Log:Mando Arc: Part 4
Mando Arc: Part 4
OOC Date: January 8, 2016
Location: Hoth
Participants: Russ Ordo, Narsai Ordo, Laika, Kitfox
Narsai's eyes do take in the heavily damaged ship that is her pride and joy, the blackened and ripped open turret accompanied by the empty space her brother had been pulled from...but whatever might come next to those features is hidden as she slips her helmet onto her head, locking it in place with a hiss and then takes a deep breath while adjusting her systems. At least she's not cold. "Kitfox, Laika. We need to make our way to the fight. Deathwatch is waiting for us...lets not disappoint them." With that, she presses a button on her gauntlet as her small jetpack comes to life.
Reaching the top of the canyon those climbing can feel the strain, and now it is time to run. The snow is not terribly deep on the surface, the ice beneath very solid and hard. Not to tiring to run on which is good, because sounds of battle echo down on them from a few kilometres away. Arriving on the scene it is even more chaotic on the ground, lasers flying ferociously across the tundra explosions cracking the ice beneath your feet. Spotting the trio in the open a troop transport breaks off and begins tearing towards them, the heavy turret atop spewing lasers. The trenches are not far away, many of them leading deeper into the
The jetpack riding Narsai lands atop the climb and is promptly shot at, but at least this time she's able to get out of the way. One woman is a much smaller target then the ship had been. Jumping to the side she lifts her rifle and starts running forwards, not bothering to fire her carbine at the transport. "To the trench! Go!" she yells towards the others.
The cyborg is stuck on foot, and not clad in anything more than winter clothes to boot. The chill doesn't bother her too much, but she does find the turret fire to be a problem. Kitfox manages to avoid the strafing run before the order is barked, and she digs into the snow to rush towards the trenches as hard and fast as she can. "I was not designed to participate in an all-out warzone," she states crisply, though it's certainly not a real complaint.
On foot and claw Laika makes her way up the icy wall before she too is made to dive for cover, following the Ordo twin at speed while drawing her blaster pistol. "I'm going to need a bigger gun if we're killing tanks Narsai!" the Cathar yels while they make for the trench.
In the trench the massive laser turret atop the APC cannot quite swivvel towards them spraying the trench a mere few inches above there heads. Of course the things with APC's is they carry personnel. Six deathwatch Mandalorians leap through the open door rear door rapidly closing on the Thunderheart party, their rifles raising to fire even as they close the distance. The tunnel entrance to the subterrain base looms closer.
Incoming troops, but they've got the the trench for cover while the enemy is exposed. Raising her rifle Narsai opens fire on the Deathwatch while starting to move back. "Fire and retreat, draw them in and cut them down!" Perhaps there's a little more aggression in her tactics today with the potential loss of her sibling.
Kitfox starts to backpedal towards the tunnel, bringing the rifle to her shoulder. Even with her enhanced vision, the snow plays havoc with her visual sensors. She snaps off a shot towards the advancing squad, "We filter them into the tunnel, then we have a killzone. But what awaits us in the tunnel? I can scout ahead. On your order, Narsai?" she calls out over the storm of blaster fire and the blizzard itself.
Full-auto in a trench? It's perfect for her. Moving backwards she blasts off a series of red blaster bolts that cuts down one of the Deathwatch where they stand. Drawing them in will cut down their ability to shoot back and make them a bigger target. Perfect for the smaller squad. "One problem at a time Kitfox. Fall back in stages, look ahead as you can."
Laika manages to fire a single bolt that wounds one of the hostile warriors, but the Cathar hears the exchange and falls backwards, sniffing the chilled air admist the scent of Ozone. "I'll scout ahead, your guns are far bigger then mine and I can move fast." Of course she doesn't move off unless Narsai orders in case she risks taking her gun away at the wrong moment.
It's a smart move using the mouth of the tunnel entrance as cover to fire along the trench that is now just one long murder tunnel. It seems they were almost guided by an unseen hand as Laika moves around the next corner in the tunnel to come face to face with an E-Web. A Mandalorian in red lies crumpled clearly dead behind the weapon, carbon scoring covering the walls showing clearly how he fell. Clearly not before he took some of the bastards with him as several deathwatch corpses litter the floor before the turret.
"Kitfox? Can you use that?" Narsai's eyes fall on the E-Web turret while she fires again with her E-11 carbine. Seeing the fallen mandalorian she doesn't have time to stop or to pay respects, she just keeps firing while she keys her microphone in her helmet. "This is Narsai of the clan Ordo. My team and I are engaged with Deathwatch forces. Respond if you are there!"
"Standard Imperial E-Web Heavy Repeater," Cecily says sharply, finding it difficult to hide the... thrill in her voice. She slings her rifle over her shoulder and out of the way as she uses her nigh superhuman speed to get to--and behind--the turret. It's still warm, likely like the body behind it keeping her company, and she swivels it up. She doesn't even need to really aim it, no time to jack into the targeting computer. She just points it in the general direction of that killway and ensures Narsai and Laika aren't under the gun. And then she pushes the actuator. Lances of crimson cut down the corridor, ripping holes in at least two armored Deathwatch, spraying boiling water from the icy walls, giving the incoming group a good reason to pause and rethink their lives.
Suddenly Laika's concerns about lacking firepower are somewhat diminished. Exhaling an impressed breath she nods at Narsai and starts to move down the tunnel. If she's forced to run at least she knows she can run fast. Spotting the ambush? The feline woman activates her commlink. "Found an enemy unit moving to engage someone. Going to flank up on them when they engage and try to pick some of them off."
One Deathwatch warrior lags behind a little, that's enough for the cat to pounce. Perhaps she's noticed a few weaknesses on the armor these days. One hand grips the chin of a helmet, yanking it upwards to expose the neck of the startled man before she digs her claws into the target's throat, squeezing, twisting and ripping to try and open something vital before she lets the helmet slip back into place, a dribble of red oozing from the underside of the T-Visor.
A voice crackles over the revivers comm channel, distorted but loud. "Did you say Narsai Ordo? Thank Mandalore, we could use your help. Get yourself and your useless git of a brother in here. Be careful the tunnels are swarming with Deathwatch, they have broken past the initial line of defence and are currently breaking against our tertiary line. You Ordos have more up top then most of these Skiratta numbskulls i have in here, get to the command centre. We need to do something more than just hold the line!"
The Deathwatch pursuing down the tunnel seem just a little less eager in their chase as rather than scenting the blood of prey they scent the blood od their comrades. And E-WEB in confined spaces is a glorious and terrifying thing, easily melting through their more mass produced durasteel armour. The corpses are almost unrecognisable as they fall to the ground. Th deathwatch aren't stupid, they can see the corpses of those that came before them. Their call is loud enough to be heard. "We need some thermal detonaters down here! We have a mounted position."
Thermal detonator. Great. Kitfox looks at the emplacement and frowns. She's not going to get it out of there in time, not by herself. And she's certainly not going to leave it for the Deathwatch to use. She starts to work on the generator, ripping connections from the gun itself. "Narsai. Help me overload this. And perhaps we can throw it a few feet down towards them and give them a surprise. If we collapse the tunnel behind us, we should have fewer issues recovering our allies as well."
A few more bolts from Narsai's E-11, but it's more about keeping the enemies head down then actually trying to hit them. As Kitfox starts ripping and yanking at the power generator the mechanic's eyes look over the machine hastily before she points. "There! That! That's a regulator. Take it out and put it back in backwards!"
This time Laika leaps, a silent cat in a fluid movement, she leaps and wraps her thighs around the startled warrior's neck, linking her ankles in a vicelike grip while she yanks his helmet upwards. Taking the same motion further she twists her body and drags the man downwards, landing on her chest as her legs twist and slam the man's head hard down into the ice.
The explosion is by now means a small one, that power generator is capable of producing a massive volume of fire. Fire capable of ripping through the shields of a fighter in short order and the fighter itself in no time at all. All of that power building and detonating all at once? It puts to shame the thermal detonaters the Deathwatch were fetching. You cannot see the results, already turning to run away. But you feel the force as it picks you up from your feet and throws you bodily down the corridor, scrapping along the harsh ice. It is doubtful they survived and if they did they still have to deal with the fact they are buried under several tonnes of snow.
Kitfox turns to run as soon as the generator is out of her (and Narsai's) hands. Her reflexes are enhanced, but the explosion is a bit bigger than she expected. She's tossed through the air like a (heavy) ragdoll and lands hard on the ice. She may not be armored, but the padded nature of the cold weather gear might serve her just as well with the landing than actual armor would have. A loud grunt escapes her as she scrambles to get to her feet, "Remind me to log that as -not- within minimal safe distance for next time." Then she smiles at Narsai, offering her a hand. "...though I would not mind doing that again."
There's a few strings of curses as Narsai is hurled off her feet, but the younger sibling is mostly protected by her armor as she climbs back to her feet, looking back at the damage when Kitfox helps her back up. "Effective. We need to catch up with Laika. If this way is blocked off they'll be coming hard the other way. We've got a battle to win."
The boom sort of ruins her stealth, but Laika rolls from her feet firing her blaster at the Deathwatch man. The first blast hits him and wounds the man, but he still manages to fire back as the return bolt goes high above her head. A hiss from the Cathar and she grips her blaster two-handed as she keeps firing.
As they round the next corner in the tunnel system they are met with the sight of Laika's handiwork, two Mandalorians lying in the snow. A massive pool of red spills out below one turning the ice into crimson sludge, the other has no visible injuries except for the fact his head is driven into cracked ice that was previously as hard as steel. One of them still remains standing the hallway of ice filling with a eerie reflected red color as laser fire is traded.
Kitfox unslings her rifle once she and Narsai are up, and towards the ensuing battle she runs. Laika's handiwork is noted, the two dead Deathwatch skipped over carefully. She skids to a halt, bringing the stock of her blaster to her shoulder, aiming carefully towards the pair trading bolts. She's more intent on not hitting Laika than she is hitting the trooper for the moment, with her unsteady footing, and succeeds only in drilling a hole in the wall with her first shot. "The more we deal with on the way there, the better the chances our allies have," she grunts.
Rounding the corner to Laika's handiwork Narsai opens fire on the last standing Deathwatch warrior, scoring a few wounds on the man while she doesn't stop moving forward.
Her teammates arrival to the fight has Laika grinning to herself. Now the numbers are on her side! The Cathar surges forwards with her two-handed grip on her blaster pistol and fires, her shot managing to find a weakened section of that armor and something vital beneath, dropping the man to the ground.
Charging up the corridor and towards the next sharp corner the sounds of heavy combat can be heard, before it goes eirily quiet only the sounds of more distant combat ruining the silence. A body falls from around the corner and into sight smoke rising from a gaping hole in his durasteel armour, his chest forcibly ripped open. He is in the colours of the deathwatch.
"We are an effective team," Kitfox says quietly to Laika and Narsai, even if her own blasterwork isn't on par with the rest of her crew. She frowns when things suddenly go quiet, however, and raises her rifle to face down the corridor. "That is disconcerting. My databanks do not have enough information on Hoth other than some colorful language and the word 'cold' in numerous dialects. Indigenous creatures are not noted," she says quiely, eyes narrows at the Deathwatch corpse, trying to focus her senses to hear anything else nearby.
"It's cold," the redhead tilts her head to the side before she moves towards the fallen body for a moment before nodding her head. Moving forwards, her gun raised. "That's about as far as I know. But if it's killing the opposition rather then us? I'm not going to complain. Hopefully there's a friendly up ahead somewhere."
Another dead body down, but Laika just sniffs, her keen animal-like senses taking in what they can including the sharp scent of Ozone. "At least we didn't look like them. Hopefully your friends won't fire on us by mistake."
Moving cautiously up to the corner they are met with a very welcome sight. A living Mandalorian not wearing the Deathwatch's livery. He is dressed in solid forest green armour, a huge smoking gun in his hands with a wide muzzle. He wears no helmet a grin splits his face as he spots the distinctive armour of the Revivers "Bout time the bloody Ordo's blessed us with their blighted presence. Bet you guys had a bloody load of fun getting down here."
Moving around the corner fully you can see one of the tertiary defences of the allied Mandalorians, portable cover hammered into the icewalls head covered in T-shaped visors barely visible over the durasteel slabs. The man waits expectantly for another face to be shown before it becomes evident there is no other. He doesn't say a word just shakes his head and beckons for you all to follow him.
"The armoury and Command center are up ahead, you can ressuply on the way and grab whatever armament you require. We have it relativly well stocked given the circumstances." The mans footsteps are heavy snow squeking under each step "Then we will have to plan our next move. The shield generator is down, sabotage obviously the cause. They have us kept to our tunnels and firing slots due to their air superiority and orbital support. The surface is now firmly under there control due to these factors. On top of that their initial orbital bombardment hit out hanger, it is still intact however the entrance is covered in untold tonnes of ice and snow. Any ideas, because we are running precious short and it is only so long until they wear us down in here."
Moving around the corner fully you can see one of the tertiary defences of the allied Mandalorians, portable cover hammered into the icewalls head covered in T-shaped visors barely visible over the durasteel slabs. The man waits expectantly for another face to be shown before it becomes evident there is no other. He doesn't say a word just shakes his head and beckons for you all to follow him.
"The armoury and Command center are up ahead, you can ressuply on the way and grab whatever armament you require. We have it relativly well stocked given the circumstances." The mans footsteps are heavy snow squeking under each step "Then we will have to plan our next move. The shield generator is down, sabotage obviously the cause. They have us kept to our tunnels and firing slots due to their air superiority and orbital support. The surface is now firmly under there control due to these factors. On top of that their initial orbital bombardment hit out hanger, it is still intact however the entrance is covered in untold tonnes of ice and snow. Any ideas, because we are running precious short and it is only so long until they wear us down in here."
Why do you say Narsai seemed to be having fun?'
"My sky was more full then I'd like and it was harder to find a spot to land then usual brother," Narsai speaks up, stepping forwards and nodding her head. Russ' absense? She leaves it unspoken. Distractions get you killed in a war and letting grief take hold would help noone. Moving forwards the woman keeps her arms craddled around her rifle. "Kitfox. Take Laika and get rearmed at the armoury. I'll meet you at the command centor." Looking up to the warrior Narsai nods her head, moving towards the center before listening in to the problems. "A stalemate then. They can't get in here on us but we can't get out to hit them while that ship is out there... right?"
"What remains in the hangar? Is there a possibility of setting up a white noise generator and infiltrating their command ship to possibly initiate forced re-entry? 'Landing' it on the battlefield would be nice," Kitfox speaks up afterwards. "If there are not enough supplies in here, they could starve us out," she adds. Then there's a respectful nod of her head as she makes her way onwards towards the armory. Her suggestions in her Imperial accent are the only words she offers as she goes to see what loot awaits her.
Laika nods her head and moves to follow Kitfox, not really expecting much more to be of use for her but following orders none the less. You never know what you might find after all! Taking after Kitfox she nods her head in agreement. "If we could get up onto the ship..."
Arriving back in the control room freshly armed new blasterpacks in weapons, there is a holotable showing the current state of the surface. Fighters swing low bombarding the battlefield, destroying the previously hidden pillboxes and fireing slits of the Mandalorians. The Marauder up top has clearly had time to come around as fresh turbolaser blasts shake the battlefield, felt even this far beneath the surface. "Aye that is about the crux of the matter. That marauder is keeping us pinned in here, their fighters sowing chaos for our war effort and precious little we can do about it." He nods to the girls as he notices them arrive "Most of our ships are still in one piece. We have a couple of firesprays, a scattering of fighters and a troop transport." He shakes his head slightly now though "Don't think we haven't thought of it though, even if we shift the snow and ice through explosives or other methods we would be sitting ducks. Prey at the opening of the hanger to their fighters and bombardment."
A pause, but Narsai looks over the readout of the battle and listens to the summary of the bombardment. "That ship above is down a cannon...that might leave a blindspot for the bombardment, but that still leaves the fighters..." she lists off before sighing a little to herself. "Damn, and to think we just got here." Looking back at the other two women behind her she considers. "It looks like the best way for us to turn the fight around is to take that bombardment out of the sky."
"White noise?" Kitfox brings up the suggestion again. "Break down their communications and hijack a troop transport from them. Or more than one, and attempt to mount an assault on their ship. You must know these tunnels better than they do, there has to be a flank we can exploit." She's got two rifles slung on her shoulders now. The old H-11 likely now just for sentimental value. The brand new T-21 looking like she's itching to use it. "Even if we can simply disable its engines and power and let gravity take it over."
Laika nods in agreement with Kitfox before looking at Narsai. "You're a good pilot Narsai but the Thunderheart won't make it back up there again. You could try with one of those Firesprays but that's all of their fighters and the gun against you." Looking up at the soldiers now she nods. "They have to be getting their troops down here somewhere. Steal one of those ships and we might be able to land right on the ship."
"That gun in the base. If we can get that to work?" The Cathar suggests. "We can use it to make a little noise as a distraction or something to punch a hole through their defences." A grin at the other two. "Is it in working condition?"
"That cannon must be decades old," Cecily says to Laika, blinking as she recalls tiny snippets of this or that. "If it is still usable, we may be able to make a distraction at the absolute least. If we can find a tunnel exit that is beyond their perimter, hitting their rear lines and stealing a transport may give us the opening we need to take over that marauder, or bring it down over their heads."
An exhaled breath from the Ordo now left in command and she clears her throat. "Alright. We'll have to push our way down the tunnels, force our way towards one of the ships. If the gun functions we can use it to blast away to keep their attention long enough to get up to the Marauder. Sounds like a plan." A look now onto the other mandalorian warrior and she nods her head. "Hold fast brother, we'll stop the bombardment and turn those guns on their heads."
The mans hakes his head slightly as they mention the ion cannon. "It's not functioning at the moment, and i have no personal here that know how to fix it. And we didn't have the parts...we can strip the shield generator. It is not functioning anyway, and this cannon may just give us the opening we need if we can launch a synced assault..." He looks towards the trio focusing on Narsai "You brother once told me wabout how you like to work on that ship of yours, how you raised it from the dead more or less. Tell me does your technical knowledge go beyond that of a starship? Do you think you can fix this cannon?"
"I'm going to freaking try." Narsai says, removing her helmet from her head and moving to set to work. "It's still a gun, just a really really big one." Just that she approaches the repair of a gun almost half a century old.
"We'll do our best," Kitfox says after Narsai, exhaling a frosty breath. "As she said. It's still a gun. Bigger means easier, does it not?" she offers with a shrug.
Laika just goes about strapping her gear back on to her armor and lets the other two do their best to repair the damage of an old war to help them in their current. Taking a deep breath she looks towards the tunnels they're destined for. They've got a hell of a fight ahead.
The Mandalorian nods to them. "Well then get moving. I have alot to coordinate here and i am undermanned, but for this i think i can spare a few men." He turns and yells further into the command center "Alright Clan Skirata get off your lazy asses, you have had enough of a break. Your mission is to see the Ordo's to the ion cannon, watch over them while they get it operational and then accompany them on a suicide mission. Is that clear soldiers?"
The three Clan Skirata soldiers scramble to their feet, their hands crossing over to rest above their hearts as they give a small bow. "On our honour, and for the honour of the Mandalorians." The trip to the Ion Cannon is uneventful. The distant sounds of battle greatfully not growing closer to their ears. It is not an easy job and takes over half an hour, half an hour of tense heavy work waiting to see if the gun will get hit by stray fire or Deathwatch will pour down the tunnel behind them. Finally the job is complete and it is time to push on. Through the deathwatch lines and o the far reaches of their position. Their target, the troopships.
Wiping the sweat from her brow Narsai slides her helmet back into place as she steps back from the canon, their task finally complete. No time for celebration just yet. That was the easy part! "Alright. Lock and load. We're going to make our push. Instruct the gunnery team not to fire until I give my signal or this will all be for nothing. If they blow the gun away before we can make any damage, or our repairs don't hold we'll have wasted our chance." With that the Ordo moves, E-11 held firm as she moves towards the tunnel. "C'mon. Do you want to live forever?!" she rallies before bringing the charge.
Thirty minutes of tension. Thirty minutes of hard work. Cecily pulls every bit of blaster repair knowledge out of her proverbial hat as she has and even then it's still a tough task. With Narsai's help, they manage to pull it off. She adjusts her winter cap and goggles and secures her coat as well as her blaster(s). "If we have any way of jamming transmissions we should make use of it at any and every tunnel we possibly can before we set off. We want them not to know what's about to hit them," she suggests to Narsai and the others before pulling her facemask up to cover her mouth from the biting cold. Her new rifle in both hands, she sets off with the suicide squad.
It's a tense wait for Laika with the other warriors, knowing she can't really do anything to help the other women with the repairs and just has to hope that they're going to succeed in their work. Luck is on their side it seems as the two finish and the gun is ready! Moving behind the warriors Narsai doesn't exactly have the best in inspiring speeches to follow Narsai's, so she just gives a feline roar of a Cathar battle cry while they make their push.
The tunnels as labyrinth as they are are full of Mandalorians rushing back on forth, carting the wounded or running supplies up to the front line. The further you push towards the front lines, the more abandoned the tunnels become but the louder the sounds of combat become. Finally you round to s scene becoming far to common. Two groups of soldiers hidden behind T-visors facing each other in caustophobic conditions trading blasterfire. You spot it just as it happens, a detonater goes off in the ranks of the allied defensive position effectivly destoying it armoured bodies sent flying throughout the corridor. Six deathwatch soldiers rush down the corridor as the defence crumples, aiming to make the best of the sudden chaos.
Into the fight the Mandalorian Revivers go. Narsai's weapon comes to life as it smacks into one of the Deathwatch warriors and wounds him, but isn't enough to drop the man dead just yet. Keeping the weapon slung one-handed the younger Ordo draws her sword in her off-hand.
Blasting several shots off with her pistol Laika hits....nothing! The cathar just gives another snarl and launches into the close combat that she's used to, claws bared for the purpose of inflicting real, serious damage.
Kitfox is still getting used to her new... acquisition. It feels /right/ in her hands but she's yet to test it. Bringing the massive weapon up to her shoulder she flicks a setting and pulls the trigger. Three lances of red streak down the corridor towards the incoming Deathwatch. "Shall we repay them eye for an eye?" she calls out over the sounds of blaster fire. Loud words, but her accuracy leaves something to be desired. She's still getting used to it.
The Deatwatch don't slow as several bolts clash into them, causing several minor wounds the rest bouncing off their armour. Three of them throw aside their blasters as they clone the distance pulling out brutal looking vibro axes from their back sheaths. They close the distance down the corridor rapidly, not slowing through the wreckage caused by the detonater.
The clan Skirata soldiers hold the line with the Thunderheart revivers, recieving their own wounds from the charging deathwatch they do not falter. They fill the corridor ahead of them full of red hot laser.
The vibroblade hums to life about a moment before Narsai ducks under one of those axe's, her blade dragging up between the plates protecting the man's leg and dropping him to his knees. A twist andd a pivot of the redhead's body and her blade slices through the neck of the deathwatch warrior, sending his helmet tumbling to the ground still holding a head.
Kitfox isn't descended from some stalwart stormtrooper firing line, her feet pulling her back step by step as the Deathwatch charge. She isn't turning tail and fleeing, however. Adjusting her grip, and her aim, she brings the hefty blaster rifle to bear all over again. "...at least they're easier to hit when they're rushing at us..." she comments through a grunt. Another trigger-pull, another trio of crimson bolts. This time the trio slam into one of the charges, tearing holes through armor and flesh alike and sending him to the ground. She can't help but grin.
Laika leaps high and...punches, then kicks, then punches some more. The heavy flurry of sharp strikes on the man's weapon arm, body, face continue until Laika finally finishes her target with a vicious dome-rattling kick. It's a good thing she has a plate there, otherwise that would be one sore leg.
The deathwatch soldiers begin to fall as they reach close combat range, three of them dropping to the ground as they meet the crew of the Thunderheart. But that does now slow the others, they know there only option is through. Their weapons keep swinging, their blasters keep flying. But these fake Mandalorians have clearly met a better class of soldier in the Thunderheart crew and the clan Skiratta Mandalorians. One of the soldiers lets out a battle cry as he draws his own vibrodagger and dives at the enemy "FOR MANDALORE!"
A sweeping combination of strikes and slashes from the younger Ordo to strike and slash but this time her vibrosword doesn't taste blood of her foes. Narsai steps forwards, but she can't quite inflict as much damage this time.
The flurry of close combat makes Cecily take her time lining up her shot, but she can't get a good hit on an exposed location without risking Narsai or Laika. Her next burst is little more than added sound and light to the greater effort in this particular tunnel.
Laika throws a few more punches and strikes into one of the troops before she slams forwards. Still not enough to drop the warrior she's just started trading punches with, but if nothing else the angry cat is making a point.
Laika blinds one of the Deathwatch with her flurry of blows, the man doing his utmost to keep the slashing claws away from the weaker armour at his throat and groin. So focused that he loses his sense of the battlefield around him. One of the Skiratta soldiers dives around the lithe Cathars legs his vibrodagger sinking into the thigh of the man she is facing. It isn't enough to kill him, but the blaster fire of his brother that rocks the deathwatch's head back is. Now they are down to two.
Narsai's blade pulls some catches and scratches on the man's vest and armor before she advances forwards, weapon brandished and held in one hand she lets her blaster rifle fall on its sling to take the sword two-handed and keep up the fight.
Kitfox's scattered fire isn't doing anyone any favors, the armor's just being too problematic, to say nothing of the little dance of death going on with the Deathwatch and her two allies. Her careful shot picking is ertainly much more for her companions' benefit than trying to risk and score risky hits.
SUPRISE CATHAR! Laika dives over one foe and slams her padded knees into the side of the helmet the man fighting Narsai, riding the impact all the way down to the ground with one motion. Rolling off the body she's back on her feet, already advancing on the next.
The deathwatch know they are losing, the sheer amount of their blood and bodies on the ground shows that. But even if they have lost their way they still have Mandalorian training and tenacity. Even as one of the two wounded is struck by another bolt, he slams his axe down into the shoulder of one of the Skiratta soldiers. The man falls back with a cry, not dead, not yet at least. He raises his blaster from the ground and shoots the Deathwatch axeman through the knee "Die Dar'manda!"
Sportsmanship is nothing, they've got lives to save and a mission to complete. Narsai steps up behind the wounded man and shovers the blade hard through the back. Not enough to kill the wounded man, but it certainly isn't doing much for his overall health.
It's enough of an opening, her allies not in her direct line of fire. Cecily takes a knee and steadies her heavy rifle, reminding herself to get herself hardwired into a targetting scope sometime soon. That note aside, however, she opens fire when she gets the chance, putting another three-bolt burst into and through one of the still-standing Deathwatch. It's a far more impressive show than her first shots from the boarding ramp of the Thunderheart when all of this began.
-SNAP- Laika's finish is as brutal as it is final. Moving up behind the fallen man the Cathar digs her claws into the helmet and gives a sharp twist, turning the man's head far enough around do sever the vertabre and end him on the spot. Now they're clear.
After the slaughter of part of the deathwatch advance the crew of the Thunderheart and their allies from the Skiratta clan make their way carefully through the labyrinth tunnels. The nature of the tunnels makes the thundering footsteps of the deathwatch rushing to and from the frontline nearly impossible to place. The sounds echoing wildly through the tunnels the sound of a single man amplified until he sounds like an army onto themselves. There are a few close class, and more than a couple of near misses. But eventually after an hour of worming their way through the tunnels using their allies superior knowledge to guide them they are near a surface entrance a line that should lead them up near the deathwatch LZ.
Poking up from the tunnel, just enough to scout they are met with a beautiful sight juxtaposed by a gut wrenching one. Six gauntlet class fighters, are currently in the LZ, standing pround and dark against the stark white that makes up the rest of the planet Hoth. However Laika as the scout also spots a couple more things. An enclosed anti-infantry turret, clearly manned as it's heavy intimidating barrel swings slowly from side to side. There is also a dug in postion surrounding the position, only one of the pits faces you. However you can make out three of them dark against the snow. All of them contain two men each, and all of them have a single E-Web style turret....
"Laika. Unman that Turret." Narsai says slowly, speaking to the stealthy Cathar before she looks at Kitfox. "You hit one gun crew from the side when Laika gives us the all-clear. I'll hit the other. Clan Skiratta will attack in the confusion. We should catch them off-guard. Understood?" The masked Mandlorian waits to hear objections, or see Laika moving to do her thing.
"Understood," Kitfox says crisply, pulling her cold weather mask up and bringing her rifle up with her, careful not to let the black metal stand out in the stark white of the snow. "We will hit them hard and fast."
Laika just nods her head then she starts to move. Her tan-white fur might stand out amoungst the snow, but only if people get lucky enough to spot her moving at all. She'll take the way around the side, sneaking back towards the heavy gun with intent of suprising the man within.
A turn of the wheel on the hatch and Laika drops into the turret and right into the startled gunner's lap. Unfortunately for him, this 'lapdance' is about to rock his world in a much more literal sense as the cathar grabs his head and slams him not once but twice into the wall of the turret, knocking him out cold. Shifting a little the Cathar regards the controls and bites her lip. "How hard could it be...?" she muses.
The bigger the gun, the bigger the threat. Kitfox is going to make sure that her allies have at least some extra advantage during the opening shots and takes aim at the gunmen facing their egress point. She lays on her belly, sliding that long rifle up into the snow as she takes aim. When the signal comes that she's free to fire, she does so, a trio of crimson bolts spewing forth from her blaster and drilling a smoking hole in the gunman in that pit. He never knew what hit him.
Crap crap crap! Narsai's sneaking doesn't go so well. Fortunately the heavy guns that go blasting her way miss her. Returning fire the Ordo manages to wound a man of her own in the left pit, but she at least made a viable distraction as the clansmen begin their atack, adding a few more wounds to the mix.
The left pit glows as the E-web starts to let loose it's thunderous amount of fire. The others start to whine up as they come under fire, the gunner of the rear pit slumping to the ground his armour smoking heavily from Kitfox's shot. But the men manning the pits are Mandalorians, the man that was watching the energy adn 'feeding' the gun steps up and immediatly behind the turret.
Harder then she thought. Laika fires the turrent and the bolt blasts, hitting near one of the E-Web men but not on it. The blast even makes Laika whince a little before she starts on the controls to dial the fire in. If nothing, it would startle the heck out of the Deathwatch.
Narsai keeps up her fire, but her gun doesn't have the punch Kitfox's does. Avoiding fire the younger Mando sibling keeps up the attack. They're so close now. Their targets are dropping, they can do this!
Two for two now. Or rather, two for six. Another well-aimed burst, three lances of red tearing holes in and through the Deathwatch trooper. He's blessed more than his fallen comrade, able to see what hits him this time. And die a rapid, merciful death, blood painting the ice behind him and a hole steaming in the wall. That's her position down, now to help with the cleanup.
The skiratta soldiers go to ground as the massive bolts from that E-Web start tearing up the snow around them, enveloping them in a cloud of steam. By some miracle none of them are hit, them or Narsai, the other one under fire from the massive laser turret. One of the men in the pit under fire from Narsai, turns a large sphere in his hand his arm arcing back to throw it at the enclosed turret concealing Laika.
A shower of bolts from Narsai's weapon fired full-auto and the man with the grenade primed drops. It might go off, but not on her crew-mate. Another one down, only one E-web remaining. The armored mandalorian switches to their final targets.
Another shot from Laika's cannon and it goes wide, the Cathar gives a grunt and prepares to try one more time. "Why would people even use these things?" she mutters, with noone to hear her but the unconcious soldier she's technically sitting in the lap of.
With the battle heating up, Kitfox's chances to aim unhindered start to go down. She makes herself as small as she can in the snowbank she's laying on and takes another shot, trio of red bolts hitting not armor or flesh, but ice instead, sending a hiss of steam and a spray of bioling water into the air ineffectively.
The soldier Narsai has been dueling with finally collapses after turning to throw a grenade at the enclosed turret. The grenade goes off with an electric blue cloud, the E-web firing towards Narsai going queit as it's power generator is fried by the emp grenade. The skirrata soldiers close in on the final pit, the E-Web spewing streams of death at the incoming Mandalorians. Finally one of them takes a hit and goes down to the ground...to immediately come up again his shoulder guard ripped clean from the rest of his armour. The Beskar piece turned to liquid as it melts quickly into the depths of Hoths snow and ice.
Blasting and blasting, Narsai peforates the armored mandalorian who stays standing but doesn't quite put him down. Still, two men against thier forces? It looks like things are going the Revivers way.
Alright, screw the turret. Laika leaps from the open hatch like...well, an angry cat. Pouncing one of the men she slams him downand drives him into the snow, throwing several vicious punches into the warrior's throat to leave only the single man standing and loking at a lot of blaster bolts plus one snarling Cathar.
Laika throws a brutal punch at the remaining man and he staggers, but her next kick doesn't quite make it through his armor. As the man turns his gun on Laika the feline tenses...but a linebacker-like tackle from one of the Skirratta warriors brings him to the ground, another following close behind. It's not pretty, but the three set upon the fallen man with punches, kicks and slams, effectively curbstomping the Deathwatch man till he lays still and then the Cat steps back, stretching her arms above her head with a long feline yawn like she hadn't just done her part in savagely beating a man down. "So...Ready to fly this thing Narsai?"
Kitfox is in the zone. The firing zone. One body goes down to someone else and she swivels her rifle to meet the next one standing. The last one standing. But before she can pull the trigger, she gets an eyeful of Cathar. With a pull up, she manages to get her rifle to tilt up and away the same split-second she puts enough pressure on the trigger to send bolts of death away and into the snow. Close call!
Narsai steps back with a whince at the brutal final death before she lowers her still smoking blaster, eying the cat behind her helmet and exhaling a breath and then looking at Kitfox. "Alright. Lets get up there and go shake hands with the crew of that marauder."
