Open [Pujool] The Gas Giant

[Jaesa Valerin]

( // ooc note: The ship is being intruded on by pirates and Jaesa, Vahn and Drastus's mission is to take control of the ship and return it to the Jedi. Link to mission pack. )

“The ship lies hidden within the gas giant Pujool. Your mission is to board the dormant ship and raise it from the depths so that we can safely send larger transport ships to dock. Do be careful, however. We are not sure if anyone else might know of it.

“Take a small ship and try to dock as quietly as possible. Once you reach the bridge, you will be able to scan the ship for intruding lifeforms and signal us. Once you raise the ship into safe space, we will dock and take over from there. Oh, and take any droids you have with you. They will be helpful.”

---

“BB-33, drop us out of hyperspace.”

A series of trills and beeps registered through the ship’s comm system as the sight of the gas giant Pujool replaced the blue and white streaks around them. Jaesa had never laid eyes on the planet before, nor been to the Anoat System. It was a good hideout; the planet was an average gas giant far out in the Outer Rim territories, and the nearby planet of Anoat was a toxic wasteland. Jaesa maneuvered the ship down in the uppermost atmospheric layer. She held the ship in the upper atmosphere as BB-33 scanned the suspected area for the vessel. After about thirty minutes, BB-33’s beeps and trills came over the ship’s comm system again. It’d found it.

“Good job, Squeaky.” Jaesa turned the ship around and headed for the transferred coordinates. Glancing back at Vahn and Drastus, she said, “I’m going to try and find a quiet place to dock. If they had reason to mention scanning the ship for intruders, I think there’s reason to believe we might not be the only ones to know of its location.” Soon after, the sleek gray Star Cruiser came into view. Jaesa carefully locked onto one of the emergency docks and after BB-33 confirmed docking success, she clipped her seatbelt and stood up.

The hallway they entered was pitch black, so Jaesa unclipped her lightsaber and ignited it to give them a bit of light. The yellow-green of her blade reflected against the metallic interior of the ship, leaving a yellow-green hue on their surroundings. It didn’t appear that either of their droids could access the ship’s mainframe from here. They would have to find one elsewhere. Jaesa continued down the hallway carefully, lightsaber held out before her like a torch. When she reached the main hallway, something crunched under her foot. A spice joint.

“I think we might not be the only ones on this ship,” cautioned the Jedi. “Drastus, stay close by Vahn or I.”

@The Steel Stag
@Rhogar

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drastus had seen his fair share of battle in his time with the Jedi. From Kloss to Denon to now, he'd been very active in the war as far as Padawans went. Wearing his Mandalorian style battle armor, repaired from the explosion on Denon, though he kept the scorching from the blast as a reminder. He was eager to once more prove himself, as Denon had felt like a failure to him and he took solace that he was with Master Berand, the very man who saved his life on Denon.

Unlike time past, Drastus was quiet on the flight. He didn't even remove his helm and he spent his time aboard the ship sharpening his beskad. He had never met Knight Valerin, though he looked forward to seeing her in action. Vahn, was already a badass in his eyes. So when the time came and they were aboard the vessel in question, he'd stay at the Jedi Masters six, his hand at his waist ready to draw either sword or saber. When he responded to the instruction, the voice would be modulated by his helm. "Understood, Knight Valerin."

@lizziie @The Steel Stag

 

[Vahn Berand]

“This isn’t going to be like Bespin, Ralta,”

Vahn said. The little droid twittered about the silver and grey clad Jedi’s ankles as they pressed on into the halls of the ship.

“Really, what’s the chance the repulsor anchors would give out twice in exactly the same way? How long could this ship have been here for, after all? Repulsor anchors only start going bad after decades of use.” Vahn asked Ralta. She paused for a moment before chirping back a clipped response in the beeping droidspeak.

“That long? Uh oh.” he then said, grinning deviously to himself, his arms crossed along his chest as the little green and black ball droid howled in his wake. He winked conspiratorily towards the young Padawan with them.

Jaesa’s commentary on them not being alone brought him back to the task at hand. He crouched down, his saber snapping into existence as a form of illumination as he observed the small tube of spice that had crunched under his fellow Jedi’s foot.

“I noticed carbon scoring on one of the other docking bays as we approached. The bay looked like it was exposed to vacuum. Could be a collision of some sort. There were some maintenance droids skulking around on the ship so maybe one of them wound up being detonated…. But I’ve seen marks like that out on the outer rim. Concentrated, not scattershot like a random impact. Pirates sometimes drill through hangar locks to gain access inside like that,” Vahn explained as he stood back up. He’d been wandering around the less civilized regions of the galaxy for the better part of a decade and had picked up quite a few lessons along the way.

“There should be an access terminal close by where we can get some more information, at least if I’m remembering the schematics of this vessel right,” Vahn said, holding his saber aloft. “And maybe we can get some lights on. Life support seems to be active at least so either there’s an automated system...or they’re already deep enough to start turning some of the systems on.”

@Rhogar @lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

"...pirates sometimes drill through hangar locks to gain access inside like that..." Jaesa turned her head to look at her fellow Knight as he spoke. When she volunteered for this mission, despite the uncertainty she felt about her abilities, she had immediately felt reassured that things would go smoothly when she learned that Knight Vahn Berand would be joining her and the Padawan Drastus Drahr. Though the two had only formally met when they boarded the ship together some time ago, she respected what she'd heard of him. His casual knowledge of pirate activity and his following conclusion was very impressive to her.

"Alright, let's see if we can find an access terminal then." Jaesa took a left down the hallway they just entered into, sweeping her lightsaber back and forth over head to illuminate the walls around them. It didn't take too long for her to spot the circular access. She pointed it out to the others when she saw it, then instructed BB-33 to plug into the system. The cobalt colored BB droid rolled over. A few turns and clicks later and the lights flickered on. They stayed flickering, and for a moment Jaesa was worried they might not stay on. Eventually however, the moment stopped and they settled.

"If there are pirates on board we should try not to split up," the Dathomirian suggested. "I think getting to the bridge is probably our best bet. If they're there, we can take care of them. If not, we can get the systems up and running and by the time they might notice we already be good to move the ship into the upper atmosphere."

@Rhogar @The Steel Stag

 

[Drastus Drahr]

As the trio walked, Drast would turn, walking backwards to scan their surroundings. He would take comfort in the skill around him, this being his first op with the promise of battle since Denon. "Rather fight pirates than flesh eating walkers." He'd muse, his tone light, even through the speakers.

When the lights finally flickered on, his hand would move to pull his Preef Callo replica blaster from its holster. "Speaking of, I'm sure this is an injure not kill operation?" As he spoke he'd toggle his weapon to stun. He'd trained himself to fire with his left hand while using the lightsaber with his right and now seemed like a good op to practice it on.

As a protector by design, he fought every instinct to take point, deferring to the more skilled Jedi Knights.

@The Steel Stag @lizziie

 

[Vahn Berand]

Vahn deactivated his saber, but kept it firmly in hand as the lights flickered on. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the new light levels, and he shielded his eyes with one gloved hand for a moment.

“Computer access likely won’t go unnoticed if they’ve sliced in, but I’d rather be able to see what’s going on around us. Jaesa, can your droid make sure there aren’t any sealed doors between us and the bridge?” he said, hands on his hips.

“Spare who you can, but if you have to kill to save your life, or ours, then do what you must. We can worry about the moral repercussions later,” Vahn said to Drastus. There was a calm, matter of fact note to his voice. A resigned pragmatism. He noted the young Jedi’s concern for the pirates. It was a good instinct to have, to want to refrain from freely handing out death. Too many saw killing as a first choice in any conflict and that was a big reason why the galaxy was as rotten as it was.

Ralta trilled up at the three Jedi after a moment, and Vahn rested his arms over his chest.

“The bridge sounds like the right idea. Dealing with pirates would be a trivial affair if we get full control of the ship. We could probably just vent their hangar to vacuum, or at least threaten to,” he said, grinning wryly for a moment before he turned towards the green and black ball droid at his heel.

“Lead the way, girl,” Vahn said to the droid as it rolled off down the hall that lead to the aft section of the ship where the bridge was positioned. They hadn’t travelled far when she paused in her path, just before a T-shaped hallway junction and gave a quiet coo. Her sensors were picking up sounds from the hall off to their right.

“Kriff,” Vahn said, his senses extended. He could sense them, a handful of life forms, no more than three to five.

“They sent out patrols,” he whispered to his fellow Jedi.

“How do you want to do this? Hard or soft? Might be able to get around them if we can cause a diversion of some sort. Speed is of the essence however.”

@Rhogar @lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

"Yeah, it can." Jaesa turned to BB-33 and relayed the command. The droid did its thing for a moment, then returned with a negative. They were good for now, it seemed.

"No, it seems the path is clear for now," reported the Knight. She fell in behind Vahn and Drastus, with BB-33 rolling close behind her. Her lightsaber was returned to her belt, but her hand quickly moved back over it when Vahn signaled the coming patrol. Hard or soft? Her eyes quickly searched for a way for them to escape. The vents? No, the droids couldn't follow them through there. But the walls were indented every now and then...

"Let's hide. Maybe we can at least catch them off guard and subdue them quickly if we act fast enough." Jaesa pushed herself into the recess in the wall, followed closely by BB-33. She wanted to avoid a firefight, because the sound of their blasters might attract attention to them.

@Rhogar @The Steel Stag

 

[Drastus Drahr]

"Hard or soft?" Vahn's voice would pull young Drast from his reverie and the visor shifted to the older Jedi.

"I got a plan C. I look like a Mandalorian.. We're known to adventure solo.. What if I lead them on a wild goose chase? Clears out the bridge for you, lets me burn off some energy running around." he'd say with an amused tone. "The armor can keep me pretty protected and once you guys have the bridge, you can help me from there."

He would flick his blaster from stun to live as he stepped past Vahn. "The element of surprise is your best tool here, let me allow you to keep it. We risk that with discovery or.. a skirmish." He knew the option wouldn't be too favorable for both older Jedi, but Drastus was one of the more advanced combatants out of the Padawans, having slain a Sith on Onderon and claiming his saber, the very purified one he carried now.

"That's just my two-cents, but it's your call, Knight Berand. I'll follow whatever you decide to do."

@lizziie @The Steel Stag

 

[Vasp Ilmar]

Vasp had been on this ship for several days, under the guise of a new technician to join the crew, one of several who had been flown in with the latest round of supplies earlier in the week. Olm Omar was the name stitched into his flight suit, and on the badge that adorned his technicians vest. It was the ideal cover for this particular job; taking out the captain of the ship.

He had received the contract last week, a hefty sum had been offered by a member of a rival crew.

Vasp had not asked any questions. Now he found himself walking down one of the corridors on the upper decks of the ship, a toolbox in his right hand and a backpack slung over his shoulders. Inside the toolbox, underneath the removable drawer, his two Westar 37s would be found, whilst in the backpack, a small case containing slicing equipment was held. He had a thin vibro-blade in his right boot and enough welding putty to take out a blast door in his pack.

He continued through the top decks, making his way to the captain's cabin, and -approaching the door - opened it, before walking in. Provided nothing distracted the captain from his usual routine, he would be able to plant the putty and leave before detonating it remotely.

That was, of course, assuming nothing changed the captains routine.[/font]

 

[Vahn Berand]

Vahn paused, stroking a gloved hand through his short cropped beard. Jaesa’s point was valid. They had a chance to stay out of sight, but it was still a gamble. However, he paused as Drastus described his plan.

“I hate it. Or rather I hate that I have to say….that’s a really good idea. A really good idea. A wandering Mandalorian would make them think a rival pirate band caught wind of their plans. Make them scramble for the hangars or try to encircle you and be prepared for a blaster fight. They wouldn’t expect us to have a second team of Jedi slipping behind their lines,” Vahn said.

Then, he hesitated. For a moment his thoughts were filled with Denon once more. He could see everything clearly. He could smell it. The two padawans being piled into the transports. Bodies broken, struggling to cling to life. The pang of iron-rich blood on the air, the lingering scent of ozone from the electrical fires of the crashed speeder. His hand trembled before he forced it into a fist. His breath grew unsteady for the briefest of moments. He could be sending the same youth directly back into a similar meat grinder. But he had to have faith. His gut told him the young padawan was up to the task. You believed in her, and she believed in you. His thoughts crystalized. He took a steadying breath and straightened his back.

“One caveat. Stay on comms. If you feel like you’re getting hemmed in, make a break for the nearest exit. Take the ship if you have to, we’ll find our own way out. If you need help, I’ll come running.”

“Option A and C it is.” He then said, and slipped in against one of the indentations in the walls.

“You go, then we’ll give a thirty count. Then we make for the bridge as fast as we can…. Ralta, you can get some security access if we get you closer to the bridge, right?” The little droid twittered an affirmative. “Good, Drast is counting on us, girl.”

Vahn would wait for Drastus to make his move, and then he would steadily count to thirty before breaking into a run back down the hallway junction towards the bridge of the ship.

@Rhogar @lizziie

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

Jaesa listened as Drastus laid out his idea for the distract to Vahn and her. She couldn't say she was particularly a fan, but Vahn's insistence on him staying on comms and taking the ship if he needed out made it a little more palatable to her. She just disliked splitting up, if she were honest. But she said nothing.

Jaesa remained pressed up against the wall until the patrol passed her and Vahn. Once they were past, and once Drastus began his distraction she would slip out and quickly followed Vahn.

@Rhogar @The Steel Stag @Nor'baal

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast could feel a grin forming beneath his helm as both Vahn and Jaesa seemingly agreed, it was good to be trusted and it did more good for the Padawan then the pair would realize. "I'll stay on comms and take the ship if need be." he'd say with a bow of his head. "The Force be with you, both." He'd then run off in the direction of the patrol.

They wouldn't need to worry about passing guards as Drast charged the patrol head on. Pistol drawn, he'd fire a few bolts into kneecaps or shoulders, the small group quickly being overrun by the surprise attack. He even let one of them get out a comm call. "We need help in zone four! There.. theres a Mandalorian her-gah!" Drast would let him finish before hitting him with a stun round. His visor would shift back the way he came briefly, as he quietly wished them luck.

Resuming his run down the halls, he could hear the footsteps of maybe one or two dozen pirates hot on his trail. The game was afoot. "You two are clear." he'd say into his own comm. "I think I kicked the hornets nest."


@lizziie @The Steel Stag @Nor'baal

 

[Vahn Berand]

Vahn kept himself tucked into the indentation in the wall as Drastus rushed off to distract the patrol. He exchanged a look with Jaesa as the report came in, and he nodded affirmatively before bolting into a dead sprint back down the hallway towards the bridge, saber hilt in hand. Ralta rapidly wheeled in behind him, barely keeping pace with the long-legged Jedi. He had faith that Jaesa could keep up with him.

Vahn was fast. Surprisingly fast. This was good because now the two knights were on the clock. They needed to get to the bridge before the pirates could figure out that they had been conned, or manage to corral Dratus. So he practically flew down the halls, a speed that caused him to skid as he took a turn, his body low with one hand touching the ground before he sharply accelerated through the stark white halls of the star cruiser. He didn’t even slow down when he rounded a corner and came across another patrol; a pair of pirates in piecemeal flight armor stunned by the sudden appearance of the Jedi. Vahn leapt, and for a moment he was a silver-white whirling blur as his saber snapped into existence, a single fluid cut causing two suddenly headless bodies to crumple to the ground in his wake. Painless. Quick. Vahn would worry about the ethics of his actions later. For now he had one task; get to the bridge before Drast was in real danger.

He hit the ground on his feet, boots scuffing across the pristine flooring while maintaining his momentum as he continued to race through the corridors, sweat beading on his brow, his breath slowly growing heavy as he exerted himself.

Keep going. Keep moving. Finish your job.

@lizziie @Rhogar @Nor'baal

 

[Vasp Ilmar]

Once inside, things had to kick up a notch. It was as if there was an unseen clock counting down, from the moment the door the cabin slid shut, ticking along to the second the captain would enter, and begin his log entries before heading to dinner. Vasps haste matched the urgency of his mission, and he slid over to the vent beneath the captain's desk, and quickly took a small silver screwdriver from the toolbox, unfastening the four screws that held the vent in place. Placing the now detached grate down on the floor, he removed 100 grams of the welders putty, enough to take the captain out when it detonated, without causing severe structural damage, and placed it into the gap behind the grate entrance.

Attaching a small detonator to the back, and setting the command prompt through to his datapad, he replaced the grade with speed, four screws back in place, and tools stowed.

Quickly, he rose and turned up the sound on the captains desktop computer, which would now alert him when an urgent comminique came in, leading to the captain, hopefully, sitting in the chair.

He headed for the door, everything in place now for a smooth operation. But that was when he heard the blaster shots down the corridor. "We need help in zone four! There.. there's a Mandalorian her-gah!"

Shit.

Vasp kept the door closed, listening to the passing footsteps of security guards rushing to the scene. He had a plan. He tapped the door open and then ducked out of sight. One of the guards spotted it, and decided to investigate - after all, a possible intruder in the Captain's cabin? Apprehending them would basically guarantee that promotion! Moving into cover, so that when the door swung open, Vasp would be hidden behind it, the assassin took a small portion of electrical wire from his pocket and held each end in either hand.

The door opened, and the lone guard entered, striding purposefully into the room as the door closed behind him. Vasp moved quickly, behind the guard in seconds, he used the wire as a garrotte, and swung his arms over the man, the wire closing around the guard's neck.

Vasp caught the target by surprise, causing them to drop their firearm with a clank. They kicked, and slowly spasmed into stillness as the air left their body. He dumped them to the floor, checked their pulse. Nothing.

Picking up their weapon, an A280 Rifle, he checked the ammunition - not a single shot fired so far - and swiftly changed into their now unneeded uniform. Given the gunshots on the ship, it was fair to assume the Captains schedule had been changed, and the mission with it. He stowed the body in the Captains bathroom, better than leaving it hear, and headed out into the corridor.[/font]

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

Jaesa did her best to keep up with Vahn, though she lacked both his speed and dexterity. At first she thought she might be able to keep up, but as Vahn pushed further and further ahead she realized her sprint would not cut it. Utilizing the Force around her to help push her body past what it could normally do, Jaesa felt her muscles spring to life as she began to run faster. She still wasn't any faster than the Knight, but she was no longer lagging behind.

As Vahn took care of the pilots, Jaesa only had to side step the bodies and continue on. By the time she caught up to the Knight, they had reached the bridge.

@The Steel Stag

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Peachy. Everything was just peachy. In fact, his plan was working so well, that they had decided to empty every last hold out of pirates they had. Wasn't it great when a plan came together? Oh yeah, especially when it -really- comes together. What a sight it must have been, a Mandalorian running through the corridors as if the pirates behind him didn't mean a Kad damn thing. It must have been really good the money he was making for this kind of op.

The truth? It wasn't. Jedi didn't get paid, not that these sods would ever know he was a Jedi. So, here he was, being trailed by several dozen pirates through a ship. He had just exited a secondary hangar bay and was now leading them back into a hallway system.

Once he crossed the threshold, he would slide to a stop and turn, beskad sliding free as it caught the vibro-blade of the first pirate. He would angle his blade down and off to the side, letting the pirates weight carry him free of the weapon before Drast dragged the beskad across his midsection, killing him. Then he would begin the slow backpedal. The hall would force the pirates to stand three abreast in order to actually fight effectively, and with Drast's speed, he would at least be able to dodge or deflect as many strikes as he needed to.

"It's getting sporty down here, but no rush. Just keeping you guys plugged in." a quick glance behind him revealed an empty corridor, so at least he had an escape route if he needed one.

@The Steel Stag @lizziie @Nor'baal

 

[Vahn Berand]

“Ralta! The door!” Vahn wheezed as the turned the final corner towards the bridge, his boots skidding into the turn. His breath was labored, but he was still good to go. A pair of guards posted outside the main blast door to the bridge drew on him and opened fire, but his Saber flicked twice and deflected their bolts straight back through their bodies leaving them in heaps on the ground. He hoped the wounds weren’t lethal.

“Okay, good. Drastus just keep moving. You’re doing a good job. We’re right outside the bridge,” Vahn said after hearing his report on the diversion. “They’re going to know something is up in a second so that should give you some breathing room as they adjust.”


“Jaesa. There are six,” he paused, his eyes closed. He honed in with his senses. “No, eight inside. I’ll take the left, you take the right,” he said, palming a pair of darts in his left hand.

Ralta twittered once and the door opened up with a serpentine hiss. Vahn dove forward, rolling in behind the nearest cover in the rectangular room. As he moved, his hand flashed forward, two darts singing into the air. As they left his grasp he focused on the Force, accelerating the movement of the darts until they were almost akin to slugs fired from a rifle.

There were two sudden puffs of blood in the air as the darts tore through armor and flesh alike, imbedding themselves in the far wall of the bridge with a rending ring. A gran and a rodian in piecemeal flight armor dropped to the grated floor below them with a pair of pained coughs.

Then, Vahn stood up out of cover, his lightsaber warding in front of him and blaster fire poured throughout the bridge like rain.

@Rhogar @lizziie @Nor'baal

 

[Vasp Ilmar]

OOC - A poster is never late, nor is he early. He posts precisely when he means to.

Running down the corridor, playing the part of an alarmed guard like a pro, he made his way toward the bridge, reckoning that from there he could score a quick exit on an escape pod. However, he was not alone, and he heard the sound of combat ahead, gently poking his head around to end of the corridor to see a lightsaber ignore.

Nope.

He ran back down the way he had just come from, as fast as his legs would carry him.

 

[Jaesa Valerin]

Jaesa gritted her teeth and followed Vahn into the room, igniting her lightsaber once again as she also quickly found cover. For a moment everyone's attention was focused on Vahn, so Jaesa used the opportunity to dart behind one of the four on the right. Her lightsaber cut through one, two, three of the pirates. The fourth reacted in time to jump back from her blade and fire a beam toward her, but a quick flick of her lightsaber sent it straight back at his chest.

The two left on the left had now noticed Jaesa and one of them changed targets to direct his fire at her as well. He suffered the same fate as the last pirate; a friendly bullet to the chest. The other turned, shocked for a moment. Jaesa twisted her hand around and grasped his gun with the Force, jerking it upwards to smack the last remaining pilot right between the eyes. Instant knock out.

"I think that's the last of them," Jaesa muttered as she glanced about the room. Eight bodies. Plus the two outside. Plus the rest they'd cut down on their way here. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest, but quickly pushed it aside. No time; mission. "I'll get the ship fired up. It'll take a few minutes at least."

The Dathormirian held her wrist up to her mouth and spoke directly into her commlink. "Drastus, we've got the bridge secured. Try to make your way up here. Be careful." Jaesa would then stride over to the console, study it for a moment, then begin booting up the systems so they could get within reach of the ships waiting to dock.

@Rhogar @The Steel Stag @Nor'baal

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast had begun to back slowly, his beskad parrying and making space. The comm would come in from Jaesa and he'd nod. "You boys are about to have a real bad day." He'd say through the speakers of his helm. "Hit the lights in hallway D-3." He'd say over comms. His blade would slide outward and catch another vibrosword and while he guided his opponents blade up, he'd duck down, his peacemaker flicking out and a blaster firing to the control panel of the door, frying the system and sealing four pirates in the hall with him with the rest stuck behind the door and trapped in the hangar.

The four pirates would now back up towards the locked door, getting their positions as the lights in the hall flickered, then powered off. Drast would have shifted his vision modes, but he didn't need to. He took the seconds respite to slide the beskad into it's scabbard and pull his lightsaber hilt free from its home.

Light from white plasma would illuminate the dark hallway, and he could see the fear in the pirates eyes. "Let's have some fun." he would step forward, his saber slashing horizontally at chest height and cutting the first pirate across the chest. As he dropped, the Mandalorian would kick the corpse into one of the other pirates before the saber snapped back to glide at neck height for the second pirate, sending his head plummeting to the floor.

The fourth pirate let out a battle cry as he swung his vibro axe aggressively at the Padawan. Raw, unfocused, a deadly mistake for many. Drast would parry the first three swings before driving his shoulder into the chest of the assailant, and as he staggered back, Drast would thrust the saber forward, piercing his chest. The axe would clatter to the floor as the pirate dropped to his knees, his gaze focused on the emotionless helm before the Padawan removed the saber, letting him drop to the side.

He would then cross over to the last Pirate in the hall, his saber hovering over the mans neck. "Looks like you're the winner." he'd activate his comm. "Master Berand, I've got one captured and the whole mess of others in the hangar. Feel free to space them."

@lizziie @The Steel Stag @Nor'baal