So long as the Flag flys.

[Shane Williams]

Location: Small moon near a forest world.
City central command.

It’d been weeks? Months? Since the Republic had called back. He had no clue what was happening. His supplies had been going down as more and more slavers, raiders and crime lords came and each time with nastier gear. The “MEN” he had were men and women from a few squads now. Few vets mostly young ones who had been dropped in as fresh blood. Now they were moving people into shelters again. A new raid, bigger than any before. He had counted 20 people to stop maybe 50 or 100. He was a sergeant as now the highest ranked man on this planet. But so long as he could keep the republic flag flying he’d defend this place. A final distress call went out calling for Republic support.

“Alright everyone battle stations, fireteam alpha with me bravo you go to cover us from the eastern wall. Delta and Sigma we need you to give cover from the higher towers. Remember everyone make every shot count. I know your able to handle this and we are all frightened. But those people huddled up are counting on us. So for now we do this for them, for the Republic. Now lets teach these slavers what it means to face a republic squad in battle!” With that they broke and moved into position.

As they set up they had one remaining heavy blaster on a tri pod set up now and the rest pistols and rifles with grenades. Soon enough on the horizon the raiders sent a messenger. He stepped off his speeder.

“Last chance to surrender you will be allowed to live. If not we won’t spree anyone this time!” he shouted up. His reply was a blaster bolt to the chest downing him. The others saw it from a distance and before long speeders flew in the bikes had nets, chains and things to capture fleeing people. As they came in Shane gave his order.

“FIRE!” With that they began. The hell happened? The republic vanishing in months now he was fighting to keep some of it alive? He watched a blast strike one of his men down as he fired back killing the biker. Before long the speeders were in the city that’s where the tower crews began to pick them off. But Shane had bigger issues as larger armored speeder platforms road in with heavier blasters. The three they had tore apart their last cannon killing the fire crew. His eyes burned at the lights flying about as he fired into the enemy crews before some threw up grappling hooks and began to climb over the make shift ramparts they had made. As one killed his second he fired back downing him with a scream. Soon they got up though despite the fire as they began to fall back. “All units fall back positions! Protect the shelters!” As they fell back firing he recalled this situation too often. About every week or two they came trying to take easy pickings but his men had held them back. Each time angering them more and they came stronger.

Now as they moved through the city streets he knew this was likely it. Supplies were low, the republic wasint coming. Then he heard a sound one of the others threw a grenade blasting apart several enemy raiders. As they entered the city in numbers. They fired and took down many, the streets giving his men an advantage as defenders. He fired into one of the enemy trying to set up another rapid firing weapon killing him. This was not going well.

 

[Stuart]

Mensa stepped on the ash laden surface which was once a small village. He squatted down, the remains of this battle drifting through his finger tips and then into the wind. He could still see some smoke emitting from certain structures which resembled barely nothing. The smell of whatever happened even seeped through his head wrap which covered his entire face outside of his eyes. The site was no more than a week old by the looks of it, but his Ongree guide and his two comrades still felt uneasy none the less.

"I hope what you were looking for was not in this village," said the guide.

Mensa smirked underneath his cowl. "I hope not either."

The guide facial expression shifted curiously. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"I was told I would know when I saw it." He said honestly, and it was the truth. The Republic was in shambles, splinter groups ravaging the expanses daily, and he was part of those groups seeking purpose from the vacuum left.

Mensa arose, peering now into the depths of the forest which surrounded the destroyed village. There was nothing from the Force - outside of the trees themselves, the land was completely vacant.

The guide's walking staff pushed him in the back to get his attention. Even though they were completely alone, the threat of scavengers worried the trio - and for good reason, the recent history of this moon was less than stellar. The guide's friends had blasters, but by the look of how they carried their weapons, it was more for show than anything else.

"I want to go to the nearest city from this location," Mensa stated. He figured a collected population, no matter their intentions, was better a better way to analyze what was happening on this planetary moon than looking for survivors.

The trio talked in their native tongue, and from the looks of it, they were not pleased by the request. "We are not equipped to support you in the gathering area."

"I do not need your support," Mensa said sternly. "I need you to get me close to the area and point me from there. The rest I can do on my own."

The trio laughed. "You Jedi still think you can handle anything. You will see that what lies in the gathering area is still not welcomed for even a Jedi."

Mensa's eye perked, "Sith?"

"No. No. No," they responded vehemently. "We know not of any, but we still do not tempt fate with the word."

"Than it is settled," he patted the guide on the back as he prepared to mount their traveling beast. "Get me as close to the gathering area as possible and I will do the rest."
[member="Shane Williams"]

 

[Shane Williams]

[member="Mensa Dak"]

As the battle continued seemed they were losing ground slower but with more casualties. The tower fireteam was isolated desperately trying to pick of those attacking it. Meanwhile the rest were now at their fourth lien of defense and had only one left after this.

Shane moved to draw fire shooting down another enemy which brought an entire squad of them on him. Falling back to his cover he shouted to one of the others. “NOW!” The young man flicked a switch causing explosive charges set to go off as they entered a narrower street. One of the few more vetrenish team members Rena fired her rifle tearing down enemy raiders by now having piled up almost a dozen of them from her position. But she was running out of charges and one of the larger transports despite a blast making it immobile aimed it’s large blaster cannon and fired blowing up her position taking her with it. Shane knew his men were losing. As he used his rifle butt to smash the face of one of the raiders he shot another soon after.

“Alright everyone who is left get back we gotta try to give the tower team a distraction! Grives time to see if that new thing you trade those man shady traders for is worth the supplies we paid!”

“yes sir.” Pulling out what they had it was a untested small rail cannon. Not that the tech wasint well understood but it was from a source they didn’t know. Powering it up the young man took aim. “Range 150….charge good.”
“FIRE NOW” He shouted. He did and it blew the first transport up creating a ball of fire. But as it did they replied blasting it apart. As he ran to the young man he looked as his face was twisted n pain. He was bleeding from shrapnel and he knew he was going to die. “S-Sir….it worked?”


“Yes now keep quiet! I need medical to my position!” The young man maybe 17 pulled the sergeants face back over.

“N-no. The flag sir…is it…?”

He nodded. “Still flying. Now stop talking that’s an order.”

“Sir please…save them long as you’re here the republic is here. But if they kill you I..I don’t know if the others can fight.” With that he finally collapsed. Shane sighed and stood up and moved on looking up he noticed the flag had been shot down and he without thought ran toward it. As he moved blaster fire and explosions went around him and he stumbled. He got up and ran more he grabbed it picking it up he heard a comm chatter go off. “SIR somebody else on the horizon!” With that he looked over the tower team escaped their position now he stood up fully and ran to the nearest rampart. Then the wall as they shot at him he kept going whomever it was he had to hope it was help. He radioed open comms. “This is the 7th platoon of the galactic republic! We have civilians in city and are in desperate need of reinforcements! To any friendlies please we are losing men fast! So long as this flag flies we are alive!” With that he slammed the flagpole into a crack so it stood flying maid the shattered city.
From there more than a dozen of the raiders began to converge on him support fire took some out forcing them to take other routes as he then fired toward them too. He then began to move back to the defense point taking up his pistol he fired into one of the raiders her face painted with tats to make her look fearsome she screamed in annoyed rage at him as he fired three blaster shots into her. As one climbed a wall he simply kicked them off still moving. As he got closer to the others they kept supporting fire and he kept firing backward. Once back behind defenses he returned to his rifle and fired into the mass of enemies coming. As they all dove for cover from a grenade that took some out the fighting went back to normal. The last of the large transport vehicles they had moved toward them. “Anything else sir?” One asked.

“Not sure theres much else left to handle that.” As it unloaded the last new fresh enemies it fired on them blasting apart some of the make shift barricades. Their enemy now confident began to reorganize a brief respite but it bought them minutes perhaps at best. As he looked to them he breathed in. “Alright we fall back to the last line. From there we got maybe one more trap to neutralize that thing after that it’s a last stand. They won’t be taking us prisoner after all this. So fight with all you got. If nothing else. It’s been an honor serving with you all. Now let move just like I showed you!” They began to move some running full on while others ran backward firing on enemy positions then they switched off the half running changed to firing the previously firing group began running. They did this all the way to the last line changing out every maybe 20 meters. As they got into position they watched the large transport move through the streets under a bridge they denotated it collapsing it onto them the big machine fell and smashed into the ground as it’s hover systems broke. With that down they had only a larger force of foot soldiers left. But now they were down to maybe 10 people. They prepared for the last stand now.

 

[Stuart]

[member="Shane Williams"]
Mensa began his trek into the city limits. He could sense peering eyes from the shadows gaze upon him with each individual step he had taken. It didn't take a genius to know that the shadows is where they lived and the shadows is where they wanted to be. These guys were just mere thugs though, relying more on intimidation than actual action. They definitely did not possess the armament to level the village he had just investigated.

The streets emitted steam from its sublevel vents, though he had smelled worse, it wasn't a grand endorsement. He could see some scattered paranoia along with grandiose deviant behavior, but nothing worth his time or involvement. It was then that Mensa heard it. Blaster fire - and lots of it.

It was an oddity that Mensa began to race toward the commotion. Most just ignored it by their own fruitions as it was probably part of their every day lives. Others intentionally shuddering in from the potential of the threat.

Mensa began to leap over bodies, a sign that he was getting closer. He finally got to a vantage point to see the origin of the commotion. He could see two parties, one with sheer numbers and the other drawing in with their tattered Republic flag flying in the midst of battle.

 

[Shane Williams]

[member="Mensa Dak"]

[ooc: sorry for delay.]

As they continued to fire back in the now slow grind of the last lien of defense Shane continued to try and figure out ways to delay his foes. Put simply he was running out of ammo, ideas and time. As he last blaster bolt from hsi rifle struck a target he went to his pistol. They were all down to mostly side arms now unless they had stolen ammo from fallen from either side. The enemy had maybe thirty left but well more than he had and it was getting rather clsoe in for fighting. he aimed a shot at one going on the upper levels of the city streets downing him before a blaster shot nearly struck him and sent him diving donw for cover. "Well Not sure we got much help coming here guys. Whats our ammo situation?"

One loked to him. "Between us all maybe thirty shots a peice but we also are overall missing maybe half our shots due to their cover situation sir." That wasint good, math said sure they could killthem all but this also hinged on them not being killed and so far the enemy looked to have ammo for days. What the name of the stars was going to help them now?