Ask Dantooine Extinguishing The Flame

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was continuing on to his next objective mostly in the dark and using the thermal vision in his helmet to help guide him at least somewhat. He continued like that for a bit, making pretty good time when the lights came flashing back on again.

Oh, come on, he grumbled to himself before switching his vision mode back off. Better double time, he muttered, knowing the clock was at least partially against him now.

He jammed his saber into the final door to his objective and emerged not deep into the building, but out onto the roof where no one was likely to be looking for him, and that was all the better for him.

He made his way across the roof, jamming his saber into the base of the communication relay tower. Sure, it may not cripple communications inside the building over short range, but it could certainly take out long range communication. It was hard to communicate with your troops if your main, industrial-level communication equipment was out. And that was just the first step. If the power generators weren't going to work, he could still do this the old fashioned way. Besides, they'd gotten everyone in an uproar here in the capital building, maybe it was time to move onto another phase.

@LilyNion @Altaris @christhebetrayer

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Without a single person to impede his progress, Jaikus continued to advance through the ventilation shaft - crawling past security measures in the hallways and towards the Weapons Defense room. While it wasn’t ideal, the Axxilan was slender enough to crawl relatively easily through the vents - careful to evenly distribute his weight, as to avoid making any noise for passing patrols to pick up on.

Given his proximity, it didn’t take the Axxilan long to reach his objective - stopping at a vent that dropped down into the Weapons Defense room. At roughly the same time, the lights to the building suddenly flashed back to life - indicting that backup generators had kicked on and restored power to the building. It was a development that Jaikus hadn’t been expecting, and it finally prompted the Axxilan to draw upon the card he had been playing exceptionally close to his chest.

Without a single word. Jaikus lifted up his wrist and swiped through a few commands on his commlink - a single red light blinking across the center of the touchscreen. Exhaling a quiet breath, the Axxilan tapped the screen - issuing the command to detonate the charges he had planted throughout the market district of the city. Within a split second, the air would be filled with the sounds of explosions going off in rapid succession - clearly audible even from within the HQ building - as the charges tore right through metal, stone and duracrete. Tall, billowing plumes of smoke dominated the skyline, and civilians could be seen running in terror away from the market district.

—​

Only a few moments after round of explosions, the Jedi communication channel would be filled by the voice of one of the officers Clove had ordered to investigate. “This is Officer Dendup - requesting immediate backup to the market district! There has just been multiple thermal explosions from an unknown assailant. Civilians and officers alike have been injured in the blast. I repeat, civilians and officers have been injured.”

Clove and Felix would have very little time - if any at all - to respond to the message from Officer Dendup. The explosions were timed roughly at the same time as Varyn’s attack on the communications tower - cutting the Jedi off from any long-range communications throughout the city. It would make attempting to coordinate troops and police officers stationed in other districts impossible from the HQ building.

While the Jedi were free to continue pursuing their suspicions in the HQ building, they would be forced to ignore the very real and very urgent requests for aid by doing so.

—​

Jaikus, meanwhile, didn’t pause after setting off the explosions deeper in the city - using the momentary distraction as his opportunity to strike out against another target in the HQ building. Positioned directly behind the vent dropping down onto the Weapons Defense room, Jaikus reached out with the Force and abruptly flicked his wrist - energies coiling around the primary camera on the room. It was enough to cause the camera to cut to black - killing vision on that room as the Axxilan worked.

Free to do as he pleased for the time being, Jaikus removed the vent plate and peeked onto the Weapons Defense room - citrine eyes flicking over to the main terminal at the end of the room. Reaching into his utility pack, Jaikus pulled out the single remaining thermal detonator he was still carrying - proceeding to levitate the explosive onto the room and towards the terminal - adhering itself underneath a table within the room, out of immediate sight in case anyone shortly thereafter barged in.

With the charge armed and in place, Jaikus slinked back into the ventilation shaft and placed the plate back over the opening - once more covering the signs of having been there at all. From there, the Axxilan began to crawl his way further into the ventilation system - proceeding past the Weapons Defense room and towards his next objective in the building.

Only after he was safety out of range did Jaikus lift his commlink once more - issuing the command to detonate the final charge in the Weapons Defense room. If Felix or any of his men had reached the room by that point, they would suddenly find themselves caught up within the explosive blast - ripping through all of the equipment and atomizing everything within its 5 meter range.

Regardless of whether the Jedi were caught in the blast or not, the explosion would successfully wipe out the equipment within the room - disabling the cities orbital defense systems and killing the defenders ability to issue commands from the building.

@Phoenix @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Felix]

Felix and his squad finally reached the doors to the Weapon Defense Center. As they were approaching the locked door they could hear an explosion rack on the other side of the door, the door would try to open at the command of the security station but it remained locked, unable to move due to the damage suffered to it.

Felix's hand clenched as if he was ready to punch something before slowly releasing it. "The weapons centre is likely destroyed, an explosive charge was set off in it" his voice was solemn as he spoke into his commlink, he was so close yet so far, should have gone after the mercenary, optics be damned, maybe it would've stopped this from happening. "Returning to entrance."

"This is Delta squad reporting, we've reached the power room, evidence of tampering, the coolant system was destroyed" the second commed in. "what are new orders"

"head to the entrance we'll regroup there and wait for further orders/"


@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

So much happened at once: explosions were heard outside the building, the Jedi Channel was flooded with alerts of a bombing, and an immediate request for backup was made. Then all long-distance communication abruptly stopped, leaving their once-busy commlinks deafeningly silent. That silence didn't last long, because another explosion rang out in their ears, this time much closer.

Clove's eyes widened as she stood there frozen for a moment. How did this happen? Hadn't they done everything correctly? Should they have followed the suspicious individual, who by this point she was certain was a part of the chaos? Even so, they managed to sneak into Dantooine's most secure building without setting off even a single alarm until it was too late. Was there anything they could have done?

She shook her head, returning her attention to the bunker she was in. "We need to escort everyone out of here. I'm not sure what their plan is, but if they destroy the Weapon Defense Centrum, we can only assume the worst. Prepare the truck, Mr. Johan. We'll be passing through the tunnels and will meet you at the exit." The officer nodded and dashed out of the bunker's main entrance, into the black truck, and slowly drove his way towards the escape tunnel's entrance.

Clove reached for her commlink as she clipped her lightsaber off her belt and made her way to the escape tunnel. While long-distance communication was no longer possible, short-distance communication was thankfully still possible. "Felix, do you copy me? I'll be escorting these men and women out of here, and then I'll head to the market district for first aid support. Can you see if you can get in touch with the Jedi and send out an alert?"

Whether or not Felix heard her message, the half-Annfyn began her journey through the tunnel. Her now-activated lightsaber was their only source of light in the otherwise pitch blackness of their hastily crafted escape route. She wasn't deaf to the worried mumblings behind her, but she had to concentrate on the path ahead of them. If she could just get them out of the building alive, they'd done something right at least.

Clove nervously grasped the handle with her free hand, spun it around twice to unlock it, and then yanked it open. She held her breath anxiously, her eyes squinting for a moment to readjust to the light. She took a careful look around the square connected to the tunnel. If everything was clear, she began to lead the men and women to the black truck parked on the square's outskirts.

---

​

Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
​

 

[Jaikus Thorne]

Jaikus felt the ventilation shaft and the rest of the building shudder as the explosion went off - destroying the Weapons Defense room and cutting off the Rebels access to the planetary defense systems. Beyond that momentary hiccup at the cantina, Jaikus and Varyn had faced little to no opposition in anything they were doing - and it was yet another objective achieved towards victory.

Despite the chaos all around them, the Axxilan didn’t slow in his trajectory - continuing to crawl through the ventilation system and towards his next objective. With Felix and his troops returning to the entrance of the building, Jaikus had essentially no one to stop him from moving unchecked.

After a few additional minutes of crawling, Jaikus removed one of the ventilation plates along the way and dropped back down into the hallway - completing the last stretch back on his feet and through the hallway. Even if he was spotted by camera systems in the hallway, there were no security officers or Jedi remotely nearby to stop him. Reaching a sealed door at the end of the hallway, Jaikus pulled the saber the hidden compartment in his jacket and ignited it into the magnetic locking mechanism of the door - opening the way for the Axxilan to step out onto the top of the building.

He immediately spotted Varyn nearby, knowing full-well that the Acolyte had kept himself busy with both the generator room and now the long-range communications towers. GIving the Acolyte a nod of acknowledgement, Jaikus didn’t waste any time in reaching into his utility pouch once more - pulling out the one-way transponder beacon and placing it down onto the roof. With a simple command prompt, Jaikus activated the transponder beacon - relaying the long-range signal to initiate the next stage of their assault.

With nothing to interrupt the Sith or interfere with the long-distance signal, it only took minutes for the message to be received by Imperial Forces. Within mere minutes, the skies above Dantooine would darken as capital ships began dropping out of hyperspace - closing in around the planet. While Dantooine itself had been liberated back into Jedi control, the systems and planets around it were still firmly held by the Empire - and it meant that there could be a fleet nearby, ready and waiting, the moment that the Axxilan gave the signal for an invasion to commence.

An invasion that Jaikus and Varyn had effectively paved the way for.

Without any planetary defenses to harass them, Imperial shuttles began to punch through the clouds and begin landing across the surface of the planet - occupying open fields and spaceports to unload countless Imperial troopers to seize back control of key facilities across the planet and engage enemy personnel. Starfighters tore across the open skies, unleashing volleys of cannon-fire upon military installations and what few enemy fighters had taken to the defend the planet.

Without long-range communications, however, those defending would find it incredibly difficult to effectively combat the organized Imperial assault.

For several long moments, Jaikus merely observed the invasion from his perch on the rooftop - citrine eyes scanning the horizon. Dantooine had been lost as a result of his failures, and seizing the planet back finally seemed within reach. A few more seconds, and the Axxilan finally pushed off from where he was standing - preparing to leap from the HQ rooftop and towards and adjacent building. There was little value left in attacking the HQ, and there were other objectives the Axxilan could pursue in order to further along the take-over.

@Phoenix @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn glanced back at the comm tower as it sizzled with the superheated slag. He could hear and feel another detonation deep in the building, and that told him something more about what was happening. Very carefully, he crept to the edge of the roof and looked down to where the security was gathered outside the building at the entrances.

Relay sabotaged, heading to secondary objectives, he said into his comlink, confident it wouldn't be intercepted after Varyn's sabotage. There was still much more a Sith could do inside of a city that was about to be under siege.

The message turned out to be for nothing and Varyn spun, saber hilt in hand as Wraith appeared on the roof as well. He relaxed slightly when he saw who it was.

The guards would have something much more to worry about here soon. Ships started dropping out of hyperspace with troops landing across the city as open conflict began. The invasion was underway, and thanks to Varyn's help it would be a Sith victory. He hoped it meant that it would spare more lives in the battle, but he didn't know. He only wondered if he was making the right decisions.

@Altaris @LilyNion @christhebetrayer

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

---

Clove's eyes adjusted to the bright sky of Dantooine, and then the sky fell. Or... did it? She rubbed her eyes once before looking up at the sky.

The ships that made up the Sith fleet flocked into the sky one by one. It was a sight she'd only seen a handful of times, and one she hoped she'd never see again. So that was it. They were Sith. That explained the Force she felt in the Cantina, as well as the guard mysteriously leaving his post. Even the mysterious hooded man casually ignoring Felix's Mind Control. Every single puzzle piece fit perfectly. Clove's stomach squirmed together into a tiny ball as a chill ran up her spine.

"We have to leave right now!" She said in a hurried tone to the leaders she was escorting. Clove began to run towards the truck as her activated lightsaber buzzed in her hand, her cane no longer touching the floor. The way she was using her legs and back was going to cause her a lot of pain, but there was no time to think about that right now. When they arrived in the truck, the first few smaller Sith ships touched down on the city, and from what they could tell, the fighting wasn't far away.

Clove grabbed the door handle with the Force and slammed it open as quickly as she could, cursing in her native tongue. "Go! There's no time!" She said as she walked to the front of the truck, towards the driver. "Get them out of the city as soon as possible. I'll stay in the back for as long as I can for cover. If you drive near the hangar bay, I'll jump out there."

They both gave each other a nod.

Clove closed the door again before jumping on the back of the truck after the important people and a few security guards had finally entered. There was a small edge she could stand on, just barely, while holding onto one of the few metal bars with her cane. It wasn't a comfortable position, nor was it one she could hold for long, but all she had to do was cover their back for a few minutes. The engines roared and the truck began to drive with a single tap at the back of the truck to signal she was ready.

She kept her gaze fixed on the sky, ready to leap from the truck at the first sign of a Sith approaching her. But, to their luck, it appeared that the majority of the attention was on the buildings themselves. Key locations, she thought bitterly to herself. If they were not interrupted, they would eventually reach a road close to the hangar bay where they felt relatively safe. Clove tapped the back again and leapt off the ledge, making sure to unhook her cane and use the Force to soften the landing.

The half-Annfyn stared at the truck for a moment, watching it drive past the hangar bay and towards the Government District's entrances, with the goal of reaching an escape shuttle a little further away. Then she took a step back, her lightsaber finally deactivated but still firmly gripped in her hand. Because of the distance between her and Felix, she had no idea if her message had arrived or if he would still contact the Jedi. So she was going to do the same; two Jedi alerting the Jedi at the same time was better than none at all.

Clove started running toward her own shuttle as fast as she could in her current condition. Or, better said, borrowed Jedi Shuttle. When she noticed its familiar metallic gleam, she tapped the side of her hand against her commlink, activating the ship's electricity and lowering its ramp. She hobbled up the ramp and dashed into the cockpit, not looking back. Clove grabbed the communicator, activated it, and began speaking into it without hesitation. "To all Jedi, Dantooine is under attack by a large Sith Fleet. Long-distance communication has been sabotaged, and it would seem that the defense system is either offline or at a low level. I request back-up for evacuation!" Then, as she finished her message to the Jedi, she activated the distress beacon.

She lowered the commlink, started the ship's engine, and prepared to fly to the markets.

---

​

Tag @Altaris @Phoenix @christhebetrayer
​

 

[Felix]

Felix stared up into the night sky as sith ships began to block the starlight above, his grip tightened around his sabre, for once he had hoped he would be wrong in his theory of who he had been their saboteurs, too be surprised by it but today wasn't that day.

As his eyes came down to look at the surrounding rebels, a mixture of emotions plastered across their faces, fear, anger, determination and many more. These people need help, someone to lead them or at least organise them and he wouldn't turn his back on people who needed him.

"We don't have time to stand around, we need to get any equipment we can use out HQ now! Blasters, ammo, armour, grenades if they can be used in the fight against the sith, we're taking it with us, we aren't giving the sith anything. we might not be able to defeat this invasion but you can be a headache to their occupation." He barked out, giving them instructions. all he had to do was keep a spark of hope alive so it could be fanned into a flame.

He would raise his comlink to answer clove. "I'll head to the markets now." He gave a nod to rebels as they set to work scavenging supplies from the HQ, and made his way to the markets they had just come from, lightsaber in hand unsure of what will happen but ready to face it.

@LilyNion @Altaris @Phoenix