With So Little to Be Sure Of | First Order

[Natasi Fortan]

Despite what the public knew -- or thought they knew -- about the mysterious assassination of Natasi Fortan, the fact that the body found in Herevan Hold was not the Moff's was an open secret in the First Order military and government establishment, and had been since about five minutes after Sioux Chambers had bolted across the hall to the office General [member="Ludolf Vaas"] to show him the medical examiner's report from the Galidraani officials showing that the bones found there, apart from being scorched, were generally in tact, whereas both Sioux and Vaas knew that she had suffered multiple broken bones in the bombing at Skye. There was no way that these bones had belonged to Natasi -- a fact that the Galidraani had missed entirely.

But those bones not being Natasi's was not the same thing as Natasi being alive, and, not wanting to open the grisly affair without more proof, the command had set an investigation to determine what had happened. Defection seemed implausible but was still possible; faking her death would throw them off for a time. But those who knew her knew that no matter what happened, the Moff would never have harmed Herevan Hold, threw some doubt onto that idea. That left kidnapping or other foul play, and they spent weeks tracking down every lead. They had sent probes where they couldn't afford to send troops, and finally had hit upon a promising lead.

A ship matching the description of a ship that had departed Galidraan the very day of the assassination, seen approaching the ruins of Echo Base on Hoth.

And so Sioux Chambers was meeting aboard the Star Destroyer Indomitable with a team of operatives -- rather a motley bunch, Sioux thought, but she supposed sending an entire legion of Stormtroopers would have been... premature. "The mission is fairly straightforward. You'll insert here, at a side evacuation tunnel; our probe droids have given us reason to think this entrance isn't guarded. In fact, the extent of the security that is apparent to our probe droids suggests that this is a fool's errand, and we are really looking at a wampa fur poacher's encampment, but we have been instructed to track down every lead, so... here we are. We don't know much about the interior of the caverns so you're going in blind, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you'll be equipped well. The ship's armory is open for your use, and there's cold-weather gear for anyone who hasn't brought their own."

Sioux spread her hands and looked at the group. "Any questions?"

(OOC: I found a map of echo base as a sort of suggested playing area, with some troops [which, if you all wish, I can NPC] as red arrows, little bits of evidence to find in the orange arrows [command center = plans to strike the Empire Day celebrations on Dosuun, little square room towards center = torture chamber where they had been keeping Moff Fortan], Natasi herself is the little purple arrow in a bacta tank. The red bulky lines indicate a caved in passage. If you would like to use some other map, or not have a map and just wing it, please feel free to do so! We can use the planning thread in the Faction forum to discuss).

[member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Max Fel"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Natasi Fortan"] [member="Hunter-157"] [member="Max Fel"] [member="Isla Ashen"]

The interior of a Star Destroyer was not foreign to Agent Khun, it seemed. He'd made his way around the ship with ease, reaching the briefing room in record time, allowing him the opportunity to assess the persona of each of his companions as they walked in. After all, surveillance was his job. As the little suicide squad of First Order troops and knights started streaming in, he began silently detailing a profile based on their equipment, stance, and outfit. But only after they were all inside was it he started actually deciphering what his team's skills were.

The first man he'd lay his eyes upon was a Moff. Human, with blonde-red hair, and a chiseled jaw. Despite his age... He seemed confident, and ready to lead. No doubt involved in Imperial Politics, his uniform revealed that much. But what he was doing on an elite strike team was a mystery. Perhaps he was their target's employee, or replacement. In any case, his presence was an oddity, and not one to be taken lightly. The man seemed to be important to the plan, somehow. Cyran made the mental note to protect him at all costs, until they freed the captive. After that stage of the mission, he'd be ranked lower on his priority list. Either way, important.

The second individual to walk in had been no other than... Cyran's eyes lit up in surprise- A Darktrooper. Back in the Imperial Academy, he'd heard tales of their dark, legendary exploits. Had he not been an ISB agent, he would have strived to reach that ranking. They were easily the epitome of fear, and military power. To enforce the law and bend people from the shadows was one thing- But to be the law? That was something else entirely. This man would need no such protection as he'd granted the Moff. Instead, he seemed like more of a powerful, forceful asset.

Next came... A wildcard, to say the least. At first glance, human, but with a pair of eyes too cold and alien to appear so. At first, he couldn't decipher his occupation. Jedi? A soldier? Some sort of failsafe, in case their mission failed? Hard to tell. All he seemed was... Dangerous. As if he'd seen things no sentient should ever witness.

But by far, the most impressive of the five was the one least concerned about an early arrival. Just as Cyran was starting to get bored, a proper Knight of Ren walked in. Sure- Not one of the high ranking Dark Jedi, but a Force User nonetheless. He could feel his back straightening as his eyes wandered to the lightsaber at the woman's belt, lips curving into a smile as she joined them. If he'd had any shred of doubt of their mission's success in the past, it was gone now. His ragtag group was well-built- A soldier, an agent, a general, and a Dark Jedi. Each representing the First Order's finest, and each assigned to carry on one mission.

Chances of failure were abysmal. He had no doubt of that.

Green eyes flicking over towards their leader as he started speaking, Cyran listened to the mission briefing in silence, only moving his hand upwards once Sioux was finished speaking. "One question-" He said, breaking the silence of his comrades. Clearing his throat, he leaned forward, speaking in a tone clear enough for everyone to hear him. "Let's suppose this supposed cave is occupied, and the prisoner is held inside. What then? Just... Clear it out and start looking?"

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla Ashen folded her black cloak around herself, mostly obscuring her tall, athletic form. She stood silently with the others that had gathered around the slim figure of Sioux Chambers. The Knight of Ren let her green eyes shift to each face, and she quickly found that each one was unfamiliar – not that it was a surprise, considering that she was still relatively new to the fold of the First Order. She stood with her arms crossed tightly, her jaw clenched, and her eyes seemingly focused on the woman speaking. On the inside, she was willing her heart to be calm and still, for Isla felt uncomfortable confined within ships. Even though the Star Destroyer had far more space to offer than the usual transports, it still felt... stuffy.

She forced out a slow exhale, and let her arms relax down to her sides, her cloak opening just enough to reveal the shine of a lightsaber on her belt. Isla did not wish to appear strange or cowardly in front of the others. With her nerves sufficiently steeled against the unease in her chest, she concentrated on their task at hand. Though she had little idea about how governments worked, she understood that a Moff was a position of importance. This woman, Moff [member="Natasi Fortan"], must have been particularly useful and valuable, to warrant such a search party. Isla’s green gaze returned to the men that joined her, perhaps their skills and prowess had earned them a place here. Or perhaps they were misfits like Isla. She had the feeling that it would be the latter option, but she would hold off any judgements until after she had seen them in action.

A brow lifted slightly when Ms. Chambers mentioned that there was a noticeable lack of security around their target location. It was an interesting note, but Isla could imagine that this is just how a band of rebels would want their base to appear – empty, barren, void of anything that would make it remarkable. But she also saw that it would make for the perfect way to draw in their prey and mount a surprise attack.

Isla’s eyes snapped to the source of a clear voice, and she tilted her head to the side as [member="Cyran Khun"] spoke. A smile touched at her lips when she heard his question. It seemed simple enough to Isla. Let nothing stand in the way of their objective, let those that dared come between them meet a swift end – simple, right?.

[member="Hunter-157"], [member="Max Fel"], [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Sioux studied the assembled group, raising her chin at @Cyran Kuhn to acknowledge that he had a question, then listened to it. "At this juncture, we don't have a fix on just who these people are. But the First Order does not govern Hoth, nor does any other faction with whom we need to fear some sort of diplomatic dust-up," said Sioux carefully. "Therefore, if push comes to shove, feel free to use whatever force is required to defend yourselves and complete your objective. Either Fortan is here, or she isn't. You'll want to keep your eyes peeled for any information that might prove useful, whether these people be fish or fowl or good red herring. Hoth has a certain... mystique for ne'er-do-wells, so I suspect whoever these people are -- rebels, Resistance, poachers, whatever -- they will be up to no good."

"That being said, if they do cooperate, don't feel that you must eliminate them. Use your best judgment."

The woman collected a few earpieces and walked along the group, holding one out for each of them. "I'll be in orbit and we will maintain contact. We have limited air support if you need it, but as far as ground troops, your group is the only game in town, so do be careful. Any more questions?"

[member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Max Fel"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Arahael]

Max felt strangely calm this time around. He had signed up for this not only for the importance of Fortan, but because...It just felt good to be back in the field. He wasn't particularly concerned for the safety of himself, but even then, if even one member of the Republic or such was there and harmed, it could cause a whole headache of unnecessary problems. He took a deep breath as he noticed he had been thinking very deeply. Taking one last gaze over the intel, he wondered what use a base on Hoth could be. This place is more desolate than Tatooine. The only reason you'd go to places like this is to hide. But from what?

The others seemed formidable enough. He'd never interacted with Cathars much, but he had no quarrels with their kind. He couldn't gather much on the others, except he was happy to see a member of Ren. Max himself was still wearing a lightsaber, but he had never used it in a combat situation, neither would he know very much how. It was an old thing, some would say ancient. But it held what he strived for in honouring his forefathers.

He shook his head at the question, eager to get planetside and insert.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] |

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Max Fel"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

It was both relieving and worrying to hear the fact it was a mostly lawless system. That implied the only thing limiting their actions was the law of the First Order, and their morality. And on these sorts of missions, Cyran considered himself to be above both. That said, authorities weren't always a factor to hinder his actions. He'd often use a system's local law enforcement to his advantage, trapping his lesser foes in red tape whenever he could. To not rely on such a factor was, to be simply put, game changing. Maybe it was for the best- His skills with firearms were growing rusty.

Eyes glinting up at the woman, Cyran took the earpiece carefully, and placed it in his cat-like ear with little to no difficulty. It sat there a bit loosely, due to it's design being more adapted to humans, but he'd learnt to dealt with that sort of problem early on in his life. Even if the First Order wasn't friendly to non-humans, Cyran would serve them with pleasure, simply adapting to that difficulty. Such was his nature. "Understood." He replied in a sharp, confident voice. He had no more questions to ask. Not any that mattered, anyways. Scanning his peers, he waited for a likewise response.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s pale hand rose to take the earpiece that was offered by Ms. Chambers, she brushed strands of flame colored hair away, and then stuck it into place. The Knight of Ren began to turn, her feet now facing in the direction of the hanger bay. But she cast a last glance over her shoulder at Sioux, and offered a very slight bow of her head. Green eyes peered at her companions to see if there were any lingering questions. Isla began to move away from the group, interested in the two men that walked closest to her.

She could see that one was very different, his skin was almost colored like ash, and his ears were pointed. Isla narrowed her eyes and looked away for a moment, an action that might have been mistaken for disdain, but she was really trying to remember the name of his species. Was it Cathar? It seemed like the right fit, and she nodded slightly to herself. His movements were swift and quiet, fitting for his role as an agent within the First Order.

Next she glanced towards the young man on her other side; she guessed that he was around her own age. The saber on his belt had not gone unnoticed by Isla, nor had his force presence. However, his force signature differed greatly from most she had felt within the company of the Ren. It was somewhere in the middle of light and dark, a strange grey place that Isla did not understand. In her world, there was only darkness – it was elegant, smooth, and powerful. Perhaps this man just needed to find his way...

“I am called Ashen Ren,” She said, her tone low and even. “What are you called?”

Her green eyes shifted between [member="Max Fel"] and [member="Cyran Khun"], figuring that she should at least know them by name. Once more she glanced over her shoulder to see if the others were close behind. It would only take them a few moments to board the transport and be on their way to the icy surface of Hoth.

[member="Natasi Fortan"], [member="Hunter-157"], [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Arahael]

.

 

[Arahael]

Max walked towards the transport half blind as he fussed with a device checking last-minute alerts. He was suddenly getting an increased heart rate as he ruminated more about the situation. It just dawned on him that he was going in blind to rescue a hostage with people he didn't know. Looking up at Isla, he replied "My name is Max Fel, a pleasure to meet you, Ashen." He paused for a moment, hesitantly opening his mouth to speak again "I've never really worked with any Knight of Ren, though I respect their ability."

He took a deep breath and slowly sighed. He had the honour of being a Moff, yet it didn't seem to appease any of his questions about the galaxy. In fact, it only seemed to feed them. Every free moment he wondered, about the force, about the paths he could have chosen. Adjusting his cold weather gear, he was beginning to warm up. He'd never seen much snow, and was expecting a shock on first landing.

After entering the transport, Max sat in one of the first seats and buckled in. The floor had some footprints from a previous operation. It was odd to see, compared to the usually extremely sanitary nature of the First Order.
[member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] |

(OOC: Sorry for the accidental post on my OOC account.)

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Max Fel"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

Cyran took note of the glance the Knight of Ren had shot at him, but didn't respond to it. It could have honestly meant anything- From interest, to disgust, to curiousity. To see a Cathar work willingly for the First Order was a rarity, it was no surprise some people would be unfamiliar with his kind. Unfortunately, he didn't really have the time to immediately join the Force-sensitives' chat. He'd come to the meeting rather unarmed, compared to the rest of his companions. Although he was proficient at hand-to-hand combat, he'd need much more than his claws to be a part of this strike force.

Just as his comrades streamed towards the transport shuttle, the Agent broke off, heading over for the armoury. Thankfully, his usual equipment had been laid out apart from the usual blaster carbines and suits of stormtrooper armour most fighters would wear. He quickly equipped his blaster pistol holster, sliding it's intended gun into the sheath with routine ease. Recalling Hoth's hostile climate, he took a second glance at the stormtrooper outfit with atypical interest. Maybe it would prove to be useful. In a few minutes, he'd changed from his gray uniform into a variation of the First Order's snowtrooper uniform- Trading in the helmet for a less protective, but less restraining hat. The visor on the armour was infamously flawed- It was a wonder their troops could aim at anything, really. Ready to leave, he clipped a few thermal detonators onto his belt, before finally picking up his weapon of choice- A scoped blaster rifle- And heading for the shuttle.

Even with all his equipment, it seemed that he was the most lightly armed of the strike force. No blaster could ever hold up against a lightsaber, and his outfit wasn't nearly as intimidating as the darktrooper's padding. Still... All this would be useful for supporting his co-workers. Entering the dropship, Cyran's eyes glossed over the ship's rather unimpressive state of repair. Not exactly First Order protocol, but it would do. He chose the seat nearest to the entrance, and strapped in. "I hope I'm not too late for introductions." He joked dryly, propping his rifle up against the shuttle's wall. "I am Agent Cyran Khun." He spoke, adding his introduction along with Max's.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Sioux nodded and dismissed the group, then popped her own earpiece in. "The command ship will stay out of sensor range. We suggest your insertion be swift and silent, just in case. The mission is in your hands, team." Just then, an alarm klaxon sounded and Sioux looked over to get a status report. "Ahh -- team? One of our probe droids just went dark. Getting data now.... looks like an impact of some kind. Exercise extreme caution."

* * * * *​

It was early evening on Hoth, not that it made much difference in Echo Base. Most of the staff had evacuated to the Junkpile after news had reached them of Evelin Redstar's death on Galidraan, leaving only some of the equipment to be evacuated, and a high-profile prisoner who, thanks to the sadistic actions of one of the Resistance's most fatal interrogation officers, was in too fragile a state to travel, and was too valuable a source of information to leave behind. She hadn't cracked yet, much to the frustration of the interrogators and the rest of the Resistance skeleton crew that wanted to get the hell off the frozen ball known as Hoth.

The interrogator -- let's call him Captain Arandil -- stood over the table where Natasi Fortan lay, strapped in. The table was heated slightly, only enough to prevent the Moff from freezing to it, though the blood she had lost had formed icicles as it dripped from her. "Shall we try once more, your ladyship?" asked Captain Arandil menacingly. He raised his knife, dragged it along the Moff's throat, not enough to cut, but enough to let her feel the cold sting. "Now. Let's start with something simple. Give me the password to your datapad." Natasi didn't respond, only stared at the icy ceiling of the cavern. She knew what was coming; she mentally braced herself for it. He pressed his thumb into the perpetually-fresh wound in her shoulder, where Evelin Redstar had shot her. Natasi winced, straining at the bonds at her wrists and ankles. Captain Arandil glared at her, flicked his thumb this way and that, finally drawing out a strangled cry of pain from the Moff. "We can end this if you tell me what I want to know. Don't you -- " He fell silent as a soldier came rushing in. "What is it? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

"Sir, one of our patrols reports firing on a probe droid. Some sort of First Order tech, by the looks of it."

"Then... they may know we're here. Close the blast doors and put base personnel on alert. And get some men to take our guest to the medical center. You can leave her in for a little longer than usual this time; we may need to travel with her." Arandil had only ever placed Natasi in the bacta tank long enough to keep her from dying, never quite enough to do any significant healing. But that might have to change today. "And before you ask -- no, not yet." Arandil exchanged a meaningful glance with the soldier, who looked disappointed but nodded all the same. He went to find another trooper, and together they hauled the prisoner off towards the medical bay, weaving around the collapsed tunnels until they arrived at the medical wing, where Fortan was loaded into the bacta tank.

Meanwhile, Arandil put out an alert to the troops left in echo base to be on alert, and reduce power usage for anything non-essential that would give off a signal to a tracking device.

@Cryan Khun | [member="Max Fel"] | [member="Isla Ashen"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

As they entered the small dropship, Isla’s shoulders tensed and drew up towards her ears just slightly. Sure, the ship was not pristine, but she was not bothered, for she had grown up on a farm – a place where there had always been dirt and dust. Isla offered Max a bow of her head, a few strands of red hair fell over her eyes, but she did not seem to mind. If he respected the ability of the Ren, why did he not count himself among their number? Perhaps she would know the answer by the end of their mission. And perhaps by then he would know the truth and power that was the Dark Side.

She turned to see the Cathar, just as she was buckling herself in, and tried to keep her hands from shaking. The agent was also met with a small smile and a nod.

“I am only a Neophyte,” She said, turning back to Max “But I think my skills are equal to the task.”

She had added that last piece so that she did not completely dispel the respect he had spoken of. Isla still had much to learn, and she knew it, but this would be a welcome test of her abilities. Just as their pilot began the launch sequence, Sioux’s voice came through their earpieces. Isla listened quietly; eyes narrowing slightly with the knowledge their target would likely be armed by the time they reached the surface. The Knight of Ren let her eyes close as they began their descent to the Hoth.

Their flight down had been uneventful, quiet and much to Isla’s pleasure, it had been fast. Just as soon as the exit ramp closed again, the ship sped back to the shelter of the star destroyer, leaving the operatives on the snowy surface. Isla gazed out over the horizon, the cold biting at her nose, and she recalled the image of the map that Sioux had displayed for them. They were close to their point of entry, the evacuation tunnel. There was something that told Isla that there would be trouble soon, but when it came, she would be ready.

“Shall we?” She asked, her eyes shifting between the two men.

[member="Natasi Fortan"], [member="Cyran Khun"], [member="Max Fel"]

 

[Arahael]

The sudden rush of coolness was a satisfying change to the heat caused by the multiple layers that Max was wearing as he exited the ship onto the surface of Hoth. He looked around the bright, white landscape, conceding that the only structure in view on this barren landscape was the base up ahead. Damn, the blast door to their entrance was closed. A likely sign that someone was expecting some not-so-friendly visitors.

Max began trudging towards the blast door, wary of any surprise attacks. There was no knowing how prepared these people were, or even a sign of who they were. Stopping just short of the entrance, he looked back at the others for any opinions. "Anyone bring explosives that could crack this open? Though I might add we could give it a try with a lightsaber, it would be quieter that way." Keeping his hands on his belt, he was open to any option.

[member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Max Fel"] | [member="Isla Ashen"]

The Cathar were certainly not used to the cold. With each passing moment they approached the ice planet, Cyran felt more and more discomfort, until finally, he was shivering. Of course, his outfit was built to keep his body temperature stable, but that was it. He could still feel the nipping frostbite, clawing at his exposed face, causing him to shut his eyes. "Let's just get this done..." He mumbled, pulling his rifle up as the dropship landed. Quickly, he paced out into the cold, waiting for the rest of his comrades.

The message on the other end of the earpiece was... Worrying. If a probe drone had been struck down, the bandit camp could be alerted to their position, compromising their mission entirely. Or at least, that was the worst case scenario. Cyran quieted for a moment, collecting his ideas on the drone. Finally, the Cathar spoke, voice crackling through the bitter cold wind. "I think it's best if we use blast caps." He suggested, heading towards the nearby locked passageway, hands on the thermal detonator he'd brought along. "If we blow the door open, we can catch the guards on the other side by surprise. A lightsaber will alert them to our position. Best to do things quickly." Now standing by the sealed door, he turned back towards the rest of his team, green eyes flicking from teammate to teammate expectantly. "Shall we have a vote?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Max Fel"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Hunter-157"] | [member="Cyran Khun"]​

---​

OOC: Apologies for the late post, didn’t realize it was going to move this quickly!​

---​

The meeting came and went as a blur.

Part of Relens picked up the signs, the niceties and the words spoken back an’ forth between all of them, but he did not respond. He stayed quiet and listened and listened, only briefly moving - and tipping off Sioux that he was in fact here - to take the earpiece and insert it in his ear.

You clean up nicely- The words came from a distance, but they weren’t in the here and now.

All of them dead, the entire squad of Ren who had declared him their de facto leader. He had secluded himself afterwards, far away from everything, at least until duty called once again. They wanted him, why him? Why not someone younger, someone faster, someone… who hadn’t failed to prevent all those deaths? They told him it wasn’t his fault, but how much good does that do him?

They walked.

The crunch of the snow underneath his boots let him know they had left the Star Destroyer and even the transport behind, but it was the mention of danger - of their mission threatened and a vote, that made Itaska blink once.

The rest of the party came into view as his eyes focused on them.

"Explosives." The Ren reaffirmed, before taking a brief look around. Hoth, snow, ice and brief flits of wind in the distance, sending everything loose scattering. "A lightsaber will take too long anyway, look at it."

A jerk of his head towards their means of entrance.

"Too thick for a ‘saber to do much good in a reasonable time."

 

[Isla Ashen]

The group had already met their first obstacle – the blast door, and how to get through it most efficiently. Isla’s ever watchful gaze was on her companions, noting the way they responded to this situation with interest. While [member="Max Fel"] seemed to be quite at ease still and open to opinions, [member="Cyran Khun"] seemed slightly agitated, perhaps it was due to the frigid cold. However, the Cathar agent had provided them with a very good option. While blasting through a door would certainly catch those on the other side off guard, it would also alert anyone else present in the base to their presence and location. But no matter what option they chose, Isla was sure they would be met with resistance.

Just as Agent Khun had suggested they put it to a vote, Isla turned as a deep voice sounded at her side. She looked to see the mysterious form of [member="Itaska Relens"], he had been so silent during their trip to the planet that she’d nearly forgotten he was there. He was a notable figure among the Ren, and his presence commanded authority, evident by the way Isla bowed her head and stepped back. Though Isla had not been with the Ren very long, she had heard about him and understood that he had worked alongside Moff [member="Natasi Fortan"] in the past.

Her saber hilt had made it to the palm of her gloved hand, she had been ready to begin cutting through, but Itaska spoke in a way that highlighted reason, not impulse. It would take far too much effort and time.

“Agreed.” She nodded towards the detonator in Agent Khun’s hand, already moving to take cover.

Spoiler

Oops! We didn't mean to leave ya behind, but we're glad you're here

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Isla Ashen"] [member="Itaska Relens"] [member="Max Fel"] [member="Natasi Fortan"]

"That makes it a majority vote for the blast caps." He spoke, leveling his gaze up to the blast door. With expert precision, his eyes traced the outline of the door, pinpointing it's structurally weak points. The gate was severely outdated, to their luck. It preceded the Resistance itself, perhaps the original Rebellion. Finally deciding on the two upper corners, Cyran stretched, setting the two explosives up by the icy corners. They'd already started accumulating frost by the moment he assured them in place, and started to step back. Such explosives weren't to be trifled with- First Order engineers were known for their ingenuity when it came to weapons development. It was, perhaps, the one advantage they had over the other reigning factions in the galaxy. Creativity. Dashing back behind an icy ledge, Agent Khun ducked, fingering the detonator at his belt... And finally, flicking the switch.

With two consecutive explosions, the door fell down. Comically enough, the thick metal fell atop an armed troop, who had been speaking with his fellows freely. Clearly, it'd been their job to guard the lesser-used door. Three of them, at best, armed with unimpressive blaster carbines. "Alert the Captain!" The furthest one shouted, recovering from the shock before his fellow troopers did. Leveling his weapon, the soldier paced forwards towards the doorframe, tense as he and his followers searched for the origin of the explosion. Fortunately, the storm made for good cover.

Out of the blanket of ice and snow came a loud blaster shot, targeted at the resistance fighter nearest to the door (or what was left of it). It came from none other than the Agent, who'd taken a clear shot from beneath cover. "We've made our approach." The feline reported over his earpiece, ducking once again behind the ice wall. "Engaging two soldiers- Well armed. Ma'am, these are no poachers." His report was interrupted by the sounds of blaster fire coming from the remaining guards, who had been aiming at Cyran's location. Fortunately, the red bolt blazed just above his head, disappearing into the frozen wastes. Blindly, he shot up, and fired two random shots before ducking back down.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

In the command center, Captain Arandil's board lit up when someone in sector seven called out into his comlink before being silenced. He asked for a repeat status, and when no answer came, he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. "We've got activity in sector seven," he called into his communicator, keying the lockdown code. "Besh squad, you're closest to that area, can you take a look?" When the command was acknowledged, Arandil turned his attention back to the security feeds. "I don't like this," he told a nearby lieutenant. "How much longer until Fortan is ready to be moved?"

"An hour, at least," said the Lieutenant.

"And if we don't have that kind of time?" asked Arandil.

"The medical droid says she is not fit for travel outside a medical vessel. And since we don't have one of those, we're taking a chance if we move her before she's much improved from the bacta," the Lieutenant reported.

"I suppose, if she dies, she dies," said Arandil. "But I haven't gotten what I want out of her. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Tell the medical team to prepare a gurney just in case."

Meanwhile, Besh squad, in their cold-weather gear and blasters, moved carefully and quietly through the tunnels towards the last known location of the patrol, arriving just in time to back up the other two soldiers. They ducked behind crates and into alcoves, popping out occasionally to trade fire with the strike team. "Sir!" called one of Besh squad over the communicator. "We've got trouble!"

[member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Max Fel"]

 

[Arahael]

Jolting to the side, Max took cover at the side of the entrance, then began to unsling his rifle. He was particular fond of particle beam weaponry which gave an element of chaos and unpredictability to any situation, and this particular one was of One Sith design and manufacture. Leaning ever-so-slightly to the side, he sighted in quickly and took shots at the opposing troops. The yellow bolts of energy created what looked like miniature explosions of sparks as they hit their targets, creating a nasty effect on the person on wrong side. He moved his eyes from the scope with the feeling that his intuition would probably be just as accurate at this range, and as he took his last shot it went soaring past the falling soldier, ending up crashing into a wall with fury.

Keeping his rifle raised, Max slowly moved towards the bodies, kneeling down to find any form of identity. Sure enough, a Resistance emblem was emblazoned on a now deceased fighter's jacket. After ripping off the patch, he began to search the pockets of the men "I hope you don't mind, just might find something" he said to the others. Looking up and down the hall, he continued "There looks like a room entrance to the right, and two ways at the end of this hall." Now that there was no doubt about a Resistance presence, Max hoped that a group focused on their 'For the people' image wouldn't cause much harm to their prisoners. There was nothing sure yet, though, and he hoped they could find Fortan here to make a more beneficial conclusion.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Cyran Khun"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla crouched and covered her ears as the door was blasted open by Agent Kuhn. A smile found her face as the men inside the tunnel were suddenly exposed and caught off guard. At first they seemed to be searching for the source of the explosion, but in the next moment, they found it. She watched as the Agent’s steady hand fired a blaster. The flame-haired woman moved forward, her posture and steps eerily calm upon the snowy ground. Blaster fire found her dark form quickly, but in a swift motion she had ignited her crimson saber to deflect the bolts. She continued forward, undaunted by the armed men. There was fire from both sides, men peering out and ducking behind cover, it was all wonderfully chaotic.

Another round of blaster fire, she ducked out of the way just in time, rolling towards the side of the building. The hem of her dark cloak was singed now. She stood, moving towards the opening they had blasted into the door. Isla reached out with the force, she could sense that there were still a few men alive inside. Though, their number had dropped since the start of their fight. As the nearest man peered around the corner, her saber hummed through the air and took out his blaster rifle – the weapon skidded away, still smoking. With his peers engaged in fights of their own, he was left to defend against Isla alone. She pushed forward into the tunnel, knocking the man down with a flick of her wrist, the power gathered from the darkness hitting him in the middle.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the other remaining men fall to the ground, taken out by her companions. Isla’s mouth curled into a smile, but it was far from a benevolent expression. She could easily have ended it for this man quickly, bit it was far too pleasing to see the fear on his face. And then, with a quick slash of her saber, he finally became still. His arms and legs spread wide upon the ground now. Isla turned to see that Max was now in the tunnel too, and he was rifling quickly through the pockets of the dead men. She stepped over towards him, viewing over his shoulder as he ripped off the emblem of the Resistance.

They would do well not to linger, for she was sure that there would be more troops to come, they would not be allowed to walk easily through this place.

[member="Max Fel"], [member="Cyran Khun"], [member="Itaska Relens"], [member="Natasi Fortan"]