M E A T B A G
Location: Eshan's Capital City - Palace Bridgehead Ruins.
Allies: The Golden Company, Thyrsians, The Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Nearby: [member="Eyros"], [member="Scherezade deWinter"], [member="Allya Vi'Dreya"], [member="Cay-Yo"], [member="Jerek Zenduu"], [member="Micah"], [member="Voph"], [member="Derek Dib"], [member="Veronika Fleischer"]
Enemies: The "Mandalorians."
Directly Engaging: [member="Tathra Khaeus"]
Nearby: [member="Fedrig"], [member="Kaine Australis"], [member="Valdus Bral"]
Gear: See Link in Signature.
Forces: See attached Document for Relevant Information. [x]
Notable Links: Anti-Ordnance EM Probe [x] Torian Pierce [x]
There was no question. In terms of physical prowess, these heavily armoured creatures held the advantage. Yet, when it came to their supposedly superior firepower and advantage on the battlefield? They were gravely mistaken. Their weapons, while advanced in their own right, were leagues behind what the Forces of the Sun Guard wielded. Sure, they could lay down a blistering hail of magnetically sealed plasma, or strike hard with chemically accelerated slugs… but that mattered little when their vicious assault was stopped dead by multiple layers of encapsulating plasmatic barricades. The shields that the Thyrsians born to war were not like the barriers that became popularized by the Gungans, or the Ancient War Droids, where they were simply projected ray shields. No, the Thyrsians saw fit to enshrine their soldier’s within an all-encompassing aegis that would aid the metal and flesh beneath in securing their decisive victory. While many primitive cultures would consider equipping their soldier’s in such a way as nothing more than cowardice, such notions mattered little when they were amongst the last sentient beings standing.
When it came to defensive measures - there was little doubt in the minds of the Sun Guard that they held the advantage. When it came to offensive capabilities? Well, that was yet another advantage that the Scions of Thyrsus prided themselves on. They wielded the power of the Sun at their fingertips and were capable of unleashing its divine wrath on those that sought to deny its everlasting majesty. The Icarus particle rifle was but one of these technological terrors. While few in number, ranging from a single operator per Thyrsian Cohort, the horrors they unleashed were unimaginable to those caught within its crackling embrace. Sustained beams of solarized hellfire erupted from gilded weapons, clamped between burnished talons, and poured forth into the charging mass of flesh. Those creatures, diminutive in size, would ultimately fulfill their grisly role as projectile sponges -- but fail in taking the majority of the Sun Guard’s focus away from the larger war beasts.
The taller, lanky creatures who sought to flank the myriad positions of the seemingly entrenched mercenaries, found themselves coming face to face with heavily armoured battle tanks. These mobile fortresses and their projected deflector screens were more than capable of shrugging off whatever threat those filthy Xenos skirmishers seemingly posied. Those that weren’t torn to ribbons by the combined armament of solarized weapons and rotary blasters, were likely crushed beneath the battle tank’s metallic tracks; grinding their collective experiences and life’s choices into a juicy paste. Naturally, there were likely to be survivors amongst the flanking hostile elements, but - as with all living beings who lived by the varying weapons of conflict - they too would perish on the battlefield.
However, despite the mighty boon that their defences offered, there were several portions of the Thyrsian Vanguard that found themselves assailed by a torrent of EMP grenades tossed by a multitude of creatures - either by hand or through their underslung weapon mountings. A vast majority of those lobbed projectiles were vastly similar to Gungan Booma pearls - which would’ve impacted and subsequently short-circuited the sensitive electronics within both the walkers and the Sun Guard’s power-suits; rendering them easy prey. Yet, they struck the projected plasma barriers instead, as the integrated particle and concussion shields alike atomized the physical device, or repulsed the devices entirely. The former was more detrimental in the long run, as more and more of the pearls found themselves striking the particle barriers - the overall strength of the shield began to decrease as the capacitors were slowly overloaded. Should that bombardment continue, it was likely that the plasmatic bulwarks would collapse, but that eventuality would take time; time that these creatures likely didn’t have.
The amount of heavy weaponry that was thrown at these beasts would’ve otherwise laid waste to entire armoured divisions in a matter of minutes. There was a moment, fleeting though as it was, that a flicker of admiration fluttered through the minds of the Sun Guard. From the Gauss Carbines, firing quarrels sheathed in solarized energy that was capable of tearing through lightly armoured vehicles, and catapulting armoured soldiers from their feet; to vehicle-mounted energy weapons that were capable of tearing hostile corvettes in twain. There was little doubt in their gilded minds of who was superior in the battle for the bridgehead, for the answer was made apparent with every passing moment. The Sun Guard endured everything that was thrown at them and returned the discharged lethality sevenfold.
Even the charge of the five largest creatures, who raced towards the largest concentration of gilded warriors, found themselves beset by a withering hail of combined arms - many of which would atomize the enemy should they find themselves within its explosive embrace. Through the use of thermal detonators alone, which tore reality asunder and violently slaughtered any that were caught within it’s projected embrace, the Sun Guard would thin the tidal press of flesh and metal that sought to sweep across their staggered lines. When the rest of the factors were added into the fray? Their thick hides and armour would account for little more than overweight tombstones in the end. If they got close enough to engage the burnished mercenaries in melee combat, they would be met by some of the fiercest fighters that the Golden Company had at their command.
The Stellar Centurion, Torian Pierce would even be counted amongst the number of counter-charging Thyrsians, doubtlessly severing limbs and seeking to brutally murder anyone that stood in his way.
Khonsu’s eyes narrowed, as the false-firelight of his visor flared with half-hearted targeting runes and alerts. In the time it took the towering creature to thunder across the broken landscape, the Sun Guard bore witness to many acts that beggared belief. The first was that the creature was seemingly unphased by the torrent of plasmatic bolts that sought to bathe it in discharged lances of coruscating lightning. Normally, any man would’ve simply been turned to atomic ash under such callous lethality -- but it seemed that the Thyrsian was dealing with someone that eschewed the conventional. It even made the attempt to throw off his understanding of distance by tossing massive hammer forward, before drawing it back into his embrace. That was a mistake, he mused. Now the Sun Guard knew that the beast needed to maintain a two-handed grip on its weapon in order to maintain any notion of control over the power behind its swing or destination.
In realizing this, and having garnered his opponent's measure, the Sun Guard fired. Three rounds were ejected from the KD-30 and all three struck their intended mark. The first impacted a stone - which was meant to deter the thunderous advance of the creature; breaking its stride as it swept the murderous hammer back up into a meaty palm. Sadly, that pain failed to take root as the beast surged forth through the caustic vapours; seemingly unphased by the rising corrosive mist. However, the following rounds struck their target as Khonsu swept the pistol towards the creature’s centre mass. The poleyn safeguarding the monsters left knee was bathed in xenoboric acid, doubtlessly breaking down the molecular bonds that held the durable metallic plating together. If not discarded, it was likely that the substance would begin breaking down the organic matter beneath.
Provided the creature continued down this destructive charge towards the Sun Guard, it was likely it would lose a leg in the process; greatly diminishing its ability to effectively fight. Easy prey, as it were.
Not stopping there, the third and final shot in his opening burst -- struck the creature’s torso and began mimicking the effects that chewed away at the beast’s poleyn. If whatever species this monster came from was truly intelligent, it would start stripping itself of the protective casing’s wrapped around its titanic form; lest it is eaten alive from the outside in. That eventuality would give the Thychani Commander the opening he needed in which to strike. Its hands would busy themselves with tearing off the armour, leaving the beast unable to defend itself or offer up some form of effective retaliation. Yet, despite all of that wishful thinking, it seemed the creature was determined to do nothing more than turning the gilded mercenary into a bloody paste.
Alas, so much for the easy kill, Khonsu mused.
In the seconds that followed after the creature seemingly shrugging off his acid barrage, it began to shift its momentum alongside that of its hammer; seeking to strike the Sun Guard’s guarded torso with the tectonic force of an earthquake. The beast’s moves were easily telegraphed by the size and exposed nature of its fleshy arms; alongside the twinned hands needed to effectively swing the heavy weapon. Such was the boon granted from years of training and cultural immersion with his people’s Way of the Sword. Combat was akin to communication amongst the Thyrsians. Thus, if given the chance, Khonsu would relish the chance to communicate with his enemies until he collapsed from exhaustion. He was, after all, the talkative sort when blades were concerned.
So, when the hammer cannoned backwards, the Sun Guard sprung into action. The weapon was committed, and thankfully, was unable to have it’s trajectory altered mid-flight. The beast would have to pour more of its titanic strength into arresting the hammer’s curving arc. That was the opening Khonsu sought to seize, as the man’s power suit activated it’s repulsor and catapulted him towards the heavens; narrowing missing the oversized power maul. He was free to strike. There was little chance the creature could defend itself with the Sun Guard well within its guard. With one stabbing lunge forward, this fight could’ve ended. The plasmatic spear would’ve torn through the armour, and the soft tissues formulating the creature’s neck; even possibly lancing into an artery.
However, the Sun Guard stayed his killing strike. It wasn’t because he wanted to toy with the creature, nor was it out of any fascination of keeping it alive in the hopes of capturing the beast. No, Khonsu’s hand was stayed by the broadcast issued by a hovering gunship which swept into range. It seemed they saw the beast charging towards the lone Sun Guard and desired to save him from a grisly death; not realizing that he had everything well in hand. Not wanting to endure the coming hell storm, the Thyrsian allowed his armour’s momentum to carry him forward; landing several feet behind the lumbering creature. As his armoured feet slapped against the brackish terrain, the area that he once occupied filled with the orbiting gunship’s laser cannonade.
Far above, and somewhat in the distance, the skies began to fill with dark portents. The end of the conflict was coming near, and it seemed either side began to toss more meat into the grinder; hoping that the enemy would suffer and inevitably succumb to the pangs of attrition first. Baradium missiles detonated in the skies above the crumbling palace, forever denying him the chance to claim that distant locale as his own. It left him momentarily conflicted before his mind threw him back into the ever-shifting throes of reality. He wanted to lay claim to the palace and inevitably hold it for ransom -- so that he could utilize that position of strength to wrest control of his homeworld from Echani hands. Sadly, such a future was denied to him and he was forced down the path of conflict once more. With the towering figure now behind him, Khonsu pivoted on the spot to see if this being survived the plasmatic onslaught; readying himself for the impossible just in case. His brush with death was far closer than he would’ve liked, but such was war.
Everyone desired the laurels of glory in their own right and such trifles as honourable duels were a thing of the past. Now? All that mattered was whoever remained standing at the end. Honour meant little to the dead.
