Open Invasion Dusty Takes A Ploo

[The Storyteller]

The Chief-Administrator rushed down the stairs, beads of sweat dripping from his bipedal shark-like body. Not a strong shark, neither, but the kinda warpy kind you get when sharks evolve in marshlands and with chemical and nuclear waste dumped into their oceans for millenia as megacorporation use the planet as an illegal dump without strict Republic oversight, or indeed due to the wreckages in Ploo IV's deep ocean from an ancient Mandalorian war against the rest of the galaxy. There is a Quermian historian on Ploo IV that really has a unique insight into the evolutionary strain of the Fluggrians.. but I digresss..

<"Late Night Science with Long-Necked Lonny, only on Klenn Channel Eight!">

Morwu passed the screens showing commercials for the television station he owned, which made him chief-administrator in the first place, and now finally reached the underwater train. The entire station was in a sort of leaky bubble. The smell was clearly due to dormant puddles of water and the sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling was unmissable.

Unfortunately it would take a minute before the train arrived, so Morwu took out his DT-12 blaster pistol turned around towards the stairs and tried his best to strike an imposing figure.

Then Dusty Daytona showed up. "Dusty!" Morwu cried, his blaster pistol pointed in the Glymphid's general direction but wasn't yet aimed at thim. Morwu wasn't a trained marksman, after all. He was a politician and media mogul. "Kriffing Glymphid TRASH! You destroyed my cannon!"

Spoiler: OOC

DM now focuses on Morwu Klenn. @Nor'baal and @Darasuum can post in their own posting order since it doesn't affect what happens at the train.

@Fantasy Liver @Darasuum @Nor'baal

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

Unlike Morwu, Dusty had actually been in his fair share of gunfights. It was almost a prerequisite to his past life as a swoop racer turned smuggler. In many ways, he felt far more comfortable getting shot at than puzzling over tax reforms or stripping back trade embargoes or whatever the hell it was he was supposed to enjoy doing as governor.

Since his EC-17 pistol had already been drawn coming down the stairs, it was a relatively straightforward motion to just shoot at Morwun since the Chief-Administrator wasn't shooting at him . Again, Dusty had been in his fair share of gunfights and knew shooting first tended to be the best move in those sorts of engagements.

Of course, he only fired after he toggler the blaster from kill to stun mode. He'd love seeing Morwu's face when he came to and saw Dusty overseeing his planet.

@Eccles

 

[Hauron Solus]

Ploo II

<“Sir, the Commando and the Besieger have reported engine malfunctions. They’re dealing with onboard fires and are trying for a landing at the Capital’s spaceport.”> Hauron’s back straightened and he looked towards the Mandalorian officer who gave him the news. <“What?”> He was surprised but mostly worried for the well being of the Mandalorians onboard and those closer to the two ships and relying on their support in turn. <“For the love of… of course something goes wrong. It always does.”> His head looked towards the ceiling of the ship as he took a deep breath and acknowledged the trickster god’s hand possible in this.

In the next moment the Mikkian shook his head and returned to looking at the projections. He needed to stay focused. <“Alright. Have the starfighters remain in covering formation and make the starport our Forward Operating Base until further notice. The Chief Administrator owes us a starport anyways.”> He knew that he probably would not like that the Mandalorians would occupy this particular port, but a deal to relocate to a different area would be fine as long as the two corvettes got a chance to make repairs first.

<Sir, there’s something else. A Hutt War Barge has taken off and is heading toward us and has already launched a dozen fighters. We’re...being hailed.”> The Mandalorian displayed the image of the Desilijic clan on a display in front of Hauron and the rest of his bridge crew.

The Solus Rally Master stared at the symbol, the image glitching briefly as it rotated slowly. The badger's gloved fingers drummed on one of his vambraces as he pondered the next step. He spoke but not before sighing. <“Dank farrik. Keep a distance from that War Barge and acknowledge.”> He did not want them to get a free opening volley on his people. Time would tell if this war barge was intent to attack them or simply exit the atmosphere and guard the planet below. The Kyramud would continue to perform in its escort duties, putting itself between the Rancor Squad flagship and the climbing war barge. But the Mandalorian Battle group as a whole gave the Desilijic war barge a wide birth, seeming to acknowledge the presence of the Hutt family.

---

Ploo IV

The Ramikad and Ramorir were trying to contain the chaos onboard and still contend with the dangers outside but it was a struggle. The bridge crews guided the large dagger shaped capital ships towards the public starport as trails of smoke were visible from the two ships. There was plenty of space for the pair of ships as they came in for as smooth of a landing as possible given the situation. Every Mandalorian onboard the two ships were essential personnel and would only leave their vessels if abandoning the ship entirely. However there was still a chance to save the two ships in the long run and make a safe landing.

The Ramikad and Ramorir would divert power away from the ion cannons when they no longer had a decent firing arc as they neared the starport. Their placement on the ventral side posed little to no benefit with the ships parking on the surface of the planet. The port and starboard turbo lasers however would still be a danger and able to target any enemies in the sky. Shields would be focused to the top side of the corvettes as the space between them and the floating city narrowed, making it impossible for the remaining Glymphid forces to get an optimal shot and any cannon fire would be absorbed by the Raider pairs' shields.

The Kom’rk duo continued to stay within covering range of the corvettes and fly overhead as they banked towards the starport. They moved between buildings and starships alike, chasing off any A-wings or freighters that were bold enough to attack the larger Mandalorian craft directly.

With the continued support of the local SH-3 gun tugs, the Mandalorian piloted Fang class interceptors had a better chance of matching the A-wings for speed and agility. Meanwhile they excelled at zipping around city buildings and other ships to perform difficult maneuvers. The rotating blade wings of the broadhead like interceptors hit targets on all sides and reduced starfighter shields rapidly with their staggered but precise yellow laser cannon fire.

The Luxury-3000 yacht took two direct turbo laser strikes from the billowing Ramikad with the second causing it to list momentarily before it was hit by another two turbo laser impacts. The cannons were rated light but still packed a devastating amount of fire power and could fire more rapidly as well as track faster targets better. The star yacht’s medium shields were no match against the larger vessel’s attack and it would just be a matter of time before it and the bulk freighter were shot down.

The Bulk IV transport was faring slightly better because it was a larger target and as a result, benefited from stronger shields that almost matched the corvette’s. The bulk freighter’s medium shields were whittled down by the smoking Ramorir as it moved towards the starport but resulted in the armored hull of the bulk freighter receiving a series of light turbo laser impacts along its length. The crew onboard the two larger Glymphid transports would have seconds to possibly get to escape pods.

One after another eight A wings desperately tried to evade either the Fang interceptors, the kom’rk starfighters, the light ion cannons and a set of concussion missiles. But even the best among them would find this a difficult task as their numbers thinned. Explosions in the sky resulted in fewer and fewer Glymphid forces remaining.

The two dozen Mandalorians in the city fired barrages of homing projectiles from wrist mounted whistling birds. These mini-missiles zipped and struck Glymphid targets on their unarmored flanks or pierced into weak sections of infantry. The wrist rockets caused explosions that would devastate even armored targets and blast multiple foot-borne hostiles. The Jetpack missiles were locked in on many of the AT-RT walkers which resulted in their swift destruction as they bloomed into clouds of fire and scrap. Thankfully most of the populace stayed clear of these targets and prevented any damage being done to civilians.

@Nor'baal @Eccles @Fantasy Liver

Spoiler: OOC

Hauron has the Ploo II group moved out of range and acknowledge the hail from Nor'baal's forces.

---

Ploo IV
2x corvettes try to land at the starport and fighting capability is diminished. Cannot take off until further notice.
2x kom’rk transports provide support for corvettes.

8x fang interceptors engage A wings with Flug Tugs.

24x Mandalorians on the ground fired at Glymphid walkers and infantry.

No defense made against continued fight with Mandalorian forces so I assume all attacks prevail as Flugs and Mandos pinch remaining forces. Majority of the Glyphid A-wing squadron, bulk freighter and Luxury-3000 are destroyed.

 

[The Storyteller]

Thankfully Dusty had decided to switch his blaster to stun, giving the Chief-Administrator the split-second he needed not to shoot, but to dash for a nearby pillar to hide behind. Dusty's shot hit the pillar and it immediately began sizzling, for the underwater trainstation was built from a weird somehow wet material and plasma evaporated the moisture and damaged the integrity of the supporting pillar.

More of those misses and the Glymphid would be forced to test his swimming skills against a Fluggrian who, according to the Quermian historian, had once in its evolutionary process been some kind of underwater shark.

From behind his pillar, Morwu seethed with angers. "DUSTY!" he shouted, "I hope those Mandalorians burn your Ploo down!" Just as the Glymphids had done to his beloved capital. Morwu Klenn watched where the entrance to the underwater train would be and realized that he had several meters of open ground to cover. He knew that Dusty would hit him before he reached safety, so there really was only one thing to do...

"May all you Glymphids be swatted like the flies that you are-" he seethed and then stepped out from cover, raised his blaster pistol and fired one shot straight at Dusty's torso.

Spoiler: OOC

DM now focuses on Morwu Klenn. @Nor'baal and @Darasuum can post in their own posting order since it doesn't affect what happens at the train.

@Fantasy Liver @Darasuum @Nor'baal

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

Realizing the folly of trying to engage larger, more skilled, Mandalorain warships, the crew of the yacht and the bulk freighter wisely decided to cut their losses and head to the escape pods, figuring they could do the most good by reinforcing the ground troops below. Fortunately for them, with most of the Fluggrian forces otherwise engaged, they'd have no problem finding isolated areas to crash in and spread out from.

One ship that remained untouched was Dusty's former light freighter, the Faraway Fancy. And, of course, the one A-Wing left in the city. The two of them, decided to head over to the next city over, hoping to either increase their odds of survival or draw some of the Mandalorians with them.

On the ground, the Glymphids were dealing with a Mandalorian strike team as best they could. They ran. Or, rather, they spread out. Anyone not in a walker, ducked into any building or sewer grate they could find, realizing that while they probably couldn't fight Mandalorians head-on but they could at least divide their forces enough to have a fighting chance, taking potshots where they could. The AT-RT walkers, in the meantime, had a different tactic. The ones bunched up near the Capital building began charging towards the Mandalorians, blasting and firing away. Even if their blasts missed, the Mandalorians would soon be swiftly trampled by a mechanical stampede if they didn't get out of the way.

But more importantly than all those skirmishes was the battle in a dingy underwater subway station between two very corrupt political officials. Dusty cursed as his shot missed but kept his blaster trained on the pillar that Morwu was hidden behind, knowing the chief administrator had to make a move sometime. Sure enough, the Fluggrian came out blasting. Having had quite a bit more experience in gunfights than Morwu, Dusty was smart enough to sidestep slightly as Morwu's head came into view and aim three stun blasts at the Flug's center mass. Even if the sidestep wasn't enough to dodge the blast completely, the Glymphid was counting on his blastvest to disperse the bolt's energy and force enough to survive.


@Eccles @Darasuum @Nor'baal

OOC: By my count, a dozen A-Wings started out the battle. Fluggrians knocked out two of them. Mandos destroyed eight of them, leaving two - one attacking the other city's subway and one still flying over Ploo IV.

 

[The Storyteller]

Apparently the Glymphid senator hadn't been distracted by the Fluggrian's words as the latter stepped out from behind the pillar and fired his shot. To the Chief-Administrator's surprise the Glymphid barely moved, no doubt banking on the fact that its torso was very narrow and hard to hit to begin with, and instead returned fire.

Behind them on one of the screens the Quermian historian explained how both species had once coexisted. There had been some evidence that in an earlier evolutionary cycle they cohabited a planet filled with marshland. Fluggrians were still swampland predatory sharks, smaller and more vicious, while Glymphids still had wings. One was forced to fly close to the surface in order to catch their food, making them in turn prey for the shark-like Fluggrians. Before sentience had fully developed the numbers of Glymphid had diminished so severely that a visiting Jedi made the case to the old Republic that the Glymphid were endangered and to save the species they would catch a couple and start a colony on a nearby planet. After the collapse of the old republic, the collapse of the Galactic Empire that followed it and the thrice-over destruction of the Jedi Order, all official records that could prove this version of history had been lost. The Quermian however believed this story to be the foundation of the species' hatred for one another.

It was a familiar story to Morwu Klenn and he didn't listen to it as the three stun bolts hit him square. The Fluggrian Chief-Administrator tensed up and then fell backwards. He was out cold.

His own bolt had also hit Dusty, whose blast-vest had tanked it but couldn't prevent some bruising of the ribs and minor internal bleeding. He'd feel the impact of the shot for a few weeks, for sure.

@Fantasy Liver @Darasuum @Nor'baal

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

"Gah! Karking Flugg! Son of a bitch!" Dusty swore as the blaster bold impacted the side of his blast vest. He'd been hurt worse before but damn if this wouldn't hurt like the dickens for a few weeks. Still, Morwu was out and that meant the battle was entering into its final stages, one way or another. Seeing his Fluggrian rival drop, Dusty rushed over to the chief administrator's side and withdrew Morwu's commlink.

"Hey walker boys, get down here and help me with Morwu. I stunned him." the Glymphid governor said into his own commlink, addressing the two AT-RTs that had taken up point by the subway entrance. Then, keeping his gun trained on Morwu until help arrived. Ordinarily, a comm signal would be hard pressed to send out in this station but, given the amount of holes that had already been shot into the station, the "leaky bubble" was able to be broadcasted from.

"Oy Mandos! Recognize this signal? That's right! I got the guy who's supposed to pay you. He's stunned right now but when he comes to in a few minutes, I'm going to bet he doesn't want to die. So why don't we all stop fighting for a bit and let's talk this over or Fluggy here gets a blaster bolt to the eyes and no one gets paid." Dusty commed to Rancor squadron, using the same frequency that Morwu Klenn had been contacting them with before.

@Eccles @Darasuum

 

[Hauron Solus]

Spoiler: Music

Ploo IV

The Glymphid invaders were tenacious but there was only so much they could do before being forced to retreat into the urban environment. While the Rancor Squadron numbers were relatively few, they made up for it in prowess and firepower for which Mandalorians were known for. The second to last Glypmphid interceptor and civilian light freighter, Faraway Fancy, would begin to flee to the next city over but not without recieving their fair share of harassment until out of range of the capital.

All military aerial units that had traveled from Ploo II to the capital city were shot down under the united Fluggrian and Mandalorian forces, save for a single A-wing which had sped out of the main action to attack the subway line. The dozen Mandalorian ships had sustained damage but nothing that would not be repaired in time. The remaining Fluggrian Gun Tugs would be able to chase down the remaining Glymphid ships if they wanted.

The local Fluggrians ground forces would thin the Glymphid invaders and force any remaining units into hiding lest they risk getting dog piled by the resilient aquatic defenders. The Mandalorian shock troopers would continue to maintain vantage points and avoid the fighting at street level, utilizing their jetpacks with deft expertise. The unarmored and elevated position of the AT-RT walkers would leave their riders exposed and it would be a matter of minutes before any obvious walkers would be subsequently neutralized. The starport where the two corvettes landed safely were being secured by remaining Mandalorian passengers and the crews of the starships.

---

Ploo II

Hauron stood on the bridge of the Dralaalar, wondering if he would see the turbo lasers from the Hutt War Barge fire a barrage their way. But none came, yet. Their starfighter compliment remained in position nearby and came no closer, seeming to be content with holding their defensive position for the time being.

One of the officers indicated a new message from Ploo IV, the same channel used by Chief-Adminstrator Morwu Klenn. But what came through was not his voice. The Solus Rally Master caught his words mid broadcast but could still gather he did not miss much. "kzzt-I got the guy who's supposed to pay you. He's stunned right now but when he comes to in a few minutes, I'm going to bet he doesn't want to die. So why don't we all stop fighting for a bit and let's talk this over or Fluggy here gets a blaster bolt to the eyes and no one gets paid."

Hauron blinked and looked out the view port towards the Hutt capital ship staring back at him amidst the blackish starscape. Taking a deep breath he pressed a digit into the commlink so his voice could be heard. "Governor Daytonus, you have my attention. Tell your troops to surrender and I'll command my Mandalorians to stand down. Wake the Chief Administrator up and let me talk to him, that is...if you want the locals to do the same."

Hauron wondered how leverage Dusty thought he had but the badger would soon discover the depths of the Glymphids delusions. His invasion force was decimated, he was behind enemy lines, outnumbered, outgunned and isolated with a local populace that would oust him and his kind in a matter of time. From what the Mikkian understood, the two planets and their people had been at odds for generations, which was putting it lightly, so it would stand to reason they would not take kindly to the foreign governor's presence. Of all the combatants in the floating capital city of Ploo IV, only a small fraction of them were Mandalorians so perhaps it would be in Dusty's best interest to surrender specifically to Rancor Squadron, lest he be dragged in front of a guillotine or worse.

@Nor'baal @Eccles @Fantasy Liver

Spoiler: OOC

Per Discord discussion, Nor'baal is busy with work IRL but Nor'baal the character is still present on Ploo. Acting accordingly in case he comes back to post.

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

"Alright, alright! I'll tell 'em to stand down as long as you stop your boys and the Flugs from doing gunning them down." Dusty commed Hauron, with Morwu's commlink, reasoning that Rancor Squadron would be able to keep any surviving Fluggrians in check. Assuming the Rancor Squadron leader answered in the affirmative, Dusty would then use his own comm for a broadcast.

"This is your governor speaking. Hell of a job out there, boys. Give yourself a break and stop fighting. I got Morwu and now we're just figuring some things out with the Mandos."
Dusty ordered his own troops, as the two soldiers he'd ordered in the subway station arrived. Stripping Klenn of his blaster, one Glymphid soldier held the Fluggrian in a full nelson, while the other was trying his best to slap the chief-administrator awake. Dusty, noticing a ceremonial knife at Klenn's belt, took the blade for himself and casually twisted it in his hand.

Meanwhile outside the subway station, the remainder of the Glymphid forces did as ordered. The Faraway Fancy, the two A-Wings and the walker transports touched down where they could. The surviving AT-RT walker pilots stopped their machines and raised their hands in the air. The Glymphid ground forces holding out in buildings - whether they were Honor Guardsmen, career soldiers, gun-toting patriots, or conscripted criminals- stopped taking potshots at the Mandalorians too, although there was too much rubble in the city for them to walk out and formally surrender.

Keeping his pistol trained on Morwu with one hand and holding his newly-acquired knife in the other, Dusty waited for his two guys to wake the Fluggrian Chief-Administrator. Once Klenn was up, he'd point the knife at his hated rival.

"Alright you moof milker! You tell your men to stand down. You tell the Mandos to do the same. You tell the Mandos that you're going to use the entire Ploo IV defense budget to pay them for their trouble today. You say anything else, and I will carve you up piece by piece and feed you to the rats here!"
Dusty ordered, shoving Klenn's own knife in his face, relishing this moment. He hoped his threat would be effective; he knew

Morwu was more of a lover than a fighter. Well, actually according to one of his exes, he wasn't much of a lover either but the point was, Dusty figured Morwu didn't have the guts to stomach the thought of being cut up, let alone endure it actually happen to him. One of Dusty's soldiers held up Klenn's commlink for him to speak.

@Eccles @Darasuum

OOC: Since the plot really can't move on until Morwu is conscious, Eccles feel free to timeskip ahead to him waking up.

 

[Hauron Solus]

The Mandalorian would comply and give the appropriate directions to his troops on and over Ploo IV. Glymphids that surrendered to Rancor Squadron forces directly would be stun cuffed and disarmed with care. If there was any doubt, stun bolts would be used to subdue any remaining hostiles. R.S. had a significant bounty hunting community and it would be easy to hold numerous prisoners in captivity apart from the Fluggrian populace. This could insure the Glymphid prisoner's safety just as much as give the Mandalorians some of their own bargaining chips in the process unless they would rather be taken prisoner by the Fluggs.

The Solus checked the controls on his command chair and made sure the connection with the hostage taker was being recorded. "Governor Daytonus..." The Mikkian Rally Master could not help think about his Fluggrian client's wellbeing and his own interests in turn. While Hauron might not hear the threat Dusty made directly to Morwu unless he did so the audio-only commlink, he would dare to send a message to Dusty over the channel originally owned by the Chief Administrator. "...you have the power to decide how this plays out. What is it you want?"

There was no way Rancor Squadron was getting paid from Morwu if he was dead. But that did not leave out the chance his 'successor-in-exile' did not put a bounty on Dusty's head and 'pick up the tab'. But that was a gamble that the mercenary Group Leader did not want to take.

@Nor'baal @Eccles @Fantasy Liver

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

"Well, we're still waiting for Morwu to wake up over here. Heh. Hit him with a couple of stunners. But what I want is Ploo IV and I ain't leaving till I get it. And I'm going to guess Morwu Klenn wants to stay alive, so I think you can see where this situation is headed. Hell, if you're willing to stay onboard a bit and make sure the transition of power goes smoothly, I'll even give you guys the spaceport, Morwu promised. It's not as though there's anyone else left to do business with." Dusty offered to Rancor Squadron, referring to the fact that his troops had blown up the government building. Even if there were still stragglers out there, it was clear that Morwu was as clsoe to ultimate power on the planet as you could get.

@Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

Morwu Klenn awakened as if from a bad dream and on the morning after he had swam from one city to the others. He had never done the latter, ofcourse, but his body did feel as sore as if he had. The Fruggian listened while the Glymphid seemed to negotiate with the Mandalorians and he knew that he had lost. Dusty Daytone had leveraged the Hutt Cartel somehow and now the Mandalorians were afraid enough of a bloody Glymphid of backwater Ploo II to actually be open to regnogiating a deal. Chief-Administrator Morwu Klenn cursed the day Dusty was born.

The Fruggians had been defeated. Their cannon was disabled, their spaceships mostly shot out of the sky and the locals -armed and unarmed- were no match for the destructive capabilities of those cartel walkers. Innocents had already died when the government building was blown up. Innocents had died due to crashing spaceships, transports and walkers. More innocents had died than combatants and.. Morwu didn't give a flick about any of that.

The Glymphid were the Galaxy's most trash species and Ploo II was such an ugly world Morwu would even choose dead marshes with dormant disease-infested waters over the best part of that irrelevant, ugly planet. "Kriff you," he groaned and starting to rise up from the floor slowly, seeing that Dusty was still aiming his blaster at him, "Kriff you and that karking cartel you rode in on."

The shark-like Fruggrian suddenly lunged forwards with the aim to either tear Dusty apart with his teeth, or trash the senator's head off entirely.

@Fantasy Liver @Darasuum @Nor'baal
OOC: Dusty Daytona has effective control over Ploo IV

 

[Dusty Daytonus]

It was over.

Dusty's longtime goal had been accomplished. His forces were decimated. Innocents had died. He had lost some of his own personal luxury craft. But none of that matter. Ploo IV had been brought to heel; their longtime foes the Fluggrians had been beaten. Dusty's name would be forever etched into the history books of Ploo II as the man who had finally secured Glymphid dominance in the system.

He had worked out a good enough deal with Hauron and the Rancor Squadron with all the ease of two people having worked something out over Discord. He was a bit miffed at the Mandalorians for having destroyed so many of his war machines but, all told, he wasn't the type to hold grudges. Especially with money involved. He and Hauron had agreed that he would receive the spaceport that Morwu had promised, in exchange for sticking around to ensue a smooth transition of power and to train up the Glymphid army.

As for Morwu, the Fluggrian, in his groggy state, had evidently neglected to notice that he was being restrained by two of Dusty's Glymphid troopers. So, his lunge died almost as soon as it started. Dusty laughed heartily at his rival's predicament and patronizingly pinched his cheeks.

"Don't worry, Morwu. I'll make sure you have a viewscreen in your cell, so you can see all my speeches!" Dusty cackled as he left to oversee the aftermath of the battle.

"My glorious people of Ploo II! I stand before you at the burnt out husk of the government building of Ploo IV. Those Fluggrian terrorists who we have spent so long trying to resist have been dealt with! Their ringleader, Morwu Klenn, is in custody and, though the losses were heavy, the Glymphid people are victorious! No longer will I be just a governor! Now, all the entire Ploo system will be united under a new king! King Dusty Daytonus!" Dusty spoke into the microphone to his newly freed assembled troops, raising a triumphant fist as one of his soldiers placed a makeshift crown made from the rubble upon his head.



/EndThread