Objectives:
- Hold the Line
- Die Like a Hero
- Make Your Escape
- Aid the Wounded
FOB: Belisarius, Western Outskirts,
Primus City, Noris (874 ABY)
'Overturned speeder, cover and track enemy progress until I pass - go!'
Karsh was in his element, operating in ways that his predecessor-captains could only dream of, even his deaf-mute mentor (from the earlier days of the 117th's already-storied timeline) was incapable of operating so effectively, both as a soldier and officer alike, but even Remmel knew it wasn't meant to last. They would need to turn and fight eventually, and of the two veterans, only the Lorrdian was hypervigilant enough to be constantly aware of this fact, though he would be gladdened to see that it still hadn't escaped the Krieger.
'Covering! They're using jetpacks, shit! Definitely Death's Hand then.... Readied, moving!'
The leading sprints to covering positions would switch between veterans, but as each manoeuvre completed, the heavy armour they were wearing at the time would serve to slow them over time, putting both Karsh and Greene at extreme risk of error or death, slowly but surely becoming the contradiction to the protection and room for error the latest Plastoid specs were known for facilitating for the most part. Good progress was being made though, and despite the increasing odds of death at the hands of blood-thirsty Mandalorians, not an error was there to be seen yet.
'Uprooted tree by the rubble on the right - move!'
Karsh's turn to make the leading sprint to a covering position, and his legs were burning painfully with encumbered exertion already, but with an extra shove forward from behind, and a growled,
'Remmel! Don't be slackin' on us now, not here of all places! Move it!', the Captain would dig his treads into the ground beneath with a pained grunt and hurl himself forward with renewed intensity. Making it to the tree and practically launching his entire weight over the top and onto the other side, the Lorrdian would chuckle heartily, but until he heard what the Krieger had to say next, Brian wouldn't know that the timing of his laughter would appear misplaced at best. It had all been going so well for his hypervigilance until that moment, but as soon as one seemingly goofy act occurred, the hubristic facet to that moment would almost slap his mind into competence from within.
'Covering! And it's bad news, sadly! Our tails are pulling back, and not for safety reasons. Seems they're taking a little Sit-Rep back to their commander, and the only one of their lot with enough clout to keep them from killing us both outright would be - Kryze.... Readied, moving!'
Whatever awaited them next, it was sure to be much louder than it had been until then, but as for how long they left to enjoy the calm before the storm, neither Brian nor Remmel could say at that point. All they knew, in that eerie silence that seemingly enveloped them, was that running for all their worth was all they could do until the Disruptor trails started raining down all around them.
'Not marking positions this time, Brian.... We run, and we keep running until they start shooting! LETS GO!!!!'
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE: ACT 2 (DEATH) - PART 9
FOB: Belisarius, Western Outskirts,
Primus City, Noris (874 ABY)
The burning sensation in his legs had extended to the hips, bringing the Krieg-born Captain to the point of agony, but All-Heart kept pushing, and in the process he brought out a second-wind which aided his every step. Much to the relief of Karsh, (and much owed to his worry at the same time) Greene would offer exclamations, wordless though these outbursts were, that inadvertently offered a sort of pained solidarity as the veterans both ran their way northwards. Digging heels in, with the widest strides possible, holding their sling-attached rifles under the armpit segments of the bodysuits beneath the Plastoid pauldrons, and all to keep their heads tilted forward in the attempt to reach the walls of FOB: Belisarius; and for all their toil, it was working to an extent, but time had other plans for the two oldest servicemen in the 117th - plans that were just moments from being put into effect against them.
'Half-K left at the most, Remmel! Don't go letting up on me now, my old friend.'
THWACK-THWACK
THWACK-THWACK THWACK
THWACK THWACK
'THIS IS IT, REMMEL!!!! LET'S MAKE OUR STAND HERE!!!!'
THWACK THWACK-THWACK THWACK
Sliding into cover, both veterans would spring up from behind their chosen landmarks, letting Karsh be the one to shout,
'FLASH OUT!!!!', before they both ducked back down again, unleashing two flashbangs and obscuring themselves from the Mandalorians' viewpoints before anything could be done to anticipate and adapt to the Imperials' opening hostile play. From there, the first proper salvo in reply was offered in short bursts of three, suppressing and hindering their foes for as long as they had means to frustrate the asymmetric engagement in their favour for as long as they could keep their assailants from encircling them completely. Karsh and Greene were doing well for all they could do against such daunting odds, especially after figuring out quickly that the foes they were putting down weren't staying down, and thus, the advanced Plastoid composite's advantages were completely negated by Beskar's many qualities in combat, made even more difficult as traits in the hands of Mawite Mandalorians.
THWACK THWACK
THWACK THWACK THWACK-THWACK
'Tip from the Krieg-Mandos I grew up with! Throats, armpits, backs of the knees - everywhere else is pointless unless you actually wish to soften them up a bit first!'
THWACK THWACK-THWACK
Hellishness was all that their position would amount to, especially if no reinforcements or assistance of any sorts arrived, but despite the fact they were in a rather hopeless situation, the veterans were holding their ground admirably. Nothing would stop them for as long as there was room left to suppress the movements of their adversaries, made increasingly difficult by Mandalorians' jetpack advantage as time passed, but still easy enough for Karsh and Greene alike to endeavour for as long as their ammunition and focus held out against the odds.
'FRAG OUT!!!!'
BOOOOOOM!!!!
'WE NEED TIME TO RELOAD!!!! POPPING SMOKE!!!!'
<"All units southwest of FOB: Belisarius, this is Karsh! R-T-B!!!! I REPEAT, R-T-B!!!! TIME TO START FIGHTING YOUR WAY BACK!!!! Ember One out!">
With disruptor trails still raining down around them, Remmel and Brian continued to duck and dodge whatever they could, but the Plastoid armour was already beginning to suffer under the heat of repeated trail-burn residues; despite this, return-fire was still viable as a means of suppression, though the veterans had to expend their supply of frag-grenades and their accompanying incendiaries, and almost purely to keep that distance maintained between themselves and the Mawites besetting them from three different frontal vantage-points at the time. For those trying to outflank the Captain and his dutiful Commander, Karsh and Greene could do nothing but unleash slug and burning-trail alike at armour of which they knew could handle the punishment, made all the more obvious and disheartening by the repeated bell-like ringing of slug on Beskar contact.
'This might be it, Brian! If so, it was an honour having you here with me.... an honour to share my final moments - WITH THE GREATEST LORRDIAN WHO EVER LIVED!!!!'
Whilst most were standing back up, Karsh and Greene's well-placed shots would eventually cut through something easier than metal, placing perfect shots on around one out of every twelve Mandalorians who tried to get up close, but it wasn't enough, and the veterans knew it wouldn't be long before they were completely encircled. The beleaguered duo knew they were in trouble, but they continued to offer their own aggressions to the enemy and their own encouragements to each other, holding off against the unassailable with every last ounce of their strength, endurance and willpower. If they could hold off against Khamul's best and brightest for a little longer, then their tenacity would pay dividends and breathing space aplenty, as it would be likely by then that either their expected reinforcements would arrive to turn the tide, or the more likely outcome - that the Mandalorians' commander would call out the strongest of the two for a duel.
'COME ONE, COME ALL - A DOUBLE-TAP AWAITS YOU ALL!!!!.... BRIIIIIIING IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!'