Hear. Me. Roar. [ ME Dominion of Cademimu Hex ]

[Dunames Lopez]

Objective 6: Custom (Podracing)
Location: Cademimu orbit
Allies: First Order
Enemies: Mandalorian Crusaders
Post: 12/38

"Tell me what you liked most about Cademimu" Patricia asked the First Order party.

"There is one thing I dislike: Flashpoint Spaceport's piers are too small to accommodate larger ships than 200 meters long - we won't be able to operate our cruisers from there, that is going to pose a problem"

"Cruisers?" Buhar asked Dunames.

"Star Tours operates twenty Maersks, soon to be an extra 55 more. There is also the matter of the even larger Rasta Subs, of which we will operate six in the future, as well as the Exodus and the Terminus, capable of fetching 1 million refugees in one flight, at the cost of the consumables lasting only 3 days"

Star Tours was going to overtake Maersk Star Freight and Bluth Company in the bulk freight department soon enough. One day the First Order will be the preeminent transportation power in the galaxy. And Dunames is one of the unsung heroes of the First Order; she was that one player-character willing and able to operate a business that did not revolve around the production of implements of destruction or their components thereof. Sure, she may be using armed AT-AT barges, or even Maersks, equipped with implements of destruction but Star Tours does not have the capability to be an active agent in fleeting. In this war-torn galaxy, that's the least Star Tours could do: dedicated escort ships are more expensive to operate than to arm the freighters themselves, at least according to how Star Tours does business. A picket corvette the size of an AT-AT barge costs as much to operate as the AT-AT barge itself... if not more.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.

Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, [member="Driel Beroya"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 1/37

Taking a hold of the Rocksteady rifle, I made sure that it was loaded up and ready for a fight. The semi-automatic setting was currently on. Letting me use my ammo at a more conservative rate. While gunplay was in all warfare, I wanted to conserve my ammo, and used a wide range of weapons including my lightsaber, and my hand cannon. Setting it down, butt stock to the floor, and leaning against my leg, I pulled on my helmet. Letting the various colors of my HUD activate. Systems were loading online as various other people were preparing gear.

It was among these, I could feel through the force of rage, anticipation, honor, bravery, and even nervousness. One person seemed to have more nervousness out of all of us though. Not sure if it was a He or a She since they were sitting down, and it's difficult to tell just by the armor you wore. Activating my armor systems as I looked at the person, My armor's camo would begin to change color to a dark black. We were landing. I was ready. It's not like I haven't done this before. The ramp opened up. Standing up, a man at the front of the drop shuttle started yelling at us to "Go, go go."

I was one of the last ones out. Casually walking off of the drop ship, I saw the previous person hurled over in a ball with her helmet off and throwing up. She was nervous all right. Walking over, I picked up her rifle from the ground. Looked to me to be an E-11 carbine. Rather old, but looked rather functional. She now had the face of determination as she looked up.

"No shame ma'am. Everyone has those moments. Follow me, and you'll be fine."

My voice had a slight electronic buzz to it, but it was clear I was still human in nature. Turning to the ensuing battle, I could see various colors of red, blue, and even green blaster fire, as well as the occasional Slugthrower. With my rifle in both hands, I started to run forward, My communications link already syncing up with her own.

"Use cover, and stay as small of a target as possible."

Getting behind a wall, blaster fire was zooming past me for a moment when I peeked out and fired a few rounds in their direction before booking it to the next broken wall with a hole so large from an explosion, I could have probably fit my entire family in it. Looking back behind me for a moment, I wanted to make sure the "New Blood" was still alive.

 

[Zef Halo]

[20]

[member="Miss Blonde"]


Zef had walked away from the ships and to Miss Blonde who was being as ever sarcastic. Beneath the helmet, he smirked. He was glad to see a friendly face and someone who actually did not talk about war, fighting and honor all the time. Someone from the other side of the law just like him.

"Just by hearing you talk about weapons and armor raised their spirits up. " He gestured at the Mandalorians who seemed quite cheerful in contrast to the dark world around them. "Mandalorians."

"They contacted the fleet above, more men are being sent and equipment as well. Appreciate your help once again, Miss B." The scoundrel nodded. She had helped the Crusaders a LOT. " Now to serious questions, how much are we talking about? Credit wise. Speak in numbers."


He took a slight sip of the good bourbon appreciating its taste and the cozyness of the small place.

 

[Malok]

With the mutual understanding in place, both I and the yahoo set about making our respective calls. He had to make a request of one of his escorts, who promptly provided a Holo-Ring. You know the sort – those archaic, disc looking models that projected the man on the other side in the palm of your hand. As for me, I simply had to scoot my chair ever so slightly forward and engage the terminal build into the desk. A few taps here, a pass key input there, and my call was made.

Seconds later, the perpetually agitated tone of Niles answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Niles, it's Sam. I'm in a meeting with one of Jaemus Shipyards' finest. We're hashing out the details of the boss's current project?"

"Ah. One moment."

Niles must have patched himself through completely, for his azure projection quickly manifested on the table before my eyes. He gave me a nod before rendering a similar greeting to the yahoo. In a similar manner, the yahoo's partner had appeared upon the disc and was set upon the table. Now, it seemed, things were about to really get started.

[13]

 

[Driel Beroya]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.
Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, Jar'orar Tsad, [member="Zephyr Carrick"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 2/37
_______________________________

Oh bloody ruined osik, she thought. This just made everything better. She could've borne it if they'd left her alone until she was back on her feet, but now one of her comrades was comforting her, trying to reassure her that everything was okay, and now obviously everything was terrible. She could not remember the last time she'd been so embarassed.

On the plus side, it just made her angrier.

Driel stood, glaring blearily at the soldier addressing her, and snorted twice to clear her nose. With a wrench and shove, she replaced her helmet and sealed it, blinking the sequence to activate the rudimentary HUD programs and slinging her carbine forward. Her 'comforter' moved forward with the rest of her platoon, towards the glittering of blaster-fire that marked where the battle was beginning. Driel took a deep breath and jogged forward, lifting her carbine into the firing position just like her drillmaster had taught her.

I'm scared.

What? She blinked, still running forward. The thought had come like a splash of cold water. She was running into a flurry of battle, putting her life into the teeth of everyone around her, and for what? To capture some fortress on some planet because the Mandalorian command deemed it important?

What the hell am I doing?!

She slowed, staring goggle-eyed at the fortress towards which she had, only moments before, been charging so boldly.

What the hell are we thinking?!

It was titanic. Sulking low to the ground, it still towered over them like the hulk of prone gigantic beast. The walls were gently angled, just enough that they would provide no cover to those crouched at their base; and poking over the edge at the wall-top were a sort of overhang (Driel had never before encountered a 'hoarding'), and from them murderous fire rained down on anybody who tried to get under the rain of heavy gunfire pouring from the top of the wall. She saw instantly - the Mandalorians were good, but nobody could advance under the kind of firestorm the Remnant was spilling forth towards them.

Driel was surprised to find her legs still carrying her forward towards the nearest piece of cover, a hardened anti-vehicle obstacle in the shape of a small pyramid. Why was she still advancing? Osik, why was she suddenly shooting, sighting and firing at the small silhouettes on the parapet before her? What the hell was she doing?!

She fired another burst and ducked down below the obstacle. Two other troopers, including the one that had encouraged her earlier, sheltered there as well. She looked at them. They looked at her. It was awkward.

"We need to get through that wall. Ideas?" she said finally, turning to fire another controlled burst over the top of the obstacle. It missed, dreadfully.

 

[Malok]

"So, my colleague has informed me that we're looking at a ship the size of an Imperial Star Destroyer? Fitted with a HVC?" said the yahoo's partner.

"That's correct. We're looking for a jack-of-all-trades, if you will." came Niles' response.

"Alright, where would you like to begin?"

"Let's get the totality of the armament squared away, that way I can ping Iron Crown about what to expect."

"Very well."

The yahoo's partner visibly produced a datapad and averted his gaze from Niles. He was looking for something, and upon discovery, spoke again. "From the data we've been able to gather, and admittedly this may be outdated, Mandalorian preference is barrel consolidation?

"That's correct. In the mind of my employer, it is better to have fewer emplacements that pack an extreme punch than to have many sets of nibblers."

"Furthermore, it looks like long-range is standard."

"That's correct."

"Hmm...We'll probably need to have a dedicated, backup generator for the power constraints. Long Range batteries are energy hogs."

"That may be the best bet. Though I'm certain that will put a hamper on what we can store inside of the vessel."

"We'll play with it as best we can, but the easiest trade off is hangar space."

"We've Sev'rances on hand, that won't be a problem."

[14]

 

[Vora Kaar]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.

Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, [member="Driel Beroya"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 2/37

After looking behind me for just a moment, I watched as the woman came to crouch down low, and to my side, but still behind cover. We just got to this position and so the blaster fire was concentrated on us for a moment. The other man within the platoon was peeking up to see anything. Literally the second he was up, a bolt smacked into his helmet and sent him sprawling back into the ground. It took a moment before I realized what happened, and reached out. Pulling him by his leg to get back into cover a little more. Propping his body against the wall.

"Not without something prevent that. Give me a second."

Taking my rifle, I fired a few shots over the berm by throwing both hands up over, and just fired. Not accurate, but meant to see something. Instantly, my rifle was shot from my hands. Smiling, I knew there was a sniper some where trying to pick people off from this side. I reached out to my rifle and picked it up. Slinging it over my back, I then reached to my right thigh, producing a rather long lightsaber blade. I moved a step away from the wall, and activated both my lightsaber, and the light-shield housed within my bracer.

"I'll draw the fire, I want you to find him."

I took a moment to breathe, and then jumped into the fire. Raising the bright yellow light of the shield, and the red and black saber should anyone try to come close while being fired on.

"Get him!"

 

[Malok]

"Off the top of my head, I suggest that the hangars be placed on the belly of the vessel. I've heard horror stories about bombing runs."

"Hangars?"

"Yes. Hangars. I'd rather we make at least two that are individually smaller than one large target. If there isn't much space for Starfighters, then the architecture should at least provide above average defense."

"Hmm. Fair points. Thought I'll note that the average pilot might find dropping in to combat a tad jarring."

"That's what training is for. Besides, don't we have droids and drones at our disposal?"

I was good for something after all.

"While true, Mandalorians don't strike me as the type to rely on machines. Especially when they can do something themselves."

Fair point. Fair indeed.

[15]

 

[Driel Beroya]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.
Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, Jar'orar Tsad, [member="Zephyr Carrick"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 3/37
_____________________

'I want you to find him'? What in bloody ruin was that supposed to mean? Driel was no hunter or - what were they called - 'countersniper'? She was barely out of barrack and now expected to perform just like any other soldier?

Well... yes, I guess. What else was she now, if not any other soldier? She was one of the Mandalorians now, and they all fought. It was what she'd liked about them, that they all stood together and fought together and watched over each other. Was she going to complain now that she was required to do the fighting and watching-over, rather than being fought for and watched over?

Hell with that. Driel nodded and adjusted her carbine on its sling, preparing to pop up and hunter the enemy sniper, when the other man leapt to his feet and charged off. Driel gaped.

"Wha-!" She wasn't ready! Osik! Bloody ruin osik- No time for that. Time for action.

Driel soared up from behind the obstacle, feeling the Force-currents thrum beneath and around her to lift her skyward. She took in the situation in a sweeping, twisting regard. Her battle-brother was charging towards the fortress at an angle, off to the left, wearing some strange lightsaber-shield. Driel had never seen the like.

She scanned the parapet, a hundred meters away from her and still above her, but now nearly on a level. She scanned sideways as she floated - soldier, soldier, heavy gun, soldier, heavier gun, soldier, soldier - there! The sniper! He was firing evenly, rhythmically after her charging brother, but even now he was switching to target Driel, hovering as conspicuously as she was for that instant. She came back down, and saw the bolt meant for her head pass over it. Her skin went cold.

Momentarily behind the anti-vehicle obstacle again, Driel set her course, and then charged forward. Spraying with her carbine, arm outstretched towards the sniper, she ran like she had never run before. No police-chase, no hunt for a rival thief, no flight from an enraged Coronialus - nothing had ever galvanized her to this sort of speed.

Another bolt smacked into the earth near her feet, and she screamed as she ran, tacking towards the wall in a parallel to Zephyr. She was nearly there, only twenty or twenty-five meters away, when the sniper got her. The blaster-bolt hit her right in the chest, and she shrieked as the impact tossed her to the ground. Her head spun, and her limbs twitched.

This was it. She was dying. Her organs were failing beneath her seared skin and torn armor. She was -...

Alive? Unhurt? Her twitching arm flopped across her chest plate, and apart from a scorch mark and light heat, the armor was unharmed. What? How?! No matter. Driel crawled and scrambled to her feet, wincing. Fury, temporarily alloyed with fear, now roared pure.

"Oh, f**k you," she said to the sniper. Now she sprinted towards the wall again, glancing up to gauge her maneuver as she knew what she was going to do. She needed to get up there; her carbine was gone somehow, and she wasn't a good enough shot to even try it with her pistol. Her grenades and saber clattered encouragingly on her belt.

Running along the base of the wall, Driel jumped again, and again rode the Force-currents upward until she was just below the parapet. As the Remnant soldiers turned to aim down at her, she primed one of her frag grenades and tossed it up, up, and over the edge of the wall. Her left arm aimed and fired the grapple line, affixing itself to the wall. Her jump ran out, and she began to fall forward. Then the line caught.

She screamed again as the jolt dislocated her shoulder, and she kept screaming as she swung down, forward, and the up again - just as she'd planned. The injury had not been her plan. She heard an explosion from her grenade, and that was satisfying. Then she came up, swinging over the edge of the parapet. Her grapple line disengaged, and as she crested the wall, she saw him - the sniper. She could not see his face under his helmet, but she read the shock in his body as she came down towards him, drawing her saber.

His helmet muffled his dying shriek, and Driel gasped, feeling her landing thud in her knees and fighting every instinct to not try to brace herself on her left arm. She collapsed in pain, and only then realized that now, she was isolated and a ready target for every Remnant soldier on the parapet.

Osik.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.

Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, [member="Driel Beroya"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 3/37

Taking the shield and holding it out in front of me, blaster bolts rained down on the shield itself, as well as the ground around me. I could see through the yellow light to spot the sniper. I had a direction on him when I heard a warcry behind me. I looked for a moment to see the lass as she charged forward with covering fire instead of shooting him. The new Blood wanted to get in closer. It was then I could feel the force within her. She was different. Much different.

I focused my efforts ten-fold. Charging faster. Using the jump pack to leap over the enemy barricades. My lightsaber plunged down and through a man's armor as I landed on top of him. I hadn't even taken my saber out of the man, or even stood up when I was being fired upon. Releasing the saber, it shut off from the functions I had housed in it. Leaving the saber there, I rushed forward with shield only. Ramming it into a man, and taking his head off with the amount of force, as well as the lightsaber tech.

I held my arm up and crouched as I gathered the force within my right hand. I could feel the force build within me. The Dark and the Light melding as I threw a Force Burst. Anyone in my line of sight down the side was pushed with extreme force into, and through the wall. Deactivating the shield, I called upon my saber with the force. The blade igniting as it slammed into my gloved hand.

Slashing at the wall next to me, I made an X shape, and then used a force push to blow open the wall.

Time to take the fight inside.

As I did this, I could hear the explosion over the banisters. She was up there. I could feel her up there. jumping up with my natural talent, I grabbed onto the ledge, and pulled myself up with ease to see her with a lightsaber as she killed the sniper. My own blade ignited as I stood there. I smiled under my helm.

​"Zephyr Carrick, Now, how about we go full force with our talents instead of rifles?"

I could see the ferocity within her. I could see the abilities she had. It reminded me of a time I once saw a man leap over his commander and rush into a horde of men.

 

[Malok]

"You mentioned Iron Crown, what of theirs would you like to incorporate into the design?"

"In particular, the HELIX warhead. They'd fit beautifully in ARIN's own Flextubes."

"HELIX? Haven't heard of that particular designation."

"It's Fringer tech, specifically purchased by the Mand'alor himself. I'll send you the specifications, but in brief, it's a monster."

With that said, Niles tapped upon his datapad, transferring details to the yahoo's partner. A shrill ping entered the room, followed by the lofting of the man's eyebrows.

"That...that's terrifying."

"That's the point."

[16]

 

[Driel Beroya]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.
Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, Jar'orar Tsad, [member="Zephyr Carrick"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 4/37
___________________________

What? Who? Her head swam, riding the throbbing waves of pain in her shoulder and knees. Somebody was standing over her, helping her up and shielding her as the Remnant soldiers turned towards them. Driel wobbled as she came to her feet, left arm hanging uselessly and humming with agony, matching the red hum of her saber. She looked up. They couldn't turn the heavy guns to sweep the parapet, so that was a small blessing; but she and Zephyr were still very much alone on the wall, very surrounded by enemy soldiers who didn't need heavy guns to make them both very dead.

Bloody wonderful ruin. She ground her teeth and stared ahead, clenching her fingers on the rubber and durasteel of her saber. Bloody. Wonderful. Ruin.

"Use the pain," Coron crooned over them. "See the path through your enemy, and then carve it in their pain." Her groans of agony turned, slowly, into a growl of rage, and at last, she blocked one of Brin's punches and staggered upright. Then she attacked, and more than hearing his slavering praise, she could feel Coron's pleasure. Use the pain.

Bloody. Wonderful. Ruin.

Driel grinned inside her helmet, her thin lips curving into a humorless wound full of teeth and menace. She managed a twirl of her saber.

"I'll take left," she muttered, "you take right." Then she pushed past him and charged, feeling her ragged throat tear again as she screamed. She had one functioning arm, no rifle, and only one frag grenade left. In that moment, she felt like it was almost a fair fight.

The first man crouched near the heavy cannon emplacement, firing at her. Driel managed to bat one bolt away and let the other two fly wide, then she reached him, snarling as she put her saber in his neck. He cried out briefly. The rest of the gun crew turned on her, and one of them managed to draw a vibrosword before he died. Driel scrambled over the gun and nicked one of the power conduit housings, primed her last frag grenade, and jammed it into the scar. She was knocked flat by a shot to her back, but turned and stood again, charging the other soldiers in front of her with desperate haste. She had to get far enough before -

The explosion was awe-inspiring. Feeding off the gun's power line, it roared off the wall and down the conduit, back to the generator sourcing it in the base of the wall.

First the wall's gun emplacements went dead. Then the basso thump sounded, and a section of wall - heavy, reinforced permacrete fortification - cracked. Driel was flung forward, scrambling along the wall. The bodies behind her soaked most of the blast and shrapnel, but she could feel hot licks of fire along her legs. She stood shakily, finding herself at a corner of the wall, an angle in the fortification, and looked behind her.

Bloody, wonderful, ruin. The wall was compromised. Remnant soldiers were sallying from the barrack below her, and she set down her saber for a moment to toss her two stun grenades down towards them. Her arm was going numb. That probably wasn't a good sign. Glancing over the wall, she could see other Crusader forces charging the wall, taking advantage of the absent defenses. She had a moment to breath. She clutched her left arm, set her teeth, and as she'd done many times before, relocated it. The pain dropped her flat on the parapet, and her fingers tingled.

"Bloody thorough osik," she gasped, rolling to her side and cradling her arm. It was functional again, and that was the important thing. There were more Remnant soldiers below her. That was important, too. They were shooting at her; probably thought she'd dropped dead of wounds or somesuch.

Driel picked up her saber with her right hand, and drew her pistol with her left. Looking down the parapet to where Zephyr was mopping up his side of things, she nodded, then jumped down to where more Remnant soldiers were meeting their stunned comrades just outside the barrack.

As it turned out, Driel found being a warrior - just like any other warrior - to be surprisingly intuitive, and she'd been told she had good intuition.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.

Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, [member="Driel Beroya"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 4/37

My lightsaber cut through a man's armor as I went to the right side. After she said she was taking the left, I thought it was a good plan, however, I could see that her arm was a little off. Not sure why, but I would be asking later. My red and black crackling saber cleaved through another man as it pierced through him, and into the wall I pinned him to.

A woman rushed me. Reaching out, I elbowed her in the face. Her body kept moving under my arm, and her legs went first followed by her head hitting the ground. She was out cold. Dead? no. Very much alive, and in a few hours would be having a headache like never before. I smiled as I pulled the lightsaber from the man. Men were firing across the way towards my new comrade who was doing rather well after hurling up her previous meal. Throwing my lightsaber to my left hand, My right bracer snapped to life. twin yellow lightsaber blades activated. Their blades considered a lightsaber shoto size. I rushed forward. Using speed as my ally to slam my fist into the closest man. In that instant my blades pierced through his armor, and his chest plate touched my hand, the crushgaunts activated their ability. Given to me by my master, the gauntlets would fire off a modest force push when performing a punch, or an open handed push.

This sent the dying man back a few feet off of my blades as I cleaved down on a second man as I spun around a third. Only to bring both sets upon him in an X formation. I roared with a battle cry. The Dark side of the force flowing through me. Reminding me of my attack on Mygeeto, I went into a rage.

I could see my vision turn red and yellow. My body swelled with the force as I charged forward. Slamming my shoulder into a man. Sending him flying over the banister, cleaving into men left and right. Bolts of plasma smacked into my chest plate as I did so. Sending me reeling back. This only angered me. I could hear screams as I let the force flow through me. However, I still controlled myself. WIth various lessons with my Master, Isley Verd, I could control my force rage outbursts.

My sabers shut off and I put them away as I ran. Slamming my fist into the nearest man. A boom erupted from him. His entire head exploded from the force push that came from my fist, the augmented strength of the crushgaunt, and the force. He was gone the moment he got close to me. I ran forward. Tacking a man into a wall hard enough to send his chest into the permacrete. Turning around, a man tried to cut at me with a vibroblade. Catching it, I stole it from his grasp, and snapped it between my hands.

I was going berzerk.

The power of my fist once more landed on a man. Slamming him like a cargo speeder in the chest. His body went flying like those fake ragdoll games back home. I saw a man standing before me. Holding a rifle and shaking uncontrollably. Walking up to him, I could see that down his left leg was a darker trail than that of his military grey pants. Picking him up by his collar, I threw him off the side. Moving forward, I was stopped.

​At the end of the hall was a heavy repeater. The blaster fire was out of this world. Tearing through the bodies on the floor, and threatening me. Sure, I could take a few blaster hits, but that many? No. Getting behind cover, I looked to my right to see the lass taking cover as well. She looked to be doing something with her own arm while others were rushing forward. I shook my head. I was gonna rush forward. Smiling, I got up, and went around the corner. Running right at the man, his repeater began to launch a wave of bolts at me. However, I began to run up the side of the wall. The friction grip in the boots letting me grab easily on the wall, and the jump pack I wore pushing up to keep me out of the line of fire, I then came back toward the ground as the fire stream aimed up. Ducking down and sliding underneath the line of bolts.

The man was spraying and praying he would hit me. However as I was still having momentum help me, I vaulted over the side of the railing, for a moment, launched my monofilament cable, and swung wide around, and above the man. Slamming down onto him. I grabbed the blaster from him as he was scooting away with a broken leg, and arms. Or, at least trying. Throwing the blaster at him, it smacked him hard in the face.

Standing up, I looked around. The Rage wearing off of me, I got back into cover. The courtyard below was filled with our own troops. Sitting down, I could feel myself drained of everything. Heavy breathing, and sweating in my armor. Sitting there, I focused on the force, using healing on myself to revitalize myself for a moment.

"Push forward a little. I'll cover you in a moment."

I took out one of the big guys. Now it was her turn.

 

[Driel Beroya]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.
Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, Jar'orar Tsad, [member="Zephyr Carrick"], [member="Goran"], [member="Darian Beviin"]
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 5/37
_________________________

She felt odd. There was something almost supernatural about her, walking in the slew of corpses outside the Remnant barrack. She'd drained this one dry, drunk it down, and now her pistol smoked emptily in her hand and her saber hummed in a tone that seemed almost sluggish. Coron had ranted more than once about how they would come to see their weapons as other sentients, and it was a load of osik - damn but she loved that word - yet there was almost a satiated rumble in the weapon's buzzing.

It was weird; as if she were walking in a piece of art or a poem - not that she'd read or seen any, but there was a sense of surreal profundity, standing amid a sprawling carpet of death. She didn't know what to make of it, and so she stood quietly, looking at the still bodies and listening to the sounds of war in other parts of the fortress. The battle had ended for these men, and this part of the fortress - or, at least, it had paused.

Was it this easy for every warrior; taking life with such simple need? 'I must live and so you must die;' was it that straightforward? Seemed so. She holstered her pistol and saber at last, and began kicking about to find a new carbine and press deeper into the fortress.

A door nearby hissed open, and she stiffened. The pause had ended, she could feel it. Boots clomped; more than she could count by ear. They fanned out around her, and she heard whispers and sounds of charging blaster rifles ... and one low hum, and one quiet set of boots. She turned.

A man in red armor, an Imperial Knight with his silver saber buzzing brightly, led a platoon of Remnant soldiers in black armor. A dozen rifles were trained on her, and the Knight was staring at her, furious. Driel couldn't help but notice his brilliant green eyes and blond hair. He was handsome, made moreso by his proud carriage and the anger putting iron in his limbs. He likely meant to kill her, too.

"You Mandalorians," he spat, "reaving and razing your way across the stars like a pack of wild animals. You should have died off eons ago." His eyes narrowed, and he lashed his saber back and forth, in a manner that Driel thought quite similar to a cat lashing its tail. He turned to his platoon. "Go on and reinforce the defense, throw them back out of the breach and hold it." He looked back to Driel. "I'll start with you." The Knight charged forward with a snarl twisting his handsome face, and attacked.

Driel drew her saber just in time and backed, and promptly stumbled over one of the corpses she'd made. The Knight sensed victory and stabbed down as she fell, but she twisted and rolled, coming to her feet a few feet away. He attacked again, and she parried, moving sideways and impotently slashing to drive him back.

Driel was panicking. She'd never actually dueled like this before - in practice, sure, but never for her life - and here was somebody who knew what he was doing and had done it many times. She couldn't even keep herself standing, let alone fight a lightsaber duel with an Imperial Knight. She parried again, and again, fighting desperately to keep his weapon away from her. With each stroke, his sneer grew, realizing just what he was fighting and beginning to toy with her.

"Stupid," he chuckled, knocking her parry aside and thrusting his hand forward. Driel was lifted and thrown back, thumping against a wall and dropping like a piece of cable. Her saber fell away and deactivated. The Knight kicked it as he advanced, then kicked her in the head. Already stunned from the throw, she saw stars and toppled. With horrific efficiency, the Knight seized her by the throat and hauled to her feet. He was so strong, he was throwing her around with one arm like she weighed nothing! She saw his sneer freeze and die, fading into something cold and contemptuously vacant as he pinned her to the wall, drew his arm back, and thrust his saber into her gut.

The moment froze. She had to act, somehow; she had to save her own life. Nobody was coming to save her, and this Knight wanted to kill her with a saber through her spine - but she was out of time, and his arm drove forward. She didn't understand why it stopped at first, nor why she felt a push at her stomach, rather than a searing heat before a devouring cold (or whatever it was that a deathblow and then death felt like). The point of his saber was jammed against her chest plate.

Her ... beskar ... chest plate.

It had held again. It had saved her life, again. She had to act now. She saw the instant of confusion on the Knight's face turning to angry realization. It was, literally, now or never.

She drove her right fist up towards his naked head, triggering the vibroshiv on her arm as she dead and stabbing it into his ear. Gore spurted across her arm, soaking it to the elbow in red. His eyes went blank, his limbs seized and spasmed, and the Knight dropped dead, blood leaking from his nose, ears, and mouth. Driel gasped and coughed; his grip on her throat had been tight, and he'd clenched powerfully in his death throes.

Her saber lay nearby. She stepped over and retrieved it, then, on an afterthought, took the Knight's as well. She hung both weapons on her belt, and turned back to scavenge a new blaster rifle. Maybe a power pack for her pistol too. The day wasn't over.

 

[Vora Kaar]

Objective IV: Surmount control of Borosk from the Imperial Remnant.
> Subtask 9: Establish FOB in Capitol Fortress.

Location: Borosk, Planetside
Allies: Mandalorian Knights & Crusaders, [member="Driel Beroya"], [member="Goran"], [member="Darian Beviin"],
Enemies: Imperial Remnant, First Order, Borosk Planetary Defense Forces
Post: 5/37

I had to take a moment. I went all out too fast. Once again, I was hasty in my decisions. I needed to think about this. Why was I always rushing into battle? The force wanted me. It wanted to use me. I wouldn't let it. Cleansing myself, and using the force to revitalize, I stood up as another Mandalorian said that forces were pushing through harder. Turning on my infrared, I could see a mass of people behind the wall. Slowly pouring in. Trying to shoot us down. It was then I saw a body fly across the side. Smacking into the wall. Feeling for the force, I felt her.

I don't even know her name. I had to get to her. Of all the people I could lose today, I didn't want it to be her. Drawing my lightsaber hilt, I breathed in. Then commanded the troops around me.

"Cover Fire. I need heavy cover fire."

A few men nodded their head. Grabbing the heavy repeater I had just taken from the man, I handed it to them. They smiled with glee. One providing fire while he set it up. It took a moment, and then he was ripping a line through the people coming through the door. Activating my lightsaber once more, I rushed forward. Cleaving past a man, and even jumping on top of another to propel myself up. Focusing on the wall ahead of me, my saber shut off for a moment to concentrate.

BOOM!

The wall above the troops erupted in debris as I blasted through it with the force. My arc of the jump allowed me to fall right through the hole, and onto the other side. Blocking fire with a force shield, and then throwing them out of my way, I looked a little to the left to see the woman. She was being choked, but the man was dropping her as she had stabbed something into the man's head. A knife of some kind. Good. She survived without me. She was learning fast. You tend to do that when in the heat of battle. I smiled a little as I activated the force shield once more, and my red and black lightsaber crackled once more.

Blaster fire was aimed at me. Raising my shield, I deflected a few bolts, and even used my saber to redirect some shots back at the troops that were firing. I just had to think, if there was one Imperial Knight, then there were more to follow. I hated to say this, but we may be in more than we bargained for. Luckily, My father was once trained as an Imperial Knight. I knew some of their fighting tactics from my father. I might have a better chance to fight them. However, I first had to find a way deeper into the main rooms of their fortress. Ducking down behind a broken wall, I found some cover.

Activating my Hud, I began to let the systems run on where we could try to go to get there faster. This war needed to end now. Should have ended earlier. Kicking myself in the ass. I could have done better. We might have been already to the center. Forcing that from my head, I looked over the wall to see the girl looking for new weapons to pick up.

Vaulting over the broken portion of the wall, I charged forward once more.

Out of the fire, and into the flames.