"Omen of Durace"
DUELLING TAGS
Friend: N/A
Foe:
Shinzou Ashina
Kito
WARPOSTING TAGS
Friend:
Dark Forces
Kasan Osera
Darth Bellum
Franceline Dawer
Kroeger
Daro Kilaeon
Foe:
Zark San Tekka
Corin Kaze
Wedge Draav
Vulpesen
Laphisto
Ira Dei
V
FLASHBACK 1
ATRISIA, GALACTIC CORE TERRITORIES (903 ABY)
If only it had been raining instead.
Not many memories resided with such lasting, tar-like persistence in Barran's mind, or at least, not recollections of that, near-second death nature, and almost never weighing that heavily on the soul. But this was surely different, and carried it's due weight of significance, especially if Ishida was the only opponent ever to outmatch the Bloodhound in single combat, and to such an extreme that the disparity in prowess was made clear from the offset. An experience from which (and from which he had also taken over a year to recover physically) the one-eyed Woad had learned a wealth of insight, as tapping into the heights of power, skill and strategy alike had proven vital, priceless in value.Even though Barran had only known such ascension for a fleet few moments that night, even though it cost every last remaining morsel of self-confidence to achieve it, the Khan's trajectory to power was forever changed by that one, tiny window of humbling revelation. After all, many lesser paths could have been walked without that near-death outcome to spur the Bloodhound's ambitions, and with them, the same ultimate, irrevocable fate could have befallen the Bloodhound; and all from lives continued without ever encountering the little Atrisian thunderbolt, but one severely-optimistic gamble gave him all the required aspiration for something greater, all the inspiration he could have needed to covet eternal, ubiquitous renown.
To be remembered forevermore as the era's greatest swordsman.
[OOC Note - Nothing to contest for this Tommy part, just a nice flashback interlude to explore a few tension-points of yesteryear that found their way through the timeskip alongside us. Drawing deep relevance to the opening of a second Barran/Ashina scorecard. Main OOC purpose here is to keep the warposting parts flowing without interrupting the single-combat narrative.]
AUXILIA
V
ASTRISIA, GALACTIC CORE TERRITORIES (903 ABY)
<"Copy that.... Remember, a forward push is just the first step - Batu out!">
After having their right flank's offensive halted and briefly pushed back, and with everything the defenders had to throw their way, the city's counteroffensive efforts would continue for a time, but the Keshigs of 2nd Battalion had ground such efforts to a halt, though very much in an unfavourable position by the time self-preservation kicked in across the other end of the grey zone. Given reason then to promptly coordinate with local artillery batteries, the GADF would make timed salvos on their own last-known positions, fully-intending to avoid danger-close conditions in the effort to hold the ground they had just regained, gaining the breathing-room they needed to stabilise their battle-lines without interruption.
Making good use of their time under cover of delayed bombardment, as those same salvos would eventually creep forward, sweeping eastward until the accuracy began to widen the shelling-dispersals beyond their effective saturation range and groupings alike. In the way of alleviation, this small blessing would not offer the 2nd Battalion much to work with, but it would be enough for the Mawsworn to prepare their own means of surviving the next attack, their main lifeline against the next wave of local sallying attempts. Thus Keshig-Leader was wise in hearing, and obeying that voice in his ear, prompting Uun to have IEDs planted sporadically across the many rubble-piles and deserted buildings across the grey zone, along with a slew of autonomous sentry-guns and traps of every crude sort that sprang to mind.
Not that such inconveniences would ever stop the locals from persisting.
Even whilst under fire from defenders deploying out of the Temple of Healing, the Zabrak's rueful laughter was loud enough to be heard down the line, heard clearly enough that even his second-in-command had caught it ringing in his ears. It was a difficult pill to swallow for some, as unlike Uun, Arriochus had spent most of his life around the same nomadic, rogueish Mawsworn the Zabrak himself was still learning to appreciate at the time, a severe contrast of legitimacy in the eyes of those who were, in turn, still learning to adjust under Glare's command. Handy though he was in hard-fought offensives, and though they would grin and bear with the majority of the issues that sprang up, (especially through issues of cultural concern) nothing would stop them from speaking out on behalf of a boy they trusted far more than the former-mercenary.
'The lad thinks we can still feign retreat.... The nerve of that belief, though!'
'At least the boy can keep his mind on-task! Get your head in the fething game, Ulusar! WE NEED ORDERS!!!!'
The first response was silent, wide-eyed, but to necky extremes of incredulity, but when the Zabrak furrowed his brow-tissue and narrowed his eyelids, his Tiantangan subordinate would smile in the realisation that his Keshig-Leader was finally back to his usual, tunnel-focused self. The following, balanced response, however, would even encourage Arrutar to believe the right flank still had a chance of surviving this clash with their Atrisian opposition, and when Uun finally shot back,'Oh, well if thats the case, then bring up all our shoulder-mount launchers, all our rotary cannons, and a kark-ton of ammunition for both.... How's your cardio?', the Zabrak's bearded aide would humbly nod in acquiescence to the plan's early foundations.
'Never been better, Ulusar.... Consider it done.'
'Thanks, Arrutar. I'll have a strat ready by the time you get back.'
As the Tiantangan sprinted off westward, the right-flank was still catching stray shells across the entire northern salient, but then, it seemed as though a miracle had granted them a short lull, a small reprieve from the onslaught, but even a soldier of fortune could tell such serenities were false. The home-field contingent were ready to resume their counteroffensive, and the only thing that was holding them back by then was the final order, their permission to proceed once and for all, carrying all the trappings of all-or-nothing endeavour in their wake. Yet none could predict the way it would play out after the silence, none could foretell exactly how every circumstance would unfold, but when Breaker finally patched through, the first domino would fall as fate intended.
The first turn of events that would give way to the Zabrak's ultimate fight for survival.
<"Glare, its Breaker! Order your men to hold fire, War Skiffs approaching the northern salient.">
<"Will do, but how are they getting here?">
<"Taking the grey zone circuit back to the breach, spraying everything on it's wrong side.">
<"Taking the gr-Pfffft! Fine! Anyways, all insanities aside. Good luck out there, Brother.">
<"Likewise.... Breaker - out!">
Within moments, the first vehicles in the column were visible on the horizon, slipping past like shadows in the snow and sooty mist, though their howling engines (by then shifting gears into higher-pitched propulsion screams) left no illusion in the echoes they left to the Skiff-crews driving with them. Giving rise to a sudden, though-unmistakable shiver of amazement, that which sent goosebumps across his skin, bringing out a wide canopy of tiny, porous pimples, an unavoidable outbreak from his wrists to the top of his head. It was in this moment that Glare began to understand the glory of Mawsworn combat, sensing the same wonder his new compatriots felt when faced with wonders of the sort, but just as the Keshig-Leader was on the verge of letting his mind contextualize the joy he was feeling, every little blessing suddenly warped and and vanished before his very eyes.
[wooooOOOOSH]
[BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM]
[THUD-THUD - THUD THUD-THUD THUD]
[BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM]
[THUD-THUD - THUD THUD-THUD THUD]
'NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WHAT WERE THEY THIIIIINKIIIIING?!?!'
A majority of the wide, well-armed Skiff flotilla had passed by (mostly-) uneventfully, but by the time two-thirds of their number had slipped past, and around the northern salient, life's hardest lesson would be learned when unidentified assailants sprung their unexpected, intercepting trap. Consequently cutting off the latter third from the majority, driving a deep, armoured wedge between them, and with no orders to turn back and relieve them, the Skiffs they left behind would suffer the wrath of assailants still unknown to the Khanate contingents on the ground that day. Or at least, the assailants would only remain an unknown factor until one of the Zabrak's sentries spotted a specific, and truly recognisable insignia, and when that sentry exclaimed,'Ulusar! I see IMPAF stickers, we know what this means! What do we do now?!', it all started to make more sense.'WHATEVER GETS WITHIN RANGE, WE UNLEASH THE NETHER UPON IT!!!! WE'RE UP AGAINST OUR MORTAL ENEMIES NOW - ACT ACCORDINGLY!!!!'
'War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth!'
'War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth!'
'War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth!'
'War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth! War, Death, Rebirth!'
[OOC Note - Noting Jedi gains from the Temple of Healing counter-salient, helped with pacing and means to get back into it from the lull. Michael's highest-ranked NPC subordinate has arrived on the scene, taking an opportunity to take some of the bite off those War Skiffs for ya. Mawites on the right flank (Defenders' left flank on G1 front) intend intend to hold the line, no matter the cost. But if defenders' counteroffensive loses impetus here, the Mawites on the right may yet decide to move forward in search of better ground to defend. ]
