Futuristic Star Wars: The Last Platoon - IC

[Viper Actual]

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Besh, crew quarters

"Armory..." the trooper repeated in thought. "Screams ammunition."

"Armory first, then Crew Quarts." Prejet ordered.

"Oh, ha-ha. This heap of junk has been sitting here for years. I'm sure the armory hasn't been rigged to blow by some stupid droids looking to stop guys like us."

Dolkes and Gharnes- both dressed in formerly standard-issue Imperial Army fatigues and armor looked at Row first but were quick to nod and comply once Castus gave the order to form up on the armory door. Both troopers had opted to don their rebreathers and helmet goggles upon landing outside of the Sovereign Will though since then both troopers had mimiced eachother yet again, this time by placing the goggles on the top of their helmets- revealing Dolkes' somewhat nervous expression and Gharnes' stern one as the duo got split up.

Gharnes- being quite bulky and large- looked almost comical as he stacked up with the other troopers at the door. The penal trooper muttered something to himself before gripping his E-10 tightly while tapping the back of his own helmet twice for good luck.

Meanwhile Dolkes, now crouched and facing away from the armory, gave Sharn a quick glance before shaking his head.

He shook his head. "No charges. Not yet."

Gharnes drummed his fingers on the E-10 rifle in his hand, watching the exchange silently. He was a private- and a penal trooper at that- so he didn't have much say in any command decision, let alone much of a say at all in any tactical situation. Row's gesture wasn't lost on him and as such Gharnes decided to skip both protocol and years of military conditioning by placing a firm hand on Castus' shoulder;

"I can take point, sir."

At the same time Dolkes glanced at the Dharka and Crix, either attempting to gauge a possible reaction from the two of them or perhaps waiting for them to pitch in with any thoughts of their own.

Bronco darth Grim Wraithe Stjerna Kloudy archur Worthlessplebian

*​

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Aurek, starboard gundecks

"Looks clear, no contacts."

Rolled: 7

Indeed, the starboard gundeck appeared empty as Hailin entered, followed closely by Racksen and Kitressi. The three Death Troopers entered a large, rectangular space, fitted with a row of sealed hatches- normally protected by a ray shield to allow for the gundeck crews to engage in deadly broadside combat- on one side of the room and ammunition racks on the other.

At the center of the room were mounts for the massive broadside cannons usually employed aboard Confederate vessels though in this case most of the guns were missing with the three remaining ones having been stripped down. The ammunition racks around the room appeared empty as well, though a number of equipment crates and containers with CIS-stamps on them littered the room in the form of neat and organized stacks.

"Look at that," said Racksen, motioning forward with his blaster.

Seated next to one of the stacks of CIS crates were two B2-series super battle droids, though these two were sporting bright orange and white paintjobs and had been fitted with special "claws"-seemingly for gripping and lifting heavy equipment- instead of wrist blasters.

"Sharn is going to love these," muttered Kit. She nodded forward. "Sweep the room. Check the corners."

Back at the door Iessa peered inside, eyes scanning the room with a quite visible look of curiosity.

Solar Daddy

 

[Worthlessplebian]

He felt the gloved knuckle knock against his jet helmet, forcing Prejet to cast a glance over his shoulder. Codary had stood behind, sketching a sign with his hand. The experienced scout trooper recognised the sign, the significance of it, and why Codary had bothered to ask him. The ruined corridor's chill settled, Prejet suddenly finding it less cumbersome to breathe. His helm shifted, nodding twice, deliberate motions to acknowledge the jet trooper's inquiry. His tone had betrayed the subtleties of his certainty and someone picked out the nuance. For a moment, his mind harked back to the days of the Imperial Academy, to the dangers of battlefield stress. It was sobering, both the memory and the question. But he gave Codary silent gratitude for employing a degree of discretion.

"I can take point, sir."

He felt the firm pressure of a hand on his shoulder, but did not bother to look as Gharnes spoke quietly. Prejet's black-scorched helmet inclined to the armoury door, his hand prised from the blaster rifle, gestured for Gharnes to take point. "Open. Clear with you. Dolkes then cover us." He ordered Gharnes and Dolkes, two fingers assigning their duties respectively. The possibility of an ambush lingered in his mind, but regardless, the scout trooper would jump into the fray. Sharn could scavenge their wargear if they do detonated, anyway.

Viper Actual Bronco archur

 

[Solar Daddy]

"Sweep the room. Check the corners."

"Roger," Hailin scanned the room from their entry point, trying to give a quick sweep before a more in-depth check for any dangers. The initial glance brought up no threats, though Hail did notice the two battle droids seated nearby. Arko furrowed her brow for a moment. They were lifeless, and clearly weren't outfitted for combat, but the mere sight of such a terror from back in the Clone Wars gave Hailin chills. She couldn't imagine facing them in the heat of battle, their hulking frames no doubt able to crush her helmet with ease. Hail shook off the thought and continued.

She gave a glance back to Iessa, peering into the room. "Careful, Ma'am," was all Hail said, the crackle of her voice echoing in the rectangular room. They had units present here, even if deactivated. If there was a time where trouble could happen, it'd be here. She held her hand up to Iessa for barely a second before returning to her sweep alongside Racksen, clearing their own sections of the room. During her checks, she glanced more than once at the stripped down cannons that were left. Even the mounts that remained were imposing, like the shell of a ghost that had caused untold damage to Republic forces. Even if their timelines didn't match up, Hailin always wondered how Imperial star destroyers would compare to CIS ships such as this. The Venator class ships were just older versions, after all, and they held up well enough in combat with CIS vessels. Hailin was a devout believer in the might of the Empire, but seeing firsthand the weapons of war the Confederacy used, she had a short moment of hesitation.

Other than the neat piles of crates and an array of empty munitions shelves, Hailin didn't find much else in the room. She ignored the clutter of metal panels and miscellaneous junk that had dislodged themselves from the interior of the ship during the crash. She did find it rather odd the leftover crates were so orderly, but maybe some leftover droids decided to do some stacking after the ship crashed before powering down. Never really knew what went through a droid's circuits. Hailin checked around the final batch of boxes before turning back to the group. "All clear down the fore end, besides the deactivated B2's here. Best not stick around and give them any chance to wake up on us."

 

[Viper Actual]

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Besh, crew quarters

"Open. Clear with you. Dolkes then cover us."

"Roger," replied Gharnes, switching position with Castus to put himself next to the door. Behind him Dolkes nodded and rubbed his helmet as he moved to the opposite side of the door. "Stacking up," the penal trooper said. As he took up his own position he took an audible deep breath, his eyes darting between the door, Gharnes and Castus as he did.

"Ready," he said, nodding.

Gharnes turned his head lightly waiting for the go-ahead from Castus. When the Scout Trooper Lieutenant squeezed his shoulder twice the large trooper quickly slapped an electric door-charge at the armory door, frying any possible locking mechanisms as it activated with a quick buzz.

Rolled: 1

The armory door ported in two, revealing a deep rectangular room within. Dolkes entered first with his E-10 at the ready, followed by Gharnes who was also shouldering his rifle and scanning for targets. Lining both sides of the room were rows of weapon lockers and automated ammunition storage devices, with the latter being put in place for the much larger B2-series SBDs armed with internal weapons.

At the end of the room was a large spherical device armed with an array of arms and manipulators all centered around a large bronzium-colored metallic object shaped almost like a wheel of some sort. Gharnes and Dolkes relaxed slightly, as no droid or living being occupied the room with Gharnes about to turn towards Castus to report when a loud hiss suddenly erupted from the sphere.

The device was now moving, arms and manipulators attaching and detaching themselves from the wheel-like object until it remained all by itself. It clicked, parting into two semi-circles resting on a trio of spindly legs. Next up the upper part of the wheel deployed a thin head arrayed with three sensors, followed in turn by two arms unfurling to reveal two sets of dual blaster cannons.

Dolkes' shoulders drooped slightly at the sight of the Droideka.

"Poodoo," he muttered.

The optical sensors turned red and the droid enveloped itself in a bright blue bubble shield. Gharnes and Dolkes both dove into cover, shielding themselves between two separate armory lockers on opposite sides of the room.

Bronco darth Grim Wraithe Stjerna Kloudy archur Worthlessplebian

*​

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Aurek, starboard gundecks

"Careful, Ma'am," was all Hail said, the crackle of her voice echoing in the rectangular room.

Iessa visibly rolled her eyes in response to Hail as she carefully stepped into the room to examine it in more detail. "Don't worry about me, trooper." She shrugged and gestured with a thumb back towards her two bodyguards. "I already pay people to do that for me," she finished with a smirk.

The Quarren looked skeptical with his eyebrows furrowed though much like his more cockier Weequay colleague he remained silent, with both mercenaries entering the room to take up position at Iessa's left and right side.

"All clear down the fore end, besides the deactivated B2's here. Best not stick around and give them any chance to wake up on us."

Racksen nodded in agreement, first towards Hail and then back towards Kit. "Clear here as well, I have another door over here though." The Death Trooper used his weapon to motion forward. "Mark up the salvage and push on, Kit?"

Kitressi, positioned near the center of the room so that she could monitor both her troopers and the VIP, nodded lightly. "Affirmative. I'll place a puck. Stack up at the door."
She quickly produced a small disc-shaped object and slapped it onto one of the CIS-marked crates before turning towards Iessa. "Ready, ma'am?"

Iessa nodded as she continued deeper into the room. "Always," she replied. "Lead the way."

Kitressi then nodded towards Racksen who advanced on the far door, opening it with a quick tap at the nearby controls, revealing a well-lit corridor on the other side. "Looks like this part of the ship is in better shape," he muttered as he stepped through.

"Why are the lights on?" Racksen asked aloud on the DT-channel, his question masked by the built-in scrambler.

At the far end of the corridor was another door, this one marked as "Starboard Gundeck - Ammunition Storage" by the sign above.

Solar Daddy

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Prejet squeezed twice, giving the signal to set and trigger the electric door charge. The Scout Trooper looked away for a moment, anticipating the crackling of device's activation, a snapping noise that shattered the silence between them. The air became warm for a moment before dissipating back into the hard coldness of the corridor, the stench of burning plastic slowly rising from the sliding door's ruined internals. Not for the first time, Prejet gave silent gratitude that his helm's respiratory unit filtered out stinging, chemical smell. The double doors rolled open with a snap, sending shudders through the walls, knocking dust and motes of rust off the metallic rafters. Dolkes, then Gharnes. The grip on his E-11 rifle tightened as it came for Prejet's turn.

Prejet found himself entering the ship's armoury, barrel leveled and scanning the room synchronously with Dolkes and Gharnes — a perfect display of Imperial standarised room clearing. Serried rows of weapon lockers flanked the side walls of the room, and what Prejet assumed had been automated reloading stations, inclining his head above the sights of his rifle. His emerald eyes narrowed behind the helm's black visor, dimly catching the invading light from the service corridor. Before Gharnes turned, Prejet froze. His body stiff and rigid for a moment as the clang and scraping of actuators and manipulators echoed like a death knell through the silent room. "Move!" Prejet barked, almost pushing Dolkes and Gharnes into cover, before he flung himself out of the armoury back into the service corridor.

He pitched himself on the door frame, gesturing to the squad of the danger inside. "Droideka, droideka!" Prejet snapped. "Anyone, if you've an ion nade or anything, roll it! Their shields can't deflect low velocity objects. I'll draw its attention." The Scout Trooper issued the orders. He leaned over the frame, rifle up, loosing bolts of condensed high-energy particles.

With any luck, the Droideka's single-minded ruthlessness would be directed at him and attempt to march forward, if anything can't pierce its snapping, energized shields then Dolkes or Gharnes could slip past it and destroy its metal frame, the colour of rust, from within.

Viper Actual Bronco archur Kloudy Grim Wraithe Stjerna

 

[archur]

"Huh."

With a fizz and pop, the electric door charge did its magic and the crew was able to get to the juicy bits of the armory. Sharn was closer to the fifth or sixth in the room as he waved his rifle through the air, scanning each corner of the room for any traps, ambushes, or potential danger. Then, he lowered his rifle and scanned the room again with a more inquisitive eye. Shinies. Boy did Sharn love his shinies. It wasn't too often he was able to see antiquated auto-loaders with his own two eyes, but he resisted the urge to peel his helmet off and sniff the rustic scent of well-worn durasteel lockers, lick the maybe still tingly charging ports, and pocket every little halfway useful bit and bob he could jam into his pack.

He was across the room from the door now, eyes wide like a kid in a candy store, when he saw the specimen in the back. Its unique slender ball-like shape, the five ribs of the slim upper plate being dense enough, yet leaving enough space for its dual blaster cannons to fold in on themselves when in transport mode: this was undeniably a droideka. If it was in semi-working condition, it could even be sold for a nice amount of credits! Ten thousand, if he were to lowball it. Just as he went to approach, the room echoed with the sound of actuators firing, metal clicking into place, and three powerful feet touching the ground all at the same time.

"Move!"

Sharn's body shifted into gear as he ducked behind a locker, the room erupting into chaos as the droideka was activated, and it was pissed. He silently cursed the potential opportunity cost that went down the drain as the droideka spun to life and an ion grenade was called out for.

"I've got one!" He shouted, unslinging his back from his back and rifling through it. "...somewhere. Hold on!" "O2 mask, spare blaster, spare blaster, cred-sack, civilian disguise, thermal det, thermal charge, thermal hand warmers, where are the damn poppers?"

He yanked his hand out of the main pocket and jammed it into the side pocket, where two droid poppers lay. "Of course, I put them-" He muttered frustratedly to himself as his finally fished out an ion grenade. The sound of blaster fire already rang out and Sharn cursed to himself as he pressed the arming button, rolling the grenade across the floor and silently saying goodbye to any potential cash that might've been made from the fully functioning destroyer droid.

Viper Actual Bronco Worthlessplebian Kloudy Grim Wraithe Stjerna

 

[Solar Daddy]

"I already pay people to do that for me," she finished with a smirk.

Arko was thankful she had a helmet on to hide her rolled eyes. Even disregarding the potential of awakening some partially functioning droid, this ship was a death trap. Jagged metal, loose powered wires, crumbling hull plating; one wrong step and it could be anyone's life. If they lost their financier, Hailin wouldn't hear the end of it.

She peeked inside the hallway once the doors opened with her E-11D in a low ready. She stepped through the threshold right after Racksen, taking the opposite side of the hallway from him and keeping her eyes down the corridor.

"Why are the lights on?" Racksen asked aloud on the DT-channel, his question masked by the built-in scrambler.

"Maybe Besh found power controls?" Hailin offered as a potential solution, though her tone indicated she was just as confused as Racksen. "We've got ammunition storage up ahead, should be careful. Some munitions might still be primed." Hailin warned the rest of her team even if she was sure they understood the risks as much as she did. Once they approached the door, and given the all clear to proceed, Hailin once again managed the door controls and, if necessary, forced open the metal contraption to gain access to the munitions storage. As she always did, Hailin readied her blaster the second she was able to once propping open the door, and peeked inside along with Racksen and Kit.

 

[Viper Actual]

20 BBY, 1 year before Order 66.
Mendicau Prime, above the Verdant Valley.

​

What had once been lush, green and filled with all manner of flora and fauna had since then been turned into a heavily fortified outpost as the local CIS garrison had entrenched themselves in the Verdant Valley of Mendicau Prime. Small, sparsely populated and of little actual strategic importance the Separatist attack of the planet had come as a complete surprise to the Republic and its military forces.

Initially, the invasion of the planet was seen as nothing more than a way for the CIS navy to establish a staging ground. However, once military intelligence alerted the Republic that several key military assets would temporarily be stationed planetside a plan was quickly formulated to strike and to do so fast.

Leading the charge was Jedi General Kessi Sela, a Pantoran female, alongside CC-8827 'Edge' and Lt. Haldon Cadrick of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was a small but well-equipped fleet bolstered by additional Y-Wing bomber squadrons, veteran LAAT-pilots and a number of airborne troopers on loan from the 212th Attack Battalion of the 7th Sky Corps.

While brazen, the current plan was to overrun the meager orbital defenses and assault the CIS-base at Verdant Valley directly. It was a bit risky and the plan involved several moving parts, though as the LAAT shook and shuddered Lt. Cadrick didn't think too much of it.

Surprisingly the orbital defenses had been knocked out fairly fast, allowing squadrons of Republic aircraft to begin establishing aerial superiority as ground forces were deployed en-masse.

Currently, Cadrick was busy focusing on his own breathing, eyes moving slowly across the cargo hold and the other occupants which he shared it with. Inside the LAAT's transport compartment were- not counting Cadrick himself- nothing but clone troopers armed to the teeth, eagerly awaiting their mission.

Or at least that's what Cadrick thought as the troopers silently stared into the gunship's sliding troop doors waiting for them to open. He had no idea if they were actually silent or if they were busy chatting among themselves on a private channel which he didn't have access to.

The sound of anti-aircraft flak began to shatter and rumble outside, making Cadrick don his signature blank expression followed by him adjusting the navy blue officer's cap on his head.

He slid his DC-17 halfway out of its holster just to ensure that it had a fresh powercell loaded before pushing it down back. As Cadrick turned he realized that all eyes were now on him as all of the clone troopers had turned to face him.

"Orders, sir?" Asked one of the troopers, a sergeant- as indicated by the green accents on his otherwise white and grey armor.

Cadrick's eyes shifted between the troopers. Outside the LAATs began to unleash cannon- and missile fire unto the Separatists below.
None of the troopers inside the gunship were 'Shinies'- the Clone equivalent to a rookie- but were veterans who had seen combat at least once before.

Their armor showed weathering, scoring, scars, tally marks and personal signatures such as texts or nametags in Basic, Mandalorian symbols and warpaint. To Cadrick these troopers- these brothers- were worth every ounce of respect and every effort to keep them safe.

The LAAT shuddered again, which was followed by mumbling from the cockpit as the two pilots called out a new target. A trio of Y-wings screamed past the gunship, likely heading towards a soon-to-be-doomed anti-aircraft battery.

"Men," began Cadrick. "You have already had your briefing. You all know what we're heading into, what we need to accomplish and what is required of us."

Some of the troopers nodded, others remained silent and still.

"Combat is expected to be fierce. The Seppies have dug in hard. We will suffer casualties today," said Cadrick, eyes still darting between troopers.

"However, the enemy has made one fatal mistake;

They went to war with the Republic."

Mumbles began to spread among the troopers. Cadrick continued;

"Today we shall be tested and tomorrow we shall be tested again. The day after that we shall be tested once more, but we will not doubt nor falter as we carry our flag- the flag of the Republic- into combat and use it to pierce the heart of our enemy.

We are soldiers- brothers- and today will be a day of victory, for as long as we prevail freedom and democracy shall always prevail against tyranny and shield the innocent from evil."

Cadrick raised his chin. "Prepare for battle, troopers."

Several troopers roared whereas others tapped eachother on the shoulders. The sergeant nodded with approval, a sentiment echoed over the battalion comms as one of the troopers had seemingly patched through Cadrick's speech for all to hear.

"Good speech," said CC-8827 over the command channel. Cadrick turned away and pressed down the transmit button on his earpiece.

"Thank you, Commander. I meant every word of it."

"I know. That's why we respect you. Good luck down there Lieutenant, I'll see you and the General on the other side."

"Count on it. Good luck to you too, you're going to need it more than I do."

There was a chuckle and then a click as Edge left the channel. Suddenly the red interior turned green.

"Thirty seconds!" Yelled the pilot. Quickly the troopers and Cadrick refocused, standing firmly and at the ready inside the troop compartment. Outside, the ambiance of battle began to mingle with the roar of the LAAT engines as the gunships closed in on their mark.

Focusing on his breathing, Cadrick felt his body tense up with every shockwave and explosion that rumbled and shook the aircraft. The sliding doors on both sides of the troop compartment opened up, revealing a sky filled with Republic gunships with Separatist anti-aircraft fire dotting and painting the otherwise pristine blue horizon with specks of red and black.

Not too far away from Cadrick's own gunship another LAAT was struck head-on, its belly exploding violently which sent troopers and debris flying in multiple directions. The sight prompted no cheers nor roars and Haldon could feel the troopers standing by his side tense up much like himself.

Down below the rocky outcroppings and green hills of Verdant Valley began to appear in more detail with individual Separatist emplacements appearing just as clear and detailed past the continuous flak fire. The first LAATs were already touching down- with scores of Clones disembarking and forming up immediately within their respective squads- followed by a squadron of five LAAT/c dropships carrying AT-TEs.

The remaining swarm of gunships were almost at the ground and by now the Separatist anti-aircraft batteries had began to re-orient themselves to launch deadly flak against advancing ground troops. It was a brutal tactic that could prove efficient assuming that the Republic forces weren't able to get in behind solid cover.

Fortunately, the CIS forces had re-oriented themselves too quickly and Cadrick watched several Y-wing squadrons appear along both ridgelines of the valley, diving down towards the emplacements to deliver their high-explosive payloads.

As several batteries exploded violently Cadrick's LAAT touched down and he felt his body move forward in a sort of instinctive way. Behind him his troopers followed suite, with Clones carrying carbines, rifles and heavy weapons exiting the aircraft and crouching down on the lightly cratered deployment zone. Cadrick's eyes scanned around him, noting the surprisingly large number of troops that had arrived safely at the LZ.

Having deployed their forces the LAATs rose to the sky while their gunners laid down covering fire. Realizing there was no time to waste Cadrick rose up and pointed forward with one hand;

"Troopers! Advance up the field, NOW!"

* * *
​

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Besh, crew quarters

He pitched himself on the door frame, gesturing to the squad of the danger inside. "Droideka, droideka!" Prejet snapped. "Anyone, if you've an ion nade or anything, roll it! Their shields can't deflect low velocity objects. I'll draw its attention." The Scout Trooper issued the orders. He leaned over the frame, rifle up, loosing bolts of condensed high-energy particles.

Rolled: 8 (!)

After barking out his orders, Prejet opened fire at the Droideka. Showing excellent marksmanship- as expected from a Storm Commando- all of his shots found their mark and splashed upon the Droideka's bubble-shield, mixing it's bright blue color with vibrant red as the shield absorbed the shots. The red color remained for a moment, hinting that the shield generator might be an older, much less reinforced, model.

In response to the attack the Droideka moved forward with a rapid click clack click sound and unleashed a torrent of blaster fire at the ex-Imperials.

Rolled: 6

The blaster fire was rapid and absolutely devastating, grazing Dolkes and narrowly missing Prejet, Gharnes and everyone else that had made it inside the armory. Several armory lockers along the wall sustained damage as well though the sheer scale of it would have to be examined after the firefight.

Despite being grazed and suppressed the two penal troopers attempted to return fire...

Rolled: 6

...landing most of their shots, weakening the Droideka shield further while also forcing the droid to halt its approach and re-orient itself.

It was at this moment when Sharn, after some quick fumbling, managed to deploy one of his droid poppers;

Rolled: 4

The ion grenade carefully approached the Droideka as it rolled through the room. Unfortunately it lacked the sufficient velocity to make it all the way over to the droid, stopping a meter or two away before activating. Despite not colliding head-on the ion grenade did cause the bubble-shield to flicker and turn completely red, as well as knock out several lights, terminals and panels near the droid.

Gharnes cursed and tried to squeeze back into cover the best he could. "That's no good!" he yelled, a hint of panic in his voice.

archur Bronco darth Grim Wraithe Stjerna Kloudy Worthlessplebian

*
​

The Sovereign Will - Fireteam Aurek, starboard gundecks

As she always did, Hailin readied her blaster the second she was able to once propping open the door, and peeked inside along with Racksen and Kit.

Rolled: 5

The door opened with a gentle hiss, indicating full functionality. Behind them a narrow but well-lit room was revealed with large racks of shells lining the walls and with conveyors connecting the racks to openings inside the walls- presumably leading to the various gun batteries on the starboard side of the ship.

At the center of the room stood a lone control panel which featured a single chair surrounded by an array of monitors, panels and consoles all in seemingly perfect condition.

Behind the monitors a lone B1-series battle droid looked up. Its vocabulator seemed to warm up briefly, producing some quick static and white noise before speaking;
"Hey! Who are you? This is a restricted area!"

Racksen- who was also peering into the room- seemed to hesitate and lowered his rifle. "Uh, ideas?"

Solar Daddy

 

[Worthlessplebian]

The confined corridor resounded with the hissing reports of blaster fire, the roar of their bolts seared the very air with a pungent aroma, casting monstrous, crimson light upon the rusted walls in the half-lit armoury. Prejet grit his teeth, keeping his rifle trained on the droideka, its shield a blue film playing across its bronze-laced, chipped frame. The droid reared up, its tripod feet thumping hard against the durasteel floor. Gunning its blasters forward, it unleashed a spray of bolts down the length of the armoury, clipping Dolkes and riddling the metal walls with smoking, blaster burns.

Prejet's eyes widened, throwing himself back. A bolt shrieked by, its red light flickering across the battle-scarred, scorched surface of the Scout Trooper's black visor. His breath caught, a cold sensation flooding his lungs, the rifle in his hands trembled, gripped with terror. He shunted the invasive feeling aside and shook his head. Then came the actinic crackle of the ion grenade, unleashing an electric charge, snapping in its wake.

The armour was plunged into near-darkness, the faint light of their corridor filtered into the room, silhouetting Prejet and his troopers outside. The droideka's bubble shield turned a smouldering crimson like a burning red dwarf in the twilight of its life amidst starless space. Prejet felt his grip tighten around his blaster, face twisted with a snarl. "Keep firing!" He snapped, voice possessed with a fervid flame, convictions ablaze. "Its shield is almost shorted!"

 

[Solar Daddy]

Oblivious to the horrific problems Fireteam Besh currently faced, Hailin peered into the next room alongside her companions and spotted the lone battle droid. Hailin furrowed her brow and raised her E-11D at it, half of her frame hidden behind the door's strut. With her vocabulary scrambler off, she spoke out. "Hands away from the control station!" In a quieter voice, she spoke to Kit and Racksen. "That console might be able to show us a way to our objective, or provide assistance to the other squad." Hailin was unsure why Racksen lowered his weapon; the droid could easily wake up the rest of its friends if given the chance.

After a short delay, she spoke up again, almost to herself. "Not a good sign to see a functioning droid. We should warn Besh. Kit?"