Objective 2: Contain Infestation + Collect Samples for new treatment.
Location: Lucky Pine Mega Aparment Complex, Undercity
With:
Charlie Nooran
,
Auteme
Jyoti nodded at Charlie, who certainly appeared ready for the operation. Over the years, her daughter had come a long way from the awkward girl she had found on a reclusive monastery on Tython. She was capable, now comfortable operating on her own while Jyoti had retired for a while. The Echani considered that the time was soon coming that it may even be time for Knighthood.
She was almost ready, perhaps one or two more tests just to make sure.
Her companion (friend, battle buddy?) Auteme seemed competent as well. That was good - the Jedi Master wasn't here to babysit anyone like they were her apprentices. The operation was serious business that wasn't for the faint of heart.
"Hopefully the current batch of serum will work this time around," she told Auteme. "But with fresh genetic samples for Panacea's new treatment, we may never have to worry about that again."
The traditional method for developing a serum was a process of extracting plasma and antibodies from a person infected with a weakened strain of a Rhakghoul virus, but this was lengthy process, and quite dangerous for the volunteer. Meanwhile, Panacea had a medical kits that could generate macromolecules in real time to target and destroy the virus no matter the mutations in DNA and RNA, but the governing AI was still under training. Fresh, live samples would certainly help speed up the training.
Her
helmet's earpiece buzzed to life as one of the ground teams took to the comms. Before they could speak, she heard a cacophony of blaster fire and earsplitting bestial shrieks that left her wincing.
"Breach in sector G11," the Tarisan officer yelled.
"Lucky Pine Apartment Complex! Bastards are pouring out of the sewers through the basement levels! We need rein---arrrgh!"
There was more yelling and blaster fire before the thud of one body colliding with another. Those same horrible shrieks again, followed by wet tearing sounds.
"Pilot, did you get that?! Get us to G11 now!"
"Yes ma'am!"
The pilot jerked hard on the yoke, rolling the blastboat to snap the ship onto a new trajectory. It was a good thing for artificial gravity and inertial compensators or everyone not strapped to their seats would be barreling all over the decks.
"We'll be there in two minutes."
"Slight change of plans," she informed Charlie and Auteme. "We need to plug a new breach into the Undercity before it gets out of hand. The ghouls have emerged within an apartment complex, so that means CQC among civilians."
Definitely the worst scenario. Not only would that have to contend with Rhakghoul in very tight quarters, but they would have to do it while being mindful of the people around, undoubtedly panicking and acting stupid out of fear.
"As soon as we're in range, deploy the droid pods." she ordered the bridge "Direct them to establish a perimeter around the complex and roofs and then work their way inside. Call on additional reinforcements (
Gir Quee
)."
As they neared their destination, the large bay doors in the passenger area slid open, revealing the bleak duracrete expanse that was the Undercity. She could pick out Lucky Pines from yellow neon sign that cut through the haze of the smoggy skies, several letters flickering. On other planets, the huge complex would have been classified as a skyscraper, reaching up well beyond the levels of the Undercity. That was a serious problem, as the mega structure provided a viable bridge to the upper levels of city.
Behind her visor, she narrowed her eyes at the main street beside the apartment, where she could make out the flashes of blaster fire and several moving masses. That was a good place as to start.
"Going down," she called out to everyone. "Get those pods out ASAP."
She didn't wait for the ship to get low enough to rappel down, she pushed out of the open bay with one foot and launched herself toward the ground like a bullet. At her speed, she should have been flattened like a pancake, but in the last moments she flipped her foot downward and cushioned her fall with the Force, silent as a pindrop as she landed on the ball of one foot. She in turn bounded off this foot into a full sprint, wasting no time to get into the action.
There had only been a window of a few seconds between her drop from the blastboat to the ground, but it was enough to form a picture. A few handfuls of local security forces and armed civilians were now engaged by several dozens of Rhakghoul pouring out of the ground entrance to the complex. Without intervention, they were sure to be overrun.
Focusing on the largest concentration ghouls, still emerging from the entrance, she unsnapped a cryo grenade from her bandolier and chucked it at the pack. Assisted by telekinesis, the grenade hurdled toward them at blinding speed before exploding into a white mist of cryoban as it hit the center of their group. Startled, the ghouls tried to disperse from the epicenter of the blast, but only made it a few steps before they were frozen in place on the steps.
While grabbing another grenade, she unclipped her lightsaber as she skidded to a halt. With a snap-hiss, a silvery shaft of light erupted from the wood paneled hilt of
Sitara. Several Rhakghouls on the street, previously focused on attacking the officers and civilians, began to stampede toward her, attracted to the crystals of her lightsaber that resonated strongly within the Force.
Mindless as they were, the Sithspawn were still animated with purpose.
To snuff out the light.
Kyra Perl
