The red glow of the Inquisitor’s saber reveals a snarling massiff of truly terrifying proportions, with a deeper darkness stretching behind it, extending beneath the boulder in the direction of the crater. “Breka, follow,” a small voice echoes from within. The beast reluctantly complies, backing into the rock until it is out of sight.

Hale waves off Evon, Nah, I'm fi-- wait, is that Fitz!? He's still kickin'? Huh. Guess Luks isn't in trouble after all.

After chasing the girl and the dog into the ravine Drogos tried once more to hit the Dog with his saber. Missing due to the tight space and causing a cave in at the same time it seemed as he might have lost the girl. Until in fact he realized where she was going. The Tusken Camp! “The girl is on route to the camp. Stop her if I am not there in time.” Drogos said over the groups communicator.

Roger boss. Slowdive! Luks! You're with me. The rest of you finish securing the prisoners.

Come on boys, we've got to cordon off the camp, make sure she can't get through. Hale grimaces to himself. He'd rather not have to be doing this. Chasing kids was not what he'd signed up for.

Slowdive speaks up: “I secured the encampment platform earlier, Sergeant-Major. If there is a tunnel, it is collapsed on that end as well.”

Okaaay... That changes things. Hale comms up Drogos, My men tell me that way's been sealed off. She can't get back through that way.

On 11/13/2019 at 2:07 PM, Edgehawk said:

When the Banshees mop up, they discover a collapsed tunnel leading into the rim of the crater, but the carnage reveals that few if any managed to escape that way. There is still no sign of the massiffs they had seen earlier, so it is possible the small tunnel simply leads to their den. Excavating the tunnel will take time, if that avenue is to be pursued.

Lieutenant Commander Cani Patral has had quite enough of this girl and her pet, and is determined to salvage what is left of her engineering operation and first command. She had ordered the task force’s shuttle to remain below, guarding the engineering platform, during the airspeeder battle.

“Sergeant Arkmeda, you may take the Stormcrow up above the rim, make sure I do not receive any more surprises.” With that, she hops into a power loader and proceeds to the encampment platform she had decimated earlier, where she begins to unceremoniously dig out the tunnel.

Seeing that Patral is excavating the tunnel, Hale signals to his men and heads over to the site, picking up his rifle on the way. Set for stun. We're taking her alive. That goes double for you, Luks. He looks down at his rifle and double-checks the switch, just to be sure. Securely in the stun position.

Climbing his way out of the Ravine the Fourth Brother dashes as quickly as he can back to the Tusken Camp. He knew where the Girl was headed he just needed to beat her there, She would be faster except for the fact that her mangy mutt would slow her down allowing Drogos all the time he needed if he hurried.

With the encampment entrance being excavated and the airspeeder's crew being handled Briar headed back to the encampment keeping an cautious eye out for more unwanted surprises in a day filled with them.

What happens next is not a surprise, but it happens quickly. Lt.Cdr. Patral is digging away furiously into the rim at the back of the encampment platform, when suddenly she appears to be forced back a step. A small figure in Tusken garb rises to stand before her, arms outstretched. The massiff nudges past and lunges at the officer in the powered suit, bowling her over. Closing its powerful jaws around the woman’s throat, the girl’s voice gives it pause. “Breka, Hold!” The massiff keeps its jaws clenched, but does not bite down.

For the girl has seen the imperial reception awaiting them. As her eyes adjust to the lighting outside the tunnel, she knows there is no escape. And when she senses the bantha nearby, barely alive amidst the wreckage, any will to fight leaves her and she goes to it. Nabi?!

The bejeweled mask of the shamanka has fallen away to reveal a human girl, perhaps nine years of age, certainly no more than ten. Green eyes flash from a dusky olive complexion, framed in unruly dark hair, as she strides heedlessly toward her bonded animal in need.

The Fourth Brother having reached the Tusken camp bounds up towards the girl. “Call the hound off.” He demands and notices that the Bantha means a lot to the Girl. “If it hurts the Lieutenant, The Bantha feels my fury.” He ignited one blade of his saber.

“Breka, Come!” The girl doesn’t break stride as she calls the beast off. Arriving at the wreckage, she kneels by her fallen companion. “Oh, Nabi.”

Knowing what she must do, she places her hands upon the shaggy creature, and shares its pain, takes its suffering and absorbs it into her own body and psyche. Alas, it is too much for the girl, and she collapses in a heap. The bantha however is invigorated, and musters the strength to free itself from the wreckage and rise. Lowering its massive head to the girl on the ground, it lets out a mournful bleat and nuzzles her gently.

He turns off his blade as the girl complies, then turns on his communicator. “The Girl has incapacitated herself, by healing her pet. Come here and help secure her” He commanded.

Yes sir. Hale turns to his squad, Cover that massif. He sets his rifle down, again, and walks towards the girl, being careful to not seem threatening. He bends down and gently picks her up, before walking back towards the group. Where do you want me to take her, boss?

“To the ship. Give the girl a comfortable room.” He says to Hale looking at the unconscious girl in his arms. “She is not out prisoner... yet. Doctor, I need you to tend to her self inflicted wounds, her amateurish force healing has caused her to become incapacitated.”

Hale nods, and feels slightly, if only slightly, relieved at this and heads off towards the Stormcrow with the girl in his arms.

Upon reaching his destination, he sets her down gently onto the cot and heads back out to the others. What now, boss?

“We wait for the Doctor to tend to her wounds. Then we continue our hunt of the Pirate Queen.” He says matter of factly while looking off in the distance. “Veitra should stay with the girl, keep her from leaving, the rest of us will join me on the Hunt.”

On 1/4/2020 at 8:04 AM, Edgehawk said:

(Holocomm displays show a familiar figure, flanked by her crimson guard). ”Task Force 75, This is Baroness Venlana Sipal. Recent changes in Consortium leadership forced me to reconsider the offer I had been given, and the Veiled Sorority has welcomed me into its ranks after all. My crew has taken the IPD Intrepid, the empire’s only capital ship in this sector. I have the deck and the conn. The ship was taken with minimal casualties, and your officers and crew need not die. My mistress the Pirate Queen wants the girl. I want my lieutenant Porel Vakra. You have one hour to deliver them, or further casualties will ensue. Needless to say, we are not permitting ships or transmissions to escape Saleucami space at this time. One hour.” A cursory check confirms that the message did indeed originate on the Adz-class destroyer they had reported to.

“I know you’re busy down there, but did you all see this? Sending audio to your comlinks now. Standby for transmission...” Knowing they don’t have much time, Sergeant Arkmeda relays the ultimatum to the rest of the team.

Well, kriff... This is a fine mess, ain't it. What now agent? This'd be your area of expertise, right? And we've still got that stealth-rigged walker running around.

"Well... uh... normally ISB field agents arrest the traitors to face justice, or if a ship is lost, then generally the ship is destroyed, if considered unimportant, or boarded and retaken." Briar paused to take a deep breath. "But, in both of those situations agents are not generally dealing with hostages. So, we will have to find a way around that, since we clearly cannot hand over the girl to this brigand." This day just gets worse and worse.

Evon has barely got the time to realise he won't be able to reverse engineer Fitzsimmons' collar without proper equipment when his comlink comes to life with the brother's strict voice:

14 hours ago, Shlambate said:

Doctor, I need you to tend to her self inflicted wounds, her amateurish force healing has caused her to become incapacitated.”

,,On my way, sir!" He gathers his equipment and quickly makes his way to the Tusken camp.

13 hours ago, Edgehawk said:

“I know you’re busy down there, but did you all see this? Sending audio to your comlinks now. Standby for transmission...”

Hearing the recent develpoments made Evon lost his cool for a moment. ,,Blast it!" - ,,Life was so much simpler on Ord Mantell..." - he thought.

Wheeling the character back around to the base, Den sets it down with a rather ungraceful landing. It wasn't often that you would see a carrier bounce, but Den manages to not destroy everything around him. Hopping out he grabs his rifle and jogs towards the Hale as he gets used to being on the ground again.

At the call for stun settings, Den sighs and throws the disruptors strap over his shoulder as he takes up his rifle. "I'll never hear the end of that will I"' he grumbles as he checks the stun setting. "You shoot one guy and you never are allowed to forget you shot them".

As Den listens to the others discussing the developments on the ship, he adds his own view with a slight grin. "If we could smuggle a couple of weapons onto that ship and get me onboard, I could deal with those pirates". It's likely that the stormtrooper is overestimating his ability, but he seems sincere in his statement.

50 minutes ago, Rabobankrider said:

As Den listens to the others discussing the developments on the ship, he adds his own view with a slight grin. "If we could smuggle a couple of weapons onto that ship and get me onboard, I could deal with those pirates". It's likely that the stormtrooper is overestimating his ability, but he seems sincere in his statement.

"We are not giving up the girl or the lives of the imperials." He looks to Luks "Stormtrooper, Tell me what your plan would be to free our Star Destroyer and keep the Girl."

Hale grins to himself, Ya know what boss? I've got a stupid idea...

What if we give them the Twi, since we don't really need 'im anymore, in exchange for at least some of the prisoners? That might buy us some time and reduce collateral damage. Tell'er... whatever we need to tell'er and then figure out what to do with the girl.

If that works, we can always storm the ship later. My pet hasn't gotten enough exercise lately.