When Ill News Calls

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro had been doing some paperwork to set up a few classes he had in mind. Nothing crazy, just reserving a few ranges, certain more highly used areas and the like. Just before he was going to fill in the details on when, he got a message from Celeste Rigel who was helping the Master of the Order with various duties. It was a call to a meeting room at fourteen hundred on 'something important'. It was a bit vague and out of place, but Dusaro would show up on time to the meeting room, walking up just a bit early and opening the door and stepping inside.

It was a fairly normal meeting room, a large hologram surrounded by a table and lots of chairs, several chrono's on the wall that had the current time of various important places on them, a console and some electronic equipment for sending and receiving bulk data and breaking it down for display. Inside the room was [member="Celeste Rigel"] who Dusaro recognized. "Good afternoon Master Celeste, you paged?" Dusaro said with a bow and his usual relaxed demeanor while his eyes looked for anything in the room that might suggest the purpose of this meeting.

 

[Celeste Rigel]

Celeste sat in the conference room, the glow of her datapad illuminating her face. Her brown eyes were narrow, concentrating on the information scrolling on her screen. She rubbed her forehead, she could barely understand any of it. This was just not her comfort zone, not at all.

As of late, things at the Rest were a bit hectic. The staff was in the process of shifting due to some unforeseen circumstances. This was the reason that the Jedi healer was pouring over data concerning a request from a system neighboring Silver Space.

The situation looked to be rather serious.

Glancing up, she spotted [member="Dusaro Dresari"] enter the meeting room. She offered the young man a smile, and motioned for him to have a seat across opposite her. Though she'd not had many interactions with the Knight, she had witnessed his ascension. She had also heard good things about him from colleagues.

“Yes, thank you for coming, Knight Dresari.” Celeste started off, as pleasantly as she could.

Folding her hands atop the desk, she figured that it would be best to get down to it.

“Right,” She said, pushing out a breath. “I've heard that you've some experience when it comes to ground assaults, is that correct?” She asked, brows lofted slightly. “I'm afraid that we've received a request from a neighboring world that may need your skills – that of a Jedi and a soldier.”

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

As Dusaro got closer and he noticed the furrowed brows, look of discomfort and general atmosphere, he shifted gears into being several steps more serious. He hadn't quite fully noticed that Rest was getting hectic, mostly because he himself was one of those hectic people, just for different reasons. He had been running around trying to get times and places lined up.

Dusaro would walk over and take a seat, looking over at her from across the table with a slightly curious look. This kind of atmosphere rang a bell and before Celeste spoke he got a feeling on what it had to do with. As she began to speak his suspisions were proven correct. He made a short nod at her question, resting back a tad in the chair.

"I do indeed both from before and during my time being here. Been a bit since i have been needed for such, though i take it someone needs that kind of help now." Dusaro said, running through a mental list. He knew of a situation or two that might be what Master Celeste was referring to, but beyond that he couldn't think of anything.

"Well, if you need someone with the experience of a Soldier and Jedi you came to the right place. Whats the situation?"

[member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Celeste Rigel]

Celeste nodded, thankful to hear that the young Knight didn't shy away from her words. There were some, like herself, that would have been very uncomfortable with the notion of leading ground assaults. And yes, it might have been a while since he'd been called upon to help with such a task... but as a newly minted Knight, he would surely find that there would be more requests and responsibilities upon his shoulders now.

“You'll have to bear with me,” She said, offering a slight smile. “I'm working to grasp the situation myself. This involves the world of Kintan, a place that has largely been controlled by cultists. However, as it is now, there is quite a tangle of cultists, Hutts, and various crime syndicates.”

Celeste turned on the holo-projector, the image of Kintan was etched in blue before them. Soon, the image began to change into scenes from the world's turbulent history.

“In fact,” she slid over her datapad, “You can take a look the information, if you'd like.” There were wars in the history of Kintan, the details of which were overwhelming to the healer woman. “As it stands currently, the rebels are dealing with cultists and hutts – the struggles for power seem to have left them in quite the situation.”

She moved towards the edge of her seat, looking across the table.

“Needless to say, the rebel forces are looking to right their world – to rid their planet of the dark forces that have made it home. And, they need help. We will need you to prepare forces to assist them,” Celeste paused. “You have a whole month to do so.” She added, a smile to show that she understood the time crunch.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro was for better or for worse, used to this kind of news. He was also confident in such things, he had experience and training to fall back on for such things. Even if he was nervous he wouldn't let her see it, he wasn't a greenhorn that couldn't keep his nervousness hidden. That was one of the most basic requirement for anyone hoping to lead people in any form, he thought.

"Kintan... I know of it. Hutts and cultists, though last i heard the cultists had died off some years ago." He said with a nod, being familiar with the planets name thanks to the Nikto who lived there. He had met a few warriors of their species before in various places, they had all been fierce, strong and competent. They also did not seem to have much desire to return to their home.

Dusaro read up on the history brief, nodding to himself as he went through the high points to get an overall picture. So, this cult thing was a recurring theme and the hutts had their claws in the planet for a long time. In more recent times, Hutt influence died down and the Cultist had begun to resurface and grow. But a new group joined, lead from what information they had by a Nikto veteran who had returned home and had enough and was not willing to let the cycle repeat itself.

And from what it looked like, the man had made a good head start.

"Can say that again... This is... A complete gridlock." Dusaro whistled lightly as he looked over the summarized information on the fronts. He had been reading and listening to her before he stopped as she said 'a month'. His face seemed to go an awkward, slightly lighter shade of gold as he looked up at her. The expression she had on showed she was being serious. "A month... To create a plan, lay down the logistics, supplies, let alone the forces to break a continental size stalemate." It wasn't often he wanted to complain, but he honestly kinda wanted to complain. "Well, at least for once i get to pick what i work with rather than being told what i get to use."

He said with a grin as a hand came up to scratch the back of his head as he thought. This was going to involve a lot of sleepless nights. But he couldn't do it alone. He definitely was going to need help getting the people for this. Among other things, while he knew a few people in the Rangers thanks to Charros IV and a few other campaigns, he didn't know that many people for the scale they were talking about here. "I am gonna need an assistant, preferably someone who is a Ranger, reasonably high ranking commander and has combat experience." Even as he said that, what he didn't know is that they already had someone in mind.

[member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

(I dont even know any more)

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

(Or was it the site)

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

(Internet Please no)

 

[Celeste Rigel]

Celeste saw that Knight Dresari was taken aback by their timeline. She couldn't blame him, to be honest. She blew out a breath, it was quite a lot to take in. As Dusaro spoke, she gave him a small nod to acknowledge that he'd gotten the bare bones of the mission correct.

“Yes, I wish I had better news for you in terms of time.” She said, a slight apologetic tone apparent in her voice.

Her brows lofted slightly when Dusaro mentioned an assistant. A soft smile found her face, and she stood to her feet. She gave a small wave for Dusaro to follow her down the hall.

“We actually have the perfect candidate,” She said with a sure nod. “Do you know Colonel Valkren Calderon?” The Colonel was quite a well-known figure around Silver Rest, he'd led several successful missions, and Celeste had a feeling that he would be a very good resource.

“ I think the two of you will make a good team, actually.” She smiled, bringing them down a rarely used corridor. At the end of the hall, there was a small security panel that Celeste held her hand out towards. The door opened, revealing a dark passage that had a slight slope. “This is our way, it will take us directly to the Ranger base.”

Before Celeste stepped through herself, she pressed the comm button.

“Colonel Calderon, this is Celeste Rigel.” She paused to ensure she was being received. “I am bringing Knight Dusaro across to the base, we shall be there shortly."

The passage would take the two Jedi under Silver Rest, and over towards the mountain base of the Antarian Rangers. Their footsteps echoed softly, dim lights came on as they made their way in. She was sure that the Colonel would be there to greet them on the other side.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"], [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Celeste Rigel]

[Duplicate]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

A voice crackled through from the other side in response to Celeste, but the transmission almost sound stressed, perhaps due to their position at the base of the tunnel entrance. The message was still delivered well-enough.

"Solid Copy."

The receiving end of the passage that Celeste and Dusaro was where the peaceful and aesthetic nature of the Rest ended, and the cold rugged appearance of the ranger base began. The room itself that they would arrive in consisted of two guards, armored from head to toe in their katarn plating. They brandished their weapons from behind two barricades, and behind those was a simple checkpoint occupied by a few rangers in their BDU's, this is where the 'solid copy' came from.

Moments after the transmission was received, an announcement was sent out across the loudspeakers within the Ranger base, calling for Colonel Calderon to report to that area. It was just one of the systems they were testing out, due to the constant attacks that had plagued Kashyyyk in the past. When their Rangers and pilots are spread amongst the base, the loudspeaker systems are the best to get everyone up in arms.

Valkren felt it was a bit archaic at times, but it did work to wake up the middle aged operator, especially during deep slumbers directly after returning from a mission or deployment.

That was rare.

The colonel would be quick to arrive, sporting the same BDU's that the others had, but rolled up neatly right above the elbows and complete with a blue/gray camo pattern opposed to the others navy blue. The ink that covered his arms was in full view, ending right below the wrist. Below his right eye was the only new noticeable mark, a fresh cut that had only recently appeared from a new operation.

He stopped just beyond the checkpoint and watched for the pair to show. The checkpoint guards would let them pass through with ease, already expecting their arrival due to Celeste's call.

Valkren adjusted his cap tightly over his head, moving his hands to his hips afterwards as he waited for the others.

Before they arrived, after Valk' waited for a few moments, he'd turn to one of the other rangers at the checkpoint consoles. With a quick snap of his fingers he got his attention.

"Hey bud, got any tobacco on ya'?"

With a quick motion, the other ranger dug a circular can out of his front pocket, tossing it over. Valk was sure to catch it with both hands, tuck it away, then return to his previous position with his hands on his hips.

"I'll get it back to ya' in a few."

[member="Dusaro Dresari"] | [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

"It is to be expected, we can't exactly wait, or provide insufficent support for that matter. From the brief look i got, it looks like about the right size and scale for what we need to pull off." Dusaro said with a bit of a musing tone. His mind was working already on the information they had, the gears were turning and he was planning.

"Valkren?" Dusaro nodded after a moment. "Aye i have heard of him, don't know him personally. I have seen his name in several reports and i know he was at the attack we mounted on Mirial." Though he didn't know any specific details.

He didn't know the man personally, but Celeste seemed to think they would make a good team and Dusaro had no particular reason to doubt her. From what Dusaro knew he was an experienced front line field officer, having someone like that would make far more than just the setup of this group easier.

Dusaro made a small whistle at the additional exit, following her along down the sloping passageway. It gave off an old castle kind of vibe, hidden away passage and all, he liked it. It brought back memories of the days he had served in the Tapani Sector and even though that was quite a few years ago, it brought a reminiscent smile up for a few moments.

When they arrived at the checkpoint, Dusaro would pass through and look to the Colonel. He always found it a bit awkward, being a Jedi and greeting officers. From his time as a Merc the reaction would be to give them a salute as was common military custom, but Jedi didn't seem to really do that much. Dusaro chose to do it regardless, giving the Colonel a salute out of respect. "Colonel Calderon, pleasure to meet you, Jedi Knight Dusaro Dresari."

It was a quick and sharp little action, showing he was used to doing it, or had been at some point in his life. After Valkren returned the salute Dus would offer the man a handshake.

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Celeste Rigel]

When their passage way came to an end, there were members of the Rangers there to greet the two Jedi. Each was met with a small nod by Celeste, their welcoming committee snapped to action – like the rangers were trained to do, and swiftly brought them to Colonel Calderon.

Though she was a healer and she had made the choice to be nonviolent, if she could help it, she did have a certain respect for the members of the Antarian Rangers. Their missions were often dangerous, she didn't wish to be in their boots. She knew they did what they could to minimize casualties, something that endeared them to her all the more. And, her husband, Asher Rigel, was stationed here at the command center. Many days passed where she was thankful for the safety he was afforded here at the base.

However, her mind was drawn back to the present.

“Yes, our Colonel Calderon is quite famous around here.” Celeste said, nodding to Valkren. While the two of them weren't especially close, they were acquainted. “Colonel,” She said, smile remaining, but her tone slightly serious. “It's good to see you again. This is Knight Dusaro Dresari, he will be leading a new operation on Kintan and he'll need your assistance.”

The rest of the details would have to wait until they were behind closed doors.

She would remain present to observe and keep informed of the latest, but Celeste would leave the details of the operation up to Dusaro and Valkren, they were the experts when it came to this sort of thing.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"], [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Celeste Rigel]

[Duplicate]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

When the pair arrived, he immediately recognized Celeste. After being around Valae often, he tended to learn the name of some of the more trusted healers. The chief healer was no different, as he recalled her being held in high regard.

Although, he didn't know Celeste as well as other members of the Silver Circle, they were still acquainted.

The other person, seemed familiar, but was nonetheless a new face to Valkren. The Knight surprisingly enough snapped off a salute to the colonel, which beckoned a quick salute from Valk' in response. It wasn't often someone that held the title of Jedi saluted members of the armed forces, especially in the Silver Jedi.

If it was back in his Republic days, it might not have been so strange. Still, it was admirable of him.

"Dresari, pleasure's all mine. Welcome to headquarters." He brought down the salute and met the younger man's hand with his own for a firm handshake. After returning his hands to his hips he'd look to Celeste.

"Let's not go as far as to say famous, now." He offered her a smile, nodding. "Good to see you too, ma'am."

Valkren looked taken back for a second after the chief healer's words, taking a glance to the Jedi Knight before looking back at her. If the Jedi that would have usually given him his orders, his old friends, would have remained the same, he might have brought up a few questions right away. He wasn't sure if it was his place at this time though, so he held his tongue. They weren't important to the situation at hand.

Kintan..

"Kintan, huh? Nasty bit of work from what I hear of it." He gave a motion with his hand for the pair to follow along, before turning toward a set of stairs that went further into the base. They'd pass more and more rangers sporting different variations of camouflaged BDUs and armor systems. Eventually, the path that followed after the 'back entrance' of the ranger base would lead the trio into an open bay. For the sake of this bay's position next to the back entrance, it wasn't used for much more than extracurriculars. At this time, they'd pass by a large group of rangers in PT. Beyond that they'd reach a system of corridors, by this point within the mountain.

After another few turns and a minute of walking, Valkren would stop to swipe over a console next to the door.

"So, I'm curious to ask what kind of 'operation' you want this knight to lead, ma'am." Directly after the colonel said this, the door would open into a meeting room, a long table with several chairs around it. The opposing side of the wall to them was entirely glass, the room beyond that glass was another one of the ranger's many 'war rooms,' filled with analysts and intelligence officers scurrying back and forth, in constant work.

After the group would enter, Valkren would follow and close the door behind them. He'd take off his cap and toss it onto the table before finding a seat.

"What business do the Silver Jedi have on Kintan?" He looked to the both of them for this question, if someone needed his assistance, it wasn't a peacemaking mission, that he was sure of.

[member="Celeste Rigel"] | [member="Dusaro Dresari"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro honestly found it strange that saluting was not so common for Jedi. It was a common military custom and courtesy that they just didn't do. Though perhaps that kind of thinking showed his militaristic Mercenary upbringing. It was a small attention to detail that showed knowledge and appreciation for such things, in his mind. "Welcome indeed! Though for better or worse, i get the feeling that i am going to be getting rather familiar with it."

Dus let out an amused little chuckle at the exhange between the two, taking that they knew each other to some degree or another. Dusaro noticed Calderon glance at him and return his focus to Celeste. It seemed he found this situation abnormal, or not what he expected. Something along those lines but to be fair, it was not quite normal. It was also not quite a normal situation, so it made everyone off kilter just a bit and not deal with the situation quite how they normally would. Dusaro was no exception to that either, though he was relaxed as always he wasn't quite as talkative as he would otherwise be, his mind was bit to busy turning over the information he had and how to present it.

"One way to put it, from Cultists to Hutts and warlords. A mixed bag to be sure." Dusaro got a good look at the place while they went through, both the people inside and the construction. Another habit from his past, always know the area around you and the people in it. Though he was not exactly overt while doing it, the astute observer would notice. The big group doing PT got a reminiscent grin from Dus, it had been some time since he had seen that and even longer since he had done group PT like that. He wouldn't say he missed it by any means, but it did bring up some fond memories.

Dusaro had remained a bit more on the silent side, but after Valkren asked what they wanted him to lead and what the Silver Jedi were doing on Kintan, Dusaro took the lead. He could tell from before that the Chief Healer had a hard time fully grasping the situation so Dusaro stepped up to bat.

"If i may, i can explain." The golden skinned Jedi Knight spoke out, looking to Celeste who did not seem to mind. With a short nod he turned back to Valkren Calderon, Dusaro's former relaxed attitude seeming to disappear as though it was never there.

"Kintan has a past filled with both cultists and Hutt influence, leading to everything from bloody wars and their own slavery. In more recent times, the Hutt influence fade after a group called the Army of Light made their appearance, leading to more freedom then they have had in some time. That freedom did not last, but it did seem that many of them got a taste of having control of their own lives and found that they were willing to lay down their lives to secure it for themselves, with their own power this time." He pulled out the datachit from earlier and his Datapad. After it had loaded up the information it displayed a small version of the holographic image of the planet, showing roughly the current situation on the planet. "The rebellion started brewing around two, to three years ago as Hutt influence began to wane and a group of cultists, the Cult of M'dweshuu which violently worships the nearby supernova. From the information we were sent, there had been small skirmishes between the three groups for some time but nothing major, until recently. Three months ago, the Cult launched a full on assault on a small city with the intention to purge it. The response from the Rebels and populace was... Beyond anyone's expectations. Not only did the Rebels respond to the assault in full force, they pushed the cultist out and sprung up with more troops and warriors than the Cultist had expected. Perhaps it was a bluff on the Rebels part, more strength then they really had, but if it was, it worked. It got a majority of the populace to band behind them and start a full on Civil War."

The Holoimage did a little time lapse as Dusaro explained, showing how the Kintan Rebels had started out from mostly several cities within the same general area and linked themselves together, before fiercely expanding along a centralized line of advance while maintaining cohesion. It was the plan and execution of a skilled and experienced military leader. "Don't have a name yet, but they are being lead by a former Mercenary turned Rebel, at least as far as their military forces go. Now, it had been going well but where they ran into trouble was the Hutts. They did not fully appreciate how deep their crime networks and syndicates run, even with their weakened presence on the planet. Because of that, the war stalled out as they effectively have two fronts. One with the Hutts who are doing small harassment and skirmishes inside their denser population centers, then the main front with the Cultists. The front with the Cultists is holding, but they cant turn their efforts to deal with one without being vulnerable to the other. This is where we come in." Dusaro said with a short break as he rolled his shoulders and let the details so far sink in a moment before continuing. "They asked us to aid them in breaking the stalemate against the Cultists and to send any specialist we may have to assist with uprooting the cultists. The Hutts are not my area of operation, the Cultists are. They request a force capable of breaking the stalemate quickly." The terrain they would be dealing with was a mix of mountains, some plains, forests and desert. The area that held the enemies main force was in a forested region that sat just in front of a large open plain that further north turned into a desert, the Wannshok Desert.

"But you see, higher decided that this job was to easy, they can't have us getting lazy after all." Dusaro said shifting gears just slightly as he spoke in a more relaxed tone. "So to make this more then a blue milk run, they gave us a month to get a corp sized group organized, supplied and logistically prepped. Or, maybe they just hate us. Could be that too." He said with a solem little nod. Realizing that Celeste might not quite be able to get his remarks were meant as a decidedly 'military' style of humor, he made a slight nod to her. "No offence meant Master Celeste, just take that as a form of humor from when i was a Merc." He said as way of explanation before turning back to look at Valkren. "What are your thoughts on it, Colonel?" He asked, gauging how well Valkren had responded to his little 'joke' while he was at it.

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren didn't want to admit it, but he had to-

Kid knew what he was talking about.

Suddenly, the holo table lit up as Dusaro continued his presentation of the facts at hand. The lights from the holo danced in Valkren's eyes as he continued to listen, watching as the figures and buildings on the table changed drastically as the 'arc' continued.

It sounded like Kintan was between a rock and a hard place; his time with the Galactic Republic and Antarian Rangers had told him well enough the danger that came with messing with the Hutts, he could even connect some of his closest friends' deaths to his dealings with the Hutts and their criminal networks.

He felt a pang of guilt for the populace, probably living in fear every night of another gang-shootout or a dirty bomb going off in a neighborhood. The thoughts were quickly dismissed as the emotional guilt he felt was covered by a more serious approach.

In the Republic and afterwards he had lost team members to the Hutts, friends-even. There was no time for pity or sympathy, the Jedi were here at Ranger HQ for a reason.

As the Knight continued, Valkren lifted a hand to move through what he could of his short-cut hair.

"One day we're fighting rebels, the next day we're helpin' them."

He exhaled, leaning back in the chair he had picked out. He reached up and dug his fingers into the pouch on his BDUs that he had previously tucked the can of tobacco into. After fishing it out, he'd rotate it in his hands, continuing to listen to Dusaro as he explained the details of the rebels situation.

A smile could be seen cracking at the corner of the colonel's lips after the mercenary made his joke. He seemed to have some humor that Valkren could get with.

However, his smile quickly vanished when the holo displayed just where the cult of M'dweshuu was dug in at. Wooded area, mountainous, plains and desert beneath. Seemed like a killing field. He set the can of tobacco on the table, momentarily interfering with the holo until it reanimated around the intruding object.

"So. Your bad guys are here according to intel?" Valkren lifted himself from his seat, tapping his index finger on two sections of the holo where the densely wooded area was. A red circle slowly consumed the areas that he had tapped at, giving them a simple visual for now.

Depending on their approach, and what all units they could deploy to Kintan, the stalemate the rebels face could be broken several ways. For now, all Valk' could think about was securing armored units to assure the safety of the infantry units in the ranger, as well as his own special tactics unit. He could see their numbers thinned easily without proper support and intel.

"What about the rebels and this mercenary you say that leads them? Will they be right by our sides, or are they going to take a back seat on this operation?"

In his mind, the Third Infantry and First Ranger Special Tactics unit would be the only 'boots on the ground' they'd need aside from armored. Although, the lack of intel on the field of battle was still worrisome to the thirty-year-old officer.

"I'd want to deploy a recon team before we start anything. A team of three or four rangers from one of our higher skilled strike-forces can get a better lay of the land.. I don't like the cult of M-"

He'd stop himself for a second, looking down at the holo and the name of the cult, before continuing.

"I'm not even going to try and pronounce that sithspit. I just don't like their position, unless we level the damned forest with precision strikes, they could be dug in anywhere in there. If I can get a team in there, we can look for some area to spearhead the assault through. Minimize casualties."

Valkren looked back up, switching his gaze from between the two, but mainly directing his words towards the Jedi Knight, as it seemed he'd be reporting to him in this situation.

[member="Dusaro Dresari"] [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusasro was glad to see he had fully caught Valkren's attention as he presented the information they had so far. First impressions were important when you had little to no time to get familiar with someone new, another key factor that was part of his reason for taking the 'stage'.

"To be fair, Freedom Fighters would likely be the more apt description. I can't really blame anyone for taking up arms against hutts or a cult that worships an astrological phenomena. And now i am arguing semantics, didn't know better you would think i work for sentient relations." Wry remark aside, Dusaro continued on with what he was saying at the time. Over all, it was a 'nice' little war, in the sense that the pieces in play were not likely to go anywhere before they got there.

"From what i have so far, they will be preparing to launch a full on assault when we break through and give them a chance to break the deadlock. Given the situation, they can't exactly pull men from anywhere to aid us to directly, but they can assault the trenches in an all out assault when they get the word that the main enemy force has been dealt a critical blow. I know, not what i wanted to hear either. At least we will have a consistent idea of where we are, where the Rebels are and where the Cult of M'dweshu is. They have gotten stuck into trench warfare, so unless either side prepares in advance, they will not be able to react quickly to any surprises. Not in any large, meaningful way at least."

Dusaro nodded in agreement with Valkrens assessment, it was more or less what Dusaro himself had in mind. "I'd go for at least three teams of that size. Slightly higher chance of getting spotted or detected, but we will want to be the first ones to act. For that, we need to know where to strike as fast and accurately as possible. And speaking of striking, i was thinking of using Augmented Tank Battalions, augmented with a company of infantry. Switch out the Artillery for mortar carriers, Radmada Mortar Carriers preferably. They will be better in the forest environment. That and they can fire 3t6 thermobaric charges which are a card i would like to have up my sleeve." Though, that particular weapon would have to be handled with care in a forest. Starting a fire they couldn't put out was more than a possibility.

"Hrm... My biggest concern is supplies. If we were going to be more spread out, it wouldn't matter as much. But with everything having to be funneled through one point for such a large force, i can see the nightmare from here and it won't be pretty." It almost made him want to cry, how they were going to deal with it. The simplest solution was take more time to prepare but they didn't have that. The only other solution Dusaro could see to solve that particular issue, was to win this as quickly and efficiently as possible. Win the War, or Run out of Ammo. It was a rather grim thought that Dusaro didn't care to voice. Valkren doubtlessly had it figured out on his own already and if Master Celeste hadn't figured it out, he was not keen on telling her. Not every truth is best spoken."With all that said, i say we go ahead and send the recon teams forward now. We have already been approved for the operation so i see no need to wait in getting intelligence. How fast can you get a team gathered, briefed and sent out?"

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Valkren hung his head slightly, hands moving to the table to prop himself forward. A smile grew on his face as his newly-met ally spoke of trench warfare.

Now that was something several members of the Radama Raiders enjoyed. There was nothing more personal than jumping into another man's foxhole or trench line and fighting for dominance over that piece of cover. Everything was cover in those scenarios.

The officer raised his head once more, the smile disappearing.

"You read my mind, kid. I wouldn't want any of our infantry units crossing these plains without some sort of armor attachment. The third infantry would be our best bet. I've been on a lot of missions with that unit of rangers, I'd trust any of my people with those grunts. I'd bring my own boys, too. We can even lead the way if needed."

Valkren took his hands back, taking up the can of tobacco and cracking it open as he spoke.

"I can have each team briefed and ready for deployment within two days, one if I walk out those doors right now and head to intelligence. I have a few operators in mind that will get the job done."

He shifted his weight slightly, looking across the battlefield.

"Although..Like you said supplies will be a big problem if we can't properly do this. If supplies become a problem, helping win this war becomes a bigger problem. So we need to go over every detail of this deployment before any boot sets foot on Kintan"

[member="Dusaro Dresari"] | [member="Celeste Rigel"]

 

[Dusaro Dresari]

Dusaro's few times in trench warfare had been rather brief for the most part. As a merc he had usually been the guy called in to break that kind of thing, much like they were now. Only once had he been one of the boots in the trenches. It was some rather vivid memories from when he served a certain Dutchess in the Tapani Sector. Good times.

"I will trust you on who to bring, you would know better than I. I would also like to see about getting the company that had been at Charros IV, when it was attacked by the Galactic Empire. Due to losses suffered after the battle, i believe they got reorganized into several smaller armored regiments." A significant fact, given that before they had been a full Division. In spite of those losses and being pushed out of the city, they still had maintained enough organization and cohesion to regroup after the Imperial attack was over and counter attack, retaking lost ground when the bulk of enemy forces left.

"Hmm... I know the kind of supplies we need, more or less that is, already. I will go ahead and start working on a rough list what we will need for transportation and supplies now and you can go get those scouts sent. If i burn midnight oil, and i will, i can get a good idea of what we will need before 0500 tomorrow. After that we can start cutting out everything not needed." Dusaro said, stopping for a moment and taking a look at the image of the planet that was still up on the holopojector.

"Its gonna be a grand old war. Go ahead and get your people ready Colonel, good luck." He said, pausing for a moment as if the thought just came to him Dus added. "And force be with you." As Dusaro was about to turn around to start working on supplies, something occurred to him. Master Celeste was the Chief Jedi Healer. Dus did not really know much about the specifics of what he could expect out of the Silver's healers, he knew they were good but didn't really know specifics. Now would be a good time to go over that. "Master Celeste, something just came to mind. How many Healers can we expect to have on hand? Given how Jedi work i know that isn't something you can just pull up specifics on like we can for soldiers and all, but a rough estimate."

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Celeste Rigel"]