Cloudy Skies Ahead (Cortosis Raid on Bespin)

[Maelion Liates]

@[member="Xander Carrick"] @[member="Hannibal Oryen"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"] @[member="Moira Skaldi"]

It began slowly.

Over several weeks before the appointed date ships landing on Bespin delivered people who otherwise would not pass a second glance. They went about their normal jobs, though they were anything but refugees fleeing the war.

On the date chosen the Lightbringer entered Bespin’s atmosphere, all stealth countermeasures engaged. Hiding out of sight a few hundred kilometres away from Cloud City the ship waited.

On Bespin, Maelion Liates and Moira Skaldi, along with a collection of other raiders, had slowly infiltrated Cloud City, waiting for the time to strike.

A shuttle left the Lightbringer and docked with Cloud City where Maelion, Moira and the rest were waiting. The shuttle contained their weapons, armour and other explosive equipment. When they were ready they would strike the cortosis holding area and make off with the precious mineral….

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Maelion Liates"]

Cloud City - once a stronghold of the Bando Gora, where they had brutally oppressed the people and performed fascinating experiments to create an abomination. Omega Pyre under Kerrigan had purged the city with fire and sword, up to the mentally unstable then Colonel tearing down another roof. Later on the Pyre had made a propaganda movie about the whole affair, a production Moira had been quite involved in, the better to rally the faithful. She had not been part of the assault force then, but come later to retrieve captured Bando Gora cultists for...interrogation. Questioning had not been 'gentle'.

By now the damage from the Bando Gora war had been repaired, the unholy symbols and skull temples removed, on the surface the city was once again a centre of commerce, normalcy evident. It served her purposes just fine, as she along with her companion reached the landing pad, the shuttle bearing gifts, explosive gifts, soon coming into view as it touched down out of the sky. No one had questioned them, but then their papers seemed so genuine and with war spreading across the Galaxy like wildfire, with worlds being set ablaze in an inferno, their stories as refugees seemed plausible enough.

After the raid on Maramere and the humiliatingly failed assault of the Protectorate on Kayri, Moira was inclined to write them off as far as actual resistance went, but it paid to be prepared. The shuttle was piloted by one of hers, an HRD, in life as an organic a vagrant no one would miss. No, not a member of the Vagrant Fleet, which seemed to have been filled with all sorts of celebrities, an actual vagrant! The landing ramp lowering they quickly entered the shuttle, the cargo hold of which was overflowing with crates containing enough weapons to equip the elite guard of a banana republic.

 

[Darth Vazela]

| @[member="Maelion Liates"] | @[member="Hannibal Oryen"] | @[member="Moira Skaldi"] | @[member="Xander Carrick"] |

Vilox Pazela was stood at the end of the ramp as Moira Skaldi and Maelion Liates disembarked from their shuttle and onto Cloud City. He had been engaging in holo communications with Maelion for a number of weeks. Through the use of his old contacts he had gained during his five year tenure as a Lord of the Sith in the Empire, it came apparent that a party was being formed to raid the Cortosis on Bespin. Intrigued, the Dark Master had got into contact with Maelion and consequentially, here he was at the foot of her ship, ready to assist in her skirmish with the Omega Protectorate.

He wore leather jacket, with a simple black shirt underneath and black pants, with a pair of steel grey combat boots. Different attire to what he normally wore, but he had to blend in with the crowd. After all, this was a covert operation, if Maelion had planned it properly. Inclining her head to her, he said, "It's good to finally meet you in person."

 

[Garza]

I walked down a ramp on the planet of Bespin. Cloud city was floating in the air as it always has for hundreds of years. Dressed in clothes that were in all black, war torn, and yet. matched with the area. I could have gone as a child that worked on his own, which was true. only I was carrying a S-1 blaster pistol and a lightsaber hidden on my body. A man walked out before me, saying that he was glad to finally meet the women that stood before us. I stayed silent.

As some say, a child should be seen, and not heard.

@[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Moira Skaldi"], @[member="Maelion Liates"]

 

[Maelion Liates]

@[member="Xander Carrick"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"] @[member="Moira Skaldi"]

Maelion returned the nod to the dark dressed man before her. She noticed also the white haired young man. These were both her contacts to loot Bespin of the Protectorate’s stockpiled cortosis.

“The plan is that we move quickly. I will cause a distraction whilst you move in and seize the cortosis supplies. We will move a shuttle in to the bottom of the city and we will load it from there. When all is ready we will return to our ship which is nearby and distribute equally the stocks. Any questions?”

Maelion herself had some of the extremely rare ultrachrome armour acquired by her associate Moira Skaldi, as well as a Mk1 bolter and several other handy devices.
Her three HRDs following her also had a small arsenal of thermal detonators and baridium charges to cause this…distraction.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Maelion Liates"], @[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Xander Carrick"]

Moira likewise nodded and let Maelion speak as she scanned the area, searching for any disturbances, any incoming guards, Protectorate or local security forces, keeping watch. "Clear. No contact," she broadcast to Maelion wirelessly over the purely electronic link, to anyone else it would appear like she was simply staring ahead at the buildings since her lips did not move. Purely electronic communication was so much more efficient than verbal. Another reason why organics should be processed.

Beneath her dark civilian clothes, resembling those of a spacer she wore her suit of ultrachrome armour, acquired on a recent and most profitable raid. She was likewise armed with the Mk1 bolter and some other useful weapons and explosives. If all went as planned, they would strike and be off with their loot before its owners were the wiser, just like on Maramere. Upon reflection, they would leave more of a...lasting impression than on Maramere. Just a little bit of chaos.

 

[Darth Vazela]

| @[member="Xander Carrick"] | @[member="Moira Skaldi"] | @[member="Maelion Liates"] |

Vazela nodded his head as he listened to Liates as she spoke. The woman only knew him by the name of Vazela, nothing more. He also kept his alignment to the dark side a secret. By hiding his Force sensitivity, individuals such as Xander would not be able to detect that he was a former Lord of the Sith. He said, "What intelligence do you have on the Cortosis? Where is it being kept?"

 

[Maelion Liates]

@[member="Moira Skaldi"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"] @[member="Xander Carrick"]

“It is held in a lower storage warehouse of Cloud City, warehouse 66. To get to it from here there is a service shaft you can climb down two floors and then a service elevator you can take to level 6. From there it should be easy to access the cortosis. My associate will accompany you and guide you. I will join you as soon as the distraction has been arranged.”

All that their ‘friends’ would know Maelion as was Eudoxia, an identity she assumed when she did not want to give away either her real name or her business name.

‘Take them down there, dispose of the guards, secure the stock,’ she communicated to Moira secretly.

 

[Garza]

I watched as the older people talked to one another. yet the blond lady seemed to act more like a robot rather than a Human. I nodded as we were told to secure the supplies and then meet up with her later at the ship that would be taking us out of here with the Cortosis. I needed it for a project that I had. Once more I stayed silent as the man asked the question on my mind. Only then did I nod once more.

@[member="Maelion Liates"], @[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Maelion Liates"], @[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Xander Carrick"]

Moira would be known as 'Ruby', also a convenient cover identity for her when her real name or her business identity were inconvenient. As a machine she obviously could not sense the Force, though on the flip side she was designed to escape detection of her true nature by all but the most accomplished. Ironically enough, she had actually worked with Sith Masters a few times.

Regardless, Moira gave a simple nod of acknowledgement, gesturing to her two companions. "Let's go," she spoke softly more for their benefit. Maelion would receive a simple, inaudible ping as acknowledgement. Time was a wasting after all. The coordinates of their destination were memorised or rather imprinted in her droid mind and she guided them through less travelled hallways to the access point, after a scan showed they had not been followed. The shaft was sealed but a three hard punches broke it open.

Checking briefly on her 'associates', she climbed down the long shaft, swiftly but stealthily, barely making a sound as she made her descent. As she reached the end she placed an optical fibre cable under the door, waiting, a guard was standing outside having a smoke, his blaster rifle swung lazily over his shoulder. He never got the chance to respond when suddenly Moira dashed out and, grabbed his jaw and spun so hard she snapped his neck, then dumped him in the shaft and called the elevator. A burst transmission was sent to Maelion as she stepped through, the distraction should begin soon, as the elevator doors closed behind her.

 

[Darth Vazela]

| @[member="Moira Skaldi"] | @[member="Maelion Liates"] | @[member="Xander Carrick"] |

Vazela nodded his head and said, "Indicate to me when your distraction is about to take place. Then give me two minutes to get into position before you instigate said distraction." He turned away from the group and headed around the corner, his destination warehouse 66. But before he headed there, he first needed to find it. Heading to a console, he produced a datapad and through the technique of spikes, hacked into the mainframe and located the whereabouts of the warehouse.

As he walked by a bin, he threw the datapad into the cylinder object, so as to not be traced back to him. Casually, he began his descent...

 

[Garza]

Following the other two. I moved silently. Not making a sound in my shoes. I looked as a ghost with the black wisps of torn clothing flying behind me. I followed the woman as she descended. With the man and the woman here with me. I had a feeling that we may either have a very easy time getting this cortosis, or have a hard time that was not going to be expected. I only waited for when we would move next.

@[member="Moira Skaldi"], @[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Maelion Liates"]

 

[Maelion Liates]

@[member="Xander Carrick"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"] @[member="Moira Skaldi"]

Distractions were easy, but the key was not to be so alarming that the distraction caused a complete lockdown of the city. As much as she’d like, the goal of this mission wasn’t to destroy Cloud City, just cause an alarm.

Upon receiving the transmission from Moira, Maelion put her plan into effect. She had in her possession several phosphorus grenades and baridium charges. They had previously rented a speeder and now filled this with the explosives wired with a remote control.
It was a simple matter to seize and kill a hapless civilian, place them at the wheel and use the remote control to steer the speeder at high speed into a building.
Soon the fact that explosives were on board would be discovered, along with the fact the pilot was already dead, but there would be a long enough distraction for them to make the heist.

‘Distraction has begun. Begin seizing the cortosis. I will be there soon.’

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Xander Carrick"], @[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Maelion Liates"]

Blowing up Cloud City would indeed be an interesting venture. Perhaps something for another time, but they were here for the cortosis. The elevator reached its destination just as she heard the transmission. Moira acknowledged with an inaudible ping and stepped out. Chaos raged outside as further away the great explosion resounded, Moira gave the guards no respite as she quickly headed to the warehouse.

The time for subtlety had passed, now speed was essential and with powerful force she kicked the door open, ramming it into the head of a trooper as she tossed a flashbang in, the bright blinding for organics as she moved in. The bolter was loaded with buckshot and barked out rounds, as she wielded it along with a disruptor pistol, blowing guards apart, one who came at her with a blade was grabbed by the arm and smashed into the wall behind him, the blade being tossed through the air to rid another guard of his head. Scattered blaster and flechette shots were shrugged off as she advanced, inexorably, relentlessly.

Against an assassin droid and two forcers, the pitiful guards would stand no chance and the cortosis would be theirs.

 

[Maelion Liates]

@[member="Moira Skaldi"] @[member="Xander Carrick"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"]

Maelion swiftly moved to join Moira. Her own bolter, and those of her 3 HRD companions cut down anyone trying to get in their way.
Soon they had reached an elevator and took it down to the desired level.
‘We are coming, check your fire,’ she communicated to Moira as they entered the far side of the corridor.

There, facing them, was the warehouse. The cortosis would be theirs! They had to be quick though.

 

[Darth Vazela]

| @[member="Maelion Liates"] | @[member="Xander Carrick"] | @[member="Moira Skaldi"] |

Vilox Pazela was a blur around warehouse 66. With his advanced Force Sense, he searched out the various guards and personnel that protected the Cortosis deposits. Lightsaber in hand, they soon found themselves under the bane of a crimson beam, as the Dark Master slayed them. He caught himself in a mirror reflection as he slaughtered an teenager, a courier by her tags, no older than sixteen. His grey/black hair was raised in static, his eyes yellow malevolent, robes blowing around him like a storm, red light in his left hand as he split the girls neck in two before moving onto the next.

He came to a stop minutes later, his work fast and precise. Swirling the hilt in his left hand, he buried it into the wall of the warehouse and cut himself a hole to step inside. Using the weapon as a source of light, he brought a commlink to his lips and replied, "We have an opening. I estimated we have five minutes before we have company." Placing the device back onto his belt, he ventured forward, searching for the Cortosis that he had come for.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Maelion Liates"], @[member="Xander Carrick"]

One last guard was grabbed by her superhuman strength and tossed across the warehouse into the wall, her boltgun barked once more, spewing out buckshot and cutting down guards before it was done with. She gave a nod of acknowledgement to the Dark Master and ventured forth. One guard tried to meekly raise his blaster pistol but before he could fire she dug her boot into his throat and stomped on it, putting him out of his misery.

The warehouse was strewn with corpses, now the real prize awaited them as she came across countless heavy looking crates, a quick but thorough scan revealing that they contained the stockpile of cortosis. Putting the bolter over her shoulder, with superior strength she grabbed and lifted two of them. "Hostiles terminated. I have found the stockpile. Shuttle on the way for pick-up," she transmitted to her Maelion her partner in crime.

 

[Maelion Liates]

With the targets terminated and all their confederates inside the warehouse Maelion sealed the door behind them. There was a small hanger where their transport could land and load up the goods.

The HRDs quickly examined what they had found. 24 crates of goods were listed, each containing 5kg of cortosis ore. When totalled up it would give each one of the 4 confederates 30kg of the stuff to use as they wished, more than enough.

The getaway shuttle landed and open its docking port, and so Maelion started to carry the crates onboard....

@[member="Moira Skaldi"] @[member="Vilox Pazela"] @[member="Xander Carrick"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Vilox Pazela"], @[member="Xander Carrick"], @[member="Maelion Liates"]

The benevolent rulers of Bespin had not deigned to show up to attempt and foil their noble mission of causing chaos and looting, now it was time to grab their plunder and get out. The docking port of the shuttle opened before them and like Maelion Moira carried the crates she had carried on board. The three HRDs Maelion had brought with her, with no attacker in sight, likewise joined and carried up their portion, all with mechanical machine precision. It was always grand when a plan came together and you got to raid and pillage to your heart's content.

 

[Darth Vazela]

| @[member="Moira Skaldi"] | @[member="Xander Carrick"] | @[member="Maelion Liates"] | @[member="Malus Bligh"] |

Vilox Pazela was stood by the transport that he and the other members of Maelion's team were using to transport the Cortosis off world. On his arm, he activated the chrono and spoke into it. "Captain, an transport will be arriving. Make the necessary arrangements for it's arrival. I am transmitting it's ion signature to you now. Prepare a tractor beam when it is in range." He shut the chrono down and turned to helping lift the crates onto the ship.

He wasn't going to betray the team. On the contrary, utilizing the Obscurity to ensure that they had a safe getaway was a message: I am a powerful man and I could be a useful ally, so join me. He had joined the team for more than Cortosis. He wanted contacts and these individuals could serve as some.