Whill Shaman Dažbog
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Water is the most important element of life. For without Water, you cannot make Coffee.
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Affiliation: Ancient Order of the Whills
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Post by Whill Shaman Dažbog on May 11, 2013 8:29:28 GMT -8
The Temple of the Blueleaf Cluster, also known as the Blueleaf Temple, was a temple on Yavin 4 located near the Massassi Temple, with a small river separating the two. Its name came from the fact that images of blueleaf-shrub leaves were carved into the outer surface of the temple. It contained a mysterious blue energy crystal.
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Dav Man'Sell
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Affiliation: The Jedi Order - Jedi High Council/Jedi Praxeum of Yavin IV
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Post by Dav Man'Sell on May 24, 2013 18:08:08 GMT -8
 The Mandalorians have brought war to the Galaxy once more. Under the leadership of Mand'alor ASHRAH INTALBO, and his General CORR VHETT, they have begun a campaign against the Galaxy's Force Users. The Jedi World of Yavin IV was the first hit, a strike at one of the greatest Jedi strongholds. The Mandalorians took YAVIN STATION, the mighty orbital defence platform, thanks to a brilliant infiltration strategy by DUKE AUSTRALIS, and under the order of Jedi Master DAV MAN'SELL, the Jedi forces retreated from orbit. With the Jedi fleets scattered, the Mandalorians took their attack to the surface.
However, the Jedi defences were not so easily overcome. With starfighter cover lead by Jedi Master JAGO PULASTRA, and ground defences overseen by Jedi Knight ADI MATANGO and Falleen strategist TZA'UAX, the Jedi were able to force the Mandalorians to withdraw to orbit. However, the defence is not without sacrifice - redeemed former Dark Sider DACE CONCORDIA, at the beginning of his path to reclaim the mantle of Jedi, was slain by the Mand'alor in bloody, vicious combat.
Now the Mandalorians are settling in for a long siege on the Praxeum, blockading the planet and seeking constantly to take out the shield generator and ion cannons that form the backbone of the Praxeum's defence. Dav, Jago, and the other resident Jedi of Yavin lead the hard fought and desperate defence, whilst Adi, working with Master WILL SON'TIR and Jedi Knight DIAMONTE TUHLUTE, and the Jedi Watchmen, seeks to prepare the Jedi, and the worlds of the Republic, for the inevitable assault to come.... |
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Corr
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You can lead a fool to knowledge but you can't make him think.
Posts: 940
Affiliation: Clan Vhett
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Post by Corr on May 25, 2013 15:46:16 GMT -8
Into the atmosphere the Mandalorian ships had come though in no means the shape their commanders had hoped when they had launched the assault. Barely half the troop ships had made it through the gauntlet of Jedi defenders and those that did often trailed smoke or pieces of hull, managing only a controlled crash as opposed to a nice and tidy landing. Likewise the escorting starfighters had taken a pounding as they attempted to buy their charges passage to the target destination, even the heavily armoured Bes'uliik squadrons suffering significant losses. The savagery of the flight, as well as the uncontrolled landings, meant that the shuttles and troop transports had scattered as they attempted to negotiate the terrain, Yavin's dense jungles making it near-impossible to set up a safe and adequate landing zone. Most of the Mando ships had been forced to deviate from any prearranged coordinates and find their own way to the heavily forested floor of the moon, picking their way in between towering tree's in an attempt to find level ground. Some didn't even have the luxury of a controlled descent and landing, crashing to the ground in wayward places such Ersham Ridge and even as far away as Vornez, the abandoned and ruined village to the south-west. Some of these stragglers had been lucky in surviving their disheveled grounding but some had not been so fortunate. The skyline of Yavin IV showed lonely columns of smoke, testimony to the violence of the Mandalorian assault, and the price with which their beachhead was bought.
Those that did make the landing were faced with another problem. The surface of Yavin IV was not the best place in the galaxy for a picnic and traversing the terrain was problematic to say the least, even for an unencumbered being. Heavily armed and armoured soldiers would find it even tougher going as they attempted to wade through dense undergrowth, dead falls, and broken terrain. A young planet Yavin IV was full of ravines and trenches caused by tectonic activity, all of these dressed up by a blanket of tree's of various shades of green. From orbit it looked an inviting paradise of nature. The truth was a ferociously wild nightmare where everything had evolved to survive in this cauldron of primeval flora and fauna. All of this contributed to make deploying vehicles a nightmare and, after a few half-hearted attempts by optimistic commanders, the tanks speeders and swoops went unused in the landing craft.
Of course, that was just the start of the invaders woe's. Nearly every creature they encountered was dangerous in some form or another. Rapacious rodents like Sintaril's would drop from the heavy canopy to swarm over the Mandalorians, packs of them savagely seeking out exposed flesh with their needle sharp teeth. Howler's would charge from concealment, screaming their high-pitched cries that were akin to a sonci attack at times. This wailing howl that gave the lizard-like creatures their name could stun targets, allowing the Howler's to rise up on their two hind legs and claws at the strange armoured bipeds that came their way, inflicting injury with their savage claws and nasty teeth. The invaders would find problems camping, Crystal Snakes and Stinger Lizards while not lethal could cause discomfort and pain. Combine that with the roving swarms of Piranha Beetles that would devour the flesh off your bones, the jungles of Yavin made for an interesting place to visit. If the Mandalorians were really unlucky they could run across some of the Sith-spawned creatures left over from Exar Kuns (and others) experiments. Tuk'ata were said to be bred by Sith to guard their tombs and could be found on Yavin IV, perhaps descendants of those used to guard the Sith of ancient times. Other Sith abominations were believed to lurk in the darker places on the jungle moon; Battle Hydra's, Terentatek's and Sith Wyrms are the some of the most fearsome though they tended to stick to their lairs, some of them only hunting via that Force and therefore only Force Sensitives. Still, with all the upheaval it was possible that the monsters would have been driven into a frenzy and would venture forth to seek out what had disturbed their slumber, perhaps finding it in the shape of armoured commando's.
All this did the Mandalorian attacks have to deal with, and that said nothing of the moons defenders. The Jedi themselves were preparing to turn back the approaching tide of faceless warriors. Though they would likely seek to defend their stronghold the Jedi of Yavin IV were intimately familiar with the jungles around them, being at ease with their surroundings. The Force would join with their familiarity to lend them a massive advantage over the Mando's, who were aliens on this world.
All across the continent on which the Jedi Praxeum sat Mandalorian forces were struggling through inhospitable environs, over unaccommodating terrain, and through infuriating brush to reach their rendezvous point at the Temple of the Blueleaf Cluster...Orar Traat'aliit (Thunder Squad)Four armoured figures hunkered down behind the massive trunk of a fallen tree, scanning the area ahead of them for sign of threat. Their armour, several shades of green punctuated here and there with dabs of purple and red, was a perfect match for their current surroundings, blending them in with their terrain admirably. Gone was the usual colours each wore, the stark greens, blacks and golds redundant in this setting. Each cradles a weapon, the tallest sporting a heavy repeater while the smallest, a slight figure in armour several shads darker than his colleagues, peered down the sights of a modified Nightstinger Sniper Rifle. Another figure, obviously female despite the armour, was crouched lower than the other, fiddling with some kind of sensor devices, turning it this way and that as she attempted to get a reading through the electromagnetic interference.
=Sheeva=
Perhaps a bit more than ten kay, boss, give or take...
Her voice growled out over her helmet comm, settings mutes so as not to attract any unwanted attention. She had addressed the fourth member of their squad, a heavy set-figure with a distinctive flared helm that he tore off his head with a snort of disgust.
=Mereel=
"Haar'chak! This shabla humidity is ridiculous. Stupid Jedi making their home here. I'd have been happy to just bottle them up here and crack on to a better target..."
He mag-clamped his helmet to his belt and dragged a gloved hand through his matted hair. They were a few hundred yards from what looked like a smaller version of the Jedi's Great Temple, a structure suitably know as the Blueleaf Temple. Mereel could see why as he scanned the strange carvings of blue leaves on the outer walls, eyes searching for hidden threats or booby traps. Though the place was not as tall as the Great Temple the base of the structure was wider, covering a greater area. There had been little on the comms but chaotic calls from squads battling their way through the hostile environment, shouts and curses in Mando'a clogging the whole network. Having been luckier than most Thunder Squad had arrived on the scene of the rendezvous first and perhaps unlucky in the sense that it was their duty to secure the area. They had completed one sweep of the surrounding terrain, traversing a rough circle around the structure to return to their starting point. The sweep had not been easy as the terrain surrounding the small temple was broken up by numerous steep hills and cliff-faces, forcing them to backtrack and detour to complete their reconnoiter. They had also scouted as far as the river that separated the Blueleaf from the Great Temple before falling back, not wanting to begin encountering Jedi defenders just yet or brave waters swarming with Aquatic Gundarks and other marine predators. They knew the Praxuems shield extended several kilometers from the base itself and Sheeva was trying to get a fix on the most likely location of the generators.
=Sheeva=
The Jedi base itself is over ten clicks to the North West. Life forms everywhere though no nearby reading of technology...
Her voice trailed off into a sigh as she closed the device and returned it to her belt. A massive claw mark was evident on her armoured forearm, a trophy from their recent encounter with a three Howlers that had boiled out of some dense undergrowth a few kilometers back. Their ears still rang with the shrill cries of the lizard-like predators though their helmets had protected them from any ill effects. They had also been set upon by a pack of Sintarils but again had been protected by their armour. Given the short distance they had traveled none of them were surprised as to the difficulty other squads were having negotiating the jungle moon, as regular troops would be more vulnerable to these annoying critters.
Mereel growled again, glancing at the Nagai Sniper as he peered down his sights at the Temple. The approach was pretty flat, the most level terrain they had seen thus far on the planet, and was deoid of the thick, dense brush that had plagued their every step. There was little sign that the temple was occupied but strange secretions seemed to mark a lot of the walls, giving them pause. Darian hadn't moved since he'd assumed his position and began his scrutiny of their goal, a Mandalorian statue save for the slow rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed.
=Mereel=
"Any sign of movement?"
The laconic response was barely a whisper to the negative, the stoic man not moving from his position. Sven was just as still, crouch with his massive cannon cradled in his arms, just waiting for the opportunity to blow something up. Wiping sweat from his brow for what seemed like the millionth time, Mereel stared up towards the sky, as if his eyes could piece the dense canopy overhead.
=Mereel=
"Okay. We wait here for a while until we can contact either central command or another squad. There's no point rushing into something we don't know we can handle. The rest of our forces should be heading this way so sitting tight is the best bet. This kriffing humidity! This place needs another good downpou..."
As if his complaints had angered some heathen God of old the skies parted with a rumble, sending down a torrent of rain that forced its way through the leaves and branches to descend upon the four figures below.
The looks his squad gave hi were murderous as they hunkered down to await the arrival of their peers...
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Duke Australis
Member
Posts: 84
Affiliation: Ashrah Ithalbo and Clan Australis
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Post by Duke Australis on May 25, 2013 18:36:40 GMT -8
*Scanners were right, the entire area was crawling with life, and no technology. Where Duke and Sherer had to go, no technology could take them. Duke was starting to think this entire Phase 2 ordeal was a baaaaad idea.
He wasnt planning to be overwhelmed by small insects for starters.
He did not plan hiding in a paddle of mud untill the insects left.
He deffinetley did not plan cleaning his armour.
His planing did not involve running from a pack of doglike creatures, because his god damned useless chem based ballistic shotgun got jammed from the mud.
He did not plan to clean his shotgun on the run.
Among none of his plans was the fact that he had to bash doglike lizards with his combat shovel, neither that sherer would break her sniperrifle on one.
To end the whining and just state the combat report of Phase 2, the actual phase that would bring more glory then taking out a space station with a four head squad was an utter and total faliure. To say the truth, he didnt even know where he was after the escapepod from Yavin station landed. All they did was trying to get to higher ground and repair the only comm they had. The only comm that kinda had the misfortune of protecting its wearers head from a predators bite.
And then, it started to rain.
At least the mud was washing off.
So, When a hulking figure blew through a colony of large leafed plants onto the clearing in front of the temple, followed by a sleek woman holding a small ballistik SMG, Thunder Squad would be happy to see Vode in sight. Duke himself had a bittersweet feeling about it all. For one, he had no idea if he was alone or not. The temple met his eyes and he felt happy to have found a landmark, but feared that in their battered state, it would be filled with republic scum.
At least there was no signs of life for now.
He and Sherer was allready out in the open, a stupid thing, but they were running from a large pack of those doglike things. As the rain started, they even upped the gears, hoping the creatures would loose their scent in the rain. With a quick hand gesture, he ordered a full on assault to the first cover possible.
Donning his shotgun on the run, he screened the blue temple for anything that would move. Knowing that Sherer did the same with the SMG, she would be the first to open fire as his shotgun was only usefull in close encounters.
He was tired, angry, disapointed, and deep down, he had still not digested Dasies stupidity up on the station. He knew that Sherer was the same way, she had even quited off totally, no snarky comments or sarcastic criticism of current state of affairs.
It was just a charge towards the last chance of servival.*
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Corr
Member
You can lead a fool to knowledge but you can't make him think.
Posts: 940
Affiliation: Clan Vhett
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Post by Corr on May 26, 2013 14:57:12 GMT -8
The Howlers came bounding out of the dense jungle, their shrill cries keening madly through the hammering rain to assault the eardrums of the shelled prey they were hunting. The lead lizard, fully a meter larger than its fellow, reared up on its hind legs, charging towards Dukes back with its fore-claws extended hungrily. It leaped forward once to land in a crouch, one of its front legs planted, back legs coiled and ready to spring. It immediately sprang forward towards the fleeing Mandalorian only to spasm in the air as a crimson bolt burned through its neck. The momentum of the creatures jump was barely arrested as the bolt burned right through and the limp body continued on its forward trajectory, sailing onwards towards Dukes armoured back...
Darian grinned behind his visor as he saw his shot strike home, nearly tearing the creatures head off as it burned through the things neck just below the jaw. The barrel of his sniper smoked from the heat of the shots discharge, rain steaming as it vapourised on the super-hot metal. Quickly adjusting his aim he sent another stab of hot light through the chest of another Howler closing in on the second vode, a female judging by the subtle shape of the chest piece, his smile growing further as he did what he did best.
Mereel straightened up from his concealed position, wiping rain from his face as he called out to the two disheveled-looking Mandalorians. His blaster rifle was shouldered and ready to fire though he held off as a storm of bolts erupted from either side, sizzling into the hound-like lizards and decimating their charge.
"Jason olar, ner tate!"
{Over here, people!"}
His deep voice carried over the sound of blaster fire as Sven and Sheeva continued to whittle down the number of creatures springing from the tree's, visor-enhanced vision enabling them to pick out the heat signatures despite the heavy downpour. Darian's sniper rifle sang out again, dropping another of the beasts in a smoking heap on the jungle floor.
Mereel grinned at the sorry pair, voice singing out mockingly.
"Nar dralshy'a, cyar'ikese!"
{Try harder, sweethearts!}
He didn't recognise the female but knew the one carrying the shotgun was Duke Australis. He'd drank with the man enough to know the swagger and posture of the man. When you and your brothers spent as much time in full armour as they did it became second nature to recognise such things and Mereel was as adept at it as any Mando. Sure know he had Dukes attention he smirked and sang out again, lip twisting in mock disdain, preceding his sentence with a low whistle of amazement.
"Me'bana, Duke? Gar haa'taylir chaavla sa shebs be'striili."
{What happened, Duke? You look rougher than a Strills arse hole.}
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Ander Tagira
Member
Well, I'll be...
Posts: 567
Affiliation: GALSAF, Mandalore, Yavin 4 Jedi Praxeum
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Post by Ander Tagira on May 27, 2013 0:34:59 GMT -8
GC-01: A. Tagira
Yavin 4: 7.5 K / NE "Blueleaf Cluster Temple"
Chrono: 19:17 / Coruscant ST
GALSAF Unit: Baker Company, First Battalion
Of the many skirmishes and minor encounters that echoed throughout the forests of Yavin 4, Ander was hearing far fewer than he suspected to be raging across the surface of what was once his home. He had landed close to the beginning of the surface assault, though nearly six hours after the initial push was made into the moon's atmosphere. Yavin Station had remained contested for some time, even now sections of the station were denied to the Mandalorian forces despite their control over large collections of prisoners. Ander had arrived on Yavin Station during the initial battle in orbit, leaving Admiral Staton to guide the GALSAF fleet as he led their Black Operations Squads onto the massive and ancient satellite. Their objective had been to secure the control and engineering sections of the station after Duke Australis had rendered it inert with his smuggled EMP bomb. The bomb had done its job brilliantly, though the Jedi personnel on board had managed to partially restore sections of the station and brought them under their control.
Despite control of the station being a key objective, the battle had been decisively won as the Jedi fleet broke away into various levels of retreat. Some were forced onto the surface, others, primarily the larger vessels, had been pushed out of the system entirely. For the moment, the Mandalorians had control over the system. Ander had left the station in those early hours, drifting in with the masses of Mandalorian forces, remaining with them just long enough to penetrate the moon's atmosphere without being blown to dust by their defending air assets. Though while most had opted (or been forced) into less desirable locations throughout the dense forests of Yavin 4, Ander had directed their gunships further off to the East, taking refuge in the shadow of Nicolo Peak, just South of the Swamp of Fallen Stars.
Jedi recon efforts would likely be directed from the Grand Temple itself outward, projecting in an even array to provide as much coverage as possible over regions surrounding the temple that were deemed the most pertinent. Ander's position East of Nicolo Peak would place their forces out of sensor range, though it effectively doubled the distance they would have to travel on foot to meet the rest of their allies at the Blueleaf Cluster Temple, which was due West. The river joined just North of the Blueleaf Temple, and forking South-East and -West would prove to be of some difficulty, though Ander did not plan on attempting a crossing of either until they had the full cover of night on their side.
For the moment, he remained content were he was, collecting foliage to augment the LAAT/i's camo netting with. Of the five gunships that had attempted a landing on Yavin's surface, two of them had been lost. The first had taken a proton torpedo to its aft section, sent home by one of the defending X-wing starfighters. GALSAF's own X-wing flight had been too far to respond in time and chase off the attacking fighter. The second LAAT/i gunship was struck by debris from a Mandalorian bes'uliik fighter, the solid beskar had torn through the starboard wing of the transport and sent it crashing off into the forest below. Ander's pilot had attempted to attain radio contact for some time, but he'd given up after the first several hours. Ander doubted all thirty First Battalion commandos would have ended up dead after a simple crash landing, though without the ability to communicate with them, he had no sure fire way of knowing. They would waste precious hours attempting to locate any survivors, and so Ander left them with only his trust in their abilities and training.
Dragging a fresh string of branches over the port wingtip of his gunship, Ander stepped back to observe their handiwork. The other two gunships had been tucked back into the sparse forests surrounding them, their camo netting and natural concealment flushing well. He looked up at the pilot, who nodded his acknowledgement and gave the ship's engines just enough power to lift it from the forest floor and maneuver it backward into the brush. Ander signaled the pilot to stop with a double-click of his commlink. The pilot killed the gunship's engines and climbed from the cockpit, sealing the vessel completely and waving it was ready to be covered. Two commandos stepped forward and unfurled the remaining sections of netting that still hung from the gunship's ribbed sides, then completed the camouflage with an assortment of natural options.
Leftenant Rian Iskeda stepped forward as Ander pulled his helmet from his head, clipping it onto his utility belt. The humidity of the dense forests was high indeed, though their environ-controlled body suits were working wonders against the mind-numbing heat. Had he not removed the helmet to being with, Ander never would have known it felt so wretched. As Leftenant Iskeda opened his mouth to speak, Ander changed his mind about the helmet and pulled it back over his head. No point fighting with sweat in my eyes if I don't have to... he thought to himself.
"Sir, the troop is ready to head out on your word, the gunship's are sealed up tight and we've got all the gear we'll need."
Ander nodded, checking his wrist-comp. "Have the troop take up a company-column, platoon-line, squads-in-column. Organize by platoon, first left flank, third take center, second right flank. We're heading due West for three kilometers, then turning South West for one-and-a-half. Blueleaf Cluster Temple should end up right under our feet."
Iskeda nodded, then turned to relay his orders to the other leaders, which immediately gathered their commandos and began prepping for movement. Ander remained with the Company's commander, Captain Jaq Turlevsk, a human from Thyferra. The eight Black Operations commandos behind him continued checking over their gear, locking utility pouches and brushing off battery packs. Arms crossed over his chest, Captain Turlevsk looked over at Ander, his face hidden behind the mottled green, brown and tan helmet he wore, same in all ways to those of the rest of the commandos.
"Step off in five, sir."
"Gotcha."
"Think we'll be okay in all this forest?" Turlevsk asked simply, no hint of worry detected in his voice.
"We'll be fine. The inhabitants aren't near half as bad if you know the right music to play," Ander quipped.
Turlevsk chuckled, "I hear the beetles are pretty rough."
Ander shook his head, "They can only tear your face off if you're dumb enough to take off your helmet. Besides that," he shrugged, "they're harmless."
The Captain shook his head, "And once we reach the Temple?"
"Which temple?"
"Blueleaf."
"Regroup with the rest of the force, decide on a course of action for the Grand Temple and press on."
"And that siege cannon we saw get dropped by the river?"
Ander shrugged, "What are we supposed to do about that? They looked fine."
Turlevsk chuckled once more, then turned and walked away. Ander hefted his rifle in one hand, gripping it just ahead of the magazine well. The siege cannon Turlevsk mentioned had been dropped from the rear of a Mandalorian transport that was making a quick escape into the side of a hill as Ander and his flight had been on the approach. The cannon itself hadn't yet been armed, so there was no main gun to be damaged, just one of the several stabilizing legs. The last Ander had seen of it on scanners, however, the cannon was swarming with Mandalorian personnel, all doing their part to get the weapon up and running.
Unfortunately, the siege cannon's location was terrible. It was exposed, as it had landed no more than a half-kilometer from the East bank of the river, just North of the Woolamander Temple, where the forest canopy was not nearly so dense. Coupled with the low elevation of the river valley itself, the cannon was left with more disadvantages than not. The weapon would be effective enough, however, once it was up and running. As long as it wasn't bombed first. Either way, the point was moot: With the shield generator within the Grand Temple still functional, nothing from that siege cannon was making its way through.
Ander shook his head, "Someone didn't pack smart."
GC-01: A. Tagira
Yavin 4: 3.5 K / NE "Blueleaf Cluster Temple"
Chrono: 01:42 / Coruscant ST
GALSAF Unit: BOS-01 (Black Operations Squad)
Ander tucked his rifle up to the cheek of his helmet, bringing the side-mounted sights to bear on the right portion of his visor. Data from the weapon's optic sensor told him the approximate width of the river. He grunted and set the Verpine assault rifle down, then looked to Kapowsin. "Looks like we're fording it. There's no better crossing North or South unless we want to bring ourselves right under the noses of a Jedi patrol."
Kapowsin remained silent for several long moments, before looking up at Ander. "Blueleaf Cluster Temple is just across this passing, and I'm sure we can rely well enough on our gear to keep us sealed."
Ander nodded, "It's done then, we'll ford it." He scrambled up onto a knee, which burned from years of abuse, then pulled himself up onto his feet. The leg itself hurt, as did many other parts of his body, but Ander pushed it from his mind. Kapowsin, Traghler, Jorer, and Siliban stood around, groping their gear. The other four commandos were no where to be seen, but Ander knew they would be hidden somewhere along the river bank, keeping a silent watch on the night. Nearly seven hours had passed since BOS-01 and Baker Company had pushed out from their hidden gunships, the cover of darkness masking their movements and helping speed them on their way. Only twice had they suffered run-ins with wild life, and no one from the squad had been killed. The rest of the Company, however, which trailed behind by nearly a kilometer, suffered two casualties to Jedi ambushes. The ambushes were minor enough, however, and their forces had been put down before contact with reserve units could be established. Thankfully, their existence had gone unknown.
Now, with the far bank of the Blueleaf Cluster Temple in sight, Ander was anxious to arrive and rendezvous with the Mandalorian force's leaders, and plot the next course of action. The night sky still reigned supreme overhead, which gave the best cover they could ask for. The difficulty would be in fording the river with ninety commandos in tow as opposed to nine. Ander shrugged mentally, it would have to be done.
Just as Ander was looking up across the river to give the order to cross, he caught the sight and sound of several blaster shots being released in the dense forest across the river. For a split-second he waited, holding his breath. The blaster shots died off into nothingness, and silence fell over the forest once more. Ander furrowed his brow in thought, then breathed into his helmet-comm, "Go, go now. In teams."
Two-by-two, near-invisible shadows began to push their way across the dangerous river between them and their objective. The men would go unseen by almost any set of eyes, except those trained well enough to glimpse the shadow off a whitecap. Unfortunately, as concealing as the river was, time was against them. Sunrise was due in the next hour-and-a-half, and that would strip them of their concealment unless the troop was able to complete their fording and fine themselves hidden by the dark canopy on the West side of the riverbank.
Once set up on the opposite side of the river, the two commandos signaled over commlink and disappeared into the forest beyond.
Two more followed. And two after that.
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Duke Australis
Member
Posts: 84
Affiliation: Ashrah Ithalbo and Clan Australis
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Post by Duke Australis on May 27, 2013 5:23:09 GMT -8
*As most of the howlers were dead and ambushed by the rescuing mandalorian squad, The Sensible thing here would have been to retreat towards the friendly forces, and only the female was able to come to that conclusion. She ran as fast as she could waving her free hand towards the mandalorians shooting and screaming. Sherer answered in her own way. She had seen the shadow move in the jungle from their angle, upon turning around. She knew what was coming, and the mandalorians needed to be warned.
-Sherer (in mando'a)-
"Dont shoot! Don't Shoot!"
*Suddenly, a huge Howler darted out of the woods attacking the large mandalorian. Duke fought off its darting bite attack with his shotgun and leg, bracing the creatures lower jaw with the foot, and the shotguns side to the upper. The Howlers head was big ebough for it to take the entire leg, save for the upper part of his tighs. Duke had a fight of will and strenght against the wrechid lizard, and finally came out on top, the creature backing his attack, stepping back and screaching at its supposed pray...
By now the woman who was with Duke got to the position of Thunder Squad, she brased herself against her thighs, and was hyperventilating fiercely.*
-Sherer-
"Dont kill the alpha! ... Its been hunting us all... day with... with his pack."
"COME ON YOU LOUSY LEGGED SNAKE! COME ON!
*...With the huge howler backing off, dukes shotgun got stuck in its teeth, and duke lost his balance too. The howlers bite is incredably strong, and Duke had to muster all his phisical power to not loose a leg. He didnt even fully fall, able to stomp to one knee and then bounce back again into action, ripping the combat shovel from his back. With the Howler trying to bite on the shotgun so it would get unstuck from its teeth, it was cought unawares of the striking shovel. Duke manadged to get in two good smacks on its head before it swung around with incredible speed and bent its body, sweepong the ground from under Duke with its tail, Duke dropped the shovel...
The woman manadged to calm her breath, and talked in a normal conversational tone now, with a small hint of emberesment in her voice. In truth, she was proud a bit, but it still felt bad to ask others to forgo a kill.*
-Sherer-
"He has been unbareable for the last two hours... before that, it was just talk of throphies, howler belt here, howler holsters, howler heads on the refresher wall, all that, and I can take that... thats ok."
"I WILL STUFF YOU IN YOUR INTESTINES AND CALL YOU SAUSAGE!"
*Luckily for duke, when he started smacking the Howler, it droped the shotgun, so now that he was down, and the howler bit down on his right leg, finding durasteel armour plate on both sides of the shins, duke could grab that lousy ballistic shotgun. As the howler was ready to pull its pray into the jungle he got of a shot aimed at its head but it got too high, catching it in the thick hide of the neck instead. It WAS enough for the creature to back down again, but it had drawn blood now, and its instincts drowe it for the kill...*
-Sherer-
"But in the last hours? Recepies... lizard sausage here, grilled lizard shin, lizard hyde chips, fermented lizard eye and so on. Its terrible..."
"YE LIKE THAT DONT YA? DO IT! YE BE PART OF IT SOON!"
*...Duke got on his feet as the howler shook its head from the pain, and fired a shot from the hip, hitting the creature in the side as it was trying the tail swooping trick again. It got hit in the stomack, and duke could jump over the tail easily. The backslap of it was not in his plans however, and he fell again, this time forwards. The Alpha Howler took its chances on dukes head now, and it got the buyce strait in the middle, biting down on the durasteel. Duke was punching it in the face as much as it could...
The woman continued as calmly as if this was afternoon tea at the arena.*
-Sherer-
"He has had nothing on his mind but that Alpha and his pack all day. We were trying to find a more defenceable position so we could take out the pack, and then finnish off the Alpha as you guys came along. Thanks for that by the way, nice shots."
"AAAARGGGH! WHAAAAARRRRGGGHHH! OOOOOYYYAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAAANDAAAAAAAA!"
*He found both eyes of the creature with his hands, and at that moment the fight was decided. Duke clawed down with his gloved fists into the eyes, squashing the eyeballs and holding onto the eyesockets. Now even the Howlers survival instincts kicked in as it... Howled. It tried to pull away from duke with all its remaining strenght and will, but duke was now the stronger, pulling his head out of the howling fanged gape. He was able to pull himself to his knees as he went deeper into the eyesockets with his hands, bracing against the pull of the creature. Then, he started headbutting it. Every headbutt shook the creatures entire body as it spasmed from the pain, over and over again, duke smashed the front Y shaped wisor into the skull of the creature, held by its blood gashing eyesockets. By the last couple strikes, the creature wasnt moving no more.*
-Sherer-
"Ah finally...." *She turned around towards Duke.* "ARE YOU DONE YET OR WHAT?"
"NOT YET!"
*Tired, wounded, Duke got up, found his shovel and walked back to the creature. Putting the shovels sharp end to its neck, he started digging through the lizard. With a loud crounch that could even be heard over the falling rain, the head was free from the body. Duke tossed away the shovel, it striking ground and stood strait out as a gravestone. He grabbed the head in both hands, lifted it up over his head and screamed in the rain, just as a stroke of Thunder ripped the sky appart and showered Duke and the Alpha Howlers head with light and its shadow. Duke himself screamed a battlecry of victory.
Sherer Buycepalmed herself.*
-Sherer-
"Eh... I am Sherer Vevut. I was in the strike team with Duke. Nice of you to find us. The Big Man sent you?"
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Ashrah
The Mandalorian Assembly
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Post by Ashrah on May 27, 2013 11:16:22 GMT -8
He trudged. He dragged. He waved off the other three's attempt to help in haul this carcass through the jungle. The three Mando's behind him were fanned out slightly, keeping an eye out for predators. One would come near, and get erased in either a spray of blood and bone, or fall limp with a burn hole in it's chest. The benefits of a chain gun on gyro mount, and 2 heavy repeaters. In a moment of silence they heard what sounded like a howler trying to screw a Mandalorian.....
::Duke.::
It had to be,. He would recognize that growling yell anywhere. They were close. And it was raining. Kad take this accursed moon. THey pushed on, slogging now, but still moving. They crested a small rise in the terrain and came out of the jungle like black clad phantoms. The three men behind him broke apart in a pyramid formation, the chain gun in the lead. The two heavy repeaters erupted, spewing molten plasma into the jungle, looking to at the very least scare any other Howlers in the area the hell out of the area. Then the Chain Gun barked to life, cutting trees down with impunity. It was a bit of an entrance to be sure, but he was tired, sweaty, soaked by the rain and in pain that came and went in waves. He trudged up to Duke and the rest of the 'vode standing around, the body of Concordia behind him, and stopped
::Status?::
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Corr
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Post by Corr on May 27, 2013 14:06:52 GMT -8
Orar Traat'aliit (Thunder Squad)
The last shot rang out as Sherer bounded over to them, words coming out in a breathless rush as she sought to explain the frantic happenings of the last few hours. Mereel waved his hand in a placating gesture as his squad shouldered their weapons to watch Duke engage in a wrestling match with his nemesis, the alpha Howler, yelling encouragement and jovial mockery.
=Mereel=
"Udesii, ad'ika!"
{Calm down, kid!}
He spoke with a grin, ending her verbatim mid sentence.
"Gar shuk meh yacur..."
{You're no use flustered...}
Not sure if she was referring to Corr or Ashrah by her use of "Big Man" he deftly sidestepped the question by becoming interested in the melee going on in the center of the clearing. He chuckled as cheers and catcalls sang out around them, the levity a welcome contrast to the grim foreboding they had felt since planet-fall. Once again the unique humour of the Mandalorians rang though on the battlefield, their camaraderie and kinsman-ship winning through no matter the dire circumstances they found themselves in. This was a people bred for war, able to make the most out of any given situation, able to find respite in laughter no matter how dark the night. (See signature)
=Sven=
Gaanynir bic edee o'r, Duke!
{Punch its teeth in, Duke!}
The sniper pumped his rifle over his head like a Gaffi Stick, bouncing from one foot to the other in a childish display of delight.
=Darian=
Shuk bic videk dayn, ast'ehut sheb!
{Tear its throat out, fat ass!}
His deep bark of a voice snarled out of his helm as he jockeyed with Darian for a better position to view the contest.
=Sheva=
Tettar bic o'r te gett'se!
{Kick it in the balls.}
Her calm voice sang out deadpan from the left of the two men who flinched heavily, rearing back from her with faces twisted in pain behind their visors. In fact, one could almost see the expression of horror on the blank faceplates as their posture transmitted how appalling such a fate was, even to a savage animal trying to eat one of their own.
=Sven and Darian in unison=
WHOOOOAAAAA!
Sven shuddered and grumbled under his breath about women being evil in nature while Darian shook his head, jabbing a finger at Sheva.
=Darian=
Bic ni skana'din, ori'dush dala!
{That really grind my gears, evil woman!}
She merely snorted as she kept a clinical eye on Duke and his playmate, again speaking in her matter-of-fact drawl, as if addressing a petulant child.
=Sheva=
Jag laam, gar ik'aad. Gedeteyar gar bat ner eso.
{Man up, you baby. Be thankful your on my side.}
Mereel chuckled as he was left dumbfounded, once again owned by the squads resident bitch. He was about to add his own disparaging comment to the narrative when movement caught his eye to his right. Into the clearing stomped Ashrah Intalbo, Mand'alor the tardy, finally here to hold aloft the flag of Mand... Wait. What was this?
=Mereel=
"Oya Mand'alor!"
He bellowed cheerfully, drawing eyes from Dukes frenzied dance to the encumbered form of their leader and talisman. He stepped forward, coming around the large deadfall behind which they had been taking cover, eyes alighting on the chain-clad shape scraping through the mud.
"Me'bana olar?"
{What have we here?}
His head tilted to the side, lips pursed as the other came over to join him. Sven stomped passed to crouch next to Ashrah's cargo, prodding it with a mailed finger. Mereel looked to Ashrah's blank visage, eyes questioning.
"Tion'ad?"
{Who'dat?}
Sven looked up to Mereel then to Ashrah, the bass rumble that seemed to come from the core of the moon itself preceding his voice issuing forth.
=Sven=
Liser mhi epar bic?
[Can we eat it?}
The scary thing was that it was a genuine question from the big clown...
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Ashrah
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Post by Ashrah on May 27, 2013 14:22:37 GMT -8
He pulled the buy'ce off his head. There were no outsiders here, and the only reason he had removed it when he fought Concordia was so his face was the last thing the man ever saw. He looked back over his shoulder when Mereel inquired as to who it was he was dragging. He looked over at Sven and actually barked out a laugh. A strange thing coming from this mans face at this time....The blood sweat and mud still plastered all over his face, his left eye now swollen shut.
"That....is the late 'Great' Dace Concordia. Formerly Lord Iniquitous. By Kad that man hit like a bessie.....My everything hurts. No. We can't eat him. He'd be all gamey. Not even Duke could make this one taste good. He is a gift for the Jedi. I need to rest. And eat. Definitely eat. "
He paused thoughtfully for a moment then looked over at Duke, a grin on his face
"When you are done trying to mate with that damn thing, get me a beer!!"
The three men with him had walked up by this time, standing down only slightly, eyeing the jungle around them warily. Ashrah looked around, then over at the temple in the close distance, practically trying to glare the damn thing into submission.
"I suppose that stupid thing is gonna be a fight as well. Just like everything on this bloody moon. Oh well. Lets get to it then. Once I am rested, I am delivering my package. "
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Corr
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Post by Corr on May 27, 2013 15:03:13 GMT -8
There were mutterings of interest from the grouped Clan Vhett commando's at the mention of the corpses name. Iniquitous, The Faceless Lord, was a name well recognised by most Mandalorians. Many of them Sven, Darian and Mereel had worked for the Dark Tide in its glory years, some indirectly, some like Mereel having actually met Concordia on Manaan. Interesting that the man would forsake his darkside brethren to die on this Jedi moon. A sad ending for a towering name.
As Sven grumbled at being denied a meal of Jedi meat, grumbling some shit about wanting to try and gain the Jedi's magic by ingesting im into his blood, Sheva, ever the business-like over-achiever turned crisply towards the Temple. She spoke in basic grudgingly, knowing that their Concordian accent was difficult to decipher in Mando'a, even for other vode.
=Sheva=
Solid stone structure made up of irregularly cut blocks varying from a half-meter square to two-meters square. The gradient of the outer walls indicate that the structure continues under ground. It isn't as tall as the Great Temple that the Jedi use as a base, one-hundred and seventy meters to the top of the spire, but has a larger base in relation to its height. More squat...
She continued to rattle off information as Sven and Darian exchanged a knowing look but didn't dare interrupt her diatribe. Mereel, catching Ashrah's attention rolled his eyes and stomped off towards where he hoped Duke was finishing up with his boisterous pet. Perhaps they could serve up lizard steaks for lunch. Anything to avoid the shabla field rations...
=Sheva=
...Though we haven't seen any sign of life from the Temple itself. The massive life-signs are making it impossible to get a definitive reading whether anything is in there or not but...
She held out her portable scanner, pretty much thrusting it under Ashrah's nose for him to study.
=Sheva=
... Those secretions you can she here and here are consistent with some kind of Insectiod hive.
She paused to let Ashrah absorb this information throwing a glare over her shoulder at Sven and Darian who were snickering to themselves. Her frown seemed to transmit itself through her buy'ce and drive the humour from their postures of the two, causing them to shrug and decide they could be of more use setting up a camp or something...
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Ashrah
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Post by Ashrah on May 27, 2013 15:22:58 GMT -8
He grabbed the data pad and launched it over his shoulder towards one of the two men behind him, who caught it deftly and began a quick study of the information. The man would recon with Duke and Ashrah once the Duke was finished. He looked at the woman in front of him and smiled. It was a mirthless smile.
"Sheva, ya? Thats some information you got there. Insectoid you say? I dont like bugs. Find something with fire. Lots of fire. Bugs hate fire."
He turned away and began dragging Concordia behind him once more, making for the makeshift camp that was apparently setting up for the moment. He hauled his tired ass up to Mareel and glanced back over his shoulder at the woman who was no doubt glaring daggers into his back. That one would give Sherer a run for her money he was sure.
"Industrious, isnt she?"
He found a camp stool and practically fell onto it, sighing as the weight was lifted from his bruised knee and mangled ribs and back.
" Thats delightful."
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Corr
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Post by Corr on May 27, 2013 16:53:14 GMT -8
Mereel rolled his eyes as Ashrah stomped over to throw himself down on one of the camp chairs, wiping rain from his face as he snorted under his breath.
"You have no idea..."
He followed his Mand'alorad lead and plonked himself down on the corpse of Concordia, wiggling around to get comfy on the dead mans blood-splattered body. Meanwhile the camp was springing up around them, Sven and Darian scurrying around with the deft efficiency of rained veterans as they set up a shelter above the two commanders. Tossing a casual salute to the two seated figures they were off and cracking on, Darian digging a fire pit while Sven arranged cooking utensils. That was as far as they went with that though, neither wanting to usurp Dukes place as head chef. Nothing pissed the man off more than people fucking with his kitchen, no matter how improvised said kitchen was. With a smile Mereel glanced over towards Sheva who held her glare towards Ashrah for a moment longer, eyes seeming to set her visor alight with her indignant annoyance, before stomping off to retrieve her datapad from the nameless goon Ashrah had tossed it to.
Muttering something about the danger of a woman scorned Mereel turned his head a little, looking up at Ashrah from beneath his eyebrows as he spoke carefully, knowing the strained history between his Mand'alor and his Aliit'or.
"So... Corr sends his regards."
He said it blasé, lip twitching just a little. Kad it was hard to say that with a straight face.
"He said to tell you that our fleet, or whats left of it, has pulled back out of range of those kriffing ion cannons. They are holding position at the edges of the moons mass shadow, in a direct line with the Jedi base and the Space Station. The rest of the flotilla have pulled back too, most of them joining in setting up the blockade. More ships have arrived in system and more were turning up as we left to make the run to the surface. We should hold the system withing a day, controlling everything in or out. The minelayers are deployed and laying the net. It should stretch all the way to Yavin Primes orbit..."
He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knee's, staring at the ground between his feet. His voice came across softly, a quiet whisper of sadness.
"Heavy damage. Heavy losses..."
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Ander Tagira
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Post by Ander Tagira on May 27, 2013 22:46:15 GMT -8
 In the rainy, dimly lit night, Ander Tagira scrolled through a series of visual filters with the rapid blink of his eyelids, checking the area in multiple wavelengths before deciding the uphill approach was safe. Behind him, a long line of commandos, invisible in the rainy darkness of the night, made their way upwards, keeping silent save for the occasional, "Check that," or "Roger" in response to other orders. They kept their words over secured helmet-to-helmet comms, ensuring noise discipline was maintained. The rain pattered down on them, heavy drops from dark clouds of boiling blacks and greys. The weather hadn't started off so bad, Ander reflected momentarily, before pressing forward through the hillside's brush-strewn angles. The Blueleaf Cluster Temple had been built on a slight rise West of the river fork the company had crossed over an hour before. Ander and the rest of the commandos were approaching the Temple from the East, keeping to undergrowth and maximizing the cover of darkness to hasten their march. Formation was kept loose andscattered, though not without form. The company had been split into its three platoons, which each made their way side-by-side, though individual commandos could rarely gain a visual on one another.
All too common in war, Ander thought to himself, You can't always keep tabs on your friends...or your enemies.
Rustling sounds in the brush ahead caught Ander's attention. He pitched his gaze left then right, scanning the forest before him, enjoying the comforts the bucket on his head offered. His thermal sensors picked up the faint and fuzzy forms of humanoids some distance off. The results were sketchy and inconsistent, considering the range and density of the forest growth around them, but there were certainly people some distance ahead. Ander figured they were looking at the first Mandalorian elements to make it to the temple after the scattered race for the surface.
Ander looked back at the few commandos he could spot in the darkness. He could only glean sight of three of them, and only after pinpointing them on his HUD tracer. He returned his gaze forward, and continued picking his way through the forest as quietly as possible.
This is all guesswork, but I think we've got friendlies ahead. Weapons ready, advance on line.
The commandos pulling up the rear of the formation dispersed to find good spacing for themselves between their fellows further ahead. After several quiet minutes of traversing the slight slope, the entire company fell in line with one another, spaced widely, with no fewer than ten meters between each commando. Together they crept through the dense undergrowth, slowly, avoiding twigs and sticks and other obstacles as best they could. Ander drew himself away from the center of the formation, drifting to the right and bringing his rifle to bear on where he'd first identified the humanoids on thermals. Marking their location on his HUD, Ander uploaded the data to the local helmet-to-helmet commsystem, so each soldier would be able to readily identify the targets on their own.
Ander stepped forward toward the edge of the clearing that surrounded the Blueleaf Cluster Temple itself, then dropped to a crouch and waited for the rest of the company to send up ready signals over secure comms. Ander pitched his gaze left and right once more, catching sight of the targets no more than thirty meters to his eleven o'clock position. They had pitched a sort of hasty camp, complete with covered areas, food preparation systems, and what appeared to be alcohol. Ander rolled his eyes, then stood upright and stepped out into the clearing, the rest of Bravo Company melting into existence from the complete darkness of the forest just behind him. They closed in on the encampment in a half-sphere, with teams of commandos falling behind the rest to take up rear security.
Turlevsk and Kaposwin both stepped up beside Ander, rifles hanging from their clips, but each with a hand on their sidearm. Kapowsin glanced over at Ander, his helmeted head giving nothing away. Looks like we're setting up camp. I'll grab the other seven. Ander nodded in response as Kapowsin turned and stalked off, collecting the rest of the BOSS-squad for a brief chat before they sought a decent place to camp.
Captain Turlevsk crossed his arms over his plated chest. Why don't you think they set up camp inside the temple, sir? Ander shrugged, then tapped his knuckles against the beskar thigh plate of his armor and made his way towards the camp. Likely cause is the damn thing is infested with all sorts of bullshit no one wants to deal with after a ten klick trek through the jungle.
Behind him, the Captain grimaced, remembering how easy their own march had been. The local wildlife populations grew more dense closer to the rivers, which they had avoided. Specific beasts, such as the howlers, were readily put off by the ultra-high frequency tones their helmets were capable of producing. From the piranha beetles and other pests, there were few vaccines but quiet, calm movements and a quick knife hand. Keeping control of noise had been key to the ease of their approach, the fewer locals they put down by force, the fewer that would be disturbed to cause further trouble for Bravo Company.
Ander waved Turlevsk to follow as he approached the small camp. Mandalorians donning an assortment of armor types and designs huddled here and there, Ander recognized a handful and was a stranger to the rest. Ander pulled his helmet from his head and clipped it to his belt, then spotted the man he recognized as Mereel sitting with his head in his heads. He was muttering, "Heavy damage, heavy losses..."
Without a thought, as if by his nature, Ander clapped his gloved hand against Mereel's shoulder, squatting down beside the man and looking up at him. Ander's eyes were underlined with dark circles, the irises faded and difficult to catch in the dim light. The rain had already gotten to his hair, wetting it and giving it a lank appearance as it hung from his head.
"I won't even pretend I knew anyone we lost today, Mereel." Ander grunted, resting his rifle across his bent knees and leaning on it. "But I swear now, teh ner kar'ta, that I will learn their names." Without another word, Ander stood, gripping his rifle once more in his own fashion, just fore of the magazine well. He turned away from Mereel, his gaze drifting over the Mand'alor, Ashrah Intalbo, who was easy enough to spot. The mass of muscle and armor plate sat on a camp stool beside what looked to be a dead body of some make or model, tending to himself. Whoever the body had belonged to, it had certainly given quite a fight. Ander suddenly wasn't curious about the dead man's identity.
Just meters away, Duke Australis seemed to be wrestling with himself at first glance, before Ander noticed the local beast rolling about with him in the mud and grass. "Australis find a new girlfriend?" Ander asked gruffly, "I'll admit, she's much better looking than his last one."
Ander didn't wait for the random chuckle, or the dismissive laugh. He knew he was a stranger here, an eyesore more than anything. But he had his uses, or he wouldn't have come along to invade his own home. Former home, Ander reminded himself, squeezing the rifle in his hand tightly. Ander had built the Yavin 4 Praxeum from the ground up, years ago, and led the Jedi of Yavin 4 to much success in a galaxy mired in misery. His own fall had come eventually, however, and in the years since, Ander hadn't had much of a home. He was a stranger in both worlds; the Jedi world of his mother, and the Mandalorian world of his father. And so he was here, on Yavin 4, to do...what?
Destroy the temple he'd helped reconstruct?
Kill the Jedi he'd helped raise?
For the moment, he had no answer, nor did he care to provide himself with one. GALSAF was here to assist the Mandalorian forces in the securing of the moon and its inhabitants, in order to prevent the further spread of oppression and war that inevitably stemmed from the existence of Force users in the galaxy.
Yes. There was a noble cause to be seen.
At least, that's how he justified it. |
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Ashrah
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Post by Ashrah on May 28, 2013 7:03:08 GMT -8
"I can't believe you just used Corr and Regards in the same sentence with a straight face....."
He shook his head, a slight grin on his face. He looked back up at Mereel as Ander strode up and spoke to the man. He nodded as the former Jedi spoke to the Mereel with what seemed genuine fortitude.
"Yes. Heavy Damage, Heavy losses. Is it not always the way? We will return it ten fold. Ander. Pull up a stool. Something weighs on your mind I am sure. "
He said this to the former Jedi with a sarcastic knowing look on his face. The Force users in his own troops were tools to be used. Kad had shown him this. Use your tool to destroy the other. As was the way in most things. (heh). He motioned for the man to have a seat then looked back at Mereel
"No one thought this would be easy. At all. But we fight. We die. We do as we always have. We win. We must remember the Eradication. Remember who decimated our people, and remember who it was that used us to their own means, even if it meant our deaths instead of theirs. My entire Clan save or 6 people was wiped out...."
He trailed off a moment, then shook his head, refocusing.
"Ok. We need to get to the main temple and deal with those ION cannons. The shield is going to be an issue. That is another top five task. That pile of rock over there,"
He tossed a thumb ofver his shoulder and cringed as pain shout through his back, the bacta patch only doing so much
"We need to clear out and set up in. Brief rest, then we move. I have to deliver my gift here..."
He patted Concordias forehead, a grim smile on his face, his green eyes suddenly hard.
"They will know fear. All of them."
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Duke Australis
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Affiliation: Ashrah Ithalbo and Clan Australis
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Post by Duke Australis on May 28, 2013 7:33:09 GMT -8
*Screaming he watched as the rest of the pack retreated into the jungle. His comrades were too far away to see the pack, too much jungle in the way. They saw the Alpha fall, and retreated. Duke watched for a couple more seconds, wondering about the connections there.
After thanking the applauds (waving around with a slight limp), duke put down the Alpha Howler head (an ugly, scarred thing even before he gauged its eyes out), Duke noted everyone around him. All good folks, coming to the company pick nick. One cant just show up all bloody and rags. He started the inventory and cleaning himself. One lousy ballistic shotgun (he noted the sturdiness of the weapon, the fact that it survived a bite and was still operable), three plates loose on leggs, cracked visor, several dental damadge on the buyce, not MY dental damadge (1..2..3.. ... ..25...26, good, all that left is there), Got some more teeth (pulled howler teeth out of his helmet and shin guards) One Sherer (thank god, one is enough), MIA Dasy, MIA Neassa...
This was his first command as a squadleader, and he kinda... forgot two squadmates. He had no idea where those two were. He had a hint about Dasy, and he didnt like it, Neassa was an other story. Turning towards yet an other incoming frinedly squad, he waved them too.
When their commander spoke, Duke took him on the cold side at first.
Ashrah had said something about this one, he is here to be tried. Duke
was kinda drunk when this conversation was, but he was pretty sure these
guys were not fully vode, yet. Then, lets play. Duke Suddenly changed
bodylanguage, became bigger somehow. His stence ready for a fight.*
"Did you just call the lady there uggly? MY lady?"
*He held the thretening posture for a couple seconds then laughed out loud.*
"Get me some Howler recepies in a couple hours and I may not ripp your head off."
*So, the large armoured mandalorian who just singlehandedly killed an Alpha Howler after taking down a Space Station, DID or did NOT joke about ripping your head off for recepies?
Duke grinned under the helmet, not letting the newb reply and continued.
Walking over to the mandalore, he saw the Vhetts were laying down reports. He bumped shoulder with the ones that were just listening, giving them his combat canteen (wich contained tihaar, the water was in an other one) as thanks for the rescue, and unbuttoned his armoured backpack, pulling a box out of it. Opening, one could see it was a thermo-box of some sort, holding in two beers and dry ice. Taking out both, he tossed one to the Mand'alore after a quick "Hey boss!", and tossed one to Sherer adding a "Hold that for me Woman!". Sherer grabbed it, grinned as she took off her helmet, then started on the beveradge without concern.
As the Vhett ended his report, especially HOW he ended, Duke waited a moment before speaking. Lucky that, Ashrah saved him from spaying something awkward.
He was always bad with these kind of things. He forgot how to deal with death on Myrkr. And Ashrahs words reflected his state of mind reguarding losses. He admired the man for that.*
"We encountered little resistance in the station, and the EMP exploded, dont know how much that helped though. Didnt see much of anything after we hit the escape shuttles. The shields were up allready as we descended... nearly hit the bloody thing. Lost contact with Neassa after an explosion on the station, we got blocked off from eachother, dont know where she is. Dasy, the big chubby one, she erm... we lost contact, but I think she went after a jedi.
Nice to see you boss... So Dace Concordia? Wasnt he like en emperror or something? Sorry boss, I just like to read the tabloids. I once read he was a mandalorian too..."
*He looked at Ashrah.*
"Stupid things, them tabloids, no?"
*The lower part of his helmet slid aside (one more then the other, the left flap was stuck half way), and he had an awkward grin on his face, realising how stupid his joke sounded, and filled the smile with a cigarr instead.*
"I will coordinate the camp set up, make some fresh chow out of these carcasses. I might be able to get some local allies if I have time to work on it."
*Now, with open helmet, he could feel the smell of the blood covering his armour. He wondered if the predators in this jungle used smell more then eyes to identify others.*
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Ander Tagira
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Post by Ander Tagira on May 28, 2013 13:06:21 GMT -8
Ander did as asked and reached for one of the small stools, pulling it up beside the Mand'alor and sitting down. Intalbo continued speaking, reminding all of those within earshot of the injustices of the past, of the Mandalorian people being used as pawns in the wars of Force users for thousands of years. Ander listened, recalling the histories he had learned in his years at the Jedi Praxeum, the very same which he was now attempting to seize. As the Jedi from ancient holocrons told it, the Sith remained the aggressors and manipulators of more than just the Mandalorian people. In the long years passed, the Sith were marked as the root of all evil in the galaxy, returning again and again to destroy and enslave. When Ander had asked Luke Skywalker about the truth, the Jedi Master had frowned. "Unfortunately, the Jedi of the past are as responsible for every war as the Sith. At times they failed to act, others they failed to keep an open mind, listen to others. They are not innocent in this history of blood and war, Ander. Never forget that."The former Jedi shook his head clear of thoughts of his past life on the moon. Intalbo's comment came with a dose of sarcasm, something that didn't surprise him. He kept his attention on the man, who was outlining their plan of action for the near future. Clearing out the temple shouldn't be hard, Ander decided, he knew the layout fairly well. There would be pests to deal with, that was a given. Ander looked over at Ashrah and grunted, "Let me handle the clearing of the Temple, Intalbo." He waved over Captain Turlevsk, who slung his rifle over his shoulder and stepped toward the encampment. Ander looked up at him, "Round the boys up, I want First and Second to keep watch on the perimeter, Third to clear the Temple."Turlevsk nodded and stalked off, flagging down their men with hand signals and helmet comms. Ander looked back to Intalbo, "We've got vac-sealed body suits and layered armor. That, and I know the Temple fairly well. Feel free to send any of your folks along, I can provide schematics of the structure, above and under ground." With that, Ander reached for his helmet and pulled it over his head, queuing a series of images for download by anyone in the immediate vicinity.
Once finished, he returned the helmet to his belt as the rest of Bravo Company organized themselves along the Temple base. Captain Turlevsk began sending out orders, and Ander watched as First and Second Platoons dispersed into teams throughout the area, the sixty or so GALSAF commandos disappearing once more into the forests around the Temple. Third Platoon separated themselves into squads and began checking their gear. It was better to get a move on than sit around waiting for a go ahead from Intalbo. The task was clear and Ander hated wasting time.He glanced back briefly as Third Platoon began filtering into the Temple's main entrance by squad, vanishing into the stone-hewn corridor one at a time. Ander looked back and ran a hand through his hair, "We managed to pull scans of the Grand Temple's shield on our way down. The shield is designed like a skirt and ends just above the canopy a ways out from the structure base. Not to mention, the Temple has an underground structure same as this one," Ander jerked his head to the left, towards the structure beside them. "If we can pinpoint a weak spot, we can enter through there, locate the shield generator and destroy it. All it would take is a decent distraction so whoever goes isn't shot in the ass digging their way in."Ander kept it to himself, but the thought of making a move against the Jedi sat like a rock in his gut. For years after leaving the Jedi, Ander had dreamed of returning, righting his wrongs and finding that he was welcome once more. But what he was doing now...there was no homecoming for traitors. There was no warm welcome for men like him. He had taken a step into a different world, one that required he either commit to or die. Briefly, Ander pondered just how far into the Gundark's roost he was, then dismissed the thought. There was no point dwelling on what-ifs now.
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Corr
Member
You can lead a fool to knowledge but you can't make him think.
Posts: 940
Affiliation: Clan Vhett
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Post by Corr on May 28, 2013 16:25:02 GMT -8
Mereel nodded his head politely but his eyes were hard and full of distrust as he stiffened slightly under the former Jedi's touch. At least the man had the good grace to find his own vain stab at humour and camaraderie painful, his expression saying louder than any words that he knew he was tolerated here at best. Still, ever the pragmatist, Mereel was happy to have someone of Ander's knowledge and expertise along. His men were pretty good soldiers too and were probably quite a lot more disciplined than anything coming from Concord Dawn, he thought ruefully.
He returned Ander's greeting with a brief mutter grunt... "Tagira." and watched with hooded eyes as Sven and Darian finished setting up camp, wandering across with practiced nonchalance to stare at Anders men.
=Sven=
Vaabir nu jurkadir sha, cyar'ika...?
{You looking at me funny, pal?}
Sven tilted his helmed head at one of Anders boys, scrapping a clot of mud from his forearm-guard and lobbing it towards the silent soldier. Darian snickered and shouldered his rifle, the snarl evident in his voice.
=Darian=
Val ni'duraa...
{They disgust me...}
He addressed Sven but spoke easily loud enough for the GALSAF men to hear, his tone full of sardonic mockery. After getting a grim nod from his mate he continued.
=Darian=
Osi'yaim Jetii murecyade NUHUNE!
{Useless Jedi kissing CLOWNS!}
His voice rose and he stalked nearer and nearer the GALSAF trooper Sven had lobbed mud at until he was bellowing the last word in the mans face, Sven at his shoulder.
=Mereel=
"Osik..."
{Shit...}
Mereel had been listening to Ashrah rant on about how they had been wronged and how justice should be served to the Jedi with his dick slapping their face etc etc while he watched the confrontation brewing. It was the same old speech and Mereel was almost glad for the distraction. It wasn't that it was boring or that he didn't agree with Ashrah that the Jetii must pay. It was more the wariness, instilled in him by Corr himself, as to Ashrah's state of mind in all this. The crazy head first quest for vengeance could get a lot of vode killed and Corr wanted to avoid that if he could.
"Temper Ashrah, guide and channel his rage, to the betterment of the verde." That's what Corr had said to him before the ships had departed and Mereel had taken that advice on board.
He sighed as he rose to his feet, thinking that Sven and Darian could start a fight in a frozen block of carbonite. This was all he needed, these two clowns acting up...[/font]
"Luubid!"
{Enough!}
His voice bellowed out like a mighty clap of thunder, a drill sergeants voice if ever anyone heard one.
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Ander Tagira
Member
Well, I'll be...
Posts: 567
Affiliation: GALSAF, Mandalore, Yavin 4 Jedi Praxeum
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Post by Ander Tagira on May 29, 2013 1:19:48 GMT -8
The dirt clod smacked wetly against Joanie's chest plate, slipping slowly and silently downward before falling to the wet forest ground. The GALSAF commando looked down at his chest plate, then up at Sven, then over to the commando beside him, another Black Operations team member, Chachi. Joanie made a hand gesture towards Sven, accompanied by the silent jerking of his helmeted head. Chachi made a similar gesture back, settling things with a nod just as Sven began his mutterings.
Ander looked up at the Mandalorian as he began stepping towards the two soldiers, but only shook his head. "I'd be careful if I were you mate," he warned, then looked back to the rest of the Mando leadership sitting around the encampment.
As Sven neared the pair of dark armored commandos his words grew louder, more angry, more violent in feeling. Within moments, Sven was standing mere inches from Joanie's hidden face, who remained perfectly still even as Sven began to bellow with enough intensity to send flicks of spittle flying onto Joanie's helmet.
Almost in unison, Joanie and Chachi tilted their heads just noticeably, as if curious.
Mereel ended Sven's raging with a withering shout.
But Joanie wasn't listening. In one smooth, silent motion, he reached up with a gloved hand and pressed the tip of his index finger against the center of Sven's visor. Over his own helmet's vocoder, he spoke. Shhh, don't move.Before the Mandalorian could react, a bright red blaster bolt screamed through the air between the two men with a loud Psssew!!! The shot flashed brightly, casting a red glare on the encampment and its occupants before exploding against a tree trunk nearly twenty meters beyond. The tip of Joanie's glove was smoking slightly, the bolt passed by close enough to burn uncovered skin.
Joanie brought his hand away from Sven's face and yanked off his helmet, a stupid grin on his lightly colored face. The man was human, Corellian-born, as was Chachi. The two of them looked over towards the source of the blaster bolt, spotting Jekyll, one of the other BOSS-squad commandos who had chosen himself a comfortable seat within the crook of a tree root some ways off, near the edge of the camp. Jekyll was leaning back against the tree trunk, his sniper rifle cradled between his legs. He held a set of macrobinoculars in one hand, his helmeted head giving nothing away. Despite the visor, the commando managed to make it known he was looking directly at Sven, and after a moment he lifted his chin in a gesture that said, "What's up?" Jekyll let the moment sink in before lifting his rifle once more, angling the barrel up towards the forest canopy. His words oozed from the vocoder in his helmet, filled with nothing but disdain for the other man.
Rabid dogs get put down. If you don't want me to put you down, gar ne'kaan, then quit making me think it'd make my life easier.
Jekyll tapped his trigger finger alongside the lower receiver of his rifle, then dropped the weapon back down across his thighs and rested his head against the tree trunk and drifted off to sleep.
Joanie flashed Sven a smile, "No worries about him, mate. He's just bummed he missed is all. Never misses, that one!" Joanie winked, then tugged his helmet back onto his head and clapped Chachi on the shoulder plate with his gauntleted hand. Let's get some grub together, how 'bout? Chachi nodded and followed his partner away from the encampment, towards where a collection of five other GALSAF commandos had set up a hasty site to last until the Temple was cleared.
Ander turned on his seat and looked back up at Sven, shaking some of the rain from his hair and face. "Jekyll's a good shot, isn't he? That's probably why he's one of our Black Operators. Bet you never expected an ass kissing coward to shoot so well?" The former Jedi stood, stretching his arms up over his head and groaning before sitting back down. He pried open one of the nutrient packs on his utility belt and unwrapped a small stick of dried meat, chewing on it thoughtfully as if nothing else had happened.
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Ashrah
The Mandalorian Assembly
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Affiliation: Mandalorians
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Post by Ashrah on May 29, 2013 7:45:30 GMT -8
::Yes, they do::
The voice came hollow and metallic from behind Jekyll, the barrel of a sawed off shotgun now pressed against the mans neck. The black armor clad man with no name stood behind the sniper, just left of of the tree he was leaning against. From the command camp Ashrah waved at the sniper then looked at Ander
"I suggest you keep your boys on a leash. Tensions are high enough without us all degenerating into fighting eachother. THAT we save for the victory party"
The nameless man, because I can't think of one yet, tapped Jekyll on the back off the helmet lightly with the barrel of the shotgun before disappearing into the jungle, melting into the evening shadows.
"Now. Lets get fed, as dry as we can, and get that temple cleared ya?"
He turned his head towards Mereel who was stalking and yelling
"Mereel, get word to Corr. We are clearing that pile of rock in the morning!! Duke, lets get some food in these boys before the light us all on fire. We dont need the animals puling us apart because we aren't the Get Along Gang"
He turned back to his own data pad, monitoring the battle in space and checking topography scans
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Corr Vhett - puts the "Laughter" in "Manslaughter"..... 
