Open Hoth A Fool's Goal

[Sidan Ghost-Wampa]

Sidan's approach to Frostport had been thankfully uneventful. No surprise Wampa attacks seemed to be in her near future as she crested a snow dune saddled atop a shaggy white and grey tauntaun. A breath of frost clouded her view of Frostport for a moment as it clung to her face and the hood of her parka. The temperature was dropping and she was just about out of time. Sidan eyed the setting sun accusingly as it sunk down to the horizon.

"C'mon Hammer." She clicked her tongue and gently dug her heels into the tauntaun's side, but with urgency. Hammer brayed in protest for a moment as she breathed heavily before breaking into a run, snow spraying from the tauntauns heels as Sidan steered a path down the dune.

Ahead, Frostport. One of the many pirate ports that littered the outer rim, this hive of scum and villainy played host to many who wished to hide from the rest of the galaxy. There were often ships there, and Sidan's options were limited. She could request transport offworld from the Cheif, but the paranoid leader would never grant it. Asking permission would only tip him off to her plans. She could probably steal their ship, but then she would have the wrath of the clans on her tail. Better to slip away quietly on some off-worlder's shuttle.

Sidan prayed to the ever deaf old ones that Hammer's heart would hold out and that she wouldn't be watching the last of the sun's rays die from the safety of Hammer's innards. Sidan shuddered at the thought and breathed a sigh of relief as Frostport's gates lay open in front of her.

Sidan came prepared to leave tonight. She wore what was needed to survive in the cold climate, what the clan could make or buy. Insulated tauntaun leather padded with fur. A blast vest was hidden under her white furred parka. She pulled a thick scarf from her face as she approached the gates, urging Hammer with her heals as she spotted movement begin to surge through the gates.

"Hold the gate!" She shouted uselessly into the wind as Hammer's feet pounded against the snow. The gate continued to inch its way closed.

 

[Nox Solus]

There would be a reason the gate was closing. As she neared the port, Sidan would be able to catch a new sound that even cut through the winds of the blizzard with ease. It didn't originate from Frostport but instead came from above, the same sound becoming louder and louder as she would finally be able to discern it. It was the engine of a starfighter but instead of the wail of an Imperial craft or the typical 'whoosh' of the Republic's, it would be a roar, one that reverberated power.

Six Jai'galaars flew in formation as they dove straight for the port, all of their wings spread in attack formation. It was a sort of a test run. They cut through the turbulent winds of Hoth with ease as they found their targets. The AA defense of the port would face toward the sky and open fire but it would be too late as the fighters had already closed in. All of them would fire their warhead launchers, two missiles each as hellfire would be rained from above.

Primarily, the ships docked would be targeted to prevent a suitable air defense. As the missiles found purchase, ships that barely had time to lift off would explode, the entire port and ground quaking from the sudden assault. Columns of black smoke filled the air as one of the missiles went astray, however, striking right into the gate that had about to been closed. The entire structure groaned in pain before one of the doors simply fell over and right into the snow.

Before the Jai'galaars finished their run, they fired their laser cannons to take out whatever emplacements they could before they pulled off. After that, multiple figures would start to appear from the clouds until they turned into a sizeable storm of crimson. Mandalorians would streak down into the heart of the base, Nox included, as they would open fire on whatever pirates attempted a defense.

From Sidan's location, she would see the pirates on the walls begin to fire before Solus clan members landed beside them, firing and slashing through with ease. Multiple bodies would start to fall over the side, either sinking into the snow with a thud or hitting the fallen metal door with a crunch.

@Arcangel

 

[Sidan Ghost-Wampa]

Sidan's rush for the gate strayed as Hammer heard it first. The powerful reverb of starship engine. Multiple engines.
Sidan turned in the saddle, twisting her head to catch the flight of starfighters as they briefly flashed across the top of vision before the sound of explosions echoed behind her. She whipped around as Hammer's stride faltered and stopped to view a glorious display of explosions, warheads slamming into the various defenses that Frostport had. And the gate.

The gate shuddered and ground to a halt and Sidan kicked Hammer into a sprint again. "I'm sorry." She spoke quietly to the tauntaun as she drove him towards the gate. Sidan could tell her precious mount was on his last leg, but so was Frostport. She had to find a ship, a way off before the invaders burned everything. Whoever they were.

The sky above burned with blasterfire, drawing Sidan's attention. The pirate denizens of Frostport traded fire with a contingent of the raiders who flew down from the skies. No Deucalian tactic, so not another Clan. Sidan's thoughts halted as one section of the gate began to fall, eclipsing the edge of her path.

Hammer veered as she pulled the reins, labored breathing protesting as the heavy steel door panel slammed into the snow with a heavy spray just to the right of Sidan's boot. The ground shook and Hammer's step faltered. The tauntaun collapsed with the spray of snow and sent its rider sprawling into the snow.

Sidan scrambled to her feet. The gate was still sliding shut, missing its outward armor panel. Hammer lay behind her, gasping his final breaths. Sidan rushed to the tauntauns side, hastily gathering her necessary gear. She lingered for a moment as she stroked Hammer's fur one last time before sliding her knife from its sheath. "I'm sorry." She said one last time before sliding the blade into the tauntauns neck.

She left the freshly red snow at a run, barely avoiding a falling body as she sprinted for the gate. A scarred Weequay that she recognized as being crew on one of the ships that frequented Frostport. She had yet to see the invaders, to face one, but she knew that the Dauntless' Weequay crew were no slouches in a fight.

Sidan slid through the gate as it slammed closed with a hollow thud that shook through the tunnels of Frostport as up above the pirate defenders pulled together a last ditch defense at the various weapon's emplacements that guarded the entrances to the pirate port. The tunnels that led down to the buried port town from the wall barricaded, guarded with pirates who crewed mounted repeaters as they protected their little slice of freedom from the ever encroaching law and order of the galaxy. Hangar bays slid shut above smoldering ruins of ships that the invaders had killed on the ground. Frostport sealed itself shut. The cold could take these invaders as night fell over Hoth.

@Orbit

 

[Hokaan Veren]

Hoth was much colder than a server room. Hokaan was glad he had a thermal undersuit interwoven into his armor design. The extreme cold was one unpleasantness he liked to ignore as best he could. But he knew soon enough, the fires of combat would heat his blood.

Numerous Mandalorian warriors were already leading the assault as they flew in on jetpacks and jetboots. The Jai'galaar assault starfighters had done their job to pave the way in a destructive attack run. Now Hokaan's Z-wing flew low over the landscape before slowing and blowing aside clouds of smoke that rose on either side from hulks that had once been ships. Now they had flames licking along their hollowed out fuselage and scraps

Inside the cockpit, Hokaan craned his helmeted head over the dashboard, getting a bird's eye view of one recent arrival just barely making it inside the gate. The external landing area where the pirate ships sat had been struck by numerous laser cannon blasts and warheads.

Heavy blast doors were closing shut and some Mandalorians were already securing the outside. The pirates may be sealed in but that would only delay the inevitable. "Keep an eye on scanners and keep the ship running, Serene." The young male voice was slightly muffled from behind the helmet. A soothing female voice replied. "Yes master. Understood." The integrated ship AI would be able to tell him if any new contacts or energy signatures showed up.

Popping the cockpit canopy, Hokaan dropped down from his starfighter and un-slung his blaster rifle. Looking around, there were no immediate threats and the members of Clan Solus were securing the perimeter. He trotted up to the shut gate and then stopped to look it over. To one side was an access panel. "There we are..." He grinned a little and re-slung his rifle. Flexing his right wrist and balling his hand into a fist, a security spike extended from the gauntlet before being insterted into the controls on the military grade blast door. <"This will just be a moment, vode. Then we'll be able to march right in."> The clicking and ticking, followed by periodic clacking would persist as the slicer rotated the device. It was just a matter of time.

@Arcangel @Orbit

 

[Vidha Solus]

Vidha landed with other members of her clan, wearing a borrowed jet-pack. She fired at the pirates, making her way closer to the blast doors. That would not hold the pirates for long. Vidha did not think about who she was killing, she just kept marching forward, following the orders of her Alor. She worked best in these situations, thinking on the spur of the moment when anyone else would have been slower.

She shot one of her blasters behind her, not even glancing behind her as she marched forward. She could hear the yelp of surprise and the thud of the dead body falling over. She bent over to grab more ammo that was strapped around her boot and seeing a shadow casted by the setting sun behind her, she rolled over to the side, loading the ammo in her gun and jumping back to her feet in one swift move. She had just managed to evade a piece of a destroyed ship a pirate had swung at her like a club. She growled at the pirate and grabbed the end of the metal shrapnel, shoving it back in his direction with so much force that it slipped out of his hands and impaled him, sticking into the snowy ground. She stumbled backwards as blood sprayed everywhere, staining the snow in an almost artistic manner. She turned and continued towards the gate.

@Arcangel @Orbit @Darasuum

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox couldn't help himself, he always yearned to be in the heat of the battle. Instead of arriving at the center of the port, he joined in the assault on the perimeter where the fighting would be the most intense. Most of the emplacements would have been destroyed in the initial attack run but there were a few left that could cause severe damage if left unchecked. The pirates defended valiantly as it was the last line of defense before the Mandalorians would be knocking on the doors to the tunnels below.

He flew along the walls with a few other Solus as they banked in order to align with the last emplacement. Pirates surrounded the gun as they shouted at each other while getting into position. They all aimed their rifles up into the air and opened fire, the emplacement joining in as it let out a hail of red bolts.

Nox and the others took evasive maneuvers, splitting apart in order to spread out their aim. One of the bolts grazed his shoulder, throwing him off slightly before he straightened out with a growl, the flesh burning underneath. He ducked low before flying right at the gun. A pirate stood in order to fire at him but the Solus didn't hesitate for a moment. With his armor, he was able to simply ram into the man before lifting him up and throwing him. Instead of off the wall, he was thrown toward the gun and with such force that the barrel of the turret simply pierced through the spine and erupted out the stomach with a geyser of blood.

The whole gun jostled as the pirate operating was knocked off and to the ground. Nox would land on the small platform beside the emplacement and his visor stared down at the man as he towered over. With his right metallic arm, he gripped the barrel and simply bent it downward with some effort, rendering it useless. The pirate below him held up his hands, "Wait!" But at that point, Nox pulled out his blaster and fired two shots into his chest.

A few moments later, Nox would drop in behind Hokaan and from the air. Nox glanced at the controls and then at the Mandalorian, thankful that they had someone skilled enough to get through the door in haste. "They'll be waiting on the other side. Be prepared." He knew exactly who occupied this port and what it was for as well and he activated his comm to the pilots, "Spread out and canvas the port. There will be more than one way to escape from it." Nox wasn't here to wipe out the pirates, he was here for something they held possibly and he wouldn't let it slip from his hands.

@Arcangel @Darasuum @Reylo4evr

 

[Sidan Ghost-Wampa]

Sidan froze as she came to a halt inside the gate. Two Weequay pirates held their rifles on her as her hands hovered near her blaster and her axe. Her eyes darted between the two rough-skinned aliens as they stared her down.

"Sidan." The weequay on the left said, giving her a slight nod.

"Weequay" Sidan said in response, her voice a low grimace as she returned the nod. Her body remained loose for the moment, ready to move. Her eyes darted between them once again, they weren't backing down first. Sidan exhaled and relaxed and in response the pirates lowered their blasters.

"It's not yours then?" The weeqay asked, indicating overhead with a tilt of his head. They still weren't ready to let down their guard yet.

"Not ours." She replied, glancing up. The ground shook as some enemy ordinance exploded above the surface. Definitely not theirs. The clan had been dwelling on Hoth for generations, pillaging what they needed to survive but keeping a low profile otherwise. "We couldn't if we wanted to." She admitted. The weequay should know that Clan Ghost-Wampa didn't have the numbers or the force to pull of something like this. Snow rained from the ceiling at another thud above.

"MMmmmm..." The Weequay frowned in unison, glancing at each other as they shared a thought.

"On with it. I've places to be." Sidan growled as she took a step forwards and started walking towards them. The Weequay tensed for a moment before relaxing and backing off. They let Sidan pass, and she walked briskly until she broke the corner of the tunnel, stopping to breathe for a moment as soon as she was out of sight. She had been half expecting them to put a bolt in her back and it had taken everything for her to not just start running as soon as she had passed the pair of guards.

She breathed for a moment before breaking into a run, speeding down the Frostport tunnels as fast as her furs would allow. Frost billowed from her face as she ran past a few likewise running civilians. Sidan's eyes met a fleeing twi'lek's, his fearful eyes meeting hers. Determined. He was running away for his life while Sidan chased her legacy. She glared at him as they passed and she ran deeper into Frostport, away from the hangars. Lower, down away from the pirates and the town that catered to them, and deeper down into the underbelly of the frozen city. The science ward.


@Orbit @Darasuum @Reylo4evr

 

[Hokaan Veren]

The sound of jet pack thrusters disengaging behind the Veren Mandalorian warranted a glance over his shoulder. Sure enough, Hokaan saw the Alor of Clan Solus approach him and the door. The slicer would reply as he turned back to his work. "I'll be ready." The confidence was evident in his voice, bordering on arrogance. He had no idea the pirates of Frostport had dug in with repeaters on the other side.

The chilly outside air nipped at the nooks and crannies of Hokaan's armor. His gloved hands flexed once each, keeping the gloves around his hands from getting stiff in the cold. He knew that badgers of clan Solus were not always known for their patience. Rather they were known for their tenacity and ferociousness. The moment was closing and he decided to give the other Mandalorians a heads up with a count down.

Tick ticktick tick... tak tuk
"Breaching in 3...2...1!"

The security spike on Hokaan's wrist was retracted from the interface and returned to the concealed confines of his right gauntlet. The metal doors groaned as they slid into snow covered walls on either side. The moment they parted, the Mandalorian expected blaster fire to come pouring out. Similarly Hokaan would expect the members of clan Solus to respond in kind.

Waiting for the doors to fully open before crossing the threshhold, Hokaan unslung his blaster rifle in a practiced motion and prepared to storm the tunnel with the rest of his comrades. The others were holding the angle, and would hopefully cover Hokaan while he transition from slicing to shooting once again.

@Arcangel @Orbit @Reylo4evr

 

[Vidha Solus]

Vidha joined the other Mandalorians as they gathered around the door, preparing to open it. She held out her blasters in front of her, and as soon as they were revealed, the pirates inside opened fire. She and her fellow warriors returned fire, as they pushed their way into the large tunnel. There was not a moment's pause between action, and Vidha was glad. If she paused to catch her breath and look around, she might doubt herself. For Mandalore echoed in her head as she shot down the pirates. This was where she belonged.

One pirate thought he would be clever and try and shut the doors on some of the incoming warriors still crossing the threshold. Vidha saw him reach towards the control panel and turned, shouting to those still coming in, pointing out the doors that were moving again. As many warriors got in as possible and Vidha shot at the control panel, creating a miniature explosion that destroyed the controls and killed the pirate working at it. The pirate was a fool. Now the pirates were stuck in here with their enemies, the only exit a small hole in one of the tunnels.

@Orbit @Darasuum @Arcangel

 

[Nox Solus]

The Jai'gaalars above would split off to canvas the port. They had performed extremely well at that point and Nox held no fear about them splitting off. On the ground, a Mandalorian on the door, one he hadn't personally met yet would reply before continuing his work of opening it. The Solus'alor had no idea who he was but he was efficient and that was an aspect that could always be appreciated by the Solus. He would need to find out the Crusader's name afterward.

The Veren gave a countdown of when the door would open and they all withdrew their weapons and at the ready, either giving a prayer to Kad or reloading new energy clips. Nox would stand behind the armorer, waiting patiently until the door finally parted for them, unleashing the tide of Mandalorian steel. Blaster bolts would immediately be exchanged back in forth as crusaders rushed forward to establish a foothold within the tunnels.

Nox, who usually led from the front, let the others pass for a moment. Instead, his gaze would snap to Hakaan as he spoke before he charged in, "You're with me Veren." Then he glanced over to a fellow Solus behind him, Vroj, one bearing the same insignia on his helmet as the Alor, "You too." Even though they had found their opening, they wouldn't be able to do much if they were funneled right into the pirates and unable to utilize their jetpacks and what they did best.

The Alor would peel off from the main tunnel and stepped into a small alcove with another locked door. Instead of making Hakaan do it, he simply gestured with his hand to Vroj. The mando would simply step forward, two charges pulled from his belt before he placed them on the door. After they had been set, they would all position themselves on the wall before they finally blew, the door torn off its hinges and flung to the wall behind it.

Nox would step through first, able to see a body and blood splatter underneath the door. They would find themselves in a small maintenance tunnel but more importantly opened a new front. There would already be pirates inside with them but they had been heading to where the funnel had been. The explosion had knocked a few of them on their feet while the others turned around to find a new breach.

Understanding what would happen if they started firing, the Solus immediately activated his jetpack and took off in a straight line toward them. His body would simply crash into the first one and like bowling pins, be knocked into the second and continue on. All of them hit the ground but Nox would be one of the first up, shooting the first one he hit in the head before activating his flamethrower on the rest, enveloping a few pirates in the flames while the others pulled back from the heat.

 

[Sidan Ghost-Wampa]

Sidan ran through the tunnels of Frostport, boots pounding hard against cold metal floor as she proceeded deeper, a spiraling set of stairs bringing her lower, under the snow and ice until she reached a sealed door, a blinking keypad the only way of entry into the lift that would bring her down to the science ward.

A geothermal station of origin that Sidan knew not lay at the bottom of a mineshaft that Frostport was built around. The station powered Frostport, but the isolationist scientists that tinkered in the labs below got first dibs on the facilities power as they kept control and operations of the facility away from the pirates. Sidan's childhood inquisitiveness had led her to sneaking down into the science ward, meeting the people there, and eventually finding a mentor among them. A mentor and a teacher.

Sidan skidded to a stop at the door, hands pressing against its steel as she arrested her momentum, prevented herself from breaking her nose on the portal. Her breath came heavy but it was no longer frosty. A bead of sweat began to form on her forehead, the sudden warmth of standing next to the lift just beginning to be uncomfortable under her heavy parka. Sidan glanced at a pair of cameras that stared blankly from the corners of the tunnel above the door, small blue pins of light indicating that their eyes were open. That they were watching.

Sidan's glove fought her grasp as she tugged her right hand free and she shakily punched Gle Nas' code into the keypad. A red light. She eyed the cameras again. If Gle Nas' code wasn't working, that meant the entire lab was locked down. She didn't have time for this. Sidan cursed under her breath before pulling a vibroaxe from her belt and swinging it at a paneling next to the door, its monosharp edge finding the seam in plates and acting as a wedge that she pried at the panel until a bolt that held it began to strain, before the bolt popped free of itself as Sidan shot it with her blaster, superheating the metal under strain.

Sidan was able to bust two more bolts free from the rapidly opening panel that revealed an opening into the maintenance tunnels that ran up to the door, and up and over to the blaster turret that lowered down into the tunnel from above. Sidan snarled as she released her axe leaving it in the pried open panel to use as a step, springing off it to leap up at the turret as it snapped to target her, her second axe cleaving the gun in two with a shower of sparks.

Sidan closed her eyes on instinct, covering them with her arm as she fell thudding to the ground, face sizzling hot where sparks had melted against her cheeks. She opened her eyes, blinking. White halos marred her vision where she had been looking as the gun exploded, but her vision slowly returned as she shook her head and pushed herself to her feat. Turning she fired three shots at the three remaining bolts, the metal there burning hot for a moment as she kicked the handle of her axe where it was wedged in under her wait earlier.

"That turret was very expensive." An ugnaught voice echoing through the hallway as she eyed the gap she had pried into the wall. She let her parka fall to the floor before she retrieved her axe, examining it. The blade was bent to hell and she let it clatter to the ground, useless. "And I broke my axe. As far as i'm concerned, you owe me." She said as she glared at the camera for a moment before blasting the two devices and holstering her pistol.

"Those were expensive too!" The ugnaught cried out as Sidan turned and slipped into the tunnels. The sounds of battle echoed faintly through the maintenance tunnels that led further down and back up to the surface. Sidan stopped, listening for a moment. Not too close, but it sounded as if men were fighting in the maintenance tunnel as well. Sidan wondered again who had struck the pirate port, who possessed the capabilities to force an entry so swiftly. So decisively. She remembered seeing men flying among the clouds above Frostport, fighting as they rode on wings of flame. An echo of a memory stirred, not an experience, but a legend.

Sidan would have prayed that the invaders weren't what the legend suggested, if she believed in gods. Instead she turned her mind to the task at hand as she walked in a crouch as swiftly and as safely as her boots would might carry her, the low ceiling of the under-level tunnel intruding on her space as she worked her way to the lift shaft, sweat beading on her brow as the temperature rose.

@Orbit @Darasuum @Reylo4evr

 

[Vidha Solus]

Every vod in here was busy doing their part for Mandalore, and Vidha did hers. She cleared a path through the fleeing rebels. She saw a woman with red hair dart into a tunnel and her interest was piqued. Why was she running away so quickly? Vidha shot an oncoming pirate over her shoulder before running after her. She continued to clear a path and followed the woman. Perhaps she had information that could be useful. Or maybe Vidha just needed an excuse to focus her attention on person; make this fight a little more interesting.

Vidha enjoyed the heat of the adrenaline and the fight that filled her as she pounded down the tunnels. She descended a flight of stairs and swung around the corner, nearly toppling over with her momentum. She had been running at full power for long enough that she found it hard to stop. She skidded to a halt when she reached a threshold that had obviously been forced through. It lead to another, smaller, tunnel.

Vidha cursed small spaces and turned around, trying to recall the outline of the base she had looked over earlier. She noticed a side tunnel, and jogged down that one. Like she had thought, it took her to the lift shaft. She was running so quickly she almost fell down into it. She ducked behind a crate, her blaster at the ready, should the red-head woman have heard her enter, which was quite likely considering Vidha sucked at stealth.

@Arcangel @Orbit @Darasuum

 

[Hokaan Veren]

Hokaan moved from where he had sliced the door and calmly walked into the tunnel. A glancing bolt pinged off a shoulder plate but his Mandalorian armor held. The Veren fired at his attacker putting a bolt in his head while advancing ahead of the Solus'alor. The Armorer was not in any rush and was confident in his plating.

The high pitched whine and spin up of a light repeating blaster was followed by a stream of blue ionizing blaster bolts. They slammed into the ground in front of the Slicer before crossing his chest, impacting three separate times before the rest of the shots missed him over his right shoulder.

Before the gunner could refocus their aim on the black and orange armored marksman, Hokaan would naturally return fire. But his blaster bolts would miss, whether he was thrown off from the impact of blaster bolts or the decently positioned repeater emplacement, it did not matter.

Letting his blaster carbine drop into its sling, it would bounce and swing behind the young Armorer's front. His hands would already be in motion and reach to draw out the other weapon he was carrying. The Mag-79 already had a plasma grenade loaded. It was set to impact so all Hokaan had to do was point and pull the trigger. A thunk sounded and a slight recoil was felt in the Mandalorian's shoulder before the emplacement was blown to frosty hell.

This earned the slicer more attention. He had begun moving to take cover with other Solus clan members. two separate blaster bolts caught his right shin and his left thigh respectively. Sparks from someone firing a solid projectile weapon pinged off his left arm piece.

Hokaan choose not to reload. His right hand dropped down to his sidearm holster to pull his sidearm. The Westar-93 in his grasp was doing better than his carbine had. Catching a pirate in the shoulder and another in the stomach before the Mandalorian made it to cover allowed him to smile through the pain he was feeling.

Looking over, the phoenix watch the badger set two door charges. Grunting and taking a half step back, Hokaan would follow through the breach momentarilly. But not before firing a few more shots out of cover. The rest of their vode continunued to advance and would make headway. For now the front he would push would be one with Nox. "OYA! They are breaking!" He shouted for his own benefit just as much as his comrades within earshot. Not to mention it was terrifying to hear that coming from an enemy. Hokaan was not above scare tactics.

@Arcangel @Orbit @Reylo4evr rolled dice and so he got shot a lot 19

 

[Nox Solus]

The flames from his gauntlet lept forward to consume whatever attempted to stand before it. A couple of pirates were caught, their clothing ignited under the heat, and burned them alive, their screams echoing down through the maintenance tunnel. Fortunately for those behind the two, they had shielded and would be until the fuel capsule emptied.

Once it was ejected, the pirate in the lead took notice and charged to get in a quick strike. Nox caught the movement and took a step back to create distance. In a smooth motion, he brought his besked down and sliced the pipe next to him. Right as the pirate crossed the threshold, a blast of pressurized steam would shoot out and strike him right in the face. The blade that was held would be dropped immediately, the man screaming in pain as his hands would immediately go to his burnt face. Before he could stumble too far, Nox launched his beskad and stabbed the man right through his exposed stomach, keeping him within the steam and killing him rather quickly.

All the pirates behind him watched in horror before they lifted their weapons and began to open fire. There wasn't cover in the hallway and that meant Nox utilized the body for that, tilting the blade upward slightly to prevent it from sliding off. His free hand would draw out his blaster, firing over the shoulder of the pirate and returning the same sentiment. As more and more Mandalorian blasters joined him, almost making it impossible for the pirates to simply stand there and they retreated as a result.

Nox would glance past the body before pushing onto the ruptured pipe, using it as a blocker for the steam and allowing him to walk through. Hakaan called out that the pirates were breaking and the Alor quickly connected to the line, "Push the advantage! Don't let them regroup! Tear this floor apart to find what we are looking for." As more crusaders filed into the tunnel to occupy it, it made their seizure of the first level much easier. Whatever checkpoints had been set up could be avoided once they sniffed their way out of the tunnels.

Nox pressed forward with Hokaan and Vroj, maintaining the pressure against the retreating pirates as they tightened the noose inch by inch around the heart of the station. If they followed the pirates, they would be led to a junction point, multiple pathways splitting off from it and throughout the port.

@Arcangel @Darasuum @Vidha Solus

 

[Sidan Ghost-Wampa]

Sidan's cramped walk back to the lift shaft was a short one and the vertical tunnel that led down into the sub terrain of Hoth was empty except for the cable tracks that ran along the sides of the tunnel. There was a recessed ladder that up and down along the side of the shaft, down into the void, barely lit by flickering service lights.

It had been long since Sidan had taken this route down to the labs and thermal station, not since she was a child sneaking down to explore forbidden territory. There was no use lingering on the memories and Sidan wiped the sweat from her palms before clambering down to the first rung.

Sidan descended carefully, but with haste. It would do neither her nor her people any good if she fell to her death here in the depths of Hoth all because she got a little careless on a ladder. She counted the rungs as she went, passing a small white ribbon she had tied on one of them many years gone that marked the halfway point. A clang rang out from above, where one of the invaders had found an access point to the small loading zone just off the lift (@Reylo4evr ). It wasn't long after this that a shudder went through the tunnel.

Those bastards! Sidan thought to herself as she hurried down a few more rungs before ducking into the deepest section of the ladder well available, the depression in the wall far more shallow than she cared for. The shuddering noise grew louder, picking up speed as she sucked in against the wall, ladder rungs digging against her skin, cold rough stone pressed against her cheek.

The noise became deafening. The air suction threatened to swallow her up as the lift hurtled past her and she felt its thundering metal frame pass maybe a hairs breadth from her back. Her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of three man sized forms, circuits and steel. Droids. And then the lift was past her. She breathed again, her muscles trembling as she loosened her tense positioning and continued the downwards trek. Another ribbon, this one yellow, told her she was almost to the bottom.

Her pace hurried until finally her boots once more touched solid ground. Sweat dripped from her face, the combined exertion and heat driving the reaction. Her breath came heavy as she dropped down to the base of the lift shaft. She looked up at the blinking blue eyed camera above the heavy blast door with a glare.

"Let me in Druke." She growled, lip turning up in a snarl. She waited, counting the second until the door shuddered and slid open. No Ugnaught waited behind the door. Instead she found herself looking upwards, the slender and towering Gle Nas.

"You've been making an awful lot of noise, almost as much as your friends up there." The Kaminoan said as Sidan clambered up out of the lift well and brushed herself off. His words came as a creeping ooze, like honey dripping, and the door was shut once more behind her before he had even finished his words.

"No friends of mine." She grunted brusquely, rolling her eyes at Gle Nas as the alien chuckled gently.

"No friends indeed." He said as he began to stride down the corridor. It was a topic they often touched on during his years of mentoring the young Deucalian. "You really should work on that." He finished, his large dark eyes blinking down at her in a manner she could only call amused.

Sidan rolled her eyes again. "I'll make friends when they're worth making." She spat, wiping sweat from her forehead as they approached the lab. "And what do I call you if not a friend." She gave him a slight grin and a not so gentle jab to the side with her elbow. Or at least she tried.

The towering scientist's hand moved deceptively fast for his languidness, and her jab was effortlessly brushed off to the side. "Not a friend." Gle Nas scowled at her. "A mentor, maybe a colleague. Not a friend" His words came harsh, but there was a hint of gentleness there. He always insisted that they were not friends, but Sidan knew the alien had a fondness for her, despite her attitude.

"Whatever." Sidan scowled back as they continued towards the lab, steps echoing in the tunnel's dim lighting.

"And what have I told you about the poking." Gle Nas lectured as he walked, his stride as ever, graceful.

-----​

In a dark, smoky room deep below the facility, walls covered with screens, desks cluttered with keyboards, empty cans, and wrappers sat an Ugnaught, named Druke. He watched the invading Mandalorian's nervously on his various screens. He had been on the can when the invasion first landed, hadn't seen them. Hadn't caught the scurrying slicer Mando that hacked the door, let them in. He scratched at his dirty overalls before pushing up his thick rimless glasses. He had tried to stop that annoying Sidan from breaching security, despite Gle Nas insisting that she be let in. So tall. Gle Nas was so tall. It annoyed Druke how tall the Kaminoan was, so he had put his turret on the girl, much to his wallets dismay. Oh well. She was a rat like the rest of them, but tolerable.

Intolerable however, the beskar shelled beatles that scurried about his home, chewing at the walls, picking apart the pirate pets that Druke and his brother's kept around as muscle for their little project. They had their uses. Druke scowled as his eyes shifted from watching Sidan climb to another screen, the monitor beeping a noise alert. He had silenced quite a few monitors already, the din of battle tripping all the various alarms that let him keep watch of all the little nooks and crannies of the base. An invasive species, those hard shelled mandos. So close. They were so close to success, now this.

His eyes widened as he caught sight of the Mandalorian (@Reylo4evr ) clutzing it up and trying to sneak into the loading bay. So close, this one had gotten close. Beady eyes narrowed at the screen as Druke pressed a few keys, activating a trio of droids and ordering them up the lift. The droids emerged from their storage coffins, six in all lining the wall of the lower elevator shaft. Drusk had armed them for close quarters, each wielding a pair of blaster pistols. The lead droid activated the elevator, and they rocketed up the lift shaft to go meet the intruder.

"Pests." Druke spat as he grabbed a smoking cigar off an ash filled tray and took a deep drag. He turned his eyes to another screen, watching the chaos that consumed the maintenance tunnels as a burst of steam filled the camera lens, hidden, tucked away up in the wiring and pipes above the Mandalorian invaders. "Now, what to do with you." He peered at the screen, trying to catch a glimpse of the black clad mando who had unwittingly obscured his vision of the Mando slicer that had annoyed him.

-----​

The turbolift sped swiftly up the burrowed lift shaft, ferrying Db311 and two other combat droids up. It sped past Sidan in a flash and DB311 didn't even have a chance to scan the organic. A pity. Db311 wanted to greet them. Db311 clenched his metal fists slightly against the twin blasters he wielded. He would do better to greet the other guest at their destination.

The lift shuddered to a halt up above shortly after it had begun its ascent and Db311's photoreceptors scanned the room. Intel filtered in through his connection to the owner, the image from the camera processing to show Db311 where the guest was.

"Hello!" Db311's voice modulator said cheerfully as he raised his twin heavy blaster pistols and began to fire where the guest was hiding, heavy blaster bolts exploding at the edges of the crates and whizzing past narrowly as Db311 casually strolled forwards to get closer so he could better greet the owner's guest. His counterparts seemed to have they same idea as they spread out, their covering fire matching his own as he clanked towards the box, still firing.

@Orbit @Darasuum

 

[Vidha Solus]

Vidha had barely been on the ground surrounding the lift before said lift rocketed up and three droids exited. She grumbled to herself and looked up. She found a camera and fired one of her blasters at it, before finding the other camera and shooting that one down too.

Her position having been given away, she stood up and aimed at the droids. She scoffed. They thought three droids would stop her? She quickly snuffed her arrogance, her sister's voice ringing in her head. Those were the kind of thoughts that got one killed.

It took four good shots per droid and more than a few shots that got a little too close to home for all three droids to keel over, smoking holes in their torso plates, their inner wiring fried. Despite the fact that the temperature was below freezing, Vidha found herself sweating and grateful for her armor. It would not be the first, and would definitely not be the last.

She walked over to the lift. She figured the droids hadn't been intended to kill her, rather to slow her down. As she stepped into the lift and hit the button to go down, she contemplated her situation. She didn't know what level the woman would be on. Was it even worth it to chase after her?

She shrugged. She had already come this far, it would be shameful to turn back now. She decided to press a random button to see what level it would stop at, but nothing happened. The lift didn't stop. Vidha cursed and shot the control panel which of course didn't do anything. Knowing what was coming, she jumped up and grabbed the grille on the top of the lift, pulling herself up so she was clinging to it like a spider. All her muscles tensed as the lift lost control and rocketed downwards. It slammed the bottom of the lift shaft so hard, Vidha nearly lost her grip. She dropped to her feet, and looked at the tunnel ahead of her.

@Arcangel