The Stand [Galactic Alliance]

[Minna]

Temple, West

[member="Spark Finn"] [member="Turin Val Kur"] [member="Ebony Blackheart"] [member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Tiland Kortun"] [member="Ella Nova"]

Over the years defeat had welcomed Minna more times than she would have liked, as if it followed her to each planet. The majority of her early days were spent frustrated, wondering why she could fail so much with the commitment she had. Only when she realised the pattern did she truly understand her weakness. Every failure, each defeat, had been alone. She was too busy trying to rush against the darkness to get any help in doing so, instead fighting with the odds forever against her. So now, after conquering her own darkness, she looked to the skies of Sullust at another. This time, she thought, it would be a victory. Around her stood the Alliance she had come to; members of the New Jedi Order and the Military standing against the Final Order.

In her right hand was her lightsaber, graced by a soft grip she hadn't employed for a long time. It wasn't a matter of technique, but of her composure. Anxiety, stress, fear; all had gripped her until now. Now she was calm, in tune with the light side of the force. It was this that allowed her to loosen her hold on her weapon, knowing it was only to be employed in times of need. As she saw the Final Order's forces approach, she knew this was a time of need...

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

NPO Mode ACTIVATE

Master Qorbin Fal watched the war machine of the Final Order move into action. Armoured speeders raced into the distance to try and break through the Alliance forces before they could form their defences. This Alliance was an itch that would finally be scratched. Their raids had genuinely disrupted operations and so the Order had reacted by stretching the alliance’s navy across the front.

It had of course all been an exercise in opening up their main base for this strike. One final operation to put this rebellion down and they could move on to expanding across the remains of Omega territory.

The light side. He could sense the taint of their collective even from far away. The hypocritical stench of the Jedi Order would be extinguished. They questioned the practices of his adepts, whilst training children to become cold, merciless killers.

The host of adepts he had brought today was more than up to the task. Greater in number and ability than anything the Alliance had faced before. For now, they would have back. Let the Stormtroopers weaken the front lines. Finding force sensitives and training them up was costly, the talent pool limited. There was no need to waste them.

Then, when the spirit of the Alliance was finally at breaking point…

There was a mechanical raw behind him. Qorbin turned as one of the beasts stepped down from its transport. He held up one hand and the monster backed up into its cage again, sitting back down in the corner. The New Jedi Order had found their first experiments, but they have moved well beyond those early tests. Their latest cyborgs were faster than a Noghri, stronger than a Wookie, as durable as a Yuuzhan Vong. Immune to almost all influence of the Force and impervious to small arms fire, each would wreak havoc when the time was right. Metal and flesh in perfect harmony.

“Not long now,” he whispered to his creations.

 

[Saff]

From her seat on the stairs of the temple, Ebony could see the field unfold, spotted mortar shots raining down and armoured transports trading missiles. If she weren't sitting there to watch it unfold she might have thought it was a very violent light show. She sprung her sword from her back and placed it on the ground beside her. She could feel the malice coming for them, the faint bobbing white helms of the storm troopers facing the sporadic and completely non uniformed armour of their ragtag alliance.

She could sense the emotions of the soldiers, the fear in the alliance and the arrogance of the order. She would be sure that she wouldn't be the only one that could do it, she knew well the adepts of the force's propensity to influence their followers and these storm troopers were filled with sith arrogance.

Then, she felt a new presence, something that was hiding itself, from the slight north west, from how far? She was unsure, but the shot of a sniper was nothing new to her and she dived forward, catching herself on a step. Now she could tell what it was that she felt, a flanking attack. Launching into a sprint, she rolled to her turret, pulled back its safety. Then she looked up and the red flash of a lightsaber was there."that ain't good"

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Jacen Voidstalker"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Samantha Roberts"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Taheera Sollo"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Samantha Roberts"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Kurayami Bloodborn"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Rayliav'enci"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Braith Achlys"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Aela Talith"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt][member="Relit Vandal"][/SIZE]

The call came early for the mobile strike team to respond to an attack. Elite storm commandos had navigated a path through dead ground and had broken through the first line. They needed to be stopped before they could completely undermine the defences.

Jacen took a speederbike along with any other Jedi who would respond to this first threat. Two squads of GADF soldiers followed along in armoured speeders. The terrain appeared as smooth obsidian in this area, but it was a narrow channel that cut through the terrain that the enemy had managed to exploit.

He sensed the encroaching enemy before he saw them. The GADF soldiers dismounting to form a hasty defence in what little cover remained. The storm commandos carried lighter gear than their brethren and were clad in black armour. Jacen skidded to a halt behind a boulder as red bolts came his way. There was no way for him to close on them just yet, too much open terrain. At the same time if they waited too long the enemy would prepare an attack to overwhelm the small mobile team.

“Try and keep them pinned!” he called to the local GADF forces. “How many Jedi are with me for a counter attack?” he called. They would need to get the Jedi to come at them from one flank, to avoid being shot by their own forces in the charge.


OOC/ Who is coming with Jacen?

 

[Placeholder 0133]

Halfway up a Mountain, far from the temple

"-...the kids are okay. Coruscant's kind of a mess lately, but that's to be expected. When are you going to come back, Alex?"

"Soon."

"I really shouldn't keep you waiting, huh? I always get carried away with these messages. I should - Oh! Check the file I'm sending with this message. It's about the Ge'hutuun. You might find it interesting."

"Read it a couple times. Is Stanley okay? Are you okay?""

"Well, uh, I know you're busy. She gave you a mission, I know. Still, uh, I think you should know: Stanley's starting to deteriorate. That business on Naboo, well it broke some things. Don't worry though, I'll get him fixed! I'll be waiting here when you get back. Mom's excited too."

"I've got some business here first, bad guys to stop, but I'll come get you after that. Promise."

"I gotta go Alex. Comms go out after dark, and if they catch me with an illegal feed...well, y'know. Love you!"

"I love you too."

Rook drew in a deep breath. The datapad gave a quiet click as the recording stopped. It had been months since he'd spoken to his older sister; getting comms into Coruscant was difficult. The One Sith's fist had tightened around the galactic core in these last few months. All he had were these recordings now. He could barely remember her now. It was the droids' doing. Still, he did his best, and the feelings he experienced were still raw. His helmet gave him privacy: no one nearby could hear him talking to them. He didn't need rumors about lapses in his sanity circulating through the corps.

Where was he again?

Oh, yes, on the surface. Rook was at an intersection half a click away from the temple. Two other men accompanied him; skilled marksman chosen by one of the senior NCOs. Rook trusted that kind of judgement. From his current position he could make out most of the temple. These dark side folks would have a lovely surprise when they came in on the descent.

The Gauss whirred as it came to life. It was an extremely powerful rifle designed to turn armored infantry into red mist. There were many variants of the weapon in production around the galaxy, but the original design held a special place in the vacant area that would have held Rook's black heart.

"I'm spectating Starchaser," he quipped into the open comm, "Spectating Hutt style. I've got a big rifle and a lot of room to use it." As if to punctuate that statement, he took careful aim at one of the men firing at [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]. For a moment, he desperately missed Stanley. The AI would have made picking off targets from a distance so much easier. Still, Rook could aim just fine. The rifle roared as it fired a long blue bolt at the soldier, catching him in the flank and vaporizing his lower half completely. A torso missing its legs fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

There went his surprise. The bad guys knew he and his two cohorts were here now. They had about a minute or so to bring chaos to the enemy's forward position before a team was sent to dispatch them. It was a suicidal play, but one that would save the lives of people with much more importance than a few grunts in the grand scheme of things.

"What do we have for CQC?" Rook snapped as he loaded another bolt into the rifle.

"A Deece and the standard kit. We'll be fine," a soldier replied, "Just make them afraid to stand up."

[member="Coren Starchaser"], [member="Spark Finn"]

 

[Relit Vandal]

There was no time for discussion, no time for socialization. So early in the game and the First Order had already moved into motion, preparing for the onslaught. Relit, having heard the news come across the radios, mounted on a separate speeder bike and followed in the wake of Voidstalker. Wind ripping at the rags of his pauper like gear, Relit inspected the outflow of earth as they crossed it. Like a black glass lake, ravine cut deep into it, the world was jagged and menacing and the First Order had taken advantage of this. Relit silently mourned the lack of fertility in the ground beneath them, Consitor Sato would serve no purpose in this environment. Not on native plants, anyway.

The GADF forces mounted a haphazard defense in response to the incoming hail. The Zelosian Jedi Master had just enough time to come to a drifting stop behind another boulder, within shouting range of Voidstalker. The red plasma pierced the obsidian surface, turning it red hot as Relit looked over to the Jedi Knight. Peeking over the edge, he attempted to make count of those firing towards him, but was interrupted by a hail of fire once more. He blew out air from his mouth, the universal symbol for a close call, as he pressed his back against the jagged surface.

Without seeing them, they would have to rely on the force for guidance. But with such molestation, it was taking more effort than usual to focus it into something useful. He pressed down, placing a palm on the glass beneath him, and looked over towards Jacen. He spoke sternly but focused, attempting to prevent the amplification of his words. But with the sound of firing, the likelihood of the enemy overhearing him was small.

"We could focus our attacks on one point..." He paused. "...Or one of use could draw their attention, while the rest flank and the GADF assist." He was sure there were other options, but they needed to act quickly. They were sitting ducks at this point.


[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] | [member="Samantha Roberts"] | [member="Taheera Sollo"] | [member="Samantha Roberts"] | [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] | [member="Rayliav'enci"] | [member="Braith Achlys"] | [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Ellie Mors]

Temple, East
There was often a belief held by military types that a group always amounted to more than the sum of its parts, that no single person could ever mount an offensive that could provide more devastation, with more success, than an army. This belief was founded on partial truth - there were few beings in this galaxy, both in the past and the present, that could ever turn the tides of a battle on their own, and even they relied on an army to keep the enemy busy while they worked their hands in the background. In modern warfare it was the tactician that won the battle, the footsoldiers that marched on who carried out the intelligence of those thousands of kilometers behind the lines of battle to bring them that surefire win. The force was great, it was powerful, but it was not equal in all beings. Even Jedi Masters and Sith Lords did not turn the tides of battle alone, their plurality of their collective titles implying an unspoken equality to share a title of strength and wisdom. But every so often there came a handful that could shape the very face of war, those who stood back and saw through the tactics, through the lines of infantry, the aerial assaults, and carried the strength behind them to step on that belief of numerical superiority.

A hand lifted as missiles and blaster fire ripped a hole open in the front lines of enemy forces, who seemed to be intelligent enough to utilize guerrilla warfare where the Republic and other established militaries and militias did not, and while white-armored troops were killed by the eruption of ammunition and projectiles, which had been fired upon the orders of one [member="Samantha Roberts"], a surge of magma would erupt up from the exposed vein and what troops had not been devastated by the missiles, blasterfire, and other defenses would be absolutely ripped apart by the all-consuming lava as it scorched the earth below. The hand that rose, Braith's right, was the gesture of one who altered the very environment itself, and though both of her hands had previously been at equal height - held at equal length aside her chest - she let her left hand fall, palm-down, while her right hand clenched. If the skies had been dark with the ships that flew above before, they were as dark as night now. Dark clouds, those which would carry rain on any other world, built up like the far-reaching arm of a woman hell-bent on rending this assault asunder.

"I do not stand alone, nor do my allies, but every step you Sith take will be another pain delivered tenfold." She said aloud to nobody in particular, standing quite literally on her lonesome outside without an environmental suit of some sort - still behind the sword of hers that had been plunged into the ground. For now Braith planned to stay back, to rip the ground from beneath these enemies or to smite them with the clouds that hammered with thunder, flashing with lightning, above. There was no need for her to rush head-long into battle, not yet, and her sword would remain dry of the blood of these fools until then. For now she would supply a mass of support from the distance, though she was certain that, eventually, enemies would come to rid the Alliance of her help. At that thought she let a short smile fill her lips.

Let them come.

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Well so much for getting orders before the enemy made groundfall. Thankfully he did know the difference between the friendlies and those who were less than friendly. Just look for the stark white dudes who were way too sure of their aim, especially given how often they seemed to miss. Admittedly he had a bit of unease about heading out which he hadn't had before. Then again going out meant that he could have some fun with exploding various enemies, though there didn't seem to be a ton of flammable vegetation around here. Sad day.

He shrugged and holstered the DC-17m on his back. He had gotten the gun made for his left handed nature, this one loading from the right side instead of the left as normal. The squads had already left in their fancy armored speeders. Kriff that, he had armor that was more than capable of taking a few good hits. Besides he was still looking at full shields on the suit, meaning even a hit from a heavy weapon wasn't taking him out in one shot. Quickly weighing the pros and cons of running, he decided that a speeder bike would be better for the moment. Sure they were supposed to be for the Jedi, but he was sure they wouldn't miss ONE bike that much.

With his decision made he jumped onto one of the nearby speeders and gunned the engine. He'd done some racing on the side during leave with the Republic, though they didn't like his tendency to do it...something about gambling and it being illegal on many worlds or something. He used the electrobinocular function of his HUD to pinpoint where he would be of most help. Seeing where [member="Relit Vandal"] and [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] were pinned, he whipped the back end around and headed straight for them.

Oh look! A ravine, narrow and deep enough to provide cover from small arms ground fire. He boosted the repulsors for a moment to get over a small ridge that would have been bad had he hit it on entering. Shunting power from them slightly, he dropped lower to the ground and leaned forward, keeping the lowest possible profile he could while maintaining control. Granted it wasn't perfect and he did have to slow down a bit to weave around some obstacles and navigate a few tricky turns, soon enough though he had made his way over to where the two Jedi were hunkering down. Kurayami killed the engine and dismounted snapping off an informal salute to the two.

So, do we have a plan? Or are we still at the target plinking stage where anything that doesn't look GA gets murdered? Mostly asking since I'm curious. Just need basics.

While he questioned the two, he drew his rifle from the backpack mounted holster and re-inserted the 60 round clip as he awaited an answer.

 

[Placeholder 04]

East Side, separated from the rest of the defenders by an outcropping.



A death wish. That was what Cyril had. He had not perished in the last battle with the First Order -- a mistake, a fluke. His debt to the galaxy was not yet paid. The weight of his sin still pressed down on his shoulders. It became hard to breathe. To yearn for death was not seen as cowardly in every corner of the galaxy. Warriors who fought with great honor were heralded as champions before their people when death's icy fingers dragged them to the Nether. Others were afraid. They did not know if their lives had any meaning in the greater scheme of things. They could not stand the thought of being unable to change things as they saw fit. Death was a way out.

For Cyril, it was parts both, and parts not. He yearned for the release; the promise that all would be well once he became one with the force. He'd been one to cause great change, and perceived those changes as great failures. His actions had led to the destruction of societies. The souls of his brethren cried out from the darkness; calling for his head. There was little comfort he could derive from this carnal existence now. That was why he'd joined the Galactic Alliance.

Truthfully, Cyril did not care for the New Jedi Order. There were those within it, such as [member="Jacen Voidstalker"], [member="Relit Vandal"], and [member="Chevu Visz"], who he wished the very best for, but the organization itself held little weight with the errant Jedi Master. He was on Sullust to meet his death, and it had been denied to him. It was infuriating. Still, he could not allow himself to meet his demise half-halfheartedly. When he fell, he would do so fighting, so that his family might decide he was of some worth after his passing. It would not do for little ones to know the family's eldest was suicidal.

So it was that he found himself alongside a young man. The boy's chest had caved in. Under normal circumstances, he would die quickly. There was no medical technology that could save him. There was, however, the force. So long as Cyril breathed, so would the boy. Unfortunately, the former would be a difficult task. He'd found himself isolated from the rest some ways from the temple, far to the east. The men and women protecting this place held their own, but the boy had been separated in the crossfire. Cyril had moved to help, and paid a hefty price for it.

Blood, thick and warm dripped down his midriff. His cloak was soaked with the stuff: both from himself and the soldier. A massive gash ran along his ribs. Shrapnel from some form of explosive had caught him in the side. The bleeding was disorienting, but it would not kill him. Not before he stabilized this lad. Fortunately, the boy had passed out due to the shock. It would be especially uncomfortable for him if he were awake. Cyril's hand pressed against the soldier's midriff. His eyes closed; the battle became nothing. Drawing in a deep breath, he focused on the boy's lungs. One was whole, the other pierced by a rib. With a practiced mind, he willed the rib to remove itself from the lung. It worked, though the bone splintered further in the process. He then focused on the cells in the boy's maimed lung; urged them to replicate faster than what would normally be possible.

A few minutes passed, and the boy's breathing became less ragged. Cyril's momentary relief was dashed away as a blaster bolt caught him in the shoulder. He bit back a curse, fell over the soldier, and turned his attentions to those warriors that approached. Standing was becoming a bit troubling. So was breathing.

His mind was a dull haze, yet somehow he managed to force one of the rocks between himself and the soldiers. It would provide cover, for a few moments.

He pressed a hand to his bleeding side, and the other to the boy's temple. If he could find himself a few moments, he might manage to staunch his own bleeding and keep the lad from meeting an untimely end. That was the hope, anyway.

 

[Robb Killian]

Beyond Temple East - Narrow Channel

Robb sat on his haunches, crouching over a fallen GADF soldier as blaster fire passed overhead, just a little too close for comfort. The spacer gripped the man's hand as he drew in his final breaths. What the karking hell am I doing here?

. . .Robb was no hero, he was no soldier, and he was most definitely no Jedi. The man had scarce reason to be there, crouching among the escalating violence on the periphery of hell. And yet, there he was, on the front lines defending some cause he was barely acquainted with. The spacer had signed on with the Alliance but recently, almost on a whim, casually making supply runs and gathering information for a cause he viewed, at the very least, to be a just one.

Truth be told, Robb was stuck here. The enemy's presence in orbit prevented his scheduled departure and, having little actual choice, the spacer had elected to make himself useful rather than sit in some temple waiting to die. Robb had experience with mounted combat, speeder-bikes in particular, and volunteered to saddle up with those GADF and Jedi who sallied forth to meet the initial enemy threat. . .

An errant blaster bolt struck the boulder Robb was crouching behind, pulling Robb away from his thoughts. The spacer looked back down at the GADF soldier's lifeless form and released the man's hand, letting it fall limply to the ground so he could relief the man of his rifle. Won't be needing this anymore.

Robb sidled his way to the edge of his cover. Peeking over the edge, he saw a couple of Jedi further along toward the front of the Alliance's position. Beyond them the enemy was laying down the hurt, gradually advancing. The spacer leaned out a little further and fired a few suppressing bolts from his borrowed rifle, but ultimately made little impact on the enemy ranks before they could suppress him in turn. "Karking hell!" Robb shouted, diving back behind cover, narrowly avoiding the enemy's salvo. Guess I'll have to get creative. . .

Robb's options were limited, but he found his gaze drawn back to his fallen friend's discarded speeder, idling nearby. Robb was no tactician, but the barest semblance of a plan began to take form in his mind. I wonder. . .

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] |[member="Relit Vandal"] | [member="Samantha Roberts"] | [member="Taheera Sollo"] | [member="Samantha Roberts"] | [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] | [member="Rayliav'enci"] | [member="Braith Achlys"] | [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Jsc]

Temple East
Right Flank - GA First Echelon - vs FO Mounted Infantry - p2 - A Quiet Little Mountain of Fire
(00:10:00 -> +00:14:00 )

The First Echelon wasn't just holding. It was jumping for joy. [member="Braith Achlys"] had shown herself a Goddess and set even the planet against the bunkered down Stormtroopers. Her magma streams didn't even effect the allied position at all. Only the far ridge lines were the enemy snipers had hoped to prosper were burning. Sam looked up from her Sniper Rifle in sheer amazement. There simply wasn't a Stormtrooper in sight who wasn't burning to death in his own armor. The fields of flat and murky water that lay between the two forces was now calm and content. Downright peaceful. The GA snipers drew no targets on the horizon and the Medics sat contently upon their own two hands. The rocket crews had no speeder bikes to engage and the cannon nests simply sat idle and shrugging.

The Final Order had been obliterated.

Well... For now. It took only but a moment for the shouting of the Captains to begin again in the trenches. More Stormtrooper reinforcements were inbound on the SatCom and probably three whole columns worth were moving in behind that. Ugh. The fight was far far from over. But, at least for now? ...The Right Flank of the Temple East Side was down right golden. Smiling soldiers and all.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen would have responded to questions from [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] [member="Relit Vandal"], however the reprieve provided by [member="Rook"] ’s covering fire had enabled the GADF squads accompanying them to act.

The precision fire support had forced the advancing stormcommandos into cover, as their officers and heavy weapons were targeting. One GADF squad and the two armed speeders manoeuvred to the left to better ground, as the other squad continued to hold their ground.

“Space wizards,” came a call over the local channel. “Second squad are in position to keep them pinned. When you want to go, give the call and one squad will stop fire.”

“Understood,” Jacen replied. He understood what they had done. By moving off to one side, the second squad could provide covering fire whilst the Jedi closed. Whilst there was a romantic notion about Jedi charging with soldiers following in their wake, the reality of such a manoeuvre was a lot of dead Jedi with blaster holes in their backs.

“Let’s move then,” Jacen called out load to the nearby allies. He switched his comm to the command channel. “Someone advise precision support fire on mountainside that we are closing with storm commandos. Caution advised.” He then switched again to the local channel. “We’re making out move!”

The fire from around them stopped, and was immediately taken up by the GADF squad off to the left. Repeater fire from the ground, as well as mounted to the two speeders kept the storm commandos from returning much fire.

Jacen leapt out from cover, his golden blade snapping to life. He barely registered what he saw as he ran, instead the Force guided his steps and blade. It flicked up and down, deflecting bolts towards the heavens and into the ground. Anything else would have been too risky. Unlike the previous battle, his muscles almost moved of their own accord as his mind was centred. It was an open vessel for the Force, rather than exerting his will with emotional strength. He would need utmost control today; if he slipped he wouldn’t see another battlefield on behalf of the GA.

Then he was upon the enemy. The Force aided his speed as he launched himself over a rock. The commandos behind it barely had time to react as one wide sweep cut them both down. There was no time to pause and he was suddenly defending himself from blaster fire from three commandos ahead of him.

 

[Minna]

Temple, West

Things were starting to heat up. To the east she could sense the fighting was underway, but for the west it had just begun. White figures in the distance, no doubt Stormtroopers, made their way towards the temple. They were wasting no time with hurried steps, their rifles primed on their enemy as if awaiting the order to fire. Taking the lead, Minna stood between them and the western troops of the Alliance. As the blue light of her blade ignited and pointed forward, the aim of allied blasters followed. The west was about to make it's stand.

Suddenly the spread of white figures began mixing with red, as blaster fire rained towards the Alliance. Minna's lightsaber whirled into action, deflecting the shots towards the empty ground between the two forces, whilsty she herself charged forward. Soldiers soon followed suit, moving to what cover they could find to return fire. The distance between her and the Stormtroopers was closing, and only when she was too far to turn back did she see the red blades appear. Pushing themselves out from behind the front line of troopers, warriors of the Final Order charged out, eager to cut down the Jedi.

Minna only hoped those Jedi were right behind her...

[member="Ella Nova"]
[member="Tiland Kortun"]
[member="Audren Sykes"]
[member="Ebony Blackheart"]
[member="Turin Val Kur"]
[member="Spark Finn"]

 

[Aela Talith]

Temple; East

She wasn't far behind Jacen.

There had been a moment of fear, of apprehension. This was their home. This was the place that she was supposed to feel safe. It wasn't Borleias, but it was supposed to be something like it, some place that she could be without having to worry about who was coming for her. Yet here they were, the enemy. She frowned as the charge began, her lips tugging down into a frown as she lagged behind for half a heartbeat. Her lightsaber was clutched tightly, her eyes wandered across the field of battle, and then everything moved.

Thump Thump Thump.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and then she moved.

In an instant she went from stationary to a living blur. Her body strummed with the power of the force, every muscle, every tendon, every part of her being flowed with its strength. The flex of her body pushed her forward in a near instant. Her lightsaber sprang to life within a chorus of others, and as she passed padawan and knights of the New Jedi Order she found herself profoundly calm.

Her blade bit into the first stormtrooper just as Jacen struck the wall of white alongside her.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Temple West
Allies: [member="Minna"] and whoever else is behind him.

A fight... A cause... He still wasn't sure... There was a flicker of hope in him when he had joined up with this new Alliance... A flare of the old him, that eager light that was almost incandescent. His armor was almost archaic looking, and not anywhere near what he was used to fighting in, but his credits were low when he had trekked off to join these crazies... Their pitch sounded good, at the very least, but his intuition told them they were going to need a lot of help. Good ideas with good men behind them usually did. And the jaded side of him that had evolved out on the Outer Rim told him to stand back and watch. Observe, judge, and then commit more fully.

But then the chance had came to sign up for this, and he had found himself in the thick of it. And now he watched as some crazy charged out like an old battle-leader of old, blade blazing at her side as blaster bolts fell like rain around her. Something in that was almost poetic, and reminded him of his time in the Republic, leading troops one. People said he once was able to get even the laziest of men, the most self-serving soldier in the platoon, to go without rations to sign up for a recon mission with him. Luck, Will of the Force, whatever it was, when he charged in, glory and victory used to follow. And there were very, very few who could challenge him when the blades were drawn.

So, he swung the blade up, the simplistic thing hissing to life in an emerald beam, and he raised it to his shoulder, a booming shout as his long and lanky hair flew behind him. The world shrank and yet expanded as he let his consciousness seem to slip into the Force, to feel it's will and the very pulse and beat of the battle. Whereas before troops were keeping pace with him, he suddenly blurred, bursting forward with unmatched speed and in a wild leap over the head of the woman charging in, dropped to one knee, blocking a blow that was clearly aimed for her head from one of the red-blades, and grinning as his fist reared back and then plunged forward, connecting with the groin of his opponent, the Force imbuing his strike and knocking (almost hurtling really) the enemy back and bowling over a few run of the mill troopers, though doing them little damage.

Immediately the man whirled into action as a blaster bolt sliced to where he would have been, pulling into a ball as he leapt from the ground and his saber hurtled like a dart in a wide sweeping arc. It may have sliced a few barrels out, but because of the flipping ball he had spun into, it didn't seem to cause any real damage, just drop the enemy charge in their immediate area back a pace as he landed from the adroit little manuever on his feet, one hand clenched in a fist behind his back in the small of it, the other holding his saber up and out at the enemy, tipped pointed forward at them, feet angled perpendicular, almost a training stance for a duelist really. It was either very foolish, or very insulting, in that moment, Julius looked to Minna and nodded gravely, closing his eyes and just seeming to wait for the shock of his initial charge to wear off.

Well, you're surrounded and they definitely know where you are and what you are capable of. The first to face you with a saber will likely be foolhardy, greedy for glory and over-inflated in his self-opinion. The second one will be the one most likely to worry about. Hopefully they don't get too shooty.

 

[Audren Sykes]

Objective: Temple West
Allies: GA | NJO | [member="Ella Nova"] | [member="Tiland Kortun"] | [member="Ebony Blackheart"] | [member="Turin Val Kur"] | [member="Spark Finn"] | [member=Minna] | [member="Julius Sedaire"]
Gear: Lightsaber | QQ-151-3 Excon Suit | SMG | QQ-83n | Vibroblade

Fighters - soldiers and Jedi both - had reported heavy contact on the East flank. He could sense the turmoil over in that direction, coming from both Force users and non-Force users. They had an early start, but the fighting was about to begin in the West. White plastic-looking figures could be seen in the distance, moving quickly. One of the New Jedi Order's Jedi stepped forward and ignited her lightsaber blade, prompting the soldiers around them to aim. Most sought what cover they could, others simply had to make do with crouching or laying prone.

Without warning, red blaster bolts flurried from the mass of stormtroopers. The woman's blade whirled to life, batting bolt after bolt aside. She seemed discontent with remaining on the defensive and charged the lines of white. Another Jedi, this one clad in archaic-seeming armor, went after her with a shout. The soldiers, which had already been starting to move to follow, now did so with renewed gusto and a combined roar.

Audren moved with the soldiers, firing only often enough to avoid suspicion. His gun was not a rifle; it simply lacked the power to penetrate armor at distance. A lucky shot might have put a bolt through a helmet's eyepiece, but that was about the only way it would be effective so far away. Like the soldiers, he moved forward in spurts, stopping to take a few shots, then moving on.

As the forces moved closer together, the taint of the Dark Side grew stronger and began to tremble with anticipation. The closer they got, the more shooting Audren was doing; he did it on the run however, shooting in bursts and trusting in the extended powerpacks to not run out too soon. Stormtrooper after stormtrooper fell, it was impossible to tell who's bolt had felled them. It didn't matter anyways, as long as they were stopped. Finally the two groups grew close enough that the deception was dropped and the red blades of the Dark Adepts appeared. The female Jedi was still leading the charge.

The man in old armor was still following the female Jedi, moving at the same pace as the Defense Force soldiers. At the appearance of the red lightsabers however, he suddenly blurred over the woman's head and blocked the first red blade to strike at her, retaliating with a powerful punch that sent the Adept flying back and bowling over a few of his own stormtroopers. He dodged a blaster bolt and whirled around, doing little but securing himself a circle amidst the stormies with the woman. Inexplicably the troopers weren't shooting right away.

Audren meant to take advantage of that.

He'd managed to pass by the initial wave of stormies with nothing more than a graze. The plastic soldiers were trying to drive a wedge into the GADF lines, to separate and destroy. So it was that the Sephi managed to close with the ring of stormtroopers many deep without much notice. Without warning his own blaster roared with fully-automatic shots. Now that he was close, the weapon could deal significant damage. As he was shooting at an angle to the circle, an extensive gap was cut. If nothing else, this would give the two other Jedi a way out.

He'd not been keeping count, but the Padawan was aware that his power pack was running out. To boot, he could sense another one of the Dark Side adepts approaching, targeting him in revenge for the sudden loss of the soldiers. Unbeknownst to her, the frequent stops and restarts during the advance had allowed Audren to grab his lightsaber with his left hand and hold it parallel to the barrel of his SMG. As the Adept swung, the learner simply dropped his carbine from both hands. On the sling, it swung back...and latched to the magnet he'd requested sewn into the back of his armor. A brilliant blue lightsaber blade hissed to life and intercepted the red, pushing it to the Sephi's right and allowing the strike's own force to send it at the ground. Without missing a step, a gloved right hand extended and snagged the pommel of the red lightsaber, then yanked. The blade burned through a couple fingers before the fail-safe kicked in, but by that time the base of the hilt was already arcing at the woman's chin.

It was a square hit, knocking some teeth loose at the very least and knocking the woman back a step. Continuing with the rotation that had put most of the force into the hit, Audren took a stepping spin around, bringing his own lightsaber up and around as if to strike. The Adept ducked the blue blade, but missed the fact that her hilt had been turned around and ignited in the Padawan's hand as he spun, and that it followed the blue blade in a combination strike. In fact, he'd intended the first strike to be dodged - his lightsaber was just a training blade - and for the second strike to do the true damage. The blade struck true, carving the woman's body in two from left clavicle to right hip.

Now he had a lightsaber that could actually do damage, tainted though it was. He didn't stop to challenge those around him, he simply moved, dropping into the Force and allowing it to guide his own combat training. Blasters fell to his strikes more often than not, but hands, arms, and occasionally lives were also impacted when need be. Blaster bolts directed his way were largely dodged, whether by 'lucky misses' or simply by seeing the plastic man aiming at him before he fired. Grazes were simply ignored. The soldiers weren't his target, not really. They just tried to stop him. No, the Padawan was headed for the next-closest Dark Adept. It wasn't anger or revenge, it was a simple sort of logic.

End them and the battle ends.

OOC: Estimated 20-30% of circling stormtroopers around Minna and Julius eliminated.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]
[member="Samantha Roberts"]
[member="Taheera Sollo"]
[member="Samantha Roberts"]
[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]
[member=Rayliav'enci]
[member="Braith Achlys"]
[member="Aela Talith"]
[member="Relit Vandal"]


Jacen kept his footing stable as he came under a torrent of fire. His eyes narrowed as he allowed his vision to drift out of focus. His peripheral vision, and the Force was all he needed. His whole body shifted as he flowed between blocks, as if a graceful stream changing course. His body was always in motion, every change in balance carefully controlled as he moved to block each bolt long before it was fired.

He swung his saber wide to deflect a bolt coming from his left, taking one hand from the hilt. In that split second his occluder handcannon leapt up from his belt of its own accord into his free hand. Two shots were fired, each dispersing into a spread of sixteen boltlettes. There were cries as one commando was dropped and another merely sent sprawling by a glancing blow. The handcannon was freed from his grip so he could complete another swing and change of angle to block two more bolts. It remaining in the air, hovering to his side and ready for use.

Whilst in this meditative state - where he acted without his concious mind interfering - he could hold off the enemy indefinitely, he would need support soon.



Elsewhere on the eastern front the right flank was holding well. However, armour had moved in quickly down the left and was applying significant pressure. Whilst the central killbox had obliterated the first advance the enemy was now pressing more slowly. Platoons of stormtroopers moved one by one, then squads covered each other. Finally as the air was thick with blaster bolts individual fire teams of stormtroopers supplied covering fire and manoeuvred alternately. The advance on the centre was inexorable, but Alliance soldiers sold their lives at great price. Many Final Order soldiers died for every inch of ground. Master Qorbin Fal didn't care. Once the opportunity presented itself, his first wave of dark side adepts would break the first line.

 

[Minna]

Temple, West

Frontline Allies: [member="Audren Sykes"] | [member="Julius Sedaire"]

Suddenly Minna, the one Jedi, became multiple. Plenty had charged with her, rallying the troops to battle. Their blades shone as beacons of hope, clashing against red blades and burning white armor. The push was an effective one, causing a large buffer in the Final Order's attack. Leading lines of stormtroopers fell to the combined bladework of the Jedi and the suppressing fire of the soldiers behind them. Dark Adepts came out, seeking blood and glory, only to find overwhelming skill and resistance. A swift offense had proven to be a great defense for the Alliance, but soon the Final Order's strength came into play; numbers.

For every stormtrooper on the frontline they cut down, squads more came, pouring from behind to replace their fallen allies or entering the battle from newfound entry points on the field. The Adepts kept coming, proving that legions of the foolish and greedy had enlisted to seek selfish power through the teachings of the dark side. Minna knew had faith in the Alliance's ability to defend their temple, but it was not going to happen like this. They could only fight in the thick of it for so long until a distinct advantage was needed, and so it was best to find such an advantage as soon as possible.

A plan would have to be formed along the way though, as the fight raged on around her. One of the Jedi who had followed her charge, a rugged-looking man who wore armor from what seemed to be a time long passed, blocked a red blade heading straight for her. Minna's eyes met his, offering a nod of gratitude before she turned away and continued fighting. More Adepts came, some being intercepted by more fellow Jedi joining the fight, but the rest charging straight for her. When it came to channeling the force like a Sorceror, Minna was no expert, yet when it came to her aid in battle her worth as a warrior shone bright. Her bright blue blade thrust forward, penetrating her first opponent's guard and entering his cloth-covered chest. It did not stay there long, instead twirling around by exiting the Adept's body from the side and coming back around to glance off the blade of another. Like the wind she flowed, never ceasing her movements just as the fourth form preached. Her steps were light but her strikes were deadly, repeating blows from different angles overwhelmed the Adept shortly before his swift death. As more and more came she simpled weaved between them, never stopping to give one the time to cut her, only the few seconds she needed to kill them.

Yet during this time her mind slowly considered a more solid plan, one to keep the tides of battle in their favor. Hopefully her allies had the same thought as her, and were trying just as hard to ensure they didn't lose their footing. However time was of the essence, and already the Final Order commander of the Western assault grew impatient. The Adepts seemed no match for the skill of trained Jedi, it seemed a higher class of warrior would be needed...

And so the Knights of the Order prepared themselves for the heat of battle...

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Temple West
Allies: [member="Audren Sykes"] | [member="Minna"]

The first Adept to respond to him gripped a red-bladed saber in both hands, coming at him in a massive over-head strike that lacked any elegance, planning, or much of anything really. Julius merely spun to the side to avoid it and threw his own saber through the white-helmet of a trooper standing behind the adept, who had the bad fortune to raise his gun to draw a bead on Julius. The bolt pistol at his side suddenly drew up into his hand and as the saber he had just thrown returned to his arm whilst it jerked backed into his right hand, the left handed trigger finger squeezed several times on the delicately balanced trigger of his sidearm.

Two loud, almost deafening barks spattered out at the adept from near point blank range, the shell tearing through the torso and likely making a lovely mess of the poor Adept and his internals. The gun was a messy thing, but it made a point, and he let it drop into the box holster whence it came as he spun aside from a whining collage of blaster bolts, lightsaber tucked close into his body. A sudden stop to the acrobatic move left his hand on the arm of an Adept, and he narrowed his eyes and pushed with the Force, swinging around to connect with another devastating punch to the jaw of the man to send him flying, working the perimeter. What he almost wouldn't give for a private commlink to the others around him, and so turning whilst falling back, he grabbed a likely looking fellow and yelled at him instead.

"You, take anyone you have, fall behind me, tight and tidy... I'm going to charge again.. I want you to rain down hell from the moment my feet leave the ground until they hit again, free for all style, thin them out where i'm headed. If i'm on the ground, take your time, keep surprises from me.. Focus on the troopers if you can. Pass the word along your comms, have the others do the same for anyone with a lightsaber. Five to a jedi, no more than eight or ten... And please get a firing block in the centre to anchor this line! "

Without hesitation, or waiting to see if he would be obeyed, Julius burst into action, leaping again as his Force-enhanced muscles sped him along. Sure enough, when his feet left the ground, there was a whine and hail of fire right at the direction he was going in. This would not land him any medals for amazing strategy, but for the moment, hopefully, it would hold them until something else could be done. He might be an amazing duelist, but he had to admit, he had a long ways to go in battlefield strategy. But for now, it appeared to be working if for no other reason than sheer surprise. As he landed, blade slicing into the foe, he let his conscious mind go and surrender to the Force, reacting and acting at inhuman speeds.

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Kurayami heard the repulsors of approaching armor and realized that blaster rifle versus tank was a bit of a disadvantage, but he needed to be able to utilize the clip he already had loaded in some manner. The question now was how to do so and how far off was the enemy armor. He popped his head up just enough to see over the ridge he was hunkered down behind. 60 rounds could be expended easily on full auto and clear a few of the troopers out, might give him enough time to switch to anti-armor and tag a couple vehicles. It was a solid enough plan, if unlikely to make friends with [member="Relit Vandal"] during such time. Oh well, survival needed to come before making new friends right now, it was far harder to make friends when dead.

His decision apparently made he stood fully from his crouched position, flipped the switch to full auto, pulling down and to the right to counteract the recoil as well as he could. A torrent of bright blue ion pulse rounds were unleashed at the advancing Stormtroopers and any Storm commandos who tried to provide support. The stream wasn't entirely constant, it was broken up into 10 round bursts to keep the weapon from overheating. Watching the ammo counter on his HUD he dropped back down as soon as his clip was empty, discarding it as soon as he was back in cover. 75 percent shield and a few nice scorch marks, a bit of bruising from the impact of enemy bolts, that was his reward for killing a few troopers. He shrugged, it was worth it.

Taking the momentary reprieve he had been granted, he quickly swapped out for the anti-armor attachment having placed a marker on one of the units closing from the left flank. He loaded one of the shells, armor piercing incendiary combined two of his favorite things...fire and explosions. He looked over towards where the marker was on his HUD, dropping to a prone position and activating the stealth feature of his armor, blending in almost perfectly with the terrain. He moved slowly to avoid as much suspicion as possible from above to set himself in a more favorable position to engage. He kept this position until the readout showed that the armor was nearly on top of him he then raised up to a crouched position as the enemy passed him. It felt like eons went by as he waited for the back of the vehicle to be revealed. He stood up as they floated merrily past his position, quite unaware of what was coming.

A smirk formed on his lips as he pulled the trigger and heard the muted 'thump' of the grenade being launched. It was but a few seconds later that the shot hit home. Middle of the back, near the main power supply. The fireworks were a beautiful sight to the commando. As he admired his work however, he heard more blaster rounds hit his armor, shield was down to 60 percent now. Definitely worth it though as he not only took out a tank but also made it into a nice campfire.

Dropping back behind cover he switched to the sniper attachment, and slammed home a clip of five rounds. He had to say he was a fan of the zoom offered by the electromagnetic targeting scope. Took a bit of recalibration on the HUD as he took note of a few lone scouts and marked their positions. Looked like most of them were close enough for default zoom at 10x. They would die last today, the first would be those further back that needed the 'hello, you're dead' 20x zoom setting. He waited as his breathing slowed allowing him to get a better bead on his first target, 250 meters away. He slowly counted down from five as he placed the center of the reticle right on the scout's temple. He pulled the trigger as he exhaled after he reached 'one' mentally. The projectile was encased in blaster energy and dropped the scout quickly. He moved to the next marker on his HUD 200 meters away, and repeated the process on him and the other three who were left.

With that taken care of he switched back to the blaster, loading a fresh clip. He crouched and began working back towards where he had started off. Today was going to be a good day indeed. So long as his armor and shields held out. He dropped the stealth and decided to let the sensor absorbent material do its job as he went, still keeping his pace slow. That sniping had draw some unwanted attention and knocked his shielding down to half, but if he was careful he might be able to get a chance to recharge, though he wasn't counting on it. So 50 percent was just going to have to last him through the worst.