A Dash Of Heroics

[Corrine Solus]

[fancybox2]

NAR SHADDAA --> Kessel
1500 Hours

Despite widespread chaos, there are still criminals loyal to the Empire in Imperial Hutta. Some of these, smugglers and vagabonds, are attempting to get coaxium off of Kessel and into the hands of Imperial cargo ships. Destroy these smuggling vessels and show the criminals (and the Empire) that the Mandalorians do not fear the Akkadese Maelstrom and the Maw within.

Event Thread ; Dice Rolled ; Deadline: Feb 26th.
@EmilyHuene ; @Kraken [/fancybox2]

The nerve of some people! While riots erupted in the streets of Nar Shaddaa and the neighboring planets, pirates were out there stealing coaxium. While looting and vandalism were kind of hand in hand with riots, which Corrine was helping to start, giving the coaxium to Imperial cargo ships was NOT OK! Didn't the people realize that this was their one and only chance to escape from the Empire? Didn't they see that the Mandalorians and the Galactic Alliance were there to help them? No. Of course not. Some people just wanted to get rich.

Well, Corrine Eldar would have a few things to say about it. She'd just left her other brother Dio down on the busy and chaotic streets of Nar Shaddaa when word got to her about the smugglers in the nearby system. With the blockade going on -the work of more pirates- there was little chance for travel either off world or in. But if she didn't try, the fiends would get away with it.

Corrine had stayed in contact with the rest of her team during the first mission since short range frequencies still worked. The holonet as a whole being down was what started this whole ordeal. She'd wished the Galactic Alliance would have given some of their own people warning this was going to happen. Then Vu'thari could have given them some heads up. Oh well. Moving on.

Dio had elected to stay behind, something about meeting up with his sister, and she would rush back to the garage the mercenary family owned. The hangers would likely be guarded or heavily encumbered with all the riots going on. Luckily Corrine left her new baby in the garage and out of sight. She ran into the building and flipped the lights on showing her new Kal class fighter she'd scored on Mandalor. It wasn't the only thing she found out....news of her late husband. She tried not to think about it. She still hand't told the rest of her team, save for Arturo who'd been there when it happened. The same Arturo who'd be joining her on this mission.

Being the deviant little sister she was to her would-be family, she hadn't told him what was going on. Boy she couldn't wait to see his face when he showed up to find out she was yet again flying him into danger. She was practically dancing in her boots now while thinking about it. Arturo had made it very clear he didn't like her flying. And she loved to toy with him.

 

[Arturo Solus]

Nar Shaddaa was burning. Well, not quite. The rioting hadn't reached that point yet but it was definitely working up to it. Walking through the smoky, ransacked streets of the smuggler's moon, Arturo did his best to avoid the large groups of roaming rioters, keeping to the dingy back alleys where he could. It would be best if he didn't get caught up in the chaos, he knew; Imperial Hutta and Hutt enforcers alike were running overtime. A man in armor stood out like a sore thumb to them, and the Mandalorian wasn't in the mood to be stopped and searched, let alone arrested. So, he did his best to avoid them. It wasn't too difficult; the whole damn place seemed to be involved in the uprising one way or another. They were too busy maintaining the chokehold they had on this place to bother harrying the likes of him. Still, given half the chance...

Picking up the pace, Arturo hurried, a brief glance at his watch making him move all the more faster. Can't keep her waiting, he thought, remembering what had happened the last time his punctuality had failed him. She has one hell of a right hook, I'll give her that. He smiled grimly, a hand drifting to his blaster as a group of strangely dressed Chagrians rushed by, the memory still playing in his head like a poorly rendered HoloNet flick. He wouldn't be late this time. Not with everything that's happened. The grim smile faded, replaced by a look of indifference. He didn't want to think about it.

He arrived at the gang's garage a full five minutes after Cory. He let himself in via one of the back doors, taking a few seconds of his time to secure the place before heading deeper in search of his comrade. The rioting hadn't reached their area of the woods yet, but it surely would. Eventually. He had people watching the place just in case.

The overhead lights blinded him as he walked into the garage proper, an arm rising to shade his eyes as the gargantuan Kal Class Fighter materialized in front of him. It filled a large chunk of the spacious room, its armored contours painted in Cory's clan colors. The patter of boots drew his gaze away from the ship, and Arturo couldn't help but feel queasy as he laid eyes on Cory. She looked happy in spite of current circumstances; Arturo figured she was anticipating the flight to come, and perhaps his reaction to it. The queasiness doubled. "Cory!" He called, giving the Mandalorian woman a half-hearted wave as his eyes fully adjusted to the light.

The dull hum of the fighter's engines warming up filled the room as he approached her. He drew to a stop just within arms reach of her, and bumped a fist into her armored shoulder. He grinned. "So keen to go blow up pirates and thugs without me, huh?" He asked, glancing towards the ramp and the little droid beeping manically at the top of it.

@EmilyHuene

 

[Corrine Solus]

At the sound of the back door opening, Corrine would crouch down and pull out one of her pistols. She was fairly confident that it was one of her brothers, but with everything going on she didn't want to take any chances. Her thumb disengaged the safety and she took a calming breath to steady her breathing and thus her nerves. When she saw the Solus clan colors painted on armor she relaxed. She clicked the safety back on and stood, holstering her weapon once more. Good old Arturo to give her a heart attack. She'd give him a good one later for it.

"Hey, Tiger," she'd call over to him as he waved.

She'd finally found a nickname for him that worked. With Dio, she simply shorted it to "D". But that didn't work with Arturo because they she felt like she was going, "Ayeee!" every time she had to say his name. Even if her head that sounded stupid so she never once tried it. Secretly she'd worked on several potential nicknames for him over the long time span she'd known him. Nothing ever worked. She'd tried shorting it to "Turo," but that didn't sound quite right either. "Maybe Toro?" Again, too weird. "Mr T," had made her laugh for a good ten minutes straight. Luckily no one had been around at the time. She couldn't imagine herself calling her brother "mister" anything. Except for maybe the sentence, "You're gonna get it, mister!" But that was more of a threat than a playful extension of her friendship.

He'd nudge her shoulder and make a joke about her wanting to blow up pirates without him, to which she'd hit him back -harder- and say, "I would but somebody doesn't like my flying."

Above them, a tiny little MIA-01 atromech droid would begin chirping in binary, a language Corrine not only had no knowledge of but a deep annoyance for. She'd yet to name the thing as she'd only just gotten the droid after procuring her ship. Since she knew Arturo didn't like her flying, she knew eventually she'd have to have someone or some thing else do it for her. Hence, MIA.

"I don't know what you're saying!" she'd call back loudly over her shoulder. Corrine rolled her eyes. Then in a less loud voice would say to Arturo, "I swear I'm going to rip that things little beeper out. Come on."

Corrine would head up the ramp and usher the green tincan forward. "Move move. To plug yourself in. Whatever you're trying to say just type it on the console screen. Sheesh!"

Turning around with its tiny wheels the droid would roll away and out of sight heading into the cockpit. Corrine again groaned and rolled her eyes. She knew she needed to either learn Binary or find some sort of protocol droid to translate for her. Both would cost time and money. Oh! And not to mention she wanted to recolor the darn thing because that green was such a gross color. It was definitely getting a red overall so everyone knew it was hers. If it survived the trip that is....

 

[Arturo Solus]

"Yeah, don't hold it against me." Arturo would reply, rubbing his shoulder. Cory packed a mean punch; he should never have doubted her. Following her on up to the ship, Arturo hit the button at the top of the ramp, listening as it retracted with an audible hiss, hydraulics moaning their dissent until the ramp sealed shut behind him. Silence followed. The air-tight confines of the durasteel coffin were painted a bright whitish color, and Arturo kept his head down as he walked with Cory to the cockpit. He took up position in the co-pilots seat, reintroducing himself to the Kal Class's limited arsenal. He had only used the ship's weaponry once before; it hadn't taken him long to learn the ropes then. It surely wouldn't now.

Taking a short moment to get his bearings -and make himself comfortable, of course- Arturo watched as the little droid booted up a half-dozen more systems, beeping a jolly tune as it did. Even sat down and strapped in, the tracker felt it as a wave of raw power coursed through the ship, setting his bones a-shaking. He could feel his heart begin to beat in rhythm with the ship as the engines finished warming up, the dials in front of him blinking, overloading his senses with a fighter load of information. He couldn't help but grin, a weird mix of emotions filling him with both gleeful anticipation and unconquerable dread. Arturo had always held strong beliefs regarding the matter of aviation. Those beliefs being he didn't like it, period.

She asked, though. She needed help and who am I to say no? Fear and dislike shouldn't dictate my choic--

A furious string of Binary dragged him from this thoughts, and Arturo turned to see the droid watching him, realizing he'd zoned out for a second there. He cursed inwardly. "Yes, Little Man?" Another string of Binary, this time less invasive, and far more informative. Arturo looked over at Cory. "Little Man here," he gestured at the droid, "says all systems are green, and we're good to go. He even suggested letting you fly us there, though, I assumed that was just a fault in his code." The last was a joke, a poor one perhaps, but well-intentioned nonetheless. Arturo raised his hands in mock surrender, preemptively cutting off the chance for retaliation. Cory could save the ass kicking until after they'd returned victorious.

He smiled at her, voice betraying the nerves that were slowly turning his brain to mush. He sat back. "It's your vessel, and you have the pilot's seat. Just...uh, take it slow, okay?"

---​

@EmilyHuene

 

[Corrine Solus]

The two -or three rather- made their way to the front of the ship and strapped themselves in. The tiny green droid would plug in and start running through the take off procedures. Corrine would go through a pretty standard check of them as well as they came online just to make sure nothing looked out of the ordinary. Even though it was a fairly new ship, she didn't want to take any chances something had broken or come lose and ending their journey out in the black of space. Not a good place to be.

The droid would begin beeping again and Corrine groaned loudly while leaning back against her seat. She was about to say something again when Arturo translated for her. She shot him a surprised glance like she had just heard him...well speak another language. He explained for the language lacking droid that all systems were good to go. And then he would tease her about how the droid was clearly broken or something because it said she was going to be flying it. Corrine would swat her hand at him, flicking him in the shoulder with the back of her hand.

"Just for that, I think I will fly. And you have to deal with it."

Her hands would reach up to the controls and she took the wheel, as it were, and got a feel for the vibrations coursing through the ship. She forgot how powerful those engines were. She was going to really enjoy this. "Take it slow, my butt," she'd think to herself while sporting a wicked grin on her face.

The engines boosted and pulsed allowing while the anti-grav thrusters on the bottom of the ship would lift them from the ground. Corrine moved the ship backwards out of the hangar, going slow only for the time being, then would start to pull up and forward while the ship lurched forward with such a burst that they both would be pushed back into their seats. The unnamed droid hadn't been tucked in like the both of them, so he became unplugged from the dashboard and rolled out the back while screaming in Binary. Corrine laughed with a cheerful scream as they blasted their way out of Nar Shaddaa airspace.

They hit zero gravity within a few minutes and the turbulence would die out and the auto gravity of the ship retained a normal status. Corrine let go of the yoke -the handle bars of the wheel that allowed her to control the aircraft- and sat back in her seat. Her face still was lit up with a sadistic gleam in her eyes. She clearly enjoyed making fun at Arturo's expense.

"Slow enough for you, Tiger?"

---

The time it took to Kessel felt like no time at all. Hyperspace took them through a blue light tunnel that Corrine had seen hundreds of times over; it was nothing new to stop and stare at. She'd let the green droid work through the navi-computer programming and chart them the appropriate course and then the ship was his to pilot. Corrine would then unbuckle herself from the pilot's chair and head back to the common area to get ready for their mission. It would take at least a day or so before they arrived, but she wanted to make sure everything was there. She'd gotten into the habit of triple and quadruple checking her gear like Arturo did. She'd never used to do that. Maybe she'd been spending too much time around him lately....

---

The time passed like it normally did for the two Mandalorians. They played cards; Corrine lost. They wrestled; Corrine won occasionally. They played cards again; Corrine almost won some. She'd been in a rather good mood despite the loss she'd had recently. Maybe it was because Arturo knew about Malagith that he made sure she didn't dwell on him. Maybe that's what made it easier for her. She'd known Arturo for as long as she'd known her late husband. Arturo was like a brother to her. All of the Solus family were. She loved them all. Arturo was just the one that had been there. She couldn't lie that Malagith had not been around in months. She knew now that was because he'd....

She couldn't think about it. Giving Arturo a smile trying to prove she wasn't sad she'd get up and head to the kitchen area to get them some drinks. They were hours away from Kessel now and couldn't afford to drink anything alcoholic. She'd stocked her fridge with energy drinks for just this occasion. She had a knack for preparing for the future. It was part of her womanly nature that no matter how hard she tried to hide it just kept coming out. But she liked cooking and taking care of her boys. So she didn't fight it.

As she handed the tall canister to Arturo a simple alarm would start beeping signalling they were close. Corrine looked at her wrist gauntlet with confusion. They were there already? Man this ship really could fly. Corrine opened her drink and took a large chug of the beverage, nearly emptying it in one gulp; no easy feet given the amount inside. She then moved to the front and asked whats-his-face what the beeping was all about. Of course she didn't understand him and had to sit down to read the computer screen to understand.

"Frick! This thing really does fly. How fast were you taking her? You know what, never mind. Take us out."

And with that the blue tunnel of brilliant light would die out revealing a large cloud of danger in front of them. The Akkadese Maelstrom. She'd call back to Arturo that they'd arrived and that they needed to get changed. And fast. She then tapped the droid on the head and thanked the little guy. Finishing off the rest of her can, then crushing it in her grasp, she tossed the now empty drink aside and ran to her bunk where beside it was a linen closet for her clothes. Like the two had done hundreds of times they quickly stepped into their respective Beskar'gam. Hers was silver and red, to honor her family, while coincidentally matching her hair. It was the same reason she'd colored her Kal as soon as she'd gotten it. And it would likely be the same color little green over there in the cockpit would get painted.

Once her armor was dawned she'd strap her weapons to her iron skin. First were two "strill" blaster pistols which never let her down in a fight. The second was her Westar C-1 blaster rifle which Corrine loved to surprise enemies with by lining up the scope with their foreheads. Boom. The only other part of her armor that didn't need equipping was her wrist-mounted flamethrower since it was now permanently fused to her wrist, save for the canister that needed replacing after each burst. Corrine had been so excited to get it, she wasn't about to leave it behind. Now, it followed her armor everywhere.

"I've got a good feeling about this, Tiger. I'm sure as soon as we start entering into the trenchway we'll see a ship on our radar. From the intel we were given it's likely pirates are going to be coming and going through there. If we don't see any going in, we'll for sure see them in one of the landing zones. I say we bombard them from above and then dive down there and take out any remaining stragglers once their ship is out of commission. Sound shiny?"

 

[Arturo Solus]

"I'm not sure," he replied, taking a moment to let his breakfast settle down before daring to open his mouth again. "I think you touched the brakes a few times there, though, from the way the room's spinning, I might just be delusional." The room wasn't actually spinning, but Arturo decided she didn't need to know that. Perhaps she would show mercy if he acted like it didn't affect him; he reckoned she would see right through the ruse. He was a bad liar.

Taking a minute or two to make sure his guts were all still in the right place, Arturo shot a glance over his shoulder as the green droid rolled back into the cockpit, bleeping a long list of expletives, half of which the human didn't understand. "I hear you, buddy," Arturo whispered, sinking low in his seat as the sight of Nar Shaddaa became nothing but a dot in their rearview. He knew Cory wasn't wantonly cruel by nature. She simply found the chance to taunt/tease him too good an opportunity to pass up. It was nothing new; Arturo had been returning the favor twofold, when and where he could, for as long as he'd known her. The never-ending competition -meaningless as it was- was probably one of the vast number of reasons they made a decent fireteam, and good friends.

The droid skirted the pilots' seats, and came to a rest in-between where he and Cory were sat. It rattled off another volley of quickfire Binary, and Arturo struggled to translate, an eyebrow perking up, questioning. "Mutiny, you say? That's not a half-bad idea." He said, loud enough for Cory to hear, the hint of a smile breaking the surface.

---

"Sounds good." Arturo would agree, donning the last of his armor as they hovered in a holding pattern over Kessel. They had reached their destination a few minutes ago, and as soon as the Nav-point had been confirmed, the duo had moved to the armory. It didn't take long for either of them to gear up, and by the time Cory had laid out the plan, Arturo was ready. Sporting his usual loadout -An A-10 Long Rifle, two Strill Blaster Pistols, and a Vibroblade- Arturo gave his teammate the customary once-over. He checked to make sure her armor was secured properly, her weapons and ammo packs ready for what lay ahead. He knew she never missed anything; when it came to preparing for a fight, she was about as thorough in her preparations as he, if not moreso.

Finding nothing amiss, Arturo reached out to rattle his knuckles against the Eldar woman's faceplate. It was a gesture of warmth, and respect. He knew each fight could be their last; he wanted to make sure she knew he had her back, as she did his. "When we start the attack, we hit their ship hard and fast. We don't need to destroy it outright; disabling it will be enough. From there, I want you to drop me off further along the trench. We can strike them from the ground and the air, maybe even get them running. Sure, it's risky, but it'll be twice as effective if done right." He ran the idea by his sister as the droid -a newfound friend- began to drone up front. Guess we're there.

Wandering back into the cockpit, Arturo stared out of the viewport as the droid sang a merry song in Binary, most of which he didn't understand- again. He almost didn't notice as it directed his attention towards one of the screens, a full page of text and data making him squint as he leaned in close. Besides data regarding Kessel's atmosphere, Arturo made out a ship's transponder and a number of heat signatures on the 3-D display, picked up by the Kal Class's sensors on arrival. The pirates. Has to be. Turning to Cory, a determined look on his face, he asked, "You ready, vod?"

@EmilyHuene

 

[Corrine Solus]

His comment about her touching the brakes and making the room spin would make Corine roll her eyes. He expected sympathy from her, but she'd give him none. That was all a part of the fun and games. The droid would then return and swear a few times but it would go completely over the Mandalorian daughter's pretty little head. She ignored the beeping, figuring it didn't mean anything special. At the word of mutiny though, she'd stop and give him a rather cruel look. "You wouldn't dare," and then just to emphasize her point she'd stick her finger out at the droid and say to it, "I'll turn you to scrap if you start listening to that Di'kut << idiot >>."

She'd then get up from the pilot's seat and start to leave the cabin when she coyly looked over her shoulder and would say something that would either be a tall bluff, or a really good lie. How he interpreted it was his own choice, "Besides, I'd slip out of whatever knots you try...I've got experience." And with that she left with a swish of her behind and a flick of her hips as she walked out of sight.

---

Once settled in their armor Arturo gave her a friendly tap on her helmet to make sure it was secure. For the slightest of moments she was reminded of how small she was compared to the others. And having her brother look out for her sent funny warm feelings into her heart. He wouldn't see it, but a blush as red as her hair would spread over her cheeks. What was this feeling? She hadn't felt it in such a long time. She was ever thankful her helmet was already on. If he saw the totally embarrassed sight of her she wouldn't be able to come up with a good lie in response.

As Corrine camped out in La-La land, Arturo would start to explain his plan for the upcoming battle. They didn't need to blow up the enemy ship, just disable it. A good pair of rockets would do the trick. Blaster fire even more so if they didn't see any other target to go after. He then would ask her to drop him off further down from the battle. This way he had plenty of range to take them out while she and Mr Beeps -not the name she'd end up choosing- in the cockpit took out the stragglers down below.

"Uh yeah," she'd say once she realized the silence between them was meant for her to respond; she was still totally flustered by his sudden act of compassion. It might not have meant much to him, but she was totally thrown off her grove by it. "Sounds good. Let's do that." She hadn't even been paying attention to what he had just said. Not in the slightest.

Their trust companion would start bringing the ship out of the long tunnel that was the cloud of gas and chunks of debris. Their scanners would pick up a ship with several heat signatures around it. Arturo seemed sure that this was their objective. He'd point it to her and ask if she were ready.

"Absolutely! I'll handle the guns. You um....go do what you do?"

Oh crap. Now he'd know she wasn't paying attention. Hopefully he didn't pay it any mind. She quickly sat her butt down in the chair and gripped the yoke by the two curved handles. She then poked around on a screen slightly to the left which would bring the two forward medium blaster cannons into position. She tried her hardest not to look back to see if Arturo was still there or not. She really hoped he wasn't. Oh she prayed he wasn't. Why was she so nervous!

"Stupid girly feelings!" she'd internally scold herself. "You're making a nu-hun << joke/fool >> out of yourself."

The ship would begin its descent into the Kessel atmosphere with Corrine at the main controls and Sir Beep Beep taking control of the rest of the flight systems. Corrine wasn't thinking straight and was basically making a direct path right for the awaiting cruiser. Several of the men would hear the ship coming right away and for a moment pause to look up to the sky to see where it was coming from. Seeing a ship not at all familiar with the Imperial Republica, they knew something was up. The men on the ground would quickly rush away from the ship and start barking orders at the guards stationed on the platform, if one could call it a platform that is. It was more like an opening in the rock that wasn't surrounded by boiling pits of heavens knew what.

They began to fire at Corrine, but it was already too late. "Oh no you don't! she'd shout at them even though they wouldn't hear her in a million years.

Corrine's thumbs hit the trigger buttons on the joystick controls and the two forward cannons would send a volley of blaster shots down on the loading zone. Like rain the cannot shots hailed into the ground before making contact with the ship and burning several holes into the hull, and thusly the engines as well. Pulling out of the fly by she yelled in celebration and banked to the right to come around for another pass. She'd not heard the part about Arturo wanting her to set him down so he could join in the fight too.

Turning the ship around she'd start making another pass. But as they already knew she was there they would all start firing at her from afar. Corrine groaned and pushed forward, eager to get through them before they could shoot her down. Alarms began to sound as their shields were starting to break and their defenses failing. Corrine would let out another hailstorm of cannon blasts and blow up the rest of the field the men were trying to hide behind. Their bodies were launched into the air as the ground literally exploded at their feet. Again she'd pull up and move out of range, but their shields were now spent. She wouldn't be able to continue going in until they could get the power back online.

 

[Arturo Solus]

Arturo waited at the ramp, bracing against one wall as the ship banked and twisted, keening to the path Cory set for it. He was reminded once again why he hated her flying; if it wasn't for the artificial gravity, he would've been partying on the ceiling by now. Which remains a possibility if I don't get off this damn thing. Activating his comms, Arturo took a step towards the ramp, an arm extended for balance as the ship bucked for the fourth time in- Kriff! Lost count. "Cory! Cory! What the hell's going on up there?!" No response. Arturo shook his head, trying once more to raise her on the comms. The line stayed dead. "Hmph, fine." Arturo said to no one in particular, hitting a button, and watching as the ramp began to descend. Klaxons began to sound as the ramp fell away so, so slowly, letting in the tracker's first glimpse of Kessel up close. Hmm, pretty, he thought, his true opinion on what he saw being anything but. The droid beeped over the comm. It sounded agitated.

"Stretching my legs. Be back soon." Arturo replied, scuttling down the ramp as the rocky landscape raced by. He had had an idea -an extremely idiotic one, sure- on how to get off the ship and into the fight. It didn't sound like Cory was going to let him off any time soon. And besides, stuck on the ship, he was wasted potential. He had to get into the fight; he wouldn't let Cory hog all the glory. And what better way to get off this hunk of junk than to jump? Yeah, sense was in short supply. So what? The pirates were gonna blow them to shreds if they both stayed aboard. Arturo wasn't going to let that happen. He knew his decision was monumentally stupid, and truly crazy, but he couldn't see much other choice other than to sit around, twiddling his thumbs. Which wasn't an option at all, really. More's the pity.

Perching himself at the edge of the ramp, Arturo squatted down as the world sped by, a hand curling beneath the heavy durasteel for balance as he spotted the smuggler's 'cove' through the blur of motion. Blaster bolts streaked from the place where the enemy dwelt- a great cove carved into sheer rockface, revealing hidden structures -perhaps an abandoned mining complex?- and a landing pad of sorts, where the disabled ship rested. Smoke drifted across their target; Arturo's T-visor's magnification revealed half-loaded crates and machinery, and black-clad smugglers. There we go. Then, suddenly, the cove fell from sight as the Kal Class turned one-hundred and eighty degrees, nearly flinging the Solus tracker from his roost. He almost swore, noticing as the words were half-formed that the ground beneath was rising up to meet them. Whether by luck, or by Cory's doing, the rock below the Kal Class grew closer. At seven feet the ship stopped descending, hovering as the shield's recharged. Now's as good a time as any. Arturo thought, summoning up the courage...

He jumped.

He was on the ground before he knew it, smarting from the impact but otherwise alive as Cory lifted off, and away. "Thank you!" Arturo shouted as he clambered to his feet, already sprinting back towards where the enemy were hold up. The air was warm and sticky, the screech of the Kal Class's thrusters thunder in his ears. He knew the pirates were still firing, but he neither saw nor heard what Cory did next. All his focus went into the run; his heart was pounding, adrenaline coursing, all thought of his own well-being put aside as he scaled a ledge that ran upwards, and looped round to the cove.

The ground began to level out after forty seconds, and Arturo took cover behind a jumble of rocks as he caught his breath. He could see the cove clearly now, barely a hundred meters away. Men and women ran hectically from side to side, almost all of them angling to get shots in at Cory who lurked somewhere overhead. Arturo couldn't make her out himself, but he was quietly relieved to see that none of the pirates had -proper- anti-air weapons. Still, doesn't mean they can't do any damage. Arturo had witnessed first-hand what heavy, sustained blaster fire could do to a ship. It wasn't nice.

Zeroing in on a group of three or so pirates directly ahead, Arturo fired. He kept firing till the pack ran dry, and until the bodies stopped twitching. He could just about make out another five or so turn as he reloaded, their attention diverted away from the attacking vessel to their three dead friends, for the time being. Arturo had expected some of them to notice; he sunk lower into cover as the pirates began searching for their new foe. He suspected it wouldn't be long till they found him.

@EmilyHuene Pirates remaining: 14/22

 

[Corrine Solus]

Corrine would bring the ship out of range and call back to Arturo across the ship's comms, "I'm setting her down here. The shields can't take much more of this. I've already gotten a good way through their forces though."

Lord Bippedy boop would then start beeping at her which Corrine didn't bother reading the screen. Which was a shame because then she'd know that Arturo was no longer even on her ship. She moved forward and would pass the ship up onto one of the taller ridges just out of their sight. She went to open the hatch when she noticed a flashing light saying it was already open. "Huh...that's weird," she'd say out loud.

Landing the ship as quickly as she could -as safely as she felt comfortable- she unbuckled her seat harness and pulled on her visor. She looked to the droid and would say to him, "As soon as I'm off the ship run another pass over the foundry to make it look like we're giving up. Then wait somewhere nearby for me to call you. Just don't let them see you swing back around!"

She hoped the droid would know what to do because otherwise she'd just lost her brand new ship. Exiting the back of the cabin she made her way to the cargo hold looking for Arturo. When she realized he wasn't there she was terribly confused. She called his name and ran to the ramp but didn't see any signs of him here or anywhere. Her heart was racing with thoughts of something awful happening to him. Had he been sucked out? Did he fall when she was flying? Oh heavens! Was he dead now too?!

Corrine couldn't focus. She had to figure out what was going on and the best way to do that was to go fight the enemies she knew would be looking for her. No time to dawdle here. Corrine left the craft and closed the ramp with the exterior button. Their droid would start the take off measures and the ship soon was back in the air and flying past her to serve as a distraction for the ones still alive. Corrine ran as fast as she could toward the landing pad from the other side of where Arturo currently was. She came to the edge of the ridge and spotted a lone gunman on the other side of the canyon. The men she'd been shooting at would all have their sights focused on this man from afar. Corrine zoomed in with what little magnification her helmet provided and knew instantly it was Arturo.

Letting out a sigh of relief she did a silent thank you to whatever gods were watching over them. She didn't realize it until now, but she'd been crying. Her vision started to get all blurry and she had to take off her helmet to wipe her eyes. How annoying. Putting the helmet back on, which she was thankful to get the putrid smell of Kessel out of her nostrils, she laid down against the plot of grass she'd been standing on and aimed her rifle. She found her first target and carefully took aim. His back was to her so she had perfect line of sight. A single click of her finger and the man dropped. The men around him didn't think anything of it as their own men were dropping like flies left and right of them from Arturo's attack. She managed to get three more of them before they realized they were being attacked from behind as well. The remaining four began to scatter trying to find better spots to hide from both Arturo and Corrine likewise.

 

[Arturo Solus]

The whistling howl of blaster fire made Arturo flinch as the rocky redoubts around him began to explode, bolts ricocheting, ripping great chunks from the solid stone that kept him safe. The pirates had spotted him. It was an inevitability he knew he would've had to face sooner or later, though, he would've preferred later. Leaning out from cover, Arturo returned fire, quickly reeling back as the air around him sizzled and crackled, streaks of burning light scorching the rock all around him. He moved from point to point, using each lull to get closer to the pirates who still outnumbered him by-...well, too many!

The ground looping around to the cove offered an ample amount of obstacles to shelter behind, and was wide enough for a hauler or speeder to make use of. Great lumps of jagged stone, sparse patches of knee-high grass, even a gnarled tree stump or two lined the way, retreating in the face of a great precipice that lurked menacingly a meter or so to Arturo's right. One misstep could well spell disaster; he would be careful, more than he had been up to this point, anyway. Breaking into a crouching sprint, the tracker moved fast, his boots kicking up dust and small stones, sending them spinning into the abyss. The blaster fire continued, but Arturo knew a moving target, one which utilized cover, was a hell of a pain to hit. Especially when said target fired back.

It didn't take him too long to hit a bend in the ledge. It snaked around to the cove -the mining complex- and practically halfed the distance between him and the smugglers. He could see them forming up, further along, still firing. Several bolts came close, close enough for Arturo to feel the heat they cast off. He threw himself flat, hunkering down in a little nook that gave him a generously clear view of his enemies' positions. It was only as he wondered if the gift went both ways that he began to think about Cory. The last he'd seen of her had been before the fighting had started, back on the ship. He had double-checked her armor for her, a habit he'd gotten into ever since Malagith had passed. It was a way of telling his lost brother's spirit that he would look out for the woman like a sister. It was a promise he'd made more to himself than to anyone else, ethereal or otherwise; he intended to keep that promise.

Regardless, Cory was undoubtedly close by. He knew that, even though he couldn't see her. He was just glad the fire he was drawing was likely to take some off of her. Speaking of... Arturo flattened himself against the ground as a wave of carbine fire ruptured the skies overhead, already shooting back. He saw two go down, a third spinning away as a bolt from the A-10 clipped his shoulder, blunting itself against the pirate's armor. The pirate in question turned to flee, and Arturo finished him off with a few well-placed bolts, the pirate sinking to his knees as the trio punctured his back. He smiled, grim, calm now that he'd taken life. That was the sweetness of battle; narcotic, better than any drug. He just couldn't get enough; Cory was the same. She liked a fight more than any Mandalorian he'd ever known. She was one hell of a warrior, one hell of a woman.

Arturo pushed himself up from the nook, his arms and knees aching in protest as he reloaded, seeking out a new target. He found one, taking the time to aim, glad to see fear mire the faces of the pirates/smugglers. He added another corpse to the pile, someone else tossing four more on for good measure. Maybe more. Cory. Had to be. They were the only two on this raid, and she was one of the few he knew who could drop a quartet of foemen in the blink of an eye. He barely registered the fact that she'd touched down somewhere and was now on foot. His world shrunk down to the one remaining pirate who was turning, fleeing, sprinting back towards the mining complex.

Arturo ran after him, along the ledge, willing his legs to carry him farther, faster. They were doing it. They were going to win. All that was left to do was kill the broken sole survivor that lingered here and destroy the Coaxium shipments the smugglers had gathered. It would soon be over.

@EmilyHuene Pirates remaining: 1/22

 

[Corrine Solus]

As the men began to scatter, Arturo from the other side of the ridge would dash out from his hiding place and start to get to a closer one to stay behind. Seeing this, Corrine would also stand and start attempting to fire at the last remaining man who was being extremely evasive. Her blaster fired again and again coming with near hits each time. This last smuggler was trying his hardest to avoid both she and Arturo. He must have known he was doomed because he crept and head around every wall and generator box he could. Any time he moved he'd keep his head down making it terribly difficult to bring down.

It made it easier though that he was the only one left because as Corrine left her perch and began running toward him, she was wide open. She made her way over to the landing pad where the disabled shuttle was smoking. Climbing up onto the platform she kept her eyes wide open to scan for the last man standing. After a moment she'd spot him from the slightest movement of his hat behind the wall. From here, she knew that he must be hiding in the small corner just waiting to bring someone down. Corrine set aside her Westar and would instead bring out her pistols. Creeping around the corner she brought her arm out for just a moment and retracted it quickly. As expected, the man fired blindly forward in hopes of hitting her. She then right after pulling her arm out would dive forward in a roll and as she came out of it raised her blasters and shot the man twice. He slumped down against the wall and the threat was gone.

Putting away the pistols she sighed and leaned backwards as much as she could -which wasn't much due to her bulky attire- in an attempt to crack her back. Fighting bad guys always had a way of tensing her muscles and making her want to take a nice hot bath. She then heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly to see Arturo coming to join her. He was lucky she already put her guns away because if she hadn't she might have been tempted to shoot at him too. She would then reach up instead and pull off her helmet and toss it aside. The durasteel helmet bounced once before rolling awkwardly on its side. It wasn't like her to treat her Beskar'gam so carelessly. Moving over to him she pushed him with both hands hard enough to make him either stumble over his own feet or fall onto his butt.

Corrine's face started to get red as she began yelling at him, "What were you thinking! How could you just go off like that without telling me? And when did you even leave the ship? Did you jump out the back of the ship? Are you crazy!? I thought you fell, or that you got...sucked out or something! Arturo...I thought you died!"

Tears would start forming in her eyes as she glared angrily at him. She then started to tremble and her hands came up to cover her face. Corrine's legs then gave out and she dropped to her knees before him. It was just like she was back on Mandalor. Hearing that Malagith was missing in action and presumed dead was the worst thing for her. She kept trying to imagine how he must have felt dying alone...in space...millions of miles from her. It was unbearable.

And now, all that weight and all those emotions came back to her as she imagined Arturo meeting the same fate. She couldn't handle it if her family was killed. Her father. Malagith. Possibly Arturo. It was too much. She wouldn't stand for it to happen. Looking up at him again she looked into his eyes hoping to get some answer from him. In this moment, she felt so weak, so insecure. Gone was the warrior goddess that could handle any threat. Now she was just a mess of red hair that was getting tangled to her cheeks as she cried.

"Please. You can't do that to me. Ever again.....Arturo, I need you. Please, promise me you aren't going to die. Just promise me."

Without waiting for an answer she'd be up on her feet and moving closer to him, reaching for his shoulders. She pulled him close while bringing her own torso to meet his. Their iron skins scuffing from the metal rubbing against metal. Corrine closed her eyes and titled her head to bring her lips to meet his. She had to get it out. There were too many thoughts going on in her head. She couldn't lose another person in her life. She couldn't lose another brother, another father, another friend.

The kiss which she thought only only last a moment, one of those "I just want you to know I care about you" kind of kisses was now becoming much more. He....wasn't pulling away. Corrine wasn't sure why. He'd never displayed any sort of interest before. And, to be honest, she didn't really ever plan on her having feelings either. But kissing him now, her heart was fluttering. Her face was hot making her cheeks feel like they were burning. She couldn't make sense of what was going on, only that she liked it. And so far, apparently he was too.

Her hands shifted from his shoulders to his head as she kept herself leaning up close against him. His lips were so warm and even though she couldn't feel his muscles she felt his arms around her. They were strong. He was strong. In that instance she felt safe. She'd forgotten the fact they were both very near a burning convoy and considering coaxium was nearby maybe the long awaited kiss should have been kept for later. Whether she realized this or not she'd pull back away from his face -still curled up against his body- and look into his eyes waiting for some kind of an answer as to what just happened.

 

[Arturo Solus]

Arturo slowed to a walk as he reached the cove, weapon up, eyes scanning. He swept the A-10 from side to side as he walked, a semi-circle that covered all the angles. A putrid cloud of smoke drifted from the wrecked pirate vessel, casting a deep gloom over the bodies littering the ground, the carnage that Cory and he had inflicted. Nothing moved, the sound of a fire but a ghost on the wind. The last smuggler was here somewhere, hiding amidst the ruined crates and old structures that had weathered a decade. He has to be, Arturo thought, squinting through the murk, a finger on the trigger. Movement to his immediate left made him drop to a knee, the rifle already up, waiting. The familiar crash of pistols made his breath catch in his throat. And then it was over.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Cory, her back turned, wandered into his line of sight, the Eldar woman made recognizable by her painted armor- her Beskar'gam. He shouldered the rifle, and removed his helmet, certain that there were no more smugglers left. None nearby, at least. He kicked a fist-sized stone as he walked up behind her; it rolled beneath his boot, and Arturo cursed inwardly -talyc kebise!- as he almost lost his footing. His attention drifted, focus centered on the offending object. Then, motion to his front made him look up, Cory's boots echoing.

The shove practically knocked the wind from him, his lungs suddenly on fire as he staggered backwards, surprise and hurt twisting his features. 'What the hell!' He felt like shouting, reeling it in as the sight of Cory's tear-stricken face drew him up short. What?... Taken by surprise, Arturo could only stop and stare as Cory yelled at him, anger and rage and...worry in her voice. Her usual playful, authoritative tone was gone, replaced by a hoarse, unfamiliar noise-- like vocal cords run ragged, fading from overuse. It was so unexpected, so raw, that he didn't know what to do, his mind going blank as he struggled to process it all. The words trailed away, and suddenly Cory was falling, her legs giving out from under her. Arturo sank with her, arms reaching out to catch her, to cushion their fall.

He didn't know what to do as his knees hit rock and sun-baked mud. There was no training for...this; No way to prepare. He didn't know what to do, so he did nothing, hoping his presence alone would be enough to suffice as a tidal wave of emotions broke the surface, threatening to drown them both. He was worried, extremely worried, but he did his utmost to keep it contained. Cory was far, far more important than he; she meant more to him than he'd dared to admit. Seeing her break down cut him deeper than any knife ever could, and what made it worse was that he felt helpless. Truly, utterly helpless.

By the time Cory found her voice again, Arturo felt as drained as she probably did, if not moreso. Warriors were supposed to help their friends, to protect them from whatever they faced, whenever they chose to face it. In that, he had failed. He had let this happen; he had let her reach this point, even aided it by jumping ship when he did. Guilt racked his thoughts, making him grimace as he pulled Cory to her feet. He was responsible for all this; it was the only thing that made sense, and it solidified the feeling of self-hatred stirring about in his soul.

Things stopped making sense when Cory kissed him. It was -again- completely unexpected, so out of the blue that he began to doubt any of this was actually happening. Perhaps, during the fighting, he'd been shot, and this was all some strange fever dream. Or maybe...maybe... Nope. This is real, he realized, returning the kiss. He wasn't really sure why; he doubted the greatest scholars of their time would be able to figure out how exactly things had led them to this moment. Fate, maybe? He didn't believe in such things himself; Arturo didn't believe in much of anything as his arms coiled themselves about Cory, drawing her closer, a hand supporting her back, another at her hip. He knew then that he loved her, despite the thoughts of betrayal punching holes through his heart. He loved her, and that was all there was to it. To hell with sense...

Eventually, after a time -he wasn't sure how long- they pulled away from each other. Arturo cleared his throat as he looked down at Cory, a new, bizarre happiness stoking the fire in his veins. He could almost feel the flush creeping its way down his neck as the conflicting emotions subsided, thoroughly mystified as he pondered the redheaded warrior's request. "I..." He began, nerves filling his voice. He uttered a silent prayer to Kad Ha'rangir, begging forgiveness at being defeated not by blades or bolts, but by one, expertly timed confession from one of the greatest warriors he'd been given the honor of knowing.

"I...can't promise that." He said, rushing to continue before Cory could make the wrong assumption. "But I'll do my best for you. I always do." He smiled then, a grim half-smile that, he hoped, would tell Cory all she needed to know. Arturo was a connoisseur of rifles, not words, and it showed. "Besides," he said, grinning wickedly, "I have you watching my back. Nothing can go wrong when we're looking out for each other." A strong gust of wind stole the words away as he cast a glance about them. To the corpses of those who'd gotten in the way. Point proven. He turned back to Cory, an eyebrow arched in question.

"Am I wrong?"

@EmilyHuene

 

[Corrine Solus]

The kiss would end and for a moment neither of them said anything. He looked down into her eyes with probably a hundred questions of his own. She could see that he was trying to make sense of everything. She didn't blame him. Her eyes needed only one answer. She needed to know that he would never leave her. Her eyes looked back and forth between his own, searching desperately for some sort of clue as to what this man was thinking. She couldn't read his mind after all, and that was torturing her with every pause and hesitation that he took.

A terrible sound escaped her in a breathy gasp as he said he couldn't promise her the very thing she wanted. Quickly he continued before her mind lost all focus and clarity and surrendered to those horrible emotions threatening to drown her. He made a promise of his own, to always do his best. She wasn't sure if that was good enough or not. But at least he was being honest. Though she'd rather he would have lied and humored her a little.

A slight humor came back to him letting him be the big brother she always saw him as. He joked that she was there to watch his back. He would be invincible since that was the case, at least that's the impression he was trying ti get across. So long as he had her he'd never leave, he'd never die. In his words, nothing could go wrong so long as the two of them were looking out for one another. The wind picked up and he'd turn his head to the fallen enemies all around them. Her eyes never left his face. She dared not look away.

When he looked back he continued and would ask her if he was wrong in his thinking. Corrine shook her head. Another tear fell and she wiped it aside before putting her arm back on his side; she didn't want them to let go one another just yet. She thought about the strength they shared and how she -in this instance- never wanted to let go of him. He meant far too much to her, and she had a feeling his thoughts on the matter were the same.

"If you really do have my back then do something for me. It's the only way I can hold you to your promise. The only way we can look out for one another indefinitely."

Corrine closed her eyes for a moment and when she would look back at him she had a different look within them. The Corrine who'd let her emotions get the best of her was gone. She had that same determined and headstrong look in her eyes that she would when she was in the middle of battle. This Corrine was the one he knew so well. So he'd know what she said next was no joke. She meant it.

"Marry me."

~END THREAD~
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