Log:Mandalore: Like Shriek Hawks
Mandalorians clash again the in the Bloodfields
OOC Date: September 30, 2022
Location: Mandalore: The Bloodfields
Participants: Sumi Kora, Verra, Valeska Kora, Terek Rosol, Bizz Bliptettjupp, Jallo Dara, Nix, and Hadrix Kora as GM Mandalorians, Clan Kora, Mandalorian Revivers
<<"Ground spotters, sound off.">>
Those whom had been set to close on the fuel depot had been out for hours; enough time to inch their way up and avoid detection. Loaded with a few specific pieces of equipment, target-finder lasers being the key items. A boon to bombing crew. The advantage of Concordian and Mand'alor controlled airspace being the ability to bring fightercraft down for this operation. A run that might have been considered ludicrous even by the Expedition Force, a lot whom have regularly challenged terrifically bad odds frequently enough to make most coreward military commands blanche.
<<"Alor, reports have anti-air placements, droid and fixed coming up on map displays. Infantry shouldn't be a problem, but Tsook is getting airspeeders, shielded and non, so if we keep close to them we can avoid the aerofighters.">>
The outpost rises up from the horizon, a collection of what might have been aquifer towers, rebuilt, reinforced and repurposed; tucked into a depression in the rocky, cracked ground. Steam and smoke curling upward and in some places lava, the blood of Mandalore, rises to the surface. Some through fissures crafted by demolitions to create a defensive moat around the eastern perimeter. Fortified weapon emplacements rest on the 'safe' side of the lava flows and beyond them, surrounding the fuel tanks, a series of Quonset huts and heavy weapon positions.
Within the Ka'Shukalar, Hadrix's ARC-170, Al'Verde Kora rests behind his controls, checking systems and power to the turrets, <"Val, if Bizz has trouble reaching pedals, we should have blocks back there."> grin in his voice before flicking to squadron comms, <<"On your orders, Alor'Sumi...">> looking at sensors confirming scout reports of aerofighters banking around on CAP.
<<"Copy, let's mark priority targets. Those who aren't comfortable dedicating themselves to the objectives, follow me to screen. Drek's about to get thick, so call out kills, targets, and successful splash. If you're ready, Commander, take us in.">> Sumi's voice is slightly robotic sounding over the encrypted net. <<"This is Wampa, checking in.">> Sana calls out, joining the wing of the T-70 X-Wing 'Stompa' which Sumi is flying.
A crackling laugh comes through the vocoder of her helmet. <<"If a Sullustan can reach the pedals, I'm sure Brother Bizz can manage, yeah? Or maybe he can just pray to the Force or however that drek works.">> Settled into the front gunner seat, she looks out to get a visual on their foe. Failing that, she does the expected thing and glances to the targetting system. <<"I'd have brought mine out, too, but would likely lose it long before getting to the fight.">>
Brother Bizz is in the ARC-170's aftmost turret seat, fighting for science. Warlord Tsook's bloodthirsty forces interrupted his dig for the elusive and legendary Nine-Egg Stew recipe of olde and ran off his digging crew. How it came to Mandalore is a tale for another time. <<"Warlord Zoop will pay for his sauciness, by the FORCE.">> The squat monk adjusts his flight helmet and then wiggles the aftmost laser turret back and forth, testing its arc of motion.
"Verra, checking in. 'Bout time all you folks showed up. Been enjoyin' the lovely day all by my lonesome out here." Her backwater, Concord Dawn farmer accent rings through, thick as molasses. The Clanless Mandalorian adjusts the t-shaped visor on her helmet as she scans the horizon from her hiding spot amid the rocks. Her armor is uncolored, showing her nature, but is smeared here and there with the dark dust of this wasteland. As ground crew and a scout, she's been out here for a long time, watching and waiting. She takes a few timed breaths and quadruple-checks her sniper rifle before settling in behind it again, prone in her hiding place. She stares down the scope to scan the objectives. "I'll drop some priority people? Officers, people who look all fancy? Drek like that?," she asks to be sure. This is one of her first real times out, afterall.
Locked and loaded baby! The Mini-Mando is on the ground this time as she moves in having been dropped off all stealth like by someone. She goes to a knee and quickly checks the field as she pulls her massive weapon from her back and holds onto it rather tightly. Her armor matte to keep her from being a shiny beacon of medical assistance.
Nix moves along to her target. Verra. She moves up beside her. <<"You are not alone.">> A voice in Mando'a, a feminine version of Stephen Hawking says beside Verra. The voice is deadpanned with zero emotion. <<"We zero out the threats.">> She moves along in front of Verra as she walks along the Bloodfields.
<"One of these days I need to get a real fighter and not just keep borrowing your's."> Terek says over comms, as he pushes the ship forward after it comes into view, <"Something sleek and fast."> He glances back over his shoulder to Jallo, "You all good back there? It's gonna get bumpy here in a few seconds." He laughs, before coming back over comms. <"Just mark a target, and I'll make sure it's gone for good!">
Riding shotgun or whatever it should be called Jallo is in the tech seat of the fighter Terek is currently piloting, <"Sending out the sensor pings. What kinds of targets you want me to mark first? I'm assuming the anti air first? Then anything that looks like a danger to us our ours?"> He's going ahead and setting up the sensors to mark priorities as immediate danger to us as top priority then dangerous but not immediate threat as secondary.
<<"Bringing us in, Alor.">> pushing the throttle up so that the reverberating warble of the engines picking up and spurring the heavily armed 'recon' fighter forward. <<"Ground, if you see targets of opportunity, take your shots. If you can laze targets for bombers or lighter ordinance, it'll help.">>
There's a momentary pause before Hadrix's voice resumes, <<"What, Terek; you don't like flying a Thranta with guns?">> the chuckle following like stones being ground together, even through comm distortion, turning into a growling grunt when sensor readings from the Lonesome Heart. Sensor board lighting up like a nightclub gone beserk.
Turrets at the dump are powered and swiveling, flak churning into the air creating clouds of white hot needles meant to shred through the frames of aerospace and space fighters alike. Turning the early evening sky to a haze of destruction.
<<"Fighter screen, break and engage, bomber use the distraction. Ground get us targets or take out gunners and opportunities!">>
And so it begins.
<<"Following you in, Commander,">> Sumi indicates before reaching ahead to trigger the s-foils to open into attack position. The initial joust is upon them, where a small fleet of fighters square off with another, crisscrossing in an aerial display of prowess and malcontent.
Sumi has interfaced with her targeting computer, allowing it to manifest in her visor, so it's just a matter of lining up a shot and firing. Quietly tracking one target, she marks it and fires a volley of X-Wing lances of crimson after it!
WAP! WAP! WAP! WAP!
Only one of the cannons find purchase, and the damned speeder had shields! Sumi's helmeted head shakes, turning as she pivots the craft after the speeder leader. <<"Chasing Speeder-Leader, target marked!">>
Sana Ryder, the Red Wolf of Rena, is in the cockpit of the Y-Wing. Not quite able to keep up with Sumi's Stompa, she hangs back to allow the fighter screen to get into the thick of it before joining at a downward angle. Initiating the targeting system, the Y-Wing spits out two blasts of cannon fire, but all she succeeds in doing is pocking up the desert below; the speeder she shot at was much faster than she anticipated. <"Rekking drek!"> Yells Sana, while adjusting her flight pattern. <"Too old for this drek.">
Arriving to the frontlines on the mighty ARC steed, Valeska has both hands on the controls and her head turning this way and that. The downside of being a gunner is that she has no control over where their ship goes or how fast. On the upside, however, she gets to eenie meenie minie moe from a slew of targets.
Doesn't hurt that Sumi opens up on someone thus practically lazing the Galaar. Valeska is like a cat: she follows the laser pointer. The forward turrets spin around and start talking. Alas, no one is listening as her mark is missed. <<"Bizz. Be a doll and get that for me.">>
Who knows? It might work.
Brother Bizz sees Galaar-6 light up on his holographic HUD in the back turret, as tactical data is being shared. "I have you now!" He depresses a pedal and the turret janks right, zeroing in on the enemy fighter. PING-PING-PING goes the green laser cannon! But nothing hits. His stubby fingers release the firing studs, lining up another shot. "He is slippery like a Fleek eel!"
"Got eyes on a spotter. Taking the shot."
The Clanless Mando pulls on the trigger of her sniper rifle, sending hot plasma down range. A grin spreads under her helmet and her heart hammers under her breastplate as she sees the head of the spotter vanish in a haze. "...Target is down." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, counting to herself. 1. 2. 3. She then begins seeking another target.
Nix watches the battle start and stands beside Verra as she is ignored. She shrugs as she turns to see a head explode. There is a little grunt and she can't really see people at the moment. She's focused on that gun. She lifts her rifle up and holds it on the gun. <<"Target is lazed.">> The voice speaks quietly throughout the comms. She goes down to one keep and keeps the lazer pointed at the gun to make sure that the target is seen and demo'd.
Terek laughs at the response to his complaint, but he makes the ship work, as he swings it around in order to line up with one of the AA guns that Jallo has marked with the ship's computer, "On target, here we go!" Terek squeezes the trigger and then a pair of laser blasts lance out and the AA gun explodes in a blast of flame and shrapnel.
Terek pulls the ship away, and begins to come around for another pass, <"Reading your laser, arming missiles."> Comes his reply to Nix as he moves to lock on.
Jallo sticks to what he does well diving into the sensor logs with hyper focus on finding the most dangerous targets to prioritize... <"Targets highlighted and prioritized for you. However be advised we do have enemies in the air with us."> A pause for a moment and then, <"Attempting missile lock on one of the mobile AA's...."> A thump from the back of the fighter as he hits his thigh, <"It slipped the lock I'll try again next pass.">
The airspeeder fighters swarming have the benefit of being nimble, winging around and about the fighter screen trying to protect the lone fighter that trails behind them.
<<"Al'Verde taking fire">>
The ARC rocked by a pair of cannon strikes bringing shield warnings to the fore, the heavy and less nimble craft being peppered by shots that fortunately herd it away from flak clouds. His own heavy cannons sending up spumes of rock or screeching harmlessly into the distance while the proto-X wing tries to keep on target, <"Gunners, tell me where you need me swinging."> Heiyuu, at least, is already working without prompt.
The loss of one of the spotters is a shock to the ground teams who begin turning and focusing their own visors around for the source of the shot. The direction is clear, but the incoming fire destroying one of their batteries and putting a hole in their defensive screen for Sana to put to use. Right as one of the fuel towers lights up on sensor boards.
Droid walkers with AA mounted to their backs begin to move, like squared beetles, trundling for position to try and bring down the attackers.
Sumi's snubfighter is hit hard by incoming flak, and although the shields absorbed most of the damage. It hits hard enough to jostle the pilot inside, prompting Sumi to curse aloud. She didn't bother telling Rain to get after it, though, she was already plugging her stick into the fighter to reroute power. When shields were back up, Sumi locked onto another of the airspeeders, squeezing her trigger to release a volley of laser lances.
WAP! WAP! WAP! WAP!
Alas, the speeder had the presence of mind to avoid the attack, spiraling out of range suddenly and leaving Sumi looking like a chump. She curses in Huttese, <"Et-Chuuta!">
Sana is having more luck it appears. Her voice sounds over comms as the Y-Wing flies over head, breaking super-sonic speeds, her nacelles bright and leaving behind twin contrails of dust and vapor! <<"Target acquired, good laze. Bomb away.">>
Sana's releases a purple glowing proton bomb that impacts the fuel-cells marked by the Mando'ade Nix. At first the blast was bright and silent, sweeping out in wide in a circle the encompassed the entire battlefield. The sound followed the wave of kinetic energy, rocking the ground violently as a tower of death erected in the form of smoke, both black and brown, raining debris in every direction. Sana is heard chuckling over comms, <<"Splash.">>
<<"Can't speak for Bizz but I ain't picky, yeah?">> Valeska is pouring over the massive amount of information in front of her. She's eenied too many meenies and there's just so many moes out there. <<"Standard procedure: if I see 'em, I shoot 'em.">> True to her word -- never the liar, she -- Valeska spots the first target with a sigh. <<"Be easier if they didn't swerve so damn much and just resign to their fates.">>
Fate comes flying at a speeder in the form of burning bursts of hell no. But again, the enemy just doesn't want to listen. The speeder she spied jukes the barrage and spins around; the movements akin to giving her a rude gesture by refusing to blow up. <<"God-rekkin'-damnit! Hadrix! Permission to eject and get more personal! I'll shove a frag so far up their--">> The coms cut off. She's likely not serious... but she certainly sounds pissed off enough to do it.
Bizz keeps shooting from the back of Hadrix's ARC-170 fighter, but the shots go wide. PING-PING-PING ! He is jostled as the ship takes fire. <<"Oh no, our shields! Is there a droid on here to fix the shields?!">>
The mini-mando glances up and watches the explosion of the fuel tank. She grins slowly being so proud of her family. Fire is beautiful. Though she does hear a prep and she looks as Verra shoots at the Field Commander that decided to show their face. There is a little momentary grumbles. <<"You are doing well.">> She moves in front of Verra and off to the side so that if anyone is shot, it's her. She lifts her gun up, aims down the sight and then releases the bolts. Three red bolts fly through the air and push into and right through the Field Commanders leg. She watches the leg slop off and keeps her knee down on the dirt. She is a little adjustment to her helmet, that metallic mechanical female voice comes through. <<"He. He. He. He has one foot in the grave. He. He. He.">>
Jallo's paying attention to his pilot's actions and when he starts to line up on a fuel depot he chuckles, <"Stand by for sensor lock"> He starts to work on the computer system back here and then there's a solid tone, <"Make it go booooom all pretty. They can't operate without fuel right?">
Terek is focused on his target, his run will have to work, even as blasts hit the shields. As he feels the blasts rock the ship, he mutters a little bit to himself about being thankful he's not in a TIE.
As the lock pops up on his screen, he grins, "Another reason I'm glad I'm not in a TIE." He says to himself, as he preses the button and launches the pair of missiles at the fuel tank. He quickly peels off to get out of range of the rather large explosion that results from it, the multicolored fireball filling the sky before the smoke rises up from the burning wreck.
<<"That puts us down to one mo-">> Hadrix's report is cut off by his craft being peppered by laser fire - shield reports going into the red and heat scoring darkening the paint on the fuselage of the old scout fighter. The entire craft shaking violently and forced into an aileron roll that only serves to keep the shields from being completely knocked out and Heiyuu's complaining is only piqued, rather than downright vehement.
Still at full strength the buzzing airspeeder swarm keeps on tails, hugging and chewing away at shields - which allows only for the benefit that the flak batteries can't open up without risking their own. A problem combined with the chaos brewed in the field with the beskar armored commander, literally, cut down in the midst of giving orders. Turrets swivel, trying to find the positions of the ground gunners, flak fire exploding against stone and magma fissures, well wide of Nix and Verra.
<<"Still here.">> Al'Verde's Kora's voice again, <<"Screen, I'm going evasive, anyone back there want to help with these shields... I'd not complain.">>
Laser fire in greens, reds and even dull orange fills the air above the fuel depot, blending with the the haze of smoke vomited into the sky by the burning fuel towers. Fires rage and ground crews are trying to get firefighting equipment or to just get clear of the blazes. Those not flattened, slain, or severely injured by the explosions at least.
Everytime Sumi managed to get a bloody speeder in the targeting computer, the damned thing zipped by and flew behind her in an opposite direction, requiring the century old soldier to re-orient her craft only for it to happen again. <"OH FOR REKKS SAKE.. LAND SO I CAN PUNCH THIS PILOT.. /PLEASE/!"> There was a cheerful chirp from Rain who articulated she'd gotten the shields to max, and Sumi gestures, <"At least one of us showed up for war.">
Sana on the other hand is flying near the ground level, a few fighters tailing her, but that does little to distract her from the targets in mind. <<"Releasing another bomb on the fuel tanks.. I think. Gonna eye ball it..">>
<<"Bomb away.">
<<"Splash. Dead hit.">>
Of course, those on the ground didn't need the report to realize that. Another massive explosion leaves a tall tower of smoke and destruction reaching for the sky. The culprit, a Y-Wing, spirals high into the sky with two fighters tailing it.
<<"You know, Hadrix, that droid of yours has quite the dirty mouth. I mean, your translation software can only pick up so much of it as he's saying it so quickly, but let me just say that my virgin ears are ringing from the profanities.">> It is totally possible that, knowing Hadrix doesn't understand Binrary, Valeska is blowing smoke up his patoot. It's also possible that with the beeps, boops, and buzzes that she's still sugar-coating what she is hearing.
<<"You're down a gunner for the moment, ori'vod. If you don't mind, I like staying in one piece.">> Valeska pulls power from her turrets and quickly reroutes them back into the shields; attemtping to pump them full of don't-blow-up juice. There are sparks popping out of her console and a distinct smell of burning wires making it through her filteration. All the more reason to sacrafice a gun for the moment.
Bizz is rattled all around as the ARC-170 takes significant laser fire. His oversized helmet nearly falls off his head. <<"Who is flying this thing?!">> Hadrix's evasive pattern brings a pursuing airspeeder into his turret's targeting square. PING-PING-PING go the green lasers as they score a series of hits across the speeder's fuselage. <<"I almost got him!">>
The mini-mando watches the targets going down and she glances around at the area. Her hand lifts and she takes hold of Verra, <<"Quiet.">> Then she pulls the other quietly away from combat, watching her feet and her back so that no one sneaks up on her. Nix ninja's her way to a safer place to lay low while the team finishes off the battle from above. No she didn't just murderize a commander... that didn't happen from over here.
Jallo continues his work with the sensors and getting target locks for Terek and decides one of the ones shooting at him is now priority threat... And now has a solid tone on it, <"Tone on one of the speeders shooting at us if you feel like reminding them that the skies belong to us.">
Terek's ship is starting to get rocked with multiple shots, <"We're gonna have to pull out if those shields go down, so we better make this next run count. Get me a juicy target, take something big off the board.">
The lock on the speeder is met with the missiles being released, Terek having to pull back early as he gets one blast way too close, the shields dropping rapidly, <"Getting some air, we need to find a different angle!">
Huts are on fire, some are flattened, Mandalorians loyal to Tsook are under cover, thrown to the ground or worse by the steady series of massive detonations turning most of the fuel dump into a blackened wreck. AA batteries suffer losses in numbers matched only by the sheer number of infantry and ground crew that have been caught in blast waves or torn to pieces by shrapnel buzzing through the base in sizes as small as a credit chit to the massive spear of durasteel stuck into the body of one of the trundling AA droids. Fires rage and the evening has become midnight for the smoke covering the skies.
Sympathetic detonations erupt seemingly at random and flak batteries continually, if ineffectually, batter where Nix and Verra -were- moments ago before they sweep on, trying to find their targets. And vaporize them. Others take their shots at the sky, clouds of plasma and superheated metal shards hurtling past the Y-Wing.
<<"I understand most of it.">> Hadrix responds to Val, teeth gritted and straining against his flight stick to keep out of the anti-air cloud that bursts into existence before him. <<"Sumi'Alor, all the fuel tanks are gone. Suggest withdrawal?">> banking again to get out of the way of another explosion of metal and fire.
A panel of a fuel tower, that had planted itself into the ground, is loosed by shaking and falls. Keeling over like a massive hand swatting the earth of Mandalore, shaking the ground and sending several flying with the shockwave.
<<"Alright Commander, time to advance in the other direction. We have accomplished what we need to. Let's go!">> Sumi calls over comms whilst breaking contact from fighting overhead. She jerks the lever to reinitiate the cruise mode which closes the s-foils and takes to flying higher up. Sana additionally breaks contact to form up on the Alor's wing!
Bizz continues to fire at the errant airspeeder even as the Mandalorians begin to flee. <<"Curse you Tsoop!">> He hits his chubby fist on the targeting computer board. <<"You will pay!">>
Nix keeps hold of Verra as she moves them both to the best location to avoid being vaporized. She moves a little quicker through the bloodfields before taking a good position far enough away from the fighting to be picked up by friendly's later. <<"Ground crew safe for now.">> The voice comes over the comms to all her family. She moves a little faster away from the gunshots.
Jallo looks at the shields then the sensor readout and he shakes his head just a bit, <"Sorry no tone for you this pass but I'll get those shields back up some can't have those lasers gettin too close to us."> After a bit of work and a few hisses of frustration, <"Not as good as I'd like but it'll hold some.">
Terek tries to get in a shot on one of the speeders, to help cover the rest of the team that is falling back. He's only even willing to give it a shot because Jallo can get the shields up and running again, <"We're gonna do one last pass and then bug out, they should hold!"> He calls back to his partner, as he swings the ship back around after his shots hit sand, <"Alright we're getting out of here, hold onto something!"> He pushes the stick forward and guns it back home.
<<"Copy, withdrawing.">> the ARC's S-Foils close in short order, rumbling engines swinging the fighter around to get into position on Sumi's port wing, heavy fire raining down on the Arc and causing its shields to go opaque in points before the energy fields begin to fray and wear away.
The airspeeders pursue, hurling plasma at the backs of the withdrawing strike force. The grounds are a mess and in contrast to the state of the aerial defenses. Having proven themselves to be a match for the starfighters sent. Fortune not being on their side now, precious fuel gone. If they have more dumps is unknown. But the fighters only follow for a short span from the ruins. Flak continues to fire until they're out of range.
<"Unbelievable."> somehow not a scratch on the paint, but more than a few blown shield capacitors on the Ka'Shukalar and a scrolling report for Hadrix from Heiyuu as they begin to put distance between them and the base.
<<"Ro'Chur Jung, ground scouts. We are on terrain follow approach and will be on site for pickup soon.">> Pheegus's translator over comms.
Success, nothing showy. But no one being left behind in a burning wreck, either.
