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[For Smoke Team: Preach, Sirra, Winta]

GM

The rain worsens, heavy meleenium droplets drumming on the flat, artificial planes of the operating base.

A couple of kilometres out, a vast churning wall of dust and lightning extends from ground to the sky. It might miss the base but the wind is howling at over 20 km/h.

This only helps Preach, Sirra and Winta as they sneak across the base. Staying low behind battlements, avoiding camera domes, slipping over railings to climb along the underside of walkways.

Sirra moves like wraith, Preach and Winta trying hard to keep up.

At one point Winta's climbing back up over a railing when a Jet Trooper touchs down right in front of her, heat and steam rising from the thrusters of his pack. She hadn't heard him over the wind. But he's facing the other way, hasn't noticed her and walks off to rejoin his buddy. That's one guy the Force clearly hasn't awoken!

Until Smoke Team are crouched against the plascrete wall of the garrison building.

Built like a blockhouse, it has a fortified front entrance and a stoop on one side with a hardened sally port. High up on the building, eroded by weather but still visible is the rosette emblem of the Galactic Empire.

They are no guards posted outside. Hardly surprising. It's probably filled with Stormtroopers.

Winta

'Rain is good',she thought as she got wet.

'Oh ... s.. !' She then thought as the jet trooper landed in front of her.

*no reason to look behind* Winta instilled onto him as she used the force on him

She looked at the other two.
"Sweet talk? Or frag grenades?" She asked.

sirra

‘There is always the possibilities inherent in ‘and’. However, the frag grenades should probably wait until we have to. Once the shooting starts, guys like that one who just left won’t stop. We ...”

She pauses a long time.

“They will not stop until we are cold corpses. They will not give in or give up. And I for one would like to avoid getting blood on my clothing until I absolutely have to.”

You might think the last words were a joke, but there was no joking in her voice.

[Interesting that no sources, canonical or otherwise mention the First Order's F-11D blaster rifles having a stun setting. If you recall, the Imperial Stormtrooper's classic E-11 blaster had a stun setting, used to KO Leia in the first ever Star Wars movie. I guess the First Order don't believe in less-lethal force.

There might be other entry points to the garrison building on the roof or underside. It largely depends how much time and effort you want to expend searching for them.

At present the choice is front entrance or side entrance. The side entrance will be least used, for sure. It might not have been used for 30 years or so, but that can be a disadvantage too.]

Preach

"I am not generally a front door basher. I would like to look for an option. But it is a question of time. Personally I would prefer not to kill. All life is important even the evil of the First Order. That being said you know I will do what needs to be done. More life is better than no life."

Sirra

“Preach, their life may be important to you but I can assure you that they in no way return the sentiment. They can justify practically any atrocity to themselves, and I assure you your life, would mean nothing. It is a sad world when fanatics are so sure of themselves but the wise are unsure. So be unsure, Preach, be the good person I never will be, but don’t even begin to imagine that they will return the favor. I know I wouldn’t have, back then.”

A pause.

“That being said, it is likely best to get in by subterfuge than by full-on assault. Assault will lead to a fight we will not win. Those tie fighters were special forces. If they are here, no doubt other special forces are as well, and a mass firefight with those will not go well.”

Winta

"Let's work around the side and see if there is a side entrance to the building: perhaps to stores or a kitchen? Somewhere less well frequented?"

[Around the walls there is a front, main entrance and a side entrance. Only the front, main entrance appears to be used by the First Order, who have taken over the base after it was abandoned by the Empire about 30 years ago.

To find alternatives you would have to search the roof or the underside of the building. Though this will take more time, of course.]

Winta

"Side entrance and bluff?" she suggested.

[Ghosted for Pandemonium.]

Preach

He knew how persuasive Winta's bluffing could be, though he wasn't sure a mind trick qualified as 'bluffing' in the strictest sense.

Preach trusted Sirra's opinion on the First Order, and he didn't disagree with her. They'd murdered his friends Lor San Tekka and massacred the people of Tuanul Village, gunning them down and incinerating them. It was an outrage.

And that was why, now more than ever, it was important to value life, to distance oneself from the evil of the First Order, Sith Eternal, Final Order... whatever they were calling themselves these days.

He explained this to Sirra by nodding and smiling, patient, appreciative. Preach felt sure she understood him, no words needed.

Instead he said to Winta, "I think that will do nicely."

[Ghosted for Art in the Blood.]

Sirra

She suppresses a grin. Preach is a character! But she gets it and he's not wrong.

But if there's value to life then there's value to killing too. No-one thinks twice about blasting mynocks off the hull. It's either that or let them eat the ship's powergrid and strand you in deep space.

And the First Order are far worse than vermin.

Sirra checks her vibroblades. They might be needed shortly for some close work.

"I'll get us through the door." She says and presses on.

[This sets us up for the next stage. I'll resolve tomorrow using my new dice if they arrive. ]

[these are not the dice rolls you are looking for ...?]

[I've taken a few liberties to move you along. And my new dice still haven't showed up. ]

GM

Sirra slides up the steps to the door, pulling out a gription lock breaker from a pocket. It sucks onto the door like a Mynock and Sirra presses her ear to the cold surface, listening carefully as she rotates the dials. Once she's certain that the actuators are lined up, she turns to Preach.

Preach closes his eyes and feels the Living Force around him. Beyond the door there are many beings but none within its vacinity. It's as if this side of the building isn't in use. Quite possible.

So he nods his assurance to Sirra and she pushes the thumb switch. There's a clunk of bolts being released and with a heave, Sirra slides the door open.

Winta's on overwatch. She has a blaster pistol, her lightsaber, and her Force powers so is ready to neutralise any threats.

But there are none. Not yet.

***

Blaster fire...!

Inside the garrison building, Smoke Team soon find themselves crouched low, hiding behind a plascrete wall at the back of what appears to be a shooting range.

So far the interior has been dusty old corridors, empty except for discarded refuse from the garrison.

Now, at the opposite end of the room are three grimy First Order Mountain Troopers, helmets on, practicing their aim with their blaster rifles. More lightly armoured than regular Stormtroopers but more mobile, it seems the GH-531 garrison might be made up of Mountain and Jet Troopers. Specialists in rough terrain but less expert in corridor fighting.

They shoot at quadanium steel targets that stand up well to the abuse. The targets are leaned against the low wall that the team crouch behind.

The room might have been a mess hall once, when it was used by the Empire. But First Order personnel aren't allowed to socialise so freely. They eat alone. So now it's a shooting range.

Behind their wall, Smoke Team see there is a stairwell leading down to an unlit area, fluorescent floor strips only.

So the question is, do they go through the Mountain Troopers or take the stairs down?

[And did they close the side entrance door behind them?]

Winta

She indicated to Preach to pull the door closed and after a quick look around headed for the stairs down. She could not see benefit in trying anything against mountain troopers that already had weapons out and were already shooting.

Preach

He pulled the door closed trying to time it with the blaster shots so that it was less obvious. Then he would follow Winta down the stairs, which seemed wisest. Put off confrontation as long as possible.

sirra

She watches the troopers briefly, trying to determine if they are any good, then follows the other two down, hanging back slightly, weapon ready for if someone popped up.

GM

Preach and Winta move carefully down the stairs into the dimly-lit area. Sirra tarries only to assess the skill of the Mountain Troopers.

They're equipped with reciprocating blasters, the old Imperial E-22 spec that was engineered for harsh environments and was so durable the First Order never needed to redesign it.

Although best at long-range suppressive fire, these troopers are placing slower, aimed shots rather than cooking off the Tibanna gas. At that they are perfectly adequate but how accurate they'll be in combat is anyone's guess.

Sirra can only say that Mountain Troopers are selected for their fitness and marksmanship, and unlike the Empire, the First Order's soldiers have no inner doubt. They're raised from childhood to hate and revile their enemy.

Finn is the one exception that Sirra knows, but he'd survived by volunteering for custodial duties and was on his final warning by the time he defected.

If she spares Finn a thought, Sirra might wonder how his mission is going and whether the assault on Exegol has been launched yet. Either way, Smoke Team is on the clock.

***

They had entered the blockhouse-like building through a sally port on one side, closing the door behind them. Until they reached the shooting range, the rooms and corridors had been vacant, suggesting the garrison isn't at full capacity. A good sign.

Now the team push on from the bottom of the stairs into a corridor with clean floor and walls. Maintained.

The only light comes from strips of glowing blue lozenges set into the walls at floor-level.

It's quiet. The blaster fire echoes down the stairwell from above.

Winta leads, followed by Preach and Sirra bringing up the rear with her disruptor at the ready. The weapon could vapourise a Jawa leaving only ashes, but against plastoid armour might make more of a mess.

Preach very quickly senses lifeforms ahead, and the other two sense his shift in posture.

Peering around the corner, Winta sees an admin station, one console partially disassembled with a First Order technician replacing a screen.

What catches Winta's attention is what's dumped on the worktop: A pilot's life support pack and a Resistance flight helmet.

The Numidian emblem painted on the helmet allows Winta to recognise it as belonging to Lieutenant TC Bastian, a top starfighter pilot in the Resistance. He'd flown with Red Squadron during the Battle of Starkiller Base.

There is a secure door opposite the station, and looking at it Preach feels a twinge of pain through his Force connection. Someone on the other side is having a bad day.

Preach

He places a hand on Winta to slow her approach. Pointing at the equipment he then points at the door he is pretty sure that the man that owns that gear is located behind.

It might not be their first mission, but it was information she needed to know.

Sirra waits, dispassionately.

The unfortunate man likely should, by all rights, be secondary to their mission. But if they helped him she would not object.

Winta

She had no idea where the technician would take a break.

She indicated to Sirra to come to the front and to quietly dispose of the technician if he came their way.

'It is time to take a break' was the thought that she put into his mind. 'The screen will still be there. More able to concentrate after a break ..."

She reached out to not just insert the thought, but to feel which way the technician could go once he had reacted to it.

If the direction he took was towards her, Sirra would make quiet work of things. If he went the other way, then he would have made a wise choice.

Preach

He paused and kept an eye out behind as well as relaxed ready to act.

Sirra pulls out her vibroknifes and flips them into a solid hold and melds into the scenery to wait.

This was familiar to her. Unfortunately.

GM

Sirra gets ready with her vibrodaggers for a silent take-down, whilst Preach steps back to guard the rear.

In Winta's favour, if the technician does take a break he's unlikely to come their way. Their way lies the stairwell up to the back of the shooting range; possibly the least relaxing place to take a break.

The Resistance officer focuses her mind on the First Order technician's.

She can feel its texture, patternings of meaning, thoughts and emotions.

Winta feels the techician's concentration like a patch of smooth, stillness, his mind working absorbed with the task at hand.

For a moment Winta feels the thrill of power, the seduction of the Dark Side of the Force. But it can't break the morale code she grew up with, her mother's teaching, Princess Leia's....

The technician stops what he's doing suddenly, laying the new screen carefully on the desk and then stretching the small of his back.

"Time to take a break," he talks to himself, "job will still be here when I get back."

He picks up his orange tool vest and walks off down the corridor.

And that is the Jedi Mind Trick.

Winta


She smiled inwardly to herself, and gave him time to walk away.


She nodded to the other two and cautiously continued the advance down the corridor towards the comms station the technician had just left.