Private Second Meetings

[Noah Corek Jr.]

Lily Decoria ​

Armor: GACA-14 Nemean
Gear: Carbine - 2x Pistols - Knife

Junior had to keep turning his eyes away from the Echani as they trudged onward towards their objective, his rational mind telling him to pay attention to the mission and not his current infatuations. He knew with Lily being a force user, and more than likely because of her training, she would feel his eyes but for some reason he didn’t care.

He found his stomach flip and flutter when he heard her giggle, the sound coming after her teasing but he was used to being teased. Sighing he knew that her statement was correct and he decided to expound on his details. “I would like someone who is just as comfortable eating high quality food at a fancy restaurant as they would be working out in the gym. Someone who wants to share time with me simply because they want to share time with me.” His words came surprisingly easy and he spoke them more to Lily than the squad.

After his statement his heads up display pinged and gave him an update that they were approaching their target. “Alright boys and girls, Q&A can wait for a little while. We’re within five hundred meters of those motors. Noise discipline from here on out, watch your sectors and keep you eyes peeled for traps, they might have set some to cover their flanks.” With his commands given Noah shouldered his own carbine, eyes finally being torn away from the young woman as they began methodically scanning the area.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Lohopa II
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Cross guard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed).
Tag: Noah Corek Jr.

Lily looked over to Noah when it was clear that he was directing his answer to her more than his squad. "Well, I am sure whoever you end up fulfilling those desires is appreciative of what you bring." Lily was not sure if she felt that way to Noah, whether he would be just an acquaintance, a friend or if she could feel anything more. It was impossible for her to say truly since this was only the second time they had met. And a mission was not really the mindset that allowed Lily to think on such things.

They hadn't even sparred so Lily held no true understanding of the man.

She was relieved when Noah brought her back to focus on the mission. Getting in her mind on these issues was not something that Lily wished to continue exploring. She was more than happy to keep that at the back of her mind. She was young, still wanting to explore what was fun and what was the path she wished to travel as a Jedi and a warrior. Thinking on relationships was a mess that the young adult was not wanting to burden herself with.

Lily moved carefully forward, her eyes scanning the area, making sure that she wasn't missing anything. Especially since she was still concerned on how this war was started and being funded. The attack during peace talks did not seem a sound strategy. It felt strange, as if there were missing pieces in the puzzle on this whole deal.

 

[Noah Corek Jr.]

Lily Decoria ​

Armor: GACA-14 Nemean
Gear: Carbine - 2x Pistols - Knife

Junior smiled under his helmet and for the briefest moments let his eyes linger back to Lily for a few fleeting moments before a dull but loud thump in the distance brought him back to reality, leaving Lily’s words unanswered but lingering in his mind. “Feth! Alright double time it, they’re launching more mortars!”

At his beckoning the squad hastened their pace, taking only about half a minute before Junior threw up a hand signal, the squad quietly skidding to a halt before another hand signal had them spreading out in a L-shaped formation when yet another had them moving forward at a slow, almost glacial pace.

It wasn’t long before they heard voices coming from just in front and below them as they got to just below the top of a berm. Throwing another hand signal the squad stopped and Noah proceeded to prone out before slowly crawling to the top of the berm to peer over the edge and take in the enemy’s formation before just as slowly crawling back down the berm to the squad.

“Alright, we’ve got fifteen hostiles over the berm. Three are gathered around the mortar tube and the rest are milling about. We’re gonna set up a L-shaped ambush on this berm. I’m gonna toss a nine-banger over, once it’s done everyone pop over the berm, pick a target and drop ‘em. I’ll focus on the mortar. Any questions?”

When nobody spoke up Junior simply nodded and the squad took their positions. Looking towards Lily under his helmet he withdrew a black cylinder from a pouch on his belt. “Ready?”

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Lohopa II
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Cross guard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed).
Tag: Noah Corek Jr.

Hearing Noah mention that the rebels here were still launching mortars, Lily was intrigued about what the decision was behind that. Nothing was fitting in terms of usual protocol in combat engagement. At least, it was not fitting the methods that Lily had presumed when she heard that peace talks were being conducted. This seemed too counterintuitive and more likely to receive severe public backlash against this rebellious movement than support. And public support was something Lily knew was crucial in any rebel movement. Without it, a rebellion could die before any changes could be conducted. To risk that, the rebels had to be desperate or influenced into attacking when they did not wish to be.

Something that Lily was curious to learn more about. It would help understand them further and more understanding she had on the fighting tactics and mentally of her enemy, the easier it became to predict them.

The hand signals were not something that Lily knew the context for, she was a warrior but she had not studied to be a soldier that understood hand signals. Especially since she had knew that it could vary from person to person on the specific gestures and meaning so trying to understand every version was a fool's errand. Lily was just following the lead in this manner, seeing the formation in the L position and moving with the group in that manner. It was not the most efficient but it allowed her to keep interacting best as she could.

Then Noah decided to speak a language that Lily had no clue on, nine-banger did sound like it was something inappropriate but no one giggled at the mention so she figured it had to be a military term that she was just clueless on. Though she had questions on why they felt the need to have a whole foreign language to speak.

Seemed unnecessary.

"Ready." Lily stated as she grabbed her main Lightsaber in hand, she could tell when the move was involving action and Lily was ready to handle things in a fight with ease.

 

[Noah Corek Jr.]

Lily Decoria

Armor: GACA-14 Nemean
Gear: Carbine - 2x Pistols - Knife

Junior's mind dwelled on similar thoughts to Lily's on the current conflict playing out on Lohopa II. Too many inconsistencies and oddities were playing out on this world for it to be a simple insurgency conflict of cultural and/or political differences. No, it felt as if someone or something was influencing this conflict from the outside, having studied conflicts such as this growing up and during officer training school.

These thoughts were however shifted to the back of his mind as he was brought back to the present by the sound of the insurgents firing yet another mortar round, Junior now determined to stop them immediately.

Reaching his other hand down to the hand clutching the black cylinder he deftly pulled the pin on its top before his helmeted head swiveled, she being most likely able to feel his eyes behind the visor. "You might wanna cover your ears for this…" He'd give Lily a few moments to follow his advice or not before relaxing his grip on the cylinder, a spring loaded safety lever flying free with an audible click before he tossed it overhand over the berm.

There was some kind of commotion on the other side of the berm before these noises were cut off by nine deafening bangs and nine blinding flashes of light, Lily now knowing where this particular piece of equipment got its name. With the final flash and bang Junior hopped over the berm and charged into the fray.

Raising his carbine to his shoulder he took aim at the closest insurgent gathered around the mortar tube and fired a quick and trio of blaster bolts, two center mass and one to the head like he'd trained. He quickly swiveled his carbine to the second member of the mortar crew and repeated the process before moving to finish the trio.

It seemed however that the third of the trio recovered faster than his compatriots as he rushed towards Junior and gripped the end of his carbine in an attempt to prevent his shooting. Junior snorted internally and shoved the carbine forward, using the other man's own momentum against him and muzzle striking him in the center of the chest.

Before the man could recover from the blow to his sternum, Junior drew the knife that was secured on the chest plate of his armor and swiftly drove it into the man's jugular before wrenching the blade across the man's neck. With the third and final member of the mortar crew taken care of he turned to see how Lily and the rest of the squad had fared.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Lohopa II
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Cross guard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed).
Tag: Noah Corek Jr.

Seeing the flashbang, Lily made sure to protect her ears with the Force and grabbed her Lightsaber into hand. Lily had previous knowledge of what a flashbang was and the intentions it had to stun those that they would be done to stun the enemies. Lily learned how weapons in war worked a long time ago, it was a core component of Echani training.

Jumping into action, Lily sliced the weapons and disarming several of the opposition. Her approach was one from not desiring to just kill those that wished for a different future for their home. However, there was another reason behind the disarming approach. This aggressive attack method was planned by someone, someone decided to attack during the peace talks and killing the soldiers robbed them the chance of figuring it out. Someone here had to have some information of why the orders were given now.

What the plan was and why they were not pursuing peaceful resolutions to this conflict.

Lily moved fluidly and gracefully using Shii-Cho to disarm with some Shien flairs to block the incoming blaster fire as well. Demonstrating a high level of ability and talent to combine and strategize in the moment with her attacking techniques. She could sense and hear that others were taking a more lethal method in their attacks, which Lily was disappointed in since it was removing potential information from their grasp. But she could not blame them, it was their decision and Lily had to respect others' on their decisions.

Pinning a soldier down, with her Lightsaber pointed at his chest, Lily looked over to him and held a stern gaze. "Who ordered this attack? Why attack during the negotiations?"

 

[Noah Corek Jr.]

Lily Decoria

Armor: GACA-14 Nemean
Gear: Carbine - 2x Pistols - Knife

With the shooting done Junior’s eyes swept around the area to take in the relatively small scale carnage that now laid around them. Of the fifteen original insurgents that had been inside the mortar pit eleven were now, for the lack of a better term, neutralized while the other four, including the one Lily currently had pinned to the ground.

Sweeping his gaze back over the area he was satisfied that the area was secure. Turning towards Sarad he gestured to the other three insurgents with their hands raised above their heads. “Corporal secure these three while me and Miss Decoria question the other one.”

Without reply Sarad simply nodded and gestured towards the rest of the squad. With three keeping their weapons trained on the insurgents, the others stepped forward and quickly cuffed the surrendering insurgents' hands behind their back with Plastoid flex cuffs before putting them on their stomachs and beginning to search.

Stepping over to Lily he slowly removed his helmet and looked down at her captive with a hard edge to his eyes. “My partner here does raise some very valid points…so how about you answer her questions while she’s asking nicely…because I’m not going to.” To emphasize his point Junior drew the knife he had previously used and brandished it.

He wasn’t going to actually torture the insurgent but he also didn’t mind not dissuading the man of that notion. The insurgents' eyes darted back and forth between the woman's lightsaber and the man's knife before finally deciding to speak. “We were ordered to use mortars to attack and disrupt the process…”

Junior sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose and nodded. “Yeah we kind of already figured that out on our own. What I want to know is-” He stopped talking as the words fully processed in his head. “Wait…did you say ‘mortars’ as plural?” Before the captive could speak the distant crump was heard of yet another mortar.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Lohopa II
Outfit: Jedi Attire
Equipment: Cross guard Lightsaber, Hydrangea Moonblade (concealed).
Tag: Noah Corek Jr.

Lily looked back when her name was used by Noah, "if you are going to use formal titles with my name, best to stick with Padawan Decoria." It was not her favourite title to use but apt for the situation they were in and Lily knew that proper protocol was what Noah wanted. He mentioned such when he talked with her earlier. On a handful of the insurgents survived, which was a shame but Lily knew that there were always risks and casualties when it came to war like this.

Her eyes narrowed at the knife and threatening tone being used by Noah towards the prisoner. Torture was not a method that she believed the Galactic Alliance should be using. Even threatening torture and violence to unarmed prisoners felt wrong to Lily. However, she stated nothing, it was something to discuss after the questioning the insurgent for more information. Initially there wasn't any new information besides the obvious, but it caused Lily to tilted her head in confusion.

"But attacking now. It weakens your claims of defence. It harms your movement," Lily mentioned while Noah realised that there were more mortars. She was not sure why he was surprised there were multiple mortars. When the fire hit the base initially it was more than a single mortar fire. "We need to stop the other mortars, before they do more damage. Where are they?" Lily waved her hand, using the Force to Mind Trick the prisoner into revealing all the information.

It was the fastest way to prevent more loss of life.