Pest Control: Star Destroyer Takedown

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="HK-36"], [member="McNeal"], [member="Aedan Miles"]

HRDs were, when all was said and done, generally not subtle constructs, except when a deft hand, a hidden dagger was needed to blend in and hide their nature until the right moment to strike at come. Here no such games were needed and so Moira made no attempt to hide what she truly was, a remorseless killing machine.

A Sith trooper took aim at her, she was faster and then BAM he was dead, a bolter round having blown apart a good chunk of his armour. More Sith troopers were slain, hewed down by her chainsword, thrown into walls and taken out by blunt trauma, simply gunned down, sometimes by their own weapons. Rounds peppered her heavy ultrachrome armour but she advanced onward, relentless in her pursuit of death and destruction. Blaster bolts whizzed across the hangar as the Devastator-class heavy fighters unleashed an overwhelmning barrage, joined by the e-web and repeater fire from the soldiers of the Iron Company.

No exultation, no emotion written across Moira's face as blade and bolter found new targets, for she was not designed for that. Anyone not on their team was a hostile and thus a target. One might say that HRDs like her openly represented the Galaxy's dark side, but equally they were open about it, stripped of all convenient rationalisations and justifications that organics so often used to justify their desire for power, bloodshed or riches. Of course, it was still ironic that she was the one designed to look human and blend in, yet between the two of them HK was the more 'humane' one, whereas she was incapable of mercy...except when it suited her purposes to fake it. Under other circumstances she might have seen the use of prisoners to...upgrade them, but not here.

Between the Iron Knights, the Devastators and Moira the hangar was soon purged and for now her bolter fell silent, the HRD quickly reloading a fresh magazine of death dealing explosive bolts.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Steam burned her face and several choice words echoed the small engine room. Gloved hands covered the panel that shot open while Ember commanded happily from his seat. More choice words spewed from the young Corellian as she leaned back as far as she could and grasped a screwdriver. Her single hand couldn’t keep the panel locked down, so she did her best to use her feet as well as her hand. Slowly lifting her second hand, she used both of her feet to keep the panel down. A grunt escaped her thin lips as she bent at her hips and started to bolt down the panel. Finally having it in place the girl kicked off the engine and pulled up her goggles. Her face was slightly red from the steam and the frustration of her Captain.

Running up through the small tunnels from the engine room she found Ember at one of the guns. She wasn’t in the mood to join the boarding party, mostly because her face was redder than a Twi’lek’s rear end and she wouldn’t want to make any horrible impressions on any attractive human or droid that was on that party. Grabbing a headset off the wall of another gun, she placed it onto her head and climbed into one of the chairs. Removing the control of the ship from the gun, she started to fire one of the quad lasers. Giving a quick message to Ember poking the older man.

“Hey! Next time you decide to push how about a warning old man! Had to play slutty Twi’lek down there to get a panel back on the old girl’s gut!” Grinning, she enjoyed poking at the man he seemed to be so cool in the end, but whatever she showed she was worth keeping around. The quad lasers fired and she whooped and cheered happily. Much action, such excitement, so awesome, wow.

[member="Ember Rekali"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Moira Skaldi"], [member="Aedan Miles"], [member="McNeal"]
"That would still leave the question of the guns outside keeping our frigates at bay."
He would answer to McNeal, calculating quickly,
"I do have a plan, however, we split up, me and Moira take my troops,"
He motioned to the other droid disguised as a blond woman,
"And we start pushing towards the bridge, if we will start cutting our way towards whoever still controls this ship then they will want to summon their troops towards them to ensure their own survivor, in mean time, you and Aedan."
He motioned to Aedan, the force user in the group, so that McNeal would know who he was talking about,
"Use that distraction to make your way to the reactor and disable it, using EMP grenades like you suggest should suffice, although you could most likely slice consoles just as well. Everything goes well we will have the ship disabled and defenseless with its current captain in our grasp. Should one of us fail, we can disable the guns from the bridge, and you can still leave it defenseless by killing its reactor without us taking the bridge."
HK would look about to see if anybody had other suggestions or concerns,
"Sounds good?"

 

[The Red of Sinner]

McNeal nodded, usually he did things his way, and he was being given his way, and plus some. This droid just earned his respect, if that matters to a metal frame with hardware. "I think I'ma need EMPs." He rushed back to the crashed boarding shit. Inside is he had a nice back of goodies, thermals, frags, and EMPs along with it.

Getting himself back to the group in the hangar. "If were gonna do this, its gotta be now. If this is anything impressive, there's going to be dark siders on here, and their making their way here now to kill us, or their at the bridge." He hefted the bag over his shoulder. "[member="Aedan Miles"] lets get going buddy, unless you wanna do something different?" He asked the other guy. [member="HK-36"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

The kid had a mouth, and his bridge crew rather liked the idea of their de facto first mate playing slutty Twi'lek in the ship's internals, so Ember had plenty of irritation to go around. Good thing he wasn't up against a Sith Lord. Force Light didn't work too well when one was tetchy. "Well get your knickers back on, stop fraternizing with the hyperdrive, and shoot something!" he called back, throwing the Contruum into a barrel roll that left the Tulak's gunners stymied. Heavy turbolaser bolts tracked the light frigate, but couldn't quite make it work. He'd spent seven years as a helmsman for vessels around this size, learning to apply his Force talents and situational awareness to the task of piloting small capital ships. Good times.

The Contruum danced. "Can't keep this up forever. How we doing on knocking out those rear guns?"

 

[Allyson Locke]

Before she could remark to the man, her feet shot out to stabilize herself and the ship danced the elegant dance of avoidance. It was an odd feat being able to tell when one was upside down in a craft with eternal space around them, Allyson was pretty good at being able to orient herself when needed. Of course the girl liking to live on the dangerous side of things flung out of the gunner chair because she decided for some reason that it would be a good idea to not buckle herself in. Flipping back into the chair she twisted the quad lasers guns towards the rear end of the ship. Her mind worked reading the weapon in front of her and leaning over. Using her gloved hand to fumble with some of the wires she disconnected two of them and plugged them together with a cord that joined them into one.

Somehow managing, the girl plugged the extension into the quad laser and the firepower boosted just slightly, but it was something. Pulling down her goggles, she focused and fired the rear end of the ship attempting to knock out the guns. After a torrent of blasts she started to damage the guns, seeing some success she chuckled over the frequency and teased [member="Ember Rekali"], “Oh don’t be jealous Captain, she just likes me a bit more than you, gotta know how to to talk to her you know. I promise to put in a good word for ya!”

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Allyson Locke"]

"Contruum's a lady," he insisted, slipping the frigate through an improbable gap in the asteroids. Turbolasers rocked the fragile ship; shields down to twenty percent. Well, feth. "She likes someone that can take her dancing, not someone who's always trying to fix her. Get those guns down."

 

[The Red of Sinner]

[member="Aedan Miles"]
"If your coming, then come." He said to the man, and turned to start the walk to the engines. " [member="Ember Rekali"] this is McNeal, I'm disabling the engines, the rest are taking the bridge." He reported in. He walked to the doors to hangar bay, opened them, only to meet a few men waiting to shot him. Quickly he slid to the wall, grabbed a thermal, and tossed through the door. "Damn Sith..." BOOM!

The Sith troopers were no more. "Clear! [member="HK-36"] lets go! We gotta get moving!" He was getting a little impatient, he turned back to the door and walked through. It was a big corridor with doors on both sides leading to God knows where.

 

[Aedan Miles]

Aedan Miles shut his lightsaber staff off and hung it over his back as he drew his pistols and started to move after the man quickly his violet eyes gleaming and flicking as they moved. He held his pistols close to his head as he leaned around a corner checking it noticing a series of men moving down the hallway he took a deep breath and then spun around the corner his pistols coming up as he opened himself to the force and let it guide his hands firing at each of the men before him twice watching each one crumple to the ground abruptly. [member="McNeal"]

 

[The Red of Sinner]

"Moving." He spoke to [member="Aedan Miles"] covering him with his carbine. "Their persistent ill give them that!" He said to anyone really. He moved up behind Miles, laying down more cover fire, dropping guys as he fired. When both men finally cleared out the corridor, McNeal checked his HUD for the ship's schematics. "Miles we gotta get down two levels."

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="HK-36"]

Moira tilted her head to the side slightly, a tick common to her both as an organic and a droid. "That is satisfactory. We shall proceed and terminate what resistance we face. Let us go." The prospect of facing 'dark' force-users did not concern her, for she had successfully fought those that wielded the powers of the 'Force' before. It just took superior firepower, creative thinking and strength. Well, unless one was facing a ridiculously overpowered telekinetic battering ram, but there were ways to deal with her as well.

Soon. Presently she could still be of use, such as by getting rid of people Moira wanted gone anyway. Moving out of the hangar, boltgun and chainsword at the ready, they would doubtless soon have more targets to exterminate. A pity that the ship was not ridiculously overcrowded with a droid crew, otherwise she could have hacked them, but the direct method should suffice.

 

[Aedan Miles]

Aedan laughed and holstered his pistols as he drew his lightsaber out and ignited it smirking at [member="McNeal"] as he calmly thumbed on his lightsaber with a snap-hiss. "Think I will get in trouble for cutting a hole in the floor? NA I didn't think so either. Cover me for a few minutes." With that the young man crouched and plunged his lightsaber up to the hilt in the deck plating of the ship and started to carve a large hole in the floor. As he did the remaining 11 members of Dragoon squadron all jogged up carrying various Blastech weapons in their hands they took up positions in the corridor to cover their boss two of them even moving to stand in the way of any fire that would come their way. It was extremely important that they get this done and move on sitting in one place to long invited trouble.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

"I gotcha!" Just as he said that troopers came from a room, but dropped from his carbine fire. He checked his HUD again. "Where you're cutting is a check point Miles. We can access security cameras there." He said watching back and down the corridors. [member="Aedan Miles"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="McNeal"], [member="Aedan Miles"]
"Good luck out there, we will keep you posted!"
HK has called out to the destructive due before the two man left on their way, he looked over to [member="Moira Skaldi"] and nodded simply, activating his lightsaber once more, his shatterpistol held in a sure grasp in his free hand.
He would glance back to his troops, raising his sword in a command.
"Charge!"
He called out and his troopers echoed as they started to trot down the hangars and the corridors.

Moira and HK had the front seats at the charge, followed right by his four lightsaber and shatter-pistol wielding guards and then a spear-head of the heavily armored Iron Knights, blaster bolts and slugs ricocheting and sizzling off of their armor, some caught with the energy shields of their Defense Power Armor.

The Sith defensive positions were soon ready as the bolters and light blaster repeaters started to clunk out, raining fire at he enemy positions and bolters eating away at any cover they had. HK and his guards slowed down as they started to twirl and dance with their lightsabers, sending blaster bolts and slugs thrown at the enemy back at them or to the sides, a defensive line to support the advancing heavy troops of the Protectorate.
"Moira, grenade!"
He called out to her, she was the closest one right now, and she had a decent aim, being an HRD and all

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="HK-36"]

An intense firefight developed before them, the Sith having dug themselves in and raining a hailstorm of fire down upon the advancing Protectorate forces, the Iron Knights advancing much like an implacable phalanx of old, red blaster bolts and slug rounds bouncing off their armour or being caught by the energy shields of their armour. To the symphony of blaster discharges were added the explosions caused by bolter rounds, the hum of the lightsabres that batted shots out of the air. If Moira were the sort to feel nostalgic she might reminisce about the 'good old days'.

However, Moira was not designed for that. Throughout most of her service with the Protectorate an inhibitor had prevented her from realising her true nature as a machine, until it had been damaged at Gehenna. That crash had been an awakening and given her a new imperative; her own cause. Her time with the Protectorate had been...useful in many ways, but it was just that. So she advanced at the front of the charge alongside HK, the flat crack of her bolter echoing as it thunked out explosive bolts to hammmer away at the Sith positions and blast them, rounds ricochetting off her ultrachrome armour.

As she heard the Iron Knight speak her free hand had already enclosed around a frag grenade and, rapidly and expertly calculating the velocity and trajectory of the throw, she pulled the pin and tossed it straight into the centre of the Sith defensive emplacements, a satisfying explosion being heard as the deadly ball of explosives detonated with blast and heat, her bolter soon springing into action as she fired through the smoke billowing up.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

Explosion soon rang out as Moira threw her frag detonator, one of the droid guards came up to HK, speaking simply,
"Throw me."
HK grabbed the forearm HK-Copy offered and swung him around as if he was throwing a hammer, the copy pushed off the ground, propelling himself with a burst for repulsor-lifts as the machine was sent flying at the enemy lines, the buzz of lightsaber echoed as the machine's rotary motors activated, following with screams of the Sith soldiers being slashed and maimed.

"Advance!"
HK motioned to the soldiers behind him for another charge as they called out and closed the distance between Sith emplacements and the lines of phalanx.

The droid jumped over the barricades, entering the fray with a good kick to a Sith trooper's chest, knocking the being down as with another solid kick to his helmet the soldier lost consciousness and his helmet shattered.
The rest of HK's guards followed behind and then the Iron Knights, wielding the heavier MK 1 bolters like maces or hammers, some had vibro-bayonets fixed at the end of their barrels for additional damage, others just wielding vibroswords to focus completely on melee combat.

The battle entered another phase of chaos, HK grabbed one of the nearby Sith troops by his hand, twisting it to make him drop his gun and delivering an empty-palm strike into the Sith's side, right under his armpit. The soldier called out in pain as his shoulder was dislocated before his body was dropped to the ground.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="HK-36"]

Moira noted the efficiency with which HK and his copies dispatched their targets. It was truly a pity that he would not comprehend the irrefutable logic of processing all organics. For how could one create the peaceful Galaxy he sought and extirpate the Sith by any other means than by imposing the order that could only be created by ending all sentient life...and making everyone the same?

However, she had more important things on her mind presently. The boltgun demanded its tribute in blood as explosive bolts were thunked out, blasting Sith troopers, then as she came in close her chainsword revved to life, taking off a Sith trooper's arm at the elbow with a brutal downward chop, then she impaled him upon the weapon. As the soldier crumpled down to the ground she brought another down with a powerful kick to the ribs that knocked the wind out of him, taking him out by ramming her armoured elbow to his helmet.

A torrent of lightning came shooting her way and she brought up the chainsword in a guard position to absorb the blast as the lightning cascaded, coiling around the blade. She swung the blade to send the absorbed lightning arcing out again towards the Sith who had tried to fry her with it, catching him by surprise as he cried out in pain upon being blasted, lightsabre falling out of his hands. Then as she advanced a telekinetic blast was thrust into her, sending her flying though as the sword fell out of her hands she grabbed an anti-forcer grenade, a gas one, from her belt, and tossed it at him.

Force push met the explosive, it obviously detonated, a cloud of gas filling the hall, though there was obviously the time and tested measure of holding your breath. Slammed into a wall with a powerful crunch Moira leapt to her feet. The Sith was coughing and disorientated but sent forth yet another stream of lightning. Moira twitched and shook strongly under the electrical discharge, forced to her knees but swiftly getting up. Boltgun brought up she fired, three explosive bolts exiting it and blowing the Sith's head off.

Though twitching she spun as a lightsabre wielder charged her, his blade bringing brought down like a hurricane in an attempt to disarm her before she could seize his arm, yet stopped from maiming her by the cortosis gauntlets she wore that resisted the lightsabre blow. Using the time she had been granted she rammed her leg into his knee and grabbed his sword arm with such force to twist and break it, slamming him into the wall. The man died bloodily as she picked up her chainsword to behead him with a swing to the neck, retrieving his lightsabre as he fell down.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

When the Sith dropped his lightsaber during that first time lightning was thrown at Moira during battle and she deflected it back, one of HK-Copies tumbled and grabbed the extra lightsaber off of the ground, activating the red blade through gas cover the machine spun around, throwing the blade, rotating it at high speed in a flying buzz-saw projectile, it zoomed towards another Sith Knight and a scream soon followed as the being, too slow to react had his hip impaled, the blade pushing him back and sticking him to the wall of the corridor.

"How much father on do we have to go?"
HK called out to Moira as lightning danced in front of him, one of his guards and him had their sabers in guard position as one of the Sith was unleashing a powerful torrent of electricity in their directions. Lightning cascaded and danced about their blades, licking at their arms and armor, giving them slight jitters as it left scorching marks on the additional metal plates.
Still, they pushed the Sith back, their blades protecting them, HK's white blade even absorbing and redirecting some of the lightning back at the Sith, physical strain showing on his face.

Finally the two droids saw their opportunity and with a quick flick they both had their slughthrowers drawn and then a sickly crunching noise was heard as the Sith slammed back against the wall, his armor shattered at two points, from two high-velocity bullets, silently unleashed by the droids.

HK reached down to retrieve a Sith lightsaber as well, other droids did the same it seemed, his guards and Moira, for whatever purpose, trophies or something much more sinister in the HRD's case.

The droid looked about, even though the Sith Knights entered the fray and the Iron Knights had no force-users on their side, they were winning, go droid power!

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="HK-36"]

One did not always need a telekinetic psycho-soldier against Sith Knights. Personally Moira found said telekineticists annoying. Just on top there with White Current illusionists, since their powers could fool even sophisticated killer droids. Yes, annoyance was obviously an organic emotion but one she found herself not disapproving of, for there was much lack of logic to be annoyed about.

"The turbolift down the hallway should take us up the bridge tower," Moira spoke, having to call out to make herself heard over the cacophony of sound as the remaining Sith fought on, though their struggle was futile. Moira did not have a great deal of time to make an assessment, but she presumed that while still substantial enough the Star Destroyer's crew and contingent of guards would be a good deal lower than standard given the fact that with the Empire collapsed the Sith commander would hardly be in a position to pay them beyond what booty they gained through raids. Not that it mattered, anyone who resisted would be terminated.

The flat crack of her bolter was heard as she blasted a Sith, her secondary weapon being a disruptor pistol that atomised his leg nicely as he slumped to the ground against the wall, smoking from the impact as his legs had been blasted. As the Sith tried to raise his blaster rifle Moira was upon him and unceremoniously stomped upon his throat to crush it. She bent down to retrieve the two lightsabres from the Sith she had sent into Chaos, attaching them to her belt. She did actually possess one of her own due to a secret deal with Lady Kyros, though the actual training session has not been written yet, but this one presumes this quest is after it. The energy blades would be of great use to the legions of the Archangel when the time came, but that was for the future.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

"Sounds simple enough."
The droid responded to Moira, parrying a blade of a Sith knife before with a quick twirl delivering a good slash to his solar plexus, sending him back into the wall, grabbing the Sith's lightsaber in mid air and quickly cuffing him, another prisoner for the Iron Knights, all these prisoners should make into an interesting thread later when the droid would be transporting them to Republic to have them put on trial before Jedi, perhaps it would lure out more Sith out of hiding? PC Sith this time? Well time would tell, for now,
"Secure this position!"
HK commanded to his troops as the last of the Sith troopers were being either put down or dropping the weapons in surrender, outnumbered and, as Moira mentioned, not being paid nearly enough to do this for the remnants of old kingdom.

The Iron Company troops brought in durasteel cover from the landing zone and soon E-Webs have been placed as well, creating turret positions to both protect the elevators and keep any ambushes from being sprung from the lifts.
"Alright, we will be taking an assault team of my guards and some Iron Knights, the rest of you hold down the position, anything at all happens, let me know. I do not want to risk flanking or ambush being pulled by the Sith while we are up here."
HK looked over his troops, few of them nodded, all were busy preparing the buffer zone around the elevators. The droid calculated quickly, changing a part of his plan, he motioned to two of his droid Guards.
"On second thought you two stay here and provide support in case things go really bad."
They both gave a quick bow in unison just as the doors to the turbolift have been opened by the Company's slicer, HK would sent a quick transmission to [member="McNeal"], [member="Aedan Miles"], and their boss for the day, [member="Ember Rekali"],
"We have secured the turbolifts, we encountered some Remnant Sith Knights, we have dealt with them, other than that just normal troopers. We are heading towards the bridge with an assault team, how is it going on your ends?"

Passing by Moira, as the droid headed towards the turbolift, he would give the evil HRD a swift swat on her cold, cruel, emotionless ramp.
"Good hassle."
He quipped