Invasion The Return : The Battle of Mandalore [TN Invasion of TSE Mandalore]

[Raya Najwa Zambrano]

Objective: Save Reyn the Ungrateful
Allies: The Glorious Sith Empire Vandra Zambrano Darth Carnifex @Darth Av
Enemies: Network R Reyn Australis Kovhorn
Equip: Ice Cream Waffle Cone, Lightsaber, Swords, Armour
Post: 5

“No, you’re Australis’ son. You don’t answer to anybody but your own sense of glory.” The image of Yasha fades as the illusions fade. Wracked away in a gasp and shudder as I fail in keeping Vandra from the boy.

Bolts of electricity curve and bend around my body. None of the conflagration reaches me, the wide-eyed sister who can’t lift so much as a spoon with telekinesis. As Reyn’s body jerks and his swords crash to the ground, I feel the acute sense of protection awarded me by the silken threads of familial affection. Families protect each other.

That’s all they’re meant to do, in the end. Right?

So… if Australis sent his own son down to the surface of Moridinae, with nothing but a single guard… Nope! No. Nooopity nope nope. No thinking of that. Nope! Nadda! Nuh-uh.

“Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh Vandy, Vandy, Vandy wait wait wait wait wait… don’t kill him!” I throw myself between Vandra and the boy, counting on the one tangible absolute in this crazy universe.

My family loves me. My family won’t harm me. My family protects me.

“Okay… okay. Okay! Oooohkaaaaaay.” Reyn’s still shaking, his body a contortionist’s toy in one half-suit of armour. I promised Adara her brother would be safe. Or, safe as I could… no. No wussing out. Okay… he’s shaking, he’s out. Okay.

What do I do? In the radically nearing distance, the Mandalorian is fighting the Sith Pureblood and I get the feeling things’ll get a lot worse with those Mando drop pods still falling.

Okay… alright… I scoop Reyn into my arms, glad he’s not the size of my brothers nor has he filled out yet. Sure, all I can do is stick my arms under his armpits and drag his feet, but… it’s something.

“Vandra! Kill! Kill the… one with him! And… and that guy! Oh gosh that guy! Murder and fun rage! Oh gosh please, Vandra, please…” I heft to my feet, pulling the breeze of the White Current around the two of us, Ram and I. Settled in the flow of the White Current, and hopeful in a temporary invisibility, I drag Reyn a few feet backward, to the only safe spot I know exists in this city block.

The ice cream shop.

Goof Troop won’t have failed me, and if that ice cream cone is still kicking, then he’d have to keep it in a cryo-unit. Cryos like in the shop.

“Fwoooh you’re heavy for a kid… eat your space wheaties and… and… and Adara is not losing her brother! Even if I have to hit you in the freakin’ head with a massive pan every time you hell ‘yearg charge’ or ‘for Mandalore’ or some snappy comment about our various mothers… Okay… okay… I can do this… I can… right… and there’s the motherload of mandos for Vandra to gut outside, which… will be helping? Yeah, let’s go with helping. What? I babble when I’m nervous, Marshmallow.” I groan and heave Reyn onto a six person table, letting the White Current slide away as Goof Troop and the ice cream shop owner raise their collective rifles.

“Hiya! I’m Raya! Please don’t shoot, he’s hurt and… oh gosh Goof Troop you actually did it.” There, sitting amidst cartons of ready-made ice cream, is my ice cream cone. Brings a freaking grin to my face even with the raucous fighting outside.

“Orders, Princess?”

“Right! Yes! I… I clearly have orders for you to… order and… ah…”

“The prisoner… you said the prisoner is hurt?”

“Yes! Yes, oh! Secure the perimeter while I check the prisoner. Right! Ummm….”

“His armour… sometimes Mandalorian armour have failsafes and trips. Do you want me to take it off him?” Goof Troop lowers his rifle to point at the ground, and a twitch of Reyn’s leg hits me in the backside.

“Yipes!” I rub my backside and glare down at him. “It’s not that kind of armour. If it was, why would his legs be unprotected? Remove his boots and secure his legs. I’ve got the rest of him… by the Force, Reyn you’d better be breathing.”

My fingers fumble as I try and figure out the way his helmet works, it’s nothing like my own, which I attach to my belt as silver hair spills out of my braid. The ice cream shop owner puts his hand on mine, and away from the counter I can see the crude prosthetic on his leg. The way it holds up a limping frame. He removes Reyn’s helmet, and I go to pull off anything from the chestpiece I can. I have to take his vitals, make sure he’s breathing…

“Aaahhh…. oh gosh Ram… your belt, you…. ummmmmm ew.”

“Just a kid, aint’cha, little one?” The ice cream shop guy chuckles and unlatches the kid’s utility belt, setting it on his counter. “Looks like one step up from training armour… here. Got a med-kit, kid?”

The man’s grizzled voice calms the shake in my hands. I sniffle and rub at my eyes with both palms, letting the ‘little one’ comment slide when I’m clearly taller than this amputee who looks a bit more gruff than an ice cream maker ought.

“Little one. Cute.” I gasp out a giggle, three quarters nerves one quarter genuine laughter, and put my hands on either side of Reyn’s temples. “I am the med-kit.”

As Goof Troop and the Ice Cream guy shackle Reyn’s legs and arms, I focus on the lessons my brother Manu Xextos gave me from afar. Another of those moments where siblings on two sides of an eternal war let by-gones be and spent time knowing each other. Isn’t that what the Galaxy needs? More people knowing each other?

Yeah, I’m not blind. I know what my Dad and Uncle Braxus did to Manda-Moridinae. I know about the population reduction camps and yeah, it’s a confusing thing I don’t really understand.

Until the history of Sith and Mandalorian burbles up again. Until I remember what became of Dromund Kaas. Until I remember what fathers and uncles are for. They yell and claw and fight at the darkest of this universal soul for the power and ability to ensure none of us die like Ancius, like Myrcalla or the people of Kaas City. Fathers protect their families. As Mandalorian drop pods spew warriors on the streets, I wonder how many of them are protecting the people on Moridinae? How many would shoot this ice cream maker for being a traitor?

If this were about the people, the Mandalorians left behind, they wouldn’t hit this place. They’d hit the camps. Reyn’s temples glow in my hands, and I see a host of angry energy along his damaged body. Bacta. Bacta would be useful! Do… do I have any bacta? Does Goof Troop? Kolctab? Oh gosh… oh gosh what do I do?

I’m just a kid flailing at straws.

So I call the one person I know could step-by-step me through saving Reyn. Manu Xextos . My Jedi Healer Doctor half-brother.

Brrrrzt

Brrzzzt

Brrrrzzzzzzt.

Click. ​

Course he doesn’t pick up.

“Okay… okay we… ah… okay. He’s laying down and… and his heart is… and…. okay… I… I… okay.” Goof Troop and the Ice Cream guy are both staring, before one returns to the store front window to raise his rifle and place suppression fire across the street.

“Exfil, Princess. Call for backup.”

“R-right… yes, right I… I knew that!” I flick my comm to a channel I know will be open. His comm channel is perpetually open (unless one or a couple of my moms is involved) to his kids.

“Daddy… we did it. Vandra and I, we caught Reyn Australis. We… we have K Kaine Australis ’ son… we… we need evac. S-sending our coordinates.” My palm rubs at my cheek as I stutter out of descending nerves. I pull Reyn on his side in recovery position, and pull up a chair. A paper wrapped package of napkins becomes Reyn’s pillow. A table cloth over his armour-less body smoothed across shoulders and knees. The ice cream guy hands me my ice cream cone, and holds my shaking hands around the frozen treat. A few licks of the double chocolate fudge and the shakes start dissipating. My illusions take up a lot more energy than I’d like.

Fathers help their daughters. Fathers keep their daughters safe and help them grow tall, strong enough to protect ourselves.

A Mandalorian father must do the same for his own son.

“Do.. you have any marshmallows?”

 

[Alwine Daye]

Location: Fortress Imperious, Concordia
Wearing: Armor | Lupine Blood Stone
Wielding: WindWhisper
Allies: The Network & Friends
Enemies: TSE
Specific Tags: Lirka Ka K Kaine Australis
Kaine Tagged You Guys Too: Darth Carnifex Darth Ophidia Hailyn Beltran Rarr Stardust Solus Skirae

Alwine did not have the old comms that she'd wielded during her times with the Confederacy. She had wanted none of them, her brother included, to be able to easily find her, especially not in those early months after they had al upped and left.

And yet, she knew.

Having moved further away from the path that had her become a combatant had enabled her to become stronger in other parts of the Force. While she could certainly not claim to be as fierce with it as some of the other members who decorated the order that she was part of now, she still was far from being a weakling. And now that she stood there, lacing her comm device from days of old, she still knew.

Lirka. A giantess for a woman, a sephi, who had once been her friend, before death and return to life had erased what remained of her sanity and mind. Alwine had been unable to help her, and their last meeting, briefly before Alwine abandoned the Southern Systems entirely, had ended up violence and the near-death of the Lupine.

The amazement at feeling her here, at knowing deep down in her bones, knowledge granted through the Force, caused Alwine's lips to part ever so slightly, her attention now divided, causing to nearly miss the darkshears sent towards the group she was part of.

She moved, faster than a wolf, narrowingly avoiding one that would have otherwise pierced straight through her neck. A wolfish yelp escaped her throat as she dodged another one before at last arriving at the cover behind one of the trams. In the past, she would have used the moment o try to find growth or vegetation, bring her sword out. But no. There were other things she wanted.

Friend, she sent through the Force, attempting to establish a link with her ginormous former friend. I can sense your presence. Did Lirka even possess the semblance of Force Control she once had? What are you doing here?

 

[Lirka Ka]

Location: Fortress Imperious
Objective: Reunite
Allies: TSE
Enemies: Network, Alwine Daye

Lirka was beyond the Force now, or so she said. It was much more a case of being a creature that the force had abandoned over her unholy resurrection and freedom from Chaos: but the connection existed still, slight, only able to be tapped by those who truly looked. But more so, she left a presence in a far more unique form now. The lack of presence, a weak puddle or a dark void in the swirling nexus of the Force that surrounded such a gathering of Dark Siders. She did not hear her message, maybe felt it’s intent, but no response came.

But convention had never been Lirka’s style.

She watched the scuffle unfolding in the Tram Line, a hand clutching the arm of her command throne: the metal whining against the behemoths grip. No. Such a thing would not be allowed, the Barbarians could suffer as they deserved: but the Wolf was her’s. She barked out a command in the Sephi tongue to her armored warriors, clicking against the console as she half opened a maintenance door near the position of Alwine Daye , it was a subtle movement. No one in the midst of battle would notice such a thing, unless of course they held the advanced senses she knew her friend could call upon, and of course, it was a small enough gap that only those that lacked the bulk of a proper warrior could fit smoothly.

Handed her blade by another of her Guard, Lirka mag-locked it to her back and briskly began to set out: another order half-yelled at her Sephi guardians, they were going to stay here, defend the Command Room as though they were defending her. Lirka wasn’t entirely going to abandon tactical sense, not yet. One more was given before she left, appointing one of the senior staff members to oversee the battle and report. There were more important things to deal with now than a battle: her HUD popped into life, displaying the various routes the maintenance hall could reach. She noted the largest of the rooms, some sort of technological nonsense for the Trams she didn’t understand, as her meeting place of choice. She’d make sure the Guardians would direct the new “commander” so as to give the Governor what she wanted.

Now, she had a tunnel to reach.

 

[Timaz Zi Dipat]

Location: Within the Ka'pruni Mine's many corridors
Currently: Wandering somewhat aimlessly as the facility is being attacked
Allies: The Sith Empire
Enemies: Fools who aren't careful with sensitive subjects of research

The word Mandalorian meant nothing to the Talz whose clawed feet were set upon their namesake’s soil. Certainly, he was aware of its literary definition and the history attached to their collective culture, but there was nothing of interest within the scope of knowledge composed by it. Their home was yet another ball of dust orbiting an even greater ball of fire. Undeniably mundane. Why anyone would risk their lives to gain the right to exclaim “This ball of dust here is mine to do whatever I please with.” was quite beyond him.

Something that he very much understood, however, was the necessity to keep workers in a condition conducive to their task’s proper execution. This very necessity was what brought the Talz to Mandalore. At the behest of a local Sith-Imperial overseer placed in charge of a mine, he came to investigate reports of a worker having succumbed to a most peculiar illness. The man had been scant on details, but the nature of the disease was of great interest to the doctor.

It had been during the autopsy within the mine’s modest infirmary that the assigned guard had interrupted the good doctor to demand he seek shelter from an incoming attack. Reports of a fleet of warships had sent the local Sith-Imperial forces into high-alert and orders were to round up all workers and staff so they may be held in a more easily defendable location. Assuring the man that a possibility of an attack was quite remote and that this research was of utmost importance to the immediate safety of everyone within the mines; he’d been able to talk the young aqualish into allowing him to continue. Timaz’s concerns for safety, while fractionally genuine, had been more a mask for his desire to learn more about this disease than a truthful reflection of the assessed danger, though the guard didn’t wish to argue against the threat of possible Empire-wide contamination.

He himself believed there to be only a very small risk that a meagre mine would come under the attack of an invasion force. There were simply far more important targets to capture. No doubt the Sith had built a myriad of garrisons and strongholds to conquer, let the invaders seek their glory there and allow him to work in peace here, where slaves toiled to dig up worthless rocks.

The sound of explosions and gunfire began to reverberate throughout the facility. The subtle shocks bringing the path of his scalpel off course ever so slightly and causing it to go awry into valuable tissue. Were he capable of doing so he would roll his eyes in annoyance, yet limited as he was a mere sigh would have to suffice. He turned to the door, already expecting his guard’s renewed confidence in his mission to bring the doctor to safety brought about by the direct evidence of the invaders’ attack.

“Sir, I must get you to safety.” The guard’s voice was brutish, though it carried a note of uncertainty. “The Mandalorians could be here any moment!”

≪If it absolutely must be this way.≫ Timaz replied in his native tongue, a language not well known within the galaxy. The solution to this communication problem was a vocoder which chimed in a few moments later.

“The doctor would gladly be escorted to a safer location.” He thoroughly despised that it did not translate literally.

Quickly cleaning and neatly packing away his tools into their case, the Talz made his way towards the infirmary’s exit, where he lingered for a moment to peer back at the dead miner. He hoped the Mandalorian brutes and the Legionnaires of the Sith would have enough mind to leave it as it was so he could continue his research once this whole debacle was satisfactorily concluded. He dreaded to think what discoveries could be lost.

The aqualish began to lead the Talz through corridor after corridor. Timaz could tell the youngsters’ apprehension by the way he fidgeted with his rifle. His focus was entirely on what was before them, ready to fire upon any T-visor that had the nerve to show itself. This kind of blind trust was easily exploited. With quiet footsteps the doctor began trailing further and further behind the guard. If he could slip away and return to his research this entire ordeal may actually be worth something. He couldn’t risk the Mandalorians contaminating his research in a misguided attempt to bury a fallen brother. Surely they would listen to reason once they knew of the danger he posed to them.

Soon enough the talz found himself losing sight of the aqualish as he rounded a corner on the opposite end of the corridor, leaving behind the good doctor to fend for himself. He wagered it would take the man at least a minute to realise there was no one following him anymore.

 

[Adenn Kyramud]

Location: Sundari, Mandalore
Objective: Break into Sundari, kill as many as possible. Deal with enemy leaders while fighting on. For Mandalore
Links: Drop Pods | LAAT | Hellwalkers | AT-AD | Beskad Warriors | Beskad Elite | Tracyn Mirshko | Hell’s Angel | Titan Tank | Conscencis Clypeus(Boarding Shields) | Slugs | Mosquito Starfighters | Aryx | WLO-5 Battle Tank
Allies: Mandalorians, Network, allies of both: Mig Gred, Kaine Australis, Stardust Solus Skirae, Talon Richwood
Enemies: TSE, allies of Sith: Vaulkhar, Irveric Tavlar, Taeli Raaf
Tags: Irveric Tavlar | Amaris Tanenat | Taeli Raaf | BobertEZ | Talon Richwood

To those tagged but not listed up here, relevant part is at the very bottom for you Hopefully it brings you down there from the start. Hope you enjoy, and thanks!

​

They advanced relentlessly, ferociously, roaring their hatred as they went, slowly but surely taking enemy positions as they advanced, pushing back their enemy. And then suddenly the enemy was retreating, from a fierce struggle to an organized retreat. For a moment the Mandalorian forces hesitated, still firing, but not advancing. But then a call came up from the line.
"Forward, for Mandalore!"

Immediately the cry was echoed by others in the line, countless times over, and the formations charged forward. Those in the front slanted their shields, allowing them to run forward, rather than march, while the ones behind held their shields at their sides or above their heads, allowing them to run as well. Even as they advanced more quickly, they didn't forget to lay down a punishing fusillade of fire towards their enemies, shooting them down even as they ran away. Despite this, many continued to die on the Mandalorian side, as there were those on the Sith side intent to hold their positions so friends could run, so that others could live. Admirable under different circumstances, here and now it was just another peril. One that the Mando'ade would overcome.

With the troops running, the barricades were less manned, meaning that previous routes that were meant to stop the Mandalorian advance and funnel them were used, rather than the choke points themselves. To make this even more prominent, fast moving Mandos with jetpacks, those on speeders or the Aryx rushed forward and passed, moving to shoot into the sides of the retreating enemy forces. This cost many their lives, but more kept running forward, soon joined by heavier Beskad Warriors with shields to protect them all.

Then just as suddenly the Mandalorian advance slowed once more, with the heavy units returning to their turtle formation. The formations simply slowed down suddenly, while several troops in the center of each formation took out portable squad shields. It wouldn't be much, especially in the face of the defenses, but they felt they'd need it soon enough. That thought turned out true enough far too soon, and not from anywhere they'd expected, as suddenly they were hit by lightning.

Those hit screamed and died, while others were blasted back, with each of the formations disrupted in some way. And just like that the shields came into play, activating and diverting the final bolts for the most part, but it was too late to save many. Re-organizing, the Beskad Warriors and regular Mandalorians hunkered down, firing out from their formations, but momentarily stunned by the attack. Slowly anger replaced their confusion, but it was slow going all in all, at least for the ones in formations as they'd been hit the hardest. As for the flanking Mandalorians, they saw this and moved to counteract this by causing more damage to the flanks of their enemies, blowing up and destroying as much as possible. They did so quickly and ferociously, even as the turtle formations prepared themselves once more, almost ready to go forward again. As they prepared, their people's song began to play, lifting their spirits, and motivating them to go on, no matter what. The song that played was 'Vode An', or Brother's All(linked song at top. Where, why and how explained in final part).

The Sith vehicles did what they could to protect the Sith troops, which was good for the Mandalorian vehicles. It meant they could hit them harder than before. To echo this mentality, the tank fire picked up, if that was possible, even as more rockets were shot from the Titan Tanks. Regardless though, the WLO tanks continued to push straight in, not caring about their losses, and instead caring about destroying as many of the retreating forces as possible. The entire time the Hellwalkers were providing cover fire for them, shooting at the heavier Sith vehicles still operational. While the half circle was rather effective on the flanks, the center line managed to keep advancing(as seen in part 1). The Mandalorian vehicles protected them for the most part on the flanks, taking hits meant for them, even as they kept exchanging fire with the Sith.

As the Barrage lost its shields, the Hell's Angel focused all its fire on it, aside from the artillery which was still shooting into the city and the formations of Sith vehicles, covering the Mandos in the turtle formations. Whereas the Sith engineers expected the Mandos to want to capture the Sith vehicle, they were sorely mistaken, as they planned to instead destroy it. A quarter of the Hellwalkers in the center of the Mando box formation opened fire on the Barrage, aiming to destroy it, even as several Titan Tanks moved in front of the Barrage, their shields in position to prevent the Barrage from moving forward. Engines to full, they did what they could to prevent it from advancing into the Mando formations, even as Mandos on that side moved further away, and towards the Sith formations, aiming to flank and reinforce their own men.

As the above happened, the Mosquito Fighters swarmed towards the Sith starfighters, sacrificing themselves to prevent bombs from landing on Mando formations. At the same time, they aimed to ram into bombers, shoot down fighters, and disrupt enemy formations. The Sith attacks were nonetheless effective on Hell's Angel. The titan was able to move once more, however it coudln't move quickly, nor for long as the hits from the bombers prevented quick movements at this point. By now the shield was flickering, allowing numerous hits to slam home on Hell's Angels hull. While not much now, these hits would accumulate, and if it became too much, then there'd be a massive explosion.

As of now though, the Mandalorian fighters were doing well, holding off the worst of the bombardment, and preventing too many from getting close, but by no means stopping the flow completely. Nevertheless they did their best, doing what they did best. Hit the enemy hard, to make them focus on them rather than other targets. As it was, ground targets were still firing continuously up into the air as they could. These targets were primarily Hellwalkers, those with specialized AA weapons, such as Titan Tanks, and the odd rocket or so.

@Vaulkhar| Aerarii Tithe | Tekkio | Mig Gred | K Kaine Australis Scherezade deWinter | Valkren Calderon
R Reyn Australis | Stardust Solus | Joycelyn Zambrano | Senna Valerian | Kovhorn | Beltran Rarr
​

Adenn wasn't fast enough, but his men had been. They'd slowed Vaulkhar down enough, forcing him on the defensive. That simple fact brought a smile to Adenn's face despite it all, it was a grim smile, but a smile nonetheless. Advancing, it was then that the lightning struck at the worst time for the Mandalorians, but the best time for the Sith. He retreated then and a thought crossed Adenn's mind about cowards being the same. Growling at Vaulkhar's retreating form, Adenn noted how the dragon way off in the distance was seemingly growing larger, as if being called by its master. Noting that it was highly likely, Adenn observed then as well how the Tracyn Mirshko's continued to harass the beast. They'd lost some riders and dragons to earlier attacks, but many still lived and fought on, doing their level best to bring the damnable thing down.

Looking on with a grim looking, Adenn shot a glance to his head bodyguard who understood the unspoken message. Immediately 2 Hellwalkers turned their AA guns on the massive dragon and opened fire. As for what Adenn would do, he simply fired his rifle a few more times at Vaulkhar while the Beskad Elite did the same. Lowering his rifle, Adenn glanced over the various short reports he'd received during his fight. A few were particularly worrisome, particularly one about another new combatant, this one a true Sith. Shaking it off, Adenn knew his men and he would face it as it came to them. But then came another message, this one managing to slip through the cracks of comm security to every Mandalorian present. What the person said over comms angered Adenn a level higher, and even as he marched forward, his body guards around him, his vode behind them, and his enemy before him, Adenn's battle computer worked. Adenn was advancing after Vaulkhar, but not truly caring if he fought the undead man again, or ran into the enemy line first.

The intruder was quickly kicked out of their system, but they'd already heard the start of the message, which left them angry. The battle computer then followed through with Adenn's mental commands, opening comms wide open so anyone could hear them. Then a song started playing, 'Vode An' began playing over those same speakers, even as Adenn began to speak. At the same time, a reverse hack was attempted, so that the message would play out for Aerarii and co. As Adenn spoke, his voice echoed over the comms and over the speakers of every vehicle at the Clans disposal around Sundari, loud enough to be heard by every Mando in the vicinity, both in their helmets and without. It was also sent to every Mando, every ally, and everyone who had been affected by Aerarii's message. No doubt the enemy would hear it too, not that Adnen cared, because it hopefully meant that more vode would hear it too. His voice was passionate, angry, and more importantly, truthful. Not only this, but he said this as he moved onwards, ever towards battle, while others sat back and simply watched while speaking ill of them.

"Vode, we do not seek glory, but vengeance, vengeance for our people and for Mandalore!. Where these Sith soldiers fight for a planet that means nothing to them, we fight for our people's home, and though we can live without it, we will not. This is our home, our fight, and forever Mandalore will belong to the Mandalorians! These Sith have enslaved our vode, forcing them to do their bidding, while their puppet ruler sits back and watches as vode loyal to Mandalore and her ideals fight and die to free her people. They believe they can win, that they can kill us and stop who and what we are from spreading. They. Are. WRONG! We are Mandalorians and we are more than just a people, more than an army. We are a culture, an ideal, and they can't kill an ideal, but we can certainly kill them."

Even as he'd advanced, the sounds of war could no doubt be heard in the background, muffled by his helmet and filtered by his battle computer, but still there. Those sounds were accompanied by the sounds of blasters and slugs being fired, of Adenn catching his breath from time to time as he advanced. It was clear to anyone listening that he was fighting even as he spoke, unlike certain other individuals.
"As we fight now, we may be fighting alongside vode we've never met before, and most certainly for vode we never have nor most likely ever will meet. But that is what it means to be Mandalorian, to be part of something greater and more powerful than any aruetii will ever know or understand. So fight Mandalorians, fight for Mandalore, fight for her people and fight for your vode, fight vode, fight! Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur(Today is a good day for someone else to die). Vode an(Brothers/Family all), for Mandalore!"


OOC Summary:

Spoiler

Part 1:

• Mandalorian turtle formations charge forward upon seeing the Sith troops retreat
• Mando jetpack troops and Aryx scout vehicles flank the enemy retreating forces to harass however they can
• Heavy weapons fire used on retreating and defending troops, aiming to cause more chaos and confusion
• Lightning attack from Lorale effective due to the unexpectedness. Turtle troops shaken but prepared to move forward once more

Part 2:

• WLO Tanks continue along the sides of the Mando formation, covering the MAndalorians in the center and hitting back at Sith Vehicles and troops
• Aryx scout vehicles continue to flank the Sith vehicles and hit at the sides and back, while moving to avoid most fire
• Hell's Angel focuses fire on the Barrage, aside from teh AV-7's. Hellwalkers join in on this, though the majority focus on the other Sith vehicles
• Titan Tanks move to prevent the Barrage from truly making it far into Mando territory
• Mandalorians move away from the Barrage and towards Sith lines, bringing support to their center line and flanking troops

Part 3:

• Mosquito Fighters take hits meant for turtle formations, while moving to distract fighters and bombers
• Sacrifices made so that troops and Hell's Angel can keep fighting on

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

​

Location: Ka'pruni mine yard.
Objective: Tangle with Mig Gred and be unaware of Karina Lowe 's situation.

____________________________________
​

Another dead end. Cara didn’t grow dismayed meeting them anymore. It was essential to file through the sources at hand to find anything of use. Thus, Mig Gred was checked off the list, his status as a potential lead replaced as just a Mando, just another dead end.

He wanted through to whisk away the workers and allow them to terrorize the galaxy once more. What happened to Mandalore was payment for planets torn asunder by their beskar-plated hands. The lives of those left on the barren waste were spent as living sacrifices, a constant atonement for the millions who had suffered for no greater cause than Mandalorian pride. If they didn't pay for their crimes then who would?

An unstoppable sense of obligation met an unmovable need for retribution. Both knew what was to follow. He rose the oddity of his sword, the glowing blue blade then thrown into a downward strike. It was a heavy blow as it made contact with her left forearm, the gray cybernetic shielding the attack. Cara felt satisfied with its weight; a sign her opponent wasn't weak.

She turned the arm, slipping it down the crackling blade and seizing Mig's wrist. He was close. You had to be close to land a blow with that thing. Cara sunk a heavy boot into the square of his chest, throwing all 75kg of body weight and 14kg of her armor into a kick as she let go of his wrist.

She followed the momentum of her leg forward, running to land a blow in the T of his helmet.

A familiar voice reported through comms, "Commander, two Lancer droids have been found terminated in the south-east quadrant. Orders?" It was Frist who spoke, one of eight legionnaires she adopted during the invasion of Kintan. They had been split into two teams and assigned to the two flanking groups surrounding the facility.

Cara replied, "Contact is confirmed," She reared back her arm to throw the punch, "Tighten the noose, Corporal."

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Location: Dropship landing at city of Ronion, Mandalore.
Objective: Secure safety of civilians
Allies: Beltran Rarr and allies of the Network
Enemies: Sith, voices in the head ( Aerarii Tithe )

The dropship dipped violently, plummeting through a cloud of smoke after a recent flak charge, but coming through rather unharmed aside from some scratched paint. The pilot and co-pilot were doing their very best to guide their team's boat and Maul's dropship behind them to a proper landing zone. Now that they were visibly closer to the city, the co-pilot could make out the heat signatures of entrenchments that were set up among the buildings in the city. This prompted them to make the decision to drop the two teams a block over in a different intersection, to hopefully secure an evacuation point before they moved on any enemies.

"Hades actual: we are dropping our payload in five- head's up gents it's going to be a hot one!" The pilot's voice rang out before another flak round forced the transport to the right.

Now, this sudden movement with the included shaking from the enemy round made the commander's gut drop slightly- Falling was falling after all

The transport containing Valkren and Hades platoon raised it's nose as it reached ground level, stray bolts and slugs pinging off of the hull as it showed it's broadside in order to provide cover for whatever transports coming behind them.

"Have fun out there kids." The last statement by the pilot prompted the rangers to ready themselves, the commander being sure to have moved to the ramp as soon as possible before the ramp dropped. He'd check the assault ripper that he held in his gloved hands, assuring it was properly loaded before looking back to his unit.

"Spread out, stick with your squads! Once we're in the open we'll have minimal time to make into cover. Be sure to check your targets, we don't want to go shooting the people we're trying to save." Valkren said this before turning back towards the end of the transport, rolling his shoulders soon after to get somewhat 'comfortable' in his katarn plating.

Soon after the transport moved low enough, the ramp dropped. Valkren's boots were the first to hit the ground, his own squad following close behind, then the second moving off to the opposite side of the dropship as to spread out and secure their immediate landing area. Valkren was sure to move a good distance away from the transport before he dropped to a knee to line up some shots. It seemed as if there were enough decent enough enemies defending the city, occupying areas and buildings down the street from them..

After firing off another round or two, the commander was sure to stay mobile as to not make an easy target for any stray rounds. The rangers around him from Hades moved forward with their squads to secure the surrounding buildings in the intersection.

"Hades 2-1, we've made entry." The team leaders began to check in as they reached the houses, checking each end of the street before kicking in the doors and announcing their presences for civilians.

More gunshots, blasters and slugs at the sound of it.

"Hades 3-1 has contact inside the west building!"

Valkren winced as he heard this, moving to his squads target building with the rest of his men stacking up. One of his squads had already engaged, and without a direct feed to them- he couldn't tell what was going on. He hated that, but he learned quickly when he was a younger NCO that he had to have faith in his men.

The commander nodded at the door, prompting the man across from him to move to the console that opened it. Before he could enter his command, their communications system suddenly opened up into all of their helmets, and a new voice came to be heard. ( Aerarii Tithe ) The ranger that was in the process of opening the door hesitated, perking up slightly as he heard the sudden interruption.

"Wait, what's tha-" the ranger's confusion was cut short as a flurry of blaster bolts cut through the door, several of which hitting the armor of said ranger and forcing him onto his back. The commander leaned back slightly, watching as the bolts streamed past and hit the side of the dropship that was in the middle of the intersection.

That was the dropship's que to take off and circle back, dust whipping up into the sides of the buildings as it lifted off, allowing for Maul's transport to soar further down the street and begin to unload its group of soldiers.

The commander watched as a ranger pulled their dazed comrade away before awaiting the stop of the obvious heavy repeater, with a quick spin around the corner, he'd discharge his weapon twice finding solid marks into the sith trooper at the end of this hallway. The man's propaganda-spewing voice was still in Valk's ears, and it was killing him as he moved further towards the corpse- just being sure that he was in fact deceased

"Antarian Rangers! Coming in!" Valkren yelled this rather audibly. It was a risk, but it was well worth it if anyone was to surrender or if there were civilians.

​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Lernaean Base, Ruins of Sundari Palace
​

Objective: Showtime!
Allies: Irveric Tavlar BobertEZ Alexandra Feanor Aerarii Tithe Avernus Vaulkhar Raya Najwa Zambrano Cara Dorniarn Karina Lowe Vandra Zambrano
Enemies: Adenn Kyramud K Kaine Australis Stardust Solus Skirae Scherezade deWinter Mig Gred

"I doubt anything of significance is left," she said dismissively. The giant warped exogorth was probably still somewhere on Carliah's world, but if not, it was no major loss. The rest of Praelior's creations she was fairly certain had been wiped out during the fall of the One Sith and she didn't see much merit in recovering the data or recreating such tests.

"You do know even if you stabbed Kaine, it likely won't kill him," she continued, pulling out her datapad for a moment to review the last readings from the Spaarti scientists. Everything looked good, the genome melding at 99.8% which was far beyond what she could have hoped for. There was still some remaining questions on whether, once the creature regenerated part of itself, if mutations might take place. "He's taken a lot of precautions to protect himself."

She wasn't going to expound upon those as even she likely only knew about a few of the ways Kaine could cheat death. Further conversation was cut off as her holo activated, the image of a Hyal'hask appeared.

"The Tanfuksham'Goth decrees the beast's birth, Lady of Secrets," the mutated Eldorai and Graug hybrid grunted. Taeli's smile widened as the order she had been waiting for came from Darth Carnifex . Nodding, the transmission winked out and she turned her attention back to the cocoon beyond the glass. The sounds of battle were much closer now. Tavlar and his forces must have fallen back closer to the city or perhaps even into the city's defenses to hold against the onslaught of Mandalorians.

"General Avixis, deploy the garrison to support General Tavlar and the rest of the defenders. The Emperor has issued the activation command," she said over her commlink to the general commanding the 5,000 soldiers of the Lernaean garrison. She received confirmation and with a smile, she looked over at Alex.

"My apologies for the sorcery," was all she said before her eyes turned amber as she drew upon the dark side energies all around them. In turn, all 120 alchemists on base began chanting along with their mistress.

"Urs iw ri Nimyi Kursosuta, Wohmina iw ri Satwas, Winwi ri Midwan iw Jina'tis! Kanasazi iw ri Kanijizi ra, Azuria iw ri Tsuduma, Zami ri Wa iw Mars! Zami ri Shatunja iw ri Iciyikacni!"

The spell being cast by the Sith under command were like black and red strands of energy twining around and into the cocoon, surging and empowering the creature within. The cocoon began pulsing faster, a very ominous sound slowly building as the entire area practically hummed with the dark side. Those sensitive to the Force would feel a colossal hunger and primal rage awakening, something that would scare one to the very bones. For those with sensors, they would be reading a massive surge of heat... and the pulsing of what some might consider a city-sized heart. The cocoon started moving as the beast within strained and pushed against the stuff entrapping it, no longer content with slumbering.

A few more heart beats and the Network would understand just how much trouble they were going to be in.

Summary of Actions:
5,000 Sith Legionaries deploy to help reinforce Tavlar and the forces holding against Adeen's hammer.
The cocoon central to the Lernaean Base begins to awaken, next post will reveal the creature in all its glory

 

[Mythos]

He smiled. Blood poured from his lips as his teeth parted and saliva, mixed with the oozing black liquid that was his blood cascaded from the edge of his broken lips. Sand mixed with rotting flesh, boiling skin mixed with blood. This wasnt a Mythos anyone had ever seen, this was the raw power of Ankhypt and his resurrection ritual possessed by the Gen'Dai.

Light, threatening auras and... trakkata. His eyes were two beady dots of red fury that pinged from threat to threat, but when Curtis Learchin attempted the technique known as Trakkata they snapped to his eyes. There was one counter to that move, one counter that only Sith Assassins knew, the Old Sith Assassins. Darth Ferus' lot. Sins.

Mythos was the Sin or Pride, very long ago and he knew the counter to this situation: The Sith Assassin technique of the art of small, focused on the ignition chamber of a lightsaber. When Curtis attempted to turn on his saber again Mythos would use the force to neutralize the Kyber Crystal's ignition chamber to attempt to shut off the lightsaber permanently.

Then he smiled again, wide and psychotic. His flesh was extended so far across his cheeks it looked unnatural. Having his opponent overextended, Mythos would use his overwhelming strength to grab Curtis by the neck and hoist him above his head while glaring at Loreena Arenais-Valhoun .

"Go ahead!" He shouted, as he did he would try to use force drain on her lover and force her to watch him age rapidly before her eyes.

"You kill everyone here! I'll snap his neck! Crawl out of the flames!" He shouted and bellowed while holding his own weapon and threatening to skewer him then and there.

"Then hunt you and those you love down one by one insect!"

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Save the slaves and Curtis Learchin
Enemies: Mythos Eversor


The moment that Curtis was grabbed by the neck, Lori felt her heart leap into her throat. She stared almost transfixed at the psychotic Sith Lord standing behind him. Given that he was gutted and bleeding all over, yet still somehow alive; Lori was quite certain that he would survive a blast.

She slowly lowered her hand and deposited the detonator back into her bag, all the while never removing her eyes from the pair. "Let him go! We didn't come here for you!" Lori hated this. If Curtis couldn't get himself free while she distracted the Sith with conversation, then this wasn't going to end well for them.

How many times had her parrnts gone through such situations? Which was the right response? Hopefully choosing to live to fight another day was the right one.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Objective: 1a
Allies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun
Enemies: Mythos / Eversor
Equipment: Viper (Light Armour), Parthalan (Swordstaff), Saberstaff
Post: 8

As Curtis attempted to switch the blade back on, his eyes widen with surprise and fear. He was vulnerable, and when Mythos went for his throat, he didn't have time to block. Yanked from the floor, he felt a dark energy creep from his attacker's form, leeching from his own. He grunted and struggled, legs thrashing as his left hand gripped the wrist of the Sith Lord, lightsaber clattering to the ground.

His eyes glanced to Lori, he heard her words, heard Mythos' threat. And at that moment, the fear he felt morphed. His eyes fixed on his attacker, and he smiled. It was a crooked, sinister smile, one that almost mirrored the Sith Lord's own. The gauntlet on his left arm sparked momentarily as he focused his energy.

"As long as I live, you will not have her" Curtis said, and launched his armoured hand towards the Sith's head, the metal sparking as Force Lightning arced and coursed along its frame. He'd grip the temple, and let loose the Lightning in a single blow.

 

[Beltran Rarr]

Location: Mandalore, City of Ronion
Objective: On second thought, save some Civvies.
Allies: Mandalorians, K Kaine Australis , Valkren Calderon
Enemies: TSE

Spoiler: Personal Kit:

Armor: OS-114 "Katarn Mk. II" Combat Armor
Primary Weapon: OS-109 Fate Assault Rifle (chest rig)

Secondary Weapons:

• OS-104 Reaper Blaster Pistol (drop holster, right side)
• OS-101 Retractable Vibrosword (On belt)
• Krath Itak Sword (back scabbard) Note to Force Users/Force Sensitives - this blade emanates a strong Dark Side aura
• Beskar Sword (back scabbard)
• 8 x frag grenades (chest rig)

Misc Gear:

• OS-112 "Valkyrie" Jump Jet System (Mounted on back)
• OS-108 Energy Shield (Left wrist)
• 2 x OS-107 "Hermes" Sensor Drones (chest rig)

Personal Assets: Icarus Platoon

Spoiler: Antarian Ranger Assets: Task Force Dagger

• Space Assets:
  • 1 x Chariot-Class Transport Frigate"Deliverer"
    • 1 squadron (8) Apex Heavy Escort Fighters - "Scimitar Squadron"
    • 2 squadrons (4x2) Arch-Angel Heavy Dropships - "Katana" and "Cutlass" Squadrons
    • 1 squadron (12) Damocles Tactical Drop Pods
  • 3 x Shadowfax Class Corvettes
  • 3 x Essex Class Starfighter Killer Corvettes
• Ground Assets:
  • 666th "Devildog" Mechanized Infantry Battalion- 550 Rangers
    • Maul Company (150)
    • Nova Company (150)
    • Ossus Company (150
    • Padawan Company (100)
  • Hades Platoon - 50 Rangers - commanded by Valkren Calderon
  • Icarus Platoon - 50 Rangers - commanded by Beltran Rarr

"Okay boys and girls!" A loud, exuberant shout filled the com channel. "Time to rock!"

Spoiler: Mood music

Beltran had just opened his mouth to order Specialist Reece to shut up when a loud blast of jarring music filled the Icarus platoon's shared com frequency, drowning out the possibility of all other chatter. As the Arch-Angel dropship swerved and juked, causing the passengers within to rock violently against their straps, Beltran considered muting the channel-but after a moment decided that he kind of liked the music, so he settled on lowering the volume a little.

"We're in atmo," The dropship's pilot radioed back, catching Beltran on a different channel. "Drop in five. The whole area is hot." The Lieutenant acknowledged it with a double click of his com before he closed the channel. To his men, he raised his hand with all five fingers extended-the universal sign for "Five minutes."

Fifty some odd Antarian Rangers immediately sprung into action, double checking their kit one last time before drop. Each man and woman in the unit knew the drill well enough to perform it in their sleep. Beltran had made sure of that before they'd even left Kashyyyk. At the two minute mark, the drop ship's ramp lowered, and a brisk wind whipped through the cargo area. Outside, Beltran could see the red flashes of dozens of small arms and flak fire coming up for them.

Unbuckling himself, he stood and walked toward the lowered ramp, gripping the overhead webbing for support. Behind him, he knew that the others would be doing the same, forming a line to jump from the moving aircraft. He unslung his Fate Assault Rifle and gripped it in one hand as he moved closer to the edge.

Now he did mute the music, opening another channel to the platoon. "Alright, we jump in 30. Remember one fireteam to a roof top. Our job is to provide overwatch cover for Hades Platoon and Maul Company as they move from building to building. Check your targets and remember the rules of engagement, you are only cleared to fire at those clearly wearing Sith uniforms, or who are or have opened fire directly on Ranger and Mandalorian forces. Take your time and make sure you're shooting at the right person. I don't want any civilian casualties coming from this unit."

There was a time, not so long ago, when Beltran wouldn't have cared less about collateral damage. Perhaps he was mellowing in his old age, or more likely, he expected a better sense of professionalism from both himself and his men.

"Jump!" The pilot called on the coms. "Go! Go! Go!"

Beltran didn't hesitate, with two running steps he leapt out of the ship and began to fall. They were perhaps a hundred meters above the city, directly over Hades platoon's position. He could see other arch-angel transports below him, landing Valkren Calderon and his troops at the ground. Triggering his jump jets, he guided his fall so that he was directly over one of the largest buildings. As the ground rose quickly toward him, he used the jets to lower his speed until he was able to land on the roof with ease.

Three other men also landed on the same roof, each raising their rifles and moving to one of the edges, peering over. Doss, Icarus' platoons premier marksman apparently found a quick target and fired off a shot. "Sir," He called. "I've got Sith legionnaires, platoon strength, advancing through the streets to the east. Approximately 50 meters of Hades Actual's position."

"Acknowledged," Beltran replied, keying his com to Valkren Calderon 's personal channel. "Hades Actual, this is Icarus Actual. We've got eyes on uniformed hostiles, platoon strength, moving on your position. 50 meters to the east."

Moving to the side where Doss stood, he raised his own rifle and sighted in on one of the advancing Sith, firing two shots. The Sith, a sergeant, fell and his accompanying squad immediately went to their knees, looking for the source of the shots. All around the city, similar fights would be breaking out as the rest of his platoon's fire teams found their own designated perches and fired down on the Sith below, supporting Hades Platoon, Maul Company and the Mandalorian forces who worked below to evacuate the city. Their dropship would switch roles to that of gunship, unleashing its impressive array of weaponry on any targets that presented themselves.

 

[Mythos]

Location: Hell
Objective: Horror Show

His open back, his grievous injuries that were to any other human deadly, began to close and heal as green smoke and a green glowing aura engulfed Curtis Learchin . The cuts, the scratches, the gashes and the lacerations all began to close. His blood stopped boiling, the flesh stopped falling little by little as he laughed in victory.

Still in his mind he was rattled but now he was a vessel for the dark side of the force and consumed by its rage and hatred. From a monster, bleeding and gutted he now began to look like a normal man with a broken and battered suit. His golden locks, the shining and glistening glow of his bare skin and manufactured perfection of his face and body.

The pinnacle of human physical craft, rejuvenated and at his full zenith. Confident of his victory he took his eyes off the man and into the girl as she put the detonator in a bag. He nodded, barking out a manically laugh that was seemingly birthed eons ago.

"You didint come for me... but now you will joi-"

It was a thunderclap, it was light and power administered to the right ride of his temple. He didint even register that his pray had enough strength for one last desperate attack, one attack that freed him from the Sith Lord's vicegrip. Directly behind him, a tram awaiting departure and the blast sent him through the glasteel visor and into the tram of slaves.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun and Curtis would be free from the Sith Lord but if they chose to go through the glasteel and find out where he went or actually attempt to do what they came here to do... they would find a living hell and a horrible spectacle. Through the visor and the broken glass was row after row of chained mandalorian people ranging from all ages and genders, kept in close proximity for miles and miles of the train. It was dark, unnaturally so and damp with the dripping oil rydonnium fuel that lined miscellaneous locations.

It was a maze in there, it was heavy in the dark side of the force and cruelty and suffering made the place very hard to travel by lightsiders. Something shifted in the darkness and the Spear that was stuck beside the two was gone.​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: Free the Slaves, stop Mythos
Allies: Curtis Learchin
Enemies: Eversor

Join...who? The lunatic Sith Lord? A chill went down her spine as she watched him heal before her eyes. Never had she encountered one so powerful in the Force. It was quite different to merely hear stories, only to now see such acts with her very eyes.

His words were cut off as Curtis attacked and for a moment she was relieved! The Sith Lord was thrown away from them, and right away Lori went to Curtis, crouching next to him. "Are you okay? We have to stop the tram. We have to free the enslaved. Let's not worry about him. He's probably dead." Or so she hoped.

Lori helped Curtis to her feet and then entered the tram with him. But what she saw was not what she was expecting. How many slaves were there? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands? It was difficult to see and the overall atmosphere of the place was oppressive. Lori felt weighted down and almost sick to her stomach.

"We've got to get to the front to the engine. It's the best way." But finding it wouldn't be easy. She created another ball of Force Light, illuminating the area for them. The mandalorians within barely seemed to notice that they were there. And each of them were in a horrible state. Lori steeled her resolve and pressed forward, no longer thinking of Mythos, but of their task at hand.

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Position: Sundari
Objective: Mandalore - Repel the Mandalorian assault.
Allies: Vaulkhar ; BobertEZ ; Taeli Raaf ; Joycelyn Zambrano - The Sith Empire
Enemies: Adenn Kyramud - The Network
Wires
Equipment:
Battle Armor
'Vishnu' Military Shield
DG-41 "Inferos" Disruptor Rifle
HG-88 'Big Iron' Hand-cannon

---

The retreat wasn't so much of a victory to the Mandalorians as it might've appeared. With the streets as choked and fortified as they were there wasn't a moment's reprieve for the supposed 'liberators as blaster cannon, disruptor and kinetic fire intersected and put out walls of death toward the advancing Beskar bandits.

Inspite of this, what beset both side was some of the harshest fighting that could've been concocted. Mandalorian warriors invigorated by the prospect of retaking their homeland facing a staunch garrison of Sith-Imperial troopers who knew very well would the consequence would be for defeat...or even worse, capture. There wasn't any metric that revealed the Mandalorians would impart any level of mercy on the occupiers of their motherland and thus it was a fight of existential being for both sides.

Between were the people of Sundari. By now - there was no liberators nor protectors only bloodshed. The screams of panicked women and children cowering in their hovels and alleyways drowned by the vicious cracking of blaster and kinetic fire which echoed down every street. The sights and sounds of death - of fighters dealing death in a proximity where it was only the T visors of the Mandalorians and the narrow eyes of the Sith Troopers which prevented either from gleaning the last moment of mortality from the other before let loose their panoply of war unto the other.

Hell. Perhaps it was only the most disciplined of Jedi or Sith and the most demented of warriors who could sustain so long in these circumstances. For the men and women inbetween - the filter for this blend of chaos and destruction was only so accommodating. When blades and projectiles weren't slicing through the opposing soldiers those few moments of peace, that scant sliver of silence among incalculable brutality was as liberating as it was nauseating. Many broke ; and no one could blame them.

The Troopers stood their ground as many of the troops supporting the armored formation before funneled back through fortified lines for retrieval of the wounded ; reloading and refitting their weapons mere feet away the Mandalorians began to pour through the breach.

---

"Grenades over the shields - about the only thing that works. Get a walker to block that roadway!" One of Tavlar's subordinates sounded out to his section before soon enough he shifted his gaze to the weary general. Within his unique Imperial Beskar'gam he was an easy man to spot in the battlefield. Irveric's camouflage plated Beskar plates held the scorch marks of blaster fire but he walked upright without any inhibiting factor.

The two officers nodded eachother down as they met behind fortified lines.

"General - They're continuing their advance but we've got them halted on several avenues." The Major said - checking the ammo count of his ACR before shifting his helmeted gaze back to Tavlar.

"Acknowledged. Keep the chokepoints held and set down ranks heading back to our command center - if one line is overpowered fall back to the next under covering fire. We'll widdle them down their armor can't survive in these streets." The General said - for now...his neurosis was all but tamed.

"Copy - I'll relay the order. The Lord Col-" The Major was cut off ; slowly backing himself pas their cover - a verpine flechette biting into the armorweave neck protection between his cuirass and helmet, sending him to the ground with a thud. The sight drew open the alarm from Irveric internally again, sending the general rushing toward the slain officer he'd reach between the armorweave and duraplast armor to pull him out of the fire, eventually wrenching off the helmet he felt his neurosis flash into a vision of one of his more trusted confidants ; Lyra Voikryt before a blink let it snap back to the reality of the slain Umbaran officer before him. No sign of life in his eyes ; another put through the gauntlet of war.

"General- We're keeping them back for now but...we're got a large reading from deeper in the city... Reinforcements?" Another subordinate officer asks, crouching down next to the General who peered about - seeing the troopers of Taeli Raaf's legion fall in line with his own men.

"Probably- get a medic, have him pulled out." Irveric said - chilling back to his state of coolness among the gut-wrenching death dispensed around him. Immediately jolted back into his innate nature as the devestating detonation from the HavT Barrage sounded from beyond the wall - sending a earthshaking explosion out as it sought to crawl into Mandalorian lines.

---

Spoiler: Large Scale Actions Summary

• The HavT Barrage explodes what is left of the Mandalorian assault outside of the gate.
• City begins in the streets - the Sith hold strong but land and lives are traded quickly between the two forces.
• A large presence deeper within Sundari is detected on all holomaps and scanners.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Location: En route to Ronion
Objective: III - Rally the troops, dishearten the invaders
Allies: Telis Taharin-Zambrano | The Sith Empire
Enemies: Valkren Calderon | Beltran Rarr | The Network
Post: 5


“…and by days end the what remained pirates were fleeing beyond the the outer planets, never to be seen from again, the safety of this wonderful planet again assured through the tireless word of the Sith-Imperial Armada.”

Aerarii finished the propaganda segment with a smile. The story about the recent pirate attacks had been heavily edited by the Sith Imperial News Network writers to exaggerate both the role the Imperials had played and the threat the pirates had represented. Research had showed that the locals responded best to these stories when it showed the strength and power of the Sith.

A high-pitched screech came through his ear piece, startling the bureaucrat. He did his best to not react, knowing that the holocams were still rolling. He glared as the operators in the control only to find them yelling at each other and frantically rushing between console. Unable to stop the interference they cut the live feed and went to a static image of the SINN logo.

Without warning an unfamiliar voice boomed over the studio speakers.

“Vode, we do not seek glory, but vengeance, vengeance for our people and for Mandalore!. Where these Sith soldiers fight for a planet that means nothing to them, we fight for our people's home, and though we can live without it, we will not. This is our home, our fight, and forever Mandalore will belong to the Mandalorians! These Sith have enslaved our vode, forcing them to do their bidding, while their puppet ruler sits back and watches as vode loyal to Mandalore and her ideals fight and die to free her people. They believe they can win, that they can kill us and stop who and what we are from spreading. They. Are. WRONG! We are Mandalorians and we are more than just a people, more than an army. We are a culture, an ideal, and they can't kill an ideal, but we can certainly kill them.”

“What the fierfek is that?” The Treasurer-General was looking around the room, trying to catch the eye of the technicals or the studio staff who were all hurrying around. “Shut it down!”

Someone complied by killing the power to the whole studio.

The bureaucrat sat patiently at the broadcast desk as emergency lighting kicked in. “Sir, they back channeled us, piggy-backing of our broadcast with their hijacked message.” Aerarii nodded, the impact of what had just happened started to dawn on him. The same powerful transmitters that had blanketed the planet with pro-Sith messages had just been used to spread anti-Sith messages. The people had just been shown an alternate reality to the one Aerarii had created. It didn’t take an expert to know that the local Mandos, as loyal as the remaining ones were, would be incited by The Network’s broadcast. There would be chaos in the streets.

This was going to be difficult to come back from. Word would soon reach Beltis Kishar, who would delight in publicly firing Aerarii for his failings. As much as he hated to admit it, Aerarii could not fix this sitting in the safety of the SINN broadcasting studio.

He looked to Teyn Gratiir, the puppet ruler who was vital to keeping the locals on side. If they couldn’t count on broadcasting propaganda, the next best thing was to talk directly to the people. “I believe, Mandalore, that it’s time to do things - how do they say? - old school.”

---

Within minutes an Atmospheric Infantry Transport had been summoned. Aerarii, thankfully already attired in his standard issue officer armour, gingerly boarded the transport. His stomach dropped as the transport lifted on, mostly due to fear rather than the speeds of their launch. So soon after Kintan the last thing he wanted to do was entered an active war zone, which according to all records, the city of Ronion was.

The speedy transport dropped into the one of the remaining quiet streets of Ronion and unloaded Aerarii and Teyn into the custody of a small contingent of Legionnaires and a Sith Knight, Telis Taharin-Zambrano . “Aerarii Tithe, Treasurer-General. We err, we need to get to the town square, avoiding any deadly entanglements along the way.” The bureaucrats eyes darted between the surrounding buildings as the approaching sounds of conflict grew louder. “And I need a way to speak to the locals. The louder the better.”

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Location: Ronion, Mandalore
Objective: Defend the city from civilian and rebel kidnappers
Allies: TSE, Aerarii Tithe
Enemies: Valkren Calderon , Beltran Rarr

In the chaos that was raging above the planet, a lone Sith starfighter slipped through, making great haste to the planet that laid beneath the fighting. Working as one, pilot and ship dove between the laser-fire from the space fight, cutting through Sith and rebel defenses like a knife carving a wound. Telis Taharin, at the helm of the craft, almost allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, were it not for the fact that the hardest portion of his infiltration - planetside. Dipping downward into a spiral, Telis tore through the atmosphere of Mandalore, as laser fire turned instead to flak and dogfights.

Falling like a stone, the Sith Knight took the low approach, coming in over the bleak city of Ronion, and staying low to avoid being seen - thankfully, the buildings and the chaos already erupting helped make him nothing more than a brief shadow. Behind him, the two Sith Troopers and a pilot sat in wait, cramped into the tiny starship by order or command from the Knight - a small measure of backup for the ground troops gathering in order to push back against the new threat slipping in alongside the rebellion uprisings. Speeding through derelict buildings and great clouds of billowing smoke, above the great hum of the engine all those within the shuttle could hear the fighting below, and nobody could tell which side was doing better.

Above the fighting a ping showed on Telis’s navigation, and the ship took its final bow, landing a little ways away from the coordinate relay, in the remains of an old warehouse perhaps once used for smuggled goods. With finesse, the ship was brought down into the barren husk of the warehouse, the door that opened from the back of the ship slowly sliding out, as the two troopers unloaded from the back with their heavier armaments, and Telis and the pilot traded places in the ship. Stepping out, Telis placed a hand on his personal craft, scorned that he had to leave it in the hands of somebody else, before giving an order: ”Pilot, get that ship out of the atmosphere and hide, wait for my command to get back down and pick me up. You, soldiers, keep a sharp eye. At this point, we have no idea who is loyal and who is against us.”

Telis had listened to the populous propaganda spouted by Aerarii, and he couldn’t help but command the treasurer on his idea to turn hearts and minds in favor of the Sith cause. After all, Telis thought to himself, they were the ones defending the planet from invaders and uprisings. Tugging at the dark, simple, gold-trimmed robes with his robotic hand, the Sith Knight trudged onwards, taking the lead out of the triad as the two soldiers followed behind. Within a few moments, all three of them were running through the streets of Ronion, avoiding the open fires and active fights, with the two soldiers struggling to keep pace with Telis’s Antaru-trained agility. His movement was like a blur almost, as he bounded over obstacles, dancing across cracks in the street, and lunging great distances over rubble, before waiting for his entourage to catch up.

Eventually, the group of reinforcements made it to the rough command-post that had been built up by the soldiers in the area, none too far from one of the main plazas in Ronion. Looking around, Telis could see the weary, ragged look of the darkly-armored soldiers around him, the way their shoulders hung low, the dirt and grime that covered their armor, and the splotches of burnt metal where blaster-fire hit but didn’t penetrate. Yet, the Coruscanti Sith also saw an able-bodied and ready legion, one only bolstered by the presence of the man in robes. Telis’s were a luminous shade of gold, and though his body was largely hidden by his robes, his neck was dotted with bright red lines of light: text in the Sith language. Telis had never seen the face of war before, but he knew violence as close as a friend, and he reveled in the chaos that was quickly blooming over the planet. For once, he felt home amongst these already battle-scarred yet more than ready soldiers.

”All men, ready yourselves into formation! I saw dropships and jumpships pulling away from the city, so who we find here beyond these rebels, they’re not going to hold blows, and neither can you. Show them the true face of war, and remind them the mettle of your breeding! You were born for this fight, every prior battle, every day you trained, every comrade and fellow soldier you’ve lost along the way, has all been for this-“ Telis suddenly pointed down at the ground in between his address, reaffirming that Mandalore was worth the fight so far. If he wanted the empire to be able to regain full control of the smuggler’s city, then he needed them to believe that this was all worth it, and that meant making them believe. ”- this very moment! The day is young and we still have a long fight to go, but as long as you are the backbone of this empire, we will prevail all threats to the safety of these citizens, our citizens! Are we going to let Ronion fall to these kidnappers and terrorists, or are we going to show them the mistake they made in ever coming here?”

Telis Taharin opened his arms to the men around him as he finished up his speech, a rallying cry ushered first by the newest to the fray, and followed quickly after by the other men gathered. Telis had them under his trust - trust enough to know that they'll fight with him no matter how the battle turns, and that was enough. Through the sudden surge of activity of rearming and rolling up plans for later, another Sith ship pulled down from the sky, a transport ship unloading a man with a very familiar voice. Telis looked at the propaganda-spewing bureaucrat, silent for a few moments as the man urgently spoke to them, sharing his need to get to the nearby plaza without harm. He then turned to the legionaries, before ushering them once more with his hand.

”Well come on, you heard the man! Let’s get a move on.” Telis would move to grab the coordinate transponder before it was packed up, taking it over and shoving it into the treasurer-general’s hands, before snapping to the two guards initially with them, and pointing to Aerarii. ”You two, keep close to him. He’s your new charge. General Tithe, keep ahold of that transponder. We have to move now, but when we get to the plaza, I’ll make sure that thing gets your message out.”

As one group, the legionaries fronted by Telis began to set out, taking a non-direct but hopefully more safe route towards the plaza in question, making sure that Aerarii and his retinue were kept closeby. There was a tension between the men as they attempted to make their way through the streets and alleyways, eyes stuck to scopes and sights as what was present of the legion attempted to get through the city while avoiding firefights for the sake of Aerarii. Telis kept his hand on his hip, his hood pulled low over his head to obscure his identity - being identified as a Sith now would be awful for business.

 

[Akita Silasrune]

​

Post : 2 (and out)
Objective : Here goes nothing

Concordia
Bethikas - Bombarding
Direwolfs - Bombarding
Terror Australis - Bombarding

Between Concordia and Mandalore
Shieldcarriers - Lots except for all the lowest ones, the closest to Manda'yaim, which are about to go boom
Fighters - A tremendous amount less than there were to start with but still there were a lot to start with

As one of Kaine's children had once put it, some things were just O.P.A.F.

Akita had learned to his amusement the acronym stood for 'over powered as feth'. It amused him as he swam, figuratively, within the White Current, that he could probably be considered as such when he was within his meditation sphere. The Fallanassi had taught otherwise. They didn't exert power at all, let alone trying to achieve good. That was what had torn their bond apart, and led to his exile.

Akita could no longer stand by, after what had happened to so many he had cared for. Today might ask him to make the ultimate sacrifice, something not easily considered after so many long years of life, and with so many yet still ahead, if he chose differently. He would not shy from the risk. If they succeeded in the convoluted plan to rescue the prisoners from Manda'yaim, then he would spend his life to save hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions. A sacrifice worth making, and his was far from the only life on the line today.

He knew instinctively that the time had come. It was now or never.

Here goes nothing.

First he reached out and found Alexandra Feanor , blazing fiercely, the current flowing calmly around and through her. His light touch let her know he was ready, without, he trusted, alerting any Force users who might be near by. She was far too distant for him to sense her surroundings.

Then he found Kaine, or more precisely, Stardust Solus Skirae , who was on far Concordia. K Kaine Australis had to be close by. Where are you, you stupid Mando?

Akita wondered if the idiot had forgotten to remove the void stones as they had agreed. Suns, for the plan to fail because of Australis's idiocy, Akita would boil him in carbonite! Almost as soon as he had the thought, he felt the Mandalorian's presence, somewhat anxious.

That wasn't good. That meant he was about to be proper borked. Akita sent a bolt of reassurance and alertness to the other three. It had to be now.

With no further warning, Akita called on the White Current as he never had before, becoming a living transformer and a conduit, a pipeline through which the living Force flowed to the two precise locations, anchoring them for mere moments. Alexandra's location crackled to full existence, then Kaine's. He willed them to hurry, feeling his very cells fill up with the power that now flowed through his entire body.

In a last moment of alarm, he had a strange vision of the crew of a Network ship being assaulted by Whiphid mercenaries, unable to call for help, trapped out in the void. Velok Brokentusk

Of R Reyn Australis a captive of the Sith. Of many others, hard pressed, or near to breaking under the Sith onslaught.

Of young Loreena Arenais-Valhoun fighting bravely against impossible odds.

He knew of their plight, but was unable to help. Akita had spent all that he had, and had nothing left to give. His form began to melt, as he lost control of his shapeshifting abilities. He had only seconds left.....

Go. Now! He touched them all, for a brief moment, all that were here to help the captives, a last effort of will. It was a herculean effort, and far more than a simple Gurlanin Master could handle, even for those brief instants.

After only moments, the link between the moon and the planet ceased, along with Akita Silasrune, the wouldbe architect of the rescue. He fell to the lower inner surface of the sphere, pooling on the floor. His body began to glowi with bright light, as he reluctantly at first, but then willingly, became one with the White Current, and his body faded away, leaving behind only his clothing. His last thought was that he hoped his effort had been enough. Akita died never knowing whether he had succeeded.

All across the Mandalore system, if the transfer had succeeded, the second phase of the Network's plan would be revealed. With the exception of the unfortunate Shieldcarrier 44 that had been boarded. Those beings were quite borked and would not be participating in the rest of the battle, left to the mercies of those who had assaulted their vessel.

As for the Mandalorians and their crazy plan, all would rise or fall on what happened next, but the old Gurlanin that had set it all in motion would not be there to see it, except in spirit. He had done his part. No doubt the Sith had felt his end, that sort of display of raw power could not have failed to light a beacon in the Force.

Let them see that beacon burn bright. Let them know the Light still stood strong.

Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf Beltran Rarr Valkren Calderon Mythos Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Irveric Tavlar Aerarii Tithe Telis Taharin-Zambrano Adenn Kyramud Mig Gred BobertEZ Arador Khan Hailyn Vaulkhar Joycelyn Zambrano Raya Najwa Zambrano Alwine Daye Lirka Ka Timaz Zi Dipat Cara Dorniarn Curtis Learchin Scherezade deWinter Darth Ophidia Talon Richwood Darth Sephi Lark Tahlah Cadera Vandra Zambrano Avernus Isaiah Priest Eversor Marrow Karina Lowe Kovhorn

OOC

Spoiler

Hi yall. With the "touching everyone in the system thing" i wanted to assure you its optional to feel it or any effect, would be no more than seeing a light on the horizon. I wanted to give Akita a good sendoff, and felt the use of such a huge power required the ultimate sacrifice. It's been a horrid week IRL so i am sorry if i missed responding to anyone. Pls DM me or catch me on discord if there are any worries.

 

[Karina Lowe Legacy]

​

AND THE DARKNESS RAINED UPON THEM.
Command-Sergeant Karina Lowe
Location: Ka'pruni Mine
Allies: TSE, Cara Dorniarn
Enemies: TN, Mig Gred
Objective: Try not to die to Mig Gred's Mando Magnaguard
Equipment: Autokrator Assault Blaster Rifle | SIF-57s Charric Pistol | Thermal Detonators | Commlink | Scramble Key | Field Slicing Kit | Legion Service Dagger

The end of the corridor arrived much sooner than she'd have liked. Karina came to a halt as she smacked painfully against the back wall, one hand holding in her remaining teeth and the other pointing her charric directly forward, towards the hulking metal silhouette that darkened the hallway junction.

She glanced backward, dismayed to find that the passageway ended in a narrow window too small to fit through, and a sealed vent. There were doors up ahead, back the way she came, that lead into darkened office spaces, but Karina knew she'd never make it before the Mandalorian intercepted her.

Blood ran down her chin, dripping steadily onto the glossy floor. She wiped it hurriedly, smearing her face and neck with red. Her hands were shaking, the nose of her pistol jerking violently up and down. Fighting panic, she sucked in ragged breaths through her nose.

Looming in front of her, the Mandalorian approached, their heavy booted footsteps echoing through the quiet space. They took their time, in no hurry now they realized she posed no threat. They halted and Karina cowered despite herself. But, the armoured warrior did not strike. Instead, they spoke, and when her mechanical ears picked up the abrasive, artificial tones of its speech the events of the past minutes became startlingly clear.

Immense, inhuman strength; the body-glove that sealed them away; the hard object she had struck with her dagger; and the strange modulated words. Karina gasped in shock, and her head spun as the air rushed past her broken teeth and a fresh wave of pain struck the wounded soldier.

She understood now: The Beskar-clad warrior before her was no Mandalorian. It was a droid.

The world around her blurred then sharpened, the lights shining too bright above her. If she didn't do something now, the droid would kill her, of that she could be certain. It stood, waiting for a response.

Karina would have to make her move before it resolved to eliminate her. But when? It blocked the hallway in front of her and she had precious little to use for a distraction. Her wounds were affecting her. It was getting hard to concentrate. She was out of options.

And then, an opportunity.

A strained voice called out weakly from the junction behind the droid. Private Willow had survived the collision with the wall, and even as Karina looked over she sat up and fired four shots from her rifle, the heavy bolts of the Autokrator hurtling down the enclosed space and impacting the armoured droid, where they bounced off harmlessly.

The droid spun and shot back, with a brief exchange of fire that left Willow dead. Karina winced as she heard the gunfire cut off. The Mandalorian droid was all-but unharmed, but the private's sacrifice had given Karina the chance she desperately needed. She holstered her charric and spun, reaching for the vent at shoulder height behind her.

Desperately, she pried at the fastenings, but her gloves were slick with blood and her fingers numb. Unable to get a proper grip, Karina bashed at the metal plating again and again, each blow sending jolts of pain as it rattled through her head, the soldier all-too-aware of the war droid behind her, striding towards her to finish the job.

Finally, mercifully, Karina forced open a gap, and she pulled the remains of the metal cover away, slipping into the vent with an undignified slide, shuffling forward as quickly as the narrow space would allow. This was it, she was getting away. She'd done it-

An armoured fist closed around her ankle, squeezing like a vice. Karina yelped as she was pulled back into the corridors.

In seconds, Karina was pulled clear of the vent, and with nothing beneath her, she dropped, smacking into the floor face-first. The world exploded with white-hot pain. She groaned and rolled over, barely conscious and writhing in pain. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the blood.

She curled into a ball and lay there. She spoke softly, her lips split and swollen, her mumbled words thick with bloody spittle.

"Please."

 

[Eversor]

Objective: Engage & Eliminate
Vital Status: Injured
Allies: TSE
Enemies: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin

"...You're not going anywhere." Silas had watched from some distance away, deciding not to engage in his current state. He knew the consequences of attempting to meet an enraged Sith head on. His heart throbbed firmly against his chest as he struggled to keep a strong composure, making his entrance. There was a man and a woman - something about the first struck Silas as peculiar, that being his presence in the Force and the raw energy he possessed. But as for the woman, her aura was a bane - a stinging sensation burrowed into the young Sith's head for a brief moment. "What is this place?" A simple question, but uttered with harsh demand as if training a dog to obey. Shifting, warping streaks of unstable crimson arcs enveloped Silas' blade as he raised it forward, pointed at the woman.

"End them." The voice whispered within the boy's mind.

Silas' exposed eye suddenly darkened into a more dark orange as opposed to a sickly, sulfuric yellow. His demeanor straightening as he focused on maintaining his body, albeit painfully. He needed to keep himself strong, but with his focus being largely fixed, he'd be lacking in his capacity to perform other feats. He must rely on his very arm - the arm that carries the symbol of his heritage and purpose. A symbol of strength, of unwavering resolve.

Tightening the grasp on his lightsaber's hilt, Silas slowly approached the duo.