Sunburns & Hyperdrive Troubles

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Shock honestly was the only thing that was helping Kaile keep moving. Her POW training along with what she learned in the Pyre and the Rebellion the only thing that was helping her; muscle memory, for a Lorrdian, was instinctual.

Press the safety, remove the used clip, slid in the new one, check the power level, safety off. It was all a mantra that went buzzing through her head. A quick nod of the sweaty woman told Kurt that she was with him. It was likely, however, that once they were well on their way off the island, that Kaile might end up falling apart. Right now, she felt numb.

This wasn't like your common little bar fight, or a one two shooting match. She typically used a stun blaster for anything she needed to do. Never anything deadly.

This was sooo different.

"Clones." Kaile repeated rather blankly, bringing her blaster rifle back up to the ready. That was so strange. Clones. A clone army. They hadn't had one of those in centuries....

Yet clones or not, they were still living, breathing, beings.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt had a disconnect. Perhaps it was his own training, perhaps it was his current level of adrenaline and focus, but he didn't think about the faces behind those helmets, he didn't think about the cost of life or the tragedy of what he was doing. For Kurt, these men were simply the enemy, those trying to kill him and his best friend. It didn't really matter who they were or who they could have been, they stood in his way, and that was enough.

They had do die.

There was a cruelty to thoughts like that, a cruelty that no one would really have expected Kurt to be capable of, but the fact was that he was simply doing what came natural to someone like him in a situation like this. They needed to survive. They needed to move forward, they needed to get to The Messa.

There was no question.

No Mystery.

"We have to keep moving." Kurt said as he pushed away from the wall and took Kaile's hand. Without a second thought he began to rush up the stairwell and towards the hangar bay. He remembered exactly where to go, which corners to turn and which level they would have to exit on. He found himself thanking the earlier happenings of the day, remembering how he had navigated this area of the bunker before.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Things went by so fast.

Kurt held her by the hand, tugging her along and showing no sign of stopping. He was a man on a mission; a mission to get them to the Messa and save their skins. Having her hand held made it awkward for Kaile to be prepared in case any more clones or anyone else caught them by surprise, but Kurt was having none of it. Truth be told, Kaile really couldn't think beyond the now right now. Not with the adrenaline pumping her blood hotly through her veins and making her feel super sensitive to the point that everything seemed ready to lash out at them.

How strange, that through this all, Kaile did not realize she could use the Force to help them. It went to show that the young woman had become too accustomed to having Bobo around and being unable to use the Force. Her thought process was that she had to use what was available to survive, which was the training she picked up at the Rebellion and Omega Pyre. But using the Force? No, right now, her gut instinct was just to run.

Run and have them both get away as fast as they could.

They rushed the stairs, their footsteps hurried stomps that carried them to the hanger. Crossing into that dim lite open space felt as if they were exposed. Kaile kept glancing around, looking to see if there were any more surprises. The Messa was right there. Ramp was down. All they had to do was get in it.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

They stepped into the hall to a thankfully quiet space. The lights were still on, which was a plus given that Kurt had simply shot the console that normally controlled that function. The Blast doors were of course still up, which was something that Kurt had expected. "Cover me."

Kurt broke into a run, heading towards the door and unslinging the backpack from his back.

He took one of the shaped charges and began to prime it, place it right against the central locking mechanism of the blast doors. The key difference between regular doors and blast doors were their weight. Most blast doors weren't designed to hold forever, in fact they were a last minute counter measure. That meant they were not 'drop down' doors like most modern mechanisms, but were instead held in place by a series of hydraulics that were positioned to hold via its lock.

This design meant that the doors could be opened manually with the correct access and also meant that they weren't stuck forever in case of emergency.

It also meant that Kurt could open the doors by simply blowing away the lock. Of course it was a different story for the outer blast door that held the Hangar air tight, but they would get to that when they got to it.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Okay."

Kaile agreed as she slid back, swallowing hard. She brought the E-11 up at the ready, trying her best to keep her wits about her. Focus. You can do this. Just don't think about...

A sudden noise drew her attention. Her breath hitched and she drew the blaster rifle up. Anything could very well go wrong. Everything definitely seemed to now. She should have known that all of this was too good to be true. Wide brown eyes would scan their surroundings, the pilot at her peripheral.

They just had to open the blast doors, hop into the Messa, then leave. Nothing to it.

Nothing to it.

But it was easier said than done. Within seconds they were about to have company. It would be a bloody day for the Lorrdian. Two more shadows came at their direction. Kaile, could only think on their survival. She pulled the trigger and shot.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The shape charged let out a long beep, the small circle of red lights glowing brightly for a moment before suddenly shutting off. He nodded slightly, then backed away from the charge. The small baradium blast would be enough to disengage the lock, which would make the doors fall back into the walls, or so he hoped.

"Hang on." Kurt said as he pulled Kaile into a small alcove in the wall.

The explosives were unstable, or rather, Kurt thought they likely wouldn't be. That didn't mean much, not really anyway, but it did mean there would be a slight chance that something would explode more...outward. Stepping away and hiding was a good idea for the long run of their survival, and as red blaster bolts flew by his head he knew that hiding might not have been the worst decision anyway. He pressed Kaile against the wall, giving her a small smile before whispering for her to cover her ears.

A moment later the loud boom of the shaped charge erupted behind him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile going to have plenty of ear troubles after this. The explosion, resonated with a savage concussion force. Kaile, ducked her head down again it's Kurt's chest. Debris flew over them, the force of the energy enough to send a bit of the shattered rock surface of the inside of the cavern like roof to tumble over their heads.

There was a ringing in her ears, high-pitched whine that joined the blare of klaxons. A fine layer of dust, and the scent of smoke and sulfer seem to clog the air around them. In the next instant, Kaile opened her eyes, squinting through her lashes as she began to cough. Kurt, did not pause for a second. Up ahead, filtered rays of bright light shone like a beacon. One that had Kurt grabbing her by the hand, and bringing her to her feet.

They lurched forward, regardless of any danger. The explosives had worked. Warpped steel peeled back. The messa just beyond the cloud of dust.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt rushed forward, through the blasted and warped steel and into the hangar bay. Blaster rifles rung out behind them, but truthfully Kurt paid them no mind. He knew that the dust would cover them for the time being, knew that they wouldn't have an issue. Of course when he stepped into the hangar he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Kark." Was all that he could say as he saw what stood before them.

He had expected blast doors, that was natural, but on the other end of the hangar sat something that had not been expected.

There, at the entrance of the hangar sat a thick set of durasteel doors, not like the blast doors that they had gone through, but something entirely different. These doors operated on a different mechanism, a drop mechanism that was built into the top of the hangar entrance. To put it simply, the weight of the door itself was holding it in place, there was no lock, and in order to open the door they would need to use a heavy repulse generator that was activated...somewhere else.

He frowned slightly, looking over his shoulder.

"Get to The Messa." It was a desperation play really, an idea that formed because he had nothing else.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"But the those--" the protest died when she heard the something loud crash behind them. Pony tail swing as Kaile turned around. Gods, she didn't think, she simply reacted. Hoping to not let the tremble in her fingers affect her aim. Cover fire bloomer red, the duo moving backwards to the messa.

Kaile wasn't a religious person, the Sacred Way not her thing, but stars they could use a little miracle right now. "What are you doing?" She cried out at the pilot, panic in her voice. It wasn't that Kaile didn't trust Kurt, it was that she had no clue what they were going to do. Had they more time, perhaps she could have sliced the blast door.

"Duck!" She yelled out, backing up towards the ramp of the messa, covering the courier so as to make sure he would be alight.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt half danced on his feet, slinging the bag on his back onto his arm and then with one strong underhanded toss throwing it into the doorway of the Blastdoors that they had just walked through. He knew that the satchel charges wouldn't be doing anything against those massive blast doors at the end of the hangar, knew that they didn't really have any options for getting out that way, so for now they would do the intelligent thing, they would prepare for a siege.

"Get in the ship!" Kurt yelled to Kaile as he ran up the ramp, half turning.

The blaster in his hand leveled, one eye closed.

During training he had almost been taken out to become a sniper. The instructors had been impressed with his shooting, calling him one of the best. Now was the time to prove that. His finger gently squeezed on the trigger, a single shot ringing out.

The blast wave that erupted from the charges pushed out, rushing into the hangar and the hallway beyond the blast doors. There were warped metal, burning flames, and a blast that tore apart stormtroopers and whatever the hell else had been coming at them. The blast doors fell apart, not coming together again but instead crumbling into a massive pile rubble that blocked the doorway.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile practically scurried up the ramp. It felt as if every step seemed to almost shoot her heart out of her chest. Time seemed to slow, and every breath was agony to get air through her lungs. She heard and felt the blast wave, it sent off enough force for the Messa to shudder under the blast. Shrapnel went flying, scoring the hull of the bright red vessel. Kaile tripped, tumbling down upon the grate as she entered the tiny cargohold.

The E-11 scattered to the floor and pain shot up from her knee. She cried out, biting her lower lip as she attempted to push herself up onto her feet.

The controls. They had to get to the controls. Ignoring the pain, Kaile hobbled along, half hopping as she left her blaster rifle behind.

They had to start up the Messa now.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt chased after Kaile, taking note of the trail of blood that dripped from her leg. "Kaile!"

He called out to her, stopping her in her tracks.

His own E-11 was tossed onto the nearby sofa, his hands reaching out to grab Kaile and pull her off of her feet. He picked her up, scooping her from the floor involuntarily and carrying her to the sofa. Blood spilled from her knee, enough to pool beneath her leg.

"Hold still." They had time, an hour or so before they could clear the door, he was pretty sure of that anyway. "You're bleeding."

He stood from his place in front of her and moved towards the bathroom, heading directly towards the first aid-kit. He knew that he could stop the bleeding, and then...and then he didn't know. Blasting the doors had been a way to buy time, a way to do something, but he wasn't sure what.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Everything seem to blank out for Kaile. It all came in snapshots. First she was on the floor. Then Kurt picked her up. Blood, blood was everywhere. She didn't even register the massive laceration that cut from the side of her knee down a good fifteen centimeters. The shock, the adrenaline, all blanked it out.

"I... " Kaile began, only to choke out, "I..." her fingers were trembling, and then she began to shake. Her skin felt cold. Clammy. Kurt was there, racing back from the refresher, first aid kit in hand.

This.. this was like a flashback to when she stubbed her toe, only twisted. Dark. Her vision began to blur, and hot tears shone in her eyes. She felt helpless... but what were they going to do?

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He propped himself down in front of her once again, his fingers tightly wrapped around the edges of the the first aid kit. He'd received some medical training during his first bootcamp, just minor stuff, but he remembered enough that this shouldn't be a problem.

Kurt grabbed Kaile's knee gently with one hand, opening the first aid kit and removing a small needle.

"Kaile, look at me." Her eyes met his, and in that exact moment Kurt jabbed the small hypodermic into her flesh. She would feel a slight pinch and then a massive breath of relief as the drug took effect in numbing the area of her body that was causing her so much pain. Seconds later Kurt pressed his finger gently on the underside of her leg, probing for a moment until he found the metal shard that had embedded itself in place. There was a bit of luck, the piece of metal was fully in tact and sticking right out of her leg. "Okay. This is going to hurt."

Even with the drug she would feel it, but it was important to get it out now, sterilize the wound, and get bacta on it.

The faster they did that, the faster everything would be alright.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile gave a wince, a half shuttered cry that had her jaw drop into a grimace. The bright blue of Kurt's eyes was all that she could focus on. On the sweat that shone across his face, the soot and the grime. The bits of blood from tiny scraps that had cut his flesh from the debris. Kaile's head gave a jerky nod, "Okay... Okay.... Okay..."

It was all she could say. The local anesthesia was kicking in, but it didn't wipe away the image of the piece of shrapnel sticking out of her leg.

"I'm sorreh." she managed to choke out. For being clumsy. It was a really stupid thing to apologize for, but she felt so helpless and out of control that it just bubbled out. The past three weeks have been a virtual hell hole and her nerves and emotions were shot.

"Okay.. okay.." it was hard to regulate her breathing, but she tried to. Shutting her eyes tightly, she braced herself.

"Okay... " Sometime in that mid okay, Kurt took advantage of her attempt to distract herself. Despite the local, the sensation of it shucking out of her flesh and the added aggravation shot pain right through her limb. Kaile couldn't help the strangled cry that rang out.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He pulled the bloodied piece of metal from Kaile's skin and let it drop to the floor, not really caring about it at the moment and instead immediately clutching the open wound with his other palm. He put pressure on Kaile's leg, preventing the blood from flowing until he could retrieve a small spray can.

Kurt pressed the top of the can and a small squirt of liquid quickly covered Kaile's wound.

She would feel an intense burning sensation, the liquid quickly seeping into her open skin and cleaning it, scrubbing away any remnants of the shrapnel and the bacteria that had managed to stick on the inside. He paused for a moment, reapplying pressure to the wound as the serum did it's work. He heard Kaile whimper and cry, saw her shaking. His eyes filled with sympathy, though his grip did not slack by any measure. Instead he simply held firm, and then finally applied a patch of bacta.

The miracle healing liquid would feel like cool relief, cold water splashed onto a sunburn.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Tears carved a path through her grimy face, black spiky lashes opening up as Kurt held the bacta patch firmly against her skin. It was hard to talk, the Lorrdian being far more used to express her anxiety through the subtle gestures of her hands and fingers. A wobbly smile, and a half hiccup were the pilot's prize.

She didn't know how long they had with the rubble blocking the path, but they had to do something. Too many things where going through her mind, and it just made her head hurt.

"You're always takin' care of me." she hoarsely murmured, her lower lip quivering. A half choked grin burst out.

"I don't reckon we'll be able to sell off the bulk of this now...." there was, after all, a hazard to consider. Who knew how many clones there were in there.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Truthfully, he was doubting that they would make it out alive.

That thought was kept to himself, the idea that they were about to die not exactly one that he wanted to voice to Kaile right now. Instead he focused more on something else, like exactly how the hell they were going to get out of here. They could try to the control center here in the Hangar, but he somehow doubted that wold work. The blast doors that lead out into the volcano would need quite a bit of power, likely more power then the entire base currently had access to.

That meant they were stuck. "It'll take them a bit to get through that wreckage."

At least an hour.

That was how much time they had to figure out a solution, how much time he had. Kurt could tell that Kaile wasn't exactly at her best, and in her current state...well, she needed rest. Slowly The Pilot stood up, mulling for a second as he tried to think of a solution. Even when they did clear the wreckage he and Kaile could likely hold out for a little while more, they had the weapons on board The Messa as well as the darktroopers that were still shambling about.

He supposed it was just a matter of how many stormtroopers had awoken.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile offered Kurt a short nod. By now, her lower lip was raw, what having been chewed on so much. That fine trembling only grew, but she was desperately trying to make sure she didn't lose it. A wobbly smile was offered to the pilot, her half bloody hands curling over the dirty and blood stained shambles of her shorts. Shutting her eyes, she tried to think. But it was hard when all she could see and hear were just what had occured.

"....clones." she uttered in a hoarse whisper. "Alive." her throat bobbed, and her lower lip trembled. Clones or not, they still bled. "All of this time." shaking fingers would attempt to brush back the strands of wayward hair away from her face. She left red streaks of blood across her cheek as her fingers grazed past, trying to tuck the strands behind her ears. There was that fine prickling behind her eyes, that familiar sting. Just focus on the training. Focus on what you can do. What can be done.

"....That blast door." she began, opening her brown eyes to stare at Kurt. "I... I can try and see what I can do." but to be honest, she wasn't sure what.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"No, you can't." He'd already thought about slicing, and determined it wouldn't work.

That and Kaile was injured.

"It's a weight lock door." Kurt explained. "The Republic uses them on their bases. That thing is kept down by the force of it's own weight, it needs to use huge repulsor lifts in order to raise it, those things take up enough power to fly a starship. There's no way that there's enough energy in this Bunker right now to actually lift those doors."

It was bad news really, but he wasn't about to lie to her.

Kaile was injured, yes, but she was still another mind that could come up with ideas, and that's what they needed right now, ideas. The only other one that Kurt had involved pointing The Messa towards the door and simply shooting at whatever came through it. That tactic would likely work for some time, but eventually the stormtroopers would just figure out a way to get some portable ray shields going. No solution that he currently had would work forever, but at least they had some time.

That would have to be enough.