Consular Class Ship: The Urbanae Arx Space Wild Space
The Dark Jedi Brotherhood was an organization of mixed individuals of varying creeds and ideals. A half dozen of its members had gathered aboard a vessel known as The Urbanae. Belonging to the Envoy society this vessel was currently charged with a single mission; ferry much needed relief supplies through dangerous corridors of Wild Space to the devastated planet of Ryloth. The planet of Ryloth was one of the primary home planets of the Twi’lek species, a race often taken advantage of both by outsiders and their own people holding positions of power. It would be up to our 6 adventures to ensure the supplies reached the planet, and that the distrustful inhabitants would be willing to make use of them. These adventurers had boarded The Urbanae and now prepared for their coming adventure.
How could Draca say no?
He couldn’t, and that’s what led him to be on a goodwill mission with the Envoy Corps. A part of him was nervous, excited, a little bit tense, and not to mention, a little bit shy. He’d never met any of his team before. What were they like? Would he like them?
Would they like him?
He’d asked Anders if he could go, because of course he did. He responded pretty much as Draca expected;
‘Do what you want Draca. I don’t own you. You are old enough to make your own decisions.’
Still, it doesn’t cost anything to be polite, considering Anders looked after him for the last twelve years. Of course, the Chiss finished by stating that he would pick Draca up once he’d completed his mission.
He cared really.
Draca tapped his foot on the floor, retrieving his datapad. Perhaps his favourite Podracing hologame would kill some time before they arrived?
Zuza was getting real busy these days. Things seemed to be quietly exploding in all sorts of directions, between the issues of Selenian islanders, whispers of rising threats on the horizon and the continued high alert Arcona was keeping as a whole since the previous war, it was a mess. It was almost a relief to find something more normal. Just a job to come and do, help some folks, kick ass in wild space and go home. Kriff yeah.
The short Human made her way onto the Urbanae, turning in a slow circle as she admired the ship. Her own ship was on board, just in case, and it was always interesting to have a wander.
A grin crossed her face on spotting the other one of their team present, a Zabrak. Zuza raised a hand in greeting, calling across the room, “Heya!”
Perhaps this was just a test to see if he was still capable. Korvyn thought to himself. He had spent years in a Collective Prison. Having only recently escaped and made his way back to brotherhood space. Korvis had refused his admittance back into Vizsla unless he completed this mission. Honestly, Korvyn couldn’t really blame him.
His tattered and torn robes still draped off of him, but he had been able to retrieve his lightsaber and weapons from the the Shadow Academy closet he had hide them in. Surprisingly, no one had found them or if they did were more afraid of whose they might belong to and left them undisturbed.
At least the ship they were using was decent. they used to get the worst ships in the fleet for these missions. This was a definite upgrade from his last escort mission. sighing heavily Korvyn started his ascent up the ramp.
Draca fumbled with the datapad in his hand, his Jedi reflexes, thankfully, catching it before the screen smashed on the floor. He took a deep breath. That was too close.
He’d been trying to get to that level for weeks!
What made his hearts beat harder in his chest, however, was the sound of a small Human from across the room. He glanced around, seeing no-one else for her to address.
A new friend? Maybe. Part of him certainly hoped so.
“Hello,” He waved back with a warm, genuine smile. Anders always taught him that manners were important. “My name is Draca. I’m here for the goodwill mission. I… don’t suppose you are too?”
Draca then heard the ascent of footsteps from the nearby ramp to the ship…
Zuza had almost laughed at Draca almost dropping the tablet.
“Yeah, I am. I’m Zuza. Zuza Lottson.” The Human held her hand out to shake.
It was a little formal for her tastes sometimes, but it was polite and something her father had made sure she did. A firm handshake made all the difference. Sometimes she was sure he was right.
Draca stood to his height, took the young woman’s hand…
And then pulled her into a gentle hug. It was a little awkward, given the height difference between the two, but Draca was nothing if not a determined and stubborn Jedi.
Everyone deserved a hug. It was one of the galaxies simplest, yet soul-warming treasures.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Zuza,” he said.
“Friendly bunch I see,” Turel remarked as he came upon the hugging scene.
The human Jedi paused for a moment to take in the currents of the Force around him. This was a diverse bunch to be sure though slightly more light side oriented than the usual mixed-clan operation. The Envoy Corps was still a new initiative and Turel wanted to check it out firsthand. He felt optimistic yet cautious about the mission and further Odan-Urr involvement in the program.
As Kandria approached the Cruiser, she could sense the various silhouettes of the Urbanae’s crew and escort team spread throughout the ship: The two figures bathed in soft blue light off to the side, the red aura that emanated from the man standing alone, the similar blue light from another man who had been the most recent to board… She could ‘see’ them all.
She wasn’t quite sold on the idea of such gifted individuals being assigned to such a seemingly menial task, but something about this particular collection of members taken from different clans gave her comfort.
Kandria adjusted one of the blasters on her legs as she marched up the ramp, doing a quick once over of her gear before settling into one of the seats along the wall so she’d be out of the way, which was exactly the type of thing Ellac would berate her for, scolding her for falling back on her habit of slinking away from people… But Ellac wasn’t here right now to stop her.
Zuza was surprised by the hug. Most people didn’t even like them and this guy was STARTING IT!
She grinned to herself, and with Draca’s same gentleness, returned the hug for a few seconds before stepping away.
“Good to meet you to Draca.” Zuza turned, looking to the pair who had entered the ship and the one still lingering on the ramp.
The Human waved to them all, “Well when you’re the helpful mission, gotta be the helpful folk right?” She bounced on her toes a little, “ and always good to meet fellows of the brotherhood right?”
Draca went wide-eyed, releasing Zuza from his grasp upon Turel’s comment. Meeting people one at a time? That he could take. Meeting multiple individuals at once? That was something else.
Had he messed up already? Not everyone liked to be hugged. Anders made a point of telling him as such frequently. You can’t be instantly friendly with everyone you meet. Boundaries were important, as was professionalism.
He let out a sigh, bowing lightly to the Human that made the friendly bunch comment.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Draca rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, then held out his hand to what appeared to be a fellow Jedi. “I’m Draca Zul. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh nothing to apologize for,” Turel remarked warmly as he shook Draca’s hand. “The universe could use more warm greetings.”
For half a second the veteran Jedi Sentinel considered giving one of his aliases out of sheer habit. No, this was a mission to build ties across clans lines and that required trust.
“It’s an honor to meet you Draca, I’m Turel Sorenn.”
Turel Sorenn…
Anders had made a habit of trying to get Draca to memorise Brotherhood history, in particular, those who have served in its leadership. Draca had, of course, taking an interest in the Jedi aspect of the organisation.
“Mr Sorenn, would you happen to be from Clan Odan-Urr?”
“I am,” Turel replied, genuinely curious what if anything Draca had heard about him.
Draca started bouncing up and down eagerly. “A Jedi! Another Jedi. I’ve met others before but not one from Odan-Urr! It’s so nice to meet you, I have so many questions! What Jedi Code do you follow? What is your view on the light and dark side of the Force? How open is Odan-Urr to attachments compared to the Jedi of the Old Republic? Have you ever followed the teachings of Luke Skywalker? Why Odan-Urr? Why not Yoda or Satele Shan?”
The human smiled at the Zabrak’s barrage of questions, years of teaching at Odan-Urr’s Praxeum had prepared him well for youthful curiosity. “You remind me of my last apprentice….in a good way.” Turel shook himself out of a reverie, “anyway there will plenty of time for me to answer all your questions on the journey. For now,” he gestured to the others milling about the ramp area, “we should introduce ourselves to the rest of the team.”
“Of course,” Draca then pulled Turel into another one of his patented hugs. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
He then released him, and waited for the others to enter the ship.
Zuza took leave from the two Jedi, and headed for the woman who’d sat down upon arriving.
She didn’t sit yet, but stood beside the Mirakula’s perch. Even when stood beside someone sitting, her small stature made it difficult for her to really loom over others. “Heya. I’m Zuza.”
Kandria turned her head towards the woman approaching her, the light of this young human’s connection with the Force glowing brighter by the minute. A small smirk crept onto her mouth as she imagined the disdain it would’ve elicited from Ellac. He never was very good at playing nice… Extending her hand to the woman before her, the Miraluka eased her smirk into a warm smile. “Kandria. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Zuza took the hand and shook it firmly, “Good to meet you as well.”
Kandria. She seemed nice enough. Though the smirk switching to a kinder expression didn’t go amiss to the Human. It was something she was getting more familiar with, political behaviours.
“You ever been in wild space before?”
“I’ve passed through a couple times. I didn’t used to travel much, but now it’s all I seem to do,” Kandria said with a small laugh as she offered the seat next to her to her new acquaintance. “What about you? You ever been to Ryloth? I hear it’s beautiful this time of year, not that I’d be able to tell a difference.” She waved her tattooed hand in front of her vacant eyes with another laugh.
Zuza sat down, resting her ankle on her other thigh, leaning back against the wall.
“Once or twice. I was little though, we were always travelling so I’ve been plenty of places. Never for long at any of em. It is beautiful. Beautiful weather.” Zuza added on with a small laugh. It was easy to forget that while Mirakula could see to an extent, there were definitely limits. “Wild space, less so. Not the safest for a kiddo to be being taken through and I’ve not had much reason to meself.”
Kandria mimicked Zuza’s laid back posture, relaxing into her seat. “My mother used to tell me stories about what might be out there as a little girl: Warrior planets and creatures as big as our own warships…,” She said, looking back absentmindedly at the others near the ramp, furrowing her brow as she continued. “Although looking back, I always had a suspicion that some of her stories were more than that.” She let the thought hang for a moment before turning back to Zuza, nudging her with her elbow. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see something no one has ever seen before,” she mused, attempting to appeal to what she hoped would be Zuza’s curious nature.
“Sounds like Iridonia,” Draca commented off-handedly, catching the latter part of the conversation between Zuza and Kandria.
A few seconds rapping into the spectrum of the Force, and he could feel the power that Kandria radiated, though, it didn’t appear Jedi in nature, nor Sith. More like… something else Draca couldn’t quite put his finger on. The light side typically flowed like a river, with its adherents drifting along its currents, going with the flow. The dark side was like that river was caught in a storm of an adherents own creation, twisting, chaotic, swirling in the palm of their hands as they drink from it for their own gains.
Kandria, though?
It was neither. She didn’t flow with it, nor demand anything… or so it seemed. She seemed to lean more towards the dark than the light, but wasn’t a full-blown Sith like Anders.
Draca had more and more questions, but politeness was the first step of diplomacy. He smiled, reaching out with his hand.
“Hello, I’m Draca Zul. I’m pleased to meet you.”
Kandria looked up at the hand extending out to her. “Kandria D’satti,” she said, reaching out to shake it. Compared to his Force Signature, Zuza’s looked like a night light. She couldn’t help but smile as her head cocked slightly to the side, studying him with intrigue. “Which clan are you from then?”
It absolutely did. “Well, what’s a trip if you don’t come away with a story.”
Zuza smiled at Draca’s approach, curious to his affliation. Not that she’d shared her own or.. really cared, but it was always good to know for future relations.
Arden ascended the ship’s ramp, her pack of supplies resting lightly on her shoulder. Her vibrant pancho fluttered in the breeze as she surveyed the unfamiliar interior. Uncertainty tinged her thoughts as she contemplated her first solo excursion without her family. The mission sounded simple on paper, but now it felt like uncharted territory.
Taking a moment to collect herself, Arden scanned the immediate surroundings for a suitable meeting point. The ship’s interior hummed with activity, voices and footsteps echoing through the corridors. Following her instincts, she turned toward a nearby corridor, drawn by the growing sound of voices. It seemed like a promising direction to explore, a potential gathering point.
Zuzas attention was quickly side lined upon seeing one of the new recruits, her apprentice even, coming in through the door.
The Human was on her feet in a moment, waving at her but leaving the space open for the journeyman to go hide in a corner imminently. “Arden! Youre here? I didn’t think you were signing on for things yet.”
Arden’s eyes widened as she recognized the voice. Zuza? A surge of relief washed over her, replacing the usual mask of boredom with a genuine expression of joy. “Zuza! I didn’t expect to see you here,” she exclaimed, a rare smile gracing her lips. Having someone familiar on the mission brought her a sense of comfort amidst the unknown.
Arden gave a soft shrug. “I hadnt planned on it, but Father thinks it’ll be good for me to get out on my own. Get my head out of the books or whatever,” she replied, her voice filled with determination. Stepping out of her comfort zone was a challenge she wasn’t sure she was ready to embrace, but if felt nice to know she’d have some help.
Kandria barely finished the question before Draca pulled her into a gentle hug. “It’s really nice to meet you. I’m not… really associated with any Clan though my ma-”
He stopped himself. Anders didn’t like Draca referring to him as his Master.
“My… mentor,” Draca continued. “Is most associated with the Inquisitorius. He’s currently working a position as Spymaster within Taldryan, though.”
As was his nature Korvyn did his best to blend into the shadows. Teams were not his strong suit nor was interacting with others. he could be cordial and even somewhat friendly when needed but years of isolation in the prison had made him a lone wolf of sorts.
Better get the introductions over with. he thought to himself as he stepped more into the light of the room.
“I am Korvyn, hugs will not be necessary.” he stated quite frankly.
Draca released Kandria, and had his arms already outstretched towards Korvyn when he made his statement. Hey, it had worked so far. Whos to say it wouldn’t keep providing results?
It helped that Draca just really, really liked hugs.
Thankfully, Korvyn made his statement just in time for the young man to retract his arms. He placed them behind his back and let out a somewhat sheepish cough. He extended a hand towards Korvyn for a more professional handshake.
“Hello, sir. I am Draca Zul. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.” the human responded with a firm shake of Draca’s hand.
The hug took her off guard, and before she knew it, she was in the young Jedi’s embrace. “Oh-!,” she yelped, more out of surprise than panic. Part of her thought to protest, but she couldn’t bring herself to push him away. Her arms moved to return the kind gesture, but just as quickly as she had been embraced, Draca slipped away, his attention turning to another one of the team whom he had not yet greeted.
Her smile faltered slightly against her will as he stepped away, leaving a feeling in her mind of a sudden absence… Like the feeling you get when a warm blanket suddenly gets pulled off of you, and you can still feel the phantom of its warmth… “Bye then,” she said, waving him away as she sat back down next to Zuza. “Where did the Brotherhood find someone like him? Everyone I’ve met so far has either wanted to kill me or just hates everyone indiscriminately, with the exception of you of course,” Kandria said, nudging Zuza again.
“Well this is definitely going to have you out of your books.” Zuza grinned, glancing over to Korvyn and deciding to introduce herself in just a moment. As Kandria drew the Mercenary’s attention again, she looked to her side and then laughed at what was said.
“I think I’ve had better luck than you. Everyone I’ve met at least seems to be polite, if not kind to allies. But then I don’t get out from the Dajorra system too often these days..” She trailed off, before shrugging and glancing over Draca with a grin, “He’s definitely a lot kinder than most. We’ll have to find out where they got him from and see if there’s more.”
Draca felt something, a current in the Force he couldn’t quite explain. As he finished the handshake with Korvyn, he focused his senses, training them on the source of this feeling.
Kandria?
She felt almost… disappointed, absent, like something was missing.
Oh, Gods. Had he upset her?
“It is a pleasure meeting you, Korvyn. I look forward to getting to know you better.”
He bowed to him before making his way towards Zuza and Kandria. He placed a gentle hand on the latter’s shoulder.
“Are you OK? I didn’t upset you, did I?”
“Oh, no no, it’s not that! I just-…” Kandria laughed to herself as she looked up at Draca. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as kind as you are. It surpised me is all… In a good way. I wish there were more people like you in the galaxy.”
Draca smiled warmly at the young woman. “This galaxy would be a much better place with a little extra kindness and understanding in it.”
Red lights began to flash along the walls as alarm klaxons blarred.
“Alert. We are being pulled out of hyperspace. All pilots to the cargo bay. Soldiers, prepare to repel boarders. Alert.”
The swirling backdrop of hyperspace reverted to real space as The Urbanae was caught in an interdictor field. A large saucer shaped Corona Class Frigate waited alongside a heavily modified lengthy Cantwell Class Arrestor Cruiser. It would be up to the party to deal with this newfound threat and ensure the continued safety of the Urbanae.
Turel cocked an eyebrow as the room was cast in a pulsing red glow. “Well, I’m certainly not a pilot so I guess it’s time to put the party in ‘boarding party’. Who’s with me?”
Kandria stood to her feet, turning her ear to the alarms. “Boarders?” she said, looking back to her colleague as she pulled her blasters from the holsters on her thighs. “Count me in.”
Boarding pods flew towards the Urbanae. The vessel fired turbolasers and point defense cannons in response, destroying several of the pods. Half a dozen pods survived the blasts, slamming into the Urbanae and latching onto its hull. Troops began to drop into various parts of the vessel.
The Force was a gateway to many abilities that were natural, especially to a Jedi. It took nanoseconds for Draca to connect to the life-force of every living thing on board.
The escape pods contained people within them. Living, breathing people. Though, as Draca reached out, he bounced the Force around the area like a rubber ball to get an idea of who, or rather what else, was there.
“Droids…” He muttered. That complicated matters. Depending on the models in question, they would either be a cake-walk, or the worst thing that could possibly happen right now.
He glanced around his team. His team. His first mission on his own for the Brotherhood and already sithspit was hitting the fan. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt them. He was trained for this.
He grabbed his lightsaber, fingers lingering over the ignition, though he kept it there. If there was even tbe slightest chance of ending this without bloodshed, he’d take it.
Though it was good to be prepared.
“I’m with you,” Draca said to Turel. “We have at least four people in each pod that have crashed into us, along with what I suspect are droids, though I can’t say what models. Some are in the cargo bay and some are heading towards the engines.”
Arden’s voice caught in her throat as the room erupted in chaos, flashing red lights and blaring sirens. Her gaze turned towards her mentor, seeking answers and reassurance amidst the turmoil. “Zuza?”
In that charged silence, uncertainty hung heavy in the air. The mission they had embarked upon now teetered on the edge of the unknown, threatening to unravel their carefully laid plans. But as the klaxons blared, Arden found solace in the knowledge that she had someone she could trust.
Zuza had jumped from seat once the yank from being pulled from hyperspace had stilled. She crossed the room to stand beside her apprentice, giving her a slight smile. It was dangerous, but with a group such as this she wasn’t worried. It was exciting even, though it would have been preferable if they hadn’t been caught out in hyperspace.
Once this was over, the Human made a mental note to fly alongside the ship for the rest of the journey. Hers was capable of hyperspace afterall.
“Droids and people. Good ta know.” She commented, “Engines should probably be where we hit first if we’re sticking together. The pilots oughta be able to handle the cargo bay.”
Zuza made a good point.
Draca was practically bouncing on the soles of his feet, partially from the eagerness to prove himself, partially from the nerves building up within him, and partially to ready himself for combat.
At least they had somewhat of a plan. Start with tbe engines and work their way up.
“OK, I’ll go on ahead and try to clear anything in the way.”
Before anyone had a chance to protest, Draca had left, making a beeline towards the engines. The young man was steeley eyed, despite the twin-pounding of his hearts in his chest. He was a Jedi. He would do the right thing.
He hoped…
Instinct had Korvyn at the ready as soon as the alarms went off. His hand drawing his rifle before he even realized it had been done. He watched the young Jedi take off in the direction of the engine rooms. He started to yell after him to tell him to wait on the team but knew it wouldn’t do any good.
“Someone wants to go with him before he gets himself shot?” Korvyn said in his dry sarcastic tone. “I am going to the hanger bay to slow them down until you guys get the engine room clear.”
Truth was Korvyn really disliked working in a team. His skills lent more to killing the enemy before they even knew they were dead. The engine room was not a great place for that.
Kandria raced off down the hallway after Draca at Korvyn’s words. It might’ve been crass, but it was still true. The Jedi seemed capable enough, but these pirates were also sure to know who they were dealing with, and chances are they came prepared.
Tearing through the corridors of the ship, she finally caught up to the man as they approached the entrance to the engine room. “Draca!” She called, slowing her run as she pulled up beside him. “I know you’re excited, but if you abandon your team, you’re likely not just to endanger yourself, but also the mission.” She scolded. She knew it was well-intended, but being part of a larger unit meant they needed to work as a unit. “The Jedi believe in patience, is that right?”
“There’s a difference between being patient and being complacent, standing around whilst others are put in danger,” Draca said, not so much disappointed, but spoke in such a way that said his mind was not going to be changed on the matter.
Draca looked back towards the entrance to the engine room. “If I can stop the bloodshed before anyone gets hurt, whether that be you, or anyone on this ship, then it’s worth it.”
He smiled at her, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving g it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be OK. I’m opening the door now. You… might want to stand back.”
Not heading his own advice Korvyn made his way to the hanger bay. As he approached he could hear the blasters already being fired as the pilots had begun attempting to repel the boarders.
Moving inside he cloaked himself with the force and readied his rifle on the nearest droid.
Kandria looked at the man. It was a fair enough point, and he seemed confident. “Okay,” she said, taking his advice with a step back. “Let’s do this”
Blaster fire rained down from all directions, making it hard to pinpoint where some started and some ended. Draca took note of a group of battle droids in various states near to the engine room. The scene that made his blood run cold, however, was the sight of a motionless Mirialan woman, horror stricken on her face.
Instinct took over, Draca summoning the Force into his hand. “Get away from her!”
The droid felt the blast, staggering away from her. Draca took his opportunity to charge forward.
Snap-Hiss!
Blue crossguard blades sprung to life out of Draca’s hilt as he readied to cut the droid into ribbons.
“Emotion: Irritated. Statement: You have foiled my ambush. For that you will pay.”
The droid drew its blade, a cortosis/phrik alloy coated the edge to allow for combat against lightsabers.
Draca swiftly moved forward, striking with the grace that comes with the defined lightsaber forms. His shien swing was parried by the droid.
Said droid struck him across the face with its open hand before going on an offensive of its own.
Draca switched forms, transitioning to Djem So as he parried blow after blow, preparing for the opportunity to counter attack.
“When they said the Envoy Corps was diplomacy focused, I didn’t know they meant aggressive negotiations,” Turel mused to no one in particular as he raced to keep up with the rest of the team heading to the engine room. Something nagged at his thoughts, the Sentinel was conflicted about leaving younger Jedi like Draca and Arden but he just didn’t feel right about letting Korvyn go off alone. Besides, together the rest probably had the situation well enough in hand.
“You guys go on ahead,” he shouted above the blaring klaxons, “I have a feeling Korvyn will need some backup.” The Jedi abruptly stopped and changed direction to head toward the hanger bay.
The bad thing about fighting droids is that they never tired. They could keep fighting, unending in their assault until what remained in front of them was nothing but a cleared objective.
The good thing about fighting droids was that they weren’t organic. Therefore, Draca didn’t have to hold back.
Being pushed back didn’t last very long, the iron taste of blood in his mouth egged him on as the Force empowered him. The cortosis blade weaved in towards him, and Draca batted it to aside with superior, Force-increases might. He began a flurry of strikes. This time, he was the one marching forward, each attack like a wrecking ball smacking into the droids blade.
There was nothing it could do to stop Draca cutting its wrist apart.
Oil and sparks hissed from the missing appendage as tbe cortosis blade changed against the durasteel floor. Irs processors barely had time to comprehend what happened before Draca cleaved through its head, and sliced it in twain through its torso.
He turned his attention to the other droids in the room, ready to defend himself as he slowly backed away towards the Mirialan woman.
Draca’s senses opened, searching, praying for any sign of life from the woman.
The Force answered his call, though it was not the response he sought. Upon further inspection, the Mirialan woman had a gaping hole in her abdomen, blood leaping out onto the floor.
Draca felt numb.
He was too late.
He knelt down beside her, all the what ifs running through his mind. The family, the friends, the life this young woman had was gone. She was one with the Force now, and there was nothing Draca could do about it.
He rubbed his hands gently over her eyes, closing them. It was the very least he could do for her.
That, and try to make sure it didn’t happen to anyone else.
He stood back to his feet, crossguard lightsaber in hand as he looked back to Zuza, Arden, and Kandria behind him.
“You coming?” He asked them.
<@432543120635461643> <@503352868363960336> <@345646933668528129>
Zuza wasn’t quite sure how she ended up so far behind, but caught up now with Arden not far behind her.
“Yep. I’ll check ahead.” She nodded to Draca, casting a remorseful glance to the engineers corpse but not stopping to consider the situation just yet. The ship was still in danger afterall.
The Human crossed the room to the door, leaning on the frame and listening. There was blaster fire, and the familiar clunk clunk clunk of droids walking across metal. More notably, was the sound of someone breathing heavily. No time to waste then.
“Going in.”
The mercenary opened the door, stepping through. Two engineers were locked in comabt with the droids. One was a larger Twi-Lek, who was struggling with a burn and a wound on his jip was was still bleeding. He had a rifle at least. His companion, a Arconan-species woman was brandishing a pair of blaster pistols, and had full armour, with energy shielding if the Human could guess from just this glimpse. She wasn’t visibly injured at least.
Zuza moved into the room, drawing her Beskar Beskad. A lightsaber would immediately draw attention, and it’d be better if she could get closer before striking.
Thankfully, she wore light armour. It was easy enough to quietly slip away from the doorway and across into a darker corner, knees bent to keep herself as low as possible and thus as small as possible. Being so short was an advantage in that regard, but so was the low light camoflague of her flight suit.
Draca watched Zuza enter what he was going to dub as ‘stealth mode.’ Blaster fire continued to pelt the shield generators of the engineers. What he was about to do was foolhardy, reckless, and right up his alley.
He walked in, activating his lightsaber to draw the attention of those within. Hopefully, Zuza would pick up on the distraction he was making for her now that their backs would be turned to her.
“Don’t just stand there you idiots, blast him!” Shouted one of the pirates.
Both groups of organic and droids began firing blasters at the new arrival.
Draca felt it through the Force, rippling like an ocean tide in his subconscious. He leapt to the side, standing in front of the engineers as he dropped into his Shien stance.
He was prepared to be shot at, that was a given. He was not, however, ready for the sheer volume of shots. There were more than he expected. Truth be told, he struggled to meet each one, some he only made by mere millimetres.
If Zuza was going to act, she needed to do it quickly!
Zuza picked up on the distraction, and moved forward with haste towards one of the droids. The people would be easier, you could tire them out, they’d run out of steam eventually but the droids would not.
Stepping into the open, the Commando droid was definitely focussed on shooting Draca. So it didn’t notice the small Human rushing to the side of it that held it’s blaster, her arms swinging back to build momentum and, in a movement Zuza hoped Marick would be proud of, sliced the arm off of the droid. It still had a melee weapon. That was ok.
A grin crossed her face.
“Come on clangy!”
Arden shadowed Zuza’s every move, mirroring the actions of her mentor with unwavering determination. The ebb and flow of battle was a familiar dance to her, for conflict had been a constant companion in her Mandalorian upbringing. This was not her first rodeo, and she was well-acquainted with the harsh realities that accompanied such engagements.
As the pair turned the corner, their destination coming into view, Arden’s keen senses swiftly assessed the unfolding situation. Droids and pirates had converged upon the scene, their presence a menacing threat to both the crew and the revelers. The air crackled with tension, and the weight of impending chaos hung heavy in the air.
While Zuza and others engaged the relentless onslaught of droids, Arden’s focus zeroed in on the pirate who barked orders with brazen arrogance. In that pivotal moment, a flood of pent-up frustrations and seething disappointments surged within her, igniting a primal rage that fueled the depths of her power. The stoic mask she so carefully maintained crumbled, revealing the raw intensity that lay beneath.
With a swift and deliberate motion, Arden extended her hand, harnessing the potent energy of the Force. A powerful telekinetic assault erupted from her, a visible manifestation of her unleashed fury. The pirate found himself ensnared by an invisible grip, a vice-like force closing in on his chest, crushing his resolve with unyielding power.
Arden’s eyes blazed with an intensity that surpassed her years, a conduit for the fiery wrath that surged through her veins. In that moment, she embodied the very essence of her Mandalorian heritage, tapping into a wellspring of power that commanded both fear and respect. The pirate, now caught in her telekinetic grip, bore witness to the unyielding strength and resolve that lay within the young apprentice.
The clash of battle, the chaos of war, became a backdrop to Arden’s single-minded focus on her target. In her eyes, the pirate represented every obstacle, every setback, and every disappointment that had plagued her journey. With unwavering determination, she exerted her will, channeling the full extent of her powers to bring the pirate to his knees.
Clangy came on.
Zuza had wanted to cheer on Arden but in her distraction and.. severely underestimating how fast the commando droid would move, instead was almost knocked over by a swing from the damn thing’s vibrosword. It tore through the armour she wore, rendering it less than useful.
“Kriffing schutta ass k-”
The Human stepped back towards it, swinging upward at the droid and slashing through it’s torso unit. It reached forwards, but as the systems began failing did little else before collasping. Zuza had to quickly side step the falling hunk of metal.
After a moment, she laughed, turning and as she initially intended, yelling over a cheer to her apprentice before casting her gaze round for the next target.
The unmistakable sounds of an active firefight echoed through the halls as Turel approached the hanger bay. The Jedi came upon a scene of a fireteam of Iron Legion pinned down by a trio of Droidekas with their shields blazing like giant translucent marbles. The wreckage of Iron Legion TIE fighters created a no man’s land between the two sides. Turel’s eyes darted around the hanger looking for Korvyn. Suddenly he noticed a pirate with a rocket launcher maneuvering to try to flank the pinned-down squad. A pilot in Ace armor was attempting to stop the explosive-wielding pirate with their sidearm to little avail.
Turel wasn’t confident enough in his marksmanship to try to hit the pirate with his pistol so he closed his eyes and reached out through the currents of the Force. With a sharp gesture of his right hand the Jedi tied to reach out and yank the launcher right out of the pirate’s hands. The assailant had an unexpectedly firm grip on their weapon and seemingly leaned forward then back to keep from losing it.
“Sithspit” the Sentinel cursed as he opened his eyes. Turel ignited his ornate lavender blade, “Time to do this the hard way.”
Not risking the shot on the droid Korvyn scanned for another target. Wither the force or just luck he caught Turel’s motion and saw a rocket launcher lurch in a pirates hand. No doubt the strength of the Barbel was all that kept it from flying out of his hands.
Looking though his scope Korvyn took aim at his head. Using the distraction to his full advantage Korvyn pulled the trigger once. The round barely made a sound as the Suppressor did it’s job and the Barbel was struck in the side of the head killing it instantly. Korvyn scanned around to see if his location had been given away.
Still standing in the corridor, Kandria looked down at the collapsed droid at her feet, it’s frame lay in cleanly divided chunks that still gave off heat from where the lightsaber had sliced through it.
Everything had happened so fast, she had barely had time to keep up. Blaster fire rang out in all directions as the firefight between the engineers and the pirates raged. Draca stood as an immovable wall, knocking each blaster bolt that came at him away with his sabers. On the opposite side of the engine room, one of the Commando droids in the engine room fell to the ground, a pirate in the fray dropped to his knees against his will; Despite any small hits they might’ve landed to her team, Kandria watched in slight delight as the pirates bent to the might of the Brotherhood.
Stepping just inside the door to the engine room, Kandria raised her blasters, firing off at one of the pirates in the ongoing volley of blaster fire.
He must have noticed her come in, however, because just as her fingers pulled the triggers back, he ducked behind his cover, the pair of her shots flying over his head, searing two twin holes into the far wall behind the Boarding party.
Draca was biting off far more than he could chew, eventually, a stray blaster bolts struck him over his heart.
He gasped, eyes going wide, heartbeat rapidly increasing. His armor had, thankfully, absorbed the hit, but there was only so much he was going to get away with in that regard.
‘No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!’
He refused to die. Not today.
It was time to go on the offensive.
He targeted the closest droid to him, and attempted to amplify himself with the Force…
Draca closed in on his target faster than the droid’s processors could recognise what was happening. He swing with his blade, cleaving the mechanical entity in twain across the torso with a horizontal swing.
Arden’s gaze sharpened with predatory focus as the pirate knelt before her, caught in the vice-like grip of her telekinetic assault. There was a stubborn resistance in his eyes, a defiance that only served to stoke the fires of her rage. The flames within her surged, consuming doubt and hesitation, leaving only a singular purpose in its wake.
Power coursed through Arden’s veins as her clenched fist tightened, reinforcing her grip around the pirate. With a sudden and forceful yank, she propelled him sideways, hurtling him towards his comrades. The air crackled with energy as the pirate collided with his fellow attackers, sending them sprawling to the ground, their bodies entwined in a chaotic tangle of limbs and cries of surprise.
Yet, amidst the chaos, one figure remained standing—a lone brigand who had narrowly evaded the impact. Arden’s eyes locked onto this defiant adversary, her gaze burning with lethal intent. She analyzed her prey, dissecting their movements, searching for any weakness or vulnerability. The battlefield became a stage upon which she danced, her instincts honed and her determination unwavering.
In that moment, the world around Arden receded, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Her focus narrowed to a singular point, her mind calculating the optimal strategy, the most devastating strike. Every muscle in her body coiled, ready to unleash a torrent of power upon her last standing opponent. Her lips curled into a predatory smile, a silent promise of impending destruction.
Everything seemed to slow down for Draca. One second he was deflecting blaster bolts, then chaos erupted, then droids were getting destroyed, and finally…
Arden.
The pirates were more competent than they appeared. A blaster bolt soared towards Zuza’s apprentice.
Draca’s pupils dilated, and he moved without thinking. He poured the Force into his body, his intention to deflect the blaster bolt before it could hit her.
However, it quickly became apparent he wasn’t going to be able to do it. The blaster bolt travelled too quickly. It was either let it go or…
The second option was what Draca went with. He stopped in front of Arden as the blaster bolt careened into his sternum. The damage to his armor already meant that when it struck him, it broke it entirely. He wasn’t going to be able to do that again…
Hopefully, he wouldn’t need too.
Zuza had tried to stop the pirate from shooting, stepping forward towards the karker, but her attempt to cut him with the beskad was dodged with annoying ease and the shot hit-
Draca.
The Human didn’t hesistate to interrupt the pirate’s attention once again, going in for a heavy swing at their torso. Too heavy. It was easily parried and the momentum sent her off to the side. Not unrecoverable, but messy.
“Watch me, ankles tend to go missin’ when I’m ignored.”
She smiled, despite the vitiriol in her gaze.
Draca noticed the enemy on the ground reach for something at their hip, a blaster!
The Zabrak leapt in, delivering a swift kick to the poor sod’s weapon, knocking it out of his hand. A second pirate shot at him, and Draca wad forced to defend himself with his weapon instead of going on the offence like he wanted.
Still, Hythe enemy was focused on him. Now was their time to strike!
Zuza didn’t hesistate to take it, already being on the offensive. The small Human stepped out of the way of the pirate’s attack, slicing down from his armpit to his hip. With a hard kick, they fell over side ways to die but there wasn’t time to spare. The second pirate, the one that hadn’t been occupied with her, was still focussed on Draca.
Their mistake.
She took a few steps, crossing the room like a nightjay across the evening sky and slashed the back of their knees. They fell to the floor with a scream before Zuza buried the Beskad into the crook of their neck. Their scream stopped short, gasping silently as their fingers grasped at the wounds in the moments before she pulled her blade back out and they fell forwards, blood pooling around them. Zuza was breathing heavily, a grin on her face for a few moments before she looked to Draca.
It dropped slightly, concern bright in her brown eyes, “You ok kiddo?”
“Yeah… yeah I’m OK. Is that all of them?” Draca asked. He wanted to help the people behind the Shiel generator, but there was little he could do if the enemy focused their attacks on him.
He did look at Zuza, though. “Thank you.”
Turel darted forward, lavender blade blazing as he noticed the Barbel he had been targeting slump over with a large chunk of its head missing.
“Whoa,” the Jedi muttered in shock as he almost stopped in his tracks. His eyes darted around the room to try to determine where the shot had came from but to no avail. It was probably Korvyn but whomever it was seemed to be fighting the pirates and that was good enough for now.
Acting on pure instinct the Sentinel Adept made a running leap onto one of the wrecked TIE Fighters in an attempt to place himself between the Droidekas and the Iron Legion squad. “Hey you dumb clankers, look at MEEE!” Turel immediately regretted his less than clever outburst but he was rusty and needed to draw their fire. He held his saber tight, ready to deflect the incoming blaster bolts.
“Most.” Zuza answered, turning to look on the room and peering for any other enemies that could hop out. She gave the Jedi a quick grin though, and a thumbs up, “Anytime!”
Draca returned her smile, and immediately set about conversing with the two behind the energy shield.
“Are you both OK?” Draca asked. “Are you hurt?”
The male engineer was bleeding out.
‘No! I won’t let this happen.’
Draca didn’t bother waiting for permission. He placed his hands over the Twi'leks open wound. The Zabrak closed his eyes, the light side of the Force pouring through his body like he was a conduit of soothing energy. Gradually, the man’s wounds began to heal. It was far from perfect, and he would have scars, but he would live.
That’s all that mattered to Draca.
“How do you feel now?”
Letting out a gasp at the strange feeling the Twi’leks face quickly became relieved as he began to believe regularly again.
“Thank you.” He said in gratitude. “Name’s Travis. No clan name and I’d rather not get into that.” After a brief struggle he stood tall.
“We we’re updating some security protocols when the boarding started. Had just managed to finish when the blasting started.” Reaching into his belt he holds out a remote to Draca. “This controls the ships doors and blast doors. Should give you an edge against any force you encounter onboard.”
Draca nodded, thanking the man. “You should find somewhere safe and lay low. We’ll take care of this, I promise.”
Draca approached the nearest set of blast doors, using the remote to open them.
“I’m heading down to the hangar to help Turel. Is anyone coming?”
<@432543120635461643> <@503352868363960336> <@345646933668528129>
Zuza was a few steps behind the young Jedi, nodding.
“I’m here. Gonna switch to something a bit more effective.”
She wiped blood off of her Beskar Beskad, slipping it back into it’s sheath and unclipping her lightsaber. Zuza didn’t light it, but it was in hand and ready.
She glanced round, waving a hand to Arden, “Come on!”
As the haze of adrenaline and aggression receded, she took a moment to gather herself, her breaths steady and measured. The presence of her master, Zuza, provided a comforting anchor amid the tempest of emotions that had momentarily consumed her.
Motioned to follow by Zuza, Arden acknowledged the unspoken instruction with a simple nod.
Kandria looked down at the mass of mangled metal and bodies laid out on the engine room floor, the blood of the pirates mixing with that of the fallen engineers. She didn’t need eyes to know that the whole room looked like a war zone… But something else bothered her about the situation; The Commando Droids.
Draca’s words caught her ear, pulling her from her thoughts.
“I’m worried about the pilots. You guys go on ahead, I want to check on things in the Command Deck,” she said, turning to her companions.
Draca, along with Zuza and Arden, took the elevator down to the hangar bay below. What chaos awaited them when they arrived? Only time would tell.
Draca was jittery. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, taking deep breaths, something Zuza and Arden could pick up on easily.
Chaos awaited the trio upon entering the hybrid hangar cargo bay. Ship debris and bodies lay strewn about the ship deck.Blaster bolts flew across the room making precise visibility difficult.
The room was still a chaos of blaster fire smoke and screaming. From his vantage point Korvyn saw the trio enter the room. His silenced slugthrower still seeking out targets. He took aim on the nearest pirate, taking a controlled breath he pulled the trigger.
The blaster fire and smoke caused him to shift ever so slightly and just barely missed his target. He cursed to himself that he allowed himself to become distracted.
Zuza didn’t hesistate to step into the fray, taking time as she crossed the room. Part of her wanted to steady Draca, the young Jedi was visibly shaken, but with the cargo bay still boarded by careening Droidekas she didn’t want to stop.
The small Human headed straight for the droid, trying to click on her jetpack thruster boots but failing to really make it airborne. A click of the heels turned them off, moments before she came at the back end of one of the droidekas. Her lightsaber thrummed to life, a green glow cast across the blue shield, striking across it.
But to no avail. The swing was barely grazing, her footing having been unsteady due to the attempt at activiating the thrusters.
“Oh for kriffs sake-”
The droidekas began turning.
Zuza!
Even with his trepidation, Draca had to act. He willed his legs forward, running faster than he’d ever ran without the aid of the Force. He scooped Zuza off of the ground, carrying her in his arms out of harms way before the droids could open fire.
Time seemed to slow down as Turel saw the droidekas turn toward a new target. Instinct took over as he called upon the currents of the Force to infuse false life into the circuit pathways of the nearest droideka. Combat droids were significantly more complex than the typical utility or protocol droids the Jedi had commandeered with this ancient technique but he had done it before. A river of light rushed to fill the empty vessel of the machine in a heartbeat that felt like an eternity. At last the droid was ready.
Protect my team, Turel willed across the ether. The Jedi felt no coconscious reply from the droid like he would have if connected to a organic mind but he knew his command had been received and the droideka’s friend or foe database had been re-written.
As Draca managed to sweep Zuza into safety the now friendly droideka rolled into position between itself between the remaining droidekas and the pair of Envoys, reactivated its shield and opened fire on the other combat droids. Turel breathed a sigh of relief as his focus returned to protecting the Iron Legion squad behind him.
Amidst the chaos of battle, Arden joined her peers in a relentless assault against the remaining droidekas. These formidable foes put up a considerable resistance, their impregnable shields absorbing the brunt of the attacks. Undeterred, the party persisted, their strikes chipping away at the energy reserves that sustained the droids’ defenses. Each blow weakened the shields, rendering them increasingly unreliable. Patience would be key, and Arden knew that the perfect opportunity to strike would present itself in due time.
She didn’t have to wait long. Amidst the fog of war, a momentary flickering in one of the droid’s barriers caught her keen eye. It was a brief but crucial opening, and with a flourish of her hand, she harnessed the Force to her bidding. Debris from the battle-ravaged hall came alive, whirling and spiraling towards the vulnerable droid.
The air was filled with the cacophony of shrapnel and clutter as Arden’s telekinetic assault bombarded the droid’s shield. The relentless barrage of debris peppered the barrier until, at last, the droid could no longer withstand the forceful onslaught. With a resounding crash, it was thrown to the ground, its shield shattered and its defenses compromised.
The droid forced itself to its feet, stuttering uncertainly. It attempted to fire its blasters only for the weapons to jam due to the force from Arden’s slam. The other droideka turned, its dual twin blasters charged, and fired on Arden and Draca.
Draca deflected the blaster fire from the twin turrets. He had intended to move forward, but he took one step, and found the minimal distance covered gave him less time to react to the blasters of the droideka.
Still, it’s attention was on him. They had a chance to destroy it if his teammates could take care of it.
Zuza had slipped from Draca’s arms once he’d gotten her clear of the attack. If the Human was fazed by being picked up so suddenly combat she certianly didn’t show it, if anything a grin flashed across her face before she twisted to face the other Droideka.
It was preoccupied and this time Zuza’s attempt to slip up behind it and slash at the shield with her lightsaber went a lot more successfully. The shield flickered, stuttering but not down just yet. That was ok, she could dance with these schuttas.
Zuza, in fact, could not, dance with those schuttas. Battlefield debris littered the deck of the ship; often in areas that one did not expect at first glance. When the Droideka targeted Zuza the human nimbly began to sidestep. Her foot caught on the missile launcher dropped by a previously slain pirate, interrupting her dodge. The droideka blasted her in the chest, tearing through armor completely and leaving a slight bruise behind.
Turel darted over to Zuza’s location and immediately raised his free hand into the air, willing a translucent bubble of Force energy into existence. He hoped it would last long enough for the other members of the team to render aid or get her out of danger.
The Droideka the Jedi Sentinel had instilled false life into executed its new directive to protect the strike team and turned to open fire upon the droid Zuza had attempted to destroy. The blast found purchase in the target droid’s shields which flickered and faded away leaving it exposed.
Draca raised his hand towards a pile of rubble. Zuza had done her part, and now it was time for him to do his.
Advancing towards then didn’t work. Thankfully, you didn’t always need to when you were a Jedi and could literally move things with your mind. Draca targeted a segregated, yes heavy pile of scrap whilst the droid’s attention was turned away from him.
Big mistake.
The scrap hovered above the droid before Draca released it from his telekinetic grip. It crashed upon the droideka, leaving it little more than a pile of twitching limbs.
The young Jedi walked past, swinging his lightsaber at it, severing it from the droid.
“Is everyone OK?” he asked.
“My armour is karked up but yeah!” Zuza called from the other side of the droideka, pressing her chest a little where it hit and breathing a slight sigh of relief but otherwise seemed unbothered by the it. “You?”
“I’m OK. Are you hurt? Let me take a look…”
Draca’s hands hovered over the bruise. It might have seemed like an awkward position if Draca wasn’t so single-minded in curing Zuza of her pain.
The Force flowed through his hands and in moments, the bruising had faded.
“Better?”
“It’s just a bruise-”
Zuza had started to wave off any help but didn’t get in the way as he healed her.
Once he finished she pressed her chest where the blaster had struck her, smiling afterward, “Yeah, back to normal now. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Draca smiled warmly at her, then glanced around the rest of the room. “Is everyone OK?”
An electronic noise echoed through the room. “Is uh is this thing on? It is? Oh wonderful. This is the Captain of The Urbanae. Sensors are reading that all the enemies have been cleared from the ship. The Exarch was right about you all, you made fantastic guards. We’ll be able to safely deliver the supplies to Ryloth thanks to your efforts. Please strap in as we will be traveling through hyperspace momentarily.”
Draca breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. The supplies were undamaged, and nobody seemed to have sustained any serious injuries.
All was well.