Invasion Dissolution of the Rim | SO Invasion of Sluis Van & Denab

[Adeline Noctua]

Equipment | In Bio

Location | Crumbling city

Tag | Jax Thio Raphael Gallustrade Zeptepi Zambrano

Oh the Jedi would not have to look far, the monster known as Keres quickly drew closer and closer, her voracious hunger clawing at any force presence close enough no matter who it was.

Swarms of sithspawn flocked around the skies, these small batlike creatures either flying in a chaotic frenzy, or swarming the dead and drinking from them. Their little crimson eyes watched both Raphael and Jax, there was no hiding from this creature.

No hiding at all...

Tendrils of darkness hastefully slithered the streets, bringing a dead trooper back to life that Jax had dispatched moments ago. The undead screamed out a howl right at the man, right at his killer.

"Open. Your. Eyes."

A faint whisper enveloped the area, the very sky around the Jedi had started to change. Becoming black as the void, and the air cold as the uncaring abyss. Everything was so silent, no more gunshots, no screaming.. No undead. If anything the silence was the loudest thing either of them had ever heard, aside from the distant footsteps of the general looming ever closer.

"Hidden reality becomes manifest..."

The black skies suddenly grew spots of white, it was a sea of eyes, all looking at those who looked back. A black liquid poured out from their sockets as if they all wept, the substance covering the ground as now everything they once knew was now so strange. Was any of this real, or was it all just within the mind?

There was no time to think, Keres had arrived. The Jedi master would suddenly have an attacker from behind, as if Keres had stepped out from the abyss itself to try and slice him in two with a strike so brutally heavy it could break his guard.

Meanwhile for Raphael Gallustrade , the man now caught within this seemingly endless abyss would be chased by not only the bats who would scratch and swarm at his head, yet also strange dark hands that rose from the very ground. The goal was to push him right to her, if no backup arrived she would gladly rip into both defenders.






​

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Equipment
Armor	Beskar'gam.
Melee Weapons	Tar'Nau, Bes'manda Beskad.
	Copad'kal, "Ambition", personal Mandalorian Kal.
	Kada'yr, Mandalorian Kal.
	Breshig War Forge Consolidated K-02M Kal.
	The Royal Dragon, lightsaber.
	Entrenching Tool.
Pistols	DXN-57 Breachlight blaster pistol.
	KSTR-20 Borealis Heavy Blaster Pistol.
	ENCL-21 Ra'ntisr Heavy Blaster Pistol.
	Mandalorian Ripper Pistol MK.II.
Other
	Mother's Root seeds [In secured bottle stored in belt.]
	Ground Mother's Root toxin [In secured bottle stored in belt.]

Squadron Text Colors:
- Elise Vizsla: Red.
- Olivia Vizsla: Crimson.
- Ori'ramikad Rodarch: Lime.
- Choruk Ordo: Light Blue.
- Vhekad Rook: Brown.
- Dinui Krayt: Orange.
- Azalea Rodarch: Pink.

Darion Kithero

Cyan colored text indicates an illusion.

<"Hurry! This way!">

As another squad member helped cleared civilians out, blaster fire slammed against the zombies in close pursuit of the poor souls. A Mandalorian in green and grey armor grimaced as he raised his rotary canon and continued to fire at the hoard of zombies charging through the streets. Nearing a refuge camp, the hoard had been noticed by the Vercopa Squad of the Mandalorian Protectors, who had been deployed to help the Galactic Alliance's... interests...

<"Any idea where they're coming from?! Choruk!"> Another vod in dark, rustic armor yanked his beskar tactical shovel from the corpse of a zombie. Another ran up to grab him from behind, but a bright orange blaster bolt shot it down first. The Mandalorian looked up to see that the squad's sniper was more focused on protecting his comrades' backs than peering the area.

<"Choruk, I-thanks, but you're our eyes out here! Are you blind-">

<"Some thanks, Vhekad-">

<"Enough!">

The squad's leader leapt on top of a turned over vehicle, shooting another zombie down with her pistol, <"You all focus on protecting the area surrounding the refugee camp! I'll look around and find the source of all this!">

Her jetpack roared as she started to fly upwards, higher than Choruk's perch. Another voice from the team's com channel crackled in, <"Let one of us join you, Alor'ad.">

Olivia's dedication to her clanmate was sweet, but the leader shook her head as if they could see it. <"No. I need you all protecting these people. The Rimworld Trade League needs all the manpower they can get.">

<"Protecting aruetii..."> Vhekad grumbled.

<"Will do, Alor'ad.">

<"Thanks, Ori.">

<"Just be careful this time,"> Olivia reluctantly obeyed, <"Elise...">

Elise Vizsla landed atop the highest building in the squad's vicinity. Her torn kama flowed in the wind as she overlooked the city. She shot the lone zombie found on the rooftop, likely a bitten survivor who had escaped only to turn, and stood at the edge of the building. With her H.U.D., she observed the zombie movements from below. Indeed, they were all coming from one direction... the south east. Elise stood up, walking further towards that direction. She kneeled, peering the best she could. If she could figure out what was going on...

She continued to gaze around, only to find that surprisingly close to the front of the stampede, a rather alive and sane looking individual was well protected and speaking through comlinks. Elise gritted her teeth. She stood up, turned around, and ran back towards where her squadron was fighting.

<"Everyone, jetpacks. I think I found the commander. We'll ambush him from the city buildings. Follow me.">

The stealth squadron was quick to meet Elise atop the building. They switched from jetpacks to repulsers and stealthed themselves, ready to strike. Elise pointed the location out, and they settled on the coordinates before fading into the air, cloaked and hidden.

Elise Vizsla cloaked herself as well, pulling her hood over her buy'ce.

<"You all will focus on the zombies surrounding the commander. Choruk, Dinui, you two focus on sniping the cloaked figures just off from him. Vhekad, Ori, Azalea, take out the rabble surrounding them through any means necessary. Olivia, you have my back, I'm going for the big guy himself.">

And so it was. Soon, through shattered windows and crumbled walls, the squadron was overlooking the advancing hoarde from above. Soon enough, Choruk and Dinui confirmed their positions.

<"Engage.">

Two sniper rounds, from two different snipers at different angles, fired upon the cloaked figures near the commander. Whether or not the strike was successful, Elise leaped down from a several story building. Using the Force, she landed near the big bad as she held her Chiss Kal at hand. Still stealth cloaked, and using Force Stealth as well, she silently approached the leading commander as Olivia kept watch, also stealthed, holding a rifle. Meanwhile, the remaining squadron had already begun attacking the zombies surrounding the hoard, especially around Elise. Choruk and Dinui continued to snipe from above while the rest made themselves visible.

Elise crouched several feet away from the commander, dagger in hand. She hoped to creep in, grab him, and place the knife to his neck. And from there, she wanted to call the hoard's attack off.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

Nathan had requested to be let through with the Clone Force Commanders he had brought. They were the only ones of that admittedly large group who had been made ready for battle...

As things were going poorly already the Guards had basically decided 'WTH' and let him and them through.

The Temple was a wash. He had voiced his concerns to Elias in the past. This just confirmed it.

Jedi needed to stop wanting to be so comfy while working their profession. They needed to stop making their temples so open, and needed to have a hard discussion about investing heavily in Mobile Facilities, or Temples that were actually hardened military fortresses with genuinely lethal personnel ready to fight alongside them. How often must this happen? Another temple toppled, another group of close knit people who knew nothing else slaughtered. For what?

Did the Jedi want to win this war or not?

As he crossed into the Threshold he was drawn back to that day Castle Bloodscrawl fell at the hands of Elaine Tear.

Why am I forced to constantly relive the death of my family? Nathan asked himself as he and the Force Commanders went forward. All were armed with Electrostaffs.

"Looks like some pretty heavy action here." one of the Force Commanders, FC-735 noticed.

"You said you were made for situations like this. Now is the time to prove it..." Nathan said, turning to the small group.

"735, you're with me. One of you others, start combing the facility for stragglers. Escort any Padawans you find back to the LAAT. The rest of you, engage Sith at will. Kill them upon sighting." Nathan ordered.

"It will be done, Boss..." another Force Commander Clone, 428, assured.

"Don't call me that here! You'll feth me up if some Jedi hears it!" Nathan replied in a hiss that contained an unfathomably small trace of genuine anxiety.

"Oh! Right! Sorry! Sorry!" The Force Commander whispered back.

"Good Luck. You're gonna need it..." Nathan muttered as 735 followed him and the rest left to carry out their own assignments.

A lot of places were on fire. Nathan was seized by the memory of how he had lost his original eyes, blinded by shrapnel. Perhaps he had been blinded in more ways than just the loss of his eyes.

Deathly silent. The sight of his relatives as they burned in the fires of their own Castle danced cruelly across his mind.

His horned, Black Armor, adorned with the red crest of his now completely forgotten family made him almost look like some sort of Demon as he and 735 went deeper into the facility...

At every turn, another Atrocity. They had gotten deep.

A warning in the Force made both him and 735 dodge a a Lightsaber swipe from a previously invisible enemy, armed with a red Lightfoil, who decloaked, revealing a Sith in long black robes. Nathan looked at 735.

"Shall we?" Nathan asked wryly as he activated the Lance of Ession , it's pure red blades sliding out from all four emitters on the spear-like weapon.

The Sith engaged them both with rapid, frightfully fast thrusts and slices that had him and 735 both on the defensive. Nathan used the full length of his own weapon to fend off the deadly fighter, thrusting for the Sith's chest while 735 stretched out his hand and hit him with a heavy bolt of Electric Judgement, forcing The Sith to create a Force Barrier to block the blast. Nathan created a bright flash of light with the Light Side, which momentarily blinded the Sith, who lost concentration, and he rushed in, jamming the lead tip of the legendary weapon towards the Sith's chest, who parried on instinct--

--just as the Electrostaff of 735 slammed into the Sith's face, burning through it.

"Feth nearly got me twice..." 735 remarked.

"Well, it's your first temple sacking. You're going to have a lot more close calls before today is over..." Nathan muttered. "Let's find Elias Edo ...I sense he is close by...and getting closer..."

The Pair kept the lookout as they traveled, and when they got ambushed by a Sith Squad trying to clear out areas. Nathan was on them first, his heavy lance skewering a soldier through the chest while his dark blue blade leapt to his free hand decapitating another. 735 was there soon after, electrostaff slamming into the soldiers, shattering armor, green lightning escaping his fingertips.

They had cut through the squad in moments.

"Nathan." 735 called out, pointing to a pillar, where a Padawan had been in hiding close by.

Nathan turned and spotted her.

"Relax." he said, calmly, shutting off his blades. "I'm friendly. It's me, Bloodscrawl."

The Padawan, a human girl, came out of hiding, though she kept her distance due to his somewhat terrifying black armor.

"The...the Vulture?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Plenty of carrion today it seems. Flee. There's an LAAT at the landing pad. Get on it."

The Padawan was confused... suspicious...

"How do I know I can trust you?

Nathan's response was as flat as it was to the point

"I really, really do not like Sith Lords." he replied.

The Padawan caught how dead serious he was and ran for the landing pad.

"Did you have to wear the old colors?" 735 asked.

"Going in with substandard gear is just asking to be killed at this juncture." Nathan insisted. "Besides. It's a sacking. I can explain the armor and weapons in a sort of half assed way. It's you that has my lawyers scratching their heads." Nathan whispered.

"You can always fire me." 735 whispered back.

"True but who would draw the Sith's fire?" Nathan asked, making an extremely rare joke.

735 raised his middle finger at Nathan but chuckled. "Lead the way..."

Nathan and 735 reached the Courtyard literally thirty seconds after Elias had.

"Elias!" Nathan called out, as he saw him. He was keeping low. Clever. Nathan's suit was able to protect against biohazards and air toxins to a degree, so he didn't have much to worry about. But he wasn't sure how Elias would take what he was about to say.

Nathan had always been a mystery. Had always kept his secrets closely guarded. But his arms and armor, worn only under the gravest of circumstances would almost certainly give away to Elias he was more than what he let on, and always had been. The Lance he carried however, despite the color of its deeply crimson blades, was strong with the Light.

"Master Edo...I know a ton of chit is going on and I have a ton of explaining to do...but right now I don't have time to do it the way I would like. So I am going to ask you to give me the benefit of the doubt."

Nathan paused a moment, while 735 kept a lookout for hostiles. The explanation would have to be short. And he was deeply concerned all it would do was make him look bad.

"I found a giant Fett Clone Army on a lost planet, activated it, and brought a small fraction of said army to Dagobah and Susevfi. They...they were made by long dead Jedi Knights... people you never heard of, and whose deeds no temple carries records of any longer."

He gestured to 735.

"Some of them were made to function as emergency Light Side Users. I've got a stealth ship on the way to help us evacuate. A big one. The biggest I am able to field."

Nathan's deeply buried anxiety crept into a subtle twitch of the fingers as he grasped the gleaming silvery metal of the Lance of Ession.

"And...and I...used to be...a...a Jedi Knight..." he finally got out. "I made a mistake. I am asking you trust me because by telling you any of this, I am potentially seriously fethin' myself over on a lot of fronts."

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Dagobah //:
//: Darth Carnifex //:

Allyson listened and pondered the answer. It was one she didn't expect. Some of her knew it wasn't because of her battle prowess, but she might have expected something a little more. She shook off some of the mud that gripped her boots; luckily, it wasn't much. "Interesting." She started by taking a few steps from the giant of a man. Allyson couldn't help laughing, nearly being brought to tears. "Taeli is a handful. I respect her." Distance had been between them, and she held her weapon with a smile.

"I respect you as well, Kaine Zambrano, but unfortunately, I must disappoint you and Taeli." An arrow of light grew against her palm and the curve of the bow. "Unless you're a gambling Man?" The Corellian's lips curved as she pulled the bow, taking aim at the Sith. The arrow released, firing towards him; Allyson knew the man could easily dodge the frontal attack, even if it was an arrow of Force Light. This wasn't their first fight, and it wouldn't be their last. As she released the attack, the woman would fade from view using the Force Cloak to move quickly, creating a more significant distance between them.

The Corellian wasn't a close-up fighter. She preferred the cover of the shadows and to remain unseen. It was an unsavory way to fight, but it was what she was good at. If Allyson chose to fight Carnifex upfront, she would easily lose. Instead, she decided she wanted to make things interesting.

"I agree, though." She spoke from a distance, hidden within the Force. "The Jedi aren't what they used to be." She paused, remembering Gatz and her apparent Padawan. Despite being older, both children knew nothing of war, nothing of the sacrifices that would be asked of them. Neither could answer why they wanted to be Jedi; they were just lambs to the slaughter. "They're lost children, born dreaming of being Jedi - as if we were some heroes in a legend." She hated it; she hated the admiration. Nightmares plagued her mind; the crimes she had committed only made her more of a monster than a hero.

"I'll make a bet with you, Kaine Zambrano." She climbed a nearby tree and nestled into a sniper's nest once more. Her bow was drawn, and her force cloak was gone, exposing her. "If you can win, I'll go with you, willingly." If she could glean any information from being held by the Sith, it would be helpful.

When she thought about it, Allyson knew she would give anything to prevent the next generation of Jedi from having to fight in this war. If it should buy them time, maybe they didn't have to fight in wars. Her mind wandered for just a moment to Zaavik. His memory only steeled her resolve. "If I win, you pay for your crimes against the Alliance." An arrow was drawn, and she waited for his answer. "What do you say, big guy? You can throw some options in if you wanna make it interesting."

Hell, if Allyson was going to die today, at least she would go out, interestingly enough.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Dagobah //:
//: Arla Rodarch //:
//: Outfit //:

"Oh? It sounds like you should think of a new career. A safer one, maybe?" Quinn chuckled as she took a step forward into the small clearing.

There was a caution. Quinn could read it in the woman's body language. Thankfully, she didn't have to depend on the Force for this. She relaxed her shoulders, rolling them forward slightly, trying to seem scared. Everything would fall into place if she could draw the armored soldier in. Gently, Quinn brushed back stray strands of nearly white blonde hair from her face. Her lips almost pouted as she sighed and shrugged. "I was supposed to be attacking this temple." She pointed into the distance, "but as we landed, I decided that it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore." It was a risk, but she was willing to take it.

"It's not fair, really, I hate fighting pointlessly, especially the Jedi. So many of my people, the Echani, have aligned themselves with them." Quinn let her voice crack into an almost quiver as she looked away. "As their Princess, I'm forced to put them down like animals, I hate it." Tearful eyes look back at the Mandalorian, "You wouldn't understand, but I feel lucky that you didn't decide to attack me the moment I spoke. I don't want to fight other Echani anymore."

Quinn began to walk forward, her hands showing she was unarmed for the most part, the black cat purring loudly as it followed its master, trying to comfort the girl. "Are you with the Jedi? I'm Quinn," She smiled, and while she got closer, she still gave the Mandalorian space. "Quinn Varanin, Princess of Eshan." The name would be familiar enough for the most part, in Quinn's opinion. People might have known her sister better; she sympathized with the Jedi and gained their aid during troublesome times. Quinn, on the other hand, had a different perspective. She could care less for Jedi or Sith but found more freedom with the Sith Order. It allowed her to strive for the power she knew she deserved.

Being last born never held favor for any royalty or nobility.

"I mean you no harm. Could I prove that to you? Could you tell me your name?

The more familiar she became with the armored woman, the easier it would be to incapacitate her or even kill her without much of a fight.

 

[Arla Rodarch]

Dagobah
The Swamp

Spoiler: Arla's Gear

Shotguns
Phazor
Claw and Fang

Arla's mind raced with the possibilities, her system flush with adrenaline still from the ejection, the landing, and being in the middle of this damned swamp and not where she should be. Quinn's words raised only far more questions. She herself was Echani, but an exile, several generations removed from the homeworld Eshan. She felt that she should know her own Princess, but she did not.

"I'm Arla of Clan Rodarch." She said, not so much on her guard as she had been. She was now more focused on the potential dangers around them, the hidden threats and dangers of the swamp. She was beginning to subconsciously dismiss the potential threat of Quinn. She was distracted, but not enough to namedrop House Susni, and give away her true origins as disgraced Echani nobility. Just because her danger senses weren't flaring red didn't mean she was going to share secrets with a stranger.

Then Arla played back Quinn's words in her mind. 'I mean you no harm.' Said by this lithe and comparatively smaller of stature female to the large build and armoured Mandalorian, didn't ring true. Arla's instincts screamed at her, and she realized too late that she'd dropped her guard and let the other woman get close.

If this was a trick, she'd fallen for it...

Quinn Varanin

Kaia Starchaser Coren Starchaser Allyson Locke Rhiza Dural Veylin Torque Nej Tane Quintessa Darth Strosius Michael Hightower Zeptepi Zambrano Thomas Barran Darth Carnifex Gerwald Lechner Rajan Harpal Adeline Noctua Corbin Vasher Darth Empyrean

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Dark tremors echoed through the Force, drawing Valery's eyes away from the soldiers she directed toward defensive positions. Thus far, she had only encountered soldiers of the Sith Order, but none of their leaders yet. No Sith or any significant commanding officers who could be taken down to cause chaos among the ranks, and perhaps even force a retreat of some kind. But as her senses honed in on what she felt up ahead, she realized she hadn't just found a Sith Lord.

She had found two of them.

Without wasting any more time, the former Jedi Shadow buried her presence in the Force and cloaked herself to go unseen — a familiar approach for one who used to live and thrive in the shadows. She jumped up from where she stood, landing atop a building, and quickly began to move towards the source. Soon enough, she spotted two familiar figures down below. One she had encountered with her husband before, and the other was unmistakenly the shorter woman she had cut down.

A frown pulled on her brows, seeing her there. If she had taken care of this Sith all those years ago, she wouldn't have been here now to cause trouble.

Though, deep down, she knew another would have taken her place.

Seeing the soldiers who had supported Darth Strosius fan out, Valery decided to take her chance. With an explosive jump, she closed the distance and appeared visually in mid-air, not even a second before she hit the ground nearby and slammed her fist into the rocks. They shattered on impact, and a wave of telekinetic energy expanded towards them in an attempt to send them flying through the air.

Darth Strosius Quintessa ​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Oh?"

The attack was easily anticipated, there were so many motions that made up a single action. Each one had their specific tell that could be quickly recognized by those who had been trained to see such things. The Dark Lord, before becoming a Sith, had spent nearly a decade in the service of Imperial Intelligence. He'd been one of their most decorated field agents before leaving that work behind and climbing the ranks of fixers and watchers, eventually becoming the Minister of Intelligence itself. In a way, He and Allyson were more alike in that regard.

He swept His hand up, the light arrow catching the back of His hand and rebounding off. Runes flashed to life along the length of His arm, shielding it from the worst of the light's power before the arrow detonated as a slash of darkness tore it apart. When the dust settled, Allyson was gone, but she had not fled the area. She'd wreathed herself in a cloak of displaced light, and His eyes could not pierce the veil. But He did not need His eyes to see, His senses reached out and probed the land around them.

She spoke as He searched for her, affirming many of the things He'd spoken about. But then she did an unexpected thing, she wagered a bet with Him; captivity against the Jedi's justice. The Dark Lord could not help but smile as He finally found her, perched in a tree with her weapon drawn. "I'll see that bet, Allyson Locke, and I will increase the ante. If I beat you in battle, then not only will you willingly surrender yourself to my custody, then you will also willingly endure the Agony and have tattoos wrought upon your skin. If I fail to defeat you, then not only will I willingly surrender myself to the justice of the Jedi, then I will also surrender my phylactery as well."

It was a dangerous proposition, the most harrowing that He'd ever taken. But He was confident, He was not the same Sith that Allyson had fought on Muunilinst or any of the other battlefields. The power of the Wellspring coursed through His body, she would not be ready for it. Even now, power lanced out of Him and ran through the ground; the tree beneath her feet bucking up as the ground heaved. Bright blue flame burst forth from the roots, rushing up through the trunk as it disintigrated as the flames consumed it.

"Do not hold back, Allyson Locke, all depends on it!"

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Commodore Helix]

Objective: Knight Light
Tags: Open
Equipment: E-4H Blaster Carbine, Horror Matrix, Electrostaff​

Helix tilted his head. He could hear the first sounds of violence, now, up ahead. The Sith had made their move. He raised his metal fist, causing the convoy to form up. Ramps dropped on the transports; racks extended, and droids dropped from them by their legions. Soon, vast numbers of metal feet stamped forward through the marshes toward the temple.

"This is a fine chance to test a large-scale deployment of our new weapon." Said Helix, reading his scanner. "Give them a volley. Fifty rockets, load X16." At this, the upper shells on the transports slid backwards, revealing rows of rocket pods. "Mild saturation, just enough to send a message and soften them up. I believe the Sith wish this site to still be useable when we are done."

Obediently, dozens of rockets streaked from the transports, sailing high into the air before slamming down at a sharp angle into the temple and surrounding grounds. Where they struck, they burst, releasing blue aerosol rad-fires that clung to stone, earth, wood, metal, or anything else they touched, spreading rapidly and eagerly. Helix's scanners flared with the sudden release of radiation. It was well he'd limited the scale of the barrage. The bursts of lethal rads from each impact would render the site uninhabitable if one got greedy, to say nothing of the seemingly-unquenchable chemical flames.

Worse yet, he could see the fumes beginning to form from the flames, coalescing into heavy, ground-hugging clouds of blueish smoke that stole the life from anything that breathed them. It was magnificent. It was also indiscriminate, but he did his utmost to prevent any friendly casualties, avoiding the pockets of Sith units on his scanner. Still, it would be an early start in clearing away all this bothersome vegetation and wildlife for the Sith's own purposes. He could think of no finer place to test X16 than Dagobah.

So far, results had been satisfactory. A chemical designed to destroy life, versus one of the most life-infested places he knew of. He had seen it work well so far. Air, water, and earth alike became uninhabitable wherever the flames or fumes touched, withering into gray lifelessness. Very good. He made a mental note to lobby for further, larger deployments after the battle. He had a feeling his clients would be pleased at how efficiently the area he'd travelled through to get here was deforested.

That, however, could wait. He still had a temple to clear. "All units, move in. Leave nothing breathing that doesn't wear the colors of the client. Any and all other personnel found on-site are to be considered expendable unless ordered otherwise by the client. No loose ends, no survivors, no prisoners." The droid troops began to move in, becoming visible to the temple's defenders for the first time as they left the treeline. The transports and tanks followed them, providing cover to the dismounted infantry. He still had quite a few troops packed inside the transports proper, but those could wait until they'd breached the perimeter.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

The Clone Defense Troopers had prepared as best they could, given the circumstances in which they had been revived.

They had only been able to get four AV-7 Cannons active, but multiple E-Web turrets had been camouflaged into the Swamp. They had placed snipers armed with DC-15A's in key trees that offered a good view. Most of the Clone Defense Troopers closer to the Temple grounds were also armed with such. The others closer to the Convoy advancing were armed With DC-15S Carbines.

Their old school juggernaut tanks had been too heavy to bring in safely in the swamp. So they had been forced to get creative and disassemble two in the days before, creating a set of make shift bunkers out of them with it's still functional life support systems. Hidden by swamp Moss and Trees relocated hastily.

DT-904 surveyed the grim approach of the advancing enemy within a camouflaged bunker. They had kept the Droidekas withing the bunkers, waiting for an opportune moment to release them They had planted mines and other explosives throughout the swamp, burying them in trees or in mud He himself was outfitted with an old single shot grenade launcher firing big 40 mm shells.

"A Swamp. Why do Jedi always build in the worst locations?" he asked under his breath. Their weapons were powerful, but outdated and so was their armor. Yet he was told to hold them off as long as possible, and he was not afraid.

The Clone Defense Troopers motto is the same as Ganner Rhysode: None Shall Pass. An army of Gandalfs, all trying to hold the Balrog that was Commodore Helix off for as many precious minutes as possible.

"Think they brought Droids?" his subordinate, DT-424 asked, his DC-15A modified with a Tripod, and select stabilizers to make firing in automatic easier. The Juggernaut's weapon systems were ready to go also.

"They'd be stupid not to..." 904 answered.

He saw the tanks rocket launchers arm.

"Heads, up, it's on. What's our sensor readings?" 904 asked.

"Radiation. High levels. Incendiary Chemicals." 424 answered.

They both went silent for a few moments.

"Can our individual armor take it?" 904 asked

"This Phase 1 crap can barely take a strong gust. As for this juggernaut armor over us...I dunno. Maybe it can take the incendiary components." 424 answered grimly.

"Projected impact points?" 904 asked.

"All around us. The boys closer to the temple will get it bad."

"Get on the horn. Tell 'em to find any kind of cover they can get."

"No time."

The rockets launched. 904 closed the shutters.

The powerful bursts outside shook the earth. Equipment on the inside exploded and the lights went out. 904 heard the screams of fellow squads as they got cooked alive.

The Bunker started to heat up.

"ALL UNITS, ENGAGE! ENGAGE!" 904 shouted on his comlink.

Artillery barrages outside the range of the rockets began concentrating their fire on Helix's transport as well as others, their bolts cutting through the air. The snipers in the trees began firing relentlessly at the Droid troops who were advancing, forcing Squads of them to start moving quickly...into the lines of defensive fire that the Defense Troopers closer to the Convoy had set up. 40 mm grenade shells sailed outward at both the transport and the Droids, carrying ion charges.

"Can the bunkers weapons still fire?!" 904 shouted at 424 over the chaos inside as Defense Troopers began frantically evacuating as it got steadily hotter, some rolling out the Droidekas.

"No! We gotta leave, now! If the initial barrage doesn't melt through the armor completely, the next barrage will!" 424 yelled back,

Just as the interior reached oven temperature, they bolted, fleeing extreme heat that even now, was burning away the last of the foilage that had covered it. No way they would have gotten out in time if they hadn't used the dense swamp materials to insulate and conceal them.

"Get every LAAT we have in the area! We have to take out those tanks!" he yelled at 424 as they ran for their lives from the blue, low hanging fumes spreading from the burning blue flames everywhere. The swamp was a warzone now, on fire in many portions. Defense Troopers were shooting as many droids as they could, their ion based weapons and sheer power cutting into armor. But many Defense Clones, at least 200 had been killed in the blasts. They were extremely lucky it wasn't more.

The Defense Troopers began setting off explosives as the tanks passed over their buried spots. They had buried as many explosives as they could get their hands on. Hopefully it could Doo some serious damage.

Meanwhile, the Bunker that had been mostly unscathed, closer to the other transports, began unleashing it's weapons indiscriminately on their location, firing rockets and grenades of their own while LAAT's from above flying in defensive formation swooped in, firing rockets and their composite beam ball turrets.

904 blasted away a squad of Droids with his Carbine, set to full auto. These Droids were smarter than the regular B1's, which he had trained against after Nathan's family created them. Made good use of cover. But he was a Clone Trooper armed with a DC-15S, and he used it to great effect in the chaos while 424 covered him with automatic fire, clutching the tripod like a foregrip to steady his aim as they made a fighting retreat from the advancing horde, covered in their retreat by sniper fire from their fellow clones in their tree nests.

The battle for Dagobah's Swamps was now underway...

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Dagobah //:
//: Darth Carnifex //:

"I knew I liked you for a reason, Carnifex." Allyson quipped with a smug smirk, her mind calculating the odds. If she were smarter, the Corellian would think this over and potentially back out of the bet, seeing that the odds were against her. If Allyson did that, though, could she be considered a true Corellian? She laughed, fully knowing that this was a bet she would potentially lose, considering Carnifex's formidable powers.

But all she could do was bet on herself.

"I'll take that bet!" As soon as she accepted, the Man countered her attack. Previously, His deflecting the Force Light was expected. She had seen Him before, and the runes etched along His body were explicitly there to deny one of the Jedi's most potent attacks. What came next was something the Man had never done before.

Blue flames quickly engulfed the tree she stood on. The heat licked the base of her leather boots as she jumped up and swung herself forward. "That's new," She exasperated, almost laughing as she did. The Shadow had her work cut out for her, and logic began to scream in the back of her mind to run. Can't do that. Allyson answered her internal desire to survive.

The Force was weaker with her than it was with her opponent. In most cases, she would be considered useless. Being a savant in niche cases, I only got one so far. Once more, Allyson held the bow; she didn't have much time to think and drew the explosive arrow. Pulling the string taut, she suddenly disappeared from his sight, using her agility to her advantage. She had yet to fire the arrow; instead, Allyson quickly moved toward his forward left flank and fired. The arrow suddenly appeared from the protection of the Force Cloak and landed, exploding towards the base of his feet, creating a burst of energy that shook the ground.

Allyson knew the shadow clone he had at his side would be a problem; she would have to buy herself time to try and figure out how to dispel it from the fight. A part of her wondered if Force Light would be the answer, but knowing the Sith - he would potentially try and protect it. The runes he had were his edge against her; maybe she should have listened more to Taeli when the woman rambled about Sith Runes when Allyson was undercover. Sadly, there wasn't enough time for the Shadow to break them; she would have to play on his playing field, her determination to win burning brighter than ever.

Finessed Power.

Using the explosion as a distraction, the Corellian swung the reinforced bow towards the back of the Man's knees. If she could take him down or even throw him off balance, she had an inkling of a chance.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The kids were always on the move. Coren could only offer a smile when Lio ran off. He did double check his comm as Lio and Mia had prepped to run off. And he’d be able to stay in contact with his former Padawan’s progeny. He was not going to start another situation like him and all the Perl girls. Least of what he needed was Joza coming and breaking an enemy line to get to him.

Unless…

The thing that was taking the moment was Zark understanding Mandalorian. Was that an always thing with his friend? He shrugged, mostly inwardly and allowed it.

“WE do need to get to that Temple. Before the worst happens.” He pulled his hilt into his hand. “Shall we?”

Zark San Tekka

 

[Maestus]

Dagobah
Thomas Barran

As the make-shift camp came to light & life, Maestus knew the odds for their remaining unnoticed were rapidly plummeting. Still, she wagered the Jedi, Sith and others involved with their battles were entirely too focused on slaughtering each other to pay the hunting party any mind. Age old petty differences in philosophy & ideology will do that to people. Maestus couldn't remember the last time two people sought understanding as their first course of action. She thought back to Dxun and the Jedi she met there. Greeted with the eruption of a plasma blade before she'd given so much as her name. The Sith were no different. Content to slaughter millions because someone forgotten to time said that's what Sith do. Such a waste of otherwise quite valuable resources and tools.

With a shake of her head, she cleared her mind and set it to the task at hand. Today was a day for taking steps to further advance her designs. The party were after some particularly nasty beasts. Failing to give the creatures their due respect could be fatal. The Twi'lek had no plans for an early grave.
​

'I think first, it would be for the best if I was honest straight off the bat - I admittedly have nothing particular in mind. I'm wading into this like a gambling addict, wading half-blind into what works an' what wouldn't.... But with that being said - flightless, land-based, herd mentality.'

Was she in any way shocked by Barran's admission of no plan? Not at all. She knew well the fondness the Khan had for beasts. He was the successor to The Mongrel, and Maestus was well versed in the Khanite's love affair with all things feral & wild. It was as natural as peanut butter & jelly that she sought Barran's assistance with the hunt. She needed his expertise in hunting to catch her quarry. In return, she was more than willing to do a little science razzle dazzle for Barran and his boys. Win-Win.

She did smirk, and a snarky laugh slipped out as she handed Barran a datapad. On the display was information concerning the Knobby White Spider

Flightless, land based, herd mentality. Not to mention, they grow big as a speeder. Acceptable?

She shifted her gaze from Barran & the datapad to their surroundings. There was no denying the sounds of war that they found themselves embroiled in. Be it the ships streaking across sky. The artillery fire raining down on Dagobah's surface, destroying the very thing being fought over. Or the never ending screams of death that saturated the air. She exhaled slowly, her gaze distant, unfocused as she spoke quietly. What she had to say was for Barran's ears only, and he'd have to focus to hear.

What are they fighting for anymore, hmm? To be last man standing on a destroyed piece rock? Am I the only one who finds the expenditure of personnel, machinery and firepower absolutely wasteful when the "victor" has a dead planet to show for it? Very fiscally irresponsible...

Another head shake to clear her train of thought.

​

Though as for anything else, I know Zinn-Zinn needs something - something.... Amphibian, if you catch my drift.'

She tried to suppress the groan. But it was such a visceral reaction to the mere mention of the spice-fueled Gungan, she couldn't completely stop it. Retrieving the datapad from Barran, she tapped the screen a few times before handing it back. Gods know why, but Maestus thinks getting a Swamp Gator would be a good idea for Zinn Zinn Bink'sa .

This should keep him occupied, don't you think? Though I must admit, even I'm somewhat curious about these gators. I've already developed some idea prototypes. Granted, there's still much that needs done before field tests. But, there's definite potential.

She waited as Barran looked over the details concerning the Swamp Gator. Truth be told, there was a small part of her that was intrigued by the potential the Gator's presented. She had possible uses in mind, and who better for a test subject than the crazy Gungan?

She took the datapad back a final time. Tap tap tap and back to Barran. The screen displayed The Jubba Bird.



These are my primary objective. A mature, mated pair, as well as eggs. There are a few smaller beasts that will be gathered. Such as the Bogwing. My scientists will be pursuing those. Eggs only, that should minimize losses.


She waited then. She'd given many options, told her expectations of the hunt. Now it was time for Barran to shine.
​

 

[Ruus Kote]

Friendly Units:

• 3 squadrons of Busayr-class Heavy Assault Transports
  
  • Lead squadron: I'dadr squadron
  • Ferrying:
    
    • Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry Battlation (one company actively engaging, three in reserve)
    • Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Kad b' Marev Armored Battalion (one company actively engaging, three in reserve)
    • Ruus Kote's HQ Company (actively engaging)
• 3 squadrons of Jai'galaar-class Fighter-bombers
  
  • Lead squadron: Kalikir squadron
• 3 squadrons of Kyr'galaar-class Multi-role Fighters
  
  • Lead squadron: Asmulr squadron

Units in Reserve:

• Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Shere'shoy Mechanized Infantry Battlation (three companies in reserve)
• Strill Securities Jurkad Verde Kad b' Marev Armored Battalion (three companies in reserve)

Ally Tag(s): Nej Tane | Django Parata | Rajan Harpal | Elise Ahana-Gwyneira | RTL
Enemy Tag(s): Gerwald Lechner (directly engaging) | Darth Strosius | CI-6660 | Darth Empyrean | TSO

Equipment

• Armor:​
  • 'Verd'jurkad'gam'
    • Left Vambrace:
      • NML-02VTB Nano missile Launcher
      • PC-05V Plasma Caster
    • Right Vambrace:
      • TBP-01V Tractor-Pressor Beam Projector
      • MML-01V Miniaturized Missile Launcher
        • 2x Cretanr'ika-lcass Guided Plasma Micro-missile
        • 2x Striilir'ika-class Brilliant Micro-missile
    • Back Mount:
      • A-03S Verpine Shatter Autocannon
• Weapons:
  
  • B-01M Beskad
  • M-06S 'Skirata' Mra'jitr (2)
  • RP-05A Ripper Pistol w/ 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' Short Range Optic
  • AR-2CQB Verpine Assault Rifle w/ UGL-02 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher and 'Kyrayc Sur'haai' Medium Range Optic
• Explosives:
  
  • 3x CryoBan Grenades
  • 3x NOVA40 Plasma Grenade
  • 2x Smoke Grenades
  • 2x Class-A Thermal Detonator
  • 2x Det-Packs
  • Implants:
    
    • 'Verd' Enhancement Package
    • 'Gar Tkiriyr' Neural Interface

Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
Verbor'ad ures aliit
Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se
Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.

​

Things settled quickly into the ever familiar pace of engagement with the enemy. Mirta's verde had set up the ADT-02M 'Cabur' automated defense turrets from their IFVs with overlapping fields of fire. Aamer and Walon and set up the tanks about as well as one could hope with how little space to maneuver there was in and around the space port for vehicles of their size. Every once in a while Sith troops or the otherworldly alchemically enhanced undead creatures would try to push their lines, probing their defenses no doubt.

Ruus glanced over the positions on the Manda battlenet generated tactical display. Not the best positions, but he didn't need to hold these positions indefinitely, just long enough for people to evacuate. If he was being honest, however, based on what data he had access to both from the networked in sensors of the units under his command as well as from his scouts, it didn't look like most of the civilians were going to be able to get there. Sighing, he decided to remind what League forces remained to pick up the pace, "This is Colonel Ruus Kote, Strill Securities. The space port is secure. You need to start moving those civilians this way for this to make a shabla difference."

It was about that time when the voice of Jor Kyrr, the commander of the scout platoon attached to his HQ company chimed over the command frequency, "You need to see this, alor." A picture-in-picture feed of what Jor was seeing popped up in the top corner of his HUD. Ruus had to expand the panel the feed was being played in. He already knew who it was, the ID scanner in Jor's armor was networked into the Manda net. His HUD already flashed the name below the feed itself, but he had to see for himself, he had to look at the man who he'd walked into hell and back with and see for himself that he really was here.

He knew. A small part of him knew why Gerwald was here. He couldn't listen to that part of him. Gerwald Lechner was a good man. A flawed man, but who the shab wasn't in some way or another. He'd seen the lengths he'd gone to serve the Confederacy, to protect its citizens, to stand for what was right. He'd watched him speed into haran at Rhand to liberate the Maw slaves and almost pay for it with his life. There had to be a reason. He refused to believe he'd just lost his mind one day. He had to know for sure, and if he had, then perhaps it was in more than one way fitting that he be the one to put him down.

Ruus checked his rifle and started off towards the forward positions occupied by his verde. "Gev! I'll deal with this," he snapped off over the comms as he increased his pace. The various targeting indicators that had previously lit up the Manda display winked off one, two then three at a time.

"Just order them to fire, you di'kut. You know why he's here," snapped Mirta over the comms angrily. If she could leave her position and smack him, he knew she would.

"Manda knows I've pulled his shebs out of haran just as many times as I've jumped straight into it with him. As we have. I have to try, vod. And if I fail...there's not many more people in line to fix this," he said, having all but reached the forward positions at the fast jog pace he took off at. He could almost feel Mirta summoning up the effort to argue with him, to refuse to let him do this.

Aamer, Mirta and Waylon were his oldest friends, they'd been there when he got married, they'd been there when his ad'ike were born and they'd jumped into haran with him every time he'd been there himself. Mirta was always going to be Mirta, and Waylon knew better than to try asd convince him when his mind was made up, but Aamer was a man of few words, and he meant every word he said. Ruus was hardly surprised about how profound the words that filtered in over the command freq were, "Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman."

Those words he realized, weren't just talking about Gerwald and him, but also the four of them. The comm line went quiet after that. The silence wasn't a lack of surety about what to say, rather a begrudging approval of what he was about to attempt that they didn't dare give voice to. "Vor entye, vode,"

There was a Trat'aab'morut IFV and the squad it was assigned to along with Jor Kyrr standing with their weapons held at alert carry. "Udesii, I'll handle this," he said as he walked ahead of them. He was distinctly aware that Gerwald likely had men watching him just as he had men watching Gerwald. The sting of betrayal nagged at the back of his mind, and yet he had a feeling none of that bothered the man standing across from him. Technically Gerwald had betrayed nothing save Ruus' own perception of him. Even so, Ruus couldn't help but wonder what had brought this on. The man he knew wouldn't be part of something like this.

"That's close enough, Gerwald," he called out to the former Knight Commander. He was still wearing the same old shabla armor. Ruus would be lying if he'd said that it didn't throw him for a moment. "You don't call...you don't write...I thought you were dead. Please tell me you aren't here for the reason we both know you are."

 

[Pyeth Raffinki]

Location: Dagobah, Jedi Temple
Objective: Defend the Temple
Ambience:
Tags: Nathan Bloodscrawl | Elias Edo | Valery Noble

Spoiler: Equipment

Pyeth's Lightsaber
Pyeth's Spear
Alashgaan

The aviary was a whirlwind of leather wings, Pyeth's beloved Jubba birds swelling into organised chaos. The birds flocked and desperately sought escape, and Pyeth hesitated to free them. They represented nearly a decade's worth of work and research, but it was that or risked injuring the Padawans entrusted to his care. It was one in a growing list of sacrifices, but first, they would become his most powerful ally.

"Keep moving towards the archives." Pyeth cooed whilst mimicking the soothing undertones of his Jubba Bird friends. His lightsaber hissed in defiance as it reflected the crimson blade of an Acolyte. A second strike came low, hoping to capitalise on the opening the Acolyte had created. Unleashing kinetic energy at the floor, he swept the Acolytes off their feet, their swing going wide. As they reached the next bulkhead, he shifted his focus.

Pyeth's mind reached out, a subtle wave of energy that touched each mind. He left the impression of danger; an Accipiptero was attacking! Triggering their maternal instincts. The Jubba Birds relaxed and then began to sing. The Sith Acolytes flinched, the Jubba Birds cacophony creating serenity, calming the whirlpools of emotion that empowered the Sith Acolytes. He had led them into a trap.

"Go. Now. I'll hold these here." Pyeth commanded, receiving a pair of confirmative nods from his fellow knights. With their escape secured, he could focus on the offensive. His hawkish eyes reflected the two-toned lightsaber poised out from his chest, ready to defend himself against their wild strikes. Pyeth caught the overhead strike on his blade, lifting his weapon to deflect the strike and energy back towards his attacker. They leapt back, creating space that their ally quickly filled. This one bull rushed into Pyeth, aiming to push his back against the bulkhead.

Pyeth flipped over his attack, landing behind him. Pyeth sliced upwards, creating a torn crevice through the Acolyte's armour, exposing the sickly flesh beneath. He turns on a pivot to slash again, and Pyeth ducks beneath, using his tail to sweep his feet out from beneath them. They hit the floor with a grunt, and Pyeth cut low in an attempt to disarm them but was intercepted by the first Acolyte.

They growled, twisting their blade to carry it towards Pyeth's neck. Twisting away and into his space, he allowed his wing to momentarily envelope them. Blinded, the Sith reacted with a swing, slicing a few of Pyeth's primary feathers but otherwise burning air.

Exploiting the opening, Pyeth's weapon delivered a killing blow, piercing through their armour and into the chest. "Eostre forgive me," Pyeth murmured in silent prayer. He returned his focus to the second, who retrieved his fallen comrade's blade, duel-wielding them. The assault put Pyeth on guard, with one blow quickly followed by another in the opposite direction, a cut managing to land across his wing. The Acolyte smiled, their connection to the Force slowly beginning to penetrate the Jubba Bird's lullaby.

Pyeth reached out, opened the cages and finally unleashed the panicked birds, using the cover they provided to put distance between them and using the Force to shroud himself in a vortex of wind that prevented the birds from interfering with him. Meanwhile, the Acolyte pushed a dozen birds away from them, shattering their bodies against the stone wall. Flinching, Pyeth felt the sudden and violent loss of his beloved Jubba birds...

' ' - Mimicry

Separators by Lossa Darcuhl​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Nathan Bloodscrawl | Pyeth Raffinki | Valery Noble
Objective 3: Knight Light
Location: DAGOBAH

Two presences in the Force could be sensed by the Jedi Master, but only one was familiar. The other felt odd, juxtaposed into the space around him in a way that made him uncomfortable. He peered beneath the embers trying to find the source when he heard the voice of a friend.

"Nathan!" Elias returned, looking in the direction of the man's voice. He moved quickly to regroup with Nathan Bloodscrawl and the armored soldier beside him. It was obvious the trooper wasn't one of the RDF's or with DRAPAC. Elias looked quizzically to Nathan, who wasted little time giving the biggest bombshell of an explanation he could.

"I found a giant Fett Clone Army on a lost planet, activated it, and brought a small fraction of said army to Dagobah and Susevfi. They...they were made by long dead Jedi Knights... people you never heard of, and whose deeds no temple carries records of any longer."

"What the hell are you talking abo-"

"And...and I...used to be...a...a Jedi Knight..." he finally got out. "I made a mistake. I am asking you trust me because by telling you any of this, I am potentially seriously fethin' myself over on a lot of fronts."

Elias' lips were pencil-thin as the words hit his ears and bounced around his head. Fett Clones? Ancient Jedi? Bloodscrawl used to be a Knight? He eyed the man he'd come to call a friend with the same suspicion and distrust as the day they first met beneath the ruins on Sullust. It was an awful feeling, but after everything they had been through since that day with the rockrenders Elias felt the right thing to do was to give him a chance to properly explain things- once Dagobah wasn't burning down around their heads. He glared at Nathan with intensity.

"You've got one shot, Bloodscrawl. When this is over - if we survive this - you owe me the truth. The whole truth." He looked around, trying to see through the ashes. His eyes had stopped watering but the stinging dryness still plagued him. He turned his gaze back to Nathan and his clone trooper.

"DRAPAC told me you'd be here," Elias said. "They didn't say why, but I've got my own mission. I've got to find the Padawans."

​

 

[Darth Athora]

​

Objective: Eliminate the cowards
Location: Chimaera II - Approaching enemy evacuation operations

As the Chimaera II was on fast approach, the enemy had already engaged on Zahori's fleet. Starfighters swarmed the capital ships as heavy fire came upon their position from the enemy capital ships. The Kulthis Armada continued pushing forward. Once the enemy was in range, the Sith capital ships returned fire in a hail of cannon and missile fire. The Khans and Lussks pushed as the vanguard while the Ferratas and Chimaera II held the rear but remained close to the front, ensuring their flanks secured.

"Have the Khans move to position for orbital bombardment. We'll decimate them before they can even reach the evacuation zone. Send in the fighters from only one Ferrata. The rest will go on my order alone." Darth Athora commanded.

The message was quickly sent out to the fleet. The Khans and Lussks activated their respective Goz Karzas, eliminating large portions of enemy missile fire in the vicinity of these ships while laser cannons fired upon enemy starfighters. The Khans trudged forward to get in position to fire the orbital autocannons on the evacuation site. The Hellbore torpedo cannons locked onto the Aranar and fired volley after volley at it's broadside as the fleet pressed forward towards the battlecruiser. Twenty squadrons of Tomb fighters came roaring out of the hangars of one Ferrata carrier. The starfighters were the fastest model to date in the Sith Armada. Most of the squadrons engaged enemy ships while four of the squadrons were making a beeline for evac ships already in the air and the cruiser defending them.

"Break that battlecruiser. I want to watch it burn with the planet it failed to defend." Zahori clenched her fists as her eyes stared down the Aranar.

Spoiler: Fleet Composition

Chimaera II - 95 | 100

Ferrata I - 100 | 100
Ferrata II - 100 | 100

Khan I - 95 | 100
Khan II - 100 | 100
Khan III - 95 | 100
Khan IV - 95 | 100
Khan V - 100 | 100

Lussk I - 75 | 100
Lussk II - 85 | 100
Lussk III - 100 | 100
Lussk IV - 85 | 100
Lussk V - 100 | 100

Michael Hightower
Mig Gred | Veylin Torque ​

 

[Darion Kithero]

Objective 1
Tag: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

The Undead were not the most effective fighting force. Not in a typical military battle, anyways. Nigh-suicidal shock troops, by their nature, were generally not a good investment. Here, though, in crowded urban centers, they shined with all their senseless rage and bloodthirst. But the relentless advance seemingly started to slow, if only that barest amount, towards one section. From his position, his gaze tilted, taking up a pair of macrobinoculars. “Is there a complication?” A stern query sidelong towards one of the imposing figures standing near him.

There were more whispers in reply. Of course, the Shadows would not interpret a small force as a ‘complication,’ merely another simple obstacle to overcome. A being such as them would refuse to give a threat any credit…unless it was already at their doorstep. A lackluster response, of which dismissed the matter as something merely overcome by time. Darion’s features scrunched in reply. “Mandalorians. What are they doing so far from their crusade..?” Pondering aloud, to no one in particular.

An exhale left his lips thereafter - of which sounded metallic and modulated, for much of his lungs were not longer ‘his.’ “...This shall not do. Enemies behind our lines, no matter how vast they are, is a problem.” A finger jutted towards the cloaked figure, who no doubt would have been looking upon him with some measure of scorn if they held expression. “You,” And it trailed over to the other, “And you, will stand in the open. Draw their attention. We’ll see if they motion for a gambit.”

One step ahead. It was always important to be at least that ahead of your opponent, whoever they may be. If you are hunting a predator, you must set prey out as bait.

"Pull a Horde back from the front, have them flank around and close the trap. The ones already here remain, and will make convincing enough rear guard." Surely it would agitate the Jen'ari in question, to pull them from the easy carnage offered. He wasn't here to sate their desires, however, rather only ensure a tactical and logistical victory. The Undead were mindless creatures, on first glance. What the Mandalorians would find out is that it was easy to direct such things for efficient results.

…

There was an advance made by his invisible opposition. Sensors picked up pings, in general directions that none but his own forces should be. Anything specific was unable to be gleaned, foiled by technology of his opponents. Moments later, there was no more need for guessing. Combat erupted, barbaric cries of delight at the potential for new victims and blaster fire ringing out amidst the newfound battlefield.

The Shadows recoiled, as hefty bolts of blaster fire embedded itself into their shrouded forms; a visible sizzle of its entry in its cloak. And yet without missing a moment, an armored, taloned finger outstretched to point at the buildings with an unnatural shriek, part of a recalled Horde suddenly surging up to force the Mandalorian Snipers out of their nests. The rest, motioning to encircle the squadron that did battle with the rabble. In a way, it showed part of the Mandalorian's plan was already succeeding - it was more focus on them, instead of whatever innocents they could be assimilating instead.

Another ping. It faded, on approach. So he had to fall back onto other senses - his own.

Darion didn’t know where, exactly, his expected assassin was. One moment, they were there, approaching from a direction - somewhere behind him, he would expect, for in front was all but embroiled in a screen of conflict - and the next, gone. Impressive, given the technology grafted to his body was meant to prevent scenarios just like this. Either this was one highly advanced piece that he hadn’t seen before, or it was something else entirely. In the wake of such a thing, he opted for the simple solution.

A sudden whirl of his body about, throwing up his left hand, palm faced outwards with a glowering energy. The next moment, a beam that erupted in a combustion of flame and swept across wildly in a blind attempt to flush out the stalker. A new battlefield erupts around them, billowing with plumes of smoke and wayward fire. Blades, blaster fire echo in the background, as the Squadron engaged the Horde and its shadowy overseers.

“A bold move.” Stated outwards, perhaps to no one, for all he knows. His studies show much of his opposition is the type to indulge in frivolous exchanges…though perhaps not a Mandalorian. “Though boldness does not equate to shrewdness.” His other hand detached a Force Pike that swiftly extended, much akin to a staff. In a society of Sith, it was necessary to be studied in all forms of combat.

And he was prepared to defend himself.

 

[Nathan Bloodscrawl]

"I've sent some of the Clones ahead to do just that. We got a shuttle waiting--" Nathan answered Elias Edo , too focused to really pay attention to his distrust for too long as he heard a sound. He'd iron it out later with him. They'd been through enough chit, had saved each other's lives enough that he had chosen to give Nathan the benefit of the doubt.

Nathan looked up. Saw the rockets being launched by the forces of Commodore Helix .

"Oh great. Rockets." Nathan muttered, stretching out his hand, teleporting the incoming rockets away, from the temple, some hit distant Gnarl trees, and Nathan looked in genuine alarm as he saw the Blue Phosphorus clinging, burning the woodlands below.

"Maniacs!" 735 hissed.

"Listen, Edo, the transport I am bringing shows in about a half hour. We have to find as many Jedi as possible and evacuate them. I don't see this temple holding past forty minutes honestly." Nathan said, now very alert for the sound of more rockets launching.

"Now you know why I dislike staying at temples. Big fat, stationary targets. We're going with you." he told the Jedi Master.

But then his voice softened an almost imperceptible percentage. He tried to be as human sounding as possible. Elias was...he was the closest to a friend Nathan had among modern Jedi.

"I'm fully aware you must be plenty upset at me. Plenty suspicious. I'd be too, in your place." he said somewhat quietly, his voice incongruous with his currently unsettling appearance .

"But I've had plenty of opportunities before this to prove myself an enemy. And what enemy would let you know about a giant Clone Army and a lost planet they found said army on in the same breath, sacrificing every advantage they could have had by maintaining secrecy?" he asked calmly before hefting his spear.

"A stupid one?" 735 offered in a trolling manner.

"Not. Helping." Nathan muttered, face palming in annoyance before readdressing Elias.

"Lead the way."


Meanwhile...


The Force Commanders Nathan had sent deeper into the temple were finding more and more fights.

Two of them in particular. FC-563 and FC-554 had waded into heavy combat with their Electrostaffs, supplemented by their use of Force Pulls and Electric Judgement as their staves burned through armor and robes.

It was everything they had been trained for. Bred for. They were in their element. Their moves, their nature would feel crisp, direct and to the point to the Sith they slew. Countless training scenarios they had been put through before the advent of the Gulag Virus, covering these exact circumstances.

These two were having the time of their lives.

After cutting down another Sith, they had begun checking the bodies for anything useful. Orders, supplies, med kits. Not much had been found. But then again, this was a pretty straightforward assault.

563 grabbed his staff after searching the bodies, hearing more combat, closer to the archives.

They both went still as they saw a bunch Jedi Knight running towards them, the ones Pyeth Raffinki had bought time for. They both went to one knee, though still clutching their staves.

The Knights spotted them an immediately activated their lightsabers as they approached.

"Stay your hand, honored Knights. We come to your temple to assist you." 563 said.

"Who sent you?" one of them asked.

"Bacta-Works." 563 answered.

"What's a MegaCorps care about a Jedi Temple?" the Jedi asked.

"Bacta-Works has prime real estate in Trade League territory. Ten guesses as to why they'd wanna prop you up, sir." 563 answered. "We have an evac vessel on the way. Big enough to hold you and your Padawans, as well as a LAAT at the Landing Pad. You should hurry, sir."

The Jedi kept his blue blade pointed at them. "You know the Force. And you are Clones..."

"You have bigger problems..." 563 trailed succinctly.

The Jedi appeared indecisive.

"You don't have all day, sir. Either cut my head off or let me do my job. But don't stand there thinking about it." 563 muttered. "That benefits neither of us."

The Jedi group started running for the landing pad.

"Humph. Jedi, right?" 554 muttered as he and 563 stood back up. "They create structures that all but invite the enemy inside and then they have the unmitigated gall to point blades at probably the first two outsiders they've seen today who don't want them dead."

"Adrenaline makes people do funny stuff, Five-Four. You must not judge them too harshly."

"This place was begging to get sacked. Just like every temple I've ever read about them building. They have learned absolutely nothing from Order 66." 554 grumbled. "Honestly, maybe these Jedi types need a good purge once in a while to toughen up. The Gulag Era did wonders for our Boss."

"Careful, Five-Four. Your line of thought is getting awful close to Sedition." 563 warned as they headed from where the other Jedi had run from.

They reached the area Pyeth was fighting. Wasting no time, 563 immediately let out a green bolt of Light Side Lightning at the Acolyte, which would hopefully give an opening for Pyeth to avenge his birds...

 

[Commodore Helix]

Objective: Knight Light
Tags: Nathan Bloodscrawl
Equipment: E-4H Blaster Carbine, Horror Matrix, Electrostaff
​

Helix's transport shuddered as an explosion rocked it. The vehicle's armor and shielding held, but it was being battered mercilessly. Artillery, by the sound of it. He wasn't worried. The Avalanche had been designed to suffer far worse. The reports of mines were more worrying. The transports weren't quite so unbreakable from below, and mines were far from the only thing being reported.

"Sir, we're being fired on by-" began one of the B1H droids. "Clones." Helix finished for him. He tapped the side of his head briskly to make sure his photoreceptors were indeed functioning correctly. As a droid, he wasn't truly capable of experiencing nostalgia, but something very close now registered in his mechanical brain. He thought back to the battlefields of the Clone Wars, almost a thousand years ago, facing down soldiers in this very armor.

He knew he wasn't alone. New though his droids were, many were upgraded from the old Clone Wars models, or at least built on their memories, and still remembered those battles of old. They would likely find the novelty as refreshing as he did. Two old foes, facing each other to the death, one final time.

"Scramble bombers and gunships." He ordered. "I want that artillery gone. Get the Condors in the air and clear those hostile gunships. Just like old times, units. You are practiced at killing clones. These ones are no different." Still, casualty figures were flashing to life in his vision. More than he liked. His droids were trading well with the clones, and he could hear the shriek of their altered blasters firing, but he didn't have infinite reinforcements to draw upon. Considerable, but not infinite.

If he had eyebrows, they'd have raised at the sight of his foes deploying ancient droideka models out of their makeshift bunkers. Old, but still deadly. Some classics never went out of style. Very well. He'd meet like with like. "Deploy the B3H reserves." He said. "Let the old meet the new."

Racks extended on one of the transports, dropping the newer droidekas into the muddy earth, and they rolled forward to meet their older cousins. A large section of the battlefield became a blizzard of blaster fire as the B3H models duelled their counterparts across the field. The newer models' ion cannons were making the difference, as far as he could see, cutting through the hostiles' shielding like paper.

For their part, the transports were weathering the enemy fire well, nearly invulnerable from the outside. Their missile launchers and railguns locked and fired, locked and fired, again and again, using their reserves of more conventional explosive missiles to try to drive off the gunships until air assets could arrive. Still, he saw one of the icons on his display wink out, then turned to look. One of the Avalanches had been damaged by a concealed explosive. It tried to deploy the infantry inside, and many of them did indeed make it before the transport detonated in a spectacular blue explosion. Unfortunately, many of the B2H cargo were caught in the detonation, and were lost. The rest, however, picked themselves up, their towering armored frames marching toward the clones, weapons blazing.

The swamp quickly devolved into a hellscape of flames, mud, blood, blaster fire, and screaming, as nightmarish a battlefield as Helix had ever witnessed. He was certain that had he possessed the capacity, he would be horrified at its intensity. A pair of Banestrike tanks swept past Helix's transport, firing their phosphor drivers up into the air at the swooping gunships. The enemy air assets were facing very heavy missile fire; he'd designed most of his vehicles to be fully capable of engaging air assets when needed.

He wasn't having things all his way, though. The enemy appeared to be retreating, but their guerilla tactics were costing him. His infantry droids weren't quite as vulnerable to such things as the older models, but they were slowing his forces down. From time to time, he'd lose contact with another transport or tank. The Nightcrawlers were getting the worst of it, their lightly-armored frames easy prey for the enemy's gunships.

"H4X squads 4 and 5, hunt down and kill their officers and heavy weapons teams. Those ion discharges are causing unacceptable losses." The elite special forces droids would deploy out of one of the rear transports and get to work, leaping through the blazing trees, their metal bodies dancing through the foliage with thoroughly superhuman agility. Blades bit into cloned flesh, metal hands snapped necks or caved skulls, and blaster bolts were placed with deadly precision. The droids were almost untouchable, perceiving their enemies' movements in slow motion. Still, he only had so many of them, and he disliked deploying them all now. They'd be needed for the attack on the temple proper, and every one lost here would cost him. Already, he saw a few of their IDs wink out on his display, but they would likely give worse than they got.

For his part, Helix ordered the remaining transports into a loose formation around his, and drove forward, ordering the tanks to the fore ahead of the formation to soak any remaining mines. He would follow as the enemy fell back. He had to; he couldn't afford to stay here and get bogged down, but he wasn't green enough to be drawn into an ambush either by chasing the enemy too hastily. His advance was a cautious one, with his assets taking their time and punishing the retreat as harshly as he could, while maintaining strong flank security.

Part of him didn't want this to end too quickly. Doing battle with his ancient foe again was a delight to his historian's mind; history never tasted so sweet as when one had lived it themselves. It felt like being right back there, on the battlefields of the Clone Wars, before he'd gone out into the void between the stars and seen just how meaningless it all was. Before his assurance of purpose had been shattered, and reformed.

He pulled himself out of memory. He was old, very old, and his memory sometimes was deeper than the swamp around him, threatening to suck him in and never let go. There would be time to remember past battles later, if he survived this one. "Banestrike units 1 through 6, crack that bunker open, then focus on the infantry. Leave them nowhere to hide." He wasn't sure why the clones were here, or indeed, how, but he intended to make them regret stepping out of the pages of history, and send them back there in pieces.