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"Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained. The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us. If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless. We Mandalorians take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death... against oblivion."
―Canderous Ordo, describing the ways of the Mandalorians
Contruum. Jewel of the Mid Rim. The most developed and industrious world on the Vaathkree Trade Corridor, it boasted mid-sized shipyards, borium mining and smelting operations and foundries, and enough arable land to be considered an agri-world.
Today, this polished gem would be sullied and cracked by the Mandalorian blade. After heeding the call of the crusade on Hoylin, the resurgent Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders cut their first mark on the galaxy.
Requiring much resources to rebuild their strength, the Mandalorians seek to seize vessels, both civilian and military, docked on the orbital shipyard.
But their ambition went beyond mere material gain. A small task force of crusaders was dispatched to capture food supplies from the planet and raze what they couldn't take, aiming to create a food deficit crisis on the Vaathkree Trade Corridor and gauge the Alliance's response to a world not far from its reach.
For weeks the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders have harried and struck military cargo and escort vessel along the Vaathkree Trade Corridor to draw Contruum’s fleets away from the world. With its fleet scattered across the sector in a heightened response to the Mandalorians’ incursions, the Crusaders strike.
Mandalorian vessels punch through the Contruum fleet’s line and board the shipyards to capture the docked vessels. But time is running out. We need to be fast as the small Crusader fleet would not hold long against the encircling ships of the enemy, nor the arrival of reinforcements responding to their distress signal.
A crusade means acquiring sustenance to sustain and grow our forces, all while depriving our enemies. Seize all the food supplies our shuttles can carry, and destroy what we cannot take. This operation will not only strengthen our numbers but also serve as a test of the Alliance's response to a crisis not far from their ever-expansive reach. We must strike decisively, leaving our adversaries weakened and in disarray.
TAGS: OPEN VALHALLA CALLING
"We Mandalorians have a saying. A warrior who doesn't hope for battle has no hope during battle."
―Canderous Ordo
Hakon stood amidst the smoking ruins of once-vibrant farmlands. The acrid scent of burning crops mingled with the distant shouts and the whine of departing shuttles. His visor scanned the horizon, where columns of smoke rose like dark beacons against the setting sun. The shuttles, heavy with captured foodstuffs, ascended slowly towards the stars.
The stars…
He yearned to be above where his fellow Crusaders attempted to seize the shipyards, but he had to lead by example. It already took a stubborn insistence from his side to convince even a few of his brothers and sisters the necessity of this mission.
And yet still, around him, his fellow Mandalorians moved with a limp of reluctance and voices raw with indignation. A few of them gathered around him, their expressions a mirror of his own grim determination.
One, a younger warrior, with a deep scar running across his helmet, stepped forward. "Hakon," he said quietly, "haven’t we razed enough?"
Hakon shook his head. "No."
"We need to send a message. This is just the beginning."
The group of crusaders looked at each unconvincingly but before they could levy their protest, a hoarse voice cracked through their helmet comms. <“Another response unit approaching — dozens of dropships and fighter and… is that… Jetii!!”>
Hakon’s visor shifted towards the few that had approached him. A smirk tugging at his lips. They had cried out for glory and now they had the chance to die in battle—the greatest honor a Mandalorian could claim—or live to tell a tale of a feat of strength.
<“Regroup and form a defensive line! Don't let them get close!”> Hakon ordered over the comms and the Mandalorians scattered to their newfound duties with a jubilant stride.
Neo-Crusaders The Raid on Contruum Tag(s): @Anyone at Objective II
The days and weeks of searching. The months of endless disappointment and nights of anger at the galaxy for the state of things. Finally, the moment Sig had waited his life for was upon him. The world of Contruum would be their first target. A world that demonstrated the ingenuity of galactic society, a true gem of the galaxy. It was time for the galaxy to wake up.
The farmlands were just as incredible a sight to see as the many shipyards and refineries the planet surface offered. Fields of various grains and crops with small farming towns and villages forming all around them. On any other day one would likely enjoy the idyllic life the countryside has to offer. That wasn’t today.
Under the command of Hakon Fett
, Sig moved through one of the many planet-side farming villages, using his wrist flamethrower to ignite the crops as he walked by. He could see some among them had reservations. He could hear them questioning Hakon, asking if they had done enough raiding. Sig scoffed at the mere thought. No, today was just the beginning; the hatred within him was finally exploding and nothing would contain it now.
Only a few moments later did Hakon come over the comm in Sig’s helm: a security force was about to arrive, a jedi in tow. The glory of killing a jedi, the right would be Sig’s or he’d die trying.
Turning gaze inwards towards the village, he could see the security forces shuttle set down. Between the burning fields and the houses, both ablaze and otherwise, would provide excellent cover for the battle that was about to unfold. Taking his blasters from their holsters, he charged into the town. As he entered the main square of the farming settlement, soldiers emerged from the buildings in front of him. Quickly he dove behind a nearby cart that was out of use, blaster fire already slamming against it as he did so.
Peaking behind cover quickly, his visor scanned at least nine of them, all spread out across the village and using the buildings for cover. Taking a break he stood and fired two shots from each blaster. The initial two made their marks and the guards struck fell dead. The initial shots gave the others just enough time to take cover and avoid the same fate as their comrades.
He hadn’t seen any sign of the jedi. But he knew eventually they’d make an appearance. When they did, the burning hate within him was likely to take over fully. It didn’t matter what happened, though. Today was about one thing and one thing only: screaming to the galaxy that the true Mandalorians have returned with a vengeance.
Livia skimmed a few feet across the hull of one of the slowly gathering picket ships that hoped to corner her vod once they believed to have them trapped upon the station. Her suit made her as fast an maneuverable in the void as a starfighter and her size made her hard to detect, but she still tried to hug large vessels where she could to reduce her chance of detection further. As she rounded the lower ventral fin of this cruiser she saw her objective. There was a small star cruiser of the planetary defence fleet that was captained what was their equivalent to an Admiral, a proud man who was quite capable a miltiary strategist and probably the one of the biggest hurdles for the crusaders to escape with the ships they wanted.
Her goal was to board his ship, eliminate him and disable his command bridge, a simple enough mission profile if there wasn't the void to deal with. Livis crossed her arms across her chest and engaged her suits SLAM drive, feeling the G-forces pull at her even through the inertia systems built in. The twenty seconds of acceleration would be enough for to cross the void rapidly, avoiding any flak from the vessel she was leaving and hopefully arriving unscathed. As she felt the SLAM going back onto cool down everything was seemed earily quiet for a few seconds until her proximity alarms flashed up and she found herself rapidly approaching the light grey metal hull of the command vessel. She had about three hundred metres in which to brake before she slammed into the bridge, it would take no time at all but she used the last few moments to send a salute back towards the orbital station where she knew her vod were fighting.
Valery's X-wing broke through the clouds and passed over the surface of Contruum like a bolt of lightning. In the distance, trails of smoke rising up into the sky acted as her beacon, drawing her closer to the trouble started by this group of Mandalorians. Already, she knew they were not of the Protectors — they hadn't lashed out with this kind of aggression before and they knew better than to raid a planet so close to Alliance borders.
So who were they?
Beyond the mention of Mandalorian attackers over emergency comms and distress calls, Valery knew nothing. Former Enclave was an option, or perhaps a splinter group of the Protectors. Maybe an entirely new group with a more traditional, aggressive stance. Either way, she wasn't going to just let them steal and raid from innocents.
Looking at her targeting computer, Valery spotted several shuttles rising from the surface, carrying stolen goods. Several had already risen far too much for her to shoot without causing a lethal crash that would only further cripple the locals and their agricultural lands.
But some were only just taking off.
The S-foils of her X-wing switched to attack position, and after a quick pass over one of the villages, Valery made a strafing run and unleashed a barrage of cannon fire to neutralize the shuttle's engines. Those on board would survive, but they weren't leaving with all the crops they were trying to steal.
<I'm going down there,> Valery spoke over a Jedi comm channel. <Keep as many of these shuttles on the ground, but I need to see who we're dealing with up-close.>
So, this was the start of a new dawn for the Mandalorians. Kaiyra Munin had lived and long hoped for this day to come... and here it was for the Neo-Crusaders as they had made their pact on Hoylin: Haat. Ijaa. Haa'it. Which meant "Truth. Honor. Vision." in their native language of Mando'a.
The red and black armored Mando was mounted atop her mother's beloved basilisk. The last time Briika Munin had ridden Buruk was at the Battle of Tython. The war droid had saved the Shieldmaiden of Clan Munin's life many a time before and she wanted Kaiyra to be in good hands while the next generation of Munins took up the mantle to lead the way forward to glory for the clan.
Three... two... one...
The elder Munin sibling steeled herself, and then the ship's hangar bay door opened. She raised her gloved fist in a defiant fashion and shouted jubilantly, <OYA!!>
A positive and triumphant chorus of"OYA!!"meaning relatively "let's hunt" in Galactic Basic rang out in the hangar of the corvette just before the crusading Mandos marshaled their Basilisk war droids and launched to bring their reckoning upon the Jewel of the Mid Rim and any that stood in their way.
The menacing horde of Iron Beasts began swarming down from the heavens above. Kaiyra spearheaded the way as the flying warriors of Clan Munin descended to the unsuspecting planet below to bring as much carnage as they could from the skies and give cover for the marauding allies on the ground.
It was thrilling, to say the least, but the real thrill ride to glory was just beginning for the Akaan's daughter no doubt...
The Cathar rightfully had a long, and complicated relationship with the culture of warriors that had once crusaded her homeland. She often wondered if co-existence with them was even possible. A warrior culture so obsessed with glory that they would raid innocent farmlands like this one.
Third in the wing, Jonyna's own X-wing deployed it's S-foils, following Valery's example. A strafing run of ion cannon bursts. Rather than firing on the shuttles, Jonyna was trying to hit the mandos. Disable their tech, make the fight ahead easier on them. Not that she was looking for one, but...
She knew better. Mandos burning crops? Yeah, whoever these folks were, they were looking for a brawl.
<I'm going down there,> Valery spoke over a Jedi comm channel. <Keep as many of these shuttles on the ground, but I need to see who we're dealing with up-close.>
<Coming with. Buddy system.> Jonyna said with a bit of mirth in her voice. Hopefully things would go well, but she wasn't going to let the Grandmaster of the Jedi go down there alone and watch her get gunned down from above.
The Viceroy had received reports from sources within the Galactic Trade Network regarding the Planet of Contruum being targeted by Mandalorians. There was some speculation that this could be a new faction of renegades emerging from the Enclave's remnants or that the Mandalorian Protectors were becoming more aggressive in their eventual march towards the Sith Order's Holy Worlds to repay a debt owed to the Butcher-King Carnifex for the destruction of Mandalore.
Even still the audacious actions of these Mandalorians, whomever they claimed to represent posed a direct challenge to the Trade Federation's authority and influence within this sector of space and they would be reminded that those threaten the order and stability of the galactic economy would be dealt with in due time.
Despite the presence of the frigates, the lucrehulk's formidable firepower and strength rendered them almost unnecessary. This display of power served as a reminder from the Viceroy to the Mandalorians that the Trade Federation was vigilant and prepared to take action if the Alliance failed to do so.
"aWERIRRIRRORORORORO.....Get ready to initiate a communication signal to the surface below, and start sending out our starfighters to assist the New Jedi Order in thwarting this unjustified offensive on a neutral system. It is anticipated that there will be damage on the surface, so make sure to have the Galactic Co-Investment Panel ready to start obtaining the property leases and industrial data for evaluation. After all - our assistance comes at a price " Laborr glanced at one of the Neimoidian Officers on the bridge, gliding like a phantom towards the bridge's transparent window.
The Trade Federation's presence was not motivated by altruism, but rather by a desire to conduct an industrial survey for future expansion into the sector. The Mandalorian Attack provided a convenient excuse to proceed without the approval of the Federal Assembly, which the Skakoan was keen to take advantage of.
Their mission was simple yet dangerous - infiltrate the heavily guarded airfield and eliminate the high-ranking enemy officials who were planning a major attack on Galactic Alliance soil, Mandalorians. They were trying to send shivers throughout Alliance space that they could attack anywhere at any time. This was not going to happen or work. The team knew that failure was not an option, and they were prepared to do whatever it took to complete their mission.
As they approached the perimeter of the airfield, the team leader, Lieutenant Bren Alazar, call sign “Michael” signaled for the team to halt. Using their night vision goggles, they scanned the area for any signs of movement. The Sniper callsign “Raguel” and Spotter callsign “Remiel” moved into a position of view for “overwatch”. The airfield was heavily guarded, with armed soldiers patrolling the perimeter and watchtowers stationed at strategic points.
Without a word, the team split up and began to move towards their targets. Using their silenced weapons, they took out the guards one by one, their bodies falling silently to the ground. The team moved like ghosts, their movements barely making a sound as they made their way towards the main building where the enemy officials were located.
As they reached the building, “Michael” signaled for the team to stack up outside the door. With a nod, he kicked the door open and the team stormed inside, their weapons at the ready. The enemy officials were caught off guard, their faces filled with fear as they realized they were under attack. It was too late though, those who were not killed silently were watching in shock as their transports and shuttles were going up in flames thanks to explosive charges set off by “Sariel” and “Raphael”.
In a matter of minutes, the team had eliminated their targets, leaving no survivors. With their mission complete, the team quickly made their way back to the extraction point, disappearing into the night as silently as they had arrived.
The taken enemy airfield was left in chaos, the bodies of their fallen comrades serving as a grim reminder of the deadly efficiency of Omega Squad. The team had completed only this part of their mission with precision and skill, leaving no trace of their presence behind.
As they disappeared into the darkness, the team knew that their actions had saved countless lives and struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. Omega Squad was not what they once were, but were still a force to be reckoned with, their skills unmatched and their determination unwavering. And as they disappeared into the night, they knew that they would always be ready to answer the call of duty, no matter the cost.
The night was dark and the air was thick with tension as the team slowed and jumped out of their ride on the outskirts of a small town in enemy territory. Their mission was clear: secure the landing field and sabotage any enemy troop carriers or shuttles that may try to use it.
As the team moved stealthily through the shadows, they could hear the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions in the distance. The town was clearly under attack, and time was of the essence.
“Michael” signaled for the boys to spread out and secure the perimeter of the landing field. As they moved into position, they could see Mandalorians patrolling the area, their weapons at the ready.They were not simple foot patrol, they were battle hardened and ready for the fight Omega Squad is trained to bring. This will be quite the party.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling noise filled the air as a convoy of enemy troop carriers approached the landing field. Without hesitation, Omega Squad moved in, taking the advantage of the fact that while these Mandalorians were expecting a fight, they didn’t know the guys were there. It wasn’t quick and easy but the team each took out the enemy soldiers with precision and speed.
As the last of the enemy troops fell, the team quickly set to work sabotaging the troop carriers, planting explosives and disabling the vehicles. But their mission was far from over.
Just as they finished their work, the sound of approaching shuttles filled the air. The team knew they had to act fast. They quickly set up more of their shaped charges, hiding them in obscure spots and rolled tripwires out. If the shuttles set down, they would blow up.
Dropping back into ambush positions, the team waited and watched as the first carrier came into view. As much as each of them wanted to open fire, they waited and watched the shuttle set down right on the trip wire, causing the aircraft to crash to the ground in a fiery explosion. But there were more shuttles on the way, and the team knew they were running out of time. Especially since they were now aware of the situation.
With their backs against the wall, Omega Squad moved to higher ground.taking out each operator moving to prone positions. This was the “Raguel” and “Remiel”’s party and they waited, calling for everyone as well. But just as they thought they had secured the landing field, a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath them.
The team looked up to see a massive enemy tank rolling towards them, its cannons blazing. With no time to spare, the team rallied together, using all their training gear to take down the tank and secure the landing field once and for all. As the dust settled and the sounds of battle faded into the night, the team knew they had completed this part of their mission. They had secured the landing field and sabotaged the enemy's plans, but the fight was far from over. However there was more to the mission itself, more orders, there always were.
Careena gripped the saddle of her Basilisk Dha Prudii as it cruised through the blackness of space, escorting a small group of boarding pods as their larger vessels drew the attention of the orbiting picket line of ships. After the gathering at Hoylin, the Neo-Crusaders had chosen Contruum as their first target to fall victim to their starting crusade, coordinating a planetside raid of resources as well as the hijacking of vessels docked in their orbital shipyard. A two-pronged attack meant to prevent one group from meeting a solidified defense, dividing the attention of the prey they stalked.
Their crusade was young, so striking something large and within the Galactic Alliance's sphere of influence was not something they would be doing, but poking at outlier systems and pillaging resources was certainly a good test of waters and gauge how the Alliance would respond.
Hakon had been tasked with taking point of the Neo-Crusader's planetside raid of food supplies and burning what they wouldn't be able to transport. The intention to sow the seeds of chaos by creating a food shortage to put pressure on the Alliance's supply while bolstering their own would help fuel their crusades. The strike team tasked with hijacking the docked ships would aid in picking up their spoils before exfil. The goal was for several vessels to be taken by several different parties.
Dha Prudii would latch onto the hull of one of the docked vessels as the boarding pod magnetized to the surface, cutting their way through the hull as Careena pushed off the saddle of her mount, gracefully swinging over to the access hatch of one of the pods in zero-g before sliding in. As soon as the breach was complete and the breaching head opened, Careena would tumble out into a crouched position with blaster pistols drawn, scanning the immediate hallways before waving one hand forward as the boarding party filed out to secure the area.
With a sharp command in Mando'a, Ninurta directed his two charhounds, towards the side containment slots. The beasts, their fiery breath and molten skin obeyed instantly. Their loyalty was absolute, a result of his painstaking training and the ever present pheromones his own biology allowed him to produce. The containment slots, reinforced to shield them from the vacuum of space, hissed shut as the hounds entered, the secure locks clicking into place.
"Pre-breach check complete. Mount up," Ninurta's voice was a low growl, filled with the anticipation he kept buried beneath his stoic exterior.
He mounted the Bes'uliik with practiced ease, his armor clinking softly against the metal as he settled into the saddle. The HUD of his helmet flickered to life, displaying a countdown in vibrant red. Taking a deep breath, the cold filtered air of the hangar filled his lungs. The anticipation was electric, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Just as the beasts bent to his will, so would the rest of the galaxy bend to Mandalore.
And to me.
With a thunderous roar, the his Bes'uliik launched, traversing open space from Neo-Crusade fleet and slamming into Contruum's shipyards with bone-jarring force. The docking clamps engaged with a metallic scream, magnetizing to a foreign hull and beginning initial breach. Ninurta's Bes'uliik surged forward rupturing internal shipyard containment with a powerful blast. Once seal was formed, Ninutra dropped through the new opening and landed in a crouch accompanied by the two molten canines. Rising to full height his main hand brandished a Kashyyykian Stalker Pistol.
Falling in next to the Alor of Clan Fett, the primal and trophied figure of the beastmaster signaled all the clear for the far west corridor. " We have a group approaching from the east. Life signs through his internal HUD revealed that the group consisted of a mix of sentient and droids.
Already the two charhounds stood at attention. Heads hung low with predatory instincts and bodies pointing the way.
Sahan thought it was high past time other Mandalorians jumped on the ship of giving the Alliance worms a message. They thought they were bigshots and could control the whole Galaxy, even outside their own corrupt territory. The Enclave had already planted a solid beskar-plated boot up their backside, and now other Mando'ade finally wanted in on the action of giving the Galaxy a reminder of who they were and why you didn't try to backstab them. And if Sahan had his way, those so-called Mandalorian "Protectors" would turn away from the Alliance as well, before they experienced the same inevitable betrayal.
The golden-armored Mandalorian looked out over the town that was burning, fields and buildings in all. Jericho and Gold were still torching their respective assignments, but Sahan had long finished his sections, which were tenfold larger than the other two combined. Sahan was just that fast. Technically, the basilisk could also go faster, but she tended to get over excited in destruction, which made things take longer. Sahan just shook his head and let her enjoy her fun.
"So, you're sure none of this will hurt our livelihood at all?" That was the leader of this particular farm town. Sahan had evacuated everyone to the one inn they had. There was no honor in killing innocent civilians, after all. Besides, one never knew which spared civilian might be so impressed that they go on to become a Mandalorian.
"Don't worry," Sahan replied. "I'll see to it personally that you're all taken care of until you're able to sustain yourselves again. This is just a message and a not-so-subtle blow to the corrupt Galactic Alliance. I wonder if they actually care, though. Probably not. They'll probably only care more about image than anything and only send a couple of Jedi, the fools."
"Uh-huh. No offense, but none of us really care about any of that. We're just trying to live our lives. Can we really be certain you're not just going to leave us to starve? And you're only one person."
Sahan just glared at the man from behind his helmet, causing the man to squirm where he stood. "We do not go back on our word. And you see this?" He tapped his golden armor. "It has genuine aurodium in it. A man able to have that in his armor is certainly wealthy enough to care for a small village." He didn't bother to mention that aurodium alloyed extraordinarily well with beskar. That was a personal trade secret, and what he had said was all entirely true. It certainly seemed to assuage the man's fears.
<ALLIANCE SHIPS INBOUND, BUT ONLY A FEW SO FAR,> Artus told him through his comm.
<Roger. I figured that would be all. It's rather disappointing, really. Well, maybe they'll eventually learn.> He turned to the village leader. "Make sure everyone stays inside that inn for the night. I know it's cramped, but nobody is to leave until sunrise." He didn't know where the arrivals would target, but he hoped he would have a chance to fight the Jedi dogs. He activated his armor flight system and hovered in the air, kicking his feet up like he was lounging in a recliner. Nothing to do but wait and see.
The new Onderonian ambassador to the Galactic Alliance found himself racing towards the danger. His appointment to the position had both been to show how committed his mother, the Queen, was to strengthening the friendship between the Alliance and her people, and to make him grow into a worthy heir. As such, Vince leaned on many mentors and advisors: One of whom happened to be the Onderonian ambassador to Contruum: A wise woman who did not manage to levy all of her objections to the Prince's rush to action. Before the first sentence had even completed, he was out the door. Clearly, the heir was more of a warrior than a diplomat.
Meanwhile, the corvette in which he arrived was preparing for action back at the city spaceport. It was not primarily a combat ship: In fact, it would not stand much of a chance against a larger vessel. It was, however, Onderonian. While it did not carry the same impressive anti-air guns that could be found guarding their capital of Iziz, it did have effective anti-air and point defence options regardless. It would take a little bit of time before it would be good to go. It was far from certain that it would make it there in time. One could only hope that the battle to save the farmlands wouldn't need any serious anti-air capabilities.
For now, he would have to get by on his own. The speeder bike he rode carried no inherent weapons. He, however, carried a number of weapons and armour. As always, a trusty Tilsiter Blaster Pistol, an officer's saber, a few grenades (4), a combat knife strapped to his boot along with a high powered blaster rifle and - because the senior Ambassador had it in her office - a sonic holdout blaster pistol. He wore a relatively heavy ceremonial armour and a pair of beast rider inspired jump boots.
Upon making it closer to one scene of the even, X-wings and Mandalorian war droids could be seen descending from above while shuttles were trying to leave and fields laid in ruin. Stopping relatively early - more than 200 meters away from the closest attacker - as to hopefully not catch too much unwanted attention, the royal hopped off of the vehicle by an utterly destroyed silo. Large parts of metal and wood laid scattered across the ground while the husk of the building remained in place.
With a few urgent steps, he moved into the husk of the silo and unsheathed the rifle. Hidden in the rubble, he laid down behind a piece of metal and began adjusting the sights. Still far away, he had plenty of time before action was needed. But then, the longer he waited, the worse the situation would become. Once the rifle was honed in on the two Mandalorians closest to him (Hakon FettSig Dryggo
), he paused and used his Alliance-provided comms unit to radio out to the X-wings.
His voice, whilst laying low in the rubble, was calm and quiet "This is Ambassador Vince Ivro Kalmorak of Onderon. Mandalorians are killing locals and destroying-" he trailed off as his eyes scanned his surroundings ... mostly everything
Location: Shipyard above Contruum Objective: Steal a Warship
Joining the Raid wasn't something she had initially planned on, but she'd been told this was for the greater good. Others had told her that the Alliance had grown fat and corrupt thanks to worlds like Contruum. That wasn't hard for any Coruscanti teen to believe, seeing how they treated those that lived in the slums and ghettos. Maybe it was memories of the Invasion of Coruscant that made her so bitter towards the GA, no Jedi came to their rescue then. Where were the so-called "heroes" to save her people on the lower levels? Now was the time to show the Alliance what happens when you neglect your people.
All of these thoughts buzzed in her head as she stood in the boarding pod, their objective was simple, steal one of the larger frigates docked at the shipyard. It was a warship bearing the designation Elegance. Just looking at the schematics of the thing, it was almost certainly meant to compensate for some admiral's lacking equipment. Fast for a heavy frigate with some truly massive armaments, the Elegance was a proud ship, but even the most powerful ship was vulnerable when in anchor.
Zandra felt her body shake in response to the pod buckling and rumbling, soon they were fully docked to the massive space hulk. Metal on metal grinding filled the inside of the boarding pod. It was like nails on a chalkboard magnified a thousand times. Cripes, how did these Mandos stand that sound? All of them acted like their veins were filled with ice water, it was as impressive as it was disconcerting.
About a minute passed as the bores did their job of cutting through the durasteel hull of the ship. No doubt many other pods had latched on by now. Soon her commander piped up "Await the green light, then file out quickly! Foundling! Don't lag behind!" The commander shouted.
" Foundling has a name jackass..." Zandra muttered under her breath before drawing her twin beskads. "Just don't feel too bad when this "Foundling" has the highest kill count Sarge."
Dirty work, but neccessary. The Mando'ade were building a war machine, one capable of putting the Galaxy to the torch. Just as valuable as fighting men and women were, so too were the raw materials of war. Beans and bullets, as they say. So too, an unfortunate draw for the Crusade. It should've hardly been a gambit to pilfer such world, but alas, the reach of the Galactic Alliance was a formidable one at that.
He knew better than to think he'd find one here, among the unfortunate peasantry on the periphery of the Alliance. He stepped out of the shuttle, rifle in hand and eyed for the best vantage point...then the second best...and the third best. The last was where he found himself headed. It was a mistake too often made to get nice and high only for the first rounds of any meaning to come straying toward him.
A constable was quick to stop him in his advance as he splintered off alone.
"H-hey!" He said, leveling his blaster pistol toward the Mandalorian. A crack of tibanna fired off near his head, Trajan jolting out of the trajectory to find the bolt slamming into an alley wall. He snatched ahold of the barrel and slammed the man's hand into the nearest wall, a pained cry barking from his lips before he relinquished the pistol, Trajan easily snatching it away before he slammed his boot into the man's face, knocking him out cold. He then holstered the pistol. A holdout, standard issue to local system's PDF but good enough to do the job. He then slung his rifle back into his hands and made his way up to the third story, pulling open an access hatch to access the roof.
He haphazardly dropped a det pack near the hatch on the roof before pulling a length of synthetic, high strength rope from his waist, tying it around a strong point before leaving it piled near the edge of the roof. A quick escape, if he needed one. Setting up the bipod, he got his limits, his baring's and kept eyes on the Mandalorian assault, well aimed slugs slamming center mass of those looking to put up any measurable resistance. Women, children, civilians were spared lest they looked like they were reaching for blasters or looking for trouble.
In overwatch of the shuttles whisking away the crates of food and any useful tools, technology and equipment they could gather, he snapped his rifle up to identify the X-Wing starfighters in his optics. Hardly the first time he'd been graced with such a sight, his time in the Imperial Army being wrought with it. The hiss of their four ion engines, the crack of their laser bolts all had a distinct music to them.
A horrid note to the ears of a man who'd only ever been on the receiving end. Of course, they weren't prepared for this. Trajan had good faith that they'd slip through the coverage of Alliance scanners and patrols, able to snag what they'd need before jetting out leaving the Alliance to find themselves as sheriffs of the cinder. Pushed out through the Crusader's comm net.
<"X-wings in sector...Alliance. The timetable has been moved up, take everything of worth and start retrograding back to the shuttles, they're knocking them out quickly."> Trajan said.
Location:???
Objective: Send a literal message
Tag: Rulonom Laborr
In the dimly lit confines of his command center, Upsilon of Clan Ha'rangir sat before an array of holographic interfaces. His small body seemed almost swallowed by the large, throne-like seat, but his disproportionately large cranium and the sharpness in his eyes spoke of a mind far surpassing any ordinary being. The room hummed with the soft whirr of machines and the occasional beep of incoming data streams, creating an ambient technological tune.
Word of the Mandalorian attack on Contruum had spread rapidly across known and unknown streams, and though Upsilon was not physically present, his intellect and strategic mind were more than capable of making an impact from afar. He had heard a report, noted the movements, and now his gaze was fixed on a particular target: The Tyrant of Trade, a vessel known to be under the command of the Trade Federation.
With the speed of thought, Upsilon began encrypting his signature over the HoloNet, a intricate slipstream of slicing through various sea's of data and communication technology. The code and numerals danced across the holographic screen, his mind processing and manipulating the data at speeds words could not fathom. The Columi's plan was simple. Mask his own origin to ping between all three Trade Federation ships and hail the Tyrant of Trade.
...
....
.....
......
.......
CONNECT.
Across time and space the aliens hail hung in till it was answered by someone aboard. Who it was it did not matter. All that mattered was the Columi's next words.
" Tyrant of Trade, I, am Upsilon of Clan Ha'rangir. I present an unparalleled proposition poised to significantly augment your interests."
Upsilon awaited a response. Not from some peon, no, the Columi would only speak to the one in charge.
With a clank through her armour, her mag boots attached to the outside of the hull of the large vessel and Livia regained her bearings. Beneath her feet was the portside wall of the bridge command centre. The woman pulled out a breaching charge and attached it silently, she gave herself a short distance to avoid the blast before watching the pretty mushroom of the explosion, followed by the secondary blast of atmosphere, equiptment and several crewmembers venting into space. The Cadera ran forward and slipped into the breach before the emergency forcefields activated and immediately opened fire on the other nearest crew with her wrist weapons. The service personnel were no match for the crusading mandalorian even if she was standing on the ceiling as she had not yet reorientated herself with the ship's three dimensional position.
A couple of naval guards tried their lucks firing slightly heavier calibre rifles into the woman that flashed off of her armour and Avenger shield. To them she presented her shotgun, feeling the kick as the slugs left her and made their way across the depressurise room. The first guard took it to the chest and went down in a bloody mess, the second hit him in the arm causing him to drop his gun before fainting from the shock. It was a textbook breach and room clearance and within twenty seconds the room was cleared and Livia dropped down to the floor. There would likely be more soldiers coming to try and deal with the assassin, but they would now have to storm the bridge through one entrance, no easy feet against a trained and heavy armed warrior. There were a few moans in pain from people that Livia had out down but not killed, they were all incapacitated though so she sauntered over to the captain of the vessel, the last man standing and the one man she had absolutely no intention of leaving alive.
She came close to the man who tried to remain resolute, his years of experience readying him to face fear in the face. She pointed both of her fingers at her T-visor.
"Look at me Captain." "Sure." "I'm the captain now!"
The was a metallic noise as Livia's claws extended through her gauntlet and a gurgle as they entered the lower abdomen and up into the heart of the captain. He gasped as blood and air filled his chest cavity, falling backwards from the girl as her claw retracted again. As he fell Livia placed her hand around the security card lanyarded to his chest and allowed it to snap off into her hand.
<"X-wings in sector...Alliance. The timetable has been moved up, take everything of worth and start retrograding back to the shuttles, they're knocking them out quickly."> Trajan said.
His rangefinder caught glimpses of two X-wings cutting through the skies above. He knew the Alliance operated in squadrons, a dozen or so fighters in each–standard military structure that Hakon had seen employed by numerous aruetii defense forces throughout the galaxy.
But a single pair?
“Jetii.” Hakon silently confirmed to himself.
The bulk of the Mandalorians had formed a solid defensive line across the settlement, taking cover behind destroyed silos and burned-out homesteads. This allowed a dozen of their comrades to continue razing the farmlands and silos, orders they followed reluctantly. Any locals who failed to escape their ranches in time perished in the fires consuming their homes and fields.
Hakon climbed the charred walls of a ruined house up to a terrace. Its roof hung above riddled with holes through which smoke softly billowed into the sky. He crouched, set his carbine on the steel railing that still stood strong, and peered through the scope.
Several dropships of the Contruum Defense Force landed in haste two hundred yards away, wary of any anti-air equipment the Mandalorians might be fielding. Columns of soldiers rolled out from their ramps and carefully paced forward towards the Mandalorians entrenched positions. The would soon come in contact. Hakon could feel the rush of battle slowly begin to surge within his veins; a feeling shared among his brothers and sisters laying in impatient wait.
Thunder clasped above, cracking the skies with an ear-shattering boom as the X-wings made their pass. Hakon pulled his gaze from the scope and trailed the fighters’ darting course to spheres of fire and steel erupting in the skies from which several Mandalorian shuttles that barely climbed altitude ploughed downwards helplessly without the thrust of their engines. Few made such a clean shot in that velocity, much fewer a series of them in quick succesion; he was now absolutely certain these were Jedi.
The sound of blasterfire rupturing the air yanked his attention back to the ground and into the scope of his carbine. Contruum soldiers’ advance halted to a scurry for cover as they began a fierce exchange of fire with the Mandalorians holding up the settlement. From his vantage point, he marked two troopers for death with a pair of three-burst salvos carefully aimed at their heads.
Hakon swept the forming battlefield through the scope and caught a dozen and more soldiers converging towards a particular point. With a shift of his eyelids, the Mandalorian opened a line to Sig Dryggo
, <"Dryggo, get some men to reinforce our left flank–they’re piling up on that side.”>
But the bigger problem still remained–the skies were wide open for the Mandalorians to be picked out from above. They needed that vulnerability shut.
Now.
<"Muunin, where are those basilisks?"> Hakon's firm question crackled over Kaiyra Munin’s comm frequency.
Jace's opinion- at any rate. The real Mandalorians were not the ones who waxed poetic in halls of their ancestors, the ones who flirted with the Sith and Jedi for alliances. No, this was the reality of the Mandalorians. Brutal combat, war.
Contruum had been a bit of a reprieve, a temporary assignment along with a few other Jedi to shore up the defenses of the planet, and to more importantly, establish a better relationship with the planet's military and to bring them more closely with the Alliance. While large, the GADF was not all-encompassing, and still relied on local armies to defend the Alliance if need be.
And that effect was never more felt by those being faced by the Mandalorians than now. They were quick, efficient, brutal. He had to give them that. Jace pressed himself against a wall, watching the blaster bolts whizz by, the Defenders of the planet making a hasty counter-assault on the Mandalorian position. They were moving quick, so whatever they wanted to destroy, take or find, they were doing quickly.
Which meant that Jace had to act quickly.
So, on the battlefield, amidst the exchange of slugthrower fire and blaster fire-
A sharp snap-hiss.
A blue blade came through the smoke and STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING FORUM chaos, illuminating the Defenders. He stepped out from behind cover, parrying an incoming blaster bolt. He thrust a hand forward, his Jedi armor on full display. He sent the force from him, grabbing a Mandalorian with the force, tossing her violently into a wall, her back smashing into it. Armor or not, kinetic force was kinetic force. Whether he broke her spine, or just cracked every bone she had above the waist- but either way, the Mandalorian was out of the fight.
He charged forward, more bolts meeting his blue blade, cast away from him and into the buildings and dirt around him.
<::Sir we are being hailed, but unfortunately, we lack any details regarding its source. ::> The tactical droid strategically placed itself near the communication officers on the bridge, indicating to Rulonom that a recent event had taken place in the Mandalorian Offensive for Contruum. The Skakoan gave them an intense look, with wide eyes visible beneath his protective goggles.
"AWEROROROORR - Enhance the transmission strength of our advanced military scanners and counter-stealth technologies. Establish a temporary communication link in the interim" The Skakoan said, as the transmissions came through from the outside source which was later identified as a bouncing signal between the Trade Federation Vessels. The eerie silence that followed the transmission only added to the mystery of the situation, as it came through cleanly enough to be heard.
Laborr observed stoically as the words were uttered and the communication conveyed, realizing that ambiguous hints of increased rewards and advantages would not align with his objectives within the sector. Mandalorians were not known for participating in negotiations or corruption, especially those who adhered to the more orthodox mindset of the Mandalorian culture.
"AWEOROROR..A vague proposition does not peak the interests of the Trade Federation. Although I am willing to give you another chance to impress me before our conversation concludes on an unsatisfactory note. " Laborr said towards Upsilon Ha'rangir
, after some adjustments to his suit vocabulator -
Still observing through the transparent window of the Tambor Pattern Lucrehulk Class III Battleship 'Tyrant of Trade'. The conflict with the Mandalorians would result in a significant financial loss for them, but they were confident that they would regain the credits once the planet owed a debt to the Federation.
" AWEROROROROROROROOR.....Our Forces are ready, Sir."
"Proceed then, Commander. Battle Formation Echo-3." Laborr uttered to the Skakoan Officer behind him.
