The Treasure within the Roon: Open to All

[Leea Pandac]

Allies - [member="Preliat Mantis"]
Unknowns - @Cynthia Raxis [member="Stardust Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Count Marlow Venjuta"] [member="Gromm Cardan"]

The sound of the cracking ribs brought back memories to Pandac, memories of a long time ago. That was the sound her squadmates had made as the boulders came crashing down during the patrol. Perhaps they had been the lucky ones instead of her. They had perished in the landslide while she had gone on to be rescued and sent offworld to a better facility. If not for her brothers insisting on the advanced reconstructive treatments she probably never would have walked again. But then the pirates had to kidnap her, in a situation not dissimilar to this one she had been captured along with a freighter of others. She knew the pains of slavery, especially to scum that were pirates. Physical labor would have been her preference, though she never was given the opportunity.

Perhaps the memories were stimulated by the spice, she felt almost borderline on tears from the memory. She hated spice and had only decided to use it because of the pain killing property. There had been plenty of junkies on Makeb, just as there were throughout the galaxy. It had been drilled into her head in the reserves that spice was a definite contraband and something she should keep out of her life. Of course, almost contradictorily she had been taught that its use as a stimulant or painkiller had its place on the front. She could recall being put through the effects of a spice induced dream and the procedures the medic would use to cleanse the system of most of the effects. It too was not the most pleasant of memories, for very different reasons. Spice, gas, certain non-intrusive methods of torture. She had experienced each in different training exercises in order to better understand the proper procedures.

When the man had finished the criminal cried out, "I don't know! I didn't tend the slaves or help move them. I guess the base?" Throwing up his arms to protect his bloodied face he finished, "The base is in the buesiness sector. Big building... North side... Please... That's all I know..." The man's voice broke down into quiet mumblings and pleas.

Pandac listened and turned away. She wasn't an interrogator and couldn't decide if he was lying or not. She assumed that Mantis was more experienced in that field. He certainly seemed to be more experienced in almost every regard. The Mirialan took a step away before she heard some more people running. Two thugs, bearing the colors of the RR, dashed into the room and rolled behind the wall next to the entry. Another duo ran in on the other side of the entrance, but as they ran in a scarlet plasma beam lanced through the chest of one and he collapsed while the other jumped behind the wall. The three were breathing heavily and did not seemingly notice the three people already inside.

They yelled to one another, "Did anyone see him?"

"No, I think.. I don't know."

"Can't go back out there. Hope the others find him before the Swigs get here."

Pandac's first instinct was to begin firing, but she wasn't certain if that was what Mantis would prefer. She looked up to the big man and pointed over towards the door. She realized a moment after that it was likely he had already been aware of their presence and the gesture had been unnecessary.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"Approaching," came the voice of Hermes from the cockpit. "We have entered the city, Ardgal. Things look quiet. Too quiet."

"If we're lucky we'll get a first rate welcome," Prometheus said with a chipper cynicism. "Something like roses or maybe some--" The Gunship rocked, cutting him off in mid sentance. Ardgal grabbed one of the nearby straps, bracing himself from the impact.

"Rocket sir, we were ambushed," Hermes said his voice tense as the ship swerved again, "We're taking additional fire, sir. Going to try and set her down."

"Damn locals taking pot shots," Homer sighed snuffing his cigar out. He looked his helmet over fondly, "Hello, my old friend."

"Prepare to go in hot," Ardgal said unslinging his carbine from his shoulder. "I was hoping my contact would remember our prior arrangement," the ship rocked with a second impact. "I guess not."

"Clearing a landing spot," Hermes grunted. "Prepare to jump, boys and girls."

Ardgal could hear the boom of the Slatin's electromagnetic plasma cannons and the roar of their impact on the surface as the gunship slid side to side to avoid incoming fire. He gripped the release lever to the deployment hatch. Out of the corner of his eye the general could see Virgil give him a nod.

"Take, take, take," Hermes hissed through clenched teeth.

Ardgal's fist slammed the lever down, the hatch slid open with a hydrolic roar. Virgil was the first to jump into the chasm, then Prometheus and Homer. Ardgal's boots hit the permacrete with a heavy thud. The combined weight of his body, the armor, and his weaponry further cracked the brittle road under him. Adrenaline kicked in and he took in the world around him in a matter of miliseconds.

Homer was crouched to the left of him, sharpshooter rifle nestled in his shoulder, picking off pot shot locals from the surrounding buildings. Prometheus stood to his right, his thumbs depressing the Hellion's triggers. A steady stream of flechette rounds tore through the air, reducing a parked speeder down the road and those hiding behind it to ash. Virgil was behind him, her pistols drawn, sending a furious stream of expellatives and slug rounds down range.

They were too exposed. They were waiting to die here.

"On me," Ardgal ordered, raising his havoc carbine.

The man sprinted ahead, the commandos fell in behind him, the Slatin shuttle hovering not far behind. Blaster bolts and slug thrower rounds flew around them as the fireteam made a mad dash to a nearby convenience store. Ardgal vaulted over a shattered window, taking cover behind a mostly empty shelf of snacks. His team wasn't far behind.

"You'd think they'd give up by now," Homer muttered sliding a new clip into his rifle. A round narrowly missed his skull, marking the wall with a black scorch mark. "Amateurs."

"Prometheus, Virgil, can you two hold this position?" Ardgal asked, drawing his flechette pistol.

"You better believe it, boss," Prometheus grunted nursing his shoulder.

"You ok, soldier?"

"Just a nick, bossman," Prometheus said quickly moving his hand from his shoulder," get your ass moving so we can outta here."

"Homer, with me," Ardgal ordered before bolting toward a battered back door.

The cyborg bowled it in with one heavy hit from his shoulder, the momentum of his body plus the armor was by far too much for a simple wooden door. The medic wasn't far behind him. Inside was the man they had gone this deep into danger for; a Twe'lik slicer who went by Twitch.

Twitch's eyes widened for a second at Ardgal's entrance, "Oh, heya, boy. I thought you were up and leaving town. Decided to stick around for the shoot 'em up show?"

"I need access," Ardgal said cutting to the chase. "Midway Mine."

"Well ain't that in-opportune," Twitch said with false sympathy. "That's gonna be hard. As in, 500K hard. All in advance."

"I don't have time for this. Give me access. Now."

"Everything has a price, baby," Twitch said folding his hands behind his head. The blue skinned alien got comfortable in his office chair. "You gotta learn that sometime."

"I suppose your right," Ardgal said with resignation. A hail of shrapnel screamed through the air with a loud bang. The silver metal tore through Twitch's foot in a horrific display of severed tendons, shredded muscles, flayed skin, and snapped bones. It took all of half a second for his overloaded nerves to catch up with the sheer destruction rendered to his body in one shot.

"My God! My God! Oh my God!" Twitch screamed with convulsions. "Oh my God!"

Ardgal clicked the hammer back on his pistol, emotionless as he shouted over his victim's screams. "That's gonna have to be amputated. You have exactly 90 seconds before you bleed out so you need to decide; is your life more valuable than a few credits?"

"Oh God! Oh God you shot me! You shot me you mother--"

Ardgal grabbed Twitch's shirt and slammed him back against his chair, his pistol pressed into the man's stomach. "Do you want a second round?"

"God no! Oh please God no," Twitch begged. "I'll do it. I swear I'll do it."

Ardgal released him, making room for Homer to get to work. The sound of blaster fire in the next room echoed over.

"Clan, this is Ardgal, we have obtained a third party assistance and are bringing down the electronic defense of Midway Mine," he said into the Raxis Clan frequency. He glanced towards Twitch, "Expect results in 15 to 20 minutes. We are receiving heavy resistance, rendezvous at the mine could be delayed. Copy?"

. "Gar vod. I do not however recognize you as my alor, or even the alor for clan Raxis. If you wish to prove your claims then after we've found gray, I challenge you. Until then, think you can keep others distracted? Find out who is looking because I'll be damned if someone gets to him first and takes him away again."

He tensed. There was a time and a place for this, and that wasn't now--or maybe it was. He didn't care. Homer glanced up from his work to Ardgal in surprise. The general may have been more machine than man, but that didn't make him completely predictable. What set him a cut above even the best droids was the human intuition that was still left him him.

"Look here," he said, his voice crisp and controlled, "Whether you recognize me as the alor or not, that isn't the point and it doesn't matter either. I didn't ask for that title or the work it takes. But I am the raxis'alor. And if thinking about taking a shot at the title is the only thing on your mind right now--"

An explosion rocked the front of the building, sending a spray of permacrete, broken glass, and metal in the air.

"--then its clear you don't deserve that title," Ardgal finished before turning the corner.

[member="Relina Zhan"] I [member="Preliat Mantis"] I [member="Gromm Cardan"] I [member="Stardust Raxis"] I [member="Cynthia Raxis"]​

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The sudden intrusion was not surprising, given the fact that this seemed to be a particularly important area of operations for the Rancors. Preliat turned and pushed the Mirialan down, pushing a finger to his lips. The man on the ground was shaking in fear, and rightfully so. Preliat walked past, and quietly put his foot on his neck. The three newcomers were preoccupied with their current predicament to notice Preliat and Pandac. The man on the ground struggled for a moment, before his mortal coil unwound itself and he lay limp. Preliat looked at the girl, then over to where the two Rancors were. He moved low, like his namesake. He was near crouching, duck-walking almost to where the Rancors were taking cover. One noticed Preliat, but far too late. He grabbed a blaster, shoving the barrel into the stomach of one Rancor, and held onto the throat of the other. With his crushgaunts, he was able to squeeze his neck, and kill him in a single instance. The humanoid dropped to the ground, eyes rolled into the back of his head. The one with the barrel in his stomach didn't survive even a second after his friend, with Preliat firing four bolts into his stomach. The heat alone incinerated his inner organs, and all the squishy bits that kept people alive.

He let them both drop, with a thud. There was only silence for a moment, and Preliat was standing tall.

The man on the other wall turned to check on his friends. The cover they were behind only made it seem as though Preliat was there. Preliat sneered and vaulted himself over the shipping crates they were hiding behind. He dashed across the entrance, red bolts scorching the area around him. His coat flew behind him as he pinned the man against the wall. The Rancors were more or less a dead end now. He had what he needed from the man across the room. Preliat slammed the man on the wall, cracking the wall with the force at which he was slamming him against it. He let him drop to his feet, dazed- before Preliat kicked him hard enough to force his body through the wall.

Concrete, plaster, and drywall went splattering as the motors in Preliat's leg that were equivalent to a speeder hitting someone at a low speed impacted on an area the size of a fist, directly on the thug's chest. Whoever was outside was caught offguard by Preliat's actions, and were probably outnumbering him ten to one, based on the amount of fire that erupted out of the hole that Preliat created with the man's body. Preliat sneered and took cover as the bolts scorched the wall around him, leaving the distinct smell of carbon around. He withdrew the blaster from his holster and looked over to the woman.

"I hope you have friends, otherwise we're going to be here for a while."

Preliat was confident that they were getting closer and closer to Raxis. Or, they were pissing off enough thugs to stand up an army against them. Preliat wondered how much damage he did already. If he did any damage to them at all, actually. Preliat peered around the corner, trying to get a look at whoever was coming at them through the entrance. He snuck a glance at the Mirialan, before thumbing the safety off on his blaster. They were in for an actual stand-up gunfight now, something that Preliat wasn't a novice with either. He hoped the woman could hold her own. She seemed to be doing fine otherwise.

@Stardust Raxis @Ra'a'mah @Relina Zhan @Ardgal Raxis @Count Marlow Venjuta [member="Gromm Cardan"] [member="Leea Pandac"]

 

[Leea Pandac]

Allies - [member="Preliat Mantis"]
Unknowns - [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Stardust Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] @Count Marlow Venjuta [member="Gromm Cardan"]

Pandac followed the movements of Preliat, as he moved in to fight the other two Leea laid down and pulled her knife from its scabbard. Pushing is slowly into the dead body of the near human she sighed. First part of searching the dead was to make certain they were dead. She wasn't going to search the corpse, but she was going to move it with her. Grabbing underneath the dead man's arms she hefted him back towards the car and the various dead there.

She dropped the body after just moments of pulling and pushed the legs to create something of a flat line. Pushing on the ribs area the Mirialan was pleased to hear the slow exhale of air. She jolted and looked up when there was a great sound of rending metal. Over by the wall blaster fire seemed to poor in. The sheer quantity suggested at least a dozen if not more well armed soldiers outside. For a moment Pandac thought Mantis was going to leap out and face the foes. Certainly he seemed to have been able to defeat all their enemies up until this point.

Setting the rifle across the chest of the dead near human Pandac set a magazine in place and gave it a smack to make sure it was secure. Pulling the bolt back she checked to see if a bullet was in the chamber and once that was done she slid the bolt home and aligned the sights on the entrance. Sy had decided to teach her how to use the standard sights on the rifle before attaching any of the millions of specialized scopes and what have you that could be found throughout the galaxy. While it was perhaps inconvenient at the moment it was better in the long run. Or so Pandac guessed. She might be a pilot mainly in her other job, but that was no excuse not to be capable of defending herself on the ground. She was annoyed that she could not really see out into the entrance, the light difference or something. Then again, maybe the enemy had dropped smoke to cover their numbers which suggested that they had some sort of method of seeing through it. Perhaps they could see them right now.

When Mantis made his comment Leea raised her head and shook it. Saying, "Only one guy knows I'm here. He's too far away to help.... The car is running. Maybe we could make a run away?"

Several random blaster shots were fired into the hangar through the open entrance. They sizzled by and struck various spots, none dangerous to the two surviving occupants. The sound of a tripod being set up could be heard in the silence that followed. There were several voices, all to muffled by what could safely be assumed to be helmets, that spoke loudly outside. There was momentary quiet and then a very unique sound.

Ploonk. Ploonk. Ploonk.

In rapid succession three small devices landed inside the warehouse towards the middle. All three began transmitting a message, obviously some sort of comms that had been fired from a launcher of some sort. "This is Commander Triash of the Midway Swingers. Surrender the slaves and you will be spared." Pandac listened but felt uncertain in whether she should believe the man on the other side. He continued, "We have you in sight and will know if you do not surrender all slaves." Leea was puzzled a moment, before the realization dawned that it was a bluff. Intended to trick an outnumbered force of pirates whose only reason for being here was to hold slaves. An interesting psychological strategy. "If you do not comply, I will be forced to take drastic action. Comply and you shall be allowed to live."

Leea called out to Mantis, "Got any ideas?" She trusted the superior, as was drilled into her in the reserves. One always trusted the one above you since they tended to know more than you. She personally did not want to fight a stand still battle, having been taught that those were some of the bloodiest fights. Neither side would easily win... well perhaps Preliat could win, he seemed more than able. This would be the first time she had used her rifle in anger, ever. During her first round with the Rebels she had been strictly a pilot and had avoided ground fights. This was to be her first firefight if it came to that. For all that she felt strangely calm. Her body felt numb, as if everything else was fading except the plan and what to do next.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat, did in fact have ideas. A lot of them involved magnets. But that wasn't going to help them now. What was, however, was a well-placed shot. Preliat's eyes drilled hard into Leea, before he pivoted around the corner. To say that Preliat was an expert in all things related to murder was an understatement. Marksmanship and precision included. Preliat pivoted on his heel, and drew the blaster. Thumb over thumb. Sight picture. Breathing. Trigger squeeze. The blaster shot went through their screen, and hit the man who was speaking, who Preliat was assumed to be in charge by his position alone, right in the upper chest. The heat incinerated the man's heart, lungs, and parts of his spine on impact. Preliat took cover as blaster bolts kicked against the wall again. Blasters had kinetic impact, and were chipping the wall, but lacked penetration. Unless, he assumed they were about to set up an E-web of sorts. Which meant an entirely new set of terrible, awful problems.


"Car. I'll go first, then you come after. Don't move until I'm set."


Preliat dashed across the entrance and grabbed the Mirialan by the arm. He turned and fired out the door again, suppressing any movement they were about to make. Preliat liked the car idea. He ran outside, ducking under red bolts that came near him. Taking a bunch of goons and giving them high-speed guns and gear didn't make them special forces. It just made them thugs with fancy tools. Preliat pushed the barrel of the blaster to the connecting joint of the gravsled and fired, freeing the car from it's cargo-holding burden.

He hoped the Mirialan still had the keys. Preliat, while being fired upon and returning fire to give the green woman a bit of cover to make a break for the car with him, began to think on all the leads he had. Rancors were slavers. Might've gotten Raxis. But surely Raxis' presence, something on his person would've given him away. Or he lost everything he had. The Swingers wanted what the Rancors had. But why now? Why move on them right now? Seemed a bit convenient for Preliat for the Swingers to suddenly push on the Rancors when so many off-worlders were coming for Raxis. So he came to two conclusions, both of which could be inherently wrong. The first was that the Swingers were taking advantage of the confusion that the influx of would-be rescuers and the distress signal to overpower the Rancors. Or, the Rancors were holding [member="Gray Raxis"] for some sort of ransom that amounted enough to send the other gangs against them in such a fashion, and in the process, take over their business.

Preliat squeezed off a few more shots. Blasters had a lot of ammo, but not enough in a single power pack to fend off a pissed off gang by his lonesome. He hoped the Mirialan wouldn't need much direction. She was more capable and seemed independent, and didn't require much babysitting. He just hoped her drug habit wasn't going to bite him in the ass soon.

[member="Leea Pandac"] l [member="Ardgal Raxis"] l I don't want to tag everyone again and again

 

[Leea Pandac]

Allies - [member="Preliat Mantis"]
Unknowns - [member="Cynthia Raxis"][member="Stardust Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Count Marlow Venjuta"] [member="Gromm Cardan"]


There was a cry from outside as men realized they had lost their commander. These were not trained soldiers, but then they were also not of the same lot as the rabble that Preliat had so easily dispatched. Many of these were mercenaries that had joined for the money more than anything else. The loss of their commander broke down the collaboration of the forces, however they were collectively smart enough to hold their position and continue setting up the E-web blaster, just as Mantis had feared. But, they still did not advance on the warehouse yet.

Pandac's heart leapt as the bigger man moved past the opening to the door. She could hear the gun outside winding up and a stream of plasma blasted through the wall where he had been previously. A fortuitous movement, if not intentionally to avoid the fire. She stayed put as he ordered, still watching out the door in case she needed to cover him. As with every point before, he proved himself capable of handling it just fine. When he grabbed her arm she moved with him. Not looking anywhere except where they were moving she ran as best she could. Under most circumstances that would have been pretty well, but between the various injuries and her hand being held she was a bit slower than usual.

As soon as she got near the car she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. Checking the engine, she found it was still on from earlier and she pushed the control experimentally forward, nothing happened. She then attempted to use the various switches and a lever or two. Surprisingly one worked fairly quickly and the vehicle began to move forward. Grasping the control she turned and with the other hand she pushed the throttle. The vehicle picked up momentum and she turned further to point the vehicle away down a street that she guessed would lead away. "Going." The pain in her side was beginning to pain her again, but it was dull at this point and Leea could handle it.

As the car moved, there was another ploonk and a patch of smoke filled the warehouse. It was perhaps advantageous that they were moving out of the house when they did. "Do you have any idea where to go?" She looked to the comm and tried to click it on as she moved. She was mildly annoyed by the different placement of the controls compared to a fighter. It was to be expected, but it was giving her some trouble.

 

[Riamah]

Ra followed the guiding Star gave her along with avoiding as many scuffles as they could. Her speeder was armored so the shots that did connect didn't make it through to them and they were unharmed. The paint job, not so much. Cursing under her breath as she had swerve around another body on the ground, the Raxis channel lit up again. Conversation between Cynthia and Ardgal. What was said confused Ra, but she kept silent for the moment.

When they were done, she broke her own comms silence and relayed their location and heading. Her parting words would hopefully get a point across.

"I'm new to this whole clan thing guys. Stick to business and work out the details after Gray has been rescued."

She handed the microphone to Stardust on the chance she wanted to add in any additional details. This was her husband they were after, if anybody could find him, her friend would.

[member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Preliat Mantis"] @anybody I missed (sorry)

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray:​

​

The echoing of the drops of water was hypnotic within the darkness that surrounded Gray. The cool air felt good against his skin as well even if it would uncomfortable for some. He lacked a shirt of any kind and only had a pair of loose pants on. Along with his pants the only other items he had was his cybernetic right hand and his lightsaber Whisper sitting in his lap. He was cross legged on the hard floor just listening to the drip drip drip that was bouncing off of the walls around him. It had created a strange sense of peace that had been missing for him as of late. It was as if the place he was currently at was trying to provide him with a sense of hope that those in need were getting from him. He didn't know why they felt that way around him or why this place was providing it for him.

Gray had made up his mind on what to do. The only thing he could do was begin to meditate in this place and try to connect with the force. It might have been able to provide him with sight were his eyes could not. So that is what he did. Placing his hands on top of his knees and bowing his head, he began to focus on drawing the force into him. He allowed it to well up inside until it could burst then just let it slowly drift out. Once then twice he did this before he began to allow it to flow through him freely. Unhindered, the he began to see what was around him from the perspective that was force sight.....

Midway City:​

​

All of those seeking to discover any information on Gray within Midway City would soon discover there was none to be had. The first and only time they had heard of his name was when the message en mass had gone out and visitors had come flooding to the city to find out what was happening. If people were not clueless and lacked any good information then they were scammers selling fake info. It would range from him working in one of the clubs to him being in the sewers to him being the secret boss of X gang. There was even rumors he had gone feral and hunted for prey like a savage beast out in the hills. Nothing of value could be learned within the city but it would take some time to figure that out.

Spoiler

[member="Preliat Mantis"] [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Gromm Cardan"] [member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Ra'a'mah"]

Midway Mine:​

​

For the Spec Ops being lead by [member="Relina Zhan"] at Midway Mine, they would discover reports being made by the workers and the staff. There was a rumor going around of a specter haunting the underground lake deep within the mines. A few had seen it, but no more than a quick peak as the darkness within was thick. Some of the workers had even begun to speak of a promise it had made of salvation coming for the enslaved. The rumors had been quelled multiple times but they kept popping back up. The description of the specter was that of a tall male with brown hair. The build was more like that of a warrior or a soldier than a miner or worker. Along with the rumors they would discover the mysterious message had originated from one of the terminals at this facility but had somehow not been noticed by those in charge.

OOC: Also if everyone could include a rough location at the top of their post that would help out a lot. It is difficult trying to keep track of who is where in this thread without it.

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

Heading to midway mines
Allies- @ra'a'mah [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] @anyone else

Enemies-gangs

Stardust had no luck reaching gray, she opened her eyes as she still felt him, she listened in her comms as she closed her eyes growling then took the microphone when give and spoke

Listen! I don't care who claiming who as alor or whatever! We all know this clan split a mistake on both parts as of now we are not going to warrior about that, ardgal try looking for any places with slaves me and a vod are heading for the mines I have a feeling in the force

She frowned and hung it up as she sighed and rubbed her forehead as they started for the mines, she stopped feeling lotta people as she had ra stop mike away and then got out

Cynthia overwatch on the mines if you can eta to entrance 10 minutes

She had no idea anyone else was there...and those inside probalbly didn't know they were coming

 

[Preliat Mantis]

En Route To Business Sector

"Somewhere particularly quiet to where we can lay low. I don't feel like getting caught up in a gang war."

He laid the blaster on the dashboard and removed his coat. He wasn't wearing on his upper body within a moment. He checked himself for any superficial wounds, his hands running over his bare chest. To say that Preliat's body was maimed and scarred was an understatement- there was shrapnel that was lodged in his body still, too difficult to remove, especially on his shoulders. Burns, scars, and tattoos marked his chest. As the adrenaline wore off, Preliat realized that he sustained a few superficial knife wounds, but nothing major. The bleeding in fact, had already stopped.

Preliat put his undershirt back on, looking over to the woman. He sighed and leaned back against the seat.

"I don't think either of them have it, truthfully. Intuition- or at least, I don't think these two gangs that we encountered. There'd be a lot of chatter for a man like Gray Raxis being captured."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"But other than that, I have no rightful idea where else he would be."

[member="Leea Pandac"]

 

[Leea Pandac]

Allies - @Preliat Mantis
Unknowns - [member="Cynthia Raxis"] @Stardust Raxis @Ra'a'mah [member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Count Marlow Venjuta"] [member="Gromm Cardan"]

Moving to the Business Sector

Leea felt much the same way, whatever had caused the gangs to fight, she really didn't want to be in the middle of it. It was amazing just how ferocious their fighting could become, but then that said perhaps more about the people rather than the gangs themselves. She was just glad they had gotten out of the warehouse before anything more permanent had happened. She got the impression that they would have been shot even if the Swingers had been aware of the fact that the Leea and Preliat were not from the Rancors.

She kept her eyes locked on the road as she tried to decipher where to head, she began just taking turns in random intervals. As Mantis removed his shirt Pandac became concerned about the blaster on the dashboard. Not so much the blaster itself as what it reminded her of, her rifle was sitting on the back seat with no safety on and a round loaded in the chamber. That was just asking for an accident. She half listened as Preliat put back on his shirt and then spoke his thoughts. She nodded without taking her eyes off the road.

Taking a left she found proper traffic and slowed to a crawl and stop. "Perhaps then someone else has him. Or maybe he isn't in trouble." Her words trailed off as she thought about that possibility and then asked, "I get the feeling you know him quite well. Could he be setting a trap for someone?"

It was a random thought and Pandac was beginning to follow it to a more precise conclusion. Or at least the best she could given her distinct lack of knowledge. If he were setting a trap then maybe it was for someone he knew and who knew him. Perhaps the man was in no need of rescue, but merely waiting for someone to come to him. She had no idea whether it was true or not, or even if it were plausible. Leea quickly followed with a completely different subject, "Can you reach my rifle? It's safety is off."

It was as she twisted to check the rifle and put her focus back on the road that she noticed something odd with the vehicle. Whenever she only slightly moved the control left or right the car would correct itself. As if it had some form of internal computer control. In and of itself this was unimpressive, but the potential importance of this discovery did not escape her. She just needed to find a spot to stop nearby.

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Gray Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"]

Location: Midway Mines
- Cipher team -

Eight camouflaged special operations soldiers belonging to the Hapan Royal navy, one of which was actually a current RONI operative, had managed to reach the mines undetected so far. Most of their sight was in the infrared to compensate for how their optical camouflage worked, which involved the displacement of light in the visible, low-frequency ultraviolet, and high frequency infrared bands of the spectrum. Hapans were also known to have notoriously poor nightvision, so the use of infrared-enhanced visor displays was simply practical as well as critical for this specialised armour system's functionality.

The team did not use the main entrances to the mines, but rather a service shaft that would generally be used by maintenance crews in all likelihood. One of the first revelations, however, was something none of the operatives wanted to hear nor see: Slave labour exploitation. Slavery was the one of the origins of the Hapan people, incidentally, namely on the part of their now-dominant women. The other half of their origins was piracy, namely on the part of the once-dominant males. Naturally, the entire practice of involuntary and uncompensated servitude was completely abolished soon after the Consortium's inception, even as punishment for a crime. Piracy, of course, became a capital crime and remained so. Despite the collective disgust at this discovery, the infiltration team maintained discipline and continued to gather information.

Rumours were heard from the slave population here and there about a mysterious figure referred to as a 'spectre'. The description of the being seemed mundane enough to have merit, but of course, it could be simply a rumour and little else spread for the purposes of keeping morale and hope up among these poor oppressed souls. Cipher, however, did not dismiss these rumours so quickly. She would guide her team through side passages, using her weapon's smart scope to see around corners before rounding them by pointing it around a corner and down the path beyond it; safety and survivability, of course, was paramount. Based on the transition from rock tunnels and sled paths to more ferrocrete and what appeared to be office doors, it was a fair bet they were getting closer to the administrative parts of the operation.

Cipher lifted a hand near a bulkhead surrounding a locked door. She would make a short series of hand gestures meant to convey non-verbally for two men to take position on the other side of the threshold. She'd then signal for one man on each side to act as look out, weapon ready, in case they were walked in on from behind. Cipher would then examine the locking mechanism and checked her equipment to determine if she was capable of hacking the lock. She was a cyborg with a neural interface jack, but the question was whether the lock's technology could accept this in lieu of an astromech droid, a legitimate security key, or a slicing spike. Incidentally, most full computer terminals could.

Location: Low Orbit
- Angel Squadron and M.I. 8-

There were plenty of ships entering the system. It would seem everyone was gunning for whatever and who ever was down there. The only transmissions from Cipher Team were encrypted map charts based on the team's movements. They were being tracked by their allies above via surveillance, which was also being used to overwatch the Midway Mining facility and chart the surface features. Comm silence was still in effect, otherwise. Military flash codes would be used through encrypted channels when simple communication was necessary, such as warning of an incoming hostile force, or mission abortion/completion. In emergency situations, however, such as the entire operation's cover being blown, comm silence would be cancelled.

Relina occupied herself by simply leading her squadron around asteroids and meteors in the planet's ring system, patrolling the immediate operation area for signs of interference by interlopers. They already had orders to break comm silence and engage if this operation was interrupted by anyone except for a very short list of approved assets. Otherwise, the Ducha was bored to tears. She didn't really complain too much, considering she didn't really fancy herself working for M.I. 8 in the way Cipher team was. She was a combat pilot, not a soldier. She fenced for sport as hobby and had ground operations training insofar as were necessary for survival in the event she was shot down in a dogfight. Otherwise, her involvement with ground assaults have generally amounted to close air support.

Location: Midway Mines
-Cipher Team-

Cipher plugged a thin cable into her neural interface jack at one end and the other end into a slicing spike. She'd insert it into the interface port on the door where a droid's S-link probe would go and would begin turning it. There was only one way to find out whether this would work. As she turned it she let out a muted moan and sigh.

"Ma'am?" he asked with a hint of concern.

Cipher paused and continued her task. "... Nothing... just a serotonin surge, is all... it's rather pleasurable, really."

They both had spoken in hushed tones. Within minutes the lock released, but as Cipher pulled the spike from the socket, the door would open on its own... or so it seemed. Cipher stood to face a confused and edgy looking mine worker; the paid and armed kind.

The guard did not see her nor her comrades right away, despite their presence being right next to him on both sides. He was pretty much surrounded and didn't know it yet. Cipher would slowly and carefully edge herself past the bulk head, but her last footfall was heard and soon the guard had stared directly at her. His lips parted and at that moment, she cocked back a fist and slugged him between the eyes.

One of the commandos immediately put an armoured hand over the dazed guard's mouth and slit his throat, assassination style. The body would then be picked up and moved inside as Cipher and the other commandos moved in. The door would then be locked and covered by a single overwatch solider. The guard would be released when he breathed his last a few minutes later. The blood dripping on the killing soldier's gauntlets would betray his presence and were carefully cleaned off on the guard's fabric clothing... what wasn't armoured, that is.

Cipher would take a look around, finding another door with a lock on it. She searched the gaurd's body and found a credit chip, an extra power pack that wouldn't fit the Commandos specialised and proprietary assault rifles the team carried, a security key, a common blaster rifle, and a flashbang grenade. Cipher took the security key and the flash bag, everything else being useless to her. Having one more flashbang handy never hurt, right? She would then gesture to take position at the next accessway as she ran the security key.

The door unlocked and the team would move inside in a crisscrossing formation, those on Cipher's right would enter to the left and vise versa to secure the next area, a corridor, quickly and efficiently. The corridor was empty and featureless save for a security cam and an atrium at the other end. The team moved forward along the walls of the corridor and into the atrium where to their left was an armory and to their right was a room with terminals in it. Both rooms had armed men in them. There was also another door with no view inside. Cipher, however, determined that the guard nuisance would take priority. She gestured for three men to take position near the computer room and two to take position at either side of the door with no view.

Cipher herself and another would target the armoury first, it being arguably the bigger threat, what with it being a weapon locker with men to use the stored weapons inside. She armed the grenade and opened the armoury door, slung it in and then closed the door again. At the same moment, one of the three on the computer room's door threw a flashbang in as well. Both grenade reports signaled it was time to seize both rooms. The rest of the men held their positions in case the third door held reinforcements.

 

[Cynthia Solus]

Allies/family - [member="Gray Raxis"] Ξ [member="Stardust Raxis"] Ξ [member="Ra'a'mah"] Ξ [member="Ardgal Raxis"]
Potential threats/unknowns - [member="Leea Pandac"] Ξ [member="Preliat Mantis"] Ξ [member="Relina Zhan"] Ξ [member="Count Marlow Venjuta"]

Location: 0, 0
Map:

Spoiler

Cynthia kept her pursuit on those in the speeder. She had to admit that the fake alor had angered her grately but her mind was to focused on grey. In some way her anger and passions brought a level of strength to do what was necessary. The call soon came through that star needed her gun to provide clear passage. Coming to a halt hovering in the air her hand would raise up to her helmat. "Ten minutes is all I need." She said watching the speeder go out of sight blending into the countless others.

She'd turn around latching her cable onto a civilian speeder. It pulled her close to the back that she was able to stand on it's back. The magnetic souls kept her from falling off as she walked forwards and dropping into the seat startling the driver. "By no means am I robbing you. I just need to get somewhere quickly, I'm going to take control okay?" She said as the man gave a nervous nod obviously knowing she was manda by the armor. Although she wasn't some mercenary or warmonger like most mandos today. She was a true Raxis who lived by honour.

It was the way gray raised this clan. Nurturing it into something that could show that for generations the mandolorians they'd lost there way and there was a path back onto the right road again. As the got close to the mine Cynthia handed controls back. "Thank you and as I said, not robing you." She pushed herself up into edge of the door and rolled backwards into free fall. Her jet pack had time to cool down some so she could avoid it over heating. The woman dived low to the ground to avoid detection form any defenses.

Making her way along and up the side of the mountain she found herself a nice vantage point that over saw the entrance to the mine. It had seemed someone had already came through and now those who owned it seemed pissed. She could tell by them setting up fortification outside and dragging bodies to somewhere. "Okay star I'm in position. The people down there seem pissed but distracted. I believe someone came through here and still may be inside." it took a few moments for her to realise that the mines ran deep below her that she couldn't fully get a map. "Once your clear I'll be following you in okay."

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Gray Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

Location: Midway Mines
- Cipher Team -

In a trice, the guards in both rooms were eliminated almost simultaneously while dazed, confused, and quite figuratively, with their proverbial trousers down. No honour. No glory. This wasn't warfare nor was it a personal vendetta. There was no time nor need for formalities, posturing, monologues, or other niceties the honourable warrior type took seriously. This was a cloak and dagger sort of operation run by the spooks of the Royal Office of Naval Intelligence and their overarching, humourless handlers, the Ministry of Intelligence, Division 8. Any means necessary was allowed to achieve M.I. 8's ends. The kid gloves had been left hundreds of parsecs away in the Hapes Cluster.

The sounds of struggle were relatively quiet and disturbingly brief. Blood was wiped off of camouflaged armour where necessary and bodies were searched for security keys and other immediately useful items. Security cams, however, had seen guards falling to virtually invisible assailants. No definition was available for the commandos themselves, save for only a slight background distortion that was more visible when they moved. Anyone observing these cams view would realise that the mine had been infiltrated by a team that wasn't composed of amateurs. Indeed, these 'ghosts' were professionals. Not a single blaster shot was fired by either side.

As it turns out, however, most of the cams fed to the computer station room that had been seized along with the armoury. Cipher gestured for her commandos to watch both the corridor they came through and the door that hadn't been opened yet, taking overwatch positions over both. Cipher entered the computer room and found the main terminal, into which she interfaced directly via her neural jack. She would use neural impulses to break through the security on the terminal to provide full access... serotonin surges and all. Frankly, it was one of the few pleasures in her otherwise nerve-wracking and hazardous, yet well-paying lifestyle.

Once she had access, she would think an encryption sequence into the transmitter system and communicate a military flash code to the Shadowsprite above, indicating successful system infiltration. Next, a complete map of the mine as a whole was uplinked to the ship, providing information on an area orbital surveillance could not adequately see. the Same map data would be uploaded to the team's cartography logs on their integrated holo-datapads. They now knew what the unseen areas looked like and could plan accordingly. Cipher also soon discovered that the signal that brought them here in the first place had been sent from this very terminal. She logged this data and sent a confirmation flash code indicating this to her superiors above.

Access to sensor data around the facility alerted her to various groups and signs of combat. Preliminary surveillance analysis had indicated the presence of local gangs that seemed to be a form of authority within the confines of their respective turfs. They were constantly battling each other for hegemony over the entire city and everything it had to offer. The mines were, obviously, a profitable operation coveted by many; roonstones were a lucrative commodity. And then the slaves came to mind. Cipher searched through the terminal's database for where the slaves came from, any individual identifying information, how they were bound to the mines, and a way to free them. "It isn't our itinerary, but I can't leave these people in their situation...." she said under her breath, thinking out loud.

Let no one ever accuse a RONI operative of lacking basic Humanity and a heart. Cipher looked to the armoury, remembering the array of weapons and body armour available. It couldn't be enough for all of the slaves she was about to liberate and providing them with the armoury's contents could easily make them a target for the gang that controlled this mine. She was in an ethical conundrum. She had a moral obligation to free them and ensure as many of them got out alive as possible while neutralising their exploiters. Could she accept the loss of some for the sake of the many by turning them into armed and angry freedom fighters? She briefly weighed out her options and their potential consequences.

She decided upon wholesale deactivation of their slave implants; leaving the mines would no longer spell a death sentence by brain haemorrage. She would also delete the programs necessary to reactivate them or to do anything else with them. She would then use the security cam systems to first see what lies beyond the door that hadn't been opened in the atrium. While she was at it, she unlocked all doors and would delete any functionality to lock them again, either remotely or locally. The team and any allies they would make, as well as enemies, had full run of the facility now. There was no army of gang-bangers in the facility from what she could see. Only a skeleton crew, by the looks of it, existed to drive the slaves and keep operations functional while the bulk of the gang's forces were being engaged outside of the mines themselves. It would seem that the diversion created by parties not yet identified as friend or foe were working out to their advantage. Security turrets outside of the mines were activated and had their IFFs set to attack those carrying gang IFF transponders; what once would have shielded them now made them a target... and of course, there was the hope that the gesture would foster co-operation if the operation were to go south at any point.

Cipher then chose the sectors of the mines where the remaining majority of the supervisors of the slave workers would be located. A klaxon was triggered indicating imminent hostile forces entering the mines. She would activate the intercom system and say in a flat, but urgent tone, "All armed personnel to the Mine entrance sectors. We are under attack. Repeat: ALL armed personnel to the Entrance Sectors Immediately! All workers are commanded to take shelter inside the tunnels near Administration." While her voice had a distinct Hapan accent, she tried to flatten it as best she could. The accent was still present, however... and it might give her away as not one of them. There could be more blood. Cipher would cover her bases just in case her bluff was called. Of course, if the remaining armed guards in the Mine bought her not-entirely-untrue ruse, they would likely be chewed up by the other parties presently fighting their gang as well as the turrets Cipher set to fire at them instead of non-gang members.

The commandos, having taken overwatch over both doors in or out of the atrium double-checked their weapons, armed flashbang grenades, and prepared for combat. Cipher jacked out and directed the overwatch to a more optimised positioning: Two Commandos on either side of both accessways, poised to neutralise anyone coming in through them from behind and three guarding the computer room accessway. Cipher would finally turn back to the computer system and began attempting to liberate it's datacore for seizure and extraction. The brass would want this. She would transfer security cam operation to an adjacent terminal so she could be aware of the situation.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray:​

​

Everything was visible to Gray as he continued to focus on the force and view out around him. It was not exactly what he had expected to find but it explained things. It also was sort of a welcome change to where he had been before this. He couldn't go back and wouldn't go back there, not after everything that happened. What they did had broken him in many ways. Torture of both the mind and body was all he had known for months. They probed his mind seeking out any information they could find to use against him. All of his failures, his doubts, were constantly thrown at him to break his will. His failure to save his either of his parents. He was never allowed to forget how he had to watch both of them die in front of his eyes. His failure to save the Jedi on Illum during that raid on Ilum. They were suppose to be Mandalorians who upheld honor and yet they cut down pacifists and younglings in cold blood. His failure to stop Jack before he had attacked the Mand'alor during the Kashyyk invasion. He gave his right hand as punishment for the crime to save his own clan from persecution. The battle of Castamere were he had lost half of his men to a hellfire of artillery, blaster fire, and explosives. He had barely walked away from that one himself as he pushed himself to his limits. And then his failure to keep himself together after it all.

After attacking his mind they would turn towards his body. Electrocution, hot irons, lashings, and blunt trauma were all done to him. Bones were broken and organs busted only for them to throw him in a bacta tank after so he wouldn't die. Gray had too many scars on him as it was but now it was even worse. Many of the injuries they had inflicted had caused some doubt if it would ever recover or if that part would be ruined for life. It never did get that bad because they wouldn't let it. They wanted him healthy. They wanted to turn him and use him as a pawn for their goals, whatever they truly were. They had hoped weakening his will before weakening his body would break him in the end, and it had almost worked. If not for that person who had helped him....

Gray could feel the darkness within him stirring again. A part of him that had been born after his father had been killed in front of him and it took him years to bury it far enough down it would have no control. But what they had done, what they had made him relive, it had been awakened and given new strength. It scared him what he might do if it took over but he knew without it he wouldn't be alive now. He needed to come to terms with it like he should have before, but could he? Could he face his doubts, his fears, his rage and not be consumed by them?

A sensation in the force stirred Gray from his thoughts. Something was happening nearby but he could not say what. Fear and hope in equal parts was increasing in intensity. The people he had told would have help soon were going through...something. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was something terrifying enough to rouse all of their emotions to this level. If there was any time for him to stop mopping and feeling sorry for himself it was now. He had to push back everything. He had to center himself. It was not easy and their near panic was not helping, but he eventually managed to do it. He stood up onto shaky legs. His body was still in need of rest and recovery after all those months. A few days or weeks, he could not tell anymore, in the place he was at was not enough for him to regain his strength. But that didn't matter right now so he got Whisper in hand and slowly began to head towards where the emotions were running so high at.

Midway Mine:​

​

It seems that the armed personnel of the Mines did not even notice the accent of the one over the speakers. They had new people coming in all the time and thought it was just one of them speaking. They all got geared up and headed to the front of the mine. The wall was heavily fortified now for anyone trying to show up to the mine and they were in no mood to ask questions before shooting. Anyone who approached would have to find a way to deal with the walls, turrets, and gate being sealed as well as all of the people shooting from behind them to enter now. The now free workers did not realize that they were and so followed the orders as well. They all moved to the administration section of the mine in a quiet panic. They feared for their lives as it was not unusual for a few workers to be killed when someone attacked. But they also hoped that it might be a chance to escape to freedom as well. They spoke in muffled conversations with themselves as they all tried to sort out what was happening.

Spoiler

[member="Relina Zhan"] [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Ra'a'mah"]

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Gray Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

Location: Midway Mines
- Cipher Team -

Cipher noticed that the mines had been vacated of all armed, gang-member personnel. She continued her work on extracting the terminal's physical datacore, having opened the device and pulled back the screen bevel by then using a maintenance toolkit found in a drawer. She turned to the three commandos she posted at the terminal room door for cover briefly as she ransacked the terminal itself.

"Commander Shar, Lieutenant Tomo, meet our new friends at the entrance we came in through. Disengage active camouflage and make no hostile movements. Get those people in here and get the most able bodied of them armed and equipped... and teach them how to use a blaster. We are not leaving with out them." Cipher ordered.

The two men she specifically named saluted with an "Aye, aye, Ma'am!" before disengaging their optical camouflage systems and moving to open the doors for the now free slaves to get in to safety.

Cipher would continue her task, next removing a mounting bracket that firmly held the datacore's delicate crystal storage drive. Before disconnecting the wires that fed power and transmitted information to and from the drive, she would look around for something to wrap it up in and carry it with minimal risk of damage. The room was devoid of such a thing, but the armoury likely had one.

The two Commandos ordered to link up with the slaves had opened the door and held up their hands in a placating, 'we come in peace' gesture, their rifles slung to their sides. The liberated workers, obviously, were terrified of the imposing armoured figures. They were probably traumatised from their harsh life of hard labour, likely used to various forms of abuse. Both men sighed in pity; how terrible it was that slavery still existed anywhere in the Galaxy. The Commander and Lieutenant would slowly reach up and released the seals on their helmets with a soft hiss.

As the helmets came off, the men and women of various humanoid races, Humans, various near-Humans, and Twi'leks mostly, could finally look upon the faces of their liberators. Commander Shar had short, reddish hair, fair skin, and soft green eyes while his squadmate, Lieutenant Tomo had slightly tanned skin, brown hair, and stark-blue eyes. They were both very handsome, although they both squinted a little to make out the faces of the people before them in the dim lighting. Any other Human race wouldn't have this kind of problem, but Hapans had adapted over thousands of years, insulated by a hyperspace-choking nebula, to a 3,300 lightyear wide microcosm that didn't know what true night was. The entire breed of Humanity was nightblind.

"You... aren't here to kill us?" A Twi'lek woman spoke, her voice trembling, her face smudged with grime and sweat. Her lekku had been harnessed behind her head, like all of the Twi'leks among them, likely to mute their sign-language capability. She still had a terrified look in her eyes.

"Negative, ma'am. We're here to rescue you. We need you to come inside right away.... all of you. It isn't safe out there." The commander explained, stepping aside.

There was only a brief look among them before they all rushed into the narrow corridor without further delay nor question. The Lieutenant closed the door behind them. The helmets went back on, locked into place, and infrared enhancement reactivated, but they remained visible. When the liberated workers reached the atrium, Cipher was already packing a neatly wrapped datacore into a survival pack's empty space, securing it in a mylar blanket for EMP and shock protection. She was also visible. The other Commandos would deactivate their camouflage in sequence to show that there were eight of them in total.

"Your implants are offline... permanently. You are free now and there is no danger of leaving the premises." Cipher began. "I need the bravest and most able bodied among you to step forward."

The workers, still quite scared, hesitated to volunteer themselves. All they knew was that they were apparently being liberated, but the words, 'able-bodied' and "bravest' didn't sit well. Cipher would shoulder the survival pack with her loot and looked among them. "... Seriously? No one wants to get even for the atrocities and indignities committed against you and yours?" she asked.

"Well, when you put it that way...." One of the Human males finally said, stepping forward with a brave face. He was soon followed by other human men and women, an Echani woman, Twi'lek Men and women, even a Wookie. Others would join them hesitantly, but for some, the peer pressure was mounting.

"... mmmhmmm... that's what I thought. Now, our inventory of the Armoury can arm and equip most of you, but...." she trailed off, taking a quick head count.

The Commander beat her to the final number, however. "About twenty of you will have to stick to the rear and stay out of harm's way."

Two Commandos would start dragging out equipment and arms, distributing them among those who stepped forward first, then to any one else fit to fight. They would also each be instructed on basic operation of the blaster rifles and pistols available. what armour was available was also distributed, although it was rudamentary compared to the commandos' high tech military equipment. The most injured, sick, or frightened would be those left unarmed. There was a medical bay on the facility map in the next room beyond the atrium they stood in, so it was there that the injured would be patched up as best as they could in a hurry. They gathered as much medical equipment that could be carried by the non-combatants, who would be assigned support duties.

Cipher knew this group wasn't a professional army and if fighting broke out, there was a likelihood of casualties. While this part of the operation wasn't on their itinerary and could be brought up against her for disciplinary action, she had to at least try to save as many as possible and bring them to freedom. The consequences could mean suspension from duty due to what could be perceived as an unnecessary risk to the mission. Cipher didn't care, since she could take the consequences with a clear conscience. "Forward."

The group of one hundred and eight moved through the Administrative facility on a path toward the landing pad. With this many people, the evac shuttle from the Shadowsprite wasn't enough. Cipher, however, would transmit to the ship that the main mission was complete.

"Shadowsprite to First Lance. Stand by for evac coordinates." said the ship's pilot, now breaking comm silence, finally.

"Negative Shadowsprite. We are heavy one datacore and about a hundred liberated slaves. We'll hijack enemy shuttles and come to you."

"This is going in my report, Cipher...." the M.I. 8 commander advised with a displeased tone. ".... Angel Squadron, descend to their position and give them cover. Comm silence is cancelled. You are authorised to engage any hostile forces at your discretion, but your immediate priority is escorting those shuttles to orbit and ensuring they dock with us. Am I clear, Ducha Zhan?"

"Affirmative. All craft, turn to vector 287." Relina replied with a clear hint of relief in her tone. Finally, something more interesting. "Angel Squadron will prosecute."

"Yes, My Lady!" her squadron replied as they followed her down in tight formation.

The Seven-fighter squadron would turn to descend through Roon's atmosphere to meet the away team and the civilians liberated from bondage. "Mach One... Mach Two... Mach Three... Mach Four...." Computer voices inside of the Type M 808 Terminus starfighters resounded as the squadron approached hypersonic speed. The forward swept wings of the fighters would fold inward to reduce drag, making an already sleek profile even moreso. As the atmosphere thickened, however, any groups they passed by would hear them pass overhead; the roaring staccato of pulse detonation ion engines was distinctive.

 

[Riamah]

Ra kept driving and trying to avoid getting into accidents or shot along the route Stardust guided her on. A few incendiary rounds blew up not far, but the debris that was expelled never got close enough to do damage to the speeder. It did send the denizens into more panic though.

"Star, we're not going to get much further. Look."

Pointing in front of them, there were blockades going up and the people were getting pushed around nearby.

"This thing doesn't have wings sadly."

Slowing down, Ra was able to get a little further, but traffic came to a halt and she couldn't see a way around to get to where they needed to go.

"You got any ideas, sister?"

[member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Stardust Raxis"]

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Gray Raxis"] [member="Relina Zhan"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Cynthia Raxis"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"]

Stardust leaned out as she fired at those who shot at them, she ducked back in as a near blaster bolt hit nearby her as she huffed and looked forward seeing the blockade and people being pushed around...no doubt slaves

ardgal head for the mines I feel gray here plus we got slaves. I'll have Cynthia Mark friend and for. Cynthia send the friend for tags to me

Stardust jumped out as she drew her sabers as her aura got dark instead of her usual light one she had around her...done away was that lighthearted queen and her warrior began to show

yea, we bust on through. Watvh for anyone unarmed Don t want to kill innocents lives

No doubt the turrets saw her, she gathered the force to move a devris arpund into make shift cover as she put a saber up and drew a westar as she called out

we must be careful, ra watch my back

Stardust was doing something stupid, a white and black flash and she was charging with great speed at the gates, as the turrets fired she hopped side to side throwing back blaster bolts fired at her.....she could feel gray...he was here! She could feelnthe fear of the slaves that fueled her anger as she let a war cry out almost animal like

However she notices something...those who seemed like slaves wet epickimg weapons up, a blaster fired for her hitting square in her right shoulder spinning and invoking her down, she stood panting and glared up

The emerald dragon attacked...with anger in its veins she was a force that would not be stopped, however the rational party heard something anyone feared...fighters...that noise they always made she didn't know if it was friendlty...but only one way to find out

 

[Cynthia Solus]

Allies/family - [member="Gray Raxis"] Ξ [member="Stardust Raxis"] Ξ [member="Ra'a'mah"] Ξ [member="Ardgal Raxis"]
Potential threats/unknowns - [member="Leea Pandac"] Ξ [member="Preliat Mantis"] Ξ [member="Relina Zhan"] Ξ [member="Count Marlow Venjuta"]

Location: 0, 0
Map:

Cynthia could see Star and Ra just beyond the wall. Criminals, slavers and merc's fortified the wall. They had already noticed the two and began to open fire upon them. The noise of their blasters could be heard from her vantage point above the mine. It meant that the noise would surely drown out the sound of her shots. Her breathing became slow and controlled as she lined up a shot on the turret operator. "Wind speed three knot's left to right. Second dot on the right. Distance one thousand fifty seven meters. Fifth line. Breath and squeeze." She spoke to herself as her finger pressed against the trigger. The recoil of the gun would bounce against her armour as she proceeded to align her next shot. "Star I'm going to make you an entrance okay. Get ready." Not for one moment had she came out of that call for every time she mumbled something to herself, star would hear it. She didn't know if it was comforting or distracting but at this moment she needed both hands on the rifle.

Her scope was locked onto a large munitions stockpile that was against the wall and below another turret. She had spotted it when she had seen someone gathering a new gas canister. With another squeeze of the trigger a large cloud of orange and green tore a hole in the wall. Cynthia was in the right spot to see the shock wave travel across the floor making a ring of dust in its wake. "Sending my hud visuals to you. All friendly's are marked. Your in orange so you can tell where you are in the feed."

The Mandalorian girl continued to take out the criminals one by one as she got faster predicting the shots. Each shot was to ensure there was a path that was as clear as possible for star. There was however one problem she could see. Once they enter the mine it would be a constant battle. Cynthia wasn't sure she had enough ammunition to keep a long prolonged battle up. "When your half way I'll make my way down fast okay. Just be at the entrance when I'm down there."

 

[Relina Zhan]

[member="Stardust Raxis"] [member="Gray Raxis"] @Ra'a'mah [member="Leea Pandac"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

Location: Midway Mines
- Cipher Team -

Cipher lead her Commandos and the small army of former slaves-turned freedom fighters and soon, refugees, out of the mine's administrative facility and directed them toward the Landing pad. Along the way, the whispers of a 'spectre' who had promised liberation to them continued, some equating their liberators with the aforementioned promise. However, who was this 'spectre' they were talking about? Had they left someone in the Mines?

The guard in the tower seemed to be pre-occupied with someone else somewhere and the autoturrets that had cut down many gang members were no longer functional. The stragglers left to fight back were comparatively few, but it was the last of them. Emotions, naturally, would start running higher as the group had entered a battlefield. Cipher turned toward the Landing Pad's guard tower and set her rifle to semi-automatic. Using her smart scope, she lined up a shot just between the back of the neck and the back of the head before pulling the trigger. A bright bolt of red death screamed forth and ended the man's life.

Right before Cipher's eyes, the dead body of a manual turret operator fell from the wall. She would also find that someone unseen had next fired upon a munitions stockpile which destroyed the dedicated generator powering the shield gate. judging by the direction the bolt came from, she assumed a sniper was holed up somewhere. Not long after that came the appearance of what was apparently two of the responders to the comm signal. With the gate offline and from Cipher's position, the gang bangers surrounded, they didn't have much hope of survivability.

Cipher shot another turret operator in a similar area as the guard tower sniper she killed moments before as she ran up the gantry toward the landing pad. She would need to get to a terminal to make sure any docking clamps were offline before boarding. The liberated workers had already begun firing upon the remaining personnel on and near the pad. There were a few injuries, but perhaps the goddesses were smiling upon the operation; none of them died. Their former oppressors, however, were cleared out of the area. The simple fact was that the gangsters were outnumbered in that particular area.

Cipher found a terminal in a control booth and started to slice its access codes. This would take a moment, even with a cybernetic advantage. Up above, seven Hapan Type M-808 Terminus starfighters were nearing the local airspace, its commander's voice coming up over her commlink.

"We are entering hostile airspace. Angels, lock and load. Weapons hot." Major Relina Zhan, Ducha of Gallinore and Angel Squadron's flight lead ordered.