Invasion Hubris of Empires | The Cold War | Invasion of Ilum [Empire vs. Alliance]

[Sahar]

Sahar|Imperial Knights|Ilum
Tags:// Dagon Kaze Rakaan Horne Valery Noble Korvan Toldreyn

MUSIC
It was immensely satisfying to see pretty boy Kaze's nose shattered; at least it ruined his sh*t eating little grin she'd grown accustomed to seeing back in the war. She stepped back for a respite, sabers at the ready as she circled Dagon as she awaited his next little move.

"Charming. As always."- Dagon Kaze

"Mhmmph, you'd know wouldn't you, anima-" her words were cut short and her smirk wiped clean off her face as Dagon connected with a brutal right hand, sending the smaller Kandaran woman reeling back as she clutched at her cheek and groaned in agony and shock.

"How dare yo-"

She'd have no time to finish her response either, as a flying knee landed straight in her gut and sent her flying to the ground in pain. Sahar clutched at her stomach and spat blood on the snowy ground, shooting a gaze of pure misanthropic hatred back at the man she had called love. Dagon pulled in to slash at her with his saber, and she blocked his feign from above, barely pulling her other saber to her to stop his actual attack that came at her like a freight craft in intensity.

"And none the wiser."- Dagon Kaze

"Shut...UP!"

She screamed, rolling forward and dropping with a sweeping kick to buy her space as she savagely used her blades in unison to put Dagon on the backfoot before using the force to throw debris in his way to blind him.

"I'm gonna take your f*cking head and send you screaming to your dead daddy, if it's the last thing i'll do Dagon."​

 

[Hyena]

OBJ II - HALLOWED SCAR
Enemies: Jasper Kai'el

His suppressing fire with his KXR SFP-60x Particle Beam Pistol was met with a swift block along with an approach. Three stun rounds were fired in quick succession shortly after, making the Hyena roll his eyes.

Continuing to backpedal, he chucked an impact grenade at the ground near the Jedi's feet, jumping backwards. This should be...

A deafening crack and roar split his eardrums open, as if the sky was torn asunder. Gazing upward, he saw a fiery hellstorm descend upon the planetside, as metallic hellfire hurled itself toward their general direction.

Without looking back at the Jedi, the Hyena immediately hurtled himself toward cover and bolted away from the impending doom, chunking his KS-9 'Firestorm' Grenade in the Jedi's vicinity. He didn't really care about his opponent, as at this rate, they were about to be buried alive under molten durasteel.

As his legs cried out as if they were being pulled apart in a dire effort to flee faster, he saw a menacing dark cloud on the horizon. It said some voodoo mumbo jumbo bantha speak, but to the Force Dead Hyena he shivered.

"I frakking hate these space wizards."

Glaring at his Jedi opponent, he pulled back his arm and fired a couple of rounds in annoyance. The Jedi should have stayed dead.

​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Objective III: Sabotage the Superweapon aboard the Imperial Flagship.
Inventory: Jedi Garments of Rebirth | Armistice Staff Lightsaber.
Allies: Caltin Vanagor | Domina Prime | Minerva Fhirdiad | Jos Krayt | Judah Lesan | Pa'Kar Sang.
Opposition: Koda Fett | Varm Nul | Ignacious Korvan .

The blow of his lightsaber struck home, yet the Beskar'gam worn by Koda Fett proved to be a startling reminder of what had made the Mandalorians such a formidable foe. Instead of sailing through and dropping to the ground as expected, his arm had been caught by the Bounty Hunter, hooked under the arm and keeping one of his two lightsabers from further use.

Suspended in the air, grappling with the bounty hunter, Fett proceeded to open up on Caedyn using the vambrace of his free hand. Caedyn didn't have time to think, but instead released the second lightsaber and turned in to try to defend himself. The Force surged throughout him, channelling down his left arm to the palm of his hand as he pressed it against the sudden flash of heat and light that erupted from the Bounty Hunter's wrist-mounted flame thrower.

Fire sprayed off in all directions, except for their intended target. Caedyn's voice would be heard, yelling desperately as he fought back against the pain whilst projecting a field of tutaminis around his hand and forearm in a bid to safeguard himself against the searing heat. His hand managed to block the flame jets from firing with any accuracy but the heat was enough to burn away at the fabric of his sleeve and the flesh underneath.

Suddenly the Jedi Knight's stomach lurched as the Bounty Hunters Jetpack kicked in with power once more. Caedyn couldn't see where Judah Lesan was, nor where their intended trajectory would place them. All that he could do in those passing moments was seek to break the Bounty Hunters hold over him, to get free and hopefully leave Fett open to an attack by his peers.

He let go of the lightsaber that he had first struck out at Fett with, his fingers extending as he sought to reach out for anything to take hold of. The fallen Tie Fighter was still a broken mess, Caedyn took a hold of it telekinetically, using the weight and mass of the wreckage to halt Fett from sailing through the air any further.

It would be a battle of wills, Caedyn struggling to pull them back towards the ground with the use of telekinesis, while Fetts Jetpack fired with propulsion. It felt as though his arm might dislocate, or worse...-But with the two suspended high in the air, Master Lesan was given an opening to strike.

"Repulse!"

Caltin Vanagor 's voice shouted somewhere below, and then a wave of kinetic force could be felt sweeping the low land of the Hangar floor. Everything around the Jedi Master would be thrown back, including the wreckage of the Tie Fighter with which Caedyn tried to anchor himself and Koda Fett with. The sudden pressure impacted Caedyn's outstretched arm, his shoulder making an audible pop, a sudden stabbing sensation streaking through his upper torso and forcing him to cry out in pain as his shoulder gave way and he was forced to relinquish his telekinetic grasp.

He hoped that Judah Lesen was able to capitalize on the moment.

Summary:

• Caedyn uses Tutaminis to protect himself with his left hand, blocking the flamethrower from directly hitting him.
• His left arm is badly burned in the process.
• Caedyn uses Telekinesis to reach out for the fallen Tie Fighter as an anchor, stopping Koda Fett 's momentum and leaving them both temporarily suspended in the air.
• Cae's shoulder is dislocated as Caltin's repulse throws the Tie wreckage farther out of reach, freeing Fett to use his jetpack as intended.

 

[Grendel Krayt]

Sōla Taan
​

Having finally caught the nimble Jedi in a grip stronger than Durasteel and lifting her into the air, Grendel wasn't about to let go even with bloody sore wrist thankfully the gauntlet had saved the wrist itself. Pain on its own was never going to stop him have experienced it over a life time of war, it just meant he was still alive.

"We're both going to die if we don't get out of here right now!" the Jedi said "Like right now."

Grendel stared at the Jedi at first unsure at what she meant by what she had said. As gently as he could Grendel put the Jedi back on the ground with confusion clearly readable from him.

"What do you mean we'er both going to die right now?" rumbled Grendel.

 

[Gabriel Pryce]

Allies: Varen Ardos | Osarla Ridor | Zhea Nox
Enemies: Aschwin Vethres

The battle above crashed down planetside and sent the caves rumbling so hard he was thrown from his feet. He cracked his head on a lamppost, his vision going black. When he came to he saw a group of stormtroopers marching, no running, down the tunnels. Running away from-

Gabe gasped as roots as thick as banthas rushed after the stormtroopers, crashing into the cave walls as they reached out with thorny bark-covered limbs to grasp at the stormtroopers. One was caught, the roots squeezing so tightly so quickly that it looked as if his armor was filled with air as the body cracked and popped into an odd angle. He didn't even get a chance to scream. One of the stormtroopers saw Gabe and began pointing.

"Jedi! Help us! Help!" But before Gabe could even take a step the roots crashed into the walls again causing the roof of the cavern to break and fall. All around him the world shook and he was left only with darkness. For a moment after the cave in all was silent. He couldn't hear anything. Then he heard it again. The song.

"What is that?" He muttered. And like a thousand suns coming to life he was surrounded by the glow of kyber all along the wall and under his feet. One, in particular, shone brighter than any other. It was wrapped up in a bit of root, its blue glow enticing and inviting. Gabe reached out with the Force, letting instinct guide him. He did not pull, he did not struggle against the root but still, the kyber shimmied and slid from the grasp of the root and floated into his open hands. When he felt the warmth of the kyber in his palms he opened his eyes. The crystal was a brilliant blue. He knew what was happening, and he couldn't help but be a little disappointed. He had hoped for an off-color like yellow or purple or even green.

In the Force, he felt a pulse of playful resentment from the kyber.

"Alright, alright. I get it," he muttered and pulled out his training saber. He would have to give this back when he got back to the temple and build his own lightsaber. But for now, he reached out with the Force, pulling the ancient weapon apart. The false kyber that had produced the training blade floated into the air and traded places with the true Kyber. With a click, the last piece slotted back into place and the saber, now warm to the touch with the energy of his kyber came to life with a snap-hiss. The blue blade of a true Jedi hummed in the darkness. It was only then that he realized the other kyber crystals had continued to glow down a path. A path he knew led back to Varen and that Imperial Knight. He gripped his saber tight. The Force was telling him something he already knew.

"I'm comin' for ya Varen," And he was off back down the new tunnel, following the Light of the Force.

 

[Kyell Laysel]

Location: Ilum
Tag: Miri Nimdok Hacks

<Not exactly,> she replied to Kyell, her tone subdued. <But it looks like she's more machine than human, so I don't know how much it would help anyway.>

Kyell watched her for a moment, as she crouched down and began tending to Hacks' injuries to the best of her abilities. But most of all, he felt how this was affecting her, so he stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, <I'm glad you came with me. She'll get through this, and we've completed our mission.> He hoped to reassure her a little if needed, but either way he wanted her to know that he was glad she had joined him.

Then suddenly behind them, Kyell heard the doors slamming down, and turned to watch the path cut off. Even in her current state, she was protecting her work.

<I don't think a door will stop us,> he said rather bluntly, as his eyes looked at what just a few incendiary rounds had done to her metal body. With some lightsaber skills, he'd eventually get through, and maybe they'd even be able to call in support as well. But as he heard a storm in the distance, and felt it echo through the Force as well, he feared that they'd be alone out here for a while.

<What do you think we should do next? Help others or finish our part here and get out?>

 

[Miri Nimdok]

Miri felt Kyell’s hand on her shoulder, and rested her own over his. <I certainly don’t regret being here,> she said. Thinking about him facing Hacks alone… he probably could’ve bested her eventually, but Miri didn’t want to risk it.

Hacks made one final attempt at keeping them away from the computers, but it was nothing they couldn’t cut through with their lightsabers. Miri glanced toward the storm, then shrugged.

<Why not both? Break her hold over the battlenet, and then go help the others?>

Kyell Laysel Hacks​

 

[Thalia Senn]

​

Both Jasper and Kai were gone. She thought that she should feel worse about being grateful for not being near that sithspawn freak but she didn't feel bad at all. Somehow after they'd been chased out of the cavern with the Neti who called himself Bendu the Empire had made their way into Ilum. No, they'd been there the entire time. The Jedi Bendu had been talking about were likely Imperial Knights.

"C'mon," she muttered. "We have to get to the surface." The last few hours had been trying to say the least. Fighting back roots with only one saber and a kid to watch after was hard enough. Put on top of it that she'd stumbled onto the mining operation? The Bendu had been right. The Imperials were getting close to the mountain-sized kyber he had called the Keystone. It didn't look like a mountain from where they had been standing in that cavern, but it was easily the largest kyber she'd ever seen reaching from the bottom of the cavern up well over ten meters to reach the ceiling of the cavern. She had no doubt though that it ran even deeper below.

The hum of her lightsaber was the only sound besides their breathing. The crash from up above had blocked off their pathway and now they were cutting through ice and stone to reach the other side. The Padawn's name was Zac she'd come to find. Zac had been slacking but she guessed it was because he was getting tired in this stuffy pocket of air they shared.

"I'll do the rest," she said and got to work carving. She had more than one reason to get out of the cavern. She could hear it. The familiar sound of a kyber's song. She had tried to ignore it - she didn't think herself worthy of a new kyber, not after what she'd done. The Force seemed to have other plans though. Either way, she knew that the krystal would be at the end of their trial. She could feel it in the Force.

"Emperor's Iron bones," she muttered. "How much druking ice is there in the Galaxy to be this stormin' thick?"

 

[Amani Serys]

Objective II
Engaging: Zoraya Ives-Ayres
Equipment: In bio

The more Zoraya contested it, the more frustrated Amani became. There was already plenty of weight bearing down on her guilty conscience, but this agent was crossing a line, "Is that how you justify everyone you murder, or just the kids?" She snipped, before returning her focus to the console.

Her answer felt even more like a deflection, perhaps for her own sake rather than anything else. Amani shot the woman a look that was somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "Yeah, that's called helping," It was a distinction without a difference. She spared the camera in the corner a curious glance.

Each feed gave different views of the many tunnels throughout the complex. Even now some of the mining droids continued to operate, overclocking to take as much of the planet's precious resources as possible before the Alliance could stop them. But then she stumbled upon something else: Padawans. The padawans. Scattering and fighting to survive as a squadron of elite imperial troopers hunted them down. Amani felt her heart sink, "...No…"

Before she could muster up more of a reaction, the Force screamed at her, making her hackles rise. Death and destruction on a major scale, heralded by the apparent earthquake that reverberated throughout the tunnels. A deafening crash that seemed to come in waves as one of the star destroyers collided into the frigid surface of Ilum. Danger senses doubled down, and on instinct Amani attempted to throw both herself and Zoraya away from the console, "Look out!" The impact caused icy rocks to cave in, collapsing that entire half of the room just shy of where they had landed. "...You alive?"

 

[Calix of Thyrsus]

I L U M
Equipment: Armor | Lightsaber | Blaster
Allies: Julius Sedaire
Opposing: The Empire | Castor E-196

The young Thyrsian gave a yelp of surprise as he was grabbed.

As he was yanked back, Julius' body pressed up against him as the man stepped into the path of the shot. The boy was disoriented and confused for a moment, as Julius spun away to the ground, the afro-headed youth was staggered back by the force of Julius knocking him aside -- unintentionally -- as the man absorbed the impact of the blow.

A sniper overhead?

The boy's eyes glanced around. But for the wreckage of the drill, there was not much cover to be had. Making his left hand into a fist, the youth activated the shields on his armor. The blue lightsaber continued to burn brightly in the boy's right hand, but as Master Sedaire came up with his blaster, the boy considered changing weapons.

A blaster was an... inelegant choice for a Thyrsian to wield. Echani preferred something more personal, so he held onto the lightsaber for the time being. With the shield activated, Calix could try to draw the enemy fire toward himself, while Master Sedaire continued to zero in on their opponent.

And then, maybe, get their enemy to join them for more personal combat, rather than merely lobbing pot-shots at one another.

 

[Kara Jade]

Location: Ilum, Caverns
Objective: Run - Don't Panic - Survive
Equipment: Climbing Picks, Knife, and whatever else makes sense for Ilum survival gear
Engaging: Silas Westgard (GA) - Lily Stevens | Katja Javik (Empire)

They had run as fast as their legs could take them, following the natural path the tunnel led them down. Utilising what they could of the Force to increase the distance from the Imperials. Their path however was straightforward, meaning their pursuers would have little difficulty following them. That, and Kara felt as though her lungs were on fire. She knew she didn’t have enough left in her to keep running for long.

“Thank me when we get our arses out of here…” she replied, groaning, feeling the aching pain coursing through her legs. “Just keep running for now, we have to reach another open area soon…” And after another sprint they did, but just barely in time as a second after entering, Kara collapsed to her hands and knees.

“I need to work on my cardio…” Kara wheezed, trying and failing to lighten the mood a little. She looked around, taking in what was around them. Rocks, and lots of them. Plenty of stalagmites and general formations to hide behind.

“Thoughts?” She looked over at Silas for any ideas of what to do. Kara gradually picked herself up, legs shaking uncontrollably. She took a moment to rifle through her supplies, grabbing an adrenal stim and jabbing into herself. Kara was idly listening as her fellow Padawan talked about potentially ambushing their pursuers. That they could pick off some of the troopers to even the odds.

It was then that the lightbulb went off in Kara’s head, and she turned to look back at the tunnel they had come from. She could no longer hear blaster fire, nor the sound of multiple troopers chasing them. Why? Were they pulled back for some reas-

"Didn't peg you for coward, kid! Come and face me or I won't stop pursuing you and your friends until you are all dead!"

Okay, that was definitely the reason.

Kara looked over at Silas, giving him an exasperated look. But then she saw the emotion wash over his face, in reaction to hearing the woman taunt him. The blonde stumbled over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Part of her wanted to slap some sense into him, but Force she didn’t have the energy for that right now.

“Silas, you need to keep your head straight. I don’t know what you did to piss off the sniper lady. But you can’t let your emotions lead you to charging into the enemy. We’re in a warzone for kark sake…” Kara paused as she felt her hand; the one clasped onto Silas shoulder, was shaking. Speaking the words had reminded the blonde of that reality, of being in the middle of a battlefield.

Kara stepped away, her hands curling into fists. She tried to stifle the fear that coursed through her, to not let the scared and terrified part take root. But the moment was broken when the ground suddenly shook violently. She looked over at Silas, not saying a word but her expression spoke for her. Completely unaware that one of the Alliance’s vessels had just made impact with the very same caves they were in.

Another quake?

An eerie silence fell, then another quake struck far more violent than anything before. The ones they had experienced earlier in the day were nothing in comparison. A harsh cracking erupted above them, Kara’s eyes widening as she looked up at the ceiling.

It was about to collapse.

“RUN!”

As much as Kara’s body complained, she immediately began sprinting to the tunnel on the opposite side. She was now behind Silas, following close to him. Kara could’ve sworn she heard something, someone shouting behind them. But she paid it no heed, rather opting to focus on trying to escape. Massive swathes of icy rock began to fall into the open area, caving it in from above.

But just as Kara reached the tunnel entrance, she felt something hot strike the back of her leg. The blonde hissed, immediately stumbling; almost falling but managed to keep her balance. She continued to run, looking ahead realising she was starting to fall further behind Silas.

The sounds of rock falling followed behind her, and Kara didn’t need to look to know the tunnel was collapsing. As she stumbled/ran forwards, the blonde looked to see cracks were forming not just across the ceiling but the floor too, passing her and going towards Silas.

“NO!” Kara reached out with the Force, slamming into the teenager and throwing him forwards into an open area ahead of him. The blonde’s exhaustion finally caught up to her and she tripped, knees slamming to the ground as she skidded to a stop.

She threw her hands up instinctively, summoning the Force to stop the rocks from collapsing atop of her. Kara looked ahead, sparing Silas a mere moment's look before the floor fell out beneath her…

And darkness embraced her.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Ilum, Objective 2
Enemies: H Hyena ​

Jasper lept out of the way of an incoming grenade, continuing his advance towards the imperial before the ground began to shake violently. The ground below them began to splinter, the walls of the cavern crumbling just above them. There was no time to think, only run. As Jasper followed after his opponent, the man threw another grenade, this one looking a lot more imposing. Jasper didn't even stop to consider what it was, sliding under the grenade and using the force to launch it into the air before continuing after his opponent.

As they made their way outside, they were greeted by the sight of a massive storm cloud, a pair of fiery eyes in the center. It called itself the "Bendu." Jasper could only think of one thing: The Neti.

"I frakking hate these space wizards."

"Oh, that's not a space wizard," Jasper quipped, standing ready for a second round. "That's much worse. You guys are screwed."

 

[Jand Talo]

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
Equipment

Despite the warning, despite the communication between them, all three Padawans remained engaged with the Imperial trooper.

Then the opponent offered a remark and spun his arm to aim his vambrace toward Jand. The Nagai were blessed with heightened reflexes, speed and dexterity, even with their physical appearance being universally somewhat gaunt, it had become a means to lure enemies into false security for the species. So it was that - when the missile was fired - Jand's legs flexed and he jumped sideways with incredible reflexes into a spin parallel with the ground, as the projectile sailed beneath his rotating body in mid-air--

"Hngh!"

--the Padawan flattened himself out, to avoid the missile, as it streaked beneath and past him to explode further along the way, to which Jand landed in a roll on the metal walkway of the mining operation.

Or at least he would have.

Had the cavern not suddenly exploded into a cacophony of deafening displaced wind and air and debris, as the Alliance starship crashed into the planets surface overhead. With himself in mid-leap, the Nagai was spared the violent shaking and rumbling; but, by the same event, was propelled sideways by the wave of wind that clapped through the cavern from the sheer impact and force it generated even as the metal walkway buckled beneath him.

Jand's dark eyes caught Iris' in that split moment.

Then the pale Padawan was gone, thrown over the edge of the twisted and bent walkway, as he fell over and out of sight...

Allies: Corin Trenor | Iris Arani
Engaging: Hal Vaiken​

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum
Appearance | Outfit | Weapons

​

The Force wave had the intended effect, in that it created distance and bought them enough time to reach Rakaan and ready themselves for the clash. Korvan had taken advantage of her attack by jumping behind his former student, thereby trapping him between the two Jedi Masters to keep him from escaping, while she remained in front of him. But the second he roared at them, Valery could feel his intent shift in the Force and watched as he turned to barrage his former Master with powerful attacks.

She instantly recognized the Form he used and felt the power of his swings even from a distance, as he tapped into the Force to augment himself. Korvan was luckily very strong defensively and undoubtedly knew the way Rakaan fought, so she felt confident he could keep up with the Imperial Knight. But still, she wasn't going to allow Rakaan to focus Korvan down for long.

With an outstretched arm, Valery extended the invisible strings of the Force again, this time reaching for Rakaan's dominant leg, hoping to off-balance him as she suddenly tried to pull it back and offer Korvan an opportunity to retaliate.

"We're not here to kill you," Valery finally said in response.

"We're here because we know who you really are, and you know it as well." Whether the attempt at off-balancing him worked or not, Valery quickly crossed the distance between herself and Rakaan, this time with the intent to pressure him. Hoping that Korvan would attack from the opposite side, she aimed a few quick strikes at Rakaan's limbs, meant to immobilize him at most, but never harm him lethally. It was a risky dance to commit to, but it was part of the promise she intended to keep.

But should their attempt to bring him back fail, she was also very much ready to bring him down for good.

Korvan Toldreyn Rakaan Horne | Dagon Kaze Sahar ​

 

[Iris Arani]

No time to think, no time to argue. The soldier moved again, cutting off the flame, sending a rocket for Jand. But the Nagai had no panic through the colors she'd bonded with him. So she focused. Her blade switched, thumbed to it's lethal edge as she caught Corin's intention through the colors alone. He shifted his stance and she slipped in. Her saber cut up, forward for the kill. No hesitation, no holding back. She learned long ago to know when not to kill.

And when to.

Not that it mattered. The warning. Her eyes widened as the cavern shook and the world came crashing down. Her blade extinguished as she spun. No hesitation. Instead, she'd go to throw Corin away from the collapsing ceiling. From the danger. Her gaze caught Jand's, just as the boy went over the edge.

"Save the-"

The ceiling collapsed.

Corin Trenor | Jand Talo | Hal Vaiken

 

[Cailen Corso]

INVASION OF ILUM
Hubris of Empires #2

Location: Hallowed Scar, Ilum
Tags: Jem Fossk; Margo Liaeris ; Valery Noble
Objective: #2 Hallowed Scar
Soundtrack: Raining Fire

When the bolt of hot plasma ripped through Jem Fossk's shoulder, Cailen felt her pain deep inside him. It was something he had only ever been able to do with his Master, Valery Noble , but somehow... he felt the fear and pain that boiled inside his friend. He couldn't stand it. She bought him time to retreat to the tunnels, she stood bravely so the others could escape. He couldn't just leave her to die.

An Imperial trooper clad in sleek black armor dropped from a ledge just past where Jem had fallen. In the chaos, Cailen had failed to spot the shooters, but it was clear they had an advantage the whole time. Now that Margo Liaeris had left the perch, that advantage was seemingly diminished. All he had to do was get close enough to help Jem. The trooper withdrew a blaster pistol, firing a trio of beams just like the one that hit his friend; Cailen performed a series of sharp Force leaps to dodge the deadly shots.

"I'm coming, Jem! Hold on!" the boy shouted to the wounded Jedi. He had to make it to her before the trooper did.

He had to.

 

[Varm Nul]

ONAGER II-CLASS STAR DESTROYER
Equipment (in Possessions) | Post #4

Things were going well, from the look of it.

The acid rounds peppered the Jedi, as the splashes burned into the armor, and Varm Nul continued to smirk. It went to show that preparation was key, especially against Force users, since they tended to rely so heavily on their lightsabers. But, when it came down to it, those same lightsabers were just as limited - if not more so - than a common blaster; the sheer number of ways to bypass or outright overcome the energy blades was astounding, which was why the Duros kept several alternatives ready at any given time.

That said, Varm Nul was still working out the most effective methods for dealing with the Force.

So, when - during his attack on the Jedi with blaster bolts and acid slugs - the large humanoid shouted about a 'repulse', Varm Nul suspected that something was coming. Something big. There seemed to be a pressure build up, from the Jedi, to which the Duros' red eyes widened and he activated his jet boots. They fired and sent Varm Nul backward, away from the impending threat, even as he popped off a few shots to try and distract the attacker from unleashing with - well - whatever it was he planned--

"Aw hell."

--then the immediate area around the Jedi exploded in a wave of literal Force and force, to which Varm Nul knew he wasn't far enough away from. As he skimmed across the ground past similarly soon-to-be hit Stormtroopers, the Duros skidded to a halt and stepped to his right, and physically grabbed an Imperial from behind:

"Wha-- hey!"

And then the blast wave hit them, which caused the Stormtrooper to scream, even as his armor buckled and cracked and his body contorted in pain; but even using a humanoid shield wasn't much help, as Varm Nul was knocked backward at the same time, sent tumbling with a mass of other troopers, debris, hangar bits and pieces, to slide away beyond immediate awareness of the big Jedi...

Allies: Koda Fett | Stormtroopers
Enemies: Caedyn Arenais | Caltin Vanagor | Judah Lesan | Domina Prime
Nearby: Minerva Fhirdiad | Jos Krayt
Engaging: Caltin Vanagor​

 

[Corath Renfro]

Objective 2

Allies: IMAF

Enemies: GADF

Location: Western Kyber Mountains,
The Hallowed Scar, Ilum (Spring of 877 ABY)

As he continues to scan the valley below through his KXM-OS-01A 'Electric Eye' scope on his IL-25X Sniper Rifle he couldn't see any so he switch over to the thermal scan on his scope and linked his HUD to the ASE-XImperial Monitor Probe Droid to not feed him the data to he needed to make the appropriate scoper adjustment but also to record any kills for his sniper log. He scanned the valley with the thermal setting on his scope. He found a platoon of GADF troopers about 40 meters north of the smoke moving toward drill site Gama, he checked his for the target distance, wind speed and direction, planetary rotation direction and speed, as well humidity, angle of descent, and the calculated lead need for hitting a moving target. Make the adjustments “I got you now scum.” he said as he took aim at leatd trooper aiming for his head, he slowed and pulled the trigger, timing his trigger pull to sync with the natural pause in his breathing. As he riffles discharged and the kick hit him he took a moment to to to resight the target, as the silenced inviable blot flew toward its mark and a large hole erupted on the left side of trooper head, charring his helmet through booth side as the trooper fell.

“One down,” he said to himself as his hud confirmed the killed

He activated his Comlink {Epslion 3 to command, Enemy platoon approaching drill site game, I’m engaging them 1 tango dow so far over]

As he finished sending his com report he took aim at another trooper some 20 behind the one he just killed and waited another 3 seconds for the baffles of his sniper riffle to cool down, and again slowly pulling the trigger as he exhaled so the trigger and the natural pause in breathing matched up perfectly, again the weapon fired and the kick hit him, he readjusted his position again the silent invisible bolt speed to its mark, burning a hole in the trooper chest and fell not even able to scream. He wait another 4 seconds for the baffles to cool down and took aim at another trooper this one in between the two he already killed he dispatched that trooper with the same cold emotionless precision as he had the other two. Now GADF troops were in panic scrambling for cover and attempting to locate where the shots were coming from.


He stayed low as moved to a new fire position about 53-meters south of where he killed the first two troopers set up to take his shot a couple of more looking for the commander now to add to their panic and disorganized, he scanned the valley looking for an officer insignia after several passes he found her trying to hide in a rock formation at the base of the mountain he checked the data from his hud made the appropriate adjustments to his scope, and slowly pulled the trigger as he exhaled the pause in breathing seamlessly matching the full trigger as the weapon fired and kicked again he quickly reset for another shot, as the bolt silently and unseen speed toward it’s the target, her head was obliterated but the bolt as he headless fell limp into the rock formation.

The GADF trooper that remained began to fire blindly into the mountain side, he took aim at another after waiting another several seconds for the baffles to cool, he again repeated the same cold perceive calculated process he had done so many times before the weapon fired and the recoil hit, he again reset for another shot as the bolt silently and unseen hit target dead center of the chest and the trooper fell limp and lifeless. He was waiting for wor the baffles to cool before taking the next shot when the GAdf troops began a hasty and disorganized retreat back the way they came, he adjust his scoper and took out one more trooper with a headshot as they made their retreat.

He activated his comlink aga [Epslion 3 to command, Enemy platoon approaching drill site gama, is retreating, 5 confirmed kills included their commander over]​

 

[DECEASED Erskine Barran]

4th post

HUBRIS OF EMPIRES
AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY

SHIELD_ALPHA
Lord-Regent of the Galactic Empire
Grand-Triumvir of the Tarkinist Administration

Belligerents
(IMPAF Vs. GADF)

Saul Vandron Kriegan Tavlar FN-999 Hall Mannarra Bex Tarring Delilah Jones
Aoki-Barran Mira Margo Liaeris Orik Dakari Sid Berik Sars Sarad Sabe Aner
Wolfram Triko

Mylo Thorne Kaul "Joker" Emos Sara Roche Shar Sieu Kragr Krayt
Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Nida Perl

Sword-Duel
(Empire Vs. Enclave)

Opposing Fighter: Shai Maji

MEMORIES ON ILUM: FLASHBACKS ON A FROZEN LAKE - PART 4

Tellan Lake, The Kyber Range Mountains,
5km West of the Hallowed Scar, Ilum (Early-Spring of 877 ABY)

'I hope the Manda guides your soul well, Erskine. I am sorry.'​

If the confirmation of his son's resurrected existence was affecting him emotionally, then the clear emotion seen in the eyes and heard in the voice of the Mandalorian was sure to break his faith in civilisation's wonder, that which forged the armistices and accords of yesteryear, that which saved friendships, relationships and allegiances as if by magic. The very sort that turned rival to friend in a duel's final, fatal instant, just like Lord Erskine had when he slew the Mongrel on Tython, powerful though this magic was, seemed to be dead and gone, just like the very ideals that forged such magic in the first place. To watch Maji put on the last piece of her Beskar'gam with such a heavy heart, as much as it should not have been so, marked an ending of sorts, and the beginning of another.

Win, lose, or draw.... My name will absolve that of my champion.

This should not have come to pass.​

A perfect fight that neither side of the engagement wanted, a microcosm of the mayhem unfolding around them, but the difference between micro and macro was that the former would never grow to despise their opponent with every passing day; and with the latter fated to boil over into the worst war of the century as both sides continued to test their enemies' capabilities, the contrasts between Erskine's fight and that which his son was dealing with at the time became all the clearer to see, making it seem all the more wrong that the Galaxy's strongest powers set Shai against him like this. To set two of the greatest conventional sword-duellists against each other in such a personal manner, to kill or be killed in a war that was still within sight of containment, (even despite the New Alderaan situation, Kuat etc) it was enough for the Lord-Regent's heart to sink further into despair, but the old warhound was still needed to fight - much like his young Mandalorian counterpart.

The Mandalorian Beskad, always wanted to see one in action....
An' though these auspices appear quite strange of late - I'm still quite glad of it.​

As much as it pained the old Woad, the sight of the young Mandalorian's blade (along with her accompanying fighting stance) once more dimmed the dewiness in the cold blue, drying eyes in surrender to the fight itself, allowing the invasive narcotic rush of single-combat at it's absolute best. It was potent after all, potent enough in Lord Erskine's bloodstream to make even a Darth or three flinch in fearful shock, but that same narcotic effect was surely bringing out the same amount of unassuming potential in Shai as well, the same level of potent instinct that propelled the old man into prominence before.

'Alright, here goes nothing I guess.... BEGIN!!!!'

Ever the counter-striker in the early moments of every fight, feeling out for the game-plan of every opponent before endeavour to act out on any of his own, Barran's secretive, surreptitiously lazy form allowed for Maji's initiative. Risky opening strategy against a naturally-quick learner, and one who had been evolving much and more in the Lord-Regent's absence, and somewhere within her ever-growing skillset, the makings of aptitude for greatness would be nurtured in the old Woad's curiosity. Dangers posed of that sort were boundless in the right hands, and with one like Shai wielding such potential, only Lord Erskine could see the good fortune in it; many and more in Barran's shoes would not have seen things in the same light, as almost none could survive a Mandalorian hero without Force-abilities, but the Lord-Regent's mind was quite the anomaly.

Danger was either ignored or heeded in the Galaxy, but like Maji in every way, danger always had something of a life-affirming, therapeutic effect on the old Woad instead.

Opening up as she struck low, Shai motioned to draw Lord Erskine's sword into a committed parry, feinting upward for his chest from the lowered-point positioning, forcing the old Woad to backpedal into ideal range for a forward-stomping teep to the gut. A deftly-layered combination, and delivered with nothing holding the Mandalorian back in the effort, the Lord-Regent would feel the unreserved weight of a proper push-kick as it drove him sliding backwards from the impact. She was strong, and though Barran had braced properly and taken it well in stride, the throbbing sting left by Maji was painful enough to let him know he would need to meet this dance in the middle, becoming quickly aware that this was looking set to be the only way Lord Erskine could survive.

'Impressive, truly. The technique is clean as kark now too, an' I think its the level-changes - lean into developing those if you want to keep any Force-Users on, or rather off their toes.... Example!'

Breaking into a short sprint, the old Woad kept his broadsword low until the last second to feint high towards the young Mandalorian's T-Visor, successfully checked on the flat of the blade by a sly and obstinate back-hand parry with her Beskad, but this was just the the smoke-screen of the combination's first steps; in the motion and contact of Maji's redirection-parry, Barran's front foot slid forth on the ice to push the inside of her own outward, followed by a shoulder to shoulder body-check shunt that sent Shai sliding backwards in turn. Such an attack would normally have landed any other sort of warrior on their backside, but with the jetpack keeping the Mandalorian's posture leaning safely forward, both slide and fall would be prevented all the sooner, a roaring testament to the dangerous ingenuity of her caste.

'Excellent! An' the guard corrected early as well, quick recovery within another quick recovery. A good habit to indulge as far as I see it, lean into that as well if you can.... AGAIN!!!!'

 

[Azula Merr]

Operation Golden Wind
Task Force-667
Stellar Legionnaire Azula Merr
Gear: [x] [x] [x] [x]
Allies: New Imperial Order | Ignacious Korvan , Velran Kilran, Gallius Orcana, Rohak Vizsla, Veno
Enemies: Galactic Alliance | Liedran Kathause, Jadwiga Drozd, Pa'Kar Sang, Caedyn Arenais

"We are approaching the enemy flagship! Brace for heavy fire on approach." called out the pilot of the Valor. Evasive maneuvers rocked the ship as it came closer and closer to the ANV Lightmaker. Defensive emplacements across the carrier made their attempts at stopping the dropship, but the Golden Company boasted some of the greatest pilots in the galaxy. they lived for situations such as this. It was all they knew. Whatever it takes to get the job done.

"We're going to land hard. Ready yourselves! " Azula roared as the hangar bay grew closer. The pilot took out the shield generators at the sides of the hangar bay, taking down the magnetic shield. Hitting the thrusters as hard as they can go, the Valor burst into the hangar bay just before the magnetic fields were restored. The bay doors of the Valor swung open and the 667 fired upon any enemy personnel below. "Unleash the Sun!" Azula bellowed as she jumped from the Valor, followed behind by the rest of her unit. The Valor fired on enemy turrets and what starfighters remained in the hangar. She had expected as much resistance. Perhaps more. Though, it was a big ship. There would plenty more where she would be going. As the Valor covered them, the 667 moved to the closest door. One of the squadmates began working on getting the door open while the rest covered him. Any of the Alliance soldiers that came in range of Azula herself were made victim to her cryoban rifle, freezing them almost instantly.

"Merr! This door is tough. I'm going to need more time!"

"Then you'll have it!" Glances of blaster bolts reflected off of Azula's beskar while the others took cover behind some starfighter debris. The enemy numbers were dwindling, but they were fighting hard. The ship rocked as explosions from the battle shook the ship. Hopefully, the havoc the 667 was causing would prove enough of a distraction to the enemy forces.

Spoiler: Summary of Actions

• Boarded onto a hangar bay on the ANV Lightmaker
• Engaged enemy forces inside the hangar bay.
• Slicing through the door panel to get out of the hangar bay.