Sirian Vaat

Dr. Verne reluctantly left the crystals, eyeing them woefully as he swam on after the others. Such potential! The tunnel went on it seemed for forever. The water got cooler and cooler, and were it not for the sporadic crystal formations jutting out of the walls every few meters, the team was sure the darkness would’ve been impenetrable. They silently thanked the crystal formations. This tunnel seems almost man-made, Dr. Verne thought. The others seemed to be reaching the same conclusion as the tunnel began to spiral downwards in a curiously unnatural manner, and yet the tunnel itself bore no indication that any excavations had taken place. Curious…

Boomer, whom had taken up point position a dozen meters ahead of the others, swept his repeater carbine back and forth as he swam, aiming the mounted flashlight ‘s beam into every shadow and growing more and more paranoid by the minute. I hate dark water, he muttered quietly to himself. Not far behind him, Crisp giggled within her helmet. Helm comm picks up whisper, dammit.

“Don’t worry, big guy,†Crisp’s charming voice came to him through the helm chat. â€I got your back should anything jump onto it from out of the dark.â€

A shiver visibly went up Boomer’s spine. Thanks for the comfort, Crisp, he thought to himself. He almost smiled, but then – in the shadows! He had seen something. Sweeping his weapon that way, he shone his light on where he had seen movement. He stopped dead in his place, his feet slowly floating to the tunnel floor. All eyes followed his light to what had so suddenly caught the big trooper’s attention.

A suited person lay among the coral and jagged rock in a small crevice. A hand held firmly to their stomach and a rapidly rising chest indicated they were indeed still alive!

“Over here!†Boomer cried out as he swam to the individual, although the others had already begun to do the same.

As they reached the person, they could see it was another member of the imperial team they had found earlier; but why was this one so far ahead, and still alive? It appeared the imperial wouldn’t be for long if he didn’t receive help. A puncture in the man’s suit across his abdomen was temporarily patched with diving sealant, but the pressure of the water was breaking it away. He also appeared to have a broken ankle and was having difficulty breathing.

“What’s your name?†Dr. Verne asked as he crouched next to the imperial and changed his helm channel to speaker mode. The pressure distorted his voice into a deeper baritone.

The imperial changed his channel as well. “Sarek.â€

Dr. Verne inspected the patch on his belly. “Sarek, I’m Dr. Verne. We’re …â€

“Remnants, yes, I can see.†Sarek’s tone would suggest his opinion of the organization was not favorable. “Where is the rest of my team?â€

“Dead,†Boomer chimed in, his tone showing the same resentment in return. “What were you boys doing down here?â€

“None of your business,†Sarek replied without hesitation. He knew they had likely seen the research equipment higher up in the tunnel where his team had begun crystal extraction. He looked to the others then, noticing none of them seemed at all injured or troubled. “Is this all of you?â€

It was a curious question. Boomer and Crisp looked to each other, furrowed eyebrows within their helmets.

“Yes. Why do you ask?†Dr. Verne answered, equally puzzled.

“You’ve lost no one?!†Sarek said in disbelief. Seeing the team was growing only more confused, he continued. “I’ve lost over thirty of my team between the door and the bottom of this nightmarish place! How is it that you have been untouched? Why are you allowed to pass and not us?!â€

That brought even more concerned expressions from the Remnants. Crisp kicked Sarek’s broken foot, drawing a wince from him. “Who is allowing us to pass exactly?â€

Sarek’s breathing quickened as he looked about, as if he was searching the shadows all around them. He then spoke in a hushed tone. “Them!â€

“That clears it up for us,†Crisp said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Them!†Sarek said again, desperation in his voice. “They came from … from everywhere! We were deep in the cave system below, gathering crystals.†There was no point in hiding their purpose here, Sarek now realized. “We never saw their faces. They were inky black nothings in the water that grabbed my men and took them away. The rest of us fled for the surface, but we couldn’t get the door open! I watched my men get the life sucked out of them by ... nothing! I fled in any direction I could. I’ve been lying here for two days, waiting for them to find me.

Crisp turned and looked back the way they had came. “Couldn’t get the door open … that doesn’t sound good.â€

Dr. Verne had already begun tending to the man’s ankle, wrapping it in a cast-like cloth that would immobilize it. “Can you travel?†he asked.

Sarek winced as he tried to sit himself up. “I don’t know. I haven’t eaten in days and I only have a few minutes of air left.â€

“Master Aramis?†Dr. Verne then said, turning to the team’s leader. “What are your orders? Bring him along or leave him?â€

“I say leave him,†Boomer replied, turning and swimming to point position once again. Crisp agreed with a nod of her head and joined her fellow trooper. “He wouldn’t do the same for us,†Boomer added.

"I wouldn't," Sarek sneered.

Brega’s mind was searching the place for signs of this mysterious enemy the imperial spoke of. Hearing the question put to Master Aramis, he regarded the Jedi with concern. “Master, it is not the Jedi way to leave an unarmed, injured man like this, imperial or not. Surely he will die. But … I must also caution you. The imperials have clearly offended something within these caves. Taking him along might put us in disfavor with the same things that were after him and his team. Should we risk putting the team in such peril?â€

**Sarek will need to be helped along, but not carried entirely, if he is spared. Someone will also have to share their air with him (this halves how much O2 you have), and no not your companions’ – and the other imperials’ tanks would logically only have a few minutes left as well**

**Once a decision is made, you may continue the group down the spirally cave system until you reach the bottom where the cave opens up into a monumentally enormous cave**

“Thank you, father,†the young quarren guard said to his captain.

Captain Adad scowled at his son. “Consul Haan will not be pleased,†he said under his breath.

The Remnants and their two escort groups swam on to the city. The warm waters began to cool as they reached much greater depths. The spiraling conical tops of the city’s towers were of pastel pinks and reflected what little surface light could reach them, sending colorful rays across the transparisteel surfaces of the beautiful city. As they neared, the travel tubes throughout the city could be made out, with swimmers zipping along within them, carried by the rip-currents inside that could speed an individual to virtually any place in the city in less than a minute. It was a rather convenient feature for off-worlders.

The Mon Calamari escorts wasted no time is ushering their Remnants guests to the peace talks, held in the city’s proper within a great domed structure that served as their political assembly hall.

Even from a distance, the shouting and ruckus within could be heard plainly.

“The talks have not been going well,†the young quarren guard offered to Per-ja quietly, checking to ensure his captain was out of earshot. “The imperial ambassador, Consul Haan, has everyone up in arms.

“I am Swee’la,†he then said, nodding in greeting. “Please, do what you can to help our peoples find peace.â€

A short time later, the Remnants found themselves sitting on the audience pews spiraling around the perimeter of the assembly hall, the mon cala sitting among them and the quarren sitting on the opposite side of the hall. Standing before the quarren, the Remnants caught their first glimpse of Consul Haan.

The quarren representative of the Empire was well animated as he boisterously addressed all those gathered. “My fellow Quarren! Too long have we cowered in the shadows of the dominating, self-serving Mon Calamari leaders of this planet! Your voices go unheard, our needs ignored, and we’re forced to live In relative squalor; while they sit in the seat of power for centuries and enjoy a life of luxury and privileges!

“No more will the quarren cower beneath the mon cala boot! The Empire knows of your struggles! Like the oppressive Republic and their dogmatic Jedi, the mon cala will forever keep you on your knees if you do not rise up and take what is rightfully ours!â€

Consul Haan thrust his fist into the air as he turned to his quarren audience. Their booming applause echoed throughout the city. It was then that Consul Haan noticed the Remnants delegates. “Well, speaking of the oppressors, I see they’ve arrived …â€

He gestured to the Remnants, offering them the floor.

((just a heads up, if you pose questions to or perform actions towards npcs a moderator post will respond to keep the RP reactive))

((just a heads up, if you do pose questions to perform actions towards npc characters a moderator post will be made in response to keep the RP feeling reactive to situations, as on the last page with the Aralias' question to the Doc. thanks!))

The Quarren did not seem surprised to hear of the Remnants’ mission to aid the Mon Calamari in the peace talks. Several of them activated electro-staves and moved to surround the group, while still keeping their distance.

“You are not welcome here!†the quarren patrol captain sneered. “You are Jedi! The republic means to end the peace talks in the Mon Calamari’s favor by using your archaic mind tricks on the quarren leadership! Consul Haan was right!â€

One of the quarren, a young male, looked to their captain with skepticism. He then spoke up. “Captain, our intel told us that republic troops were coming … these are clearly members of the Remnants of Hope,†he pointed to the Remnants’ emblem on the side of Bodakh’s helm with his staff. “They are allies of the republic, yes; but they are known to be great negotiators as well. Perhaps it would be wise to let them assist?â€

The captain turned and scowled at the optimistic young quarren. “I’m in command here, soldier. Remember your place!â€

The young quarren cowered and swam back several feet to a guard position, quietly muttering, “Yes, father,†under his breath.

“You will come with us to the quarren command center for questioning!†the captain continued, thrusting his electro-staff menacingly close to the face of Padawan Ferra. “You are Mon Calamari spies! We will not let you enter these peace talks!â€

The patrol of Mon Calamari came into range then, their numbers equal to that of the quarren and armed with identical electro-staves. One of them fired a warning shot between the Remnants and the quarren.

“What’s the meaning of this!†the mon calamari captain shouted as they sped into their midst on small one-man speeders. The mon cals immediately put themselves between the quarren patrolmen and the Remnants, thrusting their staves at them to force them back.

The two captains came face to face. Their hatred for one another was clear.

“Captain Eelo…†the quarren captain sneered.

“Captain Adad,†the mon cal captain returned. “Trying to start a war before we even finish the peace talks? I’m not surprised.â€

“It is YOUR people whom are starting the war!†Eelo suddenly blurted angrily.

“My people!? We were the ones that fought for these peace talks for so long! If it wasn’t for your warmongering…!â€

“Warmongering?!†Eelo’s face flushed red, his tentacle face contorting with rage. “Your people murdered my wife!â€

“And yours my son!†Adad roared back.

The two captains activated their electro-staves as they grabbed at each other’s collars. The guards of both patrols tried to tear them away from each other, but their hatred for one another was strong.

Dr. Verne was as awestruck as Master Aramis as he swam through the door and into the massive, expanding crystal cavern. With his mouth agape, his breath was fogging up the interior of his helm. Half-hearing the Jedi’s question, he immediately began scanning the nearest crystal cluster.

He giggled excitedly. Another formation caught his interest even more. He swam to it, scanned it, and giggled even more excitedly.

Seeing the Aralias’ eyes on him finally, he looked to him and then back to his scanner’s results, then back to Aralias. Aralias could see the ear-to-ear smile within the man’s helm.

"It's extraordinary!" he finally said giddily. “I’ve only scanned two clusters and both crystal types are unknowns! High density, luminescent, and compressed energy conductive crystallization properties!†Several of the group members looked to him with curious, bewildered expressions. Seeing they weren’t following, the doctor broke it down to terms that could easily follow. “Valuable! Highly valuable! These crystals could revolutionize various energy systems, even weapons cells and for lightsabers!â€

He gestured to the others to start gathering as he himself pulled a cutting laser tool from his belt and began extracting several small samples.

“I wouldn’t do that,†Padawan Brega interjected, his expression dour as he observed the doctor and the others beginning to harvest.

Dr. Verne looked to him incredulously. “And why’s that, my young friend?!â€

Brega had no answer for him. His senses only told him that they shouldn’t. Why? He could not say. And so he said nothing, merely swimming past the others further into the cave to explore what lay ahead.

Master Aramis could sense the young Jedi’s trepidation, but the crystal formations seemed harmless and impossible to ignore. Such a discovery could turn the tide for the Republic in many ways. To simply leave them without even taking samples seemed irresponsible even.

"I have point!" Jester said enthusiastically through their helm comms. With Tank close behind and the others following in line, the team of Remnants began their descent into the waters of Mon Cala.

The waters, though still cold by any standard, were some of the warmest here on the planet, being along it's equator. The group passed through mountains of lively corral, swaying anemones and schools of colorful fish as they swam deeper into the great deep reef. Though many meters below and ahead of them, their city destination was visible even from so far away. Its depth was impressive as the group swam on, swearing to themselves that they were coming no closer to it after several minutes of effortful swimming. Soon enough, the craggy hills and peaks of the surrounding great reef gave way to the enormous, open sea floor where the city awaited them.

Suddenly a bolt of energy shot past the group, and then another. Startled, the group halted as a patrol of Quarren suddenly came upon them on small speeders, each of them bearing the electro-staves common to the species.

"Halt! Identify yourselves, Off-Worlders!" their captain demanded. The group of six quarren seemed to be bristling for a fight as they began to encircle the Remnants.

As he group formulated their response, another group of unknowns could be seen rising from the city below on speeders as well. By their distant shapes, they could only guess they were Mon Calamari.

Tensions it would seem were high indeed.

The light of the surface quickly faded away, plunging the team of Remnants into darkness as they swam deeper and deeper into the enormous cave. With head and wrist lamps activated, the depth of the cave left them truly awestruck. Like a giant sinkhole, the cave looked to be bottomless. Anemones and urchins lined the vertical walls as they swam by, small crustaceans and invertebrates all about the sheer rock face did not scurry away at the sight of the Remnants. Having had no contact with such large creatures, the things had no reason to fear them. This cave was old indeed, the team quickly surmised.

Their helms creaked and their body tension rose from the increasing water pressure as they continue to dive. It wasn’t until many minutes had passed that their headlamps finally revealed the floor of the cave below. It was a welcome site.

Touching down on the smooth surface, the group took a moment to rest and check in with one another. Their gauges confirmed it – over five thousand feet down. They could now shed the extra weights they carried for hastening their descent. While some of them continued to rest, Dr. Verne, as intrigued as ever, began walking the edge of the cave floor with his head and wrist lamps passing over ever surface. Now and then he’d pick something up of interest and either drop it to the floor or place it into one of the many waist pouches he had brought along for specimens. He then stopped suddenly, his three lamps directed to the same point on one wall.

“Um … this is … interesting…â€

The others looked to him curiously, several of them shining their lamps in his direction and then to where he had pointed his own.

A door, imbedded in the ancient rock face of the cave wall, but looked as modern as any found on Coruscant. Although covered in a thin layer of dust, the Remnants could clearly see a terminal panel on the door with a code prompt waiting for an entry.

“This … this shouldn’t be here,†Dr. Verne said, more so to himself. “This site is supposed to be ancient, and yet this door is clearly not.†He stepped closer and analyzed its surface, scanning it with a handheld device as he furrowed his brow. “It looks new.â€

Brega moved closer and put a hand on the door, closing his eyes and trying to sense what may lie beyond it. He shook his head as he turned to the others. “It’s warm. And what I sensed earlier is definitely emanating from beyond this portal.â€

Dr. Verne knocked on the door repeatedly, drawing curious looks from the others. “I’m checking to see if it’s flooded on the other side as well,†he explained with a chuckle. He listened, and then nodded. It was. “Safe to open, far as I can tell.â€

The doctor stepped back as Crisp moved up between himself and Brega. She took a slicing device from her waist belt and connected it to the terminal. The code scanner took only moments to crack it, much to the surprise of all, including Crisp. Old code, she said to herself dismissively. The terminal chirped, the display reading “Accepted†in green, and the door slowly swung open.

Dr. Verne gasped and scrambled back against the wall when the body floated through the doorway and hung limp and lifeless in the water amongst them. It had been pulverized, completely drained of blood, giving its flesh a texture much like blubber or jellyfish skin. Boomer and Crisp recoiled as well, giving the corpse plenty of room.

To the more experienced Remnants who had seen their share of bodies, their interest was in the dead man’s wetsuit and gear. The symbol upon the helm was unmistakable.

Sith Empire.

Beyond the door the group could see several other bodies in identical suits hovering several feet above the cave floor. The entrance elongated and opened into an even more enormous cave with dozens of rare crystal clusters, of all shapes and colors, spiking out from the cave’s many nooks and crannies.

**YES, the crystals are harvestable and very valuable for Jedi weapons. Feel free to create and draw your own conclusions or create small events or encounters along the way gang. There are set events you’ll experience, but you’re free to make your own bits as well**

The pair of personnel drop-ships descended through the planet’s atmosphere, streaking through the thick clouds and soared down through the clear blue skies. As far as all could see, the watery surface of Mon Cala was endless. As the ships continued their descent, the two vessels parted ways, one of them cutting sharply to the east while the other continued on its original heading.

The pilot on the other vessel came over the open comm in the personnel hold. “Good luck, Deep Team. Remember to stay in contact. Both groups may need a quick extraction if this mission goes south.â€

“Force be with you!†the other pilot returned over the comm.

The eastbound vessel skimmed over the planet’s crashing waves for many miles. The personnel aboard collectively gasped as they looked out the viewport and saw the water suddenly darken, looking much like a giant hole in the ocean.

“Here we are!†the pilot announced over the comm. The personnel exchanged wary expressions. Diving into a hole in the ocean wasn’t mentioned in the mission briefing.

“How deep is this thing?†Private Boomer asked with trepidation as he slid open the ship’s side panel and looked down into the ominously dark waters.

The pilot chuckled. “This here is a bottomless pit, baby! Over a mile, straight down! What’s after that, I haven’t a clue; but then again, that’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? Ha!â€

The pilot’s levity did little to ease the team’s apprehensions.

The team began checking their equipment, securing their webbed boots and gloves, donning their O2 packs and helmets, and then rechecking them. Some found an excuse to check them a third and even a fourth time. Whatever buys me more time from jumping into that thing, several of them were thinking.

The pilot entered the hold then, grabbing onto one of the overhead rings for balance and he addressed the group of eight Remnants. “Alright, this mission is simple! Dive approximately 5,280ft into an unexplored cave on an alien planet, check out some ancient archaeological site, investigate rumors of some great evil influence, and hope you don’t get eaten by something! Should be a walk in the park!â€

Again, the pilot’s attempt at humor fell short. The crew were too focused on the appalling sight of the underwater cave to even fully hear the pilot’s briefing. All that orbital scans of the cave could reveal was that there was a strange power signature coming from the depths of the cave, and that at the very bottom of the cave there appeared to be, surprisingly, a door! What lay behind it, nobody could know.

“You have plenty of 02 for the trip, unless of course you’re trapped down there for eternity, in which case breathe shallow maybe? Your thrusters only have a few hours of juice, so I’d suggest only using them for course correction, evading monsters, that sort of thing; there’s a reason your boots and gloves are webbed, after all. You’ve each got a depth charge explosive should you need them – scans show the power source to be behind a few meters of rock and coral somewhere down there.

“At the water pressure is going to be quite heavy, but your suits will take care of decompression on your way up. Your movement down there is going to be quite slow, so be sure to dodge long before anything is anywhere near you! Ha!â€

With that, the green jump light turned on. The first test of courage on the mission it would seem would be jumping out of the ship.

The cheery man then gave Master Aramis a pat on the shoulder, finally bearing an expression of seriousness as he wished them all luck, and then returning to the cockpit. “Last one in is the smart one! Ha!â€

**You will find your companions listed below. Hope you enjoy:

ARALIAS: Name: “Bregaâ€, Male chiss, Jedi Cadet, Specs: Mind Force Abils (sensory, telep., beast control). Person: young and enthusiastic, self-doubt. Wpns: twin lightsabers.

MAITRAYEN: Name: “Crispâ€, Female zabrak, Trooper Corporal, Specs: Blade wpns, hand-to-hand combat. Person: humorous, aggressive, fearless. Wpns: various blades, blaster rifle.

NEMEL: Name: “Boomerâ€, Male human, Trooper Private, Specs: Hvy Wpns, Explosives. Person: aggressive, brave, boisterous. Wpns: Repeater Carbine, various explosives.

Tyrlis: Name: “Dr. Verneâ€, female mirialan, Remnants Archaeologist. Specs: Ancient Architecture & Cultures, Symbology, Linguistics. Wpns: blaster pistol. *This companion is rather important for the mission.

The pair of personnel drop-ships descended through the planet’s atmosphere, streaking through the thick clouds and soared down through the clear blue skies. As far as all could see, the watery surface of Mon Cala was endless. As the ships continued their descent, the two vessels parted ways, one continuing on its heading while the other cut off sharply and soon was out of sight.

The pilot’s farewell to the departing vessel came over the open comm in the personnel hold. “Good luck, Deep Team. Remember to stay in contact. Both groups may need a quick extraction if this mission goes south.â€

Soon the remaining drop-ship was skimming over the tumultuous waters of Mon Cala’s surface, waves crashing into each other sending foamy spray through the open side panels of the drop-ship as it flew precariously low. It finally came to a stop and hovered in place.

“These are the coordinates. Drop when you’re ready!†the pilot’s voice came through the open comm once again.

Standing in the ship’s small hold, a handful of Remnants prepared for their mission, affixing their webbed gloves and boots, strapping on their weapons, checking their O2 gauges, and then rechecking everything.

With a hand grasping an overhead ring for balance, Commander Carn signed for all their attention, raising his voice as he spoke to be heard over the waves crashing beneath them. “Ok, Dark Team! We’re at the drop-point. The Mon Calamari city is approximately two kilometers directly beneath us! What the Mon Cala fear will be their last peace talks with the Quarren are commencing in less than an hour. Be prepared for a conflict – our intelligence suggests it’s inevitable, and our mother ship’s long-range scanners detected an Imperial vessel on the far side of the planet. That can only mean trouble.

“Remember your goal: the Mon Calamari are our allies, as were the Quarren; but at this time it would appear the latter group is lost to the Empire. Your objective is to help settle the dispute, but should that fail, you must help to ensure the planet’s remains in Mon Calamari hands. Master Vaat’s fleet will arrive in … twelve hours, thirty-seven minutes, so we have lots of time for this to go real bad if you’re not careful!

“You have enough O2 to last you the duration, but your thrusters only have a few hours of power, so use them sparingly for course correction and evasion only if you can help it. Check your gauges and gear one last time and everyone into the pool!â€

**You will find your companions listed below. Hope you enjoy:

MATIX: Name: “Jesterâ€, Male human, Trooper Corporal, Specs: Pilotting (virtually anything), Wpns: Twin blasters & Vibrosword, Person: cocky, funny, motivating.

ELIIAN: Name: “Wickâ€, Male zabrak, Scoundre/Remnants Agent, Specs: Infiltration, Slicing, Surveillance Systems. Wpns: blaster & vibroknife. Person: Sly, sarcastic, shies from combat.

PER-JA: Name: “Liiraâ€, Female twi'lek, Jedi Cadet, Specs: Diplomacy, Investigation, Force Support. Wpns: lightsaber. Person: Soft-spoken, inexperienced in combat, self-doubt, pleasant and friendly.

BODAKH: “Tankâ€, Male human, Trooper Private, Specs: Hvy Wpns, Explosives, Wpns: repeater carbine, various explosives. Person: haughty, boisterous, loves combat, enthusiastic.

Sirian got to his feet once the blast of the armoury explosion passed the group by. Looking to fellow padawan Ann’doneeta and Master Coran, it appeared all were well and were also recovering from the explosion, brushing rock and dust from their bodies as the rose to their feet.

â€ÂThink we made it big enough?†Sirian asked dryly, looking to the thousands of pieces of debris scattered all across the crater, some pieces as big as a drop-ship. The others merely chuckled as they looked upon the results of their handiwork. The imperials’ supplies had been effectively destroyed. Colonel Locke’s commanding voice then came to all over the Remnants comm channel, with the gravest of orders: escort the mining carriers while punching a path for them through the enemy’s front lines to the imperial dockyards.

â€ÂIs the colonel out of his mind?!†one of the troopers in their group asked. “We should retreat to our own ships and get off this thing if it’s going to blow!â€Â

â€ÂWe should leave the rest of the ore and go!†another trooper put in.

Looking to Master Coran, Sirian knew the stern expression upon the man’s face well. It was the same expression all Jedi bore in a situation like this. Sirian stood before the squad of troopers, folding his strong arms across his barrel chest as he looked to each of the troopers through his face shield.

â€ÂThe empire has secured much of this ore, gentleman. They’ve not only made off with several of our freighters, each of them packed solid with ore, but we now have no way of transporting the new ore off this rock. The carriers cannot be loaded on the Remnants warships, if they could even reach them in time.

“Everything the Empire has mined is being taken off this rock as we speak, while everything we have is just sitting there waiting for ships to carry it home. We must take the enemy dockyards if we want to ensure the future battlefields are as balanced as this one was! Now, let’s move out! To the enemy dockyards!â€Â

With Master Coran leading the way, and with their squad of troopers and fellow padawan Ann’doneeta, Sirian charged across the western ridge of the Dead Quarry, heading for the imperial dockyards. He called in their intentions to the rest of the Remnants as per Master Coran’s instructions.

â€ÂPadawan Vaat to Remnants forces! Master Coran, padawan Ann’doneeta and myself are hitting the enemy dockyards’ western flank! Padawans Fadon and Zanthis, if you could meet us there we’ll secure them quickly while the rest of the Remnants escort the ore carriers through the Dead Quarry battlefield! Vaat out!â€Â

Sirian winced as he planted his fist into the face of yet another imperial trooper, using the Force to bolster his swing enough to break the man’s face shield and his nose beyond that. The imperial gurgled a mouthful of bloody chicklets that used to be his teeth as he clutched his face with agony and fell to the floor of the armoury hallway. Sirian shook his hand in an attempt to get the blood off, but he dismissed the attempt; it was pointless, as much of his armor was already covered with blood from the numerous scraps he had been through this day. He cursed aloud for losing his second lightsaber earlier, a blasted airlock sucking it from his grasp and out into space along with several of his troops.

He would miss that lightsaber.

â€ÂThis way, c’mon!†the tall padawan shouted over his shoulder to his trooper escort team. He and his men had successfully navigated the maze of rock and debris outside and gained access to the armoury, thereafter finding a maze of corridors to make things just as difficult.

â€ÂYou have any idea where you’re going?†one of the troopers asked, coming to the padawan’s side and resting his hands on his knees for a moment's reprieve from their fast pace. â€ÂCan’t you, you know ... “sense†your buddies in here somewhere? Zero in on that.â€Â

Sirian turned a scowl the man’s way. “Only thing I’m sensing is my foot up your @$$ in a few minutes. Shut up and take point. It’s this way.â€Â

The trooper huffed with amusement as Sirian, too, smiled briefly before charging off down yet another corridor alongside his troops. Another junction brought them to yet another fight, and then another, and another. By the time Sirian and his men closed in on the position of Master Coran and Padawan Ann’doneeta, they had barely a moment to catch their breaths.

Coming into the control room, Sirian found Master Ben Coran with Ann’doneeta, Padawan Fluoria and several dead, three sith and a padawan among them. Moving to join them, Sirian’s expression was grey as he looked upon Padawan Keza. Master Coran had been with him as he died, his back broken and his internal bleeding too much for the young healer to mend.

â€ÂOne of the many, unfortunately,†Sirian said grimly. â€ÂRemnants losses are estimated to be at 12%, mostly troopers, but Jedi among them as well ... padawans mostly. They weren’t ready for this.†The comment seemed odd, Sirian being a padawan himself; but he had never counted himself among them anyway, nor among any of the Jedi since he had joined them. He had a difficult time imagining he would ever feel like one of them, of ever fitting in with anyone in general in fact.

Removing the tragic thought of the lives lost, including Padawan Keza, from his mind, Sirian turned to the bodies of the sith warriors. Kneeling down, he inspected each of them, tossing useless trinkets and oddities to the floor as he rumaged through their gear. He did take up one of the sith’s lightsabers to replace his own lost one, activated it and tested its balance. Regarding the crimson red crystal, he merely shrugged. It’ll due. Returning to his pillaging of the bodies, he paused as he retrieved a security pass card from one of their pockets. He smiled, tapping it against the dead sith’s forehand, â€ÂGuess you were the guardian of this place, huh? Have to work on your game, friend.†He rose to his feet, holding up the pass in one hand for Master Coran to see. The card would surely give them full access to the armoury’s power relays via the console, allowing for a total system overload.

â€ÂCare to do the honors, Master Coran?â€Â

[OOC=This is the Armoury, so an explosion is going to be a big one, just a headsup)

Sirian raised his head from cover to inspect the work of Colonel Hejurrin as he and his troops put heavy fire upon the ridge turrets above Sirian’s group’s position. While the turrets were for the moment out of commission, enemy droids were already scrapping the remains of the guns and building their replacements.

Sirian flinched suddenly as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Knowing the cause of the suddenly sensation, the tall Jedi whipped around suddenly with his lightsaber slashing through the air. It cut through nothing, but yet something. A moment later the invisible foe materialized as the stealth generator he had equipped failed, cut from his body along with his right arm. The imperial fell to its knees, clutching at the gash Sirian had created across the man’s mid drift, and soon after falling over breathless as the vacuum of space sucked their air from his suit.

â€ÂOn your guard!†Sirian shouted over his shoulder to the small group of troopers at his side. The troopers put their backs to the Jedi padawan as Sirian through simple Force Waves around them, doing no real damage to any invisible enemies but effectively disrupting their stealth devices. A second, then a third and a fourth materialized around the group, instantly charging into the small group with their blades drawn.

Sirian silently cursed as he considered the situation. Scowling, as always, the tall padawan drew his second lightsaber from his belt and rushed the nearest imperial, using a trakata manoeuvre as he deactivated his saber to avoid a parry and reactivating it on the other side of the imperial’s defence. He then drove his weapon through the surprised man’s stomach. With his left, he criss-crossed the back of another imperial with his second lightsaber. The two-pronged attack left him open unfortunately as a third imperial rushed in on Sirian’s open front. The padawan sneered as he tried to pull his weapon up in time to meet the man’s charge, but he was too close.

A Remnant trooper was suddenly there, bull-dozing into the imperial’s path and the two of them slamming into a formation of rock nearby. Seeing the imperial well under his trooper comrade’s control, Sirian turned to the others. One of the four remaining troopers was dead, routed by an imperial’s blade, another frantically wrapping a piece of cable from his pack around his leg where a blade had punctured his suit. The two remaining imperials had been dealt with, Sirian was glad to see.

â€ÂGood work, fellas. Let’s get ...â€Â

Sirian and the troopers turned to the one whom may have saved Sirian’s life just moments ago. The imperial he had tackled was dead. The Remnant trooper however was leaning back against the rock face, hopelessly trying to plug the massive puncture in his suit just above his waist. With his mitt-like gloves, he could not effectively stop the vacuum of space sucking the life out of him. Sirian rushed to his aid, looking at the suit puncture with concern. The Remnant only looked at him with passive eyes – already he knew the inevitable. He was a corporal, outranking the four privates of the group, and obviously did not want to show his fear in the presence of his men whom respected him.

The other troopers rushed up as well, one of them grabbing a handful of asteroid dust from their feet and trying to patch the hole in the man’s suit. The dust crumbled away, floating around them uselessly. With pleading eyes, he looked up to the padawan, who could only look back with complete frustration. After a quick moment, Sirian nodded to the man, whom nodded back with approval.

Sirian’s steeled his nerves as he activated his lightsaber. â€ÂThank you,†was all the tall Jedi said, in recognition of the trooper’s valiant act. The trooper closed his eyes as Sirian plunged the weapon into his chest, ending his suffering instantly. He held it there a moment, regarding the now dead man’s face through his face shield. Even in death, good can prevail, he reminded himself, a lesson he had learned from his Remnants mentors.

It was only after he took a step back did he hear the buzzing of his com-link. Master Orden’s voice – always a welcome sound on the battlefield- told of his arrival. Through the company-wide channel several cheers came in response to hearing their beloved Master had joined the fray. Sirian lifted his eyes to see the easily spotted Togruta master off in the distance, heading for the docks it would appear. Still, the armoury would need to be addressed as well; and from Sirian had heard not long ago, Master Coran had made a daring dash for the facility and had already secured the main control room. A magnificent act of heroism, for certain; but unless Sirian missed his guess, Master Coran just made himself the biggest target in the area and was going to need backup.

â€ÂPadawan Vaat to Master Vyndari, reading you clearly. Forgive me master, but I’m not far from Master Coran’s position within the armoury and he needs reinforcement, to make whatever damage we can while we can, or to get him out of there alive at least. I’ll rendezvous with you en route to the docks once I have him!â€Â

With that, Sirian recycled the air in his ventilator with a clasp of his hand around the neck activator, and then moved to scale the cliff-face in the wake of his men. They had already begun clearing the pesky construction droids at the top of the cliff, kicking them off into space with much amusement or pelting them with blaster shots as they zipped about their feet.

He tried to reach Master Coran on his com-link, but he was not being received. A bad feeling crept up his spine as Sirian double-timed his climbing...

The Remnants army charged up the distant hill, their movements slightly sluggish in the low gravity conditions of the asteroid, and making not a sound in the silence of space. Their panting breaths were loud in their ears as they peered through their face shields.

Sirian came to the top of the hill along with the first line, comprised primarily of Jedi Guardians and commandos with their massive heavy repeater weapons. They all stood in awe for a moment as they took in the sight before them: the large crater, known as The Dead Quarry, was a wasteland of lunar module debris, demolished hover tanks, flaming pools of fuel, and bodies – bodies everywhere.

To the northeast they could see the power generator, a massive bunker from which gigantic armoured cables extended and plunged deep into the ground to power the drills far beneath their feet; drills that never stopped drilling so long as there was someone alive to control them. Destroying the power generator’s control room would render their drills inoperable.

To the east, across the main battlefield, the armoury loomed from atop a ridge. It had been refortified with anti-infantry turrets all over it and its surroundings. Within lie the Empire’s weapons and ammunition, as well as their fuel supplies for the many tanks and speeders streaking across the landscape.

Further on, to the southeast, were the imperial docking yards. They were much the same as the Republic’s, with warships bearing troops and supplies landing constantly to replenish their numbers. It would need to be the last target, Sirian surmised. Without the power generator to operate their drills, and without the arms to defend them, there would be no need to send additional troops what with the short window of time they had before the asteroid left the system.

An explosion nearby rattled everyone from their awe-struck expressions as they took in the scene. The Republic forces were scattered throughout the battlefield, losing the small fights that would inevitably result with the loss of the entire battle least the Remnants intervene.

â€ÂFront lines, advance! For the Republic! For the Remnants!†cried out one of the Remnants’ captains. The army poured over the hilltop and down into the crater like a great flood being freed from a dam. Though the silence of space negated their ability to hear the cheers of the republic troops, their elation was clear as they fist-pumped the air in celebration. The tide was turning, finally. Sirian ensured his face shield was secure as he charged off with a handful of troopers and Jedi, heading for the armoury to deal the empire a vital blow to their morale. With his twin blue lightsabers gripped tightly in his hands, Sirian and his comrades cut a swath through the center of the battlefield, not engaging the enemy directly, but slipping through the intensive blaster fire exchanges and closing in on the armoury.

Their approach did not go unnoticed by the many anti-infantry turrets dotted the landscape around the large munitions depot however ...

â€ÂTake cover!†Sirian shouted through his face shield comm, rolling to the ground to crouch behind an overturned piece of tank wreckage. Several troopers were scorched an instant later as a turret’s aim struck true. Their bodies fell to the ground near those fortunate enough to find cover quickly enough. â€ÂWe need cover fire on those turrets if we’re going to get up that cliff face!†Sirian shouted, nodding his head in the direction of the sheer climb just ahead. Atop the bluff sat the many turrets, with the thousand yards beyond that a jungle of debris, treacherous chasms, and a sea of entrenched imperial troops.

*** Last Enclave Flashpoint Edited, Livi. Please review.

Waiting on Jhared and Satella to respond to latest Mando flashpoint before posting the mando's reactions***

Sirian was relieved to see Anson’s ship had arrived as he and his group burst through the last blast door and into the hangar. With Eliian and Dega along with him, Sirian urged them to hurry onboard as he covered them. Pirates scrambled into the hangar, desperate to find a means of transport as they flooded towards the lone ship.

â€ÂGet onboard!†Sirian yelled to his comrades as he stood his ground at the base of the ship’s ramp, deflecting blaster fire from the surging pirates with his lightsaber. Pieces of the hangar’s ceiling fell to the deck, beams crushing pirates as they fumbled about frantically.

â€ÂPlease! We surrender! Take us with you!†a handful of pirates off to one side cried out, running with their hands in the air. Sirian looked to them with distrust, but could not help but consider their plea.

For a moment ...

The wave of pirates bearing down on the ship was too great. With everyone on board, Sirian retreated into the ship and punched the ramp control. The ship shot out of the hangar just as the section exploded.

Sirian came to rest on a bench near the others. He deactivated his twin sabers and looked ahead to Anson sitting in the cockpit. â€ÂGood timing, Armada,†he said with a sigh of relief.

Just then, the ship was hit hard by a concussive blast.

â€ÂSon of a ... marking up my ship!†Anson said with gritted teeth as he attempted to maintain control of the ship.â€ÂWe’re not out of the woods yet!†Ship scans identified their pursuer – the bounty hunter was back.

Another direct hit sent the ship careening through the skies of Taris. â€ÂWe’re going down!†Anson shouted over the ship comm. Sirian then joined him in the cockpit.

â€ÂThere! Try to land in the outcropping ahead! Sirian suggested, pointing to a clearing in the forests below.

â€ÂI think we’re going to come up short!

Both Anson and Sirian paled as the tip of a mountain suddenly loomed through a cloud. â€ÂUgh ... that’s definitely going to leave a mark on the ship,†Anson said dryly.

The tip of the mountain struck the underside of the ship as it soared by, sending it toppling end over end for many moments before the ship’s stabilizers could right itself ... if only briefly. The crew could do nothing as the ship’s controls failed to respond. Gravity was now in control.

The ship slammed into the grassy terrain, several miles from the Remnants base. Plowing the hillside for several hundred meters before it stopped, the ship was surprisingly in one piece. Less could be said of its occupants however.

Sirian lifted his head from the console in the cockpit. Though nothing appeared to be broken, he ached all over. He turned to check on Dega, relieved to find him still strapped into his seat and shaking the haze from his head. The pilot’s chair was empty.

â€ÂAn .... Anson?â€Â

The blast shield was ruptured directly in front of the seat. Looking out, Sirian could see Anson laying face down on the grass several meters away, having been thrown through the glass during the crash. Sirian could not tell whether he lived or not, but scarcely keep his own eyes open let alone get up and check on his friend.

To his horror, he then spotted a figure approaching Anson’s body. A grotesque, lizard man – a Trandoshan! The bounty hunter, Sirian surmised. The bounty hunter licked its lips as it grinned wickedly, bending down and picking up the prone smuggler and throwing him over one shoulder. Sirian could do nothing as he moved out of sight. A short time later a Mantis ship passed by on its way to space.

Sirian could only hope his friend would not be harmed until they could form a rescue, where ever he was being taken. The last thing he saw before his pains finally closed his eyes was the sight of a squad of troopers, lead by a Jedi, rushing through the brush near the crash sight ...

Sirian rushed to the elevator door, but Master Orden was already gone.â€ÂHe can’t do this without us! They’ll capture him!†he shouted, attempting to pull the doors of the elevator shaft open.

â€ÂNo, my friend!†Dega Vok urged him, coming to the tall Sirian’s side and pulling him back.â€ÂThe shaft is exposed to space, you’ll be sucked out! Besides, padawan Udan Naada is still with him. He’s not alone.â€Â

“We must get off the ship as Master Orden and Colonel Locke commanded, Sirian.†He then turned to lead the way down the corridor.â€ÂThis way to the hangar! Let us hope that Mr. Armada got your message to pick us up!†Sirian grimaced as he looked to his comrades, reluctant to turn away from helping their leader, but unable to refute Dega’s logic. Orden himself told them to leave.

Moments later as they ran down the corridor to the hangar, Sirian paused with a puzzled expression."Where's Udan Naada?"

â€ÂI hope you know what you’re doing, Master,†Sirian quietly said aloud. He looked up, giving a silent ‘good luck’ to the Togruta Jedi, now far above them on the bridge of the cruiser as it plummeted down to Taris.

â€ÂThere’s something beneath the elevator ...†Sirian Vaat sensed, looking down to the floor of the lift. Dega Vok also sensed it as he joined Sirian in igniting his lightsaber. Putting their backs protectively to Eliian and Master Orden, the two padawans prepared to meet whatever menace was following them up through the shaft.

â€ÂWe’re here,†Dega Vok announced, looking up to the lift floor indicator. He turned to the door as it opened.

The pirate cruiser mess hall was huge. A gigantic room with dozens of tables could accommodate fifty or more hungry crewman. Now, what with the battle in full effect, the mess hall was serving as the pirates’ armory and refitting room. Tables were covered with weapons and ammo, or with wounded men receiving medical attention from droids.

As the doors of the lift opened, a hundred or more pirates all turned their heads that way and to the small group of Jedi in the lift.

Dega Vok smiled charmingly as he casually reached over and pressed the lift’s “close doors†button. The doors closed and the lift continued upward. Dega looked to his companions with a chuckle. â€ÂHeh, that wasn’t Menswear.â€Â

The ship’s bridge was still many levels above them.

Now with Master Orden in their group, Sirian and Dega felt much more at ease.

"The way we came is cut off by the pirates,"Siran reported as they joined up."Strange, but ... I get this distinct feeling we're being driven somewhere, like a herd.

"And I sense a disturbance in the Force," Dega added, his eyes looking upwards as he tried to pinpoint it. He could only shrug though - the source unknown.

"This way!" Udann Naada urged them."I sense something behind us as well. I'm sure these pirates are not so bright as to have some trap set for us. The route to the bridge is clear this way, let us capture Captain Garrote and be done with this ship."

With the group of troopers now strong with four Jedi, they charged off down the corridor with renewed confidence. Yet, still no opposition met them ...

Sirian took a glancing hit on the shoulder from a pirate’s blaster as the young Jedi stood ahead of his trooper companions, working his two lightsabers this way and that to block or redirect the barrage of fire coming from down the corridor. Luckily for him, Sirian’s armor absorbed the minor hit with him not feeling much more than a minor sting; but he knew well that a better aimed shot would have been a different story.

â€ÂThe way to the command deck is cut off, Sirian!†Dega Vok shouted over his shoulder as he deflected blaster fire back at pirates.

The two Jedi defended two of the four corridors that joined at the intersection, where their trooper comrades kept close to the walls and returned fire from their cover. Pirates were now coming down the third corridor – troopers quickly formed a defence to meet their charge and sent an RPG into their midst. The pirates shrieked as the grenade unexpectedly slammed into one of them and sent the lot flying in all directions. Temporarily dazed, those that survived were quick to find cover as well and press the attack.

“The last corridor is clear!†a trooper shouted to the Jedi. “We might find a better position!â€Â

Sirian’s expression hardened as he considered the implications of their situation. Four corridors, three blocked, one left open ... One didn’t need the Force to be able to sense this obvious trap.

Dega sprinted to Sirian’s side and turned, back to back, to continue deflecting the pirates’ shots. â€ÂI know what you’re thinking, Sirian; but we have no choice!â€Â

Sirian couldn’t refute Dega’s logic. He nodded to his nautolan friend and gestured for him to lead the way. The troopers were eager to move as they paraded off down the vacant corridor in leap-frog formation, with half of their numbers back-peddling to cover their retreat.

The pirates converged on the intersection the Remnants had once occupied and continued firing upon the fleeing Jedi and troopers, but strangely did not give chase.

The vacant corridor continued on and on without end, curving around blind corners downward.

â€ÂDo you sense that?†Dega asked, looking to Sirian as the squad moved along at a quick pace. Sirian grunted his affirmation.

â€ÂJust ahead ... “ Sirian replied, igniting his twin lightsabers once again.

“It’s Master Orden!†a trooper shouted happily, pointing ahead. Sure enough, as the group rounded the corridor they came upon Master Orden and his boarding party.

â€ÂMaster Orden ... “ Sirian greeted the Togruta Jedi with a quick half-bow, then offered a nod in greeting to the twi’lek padawan with him and his trooper squad.

It took a few moments for the numerous pirates spread throughout the hangar to realize the ship, piloting by the daring Anson Armada, that came streaking over their heads was not in fact one of their own. They quickly armed themselves and fired upon the vessel as it came in low, heading over their heads. The pirates swivelled to continue their fire as it passed over them, several even jumping into small fighter ships and preparing to give chase, but the eyes of those on the deck went wide suddenly as the ship’s rear ramp fell open and a squad of troopers dropped upon them, lead by a pair of Jedi!

“Run!†several pirates cried out as they back peddled, scrambling to get out of the way. Three pirates were immediately cut in half as the green-skinned nautolan hit the deck in a rolling somersault with his double saber sheering the men in two. Next, amidst a half-dozen armor-clad troopers, the black-haired human Jedi hit the deck. Rising to his armoured feet, he threw back his long, black hair and ignited a pair of blue lightsabers and lunged at the nearest pair of pirates. The two men fired on the Jedi frantically, but were quickly cut down by the strong-armed Jedi.

“Padawan Vaat, orders coming in!†a trooper shouted to the human Jedi as he crouched behind a permacrete crate with his fellow troopers. Blaster fire whizzed over their heads as the handful of pirates that had managed to take cover several meters away.

Sirian leaped upon the crates, deflecting the poorly aimed blaster fire of the pirates and allowing the troopers to take a more offensive position. “Sirian. Just call me Sirian,†the Jedi said, shaking his head with mild amusement. He looked to the trooper with the comlink, waiting for the news.

“Orders are to proceed to the command deck!†the trooper replied, his hand held to one ear as he strained to hear over the blaster fire. Sirian looked over his shoulder to the trooper. The trooper merely shrugged.

“The command deck!?†Dega asked incredulously as he came to join the group, having dispatched a group of pirates elsewhere. “We’ll have to battle our way through three-quarters of the ship!â€Â

“Orders are orders, my friend!†Sirian replied. A quick slash of each lightsaber sent a pair of blaster shots back at the two pirates whom had fired them, killing them both. Sirian smirked at Dega, who merely shook his head with a smile. “Let’s get to it then, men!†he said, waving them ahead.Sirian couldn't help but wonder if Anson was doing ok with those fighters that went out after him after that daring manoeuvre through the hangar.

Dega and Sirian led the way as they and their troopers double-timed it out of the hangar and down a passage. They met little resistance for several minutes, as most of the ship’s crew seemed preoccupied elsewhere.

“At this rate, we’ll be on the command deck in no time,†Dega quipped as he struck the final blow to a pair of pirates as they made their way through the barracks wing. Just then, the sound of many footsteps came from several branching corridors.

Peering down one of the four, Sirian then looked back to Dega with a rueful smile. “Spoke too soon.†The troopers hunkered down around the corners as they repelled a wave of pirates scrambling down each of the corridors to their position.

Sirian and Dega hoped the other boarding parties were faring better in their efforts.