The Best Is Yet To Come... (The Death Watch Attack on Mandalore)

[Micah tol Powl]

Mandalorian Faction Announcement of Event Here​

---

M A N D A L T E C H
Mandalore | Orbital Shipyard Complex

Kur Sann'tiago wasn't a bad Mandalorian, he was just a man with a family.

Wife. Ex-wife. Three kids, two at home. Between alimony and child support for the family he used to have, and putting food on the table for the blessings he had now, the life of a bounty hunter had been too uncertain to provide for anyone's needs other than his own. It had been a lesson in humility that had come too late to save his former marriage, but with his second lease on life and family, Kur had walked away from bounty hunting and was now a shift supervisor working the docks for MandalTech.

It wasn't the job that he wanted. The hours were long, the loub-paper work unending, and he hated accounting. But the pay was regular, and he opted for a reduced salary to score a dental plan for his kids.

Of course, now he was in court with the ex-spouse, who was unhappy about the pay cut and how he'd used it to negotiate a new alimony agreement with the courts, but this was life. Bounty hunting had been what he did to escape the reality of his responsibilities. Now, he had to face them.

At least, that's what the marriage counselor kept telling him.

With a sigh, the man glanced at the chronometer. Three in the morning. He was working a double, because they were supposed to have a shipment coming in from Generis and it seemed like at least a third of their staff had come down with the flu.

Sheesh. Didn't anyone get their flu shot in this day and age?

With two small kids at home, Kur didn't have to worry about immunity. His home was practically a Center for Disease Control test lab. He'd already had the flu, and he'd worked through it.

Readying his datapad, the man got the inventory and customs checklists loaded for inspection as he approached the docking bay. The freighter was just settling onto its landing struts, cargo loader droids wheeling into position to begin off-loading as soon as Kur had verified the contents.

Stepping up to the door of the freighter, Kur keyed the announcer and stood there, clipboard in hand. When the door was pulled away, he started to take a step forward before he realized someone... or something... was standing in his way.

It was like a solid wall of beskar.

Kur was forced to take two steps back as the wall moved toward him. As the man looked up, he saw past the helmet to the large war maul that was being raised over head.

The datapad slipped from out of his hands. He didn't even think about being scared to die. All he thought was, he'd have very much liked to have walked his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.

​

The feel of bone as it was pulverized, the sensation of his weapon finding it's home in the wet splash of flesh and sinew invoked memories of battles past.

Blood dripped from off his beskar'gam, running down the armor as the towering figure brought one boot up and then down to a sickening crunch as he stepped on top of the headless corpse of the pathetic Mandalorian waste who had come to greet them.

Was this what Mandalore was reduced to? Corporate lackies, shuttered away to the whim of companies. And then left to wonder why when they lacked the spine to stand up to the likes of the Primeval.

No more. This would the start of the Mandalorian's re-education into what it was to be Mando'ade.

Holding his maul in one hand, the dark figure removed a detonator remote from out of a pouch on his armor. Flicking off the safety cap, he depressed his thumb down on the trigger. Simultaneously, across the shipyards, containers arriving or which had arrived ahead of them were discharging explosives throughout the cargo and docking sections. The resulting debris field would make escape from the shipyards impossible, and imperil the approach of any ships come to challenge them.

At least until they had performed their mission, and turned this unsightly symbol of corporate greed into a star of morning that would bring righteous fire down upon Mandalore.

...and from the ashes, he would rebuild the people. Arm them with the heritage they had forgotten. Avenge the losses brought about by the weakness of their leaders. And that started now. Raising his maul overhead, the Gen'Dai looked back at the armored troops lining the inside of the freighter and cried:

"Tir to vust'i k'sit'ah to ttin'v!"​

 

[Ailyn Kelborn]

[member="Tralik U'rik"]

Mandalore
Orbital Shipyards

His war cry sent hot blood coursing through her veins. She'd stumbled upon the Death Watch as they slowly and methodically drove deeper into Mandalorian territory. She wasn't all that well-known, so paid no mind to if anyone had thought to put out a missing persons report when she'd vanished. Not that she cared either way. Here was where her heart told her she belonged. She had spent years trying to make a name for herself as a bounty hunter.

And always, she was left with the dregs. The bounties who's fee barely covered her expenses, let alone anything else. And yet there were others who always seemed to get their pick. The best bounties, the best gear. She sneered slightly under her helmet. No longer. No longer would she sit by and allow the corporate greed to rule her people. She had watched over the years as the Mando'ade had become almost obsessed with having the best technology and with growing their territory. But they hadn't stopped to do all that much for the worlds they conquered.

Conquered. Yes. That was the word. Sure, there were a few instances, but overall, they had swept across much of the space near their borders, and smashed any resistance to their presence. That is, until the Primeval showed up. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Primeval. The United Mandalorian Clans had suffered heavy losses there, and they were still reeling from it. That was part of why the Sole Ruler and his forces had been able to get so deep inside Mandalorian space unnoticed.

But, that would soon change. She could feel the rumble underfoot as the explosives detonated and rocked the shipyards to it's core. She could just imagine what it looked like from the planet below. A small sun gone nova, perhaps. Very fitting. Grinning, she hefted her heavy blaster carbine and took a deep breath before charging out the freighter's cargo loading ramp.

 

[Micah tol Powl]

M A N D A L O R E
Cold Iron City

The attack came before dawn.

The true Mando'ade, that band of brothers that formed the Kyr'tsad -- the Death Watch -- who had been his eyes and ears in Mandaltech had taken leave of their duties so not to be caught behind enemy lines when the assault now taking place there happened. And Tralik had other uses for able-bodied Mandalorian men and women.

Cold Iron City was the heart of Mandalore's beskar mining operation. If Tralik could halt the production of ore, he would deny the enemy a key resource that would drive up the economic costs of recovery from the wounds now being dealt. Further, he would demonstrate the weakness of the current Allit and their pathetic Alore Council.

The attack on the shipyards was a political statement.

This? This was a purely economic target.

​

M A N D A L O R E
Keldabe

The first explosion happened right around 6 a.m., local time.

An insurgency. Detonating planned explosives and then pushing in from the west using small-team, hit-and-fade tactics intended to disrupt the local morning commuter routine. Cold Iron City was the primary target. The terrorist actions at Keldabe were a sleight of hand, mostly. Distraction.

The Death Watch was hardly so robustly staffed with warriors that it could fight on three fronts at once, so U'rik had brought in the support of a necessary evil. Yuuzhan Vong warriors, enticed by the corals and Vong-formed environs of the City of Woe, striking from the east in the belief that Tralik intended to give them their own settlement once the Death Watch had secured Mandalore.

Hardly. But if it got them to fight the enemy, then the promise had been a necessity of yesterday. Breaking that promise was a necessity of today. And U'rik would be most disappointed if the Mandalorian people proved themselves so flaccid as to be incapable of massacring a few Vong.

M A N D A L T E C H
Orbital Shipyards

Blasters were so distant.

A ranged weapon. Their use removed a key component of combat, which was to look your enemy in the eye. Watch as his last breath was ripped from out of his lungs. Tralik preferred a more personal form of combat.

A guard staggered back from where a jab of U'rik's hammer had pushed him back. Hastily, the man tried to bring up a blaster carbine, as the massive Gen'Dai used both arms to bring the maul up and over his head. It became a race at that point. To raise, level, point the weapon, pull the trigger... He would have won, too, had he not hesitated in a moment of primal fear as he saw the large hammer coming for him.

Tralik's sweep connected with the shoulder, taking the guard off his feet. Looking to his right, the warlord marked the approach of an eager warrior, brandishing a vibroblade. A more fitting weapon for a Mandalorian. Tralik decided instantly that he liked this man.

A quick death for him, then.

Stepping into the man's attack, Tralik brought the butt of his war maul to bear, driving it through the Mandalorian's helmet like a spike. Pulling his weapon free, the Gen'Dai twirled the massive piece of beskar as he casually surveyed his surrounds for another target of opportunity.

No? Very well then. Time to be moving on.

Allowing the maul to slide down from his grip, the GEn'Dai swung the hammer up over his head. On the ground, at his feet, the blaster-wielded guard was trying to combat shock and shimmy away. His arm, clavicle, and some of his ribs broken. His helmet knocked away by the force of the impact. The man looked up now, seeing the hammer ready to strike, and scream, "WAIT!"

The hammer came down swiftly. Pulling the maul up, away from the corpse, U'rik kicked the man's blaster across the floor. "So uncivilized..." the Gen'Dai uttered, as he held the maul by his side and began marching forward.

The construction engineer who had come to their cause hurried to catch up to his side. Without looking over at the man, U'rik spoke as he walked. "You may time the detonation to the planetary rotation of the city of Sundari." Nuclear engineering was not a field that U'rik would claim any knowledge of. However, as his disenfranchised little physicist had explained to him, the shipyard was powered by a fusion core. As part of occupational safety, that fusion core had ejection protocols, intended to eject the fuel to prevent a reactor core meltdown. However, those protocols could be altered, turning the fusion core into a massive nuclear bomb. One capable of striking the planet below.

The first objective of anyone seeking the title of Manda'lor was to understand who the competition was. Their clan. Allegiances. The places where they were vulnerable. "...with regards, Larraq."

What did it mean to conquer? What was the purpose of victory?

To take an enemy and so utterly break them. Their clan's children dead at his feet. The lamentations of their women. Their cities reduced to ash. An enemy's life would be the last thing that Tralik would take from his opponent, and only when he had taken from it all value.

 

[Nolan Detta]

Mandalore
Cold Iron City

Having been in town for repairs on his Black armor, Nolan was fast asleep in a hotel room when alarms rang to sound an evacuation. Luckily he had his old armor still with him. Dawning a suit he hadn't worn in a long time, it still fit like a glove but felt wrong as it was tarnished with blood of his past. Powering up the HUD, he stopped himself to the nines with his weaponry. He didn't know what the alarms were for, but better safe than sorry, so he brought all of the weapons he had with him.

An L3 River Rifle, a Kath Hound Shatterblaster, a Charging Rhyno revolver and a Beskad were the external weaponry, the armor itself carried one dorsal mounted rocket, a flamethrower, grapple gun, hold-out blaster and a hold-out stun blaster. The Hyperion Beskar'gam had Ray-Shields that covered vital areas but only lasted a few direct hits before overloading and recharged. The HUD lit up and ran through the different optics and settled on a tinted visor for protection from the rising sun. Nolan opened his window and jumped down a few meters before engaging his thruster pack and landing safely on the ground.

Reading the surroundings, he could see small fires in the distance in the areas that appeared to be the warehouse district. Where his suit was! "Blast!" He cursed as he ran towards the fires. Civilians ran away, crying and covering their faces from the smoke. As the outcast Mandalorian moved in, he saw bodies laying, thrown on the ground. This was no standard fire, there had been an explosion. Pulling up his rifle, Nolan moved in and began running though his optics, attempting to locate the perp(s). A heat signature from a rooftop gave Nolan a bad feeling.

Then a shot rang out, striking Nolan in the chest. Thankful for the Beskar, Nolan struggled to see the shooter, and when he zoomed in on another roof, he saw something he thought he'd never see again. The Black Hand symbol of the Death Watch.

"Frak!" He yelled and more fire came in, forcing Nolan into cover behind a building. The encrypted long range comms fired up and sent a message back home to HQ.

<<Death Watch spotted in Cold Iron City. Repeat. Death Watch spotted in Cold Iron City>>

[member="Anija Betna"] and friends

 

[Krenis Skirata]

Outside Keldabe

Krenis and his troops, what remained anyways, had come to Mandalore to repair and refit their ship before returning to their campaign in Republic space to neutralize this clone army. Many preferred to slaughter them wholesale, but that was an option Krenis refused to allow. Clone were not droids. They were not programmed and went mad when their orders were revoked or illegitimate. They were living beings, in this case human, and as such, were fully capable of making their own decisions.

"Sir!" That same tireless communications officer called out from his communicator, "Explosions around the city! Reports of raids and Vong warriors!"

Krenis shot up out of bed, grabbing for his weapons and armor. It had been modified while he was back in Mandalore, more along the lines of what he had used when he fought against the Empire, integrating Mandalorian weapons with the old ARC trooper armor.

"Sound battle stations and inform Keldabe we are at their disposal in pushing back this attack." He paused for a few moments to consider. "I'll neutralize the Vong leadership and break them." His face was grim now as he pulled on his armor and loaded his weapons. His own troops prepared likewise. Three hundred some advanced recon commandos trained by Krenis and a smattering of other infantry units they had picked up on the way. Not a large force, but if these hit and fade tactics were the strategy, nothing like some of the best recon soldiers in the galaxy to find them.

"Reports of further information from other sectors, sir! Looks like a three pronged attack, even from other Mandalorians." He could hear the confusion in her voice. Ah, yes. Mandalorian politics were lost on Republic personnel. Very different cultures. That had caused some tension and had earlier as well.

"Probably Death Watch again," Krenis answered bitterly. "Try and locate their commander. Look for the most powerful warrior. See if you can get me to him."

[member="Tralik U'rik"] [member="Nolan Detta"] [member="Ailyn Kelborn"] [member="Anija Betna"]

 

[Kaveh Garshasp]

Mandalore
Keldabe

The M.G.A and more importantly, their CEO, Kresh Danner, was in Keldabe for a now annual sporting event. Get'shuk, a sport almost unheard of outside of Mandalorian Space. Brutal, fast, and painful to watch sometimes, but if anything it was the athletic symbol of Mandalorian culture. Almost more than Limmie it was watched, played, and enjoyed by all species and genders and today was the day that a team from the United Mandalorian Clans military and a team from the Mandalorian Red Legion played a game to be televised across Mandalorian space, or what was left it...

Kresh was the first to notice the drop outs in their known territory. Well, maybe not before the military, but he decided to keep the outages from being televised...But it got to be too much and they were forced to cover it. This game was a distraction, and here at the field he could feel the tension as the two teams prepared to beat the living kark out of each other.

Around 6Am Mandalorian Standard Time it happened. An explosion in Keldabe that rocked the stadium stopped the two teams' warm ups. All looked to the plume of smoke as it rose from near the center of the city. Then another one, this time from just east of the city. The color drained from his reporter's face. He looked to the coaches,

"Do you have gear here?" They nodded, their faces grave. He had sworn never to put on that armor again and fight in Mandalore's wars abroad. But this? Whoever this was had just made it personal. It took them fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes and the Mandalorians and Red Legionnaires were suited up and ready to fight. Kresh took the first step, the Red Legion issued Bes'uliik following him behind. The Protectors stationed in Keldabe were making the first reports. They were yelling Vong, surprising but even more surprising came the cry...

"Kyr'stad."​

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

"But sir, aren't you retired?" A prompt smack to the head with a crushgaunt had fixed that problem.

"You dolt! A Mandalorian never retires," he shouted over the sound of repulsor lifts activating as shuttles began lifting off to aid in the defense of MandalTech's shipyards. The shuttles were flying out fast, but an explosion earlier in the day and the assault on Cold Iron City had nearly halted all flight. This one just happened to be heading up at the right time, and Gil wasn't taking no for an answer. He hauled himself and his gear over into the shuttle, a few Mandalorians looking on in awe and surprise. Gil hadn't seen battle since the invasion of Wayland, not to mention he hadn't been in the field working at all. In fact, he had been sitting most of the time running the Shriek-Hawks.

But not today.

 

[RC 212]

Location: Keldabe

[member="Kresh Danner"] [member="Blight"] [member="Kiber Thaxton"]

Everything was going alright. Vassara was on a refit mission, visiting Kedlabe and the Mandalorians for the first time. It was odd because she had worked with so many all across the galaxy, but never been to the source. Granted they didn't seem to happy with an outsider here trying to offload stolen parts, but some vendors took them without question. Feeding your family came first it seemed.

She was at street level when it happened. Things just.. exploded. The pressure blast washed over the market, splintering stands and scattering bodies about Vassara felt the air knock from her lungs as the over-pressure slammed her body to ground, drawing blood, and bruising her badly. She lay for just a moment, eyes closed, and then the air rushed back int her lungs.

She wheezed, hard and jolted up, looking in all directions confused.

Bodies everywhere, blood, fire smoke, screams though the crisp morning air. It was chaos.

Just as she was managing to push herself up a column of Mando'ade were already on the move, marching with determined purpose down the shattered street, pushing out towards the gates and the walls of the city.

"You there, can you fight?"

Vassara rubbed her head, still dizzy with the aftershock of the explosion.

Could she fight? Hell yea, Vassara could lay down some mean moves if need be.

"I..I..I think so."

The armored commander nodded, waving his hand.

"Good come with us, we need anyone we can get."

"Whats going on?"

"Cities under attack, all of Mandalores likely under attack. We need bodies, warriors. Are you in?"

Vassara paused. A battle? It had been a long time since she'd gone toe to toe with any Sith or otherwise. But in the interests of these people, and her duty as a Warden of the Void, she was obliged to fight. To protect all life.

"Done, lead the way."

One hand reached back to draw her Spacers shotgun from the leather sheath at her back. Ignoring the pain she fell in, and they began to march on, collecting warriors as they went....

 

[Kiber_Thaxton]

[member="Vassara Raxis"]

Kiber was just one of many Mando'ade marching up to the gates and he saw Vassara sliding into the ranks. He moved through the throng and managed to side up to her, looking over her rather battered and bruised body.

"It looks like you've been through hell. Are you sure that you're alright?" there was a strong hint of concern in his voice.

He looked out at the destruction before him; the hunter was determined to deal out justice to those who had attacked his homeland and his people. They would pay, and they would pay dearly for their mistake. Gripping onto his disruptor rifle, the hunter was now ready for battle.

 

[Strider Garon]

Keldabe: Oyu'baat

Explosions woke the hound of keldabe from his deep slumber with in one of the rented rooms of the infamous Oyu'baat. His head spun and pounded from a night of indulgence and debauchery. Strider was an old man that still tied one on as if he was a young warrior in his prime. His body usually paid for it for days afterwards as he schooled the younger vode. He had thrusted himself out of the bed in search of his helmet, he could here the comlink with in beeping with multiple messages.

"What the hell was that?" A frighten squeak came from the other side of the bed. Speaking of a night of indulgence of debauchery. Meet Shila, a young zeltronian 'companion' who was making a galactic tour.

Strider stood there with his helmet upon his head and naked from the neck and below. He was a man of average height, mightily shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscular limbs. The warrior bared a long black mane, grungy from the nights exercise. His body exposed at this moment in time, was littered with scars that held testament to the decades of wars and battles, his hide reading like a bible of violence along with stunning tattoos.

"Akaan!" The old man responded with a single word in his native tongue. His voice was rich with the concordian accent, deep and resonating as if the word itself was explosive.

"What!!!!" The paid entertainment question once more, for she did not know much mando'a!

"War, sweetheart, war has come to Mandalore!" Such words were filled with a mix of dread and excitement. It has been a long time since someone brought the fight to Mandalore. The audacity and bravado of such individuals had proven Strider's statement to the Alore council. We were weak and now we are paying the price. Strider had a gut feeling this was the start of their reckoning......

Strider stepped out onto the room's balcony, still mostly in the nude. He could see plumes of smoke coming from the spaceport and other various locations. He could hear blaster fire but there were no reports of enemy formations. Strider knew of such tactics, it was guerrilla warfare. Which was a sound tactic to use to cause optimal chaos and destruction but it also gave The Marshal a sense of enemy numbers. They would be small, lethal, but limited in numbers.

"Strider!!!!! STRIDER!!!!" The girl was panicking as she now could hear the blaster fire from the open sliding doors. "What do we do?" She had tears in her eyes as fear engulfed her.

"We fight!' He snipped back in annoyance with the aruetii whore. The mandalorians were a culture of warriors, for the most part, they were a heavily armed population and mounting a defense against these intruders was not going to hard. Hell, the old man knew he did not even need to bark orders, for the mandalorians knew how to wage war in all its forms and would just full into muscle memory.

"WE WHAT!!!" She squeaked in high pitch shrill

Strider turned and moved back into the room, reaching down to his utility belt and pulling a hold out blaster and tossed it to the girl. "Fight or hide, thats your choice" he said coldly and he began to gather his armor and placed it upon himself. Once said task was completed he left the room and its lone scared occupant.

"Attention, this is Marshal Strider Garon!' The old man announced over the emergency comms. "I am in Keldabe and will begin defensive operations. Those that can, prep for battle and regroup at the Oyu'baat!"

"[member="Krenis Skirata"] !" Strider would contact directly "If you can spare some troops i need you to lock down the main entrance points to Keldabe by any means necessary. We have some rats to flush out and you have the only force outside the city capable of buttoning down our hatches."

Plus he had republic forces that were easily recognized. Strider was getting mixed reports of death watch and vong encounters and if the ladder was confirmed positive that means they were fighting mando on mando and identifying enemies was going to be a hard task. "And Krenis, if you have any elite warriors that would like to join a hunting party, please send them my way!"

 

[Krenis Skirata]

Keldabe, Outside the City
Allies: [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Kiber Thaxton"]

"Keep me informed of all developments!" Krenis said into his comm as he shrugged his jetpack onto his ARC armor. Not the new stuff yet It was still under development, but soon. That would be a good time then.

"A Strider Garon has taken command of city defenses," The comm officer said, eyeing the displays and screens aboard the bridge. "Columns of..." She frowned for several moments, trying to put together the right word. "Soldiers? Mandalorians, maybe, have taken to the streets in defense. They all seem capable."

"They are very capable," Krenis answered as he strode for the boarding ramp, which had had several squads of Republic marines deployed around the door, prepared to repel boarders depending on whatever orders were given.

Then the message came in from Strider Garon. Krenis smiled. Well, apparently he had made friends in the right places if he and his soldiers were being deployed to seal the entrances.

"Understood, Field Marshall," He replied, organizing commands on his HUD. "Deploying infantry and ARCs to city entrances for lock-down. Bringing the remaining ARC teams with me to go on a hunt. Just make sure our kin don't think my Republic troops are the attackers."

He tapped out the commands, marking waypoints on the holomap for the various troop deployments. He kept the Marines in reserve to guard their ship, just in case. They weren't Mandalorians, but the'd had more than enough experience against Sith soldiers and Vong warriors. He wasn't sure how involved the Mando'ade had been involved against the Vong lately, so perhaps more than his people. Other reports came in and they were definitely of Death Watch, going by the war cry.

He pulled up a copy of their emblem and broadcast it to his entire military force, noting it as the bad guys, along with whoever shot at them until their identity could be established. Krenis doubted Death Watch members would keep their identities secret. Not exactly their style.

He buckled on his beskad sheath and the crushgaunts he'd integrated with his armor during his stay on Mandalore. He'd have to look into some ancient history and see if the Empire had locked his beskar'gam up anywhere or if they'd destroyed it.

"All units, deploy to your stations." He said after a moment, and then from the ship, speeders sped away, along with three person ARC teams on jetpacks to land at all the ins and outs of the cities to begin to erecting hasty defenses. Barricades, portable gun nests, and ARC recon points.

Krenis and his teams sped across the city towards the ancient cantina. Some of the ARCs asked for directions, but Krenis waved them. He knew the way. It was the same as when he was last there some eight centuries ago. Mandalore would not be Mandalore without the oyu'baat. If that would ever fall, so too would the clans. Well, probably not. They'd rally, no doubt, and wreak havoc on the poor fools that dared harm it.

Explosions and blaster fire echoed through city streets, but never close enough for Krenis and his team to locate. Then they came to a halt outside the cantina, with the ARCs spreading out along the perimeter to establish some form of secure perimeter as Mandalorians began rallying to the call of their marshal, giving strange looks to the Republic colors on the ARC armor. Krenis shrugged and strode.

"Marshal, " He called, "My troops have deployed and I brought hunters for the party. Trained them all myself."

 

[RC 212]

[member="Kiber Thaxton"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Krenis Skirata"] [member="Gilamar Skirata"]

Location: Keldabe, South wall.

Vassara looked through the blood in her eyes and laid them on a familiar figure. It was Kiber!

"Oya Ner'Vod, yes I am alright."

It was a lie, her head was still swimming from the blast but she could stand. Below them across the fields she could just barely begin to make out the shapes on the horizon. The Mando'ade captain turned to the troops dropping his binocs to hang by the cord around his chest. He stood upon the parapet of the wall, one foot propped against it in cavalier style.

"Tanks! Hover tanks! Looks like some Vong too! Launchers at the ready."

It was all so chaotic. So crazy. But she felt a rush of adrenaline enter her veins like never before. This was about to be war, battle. She felt a rush of pride swell up as the Mandos, mixed citizen militia in armor and what looked like red armored medieval soldier passed the gear along the wall. E-web emplacements were rapidly unpacked and deployed, power cells whinning to life.

The very rock beneath her boots began to rumble as the tanks drew closer, and closer. Kicking up massive plumes of dust.

"PLEX at the ready!"

"Ready!"

"Fire!"

The sound of hundreds of rockets was amazing. A sheer wall of air rattled her teeth andwhooshed her hair messily about as the contrails spiraled into the fields down below. Explosion began to blossom in chain links, dotting the landsacpe. Two tanks took a hit, their black armor curling back undeneath flame and torrid smoke like a dying lotus.

Repeater fire began to rain down from the walls. Masses of bodies exited the downed craft, with more marching in precise formations behind them. Lead by Deathwatch commandos on speeders.

"Hey what do you have?" One of the nearby warriors asked, T slit visor reflecting the carnage below.

"Nothing long range."

"Take this."

He unholstered a Verpine shatter gun, tossing it into her hands. She caught it deftly, just in time to see a stray bolt slam him in the head, knocking him ten feet off the wall.

"Frak!"

"Hold the line, all weapons free!"

This was her chance. Invigorated with a new rage she turned and leveled the Shattergun, unleashing a storm of hypervelocity projectiles into the mass below.

 

[Kiber_Thaxton]

[member="Vassara Raxis"] [member="Strider Garon"] [member="Krenis Skirata"]

Kiber took up a position next to Vassara and removed his own Verpine Shattergun sniper rifle from the equipment pack on his back, taking aim at the mass below and picking his first target. After all, a Mandalorian bounty hunter had to be highly prepared for any eventuality.

"Jate hunting ner burc'ya," he said to Vassara as he pulled the trigger back gently. The round left the barrel and it soon found its target, sending the projectiles into three squads, wiping them from existence. Reloading, he took another shot and wiped out three more squads. The returning fire was more than fierce and then several rounds struck his upper arm and shoulder guards, putting deeply smouldering grooves into them.

He turned his attention to a hover tank that was approaching; the unlucky commander had his head out of the hatch, watching the progress of his battalion during the assault. Aiming carefully, Kiber sighted on the small gap between the turret and body. Taking a deep breath, he rested a twitching finger on the trigger, and pulled it back deftly with the precision of a veteran. The round left the barrel and made contact, blowing off the turret and turning the main body of the hover tank into just another piece of flaming metal. Turning to his left, he saw another hover tank in his line of fire. Shortly after, this tank also met its demise at the hands of the bounty hunter. As he fought on, Kiber could feel the adrenaline as the hormone travelled around his system at lightning speed. A third hover tank came into view, so Kiber took aim and fired off a round. It went through the turret and blew the tank into four pieces, each one on fire and the blackened bodies of the crew lying still on the dusty ground.

Glancing over at Vassara, the Mandalorian could see that she was more than holding her own in battle. She was definitely an asset to the Red Legion and Mandalore in his mind. Reloading another clip into the weapon, Kiber searched for the next target of opportunity.

 

[Anija Betna]

Mandalore
Orbital Shipyards
Mandalorian Protectors Defense Fleet (Orbit)
NPC Units Controlled: Bes'uliik Traat'aliite (24)
Personal Vessel: 1x Bes'uliik Starfighter "Angel" Variant
Allies: Anyone else who is in or around the shipyards (True Mandalorians)
Enemies: [member="Tralik U'rik"], [member="Ailyn Kelborn"]

MandalTech orbital shipyards. Anija hadn't visited the shipyards in some time. Most of her time over the last few months had been spent trying to help the Mandalorians secure their borders. It was a difficult task, especially after the loss of Wayland had effectively cut them off from many of the planets they used to control. That just... frustrated her. For decades the Mandalorians had controlled a great portion of space around their core worlds. But in the past couple years, that influence had waned. Especially with the Mandalorians defeat at Wayland.

And now, As she sat looking over patrol reports, she just sighed. They'd begun losing contact with several worlds over the last few months. At first, she'd thought nothing of it, attributing it to the aftermath of Wayland. But now..... Her eyes narrowed as she studied the reports. They lost contact with several planets. And what little they did know, was spotty at best. There were rumors of armored individuals being sighted on the worlds listed, but after that, no reports had gotten out.

There were more recent after action reports from Tra'Shebs. Their exploration of the moon had been... interesting. They'd found trace deposits of several minerals... but what interested her the most was the discovery which had been made by several rather new recruits to the Mandalorians. More specifically, the discovery of a crashed shuttle in one of the many crevasses on the moon's surface. It wasn't so much the shuttle itself that she found interesting... but what had been found within. The shuttle itself was a common design, such as one might find for sale from Mandal Hypernautics or another Mandalorian company.

What had been found within had shaken Anija to her core. There were armored bodies within. And while at first glance, they had been thought to be the remains of an advance Mandalorian scouting party, further investigation of the scene and or the ship's records and such revealed it not to be so. The deceased themselves.. were not anyone she recognized outright. Searches of Mandalorian databases had placed a few of the shuttle's former occupants as employees of various Mandalorian companies and other such interests. What troubled her the most was what had been found on the bodies themselves. Their armor bore a symbol which had not been seen in years.

Kyr'tsad. Death Watch had returned to Mandalorian space.

The shriek of alarms jolted Anija from her thoughts. The sound sent adrenaline coursing through her veins as Anija pushed out of her chair and bolted towards the squadron hangars. As she moved, she quickly tapped out a command on her gauntlet computer. "This is Field Marshal Anija Betna. Status report!" It took a few seconds for someone to respond, but they did quickly. "Field Marshal! Explosions have been detected al over the Orbital Shipyards. Several sectors are now venting to vaccum. There is a sizable debris field which is blocking any fleet elements from advancing towards the Shipyards to investigate."

Those two sentences sent a chill down Anija's spine, and she took off, sprinting towards the squadron hangars. "Scramble all fighters and medical craft. All Pilots to their ships. I'll take Protector Wing Alpha and clear a path for the MedEvac shuttles."

A pause, and then, "Understood, Field Marshal." Seconds later, the orders echoed out through the small Protector fleet. Within minutes, Anija had made it to the hangar. Her own Bes'uliik was ready and waiting, the overhead lights gleaming dully off of the hull plating.

A deep breath to settle her nerves and then she was across the decking, the chatter of the techs and other pilots filling her ears as she climbed easily up the side of the Bes'uliik and settled into the pilot's seat. The last time she'd really flown was probably at Muunilinst. This was a bit different. Quickly, she ran through her pre-flight, watching as the indicator lights on her control panel slowly flickered over from yellow to green. When they had, she kicked in the repulsors, feeling the gentle bump as the repulsor field lifted her Bes'uliik up off of the decking and the landing gear retracted.

A flick of her thumb, and she'd switched channels. "Flight Control. The is Field Marshal Betna. I am taking Protector Wing Alpha to investigate the explosions in the orbital shipyards."

A bit of static and then she got a reply. "Marshal Betna, You are authorized for launch. MedEvac craft will follow once a path is cleared."

She frowned slightly in thought, and then nodded, even though they couldn't see. "Roger, Flight Control. Betna, clear." Slowly, Anija lifted her Bes'uliik further off the flight deck, watching the ready status of the rest of the Wing flicker to green. When they had, she gently pushed her throttle forward, and lined up the nose of her bes'uliik with the launch tunnel. A second later, she felt the catapault hook on, and whisk her down the tunnel. A few seconds passed, and the sensation of motion stopped as her inertial dampners kicked in. It was then that she found herself floating in the black just outside the shield of their carrier ship. One by one, the rest of the Wing formed up behind her.

"Protectors, explosions have been detected aboard the Orbital Shipyards. It is our job to clear a path to the shipyards for the MedEvac shuttles, and then we will work on securing the area. Be on the lookout for hostile craft."

 

[Alleycat]

Outside the walls of Keldabe
Hokan Farmstead on the bluff above the Kelite River.

They hadn't meant to go that far, but it was inevitable since the two teens had been seeing each other for awhile now. Mesh'la had asked [member="Aden Dral"] to stay with her on the farm while her buire were off planet and she was tasked with watching the homestead for them. The seventeen year old True Mandalorian hated to be all alone in the countryside near Keldabe, and well it was the young couple's chance to play 'house' so to speak without prying eyes or expectations.

[member="Strider Garon"]'s youngest son had been courting the young aspiring baar'ur per her family's tradition. Well the one Mesh's mother and biological father had followed before their riduurok as Briika and Kable had waited until their wedding night… but that was right for them at that time. It was almost two decades later now, well almost, and times were more desperate it seemed with the Mando'ade enemies striking closer and harder than ever before.

After they shared a nice dinner together jointly prepared, Aden helped Mesh'la do the evening chores. When the two came back in from outside, a roaring fire was made to take the evening chill off. They cuddled at first on the couch, then moved to the fur rug on the floor in front of the romantic flames… which lead to their first time as one. It hadn't been planned as they were trying to wait, but happened none the less, marking a big change in their relationship; moving it forward with no turning back, though neither wanted to go back now. It had been right for them at that moment.

The normal alarm clock of the rooster crowing was replaced with what sounded like explosions. Mesh'la stirred sleepily at first against Aden's bare side as they laid together in her bed. She was still feeling the wondrous after effects of their coupling the night before. Another explosion with added blaster fire this time made the young blonde sit up pulling the covers with her.

"Aden'ika… Wake up! What was that?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

The night before had been nothing but spectacular for Aden and [member="Mesh'la Detta Hokan"]. Everything started wih a request to help Mesh'la watch the farmstead with his cyar'ika. The two were courting and had been experimenting with different things, but Mesh'la had a rule that they couldn't go past their undergarments. That had changed that night for whatever reason. The two found themselves tangled on the floor having an intimate moment which eventually led to Mesh'la's room.

Aden had grown up in a less than traditional home. He was one of Strider's offspring after all, and that was the example her had the past six years. His mother had passed away when he was twelve and the young verd. She'd kept him from Stider, but passed in a tragic accident. Since then, Strider was Aden's example, but his feelings for Mesh'la had made him a one woman Mando'ad a long time ago. It was those same feelings which had led to their coupling.

He'd fallen asleep with her riding high on the emotions and adrenaline of the pairing. His dreams were full of what they had done, and the fact he wanted to do that again. When they had finished, obviously they talked about it, and whether they'd made the right call, and they had. Aden had all these thoughts on his mind when the explosions happened. Mesh'la woke him.

"Elek, ner Mesh'ika... That's an attack. Get your beskar'gam, and let's find ner buir. Stri'buir will know what to do."

 

[Alleycat]

Outside the walls of Keldabe
Hokan Farmstead on the bluff above the Kelite River.

Mesh'la nodded to [member="Aden Dral"], then jumped out of bed going right over to her dresser to grab clean undergarments. She slipped her gray kute on that was lying across the back of a chair in the room. There was no time for a tender morning greeting or anything else. The previous night's activity post-post discussion would need to be put off for now. Though on the face of it, Mesh had no regrets. They had been careful so no repercussions should happen there, hopefully, and she felt their deeper feelings for each other were mutual after being so intimate.

As the blonde walked down the hallway of the farm house to the mud room where her red armored plates were stacked neatly on the bench inside the door, she pulled back her golden tresses into a quick braid and tucked the end up inside. Heavy duty cetare wore pulled on, then her buy'ce followed. Once general comms were brought online inside her HUD, chatter was crazy. That's when Mesh'la heard [member="Strider Garon"] give an order to those in and around Keldbe.

< "Attention, this is Marshal Strider Garon! I am in Keldabe and will begin defensive operations. Those that can, prep for battle and regroup at the Oyu'baat!" >

Mesh'la wrapped her holstered blaster pistol around her waist and secured it, then strapped on her medpac as well. She wore her mother's old set of beskar'gam that had been refitted for the younger Detta-Hokan. The gauntlets that went with it were put on too.

< Aden'ika… Did you get that? Stri'buir says to meet up at the Oya'baat. The speeder bikes are in the barn. It will be faster to ride them in and easier to evade if we need to. Maybe you should let your buir know we are coming… He might have another use for us being we are out here and not inside the city already?" >

 

[Judah Lesan]

Aden smile as he peeked to watch Mesh'la pull her clean undergarments on. He had brought an overnight pack and wrestled his out and slipped them on before the gray kute he wore. He pulled his beskar'gam. His sniper rifle was slung over his shoulder, and as he put the buy'ce on the general comms announcement came through from his buir. Aden started get everything ready to leave as there were certain things they had to do around the farmstead, like set the animals loose.

<"Yeah, the speeders will be best," he said offering Mesh'la an additional rifle just in case. Yes she was a medic, but the explosions made him nervous about what could happen.

Aden was loaded down to the hilt with weapons as this was not his first rodeo, and he never went overnight without them. His experience traveling with Strider had taught him to always be prepared. The extra weapon wasn't because he didn't think Mesh'la could take care of herself, but because he knew she'd never seen battle before. It was time for them to go into battle together. This is what it meant to be True Mandalorians.

<"[member="Strider Garon"] this is Aden. [member="Mesh'la Detta Hokan"] is with me and we are on our way. We're coming in from the outskirts of town. Waiting for your instructions." >

 

[Micah tol Powl]

K E L D A B E
Death Watch/Yuuzhan Vong Mercenary Raid
Opposition: [member="Aden Dral"] | [member="Mesh'la Detta Hokan"] | [member="Kiber Thaxton"] | [member="Vassara Raxis"] | [member="Krenis Skirata"] | [member="Strider Garon"] | [member="Kresh Danner"]

If the defenders had taken to fortifications on the south wall, they could quickly find themselves surrounded.

If they focused on the east, they would confront the Death Watch. But have the Yuuzhan Vong at their backs. If they focused west, then they would face the shaper's mercenaries and have the Death Watch behind them. A bad tactical position to be in, no matter how they faced it. The most sound strategy would be to organize and then split their forces, so to focus maximum firepower along both fronts without sacrificing too much of their defense.

But such organization took time. And, in the confusion, Tralik expected his forces in Keldabe to thin the herd of Mando'ade. Cull the chaff from the wheat, so that the Mandalore he would rebuild would be leaner. Stronger. Tempered like Mandalorian Iron, and forged like Besk'ar.

In the end, the mercenaries had only what they brought with them. The Death Watch would not help them or provide them any additional armaments. The Yuuzhan Vong were performing the task for which they had been hired simply by doing and dying. As for the Death Watch attacks themselves, they were relatively lightly armed and defended, so to remain as mobile as possible. To hit as many targets as possible, and constantly on the alert for a target of opportunity.

Once the defenders had organized, they ought to make quick work of both sides. But, that was time in which these defenders were away from the real fight.

COLD IRON CITY
Death Watch Assault on Besk'ar Mining Operation
Opposition: [member="Nolan Detta"]

A repeating blaster strafed the loading docks outside the mines, a pair of civilian air speeders having been re-purposed into air assault vehicles.

From the ground, a rocket-propelled grenade disabled a shuttle that had tried to take off, sending it crashing into a warehouse in a fireball. There were fewer attacks here than in Keldabe, with a far more focused objective. While the Keldabe attackers were instructed to merely incite the people and sew chaos, in Cold Iron City the objective was to merely disrupt the flow of Besk'ar.

As such, the Death Watch wasn't hitting the city itself. They were focused on buildings and equipment surrounding the mines, and the flow of employees from out of both as the mining operation became enshrouded in black smoke.

If the defender could take out those air speeders, the battle would pretty much be over. At which point, any remaining Death Watch would withdraw if possible.

M A N D A L T E C H
Orbital Bombardment of Sundari
Opposition: [member="Anija Betna"] | [member="Gilamar Skirata"]

"Mand'alor, shuttles approach from the surface."

The Gen'Dai looked up, mostly bored, as he watched the engineers cutting through the blast doors that would lead them to the shipyard's reactor core. Slow work, due to the heavy metals and shielding surrounding the various chambers. Designed entirely to prevent precisely what it was that they were doing. So, a distraction was most welcome.

"Excellent," the armor-clad giant uttered, his voice booming as he spoke. Subconsciously, his hand tightened around the handle of the besk'ar maul as he did. "Let them come," the usurper commanded sternly. "Destroy only those attempting to depart."

"My lord?"

The confusion in his subordinates voice prompted the Gen'Dai to reach out. With the speed and grace of a cobra, he'd grabbed the man by the breastplate and lifted him off the ground. "I would not deny such eager warriors a good death," the self-proclaimed Mand'alor snapped, before throwing the man back down.

Did no one remember that they were Mandalorians? This was who and what they were. Turning his head sharply, he glared down at one of his lieutenants. "[member="Ailyn Kelborn"], prepare a welcome for them, Sister." At least in her, he trusted he would find a warrior eager for blood. "...and if one of the Alor Council should be among them," the Gen'Dai added, shifting the maul from one hand to the other.

"Let them come to me."

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

MandalTech: Orbital Ship Yards
Mandalore System

The shuttle shook as it exited the atmosphere. All around him starfighters exploded and the commandeered defenses of the orbital shipyard were being used effectively even as its power cores began to fail. Through the viewports he saw a few shuttles taken down by turbolaser fire but for some reason the green energy simply ignored them. The shuttle landed and docked with little molestation along with two others. He wished he could contact his Shriek-Hawks, but he knew they were all over Mandalore or on their way back as this was happening.

The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and twisted metal. Grunting in displeasure he switched his beskar'gam's air scrubbers on which alleviated some of the stench but there was truly no getting that smell, that taste out of one's mouth. With a nod and two pounds onto the hull of the transport it left to go pick up more troops. It didn't get but 5 meters from the station before being blown to bits, its shields no match for the turbolaser assault.

"That bastard is destroying every shuttle that leaves...You!" A startled young man turned to him, "Get on coms, tell the shuttle pilots to not leave and come ready to fight!" He nodded and not a minute later the message was out. No shuttles were to leave MandalTech's shipyards. The old man balled his hand into a tight fist. This man was indeed sick, but could he blame him? Weather it was out of some twisted Mandalorian strategy of war or just his personal feelings, this was indeed war and no one was safe. He Activated the shoulder mounted blaster, the Y crosshair blinking onto his HUD, before charging up his own blaster rifle and moving forward.

This man would fall today.

[member="Tralik U'rik"]