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!
If you want the Infernal, you have to go through me.
Beneath the mesh that covered her face, Scherezade grinned from ear to ear. A moment before that, the Mandalorian she was with had said he would try to decommission the ship. She had other ideas, thinking it would be better to play space bowling and smack it into another Mando-ship while they made their hero's escape, but there would be no time to argue it out or try to butt-push each other away from the controls.
He was here. The man himself. She could easily enough feel the control over the Force slip away from her, but not it was not as it had been with the lizards – no, the Force was still there and she could still reach it, but it was like trying to move through hard water. She would not be able to depend on it in the moments to come, and so – she did not.
She wished she was in a better condition. Australis, against all expectations regarding the carnage that was happening all over the ship, wasn't showing signs of injury or fatigue. Her own leg, the pain throbbing and sending painful signals up to her abdomen and back, had her limping. She bit her lower lip as the man launched for her, noting from the corner of her eye that [member="Amon Vizsla"] had come at him as well, wielding… A Mandalorian with a lightsaber?!
But no. She remembered his words from earlier. He wanted the kill. Problem was, so she did she. And the man they were both going for, in that coming at her, the tractor beam coming close. Scherezade tried to move out of the way, narrowingly avoiding the need to see if her armor could withstand the tractor beam, save for the one spot that was moving slower than her; the gaping wound on her thigh. It was more than enough to pin her into place as he advanced, the big ugly weapon (okay gorgeous weapon, but he's the enemy) coming at her as well.
Wasting no more seconds, Scherezade began to fire with both her guns. She had enough to reload when the time came, and she hoped, she prayed, that both armor and weapon were made of beskar. That there would be no unpleasant surprises. Her bullets had been designed specifically against that metal, and while it had effect on other kinds as well, it had the strongest one on that.
She could only hope that the Vizsla would not see the pink glitter that was quickly becoming apparent, and think it was innocent child's powder.
Scherezade got hit by the tractor beam, is held in place by it
Her thigh is wounded from earlier and it does the pain
She shot a bunch of acid glitter bullets designed to eat through beskar and other things at [member="Kaine Australis"]
Kat made her way to the hyperdrive room and looked around at the several SJO troops aiming their guns at her. "Well, hello boys but I don't think shooting a Jedi would be good for a promotion so put the weapons down." Spotting Caedyn, she gave him a wink, she was starting to feel more herself and confident in their chances than before. Kat knew that was the Battle Meditation from Asaraa but she didn't give it too much consideration. Instead she walked to Caedyn, patted his shoulder. "Good job with the Mandos on the way here. Been able to start any damage to this? I think if I can plug in I can get us sorted in terms of comms and fighting the Mandos." Been directly connected to the system would give her a better advantage against the AI than she would have if she was working remotely. Home field advantage and all that. So Kat worked hard on plugging her tech into the Mando systems and started hacking into the comms. It was still taking longer than she would have liked but she was making progress. "Hm. This is going to take another 5 minutes but I think I have a backdoor way in. Pretty sure this will open our comms and maybe, if we are lucky, then we could get their encrypted comms as well."
Just as Kat was about to shout in joy, Kat could sense something wasn't going well with Asaraa. The battle meditation was strong but there was something more that Kat could sense from her friend. Typing a few more things, she freed their comms from the Mando jamming system. "Hey, we got comms back, contact Gir and tell him to stop firing at us if he would be so kindly and then we can focus less on trying to survive and do our job here. Also, I am trying to get into theirs but it is taking a bit longer and that should give us a better advantage but it is a harder task. AI is starting to catch on I am hacking in and not a Mando." Kat explained before she pulled her tech out of the system and shrugged. "However, I don't need to be plugged in anymore and Caedyn, we need to get to Asaraa, Force tingle is saying that things aren't going well for her and I think we need to help her out!"
Kat barged past several SJO soldiers and made her way to Asaraa, she was cursing herself under her breath for letting Asa convince her to leave Asa alone. It was a bad idea but she seemed so content and safe, but then Battle Meditation made things seem safer and dangerous ideas simple and easy to do. Hopefully Asaraa would be fine by the time they got there.
Location: Shabuir
Objective: Fight back boarders
Allies: UCM and Defenders
Enemies: SJO and Attackers
Equipment: In BIO under "Things always with Adenn" and beskad, also in sig
Tags: [member="Allya Vi'Dreya"]
Troops: 20 Beskad Elite, various Mandalorian soldiers on board the Shabuir
[media]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfl9MuN_bN8
[/media]
The pincer maneuver worked well for the Mandalorians on the Shabuir. They fought well against the droids, with the turrets doing a lot of damage. Then it came crashing down with the Mandalorian fighting alongside the droids, the crew simply weren't expecting that. Though they were surprised, they didn't hesitate to pour more fire on her, she was the most dangerous threat after all. At the same time the 2 turrets continued to fire, while the droid brains weren't even a target for them, and subsequently the turrets were destroyed in the explosion. The door to the next hallway was also blasted open, with one piece flying past Adenn, a mere foot away from him, though he didn't seem bothered by it.
Adenn was lost in thought, he heard the fighting, saw the explosion, but couldn't bring himself to care in that moment. The crew that ambushed Allya and co were killed and Adenn heard the Mandalorian words. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Adenn raised his head slightly, now looking down the corridor. In slow motion, Adenn saw the EMP grenade come flying down while his battle computer told him its course and what type of grenade it was. An EMP, nothing that would harm any of those in the room, and nothing important would be affected. So Adenn let it explode, not that he could've done much else, other than try to cut it, not that it mattered now.
With the armor of his guards resetting, along with his own, Adenn was still able to look out of his T-visor and observe those who came in. His guards did the same, but remained as still as statues, not indicating they were alive in the slightest. Sneering behind his helmet, Adenn observed the 'Mandalorian' here, fighting with droids and serving the jetii. At first Adenn didn't say anything, waiting as his armor came online again, or at least the special toys in it came online. His men were ready to, as well as those in adjoining rooms, all ready for his word to attack. Still sneering, Adenn spoke then.
"Su'cuy, jetii tidkasa(Greetings, Jedi lapdog). You wear Mando armor, but are you really a Mando? I challenge you to a fight, just you and I."
Adenn's voice was cold, with a bitter anger there, and contempt was there too. With his hands still resting on the pommel of his sword, the tip still touching the ground, Adenn then continued, unfazed by the lightsaber.
"You know, here I thought that Mandalorians and Jedi don't get along. Then again, I thought the Jedi were peace loving di'kuts, so this isn't all that surprising. Jetii have accepted some Mando'a, even if they're dar'manda." And why else would a Mando attack another Mando if they weren't dar'manda, whoever this Mandalorian before him was certainly wasn't one he knew, and certainly wasn't welcome.
Adenn remained standing the way he was, not caring for all the droids there, or for Allya herself. Then in the blink of an eye Adenn had his beskad up, the tip pointed straight at Allya. Adenn was armed to the teeth, but he was just holding his beskad for now. Then he spoke, voice filled with conviction, anger also evident.
"You claim to be in the right, well let's find out then, vode." With the last word laced with sarcasm, Adenn let out a cry before attacking. "For our aliit!"
He had used that cry at Tanaab, using it to rally those around him to fight harder for those in the hospital Now though, now he used it to remember those he'd lost in that accursed bombardment. Adenn now used that cry to bring his rage up, along with those who'd been there. He attacked while shouting out that cry, his men doing the same, their voices amplified by their speakers. They didn't attack though, merely crying out the same thing he did, honoring the memory of those they'd lost. Using his jetpack to boost himself forward, Adenn swung at Allya with his beskad, aiming his blade from shoulder to hip.
Elsewhere the crew fought on just as hard, squads of Mandalorians were sent to the surface of the ship to engage with the buzz droids there. Inside the ship crew members chased around the buzz droids, killing a few every now and then, but not being able to save everything, much to their frustration. At the same time Adenn's battle computer diverted its attention from Adenn to the ship, intending to help fight off this virus. Backdoors were countered, consoles purged individually, and crew members used back ups and main computers to fight back against the virus. They were doing everything to keep the thing at bay. It may be enough or it may not be, but with the buzz droids causing havoc all over the place, along with the virus, anything they did helped. Power shorted out in some places, not near Adenn and Allya, at least not yet. Doors shorted out, lights flickered, consoles died, but still the crew fought on, both in space and inside.
Opposition: [member="Kaine Australis"] & the UCM.
With [member="Kat Decoria"] working to infiltrate the Mandalorian Communications Link, Caedyn turned his attention to the rest of the Antarian Rangers as they continued to debate the status of the Terror-Australis. The ship was suffering gravely from the battle being waged against it, and in the mean time, Caedyn and his peers were all aboard, they whom were screwed if the hull decided to finally cave in under the weight and power of the Silver Fleet.
"Yeah, finding Asaraa's sounding good to me..." He replied to Kay apprehensively, "I don't have a good feeling about us sticking around on this ship for much longer..." He turned and started back the way he and the Rangers had come from. Kat had reached them from where his girlfriend had arrived with the rest of Raider Squad. He could feel Asaraa's presence through her Force Meditation, but something also felt wrong there, unable to quite explain it to himself, it just felt like Asa was putting in far too much of her natural energy than she should.
Following in behind Kat, Caedyn and the Rangers all made their way in swift pace back to the rendezvous where [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] and the others supposedly were. It appeared as though many of them had been scattered, though Asaraa was still there thankfully, and wasting no time Caedyn moved to her side and placed his hands upon her shoulders, closing his eyes and beginning to channel his own control and power of the Force through her, in order to reinforce her physical well-being, wanting to ensure that the meditation didn't take so much from her that it would seek to threaten her life.
Location: Azure beach head Allies: SJO peeps Enemies: UCM + Allies Objective: Girls day w/ [member="Romi Jade"] and support the beachead Post: 5
I felt a wave of....death. Looking around I could sense vibrations of utter darkness... My eyes had come to rest upon an adjoining island nearby. There was a glimmer of....defiance on that island too. Looking at the beach head and the firefight there I looked back to the island. That level of darkness was too much for any one person to face alone... "HK-shadow units, I hereby place you under the charge of the Jedi on this beach, my orders stand. A piece of beskar from each Mandalorian you eradicate. Report to [member="Coren Starchaser"] your further orders will come from him." I knew Coren was in charge of ground assault but I wasn't about to leave another Jedi to deal with that darkness alone.
Taking off at a full run I quickly made my way to a beach head where a spare wave-skimmer was along with a guard. Leaping into the air I wrapped my legs around the Mando' neck and whipping my body weight I heard bone snap from the torque. Snatching his helm I crushed it with The Force and took a piece of beskar. Gunning the engine I began making my way towards the adjoining island.
"Conjecture, I believe our mistress sent us to assist due to Jedi meatbags being merciful. Perhaps she thinks Jedi aren't hard enough to deal with the Mandalorian meatbags? Unit 2 we are approaching the Starchaser Jedi's position."
"Attention Starchaser Jedi, we are here by order of Silver Shadow Celiana, we are under orders to assist in whatever way is most helpful. How shall we handle the Mandalorian meatbags?"
To tell the truth Asaraa had never pushed herself this far, had never stretched her abilities to the limit and beyond like this. Battle Meditate a room, a ship, sure no problem, but an entire battle? That was the remit of Jedi Masters, specialist like Jairdain, not Jedi Knights like her. Asaraa knew this, she could even feet her body in the back of her mind, blood dribbling down from her nose, from the corner of her mouth as she pulled on more and more power, more power than she’d ever felt before. More power than she could handle. She knew this, but she couldn’t just stop, not if she could save one more person, be the difference between someone’s life and death.
All around her the young Jedi could feel the life forces of the Jedi, the Rangers, Mandalorians and civilians all being snuffed out. The storm was blind to affiliation, to belief or innocence, a pure maelstrom of chaos and death that raged all around her. Asaraa knew this wasn’t a natural occurrence, the malevolence was more than enough of a sign of that, the intent she felt building behind the storm as it swept towards her, past her. The Jedi’s form seemed to be mostly immune to the attack, the physical attack anyway. She couldn’t stop the emotional toll however, that constant barrage of pain and suffering that seemed to surge and flow on and out, constantly clawing at her, tearing at her.
It was too much, the terror and pain was like a vast ocean that she didn’t seem to be able to escape from, that seemed to stretch out in all directions. A deep darkness that seemed to reach out to her, to pull her in, wrap her up in the pain and drag her to the bottom with it. It was just like the hospital, the pain around her then had been too much for her to handle and she’d almost drowned…until Josh arrived. Josh. While he might no longer be her master, the bond between a Padawan and their Master wasn’t something that could be so easily given up.
She wasn’t afraid to admit what it was, fear, and a little but of panic chasing at her heels as Asaraa threw herself down that familiar pathway, reaching for the comforting presence that had saved her from this before. The presence that seemed to have problems of his own, a struggle vaster than hers. She could see it write on his face, on the tides and eddies of the force around him, the struggle to hold back the lightning for just a little while, for long enough for the civilians and other Jedi to escape.
She could even sense it, a grim fatality, an acceptance of what was to come. Even as the pain of the attempt wracked his body Josh seemed beyond it, calm and accepting as he threw everything he had into the barrier that would protect his people. There wasn’t any conscious thought on Asaraa’s part, not a moment of consideration as she seemed to flow forward, her form floating over, wrapping her arms around his back as she pressed a cheek against him. She might not have been there in person, her body was still on the Terror Australis, surrounded by the guards.; She could even feel Caedyn’s concerned touch, the energy he offered flowing into her. But in spirit, in the force she was right behind Josh, a star of light, burning bright with all the power she’d drawn from the force, pulled deeper and deeper into herself to push herself further. The ocean of power that she offered without hesitation, pouring it into the Jedi master, a reserve to bolster him, to carry the shield just that little bit longer.
She wanted to go back, to collapse in her boyfriend’s arms and cling to him, let him hold her and make the world go away just for a moment. Yet, to do that, to acceded to that need would be to abandon everyone on the planet, everyone who needed protection, needed whatever power she come summon. What more she could summon. A scream of pain tore from her lips as she pulled on the force even further, drowning in the power, revelling and dancing in it, blood spluttering up from her in a ragged cough as she pushed everything she had at Josh, anything to help bolster the flagging defences. Her mind throwing the energy where he was faltering, buffering and securing the dome in the force, even as she felt her grip to her body waver, blink. For a moment she felt the link fall away before reasserting herself, a thinning tenuous link that she couldn’t afford to worry about.
Just a little longer, just a little more power, just a few more lives.
Suffering was the toll exacted by those who kept the darkness close. Those who courted conflicted and waged wars were cursed to experience the same woes and endure the same struggles. It hurt his heart to feel someone, even an enemy, lose their life prematurely. Unfortunately, he had no time to mourn. Neither of them did. Jerek was quick to turn the corner and sidle along the far end of the building, vacating the side behind which he initially disappeared.
He could feel it coming for him still, the boiling blood of an enemy ready to fight. It was hard to pinpoint him; he was quiet, and used stealthier means than his jetpack to close the distance. It was only because he had rounded the building that he noticed the warrior, armored, armed, and ready to attack. It was in that instant he had an opportunity.
He reached out with a hand and closed both eyes, focusing on the edge of the rooftop. The area where [member="Laandur Solus"] was perched. It would take just that much to trigger the Mandalorian's sensors, in all likelihood.
The idea wasn't to gain a real, violent, tactical advantage.
It was to ensure that the Mandalorian didn't have one, and that he could better control the situation. Crunch! Jerek focused his thoughts on impounding the roof just enough that it would give, and hopefully...
Hopefully, it wound send the other man sprawling to the ground.
Location: Adjacent Island Allies: UCM Enemies: [member="Romi Jade"]
A storm raged.
All around darkness surged. The entire island withered away with the passage of time the dark side crept through the very roots and drained them of what they had. In the epicenter. Every explosion, every arc of lightning, every burst of energy unleashed that destroyed someone, somewhere he felt their very last moments. Until the sudden appearance of the Jedi Master it almost appeared as if he didn't even register her existence until she let herself be known, but he didn't appear surprised either. "I was wondering when you would show up....Romi." The Shadow Hand said, turning in her direction. He thrusted a hand forward and unleashed a blast of pure dark side energy towards her.
Location: The Terror Australis Objective: Intel and Comms(?), help Asaraa, don't eat the Padawan Shield the Padawan In Scene: [member="Bushi Nadora"] Allies on Ship: SJO Enemies on Ship: UCM [member="Kaine Australis"]
The Songwing viewed the Force as a part of the Slipstream- their guiding path in all things. The metaphors of wind both as the force that buoys while at the same time having the capacity for destruction was ingrained in their thought patterns. It was no wonder that the chaos in the Force now would visualize so dangerously to the winged creature.
Mariel felt the Force churning around her. Like being buffeted by hurricane force winds, the familiar and comfortable lines of the Slipsteam shattered in the massive downdraft that threatened to ground her. Her feathers fluffed out and her eyes closed, the tension writ clear in every line of her body.
She followed the mouse more on instinct than on any conscious level. The words skipped off of the surface of the wind raging through her mind.
"Yes," she answered absently. This wasn't where they needed to be. But then, was anywhere on the ship that now? How small they were, their mission here, when faced with the maelstrom below.
The surface of the planet beneath them roiled with darkness and death. But there was something else happening as well. The eye of the hurricane. She felt the draw into the center. [member="Asaraa Vaashe"]. The pull of the Force from the Jedi was leading to a place of relative calm- but the walls of wind around it were dangerous. Where light and darkness met was where the wind sheer within the Force was the strongest and most likely to fling someone to the ground in a pile of broken feathers and shattered bones.
Mariel wasn't the strongest Jedi. Not even close. But what she could do was enhance- her and others. Dangerous this, when dealing with something like the draw Asaraa was already taking from the Force. But what else could she do? Block it out? What darkness would she find within herself by choosing a path that deliberately ignored suffering?
Another shudder through the ship, but Mariel didn't seem to notice.
The Songwing dipped into the Maelstrom of the Force.
The impression of a buffet of wings, and she threaded additional connection and draw through Asaraa.
Just a little longer, came an echo. Just a little more power. Just a few more lives.
But this was dangerous. The sheer pull from Asaraa could tug those without enough experience in if they weren't careful. Oh, the Jedi wouldn't do it on purpose, but there was a desperation here. No one meant to catch another in a down draft. Mariel could have sent more, opened the connection wider- but instead she settled a blanket around the Nezumi under her care. It would mute the effects of what was happening on the surface- but more importantly it would prevent the potential of a stray current dragging the padawan in if things went wrong suddenly in this calling.
"This is it!"
Mariel dragging the part of her conscious back to the physical moment. She blinked, for a heartbeat seeing the twin afterimage of shielding wings and dragging winds superimposed on the hopeful, excited face of Nadi.
The room was empty- the personnel evacuated, but the pair didn't know that. Not yet. Forgotten and unnoticed, they had pressed forward and would continue as best they could.
"Bushi Nadora," Mariel said, her tone quiet but strained. If she had been the focal point, the conduit, she wouldn't have been able to- instead she only enhanced, opened up one additional line of wind. "I will explain later what is happening now, but for now I need you to listen and obey," her words tense and intent. She could not split her attention more than she already was. "Go down into the comm room. If you can access the jamming and turn it off, do it. If you cannot, upload any information you can to bring with us."
With Nadi's comm's off and Mariel without, neither of the two knew that the jamming had already been lifted by [member="Kat Decoria"].
"I have faith in you, Padawan Bushi. Go."
TLDR:
Added focus and power to Asaraa's working
Protected Nadi from potential fall out if something goes wrong with above
Reached the comm room
The air battle droids did their job, harassing the Jedi and Ranger attackers with raking blaster fire as they zipped over their heads. Meanwhile, on the ground, heavy units of Sith troopers advanced in slow walls of death, churning opposition underfoot like a meat grinder. Together, the IG droids and Sith soldiers made a deadly combo pressing the SJO at all angles.
Amid the chaos, Cardinam and the rest of the CSD Commandos had an relatively easy time coming down quietly by repulsor pack, electromagnetic signatures obscured either by baffleweave cloaks or reflec-coated armor. Still that didn't stop his adrenaline system going into overdrive, now under threat of getting popped at any time. With experience, one learned to be cool under fire, but it was still wise to keep a healthy respect for the power of a blaster bolt.
A single one could spell the difference between a fabulous vacation to Zeltros, or a trip six feet under.
The team split in half during their drop, some following Fiore closer to the main action, while the rest stuck with Cardinam on his way down just behind Sith lines.
Never had the ex-Republic soldier imagined the day he'd be rubbing soldiers with Sith.
War made for strange bedfellows.
“Ps and Qs, everyone,” Cardinam reminded them as they landed.
“Right right, it's the space wizards with blue glowsticks on the chopping block tonight,” Poseidon quipped.
A surprisingly cordial Sith lieutenant directed his team toward Vantai farther back. Once he knew what to look for, it didn't take him long to find her, the Sith Lord sticking out from her troops with her flaxen locks and strong presence in the Force.
“I'm Colonel Khim,” he announced to her with a small nod, the vocabulator of his helmet adding a slight metallic ring to his voice. “You must be Admiral Vantai.”
In full armor, the cyborg towered over the woman, but he knew better than to underestimate Forcers. Her aura was as insidious as her features were fair.
“I had the pleasure of a bird's eye view on my way down. As I see it, the Silver Jedi are fodder at this point. They obviously don't have the hardware on the ground to take out entrenched positions or establish a toehold on the island, and aerial support on their end is negligible.”
He knew the Silver Jedi did have everything they needed to take the island, but it just seemed like they were holding back. Typical bleeding hearts.
For their half-measures, now everyone would suffer.
“At this rate, we can keep bouncing them betwe---”
The sky drew his attention as he felt a massive bloom of dark energy above them, manifested as black and purple clouds. He looked up just in time to see curtains of lightning quickly forming, then crashing down toward the island. Reflexively, he squinted his eyes to avoid being blinded by the intense flashing, the polarizing lenses of his helmet kicked in to protect his vision.
He tensed, from his vantage point unsure if he was about to get glassed or not.
Should he run?
Would it make a difference?
Why the feth hadn't he retired while he was ahead?
If you keep playing with fire, then you're gonna get burned...
Countless thoughts ran through his augmented mind as he began to make the motions to grab Poseidon and blast off, but then came a thunderous boom that stopped him in his tracks.
Before the lightning bolts could reach the ground, they were instead intercepted by a translucent barrier. Another explosion of bright flashes came as the titanic forces of Dark and Light collided in their rawest form. The sight was both amazing and terrifying at once, like watching an erupting volcano.
In the moment, the normally composed mercenary felt so small.
He probably would have stood there standing dazed and slacked jawed from his near death experience, but the soft lyrical voice of Fiore in his ear snapped him back to reality.
Fiore de Noir said:
Still she was prepared to fire more shots and take him out. He wouldn’t be leaving the planet of Azure, Fiore would make sure of it. A finger pressed against her ear as she opened the secure comm link between her and Cardinam. “Nearly the entire list is at the following coordinates I’m sending you. They’re shouting something, I can’t make full sense of what it is, beyond – Sith and doing something.” Pausing, Fiore figured it was the storm. “Probably the weather change.” Tapping quickly the coordinates, she sent them to her partner. “There’s one who’s in charge and another straining himself to do something.” Fiore focused on the blonde one, he seemed to be occupied with what he was doing to notice a shot being fired. Might be a good opportunity for her. Deciding against it, she moved from her small nest and changed positions. If she couldn’t get the Jedi from that point, it would be better to try another angle.
“Copy that...” Cardinam answered distractedly, still processing what she was saying. “Ah...stay with them. If they're the HVTs we're looking for, then we can shatter what's left of this offensive with their elimination. I'll be with you in a minute. Out.”
Reaching out to the air battle droids over heavily encrypted comms, the cyborg directed two squads (24) to focus on the Jedi (Coren and SJO peeps in his immediate vicinity) listed at the coordinates provided by Fiore. If they were really the head honchos of this operation, he doubted the droids would prevail, but they would give him more than enough time to catch up with Fiore and help her take them out.
“We may have a fix on the positions of the enemy commanders,” he informed Vantai. “Now we can cut the head off the snake. If you'll follow me with some of your units, then we can take them out, personally. As for the rest of the Silvers, the Apollyon will deploy cavalry units and armored sections momentarily. Then we can trap them in a pincer.”
He looked up at the sky again. Most of the lightshow from earlier had died down, but there was still great dark energies brewing above. He doubted the Silvers would have an easy time dropping reinforcements through that.
One successful counterstrike, and they could wipe out the remaining Silvers on Azure for good.
"Send down an additional transport" Veiere spoke into the mic of his ear-piece to the crew aboard the Warthog; "Make sure she's battle-ready, we're heading into a Storm" he added so that the Commanding Officer would understand just what kind of transport Veiere was requesting for himself and [member="Lucera Maive"]. With [member="Kay Arenais"] now free to get away from the conflict, and [member="Darth Prazutis"]' monstrous creation, a manifestation of the Dark-Side casting torrential power down against the world of Azure, Veiere didn't have the time to consider the risks, nor the likelihood of their being swallowed up in the maelstrom.
Turning to look back to Lucera whilst she guided the civilians aboard their transport soon to be departing for the Silver Fleet, Veiere considered telling her to stay behind where it was safe. Judging by her character and the fact that she'd been determined to follow him down into the conflict, he doubted that she'd be happy about it. "I can't allow that Storm to tear the surface apart, I've seen it happen on Atrisia and the scars of that world took years to subside" Veiere explained to her, making sure she understood his intentions, and therefore able to decide for herself what she wished to do; "I'm not certain I have the ability tocountersuch power, but I intend to find out...-I'll understand if you choose to remain here, Lucera".
Casting a 'wall of light' required more than one practitioner strong in the light-side of the Force, though Veiere saw little alternative given the obvious consequences of allowing the storm to wage on unchecked. An audible 'pop' sounded above, their drop-ship breaking down through the atmosphere en-route to their location where Veiere would head for the eye of the Force Storm. "Trust that this is the will of the Force" he said, though it'd be unclear whether he was suggesting this to her, or if he was seeking to reassure himself.
Objective: Bring on the fight.
Equipment: Armor (Right Vibro-wristblade/Cable launcher and left Stun baton/Sedative injector gauntlets), DL-44 (Han's pistol)
Opponent: [member="Jerek Morrows"]
Others: [member="Cotan Sar'andor"] [member="Josh Dragonsflame"] [member="Ador Horn"] [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] [member="Jerek Morrows"] [member="Romi Jade"] [member="Celiana"] [member="Azure Djitred"] [member="Darth Prazutis"]
Wait...? Laandur looked over the edge and the Jedi was gone. Osik! Where'd he go? Laandur quickly looked around, but soon heard a crunching, looking at his feet. "Aw Fe...!" And with that Laandur fell to the ground, but did his best to land feet first. Thank Kad he had powered armor. Laandur was quick to get up, looked around, and extending his melee weapons. When the energy stopping the coming Force Storm faltered for a moment, the building was hit, making the Mando'ad spy quickly move away before eyeing his Jedi opponent.
"Smart move Jetii." He then charged for the Jerek, leading with his Vibroblade to slash at the man, and quickly seconding with the Stun Baton. This Force Starm that showed was crazy, but Laandur's job wasn't to judge the Force. It was to spy and fight. He wanted to go help the civilians, he was a Solus after all, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to at the moment.
Objective: Safeguard Veiere Arenais, Evacuate the Civilians, Stop the Force Storm Location: Civilian Oceanic Transit Platform Opposition: The United Clans of Mandalore, The Force Storm Allies: The Order of the Silver Jedi
Lucera had turned her head in Veiere's direction, but movement at the edge of her sight warranted note. The Keshiri's head turned ever so slightly to catch more than a glimpse. A strange presence, almost as though they weren't there. Yet no malicious intent followed it. She resumed helping the civilians board and did not call out whoever or whatever had passed in silence. The Force would guide her to notice any that meant to sabotage the evacuation or their efforts in orbit above the planet. Fortunately, those on this platform truly did appear to be civilians isolated from the larger conflict.
The second transport she'd signaled fro drop landed nearby. Lucera called, "Please make your way to the second transport. This one is nearing capacity." Her hand waved over head in the direction of the other vessel in case people had become so fixated on their destination they'd not noticed another ship landing. Even with initial reservations, a desire to escape a warzone could blossom quickly.
Veiere's call for a third ship had not interrupted efforts to evacuate the civilians, though Lucera had heard it quite clearly. His accompany Master ensured the first transport was secured before she linked in, "Buttoned up. Get them clear. Declare you are carrying civilians if necessary." At least there'd be room, with far fewer civilians in harms way.
"Master Arenais," Lucera turned her attention back to the man as she cleared the transport so it could liftoff, "this is the Will of the Force." A smile graced dark purple lips once more as she stood before him. "At times the Force may deliver a darkness so that a brighter light can be found once more, but this is not such a time. This Storm is the will of a person that has bent the world to their dark desires, not the Force." Her right hand reached out to lay upon the wiser Master's shoulder. "We will meet it head on and restore balance back to this world."
Of course Lucera could feel the strength of this Storm even from here. She knew saying a thing and doing that thing were different. Yet the danger did not dissuade her from this course. This was what they had come here to do -- to save the civilians from peril. What finer example than ensuring the survival of a thriving world for them to return to? She had promised their departure would be short lived. It would go against everything she had said to retreat from this threat now; abandon the homes the civilians desperately yearned for. Even if it were just the two of them, they would put an end to this living catastrophe.
"Master?" Lucera stepped aside so that Veiere could take the lead to the battle-ready transport.
As he led the way, his companion would pause for just a moment and kneel down on the platform. A hand rested atop an invisible child-like spirit that stood there. "Don't worry, everything is going to be all right." The spirit just smiled and then faded back into the ether. It was a heavy burden protecting an entire planet as a war raged. Lucera never recalled joining the Order because she'd sought an easy life, however.
She rose to her feet and made haste to follow Veiere. Into fire, into in the storm, into Armageddon, the Force would be with them.
Tracyn's silence was curious to Azure. She knew not whether he disagreed, or was contemplating her words, but it mattered not. Chances were, she would never see the man after today. She was broken from her thoughts when she felt a wave of Dark Side energy, and tensed. A feeling of anger washed over the Daughter of Allya, followed by sorrow as even more death and destruction was caused. Her attention was pulled to Lailya, as she pointed ahead of them to a child who had wandered into the streets.
"Miss Azure! They're in danger!" Azure clicked her tongue, and turned at an unknown voice called out the Tracyn to get the child. Well, if Tracyn was going to save the child, she was going to save them both, Jetii and child. The witch called out to the plants, and their energy called back to her. They felt as much sorrow as the witch did, and hurt even more. Cuddles slowed to a stop as Azure drew power into herself, and began to sing.
"Heed the call of the mountain wind
Fill your heart with the soul of ever green
Blessed be the hearts of love
Hear my prayer oh woods of ever green
Heed to thee the call of the wind"
As Azure sang, the trees and plants themselves shook with power, and spread their roots closer to Tracyn and the child. The roots ripped up through the ground, surrounding them in a protective shield. Azure's job was not finished yet, however. The Jetii that had called out to Tracyn was slowly killing himself, trying to save everyone, and she could not allow him to die. Not like this.
"Heed the call of the river stones
Hear the song of the silent birds
Follow the path through the open fields
Oh woods of ever green, hear my words
Heed to thee the soul of the forest stones"
With all the power Azure could give, the trees themselves grew. Vines wrapped around branches that warped and shielded those beneath them. Roots sprung from the ground, creating safe cocoons around Mando'ade and Jetii alike. Azure strained her body to reach out through the plants, guiding them to guard those within their reach from the darkness that threatened to destroy them. Blood dripped from the witch's nose, but still, Azure could not stop. Not now. She could not save everyone with the level of power she had now, not as many as the Jetii nearby was... But she would help save as many as she could. Lailya turned around in the saddle just enough tho hold onto Azure, and keep her from falling off of Cuddles.
As their transport departed the landing platform, Veiere looked to Lucera Maive offering a faint yet appreciative smile for her words. They'd not known one another for very long, yet Lucera had already proven herself to be a wise and capable newer addition to the Order of the Silver Jedi, as well as a loyal friend. By now, Veiere could only hope that his Wife, [member="Kay Arenais"] had departed from the civilian platform and was already on her way towards the safety of the Silver Fleet, leaving the pair of them to worry about tackling the true threat to Azure.
Looking ahead of them both, the cockpit of the ship could be seen from the personnel cabin, there the transparisteel screen gave them a hint of what was to come. The skies had darkened and he could make out flashes of lightening, some appearing almost orange, as though the clouds themselves were in flames. The winds also picked up as they grew closer to the torrential storm, the ship coming under the assault of heavy turbulence, causing the Jedi passengers to have to hold on to their seats in order not to lose their place and be thrown about too much.
"Master Arenais, I can't get you both directly under this thing without risking the ship going down. I'll get you as close as I can but if you're certain you both really need to do this, then you'll have to move ahead on foot..." The pilot spoke to them through the vessels comm-system, Veiere simply nodding in resigned compliance.
Closing his eyes, Veiere took the moment to calm his breathing and fall into meditation. The last time he had been present during the destructive force of a Storm such as this, he had been much younger and not nearly as capable as he was today. That said, Veiere still couldn't be certain if he had enough within him to overcome the ferocity of such a power. On Atrisia it had taken five Sith Lords to summon fourth the Force Storm that ravaged that world; this time, it had only required Darth Prazutis himself, speaking volumes for the power behind his control.
The flow of energy around them rippled as Veiere drew in upon the Force, using meditation to maintain a state of calm whilst his body acted as a beacon, calling out to and receiving a stead flow of power for which he would use to push back against the Storm. He'd need every ounce of the Force that he could handle, and despite being a Master of the Order, there was still only so much that one person could accomplish on their own. Thankfully, despite having been given the choice, Lucera had agreed to accompany him into the fray.
Location: Aboard the Terror Australius Objective: Proceed to Bridge, assure safe extraction of Silver forces With: [member="Valkren Calderon"] Allies: [member="Scherezade deWinter"], [member="Amon Vizsla"], TF Raider
Opposition: [member="Kaine Australis"], Mandos
Roona sat still and silent, waiting. It wouldn't be long now. Her sharp gaze shifted beneath her visor, finding Commander Calderon as he spoke into the comm. A brow lifted slightly, as he mentioned the condition of the ship... their destination. When Valk called out, Roona braced as ordered. Her eyes closed a moment until the pod had latched and steadied.
As the cutting started, she got to her feet.
The sharpshooter watched as guards moved forward, shields up. Roona stood, taking her place towards the back of the group. Following the Commander out, onto the Terror Australis, Roona felt her stomach drop. It was the sense of impending doom, she knew enough about the force to recognize it. She didn't want to remain on this ship for long.
She moved forward with Clark, ready to follow the Commander towards the bridge.
After a few mere steps, she could truly see the chaos unfolding. There were loud footfalls, shouts, and the sound of combat ahead. Roona drew her rifle, finger on the trigger, ready to fire.
A sniper, one of her jobs was to create confusion in enemy ranks... but, things seemed quite chaotic as it was. For now, she'd remain alert, there was no telling what waited for them.
It didn't take a Jedi master or Sith lord to feel what was coming. Something felt wrong, yet, not inherently threatening. It was like whenever he'd seen the Caldera company do what they do best knowing he was at a safe distance and out of danger. It was not wanting to look away from the slaughter because you know it won't actually hurt you. It was primal.
Yet dangerous.
Few things cause a Sociph to turn up their nose or bristle the hairs on their skin, some part of that storm did so. An old instinct, an ancient anxiety imprinted on every Sociph's mind. The Qerak's Curse. There were examples of courage and sacrifice on both sides present around him. Respect went where it was deserved, but it didn't mean he had to do anything about it.
He hadn't known the woman long, they'd just met, but she was a different sort than the other warriors on the planet. Azure on Azure, an interesting notion and one he'd consider the irony of at a later time. It didn't seem that fighting was much on her mind; it was the civilians she seemed to be solely concerned with, her own safety thrown aside. It also didn't look like what she was attempting would much work, considering a Jedi of what appeared to be some renown attempting something akin to it.
The choice wasn't a hard one. He rushed to the rancor-mounted woman. The force and its capabilities were still a mystery to the man. Nicair attempting anything even close to what the woman was would be tantamount to suicide. What he did know was that it could be channeled. The qer he used to smith his armor wouldn't be highly conducive to what he had planned. It was a rare thing, for a Mandalorian to remove some of their armor in combat, but it was necessary.
His gauntlet was off and a hand placed around the hanging ankle or whatever he could reach.
Just don't let the rancor eat me while I try this.
"Azure, ready for a boost?"
Let a month of resisting mind breaches and mental discipline come in handy for once.
Objective: Safeguard Veiere Arenais, Stop the Force Storm Location: En-Route to the eye of the Force Storm Opposition: The United Clans of Mandalore, The Force Storm of [member="Darth Prazutis"] Allies: The Order of the Silver Jedi
Lucera's luminescent eyes stared at the coming storm ahead of their transport. The closer they came, the more its influence was felt. Both in the vessel bucking under the strain, and through the Force. They could not let such a maelstrom run free on the planet. It would do the galaxy justice if the person or group responsible for this monstrosity could be found and stopped from ever performing such a vile act again. Unfortunately, she would have to find contentment in ending the present threat.
It was quite the ride at that. Lucera held fast to the seat beneath her to stay seated with dignity. Using the Force was an option, but she had been conserving every ounce of strength for the battle ahead. The danger was so prevalent that the pilot soon called back they would scarcely get any closer to the Storm or its core from the air. Moving ahead on foot might expose them to the harsh conditions of the storm itself. A grim task, but one she held no regrets on choosing back on the platform.
Her eyes shifted over to Veiere to discover the Master was meditating. Preparing for their battle ahead. Lucera closed her eyes as well to focus on the Force as it flowed around and through them. The accident that had given the Jedi her eyes left a distinct mark on the woman on the transport. Almost as if her connection to the Force had been thrown wide open, and in so doing left a permanent tear or scar that allowed it to seep in constantly. Patterns of energy swirled about everyone and everything before her eyes. Spirits no one else saw or heard seemed to be drawn to her as though they recognized Lucera could see and hear them. Part of her felt a shiver at the thought of what they were about to do; how she would risk throwing open that channel once more and what it might do to her again.
A smile surface on her lips again as she basked in the warmth of the Light. Let its will be made known to all that stood in witness -- this storm would not consume this planet on their watch.
She was still Mando'ade. Regardless of what they labled her as, regardless of what that false Mand'alor said. For millenia, Clans had fought against one another. It was a part of their culture. However, these Imperial Mando'ade that followed Yasha the Usurper were difficult to deal with. They were so deluded in their own righteousness, they refused to look at their own actions as it reflected on their Ancestors. They brought shame and dishonor on their clans, and yet acted like it was glory. It was the strangest thing in the galaxy. Her lightsaber gave a gentle salute. A button was pushed on her wrist command console, and the droids backed off. While many kept their weapons trained on the soldiers in case the others interupted, the others pulled back, and several began to gather the fallen droids, and stack them against the wall that was against the edge of the ship in the room with the destroyed turrets. She looked back at the man, and placed her right hand over where her heart would be and bowed in respect. “I, Allya Vi'Dreya, of Clan Vi'dreya and Clan Verd accept. I didn't expect any of my people to have any sense of honor left. If I had known, maybe we could have skipped the pointless bloodshed.” The tiny Mandalorian's voice was....sad. Remorseful. “When my own people decided to kill me simply because I could use the force, it makes one see the galaxy in a different light, doesn't it? I'm against the Jedi's very beliefs, to my core. And yet, they accepted me. Welcomed me. So, when they fight. I will too.” She could feel the contempt in his voice. Allya couldn't blame him. She would have been the same in the reverse.
“But Dar'manda? The only Dar'manda I see are you, and the followers of the that false Mand'alor, Yasha the Usurper. She isn't even here, or anywhere to fight against us. Weak. Pointless. Uses her body to get what she wants, rather than her skill. I don't claim to be right. But at this very moment, someone is channeling a lot of dark side power onto the planet. Probably going to kill countless of the people you claim to protect. I'm not right. But I would rather be me, than the dogs of the Sith Empire you have become.” She flipped her blaster so she held it by the barrel. A button press caused the base to extend and show off the spikes at the edge of the gun. “Come, dar'manda. For Mand'alor the Reclaimer!”
As he used his jetpack to charge forward, she entered his void stone's field. It was a strange feeling. It was like the force was more muddy. However, it mattered little. Cardinal had forced her to train inside Ysalamir bubbles, as well as with a void stone. It wasn't going to change the outcome here.Especially since void stone didn't STOP the force being used. Just made it harder to use. She concentrated, and put what little use she had over it into strengthening her speed and body. As his attack came, her blaster butt came out, and she side stepped. The weapon was infinitely heavier than her own, as was his armor. The butt of the blaster would push against the side of the blade, helping push it just narrowly away from her body. If the phrik spikes came in contact with the metal weapon, a strong electrical current would course through the weapon, and with luck into the suit, that had no electrical protection (or very little). With her blaster butt keeping the sword busy, her lightsaber would slash out. She wouldn't use wide slashes and the like, but instead, very well aimed attacks. There was no hesitation and she didn't even attempt to strike the main body. Instead, her lightsaber slashed at the joints on the fingers of one of his hands holding the weapon itself. Either way, her hands would be switched between attack and defense. Then, with a grin, she taunted the man. “So, the Destroyer of Tanaab graces us. No man did more to destroy the planet and its people than you. Not even the attackers did as much damage as you. I'm almost impressed.” Weapons were kept switched between attack and defense.
On the surface of the ship, the droids scattered, making it very hard for the Mandalorians to limit damage, as there was few clusters of them. They would purposefully lead the blaster fire aimed at them into needed components. The droids in the ship became clever as well, connected to the droid control module found in Allya's suit. They scavenged an undestroyed body of a B1, and used their saws and torches to cut the body apart. They then dragged the torso into the air vents. There, they thunked along, and eventually managed to make it to a place to exit, and drag the piece into the shield generator room where the others were leading the troops on a merry chase. They pushed the torso against the generator and waited....then poked it. And then sawed into the body. If they succeeded, the explosion would vaporize anything in a five meter (15 foot) radius). Including themselves....the idiots. However, the number of Buzz droids had been thinned significantly. And the Virus' progress slowed drastically.
The pods that had brought them in pulled themselves out of the hull of the ship. With the offensive weapons offline, there was little fear. Or so they thought. The point defense cannons still opened up, and obliterated another five pods, reducing the number they had to only two squadrons. The others flew back under the radar to the mother ship and docked. They took on more droids there. Fighter squadrons launched, four squadrons of Fangs, and the flew fast and hard towards the enemy ship, knowing enemies could be coming at any moment. Allya's three capital ships began to open fire on the Pygmy, they aimed directly at the hanger with their weapons. Proton beam cannons, turbolasers, mass driver cannons, positron cannons, and flak cannons and so much more poured into the hanger. The Fangs would then attempt to dive towards the shields, to trench warfare the larger ship, dodging incoming fire. If they could they would target the Mandalorian crew members on the surface of the ship. If not, their fire simply hit the shields to add to the strain.
Location: The Silver Tide, near Azure Objective: Obtain Space Superiority Allies: [member="Reshmar"], [member="Allya Vi'Dreya"], and other SJO personnel Enemies: [member="Kaine Australis"] (currently engaging); [member="Dezoti"] (nearby, not currently engaged), other UCM and allied personnel
Little time had passed since the Silver Tide appeared when the Never Again began to make a brilliant light show, systematically flooding the space around with low-powered energy weapon beams in order to try and detect the Silver Tide's location. Admiral Quee had to admit that it was a smart plan that had only been adversely affected by luck. The Silver Tide had only slightly altered its original course to the starboard, taking it on a parallel path alongside the Snaggletooth as the mandalorian carrier. With Never Again turning to port, the two super star destroyers were jetting away from each other. Energy fire abruptly slackened from the Never Again.
Tierson looked away from the holo-map at the two, "We've either successfully shaken them, or they've figured out where we are..."
Streams of ordinance began to pour out of the Never Again before beginning to turn and run towards the Tide. Gir felt his pulse quicken. At least we've built up some distance from them...that will give us time to react to it all. The Tide didn't decloak immediately, but instead its minelayers began to drop dozens of Cometburst Space Mines in its wake. As the mandalorian warheads neared the mines on their approach to the Tide, the mines detonated, throwing out massive clouds of high-speed shrapnel peppered with half a hundred grenades. Explosions began to erupt between the two super star destroyers. Multi-warhead technology pitted against multi-warhead technology...But some Mandalorian warheads passed through this gauntlet unscathed, continuing their attack run towards the super star destroyer. Gir toggled a link on his comlink.
"All available interceptors near the Snaggletooth, please divert to intercept inbound capital warheads on heading A6.543."
"Reinforce stern shields with energy from our starboard shielding," ordered Tierson before lowering his voice, "it would have nicer to have more time to recharge our shields..."
tShouts began to ring out through the various crew stations as missiles impacted, either reducing shield strength in an area or damaging external systems.Yet Gir felt confident that the ship's layered active and passive defenses could hold off the mandalorian assault for a while. Gir turned his attention to the tactical map. The fleet had originally launched almost four hundred starfighters towards the Snaggletooth, but encounters with the enemy had reduced their number by almost a hundred, still leaving dozens of the fighters able to double back and intercept some of the incoming ordinance. Even with their added fire, some warheads sailed through the fighter screen, which in turn were engaged by the super star destroyer's layered point defense system or impacted on its shields.
"It's curious," said Tierson, "they're using the Loran Spitball."
The admiral blinked, "They must really want the Tide out of commission, even at cost to their own ship."
Ariela turned her eyes onto Gir, "What do you mean by that?"
"Particle shields need to be lowered in order to launch physical projectiles. Normally, it's a pretty simple process to flicker a section of the shield on-and-off for normal weapons emplacements. But to do that with starfighters in a hangar bay, that means you're lowering the shielding at the hangar points to allow those warheads to pass through on their way towards us."
"And?"
"The Never Again is swarmed with our fighters making attack runs on it. They've lowered sections of their shields while they are still under attack."
Over a hundred Gale-class Heavy Fighters continued their assault on the Never Again, taking advantage when they could to fire proton torpedoes directly into the ship's open hangars. The ghost-like Phantasms that had been orbiting the mandalorian super star destroyer saw their chance too and took it to try and toss proton bombs into the vulnerable hangar bays before skirting away from the Never Again. Hundreds of Cyclone Bombers and Gale Fighters previously attacking the Terror Australis surged over to join in the attack, covering the Never Again in a swarm of Silver Jedi starfighters. Suddenly, several of the Silver Jedi starfighters flying around the Again's bow wobbled briefly before they turned to shreds. Seconds later, a massive gravitational distortion smashed into the Resolution's hull, carving out a cavernous hole into the vessel that was large enough to house several corvettes. A glance at the ship's statistics showed that while it had been in declining health before, it clearly had suffered severe enough damage t hat not only was half of the ship uncombat worthy, but the Silver Navy would likely have to consider scrapping the vessel after this fight. Escape pods and shuttles began to depart from the stricken battlecruiser. But even as they did so, the Resolution began to turn its massive bow towards the Never Again before unleashing its own weapons onto the mandalorian super star destroyer. Now largely automated and using preset fire patterns, the Resolution's attacks would largely be likely predictable to Momalor, but would either way they would likely sap away some of the ship's shielding. He felt a vibration through the ship's deck as a particularly lucky salvo of mandalorian missiles smacked into the ship's hull.
"It's time to counterattack, I'd say," said the admiral.
Tierson nodded in agreement and barked a few quick orders. The cloak around the Tide disappeared, revealing the ship's presence to the nearby Snaggletooth. The ship's massive weapons batteries on its port side, including half of the ship's massive Toklar Super Heavy Turbolasers began to pour into the carrier's starboard side. Unlike most of the ship's weapons though, the flagship's Kraken Heavy Torpedo launchers continued to fling warheads at the Never Again's stern. Simultaneously, the Never Again fell under assault from other Silver Jedi warships, with the Plo Koon turning about with the Mak Lotor to concentrate their shields and weapons towards the Mandalorian Super Star Destroyer while the detachment of heavy cruisers turned their own long-range fire from the Snaggletooth and onto the Never Again during their slow and cautious advance forward. Elsewhere, most of the fleet's smaller frigates and corvettes surged forward to join the aegis of the Tide's protection from larger ships, and in turn provide more point defenses against enemy missiles and strikecraft. In these smaller craft's wake, the injured Stellar Argonaut jetted in the wake of these smaller craft to take cover from the Snaggletooth by using the Tide as a shield.
The Silver Tide (Now uncloaked, most weapons attacking Snaggletooth, attempting to drag Snaggletooth with Aura Tractor/Pressor beams; Kraken Torpedos fired at Nu Draar Tugyc) (Shields: 86% Hull: 97%)
20 Squadrons of Vortex II-class Interceptors (400 starfighters) (attacking strikecraft around the Snaggletooth)
19 Squadrons of Gale-class Heavy Fighters in Hunter-Killer configuration (152 Heavy Fighters) (Attacking Nu Draar Tugyc)
1 Squadron of T9 Phantasms (12 stealth starfighters)(Circling below Nu Draar Tugyc, waiting for proper moment to attack)
11 Squadrons of Prudence Assault Shuttles (132 assault shuttles) (moving to evacuate/deploy assault troops onto the Terror Australis) (~33% losses)
