LegendsLog:A New Pretender
A New Pretender
OOC Date: January 20, 2020
Location: Sobrik, Balmorra
Participants: Targi as Roger, Gerus Blaze, Meetra Surik, Resmi, Erchirion Tor, Brianna Kae
Balmorra is a key system in the Colonies, a great factory producing vast quantities of weapons and droids for the depleted Republic arsenal, and now it serves as a glimpse into years and wars past, when Mandalorian warships menaced the Galaxy.
Most of the colossal Kandoshii Dreadnaughts were accounted for by the end of the Mandalorian Wars, but a few of the deadly vessels remained, and one has come to Balmorra, along with a Kyramud battleship and a pair of Jehavi'ir assault frigates. The cruisers and corvettes of the System Defense Force struggled to hold back the onslaught of the larger, heavily armed invaders, but the wreckage of two Republic capital ships drifting in high orbit are proof they were outgunned. With fighter supremacy achieved, the dreaded Mandalorian troop transports had descended to commence the ground invasion.
Republic reinforcements arrive in the form of four obsolete warships and a transport carrying Jedi volunteers and a squad of chosen troopers, just as the upright fish-hook profiles of Mandalorian missile frigates have begun to bombard points of resistance on the planet below, while the heavier ships and swarms of fighters press the remains of the system's defenders. The commander of the reinforcements directs his ships in a clinical tone, <<Concentrate forward batteries on the enemy frigates, fighter squadron to escort planetary deployment. Commence fire.>>
The pilot of the shuttle (a BT-7 Thunderclap) gives a low whistle as they launch and the sensors light up with enemy contacts. Seven old fighters have fallen in around them to help punch through to the planet, as a Mandalorian squadron banks to intercept. On the way down, the pilot- a dark skinned human woman- reports crisply in a Deep Core accent, "Heaviest fighting is currently around Sobrik, we're being asked to assist there. The enemy has captured two factory complexes and is advancing into the city. Where do you want to be set down, Jedi Commanders?" she asks the knights.
Gerus Blaze had reported to Masters reguarding his deployment as a sentinal over the years to the outer rim. Now that was over he didn't know what to do with himself. Instead of waiting for Orders from those Masters in reguards to his future mission, he felt a tug in the force and decided to volunteer for this mission to Balmorra. "Factories already captured?" He echo's loudly while hanging on to a strap fo support. "I'd say take us to the city so we can prevent /more/ from being besieged. No point in trying to take back any Factories if we loose the planet outright." This could end in a long seige but, he'd been on outer rim worlds with little to eat before. He had the Force and that's all he needed.
Roger is a Jedi Knight, one that doesn't often talk a lot while he settles back into his brown robes, looking to those within the shuttle. "I agree, we will need to keep the Mandalorians from gaining more, it will also be easier in checking the status of their forces."
"Take us to Sobrik, where the Resistance holds the line against the invasion. If the Mandalorians are on the move, we'll halt their advance and push back on the ground they've already taken. Our presence should allow of the local nationals to entrench while we push forward." Master Brianna Kae calls out, shrugging back her gray robe and unclipping her lightsaber. The white haired Echani looked ready for battle, focused, and was already taking the staircase down to the main deck where the ramp was. Occasional harsh hits have her bouncing and weaving from side to side with the concussion.
The planet is more ground than sea, with brown continents edged with green and marked frequently by the grey and black stains of sprawling manufacturing centers. The darker smoke of ongoing battle is added to the pollution which had already formed a brown haze in the atmosphere as the shuttle rumbles through. The last readings of the naval action far overhead show a sustained turbolaser barrage destroying one of the Mandalorian assault frigates, but a damaged Republic corvette is ionized in return, as the invaders shift to confront their new foes. Then the battle below takes precedence.
A squadron of Mandalorian Davaab fighters comes howling through the atmosphere after the heavy transport, and while the escort fighters take the worst of it, a pair break through to fire on the Thunderclap. One the pilot avoids, the other lands a square hit to the rear shields, before being driven off by the heavy blasts of an old Star Saber. The tough assault ship endures, barrelling toward the battle zone. "Aye, Commanders-" the pilot assents. The transport is brought in low over the buildings, setting down in a plaza already pock marked by artillery fire. Half the head of a shattered statue stares at the Jedi from the flagstones.
Thousands of Mandalorian troops beset the metropolis of Sobrik, where perimeter towers and broad swathes of city walls were annihilated by orbital bombardment, though for the moment, the airstrikes have relented. What garrison troops remain are hard pressed, with any squads retreating deeper into the city, and nearing the Jedi landing point on their way. Had the Jedi arrived a half hour later, much of Sobrik would already be lost.
Gerus nods towards the other Jedi with him, making sure his pony tail holding his hair back out of his face is tight and ready for battle. He pulls one of the Lightsabers he wears from his belt but doesn't ignight it yet. Once they've touched down, he hops off the transport and moves away from it a safe distance. Yellow eyes gleen upon the besiged city. "We need to push them back somehow... Find the nearest group pinned down." He offers, seeing where the concentration of fire might be coming from.
Roger comes from the shuttle with the team, then he looks to all the Troopers while he begins to reach into the Force. "Guys, I don't think that the Troopers running around actually are alive. We might wish to consider it Sith Sorcery," he says. He means that too, this guy is a party. He then ignites his blue lightsaber while he lifts that up with both hands as well.
The Mandalorian wars might be years ago, but they were forever all-too-close in the minds of many. Not least of all, in the woman whose actions at Malachor V had signalled their end as much as anything else and forever changed her. Perhaps that was why it had taken Meetra a moment more to step off the transport, her dark brunette hair pinned back behind her head and her lightsabers held in her hand. The former Exile steps out alongside the others after a moment, exhaling a breath and stretching her arms. "We need to rally what defences we can and stem the tide, if the defenders can hold the line our attack at the factory could scatter the enemy enough to let our forces regroup."
Brianna Kae disembarks from the Thunderclap, her Jedi weapon held in one hand and to her side. With a subtle press of the activation stud, the sapphire blue blade extends to its full 1.2m and hums with every slight motion. A moment is spent observing the battle lines from the plaza, then it's to the General, Meetra Surik, she speaks.
The Mandalorians advance on foot, reinforced by speeder. Friendly forces are in full retreat, but looking skyward. I believe there to be a third front. If Sobrik is to withstand the assault, we must help the defense rally and hold back those pushing from the ground. Whatever resides in the skies will need to contend with our pilot here.." She gestures back to the thunderclap. "Depending on what they are.." Brianna awaits Meetra's orders before moving.
Well, she's here, all right. Resmi isn't one who hasn't been to a battle field before, just not usually one where the 'good guys' are in rout from Mandalorians...
The young Mirialan sighs and draws her saber, igniting the thing as she steps out of whatever vehicle and looks around, trying to figure out a place to put her self to best use.
As the scattered troopers of the Republic garrison dash into the plaza, blaster bolts pursue them, followed shortly by the ominous armored forms of Mandalorian warriors on the hunt. Some go afoot, others by speeder bikes, weaving through the debris littering the Sobrik streets. As quick as that, the battlefront has swept up to the Jedi.
With a nod to the others as a decision is made, Gerus ignight his blue blade and heads in the opposite direction of the fleeing republic troopers. Emerging from the dust and smoke of a busted in building, the silent Echani runs right into the advancing Mandalorian line. He slices into the armor of ones center before twisting out of the way of another warrior, raising his blade and bringing it crashing down. Then ducking at a bayonetting soldier he plows his blade right into his center. Removing it quickly though, he lets the force flow through him. Calm, concentration... Everything humms with it.
Roger looks to the team, then nods while he charges forward a bit then spins his lightsaber into an arc in front of him. The maneuver is meant to be quick and precise, enough that it will not cause his targets issue. It's as peaceful as you can be with a lightsaber, then it comes back to him after he strikes one of them, taking the weapon into hands again.
Moving forward as the battle sweeps in, Brianna leaps over a railing to land a level below. Already, the Jedi are beginning to intercept. "I will hold the line for as long as I can, Meetra. We need our General." Deactivating her weapon, the Echani handmaiden strides out into the open and draws her hands and focus inward. She trusts in the Force to deliver her, and it's her influence over it that projects an unseen fortification by which no one could penetrate. Brianna screams as she thrusts both of her hands up, and she slides backward upon the stone slightly, pouring herself into holding this shield up.
Blaster fire, speeders, troops, and even melee weapons have no effect and cannot pass through the shield. The bolts that pursue the friendly forces impact and are absorbed. Brianna is not having an easy time of this technique as sweat beads her forehead, and her hair has fallen free to hang around her face.
"You are not alone..." the call comes over the comlink, but it is echoed through the force as Meetra steps forwards, lightsaber glowing bright in hand. Brianna's words earn a nod, but then the former exile turns her focus to the battle, to the feeling of the minds and the chaos around her. "Stand firm," she speaks, the words flowing with confidence before she begins to speak, flicking between channels and giving instruction with practiced efficency. Before she'd been the exile, she'd been 'The General' after all, and it seemed that command fit back to her as surely as the feel of a lightsaber in hand.
"Be ready to push back," she instructed the Jedi alongside her. "Once the troops are organized we will need to counter-attack or they'll keep coming."
Resmi tilts her head, running toward the retreating republic soldiers, and then right past them, as she spots an incoming Mando on a speeder bike. The Mirialan is quick to sidestep, bringing her saber down on the bike in one hard, fast motion, before tumbling away. As she comes up, she brings her saber through the lower leg of another Mando as she comes up. The woman flourishing her saber rapidly to deflect a fwe incoming bolts aside, before slashing through another Mando, again, this aimed not necessarily to kill, but to render the person out of the fight.
Resmi looks around now and quickly places her self between the troopers and the onslought as she looks back and gives a slight crooked smile.. "C'mon, dig in, this fight isn't over yet." She says and turns back to the forefront.
The Mandalorian vanguard comes up hard against an unexpected and immobile object in the form of lightsabers and Brianna's force shield. Blaster fire from warriors on foot and scouts on vicious speeder bikes slam harmlessly into that invisible barrier, as one bike trooper and a handful of warriors are cut down upon entering the plaza. Seeing this, the soldiers of the Republic garrison first slow and then reverse their retreat at the General's invocation. Sergeants shout for their soldiers to dig in behind the cover of the Handmaid's barrier, and red clad troopers take cover in houses and behind an overturned speeder truck, rifles set in window ledges and atop rubble in forming a rough defensive line.
Several scout bikers try to veer off, seeking another route around this hard defense.
Gerus is about the press the attack when the first wave of Warriors move off in a retreat. He knows it's just the begning and to leave the troops for a fool hearty press would just endanger them more. They had to work smart just as much as they were working hard. So with patients, he waits, his blue blade held at his side ready for what comes next.
Roger lifts up a hand while he picks up material on the battlefield, with a shift to swing that into one of the Mandalorians retreating from the battlefield.
The troops were rallying, she just needed a moment longer. So far, Brianna was giving it to her, but Meetra wasn't blind to the attempted flanking by the Speeder-bike troopers. She turns, raising her hand and reaching out with the force beyond the barrier. Durasteel buckles, the bike swerves and screams before it collides with another in a heavy, flaming impact.
Resmi glances back at the troopers, looks at the shield back and forth.. "Ooh wished I could do that that well." She mutters, then she shrugs and backs off with the troopers. She raises a hand and moves it, focussing ont he force as rubble, plating, concrete, you name it is ripped up, making for useful cover for defending troops... She then steps behind some of it, still focussing on helping the troopers entrench them selves
With the aid and protection of the Force, this little crossroad plaza has been quickly turned into a basic- but useful- defensive position, an ugly yet effective picket line. The shots stop, the whine of speeder bike repulsors fades, and the dust of bombardment that still thickens the air and clogs sweaty nostrils begins to settle. Pounding heartbeats have time to slow, before ears will begin to register the tromping of a hundred boots in steady advance as the main Mandalorian battle line approaches. Yet those with a sense of the Force will know that the true threat does not approach with the tread of armored boots from the front; it descends at speed with whining jetpacks from above. Ten Mandalorian jump troopers, in formation around their Clan Leader, who rides a hulking war Droid. One voice among the garrison warns his fellows with a shouted word that shakes their newly restored confidence: "Basilisk!"
Gerus breaths deep, looking around, ears open. He senses it, turning his head upwards to notice the hulking war droid. There is a grinding of his teeth before the Echani lets out a singular word in his husky deep voice. "Kriff..." He had heard of the bests, perhaps had fought them in the past and he knew just how dngerous they could be. He stretches out his free hand, reaching out with the force, and grabbing a ton metric ton of blasted away durasteel. Then, with a bit of strain he sends those objects flying rapidly towards the Basilist... specifically it's mounted rider.
Roger looks to the clan leader, while he swings his lightsaber into a throw at him, though he doesn't manage in striking, the weapon coming back to him.
Brianna's shield has finally fallen and with it, a new shield is in place. Their defense. She unhooks her lightsaber and activates it with a clicking press of the hilt. "Hold your ground!" Brianna calls out, then glances up at the call of a Basilisk. Were it anyone else, they may have cursed, but Bri only saw the next challenge.
Still exhausted from her exertion from earlier, Brianna shows resolve in the kinetic blast she issues as answer to the advance of the basilisk droid. Crying out from the effort, she moves back to take a defensive position with a group of soldiers, and lifts her hand to tuck her hair back.
Resmi well, she sees the droid, sees the leaders, and well there's Republic troopers to fight Mandalorian soldiers... Resmi sighs and moves to protect/help the Soldiers, and well she does well. As soon as she hits the row of enemy soldiers, that blue saber of hers is whirling around the woman, who dances between soldiers, cutting down, and disabling Mando's with rather ruthless efficiency.
As she swings, she brings her saber back up, deflecting away a couple bolt, before another swing knocks out a Mandalorian soldier, then another wave of shooting, and blaster bolts go flying in just about every direction, except at the Republic soldiers... Resmi's well, she's practiced doing this at least...
Meetra's hand comes up, an exhale of effort from her lips as the droid and its warrior emerge. Glowing light fills the air, surrounding the droid and severing many of its bristling blaster barrels, scorching into plating that would otherwise resist a lightsaber. It was an unconventional tatic, one that would likely get a few of the masters who called her 'Wound' behind her back to point out that she brushed too close to the darkness, but the Exile's efforts bare fruit: the droid couldn't unload on their forces.
The clan leader is ripped from the Basilisk's saddle, only a deft twist and burst of his jet pack slowing his fall enough to avoid becoming an armored smear on the broken battlefield. Finding himself among the press of his infantry, a shot is fired from his pistol (heavier weapons being list in his fall) at Resmi, to bloody effect. The war Droid gives a metallic groan and rushes toward its master, barely seeming to notice as the potent powers of the Jedi tend and tear at its thick armored shape. The battle at last had been forced to close quarters asthe Mandalorians of this clan surge toward the Leader, against the bolts and sabers of the defenders.
Gerus is perhaps in the middle of a bit of walking meditation when a stray bolt zips into his senses... it's too late for him to deflect or dodge. It erups in a flash, a small explosion. Smoke clears after a moment, revealing the Jedi as unharmed. His skills with the basic force Armor were complete. It was necessary to combat and it's what the Chani excelled at. With a shrug and a deep breath, he rushes forward towards the giant war Machin, chopping into it's lips with his blazing blue lightsaber!
Roger doesn't remember he was meaning to charge, while he lifts up his lightsaber and begins to move towards the droid with a swing which begins the weapon spinning while it cleaves one side, begins to come about upon another, and pulls back into it to come from one side right to the next with the weapon coming to the hand while he makes his way to the droid. Which he won, though he keeps on swinging upon it, "I will defeat you!" He then proceeds to beat up on the droid pieces.
The eruption of chaos has beset the lines and blaster fire is everywhere. Many of their Jedi handle the basilisk war droid; so Bri sets to move toward the head of the snake just as Meetra had imparted upon her. Resmi may have been getting pursued by the clan leader, but his reign of terror concludes when Brianna cuts off his advance and slashes through his mid-torso in a single, fluid strike.
Her blade did not cut deep enough that it would dismember, she delivered a masterful stroke that killed the warrior without demeaning his corpse. When her blade was made free of his body, excess ash embererd in the air as sparks rained down gently. The battle leader had fallen, and Brianna raised her hand to call upon the force, ripping the crusader's mask from his face to hold up in her hand. She was set upon by another warrior then, and had to swing, but missed!
With the droid destroyed and the clan down, Meetra turns her gaze to the jetpacking commandos. With a locking of hilts she charges forwards, a second blade igniting while the woman charges into the fray. Was she leading the troopers from the front or simply throwing herself into the mix, it doesn't really matter to the woman and she twists and slices through foes in a storm of glowing silver, striking down the Mandalorians in front of her as she'd done so often in dreams and memory.
Resmi's defense is pretty stout, blaster bolts are deflected away, riquocheting back at or redirected at other troopers with ruthless efficiency it seems, as the young Padawan uses every bit of the defensive forms she knows to try and keep from getting cut down...
One bolt does get bast her lightsaber, but oddly enough, the young Mirialan manages to slap it away with her bare hand, and as she moves to advance, another of the massed bolts aimed at her manages to get through all her defenses, the young woman falling to a knee, and hissing, a bit, closing her eyes to try and deal with the pain, as she focusses on bringing up well, what looks like a small shield held around the young woman, then she's being beset by rocket troopers... One is dispatched by a quick counter-strike, this neatly disabling the man before she takes a wild swing at another, this time missing....
The young green woman works to her feet.. now,s haking a bit from both pain and adrenaline as she looks around, trying to make sure she's well defended, at least for now.
The exchanged volleys of blaster fire go back in forth in waves from the Republic troopers at the barricade and the mass of charging Mandalorian infantry, but the date of Sobrik's defense turns not on blaster rifles, but on lightsabers. No sooner has the warriors of Ramwolde been heartened by the sight of a Jedi badly wounded at their leader's hand than the dreaded Basilisk is carved apart and their leader slain, in an instant, his mask brandished for all to see by a Brianna.
This is the furthest the Mandalorians would drive into Sobrik, today, as the surviving infantry, speeders, and jetpack elites rush for distance. Today, the Jedi have won, soundly.
Gerus looks around and notices the Mandalorians retreating en-mass. He breaths heavily, shutting down his blue blade and returning it to his belt. "I need an Ale..." He says groughly before turning around and heading back to check on the troopers. Sweat and dirt caking his pale face.
Roger looks between the whole of the field while he nods a bit in satisfaction, saber squealing back into hilt while he maneuvers to the Jedi. "Well, it looks like a victory," he says.
Brianna watches the retreat with confusion, but straightens from her defensive stance. The mask she held is clipped to her belt, and when the danger has passed, so to is her lightsaber. "Lieutenant. Call Captain Tor and tell him what has happened here. If need for a reinforced garrison was ever sought, now is the time. See to it. The rest of you, with me. We expand our line." Brianna moves forward, taking with her several squads!
