The Paragon Crisis

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

Jerry shook her helm,

"The station's A.I. has reported no signs of Force Adepts amongst the hostiles numbers. The organizations history and dogma loathes them as well, so I suspect we're in for a straight gunfight. ...Nothing else to add Commander."

She looked to Squad C and her heart jumped for joy. Just from the look of these soldiers Jerry could already tell that she wouldn't have to raise to finger to accomplish this mission. Perhaps when she thought of mercenaries, she had assumed too much.

Jerry stood up straight and couldn't help but feel that her bright yellow jacket was somehow... Out of place amongst the mercenary elite. Go figure. A Zeltron wearing something too colorful into combat. Oh my.

*ooc: sry. my notification didn't pop. just saw this now.

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah nodded to Jerry when she said that their would be a lack of force-users. "You heard the lady people, but still I want at least three bolters per squad just in case we encounter any of them." Noah informed his soldiers and they all nodded as they stood and saluted, walking away to their respective armories. Noah decided that he needed a bigger rifle that could still be suppressed. Indicating for Jerry to follow, Noah walked to the armory and scanned his hand, opening a armory with every weapon that the Protectorate could find lined up against the wall, searching through it all Noah found what he was looking for. "My own custom AR-35. I basically replaced all of the standard wooden and durasteel parts and gave it a complete makeover. A titanium receiver, durasteel inner workings, light weight polymer grip, handguard and stock and a tungsten barrel, all in all, probably one of the best slugthrowers ever made." Noah informed he as he grabbed the neccesary attachments, a suppressor, a micro red dot sight and a underbarrel GL-203 grenade launcher. Sliding the attachments onto the rails, Noah grabbed 15 hi-cap 45 round mags and loaded them onto the bandoleer on his armor, sliding it over his armor, Noah smiled and slung his rifle on a sling on his shoulder. Finally Noah grabbed a MK.I bolter and slung it over his back, to top everything off, he grabbed his custom vibro knives, his Merr-Sonn Lazy Eye Power 5's, a HK-45 Heavy Blaster Pistol and all the ammo he would need. "Grab anything you think you like."

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

If one thing could be said about the Commander, it was that he was a walking fortress of weaponry. Jerry actually smiled wildly at the armory and even took off her helmet to browse. She was something of a gun lover herself. Not a natural trait for a Jedi but something regarded as a necessity amongst the Rangers. Her eyes held a fancy for Corek's custom AR but quickly deviated towards the simple, if infamous, Bolter weapon of Omega. Mars withdrew one of the bolt launchers and began inspecting the weapon for herself. It was the first time she had held one up close.

"I hear the Bando Gora learned to appreciate this weapon the hard way. Hehe. My my. If only a girl could afford the ammunition. Hehe."

She smirked and placed the weapon back on the rack. Alas, she didn't have time to test it.

"I appreciate the offer Commander. But I've trained with my disruptor and long rifle for years. Now would be a horrible time to begin testing or learning a new weapon on the fly. However? This is a damn impressive armory and if I had the chance, I'd take that Bolter out for a spin any day."

Mars nodded and kept her current load-out. A trait of a seasoned Ranger, and like Corek, every girl has her favorite toys to play with. Her own weapon of choice was a Disruptor Carbine. Semi-auto, zero recoil, CQC snubbed, and with enough hard power to disintegrate a beautiful hole into Phrik Full-Plate. It wasn't a lightsaber? But it was pretty darn close.

"But I'll tell you what Commander" Mars smiled and nodded, "You sure know how to treat a lady. Hehe."

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah chuckled when Jerry mentioned how the Bando Gora learned their lesson. "Hell yeah, we wiped the bastards off the face of the galaxy and the bolter played a very key role. Though its main use is to level the playing fields when engaging force users." Noah informed her as he grabbed a few extra bolter mags and slid them into his Bodo Baas gunbelt/bandoleer. When she mentioned she would be sticking with her own equipment Noah smiled, she was indeed a season soldier, staying with what you knew best was a good tactic, though learning to use something new was also a very good trick to learn. The word disruptor caught his attention though, since the fact that they were banned in Protectorate space due to their very gruesome and hard-hitting nature. When the comment that he knew how to treat the ladies was thrown out, Noah smiled under his helmet. "Only the beautiful ones." Noah informed her as he slapped a mag into his rifle and set it down. "Would you mind if I took a look at your disruptor? I'm a gun nut and since they are banned in the Protectorate for private ownership, I haven't been able to get my hands on one." Though that was technically a lie since he had one at his family vacation house, he didn't let that slip, new things were always better.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

The hesitation showed on her face as she considered his offer. Until now Corek was still a mercenary from outside the Republic borders. Trust was not something Jerry gave away either. Especially when it came to her survival equipment. But the Force knew Corek, his character, his curiosities, and his good intentions. So when Mars searched the Force for anything out of place, her senses came up completely empty. As such, it did completely appear in the young Jedi's mind that the Commander was simply a curious soldier. ...Interesting?

"Of course Commander. I suppose you know your way around a rifle. Forgive my hesitation."

She smiled warmly and unslung her carbine. Offering it with little fanfare. It was no heirloom.

"I acquired this special weapon along the borderlands of Vespa Prime. It was in a cache of illegal goods that belonged to a local warlord. When we tagged his pet and brought it back to him alive, well, I suppose he was feeling generous. Hehe. Now, it's cumbersome to transport and still very illegal in most of the civilized world... But it packs enough punch to cause even those Phirk and Beskar fanboys to shudder twice. ...Ya know the type, I'm sure."

Disruptor Carbine. It was a common weapon by spec and science. The materials were industrial grade, stamped, and molded roughly. It showed wear and tear in all the right places but the frame was tight and held no rattle. The short-barrel labeled it a carbine rather than a rifle but the range was still good for an energy weapon. There was an aftermarket rail system cemented onto the frame in three places but the weapon currently had no attachments. No sight either. Ugh... How barbaric. How did she even aim?

Jerry shrugged. For a gun-nut she had rather unusual taste.

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah smiled when Jerry handed over the disruptor to him, looking the deadly weapon over, Noah had to admit he was impressed. It was expertly modified, wear and tear that showed years of faithful service, expertly sawed barrel to make it a carbine and after market rail systems, all in all it was a great weapon system, though Noah did see a few ways he could improve it. Noah walked over to a nearby workbench and pulled out a few tools. "You know, personally I've always preferred slugthrowers to energy weapons. Their cheaper but more durable and more easily modified, along with the fact that the ammo is much more cheaper and it can be suppressed." Noah told her as he laid the disruptor down on the table, it was then he realized it wasn't his weapon and it would be rude to make modifications to it without permission. "Uh, I have a few mods to make to it that I think you'd like, if you don't mind."

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

Jerry frowned and started to protest but hesitated once again,

"Wait... I. Um. Well? Not that I'm against it but... Um. Hmm. What exactly did you have in mind?"

Mars wasn't quite sure what prompted such a spur of creativity. Was Noah crazy? Was he a mad scientist of guns and ammo? Or, was he just trying to impress her, or being a sexist against female soldiering, or did he notice a flaw or mistake in her firearm? Gods, it was so sudden. And there was the mission to consider too.

"Erm, listen. We have a job to do. Very soon and... Are you sure this couldn't wait? I mean... I love guns. I do. But it's really not that necessary, you know? Are you sure we have to do this now? Surely the other soldiers are already ahead of us."

She seemed very confused. Perhaps in Omega your gun must be perfected, blessed, or ritualized before battle? Something they only do in Protectorate space maybe? Honestly, Jerry didn't know what to think right now. Just what was Noah doing that was going to help?

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah smiled when she asked what she had in mind. Her hesitation was noticeable, it probably stemmed from a few things, one was that she might have thought Noah was crazy, but he was completely sane, well not completely, but sane enough. Another reason was that he was sexist against female soldiers, this was also untrue, he had a sorted history of fighting beside females, Ventasia, Siobhan and Karen were just a few. Another being that he might have saw a flaw, but that was not the case, most likely he was trying to impress her, though he was really just helping a fellow soldier. When she mentioned the mission, Noah glanced down at his chrono. "We still have twenty minutes, besides what I'm doing won't take more than five." Noah told her as he reached into a nearby locker and took out a few parts and tools. "You know what the good thing about blasters and disruptors are? They use the same base parts, so I can easily swap out the normal base parts with more refined parts." Noah informed her as he popped the casing and began to replace the parts inside with the more advanced parts he had picked out. "Well all finished, I replaced your Xciter, Actuating Module and Heter valve. I made it a little more powerul, accurate and gave you fifty percent more shots before the power cell runs out." Noah told her as he handed it back to her, he had also added a more ergonomic grip.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

Oh damn. Noah had just turned her dusty piece into a modern prototype. Just like that. Whoa? And those parts ain't cheap on a Jedi's salary either.

"Oh my..."

Her eyes glittered with awe as she gazed at the new assembly. Instantly all of her worries were replaced by wonder. There is nothing that says "I'm a good Commander", like increasing a fellow soldier's combat performance and gear. Noah really was one-of-a-kind.

"Now that Commander... Was a damn fine replacement."

Mars turned the gun over and did a quick check. Sure enough, all the parts held together without any need for further modifications. The gun was still tight and heavy. Just the way she liked it.

"Remind me to thank you after the mission Commander. I believe I owe you a generous favor. Hehe."

She mounted the gun over her shoulder with pride and a silly smile. That would do just fine.

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah smiled when he was complimented by Jerry. Shrugging, Noah picked up his rifle and slung it over his back and walked out of the room, indicating Jerry to follow him. "A favor huh? Well I guess dinner and some entertainment will suffice." Noah informed her, a chuckled and a wink coming over his shoulder, he had removed his helmet when working on the disruptor and now it hung from a magnetic clamp on the side of his hip. "So, are you impressed with my skills?" Noah asked her, a bit snarky, but the intentions came off as a bit teasing and playing around. Finally they came to the airlock that would deploy them into space near the station, opening the door, Noah found the rest of the squad inside, sitting on small benches that lined the wall of the airlock. Taking his own seat, Noah checked his chrono. Eleven minutes.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

"I find it rather safe to say that your entire organization is rather impressive. But what does a Ranger know."

She smiled and slipped her helm back on. Locking the clamp and taking a moment to let the HUD reboot. It wasn't one of those fancy Mando helms with eye-recog, or tongue switches, or voice commands, but she enjoyed the simplicity.

When Noah mentioned dinner and entertainment she wondered if the Commander was indeed single and without a human spouse. Among humans it was common to find males of Corek's age and stature attached already. Perhaps he had taken Jedi vows as well? ...No. It must simply be personal or perhaps his female had already passed. That seemed more likely.

Mars took a seat and looked the team over once again. It was clear she was a wild card in their formation though she sensed little resentment for her presence. I suppose mercenaries don't mind another gun tagging along. Or maybe they just didn't care. Either way it still reminded her of her place as a Jedi and Republic agent amongst the crew. At the end of the day this was simply an alliance of convenience and payment. And for all of Corek's good character she still wasn't allowed to trust him completely. Well, if you believe in politics anyway.

Jerry frowned and looked back to her hands. The shaking had stopped and her heartbeat was once again calm. Perhaps she was getting used to these combat missions after all.

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah sat there, eyes closed, even seasoned soldiers like Noah got nervous and scared before missions, it was part of the job, but part of it was learning how to be a soldier was taking that anxiety and nervousness and make it into something productive, for Noah, that meant sitting on the floor field-stripping all of his weapons and making sure every last little part was clean as a whistle. Once he was done with that, he looked over the schematics and due to his eidetic memory, he was able to memorize them like the back of his hand in no time. After that he checked his chrono, two minutes left. "Stand up and check your gear!" Noah announced out to the assembled soldiers in the airlock, all of them stood and turned to the person next to them, checking to see if there were any tears or holes in their armors bodyglove that would leak air out into the vacuum. Noah walked over to Jerry and motioned for her to stand so he could check her gear.
[member="Jerry Mars"]

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

She remained seated and waved him away. Her gear was fine. She'd worn this baby literally everywhere and checked it every mission. If there was anything wrong she'd be able to sense it anyway.

Mars remained quite and contemplative as the others completed their teamwork. The last breath of fresh air before mounting the storm. It almost made her smile.

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah shrugged when Jerry waved him away and had another soldier check his gear. After getting a pat on the back, Noah knew he was ready to roll, looking back down to his chrono, he saw they had just under a minute. "Fifty seconds!" Noah called out as everyone made final minutes checks of oxygen, ammo and weapons, making sure everything was in working order. "Thirty seconds!" Noah breathed a breath in and hit a transmit button on his comm and sent a message to his daughter, telling her how much her loved her and all of the standard things a father would say to his daughter if he was going on a dangerous mission. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!" At the sound of five, everyone grabbed onto something.

 

[Jsc]

Boom.

Laser fire blasted the shield generator to pieces as their tapered transport came slamming headlong into the bay. Engines flared, the bay depressurized, and canisters went flying in all directions. Emergency alarms began to sound as their craft began a slow circle in the hot whirlwind. Yellow lights and a desperate sound. Their transport was almost too big for the massive bay that was in a wild torrent around them. The emergency blast doors slammed shut against the cold breach of space. Locking down the swishing compartment and sealing again the cold opening from whence they came. A terrible sealing hiss. The yellow emergency lights were still spinning when the winds stopped storming and the bay came to a tempered calm. Only moments later did the hatch came down and the soldiers jumped to the floor.

With terrible speed Squad C leapt from the spinning transport and rushed to the elevator doors. Lining up on both sides of the giant steel doors and nodding to each other with determination. Just in time too. No sooner did the doors hiss open and two Cyborg guardians stepped from the lift. They were larger than any man Jerry had ever seen. Half-man, half terrible concoction. Jagged red metal carved like bladed bone. Their feet sounded like clamping vices against the bulkhead and their heads swiveled like a mortars turret. Terminator units with red eyes to match. They saw the spinning transport's hatch began to close and their faces began to lift in astonishment. What was this!?

Time stood still as the two squad members reached out like a whisper and drove their combat knifes into their enemies skulls with desperate ease. Cinch, came the exit sound and off went their opponent's lights forever. Tiny red little eyes that would switch on, no more. The massive bodies dropped to the floor with a thud and the way was made clear to proceed.

"Clear."

Everyone boarded the elevator and let the doors slowly seal shut behind them. Two down. Many more to go. Next stop, main floor. Nearer the control center. Everything was going according to plan here. Jerry turned to Noah and nodded. Best to check and see if Squads A and B were progressing too.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
When Jerry looked over at him, Noah knew it was a silent signal. "A squad report in." Noah called out over the three squads private and encrypted channels. "We've secured the elevator that runs nearest to the precious mineral reserves, we should there within the next three minutes, out." Noah smiled and switched over the B squad. "B squad report in." Noah called over the radio. "We're moving into a area exactly a hundred meters away from the main atrium, give us five and we'll be set." Noah smiled and nodded his head, holding his hand out to Jerry so she could see, he made a thumbs up sign.

 

[Jsc]

The doors opened to the elevator and the squad fanned out. Long wide hallways, white with molded glass, and plenty of cover. Small pottery ferns in silver vases. Post-modern sitting benches and low hanging holo-signs. This side of the complex was more like a glossy living suite than a research facility. I guess somebody had money.

The sings gave accurate instructions and the carbon-charring was surprisingly minimal. If not for the sudden streak of blood on an adjacent wall, you might even think this place was peaceful. The cameras were all off and the door locks had all been manually engaged. Strange. No sign of more guards either.

"Looks like our enemies have disengaged the primary security systems from this area. Everything is on manual lock-down. Our friend Glyph would be locked out too. ...Well. That's good for now. Means nobody is watching us. ...Yet."

Another soldier stirred,

"Gonna have to hack all these doors or cut threw them. Strange? Not sure how the cyborgs are moving about freely with the base like this?"

Jerry knew that if the systems were down, it was only a matter of time before the pirates figured out how to turn them on again. This time, in their favor. Glyph couldn't keep control forever. Eventually the computers would be compromised. It was just a matter of time. But the warrior was right. If all the doors were closed manually? How were the brutes moving about the complex?

The Jedi Ranger stayed at the back of the column and let Noah take the lead here. She would just be combat support from here on out.

[member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah eyes scanned the area, bringing his rifle up quickly around every corner he passed. "Remember guys, check your corners." Noah informed them, to which he received a affirmative from every member. Once they approached the first door they would have to slice, the slicer kneeled down and got to work, while he was working Noah sent three soldiers off in the two hallways that were next to the door. A few seconds later, Noah got a radio hail saying he needed to see something, once he got to the area the hail had come from, Noah's eyes widened when he found what had distressed the soldier. There a door had been torn open and inside sat the body of woman, it was obvious what had happened to her. "Fething monsters..."

 

[Jsc]

[member="Noah Corek"]

Jerry moved up to check the body. The ID card labeled her, Research Assistant Kama Mardun. Non-VIP. Mars couldn't help but frown inside her helm as she turned to the Commander,

"Research Assistant. Dead. No clues here but the door looks forced. Powerfully. I think we've discovered how our enemies are moving around the base."

She stood up and nodded. Another soldier shook their head,

"They'll be more where this came from. ...Which way to the VIPs?"

Mars lifted her weapon and pointed outside,

"Command center should be down that way. If I was a betting woman, that's were the party will be. ...We can't reach Glyph from this edge of the base. Either we'll have to trust our Intel completely or Squad A and B have a better chance of getting in touch with our lost War A.I. somewhere else in the complex. Though, there might not be much new information that the A.I. could tell us. ...Your call Commander as to how we proceed?"

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Jerry Mars"]
Noah sighed as he stood from inspecting the body. "Well, if its any goods news, she died quickly." Noah informed anybody who was listening. "Shouldn't there be stations all through the station where we can access the AI? If we can find any of those stations we could just have our slicer jack in and we could pull info and camera feeds directly from the AI." Noah informed her as he brought out a hollow map and began to study it.