Invasion Battle for Balance Chapter II — GA invasion of DE held Tython

[Tibera Jessen]

Now Tibera was really starting to regret tossing away her helmet so early on in the mission. "Frak! There's gas in those pipes!" the merc said between hacking coughs. She would stumble blindly in the acrid haze, all the while her throat, nose, and eyes burned. In the smoke and gas she could hear something happening. Punches, kicks, and screams were all around her.

At one point she opened up her eyes, seeing a shape moving next to her, with toxic yellow pinpoints illuminating it. This must have been what it was like to be stalked by a Nexu. She had to shut her eyes tight, the burning became too intense. All things considered she was lucky not to pass out. Finally there was relief, one of her many pouches had a canteen, and she used it to rinse out her eyes. "Guess I deserved that for trying to frag Jedi... Knew it wasn't going to be that ea- Hrrk!!"

The air was caught in Tibera's throat, as a green arm snaked it's way around her bullish neck. It was that Nexu-eyes witch that ghosted her entire squad. No time to worry about the other guys, she had to worry about herself. "Nice moves princess... See how you deal with someone who punches back!" Only one way out of this strong Jedi's grip.

There was no elegance to Tibera's plan, she leaned her head forward, before ramming her skull full force into the jedi's nose. Sure, it wasn't going to be able to take her down, but it would let her move her hand down to her belt. With only seconds of air left, the merc fumbled for her utility knife. In desperation she tried to blindly cut at the Mirialan, hoping to strike something other than air. Surely not the place one wanted to be, trying to knife fight a master of the force.

"Gonna take more than a little squeeze to take me down string bean... I didn't come this far to just say die..."

Enemies Tag: Mahsa Ran Serys

 

[Mahsa]

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< We have the portal. > Relief flooded over her as Corazona’s voice flared to life against the commlink in her ear, a shimmering wave of gold briefly dancing through her hair as the good news were received.

They were gone just as quickly, replaced by murky browns and deep ambers as the Force continued to wail its silent protests as it was forcefully bent and twisted into another’s undesirable whims. Mahsa’s grip tightened against the handle of her dagger, this time able to concentrate on the kasha medallion as it radiated a sense of calm to ground its wielder.

"Master—!" She called out to the Mirialan still obscured by the fumes, but the sounds of heavy footsteps halted whatever else the padawan might’ve wanted to say. Even without her excellent hearing she would’ve felt his forces coming a mile away, the familiar void created by the cradle he wore a dead giveaway as Torson and his crew finally caught up.

Whatever gas had accumulated within the pipes had begun to wane, though whether it was due to it running out or the station beginning to route the source towards a different section in order to deal with the leak was hard to say. It offered Mahsa enough time to spot Knight Serys and Tibera still locked in combat, and a first row view of the man as he aimed his barrel straight at her once more.

"Oh, come ooon...!" Frustration laced into her voice as a high pitched whine, even as the Kazelrrian quickly shifted her focus towards the massive doors they’d been tasked to protect.

We’ll help rid you of that infection, Her thoughts sought to bargain with the Force, keenly aware of the struggles it currently faced as she asked for its aid. The strain was evident as Mahsa concentrated it all around a singular reinforced slab. So help us help you…!

With a crunching sound the hatch was finally freed, a prolonged shriek assaulting the ears of those near as metal scraped against metal. She winced as something grazed her side, the sharp pain quickly followed by a massive thud as Mahsa dropped it between them and Torson’s squad. Soaking up the barrage of slugs and fire power proved little challenge for a door made specifically for that task and, with a final Force push, Mahsa sent the weighty slab in their direction, hoping to buy Knight Serys and herself enough time.

"Master," There was an urgency in her voice as she called out for the Mirialan once more, her left hand tightly pressed against her right side. "It’s time!"

The phrik blade also remained held in her right, the comfort provided by the flow of the Force across the small dagger helping keep the sting and pain away from whatever projectile had managed to wound the young Kazelrrian as she rushed for the bridge.

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Apparel

Devices

Weapons

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Allies

Hostiles

Ran Serys

Joseph Torson | Tibera Jessen

​

 

[Pal Veda]

Shut It Down!
Allies in Proximity: Kahlil Noble Corazona von Ascania Zaiya Ceti Mahsa Ran Serys Amelia von Sorenn Magdalena Bloodscrawl Liram Angellus Ashley Nevermore
Enemies in Proximity: Joseph Torson IMPERA Marlon Sularen Darth Immortuos Tibera Jessen
Primary Opponent: Abraxas Colt (me posting out of turn with his permission)

With newfound courage and, perhaps misplaced, confidence, Pal hurried down the maintenance ladder to the correct level, about forty feet below him. He shuffled over to the platform and paused for a moment to catch his breath and double check the map. The power control center was not far now. He suspected he was a little behind schedule, but he had no way of knowing the Jedi had already taken the bridge and high jacked the portal.

Armed with a plan, or at least the semblance of one, Pal opened the shaft's maintenance door and cautiously stepped into the hallway, leading the way with his barrel. Clear. The corridor was actually eerily quiet and empty considering the station was currently infiltrated by a split team and being bombarded outside by multiple fleets. Or maybe it was appropriately quiet and empty, with those in command focused on the perceived threats — Jedi and Alliance military — and not the random smuggler sneaking about.

In fact, he had moved around the Predator somewhat freely when the Empire attacked Coruscant not that long ago. Grand Admiral Sularen had been too focused on the two Jedi actively destroying his flagship and decimating his ranks, hellbent on capturing the Imperial leader. Pal lost his X-wing, but he escaped in otherwise relatively decent shape. Even received an award for his efforts.

Pal navigated to the end of the hallway. A quick peak around the corner revealed two armed guards outside the heavy door to the power control room. Should he rush them? Seemed like a bad plan. A thermal? He only had one, and it would alert everyone inside the room. Lockdown protocol didn't mesh well with his lack of slicing skills.

Holding his shotgun parallel to and forward of his chest, Pal stepped into the open and began walking toward the Imps, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"Hey!" One of them turned and yelled, shouldering his rifle, "Stop!" The second followed suit, lining up next to his partner.

"What are you doing here!?"

"Hey guys," Pal replied, trying to play cool, "Not trying to cause any problems. Look." He nodded toward his weapon, offering it up. "Got in a little over my head, got blown up and down the turbo lift shaft, now I'm here." He kept progressing, slowly, talking the whole time. "I'm just tired. I need a break, man."

The soldiers looked at one another, then back at Pal, a bit confused as to what to do next. One finally thought to say, "Drop your weapon! There!"

"Sure, sure." Pal started to lower the shotgun toward the ground, keeping his eyes forward. He sat it down softly on the ground to avoid an accidental discharge.

"Now back away!"

Pal took a step back, still crouched over, watching for the right time. Now's as good as any. In a flash, his right hand retrieved his blaster pistol from its home on his hip, and he fired off two shots.

Bwrrm! Bwrrm!

"What the Sith?!" Both soldiers dropped, but only stunned. He meant to shoot to kill. The selector switch must have gotten bumped at some point. Whatever. They were down now, and he wasn't going to murder them when they no longer posed any threat. Lucky. They'll live to tell their grandkids about how they narrowly escaped their encounter with the legendary Pal Veda.

As he passed by the downed Imps, he searched their utility belts, finding what he was looking for — a code cylinder. Of course the door was locked, but the soldier's code cylinder worked, and the door slid open. Inside were a few nerds at their terminals, not even looking up to see who was entering. He hit the control panel on the wall to close the door behind him, hoping he pressed the right buttons to lock it.

"Ah-hum!" He loudly cleared his throat, announcing his arrival. Finally one of the techs shifted his eyes from his screen to the newcomer, freezing instantly. "Ah-hum!" He tried again, this time getting the attention of the others.

"Everyone up!" Pal waved his blaster around, making sure they all knew who was in charge here. Most obeyed, but there always has to be a hero. One of the techs pivoted to his keyboard and tried to type. Probably some warning or lockdown sequence, Pal would never know. Because he dropped the Imp instantly with a stun blast.

"And that's what happens when you don't listen. Now, everyone move over here," he motioned to the corner with his weapon, "and I won't shoot you." They obeyed, preventing the need for further violence.

Pal slid into what looked like the main command terminal and examined the controls. This was all above his head. Luckily, the Alliance had anticipated that. He took the computer spike from his belt and inserted it, watching the screen display change in response.

MCGFFN2 . . .

Terminal override . . .

Execute? Y/N . . .

Well, yes, obviously. The program began to run, so Pal turned his attention back to the techs. "Almost done here, don't worry," he reassured them, noticing the beads of sweat on their foreheads and concerned expressions on their faces.

DING!

Pal turned back to the computer screen. Done. He checked the frequency on his wrist comp and set it to the encrypted line with the Jedi team. "Noble ( Kahlil Noble ), this is Veda. I've breached the power center. Defenses are down!”.