Recon Run: Hoth (Kathol Outback, First Order, etc.)

[Jorus Merrill]

Back Trails
Star Tours Ski Resort
Mount Ison
Hoth
First Order Territory

Among the few benefits of the strange rejuvenation he and his wife had found in Wild Space, Jorus ranked innocuousness pretty fething high. He no longer had the face, fingerprints, or genes of a prominent Underground general officer, or of a Jedi Master. Thus, he could book a berth on a Star Tours excursion and make it through security pretty much fine. Oh, he'd had to leave the toys at home, but an old contact on Hoth had furnished a small blaster and some small electronics a couple of days after he arrived. He'd picked up a standard sensor pack at the gift shop for an obscene markup, then tinkered with it until it could actually do what needed doing. Now, safely ensconced in winter gear, he trudged around the back trails.

The idea here was to get a decent scan and visual recon of the area. There was no immediate attack planned, so far as he was aware, but more information was always good.

Especially since he'd left a small, empty, secret Jedi enclave on the back side of this exact same mountain.

He'd left nothing of value there, but it could still serve as a bolt-hole. Its passive sensor logs might reveal a wealth of data on orbital traffic. And if the First Order had discovered the enclave, what they'd done to it might give him a good idea of how their policy treated the Force and its practitioners. That, too, was worth knowing, especially if there turned out be Sith or something.

 

[Simone]

Buried beneath countless layers, simone trudged several feet behind the new and improved [member="Jorus Merrill"], a scowl hidden beneath her fur-lined hood. She had to envy him, and every other mortality dodging force user for that matter. To be able to turn back the clock, or cheat death was a gift any sane mortal would jump at the opportunity to have. Unfortunately for her, she could do neither. She did however, have a knack for surviving bad situations and was often paid to do so.

Fortunately for Simone, getting onto Hoth was easy for the pure and simple fact that she was a nobody. She might have been somebody once, but people easily forgot new reporters and if truth be told, she was content being invisible. She had, however, hoped that this little job would consist of sitting by warm fires with hot cocoa and hacking the system while watching the snow fall outside a chalet.

She paused in her steps and blew and irritated sigh out of her nose, watching the nimble jedi master ahead of her. Lifting her gaze skywards she noted the thick purpling clouds slowly rolling towards them. Great, more snow. Just what I need. She trudged onwards, catching up with Jorus.

"When you mentioned this trip you didn't mention 'outside' or 'hiking'. Can we rectify that next time? I might reconsider my position on the matter then."

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Leo followed in tow, it wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway. Sure, he could be out stealing some valuables from a well-off noble, or hunting down some bounty hunter for some extra credits, but he wanted to do something different for a change. He was a merc, and while he was affiliated with The Outback, he made sure to keep his connections well-hidden while out on business.

Security had been to high to smuggle any weapons in, and rather than draw attention to him self with his large trench-coat and padded armor, he instead donned a thick, woolen jacket and and trouser-pants. So here he was, following Jorus and some other girl Leo hadn't met before through the snow of Hoth to find some place and gather some intel, Jorus hadn't told him much, Leo hadn't asked.

The girl stopped so suddenly, Leo had almost knocked her over, a nimble side-step saving the two from going down into the cold snow. "Hey, it'll be a bit of fun." he responded to her complaints, he looked over at Jorus, "Seriously though, how long till we get where we're going? Water is getting in places..." Leo shivered.

| [member="Simone"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] |

 

[Garett Van]

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

Location: Outpost Veers, Hoth​

14th Guards Division, 98th Regiment, 4th Battalion, Besh Co.​

Objective(s): Planetary Defense Force Patrol​

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​

Garett missed his old walker unit but now with the Planetary Defense Forces, he felt more open to advancement. His first duty in the guards units, was to patrol around Outpost Veers, make sure there weren't any unwanted visitors especially wampas. They were known to be dangerous around the Outpost. The patrol was pretty standard, they weren't alerted to anything so it wasn't like a search, just a simple walk of the perimeter nothing more. Sergeant Illerian was walking near by as she transferred with him. You could still see some of the scars from the old battle of Hoth walking the perimeter some of the destroyed weapon emplacements, the two downed walkers could be barely see since snowfall had covered most of them. The trench systems were still there but that was due to the First Order Corps of Engineers digging them back up to be used by members of the 14th. The Company was a bit spread out, but they were all within IFF and comms range so if something were to happen to one of them the rest would know. The IFF systems in their helmets served as both a vitals monitor, as well as Identification means. This made it very easy for troopers as well as Garett to find friendlies even more so if there was a blizzard going on and visual contact was limited.​

​

"So Sergeant, what do you think of our new posting?"​

​

"Well sir, I miss the Walkers, but this seems to me like it would benefit the order better."​

​

"I came to that conclusion as well. Well I'm glad you stuck with me. You are the best NCO I know of Viera."​

​

"Lieutenant Van, thank you. But really, that wasn't necessary, a veteran needs to walk your back."​

 

[Actakos]

Actakos' ship came out of the bright tunnel known as hyperspace. His black protocol droid, Spezz-5 came into the warrior's quarters, pressing the button on the door, buzzing Actakos and asking for permission to enter. "Come in Spezz." Actakos growled, not expecting to be at Hoth already.

"Sir, we have arrived. Shall I take the ship to the nearest outpost?" The droid stayed in the doorway, not wanting to get any closer to his angry master.

"No. Land in the ice fields near the temple. I will get their on my own." Actakos had a jetpack, he didn't need to be flown directly to where he was headed, but at the same time he had no interest in flying all the way from the nearest outpost.

"Yes sir" Spezz-5 spun around and went back to the cockpit, flying the ship down onto the frozen wasteland. Meanwhile, Actakos got up off the metal slab he had been sitting on. He grabbed his sniper rifle, loading it and strapping it to his back. He then reached to his lower back, making sure his lightsaber was still strapped on. Then he stuck his vibroblade into it's sheath and pulled his tattered hood on. He then walked to the exit and pressed the button, lowering the ramp. Spezz-5 came up behind him, stopping at the top of the ramp. "Sir, what shall I do?"

"Keep the ship running. I don't want anything to freeze up, especially if we need to make a quick escape." Before Spezz could even respond, Actakos fired his jetpack and was gone, his glider wings opening to keep him steady as he flew straight toward his destination, the old Jedi base.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]
[member="Simone"]
[member="Leo Vandermolen"]
[member="Garett Van"]

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

A YT-2400 flew down from the sky at almost an alarming rate, landing; well landing is a generous term, only slightly crashing into a mountain of snow. Luckily, the co-pilot had engaged safety precautions, so the ship's crew was only slightly damaged.
"Thirty Eight, you still with me?"
[Roger roger.]
"Beautiful. Wait here and see if you can fix the ship. I think we're on Hoth. Either that or We're dead an' hell froze over."
[Was that a joke?]
"Only a little bit."
D'vok grabbed a warm jacket and some thermally heated armor plates, and headed into the tundra. He tried to find people. Anyone.

 

[Dunames Lopez]

After trips to Vorzyd and Baroonda, Dunames was happy to return to First Order space for a change. Her ski resort on Hoth never expanded beyond a half-dozen expert-level alpine skiing trails, once billed as sporting the most incredible slopes in the galaxy, and that's probably for the better since the complaints were actually climate-based: many patrons stated that they couldn't go more than one slope without going back indoors for heat. Little did she know was that many of the patrons sought thrills were, well, shadier than usual, but that the ski resort was pretty much one of the very few places on this planet where one could actually got heat, next to the enclaves on Mount Ison. Unless one wanted to go into Skel-held caves. As the AT-AT barge piloted by Dunames landed near the base of the ski resort, Virginie and Dunames had a conversation about what the former expected of her replacement as the manager of the ski resort on Hoth...

"I hope that the new manager, my replacement, knows how to make the best out of a half-dozen expert-level ski trails, boss"

"Virginie, you're just jittery"

"I trained here with the First Order's figure skating team, I knew the ins and outs of Hoth: that's why I was the first manager of that place"

"And you asked to be transferred out of this planet because you felt that its potential was highly limited, and only those who sought extreme levels of thrills would actually come"

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="D'vok Windroamer"] [member="Garett Van"] [member="Simone"] [member="Actakos"] [member="Leo Vandermolen"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Simone"][member="Leo Vandermolen"][member="Garett Van"][member="Actakos"]@D'vok Windroamer[member="Dunames Lopez"]

"Cut the griping, kids. When we get there, I'll make you a nice cup of hot chocolate and toss in some rainbow marshmallows for your chilly little fingers."

The trail curved around a snowy spar of rock and vanished beneath a broad drift. Admittedly, he hadn't been here in a couple of years, but he figured the enclave should be pretty close. Maybe around another corner-

"Down. Down NOW." He flattened himself into the nearest drift. Ahead, a man in a jetpack and wingsuit was rising from the ice toward their level. His general direction seemed to be the out-of-sight enclave.

 

[Runi Verin]

Trailing the main group by a few lengths, Runi Verin was not the happiest of campers. Already her clothes were frosted with snow and ice, a fine dusting obtained by one or two misplaced steps and slips along the way. Why did it have to be snow? It had never snowed on Kol Atorn to her knowledge, what the planet’s orbit maintaining a seemingly never-ending state of mid-summer, early autumn. As a child, growing up on the tales spacers shared around the cantina, it had sounded almost magical. Downright mythical, even.

It had only taken one misadventure on Midvinter to quickly disillusion her of that sense of wonderment. Like Hoth, the frozen planet carried many of the same features, namely rolling plains of artic tundra and glaciers that stretched as far as the eye could see. On the upside, there was at distinct lack of shuffling, corpsified sithspawn on Hoth. At least thus far, anyway. That was at least one mark in its favour if nothing else.

Of course, she had brought her own personal monster with her.

The salvager cast a lingering glance over her shoulder at the man currently bringing up the rear, her expression unreadable – and not just because of the heavy scarf that obscured them. [member="Isley Verd"]. For all the titles the man had fought and claimed over the years, some loftier than others, he still coveted one more in particular. For the life of her she couldn’t understand why.

“Get a move on, old man.” She grunted, turning her attention towards [member="Jorus Merrill"] and the rest of the scouting party. “You can freeze your shebs off on your own time. Some of us have places to b---”

A yell from the front cut her off before she could finish her jibe, forcing her to hit the deck to avoid being seen by unfriendly eyes. Yet again eating snow for the third time in what seemed as many minutes.

Karkin’ ice planets, man.

[member="Simone"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"] | [member="Garett Van"] | [member="Actakos"] |@D’vok Windroamer |[member="Dunames Lopez"]​

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

D'vok wandered around the planet for a good while. He didn't have the faintest idea where he was going. In the distance, he saw a man with a jetpack rising in the distance. He also saw a bunch of people hiding from him in a ditch a few yards away. He decided to dive onto the ground and wait.
"K-k-k-Kark! So damn cold!"

 

[Garett Van]

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

Location: Outpost Veers, Hoth​

14th Guards Division, 98th Regiment, 4th Battalion, Besh Co.​

Objective(s): Planetary Defense Force Patrol​

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

​

"Lieutenant Wayland, 2nd Platoon see anything?"​

​

"No sir, nothing out here, just a whole lot of white."​

​

Garett paused for a moment, looked over at Sergeant Illerian. Then went to Company comms channel.​

​

"Alright lets move to grid Aurek 24 decimal 87"​

​

That would take them to the back side of Outpost Veers. The company continued to walk around the outpost, there wasn't much reason to farther from it, as the only other thing out here known to them was Star Tours, but orders have come down from the Sector General not to do dealings with that place and just keep and eye on First Order property. Since Hoth was an ice ball not much for First Order installations where there. Just Garett's old Walker unit's base. But who would be dumb enough to try to attack a military base that housed a battalion of walkers. At least that is what Garett thought as he continued to trudge through the snow.​

​

​

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[member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | @D'vok Windroamer | [member="Simone"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"]​

 

[Actakos]

Actakos flew along, not even taking time to look around at what he was passing. He had a destination to reach, and he was intent on getting there as quickly as possible. His tattered cloak was flapping like a flag in a hurricane. It was starting to snow, but it didn't matter to Actakos. Once he had his mind set on something, nothing would divert his course.

Actakos flew right past the Jedi, not even noticing them. It wasn't too long after passing them that he reached where the enclave was supposed to be. Actakos landed, his wings folding in. He then flicked on the light on his wrist and stepped inside.

[member="Garett Van"]
@D'vok Windroamer
[member="Runi Verin"]
[member="Jorus Merrill"]
[member="Dunames Lopez"]
[member="Leo Vandermolen"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Promotional Footage.

That was the professional excuse Isley used in order to mosey himself halfway across the Galaxy. Over the course of many months, the man had busied himself exclusively in Mandalorian affairs – which of course had consequences in his personal and working lives. However, now that the fabled Crusade had drawn to a close, Isley had the means and the time to pick up the pieces of his life. And at the top of the list was a frozen trek behind a rather capable salvager. To this end, Isley had conjured a reason that would appease businessman and soldier alike for his absence: Promotional footage.

And true to his word, the Mandalorian wore an AY-214 Combat Pistol on his hip...and little else. Phrasing. Gone was the beskar'gam, the jetpack, the alchemical gadgets, the gizmos, etc. Instead, Isley wore a plethora of warm clothes and a scarf around his neck. This ensemble was far from preferred, but the nature of his daughter's goal on Hoth required a high degree of discretion. That meant being able to get through security at the local Star Tours venue among other things.

"Man, zabarakas ain't built for snow." he muttered for what had to be the one hundredth time. And as if on queue, [member="Runi Verin"] snapped back. Although she couldn't tell from the scarf, Isley's lips twitched into a smirk.

She's got her mother's mouth alright.

"Lemme just trudge a little fast-"

Runi hit the dirt. Erm. Snow. And Isley immediately followed. Ah, a face full of freezing, wet bullchit.

[member="Jorus Merrill"], [member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Bellum Hextar]

----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

Location: Outpost Veers, Hoth​

242nd Armored Battalion, Aurek Company, 2nd Platoon​

Objective: Assist Planetary Defense Force in patrols​

----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

In the outpost stood one of the only walkers that the outpost had. It was the Ordo that was commanded by Bellum Hextar. Under the AT-ST, him and his pilot prepared for a routine patrol. Bellum was underneath the walker while his pilot was on the top grabbing the things that was needed for the patrol.

"Almost done with the preparations, Ben."

Bellum grabbed his DLT-19 that was on the left leg of the AT-ST and threw it up to Ben. He placed the blaster inside the hatch. Bellum then walked back to the back of the AT-ST and climbed on one of the legs to the top of the walker. He was the first one to go inside the walker where he adjusted himself to his seat. He put on the headset that was on the console of the walker. His pilot fell into the walker preparing himself as well. He pushed buttons to turn on walker. Bellum did the same and turned on the weapons systems inside the walker. The eyes on the walkers were closed, so they began to open them.

"Ugh! The hatches are frozen shut!"

They began to bang on the hatches. Bellum turned around to grab his heavy blaster and used the butt of the blaster to open his hatch. Ben did the same. The Ordo was ready to patrol. Bellum took a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. He read the orders and placed the paper to the console between the pilot and the gunner

"Just a standard patrol. Within First Order property. Try not to get too close to the Star Tours area, they don't like it when a military vehicle goes around that area."

"Business as usual, got it."

They were not formal to each other. Ben has known Bellum for a long time, and has stopped calling him sir or Lieutenant. Instead of Lieutenant and Sergeant, they became brothers. The Ordo began to patrol around the property. Bellum looked through the screen on the console to get a thermal reading in the area to spot any living thing in the property. Looking outside of the walker, he saw multiple tracks in the snow.

"Probably must be one of planetary defense patrols. Lets catch up to them to assist. This is getting kind of boring."

The walker followed the tracks when the crew seen a whole company led by [member="Garett Van"]

"Do you want to bother them Bellum?"

"Follow them but keep distance from them. If something does happen to them, they are going to thank us when we save them from a surprise attack"

The pilot laughed. The walker continued to leave large tracks in the snow while they followed the company.

 

[Simone]

"I think," Simone started as she began trudging forwards again, "that you and I have very different ideas of what 'fun' is." She was still smiling at least, the thought of hot chocolate and marshmallows encouraging her to maintain high spirits internally. Externally? Well, she wouldn't be Simone if she didn't have some gripes to voice.

Jorus's shout for cover made her groan as she flipped into the drift next to them and watched the threat fly above them. "Fifty credits says they're not friendly." She said sitting upright. "And I didn't bring a blaster." Struggling to her feet she dusted the extra layer of cold snow that had stuck to her.

"Yay for us." She said with mock enthusiasm.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Leo Vandermolen"] [member="Isley Verd"] [member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Simone"][member="Leo Vandermolen"][member="Garett Van"][member="Actakos"]@D'vok Windroamer[member="Dunames Lopez"]
[member="Bellum Hextar"][member="Isley Verd"][member="Garett Van"][member="Runi Verin"]

Jorus examined the portable sensor unit. The modifications sparked obligingly

"Good news, jetpack man is out of sight and appears to be alone. Bad news, I think there's a patrol on our tail. Time to hurry, folks. Stay low. We get around this bend and up a ledge, and we'll be able to squeeze through an upper-level hatch. Stay quiet once we're inside: the enclave isn't large and it tends to echo. Tech people, when we're in, go for the sensor logs."

In short order, he was slipping through said hatch into the enclave's top floor. Sensors and ears suggested the place was empty. Thoroughly searched at some point, to be sure, and cameras might have been left behind, but empty nonetheless.

 

[Actakos]

Dark. Dank. Cold. And long. The hallway was pitch black, icy, and seemed to be going on forever. Actakos was growing fairly impatient, sick of just walking door a dark hall for eternity. "Spezz, can you get me a scan of the base? Maybe find me a way up?"

"Yes sir, just give me a moment."

Actakos kept walking, waiting for his droid to respond. After a long quiet the voice came back over the comm. "There should be a set of stairs about a hundred meters ahead of you. Take those up, and you will be on the floor below the top. Then you need to find another set of stairs which will be back on the other side of the base. From there you can reach the top floor."

"So basically keep doing what I am doing?" Actakos kept walking, realizing his droid wasn't all that helpful.

"If you don't want help, don't call."

Actakos growled, and kept walking, not even replying to his droid as he stomped up the stairs.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] @Simone @Isley Verd [member="Bellum Hextar"] [member="Garett Van"] @D'vok Windroamer [member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Simone"] | [member="Leo Vandermolen"] | [member="Garett Van"] | [member="Actakos"] | @D’vok Windroamer | [member="Dunames Lopez"] | [member="Bellum Hextar"] | [member="Isley Verd"]

After taking a moment to curse all the wintery powers in the ‘verse, this one and the next, Runi hauled herself to her feet and set to follow Jorus’s lead in short order. Her movements slightly more sedate than they had been a few minutes earlier; the frequent tumbles allowing the cold to seep through the layers and sap at her stamina. If it kept it up, she would feel as old as Isley was beginning to look.

Fortunately her new boots, made the trek a little easier. Helping to put an extra spring in her step that allowed her to drop down into the enclave without making a complete fool of herself. A quick application of the force towards her eyes allowing them to adjust to the gloom within a few blinks, her other senses already expanding outwards through the levels.

“No one’s been here in a while,” Her voice was soft and muffled behind the thick scarf, the salvager detecting very little in the force from the hallowed halls but ghostly remnants and the faintest of echoes. It barely felt it had been occupied at all; and certainly not for some time at that. It almost reminded her of the Nova Vaults of Kakitai bel Toyouin. “If the First Order is aware of this place, they haven’t done much that I can feel. Least not on this level, anyway.”

It was a cautionary disclaimer born through salvaging many seemingly abandoned hulks and temples such as this, knowing all too well that appearances could (and often were) deceiving. Yet one that did not slow her from her assignment, the Mandalorian already slipping off in the direction of the data repository. Hopefully as untouched as the rest of it seemed.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Leo went face-first into the hard snow and got a mouthful of ice for his troubles. "That..." he said as he stood up, brushing the remnants of powder off of his clothes, "Was unneeded. Now you've gone and made me all cold, well... colder then I was before." The small group trudged on, keeping low until they reached the hatch that Jorus mentioned, Leo went through after him and observed the empty corridor, the sound of their boots stepping across the floor echoing through like a funnel. "What's the plan now boss?" Leo asked, breaking the eerie silence that followed as the others made their way in.

| [member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Actakos"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Simone"] | [member="Isley Verd"] |

 

[Garett Van]

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

Location: Outpost Veers, Hoth​

14th Guards Division, 98th Regiment, 4th Battalion, Besh Co.​

Objective(s): Planetary Defense Force Patrol​

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----​

​

Garett could hear the walker move up behind his Company. It was an all too familiar sound for the officer, it wasn't long ago he was in the same unit, more than likely the same walker, but alas the First Order had other plans for him. They needed good officers to fill out the officer corps, for their Planetary Guard units. Garett felt a bit of discontent rush over him, he build comradery with some of those men, most didn't follow him. As his new unit continued to trudge through the snow, Garett could hear the comms of some of the new privates complaining about if this was necessary, and how they all could be nice and warm inside the outpost.​

​

"Knock it off trooper! Yes it is cold out here, but a patrol is long over due. The less you complain the quicker it will go and the sooner you will be back in Outpost Veers nice and warm."​

​

Garett couldn't see the trooper's face but he knew the poor guy was scared and shocked that Garett yelled at him. These soldiers in the past had it easy, maybe a simple patrol here and there but mostly they just were considered the slackers of the Army. They were all kicked out of the selection process for the Stormtrooper Corps, but they weren't bad enough to be kicked out of the Army entirely. Garett however was the opposite his job was to make sure these soldiers could hold back an invasion if need be. The Planetary Defense Forces job was to hold until the Stormtroopers could come and assist. That or push back any invaders off the bat, but that would take time, these troops weren't ready for that. ​

​

There was still no signs of anyone but the Patrol and the walker, out there. I guess the sensor readings of something "falling" to the planet must of been a meteorite, it wouldn't be the first time. The Patrol made it to the back side of outpost Veers, from there you could see the Ion Cannon the Order used for planetary defense from orbiting ships. At this point if anything was on the planet, if they tried to leave the Ion Cannon would deal with them, or if the Order wished, let them go depended on how hostile they would be.​

​

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[member="Bellum Hextar"] | [member="D'vok Windroamer"]​