Ask Handle With Care

[Rylee Asuchi]

"Well, we could get into a philosophical debate as to whether we consider animals to be people, lieutenant, but I don't think now is the time" said Rylee, with all her usual swagger, "They're most definitely Kath Hounds." The female Pantoran then stopped her communications with the others in order to monitor the surveillance screens. On a number of the closed circuit feeds, she could see that the corridors were piled up with an inordinate amount of what appeared to be cargo crates, or at the very least, just junk. This would prove to be an issue as it meant Rylee would not be able to see parts of their route due to the camera being obscured.

She watched as Lt. Velt and Ranger Tran squeezed themselves between the obstacles, trying to find a pathway through, but she could already tell they would have problems. The rangers were being forced to go single file through the gaps, which meant that if something was hiding on the other side, out of view from the terminal room, they had a good chance of getting themselves captured. It would be easy to take the pair out one at a time after all. The Pantoran reached for her commlink again. "Those crates are obscuring the cameras for part of the route. I need you to relay what you can see back to me so I can direct you" she said, but at the time she could see Lt. Velt heaving his large frame clad in armour through a tight gap in the barrier of containers. The pair must have been talking as there was no immediate reply. The lieutenant appeared to clear the space okay, but suddenly Rylee's golden eyes snapped to one of the other camera feeds, watching as Corran's body was flung through a doorway and into a stack of crates in the room within.

"Velt?!" she shouted into the commlink, unsure what was happening. That was until the hulking figure of the B2 Battle Droid entered the room, clattering towards the lieutenant as he fumbled around, trying to get back to a vertical position. "Kaz! Get in there and stop that kriffing clanker from pulverizing the lieutenant!" she again called down their private communications channel. Rylee's instinctive reaction was to abandon the terminal room to go and help, so she did. Ensuring she still had the crewmate's commlink to listen to radio chatter, the Pantoran sprinted from the room, hopping over the stunned Lasat on her way out. "With all the obstructions I'll be no use to you here, I'm on my way!" she said, making her way back up the ship as fast as she could.

Flipped Coin: Rylee leaves the terminal room to help Corran and Kaz with the B2 Battle Droid.

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

It all happened far quicker than Kaz could react. One second the lieutenant was in front of him, and the next he was casually tossed aside like a crumpled up old wrapper. Wide eyes stared in shock just for a moment before he heard Asuchi comm them both.

“No!” He said sharply as he leveled his blaster, “Stay where you are, Asuchi. You are our eyes. You can’t lose the terminal room,” It was the only way to ensure that doors and passages weren’t locked. If the crew took control of that room again it would screw the whole operation.

Kaz pushed his fears aside and rushed into the room, firing off two shots that he took off stun. He had the advantage of the droid focusing on Velt for a moment, and the shots found purchase in the back of the torso. He knew the droid would turn on him next, and he intended to fire at the head. Heavy damage exploded against its back, but it wasn't enough to down it just yet.

The Ranger quickly jumped to the side in an attempt to dodge any retaliatory blows. He wasn’t going to let the Lieutenant down. Not this time.

Roll: 51/100 + advantage since droid facing away

@Bex @TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

The hulking, red-eyed battle droid advanced on Corran as he struggled to rise from the pile of debris he'd be thrown into. It's heavy, threatening footfalls ringing as metal scraped metal. The grease-covered poncho fluttered as the machine extended a robotic arm towards its first victim. Red light lit up the storage room in a blink. Two screeches of blast fire smacked into the battle droid's back, causing it to falter. Chunks of its outer armor tore from the impact points. The B2's programming forced it to turn around and address the new attack.

Spared a few precious seconds longer, Lieutent Velt tried to force himself to stand. His hand pressed against a nearby wall and he began to lift but something suddenly jerked his side. Why did he feel wet? His gloved free-hand shoved a few smaller containers aside to reveal the color red. A thing, circular piece of metal stuck through his side, poking out through the front. Corran clenched his teeth not in pain, but annoyance. Ever since the Sith Toxin, pain was nearly a non-factor but that didn't make him invincible to bleeding out.

Immediate danger was a greater problem. He couldn't let Kaz face down a killer droid by himself. Drawing one of his pistols with a bloodied glove, the lieutenant lined up a shot best he could from his position and in his condition. An experienced, careful squeeze of the trigger sent a red bolt hurtling towards the battle droid. Direct hit. Metal whined as the B2 fell to one knee, still active, but its internal components were now suffering serious damage. However, the poncho that draped over the hulking robots body caught flame. All the grease and mechanical liquids on it had been touched off from the heat of Corran's shot. While the killing machine was unmoving, it now was draped in fire.

Rolls:
9/100 - Corran tries to pull himself from the pile of boxes and debris
59/100 minus 10 for wound/debris - Corran shoots at droid

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

The Pantoran had only made it part way up the corridor when Kaz told her to stay where she was. She stopped in her tracks and barked down their secure channel. "You had better know what you're doing Tran" she spat. Rylee could not see what use she was staying in the terminal room when the majority of the feeds were blocked by obstacles. Sitting around, watching helplessly when her colleagues needed help was not something that the former soldier was ever going to be happy doing. She cut her comms with the other rangers and swore. There was a pile of small crates nearby which she knocked over in her anger before storming back the way she had come to the terminal room.

When she returned, the stunned Lasat was still there and everything was as it had been moments earlier. Going back over to the monitors, she could see the fight continuing. The battle droid seemed to have been heavily damaged by Ranger Tran from behind, so it had turned to face him to see what had attacked it. From his position in the junk pile, the Pantoran saw Lt. Velt fire a shot, causing the droid to drop to one knee but sparking with more damage. Seconds later the strange poncho it had been wearing caught fire.

"Get away from that thing!" shouted Rylee down her commlink to the other rangers. The purple haired woman was not aware at this moment that Lt. Velt had picked up a serious injury. It was not clear from the surveillance feed and unless the others told her, she would remain oblivious. It seemed that the B2 droid was now out of action, but on one of the other feeds the Pantoran noticed two crew members on the move. "There are two bogeys heading towards you. They must have heard the noise" she advised.

Spoiler: Dice Rolls

2 crew members on the move

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

Kaz heard Asuchi’s words come in, grimacing beneath his helmet. Two others joining the party was the last thing they needed. The Lt’s shot found purchase, but it came at a cost. Flames ignited in the room and the Ranger hopped over closer towards the Lt. Why the hell was the man moving so slow all of a sudden?

And then he saw the blood, his eyes widening beneath the helmet, “You’re hurt!” Of course, Kaz had no idea about any reduced pain or anything, he only saw the man beginning to bleed. He had a small medkit on him and he reached for a quick stim shot, “Sorry about this,” He mumbled awkwardly before stabbing it into him to give a sudden steroid like boost. Kaz next tore off a part of the droid’s poncho that wasn’t burning for use as extra gauze.

“Asuchi,” He spoke into the comms and she would be able to hear his labored breathing, “Lieutenant's hurt. Can you control any doors to stop the two advancing towards us?” He began to cough as he motioned for Velt to lean on him for support, “Come on, let’s get out of here,” He said through gritted teeth. He couldn’t take the rod out just yet while the room threatened to suffocate them.

The room was thick with smoke and it was getting near impossible to breathe. Kaz stepped past the droid to make his way out of the room. Once they were finally out, he helped ease Velt down behind some crates to keep them both out of view. Kaz crouched down next to him and removed his helmet. He took in a fresh breath of air, his hair ruffled from the helmet and determination on his face, “I’m gonna have to take it out,” Kaz lifted up the strap of Velt’s ammo pack, “Bite down on this,” His eyes narrowed slightly, “And look at me.”

With that, Kaz would work to take the bar out and subsequently attempt to staunch the bleeding. The supplies in the medkits would be enough to stop the bleeding, but it would leave the lieutenant weakened.

Meanwhile, the rest of the ship was rapidly realizing there was a breach. They were running out of options - they could either abandon the mission or Velt and Kaz could storm the bridge. If they were to take the bridge, they had to ensure there was minimal resistance. That was where Asuchi would have to get creative.

@Bex @TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Rylee's warning through their comm-channel sounded as distantly as if they had been said across a canyon. Injury and fire almost drowned her out entirely. Two contacts approaching. Either the fire or the iblaster fire must have attracted them. Mercifully it seemed his final shot to the back killed the old B2 battle droid, yet fire still licked its chasse from the poncho. Corran tried once again to rise on his own strength. They had to keep moving. Lightning shot up his side, singing his flesh and forcing a liquid burning. He gritted his teeth as if biting down on stone.

Ah, yeah, there came the pain. Initial shock was starting to wear off and the human body was screaming around the impalement. Extreme was to put it lightly. Lieutenant Velt clutched around the base of the protrusion. As much as pain seared his torso, it was nothing compared to the Sith toxin. Kaz seemed to appear out of nowhere and apologized right before jabbing a syringe into the lieutenant. Numbness began to wash over the pain, forcing it to recede. "Aaaarrggghh! Ugh. I'm up," Corran said breathlessly after he managed to clamber to Kaz's side.

Moving was torture. Muscle and meat ground against foreign metal with each step. A blast hung limp in the blond ranger's hand, barely clinging to weakening fingers. The two men found a spot with some cover amid storage crates. If walking was torture, sitting down again felt something like death. Corran groaned through clenched teeth and closed eyes. A single blue eye opened up to look at Kaz who was forced into a medical role on the fly. The lieutenant nodded seriously, "Pull straight out." That single sky-blue eye stared down Ranger Tran intensely, anticipating what was to follow. His teeth gritted down on the fabric strap like it was extremely stubborn jerky meet.

Pain flared up through Corran's chest and neck as a fleshy, pulpy sound signaled the metal rod being yanked from his side. Blood began to run like a torrent, but the other ranger's quick action stunted any further loss of blood. Lieutenant Velt tilted his head back, his chest rising and falling in deep gasps of breath. Stars, that hurt. "Tran," he said through labored panting, "We can't stay here. We've got to...." The blond man swallowed hard, "We've got to take the bridge. Help me up. I can still fight." To show his determination, the loosely hanging blaster was secured in a tight, defiant grip.

@Bex @Sreeya

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Watching the scene unfold on the monitors made the Pantoran feel helpless. She was not the type to sit and watch as her colleagues were in need of help. Rylee was unaware of the injury to Lt. Velt until she saw Kaz pulling out a stim shot and jabbing him with it. He had then patched him up with a makeshift bandage and the pair had made their way out of the room that was now filling up heavily with smoke from the flaming husk of the B2 Battle Droid. Dark memories of the night Chari died began to flood into her mind as she watched her colleagues on the monitors, but she had to fend them off, because if she didn't they could be in even more trouble. Kaz's voice rang through her commlink, asking her about door controls. Rylee did not immediately answer, frantically running her golden eyes over the dashboard in front of her looking for controls.

The two crew members that were on the move, were traveling down a single corridor from the bridge, towards a T-junction. If they went to their right they would eventually find Kaz and the lieutenant, but forcing them left would mean that they would need to go a long way around for them to have any chance of finding the rangers. Fortunately there were sets of doors on route, as tended to be the case on larger ships, as it prevented the spread of fires and enabled air to be retained should the integrity of the ship be breached. Rylee looked for the door controls and on finding them, activated the locks to the door leading to Kaz and Corran. "The route to your corridor is blocked off now" called Rylee over comms, "They would either need to blow a hole in it or circle the ship in order to get to you. Problem is, that door is your only way to the bridge. Give me a minute and I'll distract them, then on my signal I'll unlock the door and you two can head for the bridge. You think you two can make it?"

Rylee cut her contact and as she was waiting for a response from Kaz or the lieutenant, started to try and figure out a way she could distract the two crewmates. They had now entered the T-junction. On the monitor, Rylee saw them turn right and attempt to go through the door, only to find it shut. Over the stolen commlink, she could hear swearing and arguing over why the door was shut. The bickering would give her time to work something out. Searching through the command console the Pantoran stumbled upon controls for fire safety equipment. Selecting it, she was shown a map of the ship with red dots marking the locations of fire extinguishers and sprinklers. Her first thought was to try and set off a fire extinguisher in the corridor behind them, to cause a noise that they might investigate, but there was no remote option to activate them. Cursing under her breath, Rylee selected the only option she had available - the sprinkler system.

Watching the screen, her golden eyes saw water beginning to spray down on the two crewmates and heard their yelling and swearing as they began to get soaked. It was enough for them to give up on the door and seek an alternative route, as the two of them bolted in the opposite direction. There was only one, albeit major, drawback to her plan however. The command override had activated all the sprinklers on the ship. On the one hand, it meant the fire blazing in the room next to Kaz and the lieutenant would be put out. On the other hand, it meant things were about to get rather moist. "Kaz! Grab the lieutenant and get through that door, quickly!" she shouted down the comms, unlocking the door, "I did what I could and they've run the other way!"

@Sreeya @TerranSteel

 

[Kaz Tran]

No amount of practicing or scenarios could have prepared him for this. He had told the lieutenant to look at him, but he realized it was more for him than the seasoned man. He heard the sick squelch of viscera, felt it protest against what he was doing. Kaz’s jaw tightened and he glanced down briefly as hot blood poured down his hands. He said nothing as he worked, hands trembling slightly as he quickly helped patch the man up.

Kaz gave Velt an incredulous look when he said he was still able to fight. He barely opened his mouth when Rylee finally answered, asking if they could make it, “We have no choice,” He replied hoarsely. Kaz could hear the cursing on the other side of the door, and one of the men kicked against the door in frustration.

Kaz slowly helped Velt up to his feet, glancing over at him with his arm still around him to keep him standing, “You’re in no condition to fight. We have to abort this mission or change tactics,” His tone was frigid, almost robotic. It was clear he was compartmentalizing, “We are in no position to storm the bridge unless you and Asuchi switch places. That means she and I take the bridge.”

He stared at Velt for a moment, “Do you trust us to get it done?”

@TerranSteel @Bex

 

[Corran Velt]

Muffled curses and a kick to the now-sealed bulkhead was met with a burst of the fire-suppression system. Water poured down in an artificial monsoon, drenching the two rangers and the smuggler crew. Corran's head sagged even with Kaz holding him upright. Red streams flowed between their boots - the blood giving water the sickly tinge. Every part of his body felt heavy. Gravity pulled on his limbs with increased effort. Rylee had urged the two male Sector Rangers to continue on their objective, but Kaz had a differing opinion.

The rookie was no doctor but his voice in its stoicism betrayed the seriousness of Velt's condition. The Lieutenant raised his head with defiance of his wounds. A single blue eye stared back at Kaz, scanning his features. Water droplets dripped from his dampened bangs and ran down his cheeks. Corran's jaw visibly clenched. "I trust you," he finally rasped, punctuating the response with a firm nod.

Two fingers pressed on Lieutenant Velt's commlink and activated the channel between the trio, "Ranger Asuchi. You're up. You remember how to take a command bridge, don't you?" She'd know that referential quip about their first op together before she enlisted with the Sector Rangers. Getting to the terminal room was another issue altogether. Heading back to where they all originally split was a possibility, but Corran would likely run into the two crewmembers who were taking the long route around. The other option - the faster one - would be to head the way the smugglers were going. Either they'd get sandwiched between Rylee and her comrades or they'd go all the way around and avoid the terminal room entirely. "Asuchi, open the bulkhead door. I'm heading your way."

The blond lieutenant gave Kaz a stubborn, endurable look. He straightened his legs until he was nearly standing on his own and used his free hand to clutch his bandaged wound. "I can walk," Corran protested, "Meet up with Ranger Asuchi. I'll make sure to warm the chair and keep and eye out for you."

@Bex @Sreeya