Scene #4011: Imperial Acquisition

Owner	Pose
Juno Eclipse	Welcome to... a place that is not actually Imperial territory! At least, not yet. This relatively empty corner of space is multiversal territory that nobody's quite managed to lay claim to, probably existing on the fringes of some galactic system or another. Out here, there are only a few dim suns and minor planetoids, none of them quite suitable for intelligent carbon-based life... but with life-support systems, that could be changed. Safely out of the gravity well of a gas giant, the skeletal form of a shipyard has begun to take shape. Struts and scaffolding cover the durasteel structures. Some areas are left alone, to be expanded later, and others are sealed off, with force fields trapping in cold but breatheable air and allowing workers to scuttle over the surfaces. There are even a few ships in the dock, mostly starfighters of variant TIE models. Out far beyond the range of the shipyard's sensors, a single predatory-looking ship floats in the void, well-concealed behind asteroid debris. It's too dark to be illuminated by the dim sun, which is exactly how the ship's pilot planned it. In the cockpit, Juno Eclipse is hunched over her pilot's console, fingers dancing over the controls as she studies the long-range scanners. Her eyes flick from one stream of data to the next, while every so often she sends a command to the engines, correcting the ship's drift or angling to a slightly different position to let the sensors slip around an asteroid. Not until she's positive her allies have gathered does she risk opening a local broadband. [Blackout to all allied ships. All right, people. See that shipyard out there? We're going to smash it. But before you get started, we're going to be selective about smashing it. See those empty areas?] There are, indeed, empty struts and sections that have no force fields and no workers present; one of these empty areas also includes where several of the temporary starfighters are docked. [We're going to destroy those portions. And we're only going to destroy those portions. We're not going to hurt any civilians if we can help it, although if it happens, I suppose that's the nature of war. And that's what this is. By doing this, we're declaring war against the Galactic Empire. If you still want to beg off, I won't think any less of you.] The blonde pilot waits a few seconds, fingers drumming restlessly on the side of the console. [For those with environmental gear, I'll create a diversion from up here so you can be dropped into position. All right, people. I want to hear all of you checking in before we get this operation started. I'm aiming for surgical precision, here. We'll go in, we'll hit them so hard they won't know what hit them, and then we're getting the bloody hell out of here. And for the love of the Force, I don't want anybody using names, here. Callsigns only from here on out.] Juno's grin is almost audible. [All clear? Any questions before we get started? We should have a few minutes before they realise we're here, as long as nobody sets off just yet.]
Kyle Katarn	"Copy that, Blackout. Non-populated sectors only." says Kyle as he comes in from Hyperspace. He's not far from the Rogue Shadow by space standards, since they can only really see one another via sensors. He's done this sort of thing before, but in much better suited vessels than the Raven's Claw. He wishes he could've had a Y-Wing for this sort of thing, but hell, this was always Jan's speciality. "I've gone to war against the Empire before, if I didn't think I could do it I wouldn't be here." He says calmly over comms, drumming fingers on his flight-sticks as he waits for the go-ahead. This is going to be an interesting mission, alright...been a while since he's been at the controls of a starship.
Kushiko	There is.. indeed, another ship out there. Dropping briefly out of Void jump, twin trails of bluish light following behind. At least until the ship itself seems to melt away under the cloaking field of Void energies (far different from the normal Void that the Multiverse knows and loves), the Liset providing a masked and encrypted signal confirmation. Silently the ship approaches, before within a proper distance that only one looking out might actually get the idea that something is there. The Lotus remarks privately to her Tenno; "It is doubtful that Archwing will need to be deployed. However, stay on your guard, and be prepared for anything." On a the narrowband frequency, the Lotus' voice can be heard: "Confirmed and in position. Valkyr will deploy, unless there is a preference for electromagnetic disruption in a widespread fashion." It's as much a statement as it is a question, from the sound of it, leveled towards Blackout. After all, too much electromagnetic power used, and some of the network slicing intended could suffer unless it's known. In the meantime, aboard the Liset, it's a sortof last minute kind of contemplation for preferred gearing. After all, killing any and all enemies as quickly as one can is a means of stealth.
Nima Kairn	Upon this massive, soon-to-be symbol of the Empire's strength and pride, apprentice Nima Kairn stood in the incomplete bridge, arms folded as she looked out into the vastness of space. It wasn't very peaceful there; workers were scrambling in and out with new pieces of flooring, grating, bundles of cabling, and so on. That said, the workers had done her a kindness: they build the captain's perch in here first. Her being here was largely a formality. There were no ranking Sith here to watch over the construction, so they'd tossed the job to Nima. It's a simple enough task, one that gives her a little bit more credibilty... something she was yet lacking, these days. Call it the curse of being an apprentice. Thankfully, nobody here had tried to do something foolish. Meanwhile, spinning in the void, the Fury-class interceptor, the 'Breaker of Delusion', swung wide of the ship's port superstructure, continuing a circular route around the growing metal beast. That's being piloted by her stalward companion, 2V-R8 the cowardly service droid. He managed to be convinced to join the patrols after Nima told him a dozen times that they (probably) wouldn't be attacked. Her other companion, the fierce Deshade, stays locked in Nima's temporary quarters within the incomplete ship, much to his chagrin. More than a few workers and security staff had reported terrifying sounds coming from within the room. Nima telling them that she'd bound a Force ghost to something in there made sure they never actually tried to go in and see what she's hiding.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa knew they were raiding the empire again and she was happy to help Blackout with this. She gets they are going to hit the shipyard. She jacked into the ship direclty as Blackout laid out the rest of the mission set up. She fully understood an agreed with how they were going to do here. The Empire was a living nightmare the sort of thing before unification she expected in fiction not in reality. Yet here it was vast, advanced and terrfying to behold. To say she wasn't afraid would be a lie. Stuill she was ready as was the bluenose. It wasn't a military ship but it was darn well better armed than a civilian ship might normally be. <<All go here Blackout, I'm not backing out on you now.>>
Kyra Hyral	Kyra Hyral has gone through great, great pains to disguise the Rafflesia as much as possible, between paint jobs and carving to the more sophisticated electronic jamming included in the ship (enabled via Juno herself, of course, who she trusts as far as expertise in this area goes). This way, the ship is pretty much a unique-looking wildcard no longer resembling the vine-encrusted shark it once was. Kyra's yet to rename this vessel. Furthermore, Kyra Hyral is not here. Today, Rabbit is the one accompanying the blonde pilot-the infamous apparent ringleader of Ground Zero. She looks exactly as she did in the video that was distributed to the Multiverse a month ago and even speaks with the computerized, text-to-talk voice when she needs to. <<All clear.>> is the answer that Juno receives from her disguised friend.
Juno Eclipse	Reaching up, Juno adjusts various controls, keeping the Rogue Shadow adrift behind its convenient bank of asteroids. The ship is already difficult to spot in an area of space with such dim stars and relatively empty surrounding secors, but one can never be too careful. The less she has to rely on the cloaking device, the better. If that burns out, well... she'd rather not think about that. [Blackout to Lotus. Actually, I'd prefer to keep electromagnetic interference to a minimum. While the data's not my primary target, I want to get away with as much as I can. If your Tenno can keep them running, they won't even know it's gone. I'd like to know what the Empire's been up to... and why they're building out here. One last question. How good is that Tenno of yours at piloting unfamiliar ships?] Juno considers, glancing at the sensors as she waits for her allies to arrive. The Raven's Claw is given a sour grin. Great, it's that scruffy mercenary---no, she corrects herself; he's a Jedi, even if he's an uncommonly coarse one. Actually, she ought to introduce Galen to that fellow. Maybe he can pound some Light Side teachings into Galen's head, like it or not. Something for later, though. [Blackout to Outcast. Some of them are going to come running sooner or later, but I'd actually like to keep civilian death to a minimum. Most of the workers here are probably Imperial slaves. While I'd love to free them, I don't think we'll have that opportunity today.] She considers a moment. [Heh. That was more for the benefit of the people who haven't crossed the Empire, before.] Eyes flicking to the sensors, Juno eyes the readings for a second. There's the Rafflesia. Right on schedule. "I knew I could count on you," she mutters, grinning. [Blackout to Bluenose. Thanks. I appreciate it. I might need you to keep an eye on local patrols. I'm sure they've got ships out here to run them, and I'm not equipped to counter them. I don't expect them to have anybody particularly skilled, here, so you should be fine.] [Blackout to Rabbit. Good to see you. Stay tuned. I might have something for you to do, but I'm not sure what it is just yet. It'll depend on what they do when we hit them. I might need you to help soften up that structure a little. There are some weak points in those struts, and I'll forward the information to your ship.]
Kyra Hyral	<<"The Imperials actually keep slaves?">> Kyra asks, proving that there's apparently quite a lot that she doesn't really know abou the Empire. In fact, basically everything she does know came from being around Juno or brief encounters with Darth Vader. After a moment of silence, presumably as she listens to Juno speak and fill everyone up on the plan against the struts, the radio crackles to life again with Rabbit's computerized voice. <<"Rabbit to Blackout. Just confirming-you want me to remain piloting for now?">> The voice alteration doesn't convey the uncertainty Kyra feels but based on her words it might be hinted at. Though Juno would know that they've at least practiced flying before, it was questionable whether or not Kyra's actually ever fired her on-ship weapons at something. But given the advanced AI of the Rafflesia, making a correct shot shouldn't be an issue...right? <<"Give the word and I will act.>>"
Kushiko	<"Lotus to Blackout; acknowledged. Valkyr will be the operative in play. They will secure any and all material they are able to reach."> At the question of piloting unfamiliar ships, this is something of an interesting question. To which another voice on the same general frequency pops up: <"Ordis to /Blackout/. Ordis is Ship Cephalon and pilot for the Tenno. We can provide remote link if my Operator is unable to directly operate the ship for unforseen reasons."> The Lotus adds, <"If necessary, Valkyr will operate the craft personally. Data can be pulled and we will support them to cover any lapses if needed."> Actually trying to keep track of the Liset is pretty interesting. It's one thing to use a cloaking device, it's another to rely solely on it, which they are going to avoid since to actually /deploy/ the Tenno will require the ship to temporarily decloak in order to disembark the Warframe to the field. Such as it were.
Kyle Katarn	"Keeps labor costs down if they don't actually have to pay their workforce." Kyle says over the radio with an air of weary resignation. It's no surprise the Empire has used slave labor around. "I'll do my best to keep from blowing things up, then. No point in causing more deaths than necessary here..." He can only imagine the amount of death caused from not one but TWO Death Stars going kablooey...and that's something best left not dwelled upon. The Force will have to guide his shots, should the targeting computer on this ship fail him. THe Raven's Claw has only a pair of cannons for self-defense, and it's not build for dogfighting, so this will have to be done before the Imps can muster flight squadrons.
Kotone Yamakawa	<< I'm ready to go. I get you Blackout don't put anyone in the ground we don't have to and I'm fine with this.>> THe bluenose swoops in with the other ships now as they make ready the turrets come online, weapons not common in this region of space power up, mass based weaponry the rail canons Kotone are fond off. If she needes them she'll keep an eye for local patrols and anything else and she'll do what Electonic warfare might be needed should it's called for along with Lotus though she does feel lik a bit of a small fish. <<You think a soceity that could build complex drones would just use the cheaper and more ethical options.>> With that last bit of c hatter she's moving in and making ready while she keeps an eye out for more trouble like said patrols.
Nima Kairn	"Scanners are showing nothing in range," 2V-R8 reports back to the working command console. "My third sweep is clear. May I please return to dock, master?" Nima smiles a bit fondly at the Breaker as it made it's way past the bridge. Most Sith might've been angered by this obvious show of weakness, but Nima felt no ill will. He was good at what he did, regardless: serve drinks, food, and patch wounds. That was really all that mattered. Yet as she was about to give the order to return, her smile turns into a small frown. Something was tugging at her consciousness. A slight tendril of ill will... The apprentice raises her hand towards where she can feel that shift, that twist in the Force, and closes her eyes. Her will extends out from her body, reaching out as one with the Force. Neither the cold metal surrounding her, nor the vacuum of space can hold her back. She's free... There it was. It felt dispersed and wide, as if there was an army out there, but in the center of the many was a life she recognized. "Jedi..." she breathes. Immediately, she's in action, slamming her palm down on the console for a general alert. Immediately, her voice pumps through the superstructure. "This is acting commander Nima Kairn. All ships, prepare for deployment. We are under attack. I repeat, this is not a drill. We are under attack. Destroy any enemy that dare come near the Empire's property!" In response, klaxxons go off all around. A signal is sent to TooVee to return - he can't actually fight in that thing - and the Breaker swiftly returns to the docking bay. Within a few minutes, the TIEs start making their way out in it's place, forming into patrol groups as they turned on scanners and such, trying to find whatever enemy the Sith had forseen. As soon as one sees, he'll send the warning to all the others, to begin converging. "Those who refute the Empire are doomed to be crushed by it. See that you do the Emperor's will," Nima calls into the console. Then she turns out her holocummunicator, bringing up Khem Val's manta-like mug. "Khem Val, we are under attack. You are to stay by the docks and ensure I have a means of escape, is that clear?" <You intend to run from this battle?> Khem Val snorts. Nima smiles thinly. "I intend to be able to pay them back."
Juno Eclipse	[Yeah. The Empire keeps slaves. More accurately, the Empire 'acquires' slaves themselves. That's how giant monostrosities like this come into being.] Juno's tone is a little subdued as she glances over her readings, frowning. Once upon a time she had supported this monolithic symbol of power in the galaxy, falling into the rank and file with pride; for a moment, she has to fight off a wave of disgust. How naive she had been, to support an institution like that. [That's why I don't want any of you hitting the populated sectors. Those people aren't Imperials. They don't even want to be here. They're just conscripted labour.] Her fingers dance over the console controls, eyes flicking to the next set of data readouts. If it were another pilot, this wouldn't be possible -- processing so much information from so many varied readings in a split second. Her mind is like a computer itself; and while she can be hopelessly lost in some social regards, she's a genius when it comes to the art of piloting... and getting into places she's not supposed to be. The trouble, she suspects, will be getting /out/ again. She thins her lips when the Lotus adds that information on. [Blackout to Lotus, confirmed. It shouldn't be necessary, but in the event that an opportunity presents itself, it's good to know. In the meantime, Valkyr would be best used as a distraction.] Juno breathes in, slowly, and lets it go with a sigh, finally addressing Kyle. It's just a single word, but it's sincere and heartfelt. [Thanks.] She eyes her sensor readings again, watching the Bluenose veer into position with the other ships. "It's not a wing, but it's almost a squadron," she sighs through her teeth. "It'll do." "Captain Eclipse?" The skeletal-looking droid in the co-pilot's seat looks up, photoreceptors glowing yellow. "Nothing, PROXY. Keep an eye on those sensors. I'll stay on the controls." [You'd think, but I guess an army of droids isn't exactly a great idea, either. I'm sure that would explode somehow...] There's a moment of silence as lights start flaring to life on her display, and her lips thin in displeasure. TIE fighters. [Blackout to all allied units. We've got company. Those TIE fighters are going to be a problem, but they should be relatively fragile.] She's already out of her seat like a shot, turning the controls over to PROXY, buckling both blaster pistols to her hips. Tightening them into place, she drops back into the seat, hands settling over the controls. [Rabbit, change of plans. You want to help me infiltrate the command structure while Bluenose and Outcast keep their patrols busy? We might even be able to get some of those slaves spirited away, if we're lucky. I think I can turn the security systems against them, but I need to get inside.]
Kushiko	This could become rather problematic, couldn't it? Truthfully, given the changing situation, there remained additional options just in case; the Archwing, the personal combat system that effectively rendered a Tenno into a flying engine of destruction was one of these; the Itzal stealth system and Fluctus energy weapon were availed. This could get complicated exceedingly fast. Still, the Liset moved out of it's position, cloaked and hidden within the Void energies; it took an extreme amount of energy for most systems to be able to pull something from it, and even then an exactitude of locational data would be difficult, as the masking subsystems ensured that instead of being a blank on sensors, it was dispersed. Plus, not giving anything a visual to go by was a good idea. That would change the closer the Liset, that spade-like ship got to the intended boarding point. Perhaps in the scramble as the Force-sensitives were related to, the matter of another kind of stealthy infiltrator would be overlooked. And even in the interim if they weren't, there was a certain degree of sensor and visual obfuscation that would make it pretty difficult for even allies to keep track of exactly where the Liset was. And in silence, the Valkyr rested in the coffin-like recess of the Liset's underbelly as the ship drew closer to a point of entry, awaiting only it's availability now.
Kyle Katarn	A few hairs on the back of Kyle's neck begin to stand on end as he senses the arrival of the Liset. Voidmasking energy, an energy force unlike anything he's sensed before, does bizarre things to whatever it touches, so this isn't a surprise in the long run. He tightens his grip on the flight-gear as he begins to gun the throttle, his ship's engines sending him towards the ship he feels something /else/ present as well. Not good, not good at all. The Raven's Claw doesn't have any of the Rogue Shadow's fancy stealth tech, or the Liset's void masking, which means he's a sitting duck compared to everybody else, though it does help with covering the others. The Raven's Claw begins to fly towards the Breaker of Delusion, laser cannons firing to get its attention.
Kyra Hyral	<<"That's just awful, Blackout.">> Again, the text to speech embedded in Rabbit's suit doesn't do justice to the dismay that she actually means to deliver this line with. But the sentiment is likely still there-Juno knows Kyra well enough that she would not be happy by some big nasty empire that actually uses slavery. Meanwhile, she starts to queue up targeting on the struts-at least until Juno speaks up again. She's silent, listening, before she pipes up in with an all too eager interrupting, <<"Of course I do. Where do you need me to aim?">>
Kotone Yamakawa	<<Civiliantion with FTL, true ai and a mastery of technology that ... I don't even /get/ the logic there.>> She understand there are slaves and hell she wonders how many imperials have a gun to ther back of their heads it's like being in a even more off the handle version of the Empire of America. She wnts thing to go off without a hitch but that's not how life is and she honestly knows this to be a truth about being alive. She had a bad feeling about this sh3 couldn't shame as she keeps up looking out for more possible torubl she did get edgey about things. <<Copy that, hows their info war? Think I can get into their patrols and play some havoc with thier computers?>>
Nima Kairn	Out in the Void, Kyle's attempts to get the Breaker's attention only succeeds in giving TooVee a (theoretical) heart attack. "Whoa! DO not shoot my master's ship! She will be furious!" The droid initates a quick barrel roll that brings him dangerously close to the forcefield-shielded ship, but thankfully he doesn't clip it. From there, it's a fairly short distance until the Breaker dives headlong into the ship bay, safe... for now. Nima, meanwhile, can feel the essence of many across her senses. One of them, the Jedi's, is fairly clear for now. The other one, however, feels so disconnected and alien, she can't quite nail down where it's actually coming from. Either way, Nima moves away from Command. There's no point for her to be there... Not when she can actually fight. To that end, Nima focuses her will and sends a psychic warning towards where she feels the Jedi. Of course, he's probably powerful enough to simply not care, but it's the thought that counts. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. Khem Val, meanwhile, has opened the door and come running towards the closest path to the docking station, his vibroblade gripped tightly in his hands while he nearly salivates at the thought of getting a good kill out of this dull place. Any Imperial stooge to get in his way is swiftly flung aside. <Move, little filth! There is blood that must be spilled today!> He roars, and the mooks go scrambling in fear. Once he finally finds his place, he stays there, waiting eagerly. It's almost enogh to get him to start salivating.
Kyle Katarn	The warning is not entirely ignored, as Kyle feels his head seize up for a moment. Even for a split second, losing focus while flying a ship can be a /terrible/ thing for pilots, and this is no exception as the Rebel turned Jedi grunts in pain. The Raven's Claw smashes into the deck, sliding along the ground with sparks flying everywhere and smoke from one of the engines. This is not good at all, especially as Kyle's vision goes fuzzy for a moment. It's like a mix between getting punched in the face, and blacking out during a seizure, which the rough landing doesn't help at all. He does recover in time to see a lot of Imperials present, toting blasters. "Great..." He pops the canopy open briefly, tossing out a thermal detonator before he hops out with a hilt in hand and a mask over his face. He /also/ has a generic pilot's outfit instead of his usual clothes, including a random pilot's mask to avoid giving away his identity as he activates his lightsaber. "Alright, come and get it!"
Juno Eclipse	The Rogue Shadow rolls to one side, ion thrusters lighting up just a hint as it banks toward the skeletal shipyard. It's a sweep of black against the vastness of the starless space, a momentary shadow against the stars behind. Juno's voice is subdued when she responds to Kyra. [Yeah... but it's not surprising. There's Imperial tactics for you. They'll do anything for the sake of success. And that's why I want to stop them, even if it's just knocking out a single shipyard.] She tightens her hands over the ship's controls, eyes half-closing as she falls into focus. "Focus, Eclipse," she murmurs to herself. "One chance. No mistakes." [Follow my ship, Rabbit, and we'll infiltrate together. Bring a weapon. I don't expect heavy resistance, but just in case...] The Rogue Shadow looms, before drawing even with one of the force-fielded areas. Workers scatter at the sight of the approaching ship, only to be replaced by three Stormtroopers, blasting away at the hull -- but even a blaster rifle is no match for the Rogue Shadow's hull. Aside from carbon scoring on the hull, the ship remains unharmed. A moment later, Juno lunges from the boarding ramp when it lowers, dashing and sliding toward the nearest stack of durasteel girders, which provide handy cover. Crouching under it, she checks her weapons, before popping around the edge to fire at the Stormtrooper. The blaster misses -- but it has the intended effect; he flees, presumably to go get more reinforcements. Juno meanwhile straightens and darts for the structure nearest to her location. [You don't have to, Bluenose. Ignore the computers; I want you to take care of those TIEs. Keep them off my ship, if you'd be so kind. Valkyr, I may need you to exfiltrate and do the same if you have any space capabilities.]
Juno Eclipse	Meanwhile, the TIE fighters are swooping around from their hangar racks. Predictably, a bunch of them peel off and pursue the Rogue Shadow, because it's conveniently close and also not an Imperial ship. Also, every Imperial in the galaxy and out of it knows what that ship looks like. There's an absurd credit bounty on its capture or destruction. Fortunately, PROXY isn't completely an idiot. He manages to stay ahead of the TIE fighters, leading them on a merry chase in the background. If there's one thing the Rogue Shadow is, it's blisteringly /fast/. Another complement of three peel away from the pack, gunning for Kotone's ship. They fire in alternating bursts; first one will fire, then the second, and then the third ship, all in sequence -- they're trying to herd the Bluenose away so the other pack has a chance to chase the Rogue Shadow. They ignore Kyle's ship and the Liset, for now; although it's probably a matter of time until they notice they're there.
Kyra Hyral	<<"Copy that, Blackout.">> Kyra responds crisply, guiding the disguised Rafflesia in after the Rogue Shadow. Her piloting has definitely improved, Juno will note, and she presents no danger of colliding with Juno's craft. Because of the placement, the Rogue Shadow bares the brunt of most of the rifle fire until it swings around slightly to hover. Instead of dropping down a boarding ramp, Kyra materializes directly from the ship, thanks to the Flotilla technology aboard. She appears in her completely black bodysuit (NO CAPE) that has been associated with Rabbit on the videos. There is absolutely no mistaking it is her. She is carrying a blaster with her and, seconds after getting her barings, she starts unleashing fire on the not-yet fleeing Stormtroopers. She falls in, rushing after Juno, being the silent shadow watching her back. The suit itself seems very quiet-even Kyra's footsteps are minimized somehow.
Kushiko	One thing that most people here unfamiliar with the Tenno are about to learn is the following: Tenno are /quiet/. No noise, nothing from them directly. Other than the Lotus talking, one might forgiven for thinking they were the ones here, not the Tenno's own Warframe. Valkyr is not necessarily alone when the Liset brings her close, taking advantage of the diversion provided in order to disembark from her ship; the circular recess in the ship revolving and allowing her to push out and to get onto the shipyard structure itself. The decloak and recloak might come off as something particularly odd and interesting on sensors. For Nima and Kyle, it might also be tweaking their own senses juuust a little bit. The energy that they produce and are enveloped in is.. not generally something't that's been seen or felt. However, given the nature of what's going on, the actual infiltration of the Valkyr is slightly delayed. Not with the TIE fighters out and about as they were. No, the Liset lets two things off; one, the Valkyr Warframe, and the other is.. what looks to be a piece of sleek, very high tech machinery, all compact and folded in. For a few precious moments, the 'frame drifted. Energy; lilac pink surged behind the machinery as it unfolded; the Itzal Archwing unfolded, the central harness attaching to the lithe-looking Warframe, reasserting life support and full capability to operate in the space environment. From this, came a weapon that as not so much held but braced as the Fluctus was as big as Valkyr herself. Wings upon either side, the placement almost akin to some kind of seraphic notion, if it weren't for the angular lines of the Itzal Archwing to be something more.. insidious. Infiltration-spec, even. <<"Archwing deployed. Valkyr will join you after the fighter patrol has been dealt with.">> And yet, even as the Lotus said these things, the Archwing-equipped Warframe moved at a blistering speed that was more appropriate to fighter craft, lining herself up at first with the TIE patrol--and then suddenly teleporting. A line of energy was maybe the only sign she had blinked /BEHIND/ the first TIE group, blitzing her way to bring the dual sword/shield combination down to bear on the wing struts of the TIE fighters themselves. Hopefully before they had a chance to properly respond to the fact something that was about the size of the eyeball shaped /interior/ of their own fighters was attacking them.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa is going to be dealing with patrolx all right she just not sure how many if them and the thought to invest in an ion turret does seem to be an idea or something akin to it. she's going to have to work her infowarfare harder it seems. <<No I mean I'll go after the TIES and shut em down if I can!>> Kotone thinks of a very diffent way of fighting then again everythyingis more wireed up back home than it is here? For all she knows the TIEs are heavily locked down either way she's aware of the ties and is going to she returns fire with the rail turrets and several missiles are launched. She must look horribly primative to the imperial pilots.
Nima Kairn	Nima was already well on her way down towards the docks--where she'd presume most of the fighting here would be--when her attention is caught by someone on the holocommunicator. Someone in the Imperial Navy. "My lord," he begins quickly, "A ship has crashed in subsection B-13. We are reporting some resistance." The Sith nods quickly and shuts it down, then turns as she rounds the next corner. A quick lift down and a few cold hallways over, and she winds up getting there right after the thermal detonator goes off. Her saberstaff flies up to her hand and ignites immediately. "You know," she says conversationally, "You're not very good at shielding yourself from wandering eyes, Master Katarn. I find myself wondering if this is how you've been duped and followed so many times. What with the Valley of the Jedi, and all the rest. Did you really expect me to not sense you?" She runs her hand along her lightsaber, feeding it crackling Force lightning that makes the purple blade jump and hiss for the power within it. Her eyes take on the sickly yellow glow of the Dark Side. "You're no gentleman... So I suppose I must start this dance off. I hope you won't bore me, Master Katarn!" To whit, she does, jumping forward from where she was, flipping elegantly at the apex, before landing a good two feet from Kyle and going in with a sweeping low strike at his knees.
Kyle Katarn	"I never tried to be." Kyle smirks. Guess that cat's out of the bag, but really he's always been fond of the approach of distracting the enemy just be /being present/ while others keep a low profile. It's hard to be subtle when you have a laser sword and mind powers anyways, sometimes. Assuming the Stormtroopers keep a respectable distance, Kyle charges Nima with his lightsaber. "I've been a busy man, guess it's hard to keep track of one's reputation after a while!" He leaps to evade the strike to his legs, and his lightsaber begins to clash against the blades of Nima's own weapon, the Force fueling his every movement and strike while Sith and Jedi face off. Needless to say, it's a hell of a spectacle as Kyle presses the assault with a flurry of additional blows that strike high, low, and sidelong at the twi'lek.
Nima Kairn	The fury with which Kyle presses his attack actually forces Nima to take pause; she's forced on the defensive after the second strike, a deep frown of concentration on her face as she pulls the Force into herself to wield in this fight. It's what's keeping her from going full defensive or being cut down, along with the fact that her saberstaff allows any parry she makes to be turned into an attack, so she can keep Kyle from taking full advantage. "Why must you Jedi always try to force yourself upon situations where you are not wanted? You lack subtly, Katarn." She grunts quietly with a quick smirk. She can't win in a straight up duel with a Jedi Guardian, that's just simple fact. That said, she has more tools under her disposal than he might. Their blades clash, emitting sparks and white light as Nima slowly turns the ble blade away from her face. Her left hand lets go of her lightsaber and points it towards her enemy. It's no Push; instead, a singular bolt of searing lightning flies from her hand, aimed directly at the Jedi's chest. Even if it can only serve as a distraction, Nima can still use it to whirl her saberstaff dangerously overhead before going into her own offensive, twirling the purple blade around her in complex patterns as the Sith confidently strode forward.
Juno Eclipse	Fetching up against a reinforced crate of building materials, Juno shoves back until the durasteel bites into her back, looking over her shoulder to one side. They're just dense enough that the blaster fire of the stormtroopers bounces off them, going awry and carbon-scoring the scaffolding around them. "Hey!" Juno calls, once she's sure Kyra is behind her and nearby. "Glad to have you. We're going to go hit the main computer core in the command centre. It'll be under guard. If you can make sure I haven't got anybody trying to shoot me in the back, I'll keep you covered." Juno grins, a fierce, slightly crazy sort of adrenaline-grin. "I'd try to take one of their TIEs if I had a chance to, but all in good time." MEANWHILE, IN SHIPYARD AIRSPACE: There are TIE fighters! There are several of them screaming through space and leaving ion-blue trails behind them. Three of them are currently trying to strafe the Bluenose and get a bead on the little ship that could. One of them sadly underestimates the little ship that could, and explodes when Kotone returns fire on them. The other two are made a little more wary by this development, and Nima Kairn can probably hear the pilots freaking out a little over their own broadband. Ahhh, TIE pilots. So brave. Four other TIE fighters are after the Rogue Shadow. PROXY is keeping them very busy by almost flying circles around them. While he can't shoot at them, the Rogue Shadow is too fast for them to even shoot at. He could probably keep them busy all day, until someone picks them off! He might be making nervous sounds while at the controls, because he doesn't have Juno's level of pilot training. Oh, and suddenly there's an Archwing in the midst of another TIE fighter patrol. There's really not much hope for them, and there's not really anything that's going to save them, because all four of them explode. This is good, because they don't have time to warn their fellows. This is also not good, because four more from the shipyard noticed the explosions, and they're veering in toward the Archwing, firing their phosphor-green blasters like there's no tomorrow. Their radio chatter probably sums up as more panicky variant of 'oh god what is that kill it kill it now.'
Kyle Katarn	The blades clash with showers of sparks and light, with several flashing arcs and hums as Kyle and Nima square off. "Because I look after my friends, I know how it is to face down the Empire all on one's own!" He presses the assault, using his strength as he tries to shove Nima off balance. That said, there is a problem as Kyle sees the sparks from Nima's hand much too late. "Augh!" He recoils in pain as lightning strikes him in the chest, and he backs off only to clench his hand in a fist before he winds up. Focusing with the FOrce, Kyle twists as if beginning to unleash a wicked haymaker before flinging a Force push towards Nima, waves of telekinetic might hurdling towards Karin while he lunges forwards to get back into the dueling.
Kyra Hyral	"Consider it done." Kyra says crisply, which sounds very unlike her, but may as well be part of her Rabbit persona. The less she acted like her regular self, the better, right? She would rather the Empire direct their ire against the leader of Ground Zero instead of some poor, random, white mage. "It's tempting, isn't it? But we need to focus on one goal or we aren't going to accomplish anything here. We are under borrowed time, after all." she notes, following at Juno's back. Her attention is hardly on Juno herself and instead focused outwards on their surroundings-but without being able to see her face, this is nearly impossible to tell. She sneaks along at Juno's back, her own blaster at the ready. As the Rabbit, Kyra's also careful to disguise or use different weapons since the Galianda-based tech or Lloyd's special gun are a little too distinctive to help Kyra stay in disguise. The two-handed blaster rifle fits well in her hands since she does have plenty of experience with rifles.
Kushiko	Having laser fire and more fired at such a tiny target should probably knock it completely out of the stars the moment one of them impact, right? .. you'd be wrong. For what it's worth, the Itzal-wearing Valkyr is pivoting and jinking, weaving an absolutely heinous path that manages to cleave itself out of the path of most flashfires of laser. It's one of them hits her that the TIE fighter pilots might be slightly worried. Because while there is certainly contact, there's clearly enough shielding on the man-sized fighter that she is seemingly encouraged to go /EVEN FASTER/ in response. To wit, she blinks again, teleporting upwards and out of the direct line of fire. Instead of her melee weapon, the sword-shield Centaur, she brings the Fluctus; racking the slide-like mechanism, she starts to fire wide bands of orchid-hued plasma waves. The contained energy waves somehow have a preternatural sense of where the Rogue Shadow is, the slightly slower moving waves of energy designed to give either some breathing room to the Rogue Shadow.. Or if they're a bit too aggressive, completely slice through and render the fighters to particulate matter. Thusly, it's a rapid fire series of energy arcs being thrown out by the Fluctus weapon, the bow-like oversized caster being employed, literally raining down a calculated /field/ of death. They are avoidable, but Valkyr is clearly saturating it in such a way that the TIE Fighters have two choices: die, or pull back from the ships they're pursuing. Don't even ask her how she's not causing friendly fire. Sure, the energy waves may come close, but it's more akin to her predicting with unnerving accuracy where they might be. Helps to be linked up with the Lotus providing tactical feeds too.
Nima Kairn	WHOOM! The rush of the Force around her catches the Sith unaware; she stands against it for a second, but eventually goes flipping head over heels several feet to crash back down with a grunt. Her lightsaber gets sent flying and nearly falls off, but Nima manages to pull it back to her as she comes to a knee. That's right about when Kyle comes charging in again. To whit, Nima ducks and rolls to the side before standing back up and reactivating her blades to clash against Kyle's again. Seriously, though... The hypocrisy of the Jedi was galling. "Yes, and the Jedi are so pure and noble? Spare me. Yours are no pure daisies driven from the field. You hold the same darkness that I do. The difference is, I've accepted it while your lot cower in fear!" An overhead strike is intercepted with her left blade while she ducked towards her right, spinning around so she could try to plant her boot firmly against Kyle's side to shove him away. Following it is a combination of attacks aimed at Kyle's midsection and head. He might even notice that the more times their blades lock, the brighter the flickering energy becomes. Speaking of which, that's when she flicks her wrist in a peculiar way--and another bolt of lightning arcs from her lightsaber, towards Kyle. It's got a lot more oomph than the last one, too, because it's been feeding off of the Jedi's own energies during this fight.
Kyle Katarn	"I never said I /was/!" Kyle's killed a hell of a lot of men over the years, both working for the Empire and during his days as a mercenary, and even as a Jedi his hands have been stained with blood...although blasters and lightsabers don't draw blood often. Irrelevant. He doesn't same phased by the mind games, instead he just tries to remain in the fight as he blocks another strike from Nima, just in time to brace himself for a jolt of lightning from the Sith adept. "Not bad for a student, I gotta admit...I'd hate to see you as a Darth." he remarks with a bit of a smirk, before he slashes sidelong at the twi'lek with surprising speed, the Force aiding him once again.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa is also sending her ship on the evaive now she keeps the turets firing as sh does take some hits, she does have shields which do help take the brunt off the attacks. However she now launhes several Chaff missiles trying to mess up the Tie's scanners and make it harder to target her ship and she goes on the evasive a she contiunes to try to tie the Tie's up some more and she fires more jammer missiles as she goes.
Nima Kairn	A vicious sneer comes to Nima's face as her eyes burn bright with all the accumulated anger from years of torture and servitude; it reflects in her stance now, more forward and direct. "You didn't have to," she spat as a counter. "You're fighting right now because you believe, undeniably in your heart, that you cannot be wrong. That certainty is the plague of darkness among the Jedi! You never once thought of another way, did you?!" She's losing her cool as the Dark Side claims her vision, covering it in the familiar red haze. She's noticing, too, much to her chagrin. It only becomes worse as, in a moment of distraction, Kyle slips past her defenses and manages to burn a small furrow of her side away. Nima hisses and falls back a couple steps while clutching the wound. The pain acts as both a stimulant and a depressant, helping her clear her mind of the fog. "I will only grow stronger from here, Katarn. When I am done, the Empire will know of my name and bow to it. I will bring it to true, prosperous glory. That is my fate." Spinning her saberstaff, Nima takes ahold of a nearby crate with the Force and flings it at Kyle, following up immediately after it by ducking low to swipe at his ankles with one blade, then using the momentum to flick the other side up towards Kyle's face.
Kyle Katarn	Annnnd /perfect./ Kyle's eyes glint with satisfaction as he gets the briefest hint of seeing Nima's rage grow with every passing moment. Every syllable uttered indicates how blood-lusting she's becoming as the two force-sensitives trade blow after blow, paired with insults as well. "You're deluded as the Emperor is, no doubt about it." He says, eyes narrowed. "I've tasted the dark side before, and it didn't end well. It never does when you start to really tap into it." His lightsaber splits the crate in half before he takes a leap, blocking the overhead strike while his hand thrusts out to shove Nima again with the Force. He hasn't gone unscathed through this fight, Force lightning and the odd scrape and nick from Nima's lightsaber have left their marks on the Jedi. Best he can do is drive her off, at this rate.
Juno Eclipse	It could be that the pilot isn't bothering to act any differently. People already know who she is, and she's already made her anti-Imperial sentiments patently clear through various operations. There's really nothing left for her to lose; if they get ahold of her, it's all over, anyway. She already knows there are fates worse than death in store if she fails. It's all or nothing. Some things are worth it. "It's tempting, but we've got a set of goals to follow. You're right. And it isn't as though the Empire has any shortage of shipyards, either." Juno grits her teeth, leaning around the side of her crate to take a few potshots at a nearby Stormtrooper; she only knows the soldier is there because he's shooting at both her and Kyra. Poorly, thankfully. Stormtroopers seem to be uniquely bad shots. She scoots closer, before signalling for Kyra to follow. "This way. We're going to have to make it count, and do it fast. Let's go!" Juno bursts from her cover with both blasters blazing, simply forcing herself a path out of her cover. The few Stormtroopers in the room are apparently overpowered, backing away, either to flee or seek reinforcements. "Rabbit! Follow me!" Barreling for the nearest corridor, Juno high-tails it for the command centre, where the environmental controls and main computer are. Even if destroying the facility is out of the question, sabotaging that should put the Empire back a good fair bit. And, let's be honest; it'll be cathartic for the blonde pilot, too. MEANWHILE, IN SHIPYARD AIRSPACE: The TIE fighters are quick little starfighters, but even they seem to have problems tracking the Archwing. It shreds through the squadron, even as it blinks out of their formation, leaving them confused and scattering in an effort to find her again. Before they can, though, they're being fired on. Several of them explode on impact. There isn't much left. They're not quick enough to pull away; they get turned into dust. Whoops. Alas, poor TIE pilots. MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE SHIPYARD STRUCTURE: It does't take long for Juno to reach the control room. Or at least, a control room. It's not the command centre, but she did manage to make her way to an alternate location, because it had less in the way of guards. Enough for her to wreak merry havoc! She signals for Kyra to follow, clutching her blasters close. "Here we go. Knock out as much of this as you can. I'll do the same and cover us." She ushers Kyra to the nearest console, and then takes her position at the doorway. Fortunately, this base is pretty poorly shielded. It shouldn't take long to wreck at least some of it. Maybe. Hopefully.
Nima Kairn	Kyle's a quick bastard for a man his age, isn't he? Nima grits her teeth as he jumps into the air, evading her first strike and blocking the other. He was up and over her head, and she was struggling to maintain control of herself. Therein lay Nima's one issue with the Dark Side. Once one's emotions were primed, it was hard to make them go away... That said, it did do one thing... As Kyle tries to use the Force again to push her into the ground, Nima drops her saber - which immediately goes out - and thrusts out her other palm. It forces her against the floor, but as her eyes blaze in virulent yellow, she manages to push up--and dispell it, turning the force away from her. Slowly, shakily for all the power that had taken, Nima stands. His conclusion about her Emperor makes her laugh out loud. "You know nothing about my Emperor, only the false toady that took his place in your time. Hardly a true Sith as I know them. As for me... It suits my needs." She actually has to reach down to grip her lightsaber, but grab it she does, and sets it back on her hip. "I think this fight is over, Katarn. Soon your allies will likely plant charges to blow the whole structure. You have won... for now. Unless you intend to kill a helpless woman?" She walks backwards, slowly at first, then eventually turns her back to start making her way back to the Breaker, albiet holding her side and limping. "We will see each other again, Master Katarn."
Kushiko	And with the firepower laid down by the Warframe was enough to make her decide now was the time to more directly infiltrate the shipyard itself. At least, that was the operating plan. Because in that instance of crossing the space between where she rained down destruction, the Archwing decoupled from her and the unit folding back up and blitzing away from the shipyard's structure once she was through into stabilized atmospheric conditions. She pulls her Boltor Prime loose; a briary-looking rifle from her shoulder and begins to hustle her way towards the last pinged locations of where Juno and the others were. And maybe possibly seeing what, or where she can hit with the utter chaos the shipyard's been put into. But it's entirely plausible the sleek figure may yet run into a defender that was not quite expected. In fact, that may well be what happens. Before pressing too further deep into the shipyard structure, the feline-like Warframe pauses. And waits, changing from that Boltor Prime, to a long looking blade with a solid light edge to it.
Kyle Katarn	Kyle can only stare in confusion. A DIFFERENT Empire? Another Emperor? Nima definitely seemed like she was from an Old Republic time period but to think there was an Emperor that made Palpatine look like the shriveled old prune he resembles gets him worried. Both he and Nima are too worn out and battered to keep this up, and so the fight draws to a close as Kyle deactivates his lightsaber, pointing to Nima. "I'll be waiting..." He grunts, before ambling towards his own vessel before everything falls apart. "Outcast to Blackout, I've done what I can but I don't think I can keep this up any longer without sustaining injury, or damaging my ship beyond repair, I'm bugging out while I still can." He radios, pausing before he speaks again. "I'm sorry...I wouldn't be doing this otherwise." The ship creaks and lumbers, but it does get back up in the air again, before he takes off.
Nima Kairn	MEANWHILE, DOWN BY THE DOCKS... Khem Val inwardly curses his master for leaving him in this place as she sought blood and victory. How dare she leave him as a simple guard while there were Jedi to catch and eat!? It stirred his blood in a way it hadn't since he'd been released by this tiny Sith whelp. When he gets his claws on her-- The sound of gunfire immeidatley makes him turn around, and the bullet... or whatever it was... pinged through the wall five feet in front of him. Immediately, the beast starts running, roaring in fearsome triumph. Now he'd have a turn. Kashuki could see him, up above about two stories up from the deck floor. He jumps down without a care, slamming loudly into the ground and springing to action with a swiftness that belayed it's size. <I will feast upon your entrails!> Comes the snarling voice from that lamprey-like mouth. The huge vibroblade in his hand twitches with anticipation, especially when it tries to come bearing down on the Warframe's head.
Kyra Hyral	Speaking of merry havoc... Kyra is, if anything, a good shot and happily mows down any Stormtroopers foolish enough to get into their way. She focuses on the flanks and the back of Juno, which she cannot reliably defend, especially once they've gotten into the room and are upon the consoles. Once there... Kyra starts with the smashing and blasting, pushing as many buttons as possible before the weirdness is registered and the access is shut down. Once the console is a sparking, smoking mess, she turns away to face Juno with a huge grin on her face. Not that Juno could see the grin at all. "Goal complete."
Kushiko	Not a single word. Not even a sound of breathing. Khem Val might find the notion a bit.. /odd/ to put it plainly. Especially when juxtaposed against what he might feel in the Valkyr, this.. armored figure that presented the somewhat oddly humanoid yet inhuman presence. No eyes. No face. The blade, Broken War, was twisted slightly. Energy pulsated, rose within her like a coiled spring as she somersaulted backwards suddenly, despite not even looking upwards, and that vibroblade met the bonelike structure of Broken War with a sharp, parrying action. There was strength in this one, the talonlike hands gripping the hilt of the blade sharply. Oh yes; this close up the Dashade could see it had to be some kind of alien bone that the sword had been made out of, the vibroblade hovering intimately close and pressed against the seemingly slimmer blade. She twists, throwing a clawed foot out in order to force some measure of counter, to probe Khem's own defenses with silent, predatory air.
Nima Kairn	Indeed, it was rare that Khem Val had seen an opponent who hadn't been intimidated by his size or his appearance. This was very clearly no Jedi, who would feel his resistance to their Force and thus be afraid. No... This one is new. With blades locked fiercely together, the eight-foot tall creature slowly leans forward as his mouth flaps open and closed contemplatedly. It gives him a second to see the subtle twist to the thing's hips that indicated how it would move. Khem Val, in his hunter's mind, feels it's equivalent to catlike dexterity. The blow lands, but it pushes him back only a step. It was like kicking a big, overly muscled wall. In response, the Deshade pulls back his vibrosword and swipes it in front of him defensively using his greater reach, to keep this being from taking advantage of his falling back. <I do not know you, creature, but I will see your head on my wall at any cost.> Meanwhile, Nima has made her way to the lift that leads her down to the shipyard. She's been trying to call Khem Val the whole bloody time, to no avail. Instead, she has to settle for calling TooVee. "Master, we're under attack!" She sighs. "I'm aware, TooVee. Where is Khem Val? If he dies, I'm going to make the most mocking eulogy." "Ah, well, it appears that he is fighting some kind of humanoid creature--" "Yes, yes, alright. Warm up the engines. Scare the thing away with the turbolasers if you have to, I'll be there in two minutes."
Juno Eclipse	Mission accomplished! Once the control centre has been left in smoking ruin, Juno flashes her associate an uncharacteristically cheery grin; although she can't see it, it's an expression Kyra mirrors behind her mask. She retrieves both her blasters, slinking back to the doorway and down the corridor. A few Stormtroopers require shooting before she can get back to the ship, but the Rogue Shadow is waiting for her; and the Rafflesia is still waiting for Kyra. Fortunately, none of the TIE fighters seem to have had an opportunity to do any more than take accidental potshots at the ships -- aside from a little carbon scoring on the Rogue Shadow, they're untouched. [Blackout to all allied ships in range. We've got what we came for; it's time to get out of here before they bring in reinforcements. Thanks for your assistance.] Juno allows herself another grin as she plops back into the pilot's seat. [Good work, everyone. I'll see that compensation is forwarded to you.] And with that, the Rogue Shadow turns and runs like hell, presumably to be followed by the rest of the merry band of thieves. Saboteurs. Something.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa didn't like where this was going she had triled ot disbale and otherwise keep them off them but it's not gone so well. She's going to worry about things getting wose. It's time to pull out however she hears the call it's time to go, they ahve what they neeed. Other than firing more jamming countermeasures? Knotne hits the FTL jump and her ship vanishes in a burst of light!
Kushiko	At some point, at any point, one would expect the Valkyr to say something. Anything, right? Surely there's a voice behind the predatory warrior? Not even a scintilla of it. She pivots slightly, her tail flicking behind her in an almost measured response. Every single movement, muscles cording within the auspices of the Warframe armor shifted in response. Catlike dexterity indeed. She twists suddenly as she applies the instance of pressure. No force user, but some other measure of power and strength and discipline resonates from one assassin to another, no doubt. Her body language refuses to give anything else. And somehow, despite knowing that one was kicking a muscly wall.. Khem Val, his hunter's mind might feel a thrill of.. /delight/, somehow? And then, there's the call to evacuate. She somersaults, her weapon sheathed on her back for a moment as she turns loose a cry, a howl of energy, wreathing herself in it in an instant. As if to warn and challenge in equal measure. That they would fight again, perhaps. But now was the time to leave, even as claws of pure energy extended from her fingertips. This was not a fight to linger on, which is why the Valkyr fires a cable of energy to launch herself through the docking shields, in order to rejoin her Archwing, flying off in order to be picked up by her Liset to enact that tactical retreat.. quite literally on a dime by Blackout's request.