Immediate Friendly Forces:
- 1st Jurkad Verde "Kad'b Marev" Armored Battalion, Solus and T'ad Company
- 1st Jurkad Verde "Shereshoy" Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Solus and T'ad Company
- Ruus Kote's HQ Company
Networked into the rest of his men and the vehicle's sensors, augmented by the Manda tactical battlenet's data analytic and predictive algorithms, Ruus was kept apprised of the new arrivals. The first to approach was
G 3 M 1 N 1
. Truth be told, Ruus had no shabla clue what to make of her. He wasn't walking around only with what he'd been born with, but even his enhancement package was nothing compared to someone like Exarch
John Locke
. Her, on the other hand, unlike the Exarch, he wasn't sure if she'd ever been an organic. Not even with the full array of his armor's sensors could he tell that, and he suspected that she didn't want him to be able to either. Or more accurately, whoever the haran had...manufactured...her didn't want him or anyone else to be able to.
"There's space for ten more if these two decide they're getting on," he said, nodding at the two jetii'ika. "I'm sure you handle yourself just fine, but there's a lot more of them for even the toughest shabuire out there's comfort. That, and there's CIS protocol for the planet. Force users leaving the LZ don't leave without an escort." He glanced past her and at
BX-4323
and his platoon or so of droids. BX commando units, not the usual fragile cannon fodder the CIS were so fond of. "Whether that's me and my troops, his or both of us doesn't really matter," he said, nodding at the approaching commando droids.
"We're just about to head out," he said in response to
BX-4323
, nodding. "You and yours are free to jog alongside or hang onto the outside. We start getting shot at, just get off before the shields pop and the armor starts taking damage. I don't need to tell you why standing around explosive reactive armor's a bad idea, do I?" Ruus had no problem with droids, and Strill Securities usually made extensive use of droids to supplement their own forces. That said, he wasn't going to tell his men to vacate their transports for them.
Just when he was about to order the column to move out prior to boarding his tank, his HUD flashed with an alert about a shuttle that was just downed not far from their position. Just when he was about to hope that it wasn't one of Farlorn's, the display updated to show the model and the squadron said shuttle was attached to. To assuage any doubts that he might've had that about it being one of Farlorn's, a message was forward to his armor's comm unit from his command tank that came from Farlorn. Shab. So that was how it was going to be.
Ruus was largely ignoring the complaints of one of the jetii'ka and the arbitrary and SOP violating decision made by the cyborg to move out. He was processing the information and deliberating his next move. Farlorn's men were special forces, and unlike the company's rammikade units, they weren't equipped with highly advanced lightweight stesr'gar-reinforced duraplast composite armor with enough integrated weapon systems to make a Trandoshan go green with envy. If he didn't do something, and do it quickly, they were in some serious trouble.
"Alright, ladies, gentlemen and adi'ke of all ages. A shuttle just went down in the immediate area which means I must take valuable time off from trying to get you to adhere to the SOP to go and keep good people from going and getting killed by bugs. Stay here, come with, or go and get yourselves killed, it's no credits out of my paycheck," he spat, exasperated that after having to fight these oversized bugs with surprisingly advanced weapons he was expected on top of that to enforce the shabla SOP with people like this. It was at times like this that he wished that he could just get a good old fashioned shooting war, or a planetary revolt to put down. At least there, he didn't have to deal with the weirdest and most stubborn the aruetii had to offer.
Just as he climbed up into his tank and took positions, Ghes turned and gave him an uncomfortable look that was evident even from behind his buy'ce. At first, he thought it was because of how he'd handled the situation, but as he looked at the tactical display, he realized just what the problem was. There had to be hundreds of incoming. More, probably. There was so many the display stopped showing them as individuals and instead chose to display the incoming hostiles as a wave of red.
Sighing and cursing his luck, he immediately raised Mirta and Aamer on the command frequency, "Ke'gyce 6 to Marev and Shereshoy 6, defensive positions now. IFV's behind the tanks, infantry behind the IFVs. I'm going to see about getting those Rangers out. They're only a klick out, we're not leaving them to those bugs. You give those shabuire hell. Not a single one past." Mirta and Aamer's response was a a heartfelt "oya". As he sealed his tank's hatch, he turned on the tank's external speakers, "Attention to all personnel, we've a whole mess of incoming. You're encouraged to take up defensive positions alongside my men." He quickly changed frequencies and raised
Anakwor Farlorn
, "Colonel, I got your earlier message, but we've got big problems. The LZ's about to be swarmed by a whole mess of incoming. I'm going to try to get to them myself, but you best tell them to start moving in the direction of the LZ if they can."
"Jintar, take us out. Ghes', shoot anything that's not ours. No mistakes today, vode. We don't leave anyone to those bugs. We're getting everyone out." His command crew were silent, but resolute in their affirmation. Ruus didn't have to verbally order for Marev Solus 2 and Shereshoy Solus 2 to follow. With the Manda's tactical interface, it was as easy as a few clicks here and there. Three Jariler-class Main Battle Tanks and their commanding Ja'hailir-class Command Heavy Tank followed behind his command variant Naast-class Super-heavy Tank. Two of the four Trataab'morut Infantry Fighting Vehicles following behind them were empty, which was likely enough space to extract the survivors.
As they rolled out of the LZ, they made contact with the enemy's advance force immediately. There were no calls between the tanks, no frantic attempts to assign targets. The tanks all opened fire in perfect coordination. Heavy repeating ripper, mass-driver autocannon and repeating class-d disruptor cannons cut down the first wave of Charon. The second wave survived the opening barrage long enough to return fire with their plasma cannons. Deadly energy splashed against their shields, but they weren't enough to collapse them. Not in the numbers the enemy had at the moment.
RHM-03 and RHM-05 repeating heavy mass-drivers fired 120 and 150mm HE-Frag-FS rounds into the oncoming Charon. Ruus had to hand it to them, their spacing and formations were almost as good as any other troops he'd faced. Their staggered wave tactics were effective. If their weapons were anymore effective, they'd be in a lot more trouble. What they lacked in individual weapon effectiveness, the Charon made up for in numbers, ingenuity, sheer resilience and strength. Without the vehicles, the Charon would have been the first things in a very long time to give him cause for genuine concern.
Tunqstoid rods, however, were very effective at punching through armor. The Charon battle armor and their natural carapace didn't save them. Their vehicles rolled right over the corpses of the Charon. The attacks didn't cease, and given the hell they'd been through earlier securing the landing zone, they were not doing fantastically on ammunition. They had little more than half load left for their main guns. Ruus was searching through the frequencies attempting to raise the downed men when he heard the incoming communication from what had to be the stranded troops.
“Engagement! Engagement!” Osowiec frantically broadcasted on his comms-bead on all channels. “Oh, bollocks. I’ve got a over hundred bloody hostiles in front of me and they’re coming in fast! They get one us and it’ll be bayonets and then we’ll be taken apart like speeder being found by Jawas!”
"This is Colonel Kote, Strill Securities 1st Jurkad Verde regiment, responding to your distress call. Hold on just a little longer, we're only about two hundred meters from your position," he replied over the same frequency. Just as soon as he'd transmitted, the mess of foliage cleared enough to give them a reasonably clear shot at the rear ranks of the Charon. Ruus' tanks announced their presence with an ear-splitting crack, that was followed by the resounding boom of nine HE-Frag-FS shells detonating in the Charon's rear ranks. Pulse cannon fire cut through the smoke only moments later, scything down smaller trees in their path as they flashed toward the Charon.
It was a momentary victory, but Ruus was distinctly aware of the fact that if they didn't move soon, the incoming Charon would surround them.
