Private Do I Know You?

[Leea Pandac]

A simple job, that's what it was supposed to be. Scrappers running a small ring in the corner of arboreal world, hiding among the crags and ice dominating the forests in the northern climes. The employer had said, among other things, that these were simple folk, easily frightened. A squat and tentacle faced alien, skin slimy and breath reeking of rotten tarbashi seeds, he had claimed many things. For one, that they were dull creatures, and that a starship would scatter them like Iriaz before a Kath hound. For a second, he had said the locals had no modern weapons. For a third, that there were only about two dozen at most. And Leea had bought it, signed the contract and flew off, armor crunching pine needles under foot.

Now she was here, in the frosted nightmare of a forest the Sheelk Tribe called home. When she had flown over the settlement in her trusty interceptor, her scans had picked up a fair number of signatures. But scans were always a little unpredictable at high speed. Angling her craft's nose, she had fired off a pair of concussion missiles, setting them to detonate above the trees. A display that would make even hardy soldiers pause and consider taking cover. Of course, it was hard to tell what effect that had from up here. And the sleemo had asked for a specific trinket to prove the scavengers had been driven off. So she disembarked far enough away that she felt confident her astromech could fly the ship in if something happened.

The Sheelk had proven more... resilient... than she had been led to believe. They hadn't been scared off by her display, and even when she arrived with her mandalorian armor gleaming roughly in the early morning light, rifle tucked and ready, they hadn't retreated. Her employer had been right, these guys didn't have modern weapons, they had blasters from at least several decades ago. A far cry from the sticks and arrows she had been led to believe they would throw at her. With visual sight on her foes, the Mirilian could confirm, there were far more than two dozen combatants. They weren't savages, although they were decidedly ruthless. The bodies of other sentients lay among the scattered corpses of droids and piles of scrap that now served as hideout and fortifications for the tribe.

The flamethrower had been a nasty surprise for them. After receiving four blaster bolts to the chest plate, Leea ducked around the side of one of the misshapen hulks of metal and caught her breath. The bold Sheelk, covered in metal greebles and carrying what the pilot could best describe as the 'biggest fething Gaffi stick this side of Tattooine' had charged around after her. The sound the alien made when she raised her wrist mounted flamethrower and loosed a one second stream of liquid fire was some ungodly shrill cry that pierced the ears and seemed to tear at her nerves. Kicking the being back, he stumbled and collapsed in a writhing heap, visible to the other scavengers. The hooting and shouting that rose from that one simple act made Leea's skin crawl. She delivered a mercy shot to her foe before stepping out into the open.

And immediately dropping backwards when one of the scavengers popped out from a deeper enclosure with what looked like a heavy repeater. She wished she could forget the sound it made winding up, belching bolts of plasma in her direction. They ricocheted off the pure Beskar armor, but the force of the impacts, so many in so short a time, was enough to throw her off her feet. Rolling away, Leea bit her lip and forced herself to rise again. The armor was ringing, or maybe that was just her head. Either way, shaking, she clicked the underbarrel grenade launcher. Punching a code into her gauntlet, her voice projected loudly, heard over the sound of blaster fire and angry voices, "Last chance! Drop your weapons and you can leave in peace! Esta Ha'akhen! Kyrdir tra'cyar!" The words came out automatically, one in her own tongue, the other in broken Mando'a.

The response was predictable, jeering in whatever language these aliens called normal. Her shoulders tensed as she spun back into the open, running further to dodge the initial fire that singed the ground. Aiming down the sights, she paused just long enough to bring the reticle over a hapless scavenger turning more slowly than the rest. She barely felt the kick as the heavy thump sounded. There was no time for the scavenger to respond, Leea barely dropped the her sights and began to move again when the cacophony of a plasma detonation tore through the camp. The main target disappeared in the explosion, not even a shadow left to show where he had been. Those closest were burned and thrown aside by the forces at work. Maybe three or four enemies down?

"Sithspit..." She spat as another shot tagged her back, sending her forward with extra force and almost knocking her prone. Catching herself, she activated the propulsion system in her suit and jumped. It was an awkward leap, and she only made it about ten feet up and over one barricade, finding herself in a momentarily quiet space. "R7? Come in."

"I need a flyby. Two shots, treetop detonation." She spoke quickly, before shaking her head, "Belay that!"

The line went quiet, the astromech's distant warble in her ear an annoying reminder that she had to come up with something fast, before they found her again. "Can't risk damaging whatever that trinket is... Force curse this blasted moon..."

The sound of heavy footsteps activated her armor sensors and she raised her rifle in time to see another tribesman round the corner, his voice rising in triumph as he called out. Taking three rounds to the chest quieted him quickly, but not quickly enough. Leea was already on the move, pushing further into the maze like structures. She tried to slow her steps, willing herself to step lightly. Her breath was short, rifle raised in defensive posture. She found a collection of scrap formed into a dome like structure. Glancing around, she moved in quietly, thinking to herself, 'If I can clear it, it would be a spot to reorient and prepare to reengage...'

Outside, blasters sounded, sporadically firing at random points. Each time she tensed slightly, expecting to feel the sudden heat or pressure of a bolt hitting her. But as the shadows of the dim interior fell over her, Leea allowed herself a moment to relax. Foolish as it was, she lowered her weapon and began to send over comm, open frequency, "This is Mando'ad Kih Jai'galaar. Calling for tomad. Coordinates attached, lots of combatants. Vor enty-"

She had stepped into a slightly larger space, so her sensors told her and was just switching over to the appropriate sensor when a flash of movement caught her attention. Before she could turn to face it, a blazing light filled her vision and her head snapped back painfully. Eyes dazzled, mind dazed, instinct drew the rifle up and let loose a burst of fire that caught the unseen ambusher in the chest. She reeled, cursing as she raised a hand to the faceplate of her helm. It was intact, of course, but that didn't mean she hadn't felt it. Shaking herself, Leea reached back and steadied herself before hearing the distant cries.

"By Coruscant's glowing spheres.... I'm going to need to see that xenobiologist on Rhen Var after this. Sort out what needs putting back together..." She dashed from the place in a hurry, feeling the heat of near hits behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she caught sight of a rabble, firing haphazardly. As soon as she was outside, having scurried through some winding tunneling, she leapt. The propulsion system launched her high in the air, narrowly avoiding smashing face first into a tree. "Can't maneuver with all these trees. Just jump, jump, jump. Like I'm some damn Oggdo!"

Landing, she barely had a moment to orient herself before dashing amidst the rusted durasteel and snow. "Nah, an Oggdo at least acts like a blasted predator! Hope someone got that transmission..." Turning a corner, she unloaded on another surprised Sheelk before running on. This was not how she imagined the mission going.

Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn had a lot of catching up to do. He'd been gone for two years after all. Zlova in particular had needed a lot of his time. Not that he was reluctant to give it. But currently he was getting anxious. He wanted to catch up with the other important members of his family as well. The issue was finding them. If he used all his resources, he would be able to find them pretty fast. Unfortunately, that would make ripples that whoever had tried to kill him via shooting down the crimson wolf might catch. If he wanted to get in contact with the rest of his family, he'd have to sleuth them out the hard way. He was on the cusp of doing just that with Leea Pandec. He had it narrowed down to a cluster at least, but that hardly narrowed it down. It would likely still take weeks to-

The transmitter on the dashboard of his fighter lit up, knocking him straight out of his thoughts. Those orange hued eyes focus on the screen as the transmission plays. The atmosphere of the snowy planet caused a bit of static in the message, but it was still legible. From the voice alone, mixed with the static, he couldn't tell for certain if it was Leea. But it was a close enough match that he saw reason to help. Not to mention that it was on one of the mandalorian frequencies. An old one though, from the enclave days. He'd seen the channel number enough times to recognize it when he saw it. He taps a button on the dashboard, bringing up the location of the distress call. He then flips a few switches before turning the ship's course while pulling a lever to activate a jump that would get him straight to the frosty orb of a planet.

Finding the location didn't take very long after entering the atmosphere. One of his scanners had picked up their comms chatter and, from there, it was only a matter of heading towards the signal's strongest point. All the blaster bolts flying in between the trees in the direction of a single target helped him get a full picture of where he needed to be. Leea would hear the roar of a fighter engine overhead before the shrieking crack of the main guns going off. If she looked up while running, she would see a ship firing off bolts that soared over her head and into the tree line, exploding on impact as they sent a group of the tribals flying, others getting outright incinerated due to their proximity to the impact. The ship lowered as it fire off the blasts, skating just above the trees. It was just as the ship was nearing Leea's position that Talohn flipped on the autopilot before turning the ship upside down, the cockpit popping open.

He unlatched the safety belt, letting himself fall out of the ship as the autopilot carried it off to be called later. He dexterously vaulted, flipped and pounced in between the branches of various trees until he reached his goal. Upon landing, he would be just behind Leea as she runs, standing between she and her pursuers. The chances are she'd even hear him land. But what she would definitely hear was the sound of a lightsaber igniting, followed by the distinctive sound of blaster bolts being deflected. The pilot of the ship was a mandalorian, to be sure, but he was wielding a blue lightsaber. Quite elegantly too, blade twirling and spinning in between the blaster bolts to knock them aside as they arrived. His armor was lighter than a standard mandalorian's, seeming to be a mix between the standard mando outfit and a robe, complete with a cloak around the shoulders. Currently, the features of the stranger were obscured by a helmet.

A missile emerged from the treeline, flying straight at them. The robed mando quickly alters the grip of his lightsaber to one handed, still deflecting bolts as his left hand draws a blaster from it's holster and fires a single shot. His aim was perfect, and the missile exploded midair. He then holsters the blaster once more, taking up a two handed grip as he continues deflecting bolts. But before he places his other hand back on the lightsaber, he makes a hand gesture for Leea to get behind him before pointing at the tree line. A wordless signal that he would cover her while she spotted targets in the trees and gunned them down.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

The distant whine was what brought her head up. Snapping to the origin of the sound, she barely registered where it had come from, when the streaks of scarlet raced across the air, lancing through the tree tops before smashing into the earth. The roar of cannons was enough to give her pause. She dropped to a knee, leaning against the nearest wall of scrap. A strafing assault, that is what she assumed. Any second now, she expected the fighter to adjust its fire. But instead, the barrage lasted only a second, turning a section of forest into burning trunks and slag heaps. Leea was grateful for the respite, a moment of shocked silence that gave her the time she needed. Rising, she looked up to see the starship race past, a glint of the canopy opening, and a form dropping.

Had she not seen the shape and her visor identify its organic composition, Leea might have thought it was a small bomb or similar munitions. But it was a person! Who would be insane enough to jump out of a craft at that speed, she wondered. She didn't have time to ponder it, as the person fell, the scavengers began to close in again. The intimidating air strike had bought precious few seconds. Raising her rifle, Leea prepared to move to cover, letting off a shot before the mandalorian, for clearly who else would answer her call than a mandalorian. But she paused, the blue of the lightsaber reflecting in her visor. The barrel dropped at the sight, not just a mandalorian... One who wielded a lightsaber? Could it be? That was ridiculous, lots of mandos used lightsabers... well... not a lot, but more than one! But what were the odds...

Her mind was awash with questions, but the sizzle of a blaster bolt striking the ground between her feet drew her attention back to the fight. No time for distractions. Adrenaline focused her, eyes sharpening as she nodded and dashed to cover his back. Kneeling slightly behind him, Leea couched her rifle and felt the rifle kick in her hands as she aimed at the scavengers. It was surreal, the lightsaber moved with such grace, seeming to form an invisible wall that allowed not one shot to pierce his guard. Her sights fell on a scavenger raising a scattergun, clearly intent on testing the reflexes of this new foe. Leea brought the reticle over, their chest not moving enough when she squeezed the trigger, two slugs sending them reeling back.

Standing up, she patted her ally's shoulder and gestured back. They could stay here, but that would risk being flanked. They needed to move to a more defensible position. Turning on her heel, she checked the rear, seeing nobody yet. But she did espy another larger structure. Being inside probably wasn't the most tactically sound move, especially in enemy territory. But the alternative? Leea was still seeking that blasted bauble... Focus... Enemy first, trinkets second. If they could take cover in the building, it would reduce the enemy vectors of attack, Leea spoke in a burst of static, "Structure at six o'clock. Inside, don't let them flank us. You first, I'll cover."

Moving out from behind his protective sweeping blade, she pressed against the cold rusted metal block that sat near, popping out, she fired off a few shots before dropping back. Pulling another grenade she loaded it and next time fired in a long arc into a cluster where the scavengers had been hiding. She murmured to herself, her mind whirring with combat potentials, trying to predict the enemy movements, "He'll go first, lightsaber will clear out any hidden combatants inside, I follow. We hole up, let them come to us. Not ideal, but not exactly an idea situation to begin with."

Throwing herself up, she began to let loose, firing in a spraying pattern towards the enemy positions.

Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn had noticed who it was the second he landed. He helped make her armor after all, so seeing that set along with the voice that had been on the holocom was enough for him to be certain. Not that he wouldn't have lent a hand if it wasn't Leea. A faint smile was under his helmet as he saw Leea's slugs leave her gun in between his bolt deflecting swings. She'd picked a good target too, the one that would have caused him the most trouble out of all the enemies present. Her aim hadn't faltered since they last met either. In fact, it might have gotten better.

It's then that he overheard her voice speaking to him over the blasterfire. Cover within a structure would definitely improve their situation, but he disagreed with one part. Right hand still waving the lightsaber about to deflect bolts, the other points at her with two fingers before pointing in the direction of the very structure she had called out moments ago. Any unsurety she had on the matter of doing that might fade upon what happens next. For the first time, her reinforcements spoke. Even in the slight static of the helmet's speaker, there was no mistaking that voice or it's accent. It was him. The one person she knew who was both crazy and skilled enough to jump out of a moving starfighter. "You go first. I'll be just a minute." He'd stay there to continue deflecting bolts whether she heeded his words or not.

A ringing noise echoed in the HUD of his helmet. He'd been waiting for it. He'd initiated the lock on shortly after he landed, but he was waiting for enough to peek out and push the position in order to get maximum mileage. The tool he was about to use wasn't cheap after all. After deflecting a few more bolts with a twirl of his blade, he reaches his left arm forward, hand balled into a fist as the wrist mount comes to life. Shrill screeching overtakes the forest as a cluster of tiny rockets leaves the whistling bird, each locked on to an individual target. Screams of panic and pain come from the trees amongst all the small explosions as each micro rocket hits it's target, stopping the advance in it's track. After the rockets fire off, he grabs a smoke bomb from his belt and tosses it at his own feet, turning to make his way towards the building as it goes off. If Leea stays, he flees on foot alongside her. If not, the jetpack on his back roars to life as he leaps into the air, feet grabbing on the edge of a window as he lowers again, the crushgaunt on his right hand aiding his grip as he vaults through the window to hunker down and lean on the wall beside it.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

At his command, Leea's focus slipped. That voice...

The sizzle of blaster fire ricocheting off a lightsaber grounded her. No time for freezing up, no time for distraction. The barrel kicked twice more, a head snapped back, the rifle lowered and she dashed back to the cover promised by this smaller structure. Leaping through the window, she scanned for other entrances and heat signals in the immediate vicinity. Satisfied that it was secure enough, she turned back in time to see the scavengers pushing on his position. To their credit, their rush was well timed and spread out. If she had been on her own, she couldn't have hoped to down each of them definitively.

But that tactical spread meant little for his scheme. Even as Pandac brought her rifle to bear, the scope aligning with the chest of a particularly exuberant runner, the light show began.

It was barely a second, a flash of rockets and a beautiful whistle. The others had no time to cry out, their sounds cut short as they fell over lifeless. The brief silence was enough to apparently give those behind them pause. Talohn stood for a brief moment as a pillar of Mandalorian strength in a field of fallen foes. Then he was moving, his jetpack flaring to life even as the others began to break free of the shock and began a wild charge. Leea sent a burst around him, felling another Sheelk before the smoke obscured the field. Then she pulls back from the opening, heated air pushed forward by Talohn's traversal.

As the cathar settles against the wall beside the window, his posture a mirrored opposite to Leea's tense stance, the younger Mandalorian felt a rush of questions pushing to the fore. Beneath the neutral faceplate, Leea's features pinched as she counseled herself to choose her questions carefully. It took a moment, before the words came out, not a question but a statement of surprised fact, "You're alive."

Her attention turned to the window, cautiously peeking out, only for blaster fire to pepper the area with wild inaccuracy. Even with the protection of armor and smoke, she recoiled reflexively. The readouts in her HUD suggested more enemies arriving, little blobs of heat moving over metal barricades with rapid effect, a fact she grit her teeth upon realizing. Adrenaline continued to pump through her veins and she felt her fingers tighten over the trigger. "After this is over... we're talking." It was all she could manage for the moment. Two years ago, maybe even one year ago, Leea might have stammered, maybe jabbered, in surprise at his sudden reappearance of a dear friend. But now? The disturbance was quashed beneath the need to fight this battle. No distractions.

"Smoke is clearing, they'll know we're here soon." She spoke mechanically, the modulator in her helm transmitting cracklingly. She followed this by her gauntlet, a datastream offered to Talohn on the full details, "Mission is to clear out the enemy and secure a high value artifact. Split the bounty, fifty-fifty. Acceptable?"

Talohn Atar