Mission Operation Scimitar | An Age of Strife Story - Pt. 2

[Hal Vaiken]

P A G E _ C L A I M

IMPERIAL SPECIAL FORCES
SCAR SQUADRON
Lily Stevens Margo Liaeris Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar Katja Javik Kav Canthar Leto Karazyn

​

"Gahhhh!!" he groaned, clenching his teeth as Lily took to mending his wound in the most rudimental of methods. "Hhh-- damn it, Lily, I told you to--- ugh!" sweat flooded his face as he bit down as per the sharpshooter's command. Any protests Sarge had against Lily's insubordination fell on deaf ears. She opened a line to Spectre, ignoring the fuss coming out of his mumbling lips. Painfully, the commander staggered back up to his feet. No time for lectures on the chain of command, not now. He was alive, and they had a mission to complete.

He drew his service pistol as the rifle remained on the other side of the sealed blast door and followed her lead. The next few halls to the command room saw them encounter no hostile targets. A chunk of tension was off his shoulders when they found the command room conveniently abandoned and Sarge finally managed to mutter thanks. Back there, he would've been captured as a prisoner at best, and given how quick the Chiss were pouring out of the base, he would've been gifted a quick death at worst.

After a long lag, Rancor's report on Team D had come through the static of their comms. A report Sarge could've easily deducted on his own given the loud, explosive ruckus rattling the ceilings above.

:: Copy, Rancor. :: he replied, then looked at the Reaper, "Strange, ain't it?" he remarked on the empty command room before he approached one of the terminals and the modified ID10 seeker droid huddled dormant on his backpack lit to life and plugged its prod into the socket. The droid whistled and the unintelligible Cheunh letters on the screen scrambled into Galactic Basic carving a frown on Sarge's face.

"Lily--"

The ground violently shook shoving the injured commander to the floor as a muffled whirring noise deafened Rancor and Stalker's ruckus above. SCAR was on Ilum long enough to know the sound of seismic drills at work.

:: Rancor, the Chi-- ::

:: Team, this is Stalker - we've found an Imp POW here in the hoist house of all places. He says he has vital Intel concerning the security of Bastion itself - something about a Bioweapon. He's in rough shape but he'll live, for now. Hoist house is secure and we're ready to proceed - please advise as to what we should do with the POW, over. ::

Huh?, he threw a confused look Lily's way. "You hear that?" a hand scratched the top of his helmet as the commander mulled over his response. This was potentially one of theirs but--

:: Stalker, this is Sarge, the mission objective was clear -- everything that moves needs to be eliminated. ::

Silence.

He didn't even glance at Lily, keeping his head down as he waited for a response, knowing too well his order mirrored the ruthlessness of the Bureau.

Good soldiers follow orders.

:: Stalker, this is Sarge, how copy-- ::

:: Stalker to Sarge, Agent Sylus' identity and serial number verified, and we've received extraction approval from overwatch with top priority. What are your orders? ::

Agent? The Bureau, of course; who else would be secretive enough to keep vital information from the Corps?

"Damn it." he slammed the terminal. Rancor and Stalker were key to their extraction from a base that had been set for demolition through a contingency of reactivating the abandoned seismic drills and burying the place altogether. :: Stalker, this is Sarge -- follow Overwatch's orders and start getting the hell out of there at once; the whole base is coming for you. :: waves of waves of waves of Chiss would be swarming Team D. :: I'll try to slow them down. :: he added as he began, with the droid's help, to tamper with the Chiss' mass exodus from the base; sealing doors, shutting off turbolifts, reactivating defenses -- you name it.

"Lily, they're leaving the ba--"

"Sarge--" she interrupted him, her black visor staring into an ominous stream of data.

"What?"

Extremely, detailed blueprints of a dozen, heavily-populated worlds from Dubrillion to Faerie Junction to Bastion. Blueprints none of their own security clearances could provide.​

 

[Ignacious Korvan]

Grand Moff Korvan​

Objective: I - Hit & Fade
Location: Aboard the NIV Ave Imperator - Shu Torun
Tags: Ashkur Kilslee | Abeodan Charidot | Julius Haskler | Open

Spoiler: Chiss Battlefleet

• (4) Pellaeon III-Class Star Destroyers
• (4) Praefect-class Star Destroyers
• (6) Valiant-class Star Destroyers
• (12) Escolta-class Frigates

Upon the departure of the 43rd Battlegroup, a calm would settle in orbit over Shu Torun - allowing enough time for the forces of Admiral Charidot to organize as needed to secure the defense of the planet. In due course (perhaps longer than one would assume), roughly twenty ships would emerge from lightspeed - the majority of which bearing the lighting-bolt mark of the upstart Chiss forces.

With a strong core of Star Destroyers, supported by cruisers and frigates, the Chiss fleet quickly arrayed itself in a diamond formation, with the commandeered Valiant-class Star Destroyers pushing forward as the fleet’s vanguard. Fighter swarms began spewing from the bowels of the fleet’s warships, swarming through the center of the battlespace and a direct intercept course with the Onagers lent to the Admiral by Korvan.

Within moments, the tactical displays of the 400th Talmshaa would begin to seemingly erupt with alerts, sensors detecting target locks across the board, as well as power spikes beginning to rise. The true Battle for Shu Torun was seemingly at hand...

 

[FN-999]

R E B O R N
THE 908TH​

Objective: Survive
Location: Iridonia, suburbs of Malidris
In Proximity Of: 908th Legion | 501st Legion | Huang Shoushan | Nukth Kelga'an | Petra Dunstan | Ruaridh Aodh | Open to cooperation
Engaging: 908th Legion

The speeder bike rocketed onto the main highway, swerving sharply to stay on course.
​

Two kilometers ahead, the AT-ATs loomed, stationary as they continued to await the removal of the mine. With their backs facing FN-999, he was able to avoid being fired upon should any of the crews be corrupted. As the colonel closed in, an action near the closest AT-AT caught his attention. Its hull was caved in and then ripped apart by an unseen force, a solitary figure leaping out from within its wreckage.

FN-999 slowed down and veered to the side of the road, taking cover in the shadow of the highway fence. From within his concealed location, he observed the scene, watching as the figure used telekinesis to produce weapons from water, subduing Reborn troopers who attempted to stop them. Upon realizing the figure's non-lethal intent, the colonel realized that it was the Imperial Knight he had sought to consult with.

Just as FN-999 was moving to return to his speeder bike, the Knight transformed.

In an instant, the Knight grew to monstrous proportions, his body twisting and shifting to become something entirely inhuman. A golden dragon now loomed above the Imperial vanguard, its roar making the ground beneath FN-999 shake.

Within the chaotic atmosphere, the colonel didn't notice Bigfoot's arrival until the man hopped off his own speeder bike, approaching FN-999 from the left.

"Freeze!" yelled FN-999 on instinct, pointing his pistol at the lieutenant colonel.

"Relax, I'm not turned." replied Bigfoot. "I've been on the run too, I just got lucky finding you."

The colonel let out a sigh of relief and lowered his pistol.

"Good." replied FN-999, moving closer so he could be heard over the dragon's wake. "But how are we gonna handle this?"

"You ask me." responded Bigfoot, walking past the colonel. "Neither of us could ever describe that type of power. Let's just hope he stays sane."

"Indeed." responded FN-999 solemnly. "Perhaps it might still be possible to sp-"

FN-999 coughed up blood, his entire body going stiff.

A vibroblade was lodged through his armor and deep in the middle of his back.

Lieutenant Colonel Bigfoot observed the limp body beneath him.
​

"This is all for the good of our great Master." muttered Bigfoot, taking his CO's comms decoder before returning to his speeder bike.

As he sped off to the Reborn's rear formations, Bigfoot issued a new set of orders to the entire legion.

[[Reborn, this is Bigfoot. Nines has betrayed our Master, and he is no longer with us. Now, I will be your prophet.]]

[[Vernis, open fire on Landing Sites A and B with all available batteries.]]

[For our Master, it will be done.]

Of the one hundred artillery batteries of the 908th, 65 were under the control of brainwashed officers. Amidst the chaos following Bigfoot's order and Vernis's obedience, that number increased to exactly 80.

Under Venris's command, the 80 HARP batteries split into two groups of 40 based on their target. After taking a minute to recalibrate and aim, they all opened fire within seconds of each other. A hail of hypervelocity shells rocketed towards the landing sites of Nukth Kelga'an 's TodHusars, with second rounds already being loaded into each commandeered cannon.

[[Kavla, help the faithful in STRIDER annihilate the tratiors.]]

[ReCom will correct their blasphemy.]

Of the five ReCom companies, only two were made up mostly of brainwashed troopers, the other three either still sane or abled by vicious infighting. Under their overall commander, Major Kavla, the two companies bent their course, travelling towards the vanguard where STRIDER had last been sighted. However, they were not unmolested. The two brainwashed ReCom companies faced heavy Chiss opposition, as well as the counterattack of another ReCom company that had subdued its brainwashed members. Still, they slowly crept forwards towards Ruaridh Aodh 's command.

[Hammers, remain in position. Escorts and vanguard, engage the traitors and mongrel beast alike.]

As it had been all over the battlefield, the response was mixed. Several platoons turned to assault Huang Shoushan's dragon form, setting up machine gun emplacements and firing anti-tank rockets in an attempt to penetrate the beast's hide. However, several more companies of troopers fought among themselves, loyalists desperately trying to subdue the brainwashed.

A single AT-SAT pivoted to face the dragon, firing its main cannons and a flurry of grenades at the beast before an anti-tank rocket knocked it to the side, breaking its target lock and almost tipping the walker over.​

 

[Sylus (Γ059)]

█████ - Rama-Actual
IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU
TASK FORCE ████
Chiss Base, Veroleem
TAGS: Katja Javik Leto Karazyn Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar Lily Stevens Hal Vaiken Kav Canthar Margo Liaeris

Sylus almost collapsed, leaning against the side of the walkway, half-aware he needed to stay in cover. His last sprint along the catwalks gunning down Chiss had taken what little strength he had left, and it was all he could do not to collapse from exhaustion.

<<"We need to confirm his serial code and ID,">> Rancor shouted over the loud roar of his weapon, as he stood firm and held the position. He continued to fire controlled bursts, even as the Chiss fired charric carbines back, as several bolts impacted on the heavy's thick armor. <<"Until then, we do not arm that POW... I'm a little busy, feel free to handle that check-in!">>

She walked toward this agent ‘Sylus’, slinging her rifle via its strap across her form so as to free her hands and reach for her survival pack. She pulled out a stim and glanced at the battered agent through her visored eyes. “You’re gonna need this.”

Sylus did not have the energy to wince at the stim jab, though he did feel some energy return to his leaden limbs. His vision cleared, if only slightly. He could see the pair up-close now: commandos. ISB clean-up team? If so, there was no reason for them to give them him stims.

“Cover me.” Margo said, tilting her head to Kav. Her hand grasped the lip of his chestpiece, and her helmeted face drew closer to his as she added: “And don’t stare at my ass.”

<<"No can do, Stalker,">> Rancor said, smirking. <<"Have to watch your flank. All of it. Sarge's orders.">>

No, definitely Special Forces types.

<<“Extraction authorization granted, priority RED. Over and out.>>”

<“Stalker to Sarge, Agent Sylus’ identity and serial number verified, and we’ve received extraction approval from overwatch with top priority. What are your orders?”>

The stim was taking effect now, and Sylus managed to prop himself up on his feet, scooping up the pistol he'd dropped earlier.

"I can handle a gun... but you need to warn whoever's out there... don't let any Chiss ships leave the base... tag them if you have to... They have the weapon," he struggled to speak through cracked lips and swollen tongue.

 

[Castor E-196]

Master Sergeant Castor E-196
Imperial Navy Special Forces Command; Attached to SCAR​

Objective: clear the barracks and engineering bay. retrieve intel
Allies: A: Katja Javik Leto Karazyn || B: Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar || C: Lily Stevens Hal Vaiken || D: Kav Canthar Margo Liaeris

When the Stormtrooper commander reached him, Castor was already sifting through the downloaded files.

"As expected we have schematics of rebel ships, base locations, and so on. But look at this." Despite himself, the grim taciturn mask of Castor's began to slip as surprise entered his voice.

"We have nav logs, coordinates, route charts, stellar maps... But they don't correspond to anything in Imperial archives at all. Look here," Castor pointed at one section of the databank.

"Location of S-thread boosters! They're used to open and maintain secret routes that would not otherwise exist naturally. But look at the routes, the external design and the implied gravitic control... the cost of creating these secret routes-" Admiration and wonder entered his voice. "They would be an order of magnitude lower than current models of such boosters."

"This is how the Chiss have been able to concentrate force so quickly along the front," urgency in his voice. "They're using backdoor routes; some of the data seems to be really old- ancient Ascendancy preliminary data backed up by more modern Sith attempts. For routes that simply couldn't exist, like here-" Castor pointed between several of the routes connecting worlds currently contested in the war- "they were forced open by these cheap S-thread booster alternatives."

Castor opened up some more of the files, scanning through the databank. He cursed.

"The boosters themselves arent diagrammed in this mother console. I don't think we can replicate this, unfortunately. One file here seems to hold something, but the hardline disruption earlier has corrupted it. Doubt it'll be useful, anyway.

"These boosters, their schematics aren't on this console, and it already contains some top clearance stuff, like here, schematics of Chiss carriers, VIP safehouses and so on." Castor's fingers flew across the databank, working quickly, trying to check the metadata of the most important files.

"I suspect the information only existed on the Chiss homeworld. The boosters must have been deployed many years ago, quietly. Even the other schematics here, they can't be copied, not normally. The metadata shows they were replicated on Csilla itself, and most date from before the current war."

Castor stood up from his crouch over the console.

"But we'll have to see."

Castor turned his helmeted head to the Stormtrooper commander.

"We need to get this intel upstairs yesterday."

The console bleeped as it finally downloaded everything. Castor disconnected the modules from the mainframe, working quick, a second before a sudden power surge sent the lights bursting and sparks blasting from the mainframe. Almost simultaneously, the Stormtroopers outside radioed in:

<"Besh to Enigma, contact, massive contact! We got a load of-">

"We need to get out of here now," Castor said, peeling off a layer of his chest armour to slip the module to rest deep inside the armour. He would die before the data got compromised.

Spoiler: OOC

SCAR finds data on secret hyperspace routes the Chiss have been using to increase strategic mobility to even the odds in the current war

 

[Kelinna Tryn]

R E A P E R
THE EMPIRE
FACILITY INFILTRATION | VEROLEEM
TAG: Hal Vaiken | Margo Liaeris | Katja Javik | Kav Canthar | Leto Karazyn | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196
GEAR: Armour | Sniper rifle | Pistol | Battle rifle | Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

KINGS NEVER DIE​

The rest of the corridors were clean, ominously so.

With some struggle of Lily propping him up halfway through to gain speed, they reached the very empty ops room. He muttered a thanks to her, which she waved away.
"For the Empire." she grumbled.

She let him hobble over to one of the terminals while she took another, wincing behind her visor as she did so. Her shoulder was bleeding again, seeping through the gaps in the armour in small rivets, having been ripped open during the strain in the hallway. Not that there was any time to worry about it. She immediately got to work on the terminal, slicing her way into the database.

"Strange, ain't it?"

"Hm. Something's up." she mused while her fingers flew across the buttons. She heard his droid whirr to life and knew he was getting to work as well.
There was silence for a few heartbeats, the only sound the cacophony of Stalker and Rancor coming from above, both operatives immersed in their intel dig. Then suddenly, several things happened at once.

Sarge had just found something on his terminal, when the ground violently shook, flinging Lily against her terminal while he was thrown to the floor.
At the same time, Margo's voice cut over the comms with some troubling news.

The Reaper's helmet swiveled to Sarge, the concern on her face oozing onto the cold visor, before she helped him to his feet once more.
"Doesn't sound right, Sarge..." she said as she turned back to her terminal.

:: Stalker, this is Sarge, the mission objective was clear -- everything that moves needs to be eliminated. ::

Lily's hand hesitated over a button for just a moment. She had given a similar order on New Alderaan not too long ago. It was ruthless - a remnant from the harsh conditioning of the Bureau for the two operatives. Had it been her he had given the order to, it would already have been executed. But it was Stalker - who still had some semblance of humanity left within her.

Margo's silence was deafening.

<"Stalker to Sarge, Agent Sylus' identity and serial number verified, and we've received extraction approval from overwatch with top priority. What are your orders?">

Lily's eyes closed in a sigh for a second at the words. They were in deep shit now. Sarge knew it as well, based on his exclamation behind her. Shaking her head, she instead finished decrypting the data file she had come across while he bellowed orders back at Margo.

The stream of data in front of her had her hand clasping her helmeted head.
"Sarge..." she interrupted him. Her mind ran at 1000 miles per second.

"What?"

"This is...Sarge, you need to get Phantom and Spectre and whoever else to stop those ships from leaving stat!" she barked at him. "If this bioweapon gets onto any of these planets, we're all fucked."

Her hands flew over the console again, downloading it all onto the slicer-knife while he barked out his orders, even while duracrete started to rain dust down on them. Finally unplugging the knife and sheathing it, she turned to her CO, flinging his arm around her shoulder once more before rushing them both toward the door.

"C'mon, we're out of time. We gotta move!"

 

[Shoushan]

Spoiler: Equipment

Reinforced Robes

Huang's eyes gazed down at the battle below him as several platoons of turned to assault his form with machine gun emplacements and anti-tank rockets which slammed into his armored hide like a spear through water. Dust settled as the scale held against the assault against it. A single AT-SAT pivoted to fire at him using its heavy cannons and a flurry of grenades. His mouth opened wide as the rockets slammed into his jaw as the immense power of his fire breath came forth into the street. The tsunami of flames doused the very landscape around him. Turning the highway into rubble in a matter of moments due to the Exalted Storm Dragon Species having gases which are twenty to thirty times more powerful than the average turbolaser.

Those near his current position would be incinerated in shear agony. As his mouth was clenched shut as his breath ceased. His gaze looked down towards FN-999 who was currently on the floor spared from his immense fire breath. Reaching down to grab the broken stormtrooper within a firm grip as his form rose into the atmosphere. He could sense that the Commander of the 908th Legion and Baron of the Empire was still alive but the nearest medical station was probably occupied by mind controlled forces. Touching down on one of the side streets for just a moment in a back alley. The dragon would suddenly transform back into its more humanoid form.

His garments appeared around him and his shape was completed as he laid the body of the commander near a waste bin. Reaching out with his hand towards the man as the force channeled around him into Force Healing as the wound would slowly close like it never existed. Reaching out with his other hand to dual conjure Return another to consciousness to make sure that the commander would awake.

He moved away from the commander for just a brief moment to check out of the alleyway and spotting no further enemy troops heading their direction at the moment.

"It would seem that we are betrayed due to sorcery;"

Huang spoke to himself although loud enough for the commander to hear if he had awakened.

Nukth Kelga'an
Petra Dunstan
Ruaridh Aodh

 

[Abeodan Tyiskore Charidot]

Spoiler: 400th Talmshaa Fleet

400th Talmshaa Fleet

Pellaeon III Class Star Destroyer NIV Resurgency II [100 | 100 ] NIV Dispatcher [100 | 100 ] NIV Trident [100 | 100 ] NIV Kraken [100 | 100 ] New Imperial I Class Star Destroyer NIV Impulse [100 | 100 ] NIV Pioneer [100 | 100 ] Praefect Class Star Destroyer NIV Herald [100 | 100 ] NIV Berserker [100 | 100 ] Stalwart Class Carrier NIV Intruder [100 | 100 ] NIV Paramount [100 | 100 ]

Escolta Class Frigate NIV Mercenary [100 | 100 ] NIV Siren [100 | 100 ] NIV Torment [100 | 100 ] EF 96 Nebulon A Escort Frigate NIV Glory [100 | 100 ] NIV Persuiter [100 | 100 ] NIV Eternity [100 | 100 ] TXS Vandal Class Corvette NIV Challenger [100 | 100 ] NIV Messenger [100 | 100 ] NIV Deceptor [100 | 100 ]

The emptiness of space was unsettling since the battle had ended with the Chiss Forces over Shu Torun. "Status report; Furn." Charidot said with his arms behind his back in a formal tone. "All vessels have entered into formation and are on standby, Admiral." Rear Admiral Furn replied moving to join the admiral near the open window to view the vast emptiness of space around the world. "And our occupational force?" He further added wanting to know as much information as possible. "They have encountered no serious resistance, Sir. All goes well on the front." Furn replied with some semblance of confidence.

"Perhaps a little too well." Charidot replied with suspicion on the relative victory they were going to have. Then it happen the sound of alarms and the bleep of scanners down below the crew deck of the bridge. "Sir, we have hostile vessels inbound." A Technician would reply in a hurried fashion. "Red Alert, all vessels move into battle formation. We are charged with the protection of this planet by order of the Grand Admiral. We shall hold" Abeodan replied as the tactical screen manifested before him. The Chiss had a strong center of star destroyers backed up by carriers and frigates. His eyes ever cautious as the fleet assumed their own battle formation of a diamond.

"All Starfighter's launch!" Charidot replied with a simple hand gesture as the flurry of motion on the bridge was heard behind him and orders were being relayed to the other fleet commands within the 400th Talmshaa Fleet.

The roaring sound of the TIE Fighters as they unloaded from the hangers of the fleet was drowning to some extent. Several Squadrons moved into a Starfighter Screen around the Onager-Class Star Destroyers from the 43rd Battlegroup. It was practical for them to eliminate the ships that would cause them the most trouble on the battlefield due to their range.

As the TIE Fighter Squadrons not within the Screen moved ahead on a interception course with the Chiss Fighter Swarms. The outline of the dogfights within space could be seen even from the bridge of the Resurgency II; The Current Flagship of the 400th Talmshaa Fleet during this battle. Once the Chiss got into range of the fleet the battle would begin as both sides exchanged turbolaser fire. Rounds of laser fire slammed into the star destroyers of the fleet.

"Attention all Onager Class Vessels; target the lead vessels within the diamond pattern." Charidot's command was issued to the Onager Crew who would begin charging up their weaponry for a blast. After moments in time and the battle moving forward without a pause as the two sides clashed. The blast from the onagers would slam forth into the diamond formation that the chiss had adopted.

The NIV Impulse and the NIV Pioneer would position themselves directly beside the onager class star destroyers and unleash a targeted barrage towards the vessels within the formation on either side. While the NIV Herald and the NIV Berserker would position themselves in a flanking motion to cut the chiss off from behind.

Ignacious Korvan
Julius Haskler
Ashkur Kilslee


​

 

[Siyndacha Aerin]

ERRANT HEIR
THE ORDER OF IMPERIAL KNIGHTS → 501st STORMTROOPER LEGION
BANOL'S MAZE - WORTAN - IRIDONIA
Jorus Fel

MEPHISTO'S LULLABY​

Another aspect of her earlier experiences - acclimatising to the scent of death in the realm of battle - made her less susceptible to the bouquet of the tunnels, yet it was intense enough to make her nose nigh-constantly twitch in mild disgust; she knew she’d be cleaning the odor and muck out of her boots - or worse - for at least a couple days.

But the accompanying, cloying feeling was some degrees more potent, and it not only obscured her senses to a degree, but set the troopers behind her on edge. Made her wary, too. Death left a mark in the Force, yes, but this was concentrated.

To the point that she didn’t see the ambush coming. When Smokes and Mantell spoke up after what seemed like an age of uneasy radio silence, she tensed, paused… just as the dual snap-hiss of crimson entered the scene. The hilt in her hand came alive in a wash of cool white, and rose to meet the blade coming for her…

...and in the next sliver of a moment, Siyndacha flung her assailant heavily against the tunnel wall, with a thud muted by the damp environment and deluge of blaster fire, then plunged her blade through him as if to pin him there.

"Aerin!"

She pulled her blade out of the now-corpse, leaving him to litter the tunnel floor and turned heel, looking past the troopers to the figure bombarded by blaster bolts, who was fending them off only just; Aerin reached out and seized the cultist by her neck with an invisible hand, and the swinging of her red blade ceased.

Cold fury tightened the invisible grip.

The cultist laughed.
​

​

 

[Kav Canthar]

R A N C O R
THE EMPIRE
INSIDE HOIST HOUSE
ALLIES: Hal Vaiken | Margo Liaeris | Lily Stevens | Leto Karazyn | Katja Javik | Castor E-196 | Kriegan Tavlar | Sylus (Γ059)
ENEMIES: Chiss Forces
ENGAGING: Chiss reinforcements
GEAR: Commando Armor | Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon | TL-50 Heavy Repeater | C-10 Heavy Blaster Pistol | Phase-Knife | Grenade loadout

The situation in the hallway that led into the hoist house from the lower levels was getting more hectic.

It seemed the distraction by team D had worked a little too well.

<<"We've kicked the blood hornet nest here,">> Rancor shouted over the cycling roar of his rotary cannon. <<"Multiple groups from multiple entry points incoming!">>

The heavy understood procedure took time, it always did, lots of moving parts. But he also needed assistance. Despite how fast his Z-6 could fire, it was aimed in a single place for the duration, until Rancor aimed elsewhere. And with the literal flood of Chiss soldiers that had started to descend onto the position, even the rotary cannon couldn't keep up with all the angles that needed to be covered.

It wasn't simply a case of holding a long corridor anymore, the Chiss were coming in from multiple passages.

As it was, while Stalker confirmed with Sarge, the heavy moved slowly toward the crates nearby. His armor had been impacted a dozen times, the thick plating had held, but sooner or later there was the likelihood of a charric bolt getting a good hit. So some cover would help lessen the possibility, even as it limited Rancor's field of fire somewhat...

Thankfully the agent seemed willing to help, as he picked up a pistol from the ground.

<<"Screw that, here,">> Rancor balanced the Z-6 in one arm, as he unslung the TL-50 Heavy Repeater from his side and tossed it to the agent. <<"It's using three barrel configuration. If you can't handle that, single barrel toggle is near your thumb on the grip. It has a kick, lean into it.">>

It wasn't ideal, but the repeater was better than the pistol, and hopefully the battered ISB spook could use it well enough. As Rancor resumed firing, he called out, not privy to the specifics of the conversation between Sarge and fireteam:

<<"What's the update, Stalker?">>

 

[Hal Vaiken]

IMPERIAL SPECIAL FORCES
SCAR SQUADRON
Lily Stevens Margo Liaeris Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar Katja Javik Kav Canthar Leto Karazyn

​

"The bioweapon is on one of those ships?!" he blurted out rhetorically, holding on to the console as the ground rattled more and more with cracks beginning to open up beneath their feet and the whirring sound of the seismic drills muffling the SCAR troopers' shouts.

The whole place was collapsing on itself.

:: Team A, this is Sarge, do you copy?! :: he barked through the pandemonium at Katja Javik and Leto Karazyn :: Your shaft's the entry and exit point for an underground hangar, ships should be taking off any second now -- tag them or stop them, repeat -- tag them or stop them, code red!! How copy?! ::

Sarge staggered forward aided by the clutch the Reaper was providing him as the walls and floors caved in each other.

"Reap-- Lily..." he grumbled, the wound on his leg opening up and stalling his movement. "...I'm too karkin' slow." she knew what he was implying for a second time now.

How long would that turbolift up ahead remain functional?

And what about the next one?​

 

[Jorus Fel]

T H E _ E M P I R E
501st STORMTROOPER LEGION
OPERATION SCIMITAR
IT'S TREASON THEN
Siyndacha Aerin

What I've Done
​

The flurry of crimson seemed like an impenetrable wall from which the stormtroopers' bolts bounced off. As futile as it seemed neither trooper dared to release the trigger of their rifle; they had been taught well to pin down force users with concentrated and effectively disable their use on the field battle until the forcer's focus wore off and was inevitably cut down by the unsurmountable salvo of blaster bolts.

While special forces and other specialized units tended to use weaponry tailored specifically to deal with force users, such as the TL-50 heavy repeater or the E-11D, the common infantry had to rely on carefully applied tactics and maximize the use of their service rifles. The modern-day E-11 may seem as a common weapon, but it was so much more in the right hands; an advanced cooling system that can you firing through half a power cell of 100 shots without much risk and up to a full cell of 200 shots if you really needed it. Some say they've pulled a full plasma cartridge of 500 shots with minimal damage on the rifle.

The cultist's fate was sealed.

It had to be.

While the troopers lost track of counting their shots, it was the Imperial Knight's intervention that brought them the much-needed reprieve. The cultist was lifted up in the air by an invisible force; a grip that suffocated the life from their eyes. And yet... the bastard was laughing. Laughing through it all, even as life surely departed them. The bolts ripped through the now defenseless cultists but Jorus wasn't done with this sack of shit. He lowered his rifle as the rest followed suit, and withdrew his vibrodagger from its sheath, and strode at the levitating man with a determined step. There was no precision, no surgical one-stab in-and-out kill that was ingrained into his mind by the drill sergeants on Adumar.

It was a desecration of flesh.

The dagger poked through their face, hack and slash through eyes, nose and mouth, and it did not stop until there was nothing but gore where their face was. A crimson puddle of blood and bone. And the young Fel did not stop even when the dagger no longer hit any form of resistance -- just mush.

Ultraviolence.​

 

[Kriegan Tavlar]

PRODIGAL SON
501st STORMTROOPER LEGION
8th AIRBORNE BATTALION 'ALL-IMPERIAL' | B 1-8 COMPANY | ENIGMA PLATOON
SUPPORTING | SPECIAL OPERATIONS
NIO | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens | Leto Karazyn | Katja Javik | Margo Liaeris | Kav Canthar | Hal Vaiken

It was in most every way, the jack pot as far as intelligence assets that would lead to the elimination of the Chiss uprising. Kriegan stood standfast and listened intently to Castor's report of the matter, blocking out most any of the other chatter and movement around them as he explained what they'd found. It was an invaluable asset, these intelligence records. Unfortunately, they hardly had the time nor resources to fully dissect and analyze them, not here.

<"Understood, secure the data, Sergeant. Aurek Team, form up! We're on the move."> Kriegan said, pulling his carbine into both hands at the low carry before motioning his left hand for the rest of Aurek team to follow him out of the engineering bay. The chatter over the SCAR unit comms were anything but reassuring. They'd secured the intel they needed to return to Imperial Intelligence. It was a question now of whether they'd be able to return it in person or not.

As they began to make way from the bay, the clatter and crack of blaster fire began to emerge all around their approach.

<"Besh to Enigma, contact, massive contact! We got a load of-">

<"This is Engima Actua- fuck. Double time it! On me! Move!"> He said, catching himself in a nigh panic as the comms cut. No doubt the Sergeant on the other end had dropped. His unit was in trouble and they needed to back them up just as Castor said, yesterday. While Kriegan had to this point kept an easy and calm demeanor to this point, it was only able to be maintained while the entirety of his unit was within his grasp. Before they'd entered the Engineering Bay- he had eyesight on all of the Enigma troopers they'd brought with them. Now half of his element was being run through the gauntlet of an overpowering Chiss ambush.


<"Sir!"> One of the troopers piped up to Kriegan just before he was about to take point on a single squad file and lead Besh team back to link up with Aurek.

<"Report!"> He replied, nigh aggravated in his tone as he was all but halted by one of his subordinates. Less so at the man himself and more the situation brewing around them. Chaos. And chaos meant death. When things got hectic and confusing, that was when soldiers died. It was a nightmare scenario for Kriegan, moments like this.

<"The Chiss fighters are preparing to launch, sir."> Of course they were. Kriegan grit his teeth underneath his helmet, turning to make way back to the engineering bay before huddling over the main control console. Flicking into the hangar bay interface he could see rows of starships come alight as they powered on. Something had to be done- and quick. Managing his way back to the console's control prompt, he was able to determine the best course of action.

While the Engineering Bay's console didn't have administrative perms over the entirety of the base's systems. It could manage something that might be able to swing the tide back in the Empire's favor. It had control over the facility's power generator system and from there, they could overload it until it had a meltdown, potentially leading to a structural collapse which would destroy the remaining Chiss insurgent assets.

<"SCAR this is Enigma Actual. Secure our exfil. We need to leave fast. I'm going to set a prompt to overload the facility's power generator. This'll wipe this insurgent cell clean off that map- but we need to hurry, yes?"> He iterated before he reached into a duraplast pouch on his belt, pulling free a slicing spike and inserting it into the console. From there, an uplink was made between the console and Tavlar's tacpad. He could execute the command remotely, giving them as much time as they needed.

<"Double time! On me! Let's move!"> There wasn't any time to waste as he immediately turned to make way from the bay again with a thudding sprint of heavy booted footfalls against metallic panels before eventually they were able to link back up with Aurek, pinned down from heavy fire Kriegan took his position behind cover again, peeling up to deliver a few deathly accurate bursts before pulling behind cover again and turning to Castor.

<"Sergeant. Do your work, get us our means of escape. We're covering you."> He all but commanded to Castor.

 

[Margo Liaeris]

STALKER

Objective: II - Root & Stem
Location: Veroleem - Surface Deployment
Tags: Hal Vaiken | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196 | Lily Stevens | Leto Karazyn | Katja Javik | Kav Canthar

Lose Yourself

:: Stalker, this is Sarge -- follow Overwatch's orders and start getting the hell out of there at once; the whole base is coming for you. ::

She could hear the frustration in Hal’s voice; the deflation and resignation that was clearly communicated without him saying anything more. She missed his first transmission, and was unaware of the fact he had already reinforced his prior orders. But regardless, she had them now.

They needed to get the hell out of here, and fast.

<<"What's the update, Stalker?">>

<“Update, you need to change your tampon and pull your skirt up.”>

Sarcasm dripped from her voice, with a hint of playfulness at the off-handed statement to get him to calm the feck down.

Without skipping a beat, Margo pulled her rifle off of her frame and snapped it forward, spraying the Chiss forces beginning to bleed through past the volleys from Kav’s main gun. What she said next would be out loud for both Kav and Sylus to hear: “We’ve got confirmation - we’re getting out of here. I’m going to set up extraction with overwatch but we need to move out!”

She loosed several more shots out from her rifle, downing two more Chiss soldiers. <<“Stalker to Overwatch - good copy on extraction. Relay extraction coordinates to whole team asap - coming in hot, over!”>> With the deft reflexes of a passive comfort, Margo pulled a thermal detonator from her pouch and primed it with the remote trigger built into her armor, thereafter setting it under the control console of the hoist house. She then rushed to the cover of a stack of crates by the entrance they used to push into the hoist house in the first place, and began laying down covering fire.

“I’ve got you both covered. MOVE!” She wouldn’t be able to lay down the same volume of fire as Rancor, but she could at least keep the Chiss heads down if they didn’t want them to explode. Unfortunately, several of them met that grizzly end in the span of a few moments.

 

[Katja Javik]

The Empire
SCAR Squadron
Hal Vaiken | Lily Stevens | Margo Liaeris | Leto Karazyn | Kav Canthar | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196

​

:: Team A, this is Sarge, do you copy?! :: he barked through the pandemonium at Katja Javik and Leto Karazyn :: Your shaft's the entry and exit point for an underground hangar, ships should be taking off any second now -- tag them or stop them, repeat -- tag them or stop them, code red!! How copy?! ::

:: Sarge, this is Spectre. I copy. :: She replied between shots, acknowledging her commander. His next order came in a brief lull in the fray when she had a brief moment to peer over the railings into the chasm below where the ships would no doubt soon emerge from. Her reply was hesitant as her mind circled on wondering how they could stop the ships in their position but the urgency in Sarge's tone stirred her into replying. :: Yes! I copy! :: She blurted out.

But while she was preparing to rappel down further into the shaft, a second message would inform her of the situation and cause a complete halt as it altered their goals.

<"SCAR this is Enigma Actual. Secure our exfil. We need to leave fast. I'm going to set a prompt to overload the facility's power generator. This'll wipe this insurgent cell clean off that map- but we need to hurry, yes?">

She stood still with one hand on the railing and the other on the side of her helmet, returning communications with Kriegan Tavlar . <Spectre to Enigma Actual. I can stop the ships. Don't burn this place to the ground! We need time to get out. Time that they could use to escape with the weapon.> She retaliated, in spite of his higher rank.

Despite her disapproval of his choice, she did not act in disobedience. There was no room to. She had no doubt he would wipe the base from existence including whoever was inside if it meant achieving the end goal. If he doubled down on his efforts then she would have no choice but to retreat but they would need to do so quickly lest her concerns became true.

 

[Kelinna Tryn]

R E A P E R
THE EMPIRE
FACILITY INFILTRATION | VEROLEEM
TAG: Hal Vaiken | Margo Liaeris | Katja Javik | Kav Canthar | Leto Karazyn | Kriegan Tavlar | Castor E-196
GEAR: Armour | Sniper rifle | Pistol | Battle rifle | Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

KINGS NEVER DIE​

Things were going to hell in a handbasket quicker than the Reaper expected.

She was racing the two of them in the direction of the turbolift as fast as she could, but the crumbling walls and ceiling was catching up to them quickly.

Through the chaos, they received Spectre's confirmation of the order - one small relief in the abundance of dread that surrounded them in the form of large chunks of duracrete. The rest of the team would handle what they could. SCAR was nothing if they weren't efficient when things started to go sideways.

But Sarge was struggling to keep up.

"Reap-- Lily...I'm too karkin' slow."

Lily gritted her teeth behind her visor. She knew what he meant. She knew that the chances of them both making it were slim to none. She was also as stubborn as Bantha refusing to move.

Leave no man behind.

"You have big wig orders to follow, Commander. Good soldiers follow those orders no matter what, Sir." she gritted back at him, using his full military title for the first time since both being inducted into SCAR as well as their promotions.

Just then, Tavlar's comms came through.

<"SCAR this is Enigma Actual. Secure our exfil. We need to leave fast. I'm going to set a prompt to overload the facility's power generator. This'll wipe this insurgent cell clean off that map- but we need to hurry, yes?">

Shit.
<Reaper to Enigma Actual. Negative, Sir. Repeat - Negative. Hold overload. Two priority teams still stuck within the facility. ETA unknown but moving fast. How copy?> she relayed back immediately, though she knew he would do what any of them would do to get things done and prevent catastrophe. The price of having iron in your blood.

Hal was lagging more and more, their window of escape closing fast and it was vital to get the information they had gathered back to the brass as fast as possible. Normally, she would do the same. She should have done the same - lose the weak link in order to complete the mission. But she couldn't get herself to actually do it now.

For the first time since that fateful day she had pulled the trigger in the black site, her father's words kept circling in her mind. The words of a man that had also fought and bled for the Empire in order to bring about a better Galaxy. A man that had stuck to the ideals that Imperator Tavlar had laid down, until the very moment he had to pay with his life at her hand.

Without warning, she stopped them both, despite based coming down around them.
"You're not going to like this and you can court martial me afterward, I don't care. You ain't dying here. We're leaving." she told him before she unceremoniously flung his bigger frame over her shoulders and into a military carry, despite her wounded one protesting to high heaven as more blood seeped through the gaps in her armour. Katja Javik can deal with it afterward.

With freer movement, she was able to put in a jog for the turbolift as it started to come into view through the amount of dust and crumbling walls, ignoring Sarge's protestations as she gritted her teeth against the weight across her shoulders. They reached the lift just as a large chunk of ceiling came down behind them.

Flitting a hand over the console, the lift groaned slightly before shooting upward. She let Hal down briefly to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Sarge."

Simple words but meaning much more coming from the unrepentant Reaper.

 

[Sylus (Γ059)]

█████ - Rama-Actual
IMPERIAL SECURITY BUREAU
TASK FORCE ████
Chiss Base, Veroleem
TAGS: Katja Javik Leto Karazyn Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar Lily Stevens Hal Vaiken Kav Canthar Margo Liaeris

<<"Screw that, here,">> Rancor balanced the Z-6 in one arm, as he unslung the TL-50 Heavy Repeater from his side and tossed it to the agent. <<"It's using three barrel configuration. If you can't handle that, single barrel toggle is near your thumb on the grip. It has a kick, lean into it.">>

It wasn't ideal, but the repeater was better than the pistol, and hopefully the battered ISB spook could use it well enough. As Rancor resumed firing, he called out, not privy to the specifics of the conversation between Sarge and fireteam:

Sylus caught the gun and checked its balance. Nice and hefty.

"Thanks."

He'd regained some of his strength, and began to fire at the Chiss continuing to fire at them

Without skipping a beat, Margo pulled her rifle off of her frame and snapped it forward, spraying the Chiss forces beginning to bleed through past the volleys from Kav’s main gun. What she said next would be out loud for both Kav and Sylus to hear: “We’ve got confirmation - we’re getting out of here. I’m going to set up extraction with overwatch but we need to move out!”

“I’ve got you both covered. MOVE!” She wouldn’t be able to lay down the same volume of fire as Rancor, but she could at least keep the Chiss heads down if they didn’t want them to explode. Unfortunately, several of them met that grizzly end in the span of a few moments.

Sylus fired off a few shots before moving as fast as his legs could carry him, back in the direction the SCAR agents had come from. The numbers continued to buzz in his head, digits imprinted in to his vision, warping everything he saw into the numbers. The spools of the hoist, the spacing of the railing, the number of Chiss...

 

[Castor E-196]

Master Sergeant Castor E-196
Imperial Navy Special Forces Command; Attached to SCAR​

Objective: clear the barracks and engineering bay. retrieve intel
Allies: A: Katja Javik Leto Karazyn || B: Castor E-196 Kriegan Tavlar || C: Lily Stevens Hal Vaiken || D: Kav Canthar Margo Liaeris


Castor nodded. No time to waste; they had to link up with the other group back in the barracks.

He considered his options. The hallway leading back was too narrow, too constrained. RAMPART armour was good, but good enough to tank concentrated fire.

He looked back at his HUD map. The maintenance duct he had just cleared out?

Castor signalled to Kriegan his intent. He did not want the Chiss to, by any stroke of misfortune, hear what he planned.

He was back in the control room again, sliding into duct at full speed. In the dark, he moved quickly on his hands and knees, his large size a detriment. Still, he could easily follow the sounds of battle to the Chiss, and in under two minutes he caught himself stopping at a makeshift air grille above and just behind the Chiss emplacements blocking the way between Besh and Aurek.

Castor was about to punch through when one of the Chiss, by sheer bad luck or from hearing something, looked up and spotted the dark figure in the vent. He shouted to his comrades, and several Chiss pointed their guns up to pour blaster fire towards the grille. The rest of the duct was cut deep into the thick walls, so Castor was able to scoot out of the way of the grille to avoid their fire.

Damn.

Well, at least some of their firepower was turned to him. But he needed to extricate himself before one of the hostiles decided to clear the vent with a detonator.

Castor drew his DC/03 and primed it with the grenade launcher module. He was running low, two left. He waited as the grille was cut to pieces by blaster fire, enough for large holes to form. Large enough for a grenade. The Chiss would likely lob in a detonator once the holes were wide enough, and they would cut their fire just as it happened to avoid blowing up the detonator before it landed inside the vent. A window of opportunity to pop into the open grille and fire.

Castor hoped Kriegan had made use of the distracted Chiss, because in all honesty he was out of ideas, with only this one ploy left. He waited, counting his heartbeats, his enhancements speeding up his reaction. The seconds dragged on, the dull agony of attentive waiting stretching, stretching-

The blaster fire pettered out, and Castor lunged towards the hole, blaster aimed down. He squeezed the trigger a microsecond before he had even cleared the hole, so when the grenade launched out of the mechanism they had only just cleared the lip of the melted grille.

His reflexes took over as the sounds of shouts, explosions, and the light of blaster bolts and an explosions washed over him: the commando rolled across the floor, cushioning his fall even as he swept out with his limbs, feeling more than seeing them make contact with the legs of unlucky Chiss in the path of this large human cannonball. His vision was in overdrive, and his raw instinct pushed him on, redirecting his roll towards another bit of cover, a corner cut into a wall at this intersection. When conscious thought returned he was already in cover, behind the Chiss blockade, his grenade scattering the Chiss and destroying their repeater emplacement. He could feel his nerves, his muscles, his organs strain from the accelerated movement, coming down from the high.

With luck, the mission can continue, he thought, checking the status of the databank, hidden deep inside his armour.

 

[Kav Canthar]

R A N C O R
THE EMPIRE
INSIDE HOIST HOUSE
ALLIES: Hal Vaiken | Margo Liaeris | Lily Stevens | Leto Karazyn | Katja Javik
Castor E-196 | Kriegan Tavlar | Sylus (Γ059)
ENEMIES: Chiss Forces
ENGAGING: Chiss reinforcements
GEAR: Commando Armor | Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon | TL-50 Heavy Repeater
C-10 Heavy Blaster Pistol | Phase-Knife | Grenade loadout

It seemed the ISB spook was willing to get loud, which helped.

There was still overwhelming Chiss forces entering the area, before long they would start to flank, and that's when the three Imperials would be in real trouble. There were too many angles to cover, too few weapons firing back at the enemy, and despite the best efforts from Rancor, the defensive line had started to falter.

If only the heavy had an operational update on whether they were holding or--

<<"What...?">>

--had Stalker just...

Palpatine's balls.

<<"You need help,">> Rancor muttered, as he hefted the Z-6 and started to peel away from the position. <<"Moving now.">>

So after mission start, it seemed all the heavy had managed to do was cross no man's land, breach a wall, kill some Chiss and extract. Not the most tactically challenging first outing as a SCAR trooper, Rancor thought, but at least it showed adaptability in the field. It wasn't everyday - or, at least, Rancor didn't suspect so - that you ran into a POW who required extraction over the security and reinforcement of your squad... that said, though, at that particular moment Rancor was 50-50 on leaving Stalker behind.

<<"Got you both covered,">> Rancor said with gritted teeth, as he fell back to another position on the flank and resumed a defensive line closer to the hoist house exit. <<"Throwing smoke!">>

With a brief pause to Z-6 rotary fire, the heavy pulled a grenade from his pouch and hefted the thing. He activated the timer, then pulled back and threw the metal object with all of his strength - something he didn't tend to do very often, but something (or someone) had given him a reason for momentary stress relief - to which the smoke grenade sailed across the space and impacted with a Chiss who had stepped from cover--

* Thunk! *

--the metallic orb crunched into the Chiss' chest, literally bending the light armor plating, as it killed the enemy. The Chiss dropped, the smoke exploded, and filled the hoist house interior with covering visual disruption. Rancor definitely didn't imagine Stalker at that moment, instead. Still, it was enough to lessen the focused intensity of the opponents that moved toward the group, as the charric fire became more random and confused shouts and commands started to be heard.

<<"Smoke's out, tactically withdrawing from of the facility!">>

The heavy turned and started to extract from the defensive line, once he saw the others retreat past his held position...

 

[HICOM]

Commander Chaf'thira'kombi
Chiss Reclamationist Defense Fleet
"Lord Zodt's will be done."




:: Void-Two, confirm Zion is loaded and secure. ::

:: Void-Actual, this is Void-Two; Zion is loaded and secure, repeat -- Zion loaded and secure. ::

:: Copy that, Void-Two. Confirm stealth systems are operational. ::

:: Stealth systems are operational, Void-Actual. We're ready for take-off. ::

:: Roger that, Void-Two; To all Void callsigns, we're green light, repeat -- green light. ::

The whole shaft, which had been converted into a makeshift shipping portal for vessels to enter and depart, rattled as the loud hum of engines resounded across the whole vertical axis going up. In safe intervals between each other, Chiss vessels -- clawcrafts and gunships -- began to materialize at the bottom of the portal as they began their ascend upwards to the surface of the planet and beyond.

Time was running out for Leto Karazyn and Katja Javik .

​