Public Danger Beyond the Domes

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

​

Darkness.

That is all that I can see. That is all, and it envelops me like a blanket. There is no sound but---wait---I can hear something. It is a faint cracking sound. And as I become aware of it I can also see a pinprick of light. It grows as I focus on it, with the straight lines in it's circle getting clearer and clearer as it moves closer. Is that a leg of a chair? Why is it sideways?

I do not realize that my body is numb until that numbness begins to fade away. It begins on the top of my head, and rolls down to my cheeks, my neck and shoulders, my arms, my chest, my stomach and finally down to my legs. It is then that pain kicks in on my right ankle and I start to look around.

I am on the floor of the transport! That cracking sound is louder and as I painstakingly sit myself up, I understand some of what has happened. The transport had crashed. Wires hang down, parts of the transport is on fire and are those---

I let out a high pitched scream as the dead eyes of Liana stares back at me. Her neck is twisted with a buldge to one side and I can only guess that it is broken. My dear, sweet assistant Liana! No! This just has to be a dream!

"HELP! HELP!! IS ANYONE ELSE AWAKE?!" I can't see anyone. Only debris and now smoke as it starts pouring in like a poisonous fog. It hurts my lungs as I breathe it in and my eyes begin to sting. My instincts tell me to get out and I cannot help but follow them. So I crawl, keeping under the smoke while I pull myself along the floor. Pain shoots up my right leg whenever the foot or ankle hits something. I can feel my dress getting snagged and torn, but continue on, regardless. The sooner that I get out, the sooner that I can find help!

But where was I, again? As I slowly make my way along the floor towards what I think is a hole in the hull, I think back on what happened before I woke up. I was coming home, wasn't I? Back to New Cov, back to Ilic. Yes! The transport had gotten clearance to enter the pipe and I was going over my notes on my datapad to debrief my parents and the Board of Directors when---That was it. That was all that I remembered!

Another loud crack startles me into moving quicker. Is the transport falling apart?! I pull myself towards the opening, my fingers gripping the metal. Cooler and fresher air fills my lungs, yet what I see does not bring me any sense of relief. I am outside of the domes! In the jungle! I cannot call for help now! Their are reasons why the cities of New Cov lay protected in biodomes. And here I am, wounded with blood, sweat and tears; weighing my options on which place was the most dangerous to be in.

At risk of being blown up should the transport explode, I get to my feet, wincing as the pain shoots up my leg again. I climb out of the transport as best as I can and then hobble over to the nearest tree. At least it was not dark yet. Surely someone will see the smoke!

Tag: Valery Noble Mercy

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Liin "Tera" Terallo Mercy

Valery's eyes opened as a tremor through the Force reached her mind. She had been meditating at the New Cov Temple for about an hour now. She was trying to calm and center herself now that much of her time was engulfed in preparations for the battle of Exegol. But as she stared ahead and saw smoke plumes rising above the dangerous jungles, she knew that her meditation time was over.

Immediately, Valery jumped up to her feet and began to move, first beyond the safety barriers of the Temple and then straight into the jungle. She had grown up in these parts of New Cov and even gone through extended survival trips to familiarize herself with the jungle while she trained alongside her Master.

For situations like this, it made her one of the few people on the planet who could quickly respond to trouble beyond the domes.

So with Force-augmented speed, she jumped from one tree to another, skipped others, and avoided dangerous creatures and plants simply by following her senses. Danger was something she could be alerted to, and being aware of the emotional states of creatures around her made it easy to avoid trouble.

It was not going to take long to reach the crash site.

 

[Mercy]

Victims: Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble
Accomplices: Maijan Paisea

Mercy didn't really get out of bed for the basic terrorist bombing anymore.

When she had first started? Yes, absolutely. It was good practice. Cause some mayhem, make some unique connections (it was how Mercy originally got in touch with the Maw) and maybe get some good loot out of it. After all, when people were in a mess, they didn't really care all that much about their valuables.

This wasn't a basic terrorist bombing.

She had been roped into a 'heist' of sorts. Apparently the target was a highly-ranking individual in the New Cav or Cov (whatever this two-bit planet was called) hierarchy.

Apparently that meant she had access to state secrets which could unlock something called the... the...

"Hey, buddy, what was the thing called we were after again?" Mercy shouted over her shoulder as she paved their way through the jungle. The smoke plume in the distance didn't seem to get any closer, but Mercy knew this was an illusion. She had survived in a jungle before. A flesh-eating one at that, so New Cov didn't impress her all that much.

At least there weren't any carnivorous evil sentient trees here.

"The Biomolecule, boss." Oh, right. She had been roped into it and once Mercy realized just how much profit there was? Promptly took over the operation by pointing out she could crush all their skulls within the time it took their heart to beat three times.

"Uhuh." Mercy nodded and looked over at Maijan. "You need to be topped off or ya floating right, eh?"

A secondary explosion caused the rest of the crew to shudder.

"Oh, relax, she is probably still alive. Bureaucrats have a way of surviving until the nasty chit really starts."

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

It hurts so much. My ankle is throbbing, but there is little that I can do about it right now. A smart thing to do would be to search the wreckage for a med kit. But what if it blows up? I cannot take the risk. And being close to the potential explosion was not a great idea either.

So now what? I do not know this jungle at all. I grew up in the safety of the biodomes. And right now I wish that I am there, inside of my apartment.

Carefully I turn and limp away from the wreckage. Each step is agony and I bite down on my lower lip to keep myself from shrieking, however a whimper escapes my nose. I cannot help it! I just hope that it is quiet enough for the animals to not hear me.

Perhaps if I head towards the biodomes, I can get help there! All that I need to do is follow the pipe above the trees. Oh this was so difficult and slow! My dress is a complete disaster. My shoes are---wait! Where are my shoes?! It is only now that I realize that I was without them.

I am sure to never hear the end of this from my Mother.....

Tag: Valery Noble Mercy

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Liin "Tera" Terallo Mercy

"You shouldn't have walked so far away from the crash site," Valery said, as she glanced down at Liin "Tera" Terallo from very high up in one of New Cov's tall trees. A soft breeze was blowing through the Jedi's long hair, and with a gentle smile, she hoped to assure the woman that she meant no harm. It was sadly common that people saw her intense fiery eyes and believed her to be a threat, but she meant no harm.

"I was able to sense you, but rescue workers can't find you if you go too far into the jungle. It's not safe to try and walk through this place yourself." With that, Valery dropped all the way down and cushioned her fall with the Force. It made the otherwise deadly drop look like it barely phased her, and once she stood up tall again, she took a closer look at the woman.

She really did not seem like the type who should be out here alone.

"I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble, of the New Jedi Order," she continued to introduce herself. "I can escort you back to the city, Ms...?" she tilted her head, hoping to catch the woman's name in return.

 

[Maijan Paisea]

___________________________________________________________________
THE FREE TRICKSTER
NEW COV || JUNGLE
_____________________________________________________________
​

It made sense that Mercy held onto the vials that kept Maijan connected to The Force. Maijan had little to no self control. And after months of ingesting the ambrosia-like elixir, she was almost back to her addict ways. Almost.

At the mention of a top up, Maijan scratched at an invisible itch on her wrist. She still had a certain wherewithal about her. Enough to say: “Not rrright now.”

Enough still flowed through her bloodstream (she’d gotten better at figuring out how to prolong the effects!) for her to sense the upcoming tension. Whispers fluttered through the invisible threads of the White Current, swirling through her sight, and letting her know of the Force-beacon up ahead. A blight on the otherwise beautiful current, but not as harsh a blight as the darkness that was her daily companion nowadays.

"Soon."

Once sweet but damp, the air was now acrid and hot. The impact of the crash stretched through the leaves, smoke coiling up through the canopies and causing the leaves to recoil and curl into themselves to protect themselves from the harsh and unnatural effects of technology intruding on the otherwise blissful landscape.

Maijan slapped a bug dead on her neck.

She and Mercy didn’t look like much of a threat. Sure, they’d hijacked a bunch of nerds on an expedition, but they looked like them for the most part. That’d been part of Maijan’s job. Tweak anything out-of-the-ordinary about their aesthetics that might make them (let’s be honest, just Mercy) too intimidating or out-of-the-norm. But as far as any crash survivors might understand, they were just another pair of nerds. Or, in Maijan’s words: nerrrds.

Suddenly, she stopped and pointed to silhouettes metres away. “Surrvivorrrs wanderrring.”

One seemed to have cut through the smoke from above, the other was the bureaucratic cockroach in question. Some of the crew peeked over the bushes and peered at the exchange.

If Mercy weren’t around, they would have continued on as normal. Waving and chatting and offering help, but with their original objective still the same, but their expected outcome commandeered, they were hesitant.

“Oh c’mon.” Maijan prodded one in the elbows. “Arrren’tcha gonna help?”

____________________________________________________________
ALLIES | Mercy | SOME SCIENCE NERDS
FOES | Valery Noble | Liin "Tera" Terallo
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Mercy]

Victims: Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble
Accomplices: Maijan Paisea

​

The nerrrrrrrrrrd glanced hesitantly from Maijan to Mercy to Maijan again, before his expression fell and he stepped up to the plate.

That was just as well or Mercy would have pushed him into the clearing herself.

"Hello!" He shouted with his brightest best smile. "We saw the smoke plume from our research site and decided to check it out." His smile hesitated at the woman next to their mark. Her face didn't spell 'JEDI', but the bright fiery eyes did suggest 'a few steps up the food chain'. To the extent that he wasn't entirely sure what to say next.

Mercy sighed and stepped up next to him.

Rather than the giant muscular frame that usually accompanied her stride Mercy was scrawny now. Thin as a reed and shorter too. Not a threat to anyone at all.

"We have a med kit if you or your... people..." Mercy looked around quizzically as if the Sith wasn't aware of the damage already ."I guess it is just you?" Her tone so sympathizing it kinda sickened her to the stomach.

This wasn't her usual modus operandi. Every fiber in her being was currently trying to pull at her. To launch herself at Valery and start fighting. Her presence in the Force was entirely muted because of Maijan's spells. The White Current completely enveloped them. Changing their appearance, their voice, their presence.

"Poor thing. If you need some medical assistance."

Her eyes drew down to the lack of shoes.

"I... we can also provide you with shoes. It must be so terrible to walk through this hostile jungle without the proper equipment."

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

My head snaps up as soon as I hear a voice above me. The first thing that I notice are the eyes, and my heart leaps into my throat as I press my back against a tree for support. "But I had to. It could explode......" My voice trails off as she jumps down from an incredible height. Her landing makes it appear as though it was nothing. So what was she?

As if reading my mind the woman introduces herself; and as a Jedi no less! What luck! I can feel my body relax more at this news and am quick to introduce myself in turn. "Liin Terallo. I am the Representative for New Cov. We were just on our way back from the Core when we---well, I am not sure of what exactly happened. Somehow we crashed. If you would be so kind as to help me to walk, I would appreciate it."

And as if one cue more people arrived. A let out a huge sigh of relief. "I do need a med kit. Please. My ankle is hurt. And I do not know if there are any other survivors. Please go and look. I know that---that is, I know that---" I cannot stop the tears from falling as I think of my dear assistant Leanna's dead eyes looking at me. "---some did not make it." I wipe my tears with the back of my hand as I do not have a hankerchief nearby.

It is sure to be clear to everyone that I am truly out of my element. I do not belong in the jungle, especially while I am vulnerable with an injury.

Tag: Valery Noble Mercy Maijan Paisea

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Liin "Tera" Terallo Mercy Maijan Paisea

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Terallo. Although I would have preferred it under better circumstances." Still, she offered the woman a smile and glanced down to take note of the injury. "I'll get you to safety but-" she paused as her senses suddenly picked up on others approaching. With any other crash, it would have been logical that people came to help, but they were in arguably the most dangerous jungle in the Galaxy.

Who else had managed to get here so quickly?

Once she turned around, she spotted Mercy and another man, and it was clear she got a little suspicious. They didn't seem like the types to walk around here so effortlessly. So even though they offered help and Liin seemed appreciative of it, Valery remained more reserved and looked them over carefully. "You two are taking a lot of risks walking through the jungle," Valery said after a moment. Even researchers were extremely careful and avoided it as much as they could.

"But if you can give her some medical help and shoes, that would be appreciated. For the walk back, I suggest you stay close to me. I appreciate you wanting to help, but this is not a safe place for either of you to be."

 

[Karlo Kyrr]

Sur'eyir bal Tegaanalir​

Friendly Units:

• 'Prudii' Vuhyr'yalilyr Rammikade squad
• I'dadr 1-1, G-02H Vuhyr'galaar-class Heavy Gunship

Ally Tag(s): Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble
Enemy Tag(s): Mercy | Maijan Paisea

Equipment​

• Armor:
  
  • Beskar'gam
    
    • Left Vambrace:
      
      • CP-03V CryoBan Projector
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster
    • Right Vambrace:
      
      • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
      • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
        
        • 2x Cretanr'ika-lcass Guided Plasma Micro-missile
        • 2x Striilir'ika-class Brilliant Micro-missile
        • 2x Electro Darts
        • 2x Surveillance Tagger Darts
• Implant:
  
  • 'Rammikad' Enhancement Package
  • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface
• Weapons:
  
  • Melee:
• Sidearm:
  
  • LRH-5A Verpine Shatter Pistol w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-4x Short Range Optic
    
    • 3x AP (1 loaded)
    • 3x HE
• Primary:
  
  • BR-6B Verpine Shatter Battle Rifle w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-12x Medium Range Optics System and UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher
    
    • 5x SLAP (1 loaded)
    • 3x HE
    • 4x RGL-80 Electronet Grenade
    • 6x 'Standard' Grenades
• Secondary:
  
  • FL-01 Verpine Shatter Flechette Launcher w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-4x Short Range
    
    • 3x Anti-Personnel Pellet Canister Drum (1 loaded)
    • 3x Anti-Armor Sabot Drum
• Explosives:
  
  • 2x Det-Packs
  • 1x Flex-5 Detonite Tape roll
  • 3x Smoke Grenades
  • 3x Flash-Bang Grenades
  • 2x G-20 Glop Grenades
  • 2x CryoBan Grenades

New Cov. Not a planet he'd really want to find himself on. Not unless they had a contract here. Only it so turned out that they did. They were there to show what a unit of the company's elite Vuhyr'yalilyr rammikade, or Night Stalker commandos when translated from Breshig's only slightly deviant Mando'a dialect to basic, could do. Or more accurately, just what the haran a premier VIP security contract bought you. Things were, as they usually were, quiet. At least that was until they weren't. Some kind of explosion in the pipes that led into the planet's dome like cities.

Karlo had always said that dome cities were asking for trouble, and here it was. Only with New Cov it actually made some sense. There was probably a better solution, but they weren't paying him to think about it, they were going to be paying him to watch one of their representatives or executives or some other aruetii term for an important high ranking corporate official. Watching a VIP in a city was one thing, but now they'd told him that her transport had gone down when the pipe had blown and that she was out there somewhere, and they had no shabla clue as to her status.

Naturally, Karlo had done the only thing he could do; resist the urge to curse their lack of foresight, fire up their gunship and go looking for the crash. The locals had cleared enough debris that if you were crazy enough, or you had a small enough craft that so happened to be able to take the punishment, you could manage to get in the air. Fortunately for them, their pilot, Dinua Kyrdol, was as shabla dini'la as they came, and was one haran of a pilot to boot. After a few harrowing near collisions and scrapes, they were well on their way.

Karlo and Gev Netra, Karlo's 2IC stood in the gunship's cockpit, trying to use the sensor view that their pilot had so helpfully pulled up a projection of. Not that it helped very much. Lifeform sensors were struggling to find anything humanoid in that mess, and it was the plume of smoke that had kept them on target. "Comms must've been knocked out in the crash," said Dinua with a sigh. They had been trying to raise the transport, but they were getting nothing but static in response. "Can barely see anything in this mess. Why don't you just wait till we get to the crash, take your shebs down there and check?"

"Or here's an idea, why don't you transmit on jetii frequencies or see if any freqs used by our potential new clients are answering. They've got a temple here, they're bound to have sent someone," sighed Karlo, shooting a glance at Gev, who was struggling to keep his amusement at the back and forth between his commanding officer and their pilot, not that it was nearly enough of a regular occurrence for Gev's preference. Gev of course, didn't even flinch, but instead pretended to be looking at some previously unseen detail on the sensor display.

Dinua shot him a look, but then returned her attention to the controls, purposely hitting the cockpit intercom switch so he heard her transmitting, "This is Strill Securities gunship I'dadr 1-1 to anyone receiving. We are attempting search and rescue operations for the recently downed transport. Please advise," she said, as she turned to him. Karlo couldn't see her face with her buy'ce on but he didn't need to. He'd known Dinua for long enough to be able to figure out just what she was telling him. Nothing he could repeat in front of his nieces and nephews. Not if he didn't want their mother to kill him.

Karlo glanced at the terrain map and saw a clearing. Not large enough to land the dropship, but large enough for them to drop, and more importantly, close enough for them to move in on foot. "Stop over that clearing. Forward their response to me, if there is one. We're close enough, we'll take a look on foot and raise you when we need a pickup."

"About shabla time you decided to use what's under your buy'ce, I'll stay on station in case you need me. Unless you're desperate, don't call for fire support. I'm not turning this into Rodia," replied Dinua, referring to what was arguably the darkest stain on the company's record; the infamous friendly fire incident on Rodia during their tenure with the CIS. He watched the gunship bank and come to its new heading. Karlo turned around and headed for the troop bay.

"Alright, the planet isn't feeling like making our job job easy. We're going to push up to the crash site. Gev, you take Ram and Darnal, cover the left. Briika, take Ruusaan and Atin. Goran, you're with me. I want the black box pulled if possible. They sure as haran didn't tell us what to expect, and I want to know just how interesting this job is going to be," snapped of Karlo, glancing over his squad.

"I bet half my last paycheck on her being dead already," sighed Goran. When he noticed Karlo glaring at him in the way only a Mandalorian military superior could, he added, "What? Just saying, it's haran out there and I doubt she's running around in top notch kit." Karlo grunted. Goran was probably right, but that was why they really needed to catch up with her.

"You'd better shabla hope she isn't. If she is, we aren't getting paid. That's the shabla job, vode," snapped Gev, reminding the others to stay on task with a firm reminder that it wasn't just their pay check but their reputation that was at stake as well. "And if we run into the shabuire who blew the pipe?"

"Skip polite, haran, skip firm. Shoot them," replied Karlo. Given that they likely blew the pipe to target their client, he wasn't taking any chances.

"ETA two minutes. You drop in two. Get set," came Dinua's voice loud and clear over the intercom. The cabin fell into silence as Karlo and the rest of Prudii checked and re-checked their gear. He could feel the gunship slowing to a hover a scant moment before the boarding ramp lowered down, the sound of which was drowned out by the gunship's engines.

Not needing to be told twice, Prudii squad exited the gunship in pairs, those on the ground watching for any threats before they were all on the ground. The commandos split off, those flanking keeping their armor's optical camouflage suites active while he and Goran kept theirs inactive, for now. They pushed in towards the smoke around the crash site. They'd all trained on a world like this, it was part of the graduation process for every single one of the company's elite Night Stalker commandos. Flying above this mess was one thing, moving through it for men and women like them was another thing entirely.

Karlo's armor picked up signs of conversation ahead. He motioned for Goran to advance quietly as he swapped his rifle for his flechette launcher. Checking in his HUD that the pellet cannisters had been loaded he conitnued his advance as well. Their footfalls were masked by the autditory dampeners in their combat boots. The armor's backtrack sniffer picked up one trail leading away from the crash, but oddly enough the rest of his systems were picking up at least four humanoids up ahead. "Forget the black box, let's check up ahead first," he whispered over helmet-to-helmet link to Goran.

Goran's acknowledgement light flicked on once. Satisfied, Karlo pushed up till he could see the four just ahead. His armor easily matched Valery Noble 's image to her abundant public appearances. Haran, he didn't even need it to know who she was. The other was unmistakeably their client, Liin "Tera" Terallo , his computerized HUD easily matching her to an image he got from her company. The other two, however, he wasn't so sure of. His ID scanner hadn't returned anything yet, which was a good sign, but for whatever reason, it wasn't putting him at ease.

"Liin Terallo? Lieutenant Karlo Kyrr, Strill Securities, Prudii squad. We've been sent to get you home, ma'am," he said, holding his flechette launcher in a low carry, watching the other two carefully. Karlo's bassic had been fine tuned by over a decade of protecting those who didn't speak a word of Mando'a. It was almost accent less.

 

[Maijan Paisea]

___________________________________________________________________
THE FREE TRICKSTER
NEW COV || JUNGLE
_____________________________________________________________
​

The person that Maijan was, a man in his mid-forties with kind eyes and dark skin, remained quiet while the researcher and Mercy went first. She stood there, silently, with her medkit and felt discomfort prickle along her skin when the Jedi spoke. It was the same voice she’d heard calling out on Jedha before Boluc had blown the blacksite sky-high.

Her manly self just blinked and scratched at the hairs beneath his nose. She was adjusting his spectacles when the politician invited help. Happily, he nodded, and inserted himself into the fray with unquestionable motive.

“Of course ma’am.” He nodded and closed the distance between himself and the New Cov ambassador. He stooped to inspect the swollen area and hummed out a sound of concern.

“Mm, looks painful.” He murmured sympathetically. He even put a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder when she became teary-eyed. “Just give me a moment and you’ll be able to walk good as new.”

He was removing a soft bandage from his medkit, and a splint, when the hairs on his neck stood up when another voice entered their strangely intimate rendezvous.

Without turning around, and remaining focused on the medical task, he offered a suggestion: “Ah hum, a squad you say? Perhaps appropriate to check in on the scene of the accident if there’s more of you.

Rr-randor over there could go with you.” Galaxies it was a total schutta to hide her accent's rolling r's. Why did the nerd's name have to be Randor?

At that, the nerd that had been travelling with Mercy and Maijan stiffened, and felt the need to start a salute. He stopped midway because it felt foolish, and just nodded sheepishly instead.

Maijan deftly started wrapping the ankle, while mentally plotting her space relative to anyone else’s. She was..annoyingly close to the Jedi Master.

That wasn’t good. But, not much could be done about that other than running away. So that’s what Maijan had to do. With Liin.

Spending time with Mercy meant that gym sessions couldn’t be helped. Within weeks of their companionship, Maijan had been forced to lift things above her head and repeat it again and again in sets until those things above her head could get heavier.

The bulking helped with Maijan being able to size up Liin, and decide that she could probably scoop her up. It might be like a deadlift? Was that what it was called? Especially if she could only limp away and not run.

"Okey dokey, I'm just going to cut the length of the bandage," She removed some scissors from the pack, and snipped the bandage cleanly. "You don't need aaaaalll this…”

Aaaaalll this was the shortened, freshly snipped piece, and she shoved it forward to the New Cov representatives mouth. The gag was to keep her from screaming too much. Maijan could make them invisible, but it was a lot of effort to make them silent.

Maijan’s following gesture was like pulling a cape over her head, and swooped her arm over Liin’s physique as well. Where the two had been, they no longer were. Both Maijan and Liin were encircled by The White Current's grace and concealed them from mortal sight.

In an unseen flash, she leapt up, launching into a run and forcing her golden-arm to crunch under the diplomat’s armpits and around her back and drag her along. Heavy, metallic, and forceful, the half-Fierreo’s strength was enough to possibly crunch bones if she squeezed just right.

But she was more focused on momentum and speed, and like an invisible undercurrent, she became fast-moving and towed Liin away, away, leaving Mercy to do what she did best.

____________________________________________________________
Mercy | Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble | Karlo Kyrr
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Mercy]

Victims: Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble | Karlo Kyrr
Accomplices: Maijan Paisea

The scrawny bespectacled girl Mercy was play-acting as giggled in response to Valery's worry.

"No risk no gain, Master Jedi! But I am honored you are so worried for little old me." Even the voice was higher than Mercy's and just listening to it made her feel sour. Had she been training all her life just to turn into the ideal image of her parents' daughter for a job? It made her skin itch, but she kept the acting going.

They had agreed after all.

It was time for Mercy to think outside the box. You couldn't solve every problem with your fists. You had to turn on your brain sometimes and think of a better way to-

"Liin Terallo? Lieutenant Karlo Kyrr, Strill Securities, Prudii squad. We've been sent to get you home, ma'am,"

Mercy sighed there and glanced over her shoulder.

Why was it that one useless little bureaucrat girl attracted so much attention? No, not just a Jedi Master. Scratch that, not just the fethin' Sword of the Jedi. No, there was also a squad of what seemed to be private security contractors. She grinned. She was okay with this. Because right about at the appearance of the soldier Mercy's patience ran out.

It was a surprise it had held out for as long as it did.

She looked back to Maijan and then to Valery.

"You know I have always wanted to tangle with the Sword of the Jedi." Her friend and the target vanished right as she drew Valery's attention. From one moment to the next Mercy couldn't feel Maijan at all.

It was one of the strangest things about the White Current. Unlike other applications of the Force it seemed to be something entirely outside of it. You couldn't sense it, couldn't touch it, couldn't feel it. It wasn't karking with your mind, it didn't even touch your mind. Instead it seemed to be directly applying a warping of reality.

As Maijan sped off the White Current dropped away from herself and their motley gang of... yeah, those heavily armed soldiers were not nerdy scientists.

They immediately began to engage Karlo's soldiers.

Mercy wasn't a scrawny little lass either. At once she was a towering mountain. A slabbed warrior with muscle wrapped around meat and sturdy bone. Tattoos branding her right arm, coiling and twisting just under her skin. And Mercy? She just grinned at Valery. A blue shine ran against her burnished copper skin.

"If ya chase after 'em it will make it easier for me to cut ya down. So... go ahead."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Liin "Tera" Terallo Mercy Maijan Paisea

"No risk no gain, Master Jedi! But I am honored you are so worried for little old me."

Valery raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was a little frustrated that these people were taking the jungles so lightly — it made her nervous because she had seen so many people be taken by surprise here. From scientists to experienced Jedi who couldn't temper their arrogance.

One wrong step on New Cov and either the fauna or flora would be your end.

"Just stay close-" She paused as Karlo Kyrr made his appearance, and the nervousness from before instantly faded. With more people ready and willing to protect Liin and the others, there would be less pressure on her to escort everybody back out. But sadly, this feeling of relief didn't last very long, as Maijan Paisea and Liin disappeared together seemingly without a trace. Valery could see them, she couldn't hear them and she even wasn't able to sense them.

Very few things were effective so swiftly, but there was no time to think about it, as the group of 'nerdy scientists' turned into an armed gang.

"Lieutenant, secure the representative!" Valery called out. Even though it was hard to track the woman, New Cov had very few locations where a starship could land. Closing down spaceports and locking people on the planet was no difficult task. Meanwhile, Valery turned to Mercy and flashed a smirk in return. The woman had completely changed as well, and it didn't take an expert's eye to understand she was a warrior.

But Valery was far from intimidated. She was not only confident in her own skills to defeat this woman, but she was fighting in the jungles she had called her home for most of her life. Of all the places this Sith could have chosen to make her move, this was likely the least convenient one for her.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither will you." Two lightsaber hilts were summoned into the palms of her hands through the Force, and a pair of violet blades ignited.

"But I will give you a chance to disarm yourself and surrender. There's no need for violence." But should the woman choose to engage anyway, Valery would be more than ready to respond.

 

[Karlo Kyrr]

Sur'eyir bal Tegaanalir
​

Friendly Units:

• 'Prudii' Vuhyr'yalilyr Rammikade squad
• I'dadr 1-1, G-02H Vuhyr'galaar-class Heavy Gunship

Ally Tag(s): Liin "Tera" Terallo | Valery Noble
Enemy Tag(s): Mercy | Maijan Paisea

Equipment​

• Armor:
  
  • Beskar'gam
    
    • Left Vambrace:
      
      • CP-03V CryoBan Projector
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster
    • Right Vambrace:
      
      • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
      • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
        
        • 2x Cretanr'ika-lcass Guided Plasma Micro-missile
        • 2x Striilir'ika-class Brilliant Micro-missile
        • 2x Electro Darts
        • 2x Surveillance Tagger Darts
• Implant:
  
  • 'Rammikad' Enhancement Package
  • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface
• Weapons:
  
  • Melee:
• Sidearm:
  
  • LRH-5A Verpine Shatter Pistol w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-4x Short Range Optic
    
    • 3x AP (1 loaded)
    • 3x HE
• Primary:
  
  • BR-6B Verpine Shatter Battle Rifle w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-12x Medium Range Optics System and UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher
    
    • 5x SLAP (1 loaded)
    • 3x HE
    • 4x RGL-80 Electronet Grenade
    • 6x 'Standard' Grenades
• Secondary:
  
  • FL-01 Verpine Shatter Flechette Launcher w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' 1-4x Short Range
    
    • 3x Anti-Personnel Pellet Canister Drum (1 loaded)
    • 3x Anti-Armor Sabot Drum
• Explosives:
  
  • 2x Det-Packs
  • 1x Flex-5 Detonite Tape roll
  • 3x Smoke Grenades
  • 3x Flash-Bang Grenades
  • 2x G-20 Glop Grenades
  • 2x CryoBan Grenades

Without turning around, and remaining focused on the medical task, he offered a suggestion: “Ah hum, a squad you say? Perhaps appropriate to check in on the scene of the accident if there’s more of you.

Rr-randor over there could go with you.” Galaxies it was a total schutta to hide her accent's rolling r's. Why did the nerd's name have to be Randor?

Karlo frowned underneath his helmet. Sure, heavily armed and armored Mandalorians didn't have quite the same effect on people as they used to when he started this job, but sure as buy'ce's external speaker, "Swept as we passed it on the way here. Doesn't look like there are any survivors sorry to say."

Karlo fixed the man who started a salute with a blank t-visored look. About all that really could do with his buy'ce on. Only someone who'd had it drilled into them would've almost instinctively saluted. Something was definitely wrong here. Only question was what. Karlo so very desperately wanted to grab representative Terallo and get hte haran out of this Manda-forsaken jungle. He watched the man applying first aid to Ms. Terallo carefully. Karlo had more than basic first aid knowledge, but nothing about what the man was doing was out of the ordinary. Despite the palpable tension that set in, despite his years of experience and his training screaming at him that something wasn't right, there was nothing that had happened that justified any overt, direct action on his part.

That was until it did, and everything not only went to haran in a handbasket, but it all happened in under a minute. Karlo wagered that only because he was watching the 'man', who in the briefest fraction of a moment that he saw him, turned out mot to be a man after all, was he able to catch anything at all. That, his cybernetically enhanced reflexes and his armor's advanced scanner and targeting systems. Both his and Goran's weapons were midway through snapping up when both Ms. Terallo and the man immediately shabla vanished into thin air. The logical part of Karlo's mind knew it had to be some kind of force ability, and he was cursing his decision not to bring their Ysalamiri. If Goran was any less shocked than he was at the turn of events, he'd have no doubt that their lack of Ysalamiri was precisely what he'd be hearing about right now.

It was not that those with the two assailants were bad at what they did. No, from the way they were bringing up their weapons as their disguises dematerialized, they were more than capable, likely highly skilled combatants. Only this job was vicious like that, it wasn't enough just to be good unfortunately. You had to be among the best, or you were dead. His verpine shatter flechette launcher discharged twice, depleted baradium pellets likely perforating the poor shabuire the shells discharged them in front of. Goran let off a pair of two-round bursts with his AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle, the pairs of armor-piercing high caliber slugs at any distance. At this distance, Karlo somehow doubted either men who Goran had shot at would be a problem.

New targeting markers and predicted firing lines appeared from the flanks. Thanks to the Manda interface, Karlo never needed to hurriedly brief the other two fireteams on what was going on. It was barely a heart beat later that he saw the HUD indicators that his squad mates had fired their weapons. He swore he saw a torso turn to meat, which meant for sure that either Ram or Ruusaan or both of them had fired. The company's anti-material Verp was no joke.

A few bolts of return fire smacked into his shield, serious stuff, nothing to scoff at. It was just these poor shabuires' unlucky day that they had to pick the day that they were on the job to kriff about. With more immediate threat more or less taken care of, Karlo's mind focused on the more immediate matter; the representative. Karlo knew that their gunship was too big to set down anywhere nearby, so either they'd missed a landing zone in their search or whatever these people were using was smaller. In any event, there can't have been too many places to set down, and unless they were running an honest to the Manda stealth ship, there was no shabla wayy they were lifting off without Dinua and her crew catching wind of it.

"Lieutenant, secure the representative!" Valery called out.

"I'm on it," he called back to the Jedi Master as he motioned for Goran to follow him. "Briika, Gev, finish these shabuire off and follow my IFF. We're going to try and track them." Karlo quickly raised their gunship, "Prudii 6 to I'dadr 1-1. Widen your search pattern and look for a landed ship. If you see one, disable it. It takes off, force it down, gently. Our client may be aboard."

"Elek," came Dinua's crisp response over the comms. Karlo was aware of the gunship's complement of R/IS-01 'Nuhaatyc' reconnaissance/infantry support droids being deployed and beginning to spread out in the makings of a search pattern.The gunship itself peeled off in a search pattern, sensor information being shared to Karlo and Prudii squad via the Manda battlenet. If Dinua found them, they woukd all know, and all that remained at that point would be to close in.

Karlo in the meanwhile was sprinting through the jungle with Goran by his side, following the chemical trail left by Ms. Terallo's kidnapper. As fancy as the force was, Karlo knew that one thing many practioners forgot is that while they were a force to be reckoned with, they were still organic beings. Organic beings who left trails no matter how careful they were trying to be, and as far as he knew, there weren't exactly any force abilities that could mask this. To her actual credit, she'd managed to leave very otherwise visible physical evidence of her passing, which given she was carrying the likely not exactly willing Ms. Terallo, was impressive enough.

Almost as an afterthought, both commandos activated their armor's optical camouflage suites, only visible as the odd shimmer as their armor's camouflage suites struggled to match their pace.

 

[Mercy]

Valery Noble Liin "Tera" Terallo Karlo Kyrr Maijan Paisea

Mercy calmly watched as the Lieutenant rushed off after Maijan.

Part of her wondered if she should intervene. With two quick leaps she might be able to cut off his path and take him out. A younger Mercy would have done just that. Kriff the Jedi breathing down her neck and deal with it as it came. But Mercy was older now. More experienced and personally trained by Ashin 'Conqueror of a Thousand Worlds' Varanin, the First Sith Empress.

If anything that taught her priorities.

"Oh, sugar lips, I ain't planning on goin' anywhere." Her shoulders rolled slowly and certainly. "Except maybe through you."

One hand rose up and her cleaver snapped into it.

Almost immediately a change in the battlefield occurred.

The cleaver was made from her own blood, the remains of a Drengir and alchemized metals. Mercy grinned as she watched Valery, but both of them would be aware that the tide of battle was contorting. All around them the highly trained combatants of Karlo began to struggle with what they wished to do.

They knew their orders.

Eliminate the soldiers under Mercy's command.

But everything inside and outside of them was whispering something else entirely. To rush Mercy and kill her as soon as possible. To make it ugly, to rend the meat from her bones and revel in the gore. They might not go for it, but that wasn't the point. It was distraction. Whereas her own people blinked and suddenly became far more organized as they were forcibly assimilated in the impromptu Drengir hive-mind where Mercy made her ravenous home.

"Are you ready to dance yet, Sword? Or are we going to eye kark each other for another few minutes?"

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

What sweet relief! I am under proper care in many ways. It is as though the Board of Directors are looking after me. I cannot help but feel blessed as my ankle is tended to. I am sure that there are multiple minor cuts and bruises on me as well, indicated by the tears in my once beautiful dress. But those do not prevent me from walking.

I listen quietly as everyone gets organized with taking me home, saddened at the news that there were no living souls on board. Tears threaten to fall once more, yet I do my best to retain my composure. I can save my grief for when I am alone, as a Lady should. Right now my top priority was to get out of the dangerous jungle. My blood and the dead bodies were of no doubt beacons for some of the most deadliest creatures in the Galaxy.

Suddenly something was shoved into my mouth and I am lifted from the ground. I panic and scream, thinking that one of the creatures has me. But no! Not only does my scream come out muffled, but the one carrying me away is a woman! This provides me with no comfort at all as the impossibly strong grip and gag lead me to believe that I am being kidnapped! Each jolt sends a lightening effect of pain up my leg, so kicking is out of the question! What else can I do but try to reach back and grab her hair or her clothes; anything that I can grip and pull to try to get her to slow down or stop so that anyone chasing after us can catch up. I am not a hero or a fighter by any means. But they are!

Tag: Mercy Valery Noble Maijan Paisea Karlo Kyrr

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Main Tag: Mercy
Others: Liin "Tera" Terallo Karlo Kyrr Maijan Paisea

Sugar lips? Valery raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, "I'm afraid I'm taken," she said after the comment that followed, the corners of her sugar lips tugged up into a smirk. But once the woman reached up to draw her weapon, Valery's expression turned neutral, and her fiery eyes snapped into focus.

The time for jokes was over.

As the cleaver found its way into Mercy's hand, Valery felt a sudden shift on the battlefield. A tremor that managed to reach her mind as well, but was easily blocked out by the mental barriers of a former Shadow. The others around her, however, were likely far less aware of what was happening, and how it could and would affect them. Still, Valery knew better than to rush into a fight and just watched and analyzed her new enemy for a moment. Until she spoke.

"I'm glad you're not a talker," Valery quipped before she accelerated into action with a burst of Force-augmented speed. The two violet blades turned into a blur, as she closed the distance in a zig-zag pattern, hoping that it would force Mercy into keeping her heavier weapon close, rather than commit it to a swing too early and risk a miss. Once Valery was finally within striking range, she opened the duel with two quick sweeps.

Attacks she knew were unlikely to connect, but she needed to open up her opponent's defenses and test her response.

 

[Maijan Paisea]

___________________________________________________________________
THE FREE TRICKSTER
NEW COV || JUNGLE
_____________________________________________________________

She should have knocked the legislature lass out. The pull on her hair was dirty and like a bar fight.

Maijan would have snarled not to touch her hair, but it would have been a dead giveaway to their location. Instead, she grimaced through the feverish hurt and the yanks to her clothing, tightening her grip around the woman’s rib cage in response. Metal pressing deeper against flesh and bone, threatening to bruise and crunch, and shifted the way she was carrying the lady altogether. Trying to swing her more into an-over-the-shoulder-that-would-also-work-as-a-shield-if-the-lieutenant-followed-the-swords-orders — ope.

Carbines always sounded violent. The loudness, and then the soft sound of the rounds hitting flesh. Two of the nerrrds hit the ground. Maijan felt a pang of guilt, knowing she was the association that they’d been lumped into, forced to defend themselves, and put in the predicament that had ended their lives.

At least death by Mandalorian was one of the more credible ways to die.

Overhead, the sound of a ship triumphed the jungle’s natural noise. That was not ideal.

Maijan did not look back as she ran. Not to check on Mercy, and not to see her pursuers. She could, however, feel their residual impact through the feedback of their ripples in The White Current.

The Force was connected to everything alive and enriched. Untamed and alive, the jungle that Maijan’s raced through unnaturally quickly, was a web of life. It was easy to become lifeless when immersed so deeply within that which was so rich with vitality.

Thick, twisting roots rose up from the earth like grasping hands, threatening to trip and ensnare. Flickering shadows and dancing shapes that played along the forest floor seemed to have lives of their own, adding to the jungle's sense of otherworldly danger and deception. Maijan had the benefit of the lead, and foresaw the jungle’s shapes and mysteries before her pursuers did.

For them, shadows stretched and deepened, looking less like tricks of the light and more like man-holes that would swallow them up entirely if they stepped too ambitiously.

Maijan had hidden an entire fortress before; Concealed it from trackers and Sith Masters alike. Withdrawing herself, and a feisty hostage from detection, even while mobile, was a well-accessible task. Doubly so with the dosage flowing through her veins.

A few meters further, if they avoided the false sinkholes, Maijan grunted and a projection of herself, dragging the New Cov representative along by the wrist manifested. In her illusion, Liin was at least unconscious (the real Maijan wasn’t so fortunate, and her hostage was still awake). The likeness evidenced a master of artistry that even considered the motions of shadows and light shimmering and darkening against the faux-Maijan’s half-golden skin as she navigated through the forest and misleadingly diverged from the direction the true Maijan was heading.

____________________________________________________________​

Mercy

Liin "Tera" Terallo | Karlo Kyrr | Valery Noble ​

____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Mercy]

Valery Noble Liin "Tera" Terallo Karlo Kyrr Maijan Paisea

Mercy snorted.

Who could have guessed a Jedi having humor? If she had tried it on Ishida Ashina she would have only been more motivated to rip her head off, but the Sword of the Jedi seemed to have been made of something else. Mercy tilted her head, a lithe smile playing as she waited for Valery to make her move.

Didn't take long.

The Jedi was fast. Too fast for Mercy to meet her in the middle. She wasn't as slow as she used to be at the start of all this. The Darkside ran through her veins, sometimes she thought literally, but you had to know your own strengths.

As Valery became a blur Mercy went slightly through her knees. As if to leap away or shift to parry her dual lightsabers. As Valery became a swift lighting, Mercy became an immovable mountain. Blurred lightsabers came rushing in and dashed straight into Mercy from both angles. It should have decapitated her cleanly. It should have ripped her skin and run quickly through her, ending her illustrious career in one go.

Except.

They met resistance. Her copper skin was laced with a blue hue, the trademark of Force Weapon, and prevented the sabers from cutting her apart. Instead it was applying immeasurably heat, boiling her skin at the point of contact. Burning her meat while Mercy cackled in brilliant passion.

"My turn."

Even as the lightsabers struggled with her skin, Mercy's meaty arms moved to quickly grab Valery around her waist and slam her forehead into her pretty pretty face. While the butcher's knife sliced towards her exposed back. All the while the lightsabers burned her skin. Protected by Force Weapon and Tutaminis, her meat was burning to a crisp but Mercy seemed heedless of the pain.

Except for the maniacal laughter laced with sweet agony.

It echoed far and wide, through the forest, accompanying Maijan's sprint and she'd know.

Mercy was up to some karkin' karkery again.

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

Ouch! I wanted to tell her to let me go; to scream it out. But I would not dare. Not here. Not as we go deeper into the jungle. Silence was the best protection we had, even if I was going through it unwillingly. Still I ceased trying to force her to let me go, especially as I was put over her shoulder like a sack. But better to have someone with me right now than to be alone.

The sounds of gunfire does little to offer me hope. Yes it can mean a rescue from one danger, but not the rest. There are good reasons as to why the Covie remain within the biodomes. And my eyes close shut as I hear the bellowing shrieks echo through the canopy of trees. At first it was but one or two, yet quickly the shrieks grew as if coming from many. A chill runs down my spine and immediately my body tenses up. "Stop running. We must hide. Find some boulders," I speak quietly to her, hoping to be heard by my kidnapper alone. But there is no guarantee.

I keep my eyes trained on the trees, darting my gaze about in a frantic manner. Another shriek echos, only far louder this time. The Horde was close. They hunt in a pack, moving as though connected through a hive mind. The trees seem to be a good place as any to seek shelter. But that would be a huge mistake to assume, for the trees are in league with the Hord. Even the ferns that grow from their feet are connected. The only safety that we knew of was stone. Stone and steel.

Tag: Valery Noble Mercy Maijan Paisea Karlo Kyrr