Eos City Outside the gate to the Ethereal Realm
TuQ’uan Varick stood in the shadow of the gate to the Ethereal realm. Dawn was here and shortly he, and the team hand picked by himself and the Dread Lord would be stepping through the structure that currently dwarfed him. Sleep had eluded him the night before and instead he had preoccupied himself with mission prep, pouring over the dossiers of his team and the intel on the missing scouts again and again. He looked down at the cup of caf in his hands and took a deep breath. He couldn’t drink the stuff but the smell always helped sharpen his senses. Someone behind him cleared their throat.
TuQ turned around to see the team gathered before him.
“Good you’re all here,” he sighed. “We’ve been hand picked for a search and rescue mission, we are going into a strange and very dangerous place. Most of us have had the displeasure of dealing with the Children of Mortis and their abominations before. I’m going to be blunt, there is no guarantee that any of us will make it back here unscathed let alone alive. Honestly, we may lose some limbs, the mental scarring may never heal and even if we do survive, we may never get back from the other side of this portal.” TuQ could tell he was losing his audience here. Time to turn it around.
“But we will make our clan proud and show the Brorherhood, no, the Galaxy, what it is that we are made of. No matter what happens out there, remember the clan words. Adapt. Ascend. Avail. Alright, that’s it, we’re moving out. Go grab whatever you need and be back here in five ready to go.”
As the rest of the team filed out, TuQ’s old friend Tahiri waited. They had been friends long enough that she could tell when something was bothering her fellow di Plagia.
“How did I do?” he asked. Public speaking had never really been his strong suit. And making rousing inspirational speeches always made him nervous. “Was it too much?”
Flashing her signature bright fanged smile, the petite Togruta walked up to the tall Kel Dor, her eyes and tone of her voice very soft and kind, “I believe you did well. Eh, it wasn’t too awefully much.” Chuckling a little, she cupped her chin while elbowing his arm, which was a little awkward since he was so tall, “Although, I can see why you let me do most of the talking to the troops, when I was your Aedile.” That last bit her attempt to break the tension and help ease whatever was troubling him.
Knowing time was not on their side at this moment, Tahiri’s expression grew slightly serious with a hint of worry for her friend in the tone of her voice, “What’s on your mind, TuQ? Listen, I know we haven’t spoken or interacted much since I was dismissed from summit, and with all of the changes within the Plagueis keeping you busy. But you do know that you can always talk to me, right?” Reaching up, she gently placed her right hand on his arm, “I know you far too well, to not notice when something is bothering you.”
Glancing back to where the other team members were getting their stuff, she was glad that she had already gotten her equipment together and was with her. Her pets were the only ones who weren’t nearby yet, though in sending out a mental call, her vornskr and varactyl, Hadzuska and Keraathol, came over almost immediately.
TuQ gently placed his hand on Tahiri’s shoulder and did his best to soften his expression.
“Oh, it’s just the usual. Crystal monsters, Grandmasters fighting Grandmasters, the fact that we are about to step through a portal to a different universe or dimension or whatever the frak is through that thing.” He paused for a moment and looked down at his former Aedile. “But we do what we must, don’t we? Or at least what the Dread Lord tells us to.” He forced a chuckle. Humour had always been his defense mechanism, but he wasn’t feeling very funny right now.
As the rest of the team returned with their gear, TuQ emptied the untouched mug of caf onto the ground and took one last look at Arx. He had never been particularly attached to this place but he figured this could be the last time he saw this galaxy.
“Last chance to back out!” When no one responded he simply looked them each in the eye and nodded. “Then let’s do this.”
The team made their way to the edge of the mysterious portal, he didn’t understand what this thing was, but orders were orders. TuQ fell in beside his apprentice Hevan and clapped the man on the back.
“You sure you’re ready for this?”
“Just another day on the job TuQ. Just another day.” They stepped over the threshold, appearing in a strange and bizarre land.
Before them lay an intricate network of gorges trenches. The sky stayed static and a strange thickness was in the air, making it harder to breath.
The team raised their weapons, cautiously moving further out into a small trench mere meters deep. Hevan, ever in his element, was already procuring a set of electrobinoculars and scrambling up the other side.
“See anything?” Jecht was following Hevan’s route up, both trying to get a idea of their surroundings.
“Patrol. 3 by 5.3, 36 degrees elevation.” Hevan passed the electrobinoculars to Jecht, motioning at Tahiri to pass him his rifle. “Problem?” “Shouldn’t be, as long as we’re quiet.”
Hevan focused his sights, but kept his finger of the trigger. “Looks like they’re heading towards that ridge. 4.4 by 7, 40.” The two slid down to the others, both knowing the consequences of being seen.
“Ok, we have two options ahead. Intercept them, kill ‘em, or wait for them to pass and try and get across the next trench without being seen. You guys make the choice.”
TuQ took a moment to weigh the options. Time was of the essence, sure. But the mission would be up in smoke if they went and got themselves killed by the first group of enemies they saw and TuQ was really banking on getting everyone home alive. No, for the time being stealth was their best bet.
The Kel Dor raised one finger to his mouth then waved his hand, palm down towards the ground signaling everyone to stay quiet and stay low. They had a long way to go so they had better start moving. Slowly TuQ led the team, working their way further down the trench in a parallel line with the enemy patrol. If they could get past them, they could cross the open space behind their backs. It may not be the most ingenious plan but TuQ wanted to get moving as quickly as possible.
Was he being too cautious? Had he lost his edge? The di Plagia wasn’t sure if he’d be ready and able to kill when the time came and that thought scared him. He was The Hat, he was supposed to go in guns ablaze. Shoot first, ask questions later. But lately he felt like he was getting too old for this stuff.
Eventually he brought the team to a halt, flashing some hand signals, TuQ asked Hevan to climb to the ridge of the trench and check their status. His apprentice gave the all clear and the team began crossing the open ground one at a time. At least if they were spaced out they’d be a harder target to hit.
Tahiri insisted on going last, looking back for a moment, to make sure there was no one behind them. She had told Keraathol, her varactyl mount, to stay close to the gate, only to come when called if they needed to be evacuated quickly. Her vornskr, Hadzuska, stalked along beside her as they moved together across the open ground to the next trench. Hopping down into the trench, she saw that Jecht was already climbing up the ridge to check if the coast was clear this time. She crouched down next to Zuska and petted his back, sending a clear mental imprint to stay close and only attack if she said to, or there was immediate danger.
Concentrating, she reached out with through the Force, carefully probing as far as she could. The vibrations and visions she could sense through the ebbing flow of the Force here was a bit disorienting at first, yet exhilaratingly detailed and colorful to her mind scape. Feeling, and almost seeing the enemies just a few trenches away as they patrolled, she wondered with this amplification in her abilities, if the Elder to just reach out and knock out these solders. If she had been more on her own, she would have tried it, however she didn’t want to do something that would get the group discovered. Taking a deep breath while waiting for the all clear signal, she continued to feel for anything that the others couldn’t see, wishing her apprentice could have been there to help with this.
A sudden throb… or ping, through the Force that caught her attention. Tahiri shook her head and then tilted it, trying to feel from what direction it was from, it felt familiar. Standing up, she reached out, trying to understand why it was familiar and yet so strange. Is there someone fleeing the fighting from across the plains from the fight or is it something else? A sudden and very shrill mechanical scream pierced Shattered Plains, as a small BB droid rolled into the trench they were hiding in and then using it’s gained momentum sped up the other side and then back onto the surface. Then a tall figure leapt over the gap, barely landing on the edge of the other side. Rolling forward was the only way the figure kept from falling backwards into the trench.
“Dunga! Damn you little droid. I’m going to punt you into, instead of over, the next ravine we come across,” the tall figure stood and looked about. The familiarly of the cocky voice, along with the tall white and cerulean colored Montrals, made Tahiri’s hand come up with a resounding thud against her forehead. Brother. The tall Togruta perked up, as if he had heard her thoughts, turning slightly back towards the trench he had just leapt over. Before the rest of the team could react, he jumped down and picked up Tahiri in a full hug.
“Hiri!” as suddenly as he had picked her up, he set her back on her feet. “Sister, why’d you take off without me?” Before she could answer, he turned towards the rest of the group and greeted them with a cocky grin, “Hey, I’m Ro-Tahn. A pleasure to fight with you folks.”
The little BB droid rolled back over and beeped down at everyone, trying to get their attention. Zuska was the first to respond, as he growled and then raced up the side of the trench towards the one of the enemies who were sent out to investigate the noises. The Child of Mortis soldier cried out as the vornskr knocked him down, his barded tail finding it mark a couple times, while his jaws locked down onto the forearm of the enemy.
Tahiri reacted quickly, drawing the Force into her limbs and launched herself with a quick thrust of her legs out of the trench, igniting her shoto saber mid air. She expertly drove her blade right between his eyes, only a small gurgle could be heard as he died.
Looking up she saw the other 2 patrol members heading their way. “So much for being quiet,” she growled under her breath.
Jecht groaned to himself, lamenting the loss of surprise. Still in an advantageous position behind cover, he watched TuQ draw a vibroblade and leap forward, plunging his blade into one of the two before they could react. The final guard hesitated having seen both of his comrades quickly disposed of. Jecht took the opportunity to step out of cover and close the gap while the guard was distracted. The guard only had time to turn to face his attacker before Jecht had thrown a punch to the mans chest. A small blast rung out as the blow landed and the emitter in Jechts gauntlets fired a particularly tiny bolt of energy. The guards eyes went wide as the shot pierced his heart, and he dropped quickly onto the ground.
Jecht turned to face the newcomer who had disrupted the mission, and with the speed and skill of a master of martial arts, he threw another punch that stopped inches from Ro-Tahn’s face. He turned slightly to face Tahiri before speaking.
“If she vouches for you, that’s fine. But put us at risk like that again, and I won’t halt my blow. Are we clear?” He didn’t wait for a response. He turned and walked away, mumbling something under his breath about amateurs.
Another 2 guards came running, drawn by the sounds of fighting. Drawing weapons, they were intercepted by the bolt of green energy that shot over Tahiri and Jchet’s heads, soon accompanied by an earsplitting crash, resulting in one of the incoming soldiers to be decapitated in a sudden, violent attack. The other screamed in fear, running away in absolute terror, before a second shot ripped through his body.
“You both owe me now!” Hevan used his NT rifle as a stick to stand up, waving Tahiri and her brother over.
He pointed to a tunnel in the wall of the gorge. “Through there, quickly. Don’t look back, whatever you hear.”
The pair hurried through, where the rest of the party was hiding in shadow. They ran down the tunnel as loud retorts of blasters echoed past them.
The tunnel entrance began to close, filling the tunnel momentarily with darkness before small lights in the walls and floor lit up, bathing the team in white light.
The muffled sounds of blasters could be heard even here, and the door buckled and strained as impacts appeared in its surface. Suddenly, the large door burst open in a brilliant explosion, blinding all those in it temporarily as the gunfire continued on front of them.
They drew weapons, holding their positions rather than running as grenades were thrown in.
Smoke billowed from the metal cylinder, and the shots died out. A figure emerged from the smoke, dragging a guard’s limp corpse.
“You… you… piece of FRACKING GARBAGE!” Hevan rushed at Ro-Tahn, throwing aside the body and punching his face. He was knocked back, and before the Torgute could jump up in a fighting stance, he was halted in his efforts by the barrel of a blaster pressed against his temple.
“Give me one reason. One. I will count to ten, if I don’t get a reason why your head should remain attached you your body, I will pull the trigger.”
“You wouldn’t dare”
“Try me. Ten.”
Ro-Tahn looked dumbfounded. He’d been punched before, knocked down, even has had the barrel of a several types of blasters shoved in his face before, but the way these two acted, he wasn’t quite used to.
“Whoa. Whoa, there buddy,” the Togruta shifted himself on his elbows a little, wiping the blood dripping from his nose. “No need to get hostile, I was trying to catch up. Being honest, I figured you guys would already be further than I found y'all.”
Sighing, his sister stepped forward, “That’s because, if you read the debriefing I sent you…” Inhaling, Tahiri paused, “Which I’m guessing you didn’t fully read. We’re supposed to be on a rescue or recovery mission, whichever it may be.” Tahiri tone and look was one of disappointment with her brother, “You were also supposed to be at the rendezvous point on time, otherwise you wouldn’t have been left behind.”
“Nine.”
“Then where’s Livia?” Ro-Tahn cocked his head.
“She’s not here, because she is on a different assignment,” Tahiri was firm as she crossed her arms.
“Eight!”
“Would you stop counting, before I shove that karking barrel up where the stars don’t shine. I’m on your side, that should be reason enough,” his hand came up to try and swat the barrel away, while trying to get up.
Jecht scouted the horizon, looking for any signs of reinforcement from the enemy. He saw nothing and prepared to return to the team when he heard Hevan’s shout. Sighing to himself, he turned and returned to the team just in time to see Hevan stick a blaster to Ro-Tahn’s head. He groaned and shook his head at the display before stepping forward. He wasn’t altogether unfamiliar with this sort of thing, having worked jobs with extremely volatile people in the past, but nevertheless it always came as a source of frustration. He stepped into Hevan’s view just after Hevan said “seven” and put a soft hand on his shoulder before speaking.
“Listen, the man is clearly incompetent and an idiot, but this serves nothing right now. He’s been warned, he’s someone to Tahiri, and if he’s of absolutely no other use to us, we can use him as cannon fodder. Let’s not dispose of a potential asset at this stage.”
Hevan shook angrily for a moment, the blaster moving along with his body while Ro-Tahn flashed a sheepish smile at him. Hevan grunted loudly and forced off Jecht’s hand before exclaiming:
“Fine! But one more wrong move and I’ll use him for target practice!”
Jecht nodded and voiced his agreement before turning back to the group and speaking.
“We took care of the guards, but they won’t be reporting back and we may have been heard. We’ll have to accelerate our timetable here. I propose we take advantage of our respective strengths to deal with anyone who shows up since stealth is going to be much harder from here. I could take up a defensive position on a nearby ridge with my rifle, or even prepare some mines and explosives if you want to lure anyone responding into an ambush. But of course, I am at your disposal. How would you like to proceed?”
Tahiri sighed again and nodded her thanks to Jecht for calming the situation down, before coming up beside her brother as he got to one knee. He looked up at her with that lopsided cocky grin, before she gave the right side of his Montral a powerful flick of her finger, the snap of nail and finger meeting hollow-like flesh made a slightly loud sharp thumping sound.
Ro-Tahn’s smile was gone in an instant, as he flinched away from her. “OW! Tahiri, why’d you do that?”
“Because, I know you are smarter than this,” she then pulled on his arm, helping him get to his feet. “However, I do agree with Jecht right now that you are an idiot. So if you don’t want me to make sure your ass stays right here for the rest mission, while we finish what we came here to do, then you will listen, and do as you’re told,” her tone was dangerously sharp, but her voice stayed throughout.
There was a look of defiance on her brother face before he looked at hers and then turned sheepish again. He shrugged his shoulders, while his sounded a little down and defeated, “Yes sister, I will do as you say.”
Nodding confirmation, Tahiri turned to TuQ’uan, “Apologies for my brother. What is our next move?”
TuQ mostly ignored the commotion as he checked their location against the recon team’s last known location.
“We’re close,” he said to everyone and no one in particular. “Jecht, what do you see to the east?”
The Hapan scanned the horizon with his macrobinoculars. “Looks to be a run down shack about…150 yards away.”
“That’s gotta be it,” the Kel Dor spoke quietly. “Alright team, let’s move out! Speed is of the essence, you see the Children Of Mortis, kill them,” he growled the last bit. Ro-Tahn rolled his eyes at being ordered around but listened regardless.
Following the mercenarie’s lead the team took off at a jog towards the shack. There were no signs of additional patrols, it was eerily quiet here. As they approached the shack the brick walls appeared to be barely standing. Hevan took point, poking his head over a piece of the broken wall.
“Uh, TuQ, you might want to see this.”
Inside were the bodies of the team they had been sent to find, the flashing light of a communicator laying in the centre of the room indicated that the information they had received was still broadcasting.
“It’s a tra…” TuQ began to cry out as he was cut off by a large explosion. The team was strewn about the room in various states of consciousness. His vision faded as his head hit the ground with a thump