Junction Terminal Crisis (RTL+HSC Junction of Reuss VII + Oba Diah)

[Jared Starchaser]

This wasn't his usual position. But there was something in the Force that was calling him here. Maybe it was also his sister saying that she was on the other side of the Rim but had felt something going on. Jared had no issue helping escort something for the Rimward Trade League. It meant having to put on a nice shirt, and taking a sanisteam. Jared wasn't a wild man, but he was a hunter of the Rim, using different Force traditions he found while exploring the outskirts of society.

Under his jacket, an aggressively middle of the paygrade jacket and slacks, the Jensaarai had his blue shoto. It was a new weapon for him, and what he knew of being a Warden was that he needed to protect the property and not expand on what could cause damage to the ship. He wasn't as well practiced in something like the Light Hand, as his sister was, but she was working on the other ide of the galaxy on an exploration task.

He wished he was her right now. But as the craps table was pretty hot, it wasn't hard to be here. And there wasn't any real use of the Force, thank you very much, to win. It was nice here, though, and the part Mirialan was enjoying it.

Until the calls for everyone on the ground. As he reached for his chest holster, he noticed it was empty… "Feth." Where was it? Who took it?

Still, blaster shots. Lucky for him he didn't carry his weapon and was a Mirialan, slim, but known for martial prowess. Just in his outfit? He was still restrained.

At the moment he was thrown to the ground next to a few others who he knew were non-combatants, and being away from the worlds of the Core long enough? Well, he didn't look it either. A deep breath as he sat, he was centering himself.

And waiting.

 

[Shar Vida]

LEAGUE OBJECTIVES- Naada Sa Torc Valhorn Jared Starchaser Bane Darkclaw
Vizjaw Tanakt SC-ID "Cairo" Scarlett Zann Ziraen Cass Gemini Targus Sainze Sal Katarn

That was more than enough for him. Kuna rolled his beck for a moment and hissed a small melodic trill through his beak before adjusting his coat, grabbing his walking stick and marching over to one of the Jawas who was busting into the casino and moving towards the vault.

Kuna coughed to clear his throat and began, speaking in Jaweses, albeit one of the more remote Tatooine dialects. <<What's your angle, friends? This is a crazy plan. Surely you're not just trying to take prisoners on a ship the size of a super destroyer? That's a terrible idea. But this is my con turf, so cut me in and I'll let you share the space.>>

 

[Cryx Tillian]

Jared Starchaser Bane Darkclaw Naada Sa

Cryx's comm buzzed as he stepped onto the boulevard outside the casino. The streets had been blocked off along the main entrance and the emergency exits. Ranger Corps members had formed a blockade out of the entrance, although there were still auxiliary hatches and maintenance access points they were working on sealing off.

"Darkclaw, one of the privateers types has arrived and is holding a kilometer off the hull." Yeah, that would make sense. ORION oversaw the privateer network and he was the ranking, or at least, the only ORION agent officially present. There was an ORION comms center buried deep in the bowels of one of the entertainment complexes, but that was... clandestine.

"I read you, patch me through. We'll need someone to cover the escape routes." There was a pause for several moments as the signal rerotued to connect with the ship and then it buzzed in.

"This is Agent Tillian," Cryx said into the comm, moving into the situation command center. "Darkclaw, yes? We have a hostage situation inside one of the casinos. They're demanding a ransom, but that seems illogical. How's it look from outside?"

 

[Scarlett Zann]

The last of her charges have finally been set. Scar then walked to the nearest security monitoring station near her. She knocked on the door and as they opened it, she tried her best to sound innocent as she screamed that a pirate just ran past her with a blaster. As he stepped out to look past her, she stepped in, an immediately shot the two guards at the controls, in the back. She then swung her gun around the man who was next to her and put the blaster in his ribs. "Want to live, do as your told and you will" As he sat, she cuffed him to the chair with his hands behind the chair. She then monitored the screens above and immediately switched the multiple screens to show the two dozen places that she had put the charges. She had placed some in key spots while placing others in positions that first responders would also be located after, causing as much panic as possible was her mission for the next section of time. She looked up at the charge she had placed near the junction with the viewport to the outside of the ship, just as a squad of security personnel carrying some kind of equipment were walking by. She clicked the detonator and the viewport and a wide section of the exterior wall that was attached to it was sucked into space along with the security crew and about a dozen bystanders, before the nearest blast doors came down blocking off the affected area. She saw as security teams who were covering exits to the Casino went frenzied and panicked over the sudden explosion. Each team dispatched a single member of their team to go and investigate leaving each team covering an exit, a man short.

Scar continued to monitor everyone on camera, trying to determine where she would next strike.

 

[Naada Sa]

It seemed to her that the party-poopers had some sort of plan that they tried to carry through and as she stood tall, watching over the area she was in, it occurred to her why they were actually here. 'Urgh.. of course. The vault.' She thought, her face shortly twisting into a frown. She wasn't able to hold that thought for long though as the floor beside her shook when the huge shark-man strode past her, rising his voice, warning them. She could picture his warning vividly too - with those jaws it would be no problems biting off heads just for show. Her orange eyes kept following Ziraen as he made his way back to his group of criminals.

Urgh.
If anything, the little speech along with the realization of what was really going in just raised her determination to make a difference but to not be in direct danger (which she obviously already was.) Once more looking over the room she plotted how she, with her...skills... could cause the enemy of her vacation some panic in return. They seemed very focused on these emergency exits and had a guard at every door and every possible route of if the casino. How about having a little fun with one of those doors?

The ship stirred in a way only a detonator would cause a ship of this size to stir. Naadas eyes widened for a moment, staring in the direction where the explosion would be, luckily (or unluckily) for her, she stood pretty close to one of the large windows where she could spot lifeless bodies of the security floating in the distance along with debris of the explosion. Ok. That's it. Anger boiled in the veins of the togruta who just carried out her own little plan - cause some distress for these bandits. Standing still, causing no reason for them to look in her direction, she would warm up with some light illusions to cause distress.

How about an illusion of a hatch opening above the casino, lines being thrown down along with a little device that might look like a smoke bomb?

TAG:
Torc Valhorn Jared Starchaser Bane Darkclaw
Vizjaw Tanakt SC-ID "Cairo" Scarlett Zann Ziraen Cass Gemini Targus Sainze Sal Katarn Cryx Tillian Kuna

 

[Kingsley]

Everything was going pretty much according to plan. Sal Katarn told Kingsley his job was mission critical. Watch for security and keep out of the way. Unfortunately, Sal neglected to mention anything about a distraction (or if he did the bird wasn't listening) so when an explosion rocked the starliner he went into full on panic mode.

"Rrrrawwk! You'll never take me alive sleemos!"

Kingsley hefted his scattergun and started firing blind. He obliterated the nearest locking mechanisms before whirling around entranced by an illusory smoke bomb. Anything that looked shiny and caught the startled mercenary's attention exploded. All hell broke loose as the hostages tried to flee or hide.

"They're coming out of the walls, Sal!" he wailed, "They're coming out of the damn walls!"

Cryx Tillian Kuna Torc Valhorn Jared Starchaser Bane Darkclaw
Vizjaw Tanakt SC-ID "Cairo" Scarlett Zann Ziraen Targus Sainze
Cass Gemini vibe​

 

[Targus Sainze]

Kingsley hefted his scattergun and started firing blind. He obliterated the nearest locking mechanisms before whirling around entranced by an illusory smoke bomb. Anything that looked shiny and caught the startled mercenary's attention exploded. All hell broke loose as the hostages tried to flee or hide.

Screaming and gunfire caught the Mandalorian's attention. What now?

Without waiting for the others, Targus sprinted over, through the hostage area and towards the gunfire. And there Kingsley was, going completely wild.

"There's nothing- in the- walls, fool!" Targus called out from behind cover, ducking from stray blaster fire.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

He figured he'd leave his blaster aside because that was harder to hide, but a shoto? And someone knicked it? This would not be a story he'd tell his father, or sister…s… None of them. And least of all Veino Garn. Hands behind his head, he could feel a small pouch of other items in his other breast pocket. Not much, a few focusing crystals, really. This was supposed to be a guard job, something simple.

Kaia would have been better at this. He knew his sister worked without all the tools and toys that Jared picked up along his travels. His father was a Wayseeker, trying to find more of a balance in his Jedi path. Jared was a knowledge seeker, looking throughout the Rim, finding light side, and light-adjacent groups to learn from.

As more shots were fired, Jared had come up with an idea. Smoke was already around, and chaos. Looking to those that around him, he whispered, enhanced by the Force. "When I say move, you move. Room off to my right. Get in, get down." Another beat, another breath. Centering himself he was picturing the smoke, picturing the uneven flashes and cracks of noise.

"Now." He whispered as smoke began to billow from within the center of the group, flashes of light, similar to the scattergun. As the others moved, he took a second to project himself moving opposite, as he found a third direction, for more cover. If he could see the casino floor maybe he could cause some problems.

Sal Katarn Kingsley Naada Sa Targus Sainze

 

[Cryx Tillian]

Sal Katarn Kingsley Naada Sa Targus Sainze Jared Starchaser Scarlett Zann

A slight rumble shook through the decking, and the faint sound of blaster fire echoed through the comms and from the casino.

"Shots fired, shots fired," the reports flickered the system. Small detonation detected."

"Roger that," Cryx replied, pausing for a moment, and adjusting his equipment. They had to have someone outside to place charges and detonate them. He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment.

Where would they be? It would have to be a security center, to monitor the feeds. Somewhere nearby to be in range for the small-scale detonations. Around, the fire emergency systems kicked into effect in the affected area.

"Casualties confirmed," a hoarse voice whispered through the comms.

"Understood," Cryx replied, "I think I know the location. Moving to secure."

He studied the schematic of the ship and wrapped himself in the Force, cloaking his presence, and hiding from sight and sensor as he wove his way through the corridors into a small side corridor. His nose picked up the unmistakable smell of blaster fire.

Cryx leaned against the wall, listening at first.

 

[Sal Katarn]

Inside the Casino...

Targus Sainze might not have seen what got Kingsley riled up meaner than a Reek, but Sal could see fast rope lines draping down from the ceiling and a smoke bomb drop down after them. Sal weren't much for traditional combat, more along the lines of planetary security work, but he'd been in enough scrapes to know that what came next was usually a bunch of heavily armed and armored fellas ready to "negotiate" through the crisis with lethal force.

Katarn ran forward, tried to kick the smoke grenade, only his foot went right through it.

"What the-"

Then he felt the heat tingling against his chest and reached up, clutching at the Thaissen amulet beneath his clothes, the bare metal pressed against his skin. When force usin' folk used what they called "the Dark Side" it burned cold as ice, but when lightsiders used the Force it grew warm. Right now it was hot against his skin.

"Damnit." Sal muttered, then looked between Kingsley, still firing wildly, and the hostages - some of whom seemed to be making the most of the commotion to get out of here.

"Hey. Hey bird. It's a Jedi trick. Stop it."

While Vizjaw Tanakt was busy cutting through the vault, Sal had to handle this before things spun too far out of control.

Sal closed his eyes briefly a weight growing in his chest and shoulders. He sighed. He didn't want to have to do this. But he had to be realistic about these things.

Moving forward decisively, Sal seized a young human man in a nice upper-class Corellian style jacket and pants. Just some kid at the casino, anxious to spend daddy's money. Too bad.

Grabbing the man by the back of the neck, Katarn forced him to his knees, then placed his pistol against the back of the man's head and in a loud, hoarse voice that tore at his injured vocal chords, bellowed above the commotion.

"SIT. DOWN."

He fired a shot into the air, then held the pistol back to the man's head.

"If you don't all calm the kark down, I will blow this kid's brains out over the slots."

Katarn looked to Targus, "Get the hostage negotiator on the line. If they think we're just killin' everyone now they are goin' to bust in here guns blazin'."

Jared Starchaser | Naada Sa | Cryx Tillian | Bane Darkclaw | Scarlett Zann

 

[Scarlett Zann]

Scar knew that after she set off her next explosion, more people would be able to pin point her location within the security office and had to take her efforts to foot. Once the last radio check came through the communications, she had her hostage make the all clear before removing his head to join his friend on the floor. She crawled under the control panel and inserted the communication and monitor bypass. The chip rerouted the feeds of her choice back to her wrist band halo-projector. Just before leaving the security office and melting the lock to secure the office for good, she set explosives in the office and set off explosives in two more locations. One of the explosions rocked the energy relay station near the casino sending the entire sector of the giant ship into darkness including the casino. The emergency lighting kicked on but this would surely make things more difficult for security trying to handle control around the casino. Her second blast was in a less useful position, it was not near any vital systems, but it was located on the other side of the casino as her and provided and suitable diversion for her to make her way to her secondary position. As she was making her way that direction, she passed yet another security team, this one, was in such a hurry to respond to one of her latest explosions that it did not give Scar much a thought as it passed her which allowed her to slip a small explosive onto the case one of them was carrying. As she rounded the next two corners, she set that explosive off too, killing the one carrying it as well as wounding anyone else near by, further adding to the chaos that was supposed to be the secured permeator of the casino security force.

 

[Ziraen]

Ziraen seemed more annoyed than anything else with the chaos. He was more interested in the credits, and had no real connection to anyone on this crew, although he knew proving himself would go a long way in getting more lucrative opportunities in the future. He moved towards the vault to see if Vizjaw Tanakt needed any help. The faster they would get the vault open, the faster they could get out of here before things spiralled out of control faster.

The Jawa would hear Ziraen's loud footsteps as he approached. "Need any help with the vault door? Idiots on the casino floor are shooting for some reason, didn't bother to check what it was, but I think we should get this vault open as soon as we can." He inspected the vault door and Viz for a while. "I can try to tear off the door or break the hinges, might speed things up."

 

[Kingsley]

"Rrrrawk! Jedi?"

True panic flashed across the predator's eyes. Fortunately, his aim was so bad that Kingsley's shooting spree only caused a few scrapes and bruises.

"Sal," Kingsley whined, "I can't go back to prison, man."

Even though he'd calmed down enough to stop firing at ghosts the smuggler's mind was still racing. Every hostage now seemed like a threat, and Kingsley gripped his scattergun tight in shaking talons.

"I heard Jedi can't lie. It's part of their Code. Ask a Jedi if they're a Jedi, they have to say yes."

Sal Katarn Targus Sainze Scarlett Zann Ziraen
Jared Starchaser Cryx Tillian Naada Sa​

 

[Cryx Tillian]

Kingsley Scarlett Zann Sal Katarn Targus Sainze Ziraen Naada Sa Jared Starchaser

Another small burst of explosions shuddered through the deck and a woman came hurrying out. Cryx couldn't stop her from putting the explosions into the cases and as they detonated, a sense of anger surged in his chest. He moved away from the doorway to follow, switching the rifle to stun.

She was coming in alive. There would be a trial for her crimes and her murders, he would be sure of it. And it could offer the leverage they would need to negotiate a release of the hostages. He raised the A280CFE to his shoulder and let his stealth drop from around him to focus on the lines of fire.

Despite the evacuations, this was not a place one wanted to be in a firefight. There were civilians. They were in a starship. He couldn't remain hidden while keeping sight lines clear.

"On the ground!" Cryx yelled at the woman fleeing. "Ranger Corps! You are under arrest!" That was all the warning that was legally required, and he squeezed the trigger, sending several stun bolts towards the fleeing figure.

 

[Targus Sainze]

Jared Starchaser Naada Sa Cryx Tillian Bane Darkclaw Scarlett Zann Kingsley Vizjaw Tanakt

Grabbing the man by the back of the neck, Katarn forced him to his knees, then placed his pistol against the back of the man's head and in a loud, hoarse voice that tore at his injured vocal chords, bellowed above the commotion.

"SIT. DOWN."

He fired a shot into the air, then held the pistol back to the man's head.

"If you don't all calm the kark down, I will blow this kid's brains out over the slots."

Katarn looked to Targus, "Get the hostage negotiator on the line. If they think we're just killin' everyone now they are goin' to bust in here guns blazin'."

Jared Starchaser | Naada Sa | Cryx Tillian | Bane Darkclaw | Scarlett Zann

Targus opened the scanner for incoming signals on his communicator and found one corresponding with one of the frequencies they had scouted out earlier as belonging to security. He aimed his guns at the ceiling where the ropes came in from.

"Sal," Kingsley whined, "I can't go back to prison, man."

"Prison's the least of your concerns after what you pulled," Targus grumbled. Hopefully, the vault was at least open. He opened a signal on the security's frequency. A garbled, half transmission came through.

<"We hear you, but not loudly or clearly, so you'd best speak up if you want your hostages still safe, which they are for the moment.">

"On the ground!" Cryx yelled at the woman fleeing. "Ranger Corps! You are under arrest!" That was all the warning that was legally required, and he squeezed the trigger, sending several stun bolts towards the fleeing figure.

Targus bit his lip to stop from cursing aloud, hearing the shouts from down the hall directed at one of the other heist members. Come on, blow it already...

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Preparation was important. But well, improvisation was the true mark of a master. Or whatever his father said. As a Starchaser, there was the Force divinity in the family line, and while Jared preferred weapons, he knew he could do just as much with the Force within him as his father and sisters. He found cover, that was good. He needed it. Until he could find his lightsaber or blaster… He could feel the Force here, he wasn't the first doing some trick.

Another breath. He needed to see what was going on.

Leaning forward, he looked over the wall he found himself behind. Explosions and shots, a big bird… He couldn't tell who it was, but that it was someone. Only people he knew bold enough to do this was Hutts, or some Fringe groups on the Rim. Didn't matter. What mattered was that they were here.

Reaching out in the Force, he felt a few others, some light sided beings too. Couldn't hurt then. No plants, but he could still sense what was out there. Focusing his energy away from where he was, so he could get moving and get another look, he hurried, as a blaster bolt went over his head in time to give him the foresight to catch the other with the Force and redirect it.

Someone saw him. Looking over the next booth, he stood up, thinking he was far enough to one side and started moving, one bolt came for him, he blocked it with the Force, another he dodged and the third he directed into the back of another pirate. Grabbing the being in the Force, he lifted them up off the ground and slammed them back in, grabbing the blaster.

Not the weapon he wanted but it gave him something.

 

[Naada Sa]

TAG:
Torc Valhorn Jared Starchaser Bane Darkclaw
Vizjaw Tanakt SC-ID "Cairo" Scarlett Zann Ziraen Cass Gemini Targus Sainze Sal Katarn Cryx Tillian Kuna

Orange eyes watched several of the pirates panic over the perfectly executed illusion that they were running out of time and if it hadn't been for the wild shooting (which she admittedly didn't count for) she'd be unable to hold back a little cheeky smirk. But shots were fired and alongside the rest of the guests of the casino, Naada bent down and tried to avoid getting blasted. She spotted another man kicking after one of the 'smoke grenades' only to have his foot go through it. The expression he carried was one of realization and it didn't take the same man long to seize one of the young guests and force him to his knees. The boy looked terrified, as he should be and this action just kept that anger within Naada to grow.

The togruta flinched as another shot was fired and the mans voice roared out to violently warn them all of pulling another stunt. The illusion she had put up vanished but she wasn't done. She needed to keep them out of line, keep them distressed so that mistakes could be made. She absolutely hated the idea that these criminals could possibly get away with the loot and not get punished for it, especially after seeing the bodies of dead men that had just been doing their job floating outside. She snapped her attention to the tall Hiitian that seemed to be the one that was mostly on edge about this. He'd soon experience the sensation of having a 'ghost hand' pick and pinch him, hopefully keeping him distracted and out of focus.

Poor boy, she wouldn't dare trying to make Sal let him go, she feared the result of pulling another big trick would result it brain matter being splattered all over the place. Should she speak up? Would it matter? Surely it would not change much if she did, and at the very least, from her position as a common guests of the casino she could stay hidden until she was forced to show true colours and fight. But not until help arrived, she couldn't do it alone.

 

[Scarlett Zann]

"On the ground!" Cryx yelled at the woman fleeing. "Ranger Corps! You are under arrest!" That was all the warning that was legally required, and he squeezed the trigger, sending several stun bolts towards the fleeing figure.

Scar smiled as she ran, foolish authorities always announcing themselves before they fire. She normally had a thing for knowing when she caught the attention from others, it may have been a force power, at least an untrained one, but in this case she never saw it coming, well until he announced himself that is. She had to move quickly as he said "Ranger Corps!" and lowered into a slide to the end of the corridor barely avoiding the stun bolts as she quickly rolled to her left out of sight and quickly got up running down the next corridor. She began to quickly make turns into the next corridor and the next, never staying in one long enough for her follower to get another shot. There was a little bit of panic in her breath as the large ship seemed to go on forever, until she found what she was looking for. A large bulkhead with blast door was waiting for her around the very next corner. These doors formed a bit of a goose neck, as they were a safety feature to avoid a ship wide collapse and were only located every 500 meters in the interior of the ship so disabling this one would throw her chaser off for good. She tossed two of her four remaining explosives to each side of the door and after safely entering the other side, detonated them and closed the entrance behind her, for good.

 

[Sal Katarn]

Inside the Casino...

Sal heard the sound of an explosion back toward the vault. That outta be the door blowin' off its hinges. They were wastin' too much time. Anymore messin' around with hostages was liable to get them ventilated by the crisis management team.

Suddenly, things got real dicey. Sal watched as a guy sprinted out of the corner, slammed one of the pirates down, and stole his blaster, all while blocking and redirecting blaster bolts somehow.

But Sal knew how.

His amulet was hot against his skin.

Katarn closed his eyes. He'd run out of options. Sometimes, you had to be realistic about these things. There was nothin' pretty about this line of work.

Turning, Sal shot a hostage in the knee, bone, blood, and cartilage exploded and the man fell to the ground screaming and cradling his leg.

Then Sal turned back to the blonde haired guy who just took the blaster and met his eyes.

"Next one goes through the head."

He pulled the kid he was usin' as a shield, couldn't have been more than twenty, closer to him and kept him there in a kneeling position.

Jared Starchaser | Naada Sa | Cryx Tillian | Bane Darkclaw | Scarlett Zann | Vizjaw Tanakt | Kingsley | Targus Sainze

 

[Cryx Tillian]

Scarlett Zann

Cryx skidded to a halt as the door shattered under the force of the explosions. "Fethin' karker." He hissed, waving an arm away from the door to urge some of the others away from the bulkhead. They were clever. Too clever and far too ruthless.

He'd caught her facial structure on recording, and genetic evidence would be left in the security room. That would let them put a profile together and issue a warrant and bounty.

After this, ORION would likely be convinced to issue a dead or alive warrant. They didn't like to do so, but sometimes messages had to be sent.

Crime syndicates across the Outer Rim would regret this. This had to have been well organized, well-funded, and with significant intelligence gathering operations.

That left a trail of evidence and they would be teased out one by one until everyone behind the attack would be dragged into the light. Then the many forces of the galaxy could be brought to bear.

Justice would be served.

"What do you want us to do?" One of the nearby security officers asked, adjusting his helmet strap.

"Broadcast this image to the other side of the ship," Cryx said, handing over a datachip. "And issue a warrant and bounty for information regarding this individual."