Campaign The Dark Below | The Enclave

[The Quartermaster]

C H A P T E R
T W O

When we first arrived on this forsaken planet, we were not prepared. We did not know the challenge that we faced, nor the mission that we must accomplish.

But now that has been revealed.

When Enclave scouts first descended into the depths of a frozen temple, they found a foe that had lay for more than a millennia in its depths. Changing. Evolving. The brave warriors that fought were nearly defeated, but before their end, they were able to rally and defeat the beast that threatened them all, sealing off the catacombs of the temple to prevent the monstrosities that had bred there from ever seeing the light of day. Meanwhile, a pair of Mandalorians had used their ingenuity to work their way into the innermost sanctum of the temple, where the secrets of the world had been revealed to them.

The world they had stumbled on was called Kestri, and it had been the home of a unique and ancient Clan of Mandalorians: Clan Kyron, a clan whose line had been believed to have been extinguished when their stronghold on Rhen Var had been destroyed. However that had not been the case, and the remnants of the Clan had removed themselves to Kestri and founded a new civilization; lead by five Forgemasters, they began to turn the world into a metropolis befitting their talent and craftsmanship. Each Forgemaster had crated their own Forge from which they had made many beautiful and terrible creations, but their most powerful one of all was the effort of all of Clan Kyron: the Mind Forge, a Forge capable of sentience and endless potential.

However, that time of glory was ended by the descent of a remnant faction of the Praetorite Vong, who themselves were a mere prelude to the extragalactic invasion that the galaxy would face many millennia later. Seeking to use the technology of Clan Kyron to bolster their own efforts, the Praetorite Vong attacked Clan Kyron with their worldships and mighty armies. A fierce war ensued, engulfing the planet. The warriors of Clan Kyron fought valiantly but by being outnumbered they were outmatched, and slowly they lost their vital Forges one-by-one. They staged a final stand at the entrance to the facility of the Mind Forge, fighting to the last warrior, but ultimately failed to stop the stem of Yuuzhan Vong.

But when all seemed lost and that the Praetorite Vong's victory at hand, the Mind Forge took action on its own. Reaching out and taking control of all the technology at disposal, it plunged Kestri into an ice age, freezing most of the Yuuzhan Vong to death through the pure and unadulterated might of an artificial storm. Those who did survive buried underground, recouping from their losses, becoming the Praetorite Remnant. In that darkness, on various pockets of Kestri, they became abominations, evolutions, amalgamations.

The Enclave seeks to rid Kestri of this infestation and reclaim the lost treasures of Clan Kyron, including the Mind Forge -- especially the Mind Forge -- back for the Mandalorian people. But to unlock the secrets of the Mind Forge, they need to unlock the Mind Forge itself with the five keys of the Forgemasters, located each in the Forgemaster's respective vault. The first had been recovered from the frozen temple -- the Temple of Javarr -- and clues from the temple discerned that the next key was located at the Starshipyards of Nol'mani, a Forgemaster famed er her talent with starships. The only thing is, several millennia of neglect lead to the lake around it partially reclaiming the cliffside shipworks, leaving it in a semi-sunk state. Not only that, but the same monsters that inhabited the catacombs of Javarr's Temple are inside the sinking docks as well.

But that was not the only danger that lurked in the depths. For the more advanced scanners of Enclave, scouts revealed large masses moving through the ice-cold waters that surround the sinking docks. Their scanners were unable to identify what they were; but on Kestri, a world plagued by the abominations of Yuuzhan Vong biotech gone wrong, it's safe to assume that they aren't friendly. Will, you rid the sinking docks of the Yuuzhan Vong? Or will you plunge into the icy depths of the surrounding lake and fight against the dark that lies below?

Spoiler: Objectives

• The frozen lake might have partially reclaimed Nol'mani's Starshipyards, but we will not let the Praetorite Remnant have access to the schematics of what remains. Descend and fight through the Praetorite horde and recover the second key to the Mind Forge.

• Scanner reads are. . . disturbing, to say the least. Unknown masses. Large masses, swimming below the surface of the frozen lake. Plunge into its icy depths and figure out what these beasts are, and more importantly, how to kill them. Temporary rebreather, enviro-seals, and temperature control modifications are available for Mandalorians with armor not suited for the water.

Spoiler: Tag List

Akshae Dragr
Aloy Vizsla
Aria Nox
Aro Vizsla
Aselia Verd
Garza
Caeos Prahl
Corvus Dravere
Darsch Vizsla
Emberlyn Rekali
Forjund Australis
Gaia Sunaris Cadera
Hinah Dragr
Jan Kryze
Jebaaj Skleros
Jerrick Shado
Jett Vox
Kale Onara
Reynon Gallant
Kandosii Ka'rta
Kar Bakar
Karsan Munin
Kaz Vizsla
Kelisea Dragr
Kes Stag
Kragr Krayt
Kytana Horizonis
Lana Cuyan
Leenic Ellsil
Merrax Quez
Mig Gred
Miria Tanau
Obran
Oya Skirata
Radon Krayt
Rav Bralor
Rito Hust
Rixa Numeck
Saram Kote
Scald
Sera Sen
Seris Vant
Sinya Ani
Siv Dragr
Stardust Solus Skirae
Talon Aegis
Tan'yill Vizsla
Maleiah Kozan
Tarre Priest
Thom Betna
Torrack Torrackstur
Tristan Ortega
Tyran Numeck
Uriel Kahn
Ursula Vizla
Vaux Gred
Vren Rook
Xero Lang
Zephyr Krayt
Zurin

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[Siv Dragr]

P L U N G E

Tag: OPEN

Siv was not one for water.

He knew how to swim, sure. It was a basic skill taught to all Mandalorian younglings worth their Beskar, the same as basic survival, starting a fire, felling prey, and defeating your opponent. But just because he could do something did not mean he had an affinity for it. Did that mean he would shirk from this new job? Plunging into icy depths with a makeshift rebreather installed into his helmet that would be able to stand the freezing temperatures of the water, just so he could almost die to an unknown aquatic beast? No, he would not shirk from that.

But it didn't mean he very much wanted to.

Nevertheless, he stood one a large floe that had just broken off from the sheet that still clung to the edges of the lake. He could see the sinking docks in the distance, and if he strained -- or adjusted his audio settings -- he could just about hear the screams and guttural calls of the Vong amalgamated that infested the Forge. At least he didn't have to deal with that chit all over again; Javarr's Temple had been enough for him, for now. The ice floe had only recently broken off, meaning that there was a very narrow crack filled by the dark, black, icy water of the lake. And at the moment, he would wait on the floe for the rest of the Mandalorians who had unwittingly or otherwise signed up for this mission to arrive.
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[Aloy Vizsla]

Spoiler: Windy Town

Tag: Siv Dragr |
Interaction: Open |
Equipment: In bio |

Aloy was sat atop a modified 74-Z speeder bike that hovered silently above the ice sheets on the outskirts of the sinking dockyard, Absentmindedly cleaning one of her Nite Owl patterned Westar-35s with a rag that had been warmed specifically to dust out the frost. All the while her white trim and tooth-flanked visor would occasionally shift upward to glance at the dockyard or Siv over yonder as she waited for others to arrive or impatiently announce their plan of action, Ending the monotonous wait here among the ice flats. Thank the manda that River Kryze got her this new scarf, The pretty red thing that hung from around her neck and drifted through the breeze gently behind her.

Ironic as it may be, She'd grown used to the cold already. Her suit had internal environmental controls that kept her comfortable, And living on the northern glaciers of Roon had done well to prepare her for this. There was something wondrous about a world covered in frost. Some choose to see the ugliness in this world, But the Vizsla matriarch chose to see the beauty beneath the ice. This was new, Not like the deserts she dwelled in, And there were mysteries and treasures frozen deep beneath it's surface. Adventure in it's purest form, And she loved every second of it.

Now if only they could get a move on already! Else she might have to get into some trouble just to pass the time.

Speaking of which...

::"Hey Dragr,":: She giggles into the commlink while watching her silver-clad vod in the distance, Clearly not happy to be staring into the icy abyss ::"Good luck fishing!"

 

[Leenic Ellsil]

Leenic stood in the open doorway of the U-Wing he had ridden here, staring out at the Icy Wastes below. The pilot droid in the cockpit flicked a few controls as they approached Leenic’s destination, turning around and gesturing towards the seat next to him. “We are still two minutes out, sir.” It said, the robotic voice leaving Leenic a little uneasy due to how unused to it he was. “You don't need to be ready to drop just yet.” Leenic shook his head, thinking about the countless missions he had been on and been shot down far before he reached the drop zone. “Ill be fine.” He shouted over the whistling winds blowing through the ship. “Just keep her steady until I drop.” The droid turned back to the controls, and Leenic turned his attention back to the planet beneath them. He shivered, growing up on the jungle planet of Kashyyyk and spending most of his adult life had not made him resistant to the cold, and he now wished his armor could fit a jacket underneath it.

As the icy terrain whipped by miles beneath him, Leenic couldn’t help but wonder how anything lived out here. He had heard that there was a team going beneath the ice to find some big fish or something, but he suspected that it wasn’t all that much warmer down there and had opted to just take the surface warfare option instead. Besides. He thought, patting the lightsaber on his belt. I think I’m more suited for open combat as opposed to a marine biology session.

“Sir, we are thirty seconds out.” Said his robotic companion, pulling him back into the real world. “I suggest you prepare to drop.” Leenic nodded in response to this, turning around and picking up his LE-05 blaster before testing his jetpack to make sure it hadn’t frozen up. Once he had done so, he slung his NT-242 over his back and stepped back out to the door, looking down to check that his A-180 was still in its holster. “You may jump…….now, sir.” Said the bot, and Leenic smiled. “See you in a few hours!” He shouted, diving headfirst out of the ship towards the frozen wasteland of the planet’s surface.

Leenic took a deep breath as he felt the icy wind whip past his body, lowering his rangefinder to check his rapidly decreasing altitude. Through its thermal vision, Leenic was able to see two other beings on the planet beneath him (other Mandalorians, most likely) and angled himself to get on a trajectory that would land him close to the one on the speeder. Watching the altitude, he counted down in his head. Four...Three….Two...One….Now. And with that, he activated his jetpack. He could feel the g-forces pulling down on him as he rapidly decreased speed, but knew that his pack wouldn’t fail in bringing him to a safe enough speed to land. Once he felt his boots hit the ground, he deactivate the jetpack and looked over at the Mandalorian he had landed next to. “Hey there, Visla.” He said, nodding at her. “Nice to see a familiar...helmet.”​

 

[Obran]

Tags: Leenic Ellsil | Aloy Vizsla | The Quartermaster

The first venture in the darks of the vanished Clan had been more of an introspection and smarts. This looked to be possibly more combat oriented. The spear was, as always at his back, the ebon and bone point gleaming. A heavy slughtrower type scattergun with a drum mag rested at low ready, two heavy blaster pistols at either hips, and a throwing axe in the small of his back, along with a few types of grenades and spare gear on the bandoleer and elsewhere.

Arrival method?

Descent via a ca'tra jair propulsion system, with no visible jet or repulsor pack. Just a sudden dull whoosh as he descended in a solid thunk of armor and scanned around. Quietly he nodded to Aloy and Leenic, seeming entirely focused on the perimeter. Where he came from wasn't entirely evident. Maybe a HALO insertion? Hard to tell with goran and their toys. Either way, he was there now and ready, scanning about, breathing evenly. The cold seeped into his marrow even with the weather gear. A desert dweller never got used to the cold, and thus was he raised as a child. But no outward sign of a shiver was to be seen. He had more discipline than that.

"Any word on further forces?"

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Siv Dragr | Aloy Vizsla | Leenic Ellsil | Obran

Hot dang!

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, it seems. They had gotten out of those dark caverns just to find out that there were big masses moving around under water as well.

What in kark was going on here?

They had all split up, some vod heading to the sinking docks while some, like him, chose the icy route. Vren was not fond of completely submerging, himself, but he could not help chuckling when Aloy Vizsla took a teasing jab at Siv Dragr .
"Don't worry, Vod, I'll hold his hand." he told her, the smile quite evident in his voice over the comms.

He then turned to Siv who was still staring at the water.
"What do you think we'll face down there?" he asked, a little more serious now. If it was anything like that thing they had faced in the temple, then this will be a swim to remember.

Thank Hoth he had a rebreather in his helmet. And it least some waterproofing in his armour.

He was still not looking forward to the cold down there. All the darn thermal padding in the galaxy won't help his scrawny butt stay warm down there. This was going to be fun.

 

[Kale Onara]

Kale Onara was busy prepping his gear when his R5 astromech Rascal beeped a signal to him. The computer screen on his workbench translated that they were approaching the coordinates where he was going to meet up with Siv and anybody else crazy enough to plunge into the murky depths of the ocean below them. They had limited intel on what was waiting below the water surface except that it was big and moving and there appeared to be more than one. Kale made sure his Z-6 jetpack and the missile attachment were up to peak efficiency though he didn't really know how effective it would be underwater. Next, he made sure his Beskar'gam was good to go. He took special care to make sure the seals on the joints of the undersuit were good to go as well. One thing he insisted on when his armor was made was that it could double as an environment suit that could survive many harsh environments, including the vacuum of space for a time. While it wouldn't keep the cold out completely, Kale wouldn't freeze to death nor would he run out of oxygen in the immediate future. Kale then did a quick check of his helmet and his tactical display all of which checked out good.

Finally, he checked his weapons over. His dual modified DH-17 blasters should do alright while submerged while his flamethrower would be basically worthless. He had run a cleaning agent and a sharpening stone over his vibroknife before sheathing it in his ankle sheath. His whipcord was primed and ready as well as his BlasTech Dur-24 Wrist Laser. Once done with that he donned his armor minus his helmet and smiled at the new pride and joy that had recently joined his arsenal: The Brumal Dawn

He grinned as he took the weapon in his gloved hands and began checking it over. It was a legendary exotic weapon that was like holding the power of winter in his grasp. This weapon would be of great help in the battle ahead he believed. Like most Mando'a he could appreciate a good weapon, whether it be a blaster, blade or bashing weapon. But this wasn't just a weapon; this was a work of art and he couldn't wait to see it in action.

As he finished admiring this weapon, Rascal beeped that they were over the drop zone and it was time to go. "Alright Rascal, hold us 50 meters over the drop zone until I'm away. Then assume low orbit and wait for my signal." Kale said as he put on his jetpack and helmet while heading for the airlock. Though there were huge ice floes and glaciers, Kale never did trust landing on ice unless absolutely necessary. Land in the wrong spot, the ice cracks open and goodbye ship so he decided to fly down with his jetpack instead. Opening the door, he looked down and saw his fellow Mando'ade gathering on the ground. "See ya buddy." He said to Rascal before stepping out and free falling for three seconds before activating his jetpack. A controlled descent and he landed on the ice floe next to Siv and the others. He brought the Brumal Dawn to ready position, barrel pointed down as he approached his fellow Mandos. "Hope I didn't keep you all waiting long." He said when he got within speaking distance.

 

[Thom Betna]

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Tag: Aloy Vizsla | Leenic Ellsil | Obran

Thom was quite used to isolation. He has spent most of his adult life alone, drifting from spaceport to spaceport taking up whatever work he could to keep his blaster busy. As stereotypical as it might be, bounty work was Thom's focus. Low to medium risk bounties were his bread and butter. They didn't bring fame or fortune but they kept the proverbial lights on for Thom to continue to operate.

So now even Thom himself felt surprised he was doing something other than prepping to wrestle a petty thief to the ground. He was sat aboard a tiny cargo ship that was kind enough to offer passage to the Drifter, even though his spot took up nearly half of their cargo space. Thom wiggled his way past the unmarked crates between himself and the cockpit. "ETA?" he said, short and low. The scruffy pilot glanced back just long enough to show Thom his disinterest in the question. He shrugged and spoke, "One minute? Two minutes? Sometime soon." Thom shook his head silently and shimmied back to his spot in front of the cargo door.

It was but a minute or two later the pilot shouted something back at Thom and the cargo doors opened. Thom took a moment to glance down to the ground. The ship was probably 3 meters above the ground. He took a breath in, then jumped to the ground. Thom rolled as he landed. Covered in snow as he stood, Thom checked his surroundings and noticed a group close by. The Drifter dusted himself off as he approached, nodding downwards to the entire group. "Hello all. Thom Betna." he said, keeping it short and simple as usual.

 

[Seris Vant]

Tags: Aloy Vizsla Leenic Ellsil Obran Thom Betna

The incident at the temple really had shown how unprepared they were for this mission. Their enemy could be much stronger than they imagine. It wasn't time to throw in the towel just yet. Though no one could blame them if they did retreat, or rather a tactical withdraw to come back with sufficient resources to overcome any obstacle. Mandalorian's tended not to be the kind to do so. They'd fight through with what they had, and sheer grit.

Seris fortunately had a solution for firepower. Her MX-1 Sniper Rifle.

Seris had to dig around her ship for what she was looking for. It had been a while since she needed to break out the big stuff. Finding the green ammunition box Seris slapped it down on a work table and opened the box. Fishing out a shell to bring up to eye level. A 20x155 mm AP Sabot Shell. Seris sat the shell upright then dumped the rest out on the table. Counting them up though she let out a big sigh. Only 14 left. It would have to do. And every shot would have to count.

Snow kicked up as she came in for a landing atop the shelf the yards were built in to. Quite the dreary view on the trip in. This place was long since past it's prime. Seris disembarked back in to the cold of Kestri. A small group had already arrived and were gathered together. Seris slung her rifle and made way to join them.

"Is this all so far? Five of us. Karks sake did everyone else decide to go fishing with Siv?"

 

[Siv Dragr]

P L U N G E

Tag: Vren Rook | Kale Onara | OPEN

Siv grunted in derision as Aloy teased him over the open frequency. "Don't get swarmed up there," he retorted playfully, "I won't be able to be there to save you." He was joined by some other Mandalorians, Vren Rook and Kale Onara being two that he knew well. Vren joined in the teasing, but Siv knew it was only that, and so that was what he left it as.

"Not at all," he said, replying instead to Kale's apology. "Any minute that I spend not in that freezing water is a blessing. But looks like I'm out of lucky minutes," he mock-sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "I don't have much to say," he addressed the small crowd of Mandalorians assembled, "other than don't swim off alone, and make sure your sensors and comms are working. We have two directives: find out what these sea creatures are, and figure out how to kill 'em."

"So, if you all don't have any questions," Siv concluded, "I'll see you in the deep." And with that, he jumped backward off the floe and straight into the water.

Which probably wasn't the brightest of ideas. It was cold.
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[Aloy Vizsla]

E N T R A N C E

Tag: Siv Dragr | Vren Rook | Leenic Ellsil | Obran | Thom Betna | Seris Vant |

Aloy merely shook her head and laughed at Siv's retort, Enjoying the fun the games until Vren Rook joined in
::" Don't worry, Vod, I'll hold his hand. "::
::"Hah! Yeah, Best not lose him. Quartermaster would be pissed":: She laughs into the commlink while cleaning her pistol still, Finally swiping the last of the snow out right as Leenic Ellsil landed, Prompting a nod from the Vizsla matriarch. Noy long after, Both Obran and Thom Betna dropped in a similar fashion, One even rolling to add flair and cushion to his fall after dropping out of a moving ship over the ice.


<"Show offs, The lot of you"> She chuckles, Twirling her particle pistol around on finger to shake the last of the frost out and add her own flair to the scene <"Guess I'm in good company">

She slides off her speeder bike, Her cybernetic limb scraping against the ice as she steps off, Headed towards the dockyard entrance while drawing her second particle pistol, Twirling it just like before for her own amusement.

<"Se'cuy gar, Thom Betna , Aloy of House Vizsla. This is Leenic Ellsil and uh, I didn't catch your names,"> She juts her chin at Seris Vant and Obran .
<"To answer your questions, I think we're it for now. Just be glad you ain't fishing with Dragr, I don't think we brought the right tackle for that catch">


The march to the docks didn't take long, Aloy's brief respite of fun and games ending right at the door into the frozen facility. Not blast doors or anything special, But a flimsy piece of sheet metal that was being held to the frame by ice alone, Aloy's clawed limb making short work of it as she kicked the thing down, Revealing the busted up living quarters she'd breached.

Chairs lay on their sides, Tables flipped or burried in snow drifts in the corner. There was one thing that caught the eye though;

<"Hah. That coffee machine still work?">

 

[Obran]

ENTRANCE

Tag: Siv Dragr | Vren Rook | Leenic Ellsil | Aloy Vizsla | Thom Betna | Seris Vant |​

Striding forward, he smiled as Aloy quipped, and snapped back his own reply.

"Boys and their toys, weren't you told? Don't be jealous now... Obran's the name."

With that, he pulled the slide on the massive slughtrower gifted to him from Talohn Atar . It racked home with an ominous clack and click, He had brought it set up belt-fed and with a sling, loaded with euk'gar shot instead of slugs. And since Aloy seemed to be taking the lead, he left his spear and other blades sheathed and followed right behind her, muzzle just a shade behind her lithe form. The Nite Owl would see rather easily that she had a pretty solid anvil to the hammer that she was serving as.

"We can test it, boss lady. But I don't exactly think it's gonna be Coruscanti Dark Roast..."

Moving forward, his helmet scanned the room, barrel of the monstrous 10 ga repeating scattergun following the visor of his helm. Something had gone down here, and a breached window with outwardly rent settings, but the window glass being on the inside gave a bit of an indication.

"This place was breached by stealth, whenever it was. Check the window"

A shrug of his shoulders to have the gun point the guess he voiced.

 

[Tristan Ortega]

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Tags: | Siv Dragr | Vren Rook | Kale Onara |

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"What in all the galaxy have I let you lot talk me into now?" Everything about this situation went against Tristan's better judgement, and not one bit of it sat well in the pit of her stomach. The readings said they needed to dive into the cold water - cold enough to be frozen at the surface - and investigate whatever it was down there...in the dark....under deep...deep water.....yeah, that wasn't sitting well with her at all.

There were only very few of them, not even a handful, who had decided to take this literal plunge into freezing darkness. The conversation being had between them wasn't one she was actively partaking in, though that was mostly due to some sort of attempt at mental preparation for herself. She knew the inside of her armor was well insulated, that she would be heated in the water to a (literal) degree, but that the heat would only do so much for her in such dense coldness. But even that was nothing compared to the real concern of it all.

Tris had a strong desire to remain breathing. The last thing she wanted was for something to go wrong with her helmet and cut off her air supply before she had even a chance to get to the surface.

But it seemed time for such concerns were past her, as bodies were already disappearing into the icy waters. "This can't possibly end well." she muttered, aloud or not it was said more to herself than those who could hear her. "I want a nice, long weekend somewhere just past tolerably warm, on a beach after this." she added with a glance up from the waters she had been staring at before. "I think it'll be sorely needed...."

 

[Leenic Ellsil]

Leenic kept quiet as the group walked towards the docs, attempting to ignite the flamethrower in his vambrace only to find that the fuel had frozen up from the temperature. "Blast it." He muttered, attempting to activate it twice more before giving up and lowering his rangefinder. "I really should consider updating this crap." Then he turned on his rangefinder's thermal scanners, making sure the path was clear of any and all life before the firetime passed it. Seeing nothing, he allowed Aloy to kick down the door to the building and enter.

"Look who's showing off now!" He chuckled, holding his LE-05 with the barrel tip pointed towards the far side of the room as he stepped in. He glanced around, noting the turned over chairs and rotting furniture before scoffing at Aloy's quip about the coffee machine. "Maybe, if you got a working flamethrower to thaw it out." He replied, lowering his blaster and walking farther into the room. He kicked some snow off an old cot before reaching out through the force to try to identify what creatures (if any) had been near the bed. After a few seconds of feeling nothing, he kneeled down and placed a hand on the bed in hopes of strengthening his connection.

"Nothing more than a few rats have passed through this area." He said, pulling his hand back and standing up. "At least, the area around this cot that is. Other than that the room seems pretty untouched, but I have been wrong before."​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Siv Dragr | Kale Onara | Tristan Ortega

Vren snickered at Ortega's comment as she and Kale Onara both joined up.

All of them were like Loth-cats about the water. It was quite comical really. Four fearless Mando'ade all iffy about the deep below. Dragr reminded them of their directive before finally flopping backwards like an otter.

Vren let out a sigh that was distorted by his helmet before turning to the other two as Tristan said something about a beach afterward.
"Ortega, you got a deal." he smiled before looking over at Onara. "You ready to go fishing, Vod?" he asked him. He then quickly went over his gear again before giving another sigh.

With that, he gave a two-finger salute before making a swandive into the frigid water.

Holy kark it was cold! His breath was gone for a moment as the shock hit him. It took a few seconds for everything to adjust to his new surroundings, but the thermals finally caught up and he could breathe easier.

It was bloody dark below water. He had goosebumps that wasn't from the cold. What manner of creatures were hiding down here? The temple was already bad enough. Brrr.

 

[Kale Onara]

Without hesitation Kale followed Siv and activated the seals on his armor a moment before plunging into the deep as well. He had been hit by the cold of space before so he was mentally prepared for the shock of cold from the water. Nevertheless, the cold was always a punch in the gut for a moment before his suit's life support system compensated and helped take the edge off the cold. He wasn't made completely comfortable because that would mean diverting more power to his life support system and right now he needed his power distributed between his thruster pack and his scanners.

He cycled between vision modes trying to figure out which one would be best for the moment. Thermal vision was great for lighting up his fellow Mando'ade but he knew that aquatic life in general was cold-blooded so thermal vision wouldn't be much help. He shied away from using any type of active sonar or ground penetrating radar because he didn't want to announce to anything nearby they were there.

He settled on motion detection. He could see his fellow warriors moving through the water and he could see some of the nearby underwater currents. He kept scanning around making sure that nothing come up to attack them from any odd attack angle and kept his eye on his fellow Mando'ade to ensure that none of them ended up in trouble while diving.

He also kept note of their increasing depth on his HUD and opened a radio channel to Siv, "How deep are we planning diving down, vod? We need to make sure that we can make it back to the surface as well, right?"

 

[Tristan Ortega]

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Tags: | Siv Dragr | Vren Rook | Kale Onara |

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"Alright gents, you heard it! Rook agreed, that means drinks on the beach are on him when this is all over." Despite the banter, Tristan made sure that her armor was sealed and her support systems were ready to work overtime. And yet even with that in mind, she had to stand there and take a couple of deep breaths. She knew that water was going to be cold, and she didn't know what the heck was down there, and that combination was doing nothing to steele her nerves.

The others jumping in however, that seemed to do the trick. She groaned, steadied herself with one more breath in and out, and then quite literally stepped right off of the edge. Gravity grabbed hold of her frame and it yanked her down into the waters. Even with her armor taking the brunt of contact, the water was still cold, and it made her gasp noisily as both her body temperature, and her support system attempted to quickly adjust and accommodate.

"I hate you all." she made sure to state clearly over the comm, though there wasn't a lick of truth behind those words. Added to the cold encasing her, was the darkness that peered back. Her HUD took a moment to adjust, trying to find the right vision to allow her to see through, but once that was settled, Tris sighed out. "Alright, alright...can we just do whatever it is we're down here to do, and get the heck back above water?" Oh yeah, she was uneasy being down here - already.

 

[Siv Dragr]

P L U N G E

Objective Tag: Vren Rook | Kale Onara | Tristan Ortega
Others: Obran | Leenic Ellsil | Aloy Vizsla | Thom Betna | Seris Vant

Freezing water swirled and bubbled around him and Siv used his legs to propel himself even deeper. The environmental systems in his armor protected him from the worst of the cold; hypothermia, frostbite and all the injuries extremities of temperature could render on a physical body. But that didn't mean that it was keeping Siv warm, per se. The best he could hope for was to get his blood coursing through his veins and pray that his armor's insulation would keep that warmth in.

As he dove deeper, the light from the surface filtering through the water became darker and darker below the surface of the frozen lake. Siv reached to the side of his helmet with an arm stiffened by the cold, switching on a glowrod that illuminated the water in front of him in a spreading, fading cone. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

Suddenly, a mass of pale flesh larger than Siv and longer than a corvette flashed past, only a sickly-pale wall of flesh in the limited sight that Siv's glowrod provided. Startled, Siv kicked back and floated backward in the water a meter or so. His swears were inaudible that deep in water, but once he'd managed to recover his senses, he pulled out his comms. "Unknown sighted," Siv reported grimly. "Looks like some massive. . . worm? Sea serpent? Like the stuff you'd hear about in legends."
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[Vren Rook]

TAG: Siv Dragr | Tristan Ortega | Kale Onara

Of course Tristan had to swear at them.

Vren snickered as her voice came over the comms as they dove deeper.
"If that's the case, Ortega, the beach is off the table." he teased. All jokes aside, it really was creepy in these waters. He was quite uneasy, harbouring the seeds of trigger finger fever because of it.

He kept an eye on the depth the HUD gave him, so he could see Kale Onara 's point.
"Aye, good point there. I don't plan on getting stuck down at the bottom. Dragr, I'm telling you now, I'm dragging your ass out of these waters personally if it looks like we are going to be trapped. Got it, Vod?" he said.

The light above them had almost completely disappeared. He followed Siv in switching on his helm's spot so he could see what the kark was going on around him better. He was just settling a little bit better within the dark, when Siv had to throw over the Jogan cart with his sighting of some creeper or other.

Vren let out a sigh.

"So shoot at it, Dragr, Don't just float there." he said, swimming forward and past Siv. He also caught a glimpse of the pale flesh before it faded into the darkness.
"Chit." Siv was right. That thing was big.

Great.

He had just started treading water, unsure of the thing's location, when all of haran broke loose. Out of the darkness, a massive, barbed tail swung in his direction, hitting him squarely in the chest, sending him somersaulting backwards through the water. Momentarily dazed, when he came to, he had difficulty breathing.

Wonderful. Must have broken a rib.

To top it off, a barb had punctured his armour slightly. Water was seeping in ever so slightly and the cold was terrible.
"I'm taking water." he managed to say past the pain while he tried breathing shallowly.

In the same instance, a monstrous face came into view from the darkness, making for the others. It was hideous. Pale, pupil-less eyes with teeth like vibroswords, sticking in all directions. Vren managed to lift his arm to launch a rocket at it from his wrist. The cold was seeping into his body fast now with the complete thermal regulation of his armour compromised, numbing him.

The rocket found a mark on the one eye, damaging it. Not the thing used his eyes anyway, probably. But it hit, nonetheless.

 

[Kale Onara]

Kale grinned at the banter his fellow Mando'ade were giving but his grin faded instantly when Siv called out the unknown. His motion detection vision showed a great deal of movement but no definitive shape. The water's movement was impeding him from getting a clear picture. Kale sent out a single active radar pulse like an active sonar pulse and the return picture made his eyes widen. Holy Haran, this thing is huge! He thought to himself. His motion sensing showed additional movement and the image resolved itself enough to see it was the creature's tail, loaded with barbs no less, swinging forward. Vren Rook was right in its line of travel but as he opened his mouth to warn Vren, the tail connected with its target and Vren went spinning out of control.

Fury welled up within him whenever he saw something injure one of his vod, Oh Haran no you did not! Activating his targeting system, he armed the missile on his jetpack. It only took a moment for the system to lock on and give him a green light with a steady tone. He triggered the firing mechanism and the missile streaked away toward its target. An instant after the missile cleared the jetpack, Vren stated that he was taking on water. Kale could hear pain in the Mando's voice but what worried him was that the words seem to slur slightly and seemed slower than they should've been. If his life support has been compromised... Kale thought to himself.

Without waiting to see the impact or the damage done, Kale launched full speed toward Vren's position. The water buffeted around him indicating that his missile had hit something but all that mattered right now was getting to Vren's postion. He had to take more evasive course since this creature was now angling toward the of his fellow Mandos but it wasn't long before he was next to Vren. He grabbed Vren's shoulders and shook him slightly, "Vren! Talk to me vod! What's your status?" He asked as he looked the man over. A trail of bubbles led him to what looked to be a breach in the Mando's armor. Closer inspection revealed a barb had penetrated Vren's armor and was still sticking out. He opened an all comm to all of his fellow Mando'ade as he pulled out a small pack from his belt, "Vren is hit! I'm tending to him. Watch out for the barbs on the tail. It looks like they can penetrate beskar." He tore the pack open and molded it around the barb. He didn't know how deep the barb had penetrated and couldn't remove it without risking further injury to Vren. Pinching the patch all around the breach, the plastisteel patch hardened in seconds sealing the breach. "Come on Vren! Talk to me vod! You ok?!" He asked again as he prepared to activate his emergency floatation system to take them both to the surface.