Aftermath Session XXII

[baronsamedi]

We have arrived at Polis Massa, yet another planet I have never been to before. There is no way I can keep up with all these planets. I mean, we never landed on Mustafar, though if Jek was right there is not much to see. I may need these recordings just to keep up with where I have been. Anyway, the fight at Mustafar was rough, but we managed to get the prisoners and get out. Of course, we may have screwed something else up, but we will see.

Our pod came off the Sunrise just as it was hit by some of the Acclamator’s turbolasers, which was, frankly awful scary…I was not watching but Khayall saw it. We all felt the pod jerk even though it was no longer attached to the Sunrise though. Soon as we detached Namri pulled the Sunrise away to get away from the Acclamator, which was probably for the best. We were shot at going in but Darvin handled the pod's controls like a champ.

We got in the Acclamator's hangar bay and found ourselves staring down about twenty Stormtroopers. This was scary at first, until I realized they were far less competent than the clones. I shot down a couple even as I went for cover. We had our clones led by Tycho; Khayall, R5, Darvin, a handful of Retrosh’s operatives and myself, were there also. Khayall charged after the Stormtroopers wielding his new short silver and black lightsabers in his clone armor (which, I won’t lie to you, looked badass) while the rest of us laid down cover fire. Lucky, of course, lived up to his name again right off and was badly hurt by the Stormtroopers' shots. I was hit a couple times but it did not really phase me. Tycho, Darvin and company laid down heavy firepower and the Stormtroopers fell rapidly. When Khayall got to them he was a whirling engine of light, cutting a swath through the Stormtroopers even as fast as I could shoot them down. He did get hit once but not hurt very badly…he sort of drew their fire. It was not enough, and they went down fast. One fleeing one tried to close the blast door, but R5 had meandered up by that time and stopped him.

We had been in Acclamators for a while…our base on Yanab-Uru was one, basically, so we all knew the way through really well. This one had seen better days. We made our way toward the bridge. R5 hacked a blast door and we found ourselves facing a barricade of ten Stormtroopers, two of whom had set up an E-Web Blaster that greeted us with incoming fire. Tycho, Khayall and I were the vanguard so we received the incoming fire. Tycho managed to dodge out of the way, Khayall deflected it with his short lightsabers (Shoto, I believe he called them) and I, well, it knocked me back about half a meter but apart from smarting when it hit did not really hurt me. I think I made a loud noise but I know I gunned down the guy behind the controls. Khayall charged the barricade while Tycho and the clones laid down fire, taking down Stormtroopers one by one. The Stormtrooper who was dealing with the E-Web’s generator moved to fire it while a second Stormtrooper moved to the generator; I shot down the guy who went to the generator and hit but did not take down the Stormtrooper at the big gun. He fired at Khayall who parried his shot again and cut through the barricade…and into the Stormtroopers. I shot down the Stormtrooper at the gun when I fired again, and between Khayall and the Clones the barricade fell.

They had cut off the turbolifts but again R5 was there and hacked through. Good investment that droid. Lucky, Darvin and the remainder of Retrosh’s forces remained behind to guard while Tycho and the rest of the clones went up along with Khayall, R5 and myself. When we got up there were another ten Stormtroopers (with no E-Web this time) and the commanders at the Bridge. Khayall commanded they stand down, lightsabers still drawn. The captain sneered and said reinforcements were coming, and called him “Padawan.” I suggested that the reinforcements would be meaningless if the captain had already been spaced. Khayall took several steps forward; the Stormtroopers shot at him and he masterfully defected the shots. (I’ll remind you here he was in clone trooper armor doing this).

Khayall is totally awesome now. It’s scary.

He once again commanded them to surrender and began counting. I had been pointing Zoë upwards, but I stepped up behind Khayall, looking as menacing as I could, and lowered Zoë toward them.

The Captain surrendered.

Meanwhile, outside Sheela and Sigma apparently did very well against the V-Wings they fought, each shooting down two more after we got inside. I am also given to understand Greegan virtually performed miracles getting the Sunrise’s shields powered back up after the Turbolaser hit. They needed it, as a number of the TIE Prototypes appeared on the scene to attack the bombers. Retrosh had triplets from some humanoid race put in our gun sections Tycho, Khayall and I generally handled (Sigma initially handled one but when he got his Magnaguard Khayall took over) who did well and took down several, while Sigma and Sheela added some TIE fighter kills as well. The Sunrise did get hit again by a TIE but apparently not seriously; Namri’s piloting skills and Jek’s steady command did the rest

We heard back from the other boarding pod that came from Captain Retrosh’s ship that they had secured the barracks. The area held by the good guys, Jek and Sigma moved over to the Acclamator, while Namri, Greegan, Aya , Nika, and Elili remained on the Sunrise, and Sheela remained in space. Once Khayall and I moved the Imperial forces to the clink, we split up to check on the prisoners. Sigma and I apparently found the alien ward. They wanted food but were otherwise OK. We did talk to a possibly insane Geonosian named Vissex (who did not speak basic) who had apparently bunkered after the Clone Wars and still had some of a personal droid army left somewhere. Once we communicated Sigma was not my droid, I promised to put him in touch with Sigma’s owner when we could (we were in hyperspace by then and unable to hail the Sunrise.) The others had similar results…Khayall contacted me and noted his group also needed rations and he apparently spoke with a Sullustan smuggler named Aibell Mnayan, who was smuggling weapons into a pacifist planet called Svivren the Empire had apparently just taken over. We did not get an immediate report from Jek but soon found out why.

By the time I returned to the bridge, at roughly the same time Khayall did, we found Jek arguing with an older man who was behaving as if he was the commander. This man’s name was Rahm Kota, and he was a Jedi and, apparently, a jerk. I believe I recall Jek mentioning him before…the two did not get along at all apparently. Their reunion was not a happy one. After ignoring me, he argued on with Jek about…well everything. Apparently he and his team were to infiltrate the prison on Subterrel and cause a breakout from the inside. Retrosh’s, thus our, rescue interrupted this plan, and Kota was almost as unhappy about this as he was to see Jek. He did rein in his wrath a bit to apologize for ignoring me and notice Khayall’s lightsabers, which he was wearing rather than waving around by then of course. He quizzed Khayall about his master; he did not remember Namri really but did recall Paelle. He was…contemptuous of Master Paelle‘s whole Anakin being the chosen one theory for obvious reasons, and concerned when I described Paelle’s behavior.

Personally, I think seeing them argue would have been a hoot. They were both so dang full of themselves.

Anyway, He expressed an interest in speaking to Namri when we arrived at Polis Massa. The rest of the trip was spent with him and Jek sniping at each other. In time, we arrived at Polis Massa. I have sent word to Greegan about Vissex, and that meeting, and Kota and Namri, will be happening in just a few minutes once we disembark.

I think we need to go soon though. We need to be sure Ero is all right.

[Editor’s Note: Rahm Kota is not too bad as Jedi go, though that is setting the bar low. He and Jek have some serious bad blood though. I am looking forward to seeing this Ero Rameeda woman though. The whole crew seem to hold her in some regard, though it remains to be seen if she is in their hearts or in their hormones like that despicable Chuchi woman. It should be interesting to see either way. –R5-D7]