Fortress on Umbara

[Vexander Graves]

The orders of the Knight in charge where clear, so far there were no visible hostiles but still, she was requesting a complete status. The young man replied almost inmediately at her "Acknowledged, please stand by"

Wonderful technology was at the hands of the Republic, the armors and huds in the armors were quite important in most cases to identify Friend or Foe in battle to avoid friendly fire... thermal detection, following designated waypoints and finding target points... and for recon units and the amount of data they recollected, the hud of the Alpha 7 Covert Armors were ideal to do the job.

Vexander touched the left side of his helmet, and the video recording feature inmediately started to provide live feedback to where he was looking at. The information was streamed live to the consoles and the displays in the Command Center of the Unity Class ship where the analysts would relay orders and provide tactics against the incoming attack... nevertheless, the information provided by Vex would just give a general overview of the situation and he couldn't record all sides at the same time.

Knowing that flaw in the system, the young man proceeded to signal to the other Eagles in their nests and doing the patrols, whispering to provide the lead about how he wanted to deal with communications he proceeded to order them "Eagle leader here, initiate video recording of your current locations... over"

After that, one by one, all the operatives began to acknowledge the command and confirm that they were transmitting information... all that he had to do at the moment was to report back to the Knight @[member="Diana Moridena"] and Knight @Iella E`ron the status of the team "Vex here, incoming live feedback from the Eagle Squad... awaiting further orders."

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Diana Moridena, @Vexander Graves, @Equa Dominator, @Rasu Gan

Iella was already on her way, when she received the orders from Knight Moridena. "On my way", was all she replied with, Iella did not wish to drown out communications, as Vexander and Diana will need open channels.

Her ground speeder moved with ease between the trees high up on the ridge top that towered above the valley and the fortress. Iella, using the force to sense the landscape before her is able to make haste, her squadron behind her .. following her moves to find the quickest and safest path through the thick forests. For a moment she turned her head to the see the other side of the ridge and she could make out the other squadron on the other ridge. Soon they arrived and took the high ground ... she had the squadron positioned along the ridge with long range weapons and rifles. Squadron two mirrored them over the other side and scanned the area for the attackers.

"Padawan Graves, report in please", she asked, she needed the location of the attackers.

((sorry Diana not sure of the location of the attackers ))

 

[Cedric Dorn]

“Theyre attacking the fortress!” Diana yelled into the comm-line at anyone and everyone that would be listening. There was not even a slight hint of panic in her voice, instead it was more of a directive than anything else. They needed to coordinate their forces, move all of them into one place and get them to fight the Umbarans as a single force, it was the only way they could repel them.

Quickly Diana turned on her heel, running over to the holo-table and looking at the information that padawan Graves had sent to her. Little red specs began to appear, and she frowned slightly. This was not good, according to the information there were dozens of enemy contacts spread throughout the valley, and the rain only made it more difficult to see them. The Jedi would have to be the ones to find the Separatists, it was the only way to be sure.

“Knight Iella, Padawan Graves, all other Jedi. Focus.” She began to sound like a teacher, a ridiculous thing given her lack of experience in training people. “Find the malevolence within the mist, pinpoint it, and track it. Send your troopers there.”

Diana did the same, she stretched out her forces senses into the minds and hearts of her troopers. Jedi and Republic Troopers alike would feel a sensation of calm and hope flood into them, it was the feeling of Battle Meditation a skill Diana was an amateur at.

The Umbarans meanwhile were heading directly towards the fortress, explosives in hand.

 

[Ava Solborne]

Equa came out of his hiding place... and he was really surprised. He didn't know they were under attack. But he took his lightsaber from his belt and ran to the other people. "What happened?" he asked from someone. Just meditating during a fortress construction was a bad idea. If he wouldn't have meditated, they wouldn't be in such a bad situation. Of course he thought he is guilty in everything.

He used Force Push on an Umbaran and he flew away. Equa felt really sorry for fighting against his own species, but... it had to be done. He still didn't like Umbarans because of their Republic-hating stance.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The feedback relayed to the Command Center began to pinpoint the location of each one of those hostiles... separatists that wanted to get rid of Jedi even withough the Order didn't do anything to provoke them other than starting the construction efforts.

Vexander heard the words of @[member="Diana Moridena"] , kind and encouraging words that could only be a morale boost to the troops currently outside, mostly his team... Within just a few moments, a strong sense of calm and focus began to get inside his own skin... a normal person not sensitive to the wonders of the Force would just feel the morale boost as a unknown injection of adrenaline... however, for Vex; he could sense the very own presence of Diana closer to him than before... like if she was just next to him.

The young man, knew that such technique was something brought by the Force... and as such, he had to surrender to it... closing his eyes for a split seconds, the young man took a deep breath and allowed the Force to circulate around his system like if it was the air that he was inhaling. At the moment he opened his eyes... he felt refreshed.

However, that feeling inmediately changed to alert... thanks to the Force, he managed to see a separatist coming from the starboard of the Unity Class ship. They were all moving carefully, trying to make little to no noise... knowing that they had to take the Republic Forces by surprise. They didn't expect a team of Jedi foreseeing the attack though.

"First wave coming from the east" whispered through the comm at the whole Republic Forces

Looking through the scope of his rifle, taking aim at the most distant man and aiming at the shoulder to incapacitate him, the man knew that taking out the ones in the back wouldn't alert the front... although he was not sure that such target was in the last line...

Nevertheless, Vex prepared a shoot... although for someone, the preparation seemed like instant, for Vex it was in slow motion... gazing at the man, making sure that he was ready to go to another target almost inmediately, he took a deep breath and holded the air in his lungs to avoid the breathing movement from affecting the shot... and then... it happened...

At the moment the young man pulled the trigger, a singler blaster shoot was released and he managed to hit the target with deadly accuracy... the sentient being landed on his back due to the impact and inmediately he was completely out of the combat "Contact" said Vex to inform his status as @[member="Iella E`ron"] requested. Inmediately, the young man aimed at another that was looking back at the downed man, and before he could report the status, Vex pulled once again the trigger, killing the man.

The rain and the assistance with the Force were playing a big part in the moves. For the enemies, looking at shoots like the ones Vex was doing was practically impossible in the enviroment, but for the snipers, shooting the enemies without the Force was extremely difficult... However, by the second shot, the targets were alerted and began to charge.

"They are moving faster now... Eagles, fire at will!" said with a calmned an militaristic demeanor that could be felt through the comm. Aiming now at the front men, the ones closer to the ships, Vex began to take them down while he attempted to cover the patrolling comrades down there... "Command, we have engaged the enemy... we will cover the ground troops but we need them out now!"

@[member="Equa Dominator"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Diana Moridena, @Vexander Graves, @Equa Dominator, @Rasu Gan

Iella heard the single shot ring out and echo up the valley, she turned her head toward the origin of the shot to see Vexander in position, with his Eagles. "You heard the man, contacts to the east, Fire at Will", she ordered to her squadrons on the ridges. They did not need to be told twice, and volleys of shots rained down on the attackers.

Now Iella is very good with the use of the force in many areas and not so good in others, and she is about to do one she is not so good at. She stood on the edge of the ridge and looked down, I need to get down there and find the leader, she thought, take out the head and the body will die. As she prepared herself, pushed the force to her legs, she felt the battle meditation wash over her, it is coming from Diana. A meditation that is not strong, but the it was enough to bond them all as one unit, to be in sync and aware of each other in the field of combat. However, as Diana continued to use this skill, Iella could feel it growing more powerful as they linked. Iella leaped off the ridge, a Jedi Jump to the bottom. As this skill is lacking with her, as she either over compensates or under does it, she could feel the force holding her in a gentle cushion as she decended, until the end, she suspects the cause of this is impatience, but she began to free fall and landed in a thick clump of bushes at the base of the ridge. Now, trapped within the bush .. arms and legs splayed, hair tangled in the twigs, she opened up a com link to all command.

"I am on the ground near the fortress .. I am going after the leader of the attackers. Vexander I will require cover, and eyes, if you see the leader inform me immediately please", She knew Vexander would be in the best possible position to be able to spot the leader.

Iella untangled herself from the bush and brushed herself off, using the force she reached out to locate the leader as well. Nothing as yet, but she picked up a force signature from an unknown being. Another Jedi was on ground by the fortress, no she had not met yet. Iella quickly moved to his location. "Greetings", she said to the man she would come to know as Equa, "Help me find the leader of the Separatists and we can end this quickly", she said moving off, to find cover and search.

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana watched the holo-table with hawk like eyes. She listened carefully to the reports coming in over the radio, perceiving and taking in everything she could. A bead of sweat dropped from her brow as she struggled to maintain the battle meditation. In her head she formed the perfect picture of everything happening in the valley, a frown forming on her face as she tried harder and harder to concentrate on what was going on out in the storm.

She heard her forced engage, Jedi and padawans fighting alongside one another.

Quietly she turned to the padawan next to her. “Want to learn something?”

She couldn't keep up the battle meditation for long, she was too weak on her own and there were too many people out there to connect with. If she could add the padawans strength to her own, if they could both add their morale to the troops outside, then it would make a difference. Right now the Umbarans had the advantage, but if the Jedi could work together and link the Republic troopers, then overwhelming the enemy would be simple.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The team was still dispersed, and the Republic Forces disorganized, not because they were usually like that but mostly because they were caught by surprise. At the request for cover and assistance, the young man proceeded to place @[member="Iella E`ron"] on his sights and proceeded to check her surroundings and land a few shoots at separatists before they could get any close.

She was trying to find someone, their leader; clever idea in the long run. Without a leader they would have to pull off or reorganize. But that would allow the Republic Forces to take a decisive strike at them and would eventually take the bigger lead to the point where they could win. Still, nothing could be seen in his sights.

Vexander proceeded to open the communication with the Eagles. "Eagle Leader here, Eagle Patrols pull back. Everyone, concetrate fire and cover our soldiers."

The young man began to stretch himself out in the Force, for a moment he stopped his shoots and surveyed the area. His attention focused deeply in the surroundings and the feelings of the separatists, in their thoughts and their desire... only then he would know who is their leader and what would it take for them to stop the madness... were they farmers? miners? mechanics? or was it a unified group and movement with paramilitary like features?

It was hard to tell, still, the young man kept using the Force as his ally to find the leader that was affecting the minds and wills of the citizens to put an end to this while the rest of the Eagle team provided the cover needed.

@[member="Diana Moridena"] @[member="Equa Dominator"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Diana Moridena, @Vexander Graves, @Equa Dominator, @Rasu Gan

She could hear the whistle of shots fired around her, they are coming from Vexander's vantage point, he is providing cover for her as requested and she smiled as some of his marks reached their targets. The others however, she dealt with herself. Finding the leader would not be easy, but she had eyes helping her and she too, reaching out with the force searching for anything that might give a clue. The majority of the separatist are forming in from the east end of the valley, some in position around the base and in locations around the ridges. Iella looked up to the her squadrons engaged in combat, for the moment, they are holding, but there is no telling how many separatist are present for a second wave.

Iella moved around behind the main ship for cover and ran along it's length, open space now is before her but she try for the rocky outcrop a little way up the valley, from there she has cover and can move closer to the main separatist unit. Her lightsaber ignited, and calling for her, the White Dragon, pulsing with energy feeding her, the blade and her became one .. the connection to it stronger with each use. The rumbling roar building up inside her and the white formed in her mouth. The spirit of the White Dragon enters her now, and the that of hunt. The blade tell her there is no dark side presence, but danger is still something the blade feeds on, and so to, does she.

With force speed she ran toward the rocky outcrop, deflecting bolts as they rained toward her, the Shii-Cho a very effective defense against this and with her experience in campaigns and wars it is now one of her strengths. But still, there is always more to learn. She reached the cover point. She centered her concentration and cleared her mind, using her gift from her master she could sense and see the landscape around here, every tree, rock, blade of grass, all the beings in the area .. she could feel them through the force, feelings of anger and hatred and aggression.

She climbed a little upward now, and could see down into the valley and into the main unit of attackers. She will be patient and wait for a sign .. and find the leader.

 

[Cedric Dorn]

Diana stood at the holo-table, watching and listening carefully. She stared intently, sweat dropping from her head and her eyes almost vibrating with intensity. She tried to help her people as much as she could, she focused and waited for the Padwan to answer her. Her eyes began to gloss over slightly. She heard calls from her soldiers, and bit her lower lip in near angst.

“Send out the Gunships for support.” Diana called out to one of her officers. The man turned around and looked at her for a second, doubt in his eyes.

“Ma'am, the storm is still raging.”

The Knight stood up, sweat beading her brow. Diana looked at the man and nodded. “I know, but our troops need support. Tell them to stay low and give covering fire.”

Repulsor-lifts would be strong enough to keep the small ships in the air, as long as they only stayed a few feet of the ground the ships would hopefully be fine.

 

[Vexander Graves]

Pressing forward through their ranks while Vex provided cover @[member="Iella E`ron"] slowly began to approach the main force. The Knight was extremely skilled, but any Jedi had limitations, and that is when Vex would come in. Although he didn't have enough view to actually see everything due to the heavy rain and the fauna present in the area, he did managed to get a few good shots at the separatists.

Eventually, she managed to get up close to the main group, and Vex knew not beause he could see them since it was down the valley where they were... but mainly because she stopped the march. Confirming the situation based on what he could see, the young man reported back to Knight @[member="Diana Moridena"] "Graves here, Knight E`ron stopped the march, I am going to provide support... over" in that instant, several gunships began to heat their engines... and Vex could hear them in the Unity Class where he was sniping from.

The weather was being a pain, but Vex knew that they would be able to provide cover if they remained low... and one of those gunships would be a better position to provide cover to Iella based on her current location. Aiming straight to one of the open doors of the Gunships leaving the hangers, he propelled himself with the Force and performed a great leap towards it.

In an instant, he was inside the gunship... and inmediately he noticed that the startled Republic Commandos aimed at him. "At ease! We are on the same side... Eagle Leader from the Recon Squadron... I'll need your help" Vexander approached, one of the chairs in the port ledge of the gunship, right at the door... and inmediately he strapped himself to avoid falling down. Shouting orders at the pilot, he knew that his authority as Jedi and as Eagle leader would at least allow him to provide a small command that fit the gunship's orders... regardless of what they were "I am going to provide cover to our main forces from up here!!! Take me close to Knight Iella E`ron up ahead!!!"

With a nod and a small "Aye aye Sir"... the pilot acknowledged and began to take his gunship towards the Knight to provide air support... With the heavy guns and the honned sight of Vex, they could give a hard punch to the heart of the separatists and even pinpoint the leader to quell this rebelion once and for all.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Meta was onboard a small gunship. A group of republic soldiers had spotted what looked like Anti-Air cannons in the area, Meta and his gunship had been sent in to investigate before anymore gunships were shot down. "Land us here, not to close to the LZ of the crashed gunship!" The pilot replied through his com. "Landing now sir." The ship doors opened and Meta and two republic soldiers at either side of him use the zip line to get down, as there was no point wasting his force energy. Then, a trooper came running in their direction. "You're in RANGE!" YOU ARE IN RANGE!" He screamed, the pilot only had a moment to react before a bolt from one of the Anti- Air cannons knocked the gunship out of the sky. The ship twisted and turned and fell down into a small area of large thick tree's.
Meta was able to cut himself free from the zip line using his jedi weapon, although the soldiers weren't so lucky, ones neck got broken as the zip line threw him into a tree, another was impaled on a branch and the trooper on the ground was still a few metres away. "Jedi? Are you alright?" Meta nodded, looking around. "We need to send a signal to all gunships in the vicinity." The soldier shook his head. "As soon as they caught us calling for help. They blocked long range communications." Meta began pacing in the direction the soldier had came from. "How many of your men survived?" The soldier took a moment, reloading his rifle to think. "Menendez, Janek and Forge are the only guys left. Though, one of Janek's legs was crushed under some debris from the gunship, do you think you could help sir?" Meta nodded. "Take me to them trooper." The soldier turned on his heel and began running. "Right this way sir!"

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@Diana Moridena, @Vexander Graves, @Equa Dominator, @Meta


By now Iella is soaking wet from the rain, her cloak providing little cover for her now and felt heavy on her back. She removed it and left it lay among the rocks. She had been patient waiting for a sign and one had come. A group of soldiers toward the back of the main group, rear guard? no, the sign came in the form of a salute. A mistake in the field of combat to salute an officer, it signals their rank and now she watched this one man. However, between Iella and the separatists is open ground, and there is no way of scaling the side of the valley wall. She would need help, and no sooner was she about to open a comlink to request aid .. when it can in the form of a ship.

She smiled and opened a channel to the ship and it commander @[member="Vexander Graves"]. "Knight E`ron here, I need cover to penetrate the separatists. I have located the target, if I fail, take him out. The command group is located toward the back of the valley and the initial assault". However, Iella did not wait for the cover to begin.

Staying as close to the rocks as possible she began her way toward them, it would only be a matter of time before she is spotted. She managed to make some ground before they open fire on her. Her ligthsaber leaped into her hand and the white blade hummed with a pulse. She ran toward then, deflecting blots. Natural cover was limited, but she took reprieve when it presented itself. But she kept onward. Now in range, she stopped, her saber in her right hand, her left hand out stretched as she summon the force, extending it along her arm she wrapped the force around a group of medium rocks .. levitating them up and she began to create her vortex, once the rock spun with speed she threw them in the direction of the separatists. The rocks hit their target knocking out a large number and creating a diversion.


Now she could enter and find the commander. But she needed that cover.

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Meta and the trooper had reached the crashed gunship. All of the troops the trooper had spoke of were dead. "Sir, we didn't make it in time." The trooper hung his head low, in silence he mourned his fallen comrades. Meta stood silent beside him, his blade blaring in the midst of it all. Then, a blaster bolt came out of nowhere. Meta lunged in the way and deflected with a slash from his blade. A droid, standing 6 feet tall with a invisibility belt stood before them. "Goddamn clankers!" He trooper roared, charging it, taking two shots to the chest he ignored. He tacked the droid to the ground and blasted it to smithereens with his blaster rifle. "We still need to deal with the ANTI-AIR." Meta commented, the trooper stopped and nodded. "Look around for demolition charges." He ordered, the soldier nodded and began his search.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The gunship where Vexander was circled the main area where the separatist leader was spotted by Knight @[member="Iella E`ron"]. The young man looked down through the scope to witness on his own the area of the enemy leader driving the separatist troops.

Noticing that the Jedi Knight would have to pass through the whole area on her own, the young man proceeded to heed her words. "Pilot! get a bit lower... concetrate firepower on the front lines, we open a path for Knight E`ron!" Preparing himself, he looked at the rest of the team in the guns "Unleash hell!!"

Aiming with extreme accuracy and with the help of the Force, the corellian padawan pulled the trigger at one of the officers in the front... and with that shot the gun fire from the rest of the Republic troopers on the gunship began.

Hundreds of blaster bolts rained upon the first lines, providing backup at the Jedi Knight and the cover needed, hopefully, they would end up drawing fire from the hundreds of paramilitary rebels that tried to attack the Republic Officers, they would draw enough fire to take the attention away from Iella.

@[member="Diana Moridena"]

 

[Cedric Dorn]

(Not sure how to contribute, you guys are doing amazing)
The tide of the battle was now turning, the Republic was slowly begin to win and the Umbarans began to retreat. The Jedi were winning, they had turned the tide of the fight. Battle meditation was a wondrous thing, she could feel the emotions and provide hope and strength to those that needed it, but she could also feel the morale of the enemy.

Diana frowned slightly as another drop of sweat fell from her face, she didn't like the slaughter of the separatists. She didn't like that people were dying and being killed, but this needed to happen. The Jedi needed their fortress here so they could defend against the Empire. A scowl grew on her face, if only she could stop it all.

“Force have mercy.” She whispered to herself as she looked at the holo-map.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]@[member="Diana Moridena"]


(Diana, come join the awesome pack for Vexander and I ... )



Iella ran for cover as soon as she sensed the gunship about to open fire. The hissing of the lasers ringing in her ears and she dived behind a large boulder near by. The ground erupted as the lasers hit the earth and separatists rear guard, sending then flying through the air, however in the fire this made the situation chaotic and the leadership knowing they are targeted separated. Iella watched as best she could, hoping to sense the command, but they are fractured in the force. But Vexander's assault had thinned them out considerable.

"Padawan Graves, as soon as you are able .. come find me to assist, I need you on the ground now". She asked through the comlink.

 

[Vexander Graves]

The shoots from the gunship began to create chaos among the separatists ranks. The gun ship began to take heavy fire, concentrated due to the amount of Republic Troops present. In the distance, the Republic team began to close in... but at that moment... the unexpected happen.

The gunner in the left side was shot and he fell from the vessel, almost inmediately, a rocket caused an explosion in the port of the ship... the pilot inmediately began to signal the retreat since they were losing altitude. At that moment, @[member="Iella E`ron"] called for Vexander in the ground.

Looking at the pilot, Vexander proceeded to give one last order "Pilot! Return to the base! I'll drop off here" placing his sniper in his back, he unclipped his lightsaber and hold a strong grip on it "Go now!" Knowing that they were extremely close to the ground, he jumped off the transport and used his skills in Telekinesis to hover himself to slow down the fall... no troops fired at him... someone falling from a shot gunship usually meant that he or she was dead... but Vex wasn't.

At the moment he touched the ground, he ignited his lightsaber... that is when the troops began to fire at him realizing that he was not dead. Going on his own would be suicide and Vex knew that... for that reason, he proceeded to deflect bolts aimed at him, slowly moving towards Iella in a defensive manner to setup a counter attack together...

@[member="Diana Moridena"]

 

[Cedric Dorn]

After waiting for another few minutes Diana finally stood from the holo-table. She had been a good commander, she had been a good leader, now it was time to be a better one. She frowned slightly, and then grabbed Tyrfing from where it was leaning against the wall. She slipped the blade onto her back and placed the weapon in its small strap. The blade fit snuggly and as soon as it was in place Diana began to move off the bridge and towards a turbo-lift.

“I'm going.” Diana announced to her bridge crew who looked at her with bemused smiles. Each of them had likely heard tales of who Diana was, the Jedi that had killed a Sith Lord, the Jedi that had left and then returned to the Order.

She was something of a celebrity to some, though she hardly considered herself as such. Quickly she reached the hangar of the Unity class ship, racing to one of the gunships Diana pounced into the bay. She tapped the side of the ship and called out to the pilot to take off. As soon as they left the hold Rain thrashed Diana's clothes and she pulled the goggles from her face, she would not need them in the darkness.

Diana would reach Vex and Iella in no time, and she frowned slightly as she called into her comm “I'm on my way.”

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@[member="Vexander Graves"]@[member="Diana Moridena"]



She patted Vexander's arm gently as a way to say thanks for the help. She turned to looked at him now with a smile, "Well done, they are scattered". She said. Moving more into cover to allow room for him and Diana, as Iella could sense her approached them now.

"Diana, Vexander's attack with the ship, has scattered the separatists, they seemed to have formed three possibly four small groups, the leaders and among them, wearing some sort of red insignia to identify rank, we need to stop them reforming and going for the fortress again, we have the advantage at this moment, but it will not last, we need to act now ... ", she informed them, but not sure of a direction to take on the attack.

"Any ideas... anyone?".