Introductions

[Pierce Rathios]

Ord Mantell was a disgusting world full of smugglers and other garbage folk from across the galaxy. Covered in rancid trash, ruined ships, broke scavengers and cities he could hardly even consider calling a city, Pierce was unsure why the Empire wanted to spearhead operations on the wayward world. While it was on the edge of Imperial space and could act as an important chokepoint to the northern galactic reaches or for the rebelling Mandalore, it was still a world unworthy to be a member of the Imperial Republica. The fact that Pierce had to walk on its ground and breath in its putrid air was frustrating enough.

Still, this was by the order of his superiors. He couldn’t refuse such a task, especially when his claim for Esseles hinged on a few threads, on the approval of his father. Perhaps if he proved his worth on Ord Mantell by tearing the local gangs out, root and stem, he could become one step closer to finding his father’s approval. Of course, the process would not be swift. Not as he hoped. There was still quite a way to go, and the same went for this particular mission. Pierce had yet to even meet his Imperial counterpart. Fortunately, seeing her ship carve a path into the sky, he expected she was just arriving. Finally.

Weapons at the ready, lightsabers proudly and openly attached to the belt on his waist and with his head raised high and hands behind his back, Pierce waited impatiently for the woman. He hadn’t heard much about her, but who she was didn’t matter. It was what she did, and he was expecting she would be a damn fine partner for the operation ahead of them. He didn’t want to carry her on his back or hold her hand the entire way. Of course, he didn’t expect the unfamiliar woman to do the same either. The Sith Acolyte was ready, but was she?

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

All Astridia had been told was that she was to go on a shuttle to Ord Mantell with her gear and meet a Sith. That was it before she was loaded on with hardly enough time to pack her weapons and whatever else she needed and sent off to the Mid Rim planet. So now she looked out a viewport, holding her helmet in her hands and balancing her rifle between her legs. As far as she knew they didn't give her orders to bring any of her fellow agents/squad members--so she came alone. The shuttle landed in a spaceport near to where she was supposed to meet this Sith.

Time to find out if I'm gonna end up shoved in an alley dead..somewhere.

Astrid exited the small spaceport and looked around for someone Sith-like. Brooding, maybe--depressed, angry, with long flowing robes and you couldn't forget the yellow eyes. She pulled on her helmet, tightening the seal and ignoring odd glances. Normally Imperial soldiers would be with a squad--she supposed that one being alone was cause enough for fear. If she didn't need help, obviously she was as capable as six fighters. If only that were true. Her grip tightened on her rifle as she let it hang off its sling and located who looked enough like a Sith.

After all, two lightsabers being brandished was enough--and there were no more Jedi. Right?
"Are you who I'm looking for, sir? I'm Agent Kazaczecho...call me Astrid or just Agent if it's easier."

Sounds pretty dumb if I'm being honest..

 

[Pierce Rathios]

“Agent Kazaczecho, at last. Welcome to Ord Mantell. But yes, I’m the one you’re looking for. Acolyte Rathios. Or Pierce. I don’t care.” The man answered, desperate to get pleasantries out of the way. He was about done waiting around, especially with all the strange glances he was getting from the surrounding crowd. Most were not exactly pleased to see the Sith on a free world. In fact, none of them were. Smugglers, pirates and fugitives as they were— of course even the thought of an Imperial disgusted them. But Pierce didn’t care, and neither would he ever. The feeling was mutual. He hated the people of polluted world as much as they hated his own. As long as they didn’t get in his way, then he would leave them be. For now.

“Come on, we should get going. We’re on a tight schedule.” He nodded to the young woman, so he assumed from her body and the feminine voice behind her helmet, and gestured her away from the landing platforms. The spaceport was crowded, but the locals seemed to clear a path for him. Pierce knew why: fear. It was the strongest weapon wielded by the Imperial Republica. Not lightsabers, not blasters, not ships that could eclipse entire cities. Rather, it was fear that kept the order. Pierce learned that a long time ago, not only on Esseles but as a full-fledged Sith Acolyte. After all, people could not trusted to stand on their own. They needed a guiding hand. They needed the Empire.

“Alright, I’m sure you were already briefed about the mission, but we are ordered to confront a local criminal syndicate that has been resisting our attempts to influence this… planet.” He stopped himself short from insulting the world a third time, in word or in mind. “They live in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, but it’s not far from here. All we need to do is waltz in and convince them to change their mind.” He paused with a smile. “If you understand what I mean.” The implication was clear and out there. Pierce wanted to raze this syndicate, without mercy, and salt the ground to show that the Empire meant business.

And he doubted anyone would get in their way.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

"Alright...Pierce."

Astridia pledged the name to memory, following as he gestured to do so and pulling her rifle back into her hands, powering it on as she scanned the crowds. It was too familiar--except she was missing the rest of her squad. An incomplete piece to a large machine. Without that, she was vulnerable. She only had to hope that the Sith, Pierce, could take up the space of her squadmates. As he explained why exactly they were here, she finally got a chance to be briefed. In fact, Astrid hadn't been given information on the mission. She kept that knowledge to herself as they moved down the street--presumably where this syndicate was. The Imperial continued walking, feeling rather exposed without her comrades watching her back. One bolt was all it took, then the whole thing was done for.

Astrid had 'changed the minds' of many a criminal gang before. She was well versed in the art from her experience in the Mid Rim and Core Worlds, and had always managed to make it out in one piece. The problem was that she had had plenty of other people to help her out. The helmet shifted to him as she rose an eyebrow and put on a questioning tone, despite being slightly faithful in their abilities. Her abilities, that is.

"And with only two of us? The Empire is hardly stretched that thin. I find it hard to believe. I was given ill time to get my equipment, much less gather my fellow squadmates. I trust you can make up for them as much as I will be?"

Astrid had no doubt. Mostly.

 

[Pierce Rathios]

“Glad that you understand.” He said, expecting nothing else from the young woman. The two had sworn their loyalty to the Empire, so defiance or hesitation was out of the question. Even then, the mission was not that difficult. It was only a band of pirates and smugglers, he could hardly consider it a legitimate criminal syndicate, especially on a world like Ord Mantell, which he saw as a shadow of truly criminal worlds like Nar Shaddaa or Nal Hutta. Wiping the particular gang off the face of the planet would be an easy task, even without his armor or usual equipment. As a matter of fact, Pierce was confident he could take it down with his own bare hands.

However, it seemed Astridia did not share that same confidence. Her reluctance left a scowl on his face, and the man didn’t even bother to look over at her. Instead, lips pursed, he answered, “Two Imperials or two hundred, the syndicate will fall. I think you grossly overestimate the enemy, or underestimate me. If you have a blaster, then you should be fine. And as I’m sure you could tell, I have my sabers and the Force at my side. I wouldn’t worry, so you can take whatever doubts you have and dump them back in the garbage. I don’t have the time, patience or thought for weakness.”

He kept his head held high, cocky. As a noble of Esseles and heir to his family, it was just who he was. Arrogant and prideful and with a complete disregard for the feelings of others. Either way, he expected Agent Kazaczecho to accept the reality of the situation. Especially as they began to approach the warehouse, its decayed silhouette just down a narrow, empty street.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia could tell that Pierce hadn't appreciate her doubts about their abilities in combat. She knew just how arrogant this guy was, and also knew that arrogance had its place in certain situations. Fighting a crime syndicate was certainly not one of those situations. Perhaps he did had such a great ability to fight that he could single handedly clear out twenty or more people? Then that arrogance was warranted. But Astrid was a realist, and she preferred playing things carefully. Especially since she wasn't a trained killer with a laser sword.

"Whatever you say, m'lord."

She kept walking, making sure her gear was guaranteed to do its job as they neared their location. If this all went well, maybe she'd only be sold into a minor slave ring and missing only one hand.

 

[Pierce Rathios]

M’lord. He wasn’t sure whether the young woman was being serious or sarcastic. And while a piece of enjoyed the thought and title, he doubted she was being honest. First impressions were not his thing, and it seemed neither of them were on good terms despite having just met. Pierce blamed the woman’s doubtful tendencies and sensitive nature, but in truth, he had naturally picked a fight. His arrogance knew no bounds, and while he respected the Empire and the men and women who worked alongside him, that didn’t mean he would spare them of his pride or ego. After all, he had to prove his worth as a fighter and a leader, not by manners or civility.

The pair eventually reached the outside of the seemingly abandoned warehouse. Although the Sith Acolyte knew what was really going inside. Squinting, almost zooming in on the general area, he noticed several cameras checkered around the exterior. A pair of assassin droids, rusted and disgusted as broken scraps like the other junk around them, rested against the entrance. There were one or two scavengers roaming around the building, but rather than searching through the trash, Piece could tell they were searching for potential threats. As lowbrow as this criminal syndicate was, they were terrible at hiding and terrible at security.

“You see that? The droids, the guards.” He gestured to them from afar as he whispered into Astridia’s ear. “Their outside security is garbage. Like I said, this should be a piece of cake.” He continued walking forward, certain of the situation. While most circumstances may have called for him to stealthily approach and attempt to find a quiet entryway, confidence blinded him. Plus, he was impatient, and wanting this operation (and his partnership with the girl) done and over as soon as possible was a priority to him, not stealth. He would happily take the risk if it meant a quick victory.

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid felt remarkably uncomfortable as the rest of the short journey was carried out in silence. This Sith, Pierce, was a shining example of the people she came to dislike. Filled with arrogance, greed to a point, and good looks, a combination that was lethal in its own right. She shuddered lightly and readjusted her grip on her rifle, looking down at it and then stopping once they saw people outside of the warehouse. Astrid crouched low and seeker cover behind a mound of trash, looking up and shaking her head while Pierce strode forward after seemingly proving his point. Maybe HE was invincible, but she had organs and a heart, and would prefer to keep her limbs all together for as long as possible, hence she stayed in cover and approached in a low standing position, keeping her weapon raised toward their enemies, particularly the droids.

This didn't feel right by any means. Perhaps it was habit from patrolling rough Mid Rim worlds, or maybe her gut was spot on for once, but it was just--TOO easy. Astrid held back while Prince Arrogant the Wise strode toward the entrance. Maybe she'd be able to catch them off guard while he got clubbed over the back of the head. Maybe those scavs would try to flank around him--or perhaps already were making an effort to. She scanned the defenses through her helmet, keeping her blaster rifle ready in a low ready and sweeping her jacket free of her legs. 'Piece of cake'.

They'd have to see.

 

[Pierce Rathios]

In spite of his haughty approach, Astridia refused to join by his side. Fine by him. He didn’t care. Whether or not she would accompany him into the warehouse and fight as openly as he ultimately had no effect on the mission. While he appreciated her attendance, the operation came about via his superiors, as did her involvement. If the Sith could have, he would have happily gone alone. There was no need for an Imperial Agent like Kazaczecho to come along. He was an Acolyte and future heir of Esseles, not a babysitter. As a matter of fact, better she stayed out of the fight entirely. More glory for him and one less child to carry.

As he approached the outer edge of the warehouse, triggering a proximity alert, the assassin droids in front of the door immediately sprung to life. The disguised scavengers at each corner of the building, while far, readied themselves and started a quick approach. But they were slow, slower than Pierce expected. Why? Did they trust he would not break into the facility and turn back, or did they seriously believe two rusted droids could take him, a Sith Acolyte, head on? He scoffed and seized both of his lightsabers off his waist. “Okay you hunks of junk,” he said to the droids. “Meet your make—“

Pierce was suddenly cut off as one of the droids smacked his across the face. Except, it was more of a weighted punch than a smack. While his natural instinct saw it coming and he pulled the Force to soften the blow, the man was still sent flying back. Stumbling to regain his footing and stunned by the unexpected strike, he wiped a gloved hand over his lip and found a trickle of blood. “Seriously?” He muttered before activating his lightsabers. In front of him, the droids unveiled a blaster or two of their own. And to his left and right flank, the other guards started to close in. “Alright, I see how it is.” Pierce added. Then, he charged.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid rested her blaster on the crate ahead while Pierce approached their outside guards, shaking her head with a sigh of exasperation. She moved up closer, standing up to full height while the defenses activated and the scavs nearby approached. She sprinted and slid behind a nearby guardrail, leaning over to open hell on the scav on his left, sending two bolts into his leg and chest. Her next target was one of the droids, which she fired three bolts into the main chest compartment before sending two more into its 'head'. The Imp cursed under her breath while the Sith activated his sabers and dove toward their enemies.

The other two were probably going to be easy to handle now that Pierce was ready for a fight, so she vaulted over the railing to check and make sure both her targets were dead. Astrid walked over the dead scav after kicking his body with a boot and looked at the rusted droid attempting to reboot and respond. She approached at a walk, leveling the barrel of her blaster with its central processor and wasting two more shots to shut it down permanently. The woman then looked up and checked if Pierce had gotten his ass kicked yet, venting her rifle and reloading it in practiced fluidity.

"You done yet? Can we move on now and avoid getting our arses kicked?"

 

[Pierce Rathios]

To his surprise, Astridia decided to step into the fray. Although a piece f him wished she had done so sooner, Pierce was just glad that she was doing something for a change. By taking out the approaching scavenger and droid on his left, he could turn and focus on his right flank. In particular, the enemy closest to him: the droid who hit him. With his lightsabers active, their blades casting its red glow against the walls, he effortlessly slapped away bolt after bolt from the rusted bucket of bolts. Most of his deflections either went to the wall or the ground, a sign of how terrible he was at it, but at least he was able to shield himself from the attacks. And with shot by shot, he inched closer.

When he was within reach, he slapped a final shot out of his path with one saber and used the other to completely bisect the droid. In a hissy fit of clicks and beeps, likely obscenities in the droid’s language that Pierce failed to understand, the machine collapsed into the pile of metal trash he belonged. As for the armed and alive scavenger, who had taken the distraction to get into a position of a quick attack, the Sith immediately turned his attention to the assailant. Arm snapped back and shoulder reared, he hurled his left lightsaber directly to the man. With the Force, he made sure it remained active and guided it right into his chest.

However, while the motion was successful, the scavenger still managed to loose a final shot. With barely enough time to swat the bolt away, Pierce was forced duck for cover— and right into the same heap of garbage he detested. While the outside guards were now dispatched, the noble Sith struggled to rise out of the trash. A groan passed his lips. “They say fortune favors the bold, but I don’t feel real favored right now.” Rising back to his full height and brushing the dirt from his shoulders, he called his lightsaber back to him. Like a pair of blasters, he slung both hilts back into the holsters on his waist. “Yeah, I’m done. Let’s move on.” He answered, almost rolling his eyes, before approaching the door.

He gestured to the female Imperial Agent. “Ladies first.”

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid approached while Pierce mopped up his two idiots then took a dive straight into the trash. She shook her head as the Sith spoke and brushed himself off before checking her rifle and clutching it with her trigger hand, sighing.

"Fortune favors the bold if they don't turn bravery into lunacy. Not that I'm saying you're brave."

Her attention refocused on their mystery door, where Pierce decided to let her lead. Quite wise considering his last stunt. Annoying one liners aside, he could have very easily gotten himself killed with his Iron Man mentality. Astrid nodded and scoffed as she reached to pull open the door.

"Such a gentleman."

She eased open the door with her free arm, keeping her blaster raised as she stepped inside and got a sense of her surroundings. She took a position bracing against the side of the hallway, keeping her blaster pointed down to the end as she moved forward. The woman stopped soon after walking a few meters, waiting for her partner, who was supposely watching her back. She missed having a full squad around already. This left her so..so...exposed. Astrid hated the feeling. She made it a note to perhaps get used to working alone, especially for the future.

 

[Pierce Rathios]

On the other hand, Pierce was used to working alone. In fact, he preferred it that way. In spite of his earlier mistakes, from his dive into the garbage to his struggle against the scavenger outside, he remained stubborn, adamant to the idea of a partner. Whether he was a subordinate didn’t matter. The Sith was fine with taking orders. With serving the Empire. But working side by side with a cynic Imperial agent? She was not gifted in the Force. The only gift she had was being a irksome distraction for the noble Sith. However, there was nothing he could do about it. And he knew it.

The best he could do was work with the girl. Even if she was turning out to be a pain in his ass, even if he was finding her company more and more irritating by every passing second. At least she knew what she was doing. Walking down the narrow corridor, gun at the ready, eyes up. Astridia understood the stakes of the situation and the threats behind each door, every room. More scavengers with heavy repeaters at the ready, or a dozen assassin droids, or trained rebel extremists, or fanatic pirates. Of all the options weighing on his mind, Agent Kazaczecho looked unperturbed. She was trained for this.

And Pierce? So was he. Having placed one lightsaber back to his waist, he kept the other close in his hand. His fingers never wavered. He never flinched. The warehouse was deathly silent and he still managed to make not a sound. Hardly a breath. With the doors open, he was nothing more than a gust of fresh air wafting down the hall, searching. Indeed, he searched. Until he recognized one set of doors with a painted label on top: barracks. One ear to the wall, he heard several hushed voices. With a tiny smirk, he motioned Astridia to stop. Leaning in close, he whispered. “Found some. Ready?”

Although he was vague, Pierce figured she could connect the dots. He would give her only a split second, however, before he pressed a hand into the door and shoved it right open to reveal whatever was inside.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia continued into the warehouse, blaster aimed where she knew people could come from. So many unpredictable variables. So many damned doors. And a really, unhappily arrogant Sith that was probably going to get them killed if she didn't have anything to say about it. But she'd been in situations as grim as this before. Worse, actually. No squad, no backup, just one random person with her that could fight? Not impossible odds against one warehouse full of very, very angry beings that did not like the Republica. Her boots cracked against fallen glass and dirt on the floor as Pierce suddenly stopped.

Astrid winced and turned her head as he reached for the door. She had enough time to spin on her heel and stack against the door before it was opened. Her mind cursed him for basically overriding any sense of security or reason. Oh, let's open a bloody door where our fellow soldier is currently standing in the open next to! What a brilliant idea! She decided to drop the anger rising in her chest, deciding to redirect it somewhere else, such as the syndicate here that was looking to avoid death. Her breathing had barely cycled within all these thoughts, and she forced herself to step through the door and walk in, training her rifle on the first thing that was alive in there--

Being the point in these kinds of situations was never a good idea. You were normally the first to get shot.

@Deviant

 

[Pierce Rathios]

Pierce didn’t need the Force to know Astridia was not very happy about the partnership or his approach on the mission. The twitch of an eye, the spin of her heel and the icy look in her gaze. She was not in the mood for his antics, even if he didn’t mean for them to be that way. IT was just the way the Sith Acolyte was: blunt, arrogant and straightforward. He didn’t like to wait. He always preferred to face the situation head on, even if it was risky or cost him a scar or two. But did he care? Hardly. Scars was what made him a warrior. What made him worthy.

The second the Imperial Agent was in position, Pierce leapt into action. Having already moved to open the door, several guards were revealed within. However, given the earlier attack had alerted the rest of the compound, they were ready for him. The man couldn’t even curse under his breath before a volley of shots came right into his direction. Fortunately for him, and by pure luck of the Force, his lightsaber was already active and slapped away the shots closest to puncturing him. As for the others, he rolled to the side in an effort to dodge and find cover in the chambers, which acted like a generator room to the warehouse.

Almost hurling his body behind a large, protruding set of pipes, the Sith Acolyte turned to see whether Agent Kazaczecho followed behind him or decided to stay behind the doors. He imagined she would have preferred to play it safe, or just stick back to watch him get cornered and butchered. But, to her misfortune, Pierce had intentions of dying. With both blades active, eyes peeled and head throbbing with adrenaline, he was peered from his cover to ascertain the situation. There were four armed pirates total, half of them focused on him and the other half on the female Imperial. If they were able to take them out, perhaps the pair could rig the generator to self-destruct.

Would surely save them the trouble of dealing with the rest of the warehouse guards and inhabitants.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid had a half second to realize what she had just walked in to before she let loose three blaster bolts at a face peering out at her from behind a crate. She then relaxed her legs and fell on her side, pulling herself behind the same pipes her Sith partner had found safety in. She cursed loudly in the first language that came to mind (this time a mix of Zeltron and Huttese insults that she'd learned from fellow soldiers) and readjusted the grip on her weapon. Four volleys of three shots. So that meant four people...at least. The Imperial shook her head and wiped some dirt off her visor before leaning out from cover to send three shots in return.

Astridia shook her head and glanced at Pierce, taking in a shaky breath in an attempt to steady her beating heart. Close call. She muttered an insult at the scum currently trying to take off her head before standing and taking a target, looking at a Nautolan with dreadlocked tentacles staring at her with teeth bared, clearly surprised at the move. Where he tried to react first and sent a blast a few centimeters wide, she held her aim for a brief moment longer and burned a hole through his chest as she advanced on the left side of the room, doing her best to suppress the second (or more) person on the right with a consistent two-second interval burst. As she advanced, the cover on the left plus her Sith friend hopefully working against whoever may have been lurking on the opposite side.

She held her fire for five seconds and reached to drop her magazine, feeling the release click before popping it back into place a moment later. Her hunch worked as a human leaned out to finish her off, only to find three bolts burned through an arm, chest, and left ear. NOW she was out of ammo, and reached for her sidearm with a grunt. Anytime now, Pierce! She yelled in her brain as commotion from the rest of the bad guys in the room signaled she was about to put Imperial body armor to the test.

@Deviant

 

[Pierce Rathios]

To his surprise, Astridia decided to join him behind the cover of the pipes. He genuinely expected for her to either ditch him or watch him get cornered. Instead, she chose to dive beside him to defend. As another surprise, he heard the young Imperial curse aloud in a distantly familiar language. While he may not have fully understood what she said, by the tone of her voice, the look in her eyes and the obvious situation they were stuck in, Pierce knew whatever she was saying wasn’t very clean. He scoffed, deciding to poke fun at the Imperial even in the midst of battle. “Watch your language!” The Sith said, almost literally but jokingly. He doubted she would appreciate the comment.

While he attempted to dig deeper into their makeshift cover, Agent Kazaczecho decided to rear her head, and her blaster, at the enemy. Rising directly out of their shield of pipes, Pierce watched her stand still and risk finding a charred hole in her chest. A piece of the Sith wanted to pull the young woman back into the cover, even if he didn’t care for her on the outside. For some reason, he was growing a little attached to her. She was proving more and more useful by every passing second of the operation. Maybe she wasn’t the meat shield he initially presumed her as. At least, for the moment. After all, she was sharp on the offensive and had successfully taken down two guards on her own.

As a very nice plus, she also proved to be a fine distraction. In the open and having garnered the attention of almost all the guards, Pierce knew it was his opportunity to strike— and shine. With his lightsabers active, he leapt right over his cover and toward the two remaining pirates, both of which were about ready to finish Astridia off now that she was out of rifle ammo and sprawled on the ground. By the time they even saw him coming, it was too late. The blade in his left hand bisected the armored man closest to him as the blade in his right hand slid between one alien’s ribcage. They were dead within moments, leaving the room to just him and his partner.

Flourishing his sabers and flashing a smile to Astridia, he quipped, “Not so hard, right?”

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astrid grimaced as she realized that the Sith was trying to crack a joke in the middle of her death. Her hand was still reaching for the holster on her hip when she saw the upper body of a pirate come around to finish her off. She fell against the ground and was just clearing leather when a flurry of red sabers flew a few centimeters closer than she ever would have wished to see. Her helmeted head relaxed against the hard floor as the aching on her back came into focus. Her adrenaline slowly left while she winced and grunted, slowly lifting herself up to her feet and clipping her sidearm back into her holster. Astrid grabbed her rifle and swapped out the energy cells.

Pierce brought out a very unsettling smile with a hum of his blades cutting through the air. She flinched instinctively, thinking back to her sister...stabbed right through the chest and nearly cut in half like the lower half of the pirate sitting a half meter from where she was right now. She looked back toward the door, expecting more company from the commotion, then slowly lowered her rifle. 'Not so hard' was putting it a bit heavily. She wasn't that good at speaking Sith, but maybe that was the closest she was getting to a 'good job'. Her eyes rolled and she vented the heat of the blaster and slung it for now.

"..I hate you. Can we go, or are you still having delusions of grandeur?"

@Deviant

 

[Pierce Rathios]

“Delusions of grandeur? Oh, please.” He shot back, as if denying the young woman of her makeshift insult. Of course, he knew she wasn’t wrong. Still, he continued, “I can promise you this, they’re no delusions.” He flashed another wry grin, pride seeping through. The Sith Acolyte was proud after the successful attack, even if his earlier moves had nearly got him killed several times. Regardless, he always focused on the moments when he wasn’t a sack of shit. For instance, ten seconds ago. With the pirates limp and charred on the ground, their mission was nearing an end. However, there was still one last thing to do.

“We can head out, but one more thing.” He said before approaching the generator. Pumping fuel and power through the warehouse and secret base of operations, he knew the best way to handle the pirates was not just to kill a few and leave. It was to destroy every trace of them. To rip them out root and stem. Revealing several charges off his figure, he slapped them against the generator and armed them for detonation. Other warehouse guards, likely alerted by the fighting and intrusion, were converging on their position. But Pierce didn’t care. Their mission was about to reach its conclusion.

“Let’s ditch this popsicle stand.” Suddenly, the Sith motioned Astridia out into the hall. Several more pirates spotted them from below and at the end of the corridor. Blasters loaded and aimed, they prepared to fill the pair with a dozen charred holes. Not that they ever would make it. Wrapping an arm around Agent Kazaczecho’s waist, like any gentleman would, he launched the two straight through a window. With their armor combined, they shattered the glass like it was nothing. And behind them, the charges detonated, engulfing a chunk of the warehouse in a sinister explosion.

Meanwhile, Pierce and Astridia would land against the ground. Not harmlessly, or effortlessly, but at least they had escaped the radius of the blast— and saw the mission to its end.

@Herrith

 

[Astridia Kazaczecho]

Astridia took cover behind the same crates that had failed pirates a minute earlier while she heard voices and commotion coming from the hallway. Pierce seemed to have a plan that actually made sense as he planted explosives. But there were a couple problems: one, their entrance and exit was completely blocked; two, their entrance and exit was completely blocked; and three, there were a lot of angry slavers, pirates, and smugglers about to come from where their entrance and exit was completely kriffing blocked. She looked at the explosives. It registered in her brain the plan that the Sith had as she realized that they were armed.

Oh kriffing hell.

She followed Pierce, running outside of the room and turning around to open fire on their pursuers as she felt an arm come around her waist and cinching her coat tight to her armor. The woman was about to say something before she felt them crash into a window and end up in empty air while the charges detonated. Astrid hit the ground hard, landing on her back with a sharp exhale. She turned on her side to cough and regain her breath, feeling a sharp aching pain develop in her back from where her blast vest had slammed into her spine.

Once her breathing was restored, Agent Kazaczecho pulled off her helmet for the first time and shut her eyes tightly, reaching an arm around the small of her back to unclip the vest that had just hurt her so dearly.
"Little warning next...next time you kriffing turn into a B-roll action hero? Bloody hell.."

Mission accomplished?