Dominion Blow Ye Winds Fringeward | TSO Dominion of Challenge Hex Beta

[Skye Mertaal]

Bounty Hunter Name: Skye Mertaal
Bounty Hunter License: Link
Seeking Bounties on: Spice Spiders
Toggle on: NPC Not applicable

Objective 2: Bug Hunt
Lysander von Ascania | Open

Glitterstim burned hot in Skye's veins, making every nerve lit raw. The tunnels felt too loud, too bright, too close. Skye's pupils were blown wide under the visor, and every breath scraped her throat dry. She heard the blonde kid's voice crackle through the comms, all smug and talking chit regarding taking the Pheonix if she died.

A heavy snort cut through and from behind her visor, her upper lip curled back in a snarl.

[ You're not fethin' getting my gorram ship, kid. ]

The words were brusk and spat out like a blaster bolt. Rage surged through her veins and she aimed it all at the brood mother.

Darting to the right, the Bounty Hunter skid across the ground, sending a scattering of grit and rocks before she planted her boots, her ion carbine swinging up. Through the green tint of the night vision HUD, she saw the brood mother's shadow fill the tunnel, its legs hammering the tunnel walls as her mandibles clackered like vibroblades wating to chow down on her next meal.

Skye fired. The ion blaster spat out another stream of silver, slamming into the creature's front legs. Energy rippled over its carapace, the crackling discharge forcing it to recoil with a banshee screech that shook the walls. Three smaller spiders hissed, scattering in a frenzy.

The Huntress yanked at a grenade from her belt, thumbing the primer, and then hurled it dead center into the mother's chest. The blast lit the tunnel in blinding light, ion fire crawling over the brood mother's body like a crackling lighting storm.

It shrieked, convulsing back, the webbing snapping free from the ceiling. Dust and debris rained down as the beast reeled, thrashing to shake off the surge.

Perhaps a little too wildly, as a tremor through the tunnels indicated that the earth was not happy about the grenade.

Feth.

[ Keep the little ones back. I'll drop her. ]

 

[CT-312]

//: Ruus Kote //:
//: Nearby: Lysander von Ascania Skye Mertaal //:
//: Taul //:
//: Attire //:
//: EQUIPMENT: Halcyon Armour| M.I. 'Sunstroke' jetpack| M.I. 'Halo' jump boots | Contact Lenses | Wrist Mounted APG | Ancile Shield | Navi/Barca //:
//: WEAPONS: VW 864 Maser Rifle | LO-18D | M.I. Model 7 shotgun | LO-22S | Sunshot Pistol | M.I. Model 6 hybrid pistol //:
//: 40|40 Active Mag : 2 Backup Mags x LO-KI/22 Standard Slug Round //:
//: DROIDS: 2 x LK War-X | 4 x LK Pred-X //:
//: ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: Kushute Grenades | Farrus Sphere |Shiva Knife | S.A.N.D. Powder //:
//: 1 x Arrow head of Absence | Taozin amulet | LK Spider Slicer Droid //:
//: Objective 2: Bug Hunt //:
​

CT-312 pulled up the map. More red hostile signatures clustered across the HUD. The Spice Spiders masses became thicker with every step toward the facility gates. At this rate, the operation would drag longer than planned. The prolonged exposure to the light acid rain would eventually start to chew through equipment, plating, and even shields. For now, her systems and war droids held.

Acid rain hissed softly across her armor. CT-312 activated her Halycon’s shields, changing it from singular vambrace shields to a bubble shield around her. Chime. The Scout’s HUD scrolled a new text feed from Ruus.

"RV in ten," he messaged back to CT-312 with even their powerful comms not appreciating the conditions, it was best to follow her lead and keep communication in this range in text form.

The Scout could see a break forming in the acid-laced dust clouds that were churned up by the screaming winds. Through the gaps a faint silhouette of the facility emerged. The structure’s broad walls of reinforced durasteel and towers stood battered and corroded. Chime. Another notification and text feed scrolled on the HUD.

[BARCA]
[ IFF: Friendly ]
[ Four IFVs enroute. Closing in. ]

CT-312’s HUD camera feeds confirmed it. Glimpses of ripper fire strobing the mist, carving spiders apart en route to the gates. The faint glimmer of shield against the acidic rain. Flickering. Four IFV’s emerged as it closed in. One broke formation and rolled closer to CT-312 and her War-X. A hatch opened to reveal Ruus, offering her a lift. CT-312 gave a simple head shake to the sides with a hand up. A polite gesture of refusal. Patting on the War-X’s back side, indicating her own ride. An incoming silhouette caught in the corner of her eye, rifle raised. Firing a burst into an incoming Spice Spider. Limbs sheared apart as it collapsed. The War-X stomped its body flat, claws grinding as they continued to press forward.

“Entrance ahead” she voxed. Visor tilted toward the ruined tunnel beside the main structure. “Need to start nabbing some of these things alive and intact. See you inside.” The War-X broke away. Nearing the processing facility, vaulting the perimeter fence. Entering the ground, Glitterstim webs hung across gantries and broken bulkheads. Thick strands glistened with faint luminescence. Clusters of eggs faintly pulsing between collapsed beams and sides of buildings. CT-312 eyes swept the facility. Some bunkers and bulkheads still held. The shield field sputtered faintly over the intact doors. Survivors, maybe… The Scout logged the thought. Something to check once the objectives were secured.

The rumbling of IFV treads and LK War Droids carried across the plateau. Shaking the ground. The vibration and noise triggered the swarm. From the breached containment caverns more Spice Spiders poured out. Aggressive. Mandibles shrieking as they scuttled toward the commotion. CT-312’s HUD lit up with tags. Marking every fresh breach. Sending out another text message to Ruus.

[ INCOMING MSG: CT-312 to RUUS ]
[ Sending cave entrances and tagged nests ]
[ Think your IFVs can keep the unwanted visitors at bay? ]
[ Time to go collecting ]

Data of the red signatures pinged flared across the shared map grid. CT-312 reached into a side pouch, pulling out a Farrus Sphere. Remembering how it was meant to work from a previous job. Weaken the target then throw the sphere. Simple. Or so it seemed.

As the War-X moved mid-stride, CT-312 hopped off. Boots hitting the ground in a crouch. Rifle sweeping her immediate perimeter. Dropping any immediate threats. Shredding the Spice Spiders with precise bursts. Her visor locked with the looming War-X’s glowing crimson optics in the storm. “No killing. Just beat them down.” The War-X roared. Audio modulators bellowing. The Pred-Xs at its flanks synced instantly to the command. Optics flashing as the pack broke into a hunting spread. Locating the nearest spider, the pack surged forward. Mauling without lethal strikes. Snapping at the legs, pinning and ramming into the body. Dragging the Spice Spider while thrashing it. Still alive and weary.

CT-312 advanced with the pack. Rifle steady. Capture sphere in hand.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Objective 2: Bug Hunt
Tag: Skye Mertaal | Open
SD-R1 Standard Blaster Rifle

​

When the brooding Mandalorian’s voice cracked over the comms with a brand of venom he’d already gotten used to, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a grin. The glitterstim already turned every sound into a living thing that was crawling along his nerves. Perhaps, it was best that way, so that her words only reached his ears and nothing more, rather than coiling around his spine.

[ I’m picking up real territorial vibes. And I don’t think that’s just the Glitterstim talking. ]

The brood mother’s screech was still reverberating through the tunnel, a sound so deep it nearly jarred him. Through the green washed glow of his HUD, the creature came into view.. impossibly large.

As the grenade detonation slammed through the tunnel, Lysander ducked instinctively, dust cascading over his shoulders and visor before he wiped it clean with a gloved hand.

[ Ah yes, the fethin’ Mandalorian way.. treating explosives like gorram seasoning.. sprinkling that chit on everything. ]

Without thinking he shifted his stance, boots sliding over broken strands of web that were beginning to cling to his legs like ghostly fingers. The little blaster in his hand did its job though, bucking with rapid fire as he poured bolts into the smaller spiders skittering along the tunnel's walls.

He hadn’t forgotten about her ship; the thoughts were just tearing through his mind at lightspeed.

[ Fine, I’ll just carve my name into the hull instead. ]

Amidst all the swirling dust and debris, he spied something glinting in the air; a vial of glitterstim, miraculously unscathed by the chaos! And as if pulled by an unseen magnetic current, he was drawn forward, his hand reaching out and seizing the beautiful cylinder. But that very moment, a surge of hot energy shot through his skull. It was dizzying, and sharp, threatening to shatter his focus.

He gritted his teeth behind the rebreather.

Sliding the vial into the pouch on his utility belt and snapping his blaster back up to cover Skye's flank without missing a step, he pressed forward in a half-run.

Two more spiders tried to slip past her flank, their bodies low and legs working in a blur, and he turned his aim toward them, squeezing off three quick shots that dropped one while sizzling and sent the other running back into the shadows.

Words threatened to spill out in a rush as his boots found purchase on higher ground.

[ On it. The brats are mine. ]

Maybe Skye was the sort who needed a little affirmation now and then.

[ If anyone can drop mama, it’s you. ]

He smirked under the helm.

Even he didn’t buy that one.

Back to riding the high, he noticed how the fight stretched and sharpened into something beautiful in its violence — even the drugs couldn’t numb the Sith inside him

 

[Skye Mertaal]

Bounty Hunter Name: Skye Mertaal
Bounty Hunter License: Link
Seeking Bounties on: Spice Spiders
Toggle on: NPC Not applicable

Objective 2: Bug Hunt
Lysander von Ascania | Open

The Huntress ground her teeth as his voice crackled in again with his snark.

[ Shut it, kid. You're not karkin' touchin' my ship. ]

It felt as if her heart was hammering within her chest, her sweat soaking under the body glove, but Skye forced her focus on the brood mother. If they were going to capture it, she had one shot. She had one Ferrus Orb and they had to plan it right tow ork. But first, they had to drop her.

She scanned the tunnel. The mining supports groaned under webs stretched thick across their beams. Glitterstim vials glowed faintly in broken crates, dust shimmering in the air.

PErfect. Well it would have been perfect if the blasted kid hadn't gone stumbling after a glitterstim vial like some glitbiter about to reach a whole new netherworld nirvana.

[ Oi! Git your blasted lit ass into gear and focus! ] She shouted through the comm, just as she yanked another ion grenade and pitched it high. If the blonde kid was complaining about her use of grenades, well, he was going to have alot more to bítch and moan about.

It clipped a beam, detonating with a crack that tore half the supports loose. Webbing and rock collapsed, crashing down onto the brood mother's front legs. It shrieked like a banshee, stumbling forward under the weight, mandibles snapping in fury.

Behind her, Lysander's got back to work on taking out the smaller Energy Spiders, Meanwhile, her carbine spat out volley after volley of controlled bursts, the silvery ion bolts slamming into the creature's thorax only to crackle like lightning across its carapace. The massive spider thrashed, legs twitching wide up, before it went smashing against the tunnel walls only for the rubble and continued charges to slow it.

Skye pulled the Ferrus Orb free, thumb brushing over its activation rune.

[ Just a little more.] she told herself, teeth grinding as she put her entire focus on the task. The Witchmaster's body buzzed with the glitterstim, every vibration, every breath of the beast mapped in her mind. She adjusted her aim, hurled another ion charge into the cluster of glitterstim vials scattered near its legs.

The blast went off like an electric Molotov bottle. Energy went rippling across the brood mother, its scream warping into a ragged, broken pitch of rage. The massive creature staggered to the right. left, before it gave a sudden convulsion, then slumped in a heavy thud to the ground.

[ There! ] Skye readied the Orb in her palm, waiting for the last twitch to still before she moved in.

One second. Two. And then a flash as the massive Brood mother was captured within the orb.

A faint grin carved Skye's pale, clammy face as she checked it over.

Good.

With that, they had the bounty. It wouldn't take long for Skye to narrow down on who the Rodians' contact was. Collecting her credits was completed shortly after, with Skye giving the blonde kid the Rodian as his due.

It was a solid hunt.

~ Exit thread

 

[Ruus Kote]

​

Friendly Units:
'Mirshir'verd'jurkad'gam' and Ysalamiri Birikad have been issued force wide.

• 1 Platoon from Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry Battalion
• Busayr-class Heavy Assault Transport I'dadr 1-1
• HB-01 Adenn Kyr'am-class Heavy Battlecarrier Adenn Kyram

Units in Reserve: Rest of Shereshoy and Kad b' Marev battalions.
Tag(s): CT-312 | Lysander von Ascania | Skye Mertaal

Equipment

Armor Implant(s) Equipment Melee Sidearm(s) Rifle(s) Explosives

• 
  
  • 'Mirshir'verd'jurkad'gam'
  • Equipment Mount: Ysalamiri Birikad.
  • Back Weapon Mount: A-03S Verpine Shatter Autocannon
    
    • GVSR-SAGuided APFSDS Magazine (1)
    • GVSR-HEIAPA Guided HEIAP Magazine (1 loaded, 1 spare)
    • GVSR-FA Guided Flechette Magazine (1)
  • Right Gauntlet and Vambrace: 'Verd b' Marev' Gauntlet and Vambrace
    
    • Weapon Mounts:
      
      • Left:
        
        • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
      • Top:
        
        • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
          
          • Tracyn'vhipir-class Brilliant Plasma Missile (4)
          • Striilir'ika-M-class Brilliant Micro-missile (Baradium) (4)
      • Right:
        
        • PC-05V Plasma Caster
          
          • Plasma Gas Medium Cannister (1)
  • Left Gauntlet and Vambrace: 'Verd b' Surhaai' Gauntlet and Vambrace
    
    • Weapon Mounts:
      Left:
      
      • NML-02VTB Nano missile Launcher
      • Top:
        
        • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
          
          • Tracyn'vhipir-class Brilliant Plasma Missile (4)
          • Striilir'ika-M-class Brilliant Micro-missile (Baradium) (4)
      • Right:
        
        • PC-05V Plasma Caster
          
          • Plasma Gas Medium Cannister (1)
  • Utility Belt Loadout:
    
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Ammunition Pouches
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Grenade Pouches
    • Hardcase Large Satchel
    • Softcase Large Storage Pouches (dump pouch)
    • Magnetic Clamp
  • Load-bearing Rig Loadout:
    
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Ammunition Pouches
    • Hardcase Spring-loaded Grenade Pouches
    • Central Secondary High Capacity Rylith Power Cell
    • Medium and Large Gription Panels
  • Holster Setup:
    
    • 1x chest-rig mounted
    • 2x belt-mounted
    • 1x thigh mounted (dominant hand side)
• 
  
  • 'Verd' Enhancement Package
  • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface
• 
  
  • 'Shushai Rugam' Sensor Sphere (2)
  • Vehicle Tool Kit
• 
  
  • K-04 Skirata Ehn-ky'kal Kal (2)
  • K-03 Kal(1)
• 
  
  • RP-05A Ripper Pistol
    
    • 'Kyrayc Sur'haai'-M 1-4x Short Range Optic
    • 'Drala Sur'haai' Targeting Laser/Illuminator
    • Ammunition:
      
      • GRR-APR Guided Armor-Piercing Magazine (1 loaded, 2 spare)
      • GRR-FR Guided Flechette Magazine (3)
• 
  
  • AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle
    
    • 'Kyrayc Sur'haai'-M 1-12x Medium Range Optic
    • 'Drala Sur'haai' Targeting Laser/Illuminator
    • UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher
      
      • Ammunition:
        
        • BG-02 Baradium Grenade (5 in the tube)
    • Ammunition:
      
      • GVSR-SR Guided SLAP Magazine (1 loaded, 2 spare)
      • GVSR-FR Guided Flechette Magazine (3)
• 
  
  • BG-02 Baradium Grenade (4)​
  • EG-02 Electronet Grenade (3)​
  • SJG-02 Signal Jammer Grenade (2)​
  • NGG-02 Nagnol Gas Grenade (2)​
  • AWCGG-02 Anti-Energy Weapon Countermeasure Gas Grenade (2)​

[/slide]

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
Verbor'ad ures aliit
Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se
Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.


Objective 2: Bug Hunt​

A hatch opened to reveal Ruus, offering her a lift. CT-312 gave a simple head shake to the sides with a hand up. A polite gesture of refusal.

Ruus understood perfectly. "Acknowledged," was the reply he sent back in text form. He hit the switch to shut the doors, drowning out the dampened thunderous report of the heavy repeating rippers and the screeching of the creatures outside. His 'manda' module had learned not to bother him obvious warnings in text form, instead it flashed red attack vectors over the areas of the map where the enemy attacks were increasing in magnitude and frequency. While their IFVs still had ammunition, he wasn't in the slightest bit concerned, and right now, they were all showing green status indicators for main gun ammunition reserves.

“Entrance ahead” she voxed. Visor tilted toward the ruined tunnel beside the main structure. “Need to start nabbing some of these things alive and intact. See you inside.

"Ah yes, the easy part," Ruus responded as his IFVs punched though what was left of the perimeter fencing and entrance. What came next was no one's idea of fun, and in the closer confines of the facility, the IFVs were not going to help them take any of these things alive, nor secure the Glitterstim. "Alright vode, it's time to earn our hazard pay. Let's finish this and get the shab of this kadtape me'suum!" a chorus of 'Oya!' answered him as the Shock Troopers of 1st company 2nd platoon dismounted with practiced ease and armor and cybernetics augmented alacrity.

Ruus tasked the IFVs to cover them as they went to work. Without him needing to say so, EG-02 Electronet Grenades were loaded into underbarrel grenade launchers or primed for hand thrown deployment. None of them were without lethal weapons at hand, however. Their vehicles had attracted enough attention that it was of no surprise to him that the moment they stopped and dismounted they had incoming. "Shereshoy Aurek T'ad 1-2 and 1-3, hukaat," he quickly ordered, getting a pair of acknowledgement signals from the two traat'aliit alore.

[ INCOMING MSG: CT-312 to RUUS ]
[ Sending cave entrances and tagged nests ]
[ Think your IFVs can keep the unwanted visitors at bay? ]
[ Time to go collecting ]

"Already on it," he answered as he pulled back on his UGL's pump, catching the ejected baradium grenade with his left hand and stowing it without a second thought. He loaded one of his electronet grenades and locked one of the spiders on his HUD, a firing solution was instantly computed and displayed on his HUD, not that he needed it. He could see firing lines now for the rest of the two platoons. Almost like clockwork, grenades arced out as one to meet the oncoming horde of spiders. The first row of spiders went down like sacks of protatoes. Their fellows shrieked in outrage as they clambered around their fallen colleagues.

"We've got enough alive, right alor?" came the question from Aurek platoon's traat'aliit alor as there was a moment's hesitation before firing solutions materialized on his HUD as the Shock Troopers with him snapped up weapons and locked secondary weapon systems on targets. Ruus did so as well. You could never be too careful after all, ret'lini

"Enough for a shabla lifetime, I hope," he responded before raising CT-312 on comms, "Got about eight angry bugs for you, that enough?" He sure as shab hoped so, because it was a moment later that he gave the signal over the battlenet to open fire. Their panoply of war reached out and put down the errant creatures; plasma micro-missiles, nano missile swarms, ripper and verpine shatter rounds and a few discharges from pulse and disruptor weapons. Ruus' AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle coughed quietly as he put three-round bursts downrange, his back mounted

Nothing ever went that well, however. Four of the spiders managed to mostly slip free. This made sense, while big enough to cover them, these nets were never made to hold creatures like this. With the net still attached to them but with their limbs free, some of the spiders attempted to skitter away. Ruus almost felt bad as he activated the nets. Almost. Of the four spiders, only two twitched, stunned. The other two weren't moving, positively identified by their battlenet fused sensors as being quite dead. Oh well, six had to be enough, right? "Make that six," he quickly corrected over comms to CT-312 .