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OOC: Actually He has a Dual Membership, being a Council Member of the Silver Jedi Council and an active member of the New Jedi Order .
After being acknowledged, Caltin made a point of giving the locals their space. The woman who addressed him directly deserved a bow in response, this was their land and he respected that, so no matter what was going to happen, this was their gig. He, and as far as he knew, the other Jedi, were there to help and little more. To take over the fighting might be looked on as trading one tyrant for another. He couldn’t speak for anyone else, but Vanagor would not have that.
He did not understand how making use of those rods on your own could be more trouble, but again, this was not his land or his culture. There were not many planets that the big man did not take the time to read up on when on approach, but this was one. So he let the matter go without issue. He did want to remind and maybe clarify his skillset.
Understood, if you change your mind though, remember that I do have an affinity for the elements, as you’ve seen. However that could help, perhaps power, or overpowering those rods maybe. It’s up to you.
He could have offered more, went into more detail, this sort of thing was right in his proverbial “wheelhouse” after all but Caltin chose to hold off. Not only was this out of respect, but there was something about the vibe he was getting, not necessarily through the Force, but in general from the “other big man”, the armored Imperial Knight Dionus Bharro. It almost felt like he was waiting, not baiting, but waiting for something to be said that he could weaponize. No matter.
Having taken off his cloak (it's itchy), the massive Jedi Master surveyed what was laid out further. It was also time to go over in his head, his little ritual before every upcoming fight (and he was no illusion about this). While going over what was on his belt, where his lightsabers were and so on, Vanagor also silently chanted a prayer. It was an old Corellian prayer that his daughter Alyscia would make him recite over and over again. He only did so to appease her at the time. Now it was his way of honoring her memory. No parent should ever outlive their child, especially in the mannger to which he had. Amending it of course now just a little.
"Oh God of Our Fathers, bless our efforts to provide the "Armament for Peace" and protect us if we must answer the call to arms to defend our faith, our liberty and our freedom. Teach us not to mourn those who have died in the service of the Jedi and the people, but rather to gain strength from the fact that such heroes have lived."
One thing was clear though. These caves just might come into play more than they are thinking. It was easily fixable with a “dual” attack, one group engaging directly as the other heads straight into the caves to secure them. If there is a tunnel system they will know and at this point (at least to Caltin) that is more important than what treasures lie in the caves themselves.
Dominique held her smile even as she listened to each speaker in turn. What they said was but a whisper to what they did not say. In fact, reassurances at least a few factions were prepared to weather a sudden Imperial intrusion only underlined what they had not said. It was about as much as any analyst had feared, really. There was more than a little grumbling in the ranks. Perhaps if they had been more forthcoming sooner... well, it hardly mattered at this juncture. Though Vexx was still weighing the risk on investment with those in her presence.
"Without knowing more of the Network, all I can offer are platitudes. Reassurances that while the Alliance is not as droid-focused as the Confederacy had been, there are those -- like myself -- that are not blind to the value of an Intelligence such as yours." Dominique looked over at AXION in particular. "I won't promise none will look upon you with suspicion -- new or strange things do rattle people -- but if it's being sold back into slavery to former masters that concerns, me and mine can help navigate those waters. Avoid such an outcome. Denon is not unfamiliar with being treated as a black sheep of the Alliance; and our world, at least, could benefit from the efficiency gains from a species like yours."
Had Denon set their droids free? Of course not! Dominique, however, wasn't sitting across the table from a walking toaster oven. Presumably. Again, she would like to see more of this Network in action without any possible outside influence to gauge its true value. Assuming, on face value, these people weren't parading about a glorified protocol droid, Vexx could see quite a few uses -- opportunities -- for them. None of which involved being torn apart or used for mere manual labor. Denon could build enough droids to handle loading crates as it was. If the Network was what she was being led to believe, however, that sort of droid they did not have an endless supply of.
Oh, sure, some DireX were likely to balk as any other. That's why they would be dealing with Dominique, however. Worst case scenario had her set them up independently with a personal tie to them, or involve some enterprising soul off world -- though that truly would be the worst case. Why give such an asset to others when you could make personal use of them?
The Empire
Expansion Region | Neshtab | The Veers Redoubt, Imperial Vanguard Frontier, Undercity Outskirts Primary Objective: Await Deployment Orders Secondary Objective: Provide Armored Support To Friendly Infantry Elements Upon Deployment Friendlies: The Empire | Michael Barran
| Open For More Hostiles: Anyone That Dares Challenge the Might of The Empire | N/A Directly Engaging: N/A Gear:In Bio
Elements of the 181st Armored Division, 2nd Bn. 3rd Co. 3rd Pl. XT-62 MBTb ‘331’ | Charlie 3-1 | [Command Tank] XT-62 MBTb ‘332’ | Charlie 3-2 | XT-62 MBTb ‘333’ | Charlie 3-3 | XT-62 MBTb ‘334’ | Charlie 3-4 |
A subtle, heartfelt grin would pull at the young man’s lips upon feeling the firm, candid handshake from the Colonel; feeling warmth and sincerity from a commanding officer was something he rarely experienced himself during his time in the Imperial Army, and it appeared to be of overabundance within the esteemed ranks of the 313th. He saw that for himself with every interaction he had with the men from the Sabertooths -and the treatment was regardless of rank for that matter, be it from a NCO or a CO.
He could not help but consider himself fortunate to be in the presence of such commanding officers, to be under their command; these were men that he could follow into the deep depths of hell itself, if they so much as gave the order.
Playing his turn and keeping up with the rising pot, shortly after muttering his rather open and very much blunt criticism of Imperial Navy’s decision making and appliance of their tactics, based on what he saw from the ground, he was unsure of the reaction his words would get from the Lord Michael, and his subordinate Major Shazzeke; since their company was the tip of the spear during the armored surge over Ilum against the last holdout of the GADF troops, they had front row tickets to witness everything that went down from the ground.
Trapped in between the proverbial anvil and hammer, once advancing out of their last LZ to avoid complete destruction at the hands of merciless Imperial artillery barrage, they had advanced into a prepared killzone, fallen prey into a false sense of tactical victory they thought they gained over the seemingly retreating Imperial Armor upon taking contact with the bulk of the remaining GADF troops and armor.
Sustaining heavy casualties in the following moments after they had entered the Imperial killzone, the enemy had scattered like leaves in the wind; but alas for the Imperial elements, further search and destroy operations could not be carried out due to the lack of naval support elements.
They gave them a bitter loss they would not forget so easily, but they themselves had failed to ensure the unquestioned destruction of the remaining ground elements of the Galactic Alliance.
And from the Colonel’s words that followed in the wake of his own, it appeared the man also shared the same sentiment as the young Tank Commander, and the rest of the young lad’s Company for that matter.
'Quite right, Sergeant. An' not a single collateral death noted or claimed from our part in that endeavour, ringing true in the butcher's bill on both sides by the way.... Quick an' clean, as all our attacks ought to be.'
...
'Disregarding that f-... That Superlaser an' whatnot, weapons-systems command be damned an' all that caper. I'm sure you're tired o' hearing about the details by now, but still-'
The Colonel’s near slip from his own spoken-etiquette almost drew a heartfelt chuckle from young Hall, and the other three young tank commanders sat at the table playing the game -Löwe, Ryker and Reinhardt. They would retain the professionalism and the etiquette that Löwe implored Hall to follow, as they heeded the words of the Colonel while continuing to play cards; paying the Major a brief glance over the cards in his grasp, the young man thought that through the lack of a reaction to his previous bluntness, and later the Colonel’s words, that the Major was also similarly on the same page with the rest of them, as well.
That, or the Mirialan commanding officer was quite reserved when it came to the discussion of such topics.
As Lord Michael continued after musing of the past as he dimmed the screen light of his datapad, its prior brightness seemingly having irritated him, and casted aside the device, the men would keep their silence as they all listened to his word.
'It actually gladdens me that elements of the trooper class were there to see the Brotherhood an' the 181st in action, defending the same ground for which the Blue-Hearts fought, bled and died proudly in the winter of '65.... I know the Sabretooths liked it anyway, look at where you're sitting now for reference.'
For a moment, a firm silence loomed over the table at the mention of the previous battle fought over the icy, barren lands of Ilum at ‘65; with a solemn, and heartfelt nod of their heads, they shared their sentiment at the Colonel’s words in silence. Although the significance of that bit of history was unknown to him when he was but a Tank Gunner during his deployment on Ilum, he had been taught of the battle previously waged there, during his Basic NCO Training Course in the venerable halls of the Maximilian Veers Maneuver Center, shortly after his promotion to Sergeant and, subsequently, to Tank Commander; the aforementioned battle was a costly one for the Empire at that, as much as the victory they carved out was a glorious one for the fighting men and women of the Imperial Army. A little over an armored division and a half, was lost.
The destruction of their tanks was not the issue; there were very few nations in the galaxy that could even hope to match the might of the Empire’s war time production capabilities, after all.
No, it was the men that such vehicles became their steel coffins were, on the other hand, the problem. It took a considerable amount of time to train tank crews, and even more time for said crews to reach veteran status.
In comparison to the tanks with that fact in mind, the crews -their experience, rather- were an invaluable resource; in which the lack thereof negatively affected the effectiveness of an armored unit.
”The fallen shall be forever remembered, as the Empire’s finest,” Löwe said at a near undertone, but the firm belief underlying his words were no less perceivable. The young Lieutenant’s words would cut the solemn -almost revering for the men that had given their lives for their homeland- silence that had befallen the young Tank Commanders; at their CO’s sentiment, the young men nodded in unison in a sincere response.
”Yes, sir.” Reinhardt, the commander of ‘333’, concurred with the Lieutenant in an undertone similar to his, as he leisurely reached for a pack of smokes from his pocket; beckoning his friend to give him one with an imploring gesture of his hand, Hall extended his hand as he leaned forth, and plucked the cigarra Reinhardt offered him.
Placing it at the corner of his lips, the young man would light the tip of his smoke, following the strike of a match; around then a silent vibration resonating from his datapad in his pocket would implore him to shift his attention from the cards in his hands. Unsure about the nature of the notification, the young man would take a moment to check; he knew for a fact it could not be Kyla -his sister- calling to check on him. It was night time back at Ord Mantell.
The young man would appear mildly surprised upon gazing at the contents of the file sent to him by none other than the man sitting right next to him, the Colonel; the young tank commander was viewing the outlines of a battle plan. A large portion of the young lad’s attention thereafter, would shift at reviewing them, instead of keeping tabs on the game.
Objective: III - Howling Wind
Location: Outskirts of the Meyeson Forest, Kosa Belt Tundra, Neshtab
Tags: Suna-Hulai
| Maharak Akul | Caltin Vanagor
Dionus’ eyes appraised the woman before him as she carefully responded to his words. Clearly, she was adept at preventing herself from stepping on proverbial landmines in diplomatic situations; a trait that had served her well no doubt. If the rest of those who followed her were as thoughtful, Dionus could see them all as likely candidates for taking on the mantle of the Imperial Knightly Orders.
But all in due time - first, they would need to be brought into the fold, whether it be by force or otherwise. But others were handling such arrangements. Dionus was here to provide the show of force that would drive such negotiations onward, as well as to more importantly purge the taint that had festered within Neshtab for too long.
Soon enough, the representatives of the New Jedi Order would arrive - seemingly composed of a Master and his apprentice who approached cautiously. The Jedi Master struck an imposing figure on his own, roughly equivalent to the Knight Commander himself even without his armor. While Dionus’ distaste for the Jedi carried through his former life as a servant of the dark side and into his life as an Imperial Knight, his face remained impassive as the Jedi Master approached and bowed respectfully before the woman who greeted them.
"The Howling Wind will have set up their encampment in the shadow of an outcropping. Its perimeter will be marked by windbreaks and these Stormshafts," lightning rods, of a sort, yet much more ornate and powerful, to draw in the ambient power of the storm gods for use by the Stormsingers of the Howling Wind.
"At its centre will be drawn the Circle's wagons where some of its Stormsingers and provisions will be placed. We have scouted barricades and ritual instruments placed inside the encampment as well, likely of iron and salt to empower the Howling Wind's Stormsingers' powers.
"Into the mountain outcropping lies a cave. Our people do not much care for caves where we are disconnected from the breath of our ancestors, but nonetheless the Howling Wind will have kept its more delicate and precious relics or items for temporary storage, as it appears they will be sheltering in place for the upcoming months."
The wind began to pick up.
"The weather these days is difficult to predict, given seasonal variation. Normally, us Stormsingers can read the mood of the winds to a certain degree, but we are reaching Shelter season soon, and the wind begans to move erratically.
"We have enough numbers to surprise and destroy most of the Stormsingers in the Circle, but such inter-circle warfare has been rare in generations. Hence, I would like to hear if you have any tactical suggestions."
Dionus meditated over the information given to them, and to the Jedi’s credit, he vocalized the obvious questions that hung in the aftermath; but only after needlessly demonstrating his power and connection to what Dionus could only imagine was the ‘living force’ - a contrivance such mystics and self-aggrandizing members of the Jedi’s myriad of orders would push to explain themselves. The corners of Dionus’ mouth tilted ever so slightly into an upward curve, but soon returned to their neutral expression as he listened further.
If those “Stormshafts” are what they are described to be, then maybe they can aid in manipulating the Howling Wind into a position where they do not hold all of the advantages? Also, do we know about these caves? Are they simply that? Or are there other entrances?
"Yes, one possibility is baiting them into an open fight. Another is for us to make use of the rods ourselves, but that might be more trouble than simply destroying them.
"As far as my scouts have reported, these caves appear to terminate, but we cannot be sure. Which is why we must strike hard and fast and take control of the cave system to minimise stragglers."
Understood, if you change your mind though, remember that I do have an affinity for the elements, as you’ve seen. However that could help, perhaps power, or overpowering those rods maybe. It’s up to you.
This time, Dionus rolled his eyes rather visibly, but said nothing directly about the Jedi’s obvious need for projection. Instead, the Knight Commander remained on topic.
“Since there is no solid intelligence to be had about this specific branch of the cave system, and unlikely we will be able to secure such intelligence anytime soon; a direct assault upon the cave system would be inadvisable unless there are no other options.” Dionus’ arms folded across his wide frame as he continued: “Luring them out sounds promising, but they would undoubtedly expect such tactics if they have truly embraced the darkness. What can you tell us about them? What motivates them? How have they conducted themselves prior to this? If we are to lure them out, it must be with the proper bait.”
THE NESTAB CRISISI: AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS
-AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY-
CAIRN_ONE RINGLEADER OF THE PELLAEONIST CLIQUE (AWAITING STAND-DOWN ORDERS) WARDEN OF THE IMPERIAL KNIGHTS (AWAITING STAND-DOWN ORDERS) DRUID-GRANDMASTER OF THE HIGHLAND BROTHERHOOD
'The fallen shall be forever remembered, as the Empire's finest,'
The silence was enough, but the Sabretooth-Lieutenant's words had struck a chord much deeper than the Lord-Colonel anticipated, previously assuming the rest of the Empire had fought and withdrew without even knowing what happened on Ilum before, only to find his ignorance checked in the most humbling, most heart-warming way imaginable. But little did the Druid know that Blue-Heart military history was, in some forms or others, steadily becoming a regular feature in the Empire's Maximilian Veers Academy in particular, completely unbeknownst to one who was constantly striving to push for something knew - urging to pioneer an advantage over the competition when he should have been looking to the basics at the very least.
Exactly why my father named the Region,"The Hallowed Scar", and with that...
Exactly why I named our outpost,"Reverence". We were there to show them the true meaning of these words.... And they know why.
'Thanks.... Had no clue you all understood to this extent, I'm glad of it though.'
With heart gladdened somewhat, Barran had also found morale in that of the men gambling around him, and much to his surprise at that, as only then was the Wanderer beginning to realise how badly he needed it. The odds were never once stacked in Lord Michael's favour, but when those odds of failure were seen to increase, the dejection of having no choice but to go through the motions always took it's toll, because he would never shirk what others weren't strong enough to handle. By nature, this was both a boon and a bane throughout the Druid's life, but without complaint, there was only one person to cast the blame towards. And for as long as Lord Michael persisted in blaming himself for the perfectionism and resistance instilled in him by others, the process would only serve to take little chunks of his patience along with it, and that patience was beginning to run thin.
'You're a good sort around here; old, new or tandem elements - matters not. The old man was wise with his choices as far as his IMPAF contributions go, but I can only hope he doesn't fail you now. The 908th, the 313th an' the 181st have come much too far for that, so I'll be making sure to watch your backs out here.... You have my Highlanders as scouts at your disposal now.'
[File Transfer: COMPLETE]
Oh, I see how it is. Not even a 50% match on any of the suspected faces of Dooku.
Feth that, I'll search my own way.... An' help out our troopers here while I'm at it.
Looking briefly back to the others before his attentions returned to the Datapad, swiping down to the reports of the situation beyond the Imperial static-line, it was obvious that Barran saw something he didn't want to see when he growled,'Seems some lines o' retreat are dirtier than others out here.... The damned Pariah Legion would have us become war-criminals! Bastards out here always need to complicate every single aspect of this war! Bastards, right down to the last grunt serving with them!', though he gained enough composure to shake his head in disdain in the end. Silently going all in, the Druid kissed his teeth and clenched his jaw for a moment before continuing,'Well, I guess thats me on the f-.... On the clock then.... Ya know, I have a subordinate who edits me in this way too but I digress heavily there.', looking at his cards knowing fine and well that he was going in with a terrible hand.
'Man cannae catch break these days, but back t'the matter at hand.... Sending my risk-assessments, my suggestions an' the like to the nearest datapads, including prompts for what to take along with you, an' not just shoulder-mount launchers for the MBT crewmen either; we're talking rotary-cannon refits for your support vehicles an' technicals, thermal-optics for the infantry elements an' much more there to look through besides. So it might be of better help to the others to hold off on your briefing; even if only for an hour or two before you fine tune around that, Marić.... Jus' sayin' - it may help the process so much more with these wee adjustments.'
And with his all-in hand shown, all cards were to be flipped for all to see and act accordingly, though by the time the Holodealer was done, the pot would end up in a perfect 50/50 split between the young Sergeant and the veteran Sabretooth-Major, deserved for the Lord-Colonel's hubris in one-hand luck matters. In seeing this, however, the Mirialan finally broke his silence with a chesty wheeze of mirth, followed by an atypically laconic,'You're not like your old man.... Don't change.', nudging the Mantellskan human into activity and standing to shake the Woad-born human's hand as a mark of respect. To which, Lord Michael jokingly sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth in reply, standing to meet Mazke's hand in the middle in full reciprocation of that respect as he concluded,'Thank you, sir. Now get moving -work to endeavour in the snow.', with a cheeky inhalation of his own.
With all said and done between them by them, the Sabretooth-Captain put his trooper-helm on and lifted his disruptor-rifle to sling it whilst the Druid's attention turned to the young Sergeant once more, laying a kindly hand on Mannarra's pauldron as he concluded,'Carry the spirits of those who walked the path before you, and you will prevail. Snow for snow, a substance we're best known for prevailing on.... Let us break the spell of defeat - together, for it holds no power over us.... An' Hall, listen to me - stay safe out there today. You will live to fight another day, that's an official order by the way.', offering a kindly smirk before he turned off his connection to the Autodealer.
'Lead the way, Marić.... Work to endeavour in the snow, as Shazzeke so eloquently put it.'
Location: Outskirts of the Meyeson Forest, Kosa Belt Tundra, Neshtab
Objective: Meet with NJO and IK warriors, prepare assault on Mawite cult
TAGS: Caltin VanagorDionus BharroValery NobleLily Stevens || FORCE USERS ON OBJECTIVE 3
She could feel the Imperial Knight's piercing gaze lie on her and her people. No doubt he and his Empire had more plans for the Lunars in the near future, though Suna knew the same as any Neshtabine that the affairs and desires of off-worlders were like a storm: it could rage as furiously as it wished, but in time would always pass into a calm morrow.
“Luring them out sounds promising, but they would undoubtedly expect such tactics if they have truly embraced the darkness. What can you tell us about them? What motivates them? How have they conducted themselves prior to this? If we are to lure them out, it must be with the proper bait.”
"They used to be aggressive; as a group, willing to take up challenges to their territory and hards. But for a long time now, they have become... wary, suspicious... cautious. I do not know what could draw them out to open battle, though this caution would make them more likely to wait in place even if they sensed danger. One could draw out some scouting element, but not a significant force."
THE NESTAB CRISISI: AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATIONS
-AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY-
CAIRN_ONE RINGLEADER OF THE PELLAEONIST CLIQUE (AWAITING STAND-DOWN ORDERS) WARDEN OF THE IMPERIAL KNIGHTS (AWAITING STAND-DOWN ORDERS) DRUID-GRANDMASTER OF THE HIGHLAND BROTHERHOOD
BORN OF BRIGHT STARSV: THE DREADED SEARCH CONTINUES... - PART 4
BATTLEFRONT EAST, 4 MILES EAST OF THE VEERS REDOUBT, OUTER-CAVE'S APPROACH, NESHTAB (SPRING 878 ABY)
'Alright, sir.... This is my stop.'
'No problem, an' thanks.... But I'll state I also want no lapses from you here today, though I'm sure you know why.', the Druid responded to the Sabretooth-Captain, cursorily cuffing the Mantellskan's shoulder-pauldron before turning eastward with the intention of walking off into No-Man's-Land. Branko had orders and was to ready the 313th and the 181st for briefing, and thus made a silent point of making haste for everyone's sake, shouldering his disruptor-rifle and lightly slapping Lord Michael's shoulder in confirmation of readiness before scanning the horizon and all the nearest streets for potential threats lurking in the shadows. Only downside in these moments were the time it was wasting, but Barran was conserving energies much more powerful than those of physical, fatiguing nature, and his headaches were still factor enough to contribute to sticking with conventional methods, though only intending to persist until it was no longer pertinent to do so.
'Route back is covered.... Clear on your side, sir?' 'Aye, for now anyways.... Though it will always feel this way for every calm afore the storm.'
Hearing the sigh, (even through the auditory vocal-muffling effect of the modified trooper-helm) it was obvious the Woad's words had struck some sort of chord with the Mantellskan, even before the inevitable response in saying,'Ya know, you're more of a liability than you might think. The Mirialan might not see it, Mannarra might not see it, but I fething do - loose cannon with endless potential.... Just like the old man in that respect, but unlike you, the old man actually knows how to win against the odds.', unleashing what appeared to be a scathing personal-assessment at surface level. But despite the harsh nature of the criticisms, the Druid still couldn't detect any hatred or ill-willed intentions in the way the outburst was worded, and especially not in the way the Sabretooth spoke of his counterpart's endless potential, clearly expressing that more was expected of the Lord-Colonel in wartime.
As if it had been for a lengthy span of time already.
'Shazzeke was right, you're definitely not like the old man.... Though I would say the same thing and mean something else entirely - you must be smarter than your slurred choice of words. Any Pellaeonist in this day-and-age should know this more than most, so wake up and act like a fething Barran for once in your life.'
And with that, the Mantellskan calmly moved off westward with nothing left to say, sticking to the walls and the high-packed rubble piles in the distance whilst the Woad was left in a stunned, nonplussed silence, looking out eastward with the weight of realisation keeping his feet firmly placed on the spot. Even with the looming threat of the New Jedi Order and the GADF over the snow-covered urban cityscape, for never had Lord Michael anticipated the day he would be humbled by any of his father's subordinates, and never before had he been so soundly kicked into cohesion like that, awakened though dumbfounded by the same lash-like effect to his spine - such that kept him in place until the sound of distant artillery barrages set him into motion.
Move.... MOVE!!!! NOW, BARRAN!!!!
With each thud a starting-pistol in their own right, the depth of each impact seemingly contributed towards setting the Druid into an eastward sprint, and before Barran knew it, the cold bite of winter was invigorating the anatomy in it's instinctive burst of exertion. The ashes of the impending battle were still too far away to bear thinking about by then, thus making the immersion into the urban snowstorm all the easier for the Druid to achieve, with previously heavy nostril-breathing calming to a slow, meditative cadence despite the pace and ferocity of his sprint at the time. Liberated by his sense of awakening, it felt as if neither the painkiller stims nor the migraines had been a factor in the slightest that day, like it was all just an elaborate form of waking sluggishness all along.
It was everything and more in moments like these, perhaps even something of a spiritual reaffirmation the Wanderer had not yet earned the wisdom to comprehend it, but in the process of freely charging down his own destiny, the strength it would lend to his resolve assured Barran that it mattered little to dwell on the reasons how or why. It wasn't the time or place to ponder the catalysts of these sudden bursts of morale and energy alike, even if was in contrasting contradiction to the very sedative nature of the stims that were running through Lord Michael's bloodstream at the time, all that remained was his work to watch the backs of his comrades in the IMPAF attack on the Pariah Legion; and in these matters, the valorous intent of the Woad would be there for all to see by the time the Sabretooths and tank-crews were all briefed on the situation, with his gargantuan task illuminated on full, holographic display.
Michael and his small scouting-force of Highlanders, hardy and competent though they were, were all that stood between the GADF and the backs of the IMPAF contingents in the area; however, this would only remain so for as long as it took his trooper-class comrades to complete their assault on the Pariahs' caves, forcing the Brotherhood to keep their heads down only for as long as it took the Sabretooths and the 181st to turn the other way and move to reinforce the eastern battlefront, though there were no doubts this entire operation would test IMPAF's mettle for all it was worth. No matter if it was victory, defeat or inconclusion, every Imperial on Neshtab that day would learn the true meaning of adversity in some form or other; though unfortunately for the Highlanders watching the eastern front, there was every chance the harshest of lessons awaited those who were looking to the sunset, deployed just a short distance into their own cauldron.
The Wanderer would have lent further, detrimental consideration to this issue in the advance deeper into the centre of the projected envelopment-zone, but as Lord Michael sprinted out into the open, he was immediately stopped in his tracks by the sudden sight of a youth crouched over something in the snow. It took a moment or two to discern exactly what it was that transpired before his arrival, but when Barran made an effort to listen more intently, the unmistakable sound of weeping could be heard over the explosions farther east, ringing as painfully sincere to the Woad's ears by the time he got close enough to identify the facial features of the lad up-close. 'I understand your grief, lad. But you need to listen to me now.', Barran began, approaching close enough by then to identify the frozen corpse of yet another youth, seeing almost no difference in age by the time he knelt next to the one who lived.
'That direction? North.... That direction? South.... Pick one, run, and keep running until you find somewhere warm.... Only Hell awaits you here, an' between you an' I, you deserve better - as he did.'
Bringing the lad to his feet, though only in a sympathetic show of strength, Lord Michael then kindly nudged the boy in the right direction, parting with a simply stated,'You might be lucky now, but fortune is a fickle beast at the end o' the day.... Tempt it not to irritation - take your chances while they exist to be taken.', as he rose to turn eastward again. But as the Druid poised to break into his second wild sprint of the day, the sudden, distant presence of a Force-Wielding warrior became all too impossible to ignore, sensed approaching from the the very horizon Lord Michael was looking to at the time. Whoever it was, the Wanderer knew it a powerful individual, wielding the Light of the Jedi as their lifelong pillar or strength and resolve alike, making it all quite clear that Barran was on the verge of sprinting towards an opponent like none he ever faced before.
~=I can feel your presence out there, Jedi.... Meet me in the abandoned suburbs, an' let us dance in the heart of the Crucible.=~
'Heh! As now there is no doubt in my mind that some of us are bereft of such - freedoms in wartime.... Go on, lad. Find life, and cling to it.... Its the only thing of worth in this Universe now.'
Clenching his jaw, the Druid then rushed into the snowfall without so much as a look behind him, though he was confident enough in the boy's will to live to give him that dignity in trusting that inner-strength, though it wasn't like Barran had the time to check for resolve either, and certainly not in theatres of war as volatile as Neshtab's was on the verge of becoming in the following hours. Though fortunately for Barran's conscience, the lad was indeed coherent enough to heed his instructions, and had in fact chosen to run south, covering and keeping the integrity of the Wanderer's soul firmly intact as a result of the wise choice. But as for whether destiny would reward Barran for his kindness, as little as Lord Michael cared for such things, was almost entirely possible in a Universe where stranger things happened all the time.
~=Let us have our dance with eternity, the greatest dance of all.=~
Location: Cave City Stenum-3, joint Nest-Iron Network administration, Neshtab
Tags: Binary Haze | Hacks
| Open
As the cyborg pushed him back he was startled by its strength. Was it an it? He had no time for this. His right hand went to his concealed holster and his left still holding his dagger. "Listen, I don't want no trouble, just back off." He glanced in the direction he last saw the broker run. Damnit! She was nowhere to be found. He turned his attention back to the cyborg, on guard for what it might do next.
Plastic eyes followed the strangers hand, clutching at something in the folds of his robes, and a dagger in the other hand. "Listen, I don't want no trouble, just back off," his eyes darted right to follow the path she herself had been on, and a growing suspicion grew in the back of her mind. Her gaze had followed his, then returned to scan over his dagger, then to stare back into his eyes. Frustration welled in the pit of her stomach. "You bloody coward," her head tilted to his weapon, "You're the moron that shoved me first, and then hide behind your blade, hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the type to shit your own pants," she then spat towards his face.
“True Courage is to stand against evil, even when we stand alone.” - Richard C. Edgley
Now it was Caltin’s turn to roll his eyes, though he chose not to. As more Jedi approached, he listened to the Imperial Knight give away his plans. Show the real reason as to why he was here. If he was really trying to understand what motivated “The Howling Wind”, he would look at their name and start from there. Perhaps the Imperial Knights were “graded on a curve”, oh well, it was not his place to judge. Of course there was no outright proof that the Knight Commander was “recruiting”, so the massive Jedi Master would not come out and say it, he would simply charge that to his memory and set a mental timer. Caltin was not “counting down” and predicting when his mental claim was going to happen, that would be folly. He was just going to be more and more prepared by the minute after that.
He did not like the idea of an outright attack. It went against the Code, however that is the nature of the quandary that they were in. It was the reality that they had faced, the Jedi were here to help, and help they would, so those who were with him would reinforce their positions and protect their hosts as they attacked the Howling wind, then, once the first blow was struck, they would act. Let the Imperials jump barefoot into the mud, the Jedi will put their boots on.
He has a Dual Membership, being a Council Member of the Silver Jedi Council and an active member of the New Jedi Order .
Dionus Bharro
. It almost felt like he was waiting, not baiting, but waiting for something to be said that he could weaponize. No matter.
Valery Noble
|@Silas Westgard | Lily Stevens |
Darth Interitus
