Dominion Hutt Thugs and Worm People and Waterfalls, oh my! [SJC Dominion of Chroma-Zed/Shador Hex]

[Inara Basai]

Objective: 2
Team: Mathieu Brion , Cadere , Beltran Rarr

Many of the slaves huddled together, tight groups that were frightened. However, Inara's appearance wasn't terribly threatening, and after some kind words of urgent encouragement, they began to listen to the ranger medic.

“Please,” she said, her voice soft.

When the first group moved to follower her, more took notice and followed suit. She swept the pits with a sharp gaze, looking for anyone injured or unable to move, but she found no one left behind. And it was at that point that Lieutenant Rarr's voice came over the comm, his voice even toned, calm, even.

“They are ready to move now, sir, ” she answered quickly as she directed the group of slaves to duck behind some cover that was closest to the catwalk. As far as she could see, there were no exits positioned at her level within the pits.

Then, she turned sharply as some of the Chromans began to wail in pain as they dove for the cover of stacked crates. Her eyes shifted to the source – above them on the catwalk. But the weapon ceased when Mathieu sprang to action. Eyes open wide, the events seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Inara could see Cas and Beltran bravely facing down their enemies, keeping the slavers busy so that she and the slaves could move as quickly and safely as possible. And Mathieu's tall form stood out to her, she'd seen him fight before – an impressive sight. But her heart nearly stopped when she saw a spray of red, and then Mathieu went down.

“No!” She yelled, and immediately began to scramble up the crates and onto the catwalk. Her own blaster was now in hand, and she fired in time to disable the Trandoshan – hitting his wrist with a few red bolts. His weapon dropped down into the pits, and he would be left to the mercy (or lack thereof) of Lieutenant Rarr and Cas.

Crouching, she made her way over to where Mathieu lay unconscious. She'd need her fellow ranger and Jedi companion to keep the enemies off them.

Quickly, she pulled out her medical scanner and began to assess the injury. A bright blossom of red was visible soaking the front of his tunic. With a pair of small scissors, she cut the fabric away to reveal a bullet wound to the shoulder. Breaking her field kit open for the first time, she grabbed gauze and placed it over the wound along with the steady pressure of her left hand to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, it did not appear that any of the arterial structures had been severely damaged – or else he'd be bleeding out rapidly.

Working fast, she jabbed him with an injection of bacta and an IV drip of PlasVol to replace what had been lost – enough to keep him stable until they could get him to a medical facility. “Mathieu,” she said. “Mathieu – can you hear me?”

 

[Cadere]

Objective 2
The Gang: Mathieu Brion Inara Basai Beltran Rarr

Beltran and the Wookiee, thankfully, had Cas’ back. As the young Knight dealt with standard slaver infantry, the Wookiee aided him by taking out the tougher looking opponents which allowed Cas to remain focused on thinning out the other numbers.

With the trio beginning to lower the amount of hostiles in the area, Cas focused most of his attention on taking out the remaining ones by either disarming them or, quite literally, disarming them. He was so focused that he neglected to realise that back on the catwalk the Trandoshan, the Weequay and Twi’lek has arrived, only realising when he heard the Trandoshan’s sonic rifle blare. Whipping his head round as he deflected a stray blaster bolt from one of the lesser slavers, he saw the Trandoshan attacking Beltran.

Unleashing a small telekinetic push on the small group of remaining slavers ahead of him, he turned round to go help out Beltran “You can handle these guys, right?” he quickly asked prompting the Wookiee to let an affirmative howl, Cas understood enough Shyriiwook to know that meant ‘yes’. Gripping his lightsaber’s hilt tight enough that the knuckles of his flesh hand whitened, the Jedi Knight rushed back to Beltran and on his way over, he saw Mathieu climb up to the catwalk and take out the Weequay and Twi’lek, although he witnessed the Trandoshan swivel round and blast his friend with her concussion rifle.

“MAT!” Cas yelled out in terror, enraged, the Kiffar propelled himself upward with the Force and as Inara emerged and disarmed the Trandoshan, Cas instantaneously extended his arm and used the Force to violently pull the reptile-like alien toward him and away from Mathieu and Inara. Landing in front of her as she barrelled toward him, landing on her back, Cas raised his yellow lightsaber ready to plunge it through her... then he came to his senses, this wasn’t the Jedi way at all. Extinguishing his blade, Cas held his arm out toward the Trandoshan, and with the Force constricted her movements before levitating her into the air, Cas swatted her over to Beltran’s feet. “She’s all yours.” he said coldly.

Rushing onto the catwalk and over to Mat, he crouched down next to Inara - “Brion, you moron what were you thinking?!” he exclaimed to his unconscious friend, wondering if this is how Sakadi felt whenever he put himself at great risk like this. Cas turned his head to face Inara with a concerned and pleading look “How bad is it? He gonna be okay?” he asked.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Chroma-Zed, mountain region
Objective: Objective 2: Kill the slavers, save the slaves
Allies: Mathieu Brion , Inara Basai , Cadere , other SJC personnel
Enemies: Hutt Cartel
Loadout:

• Armor: Katarn Mk. II Combat Armor
• Clothing: Katarn Undersuit
• Primary Weapons: "Fate" Variable Strength Assault Blaster Rifle
• Secondary Weapons: Death-Dealer Handcannon (drop holster, right hip - loaded with Sith-Killer Ammunition), Lightsaber (clipped to waist), Beskar Sword (back scabbard), Wrist Mounted Blaster (right wrist), Tactical Vibroblade (right boot)

What most individuals didn't realize, was that combat was a fluid atmosphere. Things changed quickly, sometimes in the span of a few seconds. A lucky shot here, an unfortunately misstep there and all of a sudden the fortunes of war were in favor of the other party. Something Beltran had always been good at, was situational awareness. He could take in the situation quickly and make, reasonably accurate, predictions as to what would happen next.

So when the Weequay, Twi'lek, and imposing Trandoshan stepped off of the lift and began engaging in the battle, Beltran wasn't surprised. Of course the sudden outbreak of violence in this area would bring others to investigate. As the Trandoshan leveled her sonic rifle at him, he kept his head. He drew the Force to him, using it to strengthen his already powerful body and prepared to leap out of the way of the impending attack. Sonic weapons were no joke, and were particularly hard to counter. Unless you had exceptional cover, even a small bit of the displaced sound waves hitting you could hurt.

Just as he was about to jump, Beltran, he saw the Weequay go flying off the catwalk and Mathieu Brion jump up into his place. "No," Beltran growled over the coms. "You're too close."

He raised his rifle, even as the Trandoshan spun around and fired at the Padawan. Things were moving so fast that even Beltran wasn't sure that he'd be able to fire on the Trandoshan without hitting his ally. Taking a step to the side, Beltran quickly lined up another shot and was prepared to fire when another figure climbed up onto the catwalk, directly behind the Trandoshan.

"Basai," Beltran called over the comlink to the medic, trying not to sound too harsh. "Watch your sight lines, you're in my field of fire." As a Ranger school graduate, Beltran expected more from her than he did the Jedi. But she was young, and the fact that her next move was to disarm the Trandoshan with a series of truly impressive shots, softened the Lorrdian's mood somewhat.

Focusing in one the Trandoshan once more he was about to fire when a flying figure landed on the catwalk. Suddenly his target flew toward the new arrival, Cadere who appeared ready to make the kill. Lowering his weapon's barrel for the third time, Beltran watched as the Jedi prepared to end the being and then faltered. A quick movement of the man's wrist and the Trandoshan slid over to his feet.

“She’s all yours.”

Beltran wasn't exactly sure whether the Jedi Knight intended for him to arrest the Trandoshan, or to make the kill that he apparently wasn't willing to make. It didn't matter much though, as the Lorrdian had no mercy in his heart for slavers. Lowering his rifle, one handed, he fired his weapon several times, burning a hole nearly all the way through the lizard's head.

He then moved quickly over to where the Twi'lek lay and turned the unconscious being over and slapping a set of binders on him. Based on the style of dress, Beltran figured that this was the leader of this group, and thus the best prisoner to take. Once the Twi'lek was tied up, Beltran stood and fired a single stun blast into him, just for good measure.

The battle below was beginning to turn now, as the Wookiee-led slaves were beginning to overwhelm the remaining guards. In addition to the Wookiee's war axe, several of the slaves had taken blasters and other weapons from the downed enemies. Beltran spared Inara Basai a quick glance, just enough to see that she had the situation with Mathieu well in hand before he leapt off the catwalk and joined the slaves in driving back the rest of the guards.

As Beltran suspected, now that the base's leadership was out of commission, much of the fight had gone out of the guards. Most were now in full retreat, and those that held their ground were taken out by expert firing from the Lorrdian. At one point, Beltran found the Weequay who'd been tossed off the catwalk, laying unconscious. A single powerful kick to the being's neck resulted in a satisfying crunch as it's spinal column was severed under the impact.

Finally, when the battle appeared to reached it's conclusion, Beltran asked the Wookiee to round up the slaves so he could arrange a pickup for them. Once air support was on the way, Beltran returned to the catwalk and approached the others. "Is the kid alright?" He asked simply. "I've got med-evac en route."

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Ignore, I'm a dumb.

 

[Mathieu Brion]

O B J E C T I V E . 2

Objective: 2 - Stop slave trading
Group: Inara Basai | Cadere | Beltran Rarr | Mathieu Brion
Idea: The two Jedi and two Rangers will work together to take out one of the bases.

Mathieu remained unconscious.

 

[Inara Basai]

Objective: 2
Team: Mathieu Brion , Cadere , Beltran Rarr

Inara looked to Cas as he knelt next to her, but she wasn't able to offer him anything that resembled a smile. “Don't worry,” she said, offering an encouraging nod instead. “We'll get him through this.”

It was a response, even if not an answer to his question.

Though the bleeding seemed to be under control for the moment, things were still very tense. And there was no way of knowing just how much damage had been done to the tissue and nerves. Things could be mended, yes – via surgical procedures and even the force. But there were quite a lot of moving parts and many factors that would decide whether or not the padawan would have full use of his arm after this.

Discarding the pile of gauze and replacing it, Inara then worked to wrap a bandage in place to keep steady pressure on the wound. The shoulder would need to be stabilized, and she was relieved when the battle on the catwalk dwindled – she could gently place a sling on Mathieu to keep the injured arm close to his body and reduce the risk of further injury.

When Lieutenant Rarr approached, Inara's eyes widened at the sight of his boots back on the catwalk. And she looked up, almost apologetically – she'd made a misstep in front of the officer. She could have made an excuse about being new to all of this, but she said nothing. It would, however, linger in her mind for days to come.

“He will be,” she affirmed, feeling better now knowing that med-evac was on the way. And, glancing back to Cas, she began, “When med-evac arrives, can you bring them to us?” Inara paused to give the bag of PlasVol a small shake as she held it up above Mathieu.

“We'll need a stretcher,” she made sure to add. Given Mathieu's broad form, she didn't want to risk trying to move him as it was.

And as she waited, she had to wonder...

Is this how it was going to be? Watching her friends and colleagues in battle, watching them get injured, watching...

 

[Tarish Galland]

Objective: #KnightPack
With: Naria Cato Harth Risen Senari Gravis Alana Sunrider Fisk Kamer Acaadi

Tarish let the emerald lightning wrap around and through the first body before a blaster bolt hit the outcropping behind him and sprayed the area with debris. His eyes squinted as the green lightning sent another body to the floor and he swung the saber around to begin deflecting bolts. It was still dark as he allowed his senses to slip down further into the force and centered himself. A message came through along the mental connection that Tarish hadn't realized he had tied into.

His eyes opened before he realized the lights had flickered back on, and annoyance set in further as he allowed his senses to gather the feeling of the beacon that Alana had made. Drawn to it, he slowly allowed himself to follow it, keeping the blaster fire deflected as he began to hear people speak. A familiar voice behind him.

Only for the good guys.

"They don't come much better than us huh?" Tarish called back to Fisk Kamer before heading towards the final meeting point. Cato was however, seemingly focused more than usual on Alana, making Tarish shake his head as he kept to the entrance of the tunnel. "Cato, slavers, then smooth moves."

 

[Acaadi]

Knight Pack

Acaadi didn't appreciate being grabbed by the scruff of his neck. All this time building his confidence, feeling ready to become a jedi Knight and the first thing a real Knight does in combat is shove him to the ground and tell him to run.

He nodded, before realising it was too dark for her to see.

"I'll run," he said. Acaadi felt very, very small all of a sudden. So much for that jew confidence. He could hear the bearded one engaging in a fight behind him. Still more bolts flashed his way.

The lightsabers, he realised, they were just shooting at his lightsabers. He deactivated them. Feeling out ahead of himself with the Force he went for the exit.

 

[Naria Harth]

The trio darted down the hall, the two knights covering the retreat of the spirit-broken padawan as they let the force guide them through the maze. Naria felt the gentle guidance of Alana Sunrider back towards the position they held. They woman received a flickering wave of grim appreciation, and before long their footsteps could be heard scattering into the room that held the group.

"There's a whole hive of them," Naria reported, a touch breathless as she ignited her saber. She surveyed her peers in the golden light, her gaze landing on each and every one of them and verifying their health before moving onto the next.

"Is this everyone then? We need droids to map these halls and proper schematics to cover possible exists. This isn't our moment. We're reporting back to HQ, then we'll get this sorted," came the call. Naria was never one to take risks. Even when she should of. Her gaze landed back to her brother, expression pinching ever so slightly. "Look after this one, will you?" She jerked her chin towards Acaadi .

With no other words, she turned to leave, simply expecting them to follow.

Intel was just as valuable to bring back. She wouldn't risk their lives for the uncertain.

 

[Finley Dawson]

Objective 2: Secure Slave Pens Within Slave Camp, Capture Slavers for Interrogation
With: Gir Quee Park Hana Ura Iolar + 9x Nightstalker Wookie Commandos
Gear: Raptoran Light Power Armor, KG-1B Famos Neutral Beam Particle Rifle, Kessel's Kiss (Coachgun), Non-Lethal Grenades, Generic Green Lightsaber

By now, it was complete chaos for the slavers, pressed from the ground and the air. Finley and other Silvers in Raptoran armor flitted around the sky raining down stunning blasts and other non-lethal countermeasures, while the initial waves of Rangers on the ground began to push past the perimeter of the camp to begin securing individual structures with tense breaching maneuvers. Nightstalker commandos largely remained hidden within the trees, picking off exposed Slavers from a distance with shock quarrels. The blunt nosed projectiles wouldn't kill anyone, but a direct hit from one in the chest or head sure did make death feel like a relieving outcome.

"Going down for the Pens," Finley called over comms, feeling satisfied they had whittled down enough resistance to land safely.

He dived for the slave pens, which were situated under a large canopy at the center of camp. He definitely felt resistance within as he came down, so he opted to make his own little entrance instead of giving them an opening by coming through one of their own.

Right through the roof.

Just before collision, he rai0sed his shield arm and the small barrier flashed with power as it busted through tarp and thin plasteel. He landed on one knee and fist, creating small tremors and kicking up dust upon impact. This had the desired effect to disorient everyone inside, creating a small window of distraction.

Time slowed down for Finley as he drew on the Force, everyone around him looking like they were struggling to move through molasses. With augmented vision from his HUD, he took stock of his surroundings. Five hostiles all around, and perhaps three dozen slaves either locked in cages or chained to stockades, almost all now screaming their heads off in panic at the giant metal man that had just blown a skylight through the canopy.

Servos within his armor whined as he exploded with a burst of speed, the suit struggling to keep up with the Jedi in his accelerated state. He shifted into a half spin, sweeping the shield across his left flank to absorb incoming fire from slugs, while popping off shots from his sidearm at armed slavers on his right. Already rattled by his breach, they could hardly react before they fell to the dirt floor convulsing after hit by blue halos of stunning energy.

Two down, three more to go.