"5" lets out a very droid like Oh my! as he falls to the ground. Sensing that he is not completely at the risk of being deactivated from the damage the droid tries to regain his feet and shoo any children to another spot.
"5" lets out a very droid like Oh my! as he falls to the ground. Sensing that he is not completely at the risk of being deactivated from the damage the droid tries to regain his feet and shoo any children to another spot.
Moving down the narrow alleyway between houses, Valkyr glides in to position, adopting a crouch and leveling her weapon from the cover of one corner, finding herself side on to the group of aqualish thugs hunkered down behind cover. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, she takes careful aim and ensures her autofire is selected...
Despite the noise, the movement, the lethal threat in front of her, Valkyr remains a calm centre in the chaos of the firefight. Bracing her weapon against the wall and shifting her weight, she pulls the trigger and send bolt after bolt hammering across the unprotected flank of her enemy. With nothing to protect them, blaster fire stitches its way across the thugs, leaving their heavily damaged bodies smoking.
The strobe effect from Val's blaster rifle barely has time clear from your eyes before its over. Just like that, the thugs are down, dead in the street of New Meen. The Twi'leks come out from where they were hiding, wide-eyed and silent. Rae feels a slight tug on the leg of her coveralls.
At her knee is the little girl she rushed to safety. "Thank you miss," is all she says before her grateful mother rushes over and scoops the little child up into her arms.
Then the streets erupt in cheering as the Twi'lek miners throng about you, thumping your back and shaking your hands in joyous congratulations.
Tok can't help but grin at the adulation. "Val did the hard stuff. And we're just getting started. This will all be yours and yours alone soon enough." ]
As the smoke clears from her weapon, Val mutters
As he said, I really like that speeder...
As the Twi'leks shout and cheer, Val tries desperately to disappear in to the background
I have to...go clean my gun...no no you can't clean it for me!..Look I'm going to go and grab some breakf...no thank you I don't want any of that you keep it for yourself...
Finding herself being stared at by several Twi'lek children, she awkwardly pats them on the head, glancing desperately over at Tok and Rae
A little help here!?
she smiles tightly, the flash of needle sharp teeth projecting a thin veneer of calm over the panicked reality of her thoughts. Combat was fine, predictable, social situations were anything but...
As various parties begin their celebrations the droid merely rises and makes his way over to the gunned down thugs. His mission was information; keycards, data cubes, credsticks anything that could tell him more about them and where they came from...
Smoke from laser burns and various still settling sections of debris cloud the optical sensors of the droid causing him to frantically withdraw from the battle zone as he attempts to get his bearings...
A quick doesn't turn up any data that would tell you where they came from, if the words 'DROMBB' emblazoned on the crashed construction vehicle aren't enough. Each thug carries a light blaster pistol and a set of brass knuckles...you know, typical construction worker gear.
Quickly the village elders get everyone calmed down and heading back to their shelters to rest. There are many smiles and happy Twi'leks in New Meen, maybe happier than they've been in some time.
B'ura B'an is the last one left in the street, watching the others go back to bed. He turns to you when you are alone. "So. Now what? Drombb isn't stupid, he'll notice a vehicle and some of his men missing. If we don't do something, he'll be here in force by the morning. A wrecked vehicle, four dead men, he won't come to talk."
Val considers for a moment, then suggests
I get paid to eliminate threats not form cunning plans, but from where I'm standing we've got a couple of options.
she muses
We can either hide the bodies and the vehicle and run a sob story about how they crashed through, stole some creds then were overheard saying they were on their way to meet Teemo for a new, better paying job...
she pauses to consider the merits of the plan before shaking her head to clear it f minutae and continuing with her other idea
...or we could try to get entry to the base by posing as those thugs returning from a successful intimidation mission. Though we'd be in the sarlacc's teeth, no idea of layout, outgunned and outmanned, so much as it appeals to do a daring commando raid like that, it may not be the best option.
she shrugs her shoulders
Anyone any thoughts or other ideas?
"5" clacks his fingers together as he thinks the situation through, Infiltration could lead us to discover who they might be working for off planet as well as, assuming things went in our favor, access to resources. Clearly we have a ship but little in the way of credits or supplies. Perhaps going in there would be to everyone's benefit?
Rae shakes her head. "Based on what we've heard about Drombb, I don't think he'd buy a crash, especially with us as outsiders, and knowing how desperate the Twi'lek here are. He'd smell us out as mercenaries that they hired, and come down on everyone."
"I agree with 5. A bit of infiltration might give us the upper hand."
B'ura B'an waits for a moment for someone to speak, then he adds: "You're going to have to decide quickly. If I read this right, these men were drunk, so there may be a chance the rest are as well. Waiting until tomorrow may find them aware of the missing vehicle and men. Going tonight, and you could have an advantage if they are all drinking away their time at the cantina they have."
Val shakes her head
I'm uncomfortable taking action without proper reconnaissance however I understand the need for a quick tactical solution, if we wait too long then any advantage of surprise we have will be negated, and I think we're going to need all the help we can get, 4 against lots...
she stares in turn at each of the group present then sighs
Much as I detest being in a commanding role, since no-one here has had military training, much less strategic or tactical experience, I had better take charge and outline our mission goals and operational parameters.
seeing the blank faces around the room she adds
Whilst we're going to need to be agile and think on our feet, if we don't go in there with a definite plan of what we want to achieve, we're doomed to fail as we'll spend all the time we have arguing about where to go and what to do.
she turns quickly on B'ura B'an, displaying a more commanding voice now she's decided to take charge of the operation.
Questions you need to answer... of the thugs that have been menacing you, are they all humans or aqualish? Does the camp have... she pauses, bad taste in her mouth
Twi'Lek servants and if so where are they kept?
As B'ura B'an thinks over his response she turns to the rest of the team
Grab a weapon and non-descript clothes like the ones the thugs were wearing. as she notes Rae's hesitation she adds
Whatever has happened to you in the past, we are such a small team that I need to know I can depend on you. If your life or one of ours is threatened, you must have some way of ending that threat. You need to pick up a blaster and be prepared to use it.
her voice softens slightly
You can always pack a stunner if you must, just be aware of their range limits. We need you to do this Rae, otherwise the operation is in danger already...
"5" attempts (again) to go over the bodies of the men to see if there is anything they can use to aid their infiltration...
2sv2f/2t
"5" looks over the bodies casually and notices nothing before suddenly realizing that he is far too close to a still burning bit of wreckage and the droid sort of dances away.
Should we try to repair their vehicle? I see no credentials or anything of value to us on these men but I seem to be having...bad luck The droids mandibles twitch in emphasis.
The vehicle is reparable. It has an all-metal cab that can seat four, two in the front, and two in the back. It is a tracked earth-mover, with a over-large blade on the front.
B'ura B'an thinks for a moment. "They don't have any slaves or other workers held against their will. Just a bunch of scum like you saw tonite."
B'usa B'an nods his head at '5'. "Certainly. Repair the earth-mover and use it to get close to the compound, maybe even inside!"
Val nods at B'ura B'an
Thanks for the intel, that makes it easier. So our objective becomes to do as much damage as possible without leaving any evidence of who we are so there can be no retribution
she indicates the surrounding village
We should make it so very expensive for them to continue any operations here that they are forced to pull out. So, we'll want to steal or destroy anything of value we find whilst inside that compound. We can do that as we go. I have some assignments for you...
she looks at the team
5, you'll need to access the core systems when we get a chance to do so and steal any data that looks valuable either for sale or for leverage. Your secondary objective is to wipe all the data off the systems, prioritising any security footage or trace of our presence. Ideally we want there to be nothing left for them to retrieve, but if we run out of time we want to make it as difficult as possible to trace us
she turns to Rae
Rae, first thing you need to do is get that earth mover going, you'll have 15 minutes which I'm sure will be ample for a mechanic of your talent! Once we're inside there will be a whole load of large vehicles, mining devices and the like. Every time we pass one I'd like you to try and identify a way we can disable it either permanently or else make it very difficult to re-enable. If we need to destroy components we'll do so, but if with your expertise in mechanics we can disbale the vehicles silently then all the better!
she points at Tok
First thing you can do is turn on the charm and sweet talk our stolen earth mover inside that compound. Once that's done your job is twofold...to run interference and to steal anything valuable that's not maglocked in place! Cred chips, custom weapons and tech devices, if you can fit it in your pack then throw it in! If we're caught running around then we'll try to rely on your glib tongue, hopefully it will buy enough time for us to strike even if they don;t buy what you're selling...
she looks around the room and then shrugs
If Hargar's still around anywhere and hasn't just run off then he can stay here and be ready to receive casualties or else just make himself useful, these people look like they could use a medtech around the place. Either way everyone make sure they grab a stimpack or repair kit, it pays to be ready.
she stands calm and focused.
My job is to provide fire support where necessary and protect you whilst you do the important things. I will try and do this to the best of my ability, but if we are forced to split up I can't be in two places at once. Ideally I would be sat in a sniper perch able to cover you all and also get great visibility to direct you. Unfortunately we lack the hardware to do that, so I'll be on the ground with you. Does everyone have a comlink? If not then hopefully B'ura B'an can lend us one
she nods, satisfied.
One last thing, a side goal is to find their stack of demolitions equipment, explosives and the like. If at all possible, the last thing we'll do before leaving is drop a timed demo charge there that will level the place and ruin their ability to do anything, not to mention put a sideable dent in their resources.
she smiles
Once we're done here grab your gear and we'll meet back here in 15 minutes ready to go. Any questions?
"I like the way you think, Val."
"5" nods in approval of the plan, If possible R5 and I might be able to arrange simultaneous access. I am not sure to what extent {she? I think she picked a pronoun I don't remember which} can navigate secure data but it might make countermeasures more likely to fail. Or it migh be best for R5 to stay with you Valkyr in case there are access issues related to doors or other systems. Aside from the...ah..aside, "5" is ready to go.
Rae had been somewhat worried about the plan they would come up with, but broke into a wide smile at Valkyr's idea - especially since they didn't require her to injure anyone. Breaking machines was certainly something that she could do.
She nods, already moving towards the earth mover and getting to work.
Rae manages to get the earth-mover running again, and re-welds the front blade to hide the collision damage. It probably won't pass a real close scrutiny, but in the dark, it should be fine.
"Follow the ridge around the the east," B'ura B'an says, "no more than a mile or so, it'll take you right to the compound. Good luck."
"5" moves to climb aboard when it is clear that the rest of the group is ready. I am still partially damaged, I know there is not much to do about that but I wanted everyone to know in case I displayed a heightened sense of caution in the face of danger...
Well done on the repair Rae, just in time smiles Val as she grabs the doorframe and hauls herself up to stand on the vehicle's treads.
Everyone on the team get on board, everyone else she looks at B'ura B'an directly
Stay indoors and stay safe, we'll do our best to come back to you as soon as we can
She waits for everyone to enter the vehicle then bangs on the roof
Let's go!
Swinging herself in and closing the hatch behind her, she sits in silence for the rest of the journey, mentally preparing.
After an interminable amount of time, finally the camp moves in to view of the earthmover's screen, the guard hut tiny in comparison to the rest of the camp. Val pats Tok on the shoulder.
Time for your game face...
"5" raises a finger to inquire after the notion of a "game face" but puts his hand down upon thinking better of it...
Drombb's compound hoves into view, as the earth-mover rattles and clanks along the dirt track. Three structures make up the entirety of this place: an ugly pourcrete hab building, two stories with tiny windows and a single door; a maintenance shed, made of steel girders and corrugated metal roof, this shed holds several large construction-type vehicles; and lastly, a cantina. Low and squat, this building looks like every cheap pre-fab cantina you've ever seen. The whole area is dimly lit by two lights on long poles struggling to keep away the dark.
As the earth-mover grinds its way forward, two figures separate from the cantina doorway and make their way towards you. It's hard to tell in the dark, but they seem to stagger a bit as they approach.
Rae strains her eyes in the darkness, trying to make out anything she can about the stumbling figures.
"5" sits by idly, not a very good scout of any stripe his was a mission to get into a computer once they found one. He does tilt his head to look on Rae as she looks around.
Tok talks in a low voice so only his companions can hear him, barely moving his lips. "Be cool. Don't speak unless spoken to, and even then let me talk first. Look tired and cranky. And ...just , I dunno, drive casual."
The two figures stumble over in front of the earth-mover, causing you to stop the huge machine. A human and an Aqualish, the human leans over to get a closer look at you in the dim light. "Hey," he slurs, "you ain't Dimak and the boys! Wher're they?" He staggers back a step and draws his blaster pistol, but doesn't point it at you. Behind him, the Aqualish thug stumbles backwards two or three steps.
"S$~~, how much you drink, man? Dimak and the boys went out last night. Man, get back to bunk quick before you know who or one of his suck-ups sees you like this."
"5" offers his version of an "eyebrow raise" at this line of deception but says nothing.
The man pauses for a moment, then steps a little closer to the rumbling vehicle. He leans in for a better look. "Who are you anyway?" he growls, his putrid breath hot in Tok's face.
"Who am I--oh, hells, man. I'm the guy you're going to owe tomorrow morning when you wake up with a job. Scram, before someone sees you."
"Alright, alright. Don't get so kriffin' huffy. Didn know Drombb had hired more guys is all. C'mon Kreek, les go back and have a cold one." The man shuffles back and gathers up the other thug to stumble back to the cantina.
Rae squints into the darkness as the two walk away. "That was close." She mutters. "We should get moving before we're noticed even more."
[smaller]Tok I believe that we might have been "found out" that aqualish thug had a certain intensity about him...[smaller]
"5" idly wonders if this rig might have a broadcast array on it for communication with a home terminal... 2s2a v 3f1t
The droid finds nothing in the rather stripped down transport...
Agreed 5, well the bantha's out of the stable now, we can adapt it's ok. Shall we all try for the hangar and hope they have a datalink to their network there for 5 to use? Or we can split up, Tok and Rae to the hangar, 5 and I to the admin building?
Unsure of the layout I would be loathe to split up but I am not as tactically minded as some...
Val nods
A split then, Rae, Tok and R5, keep driving this to the hangar and park but keep the engine warm for a quick getaway, disable as many vehicles as you can! 5 and I will bail here and head for the admin block, see what we can find!
she looks over the droid's chassis, reassuring herself it was robust enough to survive some rough handling, then reminds everyone
Stay in ComLink contact, if either team runs in to trouble, that's the only way we're going to get help...
with that she's gone, hopping out of the transport and crouching down. Once 5 disembarks she'll race with his through the shadows to the admin building.
"Ladies, I believe this is your forte."