Finding the architect

[Gunner Stahl]

MYRKR
300 KILOMETERS EAST OF GREAT NORTHERN FOREST
​

The R70-Dalyrake dropped its elevation as it exited from galactic space, Gunner steered the ship downwards and into a range of low rise mountains, shielding it from prying eyes on the ground. The vessel slowly descended until tires engaged along with the braking mechanism, slapping against the terrain and skidding to an abusive halt. Densely packed shrubbery and flora surrounded him, providing ample camouflage for the ship but yet also making it near impossible for him to easily find his way off this planet.

He leaped out of the cockpit and opened the inferior cargo hold, dropping two large duffel bags of his favorite gear. Unzipping one, he began to undress out of the pilot's uniform and wear his preferred ebony battle armor. He had two sets of these, one for his work as a shadowguard while the others as an emissary of the Empire. This time, he was on personal contract but still favored the Imperial wear as it would never hurt to flash your status as an officer for intimidation tactics. Once bright insignia on the right shoulder now nestled with corrosion and dim from excessive wear, though firmly visible if paid attention to.

The second bag contained his gear, two fragmentation grenades, two smoke grenades, his twin carbine blasters, a standard grade collapsible sniper rifle, and his newest addition: ECD-9100 Devastator. The burst fire carbine was one of a kind, arguably perhaps the only weapon in the galaxy of its sort. Excited to use it in its inaugural mission, he carefully loaded its power packs and hoisted it over his shoulder. Datapad was uploaded with several coordinates, connecting to mark his departure location. "This kriffing planet.." He muttered to himself; first time on the jungle world, he had never visited this realm before and something inside of him told him that he'd likely never return unless he had to. He had been warned about the dangers, including Vorsnyr canines that hunted and feasted on humanoid flesh. Luckily they were sedentary in the day time, glancing at his watch, that gave him roughly four hours to make his way out of this jungle and locate his target.

He glanced at the datapad once more, studying the last known coordinates of the man they called "Architect" as well as three-dimensional image of a Gamorrean, and the contract that wished this man dead for crimes unspeakable to humanity. Placing it away, he engaged his HUD for enhanced vision and kept his devastator rifle in hand as he slowly began to track through the dense and dangerous jungle.

@Autumn's Firefly @Esther Nyx

 

[Aliyah Phoenix]

"System calibrations seem good, Ven, I'm going to go in and see what I can do. Don't worry, I'll be careful, it's a solo mission, what could go wrong?

Yeah, yeah, I know. Seriously, I'm going dark, I'll talk to you when I get back. Aliyah out."

She was not liking this jungle planet whatsoever, the mosquitoes here were as large as vampires and probably drank about as much blood. Luckily the passive heat she wreathed around her body melted most of them before they had a chance to get close to her, as she trudged through the flora and fauna. Dangerous predators, possible hostiles, another slaver scum to take down or arrest. There were a lot of things she had to get done today, but first, she needed to find this gamorrean. The Jedi intelligence gathered by herself and her father, Venatus, revealed that a being known as The Architect was not only a brilliant engineer, but one of the most vile child slavers in the known galaxy. Since her father was currently otherwise engaged on Manaan, the responsibility to take the ring down fell on her shoulders. She'd parked her newest freighter in a clearing and used the foliage to cover it up, so no scavvers could scrap her while she was away.

What's that noise?

Leaping to a nearby tree-branch, Aliyah turned her attention to the sky as an unfamiliar Starfighter banked over a nearby mountain range and began to approach rear doors open, two small black objects and a man. Using the force to enhance her vision, a closer look revealed two duffel bags. The heat signatures inside the bags looked similar to military grade armaments, armor, explosives... the whole party in two packages. The ship, however, didn't seem to have any markings indicating whose side this operator was on, but from his actions she could tell he was experienced at infiltration. Almost as experienced as she was. His armor, though - it had an imperial symbol on it.

Scrap! Sith? Here? How did they find me?

It wouldn't have been the first time the Sith sent an assassin after her. They probably guessed that capturing her would lead them to her father, though she doubted they knew exactly how bad that would be for them. She'd only ever been captured once, and that was by her choice as a ploy, but he still tore the Zyggerians apart until he found her and made sure she wasn't hurt. One of the only times she'd seen him go full out, and now that she'd been training under him for years, she knew almost everything he had to teach. But, she wouldn't just attack this one, it wasn't the Jedi way. She would find out why he was here, first... it was odd that an imperial arrived in this part of the jungle. It was possible the architect had a bounty on his head, and if that was the case, maybe causing a ruckuss wouldn't be too smart. She'd wait in the branches overhead, only a small walk in front of him from where he was looking, and wait patiently.

Dad would do the same, he'd try to talk first. Might as well give it a shot.

@Faded Truth

 

[The Storyteller]

Then came a tremor. A guttural vibration. It resonated from the darken depths of the canopies below, though its pitch was so low, it could almost be drowned out by the rest of the jungle's natural orchestra. The cover of night was fast approaching, and with it, the promise of danger. Myrkr was a merciless planet and so too were its beasts. But there was one predator feared above all other, one animal alone that could spawn nightmares.

Vornskr. Hungry, veracious canines. And with an acquired taste for flesh. Force sensitive flesh.
​

The tantalizing scent was more than enough to stir three goliaths from their slumber. Whilst the rest of their pack continued to sleep, the trio of carnivores stalked their jungle territory. Vornskrs were primarily nocturnal hunters but hunger drove them in this unnatural hunt; the beasts hadn't feasted for days. How could they resist such a tempting morsel?

The alpha moved ahead, scenting the air once more. There was another sentient nearby, but not one attuned with the force; no, they tracked their prize to the trees. They could sense it, its pulsing blood, the steady tempo of the patient heart. The prey had yet to acknowledge. Time for the ambush.

One of the vornskr, the smallest of the three, scaled up into the trees. It's claws sank deep into the bark, splintering the wood, a sound that would echo through the encroaching darkness. The pup would flush out the prey, whilst the two below lay in wait. Already, they whip like tails lashed in excitement, the venomous barbs coating them were ready for use.

A howl rang out. The vornskr pup leapt, its toothy jaw wide and waiting for sweet flesh. It's target: Aliyah.​

 

[Gunner Stahl]

Gunner was not a force sensitive and thus had no way to identify whether there was someone glaring at him or not, at least not until he saw the individual with his eyes or through his binoculars. He grew a bit worried however as dusk was approaching sooner than he anticipated. No, this can't be correct, he should still have a few more hours of prime daylight left to locate any village outpost and hopefully his target. While he was comfortable performing missions under the guidance of glistening moonlight, he was unaware of the dangers this world possessed, and had only been informed verbally about a sentient species of canines that favored to feast on force sensitive flesh.

And so the armored shadowguard continued to track through the forested jungle, seemingly unaware that he was being watched. However, a low pitch and movement caught his senses, being not too far from the risen three goliaths that stalked Aaliayh. Unknown that the Jedi was present nearby, the Imperial officer quickly paused in his movements and shifted his attention the side to where it appeared danger may be eminent. Crouching behind some large branches, he adjusted the innate zoom of his HUD, and attempted to glance at the three Vornskr though unfortunately, he was only able to catch glimpse of shadows. If he was to be stalked, he would prefer to deal with this threat immediately rather than have it sneak upon him in the midst of evening darkness. With that decision in mind, he advanced towards the Twi'lek's position, attempting to locate the source of the movements he caught moments earlier.

@Autumn's Firefly @Esther Nyx

 

[Aliyah Phoenix]

The sun was setting. Uhm. That was not supposed to happen that quickly, from all indications there should have been quite a bit of sunlight left. There was no point trying to debate with the sun whether it should set or not, so she just calmly watched the imperial as he approached. From her perched position, and ability to see her target by the heat his body gave off, a second and third heat signature began to appear, dim at first but growing fast. A third. It was no doubt the natural predators that roamed in this forest, but Aliyah didn't know they were only attracted to force sensitives, to her it looked like the officer would be run down faster than he had a chance to get away.

Nope.

Wrapping her legs around the branch she was sitting on, she allowed herself to swing underneath and hang upside down, drawing his Outrider as she did and knocking three arrows with practiced ease. The Imperial would notice her, but she didn't care, she'd look more like some hunter than a Jedi so long as she didn't start flashing her lightsaber around like an idiot. It would be strange, though, to see a Twi'lek flip around from the top of a tree, lekku hanging awkwardly as she prepared to loose the arrows the instant the creatures got closer to her range. Close enough to take a killshot, missing would not be great.

"Don't stop, keep mov-"

An odd sound greeted her ears. The sound of bark being scratched at? Her eyes went wide and she released her hold on the branch as the pup lunged at her, falling to the jungle floor unceremoniously, but managing to fire off her arrows as she fell. Of the volley, two would certainly miss, but she used a gently telekinetic manipulation to make sure her third and final struck the creature dead on through the eyes, hopefully killing it instantly. Scrambling to her feet, she knocked another and readied herself.

"Okay, maybe they just really like purple? Now would be a good time to start running!

@Faded Truth

 

[The Storyteller]

The arrow flew true, piercing the pup's eye, but the canine let our a horrific screech. One that would likely attract its pack mates, if not more. Still, the young predator was a hardy beast. Even as it tumbled through the trees, thumping heavily to ground, it withered and thrashed, snarling with its dying aggression. Yet it was not the snapping jaws Aliyah should watch; it was the uncontrollable swishing of the tail. The whip like appendage lashed back and forth, without aim or direction. Envenomed mucus flicked off the tails barbs, splattering the grass, trees and ground. A potent droplet splashes onto Aliyah's cheek.

​

​

Though not toxic, the greyish pus was immediate in effect. Muscles seized and contracted, spreading an infectious wave of numbness throughout the Twi'Lek's left face. One eye would be fixed into a squinted form, perhaps limiting the scope of her sight.

Assuredly, such a small drop would only have temporary effects. But time was no ally. The dying howl of the pup roused animalistic cries from the jungle's dense cover. The two other vornskr erupted from the bush at speed, their jaws open and ready, their anger radiating out in the force. All directed at the prey who paired to defy them: Aliyah.

To make matters worse? Numerous other howls sounded in the distance. The rest of the pack was stirring. The rest of the pack was coming. ​

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[Gunner Stahl]

What in the blue hell was this? He thought to himself, head tilting into a confused state as he glanced upon the twi'lek hanging from the trees and then as she leaped onto the ground. He was however startled by the arrival of the pup canine and the arrow that was slung into its eye. The howl was screeching and deathly frightening, even for someone like him. "Kriff"

That was precisely the reaction, with dusk approaching soon and the goliaths now venturing in patterns unusual to their physiology. The ricochet of howling sent an eerie chill up his spine as he realized their window to decide on a course was rapidly narrowing. Armored form quickly darted to a position in front of the Jedi, using his scope to visualize the targets as they steadily approached. Not wishing to use lethal force, free hand went for a smoke grenade on his breast plate and plucked the pin outwards. Waiting for a second delay, he hurled the grenade onto the ground several meters in front of them. Lifting the devastator upwards, he took steady aim and pressed the trigger in sequence; A sharp zoom echoed from the depths of the carbine's chambers, creating a distinct sound as the 3-round burst firearm openly blasted on its targets. Surprisingly, he didn't intend to kill, using the superior firepower of his uniquely built weapon to destroy several arrays of branches and debris that would fall and create a permanent barrier to the path of the Vornskr, such that would provide them ample time for escape, even after the smoke cleared.

"No Sith would wear such ridiculous attire, so, in that case, Jedi, perhaps you should come with me and try to conceal your force signature. Otherwise, these canines will follow us for days." He stated, firearm still positioned at the beasts' general direction, waiting for the girl to begin sprinting away so that he could follow behind her.

@Autumn's Firefly @Esther Nyx

 

[Aliyah Phoenix]

She yelped with surprise as a droplet of acid - something that her eyes would usually evaporate before ever reaching her, due to the glowing and fiery azure energy they gave off - passed through her defenses and strike her on the side of the left eye, under the cheek. It began to puff up, slightly distorting her aim, but she didn't need her eyes to see. The Imperial was now moving up beside her, and then in front of her, as though covering her from the oncoming beasts. She had no idea why they seemed to be ignoring him, but he took advantage of it while he could and blocked their paths.

Wait... A sith that doesn't kill everything? Those exist?

She got to her feet gruffly, rolling her eyes in annoyance as he made his all-too-rude comment towards what she was wearing. There were a few choice words that flowed through her mind, most of them derogatory insults towards the Empire itself, but decided to be rational about this. She was a Jedi, after all, and being a sassy little twerp wouldn't help their situation anyhow. Turning to him, she quickly noticed the way he walked and held his weapon. It was practiced, the same way that she or any proficient Jedi walked with their lightsabers raised. Probably special forces of some sort, he had the same serious demeanor as her father to boot. She started folding the Force around herself, disguising her force aura. She had no idea how effective it would be, Master Wyck always said that disguising your presence through the Force was extremely difficult, especially the more powerful you get. And she had grown quite a lot since her first few mess ups.

"Right, I forgot black, goth and dreary is the way to go. Sorry, lingerie isn't my style, I've seen what you Sith wear to battle. Watch and learn."

She began to wrap the force around her muscles and increase their density. It was similar to using the Force to speed up your movements, except it took less energy to maintain if she focused on only certain parts of her body. The only problem she could see is the Imperial would have no real way to keep pace with her, and she doubted these predators would just let them walk away. If they lost her trail, they'd no doubt start attacking anything in sight instead. Not something she could risk, turning on her heels, she threw an orb of blue fire at the barrier. It would ignite and create an even barrier of ever-burning flames, the second most powerful manipulation of telepyrosis she could preform. It wasn't meant to burn the trees or create smoke, either, otherwise it would give away their position. She started to run, making sure he was keeping pace, and putting the fire out when they reached a certain distance away from the creatures.

"I suppose now is a good time to ask why you're here. Obviously, it's not for me."

@Faded Truth

 

[The Storyteller]

The beasts snarled and yelped, gnashing their fangs at the sudden appearance of flames. They reared back, volting and pacing in an grotesque dance; fire was an uncommon occurrence in the rich, floral jungle. The rabid canines weren't quite sure how to proceed, faced with such an unfamiliar obstacle. By no means were these animals dim witted, they were cunning, persistent hunters. And to make matters worse...they were intelligent. This was but a limited obstruction. Soon, they would overcome it. And the hunt would resume.

But that wasn't soon enough for the alpha. Encased and starving, it alone braved the flame. With no fear, no instinctual reservations, the vornskr goliath charged into the wall of fire and emrged the other side, yowling in triumph.

Though no longer able to track the force sensitive trail of its quarry, it could still rely on its most primal senses; smell. With raging gulps of breath, the vornskr alpha scented the air. There was a faint odour wafting in the darkening jungle. It was the tangy aroma of sweat. Adrenaline inspired sweat. More than enough to distinguish itself against the usual miasma of the environment. Saliva dripping from its snapping jaws, tail swishing and whipping for use. All the predator focused on now was closing the distance, tracking its prey and running it down.

With one last scathing howl, the alpha persistently gave chase once more.

​

 

[Gunner Stahl]

He chuckled lightly as he lashed back at him with her witty comments. A jedi that could match his brash and equally snappy ways? This would would be quite entertaining for the duration of his journey, he was sure of that. He stopped firing momentarily as she put up the barricade of blue flames, tilting his head to the side as he adjusted the HUD zoom and attempted to locate the canines through the fire. His view obscured he slowly pedaled backwards as the Twi'lek activated her force speed and sprinted out in front of him. He knew the beasts preferred force sensitive flesh, though if they hadn't feasted in a while, beggars certainly wont be choosers.

Pivoting on his back leg, he too began to sprint behind her; the duo covering close to hundred meters as they migrated from one clearing into what appeared as even denser jungle. Evening soon approached, and nightfall to follow after. It appeared as the Jedi was a bit confused or even conflicted by the canines though the lieutenant knew all too well that as the sunlight basked, the goliaths would return in full force, unaware that one was already giving chase to them.

"You wouldn't return my calls, so I figured I'd find a way to spend time with you elsewhere." He commented playfully and with an undertone of sarcasm. As they were about to initiate conversation, he caught a glimpse of an arriving entity through his peripheral vision. The persistent alpha giving chase at them once more. "Seems he really likes you.." Putting his carbine rifle across his back, the imperial assassin took one knee and pulled out his side arm pistol. One eye closed as he attempted to take a stab at precision accuracy, pressing the trigger once as he hoped the single bolt would smack against the front leg of the canine, rendering it immobile for a short period of time.

@Autumn's Firefly @Esther Nyx

 

[Aliyah Phoenix]

Oh would you just do me a favor and KRIFF OFF! What is with these things?

That fire was hot enough to burn most of anything to pure ash if she let it, so whatever hunger drove these things, it had removed whatever rational thinking they might have had. They were working on predatory instinct alone, there was nothing to reason with and no way for her to use her beast taming skills. Whatever these creatures were, it was pretty obvious they seemed to be hunting Jedi, or at least force sensitives, which would explain why Venatus' intel didn't mention them. He didn't have full access to the Temple's archives, not after the most recent attack on Jedha, and his sources probably either didn't know, or didn't survive long enough to tell them about it. Either way, it wasn't great. But, she had some experience playing cat and mouse, even with a large and fearsome predator. The first rule of survival was simple; you had to even the playing field. She put the fire out, and began to center herself, allowing the Force to guide her instincts.

"Well, I don't tend to answer Sith chatter over comms, something to do with the lightsabers that keep getting pointed my way..."

She gently felt her shoulder, were her newest and only battle scar lied. A lightsaber strike that had sunk deep and almost completely through her, the only reason she was still alive was due to her father. The Exile, Hal'mode, was already exhausted from the fight Aliyah had put up, and after witnessing how easily Venatus toyed with the dark sider's partner, before shattering his wrist and leaving to take the Vahla down. They lost the communication outpost, but she'd learnt a valuable lesson that day - your enemy will not show you mercy, so there was no point in trying to show them any. This creature was no different, if they kept running in this environment they'd be sitting nerfs rife for the slaughter. As the Imperial wheeled on his feet and opened fire at the Alpha, Aliyah knelt and knocked her bow once again, this time aiming for the creature's tail. It would be pinned to the tree if the strike hit. And considering she guided the arrow with the Force to make sure it was deadly accurate, it would be almost impossible to avoid. She'd knock a second arrow with a surprising efficiency, taking aim again on the off chance she missed, or another came charging through the underbrush.

"...what can I say? I'm magnetic. Keep that thing pointed away from me, if I'm getting shot it won't be in the back. If you're here for the same person I am, I think we both know he won't be alone - or unarmed. We'll tire ourselves out before we even reach their stronghold at this rate, we need to kill the ones on our trail, cover our tracks and keep moving."

@Faded Truth

 

[The Storyteller]

With a horrendous howl, the alpha tumbled to the forest floor, withering and thrashing, its leg scolded from the Imp's blaster shot. Yet this was a persistent predator. Further incensed, enraged beyond reason, the alpha scurried to its remaining paws. Injuries, particularly to the limbs, were common amongst the wilds of the jungle. Animals had to adapt if they were to survive. And one couldn't be alpha of a pack through weakness.

Through the force, the Twi'Lek might sense the beast's rabid determination, its scathing intent to devour her supple flesh. And it would not be denied. By sunrise the next more, his pack would be feasting on her bountiful corpse.

Yet the quarry (Aliyah) was tenacious, loosing an arrow that struck true. Yet again, the alpha yodelled, finding its tail pinned to a nearby tree trunk, the head of the projectile sinking deep into the wood. Snarls and hiss sounded, the canine tugging in an attempt to free its tail. It only took a moment for the animal's intelligence (and savagery) to reveal itself.

It bit off its tail.

With one merciless chomp, the alpha severed his tail mid length with his own jaws. Black, ink like blood spurted from the appendage. It stained the grass, barely beginning to clot itself. This insult would not stand. Revenge would be sweet, just as sweet as the Twi'Lek force enriched flesh.

The alpha bellowed out once more, snarling at the pair before skulking back into the darkness of the forest cover. They may have deterred the beast for a short period of time, but it would return...and with greater numbers.

 

[Gunner Stahl]

He kept the carbine blaster targeted on the alpha for a few lingering moments to make sure that it in fact did not simply ruse them into believing it had vanished. Lowering the weapon, he took a deep sigh before standing to his full height. The weapon was holstered as he pulled up coordinates on a datapad, glancing at their current position relative to the target they sought. He knew that the track through the jungle would continue to wear them down however they must persist as they certainly could not seek refuge out in the wilderness as doing so would definitely extend an invitation to the canines for second attempts.

He smirked lightly at the Twi'leks sarcastic comment, "Killing the Vornskr is a harder feat that expected. Perhaps your council forgot to debrief on you on the natural dangers of this world." He chuckled, lifting up his signature blaster rifle as he continued to advance in the direction of their target. "Their senses are intuned to seek out those with a connection to the force, so, my dear, you are its favorite prey. At least for now until some other Jedi or sith manages to land in this jungle." That was that, all he would speak for now as his actions indicated that he was more focused on completing this mission rather than exchanging pleasantries with the beautiful Jedi. She was a pretty one for sure, but her appearance wouldn't derail him from success, at least not after his blunder in Ilum.

Seconds swung to minutes and minutes to hours as they finally approached the perimeter of a small village outpost where his intelligence had gathered the presence of this "Architect.." Unfortunately, there seemed to be a small caravan of raiders lurking around the outpost. Perhaps they were hired muscle or perhaps they were here on official business with this scandalous man. Regardless, they seemed to unload several small humanoids from the rear of a transport truck, cloaks draped over their tiny bodies and heads concealed. Were these the children that were being trafficked? If so, it was an opportune moment for them to collect reconnaissance. "Seems we hit our mark..." He stated coldly, before sighing and sitting down besides a large fallen tree trunk next to the Jedi. A flask of preferred liquor was pulled from his satchel as he took a few drinks and then looked over to the Twi'lek besides him. Extending the hand and subsequent flask over to her, "Since we'll be spending some time together on this..I'm Gunner Stahl, Lieutenant of Imperial Foreign Legion.."

Perhaps she would be in the mood for small talk, maybe not. Regardless, he was willing to bet she'd be a whole lot more fun around with a little buzz than sober.

@Autumn's Firefly @Esther Nyx

 

[Aliyah Phoenix]

"The council does many things, but most of what I do is off the books. I wouldn't be surprised if the Council never bothers to find out, they're a little busy dealing with other issues."

She slung her bow across her back, taking out her lightsaber instead as they began to walk forward. This was a first for her, even the Exiles she had fought alongside had eventually tried to kill her. But she couldn't sense any hostile intentions from this man - only from the jungle and it's predators. She didn't give away her surprise at the mention of these creatures being in tuned with the Force. They were ravenous, that she could feel, but to be their only target was... not great. Did this imperial officer even understand what the Force was? No doubt his mind was filled with the machinations of the Sith and their own twisted views on the matter, but perhaps not. He did seem to have an unnaturally calm demeanor. What's more, he seemed to be trying to stay concentrated. That caused her to raise an eyebrow.

Do I have this effect everywhere I go? Now I understand how Jace feels.

"Believe me, I haven't even used my lightsaber yet. They're big, they're smart, and if they continue to follow me they'll also be dead."

As the Lieutenant moved to cover, Aliyah adjusted her eyesight using the Force. She could get an accurate read on the mercenaries that strolled around this small village. In truth, it seemed to be more of an outpost than anything else, with the guards present. They began unloading their slaves into the village itself, which concerned her to no end. What could they want to bring the children inside for, usually they were sold off a few days after capture - to avoid the authorities tracking them down. For this Architect, and his men, it was much too late. Aliyah had taken on operations like this completely solo, and this time she had an ally - albeit one she didn't know if she could fully trust. Besides, even if she did trust him, having to explain to another Jedi why she worked with an imperial instead of capturing them would be difficult. It would be even worse for the Lieutenant, if his superiors found out he willingly worked alongside a Jedi - her, no less. She pushed the thoughts aside as Gunner began to pull out a flask. Now, she was confused. Didn't alcohol make you a worse shot, not a better one? When he introduced himself, she remembered not to use the last name of Phoenix - it was just as much a rank as a name, one that wasn't hers yet.

"I'm Aliyah, Aliyah Coven, although I'm also a Van Alasdaire by adoption. Jedi Knight, although you already know that. What are you doing here, and why haven't you tried to kill me yet? Sorry if I seem a little untrusting, but after what I've seen..."

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

`

"Aliyah Coven." He said outloud back to her, "How long have you been a Jedi?" He questioned, playfully wrestling the flask away from her so that he could take a drink himself. At this point, his attention shifted towards the group of ravagers and their pediatric hostages. Eyes narrowed, as the twi'lek could easily sense the conflicting emotions building up within the Imperial soldier. Placing the alcohol to the ground, he reached for his devastator rifle and reloaded a new power pack, chambering the round before standing to his full height. "I think, that's our cue..." Without waiting for confirmation from the Jedi, the lieutenant's armored form darted towards the epicenter of slavery. Utilizing cover to conceal his tracks, he hurled a smoke grenade towards the mass of trucks that had gathered around the entrance.

It was a lying ambush that he just set; as enemy combatants exited from the compound to investigate the source of smoke, Gunner opened fire on them readily. The ghastly green carbine rifle in his hands releasing a humming noise as the 3-round burst unleashed hell on its targets.

@Esther Nyx @Autumn's Firefly