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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 12, 2010 0:26:00 GMT -5
Blades and Sticks
Surrounded by the sounds of whirring engines and the clatter of rain against the shuttle window Blades and Sticks sat around, patiently awaiting their arrival to their latest mission. Sticks still hadn't quite forgiven Blades for forcing them to leave Nar Shaddaa so suddenly and accidentally murdering an innocent hooker in the process, but they had to work together so he put it behind him. The look still showed on Sticks' face, though: deeply contemplative with a light scowl of seriousness.
"You doin' okay man? You haven't said much since we boarded." Blades asked, his expression turning friendly.
Sticks didn't shift and continued looking at nothing "Yeah. Fine." he practically muttered.
This sort of tension never changed their mission. They were mercenaries and soldiers of a two-man platoon. Sworn by a non-existent oath based on money to protect each other and accomplish the mission at all costs. And this mission was looking like a tough one.
They had been hired through an agent to be drop-shipped onto a hostile environment on the fringes of space. Their mission was to find a pirate base there and destroy anything they saw. With the exception of the pirates' loot; for some reason their already rich employer wanted this stuff confiscated.
Their main target: A trandoshan pirate by the name of Skosska. Despite being relatively new and small-time, he'd already made a name for himself raiding freighters. He'd send in an advance party in disguise to scout out, then warp in on his targets and attack in force, leaving without any prisoners. His most brutal crimes, however, were reserved for his attacks on wookiee strongholds. All the wookiees he ever scalped are now a part of the cape around his neck.
With all this information in their hands, it presented a good reason to take him down. But it certainly didn't do anything for the lack of knowledge they had on the terrain. Blades and Sticks' Special Forces training would have to come into play during this mission.
The shuttle continued flying and Blades checked his watch.
He gave his blood brother a light slap on the shoulder. "Time to suit up, bro. It's jump time."
Sticks nodded and reached down to grab his wookiee skull mask.
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 12, 2010 2:05:09 GMT -5
"I trust you understand what you need to do?"
Dropping his cigarette to the ground and stamping it out, Kurt nodded and smiled a bit. The figure of the hologram seemed pleased. Kurt didn't always like getting his missions via holo-network, mostly because it could be spotty and he could miss vital details. It'd been completely secure so far, though, and that suited the battle-hardened merc just fine.
"Good. Because I would hate to repeat myself."
Kurt's smiled widened. They weren't Kurt's choice, of course. The holograms, that is. Everyone else preferred to keep him on a world that wasn't theirs when they dealt with him. He wasn't well known by any means, at least not to the eye of the galaxy. But in higher up circles of friends, the kind of friends that worked behind the curtains, they called him the Hunter.
Hunting was pretty much what he did, although his prey wasn't any animal... well, unless you consider human scum to be animals. Back in the day he used to kill anyone as long as the money was good and he didn't get caught, but things came pretty close to a clusterfuck on a certain mission and he'd changed his rules from that moment on. Money wasn't an issue anymore, he had enough. These days, it was the sport of the kill. The feel of the kill. The thrill of the kill.
Sometimes he was asked to do other things as well, like tonight. Xizor wanted him to raid a pirate compound for supplies and kill everyone he came into contact with, then blow the place to hell. That was fine with him. He'd grab the items first, and then go for the blood. Or maybe mix it up a little...
Easy as cake.
Kurt shut the holo-emitter off and walked up the ramp of his personal ship and took a seat in the cockpit. He'd be there in no time.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 12, 2010 2:51:01 GMT -5
The light in the cabin flashed red, signaling the two mercenaries to rise to their feet. Both had by now put on their wet gear and blast-proof vests. As they snapped their parachutes into place, they went over the mission plan one last time before the green light.
"Okay objectives, go!" Sticks said, tightening the straps on his chute.
"Target is one pirate, Skossa. His resume includes ship looting, murder, wookiee scalping and using said scalps to make a cape. He is to be killed and his compound blown up." Blades ran through the mission file in his head.
"What about his crew?"
"They're all fair game. The real objective is to remove all evidence of installation. I'd say that includes people who've worked there before."
The shuttle shook and the two leaned back as it climbed higher. They caught themselves on the overhead rails and continued tying their chutes after they caught their footing.
Sticks put the finishing touches on and continued "But that's not all, is it?"
"Hell no." Blades responded pulling the last strap tightly "Contact says that any enemy property is to be confiscated and removed from the installation via skiff before detonation."
The overhead light turned yellow, signaling the open of the bay door. Wind and a heavy rain rushed in from outside. Almost no visibility this high up. This was going to be a tough jump, not to mention dangerous, to pull off in the rain. But it had to be done to avoid being shot down.
"Remember Blades. Arrow fall. Fifteen seconds, pull the cord." Sticks cautioned, flipping his mask down.
"Thanks bro! See you on the other side!" Blades called over the howling wind, flipping down his mask.
The light flashed green and the jump alarm sounded. Without a second thought, the two mercenaries threw themselves out of the shuttle at the same time. They held their bodies aerodynamically to fall quickly and counted the seconds to pull their cords. Time to go to work again.
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 16:32:18 GMT -5
Kurt entered the atmosphere and slowed the ship down considerably, not wanting to be picked up by any planetary monitoring systems. He flipped some switches on the console and activated his cloak, gripping the ship controls and bringing him in for a landing.
Halfway down, the computer started beeping at him. He brought up the holo-map and looked at the blinking dot that indicated where the stronghold was. Just a short ways north. As he watched, a pair of dots appeared on the edge of the map and just as quickly they vanished again, making him feel slightly puzzled. What was that?
No matter, he had more important things to attend to. He landed the ship carefully, as to not send up a huge cloud of dust. Once completed, he unbuckled his restraints and grabbed his weapons, suiting up for the mission ahead. It was quiet, so that meant he hadn't been found. Good.
The air wasn't that bad, but he'd tasted better. Inserting filters into his nostrils for a better smell, he set off for the stronghold to complete his mission. Get in, get the stuff, and blow the place to hell.
All there was to it.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 17:07:18 GMT -5
The drop into the danger zone was successful and linked up after locating their drop point equipment with their rifles and equipment. Blades had his usual dual pistols, E-3 assault rifle and Rose at hand. Sticks however, took a much more heavy-handed approach this time and upgraded his weapons to suit the task. He now carried a heavy pistol, assault rifle and a Plex missile launcher.
"Ain't no pirates gonna be left after that thing goes off, huh?" Blades quipped loading his guns. Sticks exhaled and nodded his head in agreement, the two of them headed off.
According to their map, the two were still a few clicks west of the target compound. It was unapproachable from any closer because there were Plex turrets surrounding the area. No longer a threat, however, these turrets would be disabled once the base blew and the shuttle would be able to pick them up with no trouble.
The planet was certainly a good place to disguise a pirate base. The rain forest covered ninety-some percent of the surface and the rain was very consistent, giving the surface a thick canopy to shield it from prying eyes. The surface of the planet even reminded the two of them of home. Except there didn't seem to be any flesh-melting swamp fish disguised as rocks.
After getting underway and navigating over hills and through raging rivers, they were alerted by their map that they had breached the estimated outer boundaries of the compound. Guards would now be an issue.
Before they went any further, they decided to rest and have some rations. Maybe it was the gravity or something in the air, but they both felt more tired than usual. They pulled out their military surplus MREs at random and held them upside down to play a little game.
"Ready, go." Blades whispered. Simultaneously, they ripped open the string on the casing and opened their rations at the same time. Blades got dried fruit slices and Sticks crackers and jam. As they sat there and ate, Sticks remained unusually quiet. His mask was only partially flipped up, obscuring all but his mouth from view which still had a serious look.
"All right Sticks, talk to me babe. Something is definitely bothering you and we can't have that." Blades leaned in and whispered to avoid being drowned out by the sound of the rain. After a few seconds of silence, Sticks closed his MRE and flipped his mask all the way up.
"Blades. Remember when we were first cadets?" Blades shrugged slightly and nodded. He was about to continue when a tiny zinging sound hit Sticks' ear and slowly got louder. Acting on instinct, he tackled Blades to the ground. "GET DOWN!"
His instincts were correct, just as they hit the ground a bolt hit the tree next to them, sending sparks into the air. The two flipped their masks down and rushed down the hill in front of them to get cover.
"What in the hell was that?" Blades whispered angrily.
"Dunno, but they obviously detected us for some reason."
"You have the missile launcher but I have the charges, we separate the lock from the key and split up."
"I'll take the north, you go south and hopefully we lose them. We meet up and signal with two pings."
The exchange took place so quickly that by the time the perimeter guards arrived, they had already split. Several guards got a visual on Blades and followed him southwest. They obviously were much more used to the terrain because even at a sprinting pace, they closed in on Blades and began to shoot. Skillfully, he dodged and weaved around trees.
This continued for a couple miles and Blades found a place which seemed good for making a stand. Vaulting over a large boulder, he readied his rifle and fired in the direction of the incoming pirates.
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 17:43:16 GMT -5
Kurt was sprinting for the base, leaping over logs and ducking under extending tree branches and various vines. A man of his caliber had to be agile, because there was no room for anything less. His breathing stayed regular, not loud and harsh.
The gunfire did catch him off guard, making him almost misstep and slip. He ran for the nearest tree and peeked around it, watching the guards chase the man through the brush. He instinctively drew his weapon, the rifle in his hands and aimed at the closest target in seconds. He held his breath, time seeming to slow for a second. Crosshairs over the head, between the eyes... pull the trigger.
The guard's head exploded, a bloody mess to adorn the forest floor. The enemy now alerted to his presence, Kurt put the rifle away and grabbed his knife, breaking into a run. He launched himself off the ground with one foot, raising the knife over his head, his lips drawn back into a feral grin. Gravity did the rest; the guard was dead before the blade was hilt-deep.
He didn't bother pulling the knife out, because there wasn't enough time. Instead he drew his pistol and fired.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 19:28:03 GMT -5
Now that he was behind the boulder, Blades had the drop on the pirates. The heavy rain may have presented an obstruction to both parties' sights, but the pirates were not wearing any type of camouflage and were easy to discern from the foliage and downpour.
Blades let loose several bursts of automatic fire and hit two of the guards in the stomach and thighs. They cried out loudly and fell down, one of them groaning a little longer before he died. The remaining three continued to charge. Blades held down the trigger and let loose one long burst of suppressive fire, forcing them to take cover behind several trees.
The two sides continued to trade fire back and forth. Blades no longer felt tired.
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 19:36:49 GMT -5
The pirates ran for cover before Kurt could take down any more. He too ran for the nearest tree, calling out the man they'd been chasing.
"Hey you!"
Once the man looked over, Kurt made a series of hand gestures to point out where the enemies were. This was to avoid calling out their positions and causing them to move somewhere else.
Kurt reloaded his weapon and moved out into the open, dropping into a crouch. The pirate on the right peeked around, allowing Kurt to pick him off.
It's almost like child's play, he thought.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 20:16:13 GMT -5
Blades was surprised in his adrenaline high to see someone he hadn't noticed before in a position to flank him. He almost drew his weapon on the man but stopped and quickly ducked for cover when he saw the hand signals being given to him.
Before the other man dropped to one knee and fired, Blades hand-signaled back "I count three. Armed with rifles."
When the pirate was picked off, the attention turned to the other soldier. Blades used this opportunity to go prone and crawl out from behind the boulder. Staying as stealth as possible, he slowly got to his knees and walked around the trees behind the remaining pirates. Just as he was hoping it would be, their attention had completely turned to the other man.
Blades' finger jerked back on the trigger, rapidly shooting the two pirates in the back and killing them. Once they fell and he had checked their bodies for movement, he called over to his mystery guest "We're all clear! Get over here, I wanna talk to ya!"
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 21:00:19 GMT -5
Kurt watched the pirates go down and he smiled. Job well done.
He bent down and picked up one of the guards by the collar, wrapping his hand around the hilt of the knife and pulling it free. He wiped it clean on the grass and sheathed it, walking towards the other man as he did so.
"What the hell brings you to this place?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow. He was surprised to see anyone else here besides the guards, since this was a secluded place, after all. This guy was up to something.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 21:09:02 GMT -5
"I could ask the same of you." Blades retorted, flipping up his mask "You look a little well-equipped to be one of the pirates and too damn smart." He paused momentarily to check his rifle and reload it. "Look, it's pretty obvious you're not an ally of these guys otherwise you would have blasted me or passed me by... You trying to blow something up?"
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 21:21:30 GMT -5
"As a matter of fact... I am," Kurt replied. "Maybe a few other things, too."
Kurt looked to the east, did some math in his head, and then looked back at the man. "Did you come here by yourself?" he inquired.
Kurt started walking towards the stronghold as they talked. No sense in wasting time.
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 21:29:41 GMT -5
"Maybe, maybe not. But if you are what I'm hoping you are, then we'd be better to work together." Blades said flipping his mask back down "So how about for now we just form an unspoken, mutally non-committal, no shooting each other pact? We'll both just go our separate ways to where each of us is supposed to be heading and if we end up seeing each other again, well..."
Blades winked "So much the better. I'm Blades by the way, in case I don't see you again."
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Post by Revan Jast on Feb 13, 2010 21:36:49 GMT -5
Kurt nodded. "Kurt Jervada. I won't shoot you if you don't shoot me."
He started jogging for the stronghold, then stopped and turned around. "Whatever the fuck you're doing out here, good luck with it. If I ever see you on some backwater world, I'll buy you a drink."
He started off, but paused one last time. "Make sure your friend knows not to put a bullet in my back." He smiled. "If you're wondering how I knew you were being shady, it was your tone. That mask only helps so much."
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Post by RobbyL9 on Feb 13, 2010 21:46:55 GMT -5
"Oh, really? Didn't intend that. I just wear this thing because the girls love it." Blades remarked, jogging alongside and turning his voice feminine "'Oh Blades, your mask is so thick and steely. Can I please touch it, oh can I?' Just drives them absolutely wild."
Not surprised to see that this 'Kurt' was unimpressed with his jokes, Blades went on "So then. Kurt. You don't happen to know a guy named Cravis Opal?" Blades asked, recalling the name of the agent who hired him "Old guy, pinstriped suit, short balding hair? We're old college buds."
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