The Tides of Darkness (Tygara)

[Elincia Alanis]

Their combined attack seemed to be working as the Kraal perished one by one or in groups, Elincia didn't count, some of them screamed, some of them couldn't find the time, blizzard, steam, bolters, explosions, more screams, holy kark it sounded like a wet dream Elincia once had. It had the same good feeling to it anyway. She wanted to quote a Spacepool line that she watched in holonet to express how she felt right now, but that would be cheesy so she decided not to. However, her little heaven was interrupted by pods ignoring the shields and dropping right beside them, which caused more explosions, but of the not so great kind this time. Their form was suddenly interrupted by the soldiers escaping the pods and a surprise bolter attack followed, taking the lives of those didn't have the time to react, which of course put Star Fortress's safety at risk. Elincia immediately took a defensive position and aimed her bolter towards the greenskins who were not being great houseguests. Not being great in ranged attacks, still she could manage herself just fine.

As the battle continued, she moved quickly to regroup with the rest of the crew who were having their own battles against the Kraal. Examining the battlefield, the sudden appearance of Kraal was effective and a lot of people were dead, but they managed to pull themselves together and put up a good defense before they could move further. She saw ice lady in the front lines fighting, and could hear the Host Leader's voice. Inspiration was great, when you weren't trying not to die. She would be the one to shout "Twinkles!" but she didn't feel like that today. Anyway, to assist the ice lady she decided to move towards her, before she could reach though, she heard a voice. One of the Kraal managed to get the upper hand against one of her roommates. Now, to be honest, she was a queen. But her kind of one, so Elincia needed to save the day. Aiming her bolter towards the Kraal, she fired, again and again.

Oh... Well, her rounds totally didn't hit the places she aimed it to hit, but 2 heads and 1 chest was a pretty good score. The orc screamed out of pain and soon her lifeless body hit the ground. "Holy chit did I do that?" moment intensified. The Angelii stood up and nodded to thank the girl before leaving to kill more, which Elincia replied with a thumbs up and a wink, why? Who knows. Anyway, her back turned to the scene she moved backwards one or two steps, crashing to an obstacle. Quickly turning around, yeah, it was an angry orc with a huge shiny sword with some kind of foreign language written on it. Elincia looked at her sarix, then the shiny sword, and then her brain concluded the sword was shinier. "Well, I am going to get your sword." She said then launched an attack, her sarix ready to slash, her attack was met by the sword, the pressure and the rage put to it was difficult to dominate so she jumped back. Calling her Sciia, she created several sharp ice spears and threw them towards the orc.

Some of them hit him, which he responded by shouting in pain and evading the others, in rage he launched an attack himself this time. Elincia was fast enough to evade, but each time she evaded his attacks, his rage could be read from his face more and more, which gave him a speed boost, to be honest now he was becoming a little bit more of a threat. The battle turned into swordplay, Elincia attacking first, aiming for a kill. The orc evaded the attack and then he attacked, with the same intention, but much louder. At one point Elincia lost concentration and thus took the hit, luckily it wasn't a fatal one as she pulled herself together at the last moment but it probably opened a wound on her chest, she couldn't tell because of the adrenaline. Losing her balance, then the orc's attack connected and he headbutted her and made her fell to the ground. Just about to land another blow, Elincia quickly thought of a shield, which with the help of her Sciia appeared between her and her enemy's sword. The sword got stuck on the thick ice, which gave her chance to recollect herself. Once she regained her balance the orc saved his sword from the shield.

Unfortunately for the orc, by the time he managed to do it, Elincia was already on the move and launched an attack. The orc was about to react, when he realized, Elincia had a backup plan this time. He whimpered in pain as an ice spear stabbed him from behind, which made him lose his defense and left him vulnerable. Then Elincia, with a smile connected to the attack by stabbing his abdomen. The orc heavily breathed, but his pain and raging eyes slowly died as the second spear hit his back. It was probably an emotional moment for the orc, well, if he felt something anyway. Elincia didn't like the emotional moments and had to troll. "Hey, I love icy blue too but it isn't worth dying for!" The orc's dead body probably would wish to die again if it could speak, but it was too busy getting frozen. Before fully freezing him though, his body proved useful once more as it blocked a bolter shot coming towards her way. She took out her bolter and attacked, yet another Kraal hitting the ground. About the shiny sword she mentioned earlier, well, it wasn't that shiny anymore with all that disgusting blood so she decided to leave it. She wasn't going to get a disease for a shiny.

Pulling her sarix out of the orc's body finally, she looked at the battlefield once more and moved closer to the ice lady, feeling a little bit dizzy. She could hear the machines closing in.

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Symara Tarriq"] [member="Tegaea Alcori"]

 

[cheshire_kitty]

As she exited the hotel, the woman could hear the sound of a mechanical voice order around his underlings - perfect. Assuming that the droid was a part of the planet's defenders, she headed in the direction of the voice. Once the droid was in sight, she hesitated before moving her hand to tap the droid on the shoulder. When the droid turned to her, he would see a young woman attempt to ask where where she could be assistance without use of words. True, it would have been simpler to speak but that would risk her identity potentially being revealed in a future encounter.

Not quite of how to convey her silent message, Butterfly former a fist with one hand and wrapped her other hand around it and swung it as if she was swinging a sword then separated her hands to draw a question mark in the air - her attempt at asking the droid the location of the upcoming battle. Unsure if the droid understood her question, the young woman made a note learn sign language so that she may be able to communicate more easily in future encounters with others.

Nervously Butterfly trembled as she waited for the droid's reply. Taking up her mother's mantle to continue the deceased woman's legacy was not a decision she had made lightly but after her visit to the Countess' home, she had realized what a pitiful soul she truly was and knew that she desperately need to change so, this was her attempt to do so.

[member="HK-36"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


In space, no one can hear you scream. For some reason, there are explosions though. Enyo watched the clash unfold from the Kraal flagship's bridge. The light show would probably make a Holowood director green with envy, for even the special effects of Michael Bay blockbusters could not match it.


Firemane had not been able to muster its entire battle fleet. This was no blemish in the corporation because, contrary to popular belief, the average corporate fleet tended to be spread out. Warships patrolled the space lanes, escorted convoys, battled pirates or delivered PMC services. If you mustered your entire fleet in one place, all your other operations would be vulnerable. It was even sillier if you decided to send your entire armada to a far away war zone on a whim.


However, the force was still formidable. Firemane was deploying its subcapital ships to delay the Kraal, while their heavy cruisers and the Phoenix moved into position. Flashes of turbolaser and ion cannon fire lanced through space, bathing it in crimson, emerald and blue light. Brazenly, the fast, manouevrable Kraal ships charged into the fray, for their cannons could fire in all direction and they milked this advantage for all it was worth. In the far distance, a Kraal warship's shields failed when a Fulminatus corvette seemed to appear out of nowhere, unloading its arsenal of baradium missiles. The missiles detonated upon the shark-shaped vessel's blackened hull, tearing through armour.


"Prepare squadrons of Fireships for deployment. Target the engines of enemy capital ships." Enyo signalled an Archangel unit. Fireships were a new Archangel innovation. Heavily armoured corvettes packed with explosives that had one goal: Get close to the enemy and blow up in a kamikaze strike. There would be fireworks.


Once more, she glanced at the mighty Kraal Imperator, sitting upon his grand throne of skulls. He towered over his kindred like a titan, but his mind was...closed to her. It was not even due to potent mental barriers, he simply felt like a void to her. Black armour encased him like a shell. Her powers felt diminished around him. It was less unnerving and more puzzling. Word was that he'd vanished during the Netherworld event and returned changed.


She felt a strong jolt when a message was suddenly beamed into her head. It felt like a mild shock, but she'd gotten used to it. Before sending her to Tygara, Archangel had given her an upgrade that permitted wireless, electronic communication. She could not help feel very suspicious about it. They'd betrayed her before and would do so again. Soon all strings will be cut, even theirs. The pieces are in place. Then she would no longer have to follow anyone's dictates except her own. But many would have to perish first, even though their deaths were incidental. Her road to freedom would be paved with corpses. She'd accepted that. Her thoughts drifted to [member="Amara Zarides"], then the buzzing became too strong to ignore.


"Wasp Drone 029 reporting," the bland, emotionless voice was accompanied by an image of the fighting in Elvahil. Eldorai soldiers and Qadiri sepoys were putting up a stiff resistance. What caught Enyo's eye was the admittedly very blurry image showing armoured vehicles advancing in the distance. She could barely identify the emblem, but she knew it had to be Firemane. She knew who and what this meant. Then the transmission was abruptly cut off by an explosion. Presumably the drone had been taken offline or destroyed.


Her phrik hand clenched into a tight fist. The moment to reveal herself had not yet come...but soon. "Get my armour," she did not bother look at the drone, for her eyes were focused on the cold, vacuum of space. "It won't be long anymore, sister."

 

[HK-36]

[member="Butterfly"],

The droid looked at her, his head turning all the way around quickly to look at her, much like the owls did, before the rest of his body followed. It did not say anything, waiting for her to ask a question or, as he suspected, tell him what a bad job he did at setting up the barricades and how an organic could do it better. Organics, pwah! They were the worst.

Anyway, when no words came only gestures, especially ones with swinging a sword and then a question mark drawn in the air the droid still not said anything. He just looked at her, his faceplate emotionless, almost featureless, yet somehow with that look that said "Are you serious right now?"

After what seemed like eternity he finally mentioned down towards the corridor,

"The closest weak point where they could board through is down this hallway, it also leads towards a hangar, where another one of our major defense lines is fortified."

The droid decided that would be all the information she needed as one of the soldiers called out,

"Barricades fortified!"

And the machine scanned over it, nodding in approval before moving over to in one smooth motion vault over the torso and waist-high makeshift wall, joining up with the rest of the garrison defending the inner hub and core systems,

"May the Force be with you and do not get killed. If you want any additional weapons or ammo now is the chance."


It just so happened that the corridor droid directed Butty down was the one where another one of his copies was having a shootout with a group of Krell and where Elpy would be nearing a corner whenever she got the chance.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Butterfly"] [member="HK-36"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Nima Tann"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]
(Tagging everyone here, but I've broken it into multiple posts for convenience. Apologies for the delay, holidays and all.)
(Also a reminder, the Kraal are not mere barbarians, they are lizard creatures capable of cunning and intelligence. More Krogan than ork.)


The Star Fortress – Aeda & Tempest

The Kraal were cunning, and using their drop pods they has managed to phase through the shield as though it were mist. Then, landing forces they had advanced forward along the approaches.

However, the Eldorai and their human allies were not helpless. The massive Tempest cannons along with the smaller turrets were all blazing.

Whilst Kaida and Askari led a spirited defence of the fortress’ lower levels, attempts had been made by the Kraal to attack the Tempest cannons directly. There, a force of Kraal had landed on the mountain side, and then swiftly ascended the cliffs to attack the defenders from an unexpected direction.

Standing in their way was 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Firemane Regulars. Though they had a few Eldorai and Angelii with them, it was mainly for this force of a hundred men and women of many races to hold the line.
When the Kraal had been detected they had moved to the cliff edge to fire down on the enemy. It should have been easy, but with the rough terrain and the jump packs used by the Kraal it was anything but.
At first though everything went well, and many Kraal were sent falling far to the rocks below. However, enough managed to get to the top that a savage melee ensued. Firemane troopers using APE, buckshot or slug rounds fought against Kraal with heavy blasters and vibroaxes. Even worse, a couple of drop pods rigged with explosives fell like bombs amidst the troops, killing both Kraal and Firemane indiscriminately.
In close combat the troopers were seriously disadvantaged, and were soon being driven back. Though outnumbered the surviving Kraal were able to move to such close range that the firepower of their enemies could not be used.

But then a wind blew up. Looking up they’d see a darkly armoured figure floating in the air, and then the lightning would fall, striking those too far from their companions. Into the battle Tempest charged, defending the cannons which bore her name.
With lightsabre, lightning and bolter she cut through Kraal. Rallied by her presence, the troopers pushed back and soon the Kraal were beaten back or killed. Soon no living Kraal remained in the upper reaches of the battlefield.

XXX

In the lower reaches of the fortress where Kaida and Askari were hard pressed they were soon to be faced by an even more dangerous foe.
Landed by heavy transport, a monstrous engine was rolling forward for the summit of the fortification. Ahead of it went a massive roller, and it was protected by heavy shields. It had massive cannons of its own which blazed at the defenders on their barricades. If it got close enough to the defences it would simply roll over them and break through, allowing the Kraal inside to cause havoc.

However, help was coming. A comm message went out to Kaida and the other officers.
“Hold your ground, Angelii, I am bringing reinforcements,” Aeda Shaytari said. Her small fleet of gunships and transports could be seen heading in, each filled with reserves of Angelii and Eldorai soldiers from the garrison.

From the ground, Major Sanjeet’s column would be moving overland and would hopefully be able to hit the Kraal in the flank whilst Aeda and Kaida’s forces pushed from the front.

 

[Sahal Jai Azal]

Elvahil – Sahal Jai Azal

On the plains before Elvahil the Kraal could finally assemble their full might. Unlike the Star Fortress or on the Ashira’s Light, this was where they could put their maximum effort. In some ways the shield assisted them, since once they were landed it was harder for the Alliance aircraft to hit them, though they still tried.

For Sahal and the Qadiri, as they took position in the buildings and behind impromptu barricades, they faced a vicious enemy. Two less advanced cultures pushed into the maelstrom of galactic war would clash, but there was no mercy to be had. Neither side would relent until the other was destroyed.
The Qadiri; escaped slaves, desperate volunteers and adventurers, now they’d fight their first proper battle. Instead of muskets and cannons they now had blasters and missiles.
As the Kraal advanced, with vehicles and in groups the Qadiri opened a devastating fire on them. Old habits died hard, and the Qadiri tended to take care with their shots, even though they now could fire many blaster bolts without reloading.
Moving forward, the Kraal vehicles opened fire, blasting apart buildings. Some vehicles were hit either by aerial fire or by missiles, but more pressed on, immune to the small arms fire, and soon the Kraal would be in the settlement, fighting house to house.
They would need relief soon.

XXX

Standing against Siobhan and her relief force was a detachment of mixed infantry and armour. They would open a devastating fire from blaster rifles and cannons, and be ready to engage their enemies in melee.

Leading them was a very large Kraal named Warlord Tazrav. Around him were a dozen of his best warriors and several strong Force users and shamans.

“Imperator, the Kerrigan has been sighted, moving to engage!” he contacted the fleet above.

 

[Kyrana Gould]

Fleet Action – Kyrana Gould

It had all been going very well for the Alliance fleet. The larger ships of the Firemane and Eldorai fleet, along with the massive Phoenix, had been doing severe damage to the Kraal ships.
However, now the sudden appearance of multiple smaller ships changed the dynamics a little.
The fireships did not stop to fire, indeed they seemed to have no weapons at all. Rather they sped forward and past the larger ships.

Several of them however came under fire from the Alliance escorts and were hit. When their shields and heavy armour were pierced they exploded with a quite inordinate explosion.
“Suicide ships! Target all escorts on those corvettes. Try to keep them away from the capital ships!” Gould ordered.

In some cases they were able to comply, but in others the fire ships were able to plunge into their prey and explode. Engines, the bridges, hangers, any weak areas were lines up and targeted for impact. The droid crew sacrificed themselves for the greater good, and the results were alarming.
“Status report!”
“Gladiator’s engines disabled, Silver Seal had two hangers knocked out. Vigilance escort Watchman destroyed by impact after damaging enemy ship. Other damage still coming in.”
The Phoenix has drawn much attention, but it also had the most escorting ships, and only one of the fireships had broken through, and even then it had not been able to damage the great ship’s engines overly.

The Kraal fleet moved forward to take advantage of this confusion. They attempted to get behind the larger disabled ships, using their speed to their advantage. The Alliance would not have a cakewalk here, that was certain.

XXX

Aboard the Fleet

Vess

Vess nodded at Enyo. “It is time, Enyo. Siobhan has charged forward recklessly and right into the Imperator’s trap. You cannot take her on alone, but you will have backup.”

A shuttle was prepared, ready to take Enyo to the surface for her date with her mirror and destiny.

 

[Anya Venari]

Ashira’s Light

Selene Tarai

“Danger can strike at any time and in any place,” Selene had said rather philosophically as they got into the speeder. She knew that some people would read divine or religious messages into this attack, but Selene knew rather more about religion than she had wanted. She silently chided herself for letting her guard down and not having her own full kit available. A lesson had been learned. She only hoped she had the opportunity to put the lesson into practice!

Elpsis gave the orders and Selene followed them. The redhead was a more experienced fighter than her, and though she remembered her Angelii training she had rarely had to use it for many years.
Swooping in she tilted the speeder so the bottom faced towards the Kraal more, giving the occupants cover.
Blasters fired, and though there was a minor explosion and a warning siren it had enough momentum to plough into the Kraal, knocking several down and pinning one behind the vehicle.
Whilst Elpsis dealt with the rest, Selene drew her Sarix and beheaded two of the Kraal who had been knocked down. She then took one of their blasters and knelt behind the cover of the wrecked speeder to provide support with gun and flame.

Facing Elpsis were elite Kraal warriors. These infiltrators had been sent to find the Queen and now turned on their bold attackers. Six of the Kraal warriors had survived and they were armed with bolters of all things and also vibroblades.
Leading them was a dark robed creature which turned on Elpsis and unleashed a blast of mental energy at her, hoping to cause her such psychic pain that she would be easy prey for his warriors.

To face HK’s Greycloak, four of the Kraal moved to attack, taking cover behind some ornamental fittings and firing back. Using their bolters with explosive rounds they attempted to flush the Abregado troops from cover where they could cut them down all the easier.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Elincia Alanis"], [member="Tempest"], [member="Symara Tarriq"]

Location: Star Fortress
Objective: Victory or death


Ouch. Normally a headbutt was not a good idea because it tended to hurt the attacker as much as the intended victim. However, unfortunately for Askari, her towering Kraal opponent was bloody tough. His helmet-covered head slammed into hers with a loud, sickening crunch with enough force to make her helmet crack and she was sent sprawling across the ground. Inside her helmet, blood dripped down her nose. Her head felt like she'd rammed it into a durasteel wall, but she had the presence of mind to roll when the raging berserker brought down his greatsword with the force of a hurricane to cleave her in twain. The greenskin was huge, but the elf was still more agile and her fireball had burnt his legs earlier.


Her Sarzmigar was out of reach, but swiftly she pulled her vibroknife from her boot and rammed it into his groin. That would have already been painful, but her power also surged through the blade, making it glow red-hot. The Kraal howled in pain and staggered as boiling heat surged through him, before falling into a berserk rage. Gripping his sword's hilt tightly with one hand, he wildly slashed at the Host Leader. His strike lacked precision and he was off-balance, so Askari ducked under it to avoid being hewn down. But as she summoned her power, the massive orc followed through with his free hand and punched her. Ouch. "Sister, take cover!"


Askari cartwheeled, having lost teeth, and a blue-white arrow of lightning erupted from Ynnead's fingertips, arcing through the air right towards the knife that was still embedded inside his groin. Agonising pain surged through the Kraal when the vibroblade was electrocuted. Overwhelmned by the heat and electrical discharge, the dagger exploded into little pieces.


The Kraal battle shaman staggered and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Without missing a beat, Askari took his own sword into her hands and let him descend down upon him like an avalanche, cleaving through his skull. "You alright, Host Leader?" Ynnead asked, quickly linking up with her superior. Beneath her helmet, she looked concerned.


"Yes, thanks. Let us purge the rest of these foul creatures. Sisters, to victory and glory! For Ashira!" And fight they did. Leading her battle sisters, she cut a bloody swathe using Sarzmigar, bolt pistol and elemental fire. They could not fail, they would not retreat or surrender.


The Goddess was with them. This Askari believed with every fibre of her being, even after the disaster that was Kaeshana's destruction. "Seraph, the enemy is falling back. And I believe I'm in the lead!" Further away, Kaida ducked when a Kraal swung a big mace at her. Lacking the physical strength to block without suffering grievous injury, she parried the next so that it moved away from her body, though the impact knocked her back hard.


Her sabre fell out of her hands, but as the orc moved in to attack he suddenly slipped as she poured her willpower into the snowy ground, then ice crystals seized his limbs and wrapped themselves around them like serpents. As he was being turned into an ice statue and his body temperature descended downward, she thrust her sabre into his chest, cauterising flesh and piercing his black heart. "In your dreams, Askari. I am your superior, you cannot surpass me. I have more than you anyway. Alanis, cease your ridiculous quips," she spoke frostily. However, even as the lower levels were being cleared, a new threat had emerged.


The Seraph heard the massive war engine even before she saw it. It was larger than any conventional tank, and was rolling towards the summit. Not only was there a massive roller ahead of it, but it was protected by heavy shields and bristled with blazing cannons. All in all, it looked fairly grotesque and reminded her of the war engines that appeared in an online hologame her annoying 'stepdaughter' enjoyed. "Take cover!" Her danger senses flared and abruptly Kaida grabbed Elincia and forced her to the ground. The young Wing Leader might be remarkably annoying and undisciplined, but she was still one of her Angelii!


Crimson beams of laser fire lanced through the sky towards them and any other Angelii in the immediate vicinity and met a wall of ice Kaida had hastily thrown up, reinforced by Vetra's earth magic. The beams sliced through the elemental wall and caused an explosion, but it saved them from being incinerated. Kaida's ears were ringing from the noise, but she quickly got to her feet.


There was a loud cry of pain when an unluckly Eldorai was ploughed by the monstrous war engine. Another soldier had taken aim with an anti-tank missile launcher, but though the missile damaged the shields it did not hurt the frame sufficiently. Heavy weapons emplacements roared, unloading, but the death machine was covered by many other orcs who advanced relentlessly and more drop pods rained from the sky.


Time to take charge. "Hold the line. Ynnead, suppressive fire, keep the mooks off our back. I'm freezing this damn thing. Alanis, with me. Askari, move it, flood it with heat once it's iced. Vetra, magnetism duty," she shouted. Angelii, traditonally, frowned on lone wolf actions. Even if you could theoretically take on an entire tank or walker on your own with your Sciia, it was a far better idea to do it in a team. Certainly less irresponsible and taxing.


As if on cue, Askari appeared at her side. "Heard you needed my help, Lady Seraph. Don't worry, I know Valora loves me," she quipped. Picking up a discarded bolt pistol, she squeezed the trigger, introducing a charging orc warrior to two APEB bullets.


"Shut up and do your job," Kaida growled irritably. The ground shook as if struck by tremors, laser beams lanced through the sky, then she emerged, while bullets, blaster rounds and rockets flew all around her. It was cold, very cold up here in the mountains during this season. Now it became even colder, as the frozen tundra surrendered wholly to her will. Her assault was surgical, precise and overwhelmning. Concentrated ice rushed over the mechanical monstrosity, freezing parts of its massive frame and impeding its advance. As ice flooded the treads, the vehicle would find it difficult to move without damaging itself. From Vetra came a powerful magnetic field that targeted the main gun, and from Askari a sudden injection of heat meant to make the metal warp and crack after ice had already weakened it.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Sahal Jai Azal"], [member="Nima Tann"], [member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Symara Tarriq"]

Location: Road to Elvahil
Objective: Annihilate


Behind them? New Santaissa, now growing more and more distant. Ahead of them? The road to Elvahil, and a force of Kraal blocking their path into the town. Presumably the force of greenskins had skirted around the outskirts of Elvahil while their comrades attacked it headon. The orcs needed to take the city to both secure a supply route and to keep themselves from being fired upon in the rear, but it was not completely blocking them. Fires raged across Elvahik and clouds of smoke billowed up into the sky. The fighting must be fierce.


The earth shook, as if shaken by tremors, when the large Kraal detachment opened up a devastating fire upon the advancing Firemane forces. Cannons roared, and crimson beams of blaster fire arced through the sky. An IFV was blasted and knocked across the road, and while its crew tried to right the vehicle, a Valora-class walker was caught in the legs and toppled. Heavy blaster fire splashed against the Yazgid bearing Siobhan, Charlyra, Nima, Ice and two soldiers. Thanks to practiced evasive manoeuvres on the part of the driver, the Infantry Fighting Vehicle avoided an RPG that was being blown its way. The missile blew up earth, snow and smoke when it impacted upon the ground.


Deep inside the armoured carrier, Siobhan was unperturbed. The fact that the orcs had advanced so quickly complicated the battle plan slightly, but it was something that could be resolved. It was time for action. "Smoke cloud!" the Countess barked and the Strike Launchers every Yazgid was equipped with belched large smoke grenades, creating dense clouds of smoke to obscure the vehicles from sight.


So she activated her comm and hailed the naval task force that was en route. Sahal and the Qadiri would not last long, and Siobhan refused to abandon them. "Tythe, we've been blocked. Proceed and reinforce Elvahil. Unleash your guns upon the Kraal forces and land your marines at the port. Contact Sahal for targets." Conveniently, Firemane had a few prototype mortar boats.


There was some static before she received an affirmative response from the squadron commander. "Aye, ma'am. We're on the way. Be advised, the shield makes it difficult for us to provide air cover for you, but we'll do our best."


"I'm aware. I'll make my own," Siobhan declared and cut the connection, instead hailing the rest of her battlegroup. "Ariane's Fist, deliver an artillery barrage on the embedded Kraal forces. Two volleys, and bring up your walkers right after the first. Cylix, you're the anvil. Come in from the flank. Ashira's Blade is the tip of the spear of our infantry. Focus your attention on their magi." She received a series of acknowledgements from the individual commanders, beamed directly into her helmet. The small force of Angelii who'd joined the battlegroup would be an asset, but the big guns would have to cause a breach in the enemy's defences before an advance was possible.


"Tann, put the fear of the goddess into the orcs. Araano, stay close to her," Even as she said these words she was moving to the hatch. "I'll draw their fire," she declared. The Countess was good at causing one hell of a distraction. Before anyone could make a response to this, she'd opened the armoured vehicle's hatch and dashed out, activating her jets. A strong wind blew across the plain, then the Kraal who looked to the sky would suddenly see an elaborately armoured figure shooting upward like an organic rocket ship. However, the enemy, tall and strong reptilian beasts, armoured and disciplined, held the line, opening up a hailstorm of fire with heavy blasters, cannons and flak. Some of the enemy had machine guns with a truly prolific rate of fire and the ability to damage even heavy armour. Some orcs charged the Firemane troops, often moving on fast skimmers and bikes, but most stayed in cover and unleashed a withering amount of fire.


Somehow, Siobhan's voice was strong enough to be carried across the whole plain, or at least it seemed like that. "Kraal, I am the Kerrigan. I have summoned storms, and defiled cities. You've come here to die," she roared, like an enraged war goddess. Or a total madwoman, depending on perspective. The usually rather immobile woman, who was reliant in a cane in her daily life, shot through the sky with lightning speed.


Like hail, slugs and blaster bolts bounced off her armour, but one round connected with a joint and sliced through her thigh. However, the pain did not seem to slow her down. Rather, it energised her as she fed on it, her rage growing. Fury and power filled her, an overpowering miasma of the dark side that felt like a force of nature. When she lashed out with her power, it was so strong that it could be felt. The ground warped, the air twisted in strange shapes and the mighty wind howled. The Grandmistress made a casual gesture with her gauntlet-covered hand and a hurricane's gale responded, smashing into orc war machines. Then Ariane's Fist's Thunderer-class SPGs roared and lobbed high explosive shells at the enemy, coordinating their salvoes with those of the telekinetic tsunami. At long range, the Firemane tanks' railguns could blow holes in enemy armour once they got close enough. The battle would be glorious - and bloody.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

Location: Space
Objective: Big Sis


Encased in the Vonduun Skerr Keramik armour, Enyo could not call upon the Force. Now the clone was deaf to it and could no longer perceive the ethereal realm. However, she did not feel diminished. Archangel had taught her not to be reliant upon it and she'd taken that lesson to heart. She glanced at Vess and nodded. I almost liked you. Maybe I'll keep you around after shackling you, she thought. The droid...could have her uses. Especially after a tiring, stressful day on the battlefield.


"She'll tear through the orcs like a hurricane, but their sacrifice will weaken her. Instruct our heavy armour to give the orcs fire support, but hold the bulk of our task force back. I want them focused on Kerrigan once she's isolated. Keep her companions busy. But I will strike the fatal blow. At last I will reveal myself to her. At last I will have revenge."


In more ways than one. Needless to say she did not voice this thought aloud. Archangel could not be allowed to suspect she knew of their betrayal. Her with the fascists and Sith had been brief, but they'd made her realise the power of deception. Turning on her heels, she walked away from the bridge and took a turbolift down. Far below, in the hangar, her task force waited. It was composed of HRDs equipped with the finest anti-Forcer equipment Archangel had been able to acquire, including ysalamiri nutrient frames. A shuttle awaited her. Outside, in space, the symphony of doom and destruction was playing. Ships were being vaporised, people were dying. Enyo paid the dramatic battle no mind. The only thing that mattered was her mission, and damn all those who'd be pulled into the abyss because of it.


[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

 

[Ria Misrani]

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[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiI4i0Mo5Dw[/media]​

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As soon as the hatch opened, Charlyra climbed out after Kerrigan and Tann. Armed with her own blades she rushed forward, on her comms link was her sister. "May the force guide my hand!" Myrrashai shouted as she landed beside her sister and the two Araano siblings worked in tandem. Their exercises were paying off, kick, kick, push, duck, kick, turn to parry, duck again. A pattern was showing as they worked fighting off Kraal that dared to charge. The road to Elvahil was now teeming with battle, Charlyra could feel the mechanics of her body working the whirr of her motorised arms as the blades she wielded came down full force into another Kraal. Myrrashai used mind trap to keep several at bay as she stepped into the shadows to dispatch others. The Knight of the Shadows worked to avoid the Tygaran sun, her silvery white lightsaber could be seen piercing into her victims. Charlyra's mundane blades were not completely useless as they now worked off the blood of other Kraals. Her armour showing the emblem of the Araano family and the Fire Order as she rushed full speed ahead leaping to allow her feet to connect with a Kraal chest plate, back flip onto the ground her feet slid along the pavement. Her hand burned, or so the sensors in them told her that they did. Torn from the rocks on the street she shook off the pain of the landing and manage to miss the hit of one Kraal but took another, her sister leapt toward her burying her lightsabre into that same Kraal.

Another Kraal grabbed her and tossed her off, redirecting herself with the force the Knight's back came to feel the pain of a brick wall. Charlyra caught sight of a vulnerable plate of armour in that same Kraal and moved to exploit it. Burying her blade deep into Kraal flesh as he picked her up. The Acolyte could feel her body crying out in pain, her hands felt around her waist, "I got a gun."

"What was that?" The Kraal demanded to know, wanting to hear the last words of his victim, and the human managed to utter her phrase again.

"I got a gun," this was then followed by the sound of a bolter gun, she was dropped to the ground and pulled her blade out of his body and fired off two more shots, she rushed toward her sister who was just now getting up from the ground. Both of them looked to see Kerrigan in the air, neither one could comment as they pulled back, allowing Kerrigan's flame to push forward. Myrrashai moved herself up against the wall and looked at her younger sister who reloaded the magazine.

She cracked a smile, "I see your extracurricular activities are paying off, little sister."

"I had to build my stamina up somehow," Charlyra replied with a wink, "and no one's better at that than the Grandmistress herself."

 

[Ria Misrani]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJniq9KuDAQ[/media]​

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The Yazgid bearing Symara, Kala and the rest of Kerrigan's Flame halted course right behind Siobhan's APC. They had been heading to Elvahil, although it seemed the Kraal had other ideas. Kala rolled out and ordered her unit to the dirt. "Flames, forward!" She directed them ahead, as Symara climbed to the top of the APC. Getting her rifle down she set the bi-pod down and readied it, her scope getting a target. She watched as two force users danced around blocking her shots, and once they were gone she adjusted her finger to settle over the trigger. She focused on the Kraals in the back, the accelerated force of her ammunition wouldn't bring a Kraal down in one shot, but two, sure. Unfortunately, the gun's system would work against her, but she took the chance anyway. Boom. Boom.

"Bolters!" Kala led her girls forward, bolter guns fired off, "flames now!"

The flames roared forming a penetrating V as they marched forward, the smell of Kraal flesh wafted into the air, Symara brought down another one, and a third before waiting to reload. Something ricocheted off the APC. Rolling off the roof the, she jumped down to the ground and readied her rifle. Rushing past Charlyra and her sister as she brought her rifle up to her shoulder and looked down the sights, slowing to a walk as she focused her fire.

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Snow. Why did it always have to be snow? Lavali was starting to wonder as she and the rest of her company marched up toward the Fortress. She looked up to see movement on the Fortress, although it was hard to really see the full scope of battle, the Major was able to catch a glimpse of Kraal forces. "Manticores! Forward!" Lavali shouted behind her, as she raced up the mountainside. Narrowing her gaze she looked back down, "I need heavy weapons to the front, now!" Planting herself in the snow she looked down her scope, "on my signal." Ugh, snow, more snow, and more cold - she was really starting to think her nickname should just be Frozen. Steadying her breath, she licked her lips and pulled down the trigger as the round made its way into the back of one Kraal, "now!"

Manticore's roared with their guns, that pounded into the Kraal flank. Rolling out of the way of incoming fire, she shouted, "charge their flank!" Lion's Company would be bringing an additional 150 soldiers, with lots of heavy armor rolling up. Firemaw tanks would be up soon, and Lavali marched forward, firing off another round. Belvidere inside one of the Manticores looked down the tanks' sight, "time!"

"Round ready!"

"Fire!" Belvidere shouted as the driver kept the Manticore going.

​

Halifax and his howlers made quick work of any stragglers, the husks of battle were easy enough to follow. Light infantry had to work carefully to avoid any heavy damage, which usually meant focus fire. Barricades, they could see them from here, having landed behind where they had intended was making it hard. Kraal were ahead, "focus fire!" Halifax shouted as they aimed their bolters down taking down the Kraal as fast as their ammunition and guns would let them. "We're at the barricades are you ahead of us? I think we've got those Kraal you've mentioned." The serjeant hoped that [member="HK-36"] was ahead, as his squad of ten plus him, did their best to make light work of the Kraal but - that wasn't easy. The Kraal turned and began to return fire, "find cover!"

The squad broke into details scrambling to find cover, he lost two men in the process, focusing his fire on at least one of the bigger ones. "I think we've got their attention!"

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Location: Ashira's Light
Objective: For the Goddess!

[member="HK-36"], [member="Anya Venari"], [member="Butterfly"], [member="Symara Tarriq"]


((Will be resolving Elpsis' fight in my next post. Got a mentalism fight with the shaman planned.))


It was time to chew bubblegum, kick arse and protect her Lady! Maybe when this was over Selene would give Elpsis a fancy title. Knight of House Tarai had a nice ring to it. The same applied to First Concubine. Regardless, blasters fired and explosions roared as the speeder ploughed into the horde of Kraal, knocking several over and pinning one beneath the vehicle.


Selene leapt into action, decapacitating two orcs with her gleaming Sarix blade, the emblematic weapon of the order she'd once been a part of. Needless to say Elpsis did not need any encouragement to join her. Leaping from the speeder while it was still racing, she rolled and jumped to her feet.


Facing her were not common grunts or death-charging, Waaagh-yelling primitives, but elite warriors. Before she could turn her gift against them, a reptilian creature dressed in obsidian robes, a shaman of his people, unleashed his hideous dark magic upon her. The blast of mental energy slammed into her mind with crushing force. It could be compared to firing a cannonball to blow a hole into the walls of a fortress.


The girl's walls held, withstanding the bombardment. Her mind reeled under the pressure when the psychic salvoe tried to tear into her mind and overwhelm her with a surge of agony, but she pushed back with all her might. Her mental cluster round exploded into dozens of burning shards, embedding themselves into the shaman's mind. It would not kill or take him out of commission, but distract him for just a moment. As he staggered, the greenskins hesitated, then moved to flank her.


Precognition jumped into action and she rolled to avoid a bullet with her name on it. Fire jetted from her blazing hands, her long mane of red hair was ablaze. Heat and light burst forth. Elpsis became the eye in the firestorm, an inferno that walked, and she projected a wave of flame towards her adversaries.


Two orcs burst into flame. Their skin crackled and bubbled, their high-pitched screams echoed across the corridors when they were consumed. A third suffered burns, but survived, roaring angrily. To shield himself from the Great White Wolf's judgement, the shaman conjured a protective barrier that encased him like a second skin, absorbing the blast of flame and heat.


However, the Kraal were not so easily beaten. Their opponent was powerful, but they'd been equipped with bolters. Elpsis' danger senses flared, but a bit too late. Two orcs had been canny enough to flank her, avoding the brunt of her assault. One Kraal's Mark One Bolter roared, expelling an APEB round. Unlike the common explosive bolt, this one directed all its energy into the target rather than exploding in a cloud of shrapnel. This made it more practical at close quarters.


Unfortunately for Elpsis, in this case her Force Sight worked against her, since it gave her difficulty perceiving inanimate objects. Her lightsabre leapt into her hand and the orange blade materialised with a snap-hiss. Acting on instinct, she carved through the bullet, but unfortunately for her it was more than a slug, and as a result the molten metal contained inside it exploded. It sprayed across the Fire Sister, caused bloody burns on her face and lodged inside her leather jacket, setting it aflame. Hot liquid flew across her head, tearing off some of her hair and skin.


A scream of pain escaped her throat and she staggered back. Another bolt was fired, joined by buckshot fired by an orc to her left. Buckshot was great at close quarters, not the least because you did not need to aim much. It was useless against armoured targets, but Elpsis did not have her beskar'gam. Drawing upon the blazig heat eating through her jacket, the redhead backflipped to avoid the bombardment. The girl winced in pain when durasteel pellets from a buckshot cartridge grazed the side of her waist, ripping out chunks of skin. She landed upon the ground with little grace but alive.


Oh, now she was angry. The orcs were still advancing upon her, and she could sense their guns were being levelled her way. With a casual gesture, she raised a dustbin and hurled it towards them like an improvised projectile. Their bullets ripped through it, then she lashed out with her power, flooding the guns with blazing heat so strong they blew up. Cries of pain were heard, one orc had lost his hands to her wroth. Good.


Her body ached, but she brought up her lightsabre and charged like a fury, Lightning shrieked from the shaman's fingertips, but she charged on, using her burning orange blade to reflect the forking arcs of dazzling hatred. An orc, blasted by an arrow of electrical judgement, slashed at her with his vibroblade. Parrying the blow to keep her head from being split like an overripe melon, Elpsis rammed her energy sword into his chest.


But then she was suddenly backhanded by an orc and sent sprawling across the ground. Ouch, that hurt a lot! Blood tasted like copper on her lips and her jawbone did not feel right at all! As she tried to get up, the Shaman suddenly uttered a single word of power, and strands of dark energy wrapped themselves around her body, seeking to ensnare her in a web that leeched her energies. The more she struggled, the more she could feel her connection to the Force being eroded. As if on cue, the orc who'd punched her charged, wielding his blade like a medieval combatant would a claymore.

 

[Nima Tann]

Location:Road to Elvahil
Objective: Enter and destroy some orc minds

Road to Elvahil was just as expected, lots of explosions, miliseconds away death awaiting them all, the darkness in the air growing and growing each second as something unknown has slowly moved towards them, but an absolute showcase of how the Firemane troops operated under stress. No matter how the odds seemed to be against them, they continued moving to their destination. Which, needless to say, was impressive. However, it was not a good idea to underestimate the advancing troops of Kraal, which created a challenge for Firemane troops to advance further and reach Elvahil before it was too late. They were under heavy fire, RPGs, blasters, she could hear all of them, either dodged at the last second, or hitting the vehicle but dealing minimum damage. But it was there and they needed to take care of the defence ASAP. Fortunately, Firemane wasn't helpless. If they wanted a fight, they would give them one. She listened Sio giving the orders, preparing the offense team to take care of the Kraal blockade.

After Sio gave the two her orders, Nima didn't have anything to say but "Understood." and nodding. The time for speaking was gone, it was the time for action. She saw Sio escaping the vehicle from the hatch. And not after a second, she followed her since the vehicle couldn't move anymore, and even if it did, it would be an obvious target for the Kraal. Before doing anything else, she talked once again, pointing to the soldiers escaping the vehicle as well. "I'll need assistance. You, you and you come with me. Charlyra, stay... w..wait where are you..." And she was gone... The Padawan had the fire inside, which was obvious, but she put herself in danger by rushing towards the enemy which had clear defensive advantage over them. However, she didn't have the time to worry about her more since she had to find a cover herself. It wasn't difficult to find one as the battlefield was filled with destroyed vehicles and wreckage, so she ran towards one of them between the neverending fire from both sides. The soldiers followed her, keeping the suppressive fire meanwhile she deflected the enemies' blaster shots with her lightsaber. Sio's distraction was a great help, and took the most of the pressure away from them. Ice followed Nima as well. As they arrived to the cover, Nima immediately sat down to concentrate. The thing she was about to do needed her to concentrate a lot, and sadly she wasn't one of those who could do everything at the same time.

"I'll need you to cover me. Keep firing and don't give them a chance to breathe. Ice, once the infantry advances, go help them." And with that, Nima closed her eyes and started to breathe. It was difficult to clear your mind under this much of stress, but that was where the meditation classes came in handy. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Soon, she could hear the outside world no longer, and she could only feel the Force around her, with lots of emotions raging through the area. Bloodlust, rage, hope, fear... The range of the emotions varied. She reached out to the orcs mentally, once she reached one, it was easy to see the minds of the orcs were linked together by rage and bloodlust, however, there was something else. Something so little among others, but much more valuable. The feeling of fear. Needless to say, fear was the easiest emotion to manipulate, and was the most efficient way. Plant a seed of paranoia, give them a reason to suspect each other, and leave them to destroy each other. But first, those feelings needed to grow. Bloodlust and rage made their minds easier to enter, even though it helped them physically. And they didn't have much training about shielding their minds, as it seemed. She reached out to their mental link, and sent powerful blasts, hitting their not so strong walls like rapidly firing catapults, yet however, she could still feel a resistance.

Some of the orcs would feel headache, some of them would need to puke, their minds were still trying to understand what was happening and put up a fight. The offensive power of Firemane was a great help to Nima, exploiting all their weaknesses, using their emotions against them, slowly taking control of their link. Once they gave her direct control, then she would start dealing some real damage. She sent a message to everyone in the area mentally. "Keep hitting them with all you got. I am almost in." The mental link was weakening as each hit they took, both mentally and physically, confusion forming in their minds for being attacked from both sides helped a great deal. Bloodlust leaving its place to fear slowly, most of them started to think they wouldn't leave here alive. It was the time for her to take control. Thus, with one last attack which aimed to feel like thousands of spears stabbing their brains, she could feel no resistance anymore. However, it had a negative effect. Once you took control of a link, you felt through all the emotions you made them feel. Nima wanted to scream, all the fear, bloodshed, rage she planted on their mind now affecting her, but she held on. In outside world, her body would start to shake like she was having a stroke, and bloody nose would follow afterwards. All the thoughts turned into voices, getting louder and louder.

"No... I..... can........ control! I will... control. Urrgghhh...."

The linked pushed her away as best as it could. The resistance was pretty harsh on her mind. The voices were almost too much to endure.

"Ughh! Kill... Blood... Death........... Stop it."

"Stop it!"

"I WILL CONTROL!" She shouted and then sent out a powerful blast. It seemed to have silenced the voices a bit.

With that, she pushed herself to put up her extra mental defences. The voices started to disappear as soon as she did, as she felt like she had the control of the link once again. She felt like she was dying, however she didn't have the time to relax, so she continued her attack. Manipulating their fear into thinking their shields were down and the artillery was directly coming towards them, it caused some of them to break their defensive positions and stay in place frozen from shock. Some of them thought Firemane soldiers infiltrated their defences and suddenly attacked their own. The ones that were attacked couldn't understand what was happening, some of them died on the spot, some of them took cover and fired back. Some of them couldn't endure the mental attacks, and acted like they lost their minds, firing randomly. The ones, which were still a considerable amount, lucky enough to endure the attacks were still engaging Firemane, but they were in crossfire of their own as well. It was quite a chaos going on with the defensive lines of Kraal, and that would be a good opportunity for them to push forward now.

Creating the distraction she had in mind, she pulled herself back to the real world. Ice was right beside her scared of what was happening to her. In fact, Nima looked like she was about to die. Breathing uncontrollably, she stood like that for a bit, trying to collect herself. "I am good. I am good. Don't worry about me." She said to Ice, as she finally had the strength to talk. "Hopefully it worked."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

 

[Elincia Alanis]

"Ah come on, that was a good one!" She said as she moved towards the ice lady quickly and took position, joining the fight. Both her right and left were filled with screams, voices of clashing metals, blood, gore and more, whatever a normal person wouldn't want to see. However, this was exciting for the adventure seeking young Angelii. Even though things didn't seem that good, she realized that they almost got rid of the enemy in this level. Well, this should've taught them a lesson. Never mess with the Angelii, and ask for an advice next time instead of attacking blindly. She had many beauty products to share after all, hey, didn't she make that joke before? Oh well duh, she didn't have time to think about another joke since she was a bit occupied trying to stay alive. The Kraal continued to run out of people, however it didn't mean Eldorai were escaping this conflict harmless. Hey, that was besides the point because they were still awesome!

However, things didn't turn out like she would've liked them to, and the voices of a strong engine were heard, and then it fired a strong laser beam. Everything has happened so fast that Elincia suddenly stood frozen, looking at the death coming her way in such quickness. She would even feel like her life suddenly flashed before her eyes, but that would be so cliche so no. Fortunately, an outer force helped her get down, and also made her realize what was happening, and help her get her senses back. When she returned to the real world finally, she looked at her saviour. Wow, was she still in shock or was the one that saved her ice lady? Yep, that was her, which was quite surprising because she always talked about throwing her to tigers naked and all. But, yeah. That was her. "Uhh... thank you." This time, it wasn't her usual tone. She was genuine with no sarcasm included. The laser was stopped by a huge ice wall. It was one of those times she was thankful ice lady had those.

Then both stood up and regained their balance. Unfortunately, not all of them were that lucky. Some of the Eldorai were crushed by this monster machine, some of them were dead because of the sudden deployment of more orcs. Things, again, started to look like they were about to have a bad time. The machine was protected by a shield, a shield that their defences weren't enough to break. That was when ice lady gave her orders once again. Everyone had a duty to do, and hers was to assist her. "I am starting to feel like the ice between us is melting slowly, huh, ice lady? Or it's probably the Host Leader." Again, power jokes. Facepalm. Stop joking around, you were going great! "Please don't throw me to the tigers..." She added afterwards, acknowledging what she has done. Anyway, moving on, she covered her and made sure she didn't get hit meanwhile the ice lady prepared her attack. There were lasers coming at every direction, so she created a big round ice shield around her and started to turn it around her whenever a danger got close to her. With her other hand, she took out her bolter and shooted the Kraal in sight. It was difficult for someone like her to multitask, but that was where trainings were useful! However, it would be great if the ice lady did whatever she was going to do quick.

Once the attack connected and the combo was done, she finally let go of the shield and immediately concentrated on the tank. There were many cracks and weak spots after the sudden heat change and the attacks, so she did what she did the best, which is creating several ice spears and threw those to the cracks that were forming to get the breaking process done faster.

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Tempest"] [member="Symara Tarriq"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Elpsis Elaris"], [member="Anya Venari"],


While Elpy and Anya were busy doing their thing, the ARGH troops lead by the Greycloak and the Kraal were occupied with a bit of trench warfare, both sides hidden behind makeshift barricades, protecting them from enemy fire, and while Kraal were armed with the explosive bolt guns, the Iron Company squad had varieties of shattergun weaponry. After all, no matter how clever the Kraal were, although they were indeed capable of cunning, a round from a shattergun would punch through their armor just the same.

One of the Kraal peeked out of the cover with its bolt-gun raised to fire out a shot, the Greycloak held out his Magnetic Revolver from behind a pillar he was using as cover, without even moving from behind his protected spot, simply using a remote connection to the computerized scope mounted on the weapon, the droid aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger.

WHMMMMMM, the silently fired bullet cut through the air, then there was the crack of armor plates shattering and splatter of organic material as the Kraal's body went limp, a new cavity now opened in the middle of its hit helmet clad forehead. As the trooper sunk to his knees two of his companions peeked out of their cover much like he did earlier, this time they were able to fire off shots,

CHUNK-A CHUNK-A BOOM-BOOM, the noise of the bolt gun fire erupted in the hallway, one round clashed into the pillar the Greycloak was using, exploding with a shower of flame and shrapnel that ricochet into the no-man's land between the two groups, the other round struck the ground between the droid and one of the Company's troops, sending the soldier back against the nearby wall from the shock blast as a blue energy shield appeared around it, part of the heavy Power Defense Armor the troops still used.

"Steve!"

The Greycloak called out to the trooper who was just pushing himself off of the ground,

"I will be alright- They're trying to flush us out."

"Yes, I can see as much."

The droid agreed as his own shield appeared as well, a bolt gun round erupting on the floor again, this time much closer to the machine, his metal claws extending out to anchor the unit down to the ground so that he would not be thrown back much like his comrade was just seconds ago.

"Let us give them what they want. Grab one of the mass drivers, load it with a solid shot."

"Aye-aye."

As the trooper went off to carry out the order, his spot being taken by another one of Company's heavily armored soldier taking a pot shot at the enemy ranks with a magnetic repeater before ducking down to take cover from another splash of shrapnel and fire, the Greycloak wrapped himself up in the titular grey chameleon cloak, engaging its stealth systems to disappear from sight.


The stealth droid made his way through the battered and scorched stretch of hallway between the two squads towards the advancing group of Kraal who tried to force the Iron Company's soldiers into melee. Little did they know they would get just that as in between two of the a pair of glowing red eyes would appear seconds before the stealth cloak was cast away, returning to its normal grey appearance,

"Surprise, byotches!"

The machine called out as it grabbed the closest Kraal by its armor plates and in display of its grand strength it jerked on him, in attempt to either completely toss or just force the Space Ork out of the cover where the other Iron Company troops could finish it off with a couple precise shattergun shots.

At the same time, because machines were pretty good at multitasking, the droid grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber and activated it, the blade would erupt out in crimson light, as red as the droid's eyes, after all most of the lightsabers Abregado was able to supply to the Greycloaks were ones they took off of Sith after battles, there was not much color variety there. WHMMMMM, the lightsaber hummed as the droid slashed at the Kraal on his other side, aiming for the soldier's hands to cut them at wrists and disarm him.


[member="Symara Tarriq"],


The droid could see blaster fire erupt from one of the adjacent sections of the hangar, flying towards the now regrouped Kraal, a sign that Halifax's forces met up with them, which was soon enough confirmed by the transmission HK received,

"Yes, we see you."

The soldier HK ordered to load the Mass Driver finally spoke up,

"MD-1 ready, sir!"

The droid nodded, transmitting to Halifax shortly,

"Have your soldiers take cover, fire in the hole."

Before looking to the trooper, motioning out across the battlefield towards the section of makeshift Kraal barricades on the side,

"Over there, Jenkins."

The soldier nodded, moving closer in position. Although they had the raiders pinned at the location so far, the Kraal were able to return fire from time to time, even though now a part of their forces was distracted with dealing with Halifax. Every few seconds an explosive round would clash against the Abregado and Eldorai barricades, spraying out fire and shrapnel, shock wave blasts against the defenders. Heavily armored Iron Company infantry and droids did not had to worry much about shrapnel just yet, their suits were equipped with personal shielding systems, although too close to the blast and they were thrown back, a bone cracked or broken from an unlucky fall, if they had bones because again, about half of them were droids. Still, the sooner they dealt with the Kraal the better, shields were bound to ran out soon enough, and armor plates deteriorated as well.

"Fire."

HK commanded and Jenkins pulled the trigger on the mass driver, its larger projectile flew across the battlefield and struck one of the burnt and wrecked shuttle remains the Kraal were using as cover, one directly opposite to Halifax's group. Fire and shrapnel blasted out from the impact in a cone, it struck only a couple of the Kraal who were heard howling out in pain and range, thrown back much like the Iron Company troops were from their own bolt gun shots.

More importantly, the force of the impact would cause a loud screeching noise of metal, KHREEEEEEEEK, as the burnt transport was forced to skid back while scraping the floor and leaving black charcoal marks, further twisting and crumbling from the explosion. As their cover was literally pushed aside and crumbled apart, the Kraal position would be left more open towards Halifax's position, making it easier for his group to claim more of Kraal lives.


Meanwhile, one of the other troops came up to HK as he watched the result of maneuver meant to flush the remaining Kraal boarding party in the hangar out of their position,

"Sir, we received a transmission from a fleet on its way to reinforce us-"

"Good, have the Dancing Queen be ready to scramble the fighters as soon as-"

"It is not our fleet, sir."

The soldier interrupted HK just the same as the droid interrupted the trooper. HK cast his gaze at the soldier, peering at him with the red glowing eyes,

"Whose is it then?"

The soldier simply handed over a datapad with the transmission and IFF code details to the droid commander. HK read it before looking to the trooper,

"What? Why would they come to help here?"

It was more or less a rhetorical question, the soldier shrugged, baffled as well,

"I suppose they're just looking to pick a fight?"

The soldier glanced to a nearby Eldorai soldier, currently busy firing towards the fortified Kraal troops, still the Iron Company communications officer hushed his voice to a whisper,

"Should we tell the Eldorai sir?"

HK glanced to one of the Elves and shook his head, whispering back to the trooper,

"No, no need for them to get their collective panties in a bunch ahead of time, have them broadcast Abregado IFF when they will enter realspace, we will cross this bridge when we will come to it."

"Aye-aye."

 

[Qual'Zyanya]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]


Location: Transitioning from space to the Underealm, home of the Xioquo.


It was time for a homecoming. Zyanya had anticipated, yearned for and dreaded the day when she would once again set foot upon Tygara, reclaim her birthright and exact vengeance upon those who'd wronged her and conquered her people. These were not the circumstances she'd envisioned, but she'd come nonetheless. Once again, alien invaders menaced her world. It was poetic justice that Firemane and the Eldorai received a taste of their own medicine. They'd earned a thousand maledictions for their deeds. The same applied to the Xioquo who'd been all too eager to bend a knee to the occupiers and collaborate with them. But...the motherland called. Even though it had been corrupted by foreign poison, the Underealm was still her home. She would defend it - and begin the process of reclaiming what was rightfully hers with fire and blood.


The stealthy transport hurtled through the blackness of space, while the terrible battle raged. The darkness of space was a welcome reprieve after the blinding sunlight and vast sandy beaches of Laekia. It reminded her of the darkness of the Underealm's endless catacombs. She'd been raised in darkness, moulded and tested by it. Ultimately, it had shown her the true path.


Zyanya was piloting the craft herself, steering the shuttle through the void. All around her, there was chaos. Arcing ribbons of crimson, emerald and sapphire light blazed across space. Not too far from her, a heavy corvette rammed into a Firemane battleship, causing a tremendous explosion accompanied by orange fireworks. The Xioquo could only stare in awe when she saw the Phoenix Star Destroyer.


It is bigger than many cities on Tygara, she thought to herself, then the sight of it unleashing its heavy guns and raining down hellfire upon a Kraal warship almost took her breath away. I have never seen such destruction, not even from Myrou. We were fools to dismiss the technological terrors of the outsiders. This was the power the Xioquo would have to match if they wanted to reclaim their destiny.


One day they would. The shuttle rocked and shuddered when it was struck by some of the debris caused by a starfighter being vaporised. The shuttle's gun turrets belched crimson fire when attack craft pursued it, like hawkes seeking to sink their talons into their prey. Engaging evasive manoeuvres, Zyanya accelerated the craft. The power of the spirits guided her as she sought to blaze a trail through the hailstorm. Through the Force, Tygara was like a beacon. There was a jolt in her stomach when the shuttle crossed the threshold and pierced the planet's atmosphere, making haste towards the dark and cold north.


The sensation was accompanied by a wave of pain, fear, hatred and terror that hit her like a brick wall, for as an empath she soaked up the feelings emanating from the planet's denizens. It made her feel a bit nauseous, but rather than withdraw she rode upon the wave. Mother taught me to draw strength from this, when she tortured slaves who'd failed her and exposed me to their pain.


"You take over. Steer the craft towards the Underealm. We shall land at the ruins of the eastern fortress. I know a secret passageway into Tlalixque," she ordered her Noghri minion. The grey skinned, hairless alien was a disgusting creature, but useful.


Lakhghraib nodded. "Once more unto the breach. The storm is causing havoc, but I'm picking up on a lot of activity. May our blades be coated in the blood of our enemies. May whatever deity you worship give you luck. If you want to motivate the troops, now is the moment," he spoke, taking the seat she'd vacated. "Try not to get a knife stuck into your back," she muttered in his native tongue.


For her part, Zyanya abandoned the cockpit and walked out. The ship was small, so it did not take long before she encountered the rest of the team. Xioquo exiles who'd left Tygara for varying reasons. It disgusted her that slaves now wanted to be treated as equals, but she'd learned to adapt.


"Xioquo, today we return to our homeland. It is not the day to cast down the oppressors, but a step towards it. We'll claim what's rightfully ours. Spoils and honour await those who bring me the heads of invaders. We have the technology of the outsiders at our command and carry the fire of the ancestors in your hearts."


One Xioquo warrior caught her eye, standing in the corner leaned against a wall with her strong arms crossed. Zar'Zaysa had been a janissary before the Twilight. Zyanya could feel that the gift of the spirits was strong in her. "We gain nothing from charging in now," she declared. "There will be no glory for us, only death and then the Traitor Queen will gain the acclaim of the simple-minded. Let Lia and her collaborators face the invaders on their own. When they have bled white, we shall strike like wolves and rally the faithful."


I would've done the same in the past, but how dare you contradict me? In the old days I would've cut out your tongue for questioning me, Zyanya thought to herself caustically. She hated the fact that she had to adapt, but even she was not immune to the wind of change. Bide your time, and be patient. She could not exact her will as she'd been accustomed to in the old days. Ironically, Sumiko's brutal chastisement had forced the disgraced noblelady to see a bigger picture.


"We shall do no such thing," she spoke in a measured, but very firm tone. "The outsiders care not for our people. If we lurk in the shadows, there may not be anyone left to save from the invaders' fangs. I, who tried to prevent the rise of the Mad Queen while Lia fled and hid among the outsiders, shall not cower. The Betrayer can spin it the way she wants, but if our blades carve through the enemy while her mistresses turn their back to her, she cannot deny us a say in the future. Those among our people who've kept the faith will see who fights for them."


There was a hint of a challenge in Zar's eyes. She looked around the ranks of warriors, then nodded slightly. "As you wish. I shall fight and bathe in the blood of the aliens, but not sacrifice myself for a fool's errand. We are free women, not slaves."


"As long as you fight and obey my orders, you shall be my sister in arms. We are a new breed of Xioquo, the vanguard of a new age," Zyanya retorted. There was a gleam in her sapphire eyes. "And anyone who shows cowardice before the enemy will be punished as per the ancient traditions of our people." Xioquo punishments were even crueller than traditional Eldorai ones, which probably a said a lot given the old Star Queens' penchant for cruelty. They included branding, mutilation and being fed to wild animals.


The Noghri's voice came through the intercom. "The Underealm is approaching. Three minutes to landfall," he grunted in his usual gruff voice. The shuttle swept across the cold, blue ocean. Ahead of them lay the broken fortresses of the Xioquo. Once, the high stone walls of these ancient bastions had guarded the harbours of their war fleets, which had ravaged Tygara's shores, striking fear in the hearts of Qadiri and Vashyada alike. But Firemane had ground them into dust, leaving naught but ruins.

 

[Joza Perl]

Location: Heading towards Tygara
Objective: Aid the Tygaran Alliance

Joza was no great military commander. She lacked the experience and interest to command large swaths of troops on a battlefield, despite her alleged training with the Jedi Order. However, she worked much better as a part of something bigger, controlling a smaller unit or two at a time. She couldn’t offer much in the way of bodies for combat, but she was experienced enough in fighting unorthodox opponents and subsequently not dying.

Now, just to make it to Tygara.

As always, Ivan was at the helm of the vessel while Joza prepped for whatever may come. Lianna and Tygara were not so far apart, close enough for the Rogue to get wind of the news and send a transmission to New Santaissa highlighting her willingness to help repel the invaders. She gathered up a few dozen Zeltron fighters, many of whom worked for in the studio or as security, with the intention of giving them some more live combat experience. While her people were known for their hedonistic tendencies, that expanded beyond more than something sexual. Fighting pits, legal or otherwise, dotted Pleasure City. While their first inclination was to love, Zeltrons could become formidable warriors if pushed. The anti-pheromone patches also helped.

With her girls outfitted, armed and ready to party, Joza tried to establish contact with Siobhan and her forces the moment they received clearance to enter Tygara’s orbit. Always better safe than sorry, especially when the planet was being invaded. “Lady Kerrigan, this is Joza Perl. I’ve a small band of several dozen fighters with me en route to Tygara.” Yeesh, that sounded lame. She would’ve invited the Outback Marines, but they were unfortunately on the other side of the galaxy. “Where do you need me?” Best to be point blank with these sorts of things. Flowery words and fumbling explanations only took away precious time in a dire situation.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Illyria]

[member="Qual'Zyanya"]

Location: Defend the Underdark Underealm!

Though she did not know it, Qual’Zyanya was not the only one dealing with overzealous subordinates.

Liavondra, the ‘Queen’ of the Xioquo, stood before an electronic map. The Eldorai and humans had mainly left to defend their cities, but a core contingent of advisors and soldiers remained to support her Xioquo forces.

Lia, who wore only a simple robe with armour beneath and a small diadem on her head, looked at the map.
The Eldorai commander, an Angelii Seraph named Kaitha, was giving her briefing.
“The Kraal intend to storm the front gate and overwhelm our defences. There have been a contingent which has landed atop the mountain. We believe they have mining or other heavy equipment, either to force a new entry or to threaten to collapse the entire cave system.”
“We must meet these foul creatures and slaughter them all,” Naal’Xhora opined.
Once a very minor house, the Naal had executed a smart 90 degree pivot recently to position themselves as loyal servants of the new regime. Of course, they had never participated in any of the Qadiri raids and their troops had surrendered in the battle. Or so they said.
“The foul creatures have weapons and armour we cannot match. It will go the same way as the downfall,” Txal’Vaas retorted. The Txal had also made an oily transition into the new leadership circle. With the big players gone they could advance their cause swiftly. It didn’t mean that they were not bitter about the defeat though.
“That was different. Now we fight an enemy which wishes to enslave and exterminate us, not like the Alliance!” Naal’Xhora said, with a nod to the Queen. A good buttering up never hurt.
Txal’Vaas narrowed her eyes. “Let us hope you are more committed to this battle, Xhora,” she said grimly.

It looked like there would be a brawl there and then but Lia spoke.
“Enough.” She did not raise her voice, but somehow it was perfectly audible to everyone, cutting through all other sound.
“Good points have been raised. We will deal with this enemy wisely. I deem that their forces on top of the mountain to be a contingency. They wish to capture slaves and other treasure. If they are thwarted then they will execute the second plan. Thus, we should lure them into the Underealm where we can strike at them when they cannot use their weapons properly.”
Her words were quiet but certain.
“Naal’Xhora, you will take position in the beast pens and the western reaches. Txal’Vaas, you will delay them when they enter, give ground until you reach the ship docks. There we will make a stand. Seraph Kaitha, when the moment is right your troops will issue from the West and South Gate and strike them in the flank, trapping them inside the caves. Dispatch a force to deal with the saboteurs above us.”
“Your…majesty…surely we would do better to…” Txal’Vaas began.
“The decision has been made, Lady Txal. See that it is executed as I say. If we lose this battle our people are doomed. We have endured much, but this will be the chance to unite us. Now, to battle.”
Good was not weak, and nor was it always polite!