New tricks

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

Davon was sat in the temporary shelter when he heard the commotion outside. There were a great deal of these shelters arranged in the mountain forests. The skin of the fabric shifted to form adaptive camouflage, it was cooled to keep them from showing up on thermal cameras mounted on aircraft, and the mesh lining threw off lifeforms scanners.

Davon finished wiping his blade clean with the rag. A beskar blade didn't really need much care once forged, but he still liked to carefully inspect the edge and give it a good clean each night.

Sliding it back into its sheath and hauled himself to his feet. Leaving his helmet in the tent, he headed out into the clearing. A group of warriors were gathered around something.

"They got one Davon!" someone shouted.

"A hyperspace transceiver."

"Wont be able to block us over the Holonet any more!"



This is Davon of clan Betna. As had been well document, Agamar fell in an expertly planned campaign that lasted only three days. In this time Death Watch forces took all orbital defences, and captured or killed all stationed soldiers. It has been reported they have complete control.

This isn't true. The resistance has approximately thirty thousand warriors spread over three divisions. Every time there has been a media blackout in a city it has been to cover up our successful attacks. Death Watch has been carefully filtering civilian information in and out of the world in violation of three galactic wartime treaties. They're trying to prevent any more rallying to the cause.

These messages would have been sent earlier but they kept detecting our encryption signals over the public bearers and cutting us off. We know have out own long distance transmitter. We know the clans don't have the resources for a full strike. All I ask is for any warriors, supplies and weapons that can be spared. This is our world, we'll take it back our way.

Attached are safe LZs or meeting points where we could take supply drops or reinforcements.

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

Mirshko had recently returned from the Chiloon Rift, and was on her way home for a short visit. As Draco had directed, she made a series of jumps out of the Rift to help hide her trail, should anyone be trying to track her course. She knew that Mom and Da may not have fully agreed with her decision to approach Draco for training, but they trusted him enough to allow it. Though, she could tell they were wary of it. She frowned slightly as she studied the nav console and began to calculate her next jump.

For a long moment, there was relative silence in the cockpit, save for the soft sounds made by the computer as it calculated the next leg of her journey. As much as she wanted to jump straight home, Draco had been explicit. If she was to travel outside the Rift, she had to do so in a series of hyperspace jumps. Sighing softly, she was interrupted as the computer chimed to let her know the jump calculations had finished. She took a moment to look them over before hitting the commit button on the console with her gloved fingers.

In an instant, the stars stretched into lines, and the ship vanished into the swirling mottled darkness of hyperspace. She had decided to take a longer route, to help hide her trail more. This next leg brought her to the Agamar system. It was one with the Mandalorians had held... at least until the last year or so. More recently, elements of Death Watch had been sighted on the planet. Reports seemed to indicate that they were using it as a base of operations. As she floated in the black, with her ship cloaked, she could see Agamar off to her starboard. the planet was surrounded by orbital defense platforms, as well as a small fleet of vessels which bore Kyr'tsad IFF signals.

For once, she was extremely grateful for the ship's stealth, and Draco's insistence that she travel home in a series of jumps. Cautiously, she had ANNE run a few passive senor scans. She couldn't get much information out here, but she knew she could probably slip past the blockade. And as she floated there, assessing the scans, she received the coded message which was broadcast over a priority Mandalorian frequency. It wasn't a code she recognized, but it was one ANNE did. "That's a high-priority military code..." the AI said, her voice sounding somewhat surprised.

Mirshko frowned. "Can you decode it...?" she asked with a note of concern in her voice. There was a nod from the small hologram of ANNE which had materialized above her console. "Give me a moment, the code is complex. It's got the required security markers, but it's been altered slightly. Most likely due to previous messages being intercepted." ANNE fell silent for a few moments, and Mirshko noticed her hologram appeared to be thinking.

A few seconds more, and a wall of text began to scroll across Mirshko's HUD as ANNE fed her the contents of the message. As Mirshko read it, her lips thinned. "We do still have those crates of weapons and supplies we picked up on our last trip. I'd intended them for efforts around Mandalore.. but it sounds like they are more needed here..." She sighed heavily, and double checked the cloak before banking the craft around and heading for the planet below.

It took a bit longer than she anticipated to make landing on the planet below, but once she had, she drafted a short message and encoded it using the same algorithm before sending it. "Ori'vod Davon. This is Mirshko. I was on my way through the system and received your message. While I might not have much of the gear you require I do have some. I've landed, and should be ready for rendezvous shortly..." She then sent it, and carefully exited the Bes'uliik, making sure ANNE engaged the cloak, as she did the same with her own armor. She had no idea what kind of surveillance the Kyr'tsad might have.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

It was nearly an hour before any signs of a welcome party greeted the young Betna. A faint whistle would be the first sound to herald the arrival of the loyalist mandalorians. A civilian drone, the type often given to children as toys, zipped overhead. Its oval-shaped body turned back and forth, revealing a number of sensors that had been affixed to its shell.

A few seconds later the distant whine of a repulsor vehicle would add to the noise. An airspeeder with a heavy repeater and some form of ground to air rocket launcher mounted to the frame swung into view. Another larger vehicle followed, carrying a group of armoured warriors.

They came to a halt, dust settling beneath them where it had been kicked up by the repulsors. With an audible grunt, Davon jumped down from the transport, boots leaving heavy tracks in the arid ground behind. This was poor farming land, but yet to be urbanised. Well out of the way of any of the Death Watch patrols. The occupiers had launched a foray into this territory just last month. Using a rigged up jammer the loyalists had cut their comms once they’re pushed for forwards enough. A series of ground to air missiles had despatched close air support shortly afterwards.

When the Kyr'tsad sent drones to investigate they found the entire force of two thousand dead. The husks of vehicles had been drawn together in some form of last stand. Two thousand warriors had been lost, twelve armoured vehicles stolen along with a large quantity of ammunition and weapons. The heaviest defeat inflicted upon the occupational forces so far.

But Davon’s forces had paid for that. Regular aerial attacks were being used to soften them up before another attempt. Security forces had tightened their grip on key targets. This occupation was proving costly for them, but unless the rebellion received the aid it needed they wouldn’t last another year.

“They said they’d already landed?”

“Keep eyes open,” Davon replied. “Might be they broke our encryption and this is a trap.”

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

Cautiously, Mirshko moved away from the cloaked Bes'uliik. The Bes'uliik flickered and disappeared from view as she did. Even from here, she could see the smoke from the still smoldering remains of the previous battle in the area. She'd been in warzones before... but this was different. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and she kept a hand close to her Fett Kal trench knife as she moved towards the coordinates she'd transmitted. When she was several meters away, she crouched in the shadow of a tree.

When she stood again, her stealth field was inactive. The group in the clearing was drawing closer now. She'd seen their approach on the speeder bikes. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and ANNE interpreted correctly that she was trying to get a closer look at the group. She could see no Kyr'tsad markings on any of them, nor were they wearing the distinctive black armor. While this could be a trap, she couldn't sense such from any of those in the group. With a deep breath, she stood and stepped from her cover. Her hand still hovered close to her Fett Kal knife as she made her way towards the group.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

Davon swung around quickly as scanners picked up the movement. The strength augmentation frame whirred quietly as he shouldered his rifle, but kept the barrel pointing below the target.

Just the one, with clan markings he couldn't make out from this distance. He kept his rifle pointed towards the ground, but didn't lower it fully.

"Keep your eyes on all angles," he whispered into the local net. If she was loyal it didn't necessarily follow that she hadn't been followed down. It was also possible this was still a trap. Death Watch had put a great deal of effort into faking a supply drop, rigged with mines. They'd lost a lot of good people that day.

"I'm Davon of Clan Betna," he called out loudly. "Just yourself?"

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

She paused a few meters away from the group, keeping her hand close to the knife, but not actually drawing. As much as she could sense their wariness, she was being cautious too. After a moment, she nodded to his question. "Mirshko Betna..." she said firmly. "It's just me... and I shouldn't have been followed." She frowned as she took a look around. "As my message said, I didn't bring a lot of gear, I was mostly stopping here as a waypoint on my own trip." She shrugged apologetically. "However, any help I can provide, I will do my best to do so."

Another pause, and she frowned slightly in thought. She got the distinct feeling that she'd met Davon at some point before, but couldn't place when. Right now, she supposed it didn't matter. With a look around, she spoke again. "We should get out of sight. I've got some supplies in my ship. It's close to here." She gave him the coordinates, and waited while he sent a couple scouts to investigate. The ship had been landed close to a stand of trees, so it was mostly shielded from Aerial view, She instructed ANNE to disengage the cloak before they drew near.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

"Mirshko...Mirshko..." Davon mumbled to himself as they took the speeders towards the ship. He'd shouldered his rifle, but one of his free hands moved close to the blaster on his hip.

Davon had stayed out of serious clan business for a long time now. But he had a lot of descendants and they in turn had a lot of in-laws. Davon was the old man in the hills, the patriarch of his line and he did get brought an awful lot of gossip. He loved war stories brought back to the empty house he'd left behind.

"Anija's kid?" he asked. He was in touch enough to know the clan leaders had a child by that name, but she wasn't her age.

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

"Aye..." she said softly frowning slightly she could see his mind working. And while her parents might know of the time dilation effects of the Chiloon Rift, because they'd spoken to her on several occasions, they'd not said anything. For which she was glad of. It was something she had to come to terms with for herself... and apparently try to explain to the other members of Clan Betna. She sighed at that realization. And lifted her gaze to Davon's. "I've been away for about a year. I'd gone to receive training in the Force from someone.... and... well.." she shrugged as much as her armor would allow. "It seems I've sacrificed some of my childhood in the process." She well knew what the time dilation in the Chillon Rift had done, but she wasn't sure what others might think of it.


Soon, they'd reached the Bes'uliik. And ANNE had helpfully decloaked it before they arrived. As the speeders drew to a stop, Mirshko hopped off smoothly and made her way towards the ship. At this point she didn't care that she was showing her back to them. It was a calculated risk in this day and age. Even among clanmates, one never knew if a vod was a Death Watch sympathizer. it took her a few moments of fiddling with the Bes'uliik's cargo compartment before she got it open. Inside, rested two rather heavy crates of supplies and weapons. Grunting softly, she lifted them down to the ground, only slightly tapping into the Force to assist with the weight.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

That was a slightly cryptic explanation, Davon thought. The girl was was perceptive to see where his train of thought was headed. He might not have acknowledged her response, but she'd note his hand moving away from the blaster at his hip.

"You went training near a black hole or something?" he asked gruffly. With a grunt he hoisted one of the crates up, letting the frame take most of the weight. Before she could answer one of the group called out.

"Davon, we've got an armoured patrol moving close by. They're not in a rush but we shouldn't dally."

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

Oh, she'd noticed alright. And, that realization caused an ever so slight smile to touch her lips. "Sort of...." she said quietly as she helped lift the second crate into place. "The Chiloon Rift...." She let those three words hang between them, her voice low, so hopefully only he could hear. Though she knew that was just wishful thinking, given the advanced audio tech that most Mandalorians included in their armor these days. And she also knew that most Mandalorians still harbored a great distrust of Dark Force users. She supposed there wasn't much to be done about that. As she contemplated what that might mean, she was jolted back to the present by the shout of one of Davon's men. And then she frowned. "I can take a look if you want.... or we could just go. They'll hear the speeders though.."

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

"Chiloon Rift..." Davon quietly mused. Hadn't heard of the place before so he assumed some form of spacetime disturbance. They were hardly that rare in the Galaxy after all.

"Nah, we've got eyes on them," Davon said. "The main problem we have is that they've got quite skilled at honing in on our comms. So now we're having to use point to point systems."

Davon looked up at the fighter she'd come down in. "You know, we're a good distance from their air support. Two IFVs and a recon speeder would be a nice catch."

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

She tilted her head slightly and listened as he mused. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he thought it over. She had a bit of experience with guerrilla tactics from her time with the pirates, and it could come in handy here. There was only one way to find out. After a deep breath, and a moment to think, she turned to him again. "You said... a recon speeder and two IFVs? I can scout around if you like....." She paused. "I'm reasonably good at stealth.. and my ship is equipped for it as well..." Though, clan or not, she was still somewhat wary of putting her abilities out in the spotlight.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

Davon cocked his head to one side and rolled his shoulders. Could feel it in his old bones, might be time for a fight.

"Got any air to ground rockets in that ship of yours?" he asked. "Unless you've brought me any special toys in those crates we've got nothing can crack the armour on those IFVs on us."

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

She thought about his question for a moment, and mentally went over the inventory she'd been given. She knew one crate contained heavy blasters with extra powerpacks for each. The other one.... She grinned slightly. She knew the second one contained at least one rocket launcher, and at least half a dozen rockets with the small warheads separated to reduce the chance of accidental explosion in transit. While it might sound amusing. She knew it could very well be dangerous. As to his question about the ship, she nodded. "It does. Not sure how many, but maybe half a dozen. What would you need me to do?"

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

Davon took a small chip from a pouch in his belt. Passing it over to her he explained: "These are the codes to get your ships comms onto out battle network. That way we can talk and relay targeting information. The code is 'Six shanty sailors crashed the star destroyer.' Type that in and it will give your ship access to the codes."

Davon was talking whilst also watching a display of the local terrain on the inside of his HUD. "There's some dead ground three kilometers that way. Can you drop your ship into it then pop up and fire on the armoured vehicles on my call?"

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Davon Karr"]

Mirshko took the chip carefully, and slotted it into a reader into her gauntlet for the moment. The code phrase made her grin slightly. At least he had a sense of humor. It was something that was sorely needed in these times. She'd also been studying the area around them. As he mentioned the dead ground she nodded. "That would work perfectly. I can stealth in, and then pop up when they get close. I can't fire while cloaked, but it should still give us an element of surprise."

She had to admit, having the use of Mom's bes'uliik was invaluable for something like this. Especially with the cloaking tech. She knew it was possibly, but she wasn't entirely sure how it all worked. Mom was the engineer, anyways. Mirshko was still learning. Shaking herself a bit, she turned and climbed up the side of the craft using the built in handholds to get her level wit the cockpit. The canopy hissed upwards, and she dropped into the pilot's chair.

With a wave to Davon, she lowered the canopy into place. Once it had sealed, she carefully typed in the code he'd given her on the small gauntlet computer on her right arm. The phrase still made her smile a bit. Within seconds, she heard Davon's voice loud and clear. "This is Betna. I'll use the callsign Prud'ika, if that's alright?" She waited a few moments for a response as she began running through the pre-flight.

 

[Davon Karr]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]

"Sure," Davon replied. Her name appeared a moment later on his HUD in the battle network, registered and approved. Through her own systems should would now be able to see the red tracks showing the positions of the Death Watch group approaching their position. "You'll have to be quick, or else we'll be in trouble if those cannons will tear us apart," he said.

Without much else to say, Davon turned and marched away. He ignored the hand offered by one of his men and hopped up into the back of the airspeeder. Power armour was a good thing at his age. Helped him keep marching longer and carrying more gear. An awful lot of the rebellion had been spent walking places whilst carrying things.

"Got a position?" Davon asked one of his group.

"Yeah, found somewhere with a bit of cover. Some more trees would be good, but not enough around these parts."

"Fair enough," Davon replied. He watched as the group split into two as they reached a hill and some trees. One speeder carried on, whilst Davon on his team hid the speeders behind the hill and took up firing positions. "Don't scarper too quickly," he called. "We need them to take a nibble of the bait." He was being pragmatic, whilst also being his team at risk. Could well lead to deaths in the decoy team, but those were the decisions he was making more and more frequently than others. Davon had broad shoulders to carry that weight.

Soon there was the noise of blaster fire. Speeder engines whined up ahead. "We're falling back!" came the call.

"Alright Prid'ika, they'll be in your range in twenty seconds," Davon called. He got into a prone position, aiming down the length of his concussion rifle, a HE round loaded in the grenade launcher to hit them as soon as the starfighter did its job.