Log:Mandalore: Long Memory, Short Fuse
Mandalore: Long Memory, Short Fuse
OOC Date: July 13, 2021
Location: Mandalore
Participants: Sumi Kora, Hahtavi, Avery Ihala Kora, Valeska Jaivon Zelo Parrai, Kirioth Kora Aubrei and Hadrix Kora as GM Clan Kora Mandalorian
Children have been stolen. Hunters have been tracking and a path to follow has been picked up. The Expedition as well as war party from the Butte of Kyr'yc Yaim must move through dangerous territory to find what was stolen; but must eliminate a threat that might otherwise harry, waylay or come between their target and the way home.
Shuk'la Shereshoy Keldab, former home of clans Shad'hain and Llearil and now the pit for the cannibalistic Shriekers, a womp rat's den must be fumigated or destroyed and with Kora directly aiding, it was decided that the carcass of the old clan home was to be struck so hard it may have as well been a simple call to raze it. Members of all the clans at the Butte were in the drop craft, rather than waiting outside. Ready for a full drop assault.
<<"We're using an overwhelming force assault.">> Hadrix's voice over comms to those in the drop craft, aboard the Old and Busted, or in fighter craft being put to use. <<"Three fighters are doing a triangle sweep as we speak, full sensor scan and then get clear and make for LZ Aurek.">> A bright green triangle appearing on the holograph image of the old, battered fortress, near where Kora had been forced to withdraw before.
<<"Old and Busted is going to be coming in with full shield re-entry, you need to make your sensor hits good because it's making one swoop and firing all turbolasers and missile tubes as well as tractor emitters to rip the roofs off of any buildings they can as she passes while the Woor'Tra and any other of you who are volunteering craft for drop fast launch and land while the smoke settles. This is extermination.">> a modified Imperial tactic as well, for any who would know. Something used almost 60 years ago on this very world.
<<"Questions now, or get to stations. We're about to drop.">>
Sumi is in the cockpit of her E-Wing, Frogdog. The agile, high-tech vessel moves lightly, its shields shimmering into place and the droid settled behind her in the socket beeping and booping as they broke through the atmosphere, screaming toward the waypoint highlighted in their HUD.
<<"Frogdog leading the way in. I'll take it down the center and draw fire. Sweep behind me and get what I'm missing. Standby...">> Sumi's fighter screams as she pulls the lever for the afterburners and plants herself firmly against her seat, /really/ feeling the G's as the craft exceeded supersonic speeds.
Almost the moment Sumi broke through the clouds, she was waylaid by flak, exploding shrapnel that manifested from black bursting clouds of smoke. She takes a direct hit, nearly shattering her shields, and rocks from the impact. <"Ow."> Said sarcastically, flipping a switch ahead of her.
<<"Rain, start scanning, then fix my shields. Fighters, start your approach.-- Old and Busted, begin to move into position.. scans are being transmitted..">> Sumi slapped a switch up. <<"..now.">> Sumi's fighter screamed by overhead and she moved low across the desert stirring up all manner of dust and debris to tear-ass toward LZ Aurek. She wanted to see the fireworks.
The Tal'onidir does her fly over, going low enough to be in flak range but still high enough to easily clear the fortress's highest peaks. Hahtavi has chosen his flight path to maximize his ship's sensors and get the best read. He flies a distance off of Sumi's portside wing and back a few lengths, her other side flanked by their third pilot. Lil, Hahtavi's R3 Astromech droid milks the sensors for all they are worth, leaving the Kora free to fly the kimogila.
Eyes sharp, flak very quickly starts to come up after them from the AA batteries at the fortress and elsewhere. Hahtavi gets busy almost at once with dodging what he can, trying to hold his flight pattern, and not get his and Lil's shebs blown. Piling on the G's as they swoop in. <<"Tal'onidir copies all. Engaged in sensor flight pattern now, over.">> Lil chirps behind him, her top spinning slightly and her datalink arm engaged in the socket.
Hahtavi flinches when he sees Sumi take a hit. He's quick to toggle his coms but hears her voice almost at once, cool and calm.
The wide open blue sky over Shuk'la Shereshoy Keldab, Hahtavi's former birthplace and childhood home, thunders with the flyover of the three craft taking sensor readings. Yet it is but a whisper, a prelude of what is to come. <<"Tal'onidir transmitting scans, out.">>
On the familiar deck of the Woor'Tra, the last time Valeska had been here, she was dripping with swamp water and muck. The spar had gone about as well as spars against Hadrix can go, but she walked away from it and halfway found their way back through the foliage. Soooo... a win? Sure. A win.
Today is different. Much different.
She's only a day and some change back on her feet from the precipice of death, and it shows in Valeska's stance. The blast she took to her lower has her leaning against the bulkhead for support; a bit more rest before they literally jump into battle. Everything else on her is healed but weaker for it: her reactions not quite what they were a few days ago when she was flung off the repulsortank and tossed into the concrete sea that is the sands of Mandalore.
Hoisting the weight of the Sonn-Blas rifle on her shoulder, Valeska takes out the smaller DL-30 and slaps a new powercell in it, listening as it hums to life. Her crimson helmet only nods to Hadrix silently.
'You were right there. They were right under your feet. If you had seen the kriffer popping out of the top...'
The helmet gives a little shake and a grunt of frustration filters out through the modulator. Self-flagellation later. There's a job to do now.
Roth's appeared like a ghost prior to this operation happening. She's been out to Mandalore more than a few times, so it's not like she's an unknown face. She's just living the cryptid life most times. The Alabaster armored Mandalorian is waiting on the drop ship and making sure that all of her knives and swords are where they need to be fore when they duck out. She's her usual quiet self, not really getting into the middle of things until they need to start.
With the briefing given, Avery shakes his head before securing his bucket, the silver T-visor helm hissing lightly with a click as it fastens into place. <"Kill everything that's not us... got it."> He remarks while seizing his E-11 that had been resting nearby. It was almost as if the galaxy wanted that weapon in his grip, timing it perfectly when something shivered through the Woor'tra that dislodged the weapon from its resting place to slide into his palm. He hefts the weight easily, checking the ammo count on the side before leaning the weapon against his right pauldron.
The Mandalorian Slicer shifts his footing, gazing from Roth to Valeska, an unseen eyebrow arching above emerald eyes. <"We'll get them... don't worry. We just need to eradicate this lot, a minor speed bump on the way."> He says in an attempt to brighten her spirits. It's not much, but it is something, and it is the truth.
Zelo hasn't said more than a few words this day, not since he agreed to the mission. The gleaming blue beskar hid a faint red glow, as the Nautolan knew he should have been there when people needed him. Wrong place, right time, he had missed it. Now, behind the controls of the Projor Haal, the Mandalorian is prepared with a trio of his best weapons for all but the most niche of occasions. <<"Projor Haal, ready for descent.">>
The Razorcrest is already nosing toward a dive, and he's barely restraining himself from leaping at it. They took children. That's what he keeps hearing in his head. He glances to his wrist, where he pulls his glove up over something secret and pats it twice, for reassurance. The Nautolan starts to open his throttle.
Aubrei is in the Woor, the Hunting left behind for now as she holds tightly to the bulkhead during their rough descent. The green armored woman is checking her readouts from her pack, her gear and then her weapons as she does so out of idle need to be active. The visor of her helmet tracks the others on occasion as her head tilts into a turn and she leans into her legs to help cushion the direction she goes.
Extermination.
There is no outward reaction but Aubrei thumbs her pistol from stun to kill and back again, another idle motion to most of the others waiting to exit. She's all focus at this point, waiting for the sound of landing to be able to join the rest coming down in their own ships.
The scout does not have her usual job here and for the moment the momentum by which they are inserting has her heart rate already up.
Hellfire comes with the Old and Busted, the Marauder corvette's shields still glowing from the hard burn through re-entry. Turning into a bank over the old fortress of Shuk'la Shereshoy Keldab even as magnetic-propulsion turrets begin heaving massive poles of duranium with old industrial vibro-cutters attached surge skyward dragging heavy cables behind as they launch for the cruiser. Smaller conventional flak cannons spitting clouds of shrapnel at the fighters - the ARC-170 manned by Pheegus and Greeza sparking as shields are smashed into and hot metal tears into the hull. <<"Pheegus, moving to landing site, patching shields and overwatch on fighters">>
Even through the explosions churning up superheated stone and liquified sand that falls in a glass rain onto the walls that are being smashed to rubble and buildings bursting like eggs from the thermobaric pressure following each massive lance of green energy fire piercing walls and roofs. Concussion missiles follow after, turning ground into craters and snaking lines of collapsing tunnels below. Smashing the flank of the largest structure, a hunt of old the old Mandalorian fortress tilts and begins to fall sideways, raining debris and bodies even as figures in tattered Mandalorian-style armor, armed with spears and forearm mounted vibro-weapons start to erupt. Many wounded, some ejected from where they were holed up.
The dropcraft emerges from the Corvette, mid-way through the strafe, using it for cover before hurtling towards the ground. <<"BRACE. BRACE. BRACE.">> descent thrusters cut in to reduce the momentum from bone crushing to disorienting, <<"HARD LANDING. LIGHTS GO GREEN, DEPLOY.">> called out by Hadrix at the controls of the blockade runner known as The Woor'tra, main ramp slamming into the sand split second after the landing struts hit, the cargo bomb-bay doors already open during the descent to allow those with jet equipment to deploy early into the smoke slathered field of noise and chaos. Within the drop lights shift from blood red to emerald, in time with the crunch of landing, sending out warriors screaming battlecries and weapons already beginning to fire the moment they can see the enemy.
When Sumi's fighter banked, then angled up, she popped the lid for her canopy and released her safety straps to jettison herself from the seat. Her fighter speeds on, canopy snapping shut a moment later with Rain 'taking the wheel' to land nearby.
For a moment, Sumi began to freefall, her body angling down like a bullet until finally her jetpack kicked in and she arrived in a hurry, landing upon the sand and releasing the strap to her spear.
Amidst the smoke, chaos, and small army of bodies coming out of the ruins, Sumi charges right into the center, her war cry joining the others, intent on wiping this group from the face of Mandalore. She jams the head of her spear through the first foe she crosses and throws herself to the side to act as both counter-weight and momentum to 'swing' them off the edge of her spear. Freed, she swings the spear like a long bat the other way, close-lining another warrior after embedding the obsidian spearhead into their flesh. <"Ahhhhhh!">
Not just /any/ children either. While Iriin herself was not taken, one of each of Hahtavi's nieces and nephews were among the children abducted. Llearil may be his former clan but he still has blood ties, and Iriin herself is of clan Shad'hain.
Hahtavi gives Lil last minute instructions to protect the ship as he passes her and she bleats something in binary. <"Wish I knew what you said! Message Valeska if you need us, Lil!"> He departs the ship in mid flight, leaving it for Lil to land his beloved fighter craft. Dropping like a rock, Hahtavi and sets off his jetpack to join the great assault against the Jair'dha - the Shriekers.
While he's still above and descending, his rifle already in his gloved hands, Hahtavi opens up from above - well before he lands and sets boots upon his native stone. His first shot misses the Shrieker who ducks and rolls but his second shot nails the nerfhumper.
The ramp down and the Woor'Tra screaming towards the surface of the planet, Valeska gives a short, wordless nod to Avery and flicks the toggle to... stun? The hell? No explanation as she fires her jets and out she flies. There's a calculated air to her movements in the air and she fires three blasts of blue at the first one she sees. Hard to say what her motivations are, but giving she keeps firing and firing into the first target, it becomes clear she's looking to doll out a bit of suffering before the carnage.
Satisfied wouldn't be the correct word, but Valeska stops after three shots and flicks the setting back to kill, her helmet pivoting around to pick the next target. So many choices.
Roth's doing her usual when they go into fights. The ramp starts to open, she lets others go and then she just...steps off the ramp. There is a dagger in one hand and her sword in the other. She knows when to kick in the thrusters of her jetpack in enough time to not smash her body into the ground. She does come down like a pallet of durasteel onto an unsuspecting shrieker on the ground and makes quick and efficient work of disposing of them.
Nod returned, Avery makes for the bomb-bay doors as they split open, his footfalls carrying him to the edge where he dives through the gap into the chaos of the outside world. Immediately he thumbs the switch on his rocketpack, sending his shiny armored form hurtling away from the plummeting Woor'tra. Turning his head toward the battle, the HUD resembles the lights on a Star Destroyer's console, the amount of flickering red marks washing away the small points of green, that is... until the rest of the clans and his crew join the fight.
Choosing two of the numerous red displays on his readout, Avery lifts the charcoal carbine to sight in on the foes. With his trusty E-11 in hand he valiantly depresses the trigger, sending two searing bolts of death..... into the sand, the blast kicking up nothing more than melted glass to pelt the bad guys with. "Let's hope that's not a sign of things to come..." He mutters to himself as he angles for a landing spot to truly join the fray.
Zelo's approach had been textbook. Well. It was something you'd read about in a book. Hiding behind the bulk of the Corvette, he'd evaded notice for most of the approach, peeling out and down as he flew under the massive ship on an approach vector that looked something close to a ramming run - straight into hot anti-air fire which was luckily not enough to overwhelm the patrolcraft's shields. <"BB, take over. Put it down away from the combat."> The BB unit tweeps and whirrs as it uplinks to the controls, but it's never been given hot controls before and the Razorcrest wobbles.
Zelo runs for the cargo ramp, dropping it even as the Nautolan charges up it and dives out; he spreads the wings of his glider suit even as he pulls up his E-11, gliding to the sand as he scans the battlefield. Tucking into a roll, the Nautolan comes up aiming and snaps a shot off, taking a Shrieker dead in the chest, even as - not too far away - the crunching sound of landing struts can be heard as the Razorcrest digs into the sand and slowly slumps over.
The sudden rush forward by all fo those onboard with her draws her attention. The final click of her stun to kill setting sets the pace for the young woman. She rolls her shoulders back as the rockets go off around her and she herself takes the long way down the ramp, one long legged stride after the other as she pulls the one pistol from her side, the baton at her hip as she meets sand.
The first shot misses, the second much the same but she quickly squeezes off her third as it slams center mass and ends with the no good cannibal on his back. One. Its that feeling of ill at ease as she hears Avery spedak and she lets out a long breath.
Every step is one closer to the mess that is unfolding before her. She looks ahead to Sumi in the midst of it and the to the others, making sure she marks their locations so there is no chance of friendly fire.
Two tides meeting, turret fire from the Woor lancing out ahead of the charging mandalorians into the screaming ranks come to meet them. Already the reek of smoke and blaster discharge is mingling with that of blood as the pal of smoke coursing around the combat zone begins acquiring a pinkish hue.
In that chaos comes the ring of slug-fire added to the din as one of the forward airlocks on the Woor opens for Hadrix to step out. Falling with his grav-belt engaging to arrest the speed while his shots slap stone or sand to little affect. <<"Danger close. Shield your eyes immediately.">>
A sphere sails through the air, like a droid-cam surveying the scene. Over that, the Old and Busted's cannons give a final blast on the outskirts, far from the main fighting before it manages to pull free to the single cable that had been sunk in, a hunk of armor plating going with it.
Then the world goes blinding white and an absence of sound comes with it. A few seconds, all one really needs for something like this before the roar comes and where charging Shriekers were there is only the half-sphere of black glass chewed into the ground and nothing to be blasted apart when the shockwave comes, sending others flying. Ten meters, suddenly empty.
<<"Keep pushing, shock tactics. Marking weak points where I can find them.">> Hadrix's voice, followed by markers appearing in huds.
Boom, was an understatement. The thermal detonator erased Sumi's hearing, so the heat she is in now is completely silently. She baseball slides beneath a deadly swing from one of the Shriekers, then tumbles, rolling back to her feet to thrust her spear into a Shrieker Claw. She pulls the spear out, twisting in place and slapping the Shrieker claw across the face with the spearhead she carried through her spin to gain momentum. They fall to the ground, dead, and Sumi is charging to the next fight; everything is still silent!
Boots touch down and a Shrieker at once pops up in his face. Hahtavi ducks and evades as the angle isn't good for his rifle until he can twist around. He takes a blow to his right forearm's guard as he does so! Teeth gritted behind his helm, Hahtavi growls, <<"Fierfek!"> Rifle brought in line to his new assault, red bolts pierce the body of his attacker, throwing the Shrieker back in a heap of burned meat!
For the instant his tactics put him in the thick of it and at disadvantage as Hahtavi finds himself quickly the center of way too many Shriekers rushing him! There's a bright flash off to the side but not directly in his line of sight. Thankfully his buy'ce darkens his visor for a few seconds to compensate.
Valeska lands a few yards away from Hadrix in time to hear the warning. A quick glance over and she sees the massive arm hurling the thermo. It seems to fly through the air in beautiful, deadly slow motion. Thankfully as it gives Valeska a chance to shut off her comms to dull the explosion (tinnitis is a bitch) and shut her eyes. Arms crossed over her chest, she plants her feet into the sands but even then, the shockwave still sends her skidding backwards as she leans into it.
Comms flick back to life and her blaster is already extending outwards before the second, lesser shockwave has even hit her. Three shots rapid fire send the message. One more Shrieker dead and one next to them likely wishing he was dead.
Roth lets the dead body fall to the ground in a heap before she swings around to find the next target. There's a hiccup in her step though when she's shot and she looks down to her armor, "Kriff." she grunts out. Then she finds another person to stab. She finds one pretty quickly actually. The Shrieker is met with two quick stabs before they are pushed back and struck down with the vibrosword. She was going to have to clean her armor. And have that hole patched up.
The silver Doomseeker settles to the ground, selecting a button on his wrist to darken his Y-visor and silence external input just before the blinding explosion of the Thermodet goes off. He steps to the side of one of the enclosures as discarded weapons, body parts, and shards of glass go flying by at rapid speeds. Once the barrage of shrapnel dissipates Avery ducks back around the side, blaster brought to bear, and lets loose another burst.
This attack is quite a bit more successful than the last as two red highlights on his HUD are sent flying through the air before they fade from view, the ravenous mob of attackers pushing up to fill in the spots vacated by their dead comrades. <"Looks like I just needed firm ground beneath my feet..."> the Slicer remarks, his head swiveling to the green indicators on his display to verify their condition. Hahtavi and Roth both have a flashing icon beside their readouts and Avery gives them a call out on comms. <<"Hahtavi, Roth, you two alright?">> He enquires, hunkering down behind an overturned crate that had settled after the massive explosion, his E-11 peeking over the top to engage the savages.
Zelo stands, not doing much for the cover, but moving aggressively across the battlefield, fire passing to his left or right as he lines up a quick pair of shots, taking one Shrieker in the leg - the sort of leg shot you DON'T get up from - and then the other in the helmet and plasma firmly through it. Taking a moment, Zelo makes sure all of his own IFF beacons are working, taking count of the Mandalorians he knew personally in the midst of this batttle. He takes a look at one in particular and makes his progress towards Aubrei. Both as a friend and as one of the best healers in this crowd, he didn't want to leave her uncovered as the war rages around them.
<"Aubrei, I've got your back. We can spot for each other, right?"> The traditional role of sniper and scout may be out the window, but they're still Mandalorians at the end of the day. They improvise.
One of those that is further back within the group, Aubrei has enough warning from Hadrix ahead of her. She twists her body and lowers her head as the sudden rippling and rumbling feel beneath her feet signifies the sudden deployment and detonation of a rather impressive ordinance. She exhales, feelign the weight of it all surround her.
Her foot pushes her forward and as she watches Hahtavi wade in she misses the one to his left but focuses her shot on the one to his right instead. The sadisitic creature is thrown back, helmet flying backwards to roll across the ground and become caught up in the footfalls of his cohorts.
THe third shot wings another that aims for Hahtavi. The devastating blow her other fellow caught catches her attention and the woman hesitates. <"I will be back Hahtavi, keep your ground. Roth, I am inbound to you.">
<"Glad to Zelo, just cover Roth and I for the moment.">
Shriekers fall under plasma and blade, pockets of hard-bitten melee forming among the rock and rubble. Shrieker bodies being tossed aside or thrown into their fellows while some of those dropped to the ground, bleeding their last, wear the colors from one of the varied clans dwelling at Kyr'yc Yaim.
Noble warriors all, lead into battle by their clan leaders - following the lead of those who had come in the expedition. Unwilling to sit back and let their battles be fought for them. Where the sand isn't crunching glass it is becoming a sanguine mud and at the back line of the heavier 'Claw' warriors incoming a shriek of hot desert air flash cooling and the moisture in it being turned to powdery snow that almost instantly re-melts. A cryoban grenade added to the mix, causing a half dozen of their number to be locked in place with ice crystals forming in soft tissue and one outside the blast radius cut down with a .40 slug passing between the empty T-visor and blowing brains out the back of his helmet.
<<"Hahtavi, spearpoint, Avery, Valeska form on his flanks and charge.">> more field commands coming as the pistol is dropped into its holster. Arms brought up to accept the blows of vibro claws and spears begin sparking off of the beskar of his armor. A deep rumbling sound coming, then a gauntlet closing fingers around a haft.
<"Forward Wazzum! FORWARD FOR GLORY!"> Ca's voice joins the fray, the tall chieftess bounding over the head of another warrior to fall among the foe in a dervish of long knives.
Sumi wades further into the chaos, the first sound returning to her ringing perception was that of her heavy breathing. The first to arrive at the bulk of the Shrieker Claws, Sumi impales one, taking them off their feet and to their back, on the ground. She draws the spear back and plunges it through their heart with a second solid thrust. Her attention turns then, adjusting her body to avoid damage and drawing her spear back out to engage with whatever.. or whoever just tried to attack her. Sumi's having the time of her life in this cluster pile of sweaty bodies trying to kill them.
It's intense fighting, just as it was here before. the Shriekers are as if insane in frenzy, drugged up, or otherwise hyped up in ways that seem unnatural even for Mandalorians. It doesn't mean they are good fighters but they are fierce! Hahtavi turns to shoot another one that's coming at him but Aubrei's shots take it and another down, giving him breathing space, <<"Ori'vor'e, Bre! Naas, Avery.">> No sooner said than Haht remembers that not all of the others know Mando'a so he adds, <<"I'm all right.">>
Target rich environment, he's soon running towards another knot of Shriekers that are suddenly trying to mob Roth, even as Zelo is in position to try and provide cover for Aubrei. Just in time to see Zelo take a heck of a hit and Roth go down! <<"Nayac! Roth's down!">>
There's a snarl but he has his orders. <<"Acknowledged!">> This is a bit ridiculous. Hahtavi needs to clear a path if he's going to lead any charges. As he turns he pulls a grenade, <<"FRAG OUT!">> and then slings it ahead in the direction he's about to charge in the hope of making a hole!
Wordless but obeying. Valeska moves quickly to Hahtavi's flank and joins the charge forward. Or the potential charge. There is a quick glance to her powercell... almost empty. Better make the last shot count. Following the hurling of grenades, Valeska pop-pop's one more shrieker dead. HIs friend gets wise and actually ducks. She hears all the calling: especially from Hahtavi, though some of the Mando'a is lost on her. He must be really worked up. And someone is down? Kriff!
Roth's right leg might get blasted, but it's not laying away from her and she's got another working leg, so she's prepared to fight on a bended knee, "Come on!" the Arkanian growls at the Shriekers. Then there's an Aubrei in route. She points the blades at them, "You're lucky I'm not in my prime anymore. I'd just chew your faces off." she muses at that. She is still though as Aubrei does her thing, "Thank you, Aubrei." she tells her.
<<"On it.">> Avery replies, hurdling over the cover he had chosen to sprint in behind Hahtavi, next to Valeska, and fill out the wedge that will drive them through the enemy lines. As the E-11 ends another Shrieker's existence, he fails to notice the man with the mostly metal face. Explosions, smoke, and the general craziness of the battlefield causing too much attention to be diverted elsewhere. Instead he holds his position within the trio and pushes forward, struggling through the enemy, while one grabs at his carbine and sends his second shot harmlessly into the sky.
Zelo nods to Aubrei, standing at attention wherever she stops to tend to the wounded. His rifle is ready and it's only the shriek behind him that warns him in time to wheel around and not take the claw to the neck. Instinct, however, behing what it is... A howl of his own is leaving the blue beskar - unaided by vocoder - as he blocks the nasty slash with his right arm. Some of the hit is taken on the butt of his E-11, or it may have been worse. But still, it is bad. Blue blood meshes with blue beskar as muscles tear and agony lances through him.
He raises the rifle to the crook of his left arm, turning his body to aim, and relying on his right hand to push through the pain enough to pull the trigger. The aim? It's not going to be pretty. But he has a duty to protect his people, and he's still going to do that, even as the coppery blood pulses softly from his veins. The modified method, without a shoulder to hold firm and steady, does not work well, and the Shrieker dances around his blasts, still very-much ready for another shot at finishing what they'd started. As he tries to counter-circle and keep between the Shrieker and the others, he manages through gritted teeth to speak. <"I'm going to need some medical attention, when you can...">
Aubrei is in the midst of turning to get to Roth when she feels the blaster bolt hit her chest plate and send her stumbling a few steps, hand flying up to keep her from skidding helmet first into the sand. She has a patient to get to as she quickly covers the distance, relying on her counterparts to keep the mad wave of cannibals off her back as she slides in, throwing sand up as her knee divits the ground. It peppers a bit of the white armored mandalorian before she is dragging out a patch and a small injection. Finding the first and deepest wound on the downed figure, she goes to work and replies distractedly. <"That is part of what I am here for, just stay still. I have you and the others have us.">
Scrambling to slap the patch over the affected area she winces inside her helmet. <"Not my best job but it will do and probably get you back in the fight. The numbing agent should be setting in now.">
She leaves the patch refuse behind and grabs up her pistol to prepare to cover Roth as she gets back to her feet. <"I can treat your other wound, unless you feel you have it."
<"I will get you Zelo, just stay out of if as you can.">
More explosions rip across the field, geysers of torn soil and broken bodies hurtling skyward and skiddering across the ground, creating a pockets of empty space. Among it all, in the mixture of the din of calls and cries there is the wet snapping rip of flesh being parted by blades both vibro-and otherwise.
Roth is down.
A new sound comes in the wake of more explosions from a grenade to match with Hahtavi's going into the field. Ax out and shrieking to life, the big man comes - heavy breaths rising on comms and through his helmet speakers. No glory for his ordinance, but it would appear that glory isn't the intention for the moment. Blinking target points as he sprints forward into the fray.
Shrieker numbers are beginning to thin, they've stopped crawling from the rubble or the holes in the ground. Their warriors are strewn about like broken sticks and though they continue to fight, each push more desperate than the next something else comes in favor of the expedition.
A sail barge on over-charge repulsors bursts over the hump of ruined wall, Saiwali colours showing and blaster cannons firing.
Sumi impales another of the Shrieker Claws, pushing the spearhead through their lower stomach. When she kicked them off the end of her spear, she immediately struck another using the blunt end of the shaft and knocking them off their feet. It struck so hard that the spear made a whipCRACK noise against their body. When the crumbled, Sumi flipped the weapon in her hand and prepared to drive the spearhead into their chest. Her ears, still ringing, only pick up her heavy breaths. Sumi can feel sweat on her face, and her muscles are burning.. pushed to the limit. This is what being a Mandalorian was all about!
Very reluctant, and even conflicted to leave Roth, Zelo and Aubrei who looked to need him, Hahtavi nonetheless does as his Al'verde ordered and leads the charge! His grenade didn't do as much damage as he would have liked but it did blow some of the Shriekers off their feet and opened a hole for him to charge into! This Kora fires away, shooting a Shrieker Claw but not quite killing them. His right forearm bleeds red blood over the black of his armor plates but Hahtavi ignores, it, caught up in the fight. Adrenline is a wonderful thing, fueling him and keeping his blood hot.
Still, there's a quick check of his HUD to double check his clanmate's status, especially Valeska's - though surely Avery is watching her Six.
And that's it. With one shot left, the powercell is pretty much useless now. If she were talking at all, Valeska might've grumbled about changing out mods for more ammo. Or about the last shot going wide. Anything.
But she's saying nothing. At all. Valeska Jaivon, the Crimson Gun has nothing to say. Kicking up sand as she runs along Hahtavi's flank, throws her dead powercell at dying shrieker's head as she passes; simultaneously stuffing the next one in. All the while she is scanning the crowd for... him. The one Avery gave the Mando Supreme plastic surgery to.
She fails to find him but catches Avery taking a hit to the arm and Hahtavi's injury, as well. Everything flashing on her HUD; illuminated in hazel eyes that grow more and more narrow.
Still. She says nothing.
Roth gives a look to Aubrei, "Go get Zelo, I'll be fine and can tend wounds later." she tells her as she gives a salute with her sword. And she's got enough energy to get back up and immediately get back to work. The one Shrieker that stood there and stared gets a vibrodagger to the neck before a headbutt sends them sprawling backwards. Which means she misses the swing with her sword, "The fun is just getting started, don't run away!"
Avery is stopped for a moment to struggle with the Shrieker that grabbed his arm. The lack of movement made him an easier target and, just like that, a blaster bolt strikes him in the arm... searing through the armor and the flesh on the other side. <"OW! The chest! Shoot the chest!"> He cries, kicking the overly affectionate scavenger away to bury the next E-11 blast in their face. Not only did he push the offending enemy away, he did them a solid in removing their head neatly from their shoulders.
The silver Mandalorian hustles to catch back up to the wedge, a glance given to the smoking charred hole in his arm as he goes. He gives a quick nod when catching up to Valeska, the smirk unseen under his helm present when he begins a quip. However the joke dies on his lips when his eyes find a man missing most of his face, having made up for the lack of flesh and bone with metal and spikes. His eyes immediately narrow and a hand lifts to point him out to Val, marking the target in purple on her HUD for good measure. <"Val... there... that may be the man who shot you."> Avery states as he indicates the helmetless savage to her.
In trying to clear the way for her attack, should she choose to do so, his lifts his blaster and fires another shot, this one going when a sharp pain in his arm flares to break his concentration.
Zelo manages to dodge another swipe of the claws. Or, perhaps, he stumbles. Whatever the reason, the one who had made him bleed hadn't had the fortune of making him stop. Another awkward dance from the Nautolan brings his body and the barrel around to line up and square off against the offender. This time, there isn't a miss as Zelo hits HIM in the right arm, taking it effectively off for all that remains. As the figure falls to the ground, Zelo's finger tightens on the trigger again and a wild shot passes so close to the face of another shrieker that it may not be clear if it's the plasma or his life that passed before his eyes.
Zelo is off balance now, the recoil of the carbine unaccounted for, and he ends up on a knee, still trying to steady the gun as he keeps as many foes in his visor's HUD as he can. The fight isn't close to done yet. <"I just... Need a second here.">
<"Good luck!"> This said to Roth, Aubrei eyeing the other wound with a bit of skepticism before she turns back about to location Zelo's current position as the spearhead moves forward. She slides a bit in the sand but manages to direct her course which brings her to the Nautolan. <"Keep as still as you can, we are going to make quick work of this and get you firing again shortly. Just alert me if we have incoming."> She is busy pulling back some of his armor to get at the wound, shoving a finger into the space between so that she can spray the area and then use what gauze she can to clear it back away. Then in goes the patch that she presses down along the edges.
<"Can not leave you for a moment," she says with a rasp, her voice catching as her heart still thunders. There is a faint smile beneath that helmet, making the comment a bit less edged and more concerned before she releases him and taps the back of his helmet with a swat from her glove.
<"Wounds are being addressed. Call out if any are in need.">
Heavy boots pound, trampling over the backs, chests and faces of the wounded. Bones breaking and air pushed from lungs as a force unleashed slams through the midst of the enemy. Shouldering past the spear and dagger wielding warriors and heading for those with the forearm mounted blades.
The situation in the field growing more even as the wave of Kyr'yc Mandalorians enthusiasm waning some with the continued fight - enmeshed with the roar of blaster cannons continuing, vaporizing enemies and sending others scurrying for cover. Screams of pain and battlecries continue. Spears hurled soar past heads while one member of Bazza is caught in the neck and pushed backwards, dragged to the ground with the missile in their throat, arterial spray going into the eyes of a comrade.
One of the Claws is suddenly lifted above the others, helmet gripped in the hand of Kora's Plan Besh; his wild sprint brought to an end. The screaming figure 'in hand' clawing wildly at head and shoulders before the ax blade swings through their middle. Spilling a rapidly unravelling pile of guts with other abdominal organs tumbling out in the downpour of ichor. The upper body continues to flail, albeit weakly, as the the big man swings his arm, and makes a sound far from human in his triumph.
The enemy numbers are becoming clearer, outnumbered as they are, attempting to keep from being in full route, despite the odds caste so terribly in their favor. Even charging the beast burying himself amidst them, trying to get past Iron.
Sumi's intended target is shot before she can stab them, but she impales their body anyway to store her spear there a moment. <"Hold that."> She instructs the carrion, before stepping ahead and touching the side of her helm. The targeting lens extends and lowers in front of her visor, centering in on the group of Shrieker Claws. Tilting her head forward slightly, she releases a rocket that sails skyward and falls back down like a loud, whistling ominous conclusion.
The impact is explosive, the blast consuming and killing three of the remaining six Claws. Sumi lifts her spear from the dead body with a <"Thanks,"> and charges ahead.
Valeska is at the ready when an all-too-familiar sound turns her head. Looking over to Hadrix, she looks in time to see a Claw held up from the ground then cleanly sliced in two. Followed by an inhuman sound. Only then does she finally speak.
<<"Hadrix.">>
That is all she manages when Avery's voice cuts in and a target lights up her HUD. And she sees him: all metal teeth and jaw made of nasty scrap. There's likely an infection there, as well. But he won't have to worry about it. Valeska's barrel takes direct aim and three shots fire.
But the twist sends pain shooting up from her lower back, hitting her shoulder blades and spreading out like wildfire. Suppressing a grunt of pain, two of Valeska's shots go wide while the third only hits the shoulder. Then, she speaks again.
<"Avery.">
Things are chaotic, the fighting hot. Hadrix is over there looking like some kind of demon spawned from the depths of hell, picking some Shrieker up by the head and gutting him. It makes Hahtavi do a quick double take and remembering how he'd seen Hadrix pick up Valeska just like that - by the head. Grusome.
Jerking his own T-visor back to what he's doing, Hahtavi finds his own targets. Teeth bared, he fires once and cuts a flailing Shrieker right in half! More burned meat. The other coming up right behind gets the same treatment, a firey bolt of light leaping from his Galaar rifle to mow that one down as well!
The bodies of their enemies are piling up. Still moving, breathing up, Hahtavi toggles his external vocoder, <"FOR LLEARIL AND SHAD'HAIN!"> They are at least reaping revenge upon those who murdered and defiled the home of his former clanmates. Father, mother, elder brother, and some of their children - among many others who were slain here when the Shrieker's took it over. Today is payback.
Roth's had a rough fight, but she's still standing. Even if she is wobbling a bit. Once things are dead or in the process of dying the Alabaster Mandalorian takes a breath and steadies herself. "Well, vacation was nice. Glad I'm back." she muses as she resheathes her sword and starts to walk slowly with a limp towards some of the bodies. Making sure they would not be getting back up.
The Mandalorian Slicer lowers the pointing hand back to his carbine, sweeping the area while watching out of the corner of his eye for Valeska's attack. Her pistol fire rains hell around the man, unfortunately not causing any damage but certainly precipitating a vacating of his functions. Her last shot removes another piece of his armor, this time his shoulder pad sent flying from the red bolt of doom.
Avery winces at the posture she displays, though repressing any sound of pain, the way she moves betrays the cause for her missed attacks. With a simple nod to her quiet request, Avery lifts his blaster to casually shoot the area near the man's head, plaster and rock sent flying as a warning to the shot that comes next. When the Claw turns, his widening eyes finding the pair of Mandalorians and their impassive visors staring back, <"Witness... your time has come."> the silver armored man calls out, depressing the trigger of his E-11 and finish the job from days ago. Down he goes, the mess of a face ceasing to exist while his body flails in its absence.
Zelo is a little out of it, but the voice of a friend in the middle of the madness and all of his anger is an anchor that holds him in this reality and this world. He nods at the orders to stay still, and he lets the rifle's butt lower to the sand beneath his knees. <"I will watch."> He turns his head up, trying to ignore the pain and discomfort at his armor is moved and shifted around the wound, sprays and gauze to clean before the all-important bacta patch.
<"I'm glad that you don't, Fair Aubrei,"> he manages over a wince from the pressure, even as the magic medicine does its job. <"We make an amazing team. We should do this more often. Maybe... Not this exact part."> Eyes scan the battlefield, and he holds the barrel of the carbine menacingly with his left hand. He's not above clubbing someone if he has to. A Shrieker is charging now, and Zelo stays as still as he can, just wincing. The arm needs to be still to heal, and this is going to hurt....
Its time to focus on thinning the problem and potential for more wounds in the near future. Aubrei whips the S-5 with its heavily modified loadout. She stays near to Zelo, keeping an eye on the field of battle and the current engagements taking place. Wounded are still present but there is time to get to them and right now its best to take down the numbers and make certain she can tend to the wounds a bit more properly - like when she's not being shot at.
She clears two shots that hit, one going astray. The first drops one of the Claws and the third shot injures the last as she keeps near to the sniper, woking in tandem even if its not in their usual roles.
<"Oh I agree. We can do with a few less wounds and foes. Especially with the way they look...best to keep an eye on our flanks lest we get caught unawares."> The numbers may be thinning but she is giving a quick scan to be sure there is no surprise force ready to lay them flat.
It's always anti-climatic when it ends. No valorous or malevolent last words. No magnificent last charge or stand. The fighting drags to an echoing silence in the wake of blasterfire and blades. The cannons of the sail barge blowing the last of the Shriekers to smoking gobbets or hazy red mist.
Then the guns go silent and the battle cries begin to die off. Figures stand, some with slumped shoulders, some with their weapons allowed to sag and other still falling to kneel besides the dead or wounded. Outcries of shock, mourning, or elation mixing together while one growling sound persists. Those members of the feral clan found still breathing but too injured to fight finding themselves with the thrusting point of a vibro-ax smashing through armor and into chest cavities. A boot to the neck. And one without a helmet squealing out it's last before the heel on their temple cracks bone and sends splinters into the braincase.
Ca steps forth, Bitr and Bron with her to look towards the other Mandalorians, nodding to the Expedition forces mingled with their own. The Alor of Shad'hain raising a serrated blade sword in salute as his helmet comes off. A voice calls down from the barge in the thunderous quiet.
"We will get your fighters on the salvage skiffs, get them back to the butte for repairs, we can use the barge for that bigger craft!" motioning towards the Razorcrest.
"A good start, eh?" Bitr finally offers, the diminutive Mandalorian resting a fist on his hip. More of the Saiwali air-skiffs sliding in through gaps in the walls, bringing medical supplies and working to get the wounded on board. The dead are stripped, mementos are taken. The body a tool, empty, the spirit gone to the Manda.
Sumi slams her bloody spear into the earth and draws a revolver from the holster on her hip. She uses her thumb to lock back the hammer and fires into a crawling Shrieker, splitting their head. The shot rang out, echoing after the Pk-COW WOW Wow wow, and she lifts the smoking barrel up. <"Search the ruins. Kill every survivor. We wipe Mandalore of this filth once and for all.">
Sumi locked the hammer back again and moved into the ruins, cape lightly rustling as its frayed edges lightly dragged over the dead when she stepped over them.
<"OYA!"> Shouts Hahtavi, upon hearing Sumi. He still ignores his arm wound, pushing deeper into the ruins and looking for survivors. He for one will spend the next few hours making damn sure that the Jair'dha, the Shriekers, are no more. <"May this vermin be forgotten and in time, remembered by none."> He stops to shoot another one in the head before moving on, deeper.
There are places here he'd like to find, one last time. If they weren't blown to bits in the bombardment. Places he used to know in this fortress - filled with memories from another life now past.
And like that it is over. Valeska holds her blaster to her side as the barrel is still hot and breathes out. Stepping over corpses and limbs, she makes her way to what remains of the Claw who had shot her. The man whom nearly killed her. His skull is rather non-existent now. If she were the trophy-keeping sort, that would've been a good one.
She's not the trophy-keeping sort.
Valeska kicks the headless corpse in the ribs as hard as she can and, with a soft <<"Copy, Alor,">> moves through the carnage to put a few more out of everyone else's misery. In silence.
Roth's quiet as things end. Her weapons are checked on the way back to the ship, but she doesn't talk much. She's ready to go and take a bacta nap. Because she's getting way too old for this crap.
It appears, with the silence that befalls the area, the Kora clan and the Butte Mandalorians have won the day... carnage and turmoil lay all about them, an almost literal trail of death leading from where their charge began to where they stand now. Avery doesn't remove his helmet, though the day is won they are still on Mandalore and in unfamiliar territory... all it would take is one lucky shot and his day would be ruined. Many days, quite likely.
His Y-visor turns back to Val, and before she moves away, he places a hand on her shoulder. His palm rests there for a short time, the touch a fond, reassuring one, before he gives her a nod and an unseen grin. When she departs, so too does Avery, moving into the wreckage of the area to do as Sumi commands. This cancer on the surface of Mandalore has been allowed to exist for two long and, like a scalpel, Avery moves through the hidden areas to cut away the remaining filth he finds.
The violence starts to end itself, a narrowing of her gaze behind her visor as she suddenly reaches over to tug at Zelo, twisting him out of the way of a shot as she nearly spills them to the ground. Its not graceful but effective as now in that moment after, the breathing space between she watches as the dead bodies litter the ground and the others continue to march on, ending lives of those who they have even yet to engage.
<"We are now at the time for healing wounds...both on this planet and on the warriors that fought here."> She is not so quick to keep cutting away but rather checks her powercell on her pistol and glances first to Roth then Zelo, both of whom are near her. The sand has a fickle memory and the ground here will be erased quicker than anyone would forget.
The balance of the galaxy is tipping just a bit more as she follows the others.
Zelo looks up to Aubrei, having been pulled out of the line of fire by an adept and friendly hand. As the Bacta does its work, he pushes himself up with his left hand until he can look the scout in the visor again. <"Maybe we spend some time catching up without wounds and foes?"> He turns around, watching the leaders of Mandalorian clans converge, and the call of using a barge for the bigger craft. He follows the point to see a Razorcrest lying on its side: the Projor Haal.
<"What happened to my ship?"> He's missing enough blood that the exclamation doesn't come out in a different octave. Still, there's a little concern. <"My BB unit is in there."> The Nautolan switches on an internal frequency and hails his ship. A moment later, he shakes his head. <"She said it didn't land right. That's... An understatement."> Still... There is work left to do. Zelo shakes his head and follows Aubrei, keeping the carbine ready.
The butcher's work, though the fighting is sporadic, practically nil. The call to clear out what hasn't been turned into collapsed tunnels become tombs is a work to be done practically as afterthought. Demolition charges in places to collapse more into the ground.
Screams when certain figures descend to root out those hiding. A lake of blood. Something crawling back down into it's hole in the aftermath.
But the shriekers are gone, a path is laid clear and now there is one more vengeance to take.
