Ask We All Need A Hand

[Nox Solus]

The yards of Ubrikkia had been taken and repairs were underway. Crusaders, smiths, and engineers filtered throughout the station as one by one, a sector would come online. The station had been abandoned because of the infected but it left the machinery and equipment in somewhat decent condition still. A few replacement parts here and there, grease, with some Mandalorian ingenuity thrown in, the station would most likely be ready within a week or two.

Nox found himself in one of the larger hanger bays, a batch of shuttles neatly organized as supply crates were lifted and placed on them. Even though the shipyard had been their main focus, that still left the people on the surface of the planet holding out. The Solus'alor had no intention of fighting back against the tides of the undead but he could begin the process of evacuation/supply until a proper solution could be made.

A part of him knew a smarter strategy would have just been to avoid the expense of resources to help the stranded people on the surface. More than half the planet was turned, it was a lost cause to try and reclaim it. Nox could see the advantages to just staying put but a part of him vehemently disagreed about not taking any action to help. He had no idea what it was, he just simply understood that when he thought of an alternative, that feeling would kick and thrash to put him back on course.

Nox would be pulled out from his thoughts as footsteps approached behind him, Vroj, who questioned with slight disdain in his voice, "Why are we bringing a Sith?"

The question earned a slight glance from him before he returned his gaze to one of the shuttles, "They are our supplier and ally. We still need their support until we can stand by ourselves." There would be a pause for a moment before he added, "Plus, I'm curious."

Vroj opened his mouth to speak but that's when both of their comm lines would activate, "Imperial shuttle incoming. Designation matches approved arrival." Nox would look to his friend once more before giving him a cock of his head, silently telling him that they both would just wait and see who unloaded from the ship.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn wasn't sure if he was just being sent in the lion's den on this one or if it was just standard fair for Sith. Probably the latter, but Varyn understood that he was only partially among allies here. The Mandalorians and the Empire were aligned for now, but many people wondered and whispered about how long that would last for.

The shuttle he and the others were arriving on dropped out of hyperspace above the shipyards and guided in to dock within moments. In addition to Varyn a small contingent of soldiers and engineers were aboard the small shuttle, but it was Varyn that had been assigned to do... whatever it was the Solus clan leader wanted a Sith for. Vague. Great. I don't like vague, he thought to himself.

He slipped his helmet in place on his all black IAC armor, its standard kit bolstered with thermal vision and an armorweave kama.

He braced himself as he made his way down the shuttles ramp, lightsaber tapping lightly against his hip. He could practically feel disdain being directed his way, but not from everyone. In fact, if he had to guess he'd say it was just a couple of people. At least some of them seemed to realize that there was a point to having an alliance.

I'm Varyn, I believe I've been sent by the Sith to assist you, he said. He wasn't good at these sort of conversations or introductions, so he just got right to being polite but direct to the man whose armor he had been shown pictures of so that he would recognize him.

 

[Nox Solus]

As Varyn first strode through the hangar, his reception would indeed be mixed. The occupation of the shipyard had been done by multiple clans, which lead to multiple different sects of belief centered around the Sith on the station. But, as he entered into the sub-hanger that Nox was in, his reception would begin to change as he encountered mostly one clan.

A rainbow of colors morphed into one deep one, a blood-red crimson that could only indicate the Solus. As Varyn's footsteps echo, he would be able to spot each Solus stop what they were doing in order to stare at him, the animosity palpable. A few of them would stand up or push off whatever they leaned against, slowly surrounding the Sith and the number of Imperials that flanked him. There would be a couple of Solus that circled around the group slowly as if sharks that smelt blood in the water and were just waiting for the opportunity to lunge.

Varyn would be able to hear one scoff humorously, "They sent the runt to us," referring to the Sith's thin build and stature compared to them. A few of them snickered as the tension in the air built between the Imperials and the Crusaders.

The Mandalorians edged closer until a louder set of footsteps approached and a voice filled with cold steel cut through to stop conflict from sprouting, "Enough." All of the Solus would stop, their gazes remaining on the Imperials but nevertheless taking a step back. Crusaders would step to the side for Nox as he approached the Imperials, his stature making him taller than most around him and towering above the Acolyte.

Nox would stop a few steps away from Varyn, his helmet tilted down as eyes would meet with a black visor. After the introduction, an eyebrow was raised for a moment before he asked, "You believe?" Did the Sith just send their people off blindly? The Solus'alor was able to control his vitriol toward the Sith a little better than most but sometimes it reared itself. Not really waiting for an answer, he would simply take a half step to the side to reveal the shuttles behind him. "A few more minutes and they'll be fully loaded up. We've already sent word down to the surface and to the main settlement." The sorcerer was most likely used to killing instead of aiding but that didn't mean it would be peaceful. "Prepare for anything. The planet is overrun."

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was impulsive and unafraid of a fight even when he was a Jedi. The Sith had only amplified those attributes in him, arguably for the worse. He heard the man quip about him being the runt and he stopped, turning to look directly at the man. His own helmet was equally as stoic as the one worn by the Mandalorian. He didn't actually know much about Mandalorians but he knew enough to know that they, like Sith, valued strength and had little time for anything else.

And that meant Varyn knew exactly how to return an insult in defense of his own "honor." I guess that's all they needed to send to do your job for you, he said deadpan. He was suddenly very aware of the song his saber's crystal sang on his belt. The corrupted saber wanted blood - it always did - and it was dangerously close to getting it.

The man pushed off and started making his way toward Varyn and he half expected that it was going to turn into blood spilling then and there were it not for Nox calling the man off. Varyn held the look for a moment longer before making his way to Nox, not apologizing for his response to the insult.

He also offered no comment on the "question" posed by the Alor. The truth was that Varyn was seething now, but managed to keep his cool externally. You've been spending too much time around Sith, he thought to himself. He realized that this was going to be even more unpleasant than he had initially anticipated. He just needed to get this crap done and move on... back to the Sith... his other mortal enemies. What did you get yourself into you idiot, he asked himself.

I'm aware, he said in response to the comment about it being overrun below.

I assume you're landing in one of the safe zones set up, he said, though from the reports he'd read the "safe zones" was a pretty liberal use of the word "safe." They experienced frequent breakthroughs from the infected but it was safer than wandering alone in the open world at least.

He almost brought up the Mandalorians having a problem with him, but held his tongue for the moment. He could sense the hatred from Nox as well, and it made him wonder why the man even bothered to have a Sith along at all. Uneasy alliance he reminded himself. He didn't know the full details of the deal made by the higher ups, but it was distinctly possible that the Mandalorians didn't have a choice and that was why the "lucky" Acolyte had earned such animosity.

 

[Nox Solus]

"Oh, that's good," Nox's reply simple as was the implication, practically and silently saying, 'At least you're aware about that.' Even though there was slight friction between the two just because of their people and history, it didn't mean that the Solus was going to give him the cold shoulder. The two would need to work together once they reached the surface, the infected down there not giving a damn about what creed their food came from.

Instead of replying to the second statement, Nox turned around and gestured with his head for the Sith to follow. About halfway through the turn though, he stopped to notice all the Solus that were still glaring right at Varyn. The Solus'alor would level his gaze to them all, issuing out an order that wasn't shouted or said with anger but contained an iron authority, "Get back to work." All of the Mandalorians who stared at the Sith would eventually break their gazes off one by one, returning back to their work as they prepared the other shuttles.

He would fully complete his turn when the rest walked away as he led the Imperials to a shuttle. "It's funny, the safe zones are only safe when there aren't any ships." It was a predicament as the noise of spacecraft attracted infected and made whoever showed up placed a target on themselves. "We'll need to drop in one shuttle at a time." Nox would stop outside of one of the crafts as Mandalorians continued to load it, pulling out a holo-projector from his belt and activating it.

The surface of the planet would show up, multiple dots lighting up after a few seconds. "These are the main settlements still standing. The largest one is this," He pointed to the one most in the center, "We've made contact and they know of our arrival. As we drop off supplies, we'll be bringing civilians on board and transporting them back to here." With the press of a button, he sent the map to Varyn before dropping his arm, "Any questions?"

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Regardless of the tension between the two, Varyn had to respect the authority he had over his fellow Mandalorians. He was unquestioned, and it reminded him of the Sith Lords in its own way. He probably shouldn't have admired anything about Sith Lords and certainly not the way they gained their power... or any power. That wasn't very Jedi, was it? Still, when they spoke people listened.

Hmm, he said, thinking about what the clan leader said. He supposed it made sense, but something else occurred to him as well.

What about those? he said, motioning to the man's jetpack. Drop from high up. Shuttles can still come in one by one for the eventual extraction, but you can bring your full force in at once to get down to business, he said.

He listened to the rest of the information and it partially answered the question, but it also didn't.

We could lead a team down to draw the attention away during the extraction, he said. Again, he had no idea if he would pay him any attention at all, but either way was fine with him.

Either way, I'm ready to go, he said.

 

[Nox Solus]

The Sith made a mention of the jetpacks that pretty much all of the Crusaders were equipped with at this point. Well, it turned out he wasn't blind as he offered legit suggestions. A smirk sprouted under his helmet as he replied, "You catch on quick." His right hand would then close into a fist as he smacked into the side of the shuttle, the heavy thud providing a hint that what was underneath wasn't entirely flesh. "The shuttle is for you and the Imps." Unfortunately, there were no jetpacks for them and Nox wasn't going to possibly spend only his men's lives to ensure that the Imps landed safely.

"There's a cluster of buildings not too far from the settlements. We'll land on the roofs and begin the process of filing in one by one." In unison with the settlements, a set of small and run-down skyscrapers had been spotted that served as a suitable landing zone. They didn't know what was inside but they were high up enough that they wouldn't disturb the hordes down below.

When the proposition of sending a team down to draw attention was mentioned, Nox let out a simple and curt chuckle, "We had a much simpler idea to draw their attention." The Solus'alor would lead them to a different shuttle, one that was filled with explosives, imperial make specifically as there would be multiple crates. "As one shuttle approaches, we'll send out another with the task of periodically dropping explosives to draw their attention." He was willing to part with explosives against these creatures from hell but he had enough experience to limit his men's exposure to the infection.

Nox then gave an upward nod toward the empty crates at the edge of the hanger, "It's time to hand over your blasters." Most of the Imps would most likely become cautious at first, wondering why they needed to hand over their weapons. But then they would be able to see the Solus do the same as he took off his rifle and blaster. The only weapons that would remain on him would be the Jedi's lightsaber that stood out against his crimson armor, his beskad, and the fusion cutter. "Compared to your kin, I trust you will be able to handle yourself better?" He referred to the Sith's power as being similar to the Jedi's, unbeknownst to him he was actually dealing with a Jedi.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

I don't need a jetpack, he said, and Nox - who was well versed in reading people's voices with helmets on - would be able to tell that Varyn was smiling below the helmet.

But I suppose the other Imperials do need transport, he said, though he wasn't excluding his own participation with the Mandalorians in the first wave.

Hm, yeah, that'll do it, he agreed when Nox mentioned simply bombing the infected to draw them away. Probably safer for the people involved as well.

Varyn was caught off guard by the comment about handing over their blasters. He was about to object when he saw Nox doing the same but noted the saber and beskad left behind. And the other Mandalorians as well. Oooh, he realized.

Should have forewarned us. I've got a saber, but not sure the others brought their swords along, he said. Though he mostly expected the Mandalorians to have spare weapons lying around. Not their beskads, of course, but other weapons. Otherwise the Imperials would mostly be down to their knives.

I'll carry my own weight and then some, he assured Nox. For most people, they'd have been looking at the saber on the Mandalorians belt, but Varyn had been using it one of those his whole life. His eyes instead fell on the beskad.

Is that Mandalorian iron? he asked, heading over and watching the Imperials climb aboard the shuttle. They'd leave soon, and the "interesting" parts would begin.

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox saw the surprise play across the Imperials as they glanced at each other and then back at him. Varyn seemed like he was about to object but noticed that all the rest of the crusaders were doing the same. A shrug would be given when told there should have been a warning, "I assumed the Grand Imperial Army would have been prepared." There would be a few audible snickers from his comment around them.

When told that he could carry his own weight, Nox would simply just give him a nod before adding, "Good." Despite his curt reaction, he actually believed the young Acolyte, at least what he inferred from size, and could sense the conviction in his words. The fact he was sent there meant he must have had some skill, especially in the command of the small force he had. That was at least what he assumed, that the Sith didn't send off their soldiers to be led by those without experience but one of his assumptions had already proven false.

As the Imperials loaded onto the shuttle, they would be handed their own vibro-swords instead of knives. As the rest filed in and the two stepped aboard, he heard Varyn's question and was slightly surprised by the appreciation in his tone. Nox brought his gaze slowly over, baring it down before he reached for the weapon and pulled it free. The beskad sang as it left its sheath, answering the Sith's question. The flawless metal gleamed brilliantly even in the low light as a few Imperials would glance over as well.

It was held between two but within a tight group, allowing the Sith to just inspect it closely. "And craftmanship." Dalair did know how to make fine weapons. He would hold it out for a few more seconds before sliding it back into its sheath with ease and a satisfying click. The shuttle doors would close then as all the equipment had been loaded. One by one, they would lift into the air before shooting out of the hangar and to the surface.

About half an hour later, they would arrive at the cluster of skyscrapers, their pseudo landing zones. Once they landed, Nox would exit from the shuttle and approach the edge of the building with the Sith. Staring out, he would find the rays of light that touched the night sky and gestured toward it, "There's our target."

 

[Varyn Atrix]

I assumed the Alor cared more about getting results than getting a laugh, he returned. He'd known and withheld the information, and it still could cost them. He knew he was playing with fire but... well, as has been established, he was a bit of a hothead. Can't win them all...

As they climbed board, Nox pulled out the sword and there was no question Varyn was captivated. His interest in weapons - particularly the melee variety - took many different forms, and it was a beautiful blade. He'd have loved to own one, but he also knew that probably meant killing a Mandalorian to take it. Though, after Lothal, perhaps that wasn't outside the realm of possibility when he eventually returned to the Jedi. Or if the Mandalorians turned on the Sith... what a political mess this galaxy was.

It's beautiful, he said genuinely. There was little more time before they were taking off and Varyn took a deep breath in.

Chaos, yet harmony, he told himself. It had come to define every crevice of his life since proceeding undercover. Day in and day out there was chaos around him and it threatened to wash him away like a raging river slowly decaying the river bank.

His descent was spent in meditation until the ship finally reached the ground. In the distance he could make out the lights of the city area. In the darkness they would have to make their way through, and he walked over to the edge of the building before switching his thermal vision on.

He could see bodies milling about below. No doubt the infected, which would mean making that trip was no small feat.

When are your bombers coming in? he asked. He knew that would draw many of them away, but even then they had their work cut out for them.

Yeah... easy, right. Yeah.

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox was surprised by the Sith's appreciation for the weapon. He expected the sorcerer to just view the beskad as another tool to be used just like any other. But the significance of it to his people and the stories it carried were incomparable. What came next was even more surprising to him. The Solus would just blankly stare at the Acolyte as he sat down and meditated in the middle of the shuttle. The action earned a couple of glances around him, as Nox found himself unsettled slightly and subtlely took a step away from him until they would land.

Even at the edge of the building, the two wouldn't need thermals to see the waves of bodies below. Varyn asked him about the bombers and that made Nox check his gauntlet. As he gazed down, he would lift one hand and simply shoot out two fingers in the direction of the town before murmuring, "Now." On cue, two shuttles lifted from the roof and made off toward the city. They didn't aim directly for it but flew around the outskirts and safely away from the LZ or city. Within a few minutes, they would see crates periodically dropped to the streets below. Explosions would sprout throughout the city, each one big enough that even Nox's visor would reflect the orange hue. They would be able to hear the echoing cries of the infected as they rushed to the source of the explosions.

Dropping his gauntlet, Nox glanced up at the Sith from his crouched position and said, "Load up with your Imps, It's time to move. Meet you at the LZ, don't drag." The Solus gave a mock salute with the same two fingers he indicated the bombers with. After, he gave a swipe across his gauntlet, two bursts of flame shooting out from his jetpack before he took to the air. One by one, fellow Mandalorians joined him.

Varyn would hear a set of engines start behind him roaring to catch his attention. When he turned, he would find the shuttle door open with an Imperial waiting there for him, "Time to go, sir!"

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn watched as the bombers came in and detonated the darkness in waves of orange. He couldn't help but cackle a bit in awe. Normally explosions were accompanied by a lot of people dying, but here it was just the infected. Maybe "cool guys didn't look at explosions" but Varyn was still a teenager and you could only expect so much.

I'll be there! he said, an almost chipper tone in his voice for a moment. Almost enough to forget where he was and what he was doing before he snapped back to it.

He turned back to the ship, heading quickly in the direction of the ship and climbing aboard.

Let's go, we have work to do! he shouted as the ship started taking off. He could see the Mandalorians in the distance as they zoomed on their jetpacks.

He followed after and the ship made good speed before sweeping in to the landing zone. He could see civilians gathering around where he and his troopers landed. They spread out around the landing zone and peered over the sides of the "safe zone" at the infected below.

For Varyn's part, moved to find the man in charge of the civilians. And/or Nox.

 

[Nox Solus]

Nox and the Mandalorians who accompanied him flew in formation toward the landing zone. With the explosions in the distance, it should have alleviated a majority of the infected around their approach and made the securement easy. But, as he approached closer to the landing zone and was able to see the swarm of civilians already there, his eyes widened in shock.

The civilians should have been in the city, not waiting for them right when they landed. Their presence told Nox just how desperate they were for supplies, able to see them reaching up in the air toward them and calling out. Hearing the amount of noise they were making, he quickly comm'd the other Mandalorians, "Get down there and clear them out. They'll attract the infected." Nox knew when he and the Imps landed they would attract infected too but they were all trained and could easily hold out working together. The wildcard of hungry civilians jeopardized all of that.

Immediately, all of them dived toward the civilians and quickly landed around them. Once Nox did, he spread out his arms and tried to motion them backward. "You need to leave. It's not safe." It was awkward as he couldn't shout so he could only really talk to a small group of people in front of him. A few of them caught on and backed up while others still pressed into the Mandos, their stomach mostly controlling their actions instead of logic.

With so much noise though, even with the explosives, the infected eventually caught on and everyone could hear the growls and screeches. Infected would claw and press against the propped-up gates, able to see their feast on the other side. The civilians would start to run away then, most of them conscious enough to not at least scream loudly.

As the infected would start to climb the wall, Nox would comm the other Mandalorians, "Get to the wall. Do not let them breach into the city." All of the crusaders would take up the perimeter as they drew out the beskads, bodies falling onto their side as the infected simply flung themselves inside. The shuttle of Imps should have been approaching soon to reinforce them.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

As Varyn's dropship drew near the area, he could see the chaos in the area below. At the end of the day, he was a Jedi and not a Sith, so what he did next was very Jedi, very ballsy, and a little bit foolish. Fortunately, Varyn had a great deal of confidence in his physical skills at least.

As the ship came near the perimeter, he dropped to the far side of the gate behind the horde of creatures. Before he did this, he planned out his exit strategy at least, but still... he was on their side of the gate.

His saber lit blood red against the darkness and started slashing through the infected without hesitation. He moved swiftly, his footwork demonstrating how many hours he had spent sparring and practicing with the fencing instructors. His strikes were simple and basic, but that was all they needed to be. His positioning in this fight was everything.

Quickly, the infected started to draw their attention away from the civilian area and toward the Jedi, who sliced and moved without ever allowing himself to be cornered. The stories about Force-users were at least partially true.

As they drew toward him, he began backstepping, falling back to the buildings behind him, which he already knew he would use to escape. Hopefully, the Mandalorians and Imps could shut the civilians up before the horde refocused on them again.

 

[Nox Solus]

The Solus would charge forward as steel would tear through decayed flesh with ease. Nox didn't join right away and instead waited for the Imperial shuttle to land first. What he saw next surprised as the Sith gained the bright idea of launching himself onto the other side of the wall. It almost couldn't be believed at first, did the man just willingly surround himself? But even from where he stood, he was able to see infected that almost reached the top of the wall and had turned their focus behind them. In undead fashion, they would simply let go and fall back onto the ground, closing in on Varyn.

Understanding what the Sith's plan was then, the shuttle would land at that point, Imperials flooding out in order to take the walls. Before they could get too far, Nox would harshly grip one by the collar, an officer, and pulled him right in front of his visor. "Move the civilians back into the city. We'll take care of the infected." The words came out with authority and because Varyn was on the other side, the Imp couldn't counter with anything else. After the release of his collar, the officer would regroup the Imperials before directing them to the civilians, forming a pseudo wall of their own and beginning to push back.

The civilians were taken care of for the time being, Nox able to finally draw out his own lightsaber, igniting the weapon as a white blade would snap to life. With his left, he would draw out his beskad before charging into the mass with fellow Solus, cleaving through whatever stood in front of him. The mandalorians would take the walls, using their swords to stab and push off whatever infected tried to climb through.

Even though the small gap, Nox could spot Varyn and the idea to leave him out there passed his mind briefly. He was trapped by the infected and the mandalorians above him but the notion passed quickly. The Sith had thrown himself in danger miraculously in order to help alleviate pressure on his people. They would return the favor for him.

As Varyn cut down one infected, he would turn and find two more in its place, their numbers rapidly growing as he drew more attention. There was no fear within them and seeing one of their own cut down didn't even make them hesitate. As they started to constrict the space between them tighter and tighter, that's when four mandalorians would drop in from the sky above him and land in a square around him. Immediately, they all would crouch and lift up one wrist before activating their flamethrowers, vicious roars coming out from each one as a jet of flames would spew forth and engulf the infected around them. The infected would step back, once more creating space.