Carpe Noctem, for here layeth a sleeping giant.

[Darth Centax]

Eros | OS-FPS

Two Days Later

Because those 70,000 men, clones and a few droids had been back and forth at this for two straight days, downtime included in shifts on the front, and clear battle lines had formed. A lot of people didn’t realise that this sort of sized battle wasn’t settled in a day, could go on a week easy enough with exchanges of fire or pushes and feints to wear down your opponent. Games of chess from the generals across now three different lines.

Digging in one of the trenches, Kylath laid his rifle across his lap, resting his head back. Rare moment for a rest, he'd been up 42 hours straight and was feeling the itching against his eyeballs. Flexing his rebuilt hands in front of him, the men were avoiding him, they still nodded respectful but you could see he was one wrong move away from breaking someone’s neck. Some sith lived on that knife edge that all their lives, with no Master to get a handle on that rage it was down to him, how to start? He had no idea.

770th walker guns had been shelling their lines steadily but constantly for hours, not allowing them any sleep. Midnight now, there had been a lull. Kylath’s eyes were drifting off to sleep, just letting his guard down, that’s when the 770th pushed again! Eros cannons ahead of the main push, striking fixed shields of the 769th with loud PONG sounds, night fighting, and no rest, a tactic in itself.

 

[Darth Centax]

HAT-AT | Eros | OS-FPS | OS-PDS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgQRmA2ckHk

Nightfighting, 771st's Favorite Domain, their cloaking and jamming units made this hunting ground their own. Snipers nailing simulated killshots by infrared. One by one the tired defenders on the 769th’s line were picked off around Kylath, awakening the young acolytes sense for danger and parrying with his saber. Blaster deflection becoming his mainstay to keep him alive, as he looked for cover. He began having trouble separating these wargames from the real thing!

The answers came, as anyone should expect from the 769th, a fast forward push, assault troopers supported by breaching units to move ahead. Breaching units held their usual physical energy shields in their frames. Rallying cry came for the 769th's semper anticus, or always forward!

Kylath had chance to vent his own force techniques on clones, he moved with a precision unmatched in former conflicts, weaving through the night and non lethal rounds like a man possessed, crushing spin kick, followed by... there it was… force lightening, short burst as he connected more deeply with the darkside. Diving into the opposing trench, the clone he hit staggered and fell over. He'd used the technique in between the kicks and spins of his saber to add to the style, like another might use a gun.

Conquer the second RAGE, his old Master’s voice echoed in head. Because if Kylath didn’t get hold of his rage, he was done for in the next real battle at this rate.

 

[Darth Centax]

HAT-AT
Trench Fighting.

Someone pulled him back on his shoulder sharply, and he almost took the man’s hand off with his grip. “Captain.” Another officer called at him, looking at the bodies in his wake. They’d live, mostly, as his saber was turned down to stun, but those kicks had cracked a few ribs, broken an arm or two, maybe a jaw. Not Kylath's usual discipline, memories of two dead masters, his force breach, lost hands, had been too much for him to let go.

Breathing heavy, rage across his entire body, Kylath drew it down. It needed to be inside, focused on his opponents, he was still learning that. “We have the trench.” Kylath replied coldly, picking a clone up by the hand, several of them needing some medical attention. One trench down, 5 more to go...

CLUNK. CLUNK. SLAM

Never as easy as that, the 770th's HAT-AT’s were trying something new, they had used the adaptable leg joints to lower themselves down to the ground, presenting a very easy target, but at the same time giving the 769th a literal wall of metal to get beyond next, a wall of metal that now had huge guns at their exact level. "Take cover".

 

[Sere Reene]

HAT-AT | OS-FPS

Tython Intelligence Field Communication Headquarters.

HAT-AT's blazing their eros guns against shields, made for a light show not unlike armageddon when it involved 70,000 personnel. No matter that they were distant, you could barely hear yourself think outside of the sonic dampeners. Back on the floating podiums overlooking the battlefield displays, giant monitors for our officers and generals. Our Chiss general had no squeamishness at talking to the slussi hybrid like any normal sentient half-lizard thing, her many snaking tails hadn’t upset him in the slightest. Probably the only officer who could stand to be around Sere without thinking about shooting her or losing his lunch.

It seemed the 5th Armies general had an iron stomach. Believe it or not the two of them were sharing a cup of herbal tea. Not the usual drug induced concoction our hybrid was used to, but it had a kick to it. She hissed sharply burning her tongue on the unusual choice of beverage, tail swaying slightly, unsure how to take it.

“And you’ll have these here by next week?”

“One to Two Weeks’ssss” Her forked tongue hissed, FFE had made agreement with the OS to start bulk production in the new factories shortly, Byss, Coruscant and Tython being the prime heartlands of the OS for them to feed the forces with upgrades. After some initial hiccups, the wargames had been a success all around.

 

[Sere Reene]

All Techs

Two Days more went by.

Tython Intelligence Field Communication Headquarters.

770th and 769th still in deadlock, the junior commanders but still senior officers, were arguing about who the victor was, friendly rivalry from the commanders mess. While the generals looked on either amused, happy to see high spirits, aggravated at the banter or simply not caring. There were a lot of people here, and everyone had their own opinions on how things had gone, improvements to be made, issues that had arose or challenges to face from growing threats to the OS borders. Everyone's eyes were on the tech, how the men had performed with it, and performed together, all the way through from the grunts, the engineers, the captains and the generals.

For the most part the 5th Armies General, Zerde as his men called him, was optimistic, as was Thracken his most trusted advisor, though Thracken advised caution as usual to any sway from true neutrality, being the counter balance often valued in Zerde’s ear for any action taken. The two had developed a close working relationship over the weeks. In his own ready room he had just the core of his senior commanders, a handful of men, women, and one butt ugly snake hybrid.

Sere Reene finished signing up some delivery orders and began to depart, her stock was going up in the world, if she cared about anything but developing guns that might have mattered. Still more money... bigger guns... perks'ssss of her job.

 

[Sera Inkari]

Eros Returning

Sera wrapped around her chosen blonde officer’s arm, entwined, enjoyment of their rest shared. If her force’s will didn’t keep her so occupied, might she become more than pets to keep? Her young escort was gaining reputation for being skilled as a pilot. Sera could feel her skill and determination underneath her otherwise wild brown eyes. Their bodies leaned together watching starfighter’s catch sunlight below, gentle moment in another wise bitter war to come. Kintan's priestess had seen all transpiring, possibly, likely given tides moving and swaying, and knew what she needed to guide.

Enjoying that rest, she was allowed her pleasures, even Seers had needs.

“Ahem” The Commodore who might be by all accounts jealous interrupted, “don’t you have somewhere to be pilot?” Extremely unimpressed, if anyone else was on his bridge, they would find themselves in the brig or out an airlock. Sera touched her lovers shoulder with gentle caress, leaving lingering memory of where her hands might wander later, biting her ear and letting her leave.

“Commodore, your fleet is growing, your power as promised rising, might we walk?” Sera’s sweet honey words no longer fooled the commodore in the slightest, he did however garner insights and was gaining respect, here today was another example of taking the right assignment, at the right time. Grudgingly offering Sera his arm, much to jealous looks from our young departing pilot, and a cursed word, the pair departed. Soon their ship was making its own jump to lightspeed, and carrying them to their new appointed fates.

 

[Kelon Amadis]

HAT-AT | Eros

Elsewhere:
Kelon’s last act of the event, apart from to give his driver a swift kick up the butt, was to pull himself from his wrecked tank. Putting the machine over the edge of the hill had wrecked the track, its weight simply crushing the side. Sure he’d survived till the end of the games, but going home on foot while everyone else drove by, did nothing for his own mood. Swift boot up the butt again for the gunner and the others.

Watching the Walkers stomp on by, who had won? Who cared, Kelon certainly didn’t, now he had his own tank squadrons at his disposal he was golden. Time to run down some jedi scum on the rim, only now he was bringing tanks to do the job, good deal by his standards.

Looking over his giant metal fist, he punched the driver responsible for making him walk, so hard the man wasn’t waking up again today or perhaps again by the way he lay. “Games are over now.” He said to the others, nobody said nothing about rules after the fact, he’d pick a replacement who was more capable.

 

[Darth Centax]

HAT-AT | Eros | OS-FPS | OS-PDS

HAT-AT Walkers in all their new technology, turning to face the command stage as they left. Kylath’s control had returned, he’d drawn in his anger, fury, building hatred for the alliance and what they taken from him. The memorial wall on Coruscant was full of fresh names of the 769th after Dulvoyinn. It is what they drew strength from, what gave that corps its fighting spirit. Not clones like the rest of the 5th army, who while they said words for their dead on mass, it was in a general sense about the entire corps, no the 769th were very specific, like family.

One of many officers giving a salute to the Generals, Colonels and so much brass you could see your reflection in the metal on their shoulder pins. Kylath called it a day, finally hanging up his helmet upon return to the inner compound on tython, he headed for one of the smaller junior officer's quarters. Not a man known to enjoy the company of any luxuries save his plethora of weapons, there was physical company waiting for him in his bed when he returned, locking the door, and sealing himself in he went to bathe the dust away. Happily assisted.

Rest of the fleet leaving orbit soon enough, everyone aboard, the 769th headed for Coruscant to come full circle, one final goodbye and ceremony to perform at Centrax.

 

[Darth Centax]

HAT-AT | Eros | OS-FPS | OS-PDS

Space travel brought regular routine for the fleet, but left Kylath time to recover, having slept little the past week, the company of the female resting in his quarters was small solace, she was pretty, had a strong heart but they both were only together for small comfort in the after hours. Both military, both knowing how this worked when you served together. One day you were posted together, next the other side of the galaxy.

Thoughts for another day.

Coruscant,
Central Centrax – Memorial Wall
5th Army, 769th Coruscant Own Stormtrooper Corps
Command and Control Facility

Shuttles bringing them down. Seemingly a long way from where they had started, turrets, walls, shield generators everything in place, armor positioned where they needed it. At the center of this fortified compound, at its heart was the memorial wall of the 769th dead. Gifts were laid at the feet of the wall for the dead at Dulvoyinn, and many were gathering for a service for the dead. The Sith generals valued clones, they valued them for how dependable and expendable they were, but they valued the 769th for the opposite reasons, how hard they’d fight for the neighbors, their own family and kin, each a useful tool in its own right.

 

[Darth Centax]

HAT-AT | Eros | OS-FPS | OS-PDS

After the latest service was done, and gun salutes done from the walkers and turrets present around the base. Crowds departed, shields were lowered for a short time to city night lights, blast shields opened above them and a light spot shined down upon the monument. A few soldiers remained, helmets off under their arm, looking upon the wall, or adding names to the face of the display. Another 1,300 names after Dulvoyinn added to the long list, faces, rank and files to be remembered.

Kylath was one of the final five to take steps away from their golden beating heart of centrax. The day someone came to this place looking to take it from them, they’d find no mercy here from those lives they destroyed. As brother to brother the men departed, which was the next order of business! The brotherhood. Rank and file were made, but it didn’t end there for the 769th, who had invested heart and soul into the OS Warmachine, till the end.

Sunset upon the ruins made right, into the image of the One Sith's hold upon Coruscant.