The Shadow
R E B E L L I O N
Armor: Sasori Ranger’s Armor
Weapons: Dawn | Shroudsaber | Ace of Spades
Tag:
Diarch Reign
Droplets of dew cascaded from above the canopy. Each rumbling caused the jungle to shudder and the ground grumbled in soft protest. The strike was effectively in full swing as the precision strike from the artillery rained flame and shrapnel upon the gunships as they landed. The few that managed to weave through the chaos to depose the men and women, whose belief swelled within their core, rallied at the presence of two of their highest ranking commanders.
What was a chaotic front with crippling morality had swiftly been reinforced as it had been unified under a single banner. It was equally impressive with their swift recovery as it was frightening. For it also attributed just how much the Diarch's presence could easily be a boon to their people. Perhaps the most damning of it all was the lack of the Force's influence. It was just the Diarch's, and their beskar-clad will. A will that their newly bolstered force would gladly see realized.
However, a high moral could easily be tested in the face of a storm. While the jungle was no stranger to the typhoons or the occasional flooding in the lower parts. Neither of which could prepare the isle for a storm of flame and crimson that gradually stained the disturbed soil.
Cries of alarm ripped through the jungle after the sounds of thundering explosions ruptured the dense wilderness. Shrapnel burrowed into their suits as the concussive force sent the Diarchy's troops scattering. The closest one to the mine was missing a leg, and at least half a dozen or more were badly injured. However, what set off one mine had triggered a chain of explosions that ripped through the trees, that were thick as a bantha, cracked and groaned from the wound before it began to topple upon the wounded troops. The ground violently shook once the fallen lumber touched the stained earth, effectively crushing most of the troops in the process. A small handful were able to scurry through their dazed condition, but they were consequently pinned down by snapped branches and dense flora.
There were several instances with similar outcomes that followed soon after. Each tree was just thick enough to obscure and block the infantry's advance without having to waste precious time to climb or cut through. It wasn’t a flawless plan, but that was to be expected. The objective wasn't to prevent the infantry from getting through, not entirely, but it was to ward off their walkers, speeders, and other artillery-equipped weapons from advancing.
Whether they were heroes in their own civilization or a menace. It mattered not to Rath. In the past, Rath might have spared no thought on the matter. What could be one's method for peace wouldn’t be another's path. To force them otherwise would naturally cause distress and unrest. That was until it boiled down to open rebellion to their would-be conquerors.
Then, silence fell upon the reinforced troops with Commander Diarch at the helm. The carnage displayed before them as the blockade narrowed down to a singular opening in the center through the dense jungle. Alerts of heat signatures would suggest the presence of others aside from themselves to have formed a perimeter around the chokehold with a small, controlled space. Perfect opportunity for an ambush, or for Diarchy to ambush instead.
However, Rath was not foolish to think that such a tactic would work as far as sensors were concerned. He wouldn't risk his people's lives for such a half-baked plan. No, instead the warrior opted to work alone to minimize the casualties on his side. Drones were cleverly hidden in the underbrush that generated enough heat for the sensors to pick up on their presence, but it was necessary to create a dummy reading.
From the midst of the Diarch's Force, as the troops followed in their commander's steps and heeded to his command. Discord was subtly followed in their wake. One by one, whenever a troop wasn't being watched or worse they didn't have a battle buddy. Suddenly, a gust of wind would blow through the jungle, but no other sound was made that announced their disappearance. Soon, the comms were gradually filled with questions. Names of various sorts were called out to respond, but only their marching steps and the thundering artillery upon the beach were their only company.
Rath could feel the familiar chill that dug its way into his suit and into the marrow of his bones. He didn’t know exactly what their commander would do, but what he could predict was his own actions. That was to cause deception both in their equipment and to distract them from the true enemy. To most, it was very not Jedi-like for him to do, but then again. He never claimed to be one, and neither did he ever claim to be a Sith. Only the others kept referring to him as such.
He took to the trees as he telekinetically ripped a lone or distracted troop to the canopy above. The constant rumbling assisted with masking the brief alarm that was swiftly silenced after a blade of molten carbon ruptured the gap between their helmet and chest piece. Afterwards, Rath would leave them on the branches before moving onto the next. It wasn’t effectively a strategy to pick off the weak or anything like that. It was something that Rath specialized in. To create a sense of dread and unrest amongst those in the battlefield.
The air felt colder to those sensitive in the Force. A common presence when the dark side was evident, but unlike before. Rath chose not to rely on it as heavily. Instead, he merely planted a seed of fear that would only be bolstered by the presence and words of their commander. Still, it was far easier to focus their efforts on an enemy they could see that wasn't picking them off.
