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Enemies: United Clans of Mandalore | Mandalorians | Thrysians | [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"]
Location: Outskirts of the Former Capital, Ruins
Stumbling from the husk that had borne Ajax unto the world of Eshan, he roared in defiance at the sight of it. *Burning, smoldering, lingering smell of blood and bile.* It enraged him so, no doubt the others too. Ignorant to the complexities of the Force much of the ethereal escaped his grasp but what didn't were the sounds of combat erupting around him, the sounds and smells of the battlefield, the cries of pain and anguish as lives were extinguished. *THUD* Another pod slammed into the ground, clumps of dirt and debris raining down on his shoulder, clattering off the man's worn armor plates. Tilting his head he raised the end of his weapon and pushed off. He may not have been one of the magical space wizards but he certainly felt the not so subtle inflammation of his anger.
Every lingering feeling of guilt had been suddenly ignited, coaxed to the flame of unrestrained violence. They would pay. He would make them pay. Ajax and his merry band of mercenaries. Not to line their pockets, not for glory or reputation, but for Eshan. "Let's go ye bastards!" he shouted, eyes searching for the easily recognizable arch of a Mandalorian helmet, the sight of the infamous Beskar worn by their filth. In true Echani fashion, Ajax and his men wore light armor to grant themselves an increased mobility on the battlefield. A vicious roar echoing in his own ears, Ajax surged forward as he locked on to the nearest armored figure and in a moment, engaged it. Fire belched forth from the weapon in his hands, kinetic rounds slamming into the edge of the city block before finding purchase in the familiar armored form of a Mandalorian. Knocked from his feet the man scrambled behind cover. "Oh, come on kiddo - I thought you folks knew how to fight?" Ajax taunted as he continued his approach, racking another round into the scattergun.
More loud thuds echoed in his ears from behind him, the rest of his crew - or however many of the dozen or so pods had made it through the atmosphere and to the surface unexploded. "Oh Eshaaaaan, I'm hooooooomee!" he shouted above the roar of the weapon as he emptied another slug into the place where he'd last seen the armored figure.
There were many things that Kasca expected in war. She had a young person's idea of what war was though a bit of that had been disillusioned by being a part of the humanitarian aid given after the Mandalorian's bombed Eshan and left it in ruins (even 5 city blocks... did that really matter?). There was fighting, both above and around her. There was some kind of red smoke in the distance and she didn't like what it made her feel upon seeing it. Chemical weapons? She had not brought any... For some reason, even she could not bring herself to do anything like that. It would be too easy for the wind to carry it into civilian population, especially with how many ships were landing and taking off. It would spread like wildfire in their wind-wakes. She hoped it was just some kind of marking smoke and not something more serious.
What she didn't expect was Gorsck attacking a Force Barrier with a hammer. That was like attacking a Rancor with a plastic bag. There was a part of her that felt for the beast as he was woefully unprepared for fighting the Mandragora. Perhaps, if he lived through this, he would rue the day he smelled the decay of Zombies and came in to investigate.
She felt the nuzzle of her arm and turned to see the wonderful Doashim who had chosen her to mount it. She patted it's nose affectionately. Before becoming Mandragora, animals were not even something she ever considered. Since then though... she had come to know the camaraderie that could exist between being and beast. It lifted its massive clawed hand and the petite woman used it to propel herself up and onto its back. She rested a hand on its mighty horned head and felt the heat of its blood rush through its body. Activating her light shield bracelet to protect its head from shots, she prepared herself for the coming attack. Their army was solid. Three witches, thirteen Doashim, and thirty undead. The intimidation factor alone would make most tremble.
She noticed movement beside her and turned to look at Veronika who had gone back to the flames. As the sound of a familiar spell came to her she grinned in a feral manner and turned back to her foe. Veronika was busy but it wouldn't take long to do what she was doing. So Kasca stuck her tongue out at Gorsck and her beast roared in excited bloodlust. "Come on big boy!" She called out to the monster in a menacing, taunting manner. "Put your back into it!"
Location: In space near Eshan Allies: CIS and Allies | Assisting: [member="Amelia von Sorenn"] Enemies: Mandalorians and Enemies Engaging: [member="Quoron Cadera"] | [member="Tathra Khaeus"] | [member="Kaine Australis"] Objective: Clear Space of Mandalorian Assets and help secure freedom for Eshan Unity Fleet:
When things went wrong, they went so very wrong all at once. The Confederacy fleet had deployed against the Mandalorian defenders, Fleet Marshal von Sorenn racing ahead to engage the enemy while the rest of the fleet proceeded in her wake to take control of the planet, only the Mandalorian's had different ideas about that. Fleet after fleet of Mandalorian's had shown up, throwing themselves at the Confederacy as they claimed the forces of liberation that had arrived along with the Queen of Eshan. John wasn't exactly sure how the Mandalorian's could claim that the people were free when the Mandalorian's had installed their own leadership on a planet that already had leaders, had been willing to carve apart the citizens of the capital, to unleash the devastation of an orbital strike on the unsuspecting populace. Everyone, every military commander knew that it was impossible to fully clear out a city. It was why they all hated urban conflict, it was impossible to keep innocent civilians from getting caught in the crossfire. That the Mandalorians who had so blithely unleashed that horror on the city dared accuse them of that same travesty was almost too much for John to bear. He could see it in the cold looks of his bridge crew, the way their posture's shifted, their eyes hardened. This was an insult too far, revealing the desperation of the Mandalorian forces to try to justify the attack they had participated, and there didn't seem to be a single sentient on his crew who didn't feel the sting of that insult. Their commander was no exception, the urge to reach out there, to see the Mandalorian commander was strong, almost overwhelming, but the vast distances of cold space made that impossible, the logistics of war had taken that chance for revenge beyond Unity Fleet and they would have to trust in their comrades to answer for them. The rag tag collection of ships had other problems to deal with.
The vast bulk of the Preserver had appeared from space right on the tail of the Fortressa and John and his crews were left scrambling to answer the appearance of the Dreadnought this far into the gravity well. Yet no sooner thad they redirected their attention to that ships than another pair of Mandalorian ships had appeared off their flank, weapons coming to life, throwing a hail of fire at them, couruscing through space.
"Admiral please," that first hapless lieutenant who had come bearing the forgotten datapad bent down, plucking the forgotten pad off the floor, "please, Captain Nome..."
She didn't get a chance to get any further before another officer spoke over her, overbearing her with a voice of alarm, their eyes glued to the sensor screen. "Admiral, we're tracking the new enemy fleet firing, they're coming to bear on our position." John could feel his heart skip a beat at that, thus far the orbital defences had been silent, but he could see the damage they would be able to inflict on a stationary target, luckily Unity fleet was anything but stationary. "All ships DIVE! Full speed!" The cyborg leaned forward in his seat as if he could make the Mace Windu move faster by a sheer force of will as if he could protect the fleet from the silent death racing towards them. It was the struggle of every commander, you had to put the people who looked to you for guidance into harm's way and yet, who wanted to carry the weight of those deaths on your head? It was moments like this, that uncertainty, not knowing if you'd reacted fast enough if you'd been good enough kept him up at night. No matter how good your reactions a military starship was a massive piece of metal, and couldn't react in an instant, couldn't turn on a dime. The screen in front of him showed the accelerating fleet diving under the plane of the star system in a desperate move to avoid the attack.
Sometimes though, sometimes you got lucky, the fleet's movements had saved them from the worst of the attack, the worst of it. No matter how lucky you were though it was impossible to avoid all damage. The enemy's turbolasers splashed off the shields, reduced by the distance to little more than a light show, barely causing a fluctuation on the shields. However the same couldn't be said of the long-range hypervelocity rounds launched by the Crusader class ship, crashing in at the cruisers. Where the Khong had gotten lucky, the Galileo and the Socrates hadn't been so lucky, both sustaining hits. John's teeth bared in anger, glaring at the screen. There were times, relatively few, but there were times when he really really wished he had the force, that he could reach out through the darkness of space and...well shake someone repeatedly. Only that wasn't going to help anybody. "Inform the Khong, Galileo and Socrates that they should withdraw and link up with Fleet Marshal von Sorenn's forces and assist with the assault on the Preserver. The Mace Windu, Hermes and the Piranha will engage the enemy ships, the Alabaster and the Hawk will back us up."
The man stopped talking as the datapad was thrust in front of his face by the exasperated crew member, "Admiral you really need to see this.""I'm kinda in the middle of.""Admiral, Captain Nome reports that he's been boarded, and it doesn't look like he's going to be able to stop the assault. They're carving a line through the defenders." There was a saying John had heard once as his father was staring at yet another bill, misfortune comes in threes, that seemed to very much be the case here. The man could see his carefully constructed plans falling apart as he nodded at the lieutenant who withdrew to her station leaving John alone in the centre of the bridge. It was like everything that had been happening had built up around him, into a flood that threatened to swamp over him, leaving the man feeling helpless to stop it. "Get...get me Captain Nemo." That datapad, that small datapad. If he'd been faster, if he'd taken the time to read it, maybe he could have gotten troops shuttled over to the Hermes, maybe they could have stopped the assault before it started.
The viewscreen lit up with the face of the captain, one hand tugging nervously at the white hair of his handlebar as he stared at the screen.
"Captain..."
"Admiral please, I've sent our complement of troops, the Xi-Charrian marines we were transporting to stop him."
"Him?"
"Yes sir, him. there's just one of them, tearing through our defences. I don't know if we can stop him but." The man swallowed nervously glancing at the door. "I've locked it down, the bridge, every blast door. Just to buy us time. Admiral...however long we have, we're with you. All of us, as long as we can. Please, sir, we all knew the risks coming in...I've ordered all non-essential hands to abandon ship. We came here to free Eshan, all of us...we came here because we believe in that. Nothing the Mandalorian's have done has changed our minds. I...we...we don't want to leave the planet in the hands of people who would bombard it. Whose first reaction to a problem is to charge in all guns blazing to kill everyone they don't like. It's tantamount to a war crime and we refuse to let it stand, if we didn't give our all, we'd be no better than any of them were."
What could you say to that, to that resolve? That level of dedication? The bridge of the Mace Windu was silent, John's eyes staring at the screen as he found himself on his feet, hand by his head in a silent salute. A salute that was echoed in the posture of every member of the bridge. A wave of salutes that the man on the other side of the screen answered in silence before he turned away, the screen shutting off leaving John to turn to his crew, his entire posture rigid with anger. "New orders, the Munificent's are to collect all the life pods before they and the liminal will return to the Fortressa and engage the enemy along with the Fleet Marshall. All remaining ships are to engage the enemy at long range. If he wants to play this game with us, we've got a lot more weapons to bring the pain. Helm, be sure to keep us at long range." Order's given, the fleet sprang into action, weapons blazing as the fire from the Mandalorian ships was answered by Railgun and plasma, by turbolaser and ion cannon, the long-range weapons that studded the sides of the ship. Where the Mandalorians had just two weapons that could reach over the gap, Unity Fleet answered with an entire arsenal designed to destroy ships at these ranges, all of that fire focused upon the Crusader class ship.
--Onboard the Hermes--
Captain Nome was true to his word, the blast doors had swung shut as a squadron of rangers and marines settled themselves in doorways and behind bulkheads, weapons aimed at the doorway. They'd heard the screams of pain, they could hear the ominous thump of footsteps getting closer. Yet how could they run, how could one of them turn tail when the captain of the ship was waiting on the bridge, determined to fight his vessel to the last minute. They all knew they were a sacrifice, that each drop of their blood would be a second a minute that the ship would continue firing, to support the rest of the Confederacy as they fought to liberate the planet from the Mandalorians who had struck the world like a bolt ouf of the blue.
tldr;
Mace Windu, Piranha, and Hermes supported by Alabaster and Hawk opening fire upon the Crusader Class under the command of Quoron Cadera.
Khong, Galileo, Socrates and Liminal gathering escape pods and retreating to support the fortressa - firing at the Preserver.
Icarus and Prometheus holding between the two fleets out of range of Quoron's fleet.
Allies: CIS, Mandragora, [member="Rhaellor"], [member="Fawn Alzi"], [member="Kasca Fen"], [member="Veronika Fleischer"], Eshan Peoples
Enemies: [member="Grosck Bah'azet"]
Gear: Lightsaber, Leather Armor
Asher had remained quiet, keeping a vigilant eye on the proceedings as the other three witches enacted their spell. It was a good idea, but one that would require time and protection. If the shield that was around them failed, then Asher would have to step in. The ceremony had been a success in large part, though there was trouble on the horizon. They witches shield and conjured army was about to face a test from a hostile and his foes.
Leaping from where he had been hiding in the shadows, Asher ran toward one of the Doashim that was loosed to charge. Mumbling a spell under his breath he sped his movements and climbed bareback on the beast. It smelled something awful, however this was the fight, and Asher meant to take it straight to their enemy. ([member="Grosck Bah'azet"].
It was time for the scourge to begin. With his lightsaber drawn it was only a matter of time before they engaged the enemy.
Grosck watched as the three women and their strange beast mocked him and tilted his head curiously. Of course their words all sounded like gibberish to him, but he was sure they were most certainly praising his large frame and beautiful complexion. For true, no one ton of rock and scales was more beautiful than Grosck. He contemplated keeping that one as a slave... But, then she pointed and laughed at him and that he did understand! He was heart broken and would rectify this with the BLOOD of the infidels! He was going to show her who she was laughing at, with the blade of his axe he would carve her a new mouth to laugh out of! He snarled at the woman and turned abruptly. Despite Grosck stunning looks, his agreeable nature was not nearly as prominent. Grosck would peel the skin off the women's back and wear it around like a cape.
He just had to figure out how to destroy the barrier. Grosck at first assumed it to be some sort of portable energy shield, but dismissed the thought quickly, as if it were, it surely would have collapsed under the might of his gravity axe and the Drael would be able to walk through easily. No this was something the Seers called the force. Rarely did it manifest itself in the Draelvasier... So, Grosck was completely unsure as to how he might take down the barrier. But, while he dawdled his thumbs the witches went to work. One of them approached the fire once more, speaking in her strange gibberish that made Grosck giggle to himself. Aliens were so funny when they pleaded for their lives. Grosck was sure this woman would throw herself in the fire rather then be destroyed by the Brutes.
But, again Grosck was woefully wrong. Her gibberish became more enunciated, it took on a deep tone that seemed to belly her size. The sound of the dead echoed her cries and the Draelvasier began to huddle a little bit closer to one another. Whatever she was doing it was not sacrificing herself to the mighty warriors. The air began to chill and Grosck could see his breath. He turned round and ran back to his warriors just as the lightning began to cascade towards the earth. He took a peek back and spied another of the odd sentients had joined the fray, but it mattered little to Grosck. He needed to secure this command post and he needed it now. Lightning struck two of the brutes and they writhed on the ground in pain, but it did not kill them.
Grosck decided it was beter to simply try and bring down the barrier the old fashion way, lest this storm kill them all.
"raelvasier: Launch five grenades at the barrier, prepare for attack!"
The bruted nodded keeping their calm despite the electrical hell going on around them. Even the two Brutes who had been struck were up and in action again, albeit they were stunned and would take a moment to recover fully. Five brutes fired their Wendigo under carriage grenade launchers. The grenades left the barrels with a thump, whoosh, to hopefully impact on the shield and bring it down. Grosck looked to his other five drael and nodded for them to have their own launchers at the ready...
Enemies: All | [member="John Locke"] - The Hermes
Allies: The Bryn'adûl | The Extant
Locale: Insurgent aboard The Hermes
Tathra broke into a sprint, his lumbering physique might've lead to the assumption he was slow; however that was not the case. The Chieftain covered metres easily, quickly outrunning the first two missiles as they came spiralling towards his position - destroying the bridge and causing the now wreckages of two fighters to fall to the hangar bay below. Tathra strode through the pellets of blaster fire from the remaining two troopers as the four remaining missiles drew closer and closer. He quickly closed the distance, darting from the middle of the bridge toward to the right, grasping the weapon the trooper hold and both hands in his massive grip. The Chieftain threw his weight down - using the momentum to turn and slog the trooper into one of the closely following missiles, the trooper was suddenly less a man and more a collection of chunks dispersing across the hangar.
Another missile arched over his shoulder, spiralling down and crashing into a fighter. The remaining trooper was flung over the railings, falling to his death as Tathra crushed the railings under his weight, managing to find his footing. His body being sporadically thrust to the side causing the fifth and sixth missile to arc ahead, destroying the front of the bridge. Tathra only begun to realise what had happened all too late, his weight serving to his disadvantage as the bridge collapsed - the Chieftain braced himself his massive body able to absorb the kinetic abuse as he held firm within the toppling bridge.
His mace arched upward, destroying a segment of the bridge as he leapt from its confines - narrowly avoiding another barrage of missiles. The Chieftain landed, rolling into an upright position as he anchored to face the Gunship as it fired another barrage. Tathra snarled, raising his shield as he tapped into the force allowing the mass of all six missiles to connect with the shield. The massive explosion was stagnant, warped into the grasp of his shield as the explosion was pulled in by an inverse wormhole. Tathra growled, releasing the energy in the form of a massive purple bolt, ploughing through the air and snapping the gunship's right wing in half.
The ship spiralled done as the Chieftain watched as the Gunship spiralled out of control, slamming into the walls of the hangar and exploding. Tathra leapt from the hangar floor up to the door, grasping onto the remains of the bridge and propelling himself forward and crashing through the door. Ahead, a mass of troops.
Tathra brandished his Mace, savagely cutting through room after room of soldiers as he headed toward the bridge.
The elevator to the bridge was heavily guarded, a total of thirty Marines delivered an unsavoury barrage upon the Chieftain. Tathra leapt to the side, lifting a large ammunition container, launching it into the centre of the Marines. Quickly he followed, his Mace throwing five or more into the air with each swing - brutalising the thirty that stood defiant in mere moments. Tathra staggered, black blood oozing from his wounds.
Placing his Mace on his back, the giant half-crawled into the elevator. His massive hand pressed the keypad, hoping they hadn't locked down the bridge, indeed they had. Tathra grimaced, slamming his fist into the keypad - entirely crushing it.
"[Draelvasier]: ..Humans.. Face your death with dignity."
The brute tore apart the elevator ceiling, digging sharpened claws into the metal as he climbed up the elevator shaft, reaching the bridge as he pried the doors open with his bare hands.
Immediately, blaster bots deterred him - smacking into his face as he painfully pushed himself inside the bridge. Tathra could not bother to unleash his Mace, slamming his shoulder into one of the six hostiles on the bridge. Knocking him down into the lower diagnostic levels of the bridge, another killing by a wild swing of his right arm. Tathra released his flail from its attached slot, swinging the weapon and obliterating the face of one of the remaining soldiers.
"Stop! Cease fire!" Captain Nome begged, pushing past his men. "This is Captain Nome of the Hermes to Unity Fleet. I-" Captain Nome stopped as Tathra killed the remaining troopers on board his bridge. Immediately Nome's expression turned from one of defeatism to anger.
"Captain."
"Those were good men." The anger and embarrassment clear on his face, yet Tathra seemed idle - his expression less now rage than one of measured indifference. "I gave them honourable ends. Better than dying in a futile attempt to run. Go ahead, finish your communication." Tathra halted, towering over the Captain. Nome shifted to keep his eyes locked on the Chieftains. "What will you do with my ship and her crew?"
"I will crash this vessels scorched ruin into the surface of Eshan, and join the real fight there." Captain Nome's expression shifted to disgust. "All this, for a grand entrance?" Tathra's nostrils visibly flared, thumb massaging the outside of his bruised forefinger. "Better to die by my hand than let the Confederacy lead them to slaughter." - "Better to go home and die peacefully." - "Better to die with meaning. We're all terminal Captain. Finish your communication, tell them the Bryn'adûl is putting their ship to better use."
Captain Nome struggled to move, slowly opening a direct line to [member="John Locke"] on board his ship - standing over the console. "This is Captain Nome, the Bryn'adûl have taken my ship. They intend on crashing it into the city! Destroy the Hermes no-" The mass of Tathra moved alarmingly quick, the gargled agony of Nome's head being crushed between Tathra's massive jaws would be all John would hear.
Immediately the Hermes would engage all thrusters, hurdling down towards the planet.
Location: Eshan – Medical camp
Allies: [member="Pei Ven"], [member="Rato Hus"], [member="Iapo Sim"]
Objective: 2 – Cleanse the Camp
Fighting With: To be ambushed
Post: #2
Equipment: SC4 Repeater, Tactical Recon Handguns (2), Commando Armor
Intuition was a funny thing. It could fill a person with good or bad vibes about a situation or person before one had had time to fully get to know that person or situation. Some called it a defense mechanism that was installed in being over millions of years of evolution. Luna wasn’t a scientist, and honestly couldn’t care less where that “feeling” came from. All she knew, was when she had a bad feeling about a situation rushing over her, to keep on watch and at the ready.
From the moment they stepped into the camp, that feeling was very real, and very present.
There was just something off about how everything was proceeding. The guards at the front of the camp entrance had been dispatched easily enough, and the severely injured Echani that they had seen so far had been taken care of as well as they could. So to the outside observer, one might say this mission was moving perfectly along, and that their scouting had been spot on.
Luna wouldn’t even be able to really say what was bothering her. For all intents and purposes, everything was going well. She should have been pleased with the Dauntless’s progress so far. Instead, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something, somewhere, was off.
The more she thought about this feeling, and where it could be coming from, as the group moved through the encampment, the more she noticed little things here and there. Firstly, where was the major Mandalorian resistance? This could easily be chalked up to the fighting going on in other places at the camp, but there were other signs too. The number of people in this side of the camp seemed to be lacking, and even then, the people that were here, the echani, seemed unnecessarily wary of the men and women in armor.
And even though the echani surely knew that these CIS members were here to liberate them from the Mandalorian oppressors, they still seemed scared. Weary. Untrusting.
In the some of the faces…there might have even been hints of anger, aggression. But Luna waved these thoughts away with the idea that she was just overthinking things on a battlefield. And of course a people group might be wary of men and women in weird looking armor.
These thoughts continued to persist with the commander of the squads as they made their way into an open circle. It seemed as though the area was meant to be a landing zone for smaller ships, which the large clearing and crates full of who knew what laying around. There was even a small control tower, most likely built quickly and not meant to stand for long, near the north end of the circle. With two other entrances/exits to the clearing, it was obvious that this was meant to get the crates to their needed locations as quickly as possible.
There didn’t seem to be any targets or enemies in the clearing, just a few echani lounging around. In fact..that’s all the people type Luna saw. Echani peeking out of the tents surrounding the circle, Echani milling around the openings of the camp, an Echani with a large blaster in the tower…
Wait.
“Down!! Find cov-!“ Luna barely had the time to scream the words through the mike before blaster bolts ripped into the ground surrounding the squads. Cry’s of pain could be heard from the commandos as a few stray bolts hit the armor of the men and woman. The commander knew the group would find cover from the heavy cannon which was still firing bolts around the squads. She did herself, sliding behind a stack of two crates and whipping her blaster rifle towards where the bolts were coming from.
She didn’t want to hurt the Echani, but once you began firing on her men, and especially once you injured ones, you then became an enemy target to them. Luna didn’t know who this person was, whether they were paid off from the mandalorians or was for some reason loyal to the group, but for whatever reason, the alien decided to fire out at the group.
The commander didn’t need long to train her blaster on the head of the Echani operating the heavy gun. One quick shot, and that’s all would take to stop whatever madness this was. But just as she was about to pull out the trigger, a blaster bolt coming from behind her hit the crate near where her head was. Luna whipped her head around to see another Echani holding a blaster, pointed directly at her.
It seemed for a moment that everything stood still. In that moment, Luna observed more and more Echani holding blasters..pointed at her group of commandos. They seemed to be everywhere, completely surrounding the camp. And they all were ready to fire and kill the dauntless sent here only to help them.
That moment passed, and when it did, everything broke loose.
Blaster bolts started firing everywhere, and not just from the Echani, the Dauntless had started firing back too. Luna, if only to save her own life, quickly turned and fired a bolt into the chest of the echani behind her, silently hoping in her mind it only knocked out the alien.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. This isn’t what the intel had said would down here! And now, because they were unprepared for this, men and women were about to die. Good men and women. Her men and women.
Location: Eshan Flatlands Allies: [member="Kat Decoria"], CIS peeps Enemies: [member="Sanya Val Lerium"], [member="Mig Gred"] , ME peeps Objective: Neutralize Armor, Scare the beaurocrat into the open Post #3
Kat had asked if we were just going to stand there or were going to go fight them.... "Patience Kat, they landed in ships carrying vehicles likely tanks...." I had my rifle trained on a fuel container by a few tanks at the moment. "Mistress Celiana, firing solutions calculated. Sensors indicate light tanks and tank destroyers moving out, I've transferred controls for bombardment to your gauntlet. I want to fire a few rounds though please?" Smiling I said "Ares you're clear to fire..." There was a pause, the false sense of security...then I heard the whhhump. "Artillery fired Mistress, hit in 3....2...1..." Then there was a burst of crackling blue energy in the distance. Ion bombardment then the following fiery explosion of explosive rounds. "M'lady I very much enjoyed that, am I approved to rain hell down? I very much wish to see more things go boom...."
Smirking I said "Wipe them out Ares." Looking at Kat out of the corner of my eye I checked my target of the fuel container. Then I softly pulled the trigger twice in quick succession. One acid mist round then another incendiary round. The fuel container exploded in a fiery burst, excellent it'd draw attention. "Ares fire sand artillery on my mark...." Looking at Kat I clipped my Verpine rifle to my side. "When the next rounds go off we move. In 3...2...1... Ares Mark!" I moved and waited for the rounds to explode and spray sand throughout the valley, that'd be part of what came next. "Laced sand on the armor Ares." Sometimes sand wasn't just sand and with my uses of it it was always a bag of tricks. "Ares launch the troll drones."
I had the feeling the Mando'ade wouldn't like what was coming..... "Drones launched mistress, what shall I put on the radio?" Smirking I said "Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture I believe., I believe that'll do for bombardment...." There was a pause and then "Aye m'lady tunes on their way. Prepare for next salvo...."
12Death Gliders (1 Squadron - Air Support) - 4 Destroyed
Tacitus has began casting a necromantic spell which, if successful, will summon the voices of those killed by every Force User in a 200 meter radius around him, to torment them with accusations and visions of their dark deeds. He is also drawing his two demons to him, intending to consume them for a temporary boost in power that will make his attacks stronger for several post rounds. The demons have been discussed OOC with Banshee.
Eshan
The ruins of a broken world
The 131st had been caught by surprise and had suffered considerable casualties in the opening salvos of the battle, but they were trained, experienced professionals, veterans of the Eternal Empire's campaigns across the galaxy. Many of them had fought on Nibelungen and on Dredd. Some had fought on Copero, before being reassigned to this regiment. A further few had fought at Krayiss II, a decade ago. They were Ultranauts, one of the most disciplined fighting forces in the galaxy. So, their lines did not break even under heavy fire, even when ambushed. They did not waver, or panic. So, when surprise wore off, they were quick to respond and they did so by bringing their heavy weapons to bear.
Crimson Fire tanks were the first to fire, unleashing volleys of guided missiles into the enemy droid formations. Spider walkers and Xiphos infantry fighting vehicles moved up to the front lines, to support the soldiers fighting on foot with heavy firepower. Combat engineers quickly deployed heavy repeating blasters and began to pepper the enemy with crimson bolts as well as missiles from their portable launchers.
The four Centipede siege walkers moved into position as well, their claws digging in to brace themselves as they reared up like snakes, one of them exploding when an enemy starfighter strafed it. The remaining three unleashed crimson lances of destruction upon the enemy formation, swaying from side to side as they dragged those beams across the battlefield in a dazzling display of deadly light.
And then the titanic war droid opened fire, first with its dual-barrel heavy turbolaser, then with the rest of its weapons, unleashing a mechanical apocalypse upon its enemies. The battle escalated. Bombs were dropping and in the sky, starfighters exploded as they missed a step in the complicated, graceful dance of death that was dogfighting. Through it all, the troops maintained their calm, professional discipline. They fought and died in silence, their funeral songs the staccato rapping of automatic slugthrowers and the electronic screech of blasters.
When the Mandalorians came down from the sky, their planned redeployment outside of the city was cut off, but they were quick to react. Surface-to-air missiles streaked upwards, along with autocannon fire from the Xiphos IFV's that were still held in reserve at the center of their formation. Shot from portable launchers utilized by the battle hardened Combat Engineers of the Logistics Corps, four of these missiles were slicing their way across the sky, racing directly towards [member="Kaine Australis"].
Styx-class dropships rose up to provide additional fire support or to redeploy troops as needed, Ultranauts rappelling down the sides as a second line formed to receive the assault from the Mandalorian forces. A request for additional air support went through to [member="Amelia von Sorenn"]'s forces. IFVs and Spider walkers redeployed as well and one of the Centipedes lowered itself to the ground, beginning its turn which would bring its firepower to bear against the Mandalorian troops and their vehicles. Several of the Crimson Fire tanks launched a salvo of missiles at the attackers charging at them from the second front.
Everywhere, things exploded and caught fire as the three armies exchanged fire and through it all, bravely did the Ultranauts fight, giving as good as they got and maintaining formation even under heavy fire. They lacked the mobility and speed of the Mandalorians, but they compensated with heavy firepower and the unbreakable discipline that they had gained a reputation for, all across the galaxy. If they were to die here, then there was nothing more glorious than to sacrifice in service of the Nation. Even through the smoke and fire and the destructive chaos of war, their banners flew high and proud at the center of the regiment's positions. Even so, they were surrounded, caught between the deadly pincers of the Mandalorians and the Sith droids.
So, they prepared to receive the brunt of the enemy assault from both sides. Repeating blasters were deployed in anticipation and the flamethrowers were ordered up to the front lines. Then, an order came from the regiment's command staff. Two words, spoken in High Nelvaanian, the language of their beloved homeworld, spoken over tinny comlink speakers. "//Fix bayonets!//"
Only now did the Ultranauts break their silence and they shattered it with a single, united shout of defiance, the voices of five thousand cheering soldiers rolling across the battlefield like a thunderstorm, drowning out all the cannons and the blasters and explosions, their voices carried across kilometers of terrain as they drew their vibroblades from their sheaths and affixed them to their rifles. Standard bearers brought the flags down to the front lines. Soldiers gripped their rifles and drew grenades from their belts. At the last second, before the enemy assault reached them, repeating blasters and flamethrowers opened fire. And then, the Ultranauts rose amidst the smoke and fire and the broken corpses of their fallen comrades. They rose up from the rubble, from the craters, from behind the burning wrecks that were their cover. And then, they charged, a mad dash across the last few meters of no-man's land to meet the Mandalorians head on.
--------------
Tacitus felt her coming before he saw her. Still not igniting his own shield, he reached out with his left hand, sending a telekinetic blast down at the ground which propelled him sideways and out of the woman's way at the last second. His eyebrows rose as he recognized who he was facing, having seen her picture in one of the files he requested after hearing about the threats made against Adron and Alessandra.
A long time ago, he and his brother had been bitter rivals, seeking to destroy eachother at every step, but now... Family was family, no matter what the past was. The Eternal Emperor would not allow any to threaten his own flesh and blood, for the ties of family and nation surpassed any petty rivalries and overcame any differences. Even now, he could feel his brother bolstering his power with Battle Meditation and the Emperor smiled. Up above the carnage of the battlefield, the two wispy, wraith-like demons he had brought with him, circled the Nelvaanian formation. So far, they had not gotten involved, but now Tacitus called them to him. Faster and faster they circled, dissolving into smoke as they grew closer and closer, feeding off the death and tragedy that had befallen the world. Soon, Tacitus would have their power at his disposal and then, he would unleash the true extent of his abilities.
The Darkside reacted in anticipation, the looming sense of death and tragedy drawn inwards, into a maelstrom of cold, invisible darkness that lazily rolled above Tacitus like an unseen tornado. It was risky, drawing on the Darkside like that. Every wielder of the Force for miles around would be able to sense him and would know exactly where he was. The spell he was preparing would also take time, even as he reached out with his senses and whispered the first words of the incantation, beginning to weave the deathly quilt. He needed time to finish, so he began to circle his opponent, eyes fixed onto her like a predator measuring a rival's strength. It was a risky move, this spell, which would paint a big target on his back, but he would rather have the enemy's attention focused on him, rather than on Srina or his brother.
His lips parted again, though not to utter incantations, but to confront his foe. "So, the snake finally reveals herself," he spoke in a gravelly voice that held a calm air of confident, dismissive superiority. He would not charge her, no. Far better to enrage her, provoke her to charge at him. He needed to gauge [member="Darth Banshee"]'s abilities before he fully committed to the attack.
"You know, I was perfectly content to ignore you and leave you be. But you just couldn't help yourself, could you?" he asked her, his tone derisive, like a teacher scolding a misbehaving child. "You just had to give into your own insecurities and threaten my family," the Emperor said, shaking his head in disgust. "Sith are supposed to conquer power, not be conquered by it," he spat the words, mocking her. "But you are no true Sith. You are just another deluded pretender, hungering for power without understanding its meaning, hoarding it and thus rendering it worthless. Wasting it on the hedonistic pursuits of animal impulse, instead of using it with purpose, like all tools should be used. You are no true Sith, only a slave, ruled by primitive instinct and base impulse. You're not even worthy of comparing yourself to the maggots writhing in the dirt beneath my boots," he offered up his insults.
"So, come then. I will spill your guts upon the dirt, so I can see what you are made of," the Emperor incited, his tone and expression calm, mocking, superior, as if he was a god speaking to an offending insect.
Location: Eshan City
Allies: Mando'ade
Enemies: CIS
It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Yesterday the city was quiet, or as quiet as a planet’s capital could be, children laughing and playing games, businesses open, typical foot traffic as the people pulsed with life. Ships weren't coursing through the sky pumping soldiers to a battlefield that had been nearly picturesque. Smoke rose from several points of destruction. Blood splattered men and women as battle was met on doorstep and business thresholds with neither rhyme nor reason. The dead lay in lifeles husks, unseeing eyes staring into the abyss of the afterlife with no indication to whether it was a paradise or hell for their destination.
In the end death offered reprieve to the turmoil that had become a part of echani life these past several weeks and especially today.
He watched as the lines of the confederates and mando’ade crashed into each other, the lines blurring from set sides to chaos. The soldiers of the confederates battled the mandalorians with echani dispersed throughout each side, fighting for what they believed in. A planet who was part of the collective mandos, under their umbrella of influence who sought to push back these new invaders seeking to upset the new status quo. Or echani who refused to live under a foreign power rule, who sought independence, who wished for their old way of life regardless of the price.
In the end it saw two superpowers clashing against one another. And ultimately the ones to pay the price were the echani people, for it was on their planet this theatre of war played out. Rhaegar was not here for when Eshan joined the mandalorians. What mattered was that the system was now under the influence of the mando'ade. The confederacy were merely sticking their nose into a fight that they had no way to control the outcome. The system rested an extraordinary amount of distance from Confederate space. They didn't have the resources to patrol and govern Eshan across the great divide. So all they did was scar a world in a fight between superpowers, a scar that would affect the planet far more than the small amount of damage that had occurred under the actions of bringing the planet into the fold of the mando’ade.
Not that any of this truly mattered to Nemesis in the moment.
As he watched from his third floor vantage point the troops of home grown echani that he had followed thus far boiled out to join the fray. Rushing forward they battered into the enemy, their rush aiding the mandos enough that the line surged forward and into the confederates to push the edge of conflict away from the buildings momentarily.
Hi eyes narrowed slightly as a figure rose to prominence as a withering barrage of fire scoured the defensive ranks. A darkside presence and the glow of a lightsaber caused Rhaegar to smile for a moment before touching the minds of a few of the wounded echani near [member="Alkor Centaris"]. The soldiers were moments away from death which made Rhaegar’s actions less monstrous. Activating thermals and palming grenades they leapt for the furious figure of Alkor as their explosive erupted.
His eyes flickered to the wings of the battle as he saw two figures nearing the wings of battle, [member="Naedira Darcrath"] and [member="Lucien Rayne"], and touched the minds of three echani warriors gently prioritizing the duo for a frontal assault. One reason were they were enemy, ther other reason was to gauge their effective response, or lack thereof. Another enemy echani was rabidly attacking mandalorian allies and with a forceful shove Nemesis sent several pieces of debris careening toward [member="Ajax Crowe"] Meanwhile the presence of [member="Ryndrae Talon"] flickered momentarily in his mind only to be pushed away as he focused elsewhere.
Chuckling lightly he leaned against the window frame and watched, a pleasant whistle escaping his lips of a jaunty children's tune.
ENEMIES: ME (Countless), [member="Tathra Khaeus"]
OBJECTIVE: Test some new weapons.
Suddenly, a new set of targets appeared.
Not too far away, a force of monstrous, subhuman creatures gathered. They showed no signs of Confederate allegiance or knowledge of Rick's task. Upon closer inspection, Rick's suspicions were confirmed. He recognized some of the creatures as the same ones that had terrorized him on Commenor. Back then, Rick had been in retreat, and the creatures had nearly taken his life. But now, it was Rick who had the advantage. No matter how strong the enemies were, the Matter Pull Cannons would chew them up and spit them out.
Indeed, the MPCs began charging, locking onto the enemy armored vehicles as their main targets. Even if the other enemies avoided the initial blast, the splash damage would be immense.
In a span of a single second, massive chunks of the hill the cannons stood on disappeared. Rick observed, safely inside the lead cannon, as any small fauna in the vicinity suffered the same fate as the hill. Suddenly lacking hundreds of meters of land below them, the high-powered repulsorlifts on the MPCs powered up, keeping them stable in the air for just long enough to fire. Their large barrels suddenly began to glow, steadily increasing in brightness for about three seconds.
Then, all five MPCs fired at once.
Multiple beams of light soared through the air at incredible speeds, glowing brilliantly as they soared toward their targets. Even inside the windowless cannon, Rick had to briefly cover his eyes as he was overcome by the heat and brightness of the light. The beam rapidly closed in, glowing in ever-changing colors as it approached the enemy task force.
Location: Eshan City, Outskirts
Allies: [member="Ryndrae Talon"], [member="Ajax Crowe"], [member="Naedira Darcrath"], [member="Lucien Rayne"]
Enemies: [member="Rhaegar Nemesis Dib"]
Person of Interest, albeit vague at present: [member="Kyle Whir"]
Equipment: x1 Balmorran Firewall GrenadeLightsaberCloakArmor
They flung themselves into harm's way with reckless abandon. There was no better way to describe the Echani as they collided with the Beskar-laden Mandalorian troops. Confederate troops pressed forward, at last, the tide of battle turned to chaos. It was triumph, but far more perverse. Blood gushed from newly opened wounds as vibroblades found weaknesses in armor and ammunition found a home in the Echani. There were never winners in war.
Alkor listened to the carnage around him as he drank in the bloodlust. Power clung to him like a parasite, desperate to drink him dry. Given the opportunity, the darkness always took whatever it could. It was greed and gluttony, it was lust and wrath. He felt the heat in his veins like molten metal, radiating outward to wreathe his allies in its wretched embrace. He felt-
His eyes shifted toward the men who shifted, however subtle it was. Their minds were lost to them. They were easy enough prey. Their weapons changed targets, their bodies moved unbidden. He heard the outcry in the Force, a muffled scream.
I can't save them.
One after the other, he felt the world around him spasm. He felt heat, pressure, and concussive force. Dirt and flame spewed outward and enveloped the Confederate men, the Echani, and the Mandalorians entwined with them. An inferno in truth, the conflaguration swallowed everything it could.
But the heat did not subside.
https://youtu.be/RTZyFp_7HL8
Warped metal scraps rained down around the blast radius. No visible source could be determined by onlookers, and there were no signs of outside ordinance. Everything appeared to have been a suicide assault by a troop contingent of seemingly sound mind. Ashes and dust remained where once stood soldiers. Their final moments echoed in the Force, screams that they would never utter died on a hot, dry wind.
The fires raged, spread, and consumed more. Air grew thin as the flames lapped up oxygen and licked at the remnant Mandalorians, who had the presence of mind to fall back and away from certain death. They could feel the cold at the heart of the effigy. It crept over them as a shadow appeared within the heat.
Pulsating like a human heart, the cocoon of pure darkness radiated with unholy warmth. It began to melt away as he pushed through the blaze, evidence of both Force energy and living tissue present in the amalgamation. Alkor had taken the bodies of his damned allies and suffused them with his rage, repurposing them in their final moments. If they had to die, their deaths would not be in vain.
They would have vengeance.
His armor was burnt, bruised, and the shield systems spasmed and sputtered out. The bandages on his arms were blackened and steam roiled off them. His face was covered in soot and grime, and his eyes burnt a hot, gilded orange. They could not be saved.
Not his allies, and not the Mandalorians in front of him.
The remnant abyssal energy coalesced around him and rained to the dirt. "Beneath contempt," he uttered the words with a malice that shattered his normal monotone.
His body moved now drunken with rage, enhanced by his hatred, uninhibited by his guilt. Everything was chaos now. All was wrong with the world, and yet, it finally made sense.
Alkor tore forward in breakneck speed, pummeling into the nearest Mandalorian and driving him to the dirt. Several others backed off, training their weapons on him and firing blindly. "Shoot him!" came a panicked command. "Shoot him now!"
His lightsaber bit through the midsection of his victim thinly, but enough to finish it. The follow through sent their attacks careening away. The next thrust took another, and he sent his elbow into the buy'ce of a Mandalorian behind him. That was when the Force Adept struck again, this time flinging debris at one of the Echani.
Alkor felt it.
He stopped abruptly, turned, and faced the building where the Sith waited in hiding. The Dark Jedi reached into his kit, took hold of one of his grenades, and he hurled it at the window. It didn't have to get inside. It just had to get close.
Sanya looked out towards the city, she could hear the sounds from where she stood. Although she had better hearing than many other species. Even so the sounds was faint. "Being and alor is different than a queen. Alor's are responsible for their people for the most part. A queen is responsible for an entire world, a people, economy and so much. It's why royals often have advisors to direct. Asu..." Her eyes caught a glimpses of something reflecting the light in the sky, it was dropping down and at them. Her hands came together rapidly creating a bright light of energy as the woman moulded the force. With a pushing movement a blast wave of energy flew out in a way it was visible. She was not sure if her aim was on target till it hit what ever was coming right at them. A blast of ion energy crackled throughout the sky above. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! READY YOUR SELF'S AND PREPARE FOR COMBAT. I NEED THOSE WALKERS UP NOW!" She shouted alerting the obvious.
Sanya brought up her com to the sniper group that was hiding up in the sides. "Snipers I want you to find our attackers, give us coordinates. I need numbers ad if any civilians are there. We are not to hit civilians under no circumstances." Her hand gestured to her guards to group up. once they had there was much sign language but not any conventional type. "Mig up to you stand ground here or rush with me. My guard will stay here to command my people. As for myself, I'll meet them in the middle." She turned around and began to run. "Maria with me." She said.
Sanya started to make her way as the sound of an explosion happened behind her. The woman did not look back to check but one of the walkers legs had been destroyed warped with a fuel flame. Surly it would decrease its movement speed and effect its ability to traverse rough terrain. Following behind without Sanya's notice was Asuna suited up in very basic armor and a spare blaster rifle.
Location: Approaching the palace bridge Objective: Sweep towards the palace Allies: CIS and allies | [member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"] | [member="Allya Vi'Dreya"] | [member="Jerek Zenduu"] | [member="Cay-Yo"] | [member="OOM-330"] | [member="Micah"] | [member="Voph"] | [member="Srina Talon"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"] | (Others I may have missed) Enemies: UCM and allies near the palace bridge | [member="Valdus Bral"]
Max snapped his rifle around the doorway, giving the shop a quick look over. It had been left in a hurry, evidenced by the items scattered across the floor. Whoever had been here managed to take most of the weapons on sale. Locals. He hoped. Most Mando'a he knew of wouldn't be caught without a good blaster by their side. He knew he wouldn't.
His droids were waiting outside securing the main road, some making patrol patterns. It was hard to get sentimental about them. Not a single one would be able to get to know him like his clan members. He had brought a couple to witness the occasion, prominent among the countless droids in their colored beskar'gam.
"We'll continue to the bridge. It's close."
A simple nod was followed by a vocoded response "Understood, Alor'ad."
At once, many mechanical feet marched forwards down the road. Small rubble was kicked aside, creating a cloud of light dust. It was not enough, however, to obscure Max from soon seeing a battle taking place on the bridge.
Location: Space
Goal: Deal with the meddlesome fleet
Allies: ME and allied forces
Enemies: [member="Amelia von Sorenn"] [member="Anton Delane"]
An entire fleet materialized around the Heresiarch. A fleet that wasn't allied. How disappointing. The vessel shuddered under enemy bombardment, but little happened to the shields - the Sovereign-class battlecruiser was the toughest non-dreadnought ship design in the Imperial navy, and as such it was more than prepared to deal with bombardment. heavy beam cannons would engage the enemy, along with dozens of light beam cannons, each capable of causing much damage to even a mere cruiser. A signal would soon be sent to Imperial forces lingering outside the system - the heavy beam cannons were specifically intended for the Eternal Glory and the Angelic Fury.
Soon ten red hulls would appear from the void, surrounding the ships surrounding the Heresiarch. No communiques would be given - it wasn't worth it. The ten heavily modified XoXaan-II Star Destroyers would immediately move to engage the escort cruisers and the Valiant IIs. Once the smaller ships were dealt with, they could focus fire on the larger battlecruiser - the Heresiarch's next target after its main gun recharged.
Crimson Command Sovereign-class Battlecruiser | Heresiarch | 5000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Eternal Glory and Angelic Fury with LBeams, attacking all other ships with remaining armament) Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Sceltor | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Corrupter | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Achilles | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Harrow | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Titan | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Red Harvest | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Crimson Sunrise | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Firewind | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Exsanguinator | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
Crimson Command XoXaan II-class Star Destroyer | Wachtor | 1000m | 100 | 100 (Attacking Valiant IIs and escort cruisers with SBeams, attacking all small ships excluding the battlecruiser with remaining weaponry)
The young Cathar was riding atop his mighty stead!
Note that, in this scene, the role of the mighty stead will be played by one lanky, gangly Jedi adolescent who really didn't have the figure for that body glove. Not that the author was trying to impress body issues or whatever, man. You do you. Just maybe, do a little less form-fitting spandex you.
From his high vantage point that was more than one-point-two meters off the floor, the kitten could observe the beauty of Eshan. The red gas clouds were particularly lovely this time of year.
At first, the boy had thought that he would need to try and come up with something for that. Flame throwers, perhaps? Did they have any incendiary stormtroopers? Come to think of it, did the Confederacy have any stormtroopers? What kind of faction lead by a Darth didn't have stormtroopers? Just what kind of false Sith show was [member="Darth Metus"] running here?
The girl seemed entirely too practical to have seriously had any interest in Dudley Do-Right. For one thing, the kitten felt the Dark Side of the Force move around her as she dealt with the gas in a rather impressive physical display of Force application. The Cathar took note, his tail shifting in the air behind him as he was handed the rebreather.
Was she trying to turn Jerek to the Dark Side of the Force? Make him her apprentice? Either would have been respectable goals for a Sith, though the Cathar was somewhat skeptical on just how well that the Jedi would do as an apprentice. He seemed very Jedi-ish. From what he understood of history, fallen Jedi tended to do these late-in-the-game betrayals of the Sith and return to the Jedi or the lame side of the Force at what seemed entirely inconvenient moments that resulted in significant set-backs for the Sith enlightenment.
Then again, chaos was the element of change. So maybe that much was a good thing.
Objectives: Take the Palace Back
Beginning Assault on: [member="Valdus Bral"] and allies
Troops:
100 Clanker Droids
20 Dwarf Spider
30 Clone Troopers
10 Commandos
3 AAT's (Six B1's riding/guarding each for 18 B1s)
4 Vulture Droids
2 Force Hunter
4 Magnaguard
She knew Jerek's eyes were on her, and it made her want to turn to mush. It was all she could to act the part of the commander when he watched her like this. It made the teenager giddy. However, she was at war, and had to protect him, and each of her troops. As they tied up the aggressors, she made sure the clones put them in safe places, away from the marching troops. Her army was small, but it fit her needs for the moment.
As the group closed the gap between them and the other fighters, Allya saw the problem. It was a classic funnel maneuver, very effective. By making a single way in or out, you could easily focus all your defenses on it, and thereby a smaller group could easily hold out against a larger one, since only a certain number of forces could go through the choke point at one time.
It was at that moment, that Adron's battle meditation affected the field. She was taken by it and her eyes glowed a slight purple color. Her armored hands went up to her helmet and she held her head. The dark side, fetid and corrupt, powerful and destructive coated her like a cloak. It strengthened her, and the whispers of infinite power went through her head. The stench around her in that moment was one of any other Sith, as it covered her entire being. Her eyes closed, and her breathing got ragged. Power....more power.
Mind nearly lost itself in the all too familiar sensations of being a Sith. The corruption ate away at her body, and mind, promising everything. All her hopes and dreams flashed before her eyes, and she could feel Adron's voice, telling her to destroy them all. Rage, anger, hate, a desire to make them all suffer and die filled her very core. A sadistic smile came to her lips, as she imagined the thrill of hunting down everything that moved and force it to bow to her will.
The girl gritted her teeth and her eyes shot open. This wasn't her. It could never be her. Power? She had all the kriffing power she needed! She would show them, and the entire galaxy. She didn't need those promises, or that Greed! Her passion ignited like a roaring flame. It was an all consuming fire. The corruption burned away by the intensity of her own emotion, and that rotten stench of the dark side left her. She returned to her equilibrium. The dark side was still there, but it was once again hers. It was dark, shadowy, and intense. But it didn't seek to serve itself, it sought to protect, to shield, and take on the galaxy. It was power by giving up the self, it was a shadow that existed next to the light. It was understandable, and enigmatic. The girl struggled to regain herself, and as she did her eyes looked over at Jerek, and the galaxy made sense again.
She softly whispered under her breath. “I love you, Uncle Adron, thank you for trying to help. I respect you so much. You are so incredible and powerful, and I will always be comparing myself to you. But I am not that type of Sith.” Her mind was back under her control, and she took several steps forward. The dark side was still very much a cloak around her, strengthening her. But it wasn't the standard Sith going to kill, or corrupt things. It was very....raw, very emotional. And much of that emotion was drawn to protect the people near her.
Armored hand went out to her left side and two of the Vulture droids changed from ground mode, to flight mode, and took off. In her helmet, a massive amount of data came back from them. Defenses, lay out of allied forces and so much more. “Jerek....” Her voice sounded like it was out of breath, as she sought to regain control of her emotions, now that the crisis of self was over.
“Get ready, okay?” As the group met up with Cardinal, Voph, Madalena, Cay-Yo and the droids, she clicked her tongue. “Alright....” She moved closer to the water and looked across. Gloved hand pointed. “Go.” The twenty Dwarf Spider Droids and thirty heavily armed Clankers moved towards the water's edge. “You see, Jerek, adults often forget how to think outside of their battle lines, and formations. We know they would have thought of this. But, they have to focus on the bridge or crumble. Droids don't need to breath, and all of my droids are water proof.” The column of droids marched into the water, and began heading across the gap at the bottom of the lake bed. They headed away from the bridge, a good distance away from it.
Two of the AAT's set themselves up near the shore, and prepared to become artillery across the gap. The third AAT set up at the rear, along with its defense droids, and some of the Clankers and clones, to guard the rear. Allya placed a hand on her helmet once more. Power was seductive and all. But no where near as seductive as Jerek was. She would protect him, and all her people, and she would do it with her power, in the way she wanted. She may not be her father, but she would prove herself a thousand times over.
9x Noctule 1 squadron damage or destroyed (in space)
2x Pipistrelle with FCBC (in space)
7x Pipistrelle with proton bombs 3 squadrons destroyed
1x company of palace guard
1800x Droids on first wave 516 scrapped
2 further waves of 2460 in each wave
She was almost upon him, then he pushed himself out the way, the coward did not stand and fight. His family insulted her, and belittled her, and all she did was offer friendship. A bolthole if things went wrong for them, and to give sound knowledge if things went wrong for her, she would not be attacked. She offered and pardon from the Emperor himself, something she went on a limb for. All that was thrown back in her face, because she was not high born, all because her rise insulted his tender feelings. Now that had left her no choice, but take them down now, while she had strength on her side. All his talk was lies, that fell onto deaf ears, she knew how far she went to bat for them.
She turned to face him, and in the din replied to him through the force. Your family threatens me, your family insulted me, your family think I am a walk over. I am about to prove them wrong! She then felt him with the force, he was indeed strong in the force, and well trained. She was feeling his armour, specifically looking for his rebreather, as she felt it, she grinned mischievously. She then let down her force barrier, and crushed the rebreather whilst giving him a retourt of her own. She gave him a tongue lashing, in the form of a force bellows. This was her signature force power, something she excelled at. As the sonic boom left her mouth, it compressed the red gas forced it towards him, in a wave. He could not beat both her attacks, and cast what ever he was casting, he would have to stop something.
As they fought against the each other, her forces tried to push on, and past them. They wanted to surround them, so he was inside there battle lines. The droids went headlong into the bayonet charge, and then opened up with their wrist blasters, as they closed. The Palace Guards centered there efforts to protect there queen, they had one job she survives this battle. Meanwhile in the sky, the fighters had dropped there bombs on enemy formation, and now diving and doing strafing runs across the eternal empires formations. Two squadrons where also heading back to H.M.S. Carannia, for more bombs to drop on the enemy. They soon caught up to drop ship, and soon they will all decloak and so they can land on the carrier. Once they can resupply and come back down and land more troops, and drop bombs.
Enemies: Mandalorian Empire, and it's allies Engaging: [member=Flash Australis] Tags: [member=Amelia von Sorenn] Objective: Meteor
The bridge shook, as fire slammed into the stern of the Fortressa, and the Minister would've fallen over if not for the he stood on, his cup of caf fell, and shattered, spilling caf all over the floor. The Minister yelled for a damage report, and to put the shields up. A bridge officer yelled back above the noise of the bridge.
"SIR! Damage report! The engines are alright, no hits there, but the rear hull got battered by an enemy SSD, the Preserver, reports indicate the Captain to be Flash Australis. Shields are up, they should hold for now. No major damage, any more fire and the rear will look like it spent one too many nights on Nar Shaddaa."
The Minister quickly yelled for silence on the bridge. And thought through what he could do in retaliation, and one idea came to mind.
"Commodore, start getting squadrons up, tell them to go wide, and under the Preserver, order the Venators to raise themselves and to pick a side of the Preserver, left or right, and they can open up their full arms. Tell General Kalypso he can go above the Fortressa, and open fire downwards at the Preserver, and get the Mordekai under us, divert all power to forward shields, and it's engines and forward shields. All human crew are to board the Mordekai's escape pods, and evacuate immediately, leave any droids that don't fit on the escape pods behind, get the tactical droids, if any, out aswell, but organics are the priority."
The Commodore saluted, and set to issuing orders. The Fortressa activated it's Molecular shields, focused on it's rear, then started deploying squadrons upon squadrons of Vultures, who headed under the Preserver, firing along it's underside, aiming for any weaponry. Though, they weren't programmed to know what hit, and what wasn't, and none of Kenway's fleet was too focused on that. Hyenas also deployed, but went above the Preserver, making bombing runs on the SSD's massive hull, though what said bombs did was anybody's guess.
The Venators shifted, turning around. Luckily, they weren't targeted by anything, yet, and raised themselves themselves, opening fire in the direction of the Preserver. Each had picked a side, Venator One on the left, Venator Two on the right. Grievous-Class Star Destroyer "Salvator" raised itself, up above the mighty bulk of the Fortressa, turning around, and started unleashing it's weapons in the direction of the Preserver's bridge. The robotic voice of General Kalypso came through the comms, filling the bridge of the Fortressa.
"The Salvator is opening fire on the bridge of the Preserver. This is an inadvisable maneuver, Minister Kenway, there are no ships left to defend the Fortressa, or any remaining should the Preserver take out those attacking it."
"That's where you're wrong, kiddo. It's a Diamond formation, the Preserver can not physically focus on every ship without being battered by every other ship. If they focus on taking out the bombers, the Star Destroyers and fighters will keep battering them, if they focus on the fighters, the bombers and star destroyers will keep battering them, so on and so forth. And there's always an extra trick up my sleeve."
"Also, Commodore. Give the order for the Venators to start evacuating all organics, and non essential droids to the Fortressa. Keep the gunners, and any essential bridge staff aboard. If essential bridge staff can be replaced with a tactical droid, do it. They will only need a Captain, and someone to put the engines on forward, and activate the forward shields. Also, start preparing shuttles to take supplies down to the planet. Drop them with members of the objective Mercy, they're the priority, or by Echani civilian camps."
The Commodore promptly gave out the orders. Yelling over the sound of the bridge, that had slowly reformed after General Kalypso had finished speaking. His voice like a Zillo Beast's roar compared to the Minister's calm, and confident voice, which resembled that of a sleeping Lion.
Not even minutes later, shuttles had started exiting the Venators, headed towards the Fortressa's hangars. They were packed full of uniformed organics, and battle ready battledroids. They unboarded, and filed into line, awaiting some sort of leadership to organise them. Then ships started leaving the Fortressa, heading for the escape pods of the Mordekai, collecting them, and bringing them back into the Fortressa, where they were unboarded. Slowly, organics from aboard the Fortressa, ranked anywhere between a Navy Lieutenant to a Navy Commander took the groups from the shuttles, guiding them to battle stations.
Back aboard the bridge, it was just as loud as before. Many were confused as to why the Fortressa had it's back to the Preserver still. And a single answer broke out, from the Minister himself, just as the small crew in control of the Fortressa's positioning were about to turn it around, thinking they had missed an order, and thought better to assume than to ask.
"The Fortressa has not shifted it's aim yet, because if we turn to face the Preserver, that's giving them a clear view of our hangars to fire at, and keeping our hangars pointed at the planet gives the shuttles a helping hand, so they don't get shot down taking off. Besides, if our engines get karked, we don't need to move a whole lot either way. So no difference. Besides, as long as our hyperdrive stays good, we can make a mini jump into the Eshan's orbit, and hope we don't hit anything, and that the Preserver can't get us in Eshan in case they hit friendly targets."
In theory, it was a smart reasoning, whether or not that held true was something only the test of time could show. Besides, in theory, their was enough room for the Fortressa in orbit, and above an Echani city without breaking anything. There was nothing wrong with using a friendly city to stop yourself from being fired at, was there? It's not like it was a hostage situation, more of a test on whether the Mandalorian Empire truly wanted to protect the Echani, or whether they would risk an Echani city to take down an enemy SSD. Either way, if they shot it down, it would fall on the city, 10km long, and another ten wide, if you round up the 161 remaining metres, and 3.245km tall, that could crush a decent chunk of the city, if not all of it.
Then there was the question of if a hyperdrive could be started, then stopped, in under 6km of travel. Who knew, these were big hypotheticals, but it was the job of a leader to make those under his command feel confident. Was it not?
[CIS Wide Comms] "Now, who's with me in kicking some Mandalorian ass? For the Confederacy! Par kote! vi cuyir te champions!"
The cheer that erupted from the bridge, and from around the ship's halls, hangars, and everywhere answered him, as the comms officer had thought ahead of him, and broadcasted it to the entire CIS forces. That was a mistake on the officer's part, it was only meant to be to the Fortressa, and Kenway's fleet. Honest mistake. The use of Mando'a was meant to taunt the Mandalorians, that could not hear him. It translated roughly to 'For Glory! We are the Champions!'
Then, the Mordekai started moving forward, unnoticed by many, under the Preserver, due to it's tiny size, compared to everything else, and it not firing at anything, it was heading to go behind the Preserver.
Kenway's Fleet Flagship: The FortressaShields: 90% Hull: 89% (10km)
Summary: Fortressa has it's shields focused on it's back, facing away from the preserver, taking in shuttles and escape pods from the Venators and Mordekai, which are being evacuated to give the Fortressa more troops, and for one other reason. Venators are slightly higher than the Preserver, one on each side, firing down at it, Salvator is firing down at the bridge of the Preserver. Starfighters are firing at the under side of the Preserver, and bombers are performing bombing runs on the upper side of the Preserver. Mordekai is moving under the Preserver, not firing, heading to the rear end of the Preserver.
(Yes, I know I forgot to put this in in my entry post, don't hate on me pls, kthx)
Location: Southern Eshan City. Dark | Ash | Fire Objective: Slingshot | Bzzzzt | Clan Honor Post: #3 Direct Enemies: [member="Talimet Garon"] Allies: CIS Enemies: ME
Muse Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EETxxdlddBA
Shots. Always another. Never a rest. Those shots didn’t stop, three at a time closer and closer in toward Talimet. Her opponent ahead steadied her aim, Khia was still tracking her through the HUD, data, and range on her target being streamed into her helmet to better find the target with each shot. Her descent took her around the side of one of the more ruined buildings, dark as the light was now being made above in the sky above them, she probably wasn’t easy to track. Nor though was Talimet, ash falling and darkness setting in, the ongoing scene something out of a horror movie. The place needs a fixup. Reloading one more clip in the slugthrower MRS-1, and locking it in. Khia gritted her teeth, pushing her suit to the limit, the rush of air and pressure echoing past her helmet. She was coming in hard. She'd even turned her communicator off, she wanted this fight on even terms, no heads up from the snipers above.
Sweat on her brow and ground fast approaching. The helmet sort to reacquire a lock on [member="Talimet Garon"], onboard sound amplifiers trying to pick out any sign among the battle that was raging around and above them. A battle which shot down past her side, the Varad narrowly avoiding the impact.
A fighter had dropped out of the sky into a building nearby, rubble being turned to more rubble. Fire and sound of debris. Another day at the office for a crusader’s work. Also another near miss and a good distraction for her next move. Whether there was any warning or not for [member="Talimet Garon"], the Varad circled around the building, dropping an ion grenade where the woman had been, and brought herself to land in the thickest bit of cover there was to spare. Turning to spin and brace against a ruined wall for the battle ahead, she fired her slug thrower assault rifle again at the first sign of her opponent, another three round burst. Otherwise waiting and watching for any sign. The exploding Ion grenade designed to short out systems and disabled electronics or complicated weapons on her target.
raelvasier: Launch five grenades at the barrier, prepare for attack!" 
