Private The Sack of Praesitlyn

[Jacen Breska]

P R A E S I T L Y N ​

WEARING:: Jacen’s Second Legion Armor
EQUIPMENT: DC-902d
LOCATION: :: ISD LADY OF FORTUNE ::
TAG: CT-312 TK-247

At the end of the very long and in depth briefing of the operation, the thunderous commanding voice boomed from the central console, “does everyone know their assignments?” the voice asked. The troopers gathered in the circular briefing room, surrounding the holographic display, said nothing or nodded.
“Excellent,” the voice said, and continued, “Do remember, you’re on a tight schedule. Every single objective is mission critical. If even a single one of the teams fail, the entire operation fails, and you will all die down there. You all understand this, yes?” Silent nodding from solemn faces. A deep sigh came from the console, “very well, then. Well, you’re all on the clock, troopers. Get to your ships now. Gamemaster out.” The display dimmed, then died out completely, and the troopers surrounding the room all looked at eachother, then slowly they all began filing out.

The mission was simple. Or at least, straightforward. Four teams of four Droptroopers each would descend upon the capital city of Praesitlyn, currently under siege from a Sith Order army. Each team of droppers had their own unique objective that needed to be completed, and each contributed to total victory for the army. But this attack wasn’t to occupy, it was to devastate. To send a message to Praesitlyn, and all of the other planets in the galaxy that rejected the rule of the Sith. Defiance meant death.

Team 1’s objective. A heavy weapons munitions depot was keeping the Praesitlyn rebels in the fight significantly longer than they should be. Heavy weapons fired from fixed positions were causing massive casualties, and contributing to the stall on the attack. Team 1 was to destroy the depot by any means necessary.

Team 2’s objective. The local Khedive of Praesitlyn, mastermind of this particular act of defiance, was rallying his soldiers from a fortified position near the front. A real hero. His…’bravery’ in being perfectly safe so close to danger was no doubt inspiring his men, and if he were to escape he’d no doubt rally another resistance in time, or would fly off to Alliance space and be a headache later. Best to deal with him here. Team 2 was to drop on the reported location of the bunker and, quite literally, cut the head off the snake.

Team 3’s objective. A massive shipbreaker cannon is keeping the fleet at bay. Any capital ship that attempts an approach on the city is fired upon before they get in range. Destroying this cannon provides an avenue for reinforcements, extraction, and destruction down on the planet in the form of orbital bombardments.

Team 4’s objective. Massive Turbolaser Towers are keeping the main sith advance bogged down outside the city. All armored advances are immediately blown to bits. Destroying each tower would take too long and be too difficult for one team to do. Instead, it was noted that all towers shared the same energy network. Targeting that energy network, a massive Power Plant, would ensure the main sith advance could continue.

It was on that last objective, that last team, that Jacen was. The inherent danger of the mission didn’t deter or upset Jacen all that much. A hot drop into a hostile city, almost certainty of death? A breath of fresh air compared to the past few missions Jacen had been on. No nightmare creatures or gateway into hell. Just a warzone.

It’d suck, but it was a shit mission Jacen could handle. After all, it was mostly just normal, living, snake people. Things that died when you shot them. That was reassuring. Satisfied with the briefing, and letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Jacen couldn’t help but laugh.

“A normal mission,” he said quietly to himself, “Regular old suicide mission,” he chuckled harder. Someone, somewhere, was smiling on him today. With an almost skip in his step, Jacen went out to the hangar and inspected their ship and waited for the rest of his team
CT-312 and TK-247 should be along shortly, as well as another trooper, TK-3407, Luc, that Jacen had served with on Malgus. Pretty solid team. One he was sure could, at the very least, destroy the generator before they died horribly.

​

 

[TK-247]

Tags: Jacen Breska CT-312

TK-247 stood at the back of the briefing room. She was wearing a winged jetpack, the kind that allowed for long sustained flight, and sitting on a chair while wearing it was a skill that eluded her. Not privy to the more in-depth briefing the team leaders were getting from the Gamemaster themself. She had only been told to expect heavy resistance from both Human and Sluisi forces and to hold nothing back when making contact. Her first deployment was against rebels and traitors; no quarter was to be given, and none was expected; she would either kill or die.

The only thing that bugged TK-247 was that some emotion was trying to break out from deep inside her, but she did her best to squash them down and wondered if it was just pre-battle jitters, something she was told to expect, or maybe it was a side effect of whatever damage was causing her amnesia. She stifled, didn't remember anything since waking up in that recovery room getting ready for a bacta dip. The med-techs had shown her several X-rays and CT scans, and one of them had shown some scar tissue in her brain. 247 assumed that was why, even though her memories were lost to her, she still had whatever skills she had learned in life before. She just thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't a drooling idiot, just memory loss and a little emotional instability.

Stepping into the hangar, 247 put her helmet on, the words "NON-STOP" painted on one side of it, the nickname she'd been given by some of the troopers she'd been training with. Ok, so maybe she didn't retain all her skills if they had to retrain her in some combat skills. With a couple of blinks, she had the helmet's HUD highlight her assigned drop ship and spotted at least one other trooper already there waiting outside the ship. She assumed it was probably the team leader until the HUD threw up his TK number and confirmed her guess.

 

[CT-312]

//: TK-247 Jacen Breska QK-2510 //:
//: ISD Lady of Fortune //:
//: Attire //:
//: Weapons: LO-18D ASSAULT RIFLE, & Vibroblade Knife//:​

The Camouflage Scout Trooper stood in the back of the briefing room, arms crossed. A handful of DeathDrops were scattered throughout the space. It seemed that there would be multiple squads sent for this mission. Looking around the room, CT-312 noticed TK-710 sitting at the seats around the holotable. There was another that stood out, a winged Jetpack Trooper who was also standing in the back of the room on the other side. Soon the holotable lit up and the Game Master’s voice spoke of what’s to come. The tone for the Game Master was more serious from the past. It sounds different. Serious, focused. It felt like someone else had taken their place.

As the mission briefing ended, CT-312’s brow raised. It was simple. It was the way it’s supposed to be. No cursed temples, no force-light anomalies, no Sithspawns, or something ancient and wrong. It was just a target. Run and gun. The Scout watched as the Troopers started filtering out in tight clumps. Making their way towards the Hanger Bay. As CT-312 was about to exit the room her serial number was called out.

“CT-312.”

The Scout halted. Taking a couple steps off to the side as the remaining Troopers left the room. An officer came up to CT-312 handing her a datapad with information of her assigned squad.

“An additional member has been assigned to the squad you'll be operating with on this mission. QK-2510 from the Immortal Legions has just transferred to the DeathDrop. You are to brief them and assess them. They will be meeting you in the hanger. You’ll be taking two dropships. Dismissed”

Nodding in acknowledgement, she handed back the datapad and headed toward the hanger bay. CT-312’s boots echoed off the metal floors of the corridor. Inside her helmet’s HUD lit up. Flashing the assignment and reassigned dropship. As she entered the bay, a voice rang out over the comms, listing serial numbers for each squad.

“Team Four: TK-2457 , TK-710, TK-3407, CT-312”

As the Scout made her way towards the assigned dropship, CT-312 paused briefly where TK-710 was standing. “TK-710, I’ve been updated that we’re deploying in two different ships. We’ve got another joining our squad for this mission. We’ll regroup at the drop site.” Her eyes shifted to the two Troopers standing with TK-710. Recognizing both of them. TK-247 who was standing at the back of the room with the winged jet pack and TK-3407 who had served on TK-710’s squad during their deployment on Hoth.

Glancing back at TK-710, giving him a brief nod. CT-312 turned, heading out towards her reassigned dropship. Waiting for this new transfer, QK-2510 .

 

[QK-2510]

Location: Hangar Bay - ISD Lady of Fortune
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic”
Mission Objective: Destroy the power plant.
Tag: Jacen Breska TK-247 CT-312

QK-2510 listened to the briefing in attentive silence from as close as she could get to the central console. Her sudden loaning to DeathDrop had upended her routine, sending her scrambling through a whirlwind of preparations. The past days had blurred together - one rushed transport after another until she finally arrived at the Lady of Fortune. Since her arrival, every waking moment had been devoted to memorizing the unit's protocols, procedures, and unspoken customs until they flowed through her veins like binary code.

What little time remained was sacrificed equally between prayer and combat drills.

With the completion of the briefing, QK-2510 moved towards the hangar bay, her helmet uncollapsing from the neck area to encompass and seal over her head as she did. Her helmet’s HUD came alight, guiding her to the designated dropship and marking her squad members in the feed.

“Team Four: TK-2457 , TK-710, TK-3407, CT-312”

And herself - QK-2510. The latest addition to the squad.

The strand-cast’s helmet optics scanned the team in quick assessment: CT-312's scout trooper camouflage stood out like a shadow among durasteel. TK-247's winged jetpack reminded her of her own preferred aerial mobility rig, though she'd opted for the more compact KJP-4 this mission, anticipating close-quarters, indoor combat. Finally, she looked towards TK-710—synth-fur cloak draped over his armor like a predator's pelt.

“QK-2510, present and reported,” The strand-cast announced herself, vocal modulator stripping her voice of all inflection. “Are we cleared for launch?”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Taral-type Sith Trooper Armor Mk. II - Pattern Besh
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/M-02 Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade - R
  • Power Plant
    
    • HAPU | Hybrid Antimatter Power Unit
  • Utility Hardpoint
    
    • KJP-4 Kainate Jetpack Model Four
• KCR-22 Mk. II - Kainate Combat Rifle Model Twenty-Two Second Rendition
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Extended Magazine - Standard Penetrator
    • Standard Magazine - Standard Penetrator (6)
    • Standard Magazine - High Explosive (2)
  • Attachments and Modifications
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• PV-16 “Sunfury” Pulse Pistol
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition
    
    • Fusion Cell (4)
• FAE/MDE-01-S2 Semiautonomous Seeker Thermal Explosive (6)
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)

 

[Jacen Breska]

P R A E S I T L Y N ​

WEARING:: Jacen’s Second Legion Armor
EQUIPMENT: DC-902d
LOCATION: :: ISD LADY OF FORTUNE ::
TAG: CT-312 TK-247 QK-2510

A snag.


A fifth member of the team meant a complete change in tactics on the initial drop and rendezvous. Now, they were effectively one short on the drop. Jacen furrowed his brow and looked over at Luc, who shrugged a shoulder lazily. Jacen looked back at CT-312 and similarly shrugged his shoulder, “that’s the way it’s gotta be, I guess. Nothing’s gonna come from complaining about it. Take care on the drop, trooper, you’ll be a two-man team if our landing zone gets all screwy.”

He turned to look at QK-2510, "Just about I think, Welcome to the team, dropper!" He smiled, "Take care of this one," he said, gesturing his chin at 312, "they tend to make themselves look foolish. The absolute shame of it." Jacen chuckled and nodded at the both of them before he turned to look back at his drop team. His gaze fell upon TK-247, 'Nonstop', a survivor of Woostri, but one he hadn’t seen since. He was glad his team had two other Woostri troopers going with him. It made the prospects of surviving that much greater. Now 312 was dropping in another ship, but at least Nonstop was still with him.

“Nothing we haven’t done before,” he said with a nod, “Let’s not crush each other on the drop. We got a good streak going,” he finished with a chuckle as he lifted his helmet up from his side and slid it over his head. “Refresher for our objective,” he said as he jumped his sight back and forth between Nonstop and Luc, “Turbolasers are keeping our main assault pinned down. We knock out the generators, the army can push into the city. Nothing too much, just plant the charges,” he slapped a crate full of explosives next to him, “On the generator’s, blow it, head to extract. Easy right?” He held his hands out, palms up, before he bent down and picked up the crate.


As he turned to place the crate in the drop ship, the call to arms began blaring over the intercom in the Hangar. All around them, maintenance techs and non-essential personnel began scrambling around as the DeathDrop jogged towards their transports.
“They’re playing our song, troopers!” He yelled, an unmistakable jovialness in his voice. It was strange, and he felt strange about it, but the promise of a normal mission was such comfort to him. No monsters or Sith magicks he’d have to worry about. Just dodging blasters and completing his objective. With an almost giddiness, Jacen scurried inside the ship and placed the crate down, securing it. Luc followed behind him, taking a seat next to one of the drop pods.
“I’d never actually been in one of these before,” he said, tapping the side of the pod.

“No?” Jacen asked. Luc shook his head. “Oh well what a wonderful day for you it is then. You’ve only done the scary shit, huh?" Luc shrugged, "Malgus? Wasn't scary for me. Just cold. You had the scary shit, if I remember your complaining right." Luc snickered at the memory, and Jacen ignored it, continuing, "this will be a walk in the park compared to that, then.” He nodded, bouncing his leg in eager anticipation as the systems of the ship warmed up.

​

 

[CT-312]

//: Jacen Breska TK-247 QK-2510 //:
//: Praesitlyn //:
//: Attire //:
//: Weapons: LO-18D ASSAULT RIFLE, & Vibroblade Knife//:​

CT-312 spotted the Trooper from the Immortal Legions that would be joining their squad as they approached the group. Their armor was striking, an all-red design that stood out as much as her own camouflaged gear. The Scout’s raised a brow, underneath the helmet a small smirk appeared on her face. It was nice to see someone else whose armor stood out as much as hers.

“QK-2510, present and reported,” The strand-cast announced herself, vocal modulator stripping her voice of all inflection. “Are we cleared for launch?”

The Scout nodded in confirmation. “QK-2510, You’re with me. Each of these ships has four drop pods.” Her visor scanned the rest of the squad. There were five in total. “Three and two. Team 4 will be dropping in the same area. We’ll regroup on the ground.” CT-312 gestured toward their assigned dropship with a nod of her helmet, signaling QK-2510 to follow.

“that’s the way it’s gotta be, I guess. Nothing’s gonna come from complaining about it. Take care on the drop, trooper, you’ll be a two-man team if our landing zone gets all screwy.”

He turned to look at QK-2510, "Just about I think, Welcome to the team, dropper!" He smiled, "Take care of this one," he said, gesturing his chin at 312, "they tend to make themselves look foolish. The absolute shame of it."

Subtly shaking her head, the Scout Trooper let out a silent sigh. “Don’t worry. I’ll try not to make you look too bad by comparison.” She had briefly looked over QK-2510’s file back in the briefing room and felt confident that, if it came down to just a two-person team, they’d manage just fine. "Enjoy your flight” With that, both CT-312 and QK-2510 headed towards their ship.

As they entered the dropship’s bay, there were two drop pods on either side, with two seats positioned between them in the center. CT-312 made her way to her usual spot, heading to the furthest back right. As QK-2510 picked their seat, the Scout Trooper slammed her fist twice against the metal hull of the ship. Signaling they were ready. The dropship began to lift off before the hangar ramp had even fully closed. The interior rattled as they departed the ISD Lady of Fortune.

CT-312 observed the new Trooper a bit more. She was shorter than her 5 '5 ft self, which compared to the 5 ‘11 ft average height, both were comparably short. She also wore a jetpack, though hers was more compact than TK-247’s bulkier model. It will be interesting to see how QK-2510 and TK-247 perform. A low hum could be heard as the dropship shuddered from the atmospheric resistance. Cutting through the silence, “CT-312.” her voice crackled through the helmet’s modulator flat and low. “We’re Team Four on this mission.”

Pulling up the mission map in her helmet’s HUD, CT-312 shared the tactical display with the Red-armored Trooper. “Massive Turbolaser Towers are preventing main forces from advancing into the city. Instead of targeting the towers directly, we’re going to take out the Power Plant feeding all of them”. The Scout picked up her weapon from the side, inspecting the frame and ensuring everything was in place. “The capital city of Praesitlyn clearly isn't the brightest. Linking all their defense towers to the same energy grid.” Leaning back in her seat, CT-312 angling her head slightly to check the weapon’s sights. “We have no support until the lights go out and there is no fallback. Any questions?”

As they began their descent, the ship’s interior hull began to groan. Rattling under the strain of turbulence. A voice crackled through the bay’s comms, breaking the silence.

“Approaching drop site in ten.”

Overhead, the lights began flashing yellow. CT-312 stood up and began her final gear check. Patting herself down methodically. Stims, ammo, explosives, vibroblade—secured.

“Hope you like to travel in style.” she muttered loud enough for QK-2510 to hear. Grabbing her weapon, stepping towards her drop pod. She hit the switch to open the pod’s hatch. "Welcome to the DeathDrop." The Camo Scout raised her right hand to the mouth of her helmet in a quick gesture, then slammed her fist against the exterior of the pod. With one last breath, she stepped inside. Securing herself in, CT-312 pressed the interior hatch button to her right. A loud hydraulic hiss followed as the pod sealed shut around her. Activating her comms on their encrypted channel, "See ya on the ground."

It was dark. Lit only by the faint glow of the navigational system inside the pod. There was no countdown. No warning. Just silence.

Without so much of a beep, the pod jerked violently. Launching from the dropship with an explosive force. The restraints dug into CT-312’s armor as the G-force hit like a hammer. The pod rattled hard. Metal groaning with the heavy stress, everything shook. Outside in the night sky, there was only howling wind and a screech that could be heard as the pods made their descent with darkness being their cover.

 

[QK-2510]

Location: ISD Lady of Fortune -> Dropship
Dialogue Legend: <<Ghoul-Speak>> │ “Galactic Basic”
Mission Objective: Destroy the power plant.
Tag: Jacen Breska TK-247 CT-312

QK-2510 turned towards the trooper who had addressed her, the synth-fur coat on his pauldrons signifying his place in the Second Legion. For her part, the jet trooper had elected to keep her Taral-type armor, which had recently been upgraded into Mk. II variant. Not only was the Taral familiar to her, but she was also extensively trained in its systems, having grown quite accustomed to the Ghost Link and its benefits to awareness, reaction time, and focus.

In her mind, there were few other armors as lethal as the Taral in the collective armories of the Sith Order.

“Thank you, sir,” QK-2510 acknowledged the greeting with a deferring nod, her helmet turning transparent so that he could see her face. She had nothing to hide and even in a formal, military context, communication was most efficient when accompanied with facial expressions.

The strand-cast fell into silence as TK-710 refreshed the briefing, while silently cross-referencing everything she had memorized from the initial briefing with this one, to ensure that nothing was misunderstood. Satisfied, QK-2510 nodded, before following CT-312 into the assignment dropship. Although the strand-cast was alone in being extremely short, her eyes lit up upon seeing the scout trooper. The possibility that both of them were likely the two shortest troopers in the DeathDrop was something that unconsciously lightened the jet trooper’s feelings towards her.

The dropship took off soon after QK-2510 had taken her seat next to CT-312. The strand-cast’s eyes pored over the projected tactical display. Then, after the scout trooper had made her point regarding the energy grid, she spoke up, her tone soft, yet intense:

“The capital city of Praesitlyn clearly isn't the brightest. Linking all their defense towers to the same energy grid.”

“We should anticipate that the bulk of their defenses will be concentrated around that powerplant,” QK-2510 replied. “It is best that we operate under the assumption that they gave due consideration to the alternative of distributing their energy grid, but found it impractical for one reason or another. For whatever reason, they believe that this option offers them their best chance of victory.” She finished.

“We have no support until the lights go out and there is no fallback. Any questions?”

“None. Everything is clear.” QK-2510 replied. Moments later, the pilot’s voice crackled over the comms, giving the cue for them to enter the drop pods. Sparing a last glance towards CT-312, QK-2510 offered the scout trooper a slight nod before turning around and opening her pod’s hatch.

The jet trooper stepped inside, securing herself within the seat. With that done, she pressed the button to her right, at which point the hatch sealed shut with the hiss of hydraulics and machinery.

Then, for a few gravid moments, silence.

Activating her comms on their encrypted channel, "See ya on the ground."

QK-2510 did not reply, her breath heavy amidst the enclosed space. The strand-cast closed her eyes, murmuring a short prayer to the Eternal Father under her breath.

And just as she finished the last verse, the drop pod jerked with sudden force as it shot out from the ship with violent acceleration.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Taral-type Sith Trooper Armor Mk. II - Pattern Besh
  
  • Gauntlets
    
    • FAE/M-02 Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade - R
  • Power Plant
    
    • HAPU | Hybrid Antimatter Power Unit
  • Utility Hardpoint
    
    • KJP-4 Kainate Jetpack Model Four
• KCR-22 Mk. II - Kainate Combat Rifle Model Twenty-Two Second Rendition
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Extended Magazine - Standard Penetrator
    • Standard Magazine - Standard Penetrator (6)
    • Standard Magazine - High Explosive (2)
  • Attachments and Modifications
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
• PV-16 “Sunfury” Pulse Pistol
  
  • Attachments
    
    • 1-5x FAE/S-08 Electro-Sight
  • Ammunition
    
    • Fusion Cell (4)
• FAE/MDE-01-S2 Semiautonomous Seeker Thermal Explosive (4)
• Infrared Smoke Grenade (2)

 

[TK-247]

Tags: Jacen Breska CT-312 QK-2510

“Nothing we haven’t done before,” he said with a nod, “Let’s not crush each other on the drop. We got a good streak going,”

"I'll have to take your word for that, Sir," TK-247 said with a slight shrug. "I don't remember anything before waking up in a med-bay after Woosti."

It always distressed 247 that her records from before being discharged from medical were sealed, not even allowed access to details of her personal life. She even once bribed a sympathetic medic to test and see if she was a clone, and see if the TK number was a lie. The tests showed that her DNA was too random, messy, organic, and none of the telltale signs of cloning, or at least the ones that would have her waking up fully grown with a full set of skills.

"But if I could get the job done before, you know damn well I'm gonna work my ass off to do it again."

If someone could see under her helmet, they'd see that 247 had a wicked smirk on her face, eager to prove herself in front of her new, or maybe old, comrades.

Taking her place in the dropship 247 looked at the pod she was going to have to stuff herself into, barely larger than a coffin; it was going to be a tight ride down. Up until now, the only drops she could remember were training and simulated runs; the chaos of an actual combat drop was something she'd have to learn, for the first time or all over again.

Strapping herself into the pod 247 closed her eyes and waited for the lurch that would signify she was hurling towards the target zone on the planet.

 

[Jacen Breska]

P R A E S I T L Y N ​

WEARING:: Jacen’s Second Legion Armor
EQUIPMENT: DC-902d
LOCATION: :: Praesitlyn ::
TAG: CT-312 TK-247 QK-2510

Sir.
Jacen was thankful for the helmet covering the smirk that grew on his face. Most of the time, none of the troopers under his command called him ‘sir.’ It was never something that bothered him before, but now that he’d received it? And twice at that? A single chuckle was all he allowed to escape his mouth, and he shook his head in Nonstop’s direction, “710 is fine,” he said simply, but the smile didn’t leave his covered face for several moments after. Not until the small fleet of drop ships had departed the hangar had he finally reigned in the giddy feeling.

Almost shameful how easy it is to flatter me, he thought to himself, shaking his head. As the engines whirred to full speed, and the acceleration pushed Jacen back into his seat, he turned towards Nonstop again, “I know you’ll get it done. We got a pretty solid team here full of people who never died once. That’s pretty good!” He turned his head towards Luc, nodding, then back at Nonstop, then back at Luc, “You’ve never been on a proper Drop so here’s the plan. Once we hit dirt, clear your pod and clear the drop site fast,” he shook his head in emphasis, “don’t let yourself get pinned down by your pod. It’s not as explosion proof as you’d like to think. Most of the armor is on the bottom.” Jacen leaned over and hit the bottom of the drop pod next to him with a metal thunk.

Just then, the pilot crackled over the comm, “Attention. Drop approaching, enter your pods.” The pilot said curtly, then the line went dead. Jacen nodded and rose to his feet, entering the Drop pod with an anxious sigh. The Drop pod door slid closed over him, and he shuffled back and forth trying to get comfortable.

“Alright Droppers,” he said, his comm keying to the whole of Team 4’s frequency.
“No stress, no fear, no panic. No need to worry,” He said with a nervous giddy chuckle as the ship rumbled, speeding up as it approached over the city.
Just then, a voice crackled over the radio, a familiar one, the Gamemaster.
“Hello hello, valiant DeathDrop troopers! I hope you’re all prepared for another glorious victory. All teams have marked your ready, so we’re dropping you all simultaneously! Complete your objectives, all, or no one is leaving Praesitlyn. Good luck!”
The Gamemaster’s voice crackled away, and the dropship released the pods.

The feeling of descent made Jacen’s heart go into his throat, and he tried to regulate his breathing. He gripped the handles inside the pod tightly as the Pod screamed on it’s way down. Viewports on the side showed very little beyond afternoon clouds of Praesitlyn, until the pod broke through the cloud layer.

There was too much to see, and not enough time to see it. Jacen made out the streaks of green and red blaster fire off to the side where the main Sith Army was being held back by the defenses of the city and smoke where artillery had made contact inside the city. Looking down, he saw the power complex rapidly approaching. Built partway into a cliff, the facility jutted out over the edge, with power cables connecting it to the rest of the city and, most importantly, the defense turbolaser tower network.

He couldn’t make out much more than that as his pod quickly approached the ground. The cliff side rushed up to meet him, and looking down he could see his pod wouldn’t land flat on the cliff.

“Oh no, no No!” He yelled, gripping tight and bracing himself as his pod clipped the side of the cliff. The impact made Jacen’s head crash against the side of his pod and his pod itself deflected slightly. What was supposed to be a straight down drop turned into his pod coming in at a shallow angle as it speared through the ceiling and came to a sudden, crashing halt in a small crater of it’s own making.
The impact left Jacen dazed and he tried to shake the pain and confusion away in his brain. Pulling the release lever, the door popped off and he groggily stumbled out of his pod clutching his head.

The room around him was decorative. Nice, patterned tiled flooring and columns, staircases on the far end.
And at the top of the stairs, a small group of very confused, very startled resistance fighters, both Human and Sluissi, staring at him with eyes widened.
Jacen stared back, then quickly grabbed his blaster rifle from his side and brought it up, firing at the group of four fighters as he immediately fell backwards behind his pod, ignoring his own advice. He was glad to see he’d hit one of them who crumpled down to the ground before the remaining three brought their weapons up to fire on him, but by then he’d already gotten himself behind cover and put a hand up to his ear,

“710 to team, hard landing,” he said, then repeated, “Hard landing. I’m in the uh…” he raised his head and observed his surroundings, “Lobby, I think?” What kind of power plant has a fancy lobby? He thought to himself before he continued, “I’m a bit pinned by three combatants, could use some hands. Report Status?” He dropped his hand and leaned around the pod, returning fire.

“TK-3407 to 710,” Luc’s voice came in steady, “Good landing, no hostiles. I’m just outside the Lobby, comin’ to you.” Jacen turned his head to look outside the big doors behind him just as Luc jogged through, taking cover behind the door. “Flash!” he said, and Jacen nodded as Luc grabbed a small rounded object from his belt and clicked a switch, under hand throwing it around the pod. Jacen pulled back and kept still until the bang of the grenade went off, and ran to join Luc behind more stable cover.

“Good advice,” Luc said with a snicker as Jacen joined him, “Don’t get pinned by your pod.”
“Yeah and you needed it to be alive right now so you’re welcome. Shut up. Thank you. Take your pick,” Jacen said back with a groan, leaning back around the door with Luc and firing upon the remaining two, now, resistance fighters still in position on the second floor.
An alarm soon started blaring just as the Droppers reunited, and Jacen keyed his comm,
“They know we’re here now, we haven’t got long to get this done. Report!”

​

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[TK-247]

Tags: CT-312 Jacen Breska QK-2510

TK-247 listened to 710, Jacen's briefing, though it was targeted towards the trooper named Luc, considering that she didn't have a lick of memory about the drop he was claiming she had survived through. It was good advice, even if it was just a clean way of boiling down all the training they'd been given into a handful of sentences.

She was about to speak up, get some minor clarification on how much control they'd have when in the pod, if they had some manual steering or a pre-programmed path all the way down to the ground. But the klaxon started and the oddly familiar voice of the Gamemaster came over the comms, ordering them to their pods and reminding the Deathdrop that they only had the options of victory or death.

Shoving her question aside, 247 would have her answer on the way down. She stepped into the drop pod, leaving the others with the words, "See you on the ground."

Slamming the door shut, 247 felt claustrophobic in the pitch darkness until the lights and screens inside the pod came on and defined the space. She looked around, the pod was very barebones, a screen for external cams so she could see her landing zone, one to show her squadmate's pods relative to her and the terran, and some very limited controls that could be left to her use freely or locked out depending on the commander's mood or mission paramiters.

247 didn't have long to absorb her situation, as her stomach was suddenly pushed up into her throat in the brief moment between the pod launching and its own inertial compensator taking over from the ship it was no longer connected to. At least she didn't throw up in her helmet, she'd seen a fellow trooper do that in a simulated drop, and the trainer made them keep their messy helmet on for the rest of the duty shift, saying that the enemy wouldn't give them a chance to clean their gear so they better get used to the smell.

Watching her pod's path tracking towards the surface, 247 saw that her pod was going to put her just outside the power plant, but inside its security perimeter. It was perfect, she could stay outside to sow chaos with the defenders or make a break for the plant itself, depending on where she was needed.

Perfect until she watched 710's pod skip off the cliff edge and crash through the power plant's roof that is.

"Frak," She swore to herself, and tried to steer her pod, only to find the controls locked, "Frak, Frak, Frak!"

Not one to be discouraged 247 hit the emergency button that would blow the door clean on the pod, using the usual lever would leave the door attached and send the pod into a spinning mess of a path and leave her at the mercy of its altered aerodynamics. Trusting in her gear 247 launched herself out of the pod's missing door and fired up her jetpack using the wings to slow her fall and the thrusters to aim, right for the hole 710 left in the roof.

Flipping on her comm 247 broadcast on the squad frequency, "Watch yourself near the hole in the roof Boss. You never know when it might rain."

Trusting that 710 would understand her message, she grabbed her carbines, cut down farther so that she could use them as pistols, and dropped in through the roof.

Quicker than a human could, her armour highlighted two targets, and she let the underslung projectile launchers each fire a miniature missile at one of them. Not sure if the shots hit or not, 247 retracted the wings on her jetpack, hit the floor and rolled into the cover provided by a doorway. Unfortunately, she overestimated her momentum and kept rolling. The sound of crashing porcelain and a quickly expanding pool of water let her know that the door had led to a small refresher station.

"Non-Stop here, boots on the ground, and regretting my rain comment. I just hope the last bastard in here remembered to flush."

 

[CT-312]

//: Jacen Breska TK-247 QK-2510 //:
//: Praesitlyn //:
//: Attire //:
//: Weapons: LO-18D ASSAULT RIFLE, & Vibroblade Knife//:

THUD.

CT-312’s drop pod hit the roof of the tower like a missile. Slamming through layers of durasteel and duracrete, going through a handful of floors before slowing the pod to a halt. Smoke curled around the seams, as sparks emitted out of the ceiling lights. Exposed wiring and water pipes burst from each floor's ceiling and flooring from the hole made from the drop pod.

Pulling the release latch on top of the door inside her pod, the hatch ejected off. CT-312 exited out, gun raised. Scanning what seems to be an office floor, in a conference room. Boots stepping on broken glass, crunching under her foot. Holo-posters flickering on the walls advertising some corporate retreat. CT-312 continued to step forward, her visor quickly calibrating and began pinging targets beyond the building’s walls. Walking up to one of the broken panoramic windows, several floors below. Locating their mission objective that was south across the street within a secure compound. The power generator feeding the whole city and its defense towers.

She turned. It’s not like CT-312 had a jet back and there was no way she was jumping. There was only one way down. The turbolift.

As the Camo Scout moved through the floor, heading towards the lift, her helmet display pinged heat signatures. It was in the middle of the night. Visor turned, looking at a handful of late-night office workers. Frozen at their desks, staring with pale faces. Still working through all this? None of them mattered. Not yet. CT-312 scoffed softly and shook her head as she stopped at the lift bay. Pressing the call button. “Corporate slaves” muttering under her breath.

Ding.

Turbolift doors slid open as CT-312 stepped inside. Interesting choice of lift music started playing. It wasn’t your typical jizz. It was electronicore. Probably for the late-night office workers. Oblivious to the chaos outside.

CT-312 exhaled.

Ding.

Too early. The lift stopped mid-descent. Doors opening. A terrified office worker stared at her. Pale and shaking. He blinked, then slammed his hand repeatedly against the “close” button without saying a word.

Tck-tck-tck-tck-tck

‘Smart.’ CT-312 stood silently staring down the man. The doors shut again.

Ding.

Another stop just before the ground floor. As the door slid open, three blaster rifles pointed at the inside of the turbolift. Tower security, not military geared up. As if they’d watch a recruitment video and took notes. All of them were yelling. Confused as to why the lift appeared empty.

The inside corner of the lift was narrow. Just enough for CT-312 who was pressed against the side, to be out of view. Tossing a flash grenade towards the security team.

Clink...clink...BOOM

A wall of white noise and flash hit the Tower Security. Blinded, screaming, and confused. CT-312 causally stepped out of the elevator, in a smooth and silent movement. Raising her LO-18D Assault Rifle, firing two precise shots. All to the chest. Pulling out her vibroblade on the last security guard. Bodies hit the marble floor. CT-312 stepped over the bodies. Back inside the lift, she reached back to the console. Hitting the “close” button with her palm.

Music played once again. Underneath her helmet, CT-312 didn’t smile. But it was close.

Ding.

Final stop. Ground floor. Doors parted open again. This time the lobby. Stepping out, she key’ed her helmet comms. “QK-2510, Tower infiltration successful. Lobby clear. Visual on the target confirmed. South, across the street. What’s your position?”

As CT-312 waited for a reply, she crossed the lobby at a light jog. Boots echoing in measured cadence. The lone security guard by the front door, had his hand raised up in surrender. “Open.” Panicked hands fumbled with the keypad, unlocking the door. CT-312 made her way out, heading towards their objective.

 

[Jacen Breska]

P R A E S I T L Y N ​

WEARING:: Jacen’s Second Legion Armor
EQUIPMENT: DC-902d
LOCATION: :: ISD LADY OF FORTUNE ::
TAG: QK-2510 CT-312 TK-247

It was almost really cool and inspiring, Jacen thought as he and Luc watched TK-247, 'Nonstop', sail through the air and in a fluid motion dispatch the two remaining insurgents.

Masterful and like clockwork, Jacen thought, before Nonstop hit the ground too fast and at too much of an angle. What should have been a textbook superhero landing turned into her best impression of a cannonball as she blasted through a door at the side of the room.
The sound of water spraying everywhere replaced the sound of blaster fire that had filled the space before.

"Clear," Luc reported as they broke out behind their cover as one and scanned the room. "Clear," Jacen repeated.

"Go check on our guardian angel," Luc said as he slowly advanced up the stairs, "I'll clear the top floor and see what's beyond that fun little double door."
"Roger," Jacen answered, and advanced in a quick walk towards the sound of Nonstop's water adventure.
The sight inside brought a smile to his face,

"Oh wow," he said with a barely contained chuckle, "What an incredible smell you've discovered." He put a hand over where his nose would be, as if blocking the smell, then offered his hand to her to help her up, "Besides for this little event, that was great. You almost stuck the landing. Thanks for the assist, Dropper." He said with a smile.

"3407 to 710, come in," Luc's voice came in over his Comm, "710 here, go ahead," Jacen answered as he turned to leave 247's magical water kingdom,
"So, this building isn't quite the power plant we're looking for."
"No?" Jacen asked, surprised and with a tinge of anger and frustration. One thing. Just one thing go right one of these drops. It's not impossible to ask, he thought. "How not?" He continued, "our pods had coords pre-determined?" He sighed, "How far off are we?" He asked, looking around the entrance hall of what he thought was the power plant.

"Not very. Not at all, really. These few buildings around us are all part of it. I'm upstairs from you right now, through the double doors, and it leads to a skybridge. This is the executive wing, I'd gather. Across the bridge is the actual plant."

"huh," Jacen said, and looked back at Nonstop, "Alright stinky, let's get up there and rendezvous with Luc then get this done. "

He jogged up the stairs double quick and observed the Sluissi and human corpses that met him when he dropped in. They had boxes of valuables, as if they were looting. "This must be the executive wing," he said to himself, bending down and picking up an ornate bottle filled with some strange liquid. "If only we had the time. Remember this is here. We can celebrate a job well done," He said as he hid the bottle behind a pillar against the wall and proceeded past the double doors.

The Luc waited just beyond, up some stairs at the close end of the skybridge looking out over the complex. The Insurgents had become aware of their attack and the wider DeathDrop attack across the city by now and were scrambling to set up defenses. The element of surprise was beginning to wear off.

"We gotta sprint across this bridge," Luc turned back and said, before pointing to the far end, and then out of the windows on either side, "They're starting to set up turrets. If we don't go now this entire building gets locked off from the rest of the Plant and we might as well eat our blasters for all the good they'll do us."

"You're a poet, Luc, really. Such inspiring stuff." Jacen said in mock admiration, and Luc chuckled in response and shrugged. "Alright then," he looked back at Nonstop, "Time to earn your name even more. Cross the bridge, both of you, and don't stop."

Jacen turned back to look out, and watched as the emplacements kept their eyes on Jacen's side of the bridge. "This is gonna be rough, but I'll cover you. Get across and cover me. Better if you can kill those guns."

Jacen switched places with Luc, hiding behind the wall, and popped out quickly before opening fire on the gun positions, "Go go go!" he ordered as the glass shattered and his blasts shot out in deadly crimson lances.

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