Private Armored Corps

[Gress D'ran]

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

The Battle of Coruscant had shaken the core of the Hellstompers. Plenty of funerals, and plenty of replaced equipment.

And yet, it had opened up a new life within the unit. The marines were getting a new CO, personally picked by Gress himself. Or at least, that's what the rumor was around the fort. Some hotshot from the battle that had lost their unit, and was being shifted to being part of the 34th.

Gress himself had asked Sara to meet him just outside the base complex itself. While command had always put up the men of the 34th inside the base, more often than not, they preferred to stay outside of it, within their own camp. Why? Because Gress had trained them to. The training ground had become the barracks, as the men of the 34th grew to sleep not in bunks or tents, but within their vehicles.

Standing at the base of the forward right foot of his own personal Walker, Gress awaited Sara's arrival.

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

It took her some time, but Major Sara Roche was able to find her way inside her new base.

The transfer orders had been confirmed some days ago, and Sara has spent the few days contemplating. Contacting what distant relatives she still had, and thinking about the future. Returning back to active service would be an adjustment, but she had no qualms diving into it immediately.

With a small duffel bag of personal items and in a new uniform, Sara had stepped off the transport into the cold air of Corellia. It reminded her of home.

Sara spotted the Devaronian Colonel outside the base- a base whose installations rose into the sky beyond him and the walls. Her wounds had healed, but she'd still be slow for at least a few days. She did her best to hide her hobble as she approached and saluted the Colonel.

"Major Roche, reporting for duty to the 34th Walker. Pleasure to meet you in person, sir."

 

[Gress D'ran]

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

"At ease." He said with a smile. "Saw you briefly at the ceremony. Was a bit busy talking to the mandos, admittedly. Hell of a performance you put on during Coruscant. Let me show you some of the heavy machinery you'll be working with from now on, before we introduce you to your men."

With a pat, he slapped the side of the massive leg before them. "This is a Sphinx, as you can see. Biggest cat on the battlefield. Si Tech has a thing for Cats, as I'm sure you'll soon find out. Fitted with the biggest guns on the battlefield, and capable of carrying 100 marines alongside it's crew. Occasionally we'll have you hold up in these for sieges. Have the armor punch through defenses, then have you and your men rope down into the base once we're inside. They'll also double as your barracks. We'll loop back around to them later."

Gress motioned for Sara to follow him as he walked. "So, tell me about yourself Major. 34th is a family above all else. Every vehicle and soldier has a nickname and a story. I've been told you've picked up the name 'Roach' in your time."

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

​

Sara marvelled at the Walkers- up close, even powered down, they were a sight to behold.

"Well, Colonel, I don't really remember when it started- but the others realised I just happened to keep making it through... High casualty scenarios, time after time. Unkillable, like a roach."

A wan smile crept onto her face, thoughts of simpler times.

"Became a point of confidence and pride for the squad, eventually. Second Hyperspace was tough on all of us, especially my battalion. Back to back to back deployments. I never liked the name, but the platoon did. So it stuck. We take what we can get, right?" She left out the part where some saw it as an ill omen- sure, the then-Lieutenant might survive, but her bad joss simply redistributed to the rest.

 

[Gress D'ran]

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

"Troops call me 'The Demon'. Didn't like it myself at first, thought it was some derogatory thing. Turns out, the men just saw my tactics, and thought I was ruthless. Wasn't gonna argue that." He let out a deep chuckle, his own bass filling the air. "Only came in towards the dying days of the Hyperspace War. Didn't see much."

As they walked, Gress looked to Sara with a sly smile. "But we can work with 'Unkillable'. The boys will enjoy that. Bring up morale to see their CO as something of a legendary figure. Myths breed loyalty. I've got something building myself. The Undefeated. Haven't lost a battle since the 34th was formed. At least, not by my command. Teta was a bit of a shitshow."

They approached one of the new Tigers, the words Winds of Change painted on the side, in rather colorful stylings. "These are the new Tigers, based on the AT-TEs of old. These'll probably be your primary transports during forward assaults. Either these, or the Lynxes. Heavy armor with a bubble shield to allow your boys to exit the vic without much worry."

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

Sara nodded along. She knew all too well the burden of a myth- and its power for good or ill. In times like these, the context could frequently flip on its head.

But she knew, in the rubble of Coruscant, that the burden was not hers alone to carry. And hopefully here was the place to build a legacy she could live with.

"These are the new Tigers, based on the AT-TEs of old. These'll probably be your primary transports during forward assaults. Either these, or the Lynxes. Heavy armor with a bubble shield to allow your boys to exit the vic without much worry."

Sara understood the cost it would entail- why these vehicles were so heavily shielded and why Marines had been tapped for the Battalion. Mechanized Infantry was efficient delivery of death, in both directions.

"Well, I never did get a chance to ride into battle in the new mechanised army- it was always close assault or ship to ship." Exciting and dreadful all at once. "So I'll have to take your word on these big cats' power. I intend to keep as many of my Marines alive as possible. Speaking of them... a lot of them seem to be hanging around here in the vehicle yard."

 

[Gress D'ran]

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

"It's something of our 'true' home base." Gress nodded. "The marines, the crewmen, all of them live here. I encourage you to learn all their names. Part of the routine here. I know every soldier under me by name. Or, at least by nickname. The men respect me for that. I expect you to do the same."

He led them further, passing by a few marines, clad in the Nemean armor, as opposed to the Starwolf armor they had before. "We're going through a few changes. GADF is restructuring after Coruscant. From what I understand, the marines are gonna be getting their own ranks. I believe you're going to be bumped to Captain. You'll still be under my command, but I'll be happy to give you as much leeway in command as you need to complete your objectives whenever it comes to that. I try not to micromanage too much, only when it matters. Word on the street is we'll be moving out soon to fight the Sith. You have any experience fighting forceys?"

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

I encourage you to learn all their names. Part of the routine here. I know every soldier under me by name. Or, at least by nickname. The men respect me for that. I expect you to do the same.

"Understood, sir. Can't expect them to knock ride into hell with me without at least knowing them by name."

Word on the street is we'll be moving out soon to fight the Sith. You have any experience fighting forceys?

"Yeah. Imperial Knights and Mawites. No more than a few encounters but..." Sara remembered them, how fast they moved, dodging grenades and swatting blaster bolts like paper darts.

"Standard field procedures haven't changed much. Heavy firepower and surprise, which, as I understand it-" she nodded in the direction of the tank's gigantic gun. "-we'll have ample supply of." Ideally, lone Sith on the prowl were better handled with highly trained Pathfinder and Commandos- able to stand toe to toe in close quarters combat while superior numbers gunned them down. But tanks and artilley were always a good backup option.

 

[Gress D'ran]

​

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

"Imps and Maw are gonna be a bit different from a sith lord." Gress warned. "You'll need to be careful out there. That said, you've got the right idea. Call in fire support whenever you need it, and whenever you feel like it. That's how the 34th wins battles. At least, so far. Practically every vic in this battalion has a mortar on it." He led them up to the Thundercats, "Case in point, these bad boys. You played around with the Raven droids back on Coruscant?"

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

"No sir, didn't get the chance." Probe droids would have been very useful in the close fight for the Senate building- and saved a few of her soldiers.

"Things got real close real quick- and besides, our unit was supposed to be backup." Sara stopped and inspected the mortar on the nearest Thundercat.

"We only had emplaced static mortars- but we saw your battalion in action. Moving while raining fire on the raiders trying to flank us." Sara gave a grim smile, looking at the other Thundercats. She would be operating at a new velocity now- a whole new ballgame. And she relished the challenge, and felt the gravity of it.

"One of many reasons it will be an honor to serve with the Hellstompers."

 

[Gress D'ran]

​

Location: Fort Derik'hur, Correlia
Time: 15:00 Hours
Tag: Sara Roche

"Use them liberally. Even a Sith Lord isn't gonna be able to withstand a full mortar barrage." Gress said with a bit of emphasis. "Firestorm and Thunderstorm will always be at your back, but the probe droids and mortars work in tandem. Everything on the 34th does. We're all about coordination. Vics are all set up to be able to access each other's cameras and probe droids. The Sphinxes and the Lynxes can all access each other's visual and targeting data. Everything talks to each other. If you got a Raven in the air, I can use that to triangulate mortars on a target without you ever needing to tell me grid coordinates."

 

[Sara Roche]

Major Sara "Roach" Roche
34th Walker Battalion, OC, Marine Detachment​

Fort Derik'hur, Corellia
Gress D'ran

Sara watched the Marines moving around the yard in the bright, cool afternoon air of the Corellian highlands. They were all moving with purpose- bringing equipment to and fro, preparing for combat drills. A few were taking breaks in the shadows of their vehicles.

"Coordination and force multiplier- makes sense. I have a lot of learning to do, it seems, with all these new toys and interconnected data."

Some of the other Marines had spotted her by now- and were talking, sizing up their new commander. Sara had been with the same battalion for years- first in the War, and second in peace time. It would be a challenge to adjust, and she hoped she met the expectations of the men she would lead into battle.

"And a lot of introducing too."