The Fortress World

[Flint Pherson]

Star Defender

"...Specialist! I have them. The Eagle. It's them. It's our VIP's. Look look look."
.. "Go ahead sir? Where are they."
"Here. This transmission signal is coming right from the base. It must be a Captain of someone important who is doing the calling. Because he is trying to tell our VIP's how to get to the exit. He is giving them directions."
.. "What is the time lapse?"

"Only a few seconds. Here. See. ...This one. Just transmitted. It's brand new."
.. "Yes. Yes. I see it Commander. But what do you want me to do? I can't stop them from broadcasting?"
"No. No no no. I want you tell our boys where to go. Just listen in to this signal. Right here. And tell our Commando's where our VIP's are going. We can follow them through the tunnels."
.. "But? ...Okay. I see. Follow the trail. Snag the bad guys. Got it."

"Exactly! Good. Get to it."
.. "Good. ...Wait!? What about you sir?"

Flint stopped just before the exit and turned around,

"Helmsman the bridge is yours! I have a Diplomatic Council Meeting to crash."

___

*ooc: Siobhan and Ben. You now know where the VIP's are running to. Feel free to catch up to them whenever.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

When this is over, I'm getting laid...and lots of whiskey, Siobhan had her post-combat priorities clearly figured out as the strike force moved deeper into the fortress. Perhaps there would be a victory party once the battle had been won and Anaxes conquered...pardon...liberated. It would certainly be very motivating. Do they have dancers with reach and flexibility? Ok, focus on the job.

She was still reeling from the explosion and from being stabbed in multiple places, it was hard to hear much of anything above the continuous salvoes of blaster bolts that filled the hall, though after the initial mayhem it seemed to have died down somewhat. Clearly the ranks of the enemy were being diminished, even the most zealous defender of Anaxes 'independence' from 'Republic oppression' had to possess a certain sense of self-preservation. She wiped some blood from her face.

"Jedi, got message in from command! Got the VIPs on the radar. They're making a run for it." one of the Republic soldiers called out, trying to make himself heard over the cacophony of battle. In the same moment Siobhan heard a buzzing her comm. In the same moment more radicals charged, one could assume sent out by the escaping radical leaders on another futile charge to keep the invaders off their back while they ran. Siobhan had just removed a syringe from her belt and jabbed it ito her leg. The substance was torturously potent, she bit her tongue at the sensation. While there were quite afew Jedi gifted in the art of using the Force to heal and mitigate the effect of wounds, Siobhan was not one of them. Or rather her interests had been more directed towards the arts of combat.

"Yeah, just heard it! Yay, redundancy." she called back. Then the pillar she had sought cover behind started to crumble under intense blaster fire, a large hole was blown into the wall behind her. Siobhan pulled herself up as more rebels charged, reaching out with an unseen hand in her mind. The radical firing was gripped by an invisible force and hoist into the air. The Knight beheld the look of fear on his face when he was almost propelled against the ceiling and then thrown to the ground, smashing onto two of his comrades.

"Will you bloody well wait your turn? You'd think all the corpses lying around should be a bit of a lesson. People...never learn, do they?" Siobhan exclaimed with dramatic annoyance. Telekinetically raising a discarded light repeater she pressed the trigger and unleashed a hail of auto fire, then thrust through the air straight into the face of another trooper charging down the hall. She retrieved a datapad from her belt, checking the map the Republic officers had uploaded. Apparently Command could pinpoint the location of the fleeing radical leaders. Given the staggering death toll of the battle, one could assume a great deal of their forces had been spent. Drawing on the Force and with the pain temporarily stilled, she bolted. "Alright, radical bigwigs are running away from the party, down to the tunnels. Wouldn't want the guests to miss the grand finale."

She passed through an adjacent corridor that should lead them down to the exit the radicals were taking. Deadly swirls of energy cut through metals and flesh as battle was joined with the remaining radicals, who came at them with blasters, sluggers, some of them even tossing daggers and charging with force pikes. Limbs flew and bodies fell, the salvoes fired by the Republic soldiers cut down scores of radicals. Siobhan cut down an enemy with a spinning cut. Her lightsabre hummed and the sound of countless lasers created a perverse symphony, one of death and destruction. Many doubting radicals had deserted these corridors, leaving only the most fanatical or desperate, but they stood little chance.

With the hallway littered with smoking corpses, Siobhan positioned herself a heavy, barred metal door. She retrieved an explosive charge and applied it to the door, setting a timer, then hastened to cover. Within a few seconds, the great door was shaken and ripped apart by a loud explosion...