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Aran watches as his forces take hit after hit from the ion weapons. Two of his corvettes get disabled, while a third is place out of action as due to the bridge being destroyed.
"Lieutenant intensify power to the shields, and prioritize their cruisers. We need to hold out until the Commodore arrives."
"Aye Commander."
Orders get sent to the other cruisers in Aran's line, and they start to fire all weapons on the enemy cruisers. The remaining Fortan corvette starts to pull back to the safety of the cruisers. The FIV Vengence the Fortan that lost the bridge, succumbs to her wounds, and explodes next to a few of the enemy picket ships. Aran quietly watches as all souls aboard the vessel are lost. Shaking his head he put in the note to notify the next of kin for the families. The rest of his forces continue to get hit with the ion weapons. The other ship captains continue to send reports to Subjugator, as well as the department heads sending in their reports. Aran then watches in fear as he sees the mass of droids scatter and start to harass his forces.
1x Victory-X Class FIV Subjugator
3x Inflictor Class Heavy Cruisers
1x Fortan Heavy Corvettes
2x Disabled Fortans
Two Fortans disabled, One Destroyed, Cruisers start to target the Ssi-Ruuvi Cruisers, while trying to hold off the Ion rounds and droids
They certainly did not lack in numbers, indicating the Bastion had to hold its attackers off until the First Order’s fleet arrived and brought superior firepower extinguish this invasion. Veles kept his distance from the first wave of attackers, allowed to stay hidden and study their features and tactics up close while the strange saurian sentients focused on what their eyes spotted first, actively helped by a red beacon here and there as a sign of a knight of Ren. Noting the officer-esque lizard men bore a different physique than their troops, a completely different race in fact, Veles immediately marked the sturdier and better-equipped lizards as his primary targets. After all, soldiers could only do so much after losing their commander; the smaller saurians in particular appeared to be fairly dependent on precise orders. A thorough test of this theory was in order.
Out of nowhere came a sudden succession of strange noises that was their native tongue. Frowning, Veles quickly realized they were tracking his scent. Drinking from the mystical currents of the Force similarly to animals sipping from wild rivers and massing its infinite power in his legs, the Mon Cal gracefully launched himself high into the night sky, propelled by this unseen energy that carried him several meters back before safely returning his body back down, cushioning his landing. In a display of brilliant elegance, albeit invisible, Veles’ booted feet softly and soundlessly touched a flat stone – that way, he had not disturbed the ground, eliminating all danger emerging from touching the beautifully green mountain grass and making the dance of its blades reveal his position.
Now the cold, silent wind racing atop these monumental stone giants played in his favour, breaking against his face and bringing the distinctly alien stench of his opponents without giving away his spot in the world. For all their instincts and perfectly developed senses, Veles still considered himself a better predator, cybernetic eye endlessly scanning his surroundings.
Still one with the dark side of the Force, the invisible phantom raised his empty hand, pointed right at the larger, red-skinned saurian leading this group. Another brief observation, focused on the smaller saurians’ reactions, and the amphibious Darth effortlessly seized his red-skinned victim’s throat in one swift telekinetic grab, squeezing the poor sentient’s long neck with strength easily rivalling the grip of his own cybernetic hand. Then he finally clenched his hand into a fist and ended his opponent’s life with a sickening crunch audibly spread over the deceased saurian’s underlings.
"Approximately a minute till arrival Commodore." The Helmsman informed Carlyle. The senior officer nodded his appreciation at the status report and turned back to the bridges viewport. The entire room glowed a deep blue colour. The crew pits were flurried with information and data streaming from the Vindicator's systems. Most, if not all ships in the Imperator Battlegroup would be having the same things going on.
"Gunnery," Carlyle said in a calm, yet powerful voice. The Chief Gunnery Officer, a young woman in her early twenties perked her head up from her screen. "Are all battery crews ready ?"
"Not yet sir," She said, realising that that was a failing of hers, "Forward ion batteries are not yet online." She admitted, "But they'll be ready." Gunnery added, not wanting to disappoint.
"Gunnery, the clock is ticking, get it done." Carlyle reminded her sternly. Not having all batteries online could be a catastrophe for the fleet. But now wasn't the time for chiding. He needed morale up, and fast.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what we embark upon here and now may be a war that changes our Galaxy forever." He said in a low tone. "We may right now be headed into a trap right where the enemy wants us." He let his words settle, "But we will not go quietly into that good night. We will not let ourselves go, without a legacy. We are the sons and daughters of the First Order, and we will let the Galaxy know what we can do!" He bellowed.
A loud cheer erupted from the crew pits. Carlyle felt a smile tug his weary lips, and turned back to the viewport. "How long till arrival?"
"Ten seconds sir." The Helmsman replied.
Carlyle closed his eyes, and silently counted to ten. He felt the Vindicator jolt out of lightspeed and opened his eyes. Before Virgillia he could see [member="Aran Piett"] 's small defence fleet being ravaged by a large group of ships.
"Orders sir?" Gunnery asked, "All batteries are online."
"Comms, coordinate fleet fire upon the enemies largest ship," Carlyle commanded, "We'll show them what the First Order does to those who try to pick fights."
Summary of Actions
[SIZE=10.5pt]First Imperial Battlegroup Imperator has arrived. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]All ships have been ordered to fire upon the largest Ssi-Ruik ship, which should be the command ship.
[/SIZE]
Fleet Composition
[SIZE=10.5pt]
[/SIZE]
3x Imperial-x class Star Destroyers
3x Victory-x class Star Destroyers
3x Empire-class Frigates
2x Dagger-class escort frigates
After a false start on Skye, where the presence of Talon Ren made her input superfluous, Perth made her way to the place that she believed housed a First Order academy for Force Sensitives.
Since she’d stumbled across the First Order not once but twice, her curiosity had piqued. They were in many ways a typical empire, bent on galactic domination and ruled by an individual that commanded absolute loyalty.
There was nothing to dislike about them, but not necessarily anything to get her excited either. Except for the elusive warriors who tended to dress in black, wear cloaks and often masks. She sensed the Force was strong in them – but being a relatively untrained acolyte, she could discern little more. Which is why she was here.
She’d identified two planets where they tended to be found most easily, and this was her second stop. She'd briefly visited Skye already. But she'd switched her attention here. It was relatively isolated from the wider galaxy - perhaps that was why it was chosen? There was a lot of information on her datapad about the planet itself but not its inhabitant - but it mattered very little to her. It was the Force users that drew her to the place.
And then her scanners picked up vessels exiting hyperspace above her. A lot of vessels. A lot of heavily armed vessels. So she high-tailed it down to the surface, figuring her chances of survival were greater on the surface than up her in space. She may be a mere acolyte, but she was also an Echani warrior, and could take care of herself.
Orentho with his comrade in arms, [member="Jude Falkrowe"] make their way through the corridors of the Bastion as alerts sound. It was like fighting a tide, for the Disciples and Knights of Ren rushed through one way to shore up the defenses. The Chiss agent ran against them, making his way to the armory where more choice weapons were being handed out to Masters and Knights. "Remind me to take up Director [member="Sentiri"]'s offer to shop for a better hold out," he mentions gesturing to his hold out blaster.
The armory wasn't too far away, but it felt farther as they worked against the flow of traffic slipping through the breaks to get there. Upon arrival Masters and Knights didn't bother with equipping them and the Agents having only flashed their badge once grabbed at the weapons avaliable here which included the F-11D Blaster Rifle. Any other special equipment designated for intelligence operatives were not avaliable here.
"Where to?" He asks Jude as he's unsure of which way they should go, should they get down into the depths of the Bastion and sneak around to flank the enemy? Smaller groups of Knights were heading toward the auxiliary entrances - hidden from the outside and unlikely to be discovered by the enemy. "Perhaps some of the more hidden entrances?"
The sound of claws grinding into the cliff’s edge was growing louder. Isla stood ready, her green eyes sharp and narrowed. A rather sinister looking hand came over the edge, digging down into the solid ground. In the blink of an eye, the reptilian species had spilled over the plateau. For a moment, she stood in awe. These creatures were strong – all muscle, teeth, and talons. She took a quick glance to the side at [member="Anor Ren"], her foot slid forward just slightly.
Her attention honed in on the two Saurians that had separated themselves from the larger group. She knew that there were likely more on their way up the mountainside. Ashen Ren would not rush forward into battle, not yet... she would observe her new foes for just a moment. However, her feet were slowly bringing her to the side, moving carefully and cautiously.
No sudden movements.
With her saber hilt in hand, she waited to see if the Saurians would make the first move. Her head bowed, her chin moving towards her chest. The reptilian creatures appeared to be waiting, or merely attempting to distract from the growing army that was forming behind them. The situation was not looking very favorable for the two Ren. Isla’s eyes shifted slowly, turning a glance over her shoulder. Falling back to the Bastion was still a viable option.
Isla clenched her jaw and began to draw the force around her; she could already feel her strength increasing with the presence of the Dark Side. It was time to strike. She took a quick step forward, her palms shot out in the direction of the two Saurians, blasting them with a force push. The first one was caught off guard; his large form plummeted backwards, colliding with those that were attempting to mount the edge. However, the second was smarter than his companion, and dug his talons deep into the ground. Isla watched as her opponent slid backwards, his feet dangerously close to the edge.
Her hand slid down to her hip and found the blaster that waited there. Isla raised the weapon just as the Saurian propelled itself forward. Two bolts cut through the darkness, and contacted the creature’s shoulder. It caused a momentary pause, but little more than that. From what she could see, the Saurian was unscathed. Isla’s gloved finger ignited her saber, illuminating the area in a bright red glow.
Isla’s cloaked form launched forward, carrying her saber down in a graceful arc. She remained alert to the Saurians that stood nearby, the claws and talons of her target, and the close proximity to the cliff...
The Knight of Ren had heard the alarms. It was time.
The enemy sought to take out the Ren.
A good idea he imagined. Iroatas stood tall within the his chambers in the Bastion of Ren. Many of the others had gone to the front to see what the problem was. Tvarka knew something was wrong, so he too had ventured out of the Bastion of Ren, but he didn't wait at the entrance, instead, he immediately began tearing out the earth some hundred yards away. His long powerful, earth breaking legs got him there in a few seconds. Once he was deep enough within the earth, immediately he had begun digging through the earth that would take him to the bottom of the path of Jagged Stones.
Tvarka Ren could feel the mass host of the enemy.
Twenty metres below them. He could feel their legs carrying them up the path to the fortress.
Tvarka Ren made his invisible charge.
Emerging from the depths of the earth in black cloak and matching armour, dirt and rock flew up around him. The Force expanded around his person to launch them away violently, striking up to a dozen of the slave soldiers with the lethal rocks, the speed that the Force enhanced them with giving them an extra... kick. The large clawed hand of his right snatched the nearest throat and with a casual flick of his wrist he snapped the P'w'eck's neck. Still, he didn't drop it. Drawing the lightclub from his belt, the crimson beam came from the silver hilt.
Tvarka Ren attacked the host that threatened to overwhelm him.
Slashing with lightclub and corpse in left and right, his armoured form waded further down the mountain.
As the reptilians poured into their current position, more and more arriving every second, Anor let out a slight chuckle of derision, his yellow eyes glaring at the Saurians with a murderous glint. The zabrak seemed to melt into the shadows of the night right in front of their eyes, mere seconds later the activation of multiple lightsabers sounded through the air as the Ren skewered a couple of their scaled enemies on the blades of his sabers. Several others attempted to charge Anor or blast him with their rifles, only to be met with a roaring red blade or their own blaster bolt.
The man ran quickly and leaped into the air, kicking the head of one of the reptiles as a boost. A quick glance at his friend, Isla Ashen, showed that she was doing as well as he was against them, having just blasted one off of the cliff. The zabrak was caught off guard when a blast caught him right in the stomach, apparently one of the reptiles figured to look up when your enemy disappears. The Knight let out a surge of lightning from his non-mechanical hand which fried a few of them, almost tumbling to the ground when he landed.
Nine hell did his stomach hurt now, but he couldn't worry about it, it was a blessing that the blaster had already cauterized it and prevented it from bleeding and making it even worse. He twirled his saberstaff, fending off some of the Saurians while stabbing the others with his single-bladed.
It was obvious to Anor that this was not going to be an easy battle.
Thomas sat in the middle of the barracks,watching through the red vision of his photoreceptors receiving all types of data into his suit. He felt very uncomfortable where he sat,as he did every time he was in the mechanical hell that kept his body alive. As he was sitting in the room with the rest of the disciples he saw what looked to be a young girl who looked to be in her teens. It astounded him,and he thought to himself 'How can she be a knight she is so young.' It surprised him but regardless chose not to question it,as she was explaining the plan for the invaders. He was feeling excited as it was going to be his chance to test his saber skills that he had worked on for days if not weeks,and so listened to the knight's plan with both curiosity and interest.
After she was finished another figure stepped into the room. The man walked with purpose and spoke confidently of the plan that the disciples were to do in this battle. He was a man covered in what seemed to be an organic material that resembled insects. Thomas thought for a moment and quickly came to the conclusion that it was [member="Wolf"],a man he had met only months ago when Thomas was a mere TIE pilot. He payed attention and listened very closely at the armored man and when he was finished he was beckoning the other Disciples to come with him. Kyrel got up and walked purposely following behind the man,as he felt a tremendous amount of pride swell up within him at last he would show his quality to the Knights.
They were walking towards battle,and with every step he couldn't be any happier to test his growing powers. He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt,and when they had reached the steps he was shocked by the sight that was set out before him. They're were hundreds if not more of what looked to be reptilian creatures climbing up the steps. They were moving quickly and to an ordinary settlement they were menacing and threatening. But this was no ordinary settlement they were marching to their deaths blindly and for what. Kyrel was sure they would find the answers soon enough.
They started firing bolts of blaster fire rapidly at the force wielders. Kyrel activated his saber and with a hiss the red blade shot to life from the hilt. The unstable blade crackling and snarling with each swing deflecting the blaster bolts away or right back at them. He started running down the stairs following Wolf closely behind getting lost within the horde of enemies. The young knight delivered a series of slow but powerful swings to the enemies that were shooting at him even clawing at him. He spoke angrily as one of his swings cleaved several of them into two,and his free hand crushed the neck of the other. "Victory will not lead you here only death. He continued the onslaught trying drive them back. He than used his free hand to force push a wave of twenty off of the stairs and sending them violently to their deaths. His saber hand was going back and forth between giving strikes that would fight the enemy back,and block the enemy blaster fire.
Strange alarms sounded throughout the Ssi-Ruuvi Battle Cruiser, the piercing tones of the alien tongue cutting through the air as commands were issued and threats were responded to. On the strange holo-viewer one of the enemy ships exploded, a corvette by the looks of it, two more were not hanging listlessly in space, their hulls now drifting at strange angles. With a series of commands, the Ssi-Ruuk Commander grinned, his sharp teeth becoming visible as he hissed. Even as the engagement began to unfold, tractor beams began to lock on to the disabled Imperial corvettes, drawing them towards large landing bays of the battle cruiser. Laser fire crisscrossed the void, the swarming masses of battle droid starfighters wreaking havoc on the enemy. Their omni-directional thrusters enabled them to change direction near instantaneously, the enemy ships struggling to maintain firing locks. Despite that, the First Order Cruisers of [member="Aran Piett"]'s task force made some headway, several small clusters of the triangular looking starfighters exploding. Had any of the ships been close enough, and any of the crew attuned closely to the force a strange ethereal shriek would have accompanied each small explosion.
Sirsarun chortled as the fire intensified, the ion heavy barrages picking up as the Ssi-Ruuk focused their fire on the heavy cruisers, aiming specifically towards their turbolasers. Step one was to disable the craft, overwhelming their shields and weapons systems with ion fire, then their engines. As the engagement progressed, a singular picket ship exploded, its systems overwhelmed. If relief didn't arrive soon, the enemy fleet would be left to one Star Destroyer, a solitary target like that wouldn't last long against the onslaught of ion fire. Already the Wurrif-class Light Cruisers had begun activating their extensive arrays of tractor beams, attempting to trap the enemy ships and limit their mobility. As if to answer the ever-increasing threat of overwhelming power, a new alarm sounded on the bridge of the enemy Battle Cruiser.
A shrill trilling from one of the communications officers drew Sirsarun's attention.
"Enemy ships detected!"
Frantically Sirsarun's eyes snapped to the display. There were indeed enemy ships inbound, already he could see the turbolaser fire arcing towards their shields. An amused clicking noise filled the saurian's throat. The ship rocked slightly as a few powerful bolts hit its shields. This new threat would have to be addressed. He noted several large ships, six significantly larger than the rest. That would be their downfall, at least, in theory. Issuing a curt command he turned to where the new enemy ships hung in space, or at least where they were displayed. It would be a difficult task, the ships were much larger than his own, though it was a weakness he could exploit. Already his fighter craft seemed to outmaneuver any vessels the enemy might have had, changing direction and moving with the grace of a swarm mind. They would be deadly to the larger vessels if they let the fighters get within range, their nimbleness easily outrunning the turbolaser tracking systems.
Breaking half of the fleet off, Sirsarun turned his line to engage the enemy, the port prong if his original attack now moving up to overwhelm the remnants of the original contact. Soon they would all be disabled, at least if they didn't find some way to counteract the onslaught of swarm drones and ion heavy fire. Sirsarun could only imagine what havoc it was wreaking on their internal subsystems. Facing the new enemy, the Ssi-Ruuk fleet began to come to form, the picket ships and few light cruisers forming a formidable line as they loosed their ion cannons on the new enemy. Another sweet chortle from Sirsarun when he glanced down at the panel. Just as the [member="Keeramak"] had foretold. Their new shield systems were working wonderfully, absorbing much of the enemy fire, small bursts here and there causing energy drain but beyond that the shields vampiric nature only assisting the ships survive. Unloading their full complement of ion weaponry towards the incoming fleet, they hoped to cause them pause, just long enough to swallow up the remnants of the first.
An erroneous signature broke the relative field of battle, a small blip on its way to the surface. For an instant, Sirsarun contemplated sending several drones after it but held his tongue. No, the ground forces were in full swing, they would be more than capable of dealing with one small ship headed to the surface. Turning his attention back to the new arriving fleet, he transmitted the pre-recorded message once more.
:: "Be glad! The joy that we bring goes beyond mere sensory happiness. Yours is the privilege of assisting the Ssi-ruuk in liberating the other worlds of the galaxy." ::
The sky had gone a further shade of dark, the shimmer of moonlight now concealed by thick rolling clouds. The humidity had increased exponentially over the last hour, the sheer weight of water in the air only now becoming apparent. At first, it was solitary drops of water, heavy and slow. One, two, then a pause. Then two more, then three. As if to erase any doubts, a vibrant shock of lightning shot across the sky, a thunderous clap following after. Another feral howl erupted from the mouths of the P'w'eck and Ssi-ruuk, filling the night air as raindrops began to fall. At first it was a light patter atop the canopy of the jungle below, small plumes of dust from the jagged facets of the mountains.
The ground commander, a Ssi-Ruu by the name of Sessaak stood taller than most of his peers, scars across his toned musculature indicating many battles fought, and presumably won. His troops had scaled the mountain, they had thundered up the Path of Jagged Stones, and yet he felt a growing unease. He stood back from the front lines, a small utility droid accompanying him along with his cadre of 70 of the fiercest of the P'w'eck. Reading the display projected by the small droid his eyes blinked seamlessly, the clear eyelids blinking away an errant raindrop. Rain. It would be both a blessing and a curse. It hampered the enemy but also their own. Saurian claws would have difficulty finding purchase in wet conditions, at least on the mountainside. A small disturbance towards the outer edge of his line troops caught his attention. One of the commanders had gone down, but there were no enemies registered as active in that zone. Interesting. The P'w'eck harness controls had automatically gone to the nearest Ssi-Ruuk in the area, revolt was out of the question but it was curious that there was no activity in that sector. Keying up a comm to the nearest Ssi-Ruuk warrior in the area he spoke, clicks and chortles carrying through.
"Sector A7, investigate source of disturbance, be on guard."
With that message sent, he turned back to the droid, watching the real time battlespace display.
On the mountain he could see that his special task force had infiltrated the mountain fortress. The main bulk of the P'w'eck warriors would now be assaulting the gates of the fortress itself, though it was hard to tell; the readings were distorted slightly at that point. As well, he could see a small battle happening atop a small plateau above the Bastion itself. The ground forces were making progress. Nervously he looked at a secondary screen. The Battledroids were ready, in case they were needed but for now they remained a secret, hidden at the landing site with their ships. Checking their timetable he hissed. They were already behind schedule. A short chirp indicated an incoming message. Reading the output Sessaak ground his heavy foot into the ground. An enemy fleet had arrived. While he had full confidence in their technology, he also knew that this was not supposed to be an extended engagement. He would have to move the timetables up. Sending out updated commands to his soldiers, they advanced still, the endless horde of P'w'eck shaking the ground as the host continued to press in against the Ren fortress.
The Saurians in sector A7 had their own terror to deal with. Their commander, a red saurian, had been lifted from the ground. The sickening crack filled the immediate area, the fleshy neck of the Ssi-ruu now limp as it was wrenched in an invisible vice-grip. Shrieks went up into the night air, frantic eyes looking for the offender. Smell. There was something there but then just like that it was gone. Fanning out in pairs the P'w'eck began their search for the intruder who so mercilessly killed their leader. If they were to fail, they would all be executed.
Further yet a new enemy had begun tearing into the ranks of the P'w'eck, this time at the base of the mountain. Near where the Path of Jagged stones began there was a rumble and then a showering spectacle of dirt, torn flesh, and rock. Where the new enemy had emerged the P'w'eck recoiled at first and then dove in, swarming the new creature standing before them. Slashing with their claws, nipping with beaks and teeth they attempted to bring their enemy to his knees. Unable to get a firm grip they began to slowly tighten the circle of bodies, crushing inwards upon their enemy.
Deep within the fortress, the Bastion of Ren, the subtle scratching near the archives had become less subtle. A large groan and creak was heard right before the shattering of metal, dirt and stone falling into one of the larger corridors. With a leap a full squad of Ssi-Ruuk warriors dropped from the gaping maw that had been one of the main air conduits into and out of the Bastion itself. After a short chittering the squad began moving towards the archives. Soon they would stumble upon the entrance to the bastion of knowledge within its walls. As they thundered to their objective other similar small explosions could be heard around the fortress, similar squads of Ssi-Ruuk warriors breaching into the heart of the Bastion.
[member="Aran Piett"] | [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] | [member="Perth Levov"]: Half of the battle-fleet minus one picket ship continues to assault Piett's forces while the rest turn to face the new threat presented by Commodore Rausgeber and his fleet. Many of the starfighter drones break off to assault the cruisers of the new fleet, taking the opportunity to aim for their weapons systems. In addition, the 3 cruisers breaking off to engage the new threat unleash a deadly barrage of ion fire into the capital ships of the First Order in an attempt to overwhelm their systems. Additionally, Perth Levov's ship is detected but ultimately ignored as a non-threat. The Ssi-Ruuk ships seem to be holding up to turbolaser fire exceptionally well, their shields absorbing massive amounts of energy. Due to the somewhat weak construction of the swarm-drones however, they have lost several squadrons worth. The majority of the remaining drones are now attempting to get in close and harass the enemy capitals, dodging their turbolasers. If fighters were to engage, they would find these are just as nimble if not more-so than even TIE Interceptors.
[member="Darth Veles"]: Your presence is noticed not only by the P'w'eck around you but also by the commander of the ground forces. The P'w'eck in your area have begun to scan and search the area, sniffing thought the wind is not their ally. A large focus of the search seems to be zeroing in on your area and you notice the movement of a much larger group moving towards your position from your side.
[member="Orentho"] & [member="Jude Falkrowe"]: Your ears hear the rumble through the earth as you arm up. A strange noise can be heard, a scratching noise, a grating on metal. If you strain, you may hear clicking, is that the air vents? You can't tell where the noise is coming from but it's getting closer. In the distance, you can hear several shouts and blaster fire erupting from around the corner of the corridor to the armory.
[member=Samka Derith"]: As you arrive at the archives, you hear a rumble throughout the Bastion. An echo and a clang come from farther on down the corridor on the approach the doors. You're not sure exactly which corridor the sounds came from but you're pretty sure you hear heavy plodding approaching towards the Archives.
[member="Isla Ashen"] & [member="Anor Ren"]: The saurians have reeled back due to your aggressive assault, hissing and sniffing the air as raindrops begin to fall against their scaled bodies. As the lightning cracks across the sky, they push forwards, ignoring the shimmering blade of your saber and shrieking as they try to bite and scratch at you. One particularly large Ssi-Ruuk makes himself known with a thundering roar, his tall stature setting him several feet above the P'w'eck near you. The smaller saurians seem to make way for him as he takes large powerful strides towards you. A glint is all you can see before a narrow beam comes shooting in your direction as he gets within 8 meters of you. What appears to be a small disk with a blaster-like barrel is clutched in the Ssi-Ruu's fist.
Likewise, another large brute, this one slightly smaller but no less vicious has locked his eyes on Anor Ren. Thundering towards his position with a blaster rifle and what appears to be a bladed weapon attached to one of his arms fires several overcharged blasts towards where the Zabrak has landed, firing through the mass of P'w'eck who would stand in his way. As he approaches, he lets air a roar.
[member="Iroatas"]: At the base of the Path of Jagged Stones, your assault has caught the P'w'eck by surprise, a large number of them ceasing to ascend the path and focus on the large disturbance at the base. You find yourself assaulted on all sides, bodies bumping and pressing in on your position as they bite and slash at your armored hulk. They may not be able to penetrate your armor but their mass if unaddressed will likely overwhelm you in your solitary state.
[member="Wolf"] | [member="Thomas Kyrel"] | [member="Castor Ren"]: You find yourself systematically being pushed back, deeper into the entrance. The bodies of fallen disciples litter the upper stairwell, foolish acolytes who placed their faith in their individual prowess. Having deserted the entrance you now stand in the entry hall to the Bastion of Ren, a circular, domed hall. Chairs and tables have been pushed towards the outer walls of the room and in the center stand a wall of unified Disciples and Knights. Some wield durasteel swords, others force pikes, in all cases they stand shoulder to shoulder, bracing and patiently awaiting the onslaught of the enemy. Some disciples have already been bloodied, before the retreat to the entry hall but now as a group you can feel the power of the dark side flowing through you all. It is as if the Bastion itself is feeding you energy, giving you insight as to where the muscles and tendons of the enemy are the weakest. Nothing more than a whisper in your mind... a distant voice? A voice of the past? You know not but it becomes irrelevant as the hordes of P'w'eck and Ssi-Ruuk Warriors storm into the entrance of the small hall, their jurassic roar filling the large room.
If I missed anyone, PM me or feel free to write yourself in. I can make adjustments if required. Thanks!
Commander Peitt looked on in fear as his small group of ships was being picked apart by the enemy. With a little more than half of his original force remaining things were looking back for the young commander. As he thought of a plan, the help he most desperately arrived. He sighed in relief, but then noticed that some of the enemy was sticking around to finish him off. Not seeing a good way out of this, and with so many Imperial lives lost, Aran made the toughest decision as an Officer. Ordering the most heavily damaged of his cruisers, he asked the Captain, if it was possible to abandon ship and set it on a collision course with the group of enemy vessels. Although Aran knew well that wasn't possible he wanted to show care for his men and women, as well as make it the ship's captain's choice. The cruiser's captain just nodded, said she would do it, then started to bark orders before comms were cut.
"Commander what is the FIV Arrestor doing?" One of his bridge crew asked.
"Ensign, they are saving the rest of us hopefully."
Aran stood and saluted the cruiser as her engines fired up and made it's way towards the enemy fleet. The officer near him could slightly hear a god speed from him. Aran walked to the front of the bridge to watch what was going to transpire. Not even turning he made a notion to the comms officer, to alert the group to reform, reconsolidate fire, and remember the crew of the Arrestor, as well as possible life boat. Though Aran knew the crew of that ship would all more than likely stay aboard to do their duty.
Aboard the Arrestor, the Captain, made an announcement of the orders they were given, as well as her choice to follow them. She looked to all the bridge crew, as she said ship wide, "Those that wish to abandon ship do so now." No one on the bridge moved a muscle, they took their stations and almost as a group all said, "We are with you Ma'am." All decks reported in as well saying no one was leaving their station, everyone aboard the ship knew the peril of being in the Navy, none just realized this was the end for them. That didn't distract them though they kept doing their duty, even when the captain told engineering to activate the self destruct, no one flinched. The Captain went to the front of the bridge to "led her ship to its final resting place."
Aran's "fleet" has reformed around his vessel, all except the FIV Arrestor
which has been ordered to set collision course for the remaining Ssi-Ruuvi
forces that are attacking Aran's ships.
Combat Effective
1x Victory-X Class FIV Subjugator
2x Inflictor Class Heavy Cruisers
1x Fortan Heavy Corvettes
"Commodore, we're being swarmed by enemy fighters!" One of the bridge technicians called out, "What do we do?"
"I want all dagger class frigates on the attack!" Carlyle commanded, his voice loud and booming, "Order them to screen the fighters, and disable as many as possible with their and our flak guns."
"Yes sir," the technician said. The Vindactor wasn't nearly shaking as much as the enemy ships were, but the commodore knew better. Ion batteries were doing their job.
"I want TIEs deployed," the commodore ordered, "That, and focusing fire on the enemy ships ion batteries, understood?"
Communications nodded, "Yes sir, preparing all ships to fire."
"TIE Ops, I want all of our bombers focussing fire upon that command ship." Carlyle commanded. This battle would be close, a little too close to what he'd have wanted.
Summary:
All ships are aiming to disable the enemies ion batteries.
All ships are losing power.
TIE fighters have been deployed to attack fighters.
TIE bombers are to attack the command ship,
Dagger escorts are solely focussing on disabling enemy fighters.
Decima jerked awake, her pulse racing, blood pounding in her ears, and she wondered for a few bewildering moments where she was. When she realized that she was, in fact, in her quarters in the Bastion of Ren. The next question was to determine how it was that she didn't recognize it. Why was the room bathed in an ominous red glow? That would only happen if there was an emergency...
The Acolyte grasped and hauled her boots over, jamming her feet into them and quickly lacing them up. Perhaps training shorts and a hooded sweatshirt was not the ideal emergency garb, but it was an emergency, after all. She would head to the armory for something more substantially protective if she had the chance, but the first priority was to see what was happening. She strapped her holster around her trim waist, unclipped her lightsaber, and cracked the door, peering out into the dark, crimson hallway. There were odd sounds reverberating down the hall. "What in blazes?" she whispered to herself, turning to the other side of the door to look down the other side of the corridor, towards the archives. Were her eyes playing tricks on her, or was there the sound of some sort of clattering sound down the hall?
"Hell," she whispered. She knew what she had to do, and she resolved herself. Decima pushed the door open and darted out into the halls, light on her feet as she picked her way down the hallway towards the Archives.
If the fighting was intense, Samka had little hint of it in the Bastion's library. The archives were mainly electronic with only a few bits of information remaining in physical form. She stood besides the main holoterminal, breezing through the plentiful information and encrypting every last one. Some of them she still didn't have the clearance to access, the information restricted for Masters only. Very briefly, Sam wondered what knowledge they could hold but it was a question for another time. A time when she couldn't hear the sound of a reptilian army scrambling to get in. Every so often, the teenage Ren would glance around as if to reassure herself she was still alone. There was an eerie almost-silence here, the other Ren had left to defend various choke points or other important areas of the Bastion. The Archmaster should be here at least, his disappearance was very troubling. So she was alone, watching the gradual encryption of files on the holoterminal beside her with the only sound coming from the rhythmic beeping from the terminal and the frantic yet faint noise of the creatures scratching, desperately trying to find an avenue in. It seemed they had it.
Sam's attention turned to the ceiling where a sprinkle of collapsing dust had accompanied a sudden thud. The young girl took a few steps back from the terminal and reached for the weapon at her belt. She dropped her cloak on the floor behind her, in close combat such attire only gave your opponent something to grab, and walked up to where the dust had fell. Another thud, this one louder. More dust and dirt falling to the floor. The stone slab which made up part of the ceiling shifted loose. She could feel them now. Tiny minds so desperate for a sense of purpose that they had no sense of self. A thin smile crossed Sam's lips. She'd spent too much time playing innocent. Socialising in ball rooms and playing diplomat with politicians and Jedi. She'd not spilt blood since Omega. Time to rectify that.
With a crack the stone slab fell with a mighty crash to the ground, bringing not just a cloud of dust with it but a Ssi-Ruuk Warrior with it as well. The young Ren was prepared though, slicing through the air with her lightsaber, she cleaved directly through the lizard as it fell through the air leaving it in two bits on the floor. Stepping back from her position, Sam looked up at the gap in the ceiling. It seemed the first one had fallen in a rather clumsy fashion, no wonder it had made such easy prey. It's partner remained lodged up there and fired off a few shots from a blaster rifle, forcing Sam to leap backwards out of her foe's line of sight.
She noted that these ones had blasters, the ones storming the gates out front did not. These must be the elites and the events outside made to gather everyone's attention.
"No need to hide, come on down," Sam sneered under her breath as she reached out with the Force. Locking on to the Ssi-Ruuk, Sam pulled him down with a powerful kinetic wave, slamming him into the floor. With a burst of speed, she charged the dazed soldier as he scrambled for his dropped weapon all to late. She stabbed right through the Saurian's back then cleaved upwards resulting in almost instant death.
Looking back up into the hole, she could neither see nor sense other enemies in there. Only two? For a species who had already shown a fondness for swarm tactics that didn't sit right with her. Then there was another crash from the hallway leading to the archives and then another and another.
Turning back towards the corridor, Sam stood in the doorway, marking her territory. She knew they could outflank her by going above and coming out of the hole the last two soldiers had appeared from but she would wait for them to figure that out first and adapt later. For now, the thin corridor was her best hope against their superior numbers.
When the squad of Ssi-Ruuk soldiers turned the corner to towards the archives, they were greeted by her image. A small, pale girl standing beneath the doorway with an ignited lightsaber at her side. The secrets of the Ren were tantalisingly close, they could see parts of the digital library just through the door if only they could get past her...
Samka Derith twirled the blade between the slender fingers on her right hand, leaving her left fist clenched behind her back. A warning to the lizards of her control. They hissed and raised blaster rifles, eager for blood. But so was she.
That seductive voice cooed inside her head again. That little bit of madness which pushed an innocent girl down the path of the Dark Side just four years ago.
Starlines flared, and the Challenger entered the Virgilia system.
Two separate fleets were being engaged by the invaders. One was holding up well, according to the tactical displays that dotted the bridge of the cruiser, but the other fleet had borne the brunt of the alien attack. Two ships were drifting, showing little signs of life, and another seemed determined to ram the invaders. There was a gasp of surprise from one of the crew pits. The captain didn't have the heart to reprimand the man.
Things did not look good for the defenders of Virgilia.
"Comms, hail Commander Piett."
A moment later, he got a confirmation from the communications officer.
"Commander Piett, this is the Challenger. We are preparing to punch a hole through to your position, and will provide you cover as necessary."
The Challenger was a heavily armed and armored warship. Far from the fastest in the navy, she was still a formidable combatant. And to provide an avenue of withdraw to surrounded comrades was standard procedure.
"Helm, bring us around to...one-six-four by three-one-zero. Then set all ahead full. Weapons, target the largest ship directly between us and that Victory-class destroyer. Let's clear a path."
Slowly, the lumbering vessel turned to face their allies, and mere moments after the engines kicked into life, the captain, Karl Von Keldor, received a confirmation from his weapons stations. Smiling grimly, the Commander turned to look out of the forward viewport at the battle unfolding before his eyes. He clasped his hands behind his back, one fist in the other, and watched as the turbolaser emplacements running the length of his ship rotated to face their target, which scanners indicated was a light cruiser-class.
The trio of Disciples had followed the Knight of Ren as he had descended towards the main entrance to the Bastion, intent on repelling the invaders. Any thoughts of that happening now were gone. Already they'd stood atop the final flight of stone steps, assaulted by the hordes of the saurian P'w'eck. Castor had wielded his blade with prowess of a distinguished swordsman, its heavy durasteel blade cutting deep into the flesh of the enemy as they threw their bodies upon the small contingent atop the steps. His arms brought the sword down in powerful strokes and sweeping angles and yet the enemy still came. I didn't take long for them to falter, the line to his left caving in under the body of a particularly large saurian. It was at that moment the call to pull back was made, several knights began rallying the remaining forces back into the entry hall.
He took a step backwards, the point of his weapon leveled at the mass of P'w'eck still pressing forward. They would not last long if they continued the fight outside of the confines of the Bastion. It felt like they were losing, but the Knights of Ren knew what they were doing and Castor trusted their judgement. Slowly and methodically pulling back into the cover of the Bastion he could feel an errant drop of rain as it landed on upon his shaved scalp. As his footsteps took him backwards into the arch of the entry way he could see the drops falling from the sky, dark clouds rolling overhead. As lightning flashed overhead thunder cracked against the sides of the Bastion, filling the air with energy so thick he could almost taste it. Finally within the confines of the entry hall he lowered his blade, forming back up with the rest of his kin. The P'w'eck seemed somewhat content standing in the entry, hissing and calling to each other.
I prick of fear played at the back of his mind. Why had they stopped their press here? Why were they content to wait? He didn't like it. Looking to his left and right he noted that everyone had seemed to notice the same. Nervously his eyes traced along the domed ceiling of the entry hall. Castor didn't like feeling trapped but he forced the feeling down, instead giving way to anger. Anger that these beasts would dare assault their home, their bastion. These feral saurians had killed his brothers and sisters, their bodies still warm as they had tried to defend their home. Foolish yes, but they were still his kin. He felt it burning deep inside him, like a coal finally exposed to the oxygen it needed to breath, to flourish. Too long had he longed for battle, for an opportunity to practice his bladecraft... and now was that chance.
As if to answer his call for blood, the bodies of the enemy surged forward towards the line of Disciples and Knights of Ren. Dropping the point of his blade towards the floor he waited, carefully timing his upward swing with the arrival of the nearest P'w'eck. His upward slice cut deep, blood spattering his face and clothing as he let loose a roar of his own as he followed through with a downward stroke, nearly severing a saurian head at the base of its neck. With a violent grunt he wrenched the blade free just in time to run through a lunging P'w'eck, the beast's forward movement stopped inches away from the Disciple's face. With a sneer Castor raised his boot to his enemy's chest, forcing free his blade as he continued to hack and slash his way through the onslaught of the P'w'eck warriors. Beside him, his fellow Ren did the same, holding their ground and weathering the torrent of claws, talons, and teeth.
Isla's saber came down in a swift arc, separating the Saurian's arm from the rest of its body. The creature let out a high pitched shriek and despite the injury, moved quickly to retaliate. The flame-haired Ren was ready, and shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding being clamped between powerful jaws and jagged teeth. With her saber gripped tightly in gloved hands, she thrust the blade forward, and watched as it plunged into the creature's middle. There was a moment where she was unsure if it would continue its attack, so she crouched down slightly to get ready. Instead, the Saurian stumbled backwards and disappeared over the edge.
Turning her head to the side, she could see that [member="Anor Ren"] was making quick work of the Saurians. His display of saber skills and force use was impressive. Her attention shifted back to the their enemies, noticing immediately that their advance had been prevented... for the moment, at least. Out of the corner of her emerald gaze, she thought she saw a blaster bolt surging right for Anor's stomach. There was little time to check on her fellow Ren, but he was still up and fighting. That was a good sign.
Isla blinked a couple of times as a drop of rain hit her cheek. Streaks of lightening lit up the dark clouds above, and it was followed shortly by the low rumble of thunder. And if on cue, the enemy began to push forward quickly. Isla's saber cut through the air, she did her best to fend off the onslaught of teeth and claws. She could hear the sound of fabric tearing, and soon felt the sting of her shoulder blade being scratched. No matter the biting pain, she couldn't let it slow her down. An ominous roar broke through the air. Isla had no time to look for the source, as a beam shot soared towards her position.
She dove to the side, landing on the ground with as much grace as she could muster. Then, she took in the sight before her. Her eyes found the strange blaster barrel in the Ssi-Ruu's fist. Isla swallowed hard, spotting a second creature moving towards Anor. The air around them almost seemed charged, and lighting cracked above them.
Isla's boot slid forward, and she pushed off the ground quickly. Her gaze was set on the beast's weapon, if she could take it out... it would be one thing less to worry about. After all, the Ssi-Ruuk still had an abundance of sharp teeth and claws. Her crimson blade made a swift cut towards her opponent's weapon, but the next moment ended in a blur. The Ssi-Ruu's clawed hand had struck out for Isla, contacting her left cheek.
The redhead fell down in the dirt, her face stinging.
The saurian’s body hit the ground in silent resignation, a miserable sight further underlined by numerous drops of rain hitting the body and its surroundings. Soon enough, after weather turned into a steady downpour, petrichor would be added among the colourful palette of scents running in the air, decreasing their ability to smell. Definitely a good thing for him, if only the same could be said about killing their commander, which in fact only seemed to have made them more aggressive in their search. Taking them out in the traditional way came to mind again and Veles seriously considered charging the saurians while he had the element of surprise on his side. Claws fared poorly when pitted against superheated plasma blades, after all, further supporting the idea to strike first.
No. The Darth didn’t want to waste too much energy this early, on the front line. Sneaking through would be more beneficial in the long run. For now he had to avoid his foes. Almost like a game of hide and seek, only deadlier. Two nearest enemies joined their deceased commander, necks snapped, and the Sith Lord’s cloak fell down as well, sliding from Veles’ shoulders. A short-lived distraction, but he really only needed a second or two. Another jump away, no more waiting this time; the amphibious man was on the move, soundlessly moving past trees and bushes, shamelessly abusing the rain to his advantage as its torrent played with leaves and blades of grass – and the Darth’s own path became impossible to distinguish.
A shrill tone cut loose across the comms of the Ssi-Ruuvi, an alarm, meant to call attention to the one enemy ship that seemed to be breaking off from the enemy's remaining small battlegroup. 3 Wurrif-class light cruisers had set their sights on the enemy vessel, the FIV Arrestor. As it's mass began to shift towards the remaining port-side claw of the Ssi-Ruuvi formation they spread out, hoping to catch the ship in a net of tractor beams and ion fire. The rest of the First Order vessels had already begun consolidating. Even so they would be overwhelmed soon if the tide of the battle didn't change. The small picket ships that had been firing on the enemy cruisers continued, oblivious of the rapidly increasing speed of the Inflictor-class Heavy Cruiser breaking off from the main battle group. The Swarm fighters pushed forward, peppering the hull of the FIV Arrestor but continued onward, pressing in towards the remaining ships with their rapid fire laser cannons as they darted to and fro. It was like a cloud of bees, clouding the air as they swarmed over their targets. Ion cannons fired rapidly towards the small battle group as they consolidated, somehow the enemy cruiser had slipped the attentions of the Ssi-Ruuvi vessels. A mistake that the saurians would pay for. Two of the Ssi-Ruuvi cruisers veered off course, diverting their fire towards the incoming FIV Arrestor but it was too late. The third Wurrif hung in space there, serene. It was too late now, the momentum of the enemy cruiser carried it forward, its course set. Despite the hellish barrage the hull collided with the hull of the Ssi-Ruuvi cruiser, shields overloading, explosions erupting along the hulls of both ships.
What happened inside the FIV Arrestor was anyone's guess but sheer horror erupted across the decks of the Wurrif-light cruiser. Shrill screams and shrieks of terror were lost in the void of space as multiple decks were exposed to the vacuum. Ssi-Ruuk and P'w'eck bodies alike were expelled as the ship's interior rapidly decompressed, debris flaying out in every direction. Two flanking picket ships were torn apart in the resulting explosion, a large sacrifice but it was effective. Immediately the other two Wurrif's pulled back, content to bring the two disabled corvettes aboard, the souls inside to be enteched. The remaining forces focused on the enemy cruisers, lighting them up with the full force of their remaining picket ships and cruisers. Meanwhile, the starboard hook of the Ssi-Ruuvi fleet fought on against the new arrivals.
On the other front, the Ssi-Ruuvi ships were hard pressed by the newly arrived fleet. The TIE squadrons had deployed, though many were likely cut down as they launched due to the extreme speed and maneuverability of the Swarm-class Battle Droids. Engaging the fighters the droids focused solely on them, the frigates becoming the target of the Ssi-Ruuk light cruisers and picket ships. Ion cannons loosed into the ranks of the First Order vessels, the nimble fighters dodging in and out of firing solutions as they went toe to toe with the Imperial TIE fighters. Aboard the main bridge of the Shree-class Battle Cruiser, Sirsarunn trilled. They were still making progress but the new fleet presented several problems. If the were to take many more losses, they would leave the ground troops vulnerable to bombardment, and that would not bode well for the Imperium. Nervously he watched his displays as two picket ships that had been displayed on the holo-display blinked out of existence. Likewise he was receiving reports that one of the light cruisers was also reaching critical condition. On the fighter front however the Ssi-ruuvi technology was far superior, the drones goading scores of fighters close enough to the Ssi-Ruuvi vessels so they could use their tractor beams to draw the helpless TIE's into their hangars, capturing pilots of entechment. A silver lining to the quickly growing cloud above the Ssi-Ruuk commander's head. Quickly adjusting he kept a watchful eye on the holo-display. They would have to withdraw soon if they could not turn the tide of the battle... but he hoped it didn't come to that.
5 x Wurrif-class Light Cruisers 13 x Fw'Sen-class Picket Ships 1400 x Swarm-class Battle Droids
DISCLAIMER: While these are linked to wookie articles, these are specs from over 700 years previous. Weapon count may be the same but additional systems and systems upgrades may be present in the Ssi-Ruuvi ships.
--- --- ---
Location: Surface of Virgilia, The Bastion of Ren
All over the Bastion strange clicks and whirrs could be heard, scratching and solid footsteps echoing in the hallways. Large clangs could be heard as the Ssi-Ruuk infiltration squads made their move. Already they were making their way deeper into the fortress, killing those that resisted but more importantly, using strange paddle-like weapons to incapacitate their opposition. Already they could be seen firing the unconventional weapons, those who had remained in their rooms the first to be captured. Near the archives the beasts had already broken in, their claws tearing at the rugs lain across the floor as they hissed and snapped at the young woman who had engaged them. She was upon them as they clumsily tried to put up a fight, their spirits dispatched quickly... and then came the rest.
Setting their eyes on the woman several of them immediately fired their blasters, loosing a volley that would prove difficult to dodge. A unified hiss went up from the red-scaled saurians, the Ssi-Ruuk moving forwards. As they approached closer it could be seen that two of them held small, paddle shaped blasters in their hands, the rest carried conventional blasters, though every time one was fired it cause a slight ripple in the force, just a whisper of a tormented scream, a tortured soul sent to the void. Something was unnatural about these weapons beneath the surface. Approaching one of the paddle weapons jumped to life, the beam cutting a unique path through the air, a strange sound accompanying it, almost like a cackle of electrical charge. Two quick shots screamed towards the young woman as they slowly moved forward step by step towards the archives as she stood between.
Behind the Ssi-Ruuk a clatter could be heard above them in the hallway. More? Likely. In the halls, Ssi-Ruuk teams much like this one roamed, catching those who were lost or confused with their strange paddle weapons, incapacitating them and lazily strapping them to their backs with a strange device mounted to their harnesses. They hadn't nabbed nearly as many as they wanted, but soon they would have to leave... reluctantly they performed one more sweep as the squad near the entrance to the archives closed in on their prey.
Near the entrance to the Bastion the story was much different. There was no one on one combat, it was an all out melee. With the aid of several Knights of Ren, the Disciples and others had coordinated their strikes, slowly but surely stemming the oncoming tide of P'w'eck, bodies beginning to pile to the point where the floor was hardly visible. Screeches of fear and anger filled the air as the saurians were caught between the unstoppable force of the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium and the immovable Knights of Ren. Their options were limited, retreat and die, or move forward and be cut down; hardly a choice at all. And so they fought, snapping, hissing, biting and lashing out with their talons. Several times a P'w'eck would leap over the front, temporarily causing a melee behind the line before being quickly dispatched with an array of weapons. The fighting was vicious and bloody and the bodies were beginning to create a wall...
Outside, atop the Bastion the fight raged on. As the fiery haired Ren fell to the dirt the talons and teeth of the Ssi-Ruuk warriors were at her limbs, attempting to jump in and take advantage of the momentary lapse in her defenses. The P'w'eck and Ssi-Ruuk however began to hesitate as the rain began to pour, heavy drops beginning to create mud... a slippery rock face not something they seemed to enjoy the idea of slipping from. It was as if a wave of unease had settled over the horde, their energy suddenly shifting into a lower gear.
[member="Aran Piett"] | [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] | Karl Von Keldor: The Ssi-Ruuvi fleet has continued to fight on, the ships assaulting Aran's position violently assaulting the enemy's weapons batteries and engines in an attempt to disable a cruiser. To take a cruiser and entech the souls would bring great glory to the Ssi-Ruuvi assault force. The main bulk of the fleet remains on target but the FIV Arrestor has breached the line, colliding with a Wurrif-class Light Cruiser, the ships now a tangled bulk of durasteel and fire. Bodies and debris are scattered but the remaining ships are pressing forward, focusing the cruisers with their ion fire. On the starboard side, Carlyle's fleet has created a large scale problem for the Ssi-Ruuk. Their shields seem to continue absorbing the majority of the laser fire from the First Order fleet but they are quickly overloading the shields of one of the light cruisers. Likewise a few picket ships have lost their shields, rendered useless and drifting or outright destroyed. With a significant loss in ships, the only hope they have to rely on is their overwhelming cloud of droid starfighters, culling the ranks of the TIE squadrons. The cruisers and picket ships have coordinated and are assaulting the enemy frigates.
Orentho noticed that the Ren had gone, and it was he and his comrade [member="Jude Falkrowe"] were now alone. Checking the carbine he looked over toward the man, "forgive me old chap, but I fear my ears are playing a trick on me." He says but he feels they are not, he stands to his feet after having pulled another load of ammunition into a utility belt and takes a step out of the armory. Clicking noises are heard, but his perception fails him and he knows not the direction the sounds are coming from and he becomes distracted by the sound of blaster fire. "This way," He tells his fellow agent, and readies his carbine.
The Bastion is well, the bastion he can't say if something is unusually quiet or not. As an agent of the First Order he keeps to his lane and stays out of the Knights' way and as such... Orentho almost wishes he crossed lanes more often. "Do you hear that, I swear I've heard it before while in the armory." He says not realizing that he's been walking on his own for awhile now. More clicking noises and more blaster fire, he picks up the pace and heads down toward the sound of blaster fire.
