Campaign It Will Burn | TB Campaign of SJC held Dandoran, Nar Chunna, Nar Kreeta, Kintan & Klantooine

[Osam]

Objective: Marketplace
Equipment:
Kukri
Verikast Drone Armor
Assault Carbine
Pulverizer Sidearm
Tags:
Sethrak (For being cool on a neighboring roof somewhere in this marketplace. )
Keldothera (Awaiting response)
Gordrak (Dialogue/Covering Fire)
Syd Celsius (Acknowledged Fire... and matchmaker'd)
Starlin Rand (Shot at)

He waited patiently to hear back from General Keldothera, biding his time even as the Risen-Sraelvun near him poured down whatever firepower they could muster towards their targets. While it was advantageous for them to continue providing their supporting overwatch, there was little doubt in the Major's mind that their current assault was doomed to faltering. They could endure through a brief regrouping and manage to press back against the enemy once they had restructured their attack -- they could endure anything given time and consideration -- but this careless assault was bound to lead to devastation.

Regardless, the Major was unwilling to remove himself from the lines so long as his brethren were being sent forward. Until the General had listened to reason and decided to draw back their forces, he would continue to provide whatever support that he was able. It was what was expected of him by the others, and it was what he would provide as an answer to their requests. The Major grumbled took hold of his carbine, and promptly strolled towards the edge of the roof, intending to join with the others in firing down on their mutual enemies.

He was merely feet away when a sudden lance of fire caught his attention. A miniature twister of flame soared through the air, igniting a few of his kindred currently scattered throughout the lower ground. The origin of the fiery attack was quickly identified -- another of the Jedi -- though this one was clearly more aggressive than most, at least in terms of style. They were throwing themselves against bands of Sraelvun and Risen alike, burning and churning whomever they were able into cinders.

They were overextending themselves too if the sudden blows they took were any indication. The Major would punish their foolhardy error.

Osam took notice of the Baedurin warrior that he had spied earlier, the one who had utilized a corpse in order to gain their position, and he recognized that while they were still facing threats on many sides, they were far more secured than they had been... highly gore-splattered walls were indicators enough of their talent. The hybrid Risen directed a finger towards him and spoke to his Marksman with the understanding that they had finer eyes than most others and would be able to distinguish his target with ease.

"Inform that one - the Baedurin, that there is a threat flinging fire near him. I think he will find joy in extinguishing their flame. We will provide covering fire so that he may engage."

Fire and flame may have worked well against Sraelvun, and even against many Risen, but the Baedurin were as fireproof as creatures could be... he'd make short work of her if he engaged, no doubt.

In the meantime, there were other targets with which the firepower of the Major could be directed. He split his squad in two atop the structure, directing half of them under the command of the Grenadier to fire upon whatever forces encroached upon the Baedurin, and taking the other half to strike at whatever targets he wished.

For example, the young human not far from the firebreather. Osam raised his carbine, lined the iron-sight upon the chest of the learner-Jedi, and sent a burst of terrible projectiles towards them.

 

[The Monster]

Location: Just dropping out of hyperspace aboard Hope
Objective: Get to the ground and stem the tide
​

Spoiler: Gear

• RA2M - U/A/S​
• TDW HARM - Custom Munitions​
• M-18 Pit Viper Hand Cannon​
• DEX Satchel Charges​
• EBFAK​
• M-3 MAAWS Mod 2 - 4 Rounds (1 Thermobaric Full charge, 1 Kinetic Penetrator, 2 HEVF, 1 WP Smoke)​

​

Theme: ​

The blackness of space would crackle as all ships with available sensors would sense something exiting hyperspace. In a flash of bright blue light a massive two kilometer long star destroyer, flying the colors of The Dire Wolves would appear. Aboard, alarm klaxons blared, men and women ran to and fro each of their stations, radar stations and weapon stations that were already online began selecting targets.

On the flight deck inside the vessel, pre-staged Dragon Fighters would begin firing their main engines as pre-flight checks were started and completed in rapid succession. Ground crews directed the fighters to their launch berths with large light wands, signaling when each ship was in position, and doing final pre-launch checks. When the all clear was signaled, the crewmen would raise a single thumbs up to the pilot, who would radio launch status. And in seconds the blast shield would be raised, and the Dragon would fire its afterburners. And then with a roar, the massive craft would be launched, Red Squadron taking to space as they immediately banked hard left to come into a defensive formation around the Star Destroyer. The next flight would begin the same process as elsewhere on the ship gunners finally located, targeted and prepared shooting solutions on enemy Bryn ships. Turbolasers, Ion Cannons, and the massive 1600 millimeter Mjolnir Cannons would open fire with a silent thundering roar. 1.6 meter wide by 5 meter long Armor Piercing High Explosive shells would be flung out of the massive cannons at Bryn ships with deadly accuracy and a will to utterly destroy all opposition in space.

Hope had arrived
​

On the bridge stood newly christened Captain Aleksandr Kerensky of The Dire Wolves. He watched as his crew performed their tasks with excited efficiency. The situation in space looked tenable, but from the reports that the battlenet were bringing up, the ground was another story altogether. The Bryn, while being absolutely terrible when it came to space combat, were much tougher on the ground and as such were dug in extremely well. It was a deadlock, and Captain Aleksandr knew exactly the sort of man to call on to break such a deadlock. But he had formalities to attend to first, and called on the nearest comms crewman.

"Communications, get me an open comm channel to all SJC forces in space, and to SJC ground command,"

"Aye sir, patching in.... now!"

A small notification would let him know that he was indeed live through comms and the captain would speak.

"This is Captain Aleksandr Kerensky of The Dire Wolves Paramilitary Organization, formerly Admiral Kerensky of The Sith Empire, to all Silver Jedi Concord forces. We are here to support combat operations in this AO against the Bryn'adul. We will commence ground operations shortly, if any ground forces need support, send your requests and I shall direct to them whatever resources we can bring to bear. Do not despair comrades, we are on the precipice of victory. All our sacrifices shall soon be vindicated with the enemy's defeat, so take heart and fight well. Captain Kerensky out,"

With a nod the comms channel would be closed, but Hope would still be ready to receive oncoming traffic requests as she made a beeline through the Bryn line, heading straight for the planet. The captain smiled as he finally found a posting worth being in. Maybe not a commander of fleets, but definitely of a fine ship. And with a cause worth fighting for.

"Get me Sergei on the comms, tell him we have made contact and to prepare for landfall,"

"Aye sir,"

*******

Spoiler: Theme

Sergei meanwhile was in the arms room of his ship, prepping his gear alongside the rest of the commandos and security forces of TDW. He had just donned the undersuit of his armor, and was preparing to step into the machine that attached the armor to the suit when the call came through.

"Good, have him send the brief when able, we are preparing,"

Heavy metal music was blaring throughout the armory as the fighting men and women of TDW readied their gear. Security Forces soldiers donned their protective jackets and armor sets, while commandos of The Ghost Company and 1st and 2nd Platoons were putting on their own armor. Several mechanical arms raised out of the floor and began attaching armor plates to Sergei's armor, finishing with the head piece which left him in the dark for a few seconds. That was before systems went through their primary startup, each system check reading off green until the virtual reality suit finally kicked in showing Sergei the outside world through his suit's "eyes". He tested the suits responsiveness to several movements of his hands, feet, legs and arms, and satisfied with the results, he wished for his protective face shield to open. And it would almost instantly. Sergei would walk along the rows of men donning armor, checking weapons, packing ammo, and doing pre-combat checks/pre-combat inspections. Each of them moved with a purpose, each of them knew what they were about to face. None here was a stranger to combat. None here had any doubts about what they were about to face.

The last time they'd deployed to the ground, they'd almost lost everything. Sergei himself had been prepared to destroy it all with a single strike, if that's what it took to stop the Bryn. And now, the SJC had indeed sacrificed an entire line of planets for this cause. And while Sergei commended such an initiative, he also couldn't help but wonder how much was being sacrificed to stop these animals. Defensive wars never worked out, because regardless of how well you stood the enemy up, the only damage that would happen would be against you. This would be a bloody conflict, and Sergei knew it would cost a lot more of people like his own before things were settled. He didn't have to say anything to his men to indicate this. Those that weren't here for Yurb would understand from the briefings, and from the look of anger when they caught a member of TGC from the mention of the Bryn. That battle had been the creation of the second generation of The Ghost Company. An event that had scarred TDW more than any would ever admit.

And it was time for payback.

Sergei would finally finish with grabbing all of his gear, and begin stowing it into the drop pod. Everything clicked into place, everything locked down as The Dire Wolf did one last look over everything that he might need. There were no more words, no mantras, no good intentions. If the Bryn sought violence, Sergei and TDW would bring it to them. They would save the many by sacrificing their well trained, voluntary, and chosen few. Sergei and his forces would become the bright flaming sword of justice against the chaos and darkness the Bryn sought to bring upon the galaxy.

His men would become hope itself.

"One express elevator going straight to hell," Sergei said to himself as he stepped inside and the doors to the pod closed, and then sealed "Going down,"

*******

The Star Destroyer would tear a bloody swathe through the Bryn line as it went full burn towards the planet. Turbolasers, Ion Cannons, Laser cannons, and Mass Drivers would fire non-stop as the two squadrons of fighters would intercept any aggressors that attempted to stop the ship. The ship itself would move as though the gods itself demanded it to be where it was going. And as it entered range the main cannons on the bottom of the ship would cease firing as they cycled from firing standard rounds, to beginning to load drop pods. They would line up a ballistic trajectory to stop the largest force of enemies detected ( Sylok'Vanari ) and in seconds they would begin firing the pods.

The drop pods would immediately enter atmosphere, moving so fast into reentry that heat and fire would coat them as they roared through the sky. Members of the Commandos would be shaking as they rode the pods down. For many this was their twentieth, if not thirtieth jump into hell. Among this first wave of drops were Spartan Company of TGC, their droid counterparts, and Blood Asp Company, with the same. 80 men and droids with Sergei's own personal team of another 3 commandos and 3 droids including himself and John. The fire and heat would finally give way as the pods closed in to the ground, counting down as they deployed their various stages of landing to slow the fall. Not that any landing was ever soft. It would take less than a minute for the pods to hit dirtside, slamming into the ground with massive plumes of dust, rocks and debris as they made their landing known.

And seconds later, Sergei and his men would engage the explosive bolts on the pods, blowing the doors off of them, and charging out into the school courtyard and surrounding areas with weapons drawn. Sergei himself would leap into the air on his Raven class thruster packs and take flight with several other members of TGC. They moved to clear the zone for the second wave of pods and heavy TCD-2Ds, meanwhile Dragons and War Hound Heavy Dropships also made entrance into atmosphere, heading to various LZs and support requests for combat air support and combat air patrol.

No longer were the Wolves trying to hold ground and defend against something.

The Wolves were on the hunt.​

 

[Ostak Cl'mana]

OBJECTIVE: C
LOCATION: Nar Kreeta, Outskirts
ALLIES: The Bryn'adul | Argaloth | Krarolk T'manu | Tathra Khaeus
ENEMIES: The SJC | Armored column under Vaux Gred
EQUIPMENT: Shaman robes, Cleaver Battle Axe, Spitter Utility Bow (1x grappling hook)
UNITS:

• 2x Shaman Beast Masters
• 6x Obalisc Destroyers (Full strength | Stationed on hills overlooking the city walls | Targeting pink armored columns)
• 1x Brumak (Full strength | In reserve)
• 3x Quilxyn Protectors (95% shielding | Deployed)
• 3x Drael Skags (Full strength | personal mounts)
• 40x Draeyde Bats (40/40 | In reserve)

"Beast Master Ostak, halt the Obaliscs!" called out one of Ostak's subordinates.
​

"Why should I do so?" replied Ostak. "Should we not target the walls?"

"Beast Master, look near the vanguard." continued the other Beast Master.

Several heavy armored vehicles of foreign design advanced near the Draelvasier vanguard, tearing through the already devastated first wave. It seemed as if stopping them would be a greater priority than breaching the walls, and possibly grant the vanguard the time they needed to regroup.

"Thank you for the blessing of your keen eyes, Beast Master." complimented Ostak. "You're right, we should redirect the Obaliscs. They still have yet to fire, correct?"

"Correct."

"Then, let us redirect them."

On cue, the three Shamen reached out with their spiritual energies and redirected the sights of the Obaliscs. They leaned down on their hind limbs, lining up their tentacles below their previous trajectory. With their powerful splash damage, it was not nessecary for every Obalisc to land a direct hit. Instead, they were aimed to fire their energy beams within the center of the armored formation.

"Now." ordered Ostak.

The Obaliscs fired a second salvo, six large beams of energy rushing towards the pink armored vehicles.

 

[Krarolk T'manu]

OBJECTIVE: C
LOCATION: Nar Kreeta, Outskirts
ALLIES: The Bryn'adul | Ostak Cl'mana | Tathra Khaeus
ENEMIES: The SJC | TBD
EQUIPMENT: In signature, Spitter Utility Bow (1x grappling hook, 10x explosive arrows)

LEADERSHIP

The next great wave of Draelvasier crashed against the city's defenses.
​

Still, the walls stood strong, their imposing presence taunting the Bryn, daring them to try to penetrate their depths. Zealots, Juggernauts, and Drones rushed in, only to perish and be replaced by more. Still, the Draelvasier could not replace their fallen forever. If the city wall was not broken soon, then the morale of the Byrn would be damaged beyond repair, and it would be a massacre worse than Yurb.

Krarolk propped up the mutilated corpse of a Juggernaut, using it as a meat shield as bullets flew in his direction from hidden sources. The Zealot Elite trio had split up several minutes before, and now Krarolk was on his own in a battlefield that stretched on in kilometers in all directions. He threw the Juggernaut's corpse aside, lunging to the ground as a sniper's bolt ripped the corpse's chest open. More bolts flew his way - Krarolk reached desperately for scraps of his spiritual energy, forming a barrier just in time. However, the Elite was exhausted and weakened. After absorbing the flurry of bolts, the barrier shattered, knocking Krarolk back several meters. When he recovered, he was behind a large boulder, with a presence on his right.

It was the corpse of a Zealot Minor, missing its head. To the right of it was a Major, in not much of a better condition than Krarolk.

"Major, where is your unit?" asked Krarolk, his voice raspy from extended wear.

"N-nearly gone." rasped the Major in reply. "Our Zealot Company was in the first wave, we were advancing and then..."

The Zealot Major's voice was cut off by violent coughing, and reddish blood spilled out of her mouth. Krarolk crawled over, his limbs protesting as he reached out to wipe the blood from the Major's mouth.

"Continue, Major."

"Then, an artillery shell struck the center of our formation. Our Officer... He didn't make it. We're down to eight, including me, all badly wounded. The others aren't too far away from here, but they won't be safe for long. This might sound like heresy, or a betrayal of our Crusade. But.. but... I'm scared. We all are. Will today be our last day? Will we perish before we have properly fulfilled our duty to the Chieftain? Such questions - they fill me with concern. Soon, even this bit of refuge will be gone."

"With that attitude, you will perish." replied Krarolk harshly. "I admit, Zealots were never meant for these types of operations. However, that does not mean that survival is impossible. If I can do it, then so can you."

As Krarolk turned away to access his wounds, the Major grabbed both his arms in her hands, pulling him towards her.

"Please, lead us." begged the Major. "You seem to be older and stronger than any of us. Please, give us the confidence we need to stand to fulfill the Crusade for another day. Even just another hour. Please."

"Well, if I must." replied Krarolk begrudgingly.

 

[Vaux Gred]

Location: Orbit
Tags: Primal Architect Primarch Drek'ma Caedyn Arenais The Monster Cadere Brooke Waters Okkeus Dainlei Gianna Aegis Caden Evesa Mathieu Brion Sasmay Cull Rhea Kat Decoria
Fleet: Keros' Kad, 10x Torrent-types, 4x Enigma-class FACs, 6x PS-1 "Tagger" Corvettes (escort type), 2x Neebray-class cargo frigates (Carrier modification), Talyc Squadron (8 GF-2Bs), 5x GF-2B Super TwinTail squadrons (48), 2x 8-R Toscan squadrons (24), 4x "Kodashi" Viper MkII squadrons (48), 5x HA-2 Pike squadrons (20)

Vaux arced her fighter around, looking down at the planet below. She looked at those around, quickly calling out over the comms.

“Signets, you guys still have munitions.”

“Most of us still have a half load in the bays, plus our launch tubes are still full.”

“Banshees and Slayers?”

“Full ordinance here. Been fighter hunting.”

“Quarter load here.”

“Talyc?”

“Half load CT.” Vaux took a breath, angling towards the planet. She smiled under her flight helmet. They seemed to have control here. Now it was time to change the mission.

“Then full throttle to the surface! Time to send some help to our f... frie.... Why is still hard to admit it!? Friends!”

And with that, Vaux, her squadron, the Toscans, three Pike squadrons and three other TwinTail squadrons would be cutting for the blue. Their goal: Protect their allies on the ground and take out the Bryn forces. Vaux sent a final transmission to the ground.

“This is Concord Te.... Talyc Leader. Air support’s coming guys.”

Tags: Primal Architect Primarch Drek'ma Caedyn Arenais Krarolk T'manu Rhea Galak Ostak Cl'mana
Unit: Wraith Division

The Wraith continued their fire, at least until one of the crew called out. “I’ve got multiple contacts, and they’re big! And organic!”

“Move move!” The tanks began to roll, too close for their camo to be that effective, but they did something that at first seemed crazy. They pushed. The explosions form the artillery managed to take out a track a Slugger. Thankfully, these armored units were built tough. Their tracks were designed to handle an air drop, they had shields and armor, and their weapons were destructive. The Sluggers quickly aimed their turrets, firing the same Baradium shells from before at the large beast.

The Frontlines would follow suit with a salvo in armor piercing mode, allowing them to perform direct fire on the enemy. The pink painted tanks would also quickly begin to weave around, making themselves unpredictable, and hopefully making them harder to hit.

 

[Targant Howlain]

Location: A few hundred meters from the Outskirts
Allies: Bryn'adul
Enemies: Silver Jedi Concord & Their Allies
Forces: 1x Drael Skag , 1x Draeyde Swarm (300 combatants total), more to come.

​

Several pods rained from tumultuous sky above. The organic pods slammed into the ground hundreds of meters away from the battles that raged in the outskirts. For several long minutes these pods laid dormant, long enough to assume that perhaps the inhabitants had died on impact or were already dead; killed by the battle that raged on in the space above the planet with these pods only being the desperate final attempt to escape destruction. However, the pods did eventually open.

Targant's eyes saw daylight through the limp corpse of the pod. Lifting his right hand he ejected a wave of Force that blew open the side of the weakened pod. As he did so a torrent of Draeyde flowed past him in every direction; their wing beats deafening and drowning out the sounds of war. They spiraled into the sky like a fleshy vortex. He stepped forward into the daylight fully now, his clawed feet digging into the upturned earth beneath as he climbed out of the crater.

His hands outstretched towards the other pods, his hands grasping and pulling at thin air which caused large chunks of flesh from the pods to be ripped off the doomed transport beasts. More Draeyde poured forth into the sky to join their brethren, leaving behind the corpses of countless other Draeyde who's frail bodies did not survive impact.

Targant scowled in frustration. He could not competently compete in a planetary invasion with a few hundred Draeyde. He needed something strong. There had to be something larger and more durable that made it to the surface. As he walked amongst the fallen pods he continued to rip and tear through them, each motion becoming more violent until he he opened a larger pod which was bulging in a pulsating manner. The Warlord once again ripped open a hole in the pod with the Force and out tumbled a Drael Skag; a large and durable warmount. "Perfect." He growled out in a menacing and pleased tone.

For now Targant Howlain ripped and tore his way through the dozens of pods that had made it to the ground. While main pods contained very few survivors, if any, there were still more to go. His army would continue to amass, preparing to join the fray in the Outskirts should he not be stopped prematurely.

 

[Keldothera]

Location/Objective: Marketplace
Allies: Gordrak | Sethrak | Osam |
Enemies: Starlin Rand | Beltran Rarr | Syd Celsius | Yula Perl |
Equipped: Kukri | Glaive | Kraker | Splitter |

Kelda continued to fire with her Splitter from the impromptu snipers nest, but as more forces moved to support the defenders in the marketplace, Kelda knew she had to do more than sit back and fire with a sniper rifle. They needed a new push, there were buildings around them and with the new reinforcements coming in halved, they didn't have bodies to spare. She had to do something.

But there was nothing to say she couldn't go through the wall. The Risen-leader informed her of the approach of new forces, though his suggestion turned her stomach sour. A lowly Sraelvun telling her what to do? She growled in distaste before speaking.

"No Risen. We will hold this marketplace!" Even if she had to tear every man in her way apart she would complete the Titan's given objective. They would endure this struggle and prevail.

"Pack, with me." Kelda pointed to a pack restocking their weaponry, a group of nearly two hundred Juggernauts alongside fifty Grenadiers and sixty Heavies, rounding up every Juggernaut she could find behind their front lines.

"The Chieftain told us to take this marketplace. And we are going to." Kelda spoke with a fierce conviction in her voice, it boomed across the marketplace as she spoke to her kin. Her loyalties were made clear and if they had a problem with it, she'd break a jaw or two.

The group was relatively small, but of course Baedurin would hard to miss. As the Jedi pushed into their ranks and the special forces soldiers prepared their lines of fire, the Bryn'adûl Warriors under General Keldothera used there alternate firing modes of the Krakers, setting explosive bolts on the interior walls, ready to create new pathways to hit the Jedi and their defenders from the sides.

Kelda raised her communication stone, speaking to Gordrak on the front.

"Gordrak. Reinforcements incoming, get ready to move on my signal."

 

[Yula Perl]

Location | Marketplace
Allies | SJC | Auteme (with) | Starlin Rand | Syd Celsius | Adrian Vandiir | Jyoti Nooran | Vaeri | Beltran Rarr
Enemies | Bryn | Sethrak | Osam | Keldothera
Tools | Emily | Nail Implants | Sentinel Droid (x20) | Nondescript lightsaber & blaster | Remote detonator

As she landed heavily in front of him, the fact that she hadn’t been turned to swiss cheese by the Sith Lord’s cadre of armed whatevers was a good sign. Then again, from everything she’d heard about Adrian Vandiir, maybe it wasn’t. Carefree as his spirt was, all sources pointed to his lighthearted nature obfuscating a shrewd mind and calculated decisions.

“Uh, yeah.” He knew her name, but that didn’t surprise her. “Don’t think that subtly was your intention here, buddy.” Neither was hers, not when she suddenly surged forward with a balled fist aimed for his pretty jaw. Whether her punch would find it’s mark or not, Yula would attempt to grab him by the collar. Conflict swirled in her eyes—this was the man who had taken her sister on Yavin. Yula wanted to squeeze as much as she could from him—but Force be damned, there were more pressing matters. The Bryn’adul weren’t just a scourge to the galaxy at large, they’d injured her family. Taken Kyra’s arm and Nida’s eye.

What was an older sister to do?

She blinked as some guy rushed past the alley hollering about crabs, throwing himself into the fray with gusto.

With a glance at the armored personnel bent on protecting their Lord, she regretfully stepped away. “Any other time, and I would…”

What, she would what? Frivolous as she was, Yula knew her limits. She had inhibitions. They were often ignored, but now she was forced to make a decision. Her teeth ground against each other, weighing the guilt of ignoring the genocidal maniacs against the guilt of ignoring her sister’s captor.

Her eyes swept to the nearby building that had shaken the marketplace, where the enemy ship had crashed. Hasty lines of smoke curled from the smoldering wreckage of the embedded craft, and she could see movement inside the building. Another explosion sounded, and Yula threw up her arms to cover her face as debris streaked through the air. Her eyes narrowed—where had that come from? She ran her finger over the button of the remote detonator in her pocket, mentally running through the areas where she and Auteme had planted mines. They weren’t supposed to ignite yet.

A dozen sentinel droids scuttled past, crawling up the side of the building that Sethrak and his crew had holed up in. With their aggressive programming, the battle bots would shoot at any tagged enemy that moved, relentless until rendered incapacitated.

“The Bryn’adul have commandeered a building and are using it as a sniper’s nest. I think it used to be that old shoe factory? Or it might have been that massage parlor that was a money-laundering front. Uh, I wouldn’t know. I’m heading over there.”

Rambling wasn’t a cute look, especially not in the heat of war. Tossing a glance over at Adrian and Auteme, she gestured with her chin towards the building in an “are you coming?” gesture.

Then she went.

 

[Kat Decoria]

Allies: SJO and friends
Interacting with: Open to interaction
Equipment: Durasteel armour, Lightsaber Pike, Rifle
Forces: Elite Rescue Rangers, Rescue Rangers (Scattered around the outskirts)
​

Holding her Lightsaber Pike aloft Kat lit herself in a deep green aura, her silver eyes studied the area. She was searching for her soldiers, she couldn't afford to lose track and she was panicked that spreading them out would weaken their strength. As she moved forward, she heard fighting and the fire of guns. Heading in the direction, she heard grunts and cries of pain as someone was hit. It sounded like one of her men, not Bryn so Kat rushed over and spotted one of her Rangers on the ground, wounded and trying to get away from several Bryn soldiers. They approached her soldier as she was rushing as fast as she could to protect him, but it was too late, they shot several times at the Ranger. Killing him in front of her. Kat screamed out in anger and pain, she could believe what they had done. Monsters. They were monsters, he was unarmed and couldn't defend himself. Monsters.​

Reaching in the Force, she blasted them with a Force Push, sending them prone as she lashed out with her Lightsaber and cut them down. Their deaths were quick, though part of her wished she could make them suffer. Monsters. How could the Jedi fight monsters like this? What if they became monsters because of this war? Kat wept for her fallen comrade, she didn't know his name off the top of her head, she trained so many to be Rangers for her force that she couldn't remember them all but she placed a hand on his chest, swearing to honour his memory. Standing, she resolved, she needed to find the others and gather them up. No one else would be left alone to face these monsters.​

Clenching her Lightsaber tight, Kat moved forward and kept her eyes out for her soldiers. Someone else had to be nearby.​

 

[Argaloth(Dead)]

Atmospheric theme​

Location: Outskirts of Nar Kreeta City
Troops: 2 Ravager Brute, 3 Juggernaut Corps, consisting of 40 units each with various types of Juggernaut units, such as Captain, Major, Minor, Grenadier and Heavy, Drones within each company and a batch of 10 Drael Skags beast mounts.
Hostile tag: Cadere and Mathieu Brion

<"They killed the drones on the river, as you predicted. The Skags are meeting fierce fire, Ravager"> reported one of the Majors in the Corp to Argaloth who had been following the interaction between his forces and the meatbags on the other side. <"No matter, we will get through them, even if we will have to sacrifice half of our forces"> replied the largest and heaviest Bryn with his deep thunderous voice.

Despite coming under insane firepower, the Skag was surprisingly durable and it took a lot of firepowers to kill just one. two of the first five Skags managed to survive the onslaught of fire from the Mechanised Kastolar Platoons and Cas' insane plan, only to try and run up the hill. The moment they hit the hill, because of their running velocity, they immediately tripped and slid down the slippery icy hill.

The plan to freeze the hill seemed to work flawlessly and with Cas's dangerous Skag surfing, it seemed to be a failed attack from the Bryn. However, what Cas and many of the soldiers would quickly start to notice with the second group of Skags, was that they were adapting. Despite Cas's valiant attempt, 4 managed to dodge the CryoBan thrown at their feed. They ran with an unnatural determination, almost as if they had tunnel vision. Even the Skag, Cas surfed on, completely ignored him and the pain he inflicted on it and just died when he stabbed it again. The last 4, thundering towards the soldier's line of defence, one more were killed by the soldier's blaster fire before the Skags got to the hill.

The moment the last three Skags came up to the hill, they jumped a bit forward, right before hitting the hill and ice, and launched themself into the air and over the entire ice-covered hill. With a ravenous and bellow roar, the Skags had managed to pass by the defences, despite being fired upon in the air. Attacking everything that wasn't Bryn, the soldiers would find themselves face to face with three 9 metres tall, and 15m long Drael Skags going into a frenzy with claws, teeth and tail.

Meanwhile, the Ravager Brute held two arms up in front of its face and ran for the fallen trees and started to push more and more trees into the river, letting the large tree trunks form more and more surface for Bryn soldiers to cross. The blaster fire from the soldiers seemed to do little if just annoy the massive beast of a Bryn. Releasing a loud and primal thunderous bellow, which soon would show to be a signal, for suddenly the rest of the entire Bryn army charged out in mass. Warcries and firing, the Bryn warriors did not particularly aim at any specific soldiers, but the general vicinity, to cause as much damage to the opposite side as possible, not caring what they would hit.

Being the last to exit out of cover, Argaloth started to walk across the battlefield, watching the fray which already were in full swing, with more soon joining in. Being the largest he gained a great vantage point, scanning for that Force User who managed to stop most of his Skags' charge, though he couldn't find Cas yet so he started to increase his speed into a slow sprint. Besides, if he went into a full-on charge, he would pass everyone else.

The other two Ravagers, however, was already into a full-on sprint, passing many of the Bryn Soldiers.

 

[Primarch Drek'ma]

Objective: A
Allies: Tathra Khaeus | Galak | Voridus Kerwa | Kelmor | Kar'dak | Ostak Cl'mana | Targant Howlain |
Enemies: Jyoti Nooran | Caedyn Arenais | Vaux Gred | Beltran Rarr | Kat Decoria
Equipment: Staff & Cuirass


He could feel it, the tide was turning. The Zealots were helping lead their scattered forces back into the city and Galak was coordinating their forces in the absence of Tathra. But, that above all was what concerned him. The battle raged on and his corpse could've sank into the crust, forgotten and soiled. The image of it plagued his mind, he struggled to remain at his post. His old friend, he could help him but he was duty bound. A duty he was failing. Here he stood, leader of the Shamans and he could not command a Servitor when he was needed most. He had lost control, and his kin died in droves for his weakness.

He sought strength from within, turning his eyes to the burning pyre of a city that lay ahead of their forward command outpost. The Syphons had began to discover more and more mines buried beneath the concrete, it would take time but they could disable them with their vampirism powers.

"Emissary, I have instructed my Shamans to direct the Syphons, they will begin to disarm the mines that they find."

With that said, his unblinking gaze shifted to one of the many beast masters at his side. Their thoughts were combined, their orders interlaced with their thoughts as they did his bidding willingly. The Shamans worked together to strengthen one and other.

"Link with me brethren." His words hissed with stern thought as three of his strongest Beast Masters joined with him. Their telepathy expanded as they organised their beasts. He reached out to Ostak, telepathically communing with the Vemnak Shaman.

"Link with me, Shaman Ostak."

Across the battlefield, the Primarch would direct the telepathic capabilities of the Shaman order out like a wavelength. In the depths of wreckage, beasts rose and moved to join the battle. From one particular wreckage, one vision would touch the minds of those linked; Tathra - the Chieftain, living and fighting for his life.

The Titan LIVES - He fights, he ENDURES. And so must we.

With newfound strength his mind reached out, confronting the disobedient Guardian beneath the surface of the planet. The Primarch could not control everything, not as long as he allowed his fear and fixations to control him. Only when he could master himself, could Drek'ma truly control the mightiest of beasts. With his power renewed, the Primarch forced his will upon the mighty Guardian.

The earth would rumble as the Guardian began to move beneath the City. The Primarch's eyes glowed a vaporous yellow, blazing with power.

We shall destroy them!

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

Location: Crashsite
Objective: C | Outskirts
Equipment: Axe | Shield | Armour
Allies: Galak | Primarch Drek'ma | Keldothera | Osam | Kelmor | Krarolk T'manu | Ostak Cl'mana | Sethrak | Kelmor |
Vicinity: Kar'dak
Enemies: Gianna Aegis

The little one looked up for a split-second even as Tathra moved to charge at him, it was enough to give away Kar'daks attack. Tathra darted to the side as the Juggernaut crashed into the pit alongside them, his own Axe held in the hands of the traitor. He growled, ready to tear the flesh from the mutiny leaders face as one of the larger two closed the distance from either side, the first swung with its Cleaver, he ducked under the swing; punching the Grenadier in the weak spot of the armour, his fist crushing into the liver, left foot raised and kicking the joint of his right leg inward at an impossible angle. The second lunged with Kukri in hand, thrusting low with his right.

Tathra dashed into him, the Kukri ramming into the middle of his chest where the armour was thinnest. He whined in pain as he caught the traitor filth in his right paw; grasping tight on his throat. Tathra roared, tasting his own blood on his tongue as he yanked the Baedurin overhead, slamming him into the ground - rising as he slammed the metal heel of his boot into his face. The smallest of them leaped on his back, a tight wire wrapping around his throat as the coward tried to cut Tathra's throat. He slid his fingers under the wire as it cut into his neck, struggling to keep the razor sharp blade from slicing him open. He lunged back, slamming into the wall, able to get his entire fist into the wire, yanking it away from his face as he rose, planting his boot on the traitors chest, slapping away one of the weaklings arms as it aimed its sidearm at him, with two arms; Tathra used the heretics body as a brace.

The small ones screams would fill the wreckage for but a moment as with one tug Tathra ripped his arm from its socket; blooding oozing as a gush of black spray coated Tathra's right shoulder and collar armour - pain filled Tathra's mind as he looked down, the marvellous ruby blade of his Axe halfway buried into the right side of his waist. With a weak groan, he fell onto his hands and knees.

The heretic leader spoke, his life for the Draelvasier? How deluded they were. There would be NO Draelvasier without him, they owed him everything. The delusional righteousness of Kar'dak made his blood seethe and boil with rage. Even as blood dripped from the side of his jaw, Tathra looked up with hate in his eyes.

"I AM THE DRAELVASIER." He grasped the golden shaft of the Axe, pulling it from his own wound as he rose; forcing it aside with his left hand; striking with an open palm at the centre of Kar'dak's chest - sending him keeling backward into the ruin he had created.

"There is no Command. BUT MINE." Tathra staggered to the size of the one wounded remaining Grenadier, raising the Axe overhead slowly. With the strength he still had in his tired state, he swung down - the Axe cutting through the Grenadiers head and burrowing into his chest.

The Axe sat there in the twitching body of the last remaining culprit bar their leader. He sighed, in some small way he blamed himself for it all. They had failed at Yurb, and mistake after mistake had lead to this. His eyes followed the ground to Kar'dak - an embodiment of that weakness. And just like the weakness within himself, that embodiment had to die. His chest heaved with rage, adrenaline rushing through his body as he slowly placed his hand on the Kukri buried in his chest. With a grunt, tearing the blade from his flesh, throwing it aside to be lost among the wreckage and debris.

A moment of silence.

Tathra walked toward the Heretic with a purpose intensity in his eyes, and a sadness he did not wish to entertain. Just like the many billions who had to die for the weakness of the Galaxy, Kar'dak had to die for his. He raised both arms as far back as he could, staring at the betrayer in his eyes. Hunching forward as he brought both arms forward; a clap would reverberate through the dead wreckage as the heretics head was crushed between his palms.

CLAP!!!

The body collapsed, his eyes drawn to blood soaked hands. His hands soaked in the blood of his own.

Tathra screamed with a sorrowful rage. He looked upon his works, mighty and despaired.

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Location: Outskirts
Troops: 5 Mechanised Kastolar Platoons, numerous soldiers carrying LPD-39 Coldblast Cryoban Grenades and LPD-37 Coldstream Cryoban Rifles
Equipment: Ashlas wristguard | Espresso Revolver | 10 L'Escargots with Cryoban charges | Stun baton | Two Lightsabres | Brion Substance Regulator | Electromagnetic pulse emitter | Covert Jedi Robes on top of Gundark II-class Power Armor | 5 LPD-39 Coldblast Cryoban Grenade | LPD-40 Icejet Miniaturized Cryoban Projector | Commlink
Allied tag: Cadere
Hostile tag: Argaloth

"Come on, blast it" Dansk's lips were pursed and while one hand held the comlink, the other had formed a tight fist. Both she and Mathieu were watching intently as their defences kept peeling off Skag after Skag. Mathieu's eyes went wide when he saw what Cassie was doing "You bantha-headed nerf-herding fool" Mathieu's voice was in clear disbelief but before he could even think the thought of leaving, the Major sent him a stern look, swaying him to stay.

But soon enough, it became clear that some of the large beasts were going to break through. Mathieu had read a thing or two about the beasts and knew that the soldiers standing in their current path were as good as dead. "Let them through" he called out to the nearby teams - but he knew that some of them may as well be dead already.

Mathieu was correct. He was talking to them, trying to establish a connection when he suddenly felt their lives vanish. A shiver crossed his jaw as he inhaled, making a suppressed, sad noise. The Padawan was battlehardnened, way more so than one might expect from a Jedi learner. The days spent as a Mercenary had him see many battlefields, many warfronts and way too many deaths. But there was something about being in touch with the force and aware of ones surroundings fully. Even more so when a connection was actively being sought. Each and every one of their deaths were felt and even though it was not more than a dozen who got killed by this initial charge, it still broke his heart to feel as their lives slipped away.

What was worse was that the Skags weren't done. After breaking through the Concord lines, they would continue. Mathieu took a firm hold of the comlink. His voice was changed, it was shaken from what had just happened, but his words were still clear. "Fire teams five through nine, envelop and execute." The beasts were deap within the Kastolar lines that were running surprisingly deep already. And as if it had been practiced beforehand, a large portion of the central line turned around and started attacking the beasts from up close, this time also making use of the cryoban loaded L'Escargots fired from their Espresso Revolvers.

But while their plan to deal with the breached lines activated, their front line grew weaker - not much, for the lines were thick, but still noticeably so. It made it all the more fortunate that aerial support was coming near. Vaux Gred could be heard loud and clear inside the Frittata. Mathieu had barely recovered from feeling the deaths of his troops so close when he heard Major Dansk's voice "Make the call, Brion. I keep you Jedi around for a reason" The Padawan was quick to protest "Major, I'm just a learner, I don't know where to call it in. I'm a Padawan, not a magician." It was a desperate plea for her to spare him. Cassie was still out there and risks were obvious.

Dansk did not relent, and so, the Morellian finally picked up the comlink to contact the Gred pilot "This is Jedi Padawan Mathieu Brion on behalf of Major Dansk. Forwarding coordinates of a heavy Bryn concentration. Keep those trigger fingers in check, there are friendly forces nearby." with the message concluded, he observed the holotable again. If the pilots hit the forwarded coordinates, the area closest to the river on both sides would be targeted by the friendly fliers - and considering how much ice laid about, it was right where the Bryn forces were expected to be slowed down.

Major Dansk had already contacted Cas and the other front line troopers - if they had ventured even a millimetre beyond the top of the hill, they were ordered to fall back to avoid being caught in the fly-by. It was good that she had, because when Mathieu's attention returned to the field, his heart sunk. Two of the fire teams had been almost completely decimated by the viscous beasts. And with that, he turned to the Toydarian "You need to let me get out there, Major. Please"

 

[Kar'dak]

Location: Crash-site Outskirts
Objective: C
Allies: N/A
Enemies: Tathra Khaeus
Equipment: Verikast Armour | Carbine |

In a manner of seconds, Tathra tore apart his brethren. It seemed as though it was only by mere chance that his second blow found purchase. But then as Tathra stared at him with such vicious hate in his eyes, Kar'dak froze again. When the Titan's hand grasped at the Axe, he tried to pull back but was overpowered. His enemy moved with lightning like speed, slamming an open palm into his chest.

Kar'dak was flung back, the centre of his ribs splintered from the strike as he crashed into the wreckage. Debris and rubble falling around him as he fell into a slump. Tathra spoke with the hubris of a god, and what he saw today made Kar'dak question if he really wasn't one. He stood there, covered in his kins blood and with wounds across his body. Even as Corsh stabbed him with his Kukri, as he thrust the Titan's Axe into him. Even with all that he endured the pain, fought back and overpowered four veteran Drael.

"How... how are you..?" He managed between breaths, eyes watering as he began to cough. He could feel that this was the end, his defiance had cost him his life. But now, it was Tathra who was the kinslayer.

The Chieftain approached him, gentle and slow. Something he'd never seen before, Kar'dak pushed himself upright with his arms; staring at Tathra. He was raising his arms as if to embrace the wounded Kar'dak, but that was only an illusion in his mind. There was no safety here, no unity - only strength and the will to endure.

He didn't close his eyes, he was no coward.

CLAP

The headless body slumped onto the wreckage pits floor.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Arriving at Marketplace, deploying defenses
Objective: Repel Bryn'adul Assault, returning sniper fire sent by Sethrak , firing anti-material rifles at Osam 's position and personally advancing on Gordrak 's position with his personal squad.
Allies: SJC and Allied Personnel, Starlin Rand , Adrian Vandiir, Syd Celsius , Jyoti Nooran ,
Enemies: The Bryn'adul (open to all interactions), Osam , Keldothera , Gordrak ,
Loadout:

• Armor: Katarn Mk. III Light Powered Armor
• Clothing: Katarn Undersuit, Bantha Load-bearing system
• Primary Weapons: 10mm Pulse Rifle
• Secondary Weapons: Death-Dealer Handcannon (drop holster, right hip - loaded with Sith-Killer Ammunition), Pulse Pistol (chest holster) Lightsaber (clipped to waist), Lightsaber Pike (strapped to back), Wrist Mounted Blaster (right wrist), Tactical Vibroblade (right boot), Incendiary Grenades, Cryo-Ban Grenades

Commanding: Paladin Company (150 Rangers)

Spoiler: Loadout and Status

1st Platoon:
Status: Minor Casualties (47 Rangers) - (Melee/Front Line)
Loadout:

• Armor: Katarn Mk. III Light Powered Combat Armor
• Weapons: Bonesplitter" Heavy Variable Assault Blaster Rifle, OS-126 10mm Pulse Projectile Pistol, 2 x LPD-16 "Pioneer" Phase Machete, Assorted Grenades

2nd Platoon:
Status: Full Strength (50 Rangers) - (Midline)
Loadout:

• Armor: Katarn Mk. II - Paladin Variant
• Weapons: Predator" Heavy Assault Projectile Rifle , OS-126 10mm Pulse Projectile Pistol, 1 x LPD-16 "Pioneer" Phase Machete, Assorted Grenades

3rd Platoon:
Status: Minor Casualties (48 Rangers) (Support/Heavy Weapons)
Loadout:

• Armor: Katarn Mk. II - Paladin Variant
• Weapons: OS-127 10mm Pulse Projectile Rifle,M-240 General Purpose Machine Gun, M-107 Anti-Material Rifles, OS-126 10mm Pulse Projectile Pistol, 1 x LPD-16 "Pioneer" Phase Machete, Assorted Grenades

Theme - Fatal

The battle raged and Paladin Company appeared to be at the center of it. Arrayed over a few block radius, the heavily armored troopers of First Platoon carved a swath through the advancing Bryn, force. Their goal wasn't total slaughter, but rather to sow chaos in the enemy's ranks by using their increased speed, strength and their suits' jump jets to sow as much chaos and disorganization as possible. Hit and run attacks made in groups of anywhere from six to twenty-four troopers, flying in from above where possible, killing whatever they could with their heavy blaster rifles, chainsaw bayonets, phase machetes and assorted grenades.

Meanwhile, second platoon slowly moved forward, striking from range with an overwhelming array of fire consisting of incendiary projectiles and cryo-ban bullets. Their goal was to hit the areas most affected by their comrades hit and run attacks, making the best use of the chaos to inflict the heaviest causalities possible.

Behind them, third platoon was busy setting up ad hoc fortifications and defenses. Sniper nests were created in the higher buildings, where the enemy sniper fire was backtracked using the Rangers' new reserve extrapolation software and those positions were hit powerful shots from the M-107 Anti-Material Rifles. (Firing on Sethrak 's position in support of Jedi assault on his building).

In addition, spotters were used to locate at least one Bryn'adul observation post, on top of another building. Within a few moments, several other sniper positions would fire on any moving entity they could target. ( Osam 's position).

These tasks occupied approximately half of third platoon, while the other half created barriers from abandoned speeder craft, rubble and Akk Dog Portable Shield Generators. To support these makeshift defenses, several machine gun nests were established using M-240 Machine guns. The goal here was to create a place for SJC forces to fall back to should the Bryn'adul advance become overwhelming enough to warrant a retreat.

For Beltran's part, he was firmly in control of the first platoon moving like a ghost of death in the thickest parts of the fighting. At the moment, his personal squad were going toe to toe with a group of Bryn'adul Juggernauts. Though the Bryn beasts were far larger than any one of them, even with their light powered armor, their size proved to be their weakness. Using their increased speed augmented with micro-bursts from their jumpjets, fireteams of two to four troopers were able to surround individual Juggernauts and pour overwhelming amounts of blaster fire on full auto from their Bonecrusher Blaster rifles. It took time, but even just cracking or damaging their armor was an effective tactic. For even a Juggernaut who survived the attack would face fire from the positions of second platoon.

That being said, the Rangers of Paladin Company were beginning to take their own causalities. A trooper standing only a few meters away from Beltran seemed to both explode and melt at the same time as a super-heated plasma projectile hit him center mass (Fired by Gordrak ). Another shot, fired from a position just beyond Beltran's ability to scan fired up at one of the sniper posts, killing the unit's spotter.

"First squad," Beltran called out to his own men. "Disengage. Let second platoon mop these guys up. We're taking fire from nearby, approximately 200 meters north. Advance and kill anything you find." Using their superior speed, the now eleven man unit would pull away from the Juggernauts and push forward toward the position where the enemy fire had come from, firing at full auto on anything that moved-hoping to keep the enemy under cover until they could get close enough to use grenades.

 

[Cadere]

Location: Outskirts
Troops: Personal squad consisting of 15 Kastolar soldiers, 5 Mechanised Kastolar Platoons (losing numbers), numerous soldiers carrying, LPD-39 Coldblast Cryoban Grenades, and LPD-37 Coldstream Cryoban Rifles
Equipment: 1x Lightsaber | Personal Light Armor | FF-CAR1 | 3x Stimpacks | Comlink | Holoprojector
Allied tag: Mathieu Brion
Hostile tag: Argaloth

Upon seeing he didn't get all the Skags he intended to, he let an annoyed sigh "Come on, man." he muttered. Although, the Jedi released a sadistic grin when he watched those damned creatures fail at their attempts to get up the icy hill - however, at the sight of the creatures beginning to adapt, Cas would need to return to the hilltop and aid his allies.

Freerunning through the trees he raised his wrist comm toward his mouth "Guys, might wanna fall back a bit." he ordered to his team, hoping they'd get a little distance and avoid being massacred by the oncoming Skag. By the time Cas had made it back onto the hilltop, a few of the frontline troopers had already been killed by the three Skags which Cas promptly felt through the Force, feeling like a sharp pain rose from his stomach to chest. He would do as best he can. The Jedi jumped from the final tree and landed on a Skag's back, dragging his lightsaber across it before leaping to the next one with a Force-enhanced leap in hopes of slowing them down - but the sheer ferocity of the creature in its frenzy caused Cas to lose his balance and fall off. Quickly, he rolled under it before he was trampled to death.

In the ensuing chaos, Cas didn't even hear Vaux Gred broadcast through his comms and was unaware aerial support would be on its way. Separated from his squad, Cas hoped that none were hurt or at the very least not dead amidst this chaos. Patiently, the Jedi waited for when the next Skag charged at him, for when it got close enough he would swiftly move to the side and slash at the Skag's legs as it passed him, hopefully forcing it to fall.

With his senses more alert, he managed to hear Major Dansk's order through his comm - turning to face the soldiers, the ones close enough to hear him at least "You heard the Major! Fall back and find some cover! Air support's on the way!" he yelled out. Cas had another reckless and suicidal plan, but he had to make sure the troops had a fighting chance "Hey! Failed experiment, over here! I taste waaaaaay better!" he yelled out to the Skags, hoping to garner their attention. If that didn't work, the young Jedi Knight would throw his arms forward and gain their attention with a light Force push. If the dumb beasts would follow, Cas would rush back to the edge of the hilltop and wait for them. Down below he saw the advancing Bryn soldiers which brought a concerned look to his face.

 

[Amaru Vusa]

Location: Outskirts
Objective: Protect the City
Allies: SJO
Enemies: Brynadul, Engaging: Adrian L'lerim-Vandiir
Equipment: Jedi Battle Armour - Single Lightsaber - Light-Shield (right forearm)

---

​

---

For the most part the city and its surrounding towns and villages had been evacuated in as short a timeframe as possible. There were always those that wanted to stay, whatever their reasons were. To fight to protect their home, disbelief, or simply being tired of fleeing from those that would take what they sought to build and cultivate. Amaru couldn't fault them. Defying the invaders that wanted your land? Dying for it? That was the stuff of heroes the history books spoke of. When coming across those brave souls, all he could give them were his well wishes before departing. It was more likely that they would die meaninglessly and be forgotten, but in heart and mind, he'd remember their faces at the very least. There was a part of him that warned to stay with those people, to protect them, but he had duties elsewhere.

Amaru had been patrolling below ground for sometime. Within the tunnel system there were multiple holdouts of Rangers and other forces pledged to protect the city. The sound of battle could be heard, ships and their contents crashing to fiery destruction shook the ground, dust and rocks slipping out of place above the soldiers as the Jedi Knight wandered past them.

That had been sometime ago. Now? He was on his own, far away, perhaps even lost through the twisting and winding tunnels of the cave system.

Regardless, his mission remained the same. Hold the line. And stop the Brynadul from entering the city. It didn't take long for him to see light spilling into the tunnel some dozens of metres ahead of him and he saw a shadow snake across the ground. It was large. The form of a large beast heading right his way.

Not that big.

The thought crossed his mind, and a gauntleted hand dropped down to unclip the silver hilt at his hip. Twisting his body to the side to provide as small a target as he could.

"You go no further."

The Jedi Knight stood in the middle of the tunnel. They were taught to not be the aggressors, to protect. But Amaru knew there would be no turning these creatures back. It was kill or be killed.

With a Snap-Hiss the violet beam of plasmatic energy burst to life with ferocious might.

 

[Ostak Cl'mana]

OBJECTIVE: C
LOCATION: Nar Kreeta, Outskirts
ALLIES: The Bryn'adul | Argaloth | Krarolk T'manu | Tathra Khaeus
ENEMIES: The SJC | Armored column under Vaux Gred
EQUIPMENT: Shaman robes, Cleaver Battle Axe, Spitter Utility Bow (1x grappling hook)
UNITS:

• 2x Shaman Beast Masters
• 6x Obalisc Destroyers (Full strength | Stationed on hills overlooking the city walls | Targeting pink armored columns)
• 1x Brumak (Full strength | In reserve)
• 3x Quilxyn Protectors (95% shielding | Deployed)
• 3x Drael Skags (Full strength | personal mounts)
• 40x Draeyde Bats (40/40 | In reserve)

"Link with me, Shaman Ostak."

"Take control of the Brumak for me, please." called Ostak to the remaining two Beast Masters. "I'm going to be busy for the next few minutes."
​

Before they could object, the Shaman released his mental grip on the Brumak and sat down in a meditative position. Recovering the energy he had spent on the Brumak, Ostak rallied his spiritual forces into the core of his body. Then, he launched it outwards, contributing it to the collective fueled by the Primarch.

The Titan LIVES - He fights, he ENDURES. And so must we.

Indeed. We must endure, no matter what the cost.

He felt his senior manipulate the power into something beneath the battlefield. Something large and unknown, something that may be able to change the tide of the battle. Ostak eagerly continued to funnel his energies towards the Primarch and the other Shamen, determined to do the most he could possibly do to further the Crusade that the Draelvasier war effort was founded on. His efforts were not only as a Shaman, but as an Overseer of the Tachael-Vemnak, the secret policing force of the Bryn'adul. If the individuals most committed to defending the tradition of the Draelvasier faltered here, then it would set an unfortunate example for the rest of the species.

Suddenly, Ostak felt himself cramp.

It was a stomach cramp - an unusually painful one. Perhaps the Shaman had released too much energy at once, leading to physical exertion that he could not notice until he was thoroughly worn. The pain shot outwards through his entire chest, causing him to cringe and bend downwards. His breathing became heavy and taxed, and it felt as if hundreds of needles were poking him at once. He was sure that the other two Beast Masters could hear his grunts and cries of pain, even as he managed to remain relatively still. But despite his condition, Ostak would not stop his contribution. If winning the battle cost the Shaman-Overseer his life, then it would be a sacrifice he would gladly accept.

Suddenly, Ostak felt a heavy force slam into his side, and both his cramp and his concentration vanished. His outward flow of energy ceased, and he could no longer sense the underground leviathan through the interconnected Shaman network. Ostak swung around rapidly to eliminate his assailant, only to find one of his own Beast Masters pinning him down.

"What are you doing?" yelled Ostak angrily. "Did you not hear me when I said I'd be busy?"

"You looked like you were going to die." replied the Beast Master. "I... I didn't want to see you perish, not after what you've done for us."

"Your interruption could be considered heresy." continued Ostak threateningly. "Would you still like to continue?"

"If it is heresy to keep you alive, then I will not falter to perform it." replied the Beast Master, unyielding.

It was tempting for Ostak to kill the other Beast Master right then and there, but first, he had to free himself from his grasp.

 

[Jyoti Nooran]

Objective: Buying Time
Allies: Silver Jedi
Opposition: Bryn'adûl
With: Vaeri Caedyn Arenais , Okkeus Dainlei
Directly Engaging: No one, currently (Open to interaction)
Gear: Armorweave Undersuit, Black Jedi Robes, Festive Breathing Mask, Echani Accuracy Gloves Avalanche Greatsword, Sitara (Lightsaber), Garrote Wire, Poisoned Shivs (6)
Units: Jedi Knights (3), Silver Raiders (12), Beserkers (24), Gnat Runners (2), Limited Air Support

The Jedi Knight nodded in acknowledgement while reaching for the commlink and raising a response; "Raven, this is Caedyn Arenais. I'm with Lykos Squad and we're rerouting to Sector G now. Reports are coming in heavy, reinforcements enroute. Over" he called before returning the device to his utility belt for the time being.

Caedyn Arenais? Veiere's boy? Suddenly, Jyoti felt old. She could remember when he was only a youngling playing around at the Rest when she was still Grandmaster. Now, he was old enough to take up arms.

She also felt like a failure. Jyoti had fought to see the youth like Caedyn never go through the horrors she did growing up, to spark a new golden age of prosperity and progress. Yet here he was, down in the trenches with her, trying to stave off galactic xenocide. How long before she'd see her little Artesia or Casval show up on the battlefield someday?

She kept faith for light at the end of the tunnel, but it was getting harder to see.

"Lykos, this is Raven team, looks like we're only a couple of minutes apart. I see Paladin and other elements are on the scene. Let's link up and check in with them to plug any holes. It is critical that we hold Sector G. See you in a few. Out."

She continued with a quick check in among her unit, then they were on the move again, practically hugging buildings for cover as they force marched down the desolate streets and alleyways. Silver Raiders rushed ahead, the tiny avians acting as forward scouts, followed by the spiderlike Gnat Runners - essentially light walking tanks - at the vanguard. Berserkers at the center, and finally the Jedi making up the crucial rear guard.

The street was mostly quiet, as all the civilians had been evacuated, and only a few scattered units of Bryn had penetrated this deep into the city at this point. Still, as she looked up, she could see more and more fighters and transports coming down. She frowned - she felt naked moving without dedicated air cover of her own. Even a little aerial probe would do wonders to even the odds.

"Raven to Command. Do you have any air assets to spare? I'm about to hit the Sector G with Lykos and the area is already swarming with the Buggers."

Spoiler

Sethrak , Osam , Keldothera , Gordrak

Starlin Rand , Adrian Vandiir , Yula Perl , Auteme , Syd Celsius ,

 

[Starlin Rand]

Location: Being shot at in the Marketplace
Gear: Starlin Rand's lightsaber | Mt. Muspelheim Shoto | FENELAR ARMOR
Allies: Syd Celsius | SJC and allies
Enemies: Keldothera | Osam | The Bryn’adul and allies

Starlin thought he was just starting to get the hang of it, this whole Jedi warrior thing—and then his danger sense flared like a migraine. He whipped around, trying to evade or block the fire from above.

His shoto impacted with one shard of metal, shattering the vessel amid a burst of molten plasma and flecks of lava. He wasn't prepared for the explosion and the force of it threw him through the air toward the street he had come from. The rest of the bullets rained down where he had been, exploding against the duracrete.

Starlin barely had a chance to even process what had happened when he felt a pain in his legs. He struggled into a sitting position and gasped. Through sheer bad luck, he'd managed to get shot in both legs. The pain was intensifying, a burning sensation over his skin added to the lingering ache from the impact—

He yelped in horror when it hit him. This was one of their Molten Bullets, the kind that was filled with molten plasma. Stuff that burned through people like they were made out of wax. Forcing himself to get a grip, he twisted his body around and called upon the Force. Luckily for him, Syd's curriculum had included lessons on telekinesis in all its forms. He yanked the shard out of his left leg, letting it drop to the pavement, where it immediately began to eat through the ferrocrete, producing a foul-smelling smoke.

Once it was gone, the burning sensation didn't go away. Starlin got to work on the other one, howling in agony at this point. If the damned thing broke, his leg was going with it...

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The Risen were beginning to creep around the corner towards him, spilling out like roaches after dark. Reaching out with the Force, he seized both his weapons, knocked from his grasp in the fall, and threw the activated saber at them. The blue blade sliced through three of the Bryn before it returned to him, but more were coming. Starlin hissed in pain and furious annoyance before hurling the Force at the shard still embedded in his right thigh. It popped out with a sickening squeal of fluids and flesh shrieking as they rubbed against molten metal. The sound may or may not have been amplified by his own screaming and/or whimpering.

With his legs rendered useless, Starlin half-crawled, half-dragged his body behind an abandoned shop stand. The Bryn were pouring in on his heels, though some seemed to be distracted by something (or someone) else on the opposite side. Syd was still fighting, Starlin was sure of it. And he wasn't mortally wounded... just very badly injured and crippled. Within minutes of the fight starting. Now his only goal was to survive long enough to be found by Syd or someone else. Although if worst came to worst, he supposed he have to fend for himself. Maybe get some solid practice in Force Flight. His legs really, really hurt.

The Risen who had already crossed the threshold kept coming, their weapons sweeping the area. Starlin stayed in hiding, biting his lip to keep from making any noise. Sweaty palms clutched at his saber hilts. If they got too close to him...