin of their surroundings. Tuning in to what others have already seen and heard. She's felt it, under her palms on the floor.
The faintest of quakes causes some storage shelves to shiver. Thump-rattle. Thump-rattle. Thump-rattle.
Like a giant walks by, overhead.
Dawning horror fills the girl's eyes anew and she seems to share in the others' opinion that expediency is of grave import, here. She 'leads' on, doing her best to go fast, but ya know. Probably not speedy as they could go without her.
Meanwhile, the proud owner of this once prosperous restaurant, closeted rebel, is trying not to fall over her own feet as she races down from the upstairs apartment with a little girl in arms and her older son on her heels. "Go, Jonah, RUN!" the child exchange is made at the bottom, freeing up her hands to grab that rifle from behind the bar and chase after. The trio speed through the kitchen toward the hatch.
And an explosion of soil and stone rocks the entire establishment. Fire, long range. How many more steps need it take before it strikes home?
[Merek]
Merek keeps moving along while he nods to the team, then he's maneuvering along, "Walkers, nice." He will keep on following them while he makes a way towards the transport away from the place!
Nova Korell]
Nova instinctively cringes at the sound of that blast. "Inside, hurry!" she calls to the mother and the two children, but she doesn't wait for them. Instead, she hurries forward to join Yari, tapping the girl on the shoulder. "Sorry for the indignity," she says, then unceremoniously scoops her up in a cradle-carry and legs it for the other end of the tunnel!
"Somebody, can you make sure to signal our ride? My hands are full! Red cone attachment on a glow rod!" It is a long, weary run to the marketplace, but from the sound of it, out of sight is exactly where they want to be right now.
[K-5Z9]
"My hands are full, unless you want me to transmit a pulse-beacon." Kayfive picks up the pace to match Nova now that they're free to move a bit faster, careful to keep from smacking Galen against the ceiling. The prisoner takes a few knocks consequently, but she's in armor, she'll live.
[Merek]
Merek manages to come aboard upon the Ocilu, while he looks to the walkers from the ship. With a nod, he looks to the team, then to Nova, "I don't think we can manage anything besides what we have, Moonbeam, the most we can do probably is send a private comlink message that the citizens will know what the Order's doing." He waits then to listen to any orders as well.
[Nova Korell]
Nova hurries up the boarding ramp and deposits Yari as gently as she can into one of the seats. "Stay here," she says, and moves to the hatch to make sure everyone gets on. First off, last on; it's still something she believes in.
But nonetheless, watching the destruction, she has to shut her eyes, shutting out the pilot, the shouts, the blasts and explosions. She just needs to think... She shakes her head. "As soon as everyone's on board, get us out of here," she says wearily to the pilot. "Merek, you get that message ready. People /will/ know what happened here."
But she still turns to watch as the walker continues to devastate the city. Leaving the city and leaving /this/ aren't the same thing. Someone must witness this, and report it to Command. Her decision, her job.
[Elrych Cometburn]
Elrych turns around rapidly at the sound of the explosion, cloak swaying and fluttering as he does so. His hair wisps about with the wind. Icy blue eyes search the horizon and the caved in tunnel as if trying to feel for the presence of what he thought he heard back at the other end. There's a frown as nothing returns back from his ping in the Force. He knew he wasn't all that adept at it but all in all there were still tough choices to make. "We offered them a way out. They decides to stay an meander instead of listening. THey made their choice." Says the Jedi coldly. It wasn't that his heart didn't wrench at the thought of that kid and his mother, the child in the wreckage dead and gone from the world. It was that if he let that feeling consume him he'd feel that ever present pull into oblivion grow stronger. He turned and headed up the ramp of the Ocilu and past Nova, "Blast 'em as much as you can." He offeres to the pilot and or gunners on the Ocilu. "Make them feel it."
[Ambrosia Greystorm]
And blast they do.
Some time later, when the stompy beast has been toppled and foot patrols are picking through the wreckage on /that/ end, three forms emerge from the tunnel's exit, coughing out noxious smoke and dust. The mother and son lean against one another, little girl pressed between their one-armed embrace while hopeful eyes search the surrounding shadows.
All is silent. All is still.
There is no sign of the Resistance presence. Nor is there a band of white marching to take the youth away.
High above, the heavens shed frozen tears and the first flakes of an approaching snowstorm begin to fall. A soft condolensce to those left behind.
They land ever so gently on these upturned faces, tickling soot-stained cheeks, melting into salty remnants of tears. A moment's peace, this, while the night terrors rage ever-on o'er the horizon.
"Tomorrow is a new day," the boy says, voice hollow with grief but managing a smile down to the fair-haired tot sheltered between them.
"Tomorrow is a new day," echoes his mother. Stiffly, she draws him in close, guiding his head to lay against her shoulder and together the three of them sit in the shelter of an empty doorway.
Through the curtain of downy white, a few shapes begin materializing. Friendly faces, fellow collaborators. A hopeful shout. Something about...a pilot? There's the fleet presence to be concerned about, but what smugglers do best is test those blockades.
The mother smiles. A second chance. Maybe not all hope is lost here, in the snows of Kijimi.
