Private In the thick of it

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ornfra
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Keiran Varn

"What do we do, Master Noble?"

It's a question she had heard multiple times now in the span of a few minutes. An assault meant to push the Maw forces away from this planet had been ambushed, and both GA soldiers and Jedi were stuck behind their transport vehicles, which they had set up in a circular formation to provide cover against all possible angles. But one by one, their numbers were decreasing and there seemed to be almost no end to the flow of Maw troops.

They were brutal, relentless and nothing was going to stop them — they were determined to slay all their enemies.

"We're surrounded, Sergeant. We hold positions and wait for an opportunity; we have to remain patient," Valery said in response, as her double-bladed weapon swatted away absurd amounts of blaster fire. For now, the enemy was still keeping their distance to try and thin the GA numbers, but she knew their brutes would be arriving soon to engage with swords and other melee weapons. She had seen them do it so many times before.

"But what if no opportunity presents itself?"

Valery glanced over her shoulder and smiled faintly, "There will be one."

A request for reinforcements was already made, meaning their allies were aware of the ambushed group. So she believed it to be only a matter of time before relief forces would arrive. They just had to keep defending their position and retain hope that help was on its way.

 

[Keiran Varn]

READY FOR WAR

IN THE THICK OF IT

LOCATION: ORNFRA, CHISS SPACE, UNKNOWN REGIONS
EQUIPMENT: SINGLE BLADED AMETHYST LIGHTSABER | HG-54 VERPINE HAND CANNON
ALLIES:
Valery Noble

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"What do we do Master Jedi?" The Chiss asked.

Keiran hesistaed for a moment, remvoing the macrobinoculars from his eyes as he stared off into the distance, trying to provide an excuse? a reason? Something that would get him out of this. The Jedi rubbed his chin on which a small silver-blonde beard was forming. Age was not kind. But he had been gallivanting for quite a while now, and it was feeling strange living such a precarious lifestyle. He certainly didn't envy the smugglers and bounty hunters of the world. Not to say that the life of a soldier wasn't precarious. Not at all. Just that it had a sense of rootedness to it, even in the midst of polarising battle. A deep seated sense of doom rose from the depths of his being and he felt beads of liquid running down his forehead as they all looked to him. Not to their leader. But to him. He was the Jedi here, and they certainly expected him to act like it.

"I-I'm no Master.." He answered hesitantly.

"But you're a Jedi aren't you, you've got a lightsaber!" Came a voice from the crowd. That voice seemed to spark a wave of agreeance amongst the mostly blue-skinned crowd.

It was at times like these that he wished Traden was here. Not to tell him what to do, but to give him some guidance, set him on the right path. But alas, he stood alone. Silver-blonde hair tossling in the breeze, he stared back out at the scene unfolding. From the ridge that they had chosen as a vantage point, they looked like toys, the Mawites seemed to be closing in as the Alliance forces and Noble were closed in. He knew Valery Noble well. A legendary Jedi Master and War Hero, she had been a close ally of the War Hogs and his master when he had been on active duty. Most importantly however, she was a mother. And Keiran had seen the child on many an occassion. That certainly pulled on the heartstrings.

Ornfra was one of the earliest places he had come to on his travels. It kind of made sense strategically why it had been targeted, but that wasn't why he'd come here. That wasn't the purpose of his trip. That wasn't why he'd left without a trace. The objective was to leave the war behind, but everywhere he went it seemed to follow. The whole situation seeemd futile. What was the purpose of the Jedi? That was the question that really came into play. It was also the one that he had been contemplating ever since he had left on his travels across the unexplored parts of the galaxy, in search of ancient knowledge that might enlighten him on this question that had plagued Jedi across history for millenia.

He let out a long sigh as the crowd waited on him expectantly. A decision needed to be made. The Chiss had lost everything, especially with the destruction of Csilla, he didn't imagine these people were in the mood for patience. Jedi didn't leave friends behind. That was a lesson not easily learned. He wasn't going to let another massacre happen, or leave Valery's child without a mother. It wasn't the way of the Jedi. It wasn't the way Traden Avarice had taught him.

"Elder - Get any weapons that you have, form a milita and call on any local security forces that you might have. Battle is imminent." Keiran mentioned with a smile.

"I knew you were a Jedi. EVERYONE! GET A MOVE ON, YOU HEARD HIM!" The Elder shooed everyone away and began giving instructions to get weapons and start evactuations. There was a cheer from the crowd which forced a grin out of him. It was good to be back.

"I have a plan. Let's just hope it works."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ornfra
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Keiran Varn

"We're running out of medical supplies!"

Valery gritted her teeth and looked around the defensive perimeter they had created. Without medical supplies, they couldn't treat the injured, which was not only going to result in more casualties but also left many wounded soldiers in a lot of pain. Combined with the lack of reinforcements, morale was going to drop greatly.

They needed help or something to keep the hope up.

"Prioritize the ones who can still be saved," she ordered with a frown. It was one of the most difficult orders to give but to use medical supplies on soldiers who weren't going to make it now would only bring the rest of them in trouble. Valery then jumped out from behind cover and began to draw a lot more fire. Deep down, she still knew reinforcements were going to come — they had to.

So until they arrived or something happened she could use to turn the tide of this battle, she'd draw as much enemy fire to herself as she could. It would relieve the soldiers a little and hopefully inspire them to keep fighting strong.

"Stand with me and fight! We're not giving up!" she exclaimed to rally the troops behind her to keep up their efforts. But she was really hoping allies would arrive any moment now.

 

[Keiran Varn]

IN THE THICK OF IT
LOCATION: ORNFRA, CHISS SPACE, UNKNOWN REGIONS
EQUIPMENT: SINGLE BLADED AMETHYST LIGHTSABER | HG-54 VERPINE HAND CANNON
ALLIES:
Valery Noble

​

"Sergeant, pass the macrobinoculars."

Keiran put the instruments to his eyes, and magnified five percent. It wasn't looking good on the ground. It almost seemed that for every Alliance Marine that felled, another Mawite moved in and the cycle went on. He'd positioned his Chiss allies on tall ridges that surrounded the Alliance forces, and made sure that they were undetected. One thing that Keiran had learned during the war, was that the Maw weren't necessarily too big on tactical planning. Much of their doctrine revolved around the word "destruction" and the concept of total war. Peering just so his head was sticking above the ridge, he swiveled to face Valery. From what he could observe she seemed to be soaking up a lot of fire, volleys of bolts direct straight at her. Keiran knew that she couldn't keep it up forever.

Giving the macrobinoculars back to the militaman, he nodded at the soldiers, clasping his fist and raising it. At the sight of the order, there was a shuffling as the troops raised their weapons and got ready, though not moving just yet. "Commander, start the artillery barrage." He ordered a burly-looking Chiss, who relayed the order down the chain. A large, about two metre cylindrical gun was towed up to the ridge. It began to lower with a hydraulic noise, pointing toward the main bulk of Maw forces. The recoil sent the gun blasting back as a large thump rang out across the battlefield. The force was like a slap in the face as he was almost taken off his feet. A plume of dust rose up into the air with the explosion as Keiran nodded, satisfied with the results.

All across the ridge, similar events were happening as the battlefield started to light up with the barrage. It was now or never. Keiran stood tall, letting blaster bolts from the Mawites who had now realised what was going on, pass by him. Stoic, and unmoving, a sense of pride washed over him as he looked to his new friends. A hand went to his belt as he removed his lightsaber. He flicked it on, and a long amethyst-coloured blade shot out from the top of the hilt. Keiran stabbed it out into the air. Everyone seemed to get the message as wave after wave of soldier began to emerge from the ridge. Like a tsunami, the blue skinned Chiss milita of Ornfra, tenacious and battle-ready swarmed out of their positions. Battle cries rang out as Keiran, using the ridge as a diving platform, leapt into the midst of battle.

Soldiers moved in from all sides as Keiran slowed his fall with the Force, batting away blaster bolts as he made sure everything went smoothly. "ENCIRCLE THEM, FLANKING MANUEVERS!" He ordered, making sure there was at least some battle cohesion.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ornfra
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Keiran Varn

It began as a warning through the Force.

The Mawite troops had her completely surrounded and were still adding great pressure, but what she felt wasn't related to them — something else was coming, and whatever it was, there seemed to be no threat to her and those she was trying to protect. Then the sound of sharp whistles grew louder all around her and the Alliance troops, and she instantly knew an artillery strike was inbound.

But she wasn't the target.

Powerful shells exploded within the ranks of the Maw attackers, sending them flying and obliterating any and all cohesion they had in their assault. It sparked a wide grin from Valery, who knew the reinforcements had finally arrived. All around her from the ridge, soldiers suddenly appeared and opened fire at the Maw from their rear and flanks, causing further chaos the Jedi Master fully intended to capitalize on. With her double-bladed weapon drawn, she finally made the charge forward, hoping to trap a group of enemy soldiers between herself and her new allies, who were following what seemed like another Jedi into battle.

"Now is the time! Break their encirclement!"

With the woman's words echoing across the fields of battle, and with a new hope ignited in their hearts, Alliance soldiers began the attack from within the defensive perimeter. It meant the Maw troops were trapped between two fronts and without any strategic positioning, they were going to get overrun quickly.

"Don't give them any time to breathe!"

Valery had set her eyes on the few Maw troops that still stood between her and Keiran Varn, and charged forward with Force-augmented speed her enemies could not track. The two twin blades of her staff swept through their ranks and before they really understood what hit them, Valery was already on the move to group up with Keiran.