Dominion A Desperate Rescue!: RTL Dominion of Dagobah

[Alana Sunrider]

Pyeth Raffinki Porro Tanau Brinna Dara Sorr Kortu Jasper Kai'el

"Good assessment, Pyeth," Alana agreed, staring into the fog and then back at her data gauntlet. "I'll trust your expertise in this area."

She listened to the others, taking one of the bracelets and snapping it to her wrist. "Always better safe than sorry. It looks like good work,, Brinna. I'd love to hear more about how you make these once these are done."

At Sorr's words, she looked up in surprise. "A steam-powered boat? On Dagobah?"

Alana frowned. "That's unexpected. I've only ever seen models of steam vessels in museums." She scratched her elbow for a moment before pulling out her own electrobinoculars. She frowned.

"I think you're probably right. Vibroaxe isn't particularly dangerous, but perhaps we can negotiate some sort of compromise."

 

[Roth Tillian]

Arkyn Rane

Roth corkscrewed his fighter into a tight roll, ignoring nausea that roiled through his innards from the extreme g-forces. A touch of the Force to enhance himself soon made that vanish.

He dropped the fighter down behind one of the Trandoshan fighters, timing his moments to aim forward into a curve, ignoring his targeting computer, and just going by feel.

The lasers arced forward and hammered into the rear shields of the fighter.

"Got him in my center, Knight One. Hammer those shields," Knight Five said, and Roth glanced out of the corner of his eye. He could see the other pair of fighters angling in on an intercept.

Roth kept his finger squeezed on the trigger, lasers hissing forward against the shields. They flared and flashed through the vacuum of space before a proton torpedo smashed into the ship and evaporated it.

Roth's visor flared dark again to protect against the explosion. He checked the sensors.

"How you holding up, Dragonsnake?"

 

[Porro Tanau]

Location: Swamps of Dagobah
Objective 2: Search and Rescue
Tags: Sorr Kortu | Brinna Dara | Jasper Kai'el | Alana Sunrider | Pyeth Raffinki

Porro took a bracelet from Brinna and placed it on his flesh and blood wrist. It was time to get going and Sorr was giving a report of something nearby. A steam powered vehicle actually sounded quite interesting. Perhaps once they were done with the mission Porro would convince Sorr to tow it back so Porro could look it over and maybe see what made it tick. Wouldn’t likely have any benefit in the long run. Just something interesting to know. The addition of nasty hostiles also out there made Porro a little less excited.

His hand went down to his blaster at his hip and he couldn’t help but laugh at the Jedi’s remark about a vibroaxe not being a danger. “Your Force give you beskar skin?” Porro teased with a bit of a smirk. “Probably won’t be too much to worry about with Jedi and us with blasters. But I’m going to keep my distance and not go so far as to call them not dangerous.”​

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Alana Sunrider | Sorr Kortu | Porro Tanau | Jasper Kai'el

"Thank you," Pyeth chirped, securing the bracelet to his wing claws. He advanced with the group into the fog, keeping his head on a swivel. With Veino Garn 's training under his belt, he was confident enough to deflect a few blasters that might come their way. All the while offering guidance where it seemed prudent to do so.

Masking his amusement, Pyeth sardonically responds to Porro's comment, "Oh yes. We can withstand most things, with the strange exception of Cortosis a single drop, and we begin flying in the wind like tissue paper."

The young Jedi reached for his lightsaber, dislodging the hilt from its leather casing and gripping firmly just in case. His ear tufts became pointed while he observed this group of dredges steadily advancing on what Sorr described as an old steamboat. Whatever a steamboat was prompting the Rishii to question, "What is a Steamboat; is it dangerous? I could fly over, take a look?"

 

[Rayia Si]

Name: Rayia Asai
Objective: Respond to Distress Beacon (#2)
Location: Surface of Dagobah
Status: Miffed

Rayia bit back a curse as the brilliant corona of an atmospheric entry blossomed across the view screen. The shudders that now buffered the frankly archaic craft she had been lent to fly, and it was truly an antique, lulled her into that bone shifting blackness that seemed to overtake her when she spent too long in space or under duress. But Rayia steeled herself and persevered, cursing not for the first time the Rodian starfarer that had landed her in this mess. He had been a longtime trade partner whom Rayia had traded with, and who had steadily accrued a long list of favors owed. That Rodian had called in those favors as a result of their friend going missing, and provided the warrior with the means to go and find them. “I’d wish I’d stayed in my hammock.” She muttered, feeling the craft shift as it parted ever thickening clouds.

The thick, constricting foliage cushioned the craft’s landing as it touched down. Popping the hatch, Rayia clambered out as the craft’s struts started to squelch into the mud beneath it. Leaping gracefully, she landed in the crown of a overgrown tree. Almost immediately, her fur started to fluff, and her tail unwrapped itself from around her waist and bristled with the oppressive humidity, and something more. The sensation of air moving past a walking form. Her sharp Felacatian senses cut through the gloom, and she could hear snatches of conversation drifting in on the wind. They’re debating whether something might be dangerous. Could these be the missing settlers? Rayia shrugged her shoulders.

Either way, conversation indicated intelligent life which meant it was a good place to start. Using the inhuman speed and balance her Felacatian heritage embodied her with, Rayia began leaping from tree branch to tree branch humbly sticking to the shadows as her large golden, feline eyes and attentive, fluffy ears sought out the sound’s source.

Alana Sunrider Sorr Kortu Porro Tanau Jasper Kai'el Pyeth Raffinki
Brinna Dara

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Sorr Kortu Porro Tanau Jasper Kai'el Pyeth Raffinki Brinna Dara Rayia Si

Alana's eyebrows wrinkled and she looked up in confusion, "I mean, if you study the way of the Light Hand with Master Kortun..." She trailed off for a moment before she caught up with Pyeth's comments. "Ah yes. Our cortosis allergy." Her eyes twinkled for a moment and she tapped an ancient broken cortosis sword. "I was mostly thinking I can run faster than most people can swing an axe, especially one that looks to be in poor health."

She was about to speak again but stopped, eyes darting into the trees. Something was moving closer to them, or someone else, and she couldn't see anything moving along the ground.

"Have any of you heard if there's stealth tech at play here?" Her eyes pierced through the fog that rolled up from the dregs of the swamp. "Is someone out there?"

 

[Quauhtli Sacul]

Battle above Dagobah​

Location: Dagobah System, RTL Reliant
Tags: Roth Tillian | Arkyn Rane

"Destination locked, Admiral." Reported a Parwan ensign, whose gangly features contrasted her commanding officer's short frame.

"Fleet confirms." Added another, this one a male Twi'lek whose cool blue tones clashed against Quauhatli's Sunfire scales and plumes who stood on the command deck of the first, and currently only, Stargazer class battle-cruiser. Leaning forward onto his cane, he proposed a question to his first officer, currently a female Talortai named T'Syriel. Although not a Jedi, her species was naturally attuned to The Force allowing her to sense things he could not.

"What started this mess?" Quauhatli asked dryly, raised beneath the Avali such reckless combat would have been seen as a waste of resources inviting court martial for any of those involved.

"Reports are sketchy, but they claim ownership of the land and all within it. According to them, the Winged Beast is an aggressor infringing on their territories." She replied, taking one last look at her data slate adding, "There is no recognised claim to the territory, at least none that our Researchers could find."

"With any luck, a display of strength will make them see sense," Quauhatli grumbled, looking up as a holographic overlay flashed across the viewport and a mechanical voice announced, "Preliminary Checks Confirmed. Systems Nominal. Hyperdrive Charging."

"Inform the Euclid's Anvil to hold until we can secure the departure point; I do not want our Auxiliaries dropping into the middle of the firefight. Amber Dawn and Distant Horizon will cover our aft as briefed. Xihuitl willing our arrival will give the Trandoshans' pause enough to listen."

"4... 3... 2... 1... Engaged."

The Reliant broke away from Hyperspace at the edge of the planet's gravity well, where the holographic display was brought to life. A mass of fields of fire and targeting priorities are already being programmed by the ICARUS Point Defence guns should anything remotely dangerous come into range. For now, however, the Capital Ship and its two escorts loomed at the edge of the system as ships dislodged from their positions by Hyperspace reformed.

Opening a channel, Quauhatli took the opportunity to announce their arrival, "This is Admiral Quauhatli Sacul of the Rimward Trade League vessel Reliant. I will say this once; you are firing upon civilian rescue vessels and demand you cease hostilities immediately. Should you fail to comply, we will engage, taking you, prisoner."

His Couatl droid purred, and T'Syriel cocked an eyebrow, "Respectfully Sir, should I remind you that our brig could not hold so many?"

"Indeed, but we will see how many Trandoshans think the rescue ships are worth the risk of losing all their points," Quauhatli replied prompting T'Syriel to nod in understanding. "A bluff." She affirmed before Quauhatli continued on RTL Channels.

"For any Rimward vessels, please provide a status update on your condition and position so we might offer assistance. If you have sustained damage, rendezvous at my coordinates for fire support or docking."

With that out of the way, he turned to his command, "Advise the CAG to deploy fighters, three wings to support and escort any retreating ships and the remainder to protect our aft while the frigates get in position. Have engineering prepare the four-forty."

 

[Roth Tillian]

Quauhtli Sacul Arkyn Rane

The frame of Roth's fighter shook as he rolled it with the blastwave from a too-close missile. "Welcome to the firefight, Reliant," Roth said through the comm, spitting out a bit of blood from where he'd bit his cheek. "Bit too late for negotiation, I reckon."

"Wild Knights, break off," Roth said, craning his head to study the scene. "Dragonsnake, we're going to pull the fighters away from the rescue ships and towards the Reliant."

Let the battlecruiser take the brunt of the damage and use its massive point defense to hammer the fighters. He broke away from the engagement and fell in behind the other wings of fighters. The normal squadrons swung wide to screen to the rescue vessels but the Knights lured the Trandoshans into the trap.

 

[Arkyn Rane]

OBJECTIVE: BOMBS OVER DAGOBAH
TAGS: Roth Tillian | Quauhtli Sacul ​

---

"How you holding up, Dragonsnake?"

Rex yanked the Dragonsnake into a looping barrel roll between enemy cannon fire that had even Arkyn clenching her seat. The ventral turrets swung around and spit another four-peat of searing green lasers, scattering the enemy pursuit-- the dorsal turrets fired in tandem, opening a hole for the Dragonsnake to slip through in the formation ahead. Arkyn primed the next volley of missiles.

<"Just fine, Knight One. I'm having the time of my life!">

It was a novel experience, not piloting her own ship. And it seemed like Rex was getting better the more he flew.

Suddenly the Reliant arrived at the edge of Dagobah's gravity well. Ah. And now it ends. No way the Trandoshans could stand up to a battlecruiser.

"Dragonsnake, we're going to pull the fighters away from the rescue ships and towards the Reliant."

<"Sounds like a plan.">

She'd more than made her self enough of a nuisance that when the Dragonsnake suddenly veered towards the battle cruiser, quite a few of the heavy Trandoshan star fighters followed behind.

"Ease up on the thrust, Rex. You gotta' lure em' in. Let em' get a whiff of victory before you snatch it away. You too, R5. Let the turrets cool down, yeah?"

"RRRRRRzzzTTT wwwhhhhhRRRRR TTTTTTrrrrrkkkkZZZ!"

"...Well kark you too then, you overgrown spittoon!"

​

 

[Brinna Dara]

Location: Swamps of Dagobah
Objective 2: Search and Rescue
Tags: Sorr Kortu | Porro Tanau | Alana Sunrider | Jasper Kai'el | Pyeth Raffinki | Rayia Si

“What the frack is a steamboat doing out here?” Brinna questioned Sorr’s information as if it weren’t true, even though she knew he would never say anything like that in a teasing manner. Especially not on a rescue mission. Sorr was all business on this sort of mission. The blonde Jedi didn’t seem to think that a steamboat fit the scenario either. But also didn’t call Sorr a liar before stating she’d seen the old technology in a museum. Brinna had never seen anything.

Everybody took on of the tracking bracelets which had Brinna feeling proud. Even though it wasn’t only her design Porro was giving her credit by saying she was the tech master of the group, which was true. “I’m always happy to talk tech,” Brinna said with a smirk. Next the Jedi said something about not being afraid of a vibroaxe. Porro questioned the intelligence of discounting any opponent with a weapon. Brinna sided with the Jedi. “Heavy melee weapons are the easiest things to dodge. They’re no match for my fists of fury.”

The avian Jedi suggested he could fly and look over the boat. A good idea by Brinna’s estimation, but before she could add her approval Alana spoke up about stealth tech. “I didn’t think we were dealing with any advanced tech. It’s Dagobah. Nothing complicated works here. Too humid and… I don’t know just seems like the planet doesn’t like tech.” For the denial of there being tech involved, Brinna didn’t disbelieve the Jedi’s senses and immediately was in a fighting stance as the Jedi asked if anyone was out there. “Show yourself!” Brinna called out. “We’re here giving help to a crashed ship. If you’re against us beware. If you’re with us just say so.”​

 

[Rayia Si]

Name: Rayia Asai
Objective: Respond to Distress Beacon (#2)
Location: Surface of Dagobah
Status: Curious
Tags: Sorr Kortu | Porro Tanau | Alana Sunrider | Jasper Kai'el | Pyeth Raffinki | Brinna Dara

Crouching in the tangled vines of a tree some 10 paces from them, Rayia watched the small group slogging its way through the disparately murky and reflective water of the marsh lapping gently against the titanic trunk roots of her perch. She did what came naturally to her, gathering information and taking pride in her ability to get close to the group unawares, such that they mistook her gifts and skills for technology. It was foolish to engage a potential enemy unaware of their idiosyncrasies after all.

Alert ears and eyes captured the way they moved, their bearings, and their weapons. As the group huddled up, Rayia took her time in examining each one independently starting with the one that had sensed her presence. She noted the robes and the electro binoculars trained on the silhouette of the craft ahead of them. Rayia was just as surprised to find a wind ship on this planet as she was that the woman had seemingly known she was there without directly pinpointing her location. It reminded her of the games she had used to play with one of her friends back home, with a… “Paladin!”

She muttered softly under her breath, reverting to the old Weikian term for Jedi in her surprise at the familiar, yet strangely foreign bladeless hilt in the avian’s talons. Rayia combated the urge to run them down and pounce on them like the hawks back home, as her golden eyes seemed momentarily entranced. Shaking off her instinct and the faint trail of saliva which she swept away with the back of her hand, Rayia noticed that three members of the small party had Paladin weapons, whilst the others seemed to have provided the technological aptitude required to produce these…locator bracelets. Three of them? Such numbers on an excursion were unheard of back home, unless the mission was terribly dangerous or important.

Taking the invitations offered, Rayia swung down from the branch, hanging upside down from it through her legs and tail. The humidity and her Felacatian feline features made her look vaguely batlike as she stared at them through the gloom. “You are aiding the Beast of Wind? I am looking for them as well.. I must recover one of their settlers as a favor to a friend. May I assist you?” She asked in a tone one might use when joining a hunting party back home, dropping from the branch and crouching silently on a nearby exposed root snaking its way into the mud.

 

[Sorr Kortu]

Objective 2

“Welcome,” Sorr said smiling when a woman jumped down from the trees. She seemed nice enough and the Jedi didn’t look perturbed by her. “There’s always room available.”

He was happy seeing that there were more people joining the rescue squad. Given the trandoshan attack, Sorr was worried that only and his crew would be the only ones who made landfall. Just as he was about to resume scouting out the steamboat, Brinna began to shout at the inhabitants.

“What the?!” Sorr dropped his binoculars and quickly placed his hand over her mouth. “Are you crazy?!” Sorr whispered. “Are you trying to get us all killed?! We need to come up with a plan first before jumping in!”

“Who dat?!” One of the creatures shouted holding a shotgun in his bony hands. “Come out and play outsiders!”

“Great!” Sorr rolled his eyes and pointing his pistol. “Now you’ve done it!”

“Ohhhh boy!” Another cultist shouted rallying the boys. About 10 of them came out from the boat armed with an assortment blaster rifles and vibroblades. “It’s time for fun!”

Brinna Dara Porro Tanau Alana Sunrider Jasper Kai'el Pyeth Raffinki Rayia Si

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Sorr Kortu Brinna Dara Porro Tanau Jasper Kai'el Pyeth Raffinki Rayia Si

Of everything, she had not expected a vaguely bat-like-slash-felinoid creature to drop out of the tree, hanging upside down before asking if they were here to help a beast of wind. The words bounced around Alana's mind for a few heartbeats before it finally clicked into place.

"Yes, we're here to help the beast of wind," Alana said, glancing back in alarm as she let the electrobinoculars fall back down around her neck. Her green lightsaber crackled to life and the crossguard sprang away from the emitter, followed by a second, shorter blade in her off-hand. "We could use all the help we could find," she said, tossing the words back over her shoulder, watching the approaching kidnappers.

"Perhaps we can talk them down," Alana said consideringly. "They may not have realized who we were yet. And the lightsabers might give them pause. She strode from the tree line and gazed down into the swamp towards them, her lightsabers vivid in the gloom, filling the air with a low hum.

"We're here for the wreck survivors!" Alana called. "Not a fight."

 

[Porro Tanau]

Location: Swamps of Dagobah
Objective 2: Search and Rescue
Tags:

The feline newcomer looked to be another capable member of a search party. Sorr and the Jedi welcomed her easily. Porro gave the woman a nod and moved closer to her. He liked to think of himself as the welcome wagon for the crew of the Tiaza’s Purr. “Welcome aboard. I’m Porro. The others are occupied at the moment, but no need for everyone to remain a stranger. My crew,” he pointed out Sorr and Brinna. “Are just normal explorers and helpers I guess.” He pointed to the others. “They’re Jedi. Figure it’s better to hang around them.”

Before the conversation could move further the…Well Porro wasn’t sure what to call the folks that Brinna had yelled at, replied and more joined the original group. “Had to say it would be easy,” Porro commented to Alana with a smirk on his face as he looked around for cover and pulled his blaster pistol from his hip. “Now they’ve got blaster rifles too. Don’t suppose you’re faster than one of those too?” Porro chuckled having seen what a Jedi could do when well trained and outfit with a lightsaber against a blaster. “If you keep us covered I assume the rest of us will be able to take them out…” Alana had given the locals a way out, but Porro wasn’t confident they would even entertain it. “If it comes to that. They look like very reasonable people. I’m sure they really are just here to help us find the lost ship.”​

 

[Quauhtli Sacul]

Battle above Dagobah​

Location: Dagobah System, RTL Reliant
Tags: Roth Tillian | Arkyn Rane

Quauhatli watched as Knight One led their squadron through the swarm of Trandoshan hunter-killers, drawing fire away from the transports and feigning a retreat. Knight One either knew his enemy well or was a capable tactician, most likely both. The squadron had frustrated many Trandoshan fighters peeling them away from the more enormous swarms, something he imagined the gunners and CAG greatly appreciated.

He glanced to his comms officer, "Anything from the Trandoshans."

"Nothing you want to hear. I do have Knight One." They replied, prompting Quauhatli to drop his shoulders. "Very well, point defence cannons are clear to engage; prioritise anything targeting our own. Patch them through."

"It's rare we have such a warm welcome, Knight One. Yes, I can see as much. Perhaps a few might see sense." He resolved, hoping a couple of the space lizards might reconsider their life choices as of late. He glanced again at the tactical display and frowned, "We are going to position ourselves to cover the transports and their escape, but some might try their luck and reach the surface. Can you and your Squadron pick up the pieces once we are in position?"

Their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed, and a couple of squadrons had begun splitting off from the main fighting force. Without any credible surrender from the Trandoshan, he could not ignore them. Some pushed for the gravity well, possibly to retreat or escape jamming range, others appeared to be making a run for the surface which, if allowed to land, would make the lives of the rescue teams far more difficult.

With that request, he turned his attention to the Ship identified as Dragonsnake, currently trailblazing through the battle. "Dragonsnake, once clear can you engage and disable any Trandoshan fighters that might be trying to signal for reinforcements? I rather not be punching holes into Frigates if we can avoid it. Let's try and end this quickly."

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Pyeth pivoted to stare at the felinoid, momentarily reacting to the sudden arrival of a feline with a surprised hiss. Suddenly, he looked fluffier with ear tufts raised to their full height and pinions on end. The Rishii wasn't sure which was more concerning, this steamboat thing everyone was talking about or the feline who somehow managed to sneak up on them. Alana didn't seem threatened, although he cast the group a glance. What the fuck was that thing doing here?

Begrudgingly, he would have to deal with the cat later as it seemed now they had the attention of the assumed captors. Alana's blade ignited, his eyes reflecting the light of her sabre. "Maybe we should offer them tea," Pyeth remarked, smiling to himself at the joke. "Depends how close they get, but I should be able to protect us from most of it," Pyeth replied, attempting to reassure Porro.

There was no point in flying now, he would just make himself a bigger target, and Trispzest was too offensive a style to provide cover for the others. "Just try and keep a tight formation." Pyeth chirped before glancing at the feline, "But not too close."

Brinna Dara Porro Tanau Alana Sunrider Jasper Kai'el Sorr Kortu Rayia Si

 

[Roth Tillian]

Arkyn Rane Quauhtli Sacul

Roth laughed as he heard the words from Reliant. "Well, we always like to give folks a warm welcome here." He felt an instinct and twisted to the side as a concussion missile arced past him. "Surrender would shame them, make them lose their points with the Scorekeeper."

The existence of the cultists who had plagued the spacelanes weighed heavily on his mind, although he couldn't hazard a guess yet if they were connected. That would be for the ORION eggheads to work out.

"Roger that, Reliant," Roth replied, gauging his armament. "Wild Knights, swing into PDS range and then break back around to go after the ones heading dirtside."

"Roger that, Knight One," the replies rattled in swiftly. "We'll cut them off."

The viewscreen was alive with weapon fire at this point, so much so that Roth barely even glanced at it, instead flying by feel as his gaze swept the displays and viewscreens. The battlecruiser's weapons were lighting into the Trandoshans now, shredding their armor and shields.

Roth pushed the throttle forward and banked hard to port, pushing the vessel to its max speed as it hurtled back away from the shattering swarms of fighters before the ones fleeing disappeared into the fog of the swamp world.

 

[Rayia Si]

(sick post, please forgive~)

Name: Rayia Asai
Objective: Respond to Distress Beacon (#2)
Location: Surface of Dagobah
Status: Alert
Tags: Sorr Kortu | Porro Tanau | Alana Sunrider | Jasper Kai'el | Pyeth Raffinki | Brinna Dara

Rayia was pleased that her appeal to join this hunting party had gone without incident. Her shoulder momentarily pained her in remembrance of when she hadn’t been quite so meticulous. She nodded in turn to the young human that had first welcome her, though her ears flattened as she winced at the loud noises the party had made. Noting the discomfort of the bird like paladin, she hesitated to approach. Trying to ignore the brief impression of mewling cubs stumbling through the long grasses that had crossed her mind, the Felacatian introduced herself. “Hello Porro. I am glad to meet you. I am Rayia.” She then turned to the paladin woman. “And I am glad to hear you wish to help the beast of wind. I lend you my skills as a tracker. For example…”

Rayia trailed off for a moment as her weaving tail’s fur bristled and her ears shot alert. She took a whiff and covered her nose. “Ugh. They smell of rotting prey left to the death birds.” Raising a clawed hand, she pointed out towards the incoming assault. She could feel the distended forms of the lumbering cultists moving, misshapen jaws slavering at the prospect of killing the rescue party. Her sharp feline eyes cut through the gloom as she swiveled in her crouch. “I believe that four of them are charging up the middle. The others seem to possess more sense and are swinging to the sides to crush us like a seed in the gristmill. Fortunately, the ones to the sides appear to take a detour, giving us more time to prepare for their arrival.” She drew a thin, swooping energy crossbow from within her pack and prepared to loose a shot against the attackers.