Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Remnants of the Lothal Protectorate have formed up under their old commander, Solarus Fynch, joined by TAC volunteers and Mandalorian militia from allies in Breshig. Sentiment amongst those who march on Capital City is unanimous: Take the city, take the planet. As heavy artillery moves to secure the primary road into the city, guerilla fighters have begun to move through the tall grass of the field lands to reach their destination. With clear signs of resistance in the distance, civilians within Capital City have begun to arm themselves.
While the Imperial Navy is occupied with the siege of Mon Cala, local garrisons from the Empire of the Lost must hold out against the incoming land invasion. Lothal is a vital world, with precious Doonium and a heavy investment in farming to meet the subsistence needs of the Empire. Orders are to secure the streets of Capital City, crush civilian resistance to Imperial authority, and to hold off these rebels and wait for reinforcements to come from Dac.
Dieter exits the briefing room clad in his black stormtrooper corp uniform with the arms rolled up and under his arm is a mission folder, a thicker one at that. He wasn’t happy with the mission, but it was what the General had ordered, and technically she was right, Lothal had little to no value to the Empire. It had farming and doonium mining. Other than that it had little impact on the Empire’s ebb and flow. For Dieter and his crew, they’d be securing storage facilities nearer to the outside of the city. Dangerous, but it wasn’t that much of a problem for his guys.
Back at the Stork, he stood atop a large crate, a half circle of soldiers around him half his crew and half stormtroopers, he began his speech. ”Alright, we’ll be going into what command assumes is a very hot LZ. We’ll be about four streets in from the farthest reaches of the city, which means a higher probability of enemy combatants. We will be hitting warehouses Aurek-32 through 36, so four facilities. Half of the trooper platoon will go in to secure supplies while the paragons and the rest of the platoon will be outside securing the LZ.” He looked at all the men and women around him, taking in all of their faces. ”I know this is not the best situation, and we have one of the smaller groups with only sixty people in this dropship, but we aren’t being sent in with just us, we’ll have backup in the form of two Spider Walkers. They haven’t made it over here yet because they’re having their last check before we launch, but believe me, we’ll have them.”
A soldier closer to the outside of the circle spoke up. “Are the rumors true? Are we going to be fighting civilian combatants?” A few other troopers around him nodded, wanting to know the truth.
Deiter sighed while scratching his head, ”Command believes that it is a possibility. Members of the old Lothal Protectorate likely will be rallying around their old commander, the current leader of the TAC, Fynch.” Dieter took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose, then took another breath. ”Listen, all of you, I don’t like firing on civilians anymore than the next guy, but we must remember that we are soldiers of the Empire, we are soldiers serving the Emperor. We serve to bring peace and order. We are the swords our Emperor wields to deliver on those promises, and those civilians have turned their back on not only the Empire but us. They would rather kill our friends to serve what end? Serve the machinations of a madman, who is only invading our Empire, because we, gave them something better, something stronger than being just a lowly planet on the fringes of the galaxy. And who can tell me what we gave them?”
A few soldiers from Dieter’s platoon yell from the back, “Peace and Order!”
”Exactly! Peace and order! Those civilian combatants turned their back on all of that, because of one man’s desire to rain havoc on our Empire and its values. They are nothing more than terrorists trying to dismantle everything we’ve built. Now, I do not fault you if you still have reservations but know they have no reservations about firing at you. Let that sink in. You all, Stormtroopers and paragons alike work and serve the Empire to give people like them peace and order. They spit at your service and they spit at you. Now we march into battle, FOR THE EMPIRE!”
The men and women around him nodded or shouted in agreement, sufficiently rallied for their purpose. He left the top of the large crate and rallied all of the squad leaders on himself, both troopers and paragons. He gave them a list of suspected inventories and what to look for, they were on a mission, and a timed one at that.
OBJ: III - The March Home
Location: Aboard the Stork, heading to the LZ in the streets of Lothal.
Theme: HERE
The red lights inside the stork flashed as the dropship shook and shuddered as it entered the atmosphere and headed to their LZ. The red shined off Dieter’s powered armor and every other Paragon in the lower hold. The legs creaked on the spider walkers as they descended to their target area. Flak was expected and it came right as the pilot made an announcement
<<T-minus sixty seconds till landing.>>
Dieter turned around, his gumshoes keeping him from falling over, ”Remember soldats, we are to secure the area with half of the trooper platoon, one walker will take the north path and the other will take the south. We are splitting in two, I’ll command the first and third squads, Tamora you’ll be heading the second and fourth. We hit the ground running and don’t stop until the LZ is perfectly secure.”
<<Thirty seconds!>>
The flak was getting worse, the ship was creaking more and more the further they descended, and the lights turned from red to a nice white, letting the troops regain their sight for the drop. The Stork was going to stay with them albeit in the sky, circling, until the crews were ready to load the materials.
<<Ten seconds.>>
He felt the ship reduce its speed as it lurched back from its dive going into a landing. The ship rocked as it made contact with the ground and only one side door opened up. Dieter could hear the chainguns on both sides spin up to provide covering fire while they dismounted. Once those doors hit the ground it was going to be all hell breaking loose. There was a loud clank as the door hit the ground and Dieter and his platoon began to charge into the fray, behind him he heard the platoon rapidly making their way off the ship from the upper hold, squad leaders barking orders, and the loud metallic footsteps of the spiders disembarking. This began his entry into the second battle of Lothal.
"Cougars up front!" Sayno called out as he prepped for what came next. The landing had been smooth, for the most part. The planetary shield generator bypassed, and now the men of the Lost Battalion came home. Sayno knew that this would be a slog. They weren't meant to take the Empire on head first. Especially in a place like this, open fields where ambushes were impossible.
Still, he had hope. He had to. He trusted his commander, the man he had sworn his life to protect and serve.
Fynch
had entrusted his battalion with pushing into the eastern flank, engaging a unit that was supposedly helmed by a savage mercenary commander. AS the tanks moved to the front, Sayno made sure each tank was counted off as they took position in their spearhead. "Pumas behind them." He ordered, watching each vehicle take it's position. The Pumas could elevate themselves to poke out from behind the tanks. Tigers and Panthacs brought up the rear, while Bobcats filled in holes in the formation.
Each company worked in tandem, pushing forward towards the engagement point. Sayno prayed what came next would mean a swift victory.
Location: Outskirts of Capital City - Lothal Objective: III - The March Home Sub-Objective: Assassinate the Rebel Cell Leader Tag: Balun Dashiell
There were few creatures more savage and uncivilized than rebels. This breed in particular—the Lothalite insurgents—were particularly repulsive to Ivixa’s senses. For hours, she had suffered the misfortune of watching them through her rifle’s scope, patiently waiting for the moment that her designated target—the charismatic leader of a particularly irksome embedded rebel cell—would finally appear. In doing so, the sniper had been compelled to analyze and report their movements, their activities, and their dispositions. Unfortunately, she had not been able to shoot the rebels as doing so would have compromised her mission by tipping off her target before he arrived.
Only when that happened could she have then taken her shot.
However, it was just as the chronometer in her HUD struck two minutes before the time that her target was projected to arrive that Ivixa learned that all of her waiting had been for nought. If the new intelligence was correct, the rebel leader had taken an unexpected detour to link up with forces from the Tingel Arm Coalition.
It was now her task to pursue him.
Ivixa didn’t hesitate. She pulled her rifle back from its perch before activating the collapsing mirrors to downsize the weapon as she placed on her back. Then, she quickly made her way up the stairs, until she was on the roof of the building. From there, the tiny Asa’nyx launched into a sprint before jumping over the street to the next building across from her, making use of her armor’s repulsors to carry her as she did. All the while, her armor flickered and faded against the backdrop, its photo-reactive coating coming active as she leaped from one structure to the next in pursuit of her target.
In the back of her mind, Ivixa knew what was at stake. This particular cell chief had the closest ties to Tingel Arm Coalition out of all the rebel leaders on the planet. In effect, he was the designated go-between between the Lothal insurgency and the Coalition. His killing would send ripple effects through the chain, weakening it so that the Empire might easily snap it. In turn, failure here would not only rob the Empire of a critical advantage, but it would also strengthen the Coalition with a nigh-unending stream of intelligence that would allow them to pinpoint and strike vital facilities in Imperial space at will.
For that reason, she could not suffer such an outcome to manifest. The rebel chief Rossisai Linsla would die today, and Ivixa intended to be the agent of his end.
Location: Bridge of the Imerial Hammer arriving in orbit above Lothal Tags:
"Admiral Rimmer we've arrived at the Lothal system," the smooth feminine voice of the clone.
The aging Admiral nodded his head and gave a smirk. "Open a fleet comm," he ordered gruffly. The comm officer pressed several buttons on her console and nodded the comm's readiness to the Admiral. "We are here. All Storks are ordered to launch. Platoon Commanders have their destinations and orders. Make sure that the Empire will continue to reap the benefits of this resource rich planet. Make no mistake though, we do not care about the populous. We are here to pound fear into the rebels. Our numbers are not great enough to maintain a blockade or give chase. If the enemy wishes to flee let them do so.
Rimmer gave a nod for the fleet comm to be dropped and made his way to his command chair. As he sat he turned to his XO. "Position the fleet directly above Capital City, in weapons range and hold orbit. Have the dorsal guns of the Hammer and Triumph at the ready. Order the Corvettes to surround the Paramount in defensive formation. The Patriot's fighters are to be ready to launch. Make sure all Captains know that we are to maintain these exact positions unless we are engaged. Passive offense only towards escaping ships. Our focus is on making sure that the Empire is in position to milk this planet dry, not over extend ourselves chasing down failed rabble-rousers."
As the Coalition and their allies advanced towards the capital it was obvious the local garrison resources were building up and focusing their energy on the "invading" army. Kaska wasn't even sure if calling this action an invasion was completely accurate. This planet was home to more of the advancing Coalition army than it was to the Imperial commanders ordering local conscripts to take up arms against their former neighbors. It was a sad thought, but one Kaska knew would be repeated if the Coalition was successful in removing Imperial authority from the territories they had conquered.
During the advance however, Kaska noticed quite a few new arriving Imperial dropships. That wasn't all that unexpected. The Empire had "volunteer" soldiers, clone troopers and Kaska had heard they even employed some droids. The manpower available to throw at the Coalition was astounding. The only limiting factor would be the ships bringing them to Lothal as opposed to reinforcing Mon Cala. It seemed the "backwater" Lothal was not nearly as important.
What was unexpected of the arriving dropships was that only a single ship appeared to be bound to reinforce Capital City. Most of them were heading towards smaller settlements and the Doonian mines. It appeared that the bulk of the defense of the planet was already here. Any reinforcements would come to secure as much of the planet's resources as possible. That being the case, Kaska decided to enlist the help of a few soldiers and started to follow the train tracks. At the other end she knew that she would find one of the Doonian mines of Lothal. And she would find one or more of those dropships. There she would find the answer to if these late arrivals were a large threat to completing the mission, or just a speed bump the Empire hoped would keep resources out of TAC hands long enough for more troops to arrive.
Today was the day. The coming battle had been keeping Balun awake at night in agonising anticipation. He had been given an eye-opener during his experience on Coruscant when the Dark Empire had attacked, a desperate struggle to defend the heart of the New Jedi Order. It was the closest thing that Balun could compare to what he had expected to bear witness to today. There was no pleasure in his participation; he only hoped that a victory today would secure a better quality of life for those living upon Mon Cala and Lothal.
The YC-123B transport hauler descended upon the outskirts of the Capital City en route to join other Coalition Personnel already on the ground. Standing among other Rebel Soldiers of the Tingel Arm Coalition, Balun had caught a ride down along with the Squadron of men and women who had taken up arms to fight back against the oppressive Empire of the Lost regime.
The Transport rocked violently with every flak explosion that threatened to blow them out of the sky. Frantic chatter could be heard coming from the cockpit, both pilots barking stressfully as they maneuvered the craft down through the heavy artillery fire, while the Comms sounded with battlefield reports and coordination between High Command and the troops on the surface.
Fynch
had informed them roughly a week prior that he had contacts within the Lothal Protectorate. The plan was for them to hit the Imperials hard enough to distract the enemy so that the Coalition Forces could break through and join them in the conflict.
The ride down couldn't take long enough. Balun's reluctance to join the fight was intense. He was nervous, fearful even. He'd be a fool not to be, but he had to remind himself that he was fighting to protect the rights and freedoms of others, fighting so that others did not have to experience the horror of war themselves.
When the Transport Hauler touched down upon the landing pad, the troop deck opened up, and the rebel squadron disembarked to join their commanding officer. Balun followed them out into the open air. The forward base looked like an old facility used for industrial works of some kind, stripped bare and already showing signs of wear from the heavy ordinance littering the cityscape.
As a ranking member of the Aquilian Rangers, Balun moved for the improvised command centre despite his young age to ascertain where he could best be put to use. Every second was precious, and people were already dying for the cause. No longer would the Outer Rim Territories be an uncontested haven for Sith-Imperialism, the Core Worlds had the Galactic Alliance and now the Tingel Arm and the Outer Rim had the Coalition.
Today was the beginning of a very long fight, the first of many battles for the freedom of the Outer Rim Territories.
Taking a deep breath, Vallen savored the fresh Lothal air while his golden eyes ran over the troops before him. He had not been born in te space inhabited by the Tingel Arm Coalition. In truth, he didn't even call it home. But his father had given him a mission and a purpose to fight for. The people of Lothal cried out for freedom, and raising his voice for his men to hear, Vallen answered that call. "The day you've waited for is here! In a galaxy filled with tyrants and despots, we have stood ready! For millennia, Veradune has stood for freedom! Today, we revive our old promise! Where evil rises, we will join the opposition. You've trained and prepared for this day! Lets show this empire what Veradune can do!"
Around him, a company of boots stomped the ground then set forth, marching into the grass then disappearing into it as his men dropped to all fours, traversing the ground. TAC artillery was already weakening the city's defenses, softening the enemy up for the savagery of the guerillas and and Zorren infantry that now slunk its way through the grass. It was a thrilling feeling as Vallen joined his men on the move, dropping into the grass to stalk through it. They were a massive pack of hunters, and even if their prey knew they were coming, he doubted they would be prepared for the hell that awaited them once the young Torrevaso could breach their walls.
Location: Old Industrial Zone, Outskirts of Capital City - Lothal Objective: III - The March Home Sub-Objective: Assassinate the Civilian Rebel Leader Tag: Balun Dashiell
Ivixa’s probe droid had tracked the rebel chief to one of the improvised command centers, a fact which necessitated that she take a different, slower approach due the presence of armed Coalition forces in the area. Thus, instead of jumping from roof to roof, the tiny sniper moved from alley to alley, her armor’s stealth systems concealing her figure in the process. In doing so, she quickly slipped past the Coalition checkpoint, her route thereafter taking her into the old industrial zones on the outskirts of the city.
And the deeper she went, the heavier the Coalition presence became. For her part, Ivixa could not help but to be impressed at how quickly they had established and secured a forward operating base within vicinity of the city.
Nevertheless, Ivixa pressed on. Then, a few minutes later, after coming within a few hundred meters of the improvised command center, she made her way up into one of the abandoned refinery complexes, making use of the complex industrial architecture to conceal her presence in the process. Soon, she found an elevated perch on top of an abandoned ore crawler that overlooked the command center from a little more than 400 meters away. After a brief moment of consideration, Ivixa moved into position and pulled her rifle from its place on her back, the weapon unfolding in her grasp as she pulled up her probe droid’s feed in her HUD.
From this position, Ivixa sensed that she might only have a few opportunities to make the shot. But even if she failed, she had no intention of this being her last attempt on Rossisai Linsla’s life.
And so, Ivixa settled into position and activated her cloaking device, leaving only her sensor readout and the crosshairs of her scope visible to the naked eye. She knew that Rossisai Linsla was inside the improvised command center to brief the Coalition forces on the situation within the city. It was only a matter of waiting for him to come outside.
The woman stood before a crater in the ground, not quite looking into it or around at the remnants of a past training session. To her left stood her loyal companion and retainer. Her attention wandered up to The Drepane as the bottom of its large sphere opened up. Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax
saw a honeycombed platform with several transports approaching closer. It was hard to see from the ground, but she knew what was happening up there. At that moment, a crew was attaching the platforms to the ships.
She was surprised that the Lost had not come to investigate yet, especially since the large ship did not hyperspace into its atmosphere, as those functions were activated from a different vessel. Some time passed, and the quiet was pleasant for now. Even the platform was being lowered now—an hour had passed. Yet the two stood there, unmoving the entire time, as what was being brought down was an important structure.
Soon, both the tall woman and the small retainer could see the series of trees on the platform; in its healthy and vibrant branches were the crops of structures. Somehow, it felt like it was going to be harder to put them back than it was to take them. Komi was not too happy about it but understood that those trees were only on her mistress's ship as a temporary measure. "Are you sure we can't keep it?" she asked, hoping that one last little plea could change the woman's mind.
"No, we cannot. However, if you scanned the rooms you liked spending time in, we can replicate them," the woman said in a soft tone as her hand reached down, petting the top of the redheaded girl.
"It won't be the same," she said, still dejected at the idea of simply copying it. "There was more to it than the spaces, but it doesn't matter." Komi sighed, at least knowing the location of this place, and wondered if in the future it would be possible to visit here. "But yeahhh, I scanned a few rooms. The living space and his training room definitely got the most detailed scans without moving the stuff."
"I know it won't."
Once the platform was lowered enough, the Valkyrie lifted her arms and reached out with the Force. The underside flopped open, showing packed earth and roots. Bits of dirt fell, but not everything, as it was Teresa who bore the weight of keeping it in place and preventing it all from crashing down. The hinged doors were pulled out to the side, but the pace of everyone else put a strain on the woman from the massive amounts of Force being used.
Not much longer, and finally, the platform touched the floor, and the Valkyrie could release the ability, dropping to one knee and wiping her brow. Teresa knew that control and strength in telekinesis were different; just now was a strain on her, but her control was phenomenal in her eyes compared to others.
As crews worked on cleaning up and returning the platform, she took a small rest and chatted with Komi.
Her rest did not last as long as she expected as a strange feeling overcame her. Golden-orange eyes peered up to the sky as if she looked past the large starship that was above. Bringing up her com, she called into the bridge. "You are to return immediately." After a few very long moments, a large rift opened in the sky, and The Drepane left through it.
Next, her eyes moved down to Komi. "As for you, back to the ship and prepare to leave too. I am not sure, but you need to be off Lothal too, for now, Komi." The woman's tone carried the seriousness of her words. Komi returned an expression of confusion and a sudden urgency at the orders, though Teresa's hand prevented her.
"Give me time to get changed first, okay? So while I do that," she slipped off one of the amulets that was around her neck, specifically the one she had given Braze
the first time. "Go put that somewhere he will find it, and it will be safe. Like one of the big pots he uses for cooking."
"A pot?" Komi responded, trying to hold back the little chuckle that still slipped out.
"If you don't like that, find somewhere else."
"No, no, it's not a bad idea. Though I've got a good idea where to put it," the girl said before quickly running off.
Teresa, however, moved off towards the shadow of her room to change. She pulled out a set of robes that did not bear any markings of allegiance, and its style was different from what she normally wore. It held notes of Jedi design but not so close as to be mistaken for one. Perhaps it was the notes of red and black that offset the deep brown belt and magnolia skirt. She only took a few of her weapons, too. There were some she would rather have held onto, but even the Lost probably knew the colors of her usual blades.
By the time she had changed, there were just a few things left. Walking through the custom VCX-100 light freighter II, she began to change her form a little to take on a disguise that had a different kind of freedom. She pulled melatonin out from the deep red flight feathers, turning them to a light silver that shimmered under light.
As she focused her aura through the Iroai Amulet, more changes began to happen; the woman's skin tone turned to a healthy, fair olive color; her golden-orange eyes, once wrapped in black, turned a beautiful ruby red. The most unnoticeable change was that the aura that wrapped around the woman had changed too. It was no longer like a weighted blanket wrapping violently tight but airy and soft with hints of warmth. "Let's see how Rafaela fares," she mumbled to herself with a sly smile.
Rafaela's eyes peered down at the young girl with orange hair as they reached the ramp at the same time. "Make sure Galatea is bathed and fed before I return. If my beloved wonders where I am, just let him know that something is happening here, and I am sticking around to see what's happening, and that I will be home later. Now be safe, Komi. Head straight home."
"Okay, I will. If anything is happening above, I'll take a wide berth around and engage stealth like you taught me."
Rafaela looked at Komi with a tender and proud look to give the girl some confidence. "Be safe. I won't be pleased if you fail me." The two now began to head their separate ways. She turned to watch the ship power up and set off before the Valkyrie turned and took to the skies, beating her powerful wings for lift. First she would head for the ruins of tangle town before the city later on. It felt like a good middle point for the woman.
Lothal he remembered the planet vividly. He had been trapped here for thousands of years, after all. And here he was back on the soil again. It wasn't a pleasant memory, to be sure. But it was exactly unpleasant either. While he was locked in carbonate in his prison on this planet, he couldn't hold resentment for the populace, more could he hold any hatred for those who had locked him away. He had long since accepted his sentence many years ago. But he was here on a job to aid the Allies in the EOTL against a rebel uprising on this planet.
While he could hold sympathy for the rebels, allies were becoming scares, especially with the GA on the orders' door step and drawing closer and closer with every day. The Lilaste order needed allies more than it could afford sympathy to simple farmers. With a shake of his head, he stood on the wall alongside Commander Tarian " What do you see commander?" Laphistos eyes glanced over towards the man. While he couldn't see his commander through the force like everyone else, this close he could at least make out his blurred visage.
Tarian held up a pair of binoculars looking out on the approaching rebel forces lead by Sayno Clawe
" low infantry count sir, but plenty of tanks and heavy armor. a couple AT-TE looking ones, a few repolsor lift and even several smaller walkers. looks like treaded tanks seem to be taking up thier lead sir."
Laphisto thought for a moment and gave a small nod " pull up the AT-AE walkers to the front of the wall, they will be the rear end of our defence. have them load up a mixture of LO-EIS7 [ION/EMP] shells with LO-R6 [APCBC], take the shields down and then hit them with hard shells. send the ARSB speeders on a left flank, far enough away to stay out of range make it appear as if they are moving to flank thier left side. hopefully we can divide their forces and have some of thier tanks pull off. if not then have them pull up behind the enemy forces."
laphisto thought for a moment longer his hand gripping his chin as he remembered some vital information from his war games with Gress D'ran
" pull the AT-MSW's up front ahead of the AT-AE walkers by two hundred meters, keep them spread out by 100 metershave the Mass driver cannons loaded with LO-TCTS [Thermal/Cryo] and LO-R6 [APCBC] shells. aim for the cougers, pull the AT-SW walkers to along the right side of the enemy formation"
Tags: Open Objective: Find someone to interview Equipment:
-Holocam
-Mic
-Bodyarmor
Blood cakes every inch of him. It's not his.
He throws off his armored vest, ruined with shrapnel and multiple blaster hits, before stumbling into the shower. A half bottle of Corellian wine later and he's sitting in front of a monitor. Blue light washes over his exhausted face. Bloodshot eyes track the cursor jumping between files. Looks like the upload made it to his holonet account despite the signal jammers. He just wants to publish it. Get it over with so he can just forget it all. But he knows his audience expects more from him. They won't accept unedited regurgitated slop.
With a sigh and resolving to finish the rest of the bottle, he opens up the video file.
An image of a blurred figure standing in front of a ruined wall.
"Is the Holocam up?"
The video feed shakes up and down.
"You better not screw this up." The feed automatically adjusts, showing the figure to be a middle-aged Chiss with a receding hairline, pencil mustache, and a slightly pronounced gut barely hidden under the bright blue chest plate he's wearing. The word "PRESS" is stamped in bright yellow on both sides. "I don't pay you for nothin'."
"Uh, you don't pay me anything, sir."
"Attaboy," The nameplate on his right breast reads V Val Valerson in bold lettering. "This'll help you build character and the exposure will be far more than any pile of credits I can muster up."
"It's not like you have any credits, sir."
"Shut up and just make sure to catch anything interesting. Blaster fire, soldiers, dead babies, and the imps doing mass hangings in the town square I don't give a kriff. If it turns eyeballs it gets us ad revenue. If we pull this off I can finally pay off my luxury landspeeder."
"And my mortgage, sir?"
"Uh... yeah that too! Anyway get ready, I can hear a walker coming. Start the recording."
Valerson raises the mic to his lips.
"The invasion has well and truly begun. After months of Imperial occupation, the world of Lothal has become a major focal point of the Tingel Arm Coalition's counter-offensive. Originally believed to be a disparate group of ineffectual nerf-herders and smugglers the Coalition has surprised the galactic community by the men and material it can muster. Behind me is an example," a battalion of Walkers and Armour advanced over the grassy plains of Lothal. "These troops you can see here are the so-called Lost Battalion - a motley assortment of militiamen mounted on powerful mechanized forces led by Rebel Commander Sayno Clawe
. Astute viewers will note that their vehicles belong to the corporation Si-Tech. As conflict becomes ever more common in the Galaxy, business for corporations dipping their fingers in arms manufacturing is booming. So if you haven't invested your life savings in their stock, the best time was a year ago but the second best time is now. "
Valerson doesn't disclose that he holds a not-so-minor position in Si-Tech.
His face suddenly frowns. "Cut."
"What's wrong, sir?"
"Bah. Everyone and their mothers have seen walkers by this point. They can just switch on the propaganda news stations to see them on parade. No, this won't be enough to drive clicks."
"What will?"
"War isn't just it's machines and frontlines but people too. The audience won't connect with cold durasteel. No... what we need is to put a face on all of this. And I just think I know who'll be perfect for that..."
Instead, Bella was tasked with sitting through yet another media op, with what might have been the worst possible timing. And in spite of all of her efforts, no amount of finagling or negotiating had been able to get her out of it. She had already called a favor from Maldor Mecetti
, so that particular avenue was likely exhausted. Thus, she had attempted to reach out to Augustus Von Strauss
and Karl Von Strauss
for assistance, in the hopes that they might have been able to work some strings to get her out of media duty and back in the cockpit. Unfortunately, the Togruta had not been able to get in touch with either of the two men in time, leaving her with two difficult choices:
Accept dereliction of duty, insubordination, and theft of military property charges for stealing a TIE and heading out to the Imperial fleet on her own (and as a result likely never fly under the Lost Imperial banner again) or sit through what was sure to be a boring interview while not one, but two planetary invasions were going on (with one happening right on Lothal).
Unfortunately, Bella’s choice had been obvious. As much as she entertained fantasies of eloping with a TIE and racing off to the fleet to shoot down rebel scum, as a Baroness of the Empire, the Togruta knew that propaganda was part of her responsibilities. Thus, while dressed in her form-fitting crimson flight suit emblazoned with a white Imperial crest over her left shoulder, Bella made her way to the film room in the Imperial Complex. Once she was inside, Bella took a seat and allowed the anxious makeup artists to apply her cosmetics in dutiful silence. After that, the Togruta was led into the interview area—a heavily-lighted stage with a dark backdrop.
It was only after taking her seat that Bella took in the features of the man sitting across from her—a middle-aged Chiss male with a slightly receding hairline and a distinct pencil mustache. Bella offered him a sweet, easy smile of course, but her eyes registered a nervous, uneasy glint and her features seemed to twitch with barely-restrained impatience.
Then, almost as soon as Bella sat down, the countdown to live began, before she could get a word in edgewise.
"Sir, eyes on enemy walkers. Some form of AT walker. Unfamiliar to Imperial design." The comms officer called out, as Sayno looked into the binocs to confirm. He'd taken up a position on a small hill overlooking the advance, not wanting to lose himself in the advance.
"I see them..." The man noted, frowning. These weren't the AT-ATs they were expecting. The EOTL had allies... "Have the Tigers fire Ions into their back line. Have the Pumas pin them down with autocannon ion and high explosive rounds. Blind them. Follow up with missile barrage from all tanks. Target their AT vics."
"Aye sir!"
The first shots were fired, and one immediately hit the front most Cougar right in the left missile silo, disabling the shield and sending the attachment flying off. The tank next to it took a direct hit, forcing the driver to abandon the vehicle as it went up in smoke. Pumas poked their turrets over the Cougars before opening up with mass driver autocannons, firing 30 rounds a second of first ion rounds that were targeted at the deflector shields, then HE rounds to, at the very least, blind the enemy. Then came the plunging fire of the Tigers, mass driver cannons firing in arcs over the wall and into the back line of Laphisto
's forces with ion airburst rounds, while the mortar teams of the Lost Battalion began opening up with HE on the infantry of the enemy.
The remaining Cougars opened up with a trio of CHOMP rockets, as did the other 9 Cougars, the 23 chemically propelled rockets first launching right towards the AT-TEs, before launching a seigurium dart that rocketed at mach 3 towards the anti-tank walkers. Finally, the Cougars opened up with turbolaser fire, engaging the wall with targeted fire.
Sayno let out a sigh of relief as the majority of enemy fire seemed to keep minimal damage. They weren't designed for this kind of fight, but they'd fight it regardless. The advance was closing the distance very quickly, as the Si Tech tanks were designed for speed overall. It was only a matter of time before the defenses broke.
But then the enemy pushed forward. A flank.
"Iron Men, shift focus." Sayno ordered. "Concentrate fire on enemy flank."
The Tigers of the Iron Men Mechanized shifted position, forming a wall and lowering themselves into Seige Mode as they opened fire with heavy duty ion shells on the AT-MSWs, while an orchestra of chain laser and particle bolts roared out of their frontal cannons, as well as mortar fire from their rear tubes. The iron fortresses engaged with precision, even as their one way bubble shields opened up, allowing the AT-operators of the rebel troops to fire off heavy duty AT-rockets, aiming for the legs of the beasts of steel.
Overhead, Raven droids began buzzing the enemy lines, scanning with LIDAR and cameras that plotted out the entire defensive line.
As Balun Dashiell entered the forward command centre, one of the Lothal Protectorate Soldiers stopped him in his tracks. "This area's off limits. Go and join the rest of your squad, Rookie," he said with authority, forcing Balun to sigh under his breath. He tugged his datapad free from his belt, tapping the screen in quick succession before turning it to display his rank and Aquilian Ranger Identification Code to the Officer.
The uniformed Office paused with evident surprise, looking back at Balun suspiciously, "A little young, aren't you?".
"It is what it is. Aquilian Rangers hold rank here; please stand aside, Sir", Balun spoke impatiently. He often had his age questioned, even within the Tingel Arm Coalition, yet he knew better than to take it too personally. It had been little different for many Jedi, growing up and transitioning from Padawan Learner to rank of Apprentice. Military personnel weren't often too willing to be ordered around by people of his age.
The Officer pursed his lips, looking as though he sought to rebuke; however, he restrained himself and did as instructed, leaving Balun to enter the room and join Rossisai Linsla, among other Rebel Commanders and the Coalition's military advisors.
Balun moved further into the room, standing within view of the holo map yet waiting for the others to speak. He wanted to gain a better idea of what they were dealing with. Commander Fynch was likely out on the frontlines fighting alongside other Coalition troops to breach the City Walls. At the same time, the improvised forward base remained on the outskirts of the City, a less populated industrial sector, though offering plenty of cover when the Imperial Artilliary came too close for comfort.
"The Empire's dug in deep within the Capital. Our forces are targeting key positions and trying to cut off reinforcements to Imperial installations, but time is not on our side. We can't afford to spread ourselves thin by just hitting their convoys and holding the frontline. To make a real impact, we need to focus on the Capital Building, the artillery batteries, and their barracks. That's where we can turn the tide." One of the senior Protectorate personnel pointed to the holo-map of the Capital City being emitted from the table's surface.
"Reinforcements are still facing heavy resistance at the border. Our troops are pushing hard, but as anticipated, the Imperials have armor on the ground. Most of their fleet is engaged with ours, but it's only a matter of time before their TIEs start strafing our positions once they pinpoint our movements. Taking out their anti-air defenses is crucial. Once we neutralize those, we can turn the guns back on the Imps and support our fleet when they're cleared to join the surface fight.", a Mon Calamari suggested, bearing the insignia of the Tingel Arm Coalition.
"So far," Rossisai Linsla interjected, "We've pinpointed key Imperial facilities," he said, his finger moving decisively across the holo map. "Here, and here. These locations are critical: they house stormtrooper training and barracks, store munitions, and likely serve as the command center for their defense operations. When reinforcements arrive, hitting these targets hard will cripple their momentum and strike a serious blow to their morale.".
"We've got reinforcements hitting the ground as we speak", Balun Dashiell interrupted them, finally moving to join the table; "Balun Dashiel, Aquilian Rangers. I've just arrived with a platoon of soldiers making for the border. The Coalition Fleet is trying to filter our soldiers to the city limits. Still, we took heavy flak on the first wave down, and the Imps aren't be making it easy for us," he continued, speaking with a far less tactical tongue than his peers. He was a fighter, not a military mind, but he was there all the same. "Commander Fynch
is on the frontline with our troops. They're split into multiple divisions and attempt to tackle the northeastern, southern and western border" Balun pointed to the holo map, drawing their attention to the defensive perimeter surrounding the Capital City.
"Personally..." Balun glanced at Rossisai Linsla."I'd rather be out there myself and leave the planning to you folk. I'll volunteer to help your team hit one of the Imperial Outposts. I'm more useful out there than I am here," he suggested, seeking their approval to join the fight.
Location: Old Industrial Zone, Outskirts of Capital City - Lothal Objective: III - The March Home Sub-Objective: Assassinate the Civilian Rebel Leader Tag: Balun Dashiell
Ivixa allowed herself to slip into a flow, features narrowing with focus as she gently squeezed her rifle's grip, easing the tension in her hand. All the while, the tiny sniper continued to analyze the area, sweeping her gaze over the improvised command center and taking in each individual that entered and exited the tent, studying their dispositions, armaments, and distinctive features. However, there was one that stuck out to her immediately—a masculine figure clad in what appeared to be reinforced robes, armed with a pistol and…
A lightsaber.
Ivixa blinked, but she didn’t flinch. Force-users were all too common, especially in her line of work. Thus, the Asa’nyx was not unfamiliar with engaging them. Still, his presence was a complication, but one that the sniper believed possible to overcome. Thus, she quickly swapped out the magazine in her rifle, replacing the standard rounds with Void Stone ammunition.
This time, she would be ready.
The robed figure entered the command tent and Ivixa waited. Then, some minutes later, her target—Rossisai Linsla—stepped out of the command center, accompanied by a personal escort and the robed figure she had spotted earlier. And yet, even with his presence, the Ivixa didn’t hesitate. The sniper allowed her mind to go blank, so that she might shroud her intent to any probing preternatural senses as she set the crosshairs of her scope over the target, adjusting for all of the relevant atmospheric conditions with a practiced instinct in the process. Then, she laid her finger on the trigger, allowing her breath to settle as she registered the beating rhythm of her heart.
One. Two.
And just before the third beat, Ivixa squeezed the trigger. On cue, a large-caliber projectile exploded out from the barrel of her rifle with such extreme velocity that a vacuum was created in its wake, tearing through the air on a lethal trajectory that might see the bullet blow through Rossisai Linsla’s skull.
"I'm standing outside the Imperial Complex in Lothal City. You can just barely hear the distant roar of Imperial artillery bombarding rebel forces on their approach. There's been an outbreak of attacks on several stormtrooper garrisons throughout the city. Casualty numbers haven't been confirmed but eyewitnesses have told me about scenes of carnage. Stormtroopers were dragged out of flaming vehicles only to be beaten to death by the citizenry. Imperial sources are claiming that these assaults have been repulsed and their perpetrators are in the process of being eradicated. The latter would only be true if the perpetrators were civilians..."
The feed cuts to a new scene. They lie so still against the wall in unusual positions only a contortionist could perform. They could have been mistaken for mannequins. But the blood and bound wrists tell otherwise. None in military uniform.
The holocam shifts upward to an intersection. Tangles of wire dance across buildings feeding homes with electricity and holonet access. Now bodies are hanging from them. They were killed earlier but some Imperial commanders probably thought a more public display was needed. A placard has been draped over their necks. They all read "I BETRAYED MY EMPIRE."
"It's true that civilians have taken up arms against the Empire, many marking their allegiance with blue and gold armbands. General strikes have been declared and barricades erected. But I haven't seen any evidence of many of the summarily executed wielded blasters. A nurse working at a makeshift aid station tells me this story."
The Ortolan has a blood-soaked bandage wrapped across their head. One of their signature floppy ears is missing. "We were set up in the old library. Some Imp Troopers just came in and started looting. They didn't just rob the nurses and doctors but the patients too. Then some Imp Officer came in. We thought he'd restore order but he didn't. He just went up to Doc Mazapan and told him to move the station so he could set his HQ there. When the Doc refused because he knew many of the patients wouldn't survive the move..." he gasped between sobs, "The bastard shot him! Shot him in front of everybody! We had no choice after that. We lost so many."
The feed returns to the Chiss. His face remains cold. "That's why I'm outside the Imperial Complex. To get answers from those involved. I've managed to secure an interview with none other than Lieutenant Commander Bella, an infamous Imperial Ace who has been decorated as Baroness of the Empire. Given her status, she's been made somewhat of a princess of Imperial propaganda. Let's see how much that holds up."
The two of them are sitting on the stage. Valerson has changed from his body armor into a simple beige suit with a blue undershirt and a purple polka-dot tie. Sitting across from him is a female Tortuga. She's short, a good four-fifths Valerson's height, but what she lacks in verticality she makes up for in muscle. She's a soldier. Even though a young woman it's clear that she's been in a lot of war. The fact she possesses no scars is no stain on her record. Quite the opposite. In fact, one could easily be reminded of the ancient Jedi Master Ahsoka Tano if not for the different skin colors and atrocities committed.
"Thank you for joining us today, Baroness Bella. We appreciate you taking the time and the commitment to answer our questions. Some of our viewers were quite interested in your backstory. It's been the talk of the town, especially in certain intelligence agencies. It's known that the first records of your feats began with the now-defunct Agents of Chaos who described themselves - I'll repeat this is from them - as "anarcho-terrorists" according to archives of their manifestos. Yet records and eyewitness testimonies put you as flying for the Eternal Navy of the Eternal Empire not long after. We all know that despite all their claims of order and peace, they were authoritarians through and through. So how does one seemingly suddenly shift from flying for a group dedicating themselves to tearing down the state to flying for one who seeks to uphold it in the strongest possible manner?"
Laphisto watched as the rebel forces began to unload on his line. His hands gripping his chin as he watched through the force. Most if not all of his infantry were hidden within the AT-AE walkers but those outside seemed to be hit by the most of the attack that focused on the wall or on the defensive walls of the city, laphisto wasn't expecting much in the terms of armament from a group of rebels. But when the fire started to go off and the true validity of the armament behind the rebel forces began to show, laphisto Grabbed his saber in his hand and lept off the wall. His commander reached out to try and stop him, but it was too late." High commander is on the field "
As he fell, he landed onto of one of the walkers with a thud, igniting the teal blue blade before pushing out with the force and redirecting the missile down into the dirt. He stood on the upper mantle where the cockpit was located, he jumped from walker to walker in an attempt to deflect as many of these missiles as he could. Only managing to stop at least four before the others struck their target
Chaff and heat seeking countermeasures were launched from the walkers, sending out heavy amounts of interference for the missiles, though it did nothing to stop the dart from smashing into the walkers. Most of the walkers moved to angle their armor to cause some sort of ricochet and for some that was though enough it left their armor with large gashes with plating dangling off the machines. Others were lucky, with the dart smashing into their hull and embedding itself into the armor. And the flack from their countermeasures setting off the high explosives of the missile. One walker in particular had the dart jammed into the middle leg actuator, rending his walker stuck. Another dart ricocheted off one walker then speared through the cockpit of another causing the walker to start turning in circles - albeit slowly- out of control
Others were not so lucky. While the dart was jammed in the armor, at least three walkers had failed to prevent the dart and explosion from rocking their tank. Sending one of the AT walkers to explode, the turret flying off the top while flames spilled out of every opening. The pilot would be seen slamming his fist against the glass as the flames engulfed him. From one of the Machine gunner ports would see a man climb out of the tank and then fall to the ground in flames.
As the enemy forces began to fire upon the AT-MSW walkers, their shields held for the most part. As they were located directly in front of the AT-AE MKII walkers, they took the brunt of most cannon fire attack. The only thing getting past them were a few lucky shell shots and the missiles that managed to bypass the defensive frontal line. With the enemy lines drawing closer, the LO-HT900tankes would push forwards intermingling between the AT-MSW walkers to provide cover, as the walkers had forward facing guns they needed the extra support to protect themselves.
as AT infantry fired on the AT- MSW walkers that pushed forwards in front of the AT-AE walkers they would begin taking the brunt of the attack as the AT Missiles began to fly into the armored formation, two of the walkers would take direct hits to the legs. one being snapped clean and falling over onto its side, while the other seemed to be alright if not crippled. at the Sight of the Bubble shields the LO-AVAC1 cannons began to fire a mixture of slug APCAB frounds and EMP/ Ion bullets the sounds of the autocannons ripping crossed the battlefield with a deafing sound as all the walkers extinguish thier belts firing wll over three thousand rounds[per walker] of 50 MM cannon shells into the front lines of the enemy formation
With the tank fire from the MSW and AT-AE walkers continuing to lob ACBC , EMP/ION, Cryo/thermal shells at the advancing formation, the AT-AE's with the AAA weapons would lock onto the enemy drones and begin unloading upon them the moment they got within 800 Meters of the Lilaste Formation
The Left flank continued to roll along, leaving a good distance between them and the enemy lines and with no opposition, they continued forwards aiming to pull around the back of the enemy lines. While they were not greatly armed, they could at least deal enough damage in confusion that it might just turn the tide of the battle in their favor. And so the biked continued up the left flank before then turning on the rear position of the enemy formation. And began to fire at any of the sides of any rear positioned armor as well as any infantry they may come crossed even targeting the AT infantry from the vulnerable side of the shields
The right flank, however, operated differently. They would be actively shooting at the opposition while maintaining a distance of 600 meters from the enemy formation with the enemys attention focused on the AT-MSW and AT-AE walkers the AT-SW walkers would continue thier advance firing a barrage of Missles at the tigers that had behun to form a wall. on the side of the vessels they would seem to be able to bypass the shields, as heavy LO-14C cannons rang out against the side armor.
Iroai Amulet
