A Forceful Show of Compassion

[Omnis Waszylla]

The youthful fire in Omnis' blood wanted him to run in and start clearing out the pirates infesting the cliffside cave right now. Thankfully his head was still in control, though he was a bit anxious. The young man was waiting for the Rebel backup that he had been told to meet with, after sending in the message that he had found this group of ruffians making life hell for this part of Jakku. Sure, the planet wasn't exactly an important place for anyone, but people were still being oppressed and hurt. He couldn't let that continue. He also knew he couldn't do it alone. His alter ego, Potencia, would have just run in there even if it cost him his life. Omnis, though, knew that his death would serve little and bring even more pain down on those around him.

He checked his gear again as he waited. Omnis had on some combat fatigues and jacket that was of the color that would help camouflage him in the jungle area. His blond hair was done up under a hat of a similar color. His grenades were hidden on him and his blaster was holstered at his side, his stun baton in easy reach on his belt to his back. He wondered who would be coming to back him up, trying to pass the time as he waited. At the very least, it was lucky the cave only had one entrance and exit. He'd scouted a bit beforehand, as close as he wanted to try to get without being seen, so at least they wouldn't be going in blind.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

There were reports of pirates terrorizing a village that had sent out a plea of help and hoping for an answer. Thankfully a Rebel operative was already there but the small band of pirates was much larger in scope then they realized. With newfound reports and a need for backup, they had sent Valentine along with a couple of soldiers to at least garrison the village while the others went to solve the pirate problem. The villagers and Omnis would be able to hear the rumble of engines as two simple transport ships flew over the trees, circling around the village momentarily before landing in the center of it as the doors slid open and more rebels slipped out. Two soldiers each carried a box outside of the ship, the contents some simple food, water, and whatever other supplies they could offer at the moment.

Val exited from the ship, outfitted in the same gear as Omnis basically, wearing fatigues and gear that matched the surrounding landscape and blaster weapons. He still had his lightsabers on him but they were tucked securely beneath his clothes and they were reserved only as a last resort. Val couldn't parade around as a Jedi but he could rely on the training he received to at least help in situations like these. Spotting Omnis as he stepped forward, Val made his way over to him before offering him a hand, "Rayth, pleasure. Do you mind filling me in more thoroughly on what's going on?" Attacking caves were a tricky business and could be a death trap if anybody made the wrong move.

While Val waited for Omnis to fill him, he lifted a single finger in the air before signaling for some of the men. Half of the men split from handing out supplies and formed around the two, checking their weaponry as they waited for their command. Val slipped his own rifle off his back, checking the powerpack once more before stepping forward and making his way to the caves. "Might as well talk and move, shall we?" Val casted a glance toward Omnis before gesturing with his head to the path that led up to the cliffs.

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

Omnis gave the man a quick but fervent salute before shaking the man's hand. "Omnis Waszylla, at your service. Thanks for coming out here for this." At the other man's suggestion he nodded, following him as they moved to get closer. He kept his voice down but seemed easily able to move even in dense underbrush. He made sure his weapons were in place and his blaster was in easy reach as they went. "Jakku's a special place for the family, so I wanted to do some good work here. It wasn't long until I found out about these guys. Seems the local government just looks away while they run rampant, so they probably bought them off." He grimaced at the thought, feeling Potencia want to bring the corrupt government to justice as well. There would be time for that later.

As they walked he kept his eyes out for any movement or danger, hand never straying far from his blaster. "Seems like there's around twelve or fifteen of them and that's a bit more than what I can handle on my own. I figured I should call this one in. Was thinking, besides for helping these people, that if these guys have any supplies or money stashed away we could add it to the cause. I don't like stealing in general, but it's not like these guys haven't earned some comeuppance. Plus, I know beggars can't be choosers. If you're still willing to help out, I'll have your back." He figured that Rayth was more experience than he was and probably a better leader. Omnis was charismatic, yet he felt he needed more experience to make an appropriate leader of men. His passion for justice was real, though.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

"Pleasure to meet you Omnis, and no need to thank me, just doing my duty." Valentine gave him a toothless smile before a brief nod as he led the way up to the caves the pirates took hold in. When Omnis explained his story, Val looked over to him before back to the ground they were walking, "We'll have to deal with one problem at a time. And, we'll need evidence if that's true." They weren't the type of force to simply police other governments yet, they'd have to do things slightly underbook or complete incognito. When the ground started getting steeper and the environment around them getting rockier, Val raised his gaze and his blaster, now ready in case there were any scouts of the pirates that wanted to surprise them.

Val stopped near some boulders, the caves just ahead of them and the rock providing enough cover for all the men if the pirates decided to rush out. The Jedi laughed softly when he mentioned he didn't like stealing in general but he was right that the pirates haven't earned anything, "I'm sure that the Alliance won't mind the extra supplies we find if there are any." Going back to the information of how many raiders there were, Val glanced around before looking to Omnis, "Well we have eight in number and entering a cave that I have no readings on doesn't sound appealing to me. Do you know anything about them? If they're not deep, we could flush them out with smokes and set up an ambush with the men."

"If the tunnels are deep, then we should wait outside until the pirates come out again for another raid." Val wouldn't lead his men through the tunnels, he refused. He remembered what happened on Dantooine and not knowing anything about would certainly get men killed and he was attempting to prevent the least amount of casualties that he could. Val then tilted his head slightly at Omnis, his eyebrow arched slightly, "Do you have a suggestion or idea Omnis?"

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

Omnis fervently agreed with Val about getting the evidence. Despite what he had heard from the townspeople and how these seeming bandits were acting, it would be wrong of him to just assume without definitive proof that these men were bad. That didn't mean he was going to walk in as if they were a convent and think they'd welcome him with open arms, he'd still use his head. He just wouldn't instantly condemn them, instead just treat them accordingly. As he thought about this, an idea started to come to him. A scenario from his old acting days with his family's theater, playing on dangers and heroes of the frontier worlds in the Mid and Outer Rim. It was like a light turning on in his head, a plan falling into place. He smiled at Val as he was able to turn it to words, whispering his plan in the man's ear before heading off sneakily over to the turn just before the entrance to the caves. He'd be doing his best acting in a while and he hoped it would work as planned.

"I-is someone there!? Agh...P-please help, my family's speeder feel over. My dad's pinned under our strongbox, please-" Omnis coughed as he cried out in pain, seeming like an injured son of a tourist family to the planet. The mention of a strongbox meant something valuable was with the family, which should catch the attention of the bandits. Sure enough, Omnis sounded pitiful enough that their greed overrode their caution, the group beginning to flow from the cave with weapons in hand and grins on their faces. Omnis was properly hidden, having expected this, and with the men out of the cave they should be in prime position for Val's assistance. Sometimes counting on a person's nature paid off.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Valentine looked over to Omnis, spotting the smile on his face and making his arch his brow in response. He leaned in and whispered, telling him to plan before running off to fulfill his part of it. The Jedi in disguise kept his gaze on the man for a few moments before slowly turning his gaze to the remaining soldiers before shrugging his shoulders and telling them to fan out. Omnis started the act, calling for help as he faked pain and laid out the trap for the men to take. They hid in various spots before the men in the cave strolled out with their weapons in hand.

The soldiers laid prone in the ground, Val remaining deathly still as the bandits walked past them and addressed Omnis, "What we got here lads?" Another pirate walked to the shoulder of the lead one, "Sounds like a pretty boy and his family needs our help." A couple of the bandits chuckled as they made their way to Omnis' direction. The man would be able to see that behind the pirates the other soldiers slowly slipping from their cracks in the rocks or standing up as leaves and dirt fell off their shoulders. They closed the distance quietly, wrapping their arms around the pirate's throat and knocking them out with the butt of their blaster. The lead pirate glanced around, "Where the kark is this family?" The pirate glanced right to look at his comrade but the man was gone.

Before the pirate could turn his head further to look behind him, he suddenly felt the barrel of blaster pistol pressed into his cheek. The man grunted in annoyance before slowly raising his hands while Val used his other hand to disarm him of weapons. All the other pirates were knocked out and on the ground, their rifles stored away as the men restrained them. Val skipped the pleasantries, "How many men are inside?" The man chuckled, "I ain't telling you shit." Val cocked the hammer back of his blaster and jammed the barrel to the back of the pirate's hood. "You really wanna see who's resolve is stronger right now?" He wasn't letting the pirate turn his head to see the bodies and that they were alive, making his threat seem real enough to try and convince him.

The pirate didn't speak for a few seconds, looking in front of him to Omnis before just around him to see if there was an obvious escape out of here. Val placed one of his hands on the man's shoulder, reassuring him that there wasn't a way out of this. "Thirteen," Val cocked his head, "You included?"

The pirate grunted, "Yeah," Val looked over to Omnis, that meant there was eight inside the caves. Giving him a brief nod before looking to the back of the pirate's head again, "Thank you for participating willingly."He didn't wait before slamming the butt of his gun against the pirate's temple, knocking him out cold to the ground. Val holstered his blaster before slipping his rifle off his back and looking to Omnis, "You ready?"

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

Valentine was an amazing person, and not just for his looks or mannerisms or anything that most people would notice first about him. Throughout this entire mission the man had not once dropped his ideals in favor of an easier job dealing with the enemy. He'd even successfully interrogated one of them by making it seem he'd been a lot more ruthless than the truth had been, something that seemed easy in theory but was actually quite hard to pull off. Omnis knew he had a lot to learn, yet just from this one interaction with the enemy he realized that the breadth of difference in experience between the two of them was far greater than he had thought. He wasn't envious, though, he was actually inspired by the fact. And for sure, he didn't want to let the man down.

Nodding, Omnis took out his Guardian Hold-out blaster and set it to stun. Likewise, he took his stun baton out with his other hand, wanting to be ready. "Yes, sir. I've got it all set to stun and I'll have your back. Unless you want me to go in first." His voice betrayed no hint of fear, instead they shined with conviction. They were going to help people and they weren't going to be walking into a trap. By the grace of the Force they were going to do a good thing and not lose anyone. Hell, he almost wanted to go in first just so he could do what he could to prevent anyone's death. He knew his place, though, so it would be up to Valentine.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Omnis seemed excited, his voice giving that off as he pulled out his stun baton. Valentine just shook his head slightly, however, "We go in as a team, we don't know the layout of the cave system." If he could prevent it, he wouldn't want to lose anyone and he gave a silent signal, the rest of the soldiers forming up around the two. "If there are tunnels we'll split into teams and go from there." Val helped the others move the bodies discreetly in case they were outside patrols, taking some of their energy packs and weapons for their own use. They approached the cave with weapons drawn, the sight of his rifle lined with Val's eye.

As they stepped forward it was dimly lit, already some light fixtures installed from the pirates. It was deadly silent for the first few minutes, everyone remaining silent as they went back to their training and calmly checked behind rocks or corners they saw. After a few moments they eventually received a split in a tunnel, it turning into two pathways now with each one being lit at the very end. Val glanced between both, unable to see any visible difference between the two before turning to Omnis, "You take three and I'll take the rest and go left. They may converge in one cavern or go to separate rooms." It was a risk but if it converged then that would mean that they cut off any exit for the pirates.

"If we don't meet on the other side then I'm trusting your judgment to take care of it. Don't shoot unless you can't help it." Val nodded to the men that were going to go with him, "Let's go." The men started heading towards the left tunnel while he cast another glance back to Omnis, "Stay in radio contact. I'll see you on the other side." Val gave the man a nod before turning around, readying his rifle once more as he walked down the tunnel with his squad of men.

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

"Yes, sir." Smiling at Valentine, Omnis turned to the men that were given to him to coordinate a quick strategy. "There's no need to rush right now. You, sir, take the rear and keep an eye out for anyone trying to follow us. You, ma'am, will take point. You and I will cover corners and each other's backs. Keep an eye on all angles and we'll try for quiet takedowns first. The more we can take out with stealth, the less danger anyone falls today. I believe in you guys, let's do some good." His orders acknowledged by the others, they moved down their assigned hall as close to a well-oiled machine as they could be.

Their caution served them well. There were a few pirates down the hall, sitting around a table waiting to continue their card game. A couple empty seats must have belonged to some of the pirates that had gone to try to get the easy treasure from the previous trick. Thankfully, the alcohol they were drinking were in uncovered containers just a bit too close to the edge of the table. Motioning to his men, Omnis used the Force to push over the assembled cups into the laps of their drinkers. The pirates leapt up, trying to dry off their now soaked crotches, all while facing away from where Omnis and his soldiers were waiting. In a few moments they were subdued, stun prods taking them down with barely a sound. Hopefully Valentine was doing just as well, as Omnis' group kept moving carefully forward.

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

While Omnis dealt with his men, Val moved forward leading the ground as he had his rifle half raised. Using silent signals the men got in formation, moving silently down the tunnel. Like Omnis, they heard voices at the end and as they approached closer it seemed the men were more in a party mood after all instead of on guard. Crates of their stolen goods were spread out through this room as well with alcohol in steady supply unsurprisingly. Val moved forward and the men followed but then Val immediately stopped, causing the men too as well as they hesitated before glancing around for a sign of movement.

The men didn't understand why he stopped because they weren't force sensitive like him. It was a small use but he felt it and immediately extended his senses, finding a familiar signature and a new power within it. Omnis, Val thought to himself, gazing in the direction of him as he now could sense it easily. He wasn't searching for it before and it slipped by him but now it stood out like a sore thumb. Val shook his head before pressing forward once more, noting that he would speak with the soldier once this was done. When they entered the cave it was of the similar layout, a wooden table in the center with a formation of tents surrounding it. Pirates stumbled about clearly drunk while some seemed lucid enough.

It was a rather easy mission for the men and one by one the pirates were disposed of, knocked out before dragged in the shadows and out of the view. They dealt with the sentries first before moving in on the table, one of the men rushing forward before slamming his rifle on the back of the head of a pirate. Another soldier wrapped his arm around the second, yanking him out of his seat as he shut off his air. Val came behind the remaining one before slamming his head against the table, some bottles rolling over and chips flying around. "Where's the boss?" Val asked the pirate calmly as the man just remained silent still. The Jedi rolled his eyes before pulling his blaster pistol forward, making the pirate instantly talk.

"He's in the treasure room! Down that hall." He pointed forward into another passageway further ahead. Val nodded at his men after they restrained the others, "Thank you." He knocked the pirate out with a quick strike before pulling him off the table and restraining him. Val pulled up his comm before activating it, connecting and linking with Omnis', "The boss is in the treasure room. If there isn't a passageway in your room, regroup on us." He waited for Omnis to respond, depending on his answer whether he went forward without him or sat here for him.

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

With a sudden chime, Omnis activated his commlink to get the message from Valentine. Confirming that he heard it, the young man turned to his small group of soldiers to relay the orders. There was indeed a passage nearby, with the direction leading in the general direction where they would indeed meet up. Not letting their guard down, Omnis and his crew kept traveling in the same formation as before, one person watching the rear and the forward men watching each other's backs. It didn't take long for them to meet up with the rest of the group, though he didn't know that his use of the Force had been felt by the other man. "We're here, sir. There were some enemies down that path but we managed to neutralize them. No deaths, no shots fired. We're ready to go."

@Orbit

 

[The Eternal (?)]

Valentine heard Omnis' group approach, sensing them with the force as well as he turned his head to look at him. His eyes were mostly locked on Omnis, wondering if this was really the person who used the force. But as he prodded more, subtly enough not to be detected, Val could definitely confirm that Omnis was force sensitive. When Omnis spoke it shook Val from his thoughts and he gave the man a nod, "Nice work, fewer deaths less mess for us." Val turned his gaze to the passageway for the treasure room before glancing back to Omnis, "There should be two men left. Let's make this quick and quiet so we can get home."

With the rest of the cave cleared, the men could pretty move uninterrupted. Val led the group once more, his rifle drawn and raised as it slowly moved from side to side to scan for enemies. They could hear two men speaking, the math adding up as they discussed what to do with their new found cargo. When they reached the opening to the treasure room, there were cargo crates stacked throughout the room with some of them cracked open with supplies or other valuables. Before he went too far ahead, Val quietly got down on a knee and issuing the order for the others to do the same.

When they all did and none of the pirates turned around, Val looked over to Omnis before nodding to him to take out the pirates with some men. Val could have done it himself but he wanted to see if Omnis would try to use the force again to his favor or not. He felt it when he couldn't visibly see the man when it happened. The other soldiers took their positions around the crates, their rifles aimed at the two men in case things went south and they needed a quick way to take the danger out.

 

[Omnis Waszylla]

Omnis felt something like a tickle on his head, but wasn't trained enough in the Force to notice that Valentine was perusing his mind. If he knew, he probably wouldn't have cared, anyway. He trusted the man, even if he had the Force, and at no point had he shown that he would betray him or that he had any ulterior motives in play. Omnis focused on the task at hand, taking out the remaining pirates. He glanced at the different containers, some of them open slightly to show their contents. It was with this that he had an idea. He gestured to his small group of soldiers, quickly conveying his plan. If they looked confused as to how he could pull it off, they didn't show it. These were good men and women, so Omnis wanted to do right by them.

Gathering in the Force, he reached out to some of the topmost containers to push them over. They would be caught by the other containers from falling all the way, so they didn't crush the pirates to death by accident. Instead, their contents of nets and roping used for hunting and capturing fell down upon them. In an instant they were hopelessly tangled, weapons dropped as they tried to untangle themselves. That was the signal, with Omnis and his small squad moving over to knock them out with their stun equipment. Once they were secure and in no danger of dying by accident, Omnis returned to Valentine to give a smile and a salute. "The threat should be neutralized, sir! And with no casualties, for us or them. Thank you again for coming to help."

@Orbit