Invasion STANDOFF | Bryn'adûl Invasion of SJC held Lexrul, Ruusan, Sev Tok & Shador

[Tathra Khaeus]

STANDOFF
​

PHASE TWO
Location: Frontline/centre of the Battlefield
Allies: Osam | Galak | Primarch Drek'ma | Quoron Ver'dum | Udomek Seker | Gordrak | Kyrim Tenebris | Ostak Cl'mana | Krarolk T'manu | Hrajlmak'Natok | Sylok'Vanari | Aryshda | Sethrak |
Enemies: First Sister | Laertia Io | Thirdas Heavenshield | Beltran Rarr | Mig Gred | Varn Barakis | Yula Perl |
Axe | Gauntlet | Armour |
Forces: 1784 Juggernaut Ultras | 3 Reavers | 20 Ra'maks | The Dreddikkast

Cold air was carried on the wind, rushing through the gaps of his crown as the Dreddikkast pushed aside the bioweapons smog. That chill was a reminder that every step forward as matched by a step backward, a fact that irritated him intensely. They were all coming now, with their own shield generator deactivated whatever time or surprise their own dome had bought them was now used up. The Concord's fabled Rangers were now engaging them, going toe to toe with Juggernauts. The ruby blade of the Axe swung high, darting low with the cock of his wrist as Tathra turned on his right heel, thrusting his left knee into the soldier in front of him. Hunching over himself, the Titan swiped across the soldier in front of him; tearing his gut open before pushing himself upright, bisecting another as he brought the Axe upward and back to his left side. At his side, the Ultras fought as hard as able. Even they were beginning to feel the tire of the ice cold air, but not their beasts. The Rhivaks sent by Hrajlmak charged in ahead of the frontline, attempting to trample their enemy as both Galak and Sethrak lead their forces on adjacent sides of the pushing tide. But even the Jedi for all their failings remained valiant warriors, cutting Rhivaks down to size as Neutralisers focused fire on independent Brumaks, blasting away their limbs out from under them.

Every step forward, matched by a step back.

The Primarch and beast masters unleashed the Servitors, the Guardian rising and divining in a loop into the enemy forces as Ostak's materialised hammer crashed down on the enemies forces. Unity was their strength, the battle meditation of the Ashaka was helpful - but what kept him standing were the actions of his kin. The Concord's forces may have outnumbered them, but every single Ultra had the strength of nearly sixty men; and it showed as they continued to push even as they sustained dozens of wounds. Overhead, the Gunboats under Sethrak's command commenced dives; layering thick molten plasma between the waves of the Concord and their allies. All that he could think about was pushing them into it, watching them burn. Watching the weak and the insignificant drown and melt away into the nothing like they deserved.

Gargled roars escaped with unrelenting anger, Tathra held his Axe flat-faced across his chest in a two-handed grasp - using it to push against the enemy soldiers as he forcibly pushed dozens into the molten flames. In this hell, there was no need for clean kills, no need to hold back. Hrajlmak's Rhivaks were forced to retreat, returning to the Epitaph for a second reprisal as mortar fire crashed down around them. Overhead his own Ra'maks began to concentrate ionic fire on the Neutralisers and enemy tanks across the battlefield. Were once a Rhivak stood firing its red beams, it was replaced by a smouldering ball of plasma exploding outward. The kinetic force hit him in the chest, embers of plasma scattering across his face and into his eyes.

"Hraaaugh...!" The Titan staggered, his own Ultras roaring in anger at his injury as they leapt into the molten fire with the concord. It didn't bother them none, Baedurin enjoyed the heat.

But not in their eyes, Tathra dropped his Axe amid the confusion as he dropped to his knees. Tathra's gauntleted right swept away the embers, bloodshot aureate eyes staring out angrily from underneath his sunken brow and cheekbones. Gritted pincers tore into his own gums as Tathra turned on his side, a arrogant clone approaching with blade aimed for the back of his neck. Though he had the reach and the speed, his crimson hand reaching up and grasping the helmeted head of the Clone as he rose; dangling the man above him like a featherweight. Behind him, the Dreddikkast saw the missiles arcing toward it; but the loyal beast had no choice but to face them head on otherwise leave its master to their mercy.

The massive Dredd turned, using its many black wings to strike at the missiles, a miasma of black tendrils striking the bombs as it came. Its eyes searching the length of the Epitaph, the apparent origin of the missile fire - the Dreddikkast spotted a group climbing up its exterior to find an access port. The mount shrieked, its mental link with the Titan allowing it to convey its findings to him instantly.

Go, protect yourself. Please, I have this!

Without any further delay, the Dreddikkast used its hind legs to leap into the air, its wings propelling it forward as it flew toward the group trying to burn their way inside of the ship, the massive winged beast would attempt to swipe at them with its tendrils once it drew near enough. As useful as the Dredd was, it would provide a consistent distraction at his back, and make a target of itself if it stayed grounded. In the air, he at least knew it would stay safe.

Tathra simply applied pressure with his hand, crushing the head of the soldier of the soldier in the palm of his head. What remained of the clones head running between his fingers like broken yoke as two rangers closed in on either side. Snarling, Tathra swiped the body down like a flail; knocking the first ranger down before throwing the body of the clone in the direction of the other. The Titan pivoted where he stood, bringing his left foot down through the rangers chest; ribs and flesh concaving under the pressure of his boot as he swung the Axe backwards; cutting the other in half as he rose. With his back turned to the enemy, his eyes were briefly cast to the left-most side of the battlefield. He heard it before his eyes understood what he was seeing, the crackling of the air as a thunderous blue wave crashed out across their defences amid silence. Tathra's eyes drew wide, mouth agape as thousands of Warlord Osam's own forces and the Akehnaton defences were obliterated in a moment. He should've deployed the Reavers evenly across the battlefield, it was his oversight. His mistake that now likely left Osam nothing but a fleshy puddle and their left side open to flank.

Every step forward, matched with another step back.

But this was the price of such a mission, such a task. Even unlucky as Osam was, this was the very fate he had accepted when he decided to come. The fate they had all accepted, but he would swear on the Risen's memory to make it worth it. But that did not stop the heartache nor the rage felt at the loss of one of their species most promising leaders. Tathra felt the stinging pain of receding flesh as one of the bio-blasters cut into the side of his right bicep, leaving a scorch mark in place as militia men now armed with new weapons charged in even as the Gunboats continued to cover the battlefield in lines of molten plasma.

"For Warlord Osam! For Draemdus!" One of the Ultra's called out over the din of silence, both wrist blades raised in the air.

The Titan shared that sentiment. His left, blood-shot eye twitched as he raised the gauntlet, absorbing the powerful energy of the bio-blaster fire before shifting his Axe into a two handed grasp. Utilising its ability to manipulate kinesis, Tathra tore a metric tons worth of rifles from the weak hands of the Humans, scattering across the ground to only be trampled on by the Ultras - their rage renewed at the honourless loss of Warlord Osam.

As Tathra moved back into the fray, an Ultra's head rattled close to his feet. Strange whispers directed him as he turned to look in the direction of where it had come from, a group of four standing to oppose him amid the chaotic battlefield. Their parlour tricks were of no use against him, he had had celestials crawl inside his mind, the other of two men issued a challenge as he brandished an Axe. The third, a winged humanoid striking with lightning against the Beast Master's Ra'maks and the fourth, he recognised as Laertia.

Two of them, he had already beaten before. One at Sarka and before that the other at Yurb. Tathra allowed them to speak, but he had long since tired of moralist prattling. Did the Jedi think the notion scared him? They already controlled a seventh of the Galaxy, it would not be much longer till that drew close to half.

"You don't seem to understand." Tathra spoke in basic, shifting into a combat stand as he faced them with Axe held in his left.

"This Galaxy isn't yours. Anymore."

A moment passed as Tathra pushed himself off of his right foot, leaping back four metres as he released a powerful wave of red energy in the direction of all four.

 

[Westenra Mina]

"Darling, I've gotta get you to The Church on time!" A Model 2 said as it eviscerated one of the new Drael races with a vibroknife, a short, stocky creature that wasn't very impressive to look at. He was part of an engineering team by the looks of it. He had been found, disoriented, after the Seismic charge had detonated near The Epitaph.

The Model 2's pressed the massive opening made against their defensive lines. They began pouring relentless amounts of the Drael-Killing, Verikast-Piercing blaster fire on the stragglers left, but the more instinctive Model 1's still in the dome held back the full numbers still under command, sending only heavy amounts of Militia into the breached defense lines to shore up and spearhead the militia attack, which had grown relentless, even as they were still getting slaughtered. They had gotten good at stacking Verikast-plated Drael bodies as sandbags to create their own makeshift defensive lines as they poured through into the breach, making sure to aim at the areas the Bryn'adul's hearts were located at, making sure to take advantage of any concealment created by tall, thick debris they could find. Some had even torn off the plating of Verikast from fallen Juggernaut Ultras to create their own makeshift chest armor, mimicking the tactics of the Model 2's that had given them a crash course on Drael fighting. The reinforcements of the Militia, while their less armored peers kept the focus on them for the moment arranged in groups of fifty with their makeshift pilfered Verikast chest platings haphazardly lashed together by whatever cords or emergency welding techniques they could manage, and, strapping dozens of dead Brutes to three large city waste disposal trucks they had scavenged, loading them with every explosive they could find or create in an emergency.

The Militia that had already breached the wrecked barricades were told to clear the path for ordinance or find cover via comlink, and the Militia that had breached began to clear a path, while still maintaining heavy suppressing fire with the Bio Blasters, though dozens got shredded by molten bullets and explosive Dramaedus Prime Ore spikes.

The Model 2's closest to the Barricades as they directed the Militia's storming of it, poured heavy fire from their continuous sound cannons in their chest to add a bit of kick before the vehicles were sent through, each Driven by a Model 1 so heavily damaged it was chosing to sacrifice itself.

They drove the dump trucks, laden with explosives, all through the breached barricades at once, taking severe fire that the armored Bryn corpses lashed to the vehicles soaked up before The Model 1's in each vehicle detonated their self destruct devices as well as the explosives wired to them.

The blast was not as potent or as widespread as that of a seismic charge, but it was in a much smaller, more concentrated area. It would threaten the lives of every Bryn still alive to defend shattered barricades, as the explosion erupted, and THEN The Militia re-stormed, now wearing the pilfered, scavenged plates of Verikast, joined by a hundred Model 2's using the same Centuria-Like formation to spearhead the attack deep into enemy lines, maintaining the discipline that had kept them in the fight so far, each bent on inflicting as many enemy casualties as they could, while the makeshift armor the Militia had cobbled together from fallen opponents didn't fully give protection, and dozens were cut down regardless, more survived by resorting to it than they otherwise might have. The wall of mobile armor The Model 2's essentially were, twenty-five wide, and four deep, soaked up massive amounts of return fire, and even with their armor specifically designed to repel Bryn weapons, the first row got completely shredded, falling but the second row was fresh, the Militia in the back of the deadly spearhead attack lobbing cryoban grenades in very careful, directed arcs at the lines judged to have been rendered weakest from the onslaught, while other squads of Militia continued the tried and true method of having one large group use the secondary fire of the Bio Blasters, while another large group used the primary setting, pouring both kinds of bolts on the targets at once as they advanced deeper and deeper, spreading out as they seized ground, the civilian volunteers in particular concentrating swarms of Bio-Blaster fire in spitting distance of the Epitaph itself...

But the lines being held back from the spear attack were suddenly decimated by a large, flying warbeast. A Ra'Mak.

A few model 2's in the air, still doing impromptu dog fights with the help of their jet packs, signalled other spare Model 2's below for assistance. They answered, taking off into the sky, all armed with Bio-Blasters. Due to the cold, a few dozen lines using the blasters suffered misfires that cost them their lives as they were killed by return fire, having had virtually not a moment to rest and treat them. However
the sheer heat generated by the battle had the side bonus of reducing the level of cold slightly to the point the blasters were no longer misfiring as much as they had been. Magnetic weapons caused them to jam for a significant length if hit with them, which is why the Model 2's, reinforced against such, always tried to stand in front of magnetic emplacements. Their design also allowed many of them to survive the Ionic fire from above, though dozens were still destroyed due to being hit.

The Model 2's in the sky spotted the flying Ra'Mak, and immediately engaged it with Bio-Blaster fire though three were destroyed by its side cannons. They used swarm pattern attacks, joined by over a dozen Model 1's equipped with Jet Packs also firing bio Blasters or Stoukers as they focused all that fire on the stabilizing fins or the face of the Ra'Mak, firing at its at times open mouth.

Meanwhile, civilian volunteers were horrified as they got the first glimpse of the Dreddikast. He swooped towards the Epitaph to try and kill the ones boarding it.

The Model 1's on the ground, already dealing with the dive of the gunboats by directing swarms of Bio-Blaster fire from the ground, which chewed into the armor and shields of about a dozen gunboats raining molten hell on their ground forces, began to provide fire coordinates on the Dreddikast, and soon, the heaviest concentration of rocket, grenade, and artillery fire yet was focused on the Dreddikast, hundreds of Militia getting close to the Epitaph due to the bloody swath they had carved through the Bryn'adul ranks began to focus all that terrible fire on The giant beast, not sure if their weapons could truly injure it but knowing they had to try.

"You ever dance with the Devil, by the Pale Moonlight?" a Militia member asked as he killed a wounded Ultra on the ground, mimicking his Nuetralizer allies in saying fethed up chit to their enemies before gruesomely killing them. He didn't know what the phrase meant exactly, but it sure sounded like something that was sinister to ask before killing somebody.

Melissa Io ripped violently into the Juggernauts with both sword and Lightsaber, her blade ripping into the Alchemized armor of a Shaman as he tried to steal her life force. She had been shot and stabbed dozens of times but would not die due to her advanced design, even recovering relatively quickly from the molten bullets as she felt no pain and fed on the exposed neck of a drone, drinking it's psychic energy to the point it killed him, providing a massive recovery boost and second wind, and she slaughtered the Bryn'adul with great abandon, horrifying the newer races fighting alongside the Drael as the seemingly immortal opponent carved into them at the head of dozens of Militia who were also shredding their enemies with the Bio-Blasters, some having even acquired smaller Bryn Weapons, like the Mangler SMG to use against the hated foes that would take everything they had if they won. She was assisted by her "Niece" the Nanite Assassin Droid Lyssa Io, the Daughter of Laertia. They both were blurs in fights, their blades savaging Bryn Flesh and metal, Lyssa in particular sprouting dozens of mercury tendrils from her body with beyond razor-sharp blades at their ends, savagely ripping open both Split-Jaws, Insects, and even Juggernaut Ultras alike. She wished she had First Sister to back her, but she had gone with Laertia to fight, so she and Lyssa, who had sustained large holes from Bryn weapons that had yet to repair, eviscerated and eviscerated to the point a makeshift defensive barrier of bodies and wrecked vehicles could be set up.

During a lull in the fighting though, one of the Model 1's ran up to her as she was behind cover.

"You need to hear this!" He said, holding up a comlink. "My boys intercepted this transmission."

Melissa's eyes widened.

"There's a nuke?" She said. "Why the hell haven't they set it off?"

"They're trying to disarm and extract it."

"Feth that! Do they know what we are up against?" Melissa asked angrily.

"Guess they don't wanna save Kashyyyk after all." Lyssa remarked.

Melissa took a moment to think.

Laertia had asked her to publicly denounce her to save herself and her other sisters from condemnation and arrest. What she was contemplating now would wreck that.

But The Bryn'adul could not be allowed to have Sev-Tok. Kashyyyk was at risk. The seat of the Silver Jedi.

If a few hundred thousand had to die, so be it.

She didn't relish this (In fact, it caused her great emotional pain due to her empathy programming), but it was necessary.

"Lyssa!" She called out to her Niece who's design was derived from her own. "I have to intercept a weapon, can you handle things?"

Lyssa sniped an Ultra and a Zealot with a burst of Bio Blaster Fire.

"Yes." Lyssa answered in a super creepy, ever serene tone.

Melissa ran to where the radiological readings of the scanners brought by the Model 1 indicated the weapon might be at.

Meanwhile.

Darth Xiphos watched as the Bio-Rifle designed by her vampire ancestor Nine Lives pierced the skin of Tathra Khaeus , showing to her just how much her efforts had paid off. He was wounded. Bleeding. But he was not defeated. She had her hands full with his Ultras attacking her, and she was having difficulty overpowering them in terms of sheer strength, but Xiphos's inherent savagery with Form One and her teleporting allowed her to rip through and ignite them in contact with the terrible power of The Sword of Cinndurr, which hacked through Non-Alchemized materials after a few blows, killing and igniting even those Drael Variants typically resistant to heat... Cinndurr's blade was simply that deadly. She sustained wounds herself, but from nearby warriors attacking her frantically en masse, and she took a few dozen mild cuts to her arms and torso, but sheer experience allowed her to avoid the worst of the attacks, and retaliate with telekinetically hurled debris and cold flames that conjured as swift Tornadoes that waded and twisted into the hoards attacking her, freezing many solid and killing them in moments.

She observed his axe, watching him use telekinesis to rip the weapons away from dozens and dozens of hands, only the Nuetralizers in the area managing to keep a grip. The enraged Ultras vengefully began to trample the Bio-Rifles, but in this they made a fatal mistake. Their designer had instilled a potent booby-trap in the bio rifles.

Upon coming into contact with Drael metals or tissue, they instantly emitted a lethal enzyme that began to rapidly burn through the metals on their boots and hands, depending on what was used to destroy them.

The Enzyme was also highly toxic to their nervous systems, causing a vast number of Ultras to start falling down in front of the Warlord from toxic shock, which was further viciously punished by the Nuetralizers and Militia that had managed to keep their weapons. In short, whatever momentary triumph Tathra had gained in stripping his enemies of their armaments was Extremely short lived, as he had essentially been tricked into poisoning and killing a vast number of his own Ultras. It was impossible even for them to ignore his deadly mistake as they died. Even those who momentarily grabbed the rifles simply to toss them away, no matter where it was Gripped, got a potentially lethal dosage of enzyme as the ranks of the Ultras began to be savaged more than ever by now fanatical militia rushing in ahead of even her son's to deal out as much carnage as possible to them.

Xiphos had just finished ripping off the head of a Zealot Minion, after having brutally killed the rest of his team when Tathra through out the red energy of his axe, but Xiphos was ready, teleporting out of the way, her alchemy damaging spear activated as she appeared behind him, charging, viciously slashing and stabbing for his spine in a seethingly fast and chaotic pattern, trying to give Beltran Rarr and Thirdas Heavenshield a chance to make their own moves against him.

All the Militia present saw The Black Knight be the first to engage Tathra, and their own bravery increased a hundred fold as they fought without any fear at all, hundreds pressing on the shattered barricades, not caring if they died to Ultras, because for every Militia member slain a dozen more took their place, all armed with the same Anti-Drael weapons.

Jax Thio

Mig Gred

Gordrak

Udomek Seker

Hrajlmak'Natok

Jairdain

Yula Perl

Sylok'Vanari

Sethrak

Varn Barakis

 

[Krarolk T'manu]

PHASE II​

POST: III
ALLIES: THE BYRN | MARAUDERS | Group II in proximity of Seer Kalanthir | Krarolk in proximity of Kyrim Tenebris | Open to cooperation
ENEMIES: SJC & ALLIES | Group I engaging First Sister / Zephyr Krayt | Group III engaging Gir Quee | Krarolk & crew engaging Dagon Kaze / Yula Perl | Open to engagement

GROUP I: TRICKSTERS
ZC: Elfiqus
​

LOCATION: Sev Tok, flattened land in Anvil (Epitaph staging grounds)
OBJECTIVE: Eliminate frontline commanders

Relevant Submissions: Zealot Minor, Zealot Shadow, Zealot Major, Zealot Officer

The Tricksters dove headlong into enemy lines.
​

The Zealots, numbering in the thousands, joined their kin in slashing and slaughtering any being who dared stand in their way. As they advanced, they took on a unique formation, nearly the opposite of the offensives carried out by the front line shock troops. While the main Draelvasier line extended outwards in a broad but slow-moving circle in all directions, each Zealot Company carved out a deep but thin push into enemy lines, often only several Zealots thick. It was a risky move, as their advances could be cut off halfway through, isolating pockets of Zealots within the center of the enemy vanguard. Indeed, several Zealot Minor Squads suffered this fate, swiftly being mowed down as gunfire descended from all sides.

Yet for the most part, the Zealot Companies achieved successful penetration after successful penetration.

With the Concord vanguards already smashing against the Draelvasier shock troops, the commando Zealots were able to create thin breakthroughs with lesser resistance, advancing as far as half a kilometer into Concord formations. Enlisted officers of moderate rank across the Concord lines found themselves hunted by small groups of Zealot Minors, who often scored valuable kills just before being cut down themselves by superior firepower. A gifted woman already engaged by Drones ( First Sister ) and a rare Mandalorian (Zephyr Krayt) were all detected and pursued by individual squads of Zealot Minors led by Majors, guns and blades raised as they leapt into the fray.

However, a sudden explosion disrupted the advance of the Tricksters.

Dozens of rearmost Zealots perished in the blast, entire companies crumpling apart in an instant. Still, many of the Tricksters were able to escape unscathed due to their position already being partially within enemy lines. The surviving Zealot Companies continued their surgical assaults unabated, desperation increasingly marking their actions.

Zealot Commander Elfiqus himself rushed to the ruined Draelvasier rear with three Zealot Companies, seeking to seal off any easy opportunity for a flanking maneuver.

GROUP II: STOP GAP
ZC: Dermivi
​

LOCATION: Sev Tok, flattened land in Anvil (Epitaph staging grounds)
OBJECTIVE: Use Force powers to protect the main Byrn combat formation using projected barriers, move and stabilize the wounded, assist Seer Kalanthir

Relevant Submissions: Zealot Minor, Zealot Shadow, Zealot Major, Zealot Officer

It was time to crush the virus that sowed chaos in the Byrn'adul front lines.
​

The massive, paper thin red impermeable sheet wrapped itself around about two-thirds of the virus cloud hovering above the current Byrn'adul formation. Once envelopment was complete, the sheet shrunk, compressing the virus into a denser and denser form. After the sheet's radius had been reduced to fifteen meters, it was launched back up into the air and away from the battle. The barrier sheet opened up on a distant hill, releasing a large chunk of anti-Draelvasier virus safely into an environment its targets would not soon enter.

Just as Zealot Commander Dermivi was about to find a new task, the earth shook behind them.

"New barrier on our flanks, now!"

The Zealot Commander barely had enough time to issue her orders before the noise of a sonic wave left room for nothing else. Already exhausted from moving the viral agent, the projected shield erected by the Force-sensitive Zealots rapidly folded in on itself, eventually covering only the Zealots and the units immediately behind them. In several places the diminished barrier cracked, Zealots finding parts of their limbs ripped off by extra energy. In the absence of words, Commander Dermivi instead reached out with her strained energy, giving a nudge of reassurance. The shockwave finally passed over, the diminished barrier saving perhaps two thousand Draelvasier out of a rearguard nearly twice its size.

Still, it was a partial success.

"Zealots, our new primary objective is tending to the seriously wounded in our rear, keeping them stable and moving them safely away from the front until the Ashaka arrive." exclaimed Commander Dermivi. "Additionally, I would like one company to join me as we search for Seer Kalanthir, whose powers may be useful in assisting our regrouping efforts."

The Zealot Commander was smart enough to know that her troops had exhausted a great deal of their spiritual energy, and giving them more physical tasks would be ideal for recovery. She turned back to the Epitaph, where she had last seen the Seer. A large chunk of the now-empty infantry bay had been hit in the blast, rubble and torn steel littered across the room. However, somehow, she heard the noise of a descending elevator. Surely enough, an elevator opened up at one of the ends of the hall, revealing the Seer and a group of Ashaka.

"Greetings, Seer, I'm Zealot Commander Dermivi." introduced the Zealot Commander. "If needed, my company and I shall be your guards and conduits alike."

GROUP III: ELITES
ZC: Krarolk T'manu
​

LOCATION: Sev Tok, flattened land in Anvil, Urasik Wyverns above enemy lines
OBJECTIVE: Eliminate high-ranking commanders deep in enemy lines

Relevant Submissions: Zealot Shadow, Zealot Elite

The Urasik sliced quietly through the night sky, their dark scales granting them near-invisibility to the naked eye.
​

Atop his Urasik, Krarolk silently observed the battle unfolding nearly a kilometer below. The valiant Draelvasier warriors threw themselves against the Concord's defenders, slowly but surely wearing them down. Zealot Commander Elfiqus's companies dove into Concord lines, creating cracks that the heavier shock troops could smash through. Commander Dermivi's Zealots isolated and relocated much of the bioweapon, preventing thousands of deaths. It was all turning out quite well for the Byrn'adul so far.

Suddenly, a large explosion went off behind them. High in the air and behind enemy lines, the Urasik and their riders were unscathed by the blast. However, they knew that many of their kin were not as fortunate. Consequently, it was imperative that the Elites completed their tasks soon, before the generals they were hunting launched a renewed counteroffensive.

"Commander Krarolk, I'm detecting the presence of several Jedi ( Yula Perl / Dagon Kaze ) just below us." exclaimed Zealot Elite Palkomin from the Urasik she rode with Abvor.

Surely enough, Krarolk felt a signature of inner energy below their two Wyverns.

"Dive down, now." ordered Krarolk. "Get ready, Shadow. We're going to be hunting Jedi."

Another Zealot Elite Squad noticed the regrouping of a portion of the defensive line near a certain man ( Gir Quee ), and their two Wyverns dove down towards him and his entourage, aiming their Splitters down towards the ground.

?????????
???????????????​

LOCATION: Sev Tok, flattened land in Anvil
OBJECTIVE: Target - ?????? ?????

She was almost there.
​

She trailed the Wyverns, her Osinsuker making her invisible as she slipped through enemy lines. They were not her immediate targets, and she had no desire to sacrifice her stealth. No, her target flew above her, steadily moving further and further away from safety.

Suddenly, the target's Urasik dove, heading towards a presence within the enemy lines. She momentarily halted her advance, realizing that the rivals may simply be able to tear each other apart without her ever needing to get involved. However, she remained alert, just in case a lucky opening made itself known.

 

[Heath Valhoun]

Post: Three
Objective: Evacuate Civilians, Defend the Shield.
Location: Inside the mines​

Spoiler

Forces:
*980 Militia Inside the mines
*4 Bryn-killer droids inside the mines
*20 Veterans Inside the mines
*4,000 Mercenaries outside of the mines.

Heath Valhoun walked with haste, the militia and several hundred civilians behind him. He had already been in a hurry but the massive explosion outside that shook the mines so much that he expected them to collapse was the event that convinced him to move even quicker. He had ordered some of the militia to stay behind the group and catch any stragglers, while some were up front with him helping in any ways they could.

The journey through the mines had not been without trial. The elderly fell behind, requiring breaks every so often. There were several pregnant women requiring breaks as well. When everyone was moving, there were unruly children that fought every step of the way, be it hunger, sore feet, or just pure boredom.

But Heath knew they were near the exit. What he didn't know was what they would find. Would the Bryn'adul be waiting outside? If not, then what of the city? Could it have fallen already? He only found comfort in knowing that The Elysium Empire was safe, for a while at least, tucked away in the opposite corner of the galaxy. Before today he only knew the Bryn from reports, and the tales of his citizens that had fled to The Elysium Empire after The Bryn destroyed their homes. Now he saw them as a true nightmare. He would never forget today, and the day wasn't nearly over yet....​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Frontline - Centre
Immediate Allies: Beltran Rarr Laertia Io First Sister
Engaging: Tathra Khaeus
​

So it began, that truly ancient dance of blades between worthy warriors. A dance the Valkyri of Midvinter knew with every fibre of their being, and the son of Thurion was no different.

Immediately the Titan unleashed a wave of red energy as he lept backwards to keep from getting surrounded. A clever tactical choice on his part, Thirdas noted. Lacking in powers with which to teleport out of the way or wings with which to fly, the lieutenant was forced to rely on his innate agility. In spite of the pain brought on by cracked ribs, he dived out of the way and landed on his side on the ground, cleared of the menacing wave and from where he could draw his side-arm and fire off a few rounds in Tathra's direction.

Before he could get up and join the brawl, a familiar voice broke through the chaos of war.

“Lieutenant Jawline, we’re gonna try and take out whatever is projecting that gross red barrier. Us and about a hundred friends, I guess. Uhh, Perl out.”

Kneeling while supported by his battle axe, he responded.

"Yula... What are you doing here? It's too dangerous!" I can't lose you too, like I once lost your sisters. "If you enter that dome, you can't get back out until that ship of theirs is destroyed! Fall back while you still can-- Yula? Yula! Damn it!"

Communications were cut off, likely due to a faulty comm-link on his part. With a grunt he pushed off the ground and stood back up, brandishing his axe anew and advancing towards Tathra while Laertia kept him occupied by appearing behind him. Once within reach he swung his Valkyri weapon in a wide arc, aiming to slash across the Titan's right leg in the hopes of bringing him to his knees, or at least cause his to stumble and open him up for a follow-up.

He was weakened by his injuries however, and as he swung his axe once he could not muster a second and had to back away, clutching his chest in pain. A cough followed the sudden spike of pain, causing only further harm with the sharp heaving of his chest. Open cuts along the side of his head had by now turned his face red with his own blood, and he experienced bouts of blurred vision.

But, he was still standing, and so long as he could stand he would fight. Again he gripped the long handle of his axe to move in for another strike.

​

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Beltran Rarr

Location: Inside the Thunder Dome, Anvil, Sev Tok
Objective: Slaughter Bryn
Allies: SJC and Allied Personnel, interacting with Thirdas Heavenshield , Laertia Io , First Sister , Jairdain , Subject 73 Red (indirectly)
Location: defending Anvil (open to all interactions)
Enemies: The Bryn'adul (open to all interactions), specifically looking to feed Tathra Khaeus his own intestines.
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

Theme - We Will Rock You - J2 ft. Triple Killers

"You don't seem to understand." Tathra spoke in basic, shifting into a combat stand as he faced them with Axe held in his left. "This Galaxy isn't yours. Anymore."

Beltran stood before the Tyrant who called himself Titan, orange lightsaber blazing. He had weathered the seismic explosion by angling himself in a spot where Tathra Khaeus ' bulk had actually provided him some cover. He'd watched the beast of the Bryn'adul fall to a knee at the force that hit him and a hungry smile flashed over his lips.

Laertia Io was moving through the throng of warriors that accompanied the Tyrant. Beltran could feel the pleasure she was taking in the slaughter and it intrigued him. When last they'd spoken, she had been worried for Beltran because of his enjoyment of the same. It seemed that time and the deaths of billions had changed her opinion. The Lorrdian didn't imagine that she would be the last to adapt in this way to the bloodbath that the Bryn'adul had unleashed onto the galaxy.

She teleported out of the way of Tathra's energy attack, appearing a split second later behind the massive Bryn and attacking. Reacting instantly, Beltran force leapt into the air, flying over the wave of crimson death. He performed a full front flip with a 720 degree twist and came down easily in front of Tathra. His green eyes glowed with the power of the Force, fueled by his rage and the rage of a billion murdered innocents.

"We will see." He answered as he too began to slash at Tathra with his saber.

To his left, he saw the large form of Thirdas Heavenshield swinging in his peripheral vision. The young Ranger was swinging his axe, going low for the thigh where Beltran was going high in an attempt to remove one of Khaeus' arms.

***

Elsewhere, Paladin Company arrived at the edge of the battle. Captain Mrawr could smell the scent of blood on the air and it only served to drive him forward. His men at his back, one hundred fifty of the best the Antarian Rangers had to offer, clad in their A.I.P.S. armor, he led them into the fray. They let loose with their shoulder mounted blaster cannons, chewing through portions of the Bryn'adul lines. As they moved closer, they levelled their Bonesplitter rifles, spraying the survivors with more fire and then going to hand-to-hand.

The first Bryn to meet Mrawr on the field swung some kind of axe at him. He ducked under the lumbering strike and thrust forward with the tip of his rifle. The chainsaw bayonet roared to life as the blade tore into the being's chest cavity, spraying blood and gore all over the place. Mrawr wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a hint of fear in the creature's eyes before it died.

All around him, the same scene played out as the Paladins literally tore into the Bryn lines. From behind, he heard one of the Mandalorians call for a charge. The call was answered by a combined force of Rangers, Mandos, Militia and others. With the Paladins as the tip of the spear, they charged the Bryn'adul lines, fighting like beings possessed.

If the Bryn'adul had thought that they'd broken the Concord, they were going to learn a bloody lesson today.

Spoiler: Ranger Order of Battle and Summary of Actions

Hades Platoon – 50 Rangers – Divided into squads and set up in observation posts outside of the city. Snipers set up to take down high value targets (Bryn officers and the like) and communicate enemy movements.

UPDATE: Linking up with stranded 666th Elements, attempting to secure air transport back to city.

Rangers 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Infantry – 1800 Rangers – Set up along the outer most wall of Anvil, anchoring key sections of the defense along side SDF and Planetary Militia –

UPDATE: Mortar teams are beginning to pepper the Bryn'adul landing site with shells. Machine gun nests are being set up in an arc around the landing site. Standard infantry is moving to reinforce the 666th QRF's and allied counter attackers. All indirect fire is pretty much being deflected by Thunder Dome at the moment.

Beltran has joined forces with Thirdas Heavenshield , Laertia Io , First Sister and is moving to engage Tathra Khaeus .

663[SUP]rd[/SUP] Mobile Artillery – 64 Rangers - Set up inside the walls alongside other artillery units for priority fire missions as needed - UPDATE: Wiped out by Epitaph's landing.

666[SUP]th[/SUP] Mechanized Infantry – 1000 Rangers in CAV vehicles with minor armor support –
300 Rangers and CO currently deploying thermonuclear mines at possible Bryn’adul landing zones outside city.

UPDATE: Approx 200 Rangers currently stranded due to power loss of unknown origin. Moving on foot toward Hades Platoon positions. 100 Rangers returning to Anvil. Mines deployed.

UPDATE: 100 Rangers returned to Anvil, currently moving through main city gates. Moving toward Epitaph landing site to engage Bryn'adul. 200 Rangers currently linking up with Hades Platoon, seeking air transport to city if possible.

600 divided into Quick Reaction Forces (100 Rangers each), located in middle levels of city.
Utilizing Gweld-Class CAV’s for quick movements.

UPDATE: All six quick reaction forces engaging Bryn'adul now (600 Rangers and vehicles). Most are inside the Thunder Dome, heavily engaged with Bryn'adul forces. (Approx 200 dead or wounded atm)

UPDATE: BOMB detonation kills several front line units. (Approx 350 dead or wounded atm).

Paladin Company – 150 Rangers – Deployed to top most level of Anvil, all utilizing A.I.P.S battle suits in defense of Shield Generator - UPDATE: Currently holding position at shield generator. Not happy about it.

UPDATE: Shield deactivated, Paladin Company moving toward Thunder-dome-murder and mayhem on their minds. Paladin Squad arrives, begins to slaughter Bryn like it's their job....mostly because it is.

 

[Starlin Rand]

Location: Escorting civilians through the tunnels
Gear: Armor | Shoto | Lightsaber
Accompanied by: Jaina Grayson (Combat Form)
Jaina’s Gear: Vibrocutlass | Disruptor Rifle | Disruptor Pistol | Cryo Grenades (6)
Tags: Maple Harte | Tegan Starfall | Open

Having rounded up yet another group of civilian stragglers still cowering in the city, Starlin headed back for the tunnels—only to find people scrambling back out, covered in dust and blood. He caught the attention of a woman who had just emerged from the mouth of the cave. “What happened?”

“The tunnels collapsed!”

“Was it the Bryn’adul?”

“I didn’t see any of them in there. It happened all of a sudden…” The woman broke into a coughing fit, her lungs aggravated by the dust. When she had recovered enough to speak again, she rasped, “Some people said they heard a woman chanting something right before it happened, like a curse. Or that they felt something strange, sensed an evil presence… You’re the Jedi, you tell us what it was!”

Jaina arrived on the scene, a gaggle of civvies trailing behind her. She took in the scene before her and quickly analyzed the situation. “This isn’t good. If we can’t get them to the evac ships, we’ll have to herd them all into a defensible position and fight any Bryn who comes near.”

“There are still more people out there,” Starlin pointed out. “We can’t just abandon them to their fate.”

She opened her mouth to speak, probably to spout off some harsh truth, but then pursed her lips, her empathy programming kicking in. “I suppose one of us could hold down the fort for a short time while the other goes out in search of more civilians.”

Starlin nodded. He was worried about this “chanting woman” some of the survivors of the cave-in claimed to have heard, but his main concern was still getting the people to safety. “Find some place underground,” he said, tapping his helmet. “I’ll keep in touch.”

From there, he headed for the Bryn shield once again, cutting down any Draelvasier in his path. Most of their forces seemed to be concentrated within the red bubble; he sensed heavy combat and chaos inside. Drawing near the barrier, he spotted Dagon Kaze and Yula Perl about to enter. Hey, she was the host of Mr. Heartbeat! And wasn’t that the guy who threw Big Momma across the bar? Had the two of them hooked up or somethi—

He was caught off guard by the thundering footfalls of a charging Rhivak, narrowly darting out of the way. The duo had already disappeared through the shield, or else he might have called to them for help. Instead he was left to fight the tank creature alone.

The beast circled around, preparing for another attack. Red light bloomed between its horns as it charged up its laser. Starlin took off running, his boots pounding against the cracked pavement as his commlink crackled to life.

“Starlin, I’ve found the basement of a factory. It’s large enough to fit plenty more. What’s your position, over—”

Red light filled the corner of Starlin’s vision as the laser fired.

 

[Primarch Drek'ma]

PHASE TWO
Location: Battlefield | Frontlines
Allies: Galak | Tathra Khaeus | Osam | Ostak Cl'mana | Sethrak | Udomek Seker | Sylok'Vanari | Krarolk T'manu | Gordrak | Kyrim Tenebris | Seer Kalanthir | Quoron Ver'dum |
Enemies: Laertia Io | Mig Gred | Beltran Rarr | Varn Barakis | Laertia Io | Cadere
Stave | Cuirass
Forces: Draeyde, Rhivaks, Siege Towers, Superior Draeyde, Brumaks | Servitor Guardian |

All around him, the Primarch watched with disdain as his very own Rhivaks and Brumaks were cut down by distant weaponry, concussion rifles and Mandalorian snipers peeling off the weak of the herd. It seemed his brazen nature had delivered him to the epicentre of the battle. It was of no matter, the most vital elements at play remained strong. The Guardian had dived beneath the surface, but anything that could've put a dent in the creature was stuck behind the Dome. The Concord did not know it yet, but they would find this world would betray them very soon. The Guardian continued to move underground, its massive thousand metre length body hollowing the eart beneath the lines of the Concord as it shifted its weight and delved deeper. The crater the Epitaph had created would soon have siblings.

Drek'ma erected a barrier infront of himself, deflecting the blasts of bio-blasters and a variety of other plasma weaponry as his eyes searched for the lines of his own. Behind them, the Siege Towers had successfully began to climb out from within the crater, their massive crowns and the Reavers protecting them from the fire of enemy vessels. Each opening fire with their two-hundred Ballista's into the scores of enemy artillery, the massive propelled shots cracking open the ground with the force of dozens of turbolaser blasts as their many hundreds of smaller turrets released a rain of molten bullet fire down on the enemy lines beyond the Chieftain's push. Their own turret fire focusing in on the armoured forces pushing against their lines as the Titan lead the Ultras deeper into the Concord's fighting forces and militia, it meant he had Drael at his back rather than the enemy, a relief but not one that put him out of harms way.

The earth rumbled again as the smaller Servitors entered the fray at the behest of the Beast Master Ostak. The Primarch knew Ostak was safe, only one of them needed to be. Drek'ma was where he could do the most damage, and that was all that mattered. Even as his barrier broke and the enemy fire began to pelt at his armour. He was content, the Bryn'adûl had come to fight, not to win. They had all chosen to place their lives on the line so that others could succeed. Not only to secure the systems, but to show that the strength of unity was not besmirched by the assimilation of other races. He believed in that, believed in the words of the Chieftain.

He had swore to follow him till death forced their parting. He would hold true to that. The Primarch's eyes glowed a dull yellow as he called upon the Guardian once more.

Use the Servitors, Ostak. Bury them. We will draw in as many of them as they are willing to throw at us.

The Guardian rose from the earth upon his command, using its massive body to thrust forward; tearing open a stretch of nearly six-hundred metres within the lines of the Concord forces, the earth crumbling in on itself behind where it had emerged. No soldier with any sense would worry about a singular Drael with a massive beast at their back. Those very same soldiers were drowned in molten plasma as Gunboats began to perform diving strikes at the behest of the Warlord Sethrak. Drek'ma smile almost gaining some semblance of confidence as it was so quickly ripped away.

The explosion rattled him, his Stave keeping him standing as blood oozed from his left ear as ringing set in. Some sort of weapon had been deployed within their lines, he could feel the dying beasts; saw through their eyes as Akenaton and Draelvasier were massacred in the thousands alike. Droids and militia men rushing in to close the gap.

The decision was made without hesitation as the Guardian Servitor made headway toward the left flank, obliterating everything in its path as it remained above ground. The beast bellowed as it melted everything in its path, moving as quickly as such a beast could to stop the enemy. It meant he was defenceless, controlling it required almost all of his concentration. But it did not matter. Unity placed emphasis on the whole, not the individual. All his life he had sought to protect his position, to stand above the rest. But, at Sarka he had been educated. Ostak, an Overseer no less and a powerful beast master. He had taught Drek'ma the true importance of unity, of how strength blossomed in its presence.

And even though he now stood alone, he would do this for his kin. They had to hold their defence of the Epitaph or all hope of survival would be lost.

The Primarch devoted all of his remaining power to the Brumaks and Rhivaks under his command, focusing their attention on the left flank to shore up their defences. The left-most Siege tower turning its massive array of weaponry on the militia and neutralisers pushing in through the gap.

Drek'ma would stand firm.

 

[Aien Mueller]

You know those types you don't want to meet in a dark alley?​

Spoiler: LOADOUT(unless missions specific):

Armor - "Apostle" armor(all),
Weapons (team)- T-73 Handgun, Combat Knife, FTB Rocket(2 FYB Rockets each, 3 with Flame Carpet warhead)
3 Grenades (each), 2 Fire Grenadess (each)
(Snipers)- M-14 Sniper Rifle, Wrist Blaster, Carbine
(Assault)- RI-17 Assault Rifle-w-LPD53 Grenade Launcher(5 FYB 40mm grenades each), T-73 Handgun
(Heavy Weapons)- Minigun(if in the field), Defender-Automatic Weapon(if in CQC) Assault Rifle

Spoiler: FIRE TEAMS

GOLD TEAM: Azrael(Assault/Team leader), Castiel(Asault/Pathfinder)
BLUE TEAM: Sauriel(Sniper 1), Samael(Heavy Weapons), Michael(Sniper 2)
RED TEAM: Gabriel(Demo/EOD), Bartleby(Tech/Team Second)

Spoiler: TRANSPORT TEAM

PEGASUS 1, HAAT 1- Jeremiel(Pilot), Barachiel(Weapons)
PEGASUS 2, HAAT 2- Ariel(Pilot), Uriel(Weapons)
PEGASUS 3, HAAT 3(Carry-all variant)- Barachiel(Pilot)*
HAAT 4(Carry-all variant)- Uriel(Pilot)*
*When needed. Weapons Intercept officers will be assigned randomly

Spoiler: GROUND ASSAULT/INFIL/EXFIL

FIST
RONTO 1- Raguel(Driver), Selaphiel(Gunner), Jegudiel(Cover)

Spoiler: ANNUNAKI

Ship Captain/Teams Overwatch - Metotron
Ship Engineer/Tech/Teams Overwatch - Jophiel
Ship Corpsman - Raphael
Ship Pilot(s)/Gunner(s) - Chamuel, Jeremiel, Barachiel, Ariel, Uriel

ORDERS: Find the source of the shield
Tag: Subject 73 Red Gir Quee Mig Gred Thirdas Heavenshield Beltran Rarr Seer Kalanthir

That… whatever it is… it was dangerous and apparently knew that they were inside. Oh well, too late to worry about that now, they had to prepare for whatever security or troops would be in this…

… organic… access… tube…

… what the frell?

Bart, by us some time.

On it.

As the team slowly and silently (as silent as they could) moved up to the nearest opening, Bartleby was on the comm-link with [Dark Green]Selaphiel.

Get a sitrep to the Marines, tell them where we are.

Done. What about the big boss?

Find him, let him know too.

We got air support.

Use it. Now get off the comms before you give away our position.

It was too late though, no doubt this… whatever it is with the odd sound it was making was forming some kind of crazy defense. The advantage that the Omegas had though was that they were expecting worse than were getting, and what was around them was literally nothing that they had ever seen before. They were all good at what they did, exceptional, and each of them had intuitive minds, especially Azrael, so this was going to be an opportunity and not an obstacle.

This damn thing is almost… organic.

You telling me this thing is alive?

Pretty much…

Not sure I like murder.

Not murder if it’s sentient enough to be loyal.

What if it doesn’t know otherwise?

Okay, what if to them, we’re the monsters?

Gabriel was setting up an incendiary charge to one of what looked to be a vent as Azrael looked at the rest of them.

We done here? We have a job to do. We do the things no one else wants to so that they don’t have to think about it. We’re the ones who do the nasty chit so that Rangers like Beltran Rarr look like angels. It’s what we’ve always done, I don’t like it, but I’ve learned to accept it. If you haven’t then stay here. We have work to do.

The dressing-down wasn’t meant to ruffle feathers, but this was not the time for a debate. There was some kind of odd hum though as suddenly a hole opened up near Gabriel and two weird “worm-like” creatures popped out of it and reached for Gabriel. He was still finishing up the wiring on the explosive as Bartleby, Samael, and Castiel were pulling their knives and driving them into the … things. Sauriel just pulled his T-73 and shot each of them in the mouth, three times. This was not a move that was “overkill”, the blasted things just would not die.

With the opening still there, it looked like an alarm was raised and more were coming. Castiel un-slung his FTB Rocket, armed it with an FYB explosive, and fired. As the projectile flew through the… well it was supposed to be a hallway but looked more like the inside of a vein with all of the organic textures to it, the “worms” kept advancing until impact. The impact was more than even the team was prepared for, as this was the first actual fire that was not a test. That “impact” was the carbonite explosion from the casing and rapid expansion covering almost ⅛ the access hallway. The hallway, the other worms, they were frozen.

That. was.AWESOME!

Let’s move.

Bartleby was running a ‘ping’ on his systems. This was a standard system that scanned for the strongest power source, that should be the engines, and that should be the source of the “dome”. It was Samael’s turn to fire an FYB rocket from his own FTB launcher. The weapons themselves were not overly large, no longer really than a rifle, but the weapons they could carry were what packed the punch. Another hallway and access port were frozen once the impact of another rocket hit more approaching… “worms”.

Love.it.

Sadistic womprat.

Guys…

Boss…

I thought we were supposed to be on radio silence…

We might get Marines coming in… they’re engaging…

Oddly, Azrael did not like this.

How many?

Too many.

Neg… call’em off. We have too many*

Contact left.

Let’s take’em…

Bart… neg on the Marines. Keep’em out and get’em to keep everyone else out.

On it.

Let’s give these Nerf’herders something else to think about.

Looking at Gabriel, the Team Leader knew he would get the meaning, and the Demo Tech hit the two detonators. One would destroy one of the aft “repulsorlifts”, the other would just explode and continually burn the access tube they were just in, as long as there was the fuel of the explosive to give it flame.

Boom Baby.

You killing our way out?

Nope. We have an exit.

There's holes in the front from Admiral Quee's ship wrecking into it.

Without another word, the team prepped to move again. Azrael was crazy, but he always had a plan.

... yeah, we scare them.

 

[Ostak Cl'mana]

PHASE II​

POST: IV
LOCATION: Sev Tok atmosphere, the Epitaph, Infantry Bay
EQUIPMENT: Fireproof ceremonial Shaman robes
BEASTS UNDER PERSONAL CONTROL: TBD
ALLIES: THE BYRN | In vicinity of Primarch Drek'ma | In less-close vicinity of Galak / Osam / Sethrak / Tathra Khaeus
ENEMIES: SJC & ALLIES | NPC Drones engaging First Sister | Open to engagement

Use the Servitors, Ostak. Bury them. We will draw in as many of them as they are willing to throw at us.

"I have already secured the initiative." replied Ostak.
​

Surely enough, the Servitors were ready for action. Fanned out over a five kilometer arc, each Servitor had plenty of room to twist around in their advance. Ostak himself took control of all seven Servitors, directing them to slice through the ground mere meters below the center of the enemy formation. The beasts tore through vast chunks of ground, leaving long and deep holes behind. As the holes grew, the ground above, already weighed down by both the structures of Sev Tok and the Concord-allied army, finally gave in. Thousands of tons of soil and concrete collapsed into the holes about ten meters below, taking down hundreds of soldiers and dozens of armored units with them.

Ostak called the Servitors deeper underground once more, preparing to create a second cavern under enemy lines.

Up in the air, the Ra'mak War Beasts found themselves faced with an unexpected threat. A sudden flow of power was being released from a woman within enemy lines, followed seconds later by bolts of lightning. The beasts, caught off guard, attempted to rise upwards, above the woman's blast. One of them succeeded, sparks briefly glancing off its armored hide. However, the other Ra'mak was not as lucky. It was struck directly in its lightly armored face, wailing in agony as its eyes were melted and its skull heated. Within seconds, its brain was fried, and it dropped dead, its corpse slowly descending down into the ground and slamming into enemy lines with enough force to create a small shockwave.

The shockwave also knocked down the remaining Drones who had not been slain, leaving them helpless as they too were killed. Recognizing the urgency of the situation in the air, the five Shamen controlling the War Beasts altered their strategy.

The surviving Ra'mak leveled all of its plasma cannons at the woman below, opening fire on her and any hostile unit in the nearby area. At the same time, the remaining thirty-six Drones on both the surviving and dead Ra'maks leapt downwards, ignoring the risk of friendly fire as they charged towards the woman's reinforcements.

The sudden explosion nearly knocked Ostak off his feet.

Only the timely creation of a bubble shield kept him unharmed and on his feet, with several other Shamen being obliterated in the process. The Shaman-Overseer hastily took command of the numerous newly masterless beasts, sweat beginning to form throughout his body as he redirected dozens of Rhivaks and Obaliscs towards the newly exposed left flank.

 

[Liedran Kathause]

{Commodore Kathause - Aboard ANV Pegasus : C.I.C}
{Direct Relevancy: Mig Gred }
{Silver Jedi Concord Allies - Galactic Alliance - 1st Expeditionary Fleet : 3rd Squadron}
​

“And our Baradium shells for the rail guns aren’t an option now with that landing zone. Too much friendly fire risk with their blast radius.”

"Acknowledged, captain. Alright...I'm transmitting our scans of the Epitaph. Pegasus out."

A muffled "For krif's sake" quickly found itself muted out when the commodore's fist came down on the display table. Holographic-blue models warped and distorted as her hand came down and passed through, before they readjusted themselves and reformed to the solid projections from before. She froze, hand only an inch from the table's surface; eyes scanning to the far center line, where the massive shape of a heavy carrier came descending through Sev Tok's atmosphere. Fingers raced forward, clawing out to bring the image closer.

"What's that carrier doing!?" Liedran's voice emerged towering over the miscellaneous confirmations and reports.

"They're approaching the surface. Course is set for the Epitaph, ma'am! E.T.A five minutes."

Her fingers tapped at the rim for each agonizing second that passed. One minute till the other vessel's impact-- Pegasus had cut her own engines, now alongside her escort fleet as they stood over the planet below. Thirty seconds, and the first air wing had begun the approach for the ground, ready to reinforce the dropships and other fighter squadrons below. Ten seconds now lay before them, updated camera feeds from their starfighters showed the Midnight Darkest cutting through the atmosphere and burning at its rim. Five seconds-

Metal tore apart at the seams, crumbling under the force of the Epitaph's drill, until in a spectacular display of carnage, the ramming carrier erupted into flame. By the time that the smoke cleared, the Midnight Darkest littered the ground in debris, surrounding a charred and tearing mesh of metal and flesh that comprised the Bryn's battlecruiser. But the mighty weapon kept going, kept breaking through Anvil's shield, and kept approaching its unknowable goal.

Stunned silence and pale faces flanked the C.I.C. Displays suddenly shook, pilots rushing to escape the smoke cloud and shrapnel, before paralysis once again settled in. The commodore's hands clasped and interlaced around the bright blue gem around her neck, eyes closing while she plotted her next move. The Darkest hadn't been lost in vain, she had broken past the Epitaph's structural integrity.

Liedran intended to honor that sacrifice.

After the Bryn vessel had screeched to a halt and set down on the freezing surface below, the commotion returned, albeit uncomfortably slowly, but the clicks of keys once again touched her ears.

"Did we at least get our dropships on the ground?"

"Yes, ma'am. Both companies are on the surface."

Some good news.

"Cut missile fire, power down the main battery, but maintain point defense screens." Her hands set down on the table, "Get a Ferret down there. Preload with brilliant missiles, and get it ready to adjust pitch to travel through the shields. Await further orders."

"That's all for now..."

 

[Rurik Fel]

M A N _ O F _ I R O N
NEW IMPERIAL ORDER
LORD EXECUTOR
KNIGHTS OF THE EMPIRE
1st CRUSADE FLEET | NIV 'ANTARES DRACO'
Iron Skin | Lightsaber | Vengeance of Sword and Sun

I'LL CUT YOU DOWN
​

The hailing was received and the line open to the Silver Jedi forces. The immediate response? Anger, confusion, rage at the New Imperial brazenness. Such was the means of command by which Rurik operated. In spite of offering up the cold and calculated, literally metallic demeanor he often commanded with a gunslinger like attitude, content to decentralize almost immediately to commissioned and non-commissioned officers beneath him, who with the faintest direction in their favor, were largely satisfied with the autonomy.

<"Sir, we're being hailed by the Silver Jedi."> Captain Vardus relayed to his superior.

<"I'll receive them."> Rurik said, boarding the gunship accompanied by a cadre of stormtroopers and Imperial knights, the troop bay doors sliding shut and pressurizing behind them and soon enough the audio of the communication was relayed directly to his armor.

"NIO vessel this is the Keros' Kad! For Kad's sack, hold your fire! They're still running finally evac! plus the cities shie....."

"Tell them the arm the Pikes with bomb bays instead of missile tubes. Thunder bombs." Before Kaddie could even object, she would contact the NIO ship again. "Ok. Maybe your ways the way to go here, imperial, but I swear if you attempt to BDZ the battlefield before and catch people who aren't Bryn in your wake that toy of yours is going home with plasma scoring. I'm prepping bomber for a more precise attack plan, but until then...."

<"Keros Kad this is the Lord Executor Rurik Fel. We will continue our bombardment of the city of Anvil and the area of operation. No Silver Jedi assets, civilian or military will be harmed by these projectiles. We will coordinate any further maneuvers by means of Captain Vardus of the New Imperial Vessel 'Antares Draco' ."> He said outright before cutting the comms and screwing his eyes shut in the troop bay of his gunship

Rurik opened his eyes once more, in the troop bay of the rapid deployment assault gunship, the roar of the repulsor lifts dampened by the composite armor troop doors on either side of the compartment. Soon, the rendezvous with destiny. In the Sith and Bryn'adul, they were one and the same enemy. The darkness, the perfidious scourge which sought blood and slaughter across the Galaxy, to sow chaos and destruction.

He'd cut them down today.

<"Lord Executor, sir. A majority of the Xenophage is blocked and we have a fog of war effect in the form of a dark dome enveloping the battle. We're able to deploy forward observ-"> The Captain

"We're moving in. We haven't the time to waste." Rurik retorts coldly.

And soon enough, Rurik and the gunships flanking his own crossed through the invisible breach and into the dome of darkness. Immediately, the pilots at the reins of control of the gunships began to paint and identify Bryn'adul targets on the fly, immediately firing out missiles loaded with more airburst warhead packages of the xenophage, thickening the bioweapon's presence in the air around the battle.

<"Drop us as close as possible. We have to disrupt whatever cohesion these brutes have."> The 'stop gap' forces deployed by Krarolk T'manu was the immediate pairing to Rurik's command soon enough the repulsorlifts of the gunships revved to life in enhanced acceleration, the furious sparks and crimson glare of countermeasures firing out before they went to string together a loose envelopment of these forces if they could manage, the troop bay doors thrust open, the smell of manufactured death heavy in the air along with the horrid and cruel symphony of combat playing its dreadful tune its wake, all creating the ever traumatizing sensory envelopment that would burrow into each of their subconscious until the sacred silence.

And for Rurik, it was all but the purpose he continued to march onward.

He leaped from his gunship, into the thick of slaughter. Stormtroopers rappelled in his wake as the Imperials struck with a southpaw blow to their periphery formation, in hopes of cutting through the Bryn'adul consolidating in the staging ground and turn the tide strong enough to throw them from this world.

The Force rolled over him in thick, distorted winds. They were using it...and effectively. But they were not Sith...they were something more unnatural.

His lightsaber slashed the composite armor carapace of a Bryn'adul foot soldier before he willed a closed fist up to crush its skull in on itself.

Squad shield grenades were deployed on the drop points with E-WEB blasters and another heavy weapons following suit with the air assault infantry.

This was war as good as any.

ALLIES | NIO | NJO | SJC | Saaveina | Hans Rennagen | Paz Koon | Gir Quee

ENEMIES | BRYN | Krarolk T'manu | Seer Kalanthir

AFTER ACTION REPORT:
RURIK AND SEVERAL GUNSHIPS OF STORMTROOPERS AND IMP KNIGHTS HAVE LANDED DANGER CLOSE INTO THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
RURIK AND HIS FORCES FOCUS THE 'STOP GAP' FORCES AROUND Seer Kalanthir , COMMANDED BY Krarolk T'manu IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT THE BRYN LANDING FORCE.​

 

[Galak]

STANDOFF​

PHASE TWO
Location: Front and centre on the battlefield.
Bryn'Bois: Sethrak | Hrajlmak'Natok | Primarch Drek'ma | Udomek Seker | Gordrak | Osam | Tathra Khaeus | Seer Kalanthir | Ostak Cl'mana | Krarolk T'manu | Kyrim Tenebris | Sylok'Vanari | Aryshda | Quoron Ver'dum
Adversaries: @Laertia Io| Beltran Rarr | Thirdas Heavenshield | Aurelian Sigismund | First Sister | Mig Gred | Zephyr Krayt |
Equipment: Armour | Syphon Beam Rifle |
Forces: Juggernauts | Drones | Juggernaut Heavies | Juggernaut Majors | Gunboats |

He raised his compact shield, blocking the fire of the enemy militia's fire as their bio-blasters tore against their shields. Reports suggested their weaponry had been designed to tear through Drael-made equipment, specifically Protector shields. It was by some small grace they were utilising personal shielding in place of it, without it the pathogens at play by the hands of the Concord and the arrived Imperials would of no doubt slaughtered them all. But that only meant they were dead yet, this battle was a slow decline but an inevitable decline. No one could ignore that, when they had arrived it was four to one. Those odds hadn't come closer to evening since then, the lines of friend and foe blurred as as quickly as they retreated they rallied. One step forward and one step back in sporadic and senseless direction as every warrior of the Bryn'adûl fought united just to survive. Udomek and his own Juggernauts fought alongside the superior Ultras, dying in droves atop mountains of Drones. Even with the assistance of Hrajlmak and Ostak's beasts, trampling their enemies - it only gave them a short time to breath. Overhead, Warlord Sethrak's Gunboats began dividing the enemy lines with lines of molten fire. He felt no sympathy for those melted alive in the plasma but it pained him to hear the screams, but Sethrak had the right idea.

The earth quaked beneath their feet as finally, the Primarch joined the fray with a colossal display as one of the great Guardian Servitors dived into the ranks of the enemy, a rush of ash billowing through the air as the massive creature caused the earth to crack and rend underneath the power of its physical form and weight. The lines of the enemy were quickly dissipating, he would contribute to that.

"All Gunboats, utilise your plasma throwers! Take out their mortar parties" They would glass this planet, just like Yurb before it.

Suddenly, an additional squadron of Gunboats would drop out of the aerial conflict - targeting mortal parties by simply burying them in layers of molten plasma. Galak called through his Mind Stone, opening fire with his Shredder as an explosion rippled in the distance some hundreds of metres west of their position, the left defensive line. Where Osam was. A seismic explosion rippled across the edge of the battlefield as the fortifications his friend was in charge of were obliterated, taking hundreds of their own with them. Galak almost fell from shock, his legs like jelly. His singular eye was wide, disbelief in his shaking heart. He could not believe that Osam could of been gone, he tried to reach him immediately through the Mind Stone but to no avail. His friend - the Warlord he saw the best of the Bryn'adûl's future in was gone. In place of it, a weakness in their lines. The possibility they could be crushed and forgotten as quickly as Osam had.

The Warlord fought to keep tears from his eye as images of a bloated, frail corpse flooded his vision. If they lost now, they would find Osam's body. Nobody would know who he was, what he had fought for or how hard. He was losing him, just like he had lost Keldothera. Keldothera had died a true warrior, the gruesome death did not lesser her in his mind. But she had time so that they could strive, this - this was no such thing. Galak turned on his side, looking across the battlefield as the enemy charged into the rallied warriors of the Bryn'adûl. Charging to slaughter his own warriors whilst he lay there like a huffing child. Again, just as Sarka had defeated his spirit now so did another battle. He grew so weary of the death of his kin, but Keldothera had been right. Together, only together.

He chased her words, her voice. Through his mind he chased as his eye scanned across the battlefield, Gordrak and Udomek fighting with everything they had - Sethrak in a frenzied rage cutting down the enemy as Tathra faced off against the enemies champions alone. If he did not rise, their deaths would be on his hands too.

Just like Keldothera.

Just like Pavium.

Just like Osam.

"No... NO! NO!"

Galak roared, hoarse and pained as he rose to his feet yet again. Taking a Syphon rifle from the ground. The Ultras had all but discarded their weapons, leaving plenty for the Juggernauts to seize the edge. With a thought through the stone, nearly a thousand Juggernauts at the front swapped out whatever they had in hand for Syhpon rifles, disruptor energy destroying every bioblaster in sight whilst other utilised ionic energy to attack the Neutralisers and the newly arriving Paladin company. Arrogant, charging into the lines of their physical equals, Juggernauts as ionic blasts would turn their armours into self-serving tombs to be crushed in. Galak was blinded with hate, shock and adrenaline all that kept him standing as cold breaths made aches of every inch of his body.

"NO! NO! NO!"

One of the Paladin warriors rushed at Galak, his fist slamming into the chest of the soldier sending him hurdling back through the air was Galak slashed with his wrist blades. He switched the Syphon rifle to its ionc burst, firing first at a Neutraliser and then a Paladin - taking both down as he moved across the battlefield, trying to get closer and closer to Tathra.

 

[First Sister]

Location: Anvil - Sev Tok
Allies: CIS ( Laertia Io Westenra Mina ) │ SJC ( Jairdain Beltran Rarr Thirdas Heavenshield )
Enemies: The Bryn'adûl ( Gordrak Tathra Khaeus Ostak Cl'mana Krarolk T'manu)

Positioned the furthest away from the main group and the Titan himself, the Sister quickly found herself beset from seemingly all sides, a group of five Zealots approaching her from the front, while five more came at her from the rear. All the while, the massive form of the electrocuted Ra’mak slammed into the earth, its violent landing kicking up a thick cloud of dust and smoke. It was from within this cloud that three dozen enraged, feral Drones emerged before charging towards the diminutive electromancer, driven solely by rage and contempt.

The Drones were the first to charge, while the Zealots seemed to hang on the edges, presumably waiting for the feral creatures to weaken the electromancer before they moved in for the kill. The Sister settled into a low, wide stance, galvanic energy scintillating across her hands as she activated her shield with a thought, thereby sheathing her tiny form in a protective bubble of coruscating, yet nigh-invisible energy.

However, with her attention spread thin, the Titan’s discharge of red energy came as a surprise, throwing the tiny electromancer back owing to the kinetic force transmitted by the blast. Fortunately, her shield retained its integrity under the assault, though the Drones and the Zealots closed in on the Qilin all the same...

Only to be met by the raging, plasmatic fire of the surviving Ra’mak’s bombardment.

Projecting only an Apprentice-level Barrier to defend herself against the rain of fire from above, the Sister could only hold her breath and pray under her breath in ur-Kittât, beseeching her Eternal Father's protection as plasmatic energy enveloped her, along with many of the Drones and Zealots advancing in on her location...

Spoiler: Loadout

• First Sister’s Sith Uniform
  • Undersuit
    • UL-14 “Virtus” Class Underlay
  • Energy Shield
    • Phase III “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Stealth Device
    • Stealth Field Generator
  • Alchemical Talisman(s)
    • Jin'Wodasir - Pins of Protection (2)
    • Talisman of Concentration
  • Left Gauntlet
    • LPD-52 Vibrant Miniaturized Bio-Energy Gun
  • Right Gauntlet
    • LPD-40 IceJet Miniaturized CryoBan Projector
  • Utility Belt
    • FAE/U-01 "Serenity" Anti-Signal Field System
    • Supernal Infusion
• Miniaturized Double-Bladed Spinning Lightsaber - Magenta Blade
• Whimsy Knife

Spoiler: Summary of Actions

• Acknowledged attacks by three dozen Drones, a squad of Zealots, Tathra Khaeus's Red Energy Blast and a plasma bombardment from all eight of the surviving Ra'mak War Beasts capital-grade plasma cannons directed to First Sister. Wrote effects of friendly fire.
• Activated Personal Energy Shield and Casted Force Barrier
• TLDR: Praying

 

[Dagon Kaze]

NEW JEDI ORDER | GALACTIC ALLIANCE | HEADING TO THE HEART OF DARKNESS, THE EPITAPH
the Light shall bring victory

Hellscape.

The only word to describe the scenes before their eyes as their hurried through the chaotic massacre between men and monster. Frontlines formed and collapsed and formed again. Inches of ground were taken by liters of blood and held with twice that cost before the inch was retaken once more. An endless loop of death. Something he had witnessed a hundred and one times over and over again during the war against the Sith and, yet, Dagon could not fight back the stupor at the sight. There was no conforming to war.

Crossing rivers of blood, shattered armors and carapaces beset the two Jedi's route towards the Epitaph. Utilizing the chaos of the battle, the two found themselves on the hull of the behemoth. Yula was quick to find a way to breach the hull while Dagon provided cover.

“I’m no zealot; but I don’t like the way this feels.”

​

He responded by reaching out for the empyrean. The threads of the ethereal in the midst of the killzone overwhelming his senses but one thread stood out - it spread like an intricate web across the red dome and in its pattern he found its nexus - the Epitaph. Any remark about the observation was cut short as wyverns heading their way appeared in the corner of his vision. Dagon shook himself back to the material world just in time to conjure a last-ditch attempt of a telekinetic barrier as the wyvern's tendril crashed into it. The force behind its swipe made the shield flicker and blood trickled down from the Jedi's nostrils as he exerted more energy into the barrier.

"What the hell's taking so long?!" he growled at Yula, stealing a glance at the detonator while another set of wyverns were lining up for a diving attack. Dagon was certain his barrier wouldn't hold another onslaught from the beasts. He clenched his fists tight then snapped them open releasing a telekinetic wave to repulse the wyvers away and send both him and Yula tumbling through the breach that had just opened. Safe from the prowling wyverns outside but as they say - out of the frying pan into the fire.

They were inside the heart of the darkness.

Dagon wiped the blood running down his nose, ignored the gradually rising headache and pulled Yula up and further away from the breach.

"Too close."

As they headed further into the ship, both wary and both in haste, he asked, "What exactly did you feel through the Force?"

Time was running out for them and a clear solution still wasn't in sight.

ALLIES | GA | NJO | SJC | NIO | Yula Perl
ENEMIES | BRYN'ADUL | Sylok'Vanari | Krarolk T'manu | Tathra Khaeus | Seer Kalanthir

 

[Quoron Ver'dum]

Phase Two
Location: On the battlefield w/Osam
Allies: Osam | Seer Kalanthir | Krarolk T'manu |
Enemies: Aien Mueller | Dagon Kaze | Yula Perl |
Armour | Shield | Ravager Marksmen Rifle | Mangler Submachine Gun | Syphon Beam Rifle |
Forces: 12 Vandals

All Quoron could think of was his own breathing, even as the clones punches bruised his face and made his left eye water, even as one blurred from the abuse all he could focus on was the charred bones halfway out of the doorframe ahead of them. The smell was worse, burnt flesh. The Vaydralen felt his stomach turn, ribbons of pain inside his chest. He was Vaydralen, a being of logic and military prowess. Not a ignorant fool frozen in place by the death of a enemy child. But the Vaydralen never harmed children, not before now. Among their people - the death of the child was a great sin punishable by the removal of title and military position. The Vaydralen thought of those who murdered children as cowards. Was he a coward? He certainty felt like one, allowing this tiny man to beat his face into a pulp as he lay there. Watching his brothers in arms face insurmountable odds, he on the other hand frozen in place by a mistake. It was pitiful, pathetic. No doubt every Draelvasier that could see him, thought the same. Osam would never respect the Vaydralen after his display... he had brought shame to his people.

Quoron winced as another strike came, turning to face the clone as he savagely struck at the Vandal with his puny little fists. Part of him wanted to die there and then, to escape from the shame. He didn't want to get up, he was comfortable where he was. Though, he knew that was foolish. His will was compromised by irrational fear, his bravery seized by embarrassment and shame. He would never be up to the task of living up to the standards of the great Drael or even the champions of his own kind.

So deep in his own thought, Quoron didn't even notice as the neutraliser brought forth a bomb into their lines; only when the explosion came did he wake from his self-pity into any state of sobriety and awareness. He looked back as sheens of rippling blue tore into their defences. His ears rung as the deafening explosion numbed every sense in his body. Thousands of their own were killed in seconds, the mighty Akhenaton's barricades destroyed as enemy forces pushed in through the gap. Quoron was awake, finally awake. He banished the irrational thought as well as he could, blocking the next punch as he drove a hidden blade into the throat of the clone.

He was Vaydralen. Logic and strategy above all else. Logic improved strategy, and logic kept him on his feet. He and his Vandals were the soldiers deployed throughout the enemy force, it would've been their responsibility to stop that bomb before it reached their lines. Quoron knew it was their fault, he knew those within the Bryn that hated the knew races would read the battlefield reports and blame the Centurion corps in its entirety for his ineptitude. Even as the Bryn warriors including his own Vandals fought and died all throughout their lines, it would be his command that was brought into question above all else. The gap in their defence was his fault, the enemy would go for the Epitaph. They already were, the Kraemonen and the Ashaka had reported infiltration.

Quoron knew what he had to do. He checked for how many of his own remained.

"All Vandals, report in!"

Only twelve of forty Vandals reported in. He didn't know if the rest were dead or had their mind stones damaged in the conflict, but it didn't matter now. He had to read the terrain and make a decision. He had to stop the enemy, at all costs.

"Warlord Osam, if you can hear me. I'm rerouting my Vandals back to the Epitaph. We will stop the enemy boarders. I promise!" With his communique delivered across the battlenet, Quoron felt a shiver run up his spine.

The Vandals used their incredible speed to cross back to the Epitaph inside of a minute, Quoron himself in less than thirty seconds. More of that gas was being released, and the enemy were sending a variety of forces to try and get inside the Epitaph. The Vandals were agile enough to surpass the deploying Imperials. The threats of relevance were already inside the ship. Quoron saddled up to one of the infantry bay Artificers, Syphon beam rifle in hand.

"Artificer, Vandal Captain Ver'Dum. I'm here to get rid of your rodent problem, I need access to the Epitaph hivemind."

The Artificer nodded, stepping away from the mind stone control console. Quoron hesitantly placed his palm on the Mind Stone, his consciousness shifted away. Suddenly, he was among a web of darkness - yellow eyes staring back at him. The Kraemonen hivemind, the Epitaph. The link was established, and Quoron was able to speak to Epitaph through his own Mind Stone whislt on the move to intercept the Jedi.

Vandal, Centurion Captain. How can I help you?

"You have intruders aboard, lockdown every pathway between you and them. I need coordinates for both, active feeds on their movement."

A moment passed, the Kraemonen was in every part of the ship. It was the ship, the Epitaph was not just a name given to symbolify the Verikast exterior, but it was the chosen name of the sentient Kraemonen Hivemind that made up its interior mechanisms. It could feel the soldiers climbing through its underbelly. No more of its flesh would be wasted to be frozen in place. The levels of the ship they were within would enter total shutdown, every corridor closed shut.

I will keep you safe, Epitaph.

Thankfully, the majority of any vital systems of the Epitaph were housed high up, including the Errindak. But the actual power core was closest to the intruders below. They would likely go for that. The Vandal Captains attention would be directed to the Jedi, using an elevator to reach their level. He would stop them, half of his remaining Vandals at his side as he reached the doorway before them.

"The cruel creatures known as Jedi lay ahead my brethren. Prepare."

Quoron felt his heart, rapidly hammering away inside of his chest as the sliding doors began to part.

 

[Hrajlmak'Natok]

​

STANDOFF

​

OBJECTIVE: Phase 2
POST: 6
LOCATION: Pushing with Tathra, back of the formation
EQUIPMENT: Warlock's Armour | Battlestaff [Sig]
ALLIES: The Bryn'adul
ENEMIES: Everything Else
ENGAGING: Open
Forces:

Spoiler

• Drones [4,000]
• Rhivaks [200]
• Brumaks [250]
• Vaydralen [1,500]
• Warlocks [6]
• Warlock Field-Masters [2]
• Servitor [3]

______________________________________________________________

Thousands of hardened Bryn'adul warriors charged forth, while the Rhivaks, who had afforded them the opportunity, retreated just as fast. Those that returned, came in half the numbers. Having seen the worst of the fighting, all came back bearing heavy injury. In an odd way, it spurred Hrajlmak on. He watched as Rhivaks limped and waddled under broken limbs and charred muscles. To see that the fighting had no end in sight, that resistance stood strong, infected Hrajlmak with a fervor he knew all too well. It was a drug. The thrill of war, the euphoria in violence. He had become something different from his Aeravalin brothers. Warlocks, a product of that, shared in the ideology. To serve the Chieftain, to pull the strings of the battlefield, and for what? For that red mist. For the chance to drive one's claws deep into the heart of weakness manifest, and return home with trophies and thus wash in glory. It was a drug. And not once had Hrajlmak tired of it.

Nature's primal symphony rang out within the dome. Mortar fire, mobile artillery, Soldiers of all allegiances and species cried out in mortal anguish, only to be silenced when a stray mortar or plasma munition reduced their aches and pains to moisture in the mud. Hrajlmak's light footfalls were one set of thousands. His drones surrounded him, his own head, much unlike his brethren, somewhere below their shoulders. He could hardly see where the army now pushed, but it mattered not. Soon his line would find the battle. While he ran, information from his Warlocks, plus that of the drones and warbeasts under his control, fed into an ever-changing telepathic network. He could see little, but his mind was alight with a web of knowledge. Every time a pocket of Bryn'adul grunts was wiped from the universe, their final moments lit up the network, and every other Warlock in the know would divert forces, either to plug the gap, or destroy what had killed their brethren. Whether his eyes saw them or not, his enemies would fall by his hand.

The crater was in view now. Beyond its cusp, the Chieftain and his Ultras engaged the weak. The battle raged, both sides suffered. The droids from Sarka ripped through Bryn'adul numbers. Mud splattered a furious Aeravalin face. Hrajlmak was seeing far too many images through Draelvasier eyes of brand new weapons wielded by metal monstrosities. He admired the engineering, but he hated the enemy. Overhead, a formation of Jet-troopers trailed vapor beneath the red shield, raining blaster fire on the churning crowd below. Three of Hrajlmak's eyes locked onto their figures. A gutteral growl bubbled up from his chest. Powerful legs pushed hard against the ground. Hrajlmak flew into the air and unleashed a volley of red electricity. It arced through three of the five troopers, seizing their muscles, burning their flesh and detonating their jetpacks. They spiraled through the air, soon coming careening towards the Drone crowd. Hrajlmak watched their fates unfold, and promptly shifted the flow of Drones, creating a large pocket in the advancing army, allowing the troopers to explode against the ground with no ill effect. He crashed down from where he came and quickly assimilated himself back into the flow.

The crater was near, his hearts pushed boiling blood around his body. He glimpsed an out-of-place crowd surrounding an object he had no time to register. But it wouldn't have mattered. A piercing flash forced his eyes closed for a second. When he opened them, a thin film of curiously cold energy expanded in silence. Faster than sound. The noise that came after was deafening, and the explosion itself entirely devastating. Hrajlmak was not close, but he was still very comfortably within its area of effect. Those nearer were ripped to shreds by the wave. The shockwave, or more appropriately, the soundwave, was just as damaging as the former. It tore through the crowds. The frequencies rattled Hrajlmak's body, as if the bonds of his molecules were gripped and shaken violently. He, like those around him, was thrown to the floor. He could hear nothing, and saw only oddly coloured clouds. Face down in the dirt among his Sraelvun cousins he moved only to heave and wretch blood. In that moment he was not a First Warlock, nor an Aeravalin. He was not a warrior of any note. He was a writhing mass within a flesh pile, wracked with shattered bones and puking blood he bled on the inside. Around him, the battle raged, and his Field-Masters would easily replace the loss with their own compensation. But buried in the dead and dying, a wretched Draelvasier hoped silently for salvation, but doubted he would see the daylight.

 

[Yula Perl]

BREAK THE SKIN

Aboard the Epitaph

​

Fall back while you still can-- Yula? Yula! Damn it!"

“Too late.” She chimed back, unaware that their communication—as choppy as it was—had been cut. Hadn’t Thirdas Heavenshield learned that trying to kennel a Perl sister was the equivalent of herding a horde of angry, contrarian cats?

He was right to be concerned. It didn’t take long for Yula and Dagon’s presence to be picked up, as evidenced by the slew of winged beasts swooping unto their location, aiming to pick of the intruders trying to breach the hull. Almost gingerly, Yula pressed her hand to the grenade, careful to keep her body away from the rapidly heating exterior walls as she fed her energy into the device.

Behind her, a booming crash echoed in close quarters, blunted by the quick application of Dagon’s telekinetic barrier.

"What the hell's taking so long?!"

“This isn’t as easy as it looks!” She snapped back, willing the detonator to work faster. The metallic walls twisted, contorting under the heat, and Yula felt the Jedi beside her draw upon the Force, like the shore receding out to sea before surging back as a wave. It gave her just enough time to cross her arms over one another, erecting a thin shield that kept their bodies from being broiled instantly by searing hot metal as they created their own opening, punching through the softened integrity of the walls and into the viscera of the Epitaph.

Dagon drew her away from the threshold of the opening as the Dreddikkast, seeking to remove the infection, swiped at them with its massive tendrils. The avian creature’s talons pierced just to the right of the hole they’d made with ease, a testament to how close they’d been to becoming skewered.

“I’ll say.” She exhaled shortly, rising with Dagon before the two hurried further into the depths of the Epitaph.

"What exactly did you feel through the Force?"

Yula’s brows scrunched together. “You mean you didn’t feel it?” a bead of sweat collected in the ridges of her creased forehead, dripping down her browbone. Without thought, she reached forward to swipe away the blood cresting his upper lip with her thumb. “When we went through the red barrier—didn’t it feel like the Force had something to do with it? And not in a good way. The same thing here, only stronger.” Her eyes fell lidded for a moment, not exactly closed as she tried to hone in on the feeling she’d gotten, diffuse as it was, spreading through the ship like capillaries through tissue. “I don’t know.”

They rounded a corner at the precise moment an elevator door opened ominously, revealing a cadre of Bryn’adul warriors in a haze of dramatic steam.

“Oh.”

On instinct, she grabbed Dagon’s wrist and booked it down the hall.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple had just finished escorting another pack of Civilians (After violently gunning down more Bryn'adul) when the spell cast by Tegan Starfall caused a partial collapse in some of the tunnels. She barely avoided getting crushed, and immediately got out her com-link, having felt her darkness only a moment.

"What the hell just happened?! We cannot have a cave-in now." Maple snarled.

"Bad news, Golden Eye. People report a Witch causing the sabotage." Gerard the Nuetralizer reported.

"You set up that sound system yet through the tunnels for psychological warfare?" Maple said, burning with rage as she telekinetically pulled away debris to the most direct route.

"Yeah." Gerard answered.

"Patch me through to it."

"You're on." Gerard told her after a moment.

"To the shortsighted fething saboteur in the tunnels: I don't know what you're here for but if you got a death wish, leave the rest of us out of it. You make things any more difficult for the evacuees, I'll bury you in those tunnels."

The Nuetralizer Sensors didn't pick up the line point of movement moving away from the other groups, due to the Jacket Tegan wore. They did, however pick up another set of movements from a direction they weren't using to evacuate. More Bryn'adul.

Having set up explosives, the Model 1's decided absolutely no further interference with their operation would be tolerated, they didn't know where she was precisely, but their sensors, picking up the tunnel collapse, made them calculate the easiest routes for a saboteur to escape from those points of collapse. They detonated some of the charges they had set up in key points, partly collapsing the path ahead and completely collapsing the path behind of Tegan, and collapsed the one the Bryn'adul had been using, killing some and forcing them to divert, a Force of dozens in heavy armor with deadly beam weapons that looked very similar to the Bio-Blasters they had been using (they were so similar in fact even the Nuetralizers had mistook some captured examples for their own ordinance at first).

The Bryn'adul forced to divert would potentially find themselves coming across Tegan in seconds, and would immediately opened fire with the Destructive Disruptor beam weapons if sighting her, and would be rushing her down as they fired.

Tegan had wanted to meet Bryn'adul so bad? She'd potentially get her wish. She was potentially about to get all the Crabmeat she could handle.

No salt or butter though.

Meanwhile, Maple had cleared more of a path, being forced to take long, indirect routes back to the city tunnel entrances, shooting down the occasional stray Ultra.

When she got out, she spotted Starlin Rand about to get hit by a Rhivak's laser. She started to aim with Stouker Rifle, steadying it's immense weight with Telekinesis, half wondering if she should just let nature take its course and let the boy die, removing a hiccup between Xiphos and Syd, even though she neither liked nor trusted her due to her similarities to The Amalgam (She was also grossed out beyond what words could audibly express at the fact Xiphos was attracted to her in spite of or worse, possibly because of these said similarities.).

But that wasn't her. She wasn't about to let some innocent boy die to make things slightly easier for Xiphos. Even if Xiphos was all that was left of her friend Laertia.

Laertia had never really come back from Sarka. Laertia Io had been yet another casualty in that terrible battle, whether The Bryn'adul knew it or not.

She fired, sniping it's legs with the rifle's alt fire, which created a micro concussive explosion in a four meter radius. It's legs were painfully blown off as it fired, it's Ionic Plasma beam beam barely missing the Boy, a number of Model 1's moving in to capture and restrain the beast rather than kill it.

Maple dropped the Stouker walking past him up to the Model 1's that had brutally knocked out the injured beast by savagely clubbing it with Atrisia Kanebo's. Small samples of it's tissue were taken from a blown off leg along with those of a Brumak and rushed to an extraction shuttle by the Model 1's that was landing close by.

"Head on a swivel, kid! Might not be there next time..." She said in a dry, almost disinterested tone as she passed by.

Gerard had just cleared the evac shuttle for lift off after having the heavily injured beast restrained, mounted on a repulsor truck with its head positioned upward so it couldn't move, when he saw Harte sullenly stride towards him.

"So, how's dinner in hell?" Gerard asked.

"Needs salt." Maple replied, looking at what was going on with the panicked Civilians being led by Jaina.

"Is the Situation that bad with the tunnels?" Maple asked.

"Not as bad as it could be..." Gerard answered, "But whoever hit the tunnels has slowed the evacuation progress by a considerable level. We are being forced to go through routes that have a higher chance of going through possible Bryn Patrols.

"That woman seems to be trying to lead them underground."

Gerard simulated the electronic equivalent of a sigh.

"Pack of fools." The War Droid muttered quietly. "Excuse me. I gotta go handle business."

Gerard walked up to Jaina and the others. In spite of being only slightly less terrifying than the Bryn'adul trying to murder them all, every civilian stepped back in fear. No droid should walk so organically, talk so organically.

"You cannot go underground. The Bryn'adul use giant worms to tunnel beneath city surfaces, only to erupt through them at an inconvenient time. You hole up somewhere, you'll just get buried alive, or sniffed out by the enemy." He explained to them.

"Well what do you suggest, Mister Skeleton?" a civilian asked nervously, shrinking away in terror as Gerard's red photo-receptors fixed on him.

"The city Shield is down. Most of the enemy is concentrated in the dome. If we are going to bring the ships to here instead, we have to do it now, while the enemy is occupied." Gerard explained, he got out an encrypted com for a burst transmission to all SJC forces in orbit.

"Concerned party to all SJC ships in orbit, we need ANY starfighters and ships that can be converted to evac that you can spare. Evac routes through the tunnels systems are compromised, so we are bringing evac ships of our own directly into the city limits. We need cover from any potential starfighter attacks."

While Gerard dealt with the Civilians, Maple went close to the shield dome where the Nuetralizers were bombarding it constantly in one spot along with Civilians and Militia, she noted one shuttle that had the Verikast plating from corpses welded to it, being carefully pushed through the barrier. She noted the other Model 1 Nuetralizers still outside the dome handling a bunch of shield pearl thingies in stasis chambers, captured at great effort, and a repulsor mounted excavation drill, burrowing deep into the ground.

"What are those robots doing?" She asked a nearby Model 1.

"Some of us figure, since their worms can burrow under the city, they can borrow under the shield. And if the worms can borrow enough so the shield isn't a factor, why can't we try the same?" The Model 1 answered.

"It's worth a shot..." Maple remarked, crouching down to look at a captured protector.

"They use these creatures to shield themselves, right?" Maple asked.

"These creatures are what is presumably generating the dome, also." It confirmed.

Maple thought a moment.

"I got an idea. Bring me all these Protectors, and as many Bryn'adul bodies as you can." She said. "Any Jedi Corpses too."

"What's the plan?" It asked as she picked up a container holding a shield pearl.

"Plan? Are you kidding? I'm making this up as I go!" Maple exclaimed.

The Model 1 signalled the Militia and others to bring her what she required.

Maple set it all up near a heavily defended barricade set up by the Nuetralizers. She arranged the Jedi and Bryn'adul corpses in a pentagram pattern, 007 captured pearls at the center of each, writing the blood of each with her meager knowledge of Blood Magic, and supplementing it with a form of Magic far more terrible in it's potential scope. The runes resembled strange, eldritch mathematics. The containers with the Shield Pearls had the runes all over them.

It was the magic of The Kolda-Bratha Calculus. Time-Affecting magic.

She had been exposed to it long ago by Darth Maranon, a one-time lover of The Bounty-Hunter, who had made her use it while in a Sith Trance to help recreate her body. Small fragments of knowledge. Normally, it was too dangerous to use. Or considered too dangerous to use by Maple.

Today, however, was a day of many exceptions.

Maple began to chant, focusing the dangerously powerful magic into the Shield Pearls, with the corpses and runes as Magical Conduits, enhancing, altering the effects of the pearls, their Miraculous shield generating energy twisted and altered as it was drawn from them, shooting outward to the red dome.

It began to shudder and fluctuate in one large area in front of her, wide enough for about four tanks to go through. The shield rippled heavily in this area, tremendously resilient to conventional forces, but not this.

One Nuetralizer stepped forward, into the shield, and then stepped successfully back out.

Maple, innately talented at magic, had "paused" the one-way only effects of the shield in this one area. Hundreds of wounded civilians and soldiers, in desperate need of evac, began flooding out of the now permeable area, The Model 2's on the other side having fanatically defended them from opportunistic Bryn warriors trying to harass the wounded shepherding them to safety.

So many poured out, wounded and bleeding and in such panic that it was all the Model 1's guarding the ritual site could do to keep them from trampling it and ruining her efforts.

Maple concentrated, mouthing the forbidden pronunciations of the Calculus itself, expanding the effect of the gap to about five tanks wide, allowing dozens, crawling to hundreds, escape.

Fresh Militia and civilians charged in, armed with Bio-Blasters, shooting at the forces attacking the ones now able to escape the dome, the energy of the altered protectors starting to cause the pearls to crack slightly...

They didn't have long before the ritual gave out. They would have to make the most of it.

The Ritual self sustaining by this point, maple stood up.

"Does any Jedi here know ANYTHING about teleporting at all?" she called out. "Even magic related variants will do..."

Meanwhile.

The Nuetralizer Model 2 that had been shot by Galak had not been quite destroyed, it's armor resistant to Ion weaponry, though its main power plant had shorted out entirely and it was now running on back up power.

It heard Galak's roars of rage and denial as he tried to make his way to the crater, killing many. Other Model 2's got utterly wrecked by the Ionic beams, and went down, having taken a more direct shot to all their internal power sources.

"Brothers!" It called out over it's encrypted comlink. "That warrior wishes a glorious death! Grant it to him."

As Galak rampaged, Model 1's concealed in still standing buildings sniped at him with Their Concussion Rifle Shots and Cryo-Lasers, Model 2's closer to the battlefield shooting 40 millimeter Cryo and Acid loaded grenades at him. Militia fired Rockets and Bio Blasters, even trying to fire at him with captured Syphon Rifles on what they had figured out was the disruptor setting. But the deadliest threat were the Militia who tried to cut him off as he moved forward, hiding behind cover with pilfered Model 1 Disruptors on their secondary, Drael-Tech wrecking Arc Caster setting. They launched multiple arcs of the specially tuned electricity at him, virtually guaranteed to wreck the tech of his rifle if they connected...

Meanwhile...

The Model 1's instincts had proven correct in holding back a major bulk of the forces under their command. A worm erupted from below, killing hundreds. Thousands of Civilian Volunteers mostly. The Model 1's had them make a good bulk of the charge, to not lose too many of the more damaging units at their command. But as soon as it went into the earth they ordered a charge, and the pressure on all defending lines increased ten fold.

Though the plasma cannons from the flying beasts above as well as the gunboats shredded large amounts of their units, The Model 2's had prepped, having hastily set up large, makeshift cover, by having the Militia cut off the Verikast plating from a Fallen Ra'Mak and hiding under large shards of it's plating, as well as behind or under the giant corpse itself, as the plasma fire came down.

Jury-Rigged Speeder bikes with attached explosives, scavenged from the street, adding explosives, were launched into defending lines, causing terrible explosions to soften the defense up for an inevitable Banzai charge, this time thousands of Civilian Volunteers and Militia making deadly, frantic charges armed with Bio-Blasters against the lines of Primarch Drek'ma , lobbing cryo grenades and both types of bolts from their weapon, their casualties were terrible, dozens getting cut down at a time, only for more Militia to crawl over the corpses of their friends to continue the fight, Twenty-one Model 2's to the rear and sides of the Banzai Charge lobbing 40 millimeter grenades at his lines, as they themselves pressed the attacking, drael-damaging fire from the rotary cannons being swept towards his Lines to absolutely increase the pressure on his defense, trying to Force his lines to take cover even as they were also pelted with the deadly bio-blasters

It was obvious now the Defenders of Sev Tok could smell blood, and like enraged sharks, they sped to it. For all the Bryn'adul's savagery, they had clearly been caught off guard, and it showed. Their finest warriors, humiliated and killed by the most green of Militia armed with deadly new weapons, getting increasingly good at targeting their heart areas, but the humiliation wasn't over yet for these savage creatures.

Another Void 007 charge had made it onto the battle field, close to the right barricade but not as close as the first charge had been, set in a giant trash pick up repulsor truck hastily welded with make shift Verikast and Malabast plating, taken from fallen Bryn, lashed with Bryn Corpses for extra damage resistance. Over a hundred of the remaining Model 2's, along with hundreds of Militia pressed forward on the right defensive lines of the Epitaph, where the Dreddikast now defended it. One by one they dropped, even the Model 2's from the sudden swarm of overwhelming fire, but their armor held out long enough to get it where they needed it, the remaining dozen Model 2's near it, and the Militia dozens that had followed, frantically held out in a desperate defense while the payload in the truck armed, The Model 1's still in the area warning allied Forces to momentarily retreat, which cost more lives.

The defenders, realizing this was exactly what had happened just before the first Seismic charge was detonated, frantically began pouring rockets, grenades, anything that could be used to penetrate. But the make shift armor on the truck held, and the Bryn got a nasty surprise from one of their own gunships, which had been blasted into from the side, and hijacked by a Jetpack equipped Model 2, began firing all it's weapons on their defense lines, getting punctured and perforated and soon shot down.

But the distraction paid off.

As the last Model 2 defending the truck fell, the enhanced Seismic charge inside went of.

The blue wave of death spread out fast to the defensive lines, though it was farther from the Epitaph, giving allied forces that were closer to the vessel just enough time to retreat and take cover as it went to the Dreddikast trying to kill the invaders...

Meanwhile...

The Plight of First Sister having her barrier assaulted was soon alleviated by no less than Lyssa Io, flanked by a pair of Model 2's, relentlessly tearing into the ranks with Bio Blasters.

Lyssa especially was tenacious, her immense speed and the ever sharp arm blades ripping violently into an insect and split jaw, tentacle blades sprouting from her back to eviscerate the Juggernauts that dared to bring harm to Xiphos's most recent ally...

Hrajlmak'Natok

Tathra Khaeus

Quoron Ver'dum

Gordrak

Jairdain

Jax Thio

Mig Gred

Beltran Rarr

Thirdas Heavenshield

 

[Cadere]

Location: Anvil
Equipment: Lightsaber | Personal Light Armor | Mantellian Vambraces | FF-CAR1
Allies: Zephyr Krayt Kranak Vizsla
Engaging: Osam

"I swear I'm gonna smack those giant teeth out of your head if you don't--" the sounds of blasters shooting passed his side and impacting the Syphons startled Cas, visibly making him jump slightly as he released a surprised tone. Briefly, both he and Vinil turned behind them to catch a glimpse of who the shooter was. Once his eyes laid upon the armored individual coming to their aid, Cas flashed a broad toothy grin "Zephyr! You stinkin' nerfherder! You're here too?!" he exclaimed in excitement. An old friend he hadn't seen since he was a naive troublemaking Padawan, the two had formed a unique bond following the events of surviving a parasitic shapeshifting alien. Zephyr's presence was a welcome one, making the young Knight desire a catch-up once this was all over.

The thrill of the reunion was shortlived however, once Cas turned back to face the Bryn his eyes locked on the barrell of a carbine aimed at him. No, wait, Vinil! Once his ears registered the sound of rounds being unloaded, his instincts took over and there was no time to think. Cas' mind and body connected with the Force, allowing its energy to flow into him like a sponge. The mystical energy surged through his body like an electric charge, enhancing his reaction time, speed and other attributes.

The large rounds bolted past Cas, spinning around in a blink of an eye, not hesitating to do what had to be done, his free arm reached out and his fingers sprung open. The Jedi wrapped a telekinetic grasp around the rounds, they were moving too fast to redirect them completely and frankly, he didn't have enough time either. So instead, Cas simply altered the rounds' trajectory without sacrificing momentum and launched them into some nearby rubble.

"That was shellfish of you, Shelly. What if--" his oncoming, amazingly epic crustacean pun was cut off when Cas realised something was going on with his cybernetic arm. It was malfunctioning, slow to react to his neural signals, the creatures accompanying that Risen-Sraelvun leapt outward, away from each other. Following that, his cybernetic arm fell completely to his side and dropped his lightsaber, completely useless. Then Zephyr's jetpack malfunctioned, causing him to fall. Those... those things must have released some sort of bio-electro magnetic pulse, There wasn't time to deliberate on what to do next, it was time to improvise, something he did best.

Cas reached down and grabbed his lightsaber with his right arm, ready to charge at those Bryn... things. Maybe taking them out neutralised the effects on their tech. Then he was reminded of the age-old problem, Vinil, defenceless still, but luckily, in his line of sight he spotted another Mandalorian Kranak Vizsla in the distance. Hopefully, this was the medic that'd treat Vinil - in that case, Cas could afford to leave his post for a few seconds, and besides, Vinil was good at defending himself.

Annoyingly, his hypothesis would have to wait for he spotted something within the corner of his eye. Another, grotesque looking group of Bryn were charging toward Zephyr, only, he wasn't reacting... in fact, it looked as if he was scrambling. Then he remembered, Zephyr was Hapan... and without the aid of his tech, he couldn't see a damn thing.

Yelling out "ZEPH! THEY'RE ON YOUR LEFT FLANK!" to aid the Mandalorian in defending himself, then Cas took off running and called out to Zephyr once more "Those ugly things! The, uh, really ugly ones that you can't see! They're messing with our tech! There's one to your left!" focusing his sights on the reddish creature, he continued charging toward it as his cybernetic arm flailed weightlessly behind him. "Hey! You interrupted my hilarious crustacean joke earlier!" drawing its attention, he threw his right arm forward and releasing his index and middle finger from the hilt's grip, unleashed a telekinetic push with enough force to stagger the Syphon.

As it would recover from the staggering, Cas found the connection in his bionic arm grow worse the closer he got. Launching himself into the air he twisted his body into a mid-air cartwheel before landing firmly on the shoulders of the Syphon he targeted. It flailed, trying to get the Jedi off and without the use of his other arm, Cas quickly lost balance and fell off but that wasn't before he managed to use his right arm and slice his blade into its neck. Falling hard on his back, he grunted as he landed with the Syphon's body collapsing on its front with a loud thud shortly after.

Cas took a moment to examine his cybernetic arm, it was operational again but still needed time to return to full capacity. He wiggled his metal fingers, neglecting to realise that the dead Syphon's body was beginning to overload. Catching the Jedi Knight completely off-guard, Cas was launched several feet away from the energetic expulsion.