The Fortress World

[Darth Metus]

The words of the Grandmaster fell upon deaf ears, as, for when he spoke, the young Padawan had already begun his voyage to the field of battle. When the gunship finally touched down at the site of the battle, Jor'si immediately disembarked and found himself standing amongst a large group of troopers. They were all standing by, awaiting their window to charge forward and aide in the penetration of the Fortress. However, it soon became apparent to the young Padawan that they could not proceed without the support of their armored vehicles, and the only ones they had managed to deploy out of the hundreds they had brought were the three that now roared down the battlefield. Turning to one of the troopers, the Padawan posed a question. "What can I do to help?" The trooper then pointed to the line of offense that had now initiated a charge against the wall.

"They're getting hammered to hell by the radicals on the wall, and our gunships can't get close enough to land and deploy our armor just yet because of the rocket fire. Our artillery has managed to give those three tanks a window to push forward, and the enemy will most likely concentrate their fire on the armor, but I don't now how long they'll last. If you can assist the forward push long enough that the enemy doesn't riddle us with rockets, then we'll be able to deploy more armor!"

Jor'si grinned and gave the trooper a confident thumbs-up. He then concentrated, mustering the Force within his limbs before taking off in an empowered sprint. As he ran, he reached to his utility belt and produced his father's lightsaber, igniting the violet blade and angling it defensively to deflect incoming blaster fire back on the enemy. As he charged forward, he witnessed the surge of raw telekinetic power unleashed by one of the two Jedi who were present on the field...and suddenly a wave of inferiority washed over the young Padawan. He shook it off, however, when a grenade detonated dangerously close to him, picking him up off his feet and tossing him sideways. He landed, hard, but relatively unphased (save for the pain of the landing and the ringing in his ears).

"Focus." He ordered himself, once more amassing the Force within his limbs and taking off in a sprint once more. His rapid footsteps came to a swift halt, right behind the Master Jedi who had created an opening for the Republic to exploit. Jor'si beamed and came to a crouch near the man, taking shelter against the wall he had pressed himself against.

"Jor'si Denko, Padawan, here to help!" He stated quickly, then closed his off-hand into a fist. Focus played upon his expression, yet the Force would detect no technique being formed within his hand. No, this was simply a display of genetic might: the blood of the Kral'jica which surged through his veins, manifesting in the form of crackling electricity about his fist. He needed a little time to gather the right about of electricity for the technique he had in mind, but once complete it would be certain to impress...and incapacitate...

 

[Malok]

And just like that, the coordinated efforts of the Republic's armored vehicles and heavy artillery had begun to pay off. Their combined, relentless hammering against the Fortress' outer wall had resulted in structural instability: cracks had formed one after the other, culminating in a large collapse of stone and metal that left a large hole in its wake. This hole, an opening in the seemingly inpregnable defense of the fortress, was large enough to easily fit two tanks side-by-side, and it was through here that the Republic's forward assault would continue. As the frontline unit charged forward alongside the trio of tanks, Ned beheld with awe in his eyes the power of the Jedi Master. First, a relentless wave of telekinetic force gave them all an opening to charge forward and exploit the opening in the wall. Second, Ned felt a surge of resolve rippling through him, as if an unseen force was driving him to move forward and fight on. He recognized this unseen assistance as none other than the Force and was immensely grateful to the Jedi.

"Nicely done!" he said, giving praise where praise was due to the Jedi.

Ned didn't even have to give the order to diverge and clear the battlements, as the Jedi had made their presence known there and were making short work of many of the radicals that were still filing there. Still, he signalled the frontline force to ascend the rubble and to commence pushing back those upon the battlements so that the armor may land unobstructed by a barrage of rockets. Once the battlements were clear, the frontline forces would continue to repel the radicals from once more ascending the walls, thereby allowing the second wave of forces to charge forward and bolster their offense. At that moment, Ned would deviate from the combat group, falling back to a gunship in order to rendezvous with the Strike Forces that had amassed less than a mile outside of the Fortress' walls. He would take command of this Strike Force and, hopefully with the aide of the Jedi, delve into the Fortress from the rear and apprehend the radical Warlords.

But first, the battlements had to be cleared. As such, Ned quickly climbed up the rubble and launched into battle. His finger gripped the trigger and held fast, guiding his blaster in a deadly symphony of bolts that rent through the two radicals that had rushed up to greet him. He pushed forward, running shoulder-first into another opponent, knocking the poor sod over and then filling his gullet with blaster fire. Ned's dance of death continued wih each step, his blaster claiming life after life in the name of the Republic.

"Sure, I'd consider this a blast!" Ned called back to the Jedi whom had been assisting greatly, offering him a quick thumbs-up before resuming his offensive.

 

[Ben Watts]

The battle was fierce, and despite his battle meditation, soldiers kept coming. He did not expect it to fully work on everyone, it was his first time using it after all, but he also did not expect some to completely ignore it. Though he had managed to make a few of the soldiers flee, there were still plenty to deal with, and deal with them he did. He was graceful in his actions, which was a result of an entire life dedicated to being a Jedi, his lightsaber danced all around the battlefield. With the aide of the force, he was nigh unstoppable, at least in his head he was. Bolt after bold was deflected, and try as he might, he was still forced to cut down the fearless soldiers who charged him with reckless abandon.

There was something both exciting and unsettling about having a target place on his back. He knew it was there, it was obvious, he was the strongest person currently on the battlefield. The focus had shifted from sending a few soldiers in his direction to hoardes of soldiers coming after him. Grenades, blaster fire, and even a few grunts who were stupid enough to charge him and try and take him on one v one were all that he was having to deal with. It was not uncommon, there were only two Jedi who were fighting, so naturally, they were the targets of would be heroes for the warlords mini army.

A grenade dropped by his feet, and with lightning fast reflexes, he sent it back from where it came from with the force. He noticed that the female Jedi was cutting down soldier after soldier and had even taken a hole in her shoulder. He did not envy her after the battle was won, the wound would be no fun, but Ben could patch her up real nice. Then he felt the presence of another Jedi enter the battle zone and he felt a tinge of relief. It was always nice to grow in numbers and it would easily increase their chances of ending the battle sooner.

"Certainly a pleasure." Ben said, ducking behind a wall, and crouching down beside the Padawan. His lightsaber was still ignited, his breathing heavy, and sweat dripped from his brow. "Could be under better circumstances, I am sure, but fate is weird like that." He lifted his hand and Ben watched, with intrigue, at what the Padawan was doing. He had no knowledge of the technique, but from the feeling he was getting, it was going to be a spectacle. "The Republic Commando is trying to clear an LZ for some reinforcements." Ben pointed up to a group of rocketeers who would certainly make landing a hazard. "How about you use that nifty technique and take them out. Then, if you can keep up, follow me." Ben waited until he knew the Padawan had the plan down and then he jumped up from his resting spot and he charged back into battle. Once the rockets were taken out Ben and the other Jedi would prepare for an onslaught into the fortress. But first, he had to get there, and when he had a goal there was no stopping him.

"As soon as we are clear, myself, the other two Jedi, and whatever Commandos make it are going to go ahead and head into the fortress. When your strike team gets here, rendevous with us inside, we will clear up the entrance to the building to make things a bit easier." He spoke to the Commando whom he had been communicating with the entire time. He smirked, gave the man a firm pat on the back, and he was off. "May the force be with you and I hope to see you once the battle is over."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Upon the surface of Anaxes, beneath the sky, there was nothing but war. The gods of blood were assuredly looking upon this world and finding that it was good. The Horsemen Death and War had been unleashed and now their minions cut a bloody swathe through the mortals that had been drawn to this planet.
Now that the Republic troopers were gaining ground and more Jedi had joined their powers to clear the battlements, the battle was turning to the Republic's favour, but nonetheless the enemy pressed on, throwing soldier after soldier into the meat grinder. Some of them were armed with little more than sluggers and pikes, poorly trained and hastily equipped. Siobhan felt a surge of energy drive her as she pressed on, her eyes showed cold resolve, her face had become so splattered with blood that it seemed more blood than flesh. Sweat was dripping down her forehead, her robes were blood-soaked and covered in dirt. In a way, even the pain was animating...once the adrenaline had worn off it would just bloody hurt!

Siobhan grit her teeth at the waste of lives, kicking some debris up onto a pair of troopers and then shearing a gun in half with her lightsabre. A soldier rushed out from the smoke that had been caused by the manifold artillery salvoes and aimed his shotgun at her. The Jedi extended her hand and the weapon flew to her grasp. With a frustrated groan the soldier drew his short sword and charged, only to be gunned down by a Republic trooper. Siobhan gave the sniper a cheesy thumbs-up and gave the gun a brief look, then brought it up and chambered another round, then raised the gun at the soldiers advancing close by. Smoke billowed out from the barrel of the shotgun as she. A catridge shot out of the weapon and blew off a soldier's head. Cocking the gun she fired again and blod splattered across the ground as another soldier fell. Feeling more hostiles emerging she tossed the gun through the air at a charging enemy, leaving him reeling, then retrieved her sabre and slashed across his stomach, spilling innards across the ground and splattering her face with blood.

But then the rocketeers the Master had just mentioned started firing in earnest and, feeling a surge of energy envelope her being, Siobhan ran as the bombardment started, bolting and rolling sideways as she she landed close to a position of poorly armed radicals, guided by what seemed to be a commissar of some sort. Their position had already been decimated by Republic artillery fire, the Master's meditation had shaken their confidence. As she jumped to her feet and her blue blade shimmered, the soldiers took one look at her grim visage and turned to run. The commissar, undeterred by common sense, brought up his plasma cannon and ejected a hail of bolts, at the Jedi but especially at his fleeing troopers, bellowing inspiring slogans, Siobhan thought she heard "Not a step back!"
He did not get much further for suddenly a he was struck by a blast of energy and slammed into a wall, so hard that a satisfying crunch of bones could be heard. Siobhan approached the troopers warily, her blade still ignited. For a moment one of them brought up his blaster, aimed at her, then lowered it and tossed it aside. Quickly pulling the blaster rifle towards her and throwing it out of the way, she gave them a nod and pointed to a couple Republic troopers that were following in her wake. "Go give yourselves up. Don't try anything stupid if you wanna live." While certainly not a paragon of virtue, she generally had enough sense left not to cut down helpless opponents that had given up. Unless said opponents were energy vampires - she really loathed the leeches.

Amid the chaos of the battle, she felt another Force presence enter the battlefield, sensed the presence of the other Jedi. She quickly moved to link up with them, glad to see another one join up, her sabre blocking laser blasts as she dashed. "Another one, looks like we're multiplying!" she called out to the Jedi Padawan. "Nice meeting you, even though the circumstances sort of suck! The forecast was right - Anaxes weather is bombing."

 

[Darth Metus]

The Jedi Master had directed the Padawan's attention to the rocketeers that posed a serious threat to the landing zone the Commando was attempting to clear, and as such those unfortunate sods had become the target of Jor'si's exceptionally unique technique. The electricity he had conjured and concentrated about his fist had reached a point where one could barely see the flesh of his fist within the now-roaring mass of azure sparks. He then utilized the Force as a means of controlling the electricity once it left his hand, intricately weaving his will into the mass of electricity before ascending to his feet and rearing back his off-hand. With a mighty grunt, he hurled the electricity in the direction of the rocketeers, guiding it forward to plummet into the chest of the first unfortunate radical.

Immediately, the electricity delivered a powerful, incapacitating shock that caused the poor man to drop to his knees, spasming. Yet, before his knees touched the ground, the electricity, albeit weaker than its initial strike, leapt from the first target and proceeded to repeat its violent incapacitation, rendering the second unable to stand as well. This repeated a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time until the electricity had dwindled into nothing more than a nasty shock into the seventh man that had caused him to yelp and leap up in surprise. Jor'si exhaled a breath and released his focus upon the electricity, but swiftly gathered telekinetic might within his off-hand once more, unleashing a Push upon the remaining rocketeer. The surprised man was launched from his position and send flying into a gaggle of radicals who were ascending stairs in order to arm the battlements once more: sending the group toppling down.

With the rocketeers handled, Jor'si turned his attention back upon the Jedi Master and gave his lightsaber a confident twirl in his palm, gripping it in an underhand carry, before jogging off after him. Before he moved too far, he took a moment to acknowledge the greeting of his fellow Jedi, a female, with a wave. "Nice to meet you as well, I hope to see you when this is all over!" Disabling the rocketeers was one thing, following the Master into hell was an entirely different ballgame...

"You lead, I'll follow."

 

[Malok]

Finally, the rocketeers employed by the Anaxes' radicals were no longer a problem which obstructed the Republic's advance. As such, gunship after gunship soon descended ino position near the Republic front, swiftly dropping off their armored cargos before flying off towards the fortress to offer close air support. They circled the fortress like hornets about a flame, riddling the walls with laser fire which claimed the lives of several radicals. Now was the time to continue to post. Now was the time to work on penetrating the second wall of the fortress and setting the events in motion that would ultimately secure it under Republic control. Furthermore...now was the time for Ned to fall back and to adhere to his father's direct order to lead the Strike Teams into battle. The young Commando was patted upon the shoulder by the Jedi Master and alerted to the upcoming plan of attack, to this Ned game a simple nod of acknowledgement and released the trigger of his weapon.

He radioed one of the gunships that was now encircling the walls of the Fortress, calling it down to give him a ride to the rendezvous point of the Strike Teams, while he moved down the rubble and jogged back towards the scene of the initial charge. This would give the gunship ample room to swoop down and pick him up without fear of retalitory fire from the enemy. The sight that met his eyes tore at his stomach and heart...there were bodies everywhere. Radicals. Republic. Anaxes militia. This was the cost of war, this was the cost of conflicting political wills...Ned shook himself out of it and, when the gunship landed before him, hopped in and sat down. He steeled himself and distracted himself by opening a line of communication with the Supreme Commander of the Republic's Military, his father, in order to update him on their progress.

"Sir," he began, "We've been successful in breaching the first wall of the Fortress. The Joint Force is moving to penetrate the second and third wall as we speak. We've been able to push forward due to the exceptional assistance of the Jedi Order, of which we are truly grateful...moving to the Strike Team Rendezvous point now, we'll breach the facility in less than five minutes. Over."

With that said, Ned awaited the gunship's arrival at the rendezvous point, which would be anywhere in the span of the next thirty seconds Once there, he planned on hashing out an initial strategy and moving on to complete the mission.

 

[Flint Pherson]

___
Special Forces Launch Point, North

Pherson and his team busied themselves unloading the wounded men. The Launch point was located to the north of the Opposition Fortress and hidden behind a grouping of low mountain formations. From here the Special Forces planned to sneak into the enemy base from the back while the Army attacked the front.

"Thank you Commander. The rocket towers have ceased firing and we are now able to get these men the Evac Birds they need."
"It was my pleasure Specialist. Now if you don't mind. My men and I will be helping these men into orbit."
"Of course sir. We'll see you soon."
"Good luck Specialist. And may the Force be with you."

...

The Special Forces teams had already departed towards their mission objectives. Sniper Teams like the ones that Flint had rescued had already killed the northern sentries without raising the alarm. Grappling Hooks had allowed the SF Squads to climb the outer walls and take control of the northern towers. When Ned arrived upon the northern walls he would be greeted by nearly thirty men ready to infiltrate the Opposition Command Center. New armor solutions had been thrown over the walls to allow the SF to reequip. They would go in heavy. Ready for room-to-room infighting. No more climbing walls or sneaking across the open expanse. This would get up-close and personal.

Their task was still a difficult one. This Fortress was a hardened labyrinth of underground tunnels, tank hangers, and supply depots. Even without a Planetary Shield this Fortress was built to withstand Orbital Bombardment. So even if the Republic and JTF Army captured the surface? That was only half the base. Any stragglers could easily retreat from the battle by going underground. And not even the JTF knew how many escape hatches this place had. Speed was the Special Forces ally. Time. ...Time, was their enemy.

...

Flint's mission was over. A Navy Officer could only fight so far. He could now head back into orbit to oversee all Medical Extraction Teams from the safety of the Fleet Ship. The Star Defender was their hospital now. Flint's race was over. But the race to capture the enemy Commanders before they slipped away?

That race was just beginning.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Siobhan had seen the light show the Padawan pulled with the Force, incapacitating the rocketeers that had been giving the Republic troopers such trouble. Swiftly linking up with the Jedi, she hewed her way through the ranks of the soldiers still blocking her path. Given the firepower the Republic and the Jedi had brought down on them, they were rather demoralised. But there were still troopers that charged her and she was forced to hew them down with reckless abandon.

By this stage she did not really bother with blocking, just called on the Force to enhance her speed and used her sabre to hack herself a path. It was a grim business, but such was war. Getting the last opponent in her path out of the way by slamming her clenched cybernetic fist so hard he was knocked back onto the pile of corpses down the stairs, she reached the two Jedi. "Fancy light show," she called out to the Padawan approvingly. "Name's Siobhan Kerrigan. As swell as getting all the praise would've been, it's nice to see I ain't the sole Jedi out here in the field, after all!"
One really did not want Siobhan to be the one to represent the Jedi. Admittedly she was quite skilled at causing mayhem, but obviously there was more to being a Jedi than that and all!

 

[Elara Hulis]

“I assume we must liberate Anaxes without the enclave?” questioned Elara, with a somber voice.

Each step she took through the rubble with Teferi and Cassus was with care and tact. She attempted to not disturb a single piece of debris, as seemingly worthless as the rubble would seem to those not of the Jedi Order.

For a few seconds, Elara observed the floating crystal, which gave off a faint glow through her Force vision. Despite temple no longer being what it used to be, Elara could feel and see the living Force still embedded in it.

Upon seeing the dull glimmering, Elara then asked the Grandmaster, “But what if there is something to help us that’s still here? Perhaps their libraries?”

 

[Ben Watts]

The plan went better than Ben had imagined it in his head. The young Padawan took out the rocket fellows with relative ease with a technique Ben had never seen before. It was not the force, Ben knew that for sure, so it had to be some sort of ability that only his species knew. Which was strange because Ben pegged him as just a human. Then the female Jedi Knight was racing across the field causing complete mayham and making work of anyone who stood in her way. Honestly, even if Ben had not been there, he was sure they would have been able to do it on their own. Sure, the battle meditation helped, and they would have had a lot more casualities but they would have been able to do it.

Ben raced to the entrance of the fortress, cutting down anyone who was foolish enough to stand in his way, and deflecting blaster bolts that came his way. Though Ben had not seen battle in quite some times, his skills had not diminished, it was not just something that went away. Maybe the phrase like riding a bike was not the correct analogy, but one would get the point, he was a skilled fighter. Closer and closer the three got until they were right on the doorstep to the fortress. This was when things were going to get really fun.

"You and you," Ben said pointing out two Republic soldiers who had made it to the entrance with the three of them. "Gather a team and set up at the entrance. Hold this position with your life and let no one through besides that Special Forces team that is on its way." The soldiers nodded their heads and then Ben turned to Jor'si and Siobhan. "Once inside, I will lead, Siobhan you are behind me, Jor'si you cover our back. I expect heavy resistance, lots of that fancy armor, and maybe some huge droids. We have to stay sharp and clear out as many people as we can so that the Special Forces Unit encounters little resistance. Any questions?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

Siobhan did not look troubled as they reached the doorsteps of the fortress. The path behind them was strewn with corpses, some of them charred and burnt from grenades, and discarded weapons. If there truly were blood and death gods out there, then they would surely be delighted at the bloody harvest that had been reaped to day. Of course, it was all for a 'noble' cause.

Sweat dripped down her forehead, mixing with the blood splattered on her face. Her robot eye glowed red. She double-checked her remaining grenades and blaster, then drew her sabre. "Storm the fortress, overcome lots of fellas and machines with big guns eager to kill us, help the Republic boys save the day. Long as there ain't any zombies magically popping up and screaming 'brains'. Really hate the buggers," she stated, sounding nonchalant when the Master asked for questions. Been there, done that, always come out somehow.

Somehow, she always survived even when being thrown into the jaws of death, even when she shouldn't. It was the people she cared about who wound up dead. She forced that thought down, throwing it out of the metaphorical airlock.
"Nah, got no questions. I'm game. So let's do it."

 

[Aurelia Saelari]

The Chancellor watched the situation report in silence. All seemed to be proceeding well. Some of the Jedi, assisted by Republic military forces, were making significant inroads into the insurgent bases. That was good.

"No word of the Grandmaster?" she asked an aide.
"No, Ma'am. Last we heard, he was still at the old enclave."
"I...see." Aurelia was not especially happy at that. Plenty of time for navel gazing and historical reflection after the battle. "Send me word of our victory immediately. I am going to see the leaders of Anaxes. With any luck our victory will coincide with this meeting. Let us go. Send word for the Supreme Commander to attend upon me when he can," she ordered.

 

[Malok]

"There's no need to send for me Aurelia, I was only a few steps behind."

The confident voice of the Supreme Commander of the Republic Military rang about the space between the two powerful individuals. With long, confident strides, Dex Rostu cross the distance between them and came to a halt at her side, beaming.

"According to the transmissions we've been receiving, the battle's going quite well. It'll only be a matter of time before the threat of the radicals is quelled and peace will reign on Anaxes...now, let's go do the political dance that you're so good at, shall we old friend?"

 

[Malok]

When the gunship came to a halt upon the ground, Ned swiftly disembarked and was greeted by the sight of thirty soldiers awaiting his command. Striding forth, he was quickly briefed on the progress they had made in preparation for the Fortress' infiltration, and without any further ado, Ned set about giving orders. First and foremost, he divided the teams into three bodies. The first of which was made up of fifteen soldiers and would serve as their front unit. The second was a backup unit that would stand right behind the first while they infiltrated ; giving cover to their flanks and providing support fire to the front as needed, and the third would cover their rear. In this way, they would remain all together, but their flanks and back were adequately covered.

With that done, they set about ascending the grappling hooks that had been thrown over the wall and all gracefully dismounted over the other side. Ned was happily surprised to see heavy armaments awaiting them and re-quipped to a heavy assault rifle. His Mark V armor was pretty much suited for any combat situation, so the majority of the options were for the thirty's benefit and not his own. Ned realized that, in order to be successful, they needed to breach now and move swiftly as possible.

And so he gave the order, and breaching is exactly what they did. They entered from the position that had been previously cleared and carefully proceeded down the first corridor. All was quiet...as if the enemy did not know that they were there yet. Of course, Ned was certain that this was to change in the next couple of seconds and was on edge, much like the rest of their unit.

"Force guide us." he muttered.

 

[Darth Metus]

The dazzling display of lightsaber mastery almost placed Jor'si in a state of awe as he beheld the Jedi Master moving forward, rending apart the opposition with minimal effort. As he struggled to keep up, tripping over body after body to proceed, the Padawan turned his attention to the other Jedi whom had addressed him. With a shaky grin he returned the greeting: "A pleasure to meet you Kerrigan! Wish it was under better circumstances!" With that said, he continued to move, stepping lively in order to keep up with his senior. They came to a halt outside the main entrance of the Fortress and orders were given.

"No questions Master Watts, lead on! I won't let anything past me!"

With that said, he gripped his lightsaber tightly and awaited the breach of the front entrance.

 

[Flint Pherson]

Star Defender
Low Orbit

"There we go son. Off the boat."
.. "Easy there sir. We've got him."

Pherson's gunboat had docked and they were now unloading the wounded.

"Right. Good job. The elevator is just down that hallway."
.. "We've got em' sir. No worries."

The Star Defender now acted as a hospital for critically wounded soldiers and personnel. It wasn't pretty, but carrying for all these men would go surprising smoothly. Modern medicine was one of the few areas of research that had actually grown by leaps and bounds during the 400 year darkness. Well... In the Core Worlds anyway.

"Okay. Hands off. I got it. I got it."
.. "Haha. Sorry sir. But I'm sure your needed on the bridge."
"Right right. ...Okay then. I'll let you doc's work. Heh."

Pherson smiled and waved away the stretchers and wounded men as they came in. He was just getting in the way now. Best to catch the lift up to the bridge and see the latest profile on the holoboard. Minutes past and soon Flint arrived on the observation deck with only a few footsteps,

"What have you got Specialist?"
.. "Heh. Welcome back Commander. The Board is still live sir. Take a look."
"Hows the water?"
.. "Quiet on our end. We've seen signs of skirmishes taking place during your ground assault. But so far none of the warlords have bothered to even look at us. All lanes of traffic are still showing green."

"Thats good. The JTF must be holding stronger than we expected."
.. "I couldn't say sir. But for now? The waters are all ours."
"Very good Specialist. Hows the com traffic?"
.. "Signal loss is within expected ranges. Anaxes is a metropolis of com activity and signal scrambling is normal. The JTF never deployed signal jammers, and neither did our radicals."

"Enemy reinforcements then?"
.. "I can't track anything down there with just this gear alone. Sorry sir."
"What about message interceptions? Can we hear what they are saying?"
.. "I have the droids working on it. But without a proper codex of their military vocabulary? Our keyword searches are sporadic at best."

"Yeah. I guess your right."
.. "The JTF would be browsing their radio com's sir. I understand that is how they grabbed such good Intel about our enemies down there."
"Hey! Your right. The JTF would have listening stations. Can we hop onto those?"
.. "Take your pick. I've got millions of broadcasts in that theater sir? Which one is the good guys?"

Pherson frowned. He wasn't any good with Intelligence or Computers. If the Com Specialist said she didn't have anything. Well... She didn't have anything.

"So we don't know what they are saying?"
.. "Sorry sir. Not my planet. This communications array wasn't meant to translate the whole city."
"Damn. ...Well. Then I guess our Commando's are on their own then. Let's hope they get those dogs."
.. "Yes sir."

"I'll take a look and browse through the droids interception logs. See if we can't spot anything useful. Sooner, rather than later."
.. "Go right ahead sir. The astromechs are down on engineering and already plugged into the wall."
"Understood. I'll call down there and get the link up. I can browse their findings from this terminal."
.. "All yours sir. Good luck."

Pherson busied himself by sifting through intercepted enemy transmissions. Mostly it was just the same orders for defensive positions over and over again. Nothing useful at all. Flint offered a sigh and continued. He had time to kill. The commandos? ...Mmm, not so much.

 

[Ben Watts]

Ben nodded his head once everyone was ready to go. This was going to be a little different than fighting in such an open space. They were going to be in tight corridors with enemies around every corner. Fighting side by side was good if the people fighting all knew each other, but this was the first time any of them had any interactions, so even the slightest mistake with a lightsaber or a misfired blaster shot could be the end of any of them. Ben had seen many Jedi with wounds that resulted from friendlies over the years.

Without wasting time, Ben surged into the fortress, and was almost immediately hit with a resistance. His reactions were already working at prime capacity so he deflected the few shots that came his way. He used the force and he ripped a wall out, sending a huge chunk of rubble at the people who were directly in front of him, it crashed down and the fire was ceased as quickly as it began. "Stay tight, keep your mind focused, and look out for each other at all times. We may be Jedi but we are not invincible."

( Just post going deeper and deeper into the fortress with each post, you guys can use my character to help out or whatever in your posts, just don't kill me yo. )

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

((Admittedly, I'm Omega now, but this thread is good fun, was started before that offer came and just deserting strikes me as improper!))

They were now getting deeper into the fortress, seemingly facing resistance at every corner. Fighting in such enclosed spaces made deflecting blasters more difficult, especially since the enemy had the advantage of knowing the layout of the building and the Jedi didn't. Nonetheless Siobhan soldiered on, storming in right after the Jedi Master. Mayhem. Warfare. Countless red blasts streaking through the air, just missing her by a stroke of good luck or her Force enhanced reflexes. The thunder of explosions as the guards started lobbing grenades, blowing large holes into the walls. The smell of blood, sweat, ozone. Siobhan felt right at home. She might well have been born for this, one could not dispute that she certainly thrived on it.

A barrage of red blaster bolts exploded in the wall behind her with a spray of sparks, blowing a small hole into it. A group of droids stormed out of the door and greeted them with a salvoe of blaster fire. Siobhan concentrated on deflecting the bolts back towards the shooters, but the enclosed quarters made this difficult, especially because soon more droids were coming in from the left flank, trying to cut them off and swarm them. The Knight waved her robot hand and, using the Force, pulled two of the droids out of the doorway and sent them tumbling down to the level beneath them with the machines crashing down onto the ground in a heap. Siobhan started charging, her lightsabre moved swiftly to block incoming laser bolts that coursed through the air and sent some of them back at their sources. As she closed the gap between them several robots that had not been taken down by deflected fire met their end by the aggressive, vigorous strikes of her sabre. The air was filled with smoke and the smell of ozone.

However, the enemy was clearly giving them no reprieve, as much as the ranks of the warlord's soldiers had been diminished by the efficient sword-work of the three Jedi and the blasters of the Republican soldiers. Perhaps there was some truth in the saying that no one loves armed missionaries. The Republic had come to deliver this world from the despotism of warlords, but not all locals were ready to believe this...or perhaps they preferred the devil they knew.

More enemy soldiers came rushing in from the adjacent corridors, they soon opened and tossed grenades into the fray, hurling up the bodies of the dead and their weapons. Siobhan gritted her teeth as the room was seemingly set alight with volleys of blaster bolts and dove for cover towards a crumbling pillar. Reaching for her belt she plucked a grenade free and tossed it towards the enemy as the pillar fell apart under the barrage of bolts. Several enemies managed to duck for cover, but when the phosphorus grenade landed white smoke arose into the air. Some enemies were caught in the radius and screamed as they started to burn in a small firestorm that partly pulverised them. Siobhan had no time to for a reprieve when the blaze of red laser blasts around her intensified and she quickly brought up her sabre.

The Knight felt a stinging pain as as a blast struck her ear, causing a burn. She grit her teeth at the sensation, it made her more aggressive. She tossed her second phosphorus grenade into the fray - the supply of grenades was dwindling a bit, but then they faced a great concentration of forces - then she charged, spinning and twirling her lightsabre at incoming troopers. Screams were heard as she swung the deadly blade across two soldiers. Sparks flew and then she grabbed him with her robot hand and threw him into a wall A third thrust the point of his pike into her thigh before she spun and cleaved him in half in a powerful diagonal cut. The energy of the blade sliced through his armour.

The Jedi staggered and tried to will her body not to give in as sensation of pain hit her, struggling to maintain her footing as more troopers jumped into the fray. Some of them, seeing the combined Jedi onslaught they faced and painfully aware of the fact that their comrades outside had just been put to the sword, turned tail and ran. A political commissar bellowed commands and fired with his heavy blaster pistol, but then one of the soldiers just decided that was enough was enough and shot him in the chest.

"Grenade!" she was lucky enough to hear the warning coming from a Republic trooper and dove for cover. An explosion sounded on her right and her ears rang from the loud blast. She staggered from the explosion of the grenade and braced herself against a wall. Cornered, she thrust the blade of her lightsabre into the neck of her first attacker, but the second, dressed in a suit of armour, lunged and struck at her swith vibroblade. She managed to dodge and then brought up her sabre, slashing at the trooper, but, to her surprise, the attacker's blade did not shatter against her powerful strike.

"Cortosis, not bad," she commented as they battled. The zealot launched a series of powerful attacks, moving rapidly to keep her against the wall. While Siobhan had the Force as an advantage, her attacker was clearly physically stronger than she was and she was still shaken from the blast and her injuries, her leg hurt. She launched a strong thrust, which the fanatic parried and then pressed on. She grunted angrily, relying on her good led and parried rapidly as the attacker broke into a brutal flurry of strikes.

As she seemed to be coming in clear another attacker fired at her. The blaster bolt missed by a large margin, but gave her sword-wielding the attacker the required opening and he viciously struck at her, knocking the lightsabre out of her hands. The attacker's face was hidden behind a visored helmet, but she was sure there was a smirk on his face as he thrust his blade at the Knight's throat. She tried to sidestep and grasped his arm with her metal hand, trying to yank the weapon away from her as she tightened her bone-crunching grip.

The attacker grunted, clearly in pain, she thrust the sword away and tried to twist it in his direction, he yelped in pain at the grip but then surged forward and tried to headbutt her. The Knight dodged, but stumbled in the process and now he held his sword triumphant, kicking her blaster pistol that had cluttered to the ground away.

Siobhan groaned, but then suddenly raised her hand. Before he could react, the lighter in her pocket had been telekinetically grabbed and levitated it between his legs. Then she lit, a smirk crossed her blood-soaked face. The soldier screamed as he was suddenly set ablaze by the flame. His sword fell out of his hand and she reached out to recall her sabre with the Force. She twirled the sword and put the inflamed trooper out of his misery with a quick stab through his mouth. "See, Adril, your Paddy can create fireballs as well!" she called out as she emerged from the ground. True Jedi talk that was! She took a breath, drawing on the Force to gather the strength she needed for the mission and refocus the pain she was feeling.

 

[Flint Pherson]

Star Defender (.p2.)
Low Orbit

"...Specialist! I've got something for you. Take a look."
.. "Hmm? Oh. Ah. I see. The droids referenced this?"
"They did. All of these communications came from the right sector and only within minutes of each other."
.. "So, who is our mystery man. All the Letters mention is an Eagle."

"It's code. Eagle must mean something important. Surely?"
.. "I agree sir. But it could be anything. From a special Mech to one of our lost VIP's. There is no sure way to tell."
"Agreed. But the keyword is solid."
.. "Very well. I'll patch in a special channel for you. There. Now you should be able to monitor all transmissions out of sector 0150 with the keyword 'Eagle', on that terminal there."

"Excellent. Good work Specialist. Keep those Droids reading."

Enemy chatter had peaked since the Republic had entered the Fortress. And now it was Flint's job to play 'Super Spy'. It was time to see if he could uncover any public broadcasts about the location of this so-called 'Eagle'. No other broadcasts had been so unique. No other keyword had been held with such reverence by the Opposition. Surely Pherson had found something important. ...But? Just who or what was this mysterious: Eagle?

Only time would tell.

___

*ooc: thanks Siobhan. your the bestest trouble magnet ever! I'll keep posting once every few days to fulfill my quota too.

 

[Aurelia Saelari]

While the Jedi and Republic troops fought to bring Anaxes under control with force, Chancellor Aurelia Saelari was attempting to bring Anaxes under control with diplomacy. The rulers of the planet were a sorry lot for the most part. Local warlords and nobles had gathered together to form a council. An oligarchy of sorts, perhaps. There they tried to control their people, despite the warlords and fanatics who had become endemic.

Aurelia entered the chamber with her guards beside her, walking regally like she was already ruler of the planet. There was something of a commotion already. These people clearly did not like being roused, and being summoned by the Republic. Still, they saw the necessity. Only the Republic could bring peace, and they'd have to pay for that privilege.

As Aurelia reached the dais the people gradually stopped speaking and looked to her.
"People of Anaxes, leaders and representatives, I come here as Chancellor of the Republic to offer our support."
"This support is attacking our people?" one shouted.
"Only because you were unable to control these terrorists and criminals. Direct intervention was necessary. We have come here to assume direct control, on invitation from this very body. We have accomplished more in three days than you have in three years. But no blame attaches to you, your enemies are strong, their tendrils of fear are corrupting and where one is slain a hundred take their place. That is why we are here. We are the Republic, and they merely delay the inevitable fall of their evil plans and schemes."
"So now we are conquered?" another asked.
"No, our forces are not here to subjugate you. They are here to bring peace. I offer you entrance to the Alliance, protection from threats internal and external. The darkness that has fallen over the galaxy is ending, and a new light is spreading. Terrorists and criminals think they can stop us but progress cannot be halted, and they will be defeated and bend to us. They have had their way for too long - now facing an enemy who can fight back they find that they are cowards who flee those who can resist. When the battle is won I promise you we will depart from the surface, and you will bring a Senator to Coruscant to sit in the Senate. You have free reign to rule yourself on domestic affairs, but we ask only that external affairs be left to the Senate - of which you will be a part."
"And I suppose you will collect tribute?"
"To support a government money is vital, but I say to you this is no tribute, forced on the weak by the strong, this is a mutual arrangement. A new day is dawning, my friends, and we will not be stopped ever again...."

There was no cheering, but there was silence, which was perhaps just as good in the circumstances.