A Dance of Fire and Water

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Judah Dashiell"], [member="Hecate"]



It was time to pull out and as the Salacia personnel pulled out Siobhan likewise gave the general order to retreat. Explosions rocked through the air, trees shook in the wind or fell to the ground amidst the detonations, blaster bolts flew everywhere as the Firemane troops performed a fighting retreat.



"All Firemane troops, pull back to the LZ. Set the charges to blow on my mark...now!" Siobhan barked into the comm. Moments later, as from seemingly everywhere lizards came charging upon them with primal fury the explosive charges that had been placed detonated with a bang. Well, actually several presumably but you get the point. Trees bent and came crashing down, wild fires spread and enormous clouds of smoke billowed up into the sky.


Firemane and Angelii used the time gained by this to disengange and swiftly head towards the landing zone, firing of blaster bolts and bolter rounds as they went. These were less about hitting a precise target and more about deterring lizards from leaping at them, but then with fires spreading that would be difficult anyway. Beasts came charging at her, fury and hunger vivid upon their faces and as one came pouncing at her Siobhan suddenly jumped into the air, leaping high, very high so that the lizard, who had only wanted to fill its belly with a good meal, hit the ground. She shot up until she reached a gliding position in the air, an omnidirectional telekinetic blast rippling from her hand to send lizards flying.



From above the Firemane dropship came swooping down from the sky and the ramp lowered as troops piled into what had once been the landing pad of the wrecked base, with the rear guard of Angelii still holding some beasts at bay with streams of fire and blasts of lightning, both of which they seemed to fear. The dropship hovered, close enough for people to come aboard though it had no desire to land, with the crew being ready to collect people. Some were simply gripped tight by Sio's powers and gently propelled into the ship. She would be the last one aboard in the evacuation.

 

[Soell Alberio]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

"Yes maam!" Hecate wasn't going to refuse the order to retreat under these circumstances. The lizard creatures that were their enemies in this battle were not foes that brought the Echani much satisfaction to combat, and quite honestly the environmental conditions were simply not in the white haired woman's favor. Especially considering her lack of protective armor in the situation. She could very easily lose a limb, her life even, with just a single slip, and with the slick mud and dense jungle brush it was quite possible she could do just that. The young woman found herself pushing her abilities with the force and her physical training as an Echani to the utmost to ensure she did not let the enemy land a blow when they got close.

Which was something that had irked Hecate even though Firemane reinforcements had appeared and given them enough of a force to begin an orderly retreat. She fired her bolter when possible, but Hecate leapt her vibroblade close at hand for the few lizards who might come close enough for a quick thrust to the throat after an appropriate evasion. Honestly as more and more lizards came out of the jungle cover the Echani wondered just how she and Captain Taldir would have fared without the other scouting parties support. Well, if they been able to fight their way back to the speeders they would have likely been alright.

Heck considering the neat little trick Taldir just employed by utilizing the moisture to coat the lizards in water before flicking an emp at them to take advantage of how electricity would be conducted they might have been ok fighting anyway if extremely hard pressed. The technique itself was very interesting to follow through the force, yet Hecate could tell how insanely tedious and difficult such a task would be to focus in on such a small aspect of the environment and manipulate such it to such a large degree. The Echani found an immense respect for the style of the Angelii warriors use of the force. It was certainly very different from how Mistress Siobhan wielded it or how she herself envisioned to try accessing it either.

Its effects were quite clear and instant though, the lizards were certainly in for quite the shock! Giving the Firemane and Angelii forces plenty of opportunity to begin a withdraw and make their way back to the main force in time for the charges to be set off as cover for the final evacuation. Still making sure to shoot or swing at any lizard that came close to her position in the retreating formation, Hecate couldn't help her eyes wandering toward Siobhan in awe as she watched her Mistress take to lifting into the air and slamming powerful walls of the force into the charging lizards that still came on. Once the dropships came into view and began collecting passengers though the Echani slowed her approach and joined the few taking up the rear. She would not be one to clamber for the vessels to escape, she had no doubt she shouldn't and wouldn't be last to leave, but she was certainly not going to be a coward who left at the first chance. She would wait only until the lines of soldiers climbing into the ships thinned before jumping into the nearest one herself, hopefully with Siobhan and the others not too far behind

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Hecate"], [member="Judah Dashiell"]


To be blunt, Hecate had been told a number of times she should wear protective armour! Firemane had its own brand after all. Wearing a shiny uniform looked good for parades but was terribly impractical in an actual combat situation. Even an overpowered 'force god' like Siobhan was wearing armour.



Anyway, all things considered the Firemane troops and their Eldorai allies were pulling off an orderly retreat. Kaida was clearly shaken by her exertions but still took charge, guiding her section of the unit through the ruined base, with their rear guard firing shots at those lizards brave or foolish enough to pursue them. She saw Kerrigan gliding in the air, unleashing powerful walls of the Force to slam into the charging beasts that came close enough. Some would have been in awe at the display of power, but even with air cover this was still a battlefield where a drop in focus could get you killed and in any case it had long lost its lustre for Kaida. There was no love lost between both women.



Soon the Silaqui-class Dropship, named after the 'martyred' Queen who had preceded Anya - or Tirathana VII as was her regnal name - came into view. Kaida had her own views about the deceased queen. Under her reign Kaeshana had finally opened up to the outside world, but she had been capricious, cruel, an obsessive hedonist. Actually, that sort of explained why Kerrigan had gotten on so well with her, despite the massive differences in class origins. But no matter when they reached the landing pad rather than jump onto the dropship she came to a halt and made a head-count of the soldiers that had been with her, Hecate included, making sure that they had all made it out.


Her helmet, even with its damaged visor, obscured her features and so one would be unable to see the relief that it was indeed so. Outwardly she would remain as calm and stoic as was expected, especially of an officer of the Angelii. Further ahead trees had caught fire and were shaking strongly amidst a wind fuelled by an outburst of force energy. Blaster bolts rained everywhere as the Gunship rained down salvoes of covering fire against the lizards, though the beasts were finally retreating. Its task clearly done the Gunship turned and pulled back, gaining in altitude. Doubtless Dashiell would be happy about the fact that Firemane had not seen the need to firebomb the entire rainforest with napalm and incendiary, for that would have strongly complicated futur salvage ops to recover plant samples.



"Jungle vacation's over! Move it, girls, onto the dropship," she commanded as the troopers filed onto the vessel, the Eldorai gesturing to those who had taken up the rear guard. When they had finally all boarded the ship she did so likewise. Once aboard she took off her helmet, taking a breath, her blonde hair being matted with sweat. She seemed tired, though nonetheless she stood tall and proud as befitted an Eldorai. Manipulating the environment and focusing on its smallest aspects to devastating effect was something that required intense focus and she was not an unlimited battery of force energy. She could see that Kerrigan was pulling back and flying towards their vessel through the air, her desire for carnage apparently satisfied.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Undetected and unbeknownst to the Firemane troops, a shuttle carrying a small task force of HRDs and their organic cargo - several stunned and appropriately chained Korhilii lizards - sped through the atmosphere and then docked on the cloaked Lightbringer in space.


The beasts were quickly appropriately confined for the journey and in a flash the ship had jumped to hyperspace and vanished from the system. Its destination was the rendezvous point agreed upon with [member="Rave Merrill"], Monster Maker, Capitalist Witch of the Spacelanes and also one of Moira's 'favourite' organics. Give or take a few hours, and she would have a number of ferocious lizard people to perform delightful experiments on.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Upon rendezvous, Moira and company would find a solid six-figure compensation and a team of professional Ewoks waiting to deal with the lizards.