" Sir! All this time I have this... feeling we're being watched, followed even. I haven't seen anything through the fog though. "

CT-4077 invariably does a swift check on the medical gear he is carrying. The fact that there could be more of those walking corpses convinces the clone medic they could come in handy, perhaps sooner than later. Glad to find it all there he continues with his new squad mates.

Seeing the swamp loom up, and noticing the state of the vegetation and the off tones of the wildlife, CT-4077 doesn't get much reassurance. Behind them, CT-4077 can only really see the swirling fog, and not much else.

" Did anyone remember to try and find a map of this place? To know how big of a swamp we're looking at? To know the general lay of the land? And why didn't I think of this before? " he thinks. But as a clone, trained, even indoctrinated, to defer to his superior officier when he is available, CT-4077 simply asks: " Sir! What now, sir? Around, or through? "

“ I prefer the way that doesn’t slow me down should a fight occur.” Slugger points out looking at the two ways forward presented. “ Stuck in the mud of that bog if we need to strafe quickly we will be sitting ducks.” Then he looks to the foggy path. “ But not being able to see far enough is also a problem. We don’t want to be jumped. I don’t know what’s worse.” He then looks to Gunslinger and Akua. “ So what’s worse lack of vision or lack of mobility?”

Gunslinger catches up to his squad at the edge of the bog. “I don’t like it either, but we don’t have the oxygen to go around. Unless the swampy terrain proves more time-consuming than the long way ‘round, we forge ahead.”

The first sounds of nature register a bit on the eerie side, but maybe it’s an indication that the walking dead cannot enter the swamp..?

”I’ll go first. Had the dead on my heels the whole way here. Keep ‘em off me, will ya?”

“ I’ll bring up the rear. We go when you go Gunslinger.” Slugger said and readied Martha.

Slowly, the squad leader begins to make his way into the swamp area. Almost as soon as they step into the dank environment, it is like a different world. The ground is soft underfoot, and is difficult to walk through as the sludge slips and slides, almost at random. The air is hilled with the chatter of strange birds and beasts, and the plants and trees twist up high in unnatural formations.

Still, Gunslinger is able to pick a path through the muck, a thin tract of solid ground that raises up a little from the rest of it. Walking single file the team are able to keep their pace up, or at least faster than the creatures following them. As they follow the path great pools of murky water can be seen on either side, and the ground becomes wetter and harder to walk through.

Suddenly Gunslinger feels himself slip, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. There is a splash of mud as he slides down the side of one of the pools. It may have been funny, if not for the shift in the water a little way away. Looking down Gunslinger sees a fleshy tentacle wrapped around his ankle, something had him.

Of course.. frelling swamp squids. “We’ve got company in the water.”

Gunslinger carefully draws a bead on the tentacle, following it up from where it is entwining his leg. What is it attached to..?

Slugger readies Martha as Gunslinger calls out. “ What is it Gunslinger?” He looks around in the water.

As Gunslinger struggles in the dank pool of water and sludge, a little way from him a mound of flesh rises up to the waters surface, if is difficult to tell what it is with it partially submerged and in the sickly light of the swamp. Unfortunately for the clone trooper, there are only a few options as to why this creature may desire his company, and none of them are fantastic. He feels the tentacle tighten and try to drag him further into the pool.

“Aahhgk..” (((((splash)))))

Movig through the strange and alien swamp, CT-2777 does what he can to rearrange his thoughts. He had been assigned to the AT-TE as part of the scouting mission when the men had begun to go missing. Something had happened, they had come under attack by, something. The walker had gotten stuck in the mud, and he remembered his squad leader shoving him into the hold. The next thing he remembered was waking up, alone. No one from the team remained, not the gunners, the pilots or the scout. It was just him. He had been trying to make his way back to the base when he heard shouting up ahead. Rushing forwards he sees two clones and a figure wearing a vac-suit. On closer inspection there was a tird clone, deep in one of the pools as a creature tries to drag him under the surface.

CT-2777 rushes through the swamp waters. “Pick on some your own size!” He says as his fist connects with the creature.

As soon as Gunslinger went into the drink Slugger jumps into action he wasn't going to lose the last of his of pod brothers. “ Gunslinger don’t you dare drown on me!” He shouts as he turns his Z-6 around like he did on Kamino and starts swinging it around like a bat to hit the monster that took his brother under the water, he misses but the sudden thrashing does startle the creature.

Considering the fact that he is far from a Melee Commando or the likes, CT-4077 carefully wades back a bit. There he finds the calm to take aim, not at the parts of the creature that was grappling with Gunslinger, but a bulge somewhat deeper in the murky water. One shot, well placed. The gunnery sergeants back on Kamino would have been proud of such markmanship.

From under that murky water, only a painful bubbling noise could be heard.

Trapped beneath the surface of the pool, Gunslinger struggles to wriggle free of the fell creature’s tentacled grip. Using his blasters to pry himself loose.. just.. enough... there! Not today, squidward!!

With his arms free, the pistolier quickly takes aim and opens up with both blasters blazing, ending the briefly horrifying encounter.

Exhausted, he just squats there for a moment, trying to catch his breath. When he can finally speak, he addresses the squad: “Calamari for dinner, men.”

Hard athletics : 2eP+3eD 3 successes, 2 threat, 1 Triumph

Ranged light/engaged/dual-wield/upgrade/dp flip/aim : 4eP+1eB+2eC+1eD 2 successes, 1 Triumph
(Second Wind to recover 3 Strain as Incidental, Triumph and Destiny flip to Upgrade, Triumph to activate 2nd blaster; 11 dmg (including Point Blank x2)... x2).

" Sir! Are you okay? Do you need medical attention? "

CT-4077 automatically checks Gunslinger's armor for nasty dents or tears, where bruises and lacerations might have been caused. The exhaustion would wear off eventually, but a breach in the armor, in this water and this atmosphere... No need to repeat that mistake.

As Gunslingerr finishes off the strange aquatic creature, he feels the rubbery tentacles loosen themselves and allow him to struggle free from their grip. The knotted mass of flesh slowly bobs to the surface where it remains, immobile. There is the faint sound of hissing from the corpse as if air was escaping, but beyond that there is little to make of it without further investigation. Fortunately though, it seemed that the squad had found another survivor here in the swamps, most likely more than the team had expected to find here. In the far off distance the sound of struggling and splashing can be heard, whatever was following them from the wastes must have reached the edge of the swamp, though it sounded like it was struggling to follow them through the dense foliage.

Slugger slaps Gunslinger on the back after he kills the beast. " Today's not your day is it." He says in a jovial tone as he turns Martha back round so he was no longer using his Z-6 as a Bat. " I'll take point this time, someone else take rear. I am not losing my last pod brother, you stay in the middle of the pack." Despite him not having rank on his brother to give these orders, he was expecting to be listened to. He put a hand on Gunslingers shoulder, " Understood?"

“It’s Sergeant, and yeah, I could use a medic. But first, check out that... thing, before it sinks back into the murk.”

With effort, and an assist from Slugger, the squad leader finds his feet and remembers his manners. “Call me Gunslinger,” he introduces himself to the newcomers, “and thanks.”

“Slugger, take Point.”

“ Right away.” Slugger said taking the forward most position, “ Once we figure out what the calamari is we should get moving, I think I hear the living dead flailing in the mud behind us.” He looked back behind the group to see if any of the zombie gungans were in close enough range to be visible.

" Sir, yes sir! "

Gunslinger is clear. First, CT-4077 wades back into the murky water and pulls the creature slightly more onto the swampy shore. There he looks at it. Rolls parts of it over, yet he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just a tentacled swamp thing the likes of which there are probab;y thousands of different types over just as many different planets in the galaxy.

" I can't find anything special, sir. But I'm a medic, not a xenologist. Now as to tend to your injuries. "

2777 finishes cleaning off his knuckles and stands at attention.

"CT-2777 reporting for duty sirs. I'm glad to see some friendly faces."

CT-4077 Kneels down next to Gunslinger and starts to work. In as much as work is possible. Having learnt from his previous mistakes, 4077 would not dare to remove a helmet or open up the body glove underneath the clone armor. This is going to be quite... difficult.

" Sir. It looks like you're seriously bruised here, near the ribs. I can't, however, get to them effectively, sir. I must... "

Then CT-2777 steps in, causing CT-4077 to be slightly startled, what with the odd occurrences from today. A sudden appearance to someone so focussed on doing his job under what would probably be the most dismal of circumstances.

" Stuff a bantha! "

With some frustration over the fact that the swamp and the air and the rush job, and whatever more hinders his calling, CT-4077 grabs a stimpack and applies it. Its extremely thin needle barely puncturing the sealed suit while injecting Gunslinger with its healing fluids. It immediately starts to relieve the pain. CT-4077 finishes the job with a small sealant patch where he injected the stimpack needle, as to keep Gunslinger safe from further harm due to the environment.

" Sir. Sorry sir. Not stuffing you, of course! It's just this whole mess! "

CT-4077 stands again, raising his rifle toready position.

" Ready to continue, sir. "

Seeing that Gunslinger was attended to he turned to the new trooper, " Alright Let's get moving out I don't want to have to deal with Undead Gungans while in a swamp. Surprise..." He says looking at CT-2777 " Stay in the rear keep an eye out for hostiles." Slugger looks to CT-4077 " Jumpy stay with Gunslinger and the commander in the middle of the pack." He looks to Gunslinger " Ready to move on your order."

“Alright, Cyclones. Move out.” (motioning to Slugger) “After you.”

Slugger once given the order readies Martha and starts his march further into the swamp, hoping to get to their target well before the Undead could catch up to them.