Boots land against rock repeatedly as a pair head upwards at a sloped angle. The darkness of the cave around them was only lightly illuminated by a device within one of their hands, a soft hum of electronics going off.
“Still nothing?” A feminine voice inquires.
“Its an escape route, you don’t really put a lot of manpower into defending it when you hope to never use it,” answers a male.
“I suppose. I just figured…something.”
“I don’t disagree, but these are old mining routes, meant to hold up pretty well on their own, so left to their own devices besides the occasional upkeep if I had to guess. It works in our favor either way.”
“Boring is what I hear.”
“Hey, trust me, I wish there was more going on too. At least there’d probably be lights in here.”
“So true, that would be nice. You look ridiculous.”
A three-goggled head turns to look towards the woman. “You said it wasn’t that bad.”
“Compared to the other options? Yes.”
A disgruntled huff is the only reply, followed by some light unintelligible muttering in a mocking tone, but then the quiet descends again.
“We’re here.” Azler states, putting the handheld device into his satchel as he looks to the door in front of them that he’d be still unable to see without the mechanic aid. “Still no electronic signals being picked up, probably because they wanted this to be as unnoticed as possible by anyone who didn’t do their research on this planet. You’ve got the comlink I lent you setup?”
“Yes, you overbearing parent.” The Firrerreo next to him raises her arm up to display the gadget as she glances behind them back towards the tunnel, eyes displaying a mild concern. “Speaking of, do you think he’ll be okay down there?”
“Are you kidding? I’m more worried about if something doesn’t try to escape through here, we won’t hear the end of it if the old dragon misses out. Besides, he loves these kind of setups, the grandiose blowhard,” Wilder reassures her. “For now, we do as we planned.”
Reaching his hand up to his right ear for the comlink attached there, the Echani hybrid takes a breath to focus before speaking to their distant allies. “We’re in position - just waiting for you three to make some noise.”
Michina waits barely a moment after the hand is removed to snap at him. “Still can’t believe you agreed to do this, you know we don’t know how to -”
“We’ll find a way, we always do.” He says sternly, though quickly after he waves his hand dismissively and speaks calmer. “You should be thrilled, you get to be the star of this part of the plan.”
Violet eyes stay trained on him, concern and doubt more than a little in them, but without word they shift to the door as the two await further communication - or screams, whichever reached them first.
“Copy that,” the petite female Togruta confirmed into her commlink, before turning to two men, one another Togruta and one a Human. Tahiri, her brother Ro-Tahn, and Mako Henymory from Clan Viszla, readied themselves, after having just finished climbing a rope to the bridge above that spanned the path below. Zuska, her vornskr simply huffed softly, before getting into a low stalking position. They had bypassed the large guardhouse that they would’ve had to go through to get to the objective at hand, their bounty.
Smiling, she nodded to both of them before moving into the courtyard, keeping to the shadows. All three surveyed a four mercenaries patrolling the entrance to a towered portion of the stronghold. Most were in the guardhouse across the bridge.
“That’s got to be where the target is holed up at,” Mako pointed.
“Right, and it looks I’ve got a few perfect targets to start the fireworks,” Ro whispered as he pulled up into his shoulder and leveled the Synergy CX-101 Crystal Blaster rifle. “Got em. You ready?”
“Ready.”
“Ready brother, remember to watch Henymory’s back,” she gripped her saber a little tighter. “I’ll take care of the bridge, till we’re ready to head into the back tunnels.”
The Elder stayed closer to the entrance waiting till her brother and Mako had gotten closer to the tower. They were only halfway when one of the patrolling mercenaries began heading towards the bridge, she decided to take the opportunity and stepped out. Igniting her crimson blade, she swiftly dispatched the surprised lackey, just before the other mercenaries caught on to what had happened, Ro popped up and shot two more, before the last one, unsure of which to shoot at, found himself being charged at by Mako. The mercenary backed up and wildly shot at the incoming Krath, however he had no chance to escape as he turned to try and flee into the tower, a silent dark cored blade piercing his chest. The body barely hit the ground before the klaxon alarm sounded.
“Go! Get the bounty and get ready to get out here. Zuska and I’ll keep the rest back, till you’ve got him.”
Ro quickly joined Mako before looking as his sister prepared to for the onslaught of raiders and mercenaries that had now been alerted.
“After you, Mako,” a cocky smile flashed across Ro’s face as he slung the rifle to his back, and upholstered both of his pistols.
Mako sprinted toward the tower at the back of the courtyard. The younger Togruta close on his heels. The pair crossed the remaining distance quickly as an echo of blaster fire issued forth from the bridge behind them. A credit to his training and trust in his sister Ro-Tahn did not turn around. Mako however did, his black blade deflecting a stray blaster bolt.
“Vestril, provide support at the bridge.” Mako sent through comms to his Sephi companion.
“The door isn’t opening. Can you cut through it?” Ro asked as he tried once more to open the door. Mako turned at the words, his eyes looking to the door’s outer edges. The stonework was slightly crumbling.
“Move, this will be quicker.” The Krath spoke as he let the Force flow through him into and into his legs. Ro dove and rolled clear as the Human took a quick step forward and front kicked the durasteel door. The metal squealed and protested as it dented in, the edges of the door dislodging from the wall. Loose motor and dust spewed forth from the tower.
What sounded like heavy artillery striking echoed across the courtyard. The sound granted Tahiri a moment’s reprieve from deflecting blaster fire as the guards dove to the ground for cover. The Sith noted a flash of green coming up from under the bridge. Vestril, landed softly behind the guards.
“Remind me to-” Ro’s banter was cut short as Mako leapt backward, his left hand reaching out, his fingers shaped like a predatory bird’s claws. The metal creaked and protested for a moment, then flew free at a terrifying speed as Mako pulled his arm backward then behind him, his fingers unclenching.
“My Mako sends a gift,” The Sephi spoke as her head turned to the side. Her distinctly Sith reddish orange eyes looked Tahiri up and down for a moment, sizing her up. The warning unneeded Tahiri heeded it all the same. The durasteel door crashed into the courtyard and slid to a stop against the wall next to Tahiri. Vestril smiled gleefully as she grabbed one of the guards by the ankle, a popping sound issued forth as the Sephi tightened her grip, and drug the man into the guard house with her.
Mako and Ro rushed into the tower, a trap door lay open beside an array of terminals and screens in the otherwise empty room. The pair dropped down through the trap door into the tunnels below. They were met with a closed door and an open passage. Not far down the open passage they could hear the footfalls of a runner.
“Azler, the target has taken an open passage. Get up the ladder and hack into those terminals, I want his credits for Vizsla.” Mako sent the comms as he and Ro gave pursuit. The Krath could sense his old friend from the other side of the closed door.
Tahiri had wasted no time pressing the attack on the bridge. The Sith had cut her way through the guards as they had been recovering. However when she entered the guardhouse after Vestril, the Togruta was not prepared for what she saw. In the room ahead the Sephi could be heard humming a pleasant melody, being drowned out by loud thumps, blaster fire, and screams. In the room the di Plagia was in however was covered in blood, various bits of gore and limbs ripped from their sockets. Several guards were hanging limp half embedded into the walls. A closer look revealed a single lightsaber stab wound through each. Stealing her nerve and stomach Tahiri rushed into the adjourning room, crimson blade at the ready.
Vestril seemed to move like a holofeed dancer in fast forward, spinning through the remaining guards, her lightsaber pike in hand. The guards shot as the green blurr passed in front of them, then around and over them. The black core, spear style, lightsaber pierced one of them through the heart. Tahiri cut down another and deflected a blaster bolt. The two Elders quickly whittled those remaining down to one, then none as the two women’s blades bounced off each other inside the surviving guard. Vestril twitched slightly and she returned her lightsaber pike to its spot out of view on her back. Tahiri also returned her saber to its resting place. The Togruta couldn’t sense any others alive than herself and the Sephi. Yet something seemed creepily not well Vestril. As if she was a strong yet fractured presence in the Force.
In the tunnels Mako and Ro were steadily catching up to the runner as the passage seemed to straighten and grow lighter.
“Don’t miss.” Henymory said between breaths.
“Stun ready.” Ro responded as he shouldered his blaster rifle. Mako dashed forward faster than the younger man, letting one hand lag behind pointed at Ro. The Mercenary shuddered internally as he felt his feet, still running, loose contact with the ground. The scoundrel floated up alongside Mako, then past the Krath. It was a smooth, steady movement, providing a perfect firing platform for the young man. A moment later at their quarry came into Ro’s view. A moment after that and the blue flash dropped their bounty. The target slid to a rest by Kindle’s feet.
“Bounty captured.” Ro reported via comms
“Tahiri, Lady, still alive as my Mako ordered.” Vestril responded.
“Azler, did you extract the intel?” Mako asked after a few moments had passed.
“Almost there.” Azler responded.
“You do know what you’re doing, right?” Tahiri chimed in.