Junction [GA/SO] Convergence — Junction of Naalol and Eiattu 6

[Pal Veda]

Tags: Evy’armi’naken
Location: Nalool
Objective II: On the way to the High Tower


”Now, don’t get me wrong,“ Veda replied, “I’m certainly not suggestin‘ we help them out.“ And boy did they need help. The Sith trooper with his body ripped in half almost seemed to get off easy after seeing what the other beast did to its closest target. A hole through the stomach, guts spilling in both directions, a caved in head from a hoofed foot. “But that’s our path to the tower.“ He took a look around, thinking through alternatives and contingencies. The scout had already confirmed no route to the west, and going east put them back toward the main ground battles already underway.

”There’s too much chaos down there for any situational awareness. We should be able to get pretty close before they see us. Even then, the Imps are too preoccupied to worry about us.“ Veda popped a nic-pouch in his mouth — a nasty habit that gave him a little mix of energy, clarity, and potential future disease. “If we can jam their comms on approach, we can poach the Imps and the beasts before anyone’s the wiser of our presence here.”

He looked over at one of the commandos. Was Taj his name? He couldn’t remember. But he did seem to be the communications expert. “Can you jam their comms from here?”

”Already tried,” he responded. A go-getter, this guy. “There’s so much interference and so many signals, I need to get closer to ensure I’m blocking the right channels. From here, it’s just a guessing game.”

Veda turned back to Yarmin, but was momentarily distracted as one of the gundarks grabbed hold of a trooper’s legs and slammed his body onto its own horned head, impaling him at the stomach. With a violent jerk, the monster ripped the Imperial across the spike, splitting him in half up the thorax until his helmeted head popped off at the end. Better him than us. As his soldier suffered a gruesome death, the Sith finally managed to pull himself together, slicing off two of the beast’s arms with the red blade of his lightsaber, simultaneously injuring and angering the creature. A trooper tossed a frag at the gundark’s feet, and the ensuing explosion took it to the ground. The Sith capitalized and leapt into the air, driving his lightsaber downward through the beast’s skull on his descent. In a desperate fit of rage, the gundark’s last act was to grab the Sith with one of his remaining arms and sling him into a tree before stumbling over and succumbing to the fatal stab to its brain cavity.

“I’ll take Taj down and jam their signal while they’re still focused on the other one. Then the team can move in and take out the scraps, eh?”

Veda motioned for the younger commando, and the two of them progressed quickly down the hillside, keeping an eager eye on the battle continuing to play out in front of them between the remaining gundark and what was left of the Sith and his unit. After about one hundred meters, Taj called for Veda to halt, and he sat his pack on the ground. “Cover me while I set this up.”

”Aye, aye,” the captain responded. He took up a position in front of the soldier and knelt to one knee. He then brought the butt of his weapon to his shoulder and took aim down the sight. “How long will it take?”

”Just another few seconds.” The specialist was hard at work, so Veda knew better than to distract him further.

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

Being a twin, Tansu wasn't unused to being called the wrong name. Often Talin, never Loske.

Blonde, blue-eyed, lean, loud, kind — there were many likenesses shared between mother and her youngest offspring. But Tansu had never been actually mistaken for her mother. It made her stumble.

" Still as chatty as ever, Loske." T

" But you are not exactly Loske now are you!!"

"What?"

This otherworldly horror knew her mom? Tansu grew up listening to stories of her parent's battles, but they were only as real as words could be. Nothing tangible. Little impact. Now, they were flesh. And through all the stories, this could only be one. The outcome of Kyber Dark, where her uncle sacrificed himself — the namesake of her elder brother — and her mom took out a Gen'dai. This couldn't be the same one, could it? But he was..dead? He was supposed to be dead?

"She's my mom.."

That confusion compounded with the swell of foreign feeling through an unseen tether. Hurt, fear, pain, anger. These were feelings that Tansu could recognize, assign names to, but not fully understand. They weren't her own and she'd never felt anything so visceral from their source: Talsin.

"What is this place..."

The sheer force behind his attack was unexpected but effective. Enough to de-limb the massive foe. Disgust quickly replaced Tansu's shock and awe.

"Ew." Tansu squelched, purposefully stepping away from the wriggling mass as it slithered to re-attach. "Ewew."

With one arm down, it felt like they might have the advantage. Her sense of dread abated for the tiniest moment and she clung to the opportunity— as disgusting as it was. Tansu stretched out her free hand and the hilt wedged in her hip holster snapped to her touch. She kept her blaster's aim trained at the Gend'ai's lower half, and reconciled with herself that if she used her lightsaber on an arm and prevented it from reassembling with its host, that wasn't outright killing. She wasn't brandishing her blade with the intent to kill.

And yet you have much to learn about your hate."

Yellow ignited with a snap hiss and spun downward, searing through the stretching tendrils meant to reattach to the origin body. The movement sent another trill of pain through the fresh wound between her shoulder blades, but she could grimace through it. She had to. She couldn't let Talsin do all the work.

____________________________________________________________
Mr. Hate | Talsin Lota
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Jhyrack]

Aris Noble Zaiya Ceti

In the darkness, as the nightmares snapped at their trail, one other thing would follow them. Another memory to stay with them.

Laughter.

Not a pleasant melodic tone. A crazed bellow. Red light occasionally filtered up the caverns after them, along with the shrieks of the dying.

And the mad shouts of a monster who had finally found a terror that could strike his heart and was enjoying every moment.

 

[Darth Athora]

Objective II

-
​

Despite being the Lady of Storms, even holding a violent storm in her blood, Darth Athora was not quick to anger. If she were, her sword would already had pierced his chest. As the last ghoul fell, Athora sliced through the air with her blade, sending most of the blood on it off into the distance. She glared at the scrawny man. Unsure of who or what it was, she approached the situation caustiously. She let him speak and he spoke alot.

"I am with the Sith Order. You seem ... capable enough." She returned her blade to it's scabbard. "You are an unknown factor in this operation. I'm going to need you to remain in my sight until it's completion. Should you try and leave, I will relieve your head from your shoulders. I must ask that you state that you understand before we can continue."

She had to establish her authority early. Unknown forces have a tendency to turn into disturbances and roadblocks. If she were able to get a handle on it early, she could prevent any mishaps in the future. Hopefully.

Avel Som​

 

[Aris Noble]

Everything was still ringing for Aris. His ears, his head. Was it a concussion? Maybe. It was already clearing, like all the other wounds, but it was the major reason he was having trouble focusing on what was going on. The Sithspawn, they were back. Different ones. Scavengers, perhaps? He could barely hear the fighting behind him. He could barely hear Zaiya as he stumbled along with her.

The hiss of his mask as it sealed around his head had him blink, though. Everything that was already muffled went mute as he gazed about. The sudden flash still stung his eyes, even with the visor made to protect them, but at least he wasn't blinded. He lifted up the object given though, flashing it at the creatures. They didn't like the light.

Handy. If only he could use the Light as his father did. He leaned heavily on Zaiya as they started to rush, though each moment less and less of his weight would be on her. He needed to heal faster. Grant it, he was already healing well beyond what people should be capable of, but he still needed to be faster. They needed to get out.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Matthew of Valendale]

TAGS: Zaiya Ceti Aris Noble ​

A sound, deep and resonant like the slow, powerful beat of a languid heart, reverberated overhead. Several large silhouettes descended from the skyline, their forms cutting through the clouds with a purposeful grace. Someone had picked up on Zaiya's location. Five massive beasts, resembling colossal long-necked lizards with whip-like tails and expansive wings, began their descent. These creatures were adorned in gleaming armor, their scales glinting under the light as they landed with a thunderous impact. Each bore an armored knight atop, the riders' figures imposing against the backdrop of the sky.

Before the first silvery-white war mount had fully touched down, a tall, feather winged man dismounted with a fluid motion, already striding towards them. Close on his heels was a second figure, cloaked in a vermillion cape, with a black tabard billowing as he moved. Their presence was unmistakably friendly, their purpose clear: they were here to protect.

In short order, Aris and Zaiya were swiftly gathered up and placed on one of the majestic flying mounts. The ascent was very likely, unlike anything they had experienced before, the sensation far different from the mechanical liftoff of an airship. Wrapped in the winged man's vermillion cloak and draped in a heavy velvet mantle to keep them warm, they soared into the sky, the world below shrinking as they were escorted to safety. The rhythm of the wingbeats, powerful and steady, became like a soft lullaby as they made their passage back to safety, leaving the chaos of the ground far behind.

They would be brought to a white and gold colored ship and given medical attention.

 

[Avel Som]

---

"I am with the Sith Order. You seem ... capable enough." She returned her blade to it's scabbard. "You are an unknown factor in this operation. I'm going to need you to remain in my sight until it's completion. Should you try and leave, I will relieve your head from your shoulders. I must ask that you state that you understand before we can continue."

Avel Som let out a burst of laughter so hard that tears began forming in his eyes, which was a first for him. "Well met, but maybe a 'please' would work better than a threat. Especially a physical one." He grinned. "You'll only find they have absolutely no sway over me." He shrugged his shoulders. "Keep an eye on you if you wish, though it might be difficult to watch both of us." He pointed his thumb at Darkwing. "Still, I understand the wariness. I look a bit unusual, and I don't generally trust people either. But you Sith Order folk seem all right to me."

Stowing his weapons, he stretched and turned to the door leading further inside the Tower. "What is this place anyway? I wasn't really told much, that the pests needed to be cleared out. An easy enough job. Can't help but be a little bit curious though. These creatures feel oddly familiar..." He turned to look at the Sith woman. "And since we're newly acquainted and all, mind if I get your name. I did introduce us, after all."

---

TAGS: OPEN
Darth Athora ​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Naalol - The Veil
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Allies: Aris Noble
Enemies: Jhyrack

-

Winged mounts? That had been another shock to see, much less, be used to be extracted out by armored riders. Not the sort of extraction Zaiya expected, but at this point, she was just glad for them. It would be something to gush about in safety afterward. She'd never ridden a flying mount before.

Everything else was a blur -- just a whirlwind of panic and fear that left Zaiya's heart racing and her mind spiraling. By the time she and Aris managed to be extracted by Matthew of Valendale and brought to the ship, all she could focus on was Aris, her entire world narrowing to his injuries. . Zaiya's fingers quickly found the deactivation switch for his light cuff, and she powered down his helm to see his face. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight -- dried blood caked in several spots, marring the face she never imagined could truly be hurt.

"I know you can heal fast, but that doesn't mean you'll heal well," she fussed, trying to sound stern but failing to hide the tremor in her voice. Broken bones, internal injuries -- those couldn't be ignored or rushed. Her hands fluttered anxiously over his face, checking every bruise and scrape. Her skin, normally a vibrant mix of soft colors, shifted into muted yellows and stormy greys, broadcasting her alarm and worry like an emotional canvas.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice laced with guilt. "I shouldn't have left you alone." The words slipped out, even if they were illogical, tinged with regret, as she closed her eyes and reached for the Force. It flowed through her, gentle and steady, as she tried to sense any deeper injuries hidden beneath the surface. She couldn't help the ache in her chest -- seeing him like this, vulnerable and hurt, was something she never thought she'd face.

But she couldn't let that fear take over. She had to focus. Her colors flickered, trying to hold steady, but the fear still bled through in pale, anxious shades.

"I should have protected you better." Her mind raced with what could have been done different. What would have helped?

 

[Evy’armi’naken]

Tags: Pal Veda
Location: NAALOL
Objective 2: The High Tower

Spoiler: “Equipment”

• REC/STA-01 Advanced Commando Armor; Series One​
• REC-DC/03 Modular Particle Blaster Rifle; Viperwasp Pattern​

“Sir?” the scout said. Yarmin raised a closed fist, keeping his free hand on the trigger while his rifle’s bipod supported the weight of the weapon. “Hold it…” the Chiss instructed. The last gundark was enraged by the death of its kin, pushing it into an impossible bloodlust. It barreled toward one of the Imperials, taking bolt after bolt of red-hot plasma to its face and chest but pushing onward as if the man were only throwing rocks. It grabbed him by his ankles and slammed him into the rocky earth with incredible force, spattering him through shattered duraplast. “Sir?”

“Hold it,” Yarmin repeated. “Let it finish off that acolyte.” The scout beside him shook his head but kept any verbal remarks to himself. Lieutenant Evy’armi’naken, the proverbial Ghost of Csilla, had proven to his team time and time again that his tactics were sound and worth trusting, even when they seemed impractical. And just as he predicted, the gundark had saved the Sith for last. The two traded blows, and for a moment it looked as if the crimson-bladed warrior might have the upper hand - but just like his troopers, he was overpowered by the demon’s unnatural strength.

When the beast snapped his head to face Pal Veda and Taj, with the bloodied Sith head crushed in its snarling jaw, Yarmin gave the order. “Fire! Take its arms!” From behind, Captain Veda would see a pair of bright green particle beams arc toward the gundark, one aimed for its front arms and the other at the beast’s throat. They collided with its flesh in a horrifying burst of hot plasma that disintegrated through its hide. The gundark collapsed mid-sprint, falling into the dust and sliding toward the pair of men. It came to a halt just meters away, smoke and the smell of charred flesh filling the air.

In its death throes, the jawless demon clawed with its smaller lower arms toward Pal and Taj. All they had to do was put it down.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Don't-"

Aris groaned softly. Everything was a blur for him. A dragon came to rescue them, it seemed? His eyes still hadn't fully recovered from he flash, but now that they were safe, that he was able to see where they were, who they were with, he could at least relax. Matthew of Valendale was one of the Jedi his mother trusted. There was no reason to not trust him in turn.

But now that he looked at Zaiya, the worry on her face, how she blamed herself, he frowned. He pushed himself upright, grimacing only a little as he did. "We needed help, and he wanted to fight me. He ignored you, and you were able to get help. That's what matters." They were safe. His wounds were already vastly healed beyond where they should've been. Broken bones and open cuts were now just places of soreness and discomfort. He forced a smile, regardless.

"We'll get stronger."

Zaiya Ceti | Matthew of Valendale

 

[Efret Farr]

OBJECTIVE: I

Efret bowed her head in deference.

"Of course," she replied. "My meaning was that you don't need to involve yourself in the politics and philosophy..." she nodded again, "...unless you want to. I know of a few Shadows both personally and by reputation who favor wholesale destruction of the kind of artifacts my team and I hope to recover." A deep sigh escaped through her nose. "If some of them visit us here, I hope they are only argumentative, but, should they become violent, you and your Legionnaires will of course be within your duties to assist with de-escalation.

"I only mention the possibility because a group of other Jedi and I were attacked a few months ago by a former colleague of mine. Are you familiar with The Lightsworn? The loss of Tython to the Dark Empire radicalized some members of the Order and has driven this group to troubling militarization. My former colleague has allied himself with this movement. I don't want to baselessly suspect other Jedi of doing the same; I only want to acknowledge and share the general risk."

Noah Corek​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Naalol - The Veil
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Allies: Aris Noble

-

Seeing Aris like this still made Zaiya's heart ache, no matter how much he tried to reassure her. He always seemed to have the right words to pull her out of the anxiety-driven whirlwind she often found herself spinning into.

He was right -- calling for help was important. Training to get better was important. It was something she could focus on, something positive to hold on to.

With a heavy exhale, Zaiya clasped his face between her hands, her skin shimmering in a confusing medley of shifting ombre hues, a reflection of the swirl of emotions inside her. She brushed her thumbs gently against his cheeks, her touch tender and full of concern. Slowly, she brought her face closer, until her forehead rested against his. She closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down, to take a deep breath.

"You're right," she murmured, her breath warm against his skin. The gentle pressure of her forehead against his was a silent plea for reassurance, for the comfort of knowing he was okay.

"We'll get stronger," she promised, the words more for herself than anyone else.

 

[Pal Veda]

Tags: Evy’armi’naken
Location: Nalool
Objective II: On the way to the High Tower

The mutated gundark taking out the Sith warrior before attacking it was critical to the plan. And take out the Sith warrior, it did — it bit his head clean off his body. Veda’s eyes connected with the beast’s own glowing red orbs as it honed in on him and Taj, the recently deceased’s brain becoming mush in its mouth. Then it charged.

Yarmin and his men had Veda covered. Before he could get off a shot, the lead commando and his troops lit the beast up with the fanciest weapons the Alliance had, burning through the gundark’s thick, hairy hide. It came crashing down in front of Veda and Taj. The younger soldier quickly moved in reverse, creating distance between himself and the monster while keeping his gun trained forward.

The ole outlaw took a different approach. Veda slung the flachette launcher over his shoulder, keeping it joined to his body via a single point sling attached just forward of the butt. He then drew the vibroknife from the sheath on his belt and plunged it directly through the top of the gundark’s skull, finishing it off instantly. Was that pretty risky — nay, irresponsible — of him to throw his gun aside for a knife kill? Maybe. Did it look cool as hell? Yes, it very much did.

Veda held a thumbs up signal to Yarmin, then turned his attention to Taj. “We should be clear, but can’t hurt to make sure there’s no radio chatter about this.”

”On it.”

While Veda waited on Yarmin and the others to join them, he tried carving off the gundark’s horns with his knife. Who knows, these could be worth something to someone.

 

[Jarek Voss]

TAGS: Darth Strosius , Jonyna Si​

---

Jarek opened his eyes, and slowly lifted himself up. Trying to focus his eyes, everything seemed distant, and echoed. Thankfully, he had no major injuries, as he patted himself down. The young acolyte looked ahead, spotting the Lord Inquisitor and the Jedi dueling. Their movements precise, with such elegance and speed. Jarek watched as the Jedi locked her saber with Strosius's sword, and leaped over him.

What happened next was something Jarek could not explain.

His body began to move on its own. Instinct? He did not know. His eyes locked on the Jedi. He called upon the Dark Side, augmenting his body to run faster. Sound of the battle around him faded away, only his breathing filled his senses. Everything around him moving in slow motion. Sweat began to drip down his cheek as he strained, trying to push beyond his limits. He swung out his left arm, palm open, to call his yellow training saber to him. The lightsaber landed in his open hand as he leapt forward with the aid of the Dark Side, activating his blade, and bringing it between the Lord Inquisitor and the Jedi, trying to block her katana. Looking up towards her, his eyes filled with the fiery rage of the Dark Side. His hate and rage became a hurrican inside him knowing he was a mere acolyte among Masters. He lifted his right hand towards the Jedi, while still trying to block the attack with his saber in his left hand. He mustered every ounce of strength he had left. He called upon the Dark Side, sweat dripping from him like venom from a viper. His hand shaking as he pointed his palm directly towards the Jedi. Jarek yelled out as he rage burst forth, and did what he thought he could only do.

Jarek put everything he had into a Force push towards the Jedi.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris blinked in surprise. It was rare for him to show that level of emotion, but it was full on surprise that etched his features. He didn't move, didn't even breath as Zaiya rested her forehead to his. It took a full on few seconds for him to process before surprise gave way to a gentle smile. He must look pretty beat to hell for her to be this concerned over him.

His arms stayed limp by his sides. He could feel they were at least healed enough for him to properly move them, but he wasn't really sure what to do with them.

"Yeah. We will."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Evy’armi’naken]

Tags: Pal Veda
Location: NAALOL
Objective 2: The High Tower

Spoiler: “Equipment”

• REC/STA-01 Advanced Commando Armor; Series One​
• REC-DC/03 Modular Particle Blaster Rifle; Viperwasp Pattern​

The lieutenant's lips quirked into a smirk when Veda finished off the demon. Yarmin wasn't one to show emotion, but even the cold-blooded Chiss had to admit he was impressed. It was too bad the Alliance didn't make more of an effort to contract guns for hire. Several fights came to mind where a soldier like Pal Veda would have been preferable to greenhorns he often commanded.

When he got down to Taj and Pal, he offered both a fist bump. Yarmin's crimson eyes looked over the grisly scene with pride, then fixed on the comms officer. "Any chatter?" Taj shook his head. "Comms are busy, but nothing about our friends here." Another distant roar mixed with the ambient sounds of blasterfire, explosions, and overhead starships, all far away but audible. There was no forgetting they were in a warzone, even in moments of calm such as this. Yarming glanced to Pal as he sawed at the gundark's horns and chuckled to himself.

"Indebe noma ingcebo?" the Chiss asked in Sy Bisti, curious to see if the captain knew his people's trade tongue. He knew Pal Veda's type, but whether the man wanted to mount the demon's horns or pawn them wasn't clear at first glance.

 

[Pal Veda]

Tags: Evy’armi’naken
Location: Naalol
Objective 2: Finally get to the High Tower! Then what?

“We’ll see,” Veda replied with a sly grin, tucking the horns into his pack. He recognized very few words in Sy Bisti, but treasure was one of them. He was smart enough to figure out the gist from there.

The chaotic sounds of war combined with the unnatural sounds of supernatural beasts reminded the captain that they had to get moving again. He sheathed his knife and shouldered his firearm, falling into formation with the rest of the squad. The High Tower was visible ahead, maybe another kilometer.

The two scouts returned to the front, embracing the forward position. Two more dropped to the rear, keeping the six o’clock position clear. The rest of the group continued onward, eyes scanning for signs of danger or ambush. Being such a small team, they were able to move speedily through the remaining hills to the base of the High Tower. They held in cover to regroup.

By now, the outer wall of the fortress had sustained a bit of damage, offering multiple spots for the squadron to breach the barrier unnoticed. The sounds of blasterfire and roaring sithspawn inside sounded less than welcoming, but the terrible screeches from the giant scavenging birds flying overhead weren’t exactly encouraging either.

Time to take the tower.

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Objective: Capture the Citadel
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Robes
Tags: Jarek Voss / Jonyna Si

His lightsaber was locked against one of her blades in turn but Darth Strosius was confident that his sword would strike true, a confidence that quickly boiled into frustrated anger as she launched herself into the air and right over the stabbing sword. There was no time wasted as he pulled his sword back and lashed out to his side in an attempt to strike her again before she found her footing behind him and took advantage of being on his flank, however the sound of lightning overhead made him hesitate for just a moment.

A moment that let her land without issue with a deadly blade now at his back. A slew of muttered and hissed curses escaped underneath his breath as he prepared for a deep slash in his back, hopefully one that wouldn't hinder his movement too much against such an agile opponent, but it didn't come. Instead out of the corner of his eye he saw the training blade of the Acolyte just barely catch the katana in time before it could land its blow. It wouldn't hold for long in such inexperienced hands but all the masked man would need was that moment to move.

"Hah! That academy does teach some valuable skills after all!" The Lord Inquisitor shifted and spun himself around to face the Jedi once more, bringing his sword to bear in a slash against the Jedi's arm which was holding the blade that kept his lightsaber locked down. Once he was free to engage as he pleased he could take the attention off of the Acolyte, letting him stay in forefront of the Jedi's attention and attacks. No sense in wasting the youth on one enemy after all.

 

[Jonyna Si]

Attacking: Darth Strosius Jarek Voss

Her attack blocked by a simple training saber.

Maybe she was off her game.

But then came a simultaneous attack. A push, and a slash. This apprentice had a lot to learn.

Jonyna rode the push, letting it wash over here and throw her seemingly like a ragdoll backward, into the air...

Then she exploded. Her feet, her back, all burst with flame. The sword had missed her, but she wouldn't miss this time.

She needed to isolate them. Sheathing Liz, she switched blades and aimed right for Jarek Voss as she re-engaged, rocketing towards the boy, ready to slash at him with the blade that had won her many a battle against Inquisitors. Outside of his use of the dark side, this one didn't feel much more of a threat than one.

But she needed to distract the other one. The Sith Lord.

A crack of lightning aimed right at his sword should do the trick.

 

[Evy’armi’naken]

Tags: Pal Veda
Location: NAALOL
Objective 2: The High Tower

Spoiler: “Equipment”

• REC/STA-01 Advanced Commando Armor; Series One​
• REC-DC/03 Modular Particle Blaster Rifle; Viperwasp Pattern​

"Hope you're not afraid of heights, Captain Veda," the lieutenant teased. He handed Pal a grappling gun and pointed to a spot about one-third of the way up the tower face. It was the remnants of a bartizan where a Sith blaster emplacement was before the structure was hit by one of the GA's bombers, by the looks of the blackened stone. "That's our ingress," Yarmin said. He and the rest of the commandos formed a staggered line to allow each of them to fire their hooks into the edge of the bartizan's opening at once, meaning no man should be left on the ground.

Taj was on point, followed by another commando, then Yarmin. The rest, including Pal, would come after. The ascent was straightforward in terms of the climb itself, but every moment that passed without a gunner in the bartizan made Yarmin nervous. The last thing they needed was a kill-greedy Imperial unloading an E-Web onto their heads.

"Keep moving," the lieutenant's voice commanded over comms. "Almost there." The team was finally a comfortable distance from the exposed tower chamber when Yarmin's worst fear became a sudden reality. "HUG THE WALL!" the Chiss shouted as a Sith trooper emerged from over the ledge above. He began raining down blaster fire from a new emplacement. Taj was quick enough to flatten himself just below the arc of blaster bolts, but the commando between him and Yarmin was not so lucky. Hot plasma melted through his gauntlets and chest plate, knocking the trooper from his cord and sending him screaming into the dust below. "Feth!" another commando yelled. "Take the shot!" a second ordered. "Anyone, take the fething shot!"