Objective Three
Makeb Imperial Facility
His gaze was stern as Avin watched the first gunships make their landings on the outskirts of the Imperial Stronghold that had been their target and objective for the mission. The craft themselves seemed to create such a noise of cannon fire that even from his position with the falling second wave of
RR-RDV landing craft he could feel the bass of high caliber shells and energy compression.
Avin turned and glanced upwards to see the normally emplaced blaster turret now replaced with a column near on 20 republic soldiers lining backward into the shadow of the ships hull. Each man looked almost comical with the large repulsor packs attached to their back. Their armor held the badge of honour of airbourne soldiers cast into each and every right shoulder plate with the other holding a seal of the Republic and their military forces. The Jedi made his way to the front of the platoon and made eye contact with their lieutenant before speaking.
"Lieutenant, our landing zone is going to have minimal cover terrain wise. For this reason, it is integral that your maneuver support section is given priority once those heavy blasters zero in on us. Jedi [member="Mereel Vaun"] and his main infantry landing force should draw the most of the enemy heavy guns however we will still face emplacements and section based automatic weapons. I will provide you with as much time as I can for you to establish your heavy weapons. After that, you will have to fight your way through the compound and regroup with the other airborne before moving to support the main attack force."
The lieutenant nodded as his own frown broke in order to respond.
"Your advice is gratefully noted Jedi Starfire, however, I fear that with the lack of sufficient fire support we may take heavy fire before we have even hit the ground. However, that is what we are paid for and the republic isn't going to be liberated without a little bloodshed." His attention ceased from Avin and turned to face the platoon of men stood within the landing craft. "We are going to hell boots first. Some of you will not make it back, but for everyone single one of us that goes down, I vow to personally take 10 of those fascist bastards in return." The troops seemed to stir and the mood picked up slightly as the rough voice of their officer filled the air.
The Officer gave Avin another nod before the hull was suddenly filled with pitch darkness the only light source now being a beaming red light above both doors.
"Airborne ready." Came the next shout from the officer. His short but solid frame showing through the light in drastic comparison to the tall and athletic build of Avin.
"Waho Airbourne!" Came the warcry of the other soldiers as if they were an aggressive choir of united voices filling the ship's hull. As the shout came to a halt natural light then poured into the canopy as the ship's doors retracted to an open position only to be followed by a transition of the red lights to those of a green color a loud buzzer soon followed before troops started to leap from either side of the aircraft in a pattern. As a soldier on the left of the dropship moved up to the door the other man would be jumping.
Avin stood back and watched as the line thinned down to the last troop and then after another shout the Lieutenant followed his troops out into the skies below leaving Avin alone in the aircraft. He started out at the swarm of dots that went plummeting towards the ground like stones from a bridge. He waited until he saw the first shimmer of blue lights erupt from the first wave's jump packs before making his own move.
"See you on the other side!" Avin yelled back towards the pilots thought they were unlikely to hear him as the opened canopy and thunder of AA fire seemed to make even the loudest of screams but whispers in comparison, and then he was gone, falling towards the open patch of terrain on which an exchange of blaster bolts now filled the air from here it almost looked like a light show or different colours streaming across at each other source.
A field 1000ft below
LT. John Somerset
Lieutenant John Somerset of the 16th Republic Air Assualt Brigade had made more than a few hot drops before yet this was the first he had made with his latest group of men. They had been brought in as backfill due to the high casualty rates of their missions. Some of his more veteran soldiers had taken to the newer fighting men and woman however many others were still to hold themselves from getting attached after the last warzone within which his platoon lost 80% of their initial manpower to be replaced by new recruits most of whom had been reservists or fresh trainees straight from the academy. Now he jumped again on another suicide mission into a war zone without any tanks and with a distinct lack of hardened men.
John stared intently at the altimeter on his wrist and watched it tick over into a red zone with which he felt the automated jolt of his repulsors kick in and slow his descent. He could start to hear the short band chatter of his men now and tuned into their PRR frequency to gain a better battle picture.
"This is sunray, sitrep over." A short pause cut into the radio chatter before a familiar voice of his platoon sergeant filled the net bringing him up to speed on the firing positions and maneuvers of each individual fire team. The sarge also filled him in on the casualties and equipment available soon after John made his own landing onto the terrain. He hit the hard earth below with a thud, his legs bending to take the impact before dropping the now expended drop pack from his back and letting it clank onto the ground below.
No sooner as he had hit the ground the first rounds started to come his way. The imperial heavy blaster's iconic buzz as if a swarm of hornets or wasps were charging your position filled his ears and the heat from their ever-exploding properties fell across his face that had grown cold from the endeavors of dropping at terminal velocity. John lifted his own weapon and fired a few rounds back before getting to his feet and sprinting in a diagonal pattern towards a rocky outcropping that now held his Sergeant and the platoon's heavy missile launcher.
He skidded in through the dirt as the weapons fire intensified on their position.
"Sarge where is the rest of three section we should have more rockets here than this."
Somerset had notice how only half of his support section now held position behind the outcropping and yet only the weapon itself had ammo as the other three members had been carrying a light mortar.
"Sir, we lost most of the echo fireteam to AA fire on the way down. We also lost Private Jones and half of 2 section to auto-blaster fire once we landed. Everyone else is either here with us or in that ditch." The Paratrooper pointed towards a pitch filled with soldiers firing back at the compound 300 hundred meters to their west.
"Sir what are our orders." The Seargent soon followed up his face weathered already from the intensity of fire coming in.
"Right this is the plan, get 1 section to flank further left into that ditch and then increase their concentration of fire on that auto. Once they get its attention I want 3 section to use one of our HE rounds on that launcher and knock out that gun. If that is successful then we use the mortar to shell the hell out of their position until either Z coy or that Jedi provides us with a lapse in fire big enough to move up into position. Alright, let's get this done." His orders were clear and concise with his normally gruff tone holding back for the passage of information.
As the men started to shift about he lent back and stared up at the sky before muttering to himself in almost prayerlike fashion.
"If your gonna do something, make it soon Jedi."
