Ordo - Old Mandalorian Space // Hearts of Iron // Objective Two - Death Watch vs New Imperials vs Friends?
Objective: Beskar Train Heist.
Equipment: See Signature Link.
Location: Near the Front of the Train.
The first shot struck his pauldron, staggering the Rally Master as the man sought to engage the enemy. He wasn’t surprised by their lack of hesitation nor their skill. After all, these were New Imperial Stormtroopers, Veterans of many campaigns against the Sith and their legion of horrors. That alone would’ve made them respectable allies in the fight against the Darkness. But, through their eternal sin of avarice, they sought to take what wasn’t theirs by right. They didn’t fight nor bleed for this Sector like the Mandalorians had. There was no course forward that didn’t involve conflict. That was preferable to Rynn, however. He wasn’t too fond of shotgun diplomacy anyways.
So, as the Rally Master recoiled from being struck, the other Stormtroopers nearby opened fire. Their surroundings filled with the stench of scorched ozone and the sonorous pang of metal being struck. Their aim was nigh-flawless. They compensated for the momentum of the train and the diffraction of their weapon’s focusing crystal, a standard operating procedure, primarily when engaged with a single target. They expected the crimson-clad figure to be cored through with smouldering blaster burns and carbon-scoring marking his armour. Instead, the Stormtroopers were greeted with a panel composed of pure light, bound together in the form of a dragon’s scale. Billowing tails of smoke rose from the photonic shield, but the Rally Master? That Crimson-clad Crusader was unharmed - save for the round that clipped his shoulder moments before.
At this inexplicable revelation, the Stormtroopers visibly recoiled - taking a step back as their minds tried to process what happened and what strange device this Mandalorian Warrior wielded. As the heel of their collective boots kissed the platform’s grated deck once more, Rynn snapped into action. The Rally Master drew a sidearm with near-perfect fluidity and levelled the barrel with the first Stormtrooper’s gorget. A swift flick of his thumb shifted the firing selector towards maximum lethality. This alteration was followed thereafter by the sounds of the pistol whirring with activity, as more power was being siphoned from the weapon’s plasmatic core. In the second it took to line up the shot, the accrued lethal reached critical mass - just in time for the Mandalorian to pull the trigger.
The Stormtrooper’s helmet from the gorget up vanished in the blink of an eye as the super-heated plasma vaporized the corporeal matter. The headless body cascaded to the deck with a muted clatter as the racing wind stole the sound from the impact. The remaining Stormtrooper’s became enraged at the death of their comrade, and one broke formation - charging head-first towards the Mandalorian. Rynn brought his pistol about and was lining up a shot, but the kill was stolen from him by the New-Imperials shift in momentum. The Stormtrooper dropped their shoulder and barreled into his armoured Cuirass - nearly throwing him to the deck. If it hadn’t been for the mag-lock soles in his boots, then the Rally Master would’ve likely been pinned beneath the New-Imperial Soldier’s armoured bulk.
If that eventually came to pass, the young Vizsla’s life would’ve been measured in seconds. As their compatriots would’ve advanced and put three bolts through his neck and likely stripped his body for parts.
Instead, the Rally Master deactivated the photonic barrier and grasped the Stormtrooper’s backplate. If he was so eager to hold the Mandalorian in this petulant embrace, then Rynn would humour him for a moment. At least, while the Stormtrooper still lived. As the New Imperials drew a bead on the Crusader, the man’s armoured undersuit tensed. The artificial musculature activated instantaneously, an act that augmented Rynn’s strength to surpass his corporeal limits with little issue. His grip on the Stormtrooper tightened before tearing the armoured figure from the platform’s embrace and almost casually throwing them towards their fellow Soldiers. They tried to catch their comrade, but the act had thrown off their balance - leaving them as easy prey for the Mandalorian’s sidearm.
With two quick bursts, Rynn was now alone on the platform - with naught but the wind and the echoes of its passing for company. Sadly, such blissful serenity wasn’t meant to last. The Rally Master’s helmet filled with the voice of a fellow Crusader, and a Cousin at that, who sought to inform him of the dangers that might lurk ahead. :: Copy that, :: the Rally Master replied before drawing his second pistol and advancing into the train. They wouldn’t make it to the Depot if things kept up the way they did, and thus their plans needed to change. Protecting the train was becoming untenable, especially with the shadow of the New Imperial Fleet likely looming ever-closer, alongside the sudden appearance of Space Pirates. They needed to withdraw, but cutting and running wasn’t exactly the best option for the Death Watch - especially with something as valuable as Mandalorian Iron in their possession.
:: Crusaders, :: Rynn began, as a plan formed within his mind. :: The situation’s getting too hot for us. Decouple the cargo pods with the Beskar and signal the Dropship’s to swoop in. We’ll take what we can, and destroy the train… ::
