Public Rebel Procurement

[Cedric Grayson]

​

They would be making their move soon. The logistics had been taken care of, preparations made, and a general battle plan drawn up. All that remained now was for Cedric to make the call, but there was something else that he felt needed to be taken care of first. Not very long ago, he and R3-D1 had set out to Chandaar in the hopes of helping rebel groups stall the economy of the Sith Eternal. The operation had been relatively successful, but the rebel fighters were left behind when they left. Contact was retained for a time, although the cell had gone silent for the better part of a week at this point. Whether that was because they were in hiding, or because the Sith had wiped them out remained to be seen.

They couldn't just write the cell off without investigating first. There were to be no comrades left to fate unless no other options were present. Morality aside, they were experienced veterans that could prove to be invaluable to the crusade if they could be retrieved.

With that in mind, Cedric had put out a call for volunteers. A small team would infiltrate Chandaar in hopes of making contact with the cell, and if possible, get them off the Sith planet in one piece. The armies would have to remain at home for the time being; there wasn't much point in spending a large amount of lives to rescue a relatively small unit from behind enemy lines.

Their shuttle a barely flyable thing that passed well enough for your standard hauler. Some extensive effort to secure landing codes had been made on part of the crusade's burgeoning intelligence arm. Fortunately those efforts were not in vain as the ship was allowed to pass through the planet's atmosphere unharmed.

Cedric sat in the empty cargo bay of the ship, a long black cloak drawn over him in such a way as to hide his entire figure save for his head. He wore his full suit of body armor beneath the cloak, the visor of his helmet poking out from beneath the hem of its cowl as he examined the small team that had chosen to join him. There was an emergency dead drop location not far from the hangers that had been established for this sort of occasion. If something had happened to them and anyone survived, that deaddrop would have all the relevant information the Ashlans would need.

"May god watch over us," Cedric mumbled to himself, "Ashla give us mercy, and guide our feet. Deliver us from evil so that we may carry out your will unharmed." The prayer was a simple one, but it calmed his fraying nerves all the same. Several of those present had never worked with him before. God willing this would be a learning experience for them, and not a disaster.

"We're about to land," he announced as he glanced out the window, ever the warden of the obvious. "We'll need to hide beneath the floorboards if they sweep the ship. The Frumentarii are thorough. Are you all prepared?"

 

[R3-D1]

Location: Nameless Shuttle Cockpit, Chandaar, Chandaar System.
Objective: Pilot the shuttle, await further orders.
Relevant Tags: Cedric Grayson

From the instant the shuttle left distant Ruusan to now, nary a word was said in R3's presense barring directional orders or questions regarding the diminutive droid's state. It was for the best, the droid reasoned with a lingering amount of annoyance, for this mission was clandestine. R3, lacking the ability to defend or terminate itself in the event of capture, could provide an information leak to one of Grayson's innumerable enemies. Still, the droid could recognize the stoic, midnight-armoured soldiers for what they were: special operations. Chandaar was a familiar world, and Grayson would not return here without a purpose.

The shudder of the shuttle brought R3 back to reality; grounding the droid in a sense. It would not do to ruminate on information that was better left unruminated. R3's purpose here was solely dedicated to piloting the shuttle to the planet's surface, sending the necessary access codes, and being ready to leave with as much haste as was possible when that time came. Though how much haste could be applied given the state of the shuttle remained to be seen, it was as if Grayson actively sought out the most junked, ruined ship he could get his hands on before each mission for the express purpose of testing R3's droid-driven sanity.

The cloud cover passed and the distant sun disappeared over the horizon, blanketing the shuttle in the inky blackness of night. Despite the low visibility, R3 opted to keep the floodlights off lest they attract unnecessary attention. The ship's onboard sensor array would suffice in a non-combat, non-pressing situation. The ground whistled by as R3 sought a place to land, awaiting further instruction from Grayson.

 

[Elise Solsteel]

Location: Hiding underground, keeping people alive.
Objective: Keep aliving as long as possible.
Tags: Cedric Grayson R3-D1

The risk they took was great. Some would even say unnecessarily insane. A single ship sent into the heart of hostile territory, carrying the former Archlord of Ession himself, with the sole purpose of rescuing those left behind. Veterans with invaluable skill and knowledge though they were, if their rescuers were successfully intercepted by the Sith, the impact of their failure could mean so much more to their future crusade. Ession's future arguably hung in the balance.

Yet here they were. Cedric Grayson, his faithful R3-D1, and a small handful of loyal volunteers.

Their landing would seem to go smoothly. It was possible that with the recent victory over the planet, its conquerors expected to have either wiped out or run off the Jedi and their key affiliates. Thus, their attention was less on the skies, and more inward on the politics and logistical matters they were facing. It was also possible that they were noticed, and would be walking into an ambush, once they left their ship.

The dead drop, if they did reach it, would provide a simple coded message in their native Essonian language. Scribbled hastily on torn scrap, with dirty smudges and old, dried blood for its artistic stationary. As if its author had quite literally been running and writing at the same time, through a heavily polluted alleyway, dodging body parts serving as shrapnel. No fancy datacards to spar here.

The information was almost damning in its conciseness. Its reader would understand they would need to seek out a sublevel of a damaged, and presumably long-evacuated, factory. Where, exactly? Some nebulous whereabouts approximately two kilometers southeast of the hangar.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Having only become Cedric’s latest apprentice the day before, Starlin now found himself aboard a ship that had just landed on Chandaar, a planet now under the control of the Sith Eternal. No sooner had they docked in the hangar, the Frumentarii were already waiting for them.

The others hid themselves beneath the floorboards. Starlin, on the other hand, went out to deal with the Sith directly.

“Hey dudes,” he greeted the squad of Frumentarii outside. The boy added a slight lurch to his step as he descended the loading ramp, reminiscent of the spice addicts he had grown up watching in Coruscant’s lower levels. “We’re like, shipping air filtration units, man. I hear you guys need it pretty bad here, ‘cause of all the pollution in your atmosphere. That’s gotta suck.”

“We must search this vessel,” the head of the group of Frumentarii said. “It is a requirement. You must also present your papers as proof the this shipment of goods is indeed legitimate—”

“You don’t need to search our vessel, dude,” Starlin interrupted, the stupid smile on his face a mask to hide his cunning. His fingers twitched slightly at his side as he worked his magic. “And we like, already sent our papers in ahead of time man. They’re down at your offices or whatever. I mean, I don’t think you even really needed to come down here in the first place… wow, they really don’t pay you enough, huh?”

“They don’t pay me enough for this,” the Frumentarii officer muttered. He motioned for his men to follow him as he walked out of the hangar. Starlin wiggled his eyebrows as he watched them depart. That was easy.

The rest of this mission probably wouldn’t be.

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel​

 

[Brimstone]

Location: beaten up shuttle cargo bay
Currently being briefed
Tags: Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Starlin Rand

Brimstone stood with the other volunteers looking at the robed figure in front of him. He had asked to be made a part of this mission. Ever since those rebels had stumbled upon his prison, looking for a place to set up a secret base, he owed them. He lamented killing one of his rescuers in his rage, but now rescuing some of their would help him even the balance. He would spend as long as it took repaying them.

The mission sounded easy enough on paper, land, get to the cell, extract them? Sure, thats why they have a ranking Jedi master leading a volunteer only team? This was meant to be clandestine, but Brimstone had dealt with the sith before, if they were trying to lure the party into a trap, they would be in for a nasty suprise when they realised what a heavily armed Gen'dai soldier was capable of.

Brimstone went of his mental checklist again, vibrosword, check, fire axe, check, full ammo and fuel, check check, light cannon, check. He had brought the 64 to this mission, the aim today was to stay mobile and although it didn't have the stopping power of the 63, it was significantly lighter and easier to move around.

After the briefing, the team.were hastily bundled into hidden parts of the ship, by the smell, Brimstone assumed this was an empty liquid fuel tank he was in, his fault for being so bulky he chuckled. He felt the ship land and he heard footsteps as the nominated member of the team went to deal with the port authorities, this is where it could go wrong before it all began. Brimstone waited for the gunfire, readying himself to leave his hiding spot.

No gunfire? Calm footsteps returning to the ship? Part one accomplished it seems.

 

[Poph Trotres]

Location: Nameless Shuttle Cockpit, Chandaar, Chandaar System.
Objective: Assist Cedric Grayson
Relevant Tags: Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Starlin Rand

In a perfect galaxy, this rescue mission would be a quick in and out. In a perfect galaxy, Poph wouldn't need to bring a regiment's worth of detpacks and charges, or even be crammed under the blood floor like a crate of contraband spice in the first place. Unfortunately for the Neimoidian, this was hardly a perfect galaxy. A devotee though he might be, Poph wasn't afraid of silently cursing Ashla's name for getting him in this situation.

When Poph was approached by his squad sergeant regarding a clandestine mission with the Cedric Grayson, defacto head of their organization, Poph had given a resounding 'yes'. However, what Poph had failed to realize at the time was that 'clandestine' meant 'wander aimlessly into enemy territory aboard a rickety shuttle searching for people who were, in all likely hood, already dead. A foolish thought, naturally, but Poph was a foot soldier and an engineer, he was hardly trained for special operations.

Not that the Neimoidian would ever make verbal his complaints, Poph was a loyal follower of Ashla all the same... he just wanted to complain about the situation that led to the agony in his back.

As one of the team members went to speak with the local authorities, Poph resettled himself with a wince. His armour pinched, his scattergun jabbed into his side, and the knapsack of high-explosives jabbed into the back of his neck, but Poph kept silent all the same. If everything went horribly wrong - and the speaker who went to greet the customs officials clearly was trying to expedite that eventuality - then at least Poph could dump the explosives on some poor sap...

Equipment:
1 - Scattergun
1 - RK-3 Blaster Pistol
20 - Thermal Detonators, TB-47 Time Bombs, Mixed Detonation Packs/Explosives

 

[Heinrich Faust]

As the shuttle touched down in the landing bay, Heinrich sat silently in prayer, asking for guidance and strength from the Ashla. It had been some time since he had been in Sith Space, and the last time was far from pleasant. Months upon months of endless torture at the hands of the Sith had left him itching for payback, and yet he had been hesitant to make a move... until today.

He took a moment to look around at the others that had chosen to accompany lord Grayson on this mission. Most of their faces were unknown to him, but Heinrich was grateful for their presence all the same. It took a special sort of bravery to volunteer for such a mission. Such a small group was necessary for stealth, but when this deep behind enemy lines, one had to be realistic about the possibility of things going South. One wrong step, and there would be a very strong possibility that none of them would make it out alive. The first test, would be getting off of the shuttle.

The young newcomer had proven to be useful in dealing with the Frumentarii that had come to inspect the ship. The others had patiently wait in silence as the would-be inspectors left the landing bay. Once Heinrich felt they were clear, he made his way to the shuttle doors, giving the young man a calm pat on the shoulder as he passed by.

"Great job, kid."

He made his way out to the landing bay, keeping one hand on the hilt of his lightsaber as he quietly scanned the room. Once he determined that they were alone, he motioned for the others to follow. Heinrich took the liberty of moving ahead, taking position at the far wall of the landing bay. If any trouble were to show up, he'd be ready.

Tags: Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Starlin Rand Elise Solsteel Brimstone Poph Trotres​

 

[Brimstone]

Brimstone was the next down the ramp after Heinrich, he carried his rotary cannon at the ready, constantly scanning the area through his HUD. He could hear the familiar thumping of his allies hearts, slightly elevated, that was good. They weren't at panic stations but were reacting appropriately to the danger of the mission. The was where Brimstone thrived, feeling like a real soldier.

He looked around at the rest of the group, an mixed bunch. He was surprised to see a neimodian hear, he didn't know much about them but their reputation was for cowardice and treachery, yet here he was.


Brimstone followed behind Heinrich and took up position "you sense anything? I'm not detecting anyone else here at the moment" he quietly whispered.

Cedric Grayson Heinrich Faust R3-D1 Starlin Rand Elise Solsteel Poph Trotres

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Cedric watched from the safety of the ship's undercarriage as Starlin Rand played nice with the Frumentarii. For a moment, the exile was getting a bit worried that they might sniff out Starlin's deception. His newest student impressed him once again as Starlin manipulated the minds of the strangers. An amused little grin colored Cedric's expression as he crawled out from the floorboards, "Indeed," he nodded in agreement with Heinrich Faust 's praise. "I'd hate to play pazaak with you Starlin."

Of their number, two that Cedric was wholly unfamiliar with were present. One, a Neimodian named Poph Trotres , and a Gen'dari that went by Brimstone . The former was an unexpected addition to the Crusade, but a welcome one. There were many non-humans among the flock, but few were willing to take up arms in the name of the cause. Those that did would be a future inspiration for others once their contributions were made public. The latter had joined to fulfill a life-debt as he called it. Some of the Ashlans had managed to save him from a prison somewhere near the edge of the galaxy, and his offer of assistance was taken immediately. Gen'dai were great warriors, and nearly impossible to kill, two qualities the Crusade needed more than just about anything else.

"A few minds," he replied to Brimstone, "Though no others within the hanger, and those I can sense are far enough away that we might easily sneak past I believe. Just stay on your toes."

A quick scan of the hanger revealed two landspeeders occupying the aft end of the chamber. They were large enough to carry several beings, and enclosed with anonymity in mind. "That'll do," Cedric mumbled as he made his way there. The speeders bore the symbol of the Sith Eternal along their obsidian surfaces, a handful of mounted blasters poking out from each side. "That'll definitely do."

The locking mechanisms were manipulated with the Force easily enough. Cedric had performed this trick on many speeders in his day. With a brief expression of will, the locks unlatched, and the doors hissed open.

"It'll be a bit cramped, but my signal for the deaddrop is saying it's nearly two klicks out. They'll notice us, but we can probably get out of their hair faster this way than we would walking." He turned his gaze to R3. "You're driving R3. Get us to that signal, preferably in one piece." They would find out what had befallen their lost comrades soon enough.

Brimstone , Poph Trotres , Heinrich Faust , Starlin Rand , R3-D1 , Elise Solsteel

 

[Brimstone]

Brimstone watched the Jedi open the lock on the speeder with ease, what he could do with a few tricks like that. "That droid much of a driver?" He asked? "Might need to think quickly in the heat of a chase if we get rumbled?"

He made his way to the back of the speeder. This would be an excellent chase gun position he thought. He checked, with just a little modification, he was able to get his '64' through the rear gun port, not perfect, but a good enough field of fire behind. "I've got our rear covered guys"

Brimstine wondered how quickly this was going to heat up, he was getting a bristling feeling, being able to land a heavily armed force and procure speeders seemed too easy.

His hud briefly lit up as he tracked movement nearby, he looked more carefully but it was gone. "Guys, I've just spotted something moving," he pointed in the direction of some undergrowth. "could have been an animal but stay alert" he should be able to hear a heartbeat at this range, so he doubted it was living soldiers. But always good to be cautious.

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Heinrich Faust Poph Trotres Starlin Rand

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The speeder was cramped, but it served its purpose. Cedric remained seated in the front of the vessel, eyes closed as he focused upon the realm of the immaterial. His senses would serve as an early warning system if anyone with ill intent came calling, or at least that was the theory. "Better than most people I've met," Cedric answered, "Saved my life more than I'd like to admit."

R3-D1 was the only reason he was still breathing. He'd keep the droid with him whenever possible now, as the little astromech's skills had proven invaluable time and time again. More importantly, he could do all the piloting, whereas Cedric was more likely to wrap their speeder around a lightpole just trying to drive along than he was to escape a Sith ambush.

The drive was a brief one and peaceful one. Cedric extended his senses out toward where Brimstone had indicated, and felt nothing of particular note. Even still, he could not shake the foreboding feeling that had come over him since embarking in the speeder.


The deaddrop was found with relative ease. Cedric simply reaching out the window to call the ragged piece of cloth to his hands. The coordinates were punched in, and it only took a few more minutes before the speeder found itself outside an abandoned factory.

"This is the place they indicated," Cedric mused, just as six floodlights sparked to life and bathed the speeder in blinding white light. The Jedi exile cursed as his visor adjusted to the sudden burst of illumination.

"Think you were right Brimstone," he snapped, just as a foreign voice called out over what sounded like an intercomm. "Thank you so very much for leading us to your friends." The voice called out. "You have twenty seconds to disembark and surrender yourselves. Otherwise you will have to be liquidated. Unpleasant, I know, but it's just the way things are." The voice stopped for a moment before continuing. "Have a lovely day!"

Cedric couldn't see more than a foot or so out the windows with the lights flashing as they were, but he could feel the presence of several squads just outside. Two hunks of metal moved nearby - certainly other speeders armed just as heavily as their was.

Twenty seconds and they would be dust.

"Starlin, Heinrich, help me forge a barrier!" Cedric snapped, both hands splaying outward as he expanded his consciousness within the empyrean. The energies of the Force flowed from his fingertips, extending outward to envelop their speeder in a barrier of telekinetic energy. It wouldn't last long, but it would buy them a few valuable seconds. "Punch us through the doors R3!"

Brimstone , R3-D1 . Poph Trotres , Elise Solsteel, Starlin Rand , Heinrich Faust

 

[Brimstone]

The speeder lurched forward under the command of the little droid, ripping apart the doors, just as a guided missile streaked from one of the mysterious vehicles into the telekinetic force barrier, causing it to buckle, but not penetrating it, Brimstone could feel the warmth from the explosion.

"Everybody out" he yelled, "and take cover, they will be following us in no doubt" his HUD lit up as the first of the enemies followed in behind their vehicle. His rotary cannon quickly span up to speed and rapidly, blasts were spraying out from the rear gun port of the speeder. At the moment the soldiers were trying to enter through the hole that had just been made by the Ashlans. 3, 4, 5, 6 kills as Brimstones gun continued to spray until the advance was momentarily stalled. Out of habit he checked his gun over, plenty of ammo, temperature fine.

"It won't be long before they try a different way in. someone needs to find the rebels while the rest of us hold them off" he wasn't in charge, but this was the life he lived for and if his inappropriate orders moved the mission on, Cedric could just take it up with him later.

The moments were ticking by as the enemy outside, stalled briefly, regrouped to attack.

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Heinrich Faust Starlin Rand Elise Solsteel Poph Trotres

 

[Starlin Rand]

“Damn!” Starlin cursed as his barrier buckled beneath the missile. They had made it through, however—but now came the hard part.

Or the fun part, depending on who you asked.

He jumped out of the speeder, lightsabers blasting to life. As the enemy regrouped outside, ready to storm the keep, he was already leaping forward into the fray, blades flashing as he cut into his opponents. The battle had begun.

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Brimstone Heinrich Faust​

 

[Heinrich Faust]

They made their way to the rendezvous, cramped as it was. The trip itself was relatively quiet, though the party kept their wits about them. This deep behind enemy lines, one had to. The Sith were treacherous, conniving, and, in their own way, quite clever. Not that it phased Heinrich; he had faith that Ashla's light would guide them to victory. As they made their way, he sensed the faint signatures of others within the Force. They seemed distant, but he knew it was best to keep tabs on them.

It wasn't till they had arrived at the rendezvous that the Sith were upon them. As Cedric cried out for the shield, Heinrich reached out to the Ashla, drawing upon the energy to produce such a shield. The shield held, for the most part, but they had to evacuate the vehicle immediately. Taking cover inside of the building, Heinrich drew his saber, igniting its emerald blade as they entered the building.

Once they made their way in, Heinrich turned, reaching out to the Force, lifting the transport in the air. Then, with one swift motion, he launched it toward the entrance, jamming the vehicle into the doorway.

"That will only hold them for so long. We need to move... now."

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Starlin Rand Brimstone​

 

[Brimstone]

Excellent work, thought Brimstone as he narrowly avoiding getting clobbered a flying speeder, clambering out during the brief lull. He checked around him, there were no soldiers inside, but he could hear orders being barked in a foreign language.

"Surrender, Jedi!" Came the voice from the loud speaker, "right now my forces are surrounding you, there is no escape. You are only lucky that I have been asked to keep the building you are in, mostly intact"

brimstone peered through a hole in the wall to see soldiers hiding behind deployed barricades aiming at the building. While other soldiers continued running, presumably to the back of the building.

"Why don't you come in and get us?" Mocked Brimstone, his loud voice amplified by the vox in his helmet. He saw a few of the soldiers look a little hesitant as they heard the voice. He smiled, little chinks in their moral would be easily exploited once the saw what he and the force wielders were capable of. Maybe if they could take out the leader, the others would back off. There was unfortunately, no way of telling who that was from here. "Your leader is a coward who hides behind your imminent deaths, let him show his face" another wobble from the soldiers.

PTHANG!! a blaster shot ricoched of Brimstone's armoured shoulder, leaving the smallest of scars in the armoured surface. Sniper, he thought, looking up at a smoke stack over looking their position. He gave it a burst with his rotary cannon, sending stone and steel raining to the floor below. He had know idea if he got him, but his position was significantly compromised. "Watch the windows everyone, they may have more snipers, let's find the rebels"

Cedric Grayson Heinrich Faust R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Starlin Rand Poph Trotres

 

[Elise Solsteel]

And come in to get them, they did.

Their entrance was quiet as a group of soldiers slipped in through the back. There was at least one Force user among them, who muffled their footsteps and tried to dampen their presence entirely, but it wasn't flawless. Any of them would have been able to sense them coming before they got too close, if they were paying attention. They stalked through the bits of rubble with blasters at the ready, prepared to open fire the moment their targets were in sight, but their would-be cowardly assault would take center stage instead.

One sharp curse and startled blaster fire echoed through the abandoned factory behind them, and then every last one of them was flailing like a ragdoll through the air. Two smashed through windows, sending jagged flecks of glass with them. One created a new hole in the wall itself, and two more somehow managed to exit through the ceiling. All afflicted by the same Force wave that made its presence known like a bomb that detonated from seemingly below.

"It's about time you showed up!" One of the rebel soldiers made their appearance soon after, grinning ear to ear as he jogged up behind the human barrier the lot of them made. His armor showed signs of significant wear, and was missing some critical pieces that had been blasted off. The oil and grit on his face suggested it'd been some time since he'd had a proper bath. Hiding out beneath a dilapidated factory on a planet full of Sith wasn't the most comfortable or simple task.

Behind him tailed a woman, and behind her, two more of their missing team followed with a mixture of exasperation and relief on their tired faces. Muttering something about quite literally having their cover blown. "Elise, we said we'd take care of it. You can't take risks like that-"

"Nonsense! Someone had to remove them. You were preoccupied, so I took the liberty! It's really no trouble." Came her unperturbed response. Physically, she appeared about as haggard as the rest of them. Long dark wavy hair tangled and trapping bits of random debris. Some strands darkened and straw-like from dried blood. The robes she wore were missing one sleeve with singed edges around the shoulder, as if it'd been burnt off, yet the skin underneath appeared surprisingly untouched.

One sighed and shook his head, exasperation mounting, but it was good-natured. He eyed Brimstone curiously, who resembled a bipedal tank. "At least stand behind this one so you're not hit by anything." He muttered some more, obviously concerned about their appointed healer venturing out into the 'open'. They'd taken enough risks already, and lost more than one member of their cell. When she merely gave the man a reassuring pat on the arm, he physically moved her to hunker down behind Brimstone, eyes alert and very much aware of precarious situation they were in. Just because a rescue team had actually shown up, didn't mean they were out of the woods.

"Cedric Grayson himself... You came all this way for a few sods like us? I hope you have an exit strategy." Another laughed, taking position with his back against a wall, and a lightsaber at the ready in his hand.

Wordlessly, Elisa lifted her hand, keeping quiet and seeming unnaturally calm as she stood in Brimstone's shadow. A veil of soft blue light shrouded them, expanding just far enough to swallow everyone in its transparent glow. Not too unlike what Cedric had done earlier. As it became her primary focus, it built in strength, until it functioned like an ethereal shield of durasteel.

"We don't have long." A pleasant warning, as if she had an idea of what one of their potential futures held.

Cedric Grayson Heinrich Faust Starlin Rand R3-D1 Brimstone Poph Trotres

 

[Cedric Grayson]

War had ever been his plaything.

The hairs on the back of Cedric's neck stood up as his comrades moved to secure their position. He hung back for a moment, observing what was happening to get a better idea on what the best course of action might be. They had a few precious seconds at most before the Sith forces came barging in.

His eyes glazed over as he allowed himself to become immersed within the Great Ocean. Its waters were tumultuous and violent now, sparks of lightning falling from hateful storm clouds toward the few landmasses that poked up through the depths. The intent to kill was obvious, but there was no guiding hand behind the effort, no intelligence urging the storms toward them.

No Sith then. Not yet at least.

His eyes opened just as Starlin Rand moved to combat the soldiers that had been unfortunate enough to clear the hole in the wall before Heinrich Faust slammed their ride right through it. Of all Cedric's students, Starlin was the one he would worry the least about. A slight approving smile colored his features as the soldiers fell to his apprentice's twin blades, felled with practiced hands, killed instantly as the blades met their flesh. It was the proper way for a Jedi to conduct his or herself in the midst of war: if the ability to disarm was unrealistic, a quick and painless death was the best alternative. Cedric gave the youth an approving nod as he turned toward Heinrich Faust .

"Good move," he waved a hand toward the speeder currently blocking the only known entrance into the factory. "Should buy us a few minutes. I-" Whatever else he had intended to say to the other Knight of Ession died in his throat as two bolts snapped at him. Bogan's Lament roared to life instantly, the blade's hum more akin to that of a speeder's engine than a traditional lightsaber. His limbs moved automatically, the first bolt crashing harmlessly into the floor, the second redirected into the helmet of one trooper that had been taking aim at Starlin.

"Snipers indeed. Away from the wall!" He snapped, his hand twitching this way and that to reflect a few more bolts sent his way from some unseen aggressor. The bolts stopped around the same time that Brimstone reduced one of the enemy positions to rubble. Cedric breathed a quiet sigh of relief - he could block bolts all day without much effort, but his comrades were not so safe from mortal means of death. He turned toward Brimstone, craning his neck to look the alien in the eye.

The hulking Gen'dari served as a living shield for those that needed him. For his part, Cedric took up a position alongside the warrior, a hand raising to send further bits of debris into the hole they had created. Forgotten machinery and hunks of scrap metal flew over their heads as he hurled them with an unseen limb.

"They'll try to find another way in, and I'm certain a few explosives will blow right through. Starlin, Heinrich, I-" his orders halted as an unfamiliar voice called out. The exile turned immediately, blade raised to cut down what he assumed to be Sith soldiers that had managed to find another entrance. "Oh." He muttered, lowering his weapon as the survivors approached.

"Cedric Grayson himself... You came all this way for a few sods like us? I hope you have an exit strategy."

The exile cracked a smile beneath his helm. "We do our best not to leave anyone behind brother." He assured. The bolts coming through cracks in the factory's walls ceased as a stranger extended her will toward the structure, a wall of thin blue light encapsulating the imperfections not unlike a ray shield. Cedric eyed the woman curiously. "Well," his gaze drifted from the woman to the wall, and then back. "I'd say that solves our immediate problem. Thank you," he bowed his head slightly in respect, then turned back toward the group at large. "If we've located what remains of the cell, then it is time to find our way out. I say we let the Sith try and break through our barrier while we make a new one at the other end of the factory."

A temporary solution. Those hunting them had speeders, and once they realized what was going on, would simply fly around the back to secure the runners. The infantry would take far longer to respond, however, and that was what Cedric was counting on. "The hanger we came from is only two klicks out. We can cover that distance on foot easily enough if we can deal with those speeders. Brimstone can punch an escape for us, and when the speeders come, every one of you touched by the Force will work with me to send them crashing into one another."

They only needed to make it toward the upper atmosphere. From there, a blockade runner hidden behind an asteroid months ago would move to intercept them. That was, of course, assuming this plan actually worked. "Any concerns, or are we in agreement?"

R3-D1 , Poph Trotres , Elise Solsteel

 

[Brimstone]

"Any concerns, or are we in agreement?"

"Are those two mutually exclusive?" nodded Brimstone as he backed away from the now shielded wall. Brimstone was pleased to be amongst other useful warriors. "OK, we move out, I think if we follow that corridor, we can get to the rear of the factory, it looks like some kind of assembly line, Poph Trotres if you have some of those explosives on your person, now would be a good time to set some surprises".

Brimstone nodded to the young woman who had just been commanded to stand behind him, not that it was that wise as people tended to like to shoot at him, but if it made them feel safe, then he would be honoured. He left his position and began stomping along the production line, his eyes ever ready, watching out against ambush. Searchlight swung around the room through the windows as the troops moved around outside. "I'm getting impatient, your tricks will only keep you safe so long" The loudspeaker was suddenly drowned out as another explosion rocked the building, causing a blue ripple to move out across the walls, it looked like the shield held for now.

Just a few minutes later they reached the back of the building. a loading back with thin sheet metal shutters, long since rusted in place and a small metal door. Brimstone picked up speed as they ran and aimed for the door. His colossal bulk impacting the door with a crash and sending it flying open. "did you check if it was even locked?" Called one of the rebels, amused by the apparent clumsy brutishness of their Gen'dai ally.

Brimstone did not have time for a witty replied as a hail of bolts traced across the wall behind him, narrowly missing him, in the distance Brimstone could see at least two speeders approaching, "They're coming, get ready" he yelled back to his allies. He readied himself, this was going to be a good fight.

Cedric Grayson Elise Solsteel R3-D1 Poph Trotres Heinrich Faust Starlin Rand

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin sliced through the soldiers, only to sense blaster fire at his back. Cedric deflected the worst of it, and Starlin caught the rest against his flashing blades.

They had found the Jedi rebels, holed up inside the facility. Starlin barely had a chance to survey their haggard faces and battered bodies before fighting began again in earnest.

Cedric’s orders were clear. Use the speeders against the Sith.

“Just like playing Hot Wheels,” Starlin muttered. “Unless anybody’s got a thermal detonator?” Grenades would’ve been useful here.

His lightsabers arced almost too fast to see as he blocked the bolts lobbed at the group. Globs of lava from his shoto were flung at anyone and anything that got too close. The Jedi made sure to give him a wide berth.

Cedric Grayson R3-D1 Elise Solsteel Brimstone Heinrich Faust​

 

[Elise Solsteel]

"The speeders are the least of our concerns." As they ran from the reinforced patchwork barrier, Elise gave the towering Gen'dai his space back, having never wanted to use him as a shield in the first place. Effective though he was, he really did stick out like a sore thumb, and was too easy to shoot at. Besides, it had been a long time since she feared blaster fire.

"And yes, we are it. There was more of us, as I'm sure you know. We've had a Sith sorcerer picking us off slowly. Almost every encounter cost us another life. It won't be long before he is here." Her tone never wavered from its uncanny repose, but the ripple of heavy exhaustion and frustration could be felt among them all. One of the veterans cursed bitterly in Essonian as they ran. There had been no time for mourning. All they could do was focus on survival.

Slowing her pace as Brimstone charged for the door, the pale green light of her saber ignited in preparation for the volley of blaster fire that was sure to come.

Elise gave a short, soft laugh at the hulking alien. "I don't know how you got mixed up with us, but I am glad you're here." Deflecting a couple stray bolts with her blade, and even a small glob of lava from Starlin's feisty shoto, she slipped closer to the gaping hole that used to be a door. The approaching speeders were coming in fast, but for her, closer was better.

All she needed was a moment.

Lifting her hand, it hovered in a vague gesture towards one of them. Like a heat-seeking missile locking onto its target. Then, with a sharp twitch of her fingers, it lurched sideways and smashed into the second speeder. Its rider flailed from the seat before smashing into the ground with the machine in a explosion of flaming metal shrapnel. The other fought to keep control as it overcorrected and swerved back and forth erratically, and then crashed into the wall of another building.

Cedric Grayson Starlin Rand Brimstone R3-D1 Poph Trotres Heinrich Faust