Down for Danuta (SJO Dominion of Danuta Hex)

[Illyria Sol Rhia]

May the Force be with all of us. It was a strange thing to hear, in a way. On one hand it was reassuring and yet it simultaneously signified the beginning of their mission, a tinge of anxiety striking her nerves as the hiss of air rushed into the shuttle and briefly deafened the Hapan. Then came droplets of sound, subtle at first but then a waterfall, as if before this moment she didn’t know what sound truly was. But as the moment pressed on and her senses relaxed, the hypersensitivity washing away in the moment, Illyria glanced outside as blaster fire ricocheted off the shuttle hull.

Turning in time to see the soldier’s arm around the Zeltron’s waist before the blonde man stood, Illyria simply took note of it. Her own master was a married man with children, so who was she to judge? Instead as those within the shuttle began to stand so did she, a welcoming party already present and from her seat she would follow beneath the protective dome. The Force simultaneously swelling and constricting like the tide, anxiety sinking away as the reality of the situation became apparent and as if she had done it thousands of time before – her lightsaber was ignited. Though it was only one side of the double-bladed hilt that had been ignited, its green blade humming slightly.

Illyria was not looking to leave a position of safety though and watching as the soldier began to take point and fire back, she decided to make it just a touch easier. Following the flow of Force extending out the padawan reached out with a free hand, telekinetically pulling what Mandalorians she could see out from their positions, just enough to either cause them to stumble or fall out of cover, then switching to violent bursts of energy that rocked their covers or harshly shoved them out-of-sight – breaking and disrupting any attempts at pinning their party down.

Once the initial fighting was wrapped up Illyria turned towards Nida Perl, whom she had kept close to beneath her cover, “Nice job, that'd have been much messier without you.” Illyria wasn’t very good at complimenting people. Or interacting with them in general. And as the soldier returned from speaking to her master she stepped away, avoiding interrupting them.

​

[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]

[member="Zef Halo"]​

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

Location: Enroute to Danuta's Surface
Objective: 1
Tagging: @Nida Perl | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Enemy: [member="Zef Halo"]

Every shuttle had the same behaviour, that soft whine as the repulsors kicked in to hold the vehicle frozen in the air. Asaraa had heard it, seen it before so many times that she almost reacted before the shuttle paused, hanging in the air. She moved fast, but not as fast as the Ranger, Thirdas, who was already reacting, shooting and dropping the Mandalorian raiders even before the rest of them managed to get to the ground. It was a very respectable piece of shooting, and he seemed nothing if not professional as he followed up the landing with his analysis of the situation.

Still, the situation was a familiar one, one that it felt like she'd gone through before, the memory bringing a smile to the young Jedi's face as she remembered a space station and a similiar situation with pirates as she padded towards the others. "You're right, they're probably set up for us, but we also have a massive advantage they have no real way to prepare for." She closed her eyes briefly, throwing out her senses towards the facility for a moment before she smiled. "They've got a crossfire set up around 500m that way," she informed them, gesturing down the path. "We can probably even levitate some grenades towards them to break the ambush."

It was something she'd done before, that she'd training for, using the force to assist and enhance the capabilities of the rangers on a mission and a small thing like this was right down the path that she was used to. "We'll probably run into trouble when they start stacking up their defences but," a hand gestured to the lightsabers at her belt, "we can at least tell you what's coming, and give a few unorthodox paths to get aorund them." Using the Jedi as scouts wasn't a particularly innovative technique, but that dodn't make it any less effective a means of handling the enemy that had seized the facility. "Plus, we shoud be able to spot the hostages when we get close to them."

 

[WolfMortum]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.​

Present Company: [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"], [member="Nida Perl"], [member="Asaraa Vaashe"], [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

Scouting Party: Pathfinder Unit Besh & [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]​

Suspected Hostiles: [member="Zef Halo"] & Rogue Mandalorian Raiders​

​

​

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"Master Jedi, It is likely the Mandos are busy setting up ambushes deeper into the facility. They will have set up layered defenses, this being the weakest one. ​

Suggest we establish this as our fall-back position in case of a hasty retreat, leave a few people to guard the ship while we press on".​

​

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] was quick to prove his value to the strike-team, and his input only spurred on that of [member="Asaraa Vaashe"], she of whom Veiere had known to be rather surprisingly adept in the art of battle meditation. An ability that his Padawan, [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] wished to learn. The young Jedi Knight could already shape the situation for the way her senses could manipulate their environment and forsee what lay ahead of them. For many Jedi this was a practiced technique and yet it seemed to come with such an ease and almost natural rate for Asaraa.

"You're right, they're probably set up for us, but we also have a massive advantage they have no real way to prepare for...​

-They've got a crossfire set up around 500m that way, We can probably even levitate some grenades towards them to break the ambush".​

​

"Agreed" Veiere replied confidently, "LZ is our fall-back position, and some of your men can remain with the Transport" Veiere looked to Thirdas as he emphasized the words 'Your men', suggesting the compliment of Rangers that had come down from the Judiciary with them. With the barrier that [member="Nida Perl"] had erected before them, Veiere's attention remained on the strike-team while they sought to secure their position and entrance to the facility. Having touched down upon the exterior of the Mining Factory, infiltration ought to provide several varying paths towards where the hostages might be.

"Thirdas, take point" Veiere instructed the Ranger, soon looking to Asaraa "If you'd be so kind, Master Vaashe" He gestured back to Thirdas quietly asking with all due respect for her rank that she cover the man and his fellow soldiers. "Padawans Rhia and Perl, take up our six" he soon instructed the two students, one of whom was a combat medic for the Silver Order and the other whom was only fresh in the field. Veiere himself would proceed to do his best to watch over and guide the strike-team overall, and command where needed.

"Keep eyes out for Besh Unit" he added, hoping that it wouldn't be long before they could rendezvous with [member="Nesota Kynnovan"] and her team; "Let's avoid any friendly fire...-Proceed, Private".

 

[Kat Decoria]

Objective: BYOO/ Objective 3 - Get a trading/building permit for Decoria Industries
Location: Department of Trading

Kat had dressed the most sensible she had ever dressed, a suit jacket and form fitting trousers with a pale cream blouse. It was odd and with her hair in a neat, tight high bun, Kat looked at least 3 years older than she was or usually looked. She was preparing for a meeting or something so that she could get a permit to do trading and building in Danuta space. There was the cost of buying one but Rose had told Kat that their account was well into the green for it, and bringing money go Danuta was good for their image. However, she needed to seal the deal and go to a meeting to impress and that meant looking like a CEO of a company, not dressing casually or looking like a rough mechanic. Kat had adjusted her jacket several times, it felt odd and she rather be wearing her leather one but that wasn't professional enough according to Rose.

The queue to the reception was long and slow moving, Kat swore she could see people getting old and dying while waiting to speak to someone the queue was that long. She worried by the time she got to the front, she would have aged 80 years! However, the queue kept moving slowly and people droned on in the far distance about papers and such. Kat had double checked she had signed all the right papers and ensured that she brought everything she needed. Just needed to get the front of the line now. That was all that Kat needed to do. Surely it wasn't going to be that much longer. There were five or six people at the counter when she walked in.

10 minutes later.

Maybe she should have brought a chair and a book or three. The queue still hadn't moved.

 

[H3xle]

Location: Danuta Temple
Objective Two: Brains for B'omarr

​

​

Aurel could feel others in the vicinity with the Force, and she knew that there were Jedi here investigating their own threads to find the missing persons. She wished them luck, but also hoped none of them recognized her. She knew there were Jedi that felt that the undercover work that she and the Shadows did weren't quite as Jedi as they felt all Jedi should be. She wouldn't assume any of them would specifically try to harm her investigation, but they could do so accidentally and likely wouldn't feel too bad about it.

She pushed that from her mind as one of the acolytes came forward towards her.



"How may I help you..." the acolyte glanced at her waist where the badge stuck out a little bit, "...agent?"

"Special Agent Amanda Tomar, District 5." She replied, holding her hand out to shake with the acolyte. The acolyte grinned at her hand and shrugged.

"I abstain from physical contact, as part of my path to enlightenment." The acolyte grinned slightly, the sense of superiority almost palpable.

"Right." Aurel removed her hand from between them and nodded. "I am here as part of an investigation into several missing citizens. One of the factors that seem to be tying the subjects together is this temple. Is there someone here I can speak to regarding this matter?"

The grin faltered only slightly, but Aurel marked it and filed it away in her mind.

"Yes, well, I am sure the...missing peoples participation in our order had nothing to do with their disappearances..."

"That's as may be, but it is part of our investigation. We pride ourselves on running down every lead fully."

"This is highly irregular...but if you insist, I am sure one of the Embodied Masters can help." The acolyte was clearly unhappy about Aurel pushing past the assurance offered, but turned and led the way deeper into the temple anyway. "Follow me, please."

"Of course."

 

[Nida Perl]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.
Location: Danuta surface > Mining Facility
Allies: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] |[member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Enemies: Grandpa [member="Zef Halo"]

Everything happened quickly enough, and Nida couldn’t help but marvel at Thirdas’ sharpshooting before the shuttle even settled to the surface. It was difficult to find time together, and those moments were typically spent more intimately. This was the first time she had the opportunity to see the results of his training.

Knowing that she wasn’t the best combatant, Nida kept close to Thirdas and put her skills to use in supplementing the Jedi and Ranger’s defenses around her. Once the fighting had quelled for the moment, so did the barrier dissipate, no longer supplemented by the Zeltron’s influence of the Force. As Thirdas and pink haired Jedi discussed their next move with Master Arenais, Nida moved on to evaluate their unit for casualties. One of the rangers had been struck in the shoulder; a blaster bolt had singed the connecting joints of his armor, burning an ugly hole through the metallic shell. The damage was worse than it had looked, fortunately the armor stopped the bolt from traveling much further. Nida administered a series of quick injections for bacta and painkillers, determining that the soldier would be fine with some rest.

To her relief, she and Thirdas had found a brief moment to check in with each other before pressing onwards. “I’m fine.” She almost huffed, immediately pressing the fingers of one hand to his face, turning his head this way and that in order to examine him. “Are you? Were you injured at all?” She had to stand on her tip-toes to inspect him, looking Thirdas over for any signs of damage with nervous eyes. Valkyri were strong, but Nida was always worried that Thirdas would simply ignore any wounds he had in favor of continuing the fight. Accordingly, she’d fervently lectured him on the severity of adrenaline shock at least once before. Docile and soft-spoken a she typically was, Nida was innately protective of her patients, be they a nameless soldier or her significant other.

Satisfied that he was no worse for the wear, Nida relaxed, shoulders dropping from the sudden release of tension. “One of your men is injured,” He’d see one of the Rangers escorting another back to the ship from somewhere behind her. “He’ll be alright; just please make sure that he does not use his right arm until he’s been re-examined by a doctor.” Her role as a field medic was to patch ‘em up, keeping everyone alive until they could get more sophisticated medical aid. It appeared that a few of the Rangers would be staying behind with the ship anyhow.

Reaching for his hand, she gave it a quick squeeze and an anxious yet genuine smile. Nida really did feel safer having Thirdas around, and it was interesting to see him work. “You’re a natural.” She was impressed by how quickly he’d progressed, excited to see him passionate about being a Ranger. Heeding Master Arenais’ orders, the Padawan reluctantly let go of Thirdas’ hand and shifted her focus on their next task. Nodding in earnest, she fell in step beside Illyria and flushed a shade of mauve at the compliment. “Thank you, I am glad that I was able to be of use.” She paused to look the young woman over, idly wondering if they’d met before. “I’m Nida, by the way. Nida Perl.”

 

[Honest Moe Uilor]

Objective: I: Brodsport is fair game
Location: Danuta, outside the Brodsport Compound
Allies: [member='Thirdas Heavenshield'], [member='Veiere Arenais'], [member='Asaraa Vaashe'], [member='Illyria Sol Rhia'], [member='Nida Perl']
Hostile Combatants: [member='Zef Halo']

She could hear the engines of the Transport scream as it descended towards the surface. The ship was coming in hot, and for a brief moment it was tempting to look up towards the source of the noise. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to see it yet though, and also perfectly aware that any Mandalorians out in the open would hear the sound as well, Nesota suppressed that natural instinct and instead kept her emerald green eyes focused onto the objective in front of her; cautiously scanning for any anti-air weapons that might suddenly emerge. "Besh One to Team," As she spoke, she could see how some Mandalorians, alerted by the sound of the descending Transport, began to make way for a defensible position. "Sharpshooters, stand by for potential anti-air weapons."

Within moments, the sharpshooter of the second fireteam spoke up. "Enemy spotted on one of the balconies overlooking the courtyard, designating Resh One." The sharpshooter, located on the bluff to the East of the compound, marked the target with a holographic beacon while he spoke; allowing a marker to briefly appear onto Nesota's visor. It was just long enough to make her aware of the hostile, which was identified by the sharpshooter as a specific risk due to his location, and the moment her eyes came to rest upon the balcony the marker automatically disappeared again.

At the same time, the roar of the Transport's engines was becoming ever stronger as the ship closed in on the compound. With her eyes still on the balcony-hostile, Nesota spoke up once more. "Sharpshooter Two, take him down." It was all she could have said to begin with, as blaster fire began to fill the air only a split second later and the voice of her handler, Second Lieutenant Varr, cut in at almost the same time. "Sergeant, use this chaos to your advantage." Just as she turned her attention away from the balcony, Nesota could see from the corner of her eye how the high-risk target hit the deck. "The Mandalorians will be too preoccupied with the strike team. Infiltrate the compound and locate those hostages."

For a split second Nesota peeked her head out of the gully to see how the Upsilon-class Transport touched down. Someone was already firing from one of the doors and was actually doing a remarkable job as far as she could tell. Crude, but accurate enough given how the ship was still moving while that person was raining down blaster fire.

"Sharpshooters, you are weapons free. Cover the strike team." Upon hearing the acknowledgements from her sharpshooters, Nesota continued. "Besh Two, infiltrate the compound and locate those hostiles. Go!" Motioning for the two Pathfinders who were laying in the gully with her to get up and follow her, Nesota swiftly began to make her way towards the blind wall; dodging stray blaster shots and using the chaos of the arriving strike team as cover. "Savannah, patch me through to the strike team."

As she heard the confirmation of the orbiting Panthera-class, Nesota spoke up once more. "Strike team, this is Sergeant Kynnovan, Pathfinder Unit Besh." Leaning against the blind wall, the Coruscanti turned her attention to the two Pathfinders behind her as she spoke. She gave them a nod and made the sign to activate the Phantom System of their Ghost Stealth Armour; while that wasn't a cloaking device that would render them invisible, it would still make it significantly harder for the Mandalorians to spot them in the chaos of battle and subsequently make it a little easier to infiltrate the compound. After a soft whining noise in her helmet indicated that her own Phantom System had successfully activated, Nesota continued. "Our teams are using your distraction to infiltrate the compound and look for the hostage, but our sharpshooters will cover your assault from up high. We'll see you inside, good luck... and welcome to Danuta." With another nod, Nesota motioned for her two Pathfinders to follow as she rounded the corner of the wall and began to make her way towards the nearest available entrance.

The door of a loading dock for processed materials.

 

[Zef Halo]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.
Allies: Himself
Necessary Allies: Mandalorian Raiders
Enemies: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] [member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
What the?: Grankiddo [member="Nida Perl"]

Just before Zef could light the cigarette in his mouth, a magical flash lit it up for him. Less experienced fellas would've been stuck in awe for a few seconds before they realized it. Not this old scoundrel. He hit the deck immediately and crawled away from the balcony as fast as he could. Deafening blaster fire and explosions could be heard from behind.

The Silvers were here.

He cursed the darn Jedi underneath his breath and headed towards the direction of his ship which was further within the facility. Albeit, Lady Luck did not smile at him. Jedi and Rangers had made quick work of the first line of the raiders' defences so his path was cut off.

"Karkin' Jedi." the smuggler muttered before an idea lit up in his head after the sighting of an armament stash. "I ain't goin' to no damn jail."

Zef looted the stash full of explosives and set them up concealed near the entrance of the building in which he was in. The explosives wouldn't be noticeable from outside going in. He hid the remote detonator in his backpocket before heading out.

It was time to unravel his marvelous acting skills. Twice before, he had lied for having a heart attack for his own benefit. Once, they were robbing a CIS bank with [member="Daro Tarsi"] and the other was the robbery of the Hapes Fountain Palace with a crazy spice addicted pink haired girl. In the latter burglary, they were able to steal a Queen's crown and a Corusca Gem.

Unfortunately, heart attack was not on the menu today.

Zef staggered out off the entrance and headed down the path. His pistol was nowhere to be seen - he had thrown it with the rest of the explosives. Otherwise, how could he play the role of a miner hostage. The dirty scoundrel outfit and rough face already passed for a man working in the depths of a mine, so all he had to do was persuade the Jedi strike force to get into that building.

Faking a limp, the smuggler waved his hands painfully at the Jedi strike force which seemed to be just preparing their next course of action. For the sake of living, Zef prayed none of them were too trigger happy.

"Help! Please, Jedi!" he cried out in anguish still staggering towards the group. "We are being held there inside. Please, they've hurt foreman Han bad, he's nearly dead. Please, help. Oh the Maker, he has four children to care for. Please, Master Jedi!"

He blabbered nearly uncomprehendingly feinting panic and fear. His plea could've landed him not only a high-paid actor's job but also an Oscar nomination.

"Please, you have to save us!"

Perhaps due to being incredibly focused in his scene, Zef was not able to make the petite figure of Nida among the group. Especially since a massive brute stood like a wall before her.

Not just yet, at least.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Objective I: Brodsport Is Fair Game
Location: Mining Facility
Allies: [member="Nesota Kynnovan"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"]
Enemies: [member="Zef Halo"] | Mandalorians

"I'm fine too," he smiled wide at her concern while checking him for injuries, complying with her turning and tilting his head in every which way. Eventually he took possession of her gentle hands and held them to his heart over his armour, looking down into those big eyes of hers, pink and purple like the rest of her. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere," he assured Nida with a soft nod as the remaining Rangers took up defensive positions at the LZ.

It became his turn to blush slightly when she next complimented him on his fighting skills, something he took much pride in. And, it would be untruthful to say that he had not hoped to impress her with his ability now that he had the chance. "Thanks," he rubbed the back of his neck, having never really known how to accept compliments. The fact was that it did come naturally to him; many times had he successfully faced down kids much older than he growing up on Midvinter, albeit not without the scrapes and bruises to prove it. When it came to shooting, it was as if he knew where to fire without even thinking. It just came to him on the spot. Were his mother or father there, they would tell him it was the Force guiding him.

When it became time to move out, Thirdas felt honoured to be the sole Ranger in the company of Jedi - Masters, Knights and Padawans alike. They were all as important in his eyes, considering them all to be higher beings than himself for their commitment to a most noble way of life. It was the same with his parents and siblings who were all Jedi, and he was at peace with the thought of him not being as "good" or "worthy" as they. At least, those were his own thoughts of himself. He's never wanted to be more than what he is.

"Roger that, Besh Unit," he replied via comms to Sergeant Kynnovan and her Pathfinders stealthily inflitrating the facility. "LZ is fall-back position, entering the facility now." Taking the lead as instructed by Master Arenais, Thirdas kept his rifle at the ready as the Jedi followed close behind. Constantly on the lookout for a possible ambush, it did not take long for a man to suddenly appear pleading for his life, hobbling about on one good leg. Instantly Thirdas trained his gun at him, not letting down his guard.

"Stay right there and keep calm, sir," he spoke in a no-nonsense tone of voice, slowly approaching step by step in case this was some trick by the Mandalorians. He would not put it past them to booby-trap civilians without their knowledge. "Besh Unit, we have encountered an escaped civilian stating there are hostages being kept in a structure up ahead of our current location," he reported to the Pathfinders over comms. "Turn around slowly, and get down on your knees, slowly," he then instructed the escaped hostage. Once he did as asked, Thirdas moved in to give the man a quick padding down to check for weapons or explosives. Upon reaching into his backpockets, he carefully pulled out a small gadget. "Remote detonator, Master Jedi," he presented it to Veiere and the others, allowing them to approach now that the man was disarmed.

"Identify yourself, friend."

 

[Illyria Sol Rhia]

“Illyria Sol Rhia –“ just as she was returning the introduction to Nida she was interrupted by the sudden approach of a hobbling man, her words falling away as her attention was drawn towards the man and listening to what he had to say. A mission, though her first, never did seem as straightforward as it was on paper. Of course, they needed to save those people. It was their duty as Jedi. Though her master had asked her to remain at the rear she nevertheless stepped forwards, able to offer something in this moment, and as the man was being patted down and cleared by the Ranger the padawan stepped past them – though only by a foot or two, her attention falling onto the building he had indicated the hostages were in.

As a Hapan she had to contend with a night-blindness inherent to her species, and she did so through a technique taught to her early in her days as a padawan. Force Sight. Up until now she had not been using it since it was plenty light out but being able to see through walls and the auras of individuals was an undoubtedly useful scouting technique. The Force swelled through her and the world began to dim from her perspective, the natural colours of the world bleeding away to be replaced by a translucent viewpoint.

Illyria trained her eyes onto the building, the green glow of Illyria’s lightsaber still humming, as she scanned the whole of it bit by bit. “I do not see any hostages. Nor a nearly dead man.” She even thought she may have seen something peculiar near the entrance, though when everything was translucent, detecting specific objects was quite a bit more difficult. It was likely just an outlet, a console, or anything else small and wired. Though she’d caution anyone who would seek to approach the building currently, given what she knew now for certain – things weren’t lining up as the man claimed.

Turning back towards the man, now effectively behind him, her head cocked questioningly and though she was not so certain to call him a liar right away, her Force imbued eyes were evident with a slight and unnatural effect as she peered at him. His aura of course quite a bit different from their own, though it did not scream ‘darkside’, it didn’t necessarily indicate someone trustworthy either.

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[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]

[member="Zef Halo"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.
Location: Danuta surface > Mining Facility
Allies: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] |[member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Disappointment: Grandpa [member="Zef Halo"]

The other Padawan barely had room to introduce herself before their group had been approached by an injured civilian. Even before he’d come into full view, Nida honed in on the hobbling silhouette, evaluating what she could of his injuries from there.

Help! Please, Jedi!

Illyria had stepped forward and moved closer to the facility to investigate, while Thirdas raised his weapon at the approaching man. When he came into full view, Nida’s heart nearly lurched right out of her chest in a single beat. Against her cautious nature and better judgement, the young healer surged forward just as Thirdas had completed his pat-down of the elderly man. “Grandfather!” She was already on one knee next to Zef, concern etched into her features for the second time within the past half hour. Already she began to check him over, beginning with looking for obvious signs of head trauma—a blown pupil, cognitive damage, anything. “What happened? Were you captured?" Satisfied for the moment that he had no obvious neurological issues, she pressed her hands to the leg she’d seen him limping on. "Are you hurt badly?”

Everything seemed to pause for a moment. The Force was useful in guiding her where she was needed most, and she could not sense any damage to the tissue of Zef’s leg, nor to the hip or knee joints. Brows furrowing, she pressed further, this time with the fingertips of both hands.

It was then where Illyria appeared behind Zef, informing them that she’d found neither the hostages nor the nearly dead foreman. Her mind rushed back to reality and she turned towards Thirdas, just in time to see him hand over a small device to Veiere. A remote detonator, he’d called it. Nida straightened, hands still hovering over Zef’s leg as her eyes went wide.

“Grandfather…” Trailing off, Nida simply stared at the old smuggler’s face. The implications of the situation were not lost on her, but she desperately wanted to believe that this was a misunderstanding, or some sort of setup. “Please tell me what is going on here.” There was a hopeful note in her voice, forced through all of the doubt and disappointment welling in her stomach.

 

[Allura Kahli]

Objective: 2 - Brains for B’omarr - Ongoing Investigation
Location: Central Authority Plaza, Trid
Allies: [member="Tulan Kor"] | Open
Enemies: None

Allura smiled as she leaned back in the chair of the Detective's office. She casually reached over and pulled down one of the blinds to get a better look at those outside. "So, you don't have any credible leads, and people that are certainly not members of this cult are pressuring you to find the one responsible as soon as possible. Obviously, they are not at all concerned for their own well-being, and only want to ensure the public's safety. Is that about the short of it?" The Umbaran hadn't bothered to look back at the slightly disheveled man that likely hadn't enough sleep of late.

"Yes." The man leaned forward over his desk, his tone brisk, and the words clipped. "It is."

The legs of the chair snapped against the floor before the dark hair woman leaped out of it. With a flourish of her long jacket, Allura headed toward the door. "You've been most helpful, Detective."

"Wait," the word might have cracked the windows of his office had they been but a hair thinner. "That's it? You're just going to leave after I share everything with you?"

The Captain paused with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket. "I have everything I need, Detective, to identify the next victim. I'll be sure the survivors are made aware of your contribution." Clenched teeth delayed the response, but the sound of him coming around the desk was unmistakable. Allura turned her head to look back at him with a small smile. "With all due respect, Detective. You do not want to be involved with what happens next. If it goes wrong, you can safely deny everything. Now, please let go of my arm."

Several seconds passed with the two staring at once another in silence. A dull hush of the surrounding police station filtered through the walls.

"You may have been invited here to help with this investigation, but don't for a second think you are above the law." With that he released Allura's arm and stepped back.

Kahli slowly opened the door to his office. "We're all here for the same thing, Detective." Of course, nothing was further from the truth. She would do the man a favor and not lie to his face about abiding by the Law and Order of their little world; but that was about the only courtesy she'd extend him. If she needed brute force, Allura knew which police station to call.

Two minutes later Allura Kahli strode out of the building and lit up another cigarra. After a few puffs, the woman scanned the plaza. Time to get to work then. Despite it staring them in the face, the good law-makers of this world hadn't seen the pattern in front of them -- one that begged you to follow it like breadcrumbs to the slaughter. Far as the Umbaran was concerned that was exactly what it was too; and if no one showed, there'd just be another abductee to make the invitation more apparent. Why wait for that to happen, however? There were places to be. People to kill.

 

[Tulan Kor]

​

Objective 2: Cultists​

With: [member="Allura Kahli"]​

Trid Plaza​

​

The Coroner's office was located in the central police command, small as this planet's police force was, everything was more or less centrally located to make things easier on the space available and the powers that be.

Tulan had a lot of nerve to do what he was doing, but he had an inkling of a suspicion that he wasn't the only person out for blood, not "justice" with these weirdos. What was it about brains in jars anyway...? Needless to say, Tulan needed to get into that place, and he found the perfect way to do so...

Vending machines. A little application of pressure, and the Humanoid who was in charge of getting these cops their crappy snacks and crappy drinks was more or less taking a paid nap in the back of his truck. He passed by the front desk, exchanging pleasantries with the Desk Sergeant, before pushing his container full of sodas and crap inside. Inside, however, was his suppressed pistol and a hell of a lot of bad intent.

His target was downstairs.

Cold, dark, damp.

No cameras.

But first, he had to stock the rest of the building's machines. Top down approach.

Took him about ten minutes. He barely passed a figure, short-hair bob cut hair that he recognized. Pale skin. He'd be lying if he didn't check her out as she left. But there was a familiar ping of familiarity. Couldn't place it at a glance.

But there was a man downstairs he had to speak to.

The vending machine was outside his office. Just as Tulan expected, no cameras. Privacy for the families and respect for the dead.

The Coroner was washing his hands when Tulan slipped inside, reaching into the overalls he had...acquired. Suppressor was placed against the Coroner's head. He turned the sink all the way up, and put the stopper in the drain.

"Time to talk, big guy."

Cue the 'do you know who I am ahghagahgiashfiahgiahgiaughaiughgiu' (the last part was added when their face was shoved into soapy water). He pulled the Coroner's head out of the water, by his hair.

"Sure do, that's why I'm here."

He smiled, putting the gun next to his head to show him he meant business.

"Let's do some talking."

Ten minutes later...​

​

He stared at the back of the Coroner's head, his gun shaking in his hand. It wasn't often Tulan lost his cool. But this? This was barbaric, this was horrible. He was the government. He was in the police headquarters. But the gun was caseless. Ammo cold loaded. He sneered. He grabbed the man's face, turning to look at Tulan.

He was selling their bodies, and sometimes, not even their bodies. Live people. Trading lives for credits. But he didn't say what they did with them after he turned them over. Falsified records. Reports. Lied. Lied to families. Destroyed homes.

For a cult.

Tulan dunked his face in the water, and let him squirm a little. He shot him in the full sink, letting the water turn red. The noise was muffled by the water. He didn't have a reason, but he had sold them to the cult. So Tulan took his life.

He walked out of the police station, and ditched his disguise. No telling when they'd find the body. But as he stepped out into the street and lit his own cigarrra to cope with the revelation. It was there that he noticed someone. The woman from before. His soul shrank a little when he realized who he was checking out. Granted, she was still the femme fatale gorgeous but-

Damn it.

"They know you're here?"

Skip the games, cut to the chase. The killer in Tulan respected the killer in her enough to not beat around the bush. Wonder what she had gotten out of her own investigation. Or if she was here to stop him.

 

[Asaraa Vaashe]

Location: Danuta
Objective: 1: Find beware of scoundrels bearing gifts
Tagging: [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]

Enemies: [member="Zef Halo"]

The orders were given, the Jedi Master arranging the small team into formation, making best use of their skills, of the abilities each member, a formation where they could support and cover one another as needed. The young Jedi nodded silently, padding over to take up a position behind Thirdas, her mind reaching out to the force, to that welcome embrace.

There had been a time, not all that long ago, that Asaraa hadn't been sure that she'd ever by able to do this again, to embrace the force in the same way without agony ripping through her body. She'd tried it, visiting the Confederacy she'd ended up caught up in the middle of an attack. She'd had to use hte force then, to try to save the lives of her enemies as it turned out from those they'd attacked. Only it hadn't been so successful, she'd ended up collapsing and all those people had died anyway.

That wasn't going to happen this time, this time she was going to get it right. The knight's hands brushed her lightsabers as she nodded to herself, "I'm ready," her voice was quiet but steady, talking to herself more than anyone else. Assuring herself.

Only it looked like all the buildup had been for nothing, as they approached the entrace there wasn't a grand fight, the struggle she'd been expecting. instead a single old man staggered out of the entrance shouting and pleading for help. It was a good story, at least until the remote detonator appeared in Thirdas's hand. Asaraa's blue eyes narrowed, the knight stepping forward to position herself between Veiere and Zef. She'd let Nida and hte others figure out what was going on, Asaraa had been given one job, to be the scout and that's what she intended to do, her mind casting out around them, searching for those tell-tale touches in the force that would signal that something was happening, some trap was bing sprung.

 

[Zef Halo]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.
Allies: Himself
Necessary Allies: Mandalorian Raiders
Enemies: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] [member="Veiere Arenais"] [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Oops: Grankiddo [member="Nida Perl"]

He did as the soldier instructed him but continued begging as if to take attention frantically from the man trying to inspect him and divert his concentration away from finding the remote detonator. The smuggler failed to which he responded with the act completely gone and instead replaced by the man's usual grumpy and irritated demeanor of a man who was too old for this chit:

"None of your concern, friend." Zef sharply replied. "You want to live, you don't move that detonator. Mandos got you on their scopes."

"All of you, as a matter of fact." he glanced at the rest of the Jedi and continued his lie. There were no Mandos who got them on their scopes. This was solely Zef's attempt at deceit to try and draw a better hand. Zef dropped his arms to his sides and slowly stood up. "Unless we get on with their plan, we are toast."

"And I'd rather die on my ship rathe-"

“Grandfather!”

An ice cold trail of sweat ran down his spine as the familiar voice and figure of the youngest of his grandkid. The softest and probably most normal from all of the family. She inspected him for any injuries but it was clear there was none. Her surprised and caring face drifted into a soft grimace of what Zef did best - disappointment.

Now he couldn't really try and get the Jedi into the boom boom area, could he?

"Kid, the hell are you doing here?" Zef asked worried, forgetting completely about the dire situation he put himself in. Both of his hands landed on her shoulders. "You shouldn't be here, Nida." the thought of Montross' ruthless manners ran across his mind. He'd not want her to end up in the midst of a crossfire that was certain to come soon.

Everything had become a mess with the appearance of his granddaughter. Yula could handle herself, he was certain but Nida - not too certain.

"Y'all bathrobe motherkarkers still usin' child soldiers to do your chit?" Zef growled at the Jedi group. "Y'all better take some responsibility. Get those Mandos out and get me on my ship. I ain't done nothin' but come visit a friend workin' in the mines before this lot showed up all guns blazing."

I ain't gettin' fethin' arrested.​

 

[WolfMortum]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.​

Present Company: [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"], [member="Nida Perl"], [member="Asaraa Vaashe"], [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

Scouting Party: Pathfinder Unit Besh & [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]​

Suspected Hostiles: [member="Zef Halo"] & Rogue Mandalorian Raiders​

​

​

​

"Strike team, this is Sergeant Kynnovan, Pathfinder Unit Besh. Our teams are using your distraction to infiltrate the compound and look for the hostage, but our sharpshooters will cover your assault from up high. We'll see you inside, good luck... and welcome to Danuta".​

​

Veiere had heard the call over his earpiece, the subtle communications device linked to a larger comm's unit attached to the back of the Jedi Masters utility belt. The knowledge that they had friendlies playing overwatch offered a significant deal of confidence in their moving forward with the operation and Veiere trusted in the expertise of the Orders Pathfinders unit.

Glancing ahead to [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] as the Antarian Private acknowledged and reported back to Besh Unit's C.O, Veiere gave a simple yet approving nod, maintaining his focus on their surrounding environment, looking for the slightest hint of an ambush.

"Help! Please, Jedi! We are being held there inside. Please, they've hurt foreman Han bad, he's nearly dead. ​

Please, help. Oh the Maker, he has four children to care for. Please, Master Jedi! Please, you have to save us!".​

​

As the Galaxy would have it, [member="Zef Halo"] was quite the well known smuggler if not by name alone, yet fortunately for him, most within the strike team had yet to ever lay eyes upon the infamous rogue. Unfortunately, however, there just happened to be one such person in their little attack force that looked upon the Mandalorian as family. Oh what a small Galaxy it could be...

"Padawan Perl, please step away from the man..." Veiere instructed [member="Nida Perl"] with a quiet yet authoritative tone, his gaze unmoving from the Smuggler himself though his voice soon calling upon Thirdas in her stead, "Private, arrest this man. He's to be taken into custody until this operation is concluded". A remote detonator, a facility full of Mandalorian Raiders and this man was just here to visit a friend. The scene was worthy of questioning, at the very least.

"Besh unit, be advised of possible snipers in the area" Veiere soon advised over the comm's to @Nesota Kynnovan's group, not wanting any of their people being caught in any sort of suggested ambush, regardless of whether or not the man was trying to bluff his way out of a hot spot.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Objective I: Brodsport Is Fair Game
Location: Mining Facility
Allies: [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Enemies: [member="Zef Halo"] | Rogue Mandalorians

"Grandfather?" Thirdas rubbed the back of his neck as Nida checked on the old man, who moments later confirmed their relation as he no longer attempted to maintain the act. Knowing which way the wind blowed before Master Arenais even uttered the order, he placed a gentle hand on Nida's shoulder, bidding her to take a step back from her grandfather. "Nida... I'm sorry." The two shared a look before he took to taking Zef into custody as ordered.

The old smuggler tried his best to wriggle out of his grasp, but Thirdas' iron grip did not relent as he held the man's hands behind his back while reaching into his pack for a pair of stun cuffs. He began scolding the party of Jedi for condoning of Nida's presence, and Thirdas could not help but empathise; Nida was dear to him as well, and could not stomach the thought of her being harmed. He could only imagine how his own father would feel about his grandchildren being put in danger.

Once the cuffs were placed around his wrists, Thirdas stood Zef up and their eyes met. "Nida is not alone, she's got us looking out for her," he attempted an earnest reassurance. "Besides, she can take care of herself," his eyes found those of Nida briefly. "Sir, you are being taken into custody for the duration of our mission. Following its completion Master Arenais shall decide what to do with you." Pulling out the found remote detonator again, he held it up to Zef's face. "Now, please tell us the location of these explosives--"

Suddenly a shot was fired, shredding the remote into pieces with expert marksmanship. Realising what was to happen next Thirdas shouted for everyone to get down, grabbing and shoving their captive onto the ground alongside himself. A massive explosion followed, triggered by the destruction of the detonator, which rocked the entire facility and upset the stability of the network of caves and tunnels. Several sections of the ceiling came crashing down upon them, and Thirdas crawled over to where Nida had sought cover and put his body between her and the falling rocks and debris, taking a few hits but was greatly aided by his armour cushioning most of the blows.

Once the dust had settled, Thirdas opened his eyes to look down into Nida's face inches away from his. "...H-hi," he said while carrying the weight of several large boulders on his back, utilising every ounce of his forefathers' strength to keep steady. Assured that the worst was over, he then rolled over and let the weight fall off him to the side, panting heavily. "Told you, I'm not going anywhere..." He rested his head against her shoulder, and had they not been on a mission and in danger he would have likely succumbed to fatigue right there and then.

 

[Nida Perl]

Objective One: Brodsport is fair game.
Location: Mining Facility
Allies: [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Veiere Arenais"] | [member="Illyria Sol Rhia"] |[member="Asaraa Vaashe"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]
Disappointment: Grandpa [member="Zef Halo"]

Intellectually, Nida knew what this meant. That didn’t make it any easier to digest, not when Zef looked so…torn. She’d grown up mostly in the dark, her mother dodging questions about what grandpa Zef did for work. At some point she’d vaguely figured it out, but his career as a smuggler had never given her any trouble so she never gave it much thought. Suddenly it made sense why she’d only seen him a few times each year, typically at a birthday party or Life Day celebration. Even then it was likely under threat from her mother.

"You shouldn't be here, Nida."

Nida was not the only one torn. “I should be here.” The words came out softer, squeakier than she’d wanted. Thirdas had placed a hand on her shoulder by then, heavy and gentle. She cast her sad eyes towards him, dutifully but reluctantly taking a full step back at Master Arenais’ instruction. Before she turned away completely – Nida couldn’t bear to watch Thirdas take Zef into custody without crying – she cast her grandfather one final, utterly dejected glance.

Shoulders fraught with tension, Nida clasped her hands together and cast her eyes towards the ground. She shuffled awkwardly, tying to discern if she was really doing the right thing. Both her family and the Jedi were important to her, and she never thought they’d clash like this.

Even though it seemed like an eternity, Thirdas’ sudden yell startled Nida from her own agonizing thoughts. The team hit the ground as an explosion rocked the facility. A shadow crept over Nida as she curled up and clasped her hands over her head, but no impact ever came. A few moments later, when the debris had stopped falling, she opened her eyes in time with Thirdas. “….H..hello.” Responding weakly, she spent a few dazed moments figuring out what was going on. “Oh!” Gasping as Thirdas rolled over and sloughed off several large chunks of debris from his back, Nida scrambled upwards to cradle his head in her lap.

She touched his back, feeling the dents in his armor where the impacts had been the most severe. “Thirdas, I think that was the stupidest thing you’ve ever done…” Her concentration was clearly elsewhere while she admonished the soldier, using her hands to press the Force further into the tissue of his back and assess how badly he’d been hurt. “…but it was also the bravest. You've saved me.” Her pink skin flushed a deep mauve as she leaned down to press her lips to his cheek briefly, thumb brushing against his hairline in soft motions as she closed her eyes. A soothing sensation would flood his body, a technique taught to the Zeltron by her mother for alleviating pain. Magenta eyes suddenly snapped open as she was hit with a realization.

“Grandpa Zef!” Had the old smuggler survived the explosion? A part of Nida hoped that in the chaos, he had managed to escape.

 

[Allura Kahli]

Objective: 2 - Brains for B’omarr - Ongoing Investigation
Location: Central Authority Plaza, Trid
Allies: [member="Tulan Kor"] | Open
Enemies: None

"They better," Kahli replied as the man drew close. "I walked through the front door and asked nicely for everything they had." After a beat the Umbaran's pale gaze turned to Tulan. "You did not. So, are you heading the same way I am? I don't feel like waiting for the law abiding officers to figure it out and complicate what should be a simple matter. You?"

A slow draw and exhale of smoke followed her question. Man was free to come and go as he chose. If he'd managed to discover something of value killing people, perhaps they'd arrived at the same conclusion. Otherwise, if the dead truly had nothing worth saying, this moment in the plaza might be the extent of their effort to 'share.' They might work for the same faction, but that didn't mean they were on the same side. That much was clear after Cyborrea where they killed a source of information because apparently the Jedi couldn't manage to hold their own a little longer. The Captain didn't expect they all even understood the ramification of their decision either. But that was okay. It required far more work than it should have, but Intelligence had gotten what they'd needed. Whether they used it to prevent the Jedi's capture in the future again was still in the air.

"Let's get out of here. We have an Angel to put down." The cigarra was cast aside with a flick.

Of course the situation was a bit more complex than she let on. Minor details about the ties to the government. Nothing that Tulan would probably care to waste time discussing out in the open -- not that Kahli blamed him. Better they were away from prying ears anyway.

 

[Reggie Faayare]

Objective 2
Working with: [member="Griet van Vliet"]

Of cours! Lead the way."

Having access to the room could yield them results with clues, even if they have to be accompanied by the acolyte. Reggie also felt more confident now that he was working beside Griet, someone who's skills and intelligence would make the case easier to solve.

Checking the ledger was a good idea, something that the Padawan wouldn't of thought of on his own. Reggie's plan was to gain an audience within the temple who could answer his questions. This could net them more answers than his method though. Its easy for others to lie when they're hiding something, and hard evidence was needed for this case. He would make sure to follow Griet's lead.