Log:Thyferra: A Tank and a Few Good Men

A Tank Assault to take over a Dam

OOC Date: June 6, 2022
Location: Thyferra
Participants: Spice Runners, Ulani Kalgaav, Ektor, Bors Thul, Kohnner, Tovani Enno, Khalim, Cora Das, Vega, Poe Dameron

The checkpoint was little more than a recharge and fueling station barricaded by every day things. What was advantageous about this location, and this structure, was the motor pool. More to the point, the tank that hovered out into the open and took to idling while resistance forces prepared to head out.

There was a school circle around Commander Dameron, who had taken to drawing out a map on the ground and using rocks to depict key points of interest. He leans on his stick casually, surveying his handiwork all of a second before the stick snapped and he nearly fell over.

"Everybody here? Good.. listen up! Resistance leadership has lost contact with a checkpoint further in the city. Scouts claim elements of Sith light armor and cavalry have moved outside the city to claim the main dam and source of power. We're talking four.. five kilometers from our current location. The problem.. aside from light armor, is anti-armor troopers, and snipers. Every attempt to retake this dam has been defeated. I said I could fix this, and all we need is a tank, and a few good soldiers."

Poe scratches his beard and points with the stick. "We will escort our tank through the central park to follow the river out of the city. Scout claim pockets of resistance through there, but we're literally going to pack up on armor and drive through. Elements of Resistance fighters will launch their own offense at the park right as we're passing through, so we won't be the center focus. That being said, once we get past the park and close in on the dam.. there's a lot of ground to cover. Possibly.. a lot of armor to deal with. Our goal is to handle the armor, while we have personnel outside taking out rocket teams with long ranged, suppressing fire. If we can make their cavalry and their armor punch out, Resistance forces will move in behind us to retake the dam."

"So, I need a driver, a gunner, and someone working target acquisition inside the tank. Everyone else? Is with me. I suspect we'll be fighting Stormtroopers and pockets of mercenaries. So, bring something that can chew up plastoid. Let's get this thing going!"

Poe reaches down to turn on his personal shield deflector, then adjusts the sling on his E-11 carbine, looking ready for war. He climbs up onto the tank and plops down on a flat section, ready to ride it out of the checkpoint and toward their target location.

Ektor cracks a crooked grin. "Never march when you can ride, yeah?" the relapsed pirate/revolutionary cracks as he climbs up on the tank and searches around for the hatch that will allow entry. "I mean sure, everybody's gonna be shooting as us and drek, but center of attention, baby!"

<"Deja vu, eh Pretty Boy?">

Bors is clamboring up onto the tank in full commando rig, humming within his helmet as he goes, <"I can avail of my gunnery training to this venture, m'lord."> giving a little two-finger salute ticked sloppily from the side of his helmet as he starts for turret controls. <"Ere they this day shall find that the sights of Alderaan are keen as our desire for all of this foolish fracas to cease at last.">

Sliding into the seat and waggling around properly to adjust the butt dent for maximum... accuracy while in the gunners seat. Also the butt dent was wrong. It's untenable.

<<"I'm with you,">> Says the armored visage of Kohnner. Armed only with bladed close range weapons it was the obvious choice for him to join Dameron in escourting the Tank, getting in close to anti tank untis and other types of infanty.

Tovani narrows her eyes on the depiction - however rough it is of their objective. "I can drive," she remarks faintly as she gives the huge thing a long look. "Not going to handle like a speeder, but should make it easy to compensate when I make a choice..." She rubs at her neck and then rolls her shoulders back.

She steps back as Poe gives the rest of the directions before joining the others, hauling herself up and within, sliding herself sideways to sandwich into the driver's seat. She glances back and up at the others, calling out to Khalim. "Be careful! NO MORE WOUNDS!" She declares sharply before the click of her harness sounds and she reaches out for the controls.

A soft exhale and the rumble of the engines start up as she sets into idle ready, waiting for the all clear. She smacks the top of the tank with her fist, the smasher armor giving a solid sound to let them know she's ready. She eyes the fuel, looks over a few of the other readouts before nodding. "Not brand new but its serviceable..."

She presses her foot to the break and sits ready, waiting to pull the emergency break and set the thing into gear.

Ulani is back in the seat that is near the hot-seat. Tucked at the targetting console, she slides the helmet onto her head and looks over her shoulder where Ektor is getting cozy. "Look familiar, Tion? If you can remember that far back. T'was nearly a year ago this day. Give or take." With Rinky Dink next to her and attaching itself into the drive. "I will do the best I can to aid both of your guns, Bors. Ektor. I'm marginally more familiar with this set up than the last." Marginally. Swell. Then she addresses their current driver. "Hard to tell if it is hotter in here or out there."

As Khalim climbs himself up the side of the Firehawk, he slows a moment, sending Tovani a side-long grin and wink. "No promises, but I'll do my best."

The mirialan sprawls himself atop the tank, entering into the prone upon the right-angled glacis plate that parts from the vehicle's cockpit. It affords a partial view within the driver's compartment, though heavily shaded by polarized transparisteel. In front of him a handful of boxes are secured against a ruck rail, labeled as containing field rations. Not much in the way of cover, and only providing it from a limited swath of direction, but he'll take what he can get. <"Khalim in place,"> he alerts over comms, his heavy pistol slipped out of its holster and power cycled.

Corra is in the school circle around Poe Dameron. A blaster pistol at her hip and a vibroblade on her back, she's got her arms folded and a rather blank and severe expression on her face. She listens to the setup. The plan. People around her call out their preferred positions and roles, and Cora reaches down to depress a small switch on the right thigh plate of her armor. It peels open and pops out the hilt of a vibrodagger that she draws, and delicately taps on the inside of that same thigh. It's subtle, the way it hums in her hand. But the way bits of dust shake from its surface is more than enough to tell her that the mechanism within it still works. She taps it again.

"With you," she says to Poe. Seems this strange, quiet young woman would prefer to remain on the ground.

Vega's here, she's not sure what she's doing, but she's here! Maybe because she finally fixed Poe's busted up swoop? The possibilities are endless. "Heard you needed some help." she comments as she joins the party. She carries no guns and the only weapon she has is that lightsaber of hers. She was sure she'd find out where she was needed shortly. Or she'd just try to make little targets out of Stormtroopers.

With everyone loaded up or climbing on the tank, Poe lashes his sling around his forearm and extends the buttstock on the carbine, making it more applicable as a distance-capable platform. Xer is in the anti-personnel gun putting him just below the main gun (and a bit forward) where he can independently turn and engage using a rotary anti-personnel laser cannon. The main gun is a long barrel, capable of 180 degrees of motion and directly tied to the targeting computer inside being manned by Lt Ulani Kalgaav, who sits next to the driver, Tovani Enno. Everyone else is riding along outside, or humping (hiking) with the Resistance troops.

Poe yells over the sound of the repulsor engines, <<"LET'S PUNCH IT.. MOVE OUT!">>

The tank begins to move out, thanks to Tovi's driving, and they pivot toward the park. The tank has some trouble shifting to high speeds, so it has to move slow but that's probably good for the large group of troops moving along with it.

Things didn't start to pick up until they were at the park. A single light armor vehicle sits at the top of a hill operating as a relay point for military comms. It seems to be a small checkpoint chocked full of Stormtroopers and mercenaries. Poe's voice cuts over the comms, <<"REMEMBER, WE'RE PUNCHING THROUGH. ENGAGE, BUT IT'S LIKE.. I DON'T KNOW.. DRIVE BY SHOOTING? WE'RE THUGS OR SOMETHING!">> Poe points to Ektor, then points up the hill toward all that juicy infantry.

Incoming fire rains in from both sides as Resistance forces make their presence known. They emerge from shops, buildings, smaller speeders.. rekking.. everywhere. Blaster fire rains in on the Sith controlled location, and the battlehardened stormtroopers fire back. The tank starts taking shots, Resistance members taking hits and getting knocked off its exterior.

<<"OPEN UP.. LET'S PUNCH THROUGH PEOPLE!">> Poe yells, his voice already haggard as he raises his weapon to engage the BAD GUYS, of which there are TOO MANY TO COUNT.

Ektor climbs atop the hovertank's turret as the rest of the tank crew drops inside. Taking a moment to survey the ground around them with a dumb grin. "Heh. Lookit us: all heroic and drek," he snickers before dropping inside and working toward the tank's anti personnel gun. He's deceptively large for a pilot, and the quarters are very cramped. As the Firehawk roars into motion, the pirate chuckles to himself, for no apparent reason. As Tovani guides the hovertank toward their designated assault point, Ektor mutters over the comms, <<"I hear you, Pretty Boy: rekk em up and run. I got targets.">> Those inside the tank hear it loudest, but those outside might even hear him laughing. "Ain't so proud of them fancy formations NOW, yeah? HAhaha! Run, Hutt-suckers!" He... might yell like this the whole time.

Ulani isn't exactly riding shotgun in the tank. No, that would be Ektor and, to a greater extent, Bors. But she /is/ riding passenger to the driver and that's pretty damn close to shotgun. In a tank. Pulling her goggles over her eyes, Ulani straps herself in and gives Rinky a pat on the head. "Gonna help me out today or just scream a bunch?" To an aside, Ulani tilts her head in Tovani's direction. "He's a screamer. Don't mind him."

As they start to roll along, the young redhead is keeping her eyes peeled on her screens. It's a ways down the line before something beeps at her and her hands are in motion. <<"Head's up. Several signatures coming into range.">> With expert quickness, she spies the armoured vehicle and brings her systems in to narrow on the coordinates. <<"Bors, dear. If you would be so kind?">>

<"By the Mother I think I understand..."> Bors is looking over the various controls for the cannon he has taken over, helmeted head lifting to turn his visored gaze on Ektor, <"It's as though someone wanted to see what happened if you made an A-Wing's engine systems into a gun..."> looking back to the controls - the power dial meant to divert engine power into the focusing array of the massive plasma cannon. A little twiddling with the control dial a little.

It gives a little, past the maximum mark.

It goes a whole three centimeters past - and the readouts are wiggling in response.

A careful look to one side, then the other. A marker stylus comes out of his utility belt and a small, red, 11 is placed at the furthest point the settings can go beyond ten.

<"That's right darling, trust in Bors and you shall see stars and breathe only thrill."> gently petting the side of the main system readout monitor. <"There there..."> Sensor reading locks on the light vehicle and when all of the glowy lights begin to do their little sparkling dance both thumbs come down on the firing studs to unleash a crimson pillar that strikes on one side and cores through to burst out the other - sending the troop transport skidding on its repulsors several meters before it becomes a flaming mushroom cloud from heat differential.

<"By the father...">

Everything is sticking, worn down through the years so that she has to use her grip and a lean of her body to get the tank out of park and into drive. As the gears grind together and they propel forward, the thing shakes and rumbles to life as it transitions. She lets out a breath and lets her hands rest on the controls as she aims them in the direction of their goal. She glances back at the others in their gunner seats and huffs out a breath. "Sounds like we got some bodies that want fun, we can give em fun." This said for both the gunners and Ulani, a glance given to her.

"Not to worry, have heard worse. If they keep them off of us, all the better. Scream all you want." She shifts the gear again and another grinding sound eminates as the tank comes within range of shoe firing, the two gunners taking out the first obstacle in their way causes the tank to shudder with the power of the arsenal attached to it.

"So it begins."

Kohnner flanked outwards with the resistance troopers, somewhere in the middle of a squad as they approached the first check point. Automatically his hand went the the hilt of the blade at his left hit, ready to draw it when the time was right. Behind his armor, an augmented reality system allowed him to hone in on a few troopers. He knew rapid movement was needed and that he didn't have the time to finish any of the sith troopers off if he only injured them. He picked a target as he moved at the quickstep towards the check point, his white cloak flowing as he moved. Noting a rather weak spot in the armor, he drew his blade, a glint shining as the sharp metal rang out. He slashed and almost eviscerated the midsection of one. He didn't stop to look, instead moving on to slash at his partner whom was stunned by the attack. Not enough to miss dodging. Kohnner got him on the third try, injuring him as he sliced along the back while the trooper attempted his escape from the Klatooinian.

As their heavy repulsortank lumbers along, Khalim scans that bit of ground he can see from his sprawl atop that glacis plate, ahead through to about ninety degrees. It takes all of about a half-moment on the receiving end of that incoming barrage of small arms fire, scorching the vehicle's armored exterior, for the mirialan to reconsider the wisdom of his exposed position. He slides himself over the edge, ends up hanging for a moment, then drops to the ground to join those resistance troopers seeking cover and returning fire upon his side of the road.

Suddenly, to his left, a Sith anti-armor team is spotted positioning a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. The spotter's angular Stormtrooper helmet swivels in Khalim's direction just as the mirialan is extending his barrel forward, sighting, and with a quick double-tap spears each with a furious bolt of bright gold.

Khalim continues moving, keeping pace with the tank rumbling forward to his left.

Cora Das is riding along the backside of that tank as it rounds the corner and into the park. There's a tension in the air. A static that feels as if it could break at any moment. The young woman turns to look towards where the main tank turret is starting to swivel, and that's when all Hell breaks loose. Anti-personnel fire erupts from the front turret, and Cora Das hops off of the armored plated vehicle to help clear a path. While most of the soldiers appear to be taking pot shots at the tank itself, a few have begun to run towards it, explosives in hand, to disable it.

Instead, the three charging towards the tank's starboard treads encounter Cora Das instead. That vibrodagger hums through the air, plunging beneath the helmet and into the chin of one storm trooper. She pushes a little harder to sink it all the way in, and then pulls it back. With a little flick of her wrist she sends that dagger to the back. She steps towards the second trooper and plunges the dagger backwards into their belly, sliding it off the side with maintained inertia and momentum towards the third.

Another swing, this one blocked inches from the soldier's belly. She shoves them off and they, wisely, make their retreat, allowing Cora to return to the tank.

<<"Right behind you,">> she calls out to Kohnner. The still-vibrating dagger has shed the blood on its blade already. It rolls off that surface like water on a hot pan.

Vega's ebony robes flutter in the breeze when she brings the lightsaber up to bare and there's no smile from the Echani. There's really nothing there for the moment as the lightsaber is ignited and she moves towards the first target available. There's the 'wummm' sound as she misses the first swing, but the second swing connects, dropping the target that she had set her eyes on. Then she's lining up the next swing.

Thanks to the excellent driving, the tank makes an easy transition from duracrete to terra-firma, tearing up the ground from the friction of repulsors as they ROARED their way up the hill of the park and toward the mountainous valley where the dam lay.

Between them, a light armor vehicle was being used as a communications relay point and was not prepared for heavy armor fire. So when it went up suddenly from a high-velocity dual purpose shot, it was spectacular to see. Concussive kinetic force spread out in a wide arch, shaking the trees violently before the sound caught up and a tower of smoke and fire stretched skyward in a mushroom cloud. A HUGE BOOM shook everything, shattering glass from buildings along the streets. Punctuated between the booms, a rotary cannon fires at the cyclic rate, raining in red lances of cannon fire the pick apart the element of stormtroopers and mercenaries caught on the high ground and silhouetting themselves. Some were picked off, some were literally transformed into pink mist as armor shattered.

The enemy line was already devastated, their means of communication gone, smoke wrecking havoc on visibility, and Resistance troops taking advantage of the chaos to charge up the hill with the tank and its escort.

It's when the tank crests the hill, tipping down with a thunderous roar that the opposing forces realized how bad they were in it for. Troopers at close range met melee professionals, while marksman like Poe, picked off a few of the NCOs from a distance. The battle at the hill top is absolute. Chaos. Thankfully, the tank did not stall. Tovi kept the old girl purring, and they pushed through the check point leaving death and destruction in their wake, but the worst was yet to come.

Incoming sniper fire began to ring out from the distant dam, and five (5) light armor units began to move to intercept some 300 kilometers out.

<<"DISEMBARK, AND MOVE BEHIND THE TANK.. WE HAVE ANTI-ARMOR TEAMS IN THE OPEN!">> Poe screams over the comms as he slides off the tank at a clipped pace, his limp emphasized (an old war wound.) Poe motions for the Jedi, Vega, to stay close, as the Resistance begins to move across the open, using smoke grenades to hide their approach. Within seconds, stormtroopers are within melee range, trying to charge the tank with ion grenades.

"Oh, I was talking about Rinky Dink," Ulani clarifies with another pat of her R2-RD unit's dome. "But Ektor and Bors are quite the screamers, as well." She doesn't go into detail. That is a statement best left solely to the vivid imaginations of others. It is this kind of humour that keeps her semi-distracted from the devastation just beyond the shell of the tank in which they reside.

Her uneasiness to the explosion and battle sounds beyond is palpable; something she's never quite shaken since joining onto the various war efforts. Working brings her into focus. Working on the tech-side of things even more so. Ulani drowns herself into that focus, staring at the blips on her screen as they are easier to think of instead of the actual targets beyond. <<"Technie. Got a lock for you.">> And indeed it does. The guidance system blinks a bright green and then into red for Bors to do with that what he may.

"Sure thing, Buh-Bors: big gun go boom, yeah?" Ektor cracks back to the main gunner above him. As the tank crests the hill and the Firehawk drives into the thick of the foe in a bid to break through, the rapidly cycling fire burns without relen wreaking terrible havoc on the Sith formations. "See, the surrounded us- that was their first mistake," he is drawling lazily. "Now I can't even miss. You'd think they know better by now, yeah?"

<"I'll build a lonesome fortress, clung to Aldera Mountain Side, where she can sit and view me as I go passing by, where she can sit and view me whilst I'm marching on..."> singing to himself while twisting controls before announcing <<"Traversing right, continual.">> to alert the people on top of the repulsor craft - targeting systems feeding into his helmet's HUD now, external cameras following the turn of his head and giving indicators for the location of the target sized up for him by Ulani,

<"EKTOR!? DID YOU KNOW THAT THESE THINGS USED TO ALWAYS HAVE GIANT BELT TREADS INSTEAD OF ANTI-GRAVS?">> House history lessons on the Method of Warefare Utilized by Primitive Sentience from his tender years finally comes into play and Bors seems quite happy to share those lessons heaped on him by private tutors and other things 'ugh'd' at by the over privileged children of noble lineage. <"ISN'T THAT WILD? AS I BELIEVE THEY SAY...">

Switching suddenly to comms.

<<"PRETTY BOY, THAT'S THE RIGHT PHRASE, YES? ISN'T THAT WILD?">>

Thumbs press again and a lance of coalesced energy spears like the finger of angry gods into the forward panel of the doomed vehicle, metal deforming and seeming to twist into a spiral before it comes apart in a hail of metal and burning detritus.

There is a simple nod to Cora before Kohnner continues along. He managed to make his way up the hill, despite the red bolts of blaster-fire blasting down around him, throwing up bits of dirt and shrapnel. He continued at a full march upwards, despite those who might have died around him. He wasn't hit, despite the sith troopers trying their damn near hardest.

As they crested it was obvious they might be slowed down a bit. He kept his eyes open as they moved through the freshly popped smoke, catching sight of a trooper running his way towards their tank with a disabling grenade. The Klatooinian struck out, causing the trooper to dodge. Yet this put them off balance, giving Kohnner the opportunity to slash once and then impale them through the weaker midsection of the trooper's armor. He had to put his boot on the body and pull in order to free his blade. The Canine flicked his blade of blood before searching for his next target.

"Yep...screamers," Tovani is listening but her responses are half there as she keeps her sights on those ahead of them, her narrowed view enough to allow her to take note of the probably danger incoming. She lets out a sound from her seat and glances back, <"All those outisde, shifting lef..."> That was shifting left and as the hover tank under her control starts to strafe, she leans into it to try to help herself along. She makes a sound, teeth gritting as they are struck, armor being winged off the tank but not putting it out of commission.

THe controls shake in her hands but she is quick to bring them back slowly, trying not to take out one of their's using the tank as cover. "Everyone okay?" She asks of those inside the tank, checking Ulani who is nearest her first before she waits for the calls of the screamers. Granted if they are silent that is news enough. <"How is everyone outside?"> Please don't let her have knocked one of them over. <"Tank is still operational but we need to avoid taking hits...ready to move.">

Dismount and fan to rear. Khalim, already dismounted, pushes - along with an element of resistance troopers - to right and away from the lumbering form of their heavy tank. Infantry lugging the right weaponry, up close and personal, would be VERY bad news for their mission. For that tank. For the wroonian manning the driver's station within that forward armored compartment.

And sure enough, as he quick-steps forward, another anti-armor team can be seen setting up their short range guided missile tube. It's positioned, the operator beginning to lase the tank when Khalim opens fire, murdering both their heads with precisely aimed blaster bolts. They're bright gold and rather pretty though, so at least they had that going for them.

Cora turns to cough when the particles of the resistance's smoke bombs hits her lungs. Her tongue licks out to wet her lips a moment or two later, blaster fire erupting in the far distance and crashing towards her. It's impossible to dodge anything like this. There's just dumb luck. Red plasma rips into the side of the tank rather than her armor, and she slowly draws the flat of the blade along the outside of that take. It rattles against it, vibrating in her palm. She keeps close to Kohnner and the Jedi, her blue eyes lifting to that green saber and taking it in for the first time.

She watches it carve through a soldier and, a moment or two later, watches the wielder take a direct shot. From the smoke, more infantry pours forward, ion grades at the ready. One tries to square their stance and hurl it, but instead finds Cora's blade drawing through their brachial artery. The second is greeted with a plung of that dagger down into their shoulder. The blade doesn't reach deep enough to hit anything vital, but judging by the scream, it certainly hurts. Cora gives them a rough push away and turns to make her way back to the wounded Jedi.

<<"Infantry have ion grenades and are trying to get close. Eyes up.">> she calls out over comms.

"You," to Vega, "Are you alright?"

Vega catches Poe's motion to keep close, but, she's a blaster bolt magnet and that is proven when one of the storm troopers shoots her in the leg, "I'm fine." she waves it off. Before anyone can fuss about it. She does use the anger from the wound though and she cuts down to of the armor troopers with two quick strikes. She doesn't look happy, but this is war and it wasn't a happy thing. Cora question gets a nod, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Lightsaber's make us targets that stick out." she salutes her with a sudden smile.

Poe has begun to move forward, pausing only when Vega has taken a hit. "YOU GOOD?!" Poe calls back, turning slightly to gun down two stormtroopers in quick succession. Resistance members rush past Poe, eager to bring the fight to the infantry holding the dam. It's the first time they've managed to get THIS far in the fight. Tension is high, but so is morale. Cheers erupt when the rotary cannon is laying waste to infantry charging from the front, but those calls for victory are silenced when a portion of the tank's armor is lanced right off, sending the tank through a small spin.

Ion troopers are dealt with thanks to close combat defenders, but snipers continue to lay havoc on Resistance troops alike. Soldiers are picked apart by a line of precision shooters further up the open field. It's so bad that the Resistance troopers are not making much progress up the hill. It's not because of the troops who have made it up close though, those have hunkered down, firing blindly and running wild from turret fire.

<<"YEAH, THAT'S THE PHRASE, BUHBORS!">> Poe calls back. Hearing Vega is good, Poe nods and starts to move up, positioning himself behind the tank and engaging the troops along the flanks. <<"GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE SNIPERS! THEY'RE PICKING US APART!">> Poe's voice is hoarse, but he seems calm, moving along the position and watching their overall objective and big picture. He seems tied up in making sure people keep moving and using smoke!

Ektor hollers at Bors, <<"I'm right below you, Buh-Bors, you ain't gotta use the comms- drek-">> Switchi g off the comm, he resumes hollering, "You ain't gotta use the comms, yeah? And SURE I knew that, lotta armor in the Cluster still uses treads, yeah? Repulsors is expensive, yeah?" His commentary on the state of supply in the Back Spiral of the Tion cluster is interrupted when the tank jolts with a glancing hit. He calls lazily back to the driver, "Ain't no more dizzy than when I woke up this morning, yeah?" You could have just said 'fine', Ektor.

Speaking of screaming, there is a lot of it in her ear. Some of it is casual yelling and others are that of people getting shot or running for cover. Then there is sudden THUM! of a glancing blow that rattles the tank and strips away some armour plating. "You boys okay?" Blue eyes look over towards Tovani who is in her own world trying to not let them all get blown up.

Ulani shakes her head clear a little and returns to her tasks, but the lock doesn't come in as quickly. <<"They're faster than you would think they could be...">> Next to her, Rinky Dink offers a bit of helpful advice. Helpful to him, anyways. "We'll call that Plan B, Rinky. Okay? A power surge like that would take out our people, as well."

KRRR ZRRRR.

"No, Rinky." Click. <<"Another your way!">>

<"Blast it all, dratted snipers..."> something he is less able to focus the immolating wrath of the Firehawk onto with his present position, one hand on a stanchion over his head when the tank jostles, <"Rude!"> helmet vocalizer masking -none- of the indignation there while a foot pedal rotates the main gun again.

<<"Does anyone have any missiles??">>

It's a valid question, after all, the end of the main gun barrel beginning to glow and bright waves of heat and light burst from the breaks top and bottom when the latest lance of... Alderaanian Fury (?) issues, put into a two second continuous burst that sweeps the top half off of the LAV bracketed by Ulani - the separated section, shifting and starting to slide off before the explosion hurls it pinwheeling into the air.

<<"Ektor, do we have any missiles?">>

Snipers. Annoying, troublesome snipers. They were picking off the republic soldiers and Kohnner had the better sense to do something about it. He started to run, moving across the uneven battlefield. He was easy to spot, not exactly wearing camouflage colors, his cloak fluttering away behind him as he picked up speed. So of course they shot at him. One bolt zipped over his head. The other impacted a tree to his right, setting it on fire.

Kohnner would have gotten there and started a massacre but of course that old cramp from the other day reared its ugly head. He howled and tripped onto all fours. He took a moment, catching his breath before standing up right once more and continuing forwards.

<"We have two more incoming!"> Tovi calls out in preparation. <"Brace!"> The first shot goes wide as the Wroonian eases the tank out of the way with something near grace. Graceful tank. But that causes the next shot another glancing blow as the tank shudders and rocks those inside, the motions translating through the hull as she blinks and stares ahead. "This is certainly not the place of serenity right now. When people are shooting at you...so very little to be found."

But the driver, blue skinned and gold eyed has a handle on her controls and is making certain they continue to eat up ground as the tank continues to move - which si what they want but not all they could ask for.

<"Going to try to keep us rolling...do what you can but they got a great big target on our side."> She glances back again, giving Ulani a nod but its hard to make sure that there are those outside that she is still offering some protection to as well as not running them over inadvertently.

The resistance trooper flanking Khalim to his right suddenly disappears from the mirialan's peripheral vision. A quick glance shows the grisly effects of a Sith sniper, and that's when all hell begins breaking loose from sniper nests just beyond pistol range.

It simply wouldn't do to have this little mobile unit whittled down to a tank and a quartet of dismounts, nor to simply remain exposed like this. Khalim's response... to run. He moves between cover as best he can, bounding from point to point as the handful of snipers he can distinctly see near. Fortunately, they do not see him. It provides for an excellent flanking shot against one Sith marksman, who receives a pair of quickly dispatched bolts, in rapid succession. The tibana-assisted charges scream forth, one geysering a bit of earth at the soldier's side, but the other... it takes him upon the side of his chest, scoring through plasteel for an immediate kill.

Cora Das silently maneuvers in front of Vega when a hail of blaster fire descends on them. Her goal was simple -- prevent the Jedi from taking another shot. Mercifully, none of the incoming fire strikes home, and she gives one last look of acknowledgement to the Jedi over her shoulder and nods. "Stay safe," she says. When the communication channel lights up with chatter about snipers, Cora tips her head to the side and activates her communications device. <<"Acknowledged. Moving to clean up those snipers. Can anyo--">> she starts to say, but sees a high-angled charge of plasma rip down towards the advancing infantry. <<"Target acquired.">>

She begins to run towards where she thought the incoming sniper fire was located but, when she emerges from the smoke, the trajectory is off. She has to veer course and make way towards the sniper's holdout. Without fear, she sprints directly towards them. The first shot misses high by a long shot, but the second... less fortunate. It hits her right leg and causes her to stumble silently. No cry of pain and, a moment later, she begins to move again towards them, knife held down at her side.

Vega's head dips to Cora again before she's turning to square off against more of the armored enemy. She might be short, but she makes up for that in lightsaber swinging. She cuts another trooper down and completely misses the other that she was aiming for, "I was just practicing." she whispers as she gathers herself back up into a fighting stance.

Poe moves up with the rest of the Resistance, braving the incoming sniper fire to climb the hill at a sprint. When he crests it to find the line of snipers taking shot after shot, he's not alone. He opens fire from the flank, clipping a sniper enough to injure them, but it doesn't end his life or career.

Meanwhile, Resistance troopers have repurposed the ion-grenadier anti-armor weapons and have begun to chase down one of the flanking tanks in an effort to take it out using their own weapons. It's a comical show, to be honest, an enemy light armor vehicle coming to a halt, then backing up suddenly to get away from personnel chasing it on foot!

Three light armor vehicles are between the Resistance and the dam, and a rocket crew has joined the fray, setting up about 100m from the sniper nest. One is a spotter, one hoists up a rocket-kit and begins to sight in the tank.

The Resistance has made it to the sniper nest, inspired by Khalim, Cora, Kohnner, Vega, and Poe to up their game.

Turret fire lays waste to a flanking group of stormtroopers, leaving pockets of fighting around the tank and up ahead. It's looking like this position has run out of garrisoned units to throw at this assault.

"No we ain't got missiles-" Ektor starts, before amending, "Well, *I* got a missile, but the tank can't shoot it, yeah?" Ektor curses colorfully as the tank rocks with a second hit. "Hey, Blue: how many more of those can we take?" Rude, Ektor. He looks back out the viewfinder, and spots the enemy rocket team getting into position. "Hey look: missiles!"

SHHHHHKKKK!

The tank lurches again to another hit and Rinky Dink screams that electronic squeal. Ulani, too, gives a yelp that has her gripping her console out of instinct. "Oh, dear. Oh, dear, oh, dear." That is the sound of mild yet proper Kuati panic. The blips are disappearing quickly -- steadily. Yet the hits keep connecting. <<"You are all doing a wonderful job but-- AH!">> Her console sparks with a snapPOP forcing her to jerk her hand back. <<"Everything is okay!">>

Everything is okay. Okay?!

Ulani picks between two targets and quickly sends the lock on up. <<"I'm afraid I must insist, gentlemen.">>

Tovi can hear the sounds of Ulani behind her, "We got this, you just do your thing....and I will make sure we stay in one piece...HEY GUYS! SCREAM LOUDER! I THINK THAT HELPED YOUR AIM!" The Wroonian is adjusting, moving her focus of the tank towards a sudden pull to the left, "MOVING LEFT!" Might as well let the gunners know as well as their tech. The next anti-tank shot that aims straight at them WOOSHES by as she lets out a held breath, the tank shuddering only so much as the extreme demands she makes on it in regards to its movements. Her head turns, glancing back before forwards once more. "Clear...we are clear I think. For the moment. They missed."

Her hands are shaking as adrenaline spikes through her system, her eyes narrowing as she hits the gas and starts to move them forward, faster. "All praise to the fates who are guiding us this day. May they find us in their favor and continue to shelter us within it."

Checking his scopes, Bors smacks the side of his helmet first. Then again. Then the main instrument panel. Within his helm his mouth opens, about to cite the pair of spotter and launcher wielder, one hand even raised and finger extended, most nobly to the sky, when his scopes reveal to him the barrage of hellfire and the notion of what Missile Ektor has mentioned in his most juvenile of means.

<"Ah."> a shrug and he is at his controls once more, seeing a new locked signature and begins the ponderous action of rotating the turret. It takes so long. It's like an overlong countdown to the fireworks. Show. Is it worth it?

<"I'll find you in the morning suuun... and when the night is new."> kicking up two octaves on the last note before he lets loose a shot that slams into thick side armor, shoving the LAV along the ground, turning it into a lazy spill while it seems to inflate, shake, and burst like an overripe melon,

<"I'll gaze at the nebuuulaaaaaaa"> the shockwave of the explosion rattles the frame of the repulsor tank and wreckage soars skywards, <"But I'llll be seeeing yooooou!">

• click. click. click* HUD systems taking stills of the detonation.

Kohnner had picked himself up, and of course with continuing on towards the sniper positions meant he was going to get shot at again. There was a sort of defiant growl that came from him and he made his way up to their position, cresting it just ad Poe finished firing. He uses the berm as a jumping point, pulling his blade up and bringing to down right through the helmet of a sniper as he was moving to take aim at the Canine. He howled once more, though it wasn't as intimidating or loud as it came through his helmet's Vocorder. He pulled his blade from the twitching but lifeless body of his initial prey before choosing another... who in a good display of smarts was disengaging and attempting to get away from the big space dog. His first swing was met with nothing but air, but the strength of the movement caused a whipping sound though the humid air of Thyferria's jungle. He slashes again, this time lunging forwards a bit to get that extra reach. The blade struck, digging into the joint where shoulder blade meets breast plate on trooper plasteele armor.

Right into one of those sniper's nests does Khalim wade, and shavit goes as sideways as one might imagine. One stormtrooper lays in the prone, eye to an optic, but his spotter - the stormtrooper kneeled at his side wielding a pair of macrobinos - begins to rise upon noting the mirialan's arrival.

There's a sense of unconstrained violence in the man's movement as Khalim springs forward. Body held low, the mirialan presents a compact target, the barrel of that heavy Mandalorian pistol swinging in an arc. Two targets. Two shots. One after the other bolts of brilliant gold streak forth. The prone trooper is missed, startled by the geyser of dirt that erupts next to his head. But that spotter... he sees the barrel's traversal stop and fix. For just the barest of moments.

He does not see that final streak of gold, nor does he feel it scores through a helmet lens, into the eye behind it. Nor the feel of sandbags against his body as he crumples over that firing position. He'll never feel anything, ever again.

It takes a bit of extra time for Kohnner and Cora to arrive in the sniper's next, but when they do... it's a bloodbath. Cora's vibrodagger plunges into the hand of the one who had shot her in the leg. They cry out behind their helmet, but that cry is cut off by a hard, wet sound as she drives that dagger through their throat. She pushes them off and onto the ground and turns to watch Kohnner take a swing at the last standing trooper. A few steps further, and she's close enough to glide her vibrodagger through a seam in that armor just below the largest vertebrae in the neck bone. In and out.

<<"The sniper threat has been eliminated,">> she says into comms, and then reaches down to unfasten the right thigh plate of her armor. The skin their is scorched, red and raised. A brief survey of the injury yields a soft 'hmph' from the woman, and then she's buckling the plate back on and tucking her dagger back into the holster in that very plate.

A nod is given to Kohnner just before Cora exits the sniper next to return to the tank and the other members of the resistance.

Vega's not afraid of getting shot, if she did she'd wear heavier armor. Instead she's just out here in her robes. Death Wishes were real, children. The Echani spins, trying to evade the incoming fire from the snipers and others, "Quick feet." she mutters to herself! Then she swings the lightsaber, missing both of her hits and there is a deep glower that is given to the trooper that she's closest to.

Another light armored vehicle goes up in a spectacular explosion, this round finding fuel cells that /immediately/ ignite. The remaining armor breaks off, hauling ass for the surrounding woodlands and mountains in a passionate effort to survive the assault. Meanwhile, pockets of fighting begin to give way to a Resistance dominating fight. Soldiers are cresting the hill toward the dam after Xer obliterated the rocket crew with precise cannon fire!

Poe stays behind their tank, observing the last bit of the fight taking place and watching as the light armor makes for the hills to escape damnation. <<"BEST PUT THEM DOWN TOO.. DON'T NEED ARMOR SNEAKING UP ON US! EVERYONE ELSE, PUSH TO THE DAM!">>

The dam is a massive structure, connecting two mountains and holding a massive river back. It's no surprise this structure is the source of power for the city below. Built onto the structure is a landing pad capable of supporting a number of large vessels, or a squadron of fighters. Make shift fighters are already there, remnants of the mercenary ships. Aside from controlling the power in the city, having an air strip was really strategic!

One more left. It's almost zen-like to have only a singular target to worry about. Yet worry Ulani does: fretting over this last lock as if it were the last soft cake in the fridge and someone is about to come home. <<"One more then I think we're in the clear, mmm?">> There's the hopeful Ulani again as the battlefield continues to clear.

She gets that precious lock on and nearly hand-delivers it to the nobleman at the big gun. <<"There we are. Sorry to say we must light one more up, but we will say a prayer to the Gods for them.">> And they had their chance to run.

"What you want me to scream? Cause no lie: my aim is feeling pretty rekkin good, yeah?" Ektor hollers back to the driver as the forward turret lands a particularly punishing salvo on a squad of stormtroopers. "Hehehe.. I like it when the helmets go flying," he observes with a dumb chuckle. <<"Putting em down ROUGH, yeah?">> Not everyone feels bad about this.

<<"Copy, Pretty Boy!">> a heavy HWUH-KLONGHK followed close by the throaty rumble of the turret moving chasing Bors's acknowledging Poe's recommendation. Even having the gall to lift an arm to mime as if he were checking a wrist chrono and then slumping backwards. Arms hanging and head lolled back - following his traversal within the HUD link so that he might have his jape - and sighs heavily onto his comms.

<"By the Mother... how can anyone stand to have as such move so sloooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooow!?"> laying back in his seat, flopped, jostling with each shake and rumble of the tank's movements. Keeping the pedals pressed down, trying to move the function -lower- in the mad hope that he won't have to wait so long.

<"Ulani, my birthday just passed again. I am but an old man, frail and withered and fearful of your looking to younger, more spry, and less Ektor types to replace me."> head turning towards the red head, <"Promise me not Ektor. He should never allow me rest for it. My infirm years a torture being cast scorn upon me by that one eyed pyro-"> sitting up suddenly and opening fire on the fleeing LAV,

<"HA HA! I AM INVIGORATED BY THE THRILL OF WHAT WAS INEVITABLE BATTLEFIELD GLEE!"> not even watching the explosion once the system reports a sold hit, pointing at Ektor now <"I BELIEVE THE KNAVISH TERM TO BE FOISTED TO THEE IS GET REKKED HUTT SUCKER! NARY SHALL MY LADY DEAR BE SWEPT AWAY BY YOUR RAKISH, PIRATE CHARMS. OH THEE HANDSOME DEVIL! I HAVE BESTED THEE AGAIN, INEXPLICABLY! CALOO CALAY!"> clapping his hands and pointing at the view image of the shrapnel and flames rising into the sky.

Victory is his.

As the sniper position is secured, the group moves on to head up further towards the dam. The Light tanks are on the run and their own heavy tank was mopping up any attempt at pocketed resistance. Kohnner knew better than to get in the way of a gunner and his fun. Seeing the battle nearing it's possible conclusion, he let the resistance soldiers charge ahead while he moved with a more leisurely pace up the hill towards the damn. He took out a cloth and started to clean his blade of the dirt, grim, and blood all mixed together. By the time he reaches the damn, the job is done and his blade is sheathed at his side once again, hidden by his hooded cloak.

As the last of the threat to the tank is taken out, Tovani lets out a long breath as she adjusts for the damage and beigns to guide them along their path. Her attention shifting back towards their path ahead. Smooth sailing from here on out, or so it would seem. There is a crooked grin on Tovani's face as the yelling from behind fillsthe interior of the tank. She blinks a few times, shoulders lifting as the adrenaline abates and she gets the sense the lvel of volume is not one meant for conversing. It can not be.

She leans forward to pear out her viewport before her, the tank still rumbling forward to draw them the rest of the way up the hill. Slow as it may be.

That surviving stormtrooper pivots to one side, a stubby sidearm sliding out of an integral holster attached to that boxy utility belt. But Khalim is right there, looming, and the mirialan drives an immobilizing knee into the soldier's upper arm. He'd counted his shots, and though this is entirely the WORST moment to need a slam a fresh magazine into his own pistol, one falls to dirt as he slips another out of a pouch and slams it home. It's a practiced motion taking but a moment, fortunately not a moment too long as his weapon is jammed at the base of the stormtrooper's helmet. A shouted cry - a mixture of fear and frustration - eminates from within that suit.

Until it does not.

Khalim pulls the trigger, letting an incendiary bolt loose. It enters just below that meeting of bodygloved neck and helmet bottom, and there's a sharp crack as a ring of fire surrounds an exit hole cradling the back of the trooper's head.

"It was you or me," he says, voice a low grate. Strained. The mirialan may have learned much of this life, but he was, in the end, no soldier. This day would weigh upon him, as many others had before.

Cora, her dagger placed back into its housing, begins to make her way down from the sniper nest towards where the remaining members of the resistance are making a final push through. Ektor's turret fire lays waste to whole hosts of stormtroopers, and the tide of battle is turning. She takes another moment to check on her leg, unstrapping that plate from her thigh and peeling back the frayed and scorched fabric of the soft shell beneath. It's past pink now. A wound has begun to form, blood pooling beneath the surface. Superficial, but painful.

She does her best to place the fabric of that hard shell back into place and then re-tensions the plate onto her thigh. She maneuvers quickly back towards the tank to join the crew within as well as her fellow members of the ground team.

She keeps mostly quiet, but she does make the point of tugging out the ties that have held her hair up into a tight little bun on the back of her head. The day is won, after all.

Time to let your hair down, girl.

She turns her big blue eyes towards the dam and tips her chin up to follow it all the way to the top. A brief smile tugs at the top of her lip at an idle thought, but it vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

Cheers have begun to erupt from the members of the Thyferran Resistance as the last bits of sith-hired mercenaries retreat or are summarily executed. It's a celebration that's well-earned. She's reminded of a joke she heard at an operation some years back and she opts to try it here, amongst her new acquaintances.

"Who hungry?" she deadpans, but the delivery's so bad it's probably funny.

Vega's not blood thirsty and she's also not a grandstander, she's here for support. Sharing the field was a thing. She makes her way back to the tank and there she pulls out her tool kit, "Poor thing." she frowns as she sets to working on patching up things. Unless someone stopped her she was going into full Gremlin mode for this.

Poe crests the top of the hill and allows his E-11 to lower a bit, the buttstock chicken winged between his arm and his side. It seemed the dam was taken and the last light armor vehicle was destroyed. He places two fingers to his ear as he walks over to one side, taking cover as troops from the Resistance jog by with wounded. <<"See Resistance? I told you I could fix this..">> The haggard voice of the war torn Commander breaks into a chuckle and he starts toward the flight line. <<"Any body a pilot? Let's take some of this up and see what damage we can do.. fight ain't over yet!">>