Roche: Begin Your Landing

[Kalladrrl]

Roche
2100 Hours​

Damn, but this was an odd place. Humid and hot. But more hot and humid than even the jungles around the equatorial seas of Kashyyyk and the trees around Hurrthrakarrna. The fact that the Wookiee wore a new and fuller suit of armor did not add to his heat-dispensing capabilities. His fur’s structure trapped heat above his skin and kept his body cool. The Empire hadn't designed this armor with Wookiees in mind, but if he dispensed with the helmet he thought he had averted the risk of heat stroke. The heat of Roche was so intense that he had ordered the men to stow their armor and march with it broken down and hauled to maintain their peak efficacy.

Two platoons was all he had landed. That's all they'd needed. They'd had to land outside the city and enter in secrecy, not too many at a time and from a multitude of directions. They moved in disseminated cells smaller than squads and were to be assembled on the ground and in buildings near the anti-air complex, but the team slated to enter the facility had limited support.

“Squad leaders, transmit status reports.” His voice was deep in its vocabulation. Plenty of the men were taking up Shyriiwook. He hadn't even asked them to, but some of them had a harder go at it so his communications were routed for translation. The Wookiee held up his datapad, eyes moving over multiple streams of information as he was answered via comm by his adjutant.

“Commander, ground squads are in place and awaiting signal from the command squad. “

“Magnificently done,” came the Commander’s reply as he turned to his comrades, two Sith whose acquaintance he’d made briefly. He wasn’t very conscientious of Baalryc’s exploits, but Xornoth’s reputation preceded him. Regardless of the nebulous news of Baalryc, he wouldn't be paired with lazy sluggards or milkmaids from the Galactic Core. And he'd need the best the Empire could provide, and so would the Blackguards who could expect heavy resistance against an organized, aggressive enemy.

“Our objective is simple. My Blackguards are going to cause a diversion. They've planted a series of bombs and will engage with emergency crews to draw out police and military forces. We will move in to the anti-air complex and take control of it, even should it mean exterminating all we find within. Once we take control, more Blackguards will deploy via drop pod to secure this sector of the city. Questions?”

Kalladrrl had his lightsaber, his blaster pistol and a computer spike on his belt, the tools of his trade as a special operations soldier maintained regularly and drilled to the best of his ability; still no weapon was a match for the Wookiee’s prowess without one. The hives of Roche were bizarre and crenulated, and part of him was cautious at the thought of entering the labyrinthine nest.

@Arclight @Xorism @Cazar

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth was always in awe of the striking presence that Master Kalladrrl set wherever the Wookiee went. The mission was one of significant importance to the Empire and would require the trio to be the best of their game, something which he fully intended to do.

He was donning his Sith Armor, his usual lightsaber and blaster pistol. Finally, he would be able to enjoy the fruits of his efforts and tease out the new found strength in the force that he had been training to develop recently.

"Sounds like you don't even need us, Commander Kalladrrl. Would you prefer the back entrance or shall I take it?"

The mission would likely be over before anyone in the city could understand what hit them. Brute force and efficiency were the keys to success tonight.

@Arclight @Rexx

 

[Baalryc Ysirath]

The oppressive heat of Roche was almost intolerable, and Baalryc's face was covered in a sheen of sweat, his helmet clipped to his belt. He was loathe to be without the helmet on the battlefield, but underneath it the claustrophobic heat caused rivulets of sweat to flow into his eyes. He couldn't fight if he couldn't see. "Sir, the rest of the platoon are in position for a frontal assault on the facility, awaiting your signal." One of the four troopers of the Bombardiers he had brought along for the infiltration. They were crack shock troopers, and would make a valuable asset within the twisting labrynthe of the hive.

"Commander, i have a Platoon standing by to initiate a frontal assault on the anti-air complex." If the Wookiee Commander was worth his salt, he could figure out what to do with the short platoon that Baalryc had deployed. If not, well that was another story. Snickering under his breath at Xornoth's comment, Baalryc nudged the Kaleesh with his elbow. "Excited to take the rear entrance?" He joked, ever the fool.

But despite his cheerful demeanor, inside Baalryc was a soldier eyeing the battlefield. The humor of his words did not travel to his eyes as they surveyed the approach. While he often joked and acted the fool, Baalryc was first a soldier, once a crusader of the Jedi Order for decades. While he now wore the armor of the other side, his powers fueled by rage instead of serenity, his saber black and red instead of green, he still retained the too long years of experience that were hard earned over years of warfare. And he knew the first thing that could make or break an operation was the competency of the commander. "Ready to move out on your order."

 

[Kalladrrl]

Kalladrrl barked in boisterous laughter at both of them, quite and yet good humored. Seems he’d been sent good accompaniment; there was a large contingent of these Sith that certainly did not disappoint.

“I’ve set us up for success, but it will take all of our talents combined to crack open the facility,” said the Commander wisely. “I recommend we wait until we’ve encountered heavy resistance from the Verpine within to signal the rest of the Bombardiers to begin their attack." Between multiple points of aggression, these insects would be kicked into a disorganized hive by the time the remainder of the Blackguards were ready to deploy. Kalladrrl opened a communication channel.

“First and second platoon, stay frosty and light ‘em up. No prisoners!”

“No prisoners!” came a terse, quiet bark from every Blackguard at once and a feeling of paternal, martial pride filled his chest like he had passed on a warrior tradition to the next generation. His brief reflection was punctuated by the sound of five detonations within the same four block radius, where eighty of the Empire’s most deadly bastards were waiting to tie them up and provide cover for the command squad. He could hear buzzing sounds in the distance, like the types of sirens that would be present in a hive. The Commander hoped they pulled away some of the troops using the Blackguards’ dirty tricks, but the command squad of the two Sith, four Bombardiers and the Commander could deal out a frightening level of punishment.

“Gentlemen, they’re playing our song. Let’s do this.” The Wookiee sneered as they approached the rear of the facility, the door sliding open to meet them as they entered beside a loading dock. Three alarmed Verpine were treated to the Sith attack, and Kalladrrl did not give them the time to react before he was lashing out fiercely, kicking his legs out in front of him after closing the distance and delivering a two-legged kick to one of the scrawny vermin, whose body careened through the air and impacted the twisting set stone walls of the facility. He made a pained buzz and stirred no more.

@Xorism @Arclight

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth simply nodded and followed the lead of the Wookie into the complex before them. Suprise it would seem was theirs as the group broke into the entrance and set upon a trio of verpine that was clearly not ready to greet them properly.

Using his superior command of the force he reached out and grasped his startled prey and pulled it toward him with frightening haste toward his now outstretched and ignited lightsaber cleanly impaling it before discarding the body to one side.

Large metal sliding doors began to automatically close which would present a large problem with their assault further inward if they were not able to stop it quickly or get inside before they closed.

Xornoth focused heavily and used the force in an effort to hold back the massive blast door from firmly closing, and it would give the other two some time to do something to allow them all to get across the threshold.

@Arclight @Rexx

 

[Kalladrrl]

The Wookiee extricated himself from the Verpine corpse and the floor by pushing up with all of his limbs, springing to attention and eager to continue the bloodshed. No commlinks from the squad leaders of any casualties. That was well. They'd need all the Blackguards they could get to hold up the enemy for them and keep them occupied while they seized this installation for the invasion effort.

Kalladrrl looked from the Kaleesh to the blast door and it took him merely observing the two to discern what was happening. Master Sk’ar was employing his command of the metaphysical binding energy of the universe to resist the blast door in its closing.

The Commander drew his lightsaber, igniting it hotly in his hand as he felt at the door and where the churning of its motors originated. Either side of the door. Kalladrrl quickly speared the wall beside the door where he felt vibration the strongest. He needed to saw the blade almost as it heated through the tempered metal; but nothing held up to the star-like power of Kalladrrl’s lightsaber and after a minute of diligent effort he heard the door shudder as one side stopped resisting Xornoth’s efforts. Kalladrrl was quick to move to the other side, using what he had learned while sabotaging the left on the right side, the engines noisily dying. As he peeked from the cover on the right of the ruined, useless blast door, blaster fire streaked through the entryway, and Kalladrrl was taken by surprise, deflecting several bolts but not able to redirect them in any constructive manner. Hmpf. More practice to be had. He spoke into the commlink to the Kaleesh.

"Master Sk’ar, would you provide me cover that I might close with our enemies?” His voice was a bloodthirsty bay that carried over the sound of renewed blaster fire that kept Kalladrrl pinned to his cover for now.

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth released his force hold on the door immediately after Kalladrrl destroyed its moving mechanisms. He quickly moved to join the Wookiee as they evaluated their options in pushing through, Kalladrrl opted for the more direct punch them in the face approach.

Nodding to his request, Xor moved in front of the doorway, leaving room for the commander to charge. He raised his lightsaber to deflect any incoming blaster rounds while firing his pistol to suppress the enemy that was running in the open toward them.

Firing two rounds at each enemy, the two leftmost enemies were able to evade being struck while the center two were most definitely hit and the fifth seemingly completely missed. Of the enemies that were stuck, one verpine was caught twice with the second shot killing it - while the second beast was hit once and significantly wounded but still alive.

@Rexx

 

[Kalladrrl]

And charge the Wookiee did. He abandoned all artifice and took great and powerful strides to close with the injured Verpine, lightsaber drawn as he growled in effort. The being cowered as Kalladrrl grabbed it with a free hand, twisting his hips to expose it and cleaving through its body with a vicious hum and slice of his lightsaber blade into its gut. The Wookiee followed through, flinging the remains of the Verpine’s bodies into one of the ones that had dodged Xornoth’s blaster fire. The sounds of death around them would demoralize them quickly, breaking their morale as they were overwhelmed by the power of the Sith.

Kalladrrl pivoted and ran down the unbroken Verpine defender that had not been directly threatened by bolts from the Kaleesh. The Wookiee held the blade behind him, swinging down diagonally. His blow only struck the Verpine across his forearms, burning him, but it caused him – it? The Wookiee was not versed in the expression of sexual polymorphism in Verpine – to recoil in pain, and Kalladrrl spun with his lightsaber in hand, the energy blade whirring through the air as it cleaved the soldier through the waist. The Wookiee was finally able to take stock of this room, noting its size and its round shape, the ring of a metal gantry suspended above them with two sets of stairs climbing up to the ring on either side. Storage. They’d need to move further into the facility to take control of it.

@Xorism

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth moved up quickly to assist Kalladrrl but found the Commander had already dispatched the first group of defenders. This building that they were in was a secure facility for a reason, it was seemingly the central command for the entire network of air defenses across the city and taking it would likely cripple the entire thing, at least until the Verpine were able to take manual control in the various facilities.

"Let's move quickly, they already know we're coming anyway."

The stairs lead the pair toward the ring of the gantry, but it also unveiled a set of doors that were previously out of sight. It was easy enough to destroy the electronic locks on the doors which permitted them access and before they led a hallway with several doors on each side. While the windows that were on each door were small, the first door revealed what appeared to be the first command room they would need to disrupt as the many large screens indicated that it was some kind of tracking system. Xor motioned to his companion to pick another door and have some fun with the Verpine trapped inside with him.

Busting down the door to the tracking room, he found several of the natives ready to fight him as they lunged and swung attempting to take the Sith Master by surprise. The first two were easily killed with a blaster shot to the face and a quick slash of his blade. Despite his immense power the verpine kept coming and he slowly managed to cut down about half the rooms inhabitants taking out machinery and such in the process.

@Rexx

 

[Kalladrrl]

The Verpine seemed to disseminate their infrastructure throughout the facility, which would make their job a little more difficult than it might have been otherwise; Kalladrrl surmised there had to be some sort of central command chamber, it would just be a matter of finding it. Xornoth ducked into a chamber and began to work his magic, so Kalladrrl skirted the battle and opened another room, which a more tactical view of the anti-air defenses and more than a few pissed off Verpine.

The Commander was never slow to answer the call of war, and he sprinted forward in his battle armor, delivering a spinning kick to one Verpine that sent it flying into a computer bank. Kalladrrl used his momentum to follow through with a vicious lunge that burned a hole through the center of mass of another wiry Verpine. The Wookiee wrenched his blade free and deflected several shots away from him, most impacting the walls but several finding purchase in the computer terminals and causing them to truly become terminal in their own right, their functions impeded as necessary components were damaged by ricocheting blaster bolts.

Kalladrrl's fury was made manifest as he gripped a Verpine by the collar and thrust his head into a terminal, the impact the dull thud of skull on metal before the lightsaber pierced both head and computer, ending both life and usefulness in one savage strike, the energy blade singing as it cleaved air and skull and chassis. The remaining Verpine broke and darted in all directions to escape the rampage of the mighty Kalladrrl, and the Wookiee saw to thoroughly wrecking the equipment within the room, hacking hither and yon in wide, threshing strikes that sent sparks and the smoke of rare metals to filling the room like a fireworks display.

@Xorism

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth continued to slash and crush each Verpine as they failed to dislodge him from the rampage through their ranks. As their numbers dwindled he took the opportunity to strike and destroy further equipment and screens rendering the entire room useless beyond being a pile of scrap. Hiding in the corner of the room was a lone, small scared Verpine who was unwilling to offer any resistance to the Sith Master. Communicating through the force, he reached out to the creature.

"Where is the commander?" but silence followed his question.

"Where is the main control room? answer me!" he raised his lightsaber in a faux striking manner waiting for the response.

The creature pointed beside itself which showed a small map of the floor they were on. At the end of the hallway was an oddly marked room that he took to mean as his next destination. He nodded to the Verpine before slowly making his way back toward the door and moving over to find Kalladrrl had made short work of the other room.

"Last room if we're lucky big man. Double doors at the end of the hallway so maybe full of Verpine and hopefully the commander. Are you ready?"

@Rexx

 

[Kalladrrl]

The Wookiee was amongst a wreck of machinery when his comrade came to check on him and divulge what he had learn. Kalladrrl and his lightsaber had taken their directive to disrupt this facility's operation as he hacked his way through what was previously expensive military hardware, now rendered inert and useless by the wrath of the Commander. As Xornoth spoke, he disengaged and grinned at the Kaleesh viciously, even gleefully. There was nothing so satisfying as a job well done.

“I’m always ready for war.” He joined Xornoth in the hall, nodding in appreciation at their handiwork as he listened in to the comms from the Blackguards. Things were getting a little hairy out there but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle through one last skirmish from the command squad. Then, they'd have eight times as many troops deployed to back them up and take control of this sector of the city.

Kalladrrl's tactical ruminations were cut short by their arrival at the door, which slid open unceremoniously as a torrent of blaster fire threatened them. Kalladrrl rolled and deflected out of the way, breaking to the right-hand side of the command center and kicking the legs out from one Verpine as his whirring blade of plasma cleaved through a second, a third meeting it with its own blade for a second before superior strength and reach overwhelmed him and he fell backward with a burning slash to the chest. This was where Kalladrrl felt alive -- dodging blows and bolts and raining death down amongst the onlookers, helpless to escape his wrath and the execution of savage blows that pummeled and sliced them to pieces. It was distracting for the Verpine, to say the least. Kalladrrl was good at providing a big distraction. As good as only a Wookiee could be. His blade danced through Verpine chests and limbs, cutting them apart in a haze of vaporized blood and smoke.

@Xorism

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth followed the mammoth sized Wookiee into the double-doored command room and expelled a force push forward knocking objects all over the place from chairs and paperwork to paperweights. Unfortunately, the majority of the Verpine in the room had either already taken cover or were moving to engage Kalla and were not in the right place for his force attack to land properly.

From the door, he saw the heads of six Verpine in various positions around the room - two about to charge Kalla and two approaching himself. In the far end of the room was what appeared to be the commander they had been seeking, and judging from his two personal bodyguards and his dominating aura, he would be at least a Colonel who was well trained (level 2).

Xor blocked the attack from the first Verpine before twisting his saber to take the strike from the other bug. He would have to defeat these two critters quickly to aid his companion against the big bad boss, assuming he even needed help.

@Rexx

 

[Kalladrrl]

There he was. The installation’s commander, against their own. Master Sk’ar had engaged two of the others, either dedicated bodyguards or their elite troops, but that left the biggest of them and two spares to Kalladrrl. And a wicked feint crossed his mind, and he concealed a smirk even as he raised his eyebrows in worry, surreptitiously thumbing the activation stud of his lightsaber, deactivating it and looking at it in faux panic. The Verpine took the bait like a Wookiee barreling into a trap that promised free, delicious meat. But Kalladrrl was the hunter, and as the Verpine moved on him with his blade, Kalladrrl dropped the lightsaber, bending low to pick it up and appearing to give the Verpine an opening, but Kalladrrl was faster against a confident opponent, wrapping his right hand around the Verpine’s wrist, blocking the downward slash. The Wookiee twisted his hips and smashed his elbow into the Verpine’s carapace, collapsing it and provoking a buzzing yowl of pain from Kalladrrl’s victim.

Kalladrrl maintained his grip, wrapping his arm under the colonel’s leg and hoisting him up into the air after delivering the truly punishing blow to the Verpine’s chest cavity. In one moment, the Verpine was going up and in the next, Kalladrrl brought the colonel’s back down mightily upon his thrusting knee, milky Verpine blood pouring over his armor from the hole in its chest as a sickening yell tore from the now irreparably maimed Verpine colonel, the nerves that connected the legs to the spine quite pulverized by Kalladrrl’s savagery. The Wookiee tossed the useless meat at one Verpine and followed through with the momentum, flashing a quick kick into the chest of the other, sending him back and slamming him like Kalladrrl had done so many of his fellows. They never learned.

And they never would.

With space created, Kalladrrl dashed for where his lightsaber lay, igniting it and standing to, reversing his grip on it as he strode with glorious and dangerous purpose to the central terminal of the odd chamber, more elaborate and clearly networked to many places. The Wookiee smiled as his lightsaber flashed from where he held it to embed into the large computer.

Kalladrrl and Xornoth were treated immediately to buzzing klaxons echoing throughout the facility, angry at this violation. Warning messages and errors of all sorts filled the screens which lined the curved walls of the chamber, and Kalladrrl knew their objective had been completed. The Commander was on the commlink as he extricated his lightsaber from the ruined, sparking wreck.

“All Blackguard platoons, begin your landing.”

“Aooooooh!” came the howls from the battalion, screeching joyously as transport ships prepared drop pods to rapidly deploy the special force commandos to the surface of Roche.

“Adjutant, relay news of the command squad’s success to Master Aeron. All squad leaders, transmit status reports as necessary. Keep your ears on and light ‘em up.”

There would be maybe thirty seconds before the first of the pods arrived to reinforce their most vulnerable positions before taking control of the quadrant immediately to the north of the complex, cutting off a major thoroughfare that could have been used for reinforcing other parts of the city under attack had Master Sk’ar and Commander Kalladrrl not taken it from them swiftly and viciously. The Wookiee idly delivered a blow to the prone but struggling Verpine who was also buried under the dead weight of his colonel. He had no recourse as he died, but Kalladrrl was not disposed to inflicting deep cruelty unless it served a higher purpose. Better to end them quickly and move on to the next target.

He waited for Xornoth to finish his mopping up before speaking. The Wookiee was eager to be done with this place. Damn, but he could eat right now.

“You hungry, Master Sk’ar? I'm starvin’. Wrecking military hardware always enrages my appetite.” Kalladrrl was flush with vicious vivacity at their victory, even as he dialed into the channel shared solely by the command squad.

@Xorism

 

[Xornoth Sk'ar]

Xornoth swung his lightsaber effortlessly in time to block the attack from the first aggressor before switching to a quick slash against the second taking his entire sword shoulder off with the attack. The Verpine warrior collapsed to the floor howling in pain while the Sith Master focused his attention back to the first. Taking his time to easily block any attack coming, the Verpine began to fold under the pressure of fighting against a superior opponent before dropping to its knees in submission.

After disarming both opponents, Xornoth turned to see his friend Kalla radioing the rest of his forces the remaining orders for the operation. They had all done great work today and the effort to take the complex would not go unappreciated as it now freed up the support vessels to begin their landings alongside the warships.

"I'm sure we can find something around here, Commander. Let's get out of here."

@Rexx

/exit thread