If Two Can Do It... (ASA Dominion of Olvan)

[Hawken Nikolai]

Three-Eight began to lob detonator after detonator at the enemy tanks, watching each blink of the red dots as they all chimed in unison with a singular beep! His arms relaxed and fell to his sides as he watched the roar of flame engulf the opposition. He turned toward his brother of battle, his fellow Dreadguard and gave him a solid thumbs up for the spectacular driving. Nikolai then looked up to see something he didn't think he'd ever see again in his lifetime. Four-Two. "Damn. What do we have here? One big family reunion?"

He let the strap of his assault rifle slide forward as he grasped the handle with one finger off the trigger, awaiting to see what events were to unfold next.

@Book @DG-42

 

[Ronan Nakasla]

Seren tipped a wave to the sailing truck overhead before he saw that the back of the truck was plopping out thermal detonators. Deciding to make the most of these, he scattered them throughout the area and ran from the site. He too cover behind a building corner and took note that the friendly creatures were finally advancing what with the blaster-wielding madman and a tank, and the myriad thermal detonators left quite the hole in the ground. Seren stepped out of his cover and captured the flames into his control and sent them into a enemy stronghold building complete with machine gun turret. The whole place was quickly brought to inferno, and Seren continued down the road to bring more destruction to these poor creatures. Honestly, part of him felt bad for them. It was like squashing insects.

 

[Placeholder 0133]

And thus, the tank force was destroyed with the force, swords, explosives, and trucks. All in all, it was a very manly way to spend the evening. Book pulled the truck right up to his sword swinging comrade, and honked the horn. Very, very loud.

"Mount up." He stated simply. He gave [member="Hawken Nikolai"] and appreciative nod and pulled his sidearm from its holster. The weapon clicked as the safety was toggled. Book's expression was a stone wall; a perfect mirror of the anonymous helmet he wore. There were further objectives, and the big green icon indicating an enemy AA unit just up the next hill gave him direction.

[member="DG-42"]

 

[DG-42]

Most of the creatures around him were now dead or dying. He was covered in blood, his blades were giving off a low hum and everything was seemingly quiet as he calmed down. Then a loud noise behind him caught his attention. He turned around quickly, with blades raised and ready for combat, only to be relieved to see a truck with two familiar faces, well, helmets on it. Those were Three-Eight and Zero-One, two of his brothers that were part of the Dread Guard. It was good seeing them again and it was good to know they had survived this far, although he never doubted they would be able to dispatch any enemy they had encountered.

He looked at Three-Eight and nodded, then turned to Zero-One and nodded again. "Good seeing you out here." He said as he jumped onto the truck's back while putting the swords back into their sheaths. "Where are we headed?"

@Book @Hawken Nikolai

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Luckily enough, one did not have to worry about voice volume with the helmets on. Their comms made any words said loud and clear over the sounds of artillery filling the sky and the truck's powerful engine. Book tilted his head back against the aged leather as he curved the vehicle around a mass of trees.

"AA guns two clicks east. We're en route." He explained. His hands stayed pinned to the wheel, and the flimsy thing threatened to bend inward simply from the grip that he held it with. There was little opposition moving through the forest, if you didn't count the various trees in the way.

"We hold them until the Architects deploy their fleet." He added as they came to a stop just on the edge of the forest. Ahead, two massive AA cannons manned by six of the natives each fires rockets into the sky. Book took half a second to switch the truck off, and slip out from the driver's seat.

 

[Una Gal]

She didn't know what Gravy was talking about. Never had she heard of something called force horror. And what's more he didn't know how to do it. She had no idea how to make someone's worst fears come true. Una didn't even truly know what her own fears were.

Drawing herself up with a deep breath, she wiped at her cheeks with the sleeve of her robes. Una could do this. She'd do this for Gravy and to prove to herself she could work under pressure. It would just take a lot of motivation. She stood where she was for the longest of times, dancing from one foot to the other as she battled herself internally. After a long moment of silence she stepped forward toward the door. They seemed taller and longer up close and even more terrifying. Turning on her heel, she stepped through the threshold and looked directly at Gravy. The doors swung shut and closed her in darkness, the last strand of light remaining broke through the crack and sent a thin strip of white across the room. Una began to focus on the force and keeping her stomach down as she waited for this crazy test to start.

[member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

While the Dreadguard held the capital, the Harbinger and his companion were battling with those that would keep the fleet for themselves. Gravesen watched as Una soldiered off to do what had to be done. He felt a mixture of pride and shame as that door closed, and destroyed any possibility of turning back. Gravesen took a deep breath, and followed suit. He strode into his identified room, and the door shut behind him just as it had for Una.

The corridor was narrow, but long. Three of the enemy's soldiers were tied to chairs in different sections of the room. Gravesen opened his mouth to speak, but the hiss of gas filling the corridor cut him off. The green smog flowed over everything, and it burned the Rattataki's skin on contact. He yelped in surprise, and broke into a run, but to no avail. The other door was too far. The soldiers were helmets and armor that blocked out the gas.

There really was only one option.

[member="Una Gal"]

 

[DG45]

Crack. The rifle in the employ of DG-45 sounded loudly, a clean shot flying through the skulls of a duo of creatures. He pulled again, and again, and again. Each time he watched a puff of blood and brain matter spurt out of his target as the rifle kicked against his armored shoulder. The weapon in his arms was high powered, and loud, but he was far enough away sound mattered little, and he had his verpine rifle if anything called for silence. 45 had his corners covered. Simply winking a status light which would appear on the HUD's of his brethren, he notified [member="DG-42"], [member="Hawken Nikolai"], and [member="Book"] of his presence.

Orders had been simple, lay down cover fire in the form of long range execution. So lay down he did. Shot after shot soared downrange, each striking it's own target with deadly precision. He'd spent an hour acquiring and setting up this nest, and he was quite happy here, if he could still be that.

 

[Hawken Nikolai]

"Balls blazing or tactical? Your call." Three-Eight tapped his thumb against the clip ejection, checking his rounds. Seemed he was in for a reload, not much a soldier could do with only 5 bullets against unknown numbers. He let the clip fall to the ground as he jumped off the back of the truck, reaching up to his chest-plate and grabbing a fresh mag. Clink. He slowly walked to the edge of the forest and scanned through with his HUD, taking note of the trees and how they could have potential for snipers or any opposition chancing on guerrilla warfare since they didn't stand much a chance in a head-on battle.

He tapped his finger gingerly against his rifle's trigger guard, silently observing and making sure nothing was planning on making any sudden movements, awaiting Zero-One and Four-Two.

[member="DG-45"] [member="Book"] [member="DG-42"]

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Fourty-Five is on the ground.

Four Dreadguard on a single battlefield were a force to be reckoned with. A single one of these soldiers was a serious threat to any military operation; four would be devastating. Book shouldered his rifle; the powerful weapon whirring as a new power cell was pushed into the slot. "Four-five. Keep us on overwatch." Zero-One stated matter of factly.

He motioned with two fingers toward the edge of the treeline, and brought his rifle up to bear on the four guards meandering around the cannon. They were no doubt terrified; word of their enemy's devastating allies had most certainly reached them. Book took a deep breath, and placed his index finger over the trigger.

"Four-Two, rush the guards and bring down that cannon with a thermal det. Take cover from there. Three-Eight and I will cover you, and follow once the cannon is destroyed." He ordered. "We'll wait for you to make a move."

[member="Hawken Nikolai"] @DG-45 [member="DG-42"]

 

[DG45]

45 merely winked the light once again in acknowledgement before cycling through his optics until he reached infrared. Normally, these optics wouldn't be all that effective in a forest, but Olvan was cold, very cold, so it balanced out. [member="Hawken Nikolai"]'s hunch about hostile snipers had been spot on, natives were rooster in trees, peering down the scopes of their high powered rifles. 45 wasted no time, adjusting the Harpy in his arms with the position of his first target, and fired.

The rifle kicked against the shoulder plate of his armor roughly as the bolt soared down range and into the skull of his target. The force of the impact yanked the sniper from his roost and let him tumble to the forest floor, where [member="Book"], [member="DG-42"], and Hawken would surely see it. "Fiv-four more spread throughout the canopy. Working on clearing them out, but keep eyes up." He advised over the communications channel, finally speaking up and slotting another enemy as he spoke.

Dread Guard unit Forty-Five was perched on an outcropping several kilometers away, well concealed by some shrubbery in addition to the ghille suit-esque modifications he'd temporarily made to the armor for the mission, the idea that someone would've located him was extremely displeasing to say the least, but nonetheless, motion trackers picked up four individuals approaching, they could've been civvies, he didn't know, but regardless he slowly pulled the verpine sniper rifle into his arms from where it lay at his side and adjusted himself. "Contacts at my position, on your own for a moment." He broadcasted.

 

[Hawken Nikolai]

Three-Eight watched the body tumble to the ground, sprawling out with limbs pointed in all directions. "Contact." He shouldered his rifle and began to advance passed the trees, looking up and catching a pair of the opposing snipers. For a brief moment, either of them made eye contact with each other while Three-Eight quickly dropped his index finger onto the trigger and unleashed an indefinite wave of bullets that shredded through the leaves and vegetation of their roost, their bodies subsequently dropping like stones to the dirt. He turned back and signaled the rest of the Dreadguard to fall in with a wave of his plated arm. "Don't let me have all the fun boys, hit 'em where it hurts!" He carried on with the assault despite that it may violate the plan slightly, but it meant more action. "Good luck out there, Four-Five. Pop some skulls."

[member="DG-45"] [member="Book"] [member="DG-42"]

 

[Ronan Nakasla]

Things were heating up a bit. Seren blocked a projectile with his arm and pulled out a blaster pistol. He looked beyond their assembled ranks and zeroed in on what looked like a military base. A small one, just along the road, likely a supply depot. They would he his next target. He threw a grenade into the fray. A simple, modern frag grenade that exploded high-velocity shrapnel through their primitive armour and sent blood spattering against walls and their allies. Slowly, the unknown soldier made his way through to the weapons depot. He needed to make this fight even harder than the god mode it already inhabited for the little creatures. Behind him, the friendly army advanced with him at point while the System Authority special team did their thing.

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

One Week Later

"ASA designation Monitor, requesting assistance from available units."

It had taken some time for the task force to be assembled. These things didn't happen overnight, of course. It was nearly a week before the small fleet of vessels dropped into realspace on the edge of the Olvan system. The Gunray-class Majesty sat at the heart of the task force, Irys at the helm. They had a few escort vessels, but the fleet was mainly comprised of an array of troop transports.

"What's the situation?" she called.

"The fighting is still fierce," reported the Brigadier who was leading the marines and droid forces. "The enemy have dug in hard and stalled the advance of our allies. I suggest we stick to the plan. Orbital bombardment of the strongest Imperial defensive positions, followed by penetrative ground manoeuvres with close air support."

"Agreed," Irys replied as she flicked through the plans they had devised en route. "They're low tech and they haven't got a great deal of depth to their defences. Once we've turned them, this should be over quickly."




OOC/ Dear all, thought we could get this finished off?

[member="Marek Starchaser"] [member=Book] [member=DG-42] [member="Seren Ave"] [member="Hawken Nikolai"] [member="Gravesen Conclave"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

The chambers had been...disorienting. Dark smog filled the air at every corner. It had been a maze, and one Gravesen was loathe to walk through. Slowly, the poison in the air had stolen the life from his body. He felt his energy ebbing away with each step, and though he knew the art to purge poison from one's body, there was just too much of the toxin to survive.

And so, as he neared the exit, he did something drastic. One single figured walked a similar path to him. One single figure that held the life force he needed to succeed. Reluctantly, Gravesen held up a gloved hand. The force spread from his fingertips like dark tendrils shifting over to the figure. They clenched around it, pulling at its life energy. It came like a coursing river down Gravesen's dry throat, revitalizing him. With it came power; a tangible mist that electrified the air and urged Gravesen to take more.

The figure fell, drained of all that it might have been. The Rattataki cracked a triumphant grin, and strode through the final doorway. He came out in a large room with a single exit. An ancient one manned starfighter was nestled between to consoles in the center of the room.

Where was Una?

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

Several missiles lazily rose out of the atmosphere towards them. Ancient tech, designed for a different kind of war entirely. The snubfighters shot them down before the capital ship's point defences could even be bothered to swivel about and track them. Several Contention-classes, accompanied by picket frigates moved into low orbit as the troops were readied for battle. Turbolasers lanced down through the sky. Unfathomable power applied with an unthinkable precision.

Unshielded enemy emplacements were vaporised in seconds. Swarms of droid fighters followed the initial bombardment. They would close with the main defensive battle lines and secondary targets and look to hamper the enemy's mobility and armor.

"The droid forces are ready ma'am," called one of her officers.

"Very well, deploy our forces to supplement the local republic. We need this to seem like an aid mission, not a conquest. They're in command of the ground operation, ensure the legions follow their commands." Irys replied.

"Yes Ma'am."

Irys pulled up a tactical datapad. This would be a boring campaign. On the plus side almost no lives would be lost as the enemy force was routed from their trenches and bunkers. One of the advantages of being able to deploy droid forces for the grunt work.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Irys Arist'lar"]

Jorus couldn't guarantee effective, but there was half a chance he could remove boring from the equation. For Arist'lar's benefit, of course. So considerate.

"You fethers better be strapped in back there," he warned, running the Bullet Time through the most abbreviated preflight sequence in recorded history. "The Sybosinthians are puttin' our guns to use as we speak, and I for one have zero intention of being around when the Feds-" Some habits, such as stereotypes and narcotics, died hard. "-figure out there's a little more offworld involvement in their proxy war than they were probably counting on."

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

Irys watched the holo-display as fighters moved around the entrenched enemy positions. Each dot represented a squadron. Several winked out over the course of a few minutes. She looked across the deck of the bridge to one of her tactical officers. The ruffle of his fur suggested he was as perplexed.

"Lieutenant, we've been losing quite a few fighters?" she called.

He looked up a little too quickly. "Yes Ma'am, just working on that, analytics are bringing up visual feeds now. There we go,"

Irys' datapad mirrored the view of her tactical officer's. Information and text scrawled across the screen as it was analysed. The view came into focus, showing a ship speeding across the terrain. Red lines were overlaid on the display to signify the enemy position. There was a bright thermal signature. The droid fighter took evasive action, but vanished in a bright explosion.

"Those are advanced surface to air weapons Ma'am," he explained unnecessarily.

"So I can see Lieutenant," she replied a little too testily. We might have to do this the hard way. Get the Brigadier on the line, I think we need some recon teams down there looking more closely at what we're up against."

The fighters carried on their assault, but they kept to the entrenched positions and did not go deep into the "Empire's" territory where interstellar ships may have been launching from.


[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Irys Arist'lar"]

"Look, Captain, I don't mean to be rude, but get us in the fething air. The Feds are gonna be all over us."

He honestly had no idea which of his crew or passengers was talking. At this point, hands flickering over the control panels, he had too little attention to spare. He didn't so much as turn around. "I told you to buckle up. She handles better with the inertial dampeners at ninety-nine."

The Bullet Time leaped out of the mountain docking bay where he'd unloaded the weapons. He twisted upward almost at once rather than run into other mountains. Confederate - no, Abrion - droid fighters and capital ships filled the screens.

"OW."

"Told you to buckle up. Get someone smarter than you into the gun turrets. We've got our work cut out for us."

 

[Irys Arist'lar]

"Incoming missile! No belay that, it's a freighter!"

Irys watched the small dot appear on the display, text started scrawling next to it as it became the focus of attention for nearly every scanner in her small fleet. They hadn't brought any interdictors; they hadn't seemed necessary. Officers were constantly fighting to get access to the limited pool of vessels with gravity well generators. It hadn't been worth haggling for one for this mission.

"Send a wing of Vipers, with a Bolo to intercept. See if we can get a Sickle along their escape vector to try and snare them with a tractor."

Irys watched the dot moving through atmo. No normal freighter would stand much of a chance getting through the blockage.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]