Campaign Into Darkness III: Hellfire

[Thal Mantis]

CORUSCANT



​

Here you are.

The fruits of all your labors. The blood you spilled. The lines you crossed. The darkness you saw. The consequences of your actions not yet even manifested. The personification of destiny was a wayward man, hellbent on revenge. It lead you here.

Into Hell.

Darkness is not remotely close to what exists in the galaxy.

Hell is empty, and all the demons are here. The Demons are not always so black and white, so easy to spot. Some carry red lightsabers, some carry blue, some carry none. They come in the shape of Hutts, humans, men, women, and all manner of species. The darkness and evil of the galaxy wears many faces.

You are here now. There is evil here.

But there is good. And a wayward man, needs your help. A wayward man, lead down the path of unending hatred- the sins of his Father, the seeds of his father's discontent sewed into his life. The life of a bereaved, angry man- continues to inflict his family's curse upon his son.

Save Thal Mantis. And prove that the Jedi are still good.


----

Thal went for an attempt to tackle Lancer, but Lancer was able to go under Thal, dropping to a knee and throwing Thal's body over him, sending Thal nearly tumbling over the edge of the platform. Thal scrambled to his feet, while Lancer turned to Vilaz, rotating his body to kick him in the chest. He managed to get a solid hit, not doing any serious damage to him due to his armor, but was able to push Vilaz back, gaining space. Thal and Vilaz were on opposite sides of Lancer, and Thal looked over to the Elder Mandalorian, giving him a nod. They'd been fighting continuously, and neither side seemed to have an advantage, though Lancer seemed no worse for wear.

Lancer looked at them both, turning his head to the Elder Mandalorian. And he lifted his mask down slightly, enough for him to spit at his feet.

He was challenging, taunting, the Mandalorian.

All without saying a god damn word.

-----


The team found themselves in a heated exchange of gunfire, the Spaceport a chaotic scene of screaming pedestrians, rampaging looters, and criminals and security forces exchanging gunfire. Teal-haired thugs had been hired, via an AI and a select criminal network- to collectively loot the upper levels of Coruscant. Every form of public transport, every lift- it all was chaos. Violence was the language of the day, and the violence was escalating, not de-escalating. But the Senator's supposed landing position, the most likely place that Thal would be, was nearly 100 levels above where the team had managed to land.

And with the lifts and transports out of the question- the team couldn't risk flying their ship that high. The Alliance was on high alert as it was, and the riots exemplified their efforts in controlling the skies and transports of Coruscant.

The Team needed to move quickly... or risk losing Thal, and the people he was trying to save, forever.


---

Nida Perl l Thurion Heavenshield l Okkeus Dainlei l Beltran Rarr l Kyra Perl Vilaz Munin


No Fear: Tulan's Escape

Into Darkness I: The Descent

Into Darkness II: The Depths

Virtue's Fall: The Aftermath of Far Zhas' murder

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Checking his non-descript rifle one last time, Thirdas turned to the rest of the crew he'd only recently been put in charge of. Tulan was gone, having sacrificed his entire career with the Antarian Rangers in the process as he was now being hunted down by both the Concord and the Alliance. The young lieutenant owed the man a lot.

Seydou of Thyrsus had also left the team, as his part of the deal with Tulan had been upheld.

His black eyes drifted between all members of the rescue team, from his fellow soldier Beltran Rarr to the young Jedi Okkeus Dainlei , finally settling on Nida Perl . He could tell she was still a bit shaken from what happened with the Alliance senator, however she'd assured him she was ready.

"Alright guys, listen up," he pulled up a holomap of the area. "We've just landed at this section of the space port, so we'll need to ascend about a hundred floors to reach the location where Thal is supposed to meet the Duros senator. We won't have that big of a window so we'll need to move fast. These are the seediest levels Coruscant has to offer, so expect a lot of gang activity, open firefights and general criminal behaviour in the form of looting and rioting."

Switching off the hologram, he reached behind him to punch the big red button to lower the ramp.

"Do not fire unless fired upon - we don't want to hurt any innocent civilians. We're here to get our boy back, we'll use the chaos to our advantage." As the ramp hit the ground, Thirdas shoved a full magazine into the bottom of his rifle and pulled back the bolt, loading a fresh round into the chamber.

"Rescue Team, on me! Let's make Gunny proud!"

They exited the ship and were greeted by an empty hangar, not even a maintenance droid around to clean the floors. A few bodies belonging to the space port crew were strewn about. It would seem the looters had already cleared this place out, but already the sound of random gunfire and shouting from the streets outside filled the air.

Peeking around the corner as they made it through the abandoned space port, he was shocked at the level of complete and utter chaos that had gripped these lower levels of Coruscant. Civilians running away from the firefights with crying children in their arms, random explosions shaking the ground, stray blaster rounds zipping by in every direction.

Turning back to Nida, Thirdas gave a concerned look before reaching for her hand to place a brief kiss upon. "Stay close to me. I'll protect you."

And with that, the team exited the space port and entered the mayhem, marching past the fleeing civilians toward the gunfire, rather than away from it.

Vilaz Munin | Thal Mantis ​

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Corucanti Underworld, rescue team-left flank
Objective: Save Thal Mantis, kill slavers
Allies: Tulan Kor , Seydou of Thyrsus , Thirdas Heavenshield , Nida Perl , Okkeus Dainlei , Paxton Reece ( writing as an NPC)
Enemies: Anyone involved in the slave trade, anyone trying to kill Thal Mantis
Loadout:

• Armor: Armorweave undervest
• Clothing: Leather Jacket, non-descript fatigue pants and black t-shirt
• Primary Weapons: Death-Dealer Handcannon (drop holster, right hip - loaded with Sith-Killer Ammunition)
• Secondary Weapons: Beskar Sword (back scabbard), Wrist Mounted Blaster (right wrist), Tactical Vibroblade (right boot)

Both Beltran and Paxton Reece were in full soldier mode now. Each of them having kitted up for the fight that they knew was coming. As the ramp lowered and Thirdas Heavenshield led the team down into the scrum of the Coruscanti underworld, both Rangers would move out to secure the flanks: Beltran to Thirdas' left and Reece to the right.

For the most part, it seemed that the fleeing civilians and the hard-pressed planetary security forces were content to give their unit a pass-so long as they didn't make a threat of themselves. The criminals, gangers and mercs from the looks of things, tended to be a little more opportunistic. As the team moved out of the spaceport, Beltran clocked a pair of spikey teal-haired gangers staring directly at them.

"Possible contacts," He called out. "Approximate ten o'clock." Already having his rifle at the high ready, Beltran simply turned so that the weapon was trained on the two, while maintaining the moving formation with the rest of the team. Through the flashing overhead lighting and neon signs, Beltran was able to make out the sudden look of fear on their two-probably teenaged-faces. It was clear that neither of them had been paid enough to face down the barrel of a weapon held by a killer of Beltran's experience and both abruptly turned and disappeared down an alleyway.

"Contacts disengaging," He updated as he turned his attention back to the front of the group. They had gotten lucky, but Beltran knew better than to assume that every thug they encountered down here would be as easy to spook. The likes of those who were going after Thal Mantis directly wouldn't be the type to run at the first sign of trouble.

No, they would have to be put down.

 

[Nida Perl]

Tags: Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Okkeus Dainlei | Thal Mantis | Vilaz Munin

For the sake of the mission, Nida had compartmentalized what she’d done to the Alliance Senator. There was no other way for her to be functional during the final leg of their mission, and the Padawan did not want to be dead weight to the team. She would deal with the emotion and trauma of it all later, when she and Thirdas were safe and sound in her own home. Now, she kept her mind focused on Thal and his extraction.

When Thirdas reached for her hand, she mustered a muted smile for him. “We need to be smart about this, Thirdas.” She glanced at the ceiling above them, wondering how far they’d have to search to make their way to Thal.

Her eyes closed and she inhaled slowly, slipping into a quasi-meditative state as her senses spread through the building, panning around the block. Searching for Thal’s signature, she made out faint twinges of his presence in the distance. When her eyes opened, the Jedi exhaled. “He is here.”
One hand clutched around the handle of her blaster, she followed closely behind Thirdas, keeping her senses tuned to their surroundings. Hopefully, she’d be able to serve as an early warning system before trouble found them.

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Taking up the rear of the group he watched for any possible signs of threats. Well, he didn't have to watch hard, becuase they were everywhere. Civilians were exchanging gunfire with the police. Citizens were running for their lives. Bodies of people and police were scattered all around. It was like Hell.

Watching Beltran's backside he saw the man aim down two teenagers, probably around his age. The worried looks on their faces could be seen. These were just teens that didn't want any part of this, but they didn't have a choice. That was life. And life can hit you like a speeder bike.

A police officer turned toward the group direction. Before he even had time to warn the others blood shot out he side of the officer's head. He stood still for a couple of seconds before falling to the ground. A Rodian ran up to the body and pried the gun for the dead man's hands. Once they got the weapon the hurried off. This planet trully was a mess.

Joy came to him when Nida said she sensed Thal. Their hard work was paying off. They were so close to finding the Jedi who they had risked their lives for.

"Lead the way. Let's bring our brother home."

Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Nida Perl | Vilaz Munin | Thal Mantis

 

[Vilaz Munin]

None of them were gaining any yards on the other. It was a standstill, no weaknesses exploited whatsoever to take advantage of. If this was his own battle, Vilaz would have retreated as it wasn’t worth sweating for. In his younger days he would have done anything for the victory, barely retreat. The good, old glory days. Now much wiser, yet still violent he understood surviving was the ultimate victory and that meant retreating. A fight was something to be finished quickly as it started, absolutely detrimental to drag it out. This fight was dragging out, but it needed to end. Retreating was not an option as they’d be pursued eventually.

The taunt was there, not bothering the Mandalorian. He already decided to stand his ground and finish this fight. Finish it for the means of peace for the other lad.

The Warlord committed to his strategy. Stepping in with a right foot his right hand feigned a punch, bringing it back as he then punched with his left. There was distance between the two combatants, he knew, but what came from his left hand on his vambrace was crimson fire that would consume Lancer’s central body. The man did have armor, but depending how resilient the material was he’d feel an agitating burn on his body. Not painful, simply irritating to bear.

Even then fire thrown at someone would successfully get a reaction and distract them, for most cases. Should Lancer’s footing be compromised the Munin would lunge and try to grapple around whatever leading leg he had for a simple takedown. A perfect setup for Thal to strike at the assailant’s head.

Thal Mantis | Nida Perl | Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Okkeus Dainlei​

 

[Thal Mantis]

Lancer knew equipment. He knew it in and out. He knew the weaknesses of Mandalorian armor, especially. Plenty of times- not too many, mind you, but enough- to know what a Mandalorian was packing, when he ran up against them. From time to time, a target or a job had a Mandalorian mercenary involved. Ever since their fracture at the hands of themselves, their weak ruler, the Empire- name one cause, the Mandalorians were spread thin, and it was paramount for any assassin nowadays to understand what made Mandalorians Mandalorians.

Unfortunately that involved knowing that sometimes, fighting them was the last option. Lancer was not in a good spot here, but he was currently, holding his own. The Jedi- a surprise, based on what he read. He was expecting a Sith. But the Mandalorian with him, that was another story altogether. He wasn't sure of their connection, but they were trying to kill him, and not each other.

It was in that moment that he saw the feint- the lack of commitment on the footing, the lack of a trained martial artist following through. The follow-through is what sold Lancer on a feint. A lack of follow-through on the shoulders or hips meant that it was a feint. And if that was the case- he looked to the other hand. In the spaces between seconds, he saw the pilot light flicker, and then the flame. He didn't have enough time to do anything for the fire.

But for the hand?

He could move the hand.

He brought his elbow up, blocking the arm's inward movement, the flames shooting past Lancer's body, behind him. He looked down as Vilaz moved, lunging for his leg. Lancer slither-stepped one step backwards, a complicated footwork move in of itself, but even more difficult backwards. But Lancer, indeed, was that good.

Lancer turned his head, watching Thal come straight at him.

There was nothing Lancer could do to stop a lot of things.

Creditors calling.

Spam calls.

Spam mail.

And Thal Mantis charging him.

Physics, after all, was physics.

Vilaz's grapple was broken, and Lancer was lifted off the ground as Thal lifted him off the ground- and Lancer tried his best to go limp. But Thal moved quickly, one powerful arm lifting above Lancer's entire bodyweight up- and slamming him down onto the ground beneath them. The concrete broke beneath them, and Lancer was sure that he shattered a rib or two. But he intook a deep breath, gaining his composure to a degree. The younger man recoiled his hand back, and a closed fist struck him across the face in a backhanded-motion.

That really hurt. It collided with his face mask, but enough of his face was exposed by his armor for that to still hurt. Lancer was bleeding from his right eye, obscuring his vision. He looked around, panicking slightly that this might be the smelly place where he finally bit it. But he saw shadows moving, towards them. He needed only to buy time until the rest of the goons got there, the hired help that managed to figure out that their intermittent boss was waging the war on their very target by himself.

That's what the lowest bidder got you. The planet was on fire- he now realized, rolling away from the two. Thal came at him fast and hard as soon as he stood, the former gladiator knowing the value of never exploiting a weakness. One wild punch, feral and angry. Not refined. Elbow block. Shot to solar plexus. Had to concentrate on Thal, and only Thal at the moment. Very difficult to do.

Punch to chest-

Jesus the guy worked out.

He felt the air across his face from Thal's lungs empty out.

He followed through with a cross to the face.

But then-

He felt his hand be grabbed.

---


Thal began to squeeze, staring down at the assassin, standing up to his full and mighty height. Turning his head to Vilaz, he narrowed his eyes, and wrapped Lancer's arm up, squeezing it under his armpit. Lancer lashed out with a punch to his face, but Thal took it, staring at the assassin as he yanked upwards. Lancer screamed as Thal broke his arm, a splatter of blood coming out from the wound as he gave him a compound fracture.

Thal beat him mercilessly for a few minutes, a flurry of punches lining the two of them out. He marched Lancer to the edge, shifting his grip to his throat, before tossing him over the edge. Lancer disappeared into the heavy darkness below, while Thal breathed heavily, recovering from the fight. He saw the shadows line up-

and then the first blaster fire, the first red streak of a blaster bolt. Sliding into the partition on the landing pad's base, Thal took cover as the goons littered the pad with gunfire. One went wide, hitting Thal in the shoulder. But instead of blistering pain, Thal was simply knocked over, looking down at the Beskar armor not seeming any worse for the wear. Thal and Vilaz were pinned down, and Thal felt like closing the distance to use his lightsabers was too much.

The air around Vilaz and Thal began to fill with static, despite the light rain from the planet. Vilaz's HUD, the more advanced of the technologies of the galaxy, would note an atmospheric anomaly coming near Thal. Thal gripped his hands tightly, peaking over the edge. Whatever was going on, it was coming fast. Thal's eyes narrowed, hatred spewing forth, his hands gripping the cover he was behind, bending the metal with his father's crushgaunts.

Thal was his father's son.

And had his father's rage.

Vilaz Munin l Nida Perl l Thirdas Heavenshield l Okkeus Dainlei l Beltran Rarr​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

They'd only ascended a couple levels when they hit their first roadblock. A large gathering of what looked like ordinary people carrying signs and all wearing black armbands. They appeared to be protesting, perhaps the government's lack of handling the current situation of looters and rioters running amock. The black armbands made him reach the conclusion that these were people who had all lost loved ones to the meaningless violence.

In the end, their reason for gathering did not matter. They were blocking their path to the next level, and they did not seem very eager to move out of the way.

Thirdas turned to the other members of the rescue team, hoping that someone had spotted another way of moving forward. "We're wasting time," he was forced to conclude, and raised his rifle to his shoulder as he continued forward.

He fired off a warning shot into the air, far louder than any protest the crowd could ever muster. It got their attention.

"Coruscanti Law Enforcement, nobody move," he shouted, sights trained at the crowd but with no intention to fire. They didn't know that though. The sound of gunfire was nothing new to these people, so only a few left the scene. The rest simply turned and faced the small team of armed individuals, unwilling to disperse.

As the team approached however, the protesters reluctantly stepped aside. "Coming through, people - everyone stay nice and calm!"

For a time the deception worked, until they came across a young boy holding his baby sister's hand. He refused to stand aside. "Are you gonna catch the ones who killed our mama and papa," he asked bluntly with anger.

Thirdas lowered his weapon, staring at the sight of brother and sister protesting for the sake of their parents. He froze, unable to act for a brief moment. "Y-yeah-- Yes, we are," he was able to force out of him, knowing it was a complete lie. "We're on our way to get them right now, so please... stand aside."

The boy looked sceptical, but relented. The last remaining members of the protest followed suit, allowing them to pass through to ascend to the next level.

Once having turned the corner, he pressed up against the wall as the others walked past, trying to digest the fact he'd had to lie to a child. Let the others take the lead for the time being. Only at Nida's urging did he find the strength and focus to carry on, bringing up the rear.

Nida Perl | Okkeus Dainlei | Beltran Rarr | Thal Mantis | Vilaz Munin ​

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Corucanti Underworld, rescue team-left flank
Objective: Save Thal Mantis, kill slavers
Allies: Tulan Kor , Seydou of Thyrsus , Thirdas Heavenshield , Nida Perl , Okkeus Dainlei , Paxton Reece ( writing as an NPC)
Enemies: Anyone involved in the slave trade, anyone trying to kill Thal Mantis
Loadout:

• Armor: Armorweave undervest
• Clothing: Leather Jacket, non-descript fatigue pants and black t-shirt
• Primary Weapons: Death-Dealer Handcannon (drop holster, right hip - loaded with Sith-Killer Ammunition)
• Secondary Weapons: Beskar Sword (back scabbard), Wrist Mounted Blaster (right wrist), Tactical Vibroblade (right boot)

Beltran followed Thirdas Heavenshield 's play, taking on the momentary persona of a Coruscanti law officer. As the crowd parted before them, Beltran allowed his rifle to lower into the "low ready" position. He scanned the crowd with his cool green eyes, looking for signs of threats. There were numerous shouts and insults hurled toward them from within the crowd, denouncing the government's inability to keep order and the perceived notion that they only cared about the rich.

As Heavenshield led them passed the young boy and his even younger sister, Beltran saw a large man in the crowd. He seemed to be moving with them, always keeping their group in sight as they moved. A quick glance to the other side showed another being, a horned Devaronian, also matching their movements.

"We've got followers," He said quickly into his comlink. "Large human male at our three o'clock, even larger Devaronian on our nine."

"Yeah, I see him boss." Reece came back. "Do I engage?"

"That's up to Lieutenant Heavenshield," Beltran replied. "I haven't seen a weapon on either being yet. That do you think, Thirdas?"

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

They were the most out-of-place Coruscanti Law Enforcement group ever. He was almost positive that no one believed a teenage boy with wavy hair and a worried look on his face to phenomena a police officer. Oh well, there were more important things to worry about.

He had a hard time watching Thirdas Heavenshield lie to the children. They had probably been through enough recently, enough to scar them for life. Knowing first had what it was like to lose your parents he simply smiled at the children as he passed them. Nothing could be done now. All those kids could do was grab a blaster and prepare to fight.

"Large human male at our three o'clock, even larger Devaronian on our nine."

Quickly turning to his left he saw the Devaronian Beltran Rarr called out. The man was holding a large blaster. He watched as his eyes followed the group, tracking them like a Nexu hunting its prey. They rounded the corner, trying to get some quick cover. Not the force, but a gut feeling told him there was about to be a gunfight.

Very slowly he peeped his head around the corner. He had just enough time to see now four men, including the Devaronian, charging their direction. Just enough time was also had to see a bolt flying right at him. Whipping his head back around he watched as the bolt struck the nearby wall.

"Well, looks like we have no choice. Y'all ready to fight?"

Nida Perl | Thal Mantis | Vilaz Munin

 

[Vilaz Munin]

One solved problem led to another one. Their assailant was dead by the ruthless and relentless fury from Thal. A compound fracture, a flurry of punches, and dropped from the rooftop? Hardly any chance he survived and if he did, he would be howling in pain. Maybe a dosage of bacta would help, but even that miracle substance doesn't heal a fracture like a miracle. The assailant was a good fighter, he'd give him that much credit for surviving this long. It was rare to come across that on any day on the week.

Even with the assailant dead the rest of the goons still came for the fight, not knowing that their commander was already dead. Still a job's a job, they'd either see it be completed alive or fight to the death to fulfill their contract. Common thugs, what one expected to see in the army of a Hutt. They were insignificant when fighting alone, but in a pack they were a nuisance. Like a pack of wolves. Both men took cover from the blaster fire, all of them focusing their fire on the warriors suppressing them. Wanted to keep them there and close the distance, get more leverage on them.

"I'm throwing a smoke for us, I hope you know how to use a jetpack," and if he didn't, well he'd learn. Want a child to learn how to swim? Throw them into the water and let their instincts flare up to adapt to their situation. Two canisters of smoke were thrown out, and these weren't ordinary smokes. These contained an aerosol that would absorb blaster fire until its effects worn out.

"Move!"

Thal would, hopefully, oblige to his commands while Vilaz's Advanced HUD would scan the firefight for hostiles. He wasn't planning on fighting, but he was going to take some down while retreating. Targets were locked in and a flurry of rockets from his wrist launched finding its prey. Explosions could be heard with men yelling in agony before their deaths. The Mandalorian soon jumped off the rooftop's edge and activated his repulsorpack.

"There's probably more where those guys came from. Let's find a better position and plan coordinate a strategy."

Thal Mantis | Thirdas Heavenshield | Nida Perl | Okkeus Dainlei | Beltran Rarr ​

 

[Nida Perl]

Quiet as ever, Nida followed Thirdas closely as the group ascended their way through the first couple of levels. Violence would be rife here, but the Zeltron was surprised that their first obstacle appeared to be a solemn protest of sorts.

Seeing Thirdas so strict was something she was still getting used to. Nida knew that he was an efficient soldier, but this was the first time they’d worked together on a mission so closely. In private with her, he was not Lieutenant Heavenshield. But here, he was responsible for the success of the mission and the lives of his fellow operatives as well.

Her heart broke for the children that had approached him, orphaned at a tender age. The strength in the boy’s voice had caught her off guard, borne out of a need to protect his sister. She felt the tension in Thirdas as he lied, understanding that it was necessary to pacify the children in whatever way they could. Nida knelt down to the boy and pressed a pink hand to the side of his face. “You are a very strong young man. Your sister is lucky to have such a powerful protector.” As she spoke, she gently worked the hostile emotions around them until the boy’s mind relaxed. “Rest easy, and find shelter. Your sister looks tired.”

Violence escalated quickly in the lower levels, and their group could be seen as agitators. She parted from the children quickly to catch up with Thirdas, sneaking in a tender moment to squeeze his arm with both hands. “You had to.” She whispered in an attempt to soothe. “You spared his feelings, which was the kind thing to do.”

The pair caught up with the group quickly, the comm buzz in her ear with Beltran’s low voice.

“…human male at our three o'clock, even larger Devaronian on our nine.”

A bolt nearly took out Okkeus, sizzling hotly against the nearby wall as it ate the duracrete. Screams and cries of surprise and panic erupted from the group of protestors who began to scatter, causing a major ruckus.

Crouching behind a wall, Nida peeked around the corner to see four men converging on their group. With the spooked protestors, things only became hairier and they ran the risk of injuring civilians. It dawned on her that perhaps this was their intention—they’d fight more carefully in a minefield like this, rather than if they’d been cornered alone.

Eyeing the menacing Devaronian and his large blaster from her vantage point, Nida flicked her wrist in a subtle Force push. It would not be enough to knock the man over, just enough to put him out of balance. Anything stronger would have roused suspicion. And with people fleeing in all directions, it would not be difficult to play it off as him being bumped by the crowd.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Okkeus Dainlei | Vilaz Munin | Thal Mantis

 

[Thal Mantis]

You old fool, I've never even touched one in my life, let alone this armor you said I should wear-

Any of Thal's complaints or retorts were drowned out by a sea and a myriad of sounds and chaotic explosions, his words better suited to the task at hand, not complaining. Thal looked down, though confident that he could control it- after all, it shouldn't have been that hard.

Birds did it, after all.

Recoiling his body back, Thal jumped off of the edge of the building, entrusting nothing but the word of the elder Mandalorian and the equipment of the Mandalorians. Though, a part of him wished he tested it, even briefly, before he jumped off the edge.

Alls well, that ends well-

He thought as the Jetpack lurched him forward, darting after Vilaz. The reinforcements arrived, and Thal realized that he had only thrown Lancer down about ten feet at most- as he lay flat on another platform down below, most likely for refueling or cargo unloading.

Thal pointed at an industrial outcrop used to pump air into the many factories and businesses down below- after all, fresh air was a commodity on Coruscant, and the lower levels needed a steady stream of it from high above.

Thal stopped with Vilaz, taking stock for a moment, before gesturing to a fairly large cargo freighter several platforms away. Even in the night time, the outline of the ship was apparent and even noticeable, the silhouette alone making it a fairly large vessel. Thal kept his finger gestured at it, breathing to recover.

"That's their ship- it's a holding ship. They were supposed to pick up a few last slaves here, and then head to the Outer Rim to be sold all over. With the Outer Planets Alliance collapsing, they're betting on old customers wanting the new product. If that ship takes off without us on it, all the people on it won't ever be seen again."

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Thirdas nodded in response to Nida Perl 's kind words, taking comfort in her being there for him. Again and again they'd been tested over the course of this operation, and yet each difficulty overcome only made him want to see it through to the end. They were so close now, he could feel. Like Gunny had stated from the very beginning, there was no turning back now.

He could only pray Tulan Kor was still out there, somewhere.

Their moment together was interrupted as blaster bolts were suddenly fired at Okkeus Dainlei 's location, prompting Thirdas and Nida to seek cover. The fleeing protestors swarming the area in a panic made it difficult to get a clear shot at their attackers. "Return fire, but watch the civvies," he ordered over comms.

"Keep these people safe, Nida," he instructed her as they crouched behind the wall. "I'mma go find higher ground so I can get a clear shot on these guys."

Reaching for her hand, he placed a kiss upon it in the midst of being fired upon. "Be right back!"

Rushing around the corner and sliding from one bit of cover to another until he reached the other side, Thirdas pulled out a grappling hook and fired at one of the inactive elevators that had been made to stop halfway between floors. The steel cable pulled him up at great speed, and once on the roof of the elevator he took up position and began firing at the attackers, dropping one in his first burst of rounds.

"Beltran, got more incoming on your six," he reported from his elevated position while busy taking out another bogey that had up until now kept Nida pinned, thus freeing her up to go help the others.

Vilaz Munin | Thal Mantis ​

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Corucanti Underworld, rescue team-left flank
Objective: Save Thal Mantis, kill slavers
Allies: Tulan Kor , Seydou of Thyrsus , Thirdas Heavenshield , Nida Perl , Okkeus Dainlei , Paxton Reece ( writing as an NPC)
Enemies: Anyone involved in the slave trade, anyone trying to kill Thal Mantis
Loadout:

• Armor: Armorweave undervest
• Clothing: Leather Jacket, non-descript fatigue pants and black t-shirt
• Primary Weapons: Death-Dealer Handcannon (drop holster, right hip - loaded with Sith-Killer Ammunition)
• Secondary Weapons: Beskar Sword (back scabbard), Wrist Mounted Blaster (right wrist), Tactical Vibroblade (right boot)

The shots rang out, sending Beltran and Reece immediately to their knees. Both Rangers shouldered their rifles and immediately began scanning the rapidly dispersing crowd for targets. For the seasoned veterans, it didn't take long to hone in on the Devaronian and the men that he was leading.

"Boss?" Reece's voice came over the comlink.

"Weapons free." Beltran responded.

A split second later, Reece opened fire. A dozen blasts peppered the advancing group, taking one in the shoulder and driving the others toward cover. Despite the speed of the counter attack, each shot was precisely aimed so as not to endanger any of the civilians in the area. It was a feat of combat magic that could only come from literally thousands of hours of training.

It was the kind of training that had separated Beltran and his men from the rank and file and it was the kind of skill that Beltran would sorely miss when Reece took his leave.

"Beltran, got more incoming on your six,"

"Copy." Beltran replied instantly, his calm tone never wavering. Raising himself to a crouch, he swiveled himself around so that he was facing the new threat. He then fired off two shots in quick succession, each taking it's own target into the afterlife. "Two bandits down," He informed the others as he stood and began to walk quickly toward the advancing group, with his rifle at the ready.

It was a difficult thing, to face down a numerically superior foe and stay calm, but Beltran drew upon the Force. He allowed it to direct his steps, somehow moving around, underneath or hopping over the incoming fire. He would line up a shot and fire, reducing his attacking group by another and then another and another after that, each shot finding it's target with a preternatural certainty.

With perhaps five of their comrades lying on the ground, the remaining others began to back off. Beltran could see at least one of them shouting into a comlink. "My group is breaking off, but my bet is that they're calling in reinforcements. We need to keep moving or risk getting bogged down here."

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida exhaled a heavy breath as Beltran or Reece—she wasn’t sure which one—opened fire on the advancing thugs, peppering the Devaronian and catching him in the shoulder.

“Be careful.” Nida emphasized over the comms as Thirdas went to find a better vantage point, but it was clear that the thugs were closing in. They were at a disadvantage too, with all of the chaos and their lack of intel on their enemy. Given everything that was going on, Nida was worried that they wouldn’t be able to reach Thal in time—and that the innocents of Coruscant would pay for it.

“…they're calling in reinforcements. We need to keep moving…”

It was difficult to hear the team over the chaos, even with the commlink fitting snugly into her ear.

“Copy. I’m going to hit them with a smoke grenade.” Hopefully, it would buy them a bit of time to retreat.

Pulling the pin on the smoke bomb, Nida called out “GRENADE!” before lobbing it at the advancing thugs. Her team knew that it was only a simple smoke screen, but their adversaries wouldn’t. As soon as the goons dove for cover, Nida took off towards Thirdas. Smoke erupted from the grenade, coating the area in an inky, thick fog that obscured vision. Nida raised her arm to her mouth, coughing into her sleeve as she went. Her eyes were squeezed shut to avoid smoke damage, and she was operating on the Force to be able to feel her way out.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Okkeus Dainlei | Thal Mantis | Vilaz Munin

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

As the area below him turned to a murky fog thanks to Nida's smoke grenade, from his vantage point Thirdas was still able to watch the streets with a clear view. He let loose a few more rounds at a third bad guy busy firing blindly into the smoke in the hope of hitting something, forcing him to take cover while coughing from the thick smoke.

Nida came running through that same smoke, heading towards his location. Standing atop the elevator, and offered a break in the firefight, he took aim with his grappling gun. The sturdy cable shot out and connected with Nida, wrapping itself around her waist. Taking a wide stance to maintain his balance, he squeezed the trigger again to make the grapple haul itself back in, bringing her along for the ride. Considering it was used to carry his weight all the time, hers would be barely noticable.

Rapidly hoisting her up into the air, by the time she was able to set foot atop the elevator he was right there waiting for her, catching her in his embrace. "Now tell me that wasn't fun," he offered her a wide grin, and before she had any time to protest he planted a kiss upon her lips even as the fighting was still going on down on street level.

"Here," he said as he stepped over to the emergency hatch of the elevator, and with one hard tug ripped the metal door off its hinges. "See that control panel? See if you can reroute power to this elevator, we can use it to reach the top faster." Offering her a hand, he gently lowered her down into the empty lift which had stopped midway between two floors when the power went out.

"Beltran, Okkeus, we are securing a ride as we speak. Make for my position, I'll hold them off for you!"

Nida Perl | Beltran Rarr | Okkeus Dainlei | Thal Mantis | Vilaz Munin ​