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[Van'Aria Solus]

Spoiler: OOC BRIEFING

The Carosite security forces are aware that there seems to be a leak, someone who is sending the details of the transports before they actually leave the planet, allowing the slavers to ambush them. They have narrowed it down to either a leak within the Carosi defence fleet or the Neuro-Saav Corporation - put the screws on these people and find out once and for all

Main Objective:
Find the leak or mole and eliminate it

Side Objective:
Find out more about the Slavers and their Base of Operations

Time: 0800

Location: Carosi XII, Newlife Point

Sub-Location: Carosi Defense Fleet Headquarters​

The first straw had been drawn, it was time to exact first measures on the Slave Operations in the Outer Rim, in a joint effort setup by the Rally Master Vizla, Van'Aria embarked to be boots on the ground as soon as possible starting with the incidents around Carosi XII, reports indicated that transports had been hijacked when they leave the Planets Surface and are suspecting a Leak within the Carosi Defense Fleet. A summons had been conducted for capable men to investigate and crack down on this.

Having jumped at the idea of heading out as soon as possible she "borrowed" one of the many new Interceptors to head out immedietly, she preferred Interceptors over other Starfighters for one simple reason, they were faster than most ships, and speed was key in battle.

She approached the Planets atmosphere shortly after arriving in its Orbit, immedietly she was hailed from the surface to inquire her business here, she had intentionally gunned ahead of those that were on assignment with her, the reason being that she wanted to make sure they wouldn't get caught up in any fits of trying to prove superiority to a Aerospace Officer.

<"This is Newlife Aerospace Command hailing Unidentified Mandalorian Aircraft. State your Business.">

"This is Van'Aria of Clan Solus on assignment for the Carosi Government, there are two more coming of Clan Veren they are with me."

<"Understood U-M-A, Proceed to Landing Platform 4 next to the Carosi Defense Headquarters, a Officer will meet you and yours there to fill you in.">

She flipped two switches in the Cockpit of the Interceptor, one thing was for certain... it was a step up to her Scyk and flew like a gem, she liked it very much and played with the thought of putting in a Order of Acquisition for one, she then locked in the Platform that was requested for her and began soaring its way.

"Locked in for Platform 4. Terminating link."

A Acknowledgment came from the other side before she cut the connection and when she did she was already halfway towards the Platform, it didn't take long until she landed and once she did she came to notice that Newlife itself was relatively modern and a change of scenery compared to the places she usually frequented, one of them being Tatooine and Tatooine was well... Tatooine.

Powering down the Ship she flipped the Cockpit open and hopped out of the seat down to the metal floor of the Platform, a Ship Quartermaster gave her a nod as he let his Droids commence a routine scan of the Ship, she didn't object, there was no need to cause a fuss on this assignment.

<"Just routine, Officer Bru'lar will be with you in a moment.">

She gave a nod as she looked ahead to the large cubular building adjacent to the Landing Platforms, it had a obsidian hue and had the insignia of the Carosi Defense Fleet on it, no doubt this was the place, pulling her Vibro-Ax of her Back she took a space next to her Ship as she waited for both the Officer and the rest of the ones with her on Assignment to arrive.

@Burpee @HoneyMagpie

 

[Jado Veren]

It was a little weird being on assignment with Genova and not having her in the ship with him. They'd worked together so long and so often that his G1-A was oddly quiet without their constant bickering. Independent flights aside, Jado and his battlesister would be joining Van'Aria Solus on Carosi XII for one of their favorite pastimes: weeding out slavers. This would be part of a larger operation that would culminate in the death of the slavers and the release (and possible recruitment) of their captives. Though there were a lot of new Mandalorian spacecraft to acquisition, Jado preferred to fly his own ship when possible. The familiarity was just comfortable, especially in combat situations.

As the compact pinnace broke through the Carosite atmosphere, Jado answered the surface transmission and began his descent to the landing platforms. The system security was already aware of his arrival; Van'Aria or Genova must have beat him there. The fact was confirmed as Jado's ship lowered down onto the platform with a Mandalorian starfighter visibly docked across from him outside the viewport. There with vibro-ax in hand he spotted Van'Aria in her signature crimson and purple armor, standing outside the starfighter as droids gave it their usual once-over. Gen was probably still on the way.

Jado gathered his usual armaments and affixed them to their usual locations: pistols on each thigh, carbine slung around the right shoulder, and vibroblade gladius sheathed on his left hip. Whether they were expecting combat or not, Jado wouldn't leave his ship unprepared. As he descended down the short ramp from the back of his ship, he made sure to keep all weapons visible and not in hand. Sure he was here on official business, but he didn't need the authorities to be jumpy with him. The Mandalorians were here for security, after all.

Jado paid no mind to the droids that started their routine scans and left his ship to greet the battlesister that had already arrived. He approached with a smile hidden under his helmet and held his forearm out for a standard Mandalorian shake. "Su cuy'gar, Solus." he said warmly in greeting. He hadn't worked with her before but had heard of some of her deeds and was generally looking forward to making her acquaintance.

@HoneyMagpie @Bread

 

[Genova Veren]

Being the last to arrive, Genova wasted no time in finding her Mando brethren. They weren't exactly hard to spot, given the weapons and usual visage. Admittedly, the clan's leadership had offered her a temporary vessel but the armourer had declined, instead opting to make her own way to Carosi XII. And that she did, arriving (rather surprisingly) via civilian transport. The journey hadn't been the most direct of routes but at least she was in one piece. The last time she had accepted a ride from Jado, they had been besieged by pirates. The damn ship barely stayed operational. What a fiasco...

Shaking her head at the memory, Genova was still nonetheless happy to hear she would be working alongside her kinsmen yet again. Despite their antics, they made a pretty good team, though @Van'Aria Solus would likely be the judge of that. The Lorrdian foundling wasn't familiar with this particular Solus, but if she called her a Mando, that was good enough for her. She certainly had enough experience to claim seniority on this assignment. It would be interesting watching and working with her.

Exiting the ramp in her usual armour attire, the armourer gave a thankful wave to those who had ferried her such a distance; the crew of the spacecraft were predominantly Sluissi - a patient and sociable people, with a real knack for technical tinkering. It was no surprise Genova was on good terms with them. She had actually met them during one of her family's many travels. Her old nomadic ways still had their uses, allowing her to nurture and grow an impressive list of contacts. Jado often joked about it, how she knew just about everyone for one thing or another. Needed to trade some low impact merchandise? She knew a Neimoidian. Got to shift some munitions? Don't worry about it, Genova knew several Abyssins willing to do business.

A little bit of friendship certainly went a long way...

But, honestly, nothing compared to the bond she had with her clansmen. Though her mask hid it well, just seeing @Jado Veren made Genova smile; if ever she was in a fight, she could think of no one better to have at her back. Course, she'd never say any of this openly, lest her battle brother began to develop an ego. Still, when walking upon the pair, she offered the Pantoran an endearing pat. His armour, for once, was not in a complete asik state and for this, she gave no beating.

She did, however, give @Van'Aria Solus a more respectful greeting, in the form of a nod.

A woman of few words, Genova hoped her actions on this assignment would be enough to speak for her.

Spoiler

Sorry for the shortness in this reply. Still recovering from Covid but wanted to get the thread moving.

@Burpee @Bread

 

[Van'Aria Solus]

"Greetings you two. I trust you have found here without difficulty?"

She gave both of them a nod in return, Clan Veren had made a resurgence as of late and she was happy that they did, seeing things prosper meant that Nox did everything right and that meant she didn't place her trust in nothing.

"We should be received momentarily."

She gestured to the Large Headquarters and almost like on que they were indeed received by a Carosi Local Officer of the Defense Fleet who hailed them albeit as they approached, following them was what seemed to be a Carosian Medical Official.

<"Greetings Mandalorians. We have been expecting you.">

<"We are scheduling another one of our Transports to leave soon, we are as of yet still unsure where exactly the leak resides but we trust that you three will make quick work of it no?">

They gestured the group of Mandalorians to tag along whilst they spoke, Van'Aria at first seemed reluctanct but eventually did follow however thought this whole... appearance questionable.

"Who is in charge of who leaves and who doesn't?"

<"Well ofcourse, that would be me.">

The Carosian Officer chirped up at the question, Van'Aria chose this question carefully for whilst these two might come across as their first access to everything... she wouldn't outrule them being the mole either.

She looked over her shoulder at the two Veren to try and gauge what they might think but kept silent as for now, it was not opportune to speak in the presence of what could potentially be their target.

@Burpee @HoneyMagpie

 

[Jado Veren]

The sight of Genova's familiar armored appearance invoked a large, hidden smile out of Jado. The two of them did a great job of picking up each other's slack, though more of the 'slack' was admittedly on Jado's side. He'd been making some small efforts here and there to clean his act up, starting with putting the trash in his ship in a receptacle instead of where ever it lands. There was still plenty of cleaning and maintenance to perform, but it was a start.

When Gen said her fairwells to the Sluissi, he tilted his head to the side slightly, showing interest in her travels. He'd have to catch up with her after the mission. He appreciated Gen's greeting and knew she'd seen his armor in far worse state. He'd actually given the ol' beskar'gam a wipe down before heading out for this mission, knowing he'd be seeing his battlesister. As Van'Aria greeted them, Jado responded: "No trouble at all. And thank you for clearing the way in with the authorities. Certainly made things a lot smoother." he offered in appreciation.

Jado silently sized up the officials that emerged to greet them, as he did just about any new life form he met. When they offered their greetings, he responded with a silent nod. They likely wouldn't expect much conversation out of the Mandalorians; wasn't exactly their reputation. He was curious about the medical official's appearance for this business, as he was only aware of meeting with the defense fleet officer. Jado listened carefully as the officer answered Van'Aria's question. He was somewhat curious about another aspect of their administrative duties, however.

"Who schedules the departures?" he asked firmly, indicating that he would not accept dancing around the question. He doubted the slavers were just out in space waiting for the Carosian transports to happen by. They were getting sufficient information to know when they would be in transit, as well as what their route was. Finding out who scheduled the flights and/or planned the flightpaths would likely lead them closer to their target.

@HoneyMagpie @Bread

 

[Genova Veren]

Being a Lorrdian, Genova was quite adept when it came to observation. She looked for even the faintest of signals, whether that be a shifting of the eyes or even a flicker in the expression; nothing could escape her notice. Leaving her fellow Mandos to do all the talking, Genova instead chose to remain stoic and silent, a crossing of her arms suggesting as much.

The armourer was the watchful type and the darkness of her visor provided a perfect cover for her cybernetic eye. It not only scanned the two officers but also anyone within their near vicinity; her augmented asset was rather stealthy actually, snapping visuals of faces that came and went. When @Van'Aria Solus gave a passing glance, Genova only offered a tilt of her head. It said as much; as much. She didn't trust these officers.

However, this didn't stop the Mando nomad from scouting about other surroundings. Yes, Mandalorians were a sight to behold; understandably, they drew some mild attention but it made sense the mole would be equally vigilant. They could be watching them right at that very moment, hence Genova's near-constant scanning. Even whilst walking, the Veren was rather alert and extended this notion to her clansmen, silently tapping at @Jado Veren 's back. It was a signal, a simple one really.

I got your back...

Quite literally, actually. No one liked being caught off guard and on many occasions, it was a gesture of comfort. @Jado Veren could focus on the path ahead, whilst Genova covered any threats that might come from the rear (both figurative and literal). Whether it was a good ol' fashion fisty cuffs or an all-out firefight, Genova would always be there to support her battle brother, as well as any other Mando in need.

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[Van'Aria Solus]

<"That would be me. We elected to contact you three directly to show that we are willing to help you with this investigation to find the culprit.">

"I see."

This sounded... fishy, all of it stank so much that it was hard to not notice, both of those in charge for the respective ways of departure in one place willing to lend aid and clear up their time just to investigate this leak?

Van'Aria had a very good suspicion that both of them were in on this and were just biding their time to lead them in the wrong directions but she couldn't back that up with proof yet which made the entire thing... iffy, she played along for now perhaps the two of them would be so stupid as to try and "dispose" of the Mandalorians.

"Do you mind showing us around then? To see the Pilots and the ships that are getting apprehended?"

<"Yes ofcourse. This way.">

Van'Aria looked over her shoulder briefly giving both Veren a knowing nod, she wanted to see if they actually would end up in a Hangar or not, quietly she prepared herself for the worst and more importantly... a fight.

<"We will have to take a back route, the main entrance is being serviced as of current.">

The two Carosians were leading the way down the Landing Pads and onto the Main Path leading towards the Headquarters, however the path diverged soon off target down towards a sharp left... then a sharp left again followed by a right, soon alleys were replaced by the open paths they were used to, city alleys, this was not the same path towards the Headquarters.

"Are the Hangars offsite?"

Van'Aria asked which was met with silence, this... was troublesome, her hand slowly but steadily lowered down to her Blaster but only hovered over it.

@Burpee @HoneyMagpie

 

[Jado Veren]

Jado agreed with the silent assessments of his Mando sisters: something was off, and these two 'representatives' had a lot to do with it. He honestly began to question if these Carosians were even the people they said they were. Despite his discomfort, the gentle taps of Gen at his back gave him a warming sense of security. No matter who these people were or what would go down, she would be right there. And he would be right here for her. It was how they worked.

As they continued following the Carosians, trepidation grew in Jado with each subsequent step forward. The main entrance was being serviced? Likely story. These shebs'palone were just dragging them down a rabbit hole. At this point, he was frustrated enough that he didn't care how system security might feel; he shifted his shoulder to allow the carbine to sling forward into his grasp and held it in front of him relaxed, but at the ready. He wasn't going to play games.

Even if these people were somehow not involved, they would have had to know the reputation of Mandalorians being 'all business' and would be foolish to test their patience. As their path took several unusual turns, Jado was glad he'd readied his rifle already. He willfully restricted his trigger discipline and allowed his finger to gently slide into the trigger guard. When the Carosians answered Van'Aria with silence, Jado's impatience peaked and he stopped firmly in his tracks. Genova would have likely ran smack into him had she not been so keen at reading body language; she could probably sense the sudden halt coming before Jado committed to performing it.

"I'm not taking another step until you answer her. None of this makes sense. Where are you actually leading us?" Jado snapped from under his helmet, tilting his head knowingly to the side as the Carosians would turn to meet his gaze. Perhaps diplomacy wasn't Jado's strong suit. Diplomatic or not, leading the Mandalorians down a maze without explanation was unacceptable and Jado was ready to demonstrate as much.

@HoneyMagpie @Bread

 

[Genova Veren]

Liars. Deceivers. The Carosians whole demeanour stank of trickery. The more they spoke, the more Genova was certain the two cretins were involved in something shady. To make matters worse, they were now wasting time with this whole 'let's lead them into a trap' - didn't these di'kuts realise just who they were playing with? The three of them weren't some Hutt-level enforcers, they were Mandalorians for shab sake

The fact was pretty much proven when Solus (the leader of the hour) gave that backwards glance; she had clocked the deception early on, but for the moment, seemed content to continue the little charade. Jado, Genova's battle brother, seemed less than keen. To be fair, he wasn't really the patient type - shoot first, everything else second. Nine times out of ten, it was pretty effective, especially in situations like these.

Honestly, after the repeated left and right turns, the armourer was losing interest in the Carodians and their game. "vi're go'naasir ca'nara..."

When Jado came to a halt, Genova moved to flank him, all whilst flexing a fist; the armourer's electro-glove was charged and ready to swing. Any minute now, she was certain.

@Burpee
@Bread

 

[Van'Aria Solus]

The entire party of people came to a halt, tension was in the air, it was so thick someone could practically taste it, the two Carosians did not turn to them nor did they answer, yet they stopped, forwards and back was both a path yet thick walls obstructed left and right as they found themselves in a Alley of sorts, ahead and surrounding them were buildings of varying sizes, too many Vantage points to keep track of at once, this stank, really bad.

Afore they would get their answer however, Van'Arias Visor glinted as a Laser briefly crossed over it, it passed her and moved towards the closest Mandalorian to her, Jado, reflex kicked in instead of rushing forwards or ducking out of the way, she followed the motion of the Laser causing it to cross over the nape of her Helmet and just as she stepped to intervene a Blaster Bolt struck her Helmet originally meant for another, the Beskar sung loud and true, whoever shot and more importantly with what they shot carried alot of punch.

The imposing Solus was thoroughly staggered backwards, dazed, reeling yet alive and unharmed.

The two Carosians that led them here were already fixing to make their escape without a word, this was too obvious! Ofcourse they had led them along to a quiet place to dispatch of them yet they made the wrong decision when they picked the Mandalorians at hand, they would learn today that one does not play around with Mandalorians and live to tell the tale.

<"That one is still standing!">

<"We need to get out of here!">

Shaking her head briefly she pointed her Ax after the fleeing Carosians as she looked to the Veren.

"Go! Dont worry about me ill catch up!"

In the state Van'Aria was in sprinting wasn't a chance yet there was more than just one Mandalorian here and she trusted the Veren with this task, they had spunk in their step that alone was enough for her Gut to make that destinction, however behind them two more hooded individuals jumped into the Alley, both armed with small hand sized blasters.

Whilst they managed to ambush the Mandalorians, Van'Aria formed the vital wall that kept line of sight for the hooded figures shrouded giving both Verens a good opportunity to get after the Carosians.

"You're going to wish you were never born..."

@Burpee @HoneyMagpie

 

[Jado Veren]

As the blaster bolt rang off of Van'Aria's beskar, Jado's Mandalorian training kicked in and he moved his left hand from the carbine barrel to catch the staggered Solus and keep her on her feet. The force of the shot alone indicated a rather high-powered rifle that would need to be targeted first. With Van'Aria braced on his left arm, Jado steadied his carbine against her shoulder and returned a trio of blaster bolts toward where the initial shot came from to provide cover. He didn't wait around to see if his shots would hit their mark, instead ducking against the buildings to the right to avoid further fire.

"The fleeing fools are yours!" he yelled back toward Gen while advancing against the wall with his aim high toward the vantage points on the buildings. As he moved up, a trandoshan peeked out briefly from a balcony to the left and dropped a thermal detonator down towards them. The slight flash of red caught his attention out of the edge of his visor and he tried to kick the grenade back up toward the balcony, but he was too late. His leg swung past the detonator as it bounced across the stone walkway and stopped next to him.

There wasn't enough time to do anything else. It would either be him, or everyone including him. As he saw the final red flash of the detonator, he made the only decision he could given the situation. He kicked his other leg out from under himself and dove to cover the detonator with his durasteel chestplate. His armor would only do so much, but his body would largely absorb the impact that would have been shared with his companions. As the heat wrapped around him and found its way through the cracks in his armor, Jado began to grin before his vision faded to black and he lost consciousness. They wouldn't get away with that so easily...

Spoiler: d20 rolls

Jado's reaction: 9
Does Jado lose consciousness?: 4 (Yes)

Probably going to be out for the rest of the thread, based on those rolls but we'll see. Feel free to continue tagging me so I can follow. :)

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