Campaign Flight of the Sirocco

[Jared Starchaser]

The wind in his hair was a great feeling. There was something about moving vehicles that he just really preferred. Maybe if he wasn't born into a paramilitary Jedi family, he'd have chosen a more enjoyable life. Something that wasn't always pitting him against other beings in combat. Maybe in intellect, raising airspeeders, or skyhoppers back on Corellia? Maybe visit Mirial more often and race there too. But here? There were things out here hunting them.

They needed to get inside. Keeping up with Kinsey was no easy trick. Hopper kept beeping, looking and searching the skies. As they found the structure, and he was watching Kinsey move quicker, the Warden reached for his lightsaber's holster on his belt. A quick unsnap of the button, in case he needed to pull it up in a hurry. Definitely preferred that weapon over his blaster, as of late.

As Kinsey saw the entrance, Jared kept on her tail. Taking the swoop into a sliding stop, the Warden stepped off quickly once he got to a speed that it was safe too. Hopper following suit. "Yeah, Hopper, says he's not finding any signals. What is this world…" His splitsaber was already in hand as he continued to walk. His ExCon Suit had a lot of bells and whistles, and he was using what he could, including powering up the Echani shield, though preferring a headlamp like Kinsey.

An interest in the speeders was piqued. They might have the parts they were looking for, but now there was the general mystery of what this place was.

"I mean, fortune favors the bold, and all?" He'd go up, even if he was flying solo.

Cato Fett Kinsey Starchaser
Delila Castillon

 

[Cato Fett]

Following after Jared, Cato coasted the Starhawk through the mouth of the hangar bay on a whisper of thrust and tapped the aerial brakes, virtually heeling the swoop to full stop. The muddy power-plant shunted off, leaving the bike to mutter and clack as its repulsor block, power converter, and heat exchangers cycled over to cool. He waited until Delila's weight at his back shifted before rolling off the machine to his feet and grabbing at his stowed weaponry, unfolding the compound bow into shape and knocking a black-fletched, spade-head arrow to the shimmering bowstring.

"Hhgnn..." Cato grunted.

There was an odour on the air, some tainted scent that hadn't dispersed. Now that they'd slowed and come to a park within the hangar space, it seemed to float between motes of drifting and capering dust particles wheeling past the glare of installed overhead glow-lamps. It smelled of powerful disinfectants and chemical obliterant, with a sharp nasal after-taste that burned the back of his throat. Cato sniffed involuntarily, trying not to spit out the biting tang in his mouth. He strode over to the pair of aged speeders nestled aside in a corner of the hanger and began running a hunting eye across their dust-strewn bonnets.

"Hmmn. Pared down models," Cato noted aloud. He rubbed a wrist-cuff against a cabin window and canted his visor down to better peer in. "Nothing but bog-standard instruments, steering, and comm-unit consoles. Interior's been stripped of everything that might add unnecessary weight. Aggressive turbo-engines, after-market repulsorlift units, portable shield generator unit, looks like something out of a good surplus shop. ...Spast, even the bodywork's been replaced with carbon-fibre moulds. But no onboard weaponry, no turrets or pintle-mounts. I've only seen mercs or serious racing enthusiasts with these types of speeders.

"...So why are a pair of expensive air-speeders being left here to rot? What is this place?"

Jared Starchaser Kinsey Starchaser Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila appreciated being on the ground. Blaster rifle was in hand, looking around the canyon as talk settled on the speeders. She didn't have a desire to look them over, but relied on what the others were saying. Having grew up in a junkyard, there were a few things she knew. Or could at least guess at when it came to mechanical workings.

"Patrol speeders or security speeders. That model must have a great engine. Use the engine, toss the bloat."

Her back was still to the speeders, to the three others. Blaster rifle was raised, a blue-green eye looking through the scope. She was using it to look around, to focus in on the finer details of the area. Fine brow raised a little and she dropped the blaster rifle a hair as if she couldn't believe what was she saw through her scope. Blaster raised again and she peered through before dropping the blaster rifle once more.

"We're being watched by the way. I've spotted two cameras in this canyon. Unsure if they are active but if the speeders are any indication....I would say we are not alone. I would assume there are motion sensors and other detection equipment up ahead. No sign of sentient life."

Jared Starchaser Cato Fett Kinsey Starchaser​

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Kins lofted a light blond-brown brow at Cato and his bow. For a moment, he reminded the spacer of a Ranger from the stories of old. The girl followed her cousin into the lift.

"Might as well go introduce ourselves if we're being watched," she commented quietly.

She missed Pibs. Her pebbledrone was back on the larger ship. That little droid would've done them good with recon. At least her cousin had Hopper. With a click of her fingers, she powered up her ion wrist shield. Blaster easily sliding into her other palm.

"You guys coming?"

She wouldn't wait too long before hitting the button to take them all up.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Looking to Cato as he got the explanation of the speeders. Jared turned his head. "That sounds like they're smugglers. Maybe not thinking they're going to be fighting, a weird way in this galaxy." That was a bit of a meta comment, but it was true. Even his Haulcraft had paired down its weapons to allow for more shields and speed. As the Mandalorian said mercs or racers. Probably not the latter.

And as for being watched? Well, it was good practice to always feel that way.

It wasn't like they had a rescue party waiting for them. The small crew back on the Sirocco were waiting for them. But the group he had here were Levants. That meant they were explorers, or at least curious enough to see what reward the next challenge could bring them. And that was about where they were going. Jared made sure a hand was on his lightsaber, the crystal one he found during his Force instruction, while his father was still in carbonite, but the casing? So many odds and ends pieces. Mostly function, and some form, representing Corellia and Csillia. It was telling the story of him.

"Lets get moving."

He stepped in and seeing that Kinsey had the pistol, and not a lightsaber, he took a step in front of her. With the others gathering in how they felt safest. He watched the lift go up, feeling each floor until there was the telltale ding of arrival, a door opening, and a rush of blaster fire.

He didn't expect it right away, not feeling intent of organics. Turrets and what seemed to be cobbled-together combat droids. CIS surplus? He wasn't sure. Some were missing parts, an arm here, an optic there. And the smell of the room… had something, someone, died in here? His first goal was to use his green blade to reflect blaster bolts back to where they came, or at least away from Kinsey and the team.

"Hopper. Can you find something to disable them?" Those turrets were in prime repair.

Cato Fett Delila Castillon
Kinsey Starchaser

 

[Cato Fett]

The confines of the turbolift car was rapidly filling with the smell of ozone and cooked panelling. Cato blinked against a ricochet blast-bolt that careened off a car wall and struck a glow-strip in the turbolift ceiling, getting doused with a brief flash-curtain of sparks, melted plastics, and electrical slag. The car itself had precious little in the way of cover; he was forced in against the door jamb, angled side-long to reduce his physical profile, occasionally whipping an arm out and firing a shink!-shink!-shink! burst of shaken-discs from his gauntlet launcher. He watched one disc embed into a plodding droid's clutch of photoreceptor lenses. Another struck through a droid's slender throat-column and left it decapitated.

As Jared filed out, effecting a swirling blade-wall to deflect and redirect incoming fire, Cato followed and began fanning out to the right. Now there was space to bring his bow to bear. With a curt wrist-flick, the swept wing-arms of the compound hunting bow snapped and locked back into functional place, pulling the drawstring taut. Between Jared's saber strokes, he fired back. Long wroshyr-wood shafts, tipped with gleaming anti-armor spade arrowpoints, fletched in black, shot and skewered through enemy droids. He aimed for their on-board power-plants and battery cages, the bowstring now thrumming.

"How fast can your droid work - ?" Cato called at Jared. "If those turrets get the notion to focus fire, they'll shred us apart!"

Jared Starchaser Kinsey Starchaser Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

If Delila had the time in the moment,she would have stopped to be impressed by the skills the Mando was presenting. It seemed unlike others of his ilk, the man actually had skills and put them to use. In her eyes, most of the Mandalorians were all armor, no real skill. Meaning it was all for show, just sitting pretty and unscathed. If they survived the planet, she had half a mind to ask for lessons with his wooden weapons. Partially for fun, partially to improve her own skills.

Surprising to see such old droids in good repair. Yet she didn't linger on not destroying them. Blaster rifle focused fire on those new, shiny turrets that someone had clearly repaired and upkept. Dells used Cato as a bit of cover, behind him off to his side as he worked with his wooden weapons. Rapid fire from the rifle, quickly firing off several shots directed towards one side of the turret.

She managed to disable one side, focus went to the next.

"I hope that droid has a plan! Getting a little dicey in here."

It was the cramped hallway creating the issue. If it had been open space they could have scattered and distracted the CIS droids more. Being practically on top of one another meant they were all in high danger of getting injured.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

As Delila Castillon peeled off with Robin Schmood, Kinsey backed up her cousin, letting him act as a powerhouse and veritable shield in front of his with his fancy swirling saber skills. Her energy wrist shield hummed to life, it's circular, soft blue glow catching a few errant bolts that managed to sneak through Jared's wall of protection.

Precise shots on droid's power circuits caused a handful to spark and sizzle, falling to the ground in a lifeless hulk of metal and circuits as Kinsey fired from her raised blaster.

At least Delila got part of that turret out. Was saving them all from becoming roasty and toasty. There was a hiss from a door behind them and to the right. Something that had been hidden in the wall that they'd passed from earlier.

"Oh chit," Kinsey turned and threw up a force barrier as two battle droids spilled out. Covering their rear and hoping she wouldn't get shot in the back. Sandy-brows pinched in concentration.

"Could...use....a...hand," she grit out as her barrier absorbed the bolts those droids fired toward them.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Starchasers came from Jedi, that much they couldn’t avoid, and tended to embrace the light side, especially for the lightsabers, but it wasn’t all that they were. Many had been around the galaxy as explorers, and through that, learning different paths, and skills. Jared was… unfortunately not that one. He was good with his lightsaber and technology, though, and the droid was moving.

As Cato stepped up and began using his weapon, seeming to understand the goal of Jared’s move, shield-and-spear approach, the Mirialan was watching the incoming bolts, and saw the turret. Pulling one of the combat droids guns from their hands, he at least had that. And with Delila and Kinsey here?

They may make it out of this. As the droid moved, Jared had to move quickly. Using the Force, he was doing his best to keep the other turret from turning to them while the rest would fight, but as heard Kinssy call out, he looked to her, the moment allowing the turret, rusty and unaligned as it was, to move.

“Got you!” Jared called as he reached out in the Force, lending his skills and practiced barrier to bubble over them, but this amount of energy? It was a lot. And the strain in his voice, and demeanor was obvious.

“Any time, Hopper!” He called out as the droid was plugging in. A few seconds too long and they’d be cooked, but the lights on the turrets, and most of the control consoles, flickered and died. And if anyone was looking up? Those turrets finished their realignment on the lift’s door.

“Nice timing. Faster, next time?” He looked to his droid, then the team.

Cato Fett Delila Castillon Kinsey Starchaser